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!

Menu: February 25 - March 1

Jared and I managed to put together another week of menu planning with our schedules. This week has a hectic ending, so we only need 4 dinner meals.

Monday: Spaghetti and homemade Turkey Meatballs

Tuesday: Southwestern Chicken Salad (either served on lettuce or in a pita)

Wednesday: Fried Fish and homemade Pirogies

Thursday: Hot Dogs with Sauerkraut & Italian Pasta Salad (Preparing for our summer BBQ's)

Friday: Crazy day....eating when/what we can!

Saturday: Dinner at our wedding venue (for old time's sake -- my mom's idea) The dinner is part of their spring bridal tasting! ;)

Jared's Burritos

Jared has been craving burritos for a while and we decided to make our burritos vegetarian style. Preparation was quick and easy!

Ingredients:
1 bag yellow rice
1 can black beans
Burrito size flour tortillas
1 can refried beans
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 package of Mexican or taco cheese, shredded
Salsa, to taste
Hot Sauce, to taste
Sour cream, optional

Directions:
1) Cook rice according to package. In the meantime, rinse black beans and prepare to warm.
2) Heat up refried beans. Add half of the taco seasoning mix and stir. Warm up black beans.
3) Warm up flour tortillas.
4) Add 1 scoop of rice, 1/2 scoop of black beans, 1/2 scoop seasoned refried beans, cheese, salsa, hot sauce, and sour cream.
5) Wrap tightly and enjoy. Serve with salsa and sour cream on the side.

Husband Rating: A
More filling than the burrito looks -- pace yourself! Chicken or beef can be added for a meat burrito.

Wife Rating: A
Considering I am not a fan of burritos (not really sure why), I was pleasantly surprised. We did not have sour cream, which would have made it even better!

We'll make these again - most likely with ground seasoned turkey meat.

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

I am so glad that I borrowed this recipe from a friend's blog -- thanks April! What could taste better than chicken and cheese?! I was able to prepare this between work and class, the only day of the week that I have about 2 hours to myself. Dinner was ready for Jared when he walked in the door. I also made garlic cauliflower as a side!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin (We used 3 breasts - not halved)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2) Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, and cook the garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.
3) In a shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano, pepper, and salt.
4) Dip each chicken breast in the garlic butter to coat, then press into the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with any remaining butter and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.
5) Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Recipe from: http://wineloverscookingdiary.wordpress.com/

Husband Rating: A
Jared loved the garlic flavor of the chicken, and of course the cheese topping!

Wife Rating: A+
I have found another great chicken recipe that I plan to keep! I loved the flavor, and it was very moist.

I will most definitely make this dish again. I think it would be a great dish to make for guests too!

Chicken Pot Pie

I have been thinking about making chicken pot pie for a long time because my coworker mentioned her recipe using leftover chicken. We had tons of chicken leftover from our roasted chicken, so we had the perfect reason to make pot pie. The recipe is from my coworker, so I do not have specifics.

Ingredients:
Leftover chicken
Frozen mixed vegetables (we had a bag of carrots, peas, green beans, corn, and Lima beans)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
2 pie crusts (we used the Pillsbury 2 pack)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2) Roll out pie crust and place in baking dish. Add chicken, vegetables, and cream of chicken soup.
3) Cover with top pie crust. Poke holes for ventilation.
4) Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until brown and bubbling.

Husband Rating: A
Jared loved the pot pie, minus the Lima beans. He said the pot pie brought back memories of childhood. He also said, next time he will be more selective with the veggies. :)

Wife Rating: A
Awesome -- this is such a quick, easy, and delicious meal. It does bring back many memories!


We'll make this again....definitely!

Menu: February 18-February 22

Somehow I am finding time to create menus and made dinner....can you believe it?! Sadly, I am falling into a routine working 2 jobs....however, I don't plan on getting used to it for too long!

