Roasted Veggies and Black Bean Burrito

In our quest to find Ansley-friendly meals, so we can all eat the same thing (or at least some version of the same thing) at dinner, I found a recipe on Pinterest that that twisted and tweaked to our tastebuds' likings. It was a hit.

Here are the ingredients:

• 1VERY large Sweet Potato, Peeled And Cubed Small
• 1 whole Red Pepper, Diced Small
• a small handul (less than 1/4 cup) of frozen diced onion
• 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1 pinch Salt And Pepper
• 1 can Black Beans, Rinsed And Drained (15 Ounce Can)
• ½ cups Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
• 2 teaspoons Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 cups Shredded Cheddar (I also have a non-dairy Ansley version)
• 1 package Wheat Tortillas Or Wraps (6-10 Count)

Directions:

1. Toss raw veggies with olive oil and spices and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes.

2. Combine roasted veggies with black beans and cilantro.

3. Scoop desired amount onto a warmed tortilla.

4. Top with cheese.

5. Roll into a burrito and place into a greased casserole dish for crispier burritoes; wrap individual burritos into aluminum foil for softer burrito.

6. I made six burritos out of this mixture. Warm them in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes.

7. Serve with homemade tortilla chips, fresh salsa, and guacamole.

***Patrick was skeptical about this meal since there was no meat in it. He quickly backpedaled when he tasted it and has already requested it again. We loved it!

***Ansley wouldn't eat it... Oh well, at least she COULD. 

In our quest to find Ansley-friendly meals, so we can all eat the same thing (or at least some version of the same thing) at dinner, I found a recipe on Pinterest that that twisted and tweaked to our tastebuds' likings. It was a hit.

Here are the ingredients:

• 1VERY large Sweet Potato, Peeled And Cubed Small
• 1 whole Red Pepper, Diced Small
• a small handul (less than 1/4 cup) of frozen diced onion
• 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1 pinch Salt And Pepper
• 1 can Black Beans, Rinsed And Drained (15 Ounce Can)
• ½ cups Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
• 2 teaspoons Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 cups Shredded Cheddar (I also have a non-dairy Ansley version)
• 1 package Wheat Tortillas Or Wraps (6-10 Count)

Directions:

1. Toss raw veggies with olive oil and spices and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes.

2. Combine roasted veggies with black beans and cilantro.

3. Scoop desired amount onto a warmed tortilla.

4. Top with cheese.

5. Roll into a burrito and place into a greased casserole dish for crispier burritoes; wrap individual burritos into aluminum foil for softer burrito.

6. I made six burritos out of this mixture. Warm them in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes.

7. Serve with homemade tortilla chips, fresh salsa, and guacamole.

***Patrick was skeptical about this meal since there was no meat in it. He quickly backpedaled when he tasted it and has already requested it again. We loved it!

***Ansley wouldn't eat it... Oh well, at least she COULD. 

What we've been eating: Easy Chicken Florentine

I have become bored with our regulars in the kitchen, and while I love The Pioneer Woman and all of her recipes, my waistline can't handle all the butter and whole milk and heavy cream of her recipes. After salivating over this dish that she prepared on her show a few weeks ago, I went on a search to find a lighter version of this and then added my own variations. I even set aside some to make an Ansley-friendly dish.

This iphone picture doesn't do it justice, but at least it gives a visual.

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts (I used some from my freezer)
1 8oz desired pasta (I used bow-tie.)
3/4 tsp salt, divided
3/4 tsp black pepper, divided
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup milk of choice (I used soy milk)
1 cup chicken broth
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
4 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:

• Prepare chicken however you choose. (I baked mine drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper.) Shred or cube.
• Cook pasta until tender. Drain well, and keep warm.
• Heat skillet on med-high heat. Add oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add flour and garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes while you keep stirring.
• Add milk and broth and stir with a whisk for about two minutes (or until it thickens). 
• Add half a cup of cheese, remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper.
• Once cheese melts, add spinach and tomatoes, and cook until spinach wilts.
• Add chicken and pasta. Toss to combine.
• Top each bowl with remaining parmesan cheese.

(Before I added cheese, I separated some of the sauce and used Ansley's tapioca cheese for hers. It wasn't a big hit with her, but it least it didn't exclude her from our dinner plans.)

