Yet another Improv Pizza

We never really seem to plan pizzas. I typically keep staples on hand to always have available whenever pizza is craved or I am just feeling lazy. Forget Domino's, it's so much better to just make pizza. We can control the amount of cheese, sauce, etc.

Last night was such a night that I did not feel like cooking so I bestowed the honor upon The Hub. I made the crust and set to work in the kitchen tossing the dough. We look in the pantry only to find there is no tomato sauce or tomatoes in the fridge. What do we do!?
"Oil and cheese?"
Me, less than thrilled about the proposal abliges only because the Commmissary was closed[stupid hours]. Not completely willing to take this sort of defeat I search the kitchen. We had ground turkey, a quarter of a bell pepper, as always, onions, corn, a can of Rotel and black beans.
"How about Mexican pizza?"
And off we set. We will be doing this again! This was actually very good.



Now what do we do with the second crust? Dessert pizza! I slathered it with a mixture of cream cheese, confectioners sugar, vanilla, orange zest, and strawberry preserves. Topped with blueberries, mandarin oranges, apples, cinnamon, a touch of brown sugar on the apples, honey and cinnamon sugar on the edge of the crust and YUM! Dessert was made.

Easy Weeknight Meals

Not only am I a bit burnt out from all the cooking with the holiday season; to top it off, the Hub is now on night shift. Cooking for a 3 year old isn't exactly the most thrilling of things since she would be happy with cereal, sandwiches, or macaroni and cheese. As I sit here, Camden is asking if she can dip her peanut butter sandwich in her ranch dressing. Oh my! The great thing about having children is the fact that you are working with a blank palette and they have no preconceived notions regarding food. However, a 5 star restaurant for them is McDonald's.

The Hub typically wakes up at dinner time, tries to eat, but is too groggy and ends up taking leftovers to work. So while he does get to eat it, it's not the most motivating because not everything tastes good reheated. Maybe I'll do a strict soup diet for the next few months. Isn't there a cabbage soup diet that helps you lose weight??

Also with that motivation has affected my blogging. After getting the kiddos in bed I just want to sleep myself.


The other night was perfect for the mood described above. A simple put together meal that Camden of course loved. Chicken Fingers with Steamed Broccoli and Cauliflower and Roasted Carrots. There isn't much to this at all, the recipe for the chicken fingers was in a Food Network book that I bought many months ago and forgot about until my friend Heather came over and pulled it out. Very simple, no recipe really; panko breadcrumbs, lemon zest, and salt. On side was an apricot dipping sauce which consisted of apricot preserves, soy sauce, ketchup, ginger, and lemon juice. Hello, how easy can you get? Just fry them, or bake, whichever method you prefer. Panko breadcrumbs are great though if you have never used them, crisper than regular. As far as the sides, they are pretty self explanatory.


Last night I made Ginger-Soy Chicken by Rachael Ray. This is a super easy recipe and nice when you want to simply throw something together. I served over rice instead of the suggested iceberg lettuce, used boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded thinly for the cutlets, and threw in some snow peas because they were calling to me to be used.

This was very tasty with just the right amount of heat and packed with all sorts of yummy strong flavors.

Ginger-Soy chicken on Shredded Lettuce
from Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/4 lb. chicken breast cutlets, cut into thin strips
salt and pepper
2-in. piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
6 scallions, cut into 2 in. lengths, then cut lengthwise into matchsticks
1/4 c. tamari
3 tbsp. honey
1 head of iceberg lettuce, core removed, shredded

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add vegetable oil. It should smoke up a bit. Add chicken and season with a little salt and lots of black pepper. Stir-fry for a minute to sear the meat at the edges, then add the ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 mins. more. Add scallions and stir fry for another minute, then add the tamari and honey to form a sauce and glaze the chicken. Remove pan from heat. Cover a platter with shredded lettuce, top with chicken, and serve. 4 servings.

Christmas-Come and Gone

Once again, another Christmas. All this preparation and time leading up to probably the second biggest food day of the year and then it's over in the blink of an eye. Being a fairly young family(est. 2002) we are currently trying to figure out our family traditions and what they will be. The Hub's family opened presents Christmas Eve, we opened Christmas Day...we had a big dinner Christmas Day. Of course, my father being a pastor, we always had tons of sweets as well, so we ate ourselves silly into a sugar induced coma. Now, I have to bake all my own. I know, I have it hard. The Hub's family, I guess never ate anything but macaroni and cheese[I obviously know this is not true] because he never seems to talk about food or any memory accompanying it.

