What’s For Dinner?
Posted: May 17, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: blogs, dinner, favorites Leave a comment »Summer life promises to be a little bit slower for us, and we’ll welcome that wholeheartedly! But with settling into our new home and adding a puppy to the fam (pictures coming soon!) who knows what the pace will really look like.
In the coming weeks, look for a post on gardening! My parents helped us plant flower beds this weekend as well as an herb and vegetable garden. Here’s to hoping everything will remain alive throughout the summer. Taking on a green thumb promises to be a good workout and a chance to get some intense tan lines.
Recently we have enjoyed the following recipes:
This grilled chicken is ideal for summertime and FULL of flavor. I served it alongside of some roasted broccoli.
A friend made these whimsical treats for a baby shower recently, and they are truly phenomenal! Pretty simple and a really creative idea for the plethora of summer showers and parties.
Springtime Portobello & Asparagus Pizza
Another recipe from one of my favorite blogs, this pizza is incredible. I substituted bacon as a cheaper alternative to prosciutto.
Raspberries & sugar, how can you go wrong? This cold, tart summer sweet is delicious. Instead of fresh raspberries, I actually used thawed frozen ones and the flavor was still full and bright!
The flavor in this recipe is unbelievable! And I definitely love crock pot recipes on busy days.
Hope you try and enjoy these!
What’s for Dinner?
Posted: March 28, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 Comment »Hey y’all! Besides the recipes we’ve enjoyed lately, here’s what’s on my mind today:
The weather. Cold, sunny, perfect. Turns out March in Louisiana is pretty great. Although I hear this isn’t the norm.
Almond Milk Lattes. Have you had one? It’s my new thing. If you live in Baton Rouge, you must stop by Magpie Cafe to enjoy one of these tasteful treats.
My friend Claire makes a killer Carrot Cake. If you’re in need of an Easter dessert recipe, please look no further. Divine.
Y’all, jean jackets are in style. My sweetest ever mother-in-law bought me one and you should get one too. Check out the Levi selection and embrace the 90′s.
Right now I’m finishing up the book Love Does by Bob Goff. It is phenomenal. Creative writing meets funny stories meets short chapters meets inspiration. It’s like taking a bath for your soul. (weird? but true)
Alright, so here’s what we’ve been eating lately.
The Most Divine Carrot Cake In The Whole World
The Pioneer Woman’s Fajitas. Totally delicious! Totally worth the chopping.
Thai Chicken Quinoa Bowls. Healthy & flavorful. A home-run for sure!
A little snacky snack of Sharp Cheddar Cheese Crackers. Ok, maybe don’t make these. They’re so good that you won’t be able to stop eating them. Ever. Ok, so make them and then plan a few good exercise routines for before, during, and after.
Black Bean Quesadillas with Avocado Ranch. Wow!
Roasted Broccoli & Cheddar Soup {lightened up}
Posted: January 28, 2013 Filed under: Entrees, Sides | Tags: beer, bread, broccolli, cheddar, honey, soup, winter 1 Comment »When I have a sore throat, headache, fever & cold, I want to eat something warm, something comforting, something not too heavy, something flavorful. Something like this roasted broccoli & cheddar soup. I made it last week, but should’ve saved some for today as I’m lying in bed with the above symptoms and just ate tomato bisque out of a can. Oh well.
Roasted broccoli is one of my all time favorite foods because of it’s nutty, crisp, & rich flavor. Roasting broccoli with just a little olive oil plus salt and pepper, mmm, just can’t go wrong. Adding in some extra sharp cheddar cheese and making a delicious wintertime soup is the best next step. Most broccoli cheese soups I’ve tasted are richly creamy, meaning super heavy. I tried to lighten it up a bit! So while three cups of cheese may seem like a lot, its a big down size from cheese+half & half+whole milk-whew! This soup focuses mostly on the broccoli rather than being overly cream filled. In fact, the only dairy item is cheddar. A hot slice of honey beer bread is the perfect side, which I told you that we’ve been making a lot because it is SO quick, easy and absolutely delicious.
Ingredients:
Serves 4
2 pounds of broccoli
4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons flour
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt + more to taste
1 teaspoon pepper + more to taste
2 teaspoons garlic powder
To Make:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and chop broccoli and spread out on a baking sheet. Cover with two tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper & garlic powder. Roast for 20 minutes until crisp.
Add two tablespoons of olive oil to soup pot over medium heat, let warm then add flour. Whisk together to remove any lumps, for about 2 minutes. Add vegetable broth slowly, allowing to bubble. Add cheddar cheese and stir together to melt.
When the broccoli is finish roasting, add it to the broth-cheese mixture. If you have a hand blender (highly recommend!) put it in the soup and blend until smooth. Taste soup and add more salt and pepper if necessary. If you do not have a hand blender, allow soup to cool, then pour it into your blender and blend until smooth, then return it to the soup pot and allow to warm.
Serve warm with honey beer bread! Enjoy!
*note: the soup will thicken up if you allow it to simmer for a bit. However, if you want it to be even thicker, add a Tablespoon of flour and blend, the flour will smooth out and thicken the soup.
Now, who wants to bring me some?
What’s for Dinner?
