Two birds, one stone...

This week's been a "homey" week in that I've put my time in at the sink ahem, I mean in the kitchen AND I've started a few RE-decorating projects in our little humble abode! Don't kid yourself, they're Mike's absolute favorite; actually he's just all too familiar with the good 'ole domino effect by this point. But a husband with a full belly is an indebted one, so I coaxed him into a trip to Pottery Barn, and after a few measurements a couple swings of the hammer. We've got a new wall collage in development to go with some new color combinations for our living room, and I'll gladly reveal as soon as I get it finished! I have to say, I'm successfully fighting every single OCD cell in my body to get that eclectic look so I'm hoping you'll like it and appreciate the amoeba-shaped flow that I want you to think I threw together in seconds although I actually carefully arranged it on the floor and stared at it for hours before applying it to the wall :) Okay, deal?! So stay tuned for that! 


But I did want to share some new recipes I tried out this week. First off, a solid option for those breakfast-for-dinner nights...Baked Oatmeal with Strawberries, B-a-na-na-s & Chocolate! And as promised, some visual instructions and always a link to the recipes :)


Baked Oatmeal with Strawberries, Bananas & Chocolate

Ingredients
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnut pieces, chopped
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ripe banana, peeled, 1/2-inch slices

Method
Preheat oven to 375°F and generously spray the inside of a 10-1/2 by 7 inch baking dish with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sugar, baking powder, orange zest, Chinese five spice, salt, half the walnuts, half the strawberries and half the chocolate. (Save the other half of strawberries, walnuts and chocolate for the top of the oatmeal). In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla extract.

Add the oat mixture to prepared baking dish. Arrange the remaining strawberries, walnuts and chocolate on top. Add the banana slices to the top then pour the milk mixture over everything. Gently shimmy/shake the baking dish to help the milk mixture go throughout the oats.

Arrange the baking dish on top of a baking sheet. Bake 35-40 minutes or until the top is nicely golden brown and the milk mixture has set. For an extra tasty top, sprinkle a tablespoon or so of extra brown sugar on top then place back in the oven under the broiler and broil for 20-30 seconds. Serve warm with an extra sprinkle of sugar or drizzle of maple syrup to sweeten-it-up if you like. And I like!

Hit the spot for those breakfast-for-dinner nights...my favorite! Also great for breakfast with friends, also my favorite!

Next up...

Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers

Ingredients

2 cans cannellini white beans, drained
1 large sweet potato, baked/peeled/mashed (about 2 cups)
2 tsp maple or agave syrup
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning OR Cajun seasoning
1/4 cup wheat flour
salt to taste if needed
Panko crumbs
Canola oil for pan
For the burgers: Fresh avocado, dijon mustard, chipotle mayo, sandwich thins buns, onion, olive oil, pepper

Method
Bake sweet potato. (I did mine in the microwave just for ease) Peel, place in large mixing bowl. Add drained beans to mixing bowl. Mash beans and potato together.

Mash in seasoning, flour. Your mixture will be quite soft and moist. But you should be able to form a patty. Add more flour or a scoop of breadcrumbs - or dry rice to thicken the mixture if needed.

Heat 1 Tbsp canola oil in a pan over high heat. Form a patty from mixture and coat in Panko crumbs. Thick coating. Then drop the patty in the pan. Repeat until the pan is filled. Cook until browned on both sides. 

Transfer cooked patties to paper towel. Cool for a few minutes. Serve on toasted bun with avocado and toppings.

And...

Baked Zucchini Fries with Sweet Onion Dip

Ingredients

For the dip:
1 Tbsp butter
1 medium sweet onion, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp mustard
1 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste 

For the zucchini fries:
3-5 medium zucchini, cut
1 Tbsp salt
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp Italian herbs
Olive oil spray
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Method

To make the dip: Melt the butter in a medium frying pan over moderate heat, and add the sliced onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, then caramelize. About 10-15 minutes.

Remove from heat and add vinegar. Place the onions and vinegar into a small food processor. Add the honey and mustard, and process or blend until smooth.

Add the mayonnaise and salt and pepper to taste, stirring to combine. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.

To make the zucchini sticks: Place the zucchini sticks in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with the tablespoon of salt. Let the zucchini drain for 1 hour or longer; rinse and pat dry.

Combine the Panko, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, and spray the parchment with olive oil. Dredge sticks a few at a time in the egg, then roll in the crumb mixture. Place the sticks on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake sticks for 12 minutes, turn over, and bake for an additional 8 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately, with sweet onion dip.

Mission accomplished - these added a nice little variety to our dinner menu. I probably enjoyed the sweet potato veggie burger more than Mike because let's just be real...he's a meat-n-taters man if there ever was one! But the zucchini fries with the fresh sweet onion dip was ON TIME, right.on.time! They'll stick around for the summer for sure!

Now its Mikey's 25th birthday weekend and oh man how I love celebrating my sweet husband! Today we're headed home to the Andersons to smoke some brisket, pop open a few, prop our feet up on the porch and enjoy the sunshine and each other. I'll be whipping up a little sumpthin' sumpthin' later that I'm pretty
sure is gonna bring.the.fun. Caramel Apple Layer Cake with Apple Cider Frosting. I may not have time to document, but I'll definitely let you know if plates were or were not licked clean ;)

Happy weekend, folks!

Let's try this on for size!

