tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89122319968122527112024-03-12T16:41:24.475-07:00The Carter Family TableWe love, we laugh, we eat together as a family.Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.comBlogger169125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-23883838781173909152012-02-25T14:34:00.002-08:002012-02-25T17:24:33.253-08:00Freezer Cooking~ Sausage & Lentil StewWhile Brian is working on a two weekend project, aka finally building a laundry/book shelf into an alcove of our bedroom I had a little time on my hands. I had two freezer meals that I wanted to make a hearty sausage and lentil stew and a four cheese macaroni bake. I decided to do the lentil stew since it used sausage that I needed to cook and freeze before it went bad in the fridge. The house smells delicious and it is so good I almost don't want to put it in the freezer!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzHCuNUlrj_nuESXt_2IkPw9Jy-GuW0LWHQnvzIdrz7uPVwCrNVpScV3zBra2gvqmmvWR47RMF9Dqt6J-NmIu8vF4xVLumXKg0SvKTFMJTJzGVfjf0ovzSeyP8r3IOucS4-9RFTSNFt4/s1600/lentil+and+sausage+stew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzHCuNUlrj_nuESXt_2IkPw9Jy-GuW0LWHQnvzIdrz7uPVwCrNVpScV3zBra2gvqmmvWR47RMF9Dqt6J-NmIu8vF4xVLumXKg0SvKTFMJTJzGVfjf0ovzSeyP8r3IOucS4-9RFTSNFt4/s320/lentil+and+sausage+stew.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><u>Sausage and Lentil Stew </u></b><br />
5 mild Italian sausage links, cut into slices (because that is how many comes in a package, the original recipe I was following called for four, but who wants just one lone sausage sitting in the fridge or freezer)<br />
1 bunch of kale, chopped<br />
1 yellow onion, chopped<br />
1 green pepper, chopped<br />
2 tbsp minced garlic<br />
8 cups chicken broth (I increased the broth from original recipe- so even though I used one extra sausage link the broth needed to be upped as well because otherwise it wouldn't have even qualified for a "stew" TRUST ME it will be thick enough!)<br />
1 cup of dried lentils (I had yellow on hand so I used that)<br />
1 cup of long-grain white rice<br />
1 tsp ground cumin<br />
1/4 tsp black pepper<br />
2 tbsp Italian parsley minced, OR 1 tbsp dried parsley<br />
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1. Chop all veggies ahead of time and put in a bowl on the counter where you are working. In a big pot brown the sausage. Add veggies (kale, onion, green pepper) garlic, and half the broth. Cook for about 5 min.<br />
2. Add lentils, rice, cumin, and remaining broth. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium, cover, and cook for 25 min. Rice will be cooked, lentils soft, and it will be thick. Add black pepper and parsley, stir to combine.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_XaFAz9wkofz-4YDtPwogocyqvy0S7yaqKUow62Mzip7SW_s9tLvvantGq7KYgRzIaz9P1j6B6-EZx4f7LS_igSroToa0-JXbpVit7ff1T1RZUZ7Th544quBNAIaSzGkRlPD_z3X5Ao/s1600/lentil+and+sausage+stew2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_XaFAz9wkofz-4YDtPwogocyqvy0S7yaqKUow62Mzip7SW_s9tLvvantGq7KYgRzIaz9P1j6B6-EZx4f7LS_igSroToa0-JXbpVit7ff1T1RZUZ7Th544quBNAIaSzGkRlPD_z3X5Ao/s320/lentil+and+sausage+stew2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>**To freeze, allow to cool and pour into a sealable plastic container.<br />
**To cook (might want to put on a label for the freezer)<br />
Thaw<br />
1. empty soup into a large stockpot, if too thick add a cup or two more stock to desired thickness, heat over medium let simmer for 20 min.<br />
2. Serve soup in large bowls, with crusty bread and a salad! Dinner served!<br />
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Original recipe found on <a href="http://www.relishrelish.com/" target="_blank">Relish! </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/241/9DA5B95B1346708FAF2ACAA443AF8DE2.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-11880419375781005062012-02-24T07:53:00.002-08:002012-02-25T14:36:42.937-08:00Meatball SoupSo this soup couldn't be more easy, or more delicious! Molly right now is unsure of meatballs, she doesn't want to eat them. Which I have no idea why not but none the less there you have it. This was fairly simple, and it is a tomato and beef stock based soup vs a traditional chicken stock/Italian wedding style soup. I found it to be very good!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41z_dju2AxRO-UTzV6jng4Vk724bnyZ9HC_6oehMe5Hiz-LdmApMks-P7DaU82il46hfQbNFuuLPq8gfmJD5UMY0Eoa8iOPeOtPauB5r2vksp-6AtaQfnVBh00MC57DPWqIxl6Fz0Ghs/s1600/meatball+soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41z_dju2AxRO-UTzV6jng4Vk724bnyZ9HC_6oehMe5Hiz-LdmApMks-P7DaU82il46hfQbNFuuLPq8gfmJD5UMY0Eoa8iOPeOtPauB5r2vksp-6AtaQfnVBh00MC57DPWqIxl6Fz0Ghs/s320/meatball+soup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><u>Meatball Soup</u></b><br />
2 tbsp butter<br />
4 carrots, chopped<br />
2-4 stalks of celery, chopped<br />
1 14oz can of diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning<br />
3 tbsp parsley chopped<br />
4 cups beef stock<br />
2 cups water<br />
3 tbsp onion soup mix (I buy mine in bulk this is how much I used, or you can just one one onion soup packet)<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
1/2 tsp basil<br />
1/2 tsp oregano<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
1/2 38 oz package of frozen turkey meatballs (I used Italian style)<br />
3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese for topping.<br />
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1. In a big stock pot or dutch oven put butter, carrots and celery. Cook for about 5 min. on medium heat until softened.<br />
2. Add onion soup mix to veggies and stir to combine (if you are using beef bouillon instead of actual stock add that now) then add tomatoes, parsley, water and stock. Stir to combine and then add seasoning; bay, basil, oregano and salt & pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 20 min.<br />
3. Add defrosted meatballs to soup, cover and cook for an additional 10 min.<br />
4. Serve with sprinkling of cheese on top.<br />
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Also I served this with garlic parmesan bread (canned biscuits jazzed up with garlic butter and shredded parmesan prior to baking)<br />
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<a href="http://www.relishrelish.com/" target="_blank">Click here to go to the site that provided the original recipe Relish (a meal planning site that makes my life easier!)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/241/9DA5B95B1346708FAF2ACAA443AF8DE2.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-60829657516765778272011-11-13T10:25:00.000-08:002011-11-13T10:36:08.306-08:00Iced Pumpkin Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_EugzlbGgbTqZdeW0hwOGzn9GV7PZoLCV7PhUdoQDQw2dmdDPcpoGSHMzsYeiP6-JxPPeqmlRDccjJIqDgtxr0j78Z1OlVnpT1u7SYf9PvGx9R2JWUjTYlJhhV6E5M3CuaMS4EM43mQ/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_EugzlbGgbTqZdeW0hwOGzn9GV7PZoLCV7PhUdoQDQw2dmdDPcpoGSHMzsYeiP6-JxPPeqmlRDccjJIqDgtxr0j78Z1OlVnpT1u7SYf9PvGx9R2JWUjTYlJhhV6E5M3CuaMS4EM43mQ/s400/photo.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><b><u>Iced Pumpkin Cookies</u></b><br />
Makes 36 cookies<br />
3 WW PTS<br />
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2 1/2 cups flour<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 cup butter, softened<br />
1 1/2 cup sugar<br />
1 cup canned pumpkin<br />
1 large egg<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
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Glaze<br />
2 cups powdered sugar<br />
2 tbsp milk<br />
1 tbsp butter, melted<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
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Preheat oven 350<br />
1. Sift flour baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a big bowl and set aside.<br />
2. In a stand mixer, or another bowl, mix sugar till fluffy and aerated. Then add pumpkin, egg, vanilla and mix well.<br />
3. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients till it is all incorporated. Scoop out with a small ice cream scooper onto a cookie sheet. Wetting your fingertips with water slightly pat down the cookie dough so they bake with a flatter surface (otherwise they will dome out and it will be harder to frost).<br />
4. Bake for 15 minutes, pull out and let sit on the cookie sheet for about 2 minutes before moving to the cooling racks.<br />
5. Combine ingredients for the glaze to desired consistency, once cookies are cool frost using a bakers flat spatula.<br />
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*Original recipe from <a href="https://www.relishrelish.com/homepage.aspx" target="_blank">Relish Click Here</a> to see their service! The original recipe called for 1/2 tsp of each ground nutmeg and ground cloves, I didn't have either on hand because quite frankly they are spices my household doesn't really like so I omitted them, if you like them feel free to add them in with the cinnamon. Also the orignal recipe called for 3 tbsp of milk for the glaze not 2 but I liked the frosting thicker vs. a surface crunch. Enjoy!<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/241/9DA5B95B1346708FAF2ACAA443AF8DE2.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-51562628301137415412011-07-27T15:53:00.000-07:002011-07-27T15:53:30.536-07:00Steak and Israeli Couscous and Smashed Beans on Toast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGzUxkXD2ZBE_bNya-kTzk_j4u2C5DL7_jBmGOn2X1naU9DZReLzv-WNAwzXIlmncZ9kBjVROiDJ9KKspSw78jLCrqnbM_FFNENGXA3iQCzOwfGTEuJajItFRFSDqV2UEhyphenhyphenzJRaXj_9Pk/s1600/steak+and+israeli+couscous.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGzUxkXD2ZBE_bNya-kTzk_j4u2C5DL7_jBmGOn2X1naU9DZReLzv-WNAwzXIlmncZ9kBjVROiDJ9KKspSw78jLCrqnbM_FFNENGXA3iQCzOwfGTEuJajItFRFSDqV2UEhyphenhyphenzJRaXj_9Pk/s320/steak+and+israeli+couscous.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Just a typical grilled steak, on a bed of Israeli couscous, follow box instructions for the couscous cook with chicken broth instead of water, add a bay leaf, and at the end I added some fresh red bell pepper and zucchini from my CSA bag. Beautiful, tasty, and the fresh veg at the end added a very nice crunch. This is only the second time I have had the bigger couscous but both times we have had it Brian and I oh and ah over how tasty it is!<br />
