Did you think I was done? Of course not! I told you Pinterest has revolutionized my cooking life. :-)
Beef Stroganoff
This didn't taste like traditional beef stroganoff to me, but I still thought it was really good!
2 lbs. stew meat (okay, I used like 1.2)
2 cans Golden Mushroom soup (yup, I used one Golden and one regular)
1 diced onion
Splash of Worscestershire sauce
1/2 c. water
8 oz. cream cheese
1 T garlic salt
egg noodles
Put all ingredients in the slow cooker except cream cheese and egg noodles. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Add cream cheese 30 minutes prior to serving. Cook and serve egg noodles with stroganoff.
Black Bean Brownies
I know, they sound gross, right? But they actually are surprisingly normal tasting/feeling. The beans just make the chocolate taste even darker... yum!
1 can black beans
3 Tbsp. oil
1/2 c. cocoa
4 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
Drain and rinse beans. Put beans into a food processor to puree. Add in other ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Pour mixture into a greased 9x9 pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. You may wish to top with extra chocolate chips (who could blame you?)
Slow Cooker Maple Chicken
It sounds a little weird, but I thought this was really good, and even Eric agreed that it took him by surprise. It would be especially delicious in the fall. :-)
2-3 chicken breasts or thighs
salt and pepper
3-4 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
2-3 medium sweet potatoes, cubed
8 oz. baby carrots
1 small red onion
Put chicken and veggies in slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and maple syrup. Let cook for 4-6 hours.
Peanut Butter Dip
1/2 c. yogurt (vanilla or strawberry-banana)
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. powdered sugar
fruit for dipping
Mix first three ingredients together. Then dip that fruit!
Ranch Pork Chops
These were okay... it's not a new fave or anything, but if you're in a hurry,it's a quick 3-ingredient slow cooker meal, and you can't go wrong with that!
1-2 lbs pork (chops, ribs, loin, etc.)
1 package ranch dressing mix
2 cans cream of chicken or mushroom soup
3 Tbsp. water
Put all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
Strawberry Yogurt Cake
I would just like to preface this by saying that I LOVE fresh fruit, but all too often, we don't eat it all before it goes bad. It's sad and it's wasteful. So when I bought a big box of strawberries this week, I figured this recipe was the perfect way to use half of them up to ensure we make the most of our purchase... that means strawberry cake=economical, right? (I only made a half-batch).
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (or orange)
Zest of 1 lemon (I used an orange)
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz. plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
12 oz. fresh strawberries, diced
Preheat oven to 325. Grease a bundt pan (or a nice 8x8 if you're halving it). Sift together flour, salt, baking soda and lemon zest and set aside. In a large bowl, mix butte rand sugar until creamy. Add in eggs one at a time, then stir in lemon juice. Alternate adding flour mixture and Greek yogurt. Fold strawberries into mixture and stir gently. Pour batter into bundt pan and bake for 60 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan.
Family Pic
Monday, May 7, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Sustenance.
I love food. I love eating it. I love cooking it. Most recently, I love growing it. I love trying new things and finding new ways to use old ingredients. It's fun, it's practical, and did I mention it's delicious?
So you can imagine what a love affair I have with Pinterest. It's basically rendered my blogging about food unnecessary.... almost. But who knows when the Pinterest world may crash? So, to be safe (and to make my own changes to these recipes :-) I will see how many fun things I can fit in one quick post.
Chicken Tamale Casserole [Cooking Light]
This was SO GOOD! Similar to the Mexican Shepherds Pie I've made before, this has even more spiciness and zest. And, though I'm usually not a sour cream fan, I found it totally pulled this dish together. I can't wait to make it again!
1 c. Mexican cheese blend
1/3 c. milk
1 egg or 1/4 c. egg substitute
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
1 can cream-style corn (I used frozen)
1 box corn muffin mix (I used Jiffy)
1 can Rotel
1 can red enchilada sauce
2 c. shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 c. fat free sour cream
Preheat oven to 400. Combine cheese and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until just moist. Pour into a coated 13x9 dish. Bake for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface with a fork. Pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken and additional cheese. Bake for 15 more minutes. Remove from oven and top with sour cream.
Feta Dip
Eric and I agreed: this tastes like an awesome pizza. I actually ate it for dinner one night. A definite keeper!
