Foodies at Home: Chunky No-Cook Tomato Soup via The Cooking Club

We made THIS delicious soup the other day for dinner. It is served cold, with feta on top. And, we had some yummy multi-grain bread with it. It was SO GOOD! Refreshing, crisp, and surprisingly filling. And, it couldn't have been easier. If you like tomatoes, try this out. We are having leftovers (there were lots) for dinner tonight. YAY!

That is all.

New Favorite (Shareable) Cookies

Clearly I suck at this right now. I have three drafts sitting here waiting to be written. And, they are all for new restaurants. And, are dying to be shared. But, life is crazy right now, and we will get there eventually.

In the meantime, I will make it my goal to give you something every week. Even if it is just re-posting some recipes that we are using at home and love.

So, here you go. Here are the Foodie Household's favorite cookies as of right now:

Giant Rainbow Cookies
Puffy Peanut Butter Cookies

Funny, they are based on the same recipe!

I have been making the Giant Rainbow cookies with regular, semi sweet chocolate chips. They are to die for! In fact, I had to stop, because there was a danger of much increased waistlines in the Foodie home. I will now reserve them for special occasions. The kicker in these is the melted butter. The cookies are so buttery and decadent. And, it is a super easy recipe.

The Puffy Peanut Butter cookies are amazing because it is the perfect amount of peanut butter. It is subtle. Not punch you in the face peanut butter. I love them!

So, make some cookies. And, share them. Share them because a) they are amazing and people will think you are the world's greatest baker, and b) no one needs to eat this whole recipe... they are a treat. Not an everyday thing. Unless you want to gain 25 pounds!

Foodies at Home: Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

We have had to change our ways a bit with this new life we are in. And, one of the biggest changes is the amount of time we have in the evenings. By the time we are all home, it is almost 6 pm. And, the little guy usually goes to sleep between 8 and 9 pm. So, we are talking about a 2-3 hour window to eat dinner, play, take a bath, do a load of laundry, etc. Especially since Mr. Foodie and I are still in sleep survival mode and are pretty much going to bed when the baby does.  So, we have been exploring new ways to express our Foodie-ness.

One thing we don't want to do is rely on take out/fast food. In addition to the health/nutritional concerns, who wants to spend all that money? So, we have been experimenting with both make-ahead freezer meals and the trusty old crockpot. Though this recipe wasn't our first crockpot adventure, it is the one I can most easily blog on at the moment (since it is someone else's recipe...).

So, here you have it... Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup in the Crockpot

We made some minor adjustments like: 

• Added extra tomatoes. A small can of the Del Fratelli seasoned ones (with garlic and herbs).
• Used Parmesan Rind instead of grated Parmesan.
• Minced the carrots, celery, and onion in the food processor to make the soup creamier. 
• Followed the suggestion of cutting the cream with milk for a lighter soup. 

And, you know what, this was pretty excellent. It made enough that we were able to freeze some and will enjoy it a few more times! YAY!

I am not sure that we will go with the Parmesan rind again. I am curious what the grated Parmesan would do to the texture of the soup. Instead, we end up with these delicious melty rinds that were fun to chew on, but I am not sure they added much to the flavor or texture of the soup.

Long and short of it is, we will be enjoying this soup for a few more meals, and will  likely be making it again soon. I have suggested crockpot soup once a week. We will see how that goes.

Oh, and be sure to pick up a loaf of good crusty bread to go with the soup. It makes it a delectable meal!

Happy Halloween!

A friend and I hosted a Family Halloween Party this past Sunday. Everyone brought their kiddos in costumes and we had fun snacks, photos, and a costume contest.

Here is what I made...

Whole Wheat Mini Pumpkin Muffins (these turned out really great, and I will be making them again!)

My family's recipe for cutout sugar cookies. Sorry friends, it is family secret. I really can't share, but look how cute they were! Mr. Foodie did the icing. He did a great job! 

