Laziness

Can I just tell you...this time off thing is awesome! I actually spent the whole day yesterday relaxing. Made some yummy biscuits and gravy for breakfast, reheated some soup I had in the freezer for lunch, then spent the afternoon watching movies and taking little snoozes! What a great day. Poor John was stuck working. John basically has two jobs. In addition to working at ATK, he does some engineering consulting work for his uncle (I guess really John is one of the "owners" of that business...but he isn't super active). Anyway, long story short, he was stuck working.

If you know me, you know I don't relax very well...so yesterday was very rare! Since I started feeling lazy, I decided to get off my ass and cook up a yummy dinner! Buffalo rib eye, roasted carrots, cous cous, and my famous prosciutto garlic cheese bread. It's actually an adaptation of an appetizer my friend Jenny makes.   And oh boy, are they delicious! On another note, if you've never had buffalo rib eye it is a must to try. Tastes very similar to beef...in fact, if someone put beef and buffalo in front of me and made me tell which was which, I couldn't do it. It is healthier than beef though, so that's a bonus! Super tender and super yummy!

To make these, cut your favorite crusty bread in slices (french, baguette, chibatta, garlic, whatever). Top with butter and garlic salt. Place a piece of prosciutto on top of that, and finish off with some Italian cheese (you can use the pre-shredded Italian blend - I think it melts the best). Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes, then broil for 2 minutes to get a nice golden color.  

First off, look how awesome my dish is. My friend Monica gave it to me for Christmas and I love it! To make these, peel some carrots then season with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30-35 minutes depending upon the size of your carrots. These are super easy, but so yummy. I think John said "mmm, good carrots" at least 10 times while eating these!

Cous cous - the food so nice, they named it twice. John says that every time we eat it. And it drives me nuts. It is delicious though and something we eat at least once a week if not more.

And finally, the buffalo rib eye. These were so good! I am a total red meat eater...so, this is a little piece of heaven to me. Mmm! Steak! We seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper, and garlic. Then just throw on the grill. Let rest for a few minutes before eating.

Now doesn't that dinner look yummy! Well, it was :)

Good news...today I've been much more productive. I have cleaned, died my hair, done laundry, went to lunch and now that I have blogged, I'm off to get an estimate on my poor little car.  Who knows what else the day will bring...I am thinking beef stroganoff for dinner and of course I will be watching Top Chef tonight! Then, I'm off to Seattle for a fantastic vacation. Don't worry, I will keep you posted on all the fantastic places we eat and all the cool things we see.

Christmas, Christmas, and more Christmas!

Christmas...
Christmas Eve really did not start out well! I decided to go to the grocery store  (bad idea), and what do you know, some dude backs in to me! Poor car. She was so cute and now she has she has a huge dent...soon to be fixed though! People just need to pay attention.
 

To top things off, I came home from my terrible experience at the grocery store and John comes running downstairs…what does he have? A mustache....yuck, look at that thing! Haha!

Good thing he shaved it off shortly after :)

Although the day didn’t start out well and I was a little ornery...well more than ornery, I needed to just calm it down and think about the fun things we had coming up. For example, THE BEST appetizer party of the year! We have this party every year at my moms on Christmas Eve and it is more than fantastic...I have mentioned this before. Here are some pics of the yummy appetizers:

Brazilian Cheese Bread - I made these before, but didn't post a pic. Here is the recipe

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_brazilian_cheese_bread/

Antipasto Skewers - I saw these little beauties on Pinterest. Basically take your Italian favorites and put them on a skewer. If you are using any sort of pasta, cook it first then marinate in balsamic vinegeraitte or your favorite Italian dressing. 

 

 Garlic and Rosemary Shrimp - peel and devein shrimp. Top with fresh rosemary, garlic, lemon, salt and pepper, olive oil, and a little bit of red chile flake. Grill for a few minutes on each side or bake at 400 degrees for about twenty minutes.

