spicin' it up.

every year h & his brother take care of their dad's stocking, filling it with his favorite candies, cordial cherries, mints, sausage, homemade beef jerky and homemade curried pecans. last year, i was a bad girl, and devoured handfuls of these before he packaged them. this year we bought 2 pounds. ( :

this is h's favorite recipe. he still pulls out his mom's cookbook, complete with notes in the margins about what to add, what to leave out, and what to try next time. these pecans make a great gift - just cook 'em up and divide into festive take-out containers like these cute pyramid ones from etsy.

photo credit

sandy's curried pecans

ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp seasoned salt
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 2 tsp worstershire sauce
• 1/2 to 3/4 lb halved pecans

directions:

1. heat oil over medium heat and add curry powder, seasoned salt, worstershire sauce, and hot sauce - mix well. 
2. add pecans and stir - coating all. cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  
3. line cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. spread out nut mixture until flat.
4. bake for 20 minutes at 300 degrees F. 
5. let cool completely before removing from pan. 

what special treats do you make during the holidays?

blessed&thankful. amen.

last night we did our first annual (can i say that?) girls night christmas dinner at my house. i have been friends with all but one of these girls since i was 12, and some of them since i was 5! most of us (now) live in richmond, with the exception of b, who lives in new orleans and was home for the holidays.


i got 2 rotisserie chickens, made pw's mashed potatoes, and rachael ray's soup-ed up boxed stuffing with walnuts & apples & red wine. everyone brought a dish: l's baked mac&cheese, lu's cheesy broccoli&rice, e's squash casserole, e's green bean casserole, jenny's sweet potato puree, k's pumpkin pie... it was SO delicious. 


but the best part was the friendship. i love these girls and we've been through really thick and really thin. there have been babies and marriages made, relationships broken, families changed, hearts and minds broken, but we have all come out okay - okay, and together. 


here's to many more! 


happy thanksgiving!

(almost) official.

sorry for the lack of posts. a 70-plus-hour workweek followed by a weekend of moving and (trying) to be lazy do not equate to a highly-motivated me.


h has officially moved in, nearly everything but signed the lease now. some things i welcomed with open arms (amazing new bed) and others... well... big sigh. ( ; my office has been converted into a "man-cave," but not to my dismay. although i originally scoffed at this idea, it proves to be an EXCELLENT place for me to put all of the things that don't "match" the rest of the decor, plus is like a room that h can feel like is his own in a house that has already been decorated by a super-type-a woman. a huge big-screen tv, exposed brick walls, a bathroom, a couch and recliners, soon to be a fridge, and now there's talk of a bar... 


after a long day of cleaning, moving, trying to watch football, and more moving, we made heidi's broccoli cheddar soup with some disclaimers - ours looked nothing like hers... it looked more like panera's version. we used sharp cheddar, frozen broccoli cutlets, and we left our broccoli and potatoes chunky. we mixed in some flour and cream to thicken it. and served it with some cheddar jalapeno bread. what a great fall sunday dinner in front of football for our first night of being roommates! 


i'm super looking forward to thanksgiving dinner with my girlfriends tomorrow night! so excited we'll all be together...! 

family recipe.

meet jenny. and jenny's mom. this was taken right before jenny walked down the aisle at her wedding this past spring. they look amazingly not nervous. crazy, i know. 

jenny's mom's caesar salad is a favorite in my group of friends. even h asks if it's "regular caesar," or "jenny's mom's caesar" salad. jenny even carried the recipe down the aisle as her "something old." ok, ok. that's a lie.


i'm sharing it with you because i no longer buy bottled caesar salad dressing and you deserve to know why.


jenny's mom's caesar salad
(right from the horse's mouth)


ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
3-4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
sea salt & pepper
1/4 tsp mustard powder/dry mustard (hope there's no difference)

1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 package/head romaine lettuce
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
croutons
1 raw egg, beaten
cooked chicken strips or sauted shrimp (optional)

directions:

1. in a small bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt & pepper. let sit as long as you possible can wait until you are ready to start eating (20-30 min?). the flavors need time to meld together.
   
2. add dry mustard and worcestershire sauce and stir. 
3. add romaine lettuce to a large bowl and mix in dressing.  
4. add parmesan cheese and croutons and toss until coated. 
5. add beaten raw egg, toss until coated (i add a little at a time, and don't usually use the whole egg). top with chicken strips or sauted shrimp if desired.
6. serve IMMEDIATELY. ( : and don't tell your squirmy boyfriend there's raw eggs or he will be scared to eat it.
   

love.the.zza.

sunday afternoon, my friend corey hosted a pampered chef party... i do have some of their products, but i had never been to one of the parties - it was a great way to spend a rainy sunday! i came out with a couple christmas presents (& some wonderful bamboo spoons for me!) and this great recipe below. 

