Corn.
This entry is about corn. I dont know why, but I have been thinking about corn. It probably has something to do with the fact that I have included it in 3 out of 4 of our dinners so far this week but as I was indulging in my first corn on the cob of the season, I realized that I have never really tasted corn on the cob.
Think about it. As your plowing through your corn cob do you really take the time to chew it and taste it beyond what initially touches your teeth? I know I am way to busy making sure I get every last inch of corn on that cob and Im focused on keeping the butter and salt evenly distributed and not squirting my neighbor with corn juices (that sounds hot right?) FAR too busy to enjoy the summer treat.
So next time you are enjoying corn at a picnic, SLOW DOWN and taste how sweet it is - Or just ignore my pondering thoughts...
Thanks!
BAZOOKA!!!!
O and I created a drink this weekend. Since its low calorie, I'm going to share. We were browsing the liquor section of or local family grocery store looking for something interesting. I always accompany my drink with a little Diet 7-Up or packets of Sugar Free Hawaiian Punch so I definitely wanted something fruity. I was eyeing the Three Olives Cherry Vodka or some Bacardi Melon Rum but we settled on some Smirnoff Lime Vodka.
I had no idea where this was going. I figured I would have myself a very limey 7-Up and call it a night. But we decided to get crazy and mix up the lime vodka with the Hawaiian Punch. GREAT IDEA.
The mixture of the two seriously tasted like a giant piece of Bazooka Bubble Gum. I know you see recipes to create the same thing online. but nothing was easier than this- I guarantee!
So next time your looking for a fun combination that isnt that same crappy fruit flavor (I am so sick of nasty blue drinks!) give this a try-
Bazooka Bubble gum-
Fill cup half way with ice
add 1.5 shots of Lime Vodka
Fill the remainder of the glass with Hawaiian Punch (Sugar free if you can find it!)
We Tried It: Chicken Patties
Whew! Where has the week gone? In the hole thank god. This week has stunk like no other. Hince the reason you havent seen a post from me! I've been far to grumpy to entertain.
We did, however try some new dishes this week that I am now ready to talk about!
First on the menu was Chicken Patties- O found out about this from Guys Big Bite on Food Network. Guy seems to have a good grip on what meat and potato guys like to eat, I'm glad someone does.
This was the most adventurous burger I have had since I dont know when. It had black olives, peppers, onions, jalapenos, garlic and too many spices to name.
Prep was rather easy. I spend the evening before measuring everything out and chopping up the veggies so it was ready to go the next evening. It smelled so powerful! Bring it on.
Fast forward to the next day. We sauteed the veggies in a little EVOO on the stove and then mixed it in with the ground chicken, the spices I mixed up the day before, and 1 egg.
It says on the site you can do 'em up in a pan on the stove but we opted to use the grill since it was a nice day out.
These burgers patties were packed with flavor! It was a little overwhelming for me at first but they turned out to be great. O was done with two BEFORE I even finished my first.
The best part of these (for me anyways)? The leftovers! We had lots leftover and they tasted GOOOOOOOOD cold. real good.
Will we eat these again? Definitely. I am so sick of your basic burger, you have no idea. I am always looking for ways to spice it up and make it tastes like something else!
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|
2 ounces olive oil
In a medium saute pan over medium heat add, 1-ounce oil and all raw vegetables and saute until translucent. Remove and cool. Add veggies to raw chicken and mix thoroughly. Add all dry ingredients and egg. Thoroughly mix all ingredients and form into 4 patties. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. In same saute pan add remaining 1-ounce olive oil, and cook patties 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with ketchup and mustard on toasted buns with lettuce and tomato. |
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OUCH BUT WOW.
JELLO- A healthy alternative !
I love jello.
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!
People wonder how I stay so lean and lovely, and its certainly not because I shy away from dessert. Jello is one of my secret weapons. Not just any Jello, Sugar-Free, Fat-Free Jello. This is the most flexible, healthy little rectangular box on the face of the earth. I can make cake frosting, parfaits, cheesecake, or just plain Jello and it always comes out as a tasty success. Ive even made cookies with jello. Ok, those arent healthy but they tasted darn good.
