Hungry Mom on the Run

Rooster Sauce

2012-02-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

This recipe is so easy I can hardly call it a recipe. This was recommended to me by a friend and it really couldn’t be any easier. If you’re looking for a quick, no-fuss contribution to bring to your Superbowl Party, it really doesn’t get any easier than this!

Besides, anything with Sriracha (aka Rooster Sauce) has got to be good. Sriracha is a kind of vinegary hot and it’s just addicting and good on everything bland if you ask me. Although, I never eat a meal without adding jalapenos, sriracha, cayenne, or crushed red pepper because I’m a heat addict.

Case in point -sriracha in your hummus. Don’t knock it til you try it!

Sriracha Meatballs

1 cup Grape Jelly

1/2 cup Sriracha

Meatballs (I used probably 25-30 here)

First add the grape jelly and the sriracha to a large mixing bowl

Whisk well

Add in the frozen meatballs and toss well to coat

Add to slow cooker, and set to low for 5-7 hours (or high for 3 hours)

Some other gameday faves:

Elina’s Buffalo Chicken Bites

Easy Enchilada Dip

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

T’Kila T’Kila!!

2012-02-01T10:49:00.000-08:00

I did a double take at the large red letters that replaced the name of the Old Japanese Steakhouse. My heart skipped a beat as I read the words… T’Kila… Latin Kitchen. Oh man, could it be? A new Mexican restaurant less then 2 miles from my house? Now maybe this doesn’t excite the average, sane person but it was enough to leave me feeling gleeful the rest of the day. I scoured Google and Yelp to find out everything I could about our new friends. I faithfully drove by time and time again, praying for that “open” sign to start flashing its red lights. I peeked in windows and scoured the restaurant for signs of life.

One fateful morning I saw the most glorious sign. It read “GRAND OPENING.” I relentlessly pestered my husband about visiting until he finally relented. I’ve been there 4 times now and I felt it was time to share with the world (my very small world) about the little gem down the street.

Every now and again I come across a runner’s blog who reviews a race they ran. Dorothy does this a lot and I always appreciate the feedback on a race from The People. So here it is. The People’s Restaurant Review.

I am not a gourmet chef, I do not fine dine, I have no sort of degree or professional qualification to write a restaurant review, nor do I live in a happening Big City with 5-star chefs. I’m just a mom looking for practical things like “How much is that kid’s meal gonna run me?” ($6, very generous portions) or “Are the floors carpet or linoleum so I don’t seem like a huge a-hole when my 2 year old dumps the rice on the floor and I leave it there?” (answer: linoleum, allelujah) or “How much are the margaritas?” (THREE DOLLARS, people, THREE.)

First thing’s first… Curbside Appeal:

Photo courtesy of Steve Dunleavey
Located at:
42010 Village Center Plz
Ste 170
Stone Ridge, VA 20105

Ok… not too shabby. There are wooden blinds on the windows so you can’t actually peek in and see if you’re walking into crowds or a completely quiet, calm restaurant with your loud children. You also might wonder if this restaurant is pronounced “Ta Kill Ya.” No worries, it is not. Inside it is quite nice. A HUGE bar area, clean, very open, tons of tables not too squeezed together.

The Grub: (Pardon the iPhone pics, this was a very covert operation)

On my third visit, I brought my Dad. He is Mexican, so this was a big test. Since Dad was footing the bill (thanks, Pops!!) I brought all the kids and we even splurged on the guacamole. Now sometimes guacamole makes me angry at restaurants. You pay buko bucks for what amounts to one little avocado that has barely any flavor. Rosa Mexicana is a popular DC spot and well known for their tableside guacamole. Rosa’s is pretty good… I appreciate the fresh ingredients. I do not appreciate the $25 charge for a double portion (2 whole whopping avocados… I think Sage could finish that).

At T’Kila, the owner (who by the way, used to work at Rosa Mexicana) whipped up our tableside guacamole (2 avocados, mind you) for the standard price of $8.95. We ordered it extra spicy so he added serrano peppers (vs jalapeno, so much better) and an habanero sauce. This was seriously GOOD guacamole and worth every penny.

Chips and Salsa should really be in a category all their own. Any mexican restaurant that doesn’t give you free chips and salsa is NIXED from my list immediately. I love Picante’s but they are so incredibly stingy with their salsa I can’t stand to go there anymore. The chips here come out warm, and the salsa is just the right mix of savory and spicy with a pretty smooth consistency. I give it an 8/10.

We ordered the mixed fajitas. They are GOOD. Big enough for two people to share, with plenty of peppers and onions to go around. The black beans are interesting, cooked in an adobo sauce with chorizo. Sage didn’t mind sticking her hand in and stuffing her face with them. I also appreciate the corn and carrots in the rice… because come on I have a 2 year old who is going to eat for free and make a gigantic mess and I need finger food options for her!

The best part about the fajitas was this magic sauce. I don’t know what it was but it was spicy and it was flavorful. Make sure you ask for extra of that.

We also ordered the cheese enchiladas. My dad said they were “some of the best he has ever had” and that is serious praise coming from him. I have also ordered the chicken ones before and they were mediocre. They come with refried BLACK beans, which I love.

COST: It’s definitely not cheap if you’re going to take out the whole fam. Fajitas are around $14-16 and you can’t find much on the menu for under $10. I’m hoping in the future they come up with more of a lunch menu. However is it worth it? YES. All the food is made to order. Each time I have been, the wait time for our food decreased. I appreciate that they are making it fresh and that takes a little extra time, but hopefully they will get a handle on the restaurant operations as time goes on.

So now the real questions… how does this place measure up for small people?

KIDS:

A kids meal will run you $6… seems a little steep at first but keep listening. In addition to the main meal, they get a kid sized drink and a scoop of ice cream. Good deal if you ask me.

Yeah Sage is still in her PJ’s at noon, don’t judge.

I love that the chicken tenders are also made fresh. The owner told me they batter and fry the chicken themselves. French fries are just good old potatoes cut up. Others have lamented that they don’t sell crunchy tacos on either the kid or adult menu.

By the way, Tuesday Nights, Kids Eat Free!

DRINKS:

Last but CERTAINLY NOT least, are the drinks. I did not take a picture when I hit the Happy Hour last Friday but I wish I did. This may be one of the best Happy Hours I have ever seen. Not that I’ve seen a lot since my youth ended before I was 21, but I can’t see it getting much better than THREE DOLLARS for a margarita from 4 PM to 9 PM Monday through Friday! Three dollars, people! A Mojito will only run you $4! I had two margaritas the other night, complete with a bucket or two of chips and salsa and my whole bill was a whopping $6.30 Margaritas and Mojitos are all fresh squeezed, without any of that sugary fakeness. Can’t beat that.

I probably won’t take my family there for dinner that often unless Pops is paying again (love ya Pops). Although, I cant really say our family of five actually goes out to many places where a waiter takes your order and cleans up after you. However, I will definitely be back with girlfriends for guacamole and margaritas. Like maybe tonight, anyone? Anyone?

I hope you consider supporting this local business for your next night out!

*Note, I was not endorsed for this review, I’m just obsessed with Mexican food

My Gym

2012-01-05T17:41:00.000-08:00

God made my gym.

My gym is free. Zero dollars and zero cents to belong.

I dont have to worry about anyone being annoyed that I’m there after the New Year.

No one is watching me, judging how fast I’m going or how hard I’m panting.

I don’t have to dress to impress the other gym-goers in my newest LuLu Lemon pants and Athleta top. A simple reflective vest over some warm, 10 year old hand-me-down running clothes work for me.

I don’t wear make-up or check my hair in the mirror before I hit this gym, and better yet I don’t have to be surrounded by anyone who cares about having attractive make up and hair before they sweat.

My kids are asleep while I hit my gym, so there’s never any need to worry about who’s tending to their needs down in day care, or feel guilty for stealing time from them.

Did I mention this gym has the most locations in the world? You can practically find one absolutely anywhere at any time! Better yet, its 24 hours!

It’s never crowded at my gym, and especially not at 5 am. No reservations necessary. God made this gym big enough for everyone.

It can be very peaceful and quiet there. Just me, my thoughts and prayers, my footsteps, and my steady breathing. Might I add, the air quality at my gym is superb.

And dinner on a cold night after a hard workout at this gym? Well I like my meals how I like my workouts. No fad diets, no low fat low cal this or that. Just real God given goodness.

Chicken and Butternut Squash Quinoa Stew

(recipe found here via Pinterest and I simplified it a bit)

2 Chicken breasts

1 lb Butternut Squash (its a lot easier if you get it already cut up)

1 onion

2-3 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon oregano (not pictured)

1 32 oz box broth (vegetable or chicken)

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives (I also added 1/4 cup of olive juice)

2/3 cup quinoa

parsley for color and garnish and freshness, don’t skip it

salt, pepper and EVOO of course

First things first, I transferred the butternut squash to a microwave steamer, added a touch of water, and microwave steamed it for 10 minutes. Stove top steamer is great too but this was easiest for me.

In that 10 minutes I quickly diced the chicken (ps. it helps to cut meat on a different mat, then you can quickly wash the knife, remove the mat, and continue chopping all the other stuff)

Heat a large soup pan over medium heat, add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chicken. The original recipe has you remove the chicken with a slotted spoon after its cooked and yadayadayada but listen - this works. Just stick to one pot. It will taste good enough, be done faster, and you’ll have less to clean up.

