You were right

crazylittlethingneela

hang in there sweetie, hopefully by the time this message reaches you you’ll be at your last day of work already
xoxo

by the time I read your comment I was half way through my last day.  I am officially broke up for a weeks holiday YIPPEE!!! One thing I’ll miss is seeing M. everyday at work, but we’ve made plans to get together next week.

Breakfast today was a poached egg on a slice of toast.

For my last work lunch for a week I picked up some chicken mayo sushi.

Accompanied by a cup of green tea and lemon and a cinnamon roll Lara bar.  I’m still sticking to my 2 cups of coffee a day limit and next week am on the look out for different flavours of herbal teas.

Today’s exercise was 40mins of the Nell McAndrew DVD and a 20min yoga class from yoga download.

FOODIE FRIDAY – TWICE BAKED POTATO

• 1 slice bacon, grilled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large baking potato
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• sour cream
• handful of grated cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Bake the potato as you would normally (I prefer to bake in the oven if I have time)

2. In the olive oil, cook the onion and garlic until lightly browned. Add in the peppers and cook until softened. Mix in the bacon and take off the heat.

3. Using a spoon, scoop the potato out of the skin. Be sure to leave a layer of potato inside the skin to help it hold it’s shape.
4. Mix the potato filling, sour cream, veggies and bacon in a bowl until well mixed and smooth. Add in 1/2 the cheese and stir. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Scoop the filling back into the potatoes. There will be a lot more filling now, so the potatoes will be over-flowing and stuffed.
6. Top with remaining cheese and place under the grill until the cheese melts.

Bon Appétit!

I’m starting a project this weekend, making Christmas cards for close family and friends.  I thought I’d go the extra mile and homemade cards are extra special.  I’ll show you the finished products either Sat or Sun.

Taylor

i’ve always loved mashed potatoes, even the instant kind. within the past year, i started making them from scratch and have never regretted it.

i start by cutting washed potatoes in fourths, then slicing them. i never peel them, partly because i like the skins and partly because i’m lazy. it works best if you can get the pieces fairly small and uniformly sized, so they all finish cooking at the same time. then i put them in a pot, fill with cold water just to cover, and bring to a boil. i usually boil it for a while with the lid on, then when they are getting fairly close, i take the lid off so some of the water evaporates.

the way i learned to tell when they’re done is that you can stick the tip of a knife into one of the chunks, lift it, and the potato should fall off instead of staying on the knife. sometimes i like them a little less done so they’re chunkier, but if you like them nice and smooth, make sure that you test a few chunks and that they all slide right off that knife.

the nice thing about letting some of the boiling liquid evaporate is that i can usually just dump the whole thing into a big bowl and mash them and the boiling liquid incorporates nicely and isn’t too much liquid. it helps hold them together and make them seem “creamy” before you even add cream.

but of course, i also add cream. this time, i added butter and sour cream. in the past i’ve added actual milk or cream, various cheeses (chevre is quite good), and so forth… but not this time. i also added some homemade garlic chive oil (essentially just pureed garlic chives in olive oil), salt, and pepper.

i also added this roasted head of garlic i had roasted before starting the potatoes. i was totally obsessed with roasting garlic for a while, but this was the first time i’d done it in a while. it’s easiest to just slice off the very top, pour a little oil over it, and wrap it in foil. i just put it straight on the oven rack at 375-400 degrees and let it cook for 30-45 minutes. you want the cloves to get nice and squishy. i probably overdid mine today by a bit, but it turned out well because the cloves were really easy to get out and they mashed easily.

so… i basically mashed that all up, tweaking things to taste. totally satisfied my mashed potato craving.

Seems I’m on a Mexican/Hispanic food kick. This post should be credited to my friend Amy who made this a few weeks ago and it was awesome. However, she had no recipe, so I tried to make-shift it. It turned out super yummy and was the perfect remedy for this nasty cold I’m trying to kick.

