Greetings! I haven't been here in such a long time. I even read through my old blog posts and I read about some food I haven't made since I posted about it! Here's a little update on us:
Hubby still works nights, I'm still at home cooking and knitting. When I started this blog, we had celebrated our 2 year anniversary. Now we have celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary! We have two awesome mini schnauzers. Unfortunately we had lost one very suddenly easter weekend last year and without his brother with him, Apollo was very sad so we got him a new brother and also call him Rocky. Well, Rocky Jr is his official name cause getting another dog that looked like the one we just lost, it was hard to not look at him and call him Rocky.
As for food, we eat a mix of fruit, veggies and meat fairly evenly. Sodas are a rare occasion and I hate to admit it but we both still eat junk food from time to time. Usually it's potato chips but I hold back from them more than hubby does.
Last I posted, I said I was moving to a new site. I fell off the blogging wagon after a little while and then when I tried to get back on, I couldn't get into the site so that ended. For some reason, I'm getting back into the mood of blogging again. It seems to come and go every other year! Hopefully, when I get back in the swing of things I can stick to it longer. I was really very surprised that people have still been showing up to my blog, usually through stumble upon. I admit, I put my blog posts in the stumble queue to try and help myself get people directed to my site. I am going to try and make it more appealing and share good recipes. Yes there will be some meat recipes! I'm still going to try and focus on healthy veggie dishes, so don't worry there.
I hope to post something new for you all very soon, and I hope I'll get readers that don't mind commenting! It can be disheartening to a blogger to see that people read but don't comment :( even a nice little note of that sounds good or can you use *blank* to substitute for this certain ingredient? It's nice cause then you feel appreciated. That's the only word I could think of to explain what I felt about it.
Anyway, ta ta! I hope to return soon!
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Friday, March 22, 2013
Officially moving
I know, I know - it's been since October since I've written anything here! I've got some news - I've got another blog on Wordpress that is coming together quite nice. I will be posting vegetarian and meat recipes there, and you will see recipes from here on there if you go and visit! My new blog is I Take It To Go, based on the fact that I take lunch to go so I can picnic with my husband at work in the car. I hope to be posting more with the new blog, and hopefully I'll get some comments too! I've already had 2 comments on a posting of Snickerdoodle cookies I did there at Christmas time. Anyway, I'll post a link here and hopefully you'll continue to read my blog and fix good food.
See you there!
Tracey
See you there!
Tracey
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Super simple salad and an Asian inspired dish of my own
I call this salad my tv salad cause it is T.B.S - tomato, broccoli and spinach. I had promised a salad at dinner the other night and had no lettuce in the fridge even after I gone to the grocery that very day (I guess it slipped my mind while I was there). I just tossed some spinach into a bowl, quickly chopped some broccoli, and threw in the last of my cherry tomatoes. I coated the salad with ranch and grated Parmesan cheese and it was a huge hit with my husband.
Yesterday I wanted to have some Asian cuisine without having to get take out. Here's my outcome!
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 onion, dicd
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 c sugar snap peas
1/2 c thin sliced cabbage (like for a cabbage salad)
1/2 c bean sprouts
1/2 c chopped broccoli
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp ground ginger
2 or 3 dashes of sesame seed oil
Melt your butter and start cooking your veggies on medium heat. Once the onions and peppers are soft, add the ginger and the other liquids and mix thoroughly. After all the flavor has been mixed in, dish up or serve mixed into noodles or on top of noodles. Carrot and baby corn would also be good in the dish.
Enjoy everyone! Don't forget to send some feed back!
Yesterday I wanted to have some Asian cuisine without having to get take out. Here's my outcome!
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 onion, dicd
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 c sugar snap peas
1/2 c thin sliced cabbage (like for a cabbage salad)
1/2 c bean sprouts
1/2 c chopped broccoli
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp ground ginger
2 or 3 dashes of sesame seed oil
Melt your butter and start cooking your veggies on medium heat. Once the onions and peppers are soft, add the ginger and the other liquids and mix thoroughly. After all the flavor has been mixed in, dish up or serve mixed into noodles or on top of noodles. Carrot and baby corn would also be good in the dish.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Spinach Alfredo and a creamy warm spinach dip
Fall is almost in full swing here, and the comfort of creamy food is big. Last night our creamy dish was a spinach alfredo and I added some black bean "meatless" balls and it was a big hit!