Chop garlic, add to pot.

Slice some onion, add to pot.

Beeeep… squash is done. Use a masher or a fork to mash it up a bit. Chunks (I know, awful word) are still good, but just mash it a bit.

Like so.

Add the butternut squash and the diced tomatoes to the soup pot as well. Aren’t you already pumped about the colors in this. I AM!

Box o’ broth

1 tablesoon oregano, salt and pepper

And I added olive juice for good salty measure because that way I got to teach the kids how to say *now move your mouth but dont make any sound come out* ol.iv.juice

Chop the olives and throw em in

The quinoa. Dont worry - those suckers will expand and take over your soup. Dont add any more than 2/3 cup. Start with 1/2 a cup if you’re scared.

Now mix it up and let it get to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and let it cook for about 25 minutes.

Garnish with the parsley. I love eating colorful food. I love having soft butternut squash and chicken ready to go for the baby. Even the picky eater picked out just the chicken. Hey - I’m not complaining.

By the way this is naturally gluten free, and could be made vegetarian in a pinch… sub a can of chickpeas for the chicken.

Hustle and Bustle

2011-12-19T10:27:00.000-08:00

I’m officially one day shy of a month since my last post. I’m finally getting a new one up just under the wire. I would be lying if I said that wasn’t metaphoric for the rest of my Christmas preparations…

Teacher gifts due tomorrow (all eleven of em): haven’t finished

Cookies for Santa and neighbors: Made them, then ate 90% of them. Oops.

Christmas shopping: not even close to finished

Christmas wrapping: HA! now that’s funny

I’m not the only female whose running shoes are getting a little extra workout this month.

Can’t say I’ve been cooking up a whole lot of masterpieces in the past month. Thank God for the Crockpot… there is nothing better than dumping something in there first thing in the morning, spending the day running around like a mad woman, then coming home to a house that smells awesome coupled with the knowledge that dinner is done.

Thanks to my Pinterest friends for pinning this gem and trying it out first! It’s a winner. I modified the sauce a bit to be more potent, and added some veggies.

Crockpot Thai Peanut Chicken

1 lb Chicken Thigh (breast is good too, but I like thigh way better in the crockpot… holds up better than breast especially if you want to start your crockpot earlier in the day and leave it for more than 5 hours).

1 cup salsa

1/3 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

Juice from 1 lime

2 tbl Soy Sauce

2 tsp fresh or dried ginger

1/4 cup lite coconut milk

Red Chili sauce (for more kick)

Cilantro for garnish

Broccoli (my chosen veggie) … Next time I’m doing red pepper

Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl… salsa

Lime

Soy Sauce

Coconut Milk… since you only use 1/4 cup, I meal planned THIS later in the week and saved the rest for that .

Mix er up

Pour over chicken in the crockpot… I know… looks so appetizing! Cook for 5-7 hours on low

So I wanted to add some kind of veggie so I wasnt just eating straight up peanut butter rice. Broccoli would have been AWESOME… if I put it in the right time (which would have been about an hour before serving). I accidently added it about 5 hours before we ended up eating it, so the broccoli got pretty mushy. Red pepper would be a better choice next time because it holds up better for long periods in the crockpot. You could throw the red pepper in at the beginning with the chicken/sauce.

On the flip side… the broccoli got so mushed up that the kids didn’t even know it was in there! Gotchya!

Overall a winner… flavors were mild enough for small people, easy as can be to throw together, and I actually had all the ingredients on hand anyway. A great quick meal!

May you and your family have a wonderful Christmas together! I’ll be back in 2012, renewed and ready for a lot more posts in the new year!

HungrySister Presents: Sausage Pumpkin Cornbread Stuffing Muffins

2011-11-20T17:30:00.000-08:00

Like HungryMom said, it's still pumpkin time! I made these 'stuffing muffins' for my work's Iron Chef: Pumpkin competition and I liked them so much I'm bringing them home for Thanksgiving. I adapted this RealSimple recipe to make these single serving muffins and they are really ADDICTING. Hot or cold, I couldn't get enough - and I hope you feel the same way!

You'll need:

3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

2 jalapenos, minced (with seeds)

2 or 3 stalks of celery, chopped (not pictured)

One small onion, diced

12 corn muffins or two 8.5-oz corn-bread mixes, prepared and crumbled (10 cups). (You'll see that I just bought 4 large cornbread muffins because I forgot how many I needed, and it was fine! I also made this with 8 muffins instead of 4 once…it was still good. You really can't mess it up)

One 15 oz can pumpkin

One 14 oz can chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup fresh sage or 1 heaping tbsp dried sage (I used two or three because I love sage :) )

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Chop up the onion, celery, and jalapeno and saute in a large skillet for 5 minutes or so. Add the sausage and cook until no longer pink. (I failed to take a picture of the sausage)

While your skillet is a-sizzlin crumble up your cornbread muffins. I thought this was a nice before and after shot!

Add cornbread to the pan once the sausage is cooked. Fold in the pumpkin, broth, cranberries, and sage. (I was pretty bad at taking pictures of all the steps! How does HM do it?)

Next, add heaping spoonfuls of this delicious concoction into a greased muffin tin. Pop in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until set (aka bake them until you can scoop them out of the muffin tin all in one piece).

If you can manage it, let the muffins cool. If you can't handle it, eat 2 or 3 immediately.

When I first sent HungryMom a picture of these she said "I can't decide if they look awesome or gross."

Whether you think they look awesome or gross, I promise you they taste amazing!!!

It’s Still Pumpkin Time

2011-11-15T07:10:00.000-08:00

“MOM! Don’t they know it’s not Christmas yet?!”

I’ve trained my kids well. The Wreaths and Big Red Bows that don every shopping center in suburbia are perplexing to them. At this house, Christmas celebrations start AFTER Thanksgiving. Admittedly, RIGHT after Thanksgiving since I usually drag the Christmas boxes out the minute the last turkey sandwich is gobbled up.

Let me be the first to confess, I was actually not that annoyed to see Red Christmas cups at Starbucks before Halloween. I mean, I really really do love Christmas and everything about it. But there is something sad about the way we, as a society, are always chomping at the bit for the next big event. Can’t I just enjoy my family, and my turkey, and this very moment before the media starts stressing me out about that packed December calendar, the fact that I still have pumpkins out front, the financial stress of the holidays, the fact that I have “25 days 20 hours and 16 minutes” to finish my holiday shopping, and quite frankly everything else that distracts me from the TRUE meaning of Christmas.

I’ve felt the same stresses lately related to running. It’s time to decide what I want to do about a Spring marathon, and I just feel torn about my decision. While I appreciate looking forward and planning for what’s next to come, I don’t want to be always so focused on what’s ahead that I miss what’s current. I want to enjoy November for what it is… a time to pause, reflect, and be thankful for the here and now.

Today I’m thankful for a 70 degree morning and short sleeves on my run.

I’m thankful that I get to write this post with a cute little 18 month old on my lap feeding me crackers.

I’m thankful that it is November, and I don’t feel guilty about still having my pumpkins out front and Pumpkin Chili for dinner.

This recipe is super easy and healthy too. You can easily adapt it to stovetop and have it ready in 30 minutes but I prefer the crockpot so I can make it a convenient time and basically just keep it warm until dinner.

Oh and, the cute 18 month old found the delete button on the computer so use your imagination for the first few pictures.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili
(also… super easy to double but this easily feeds 4)

1 pound lean Ground Turkey

1 yellow pepper

1/2 an onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 14 oz can Chicken Broth (or more depending on how soupy or thick you like your chili)

1 14 oz Can Canellini Beans (drained)
1 14 oz can Pumpkin Puree (pure pumpkin, NOT the pumpkin pie puree)

3 tablespoons chili powder

Whatever chili toppings you like… I went with cheese, scallions and greek yogurt

In a skillet, brown the ground turkey. About 3/4 of the way through add peppers, onion and garlic. I like to saute the veggies a bit before I throw it in the crock-pot because I feel like it helps to bring out the flavors a bit more, especially if I have less than 4 hours of crock-pot time.

Move to the crock-pot

Then start the dumping… dump tomatoes

dump the pumpkin… the pumpkin makes this creamy and awesome!!

Drain and wash the canellini beans

annnnd dump

Now the chili powder

The chicken broth

Then cover the top and let her go.

The longer you let this go in the crockpot the thicker it gets. I only had about 3 hours before dinner but it was still awesome.

Annnd you caught me… that’s totally not greek yogurt but a big dollop of sour cream. :)

Kind of, But Better

2011-11-08T06:54:00.000-08:00

Pardon the lack of posts, but I just ran a marathon.

Well kind of, but better. Last Saturday night I set my alarm for 4:15 am. It made me nervous that more than a few people were depending on my timeliness. Becca and I decided on a whim that we would take our first-time marathoner friends into DC for the Marine Corp Marathon. I have spectated MCM in the past… two years ago when I was sidelined halfway through the training season due to a very welcomed setback (pregnant with Sage), I went into the city with my sis-in-law, Kate, to spectate her first marathon. I ran some of the course with her and she told me later that my presence from miles 20-26 was a huge help.

While I believed that I helped her by being there, I didn’t wholly grasp the value of having a pal to get you through the tough marathon miles until Meredith did it for me this past September! And by some miles, I mean 14 miles, in her case. Without a doubt, my marathon time would have been a different one without her encouragement.

