The most amazing healthy dish ever!!

AMAAAAZZZZING!!!  This is seriously soooo good. I got the recipe from Nourished By Nature's facebook page & copied their picture as well because I am too lazy to download my pics from my camera..some blogger huh? Besides I need to figure out out to get the pink beet stain off my fingers!!  That was the only unenjoyable part.. roasting & peeling the beets.. wonder if it would compromise the flavor much to use canned? This picture looks like she used barley or something, which would prob be just as good but just as a forewarning my quinoa turned pink from the beets.. Im not sure if this is because they were still warm or what.. but none the less it seriously was delish warm but is now chilling in the fridge for quick salads for lunch.

Quinoa, Greens and Feta

Ingredients:
2 medium or 3 small beets (any color) roasted
1 cup kale or green of your choice(collards, chard, beet greens)
1 cup quinoa
...

Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced or pureed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (may substitute 1 to 2 tablespoons walnut oil for 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil)
1/2 cup broken walnut pieces
2 ounces feta or goat cheese, crumbled (more if desired for garnish)
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, marjoram, chives, mint

1. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, add salt to taste and the greens. Blanch for two minutes, and transfer to the ice water. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set aside.

2. Bring the water back to a boil, and add the quinoaand cook as directed.

3. While the quinoa is cooking, make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the vinegars, salt, garlic and mustard. Whisk in the oil(s). Add to the quinoa. Peel and dice the beets and add, along with the greens, feta or goat cheese, herbs and walnuts. Toss together, and serve warm or room temperature

Oven Roasted Bacon/Parm Potatoes

I copied this recipe straight off www.myadventuresinthecountry.com (hence the ridiculously long instructions). But it's worth all the heavy reading b/c it is really good..


1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb hickory smoked, thick sliced bacon
3 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
coarse salt
fresh ground pepper
fresh parsley

Directions:
Scrub potatoes and place in a large pot. Fill pot with water until potatoes are covered by 2-3 inches of water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. 
Meanwhile, partially freeze bacon for easier cutter. (Ten minutes in the freezer works well.) Slice bacon strips in half, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces. I like to cut my bacon prior to cooking. It’s easier to work with in the skillet and easy to drain with slotted spoon.
Cook bacon in a skillet until golden, but still flexible. You don’t want it crunchy. Remove cooked bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve the bacon drippings.
Check potatoes and if fork tender, drain and allow to cool. If making this recipe again, I would peel the potatoes before I boiled them or try leaving the skins on all-together. Yukon Golds have a relatively thin skin, so I think this would have added a nice look and texture to the potatoes.
While potatoes are cooling, preheat the oven to 425° and mince the garlic and parsley. Also, grate the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Next, prepare the baking sheet by brushing 1 tablespoon of olive oil and half the bacon drippings on the bottom of the pan. I used a fairly large cookie sheet for this and it worked well.
Once the potatoes are cool, peel and cut in half, or quarter if potatoes are large.Place cut side down on prepared pan and sprinkle with course salt and fresh ground pepper. Place in 425° oven for 35-40 minutes. Rotate potatoes halfway through the baking time to ensure an even color. I did not do this and some of mine were more golden than others.
Reduce temperature to 375°, turn potatoes over and sprinkle with the bacon, garlic, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Return to oven for an additional 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are evenly browned and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Makes 4-6 servings, depending on serving size. Serve immediately!

Chilled Avocado, Corn & Tomato Salad

Ok.. this is seriously HEAVENLY.. I think the word I initially used is sacred..lol.. b/c it is really that good & so very simple.

1 avocado, diced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 ears of corn, grilled
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Sauce:
1 squeezed lime
3 tbsp canola or olive oil
1 tbsp honey
s & p
1 clove garlic, pressed

Copycat Chili's Black Bean Soup

Well I dont have a pic for this soup b/c it didn't come out very well. The soup is so dark it just looks like a pot of black.. but man is it good. I personally think it was a bit too salty (and I didnt even add the 2 tsp salt) for how much beef bouillons it called for.. next time I will be cutting that amount in half. I also didnt thicken with the cornstarch & it didnt need it. This is great as is but even good served over a bed of jasmine rice :)
 
1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup yellow onion diced 1/4 cup carrots, diced (or buy bag shredded) 1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced 4 beef bouillon cubes 1 cup boiling Water 1 1/2 quarts (3 pounds) canned black beans, not drained 2 tablespoons cooking sherry 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 teaspoons garlic, granulated 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground 2 teaspoons chili powder 8 ounces smoked sausage, small dice 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons water

In a medium stock pot, place the olive oil, onion, carrot, and bell pepper. Saute the vegetables until they are tender. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add the bouillon cubes, and allow to dissolve. Add the bouillon, cooked beans, and the remaining ingredients (except cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water) to sauteed vegetables. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook approximately 15 minutes. In a blender, puree 1 quart of the soup, and put back into the pot. In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch and 2 tablespoon water. Add the cornstarch mix to the soup and bring to a boil for 1 minute.

