Dinner, Wine, & My Spare Time

A favorite childhood book of the hubs and his mom. Out of print, but timeless. What child doesn't spend hours gazing at the moon and the stars? Speaking of the moon and stars, It's about time for the hubs and I to celebrate our 3 year wedding anniversary. The traditional gift is leather and the modern gift is crystal or glass. Of course I went modern and naturally was a bit creative with the glass part. My inspiration was the book the hubs read as a child. Can you guess what it is? "The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff." -Carl Sagan, Cosmos

The 4th of July is fast approaching and ever since I was a kid, I made sure I was wearing a red, white, and blue outfit. So to carry on this tradition, I took an old pair of jeans, cut them into shorts, rolled the cuffs, and went DIY on the back pockets. For the stars I used a cookie cutter and a stencil for the flag and smaller star. I used basic acrylic paint in red, white, and blue colors since I already had them and just a small paint brush since it was easier to get the points of the stars painted. After the paint dried I rubbed the painted area with a little silver glitter glue. I'm not sure if the paint will hold up through a washing, but I figure I will just not wear the shorts till the 4th and if the paint comes off, who cares? I still have a pair of jeans shorts to lounge in all summer long. Supplies: Jeans or jean shorts Stencils Paint brushes Red, white, and blue acrylic paint Silver glitter glue

Spinach, Red Pepper & Feta Quiche 1 frozen deep dish pie shell, thaw at room temp for 15 minutes Olive oil 1/2 C red bell pepper, chopped 2 C fresh spinach leaves salt and pepper 1/2 C or more Feta, crumbled 2 eggs 1/3 heavy cream Preheat oven to 400 degrees, bake pie shell for about 7 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Saute in oil over medium-high heat the red pepper for about 2 minutes. Add spinach, salt, pepper and cook until wilted about 1-2 minutes. In a small bowl whisk together eggs and cream. In pie shell add crumbled feta to cover the bottom of the pie. Add pepper and spinach mixture to pie shell and pour egg and cream mixture over the top. Bake 15 minutes, then lower oven temp to 350 and bake 10 additional minutes til set on top. Check on pie after 5 minutes as to be careful not to burn the crust.

Nothing beats a nice light Caprese salad in the summertime. The ingredients are simple yet so fresh. Chopped tomatoes (I used yellow and red cherry tomatoes) Basil leaves, torn Olive oil Balsamic Vinegar Salt Pepper *Glass of wine, this is not optional!!!

This is a project that can be super easy or you can create one yourself. I chose to semi-DIY. I found this cute chevron piece with hooks at Hobby Lobby and added a cute phrase. It's great for holding all those bib tags and medals! Think I'd better hang it near the treadmill for encouragement. Happy Running!!

There's a new look around here, thanks in part to the hubs. A few kinks had to be worked out but overall I'm happy with the overhaul.

Wow that's a lot of dashes in the title. 1/2 c. coconut oil 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. baking soda 2 large ripe bananas, mashed 1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional) 1 c. organic sugar 2 eggs (I used Bob's Red Mill egg replacer) 1 1/2 c. flour (I used a white & whole wheat blend) 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen Preheat oven to 325°F degrees. Grease and flour loaf pan. Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Add mashed bananas. Stir baking soda and salt into flour, mixing well. Fold into banana mixture. Stir in vanilla. Fold blueberries into batter.  Stir in chopped nuts. Pour into loaf pan. Bake for about 40-45 minutes. This was really tasty and vegan! Of course you can use regular flour and sugar, I was just trying to make a hippy  healthier recipe.

Coconut whipped cream It's so good, it only requires 3 ingredients, it's vegan and has none of that artificial garbage. Yes, the can is upside down and yes it is necessary. It probably wasn't necessary to take a picture of it upside down, but it's funny so there! 1 can of full fat coconut milk, chill in fridge overnight 2 tsp sugar  1/2 tsp vanilla Put your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 5 minutes. Open coconut milk upside down, pour out the liquid and save for another use. Scoop out the cream and add to chilled bowl. Whip with electric mixers or a Kitchenaid mixer with paddle attachment. Add sugar and vanilla. Continue to whip until light and fluffy. Use this like cool whip, I even used it to make a layered oreo dessert it was delish!