So when the opportunity presented itself for me to “pay it forward” at MCM I was all about it. I can thank the four years of Field Hockey, Lacrosse and Track in high school for teaching me about competition, teamwork, and pushing through pain. I can thank the countless pregame potluck dinners for my love of an awesome post-workout meal. But it was that one short season of cheerleading in high school that taught me the most useful skills for the weekend; Feeling not a bit ashahmed to cheer your head off and, more importantly, being able to take yourself out of the spotlight in order to encourage another.

I prayed before the race that Becca and I would be able to navigate DC (on foot) and get from mile marker to mile marker in time to catch every one of our friends. I prayed that the timing would work out so that I could be there for each runner, and be there in a way that they needed me, exactly when they needed me. It worked out perfectly… I shared 16 miles race day morning with some amazing, inspiring women.

Becca and I at the start

I got to catch miles 20 to 22 with Dorothy. I have never run with her in a race before! I can’t even believe she was pulling out some 7:30 miles at mile 22 of her 18th marathon… what a rock star. My marathon experience only made me appreciate my friends who have run COUNTLESS marathons and keep signing up for more!

sharing a smile with Dorothy at mile 21

I ran back to mile 20 just in time for Becca to toss me my stuff as she hit the road with our friend (and mother of FOUR!) Audrey who was racing her first marathon. After a few encouraging words they were on their way to the finish, and finish she did under 4 hours in her first marathon!

I made it back just in time to catch Gwen. Now Gwen and I have been running together since high school, so we fell right into step. I never get to see her these days, and I’m only sad that I only got to get her through one mile before I had to head back. Next time Gwen, I’m staying for more!

A few minutes later and I caught up with Leslie and Andrea. These ladies trained their butts off ALL summer. Training for a marathon is so much more than just fitting in long runs. The running is the easy part, the fun part. What makes it an accomplishment is keeping every other ball in the air while you do it… wife, mother, employee, friend, sister. These ladies did it like pros.

It was my honor and privilege to “pay it forward” and run the last 6 miles of the marathon with them. That cheerleader in me really shined through, and I’m pretty sure at the time, the people around us wanted to punch me in the face for all my encouraging, peppy words.

So here I am a week later and I kind of feel like I’m recovering from a marathon. I passed out that night by 8 pm and woke up the next morning with a raspy, sore throat. A cheerleader, through and through! When all is said and done, it was so rewarding in a totally different way to be the encourager versus the encouraged. I had the best day out there. If you get the chance to be that person for someone I suggest you do it… it was almost like I ran a marathon, but even better.

A quick recipe to wrap up… I had a sweet potato left over from my last post, so I put it to good use in this hash. It’s kind of like the Mexican Hash I’ve posted before, but in my opinion even better.

Sweet Potato Hash

2 sweet potatoes (I only had one left and wished I had more)
1 can of black beans
1 cup of frozen corn
clove or 2 of garlic
1 jalapeno
1 onion
1 lime
cilantro
2/3 cup water
1 tsp cumin

optional: ground sausage

I decided that I needed to add some turkey sausage to this because my husband would still be looking for dinner after he finished the vegetarian version. Brown that first then add in onions (alternately, just heat olive oil in a skillet before adding onion)

Add the diced sweet potatoes

Then the jalapeno… slice in half and remove seeds (I left some in there because I like it hotter)

Slice into sticks

Then dice

Add the cumin

The water

And the drained beans

let that all cook together for a while over medium high heat so that the sweet potatoes can soften up a bit.

After about 10 minutes, add the frozen corn

Loving all the colors

Slice a lime and chop some cilantro, and assemble your garnishes on a very fancy Thomas the Train plate for serving

Yum

It Took Some Time

2011-10-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

My first baby turned six this month. I still remember every detail about the day he was born like it was yesterday. We were so excited to have a kid. I reiterate...Kid. I say KID because I remember, in all my naivete, the images that filled my head when I found out we were pregnant with a boy. Playing catch with Dad! Camping trips! Bike rides! Sports every weekend! I thought we were giving birth to a 6 year old.

Being the first of our friends to have a baby, we didn’t really know much about the baby/toddler phase. We started our family the day he was born and the years to follow were some of the best I’ve ever had! But, there were many years and experiences before we got to know the big kid I’d expected to meet 6 years ago.

For his 6th Birthday we bought Drew his first, shiny new big-kid bike. When Kevin brought it home, I was doubtful that the large 2-wheeled contraption would even be his size. It looked twice his height! The tires were huge and narrow! Nonetheless, when he hopped on to give it a spin it fit like a glove.

Yesterday, for the first time, I ran alongside my first born baby while he rode his bike to the store. It was a perfect, crisp fall day. The kind of day that took me right back to my own childhood family bike rides. I said a silent prayer of thanks… Thank you Lord for blessing us over and over again in our six years as a family. Thank you Lord for giving me a healthy body so I can run and bike with my own children. It took some time, but we are right where I’ve always wanted to be.

When we got home from our trip to the store (thanks Camelback for carrying groceries) I put this stew together for the crockpot. It is not your standard dump and go crockpot recipe. It took some time, but it was worth it!

Sweet Potato Beef Stew

1 pound (or more) of lean stew meat

32 oz (1 box) beef broth

3/4 cup wine

1 onion

1 large sweet potato

1 package (not an exact measurement here) of mushrooms

4 slices of bacon

a couple cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon thyme

couplea bay leaves

1 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup tomato paste

parsley for garnish (optional)

I wanted to avoid flour this time so I used corn meal to coat the stew meat and cornstarch to thicken the stew. Go ahead and just use flour if that works for you!

First off, I put the stew meat, a couple spoonfuls of corn meal, salt and pepper in a ziplock bag and shook it up. (Again, flour does the same trick…)

Then I sliced the four pieces of bacon

And threw the in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add in a couple cloves of chopped garlic.

After a few minutes, add in the chopped onions and mushrooms, give them a toss, then let them do their thing for a few minutes without touching them.

While that’s going… get to the sweet potato. First I took the skin off, then cut in half. Slice the ends of both sides.

Stand half the sweet potato upright (on the flat base you created by slicing off the ends) and slice down into thirds.

Then lay them flat and cut into sticks. Hope that made sense! (You could also save half here in their stick form for sweet potato fries another night in the week)

After cutting into sticks, cut the opposite direction to create evenly diced sweet potatoes.

Now your onions/bacon/mushrooms are done!

Put them both in the crockpot

Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil into that same skillet and heat it before adding the stew meat. You want to just sear the sides, so high heat for a few minutes.

Then add into the crockpot.

Add the whole container of Beef Broth

About 3/4 cup of wine… I really only measured for the blog’s benefit :)

About 3 oz of a 6 oz can of tomato paste

Tablespoon of thyme and the bay leaves

Set it on low for about 5-7 hours.

When you’re about half an hour out from being done, thicken the sauce by adding 2 tablespoons cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of cold water. Whisk, then add into the stew.

Add the cup of frozen peas too.

I garnished with a little chopped parsley because I happened to have it and it was just so dang pretty. Seriously, how good does this look. I need to go heat up some leftovers now.

HungrySister Presents: BBQ Chicken Paninis

2011-10-17T06:17:00.000-07:00

Me again!

I mentioned many moons ago that my office holds "Iron Chef Competitions" monthly at work. We've done pineapple, cheese, basil, honey, berries…and a dessert has won every.single.time. Yup, a marscapone tart won during the cheese round, a pineapple upside down cake destroyed pineapple the competition, caprese cupcakes dominated the basil challenge. As I've said before, I'm a pretty sorry excuse for a baker so it has been a rough road! :)

So this month the competition was SANDWICHES - less of an ingredient, more of a dish, but hey, I'll take it. I decided to make these BBQ chicken paninis because I figured no one can deny toasty buttery bread and melty cheese. I forgot to pull out my camera until about halfway through the assembly process, so a picture of TGB will more than make up for the first couple of food photos!!

You'll need:

1/2 red onion

Balsamic vinegar

3 chicken breasts (I wanted to get a rotisserie chicken from Teeter but they were all sold out at 10 PM on a Monday night, who knew?)

Your favorite bbq sauce

Fresh mozzarella

Any pre-sliced bread from the bakery section of the grocery store (I grabbed a jalapeno cheddar loaf )

Butter for the bread, if you're so inclined

NOTE- for crockpot, add chicken thighs (thighs are way better in crockpot than breasts. would you rather eat 10 more calories or eat dry chicken breast. thank you), 1 cup bbq sauce and sliced red onion to crockpot. cook on low for 6 hours and shred then continue with rest of recipe as normal!

Put chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish and cover with a whole lotta bbq sauce. Bake for 30 minutes or so at 350 and then shred with 2 forks until it looks something like this:

While the chicken is a-bakin, cut up the red onion and cook slowly in a pan with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of garlic powder, salt, and pepper until caramelized (about 20 minutes).

Melt a tbsp or 2 of butter in the micro and spread over each slice of bread. Assemble the soon-to-be panini by adding the shredded chicken, a little extra sauce, onions, and the sliced mozz. Top with a slice of buttered bread and get ready for some magic.

Three ordinary sandwiches awaiting greatness

Melt, melt!!!!! At this point I think I was dancing around my kitchen in anticipation.

That's what I'm talkin about

Finished product, and my first iron chef win! Victory is mine!!!