Olive oil
1 block or container of feta cheese
tomatoes (any kind!) to taste, diced
1 bunch green onions
1 baguette, sliced
Greek Seasoning (Cavenders!)
Pour olive oil on a plate or platter until it just covers the surface. Dice green onions and tomatoes and throw them on the olive oil. Add feta. Pour Greek seasoning over the entire dish. Mix gently. Serve with fresh-cut baguette slices.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips. Heat pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and any other ingredient you desire. Serve immediately.
So you can imagine what a love affair I have with Pinterest. It's basically rendered my blogging about food unnecessary.... almost. But who knows when the Pinterest world may crash? So, to be safe (and to make my own changes to these recipes :-) I will see how many fun things I can fit in one quick post.
Chicken Tamale Casserole [Cooking Light]
This was SO GOOD! Similar to the Mexican Shepherds Pie I've made before, this has even more spiciness and zest. And, though I'm usually not a sour cream fan, I found it totally pulled this dish together. I can't wait to make it again!
1 c. Mexican cheese blend
1/3 c. milk
1 egg or 1/4 c. egg substitute
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
1 can cream-style corn (I used frozen)
1 box corn muffin mix (I used Jiffy)
1 can Rotel
1 can red enchilada sauce
2 c. shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 c. fat free sour cream
Preheat oven to 400. Combine cheese and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until just moist. Pour into a coated 13x9 dish. Bake for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface with a fork. Pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken and additional cheese. Bake for 15 more minutes. Remove from oven and top with sour cream.
Feta Dip
Eric and I agreed: this tastes like an awesome pizza. I actually ate it for dinner one night. A definite keeper!
Olive oil
1 block or container of feta cheese
tomatoes (any kind!) to taste, diced
1 bunch green onions
1 baguette, sliced
Greek Seasoning (Cavenders!)
Pour olive oil on a plate or platter until it just covers the surface. Dice green onions and tomatoes and throw them on the olive oil. Add feta. Pour Greek seasoning over the entire dish. Mix gently. Serve with fresh-cut baguette slices.
Protein Smoothie
1 almost-frozen banana (I actually froze mine, and it turns out that doesn't work so well!)
3 oz. Greek vanilla yogurt (about 1/2 small container)
1/4 c. milk
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
Mix ingredients together in a blender. This should keep you full all morning!!
Greek Chicken Wraps
I've made these two or three times already. They turn out a little different every time, but are always de-lish!
Tzatziki sauce:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar (I used red - it was fine)
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil
For the chicken:
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 Tablespoons)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Tortillas or Pita Bread
Directions:
Shred the cucumber or chop in food processor. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar (I used red - it was fine)
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil
For the chicken:
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 Tablespoons)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Tortillas or Pita Bread
Directions:
Shred the cucumber or chop in food processor. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips. Heat pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and any other ingredient you desire. Serve immediately.
This Week + The Great Hotel Search
I always think I'm going to do a better job of blogging. Then I don't.
Eric started his 4th year of medical school two weeks ago (yay!). We won't even go into how crazy that is to me, how quickly time seems to have gone by, or how I can hardly believe that a year from now we will be gearing up to move yet again (I'm sure plenty of nostalgia is coming, though, so be prepared!).
In planning his final year, we knew he would have to have 3-4 really hard months, and the rest should be awesomely easy. And, being the wise people that we are, we decided he should get the worst one OVER WITH. So, he is. He's working in the MICU for 13-14 hours a day, 6 days a week, and, while he likes what he's doing, him working 80 hour weeks is just no fun for either of us.
This week, Eric had to work nights. I hate it when he works nights. I don't sleep as well, and we only see each other for maybe an hour a day. We're both sleepier and thus grouchier than normal.To make matters worse, one of the tires on my car went flat Monday night. Since he was working nights, we had no opportunity to go get it fixed. So we shared his car all week. That meant me taking him to work and picking him up between 4:30 and 6 every morning. Then getting ready for work myself.
To top it all off, I've been sick since Thursday with some lovely flu-like symptoms (minus the fever) that basically made me a zombie for two days. I even had to miss Race for the Cure yesterday, and I was really excited about getting to run in it this year.
We finally got four new tires on my car yesterday. But not before Eric hurt his ankle changing my tire and cut himself on the spare which apparently had a slash in it too.
