It's time for a new playlist, my friends! On New Years Day, they had a whole concert series from Napa Valley on my very favorite satellite radio station (The Pulse, in case you're wondering). They had a bunch of great artists on, singing new music that I wasn't familiar with, and it got me in that iTunes-obsessed mood that means it's time for a new driving mix! Grace Potter made it on the CD twice, which is sort of unheard of (unless you're Maroon 5...they show up all the time...lol). I love her...and she was AWESOME live. You know who was NOT awesome? Alanis Morrisette. I was so disappointed by her. As someone who grew up on Jagged Little Pill, I was pretty excited that she was going to be singing a bunch of songs live on my 4 hour drive back to Des Moines. It didn't start out on a positive note...the host asked her what music inspired her, and she said she was really busy with her own music and that she really didn't have time to listen to anyone else...so her music inspires her...and sometimes her husband's music. What? Lame answer, lady. That's like the most anti-music lover answer in history. And then she went on to "sing" some of the songs from Jagged Little Pill, and it honestly seemed like she had forgotten a bunch of the words and was just mumbling nonsense words, which was disappointing. Anyway, I wouldn't bother buying a ticket to see her live. Also, on my short list of pet peeves about live music, it annoys the hell out of me when artists get up there and sing two lines of the song, and then wait for the audience to sing the next 4 lines. I mean really...people are buying tickets to hear YOU sing...if I wanted to hear the drunk guy next to me belt out an off-key version of your song, I could go to a bar for that. Blah. Anyway, we're off topic...back to the new driving mix. I love it, you may or may not love it, but either way, here it is:
Winter 2013 Driving Mix
1) Tonight Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae
2) Mermaid - Train
3) Put the Gun Down - ZZWard
4) So Beautiful - The Dunwells
5) Fallout - Marianas Trench
6) Thinking of You - The Maine
7) February Seven - The Avett Brothers
8) Picking Up the Pieces - Paloma Faith
9) Stars - Grace Potter and The Nocturnals
10) Try - Pink
11) Good Time - Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen
12) Man Like That - GinWigmore
13) Paris (Ooh La La) - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
14) Bottom of the River - Delta Rae
15) Stubborn Love - The Lumineers
16) Carry On - Fun.
That's all for now...enjoy!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Spicy Sausage Pasta...
Well, I found this recipe on one of my recent (and incredibly brief) visits to Pinterest. The picture looked beautiful, and I gotta say, I'm a sucker for beautiful food. I can't help but think my blog would probably be more popular if I bothered to learn anything about food photography, but hey...I'm busy...maybe someday when I retire...when I'm 105 or so. So yeah, don't hold your breath for that :) Anyway, the original recipe can be found at kevin {&} amanda. I adjusted to get a little more out of it, because as a general rule, I like to get 6-8 servings out of a meal for the month, and the original only made 4. Plus the original called for a pound of sausage in 4 servings...I like smoked sausage, but yeow...that's a lot. So, there were a few adjustments. The recipe as I made it is as follows:
Spicy Sausage Pasta
8 servings - 412 calories
Ingredients
1 T. olive oil
1 package smoked sausage
1 med. onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. chicken broth
1- 10oz. can Rotel (Tomatoes and Green Chiles - Mild)
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 lb. pasta (I used Penne)
1 c. shredded Colby Jack cheese
1/3 c. diced green onions
Directions
Saute sausage and onions on medium high for 4-6 minutes until onions begin to soften. Add garlic and saute an additional 30 seconds or so till it gets fragrant. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, and pasta and bring to a boil. Turn down to low/med. low and simmer for an additional 15 minutes until pasta is cooked through. Add cheese and green onions and stir as cheese melts. And that's it...voila!
I'm serving mine with a crescent roll for a total of 512 calories. Also, I forgot to take a picture of the portioned out servings before I ate one for lunch (whoops!), so no pic for that...sorry! You get the idea :)
Spicy Sausage Pasta
8 servings - 412 calories
Ingredients
1 T. olive oil
1 package smoked sausage
1 med. onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. chicken broth
1- 10oz. can Rotel (Tomatoes and Green Chiles - Mild)
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 lb. pasta (I used Penne)
1 c. shredded Colby Jack cheese
1/3 c. diced green onions
Directions
Saute sausage and onions on medium high for 4-6 minutes until onions begin to soften. Add garlic and saute an additional 30 seconds or so till it gets fragrant. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, and pasta and bring to a boil. Turn down to low/med. low and simmer for an additional 15 minutes until pasta is cooked through. Add cheese and green onions and stir as cheese melts. And that's it...voila!
I'm serving mine with a crescent roll for a total of 512 calories. Also, I forgot to take a picture of the portioned out servings before I ate one for lunch (whoops!), so no pic for that...sorry! You get the idea :)
January Menu Plan...
Alrighty...the January Meal Plan! Woot! As I said in my last post, we're running a little short on new recipes due to time constraints, but I did manage to get one in there. I went ahead and linked the ones that I've already made so in case you're feeling like you couldn't live without making one of them, you don't have to sift through a bunch of stuff to find it (I know, I'm pretty thoughtful sometimes). By the way, have you noticed I'm in a much sassier mood since I've moved to Iowa? People who know me keep pointing it out...I'm gonna go ahead and say that equates to me being in a BETTER mood, so get used to it! :) lol. Here goes:
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Baked Chicken Panzanella (6 servings - 290 calories) with Garlic Bread (153 calories) = 443 calories
Chicken Pillows (8 servings - 335 calories) with Potatoes ala Boulangere (117 calories) = 452 calories
Lazy Sunday Casserole (6 servings - 195 calories) with Biscuit (170 calories) = 365 calories
Sweet Potato-Topped Shepherd's Pie (8 servings - 250 calories) with Crescent Roll (100 calories) = 350 calories
Spicy Sausage Pasta (8 servings - 412 calories) with Crescent Roll (100 calories) = 512 calories
***********************
And that's all for now! Recipe and photos to come for the Spicy Sausage Pasta!
**********************
Baked Chicken Panzanella (6 servings - 290 calories) with Garlic Bread (153 calories) = 443 calories
Chicken Pillows (8 servings - 335 calories) with Potatoes ala Boulangere (117 calories) = 452 calories
Lazy Sunday Casserole (6 servings - 195 calories) with Biscuit (170 calories) = 365 calories
Sweet Potato-Topped Shepherd's Pie (8 servings - 250 calories) with Crescent Roll (100 calories) = 350 calories
Spicy Sausage Pasta (8 servings - 412 calories) with Crescent Roll (100 calories) = 512 calories
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And that's all for now! Recipe and photos to come for the Spicy Sausage Pasta!