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 tsps olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion chopped

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 cup water

4 cups chicken stock

1 tsp tomato paste

Shredded cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)

1 lime

1 cup cilantro

Directions:

Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil on medium heat till soft. Next, add cumin, salt, and chili powder. Stir for one minute. Next, add chicken stock, water, and tomato paste, and chicken (I cut off some pieces from the rotisserie chicken and tore into small pieces) and bring up to a simmer for 6 minutes. Next, add cilantro, and squeeze all the juice from the one lime into the pot. Finally, serve over tortilla chips with a dollop of sour cream. YUM.

(Also, add avocado if you have it lying around!!)

I decided to try a new recipe tonight. Pork cranberry roast I found online. Unfortunately it didn’t appeal to me as much as I was hoping. It had great reviews and hundreds of people had tried and liked it, but I didn’t much care for it. Still hungry and all. So I decided to make some mac n cheese. Now a week ago I made an excellent homemade crock pot macaroni and cheese. Very good. But since I didn’t have all the ingredients, nor the time, I decided I’d attempt to spice up a box of regular kraft mac n cheese. So many things you can do to make it better, because let’s face it, it isn’t very good. It does the job, but it isn’t very good. So here’s my take on improving the box.

Bake: 375 Degrees                    Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Box of regular kraft mac n cheese

1/2 cup of sour cream

2 TB Milk

1 Cup of any shredded cheese (I used kraft pepperjack or whatever is on hand)

3 TB butter

Paprika, optional

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook the noodles as directed. I believe it’s 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile shred a cup of whatever cheese you have on hand or your favorite. Pepperjack is pretty awesome in it, but it really doesn’t matter. Drain the noodles. Now forget the box, toss it in fact. Add the cheese mixture the box provided you to the noodles. Add the butter. Add 2 TB milk. Add 1/2 Cup of sour cream. Add most, but not all (about 3/4 Cup) of cheese and stir it all together.

Put the mac n cheese in a rectangle baking pan, pretty small. Top with the remaining shredded cheese. Sprinkle paprika on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Of course, there are so many other things you could do to this. You could substitute the sour cream for cream cheese. I added a few red pepper flakes to mine. You can add some italian seasoning, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, anything you desire! Anything is better than the crappy box. Experiment!

Tangy!

This was one delicious ice cream. I’d heard of Sour Cream Ice Cream, but had never made it before. I shouldn’t have waited! This was creamy, frosty, rich and tangy. It reminded me a bit of buttermilk ice cream, which is one of my favorite ice cream flavors of all time. And like buttermilk ice cream, I think that this would make an inspired accompaniment for a wide variety of desserts. I could easily see a scoop of this ice cream perched atop a fat slice of chocolate cake or slowly melting over a dish of warm strawberry rhubarb crisp. The slight acidic tang of the sour cream really accentuates the flavors of many desserts, a good thing to keep in mind during the sweets-filled holiday season.

High quality sour cream.

For this recipe, I used full fat, organic sour cream. Of course, when you use the best ingredients you will end up with the most delicious ice cream. That being said, though I’ve never tested it out, low fat sour cream might work in a pinch. Just remember to stay away from the fat free variety- your ice cream is likely to turn out icy and winey tasting.

Whisking in the sour cream.

Not only does Sour Cream Ice Cream taste great on top of other desserts, the recipe itself is also very easy and adaptable. For instance, you could easily change the flavors with different extracts (I used vanilla) or the addition of such mix-ins as chocolate chips or a strawberry swirl. If you’d like, you could also substitute brown sugar for white. Brown sugar and sour cream is classic combination that would work well in an ice cream.

Pure White

Sour Cream Ice Cream is a beautiful and delicious flavor to behold. Its snowy white color reminded me of the upcoming seasonal change from fall to winter. This is what snow tastes like in my dreams! Tangy and creamy, its the type of ice cream that never dulls the taste buds but refreshes them with each zippy bite. Try it solo, or in harmony with any of your holiday cakes or pies.