When it comes to fast food, I would say that burgers and pizza are probably most people's top picks. So what would happen if we combined a burger with a pizza? Ta-DA! Cheeseburger Pizza Start with your favorite frozen cheese pizza or make your own, top with chopped tomatoes, onions, pickles, and about 1/2 C of browned hamburger meat or veggie crumbles. Top with cheese, yes more cheese. Then squirt some ketchup and mustard in a spiral. Next add some dollops of mayo. Sprinkle with a little Montreal steak seasoning and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until crust is browned and cheese is melted. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing, top with lettuce. I think there is only one thing that would make this better and that would be to add some french fries before baking. It's just a matter of time! And that time is NOW! So Let me introduce my Cheeseburger & Fry Pizza Pie!

It's been on of those weeks and It's Friday the 13th, which just so happens to be my favorite scary movie. Plus it's a full moon! So in honor of this most superstitious day. I give you something twisted and a good evening. chchch ahaha!

Ok, ok, so who know if that title rhymes or not. But this is chicken free and soooo yummy! 1 C Jasmine or Basmati rice, prepared in rice cooker 1 jar of Tikka Masala sauce 1 can of Rotel- Do not Drain! 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 C of frozen green peas (I didn't have any so I left these out) cilantro (fresh or dried, if using fresh add this at the end) curry powder garam masala 2 potatoes, chopped naan bread Prepare rice and set aside. In a large pot heat sauce, rotel, chickpeas, peas and seasonings. Place potatoes in a separate large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cover and simmer over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes. Drain and add to tikka sauce mixture. Heat through and serve over rice with some warmed naan bread

Oh Kale, when did you become so hipster? But it is pretty darn tasty too. So for dinner we had a nice kale salad 1 C kale, chopped 1 C Spinach, chopped 1/2-1 C Cole slaw blend with carrots 1 can of drained and rinsed white kidney beans 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped 1/2 purple onion, chopped lemon pepper to taste sunflower seeds toss with your favorite dressing So simple and yet satisfying, we completed the meal with a nice piece of buttered bread. YUM!

Burgers (Grill) Get out your favorite burger recipe and  just grill it baby!!!

Baked Potatoes (Crockpot) Stab potatoes with a fork, wrap in foil. Place in crockpot, cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 to 4 hours. For 5-6 large potatoes you can cook them on low for 8-10 hours. This may be a better week day option.

Dorito Taco Salad (Stovetop) 1lb. ground beef or veggie crumbles 1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed 1 bag of shredded lettuce 1-2 tomatoes, chopped 1/2 purple onion, chopped 1 avocado, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped jalapeno slices, optional* 1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese 3 C of crushed nacho doritos 1 8oz bottle of Taco Bell Ranchero Sauce or Catalina or French or whatever you like Brown 1lb. meat or veggie crumbles. If you are using meat, drain fat. Set aside. In a large bowl empty bag of lettuce, top with beans, meat, tomatoes, onion, avocado, bell pepper, and jalapenos. Top with cheese and chips. Pour sauce over top and smooth with a spoon. Dig in!

Veggie Pasta (Stovetop) 1/2 pkg of penne pasta, prepared 1-2 C frozen veggies 1/2 C feta 1/4 C Parmesan crushed red pepper Greek seasoning drizzle of olive oil or coconut oil Prepare pasta, during last 4 minutes add frozen veggies. Drain. Add cheeses, seasonings and oil.  Serve!

Black Bean Tacos (Microwave) Corn tortillas 1 can Black beans, drained cumin coleslaw feta green onions cilantro olive oil hot sauce avocado chunks (optional) sour cream (optional) Heat tortillas in microwave in tortilla warmer. Prep beans, add cumin and microwave for 2 minutes. Mash beans and spread on tortillas. Top with coleslaw, feta, onions, cilantro and drizzle with olive oil and hot sauce. I realize taco shells are pictured, but this is easily made with corn tortillas or flour if you prefer.

Salmon, Broccoli, & Couscous (Stovetop/Steamer/Rice Cooker) Thaw salmon fillets and brush them with a mixture of butter and lemon juice.  S prinkle them with brown  sugar and blackened fish seasoning.  Heat oil to medium high in skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. In the rice cooker,  I used a box of pearled couscous.  Per the directions I added the water, oil, couscous, spice packet.  P ut in the steamer basket  and add in some frozen broccoli. Turn  it on.

Every summer when the 100 degree days start the hubs and I cook without turning on the oven, which for foodies can be quite the feat, but we manage to Beat the Heat!  So let's kick off a week of oven free meals.  DAY 1: Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Crockpot) 1 package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed 2 cans cream of celery soup 1 pint half and half 1 jar salsa con queso season to taste Put all ingredients into slow cooker and mix well. Turn to high and cook for 2 hours and then turn it down to low for 1 hour. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, and crackers.