It's been an exciting week in our house starting with Mothers' Day on Sunday, my birthday on Monday, the opening of the Old Capitol Farmers' Market with The Munchkin and my good friend Megs on Wednesday, and ending today with time spent at the Highland Games and Celtic Festival (and later attending my cousin's high school graduation party). It's been a great week filled with great family and friends! I'm looking forward to the week ahead!
Here's what's on the menu this week (with fresh produce from the market):
Sunday: Biscuits and Gravy, Market Strawberries - Sunday evening breakfast is catching on around here, and I love it! And the strawberries are SOOOO good - they taste so much better than the ones from the grocery store (which we think taste like wax)!
Monday: Chicken and Cheese Lasagna, Steamed Market Asparagus, Garlic Bread - I've been craving some lasagna, and I have some fresh mozzarella in the fridge that will make it so creamy and yummy. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Tuesday: Taco Pasta, Chips and Guacamole - This will be a great way to use up the 1/2 pound of ground beef from the burgers we had last week, and The Munchkin LOVES this meal. I don't think I posted my modified version of this recipe, so I'll have to do that this week...maybe Wednesday when I'm home with The Munchkin.
Wednesday: Meatball Subs, Chips - I'm going to hunt for some yummy bread at the Farmers' Market this week to make this extra-yummy!
Thursday: Jambalaya - We weren't home tonight to have this (as originally planned), and we already have all the ingredients, so we'll just rearrange the schedule a bit and have it this week.
Friday: Leftovers - I know, I know...Friday is pizza night! But we have another graduation to go to, so dinner will have to be quick, easy, and probably a "fend-for-yourself" kind of thing.
Saturday: Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Orzo - This is another re-do from this last week...we've already got the ingredients, so I'm going to go ahead and use them up.
Mangia Bene!
5.19.2012
5.12.2012
Menu: Week of 5/13
Yet another week has come and gone, and it's time for another menu. Let's just get right to it.
Sunday: Grilled Pizza, Fresh Green Salad - Yes, this meal is a little out of place on the weekly menu, but we have invited my parents and my brother and his girlfriend over for a little Mothers' Day cookout. My brother requested grilled pizza, so that's what we're doing (he's so spoiled!). I'm thinking about making an arugula pesto as a sauce option. I'm drowning in arugula!
Monday: Spaghetti and Meatballs, Corn, Focaccia - We didn't eat this for dinner tonight, as originally planned, so I'm going to use this meal for my birthday dinner. It's tasty, quick, and easy! :)
Tuesday: Chicken Enchiladas, Mexican Rice, Black Beans, Chips and Queso Blanco - I found a recipe for Queso Blanco on Pinterest this evening that I'd like to try, so I'm gonna go for it this Tuesday!
Wednesday: Cheeseburgers, Fries, Salad - I'm kinda diggin' "Between Bread" night, especially in the middle of the week! Wednesday is also the first day of the Old Capitol Farmers' Market, and I just happen to have the day off. The Munchkin and I are going to go geek-out on produce! :)
Thursday: Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Orzo - Orzo is making yet another appearance this week. I'm almost out, though, so I'm going to have to get some more to feed my addiction. :)
Friday: Pizza - Yup! We like pizza!
Saturday: Jambalaya - This will add a little spice to our Saturday evening.
Mangia Bene!
Sunday: Grilled Pizza, Fresh Green Salad - Yes, this meal is a little out of place on the weekly menu, but we have invited my parents and my brother and his girlfriend over for a little Mothers' Day cookout. My brother requested grilled pizza, so that's what we're doing (he's so spoiled!). I'm thinking about making an arugula pesto as a sauce option. I'm drowning in arugula!
Monday: Spaghetti and Meatballs, Corn, Focaccia - We didn't eat this for dinner tonight, as originally planned, so I'm going to use this meal for my birthday dinner. It's tasty, quick, and easy! :)
Tuesday: Chicken Enchiladas, Mexican Rice, Black Beans, Chips and Queso Blanco - I found a recipe for Queso Blanco on Pinterest this evening that I'd like to try, so I'm gonna go for it this Tuesday!