If you don't have a panini press you could also make these grilled-cheese style in a frying pan - I'm pretty sure there is no way to mess it up!

Everybody’s Doing It

2011-10-10T06:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of those days you just want to be outside. The noises I could hear through my open windows were a few of my favorite suburban sounds… lawn mowers going and kids playing. Around 10 am I was able to lace up and sneak away for a little run of my own. I ran out of my neighborhood and into the next “town” over. I passed no less than 15 runners, 10 walkers, and 200 kids on bikes. Okay maybe a few less than 200 but I’m probably in the right ballpark. I had no plans and no expectations to run far or fast, but ended up doing both because it was just one of those perfect days.

I LOVE seeing so many people outside getting their fitness in whatever form. This time of year, everybody’s doing it. There is no better time than the fall to get outside and get healthy. Even better if the good exercise habits we start today stick with us through the cold winter months, when being bundled up in your blankets sounds a lot more appealing than braving the cold for some fitness. But let me tell you what else sticks with us in the winter. Apple pie. Sausage stuffing.

I hope you get out and savor the perfect weather this week… after all, everybody’s doing it!

Here’s an easy easy easy Fall recipe that EVERYONE can do. I tried it out in the oven last week but meal planned it for the crock pot this week. This is one of my new fall faves!! It was simple, easy to prep in the morning, and I got everyone in the house to eat it!!

Maple Baked Apple Chicken

3 to 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

2 apples, sliced

1 onion, sliced

1/2 cup Maple Syrup (or pancake syrup)

1/3 Cup Zesty Italian Dressing

First off, I just put the chicken in a zip lock bag so I could pound it (to make it thin, read: to stretch my dollar farther and make the chicken look bigger)

Add the marinade straight to the bag, 1/3 cup Zesty Italian and 1/2 cup Maple Syrup

Well, that was easy. Off to the fridge.

By the way this was so easy I could make it in literally 10 minutes before we walked to the bus stop. Getting dinner ready is way easier with a happy baby around at 6 am then a grumpy one at 6 pm.

Halve the onion

Slice

I do my apples this way because I don’t have a corer. Slice off the top and bottom…

Then cut into quarters...

Take your knife and slice on a diagonal so that you cut the seeds part out

See? Easy

Then lay flat and slice all the apples

In a bag, ready to go for dinner

When dinner time rolled around I arranged the apples and onions in a baking dish, then topped it with the chicken/marinade. This dish was way too small but I was too lazy to get a new one and wash this one… go for a larger one so that everything can lay flat and cook evenly. I had to take this out halfway and rotate the chicken and apples so that everything cooked.

Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes. Halfway through, flip the chicken and toss around the apples and onions a bit to make sure everything is still soaking in that yummy sauce.

NOTE: For the crockpot, even easier, just DUMP the 2 bags of apples/onions and chicken marinade into the crockpot and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. For the crockpot I prefer this recipe with pork tenderloin vs chicken

I served it over white rice because I’m bad like that.

A Little Yellow

2011-10-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

I’ve been feeling like the weather. Blah. Since the marathon ended I haven’t had much motivation to be a master juggler. The role every woman plays. No need to set my alarm an hour+ earlier to squeeze in a run. No motivation to be on top of the meal planning and grocery shopping. No need to keep up with the family blog. No desire to even wipe the massive amounts of pee that has amassed behind the toilet (if you have little boys, you know what I’m talking about). I blame it on the weather. Rainy and chilly just don’t do much to motivate me, but then again maybe God was just giving me a guilt free excuse to chill out. Maybe a little break from reality is good for the soul.

This morning we woke up to some sunshine. A little yellow. After taking almost a month off I’m feeling ready to get back in the swing of things.

I love a recipe that I can make with ingredients I usually always have on hand. Lemons are one of those things. I always keep a bag around because a little citrus, a little yellow, can brighten up any marinade, side dish, or soup!

Simple Lemon Chicken with Broccoli

(recipe found via Katy Hayes on Pinterest… I made a few changes to speed up the process because I didn’t get my act together early enough in the day)

5 Drumsticks or Thighs (any cut of chicken is fine, but I wanted to try Drumsticks to see if Superman would think they were cool… he didn’t. But the rest of the little people did. To follow recipes directions, marinate the chicken for 2 hours in the next three ingredients)

2 tablespoons melted butter

Rosemary, Thyme, salt and pepper, and fresh garlic

2 lemons, zested as well as their juice

1 head of broccoli

Arrange the drumsticks in a baking dish and preheat the oven to 425.

Zest both lemons onto the chicken. Contrary to the picture’s depiction, I actually do not have even a little bit of a green thumb.

Squeeze the juice from both lemons all over

Sprinkle with a dash of rosemary and thyme. Enough to cover the top… it’s not a science. You can’t really have too much.

Crush and chop three cloves of garlic

Sprinkle on top of the chicken.

Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl.

Drizzle over the chicken. This will help to get the skin browned and golden and yummy.

In the oven she goes for 50 minutes.

Halfway through, at the 25 minute mark, I added a bag of broccoli. I tossed it around in the lemony buttery sauce and let it roast under the chicken.

25 minutes and 165 F later and the chicken was goldeny crisp. A simple but satisfying end to the day, just no picture to prove it.

HungrySister Presents: Cream Scones

2011-09-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

I, like HungryMom, am NOT a baker. I don't like to measure, I don't own an electric mixer, and I have a really hard time being tied down to a recipe…not to mention every time I try to bake something it either collapses, explodes, or doesn't look anything close to what it is supposed to. For this reason I have let my much more baking-inclined roommate take over all baking activities in our kitchen.

Don't get me wrong, I love love love desserts, sweets, baked goods, you name it. Love to the point where I give them up for Lent every year (and fail every year).

I was recently discussing fairs with my boyfriend and talking about how I can't wait until I can get my hands on some "fair food." His response was something like "I LOVE fair food! Elephant ears? SCONES!?" Now, I don't know about you, but in my mind fair food is funnel cakes, boardwalk fries, deep fried oreos, and smoked bbq sandwiches…I guess they do things a little differently in the Pacific Northwest! I have never in my life seen a scone served at a fair, but I get the idea of enjoying a handheld, flaky, buttery baked good while strolling around the fairgrounds.

I decided to make cream scones for breakfast and was a little apprehensive about successfully executing the recipe, but it worked! Even I, a baking disappointment, could master these little guys. The scones were delicious and really easy!

You'll need:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3T sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 C heavy cream
Milk for brushing
Decorative, or sparkling sugar (I used regular)

Heat oven to 400. Place rack in the middle position.

Line a baking sheet w. parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the cream. Stir until everything is moistened and a soft dough is formed.

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead a few times, shaping it into a log about 8 inches long.

Cut in two, then gently shape each half into a smooth disc about l inch thick.

With a sharp knife cut each disc into four pieces.

Arrange the 8 scones on the prepared baking sheet, leaving as much room as possible between them. Brush with milk, then sprinkle with sugar. Place in the oven and bake for 7 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake 15 minutes longer.

Voila! Finished product. These are delicious with marmalade, raspberry jam, or any other filling of your choice!

I ended up making a couple of batches recently for my grandparents' birthdays - I added half a cup of mini chocolate chips to one batch and a tbsp or 2 of cinnamon to the other. Both turned out well!

You Can’t Always Get What You Want

2011-09-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

These are the things I wanted.

I wanted to BQ. I made that no secret. I wanted to prove to myself that I could run in the 3:30’s. I’ve been dreaming of finally putting a marathon time to my name after giving up my MCM bib 2 years ago when we were pregnant with Sage. I wanted to feel strong miles 20 to 26. I wanted to sprint in to the finish, fall to my knees, and weep with joy at achieving what I had worked so hard for. Getting to Boston.

Marathons are humbling. By mile 22, I was at rock bottom. I never thought 4 short miles could seem so long and impossible after the hundreds I’ve logged on the road to get to that moment. Never in my life had I ever felt so incredibly exhausted. Every fiber of my being wanted to stop, quit, give up, sit down. My tank was absolutely depleted. Mile by mile I slowly shed every ounce of pride and self righteousness left in this body until what was left was a very exposed and humbled soul.

The night before the marathon I decided to take a page from Kristin Armstrong and write prayer requests on my pace band. Every mile had a prayer assigned to it. Some miles were requests and some were praises. These prayers literally carried me through the hard miles. The air was certainly thick with patriotism the morning of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and the victims and their families weighed heavy on my heart for many quiet miles through the woods. When I started to feel tapped out at mile 15, I remembered Brayden on my prayer list and I thought about his mother and her daily courage and trust in God’s plan for her family. Surely I could survive another mile of hardship. I prayed for my kids, Kevin, my sisters, my mom. Neighbors, close friends going through hard times and even some strangers. I gave thanks over and over again for all the love and support I got from so many friends before the race. I thought of them when I wanted to slow down. They believed in me, I needed to believe in me!

I thanked God repeatedly for my friend Meredith who made the 4 hour trip with me to Allentown. She’s the kind of friend who would run the last 14 miles of the marathon with you. The kind of friend who, if in sheer exhaustion you rudely barked “water!!” would sprint up to the next water stop, fill your water, and run it back with a big smile and an encouraging word. Do you have a friend who wants the absolute best for you? So much so that at the base of a towering, steep hill at Mile 24, at your weakest and most defeated moment, she would literally put her hand on your back and PUSH you up the hill? I do, and I’m brought to tears all over again thinking how blessed I am for that!

