Foodie Resolution Week #2 of 52: A Smörgåsbord of Deliciousness

This week was nuts. I mayyyyyybe went a little crazy in the kitchen getting all excited about my new foodie challenge. I possibly neglected my husband and kid on Sunday because I was in the kitchen for three hours straight. It could've happened. From the pictures below, I'm sure it will be proof enough that I should've cut out something and spent more time with the boys...

Skin-on, Stovetop Applesauce

Lowdown: Used organic apples, so decided to wash well and leave the skin on. Turned out perfect. Except the part where I put them in my Blendtec to make sure those skins were pureed enough and pressed the pulse button one too many times, ending in quite the scene on my cabinets. 3lbs of organic apples + 1 spoonful of cinnamon + 1/2 cup water  + 30ish minutes on low heat = about 2 quarts of applesauce

Inspiration

 Repeat Recipe: Pretzel Rolls (so good that it's worth sharing)

Lowdown: These are phenomenal. I made them a couple weeks back and those who follow me on Instagram know all about them, but if you don't, these might be new to share. I've made pretzel bites before and we almost ate every single one while they were still warm. So, I thought I'd try my hand at pretzel buns because we love them just the same. And of course I decided to skip the egg wash on top (ick) and instead add butter (yum) so they'd taste like Auntie Anne's. I mean... why not?

Inspiration

 Sweet Potato Cakes

Lowdown: Pinterest says I pinned these 44 weeks ago. It's about time I get around to them. They were more labor intensive than I like for something that seems so simple, so I probably will just stick to my sweet potatoes as fries from now on. Also, this calls for pan frying them in lots of oil/butter. I wasn't down with that, so mine came out still soft with more fat. Meh. Taste was great. I didn't add sour cream to the top or the black bean salsa, but instead added the black bean salsa to the inside by adding cilantro, black beans, red onion, and 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce to the mix. Aren't sweet potatoes ugly? Finished product wasn't photographed, but they are pretty tasty.

Inspiration

 Grilled Romaine Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Lowdown: We had friends over for a raclette dinner and started the dinner off with a grilled romaine salad with homemade balsamic vinegar & shaved parmesan. The picture is terrible, but I loved it! It also looks super fancy on a plate and so simple to throw together. I'll definitely be making this again.

Salad Inspiration & Dressing Inspiration

More randomness in the photo below: 

• I finally bit the bullet and bought a big bag of pinto beans. I do believe next week's recipe (hopefully just one!) will be homemade refried beans. And no, Alison, I cannot and will not use bacon fat {Nic told me... gross me out!}. 
• My mom recommended this English cheddar with caramelized onion and we used it with our raclette in addition to the traditional raclette cheese (also from TJ's, seasonal). I liked it, but I'm not a huge English cheddar fan. The onion is delicious though! 
• My first ever can of chipotle peppers in adobo below... and what I did with the extra! Excited to have that in the freezer to use in recipes to come. Anyone use these in their cooking? What do you put them in?

 Basic, No-Knead Artisan Bread

Lowdown: Favorite. Love. OMG. 

I grabbed my big ol' bag of Costco Active Dry Yeast (um, cheapest place ever to buy yeast, people!) out of my freezer and mixed the 4 required ingredients together, covered with plastic wrap for 18 hours, and came back to a nice, easy dough in the morning. Flipped it out of the bowl onto a well-floured cotton towel, covered again, let rise for 2 hours, then flopped it into my Le Creuset dutch oven, put the top on, and baked that baby for an hour. Results below. You can probably smell it through the computer. It was that amazing. Also, I subbed 1/4 cup regular flour for rye & 1/4 cup for wheat as well. I love the bite rye gives bread and the wheat for added nutritional value.

Inspiration

 I mean... honestly.

Phew. I'm tired. Until next week...

Foodie Resolution Week #1 of 52 : Parmesan Crusted Pesto Grilled Cheese

It's no surprise that this will probably be the easiest of the resolutions I have to tackle. Jillian is on her way via Amazon and I'm honestly scared. I almost want it to be lost in the mail. My husband thinks I sounded crazy referring to Jillian and The Shred as something so nonchalant and obvious... like everyone knows what I'm talking about. From the comments on my last post, you people do know Jillian and her Shred. Eat your words, husband!