Mix and bake your meatballs while you boil your pasta in a pot. In a large sauce pan, melt 4 Tbsp of butter. Chop half an onion and add to the pan. Once the onions are starting to become translucent, add 2 cups of fresh spinach. Stir until all the spinach has wilted and then add a half cup of heavy cream and a half cup of milk. When the mixture is scalding hot, add parmaesan cheese and a hand full of shredded mozzarella and mix constantly. Turn your heat down some, the sauce will start to thicken as the cheese combines with the cream. Add pepper and oregano to your liking. Turn your heat source off, drain your finished pasta and add to the sauce. Add your meatballs when they have finished baking, mix to coat. Dish up and enjoy! I'm sure this would be fantastic with some bell pepper and mushrooms in it too.
Chips and dip is a football watching must for some people and they won't believe that you didn't get this from a jar! I got this recipe from my favorite blog - Noble Pig - but I changed it up some mainly cause I didn't really want anchovies in the dip.
Adapted from Gourmet and then adapted from Noble Pig
1/2 onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
10 oz thawed frozen chopped spinach, drained and squeezed dry
8 oz cream cheese, cut int cubes
3/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Cook onions in butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until softened, about three minutes. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until heated through.
Add cream cheese and cook, stirring, until melted and warm, then stir in sour cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Serve warm with crackers, tortilla chips or pita chips and enjoy the game!
Mix and bake your meatballs while you boil your pasta in a pot. In a large sauce pan, melt 4 Tbsp of butter. Chop half an onion and add to the pan. Once the onions are starting to become translucent, add 2 cups of fresh spinach. Stir until all the spinach has wilted and then add a half cup of heavy cream and a half cup of milk. When the mixture is scalding hot, add parmaesan cheese and a hand full of shredded mozzarella and mix constantly. Turn your heat down some, the sauce will start to thicken as the cheese combines with the cream. Add pepper and oregano to your liking. Turn your heat source off, drain your finished pasta and add to the sauce. Add your meatballs when they have finished baking, mix to coat. Dish up and enjoy! I'm sure this would be fantastic with some bell pepper and mushrooms in it too.
Adapted from Gourmet and then adapted from Noble Pig
1/2 onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
10 oz thawed frozen chopped spinach, drained and squeezed dry
8 oz cream cheese, cut int cubes
3/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Cook onions in butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until softened, about three minutes. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until heated through.
Add cream cheese and cook, stirring, until melted and warm, then stir in sour cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Serve warm with crackers, tortilla chips or pita chips and enjoy the game!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Pumpkin Juice and Cheese Shell Stuffed Shells
People everywhere are getting into the swing of autumn. Pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks are back, Halloween costumes are out for buying in stores, the state fair is in full swing here and fall and winter weather clothes are coming out from storage boxes. The pumpkin is such a celebrated food in the fall, I thought I would share my favorite pumpkin recipe and it's actually a drink. This pumpkin juice is from a recipe that was on MuggleNet and I looked at the recipe just the other day and saw that it was changed from how I originally made it so here it is how I remember it.
Half a can of pumpkin puree
1/2 c pineapple juice
1 1/2 c apple juice
1 tbsp honey
water to thin *optional
Add contents to blender, blend till smooth. Taste, add more honey if you want it sweeter or a pinch of cinnamon to spice it a little. If you want to make a treat of it, add a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream.
I'm not going to make any promises on this but when I was younger and I drank this I lost weight with it. I am going to make a pitcher of this and try and drink two glasses of it a day all through October. I hope to be able to lose some weight with it again.
Cheese Shell Stuffed Shells
I was scanning the main page of one of my favorite blogs and I found this recipe and I'm going to make it later today. Any pasta recipe from The Noble Pig has always been a winner in my book which is why I'm so excited to try this recipe!
From Better Homes and Gardens
24 dried jumbo shell macaroni
8 oz. dried tiny shell macaroni (2 cups)
2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded (8 oz.)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz)
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/8 teaspoon white pepper or pepper
1 24 oz. jar vodka sauce (Emeril is my favorite brand)
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)
Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Preheat oven to 350o F. Cook jumbo shells according to package directions. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer shells to a colander. Rinse with cold water; drain well and set aside. In same pan cook tiny shells according to package directions. Drain; set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine Gruyere cheese, cheddar cheese, half-and-half and pepper. Heat over medium-low heat until cheese is melted and smooth, stirring frequently. Stir in tiny shells.
