Pampered Chef Citrus Peeler

How can one just simply compare a citrus peeler to an amnihook???  Don't know what a "amnihook" is?  Watch the video to find out! ;-)

Click the link below and it will direct you to the video:

Pampered Chef Citrus Peeler

Chef'n Orange Peeler

My latest YouTube video!  I used the Chef'n Orange Peeler for the very first time.  I think with more practice I'll eventually get the hang of it.  It's kind of a fun little tool.  Makes me want to eat an orange just so I can get more practice with it.  :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVE2FFiWBbM

Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Maker Attachment

Hey Guys,

I posted this YouTube video of myself showing how to use the Kitchen Aid Ice Cream attachment.  I forgot to add that this attachment will run you about $100.  I found mine at Target (my favorite store ever!)  So if you've always wondered what it was and how it worked, this might be an informative clip for you to watch.  Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuO38sSiJns

Pineapple Corer Review: Re-do

Hey Guys,

So a few days ago I posted a link to a YouTube video I made where I was using the Good Grips Ratcheting Pineapple Slicer for the first time.  If you watched that video then you know that it didn't end very well for my lab rat of a pineapple.  So I decided to give it a second try.  You can see how it went by clicking here.  That will take you directly to the video. Enjoy! :)

Trish's Dishes

Hey everybody! I started yet a another new project last night.  A YouTube channel!!!  I filmed my first video last night and just got it uploaded.  I reviewed the "OXO Good Grips Pineapple Corer".  You can view my video on YouTube by clicking Here.  Hope you enjoy it! :)

Beef Bourguignon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Admittedly, I have no idea how to pronounce "bourguignon" or do I even know what it means for that matter.  My guess is that it means something like: divine, beautiful, or simply heavenly.  Sometimes I find a recipe that looks interesting and I hang onto it for months before I finally end up cooking it.  But there are other times, like this time, that I find a recipe and I MUST prepare it immediately.  Trust me, if you happened to see the photo that was printed alongside this recipe (which was featured in the October issue of the Rachel Ray magazine) you wouldn't have hesitated either.  A picture is worth a thousand words, or in this case, it was worth a thousand teeny tiny bursts of the salivary glands.

Another true fact is that the husband and I are not big fans of the traditional beef stew and this recipe is pretty similar to beef stew, but there is just something about this recipe that attracted me.  My guess is that it has something to do with the lack of potatoes called for in the recipe.  Or it may have been the addition of bacon and red wine.  Oh YUM! Those glands are kicking into gear again as I type! I prepared this dish exactly as directed in the original recipe, no alterations needed.  I'm going to do you a favor and stop babbling about it now so that you can head straight into your kitchen to cook it right up!


INGREDIENTS:

2 slices bacon, chopped
1 lb. beef chuck stew meat, cut into 1 1/2 in. cubes
2 C white mushrooms, quartered
3/4 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2 in. pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 TBSP tomato paste
1 TBSP butter
2 TBSP flour
1 C beef stock
3/4 C dry red wine
2 TBSP fresh thyme
salt & pepper
1 small baguette, cut into slices


DIRECTIONS:


In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over med-high heat until crisp, 4 minutes or so.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer into a bowl. Season the beef with salt and pepper and add it to the pot in a single layer.  Cook, stirring, until browned all over, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the cooked meat, carrots, onion, tomato paste and butter.  Season and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.  Stir in the stock, wine and 1 tbsp. thyme; bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to med-low, cover and simmer until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens, about 1 1/2 hours.  Stir in the cooked bacon; season.  Divide among bowls, garnish with the remaining thyme and serve with the sliced baguette.  Enjoy! :)

Super Simple Cheddar Mac & Cheese

Where has the time gone?

 It was brought to my attention last weekend (shout out to Tami!) that it has been over four months since my last post. Which also means that it has been over four months since my last blogspot log in.  I must admit that upon todays log in, I was tickled to see that I have had over 13,000 blog views.  :)  Now, I am completely aware that there are thousands of bloggers out there who by far surpass me in numbers and probably have quadruple that amount in followers and probably get that number of page views on the daily.  Good for them, but that is not what I'm about.  I like to share at my leisure and not feel as if I must produce.  So that is exactly what I will continue to do.  With that said, thank you to those that continue to check in and to Tami for giving me a little nudge. 

