All Things Life, Love & Laughter

Jumping Into 2012

2012-01-06T16:23:00.001-06:00

I cannot believe 2012 is here! I woke up on the 1st feeling great about the year ahead. While I don't really go all in on resolutions that start January 1 (I don't understand why we have to start resolutions Jan. 1 - anyday is a great day for a change!), I do have a few this year that I plan on sticking to. One of the main changes I am going to make is to be better about keeping in touch with friends. While I do try to keep in touch, I find life getting in the way more and more. I find myself saying things like "Work wore me out today, I'll call her tomorrow" or "I only have 10 minutes before I have to be somewhere, I need at least 30 to really catch up". No more!

I did make a couple appetizers for our family to enjoy over the holidays - stuffed sweet peppers and triscuits with pickles and cheese - both were delicious and were gone in minutes.

I actually found the recipe for the stuffed peppers on the bag from the grocery store. I cut the tops off of each pepper and seeded them. The stuffing was cream cheese, goat cheese, fresh basil, sundried tomatoes and garlic. Mix the stuffing ingredients together, stuff the peppers and put them in the refridgerator for 30 minutes to make sure the pepper and stuffing get nice and cold.

The other appetizer I made came from a friend (Thanks, Em! I make them all the time!).These have quickly become a family favorite. They are so simple and so tasty. Arrange Triscuit crackers on a cookie sheet. Place a pickle chip (your choice - I have used dill and bread & butter) and top with a thin slice of cheese. Again, the cheese is your choice. I typically use sharp white cheddar. Put them in the over at 350* until the cheese just starts to melt. And they are done! Simple, right?!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season full of family, friends, laughter and of course good food!

Tilapia in Dill Butter

2011-12-05T20:40:00.000-06:00

I love seafood. I try to eat fish twice a week and am always looking for new ways to make it. Tilapia is a great light fish. Tilapia is a staple with me. One of my favorite ways to make it is with dill. (I personally think dill is completely underrated. Not to mention completely delicious!)

Filets of Tilapia

Butter

Dill

Salt

Pepper

Seafood Seasoning

Tonight, I melted some butter in the pan and sprinkled in some dill. (I have to admit, I am awful about measuring things.) I let that go for a minute or so. I season the tilapia with the salt and pepper and the seafood seasoning. Then, add the tilapia to the pan. Leave it alone for about 5 minutes. Once it has a nice crust on it, flip it over carefully. When the tilapia can starts to flake when you touch it, it's done!

You can also add some lemon juice when you add the dill to the pan, the citrus is a great addition! We just didn't have any lemons on hand.

Christmas time is here!

2011-12-05T20:23:00.001-06:00

The holidays have arrived! Without a doubt, my favorite time of year. What a great time of year to be with family, friends, and those you love.

For Thanksgiving, I was in charge of a vegetable dish this year. (I have to say, after my mom and I made our first Thanksgiving meal last year - making one dish this year was a breeze!) I used one of my favorite way to make vegetables but added a fall twist.

Butternut Squash

Acorn Squash

Red Onions

Carrots

Baby Red Potatoes

Fresh Rosemary

Olive Oil

I cut all of the vegetables into what I call 2-bite pieces. Roughly chop the rosemary. Toss the vegetables in the oil and spread in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with the rosemary. Roast in the oven at 400* for about 40 minutes. Check tenderness with a fork.

The Best Thing I've Ever Eaten

2011-09-19T16:36:00.001-05:00

Last Thursday night my mom made a quick trip up to Chicago and I made a fall lasagna from the September issue of Rachael Ray magazine. It was the best lasagna (non-traditional) I have ever eaten. Full of fall produce and fresh basil it is just rich enough and full of flavor. Everyone loved it! Definitely a crowd pleaser! Thank you Rachael Ray! I will definitely be holding onto this recipe!

Autumn Golden Vegetable Lasagna

Start by making the "Creamy White Sauce"

2 T butter

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk, warmed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour for about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in warm milk; bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes whisking constantly. Remove from heat and add Parmesan cheese and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper.

One of my favorite things about this lasagna is the use of egg roll wrappers in place of the noodles. It makes it so light! (Which works well with the richness of the pumpkin and squash.)

2 T unsalted butter

2 1/4 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash (10 oz)

Salt & Pepper

2 cups creamy white sauce (above recipe makes 2 cups)

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

1 egg

10 egg roll wrappers (5-in square)

1 3/4 cups shredded aged gouda cheese (about 8 oz)

8-10 large basil leaves

1. In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter. Add the squash and 1 cup water and simmer over medium heat; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the water is evaporated and the squash is golden and tender, about 13 minutes; set aside.

2. Position a rack in the upper 1/3 of the over and preheat to 400*. Meanwhile, lightly grease an 8-inch square glass dish and spread 1/2 cup white sauce in the bottom. In a bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and egg.

3. Cut half of the egg roll wrappers into 3 strips each. Fill a large bowl with hot tap water (as you work with the wrappers, dip them in the hot water to rinse off the starch). Use 1 whole wrapper and 3 strips to cover the bottom of the dish in a single layer (there will be overlap). Spread a generous 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree mixture on top and sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat the layering.

4. Add another layer of egg roll wrappers. Spread with 1 cup white sauce, then top with the squash, basil and 1/3 cup cheese. Add another layer of egg roll wrappers, the remaining pumpkin mixture and 1/3 cup cheese. Top with the remaining egg roll wrappers, then spread with the remaining white sauce.