I have become bored with our regulars in the kitchen, and while I love The Pioneer Woman and all of her recipes, my waistline can't handle all the butter and whole milk and heavy cream of her recipes. After salivating over this dish that she prepared on her show a few weeks ago, I went on a search to find a lighter version of this and then added my own variations. I even set aside some to make an Ansley-friendly dish.

This iphone picture doesn't do it justice, but at least it gives a visual.

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts (I used some from my freezer)
1 8oz desired pasta (I used bow-tie.)
3/4 tsp salt, divided
3/4 tsp black pepper, divided
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup milk of choice (I used soy milk)
1 cup chicken broth
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
4 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:

• Prepare chicken however you choose. (I baked mine drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper.) Shred or cube.
• Cook pasta until tender. Drain well, and keep warm.
• Heat skillet on med-high heat. Add oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add flour and garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes while you keep stirring.
• Add milk and broth and stir with a whisk for about two minutes (or until it thickens). 
• Add half a cup of cheese, remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper.
• Once cheese melts, add spinach and tomatoes, and cook until spinach wilts.
• Add chicken and pasta. Toss to combine.
• Top each bowl with remaining parmesan cheese.

(Before I added cheese, I separated some of the sauce and used Ansley's tapioca cheese for hers. It wasn't a big hit with her, but it least it didn't exclude her from our dinner plans.)

Favorite Summer Meal

We have a new favorite meal at the Crawford house, and I owe my friend Reid for this one:

Lime Butter Tilapia
Sweet Potato Fries
Zucchini Sticks

Salivate on this:
The first step in creating this deliciousness was making the lime butter. To do that, combine

• 4 T butter (I use this:)
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 T cilantro, chopped
• zest of 1 lime
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

It'll look something like this:

Then you use 1 T of the mix per tilapia filet.
Cook in skillet for 4-5 minutes on each side.
Then put another little dollop (1t) on your cooked fish. All of this=heavenly!

I paired it with homemade sweet potato fries. I just peeled the potato, cut into fry-sized pieces, and salted, peppered, and doused with olive oil. I baked them at 450 for 25 minutes and flipped them about halfway into it.
Then I made zucchini sticks by slicing each zucchini into 8 pieces. I doused them with olive oil, shook panko crumbs over them, and salted and peppered them. I cooked them with the potatoes at the same temp for the same length of time.
Patrick liked it so much he asked if we could have it again the next night. So we did. Hope you try it and like it as much as we did!

We have a new favorite meal at the Crawford house, and I owe my friend Reid for this one:

Lime Butter Tilapia
Sweet Potato Fries
Zucchini Sticks

Salivate on this:
The first step in creating this deliciousness was making the lime butter. To do that, combine

• 4 T butter (I use this:)
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 T cilantro, chopped
• zest of 1 lime
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

It'll look something like this:

Then you use 1 T of the mix per tilapia filet.
Cook in skillet for 4-5 minutes on each side.
Then put another little dollop (1t) on your cooked fish. All of this=heavenly!

I paired it with homemade sweet potato fries. I just peeled the potato, cut into fry-sized pieces, and salted, peppered, and doused with olive oil. I baked them at 450 for 25 minutes and flipped them about halfway into it.
Then I made zucchini sticks by slicing each zucchini into 8 pieces. I doused them with olive oil, shook panko crumbs over them, and salted and peppered them. I cooked them with the potatoes at the same temp for the same length of time.
Patrick liked it so much he asked if we could have it again the next night. So we did. Hope you try it and like it as much as we did!

Holding Zone... While we were waiting on the rash to go away...

Well, the Ansley Food Chronicles have stalled. She has had a rash that has come and gone for a week. I have cut wheat now also to see if that helps, and those yummy sweet potatoes are still frozen. Keep your fingers crossed for us, please. And prayers too...

In the meantime, here is a camera phone picture dump of what we have been up to:

We have celebrated 2 weddings: one a dear family friend.
The other, a cousin. Mom hosted two back to back bridesmaid's brunches. Lindsay and I co-hosted the one for our cousin. I was in charge of the invitations, and I LOVED these that I ordered from an Etsy shop. (This was a draft that we ended up editing when we changed it to a brunch. I blurred the address info. I matched the bridesmaids dress colors. Cute, huh?!?)