Dirt Dessert Graveyard. I did follow this recipe for the pudding/dirt part (and it was epically awesome). But, clearly I went off course for the decorations. I lucked out and found a cookie cutter set with the ghost, tree, and tombstone. Since I was making cookies anyway, I make a few for the graveyard. I thought it turned out very well. Mr. Foodie had to assemble it all since I was in party prep mode when we got there.

My friend also made some other fun treats...

Dracula's Dentures

Carrot Fingers with Ranch Blood

Peanut Butter Sandwich Spiders

And, since he is just so darn adorable... here is the little foodie in his costume. He was a Hurricane. You see, we named him Isaac and a few short days later, Hurricane Isaac was all over the news. We think we are pretty funny!

What fun treats have you made for Halloween parties?

Tomato and Eggplant Pie

As my maternity leave drew to a close, I wanted to actually MAKE dinner one night. Not defrost dinner. Or pick up dinner. Make dinner. But, I knew it needed to be something fairly easy. Add to that that we had a bunch of tomatoes, and the result was tomato pie.

I followed the recipe pretty closely the first time, but made some adjustments for round two, and that is what you will find below.

Tomato and Eggplant Pie.

Tomato and Eggplant Pie 
(Adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/summer-tomato-pie/)

Ingredients:
Single pie crust (I used store bought for now)
5 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
Salt
1/2 small eggplant, thinly sliced (very thinly sliced!)

5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup basil, chiffonaded (is that a word? It should be!)
3/4 grated mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
1/2 Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
Olive oil
Crushed red pepper

How to make it: 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Press pie crust into a 9" cake pan.
3. Bake pie crust for 8 to 10 minutes, just until lightly browned.
4. Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees.
5. While the pie crust is cooling, prep the tomatoes... place them at the bottom of a large colander and sprinkle with salt. 
1. Let sit for 10 minutes or so. 
2. Dab with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
6. Now, time to build the pie!
1. Start with one thin layer of tomatoes on the bottom of the pie crust.
2. Add a thin layer of eggplant.
3. Sprinkle with garlic and basil.
4. Cover with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese.
5. Sprinkle with a touch of Parmesan.
6. Repeat.
7. Repeat, but this time, put a bunch of Parmesan on there. 
7. Drizzle the top with olive oil.
8. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper.
9. Garnish as you see fit (I added a few tomato slices and some basil leaves). 
10. Bake for about 30 minutes. You want to see bubbly cheese. 
11. Remove from oven and let cool about 7-10 minutes (if you can wait that long) before serving. 
12. Serve and enjoy. 

YUM! A delicious dinner.

Notes: 

• Seriously, this is pretty easy. And, it is SO GOOD! I added the eggplant the second time to add some omph and omph it added. 
• I served this with some DELICIOUS chicken sausages (mozzarella and spinach). It was a LOVELY meal.
• The original recipe suggested that you could do other cheese and herb combinations (Gruyere and fennel, Swiss and dill, etc.). I think there could be some wisdom in that, but I am SUCH a big fan of mozzarella, basil, and garlic, I am not sure I will deviate from that.
• This keeps surprisingly well. I recommend reheating in the oven, but you can get a few days of fridge time on this one!

A tasty summer dinner (Summer Skillet)

Zucchini and yellow squash were on sale at the local market. Now, I LOVE these two things. But, Mr. Foodie isn't as crazy about them as I am. So, I had to do a little convincing to let me plan a dinner around these two ingredients. But, I won in the end, and was excited to try something new.

I decided to just wing it, and throw together some yummy summer produce and see what happened. Well, the result was tasty. We served this summer skillet with natural chicken sausages and crusty bread, and I must say it was a very satisfying meal.

So, here is my recipe for a tasty summer skillet (and I wasn't planning on blogging on this when I started, so I am going from memory here)...



