A beautiful, relaxing weekend...

Hi friends! What a gorgeous weekend we had! I worked Saturday, but was done early enough to still have some time to relax. So, Saturday afternoon, I did my meal planning, made my grocery list, and went to the store (a very calming ritual for me!). Saturday night, I decided to make maple-mustard pork chops with winter squash puree (from Cooking Light). I saw this recipe in the March edition of the magazine and thought it looked delicious. Well, not only does it look and sound good, it tastes amazing! Here is a link to March 2010 recipe index, but I can't find this one on the list, so here it is:

Maple mustard pork chops

Cooking Light March 2010

4 (6oz) bone-in center cut pork chops
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper
cooking spray
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley

Sprinkle both sides of pork with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium- high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 3 min on each side or until cooked through, but with a slight blush in the center. Remove from pan; keep warm. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add butter to pan, swirling to coat. Add shallots; saute 3 min or until tender and translucent. Add broth; bring to a boil, and cook 1 min. Stir in mustard, syrup, and remaining salt; cook 1 min or until slightly thick. Return pork to pan. Cook pork 1 min each side. Serve pork with sauce, garnish with parsley.

Winter Squash Puree

1/3 cup fat free, less sodium chicken broth
2 12 oz packages frozen cooked butternut squash
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp grated orange rind
1 and 1/2 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place squash and broth in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cover and cook 15 min until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Add butter and remaining ingredients, stir until combined.

I served this with some steamed green beans...



Today we took the canoe out on the reservior and enjoyed the sunshine. I took my new camera to practice taking pictures. Here are some shots from the day... We saw a sleeping aligator...and snuck up on him for a photo shoot.








Tonight, for dinner, I made Cooking Light's Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic. I am now obsessed with this recipe. I really don't like chicken, and I ate every bite of mine! A big deal for me...I usually just eat the bread and veggies. Here is the recipe:

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic

Cooking Light

2 (3-pound) whole chickens
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
40 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
24 (1/4-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
Preparation
Remove and discard giblets and neck from chickens. Rinse chickens with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat; remove skin. Cut each chicken into 8 pieces. Combine butter and oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over chicken. Add half of chicken pieces to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken.

Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic; cook 1 minute or until garlic begins to brown, stirring frequently. Arrange chicken on top of garlic. Add broth and wine; cover and cook 25 minutes or until chicken is done.

Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup. Serve sauce and garlic with chicken and bread. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

I made some roasted potatoes to go with this lovely chicken dinner. Also, I added some tuscan seasoning mix along with the salt and pepper on the chicken. The garlic gets soft and spreadable...perfect for the baguette slices...mmmm.

Friday eve....

So...let's see where I left off. Oh, Tuesday night I made turkey meatloaf and mashed potatoes from Real Simple. I didn't do a blog post because I have no picture beacause my camera battery was dead. (boo) But it was pretty good. I tried the recipe because it was easy and healthy, but honestly I am not a huge fan of meatloaf. My Mom made it ONCE, in the shape of a teddy bear...you would have to be there...Anyway, meatloaf just isn't my favorite. But check out the recipe if you are interested.

Last night, we had leftovers. For dessert, Justin wanted tea cakes. I have a recipe his mom gave me for tea cakes that I have tweaked just a tad. This recipe makes a different cookie than what I know as a traditional tea cake (dense, crisp, crunchy). These are light and chewy with crispy edges..yummy.

Tea Cakes

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 and 1/4 cup sugar (brown sugar is delish, too)
3 eggs
2 and 1/2 cups self rising flour
1 tsp vanilla flavoring

Preaheat oven to 350. Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time until well blended. Scoop onto cookie sheet with small cookie scoop. Place about 1 inch apart. Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown.


Justin's favorite way to eat these cookies is to make a "sandwich" with two cookies and a smear of the cookie dough. I have to say, this is dreamy! That is, if you aren't afraid of eating raw eggs. Try it.





Now, for tonight! PASTA NIGHT! The best night of the week. Unless, of course, we go out for sushi. I made Real Simple's Ravioli with peas and crispy bacon. It was heavenly. This is from the same collection of ravioli recipes that the sweet potato one I did a while back was from. I can't wait to try the others!