The Big Move...
Yeah, so it may seem like I gave up on this blog. That's not actually true though, so hooray for that, right? :) In actuality, I literally haven't made any new food since the last menu plan. And on top of that, that last menu plan was made three weeks later than planned...in Iowa...because I moved! So yeah, the last two months have been crazy. There's really not a less convenient time to move than the weekend after Thanksgiving. You end up right smack dab in the middle of family time, Christmas chaos, and oh yeah...I work in retail too...so not a great time for taking off a week or two to move. Sooooo...I took off 5 days. Yep. 5. To move 7 hours away to Iowa. And let me tell you, by the end of that 5 days, all boxes were unpacked, pictures on the walls, groceries in the fridge, and furniture delivery was scheduled for the new couch, AND the new bed (because I now have a SECOND bedroom...that's right folks...you know you're movin' up in the world when your guests don't have to sleep on an air mattress in the livingroom anymore!). Why on earth would all of that be done in five days, you ask? Because I'm just that crazy. It took a week and change to pack (because I actually PACKED this time...like, put stuff in boxes...with bubble wrap and everything. I know, right? Normally, I'm throwing shit in laundry baskets and garbage bags the day before I leave). And let me say, I literally cannot focus on my day-to-day life when all of my worldly possessions are in a pile of cardboard in my diningroom. So it was priority number one to not start my new job (actually, the same job I already had...just 7 hours away from where I had it before) before that cardboard nightmare was eradicated. So yeah. Unpacked. The saving grace for this move was...drumroll please...I hired MOVERS to load and unload on either end of the move. It was a-ma-zing. I'm never carrying my (excessive amount of) shit by myself again! I drove the UHaul myself, which was pretty miserable, but we made it (Note to self: Get a boyfriend before you move again, so he can drive the UHaul).
Anyway, so yeah...I live in Des Moines now, which is actually pretty great, if you ask me. It's sort of weird...it's like a real city, with tons of stuff to do, BUT it's also sort of country. People like, say hello and hold the door for you instead of avoiding eye contact and thinking you're a suspicious character for waving at them. There's a mansion of a house right in the middle of everything...that constantly has a tractor sitting in the driveway! That's what you get when you move out of Chicagoland, I guess. As a girl who's from a farm just outside of the middle of nowhere (I know it's hard to believe with how anti-outdoorsy I am, but it's true), I can appreciate that. I'm from the land of waving at strangers you meet on the highway on your way to work...and subsequently wondering what their problem is if they don't wave back. Yeah. So Chicagoland was a bit of a disconnect for me. I obviously made great friends there and loved my apartment there and it was a great experience and I will DEFINITELY be going back to visit. However, Des Moines just feels more like...home, I guess. Oh yeah, AND it's a college town, so there's actually young people here and nightlife (ha...like I'm part of nightlife anymore!), which is cool.
Soooo...it's been crazy, but things are finally all settling in. Cooking begins again today...I apologize that I'm only making one new recipe. I literally have not had time to browse Pinterest for new recipes and figure out calorie counts and all that nonsense. So...one newbie, and the rest of the plan will be old favorites. NEXT month, my intent is to get back more newness. No promises though. I've got a lot going on here, people! lol :) Anyway, that's all for now! Hooray Iowa! Recipe plan coming shortly... :)
Anyway, so yeah...I live in Des Moines now, which is actually pretty great, if you ask me. It's sort of weird...it's like a real city, with tons of stuff to do, BUT it's also sort of country. People like, say hello and hold the door for you instead of avoiding eye contact and thinking you're a suspicious character for waving at them. There's a mansion of a house right in the middle of everything...that constantly has a tractor sitting in the driveway! That's what you get when you move out of Chicagoland, I guess. As a girl who's from a farm just outside of the middle of nowhere (I know it's hard to believe with how anti-outdoorsy I am, but it's true), I can appreciate that. I'm from the land of waving at strangers you meet on the highway on your way to work...and subsequently wondering what their problem is if they don't wave back. Yeah. So Chicagoland was a bit of a disconnect for me. I obviously made great friends there and loved my apartment there and it was a great experience and I will DEFINITELY be going back to visit. However, Des Moines just feels more like...home, I guess. Oh yeah, AND it's a college town, so there's actually young people here and nightlife (ha...like I'm part of nightlife anymore!), which is cool.
Soooo...it's been crazy, but things are finally all settling in. Cooking begins again today...I apologize that I'm only making one new recipe. I literally have not had time to browse Pinterest for new recipes and figure out calorie counts and all that nonsense. So...one newbie, and the rest of the plan will be old favorites. NEXT month, my intent is to get back more newness. No promises though. I've got a lot going on here, people! lol :) Anyway, that's all for now! Hooray Iowa! Recipe plan coming shortly... :)
Thursday, November 1, 2012
November Menu Plan...
Alas, it's time for a remix month...I just can't even think about dealing with anything new right now. I have too much to do, and I was too underwhelmed with half of my dishes from last month. We're going with old favorites. Here's the plan, and we'll get back to posting new recipes next month:
November Menu Plan
Tuna Noodle Casserole (6 servings, 321 calories each) + Crescent Roll (100 calories each) = 421 calories per serving
Pasta Alfredo (6 servings, 405 calories each) + Crescent Roll (100 calories each) = 505 calories per serving
Taco Cups (12 servings, 203 calories each) + Cream Cheese Corn (12 servings, 120 calories each) = 323 calories per serving
Sausage Rolls (6 servings, 334 calories each) + Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes (8 servings, 123 calories each) = 457 calories per serving
Meatloaf (8 servings, 250 calories each) + Mashed Potatoes (8 servings, 237 calories each) = 483 calories per serving
So, no more meal plans till next month, but I'm making bourbon balls and a feta dip for a work party, so I might post those recipes sometime prior to that. Have a good one everybody!
November Menu Plan
Tuna Noodle Casserole (6 servings, 321 calories each) + Crescent Roll (100 calories each) = 421 calories per serving
Pasta Alfredo (6 servings, 405 calories each) + Crescent Roll (100 calories each) = 505 calories per serving
Taco Cups (12 servings, 203 calories each) + Cream Cheese Corn (12 servings, 120 calories each) = 323 calories per serving
Sausage Rolls (6 servings, 334 calories each) + Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes (8 servings, 123 calories each) = 457 calories per serving
Meatloaf (8 servings, 250 calories each) + Mashed Potatoes (8 servings, 237 calories each) = 483 calories per serving
So, no more meal plans till next month, but I'm making bourbon balls and a feta dip for a work party, so I might post those recipes sometime prior to that. Have a good one everybody!
Chunky Potato Crab Chowder...