We used the May Southern Living issue as our menu inspiration. We served breakfast casserole, ham and biscuits, cheese grits, cinnamon rolls, lemon cheesecake, muffins, fruit, and a "mocktail" of gingerale, pineapple juice, and orange juice. It was yummy-looking, and I enjoyed my "special food."
The bride is on the right, her youngest sis on the left, her other bridesmaids surrounding her.Linds, Grandmama, Aunt J, and Mom

Front Door Decorations
I have been trying new recipes for my dietary restrictions. As I mentioned, I am cutting back on wheat to see if it makes a difference, so I am now, on a trial basis, gluten free in addition to being dairy and soy free... Yikes! I made cinnamon raisin bread and cobb salad.

I got this recipe via April (she made it for a dinner party last spring) via Martha and left off the cheese on my part. I also used chicken instead of turkey and added honey to the dressing like April suggested. Both were surprisingly delicious.

While little sister has been napping, I've been having lots of fun with her big sis.

Hopefully I'll be back soon with a positive sweet potato report! Until then...

Well, the Ansley Food Chronicles have stalled. She has had a rash that has come and gone for a week. I have cut wheat now also to see if that helps, and those yummy sweet potatoes are still frozen. Keep your fingers crossed for us, please. And prayers too...

In the meantime, here is a camera phone picture dump of what we have been up to:

We have celebrated 2 weddings: one a dear family friend.
The other, a cousin. Mom hosted two back to back bridesmaid's brunches. Lindsay and I co-hosted the one for our cousin. I was in charge of the invitations, and I LOVED these that I ordered from an Etsy shop. (This was a draft that we ended up editing when we changed it to a brunch. I blurred the address info. I matched the bridesmaids dress colors. Cute, huh?!?)

We used the May Southern Living issue as our menu inspiration. We served breakfast casserole, ham and biscuits, cheese grits, cinnamon rolls, lemon cheesecake, muffins, fruit, and a "mocktail" of gingerale, pineapple juice, and orange juice. It was yummy-looking, and I enjoyed my "special food."
The bride is on the right, her youngest sis on the left, her other bridesmaids surrounding her.Linds, Grandmama, Aunt J, and Mom

Front Door Decorations
I have been trying new recipes for my dietary restrictions. As I mentioned, I am cutting back on wheat to see if it makes a difference, so I am now, on a trial basis, gluten free in addition to being dairy and soy free... Yikes! I made cinnamon raisin bread and cobb salad.

I got this recipe via April (she made it for a dinner party last spring) via Martha and left off the cheese on my part. I also used chicken instead of turkey and added honey to the dressing like April suggested. Both were surprisingly delicious.

While little sister has been napping, I've been having lots of fun with her big sis.

Hopefully I'll be back soon with a positive sweet potato report! Until then...

Recipe Review

At the bottom of my last post, I wrote about new recipes I was going to try out for dinner that I got from May's Southern Living. Both were out-of-this-world in the delicious category, and I am so glad I tried them. It was quite the convoluted culinary experience though, involving many non-staple items and lots of dicing and chopping. Patrick went on and on about how delectable everything tasted, and I had to break the news that the harsh reality was that they were once-a-summer type dishes. (Good thing we have leftovers for tonight!) The first dish I made was this: (Click on title for a link to the recipe.)

Black Beans and Coconut Lime Rice:
This is categorized as a main dish, but I made it as a side to the coconut chicken.

Favorite Parts:
Mangoes, Mangoes, Mangoes... The recipe suggests topping the dish with chopped radishes and jalepeno peppers, diced mangoes, and lime wedges. Since there was a poblano pepper in the bean mixture and yellow and green onions as well, I opted for the mangoes option, and they did not disappoint.

Least Favorite Parts:
ALL the prep work

• zesting the lime
• toasting the coconut
• chopping cilantro
• chopping poblano pepper
• chopping the small yellow onion and 2 small green onions

(Probably this was even more of a nuisance to me because my William Sonoma usually AWESOME vegetable chopper kept getting jammed...)

Was the taste of the end product worth it??? TOTALLY. But I recommend saving it for a special night.

For our main dish I made Coconut Chicken. This involved dirtying up 3 prep bowls, but the rest of the steps and ingredients were simple. Serving it with honey mustard sauce made it even more yummy, and this would be an easy one to do more regularly. Happy cooking and eating!

At the bottom of my last post, I wrote about new recipes I was going to try out for dinner that I got from May's Southern Living. Both were out-of-this-world in the delicious category, and I am so glad I tried them. It was quite the convoluted culinary experience though, involving many non-staple items and lots of dicing and chopping. Patrick went on and on about how delectable everything tasted, and I had to break the news that the harsh reality was that they were once-a-summer type dishes. (Good thing we have leftovers for tonight!) The first dish I made was this: (Click on title for a link to the recipe.)