See how much food there is!! We had a meat and cheese tray, papaya salad, chicken satay with peanut sauce, just about everything you can think of wrapped in bacon (hot dogs, bread, water chestnuts, bacon all on its own), fried gizzards, lil smokies, chips and dip, etc. 

It is funny why I can't figure out why my butt is getting so big! :) Needless to say, it was a ton of fun! Here are a lot of other pics from the night:

I think everyone had a great night. We played games, laughed, and just enjoyed the food. It was another succesful Christmas Eve party!

Christmas...

Christmas day was a lot of fun too. John and I woke up and unwrapped gifts. John got a whole bunch of new camping gear - a spring bar tent, a camp chef, accessories, Christmas cash, etc. I got a new guitar case - which was much needed - lots of Christmas cash, some cool pictures, and a fantastic trip to Seattle (we'll be going over New Years...I am psyched)! After that, we went to my sisters to check out all their Christmas goodies, then came home and made brunch for johns parents. Mmm...look how yummy!

Blueberry Cake - here is the recipe:

http://www.alexandracooks.com/2011/06/29/buttermilk-blueberry-breakfast-cake/

 Cheesy, bacony breakfast potatoes

 

Eggs in a ham cup - these are easy. Line your muffin tin with ham and fill with your favorite veggies, cheese, and egg. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

And more Christmas...
After John's parents left, we had some time to relax then we headed to john's brothers house for dinner.  They made a yummy spiral ham, cheese soup, roasted green beans, and roasted potatoes. It was all way yummy. We brought dessert….yum! 

 Kahlua Cake - here is the recipe: http://madtownmacs.blogspot.com/2011/07/make-this-kahlua-cake.html?m=1

We also gave them their gift basket that we've been working on...I think it turned out nice. 

Infused vodkas, cocktail recipes, and all the fixings to make the cocktails.

We then topped the night off with some games. It was a lot of fun.

Wow! It's been a busy couple of days! Good thing we are going to Seattle soon and will be able to just relax. Hey...maybe i'll even be able to get my car fixed while we are gone. Ok...now I am dreaming :) Insurance never works that fast!

Taco Thursday and time to relax!

It is so nice to have time off during the holidays. Yesterday marked the first day of our 12 day vacation away from work! John and I had a busy day...we finished up shopping, went grocery shopping, went to lunch at Red Rock with his uncle and cousin (Red Rock is thebomb.com...everyone should try it) AND even had time for a Mexican fiesta better known as taco Thursday. I know, I know most people go for taco Tuesday, but it was Thursday yesterday, duh! ;)

Since I had some extra time, I decided to make pulled pork tacos. These are really easy to prepare, but they take about eight hours to cook. If you don't like pork, you could use chicken instead.

Ingredients:

• Three pound pork tenderloin roast
• 1 medium onion diced - reserve a small amount to top tacos
• 1 jalapeño diced
• 1 large can of green chilies
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2-3 cups chicken broth
• Salt and pepper
• Yellow or white corn tortillas
• I handful fresh cilantro chopped - for garnish
• 1 Avocado diced-for garnish
• Mexican cheese-for garnish

Prep:
Combine first eight ingredients in crock pot. Turn to high for one hour, then reduce to low for about 4-5 more hours. Shred pork and return to juices. Continue to cook until you are ready to eat. I let them sit for several more hours keeping the heat on low.

Heat corn tortillas just a bit and top with pork, cilantro, onions, avocado, and cheese. Yum! Yum!

Today has been nice and relaxing. We are all ready for christmas and the parties we'll be going to the next couple of days, so we are just taking it easy! John and I slept in (which means i got up at 7 and John slept in) then went to breakfast at Blue Plate Diner. I think it is probably the best breakfast joint in the SLC. They have fantastic omelets, Mexican favorites, eggs Benedict, chicken fried steak, biscuits and gravy, and more.

