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Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey- A Must Read!

 8.25.2011


Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey from Todd Porter & Diane Cu on Vimeo.

I ran across this video created by White on Rice Couple the other day.  Not only is it beautiful, but the tragic reality behind the creation of this video evokes raw, true, introspection and evaluation of how we live our own lives each day.  These may be strangers, but when live brings pain and suffering like this to a fellow human being, you can't help but get emotional and empathize with their hurt.  I shared this story with B last night, held him tight, and told him I never wanted a day to go by where he did not know how much I am in love with him.

Mikey, a fellow food blogger husband, died of a heart attack suddenly and without warning about a week and a half ago.  Her posts since this life-altering tragedy are inspiration to us all, not only to always pursue our dreams, but to live like each day may be our last, and never letting loved ones whom are closest to us go a day without feeling loved.  My deepest and sincerest condolences go out to Jenny, her family, and Mikey's family and friends. 

You can read posts about Mikey on Jenny's blog here.

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Biology, Physiology, Psychology, PIE-OLOGY?

 8.12.2011



At the close of 2 weeks trying the Gluten Free Lifestyle that so many cult-like followers rave about, I must admit, I was craving a BURGER with a BUN, or Melty Cheesy Pizza.  And I kind of thought, mistakenly, that I would have lost at least a pound or two.  I mean, for all intents and purposes, I have been substantially devoid of Gluten for 13.5 days!
But whatever, I'm not bitter.  What? I'm Not! I digress...

On the way home from work sitting in traffic, stomach growling loudly and uncomfortably, I hurriedly type gluten free pizza into my blackberry browser and I am gleefully surprised to find a local pizza place that is fairly new in town, that I had never tried before, offered G-Free Pizza! Sold.

This place is AMAZING and is sure to inspire all the rage as soon as people catch on and half of America jumps on the G-free bandwagon with me.  B opted out of G-free tonight,  think he has had enough "QUINOA" imitation rice and fusilli for the week.
 They make your pizza right in front of you and you can add toppings, however many you want, and the price remains the same! About $7.50 for a 9inch pizza, $6 if you are plain and cheesy.
 B's pizza in the making.
 Wood-burning oven!
Then, while you wait, you can either be tempted by the silver shiny stack of foil wrapped DING-DONGS made by Hostess, or you can read the interesting quotes on the wall! Below are some of my favorites!


 Mae West is legendary.
 Here's my Gluten free crust/pizza! It was SO good, I got mine with olive oil, Mozzarella (I'm not quite dairy free yet people, one thing at a time!), artichoke hearts, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and of course, Jalepenos!
 Here is the hubby's pizza.  Very thin crust, he opted for pesto, pepperoni, peppers mozzarella and jalepenos.  I didn't try his but he ate it all so I know he liked it!


I noticed at the end of our pizzas, B's "regular thin crust" had greese left on the waxy recycled paper and mine did not have ANY!
One point for Gluten!


And they have these cute little boxes sitting out for you to take your slice home and have for breakfast tomorrow morning! Don't judge!

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Hot Hot Hot! Chiles, Mango Margaritas, Zucchini Fritters!

 8.07.2011

This weekend we had a Birthday Bash for my brother-in-law and his wife! I wanted to share with everyone the wonderful food that was prepared - not only was it fresh, colorful, light and healthy, but it was beyond delicious 
See below for a great mix of hor de hourves and drinks to serve at a summer get together! 

 Chile plant - talk about fresh HOME MADE salsa! It was amazing!
The batch she made this weekend had crushed pineapple in it!


 I love MASON jars! For juice, adult beverages, flowers, body scrubs, perfect for every occasion!
 The ladies! Mango Rum with homemade lemonade made with fresh lemons, and oranges!

 My mother-in-law makes zucchini fritters, not Gluten Free, but my hubby LOVES them! I will get the recipe and post soon!
 Delicious fresh summer salad with walnuts, feta, mandarin oranges and raspberry vinaigrette.

These little fruit tarts were very light and tasty! (Crust I assumed was non-Gluten free- so I ate the middle!) YUM

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Sriracha with a side of eggs

 7.31.2011

 Bryan was hungry for lunch, and I felt bad because most of the G-free food I bought is snacky stuff, which is fine for me...but my man needs to eat meals! So I threw together egg tacos and cut up an apple for him.  The thing about Sriracha is, you smother it on top of ANYTHING and not only does it provide a pleasant and colorful feast for the eyes, it also adds flavor!
What the Code says about:

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We're all in this together!