Smashed Potatoes

My husband loves potatoes.. so anytime I can find a potato recipe it is a score because to me a potato is just a potato but not in his opinion! So here goes.. courtesy of Pinterest/Pioneerwomancooks.com

Ingredients

• 12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• Black Pepper To Taste
• Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste (I used fresh tarragon, parsley & basil)

Preparation Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.
On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.
With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Best Steak Marinade EVER!!!

 Courtesy of Pinterest/Fit Chicks :

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons dried basil
1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes    
1 teaspoon ground pepper

Summer Fruit Sangria

This is seriously so good!!!!  Thanks to Martha Stewart!!  Delish!!

Ingredients

• 6 cups assorted fruits (such as mango, pineapple, cantaloupe), sliced or cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh basil or mint leaves ( I used Mint!!)
• 1/2 cup orange liqueur, such as Cointreau (I used Grand Marnier!!!)
• 1 bottle crisp white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
• Ice

Directions

1. In a large bowl or pitcher, combine fruit, ginger, basil or mint, and orange liqueur. Mash gently with the back of a wooden spoon until basil is bruised and fruit releases juices. Add wine and lemon juice and stir to combine. Refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 1 day). To serve, fill eight glasses with ice and top with sangria.

My very own Chia Pet!!

I'm not sure how unusual this is... but the kids and I got a kick out of it. Our cockatiel was on the porch for the day and knocked out his used up millet.. guess fromt he humid conditions and sprinklers ect. it started to sprout!!  How funny :)

Swordfish is Delish!!

WOW.. mercury or not.. I'm eatin it & enjoying every bite!! There is no real recipe here.. just rub on some Emeril's fish rub & grill 5 min per side (dont forget to oil grill)! I did make some basil butter to put on top and although not so healthy.. it was so good... even my kids ate it!!  First time ever they have eaten fish..prob because we told them it was chicken until they were finished!! hahahahaha :)

Powerhouse Salad!!

Powerhouse Salad... aka White Bean Salad w/ Lemon Vinegarette :) Simply mix & chill 20 min.. so easy & so good :) No excuse to not eat healthy!!

1 fresh squeezed lemon
20 basil leaves, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can rinsed & drained canellini beans (or chick peas)
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp honey

Chicken w/ Sundried Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce

OK.... THIS WAS SERIOUSLY SOOOOOO GOOD!!  This recipe is from Gabbi's Kitchen. I loved it so much & I am not even sure you need the meat.. would be great just over pasta.. or even with some shrimp or scallops.. I felt like I was eating in my own little Carraba's or something.. sooo good!! I doubled the sauce & glad I did.. so keep that in mind...

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons EVOO
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup onions, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 shallot, minced
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped (drained)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup regular cream
1/4 16 ounce package whole wheat pasta, uncooked


Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken & grind fresh pepper on each side. Cover & cook until done, about 5 minutes on each side.   Remove from heat and set aside, keeping covered.
In the same saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, & shallots, cooking 1-2 minutes, just until soft. Add sun dried tomatoes; stir. With a whisk in hand, add flour & stir. Slowly pour in chicken broth, whisking constantly to remove any lumps. Add cream, still whisking. Whisk that sucker to death! :) Continue whisking for 3-4 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Take off heat and let sit; it will continue to thicken, feel free to stir every so often as you cook the pasta:
Add fresh basil to sun dried tomato sauce and give it a good stir.

Grilled Salmon w/ Creamy Cucumber-Dill Salad

Yay!!!  My cooking drought has finally passed. With the kids being home from school my organization and ability to concentrate within the store was a bit challenged to say the least!!  But now that I have that under control again.. I'm back in the saddle y'all!!  I got this recipe off my new favorite site Pinterest.. it was originally from Once Upon a Chef.. (gotta make sure I give credit where credit is due!!). It was very good & refreshing.. I personally need a bit more flavor.. so I might blacken the salmon prior to cooking.. but it was very good as is...

For the Salmon
4 6-ounce salmon fillets
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the Cucumber-Dill Salad
1 English hothouse cucumber
1/3 cup finely sliced red onion, from one small red onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellman’s
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Cut cucumber in half and then slice each half down the middle lengthwise. Use the tip of a teaspoon to scoop out center seeds. Cut into thin slices and place in colander along with red onion. Toss with salt and let sit in sink at least 30 minutes, until water drains out.
2. In the meantime, make the dressing. Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, dill, garlic, sugar and black pepper in a medium bowl and mix well.
3. When cucumbers and onions are ready, release any excess water by tapping colander on the base of the sink, then use a large wad of paper towels to pat vegetables dry. Add to dressing and toss well. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
4. Preheat grill to high heat. Clean grill rack, then brush lightly with oil. Close lid and let return to temperature. Rub salmon with olive oil and season generously with kosher salt (about 1 teaspoon) and pepper. Place fillets skin side down and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 4-5 minutes (resist the urge to peek or flip early; when fillets are nicely seared on the first side, they should release easily). Flip the fillets over and continue grilling until done, 2-3 minutes. Let cool slightly, remove the skin if desired, and serve with the cold cucumber-dill salad piled over top or alongside.

