I guess because I have not written on the blog for a while, excluding the recipes that we have for dinner, I just wanted to post a few photos so you all could see what we have been up to.
Conner with his princesses, Sarah and Bridget.
Conner giving Sarah hugs before we go home.
Conner playing soccer with his team the Honey Bees. He is in the blue pants with the white stripe.
Me, Conner, and Joe before going to Joe's company party.
Conner and his drawing of himself. Note his ears and hair. He was so proud (it is his first drawing that actually looks like a person).
We experimented with dinner a little tonight and went with a Middle Eastern style flavor. It was a mixed review. I really liked everything, Conner loved the rice, and when I asked if Joe would take the leftovers for lunch tomorrow he said "If I have to." I do think that the saffron rice would be a great hit with kids. It has a very mild flavor but a very bold yellow color which makes it kind of exciting and different than just regular rice. This recipe would be a great way to try lamb and some spices that you may not normally use.
Quick Lamb Kofta with Harissa Yogurt Sauce From: Cooking Light Magazine April 2010
Rice: 1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag jasmine rice 1 teaspoon saffron threads 2 Tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
Sauce: 1/2 cup 2% Greek-style plain yogurt 1/4 cup chopped bottled roasted red bell pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt
1. To prepare rice, cook boil-in-bag jasmine rice and saffron in boiling water according to package directions. Drain; fluff rice with a fork. Sprinkle with green onions. 2. While rice cooks, prepare kofta. Combine cilantro and next 9 ingredients (through lamb); shape into 12 oblong patties. 3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 10 minutes or until done, turning occasionally until brown on all sides. 4. While kofta cooks, prepare sauce. Combine 1/2 cup yogurt and remaining ingredients. Serve sauce with kofta and rice.
*Note: I could not find boil-in-bag jasmine rice so I simply prepared my own and boiled the 1 teaspoon of saffron with the rice and received the same result. A single 6 ounce container of Greek yogurt will provide exactly the right amount of yogurt needed for the entire recipe. If you don't have bottled roasted red peppers on hand or simply don't want to buy them you can prepare your own roasted pepper by broiling a cut and seeded pepper on aluminum foil in your oven. Chop it and let it cool before adding to your sauce.
Please ignore the plate and photography skills and just think about how hungry the picture makes you. MMMMMM!
Well in keeping with the food theme here is what we had for dinner tonight.
Spring Vegetable Carbonara From: Cooking Light Magazine May 2010
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed 12 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 8 ounces uncooked cavatappi pasta 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated pecorino Romano cheese 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 4 slices center-cut bacon, chopped 1 cup chopped seeded red bell pepper
1. Cook peas and asparagus in boiling water for 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender; drain. Plunge into ice water; drain. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid; Combine pasta and vegetables. 2. Combine cheese and the next 3 ingredients (through eggs) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. gradually add hot cooking liquid to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 Tablespoon drippings in pan. Add bacon to pasta mixture. Cook bell pepper in drippings for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta mixture; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove pan from heat, and stir in egg mixture. Return pan to low heat; cook for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly, stirring constantly.
*Note: We couldn't find the cavatappi pasta or the fusilli the magazine recommend as a substitute so we used medium shells. We also added more bacon because we all know there is no such thing as too much bacon (about 8 slices trimmed of fat).
It is a great spring dish and with all the cheese even the kids ate it up. Good luck moms!
While I was cooking Conner decided to have some fun and said "Mom take a picture of me making a mess." Oh child!
Well, I have finally decided that since I don't really have anything else to write about most of the time, I would share some recipes that we have tried. I wish I could take credit for coming up with the recipes but sadly I just get them out of magazines. Maybe one day I will come up with some of my own but for now I will just piggyback on the hard work of other people.
Recipe one: Stewed Pork and Squash From: Cooking Light Magazine November 2009
1 Tablespoon canola oil 3/4 cup chopped onion 1 medium garlic clove, minced 1 pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper 1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 1 (15-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained 4 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic saute 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add pork; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Stir in chili powder, cumin, salt, and red pepper, cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until pork is almost tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in butternut squash; simmer 30 minutes or until pork and squash are tender.
This recipe was really delicious and good served with corn muffins. I cooked this in my Dutch oven and really this picture does not do it justice. The colors are really pretty and the pork turned out incredibly tender.
Recipe two: Open-Faced Sandwiches with Ricotta, Arugula, and Fried Egg From: Cooking Light May 2010
4 (2-ounce) slices whole-wheat country bread Cooking spray 2 cups arugula 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 4 large eggs 3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1. Preheat broiler. 2. Coat both sides of bread with cooking spray. Broil 2 minutes on each side or until lightly toasted. 3. Combine arugula, 2 teaspoons oil, juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss gently. 4. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; Crack eggs into pan; cook 2 minutes. Cover and cook an additional 2 minutes or until whites are set. Remove from heat. 5. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and thyme; spread over bread slices. Divide salad and eggs evenly over bread. Sprinkle with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
*Note: I had a hard time finding the right cheese so I substituted Parmesan cheese and it tasted great!