For me, Christmas morning breakfast always consisted of biscuits and gravy(something the Hub grew up hating), fried eggs, sausage, fruit cocktail, and oyster stew. A tradition I carry on. I did not do fruit this year because with just three of us, things do not get finshed really. I can not find oysters on island, so there goes the stew(which is greatly missed). It was always only my Dad and me eating it. The Hub refers to it as fishy milk.

I will have to probe the Hub for memories so I can incorporate them into our holiday meals.

Anyway, for our family we read this Christmas story on Christmas Eve and remember Jesus. We had a Christmas Eve meal and invited over friends. Family was greatly missed this year as it was our third year without them.

I haven't had time to blog, so here is Christmas and the surrounding days all in one post.


As you can guess, I was not feeling like cooking the most because a lot of time had been spent prepping for Christmas Eve and day, or party hopping. The day before Christmas Eve I made a simple Shrimp Curry and sent off the rest to The Hub and is co-worker. This was just a red curry with shrimp, straw mushrooms, baby corn over Jasmine Rice. Curries are so great when you don't really feel like doing much, because chopping the veggies seems to be the most time consuming part of it.


For Christmas Eve, we went to church in the morning and rushed home so I could start my preparations for dinner that night. I roasted two chickens[I was all turkeyed out], made Cranberry Pecan stuffing from Rachael Ray's December issue, Twice Baked Potato Casserole from Paula Deen's celebrations, and corn casserole(one of those southern recipes that seem to emerge in 9 out of 10 church cookbooks). We also had a few other things that friends of mine brought, I forgot to take pictures and with all the food I have eaten, I can't remember.


For dessert, I made a Toffee Caramel Cheesecake from epicurious.com. This was spectacular. I will make it again. My water bath leaked in a bit so my crust was soggy in one spot, but that did not really detract from the taste, gingersnaps are hard anyway.

I was a bit nervous because I have never made caramel from scratch before and after reading reviews and hearing people's complaints/trouble I almost bought a jar and took the road more travelled. However, I decided to brave it out and made the sauce. Let me just say, not so hard and sooooo much better. I am proud to say I jumped that hurdle and landed on my feet! Not to mention I had a lot left over, so I will be topping ice cream with it.


I also made a Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle from Paula Deen. This was good and super easy to assemble.


Christmas morning, I didn't realize the Hub took pictures of my gifts, but he did! So here they are. I got a Wusthof Classic Santoku knife, a Cuisinart Santoku from my sweet sister, some new Corelle dishes, a Calphalon 7 qt. sauteuse[which is massive], and a bamboo chopping board from Williams Sonoma. You can't tell in the picture, but there are two metal prep bowls that slide from underneath. It is beautiful! Now I just need to find some mineral oil on island to treat it properly.


"I'm glad my parents aren't cannibals."
Just to give you an idea of how massive this pan was. I look forward to using it!


Biscuits and gravy, sausage, and fried eggs for breakfast. Not pretty, but oh so yummy and comforting!


This was lunch, we ate breakfast around 7 AM and at 1 PM I realized I was hungry. So in an attempt to find something to eat, I made soup with the leftover chicken and stuffing, the recipe came from Rachael Ray. It was good and just what I needed to assemble quick. Not pretty, but when you're stomach is on the verge of attacking the rest of your body you just wanna eat!

Christmas night we went to our friends home, they were having a Christmas party. Her husband make jerk wings(which were some of the best I have had), potato salad, Jamaican rice, a spinach artichoke tart, a quiche, they had tons of different kinds of cookies and sweets, tres leches cake, and fresh coconuts that he broke up and stuck straws in. It was tons of fun.


And last night in my exhaustion I made Dutch Farmer's Cheese Soup from Bon Appetit. This was very good and just what I needed, a quick chop and drop recipe. I had some purple potatoes that I had bought with no specific plan, but they intrigued me. I have had them once before at Firefly, a locally owned bistro, in soup form.


This is what the inside of the potato looks like raw.


Upon cooking, they turn kind of lavendar-gray. They don't taste any different than regular potatoes, so I suppose the novelty is just the color. The soup was great though, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, onion. After cooking, you slice up gouda cheese and french bread and lay them over the soup and broil until golden.



Here is the final picture. Filling and comforting.