Wednesday: Cheeseburgers, Fries, Salad - I'm kinda diggin' "Between Bread" night, especially in the middle of the week! Wednesday is also the first day of the Old Capitol Farmers' Market, and I just happen to have the day off. The Munchkin and I are going to go geek-out on produce! :)
Thursday: Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Orzo - Orzo is making yet another appearance this week. I'm almost out, though, so I'm going to have to get some more to feed my addiction. :)
Friday: Pizza - Yup! We like pizza!
Saturday: Jambalaya - This will add a little spice to our Saturday evening.
Mangia Bene!
Strawberry Bread
The other day on my way to work, I was munching on a scone I bought for a quick, on-the-go breakfast. My first bite took me back to my childhood and a bread my mother used to make all the time. So when I got a chance, I sent her a text and asked if she still had the recipe. She said she did, and told me she had actually been thinking about the very same bread the day before. So, we made a plan to get together today and spend some quality time together making the bread.
The original recipe uses strawberries, but as a kid, my mom made it with cherries, and today, we modified the recipe to use dried cranberries. We want to try a strawberry-rhubarb, but we haven't made it that far yet (I'll keep you updated).
Enjoy!
Here's the original recipe (variations below):
(makes 2 loaves)
1 c butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
1 t vanilla
1 t Kosher salt
1 t lemon juice
4 eggs
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 c sour cream
1 c strawberry preserves3 c flour
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease two 8"x4" loaf pans.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, and lemon juice. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Add baking soda, sour cream, and preserves; blend well. Gradually mix in the flour until well-combined.
Pour the batter into the greased pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until bread pulls away from pans.
Variations
Cherry Bread: Substitute fresh, pitted sweet or sour cherries (depending on your preference) for the strawberry preserves.
Cranberry-Orange Bread: In a small saucepan, cover 1 c dried cranberries with water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool, drain, and use in place of the strawberry jam. Replace the lemon juice with 1 t orange extract.
The original recipe uses strawberries, but as a kid, my mom made it with cherries, and today, we modified the recipe to use dried cranberries. We want to try a strawberry-rhubarb, but we haven't made it that far yet (I'll keep you updated).
Enjoy!
Here's the original recipe (variations below):
(makes 2 loaves)
1 c butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
1 t vanilla
1 t Kosher salt
1 t lemon juice
4 eggs
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 c sour cream
1 c strawberry preserves3 c flour
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease two 8"x4" loaf pans.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, and lemon juice. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Add baking soda, sour cream, and preserves; blend well. Gradually mix in the flour until well-combined.
Pour the batter into the greased pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until bread pulls away from pans.
Variations
Cherry Bread: Substitute fresh, pitted sweet or sour cherries (depending on your preference) for the strawberry preserves.
Cranberry-Orange Bread: In a small saucepan, cover 1 c dried cranberries with water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool, drain, and use in place of the strawberry jam. Replace the lemon juice with 1 t orange extract.
5.08.2012
Avocado Egg Salad
Today for lunch, The Munchkin and I shared an avocado - she ate it plain, and I had it on my salad. She and I both LOVE avocado, but The Man...well, not so much. Anyway, we didn't quite eat half of it, and since avocado tends to brown pretty quickly (and I didn't want it to go to waste) I decided to do something a little different with the remaining half. Normally, I would make guacamole, but I am fresh out of jalapenos (it's a little early for fresh, garden peppers).
Also for lunch, I had hard-boiled six eggs, but I only used one on my salad. The remaining eggs were going to be used on salads the rest of the week, but my brain had other ideas. The following recipe was the result of my brainstorm.
Enjoy!
(serves 3-4)
2 T mayonnaise
1 t yellow mustard
1 T fresh chives, finely chopped
1 t fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 t Kosher salt
1/4 t garlic powder
5 hard-boiled eggs, diced
1/2 avocado, diced
In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, chives, cilantro, salt, and garlic powder.
