Peas and Crayons

WIAW #71 [What I Ate... This Weekend!]

2012-05-30T00:04:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I've been traveling entirely too much. The plus side is surely how fast this leg of the deployment is going thanks to these mini road trips. Oh and the fun factor is a plus too, I LOVE travelling! The down side, however, involves a spiteful feline, a pouty ferret, and and an overwhelming desire to hibernate. I'm sitting in my bed as I type this and, let me tell you, the pillow is seducing the crap out of me. Hopefully I can get through this entire post without passing out face first on the keyboard. Wish me luck! =)

For my day of eats... er... its kind of the most boring ever! I was still rockin' a food coma from all the amazing food from the weekend, so what I ate before and during the ride home was snack-y and lacking veggies/substance. Boooooring! Trust me when I say I made up for it today with a day full of recipe testing and kitchen experimentation =) I'll reveal the recipes as soon as ~~I get off pinterest~~ I can.

So without further adieu, here's my semi-wordless, super-sleepy What I Ate shenanigans:

This is pretty much how I feel about my day of eats this time around: not enough veggies! Grr!

and while I have you ~~captive~~ here, a weekend collage is also in order!

Want to join in on the fun?

[Click here for WIAW info!]

Blogger's Day Off

2012-05-29T07:33:00.000-04:00

You know you've been spending too much time away when [a] your suitcase is always packed and ready to go and [b] the cat poops on the stairs. While I take a day to decompress from this month's travel-a-thon, I'll leave you with a quick peek at my latest salad obsession:

Carrot "Pulp" Salad

1 organic heart of romaine lettuce, chopped

1-2 handfuls of organic baby carrots, shredded to a "pulp" in the blender/processor

any + all veggies lurking in your fridge, chopped/sliced/diced/whatever

naturally fresh light ranch dressing and chia seeds for topping

The combination of the dressing and the carrot "pulp" gives this quickie salad a great texture. It's crisp, creamy, and refreshing! I'm a huge fan of the ginger dressing at Japanese restaurants and this was my super speedy homage to the chunky, orange salad topper. You haven't seen the last of this baby. I'm in love.

See ya tomorrow for What I Ate Wednesday!

In our hearts, always

2012-05-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Memorial Day to the brave men and women who have served our country...

...and those that are currently serving <3

Love you

Another Day, Another Quiche

2012-05-24T19:59:00.004-04:00

You totally already knew this was coming right? I'm on a little bit of quiche kick lately. National egg day is on June 3rd... and I'm simply getting a head start. This has absolutely noooothing to do with the fact that I have been pining over the darn things day and night. I'm simply being practical =)

Fluffy Asparagus + Feta Quiche

[makes one 9-inch or 4 minis and serves 4-5]

what's in it?
4 eggs
4-6 stalks of asparagus
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 - 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese [grab a little extra to garnish!]
2/3 cup half and half
S+P, to taste

uber easy crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil [olive, grape seed, etc...]
1/4 cup ice cold water

get baking!

To make the crust, first mix the flour and salt with fork. In a separate bowl, beat the oil and water with a whisk or fork to thicken. Pour into flour and mix gently with a fork. [just til mixed, don't overwork it] Divide dough into 4 equal parts and press each flat on a solid surface. You'll want to press the dough super thin so it comes out flaky and magical. Then press each doughy disc into 4 mini tart pans and season each with a little freshly ground black pepper. Making one big quiche instead? Press the dough into a 9-10 inch pie dish. Preheat oven to 350F and start quiche filling.

Next start on your asparagus. Trim the ends and blanch in a thin layer of boiling water for about a minute or so, just long enough to turn the stalks bright green and tender. Immediately plunge the spears in an ice bath or rinse with super cold water to halt the cooking process [no soggy spears here!] Slice the spears into thin diagonal cuts... or pretty much any way you feel like slicing them! Just not super thick. Beat the eggs until the yolks and whites are incorporated and add your half and half. Add a little S+P to taste. Top the crust with minced garlic, veggies, and feta and pour in egg mixture. Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes.

Crumble a little feta on top and serve. If you're feeling feisty, top with a drizzle hot sauce and a barley-there sprinkle of red pepper flakes for an early morning pick-me-up... aka a mondo kick in the tastebuds=) You know you love it!

I freaking love quiche.

The end.

What I Ate Wednesday Turns 70! WOAH!

2012-05-23T00:09:00.000-04:00

It's Wednesday! It's also the 70th What I Ate Wednesday link party.

We should probably get it a few packs of depends for its birthday....

As promised, here's part 2 of [What I Ate... on the Beach!] as well as a few other dishes I've been scarfing in heavy rotation this week.

Starting with some Bento Box sushi:

This is quite possibly one of my favorite sushi restaurants in North Carolina! They have really awesome vegetarian rolls and really unique elements such as their wasabi-infused sesame seeds. They also have a little flat screen that brodcasts live feed from the chefs while they make your rolls -- Paul and I have picked up some amazing tips here and have really honed our sushi making skills thanks to Bento Box =) Love this place!

Other amazingness from the weekend:

[black bean taco salad + cajun rubbed corn from Las Olas] [special K strawberry cereal with fresh blueberries] [the best deviled eggs of my LIFE, roasted carrots and brussels sprouts, parm + lemon tilpia, and fried okra] [my new favorite flavored yogurt - Voskos apricot mango] [eggplant, tomato, and goat cheese pizza from Osteria Cicchetti] [scrambled eggs, smashed potatoes, and a fluffy chocolate chip waffle from Causeway Cafe]

Now that I'm back home and settled,

I've been cooking up a storm & eating leftovers like there's no tomorrow:

[Super Simple Quiche] [Vegan Chickpea Salad] [Spaghetti & Cheese Balls]

[Asparagus Quiche]

I've rambled enough -- Let's see what you've been eating! <3

Happy What I Ate Wednesday!