I'm going to attempt to post the one recipe I try each week on here. I really want to succeed at this, people!

Here's the first installment of my foodie revolution resolution. No guarantees on this being diet food, either. 

Found here

Verdict: Amazing on all accounts. I used light rye, sharp natural Tillamook cheddar, jarred pesto, butter on the outside and sprinkled on some shaved & shredded fresh parmesan. I don't think I'll ever make a traditional grilled cheese ever again.

Pinterest. It's What's For Dinner #2

I've made a few new recipes recently, inspired by Pinterest. All of my local friends automatically ask if I got the idea from Pinterest and the answer is almost always, yes. I'm a visual person, whatcanIsay?

Mexican Stuffed Shells
So unconventional and so easy. You really don't even need a recipe. Pull together your favorite Mexican food ingredients (chicken, ground beef, corn, peppers, salsas, sauces, cheeses.......), cook pasta, mix ingredients, stuff, top with sauce & cheese and bake. Done. One box will make dinner for four with maybe a salad on the side for added veggies. I made dinner for two and have half a box of shells to use again soon.

Closeup of the goodness. Veggie version: black beans, olives, green peppers, corn, cheese, sauce, shells & guac to top

Both versions here. This is how I cook most of the time. One veggie-friendly, one carni-friendly. Usually = lunch for tomorrow already done!

Potstickers

I didn't find these on Pinterest, but found the idea somewhere else. Then I went and searched for the recipe on Pinterest by using the search bar on the top. I found a recipe that fit my standards/ingredient interests, and dinner was served. Not quickly, however. Note to all those interested: these take forever. Don't attempt with a 5-month old standing by or a husband who works late. But otherwise, they're pretty easy to make and so yummy. Again with the shells above, these can hold anything you want.

I bought a bag of undressed coleslaw at the store (already shredded carrots/cabbage!) for cheap and repurposed two chicken breasts my husband had left over from dinner out at an Italian restaurant the night before with friends (Yes, J&K, the Chicken Vesuvio!). It was Italian seasoned, but after marinating in rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and scallions and dicing into tiny pieces, it was now Asian! I took the coleslaw mix and sauteed in a pan with some sesame oil and garlic until translucent. The chicken was already cooked but diced really small. Found store-bought won ton noodles in the produce section of my grocery store, wetted a frame around each wonton and got stuffing and pinching and boiling and pan frying. Phew. Like I said... not for the lazy or for people with stuff going on. Read: all of us. I made it anyway and it was tasty. We just dipped them in Lawry's Sesame Ginger Asian marinade (those are great dipping sauces that don't need to be used as marinades!) and some Sriracha (always find excuses to use that yummy sauce) and eat!

Picture of the wrap stage to come on Insta-Friday. :)

After forming and sealing shut, boil in bouillon water or stock (I use a veggie bouillon) for a few minutes until floating

Transfer right into a heated saute pan and pan fry with a smidge of oil (if you want. and I want.) Then eat. Immediately. Because yum.

Realize you have approximately 672 extra and put on a cookie sheet to freeze and keep to boil/saute for another meal.

Pesto Pasta with Spinach, Sundried Tomatoes, and Rosemary Foccaccia

In my attempt to use a big, ridiculous box of Bisquick I bought to make some terrible 7-Up biscuits, I am trying to find recipes. That's where the foccaccia comes in. Nothing special. Just some random Bisquick recipe with added garlic, onion and fresh rosemary (I bought an organic plant of it and promptly killed it within a week) and a pesto pasta I make all the time. It's my go-to for a fun and fancy meal. Pretend it's awesome and fancy and super unique if I ever make it for any of you for dinner, mmmkay? Great.

pre-bake

post-bake

My pesto pasta is usually made with some fun pasta shape, jarred pesto, Trader Joe's sundried tomatoes, lemon juice (use a lot so you can keep it moist and add less oil/pesto making it lower in fat), garlic, and this time, spinach. I never add spinach but have been buying large quantities because it's healthy and easy to prepare and I happened to have a lot that needed to be consumed that night and forced it into the meal. Have I ever mentioned that produce is the number one way I plan what we'll be having for dinner? I hate letting fresh produce go to waste that I will literally plan our entire dinner around green beans. Not too hard to imagine, though, considering I am vegetarian.