I was also thrilled to see that my most viewed post is this, a recipe that I created myself.  The second most viewed is my recipe is for this, which is also delicious (A sad but true fact: I had to sing "Fergalicious" in my head to get that spelled right). 

Please excuse me while I go refill my glass with a little more two "and a half" buck Chuck....

K I'm back, refilled, and good to go!  Where were we? Oh yes, the Two Buck Chuck!  Who else thinks they should change it's nickname already? It would totally still rhyme and make a lot more sense. Let me just say that I am comfortable enough with my own frugalness (or smartness as I like to call it) to not be ashamed to admit that I, on occasion, drink the two buck Chuck.  I must also admit though, that I am no wine connoisseur and if you are, then maybe you are gagging on your cork right now, who knows?! 

So lets get to this recipe already, shall we?

Last week I made this CRAZY good mac n cheese. I am talking RICH, CREAMY, CHEESY, SUPER SIMPLE, "ARE YOU GOING TO FINISH THAT?" kind of mac & cheese!  It was so palate pleasing that I actually made it two nights in a row!! And in our house that is absurd! If I make a dish today, it better not appear in the rotation for at least a month or someone will say "didn't we just have this?!" My cousin twin, (cousins that look a ton alike, and sound a lot alike and that were born only a month apart) said that she is really loving mac & cheese at the moment, so I just had to post this recipe for her! :) Cheers to you Kell Bell!

This recipe does not make a ton.  It worked well for us as two adult sized side servings with enough left over to send with the husband the next day for lunch with a grilled chicken breast. 

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 C uncooked small shaped pasta (obviously macaroni is a great choice.  I acutally used orecchiette the first time and penne the second)
1/4 C butter
1/4 C all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
4 pinches of pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 C half & half
1 C milk
1 1/2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes hot sauce (such as Tapatio)
Panko bread crumbs
1/2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare an 8X8 glass dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  fill a small sauce pan with salted water.  Bring to a boil. Stir in the uncooked pasta.  Cook according to package directions.  Drain well and set aside.  Using the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, half and half and milk.  Whisk until smooth and cook until thickened.  (This will take just a few minutes.)  Turn the heat to low, whisk in 1 1/2 of cheddar cheese, ground mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.  Stir in the cooked pasta.  Spoon the cheesy pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle with desired amount of bread crumbs.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 C cheddar cheese.  Bake in preheated oven for 4 min. or until the cheese is melted.  Enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pasta

Since the husband isn't a huge fan of pasta, I try not to cook dishes with pasta too often, but when I do, I try to make sure that it is something wonderful!  This dish definitely falls under the wonderful category.

This recipe was originally called "One Pot Creamy Chicken and Noodles". That is a nice name and all, but after I prepared this dish, I decided that it tasted exactly like a cheesy chicken pot pie made with pasta noodles instead of the pie crust.  So since I altered the original recipe, I took it upon myself to also alter the name.  Therefore, I will now call it "Cheesy Chicken Pot Pasta".  This recipe will easily feed a family of four with a major possibility of leftovers.


INGREDIENTS:

