tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574135756110007402025-05-28T02:40:47.889-04:00thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-59933747738609556312014-03-24T17:56:00.000-04:002017-02-20T15:32:59.976-05:00

This week I went with another Jamie Oliver recipe. The last time I blogged a Jamie Oliver recipe it was a wildly successful post and dinner. I had to try his meatball-making technique, one that I still use to this day. Today however is a simple pasta dish. I have to admit, when I got home from work Friday I was not really in the mood to cook. Usually when I force-cook food it turns out

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-14182667675611989332014-03-15T18:38:00.000-04:002017-02-17T20:36:02.924-05:00

Oh man it's great to be back on the blog! So much to say, and yet I have to keep reminding myself that I don't have to say it all in a single post. A lot has changed since my last post including my getting a new job and our buying a new house last October. I'm still trying to eat healthy even though I gave up the vegetarian thing over a year ago, and I'm not cooking as elaborately as I used

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-55452760901098008512013-05-30T13:24:00.001-04:002017-02-17T20:36:36.168-05:00

I surprised myself with this one; oh man it was soo good! I'm leaning toward going back to vegetarianism; not so much becoming full on vegetarian, but at least having maybe 1-2 meals per week be veggie starting out, and maybe bring that number up to 3-4 or maybe even 5. Anyway, if you can believe, the night I made this I had a craving for something meatless. I also wanted to make something

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-74324773550418063742013-05-25T15:27:00.000-04:002017-02-17T20:36:47.781-05:00

I'm about a month late making this post. I've been meaning to chronicle my garden from week to week just to share and to also monitor growth and record experiences. So, here goes: I don't have much of a yard, and what little yard I do have is indiscriminately mowed by massive machines once a week, so it's difficult to try planting something in the ground without the mower guys coming and

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-31951355775949659362013-05-01T10:43:00.000-04:002017-02-22T20:51:48.463-05:00

So I decided to give Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen: 100 Of My Favourite Easy Recipes another shot and make another of his recipes. Even though I wasn't a big fan of his Coconut Crusted Chicken it did taste better leftover. The flavors blended and relaxed a bit, and the coconut no longer had that burnt taste, which made it more enjoyable. Anyway, so this meatloaf recipe looked good, and I'm a big

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-38126981148058053542013-04-19T10:55:00.003-04:002017-02-22T20:50:32.614-05:00

Okay, so Chef Michael Smith is a well-known, celebrity chef pretty much across the globe. I'm not sure how famous he is here in the states, but just because I had never heard of him before doesn't really mean too much. For all I know, he may be all over Food Network or Cooking Channel or whatever, but to be honest I sort of stopped watching those channels because they transitioned into reality

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-22318757159878078982013-01-18T20:43:00.001-05:002017-02-22T20:49:37.320-05:00

I've been reading a book called The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. It's quite fascinating, even though it reads like a dry documentary in print, especially if you have a particular interest in what's in your food and where your food comes from. The author explores each of our current food chains - industrial foods, organic foods, and foraged foods and follows them

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-45943568027321067932013-01-07T22:31:00.001-05:002017-02-17T20:45:07.631-05:00

Regretably, it's been a really long time since my last post. I work full time, odd second shift hours, which means I'm not home to make dinner. When I am home to make dinner I usually make pizza. I think I'm making the transition to first shift hours though, which means I'll be home to make dinner regularly.   Despite the time elapse since my last post, Jen and I have stayed true to our

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-77753655510785614232012-08-27T07:43:00.000-04:002017-02-17T20:45:21.212-05:00

I say first attempt because this is just a simple something I threw together for dinner last night. The only thing that doesn't make this a vegan lasagna is the cheese, and of that I think I used a little too much. Prep work involved in this lasagna was the cooking of the pasta, which I did in early afternoon to make sure it was cool enough to handle. Also, make marinara - for me it's a

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-57139841605578409652012-08-20T11:20:00.000-04:002017-02-22T20:44:25.157-05:00

Much to the chagrin of Jen and Lily, I occasionally enjoy a Moroccan/North African dish. It's something about the earthiness of the individual ingredients combining to create new and surprising flavors. Even the color of the food comes in beautiful earth tones. And besides, who doesn't love couscous? Earf Tone Spices! I think it's the combination of spices that makes or breaks this stew.

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-73625714217519145672012-08-13T11:19:00.000-04:002017-02-22T20:41:05.384-05:00

My family and I are switching to a vegetarian, whole foods diet for health and weight-loss purposes. I'm pretty excited about it, and it's amazing to me how much food I eat during a sitting because it's low density calories and high fiber. All of it is very low fat, very low cholesterol and packed with nutrients. It's so nice because when I eat I feel satiated without feeling weighed down and

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-4251186991767735022012-07-10T09:07:00.003-04:002017-02-17T20:47:32.247-05:00

I've been on a Jamie Oliver kick lately. Honestly, I've never paid much attention to him, thinking he was just another TV chef, until one morning I watched one of his 30 minute meals shows. "He's like a British Rachel Ray," I said in a way that meant I was probing my wife for her thoughts on the matter. What I liked about him most though is his more earthy, rustic dishes rather than comfort

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-30338887526940242222012-06-15T09:15:00.002-04:002017-02-17T20:49:11.842-05:00