Delish Salmon Recipes

Last night I made another awesome healthy meal & forgot to take a pic for you but you'll just have to trust me!  It was the double K salmon (but I do happen to like the Ginger Glazed recipie better b/c it is sweeter) with some steamed brown rice & sauteed fresh spinach & sliced red peppers. Yes please!

Double K Salmon

2 lb atlantic salmon
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 soy sauce
3 tbsp pineapple juice
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 garlic gloves
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp hot pepper (red pepper flake or hot sauce)

Marinate for 1 hour. Grill skin side down. (If you dont oil the grill first skin will get stuck to the grill.. which is good in a way b/c the fish comes right off the yucky skin.. but it was a big grill cleaning process to cook the skin off ..whew!) Cook covered for 5 minutes, then uncover and brush with more marinade and cook another 15-20 min.

Ginger Glazed Salmon

1.5 - 2 lbs fresh salmon
cooking spray
1/2 cup pineapple preserves (I have used orange marmalade too when in a pinch)
1.5 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1.5 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp s & p

Preheat oven to 425. Coat baking dish with cooking spray. Place fillets in and cover w/ preserves mixture. Bake @ 325 for 15 minutes or until fish flakes. (Fish thicker than 1 inch thick takes longer).

Tuesday Night Tuscan Chicken

1.5 lb skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp EVOO
1/4 cup of white wine
1 bag fresh baby spinach (5-6 oz)
1 pack washed fresh sliced mushrooms
1 14.5 oz can of italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
4 oz Mozzarella cheese

Preheat skillet, season chicken with s & p. Add oil to pan & swirl. Cook chicken @ 4 min until browned. Flip chicken and add rest of ingredients except cheese. Cook another 5-6 min (unitl chicken is 165 degrees). Add sliced fresh cheese, remove from heat.. put cover back on and let sit until cheese is melted. Now serve :) So incredibley quick and easy.. there is no excuse not to feed your family healthy foods!!  Enjoy :)

Pan Seared Pork w/ Reisling Brown Sugared Apples

Ok.. this is seriously good! This is the second time I have made this and I still just love it! The first time I used a pork loin but this time I just used porch chops & instead of Reisluing I used Chardonay and it still turned out great!  So as for the ingredients: 4 tbsp of butter (2 for the apples and 2 for the pork) 4 tbsp brown sugar, 3-4 apples peeled & cut into 1/8 slices, 1.5 lb pork tenderloin (or chops), 1 cup Reisling (I used more like 2 cups of Chard because I used 5 apples), 2.5 cups chicken broth........................Now for the instructions: Melt 2 tbsp of butter and brown sugar in first pan until tender.. recipe said 4 min per side but I did it dbl.. you want them nice & brown and tender. In second pan add 2 tbsp butter and add salted & peppered pork fry for about 7 min per side until cooked. Remove pork and add in wine to pan to deglaze and reduce. Once reduced add chicken stock and let reduce more @ 15 min or so. Once Reduced add in apple mixture, mix and serve over pork. Sooo very good!

How Great is this!!!

I recently took the kids to a birthday party & the family had their ceiling painted like this!! I absolutely love it!!  I asked to take a pic and told them I was going to copy it once I find out what company did it!!  Isn't it great??!!

2012 Summer Reading List!! Yay!!

Irish Corned Beef

OMG. I dont like corned beef.. but this was SERIOUSLY GOOD!!  My hub scoured the internet for the perfect recipe & this is what he got courtesy of "foodtrampdiaries.com". (thank you food tramp.. wish we could meet!!  xoxo) My husband loves to throw parties and his motto is "go big or go home".. this accompanied a giant turkey, stuffing, scalloped potatoes, sauteed green beans ect ect ect.. but my favorite part of the day were the Cheesecake Factory Cakes.. his pick was Oreo (which was really good despite my incessent bragging over my choice) which was.... (are you ready for this?) White chocolate, rasberry truffle cheesecake with oreo crust..holy hell..I think I ate the whole thing.. in the same voice that says "I dont understand why I am gaining all this weight"! HAHAHAH LMAO!!! Anyways, w/o further A due..please meet Bill's (aka food tramp's :) "Best Ever Corned Beef"...

2 lb yellow onion
2 lb carrotts
6 lbs corned beef brisket
1 cup malt vinegar
8 oz Irish Stout beer ( drink the rest.. you will cook better!!)
1 tbsp corriander seed
1 tbsp coriander seed
1 tbsp mustard seed
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp whole all spice
1/2 tbsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
3 lbs cabbage
2 lbs red potatoes

For Glaze

1 cup course ground mustard
1/2 to 1 cup orange marmalade (depending on how sweet you want it to be)

Peel annd cut carrots in large chunks. Cut onions into wedges. Slice cabbage heads into 8 wedges per head of cabbage. Clean potatoes, they can be left whole or left cut in 1/2. Place beef in bottom of stock pot. Add 1 cup of onion & one cup of carrot. Place remainder in the fridge for later. Add all the spices, beer, & malt vinegar to the pot. Add more beer to cover the beef if needed (or again.. drink it). Bring liquid to a boil, then turn down to simmer for 3 hours. Next, remove beef..place on roasting pan & cover w/ glaze then finish in 350 degree oven for 30 min. Remove beef place veggies in pot, cover & bring to full boil for a full 30 min. P.S.... Always slice beef against the grain :)

Emeril Lagasse"s Chicken Marsala - BAM!!!