Want to join in on the fun?

[Click here for WIAW info!]

Yayyy I can't wait to read all of these!

[Restaurant Recreation] Marinated Chickpea Salad

2012-05-22T07:39:00.000-04:00

I'm kind of a slut for ethnic cuisine. Oh, and veggies. I would pretty much do anything for a bite of tall, dark and GREEN! Or yellow... red... orange... You see where I'm going with this right? =)

Once I straight up cried in the middle of a restaurant simply because my friends wanted to abandon ship and eat next door where the only vegetable options were coleslaw and french fries. We were on vacation and I desperatley wanted something fun/interesting/healthy to eat. It was at that very moment that I realized just how much of a pain in the butt I am. I also suffer from chain restaurant aversion. Ask me to go to Applebee's instead of a sketchy little local joint and cue the water works.

So yes, if you ever try to make me eat at a Chilis, I will cry. And I'm not a pretty crier.

There are, however, a few chain restaurants that don't make me cry. In fact, I'll almost always jump at the chance to eat at a Panera Bread, Sweet Tomatoes, and a few others. I've even been know to fling my car off at the nearest exit with a Taco Bell during road trips. I'm not that much of a snob. Unless of course I'm in a new town with seriously awesome food options.

Baba Gannouj is a North Carolina chain... and they're located in malls, no less. But they're freaking AWESOME. Their colorful Mediterranean dishes are fresh, full of whole foods, and pretty darn healthy to boot. And their chickpea salads? To die for. So naturally I recreated it at home!

Marinated Chickpea Salad

[makes 2-4 servings... depending on how ravenous you are]

what's in it?
1 can of chickpeas
1/2 an orange bell pepper
1/2 a red bell pepper
1/4 white onion
1/2 an english cucumber

uber easy marinade/dressing
2.5 Tbsp white whine balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp grapeseed oil
4 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried minced onion
1/2-1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried dill

Brontosaurus Chefs It's fabulously vegan! Enjoy as is or pair with falafel/hummus
T-Rex Chefs if you try to add meat to this I will fight you! You can, however, pair this dish with shish kebabs or grilled chicken =)

get ~~cooking~~ marinating!

Drain and rinse chickpeas, chop your veggies, and toss them in a bowl. Combine all dressing ingredients in a separate container and either shake or whisk to incorporate. Pour over beans and vegetables and pop the bowl in the fridge, covered, for a few hours to let the fabulous flavors of the marinade get better acquainted with your veggies.

so... how was it?

I never get tired of answering this question -- SO GOOD! It's tasty chilled but tastes absolutely best at room temperature [somehow the flavors are more amplified] This refreshing dish is great as a side dish or as a stand-alone lunch. You can toss them over a crisp green salad, serve it alongside a fluffy pita sandwich, or even turn it into a greek platter by adding grape leaves, hummus, tzatziki sauce, falafel, pita wedges and even a big ole pile of olives. Just keep the olives to yourself. I'm still terrified of them =)

Super Simple Mushroom-Swiss Quiche

2012-05-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

I've been a teeny bit cranky lately. Staying up late tearing through the ginormous stack of books beside my bed, making ridiculously long lists of things I want to cook/bake/create, and doing laundry at ungodly hours has resulted in restless nights and difficult mornings. Hitting the snooze button and missing my morning workouts only ups the biotch-factor so, now that a new week has presented itself, I'm determined to wake up on the right side of the bed and get my act together. This shouldn't be too difficult with a fridge full of these guys to wake up to:

Super Simple Mushroom Swiss Quiche

[makes one standard quiche or 4 minis]

what's in it?
4 eggs
1 [8oz] pkg of baby bella or button mushrooms
1/4 onion
2 cloves of garlic
4 ounces of grated swiss cheese [or approx 4 slices]
2/3 cup half and half or heavy cream
S+P, to taste

Bonus points for adding something gloriously green:
spinach, asparagus, or broccoli!

uber easy crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil [olive, grape seed, etc...]
1/4 cup ice cold water

get cooking!

Prep work: slice the mushrooms, mince your garlic, and dice your onion. To make the crust, first mix the flour and salt with fork. In a separate bowl, beat the oil and water with a whisk or fork to thicken. Pour into flour and mix gently with a fork. [just til mixed, don't overwork it] Divide dough into 4 equal parts and press each flat on a solid surface. You'll want to press the dough super thin so it comes out flaky and magical. Then press each doughy disc into 4 mini tart pans and season each with a little freshly ground black pepper. Making one big quiche instead? Press the dough into a 9-10 inch pie dish. Preheat oven to 350F and start quiche filling.

Saute mushrooms and onion, adding the garlic towards the very end to prevent burning. Bonus points for adding something gloriously green to the mix =) Season with a little salt, pepper, and even a little garlic powder for added flavor. Beat the eggs until the yolks and whites are incorporated and add the cream. Top the crust with your veggies and swiss and pour in egg mixture. Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes.

Leftover quiche slices/minis can be frozen for a few months or stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. They re-heat like a dream in the toaster oven or even in the microwave when needed. And they taste pretty awesome with hot sauce too -- but then what doesn't taste good with hot sauce on top? Aside from cupcakes.

so... how was it?