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To add to this meal we had what Jamie Oliver calls "Posh Beans on Toast" it is a mash of fresh fava beans and fresh peas with a little bit of mint, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper. It is served on crostini with some mozzarella, I however didn't have fresh mozzarella so I used goat cheese which I did have. It was absolutely delicious. It is bright green, tastes like summer with a pop of flavor from the lemon juice and mint.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh93tSuvtZ6xQtdJ-0EjhdGm5ZPq0_AxrFut3fQW5SiF6eQiZ1rnJqvgaB1SOq0btW2XivdTEvmb78bBm52EZk6JQ5uqcb9vOA00us9_JgNC4hFEfDDsSFPr1nW_gBQs_dr-uD4GxrN7k/s1600/Posh+Beans+on+toast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh93tSuvtZ6xQtdJ-0EjhdGm5ZPq0_AxrFut3fQW5SiF6eQiZ1rnJqvgaB1SOq0btW2XivdTEvmb78bBm52EZk6JQ5uqcb9vOA00us9_JgNC4hFEfDDsSFPr1nW_gBQs_dr-uD4GxrN7k/s320/Posh+Beans+on+toast.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><b><u>Smashed Fava Beans on Toast </u></b><br />
5 oz shelled fresh peas<br />
9 oz shelled fresh fava beans<br />
3-4 leaves of fresh mint (I have orange mint growing in abundance in my backyard that is what I used)\<br />
Salt and Pepper to taste<br />
3 tbsp olive oil<br />
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese<br />
2 tsp lemon juice<br />
Crusty Bread<br />
Garlic<br />
Goat Cheese<br />
1. In food processor whiz up the peas, beans, mint, salt and pepper. Add in cheese and lemon juice, and slowly drizzle in olive oil till it is a thick consistency but somewhat loose. Taste! If you want more mint, salt and pepper or lemon juice add to taste.<br />
2. Grill bread, once grilled use a clove of garlic and swipe it a few times over the top of the bread (2-3 max swipes).<br />
3. Spread some goat cheese on toast (use goat cheese to your desire, I liked a lot my husband a little depends on how much tanginess of the goat cheese you want to taste over the freshness of the peas), and then top with the bean mixture. Enjoy!Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-82692499870857304742011-07-25T09:44:00.000-07:002011-07-25T09:44:46.828-07:00Spontaneous Mediterranean Meal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRD2w6-090MyTyoO6FB7eyZbmCoQiMCIP12rW4CUGg8p24M_iPd4Cq91ASXhDuT8CgBSKB57efMBKuw4l_2qIo-1r0rxGhGWmHyJbT__dClO3y_9GL_Lt3gQ0RjBwrBgwiSK9YUBgNoE/s1600/kabob+whole+plate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRD2w6-090MyTyoO6FB7eyZbmCoQiMCIP12rW4CUGg8p24M_iPd4Cq91ASXhDuT8CgBSKB57efMBKuw4l_2qIo-1r0rxGhGWmHyJbT__dClO3y_9GL_Lt3gQ0RjBwrBgwiSK9YUBgNoE/s320/kabob+whole+plate.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>I had a whole bunch of veggies from our CSA and didn't really have a meal already planned. I started searching the internet and came across a lamb kabob and couscous recipe via Williams-Sanoma and just improvised. I didn't have lamb, but chicken. I had the red onion and squash but didn't ironically have red pepper (I always have red pepper) and of course I buy couscous in bulk because it is my go to summer side dish staple. Here is what I came up with...<br />
1. I roasted the broccoli with olive oil, salt & pepper and a little garlic powder in a baking dish on the BBQ.<br />
2. On the cast iron grill plate I did the squash and red pepper, that had olive oil, salt & pepper, and some cumin.<br />
3. Skewered the chicken tenders and seasoned with olive oil, salt& pepper, and cumin.<br />
4. Traditional couscous recipe: chicken stock, pinch of salt, olive oil, garlic powder, cumin, parsley.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GsyWyAtIYQRfzPFkbKfLMFfPG3Q9qKaB8n-txzDTyK5LGCItxTqqeQTBF7TKLgiEkHhfD38KTeQWJgX3P0xKg4mfVHvcaQRuptFfN703UzvRR8_PZOwgUUpzkpH-i7gWjuZOOzoO9Sc/s1600/kabob+close+up.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GsyWyAtIYQRfzPFkbKfLMFfPG3Q9qKaB8n-txzDTyK5LGCItxTqqeQTBF7TKLgiEkHhfD38KTeQWJgX3P0xKg4mfVHvcaQRuptFfN703UzvRR8_PZOwgUUpzkpH-i7gWjuZOOzoO9Sc/s320/kabob+close+up.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>It was extremely delicious, I find that chicken tenders are perfect for kabobs if not for anything else other than ease of use. And yes it was all a little one note (cumin, salt and pepper olive oil to be specific) which critics might laugh at, but for a family dinner at home it was simply delicious and just the right amount of spices for everyone to enjoy. We will have it again.Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-40507753101081815422011-07-12T14:22:00.000-07:002011-07-12T14:22:29.828-07:00Miso Dressing<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theca0e4-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0446557315&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>So as I am testing recipes from My Father's Daughter, so far I have made 3 things and they have all been great! Including this dressing. It is so tasty, I can't stop eating it on things - my favorite is on top of a poached egg on an English muffin instead of a Hollandaise, I didn't put a piece of bacon under the egg like you normally would for an Egg's Benedict although I could have. I think I was mostly thinking of a breakfast vehicle for the sauce! Yes, it is that good! My husband is not as big of a fan, he doesn't like a lot of soy sauce or sesame oil - and this dressing has both so it wasn't a big surprise but those are two ingredients I love and in fact crave soy sauce every once in awhile. So I did make a few substitutions to the original recipe simply because I didn't have them on hand but I still think it turned out great.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLpHa0d3mqhchH0jwigs0DUXLi9WeETAGwszpMBJOTNPa2Gz1Bwky1gauz7Ssr8d-gASi_A27AvaOC0UCBAhkjecmzeuqVYQP2H6Fonb-T7RwysY6jPmDqi1Nh2HRRmdvvkhi4H-E4-w/s1600/Spoon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLpHa0d3mqhchH0jwigs0DUXLi9WeETAGwszpMBJOTNPa2Gz1Bwky1gauz7Ssr8d-gASi_A27AvaOC0UCBAhkjecmzeuqVYQP2H6Fonb-T7RwysY6jPmDqi1Nh2HRRmdvvkhi4H-E4-w/s320/Spoon.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><b><u>Miso Dressing</u></b><br />
1/3 cup roughly diced Vidalia onion (I used a sweet yellow onion from my CSA because that is what I had)<br />
1 tsp garlic minced<br />
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp white miso (if you get the little tubs that are quartered it is half of the miso in the container)<br />
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil<br />
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar<br />
2 tbsp mirin (I didn't have mirin so I substituted Marsala- but it was a dry Marsala and generally you should substitute a sweet Marsala for mirin <b>so I added a tsp of sugar</b>)<br />
2 tbsp water (now that I read the recipe I am not sure I added water... must thin it out a bit but I liked the consistency of mine so if you don't want the recipe to pack a too powerful punch and maybe be a little runnier than add the water but I obviously thoroughly enjoyed mine even if I did miss this step)<br />
Large pinch of kosher salt<br />
A few fresh grinds of black pepper<br />
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp veggie oil<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCyUAoiV_Jw9KJdTfy-smtpRFZI6FXihubsBMa6ANo4Kyiru-setHDMNOKkrddTdFkrJZUNMG5oitU01_T9VcFHvGmA8iGDIRPu1QtxYAh1xr8XaEZLi1PM5DPDl3jzkOs3fFZ9hJvGQ/s1600/dressing+container.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCyUAoiV_Jw9KJdTfy-smtpRFZI6FXihubsBMa6ANo4Kyiru-setHDMNOKkrddTdFkrJZUNMG5oitU01_T9VcFHvGmA8iGDIRPu1QtxYAh1xr8XaEZLi1PM5DPDl3jzkOs3fFZ9hJvGQ/s320/dressing+container.JPG" width="240" /></a>1. Put all but oil in food process and pulse until smooth. While blender is going slowly stream in oil.<br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theca0e4-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B002CGS51G&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
I bought this dressing container at Crate & Barrel I love it, I have pretty much stopped buying dressing at the grocery store all together because I have this little baby. I have to say though that this dressing would be better in just a reused empty glass bottle, it is a little thick for this pour spout. But I used the last one I had available on another one of her recipes from the book (a good for you seed topping mixture for oatmeals, yogurt etc) so I just put it in my usual container. For other thinner dressing though this thing is a must own!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKn_i1yLlK-9nYqr2jiHU8Gpy7mKf1KBSrIS-dgd_HEMHehNGNCFJExHwMQszp6Mnrmd3wmb9QxmBpPxeGoHo_uW2zm0QfOE5cn9bF9bQPpUlM9XOSZTmyeaceN424pJHWQO1ri_MDV6o/s1600/egg+with+miso.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKn_i1yLlK-9nYqr2jiHU8Gpy7mKf1KBSrIS-dgd_HEMHehNGNCFJExHwMQszp6Mnrmd3wmb9QxmBpPxeGoHo_uW2zm0QfOE5cn9bF9bQPpUlM9XOSZTmyeaceN424pJHWQO1ri_MDV6o/s320/egg+with+miso.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
The perfectly poached egg on muffin, would have been even better with maybe a slice of Canadian bacon a la Egg's Benedict style, or maybe even with some sprouts or a slice of fresh from the garden tomato, so good. I am thinking I am becoming a more savory breakfast person versus the sweet...<br />
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What kind of breakfast person are you?<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/241/9DA5B95B1346708FAF2ACAA443AF8DE2.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-5057979094049849472011-07-11T15:13:00.000-07:002011-07-12T14:23:04.718-07:00Easy Summer PastaClearly I love Ina Garten and I was watching her show two weeks ago and she made, what looked like a really delicious, summer pasta salad. <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/summer-garden-pasta-recipe/index.html">Click here for the original recipe!</a> I made half the amount that she did, and we still had a lot of left overs for lunch the next day. But this was super fantastic, the entire family LOVED it! And when you have a garden, or CSA (especially later on in the summer) this is the perfect meal to use up a lot of those cherry tomatoes!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bYnXo9CnbPhjnA5aiPJSDZA3n0s7M30vla0V-2xcuOK7sCud-IXN2pw0fdupABTOsinOJQQDkxL-QuAIgQHNO3ByYPtGkgZoSIQv_X3epnB4-jJYIxDVyzys20iZM8KdodoDkohAGTw/s1600/pasta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bYnXo9CnbPhjnA5aiPJSDZA3n0s7M30vla0V-2xcuOK7sCud-IXN2pw0fdupABTOsinOJQQDkxL-QuAIgQHNO3ByYPtGkgZoSIQv_X3epnB4-jJYIxDVyzys20iZM8KdodoDkohAGTw/s320/pasta.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><b><u>Summer Pasta Salad</u></b><br />