2 TBSP olive oil
2 C total of chopped onions, celery and carrots (I used a half of a large onion, three celery stalks and two handfuls of baby carrots
1 TBSP garlic, minced
salt & pepper
3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cubed
2.5 C milk, divided
2 TBSP cornstarch
1.5 TBSP butter
3 heaping TBSP chicken bouillon granules, divided
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
2 C water
1 TBSP dried parsley
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 lb. dried linguini, broken in half
1.5C cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium/high heat.  Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic.  sauté in the olive oil just until the vegetables start to become tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the cubed chicken to the pot and season with salt and pepper.  sauté the chicken with the vegetables until it is no longer pink (there is not a need to cook it through as it will finish cooking as it simmers in the sauce).  As you sauté the chicken with the vegetables you'll need to prepare the cream sauce in a small sauce pan by whisking 1 cup of the milk with the cornstarch.  Place the sauce pan over medium/high heat and add the 1.5 TBSP of butter, 1 heaping tsp. of chicken bouillon granules, 1/2 tsp. of salt along with a dash of pepper.  Whisk together and continue to whisk until the mixture has thickened.  Remove from heat and add it into the large pot as soon as the chicken cubes are no longer pink.  Also mix in the remaining 1.5 C of milk, 2C of water, the remaining 2 heaping tsp. of chicken bouillon granules, the dried parsley, dried thyme, garlic powder, and dried linguini.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to low.  Allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes until the pasta is tender.  Stir every five minutes or so to prevent the noodles from sticking to one another.  Once the pasta if finished, removed the pot from the heat and stir in 1 C of shredded cheddar cheese.  Top with the remaining .5 C and allow to sit and rest for five minutes or so until the cheese becomes melted and the sauce has thickened.  ENJOY!

Adapted from yellowblissroad.com's recipe for "creamy chicken and noodles"

STEAK N' CHEDDAR MEATBALLS

Hi friends! It has been a few weeks, (or rather several!).  I wanted to pop in to share a recipe with you that I made yesterday for the super bowl.  This recipe was adapted from a recipe featured in People magazine way back in 2011.  The article states that the recipe took home a blue ribbon at the NYC Wine & Food Festival that year.  One bite and you'll understand why.  Carson (now 2 1/2) was a big fan of these and ate several, Dominic (9) was not at all interested.  So are they kid friendly? Let your kids decide.  :)

INGREDIENTS:

1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
4 oz. raw bacon, diced
1 lb. ground beef
3oz. cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 C bread crumbs (mine were Italian seasoned)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Spray the bottom of a 8X8 glass baking dish with cooking spray.  Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and bacon and sauté until golden.  Transfer the onions and bacon to a small plate lined with a paper towel.  Allow to cool.  Then in a large bowl, combine the bacon, onions and the rest of the ingredients and mix well until thoroughly combined.  Roll the mixture into 25 meatballs.  Be sure to pack the meat firmly. Place them into the prepared 8X8 (five rows of five fit really well) and roast until cooked through, about 18 minutes.  Allow the meatballs to cool for five minutes before transferring to a serving dish.  Place one toothpick into each meatball and serve.  ENJOY!

Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers

I made this recipe for "Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers" for the first time a little over a year ago.  (I also took this lovely picture way back when as well.  Talk about procrastination!)  It wasn't until a friend just asked me for the recipe that I decided that I should go ahead and add it to my online recipe box.  You know, since I did just type the whole thing out and all.  :)  I plan to make these for dinner really soon, they are really really yummy and the husband enjoyed them a lot. 

INGREDIENTS:

 

olive oil

1/2 lb ground turkey (you can probably use lean ground turkey as well)

1 C chopped onions

1 heaping TBSP of taco seasoning (I used the homemade version)

2 C of cooked rice (I used some Spanish rice I had leftover)

3-4 bell peppers, halved and seeds removed

1 can of black beans, drained & rinsed

1/2 C of frozen corn

1 (15 -16 ounce) jar of salsa (or homemade if you have it!)

shredded Cheddar Cheese

 

Toppings:

fresh cilantro

sour cream

sliced avocado

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

 Start the rice.

Pre heat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat the prepped peppers with the olive oil and roast them in a baking dish for 20-25 minutes.  Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool long enough so they can be handled.

Meanwhile, brown the ground turkey with the chopped onion and any seasonings of your choice. (I usually like to use a little salt, pepper, and garlic...fresh or powdered.) Drain any excess fat if necessary.

 

When the meat is finished, add in the taco seasoning.  Mix well to combine.  Next, add in the black beans, corn, rice and the salsa.  Mix well.

 

Now, spoon in the turkey mixture into each of the bell pepper halves.  Carefully place them back into the baking dish.  Cook the peppers for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the peppers are cooked thru.  Just before removing the dish, sprinkle the top of each pepper with some shredded cheddar cheese.  Place the dish back into the oven long enough for the cheese to melt. 