Sour Cream Ice Cream

 Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/4 cup whole milk

4 egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar

8 oz. sour cream

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1.)    Combine milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Heat until bubbles appear near the rim of the saucepan and steam begins to rinse, but do not let it boil.

2.)    Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks together in a large bowl and gradually add the sugar. Whisk the mixture until the yolks look fluffy and turn a pale yellow color.

3.)    All the while whisking the egg yolk mixture, slowly and gradually add milk mixture and when fully emulsified, pour the mixture back into the medium saucepan. Over low heat constantly mix the base with a spatula or wooden spoon until it thickens slightly and can coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 6 minutes.

4.)    Immediately remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in sour cream and vanilla extract. Chill completely, 4 hours to overnight. Churn in ice cream machine according to manufacturers instructions.

 Make it a Sundae!- Chocolate and sour cream get along swimmingly, so add some hot fudge or chocolate sauce. Cherries jubilee or brandied cherries on top would also make for a sundae that is both chic and scrumptious. As always, don’t forget the whipped cream.

Yet another installment of what to do with your Turkey-Day leftovers: Have a Latin Fiesta!

Many of us will be watching the sports team of our choice over the holiday, and this could lead to hungry sports fans. Whether your team is the reigning National Champion (Go Heels!) or you watch football, the following Mexi Pizzas are for you.

Chipotle Pizza Sauce

In a food processor

1 chipotle pepper (in adobo sauce from a can) seeded plus 1 tsp sauce, you can use more depending on your taste
1 12oz can diced tomatoes drained (reserve liquid)
2 TBSP paprika
1 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
2 TBSP red wine vinegar

Heat on stovetop until bubbly. This recipe makes enough for about 10 8in pizzas. It freezes well.

Chipotle Turkey and Avocado Pizzas

1. Spread pizza sauce over 8 inch tortilla
2. Top with shredded cheddar or cojita cheese
3. Heat together in a sauté pan 1 ½ cups shredded turkey and half the reserved tomato juice until meat ‘absorbs’ the juice and is hot. Arrange turkey over pizzas.
4. Top with cubed avocados and more cheese.

Wild Mayan Pizzas
1. Mash leftover sweet potatoes with reserved tomato juice in a sauce pot on medium heat.
2. Spread mashed sweet potatoes on 8 inch tortillas
3. Top sweet potatoes with chipotle pizza sauce
4. Drain and rinse a can of black beans. Sprinkle over pizza. If you have left over corn, add some kernels!
5. Top with shredded cheddar or cojita cheese (or soy cheese)

Bake all pizzas at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and tortilla crisps up. Slice them into 6ths. Serve them with a lime wedge and sour cream. This makes awesome hors d’oeuvre both vegetarian and meat-tastic for your whole family.

I shoulda gotten out of bed when my alarm went off, but I slept for 2 more hours instead.

I woulda gone out to hand out resumes in hopes of landing a part time job, but I slept in.

I coulda done more school work today, and actually gotten ahead of the game, but other things were more interesting.

I guess that’s how it goes sometimes, eh?

I started my sleep in day with something I haven’t had in eons – a smoothie!

• frozen raspberries
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp cocoa
• milk

I also had an Apple Carrot Raisin Oatmeal Muffin with said smoothie delight.

Even though it was cold and rainy, the smoothie was so very enjoyable. Note to self – do not forget about the smoothie!

I ended up plopped on the couch watching skating this afternoon, and worked on some parts of our group paper. I was trying to foster some discussion, but there wasn’t much input from other group members, so I gave up. I’m just hoping they weren’t near their computers, and not just ignoring the fact that we need to get this done.

I eventually thought about having lunch. I was craving an eclectic salad.

• romaine lettuce
• spinach
• cucumber
• carrot
• hummus/salsa mix
• sour cream
• dill pickles
• tiny bit of leftover roast chicken
• spelt sticks (inspiration from Mama Pea and her sesame sticks)

Mom went grocery shopping, and brought back a fresh, doughy load of sourdough bread, so I toasted up a slice and spread on a little butttah.