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved<br />
1/4 cup olive oil<br />
1 tbsp garlic, minced<br />
6-9 fresh basil leaves, julienned<br />
*small pinch of red pepper flakes<br />
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt<br />
1/4 tsp crushed black pepper, or more to taste (I liked this with a lot of black pepper but you can always add that at the end before you dig in!)<br />
1/2 lb Angle Hair Pasta<br />
3/4 cup grated Parmesan<br />
*Shaved Parmesan for Garnish<br />
1. Put tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper into a bowl mix together thoroughly and cover with plastic wrap leave on the counter to mingle/marinate for up to 4 hours - the longer the better!<br />
2. Cook pasta according to package directions but it should take less than 5 minutes. Angle hair is perfect for in the summer because it cooks quick and anything that won't heat up your house is a bonus!<br />
3. On top of tomatoes add Parmesan and then noodles, tossing well to have everything combine, serve with shaved Parmesan on top for garnish. (buy a big wedge of Parmegiano Regiano it keeps forever in the fridge and then get out your carrot peeler and make a dish like a pro!)<br />
*Don't forget to add a little more freshly cracked black pepper before serving too if so desired, super good!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/241/9DA5B95B1346708FAF2ACAA443AF8DE2.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-65457891357899262582011-07-08T10:18:00.000-07:002011-07-08T13:06:24.943-07:00New Cookbook (or 2)<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theca0e4-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0446557315&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>I just bought <em>My Father's Daughter</em> by Gwyneth Paltrow and I love it, I have thought differently about Paltrow every since I watched the entire series "Spain- On the Road Again" on PBS staring Gwyneth, Mario Baltli, Mark Bittman, and Claudia Bassols (a Spanish actress). You wouldn't know it by looking at her but, Gwyneth loves food! More recipes to come from this book, as I test them out. Right now I am just reading through it like a novel. I am a cookbook geek! As if there was any doubt! So far there are lovely pictures, fantastic tips on how to eat more healthy (I can't wait to get some Veganaise, which she swears by instead of regular mayo, although I can't find it in my traditional stores so I am going to have to hop on over to either Trader Joes, New Seasons, or Whole Foods I guess but the way she goes on and on about it, and after watching Anna's and Kristina's Grocery Bag -a show devoted to testing cookbooks- they also thought it was pretty fantastic). Also the premise behind this book of cooking and enjoying food with family fits right in with my philosophy!<br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theca0e4-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1400054354&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
I also got Ina Garten's <em>Back to Basics </em>for my birthday, as I previously stated in my broccoli post I am trying out recipes from this book as well over the coming weeks. FYI the Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts that I made from this book were AMAZING! Look for it in a post coming soon. I personally love Ina, and love her show on Food Network. I love her ease at entertaining and who wouldn't love to have her house! I mean the kitchen and garden alone are to die for, but I digress! This book also has wonderful photo's and fairly easy recipes with not that many ingredients and includes tips like using premade puff pastry, and store bought pesto if you dont' have your own. I do like to follow recipes in a step 1, step 2 format and this book is written in paragraph form, so that is my only complaint. Other than that I have tried at least three of her recipes and they have all come out amazing so far.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzW-5FrrEKn38q3sv1R5kbenqEI5byCiEOrvHDHtgRjlKz3RWKcjYkfEBkuBHHQLpVQssi7AbuEYhHc6zCx0yxWSJ7NiTkoI4nQwJmFR6DTL88oAW76AVTXdk_iweXDsY_9eWauTQFF0w/s1600/fork+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzW-5FrrEKn38q3sv1R5kbenqEI5byCiEOrvHDHtgRjlKz3RWKcjYkfEBkuBHHQLpVQssi7AbuEYhHc6zCx0yxWSJ7NiTkoI4nQwJmFR6DTL88oAW76AVTXdk_iweXDsY_9eWauTQFF0w/s320/fork+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: magenta;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> I give them both 4 out of 4 forks!</span></span> <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/241/9DA5B95B1346708FAF2ACAA443AF8DE2.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-76445271426834170512011-07-06T09:40:00.000-07:002011-07-06T09:40:01.861-07:00Iced Coffee Anyone?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviBsrUXVwMva8TbNtxsfVVZYOsNsRJi_sjtWy-LjoDws79tUm299IQlUYMEi5OAFuyMUYLwrzTpojTSFFUOxb2FJtoXtl4m4avH6gpeSRjVf0vdnnz4gNK4cBwOMeFajpLn53AcGrhyA/s1600/Coffee+Dispenser.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviBsrUXVwMva8TbNtxsfVVZYOsNsRJi_sjtWy-LjoDws79tUm299IQlUYMEi5OAFuyMUYLwrzTpojTSFFUOxb2FJtoXtl4m4avH6gpeSRjVf0vdnnz4gNK4cBwOMeFajpLn53AcGrhyA/s320/Coffee+Dispenser.JPG" width="240" /></a>So I saw the blog post over at<a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/perfect-iced-coffee/"> Pioneer Woman for the Perfect Iced Coffee</a> and the pictures were so enticing I had to try it myself. I went to target, that saucy minx (does she seduce you into buying things you don't need every time you step through those doors like she does me?), anyway I bought an iced tea container for $6 and preceded to make a batch.<br />
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You are basically making a super concentrated mix, and I think it is important that you figure out how to make it taste to your liking. Over many a cups I have found that if I use my little insulated cup full of ice, I put in about 1/4 of the coffee concentrate, a couple tablespoons of water (it is powerful stuff!) 2 tsp of sugar free hazelnut syrup, and then top it with some milk. It is great every time, especially on hot summer days on my way to swimming lessons with Molly.<br />
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At first the original recipe says that it lasts Ree a couple of weeks, but when I first made it I was thinking there is no way I was downing it! Then I ran out of milk so I haven't had any for awhile but it is seriously very tasty. Highly recommended! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSp9zpVgaOOA2nt2rNS-vqoHXsBR-02VnkI2VVny4qEvYG5s7dhEW6SAaUI9xTxc6IfVAILVW5eb94igJ8sYBpcx65XDCjgA0xHPLoW2rsNUP9PpMotn5EMlFbhDSDJGFUCeUuhiSuGk/s1600/Iced+Coffee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSp9zpVgaOOA2nt2rNS-vqoHXsBR-02VnkI2VVny4qEvYG5s7dhEW6SAaUI9xTxc6IfVAILVW5eb94igJ8sYBpcx65XDCjgA0xHPLoW2rsNUP9PpMotn5EMlFbhDSDJGFUCeUuhiSuGk/s320/Iced+Coffee.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/241/9DA5B95B1346708FAF2ACAA443AF8DE2.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-72385154652094449322011-07-05T09:57:00.000-07:002011-07-08T13:07:03.958-07:00Roasted Broccoli... on the BBQ?As I was telling everyone on FB yesterday I had a religious experience with my broccoli last night, I had received a huge head of broccoli in my CSA last week and I needed/wanted to use it; however I don't have AC in my house. For those of you wondering why that should matter I have to get creative in my cooking during the summer so as not to heat up my house. I basically use things like my microwave (I also used to use an electric kettle often as well, but that now has a permanent home in my camper), toaster oven, and BBQ like they are going out of style. Think of it this way, anything you do in an oven can basically be done on your BBQ (just use baking sheets or grill pans for the small stuff). The toaster oven also works for smaller things and takes way less energy and heat to cook what you are doing. And my go to side dish for the summer is couscous, which is easily done in the microwave vs. burner on the stove!<br />
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Anyway as I was staring at this head of broccoli, I was stumped! Because how do we all cook broccoli? We steam the crap out of it! Well, my house was already 77 degrees and it was mid 80's outside I didn't want the thermometer to keep going up. So I thought in my head, you can roast it can't you? So I pulled out my i phone and checked my How to Cook Everything App (which if you have a smart phone, love to cook, and don't have this app what are you thinking? GET IT! Worth every penny! I check it all the time just for quick reference! You can of course by the big ol' tome too but still...) any surprisingly there wasn't anything in that app for roasted broccoli besides a gratin which I didn't want to do. However I have been cooking out of the recent cook book from Ina Garten Back to Basics, and low and behold she totally had a recipe in there for roasted broccoli - probably why it came to my mind in the first place, since I have been perusing it so much. Anyway I modified the recipe a tid to suit my needs and family's taste buds and voila (insert church choir hymns and all that) it was freaking amazing! I couldn't stop moaning my appreciation as I was eating it. I will have to tell my CSA provider today how it changed my life, seriously, I can't see eating broccoli a different way ever again!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fmJHprjHMsDKnClslDsGGjlN48Hb-G8Bj5s0TJXqFbR5LmxtGRJGwwZiikybSOyFFGSPHiEhXwLR8gP1KoaYu5cal07fH6KoRlqZsZSZ_QDjlRii2LHd-9jQgNBk466kXS3a8oLeR3c/s1600/steak+and+broccoli.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fmJHprjHMsDKnClslDsGGjlN48Hb-G8Bj5s0TJXqFbR5LmxtGRJGwwZiikybSOyFFGSPHiEhXwLR8gP1KoaYu5cal07fH6KoRlqZsZSZ_QDjlRii2LHd-9jQgNBk466kXS3a8oLeR3c/s320/steak+and+broccoli.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><u><b>Roasted Broccoli (on the BBQ)</b></u><br />
(serves 4) or 3 greedy people!-<i>like my family</i><br />
1 good sized head of broccoli<br />
Olive Oil to coat<br />
Salt and Pepper to Taste<br />
Garlic Powder<br />
**Need a baking sheet or grill pan for BBQ<br />
1. Leave the broccoli florets good sized so they don't burn on the grill, coat in olive oil (2-4 tbsp depending on the amount of broccoli) you want it to look like it has a slight glaze on it but not drenched, I usually do this on a cookie sheet/baking sheet.<br />