Today I got the chicken tamales and eggs...look how fantastic it looks! 

As for the rest of the day, we'll continue with that whole relaxing thing and watching movies. Since I'll be doing so much cooking these next few days, we are even going to eat left overs tonight. Sounds like a great Friday night to me!

Christmas...the good, the bad, AND pork noodles

There are definitely some good things about Christmas and there are definitely some bad things about Christmas. It's a great time to spend with families, you get to see people light up when you give the perfect gift, and the parties are plentiful! On the other hand, your house has so much glitter every where it looks like a fairy threw up, there are soooo many treats (I don't even like treats-yet I find my self just eating them), and there is so much clutter in general (I accumulate more junk around Christmas, my house is always a mess close to Christmas, and I have no clue why). Either way....with all the good and the bad... I find myself missing my dad and my grandpa this time of year more than usual (was that a terrible transition or what??). Now, this could be because they both worked so hard to make sure my family had the greatest Christmas’s ever or that it was just a time when our whole family was together. Either way, I miss them more this time of year.

Something that has always been important to my family-and even more so to my grandpa and dad-is food. It seems that food has always brought our family together. Whether it was my grandparents cafe-better known as just "the cafe" or "the ponderosa" or family BBQs in the summer, there has always been an emphasis on good home cooked meals in our family. This is something I am so grateful for and will always cherish.

Since I've been feeling so nostalgic, I decided to make a dish my dad loved, pork noodles. It seems making these small tributes (if you can call it that) help me to feel better and remember all the important people I have in my life currently.

If you haven't tried pork noodles, I suggest you do. Like I said, they were one of my dads favorite meals, right up there with fried chicken or a huge pot of pinto beans with ham hocks. He used to have a huge bowl of these noodles…and I am not talking your regular size bowl…it was typically a mixing bowl! He loved them, I love them, and I am sure my sister and brothers love them as well. Good job mom :)

Now some of you may think “pork noodles” sounds strange, and they very well might be, but they are D-LISH. More or less, this is a knock off of a dish you can get at your local Chinese restaurant—who am I kidding, this is a total white man’s version-but you know, right?!? The dish consists of pork that has been stewed in a broth of garlic, onion, Asian chili sauce (my mom never used this in her original, but since I like the spice I use it), and soy sauce. It is then served over noodles and topped with green onions and if you like, a hardboiled egg (that might be the strange part). 

Here are a few pictures before I spill my version of the recipe:

 Dang...I wish I was better at this picture taking stuff!

Here is my version:

• 1 pound of pork cubed
• 1 small onion diced
• 1-2 teaspoons of pre-minced garlic
• 1-2 teaspoons Asian chili sauce
• 2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce (this depends on how much you like soy sauce)
• 4 cups chicken stock (optional - you can use water if you like, but you get a lot more flavor out of chicken stock)
• ½ box angel hair pasta cooked al dente
• Pepper to taste (you do not need salt due to the soy sauce)
• 2-3 green onions diced
• Hard-boiled eggs (optional)
• Olive oil and sesame oil to brown the pork

Turn heat to medium high and add a small amount of olive oil and sesame oil (the sesame oil adds a unique flavor - very nutty and yummy) to the bottom of a large pot. Add in the pork and onions and brown. Once browned, add in the garlic and chili sauce. Stir until the pork is coated. Add pepper to taste. Cover the pork with chicken stock and soy sauce and let simmer for at least an hour preferably longer. You can simmer on medium-low heat.

To serve, fill your bowl 1/2 to 3/4 full with noodles. Top the noodles with broth and pork. Garnish with green onions and a hardboiled egg (again, this piece is optional).

What should I make next…maybe that fried chicken I talked about earlier or grandpa’s famous chicken noodle soup? Hmm…until next time.

Minestrone with a twist

Have I told you how much I love Italian food? Well, just in case you don’t know…I LOVE IT!! I would eat Italian food every day, but John just doesn’t seem to share my same passion.  

