Quino-whaaaat?

Hello there.  It's been a while.  Yes, yes.  I know, I know.  Anywho...I'm going to just pretend like y'all know what's going on in my life even though I haven't posted in forever.  As I told a friend somewhat recently, I've been blogging in my head.  I just never seems to actually get it typed in. :)

We are working our way back into healthy eating.  You know, that place we were in several months and 40 pounds between the two of us ago?  I've been poking around Pinterest looking for some new options to try.  A week or so ago we tried a new recipe that uses quinoa.  Don't know what that is?  I didn't either until a few months ago.  If you need info you can look here.

(Here's a pic of some cooked quinoa)

So anyway, I found a recipe for Crispy Black Bean Quinoa Burritos.  HELLO!  SO TASTY!  And the sauce that goes with them is AMAZING!  Great for dipping anything into, really.  I did go unhealthy on the tortillas (flour), but will try a healthier option on that next time.  And there will be a next time.  Many.  It is even Reagan Approved!

Do you have any favorite quinoa recipes?  Please share them if you do!

Um, What is This Called Again?

I'm hearing a lot of this question these days.  I mentioned in the previous post that we are eating much healthier now.  As a result, we are trying lots of new foods cooked in lots of new ways.  A lot of things Justin and I have never had before and Reagan has never even heard of.  Tonight was one of those nights.  We had Tilapia with Kale and Tomato.  None of us had ever tried kale before.  Listening to Reagan try to pronounce tilapia was fun.  In the end we just called it fish. :)  We all really enjoyed it.  I loved it, in fact.  Even Reagan was eating it.  I'm not sure if she ate all her kale because I had to leave to go to a teachers work night at church, but she had eaten all her tilapia so I consider it a victory.  It will definitely be put into regular rotation.  It is one of the recipes from the Focus T25 nutrition guide.  There have actually been a lot of good ones in there.  It was super easy and quick to fix, always a bonus for a busy mommy (and what mommy isn't busy)!

Here's the recipe for one serving:
8 oz raw tilapia
1 pinch sea salt (optional)
Ground black pepper (to taste, optional)
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 cups chopped fresh kale
3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes, with juice (I actually found organic, no salt added canned tomatoes at Walmart!)

Season both sides of tilapia with salt and pepper if desired; set aside.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.
Add garlic and kale; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
Add tomatoes (with juice); bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.
Place tilapia fillet on top of kale mixture; cook, covered, for 1 minute.  Gently turn tilapia over and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tilapia is cooked through and flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Remove from heat and serve.

Now I'm hungry again...

Pinterest Project: Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Warning:  This Pinterest Project post WILL make you hungry.

Source: skinnytaste.com via Micah on Pinterest

Cilantro Lime Shrimp.  MMMMMMmmmmmmmm.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  Definitely Pinworthy!  This was so good and so easy.  It is honestly some of the best shrimp I've ever had.  This is really making me want to make some more. lol  This one is also approved by Justin and Reagan.  If my 3 year-old will eat it, it has to be good.  Here's how mine looked when I finished.

While I was on the Skinny Taste website I also looked at some rice recipes to go with it and found this.

Fiesta Lime Rice

Source: skinnytaste.com via Micah on Pinterest

It too, was yummy and Pinworthy.  I even got Justin to eat the tomatoes!  Victory!!!!!!!  :)

Here's how mine looked.

Oh, and it's healthy too!

Okay, seriously.  After looking at these I'm going to have to make this meal again soon.  I think I could eat this every week...if only shrimp were cheaper. :)

Happy cooking and happy pinning!

Pinterest Project: Twinkie Cupcakes

Hello friends!  I know it's been so long since I blogged and I do apologize, but I plan to keep it up now.  I've missed it!  I enjoy sharing a little bit of my world.  :)

For my first post back.  I decided to start a series I had an idea for.  I LOVE Pinterest!  I find so many ideas on there.  Sometimes I see something and wonder if it actually works, or if it doesn't.  Do you say, "That was awesome!  I'm so glad I pinned that!" or do you shrug you shoulders and say, "...meh."  I've done many projects from Pinterest.  Some were pin-worthy some were meh.  I figured I could share my experiences so you could try the pin-worthy and save yourself the trouble of a meh. :)

First up:  Twinkie Cupcakes

Source: thedomesticrebel.com via Micah on Pinterest

My wonderful friend Kristen pinned this one and I thought, "Uh-oh, I'm in trouble."  I really like Twinkies.  So much so that I don't keep them in the house because a whole box would disappear within a couple of days.  :)  I tried this one out just yesterday.  We were hosting the Summer Youth Series at church last night and had lots of hungry adolescents (and adults) to feed.  I'd been looking for an excuse to try these out and this seemed like the perfect time.