I don't feel like typing anymore. I just want to go eat quiche. Gosh! Ok maybe the crankies are back =) But these are super yummy and I look forward to inhaling them for breakfast all. week. long. A second batch [with asparagus!] is on the menu as well. Mmm and more of these too.

What's your favorite make-ahead breakfast item?

Veggie quiche is always and forever my favorite but breakfast pizza is a close second!

Ooh! and if you're craving more yummy quiche options, click away!

New Family Naturals Snack Box Giveaway!

2012-05-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

A while back my crafty/eco/decor-savvy/amazing friend Jane surprised me with package of goodies from New Family Naturals. Hello love at first bite! If it wasn't for Jane and the super sweet folks at NFN, I would have never had the balls to try kale chips for the first time! [vegan nacho cheesy kale chips... *swoon*] You can't even imagine how excited I was when they offered up MEGA BOX of healthy, all-natural snacks... for you!

New Family Naturals snacks are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free!

Your Mega-Box of snacks will include 7 delicious items:

1 bag of Nacho Cheesy Kale Chips

1 bag of Spicy Nacho Kale Chips

1 bag of Mixed Veggie Chips

1 bag of Dried Watermelon Candy

1 bag of Banana Chips

1 bag of Thai Spice Trail Mix

1 Surprise BONUS!

To enter the giveaway:

Do one of the following - or both! - for a total of 2 entries.

Then leave me a comment letting me know =)

1. “Like” New Family Naturals on Facebook & mention the giveaway in a status update.

2. “Follow” NewFamNaturals on twitter & tweet the following:

“Kale Chips, Trail Mix & Fruit Chips…Oh, MY! Visit @PeasandCrayons to win a FREE Mega-Box of @NewFamNaturals goodies! http://www.peasandcrayons.com”

One winner will be chosen at random next Friday, May 25th -- good luck! <3

Congrats to Talia of Bite Sized Wellness!

WIAW #69 [What I Ate... on the beach!]

2012-05-16T00:17:00.002-04:00

A weekend getaway with my friend Kristi and her family resulted in several days of amazing, I repeat, AMAZING Wilminton/Wrightsville Beach cuisine. I lost count of just how often I blurted out "oh... my... god... YUM!" and not-so-secretly want their family to adopt me. Good food and good company are pretty much all I need in life. Oh... and my husband =) Not that he can read this while he's deployed. A message pops up saying that "BLOCKED: entertainment blogs and/or websites" -- which I'm choosing to take as a compliment since it means that at least someone thinks I'm entertaining.

But you guys agree... right? [just smile and nod, okay?]

South Beach Grill

[Wedge Salad with Creamy Feta Dressing, Fresh Onion, and Roasted Roma Tomaotes]

[Sugar Cane Skewered Spiced Shrimp with Tropical Salsa]

[Shrimp and Crab Seafood Nachos - split with Kristi]

[water and white wine]

To sneak some exercise in, we walked to the restaurant from the beach house. On the way the tourist in me had to stop and snap a picture of a little bit of Wrightsville Beach randomness:

On the way back from the restaurant our walk resulted in a little detour...

My first-ever cup of Ritas!

I got the Margarita Gelati. Tart and fruity with a hint of sweet creamy vanilla? Sold!

There was a little of this:

and a LOT of this:

and of course even more food!

Brasserie du Soleil

I had the Local Shrimp and Crab Crepe, a a bite of pretty much everyone's dish [they all rocked!] and an ice cream puff [I forgot what they were called but you guys reminded me that they're profiteroles - Thanks loves!] with chocolate sauce. *swoon*

Yikes! This post is getting pretty lengthy -- If I continue to cram the entire trip [nearly 5 days!] into a single post you might self-destruct trying to read it all. That would be kind of sad considering I don't actually want you to implode... So let's save the rest for next week and get on to your What I Ate Wednesday posts!

Want to join in on the fun?

[Click here for info!]

And while I have ~~you captive~~ your attention... Corey [the beauty behind Learning Patience!] and I decided that there are WAY too many men and women overseas that don't have family or friends to write to. Our blog community is pretty huge -- so why don't we send them some love!? Send and email to OperationLetters@gmail.com and I'll print and mail it overseas for ya in a jumbo care package that Corey and I are putting together! I'll try to whip up a post with more info as we get our butts organized but I wanted to get the ball rolling today so we can see how many of you are interested in writing to the troops. No donations needed, something as simple as a letter can absolutely brighten someone's day! My friend's class has already sent over a box of notes and drawings - We'd love to have you join in! <3

Veggie Patch Lasagna with Creamy Spinach Sauce

2012-05-15T10:31:00.003-04:00

Does anyone else think about food in the shower?

Seriously!

I used to sing, but a girl can only take so much noise pollution in her life. So now I think about food, recipes, projects... all that good stuff! I'm not sure if it it has something to do with being a Pisces or is a precursor to impending insanity -- But I can tell you this: aside from the obvious duty of cleaning my dirty ~~mouth~~ body, shower time is brainstorming time! Baths, on the other hand, are for relaxation. and wine.

One of my recent sud sessions was spent thinking about the Veggie Patch Pita Pizzas that have taken over my kitchen. After making no less than 5 bajillion mini pizzas, I decided to take a brief pita-hiatus. So naturally, I turned to noodles.

Veggie Patch Lasagna with Creamy Spinach Sauce

[easily serves 3-4 or can be whipped up for 1-2 with extra sauce to freeze or pour over veggies!]

What's in it?

6-10 lasagna noodles

1 package of frozen creamed spinach

1 8oz package of button mushrooms, sliced

1 zucchini squash, sliced thin

1-2 roma tomatoes, sliced thin

6oz plain coconut milk [or milk, half and half, etc..]