Alongside the soup, I served broccoli salad, also one of those southern recipes. I often wonder the origin of these? Anyway, very good and a cinch to make. Broccoli, red onion, crumbled bacon, cheddar, and golden raisins with a dressing made from mayo, sugar, and vinegar. Yum!

Pumpkin Polenta with Italian Sausage and Fennel

Now that I have overcome polenta I want to make it all the time. It was mainly a fear I guess of not using the right thing because here they don't sell anything that says "Polenta" on the box. This was good, but wasn't outstanding. I liked the idea definetely and it was very pretty and would be seasonal, especially if made in October. While we are not the healthiest of eaters, we tend to be a lot healthier than we used to be. We both grew up in the South, which isn't known to be the picture of health, but man, can they cook.

The Italian sausage was just too much for me and after a few bites I was left craving a salad. I definetely liked the fennel a lot, which I had never used before, and will use again. But I just was not crazy about this. However, if you like heavy foods(which we tend to shy away from living on an island) or are craving hearty stick to your ribs sort of food and like sausage, this would probably be for you.

Pumpkin Polenta with Italian Sausage and Fennel
from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats
2 tbsp. EVOO
1 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 c. chicken stock
2 tbsp. butter
1 can pumpkin puree
1 c. quick-cooking or instant polenta
1 large fennel bulb, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 c. dry white wine[I used chicken stock]
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
salt and pepper
1 c. Pecorino cheese
1/4 c. fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-igh heat. Brown sausage in 1 tbsp. of EVOO in a skillet and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. Place pan back on stove. Add another tablespoon of EVOO, sliced onions, and the fennel. Saute over moderate heat until tender but now brown. Add wine to the skillet and add the sausage back. Cook the wine away, a mintue or so.

In large saucepan, bring chicken stock and butter to boil and stir in the punpkin. Add the polenta and stir until it masses, about 2 mintues. Remove from heat and add thyme, salt and pepper, nutmeg, and cheese. Adjust seasonings, if needed. Top polenta with sausage and fennel and garnish with parsley. 4 servings.

Summarized Update

Is summarized a word? Probably not, but it's kind of fun. I haven't updated in a long while because the holidays have been keeping me busy. Between shopping, cooking, baking, cleaning house and tending to two small children, I haven't found any time to get on the computer. So, here are a few things from the previous week.

Spanish Saffron: Many times I have passed by this on the spice aisle, picked it up and put it back. At $7 a bottle I did not know if I could justify it. I finally made the leap, yay! So now I can make recipes I have previously skipped over because I didn't know if it would taste okay sans saffron.

I brought it home and opened it up only to dump a quarter of the contents on the counter and some of the floor. Of course, just like me, this is why I don't allow myself anything expensive[mainly clothes]. So here I was picking it up off the counter strand by strand. Luckily the Hub was still in bed so he couldn't laugh his head off and only got to hear about it.


Nutmeg, FRESH!: I have been scouring the island for this unable to find it and keep forgetting to order it from Penzey's. My friend Heather had informed me she got some from her friend Terri. So I talked to Terri and asked her if and where she bought it on island. She informed me, her friend ships it to her, but she'd be glad to give me some as a Christmas gift. Yay!


Greek Lemon Orzo Soup from Everyday with Rachael Ray, December. This reminded me a bit of Egg Drop soup with a lemony flavor. It was very nice for a light lunch.


Shrimp risotto from epicurious.com. Very good, this was my first try at actual risotto and I must say it's very easy. I will be making this again despite achy knees!


Wild Cream of Mushroom Noodle Bake from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats. Very good and filling. The Hub is a huge fan of mushrooms so naturally he enjoyed it. A cinch to make and only took 30 minutes.


Cider Chicken with Smashed Potatoes and Watercress and Cucumber Salad. OH MY, the chicken was so good, I loved the flavor of the cider on it, it turned out very moist and full of flavor. We loved the sauce, it was great spooned over the smashed potatoes. The salad was good, however, I think I added a tad too much vinegar to the dressing. I will make this again!


And last, my Christmas goodies. I spent all day Saturday with these. Orange Cinnamon biscotti, Peppermint Bark, Praline Cookies, Pine Bark, and I also made more of those Cranberry White Chocolate cookies(not pictured). Yum!!! These are very bad to keep around. Luckily, we have lots of friends.

And, as usual, if you would like any of the recipes leave a comment and I will post.