I know I have been MIA from here for quite some time,  I have been buried in textbooks and and glued to the little league fields.. but with Spring season wrapping up & some easier classes for summer semester I am hoping to be back in the saddle cooking delicious meals for the fam and hopefully fitting in a good book or two to share with you. Here is a recipe for the most delicious Chicken Marsala you have ever had. I think the secret is the "Essence seasoning" that you mix in with the flour. I dbl this recipe so there are left overs. SOOOO GOOD. Enjoy :)

1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp Essence seasoning (recipe to follow)
2 6-8oz chicken breasts (pounded thin)
1 tbsp EVOO
4tbsp butter
3 cups of mushrooms (I use bella.. but recipe says cremini, oyster or shitake)
3/4 cup marsala
1 cup chicken stock
s & pep

Combine flour & essence seasoning. Dredge chicken in mixture. Heat large skillet on high heat.. add 2 tbsp butter. brown chicken @ 3 min on each side. transfer to plate & set aside. Add remaining butter and sautee mushrooms until tender and liquid given off. Add marsala wine and scrape browned bits from the bottom of the pan. when wine reduces by 1/2  andd the chicken stock and cook @ 3 min or until sauce thickens. Lower heat & add chicken back to pan. Continue to cook until they are cooked through @ 6 min.

Essence Seasoning (makes @ 2/3 cup.. store in airtight jar)
2.5 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp thyme

Delicious & Healthy Fish Chowder

I got this recipe off a Bermuda sherry pepper sauce years ago and just love it. As a word of advice don't use shellfish like shrimp or scallops because they get tough. I forgot to add the water once & it still turned out great, so I guess the water requirement depends on if you like your chowder like a soup or a stew. The original recipe called for 4 quarts of water and 10oz beef broth.. I changed it to how I like it.. so feel free to switch it up!

4 cups water
3 lbs fresh fish filets ( I use salmon & tilapia or mahi)
1/2 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp peppercorns (or ground for milder)
Red pepper flakes if you can handle it :)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3 tbs butter (or EVOO is even better)
3 lg onions, chopped
8 celery stalks, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped ( I use 3)
3 green peppers, chopped
1 lg can whole tom (28 oz)
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes
1 carton (32oz) beef broth
1 cup ketchup
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 tsp lemon juice)
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced (about 5)
6 carrots, peeled and diced

Lightly parboil potatoes and carrots, set aside. In a large pot saute garlic, onions, celery and peppers till slightly tender. Add tomatoes (use large ladle to smush them while cooking), broth, water & remaining spices & ingredients (excluding potatoes, carrots & fish). Simmer 30 minutes. Add de-skinned & chopped chunks of fish fillets (will break up when cooking) and now the potatoes and carrots. Cook for another 30 minutes. You will see the fish breaking apart when you stir.. there is your cue it's ready! Soooo sooo good & healthy to boot!

Room written by: Emma Donoghue

Another AMAZING book that kept me up till 3 am which is a big problem when you wake up everyday @ 6am. I am soooo exhausted today and I really have to stop doing this but it was seriously sooo good I just HAD to finish it to see what was going to happen. I have to admit I was actually STRESSED OUT reading this book and I truly felt the adrenaline and my heart was pounding!!  Funny huh? That is the definition of a good book! In the beginning I didn’t think I was going to like it and was wondering why the author chose to write in the voice of an uneducated 5 year old boy but boy did I get it by the end. It gave me such insight and a new perspective by looking at things through the mind of a child.  This book is about a 19 year old woman who was kidnapped and held hostage in a small shed in her captor’s backyard for 7 years.  She is continuously sexually assaulted by the man resulting in the birth a baby. This child lives in the horrible conditions of this room for 5 years with his mom and never knew there was an outside world until his mom gets him to be brave to trick the kidnapper and free them both. But their struggles only get worse from there….. Wonderful wonderful book!

My fav homemade lunch on the run...

This is so great to pack for lunch or for a quick after the gym snack and it is sooo super easy & quick to make.. not to mention healthy! All you have to do is boil a box of whole wheat pasta, chop up a red & green pepper & 1/2 a red onion. Add a package of feta cheese and kalamata olives and drizzle with yummy EVOO and a quality balsamic vinegar. Mix & your ready to go!!

speaking of favorite new things...........

While we are on the subject if favorite new things.. check out the amazing painting I stumbled across while having breakfast at our neighborhood cafe. The owner is an artist and hangs all of her paintings for sale. When I saw this I was love struck and just had to have it!!  Not only does the little one look just like my youngest but the man looks just like my husband. He wears that same exact clothing from head to toe daily for his business, right down to the same colors. He comes straight from work to the field.. so this painting truly feels like it was made for me :) There is nothing hotter than a involved good daddy and now I have this moment/memory frozen in time to warm my heart for years to come :)

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

I read this entire book not knowing it was an autobiography & now that I know it is I almost want to re-read it! WOW! This book is so complex and so intense that it in almost indescribable... all I can say is READ IT, READ IT, READ IT!