Spread 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Spoon cheese-shell mixture into drained jumbo shells; place stuffed shells in prepared baking dish. Top with remaining pasta sauce.
Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 15 minutes more or until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Top with fresh basil and serve.
Hope everyone has a good weekend!
Half a can of pumpkin puree
1/2 c pineapple juice
1 1/2 c apple juice
1 tbsp honey
water to thin *optional
Add contents to blender, blend till smooth. Taste, add more honey if you want it sweeter or a pinch of cinnamon to spice it a little. If you want to make a treat of it, add a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream.
I'm not going to make any promises on this but when I was younger and I drank this I lost weight with it. I am going to make a pitcher of this and try and drink two glasses of it a day all through October. I hope to be able to lose some weight with it again.
Cheese Shell Stuffed Shells
I was scanning the main page of one of my favorite blogs and I found this recipe and I'm going to make it later today. Any pasta recipe from The Noble Pig has always been a winner in my book which is why I'm so excited to try this recipe!
From Better Homes and Gardens
24 dried jumbo shell macaroni
8 oz. dried tiny shell macaroni (2 cups)
2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded (8 oz.)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz)
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/8 teaspoon white pepper or pepper
1 24 oz. jar vodka sauce (Emeril is my favorite brand)
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)
Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Preheat oven to 350o F. Cook jumbo shells according to package directions. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer shells to a colander. Rinse with cold water; drain well and set aside. In same pan cook tiny shells according to package directions. Drain; set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine Gruyere cheese, cheddar cheese, half-and-half and pepper. Heat over medium-low heat until cheese is melted and smooth, stirring frequently. Stir in tiny shells.
Spread 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Spoon cheese-shell mixture into drained jumbo shells; place stuffed shells in prepared baking dish. Top with remaining pasta sauce.
Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 15 minutes more or until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Top with fresh basil and serve.
Hope everyone has a good weekend!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Squash Casserole and Tofu Nachos
Ok, it's been pretty busy here, traveling on the weekends and such. I'm back and here are the recipes that I promised in the last post!
Squash casserole is a recipe I got from a lady that is in the local quilters club. I had attended a club meeting last month and the lady passed out papers to everyone with this recipe. The next week I tried the recipe cause i was wanting to try something new and I have never been a big squash person. I probably should have cooked the squash softer the first time. The squash is chunky in it, if you want to you can try and get smaller pieces in it or just smash it. Here it is!
2 lbs yellow squash
1 onion, chopped
1/2 lb velveeta cheese, cubed
3 grated carrots
1 c sour cream
1 can of chicken soup*
1 stick butter, melted
1 package herb stuffing mix**
Bake your squash however you prefer to, I cut mine in half,oil the inside with olive oil and then bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes. While it is baking, grease your baking dish. Melt your butter and pour over the stuffing mix and them mix to coat. Set aside 2/3 of the stuffing as it will go on top. Put your carrots, onion, cheese, sour cream, and soup in the dish with the stuffing. After the squash is cooked, let it cool a little before you start to handle the extraction of the flesh- don't need any burns! Scoop the squash out and then mix everything together and spread evenly in the dish. Top with the remaining stuffing. Bake in the oven at 350F until bubbly and browned.
*you can substitute with cream of mushroom soup
**you can substitute with cornbread stuffing
My husband really enjoyed it, we ate half of it as our dinner that night!
Tofu Nachos
Since we have been trying to eat less meat, tofu has become somewhat of a regular in the fridge. My husband wants nachos frequently and not tortilla chips with cheese and salsa on them - he wants it with meat or rather meat substitute. So my search began on how to make tofu nachos! I don't follow a recipe to the t for these nachos, I just go with whatever feels good and whatever I have. I use firm tofu, drain the water from the container and also squeeze the water out of it otherwise it won't turn out as good. Crumble the tofu into a pan or a skillet with some olive oil, start to cook over medium low heat, stir occasionally while you chop some onion and bell pepper. Add to the pot, make sure the tofu doesn't burn/ stick to the pan. If you have cilantro, chop and add to the pan. If you are cooking in a skillet, leave out chopped tomatoes and salsa for now. Add your spices now, some chili powder and cumin and cayenne pepper to your liking. I add a little paprika for a little smokiness but my husband doesn't notice any flavors like that, he just knows it tastes good. Keep mixing everything in. Add a couple tablespoons of water as it will help the tofu absorb the flavors. Once you have everything mixed in and cooked up, top your chips with the "meat" and whichever toppings you want. I will used shredded cheese and it melts on top some. It's also great with sour cream and guacamole on top. Give me some feed back if you want the recipe!