The Verdict:  Pin-Worthy

The cake tastes just like the cake from a Twinkie.  The filling...ditto.  The icing was good too, but I'm not that much of an icing person.  I'd have been fine without it.  I'm so glad there were only a couple left to bring home.  I'd have been in trouble otherwise.

Here's how they turned out!  Not too shabby for my first experience with piping on icing!

One thing I wasn't sure about was the size of the hole to cut in the middle.  This is how I did mine.  It turned out fine.

I will definitely be using this recipe again.  So yummy!  If you've made this recipe before or give it a try let me know if you think it's Pin-Worthy as well!  Happy Baking and Happy Pinning!

Nom, Nom, Nom

I don't really know what to call these...

How about...

Delicious.

They are super simple to make. All you do is peel and cut up some potatoes. We like ours super thin because they get crispy and somewhat chip like. But you can do what ever thickness you prefer. You can also leave the skins on if you like. Coat with extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. Spread in a single layer on a heavy sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray. Cook in a 450 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, or until desired crispness is achieved. Flip potatoes every 10 minutes or so for even browning. They are sooooo good and sooooo easy! I've been making them a lot lately. We've still got some potatoes so we might be having them again soon! :)

Chicken Fajita Soup...Yum!

I posted on facebook that I made this for supper and had a recipe request. This stuff is soooooo good! We are supposed to be snowed in tomorrow (I'll believe that when I get up and see the ground covered) so I thought it would keep us warm! I also made pepper jack corn cakes to go with it. To make those, all you do is mix up some Jiffy according to package directions, add some pepper jack, and cook it on a griddle like pancakes. If I had anymore room in my stomach I would go eat more right now!

Chicken Fajita Soup

makes about 5 quarts

3 tbs olive oil
3 lbs boneless skinless, chicken breasts, sliced into 2x1/2 inch strips
2 tbs minced garlic
1 ½ tsp salt, divided
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 large yellow onions, sliced into ¼ inch strips
2 large red bell peppers, sliced into ¼ inch strips
2 large green bell peppers, sliced into ¼ inch strips
2 large yellow bell peppers, sliced into ¼ inch strips
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
3 quarts chicken broth
2 (14.5 oz) cans fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 ½ tbs ground cumin
1 ½ tbs ground coriander
1 ½ tbs chili powder
1 ½ tsp fresh lime zest
garnish: lime slices

In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, garlic, 1 tsp salt, and pepper; cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned. Add onions, bell peppers, and jalapeno peppers; cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, cilantro, cumin, coriander, chili powder, lime zest, and remaining ½ tsp salt, stirring to combine. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Garnish with lime slices, if desired.

We also like to put pepper jack cheese in ours.

I Threw It on the Ground!

Well, just dropped it actually. (The title is a shout out to my hubby's favorite Andy Samberg video on YouTube. Hilarious.) Friday night we invited some friends to come over for dinner. I had prepped the hash brown casserole and had it cooking in the oven. I got together all the ingredients for the bacon cheeseburger meatloaf (yum). Now, to properly mix and form a meatloaf you just have to stick you hands right down in it. I got my hands all nasty and mushed everything together. I picked the bowl up with my forearms since my hands were covered in raw meat and took it over to where the loaf pan was waiting. As I tried to set the bowl on the counter, it missed... and fell... upside down... on the floor. I yelled, "You've got to be kidding me!!!!" Hubby said he immediately knew I had dropped it. (I'm a wee bit clumsy, so this kind of thing is not so very out of the ordinary.) He asked what all he needed to go buy so I could make it again, but by this time it was already 7 and the meatloaf takes around an hour to cook, so I told him just to order pizza. Our menu for dinner was left over lobster spinach queso, hash brown casserole, and domino's.

As requested by Kristen, here is the recipe for the Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf (minus the dropping it on the floor step). It is a Paula Deen recipe and you can find it on her web site, http://www.pauladeen.com/, as well.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground chuck
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 (8-ounce) package sharp Cheddar, grated
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs, toasted
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 (3-ounce) can French fried onions

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck and next 8 ingredients, mixing well.
In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and mustard. Stir 1/4 cup ketchup mixture into meat mixture, reserving remaining ketchup mixture.
Press meat mixture into a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan, or shape into a loaf and place on a rack in a broiler pan. Spread remaining ketchup mixture over loaf. Bake 40 minutes. Top with French fried onions; bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink.

