Whew, I almost fell off the wagon with the dinner diary this week - and I don't have very much detail to show. I just barely remember each of our dinners, which I will record for posterity and to complete the bare minimum of what I want to have recorded! Hopefully I'll keep up with this better next week. I'm also experimenting with tracking foods and nutrition most week days (although it's not going to be very effective if I just don't track when I'm embarrassed at how much I eat/don't want to see the actual numbers...if I don't look it didn't happen!!)
August 15th, 2014
On my own tonight for some cleaning and just CHILL time. I made simple cheese, scrambled egg, bean, and leftover veggie quesadillas. I was anticipating a stressful conversation later that evening, so I drank a delicious Sofia blanc de blanc champagne can while my laundry was going - then said convo never happened! Fine with me.
August 16th, 2014
This was a really fun, packed day. We went stand-up paddle boarding in the morning! That was the big activity, and I looooooved it. Worked up an appetite and then had fried oysters and grilled veggies and sweet potato fries and Tackle Box. SO GOOD.
Then it was home to shower quickly and head to Claire's baby shower! While there, I had a glass of prosecco, 2 chocolate covered pretzels, and a vanilla georgetown cupcake. The essentials.
Finally, we went to see Jon Lovitz at the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse! I got a small veggie pizza, a White Russian, and a glass of wine to enjoy during the show. Lots of laughs. More laughs ensued when we got home and I needed to show Kyle an example of a hoarded. I just went to Netflix and searched for a hoarder show - of course, there was one available. We're watching the first episode, and something clicks in my mind: I KNOW THIS PERSON. He had asked me out on the Metro five years prior, and I still had the facebook messages to confirm! Crazy!!
August 17th, 2014
went for a run! Thai food and jackfruit chips for lunch. COOKIE BUTTER ICE CREAM
Barbecued pulled chicken breast, sweet potato fries, roasted cauliflower after walk with Ellie. She loved all the food!
August 18th, 2014
Now here's where things are going to get a little...succinct. Dinner was Trader Joe's pulled brisket in BBQ sauce, sweet potato fries, and roasted broccoli. BOOM. Ellie loved all of the components!
August 19th, 2014
Dinner was a big salad with grape tomatoes, romaine, cucumbers, and goat cheese and mozzarella. On the side, I made spiced sweet potato wedges, and roasted broccoli. Mmm so fresh and healthy. I did snack more later. Eleanor pretty much picked out the tomatoes, because they are her favorite.
August 20th, 2014
"Breakfast burritos" with cheese, scrambled eggs, and grape tomatoes. Homemade sweet potato fries on the side. Yeah Eleanor was not really feeling any of this :(. But then she did eat an ice cream cone.
August 21st, 2014
Chicken tacos from District Taco. I had about 2 1/4, and Eleanor had about 3/4 of one taco. I just loved the soft tortillas.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Monday, August 18, 2014
"Dinner Diary" Week 3
Aug 8th, 2014
Today I headed home so excited for my weekend with Eleanor! The weather was great, and we went right out for a walk to Whole Foods. This is always a fun little trip for both of us, and Eleanor looks forward to her chocolate milk when I strap her into the stroller. I got a bunch of food for the weekend and beginning of the week. For Friday's dinner, I picked up Rustico Romano chicken breasts from Whole Foods the deli, then just steamed broccoli and roasted sweet potatoes. Ellie ate everything with ketchup, of course! After she went to bed, I cleaned and watched some House MD. Then I went too bed waaaay too late.
Aug 9th, 2014
Ellie's and my day started with a trip to the POOL! She freaking loves swimming in the pool, and yells "Water! Water!" between screams of joy the entire time. She likes to both cuddle and feel like she is swimming free - so I put my hands under her chest and glide her through the water. I love watching her joy! We got spit-roasted chicken from Nando's for lunch on the way home. It was deeeelicious! I hadn't been there in a long time, but I am already craving it again.
For dinner, Ellie had a good serving of leftover lentil, chickpea, feta salad with extra cheese (havarti) on the side. After she went to bed, Kyle and I shared a plate of prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, honey goat gouda, tomatoes, salty date hazelnut crisps, and melon. We drank red wine, and then I drunkenly ate about a third of the container of hazelnut gelato...ouch. I honestly don't even want to buy it again over that overdose. We watched an episode of UTOPIA, which is probably one of my favorite shows EVER EVER.
Aug 10
What a lovely day with Eleanor - she woke me up BRIGHT and early, and I took advantage of the sprawling morning ahead of us to head up to the Zoo. We both enjoyed ourselves so much walking around and saying "hi" to bears, all kinds of birds, small mammals (MEERKATS), and others. Eleanor did a lot of walking herself, and semi-happily rode in the stroller for the rest. On the way home, we stopped by the Farm Fresh Farmers' Market in Dupont Circle. I bought my first truly delicious peaches and tomatoes of the summer - it would have been sad to not get any of those this season.
Today, Ellie took her first SHOWER. I don't think she loved it, but it was fun to take one together. I couldn't really detangle our hair, though - I was too busy trying to get her to turn around and not get water in her eyes! Dinner was yummy fish tacos from District Taco! With tons of veggies, black beans, and a little cheese and sour cream. Ellie loved these (we shared three small ones).
Aug 11
Ellie spent the night at her dad's tonight, so I went to Trivia Night at Ragtime with friends! It was lots of fun - and we came VERY close to winning - I think we only lost by two points!!! On Mondays, they have a steak dinner special that is really quite good. A New York strip steak with a grilled veggie kabob and a baked potato. Mmmm. It's all very tasty! We metro'd home and watched an episode of UTOPIA and I think I fell asleep sitting up I was so tired.
Aug 12th, 2014
Getting through the day today was TOUGH. SO TIRED. It didn't help that it poured poured poured rain for much of the day, but I felt like my heart was racing, I was short of breath - sleep deprivation really is incredibly bad for you. This experience prompted me to make a firmer commitment to get more sleep!! I had plans to get a lot done after work, but when I got home I just wanted to collapse. I wasn't even feeling hungry because the exhaustion just overwhelmed all other sensations. I did make some buttered toast with heirloom tomato, fried eggs, and pecorino cheese. And then a second toast with hummus and tomato. I rounded out dinner with some blueberries, a peach, and a pear. Then it was time for a shower and BED.
Aug 13th, 2014
We had lovely, fall-like weather today, and so we went for a walk to the grocery store after work for some ingredients to round out dinner. Despite the cooler weather, we had a quintessential summer meal of lemon dill salmon, romaine+tomato+mozzarella salad, and corn on the cob. As always, Eleanor loved her mini cob (I cut one in half for her). I was happy to have some salmon and salad for lunch the next day. For dessert had a pear with some cheddar cheese and blueberries. I also drank a small glass of beer and some half water/half lemonade. I felt a lot better than the days before, but I could still feel some fatigue lingering.
Aug 14th, 2014
I had all of the ingredients for a simple dinner for me and Ellie, so we had extra time for a nice evening walk to Logan Circle! Eleanor brought her ball and made lots of friends, including a sweet three year old girl with a French name that I never fully got...("oh! what a pretty name!"). We had a great time, and Eleanor let me carry her most of the way home while she held onto my neck. Love that. I cooked Cheddar cheese+black bean+veggie quesadillas for us, which we dipped into sour cream. For dessert, we shared a pear! Oh and I did have some half water/half lemonade because it gets me to drink more water :).
At bedtime, the obsession with 13 Words by Maira Kalman and Lemony Snicket is still going STRONG. We read it twice (she loves to point the the BIRD on every page, and she points out every TABLE and HAT.), and then she crawled over later to start reading it again on the floor. I had to pry her away! I love reading it with her so much.
Today I headed home so excited for my weekend with Eleanor! The weather was great, and we went right out for a walk to Whole Foods. This is always a fun little trip for both of us, and Eleanor looks forward to her chocolate milk when I strap her into the stroller. I got a bunch of food for the weekend and beginning of the week. For Friday's dinner, I picked up Rustico Romano chicken breasts from Whole Foods the deli, then just steamed broccoli and roasted sweet potatoes. Ellie ate everything with ketchup, of course! After she went to bed, I cleaned and watched some House MD. Then I went too bed waaaay too late.
Aug 9th, 2014
Ellie's and my day started with a trip to the POOL! She freaking loves swimming in the pool, and yells "Water! Water!" between screams of joy the entire time. She likes to both cuddle and feel like she is swimming free - so I put my hands under her chest and glide her through the water. I love watching her joy! We got spit-roasted chicken from Nando's for lunch on the way home. It was deeeelicious! I hadn't been there in a long time, but I am already craving it again.
For dinner, Ellie had a good serving of leftover lentil, chickpea, feta salad with extra cheese (havarti) on the side. After she went to bed, Kyle and I shared a plate of prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, honey goat gouda, tomatoes, salty date hazelnut crisps, and melon. We drank red wine, and then I drunkenly ate about a third of the container of hazelnut gelato...ouch. I honestly don't even want to buy it again over that overdose. We watched an episode of UTOPIA, which is probably one of my favorite shows EVER EVER.
Aug 10
What a lovely day with Eleanor - she woke me up BRIGHT and early, and I took advantage of the sprawling morning ahead of us to head up to the Zoo. We both enjoyed ourselves so much walking around and saying "hi" to bears, all kinds of birds, small mammals (MEERKATS), and others. Eleanor did a lot of walking herself, and semi-happily rode in the stroller for the rest. On the way home, we stopped by the Farm Fresh Farmers' Market in Dupont Circle. I bought my first truly delicious peaches and tomatoes of the summer - it would have been sad to not get any of those this season.