Slow cooker pulled pork with apple and pear slaw

Like any good southern girl should, I love a good pulled pork barbeque sandwich. (For the record, my all time favorite barbeque is a tie between The Rib Cage and Handy Andy's in Oxford, MS.) This was my first attempt at making my own pulled pork. I must say that it was much easier than I thought it would be, and it was super good. As you probably guessed, both of these recipes are from Cooking Light.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Cooking Light

1 (3 lb.) boneless pork shoulder, skin and excess fat removed
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
2 cups bottled or homemade barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper

Trim pork of any excess fat. Scatter onion over bottom of slow cooker and place pork on top. Add broth, cover and cook on low until very tender, about 8 hours. Remove meat and let cool.

When cool enough to handle, pull meat into thin shreds, removing all fat and gristle. Skim excess fat from liquid in slow cooker.

Return pulled pork to slow cooker and stir in barbecue sauce, mustard, honey and soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1 hour longer on low.


Serve on whole wheat buns with baked beans, slaw, or the sides of your choice. Tonight, I made this slaw- light, tangy, and refreshing! I also heated up some canned honey baked beans to go with it. Mmm mmmm mmmmm.

Apple and Pear Slaw

Cooking Light

1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups thinly sliced Granny Smith apple (about 1 large apple)
2 cups thinly sliced pear (about 1 large pear)
1 (12-ounce) package cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

Combine apple, pear, and coleslaw in a large bowl; stir in dressing. Chill up to 2 hours.

Puppy Love

I have the cutest dog in the world, see:

This is Baxter, our Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Adorable, I know. I found a recipe for peanut butter dog treats today and decided to make them for him, since I love him sooo much. The recipe here is modified from one I found on this website.

Honey peanut butter dog biscuits

3 cups self rising flour
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Combine Water, honey, oil, and peanut butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer. Add in flour 1/2 cup at a time until soft dough forms. Knead dough into a ball and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. I used hearts, circles, and my LOVE cookie cutters. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.






Enjoying his treat! Good boy!

Walkin' on Sunshine...

Wow! What a gorgeous day today was! We have had a particularly cold winter down South this year. I mean, It has snowed like three times! In a state where everything shuts down at the mention of "flurries", this is a huge deal. Today brought a welcome 68 degrees and some beautiful sunshine. It was the perfect Saturday: up early, planned meals for the week, went grocery shopping, got a haircut, went to a movie with the hubby, a brisk walk on the treadmill, and spent the evening at Borders reading cooking magazines. As for today's food, I had the last of the leftover butternut squash risotto for my lunch. :( For dinner, ham and cheese panini with bacon and pesto mayo dip. Dessert: chocolate chip angel food cupcakes with fluffy frosting. Yup. It was a pretty awesome day.

For the panini: I cooked a few strips of bacon, spread whole wheat bread with dijon mustard, and piled on ham, bacon and colby jack cheese. I pressed those babies in my panini press, and ta da! Supper's ready! For the pesto mayo dip: just stir 1 Tbsp. pesto into 3 Tbsp. mayo. Done. Serve with a simple salad.


Chocolate Chip Angel Food Cupcakes with Fluffy Frosting

Frosting from Cooking Light

I used an angel food cake mix, for simplicity. Mix according to box directions. Fold in 1/2 cup of semi-sweet mini chips. Bake in paper lined muffin tin according to box directions. Allow to cool on racks.

Fluffy Frosting

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Dash of salt
2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and next 4 ingredients (1/2 cup sugar through 2 egg whites) in top of a double boiler; place over barely simmering water. Beat with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form and candy thermometer registers 160°. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon frosting over each cupcake.
Top with mini chips.

TIP: once your frosting reaches 160, remove it from the heat. Do not walk away to take a beautiful picture of your cupcakes. :)

Light, fluffy, chocolatey goodness.