A few months ago I was picked to check out some Melt buttery, organic spread, and here I am today doing it again. I love this stuff! I've tried using it with daily cooking and baking as well as just a topping or spread for vegetables or toast or whatever. This time around I did some baking. I made some chocolate chip hazelnut cookies, for which I always get tremendous compliments whenever I

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-42004947831357916442012-05-22T09:44:00.003-04:002017-02-17T20:49:32.402-05:00

This was an easy and filling dinner for company Saturday night. As a side, I made some breadsticks brushed with a homemade herb butter using half of my pizza dough recipe. And honestly, I spent more time and effort on the dessert that I'll put as my next post. I've got a basic recipe listed below, but salads are fun to mix and match ingredients and a great way to learn and experiment

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-16585545861059361842012-05-09T21:23:00.001-04:002017-02-22T20:35:00.959-05:00

Time management has become more difficult since my "part time job" has been scheduling me for full time hours (without the full time benefits, of course). And so my ability to cook decent meals for my family, and subsequently blog about them, has become extremely limited when it comes to managing my time. It's amazing to me how much I yearn to cook especially now that I'm limited to doing it

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-43085589143420455492012-04-30T21:35:00.001-04:002017-02-17T20:52:51.529-05:00

I get the urge to bake about as much as I get the urge to cook. I found this little recipe in a Food Network Kitchens cookbook and thought it would be fast and easy. Well, it is, sort of, but it does require a little time and some extra steps I wasn't expecting and I am still not quite sure I understand. These came out a little weird looking. Tasting great! But weird shaped. I guess all of my

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-58861540711534168782012-04-24T20:57:00.001-04:002017-02-17T20:53:26.370-05:00

It's been some time since I've had the time and energy along with the urge to do some creative, experimental cooking. I wonder if foodies that don't cook know what kind of planning it takes to find or write a recipe and then execute it, let alone take pictures and then write about it. It requires some effort! Tonight's meal was a neat little discovery for me because I learned about miso. I've

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-56640320437191327482012-04-19T11:00:00.001-04:002017-02-17T20:54:26.776-05:00

People approach me all the time and ask, "Hey Noob! You got any good recipes for dog food?!" Actually, no they don't. Nobody, except Daisy, has ever asked me that. When she was a puppy I tried giving her a can of Alpo, and she was all excited for maybe a week whenever she got it. It got old and fast. So I upgraded to a better (more expensive) brand, and have been upgrading until I've gotten

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-33393533405231090612012-03-08T20:03:00.002-05:002017-02-17T20:58:06.979-05:00

As you may remember, I took some time off from blogging for a few different personal reasons. In the past couple of months I have met two of my biggest, almost unachievable goals. I have made some strict changes in my diet that have allowed me to manage my IBS symptoms enough to go back to work, and as of February 16th I became employed at a nearby grocery store in the deli department. I'm

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-84338001592686419262011-11-22T14:21:00.001-05:002017-02-17T20:59:44.231-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by Miranda, who does promotional services for Melt, and she sent me a couple of free samples. I first discovered Melt over at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts (Triple D if you're Guy Fieri) and was surprised it could be used in baking. Previously, I haven't had good luck baking with margarine, butter substitutes, or shortening instead of actual butter, and

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-29673166427071118982011-11-15T19:56:00.001-05:002017-02-17T21:01:02.124-05:00

Drop that seasoning packet! Nope, you're not going to need that anymore; save your ninety-nine cents. Tacos are a frequent favorite. We don't eat them every week but we do eat them at least once a month, sometimes more often if we're in the mood. I discovered a few years ago that typically when I used a seasoning packet for tacos (or any foods) my IBS would bother me, so I decided rather than

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-46267685771142841532011-11-11T21:01:00.001-05:002017-02-17T21:02:32.486-05:00

This soup was perfect timing for this week as Jen (my wife) and I have been fighting off some semblance of colds and sinus crap. There's nothing better than a nice hot bowl of soup to warm the soul and relieve those nasty body aches. This recipes comes from Jen's Fresh and Fabulous, who as far as I can tell is a bit new to the blogging scene. Although by all appearances she's off to a great

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-40711228850627562532011-11-08T20:17:00.000-05:002017-02-17T21:04:02.960-05:00

Jen and I have become recent fans of Dave Ramsey, and one of his popular expressions is going on a "beans n rice; rice n beans grocery budget." This is a great way to save about $10 a week on the grocery budget, or even more, weekly, once you've stocked the ingredients. Jen sort of came up with this concoction years ago not really to save money but just as something quick to make for her and

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-11507589447053440292011-11-03T21:24:00.000-04:002017-02-17T21:07:12.619-05:00

Continuing with a meatball theme this week... When I was doing my weekly meal plan on Sunday, I planned to buy both ground beef and ground pork, two things I don't typically buy, so I had to come up with two recipes that used them. The Swedish Meatballs just so happened to use approximately 1/2 lb of each (or at least for the quantities I wanted to make) so it worked out perfectly to finally

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257413575611000740.post-19598541926351946262011-11-01T20:45:00.001-04:002017-02-17T21:09:08.308-05:00

It's been a long, long time since I've had a Swedish meatball. I think my grandmother made some as a side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas some 25 years ago. Considering I was only a kid at the time, they must had made some impact on me to remember loving them so much, so when I found this recipe in Food Network Magazine I had to give it a go. I started off with some butter, onions and

thekitchennoobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153061422219385632noreply@blogger.com20