I just love finding new blogs/sites  that inspire the creative side!  And when I came across this sign (poster?) I had to laugh, because I was just looking through photos I had taken a week and a half ago and .....well.....




YEAH, THAT WAS MY BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS.  And last week, it was leftover cookie and frozen yogurt.  I later realized why (hormonal shift - sorry for TMI) but I got to thinking...The reason signs like the one above are so funny is because they are relatable and so true! I feel better knowing I am not be the only one who fails.  And I guess that is all just part of life.  But since the male species does not have to go through a change in their hormones each month to lessen their willpower...I guess that leaves more cheesecake for me!

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Thank GOD

I'm all about going G free, but I would have literally cried if Yogurtland was on not the G-free list.


So I searched the web and found the following email on a forum:


YogurtLand: With the exception of our yogurt flavors which use ingredients that would explicitly contain gluten, such as the double cookies and cream, our yogurt flavors do not contain gluten. However, all of our flavors are processed in a facility that also processes products which do contain gluten.


Hmmm...can't they just put signs next to the flavors and make my life a bit easier?

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Stuffed is Always Better

 7.19.2011

Stuffed chicken and potatoes = Stuffed and Happy Husband.

I am told this was my "best meal yet!"

Here's what was on the menu: Perfect for a summer night eating outside on the patio!

Mediterranean & Feta Stuffed Chicken
Twice Baked Potatoes
Sweet and Spicy Broccoli Slaw
Spicy Baked Beans


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Sriracha makes everything taste better!

 7.12.2011

My refrigerator used to look something like this...give or take a few condiments, Diet Coke, and wine.  But I know now, if I only had ONE item to keep in the fridge and keep my man happy....it would be SRIRACHA aka "Rooster sauce." 



And, if nothing else, adding extreme spice to any disaster dish will trick your taste-buds and suffocate unpleasant flavors...

Anyway, my wonderful hubby tried the below recipe from the "Weeknight Wonders" section of Sandra Lee's cookbook (my favorite).  I was home late, and had NO energy or will or creativity or desire to cook A THING.  But thankfully, he whipped this up and saved the night! It was DE-LISH!
20 minute prep + cook time = happy me :)


2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 package fresh sliced mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom
1/2 c. white wine
3 T. chopped fresh tarragon (I couldn't find this but used basil and it tasted great!)
1 t. lemon pepper
1 t. crushed garlic
I also added a few dashes of Sriracha sauce (for an extra spicy kick)!

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and mushrooms. Cook and stir for 8 - 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Stir in soup, wine, tarragon, lemon pepper, and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot. 

Mix with brown rice or rice pilaf! Top with SRRRRIRRRAACHAAA!  SOOO good!


Bryan's Next Halloween Costume!

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Fast & Easy Tostadas!

 7.09.2011

I was able to scrounge together 6 items which most everyone has in their kitchen to make these quick and yummy tostadas! They may not be Barefoot Contessa caliber, but they did taste delicious and only took 10 minutes to make!

 Start with tostada shells layered with fat free refried beans.

 Add layer of lean ground turkey with taco seasoning.

Smother in grated sharp cheddar, sprinkle chopped lettuce.
Top with salsa and jalapenos and voilĂ ! 





Success! 

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From Nails to Cheese....

 6.28.2011

Code Lesson: Do NOT NOT NOT add a full condensed can of Cheese Soup to your Spaghetti.  


TOTAL Bust.   MAJOR Stomach Cramping.

Today I get home at 8:30pm, which is actually early considering I had time to drudgingly squeeze in a nail appointment (which the nice ladies, bless their souls, stayed late for me).  My nails and roots are overdone, but that's a whole other story.  I faintly recall the days when getting my nails done was a lavish treat to savor, spent catching up on the latest US Weekly or ELLE.  But now, it's really no different than reading at work, while someone is pumicing and polishing my flanges.  I digress.  

Side note: Why is it that the person in the chair next to me inevitably thinks it's socially acceptable, nay, inviting and cordial to start asking personal questions about my life?  I'm balancing my blackberry between prickly legs which I would have shaved had I known I was going to have time to squeeze in a pedicure at the last minute for fear of embarrassment, holding a pen between my lips, and flipping pages with my elbow while both arms are stretched to one side so the nail tech can reach them.
I am clearly totally open to starting a conversation, (insert sarcasm here), but yes, ma'am, what did you say? In some social circles this ill-advised acknowledgment apparently signals a 20 minute conversation which inevitably leads to this older woman telling me her unchartered opinions about life in general and as applied to me (because she knows me so well).  But then again, I can't blame her, it is 7:30 pm on a Tuesday and I was the only other poor sap in there to answer her burning questions.