Ingredients:
1/2 a sweet onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbls. olive oil
1 zucchini, cut into half moons
1 yellow squash, cut into half moons
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup matchstick carrots
1 parmesan rind cut into small pieces
1 large can peeled tomatoes
2 tbls. tomato paste
10-15 leaves fresh basil, chiffonaded (I can make up a word, right?)
Crushed red repper, to taste
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper. to taste
Freshly grated parmesan
Crusty bread

How to make it:
1. Heat the oil in a large pan
2. Saute the onions and garlic until fragrant and the onions are translucent
3. Put the zucchini, squash, red pepper, and carrots in the pan and toss with the oil, onion, and garlic
4. Season with crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper
5. Cook until zucchini and squash begin to soften, 3-5 minutes or so
6. Add the can of tomatoes, tomato paste, and parmesan rind
7. Add basil and additional seasoning if desired
8. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes
9. Serve hot with fresh parmesan sprinkled on top and bread to sop up the delicious juice

Ok... so this is not rocket science. But, I was so pleased with how this turned out. And, I think you can use the veggies that you love. And you could season this however you like. We had fresh basil and I love basil, so that made sense. But, I see this as one of those blank canvas type dishes. As long as you have the foundation, you can change it up each time you make it!

The parmesan rind was a last minute addition and was AWESOME. I think it added great flavor and there were these little melty chunks of cheese throughout... bonus! So, save those rinds when you have them. I am sure you will find other uses for them as well.

Also, I was thinking "ratatouille" but with a Kate twist while I made this. That was my inspiration. Just so you know.

Summer picnic recipe ideas

We celebrated the 4th of July with some friends, potluck style. Everyone brought a dish, and we chowed down. I love summer potlucks because there are so many great fresh ingredients and so many fun things you can make. Here is what I took to the get together:

Avocado Feta Salsa
This is ALWAYS a hit. And has two of my favorite things... avocado and feta. It is easy to make, mostly healthy, and it looks pretty too (so many great colors in the bowl!). There is never a question in my mind, especially during the summer, if I need something quick and easy to make this is my go-to.

Triple Chocolate S'more Pie
Alright... I took a gamble on this one. I had never made it before. But, I knew it was a friendly crowd. I had first seen a s'more pie recipe on one of my blogs, but it called for tofu, which I thought was weird. So I looked around for another one and found this.

First note: This is pretty easy to make. I was unsure about how it was going to turn out, as I was tasting the chocolate before I poured it into the pie crust, but I shouldn't have been. It is rich, don't get me wrong. You don't need a lot of this dessert. In fact, too much and you might end up in a sugar coma. But, it is really good. And, a perfect summer treat. I mean, come on, summer and s'mores go hand-in-hand!

Second note: Because the chocolate filling becomes so hard when this pie sets up, you can't really eat it with a fork. You just have to pick it up and chomp down. So, I think the next time I make it, I will make it in an 8'x8' pan rather than a pie pan and turn it into bars instead of pie. This will also allow for smaller pieces, which might help with the above note on sugar comas.

And, finally, there is some "wow factor" with this one. It looks great. And, even though you and I know it is pretty simple by looking at the recipe, the finished product looks much more complex than it really is!

Jenna's Mediterranean Orzo Mac & Cheese (from Eat, Live, Run)

I am SO excited to eat this, Mediterranean Orzo Mac & Cheese, for dinner tonight! Paul and I have been doing really well with our meal planning. So, while we were putting the final touches on our Chickpea Cholay dinner on Monday night, I made this dish so we could enjoy it tonight. It looks great, and smelled divine. I just can't stop thinking about it today. 


Thanks to Jenna at Eat, Live, Run for posting it. I will report out, but having made some of her recipes before, I am expecting it to be as awesome as it sounds. 


And, enjoy your day. And, try not to obsess about your dinner like I am doing now.

Foodies at Home: The new breakfast of champions

Ok... so maybe that is a bit far. But, seriously, I have had a new breakfast revelation that I had to share.

So, my normal breakfast trend these days is the following:
Whole wheat English muffin
An Omega-3 enriched egg (we eat Eggland's best)
And, a slice of cheese (in various varieties, but always Sargento slices)

A breakfast sandwich if you will. Plus a glass of calcium fortified orange juice.

It is satisfying, has some good nutrients, covers several food groups, and has an appropriate amount of calories for where I am these days in my pregnancy. Plus, it tastes really good!