I've had a thing for chowder lately. I had a couple bowls of it in New England when we were there for vacation, and it was so delicious. I thought this one sounded interesting and decided to give it a show. You can find the original on myrecipes. Here goes:
Chunky Potato Crab Chowder
6 servings - 265 calories each
Ingredients
2 T. butter
1 c. chopped onion
1 cloved garlic, minced
3 1/2 c. cubed red potatoes
3 T. flour
2 1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 - 14.5 oz. can corn
1 - 14 oz. can chicken broth
8 oz. lump crab meat, shell pieces removed
Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste
Directions
Saute onion and garlic in butter for 4 minutes. Add potatoes and saute for 1 minute. Add flour and saute for another minute. Stir in milk, seasonings, corn, and broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce temperature, cover, and continue to simmer another 20 minutes until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Add crab and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Recipe Recap
Eh...this was alright. I think I liked the concept better than the end result. And it doesn't help much that I had delicious chowder in Maine just a week before this...that's what I really wanted, afterall. The taste was fine, the texture was a little off, it was just okay. I probably won't be making it again, at any rate. Better luck next month, I suppose!
Chunky Potato Crab Chowder
6 servings - 265 calories each
Ingredients
2 T. butter
1 c. chopped onion
1 cloved garlic, minced
3 1/2 c. cubed red potatoes
3 T. flour
2 1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 - 14.5 oz. can corn
1 - 14 oz. can chicken broth
8 oz. lump crab meat, shell pieces removed
Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste
Directions
Saute onion and garlic in butter for 4 minutes. Add potatoes and saute for 1 minute. Add flour and saute for another minute. Stir in milk, seasonings, corn, and broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce temperature, cover, and continue to simmer another 20 minutes until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Add crab and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Recipe Recap
Eh...this was alright. I think I liked the concept better than the end result. And it doesn't help much that I had delicious chowder in Maine just a week before this...that's what I really wanted, afterall. The taste was fine, the texture was a little off, it was just okay. I probably won't be making it again, at any rate. Better luck next month, I suppose!
Provencal Beef Stew...
Ahhh, crockpot recipes...I actually set it and left the house this time...I never do that. I hate having stuff on in my apartment when nobody's home...especially things that produce heat. I may be a little over-cautious, but it makes me nervous. To be fair, I wasn't really planning on being gone more than an hour or two...unfortunately, it turned into a $700, 6 hour, trip to Midas...ouch...I actually barely made it back in time to take it off before I passed the cooking time. The original can be found at myrecipes. Here's how I made it:
Provencal Beef Stew
6 servings - 271 calories each
Ingredients
2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lb. boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 T. flour
2 med. onions, cut into 8 wedges
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 c. dry red wine
1 c. beef broth
2 T. tomato paste
1 - 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
3 c. (1-inch) slices zucchini
2 c. (1-inch) slices carrots (I just used baby carrots)
Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, to taste
Directions
Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper, dredge in flour, and place in med-high skillet for 2-3 minutes, browning on all sides (not cooking through), then place in crock pot. Add onions and garlic to pan you just removed beef from and saute 4-5 minutes until tender. Add wine to loosen browned bits. Pour entire mixture into crock pot. Add all other ingredients to crock pot, and set on low for 8 hours.
Recipe Recap
Holy texture issue...I like zucchini, don't get me wrong...I just don't like it cooked for 8 hours in a crockpot...ech. Between that and the fact that the sauce was super thin, it was more like a weird soup than a stew. I could probably tweak it to make it again...thicken up the sauce, take out the zucchini, etc...but at that point, I think I'd rather just default back to my tried and true stew recipe. Won't be making this one again.
Provencal Beef Stew
6 servings - 271 calories each
Ingredients
2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lb. boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 T. flour
2 med. onions, cut into 8 wedges
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 c. dry red wine
1 c. beef broth
2 T. tomato paste
1 - 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
3 c. (1-inch) slices zucchini
2 c. (1-inch) slices carrots (I just used baby carrots)
Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, to taste
Directions
Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper, dredge in flour, and place in med-high skillet for 2-3 minutes, browning on all sides (not cooking through), then place in crock pot. Add onions and garlic to pan you just removed beef from and saute 4-5 minutes until tender. Add wine to loosen browned bits. Pour entire mixture into crock pot. Add all other ingredients to crock pot, and set on low for 8 hours.
Recipe Recap
Holy texture issue...I like zucchini, don't get me wrong...I just don't like it cooked for 8 hours in a crockpot...ech. Between that and the fact that the sauce was super thin, it was more like a weird soup than a stew. I could probably tweak it to make it again...thicken up the sauce, take out the zucchini, etc...but at that point, I think I'd rather just default back to my tried and true stew recipe. Won't be making this one again.
Asparagus and Ham Casserole....
You can find the original for this recipe at myrecipe. The picture looked super, and the ingredients list sounded promising, so I decided to give it a go. Here's the recipe:
Asparagus and Ham Casserole
6 servings - 250 calories each
Ingredients
1/4 c. panko bread crumbs
3 3/4 c. extra broad, uncooked, egg noodles
2 1/2 c. sliced asparagus
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 c. milk
1 c. chicken broth
1 T. butter
3/4 c. diced onion
1 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 c. diced ham
1/4 c. chopped parsley
2 T. grated parmesan
Salt & pepper, to taste
Directions
Cook pasta 7 minutes in boiling water, add asparagus for 1 minutes, then drain. Place flour and seasonings in a bowl, and slowly add milk and broth, whisking until combined. Saute onion in butter until tender, then add milk/flour mixture and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Combine sauce, pasta, and ham in a large casserole dish, top with bread crumbs and parmesan, and bake in 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.
Recipe Recap
This was alright. It tasted fine, but I think egg noodles were the wrong choice for the pasta...it's not dense enough and doesn't hold up very well. Also, I think it wound up being way too much asparagus. I like asparagus, but dang...it was a lot of asparagus for being part of a pasta dish. It just wasn't particularly well balanced. It tasted good, but not great, and I don't think I'd bother making it again without some serious tweaking.
Asparagus and Ham Casserole
6 servings - 250 calories each
Ingredients
1/4 c. panko bread crumbs
3 3/4 c. extra broad, uncooked, egg noodles
2 1/2 c. sliced asparagus
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 c. milk
1 c. chicken broth
1 T. butter
3/4 c. diced onion
1 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 c. diced ham
1/4 c. chopped parsley
2 T. grated parmesan
Salt & pepper, to taste
Directions
Cook pasta 7 minutes in boiling water, add asparagus for 1 minutes, then drain. Place flour and seasonings in a bowl, and slowly add milk and broth, whisking until combined. Saute onion in butter until tender, then add milk/flour mixture and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Combine sauce, pasta, and ham in a large casserole dish, top with bread crumbs and parmesan, and bake in 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.