Somewhere between miles 24 and 25 I realized that my all-important BQ had slipped out of my hands. I would be mere minutes from qualifying. But by that point I was completely okay with it. I never once, in 3 hours, 43 minutes and 3 seconds, gave up the fight. I felt humbled and closer to God and my true self than I ever have. I learned so much about the beast of the marathon and the things I would do differently next time. It was not at all what I went into this race wanting, but I left Allentown with the realization that every minute of the weekend was exactly what I needed.

You can’t always get what you want,
You can’t always get what you want,
And if you try sometimes, you find,
You Get What You Need.

Taper Time

2011-08-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

It’s here, it’s here! Tapering is both the best and worst time of training. Half of me is PUMPED about getting a break from intense long runs and workouts.. conveniently, right in time for out first week of school! The other half of me is wondering if I did all that I could. Wondering if I gave it my all on every single run that led up to this time.

At the current moment, I’m feeling grateful for the running reprieve this week. My number one focus is going to be all about sending my first baby boy on a big yellow school bus for the very first time. Tomorrow morning we enter the next chapter of our parenting lives. The backpack is packed, the camera battery charged, the clothes laid out, forms filled, supplies bought, and (a little regretfully) PTA dues are paid.

Just with marathon tapering, I’m having mixed emotions about this transition onto the next chapter. Half of me is bursting with excitement for him. The other half has doubts. Did I do all I could to prepare him for this next phase? Am I going to be the mom he needs me to be in the coming years when we face bullies, and girlfriends, and being picked last at recess? Did I savor each and every minute I was blessed to be at home with him?

Time is up on both accounts. Now its time to sit back, trust in the “training,” and watch the fruits of my labor come to be.

So yes, I’m thankful for the running break this week so I can focus all my energy on my baby. Here’s to keeping it simple this week.

Simple Grilled Chicken Pesto Packets

Chicken breasts (one per person)
1 tablespoon of pesto per chicken breast
olive oil
any veggies… I chose spinach, onion, and roasted red and yellow pepper from a jar
Aluminum foil
salt and pepper

pour about a tablespoon of olive oil onto a sheet of foil

Add the chicken breast

Take one tablespoon of the pesto

Spread it all over

Top with spinach

The roasted peppers

And the onion

Then wrap it up in the foil loosely so there’s room to steam in there

Grill for about 15 minutes.

Simple and perfect.

Bring it On, Fall.

2011-08-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, signing up for a marathon on September 11th seemed like a genius idea. Two things appealed to me most. First off, the Allentown marathon is exactly one day before registration opens for Boston. One. Day. This is completely reflective of my procrastinating nature. I like a deadline to really get me working hard (read: stressing out).

Second, I liked the idea of being done with marathon training in the very early fall. In years past, I have a memory of being OVER trying to squeeze in long runs into an already jam-packed fall calendar.

Well, all of that made sense on paper, but the reality of the situation is that the September 11 deadline is quickly barreling toward me and doubt is creeping in. Am I a crazy person? Can I qualify for Boston? Did I train hard enough? Is it going to be way too hot out?

I have one 20 miler left on the schedule and then it’s taper time. I’ve pretty much done as much as I can up until this point, so all I can do now is pray for confidence, and for cooler fall temps in the next two weeks!

Although it may have been 90 degrees last week, I was willing in fall with this quick and easy stew. Loved that there was something that everyone in my family would eat out of this meal! You could EASILY adapt this to crock pot, just throw it all in and let it simmer all day long.

Pintos and Kielbasa

1 package of kielbasa (I used the whole package, but use as much as you want! I’d double in the crockpot)

1 can of Pinto Beans

1 can of Northern Beans

1 can of Rotel (tomatoes and green chiles)

1 can of tomato sauce

1 can of stewed tomatoes, chopped up

1 green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

couple cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon of chili powder

Optional (and recommended) 2 tablespoons of curry powder

Add some olive oil to a skillet and saute the veggies (green pep, onion, garlic)

While that is sauteeing, slice the kielbasa. My kids LOVE kielbasa (cause its basically a glorified hot dog) so I knew this meal would be a winner.

Stir in all the cans of tomatoey things

Wash and drain the beans

Add them in, bring to a slow boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes or so to let flavors meld.

Season with salt, pepper, and chili powder.

I served it with some bread. Pretty easy!

After I served the kids their portions I added curry powder because I can’t leave well enough alone, and it was SUCH a crucial addition. It’s fine without it, if you’re not down with those flavors, but if you want more of a kick try that out!

Holy Guacamole

2011-08-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

My first-born baby starts kindergarten in exactly two weeks

Less than one month to go until my Allentown, PA marathon

HOLY GUACAMOLE where has the summer gone?

I’ve been making guacamole since I was a kid. Salads and guacamole were always delegated as my job for dinner. Much preferred over the kid chosen to set the table or do the dishes. I have very poignant memories of my dad teaching me how to make the perfect guacamole in the summer. It’s a simple recipe but tried and true. Only a few weeks left until we bid ado to this summer staple...

2 ripe avocados

half of a small white onion, chopped finely

4 roma tomatoes (I like mine more tomatoey)

1 jalapeno, seeds removed (or not, if you like more heat)

lime juice (crucial)

handful of cilantro

garlic powder and salt

First thing I do is add the lime juice to the bowl. Half a lime is just the right amount.

Then I cut around the pit of the avocado

Loosen the pit by kind of whacking your knife into it. Once its firmly in there, twist gently to remove

Like so… then I basically just bang that on the counter top til so it falls off. I’m sure there’s a better way but I’m a creature of habit.

Scoop put the flesh with a spoon

Dice and add to lime juice

Mash well with a fork or a mix and chop

Add the tomatoes, diced finely

Remove the seeds from the jalapeno and dice finely

Add to guac

Chop the onion finely

Add to guac with chopped cilantro. Season generously with garlic powder and salt. I actually prefer garlic powder over fresh garlic for this. I’m a salt addict so I usually add quite a bit of salt as well. :)

Love these chips from Trader Joes

The most heavenly summer bite

My Heart is Stuffed

2011-08-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I celebrated my 26th birthday. The past few days have left me feeling so loved, so blessed and so FULL. It’s an interesting conundrum to be 26, married for 6 years, and a mom of three kids 5 and under. Some days when I get in a funk, I feel like I don’t fit anywhere. I feel too young to be “old” and to old to be “young,” so to speak.

More often than not though, I am blissfully aware of how the unique path that God set out for me resulted in so much more than I could have crafted if I was to design my own life. I get to dabble in a little bit of everything. I get to have meaningful relationships with women who are 25 and with women who are 45. Time has taught me age is much less about your chronological number and much more about the life stage you are at. Case and point: The lifeguard who saw me schlepping my three kids, cooler, towels and sunblock into the pool guessed I was turning 32. The waiter who served my husband and I and some friends a few hours later while we were kid-free, care-free, and dressed like actual 20 year olds guessed I was 23. Or maybe he wanted a bigger tip. Anyway, I’ll take the average!

I digress - what made the past few days so incredibly special is how many of my dearest friends took the time out of their VERY busy lives to spend time with me. As we get older, the gift of time becomes more and more valuable. Its the only thing that as adults, we seem to have less of. I’m so grateful for all of you and our special relationships, my heart is truly STUFFED!

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers with Cous Cous

*My beautiful Aunt made these at the beach for 35 people! Her’s were much better but I tried to replicate as well as I could guess! I loved how easy they were, thanks Aunt Patty!!**

1 pound of lean ground turkey or beef

4 peppers (I’m loving getting these at the farmers market, they are a STEAL compared to the grocery store. 79 cents a pepper!!)

1 jar of Corn and Black Bean Salsa (here’s where I screwed up, I needed twice this amount pictured)

1 cup of cous cous

shredded cheese for the top

First off slice the tops off the peppers. Don’t throw those away! I chopped the top part, sans stem, and saved for dinner for tonight.

Stab holes on the bottom to release steam. You can boil them here first if you don’t want your peppers to be crunchy but I like mine with a little fresh crunch. And let’s be real, it’s easier.

Bring a cup of water to a boil in a saucepan. When its boiling, add cous cous

Remove from heat and let it fluff up

While the water was heating up I browned the ground turkey in a skillet

When it was about cooked through I added the jar of Corn and Black bean salsa. Since this wasn’t enough liquid and ground turkey is very dry I SHOULD have added a can of Rotel or diced tomatoes or more salsa. I would suggest that you have about 4 cups of salsa. I know my Aunt swears by Walmart’s Black Bean Salsa, and says it is the best for this recipe!

I added more corn because I could get the kids to eat it

Add in the cooked cous cous

Toss it around! How pretty

Stuff those peppers to the brim

Arrange in a baking dish, if I had more salsa I’d probably pour more on top of each one!

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. At the 20 minute mark, take it out and add cheese to the top.

I added a little hot sauce to the finished product because as I’ve mentioned before, I just can’t leave well enough alone. These were even better the next day!

When Vacation Gives you Lemons...

2011-07-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

Reentry is hard. This week I am trying my darndest to get back in the groove of the grind after a full seven days of family time in the sun, surf and sand. 100+ degree weather just isn’t as fun on the steamy blacktops of suburbia as it is in a beach chair with my feet in the cool ocean water and the beach breeze in my hair.