She proceeds to tell me "You know, they say you should never go through more than one major life change in a year. "

 Oh yeah lady? Bring it.  

I begin to tell her how my life has taken form this year, and she stops dead in her tracks.  Literally, she says "I'm sorry, that's a LOT of stuff going on." 

Ya, thank you, I could have told myself that.  She concludes, "Well, good luck with everything!" Um Thank you! Okay, moving on.  You thought that was painful to read?  Imagine being in my plastic lined pedi-tub!

Anywayyyysssss.... I got my nails did, then came home and Bryan had (sweet thing he is) gone to the grocery store to get us food for the week, yes, I am aware it's Tuesday night; anyway I start to boil water...put noodles in, brown some meat, then add pasta sauce, everything is going just average so far.  No smoke alarm, no gas fumes emitting sans flame (see macaroni and cheese reference in About Me) and just when I am about to season the sauce, grate some Romano and call it a dinner, I decide to put a can of Cheese Soup in there.  What the H*** was I thinking?
I don't know, that it would be creamier and cheesier? That's always good right?

So I scoop up a bowl of piping hot gooey pasta for my husband, who takes a bite (he LOVES pasta) looks up and asks, "What did you put IN this?" I am half expecting his face to be full of wonderment and awe at my superb and creative culinary skills.  Nope. That face had "I'm gonna barf written all over it."

I sink in my chair and give him the "lip." (sad puppy face that instantly melts him and makes him say whatever he thinks I need or want to hear).

I ask him, "You HATE it don't you? I'm so sorry.  I can't believe I messed pasta up!" UGH.  That's what I get for trying to be creative.

And he replies, "What? I love it!" I respond, "No, really, its ok I don't really like it either."  Which was the truth, it was WAAAY to thick.  I convincingly smile and tell him I thought it would be good because his mom used to put cream cheese and Velveeta in everything, and he grew up loving cheesy pasta. 

But honestly the only reason I ate my bowl was because I hadn't eaten anything except my Eggo waffles for breakfast, and my usual packed lunch delicacy...PB&J.... and 2 fun size Hershey's chocolates, which I stole from my own desk, because I put them there for guests only ....that's working out well by the way.  

So back to the cheese goop bow-tie bowl, Bryan looks up from faithfully chewing, forkful by forkful, and enthusiastically says "No babe! It's good!"  

He cautiously asks "Issss there any left?" I say, "Ya, I'm sorry."

Him: "No that's good we can have leftovers!" 

Me:  Mpffff.  "Not even the soup kitchen would take that crap.  But, I think its stomach-able if you tell yourself you're eating Spaghetti-o's and not expecting actual pasta."

Spaghetti-o's.  What was I thinking? My husband is ITALIAN! 
He sheepishly laughs and returns, committed, eyes and face down to the bowl.  He finishes.  The man has a steel stomach.  Then, he asks me a question I was not expecting.... "Are you going to finish yours?"  

Kabobs made by Husband Last Week
He must love me that much.  I am in the market for local cooking classes that are cheap and can be taught to me while in R-E-M sleep.
Anyone know any recommendations?


Clearly, my husband has skills that I am still lacking.

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Sour Cream, Cupcakes, and Seinfeld

 6.08.2011

Sour Cream! Especially with lemon flavored cakes!
Just add 1/4 to a 1/2 cup light sour cream into your batter and it whips up so nice!

Using the Pyrex measuring cup helps fill the cupcakes faster and easier!
Up until this point things were going fine!

I left to get my nails done, Bryan was outside, I mentioned something about the timer but he couldn't remember what I had said, so in the time between his text "what do I do when the timer goes off" and the time i respond "take them out!" my little secret sour cream cupcakes I had planned on making for our party were charred.  I tried to save them by cutting off their tops...so then I had a bunch of tops laying around - reminding me of the Seinfeld muffin stumps! I covered the sad little cupcakes with frosting, using a frosting bag and applicator, but there is no masking a bad burn job.  Period.  Lesson learned (for the 136th time) don't leave the stove un-attended! Sigh. 

Seriously...Seinfeld just never gets old does it?

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Creamy Bowtie Pasta Casserole

 6.05.2011






The sign behind the stove says it all doesn't it!

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