Shrimp Scampi with Garlic cheese biscuits

TGIF!!! Who wants some delicious shrimp scampi....um, me! Lemon, garlic, olive oil, white wine, fresh parsley...sounds like the recipe for happiness, right? Actually these are the ingredients in shrimp scampi, silly! Yet another winner from Cooking Light. Have I mentioned that I love this cookbook?

Shrimp Scampi

Cooking Light

2 teaspoons olive oil
28 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; sauté 1 minute. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in wine, salt, and pepper; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 30 seconds. Add parsley and juice; toss well to coat. Cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done.

This would be amazing over angel hair pasta, but I didn't have any. We just ate it with some yummy garlic cheese biscuits that I whipped up. Here is my attempt at recreating the ones from Red Lobster (minus the sketchy seafood and bad service).

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

2 cups self rising flour
1/4 cup Crisco shortening
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 teaspoons garlic, chopped and divided
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place flour in medium bowl, cut in shortening with a pastry blender. Make a well in the center of the flour and add milk. Stir to form dough. Stir in cheese and 2 tsp. of garlic. Drop or scoop with large scoop onto cast iron skillet. Dough should be touching. Bake at 400 degrees until golden. Melt butter with remaining garlic and parsley, pour mixture over biscuits just before they are done.



Oh, I almost forgot my dessert! I got a box of thin mints from the Girl Scouts this week. These are my favorite. Let me just say, people, if you are not putting your thin mints in the freezer, then I don't even understand you. What a cool chocolatey treat!

Butternut Squash Risotto

Wow, I haven't blogged all week! It's been a little crazy, and this is the first night this week that I have really cooked. I was starting to get depressed. But, thank goodness, I'm back in action tonight! It's pasta night, but we had risotto. That counts, right? I got this recipe from my favorite cookbook...Cooking Light. For just 275 calories, this was pretty darn good. Warm, creamy, and comforting on a winter night! I had butternut squash risotto at an Italian restaurant in Boston's North End this fall, and it was incredible. This is a very easy and healthy make-at-home version. This is going on my list of go-to recipes. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Risotto

Cooking Light

2 cups water, divided
2 (14 1/4-ounce) cans low-salt beef broth
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
3 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Bring 1 1/2 cups water and broth to a simmer in a large saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 8 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Add 1/2 cup water, squash, salt, and pepper; cook 10 minutes or until squash is tender and water has almost evaporated. Add rice; stir until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup broth mixture; cook until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add the remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 30 minutes total). Stir in cheese, butter, and parsley. Serve immediately.





Oh, here is a picture of my Valentine's Day gift from my Mom. Monday night, she brought me a goodie bag of candy, some gorgeous earrings, and two cool kitchen gadgets! She got me a potato ricer...which is awesome...it can be used to make mashed potatoes, soups, and even baby food! AAAnd...this sweet little Le Creuset heart dish. I am using it to hold my Italian spice blend. So cute! Thanks Mom!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Never knew I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before
Want to vanish inside your kiss
Everyday I love you more and more
Listen to my heart, can you hear it sings
Telling me to give you everything
Seasons may change winter to spring
But I love you until the end of time

Come what may, come what may
I will love you until my dying day

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste
It all revolves around you

And there's no mountain too high no river too wide
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather and stars may collide
But I love you until the end of time

Come what may, come what may
I will love you until my dying day
Oh come what may, come what may
I will love you

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place...

Come what may, come what may
I will love you until my dying day

These are the lyrics to the song, "Come What May" from the movie "Moulin Rouge". This was the first song Justin and I danced to as husband and wife. What a happy day it was! Totally cliche, I know, but it really was the best day of my life!

We celebrated Valentine's day last night, since Justin is on call today(all day, all night at the hospital). I found a recipe in VIP Jackson magazine for Tuscan rack of lamb with asparagus and crispy prosciutto risotto that I wanted to try. It seemed like a nice, romantic meal to make for Valentine's day, so I gave it a shot. Turns out, it was super easy...the only challenge was finding the lamb rack with bones already frenched. Justin found them at Fresh Market. (love that place!) I got out our wedding china for our special dinner. I love my china- Grosgrain by Vera Wang!


Here is the recipe...try it!