Please Look After Mom- by Kyung-Sook Shin

So I admit it took me a while to get into this book due to it's translation and every other chapter being written in the second person... but I am sooooo glad I kept on. New Years Day night I stayed up till 2 am reading and crying until I finished this book. I dont know what it is about me, but I sure do LOVE books that make me cry. This book follows the life of the Korean mother born in the 1936 that was married off to a man against her wishes out of which she bore several children in horrible conditions often by herself.  She cultivated and worked her fingers to the bone for her family, always putting herself last.. viewing it as her duty. She was never given the value and respect she deserved until she was gone. After all her kids grew up and left,she was left to her old age and deteriorating health & mind which noone took the time to notice. On a trip to visit her children in the city she got left behind at the subway. The remainder of the book is the families remorse and the memories brought to the surface while they are in search of her. The last 2 chapters fill you in on so much of her life and emotions that she kept to hidden. It dives deep down into the dark feelings many mothers feel but never speak of. The perspective of each character coming to terms with the loss of their mother and how they treated her, what they learned from her ect. is so deep and intense that I find it unmatched! I highly recommend this book.

Whole Foods Copy-Cat Recipe!!

I did it!!  I did it!!  I managed to rock out one of the Whole Foods prepared food section's salads!!  I attempted to make 2.. the brown rice salad & the smoked mozzarella pasta salad. The latter of the two needs a bit of work. The texture of the parmesean cream sauce was not right.. I am thinking they used a greek yogurt instead of a mayonaise base. I also could not find smoked mozzarella anywhere and used smoked gouda instead... soooo that one is still a work in progress. I might have to go in there and sneak a picture of the ingredient list HA!! 

But the rice salad on the otherhand WAS DELICIOUS!!!  I was AMAZED how refreshing and good it was.. but BEWARE it is only good the evening you cook it as it dries out. I am not sure if it's because the brown rice absorbs so much or if it was because I had it in a Pyrex dish with a non-air-tight glass lid... but anyhow - just an FYI to you. Also.. this recipe is ALOT -next time I make it I plan to cut it in half. Oh & olives might be good in this as well :) Enough blabbering.. ...here she is .... enjoy!!

3 cups brown rice
1 can chick peas
3/4 cup finely chopped feta
2/3 cup diced roasted red peppers
1 diced cucumber
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
3 scallions

SAUCE
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup EVOO
s&p

Chess Brownies :)

1 c. chopped pecans
1/2 melted butter
3 eggs
1 package of yellow cake mix
1 package of cream cheese
1 box of powdered sugar

Mix one egg, pecans and melted butter. Spread un bottom of greased 13 x 9 inch pan  VERY IMPORTANT.. I used a 9 x 9 pan and it didn't turn out right!!). Mix remaining 2 eggs cream cheese and powedered sugar. Top cake mixture with cream cheese mixture and cook for 40 minutes @ 325. Cool completely prior to cutting. Sooooo yummy!

pending inspiration............

These egss are the eggs my cockateil laid a while back. I have been holding on to them since then waiting for something special to do with them, I'm thinking a cute shadowbox or something. I found this nest @ the petstore and when I took the dog on a walk I found these beautiful feathers to incorporate somehow.. stay tuned for the finished project :)

Best Baked Scallop Recipe Ever!!

2 lb sea scallop
salt & pepper
1 tsp fresh minced thyme
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups of crushed Ritz crackers
1/2 cup melted butter
juice of 1/2 lemon

Pre heat oven to 400. Place scallops in a oven safe casserole dish and pour buttermilk over scallops and mix in thyme. Crush up Ritz crackers and top casserole. Drizzle butter over top. Bake 20 min.

Jalapeno Cornbread

I found this reipe on a blog I follow called Closet Cooking. He makes the most amazing and creative dishes.. he is one of my favorites! The only recomendation I would make to this dish is to add more sugar or even honey.. didnt seem sweet enough for my taste but was sooo good and super easy to make! I used the picture from his website but I swear mine turned out just as beautiful (amazingly!!) I made sure to make a batch of 5 alarm chili as well so we can enjoy left overs for the rest of the week!


Tis the season for holiday eatin' :)

Jalapeno Cornbread

• 1 cup buttermilk (or milk)
• 1/4 cup oil, butter or bacon grease
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced

1. Mix the buttermilk, oil and eggs.
2. Mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
3. Mix the dry ingredients in to the wet and then mix in the jalapeno peppers.
4. Pour the Mixture into a grease 9x5 inch loaf pan and bake in a preheated 375F oven until a toothpick pushed in the center comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes.

Bill's Babybacks & Homemeade sauce... mmm mmm GOOD!!!

4  racks baby back ribs
1.5 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup tomato paste
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp liquid smoke (hickory flavor)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
and of course we add hot sauce (like we do to just about everything)

Sauce: combine all ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat simmer - stirring often - 45-60 min until thick   (p.s. we double the sauce recipe.. because trust me you will want extra!)


