Kitchen...Almost Complete!

It has been several weeks since my last post.  My last post revealed happiness and eagerness that our kitchen remodel was beginning.  Now, five weeks later...my tune has changed.  This sucks!  Not having a sink, using makeshift countertops, and piles of kitchen items in my dining room makes one very overwhelmed and unhappy.  I have occupied my time by browsing my favorite website, Pinterest, and reading the steamy Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy by EL James.  (Highly recommended)  We will be completing the kitchen next week and I hope to be back on my regular routine of cooking and baking with great vigor.

To release some cooped up energy, here is another top 5 list.  Enjoy!

1.  Warm Bean Dip - Holly at Life as a Lofthouse posted a great bean dip that has been a huge hit at my house.  In fact, I have passed on the recipe to several friends and co-workers  It is quick, easy,  and OH-SO-YUMMY!

2.  Golden Graham S'more Bars - Stephanie at Macaroni and Cheesecake posted some delicious treats that were a huge hit at my Wrestlemania party!  I made these quick and easy treats to please my husband and his wrestling fans...BEST RECIPE EVER!   Using the Golden Graham cereal takes me back to my childhood where I could eat a huge bowl daily.  The sugar overload is definitely missed at my older age. ;)

3.  BIG BLUE NATION - In celebration of my beloved University of Kentucky Wildcats and their National Championship, I found this great Polyvore style collage liesasumner.  Just for fun!

4.  Sangria - Mochachocolata Rita (from Hong Kong) created this amazing sangria with strawberries, wine, sprite, and a few other ingredients.  What is not to love?  I'm just waiting for some long summer nights to make a batch and sit on the porch.  Cheers!

5.  Golden Flowers Ring - The great website Ruche has a fabulous ring that I had to purchase immediately.  It was only $9.99 and SSSOOOOOOO cute.  Check out my personal pic.  

Hope I inspired you...laters!

What is a girl to do?

I am so extremely happy and overwhelmed in my life right now.  We are FINALLY getting our new kitchen!  The cabinets were custom ordered and have been sitting since November because my father-in-law was traveling and couldn't help with the install.  The day has come and we are in full remodel mode.  All of this seems great, right?

Well, if you are someone who has gone through a kitchen remodel...it is TOUGH!  The cabinets must be installed before countertops can be measured and ordered.  So, it is a 4-6 week project.  Ugh!  What is a girl to do without her kitchen?  Most of my posts on here are cooking related and I stumbled upon so many delicious recipes on Pinterest that I can't wait to try.  Also, I'm not feeling particularly crafty either as I listen to the screwdrivers and banging in the kitchen.  To hold me over, I created my week's top 5 finds (many can be accomplished without a kitchen).  Hopefully, I can try a few of these in the next couple of weeks...unless I go crazy!

1.  Closet Remodel  by The House of Smiths.  They took a hallway closet and turned it into a unique, beautiful, and stylish nook for storage and organization.  Can't wait to do this with one of my closets!

2.  Cute baby shower gift!  This was found by nanaCompany on Flickr.  They found a silhouette of an animal and used cute scrapbook paper to trace and cut.  Add a cute mat and frame...you are in business!

3.  Personal Sized Baked Oatmeal Cups.  Brenda at Sugar-Free Mom created individual sized oatmeal breakfast cups.  I love the idea of making them on Sunday so that I can grab my breakfast to go every morning.   Genius! Brenda also has some other delicious recipes...I suggest looking at her entire blog.

4.  Cheesecake filled Strawberries...OH WOW!  When I stumbled upon this recipe from Tami at Tami's Kitchen Table Talk, I couldn't believe my eyes!  Cheesecake...Strawberries...Chocolate...Heaven!!!  Need these as soon as the kitchen is complete.

5.  Bedtime Yoga.  Women's Health Magazine featured an article on bedtime yoga and how it can help you sleep easier.  Personally, my back is always tight/sore before I settle into bed and this seems like a great solution to stretch and loosen up my body before I take on 8 hours of sleep.

Fit For a King!

After laying on the couch for most of the day (I was sick...sniff, sniff), I started craving some of the most bizarre things. The thought of my mom's creamed tuna, coconut cake, and scallops crossed my mind.  As mentioned, I was feeling a little under the weather...so these items didn't seem like a feasible meal. After skimming various recipes on Pinterest, I stumbled upon a meatloaf recipe by Ree at The Pioneer Woman.  For maybe the 3rd time in my entire life, I developed a craving for meatloaf.  Meatloaf has never been my favorite. I remember as a child being forced to eat meatloaf.  Luckily, I grew up on a farm where we slaughtered our own meat.  It was fresh and delicious, but meatloaf always seemed like a waste of good quality meat.  That was until I came across Ree's recipe.