In a medium bowl, gently combine the egg and avocado. Gently fold in the dressing from above until the egg and avocado are thoroughly coated.
My favorite way to enjoy any egg salad is between two slices of good-quality pumpernickel bread, topped with fresh greens.
I hope you enjoy my latest concoction! What is your favorite avocado recipe? I'm always looking for new ideas!
Also for lunch, I had hard-boiled six eggs, but I only used one on my salad. The remaining eggs were going to be used on salads the rest of the week, but my brain had other ideas. The following recipe was the result of my brainstorm.
Enjoy!
(serves 3-4)
2 T mayonnaise
1 t yellow mustard
1 T fresh chives, finely chopped
1 t fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 t Kosher salt
1/4 t garlic powder
5 hard-boiled eggs, diced
1/2 avocado, diced
In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, chives, cilantro, salt, and garlic powder.
In a medium bowl, gently combine the egg and avocado. Gently fold in the dressing from above until the egg and avocado are thoroughly coated.
My favorite way to enjoy any egg salad is between two slices of good-quality pumpernickel bread, topped with fresh greens.
I hope you enjoy my latest concoction! What is your favorite avocado recipe? I'm always looking for new ideas!
5.07.2012
Menu: Week of 5/6
So it seems my AD/HD has gotten the best of me this week. I usually post on Saturday night, but we were at my brother's house to watch the UFC fights (I like to watch grown men beat the crap out of each other). The evening ultimately turned into a play date for The Munchkin and two other little cuties. It was a blast to watch them play together!
Then Sunday, I took The Munchkin to Washington Park for the MS Walk and to support a friend who was recently diagnosed. To say it was hot would be an understatement, and The Munchkin and I were wiped out! She fell asleep in the car on the way home, and I fell asleep on the couch a few hours later.
All-in-all, I managed to create an entire weekend for myself full of things I enjoyed, and I decided everything else could wait. Evidently, that meant this blog post, too. :)
So here we are...better late than never, right?! And I've posted a new recipe for tonight's dinner! Check out the link below.
Sunday: Leftovers - Honestly, I was too worn out from the heat to cook, so we pulled a few leftovers out of the fridge and noshed on random foods.
Monday: Orzo with Sausage and Peppers - Since I found orzo in one of the grocery stores in Springfield, it seems like I want to eat it all the time! And this is a great way to use up some sausages I had leftover from a cookout (I sliced them up, tossed them in a freezer bag, and stashed them in the freezer for this exact purpose.)
Tuesday: Tacos, Black Beans, Mexican Rice - It's been a while since we've actually had tacos on Taco Tuesday. I'm actually looking forward to it. :)
Wednesday: Panini, Chips, Cottage Cheese - I'm still working on a fun combination for the sandwiches. I've got some cooked chicken in the freezer, so I'd like to use it, but we will see what the evening brings.
Thursday: Tater Tot Casserole - I'm hoping it will be cool enough outside to justify turning on the oven to make this, 'cause it sounds pretty good.
Friday: Pizza - I've been looking for a good recipe for a potato pizza, but I can't seem to find one, so I may just invent my own with alfredo sauce, spinach, and thinly sliced potatoes. I'll let you know how it goes! :)
Saturday: Spaghetti and Meatballs, Broccoli, Grilled Flatbread - I'm hoping to have a relaxing weekend since it's Mothers' Day weekend, and *almost* my birthday, so this one is right on par!
Mangia Bene!
Then Sunday, I took The Munchkin to Washington Park for the MS Walk and to support a friend who was recently diagnosed. To say it was hot would be an understatement, and The Munchkin and I were wiped out! She fell asleep in the car on the way home, and I fell asleep on the couch a few hours later.
All-in-all, I managed to create an entire weekend for myself full of things I enjoyed, and I decided everything else could wait. Evidently, that meant this blog post, too. :)
So here we are...better late than never, right?! And I've posted a new recipe for tonight's dinner! Check out the link below.
Sunday: Leftovers - Honestly, I was too worn out from the heat to cook, so we pulled a few leftovers out of the fridge and noshed on random foods.