BUT... hold on a minute, there is more...

We were planning a Taco Night for dinner this week. Our meal plan was a little derailed, and while we are still planning Taco Night later this week, we had an avocado that was reaching the point of no return. So, yesterday morning, I decided to spread a quarter of the avocado onto the English muffin. And, add to that that this week I picked up Pepper Jack cheese. And, we have breakfast utopia!

That's right... an egg, pepper jack, avocado breakfast sandwich! Sounds so simple, right? Why didn't I think of this before?

I wish I could eat avocado for breakfast every day. I don't think I can or will, but it has been an amazing treat these last few days and one that I wanted to share with you.

Try it. You will like it. I promise!

What I am Eating: Second Trimester

So, hopefully, you saw by now that I am expecting a little foodie of my own! And, this has caused a serious lag in the postings lately. The first trimester was, well, rough, when it came to eating. Appetite was low. I was lucky to get enough calories in a day to make a difference. But, we are now a few weeks into my second trimester, and honestly, I could eat my handbag some days, that is how well my appetite has bounced back.

But, as you probably know about me, I am not going to use this whole pregnant thing as an excuse to eat whatever I want. Because, A) I want my baby to get all the good stuff they need to grow and be healthy, and B) I have worked so hard to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle, that I don't want to throw that all out the window. So, I have been working hard to eat nutrient packed meals as often as possible (and of course, veer off course every once in awhile) and thought I would share what my general menu looks like these days. Hope it isn't too boring. If anything, you can take away how to pack as much good stuff into a day as possible, I hope.

Breakfast
I have been eating an Eggland's Best egg every morning. Just one, so I don't overdo it on the cholesterol. Gotta get those Omega-3s. But, it is not the same menu every morning. Here are the most common ones:
-One egg pan fried on a whole wheat English muffin with a slice of Sargento cheese
-One egg pan fried omelet style, with a slice of cheese, and multigrain toaster waffles
-A bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar and walnuts and a hard boiled egg
I also have a glass of calcium fortified orange juice with my breakfast and prenatal vitamin every morning.
The weekends often go a bit off course, but I still try to make them healthy.

Lunch
During the week, I really luck out and get to eat in our campus cafeteria every day. You might be laughing now, but I am serious. I am lucky. We have a fantastic cafeteria with lots of healthy options, and most importantly, a great salad bar! So, here is what I have most days for lunch:
- A heaping mound of raw spinach with as many of the following salad fixins as possible:
Broccoli
Edamame
Kidney or Garbanzo beans
Carrot matchsticks
Tomato wedges
Shredded cheddar or feta cheese
Fat Free Italian or French Dressing
- I also usually try to find a healthily prepared piece of meat if I can. They have been serving a lot of pork tenderloin lately, which usually has a pretty tasty crust.
- I also check the cooked veggie selection and will often go for some steamed cauliflower or zucchini
- We also have a great vegan/vegetarian section that I check daily for a good rice or bean dish.
NOTE: I do not have all three of those last things on the same day. But, I check all three areas and usually have something from one or two.
- To finish the meal, I have been going for one of three routes, because I am usually still feeling hungry, have a bit of a sweet tooth, and need something else to get through the day. These options are:
Edy's low fat ice cream (110 calories per 4 oz) on a sugar cone
Two pieces of cinnamon raisin toast with butter
A bowl of cereal with skim milk

Dinner
Paul and I have been spending time on Sundays planning our meals for the coming week. This has helped us cut down on food waste (leftovers we don't eat or ingredients that don't get used) and grocery shopping trips but also helps us ensure we are getting a good balanced menu for the week.
Some recent dinner menus:
- Veggie packed tomato sauce (Paul adds spinach, carrots, celery, onions... YUM) with Smart Taste (enriched) pasta with homemade meatballs (Paul makes these but only uses turkey and pork and they are AWESOME!)
- Taco Night with avocado slices OR homemade guacamole (we usually have ground turkey or chicken for the filling and try to load them with as many veggies as possible)
- In the crock pot right now for at least two nights this week: Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala. Oh man... it smells so GOOD!
- Chicken fried (brown) rice with lots of veggies
- Herbed Quinoa with this delicious chicken!
- Omelets with roasted red peppers and feta and these yummy muffins.
- Turkey burgers with baked sweet potato fries

So, yeah, we are doing our best. I would love to hear your suggestions on other nutrient packed meals that will help us grow a strong, healthy baby!