Her recipe was flavorful, delicious, and easy to make with my Kitchenaid Mixer.  Paired with Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower from EatingWell and broiled asparagus with olive oil, sea salt, and butter - this meal was to dye for!  Here is Ree's recipe for meatloaf:

Remember: original author's recipes are in black and my additions are in blue.

My Favorite Meatloaf

Ingredients

• Meatloaf:
• 1 cup Whole Milk (I used 2% milk)
• 6 slices White Bread (I used potato rolls because they are delicious)
• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1 cup (heaping) Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
• 3/4 teaspoons Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/3 cup Minced Flat-leaf Parsley
• 4 whole Eggs Beaten
• 10 slices Thin/regular Bacon
• Sauce:
• 1-1/2 cup Ketchup
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• Tabasco To Taste (I eliminated this ingredient so there wasn't any spice)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour milk over the bread slices. Allow it to soak in for several minutes.

Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan, seasoned salt, salt, black pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in beaten eggs.

With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined. Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan, which will allow the fat to drain. (Line the bottom of the pan with foil to avoid a big mess!)

Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf.

Make the sauce: add ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Stir together. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the top of the bacon. Spread with a spoon.

Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Slice and serve with remaining sauce.  I had to bake an extra 30-40 minutes because my loaf was too thick.  

Sickly Saturday...

Hi All!  I know in my last post I promised some recipes the next day.  Well...that didn't goes as planned.  It seemed life got away from me this week.  School was busy, I got a new tutoring gig, I started running more frequently, and I have come down with a cold (or allergies with this crazy weather!) Therefore, I am writing to you from my couch because my head is so congested and all I want to do is sleep.

To keep myself from nodding off, I wanted to share with you the Chili's Copycat Recipe posted by Six Sisters' Stuff blog.  This recipe was a 2 minute blender sensation that my husband has been requesting every third day!  It had the wonderful flavor that I come to expect from my favorite restaurant chain.  The ingredients were simple, but I could make it more flavorful by using fresh produce (when I am having company and want to really impress them!)  Take a look...it is DEFINITELY worth a try!

Chili's Copycat Salsa Recipe:

(Recipe from Deals to Meals)

2 cans (14.5 oz each) whole tomatoes, drained
1 small (4 oz) can diced or whole jalapenos (not pickled)--about 4-5 jalapenos (or less if you don't like a lot of spice)
1/4 c. yellow onion, cut into quarters (you can also use dried minced onion)
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 to 1 tsp. salt (depending on how much you prefer)
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. lime juice

Place all of the ingredients together into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips.

Three Day Weekend...Three Days of Recipes!

Amazing BATGIRL cake and lollipops made by my sister-in-law!

This weekend was jam-packed with my niece's birthday party, my husband's family visiting from Miami, and a quick date with two of my best friends.  Not to mention my usual weekend routines of cleaning, shopping, and COOKING!

Last week was extremely busy and I found myself frustrated because I didn't spend enough time in the kitchen.  Well, those feelings quickly changed after many last minute requests.  To be honest...I love satisfying those that eat my food.  I'm embarrassed if a recipe turns out less-than stellar.  However, I like to please everyone consistently while focusing on perfecting one recipe at a time.  This weekend had me juggling several recipes at once and I felt overwhelmed.  Here is a list of everything I made this weekend and you can see why I was overwhelmed (any Pinterst finds are hyperlinked):

1.  Buffalo Chicken Cheese Ball
2.  Sausage Balls (MY FAVORITE Pinterest find of the week!)
3.  Crab Dip
4.  Chocolate Cupcakes
5.  Chili
6.  Chili's Copycat Salsa
7.  My Dad's Biscuits (family recipe)
8.  Banana Muffins

Woah!  I'm exhausted and I wasn't even hosting a party!  Luckily, most turned out delicious and I am adding them to my MUST HAVE recipe book.  Here is a quick breakdown of my experience and feedback on some of the above mentioned recipes.

1.  Buffalo Chicken Cheese Ball - quick and easy to make, delicious flavor, love it as a spread, husband was not a fan of cheese ball idea - wished it were a hot dip.  I forgot to take photos...but click this link and see the original post by Kristen at Forkful of Comfort.