Fapas?: Random Small Foods

I don't really know what to call this particular meal/menu so I went with Fapas(Fake Tapas). These were a bunch of little foods that I put together and we snacked on for dinner. Was a lot of fun to have a few different options. Growing up for some odd reason, I always remembered enjoying the meals of random stuff. I guess because it was like a buffet and I like choices.



Chickpea dip before processing from Rachael Ray's Get Togethers.

Post-process[sounds gross, huh?] We enjoyed it, I served it with baked spinach pita chips to dip. Which were just some pitas drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper and baked. The dip was simply chickpeas, roasted red peppers, lemon juice, rosemary, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Most of which you can see in the previous picture.


Spinach Artichoke Wreath from Pampered Chef's All the Best. I loved this, but I love just about anything with spinach and artichokes. These are always my go to meals when I don't know what to fix as they are satisfying and super easy to assemble.


And last but not least, Rosemary Polenta from Barefoot Contessa Family Style. I've always been fascinated by polenta but haven't made it for whatever reason. I guess I was somewhat scared, but it is actually one of the easiest things I have ever made. I will definetely add this to my rotation of sides. In Guam potatoes do not keep well and every once in a while I get tired of rice, so I am always looking for other things to make. This was perfect. It was a bit spicy(but not too much) from the crushed red peppers and garlicy. Yum!! If you would like any of the recipes, please comment and I will post.

Big Beef Burgers with Caramelized Shallots on Grilled Bread with Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

I got a new Calphalon grill pan a few weeks ago and had yet to use it, so this seemed perfect.

These sounded really really good to me for whatever reason. And it let me down(well some). Look at the title, super long. I think there were just too many strong flavors in the recipe. I had to substitute some, as usual; I couldn't find sherry vinegar, or a good bread. So I used balsamic vinegar and sourdough. Other than that, everything was according to recipe. I used watercress for the greens which was surprisingly fresh.

But I mean, look at the ingredients, goat cheese, vinegar, both very strong and I don't think the sourdough helped. I had originally planned to make my own bread, but got lazy last minute. If I were to make this again I think I would make my own bread(as originally planned) and not use vinegar in the shallots. I think that would make these a bit better.

Big Bistro Burgers with Caramelized Shallots on Grilled Bread with Beet and Goat Cheese Salad[Whew!]
from Rachael Ray's 365:No Repeats

5 tbsp. EVOO, plus some for drizzling
4 large shallots, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
4 tbsp. sherry vinegar
2 lb. ground sirloin
2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. grill seasoning
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
4 thick slices crusty country-style bread
1-8 1/4 oz. can sliced beets, drained and cut into sticks
6 c. frisse, arugula, watercress, or baby spinach
1 c. crumbled goat cheese

Preheat a grill pan or grill to high.

Preheat a small skillet over medium-high heat wth 2 tbsp. of EVOO. Add the shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until lightly brown. Add 2 tbsp. of the sherry vinegar and continue to cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and reserve.

While the shallots are getting brown, in a large bowl, combine the beef, thyme, Worcestershire, grill seasoning, and Dijon mustard. Divide the meat into 4 portions. Form large patties about 1 1/4 in. Coat the beef patties with a good drizzle of EVOO. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium rare, 7 to 8 minutes per side for medium well to well.

Drizzle of brush EVOO onto both sides of the bread slices, season with salt and pepper, and add to the grill. Cook until well marked on both sides, remove from the grill, and wrap in foil to keep warm. In a bowl, combine the beets and greens and drizzle with remaining 3 tbsp. of EVOO, and a little salt and pepper. Toss to coat; add the crumbled goat cheese and toss to distribute.

To serve, divide the grilled bread among 4 serving plates. Top bread with beet and goat cheese salad, letting it overflow onto the plates. Transfer the burgers to the top of the salad and then pile each burger with some of the caramelized shallots. Attack youor big bistro burger with a fork and knife, please. This is a bistro! 4 servings.

Dutch Babies

I haven't posted in a few days because I haven't really coooked. Sunday we attended our churches Christmas Banquet at the Top of the Mar, the Navy bases club. On Monday we had pizza and our camera was dead from taking pictures at the banquet. This brings us to today, Tuesday. I should charge my battery as it's on it's last dying leg. You know how when you let your dead battery sit for a while, somehow(I still don't understand how) it'll work up just enough energy to maybe snap a few shots.