1/4 cup grated parmesean cheese

additional parm + mozzarella cheese for topping

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp of italian seasoning blend [basil, oregano, etc..]

red pepper flakes for topping

For the filling:

1/2 a bag of baby spinach leaves, torn

15oz whole milk ricotta cheese

1/4 - 1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp of italian seasoning blend [basil, oregano, etc..]

1/4 tsp salt + freshly ground black pepper, to taste

as always, add more delish herbs and spices to taste! I always sneak an extra sprinkle or two in & taste as I go.

Brontosaurus Chefs you can also try this amaaaazing pesto veggie filling

T-Rex Chefs feel free to add ground turkey or sausage if you'd like

Get Cooking!

The sauce and noodles can be made at the same time, followed by a super-speedy assembly, some quality time in the oven, and lastly some quality time in your mouth! Sounds good, right? Let's do this!

To cut down on the amount of carb-y goodness in this dish I made lasagna roll-ups instead of typical layered lasagna. To make a roll up, break the super-long lasagna noodles in 1/2 [Its easiest to do pre-boiling] and apply a liberal dollop of filling inside the middle of each half. Then roll! You can't mess it up if you try. Well, I can mess it up... but I'm special.

Break noodles in 1/2 prior to boiling for roll-ups or leave as is for layering. Boil for 11min or however long the box of noodles specifies. For the filling, combine ingredients, taste, and adjust seasoning to suit your palette. For me, that means garlic-overload! =)

I simply heat the spinach and saute the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and olive oil and then combine. To flavor the sauce, and make it a tad bit more saucy, I added 6oz of coconut milk [any dairy or non-dairy option you adore will work here!] along with 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of dried minced onion [or onion powder] and a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper. After tasting I sprinkled in a little more of each spice -- feel free to do the same if you'd like! Grate some fresh parmesan cheese over the top [about 1/4 cup or more if you're feeling cheesy!] and stir. Viola! Spinach sauce!

Now that you have noodles, sauce, and all your yummy veggies prepped, embrace your inner food artist and start painting your ~~canvas~~ plate. Layer filling, veggies and noodles in a casserole dish for a colorful and hearty lasagna or skip the layers entirely by rolling the filling into halved lasagna noodles. Regardless of your noodle selection, top them with veggies, smother them in creamy spinach sauce and throw in a little parm/mozz cheese for good measure and bake at 350F for about 20 minutes. If you can't fathom turning your oven on in dead of summer toss it all in a pot/skillet and heat to bubbly perfection. This dish is about as versatile as they get.

Here are a few token process shots:

Subsitutions and Such

I've made this dish countless times and ways [hence taking for. ev. er. to post it! whoops!] so here are some variations of the dish that could very well rock your socks.

For the spinach, my go-to shortcut is Birds-Eye's frozen spinach in a natural cream sauce, but homemade creamed spinach is another fabulous option! I'll post a recipe for the scratch version if you'd like -- just let me know if you need it! You can also take the sauce, skip the ricotta, and make a stove top Veggie Patch Pasta instead!

Don't forget to add asparagus... and tomato... and zucchini... and, well, you get the point =) Veg it up!

For a Gluten-Free version, simply grab a box of quinoa noodles or use veggies instead of pasta! Slices of zucchini and yellow squash make tender and delicious lasagna layers, or steam up a bowl of your favorite veggies, pile on the sauce.

This sauce also pairs fabulously with pesto veggie manicotti + spinach stuffed shells

So... How was it?

The tomatoes add that perfect punch of sweetness and acidity while the spinach and mushrooms add an earthy edge to the dish. And then there's the cheese -- oh the cheese! My drug of choice, hands down. If the fact that I make this at least once or twice a month isn't enough reason to make it, then, well -- the sheer volume of delicious veg should do it for ya. This dish belongs in your belly.

Remember when I was waxing poetic on battling my inner perfectionist? This was one of the posts/recipes that I've wanted to share forever but couldn't bring myself to post simply because I hated the photos. Every time I made the dish for recipe testing and subsequent face stuffage, the sun would vanish, leaving a shadowy grey tint to all my photos. I finally decided to embrace it. This recipe really is too good not to share!

It's also what I'm having for lunch today:

Oh yes - I highly suggest serving veggie leftovers over even more vegetables.

What's your all-time favorite pasta sauce?

Veggie Tease

2012-05-14T19:00:00.003-04:00

I ran off to the beach to celebrate the birth of my awesome neighbor!

Forgive me for not taking you with me?

I'll be back tomorrow with the recipe for the most requested dish from last week

There's still a slice left in the freezer....

But that won't be shared =)

What were you up to this weekend?

Another Post About Sweet Potatoes!?

2012-05-10T10:19:00.000-04:00

Ummm, yeah!

True Life: I used to hate sweet potatoes.

Not just hate.... but loathe. I basically would rather have eaten sand than a sweet potato.

I even gave them first billing on the EW List I compiled when I first started blogging.

These days, however, we're pretty hot and heavy.

Like, "if you're going to take that up to your room you better leave the door OPEN!" hot and heavy. I should expect a nice orange glow of a tan any day now b/c of the sheer volume of these things I put away each week. If you told me a year ago I would be this head over heels I would have laughed in your face. If you told me this 6 months ago... I would have insisted I only like them in french fry form. Yet now... now I'll fight you for the last sweet potato in the grocery store. Life is funny like that.

So did I have a point with all this? Noooot really. After tweeting/instagramming [that's a word right?] about a zillion of these babies, I decided they needed another post to call their own. They're kind of a big deal in my kitchen these days. Especially this one.