Today, Ellie took her first SHOWER. I don't think she loved it, but it was fun to take one together. I couldn't really detangle our hair, though - I was too busy trying to get her to turn around and not get water in her eyes! Dinner was yummy fish tacos from District Taco! With tons of veggies, black beans, and a little cheese and sour cream. Ellie loved these (we shared three small ones).
Aug 11
Ellie spent the night at her dad's tonight, so I went to Trivia Night at Ragtime with friends! It was lots of fun - and we came VERY close to winning - I think we only lost by two points!!! On Mondays, they have a steak dinner special that is really quite good. A New York strip steak with a grilled veggie kabob and a baked potato. Mmmm. It's all very tasty! We metro'd home and watched an episode of UTOPIA and I think I fell asleep sitting up I was so tired.
Aug 12th, 2014
Getting through the day today was TOUGH. SO TIRED. It didn't help that it poured poured poured rain for much of the day, but I felt like my heart was racing, I was short of breath - sleep deprivation really is incredibly bad for you. This experience prompted me to make a firmer commitment to get more sleep!! I had plans to get a lot done after work, but when I got home I just wanted to collapse. I wasn't even feeling hungry because the exhaustion just overwhelmed all other sensations. I did make some buttered toast with heirloom tomato, fried eggs, and pecorino cheese. And then a second toast with hummus and tomato. I rounded out dinner with some blueberries, a peach, and a pear. Then it was time for a shower and BED.
Aug 13th, 2014
We had lovely, fall-like weather today, and so we went for a walk to the grocery store after work for some ingredients to round out dinner. Despite the cooler weather, we had a quintessential summer meal of lemon dill salmon, romaine+tomato+mozzarella salad, and corn on the cob. As always, Eleanor loved her mini cob (I cut one in half for her). I was happy to have some salmon and salad for lunch the next day. For dessert had a pear with some cheddar cheese and blueberries. I also drank a small glass of beer and some half water/half lemonade. I felt a lot better than the days before, but I could still feel some fatigue lingering.
Aug 14th, 2014
I had all of the ingredients for a simple dinner for me and Ellie, so we had extra time for a nice evening walk to Logan Circle! Eleanor brought her ball and made lots of friends, including a sweet three year old girl with a French name that I never fully got...("oh! what a pretty name!"). We had a great time, and Eleanor let me carry her most of the way home while she held onto my neck. Love that. I cooked Cheddar cheese+black bean+veggie quesadillas for us, which we dipped into sour cream. For dessert, we shared a pear! Oh and I did have some half water/half lemonade because it gets me to drink more water :).
At bedtime, the obsession with 13 Words by Maira Kalman and Lemony Snicket is still going STRONG. We read it twice (she loves to point the the BIRD on every page, and she points out every TABLE and HAT.), and then she crawled over later to start reading it again on the floor. I had to pry her away! I love reading it with her so much.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Eleanor's words, as of Aug 12, 2014
I'm sure I'm not going to be able to capture everything - she says so much now! Her talking has really exploded recently.
I did it!
I found it!
Thank you!
You're welcome
bird (tweet tweet)
berry
snack
chocolate milk
bath
blocks
box
water
shoes
socks
pants
coat
hat
dog (woof woof)
car
truck
bus
train (choo choo)
sit
pretty
crayon
coloring
mama
dada
Sydney
Jake
Kyle
Gran
Pops
baby
chair
dinner
book
frog
fish
bear
hummus
toast
snack
walk
outside
up
down
on
off
iPod/iPad
phone
TV
show
owl (hoo hoo)
door
wall
house
home
sheep
huggie
kissie
ball
"Ash" = Ring Around the Rosie
sleep
nap
Night Night!
hi!
hello!
bye/buh bye!
one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten
teeth
knee
toes
hand
eyes
ears
elbows
mouth
head
hair
back
pee
poop
potty
juice
stop
NO
"uh huh"
cheese
hot
cool
teddy
cat
rabbit
snail
table
all done!
I did it!
I found it!
Thank you!
You're welcome
bird (tweet tweet)
berry
snack
chocolate milk
bath
blocks
box
water
shoes
socks
pants
coat
hat
dog (woof woof)
car
truck
bus
train (choo choo)
sit
pretty
crayon
coloring
mama
dada
Sydney
Jake
Kyle
Gran
Pops
baby
chair
dinner
book
frog
fish
bear
hummus
toast
snack
walk
outside
up
down
on
off
iPod/iPad
phone
TV
show
owl (hoo hoo)
door
wall
house
home
sheep
huggie
kissie
ball
"Ash" = Ring Around the Rosie
sleep
nap
Night Night!
hi!
hello!
bye/buh bye!
one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten
teeth
knee
toes
hand
eyes
ears
elbows
mouth
head
hair
back
pee
poop
potty
juice
stop
NO
"uh huh"
cheese
hot
cool
teddy
cat
rabbit
snail
table
all done!
Monday, August 11, 2014
"Dinner Diary" week 2
So, that ended up being just what I'd warned it would be - just a simple account of what we do each day and eat for dinner each night! It does seem a little mundane at this point, but I DO think I will appreciate it so much years from now. I'm forced to really think back to each day as I am writing these posts, and that helps me remember even little details, facial expressions, and thoughts I had during those specific moments. This is a good exercise for me to do, so I'm going to continue with these!
August 1st, 2014:
Today started off with a big fight between me and John, which had my blood pressure niiiiiiiice and elevated for my doctor's appointment. I went to the endocrinologist to work on getting my thyroid hormones in perfect balance. It was a great office - they run on time (!), thanks to several requirements of their patients, and they had a fridge full of delicious Frescas. I really liked my doctor, "Dr. Knee". Yes, Knee. I came home early, cleaned up the apartment a little bit, and put Deb Perelman's everyday chocolate cake in the oven. While it was baking, I got Ellie after her nap for an extended nursing visit. It was about 1.5 hours, which was lovely! We both had a little cake for a snack, and then I decided to have some more for "dinner" with vanilla ice cream and blueberries. I rounded out my night at home with lots of Angie's politely SPICY Kettlecorn, cheeses, fruit and other random snacky things. While watching House MD, of course.
Aug 2nd, 2014:
I woke up bright and early on Saturday morning, and then somehow fell back asleep for another hour!! I got up at 8am and made my beloved coffee (The Villager blend by One Village Roasters...mmm I start looking forward to it the afternoon before). I got to have Ellie over for a solid hour, so we nursed and played and had a snack. I only had a few peanut butter puffins before heading to yoga, and I got soooooo dizzy every time I stood up in class. Not cool. I ended up finishing the class, but canceled for the next morning.
When I got home, I had an entire cantaloupe and a LOT more puffins with whole milk. Kyle came over at around 4-ish to spend the evening together. I had Ellie for one more nice visit, and then Kyle and I headed north to Columbia Heights. We really wanted to get a board game, so we first hit up Target and bought Scattergories! I also got a cute outfit and pack of stickers for Eleanor. We then walked over to an old favorite of mine - Room 11. All of the food was deeeelicious (pulled pork sandwich, Korean chicken wings, summer vegetable risotto, roasted cauliflower, honey goat cheese cake) as were the wine and cocktails.
Aug 3rd, 2014:
Kyle left bright and early to go to work, and I made my coffee and had a visit from the Boo! I had to actually kind of hurry to get to the grocery store(s) to get food for upcoming dinners, because then Eleanor came over for an extra two-hour visit! Part of the visit involved a trip to Whole Foods, where evvvvveryone said hi to her, because she looked so darn cute in her little dress! After the grocery shopping and lunch, she went over to John's for her nap, and I rushed over to Filter to meet two friends for coffee. Everything was a little rushed and crazy from here on out, but then I made an easy dinner of pulled brisket (from Trader Joes), spicy sweet potato wedges, and steamed broccoli. Ellie took a nice bath, and then she went to bed - and I mentally prepared myself for the week.
Aug 4th, 2014:
On this Monday I chose a recipe that SEEMED simple, but in reality was a little more complex...mainly because there were a bunch of fresh herbs and lettuce to wash and I do a THOROUGH job of this. So that took like twenty minutes. The herbs (cilantro and parsley) were destined for a caper/herb/hazelnut relish that would be served with butter basted salmon. The relish was delish, as was the salmon, and the meal was rounded out with some fresh butter lettuce. Eleanor scarfed this down and kept asking for more "Sammm".
Aug 5th, 2014:
I was scheduled to pick up Eleanor at 7:30 this Tuesday evening, after dinner, so Kyle and I went to garden district, where we sat outside and ate yummy barbeque! I ordered a brisket sandwich (he got a brat), fried pickles, onion rings, and mexican-style corn on the cob. Yum! Probably the best onion rings I have EVER had. We came home and ate some ice cream with Ellie. After she was in bed, we had a few hard ciders and played Scattergories. I also recall some great conversation. A wonderful night!
Aug 6th, 2014
It was me and the Boo starting at 6pm this evening, and so when I got home for work with 10 minutes to spare, I started prepping this lentil, chickpea, feta salad for our dinner. I managed to slice a red onion and toast some sesame seeds in this time. When Eleanor came over, I finished mixing everything else together and made the yummy lemon tahini dressing. GREAT flavors in this salad, which were complemented perfectly by some lamb sausage that I browned to go with it. Tasty, healthy meal! We both loved it. Next time I would add additional herbs and feta cheese.
Aug 7th, 2014
On Thursday, after nursing Ellie, I met up with Alison, a friend from high school who I had not seen in TEN YEARS. We both agreed that this was crazy and that it made us feel a little older than we would like. It was so great catching up with her - the connections you can have with someone based on shared history and childhood memories are significant. I hadn't thought about those times with my hometown friends in years and years! Such a trip down memory lane. It was cool to see how we both had changed, and the ways in which we were the same. We went to Proof for dinner: I had two glasses of wine, heirloom tomato + mozzarella salad, meatballs, roasted tahini cauliflower, and a Mediterranean flatbread.