A great accomplice to Jello would be Cool Whip FREE. No not as in given to you for free but the Cool Whip Free as in fat free- the blue-green container people. Combining these two together is like magic. Or as Yoplait yogurt would put it "Like burning this tragic bridesmaid dress good". I also have a habit of freezing Cool Whip Free and eating it straight out of the container...but thats another story I will most likely rant about later...
Have you ever tried the Cheesecake flavor? Its delicious- I eat that alone, or with graham crackers for a "faux cheesecake".
O's favorite? Chocolate. He never wants to experiment. So when I make him chocolate, I mix my portion with Cool whip Free and some bananas-yum! Thats probably one of my favorite mixes.
The latest and greatest from my kitchen has been the Jello Poke cake. Ok, well it came from my girlfriends kitchen first but then I made it too! OK- it came from a long time ago but I am reviving it!. This is using fruit flavored Jello and of course, Cool Whip Free. They even have reduced sugar cake mixes to make it even better!
To end my ode to Jello I have decided to post my version of the poke cake below. Try it! You wont be disappointed....PERFECT for spring/summer!
Jello Poke Cake
1 package white or yellow cake mix **look for reduced sugar mixes!**
1 small package flavored gelatin, any flavor **Sugar Free-Fat Free!**
4 eggs
1/3 cup oil **Applesauce would be better dont ya think?**
1 cup water (for the cake mix)
1 (12 oz.) container Cool Whip **Cool Whip FREE!**
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare cake, according to package directions, using eggs, oil applesauce, jellow mix and water. Bake cake in a 13x9-inch pan for 40 to 45 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for at least 15 minutes. If your putting Cool Whip Free on top--your going to want to cool it for a lot longer than that!
Spread whipped topping on top of cake before serving.-Make sure your cake is completely cooled! Refrigerate leftover cake.
This is a hit every time. Its a little big lighter than your normal cake so its really refreshing after dinner or for a quick snack. Enjoy it!
I tried it- Asian Noodle Salad.
Last night, was a learning experience. I ventured into the unknown dish referred to as Asian Noodle Salad- ALONE. Brought to my attention by the lovely Pioneer Woman, whos blog I am hopelessly addicted to. O is out of town this weekend so I thought I would try it out seeing as how he wont eat bean sprouts,spinach, cabbage and all that other madness. Plus I knew it would be big enough to feed me throughout the remainder of the week- this was a great idea! Right? Wrong.
I spent TWO AND A HALF HOURS cutting everything up- did I mention I started to conduct dinner at 8:15? Typically we eat dinner around 9, and I knew I was going to be a bit late but 10:45? I was EXAUSTED. I had to make myself eat a bowl by time I had finished up- partially because I surrenderred around 9:30 and ate a bowl of Cheerios.
Now the salad was good, but next time I make it, I am going to make sure that I either A.) Have an army to feed or B.) Have an army to help me prepare it. I mean it was HUGE- I had to throw some of the cabbage out due to that fact that I used up all my big bowls with lids already and had serious overflow issues. It was madness. Pioneer Woman, what kind of bowls do you own? Or maybe you were smart and cut down proportions....
I even had trouble sleeping that night thinking about the horror of how I spent my peaceful evening alone at home slaving in the kitchen.
But now, a reflection. I realized this morning that Asian Noodle Salad is what you make it. I didnt HAVE to use all those veggies and I didnt HAVE to follow all the proportions to a T - the only real important part is the dressing. Which reminded me of the marinade I use for Fajita's at my house (YUMMMM)
So this weekend I will be eating like a rabbit and thinking about the lesson I learned....Anyone want some Asian Noodle Salad?
As far as pictures are concerned, you can check out Pioneer Womans link above. She does a better job than I, and I let that booger I married take the camera on vacation.
Happy Earth Day!