Black Beans and Coconut Lime Rice:
This is categorized as a main dish, but I made it as a side to the coconut chicken.

Favorite Parts:
Mangoes, Mangoes, Mangoes... The recipe suggests topping the dish with chopped radishes and jalepeno peppers, diced mangoes, and lime wedges. Since there was a poblano pepper in the bean mixture and yellow and green onions as well, I opted for the mangoes option, and they did not disappoint.

Least Favorite Parts:
ALL the prep work

• zesting the lime
• toasting the coconut
• chopping cilantro
• chopping poblano pepper
• chopping the small yellow onion and 2 small green onions

(Probably this was even more of a nuisance to me because my William Sonoma usually AWESOME vegetable chopper kept getting jammed...)

Was the taste of the end product worth it??? TOTALLY. But I recommend saving it for a special night.

For our main dish I made Coconut Chicken. This involved dirtying up 3 prep bowls, but the rest of the steps and ingredients were simple. Serving it with honey mustard sauce made it even more yummy, and this would be an easy one to do more regularly. Happy cooking and eating!

What's for lunch?

My little water fish and I spent our morning in the backyard playing in our redneck baby pool, complete with Addison's water table and our beach ball sprinkler:I was feeling too tired and hot to load up the wagon and head to the neighborhood pool, so this was our alternative, and she wore herself out. We had so much fun that time snuck up on us, and before we knew it, it was time for lunch. I made a batch of pimento cheese yesterday, and we enjoyed grilled pimento cheese and tomato sandwiches (always a summer craving of mine because sometimes when it is so hot, it's hard to come up with something tasty...), but I wanted to save the leftovers for a picnic with Patrick tomorrow.

We're grilled cheese and pb&j'ed out, so I made these tasty and healthy creations from a weight watchers recipe years ago in Auburn. Here you go:

English Muffin Pizzas
Ingredients:
English Muffins
Pasta Sauce (or marinara or pizza or anything you have on hand)
Low moisture/ part skim milk mozzarella cheese
Turkey pepperonis

Bake at 350 for 5 minutes to thoroughly heat. Broil for an additional minute to make sure the cheese is good and melted. Enjoy! (For you points counters out there, this recipe is a total of 5 points.)

Addison gobbled hers up completely and has been napping soundly for over 2 hours now!
On the menu for tonight: Coconut Chicken with Black Beans and Coconut-Lime Rice, a recipe from May's Southern Living, test driven and recommended by my friend April. If I remember, I'll try to take a picture of it and report back tomorrow.

My little water fish and I spent our morning in the backyard playing in our redneck baby pool, complete with Addison's water table and our beach ball sprinkler:I was feeling too tired and hot to load up the wagon and head to the neighborhood pool, so this was our alternative, and she wore herself out. We had so much fun that time snuck up on us, and before we knew it, it was time for lunch. I made a batch of pimento cheese yesterday, and we enjoyed grilled pimento cheese and tomato sandwiches (always a summer craving of mine because sometimes when it is so hot, it's hard to come up with something tasty...), but I wanted to save the leftovers for a picnic with Patrick tomorrow.

We're grilled cheese and pb&j'ed out, so I made these tasty and healthy creations from a weight watchers recipe years ago in Auburn. Here you go:

English Muffin Pizzas
Ingredients:
English Muffins
Pasta Sauce (or marinara or pizza or anything you have on hand)
Low moisture/ part skim milk mozzarella cheese
Turkey pepperonis

Bake at 350 for 5 minutes to thoroughly heat. Broil for an additional minute to make sure the cheese is good and melted. Enjoy! (For you points counters out there, this recipe is a total of 5 points.)

Addison gobbled hers up completely and has been napping soundly for over 2 hours now!
On the menu for tonight: Coconut Chicken with Black Beans and Coconut-Lime Rice, a recipe from May's Southern Living, test driven and recommended by my friend April. If I remember, I'll try to take a picture of it and report back tomorrow.

What's for dinner?