‘Twas a delightful lunch.

But as delicious as the random salad combo was (dill pickles & spelt sticks on salad are a keeper!), my tummy got angry about half way through, so I ended up tossing the last third or so. I didn’t waste any of that bread though – simple carby goodness is one of the few things I want when I’m feeling ill.

My sister was off to her boyfriend’s, and my parents had a dinner to go to, so I was left alone for the evening (yay!). And what was the first thing I did? Get dressed and head out to the grocery store. LOL. I had good reason though – mom went grocery shopping, and only bought plain orange juice. Now, I don’t know what it is about plain orange juice, but I can’t drink it. Especially if there’s pulp. Blech – if I want to chew something, I’ll eat the fruit, thanks. I was on a Happy Planet juice mission!

I picked up not just my favourite Mango Peach Party, but another flavour I haven’t enjoyed in quite some time – Tropical Tango.

I couldn’t help but to enjoy a glass right when I got home.

I always forget how awesome the Tropical Tango Flavour is. It has coconut in it, so obviously it has to be good. It’s almost like drinking a Pina Colada…sans rum.

And since I was left to my own devices for dinner, I decided to make a pizza only I would enjoy. We even had a small ball of pizza dough in the freezer, and I managed to spread it out on the pan relatively well. I still have troubles with holes forming in my crust, but I patched those all up.

I brushed a little olive oil on the dough, and sprinkled on some Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese and pre-baked the crust a bit before topping it. Then I added:

• spinach
• marinated artichokes
• onion
• rehydrated porcini mushrooms
• corn
• mozzarella
• parmesan

The above is pre-cheese, and below is post-cheese & post-bake.

Whenever I use fresh pizza dough, I can never get it to brown – any tips?!

I served myself a couple of slices.

It was delicious. Especially without the tomato sauce base. We didn’t have any on hand, and I’m not really a tomato sauce person, so the simple olive oil & seasonings were right up my alley. Plus that corn – oh, it get so sweet and delicious on the pizza. If you’ve never had corn on a pizza, I highly recommend you try it out.

I enjoyed my pizza while I watched the hockey game (Canucks win 7 – 3!). It didn’t bother my tummy much, so I grabbed another slice (they were pretty small to begin with).

That’s a hunk of artichoke hanging off there, not cheese

My mom came home later on with leftover dessert from their dinner party – cherry cheesecake. Obviously, I had to taste test a sliver.

It got my seal of approval.

Then, despite the rain, we went and soaked out in the hot tub. It’s been quite awhile since I’d gone in (probably because of all the rain), so it was a nice way to relax from my…completely slack day. HA!

And now, it is again much later than I would like it to be, so I shall bid my adieu and hop into bed. Night!

Inspired by Ina Garten’s Pan-Fried Onion Dip from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
When caramelizing the onions in this recipe, have patience. This is a SLOW process that can take as long as forty minutes to an hour to achieve the proper results. Make sure to use medium-high heat during the first stage of caramelization as this will help drive the moisture away from the onions. Once the onions have begun to lose their shape, turn the heat down to medium-low and stir them every five minutes or so until they are richly browned and sticky. Also, make sure to spread the cooking onions around the bottom of the pan after stirring to maximize contact with the hot surface as this will result in more even cooking.

INGREDIENTS
2 large sweet yellow onions such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, cut in half lengthwise and sliced thinly
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ounces room temperature cream cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
METHOD
Place a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and olive oil.
When butter and olive oil are hot, add the onions along with a pinch of salt and stir to coat them in the hot fat.
Continue to stir the onions frequently until they have given off a good amount of moisture and begin to turn a pale yellow – about 10 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and stir the onion every five minutes or so until richly, browned and caramelized all over – about another 30-40 minutes.
Remove the pan from heat and allow the onions to cool before combining them with the remaining ingredients in a food processor fitted with a metal blade or in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
Makes about 2 cups

For the last twenty years – at least! – I have eaten a minimum of one banana every day. I freaking love the things. I thus also love anything that tastes like banana – from muffins straight through to medicine. Naturally, as a banana aficionado, I’m always on the lookout for the best banana bread recipes.