2. Few pinches of salt (I always use Kosher salt, if you haven't switched yet what are you waiting for?) and fresh ground pepper all over each one. Then about 1 tsp of garlic powder again sprinkled evenly over each floret. Then toss with your hands to make sure it is all well coated.<br />
3. Put on grill pan, or straight into BBQ with cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally.<br />
NOTE: they will get a little dark/burnt looking and crunchy, this gives it a sweet nutty flavor, trust me!<br />
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Served with microwaved couscous, and grilled steak with cilantro/lime compound butter. <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theca0e4-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1400054354&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theca0e4-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0764578650&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/241/9DA5B95B1346708FAF2ACAA443AF8DE2.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-1525920006768031622011-06-21T10:22:00.000-07:002011-06-21T10:22:26.346-07:00Father's Day Breakfast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazXvTdGb8jSRtvFEprjIFTQOMWrqEEEsAvgYYoJ0UdgCfCLcQsUmf-bVwBRAUaeu_ni3qOgSLOVwV0YGonuGeK_McQDejWQuCS-45eFyG3U2Xw4F5JnC2AgARXdR-2Zs693Vbvf9WlGc/s1600/100_1106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazXvTdGb8jSRtvFEprjIFTQOMWrqEEEsAvgYYoJ0UdgCfCLcQsUmf-bVwBRAUaeu_ni3qOgSLOVwV0YGonuGeK_McQDejWQuCS-45eFyG3U2Xw4F5JnC2AgARXdR-2Zs693Vbvf9WlGc/s320/100_1106.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>On Saturday I made breakfast that was delicious; pancakes, fruit and the best bacon ever! On Father's Day Brian requested Egg's Benedict, and I must say it was another fantastic meal. Brian said, "That was a great $30 breakfast, only at home!" The eggs are from my aunt Peggy, she has about 40 chickens and whenever I see her she gifts me the most delicious eggs. And thanks to this <a href="http://youtu.be/hQrjHAQjtYw">video</a>, on how to poach the perfect egg I must say I was able to whip this all out rather quickly. I only took 30 minutes because the home fries take that long, untouched, in the oven! The strawberries are from our CSA, and maybe from our neighborhood foraging (there is a big strawberry patch planted in front of our neighborhood, that I am convinced no one picks but me! I have picked in the last two weeks 12 cups worth! I have even made a small batch of strawberry rhubarb jam in my bread maker from these free berries! That will come later in a post!) And the berries were dressed with honey from my CSA, a new feature this year that is just to die for!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVqOvVH-Bhh6f4SfiK91v1ZDnsIaX3qntUiJ21lkoA3S36VMsSQRRfoSLVFFor8ozlV-HgoEerI52kys7FsTGMM2GYkTRyNSi7QK2cUFkV2FehbQbpEUU9wgVbTQUWiVTw92C1VzMJhg/s1600/100_1108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVqOvVH-Bhh6f4SfiK91v1ZDnsIaX3qntUiJ21lkoA3S36VMsSQRRfoSLVFFor8ozlV-HgoEerI52kys7FsTGMM2GYkTRyNSi7QK2cUFkV2FehbQbpEUU9wgVbTQUWiVTw92C1VzMJhg/s320/100_1108.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Look at that egg!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5ZCsv1ac6FU26hw90xMtrrEpP3NH0ASaUGPghTacwgQ3IzQZ2r_zKOu0g70L_vb__qbYs7hG-O4xWV3OJC4GducL7K6d1N-UUq_esUDuWSx7mKaTRzQSUUbyLkz0WFDPoQg_m0HF_GY/s1600/100_1109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5ZCsv1ac6FU26hw90xMtrrEpP3NH0ASaUGPghTacwgQ3IzQZ2r_zKOu0g70L_vb__qbYs7hG-O4xWV3OJC4GducL7K6d1N-UUq_esUDuWSx7mKaTRzQSUUbyLkz0WFDPoQg_m0HF_GY/s320/100_1109.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>When I was a little kid I thought this breakfast was so gross, of course that was only from afar I had never tried it. I would like to think that had I only tried it I would have fallen in love with this dish much sooner, but alas it wasn't until I was an adult that I truly understood that truly great qualities of this dish. Now my daughter on the other hand, doesn't have my hang ups, she dives right in with both hands, literally! Who says three old's are picky eaters!<br />
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**See previous posts on roasted potatoes for the recipe.Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-26088510464804988382011-06-13T12:50:00.000-07:002011-06-13T12:50:22.392-07:00Summer Vacation is Here! Special Grilled CheeseAs I begin my first full week of summer vacation I am trying to get back into the swing of things and posting a lot more. I still have occasionally been taking photos of things that I have cooked when I think about it, so this first entry is a backlogged entry from the beginning of June, daddy was busy for First Thursday at his shop and Molly and I were on our own. Daddy had this when he came home but I think he didn't fully appreciate how good I personally thought it was. Molly, by the way, ate the entire egg first then dove into the grilled cheese. You never know what she will dive into, to be honest.<br />
<br />
I am looking forward to our summer starting, we have camping, swimming, stories and crafts, lots of walks, and sports classes to help keep us busy and doing things. Not mention the up keep of our gardens, yes Molly has her own container garden going (fully of pumpkins and watermelon seeds, plant starts of parsley and cilantro we will see if she doesn't drown them before they start to produce - the girl really loves to water!) More on the gardens to come!<br />
<br />
Now for the recipe of the day:<br />
<b><u>Gruyere Grilled Cheese with Egg, Spinach Salad and Hash browns</u></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51AS8CaCCCWcBDZZtP3bCxP1IISxoJmFPJn9higYriD8klt300LI1xyTmkH9pDVpcYPYueiAR_eVRWHZJTj49hEHqzDotB_BcZ045rf2bqAD5wP6njIJxIREMA1EoaVvjqS2ulz8cdx4/s1600/100_0984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51AS8CaCCCWcBDZZtP3bCxP1IISxoJmFPJn9higYriD8klt300LI1xyTmkH9pDVpcYPYueiAR_eVRWHZJTj49hEHqzDotB_BcZ045rf2bqAD5wP6njIJxIREMA1EoaVvjqS2ulz8cdx4/s320/100_0984.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Serves 4<br />
10-14 WW pts (depends on what butter you use and how much, as well as your servings of salad and hash browns!)<br />
(4)Thick sliced sourdough bread<br />
8 oz Gruyere Cheese, shredded<br />
2 tbsp Butter<br />
(4) Eggs<br />
*Spinach Salad Kit<br />
*Frozen Hash browns (this is a fast week night meal! you will have a few pans going at once though)<br />
1. Cook hash browns according to packet instructions, slather one side of bread with butter and build with cheese in the pan on medium high heat (use cover to help melt the cheese but don't forget about them, which can lead to burning!). Flip when one side is golden brown.<br />
2. In a nonstick skillet on medium heat with a little pad of butter crack the eggs, and salt and pepper to taste. Once the whites start to solidify toss in a few tablespoons of water and cover with lid. Cook eggs to desired doneness, I like my yolks a little runny! 1-3 minutes. Don't forget your sandwiches!<br />
3. In a salad bowl put together salad kit, serve the sandwiches with the eggs on top and dinner is served!<br />
<br />
Thanks to <a href="http://relishrelish.com/">Relish </a>for this dish!Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-59605480775002180552011-05-05T11:30:00.000-07:002011-05-05T11:30:43.981-07:00Kid Friendly Stroganoff With Great Flavor!I know, I know, long time no post! This dinner we had last night was so good, and I tried taking a picture with my new phone to see ease of use, and to see if it helps get me motivated to bang out a quick post while on my break at work. This was a recipe from Relish, and it says that it is kid and friendly and man is it ever. My child ate so much last night, and it is a great stroganoff recipe, easy and great flavor!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EBDcQe-N_y7ndAXFEGxG-5kx1rpLuWCYya_A-K9Dgf57gCeZimFYZYTyC74SEoVvBDg5e2W8EW84jhL-9Xi3OfLsCzsv3v65Gt9wVjjQmy2n-qVObhqDHDzv6xb9DRadsPi_BkcfEKM/s1600/sweedish+meatballs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EBDcQe-N_y7ndAXFEGxG-5kx1rpLuWCYya_A-K9Dgf57gCeZimFYZYTyC74SEoVvBDg5e2W8EW84jhL-9Xi3OfLsCzsv3v65Gt9wVjjQmy2n-qVObhqDHDzv6xb9DRadsPi_BkcfEKM/s1600/sweedish+meatballs.JPG" /></a></div><strong><u>Meatball Stroganoff </u></strong><br />
Prep and cook time: 35 minutes 10 WW points Easily serves 6! (lunch leftovers!)<br />
10 ounces egg noodles <br />
1 tablespoon butter <br />
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided <br />
1 cup sliced button mushrooms <br />
1 white onion , diced <br />
1/2 teaspoon paprika <br />
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper <br />
1/4 cup dry white wine <br />
2 tablespoons all purpose flour <br />
2 cups chicken broth <br />
1 tablespoon lemon juice <br />
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard <br />
2 cups frozen turkey meatballs, thawed <br />
1/4 cup sour cream <br />
1/2 teaspoon dried dill <br />
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste <br />
<br />
[1] Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until cooked through but still firm to the bite. Drain, toss with butter, and cover to keep warm. <br />
[2] While the noodles are cooking, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add half the oil, then the mushrooms, and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. <br />
[3] Add remaining oil to skillet, then add onions, paprika and cayenne and sauté until onion is soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add wine to skillet and deglaze. Simmer until liquid is nearly evaporated. Sprinkle flour over onions and stir. <br />
[4] Whisk in broth. Add lemon juice and mustard; simmer until thick, about 8-10 minutes. <br />
[5] Stir in meatballs, cooked mushrooms, sour cream and dill. Cook until meatballs are heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over noodles. <br />