August 1st, 2014:
Today started off with a big fight between me and John, which had my blood pressure niiiiiiiice and elevated for my doctor's appointment. I went to the endocrinologist to work on getting my thyroid hormones in perfect balance. It was a great office - they run on time (!), thanks to several requirements of their patients, and they had a fridge full of delicious Frescas. I really liked my doctor, "Dr. Knee". Yes, Knee. I came home early, cleaned up the apartment a little bit, and put Deb Perelman's everyday chocolate cake in the oven. While it was baking, I got Ellie after her nap for an extended nursing visit. It was about 1.5 hours, which was lovely! We both had a little cake for a snack, and then I decided to have some more for "dinner" with vanilla ice cream and blueberries. I rounded out my night at home with lots of Angie's politely SPICY Kettlecorn, cheeses, fruit and other random snacky things. While watching House MD, of course.
Aug 2nd, 2014:
I woke up bright and early on Saturday morning, and then somehow fell back asleep for another hour!! I got up at 8am and made my beloved coffee (The Villager blend by One Village Roasters...mmm I start looking forward to it the afternoon before). I got to have Ellie over for a solid hour, so we nursed and played and had a snack. I only had a few peanut butter puffins before heading to yoga, and I got soooooo dizzy every time I stood up in class. Not cool. I ended up finishing the class, but canceled for the next morning.
When I got home, I had an entire cantaloupe and a LOT more puffins with whole milk. Kyle came over at around 4-ish to spend the evening together. I had Ellie for one more nice visit, and then Kyle and I headed north to Columbia Heights. We really wanted to get a board game, so we first hit up Target and bought Scattergories! I also got a cute outfit and pack of stickers for Eleanor. We then walked over to an old favorite of mine - Room 11. All of the food was deeeelicious (pulled pork sandwich, Korean chicken wings, summer vegetable risotto, roasted cauliflower, honey goat cheese cake) as were the wine and cocktails.
Aug 3rd, 2014:
Kyle left bright and early to go to work, and I made my coffee and had a visit from the Boo! I had to actually kind of hurry to get to the grocery store(s) to get food for upcoming dinners, because then Eleanor came over for an extra two-hour visit! Part of the visit involved a trip to Whole Foods, where evvvvveryone said hi to her, because she looked so darn cute in her little dress! After the grocery shopping and lunch, she went over to John's for her nap, and I rushed over to Filter to meet two friends for coffee. Everything was a little rushed and crazy from here on out, but then I made an easy dinner of pulled brisket (from Trader Joes), spicy sweet potato wedges, and steamed broccoli. Ellie took a nice bath, and then she went to bed - and I mentally prepared myself for the week.
Aug 4th, 2014:
On this Monday I chose a recipe that SEEMED simple, but in reality was a little more complex...mainly because there were a bunch of fresh herbs and lettuce to wash and I do a THOROUGH job of this. So that took like twenty minutes. The herbs (cilantro and parsley) were destined for a caper/herb/hazelnut relish that would be served with butter basted salmon. The relish was delish, as was the salmon, and the meal was rounded out with some fresh butter lettuce. Eleanor scarfed this down and kept asking for more "Sammm".
Aug 5th, 2014:
I was scheduled to pick up Eleanor at 7:30 this Tuesday evening, after dinner, so Kyle and I went to garden district, where we sat outside and ate yummy barbeque! I ordered a brisket sandwich (he got a brat), fried pickles, onion rings, and mexican-style corn on the cob. Yum! Probably the best onion rings I have EVER had. We came home and ate some ice cream with Ellie. After she was in bed, we had a few hard ciders and played Scattergories. I also recall some great conversation. A wonderful night!
Aug 6th, 2014
It was me and the Boo starting at 6pm this evening, and so when I got home for work with 10 minutes to spare, I started prepping this lentil, chickpea, feta salad for our dinner. I managed to slice a red onion and toast some sesame seeds in this time. When Eleanor came over, I finished mixing everything else together and made the yummy lemon tahini dressing. GREAT flavors in this salad, which were complemented perfectly by some lamb sausage that I browned to go with it. Tasty, healthy meal! We both loved it. Next time I would add additional herbs and feta cheese.
Aug 7th, 2014
On Thursday, after nursing Ellie, I met up with Alison, a friend from high school who I had not seen in TEN YEARS. We both agreed that this was crazy and that it made us feel a little older than we would like. It was so great catching up with her - the connections you can have with someone based on shared history and childhood memories are significant. I hadn't thought about those times with my hometown friends in years and years! Such a trip down memory lane. It was cool to see how we both had changed, and the ways in which we were the same. We went to Proof for dinner: I had two glasses of wine, heirloom tomato + mozzarella salad, meatballs, roasted tahini cauliflower, and a Mediterranean flatbread.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
"Dinner Diary" week 1
Well, clearly the weekly recipe recaps didn't quite work out as I'd planned. This is partly because it's summer and I just don't want to cook that much! I just don't have that many recipes to share, and the task of remembering what I'd cooked each day was seeming daunting and not super fulfilling. But then, I came upon this blog post, which is really worth a read if you have time:
http://www.dinneralovestory.com/closing-the-book/
This clearly appeals to my sense of nostalgia. I would love to have some record, however simple, of little events of everyday life to look back on 15 years down the road. It seems so far away right now, of course, but time will continue to march on, and Eleanor will be in high school before I know it. So I'd like to keep a "diary" just of maybe the things we do each day, the food we eat - so simple, but just SOMETHING. I'll look back in ten years and say, "so that was what we did on July 27th, 2014, when Eleanor was 1 year old."
So, without further ado:
July 25th, 2014:
I left work a little early to shop for dinner ingredients for fish tacos for Ellie and me. I got home at 5:15, just in time to cut the fish into cubes and mix up most of the marinade. I got Ellie at 5:30 and we came back and put the sauce on the fish. While it marinaded, we took a BATH! Then we came down and watched "show" while I cooked the fish, chopped some veggies, and we sat down to dinner. A lovely night with my boo boo.
July 26th, 2014:
Ellie slept until 6:50 which was pretty good for a Saturday! I love how she wakes up and likes to stand up and watch me sleep, until she finally says, "Mama!" and then I go get her and bring her into bed. I'd been pretty distant with Kyle for a few days, so he took matters into his own hands and showed up at our door at about 7:45am. We had a very good conversation about us and life, and he made me feel much better, as usual. He helped me with Eleanor as we got ready to go meet Claire R. for some time in Logan Circle. I packed snacks and we got a Pattison Street hoagie from Taylor Gourmet on the way. Eleanor ran around in the park for about 1 straight hour. We all returned for Ellie's nap, and Claire and I watched an episode of VEEP. Kyle came over afterward and we took Eleanor to the park and the store. We had hamburgers, veggies, and corn on the cob for dinner. Eleanor LOVED gnawing on her own corn cob! Kyle went home and we got ready for bed.
July 27th, 2014:
We work up on Sunday for quite an adventure. Ellie and I got out the door early to take the metro up to Cleveland Park to go to "All Fired Up." We painted a plate together! We applied a light base color all over the plate with big paint brushes. Eleanor did a great job with this. I then painted her hand with a darker color, and she made little hand prints to decorate the plate. She loved standing on the stool at the sink and washing her hands!
We then made an impromptu visit to the zoo, as the pottery painting didn't last that long. We walked the few blocks to the zoo, and Ellie wanted to get out and walk around. She did so great, and had lots of fun seeing the cheetah, funny birds, pandas (PAAAAAN!) and elephants. We had the usual crying fit when I put her back in the stroller for the walk home, but I got her a pineapple coconut water and all was well. During her nap, I started cooking pork carnitas for dinner (they cook for hours). When Ellie woke up, she was crabbbbby. But we called Gran and played hide and seek under a blanket, and then we went for a short walk. Kyle met us, and then we returned home to finish the carnitas and eat them with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, and tortillas. I have never seen Eleanor eat this much food. She LOVED these carnitas. I had to cut her off!
(put pictures up)
July 28th, 2014:
Monday morning was just lovely with Ellie, and she woke me up saying "Mom!" and smiling. Such a pleasant alarm clock! I drank coffee and nursed her and cuddled with her, all the while getting ready for work. This is a pretty standard work morning! It wasn't my Monday night with her, but I picked her up for an hour-long visit. I was feeling sad about not being with her, but I had plans with Claire to go back to the paint-your-own pottery store and have dinner. We had a nice night, and I got Ellie's plate ready for the kiln. We had some calarmari and pizza for dinner. When I got home, I was going to vacuum and clean up a bit before bed, but I started feeling very sick. I crawled to bed, but threw up a bunch of times during the night. I do remember thinking, 1. Here is ONE good thing about Ellie not being here tonight, and 2. I'm not going to get quite as fat now.
July 29th, 2014:
I got to see my Ellie for a short visit in morning to nurse, and then headed off to work at a good time. After another short visit after work, Kyle and I went to Cork for dinner. While we waited for a table outside, we got some glasses of an Italian white. We then sat down in the GORGEOUS fall-like weather, and order rosemary chicken liver pate, grilled asparagus+burrata, lemon pepper calamari and rock shrimp, and duck confit. Glasses of Barbera accompanied the delicious food. We even shared a goat cheesecake for dessert with a glass of Tokaj - a DELICIOUS Hungarian dessert wine. Such a lovely date night and change of pace!
July 30th, 2014:
We had a good night's sleep, and then a morning visit from Ellie! This was an especially happy morning, because I knew I'd have the evening with her. I made an easy dinner of fried eggs, roasted broccoli, and seasoned hash browns. Eleanor chowed down on everything, and ate her entire egg and even started grabbing for my hash browns. We spent lots of time playing and cuddling before bedtime.