i told h i was making it for him for dinner yesterday (with a few changes from the pc recipe), and he was mortified that i was going to try to make a pizza for him, the pizza king (his username has been known to be LoveTheZZa). but he loved it, and i'm sure you will, too! it's super easy, especially if you use the microwave - a definite crowd pleaser. i wish i could have taken a picture, but it was gobbled up faster than i could say "cheese!" 


spinach carbonara pizza 
(inspired by the pampered chef recipe)

ingredients:
1 pkg (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza crust
6 slices bacon, cooked (i microwaved mine)

1 pkg (6 oz) fresh baby spinach leaves (about 8 cups)
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese

1 cup jarred alfredo pasta sauce
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
Additional coarsely ground black pepper

directions:

1. preheat oven to 375F (or whatever is on the pizza dough package). unroll dough over bottom of lightly greased pizza stone or baking sheet. gently stretch and press dough to cover bottom of pan. 
2. bake 10 minutes or until crust begins to brown; remove pan from oven and let cool.
3. meanwhile, slice cooked bacon into 1/4-in. pieces.
   
4. place spinach and garlic into microwave-safe bowl. cover bowl and microwave on high 2.5 to 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted. press spinach to side of bowl. dab excess moisture with paper towels.
5. add alfredo sauce and black pepper to spinach. mix well.
   
6. to assemble pizza, spread alfredo spinach mixture to edges of crust. top sauce completely 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese and bacon. sprinkle with parmesan cheese and additional black pepper, if desired
7. bake 7-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown. remove from oven to cooling rack and let sit for a few minutes before slicing.

Yield: 6 servings

From Pampered Chef: Nutrients per serving: Calories 400, Total Fat 21 g, Saturated Fat 11 g, Cholesterol 65 mg, Carbohydrate 37 g, Protein 20 g, Sodium 1310 mg, Fiber 2 g

for the win... ( ;

first off, thanks to all who commented and who are now followers!! i love hearing about your favorite cookbooks and stories and meeting new bloggers!

the winner (as determined by random.org) of the pioneer woman cookbook is: Lis "...my favorite cookbook is my old standby - Better Homes and Gardens (Breast cancer edition) it has everything basic and tried and true! But I'm always looking for new ones!! :)" congrats!

please send me an e-mail at wishbonestwo(at)gmail(dot)com with your full name and address and i will get that out to you as soon as possible!

last night h & i made pioneer woman's lasagna (we substituted ricotta cheese instead of her suggestion of cottage cheese and used no-boil lasagna noodles) - simple, easy and wonderful! we made her meatballs with the leftover ground beef for tonight. can't wait to try them!

happy monday!

TWO! & my first giveaway...

two, yes TWO, copies of the pioneer woman's cookbook arrived today (i only ordered one), but since it was more expensive to send it back, they told me to just keep it! 

i've already browsed through it (immediately, of course), and it is exactly like her website - detailed and full of pictures and stories, and just the right recipes. nothing too fancy, although delicious, down-home cooking. i can't wait to try her chicken pot pie - and she even got my all-time favorite breakfast dish - toads in a hole! ( : this is quickly becoming my new favorite cookbook (& i think h will enjoy the recipes more than my usual organic-pile-o-mush)! 


i say, this calls for my first giveaway. now, i know i'm a newbie, but maybe we need some rules. first of all we all know i LOVE cookbooks, so: 

what's your favorite cookbook? 

whether it's your grandma's old cookbook, your collection of newspaper clippings and handwritten notes, or a fancy-shmancy cookbook, i want to know what inspires you...

one entry: leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite cookbook.

two entries: leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite cookbook AND become a follower or let me know that you're already following me.


contest will end sunday, november 1 at midnight EST and i will choose the winner randomly and announce the winner sometime on monday, november 2. 

good luck & check back monday! ( :

there you go again.

i thought h was going to punch me in the face when i told him we were having squash quesadillas for dinner (not the biggest fan of the veggie). he was little more excited about tomatillo salsa, tho. i got the tomatillos from the farmer's market, and the squash from our local organic grocery store, ellwood thompson's. served it all up with some fried sweet corn with williams-sonoma chili-lime rub (thanks noel!), affectionately called "mexi-spice" at our house, avocado slices with sea salt, and finished with some grape pie, courtesy of our houseguest, matt (& straight from naples, ny) shared with some good company...

this recipe was courtesy of smitten kitchen and it really was as beautiful as it looks! i did everything nearly as she described, with the exception of subsituting anaheim peppers instead of jalapenos & poblanos - just a little more mild! and, at h's wonderful suggestion, added cilantro & a splash of lime to the salsa verde.

i'm even excited about the leftovers!

photo from smitten kitchen. 

h's comments: "don't tell your friends i'm going to punch you in the face... what are they going to think about me?"

new things.

i got this cookbook last year for my birthday from my wonderful auntie who knows how much i love to go to the farmers market & attempt to cook my purchases. although it's divided into seasons (which i like) and a has a few great photos (which i love), i hadn't found anything to cook in it. until last night. i made chicken drumsticks stuffed with lavender chevre (farmer's market pick) and served with cous cous (the food so nice they named it twice) and swiss chard (another farmer's market purchase).