* served with steamed garlic/almond green beansNichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-84502446489288660562011-02-24T12:19:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:28:20.449-08:00Meatless Monday #1 EnchiladasFirst post in awhile! No excuses, I was too busy with work, a 2.5 year old, and I got sick for a couple of weeks. I have had a few people question if I am still cooking or not, a big fat yes is your answer! And for the most part I have been taking pictures, so I have a back log of stuff to write about. It is just a question of getting down to it and writing it out. I do have to admit though that until recently we have been eating home made meals but not always sitting down at the table. The last couple of meals though we have been sitting down to a proper dinner and both my husband and I have commented on how nice it is; to sit instead of in front of the TV at the table, and be able to talk to each other, laugh and smile at Miss Molly, and generally enjoy each other's company. Turn on a little soft/smooth jazz on the TV as background music and you have a nice ritual end to a busy day! Which is why I started this blog anyway so it just reinforces the point really. <br />
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I am going to attempt to do more "meatless" meals from here on out, we aren't going totally veggie but as Michael Pollen says, "It doesn't hurt to have a few meals a week that are meatless." I do have a vegetarian (well now vegan as of the first of the year) in the family so I am constantly, not that I cook for her, but I am constantly thinking in my head as I am eating my creations how easy and/or hard it would be to make it "meatless." So this isn't a stretch and I think overall it is a great idea. This is one of those "meatless" meals that we had this week.<br />
<br />
Now over the years I have tried different enchilada recipes and not really found one to my liking, one had an absurd amount of cinnamon in it -which I questioned at the time but still did it anyway- it ruined the dish, well at least for my family it did! That is something that people need to think about as they read over a recipe, really look at the ingredients and if there are too many that your family -on their own don't really like- then don't use the recipe, or if there are some pieces that you can sub out something in place do that, and most of the time you can custom make a recipe to your families tastes. So for example my husband hates olives, so I generally leave those out of all recipes. Or when it comes to spicy flavors, I am real careful no matter how much the recipe calls for because I can't deal with too much heat. Or if I don't have Oregano, think of what you can sub in place (like Italian seasoning, or dried basil). Because bottom line, not all recipes are going to hit the nail on the head every time at least by being quick on your feet you can salvage a recipe for the whole family. This recipe was a SUPER WINNER! Regardless of the fact that it is meatless, not vegan though, it is now my new enchilada recipe! SO GOOD!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiH_D7b9Y-MBmtJ0H_C5rtyb4R3AUM61dd5mf9RQ1flpQxbfiuBRYFf5u8rW85558KJZnXloiQ7rTmei_25TsHJISNoGdMmHGdkzTXAMEcUgHllgxLUD1R4nuUGDAseVMiM-hkmWZp1_g/s1600/100_0762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiH_D7b9Y-MBmtJ0H_C5rtyb4R3AUM61dd5mf9RQ1flpQxbfiuBRYFf5u8rW85558KJZnXloiQ7rTmei_25TsHJISNoGdMmHGdkzTXAMEcUgHllgxLUD1R4nuUGDAseVMiM-hkmWZp1_g/s320/100_0762.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><u>Black Bean Enchiladas </u></strong></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes </div>14 WW pts<br />
2 tsp Olive Oil<br />
1/2 red onion , chopped <br />
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin <br />
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano <br />
1/2 teaspoon chili powder <br />
1 teaspoon garlic, minced <br />
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained <br />
12 ounces frozen soy crumbles, thawed (can sub BOCA burgers) <br />
1/2 cup prepared chunky salsa (I used half sweet mango salsa, and half HOT salsa)<br />
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened (this is 2 oz on your cream cheese pkg)<br />
1 cup shredded Mexican Cheese Mix<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">8 6-inch corn tortillas </div>1 can high-quality enchilada sauce <br />
4 green onions , chopped <br />
olive oil cooking spray <br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnIWx6y2eAmAu9s-8RmHdOaswIuMvmO_lz3-KnBbPtWaq4bRhEcQVMKyVm7l5pe48JhhHAiHYfgaAvfC9yR4AOgfSZQplkIJfjNrDC2VTfPzql1AM-JzVhrc_N40kboz31FC1IHIay54/s1600/100_0763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnIWx6y2eAmAu9s-8RmHdOaswIuMvmO_lz3-KnBbPtWaq4bRhEcQVMKyVm7l5pe48JhhHAiHYfgaAvfC9yR4AOgfSZQplkIJfjNrDC2VTfPzql1AM-JzVhrc_N40kboz31FC1IHIay54/s320/100_0763.JPG" width="320" /></a>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. </div>[1] Add a little oil and onion and saute until tender, 3 minutes. Stir in cumin, oregano, chili powder and garlic. Add the beans and soy crumbles and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. <br />
[2] Stir in salsa and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and add cream cheese and a 1/2 cup of the Mexican cheese mix, stirring until the cheese melts. <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">[3] Spread half of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread bean mixture down the center of each tortilla, roll up and then arrange them, seam sides down, in the baking pan. </div>[4] Pour remaining enchilada sauce evenly over enchiladas and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. (you might think you need more sauce, you don't make sure you cover evenly with cheese but overall you don't need more sauce it is the perfect amount)<br />
[5] Bake until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted, 20 minutes. <br />
[6] Top with green onions and serve<br />
<br />
*Something to think about, making this lasagna style so you don't have to roll the tortillas...<br />
<br />
These were so good, my husband and I were still raving about them the next day as we ate them for lunch. Really a stellar recipe. <br />
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<strong><u>Easy Corn Side Dish </u></strong><br />
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped<br />
1 tbsp butter<br />
3 cups frozen corn<br />
(For a little heat you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper, but be careful!)<br />
Salt and Pepper to Taste<br />
Splash of milk<br />
1. Saute the bell pepper, butter, corn, and salt and pepper till warmed through. <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2. Right before serving splash in a bit of milk. Taste to make sure it is nicely seasoned and serve.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/241/9DA5B95B1346708FAF2ACAA443AF8DE2.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-40461433260591460212011-01-04T21:37:00.000-08:002011-01-05T12:37:24.203-08:00Molly Bento #2 This Week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-q32olAMcPikOwLmBfsdz-rfz6ua42JtLetxb4ohYsxn3x_xX4voNi1VITwBVNxQuR0Sak1QVmVj6KK9_NvisRWiWGZKiXHPXWg_Xvylaabakpwzcvw27fZ6VeCrN9P5dC9jT0RR1jcA/s1600/000_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-q32olAMcPikOwLmBfsdz-rfz6ua42JtLetxb4ohYsxn3x_xX4voNi1VITwBVNxQuR0Sak1QVmVj6KK9_NvisRWiWGZKiXHPXWg_Xvylaabakpwzcvw27fZ6VeCrN9P5dC9jT0RR1jcA/s320/000_0009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This one has leftovers of pasta and sun dried tomato sauce, with a cheese dinosaur on it. <br />
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<em>Molly loves dinosaurs right now! Her favorite show, of only 3 that she really watches, is Dino Dan. Have you seen this show? As a teacher I just laugh at the main character, poor kid, but regardless my daughter loves the show!</em><br />
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Then there are some carrots, lightly steamed broccoli, two grape tomatoes with seashell picks, and two small ends of an all beef hot dog.<br />
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*Positive side note, Molly loved the hot dogs although she has two days in a row mentioned that her little boy friend at daycare ate at least one of her hot dogs! Too funny! She was talking with her daddy about how to tell the little boy to lay off her dogs! <br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/241/9DA5B95B1346708FAF2ACAA443AF8DE2.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a> <a href="http://bentolunch.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Bento Lunch" src="http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af226/bentolunch/lunch-wednesday.gif" /></a>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-63406298007565056812011-01-04T15:29:00.000-08:002011-01-04T15:29:23.459-08:00Greek PitasThese were very good but for some reason Molly didn't want to eat the meat, which is an odd occurrence she usually eats most meat. There was only oregano in the hamburger so I guess that must have been the answer, so we took the meat out and had her eat it with some cucumber, hummus and tzatziki and she was a happy camper. Go figure!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2xib75md0xknfMrwGTpgne_3Zm5-y5QCVu9bcGC5za4N7BM-BdMbtMce-oi3kUELMuQbFCsgmxyVKRMV4kKbnytUtCk6zk8FKa1FiveBEKcTjqY8DAJLHwkKBmi0P2jBkLKXyOxx7jk/s1600/food+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2xib75md0xknfMrwGTpgne_3Zm5-y5QCVu9bcGC5za4N7BM-BdMbtMce-oi3kUELMuQbFCsgmxyVKRMV4kKbnytUtCk6zk8FKa1FiveBEKcTjqY8DAJLHwkKBmi0P2jBkLKXyOxx7jk/s320/food+047.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><strong><u>Greek Pitas </u></strong><br />
<strong>WW 8 pts</strong><br />
1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef <br />
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste <br />
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano <br />
4 pita breads <br />
<strong>Toppings</strong><br />
3/4 cup prepared hummus <br />
3/4 cup prepared Tzatziki sauce (cucumber yogurt sauce)<br />
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped <br />
1/2 red onion , sliced <br />
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese <br />
1 tablespoon olive oil <br />
1 whole lemon(s), cut into wedges <br />
<br />
[1] In a large mixing bowl, mix ground beef with salt, pepper and oregano.Shape into miniature patties. In a skillet, brown over medium heat, 2 minutes per side for medium. <br />
[2] Using a little bit of olive oil, brush both sides of the pita and then quickly heat on both sides in a medium hot pan, then transfer to a tin foil packet to keep warm.<br />
<br />
[3] Divide hummus & Tzatziki among the pitas, top with the patties, parsley, sliced red onion and feta cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with lemon wedges. <br />