Squash casserole is a recipe I got from a lady that is in the local quilters club. I had attended a club meeting last month and the lady passed out papers to everyone with this recipe. The next week I tried the recipe cause i was wanting to try something new and I have never been a big squash person. I probably should have cooked the squash softer the first time. The squash is chunky in it, if you want to you can try and get smaller pieces in it or just smash it. Here it is!
2 lbs yellow squash
1 onion, chopped
1/2 lb velveeta cheese, cubed
3 grated carrots
1 c sour cream
1 can of chicken soup*
1 stick butter, melted
1 package herb stuffing mix**
Bake your squash however you prefer to, I cut mine in half,oil the inside with olive oil and then bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes. While it is baking, grease your baking dish. Melt your butter and pour over the stuffing mix and them mix to coat. Set aside 2/3 of the stuffing as it will go on top. Put your carrots, onion, cheese, sour cream, and soup in the dish with the stuffing. After the squash is cooked, let it cool a little before you start to handle the extraction of the flesh- don't need any burns! Scoop the squash out and then mix everything together and spread evenly in the dish. Top with the remaining stuffing. Bake in the oven at 350F until bubbly and browned.
*you can substitute with cream of mushroom soup
**you can substitute with cornbread stuffing
My husband really enjoyed it, we ate half of it as our dinner that night!
Tofu Nachos
Since we have been trying to eat less meat, tofu has become somewhat of a regular in the fridge. My husband wants nachos frequently and not tortilla chips with cheese and salsa on them - he wants it with meat or rather meat substitute. So my search began on how to make tofu nachos! I don't follow a recipe to the t for these nachos, I just go with whatever feels good and whatever I have. I use firm tofu, drain the water from the container and also squeeze the water out of it otherwise it won't turn out as good. Crumble the tofu into a pan or a skillet with some olive oil, start to cook over medium low heat, stir occasionally while you chop some onion and bell pepper. Add to the pot, make sure the tofu doesn't burn/ stick to the pan. If you have cilantro, chop and add to the pan. If you are cooking in a skillet, leave out chopped tomatoes and salsa for now. Add your spices now, some chili powder and cumin and cayenne pepper to your liking. I add a little paprika for a little smokiness but my husband doesn't notice any flavors like that, he just knows it tastes good. Keep mixing everything in. Add a couple tablespoons of water as it will help the tofu absorb the flavors. Once you have everything mixed in and cooked up, top your chips with the "meat" and whichever toppings you want. I will used shredded cheese and it melts on top some. It's also great with sour cream and guacamole on top. Give me some feed back if you want the recipe!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Beans and Greens
Green beans. I absolutely hated eating them when I was growing up. I'm still not that big of a fan, but I willingly eat them now. My all time favorite way is green been casserole! Campbell's Soup provides this recipe:
Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.
Bake
at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and
bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions.
Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.
I myself make it really simple by just cooking the pre-cooked beans and the mushroom soup and don't add the milk or soy sauce or even the frech fried onions. It's how I ate it growing up and it's how I will make it for whenever I have kids.
Another way my mom got me to eat my beans was in a 3 bean casserole. Another very easy recipe.
We started eating kale a few months ago and since we started eating it I had been hearing how good kale chips were. Here is the site that has led me to make 4 different kinds of kale chips. The basics to making them is to spread the leaves out on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and rub it in to coat. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, you just want the edges to be a tiny bit browned but it still maintain its lovely green color.
That's all for now! Next time- tofu nachos and squash casserole!
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or Healthy Request®)
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Dash ground black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions
I myself make it really simple by just cooking the pre-cooked beans and the mushroom soup and don't add the milk or soy sauce or even the frech fried onions. It's how I ate it growing up and it's how I will make it for whenever I have kids.
Another way my mom got me to eat my beans was in a 3 bean casserole. Another very easy recipe.
- one can of Bushes baked beans
- one can of kidney beans
- 2 c pre-cooked green beans
We started eating kale a few months ago and since we started eating it I had been hearing how good kale chips were. Here is the site that has led me to make 4 different kinds of kale chips. The basics to making them is to spread the leaves out on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and rub it in to coat. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, you just want the edges to be a tiny bit browned but it still maintain its lovely green color.
That's all for now! Next time- tofu nachos and squash casserole!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)