Pre-Heat oven to 300


Brush sauce over ribs, wrap each rack tightly in aluminum foil. Arrange packets on baking sheet or pan with seams facing up. Bake 2-2.5 hours until meat has pulled from bones at tip @ 1/2 inch.


Pre-Heat grill to MED heat

Remove ribs from foil, BBQ 4-8 minutes on each side. Brush BBQ on both sides a few minutes before removing from grill.

I looooove the view of my backyard :)

Although our home is still in town our backyard is on a preserve that spreads out miles into the country of a still unpopulated area... we have the most AMAZING wildlife right in our backyard even though we are in a gated community. We apparently have a bear back there that comes out to feed in the trash cans on trash day (I have never seen this but my neighbors have.. dangit!!) but we have seen 2 deer walk by, bundles of bunnies, a family of 3 otters bouncing by (never seen that before.. sooo cool) fancy woodpeckers, tons of blue jays..and now this week we saw this cute racoon at the top of a flimsy tree eating berries..look really close and you can see him... little surprises like this make life sooo wonderful :)

not sure I will be attempting this again...

I sure LOVE to cook delicious meals but I am noooo baker.. I think it's due to the fact that baking requires so much patience and there is no room to improvise or tweak things.. after all I have never been a fan of playing by the rules. But thanks to my sweet MIL, I  received one of those swanky Kitchen Aid mixers for my birthday this year and I just had to put it to good use. So here is the final result.. 2 full days of baking with 2 young boys.. wheeeew-weeeh!!  The kitchen was so wrecked by day 2 I wish I had a picture of my husband's face when he came home from work...priceless!! I am trying to forget the whole exhausting experience and vow to use my mixer for more exciting things like homemade pasta or bread.. now thats what I'm talking about! But here are my pics to prove I was a good mommy this year and did the whole Betty Crocker bake-with-your-kids thing.. and even better used all Mrs. Field's cookie recipes :))))))))

My delish homemade salsa :)

14 1/2 ounces can tomatoes and green Chills (like Ro-Tel)

14 1/2 ounces can whole peeled tomatoes plus the juice

1-2 tablespoon jalapenos (canned, diced, not pickled)

1/4 cup diced onion

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon cumin, or more to taste

1/4 teaspoon sugar, to taste

Place jalapenos and onions in processor; process for just a few seconds.

Add both cans of tomatoes, salt, sugar and cumin.

Process all ingredients until well blended, but do not puree.

Place in covered container and chill.

The Tick Jar

For those of you who thought I was exaggerating the tick fiasco! Keep in mind these are in the bottom of a HUUUGEE pickle jar. I had to zoom in big time to get them big enough to see. Crazy huh?!!

a healthy lunch for you working ladies!!

I wanted to have something healthy on hand and quick to eat and use up all my produce at the same time so I made this chilled tuna salad (which my hubby managed to gobble up in one sitting.. so it must be good!) 2 cans drain solid albacore tuna, 1 can drained & rinsed black beans, 1 can drained sweet corn, halved cherry tom, chopped red onion, chopped red, yellow or green peppers (I diced yellow and quickly sauteed them with red pepper flakes to make them a bit sweeter and not as bitter) chopped fresh cilantro, drizzled EVOO, s & p and juice of one lime. Chill and now you have  lunch to pack for when you are on the run :)

batch of my yummy yummy pico de gallo :)

I love love love this on black bean burritos, pulled pork carnitas w/ fresh corn tortillas or even just on black beans & rice with sliced grilled chicken on top. Chop up what you see above (red/yellow peppers, fresh jalapenos, onion, halved cherry tomatoes or diced reg, garlic, fresh cilantro, s& p and oil and white vinegar. In my opinion the more vinegar the better.. it gives it a good tang! I also had some super hot ghost pepper hot sauce.. but we like it hot hot hot :)

Once upon a time in a place called Tick Safari....

