We finally got some rain in Atlanta! I had planned to take Mia to the park yesterday morning and after some debate about whether or not to cancel - I decided to go ahead and walk in the rain. By the time we got to the park, it was only lightly drizzling - perfect walking weather. Mia didn't even seem to notice that it was sprinkling and I enjoyed the cooler temperature. We only saw 2 other people at the park - it was very quiet and quite peaceful. I didn't even listen to my iPod while I walked. I opted instead to listen to the soothing sounds of the gentle rain on the leaves. When I got home, I heated up a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup for lunch. It really hit the spot after my walk. I was so glad that I had made a double batch of chicken noodle soup on Monday to stock up my freezer for Fall. Chicken Soup Stock Soup 1 pound ground chicken 3 Tablespoons cornstarch 1 Tablespoon oil ¼ cup cold water 1 celery rib, chopped 1 small onion, thinly sliced 1 onion, minced 2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 carrot, chopped 1 celery rib, halved and sliced 1 quart water 1 potato, cut in ¾” cubes 2 quarts chicken broth 1 cup egg noodles 2 bay leaves 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley 2 teaspoons salt 2 chicken breasts with ribs Add water, broth, bay, salt and chicken breasts. Cover and cook on medium low for 30 minutes. Remove lid, increase heat to high and remove chicken breasts. Cook 20 minutes. Strain stock through strainer. Allow to cool and skim off fat. Before I added the noodles, I divided my double batch of soup into 6 smaller containers. I labelled the containers and put them in the freezer for another rainy day. Ciao!
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Last weekend my family was invited to a birthday party. I volunteered to bring cupcakes because I've been looking for an excuse to make smores cupcakes. I am not really a huge fan of traditional smores but I LOVE these cupcakes. You really need to try them. Smore Cupcakes (2 dozen) 2 1/4 cups + 2 T. sugar 2 eggs 1 3/4 cups flour 1 cup whole milk 3/4 cup + 1 T. cocoa 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 cup boiling water 1 teaspoon salt 9 ounces mini chocolate chips 24 graham cracker squares 1/3 cup butter, melted Combine flour, 2 c. + 2 T. sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in mixer. Stir together eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and add to mixer. Beat 2 minutes. Add boiling water and stir to combine. Marshmallow Meringue 8 egg whites 2 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 2 teaspoons vanilla Place egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in mixer bowl. Place over a pot of simmering water on stove. Whisk constantly until sugar melts and mixture is warm to the touch. (4-5 minutes) Transfer bowl to mixer and whisk gradually increasing speed from low to high for 5-7 minutes. Add vanilla and use immediately. Ciao!
I must be ready for summer because I'm starting to get my freezer ready for the warm weather. We've eaten up all of the soup and chili that I had stored up for the winter and I just restocked the freezer with burgers for our summer cookouts! I love to have really great uncooked burger patties in my freezer so I can pull them out for a quick and easy summer meal. This burger recipe was one of the first recipes that I posted when I first started blogging back in October of 2011. The post didn't have very many photos and I didn't feel like I really did this recipe justice. So just in case you missed it the first time around, here it is for the second time ... Steak Burgers. Grilled Steak Burgers 7 Tablespoons butter 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons onion powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 1/2 pounds 90% lean ground beef 4 hamburger buns
Once the patties are frozen, I put them into individual sandwich sized baggies and then into a gallon sized freezer bag. I can take out exactly how many burgers I want to cook. Once they're defrosted, fire up the grill and enjoy. Load up your burger with the toppings that you enjoy. Ciao!
Football season and tailgate parties seem to go hand in hand. It has been only recently that I have been made aware of just how many people attend tailgate parties before football games. Personally, I think it's a great idea - maybe it's because I'm such a foodie. I am fascinated by the things that people serve at tailgate parties too. There seems to be a whole new genre of food out there for tailgaters. Since it is tailgate season, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and give you my tailgate recipes for steak quesadillas. Steak Quesadillas 8 whole wheat tortillas flank steak 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup chicken broth fresh grated ginger 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 clove minced garlic 1 cup Colby cheese, shredded 1 cup low fat refried black beans 1/2 avocado, sliced 1/2 cup salsa Combine soy, 1/4 cup chicken broth, ginger, onion powder and garlic in a large ziploc bag. Add steak and refrigerate up to 8 hours. Remove steak and cook on the grill until desired doneness. Warm beans with 1/4 cup chicken broth in saucepan. Slice steak thinly across the grain. Spread a thin layer of beans on 4 tortillas. Layer steak, cheese and avocado on top of beans. Top with a second tortilla. Carefully place the queasdilla on the grill and cook until browned on each side. Transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board and slice into sixths.
These were delicious. My husband added salsa to his quesadilla, which made it a little messy but he said it was worth it. With a side of tortilla chips and salsa, these steak quesadillas would make the perfect tailgate food. Ciao! For some reason, I was craving a smoothie when I finished my morning workout this morning. I used this as an excuse to try a new orange pineapple smoothie recipe from one of my favorite blogs, "For the Love of Cooking". Orange Pineapple Smoothie 1 cup of ice cubes 1/2 cup crushed pineapple 1/2 banana 3/4 cup orange juice I combined all the ingredients in my little Oster blender and voila - smoothie!
I had several errands to run today so I poured my smoothie into a travel mug and off I went. I enjoyed my refreshing drink as I accomplished my morning "to do' list. It was so good and it kept me full until lunch time. I think I am going to have to start making more smoothies - I forgot how good they are. Ciao! |
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