So... do you want to get in on the action? [say yes!]

Here are some of my favorite savory add-ons to get you started!

black beans

leftover veggies

roasted spaghetti squash

greek yogurt

guacamole

cheese

salsa

sprouts

chives

cilantro

jalapenos

tortilla chip strips

sliced sweet mini peppers

green onion

chia seeds

If you look at the list sideways it kiiiind of looks like a dumbbell =)

What's your favorite thing to slap on a sweet potato?

WIAW #68 [Blogger Sleepover!]

2012-05-09T00:13:00.000-04:00

Though my husband swears it's creepy - I love a good blogger meet-up! Especially when it's with Maria who lives just a few hours away! The beauty behind A Life to Bragg About invited me to spend the weekend with her and, as if you ever doubted it, we spent more time eating than sleeping.

If you already follow me on instagram then you've probably already seen these bad boys:

Blue Moon Cafe... I loooove you!

I *almost* wish I had talked the waitress into taking pictures of us trying to eat it. It got everywhere. Cheeks... Noses... Elbows... Butts... and I suppose a fair amount made it into our bellies as well. We're classy bloggers, and don't you forget it =)

fig, goat cheese, and caramelized onion crostini from Blue Moon Cafe in Fayetteville, NC

another Blue Moon Cafe home run: crab dip with veggies and pita points

Clearly I'm in love with this restaurant! It's super cute - especially their specials menu:

Does anyone else want to hunt down an old beat up palette and

a can of chalkboard spray paint?

We also had a little fun in the kitchen:

impromptu gluten-free veggie mexican pizza with black beans, peppers, tomato, corn and avocado

and Cinco de Mayo was celebrated in style with some rockin' Mexican food:

mind-blowingly-awesome fish tacos at El Cazador in Fayetteville, NC

followed by a night out with these amazing ladies =)

Ole!

Eventually I had to drag my butt home and go back to a life of Starbucks, salads, and stuffed sweet potatoes. But I'm not complaining one bit =)

So.... what have you been stuffing your face with?

Want to join in on the fun?

[Click here for info!]

Kicking my Inner Perfectionist in the Face

2012-05-07T14:42:00.000-04:00

Lately I haven't been posing as much as usual.

Weird considering how much I love blogging. Lately I've gone from a steady 4-6 posts a week to a meager 3. Crap. I'm not okay with it. The weirdest part is that there has been so so so much I've wanted to post/share/say but a nagging feeling of doubt has kept me from pulling the trigger. For someone who doesn't eat chicken, I sure act like one sometimes ;)

At first I thought it might be the deployment stress... or the millions of commitments I took on to avoid thinking about the deployment altogether... but now I'm starting to think it's in large part due to a recent obsession with perfection. My initial thought was: "How messed up is that?!" Followed by a self soothing "A lot of people go through this, its okay. Just suck it up!" Then back to "You are so messed up!" Then I have to stop the inner monologue before I full-on start talking to myself in the middle of the supermarket while the bananas silently judge me.

So I've decided, this ends now! If I have a puddle-of-drool-inflicting recipe with ridiculously crappy photos - so posting it anyways! Really great photos with an epic recipe fail? Um, who doesn't love to laugh at a good goof? Posting! And just because I haven't finished a project yet doesn't mean I can't let you in on the shenanigans behind it... or even ask for your input as I go along! You guys always have the best suggestions anyways.

So hopefully this is the start of something magical. Or simply a hot mess in the making. Either way, I'm pretty optimistic about it <3

Waiter? There are balls in my soup.

2012-05-04T07:54:00.000-04:00

OMGOMGOMG!

So I'm still tallying up the winner from yesterday's shenanigans but had to sneak this amazingness into your life ay-sapp [that's ASAP if you don't speak crazy]

I'll try to write up the recipe for the soup next week.
Scratch that -- I *will* write it up for you next week. Promise.
Until then, all you'll need is a bowl of creamy tomato soup and some balls.

Creamy Tomato Soup with
Baked Mozzarella Balls
-aka cheese ball soup-

What's in it?

1 steaming hot bowl of tomato soup [I tweaked this recipe - more info to come!]
3-4 cubes of mozzarella cheese
1 egg white, whisked
1/4 cup flour [or a little less]
approx 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning blend [like Ms Dash]
cooking spray

Advance Prep:

The first order of business is to cube/ball your mozzarella. In order to survive the baking process, they'll need to be frozen. Place them on a plate, spaced, and pop them in the freezer. The key here is to prevent them from all sticking together from moisture... otherwise you'll need to take a hammer to the frozen block of cheese. Once they've hardened, move them over to a freezer baggie and continue the freezing process. I usually keep them no less than 4-5 hours in the freezer - though overnight is always better.

Get Cooking!

[This post] has super duper details and photos of the process if ya need em! Preheat oven to 475F. Keep mozzarella cubes frozen until you have everything set up and ready to go! *Ahem* Don't let your balls thaw. Combine seasoning blend and panko in a shallow bowl, and egg white and flour into separate bowls as well. Next, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and top with a wire cooling/baking rack. Ready? Grab your mozzarella from the freezer and prepare to be amazed at how easy this is. Dip the frozen cheese in the flour, then the egg, and finally roll around in panko to coat. Pop it on the wire rack and repeat for the remaining mozzarella cubes. Spray each ball with cooking spray and bake at 475 for approximately 10 minutes. When golden brown, remove from oven and serve atop a piping hot bowl of tomato soup. Grilled cheese is so 10 seconds ago =)

These golden balls of cheesy goodness can easily be whipped up for a simple solo lunch or even a hungry crowd -- without slaving over measurements =) I've learned to pre-slice a block/ball of mozzarella and keep the cheesy little cubes in my freezer at all times so I can have balls whenever I want. =) They're also really stinking good with pesto. So once you get past the title and my childish sense of humor, put some balls in your soup.