As it goes with vacation, I came home to a fridge of random ingredients. I had feta, some frozen ground turkey, greek yogurt, spinach, rotten milk, frozen hamburger buns, some cucumbers from a neighbor, and a million lemons. Not a bad lot, but definitely not a whole lot of options for Superman, sorry buddy :)

My neighbor and chef extraordinaire, Tawnya, had recently told me about some tasty Spanikopita burgers she made that I knew I wanted to try out. And when vacation leaves you with a million lemons, make Tzatziki? After I scrounged up some tomatoes I got to work. For a fridge full of random ingredients, this turned out pretty dang good.

Spanakopita Burgers

(adopted from Rachael Ray’s recipe)

1 pound of ground turkey or chicken

1 bag of spinach

half an onion and a couple cloves of garlic (I always always have onion and garlic)

oregano

1/2 cup of crumbled feta

Hamburger buns (optional)

For the tzatziki topping:

1 cup of Greek Yogurt

1 cucumber

half a small red onion

2 cloves garlic

cherry tomatoes

1 lemon

2 tsp Dill

Olive Oil

First thing’s first, heat a saute pan over medium high heat and add a turn of the pan of olive oil. Chop the garlic and onions.
Add to the saute pan and let them go for about 2 minutes.
Then add the spinach. I did use the whole bag. The original recipe called for frozen spinach but I just really have something against frozen spinach. Fresh spinach is so pretty! I added about half (enough to fit in the pan), let it cook down, and then added the other half
Like so

While that spinach is doing it’s thing, get started on the Tzatziki. Add the greek yogurt to the mixing bowl. (P.S. I got to use my new Bamboo fiber mixing bowls from Pampered Chef’s not yet released fall collection, I love them). Then add the 2 tsp of Dill. Fresh dill is so much more flavorful but dry will do.
Add two cloves of garlic.

Oh hey, spinach is done. Put that in a separate bowl to cool while you finish the Tzatziki. You will inadvertently cook the ground turkey if you try and mix it all while it’s hot!

Focus Karen, back to the tzatziki. Add the lemon juice.

Peel the cucumber

I really wanted the cucumber pulverized so I used the food chopper and got the pieces nice and teeny.
Add it in the sauce.
Chop tomatoes. I love the colors of these.
Score and cut the red onion (I would leave this out if I wanted the tzatziki to be more of a dip and less of a burger topping)
Then toss it allllll together.
To the spinach bowl, add the 1/2 cup feta and about a tablepsoon of oregano.
Then the ground turkey and mix it well. I just really think you can’t mix a burger well unless you get in there with your hands, so don’t be shy just do it.
Form into patties and refrigerate until you are ready to go.

When you’re ready, heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. I would recommend pan frying these versus grilling because they are a bit juicy and might fall apart on the grill.
Cook through on both sides until they are golden brown and cooked through. I think this took me about 10 to 15 minutes.

I actually ate these open faced but I thought for the picture they looked cuter with a hat. Next time I would definitely throw some Hot Pepper Rings or Pepperoncini on there because I’m insane and have to have something spicy in every meal I eat. Might try pita instead of Hamburger Rolls too!

A Perfect Summer Night

2011-07-02T11:52:00.000-07:00

It's already the 4th of July. How did that happen so quickly? We are in the thick of summer right now and I'm loving the long, lazy days with the kids (as lazy as a long day with kids can be, that is). I'm loving the late-night 8 pm runs when the sun is not even close to setting and families are still outside enjoying the end of the evening. I'm especially loving the abundance of my favorite veggies at the farmers market.

Earlier this week we went over to our friend's house for dinner (Kym, of Dumpling Soup). It was such a beautiful summer night. One of those moments where you just pause, breathe deeply and soak up the idyllic scene around you. Hanging out with close friends. Kids playing together happily in a freshly mowed, perfect backyard. The smell of food on the grill. Cold drinks in hand. We even got a little live acoustic performance from Kym's husband. A truly perfect summer night. God is good.

This meal is the epitome of summer in my eyes. Bright red tomatoes, meat on the grill, and fresh, pungent basil picked straight form the garden. Or in my case, stolen from my neighbor (thanks, Leslie). My basil didn't fare too well this summer but I have plenty of nice neighbors who let me come and steal some of their stash. :)

Tuscan Pork and Beans

Pork Chops

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1 can of Cannelini Beans

1 medium onion

couple cloves of garlic

cherry tomatoes (not pictured) but about 10 or so

lotsa lotsa basil

Earlier in the day I prepped a few of the ingredients so we would be ready to rock when we got to Kym's. Chopped the onions and garlic...

And the 'matoes

Put them in a baggy so they were ready to go

Added olive oil, salt and pepper to the pork. Don't get hung up on an amount, just enough to coat.

When we got there, Kym acted as the very talented hand model while I photographed. Do you even know mow much easier it is to photograph these meals with an extra set of hands?!

Cambria was the overworked basil picker... because as I stated above, you need lotsa lots of it.

Open the beans and drain 'em

Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a sauce pan over medium heat

Add the tomatoes, onions and garlic and cook saute until the onions are translucent, stirring every so often. About 5 minutes.
In the meantime start chopping that basil If you roll it up and then chop it you get pretty little ribbons
Add the beans to the tomatoes, onions and garlic
Stir well
Add the basil
And salt and pepper to taste

That's done. How easy was that?!

Get the pork on the grill. I leave grilling to males so I'm not sure how long on each side. As long as it has grill marks, I'm happy.
now, VERY IMPORTANT. After you flip the meat, add fresh basil on top while the other side grills. You can shut the grill. This is why you need lots and lots of basil. I hope you have nice, basil-rich neighbors like I do!
Serve the grilled pork family-style over the beans. I thought this would be even better with a squeeze of fresh lemon over the top as well.
Perfect summer meal for the perfect summer night!

I'll Take S'more

2011-06-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

I've got a laundry list of reasons I love to run. Personal growth, challenging myself, having an outlet, being outdoors. But the most fun thing about running to me is knowing that after a hard workout I can pretty much eat what I want guilt-free. Let's be real, I'm pretty sure I would devour 20 of these whether I ran that day or not. But a good hard run earlier in the morning makes me feel like I deserve to eat 20 of them. My track coach, however, might disagree... let's hope he doesn't find my blog :)

Nothing says summertime like S'mores and these little guys are insanely quick, easy and addicting. I love that I can keep all the ingredients on hand so I can make them at a moments notice and I love that the kids can help make them.

Mini Muffin S'mores

(Pampered Chef Recipe)

7 Honey Graham Crackers

6 tablespoons Butter

1/4 cup Powdered Sugar

12 marshmallows

2 Hershey's chocolate bars

First preheat the oven to 350. Then melt the butter in a large microwaveable bowl (about 45 seconds)
While that is in the microwave, use a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin to finely crush the graham crackers

I don't know who's more excited, me or them...
Add the crushed graham crackers to the butter
Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Mix well

Scoop about a table spoon worth into every tin of a mini muffin pan
Like so
use a tart shaper to press these down WELL
Ready to go... stick them in the oven for just 2 minutes.

WARNING: Once I made these and put them in the oven for 5 minutes. I may or may not have started eating the leftover graham cracker/warm butter/sugar mixture and completely forgotten all about the ones in the oven. They burned, and they sucked. So... 2 minutes!!

WARNING 2: Another time I made these I decided to skip this step altogether and the finished product was all crumbled , so the moral of the story is... do as I say, not as I do.

On this occasion they worked out, and if you're wondering yeah I made these 3 times in a 2 day period, get over it.

In those 2 minutes, use some shears to cut 12 marshmallows in half
And get the chocolate ready to go
did I mention already that if you have extra time while the graham crackers are in the oven stay far far from away from the leftovers
When they come out of the oven, add one chocolate square to each tin
then top with one marshmallow
annnd back in the oven for 3 minutes

You MUST let them cool for 10 minutes before you pop them out or they will fall apart. But, really, how CUTE are these???
Bite-sized

The kids plus my nephew helped make them on father's day. This is the night I skipped the first bake and they fell apart... we ate them anyway. :)

Chicken Pineapple Quesadillas

2011-06-13T04:09:00.000-07:00

I'm always on the hunt for a meal that I can get all 5 of us to eat without anyone whining at me. I Saw this on Pioneer Woman's blog a few weeks back and figured it might be a meal that fit the bill. Of course I had to leave out the cilantro and jalapenos for Superman, but all in all it was a meal everyone could get into.

Now that it is grilling season, I like to make sure we grill a little extra meat on the weekends to use throughout the week. This is a great way to put some leftover grilled chicken to use!

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas

1 pineapple, grilled

1 to 2 chicken breasts, grilled

Monterey Jack or Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese

jalapenos (jar or fresh)

handful of cilantro

flour tortillas

any BBQ sauce

First I pounded out the chicken breast because I grilled this inside using a grill pan and press, so I wanted to be sure it cooked evenly.

A little olive oil, salt and pep on both sides and then to the grill pan for 5 minutes on each side. Next time I did this I marinated it in BBQ sauce and then grilled... much better
While that's going, I sliced the pineapple. Take off the top and bottom...
Slice into quarters
Then into 8ths
And then cut down both sides so that just the sweet tender part remains

Chicken is done!
While the pineapple grills, make a little assembly line.. rub olive oil on one side of each tortilla, then layer cheese on the other side of half of them

The rest of the assembly line ready to go; sliced grilled pineapple, grilled chicken, and chopped cilantro
On top of the cheese layer the chicken, pineapple, cilantro, jalapeno, and drizzle the BBQ sauce
Transfer to a warmed skillet or saute pan (olive oiled sides out) and brown on both sides. The flip will be tricky, but you have to let the cheese get melty enough to hold everything together, and then flip

Served it with some straight up Greek Yogurt. Yum! Love the combo of spicy, salt and sweet.