When my friend Colleen, thus, had a Banana Bread Bakeoff Bonanza with some friends, I was intrigued. I was even more so when her loaf was crowned the winner, and she shared the award-winning recipe!

Colleen’s Bonanza Banana Bread

• 1C mashed bananas (this amounts to about 4-5 average sized fruit)
• 1C white sugar
• 3/16C oil
• 1/2C light sour cream (she vows that it must be light – not sure why, but despite my aversion to low-fat/calorie anything, I obeyed!)
• 2 eggs
• 1t vanilla
• 1.5C all purpose flour
• 1t baking powder
• 1t baking soda
• 1/2t salt
• 1/2C walnuts/pecans/chocolate chips

Set your oven to 325F and generously grease a loaf pan. Combine everything from bananas through vanilla in a delicious bowl of wet-ingredient goodness, and combine your dry goods separately. Mix ‘em all together – the whole process takes no more than five minutes, I swear.

Add the nuts or chocolate chips last – I personally find that chocolate ruins a perfectly heavenly banana bread, so I opt for nuts every time. I would’ve chosen pecans, but I only had walnuts in the house. (An edit: in my second batch of this, I tried to use 1C whole wheat flour and 1/2C white flour and I can’t figure out if it was that or the fact that maybe I put too much banana, instead relying on a quick fruit count, but it was less perfect than the first. The middle never really cooked, despite the fact that I put it in for an extra forty minutes. Bah!)

Bake for 45-60 minutes (my oven required 55). The top will crack lightly when it’s done. Eat or freeze – and beware doing the former entirely before the latter can happen!

The weather is getting cold and it couldn’t be a better time for my bi-annual batch of Turkey Chili. Each time, it’s delicious in its own way, but this round may be my best to date! It was smoky & spicy with a hearty texture from the mix of Ground Turkey & Turkey Kielbasa. I topped it with shredded Cheddar and Sour Cream and paired it with Egg Noodles for leftovers.

Chipotle Turkey Chili w/ Cheddar & Sour Cream

Chipotle Turkey Chili

• Turkey Kielbasa - (1) package cut into half moons
• 85/15 Ground Turkey – (2)lbs, browned & drained
• Chili Mix – 1/2 packet of Hot, Medium, 0r Mild
• Sriracha – a few squirts
• White Onion – (2) medium, chopped
• Garlic - (2) T, minced
• Crushed Tomatoes – (1) large can
• Chicken Stock – (1) can, low-sodium
• Black Beans – (1) small can
• Chipotles in Adobo Sauce – (2) peppers from can, chopped
• Worcestershire Sauce – (4) heavy dashes
• Dried Parsley – (1) T

1. Brown the Ground Turkey in an oiled pan. Saute onion in same pan with a tablespoon of butter until translucent.
2. Combine all ingredients in a Crock-Pot or Dutch Oven.
3. Cook on LOW 3-5hours or HIGH 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally until you can’t resist a bowl!
4. Yes, it’s that easy!

Ingredientes:

1 lata grande de abacaxi em cubos sem açúcar
2 maçãs descascadas e em cubos
Sour cream, q.b.
Passas a gosto
Nozes picadas a gosto

Modo de Preparar:

Se usar o abacaxi em lata, coar o suco e reservar para outro fim. Colocar todos os ingredientes numa vasilha grande e misturar bem, até agregar todos os componentes. Transferir para um prato de serviço e polvilhar com nozes picadas. Servir gelado.

As I stated in my last post I was recruited last minute to make the mashed potatoes. Well, my in-laws, the kings of last minute changes just decided that we don’t need them. Oh well…

I decided to give you the recipe anyway. This a a great make ahead of time recipe. Put it all together, refrigerate, and then bake when ready!