July 31st, 2014:
Another evening with my sweet Ellie!! I prepped some spicy sweet potato wedges when I got home, and while they were in the oven for the initial bake, I gave Eleanor a quick bath. She always has fun at bathtime (except for when it's time to detangle her hair.) I fried up some sweet onion hamburgers to go with the wedges, and Eleanor ate a bunch of berries, and some cheese. Kyle came over while we were getting ready for bed and kindly cleaned up my living room! I came down and we talked and had a few Newcastle Blonde Bombshell ales. Good night!
http://www.dinneralovestory.com/closing-the-book/
This clearly appeals to my sense of nostalgia. I would love to have some record, however simple, of little events of everyday life to look back on 15 years down the road. It seems so far away right now, of course, but time will continue to march on, and Eleanor will be in high school before I know it. So I'd like to keep a "diary" just of maybe the things we do each day, the food we eat - so simple, but just SOMETHING. I'll look back in ten years and say, "so that was what we did on July 27th, 2014, when Eleanor was 1 year old."
So, without further ado:
July 25th, 2014:
I left work a little early to shop for dinner ingredients for fish tacos for Ellie and me. I got home at 5:15, just in time to cut the fish into cubes and mix up most of the marinade. I got Ellie at 5:30 and we came back and put the sauce on the fish. While it marinaded, we took a BATH! Then we came down and watched "show" while I cooked the fish, chopped some veggies, and we sat down to dinner. A lovely night with my boo boo.
July 26th, 2014:
Ellie slept until 6:50 which was pretty good for a Saturday! I love how she wakes up and likes to stand up and watch me sleep, until she finally says, "Mama!" and then I go get her and bring her into bed. I'd been pretty distant with Kyle for a few days, so he took matters into his own hands and showed up at our door at about 7:45am. We had a very good conversation about us and life, and he made me feel much better, as usual. He helped me with Eleanor as we got ready to go meet Claire R. for some time in Logan Circle. I packed snacks and we got a Pattison Street hoagie from Taylor Gourmet on the way. Eleanor ran around in the park for about 1 straight hour. We all returned for Ellie's nap, and Claire and I watched an episode of VEEP. Kyle came over afterward and we took Eleanor to the park and the store. We had hamburgers, veggies, and corn on the cob for dinner. Eleanor LOVED gnawing on her own corn cob! Kyle went home and we got ready for bed.
July 27th, 2014:
We work up on Sunday for quite an adventure. Ellie and I got out the door early to take the metro up to Cleveland Park to go to "All Fired Up." We painted a plate together! We applied a light base color all over the plate with big paint brushes. Eleanor did a great job with this. I then painted her hand with a darker color, and she made little hand prints to decorate the plate. She loved standing on the stool at the sink and washing her hands!
We then made an impromptu visit to the zoo, as the pottery painting didn't last that long. We walked the few blocks to the zoo, and Ellie wanted to get out and walk around. She did so great, and had lots of fun seeing the cheetah, funny birds, pandas (PAAAAAN!) and elephants. We had the usual crying fit when I put her back in the stroller for the walk home, but I got her a pineapple coconut water and all was well. During her nap, I started cooking pork carnitas for dinner (they cook for hours). When Ellie woke up, she was crabbbbby. But we called Gran and played hide and seek under a blanket, and then we went for a short walk. Kyle met us, and then we returned home to finish the carnitas and eat them with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, and tortillas. I have never seen Eleanor eat this much food. She LOVED these carnitas. I had to cut her off!
(put pictures up)
July 28th, 2014:
Monday morning was just lovely with Ellie, and she woke me up saying "Mom!" and smiling. Such a pleasant alarm clock! I drank coffee and nursed her and cuddled with her, all the while getting ready for work. This is a pretty standard work morning! It wasn't my Monday night with her, but I picked her up for an hour-long visit. I was feeling sad about not being with her, but I had plans with Claire to go back to the paint-your-own pottery store and have dinner. We had a nice night, and I got Ellie's plate ready for the kiln. We had some calarmari and pizza for dinner. When I got home, I was going to vacuum and clean up a bit before bed, but I started feeling very sick. I crawled to bed, but threw up a bunch of times during the night. I do remember thinking, 1. Here is ONE good thing about Ellie not being here tonight, and 2. I'm not going to get quite as fat now.
July 29th, 2014:
I got to see my Ellie for a short visit in morning to nurse, and then headed off to work at a good time. After another short visit after work, Kyle and I went to Cork for dinner. While we waited for a table outside, we got some glasses of an Italian white. We then sat down in the GORGEOUS fall-like weather, and order rosemary chicken liver pate, grilled asparagus+burrata, lemon pepper calamari and rock shrimp, and duck confit. Glasses of Barbera accompanied the delicious food. We even shared a goat cheesecake for dessert with a glass of Tokaj - a DELICIOUS Hungarian dessert wine. Such a lovely date night and change of pace!
July 30th, 2014:
We had a good night's sleep, and then a morning visit from Ellie! This was an especially happy morning, because I knew I'd have the evening with her. I made an easy dinner of fried eggs, roasted broccoli, and seasoned hash browns. Eleanor chowed down on everything, and ate her entire egg and even started grabbing for my hash browns. We spent lots of time playing and cuddling before bedtime.
July 31st, 2014:
Another evening with my sweet Ellie!! I prepped some spicy sweet potato wedges when I got home, and while they were in the oven for the initial bake, I gave Eleanor a quick bath. She always has fun at bathtime (except for when it's time to detangle her hair.) I fried up some sweet onion hamburgers to go with the wedges, and Eleanor ate a bunch of berries, and some cheese. Kyle came over while we were getting ready for bed and kindly cleaned up my living room! I came down and we talked and had a few Newcastle Blonde Bombshell ales. Good night!
Friday, July 11, 2014
Weekly Recipe Recap #1
I'm going to attempt to do a little post on recipes I've made throughout each week! This first one will be a test of sorts, to see if I actually cook enough to warrant an entry like this on a weekly basis, and to figure out what format I want to use/notes to include/etc. I'll start with the weekends, because that's when I tend to do much of my cooking:
Saturday, June 28:
Sunday, June 29:
- Today I went to garden district with Kyle and a bunch of great people, and I had some lovely beers and the lovely, lovely MUNICH BRAT WITH KRAUT. And fried pickles, of course!
Tuesday, July1
- After I have some reheated quiche and carrots + hummus for dinner, I'm going to make:
- I made two VERY yummy recipes for the Fourth today!!
Saturday, June 28:
- Twice Baked Shortbread fer me ma! Delicious. Second time I've made it, and it's so easy and so delicious! Stays fresh and good for a long time, too, if you can resist eating it.
- Roasted peppers with capers and mozzarella. I roasted the peppers for this recipe, peeled, de-seeded, and got them marinatin' for a meal tomorrow (Wednesday).
Sunday, June 29:
- Smoked salmon, artichoke, and goat cheese quiche! This is a game changer. It's so tasty, and wasn't too much work to make (I did use a pre-made crust...). I'll be making more quiches. I put a few slices in the fridge for lunches, and sliced the rest (about half of it) to freeze for later.
- Today I went to garden district with Kyle and a bunch of great people, and I had some lovely beers and the lovely, lovely MUNICH BRAT WITH KRAUT. And fried pickles, of course!
Tuesday, July1
- After I have some reheated quiche and carrots + hummus for dinner, I'm going to make:
- Brown butter banana bread - got some ripe bananas that need to be used, and Eleanor loves banana bread!
- Mmm, ate the roasted peppers and capers today with fresh mozzarella, Robusto cheese, fresh bread and butter. It was goooood. Still no drinking because of Tuesday horrible hangover.
- No real cooking today - crisped up some Pork Belly, cooked some carrots, and had Japanese sweet potatoes.
- I made two VERY yummy recipes for the Fourth today!!
- First, I made a big ole batch of these Salted Watermelon Margaritas, but added more booze, less simple syrup, and more pureed watermelon. I also just peeled whole limes and tossed them into the Vitamix. Really good.
- Beer braised brats with cabbage-apple slaw! I threw some Chorizo sausages in with the German pork sausages. The slaw was great - lots of vinegar and grainy mustard!
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Fourth of July Visit to D.C.
On Friday, July 4, Matt and I woke up early and made the drive to D.C. to spend the holiday with friends and family!
We arrived first at the Alexandria home of one of my best friends from college (roommates for two years), where she was throwing a Fourth of July cookout. Matt and I had fun catching up with her, meeting her friends, and chowing on cheeseburgers and beer. We also enjoyed destroying this lovely and boozy American flag jello shot display. YUM. This jello shot flag tradition started back when we threw an Inaugural Ball party in our tiny apartment junior year... it was a HUGE success and just so fun. The Cool Whip on top to make the white stripes was my idea ;-)
After an hour or so, we headed off to the city to visit Katie and Ellie!!! Perfect timing... Ellie was just waking up from a nap, so we got lots of time to play. Ellie is becoming more and more confident and curious, and just SO sweet. She loves giving hugs and kisses! She is also a GENIUS and is learning so many words (banana, ball, hot, mama, shoe, socks)! One of her favorite things to do is bring a book over to you, climb in your lap, and read.
The book we read the most was a body parts book ("My boots protect my TOES! My mittens hide my FINGERS!"), and it's amazing how well Ellie knows the words! All you have to do is say "Ellie, where is your belly button?" and she'll point right to it. Or, "Ellie, where's Mama's back?" and she'll stand up, walk over to Katie, point to her back, and then climb right back into your lap for the next page of the story! Once we were just playing in the middle of the room, without any books, and I said, "Hey Ellie, where's your elbow?" and she actually walked over to the bookshelf, grabbed that book, and flipped to the page with the elbow on it. She really is a genius, I can't say it enough.