Snacks
Ok... here we are in the snack section. Some of these are WAY better for me than others, I get it. But, here is what I have been snacking on lately:
- Dried apricots
- Fresh pineapple
- String cheese (obsessing a bit right now, actually)
- Honey Nut Cheerios or Cinnamon Toast Crunch with skim milk
- Chobani Greek Lemon Yogurt
- Cinnamon Teddy Grahams
- Dried Cherries
- Laughing Cow cheese wedges on wheat thins
- Almonds with sea salt
- Navel oranges

That's the majority of it. Sometimes, out of necessity, I grab a less good snack from work, something left over from an event or something, but I am trying to have healthy snacks on hand and stick to those!



Well, hope this gave you something to chew on until the next post. I wanted to share with you what this foodie has been focusing on for the last few weeks!

Stay tuned for a post or two from our Babymoon next weekend! Headed to Frankfort, MI for a little getaway while we still can!

P.S. Our baby is the size of a sweet potato this week! I love sweet potatoes, clearly. I think it is SO FUNNY that they compare your growing baby to things from the produce section. We love it, actually. We usually can get a very clear picture of what they are talking about! :)

"Souper" Bowl Food Stuff

Paul and I are going to a "Souper" Bowl Party today. Yes, that's right... everyone is bringing soup. Except us. You can't have just soup, right? So, here is what we are contributing to the menu...

Kitchen Aid Sixty-Minute Dinner Rolls

Deep Dish Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

We will be sure to report out on the football/food extravaganza.

What are you making for this Super Bowl Sunday?

Foodies at Home: Anne Burrell's Turkey Burgers

Ok... I am seriously not joking. These were literally the best turkey burgers both Paul and I had ever had. We sat and watched Anne Burrell make them on "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" on MUTE, and still thought, 'um, those look amazing. We have ground turkey, right?' And, we did. So, after a very quick trip to the grocery store, Paul started creating these masterpieces.

The flavors layer well, and are so complex but so comforting at the same time. I don't often find myself at a loss for words on describing food, but I honestly don't know what else I can say.

We served them on slimwich buns (I would recommend something heartier) with a little bit of Boston lettuce and some tomato slices. So simple. And, so amazing.

Click here to get the recipe for yourself... you won't regret it!

Foodies at Home: BAT Sandwich

Holy one month, Batman! Where did the time go? I apologize, Foodie fans, for being so absent from the blog scene for a whole month! In addition to the holidays, and the start of a new quarter at school, there have been some other things keeping me from my usual Foodie self that I will talk about at a later date.

Anyway, in the sake of getting SOMETHING out there, I decided that I would blog about my new favorite, at-home sandwich. It is so simple, but so amazing. If you haven't tried this yet, you really need to.

So, without further ado.... The BAT (Bacon, Arugula, Tomato) Sandwich.

Yes, that's right, bacon, ARUGULA, and tomato. It's a lot like your standard BLT but SO MUCH BETTER. So, I thought I would share some tips to make an epically amazing BAT sandwich.

The bread

This is no place to skimp on bread. As with most things, the quality of the ingredients will effect the quality of the whole dish. I recommend you head to the bakery section of your grocery store, or, heck, head to your local bakery for some fresh bread. My favorites so far are sourdough and multigrain varieties. And, you want to go thick with the break. It is a bit of a hearty sandwich. You need to hold it together. I highly recommend toasting it, just lightly, as well.

The bacon

This is also not a place to skimp. I am not saying you need to buy top notch bacon, I mean, come on, its bacon, BUT, you do want something with a thicker cut. We like making ours with peppered bacon. It adds a layer of complexity to the sandwich that takes it over the top.