5. Cover the dish snugly with foil and bake on a baking sheet in the upper 1/3 of the over for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish, sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup cheese on top and bake until golden and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting.

This lasagna serves 4-6 people.

Previous Recipes

2011-09-19T16:11:00.000-05:00

So excited about all of the upcoming recipes this week! Be sure to check back often! Fall is my all-time favorite cooking season! It doesn't hurt that it's also tail-gating season.

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Red Potatoes
Olive Oil
Rosemary (fresh or dried)
Salt
Pepper

Cut the baby red potatoes in quarters and coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, rosemary and pepper. Roast in the oven (on a baking sheet) @ 375* for 40-50 minutes.

In honor of the holiday weekend, I wanted to share one of my favorite side dishes to make on the grill. And it's perfect for this time of year!

This recipe is for you to use as a starting point and to make it your own. But, I will give an example of what veggies I use. I also don't really use measurements in this recipe. Eyeball it - it all depends on how many people you will be serving (and if you want leftovers).

Red Onion(s), either chopped into bite size pieces or cut in wedges

Zucchini

Squash

Cherry Tomatoes, leave whole

Mushrooms, Quartered

Peppers (Green, Yellow, Red)

Asparagus

Cut all of the veggies into bite size pieces. Make a pouch out of aluminum foil that will ultimately be closed. If needed, use two pieces of foil and place them perpendicular to each other before adding the vegetables - this makes the pouch bigger and easier to close.

Once all of the veggies are in the pouch and you have pulled up the sides of the foil, add some Italian dressing. Again, I eyeball it - a quarter of a cup is typically how much I use - more or less depending on how many veggies I am grilling.

Once you have added the dressing, close it all up and put it on the hot grill! 20(ish) minutes later - you have an extremely flavorful vegetable side dish.

*Cooking time depends on amount and temperature of the grill. You should keep your eye on the vegetables and once they are tender they are done. The tomatoes are typically the ones I look at to tell if they are done.

Enjoy!

What a Week!

2011-09-11T20:00:00.001-05:00

What a week. I had a very productive (I hope) week of job searching. Anyone know of any openings in the Chicago area?! I'm a Communications major. :)

This weekend was also very busy!

Friday night I spent time with one of my besties - Laura - painting her new apartment! Love quality Ran/Lur time. One of the many perks of living in the Chicago area. Then Saturday I was able to watch my youngest cousin play football for the first time this season. Go Lions!

Today my aunt and I wanted to spend as much time as possible enjoying the perfect day. We started by taking her dog to the farmers' market and enjoying the fresh produce! I am so excited for all of the dinners I am making this week! (More in the food section to come this week.) I even plan on making my own pickles! Here's hoping they turn out okay! After supporting all of the local and surrounding area farmers, we drove from nursery to nursery looking for trees and stone. My cousin loves projects and started a fire pit this summer. Now, he's at Northwestern and we are trying to complete his vision. Easier said than done!

Who knew there were so many kinds of stone - color, size, texture. Wow! We really liked the stone that had numerous colors included, but due to cost we have decided to try to make our own combo! I will post pictures of our final steps under the design section later this week.

This week - be on the lookout for recipes from me! I'm hoping to include bread & butter pickles, butternut squash and pumpkin lasagna, basil pesto, a mixed mushroom soup, and anything else I can come up with!

Here's to a great week ahead. (And hopefully more consistent posting!)

Always in Our Hearts, Never Forgotten

2011-09-11T19:44:00.001-05:00

What a beautiful day here in Chicago today! A perfect day to remember those that lost their lives ten years ago, and those that have chosen to fight for our freedoms on a daily basis.

I hope you spent your day counting your blessings and remembering why today is a day of remembrance.

Be thankful, not only today, but EVERY day.

New Things!

2011-09-02T22:08:00.000-05:00

I am slowly adding to the other page headings.

Today I added a great grill recipe - perfect for Labor Day weekend! And super easy!

Be sure to be on the look out!

Here We Go!

2011-09-01T22:18:00.001-05:00

Hey all! I have been toying with the idea of starting a blog for quite some time but thought, "What in the world would I write about? What could I say that people want to actually take time to read!?" And today, an old friend (and previous employer) inspired me...

I am currently back at my parents' house for the week working at Flirt Boutique. An old friend needed an extra set of hands and since I am currently looking for a job in Chicago and have time to give, I was more than happy to step in! She is an incredible woman who started her own business from the ground up - that alone should inspire anyone - but she asked me one simple question: What is your favorite thing? So simple.

My junior year of college I studied abroad in Australia (more on that to come later) and once classes finished I took a bus tour along the Great Ocean Road. It was a fantastic experience and since I went alone I used that time to really reflect on that one question. What was my favorite thing? And since then, I haven't really thought about it. Until today.

So now, I realize that a blog isn't for other people (although that is usually who you are sharing with). I am doing this for myself. For my love of food, travel, entertaining, music, design, and life.

Like the description of my blog says, I am in fact a self proclaimed foodie. I love to cook and entertain. (My mom has said for years I am an old soul - she could not be more right. I mean, after all, your mother knows you best!) I am so excited about sharing some of my favorite recipes (as well as some of my own experiments in the kitchen) as well as stories about life, love and laughter.

I hope you all enjoy.

Cheers.