HungrySister Presents: Iron Chef - Honey

2011-06-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

HungrySister hijacks the blog while HungryMom's vacationing!

The first Monday of every month, my account team's Games and Recreation Committee releases a 'secret ingredient' for the monthly Iron Chef competition. We have a week to plan our entries for the great unveiling of our dishes the following Monday, where we reserve a conference room so everyone can sample each other's dishes and vote for their favorite. The winner receives a cooking tool and a trophy (and glory). As you can imagine this makes the first week of every month way more awesome. Spoiler alert - I've lost both competitions so far, but my day will come...eventually.

May's secret ingredient was honey. I decided to make a baked brie because it is fairly simple and a crowd-pleaser. Looking back, I should have used WAY more honey. Refer to the pictures below as a starting point and then just go ape-wild with the honey.

You'll need:

1 sheet puff pastry. Puff pastry needs to defrost for 40 minutes before you use it, which I learned the hard way.

1 wheel of brie

1 bee hive or 1 c or so of honey

1/2 cup walnuts/pecans/almonds - whatever you happen to have. I used walnuts because I like the texture!

1 egg, for the egg wash

2 tbsp sugar to sprinkle on top

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the wheel of brie in half and proceed to fill the brie with an unnatural amount of honey (about 1/2 to 3/4 c honey). I attempted to do this here but was wildly unsuccessful.

Add the nuts - more or less, depending on how nutty of a person you are. Roll the puff pastry out on a floured surface and place your honey brie sandwich in the middle. now ADD MORE HONEY! Imagine this with honey all over the place. Wrap the puff pastry up like a present. I wish I had a more instructive way of saying this, but all the recipe just said 'like a present,' so there you go. Make the egg wash by mixing the egg with a little water, and then brush over the pastry. I don't have a pastry brush so I had to use my hands, which was less than ideal. Sprinkle the top with the sugar. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil (unless you love scrubbing dishes like I do, apparently) and place the brie in the center. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Behold, my losing entry! Let me know how it turns out with the extra honey! I think it could also be delicious with a little cinnamon or nutmeg sprinkled in the center, or chopped dried fruit.

Not For Wimps!

2011-05-31T04:59:00.001-07:00

I wanted to squeeze in a post before Kevin and I take off for a kidless vacation to Colorado in 48 hours to celebrate our 6 year anniversary and Kev's 30th. If you're a burglar reading this, save yourself the time, you won't find anything here but lego Batmen and goldfish crumbs.

Organizing childcare was no small feat, and this trip is possible thanks to three wonderful, brave women, two of whom are watching MY kids, in addition to their OWN kids, at different times in different places! Such an undertaking is NOT for wimps!

We have vacationed to Colorado several times before to visit Kevin's sister, Kelly (who is coincidentally my best friend) and something I love about it out there is that we spend the entire vacation being ACTIVE and OUTSIDE. Hiking, biking, walking, running! Cause that's just what you do there. That is the one thing that makes me want to uproot our family and head West.

Lucky for me, the training plan for my September marathon kicks off this week and I will get to do my first long run in the beautiful mountains of Boulder! Sounds picturesque, and it will be, but running at 5,000+ feet elevation is not for wimps! Kelly will have to escort me just to ensure that I don't pass out on the trails!

Sticking with my theme today, here's an aweeeeesome recipe, although not for wimps. And by wimps in this case, I mean kids. Too spicy for the little people, but sooooooo yummy for the big and brave.

I love having an EASY new crock pot recipe for my repertoire, especially since I now have about 6 minutes between when I put Sage in the farthest corner away from the stairs, and she ends up here:

Spicy Shredded Beef (Not for Wimps)

adapted from Sunset magazine on Myrecipes.com

2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck (Buying meat with weird names like "chuck" and "round" usually intimidates me but I just walked up to the counter and asked the butcher to find it for me)

6 oz of jalapenos

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder (recipe called for chipotle sauce but that was impossible to find. You can get chipotle chili at any grocery store)

1 tablespoon honey

2 tsp cumin

2 cups of beef broth

Kaiser rolls, red onion, greek yogurt, tomato slices, and cilantro for serving

First chop up the garlic, jalapeno, and onion. MMMM you know it's going to be good when you start by chopping up 6 oz of jalapenos!!
Did that in a bowl with my salad choppers, then added the can of undrained diced tomatoes
Then one and a half cans worth of beef broth. Recipe called for 2 cups but I ended up doing more like three.
Then two teaspoons of cumin
1 tablespoon of chili powder
The chipotle chili powder
Annnnd the honey
Mix it up, and dump it on top of the beef in the crock pot!
Cover and low for 8 to 10 hours! When it's done, I took it out and rough chopped it all up
Then added it back in with the sauce until it was ready to serve
Toppings ready to go
Toast the buns
Annnnnd put it all together. INCREDIBLE. One wasn't enough for HungryMom so I did my second one open face and it was fab. Kevin had about 15.

One Shoe

2011-05-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

It's been an insane May. We have about 200 family celebrations in May and I love every minute of it. Well, in complete honestly, some years on May 1st when I look at my calendar for the month my heart starts palpitating. But all in all I DO love celebration after celebration. Just this past weekend we partied it up for the last of our May celebrations; my husbands 30th, our 6 year anniversary, and Batman's 4th.

One event in May I always look forward to is MOTHER'S DAY! Love Mother's Day. It's a day where I know I can guarantee that I get quality time with my little family of five, and I can ask Daddy to change diapers, do dishes, make dinner, and pick-up totally guilt-free. :) Maybe it's the Catholic in me, or maybe it just comes with the territory of being a Mom, but I always feel a bit of guilt hanging over me about leaving my family for whatever reason. Running races is definitely one of those times. I feel guilty leaving the kids before they wake up. I feel guilty spending a weekend morning running a race instead of having quality family of five time. I feel guilty spending money on a race entry.

On Mother's Day I decided instead of sleeping in, I wanted to start the day doing something I love, totally guilt free. I entered a local 5K with some other mommy running friends. On the way there we laughed about the fact that we must be a little crazy to choose getting up early to run over sleeping in on a day that is devoted to us.

A part of me wanted redemption at this 5K. I was still a little bitter that the last 5K was short, making my finish time not all that valid. From the second the gun went off I knew it was going to be a bust. My Garmin didn't start. Shoot. I heard Meredith next to me say, "Forget about it, just GO." In a 5k, there really isn't time to stop and think. It's over before it even starts, so I just forgot about the watch and started running hard. About halfway through the first mile I noticed my shoe was untied. Okay, no big deal, I kept going. Then by midway through my second mile my shoe was more than untied, it was falling off. For a minute I was pissed. Is this really happening? Then I started laughing to myself. Oh hey God, there you are, just messing with me a little. A little reminder that I don't run and race for redemption, or to win, or to have some personal glory, I run to enjoy the gifts that He gave me.

I'm a mom. I'm a mom who can run. I'm a mom who can run with her friends.

I dragged my foot on the ground through the rest of the race just pondering those blessings and laughing about how things never go as planned, but sometimes they go better.

The last .1 I decided just to run without dragging my foot, and my shoe came flying off. I finished the race with one shoe. I had such a fun morning with my friends who all did amazing, just laughing about how I ran with one shoe, and how the course was way hillier than we thought it would be, and how we all had a great time just enjoying one another's company.

In a lot of ways, I feel like I'm running through life right now with one shoe. We are entering the crazy time of life. Little kids running around with lots of different schedules to coordinate, very little time to ourselves, a calendar so packed it makes my head hurt a little, a constantly messy house, way too much work and way too little sleep, and a To-Do list that never shortens. I feel like I spend half the day running around like a crazy lady with one shoe. And I'm pretty sure it's only going to get more chaotic from here on out for the next few years. The shoeless race was a little reminder to enjoy these days for exactly what they are... crazy, unexpected, and great memories I will look back on one day and both laugh about and long for.

And what would a running story be without a recipe, especially since I've been ignoring recipes on this blog lately. Just a quickie I've been making a ton, courtesy of Breanna Doyle.

Black Bean Salsa

1 can of Corn

1 can of Black Beans

4 roma tomatoes (I prefer roma over the grape I used here)

half an onion

1 seeded jalapeno

juice from 1 lime

cilantro

3 garlic cloves

salt

Rinse and drain the corn and black beans and place in a bowl
Oops skipped some steps, but I just put the tomatoes, onion and jalapeno in a food processor and chopped well. Then add to corn and black beans and mix well.
Forgot to put cilantro in the food processor! I used salad choppers to chop those up into the salsa after the fact.
Add lime juice and pressed garlic and some salt to taste. YUMMY.

I usually serve it as a dip but this would be awesome served over grilled chicken or fajitas!

HungrySister Presents: Sunday Night Dinner

2011-05-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

It's me, HungrySister! Karen asked me to guest blog as she has been even busier than usual recently. Before we start, let me set the scene:

Act 1: Karen asks me to guest blog. I am VERY EXCITED.