 

Remove from the oven and top with an additional desired toppings (ex. cilantro, sour cream, avocado...)

 

ENJOY!

 

 

recipe adapted from: simplylovefood.blog.com

Summer Vegetable Torta

(Isn't it pretty!?)

I loved, loved, LOVED this Summer Vegetable Torta. A LOT!  It turned out so pretty and so very tasty! It looked quite impressive in my opinion and it was super easy to toss together!  I ate it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack.  No, I'm not kidding.  I'm anxiously awaiting for a brunch or potluck that I can prepare this for.  I think it'll be a hit!

INGREDIENTS:

3 TBSP olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
8oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 red peppers, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
8oz. cream cheese, softened
6 large eggs
1/4 C heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
3  TBSP fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 C shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Prepare a 9-inch spring form pan by spraying the bottom and sides with cooking spray.  Line the bottom with parchment paper, and spray with additional cooking spray. Then wrap the outside with aluminum foil.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, zucchini, and fresh peppers and saute until vegetables just start to become tender (10 minutes or so). 

Then, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Next beat in the eggs until combined.  Now beat in the cream. Stir in the garlic, basil, salt and pepper.

Now, using a slotted spoon, drain off liquid from the vegetables and add them to the egg mixture.  Add shredded cheddar cheese and stir with a rubber spatula to combine.

Spread mixture into the prepared pan and set the pan on a baking sheet.

Bake for 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 hours, until top is golden brown and the center is firm when shaken. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes in pan, then run a sharp knife around edges to loosen. Gently remove the pan sides. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold. ENJOY!

recipe adapted from: alldayidreamaboutfood.com

Broccoli & Beef

 

I can't take too too much credit for this one since I only altered a few things in this recipe.  Well, who knows, those little changes could have been what made this dish SO FREAKING FANTASTIC!!! So I guess I'll go ahead and toot my own horn for a sec.  "toot toot!"  Ok, done now. 

 I am a huge broccoli  & beef fan.  I've tried making it at home before, only to realize that the Chinese restaurants can make it much better.  The hubster requested broccoli & beef for dinner last night so I decided to go ahead and try out a new recipe that I had pinned a while back.  It turned out SO SO YUMMY!! I will definitely  be make this again and again.  It tasted just as good as a Chinese restaurant without all the MSG.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sugar
1 TBSP cornstarch
1 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
1 TBSP water
2 TBSP toasted sesame oil
1.5lbs. flank steak, sliced thin
1/2 C low sodium soy sauce
2 TBSP brown sugar
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 TBSP flour
1 TBSP sherry
3 TBSP toasted sesame oil
2 heads of broccoli crowns

DIRECTIONS:

Preparing the beef:

Allow the beef to come to room temperature.  (Mine sat out for about an hour and a half)  Then, using a sharp knife, slice the beef into thin strips making sure to slice against the grain.  If the slices become too long, feel free to cut them in half or even in thirds. 

Preparing the marinade:

In a large bowl, whisk together the first six ingredients. Then add the beef strips and thoroughly coat them in the marinade.  Cover the bowl in plastic wrap, set aside and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.  (Now would be a good time to get your rice started)

In the meantime:

Trim your broccoli and set aside.  In a small bowl whisk together the 1/2 C low sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, flour and sherry. Set aside until the meat is finished marinating.

When the meat is ready:

 Heat 2 TBSP of the sesame oil in a wok or  large sauté pan over high heat.  Next, add the broccoli and sauté in the oil for 4-5 minutes.  (I prefer my broccoli a little on the crunchy side, feel free to cook longer if you like it softer.)  Transfer the broccoli to a dish and set aside. 

Turn the heat down to medium-high and add the remaining 1 TBSP of sesame oil to the pan.  Add the meat to the pan and then pour in half of the soy sauce/brown sugar mixture on top.  Saute until the meat is no longer pink, this takes just a few minutes.  When the meat is finished, add the broccoli to the wok with the remainder of the soy sauce/brown sugar mixture.  Saute for another minute. 