So... How was it?

To. Die. For.

Willing to bet on it...

2012-05-03T12:56:00.001-04:00

... that I know exactly what you're going to choose.

I dare you to prove me wrong =)

I have a dozen half-finished and barely-started posts for recipes that I'm too busy eating to remove the food from my face and write about. Such is life. So leave me a comment and let me know which one you want me to work on first!

or I can skip the food altogether and get a little crayon-y =)

Up to you! <3

Happy Almost-Friday!!!!

WIAW #67 [What I Ate... in NYC!]

2012-05-02T00:15:00.000-04:00

NYC Highlights and Superlatives:

Because if I showed you everything you'd probably run screaming for the door.

Or something like that.

Please excuse my atrocious camera phone photos -- I've never traveled with Sweet D before and I kept forgetting he/she/it existed. My amazing night with Cat and Gina? [ok that sounds saucy... well, it was!] Didn't even make it on camera somehow. Bah! #bloggerfail! Obviously this means I have to go BACK to NYC and get it right next time around. Right after I win the lottery.

Hookay! So let's get our superlatives on!

-Best Bevvy-

Jamba Juice Orange Carrot Karma. It's one of the healthiest [and in my opinion tastiest] options on their menu and I love it so. This beauty is loaded with mango, banana and fresh orange/carrot juice. Yes I drank this while sitting on the floor. of the airport. in flip flops. Something I probably could have caught the ebola virus doing but somehow it seemed like a good idea at the time. Oh well, at least I got the immunity boost!

-Best Breakfast Evahhhh-

Pshhh -- try best thing I ever ate in NYC! Murray's Bagels is out of this world amazing and something I will probably crave for the rest of my life. I ordered TWO breakfasts [saved half of each for lunch] and was so freaking glad I did. Had I missed out on either of these bagels it would have been a complete and utter travesty. I ordered egg and cheese on a seedy whole grain bagel and veggie cream cheese on a pumpernickel bagel. They couldn't have been more perfect =) If any NY bloggers want to mail me a dozen of these bad boys I'll pretty much love you forever. *swoon*

-Quirkiest and Most Sketch-Free Lunch-

Egg salad and arugula on whole wheat bread with sparkling orange juice from Pret a Manger. "Pret creates handmade, natural food, avoiding obscure chemicals, additives and preservatives" well played. "absolutely no nasties" rock. on.

-Most unique appetizer-
Caracas Arepas Bar's Yoyos: Sweet plantains with white cheese fried in cinnamon plantain batter and drizzled with syrup. Of course they rocked.

-Best Pairing-

Basil and fresh mozzarella pizza from Pizza Suprema pairs oh-so-perfectly with lactaid for this lactose intolerant cheese fiend. It's a glorious thing when my tummy and my tastebuds get along.

-Most likely to accompany alcohol-

The amazing spread at Evan and Ashley's wedding. The sushi bar had me floored and the hummus was probably the best thing I put in my mouth all night.

and since we're on the topic of Evan's wedding and doing the whole superlative thing....

-something I do remember-

-something I don't remember-

Thanks Matt.

Want to join in on the fun?

[Click here for info!]

Cinco de Yum-O

2012-04-29T16:18:00.003-04:00

I immediately regret that title =)

Flashback to my pain-in-ze-butt public speaking class where they made us watch and critique Rachel Ray's TV presence on her show 30 Minute Meals. I, of course, sat in the back row of the lofty lecture hall but didn't let it stop my hand from jotting up the second my professor asked for an opinion. "If she says EVOO or YUM-O one more time I'm pretty sure I might die!" Surely she didn't disappoint, and said it a few dozen times while I watched in horror. Luckily I wasn't prepared to off myself so close to graduation. Well played RR, well played.

That being said, let's get on with the cliche blogger cinco de mayo post. Because, honestly, I freaking LOVE mexican food. I think just about every other recipe on here is a fiesta on a plate. But you won't find any mystery meat or questionable processed cheese products here! No way.

Because when it comes to Mexican food,

Sketch is out + VEGGIES are in! <3

Miami-Inspired Mexican Chop Chop
Guac-This-Way Guacamole Round-Up

Jalapeno Popper Quiche Cups

Feisty Fiesta Quinoa

Fiesta Quiona Stuffed Mushrooms

Guilt-Free Black Bean Nachos

Taco-Style Chickpeas

T-Flats-Style Tostadas

Fiesta Tuna Salad

Mexican Pizza Lasagna

Restaurant-Style Salsa

and my latest obsession: spicy sweet potatoes <3

O-freaking-LE!

What Mexican dish makes you swoon?

[Recipe Quickie] Coleslaw Cups!

2012-04-26T15:23:00.000-04:00

Today's Snack:

Coleslaw Cups

Stuff cucumber cups with shredded cabbage and carrots.

Drizzle with ranch dressing.

Sprinkle with Chives.

Stuff face.

Today I'm knee-deep in WIAW reading, cleaning, and photo editing buuuuut I'll be back super soon with a few new recipes, a ridiculously overdue decor post, and some updates!

Happy Almost-Friday!

What are you snacking on today?