Monday: Chicken Pot Pie

Tuesday: Leftover Chinese Food

Wednesday: Greek Salad

Thursday: Garlic Cheddar Chicken (compliments of April's blog, http://wineloverscookingdiary.wordpress.com/

Friday: crazy schedule -- eating when/what we can.... :)

Saturday: Burritos with Beans and Rice


Is it the weekend yet???!!

Lemon Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

Jared's mother gave us this chicken when she bought it on sale for a great price. We were waiting for a perfect time to cook it, and we found it -- tonight. Our pre-Valentine's Day dinner! The only thing missing were potatoes, but we added stuffing, so it was perfect.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
1 bag of carrots, chopped or baby
1 celery bunch, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can of chicken broth
Olive oil (1-2 tablespoons)
Salt, Pepper (to taste)

Stuffing for chicken:
1 onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic
1 lemon, quartered
Celery leaves from stalk

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean chicken and pat dry. Stuff with stuffing ingredients. Season with salt and pepper (both inside and on top of chicken). Squeeze juice of lemon on top.
2) Use kitchen twine to tie legs together. (We did not have twine).
3) Add veggies to roasting pan and pour in 1 can of chicken broth for basting.
4) Drizzle olive oil over chicken and veggies.
5) Cook for 20 minutes per pound.
6) Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Husband Rating: A
Perfectly moist and well seasoned.

Wife Rating: A
I really enjoy this dish, and look forward to it even more when we turn it into chicken soup! The stuffing was a bit dry, but only because we timed our food wrong....We also added a cucumber salad.


Of course we'll make this again in the future!!!

Ragin' Cajun' Bean Soup

The soup recipe was from one of those soup in a bag from a craft fair. The soup was pre- assembled with the beans, soup mixes, and dehydrated veggies. We added some fresh ingredients to make it a bit more fresh. The recipe makes a TON of soup, so plan for many nights of leftovers, and freeze a portion of it first.

Ingredients:
Soup Mix
We added the following:
Peppers, diced
Onions, diced
Celery, diced
garlic, chopped
1/2 pound Kielbasa, cooked
1 can diced tomatoes

Directions:
1) Rinse the bean mix with cold water, drain, add to crockpot and cover with water (7 cups).
2) Add spices and dehydrated veggies and cook for 9 hours on low.
3) Add fresh veggies, Kielbasa, and diced tomatoes, and cook for 1 more hour on low.

Husband Rating: A
A wonderful, spicy, and savory soup.

Wife Rating: A
This soup was definitely hearty and spicy. I could only eat a little bit at a time. ;) I really enjoyed the meat in the soup too!

Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Tomato

Jared and I were looking for a new macaroni and cheese recipe for this week, which we could prepare Sunday night before our crazy week. We found the recipe on www.allrecipes.com.
We changed it a bit since we did not have tomato soup in the house.

Ingredients:
1 pound macaroni
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup (we used 1 can of diced tomatoes)
1 1/4 cups milk
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Pour in pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2) In large bowl, combine macaroni, soup, milk, cheese and 6 tablespoons butter. Pour into 9x13 baking dish. Top with bread crumbs and dot with remaining butter. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Husband Rating: A
Jared thought it was perfect with the diced tomatoes. He thinks a bit of sliced jalapeños would be a great addition too.

Wife Rating: A
I enjoyed the change of consistency with the diced tomatoes and the bread crumbs. The recipe makes a lot of food (more than enough for 2...and then some)!

Menu: February 11-February 15

I have not been able to put together a menu in quite some time because of my schedule, so I am lucky to have created a 5 day menu for this coming week. I am sure that some of it will change.

Monday: Baked macaroni & cheese with tomato

Tuesday: Cajun bean soup (crockpot overnight)

Wednesday: Roasted Chicken

Thursday: Roasted Tomato Quesadillas

Friday: Hot Dogs and Baked Beans (a perfect summer dish)

Wish me luck....I hope I can stick to this menu!!!