A few more things I've made recently that I didn't take photos of myself:

Source: marthastewart.com via Brandy on Pinterest

Crunchy oven fries. The trick is to soak them in water to release some of the starch and when they cook, they are crispy and not soggy. Worked well... will try again!

Source: bricelife-gabrielle.blogspot.com via Brandy on Pinterest

I had leftover spring roll wrappers in the freezer and thought I'd make these taco cupcakes. Again with the ingredients on hand... no recipe really required. Put egg roll wrapper on the bottom to use as a shell, fill with favorite Mexican ingredients, top with cheese, and bake until brown! Will make these again!

Source: twopeasandtheirpod.com via Brandy on Pinterest

I posted this in Insta-Friday a couple weeks ago and it's so good I'm posting again! Avocado & Greek Yogurt Dip. So healthy and so delicious. It also packs lots of protein, is a crowd pleaser, and has tons of flavor. Best dippers I think are tortilla chips and raw veggies. We had leftovers so I used it just as I would guacamole for the next few days!

Pinned it. Made it. Loved it.

A couple vegetarian recipes coming at you courtesy of Pinterest.

I have been attempting to get B to sleep in his crib during naptime, which is also a new thing. I've been attempting to put him down for an official late nap around 2 or 3 each day. It's mostly to get him used to the idea and get him comfortable sleeping in the crib on his back. He couldn't hate laying on his back more... but we're breaking him of it, I think. He's not one of those kids I'm going to brag about sleeping through the night, because he's not. We average about 4-5 hours straight and then the rest of the night is sort of a mess. Our longest stint was 7 hours and I woke up worried because it was such a weird occurrence. However, during his naps, I'm sometimes able to get creative in the kitchen before dinner. Here are a few of those instances.

I bought a bag of Bob's Red Mill Polenta and really wanted to find a fun way to make it. That, and I love Mexican food and thought it would be a fun alternative to tortillas and pretty darn healthy. I typed polenta into the search bar on Pinterest and viola. Dinner was all figured out.

Source: friendsforweightloss.com via Brandy on Pinterest

Black Bean and Polenta Casserole
INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup black beans
• 1 cup organic polenta
• 3 cups water
• Salt
• 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
•  1 1/2 cups of your favorite salsa
• The kitchen sink: whatever else you want to add-- I added chicken for Ray's, diced bell pepper, olives, diced green chiles & cilantro and guac to the top.

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Bring 3 cups salted water to a boil in a heavy-duty sauce pan. With water boiling, pour polenta in a steady stream, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Turn down the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until smooth. You should barely see individual grains of cornmeal.
2.  Spread half the cooked polenta into a 9×9 baking dish (I used two small casserole dishes I bought at Crate & Barrel which are great for cooking one meatless and one with meat). Add anything you want to the center (black beans, chicken, peppers, salsa, cheese), then add polenta to cover the top.
3.  Bake in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Almost forgot to photograph the result! Hearty, delicious, and on the list to make again. The one change I would make is adding some seasoning while cooking the polenta-- in this case maybe a little chili powder or cayenne. Anyone else have good polenta recipes? I have a whole bag of the stuff...

Next up is a simple one... popcorn. No chemicals added in a compostable brown paper bag even! It wasn't much effort, but I was interested in a snack and being on this no-sugar self-induced diet of sorts, I wanted something healthy. I even emailed Brooke later to tell her it was a success (being the avid popcorn lover that she is) and she told me popcorn is high in fiber. Even better!

Here's the recipe:
Measure popcorn and pour into a paper bag (I used 1/8 cup but for a decent serving, I'd do 1/4 cup per person. Fold the bag twice. Pop in the microwave for about 3 minutes. I then added a dash of cayenne and some sea salt because that's how I like it.