The arugula

Really, there is not much you could do to go off course here. Arugula is available in both the organic section and the pre-packaged lettuce/salad section of my grocery store. I prefer the organic stuff, of course, but haven't noticed a big difference in flavor.

The tomato

Though we are typically roma/plum tomato buyers, I prefer something a little bigger and meatier for our BATs. Something that you can get a good sized slice out of. But, that's just me.

The extras

Because the ingredients of this sandwich work together so well, there is very little extra that needs to be added. BUT, we add some herbed mayo that Paul mixes up. He takes light mayonnaise and mixes in considerable amounts of fresh ground black pepper, oregano, basil, and dill. We have found that we much prefer it to have herbed mayo on both sides of the sandwich. It adds a little creaminess and just a touch more flavor that compliments the other stuff.

You have probably already tried this. And, hopefully, agree with me on its amazingness. If you haven't, I highly recommend it. It makes for a really easy and tasty dinner on a night when you need to throw something together quickly. And, you might have a bunch of these ingredients already in your fridge.

ENJOY!

A Thanksgiving Photo Essay

Thanksgiving was upon us, and Paul and I were on our own this year, so we decided to make some of favorites, stay in our pajamas all day, watch football, and be thankful for each other. So, I made many pies, far more than the two of us could eat (but, it's alright, I took them to my co-workers. They were meant for sharing!), we cleared off the dining room table (finally!), had the Mumford and Sons station on LastFM playing, and had ourselves a lovely meal!

Here is what we ate:

• Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Lasagna (See also Epic Feast Weekend)
• Roasted Chicken (taken from the Roasted Chicken and Herbed Waffle Recipe with some tweaks)
• Apple Pie (from my old cookbook with a combination of Granny Smith and Macintosh Apples!)
• Pecan Pie (I oven roasted the pecans before I put them in! YUM!)
• Pumpkin Pie (recipe off the back of the can. NOT A GOOD ONE. Need a new pumpkin pie recipe!)
• And delicious white wine

Side note: Paul got me a new camera for my Chrisaversary (our anniversary is December 11th so we are combining gifts) present. So, stay tuned for some better, not blurry, photos! YAY!

Foodies at Home: Holiday Cookie Extravaganza #1

As you may have picked up on... I work at a College. And, have many students that I work closely with. I wanted to do something nice for them for the holidays, but on a limited budget, that can be a challenge. So, I decided to bake some of my favorite holiday treats, and give them each a little treat box.

I can't believe, well, really I can, how well these went over. The fact that I spent time to make each little item showed them how much I care about them. Because, I really do. So, here are the cookies that I made, and recipes for almost all of them!

The Cookies I made (from the top of the plate clockwise):
Sugar Cookies with Icing
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Candy Cane Cookies
Puffy Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips

And, here are the recipes/a few notes:

Sugar Cookies with Icing

Sorry Foodie Fans... I can't share this one. This is a family recipe that my aunt passed down to me for my birthday this year. I have to protect it. I really am sorry. But, trust me, this cookies are amazing, and a huge hit wherever they go!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

These treats were pretty darn easy to make and were SO good. The only issue with them is that they need to be refrigerated (because of the cream cheese frosting) which is a challenge when trying to give them out. But, they are so very good. You really want to make them, I promise. Even my non-pumpkin liking husband liked them!

Candy Cane Cookies

But, these don't look like candy canes, you may be thinking. Well, that's because I change this recipe a bit, and don't want to deceive. The original recipe calls for peppermint extract. I, as a HUGE almond fan, sub that out for almond extract. Trust me. These are tasty. BUT, I don't like to make them look like candy canes, and have people expecting them to taste like mint. I do often make two batches, one regular, and one almond. This time, I just made the almond ones. Try them. You will not be able to stop!

Puffy Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips

I discovered this recipe several months ago on one of the blogs I follow, How Sweet It Is. I thought, 'I'll give these a try' one weekend when I was home and wanting to bake, and Paul and I were blown away. These are AWESOME. They are just peanut buttery enough. And, the puffy centers are amazing! Plus, they are pretty darn easy too!