Cocktail hour rolled around, and Katie made us deeeelicious watermelon margaritas, made with frozen watermelon, watermelon simple syrup, whole limes, Grand Marnier, and tequila. For dinner, she made us yummy beer-braised sausages with caramelized onions and apple-cabbage slaw on potato buns. So, so good. Ellie went CRAZY over the slaw, and shoved huge handfuls of it into her mouth. She definitely has a healthy appetite, that one! We watched some Veep after dinner (after a few episodes of Daniel the Tiger, of course!). Matt and I went for an evening stroll -- it was surprisingly cool out, the perfect weather -- and had fun walking to our old apartment building and just exploring our old stompin' grounds. Brought back a lot of memories! We saw a few fireworks and then went to bed.
We woke up bright and early the next day and all walked over to The Coffee Bar. We all got donuts, bagels, and/or coffee.
It was the most beautiful day in the world, so we walked to an awesome park to play with Ellie in the sunshine. Her favorite things were the swings and the see-saw! Just so fun.
After we were all tired and hot from the sun, we walked back and grabbed lunch at Sweet Green. Ellie loves her salad.
While Ellie napped, Katie and I made watermelon slushies (Katie added a creamy coconut layer to hers) and read out on her balcony. GORGEOUS weather.
After Ellie's nap, we had more time to play, read, dance, and watch Daniel the Tiger. I made sure to get lots of hugs from her before saying goodbye (she went to her dad's at 4:30 pm). After Ellie left, Katie and I went for a lovely walk and then shopped at the new Trader Joe's right by her apartment! What an awesome location. We both bought a few things and then hung out back at her apartment. Matt had been watching basketball games at Georgetown all afternoon, and when those were over, he came to pick me up and say goodbye to Katie. At around 7 pm, we made the drive back home to Raleigh.
It was a PERFECT weekend!!!
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| Wearing our patriotic colors on the drive to D.C.! |
We arrived first at the Alexandria home of one of my best friends from college (roommates for two years), where she was throwing a Fourth of July cookout. Matt and I had fun catching up with her, meeting her friends, and chowing on cheeseburgers and beer. We also enjoyed destroying this lovely and boozy American flag jello shot display. YUM. This jello shot flag tradition started back when we threw an Inaugural Ball party in our tiny apartment junior year... it was a HUGE success and just so fun. The Cool Whip on top to make the white stripes was my idea ;-)
After an hour or so, we headed off to the city to visit Katie and Ellie!!! Perfect timing... Ellie was just waking up from a nap, so we got lots of time to play. Ellie is becoming more and more confident and curious, and just SO sweet. She loves giving hugs and kisses! She is also a GENIUS and is learning so many words (banana, ball, hot, mama, shoe, socks)! One of her favorite things to do is bring a book over to you, climb in your lap, and read.
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| Reading! |
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| Trying on Mama's shoes :) |
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| Playing hide and seek! This was her favorite hiding place. |
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| She loved throwing this pillow down and then face planting onto it... such a goofball. |
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| The best seat in the house! She loved watching soccer and yelling "BALL!!!!" |
The book we read the most was a body parts book ("My boots protect my TOES! My mittens hide my FINGERS!"), and it's amazing how well Ellie knows the words! All you have to do is say "Ellie, where is your belly button?" and she'll point right to it. Or, "Ellie, where's Mama's back?" and she'll stand up, walk over to Katie, point to her back, and then climb right back into your lap for the next page of the story! Once we were just playing in the middle of the room, without any books, and I said, "Hey Ellie, where's your elbow?" and she actually walked over to the bookshelf, grabbed that book, and flipped to the page with the elbow on it. She really is a genius, I can't say it enough.
Cocktail hour rolled around, and Katie made us deeeelicious watermelon margaritas, made with frozen watermelon, watermelon simple syrup, whole limes, Grand Marnier, and tequila. For dinner, she made us yummy beer-braised sausages with caramelized onions and apple-cabbage slaw on potato buns. So, so good. Ellie went CRAZY over the slaw, and shoved huge handfuls of it into her mouth. She definitely has a healthy appetite, that one! We watched some Veep after dinner (after a few episodes of Daniel the Tiger, of course!). Matt and I went for an evening stroll -- it was surprisingly cool out, the perfect weather -- and had fun walking to our old apartment building and just exploring our old stompin' grounds. Brought back a lot of memories! We saw a few fireworks and then went to bed.
We woke up bright and early the next day and all walked over to The Coffee Bar. We all got donuts, bagels, and/or coffee.
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| You can run but you can't hide, Kyle. |
It was the most beautiful day in the world, so we walked to an awesome park to play with Ellie in the sunshine. Her favorite things were the swings and the see-saw! Just so fun.
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| Fun on the swings! |
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| Baby and mama! |
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| See-Saw! (Photo credit: Kyle) |
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| Wheeee! (Photo credit: Kyle) |
After we were all tired and hot from the sun, we walked back and grabbed lunch at Sweet Green. Ellie loves her salad.
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| Delicious, healthy lunch! |
While Ellie napped, Katie and I made watermelon slushies (Katie added a creamy coconut layer to hers) and read out on her balcony. GORGEOUS weather.
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| Yum! Just frozen watermelon, lime juice, and coconut water. |
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| Beautiful view from Katie's balcony |
After Ellie's nap, we had more time to play, read, dance, and watch Daniel the Tiger. I made sure to get lots of hugs from her before saying goodbye (she went to her dad's at 4:30 pm). After Ellie left, Katie and I went for a lovely walk and then shopped at the new Trader Joe's right by her apartment! What an awesome location. We both bought a few things and then hung out back at her apartment. Matt had been watching basketball games at Georgetown all afternoon, and when those were over, he came to pick me up and say goodbye to Katie. At around 7 pm, we made the drive back home to Raleigh.
It was a PERFECT weekend!!!
Monday, June 23, 2014
Adventures with Pretzel Dawgs
ALTERNATE TITLE: PRETZEL DOG BLOG
I love a good pretzel bun. Whenever it's offered on a menu in a restaurant, you can be sure I will order it, even if it's an extra charge. They are just so fluffy and buttery and I can't imagine my life without them. (Er...)
ANYWAYS.
I'd seen pretzel roll recipes on blogs before, and they always scared me. First of all, I've never made bread dough of any kind... active yeast, what is that?!?!? Then there's the whole LYE thing (or baking soda solution), where you drop the rolls into boiling lye/baking soda water - this is necessary to make them nice and pretzely. So, I was happy just ordering them in restaurants and didn't really think to make them myself.
BUT THEN.
I saw this recipe on a food blog that I have mixed feelings towards. Overall, I like the recipes on here and have found some great dinners and treats to make, but sometimes they are a bit complicated. The name of the recipe itself immediately caught my attention: Jalapeno Pretzel Dogs with Cheddar Beer Sauce. HULLO. But, I wrote it off as one of her too-complicated recipes and moved on (dreamin' 'bout pretzels).
DAYS LATER...
I was browsing the #howsweeteats hashtag on Instagram to see what recipes of hers REAL PEOPLE had been making/reviewing. I couldn't believe when I saw multiple people posting pictures of their own pretzel dogs with cheddar beer sauce! Could this be easier than I thought? Right then, I committed to making them. I picked a day (obviously a weekend day, as I'd made the mistake of determining to make a complicated recipe on a work night once before and it was terrible... we ate at like 10 pm); invited a friend over to eat them (then I HAD to stick to my plan); and went in search of ingredients.
JALAPENO FLAKES WHAA...?
Yeah, I couldn't find these. Looked in literally four different stores. Oh well! So these are now simply Pretzel Dogs with Cheddar Beer Sauce. (All the other ingredients were very easy to find.)
ONTO THE STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOS!
First you combine the yeast, honey, oil, and water and wait for SCIENCE MAGIC to happen! Here is the bowl of foamy yeast mixture after sitting for ten minutes. Whoa.
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| This is what it's meant to look like... right? |
Then it's time to mix the yeast/water, the flour, and some melted butter in a stand mixer fitted with a kneading hook (yikes).
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| I just realized the hook is not pictured here... just take my word for it: it's scary. |
It really does come together pretty quickly and eventually forms a nice little ball of sticky dough. Put it in an oiled bowl, cover it (colorful polka-dot dish towel not required), and say SEE YA for about an hour. In that time, I cleaned up a bit, shredded a whole lot of cheese for the sauce, and prepared mah workspace.
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| Bye-bye, little dough ball |
Look at the dough after an hour! It really does double in size!! (Sorry, first time working with this yeast stuff... it's exciting!) It also somehow transformed from a somewhat shaggy little ball of dough to a smooth, shiny balloon. It slid easily out of my bowl and onto my floured countertop.
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| You look... different. |
Knead it a bit (confession: I totally Googled bread kneading how-to videos during the hour rise time). When it's nice and... ya know, kneaded... break it apart into 10 equal pieces. I found it easiest to tell how big each piece was to roll each one into a separate dough ball. Then it's time to rock and ROLL!
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| They see me rollin', they hatin'... |
Roll each of the ten pieces into a long strip (12-16 inches in length). Don't forget yo' flour. As Katie mentioned, you do need a lot of space for this (or maybe just I do? There's probably a more consolidated way to do this...). These are what you're going to wrap around your DAWGS.
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| Just pretend like you're rolling snakes out of Play Doh. Remember that? |
Next step is, you guessed it, wrapping the hot dogs with the dough strips. For the first one, I was thinking to myself, "How the hell do I do this?" but as soon as you start wrapping/rolling, it honestly comes naturally and it just wraps up perfectly. Yay! Get your wrapped doggies all ready and then it's time to drop them into a pot of hot, boiling, bubbling over baking soda water. Double yay!