Anne Marie’s mashed potatoes

Source: my aunt

Yield: 1 13×9 pan

• 8-10 red potatoes — don’t peel, boil!
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 16 oz sour cream
• 1/2 c parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to tase
• garlic powder
• fresh basil

1. preheat oven to 350
2. boil potatoes, do not peel,
3. drain and mash after boiled
4. add cream chees
5. add sour cream, parmesan, salt and pepper, garlic powder, and basil
6. put in a 9×13 pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Baked potatoes with a few pats of unsalted butter are one of my favorite comfort foods. Last night I had dinner in a steak house and forgot to ask them to leave off the sour cream so I could wallow in my butter and potato. I scraped most of the sour cream out, so my potato was still able to offer a satisfying carbohydrate calm.

A woman dined alone in the next booth. I never saw her face, just her wavy, shoulder-length gray hair. Along with her baked potato and steak, she ordered a glass of Cabernet. Mmmm. Just like me. She also ordered a glass of milk. I know people who have eaten mayonnaise and peanut butter sandwiches, pineapple and peanut butter sandwiches, but milk and Cabernet are right up there with foods that should never be joined. I can’t imagine either one of them tasting very good – dulled taste buds from a glass of cold milk followed by wine? Savoring the blackberry and earthen aromas of a Cab then drowning them in milk? I sipped my own wine and tried not to think about it.

One of my dinner companions ordered a frothy, fruity, icy drink topped with a few tablespoons of whipped cream. I can do without the fruit blend, but I adore whipped cream. A few dollops on a piece of pumpkin pie, swiping my finger through the bowl after whipping the real stuff, or un-whipped cream poured over apple crisp. Yum.

Across the aisle were two women finishing their dinner. One of them leaned across the aisle and asked what the drink was called. Then she attempted to sell us on her favorite food combination of all time – whipped cream with steak.

I said I’d hold off on blogging about food for awhile, but I couldn’t let this pass. You can’t make this stuff up. Surely one of these will be appearing soon in a piece of flash fiction.

I really didn’t know what inspired this recipe. It could have been the crappy weather. It could have been the massive text message my mom sent me a few weeks ago fawning over my aunt’s chili recipe. It could have been my recent obsession with chilies and spices. Either way, I got such an intense craving for it that I almost made it when I got home from work a week and a half ago. I know it would’ve meant that I would’ve been eating at midnight but I didn’t care. I was dying for it. But I waited. And I’m so happy I did.

This chili is special. It’s hearty and comforting and filling and warm and sweet and spicy! Boy was it spicy- but not too much- just enough to clear up your sinuses and give it a little kick. I’m happy I made this last night because I got to enjoy cooking it. Dicing the onions, peppers and chilies, crushing the tomatoes with my hands, and layering the spices was a fun way to experience this dish. And even though it doesn’t take too long to cook, it would’ve been a lot to handle when I come home as a raving, starving lunatic after on one of my hectic work days.

This recipe is a star- don’t underestimate it. If you’ve been looking for a great chili recipe you might be able to stop your search here.

Turkey Chili- 3 servings

(adapted from Ina Garten’s Chicken Chili recipe)

3/4 lb ground turkey
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 yellow and 1 red pepper, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 canned chili, roughly diced
1 can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 tbsp, chopped cilantro
1/2 lime, juiced
Salt and Pepper- to taste
1 tspn, cayenne pepper
1/2 tspn, red pepper flakes
1 tspn, chili powder
1-2 dashes, hot sauce
1/2 can red beans

1. In a small or medium pot heat about 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onions and peppers and cook until softened, about 10 mins, stirring occasionally. After the onions and peppers have softened add the chopped chilies, beans, and minced garlic and cook for another minute.

2. At this point you can add your spices. All of my measurements are approximations because I went a little crazy. I also added a dash or two of hot sauce. I wanted my chili spicy!! If you want more spice, hot sauce might be a good option for you.

3. Add the crushed tomato’s and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and allow to cook uncovered for 30 minutes. At this point, if you’d like, you can add the chopped cilantro and freshly squeezed lime juice. I suggest it strongly.