I really liked this recipe because of its simplicity. It took very little time and it would be a great summer dinner because it won't heat up your kitchen. Joe ate two of the sandwiches so that is saying something. Hope you guys enjoy these recipes. Happy cooking!
Wow! Do you see this? I have two posts in one day. It is a miracle! This is actually an addition to the previous post. For those of you who follow my sister's blog you may recall that she has the attention span of a goldfish well it seems I have the memory of one and am likely to forget important things such as which books I have already read. So here my list of books that I read in 2010 in order:
1. Twilightwritten by: Stephanie Meyer 2. New Moon written by: Stephanie Meyer 3. Eclipse written by: Stephanie Meyer 4. The Work of Wolves written by: Kent Meyers 5. Heartless written by: Michele R. McPhee 6. Pope Joan written by: Donna Cross 7. Mr. Darcy's Daughterswritten by: Elizabeth Aston 8. The Last Templar written by: Raymond Khoury 9. Riding Shotgun written by: Rita Mae Brown 10. Breaking Dawn written by: Stephanie Meyer 11. H.R.H. written by: Danielle Steel 12. The Last Child written by: John Hart 13. Barefoot written by: Elin Hilderbrand 14. Cleopatra's Daughter written by: Michelle Moran 15. Expecting Adam written by: Martha Beck 16. Dogtown written by: Stefan Bechtel
My favorites from the year are Eclipse, Pope Joan, The Last Child, and Expecting Adam. The others were fine as well but I can't give them all a flying colors review. Maybe this will give some of you a good idea of a book to read. If you have any questions about any of them let me know just remember I don't remember very well.
Well, Christmas has come and gone but I am still reminded of it everyday when Conner wakes up and says "Merry Christmas." We have been working on saying "Happy New Year" but he just can't seem to shake the idea that tomorrow is his birthday and the day after that Santa is going to come.
Here's a quick rundown of the last few weeks. Had a birthday, turned 26, Yippee! I am finally on my way to 30. Scary right. Christmas came and of course we were all spoiled. Thanks everyone! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday. New Years was fun. Cidnee and I attended the PBR bull riding event that took place locally. We had to go without our male escorts because they were both sick (Joe and Victor you missed a good show). Conner had a blast at the babysitter's house and in fact didn't want to come home. We stayed up until midnight, Happy New Year, then all went to bed and slept in this morning. It has been a very nice pajama day but I can't leave until I reveal a few of my resolutions for the new year: 1. Run the Missoula Half-Marathon again (preferably with some training this time) 2. Blog more (this was a resolution last year too and we all see how well that went over) 3. Stick to a budget (ya, right) 4. Read more books than I did last year (which was 16).
I hope you all had a very safe and enjoyable new year. I can't wait to hear your resolutions and I hope you can stick to yours better than I can to mine. Good luck!
Conner is currently addicted to watching Scooby Doo movies and has even taken to the phrases of "Scooby Dooby Doo" and "Jinkies". Is it sad that I actually find these movies to be a little scary? I am afraid Conner is going to be the next Ghost Hunter crew member. Thankfully, all the goblins, ghosts, witches, and monsters in these movies are just people with masks so right now Conner is pacified knowing that it is all pretend. Scooby snack anyone?
Apparently our ceiling has had enough of the "Worst Winter in 20 Years". Tell me does it make sense to have a flat roof in an area that receives rain and snow? I know we are technically in a desert but come on people. We have been dealing with a pesky and determined leak in our ceiling for about the last month. Just when it starts to dry out and our wonderful maintenance men can repair the roof it rains or snows again making the repair void. For about the past ten days we have had a lovely "hole" in our ceiling where we had to have our sheet rock and insulation removed so our ceiling could dry out. It was finally repaired yesterday because we had a break in the weather (it snowed again this morning) so here is hoping it lasts. But the point of this story is not so much that there was a hole but that it was fixed and what Conner said when he realized it. First he sits in our big recliner (directly underneath the new ceiling), "Wow mom they fixed our ceiling." "It's so beautiful." "Thanks Billy and Victor (our maintenance guys)." How neat to hear at this time of year that something as simple as having a hole in your ceiling fixed is so appreciated and so wonderful. I never thought of our old popcorn ceiling as being beautiful before but to a three year old it is truly magical. Thanks son for reminding me to be grateful for the little things and thankful for the service of others and take in the beauty that surrounds us everyday.