Recipe Recap
This was alright. It tasted fine, but I think egg noodles were the wrong choice for the pasta...it's not dense enough and doesn't hold up very well. Also, I think it wound up being way too much asparagus. I like asparagus, but dang...it was a lot of asparagus for being part of a pasta dish. It just wasn't particularly well balanced. It tasted good, but not great, and I don't think I'd bother making it again without some serious tweaking.
Impossibly Easy Cheey Meatball Pie...
Well, this one is a Betty Crocker special. I've had decent success with these "impossibly easy" recipes in the past, so I figured why the heck not. I liked that this one added shredded potatoes to the mix...a good concept. I would like to make note that this would definitely be better if you made your own meatballs, but 1) that sort of defeats the purpose of the "impossibly easy" recipe, and 2) I was insanely busy this month and just didn't have time to bother with homemade meatballs...I'm lucky I had time to have my cooking day at all! Anyway, here's the recipe:
Impossibly Easy Cheesy Meatball Pie
6 servings - 370 calories each
Ingredients
1 1/2 c. shredded hashbrown potatoes (refrigerated)
3/4 c. frozen sweet peas
12 frozen meatballs, thawed and cut in half
1 c. shredded cheddar
1/2 c. Bisquick
1 c. milk
2 eggs
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Toss potatoes with salt and pepper, then layer in greased pie pan with peas, meatballs, and cheese. In a small bowl, mix Bisquick, milk, and eggs. Pour mixture into pie pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Recap
This was pretty good. The potatoes didn't make quite the impace I was expecting, and as I had assumed, the meatballs would've been much better homemade. But...the easy to edible ratio was still decent. I'm not sure it'll be one I'm craving or anything, but not a bad option for a quick meal ...and highly do-able to improvise it with random leftovers in your fridge, which is always a nice option.
Impossibly Easy Cheesy Meatball Pie
6 servings - 370 calories each
Ingredients
1 1/2 c. shredded hashbrown potatoes (refrigerated)
3/4 c. frozen sweet peas
12 frozen meatballs, thawed and cut in half
1 c. shredded cheddar
1/2 c. Bisquick
1 c. milk
2 eggs
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Toss potatoes with salt and pepper, then layer in greased pie pan with peas, meatballs, and cheese. In a small bowl, mix Bisquick, milk, and eggs. Pour mixture into pie pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Recap
This was pretty good. The potatoes didn't make quite the impace I was expecting, and as I had assumed, the meatballs would've been much better homemade. But...the easy to edible ratio was still decent. I'm not sure it'll be one I'm craving or anything, but not a bad option for a quick meal ...and highly do-able to improvise it with random leftovers in your fridge, which is always a nice option.
Polenta Lasagna...
Okay, so the last month has been insane...as is probably evident by the fact that I'm finally posting recipes the week before I'm cooking again. Vacation was awesome, I was back for a week and a half and then I went to Michigan for a few days, and then back for two weeks before the gathering I've been organizing for work. Aside from that, work's been a whole other level of insanity all on its own. Plus, I'm ATTEMPTING to have a life, so that has pretty much left me with no time ever. Soooo yeah...in regards to the recipes this month, I forgot to take a bunch of pictures while I was running around like a lunatic, so I apologize for missing photos in advance. Also, I'm just including the recipe recap with the actual recipe, since it's so heinously late anyway...seems silly to make an extra post about it. And now, on with the recipes...first up, polenta lasagna. I've never cooked with polenta before, but the idea sounded solid. The original can be found at myrecipes. My slightly tweaked version can be found below:
Polenta Lasagna
6 servings - 335 calories each
Ingredients
1 - 26 oz. jar pasta sauce
1 tsp. olive oil
1 c. diced onion
1/2 c. diced red pepper
1 c. hot sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 c. chopped mushrooms
1/2 c. diced zucchini
1 minced garlic cloves
1 - 16 oz. tube polenta, cut into 18 slices
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
Directions
Saute onion and bell pepper until tender. Add mushrooms, zucchini, garlic, and sausage until mushrooms are tender. Spread a 1/2 c. pasta sauce in the bottom of a 9x9 pan. Top with 9 slices of polenta. Top with half of the sauteed vegetables/sausage mixture and 1/4 c. cheese. Repeat layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes...uncover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Recap
In a month that was somewhat lacking in success rates for new recipes, this one was actually really good. The polenta was a really nice touch...I really didn't miss the pasta/lasagna noodles at all. The original recipe called for turkey sausage or some such nonsense...I'm glad I went with the hot sausage though....I think it might've been a little bland without it. All\in all, it's a keeper, and I'll make it again at some point :)
Polenta Lasagna
6 servings - 335 calories each
Ingredients
1 - 26 oz. jar pasta sauce
1 tsp. olive oil
1 c. diced onion
1/2 c. diced red pepper
1 c. hot sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 c. chopped mushrooms
1/2 c. diced zucchini
1 minced garlic cloves
1 - 16 oz. tube polenta, cut into 18 slices
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
Directions
Saute onion and bell pepper until tender. Add mushrooms, zucchini, garlic, and sausage until mushrooms are tender. Spread a 1/2 c. pasta sauce in the bottom of a 9x9 pan. Top with 9 slices of polenta. Top with half of the sauteed vegetables/sausage mixture and 1/4 c. cheese. Repeat layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes...uncover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Recap
In a month that was somewhat lacking in success rates for new recipes, this one was actually really good. The polenta was a really nice touch...I really didn't miss the pasta/lasagna noodles at all. The original recipe called for turkey sausage or some such nonsense...I'm glad I went with the hot sausage though....I think it might've been a little bland without it. All\in all, it's a keeper, and I'll make it again at some point :)
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
September Recipe (Pt. 2) Update...
This was a real winner of a month as recipes go...I've sincerely enjoyed all of them so far :) Here's the synopsis of each for ya:
Pork Sausage Apple Loaf
Ummm...yum! This is delicious. I'm glad I used the spicy sausage...gave it a little kick. It was hearty and tasty and ooooooh, so much like fall. I'll definitely be making it again...and keeping the concept in mind for other combinations :)
Turkey Pumpkin Casserole
This was good. The pumpkin didn't really come across as much as I was expecting it to. I'm not sure I'd make it again...it didn't wow me. But it was definitely tasty and I'll happily eat the rest of what I have of it.
Sweet Potato-Topped Shepherd's Pie
Again, I think, why the heck didn't I think of this? It was freaking delicious. I think the blend of the sweet potatoes and yellow potatoes was good...it wasn't quite as sweet as it would have been with just the sweet potatoes, and it was creamy, but not too liquid-y thanks to the yellow potatoes. It was a nice balance. Love it, and I'll be making it again for sure!