We use the lean ground beef and low sodium bacon.

My Husband the Chef!

As you know, my birthday was the 13th. This is what I woke up to that morning. My sweet baby and husband brought me this cake in bed! :) Justin always makes this cake for my birthday. It's a chocolate cake with chocolate icing. The recipe is the one on the back of a Hershey's cocoa box. It is sooooo good!
The next night he cooked me my birthday dinner. We waited until Thursday night since the 13th was on Wednesday and that's a church night. The house smelled so good while he was cooking! I love smell of onion and garlic cooking...makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

We had steaks, twice baked potatoes, and cheddar bay biscuits (like the ones at Red Lobster).
But the best part was the lobster spinach queso. Well, actually, it was crab spinach queso since our walmart didn't have any lobster meat, but it was delicious!!! We first discovered lobster spinach queso at Firebird's in Memphis. There was one in the mall behind our apartment. We would go there and just get the queso because everything else was too expensive and the queso could fill us up. It is one of my favorite foods, but we never get to have it because we don't have a Firebird's anywhere near us. Justin tried to make it for me on Valentine's a couple of years ago, but it didn't taste quite the same. He looked around for another recipe and found one that tastes exactly like it!!!! I'm so excited because now I can have the queso any time! (Not that I need it. It's not the healthiest thing in the world.)

Firebird's Lobster Spinach Queso Dip

FIREBIRD'S LOBSTER SPINACH QUESO DIP INGREDIENTS:

1/4 CUP CANOLA OIL

1/4 CUP GARLIC/SHALLOT MIX

3/4 POUND CREAM CHEESE

1/2 BAG SPINACH

1 TABLESPOON SHRIMP BASE

1 CAN TOMATO SOUP

1 1/2 CUP HEAVY CREAM

2 CUPS PEPPER JACK CHEESE

1/2 POUND LOBSTER

DIRECTIONS:CHOP SPINACH AND LOBSTER. SAUTE IN CANOLA OIL GARLIC/SHALLOT MIX UNTIL SOFT. ADD CREAM CHEESE, TOMATO SAUCE, CREAM AND JACK CHEESE AND SHRIMP BASE. MELT CHEESE AND WHISK TOGETHER UNTIL BLENDED. ADD LOBSTER AND SPINACH. SIMMER ABOUT 15 MINUTES UNTIL HEATED THROUGH.

My tips: They didn't have any good looking shallots the day he made it so he just used onion and tasted the same. Also, he couldn't find shrimp base so that was left off. Instead of using 1 1/2 cups of cream he only used 1/2 cup so it wouldn't be as heavy. Even with these changes it tasted exactly like what you get in the restaurant!

Thanks, babe, for such a great birthday dinner!!!!!

Recipe: Taco Soup

Tonight I made taco soup! It was the not the first time we've had it, but it was the first time I made it. It was sooooo good! And it was a good night for it too since it is so cold! I had put in my facebook status that I was making it and someone asked about the recipe so I thought it would be easier just to put it here. Plus, I haven't posted a recipe in a while. I took a recipe from Flora Hayes and changed out kidney beans for white beans. You can easily play around with the types of beans in it. It's really easy too!

Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef 2 (16oz) cans chili beans
3/4 c. chopped onion 2 (10oz) cans rotel
1 (16oz) can kidney beans 1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 (16oz) can pinto beans 1 pkg. ranch mix
1 (16oz) can black beans 1 (16oz) can corn (or hominy)

In a large, heavy pot, brown the ground beef and onion; pour off fat (if you use lean ground beef there isn't really any fat to pour off). Add all remaining ingredients, except corn, to the pot and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add corn and cook for 15 minutes. You can serve it with corn or tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream (we don't really like sour cream but people who do say it's good with this soup).

Hope you like it!

It's Party Time!

First a little update. Monday we took Reagan to her 2 month check-up. She was 11 pounds and 23 inches long! She is getting so big! At her one month check-up she was in the 33rd percentile, now she is in the 55th. The doctor said she is perfect, but we knew that already. :) She also had to get her vaccines. :( Daddy was the one to hold her for all those because, as you may remember, I'm not so good with the needles. As soon as she just brought the shots in the room I started getting anxious and . She cried a little with the first shot, but when she got the other two she was screaming. She was not a happy camper. After all that excitement she took a looong nap when we got home. I am not looking forward to future shots.