What I Ate Wednesday #66

2012-04-25T00:05:00.000-04:00

Hookay sooo... I totally just got back from NYC and... HOLY COW! I think I'm in love. In fact, I know it! Trip photos? Ummm... you'll have to harass my jet lagged bootay for them another day. This WIAW's day of eats took place last week before the jet setting, train hopping, and wedding festivities. So without further ~~rambling~~ adieu, here's a day's worth of face-stuffage from last week.

Breakfast looked a lot like this:

Only it was with a blood orange instead of clementines and scarfed so freakishly fast [at the buttcrack of dawn no less!] that there are no photo of its fluffy, citrus-y gloriousness. Tragic, I know. Can't take me anywhere.

Snacks were also pretty fruity:

only ate one of these bad boys. eating four in a sitting would be a tad nutty

if i'm going to eat flavored yogurt, this is what I reach for!

veggie falafel with roasted red pepper hummus and plain greek yogurt

hummus and rice stuffed grape leaves

black bean, jalapeno, onion, and habanero cheddar quesadilla with guac + greek yogurt

Overall a tasty day with more way more fruit than usual! It must be the warm weather that's influencing my snacking habits... I'm sensing boatloads of salads in my near future. Also, I'm still trucking along with my goal to "Veg Up with an Extra Cup" of veggies each day all throughout the month, including while on vacation! It was uber easy days and a little more challenging on others -- I'll show you how I snuck them in while trotting around NYC in a follow-up post. Count on it! But for now, let's see what you've been eating lately!

Happy What I Ate Wednesday!

How are you serving up your extra cup of veggies?

Want to join in on the fun?

[Click here for info!]

Annnnnnd..... Since you made it all the way to the bottom of this post I guess you deserve some sort of sneak peek at my trip eh? I think so too. Will a photo of the random guy filming himself singing in the middle of Times Square count?

He's special.

and so are you

Ketchup

2012-04-24T05:00:00.000-04:00

Hiiiiii from NYC! <3

I'll be back to terrorizing blog land SUPER soon. Promise!

While I catch up with a few of my favorite people evahhh, you guys get to catch up on some of my absolute favorite recipes from the past month or so. I promise it's a fair trade. No? Well then OBVIOUSLY you need to be part of my next vacation. Get on that =)

But seriously, these recipes rock my world and then some!

Get your butt in the kitchen and get your veggie on!

[click the photo for ze recipe <3]

Crap, now I'm hungry again!

What's your FAVORITE kitchen concoction as of lately?

Asparagus Fries [Guest Post!]

2012-04-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

Morning loves! Liz from Blog is the New Black is taking over P&C today.

HOW-EV-ER, just because I'm not here doesn't mean you're allowed to throw paper airplanes, give wedgies, scarf copious amounts of sugar, and/or skip over your veggies at lunch! Quite the opposite, young grasshoppers ;) Attendance will be taken and veggies will be eaten.

Love your faces off!!!!

xoXOxo

Jenn

Hey, guys! My name is Liz and I share recipes and blurbs about life with Lloyd (my soon-to-be hubby!) over at Blog is the New Black. In my free time, I can be found in my kitchen whipping up healthy dinners like buffalo chicken chili as well as not-so-healthy baked goods, like my recent s’mores bars. Although I go weak in the knees for chocolate, most of the meals I cook for my fiancé and I are pretty nutritious. It’s all about balance for me. Luckily, I adore most vegetables, but I know that isn’t the case for everyone. I especially love asparagus, and I could eat those delicious little green spears every day! Even for veggie lovers like me, having them the same way at every meal can be boring! Change it up a little!

Because I know not everyone is on the asparagus train with me,

I’m sharing a fun way to get you to take the ride!

All aboard!

Baked Asparagus Fries (Serves 2)

Adapted from Cheeky Kitchen

Ingredients

1/2 C flour
1 C panko
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 bunch asparagus, ends cut off
Cooking spray

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 450.

2. Whisk together flour, panko, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.

3. Dip the asparagus one by one in the egg and milk mixture, then in the panko mixture, and repeat one more time.

4. Place the batter-coated veggies on a cookie rack over a foil-lined baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray.

5. Place in oven until browned, flipping halfway through. Once the asparagus is flipped, coat with cooking spray again.

6. Cooking time will vary, but mine took about 3 minutes on each side.

These crispy panko-encrusted stems can be eaten with your hands and dipped in Heinz 57, if you so choose. Personally, I think they are wonderful all by their lonesome. This method can be used with lots of veggies to kick up the flavor and texture a bit!

Thanks Liz!

Homework:

Who would win in an arm-wrestling match -- Asparagus or Green Beans?

Siobhan's Veg-Tastic Guest Post

2012-04-20T08:11:00.000-04:00

How To Veg Up While On The GO!

Hi! I’m Siobhan from SiobhanMcCarthy.ca.

I’m a half marathon runner, a competitive worlds all-star cheerleader, and foodie!

I’m so excited to be a guest blogger for my fabulous friend Jenn! And, I’m pumped to show you how I veg up my days while being a hot mess and constantly on the GO!

BREAKFAST!

You would think that adding a veg to your morning meals would be quite complicated when it comes to a morning meal. But here’s what I do, I eat my oatmeal that is jam packed with oats, wheat germ, oat bran, and flaxseed then I follow it up with my veg’d up smoothie.

I’m not going to lie, I was EXTREMELY skeptical of adding spinach and kale to my delicious fruit smoothies because I don’t love the idea of having a veggie tasting drink. Luckily, with my recipe for a veggie meets fruit smoothie, I couldn’t taste the veg at all! And the best part, my iron levels are slowly getting back up from my leafy greens!