Serve over steamed white rice. ENJOY!!


Recipe adapted from: Rainydaygal.com

Simple Marinara Sauce (a DG original)

I tend to do a lot of my grocery shopping on my lunch break these days, grabbing things that I'll need for the next day or two.  I often forget things I need due to the lack of a list and being in a rush.  Last week I ran to the grocery store on a lunch break to grab the things I would need for a ravioli bake, one of my quick go to weeknight dinners. I didn't realize until I got home to prepare dinner, that I had forgotten to grab a jar of pasta sauce!!!  At first I panicked since it was getting late and I didn't have a back up meal prepared.  As usual, I reverted to good ol' google! Of course I couldn't find a recipe to suit my needs that included ingredients that I already had on hand.  So I did what I usually do and pick what I like from several recipes to create my own version! Of course if your looking for a recipe for a marinara sauce to use up some of your garden fresh tomatoes, you can always check out my  original recipe for mushroom-garlic marinara sauce here,  but this here is what I ended up with that night and it turned out pretty well if I do say so myself! :)

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 TBSP olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 onion, minced
2 14.5 oz. cans of petite-cut tomatoes
1 6oz. can of tomato paste
1.5 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/3 C sherry

DIRECTIONS:

using a food processor, puree the garlic and petite-cut tomatoes.  (I only pureed one can because I like my sauce to be a little bit chunky and added the additional can in with the remaining ingredients.)  Set aside.  In a med sauce pan sauté the onion with the olive oil over medium high heat just until softened.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on low (stirring occasionally) for 30 min, covered.  To be used in your favorite pasta dish! ENJOY!

Brown Rice Pilaf

I am a bg fan of brown rice, the boys...eh, not so much!  I am on a determined quest to find new ways to prepare brown rice for the whole family to enjoy.  This recipe was attempt #2 (with attempt #1 being the plain ol' boring, basic, brown rice).  Carson ignored the side all together.  Dominic bluntly stated "I HATE mushrooms!".  The hubby politely consumed the side and gave me an unenthusiastic "it was good." I on the other hand LOVED this dish!!!  I thought it went well with the salmon tacos I made that night.  I'll probably make this next when we have company over, or to bring along to someone's house.  I'd like to see how others like this side dish.  :)

INGREDIENTS:

2.5 TBSP olive oil
1/2 lb. Cremini mushrooms, sliced
6 green onions
salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 C long grain brown rice
1 C chicken stock
1 C water
1/2 lime

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium skillet heat 2 TBSP. of the olive oil over medium heat add the mushrooms and half of the green onions and season with salt and pepper.  Sautee for 8 minutes until the mushrooms have browned and softened.  Next add the garlic and the remaining .5 TBSP of olive oil.  Sautee for another 2 minutes then add the soy sauce, rice, chicken stock and water.  Season with a large pinch of salt and pepper.  Bring to a full boil.  Scrape the rice into a 8x8 glass baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes.  Remove the foil, fluff the pilaf with a fork, squeeze the lime over the pilaf and top with the remaining 3 green onions.  ENJOY!

recipe adapted from foodandwine.com

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

My eight year old son recently finished up his third grade year.  As a strong student in math, reading is not much of his thing.  During a parent teacher conference, it was suggested to me to continue to read to him before bed each night, but to choose books that are slightly above his reading level.  So I did.

Whenever I am choosing a new read for myself, I tend to gravitate toward books that have been listed on the The New York Times Bestseller List.  So when cruising through the children's book section at Target, I stuck to my usual habits and found this; "Wonder", written by R.J. Palacio.  The cover appeared interesting enough, it had been featured on the bestseller list, and reading the back of the book as well as one random page in the middle, got me to spend $15.99 on this 313 page children's novel.

I cannot express to you how much my son and I both LOVED this book! We both laughed, cried, and rooted for the main character, Auggie, throughout the entire book.  Reading this novel together was such a great bonding experience for us, and it taught us both a thing or two about how we view and treat others.