Happy holiday baking, Foodie Friends! And, stay tuned for another Cookie/Treat post with some of my other favorites!

Foodies at Home: Epic Feast Weekend!

That's right... Epic Feast (yes, that is absolutely an Office reference) weekend! For some reason, I got the cooking bug, and wanted to have some fun in the kitchen. I have been working a lot lately, and Paul has been the primary dinner preparer... so I decided it was my turn, and that is was going to be unforgettable. And, that it was. I scoured my Google Reader starred items for recipes I have tagged over the past few months and chose a few that I thought would be a little bit challenging and would blow us both out of the water. And, I think I won!

ROUND 1: Roasted Butternut and Sweet Potato Lasagna


This one grabbed my attention immediately. But, took a little convincing on Paul's end, since those are not his favorite ingredients. (And, note... I used regular lasagna noodles, not whole wheat. That was our compromise). But, boy are we BOTH glad we gave this one a try. It is rich, sinful almost, creamy, savory, there is a touch of sweetness. It is so complex, yet so comforting.


I am pretty well aware of the fact, that this is likely in no way, shape or form good for you. But, the nutrients from the squash and sweet potatoes have to be worth something. There is a lot of cheese. But, man, for a special occasion or dinner party, this dish is worth the time (which wasn't too much) and will certainly impress. I stuck to the recipe pretty closely (except for the noodles) and didn't so much measure the salt, pepper, and nutmeg, but this was perfection. The one hiccup... I didn't buy the specifically "no boil" noodles, and some of the noodles were a bit tough, but it was totally a forgivable issue.

ROUND 2: Roast Chicken and Herb Waffles

How could you go wrong with this combination? Chicken, great. Waffles, awesome. Herbs, fantastic. Put them all together, and... PERFECTION. Again, I only went slightly off recipe (I stuffed the chicken with sliced lemon and garlic cloves and put the lemon juice and spices under the skin as well as on it), but mostly, I stayed the course. Oh, and the chicken needed to roast for WAY longer (at least 30 minutes) than the recipe said. So, be prepared for that. In other words... don't start this when you are starving. It will take a while.

But, I have to say, this meal was utter success. The chicken was tender, juicy, full of flavor (the skin was a bit (OK, REALLY) salty, but we shouldn't eat that anyway, right? You could absolutely tell that the lemon and garlic from inside the chicken infused it with flavor. The waffles were the right blend of sweet (like a waffle should be) but savory as well from the herbs. I used parsley, chives, Greek oregano and some rosemary for ours. All fresh. I could probably have let them cook a little longer, but I was ready to eat by that point. We ate this with Dijon mustard. Grab a little chicken with the fork, then a piece of waffle, then dip it in the mustard... SO GOOD. And, it really wasn't that difficult to make.

And, I am not kidding, but Paul said this while we were eating it... "This is possibly one of the best meals I have ever had!" (And he is probably really excited that I actually posted this picture!)

ROUND 3: Herb Waffles with Marscapone Bacon Glaze/Spread

OK, that's right... there were waffles left. So we decided to eat them for brunch on Sunday. But, what could we do to make them more brunch-y? How about add the frosting from the Bacony Breakfast Cupcakes we love so much? It's marscapone, maple syrup, and bacon. How could those things NOT work with these herb waffles.

And, it sure did! Holy cow! Perhaps one of my favorite brunches I have ever had! We served it with sliced strawberries (so there was some redeeming quality to the meal) and chowed down. I maybe over did it a little (this girl CAN NOT put away three waffles... just so you know) but every bite was heavenly. And, we didn't have to re-make waffles. We just froze them overnight then Paul toasted them in the toaster. YAY!

Round 4: Roast Chicken WITH Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Lasagna

I know, I know. We are taking this a bit far. But, it was Epic Feast Weekend! For dinner on Sunday... the leftover chicken with the leftover lasagna. And, they worked. Well together! So, I totally recommend making all of these things in one weekend! And, I think I only gained a pound or two! :)

Foodies at Home: Bacony Breakfast Cupcakes

That's right. I said "bacon". And, I said "cupcakes".