Monday: Orzo with Sausage and Peppers - Since I found orzo in one of the grocery stores in Springfield, it seems like I want to eat it all the time! And this is a great way to use up some sausages I had leftover from a cookout (I sliced them up, tossed them in a freezer bag, and stashed them in the freezer for this exact purpose.)
Tuesday: Tacos, Black Beans, Mexican Rice - It's been a while since we've actually had tacos on Taco Tuesday. I'm actually looking forward to it. :)
Wednesday: Panini, Chips, Cottage Cheese - I'm still working on a fun combination for the sandwiches. I've got some cooked chicken in the freezer, so I'd like to use it, but we will see what the evening brings.
Thursday: Tater Tot Casserole - I'm hoping it will be cool enough outside to justify turning on the oven to make this, 'cause it sounds pretty good.
Friday: Pizza - I've been looking for a good recipe for a potato pizza, but I can't seem to find one, so I may just invent my own with alfredo sauce, spinach, and thinly sliced potatoes. I'll let you know how it goes! :)
Saturday: Spaghetti and Meatballs, Broccoli, Grilled Flatbread - I'm hoping to have a relaxing weekend since it's Mothers' Day weekend, and *almost* my birthday, so this one is right on par!
Mangia Bene!
Orzo with Sausage and Peppers
Orzo might be one of my favorite forms of pasta. It's extremely quick-cooking, and looks a lot like rice. Orzo is quite versatile, and can be used in a main dish or a side dish.
(serves 4-5)
1 quart water
1 t Kosher salt
1 c orzo
1 T olive oil
1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
2 Italian sausage links, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I like to use my homemade marinara)
Fill a medium saucepan with water, leaving about 1 inch at the top. Add the salt, and bring the water to a full boil. Add the pasta. Stir and bring back to a boil for 8-10 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers, onions, and sausage. Saute until the veggies are tender and the sausage is warmed through (or fully-cooked if the sausage was not cooked before).
When the pasta is cooked through, drain well (I like to use a mesh strainer for orzo so I don't sacrifice any to the plumbing gods). Return to the saucepan and add the sauce.
Stir in the veggie mixture and serve.
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This recipe, sans meat, is also a favorite of The Munchkin's. She decided to forego the spoon altogether tonight and dive in with both hands!
I often use orzo to make light dishes with fresh vegetables, since it doesn't hold sauces as well as larger pasta shapes. Here's one of my favorite dishes using orzo.
Enjoy!
(serves 4-5)
1 quart water
1 t Kosher salt
1 c orzo
1 T olive oil
1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
2 Italian sausage links, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I like to use my homemade marinara)
Fill a medium saucepan with water, leaving about 1 inch at the top. Add the salt, and bring the water to a full boil. Add the pasta. Stir and bring back to a boil for 8-10 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers, onions, and sausage. Saute until the veggies are tender and the sausage is warmed through (or fully-cooked if the sausage was not cooked before).
When the pasta is cooked through, drain well (I like to use a mesh strainer for orzo so I don't sacrifice any to the plumbing gods). Return to the saucepan and add the sauce.
Stir in the veggie mixture and serve.
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This recipe, sans meat, is also a favorite of The Munchkin's. She decided to forego the spoon altogether tonight and dive in with both hands!
4.29.2012
Garden Update
In between the rain showers and storms this weekend, I managed to get a little gardening done.
I came home from work Friday night and was extremely stressed out. During dinner, I was looking out at the vegetable garden and noticed the spinach and arugula were growing like weeds. They desperately needed harvested. So, after dinner, we bundled up The Munchkin (it was pretty cool outside) and headed outside. The Man planted some flowers we bought for one of our flower beds, and I went to pick greens from the vegetable garden. I did a little weeding as I went and also managed to plant the roma tomatoes, bell peppers, and jalapenos I bought last weekend (my seeds didn't start). The Munchkin toodled back and forth in the yard between the two of us, picking blades of grass and gathering rocks for mommy and daddy. I brought The Munchkin back in the house before she got too cold, and I felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. It seems gardening comes with a wonderful result: I manage to forget all the stress, and all the AD/HD "noise" goes away. It's an amazing feeling!