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| This is the film noir portion of the pretzel dog rolling. |
Take tongs and drop them one by one into the baking soda water and let them float round for 30-45 seconds. Like I said before, this step is what separates a boring bun from a PRETZEL BUN! Between each dog bath, the water WILL bubble over. I mean, there's a whole lot of baking soda in there. But good news: baking soda is a cleaning agent, so it's easy to wipe up from the stove after :) (No photos of this step... too stressful.)
Get your doggies onto their parchment papered baking sheets. I did five per sheet, because they will puff up during baking and you need some space between them. Brush them with a beaten egg (I knew I bought that brush for a reason...) and sprinkle with salt. I used Maldon flake salt, which was perfect and not TOO coarse/crunchy/salty. Then git 'em in the oven. I did two separate batches (instead of putting both sheets in at once), which was great because it gave me more time to make my cheddar beer sauce.
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| Giving the doggies a nice little egg wash massage. |
Whisk your cheese, flour, and beer into a lovely, creamy, super delicious sauce and keep whisking while your pretzel dogs bake.
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| I really like this photo because of the shape my hand/claw has formed. Whisking in a bunch of freshly shredded cheese into the sauce. |
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| Still whisking my cheddar beer sauce as the second batch of pretzel dogs bake! |
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| All your whisking efforts will be rewarded with this creamy dreamy cheddar beer sauce (serving suggestion pictured) |
Finally, rejoice as you take the second batch from the oven. IT'S TIME TO EAT!
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| Tada! The final spread. |
Everyone should make these. Seriously - if I can do it, anyone can. Enjoy!
Note: These made excellent leftovers. The cheese sauce will definitely solidify in the fridge, but it microwaves beautifully back into a smooth sauce, and the dogs reheat great too.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Ellie, today
It's so hard to take a picture of my Ellie these days. As soon as she sees the iPhone, iPad, or camera, she snatches it right away! Or at least stops doing the cute thing you were trying to capture.
I feel like I could never have enough pictures of Eleanor at this age. I want to have these memories of my sweet baby forever, so sometimes I get a little panicky that I can't get shots of her! But this morning, we called Gran for a short chat, and Ellie got out all of her crayons and coloring books and put on a little coloring show! Gran was able to get some photos of Ellie, which were very much appreciated.
Sometimes I wish I could freeze time with my little boo boo. She is 19 months and 2 days today. I love you, Eleanor! Love, Mama
I feel like I could never have enough pictures of Eleanor at this age. I want to have these memories of my sweet baby forever, so sometimes I get a little panicky that I can't get shots of her! But this morning, we called Gran for a short chat, and Ellie got out all of her crayons and coloring books and put on a little coloring show! Gran was able to get some photos of Ellie, which were very much appreciated.
Sometimes I wish I could freeze time with my little boo boo. She is 19 months and 2 days today. I love you, Eleanor! Love, Mama
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
FOR HEALTH
Everyone has their own little health tips that they swear by and believe that everyone else should swear by, too. "It's the secret to youth and vitality! Good skin! Weight loss! Cures cancer!!" Who knows what works or what is true. Honestly, the answer is that no one knows. Especially when it comes to nutrition and diet. No one knows, so just give up. No, no - don't give up, but find out what works for you! Doing experiments on yourself is fun. Self-experimentation is the most rewarding and interesting experimentation, because what is more interesting than yourself?
For me, some health routines come and go, and some stay. I will tell you what I'm doing each day currently. I'm feeling good, placebo or not!
1. Vitamin D3. 2,000 IUs and as much sun as possible (but not too much sun - don't burn). I'm putting this first because I truly believe that Vitamin D deficiency is an epidemic right now and responsible for many, many of today's modern diseases and ailments. I tell everyone I know, unsolicited, to supplement with Vitamin D3. AT LEAST 1,000 IUs a day. If you take one vitamin, or do one thing at all for your health, do this. This one has stuck, I've been taking this for years (4,000 IUs a day for a while, 2,000 throughout pregnancy and since).
2. Magnesium. 400 mgs of "Super Magnesium Triple Blend". Just about everyone is deficient in magnesium, too, and it's quite an important mineral for our bone and digestive health. It's responsible for a lot, actually. It is present in the soil and thus in fruits and vegetables grown in soil, and in animal products that eat roughage grown in soil. Apparently modern farming soil has less and less of this mineral, though, and it's hard to get enough from diet alone unless you are reaaaallly trying. So magnesium is another one to take.
3. Multivitamin. I take a gummy women's multivitamin. It's really tasty and I look forward to it. I forget to take it some days, but I don't stress. Key components that are good coverage are folic acid, B vitamins, and an array of other shit. Just good practice, though not as necessary as the previous two things I've mentioned.
4. Apple cider vinegar. I have been taking 1 tsp - 1tbsp of ACV mixed with water each day. Depending on who you talk to, ACV will help you in about 1,000 different ways. It will definitely help with insulin regulation, and it will most likely just make you feel good. So I've been taking it regularly.
5. Drink water. I'm putting this on here just because it's something I have to remind myself of each day. Water = good! Drink it!
6. Probiotics. Your body is like 90% bacteria. You want lots of the beneficial kind! They help with digestion and help keep the pathogenic bacteria at bay. Really great for the immune system. Take the pills and eat fermented foods like yogurt and kefir.
7. Eat organic when it comes to the "dirty dozen". You can sign up to receive a PDF version of the Environmental Working Group's "Guide to Pesticides in Produce." They emailed me a guide, and I'll be happy to continue to receive their newsletter. They update the list of pesticide-heavy produce each year - try to buy the organic versions of these. The top five are apples, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and grapes. I think I just ate like 2 pounds of non-organic grapes over the weekend...wish I'd known this before I did that!
8. Make your own food whenever you can! REALLY limit your consumption of processed, packaged, frozen food. It has tons of added salt to preserve it, if nothing else. And usually lots of questionable extras. It's cheaper to cook your own, too. A few hours of meal prep when you have a low-key evening can do wonders. Throw some sweet potatoes/russets in the oven. Bake some chicken. Chop some veggies to cook throughout the week. You get the idea.
9. Don't limit saturated fat or dietary cholesterol - eat it for your brain. Egg yolks, bacon, beef - all of those fatty things that contain high amounts of dietary cholesterol - are actually VERY good for your brain (in moderation - don't go crazy). They are the best sources of choline, the importance of which is just starting to be understood for brain and heart health. It's particularly important during pregnancy - maybe AS important as folic acid. So eat some eggs every week! Really, 1-2 a day would be optimal.
10. Fish. Eat 'em, and stick to the low-mercury ones for the most part. But you also want fatty ones for the Omega-3s (best source of these, and of dietary vitamin D). The sweet spot is wild caught salmon!
I'm not going to put sleep on this list, simply because this is a list of what I do for my health, and I don't do this. But YOU should. Sleep is so important. Hopefully I'll be able to add this soon, ugh.
What little/big things do YOU do for your health? I'm always so interested in this!
For me, some health routines come and go, and some stay. I will tell you what I'm doing each day currently. I'm feeling good, placebo or not!
1. Vitamin D3. 2,000 IUs and as much sun as possible (but not too much sun - don't burn). I'm putting this first because I truly believe that Vitamin D deficiency is an epidemic right now and responsible for many, many of today's modern diseases and ailments. I tell everyone I know, unsolicited, to supplement with Vitamin D3. AT LEAST 1,000 IUs a day. If you take one vitamin, or do one thing at all for your health, do this. This one has stuck, I've been taking this for years (4,000 IUs a day for a while, 2,000 throughout pregnancy and since).
2. Magnesium. 400 mgs of "Super Magnesium Triple Blend". Just about everyone is deficient in magnesium, too, and it's quite an important mineral for our bone and digestive health. It's responsible for a lot, actually. It is present in the soil and thus in fruits and vegetables grown in soil, and in animal products that eat roughage grown in soil. Apparently modern farming soil has less and less of this mineral, though, and it's hard to get enough from diet alone unless you are reaaaallly trying. So magnesium is another one to take.
3. Multivitamin. I take a gummy women's multivitamin. It's really tasty and I look forward to it. I forget to take it some days, but I don't stress. Key components that are good coverage are folic acid, B vitamins, and an array of other shit. Just good practice, though not as necessary as the previous two things I've mentioned.
4. Apple cider vinegar. I have been taking 1 tsp - 1tbsp of ACV mixed with water each day. Depending on who you talk to, ACV will help you in about 1,000 different ways. It will definitely help with insulin regulation, and it will most likely just make you feel good. So I've been taking it regularly.
5. Drink water. I'm putting this on here just because it's something I have to remind myself of each day. Water = good! Drink it!
6. Probiotics. Your body is like 90% bacteria. You want lots of the beneficial kind! They help with digestion and help keep the pathogenic bacteria at bay. Really great for the immune system. Take the pills and eat fermented foods like yogurt and kefir.
7. Eat organic when it comes to the "dirty dozen". You can sign up to receive a PDF version of the Environmental Working Group's "Guide to Pesticides in Produce." They emailed me a guide, and I'll be happy to continue to receive their newsletter. They update the list of pesticide-heavy produce each year - try to buy the organic versions of these. The top five are apples, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and grapes. I think I just ate like 2 pounds of non-organic grapes over the weekend...wish I'd known this before I did that!
8. Make your own food whenever you can! REALLY limit your consumption of processed, packaged, frozen food. It has tons of added salt to preserve it, if nothing else. And usually lots of questionable extras. It's cheaper to cook your own, too. A few hours of meal prep when you have a low-key evening can do wonders. Throw some sweet potatoes/russets in the oven. Bake some chicken. Chop some veggies to cook throughout the week. You get the idea.