Today I booted up my pathetic work computer and discovered a hilarious change on my google home page- what? Its Earth Day. So in light of this Google changing event, I finally purchased the enviromentally friendly alternative to the grocery bag- the REUSEABLE shopping totes. I have been looking and thinking about purchasing these for awhile now. I know how many plastic bags we accumulate each month due to shopping and since we done reuse them as small garbage bags or for a kitty litter box,its a complete and total waste (as opposed to just a total waste).
So I have been researching around the clock to find the best possible fit for us. The biggest requirement for these bags had to be compactness (yeah it really is a word) I know to remember to use them we needed something that was easy to tote around- something I could throw in the glove compartment or my purse. So of course all the cheaper ones they sell directly in your grocery aisle were eliminated. Those things are huge, and I cant see even wanting to bring those with me each time I shop. This brought me to RuMe,Ecoezi, Baggu, and Envirosax.
There are many many other compact bags out there but these vendors promised multiple bags in a small space. A good place to look for single bags is at your local Bed Bath and Beyond or Amazon.com for multiple choices.
The next requirement was price. I cant spent 60 dollars on bags for the grocery. Well I could but I dont think others in my household would appreciate it! That eliminated a lot of the designer ones such as RuMe (you only get THREE bags!) and Marc Jacobs.
From there I started to investigate them one by one I chose Ecoezi first because the price seemed too good to be true. I emailed them to ask about the bag dimensions and what the bag was constructed out of. Over a month later and I still havent heard from them. I have also read reports of people sending in their money and receiving nothing, so I eliminated them automatically.
It was down to Baggu and Envirosax. I think both of these had great features in compactness and their ability to hold a full load of grocerys. In the end I purchased the Envirosax (shown above) for Price, Compactness and style. The Baggu was nice but after I had purchased six bags, a carrying case and paid for shipping I was well into spending $50.00. Envirosax totaled to 39.95- including five bags (each larger than the six bags you receive from Baggu), a carrying case and the girly side of me- fun patterns!
I can definitely see me using this not only in the grocery but to take on trips when I need an extra bag to tuck away or when I make a quick stop to Wal-mart and only need one bag. I plan on keeping one in my purse and the rest in the car for grocery trips. Dont worry, I'll let you know how it goes...
So Happy Day Earth, I hope your proud of me.
And if anyone is interested- I bought the Retro set shown here at the bottom!
Chicago Pt. 2- Gene & Georgetti's
The second stop on my Chicago food tour was a historial favorite,Gene and Georgetti's on N. Franklin St. When the taxi pulled up Ill admit I was a bit worried about where this was heading but I cannot tell you how many people suggested this place!
The atmosphere had a mob appearance- (or maybe thats just because somebody told me it used to be a mob hangout-;) Every wall was completely paneled with a dark maple wood from head to toe. The seats were all red leather and complemented the red table cloths layered with a crisp white one on top. The first thing I noticed when I walked into the room was an autographed Lucille Ball photo right next to the bar, apparently, she was a frequent celebrity visitor to the place. The bar itself was very traditional-wood paneling , mirror backgrounds with all the spirits lined up in a row. All in all it reminded me of the bed and breakfast's I toured as a design student, with a little italian twist of course.
It was quite a crowded place on Friday night and there was no waiting area. Luckily as we walked in we were rushed right to our seats upstairs. Let the fun begin! I started off ordering- A Water! As I told you I just like water with my food. Maybe one day I will like wine but for now I'll keep it simple.
When it came to ordering I was completely lost on the menu. A great deal of the menu had entrees with words I didnt understand ( with no definitions either!) Of course I noticed "Filet" but I was out for something different. I know it was crazy of me to order something "different" at a STEAKHOUSE but I had just had the best filet of my life the night before so I was willing to take a gamble.
I viewed the menu over and over until I finally landed on the Chicken Vesuvio after some interpretation from our waiter. Chicken and roasted potatoes in a light EVOO sauce?- This HAD to be good!
The first part of our meal was the house salad- that was some GOOD salad. It was the most simplistic salad on the planet, consisting of iceburg lettuce and topped with their house Italian dressing. That was it. It was perfect, and kept me begging for more.