Tuscan Rack of Lamb

"VIP Jackson" Magazine


Serves 4

2 lamb racks with bones already frenched
1/2 cup olive oil, plus 2 Tbs.
Salt and pepper
2 Tbs. garlic, chopped
1/2 cup fresh italian parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare lamb: with a sharp knife, slice vertically down beside each bone to create your lamb "lollipops". Season lamb with salt and pepper on both sides. In large, shallow casserole dish, combine 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, and parsley. Add lamb and coat well on both sides. Let lamb marinate for 2 hours or overnight in the fridge. Heat a large oven-proof saute pan over medium high heat and add remaining olive oil. Once oil is hot, add lamb, fat side down. Saute until golden, 3-5 min. Turn over, fat side up and roast in preheated oven 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let meat rest 5 min.


Asparagus and Crispy Prosciutto Risotto

"VIP Jackson" Magazine

Serves 6

6 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine (I had Vermouth, so I used it!)
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1 and 1/2 cups asparagus, cooked and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 package prosciutto, pre-sliced
1/2 cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese
grated zest of 1 lemon

In a medium saucepan, add chicken broth and wine and heat to simmering, keep warm. Place prosciutto on a baking pan lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Place in 350 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes until crispy. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Chop and set aside.
In a large 4 qt. saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add rice and stir. Cook 3-5 minutes until rice is translucent around edges. Do not let rice and onions brown.
Reduce heat to low, add enough of wine stock just to cover rice. Stir often until liquid is completely absorbed. Repeat until all liquid is absorbed. It will take 20 -30 minutes. After the last addition of liquid, add asparagus and prosciutto and stir. Remove from heat, add cheese, lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste.


Serve lamb racks over a bed of risotto with fresh parsley garnish.



For dessert, my first attempt at chocolate souffles. I used a Cooking Light recipe, and they turned out pretty good!

Double Chocolate Souffles with Warm Fudge Sauce

Cooking Light

Souffle:
Cooking spray
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
6 large egg whites

Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Preparation
Position oven rack to the lowest setting, and remove middle rack. Preheat oven to 425°.

To prepare the soufflés, lightly coat 6 (8-ounce) soufflé dishes with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 3 tablespoons cocoa, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk; remove from heat. Add 3 ounces chocolate; stir until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla and egg yolk.

Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl; beat at high speed with a mixer until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Gently fold one-fourth of egg whites into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Gently spoon mixture into prepared dishes. Sharply tap dishes 2 or 3 times on counter to level. Place dishes on a baking sheet; place baking sheet on the bottom rack of 425° oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove soufflés from oven). Bake 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the side of soufflé comes out clean.

To prepare sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, and 1 tablespoon flour; stir well with a whisk. Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, stirring well with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; add 1/2 ounce chocolate, stirring until smooth. Serve warm with soufflés.



It was so nice to have a romantic dinner at home. Much better than going out on Valentine's day! An amazing meal with my sweet hubby, candle light, and good music (Michael Buble's Crazy Love and the Valentine's Day movie soundtrack are perfect)... doesn't get much better than that! Here are some more pics from the evening...with my new camera!!! You probably already noticed how awesome today's photos look, right?! Nikon D3000 DSLR! Yess!

Sweet puppy


Another shot of that delicious lamb


Laughing dog


Cooking it up in my "cozy" kitchen... love my vintage apron!


Ready to dig in

SNOW!, shrimp, and grits

We got snow today, after all! There was about 3-4 inches, and it was so pretty. Probably the most snow I have seen in Mississippi! Unfortunately, inpatient rehab doesn't stop for snow, so I went to work this morning. Most of the snow was melted by the end of the day. :( Here are some pictures I took early this morning before I left.






This afternoon, my favorite couple came to vistit! Jacob and Jessy are staying the night with us tonight, and then going out for their Valentine's dinner here in Jackson tomorrow night. I made shrimp and grits for us all tonight...another Cooking Light recipe. It was really good, probably one of my favorite meals! Quick, easy, and healthy!