I was not in the mood for leftover pizza for lunch today and had a craving for something rather carby. I had seen somewhere a few days back a recipe for Dutch Babies or German pancakes, whichever you call them. These are great, they are a cinch to make. They are kind of a cross between a souffle and a crepe and are traditionally served with lemon wedges and powdered sugar and cooked in a cast iron skillet. I served mine with a dusting of powdered sugar and blueberry syrup because I wanted something sweet. Upon scouring many blogs and different places on the internet I have found many variations for these; some people will put apples on the bottom before baking, some people do pie filling, applesauce, cinnamon and sugar, and apparently a while back Cooking Light had a recipe topped with zucchini, onions, cheese. Seems anything goes!

I settled on this recipe from Smitten Kitchen which seemed best because she used cake pans and I don't own an iron skillet. I am not sure if my oven is too hot or what because these were done in about 15 minutes. I should have switched my oven to 350 a lot sooner. Or maybe the recipe is just a little bit off. I don't know what to think. I also omitted the salt because I didn't see it when mixing these, I'll blame it on my sleepiness. Either way, they tasted just fine to me. So I am thinking it can be omitted always.

German Pancakes

4 eggs
1 T sugar
½ t salt
2/3 cup sifted flour
2/3 cup milk
2 T soft butter

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter well 2 9” cake pans. Put eggs in blender container, cover and process at ‘stir’ until light yellow in color. Push ‘mix’ button, remove cover and add remaining ingredients; process until smooth. Pour into prepared pans and bake 20 minutes; then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 10 minutes. Slide onto hot plates. Serve with lemon slices, powdered sugar and butter if you follow recipes to the letter, raspberry syrup if you’re my mom or maple syrup and fresh berries if you’re us.

Yield 2 9” pancakes.

Aussie Meat Pies, Made Quick

I don't know if I'll ever make every single recipe in this book because there are so many and I recently seemed to have rediscovered it. I have enjoyed the easy and quickness of her recipes lately for some reason. They are just so practical. This came from Rachael Ray's 365:No Repeats.

These are her take on an Australian meat pie which is a hand sized pot pie typically filled with minced meat and gravy[per wikipedia]. I think I will have to try to find a genuine recipe for these and give it a go. Any recommendations??

These were very good, very much like a souped up Sloppy Joe. The Hub does not care for Sloppy Joes and actually liked these. The filling was very good and had a great flavor, not too sweet, or too tomatoey. I have been loving me some puff pastry lately as well! This stuff is so great and versatile, don't know why I never used it before. I served it with some simple roasted red potatoes. I really love roasting veggies. I will make this again as it was a winner with my 3 year old as well.

Penne with Butternut Squash, Fresh Chorizo, and Thyme

I have especially enjoyed cooking with squashes this holiday season. I had never done this before in the past mainly because they intimidated me merely for the fact that I did not have a nice sharp chef's knife to slice and prep them with. I no longer have that excuse and have[somewhat] overcome my fear. Butternut I can do, Acorn still scares me mainly because it is so unstable[not flat]. Oddly enough, I have a strong desire to keep all 10 fingers. Any suggestions on easy ways to slice and prep these would be greatly appreciated!

I found this recipe in Dave's Dinners and decided it would just the bill for a pasta dish this week. I really liked the squash and the spice from the chorizo. I had to sub dried thyme for fresh because the store was out. I could tell somewhat of a difference because Dave Lieberman really likes to maximze few flavors and bring them out, so when you lack an ingredient, many times you can tell it. However, I would recommend this! If you'd like me to post the recipe, please comment.

Ginger-Lime Chicken with String Beans and Wasabi Smashed Potatoes

I did not post the recipe for this the other night mainly because I did not feel like typing and didn't have a lot of time. I was telling my best friend about this today and told her I would post the recipe, so here it is.

Ginger-Lime Chicken with String Beans and Wasabi Smashed Potatoes
from Rachael Ray's 365:No Repeats

2-in. piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
zest and juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp. tamari
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
coarse black pepper
4-6 oz. skinless bonless chicken breast halves
2 to 2 1/4 lb. baby Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in half
1/2 c. milk
1 to 1 1/2 tbsp. prepared wasabi paste
5 tbsp. butter
coarse salt
1 medium onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/4 lb. string beans, trimmed of stem ends
1 1/2 c. chicken stock

In a shallow dish, combine the giner, lime juice(make sure you remove zest first!), tamari, 2 tbsp. of the vegetable oil, and pepper. Add chicken breasts and toss to coat in the mixture; let marinate for about 5 minutes. fill a large sauce pot with water; add the potatoes, place over high heat, and bring up to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain and return potatoes to hot pot. Smash the potatoes with a masher and combine with the milk, wasabi, and 3 tbsp. of butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.

