tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75750495425893207342024-09-24T22:41:26.070-04:00From the Beltway to the Big AppleJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-32814723743423188242016-01-25T19:56:00.000-05:002016-01-25T19:56:16.427-05:00

I am a huge fan of risotto, and will typically order a seafood risotto dish if it is on special at a restaurant. However, I was always afraid to try cooking it myself. I heard horror stories about how long and labor-intensive the process was, and that was enough to scare me off. That is, until my husband asked me to make him risotto for a special occasion. Challenge, accepted. I looked

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-31916048204529755112015-09-18T13:24:00.000-04:002015-09-18T13:24:03.156-04:00

When a friend of mine sent me a link for a free week of Blue Apron, I figured that I might as well try it out! For those of you who aren't familiar with Blue Apron, it is a company that sends you fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and detailed instructions (complete with pictures!) to create 2-4 meals per week for a family of two or four. The fee is pretty reasonable and the package for the week

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-79413828901897472632015-06-24T19:57:00.001-04:002015-06-24T19:58:12.832-04:00

I apologize for not posting any recipes in awhile - I've had my hands full the past few months! But since having a baby, I appreciate even more the importance of finding healthy recipes that are fast and easy to make (ideally, 10 minutes or less of prep time, since that's about as long as Little Man will allow me before he gets fussy!).  I discovered this recipe a few months ago, and

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-75441053456053196002014-11-01T09:30:00.000-04:002014-11-01T09:30:00.824-04:00

I will start off by warning you that this is not a healthy recipe. Not in the least. However, the cookies turned out so yummy that I felt it was my duty to share this recipe with the masses (aka my few loyal subscribers). You could replace the butter with applesauce to make this healthier, but to be honest, the buttery deliciousness of these cookies was what made these so excellent! The original

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-49868308930636017532014-10-26T12:41:00.000-04:002014-10-26T12:55:00.258-04:00

I realize that I haven't posted any recipes recently (ok, it's been about 5 months). I've been a little distracted by life, but I promise that I have continued to test new recipes and now I'm back with new blog posts! I made the following orzo salad to bring to a family barbeque. It is a great addition to a cookout, but can also be served during a dinner at home with burgers or grilled chicken,

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-75027346238333189002014-05-15T21:15:00.000-04:002014-05-15T21:15:06.115-04:00

I love baking for others. I also love baking for myself, but because of my lack of willpower when it comes to fresh baked goods, I try to only bake when I have somewhere to bring (and leave) the treats. So when we made plans to visit my in-laws last weekend, it was the perfect excuse to pull out the mixing bowls.  I craved peanut butter cookies, but I wanted to make a diabetic-friendly

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-31002346921473874202014-04-20T22:00:00.001-04:002014-04-20T22:00:29.402-04:00

For the first time this year, Rick and I decided to cook Easter dinner at home, just the two of us. I have been traveling for the past couple of weeks, and we have family coming into town for the next couple of weeks, so we needed a quiet weekend for two.  We bought a spiral ham for the main event, but it's always a little sad celebrating a holiday without the rest of our family, so I

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-61391018824386311922014-03-30T22:23:00.000-04:002014-03-30T22:23:11.271-04:00

My coworkers were discussing orzo recently, and it got me thinking that while I have loved orzo any time it has been served, I have never actually made it myself. Inspired by this conversation, I bought a box of orzo the next time I was at the grocery store. Next, I needed to figure out what to do with it! I found a recipe for a shrimp, feta, and asparagus orzo on Pinterest, and knew I had

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-39341862383789215572014-03-09T15:56:00.002-04:002014-03-09T15:56:27.840-04:00

Is anyone else sick of the cold weather? We finally got a joyous reprieve from the cold in DC yesterday, but I know not to trust that it's here to stay - especially since we still have snow piles from Monday's snowstorm! I decided to take advantage of the cold weather and a snow day last week, though, and try out a casserole recipe that I've had my eye on for awhile. This chicken parmesan

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-85000906662557535472014-02-17T20:49:00.002-05:002014-02-17T20:49:36.269-05:00

My mom is quite an excellent baker, but one of my favorite of her recipes is one of her simplest - cake mix cookies. 3 ingredients and less than half an hour is all you need to make this delicious dessert! The initial recipe called for 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, but I wanted to make them a bit healthier so I swapped out the oil for unsweetened applesauce. In my opinion, the swap doesn't change

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-53662152082673721362014-01-26T18:14:00.001-05:002014-01-26T18:15:05.075-05:00

I know what you're probably thinking - "Mango? In a turkey burger?" I was thinking the same thing when I first stumbled across this recipe. I decided to give it a try, though, and I was very glad that I did!  I am not a huge fan of red meat, but I do love burgers. Typically I'll choose a turkey burger over a regular hamburger, but turkey burgers often taste very plain and sometimes dry.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-57853198750719779432014-01-12T20:56:00.002-05:002014-01-12T20:56:52.979-05:00

In my daily search of Pinterest recipes a few months ago, I came across a few "one pot" recipes for various pasta dishes. Because I hate having to use more than one pot or pan when I'm cooking (and Rick hates it more so, since he has to wash said dishes!), I was intrigued but skeptical. I pinned the recipes and moved on. This weekend, I found myself with some defrosted, uncooked chicken and no

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-87168313248059749722013-12-20T10:43:00.000-05:002013-12-20T10:43:31.893-05:00