Needless to say, I woke up this morning SUPER grateful to start a new week. I know things could have been a lot worse, but weeks like that are enough to make me appreciate our "normal" life! And I am SO glad that we've got this part almost over with!
This week also impressed upon me our great need for a VACATION. We get a grand total of 4 days in June for "vacation" this year (and a short stint in Atlanta in July when Eric has to go take a clinical exam). We really really want to go to the beach. The problem is that we had an AWESOME beach experience last year and now we are finding ourselves being hotel snobs.
You see, last year we took our vacation at the end of August. School had already started most places, so we got an awesome deal on our ocean front hotel on Hilton Head Island. We could lay in bed and see the waves crashing on the shore. We could relax in hammocks by the beach. We opened the door to our balcony and smelled the salty ocean air. The pools were top notch. Our resort gave us $100 credit that paid for a fancy dinner and all-day bike rentals. We also had a free night booking through hotels.com, so we ended up spending a very reasonable amount for a very AWESOME time at the beach.
The problem with going to the beach in June, however, is that the same hotel is $100+more per night than last time. And we do not have a free night. And they are not offering $100 in resort credit with booking. And no affordable hotel can possibly compare.
I know I shouldn't complain. We really have been blessed beyond measure. Just the fact that we are able to take a vacation at all is a testament to that! So we'll figure something out and be grateful for what we get. But if anyone knows of any great resorts on the east coast overlooking the ocean for less than $200/night, feel free to let us know. :-)
Eric started his 4th year of medical school two weeks ago (yay!). We won't even go into how crazy that is to me, how quickly time seems to have gone by, or how I can hardly believe that a year from now we will be gearing up to move yet again (I'm sure plenty of nostalgia is coming, though, so be prepared!).
In planning his final year, we knew he would have to have 3-4 really hard months, and the rest should be awesomely easy. And, being the wise people that we are, we decided he should get the worst one OVER WITH. So, he is. He's working in the MICU for 13-14 hours a day, 6 days a week, and, while he likes what he's doing, him working 80 hour weeks is just no fun for either of us.
This week, Eric had to work nights. I hate it when he works nights. I don't sleep as well, and we only see each other for maybe an hour a day. We're both sleepier and thus grouchier than normal.To make matters worse, one of the tires on my car went flat Monday night. Since he was working nights, we had no opportunity to go get it fixed. So we shared his car all week. That meant me taking him to work and picking him up between 4:30 and 6 every morning. Then getting ready for work myself.
To top it all off, I've been sick since Thursday with some lovely flu-like symptoms (minus the fever) that basically made me a zombie for two days. I even had to miss Race for the Cure yesterday, and I was really excited about getting to run in it this year.
We finally got four new tires on my car yesterday. But not before Eric hurt his ankle changing my tire and cut himself on the spare which apparently had a slash in it too.
Needless to say, I woke up this morning SUPER grateful to start a new week. I know things could have been a lot worse, but weeks like that are enough to make me appreciate our "normal" life! And I am SO glad that we've got this part almost over with!
This week also impressed upon me our great need for a VACATION. We get a grand total of 4 days in June for "vacation" this year (and a short stint in Atlanta in July when Eric has to go take a clinical exam). We really really want to go to the beach. The problem is that we had an AWESOME beach experience last year and now we are finding ourselves being hotel snobs.
You see, last year we took our vacation at the end of August. School had already started most places, so we got an awesome deal on our ocean front hotel on Hilton Head Island. We could lay in bed and see the waves crashing on the shore. We could relax in hammocks by the beach. We opened the door to our balcony and smelled the salty ocean air. The pools were top notch. Our resort gave us $100 credit that paid for a fancy dinner and all-day bike rentals. We also had a free night booking through hotels.com, so we ended up spending a very reasonable amount for a very AWESOME time at the beach.
The problem with going to the beach in June, however, is that the same hotel is $100+more per night than last time. And we do not have a free night. And they are not offering $100 in resort credit with booking. And no affordable hotel can possibly compare.
I know I shouldn't complain. We really have been blessed beyond measure. Just the fact that we are able to take a vacation at all is a testament to that! So we'll figure something out and be grateful for what we get. But if anyone knows of any great resorts on the east coast overlooking the ocean for less than $200/night, feel free to let us know. :-)
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