Source: squawkfox.com via Brandy on Pinterest

For dinner last night, I made something that's been on the list for a long time. Here's a saving money tip for you all: buy reduced cost yogurt that hasn't yet expired but will in the next few days and freeze it. It can be used in smoothies (which I drink almost everyday: OJ, yogurt, banana, strawberry) no matter the expiration and you got a deal on it, of course! This is a great way to get cheap Greek yogurt when paying $1/container isn't something that excites you. My Safeway affiliate market always has yogurts on clearance that are a week from expiration.

Anyway, I'm fabulous at tangents. I bought a small container of Greek yogurt yesterday  for 50 cents and knew I was committing to this recipe. Greek yogurt is not only high in protein and all kinds of good stuff, but it's low in fat-- or in this case, fat free. I'm not a cream sauce fan because of the high fat content. While this didn't add tons of flavor (it is plain yogurt, after all), it made a very healthy alternative to a creamy tomato sauce with hidden nutrients to boot!

Source: backtoherroots.com via Brandy on Pinterest

Penne Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce, Spinach, and Whatever Else You Want (because let's be honest... I never follow a recipe entirely)

Ingredients

• 1 package whole wheat penne
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 medium tomatoes (about 1/2 lb.) chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 1/3 cup 0% plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Cook penne according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet with a lid, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add in garlic and red pepper flakes, cook for 2 minutes or until garlic begins to soften.
3. Add in tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes.
4. Remove from heat, add in spinach and cover skillet. Let spinach wilt for 2 minutes.
5. Remove lid and place skillet back over low heat. Add the penne, Greek yogurt and pasta sauce. Stir until sauce is mixed well and all pasta and veggies are coated. Heat until just warmed through. Divide into pasta bowls and serve topped with parmesan cheese.

And because B decided his nap would be a long one yesterday, I had time to be even more creative. I wanted to serve some kind of bread (because double carbs rock! And we all know my obsession with bread lately) but didn't have any worthy. To Pinterest I went! I typed in breadsticks and searched three different recipes until this one seemed right. And OH WAS IT! This is officially my go-to recipe for pizza dough and breadsticks from here on out.

Source: ourbestbites.com via Brandy on Pinterest

Breadsticks (I recommend visiting the website because he has step-by-step picture instructions)
Ingredients
1 1/2 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

Instructions
1. In your KitchenAid mixer (with pastry dough fork), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.
2. Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.
3. Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
4. Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.
5. Twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it’s okay if they’re close.
6. Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes.
7. When there’s about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks (just put a Ziploc bag on your hand, grab some softened butter, and have at it) and sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning or whatever you want. That garlic bread seasoning is awesome. I used it and loved it.

Just like the pretzels, Ray insisted we have these again tomorrow. Lucky for him, there are 5 left over since it does make 12 breadsticks. I may have eaten 4 myself last night. So much for that self-induced diet, right?

Finally, I'm going to be posting this at the bottom of my posts for awhile because I'm just so dang distraught about this family losing their sweet daughter after losing their son last year. I placed a donation to help cover some of the medical costs and because they are looking into surrogacy since not only did her uterine rupture take the life of her daughter, but she was told that getting pregnant again would be too risky. They desperately want a family like we all do. If you'd like to visit Becky's blog, go here. And for the donation page (also linked through the blog) go here.

 

Friday Mish Mosh

 I'm not sure I've ever even used that term before... or if I'm using it right. *Also, update: It's Thursday. Obviously I don't know what I'm talking about.

I spent the day celebrating the life of the man who I mentioned in my last post. I only shed a few tears at his funeral. Partly because it was so well done and more of a celebration than anything. It was incredibly special to honor such a wonderful person and the celebration of his life was perfectly done. It was uplifting and beautiful. I brought B with me and he was good for the majority of it, but like any 6-week old, we had our limits.

Yesterday morning I got up early and headed 10 miles away to drop off some breakfast treats for the staff at the school I was working at through my entire pregnancies with Andrew and B. These people have been remarkably sweet and supportive. They've lavished me with support in words and gifts and I'll always be so grateful how they embraced me in my broken state and allowed me to feel so valuable. When I walked back into the house around 7:30 a.m., I saw this:

 B was perfectly still and getting a manicure from his dad. It was freaking precious. Doesn't he look like such a balding old man? My son, not my incredibly handsome husband.