While the potatoes are cooking, preheat a nonstick skillet over med-high heat, add the marinated chicken, and cook on both sides for 5 to 6 mintues, or until cooked through. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Return the skillet to the heat with the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil(once around the pan), add the onions and garlic, and cook for 3 mintues. Add the string beans, toss to distribute, add the chicken stock, and bring up to a simmer. Cook for 3 to 4 mintues, or until the beans are tender. Turn the heat off and add the lime zest and remaining 2 tbsp. of butter, stirring until butter has melted completely.

Divide string beans and the sauce among 4 serving plates. Slice chicken on an angle and place atop the beans, then spoon a big helping of smashed potatoes alongside. 4 servings.

Ginger-Lime Chicken with String Beans and Wasabi Smashed Potatoes

I was really excited about this recipe for some reason, not sure why, just was. It just really appealed to me and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed it a lot. I used chicken tenders[as usual] in place of the chicken breast halves. They don't sell Yukon Gold potatoes here so I substituted red potatoes. It all turned out very good. I really liked the sauce that developed from making the green beans. It was very rich and full of flavor. On top of the flavors for the sauce, it had the browned bits from the chicken. Yum!! I will defintely be making it again. I believe it took me 40 minutes which is not bad. Very satisfying!

Christmas Party

Last night we had a Christmas party for the worship team at our church. It was a lot of fun, we had a gift exchange and of course; lots of food. I made the food below and The Hub made a couple of pizzas. I forgot to get a picture of those because of the hustle and bustle, but they were typical pizzas, he made a veggie and a pepperoni. They were super good and went fast.


This was a Crimini Mushroom Spread from the December Issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. It was very good, but I am a fan of mushrooms, if you aren't; obviously I would not recommend it.


These Holiday Cheese "Truffles" were from Kraft. They were really just individual cheese balls but were good whatever you want to call them. They were cream cheese and cheddar seasoned. One half was made with roasted red peppers and the other with scallions. I rolled them in paprika, parsley, walnuts, and sesame seeds. They were actually a big hit!


Crudite with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus; recipe by Rachael Ray.


Spinach Artichoke Dip from Everyday with Rachael Ray. This was good, but I have had better.


Baked Crab Rangoon.


Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting; recipe by Paula Deen. These were the best recipe I have found so far for Pumpkin Bars. They were very very moist.


Peppermint Meringue Kisses from Everyday with Rachael Ray's December issue. I had never had meringues before, these were very good and were a huge hit!


Mint Chocolate Chip Brownies.


All the food laid out buffet style. I love my kitchen, it is so spacious!


The Hub made a garnish/centerpiece, I was quite proud of him!

I would say the party went well and the food was really good if I do say so myself, and everyone was talking about it. So, I am glad we were able to do it. If you would like any of the recipes please comment and I will post.

Moo Shu Stoup and Napa Cabbage Salad

This soup recipe was from Everyday with Rachael Ray's October issue. The recipe was okay, actually good, just not for my taste. I couldn't place what it was that I didn't like about it, but it just wasn't for me; maybe the consistency? I did not serve it with the pita chips because I just chose not to. I probably won't make this again, but it wasn't bad or horrible. Hey, you win some and you lose some....


This salad was very good, I got the recipe from allrecipes.com. I was looking for some way to use up the rest of the napa cabbage and this was perfect. The dressing was very good, slightly sweet and salty from the soy sauce.


Moo Shu Stoup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (eyeball it), plus more for drizzling
One 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated or minced
2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (a couple of generous handfuls)
2 cups fresh bean sprouts (a couple of generous handfuls)
6 cups chicken broth
1 pound ground chicken or pork
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs (eyeball it)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (available in the Asian food aisle)
2 teaspoons lime zest (eyeball it)
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/2 head Napa cabbage, shredded (about 7 cups)
6 scallions, cut into 3-inch lengths, then sliced lengthwise
Plain pita chips, such as Stacy's brand

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, mushrooms and bean sprouts and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broth, cover and bring to a boil.