Instead of a new pasta recipe, which is probably what I would normally try, I decided I was going to try and make some really yummy minestrone soup. It is after all the best time of year for soup since it is -50degrees outside! I looked at several minestrone recipes, but decided that none really fit what I was looking for….SO, I came up with my own recipe. Here goes…

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound hot Italian sausage (you can use mild if you like)
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3 stalks celery diced
• 3 large carrots diced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic minced (you can use the stuff in the jar that is pre-minced - in that case, just add a couple spoonfuls)
• A handful of fresh green beans - cut into about once inch pieces
• 1 medium zucchini diced
• 1 can diced tomatoes (I used Italian style)
• 1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
• 1-2 tsp of dried oregano
• 1-2 tsp dried basil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 package of fresh cheese ravioli or tortellini
• 2 boxes of chicken stock
• Grated parmesan cheese for garnish

Brown beef and sausage in a large soup pot. Once browned, drain and rinse. Return to soup pot and add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, canned tomatoes, canned beans, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper. Cover with chicken stock and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for at least an hour (if you have two hours, that is better--it gives the flavors more time to develop). Thirty minutes before serving, add in the tortellini, zucchini, and green beans. Check salt and pepper content and add more if needed. 

 

Doesn’t it look so yummy?!?! Well, it was AND it made a ton. I decided to freeze some for later. I think I will add this to my list of regular meals!

Weekend fun!

It was a very busy weekend. John and I finished several Christmas projects and had the “favorite appetizer” party with our friends.

The first project I finished was the infused vodka. I strained out all the goodies used to infuse the vodka, filtered the vodka through a coffee filter several times, then bottled it up. Here is the finished product. I think they turned out pretty cute. 

For the appetizer party, I decided to go with spicy queso dip and chips, Brazilian Cheese bread (oh man were these ever good…you can find the recipe here http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_brazilian_cheese_bread/), lil’ smokies in bbq sauce, and last but not least a variety of pizza bites with marinara sauce. John stuck to his bacon plan and I am pretty sure that was the favorite appetizer at the party--everyone loved it and it was the first appetizer to be eaten. Friends brought several yummy appetizers including bacon wrapped scallops, seven layer bean dip, hummus, meatballs, chocolate covered pretzels, and several others. Here are a few pictures from the party including a few with the awesome white elephant gifts:

 Christian with his funny "What's my pee telling me book."

Monica with her "undercap" and Eric with his sweeeeeet jacket!

Mark and Whit with their awesome mustache mugs...yes, I made those. I found a similar idea on Pinterest.

 John laughing at the pee book. It was pretty funny!

Sunday was also super busy.  We woke up, made breakfast pizza pockets, then made about eight batches of Chex Mix to give to my coworkers for Christmas (if you don't know how to make Chex Mix, just look at the back of any Chex box...it gives you step by step directions). John is great at performing quality checks when it comes to me making treats. He assured that every single batch met his standards.  Here are some pictures of the pizza pockets and the Chex mix:

Before they went in the oven. 

 After. YUM!

 

The pizza pockets are super easy to make…and I recommend that everyone try them! They were so yummy.  Basically, you take a pre-made Pillsbury pizza crust (you know, the one in the can), roll it out and cut in two. Fill it up with your favorite breakfast items, seal and bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. We had sausage (pre-cook this if you go that route), hash browns (also pre-cook a little bit - not all the way), onions, green peppers, jalapenos, cheese, and eggs. You can either scramble the eggs until they are soft or crack and egg right in the center of your pocket (yes, it will cook but it will have a runny center). I chose to scramble my eggs because I am not a fan of over easy eggs, but John chose to just crack it right in the center.

Well, I am looking forward to this week - we work three days then are off until January 3^rd! I am going to be excited to have some time to relax, but knowing John and I we will find some sort of project to work on :)