I LOVE Halloween! Saturday night we are having a Halloween party at the house for the teens and 20 somethings. We had a party last year too. I thought I'd post some pictures of the food we had and a couple of recipes. The recipes I am posting are not my own. I found them on the internet.

Putrid Punch

Baked Monster Eyes

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

(used cookie cutters to cut the bread into halloween shapes.)

Oreo Balls and Spiders

(added stick pretzels to oreo balls to make them into spiders)

Dirt Cake

(decorated with nutter butters, peeps, and candy pumpkins)



Putrid Punch

1 .13oz package lemon lime Kool-Aid

1 cup sugar

8 cups water

1 can frozen orange juice concentrate

4 cups ginger ale

Worm cubes(ice cubes with gummy worms frozen inside)

3 scoops orange sherbet

Freeze worm cubes ahead of time.

Empty the Kool-Aid package into a punch bowl. Add the sugar, then the water, and stir until dissolved. Stir in the orange juice. Just before serving, add the ginger ale and worm cubes and float the scoops of sherbet on top. Before long, the punch will be green and in fested with worms. Serves 14.

Baked Monster Eyes

1 lb. lean ground beef

2 Tbsp. taco seasoning

2 Tbsp. ice water

1/2 cup fiesta blend shredded cheese

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

1 cup sour cream

32 black olive halves

taco sauce

Mix together the ground beef, taco seasoning, and ice water. Press into 32 mini tart (or muffin) tins. Press firmly into th bottome and up the sides of the pans.

Sprinkle the cheese and then the tortilla chips over the bottom and sides of teh beef mixture, gently pressing into the beefe if necessary to hold the mixture on the sides.

Spoon the sour cream into each meat cup. Top with a half olive, sut side up. Fill teh cavity in the olive with the taco sauce.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Tips:Make sure you use lean ground beef. Last year I did not and they turned out a little weird because of all the grease. Since it's baking in a mini muffin pan it has no where to run off. I don't really like the taste of olives so I just use the little slices instead of halves. To put the taco sauce in the cavity I used a condiment bottle(the ones with the small tip that you can buy in the kitchen section at any grocery store).

Do you have any good Halloween treat recipes or ideas?

Spicy Turkey Chili

Yesterday I mentioned that I was cooking my spicy turkey chili for dinner. It is a healthy chili that tastes awesome(or at least Justin and I think so)! This came from a basic turkey chili recipe my mom gave me.  I added some things to make it just the way I like it. The great thing about recipes like this are that you can take out the things you don't like and add other things you do and it can be made to your spice tolerance. Justin and I like ours pretty spicy. I love eating chili in the fall and winter! As promised, here it is. I hope you like it!

Micah's Spicy Turkey Chili

1 med. onion, finely chopped 1 tsp. crumbled oregano
2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced 1 (4 oz) can chopped mild green chilies
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced 1 (6oz) can tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 cup chicken broth
2 lb. ground turkey 2 (15.25 oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
6 Tbsp. chili powder 1 (15.25oz) can black beans
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/4 tsp. salt
Optional: hot sauce

Over medium heat, add a little extra virgin olive oil to the pan, cook onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft and transparent. Add turkey and cook, stirring and breaking up meat until meat changes color. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Add chilies, tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, beans and salt. Optional: Add a few shakes of hot sauce. Stir well to combine. Bring to boiling, Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Tips: I use two pans to cook the veggies and meat because I don't have one large enough for all of it. I just split everything(veggies and meat) equally into the two pans so the meat gets the flavor of the veggies. When the meat is fully cooked, I put both pans into one large pot, then add the spices. My personal favorite for the hot sauce is Texas Pete's. I usually use around 10 shakes of the hot sauce, but as I said before we like it spicy. You may want to make it without hot sauce the first time around to see how much more spice suits your taste.

Recipe: Corn Casserole

This is one of my favorite recipes. It's so easy to fix and is sooo good. My mom fixed it all the time when I was growing up and Justin and I love to have it now. I usually take it to fellowship meals at church and if I don't people ask where it is. :) Enjoy!

1 can creamed corn
1 can whole kernel corn (undrained)
1 stick butter or margarine
2 eggs, well beaten
8 oz sour cream
1 small box Jiffy cornbread/corn muffin mix

Mix all ingredients and pour into greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 60 minutes.

Tips: I usually melt the butter in the microwave to make it much easier to mix. I also put all the wet in first then the Jiffy so that it all gets mixed together smoothly. The recipe says it takes 30 to 60 minutes, but it always takes mine 60 minutes. I guess it just depends on your oven. I usually make it a little healthier by using low fat or fat free butter and sour cream.