A few minutes after our salad plates had been cleared, our entrees arrived. Roasted potatoes covered my dish completely with the chicken just peaking through. The smell of garlic was off the charts- I LOVE garlic. so I jumped right in. This dish was amazing! The chicken was cooked perfectly not too dry, not to slimy and the potatoes were out of this world - I mean second only to O's version of roasted potatoes of course ;)
It was really a good dish and the portion was very nice as well, I, an official card holder of the clean platers club couldnt finish it! (ok well I couldve finished it- thus exploding afterwards and foregoing dessert.) What was even more upsetting is that I couldnt take my leftovers with me either. Not that they dont allow it, but I didnt have a fridge in my room to hold it in! So I sadly presented my plate to the waiter to be taken and cleaned in the back- sigh.
But I wasnt sad for long, dessert was just around the corner! The dessert menu was filled with great stuff- something for everyone- we sampled three including the chocolate cake, Spumoni and key lime. I was after the Spumoni. I hadn't had any since the night before our wedding so I was pumped- esp. pumped because it was most likely going to be more autentic as well. When the dessert arrived, the portions were WAY too small (well I was sharing with 8 other people so yeah they were small!) So I attacked the spumoni first.
It was really refreshing, not to mention utterly delicious( no pun intended hahaha). The strawberry was seriously the best strawberry flavor my taste buds have ever experienced. If I couldve had a bowl of that alone I wouldve been satisfied- but of course I had to try them all! The pistachio was wonderful as well and chocolate and vanilla- damnit it was all good. and I ate every bit of it. I had a small bite of the chocolate cake but it was much to heavy to eat especially after my heavy dinner. The spumoni was just right.
At this point I am completely stuffed. Lets check out the bathrooms!
The bathroom wasnt much to look at although I believe it fit the restaurant itself well. If you see the post below I was rather disappointed with N9NE's restrooms.This was not disappointing because the restaurant didnt lead me to believe that the tile was exquisite or the wallcoverings were over the top. There was a nice granite countertop with nice fixtures but everything else was pretty standard. But clean! Clean is important.
I researched some other reviews online about Gene & Georgetti's ( Ok, I was really looking for their dressing recipe..) and noticed quite a bit of people complaining about service and the food not holding up their reputation. I wanted to make it a point to say that our service was wonderful. I never got a snotty attitude and my drink was always refilled promptly. The waiter was even nice enough to give us some tips on Chicago nightlife. Though their steak wasnt quite as earthshattering as the night before (according to my coworker, who ate the filet) it was still fantastic food ( unless you are a total food snob I suppose) Definitely better than your local Longhorn!
So in conclusion, if your looking for a little piece of Chicago history, be sure to make reservations and check out Gene & Georgetti's- you will NOT be disappointed.Yumm!
Chicago!
This past weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago on business. What did that mean to me? Free, delicious, expensive dinners. YES!
Our days were filled with learning about innovative products and creative ideas .Our nights will filled with meeting company reps and wonderful plates of food! Unfortunately I did not get to partake in any original deep dish pizza :( But as some of you may know, Chicago is also well known for their steakhouses
For you, I have documented my trip by the way of food and great architecture. Lets start with Thursday night.
Thursday night was BY FAR the best night of them all. We had reservations at N9NE, a contemporary-traditional restaurant on Canal. The dress was Business Casual- and my coworkers certainly took that to the extreme. But I looked cute but...were getting off track!
N9ne was certainly expensive ( for a little Ohio girl like myself anyways...) I ordered water ( I know I said it was free but I like just water with my dinner-weird huh?) and then we ordered straight to the main course. I ordered a Filet with a garlic and parmesan cheese crust.
The sides of course, were not part of the order, they were N9ne dollars each (go figure!) I decided since it was free, I was going to try the Potato Gnocchi with White Truffle Cream. I figured if I didnt like it someone would!