9. Don't limit saturated fat or dietary cholesterol - eat it for your brain. Egg yolks, bacon, beef - all of those fatty things that contain high amounts of dietary cholesterol - are actually VERY good for your brain (in moderation - don't go crazy). They are the best sources of choline, the importance of which is just starting to be understood for brain and heart health. It's particularly important during pregnancy - maybe AS important as folic acid. So eat some eggs every week! Really, 1-2 a day would be optimal.
10. Fish. Eat 'em, and stick to the low-mercury ones for the most part. But you also want fatty ones for the Omega-3s (best source of these, and of dietary vitamin D). The sweet spot is wild caught salmon!
I'm not going to put sleep on this list, simply because this is a list of what I do for my health, and I don't do this. But YOU should. Sleep is so important. Hopefully I'll be able to add this soon, ugh.
What little/big things do YOU do for your health? I'm always so interested in this!
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Smitten Kitchen Cooking Fears: Progress
A while ago, Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite food blogs, compiled a list of her readers' most common fears in the kitchen. A lot of them hrang true for me - certain techniques or recipes that seemed too daunting, or too much work to be "worth it". Since first reading the post in question, I have come a long way in my culinary journey. I actually enjoy cooking in and of itself - it's actually more about the journey now than the destination. The end result is just a bonus that I can enjoy (hopefully with others!). And, usually, it's never as difficult as you think.
The list, alphabetically, and notes on my experience with each. The color scheme goes:
RED - LEGITIMATE FEAR AND AVOIDANCE
ORANGE - HAVEN'T MADE, BUT NOT TOO SCARY
BLUE - HAVE MADE, AND IT KIND OF SUCKED
GREEN - HAVE MADE, AND WILL MAKE MANY TIMES AGAIN
artichokes - OK, these are actually still REALLY annoying to prepare, in my opinion. Maybe I'm just doing it wrong...
biscuits - Come to think of it, I've never been compelled to make these! I'm not intimidated, though.
bread - I have made several types of bread, with very good results! I'll continue to make breads, because they are really not that much work, with great payout.
cakes - Done. I've made layer cakes completely from scratch.
canning - Ah, haven't done this one, and don't have plans to. I actually AM afraid of canning incorrectly and getting botulism or something horrible.
caramel - I have made simple caramel and brittles. Just need a candy thermometer and patience.
chicken, whole - Done. Not my favorite food, though, so haven't repeated it too much.
crepes - have not tried making these!
deep frying - my most recent conquest. Very successful - crispy and delicious! Though my apartment smelled like duck fat for a while.
eggs, poached - I've made decent poached eggs and they were just ok...need to up my game here
fish - no fear here. I've made many kinds of fish, yummy and easy
fried chicken - Now that I'm in the frying game, I'll definitely try this!
frying - Yep.
gnocchi - seems time intensive, but if I ever had a gnocchi craving I guess I'd try it? Meh.
gravy - I've made gravy, but need LOTS of practice to perfect it.
meat, steaks, and chops - No problemo
phyllo - I have a few recipes requiring phyllo bookmarked. It doesn't seem difficult, actually...should I be worried?
pie or tart crusts - seems complicated...Pilsbury is quite good!
rice - jasmine rice is no problem. A rice cooker would certainly make this even easier.
risotto - something to try.
sauce, hollandaise - Haven't made this EVER. Not worried about it, though
souffles - yeah these are a little daunting.
yeast, anything - pizza dough and bread so far. I have many active dry yeast packets to use, and am not afraid to!
other (the biggest category - who knows!)
The list, alphabetically, and notes on my experience with each. The color scheme goes:
RED - LEGITIMATE FEAR AND AVOIDANCE
ORANGE - HAVEN'T MADE, BUT NOT TOO SCARY
BLUE - HAVE MADE, AND IT KIND OF SUCKED
GREEN - HAVE MADE, AND WILL MAKE MANY TIMES AGAIN
artichokes - OK, these are actually still REALLY annoying to prepare, in my opinion. Maybe I'm just doing it wrong...
biscuits - Come to think of it, I've never been compelled to make these! I'm not intimidated, though.
bread - I have made several types of bread, with very good results! I'll continue to make breads, because they are really not that much work, with great payout.
cakes - Done. I've made layer cakes completely from scratch.
canning - Ah, haven't done this one, and don't have plans to. I actually AM afraid of canning incorrectly and getting botulism or something horrible.
caramel - I have made simple caramel and brittles. Just need a candy thermometer and patience.
chicken, whole - Done. Not my favorite food, though, so haven't repeated it too much.
crepes - have not tried making these!
deep frying - my most recent conquest. Very successful - crispy and delicious! Though my apartment smelled like duck fat for a while.
eggs, poached - I've made decent poached eggs and they were just ok...need to up my game here
fish - no fear here. I've made many kinds of fish, yummy and easy
fried chicken - Now that I'm in the frying game, I'll definitely try this!
frying - Yep.
gnocchi - seems time intensive, but if I ever had a gnocchi craving I guess I'd try it? Meh.
gravy - I've made gravy, but need LOTS of practice to perfect it.
meat, steaks, and chops - No problemo
phyllo - I have a few recipes requiring phyllo bookmarked. It doesn't seem difficult, actually...should I be worried?
pie or tart crusts - seems complicated...Pilsbury is quite good!
rice - jasmine rice is no problem. A rice cooker would certainly make this even easier.
risotto - something to try.
sauce, hollandaise - Haven't made this EVER. Not worried about it, though
souffles - yeah these are a little daunting.
yeast, anything - pizza dough and bread so far. I have many active dry yeast packets to use, and am not afraid to!
other (the biggest category - who knows!)
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Silly little ways I am trying to save $$!
Soooo my rent has just gone up quite a bit. I need to find ways to bring down my other expenses, so that I can keep living in my awesome new apartment!! And keep Eleanor in diapers and her favorite coconut water juice boxes!
Using cheaper beauty products where I can and actually using samples
Here's an example of my beauty philosophy for the past few years: each bottle of my former shampoo (Oribe) costs $44. $44. The conditioner costs $48. YES $48. Ridiculous. Unacceptable. I love Oribe products, but they are luxury items. I'm going to keep using the conditioner to condition my hair twice a week, and use a cheap shampoo. I predict it won't matter. Also, instead of some La Mer body cream, I'm using straight up Aquaphor. Dare I say, my skin is doing much better!
So, I need to save up for:
Oribe Brilliance and Shine conditioner
Caudalie "THE CREME" and eye cream
Caudalie cleansing water
Burberry London perfume
Moroccan oil hair styling cream
Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer
Trish McEvoy high volume mascara...
OK this list is actually getting too long! I guess I still have a ways to go in this department. The rest of what I buy needs to come from the grocery store.
Kind of related: Only get my hair cut 3 times per year. This will actually save hundreds of dollars.
Eating more vegetarian meals - rice! beans! eggs!
Food is one place where I think I'm already making MAJOR cuts in spending. Eating smaller portions, not needing meat at every meal, not wasting food (I have become obsessed with this), freezing meals, couponing, going out to eat/getting take-out way less, etc. I think I can cut at least $200 a month this way.
I'm pretty resolved to never buy baked goods or sweets at all (I end up making things like banana bread each week with overripe bananas). Other fruits that are getting too ripe get washed and chopped and go in the freezer. I'm even making my own bread and pizza. YEAH.
Bringing parts of lunch and snacks from home
Sweetgreen is just stupid expensive. I love their salads for lunch, but it doesn't make sense for me to even go there anymore. I've been getting $6 lunches at a more generic salad bar place, and I'm bringing food from home more and more frequently.
I NEED TO BE BETTER AT: not buying coffee daily. But I love it so!! Regardless, the money I could save is staggering. Need a thermos. Also, I need a reusable water bottle. Once my bottled water stash runs out, I'LL start with that. BLAH.
Buying clothes at Target
I've found some clothes at Target that get compliments all the time! I need to look there first and not Anthropologie...
Wear my glasses 1 day per week, be stingy with contacts
Yeah...we'll see.
No more cable
You'd think this would make sense, but getting the high speed Internet alone cost about $20 more per month than Internet + basic cable. Soooo....maybe I'll be keeping cable for now! But my bill was previously about $100 per month at least.
Water filter
Either in addition to two 5 gallon water jugs from Deer Park, or maybe I will cut out that water delivery altogether.
Ways I am not saving money:
Eating a Quest bar every.day. because I love them and the nutrition stats are unmatched. They clock in at about $2 each, which actually isn't terrible, but they're no packet of oatmeal in terms of thriftiness. And again, the daily coffees and bottled waters. I resolve to at least cut down on these things!
Using cheaper beauty products where I can and actually using samples
Here's an example of my beauty philosophy for the past few years: each bottle of my former shampoo (Oribe) costs $44. $44. The conditioner costs $48. YES $48. Ridiculous. Unacceptable. I love Oribe products, but they are luxury items. I'm going to keep using the conditioner to condition my hair twice a week, and use a cheap shampoo. I predict it won't matter. Also, instead of some La Mer body cream, I'm using straight up Aquaphor. Dare I say, my skin is doing much better!
So, I need to save up for:
Oribe Brilliance and Shine conditioner
Caudalie "THE CREME" and eye cream
Caudalie cleansing water
Burberry London perfume
Moroccan oil hair styling cream
Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer
Trish McEvoy high volume mascara...
OK this list is actually getting too long! I guess I still have a ways to go in this department. The rest of what I buy needs to come from the grocery store.
Kind of related: Only get my hair cut 3 times per year. This will actually save hundreds of dollars.
Eating more vegetarian meals - rice! beans! eggs!