Taco Beef Bake w/Cheddar Biscuit Topping
My favorite of the Mexican casseroles so far, I think. This may or may not be because of the tasty biscuit topping...I do love pretty much all bread. It had a nice amount of spiciness...not too hot...and the corn added a nice little bite of sweet too.
Baked Chicken Panzanella
This was really good. It smells even better. Yum. As I said when I posted the recipe, I forgot to drain the tomatoes, so the croutons lost most crunch that I would've liked. Still...if I reheated with the lid off, it still got a little crunch to it. And to be honest, even if it had no crunch at all, it'd still be tasty. Not too heavy, but still filling.
Aaaaand, that's all for the recipe update this month :) Back for cooking after vacation!
Pork Sausage Apple Loaf
Ummm...yum! This is delicious. I'm glad I used the spicy sausage...gave it a little kick. It was hearty and tasty and ooooooh, so much like fall. I'll definitely be making it again...and keeping the concept in mind for other combinations :)
Turkey Pumpkin Casserole
This was good. The pumpkin didn't really come across as much as I was expecting it to. I'm not sure I'd make it again...it didn't wow me. But it was definitely tasty and I'll happily eat the rest of what I have of it.
Sweet Potato-Topped Shepherd's Pie
Again, I think, why the heck didn't I think of this? It was freaking delicious. I think the blend of the sweet potatoes and yellow potatoes was good...it wasn't quite as sweet as it would have been with just the sweet potatoes, and it was creamy, but not too liquid-y thanks to the yellow potatoes. It was a nice balance. Love it, and I'll be making it again for sure!
Taco Beef Bake w/Cheddar Biscuit Topping
My favorite of the Mexican casseroles so far, I think. This may or may not be because of the tasty biscuit topping...I do love pretty much all bread. It had a nice amount of spiciness...not too hot...and the corn added a nice little bite of sweet too.
Baked Chicken Panzanella
This was really good. It smells even better. Yum. As I said when I posted the recipe, I forgot to drain the tomatoes, so the croutons lost most crunch that I would've liked. Still...if I reheated with the lid off, it still got a little crunch to it. And to be honest, even if it had no crunch at all, it'd still be tasty. Not too heavy, but still filling.
Aaaaand, that's all for the recipe update this month :) Back for cooking after vacation!
October Menu Plan...
Okay, this month is going by in the blink of an eye. One week from today I'm heading out for a spectacular Vermont vacation for 12 days. Then I'll only be back for a week and a half before I go out of state for another 4 days. Because of all this craziness and my work schedule thrown in, I'm planning way out in advance. I've got to have my grocery list all ready to go BEFORE I got on vacation so I can have groceries delivered the day I get back and cook later that week. Crazy! Anyway, I know I haven't done the recipe update from the last group of recipes yet, but I'll be getting to that shortly, I promise :) I cheated again and took recipes from sources that already had calories figured...primarily Cooking Light and Betty Crocker. I can't help it...I'm too busy this month...maybe November :) As usual, new recipes are marked with an asterisk. Here's what October is going to look like:
Asparagus and Ham Casserole* (250 calories) + Twice Baked Potatoes (250 calories) = 500 calories per serving
Polenta Lasagna* (335 calories) + Garlic Bread (253 calories) = 488 calories per serving
Provencal Beef Stew* (271 calories) + Biscuit (170 calories) = 441 calories per serving
Chunky Potato-Crab Chowder* (265 calories) + Crescent Roll (100 calories) = 365 calories per serving
Impossibly Easy Cheesy Meatball Pie* (370 calories) + Potatoes ala Boulangere (117 calories) = 487 calories per serving
Next up...recipe update!
Asparagus and Ham Casserole* (250 calories) + Twice Baked Potatoes (250 calories) = 500 calories per serving
Polenta Lasagna* (335 calories) + Garlic Bread (253 calories) = 488 calories per serving
Provencal Beef Stew* (271 calories) + Biscuit (170 calories) = 441 calories per serving
Chunky Potato-Crab Chowder* (265 calories) + Crescent Roll (100 calories) = 365 calories per serving
Impossibly Easy Cheesy Meatball Pie* (370 calories) + Potatoes ala Boulangere (117 calories) = 487 calories per serving
Next up...recipe update!
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Sweet Potato-Topped Shepherd's Pie...
Betty Crocker Month continues! :) I've had a thing with sweet potatoes lately. I love ordering them at restaurants, but I just can't find the right way to utilize them at home. So I saw this recipe and thought it sounded like a perfect opportunity to combine them with a dish I already love...shepherd's pie (hey, I'm Irish...don't be so surprised). This one was a little more labor intensive than the previous two, although still not too bad. I used fresh thyme instead of dried...not really for any reason in particular...I'm not die hard about fresh herbs or anything. Honestly, it was like $1.00 cheaper to get the little bundle of fresh instead of the jar of dried, and since I pretty much NEVER use thyme, I decided I didn't want a jar that was never going to get used anyway cluttering up my cabinets. I also used ketchup instead of tomato paste...not intentionally...Peapod apparently decided to substitute the tomato paste that I ordered with a strawberry Yoplait yogurt (that's pretty close, right?), and I didn't feel like going out by the time I realized it. I used a little shy of the recommended amount, since ketchup runs on the sweet side. And last but not least, I didn't peel the Yukon gold potatoes (lazy!) to save some time, and I didn't whip the potatoes totally smooth...I kinda like it a little more rustic and chunky. Anyway, once again, you can find the original recipe at Betty Crocker. Here it is:
Sweet Potato-Topped Shepherd's Pie
8 servings - 250 calories each
Ingredients
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 c. carrots, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (14 oz.) reduced sodium, low fat beef broth
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 T worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. dried thyme (or a little more if you're using fresh)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 tsp. flour
4 1/2 tsp. water
1/2 c. frozen (thawed) spinach, squeezed to drain
3 c. cubed peeled Yukon gold potatoes
3 c. cubed peeled sweet potatoes
1/3 c. milk
2 T. margarine
Directions
In a medium skillet, cook beef, onion, carrots & garlic 5-7 minutes until beef is browned. Drain and return to skillet. Stir in broth, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, thyme, and 3/4 tsp. of salt. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix flour and water...stir into beef mixture. Cook 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. In a separate pot, add potatoes and enough water to cover them. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain. In a bowl, beat potatoes, milk, butter, and remaining 1/2 tsp. of salt until smooth. Place beef mixture in greased casserole dish. Top with potato mixture, and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes until potatoes begin to brown.
