Moving On

We have jumped on the blogging bandwagon!

Check out our new blog at:
http://designingdinner.wordpress.com/


See you there!

The Big 3-0!

Last week I entered the next decade....life in my 30s! My parents and brother sent me flowers to celebrate the occasion! Jared and I celebrated my new milestone with dinner at OSHO Japanese Steakhouse. We enjoyed a wonderful hibachi dinner!!!

Thanks to everyone who made my 30th birthday special!

Hugs and kisses!

Macadamia Berry Dessert

The title of this dessert makes me want to prepare this dessert again! If you love raspberries and macadamia nuts - you must try this dessert!

Ingredients:
1 cup crushed vanilla wafers (about 32)
1/2 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 tablespoons orange juice
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 package frozen, sweetened raspberries, thawed
1 carton frozen whipped topping, thawed (8 ounces)
fresh raspberries and additional whipped topping, optional

Directions:
1) Combine wafer crumbs, nuts, and butter. Press to bottom of greased 9-in springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
2) In a large mixing bowl, beat the milk, OJ, and lemon juice on a low speed until well blended. Add raspberries; beat on low until blended. Fold in whipped topping. Pour over crust. Cover and freeze for 3 hours or until firm.
3) Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before serving. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen. Remove sides of pan. Garnish with fresh berries and whipped topping.

Husband Rating: A-
The filling was great - light and refreshing...but the crust was a bit too much. The nut flavor was pretty strong with the wafers.

Wife Rating: A-
I agree with Jared....the crust was a bit too much flavor for me. I am also not a big dessert fan, so I can only eat sweets in small doses! The raspberry flavor was great though!

Pork Lo Mein

Jared and I were anxious to use our new wok from my mom, so we found a great Chinese food recipe in our Taste of Home Cookbook! (We were on a roll with this book!) Our friends joined us for dinner (served the same night as the poppers), and they enjoyed the dish too.

Ingredients:
1 pork tenderloin (1 pound)
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups fresh snow peas
1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned
3 cups cooked thin spaghetti
1/3 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Directions:
1) Cut tenderloin in half lengthwise. Cut each half widthwise into 1/4 inch slices. Set aside. In a resealable bag, combine the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes; add pork. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
2) In a large non-stick skillet or wok coated with non stick cooking spray, stir-fry pork with marinade for 4-5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Add peas and red peppers; stir-fry for 1 minutes. Stir in spaghetti and broth; cook 1 minutes longer. Remove from heat; stir in sesame oil.

Husband Rating: A
The pork was tender and had a great flavor. We used whole grain barilla pasta for a healthier alternative!

Wife Rating: A
I love Chinese food -- and this was a great dish!

Jalopeno Poppers

Jared and I found the jalapeño poppers recipe in our Taste of Home Cookbook and decided to try them out with friends. We went to buy one pound of peppers, but they did not have enough for one pound, so we make as many as we could with the tiny jalapeños that we purchased! Our friends loved them!!!

Ingredients:
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 pound fresh jalapeños, halved lengthwise and seeded
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
sour cream, onion dip, or ranch dressing

Directions:
1) In a large mixing bowl, combine the cheeses, bacon, and seasonings. Spoon about 2 tablespoonfuls into each pepper half. Roll in bread crumbs.
2) Place in a greased pan. Bake uncovered at 300 degrees for 20 minutes for spicy flavor, 30 minutes for medium flavor, and 40 minutes for mild. Serve with sour cream, dip or dressing.

Husband Rating: A
Jared loved the poppers! They had just enough spice -- we went for the medium flavor!

Wife Rating: A
These were so good! Tiny, but good!!!

We're making these again...definitely!

Blog Update...Coming Soon!

Despite my crazy schedule, I have managed to find some time to cook...I just have not found the time to blog about our meals. :)

This weekend I will be uploading three different menu items:

Jalapeño Poppers
Pork LoMein
Raspberry Pie

Recipe and pictures to come...

Italian Calzones

I purchased pizza dough last week and ever since, Jared has been thinking about a calzone stuffed with pepperoni, salami, and cheese. So, we decide that this afternoon was a perfect day to make them since we had a few hours to let the dough rise, as well as time to prepare and enjoy them. This time we did not have wheat dough, but they still turned out great!

Ingredients:
1 pizza dough (we made 2 calzones with 1 dough)
Sliced pepperoni
Sliced salami
Shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
Flour
Olive oil
Marina sauce for dipping

Directions:
1) Roll out dough on a floured surface. Once desired thickness and size have been reached, place dough on lightly greased cookie sheet.
2) Fill one half of the dough with pepperoni, salami, cheese, and ricotta cheese. Fold over dough and seal with fork. Drizzle olive oil over the dough for crispiness.
3) Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Husband Rating: A+
Jared wants to serve these calzones to guests! He really enjoyed the flavor of the meats and the ricotta cheese filling.

Wife Rating: A+
Think of your favorite calzone from a restaurant....well, this calzone tastes better! :)

We'll continue to make calzones and try a different filling each time!