Clipart licensed from LetteringDelights.com
Alphabets licensed from LetteringDelights.com
Anyone that's a regular reader of my blog knows that I like to experiment with newly found grocery items. Sometimes I just buy the stuff and it sits, and sits, and sits (sigh) but for the most part I get up enough courage to try something new and different. This past weekend at Wegman's, I came across these:
Interesting, no? Here's their website ... while I didn't find their website until after I'd made these, they do have some good recipes for different types of sushi rolls.
Another one of my New Year's "resolutions" was to start planning our meals a week in advance - and actually stick to it. So far I'm proud to say 3 weeks of planning and we've been right on our plans. Makes weekend grocery shopping so much easier to have a list, plus I'm not running to the store every day to get that "one more thing" that costs me $50.
When making up last week's menu I decided I wanted to use at least 2 recipes from cookbooks. The first one of the week I made on Sunday and was very disappointed with the way it came out. It was a Rachael Ray recipe, Tilapia Club Stacks. Basically it did nothing for anyone here - and while the idea was unique (stacked pieces of pan fried tilapia with bacon, lettuce (tossed with a light dressing) and tomato), the taste and presentation left much to be desired. Check that one off to not make again.
For the second recipe I chose, it's also a Rachael Ray recipe (from the same book actually) and gives me an entry into this week's Presto Pasta Night. (Hey, pierogies are an awesome form of pasta!) Upon first glance, it, too, doesn't look like much.
Well, it's January 25th. Are you still in your "resolution" frame of mind? Eating healthy and all that jazz? I'm still trying to incorporate more fresh produce into our diets and it's been a change for the better.
Growing up one of my memories is going to the grocery store with my grandmother on Fridays whenever I was out of school. I loved it. It was a very bonding time for us as strange as that may sound but it allowed me to feel closer to her. One of the things I remember most is that she had a particular way she shopped. Always produce first, then canned goods, then meat, dairy and frozen foods. The funny thing is I inherited that trait from her and that's exactly how I shop today. OCD anyone?
One of the interesting things about shopping this way is I can tell exactly how much I spend on produce, or dairy, or meat just by watching the checkout. (Yes, I make sure to organize how my groceries actually go on to the belt as well ... sigh ...) While our grocery bill has stayed about the same, there's been an interesting shift in the amount I spend on produce compared to dry goods. I think that's a good thing. I remember being told that if you're trying to eat healthy, at least 90% of your total bill should come from the aisles in the grocery store around the outside - totally avoid the middle aisles and you'll notice a difference in the quality of the foods you're eating. And, lo and behold, that's right.
In purchasing so many vegetables, I now need to find recipes to use them up - because I refuse - REFUSE - to throw any of these good veggies away. In keeping with that vein, I saw a post last week from Paula, the Cookbook Junkie, that was for a Cauliflower Gratin which she got from the American Dietetic Association cookbook, Cooking Healthy Across America. It looked so delicious I knew I had to try it - even if I made a few changes to it.
I really wish someone, somewhere would invent a transporter ala Star Trek. It would make days like this so much easier to port yourself where you want to go and still be back in time for dinner.
Today is my dear friend's birthday and it pains me that we're almost 3000 miles away. I haven't seen her since last August and I can't tell you how much I miss her. Phones and emails are just not the same as being there I'm sad to say. In honor of her birthday, I decided to give her virtual cupcakes that I made yesterday (I still haven't figured out how to mail them - darn!) and post to her here.
I debated back and forth about what kind of cupcakes to make - and finally decided on Red Velvet since her favorite color is red. Usually Red Velvet cake is frosted with a boiled vanilla frosting but I went with a basic cream cheese frosting because I know how much she (and I) like cheesecake.
Happy, happy birthday, Gigi, hope your day is filled with love and joy because you deserve it! Love you!
Saturday we had a pretty big snow - maybe 6 or 7 inches - so when everyone decided we were staying in for the day I was happy to comply. Our menu for Saturday was spaghetti and sausage (Adrienne's favorite form of pasta) and originally I had though I would make garlic bread with it but after some careful thought I figured why not make some garlic knots.
Wow! I am so excited to be hosting my very first PPN. We had some great looking dishes this week and I can't wait to share them with you.
This week's Presto Pasta Night is being hosted right here on Cook, Craft, Enjoy. I'm so excited to bring you this week's entries on Friday and decided for my entry to make a easy weeknight dinner.