I'm serving mine with a biscuit for a total of 420 calories per serving. Enjoy!
Sweet Potato-Topped Shepherd's Pie
8 servings - 250 calories each
Ingredients
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 c. carrots, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (14 oz.) reduced sodium, low fat beef broth
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 T worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. dried thyme (or a little more if you're using fresh)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 tsp. flour
4 1/2 tsp. water
1/2 c. frozen (thawed) spinach, squeezed to drain
3 c. cubed peeled Yukon gold potatoes
3 c. cubed peeled sweet potatoes
1/3 c. milk
2 T. margarine
Directions
In a medium skillet, cook beef, onion, carrots & garlic 5-7 minutes until beef is browned. Drain and return to skillet. Stir in broth, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, thyme, and 3/4 tsp. of salt. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix flour and water...stir into beef mixture. Cook 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. In a separate pot, add potatoes and enough water to cover them. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain. In a bowl, beat potatoes, milk, butter, and remaining 1/2 tsp. of salt until smooth. Place beef mixture in greased casserole dish. Top with potato mixture, and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes until potatoes begin to brown.
I'm serving mine with a biscuit for a total of 420 calories per serving. Enjoy!
Friday, September 7, 2012
Pork Sausage Apple Loaf...
Yep, still feeling the fall thing. I'm sort of obsessed with putting apples in savory dishes...I don't know why, but every time I see a recipe with that combo, I want to make it immediately. I must've had some amazing dish like that at some point in my life that made a subconscious impression, but I don't remember it. Anyway, I'm not a huge fan of rolling out dough (it doesn't fit with the "I'm lazy" image that I'm working on this month at all), but it looked so yummy, I decided it would be worth it. I have to warn you, when you're putting the filling on the dough, it looks like WAY more than can possibly roll up in there...don't worry though, it all fits :) And, one more time for the month, you can find the original recipe at Betty Crocker! Thanks again, Betty, for all the help this month!
Here we go:
Pork Sausage Apple Loaf
8 servings - 390 calories each
Ingredients
2/3 c. water
3 c. Bisquick
20 oz. pork sausage (I used spicy breakfast pork sausage)
1 c. diced apple
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 c. dried cranberries
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. shredded mozzarella
(The original also said, maple syrup, if desired...I'm not sure why exactly you'd desire it, but by all means, if you do, go right ahead!)
Directions
In a large bowl, mix bisquick and water...knead until smooth, cover, and set aside. In a skillet, cook sausage over medium high until browned (4-5 minutes). Add apple and onion, cook an additional 1-2 minutes, then drain. Return mixture to skillet, then stir in cranberries, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Place dough on a flat surface and roll out to 10x14 rectangle. Spoon sausage mixture onto center of dough and sprinkle with cheese. Pat mixture out to about an inch away from the edges. Brush edges with water. Starting with the long side, roll dough over sausage mixture into a loaf. Pinch edges to seal. Put the loaf on a cookie sheet and cut 4 small slits in the top. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown. Let cool at least 5 minutes before serving.
I'm serving mine with Cream Cheese Corn for a total of 510 calories per serving. I'll keep you updated on how it turns out later this month with the recap post!
Here we go:
Pork Sausage Apple Loaf
8 servings - 390 calories each
Ingredients
2/3 c. water
3 c. Bisquick
20 oz. pork sausage (I used spicy breakfast pork sausage)
1 c. diced apple
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 c. dried cranberries
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. shredded mozzarella
(The original also said, maple syrup, if desired...I'm not sure why exactly you'd desire it, but by all means, if you do, go right ahead!)
Directions
In a large bowl, mix bisquick and water...knead until smooth, cover, and set aside. In a skillet, cook sausage over medium high until browned (4-5 minutes). Add apple and onion, cook an additional 1-2 minutes, then drain. Return mixture to skillet, then stir in cranberries, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Place dough on a flat surface and roll out to 10x14 rectangle. Spoon sausage mixture onto center of dough and sprinkle with cheese. Pat mixture out to about an inch away from the edges. Brush edges with water. Starting with the long side, roll dough over sausage mixture into a loaf. Pinch edges to seal. Put the loaf on a cookie sheet and cut 4 small slits in the top. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown. Let cool at least 5 minutes before serving.
I'm serving mine with Cream Cheese Corn for a total of 510 calories per serving. I'll keep you updated on how it turns out later this month with the recap post!
Turkey Pumpkin Casserole...
Can you tell I'm ready for fall by this recipe? Fall is my favorite thing. I like the colors, the smells, the temperature (oh, how I love the temperature!)...it's good stuff all around. (Except the allergies...fall allergies are the WORST!). So I saw this, and thought, hey...it's still irritatingly warm for mid-September...let's just stay inside and pretend we're further along on this fall business than we really are. You can find the original at (surprise!) Betty Crocker! I didn't add the celery it calls for...I do NOT do celery (major texture issue). The lone exception to this rule is celery with peanut butter and raisins on it...don't ask me why that one's okay...I really don't know :) lol. Anyway, the recipe (as I made it) below:
Turkey Pumpkin Casserole
8 servings - 350 calories each
**I forgot to put vegetable oil in the picture**
Ingredients
Turkey Filling
1 T vegetable oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
3 c. chopped turkey (I used the Carving Board turkey from the deli area...hello, lazy!)
2 jars (12 oz.) turkey gravy
1 pkg (12 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables
1/4 c. canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. pepper
Biscuit Topping
2 1/4 c. Bisquick
2/3 c. milk
1/4 c. canned pumpkin (again, NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
Directions
Cook onion in oil over medium high heat about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining filling ingredients. Sppon into 9x12 baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix all biscuit topping ingredients. Drop biscuit mixture on top of filling in spoonfuls. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes until biscuits are nicely browned. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.
I'm serving mine with Parmesan Hashbrown Cups (not pictured)* for a total of 451 calories per serving :)
Turkey Pumpkin Casserole
8 servings - 350 calories each
**I forgot to put vegetable oil in the picture**
Ingredients
Turkey Filling
1 T vegetable oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
3 c. chopped turkey (I used the Carving Board turkey from the deli area...hello, lazy!)
2 jars (12 oz.) turkey gravy
1 pkg (12 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables
1/4 c. canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. pepper
Biscuit Topping
2 1/4 c. Bisquick
2/3 c. milk
1/4 c. canned pumpkin (again, NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
Directions
Cook onion in oil over medium high heat about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining filling ingredients. Sppon into 9x12 baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix all biscuit topping ingredients. Drop biscuit mixture on top of filling in spoonfuls. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes until biscuits are nicely browned. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.