I waited impatiently for my food to arrive. They did bring out some bread to munch on but with the waves of delicious smells that breezed by to other tables it certainly wasnt satisfying me! Every time somebody else entree made its way to my nose I was dying to get my food!
The atmostphere was ok I thought. I like something a little more traditional myself. They had good intentions but all the cold colors and neon used didnt increase my appetite.If you notice on their website the pictures they show are NOT of the actual restaurant but of the Ghost Bar, which to my disappointment was closed for the evening. The interior of the Ghost bar looked liked something I would definitely want to explore but access denied.
The bathrooms (for people like me who have to see EVERY restaurants bathrooms to completely grade the overall look of course-) were also a disappointment. The walls were a creme alligator leather texture which I loved but the creme color was all wrong. The other "feature" they offered were mini TV screens in each stall. Is that really a feature for women? Seriously. The rest of the interior was so bland I cant even remember it. I think the bathrooms are a big part of design people! Seriously.
Now back to the food.- My plate finally arrived and I was giddy-I'll admit. One deliciously crusted steak and to the left three grilled mushrooms skewered by some time some type of herb none of us could identify.
I dont think I have EVER eaten so slow in my life. I knew I had to savor each and every bite because this wasn't going to happen again. Everytime I noticed myself eating ahead of my coworkers I slowed down even more. I didnt want to be left with an empty plate salivating over someone elses steak.
The Potato Gnocchi was a bust. I told you I had never tried it before and had no clue what to expect. So for the Gnocchi lover it couldve been the best dish on the planet. But for me, not so much - it was too soggy or just not the right texture.
But not to worry! My coworker was willing to share her Asparagus with me , even after I dropped two on to the floor- how nice! The more classy I try to be- the more food my shirt eats, or the floor.
Then, after the most delicious steak on this planet made its way to my digestive track, we ordered dessert. I dont order dessert often as I am very conscious about what I put in my body ( a stomach ache later in the week would further prove how important it is for me to eat healthy, but anyway) but did I mention it was FREE? I selected the Banana Fudge- I love bananas, I love fudge, bring it on.
I love bananas- but I love banana ice cream more! And that is just what arrived at the table. A banana ice cream pie, fitted with an Oreo crust withbanana ice cream filling, drizzled with caramel and fudge and then carmalized bananas on top. I was in Heaven! Bite after bite after bite- after bite I couldnt get enough of it it was so refreshing and at the same time killing my chocolate craving- how wonderful! This was a great end to a delicious dinner.
Overall I would definitely eat it again, uh-ABSOLUTELY. Though the atmosphere was not as I had pictured, it was still a very delicious meal and the service was supreme.
If you are ever in chicago and want to partake in a good steak. Please for your own good, check out N9ne- you wont regret it!
We tried it-Saucy Stir-fried Pork
This was seriously the greatest dish I have ever made. OK well it wasnt the greatest but it certainly gets the "Most well rounded" award.
Not only did this dish taste great, it was SUPER easy to put together,something that is time consuming for me. I dont know what Kraft.com is thinking you can repaire a meal in 25 minutes that includes chopping and cooking meat- crazy. But as I was saying, really easy to put together.
First we started by chopping up the pork tenderloin. This cooks up in the pan first with the Asian Sesame dressing. If you dont know much about pork tenderloin, it cooks up really nice and quick!
As this is cooking we prepared the BROWN rice pan and got the water boiling. And then I chopped up one red pepper and three green onions- tada! The chopping portion of this dish is complete! Wasnt that easy? The answer is YES!!
After the pork is cooked with the dressing, we added in all the veggies ( peppers, sugar snap peas, green onions- we added frozen carrots at the last minute too!)and let that cook up a bit while we mixed up the rest of the sauce.
Here is where I cheated. The recipe originally called for italian dressing with another mixture of soy sauce, ginger, and cornstarch then gave you the option of using asian sesame dressing instead of all of the above ingredients. Well I did the asian sesame in addition to the soy sauce, ginger, and cornstarch to pack some extra flavor in there- let me tell you it was a great idea- yum yum yum!