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*No matter how small I make the little patties they always end up big, we usually slice them in half and use those two halves inside the pita.<br />
*Lemon drizzled on the whole thing is key!<br />
<br />
Served with a Greek side salad: mixed greens, red onions, kalamata olives, feta cheese, balsamic vinaigrette, and homemade croutons.<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/275/55F5953718EB4DB2A2BAEA94BA44D689.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-58049858238595314832011-01-03T12:40:00.000-08:002011-01-03T12:40:32.766-08:00Crock Pot~ Pot RoastI love pot roast, this version was fairly good but could have been cooked a little bit longer. I loved the combination of veggies from the pot and oven new potatoes!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCIoHUfVt8C_5Y5uNG3jb8cCNCvhX9QNKcYHllql_6XVqJntFYO-Ipn52429omppiMvKEQUxjJ5yIi8UapcfT03ezH1CMTO42bQ9m7ivF8vWaPWxX-QTThQpOTN2wVj-DlcDI366LaAg/s1600/100_0617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCIoHUfVt8C_5Y5uNG3jb8cCNCvhX9QNKcYHllql_6XVqJntFYO-Ipn52429omppiMvKEQUxjJ5yIi8UapcfT03ezH1CMTO42bQ9m7ivF8vWaPWxX-QTThQpOTN2wVj-DlcDI366LaAg/s320/100_0617.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><strong><u>Italian Pot-Roast </u></strong><br />
<br />
Prep time: 20 minutes <br />
Cook time: 8 hours on LOW <br />
2-3 pounds beef roast (some like chuck, I prefer even leaner roast so your choice)<br />
freshly ground pepper <br />
3 tablespoons olive oil <br />
1 yellow onion , finely chopped <br />
1 tablespoon garlic, minced <br />
2 stalks celery, chopped <br />
2 carrots , peeled and sliced <br />
1 cup red wine <br />
1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes <br />
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste <br />
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped <br />
[1] Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet or sauté pan with sides, over medium-heat. Add the meat and cook, turning for 10 minutes until browned on all sides. <br />
[2] While meat is cooking add all veggies and wine into the slow cooker, once meat is finished add to slow cooker.<br />
[3] Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours until the meat is tender. Garnish with parsley. <br />
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I make the potatoes on the plate all the time. Basically cut up potatoes put them on a cookie sheet, pour over some olive oil, liberally use salt and pepper over all potatoes then sprinkle about 1 tsp of garlic powder and chili powder over the potatoes. Using your hands toss the potatoes until they are all covered evenly with spices and oil and pop in the oven. About 350 for 25 minutes, and whatever you do don't touch them. Leave them be! Seriously, put them in the oven and walk away, once your timer goes off in 25 minutes pull them out of the oven and using a good spatula scrape them all off the pan. If you leave them alone they will develop a great crunchy golden brown crust on the one side that was on the pan and be butter smooth on the inside. Best potatoes EVER!Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-55963446652036692282011-01-02T10:08:00.000-08:002011-01-02T10:08:24.426-08:00Chicken Cordon Blue #2This is something that I just put together no recipe while I did it so I will try and write it down for you.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGTIOMVxCA0_r11CbRjXsF4TrytJtUVB-G1hyphenhyphenXNQTCrWUCLpmieo8In_vKmgGnzvcNvX9rDbwiRvzmzfCfztD37uRqaDiZG9nwMnex74C4xLIt0bd43LBBvhPw0417xJkaGm0E7FtZH8/s1600/100_0609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGTIOMVxCA0_r11CbRjXsF4TrytJtUVB-G1hyphenhyphenXNQTCrWUCLpmieo8In_vKmgGnzvcNvX9rDbwiRvzmzfCfztD37uRqaDiZG9nwMnex74C4xLIt0bd43LBBvhPw0417xJkaGm0E7FtZH8/s320/100_0609.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><strong><u>Chicken Cordon Blue </u></strong><br />
2 chicken breasts<br />
4 small slices of Canadian Bacon<br />
2 slice of swiss cheese<br />
1 egg, beaten<br />
Breading<br />
1/2 cup parmasean<br />
1/2 cup bread crumbs<br />
1 tsp garlic powder<br />
Salt and Pepper to taste<br />
Preheat 350<br />
1. Between saran wrap beat out chicken breasts until about 1/2 inch thick. Then lay down 2 slices of canadian bacon and a slice of swiss cheese per breast. Then roll up, you can use tooth picks to secure if you want to, or just keep them rolled in your hands to bread.<br />
2. Mix breading in a shallow dish, and egg in a seperate shallow dish.<br />
3. Dip rolled chicken in egg and then roll in breading and place chicken seam side down on a cookie sheet. <br />
4. Cook in oven for 20-30 minutes until outside is golden brown and center of chicken is cooked through, when in doubt cut one open.<br />
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Simple as that!<br />
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Also on the plate for dinner was corn bread muffin (alas from a box) and noodles and candied carrots see this <a href="http://carterfamilytable.blogspot.com/2010/11/crunchy-chicken-strips-and-candied.html">post</a> for recipe on the carrots (I make them so much now no need to look for a recipe).Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-81720184690315547252010-12-31T11:29:00.000-08:002010-12-31T11:29:10.736-08:00Peppermint Bark<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkPpE4fIfOrPovUBaLoG8ajfgSU_ktSjRyMQegIliwKFAXN-c-eud2D6hpdLMI-jSXD9YMaBVoNYe27nTRkk8Vs-PNWYRX0JZ5xYhy-pAwxWGfBw62G-cX0P9PwaFNS0t1upybHDDMtLs/s1600/100_0615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkPpE4fIfOrPovUBaLoG8ajfgSU_ktSjRyMQegIliwKFAXN-c-eud2D6hpdLMI-jSXD9YMaBVoNYe27nTRkk8Vs-PNWYRX0JZ5xYhy-pAwxWGfBw62G-cX0P9PwaFNS0t1upybHDDMtLs/s320/100_0615.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> I made this for my secrete Santa this year, my family really loves it. We like it thin though with a select way of putting in the candy cane pieces. This is something that people always think of before Christmas but what a great thing to do to use up your candy canes from your tree or stocking and would still make a great addition to a New Year's Eve party!<br />
<strong><u>Peppermint Bark</u></strong><br />
2-3 regular size candy canes<br />
2 cups melty white chocolate (the bigger flat discs of chocolate... I get mine in bulk)<br />
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<strong><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theca0e4-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0000VLEUO&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
Utensils needed:<br />
Strainer (with somewhat fine mesh)<br />
Wax or parchment paper<br />
Ziploc baggie<br />
microwaveable bowl</strong><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Offset cake decorator spatula, if you don't have this than use just a regular spatula (I would recommend getting one though they are very use full and cheap)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><strong>Directions:</strong><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1. Unwrap candy canes and put them in a Ziploc, and with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin (I prefer the rolling pin) beat up the candy canes. You want some finer crystals and some bigger chunks, make to your liking though.</div>2. Put out a piece of parchment paper on your counter big enough to hold your chocolate.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJv04e8PwGduxfxqSmCwcWsXME-HbQSLeXo-eHQqGOc3wlIvJPn-c0d0yoR9mjegCNENLfC_2LSsCwVbL9MXG8gAB6mXwMqpRleVucOFxbWfHWoDuxci8iNPO9FLkvXnskyVw8u67McqU/s1600/100_0610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJv04e8PwGduxfxqSmCwcWsXME-HbQSLeXo-eHQqGOc3wlIvJPn-c0d0yoR9mjegCNENLfC_2LSsCwVbL9MXG8gAB6mXwMqpRleVucOFxbWfHWoDuxci8iNPO9FLkvXnskyVw8u67McqU/s320/100_0610.JPG" width="320" /></a>3. In a microwaveable bowl microwave the white chocolate for a minute, then stir, and then microwave in 30 second intervals until melted down (should take less than 2 minutes) mine was a minute and a half and it wasn't fully melted but by stirring it I was able to get it nice and smooth without the chocolate freezing up on me.</div>4. Put the strainer over the bowl of melted white chocolate and pour the candy cane pieces into it, shake the strainer until all the fine crystals of candy cane are through the strainer and into the white chocolate below (this allows you to have a more intense peppermint flavor and the chocolate develops a great little crunchy texture)<br />
5. Remove strainer and pour out white chocolate directly onto counter with wax paper cover. Using the spatula spread it out so it is as thin as you like (I go super thin less than a 1/2 an inch thick) then before the chocolate cools working fairly quickly sprinkle the larger pieces of peppermint candies on top pressing them down slightly to ensure that they stick.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLXxOzn-zJ7q6TO7rn1TyhXxdZMptf8TIVuxVvHbx6OzkCxIGA6J4wJO85djNnB8dGC9fP26L2x2CEB8NxqIMBrwDkfKCaOeZ7prK6TMhgfOZCO-OZ9JAR_6N26HeMT4AiqbyvqJfx8o/s1600/100_0611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLXxOzn-zJ7q6TO7rn1TyhXxdZMptf8TIVuxVvHbx6OzkCxIGA6J4wJO85djNnB8dGC9fP26L2x2CEB8NxqIMBrwDkfKCaOeZ7prK6TMhgfOZCO-OZ9JAR_6N26HeMT4AiqbyvqJfx8o/s320/100_0611.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>6. Let cool, and when done break into willy-nilly pieces of bark and serve or give as gifts!<br />
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*You can buy plastic bags for candies and treats anywhere but you can also use the regular sandwich bags, tie it with a pretty ribbon and it makes a fairly impressive gift. Tasty too!<br />
* Also you could put semi-sweet chocolate underneath and then the white chocolate on top just be careful not to go too thick! Thin layers for both.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/241/9DA5B95B1346708FAF2ACAA443AF8DE2.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-79355648755893988872010-12-30T10:04:00.000-08:002010-12-30T10:04:44.778-08:00WW AppetizerI can't take credit for this one, this is one that comes from my mom via an old weight watchers recipe. These utilize those mini pre-baked phyllo cups.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFy0Q32mgSy2fjaCYZNn_BBaft0NtxOdfsgLKwBdmXtBPz8er9g_w1LsL5GrYDwttBXq6EzJk3CabMW6aRcNbY2zmjHYfLlv_w4eSdxyFr2yjYGkT1xBEVgv0Avje00Z31fdVGdnBvRc/s1600/100_0602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFy0Q32mgSy2fjaCYZNn_BBaft0NtxOdfsgLKwBdmXtBPz8er9g_w1LsL5GrYDwttBXq6EzJk3CabMW6aRcNbY2zmjHYfLlv_w4eSdxyFr2yjYGkT1xBEVgv0Avje00Z31fdVGdnBvRc/s320/100_0602.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><strong><u>Pear, Brie and Honey Cups</u></strong><br />