Ray's parents were in town for a few days and spent lots of good quality time with their grandson. B has now been held more by grandmas than he has slept in total number of hours. Hah.

Here's a Yoda outfit picked out by my FIL.

Ray's grandparents, Gramie and Papa bought B a plate just like Andrew's and the one we have from our wedding. Each of the three plates has the same bridge painted on it. The bridge is a symbol from the Japanese Garden where our wedding reception was held. Don't mind how ridiculously tired we look. We're totally exhausted, obviously.

 Going for a riverwalk...

As for B updates, he's sleeping just fine. Just one caveat-- he'll only sleep, night or day on someone. It's a bit challenging to say the least. But I am reminded that he won't be like this for long and at some point, I'll wish he wanted to be near me so often. Otherwise, he's doing great. We're headed on our first airplane ride this Sunday. Lord. Help. Us. and the people next to us on the plane. My current plan of action is to Ergo babywear him and attempt to breastfeed as long as possible on the plane if I can. And keep him covered from all the germies.

I made a delicious dessert from Pinterest the other day. I was definitely taking advantage of having a few extra hands around. This recipe turned out excellent:

No bake, Strawberry Icebox Cake

I even added my own personal touch-- almonds. I love the extra crunch. I made a mini version for us to keep and Ray told me that he would love for me to make it again. The graham crackers really did soften, but even about 36 hours later, they were not mushy and still had some texture to them. Next time I'll attempt to make it a bit healthier (not that much heavy whipping cream), but otherwise, it was fantastic and insanely easy. I allowed 5 hours in the refrigerator before eating to allow the crackers to soften enough to be cake-like.

Now that I've written about dessert, I'll mention that I'm so over maternity clothes. I've had my 6-week postpartum checkup and I'm either wearing maternity clothes (like to the funeral since I have no suitable bottoms for the occasion that I fit into), yoga pants, or jeans that are skin tight and uncomfortable. I've also been wearing maternity for the better half of two years. They're comfortable, but I'm ready to feel like myself in my own skin again. It seems I've even gained weight since a couple weeks ago. Sigh. I've been for about 5 jogs since B was born, but nothing longer than about 2 miles at a time. I was in incredible shape after Andrew was born and before B was conceived. I wanted to control something and was an exercising machine! I also went on a 3-month stint with no sugar or alcohol. I was in better shape than before I got married. I'm not expecting to be slimming down that much since I'm breastfeeding and simply don't have as much time (thankfully!), but I'd like to fit into my regular jeans comfortably enough. Once we get back from our little vacation to Savannah, I'm thinking about giving up all sweets again for a month.

We left B with my in-laws to go see the Hunger Games! We rarely see movies in the theater because I think it's expensive and germs are everywhere. But this movie... we saw! Since we both read the series (okay, I'm still 1/3 through Mockingjay since B was born earlier than expected.), we wanted to see how it measured up. We both agreed that it was excellently done. A couple tidbits:

• For the amount of violence in the book, they did an excellent job being tasteful about the whole thing.
• Haymitch? He totally didn't look like I pictured. I thought he'd be less Fabio-like. 

Sort of weird to end on that note, but anyway. That's all I've got right now.

Pinterest. It's What's for Dinner. #1

The best of:

I pinned these because, according to the people of Pinterest, these are the best ever chocolate chip cookies. We're big critics over here at the Wilson household. Cookies are practically a food group-- at least to my husband who was caught eating packaged cookies literally as I was putting these on the cookie sheet. I'd have to say, though...these were not amazing. I'm actually not even sure I'd make them again, but they don't go into the "terrible" category either. Just meh. I brought some over to a friend's house and I asked her what was wrong with them and she told me it was the sweetness factor. Perhaps more sugar needed? The "secret" ingredient of cornstarch gave them an interesting flavor, I think.

Source: kelseysappleaday.blogspot.com via Brandy on Pinterest

The batter was really fluffy-- almost like soft serve ice cream.

Weber Vegetable Grill Basket
I was making roasted asparagus this week and thought of how I needed to own a BBQ veggie basket so I didn't have to roast my small or cut veggies in the oven during the summertime.