I subscribe to Martha Stewart's Dinner Tonight email and this one showed up in my inbox last Thursday. I knew it would be a great weeknight dinner - Carbonara is quick - and looking at the ingredients I knew it would be tasty as well. I definitely wasn't disappointed.
There are not many foods I don't like. Put most anything in front of me and I'll try it, if not like it. I'm not as adventurous as Andrew Zimmern - and I won't eat most of the things he eats, but give me something in the "normal" range and it'll do. Mostly.
One of my big dislikes is pork. Now I don't mean processed, cured pork. I mean, who can not like bacon or ham. I mean pork chops. Or roast. Or tenderloin. But only when it really tastes, well, porky. So if you disguise it with enough flavors, I'll eat it. And maybe even enjoy it (posting soon ... Travis' favorite carnitas ... om nom nom)
Unfortunately (fortunately?) my family does like pork so once in a while I'll give in and make it for them. I like using the tenderloin because it's lean and usually cooks up pretty quickly (and about a quarter of the time it's a recipe that I'll eat too). Last night I tried for Asian fusion with a tenderloin roasted and served with coconut rice (packaged), roasted broccoli and a mango salsa. I almost roasted a chicken breast along side the pork but decided since I'm not a restaurant, I'm only cooking one thing.
YEAH! This week I'll be hosting Presto Pasta Night! I'd love to have you join in. All you need to do is send your entry to desertmemories (at) hotmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday January 19. Then check back for the roundup January 20 right here!
All week the buzz at work has been how weird our weather has been so far this year (and season). While we usually get between 45 and 50 inches of snow a "winter", so far we've gotten only 10 - and 9 of those happened 3 days before Halloween. This weekend we're supposed to get rain/snow mix as the temperatures plummet into the 20s for our high, but they're not expecting much accumulation. I don't mind snow but I'm glad this weekend might not include heavy dumpings of it on us since Adrienne has several places she has to be and I'm her chauffeur.
What one thing this does mean, though, is that we can grill a little more often than we normally would during winter. We have only a charcoal grill and I can't really imagine grilling once (if?) we get tons of snow on the ground, but this week in our quest to eat a little healthier we had grilled chicken twice.
This doesn't look like the base of your normal tuna pasta salad, does it. Lucky for me, this is exactly what I created earlier this week when I set out making a healthy, filling lunch.
I am awful about making food for myself. Someone wants me to make them something? Wonderful! 99% of the time I'm happy to oblige. Eggs or pancakes for breakfast? No problem unless they're just for me. Lunch I'd rather throw a piece of turkey and cheese on some bread and call it done than go to anything more elaborate. Unless, of course, I'm cooking for someone else.
I have.to.stop.this. I have to realize that what I put in my mouth is worth just as much as what I want to feed someone else. So one of my resolution goals this week was be nicer to me. Take the time to make what I want to eat even if that involves cleaning up a little afterwards.
I told you I'm also trying to get more vegetables into my diet and this salad goes along perfectly. Add that I needed a post for this week's Presto Pasta Night (hosted by 6-time hoster Helen at Fuss Free Flavours, and as you know created by the lovely Ruth at Once Upon a Feast) and voila, a tuna pasta creation.
I know this won't surprise you, but one of my "resolutions" for this year is to get back to eating healthy and get down to a healthy weight. I'm taking these goals a little at a time and committing myself to doing the best I can. That means I won't be perfect, but I will slowly retrain myself how to eat right again.
One of the things I have gotten bad about is getting enough fruits and vegetables in my diet. I still remember clearly someone saying that if you focus on getting in 6 servings of vegetables and at least 2 servings of fruit the rest of your day will go okay because you won't have those "I'm so hungry" moments. The past couple of days have shown me that there's a lot of truth in that statement.
It amazes me just how many ways you can create pasta dishes. Case in point, this week is number 245 for Presto Pasta Night - and hosted by its lovely creator Ruth over at Once Upon A Feast.
5 wonderful years she's been doing this - I give her a lot of credit! - and it's still going strong. I love to see what creations everyone comes up with every week. Another reason to look forward to Fridays. :)
I'm wondering what Mother Nature has in store for us for this winter. Most of December was very mild - even up in the 50s during parts of it. New Years Day was in the 40s - nice enough you needed just a light jacket.
By the way, I love this shot. Since I just sent Travis back off to college yesterday
it makes me both sad that he's gone but glad that I got to spend so much time
with him. No one said that your kids growing up was easy, huh.