1 pear, diced<br />
2 wee brie, diced<br />
2 tbsp honey, to drizzle<br />
1 tray of phyllo cups<br />
*preheat oven 350<br />
1. Dice pear and brie, assemble cups with a few pieces of pear and brie together and place on a cookie tray.<br />
2. Heat to melt the brie pull out of oven and drizzle each cup with a tiny bit of honey and assemble on tray. Great of can be served warm but also good at room temp.<br />
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*Try variations of green apple & blue cheese, maybe even some candied pecans in there. Etc...Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-22670519827021733152010-12-29T09:58:00.000-08:002011-01-02T12:07:54.960-08:00New Bento's for Molly<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=theca0e4-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1594744475&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>So sporadically I will post Bento lunches for Molly. I got a ton of new Bento stuff for Christmas so watch for more Bento posts, it's and obsession! First I got the book Yum-Yum Bento Box... I would HIGHLY recommend it! It is a great tool, they have done a really fantastic job explaining things, giving you templates and ideas as well as resources to get more Bento stuff!<br />
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I tried a few new things for this Bento, I got two new egg molds so I had to try those out! The book also talks about coloring the eggs to make them fun colors. So I made a little bunny for Molly and dyed it pink! The book also mentioned little dabs of ketchup for rosy cheeks etc. So that is the little dots on the flowers.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJR1i7FBV6n7fSPQ-pbALWAJy5bXwCJl8FRcGxbHdYD-tPeyxOpFIV4ellAFhAyuy0ctQ1m2EyeWwCkr_LtDX448OvD00_iIP9FaDPiPw7TgF5-sK8Q_v2tMedcW0AYKhb8sKrPCLdjjE/s1600/100_0667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJR1i7FBV6n7fSPQ-pbALWAJy5bXwCJl8FRcGxbHdYD-tPeyxOpFIV4ellAFhAyuy0ctQ1m2EyeWwCkr_LtDX448OvD00_iIP9FaDPiPw7TgF5-sK8Q_v2tMedcW0AYKhb8sKrPCLdjjE/s320/100_0667.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3HtIdYxTMSaBA3zkVANodkWRxiyvycfUBsTQ6v-2hyphenhyphenm0yEbR3ByRuZDVPiCdUDedbjYHaNHv-emtcV6pJtzHU4YKeaLnfCN-yaoQl2V9-gSIKnzqFnHvnZD7zs9Mo0dXevJcyDRGzK0/s1600/100_0668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3HtIdYxTMSaBA3zkVANodkWRxiyvycfUBsTQ6v-2hyphenhyphenm0yEbR3ByRuZDVPiCdUDedbjYHaNHv-emtcV6pJtzHU4YKeaLnfCN-yaoQl2V9-gSIKnzqFnHvnZD7zs9Mo0dXevJcyDRGzK0/s320/100_0668.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Close up of this tier,. her pink bunny egg, grape tomatoes on a penguin pick, celery with peanut butter and two little candies from her Christmas stocking.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIOBWkjefJ1u2lhB5jKLZQjH03GJHhUGWTuzoxUzed1hUUlxiyCoIFBLia3-uML_sJiJH4BOctuOI7ZE6pjFH9YGfny-udmbq7cO2Q6thpDtWnGPbBDLMOFNWTXv5f3AeDgQJnTA-isvs/s1600/100_0669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIOBWkjefJ1u2lhB5jKLZQjH03GJHhUGWTuzoxUzed1hUUlxiyCoIFBLia3-uML_sJiJH4BOctuOI7ZE6pjFH9YGfny-udmbq7cO2Q6thpDtWnGPbBDLMOFNWTXv5f3AeDgQJnTA-isvs/s320/100_0669.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This top tier has cottage cheese in a lettuce cup with pineapple chunks, orange slices, underneath the peperoni and cheese flowers.<br />
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Daddy benefited by my experiments his lunch was full of fun stuff too!<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/241/9DA5B95B1346708FAF2ACAA443AF8DE2.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a> <a href="http://bentolunch.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Bento Lunch" src="http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af226/bentolunch/lunch-wednesday.gif" /></a><br />
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Yum-Yum Bento Box review: Love this book, I find it very helpful not just in offering great suggestions for places to get bento supplies but also how you can create fun and easy bentos like the pros! <br />
Four Forks!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzIkU3c26pWl3UYHNHmaLvJk4M7HfmAdeaze24Le0TfV26tvq005mg8GepU-9xngOglBYhwSiU-5lwE4DXO5oJ44ePIXWsrNV-oMyQcjBesWxtI5UPN3DNZOPbt1zLS0362Rk_Yd1TaY/s1600/fork+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzIkU3c26pWl3UYHNHmaLvJk4M7HfmAdeaze24Le0TfV26tvq005mg8GepU-9xngOglBYhwSiU-5lwE4DXO5oJ44ePIXWsrNV-oMyQcjBesWxtI5UPN3DNZOPbt1zLS0362Rk_Yd1TaY/s320/fork+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-89416229500608965482010-12-29T08:51:00.000-08:002010-12-29T08:51:53.204-08:00Sun-Dried Tomato PastaGreat tasting quick pasta! See <a href="http://relishrelish.com/">Relish</a> for more recipes like this!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9_vNMQDGS163vQWQJTbL1Pcqet9SK7hoSUndfsN4PYtByGnBZc0HUYJNK6y3tdUWTHYq5yXBAE04RyfpybwqVEPvGiZkUlB-Plh5N15ZvHLtgp5mXvAT_vZJKypkUIweI9acyZoF-T4/s1600/100_0586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9_vNMQDGS163vQWQJTbL1Pcqet9SK7hoSUndfsN4PYtByGnBZc0HUYJNK6y3tdUWTHYq5yXBAE04RyfpybwqVEPvGiZkUlB-Plh5N15ZvHLtgp5mXvAT_vZJKypkUIweI9acyZoF-T4/s320/100_0586.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><strong><u>Spaghetti With Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce</u></strong> <br />
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Prep and cook time: 35 minutes <br />
WW+ pts 9<br />
10 ounces spaghetti <br />
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed), julienned, chopped reserving oil <br />
2 teaspoons garlic, minced <br />
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes <br />
1 teaspoon dried oregano <br />
1/2 teaspoon dried basil <br />
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes <br />
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved <br />
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste <br />
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated <br />
[1] Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until cooked through but still firm to the bite. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water and return the pasta to the pot. <br />
[2] Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the sun-dried tomato oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, basil and cook for 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes (and juices) and the sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes, for about 15 minutes. <br />
[3] Add the tomato halves and simmer for 10 minutes more. <br />
[4] Add the pasta to the sauce, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Add pasta water by the tablespoonful if needed to moisten. <br />
[5] Serve in pasta bowls and garnish with Paremsan.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/241/9DA5B95B1346708FAF2ACAA443AF8DE2.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-37202917563534278002010-12-28T10:02:00.000-08:002010-12-28T10:02:25.633-08:00Dinners for FriendsAt my work when someone falls ill or needs a little help we all sign up and chip in to create meals for the family. I signed up and made a simple but elegant and healthy meals for two different people at work, one for a person that was in the hospital for a surgery and one for a new mom! Basically I buy the tin foil packing trays, create the meal and then give them print outs not only on how to make the meal itself but also how to reheat. The technique that I tell them to use is called "flashing" it is something that caterer's do to quickly reheat food without overcooking and drying it out. Basically you set your oven to 450 or 475 and then reheat whatever you want (I have done chicken and veggies this way) for 2-10 minutes. This is especially great for meats, I hate chicken reheated in the microwave for example. So to begin for this meal I get the chicken marinating and then I make a big batch of rice, and usually since I am making this for someone else I go ahead and make it for my family too so the rice is for two dinners.<br />
<strong><u>Brown Jasmine Rice</u></strong><br />
2 cups uncooked rice<br />
4 cups water<br />
1. In a strainer with small holes, wash the rice. Add to a pot (or rice cooker if you have one) I just use a pot on the stove. Add water and a pinch of salt.<br />
2. Heat till boiling, cover and reduce heat to low. Let cook for 20-25 min until done.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWeVFfIgCan-VfxI6J5gWIbR7Ci8OHZKLdPi-cUZGZGaH75_kAPghOuQJUQ105jgMnIeSEZlgwzY_ye_HImRInEXxMN-6pWN1N3ksBNw0-rUJFjWdDQ1rOpp1Cvtqi4fKaoFx8YD_i_ZM/s1600/100_0578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWeVFfIgCan-VfxI6J5gWIbR7Ci8OHZKLdPi-cUZGZGaH75_kAPghOuQJUQ105jgMnIeSEZlgwzY_ye_HImRInEXxMN-6pWN1N3ksBNw0-rUJFjWdDQ1rOpp1Cvtqi4fKaoFx8YD_i_ZM/s320/100_0578.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><strong><u>Grilled Asian Chicken Breasts</u></strong><br />
<br />
4 chicken breasts<br />
2 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium) <br />
1/4 cup honey <br />
1/4 cup orange juice <br />
1/4 cup olive oil <br />
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard <br />
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes <br />
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste <br />
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil <br />
[1] In a Ziploc bag mix together the soy sauce, honey, orange juice, olive oil, mustard, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and sesame oil and add the chicken. Seal the bag and turn to coat. Marinade while the rice is cooking. If you can remember to make it in the morning that is even better but I never have time for that, believe it or not you get a lot of flavor for even a 20-30 min. marinade.<br />
[2] Grill the chicken (outside BBQ, or inside grill your choice... I convinced my husband to go outside in the cold and plop it on the grill for me :-) ) for about 20-30 minutes.<br />
[3] Place the cooked rice and chicken breast in the tin trays and affix a nice cooking label on top.<br />