Food is one place where I think I'm already making MAJOR cuts in spending. Eating smaller portions, not needing meat at every meal, not wasting food (I have become obsessed with this), freezing meals, couponing, going out to eat/getting take-out way less, etc. I think I can cut at least $200 a month this way.
I'm pretty resolved to never buy baked goods or sweets at all (I end up making things like banana bread each week with overripe bananas). Other fruits that are getting too ripe get washed and chopped and go in the freezer. I'm even making my own bread and pizza. YEAH.
 |
| Double chocolate banana bread. Delicious. |
Bringing parts of lunch and snacks from home
Sweetgreen is just stupid expensive. I love their salads for lunch, but it doesn't make sense for me to even go there anymore. I've been getting $6 lunches at a more generic salad bar place, and I'm bringing food from home more and more frequently.
I NEED TO BE BETTER AT: not buying coffee daily. But I love it so!! Regardless, the money I could save is staggering. Need a thermos. Also, I need a reusable water bottle. Once my bottled water stash runs out, I'LL start with that. BLAH.
Buying clothes at Target
I've found some clothes at Target that get compliments all the time! I need to look there first and not Anthropologie...
Wear my glasses 1 day per week, be stingy with contacts
Yeah...we'll see.
No more cable
You'd think this would make sense, but getting the high speed Internet alone cost about $20 more per month than Internet + basic cable. Soooo....maybe I'll be keeping cable for now! But my bill was previously about $100 per month at least.
Water filter
Either in addition to two 5 gallon water jugs from Deer Park, or maybe I will cut out that water delivery altogether.
Ways I am not saving money:
Eating a Quest bar every.day. because I love them and the nutrition stats are unmatched. They clock in at about $2 each, which actually isn't terrible, but they're no packet of oatmeal in terms of thriftiness. And again, the daily coffees and bottled waters. I resolve to at least cut down on these things!
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Adventures in the Kitchen
I've been having so much fun cooking lately. Matt and I were so, so fortunate to receive amazing cookware as wedding gifts, and I have been using them nonstop! Here are some of our favorite meals so far, complete with alterations (if any) that I made, and some photos!
Lasagna Soup: This one is Matt's and my favorite recipe I've made so far! YUM! We both love lasagna, but this is so much easier and just as delicious. Sausage, pasta, melty cheese... oh man. Warms the soul.
Peasant pasta: This is a simple, delicious recipe. Matt and I got really into using ground sausage in dinners, so this was a perfect one to try (and I read great reviews for it). I used only spicy sausage, and added more peas than what was called for. Easy PEAsy (heh, heh).
Cottage pie: SO GOOD! The creamy, cheesy mashed potato topping was the best part. This recipe, while having multiple parts and some fairly labor-intensive steps (and lots of pots/pans to clean), was surprisingly easy! There was absolutely no stress, everything went smoothly, and the timing was great (boiled potatoes while meat simmered, grated cheese while potatoes boiled, etc.). A great, hearty, comforting meal! Might add peas next time :)
Crock pot chicken taco bowls (served over brown jasmine rice and topped with shredded cheddar): This was my first crock pot recipe! It was super, super easy and SO flavorful. We loved this one!
Homemade vodka sauce: Good, simple, creamy.
Spicy stewed beef with creamy cheddar grits: This was my first time cooking with beef that wasn't ground beef! Overall, it was good, but I definitely have notes on this one.
Smoky white bean chicken chili: Yum! This was a delicious, comforting meal and got better each day we had it (three days of leftovers!) -- it became even more flavorful and thickened up as the days went on. Next time I might mash up one of the cans of beans to make it even thicker. Bacon, smoky paprika, chipotle chili powder, and fire-roasted tomatoes made it SO smoky.
Penne with spicy lamb sauce: This was so freakin' simple. Great "nontraditional" spices for a pasta dish -- cinnamon, coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne. First time cooking with lamb! (I found it at Whole Foods, but be sure to call the meat counter before you go to make sure they have it... they did not have it the first time I went and I learned my lesson!)
Three-ingredient marinara sauce (also on Smitten Kitchen): Excellent. Simple... hardly any work. It's better the longer it simmers and thickens up. It's truly amazing how a can of tomatoes, a hunk of butter, and two halves of onions (not chopped!) can create such a flavorful, rich sauce. Next time, I want to add ground spicy Italian sausage or ground beef to the sauce at the beginning because I LOVE MEAT.
Apologies for the overuse of the the words "simple" and "delicious" in these descriptions! Also excuse the iPhone photos.
Lasagna Soup: This one is Matt's and my favorite recipe I've made so far! YUM! We both love lasagna, but this is so much easier and just as delicious. Sausage, pasta, melty cheese... oh man. Warms the soul.
- The "cheesy yum" is indescribably delicious. I didn't even think I liked ricotta cheese! But the ricotta (full-fat) mixed with Parmesan cheese and salt/pepper was so good - especially when it was topped with shredded mozzarella and got all melty and ooey-gooey in the hot soup.
- We used almost 16 oz of lasagna noodles because that is the only size box we could find and hey, we love pasta. We broke the noodles up into small pieces and cooked them separately.
- Other small alterations: used two 14.5 oz cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes; used only about 1.5-2 cups onions since 3 cups sounded like a lot; used less than 6 c. low-sodium chicken broth
- To serve, I put pasta in the bowl, then a big ol' spoon or two of the "cheesy yum," then a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese, then finally ladled the soup on top. Do this.
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| A huge mountain of melty cheese is hiding under there. |
Peasant pasta: This is a simple, delicious recipe. Matt and I got really into using ground sausage in dinners, so this was a perfect one to try (and I read great reviews for it). I used only spicy sausage, and added more peas than what was called for. Easy PEAsy (heh, heh).
Cottage pie: SO GOOD! The creamy, cheesy mashed potato topping was the best part. This recipe, while having multiple parts and some fairly labor-intensive steps (and lots of pots/pans to clean), was surprisingly easy! There was absolutely no stress, everything went smoothly, and the timing was great (boiled potatoes while meat simmered, grated cheese while potatoes boiled, etc.). A great, hearty, comforting meal! Might add peas next time :)
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| Grating cheese, boiling potatoes, simmAHing the meat/gravy |
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| PaTOOTS! |
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| Layering + baking |
.JPG) |
| Adding the finishing touch: a sprinkle of hot paprika! |
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| Adding the meat, spreading the mashed perderders, baking the pie, cleaning the potato masher |
Crock pot chicken taco bowls (served over brown jasmine rice and topped with shredded cheddar): This was my first crock pot recipe! It was super, super easy and SO flavorful. We loved this one!
- A few notes: I added almost a whole bag of frozen baby sweet corn about an hour before the meal was done (7 hours in) instead of at the beginning so the corn didn't get mushy. The corn was first thawed in fridge/running under water since I heard you shouldn't put frozen things in crock pot. For the salsa, I used Newman's Own medium salsa but definitely want to try other types/flavors in the future! Next time, I might also add more beans, because why not!
Homemade vodka sauce: Good, simple, creamy.
- I read reviews before I made this that suggested using less/cooking down the vodka and warned that it didn't make a ton of sauce. So, I used a 28 oz. can of tomato puree and 3/4 cup vodka (which I cooked down for 8-10 min.). I also used the most awesome squiggly spaghetti noodles.
Spicy stewed beef with creamy cheddar grits: This was my first time cooking with beef that wasn't ground beef! Overall, it was good, but I definitely have notes on this one.
- So. Many. Grits. SO MANY. Use less grits because damn. I also used a lot more cheese than called before because I love cheese (and also I was on a ROLL grating it).
- The beef is VERY spicy. You use an entire can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Just keep that in mind.
- I cooked it in a Le Creuset dutch oven in the oven (rather than on the stove), then cooked on the stove uncovered so liquid would reduce (thanks for the tip, Dad!).
- A few slight disasters: sliced finger open while washing knife; burnt a nice layer of grits to bottom of too-small pot and had to switch to bigger pot half way through grits cooking; forgot to trim beef and cut into smaller pieces before adding to pot. Sigh. Oh well!
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| Grating an entire block of CHEESE for the grits. Struggling. |
Smoky white bean chicken chili: Yum! This was a delicious, comforting meal and got better each day we had it (three days of leftovers!) -- it became even more flavorful and thickened up as the days went on. Next time I might mash up one of the cans of beans to make it even thicker. Bacon, smoky paprika, chipotle chili powder, and fire-roasted tomatoes made it SO smoky.
Penne with spicy lamb sauce: This was so freakin' simple. Great "nontraditional" spices for a pasta dish -- cinnamon, coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne. First time cooking with lamb! (I found it at Whole Foods, but be sure to call the meat counter before you go to make sure they have it... they did not have it the first time I went and I learned my lesson!)
- Note: This is definitely not a "saucy" pasta. Each noodle is coated in a delicious light sauce made from lamb/tomato/pasta liquid, but it's not like a tomato-y sauce. This might be because I followed the recipe and added a whole pound of pasta to the sauce pot. I liked it as is, but Matt prefers a saucier pasta and thinks I should try just adding half the amount of pasta next time.
- The feta adds a nice salty creaminess. I definitely recommend using it! (I did not top with mint though, because I don't really like it in savory dishes.)
Three-ingredient marinara sauce (also on Smitten Kitchen): Excellent. Simple... hardly any work. It's better the longer it simmers and thickens up. It's truly amazing how a can of tomatoes, a hunk of butter, and two halves of onions (not chopped!) can create such a flavorful, rich sauce. Next time, I want to add ground spicy Italian sausage or ground beef to the sauce at the beginning because I LOVE MEAT.
Apologies for the overuse of the the words "simple" and "delicious" in these descriptions! Also excuse the iPhone photos.
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