Normally I only post about cooking, decorating and books but I figured this horrific tale I am about to tell will either amuse you or horrify you and either way it's free entertainment courtesy of me :) This two week journey into hell all started last Tuesday when my son was in our home office playing Wii and he found one teeny tiny tick on our off white carpet (never thought I would be thankful for white carpet). I put it in a ziplock and told Bill so he could see it and gave Sandy (our dog) a thorough check. No ticks.. Im thinking no big deal. Next day off to pick the kids up at school. I park, roll down the windows, open my mathbook and prepare to wait my glorious 1 hour in the parent pickup line.  Bell rings, kids coming out, lines moving up and my car wont start! Great. Cones go up around me, hoardes of cars are being waived around me while I wait for the PE teachers to literally push my car out of the line and off to the side. Go to grab my phone to call hubby to save me and my phone is dead. (Gotta love Droids). I retrieve my sweet boys from the office and we do the walk of shame out of school and then bravely cross the psychotic intersection filled with excessively oversized gas guzzling SUV's driving 90 mph so we can go to Dunkin Donuts for a treat and to sweet talk my way into charging my phone so the kids and I dont have to walk 2 miles home. Battery got jumped and seems to be working now? (whew & wth?) Off to Little League only to realize it's game day and kids dont have their hats... haul butt home & back again. 7:00 is approaching and at this point I am literally having the shakes I am wanting to go home and have a HUGE glass of Chardonay so bad. I am thinking I will be able to decompress for the night.... but ooooohhhhh nooooo.. this is where my nightmare begins. Husband finds another miniscule tick crawling on the white porceline tile in the dining room and he is flipping out. He has a major phobia and is freaking out looking for more bugs for the next 3 hours and what will soon to be next 2 weeks... this flashlight is now literally attached to his hip and he is twitching. He finds 2 more in the office, runs off to the 24 hour Walgreens and puts off 3 bug bombs in the office. I seal  the door up with tape, give the kids a bath and go to bed with them hoping Bill will be calmer the next day. Morning comes he has been up all night and is stiiiiill freaking out. Make the kids their waffles and pack their lunches and off to start our day.. ugh oh... I am not feeling so hot... make an appt to see the doctor to find I have a kidney infection. Get meds - check. Come home to inspect the home & one is crawling up the white wall above the white sectional couch..again only time I will be so happy to have so much white!! I keep this to myself to save myself from hubby's ranting. Thur night Bill comes home from work and immediately starts looking for ticks.. we move the leather couch in the office that we bombed and no joke find like 10 of them there just sitting on the carpet still ALIVE.  We pick them up add them to our collection and start throwing out nearly all of our belongings. Unfortunately all 3 of our leather couches were the kinds that the pillows dont lift up so you cant see in them or clean well... sooooo ADIOS to all 3. Bill made 5 trips to his warehouse to put them by the dumpster because we'd prob get kicked out if we put them on the curb in here.. scary part is someone took all 3 and prob have ticks of their own now!! Friday morning we rip out the carpet in the office. Truly Nolen to comes out and we buy the most expensive quarterly package they have... inside and out, lawn included we douse the place & off to the hotel in which we will stay at for an entire week (that I am unaware of at this time). First night hotel all is good, Im thinking things are going to get better and we will be home by Mon. Sat morn kids off to baseball while I stay behind to take my Probabilty test that I have studied NONE for in the mist of all this mess. Fail miserably (and I have been obsesive about studying and doing soo good up to this point.. whahhhh whaaaahh.. I am so depressed) That eve we are getting ready for the Everblades game, Bill realizes he left all 3 sweatshirts and jackets at the baseball field and rushes off to the closest mall to buy 3 more because we sit down on the ice and its freezing. While he is gone Rory starts hystericlly crying out of the blue about his ear..  Call ER walk in clinic in Naples & we are 30 minutes away in Estero.. they close in 45 minutes.. Rory & I hop in the car & BOOK IT! Make it, get Meds go to both my pharmacies and they apparently close at 6.. nice.. go to new one.. wait. HAUL butt back to Estero to make it to hockey game (Bills Aunt & cousin were there and this night was our birthday present for his 18th bday). STRESSED but we made it! Sunday... go back to the house to check on Sandy and house. House still infested after being sprayed , dog still tick free but now her ear is swollen up the size of a ballon (literally) from an ear infection that turned into a aural hematoma (this is the 2nd time she has got one.. only way I know the term). I am feeling totally defeated and so sad for my dog. Book her into the vets office which is also a boarding facilty named Animal Safari aka Tick Safari (this is where this whole mess apparently started when we boarded her there in Sept when we went to Disney World.. and yes before you ask.. she is on Frontline Plus). Vet says Sandy must have gotten a tick that jumped off her and laid a nest in our house.. they go thru cycles and this is going to continue on for a few months..Sandy stays for 2 nights to get laser treatments, possible surgey and a tick dipping just in case. I am off to pack supplies for the week at the hotel, clothes, bookbags,  library books, lunch boxes, food supplies ect...this week is goiing to suck! Monday & Tuesday while the kids are at school I come back home during the day and disasemble and move every piece of furniture in every single room in this house and disinfect, vacumm, mop, wash everything we own and go through all of the kids toys.  I am feeling confident that I will beat this thing. Go pick up Sandy from the vet, pay my 300 bill and put her in the backseat of my pretty little car... pull out of the parking lot and I hear the sound of floodgates opening.. Sandy is pissing GALLONS OF PEE all over the backseat of my car. I am seething...she stays at the shop. My car breaks down two more times that day.. after I get the kids from school I go get a new battery and make it to baseball practice. Thursday we are still in the hotel and I am sick of it.. beg and plead to come home.. I miss cooking, I miss my home.. I need to feel grounded. He agrees , after i drop the kids at school I go back to the hotel and round up 2 times on the bellhop cart pay our ginormous hotel bill and happily make my way home to find Bill on a break from work and in our room with 6 more ticks.. they are inside the electrical socket that sits above where the dog bed used to be. I refuse to leave...he buys a cot and sleeps in the empty family room (new furniture isnt delivered yet) and I bunk with the kids in Rorys room because it is the only one that hasn't had any ticks and still has beds set up. Truly Nolen comes back Sat for another round of spraying. We leave and take the kids to the mind-numbing horribly awful Happy Feet 2 movie and want to blow our brains out. I beg Bill to bring Sandy home.. I miss her terribly while he is hating on her and swearing she is the root of all problems. He reluctantly brings her home and we take her out on the hour because she is on Prednisone steroid and apparantly it makes her pee uncontrollably?? We go to bed and I'm in a deep sleep on the bottom bunk with Rory (Sandy sleeps under the bunk in his room) and I wake to the sound of gushing UNDER the bed.. she is peeing gallons all over herself and wont come out. It is 5 am and we r awake for the day.. let's whip up the pancakes.. trying to keep up as much normalacy as I can cuz otherwise we are sucking as parents.. We are stressed and snapping and have a eggnog iv attached to our arm nightly just to sleep. What I would give to have a support system or what other moms seem to call their "village". After breakfast we rip up the carpet in Rorys room and move all Rorys stuff into Tylers room.. we are hoping it is ok because we had only found one in the entry to his room. We set his beds back up & I am sooo thankful to have 2 sets of bunkbeds because now we are down to one bedroom out of 4. Unfortunately Tylers bunks are both twins so now Rory and I sleep pretty much on top of eachothers feet. Sandy is sleeping on the garage and luckily the new furniture came so Bill can sleep on the couch. We are still finding ticks daily.. all 4 bedrooms are ripped of carpet and of course its Thanksgiving so the tile guy wont start the work till the first of Dec.. hope he gets done fast. Now I am stressing about if its safe to bring a tree in.. how can I decorate, will wrapped presents provide hiding places for them? I am a big believer in karma.. but what did we do?? For u readers be thankful this Thanksgiving that you are not me! LMAO (in a madly hysterical fashion)... and stay tuned to see if we survive this!