I'm serving mine with Parmesan Hashbrown Cups (not pictured)* for a total of 451 calories per serving :)
Taco Beef Bake With Cheddar Biscuit Topping...
So I was having a major blonde moment when I was making this dish and learned something very important. I will share this tidbit of knowledge with you, in case you ever have a blonde moment yourself...perhaps you can save yourself some stress. The thing I learned is this: If you have a casserole dish that has a little line in it...a little line that looks like a hairline fracture perhaps, but it doesn't FEEL like a crack (let's be honest, it was only a brief passing thought and you barely checked, because you weren't paying much attention...a new Maroon 5 song was on darnit!)...DON'T USE THAT CASSEROLE DISH! Argh. So that little line made a perfect tiny fracture right across the bottom of the dish and proceeded to leak into my oven...lovely! It didn't really even separate...just leaked right on through that tiny, barely visible crack. Thankfully, pretty much all of the food was still good...just scooped around that little section (it would've probably all been fine, since there were no pieces, and it looked like everything matched up perfectly with no missing bits of glass, but seriously...I may have had a blonde moment, but I'm not crazy! lol). Thankfully I got back in from walking the dogs before the smoke alarm went off...I don't think my apartment building neighbors would have appreciated that AT ALL at midnight. Crisis (mostly) averted after I put another pan underneath to catch the leak, and got the windows open and fans on. So...remember...just because it doesn't FEEL like a crack doesn't mean it's not a crack! lol. Man, I'm having one of those days. Anyway, on with the recipe...you can find the original at Betty Crocker. Here it is:
Taco Beef Bake With Cheddar Biscuit Topping
6 servings - 460 calories each
Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 c. salsa of your choice
2 c. frozen corn
2 c. Bisquick
1 c. shredded cheddar
2/3 c. milk
Directions
Brown beef over medium high until browned, stirring occasionally. Drain and put back in skillet. Stir in taco seasoning, salsa & corn, and heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture ungreased casserole dish. In a separate bowl, mix bisquick, cheese & milk into a dough. Drop in spoonfuls on top of the meat mixture. Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. And that's it!
*It doesn't look like there's a crack all the way across the top end of the dish does it? I assure you, there is. You can barely see it (even in person), but it leaks like a sieve!*
No side dish this time, since the calories were already high enough, and the serving size was decent. You could probably get 8 servings out of it and add a side dish if you wanted to, though. I'll let you know how it turns out with the update later this month :)
Taco Beef Bake With Cheddar Biscuit Topping
6 servings - 460 calories each
Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 c. salsa of your choice
2 c. frozen corn
2 c. Bisquick
1 c. shredded cheddar
2/3 c. milk
Directions
Brown beef over medium high until browned, stirring occasionally. Drain and put back in skillet. Stir in taco seasoning, salsa & corn, and heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture ungreased casserole dish. In a separate bowl, mix bisquick, cheese & milk into a dough. Drop in spoonfuls on top of the meat mixture. Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. And that's it!
*It doesn't look like there's a crack all the way across the top end of the dish does it? I assure you, there is. You can barely see it (even in person), but it leaks like a sieve!*
No side dish this time, since the calories were already high enough, and the serving size was decent. You could probably get 8 servings out of it and add a side dish if you wanted to, though. I'll let you know how it turns out with the update later this month :)
Baked Chicken Panzanella...
Guess who's a little lazy this month? That's right...it's me! Not only did I pick recipes that were on Betty Crocker because they had the calories listed already, but they also tend to be a lot less labor intensive than some of the more *ahem* "foodie" sites out there. Whatever...I like a good 20 step recipe somtimes...when I have time...and preferably when I'm cooking for more than just myself. But it's good to have a recipe on hand that takes literally 6 minutes to prepare and not much more to cook. And this is the recipe for THAT :) You can find the original at Betty Crocker. Here we go!
Baked Chicken Panzanella
6 Servings - 290 calories each
Ingredients
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I bought the kind in a bag for salads...cuz I'm lazy this month!)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with garlic, onion & oregano, drained (I may have forgotten to drain)
1/4 c. sliced green onions
1 pkg. (5 oz.) Italian seasoned croutons
1/4 c. Italian dressing
3/4 c. parmesan cheese
1/4 c. sliced fresh basil leaves (Peapod was out of stock, so I added some Italian seasoning instead)
Seasonings to taste
Directions
Put the chicken in the bottom of an ungreased 11x7 baking dish. Layer tomatoes, seasonings, green onions, and croutons on top of the chicken. Drizzle with Italian dressing. Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover, add parmesan cheese, and bake and additional 10 minutes. Sprinkle with basil (if you have it!). And that's it! Couldn't be easier, right?
I'm serving mine with a piece of garlic bread for a total of 443 calories per serving. I'm slightly less optimistic about the croutons staying crispy due to the fact that I forgot to drain the tomatoes, but I'm still feeling okay about it. I think it'll be tasty either way. I'll let you know when I update later in the month. It smells delicious for sure :)
Baked Chicken Panzanella
6 Servings - 290 calories each
Ingredients
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I bought the kind in a bag for salads...cuz I'm lazy this month!)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with garlic, onion & oregano, drained (I may have forgotten to drain)
1/4 c. sliced green onions
1 pkg. (5 oz.) Italian seasoned croutons
1/4 c. Italian dressing
3/4 c. parmesan cheese
1/4 c. sliced fresh basil leaves (Peapod was out of stock, so I added some Italian seasoning instead)
Seasonings to taste
Directions
Put the chicken in the bottom of an ungreased 11x7 baking dish. Layer tomatoes, seasonings, green onions, and croutons on top of the chicken. Drizzle with Italian dressing. Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover, add parmesan cheese, and bake and additional 10 minutes. Sprinkle with basil (if you have it!). And that's it! Couldn't be easier, right?
I'm serving mine with a piece of garlic bread for a total of 443 calories per serving. I'm slightly less optimistic about the croutons staying crispy due to the fact that I forgot to drain the tomatoes, but I'm still feeling okay about it. I think it'll be tasty either way. I'll let you know when I update later in the month. It smells delicious for sure :)
Monday, September 3, 2012
Mixtape Mayhem...
Yes, I still call them mixtapes even though they're CDs and/or playlists. So sue me. It's nostalgic, dammit! :) Reminds me of when I used to sit by the radio for half the night trying to tape my favorite song while it was on and being irritated when it got cut off by the next song or the obnoxious announcer talking over it. But alas, those days are gone. *sigh* Onward with the days of ever-so-convenient music at the click of your mouse! Oh iTunes, the time you could've saved me had you existed in my youth! Anyway, now that I'm done ranting about the reason I was unable to bring the title of this post into the current decade (Possibly even century? When did we get rid of cassette tapes again??), let's get to the reason for this post.