Act 2: My mood plummets as I realize that the only recipes I make are in fact HungryMom meals. Depression sets in as I realize my guest blogs will be nothing but recycled recipes made in a less cool kitchen - without even cute kid pictures to distract you. No Laura, no! Pull yourself together!!

Act 3: I whip out the 5 Barefoot Contessa cookbooks I've been getting consecutively Christmas after Christmas and realize that I actually DO have some stuff in my arsenal! No recycled dishes and recycled pictures of Superman, Batman, and TGB! That's a lie; I'm definitely throwing in some vintage kid pics to keep you guys interested. Look, here's one right now!!!

So my first attempt of a non-recycled Hungry Mom recipe will be my version of a family Sunday night dinner in our household growing up. During the week I'd come home from track practice and eat from the second I got home until the second I went to bed (….but for real, that happened) no matter how may times my mom told me to wait until we could eat as a family - I was a ravenous monster and could not be stopped. Fridays and Saturdays were usually spent with friends, but there was mandated attendance at Sunday night dinner - no excuses! Attending Sunday night dinner clearly wasn't difficult when Karen and I were younger - we'd spend way too much time setting the table and getting everything perfect for dinner time. I recall Karen once orchestrating a Japanese-themed meal with paper lanterns and kimonos included - she was 17 at the time. Sike sike sike, subtract about ten years.

I've been making an effort to keep Sunday nights special by trying out a new recipe every Sunday. This probably actually really happens about twice a month, but every other week ain't bad! Warning - this recipe is not the healthiest…but it is delicious and perfect for a special Sunday night. Shout out to my girl Ina Garten for showing me how to put it all together.

Sunday Night Chicken with Shallots

You'll need:

4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on

3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/3 fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

1/4 cup minced shallots (about 1 shallot or 1 small onion if you don't have any shallots!)

3 tbsp heavy cream

4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and give them a good sprinkle of salt and pepper on both sides.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes in a good sized skillet. Place the chicken breasts skin side down in the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes WITHOUT MOVING THEM! Seriously, don't touch them. Step away. That is the only way they will get golden brown!

Using tongs (or in my case a couple of mismatched spatulas) turn the chicken breasts skin side up and put the skillet in the oven for about 12-15 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Proof of golden brownness:

While that's cooking away, combine the white wine, lemon juice, and shallots in a medium pan and cook over medium-high heat for about five minutes (until a few tbsp of the liquid remain in the pan). If it reduces too much you can add another splash of wine or water.

Check out the PC citrus press I got for my bday! Heck ya, 24! P.S. - Those are not my hands, promise.

Add the cream, some salt, and some pepper and bring to a full boil. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Mmm, cream and butter, thankfully there are no calories on the weekends.

Stir it all together and add a little more salt!

Chicken with the shallot sauce - I think the pink shallots looked a little weird but got over it very quickly after I had my first bite!

I had it with some easy pesto roasted tomatoes and baked red potatoes. A very Sunday night dinner, if you ask me!

Be My Guest

2011-05-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

I'm really not a big fan of the term Sister in Law. That's probably because I am really close with my sister in laws and I've always felt that the "in law" part of that description makes them sound like forced family rather than chosen friends. I was actually good friends with all three of my sister in laws before I even got to know my husband. Because of that, they usually take my side in domestic squabbles :)

My SIL, or rather, my dear friend, Kate had us over last week to celebrate her dad's birthday. I was curious about what she was going to prepare that was going to be easy to make since I knew they had plans all day. I was wondering if it would be something that would please both the kids and the adults. I thought she might go crock-pot but it was a pretty hot and sticky day so I didn't know if that was an option, and they recently had a deck built so I wasn't sure if the grill had made its way up to its new home. Yes, I think this deeply about what is for dinner.

She totally surprised me with this one and it was AWESOME! It came together in 15 minutes and there was something in it that everyone could eat. I totally loved this idea for entertaining, so I made a batch last night for my fam to try it out. I wouldn't add this into my weekly rotation ONLY because EZ peel shrimp is a bit on the expensive side, but I would serve it to guests for sure. Non-shellfish-allergic guests that is.

However I totally lucked out because when I went to Teeter to shop for ingredients, the EZ peel shrimp, corn, AND kielbasa were all on sale so the dish ended up being affordable as well. Cheap, easy and yummy... gotta love it.

Kate's Super Simple Shrimp Boil

(I looked up a few recipes that all had too many ingredients. The more straightforward, the better, in my opinion)

3 potatoes

4 ears of corn

2 onions

2 Turkey Kielbasa Links

1 bag of Frozen EZ Peel Shrimp, thawed (I think it was a 2 lb bag)

3/4 CUP, yup a cup, of Old Bay

1 lemon

First and foremost, get your biggest pot and fill it with water about 2/3 full. Wait for it to get to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, shuck your corn.

And break it in half. First I tried cutting the corn in half with my big knife but who knew? It is WAY easier to just break these in half with your hands.
Quarter the onions
Skin and quarter the potatoes
and the Kilebasa
When the water is boiling, add the potatoes. Boil for 5 minutes then add the corn and onions.
Add allll the Old Bay
Stir it up and let it come back up to a boil. About 5 minutes. Then add your kielbasa... I was looking around for one but couldn't find any :)
A few minutes later add the bag of shrimpies
After about 5 minutes you will want to drain the pot. My drainer is flat and I love it, but I had to use two hands so I couldn't really photograph it.
Just dump onto one of those huge oversized platters you got for your wedding that you never use, and throw lemon slices all over it!
I had a ton leftover, but since all the ingredients are pretty straightforward it will be easy for me to reuse the ingredients in other recipes this week. PLUS there's nothing bad about having some finger food for the babe ready to go.

April or August?

2011-04-26T07:06:00.001-07:00

Sunday night I set my alarm forward from 5:22 am to 5:32 am. That's what hot weather means to this runner. 10 more glorious minutes of sleep since I can trade in the long spandex, 2 layers of shirts, neck warmer, ear warmer, gloves and headlamp for simply a t-shirt and shorts. When I head out there in the early morning, the streets are already packed with other runners and walkers squeezing in some fitness before work. The nice weather brings them out in droves and I love it.

The funny thing about the weather in Virginia is that although we get 4 seasons, Spring and Fall are BRIEF. Before you know it "Spring" has turned into humid 90 degree days, and "Fall" has turned into 2 feet of snow. And April is the most manic month of all with Mother Nature vascillating between cold and wet to hot and humid.

It was hard to believe that yesterday was just another day in April and not August.

I even pretended it was August at dinner time. In a few months, most of these ingredients will be in peak season and might even be growing in your own backyard. This is an easy recipe I've made many times. It's simple enough that I could throw it together while the boys played out on the slip n side, then I just stuck it into the oven while we went out for a (hot and sticky) walk.

Basil Shrimp and Feta with Orzo

(from Cooking Light magazine like three years ago)

3 cups of uncooked orzo
1 pound of raw peeled and deveined shrimp
1 bunch of basil
3 medium sized tomatoes
1 lemon
1 cup of crumbled fat free feta
salt, pepper, and garlic powder
olive oil

First things first, bring water to a boil and cook the orzo for about 5 minutes. This step probably takes the longest of the whole process.

While you are waiting, line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil

Spray it with cooking spray

Rough chop basil or "chiffonade" which basically just means roll it up and then cut it into strips

Mix it with the bowl of raw shrimp

Dice the tomatoes

Orzo is done! I used a strainer to move it over to a bowl (separate bowl than the shrimp/basil)

Give the orzo a turn of olive oil. I dont know maybe 3 tablespoons or so? You just don't want it to stick together.

Zest one lemon... If you don't have a little zester no worries just skip this step. It will still be yummy :)

Then add the juice from half of them lemon. And by the way taking this picture with my right hand while juicing with my left hand was very akward.

Then add the cup of feta. Yummmm feta, I love you

And then the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, generously!!

Mix it all together

Then dump it out on the cookie sheet lined with aluminum

Add the bowl of basil and shrimp to the top. Then I sprinkled some more salt pepper and garlic powder on the top.

Put another sheet of aluminum foil and top and fold around the edges so that it's all sealed up

When you're ready, pop it into a 425 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. My tummy is seriously rumbling while I relive this and its only 10 am.

Now very important, grab that other half of the lemon you havent yet used and squeeze fresh lemon juice alllllll over it. This will really brighten it up! However, make sure you don't drop a seed in, because them lemon seeds look a lot like orzo and I definitely had the unfortunate experience of biting into a lemon seed last night.

Seriously if youre mouth isnt watering right now something is wrong with you

My only gripe about this is that orzo is quite possibly the worst food to clean up off the floor when your baby throws it all off her high chair. It's like the perfectly rotton combination of rice and pasta that makes it both small and sticky. Times like those I wish I had a dog!

Also, I did give Sage the shrimp because we have no allergies on either side of the family and she is very close to 1, but check with your doctor before you feed it to your babe.

Just Another Manic Monday...

2011-04-25T05:15:00.000-07:00

Definitely wish it was still Sunday.

Here's what's happening over here this week:
* = to be blogged

Monday:

Basil Shrimp with Feta and Orzo*

Tuesday:

Asparagus and Ham Casserole

(using up leftover ham from Easter)

Wednesday:

Kym's Dumpling Soup

Thursday:

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Friday:

Easy Shrimp Boil*