1/2 Cup Orange Juice
1/2 Cup Grapefruit Juice

100g of Yogurt

1 Cup of Frozen Mixed Fruit

Handful of Spinach
2 Kale Leaves

I put them all into a measuring cup (as seen in the picture on the right) and use my hand blender to mix it all together and move it into either a milkshake glass or a to go traveller!

LUNCHTIME!

When I’m at work, you can usually find me eating a veggie sandwich for lunch. It's quick and super easy::

To get in my extra veg, I brink 1 cup of veggies to snack on in the afternoon:

It’s a mix of carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, green pepper, red pepper, and some grapes.

DINNERTIME!

Dinner couldn’t be easier when you are on the go. If you are REALLY pressed for time, pull out a frozen pizza. Obviously, the last thing I’m going to say is that there is enough veggies on that crust for this girl!

So, I top up my pizza (or as I like to call it “za”) so that it is overflowing with onions, garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms, green peppers, red peppers, and again spinach! I like to grate some cheese over my pizza once my veggies are all in place so that the veg doesn’t fall all over the place as I’m eating it. As much as I like to think it can be cute and attractive... it’s not.

You can also cut out the dipping sauce and before you add your fresh veg ontop of your pizza pie, spread some balsamic vinegar onto the frozen za with a bbq brush!

I hope this helps make your WIAW April Challenge of serving up an extra cup if veggies a little easier for days when you just don't have the time to make a gourmet veggie meal!

Have a fabulous day friends!

[Recipe Quickie] Spicy & Savory Stuffed Sweet Potato

2012-04-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

I teased you guys with this bad boy yesterday and it's about time I deliver the goods!

Spicy & Savory Stuffed Sweet Potato

[a little sweet, a little spicy, & quite possibly one of the most delish things you can stuff in your face]

What's in it?

1 fluffy orange sweet potato, baked or microwaved

loooots of spicy salsa guacamole

a dollop of greek yogurt

1/2 cup black beans

1 tsp green onions or chives

1 ounce grated hot habanero cheddar

combine + swoon away

In. Sane.

Click the photo below for more sweet potato lovin'

Veg Pledge Progress + WIAW #65

2012-04-18T00:03:00.000-04:00

So today is the two-week mark of the Veg Pledge Challenge!

Here's a little recap of how I've been fairing so far.

And by little, I mean ridiculously long =)

This challenge was all about stepping out of my comfort zone and starting a new routine!

The first plan of attack was to sneak the extra cup into my breakfasts since, more often than not, they tend to be the meal with the least amount of veggies. Rotating between veggie scrambles, veg-ed up egg and cheese sandwiches, and fruity spinach smoothies quickly became my go-to breakfasts. Though some mornings I still had greek yogurt with granola, the majority of my breakfasts got a veggie boost.

Another area that needed a little veggie love was in the snack department Typical snacks for me have always been bananas, clementines, cheddar crackers, 1/2 peanut butter + jelly sandwiches, edamame, and greek yogurt with granola. Though they're all great choices, I wanted to find a way to incorporate more vegetables into my snacking routine.

Veggie chips and puffs, steam-able frozen veggies, homemade kale chips, and baked zucchini cups replaced the sandwiches and crackers I had previously been snacking on. Lately I've had a major craving for bell pepper slices and hummus lately so I think those will be my next snacking obsession. Ooh! And I've still been snacking on edamame sprinkled with cayenne pepper + sea salt... just not as often as before. I'm a big believer in moderation and, frankly, I was getting a little out of hand with the edamame! I love my veggies but sometimes you've got to break-up and date around a bit. How else would the other veggies get any action?

In another attempt to keep the veg love going, I decided to turn into a lean, mean, guacamole-making machine. I literally pair it with everything. It's rich, buttery amazingness rounds out each meal with a healthy dose of fat and my complexion has been LOVING it! There are a number of reasons why I eat the way I do, but I'd be lying if I said my looks weren't one of them. I like my skin soft and my hair shiny... any only the nutrient dense foods will do! Since starting this challenge, I've eaten a a small avocado pretty much every day! Salads... Scrambled Eggs... Grilled Cheese... Tacos... They all get the guac treatment lately.

Yes you read that right -- I had guac with my scrambled eggs for breakfast!

all's fair in love and ~~war~~ veggies.

Though this is my FAVORITE way to eat it lately:

So, in a nut shell, two weeks down -- two weeks to go! Whoo!!!

The Veg Pledge challenge that I signed on for with the Foodbuzz Tastemaker's Program and veggie-gurus Green Giant was only for two weeks but, as you know, I take veggie love very very seriously =) So I hope you'll continue the challenge with me all month long! This post was sponsored by Green Giant and, as you know, the veggie insanity is all my own doing. I think we could all benefit from an extra cup [or more!] of vegetables each day and I'll continue to try to make them as fun and delicious as possible, so you will enjoy the pants off them! Veg Pledging it up has challenged me to seek out more veggies, more variety, and ultimately, more nutrients! I feel absolutely amazing and plan on keeping this veggie streak alive long after April is over =)

So keep serving up that extra cup [of veggies!]

[breakfast] water with lemon, scrambled eggs with fresh fruit, and black coffee [snack] eaten-too-fast-to-photograph veggie chips and kombucha [lunch] tostada-style leftover lentil-veggie tacos [snack] guacamole mixed with jalapeno-onion salsa and tortilla chips + water [dinner] a random combo of eats: a veggie burger on a whole grain pita, 1 serving of Green Giant Broccoli Mac and Cheese, water, and a random banana [I needed something sweet!]

Happy What I Ate Wednesday!

How are you serving up your extra cup of veggies?

Want to join in on the fun?

[Click here for info!]