As I'm sure I've mentioned in some previous post, I'm a teensy bit addicted to music. I swear if my satellite radio were to stop working at this point, I would probably have a meltdown on my way to work. That said, I do still enjoy putting all my current favorites together and listening to them obsessively until there's new music on the radio again (It's amazing how long current hits stay current, isn't it? There's still one running constantly at number two on the weekly countdown that I had on a mix I made 6 months ago, for pete's sake! Where's the new stuff?!?). Anyway, so when I get tired of what's playing (or when the songs I'm obsessed with aren't playing enough for my liking), it's off to iTunes to put togther a mix. While initially irritated at Apple presuming to know what I like, I'm finally willing to admit that I love the Genius feature that tells me all the other songs I might like based on the songs I'm currently addicted to...I've found some really good stuff that way. So for the last couple of years, I've been making a mix once a season or so, plus a very special Christmas mix every year (I get tired of the same old Christmas tunes...there's a lot of random other stuff out there to be found!).
Anyway, so tonight I had a full-on music marathon and downloaded everything for my newest driving mix as well as everything for this year's Christmas CD (I'm sorry...I work retail...Christmas comes early for my kind). I'll spare you the details of the Christmas Mix (for now), but I'm terribly excited about my new driving mix and thought I would share. Feel free to despise every song on it...I won't be offended or even remotely swayed by your opinion :) lol. Here goes:
Fall 2012 Driving Mix
1. Blow Me (One Last Kiss) - Pink
2. Kiss You Inside Out - Hedley
3. One More Night - Maroon 5
4. Soldier - Gavin DeGraw
5. Too Close - Alex Clare
6. It's Time - Imagine Dragons
7. Some Nights - Fun.
8. Whistle - Flo Rida
9. Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men
10. Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen
11. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift
12. Home - Phillip Phillips
13. Daughter - Loudon Wainwright III
14. Distance (feat. Jason Mraz) - Christina Perri
15. Stay Awhile - Ryan Star
16. Hall of Fame - The Script
Enjoy :) Oh, and if have your own "genius feature" and think of some awesome song you think I should know about, by all means, leave me a comment!
As I'm sure I've mentioned in some previous post, I'm a teensy bit addicted to music. I swear if my satellite radio were to stop working at this point, I would probably have a meltdown on my way to work. That said, I do still enjoy putting all my current favorites together and listening to them obsessively until there's new music on the radio again (It's amazing how long current hits stay current, isn't it? There's still one running constantly at number two on the weekly countdown that I had on a mix I made 6 months ago, for pete's sake! Where's the new stuff?!?). Anyway, so when I get tired of what's playing (or when the songs I'm obsessed with aren't playing enough for my liking), it's off to iTunes to put togther a mix. While initially irritated at Apple presuming to know what I like, I'm finally willing to admit that I love the Genius feature that tells me all the other songs I might like based on the songs I'm currently addicted to...I've found some really good stuff that way. So for the last couple of years, I've been making a mix once a season or so, plus a very special Christmas mix every year (I get tired of the same old Christmas tunes...there's a lot of random other stuff out there to be found!).
Anyway, so tonight I had a full-on music marathon and downloaded everything for my newest driving mix as well as everything for this year's Christmas CD (I'm sorry...I work retail...Christmas comes early for my kind). I'll spare you the details of the Christmas Mix (for now), but I'm terribly excited about my new driving mix and thought I would share. Feel free to despise every song on it...I won't be offended or even remotely swayed by your opinion :) lol. Here goes:
Fall 2012 Driving Mix
1. Blow Me (One Last Kiss) - Pink
2. Kiss You Inside Out - Hedley
3. One More Night - Maroon 5
4. Soldier - Gavin DeGraw
5. Too Close - Alex Clare
6. It's Time - Imagine Dragons
7. Some Nights - Fun.
8. Whistle - Flo Rida
9. Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men
10. Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen
11. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift
12. Home - Phillip Phillips
13. Daughter - Loudon Wainwright III
14. Distance (feat. Jason Mraz) - Christina Perri
15. Stay Awhile - Ryan Star
16. Hall of Fame - The Script
Enjoy :) Oh, and if have your own "genius feature" and think of some awesome song you think I should know about, by all means, leave me a comment!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
September Menu Plan - Part 2
Well, after making meals with less servings recently and starting earlier and earlier each month, I'm finally a whole month off...hence, two September plans. This one should legit last till October though, so that's good :) It might even last a little longer than that since I'm going to be gone for about a week and a half at the end of September to go to Vermont for vacation (woot!). Anyway, so I totally cheated this time because I was much too lazy to figure out calories for everything, but I wanted to make new stuff...soooooo...I got all the recipes of the Betty Crocker site so the calories were all calculated for me. I'm doing all new meals this month, so fingers crossed I don't regret that decision. lol :) Here's the plan:
Pork Sausage Apple Loaf* (8 servings - 390 calories) +
Parmesan Hashbrown Cups (101 calories) = 491 calories
Turkey Pumpkin Casserole* (8 servings - 350 calories) + Cream
Cheese Corn (120 calories) = 470 calories
Sweet Potato Topped Shepherds Pie* (8 servings – 250 calories)
+ Biscuit (170 calories) = 420 calories
Taco Beef Bake w/Cheddar Biscuit Topping* (6 servings – 460 calories)
+ NO SIDE = 460 calories
Baked Chicken Panzanella* (6 servings – 290 calories) +
Garlic Bread (153 calories) = 443 calories
Cooking in a week or so, hopefully. Later!
September Recipe Update
Hey, I'm actually posting a recipe update BEFORE I'm cooking again...I'm doing good this month! I figured since I only had one recipe to write an update for, I didn't have much of an excuse for continuing to procrastinate. So here we go:
Stovetop Cheesy Chicken and Rice
All I have to say about this is "eh..." It was okay, I guess...nothing special though, sort of bland, and majorly lacking in the texture department. I don't anticipate having any need/reason to be making it again, so that's that! Easiest update ever :)
Now I'm off to work on writing Part 2 of the September Menu Plan. My making smaller amounts earlier in the month has finally caught up with me, so I'm a whole month off now. Soooo...back to work!
Stovetop Cheesy Chicken and Rice
All I have to say about this is "eh..." It was okay, I guess...nothing special though, sort of bland, and majorly lacking in the texture department. I don't anticipate having any need/reason to be making it again, so that's that! Easiest update ever :)
Now I'm off to work on writing Part 2 of the September Menu Plan. My making smaller amounts earlier in the month has finally caught up with me, so I'm a whole month off now. Soooo...back to work!
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