Southern Shrimp and Grits

Cooking Light

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (Tabasco)
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
2 bacon slices, chopped
1 cup frozen chopped onion
1/4 cup frozen chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped green onions, divided
5 cups water
1 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking grits
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Combine first 3 ingredients; set aside.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in shrimp mixture, broth, and 1/4 cup green onions; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring frequently.

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually add grits, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in butter and salt. Serve shrimp mixture over grits; sprinkle with cheese and remaining green onions.

My favortie night of the week!

Pasta night!! So excited to cook tonight, since we have been eating leftover chili and broccoli soup for a few days. Tonight, I made Lemon Basil Bowties. I have made this meal several times, and I forget how good it is every time. It is from Rachel Ray, so it is quick and simple. I love the fresh taste of the lemon and basil...very summery. And since we have a predicted 4-6 inches of snowfall tonight(I'll believe it when I see it), I could use a little taste of summer! I hope yall enjoy this as much as we do.

Lemon Basil Bowties

Rachel Ray

1 lb bowtie pasta (I use Barrilla plus because it has protein, fiber, and omega-3's)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup pine nuts
1 and 1/2 cups cottage cheese or ricotta cheese (Low fat or fat free)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
zest of two lemons
salt

Cook pasta al dente in a large pot of salted water. Drain and transfer to large serving bowl. Toss pasta with olive oil. Add nuts, cheese, basil, and lemon zest and toss. Season with salt to taste.

This is a great recipe to "use up" any extras you may have, or make substitutions to suit your tastes. Play around with it and see what you come up with....and let me know if you discover something yummy! You could do so many fun things: feta, walnuts, thyme, goat cheese, butternut squash, orange zest...I'm hungry again! Stay warm, yall!

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Hi again! No cooking last night...too many leftovers! Plus, we decided to go out to eat with mom since she was in town. Justin is on call tonight, which means he stays at the hospital all night. Boo. I was tired of eating chili, so I made Cooking Light's Broccoli and Cheese Soup! Delicious! It wasn't exactyly my grandmother's, but hey, it was the healthy version... Here is the recipe:

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Cooking Light

Cooking spray
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
16 oz package broccoli florets
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 and 1/2 cups 2%milk
8 oz velveeta light cubed

Heat large stockpot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes until tender. Add broth and broccoli, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and milk until smooth. Add milk to broccoli mixture and cook for 5 min, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place 1/3 of soup in blender and process until smooth. Return to pan and cook on low for 5 min.
Makes 6 servings, 1 and 1/3 cup each.

203 calories per serving.

This was very quick and easy soup...time to snuggle up on the couch with some girly TV!

Super Bowl Sunday

We are heading over to Carter and Shelby's for a little Super Bowl get together tonight. I have been looking for an excuse to make Southern Living's Nutter Butter Banana Pudding Trifle for months. What better day than today? Justin's request for the occasion was pretty simple: "Rotel with meat in it." (Down here in Mississippi, we call that queso dip you make with Velveeta and Rotel tomatoes "Rotel"...and there are few get togethers where Chips and Rotel are not present.) It really isn't a recipe, so much as two ingredients melted together in the microwave; so, naturally, I usually try to jazz it up a bit. Enjoy the Super Bowl and Go Saints! or Go Colts! I can't really commit...I mean, how can I pick between two of my favorite reality stars' men? Good luck Hank and Reggie! :)

Cheesy chili and sausage dip

2 blocks cream cheese
8 oz velveeta
1 tube sage sausage
1 can Rotel "chili fixins" tomatoes

In a medium skillet, brown sausage over medium heat, drain. Melt cheeses in a microwave safe bowl in two-minute increments in the microwave, stirring in between. Add sausage and tomatoes to cheese mixture and stir. Serve with tortilla chips.
Fancy, huh?