We love Friday Night pizza night--whether it is going out for pizza with friends, ordering in, or making our own. Like I mentioned in my previous post, Mindy made us a loaded potato pizza for lunch, and I tried it out tonight. Here is a picture:Ingredients:
1 pizza crust (use either a Pillsbury can dough or make your own)
2 potatoes
1 stick butter (melted)
1 cup sour cream
2 cups cheddar cheese
7-8 slices bacon

Directions: Mix melted butter with sour cream and coat the pizza dough. Bake at dough temperature (~400) for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook bacon, and microwave potatoes for 10-12 minutes. Chop potatoes into bite size pieces and spread on partially cooked dough. (Salt and pepper to taste.) Cover potato pieces with cheddar chesse and crumbled bacon. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve with ranch dipping sauce! Enjoy!

We love Friday Night pizza night--whether it is going out for pizza with friends, ordering in, or making our own. Like I mentioned in my previous post, Mindy made us a loaded potato pizza for lunch, and I tried it out tonight. Here is a picture:Ingredients:
1 pizza crust (use either a Pillsbury can dough or make your own)
2 potatoes
1 stick butter (melted)
1 cup sour cream
2 cups cheddar cheese
7-8 slices bacon

Directions: Mix melted butter with sour cream and coat the pizza dough. Bake at dough temperature (~400) for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook bacon, and microwave potatoes for 10-12 minutes. Chop potatoes into bite size pieces and spread on partially cooked dough. (Salt and pepper to taste.) Cover potato pieces with cheddar chesse and crumbled bacon. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve with ranch dipping sauce! Enjoy!

Order Envy and a Summer Craving Fulfilled...

I'm the person who, after deliberating on what to order at a restaurant, narrowing my choices down to 3, eliminating the other possibilities systematically, and emphatically making my selection, STILL wishes I'd ordered what my eating companion chose when the food is brought to the table.

So many times, I try to entice P in the game "Wanna Switch?" where we totally swap entrees and eat what the other person ordered. It worked some when we were dating--not-so-much any more. I'm lucky to swap a few bites. I don't know why I'm this way, why I suffer from what I call "Order Envy" so extremely. But I do.

The latest incident occurred when I was lunching with my friend a couple of weeks ago at Henpeck Market. She ordered a grilled pimento cheese and tomato sandwich; I don't even remember what I got. All I remember is salivating over HER plate when they brought my food.

All summer, I've been craving this sandwich. In this miserable heat, it's so hard to find something that sounds good to eat... Every day, when I think about what I want for lunch, I think "A grilled pimento cheese and tomato sandwich..." and I never have it on hand. So, yesterday, I finally made a batch and this is what I enjoyed for lunch today:

I used my grandmother's recipe, and just in case you're craving one of these too, here it is:

1/2 lb sharp cheddar cheese (grate)
1/2 c mayo
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 oz pimentos (I used more--3 heaping tablespoons)
1 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
1/4 tsp garlic salt
(I also added a dash of vinegar, and my grandmother suggests a Tbsp of gravied onion.)

Once you have combined all of the ingredients, the key to making this spread is to use your electric mixer to make it light and fluffy. Mix it longer than you think necessary. It makes a yummy pint!

I enjoyed my WHOLE sandwich (even though only half of it is pictured here) grilled with a slice of tomato. A trick that a friend of mine gave me about grilled cheese's is to sprinkle the buttered bread with a little garlic powder. YUM! My cantaloupe and strawberries were also delicious with it! Enjoy!

{Also, FYI, I'm trying to cut calories, and I tried this with 2% milk cheddar and light mayo, and I couldn't tell the difference!}

I'm the person who, after deliberating on what to order at a restaurant, narrowing my choices down to 3, eliminating the other possibilities systematically, and emphatically making my selection, STILL wishes I'd ordered what my eating companion chose when the food is brought to the table.

So many times, I try to entice P in the game "Wanna Switch?" where we totally swap entrees and eat what the other person ordered. It worked some when we were dating--not-so-much any more. I'm lucky to swap a few bites. I don't know why I'm this way, why I suffer from what I call "Order Envy" so extremely. But I do.

The latest incident occurred when I was lunching with my friend a couple of weeks ago at Henpeck Market. She ordered a grilled pimento cheese and tomato sandwich; I don't even remember what I got. All I remember is salivating over HER plate when they brought my food.