Spaghetti Pie

The Spaghetti Pie recipe was given to me by one of my neighbors during my bridal shower. I misplaced my recipe cards from June 07-January 08....and it was wonderful to find them! My teaching schedule and work scheduled does not allow for much cooking time, but I can manage to cook on Thursday in between teaching and my night class. The spaghetti pie turned out awesome!

Ingredients:
6-8 ounces of spaghetti (cooked and drained - we used Barilla Whole Grain)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1 cup spaghetti sauce (we made our own sauce)
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1) Grease pie plate. Toss spaghetti with olive oil.
2) Combine eggs and Parmesan cheese and add to spaghetti.
3) Put into the pie plate and form a crust-type look. Spread Ricotta cheese in the center of the "well."
4) Cover with sauce all over the top. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
5) Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for 5 minutes more.
6) Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Let sit 5-10 minutes before cutting.

TIP: This is great reheated for leftovers (which I have already tried)!

Husband Rating: A
"Perfect. It reminded me of my mom's recipe that I ate when I was younger." Enough said!

Wife Rating: A
I love a different pasta recipe and this hit the spot. I was pretty happy with how it turned out for my first time!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies - January JKnottie Baked Goods Exchange

I found the Peanut Butter Cup Cookie recipe on www.allrecipes.com and decided immediately that I wanted to make them for my January secret bride - Dawn. I knew I made the right decision when I asked her if she liked peanut butter, and she said - yes, and even more so with chocolate! I might even go as far as to say that these were the best cookies I have ever made....they came out perfect!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped peanut butter cups


Directions:
1) In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, peanut butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and peanut butter cups.
2) Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.


Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating: A+
Jared has been eating them everyday...he loves peanut butter cups, so these cookies were a winner in his book!

Wife Rating: A+
Yummy! I really enjoyed these cookies -- especially warm!

I will definitely make these again! I hope you enjoyed the cookies Dawn!!

January JKnottie Baked Goods Exchange

During the month of January, I received Raspberry Ribbons and homemade bread from Dawn, a wonderful JKnottie. Both of the baked goods were awesome, and Jared and I could not wait to eat the both. We made garlic bread with cheese, which turned out awesome! The cookies lasted for such a long time -- I just finished them the other day.

Raspberry Ribbons (Taste of Home Recipe)
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raspberry jam

GLAZE:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
3) Divide dough into four portions, shape each into a 10-in.x2 1/2-in log. Place 4 in. apart on a greased or foil lined baking sheet.
4) Make a 1/2-in depression down the center of each log. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Fill depressions with jam. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until lightly browned.
5) Cool for 2 minutes. Remove to a cutting board; cut into 3/4-in slices. Place on wire racks.
6) In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over warm cookies. Cool completely.

Yield: 5 dozen

French Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups flour (all purpose or bread flour)
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 package yeast (or 1 1/8 tsp)
1/2 cup very warm water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375. Roll dough into a 12 x 8 rectangle. Starting at the longer edge, roll dough up tightly and seal the seam. Roll gently back & forth to round off the ends.
2) Place on ungreased cookie sheet & bake for 25-30 minutes or until tops are golden brown. This is amazing served warm with olive oil and italian spices for dipping. It also works well if cut into cubes and served with cheese fondue.

Husband Rating: A
Jared LOVED both the bread and the ribbons. He enjoyed the fresh bed, and said that the ribbons were fantastic.

Wife Rating: A
I loved both as well. It was a nice treat that we have never had before, and the bread was so fresh!

Thanks DAWN!!!!!

Student teaching AND working full time = NO life

I am sorry that my blog has suffered the past 2 weeks, but I have a good excuse. My life is no longer my own, until May 9th when I am done student teaching. Unfortunately, that also means that my menu planning and cooking every night will be non-existent. I am very sad about the idea of this lifestyle for the next 14 weeks, but I know I can get through it....and see the good that will come from all of this hard work. I will continue to check blogs, and provide updates about my life....and once in a while, I hope to post a menu and a recipe or two! I will post the picture of my latest January BGEX gift and the goods that I sent as well!

Stay tuned....