2.  Sausage Balls - quick and easy to mix (time consuming to make balls), amAAAHHHHzing flavor, could eat them daily, rave reviews from all that indulged.  Christy at the Girl Who Ate Everything hit the nail on the head with this recipe.  It reminds me of a great recipe that my Aunt Katherine always makes for the holidays.  Here are some photos of the process...

3.  Crab Dip - expected greatness because of the creator...turned out it was not my favorite, too many other flavors (like mustard and pepper jack cheeses), still in search of a hot crab dip. :(  Paula Dean has officially disappointed me for the first time in MY LIFE! I couldn't even bare to show you photos...sob!

All of this is probably a lot to take in.  Therefore, I'm going to sign off for tonight.  Please check back tomorrow for more information about the Chili's Copycat recipe and I might be willing to share my family's biscuit recipe (a true southern phenomenon!)  Ciao!

Beer Me Up, Scotty!

In my 30 years (almost!) on Earth, my one true vice is BREAD.  I could eat bread in so many ways - toasted with butter or jam, dipped in oils, fresh and hot out of the oven, and flavored.  Therefore, Pinterest allows me to search bread recipes all day long.  So far, my favorite bread recipe that  I found...and couldn't wait to try...was Lululu's Honey Beer Bread.  Not only was the recipe quick and easy to whip up, the sweet and malty taste was to die for.  In fact, as I write this entry I'm contemplating going downstairs to put a little butter and honey on a slice!

If you have an hour and all of the ingredients (don't forget a can of beer!) then you are in business.  Check out the recipe below and give it a whirl.  Don't mind the missing chunks...my husband nibbled a few bites before I took my photo!

Ingredients (one loaf):

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons honey

1 can beer

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat over to 350F. Grease a 9″x5″x3″ loaf pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed.  (Microwave the honey for 5 to 10 seconds beforehand to make it easier to stir in)

Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter. Use a pastry brush to spread it around.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

HOLY ENCHILADA!

If anyone is from Kentucky, you know that we are known for a few things.

1. The Kentucky Derby
2. Basketball
3. Whiskey
4. Corvettes
5. Authentic Mexican restaurants

Number 2 is my absolute favorite!  It is quickly followed by number 5.  I absolutely LOVE Mexican food. Los Nopales and El Tapatio are my favorite restaurants in my hometown, Elizabethtown, KY.  Every time I visit my family and friends these restaurants are a mandatory pitstop.  It is even better when I can convince someone to pay for my meal!  Some of my must-have dishes are grilled chicken, cheese dip, bean burrito with cheese sauce, and enchiladas.  

Now, living in New Jersey I often think that because we are a diverse state, we would have some great Mexican restaurants.  That is not the case!  I cannot find ANY Mexican restaurant that compares to my hometown favorites.  So, I have begun a mission to collect simple, easy recipes that satisfy my cravings.  Cue Lacey at Sweet Pea (which I found on Pinterest).  She created a great shredded chicken enchilada recipe that was delicious and filling.  I suggest that everyone make this dish tonight...enjoy!  

I didn't alter any part of this recipe.  Lacey at Sweet Pea did a fantastic job!  

Shredded Chicken Enchiladas

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (1 1/2 cups) enchilada sauce (I use Mild)
kosher salt
ground black pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, divided
12 6-inch corn tortillas
cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Add the minced garlic to the enchilada sauce in a deep skillet and heat to boiling. Generously sprinkle kosher salt and ground black pepper over the chicken breasts and then nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the sauce, set aside and let both the chicken and the sauce cool.

Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts by holding one fork steady and slowly scraping the other fork, prongs faced backwards, away from the other fork. Transfer the shredded chicken to a large bowl. Add half the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup each of the Monterrey jack and cheddar cheeses and the 1/2 cup of cilantro to the shredded chicken. Stir to combine.

Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp cloth or paper towel and microwave on high for 20-30 seconds until pliable and warm. Using cooking spray (if desired), oil a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture along the center of the tortilla. Gently, but firmly, roll the tortilla around the filling and place into the baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Lightly spray the tortillas with cooking spray (or brush lightly with olive oil). This will help the tortillas turn golden in the oven and will also help keep them from cracking. Place baking dish in the oven, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until the tortillas begin to turn golden.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro. Lightly cover baking dish with aluminum foil and place into the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil after 20 minutes and bake, uncovered, for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is golden.

Remove form the oven and let stand 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

Feel free to add a dollop (or two!) of sour cream and some more chopped cilantro for a garnish if you’d like.