*Since this is a <a href="http://relishrelish.com/">Relish</a> recipe I used their note card recipes from their website and just print them out.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjGFwahWN1Yz6sUw9Klj3qYUviA4GIvcyGpcuv5xONatmC1cl9N-zZmwM11E6f1BbW-btOgJcJ8Xc8kHdskyEDJz2qGaIAlyyJ8a4aECP89Bs57SZJfzihapU3j05XhBjIyZemrK495hc/s1600/100_0579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjGFwahWN1Yz6sUw9Klj3qYUviA4GIvcyGpcuv5xONatmC1cl9N-zZmwM11E6f1BbW-btOgJcJ8Xc8kHdskyEDJz2qGaIAlyyJ8a4aECP89Bs57SZJfzihapU3j05XhBjIyZemrK495hc/s320/100_0579.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmczdy0M60E9Lo2t7WX7i5P_rqIvFmPJKA0cdZyrKjHUJZAcTizZ6Quh-MyZ_MOazqh1gshYcBPdqQWyXHN3gHAoQWxHB7KzziPLLhwapV7xSmx0Si3W_lVHOgZ7SeASkW5fjQ5ceWns/s1600/100_0575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmczdy0M60E9Lo2t7WX7i5P_rqIvFmPJKA0cdZyrKjHUJZAcTizZ6Quh-MyZ_MOazqh1gshYcBPdqQWyXHN3gHAoQWxHB7KzziPLLhwapV7xSmx0Si3W_lVHOgZ7SeASkW5fjQ5ceWns/s320/100_0575.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><strong><u>Sesame Green Beans </u></strong><br />
<br />
Prep and cook time: 15 minutes <br />
2 pound green beans & carrot pre-trimmed bag from grocer<br />
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil <br />
1 tablespoon rice vinegar <br />
1 tablespoon lemon juice <br />
1 teaspoon ginger, minced <br />
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted <br />
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste <br />
[1] Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans & carrots and cook, uncovered, until crisp tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and since this will be used tomorrow and flash cooked to reheat immediately dunk it in an ice bath. This helps stop the cooking process and keep their colors bright otherwise you might have some dull/discolored green beans.<br />
[2] In a <strong>large</strong> bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients until well blended. Add green beans and toss to combine. <br />
[3] Add these to a second tin foil tray and affix a cooking label.<br />
<br />
*Both of these tin foil trays can be put directly into the oven and flashed at 450 for about 10 minutes to reheat, you might want to put a few drops of water on the rice to help moisten it up a bit.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VdD3wIAsU34SugR2a-cVen_LAH5S0wTz6uJchwTz1beN5fS0PKWLPalqlfMicmh7mMEp9KnlHyuOqjpUb-XhHIVu3PHq3YAbvVJD5Gy4dncBZ0ezdxUUO9Wc62BtWlSKi6mDyqkmN4c/s1600/100_0581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VdD3wIAsU34SugR2a-cVen_LAH5S0wTz6uJchwTz1beN5fS0PKWLPalqlfMicmh7mMEp9KnlHyuOqjpUb-XhHIVu3PHq3YAbvVJD5Gy4dncBZ0ezdxUUO9Wc62BtWlSKi6mDyqkmN4c/s320/100_0581.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This was our flashed/reheated dinner the next night. This time I made white jasmine rice instead of brown, but I thought it was very tasty (I especially LOVED the green beans and on weight watchers they are free so I tried to fill up on those). Chicken flashed is 10x's better than in the microwave!<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/241/9DA5B95B1346708FAF2ACAA443AF8DE2.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-3206978515576519872010-12-27T10:04:00.000-08:002010-12-27T10:04:25.496-08:00Fresh, Quick, WW Friendly Dinner after meetingSo at this point I have lost 15 lbs with weight watchers, steady as she goes, I am losing a little over 2 lbs a week at this point (I maintained at Thanksgiving, and the week I went to Vegas and the week prior we had a snow storm that cancelled our meeting so I missed two weeks of weigh ins but still lost 6 lbs!). So a couple of weeks ago I came home from a meeting, mine are late on Monday's so Molly and daddy fend for themselves, and I was hungry at this point so I need a quick meal. I created a quick breakfast sandwich and salad. Just a few quick tips on making a perfect, "Why go to the fast food joint anyway?" sandwich.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxWB1b3mtTL9lVo9cPmykONUxYvV-MumcvZ-xFwZQ_z6yguOLicor328ruI0Ou7J6J17yOP51lX964tTdF-fM_3genDdHsihpFuFRLTNX8MmdMEBCwUEEiKzIyXyWzXuGR2B2BAjsgBc/s1600/100_0573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxWB1b3mtTL9lVo9cPmykONUxYvV-MumcvZ-xFwZQ_z6yguOLicor328ruI0Ou7J6J17yOP51lX964tTdF-fM_3genDdHsihpFuFRLTNX8MmdMEBCwUEEiKzIyXyWzXuGR2B2BAjsgBc/s320/100_0573.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><u>Breakfast Sandwich (WW friendly)</u></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Prep time: 5 minutes</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">WW pts: 6 pts</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 whole wheat English Muffin</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 egg</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 slice Canadian Bacon</div>1-2 slice tomato<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 slice American Cheese (preferably WW brand - low in points)</div>*Will need baking spray, & ramekin<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1. Toast English Muffins (I use a toaster oven... you will see why this is important in a moment)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2. Spray the inside of a fairly large ramekin, and crack an egg into the ramekin. Using a fork, lightly scramble the egg (helps to not explode egg in the microwave) salt & pepper to taste. Pop into the microwave and cook for 30 seconds. If egg is not cooked at this point cook at 5-10 second intervals until done.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">3. Slice tomato and unwrap cheese, as toast is almost done add the Canadian bacon right on the rack in the toaster oven to warm through and slightly crisp.</div>4. Assemble your sandwich, slice of cheese on top of egg, on top of bacon, and a slice of tomato. DONE! <br />
<br />
One of my sorority sisters always used to make fun of me because I have ever size ramekin known to man but you wouldn't believe how much they come in handy! I love them! <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8C9tLt2ZLvTgWaCa2Z8X7hM4Msn9LRNaqqocUFmzHKYZNoVfIvcimzk2GkL6xwjxtMaxQHl_5kFN_ZuZauS1Ov3K6_yiV6gi1AlvaXHeYLF0TyC273ZAwGtiF3FX8pGxagVbPi_lM5w/s1600/100_0574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8C9tLt2ZLvTgWaCa2Z8X7hM4Msn9LRNaqqocUFmzHKYZNoVfIvcimzk2GkL6xwjxtMaxQHl_5kFN_ZuZauS1Ov3K6_yiV6gi1AlvaXHeYLF0TyC273ZAwGtiF3FX8pGxagVbPi_lM5w/s320/100_0574.JPG" width="320" /></a>This salad had a quick and easy dressing with it. Overall it was a lite and tasty meal! <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/241/9DA5B95B1346708FAF2ACAA443AF8DE2.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912231996812252711.post-28857084454923928592010-12-06T16:10:00.000-08:002010-12-06T16:10:02.196-08:00Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie with homemade biscuits.This was one of the best homemade chicken pot pie recipes I have used in a long time, besides Paula Dean's recipe but let's face it on weight watchers her butter to actual food ratio does not work! It is damn tasty, but really doesn't work with weight watchers. Not that this recipe was a lot better, but still... so tasty, and with colder weather this is exactly the ticket. So when this recipe came up in the rotation on my favorite meal planning website (<a href="http://relishrelish.com/">click here for Relish</a>), and the fact that it was a slow cooker recipe, I was hooked! I did have to adjust it a bit, but overall it was very tasty!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbprlSmubR9d0-COwUDZTejpUR_AcwENrxrXVegoSW7Y51yqfCr-pejMcvNVE44B_O7nSo5Wd8ixmAjq5hmbNe8AciElCAobIav7rRxV9XCA2YhJHQCRyH0-yVC09-VZWVc8XB1VRSBk/s1600/food+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbprlSmubR9d0-COwUDZTejpUR_AcwENrxrXVegoSW7Y51yqfCr-pejMcvNVE44B_O7nSo5Wd8ixmAjq5hmbNe8AciElCAobIav7rRxV9XCA2YhJHQCRyH0-yVC09-VZWVc8XB1VRSBk/s320/food+026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><strong><u>Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie</u></strong><br />
<br />
<em>WW 10 pts (new points plus calculation)</em><br />
2 Chicken Breasts, chopped to tiny pieces<br />
1/2 white onion , chopped <br />
1 bay leaf <br />
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste <br />
1 packet of turkey gravy, made<br />
2 stalks celery, sliced <br />
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables <br />
<strong><u>Rue</u></strong><br />
2 tbsp butter<br />
2 tbsp flour<br />
1 tsp chicken stock base<br />
milk, whisk in to your desired thickness<br />
[1] Place the onion, celery, chicken, bay leaf, salt and pepper and gravy in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. <br />
[2] Thirty minutes before serving, make and bake the biscuits. (recipe below)<br />
[3] Gently stir the frozen vegetables into the chicken mixture and increase the heat setting to high. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. <br />
[4] If you need more "juice" I made a quick "white" sauce. Melt butter in a pan, whisk in flour and soup base -cook for a minute or two, then whisk in milk to desired thickness. Then transfer this mixture to the slow cooker and stir to incorporate evenly.<br />
[5] For each serving, split a biscuit and place in a soup bowl. Spoon ¾ cup of the chicken mixture on top of the biscuit, top with the other biscuit and serve. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Zhi18hpfLsUrJjvSZ7efeBximCesiZietBg2hQhxGU3VJ2BgP59I-mrfQ1s_cjoQ88F2iZ306zSknb4KM2C4pGTUKLi2AOdjPQk9FvcrzAjofuYE9SPF9fw4yH3Elvarq3OcRZyJE00/s1600/food+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Zhi18hpfLsUrJjvSZ7efeBximCesiZietBg2hQhxGU3VJ2BgP59I-mrfQ1s_cjoQ88F2iZ306zSknb4KM2C4pGTUKLi2AOdjPQk9FvcrzAjofuYE9SPF9fw4yH3Elvarq3OcRZyJE00/s320/food+021.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><strong><u>Easy Biscuits </u></strong><br />
2 cups flour<br />
3 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1/4 cup butter<br />
2/3 cup milk<br />
Preheat 450 degrees<br />
1. In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt evenly.<br />
2. Cut in butter, use a pastry cutter, till the butter is the size of peas.<br />
3. Add milk till biscuits come together, don't over mix. <br />
4. Flour flat surface and quickly roll out to 1.5 inches and cut with biscuit cutter (or a somewhat straight edged drinking glass, this is what I used).<br />
5. Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes until nicely golden brown. <br />
<strong>*So easy, you have all the ingredients on hand and look at how beautiful they look!</strong><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/275/55F5953718EB4DB2A2BAEA94BA44D689.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Nichole Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16890342707071582450noreply@blogger.com1