 Auggie is not your typical fifth grader.  Well, as far as looks go.  Auggie was born with a severe facial deformity that kept him from going to a public school until his parents allowed him to when he reached the fifth grade.  Palacio writes each chapter from a different characters perspective to tell the heartfelt story of Auggie's first year in public school and what it had been like for him growing up.  It didn't take long for us to realize how likeable of a kid Auggie is and how much he and my son have many of the same interests in common.  We finished this book up a few months ago, and I find it amazing how often the name "Auggie" still comes up in our conversations.  Auggie has forever left an imprint in our minds and hearts.  This book would make a great gift for any elementary school student.  "Wonder" is a powerful impact of a read that teaches children many great life lessons on trust, fear, real friendships, and what it means to stay true to yourself! 

Salmon Tacos

Who doesn't like a good fish taco on a hot summer evening?  These salmon tacos can be consumed completely guilt free.  They are so yummy and pretty healthy too!  They are also husband approved.  :)

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 lbs. Salmon fillet
1-2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
2-3 TBSP butter
juice of one lime
salt & pepper
8 corn tortillas (I like these)

Topping suggestions:

chopped tomatoes
chopped cilantro
chopped cabbage
crumbled cotija cheese
sour cream
tapatio
lime wedges

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Line a rimmed cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Spray the foil with cooking spray and place the salmon fillet on top, skin side down.  Season the fillet with the lemon pepper, salt and pepper.  Cut the butter into small pieces and place them evenly over the top of the fillet.  Squeeze the juice from the lime evenly over the fillet.  Cover with another piece of foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Depending on the thickness of your fillet you may need to adjust your cooking time, the salmon is finished when it flakes off easily with a fork.  In the meantime, chop and prep your toppings.  Just before the salmon fillet is finished, heat a cast iron griddle over Med./High heat and warm your corn tortillas.  When the salmon is finished baking, flake using forks.  Assemble your tacos as desired. ENJOY!

Stir Fry Sauce (a DG original!)

This recipe is technically not a new post.  It originally made its debut here as part of my Thai Lettuce Wrap recipe.  (Which btw, if you haven't checked it out yet I suggest you do so.  It's one of our favs!)  Stir fry is another one of our favs and this has become my go-to recipe for making the sauce.  I wanted to make a post specifically for this since I use it a lot and it'll make my life much easier when I go to find it!  (Its true, I use my blog as my personal online recipe keeper! I love it!)

I'll assume that most of you know what stir fry is and how to make it. For those who don't its basically a mixture of meat, veggies and a stir fry sauce (such as this one) stir fried together with oil (sesame oil works well!) over high heat and served over steamed rice.  I like to keep it simple and use beef with onion, carrots, celery, bean sprouts, and sometimes broccoli.  Keep in mind that the possibilities are endless!!  Try using chicken or shrimp or throwing some snap peas or bell peppers! OH YUM!!

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 C low sodium soy sauce

1.5 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. corn starch
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 TBSP sherry

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, whisk together all the above ingredients.  Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Turn heat down and allow to simmer for three minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside.  Use in your favorite stir fry recipe.  ENJOY!

Homemade Rice-a-Roni

 

Boxes of Rice-a-roni used to be a staple in our cupboards. 

"What shall I serve with these pork chops tonight?" " I know, Rice-a-roni!"

" Hmmm... what'll go good with this bbq chicken?" " How about some Rice-a-roni?!"

Pretty sad, right!?

Over the past few years I have become more and more conscientious of what I feed my family.  It hasn't happened overnight, but I have cut waaaay back on the amount of "boxed" foods and convenience foods that I purchase, which includes....you guessed it! RICE-A-RONI!!  It brings me much joy to make things by scratch as often and possible.  I had never realized before how easy and inexpensive it can be to create some of my favorite items at home that I used to thoughtlessly throw into my shopping cart. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to stumble across a recipe for homemade rice-a-roni on pinterest.  It has taken me a few tries to adjust the recipe to our taste and I am ever so proud to present to you my adapted recipe for "Homemade rice-a-roni"!!