Saturday, I wandered back to the vegetable garden again to inspect the progress, and today I got some more seeds in the ground. Here's the update:
I'm getting more excited each day, simply because I can look out the window and see more and more progress. And I'm learning a lot along the way.
I've realized that the long rows of peas are probably going to be a pain once they get taller. The reason for this is that I'm planting rows about 8" apart, so it might be a little difficult to get to the plants in the middle of the row. Oh well, live and learn, right?
I'll also probably track my progress a little differently next year. SmartGardener is great for the layout and to do list, but it doesn't help me track the positions of seeds I've succession planted. Because of this, I'm pretty much waiting for seeds to sprout before I plant another bunch. I'm afraid this will leave me with gaps in the harvest, but I guess time will tell.
I've also learned a bit about garden critters. Saturday, when I went out to check the progress, I noticed the leaves were gone from a few tomato plants, and two of my jalapeno plants were gone. One had simply been plucked out, roots and all, and the other was completely gone. So I'm looking into organic critter deterrents...can you offer any ideas?
How is your garden progressing? I hope you're enjoying the progress as much as I am! Happy growing season!
I came home from work Friday night and was extremely stressed out. During dinner, I was looking out at the vegetable garden and noticed the spinach and arugula were growing like weeds. They desperately needed harvested. So, after dinner, we bundled up The Munchkin (it was pretty cool outside) and headed outside. The Man planted some flowers we bought for one of our flower beds, and I went to pick greens from the vegetable garden. I did a little weeding as I went and also managed to plant the roma tomatoes, bell peppers, and jalapenos I bought last weekend (my seeds didn't start). The Munchkin toodled back and forth in the yard between the two of us, picking blades of grass and gathering rocks for mommy and daddy. I brought The Munchkin back in the house before she got too cold, and I felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. It seems gardening comes with a wonderful result: I manage to forget all the stress, and all the AD/HD "noise" goes away. It's an amazing feeling!
Saturday, I wandered back to the vegetable garden again to inspect the progress, and today I got some more seeds in the ground. Here's the update:
- The herbs (cilantro, basil, parsley) are all doing really well. The leaves are starting to become distinguishable, and I'm excited to have fresh herbs on hand!
- The spinach and arugula are going nuts, and I'm picking several handfuls every few days. Both plants loved the cooler weather and rain last week, and Friday, I picked enough of the two to fill a gallon storage bag. I'm anticipating similar growth this week. I also started another short row of spinach.
- The peas have shot up to about 6" tall, and I'm trying to decide how I want to go about stringing them so they can climb. I started another short row of snow peas and one more long row of snap peas.
- The second round of carrots has popped through, and I planted another round today. That makes 3 square feet of carrots so far.
- The parsnips have popped up, as well! I'll plant more this week.
- Both the green onions and the yellow onions have sprouted, too. I'll plant more of each this week.
I'm getting more excited each day, simply because I can look out the window and see more and more progress. And I'm learning a lot along the way.
I've realized that the long rows of peas are probably going to be a pain once they get taller. The reason for this is that I'm planting rows about 8" apart, so it might be a little difficult to get to the plants in the middle of the row. Oh well, live and learn, right?
I'll also probably track my progress a little differently next year. SmartGardener is great for the layout and to do list, but it doesn't help me track the positions of seeds I've succession planted. Because of this, I'm pretty much waiting for seeds to sprout before I plant another bunch. I'm afraid this will leave me with gaps in the harvest, but I guess time will tell.
I've also learned a bit about garden critters. Saturday, when I went out to check the progress, I noticed the leaves were gone from a few tomato plants, and two of my jalapeno plants were gone. One had simply been plucked out, roots and all, and the other was completely gone. So I'm looking into organic critter deterrents...can you offer any ideas?
How is your garden progressing? I hope you're enjoying the progress as much as I am! Happy growing season!
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