So after your veggies cooked up you add in the extra mixed ingredients, let it bubble up to thicken the sauce. And we are finished! Happy husbands everywhere- that was quick and easy. Just serve with your BROWN rice and enjoy!
Since O hasnt gotten around to adding my recipe attach ment, I went ahead and posted the recipe below-
Saucy Stir-Fried Pork
Heat
dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat; cook and stir. Add peppers and peas and misc., stirring frequently. Mix soy sauce,
cornstarch and ginger until well blended. Add to meat mixture in
skillet; cook until sauce thickens, stirring frequently.
Serve over the rice.
Geek Stuff
As many of you already know- O was very preoccupied with a certain virus that took over our weekend. So between sterlizing every item in our home and cooking meals that Owen couldnt eat, I worked on one of my new hobbies.
All the time I am looking at jewelry and absolutely refuse to buy it because I say to myself " I can make that" Well I finally took that step- I bought all the tools and went to a giant bead show and started doin my own thing.
It all started when I made jewelry for my wedding last October. My friend Allison introduced me into a whole world of beads- she took me to a bead show. My first attempt was a little rough and I apologize to all my girls but I'm gettin better at it!
Fast forward to a few months later, my friend Ashley is engaged and I mentioned about making the jewelry ourselves and thus my jewelry making hobby was born.
Ill post a few of my things up here to show everyone what Ive been up to- The picture above is the jewelry for Ashley's September wedding- I cant wait!
Geek Stuff Cont.
Here is my cobalt beads- a necklace inspired by a 500 dollar one I noticed in my InStyle Magazine.
The last of the geek stuff- for now.....
My new favorite set- I love the stuff over at Dashaboutiqe.com- check them out! However, I currently don't have the funds to cover my need for beautiful jewelry- so here is my version.
Side Note
I do realize I am posting all these recipe reviews with no actual recipe.
See, Im hopin to add a link to printer friendly recipes so you dont have to write it down as you read how I did it. SO in the meantime if you would like to try one of my recipes, you can email me and I would love to send it out to you!
brittany@twohungrypeople.com
We Tried It: Ginger-Soy Pepper Steak
This recipe was given to me by my good friend Ashley. Since she and I are both learning how to cohabitate and get dinner on the table before our husbands eat the actual table, we share from time to time :)
This was a very simple and delicious recipe to make. We started the night before by cutting up all the veggies and measuring out what makes up the sauce. we did this while we cooked that nights dinner, so it wasn't a big deal to just cut up a few extra things.
The original recipe called for four round steaks but again,being the (overcooking) steak fearing person I am, I opted for the "steak for stewing" package (1Lb.)found in your local Kroger meat aisle.
O was nice enough to drop everything in the crockpot in the morning for me so thank you Owen! Then when we arrived home after work and the gym - DINNER! was ready. It smelled amazing. All we had to do was cook up two cups of quick BROWN rice - ok, ok ....we cooked four, SOMEBODY needs two cups on their plate only to really eat one...but whos counting;) After ten minutes of cooking rice, dinner was complete.
It was so exciting to come home and put zero effort into dinner. It also tasted quite nice as well. We cooked it on low for 10 hours so everything had all cooked together nicely, the beef melted in your mouth!
If I could do something different I would opt out of adding the extra tablespoon of salt into the sauce mixture. Even though I used low sodium Soy Sauce AND low sodium beef broth, the salt was still very prominent in taste. O loved it but I needed something milder in that respect.
Will we eat this again? Probably- like I said earlier, I will alter the salt content but other than that it was a quick, easy fix for dinner that wasnt your basic meat, veggie and dinner roll.