In a large bowl, using a fork, combine the ground chicken with the egg yolks, bread crumbs, garlic, hoisin sauce, lime zest and pepper. Drizzle the chicken mixture with a little oil and roll about 1 tablespoon in your hands, forming a dumpling; repeat with the remaining mixture to make about 30 dumplings. Drop the dumplings into the simmering broth and cook thoroughly, about 10 minutes. Stir the cabbage and scallions into the mushroom broth and cook for 3 minutes. Serve the stoup in shallow bowls and top with pita chips. 4 servings.

Oh, Baby!

What is that below? I know it looks rather unappetizing, however, if you were 5 months old you would be devouring it. With Cammy, I fed her jar after jar of Gerber(or whatever brand) baby food. Back then we couldn't afford all the many gadgets we have now[food processor!] so I was pretty much left to rely on jars.

This time around, I have gadgets, so I decided I would make Roman's food. I really love this method because I know what is going in his body and it's so much cheaper and economical. Typically, I steam this food and puree it using the steaming liquid so he does not lose nutrients until it's to the right consistency. So easy, fast, and better for baby. Afterward, I just freeze in ice cube trays and pop them out and voila! One single serving for him, all I have to do is thaw or nuke and it's ready.

So far he has had store bought rice cereal. He didn't like it and I can't say that I blame him. My best friend and I both agree that it tastes very similar to what you would imagine wet toilet paper tasting like. So, it's a no brainer that I would cook for him just like any other member of my family. I have made three veggies and so far, he has accepted all three[all of course introduced a week apart, not at once]. I really like the idea of preparing his food and controlling what goes in it, plus it just makes sense.


Green Beans


Sweet potatoes


...and Butternut squash.


Thanks mom for caring!

Anyone else out there make their own baby food? Ideas/suggestions? Please comment!

Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry-in-a-Hurry

Curry in a Hurry!? I honestly believe there are simpler curry recipes at there(I know, actually, I make one). This curry was good, it was rather interesting. We enjoyed it, but personally, like veggie only for some reason. It wasn't bad, just wasn't spectacular. I believe this was intended to be more of an Indian curry based on the ingredients included and we enjoy Thai curry a bit more.

I omitted the mango chutney because they don't sell it on island[that I know of] and I didn't feel like preparing my own. This was a quick meal, took about 45 minutes, but I also made a batch of baby food in the midst of making this.

1 c. white rice
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, then thinly sliced into half moons
salt and pepper
1 tbsp. mild curry paste of 2 tbsp. curry powder
2 lb. chicken tenders, bite size chunks
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 tbsp. flour
2 1/2 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. heavy cream or half and half
1/4 c. prepared mango chutney
1-10 oz. box frozen peas
1/4 c. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Heat 2 cups of water to a boil in pot, then add the rice, stir, and return to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 18 mins., or until tender.

Preheat a large, deep skillet over med-high heat with vegetable oil. Add sweet potatoes to the skillet, season with salt, pepper, and curry paste or powder, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 mins., or until lightly browned. Scoot potatoes over to one side of the pan and add chunks of chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook, browning slightly, for 3 mins. Add onions and bell peppers and toss to combine. Add flour and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add chicken stock, cream, and chutney, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 mins., or until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through and the sauce has thickened.

Add peas and cilantro and simmer for 1 min. to heat peas through. Serve over rice. 4 servings.

Honey Chicken over Snow Pea Rice

This recipe by Rachael Ray actually did take 30 minutes. However, the other day I was thinking...I'd love to see a 30 minute meal that included clean up and dishes as well. But, I'll keep dreaming. I love the simplicity of this recipe. It isn't too much to look at, but all the flavors really pop. The Hub thoroughly enjoyed it, which surprised me a bit. But he kept exclaiming, "Make it again!". So, I suppose I'll keep this recipe. It's a great go to meal when you don't feel like cooking, it's a very easy chop and drop meal and is very satisfying.

Honey Chicken over Snow Pea Rice
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. unsalted butte
1 1/2 c. long grain rice
salt and pepper
1/2 c. dry white wine
4 1/2 c. chicken stock
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 large handfuls of snow peas, thinly sliced across width
2 lb. chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 large onion, sliced
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
3-in. piece ginger, peeled and grated
3 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. cornstarch
5 scallions, thinly sliced

Heat a medium saucepan over med-high heat. Add 1 tbsp. of the vegetable oil and the butter to the pot. Once the butter melts, add the rice, season with salt and pepper, and lightl brown the rice for 3 to 5 mins. Add the wine and allow to evaporate entirely, 1 to 2 mins. Add 3 c. of the chicken stock and the lemon zest to the rice. Bring liquid to a boil. Cook and reduce the heat. Cook the rice for 18 to 20 mins., or until tender. Once rice has about 3 more mins. of cook time, remove the lid and add the sliced snow peas. Don't stir the rice; just add the snow peas on top and put the lid on. The steam will lightly cook the snow peas. Once cooked, fluff rice with a fork and stir in snow peas. They should still have some crunch.