Posted: January 15, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 Comment »Remember that one time I told you that I was going to start posting what we eat for dinner every week? Well, it seems that I lied. I didn’t mean to. I promise I have good intentions. But good intentions without action leads to, well, nothing. But that is another story for another time.
So, my new commitment is that I will post what we eat for dinner regularly. Since regularly doesn’t have a definite time implied, I feel pretty good about promising it.
Lately, we have enjoyed the following:
Slow Cooked Homemade Meat Sauce
-a delicious recipe! I followed it almost exactly except that I wasn’t able to find fresh basil at the grocery store. I’m sure the basil would make the sauce even better, but without it, it’s still tasty tasty.
-hot out of the oven, this is the perfect side kick to soups, stews, or the above mentioned sauce. Any stout beer will do as the beer flavor cooks off.
-this recipe is a win because even my husband didn’t miss the meat! I did not, however, venture into tofu world, because that isn’t really a thing we do. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a hearty, flavorful salad.
-um, hello. Why wouldn’t you make this? I added spinach for some extra green presence. Since I am a cheese lover, I added just a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese to the top before baking.
-in my opinion, this is the perfect wintertime dinner. I have at different times added shredded chicken or mini meatballs to this dish. I didn’t use Pancetta or Parmesan rind because I wanted to keep things simple, but I’m sure both would only enhance the flavor.
-Another hearty {husband friendly} salad. I marinated my boneless, skinless chicken breasts about an hour beforehand by drizzling with olive oil, sprinkling with Tony’s, and squeezing the juice of one lime over top then baked at 350 for about 45 minutes. Chop it up and throw it in! For the dressing, I just mixed up some olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, salt, pepper and a teeny bit of bbq sauce-just adjust everything to taste. Any of your favorite salad dressings will do just fine as well.
Sometimes thinking up new recipes that are healthy, tasty, and inexpensive is a task, so I hope these give you some good ideas! I found all of these recipes on Pinterest, which is one of my main sources for dinner ideas. My tips for Pinterest recipes are as follows: if you are a beginner cook, try recipes with ingredients you are familiar with! Always taste as you cook, don’t be afraid to adjust seasonings adding a little more of this or that, I rarely, if ever, follow recipes to the T. Try things that are out of your comfort zone, that’s the best way to learn!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoy!
Nutella Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
Posted: January 14, 2013 Filed under: Dessert, Drinks | Tags: cinnamon, dessert, hot chocolate, sweets, whipped cream, winter Leave a comment »
What could be better than a hot cup of hot chocolate on a cold rainy day? Topped with a cinnamon vanilla whipped cream, this is the perfect dessert or afternoon treat. Have some friends over and enjoy!
Nutella Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
serves 4
Adapted from The Sweetest Occasion
For the Hot Chocolate
4 Cup of Milk (any milk will do, I like coconut milk!)
8 Tablespoons of Nutella
Over medium heat, warm milk in a saucepan. When warmed through, add Nutella and whisk to combine. Continue heating over medium heat, whisking as necessary, until cocoa is steamy and frothy. (Make sure not to boil or scald the milk!)
For the Cinnamon Whipped Cream
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, then beat using a hand mixer or an immersion blender with the whisk attachment. Beat until the cream stiffens and creates peaks. Dollop Whipped Cream on top of your hot chocolate and enjoy!
Homemade Granola
Posted: December 4, 2012 Filed under: Breakfast, Dessert | Tags: Breakfast, cereal, Christmas, gift, granola, topping, yogurt Leave a comment »
Oh hey! It is December. I love December. Christmas is on it’s way and we get to drink things like peppermint hot chocolate and caramel apple cider. Supposedly cold weather and warm clothing are a part of December as well, but not here in South Louisiana. I guess we are getting ready for a tropical Christmas.
I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking about making some homemade gifts this year, with Pinterest overtaking the world of creativity, there is an abundance of ideas from beeswax candles to adorably packaged baked goods to coffee sets.
To add to your idea list, I give you: homemade granola. Delicious, healthy, easily packaged, pretty to present, and enjoyed by most if not all. My mom has always made the most fabulous granola. This recipe is a bit hers, a bit mine, and a bit of gathered inspiration. Granola can be enjoyed many ways: with cold milk, scooped onto creamy yogurt & berries, as a frozen yogurt topping, or baked into cookies. I hope you try it and you like it!
Homemade Granola
makes about 12 cups
1 to 1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
8 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 heaping cup coarsely chopped banana chips (optional, only if you REALLY like them)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
To Make:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large bowl, toss together coconut, nuts, banana chips (if using), rolled oats, cinnamon, and salt.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, stir together the oil, maple syrup, and honey. Stir until melted together. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Stir together.
Add the wet ingredients, all at once, to the rolled oat mixture. Toss to coat, insuring that all of the dry ingredients are coated in the maple syrup mixture. Divide the mixture between the two prepared baking pans. Spread into an even layer.
Bake granola for 45 minutes, removing the pans every 15 minutes to stir. Once mixture is evenly browned and toasted, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
When, done, the granola should be a nice golden color. It will darken after you take it out of the oven. Granola lasts several weeks! Enjoy!