Sauteed shrimp w/ roasted red pepper cream sauce

Ok.. this is soooo super easy to make and literally takes 5 or so minutes. Buy a large jar of sweet roasted red peppers and drain. Dump in blender with a light cream cheese package and a little chicken broth to thin. I add chopped fresh basil, red pepper flakes for heat and salt and pepper.. but be creative and add what you like. Now blend! If I don't want to use it right away I pour it back in the red pepper jar and store it in the fridge till I'm ready. I sautee up large shrimp with garlic and EVOO and then toss some pasta in w/ the sauce & voila! My hubby and kids aren't a fan of shrimp so I make them crispy breaded chicken breast with the sauce on top. Its a win win for a busy night!

Red White & Bean Minestrone

1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup Italian turkey sausage (hot or sweet, even doubled if u want)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tspn dried oregano
1 16oz can diced tomato
5 cups chicken stock
1 can cannellini beans, drained
1 can red kidney beans, drained
2 cups zucchini cut in 1/2 in peices
2 cups fresh baby spinach ( I did a whole bag)
1 cup pasta (I used ditallini)
Parm cheese

Heat oil, brown sausage (taken out of casing) and brake in to pieces while cooking. Add tomato paste, cook 5 min. Add onion, celery, carrots and oregano, cook 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and chicken stock simmer. Add zucchini cook till tender. Cook pasta, drain & set aside. Add spinach to soup and stir until it's wilted. Serve over pasta (or without if you want).  Top with parm cheese & dig in!

Chili Roasted Salmon with Cilantro Cream

4 tbsp fresh lime juice
4 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
3 tsp olive oil
(4) 5-6 oz salmon fillets, skinned
1 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 poblano pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Salt & ground pepper
1/3 cup light sour cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven 425• mix1 tsp olive oil & 2tbsp lime juice and spices, pour over salmon & marinate• In separate bowl mix corn,peppers onion and remaining olive oil• Transfer salmon to baking dish and surround with corn mixture• Drizzle both with remaining marinade• Salt and pepper & cook 10 minutes (I did mine close to 20 because my fillets were huge & better safe than sorry!) Mix together cilantro, remaining lime juice and sour cream to dollop yummy salmon with:) Enjoy!

Kristin Hannah - 2 Novels

Between Sisters:  This book centers on two sisters (obviously)! They had a mom, for lack of better words, whom was self-absorbed and seeking fame.  When the mother abandoned the children unsupervised for an extended amount of time the older sister located the younger sisters biological father whom neither has ever met.  They go to stay with the man and the older sister is very jealous of the relationship the two have, as she doesnt even know who her father is because her mother never would tell her.  The oldest girl begins to act out and is then asked to leave.  They grow into their lives without one another.  The older sister becomes a rich, sucessful and lonely divorce attorney. The younger sister has a very simple and poor life but is filled with good friends and love from her father and her daughter.  The younger sister meets a man, falls head over heels and rushes into a marriage that the other sister does not approve of but the older sister must learn to bite her tongue and be supportive in order to rebuild their broken relationship. After the marriage the plot thickens and becomes wonderful and teary- just like I like em!!

Winter Garden :  This book did not captivate me at all and I have liked ALL of her other novels up to date.  Too much time was spent on these weird fairy tales of a winter garden passed down froma Russian mother who was very cold & distant.  It was like prying teeth to see into this character.  Subconciously you find yourself skimming over the text to further yourself along inthe book. I never do this.. but halfway through the book I gave up, quit reading and returned this book. I dont recommend this book - save your precious time :)