I love the traditional turkey dinner at Thanksgiving - as long as I could get my hands on some of the dark meat! However, I've always most looked forward to the turkey croquettes that my mom makes with the leftover turkey a few days after Thanksgiving. Fried turkey goodness, what's not to love?  For the past 2 years, I haven't been able to go home for Thanksgiving, and so I got my mom's

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-11824455914564334492013-11-15T20:17:00.000-05:002013-11-15T20:17:33.148-05:00

My husband's birthday was last week, so I wanted to surprise him with a special birthday dessert. Rick loves peanut butter, and we had some leftover Halloween candy in the house, so I started searching online for recipes. I found several that sounded good, so I mixed and matched from a few of the most promising ones to create this Snickers Peanut Butter Pie.  The pie is definitely indulgent

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-20093251749919864452013-11-04T21:34:00.000-05:002013-11-04T21:39:45.819-05:00

I have a real affinity for Southern style cooking, and luckily in the DC area we have a number of amazing restaurants that specialize in Southern cuisine. Soul food is not exactly known for being healthy though, so I have to limit how often we eat out at Southern style restaurants. So imagine my delight when I stumbled across a healthy chicken 'n waffles recipe in my other new Hungry Girl

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-27720833649789375162013-10-22T20:44:00.001-04:002013-10-22T20:45:10.950-04:00

One of the things that I love most about the fall is apples. I typically eat an apple every day, and I enjoy applesauce and apple butter, but I also love the not-so-healthy apple desserts. Apple pie, apple crisp, apple cake...my mouth is watering just thinking of the options! This fall though, after a month of pretty unhealthy eating, I am on a mission to find apple desserts that won't be so

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-30424016043940067422013-09-30T19:04:00.000-04:002013-09-30T19:04:29.389-04:00

I love this recipe. I was originally drawn in by the picture of the meal on The Cozy Apron's website, despite my ambivalence towards spicy Italian sausage. But I was totally sold on Italian sausage after taking my first bite of the finished product. I was a little nervous that the recipe would be time-consuming to make because of the number of ingredients, but it was extremely easy and quick to

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-43124408661886799302013-09-30T18:16:00.001-04:002013-09-30T18:16:21.948-04:00

It's about time that I write a post about one of my favorite places in Brooklyn, Toby's Public House. Ryan and I often go here on a night when we don't have plans and want really good food. It's a bar with a casual atmosphere and a brick oven stove where they make delicious food. We went there this weekend and it was as amazing as I remembered from my last visit there. There is also another

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04542050528521638845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-17692955973352852662013-09-17T21:58:00.000-04:002013-09-17T21:58:51.188-04:00

I was on vacation for a week and while I had delicious food throughout our tour of the South, I was excited to try some new recipes after coming back from vacation. Unfortunately, I tried a few recipes that were underwhelming and not fit for posting to the blog! I will continue on my mission to find new and easy recipes for you all, but in the meantime I was inspired by the sudden change of

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-69691432300373386102013-09-07T10:08:00.000-04:002013-09-07T10:08:28.110-04:00

I remember going to Nom Wah Tea Parlor as a kid. My family would go there in the afternoon as part of an adventure in the big city. They have redone the restaurant since then and one of their family members became the owner of the restaurant, but it still has the same charm. I decided to venture back there for a dinner out with Ryan to relive some childhood memories. Nom Wah Tea Parlor has been

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04542050528521638845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-64542114779018958002013-08-30T16:31:00.001-04:002013-08-30T16:31:33.237-04:00

I decided to make this meal after getting some inspiration from a French cookbook. There was a recipe for rack of lamb that sounded delicious, but we quickly discovered that (a) rack of lamb is difficult to find in the grocery store, and (b) if you do find rack of lamb, it is very expensive! So that recipe didn't happen. So I opened up the old cookbooks, and came across this easy-to-make

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-37334608939215473762013-08-27T18:25:00.001-04:002013-09-07T14:21:43.027-04:00

I'm not a huge fan of chain restaurants. I feel like they just aren't as interesting as other places. However, I finally found a great chain, Bareburger, so I decided I had to write about it in this blog. Bareburger is an organic and all natural burger restaurant. There are a bunch of locations in New York City and they are expanding to outside of New York City soon. I tried out

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04542050528521638845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-38177714423591791852013-08-20T20:21:00.000-04:002013-08-20T20:21:04.987-04:00

The other night, I found myself with some chicken breasts that needed to be cooked, as well as a can of artichokes and a can of diced tomatoes. I did some googling and found a few recipes that combined those three ingredients, looked easy to make, and sounded good. I chose the recipe that was the quickest to throw together (it had been a long day at work!), made a few small changes, and came up

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-48168899963043192992013-08-07T20:18:00.000-04:002013-08-07T20:18:41.680-04:00

Have you figured out yet that I'm crazy about all things lasagna? I previously told you about my love for lasagna, and my need to find ways to keep my portion sizes in check. So when I saw this Skinnytaste.com recipe for spinach lasagna rolls, of course I was hooked. (As a side note, Skinnytaste is one of my favorite blogs for healthy recipes - I haven't gone wrong with a single one of her

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111373596920934349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575049542589320734.post-54981966086397049952013-08-04T09:59:00.000-04:002013-08-04T09:59:30.223-04:00

So I rarely get excited to have breakfast out. I am usually happy with some cereal at home in my pajamas. However, my experience at Penny Cluse Cafe in Burlington, Vermont, makes me want to recognize that maybe breakfast is more exciting than I had always believed. It is a cute breakfast and lunch spot, open daily until 3pm. The crowds come out to eat there. I actually caved in and waited over 1

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04542050528521638845noreply@blogger.com0