Nutter Butter Banana Pudding Trifle

And, of course, a pic:

Cranberry scones, Justin's woodworking and Saturday night chili

Justin had to work this morning. He is on a rotation in the NICU this month and it really isn't his cup of tea, so I decided to make his favorite breakfast when he got home. I found this recipe for cranberry scones in Everyday Food- Holiday Baking edition. I buy these every year around the holidays and always find new cookie recipes I love. This one is from 2007. Here is the recipe, with my own modifications:

Cranberry Scones (a fancy name for sweet biscuits, for all you Mississippi girls)

Everyday Food

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
6 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp.salt
6 Tbs. chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. heavy cream (you could use half and half or whole milk, too)
1/2 cup Craisins (or fresh or frozen halved cranberries, if you'd rather)

Preheat oven to 425. In a bowl, whisk together flour, 5 Tbs. sugar, baking powder,and salt. Cut butter into flour. Stir in 2/3 cup cream just until moistened. Fold in Craisins. Knead dough on floured surface 5- 10 times. Pat into 1 inch thick round. Transfer to baking sheet and cut into 8 wedges. Brush tops with remaining cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden. 12-15 min.

I usually make cream cheese icing to drizzle on top, but today, I was out of cream cheese. I just made a quick glaze with some of the cream and some powdered sugar instead...still yummy!



So, I think it is time for Justin's woodworking hobby to make a cameo. How is that cooking related, you ask? Well he has turned some beautiful bowls and made some gorgeous cutting boards for me!! Also, he made a super cool wine cabinet for my parents; which, unfortunately, I don't have a picture of since our hard drive crashed a few months ago. (I know. Boo.) But, since we are on the subject, let me show off some of his non- kitchen pieces, too. I am just so darn proud and wanted to share with y'all how talented my hubby is! I love you, honey!

My beautiful chopping block...the inscription on the bottom says "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach" So sweet!

Getting veggies chopped for tonight's chili!

Maple, cherry, and walnut turned bowls




Red Cedar Chest


Oak library table

He's pretty good, huh? More pictures are to come!

It is frrrreezing outside today, and I am in the mood for chili! Time to fire up the crock pot, make some hot tea, and watch a movie! Here is an easy recipe for turkey chili that can be made quickly on the stovetop, or slow cooked all day in your crock pot. It is full of lean protein and veggies. Enjoy!

Easy Turkey Chili

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 pound ground turkey (I get the leanest available- 97% fat free)
3 Tbs. tomato paste
1 and 1/2 packages chili seasoning
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans

Heat olive oil in large pan over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Add turkey, season with salt and pepper. Break up meat with spoon. Cook until no longer pink. Add tomato paste and seasoning, mixing well.
At this point, if you are using a crock pot, place tomatoes and beans in crock pot. Transfer turkey mixture to crock pot and turn heat to high. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook 3-6 hours. If you are in a hurry, add tomatoes and beans to your pan and bring chili to a simmer. Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes.
Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, cilantro, green onions...whatever you have on hand. Tonight I had some shredded cheddar and blue corn chips.


One last thing! Check out this cool tube of tomato paste I found! I love this...just squirt out the amount you need and put the rest in the fridge. Cute!

Cute Casseroles

I didn't cook tonight...we went out to eat sushi with our buddies, Carter and Shelby! So, no recipe. Instead, I wanted to show y'all these cute little casserole dishes I found at uncommongoods.com. There is a link to the website in the "Stuff I like" box to the right. If you click the link below you can check out these guys. They come in either pistachio (my personal fave) or light blue and they are hand made in Peru. I think they would fit right in with my Fiesta dishes.

UncommonGoods

Also by the same artist, Tammy Milani, these mugs are so adorable!
UncommonGoods

I love fun and functional kitchen stuff!! Have a great weekend everybody!

Thursday night is pasta night!

This recipe has inspired me to start a new Thursday night tradition...PASTA! In the same edition of Real Simple that last night's salmon came from, I found this little beauty:
Ravioli With Sweet Potatoes and Thyme Recipe | Real Simple Recipes

First of all, I could eat goat cheese at every meal on every day of the week, so this was right up my alley. And, who doesn't love sweet potatoes? They are an unexpected little surprise in this savory dish. MMM! There were TWO whole pages of these ravioli recipes in this magazine...I had such a hard time deciding! We'll see what next Thursday brings. If it's half as good as this one, I'll be a happy girl!