Now, While I would love to provide a picture for all of you, I just cant. There is NO way you would try it looking at the photos (Sounds encouraging yeah?). No matter what angle it just didnt look good to either of us on the computer screen. But I promise it was great!
|
Ginger-soy Pepper Steak ( A crockpot recipe) |
| Ingredient List: |
| 1 LB - Steak ( for Stewing) |
| 1 Medium - White onion |
| 1 - Green Pepper |
| 1 - Red pepper |
| 1 Can - Low fat/low sodium beef broth |
| 1 Tsp - Ground ginger |
| 1 Tbsp - Salt |
| 2 Tbsp - Low-sodium soy sauce |
| 1 Tsp - Worcestershire Sauce |
| 1 Tsp - Minced garlic |
| Directions: Cut onion and bell peppers into think slices and place in crock pot. Place meat on top of veggies. Pour remaining ingredients on top of steak. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Simple yes? |
We Tried It: Turkey meatball dish- an alfredo alternative-
This was a big adventure for us! O is not big on anything involving spinach, but I decided to take a chance. I found this recipe on MSN.com which is a rare find- you know something that is easy and we will BOTH eat isnt something that appears regularly on MSN.com so here we go!
The first step was to make the little turkey meatballs- which isnt what I pictured from looking at their picture online but I went along with it. It was just like making meatloaf mixing in theegg, garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs and cheese.PLEASE be sure to divide your cheese properly- I know I missed that note in the recipe! Oh well the cheesier the better ya? After that, we rolled them up into little balls and popped them in the oven for 20 minutes while we prepared the noodle and veggie part.
For the noodle part we used whole wheat penne. We cooked that up and then added the mixture of cornstarch and milk plus LOW SODIUM chicken broth. After bringing it to a boil, we removed it from the heat and added the spinach, pepper and Romano cheese.
After the noodles thickened for a bit we added in the cooked meatballs and "tossed lightly" and then "tossed" it all into a nice 13 X 9 baking dish and cooked until brown on top- ta da!
It was quite tasty and if you check out my not so professional pictures it looked the part. Will we make it again? Absolutely. This dish is tasty and if your looking to cut calories or avoid chicken alfredo- this is a great alternative in my opinion!
| Turkey Meatballs- uhh Chicken Alfredo thats good for you |
| Ingredient List: |
| 1 Lb - Ground Turkey |
| 1/4 Cup - Plain dried bread crumbs |
| 1/4 Cup - Loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped |
| 1 Clove - Garlic, crushed with press |
| 1 - Large Egg |
| 1 Cup - Freshly grated romano cheese- DIVIDED! |
| 16 oz ( 1 Package) - Penne pasta |
| 1 Tbsp - Cornstarch |
| 1 1/2 Cups - Milk |
| 1 Can - Reduced sodium chicken broth |
| 1 Bag - Baby spinach |
| 1/4 Tsp - Ground Pepper |
| Directions: Preheat over to 400. Line 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 Jelly roll pan with parchment paper or foil. In medium bowl, with fingertips, mix turkey bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, egg, and 1/4 cup Romano just until blended; do NOT over mix. Shape turkey mixture into thirty-six 1 inch meatballs; and place in prepared pan. Bake meatballs for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat large covered saucepot of water to boiling over high heat. Add pasta and cook 2 minutes less than label directs. Drain pasta; return to saucepot. In 2-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk corstarch into milk. Add milk mixture and broth to pasta in saucepot; heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Boil 1 minute to thicken sauce slightly. Remove saucepot from heat; stir in spinach, 1/2 cup Romano and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add meatballs and gently toss to combine. Transfer pasta mixture to 3-quart glass or ceramic baking dish; sprinkle with remaining Romano. Bake 20 minutes or until hot in the center and golden brown on top. |
Memories
Last night we went to Alyssa's debut as a dancer in the play "Cinderella" it was held at the Freshman building auditorium. I don't think I have been there since I attended. I cannot believe it has been 8 years since I sat foot in that building!
I loved my freshman year. Aside from acquiring the braces that would stay with me until I was a Junior, the bad acne that ravaged my face and the horrible hair-it was definitely a good, memorable year for me. I had real boyfriends, I was a basketball cheerleader and I received my first kiss.
I felt so giddy as I skipped out of the auditorium to take a peak at how the building was aging. It was like I walked back into time, I could feel people bumping into me walking from class to class as I walked towards what once was my social studies class. It was there I solidified my friendship with KB-BOO Mr. Jacobs!