4. While the sauce is simmering start browning the ground turkey, making sure to break down the pieces so they are small. This chili is super versatile- you can add ground chicken, beef, roasted chicken or turkey (thanksgiving left-over chili??). Use whatever you have lying around and go crazy.

5. Add the browned chicken to the sauce and stir well. Allow to cook uncovered for another 20 minutes. This would be a good time to put the homemade tortilla strips in the oven.

6. When the chili is ready to be served, top with tortilla strips, a generous helping of shredded cheese, and a dallop of sour cream.

I have watched many hours of ice sports on TV this weekend. It was a hockey & figure skating extravaganza! It’s making me long to get back out there myself. Oh skating, why you gotta be so expensive?

I started my Sunday morning…well….with very little morning left. Oops! Breakfast basically turned into lunch.

I went with a bowl of Matcha Green Tea Goji Oatmeal.

• 1/3 cup oats, almond milk, water
• 1 tbsp Ruth’s Chia Goodness cereal
• 1 tbsp dried goji berries
• 3/4 tsp matcha powder
• Artisana Coconut Butter
• sliced almonds

And a glass of cranberry pomegranate juice.

Dining on the living room rug? Nah, it was just for photography purposes

After enjoy breakfast, figure skating, and catching up on blogging, I made my way outside for a walk with my mom. We only had to endure a short rain storm, and made it home relatively dry. I was needing a little snack by then – bring on the yogurt mess!

Plain, non-fat yogurt, quince compote, pomegranate seeds, and the end of a jar of macadamia nut butter.

Oh, how I’d forgotten how amazing that macadamia nut butter is. I may have to break down and shell out the dough for a new jar one day soon.

Then I had a date with Jillian Michaels and her No More Trouble Zones. I just needed to get some serious sweat on. By the time I was done that, dinner was on the table.

Starting with a wee pour of red wine, leftover from my parent’s social evening last night.

We had baked pork chops with stuffing.

A baked potato with sour cream, a little bit of buttah, and pepper.

And steamed asparagus.

Fun Sunday night dinner.

I followed dinner with a (blurry) piece of dark chocolate.

Then it was time to watch hockey, be disappointed in my team’s loss, and watch the rest of the skating I had taped. So good – I’m excited for Canada’s chances for some figure skating hardware at the Olympics.

Snacky hunger came a calling, and I answered with a piece of cinnamon toast – Silver Hills Squirrelly bread, buttah, brown sugar, and a crap ton of cinnamon.

Plus a mug of Stash Decaf Vanilla Creme Nut tea with almond milk.

Cinnamon toast totally reminds me of being a kid.

And now my mom is watching the skating I taped, so I’m going to go enjoy it again – it was just that good! Night!

When there’s extra basil lying around, (which happens a lot), one alternative to tossing it out with the grass clippings is to make garden spreads. Much fresher, and FREE if you already have some other stuff, like sour cream, Parmesan cheese, oil and garlic in the kitchen.

Good uses for basil sour cream:

• garnish in roasted red pepper puree
• topping for baked fish (halibut, sea bass, etc.)

Good uses for pesto:

• base sauce in pizzetta
• alternative to mayonnaise in sandwiches
• add to some caramelized onions on baked crostini
• topping for baked fish (halibut, sea bass, etc.)

Enjoy!

Basil Sour Cream 

Basil Sour Cream

~

~ Ingredients ~

• 1 cup basil leaves
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• ½ cup sour cream

~ Preparation ~

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

1. In a saucepan of boiling salted water, blanch basil for two seconds. Transfer with slotted spoon to bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain basil in a sieve and pat dry.
2. In a food processor, puree basil with lemon juice and sour cream until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Sour cream will keep a few days.

Source: Rustic Garden Bistro

Nutrition content per serving: ??

Cost per serving: ??