I bought this on Amazon and it was on my doorstep the next day. I cannot wait to try it out! I've been wanting one of these ever since my friend's husband made us dinner one evening-- he BBQ'ed the green beans and I think they were the best I've ever had. Apparently you can even put marinated pieces of meat/seafood and marinated veggies in here. I'm also thinking fish tacos, veggie burgers that don't always hold up well on the grill, and pineapple chunks! We will be testing it out this week.

Source: amazon.com via Brandy on Pinterest

These people think I care about this.

Aromatic Noodles with Lime Peanut Sauce
Made this with onions, broccoli, string beans, carrots, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, fresh lime juice, and peanut butter. Mmm. It was good but must add sauce right before eating, otherwise the noodles will soak in the sauce and it will be dry. Unless you add gobs of oil-- which I have a hard time recommending.

Source: foodnetwork.com via Brandy on Pinterest

Frozen Yogurt Drops
I saw these a few times and decided to pin because I had two containers of yogurt with expirations drawing near. I didn't want to waste them and knew I could freeze them in larger discs of yogurt for single-serve use in smoothies. It was hugely successful and a great way to save some cash buying the yogurt that is about to expire in 2-3 days for half price at the grocery store. And a bonus is that it adds the chill and slightly icy consistency I love in smoothies.

Source: onegoodthingbyjillee.com via Brandy on Pinterest

Still in the queue:

No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake 
This is made with graham crackers, a whole lot of whipping cream, strawberries, chocolate ganache, and a few other ingredients. It looks elegant and I cannot wait to make it. I was thinking about making it for our neighbors. I'll keep you posted.

Source: thekitchn.com via Brandy on Pinterest

Chocolate Nachos
These remind me of the nachos we had over Christmas when we visited South Padre Island, TX.

Source: ourbestbites.com via Brandy on Pinterest

Creamy Avocado Yogurt Dip
I love avocados. There are certain foods that I don't consider unhealthy, no matter the fat content. Avocados, nuts, yogurt, and hummus are all on the list. It's loaded with protein as it's made with greek yogurt-- something I don't love plain but it makes a great base to replace the sour cream in many recipes and dips! My only apprehension with this recipe is wasting two whole avocados if I don't like it. Hah.

Source: twopeasandtheirpod.com via Brandy on Pinterest

Sweet Potato Cakes with Sour Cream and Chipotle Black Bean Salsa
I'm just starting to jump on the sweet potato bandwagon. I've been a skeptic my whole life because I always hated how people prepared them so sweet. I'm not one to like my vegetables coated in sugar and marshmallows. I just assumed that was the only way people ever made them, so I avoided. And once again, my friend's husband (also known as "gourmet husband") came to the rescue and made these amazing, spicy sweet potatoes. I loved them. And recently I've had them in the version of french fries and loved them as well. I'll be honest though-- a regular ol' russet potato still tastes better to me, but at least I'm branching out!

Source: lisaiscooking.blogspot.com via Brandy on Pinterest

Roasted, Spiced Chickpeas
Here's another item I don't loooove. Chickpeas. I love them smashed, but for some reason I don't love to eat them whole. I'm hoping this little recipe will bring some edge to the ol' garbanzo bean. Crunchy = good. Spicy = good. Virtually fat free = good. Can't go wrong, right?

Source: wholeliving.com via Brandy on Pinterest

Make anything exceptional based on a Pinterest recommendation lately? It really is my favorite way to document recipes I've made and want to make.

Barefoot, Pregnant, and in the Kitchen

... well, not the barefoot part. I much prefer socks or slippers in the house myself. My pregnant behind has definitely been in the kitchen a lot lately, however! I really love finding new creations to try out and it happens to be an excellent distraction from thinking about gestating like I do for the rest of the minutes in the day. Also, pregnant women (like myself, for example) quite enjoy gorging ourselves with food. It's definitely my pregnant prerogative and I'm quite good at the task.

A couple weeks ago we hosted some friends from our Monday night group and had Brinner. Coined by my lovely friend Alli, it's breakfast-dinner. I think she said Urban Dictionary also had a hand in naming our feast. We had just finished reading a marriage book called Men are Like Waffles and Women are Like Spaghetti  and figured what better way to celebrate then to have a spaghetti dinner (done months ago) and a waffle feast! Here are the crappiest of iPhone photos for your viewing pleasure.