While the rice is cooking, preheat a large skillet over med-high heat with the remaining 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and brown for about 3 mins. Add the red pepper flakes, onions, garlic, ginger, and honey. Stir frequently and continue to cook for 3 to 4 mins., or until onions are tender. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock to the pan and bring to a simmer. once at a simmer, combine cornstarch with a splash of water, and mix to create a thin paste. Add the cornstarch mixture to the simmering chicken, mix thoroughly, and continue to cook for 2 mins., or until liquid is thickened. Add the sliced scallions and the lemon juice to the chicken and stir to combine. Serve the honey chicken over snow pea rice. 4 servings.

On the Menu

Every two weeks I go grocery shopping and stock up on pantry items, staples, and anything else needed. Of course, I have to go back for fresh produce, milk, bread and other items that are needed daily. Things tend to go bad quickly here because everything is shipped from the states and other various locations. I don't think there is much on island grown or produced fresh. We don't even get fresh milk, local milk is powdered and all other milk is shipped in from California. Bread is shipped in frozen, so it has a rather dry/off taste to it, any fresh bread is usually 3/4 of a normal sized loaf. Which is all very special in of itself. However, I do love this little island and all it's many oddities.

So, some time in the beginning of our marriage I learned that it is a lot cheaper and less stressful to plan out all my meals for the week. Eventually, that week turned into two weeks. So I only had to go to the grocery store twice, which was quite nice. We had little money and unless I planned out our every cent and step we'd go over budget and couldn't pay our rent. Eating out was rare, maybe once every 6 months(probably longer) and we ate lots of casseroles, spaghetti, and the like.

These days, thankfully, money is a little less tight but, I still plan anyway. It saves me a lot of stress and I still keep a [flexible]budget. I usually spend around the same amount on groceries this way and I don't have to worry what to eat when money and the pantry gets low. Although it does happen from time to time because I am unable to run to the store(we only have one car) or some other reason.

I rarely make the same thing twice, I have a handful of recipes we like a lot and will recycle, but mainly try to make new things all the time. We have pizza at least once a week because that gives me a break from cooking and you can make that a zillion different ways.

Menus usually go according to pay period, so they aren't always 14 days even. I still prefer this method more than any other. I will start posting my meal plans on here so readers can know what to expect.

This is what I have planned for the next two weeks:

Sat: Honey Chicken with Snow Pea Rice
Sun: Chicken Sweet Potato Curry
Mon: Moo Shu Stoup
Tues: Ginger Lime Chicken with String Beans and Wasabi Mashed Potatoes
Wed: Pizza
Thurs: Christmas party at my house for the worship team. I will be making different snack/appetizer type foods. Spinach Artichoke dip, Creamy Crimini Spread, Salad, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with Crudite, Baked Crab Rangoon, Holiday Cheese Truffles, Bacon Crescents, Cheesecake(not sure what kind yet), probably some kind of cookies, and brownies.
Fri: Penne with Squash, Chorizo and Thyme

Sat: Aussie Meat Pies
Sun: Spinach Artichoke Ring and Chickpea Dip
Mon: Big Bistro Burgers with Carmelized Shallots
Tues: Pizza
Wed: Chicken Tikka Masala with Jasmine rice
Thurs: Greek Lemon Orzo Soup and Spinach Garlic Vegetable Dip
Fri: Risotto and Salad

Iced Cranberry White Chocolate Drop Cookies

I had a craving for something sweet and fresh baked. Cammy has enjoyed baking with me a lot lately so I let her help and it gives us some quality bonding time. This recipe was good because there were lots of things for her to dump into the bowl and they were simple drop cookies. I found this recipe in Nancy Baggett's All American Cookie Book that my friend Carrie gave me. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy baking.

I tweaked a bit, as usual; using less nuts to suit the Hub and less white chocolate because I didn't have the right amount. They were perfect, just the right amount of crunch from the nuts and chewiness in the dough and with the craisins. The lemon icing added a nice sweetness as well. I will be making these again; probably for my Christmas give away cookies.