All summer, I've been craving this sandwich. In this miserable heat, it's so hard to find something that sounds good to eat... Every day, when I think about what I want for lunch, I think "A grilled pimento cheese and tomato sandwich..." and I never have it on hand. So, yesterday, I finally made a batch and this is what I enjoyed for lunch today:

I used my grandmother's recipe, and just in case you're craving one of these too, here it is:

1/2 lb sharp cheddar cheese (grate)
1/2 c mayo
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 oz pimentos (I used more--3 heaping tablespoons)
1 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
1/4 tsp garlic salt
(I also added a dash of vinegar, and my grandmother suggests a Tbsp of gravied onion.)

Once you have combined all of the ingredients, the key to making this spread is to use your electric mixer to make it light and fluffy. Mix it longer than you think necessary. It makes a yummy pint!

I enjoyed my WHOLE sandwich (even though only half of it is pictured here) grilled with a slice of tomato. A trick that a friend of mine gave me about grilled cheese's is to sprinkle the buttered bread with a little garlic powder. YUM! My cantaloupe and strawberries were also delicious with it! Enjoy!

{Also, FYI, I'm trying to cut calories, and I tried this with 2% milk cheddar and light mayo, and I couldn't tell the difference!}

Summer Lovin'

Two weeks into summer, and I am loving it! I have definitely felt thankful for this period of sunshine in my life after going through a season of rain... This week has been a fun one for Addison and me--going to the pool, the park, playdates with friends, time with family! Here are a few things I am especially loving right now:

1. Tomato Pie. I got this recipe from a girl Julie who I don't personally know, but whose blog I read occasionally because she is a Chi-O at Auburn and has a cool sense of style and sense of self. It makes me miss college and the freedom of spirit that goes with it. It's the easiest thing to make... In a pie shell, coat the bottom with 2 Tbsp of spicy mustard. Cover with 2 cups of swiss cheese. Cover with 3 1/4-inch-thick sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with dried basil flakes and Jane's Krazy salt. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Top with fresh basil leaves (missing from my picture). Let cool about 10 minutes.

I made this as a side to poppyseed chicken with fresh salad and key lime pie. One of my goals of the summer is to be a culinary goddess on the weekends when Patrick is home with us so that he feels "home." And so that I make sure that he still "wants me." {And I think it is working... He went on and on about how delicious dinner was and jumped up to do the dishes. What a good man! :)} In all seriousness, I really am enjoying trying new recipes wearing my anthropologie apron--a gift of birthdays past a la Jesse.

2. DMB's new CD release, Big Whiskey. Anybody catch them on the Today Show this morning? So amazing... I spent my high school and college years following them like some people follow Widespread Panic and The Grateful Dead. Their new tracks are so so good, and I have listened to nothing else since I downloaded it on my itunes this week.

3. Catching up with everyone's blogs. I really was totally enmeshed with work and domesticity this winter and spring, and I am enjoying getting caught up on fashion, style, funny stories, and family pictures on everyone's pages.

Addy and I went to the park with my oldest and one of my dearest friends and her kids today, and we were talking about life--how to balance being individuals, adults, moms, wives, friends, and our conversation turned to cooking. She said she got some recipes and sewing tutorials off "someone's random blog." Then, she stopped and said, "Wait, you may know her. She went to Auburn. It's 'Fly through my window.'" I laughed and said, "Yeah, it's Darby. She and I were sorority sisters." Articulate response, huh! Ha!

Usually a blog cynic and boycotter, my friend told me how much she likes how refreshing Darby's blog is... how she appreciates the way she does not brag about how great her life is, but how whenever she has a good idea or completes a successful project, she shares the recipe, tutorial, etc. She went on to say how she really feels like Darby is using her blog to be an encouragement to women and young moms, that she felt good about herself every time she follows one of her practical tutorials--and what a great way to glorify God! It encouraged me to hear, and it made me proud of my Auburn family. I need to email Darby and let her know how widely and far-reaching her blog is read and the kind of impact she is making. If you've not read her before, you should definitely add her to your blogroll.

Two weeks into summer, and I am loving it! I have definitely felt thankful for this period of sunshine in my life after going through a season of rain... This week has been a fun one for Addison and me--going to the pool, the park, playdates with friends, time with family! Here are a few things I am especially loving right now:

1. Tomato Pie. I got this recipe from a girl Julie who I don't personally know, but whose blog I read occasionally because she is a Chi-O at Auburn and has a cool sense of style and sense of self. It makes me miss college and the freedom of spirit that goes with it. It's the easiest thing to make... In a pie shell, coat the bottom with 2 Tbsp of spicy mustard. Cover with 2 cups of swiss cheese. Cover with 3 1/4-inch-thick sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with dried basil flakes and Jane's Krazy salt. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Top with fresh basil leaves (missing from my picture). Let cool about 10 minutes.