 

i also made a little cucumber and mint (from corey's garden -thx!) salad with feta from eat well, my most recent favorite cookbook.

and while we're talking about cookbooks, let's talk about how much i can't wait for my pre-ordered cookbook from the pioneer woman!

et tu, brute?

photo source: http://www.southernexposure.com

just made jen's mom's famous caesar salad. i wish i could have taken a picture, but it was gone before i could say "dinner's ready!"

this recipe definitely deserves a share. i felt a little weird about the raw egg, but e told me not to think about it ( : it was delicious!

nancy's caesar salad (+chicken)

ingredients:

1/3 c. olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

dash of sea salt & cracked pepper

1/4 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 head romaine lettuce
1 c. chicken slices/shreds (i used about 1/2 a small rotisserie chicken)
1/2 c. shredded or shaved parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten

directions:
in a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt & pepper. let stand 1 hour. add in mustard and worcestershire sauice. stir, then add in torn pieces of romaine. add parmesan (i used shaved pecorino romano) and croutons and toss until well coated. add in the raw egg, toss until well coated. serve immediately.

tastyyyy.

so one of my most favorite blogs, the pioneer woman, has developed a new website, tastykitchen. if you haven't been to either of the websites, you absolutely must! even h sneaks a peek over my shoulder when i'm reading her stories & recipes!

feeling inspired a few weeks ago, i went through all my old magazines (real simple & cooks illustrated are my favorites), and ripped out all of my favorite recipes in an effort to consolidate and simplify and make it easier to decide what's for dinner. i put them all in individual sheet protectors, and even threw in some loose recipes that i had been keeping in an expandable file that i never looked at. in the last few weeks, i have cooked more good recipes that have been hiding in my box of old mags in my basement than i could have ever imagined!

i decided to put the one i'm trying tonight -cauliflower casserole - an old standard (the zucchini version) of a good friend of mine, and one i've tried on several other occasions - onto tasty kitchen. i made it tonight for our cookout w/ h & his roommates. we'll see how it fares in the land of testosterone!

remembering recipes.

lil sis' new discovery has been evernote, the online fileroom. today she sent me this amazing recipe that i remember my gma making for us on the one occasion she actually came to our house.

cinnamon-layered quick coffeecake

ingredients:

• 1 & 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter (i use smart balance 50/50)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 pint sour cream

directions:

• preheat oven to 350 degrees
• mix & set aside 1/2 cup sugar, nuts, & cinnamon.
• cream the butter, beating in 1 cup remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla, & lemon juice
• in a seperate bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
• slowly add to the butter mixture with the sour cream
• pour half of the batter into a greased 9x9 (or 8x8) inch pan
• sprinkle with some of the cinnamon mixture & add remaining batter
• top with remaining cinnamon mixture
• bake for 40 minutes

update 5/27: i made these for some guys i work with and it was DEVOURED instantly... if only they knew how easy it was to make! ( :

mint lemonades & normal lives?

i've been at home now (with the exception of a 16 hour day in columbus, ohio on tuesday) all week, and i've been fully taking advantage of all the chores that people with normal jobs have; i.e. laundry, cleaning, taking out the recycling, and best of all, grocery shopping & making dinner at home! believe me, when you travel & eat out for EVERY meal, the last thing you want to do is dress up and go sit in an uncomfortable chair and pay wayy too much for a beer. so last night i made a quick trip to whole foods (and spent way too much for overpriced groceries) and speaking of overpriced, every few months, whole foods puts out a little flyer called the whole deal (the most recent is valid from april 1 - may 31) with coupons and recipes from martha stewart's everyday food mag.

i flipped through, just for ideas for healthy recipes, and ended up cooking a delicious meal. first, obviously i poured myself a drink. santa cruz lemonade (perfect mix of sweet & sour), muddled mint, and a splash of vodka in my most favorite glasses from appalachian spring (my favorite trinket store---they now have an amazing website).


i'm usually hesitant to cook fish in the house (usually opting to grill it outside, or occasionally, broil it in aluminum foil). this recipe calls to "steam" the salmon, which i've never done before. i didn't follow the recipe exactly. i bought one 6-oz salmon fillet with skin (whole foods has a wonderful fish selection, and i'm convinced it's way cheaper than harris teeter, too). i steamed it skin side down with sea salt & ground pepper, a 1/4 cup of water, and a splash of lemon for 7 minutes. then i added lima beans (whatever was in the fridge) and steamed for a few more minutes.


i threw it all together with some pasta & mint. i didn't like the added mint. i would have rather had it with a more lemony sauce, but it wasn't horrible. the salmon was perfectly cooked, and i used it to make a great salad nicoise for work the next day.