And, I am pretty sure you want to try these. They aren't super hard to make. And, they are WAY better with real bacon (as opposed to the turkey bacon I used the first time I made them).

You can find the recipe here on the Food Network's website. I think you want to make them. Wait, no! I know you want to!

Here is another photo to taunt you!

Happy eating! :)

Foodies at Home: Challah!

That's right... I made challah! Now, keep in mind, this was my first attempt, but, it sure tasted like challah, even if it looked a little crazy!


It was actually easier than I thought it would be, though the braiding process was frustrating. Thankfully, the recipe I was using was loaded with photos to walk you through.

I also maybe got a little ahead of myself and decided that my first batch of challah was going to be a fruit challah. Which, I am SURE made this process way more difficult.

That said, it was delicious. And, I can promise, there will be more challah!

You CAN do this yourself. Here is the recipe I followed... try it! Let me know how it turns out!

Apple and Honey Challah

Foodies at Home: Twice Baked Goat Cheese Souffles

OK. First of all. My apologies for the long absence. I know the start of the school year is crazy for a lot of people. For me, it means 60+ hour weeks, a few of them. So, while I had the best intentions of blogging, it just didn't happen. So, again, I apologize. I should be back in the saddle now.

Secondly... WE GOT RAMEKINS!!!! Now, I know what you are thinking, 'They just got ramekins? Really? And, they call themselves foodies!?!' but, its true. We just got ramekins for $7.99 at Bed Bath and Beyond a few weeks ago. I have used them a few times now (I will post on the Apple Pie Breakfast cakes I made! YUM!) but, since I have been so anxious to make souffle for so long, it only seems appropriate that I post on these first.

Here is the recipe: Twice Baked Goat Cheese Souffles.
I didn't change it at all. Since it was a souffle, I felt I needed to follow the recipe to a tee. (Wait, which "tee" do you follow???). But, before I talk about it more, let me show you how they looked....

I have to say... I was REALLY pleased with how they turned out. The process was a bit arduous. I made them one evening after work, and it was one of those nights that we didn't eat until almost 8 pm. But, that's OK. Delicious meals take time.

Anyway, the flavor of these souffles is incredible. You have the tang of the goat cheese (which also adds some great creaminess). The mustard is a perfect compliment. And the fresh thyme, brings it all together.

The cream sauce in the recipe is, I think, necessary. It adds an extra dimension to the dish and softens the texture to perfection.

Plus, I served them with dressed arugula (dressed with a dijon vinaigrette of course) so it tied into the souffle and was a harmonious meal.

So, long and the short of it is, this dish takes time and attention. But, is so worth it at the end.

And, I MADE SOUFFLE! And, it turned out how it was supposed to! :D

OK, one more photo. I am such a proud mama on these...

Foodies at Home: Avocado and Feta Salsa

I was looking for a summer dip to serve at a party we had, and came across this one. I have updated this a little from the original recipe I found. It is a HUGE hit in a crowd. It is like guacamole meets salsa... SO GOOD! And fresh. And light.

Ingredients:

2 Plum/Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 Ripe, but not super ripe, Avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped
1/4 of a medium sized Red Onion, diced
1 clove of Garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1/2-1 tablespoon of Fresh Oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
2-4 ounces Feta Cheese, crumbled

How to make it:

This couldn't be easier to make.

1. Gently mix the tomatoes, avocado, onion, and garlic in a medium bowl.
2. Gently stir in the cilantro and oregano.
3. Add the olive oil and vinegar and again, gently stir.
4. One more time, gently stir in the feta.
5. Now here is the most important step... TASTE IT... add more olive oil or vinegar or even some salt if needed.
6. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
7. Serve with tortilla chips.

And, that's it.

I have made this dip the night before twice now... and you gotta remember that the avocado will oxidize and turn a bit brown. It still is fine and tastes delicious. But, if that is a concern, then I would make it the day of and give it time to chill rather than making it the day before.

But, trust me. This stuff if amazing! I am already trying to think of excuses to make it again!