I kept walking and I seriously couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I walked passed my old home ec class- which I loved- but remembered being SO tired in because it was 1st period. And then there was lunch room-that not only provided a place to eat our nutritional lunches (you know a snickers ice cream bar and a chocolate milk) but also set the stage for the most romantic dances (Yeah, I'm def. joking)
After the lunchroom I arrived at the gymnasium where we ventured after eating lunch and where I cheered and practiced most of the winter months. The bathroom right across from the gymnasium was where I lost my beloved shell butterfly ring. I always took my rings off to wash my hands, big mistake.
It smelled gross and O even mentioned that the place should be condemned but it was full of memories for me. Even in the auditorium I remember sitting there for class meetings and passing the time. This was the most casual year of my high school career. From then on it was metal detectors, scanning in, drug searches,I couldn't even carry a backpack.
But any who- I am really embarrassed about how excited and silly I acted stepping foot into my alma matter.
No I did not draw that on the auditorium seat- but it made me laugh.
We Tried It: Steak and Potatoes
We ventured into "Steak and Potatoes" with high hopes---after all, that pretty much sums up Owens eating habits in a nut shell.
We started by cooking the steak- which went over well- the recipe called for cut up sirloin steak but I opted to buy stir fry steak instead because I was worried about making it chewy ( I have definitely not perfected cooking steak in a wok!)
After that cooked completely we added in the carrots and potatoes. I was a little skeptical here considering that I have never cooked potatoes in a skilled before ( except frying!) but they turned out well and ended up being our favorite part of the meal.
They cooked for about 20 minutes then we dropped in the onions and peas ( we subbed peas in for mushrooms due to Owen completely despising mushrooms) and Balsamic dressing. I thought here I might want to double the Balsamic because we always double the dressing in the recipes we make but last time I cooked with the dressing and doubled it was much too powerful so I didn't--but later wished I would have.
It was smelling really good about now! I let the onions and peas cook for about five minutes before adding the steak back in to let it all mesh together. After we let it sit for awhile we realized that we had pretty much cooked out all of the Balsamic :( So a lot of that flavor was missing.
Over all O loved it- it was OK for me...I don't think I care for frozen carrots much anymore...they are too sweet tasting! But the meat and potatoes were delicious- Would I make it again? Yes- but with fresh carrots and more Balsamic!
This was my first attempt at blogging our dinners so I onlygot one picture- but doesn't it look delicious!? Up next---the best fajita recipe in the world.....stay tuned!
Blizzard!
We woke up Saturday to about ten inches of snow. This was awesome! Mostly because I scheduled to work ALL Saturday and didn't have to!
We of course ventured out into the snow and I took some pictures....it was really nice to be forced in the house. During the weekends I am so anxious to get out and shop or whatever but today we just enjoyed our OWN house and being snowed in :)
Happy 27th Owen!
Owens birthday was yesterday. Since we have a MAJOR blizzard going on..and it happens to be my sisters birthday as well- we spent a quiet evening with my family.Out to Bravos for dinner and cookie cake and ice cream at the house. It was a great time :)
Don't worry, Owen is having a real celebration on the 15th- keg included -- I will be sure to post some of the photos from that! It should be a great time :)
Welcome!
Our first official post. Your first official look into our daily lives. We hope to accomplish a lot in this blog-food , fitness, and just showing everyone what were about.
To bring you up to date we built our first home this summer (07) and moved in Labor Day weekend. The following month we were married on a beautiful autumn day in the most gorgeous church I have ever seen up close. Since then we have been all over the place trying to figure out what to do next---life was such a whirlwind the past year and a half and its so quiet now!
Children aren't in the near future and we don't have enough money to retire...so were going to blog! Seriously though we hope to travel as much as we can afford and maybe even move a few times before we settle down.
Until then I plan on taking on documenting how we lived our twenties...I hope to post lots of recipes for everyone to try and I am sure Owen will be posting fitness stuff for everyone to dissect. The rest of it will just be us :) So enjoy !