(i really love straws)

i love these stacking bowls that my step-mom made for me a few years ago. you can't see them too well in this pic... hopefully i can take some good fotos this weekend while i'm at home. she's really into her pottery and she's amazing. i'd love for her to have a great website, too. trying to get the lil sis to help out with that (hint, hint)!

train-of-thought.

home from another long day at the office
look in fridge for something quick and nutritious for dinner before running off to see jb's show
n & i have some pretty quirky eating habits who knows what i'll find in our kitchen...
pick out ingredient: broccoli
look up broccoli recipes on 101cookbooks (this has become habit as of recent)
find broccoli crunch: cold "salad" with crispy broccoli, fried crispy shallots, candied pecans, red onions, chives, and apples with a peanut butter/lemon/honey sauce
and yes we have all those ingredients (told ya we were crazy)
fast & delicious
4 stars
don't turn on the tv so i can hear neighbor's eclectic music
wish i could hang out with middle aged man next door and steal/borrow his music
he would like me i think
feeling kick of red onion
glass of milk
check my e-mail
grab a mint
out the door

i can smell the spring.

[heirloom tomatoes at the farmers market in evanston, illinois; august 2008]

it was a slightly warmer morning (50 degrees) and it only made me think of spring, which inevitably makes me think of summer. sd brought in his new cookbook, a platter of figs, which i found amusing, albeit pretentious. my favorite (and probably the least pretentious) recipe: sliced tomatoes with sea salt: you want 4 pounds ripe summer tomatoes, different colors if possible. choose heirlooms such as green zebra, brandywine, yellow taxi, mortgage lifter, cherokee purple, and lemon boy...

mmmm... warm weather, i am ready. ( :

kickboxing+carbs=delish.

okay. g & i did kickboxing tonight @ the gym. it was great!

then i came home and had "dinner." dinner consisted of potatoes au gratin from the chefs at the new maplewood grill in vienna (formerly le canard, opening march 2). let's just say that chef paul happens to be a good "friend" of the girls on 21st road. ( ; dinner also consisted of chili-lime tequila popcorn. sinful. i tried to redeem myself with some grapefruit.

h told me that you should eat 30 minutes after you work out. so i did. i ate a lot. of carbs. they told me it was okay......!!! time for some girl scout cookies (hehehe).

these are a few of my favorite things:

i had a relaxing weekend. didn't do much (luckily h didn't mind), but it made me realize a few of my favorite things i should slow down to enjoy.

1. breakfast in bed. french toast to be exact (made with secret ingredients, obvi). i can't remember the last time i had breakfast in bed... maybe when i was 8?
   
2. lazy football sundays. nachos+doggie jerseys+cooley's amazing passes=a perfect sunday.
3. relaxing and lunching with the girls. we had some super greasy burgers & fries and went to be crafty in carytown. it made my day.
   
4. dogs. i love everything about them. i love that all they want to do is love on you. all the time. i love watching little kids interact with them & the way they play with each other. i even love getting pulled.
   
5. the smell of laundry. i let my own laundry pile up, but i'm more than excited to do all yours. ( : climbing into warm, laundry-scented sheets on a cool evening is one of life's simple pleasures.
   
6. baking. when things get stressful, i bake. if i could be a stay-at-home girlfriend and bake & cook all day, i'd be the happiest person alive! not only does it smell delightful (although i wouldn't go as far to bake just for the smell like my coworker, l), but people, mainly boys, loveeee them! tonight's pick: chocolate chip banana bread. the easiest ever--see recipe below.
   
7. good beer with good friends. good friends are most important, good beer just makes it sweeter.
   
8. anything flavored pumpkin. pumpkin ice cream from klines (i'll pay you beau coup dinero if you bring me some back), blue moon pumpkin beer, pecan pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin candy corn, you name it, i love it.
9. this amazing weather. it thrills me to be able to sleep with the windows open and have to wear a sweater. i hope fall lasts forever.
   
10. "the box." aka washington's green grocer. i'm excited i'll be home for a bit to get a csa (community-supported agriculture) box & enjoy it all week!

easiest banana bread recipe ever:

ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• some salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs (i used egg beaters)
• about 2 cups mashed bananas
• semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup?)

instructions:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees f. grease loaf pan with some canola oil spray.
2. in a large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt.
   
3. in a separate bowl, cream butter & brown sugar. stir in eggs, vanilla, and bananas.
4. stir in banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. fold in chocolate chips.
5. pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
   
6. bake in preheated oven about 1 hour (you know, when the toothpick comes out clean). let bread cool in pan for at least 10 minutes.
7. enjoy.