I made this as a side to poppyseed chicken with fresh salad and key lime pie. One of my goals of the summer is to be a culinary goddess on the weekends when Patrick is home with us so that he feels "home." And so that I make sure that he still "wants me." {And I think it is working... He went on and on about how delicious dinner was and jumped up to do the dishes. What a good man! :)} In all seriousness, I really am enjoying trying new recipes wearing my anthropologie apron--a gift of birthdays past a la Jesse.

2. DMB's new CD release, Big Whiskey. Anybody catch them on the Today Show this morning? So amazing... I spent my high school and college years following them like some people follow Widespread Panic and The Grateful Dead. Their new tracks are so so good, and I have listened to nothing else since I downloaded it on my itunes this week.

3. Catching up with everyone's blogs. I really was totally enmeshed with work and domesticity this winter and spring, and I am enjoying getting caught up on fashion, style, funny stories, and family pictures on everyone's pages.

Addy and I went to the park with my oldest and one of my dearest friends and her kids today, and we were talking about life--how to balance being individuals, adults, moms, wives, friends, and our conversation turned to cooking. She said she got some recipes and sewing tutorials off "someone's random blog." Then, she stopped and said, "Wait, you may know her. She went to Auburn. It's 'Fly through my window.'" I laughed and said, "Yeah, it's Darby. She and I were sorority sisters." Articulate response, huh! Ha!

Usually a blog cynic and boycotter, my friend told me how much she likes how refreshing Darby's blog is... how she appreciates the way she does not brag about how great her life is, but how whenever she has a good idea or completes a successful project, she shares the recipe, tutorial, etc. She went on to say how she really feels like Darby is using her blog to be an encouragement to women and young moms, that she felt good about herself every time she follows one of her practical tutorials--and what a great way to glorify God! It encouraged me to hear, and it made me proud of my Auburn family. I need to email Darby and let her know how widely and far-reaching her blog is read and the kind of impact she is making. If you've not read her before, you should definitely add her to your blogroll.

A Not-So Guilty Pleasure

This post is for anyone who has a chocolate-loving sweet tooth while also trying to maintain the waistline... ME! I posted earlier this summer about a new website that I found that provides nutritional values to menu items at various restaurants; now I'd like to share some new, extremely simple cake recipes that I got from my mom and aunt that make eating chocolate cake guiltless!

1.) Cola Cake
Ingredients:
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 can diet soda

Directions:
Mix cake mix and diet soda for two minutes.
Pour mixture into greased bundt pan.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

2.) Choco-pumpkin cake
Ingredients:
1 box of chocolate cake mix (During the holidays, substitute chocolate cake mix for spiced cake mix.)
1 can of pumpkin
1/2 cup of water

Directions:
Mix ingredients for 2 minutes
Pour mixture into greased bundt pan.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

*Note: These recipes are lower in calories and fat because you are omitting the eggs and oil. Nutritional values will vary depending on the cake mix of your choice.

Instead of icing or ice cream, I have been serving it with lite coolwhip.

I have made them both, and they are ooey-gooey and moist, delicious, satisfying-my-sweet-tooth desserts! Enjoy!

This post is for anyone who has a chocolate-loving sweet tooth while also trying to maintain the waistline... ME! I posted earlier this summer about a new website that I found that provides nutritional values to menu items at various restaurants; now I'd like to share some new, extremely simple cake recipes that I got from my mom and aunt that make eating chocolate cake guiltless!

1.) Cola Cake
Ingredients:
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 can diet soda

Directions:
Mix cake mix and diet soda for two minutes.
Pour mixture into greased bundt pan.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

2.) Choco-pumpkin cake
Ingredients:
1 box of chocolate cake mix (During the holidays, substitute chocolate cake mix for spiced cake mix.)
1 can of pumpkin
1/2 cup of water

Directions:
Mix ingredients for 2 minutes
Pour mixture into greased bundt pan.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

*Note: These recipes are lower in calories and fat because you are omitting the eggs and oil. Nutritional values will vary depending on the cake mix of your choice.

Instead of icing or ice cream, I have been serving it with lite coolwhip.

I have made them both, and they are ooey-gooey and moist, delicious, satisfying-my-sweet-tooth desserts! Enjoy!