Alright, so I admit it. I really like to cook. Find myself loving it, actually! And another confession - I've found myself cooking the same old, same old things over and over here lately. Just shameful. When Mike and I first got married I was always trying out new recipes, experimenting in the kitchen, putting to good use all those brand new cookbooks (or precious family keepsake ones!) we received as wedding gifts. I guess after a while you fall into a routine, regular old humdrum, and find that your grocery list has become a no brainer! Well, with a quarter of a century behind me I'm sitting pretty on prime and I want to get back to the good stuff - sure, find some good solid recipes to add to the tried and true rotation, but try some new things and expand my repertoire! I am a dietitian for crying.out.loud.


And this being the personal blog of a dietitian, I don't share recipes nearly enough. You can consider that confession #3. And I've just made a solemn vow to start! And you must know how I feel about vows, so - shall we?


Monday night menu this week in my little household was Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup with Toasted French Bread. I know, I know, it has really been warming up. God bless my dear, sweet SC for putting some umph into each season - I'd call her a showoff in that department! Anyway, Spring is too late for soup, but gimme a break and just make it sometime in April and you won't be sorry!


Ingredients:

3 cups diced tomatoes with juice (you can use canned, I used a combination)

1 cup finely diced celery

1 cup finely diced carrots

1 cup finely diced onions

1 Tbsp fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried

4 Tbsp fresh basil or 1 Tbsp dried
1/2 bay leaf

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup flour

1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup butter

2 cups half and half, warmed (You could use skim if you want to skinny it up)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper


And here's the destructions - and you'll call it that too if your husband tries to step in and help. 

1. Heat oil in 4 quart soup pot. Add celery, onions and carrots. Saute 5 minutes. Add basil, oregano, bay leaf, tomatoes, and chicken broth. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender (about 15 minutes).

2. While soup simmers, prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat, add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup (the broth portion). Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add back into soup pot.

3. Simmer, stirring constantly, until soup begins to thicken. Add Parmesan cheese and whisk to blend. Stir warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Never hurts to have a friendly reminder :) In case I botch the batch.

And that first bite right there, I'm tellin' you what...you won't care one bit if its 90 degrees outside :)


Recipe courtesy of Karen Petersen. I stumbled across this on Pinterest (its like the Walmart of online sites, you can leave there with everything you need plus tons of stuff you never even planned on!) which took me straight to her blog Utah Mama. 

When did this happen?!

As of March 4th, 2012 I am, in fact, halfway. smack dab in the middle. betwixt and between. equidistant. over the hill (its all downhill from here) through my twenties. 

25. The end of childhood, the end of things as they once were. I am grateful to have had such a childhood that causes my heart to lag behind; parents and a sister and forever friends that have been there since the beginning or gathered along the way that help me to become and then to be. 

We used to be all.in.one.place. Scattered is more the way of it now. Conversation matter has changed too, from what did you do last night to what do you do? Yes, like for money? I can't help but want to dig my heels in the sand. Just a little longer. But life's got its pace and what else to do but to keep up? 

Even though I love what has been, I love what is now. I do. Husband, pup, independence, passion, dreams, imagination. Its all good in this hood. But really.


But no matter what stage you're at, new is always on the horizon.

If Only.......

I recently commented in a reminiscent chat with one of my dearest friends that I seriously wished the biggest decision to be made on any given day was still which spice girl to dress up as at this weekend's sleepover. C'mon...that was serious stuff! To tease your hair, stuff your bra, pink vs. leopard print, ruffles or faux leather or my good old standby: a pair of umbro shorts and a sports bra? 

Like you're surprised :) I'll proudly admit my love for sweatpants started early! Anyway, it should be noted that there are some homemade music videos out there somewhere collecting dust in one of our childhood homes and let's just say I'm glad I was one era before youtube :)


My reasoning behind wishing for such simpler times other than a reminiscent morning mood swing? Nothing groundbreaking, just the plain old grownup rush of things. I am beginning to realize the decision making never.stinkin.ends. 


And really what "real world" decisions are truly worth the weight we place on them? All the stress we let them create, the haste we feel to figure it all out. The bottom line is, it's all temporary anyway. The job you have - temporary. The town you live in - temporary. The house you buy, the salary you make, the social scene you build, the material possessions you accumulate, the pinterest creations you slave over to perfect your little home, the worldly dreams you put on your list to pour your effort, time and money into - all temporary. Not that it's wrong or displeasing to throw your back into those things and that may be what God has for you in this very moment until further notice. But I wrestle. Wrestle with how the scope I find myself operating within seems so far from the scope my Savior had in mind for me when He rose from the dead, for in that moment we were made alive in Christ. 


Ephesians 2:2-5
All of us (sinners) used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. 


A life in which our sinful nature and worldly desires remain alive, but much overshadowed by the true life-giving sacrifice made in that moment. 


I want to live with my focus on the God-given glimpse of eternity instilled in me. Yes, pour myself into where God has me in this moment and the next. Yes, into my responsibilities. But always acutely aware of the weight to place on the things of this world and the ultimate priority of sharing that eternity with others through walk and talk, talk and walk. Oh, you know what I mean :)

Well Hello 2012!

Its always exciting to start a brand new year! No telling what it holds, what's in store. Happy New Year, everyone!

As for resolutions per say, we're planning on the most typical things - healthy living, amping up our physical activity, saving more money, bettering our sweet marriage, spending our time wisely, cherishing family and friends, getting more plugged in at Grace Church, praying for God's will and recognizing opportunities to be generous to people in need. I believe our motto will be something along the lines of making our twenties the years to look back on forever most fondly! They are shaping up like that already, but we really want them to shine :)

Feel free to hold us accountable!