Garden Pesto

Garden Pesto

~

~ Ingredients ~

• 4 cups packed fresh basil leaves, rinsed clean
• ½ cup pine nuts
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1 ½ oz.)
• 2 large garlic cloves
• ¼ cup + 3 tbsp. olive oil

~ Preparation ~

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

1. Broil pine nuts for about 2 minutes to toast. Let cool for 5 minutes and chop.

2. Set aside a bowl with ice and water.

3. In a saucepan of boiling salted water, blanch basil for two seconds. Transfer with slotted spoon to bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain basil in a sieve and pat dry.

4. In a food processor, puree basil with remaining ingredients until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Pesto will keep a few days before turning color.

Source: Rustic Garden Bistro

Nutrition content per serving: ??

Cost per serving: ??

If you had herbs in your yard, would you go through the effort of making your own herbed spreads?

What you need to enjoy this:

1 pkg (15 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed, I run it under warm water to thaw then squeeze water out
16 oz. sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise (do not use miracle whip)
1 pkg dry leek soup mix (knorr brand)
1 can Water chestnuts, chopped and drained
Mix everything together. Chill for 6 hours.
Serve with baguette bread, crackers or veggies. Double recipe if you can’t stop yourself either. Enjoy!

This recipe has been a family favorite for over 20 years. It was shared with me by my dear friend Stephani’s mother in law… Bette Brown. Thanks Bette for my family’s most asked for holiday dish.

1 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 can cream of celery soup

16 oz sour cream (1 pt)

1 – 2 lb. bag of frozen hash browns, thawed

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp. Salt

3/4 tsp. Pepper

3/4 cup crushed corn flakes, potato chips or bread crumbs

preheat oven to 350 degrees melt butter with chopped onions (to soften)

mix together soup and sour cream and salt and pepper in a bowl.

 stir butter and soup mixtures together in a bigger bowl add thawed hash browns and cheese.

place in a greased 13×9x12 pan and top with corn flakes, etc.bake for 1 hour

can be made a day ahead of time, refrigerated and then baked

This is one of my husbands favorite meals.  It’s especially delicious on cold winter days.  The secret to this simple recipe is to make your own mushroom soup.  I’ve broken it down into to parts, starting with the soup.  Enjoy!

Ingredients :

• 1 tbsp butter
• half an onion, sliced and diced
• 5 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cube chicken bullion
• 1 cup water

Directions

1. Saute onions and mushroom in butter
2. in a different pan bring water to boil, add chicken bullion
3. add chicken bullion to sauted mushrooms
4. Set aside

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground meet, beef or moose
• 1 tsp garlic powder (if you have fresh garlic mince it up and use that!)
• 1 tsp lemon pepper
• 1 tsp Lawry’s Seasoning Salt
• half an onion, minced
• 1 tbsp flour
• 5 mushrooms, ends cut off and cut into quarters
• 2 stalks chives, sliced
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions

1. In a large pan brown the meat with onions, garlic powder, lemon pepper, and seasoning salt.
2. Drain meat
3. Sprinkle flour on meat, mix in
4. Add mushroom soup mixture to pan, heat thoroughly, reduce heat
5. Mix in sour cream
6. Add mushrooms and chives
7. serve over egg noodles

What I do:
Flatten 4 ( or as much as you need) chicken breasts, cut into strips.
Dip them in sour cream then italian bread crumbs, plain crumbs are fine.

Bake 350* 25 minutes or until done
They should turn out very moist.

Dip in your favorite sauce or place over a green salad and dress it up with your favorite dressing. Enjoy!

My way:

Put 4 chicken breast in skillet with scout 1/4 c water and I used 1 tomato/chicken boulion cube (found in Mexican aisle) cover cook on medium until done. Shred.
Season with salt & pepper to taste and about 1/2 tsp cumin
Add three dollops sour cream and 1/2 cup salsa

Heat corn tortillas
Now this is what makes them quesa-taco-dillas: put shredded cheese on one tort. Place another tort on top, Now the chicken.

Eat like a taco. Enjoy!