Rice-a-roni (just wanted to throw that in one more time...not sure that I mentioned it enough yet!) :)

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 C raw orzo
3/4 C raw white rice
2 TBSP butter
14.5 oz. boiling water
2 tsp. chicken granules (heaping)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried parsley

DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet, over medium high heat, melt the butter and sauté the orzo until is starts to brown. Add the white rice and continue to brown until golden.  Add the boiling water, chicken granules, garlic powder and dried parsley.  Bring to a full boil then turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.  ENJOY!

*NOTE* You can replace the boiling water & chicken granules with store bought or homemade chicken stock.  I use chicken granules a lot in place of chicken stock...It saves a lot of money! Especially if you purchase the giant container of Knorr chicken granules from Costco.  You can make aprox. 115 cups of  broth for under $8.00!!!  What a steal!

recipe adapted from food.com

Speculoos Cookie Butter Cookies

My husband brought TJ's  Speculoos Cookie Butter to my attention after he had heard about it on the radio.  He said that it is becoming hard to get and that people are starting to sell it on eBay.  The hot commodity of summer 2013. Whaaaa?! That's all he had to tell me before I decided that I must have some. 

It took me exactly one week after my initial try to get my hands on two jars of the stuff.  I hadn't realized that it came in a crunchy and a smooth variety.  Crunchy is all I could get at the time and after I witnessed a TJ's employee getting grilled for saving me the two jars, I wasn't about to get picky.  I took my jars, placed them in my cart, gave a quick "thanks!" and then bolted down the next aisle.  At last, they were MINE!

My sister told me that Cookie Butter is much like biscoff spread, and after tasting it, I would have to agree.  Although Cookie Butter is a tad bit more sweet in my opinion, I think they are both wonderful!!  You can spread it on toast, bagels, biscuits, or eat it by the spoonful.  Whatever your heart so desires. I chose to incorporate it into cookie dough thus creating the Cookie Butter Cookies.  These cookies are extremely chewy and go fantastically with a tall glass of milk.  My husband had a brilliant idea of spreading cookie butter on top of the cookie butter cookies.  YUM!

INGREDIENTS:

1 C Speculoos Cookie Butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 C sugar (plus more for rolling)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 C  all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Using an electric mixer, cream together the cookie butter and sugar.  Add the vanilla and beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Next, mix in the dry ingredients until all ingredients are well incorporated.  Using a cookie scoop, roll the dough into balls and then roll them into sugar and place them approx. 2 inches apart on your cookie sheet.  If your not using a cookie scoop you can roll the dough into balls about the size of a ping pong ball.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.  Cool completely before storing into an air tight container.  ENJOY!

Tricia's 20min. Stovetop Chili

Its been a little while since my last post.  I went through another one of my cooking funks.  It's the kind of funk where I never know what to cook, nothing ever sounds good, and I go on a menu planning strike.  I think I am over it.  For now.

The boys have been bugging me for weeks to make them some chili and cornbread.  The weather is getting nicer here so I was hoping they'd forget about it and instead be satisfied with the lighter dishes that I like to cook during this time of the year.  Nope!  So last night, I gave in and cooked them what they wanted.  I love to take care of my spoiled brats!

This is a super quick recipe that will definitly satisfy your chili cravings.  It is one of my go-to recipes since I usually have all the ingredients on hand.  Start to finish, you can have this dinner on the table in 20 minutes! What's not to love? If prepared the way the recipe is written, the chili will have a kick to it.  My way of dealing with that when serving it to my boys is to stir in a healthy helping of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, it helps curve the spice. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 14.5 oz. can of petiete diced tomatoes
1 15oz. can of red kidney beans (drained)
1.5 TBSP ancho chili powder
1 TBSP cumin
1TBSP paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/2 C water

*Topping options*:

cheddar cheese
chopped onion (yellow or green!)
sour cream or plain Greek yogurt


DIRECTIONS:

Chop the onion and garlic.  Brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic and drain any excess fat.  Add remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.  Let simmer on low for 5-10 minutes.  Enjoy!