A random plate of food I snapped a photo of. Clearly not mine as I don't eat the sausage.

Regular waffles made by my lovely friend, Kathy.

Fancy-pants waffles made by Williams Sonoma myself. Go ahead... oh and ah about my mad Nikon skills.

They don't look all that sexy, but at least they look edible! I thought they were pretty tasty myself.

Breakfast potatoes also made by yours truly. My recipe is as follows: wash/dice potatoes and cook covered on medium with a small amount of olive oil (just to coat the bottom as the water from the potatoes will be sufficient for the rest of the cooking), seasoned salt, and cracked pepper. Cook covered until soft.

Alternate view of the kitchen island. Others brought over various syrups, whipped cream, fruits, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and sausage.

I mentioned in a recent Pinterest post about my interest to try the 7-Up biscuits. Well, let me just say that they were a big, fat fail. Not only did I only have one of the four ingredients in my house (butter) and had to visit multiple stores to purchase the rest of the items because I forgot them on my normal shopping trip (Bisquick, 7-Up, sour cream), but they didn't cook throughout and were more expensive than buying refrigerated biscuits at full price! And the good kind! Never making these again. Boo. We did salvage the tops and thought they were good, but not worth the effort again.

I made up a batch of veggie burgers the other day to freeze. I like to have these on hand, especially in the summer when everyone seems to be grilling. These are old photos from a previous time when I made them, but the same idea stands. I add different ingredients each time and this was no different. I start by mashing up some black beans, adding diced veggies, bread crumbs, nuts, flaxseed, spices, forming them into patties, and grilling over my stovetop skillet. I haven't mastered the consistency quite yet as they tend to fall apart easily and are a bit mushy rather than firm, but they are super high in protein and hearty. I'll keep working on things.

General ingredients I used this time:
2 cans black beans (smashed-- maybe I should smash them less and they will be less mushy?)
1 finely chopped onion
A few garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped-- can add anything you want. Carrots, zucchini...
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
A variation of spices you like: spicy mustard, cumin, chili powder, pepper, Sriracha, etc.
A dash or two, or five of Worcestershire (I eat fish, so this doesn't bother me)
Bread crumbs to firm them out (I used about 1 1/2 cups I think)
Flaxseed meal with a few tablespoons of water or an egg to bind.

Again, these were not from this go-around. I finely chopped the peppers and onions this time around and prefer it better that way. I let them cool on a baking rack once done and wrapped them in wax paper and threw them in a Ziploc for the freezer. I've had a few now and I should've added more spices. They're a bit bland. Note: always taste the mix before you start cooking. Hah.

We're headed over to a birthday party tomorrow night for a friend who is turning 30 and his wife requested we bring ice cream or attempt making it. Because they were so wonderful at making brownies for Ray's 30th birthday, we I decided to make two different recipes for ice cream. I pinned this recipe here and made it this afternoon. It's currently in the freeze process. I was going for a chocolate with peanut butter swirl... we'll see if it turns out. I had a hard time figuring out how much chocolate to use. The peanut butter strips were frozen on wax paper and pushed into the mix just before freezing. Had I not frozen them separately, I was afraid the PB would just blend into the ice cream and not remain strips of PB like I was hoping for. We'll see.

This recipe is a bit more complex as it requires freezing, hand blending, freezing, hand blending, and freezing again (quite the process!) but we'll see! I don't have a photo, but I plan to make a simple chocolate chip with this one. I bought a dark chocolate bar and chopped it up in my food processor. I just finished my second hand blending effort and plan to hand blend one more time before adding the chocolate pieces and leaving it to freeze firm. I'm not too confident in either recipe, honestly. Breyer's is so much cheaper and likely just as good. Hah. But... I've never tried this before and I'm always up for a time-consuming distraction, especially when it comes to food.

Source: recipetips.com via Brandy on Pinterest

To throw in a random ending for ya (but related to the kitchen), I was at a friend's house the other night and saw this on their fridge:

Hilarious.