http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/11/barack-obamas-chili-recipe-in-crockpot.html
I stole this recipe from my favorite blog to make on Tuesday. Yes, I am just getting around to writing about it now, and no, I didn't take a picture. Check out the picture on her blog, though. Mine looked the same!
I am not a big "chunky tomato" fan and usually do not like chili that has large hunks of whole tomato in it. This was a good recipe, though. The flavor was interesting and I liked how chunky and hearty looking this soup was. I will eat and enjoy the leftovers. Honestly, though, I do not think that I will make it again. My basic chili recipe is SO much easier and still delicious. This may have inspired me to start tweaking my recipe, though. I think that the red wine vinegar may have been the OOMF in this recipe.
I hope that everyone has had a great week.
Tonight I am making white-trash dinner for Mike and I to eat while watching LOST, which I tivo'd last night. White trash dinner is basically ground beef, onions, mushrooms, velveeta cheese, and maybe even bacon, cooked until gooey and served over rice. It's very white trashy. It is very delicious. It is one of the many reasons I am fat.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Strawberriezz
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More pictures from a delicious dinner.
I can't believe that I roasted a chicken. I feel so grown-up.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Fattening AND Gluten-Free!
I got a copycat recipe for Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits on the internet. Make them. Make them right now. Take my advice and if there are only one or two of you, cut the recipe in half. This is enough to serve with dinner for a family of four or five. If there is only one or two of you, you will eat them all and regret it later when you gain five pounds overnight and break out in pimples all around your mouths.
2 cups pancake baking mix. (I used Pamela's gluten-free pancake/baking mix)
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese -- shredded
Mix in a bowl until a dough forms, and spoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Cook 8-10 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 450.
Fresh out of the oven, brush them with a melted butter/garlic mix. The recipe I said called for half a cup of butter (that's a full stick), and it was WAY too much. I say eyeball it.
I am very excited, especially since I discovered over the weekend that my favorite tapioca biscuits have cornstarch in them.
By the way, it's that time of the month, so forgive me if I talk about food that is horribly bad for you over the next few days.
2 cups pancake baking mix. (I used Pamela's gluten-free pancake/baking mix)
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese -- shredded
Mix in a bowl until a dough forms, and spoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Cook 8-10 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 450.
Fresh out of the oven, brush them with a melted butter/garlic mix. The recipe I said called for half a cup of butter (that's a full stick), and it was WAY too much. I say eyeball it.
I am very excited, especially since I discovered over the weekend that my favorite tapioca biscuits have cornstarch in them.
By the way, it's that time of the month, so forgive me if I talk about food that is horribly bad for you over the next few days.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Trader Joe's Rice Bowls.
I was thrilled to find these microwavable rice bowls at Trader Joe's. I got them in the garlic and the mushroom flavors. It's nothing but rice noodles, rice bran oil, and non-mysterious seasonings. I was a happy camper!
In not-so-happy news, I got sick every day for the last three days. Awful gastro-pains and gas. Gas? That never happens to me, not since I stopped eating foods that make me sick. The only consistent thing about those three days is that I had pork tenderloin each day. Not the same one, either. I cooked pork tenderloin three days in a row. Yeah, so sue me. But really, I was pretty miserable. Could I be allergic to pork tenderloin and not regular porkchops???
Friday, January 9, 2009
Buffalo Wing Soup.
Between myself, my friend Melanie, and Mike, we finished this soup off in one night. I personally wish I could have gorged myself more. Next time, I'll double the recipe. This time I used more chicken than called for. I also only had about a half a cup of milk so I compensated with chicken broth. It was so good! We have a "food day" coming at work and I am totally making a big batch of this and making more friends at work.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Azorean Spiced Beef Stew
This is another recipe from "A Year Of Crock-Potting".
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/11/crockpot-azorean-spiced-beef-stew.html
I didn't know what "Azorean" meant, so I looked it up: The Azores is a Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, about 1,500 km (950 mi) from Lisbon and about 3,900 km (2,400 mi) from the east coast of North America.
I wish I had a picture. I meant to take one today when I ate the leftovers for lunch, but I forgot my blackberry at home this morning.
I loved this stew. Mike referred to it as a soup. I think, after giving it some consideration, I'd use the Rachel Ray term "stoup". It was really quite delicious. I was a little worried that it would be too spicy for Mike. First of all, Mike hates cinnamin. Second, even though he says he likes spicy foods, he can be a little picky when it comes to actually eating them. I wasn't awake when he came home and tried it, but he left me a note saying that it was spicy, but he still thought it was great with a little bread, and he enjoyed the excuse to eat ice cream after.
I didn't have any tomatoes to put in this recipe. Our local grocery store didn't have any cherry or grape tomatoes. Wrong season. I don't know if I'd even bother with them next time around. Also, the recipe doesn't say when to add in the carrots - I tossed them in with the onions.
I hope everyone is having a great day.
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/11/crockpot-azorean-spiced-beef-stew.html
I didn't know what "Azorean" meant, so I looked it up: The Azores is a Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, about 1,500 km (950 mi) from Lisbon and about 3,900 km (2,400 mi) from the east coast of North America.
I wish I had a picture. I meant to take one today when I ate the leftovers for lunch, but I forgot my blackberry at home this morning.
I loved this stew. Mike referred to it as a soup. I think, after giving it some consideration, I'd use the Rachel Ray term "stoup". It was really quite delicious. I was a little worried that it would be too spicy for Mike. First of all, Mike hates cinnamin. Second, even though he says he likes spicy foods, he can be a little picky when it comes to actually eating them. I wasn't awake when he came home and tried it, but he left me a note saying that it was spicy, but he still thought it was great with a little bread, and he enjoyed the excuse to eat ice cream after.
I didn't have any tomatoes to put in this recipe. Our local grocery store didn't have any cherry or grape tomatoes. Wrong season. I don't know if I'd even bother with them next time around. Also, the recipe doesn't say when to add in the carrots - I tossed them in with the onions.
I hope everyone is having a great day.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
"Irish Champ" (No Picture)
I wasn't planning on writing an entry about dinner last night.
But here it is.
Last night, I wasn't feeling very well. We didn't have any meat in the house. I didn't feel like going out to buy food.
So we ate potatoes.
I had a recipe from a "Gourmet Slowcooker" book for "Irish Champ". It said to cut up 8 russet potatoes and cook them with one cup of chicken broth for two hours. One cup of broth did not seem to come even close to covering them. The recipe didn't say if it was supposed to. I decided, at this point, that I didn't care what the recipe said. I poured the rest of the box of broth in and let it cook for two and a half hours.
When it was done I transferred the potatoes into a bowl with a slotted spoon, added a full bunch of chopped scallions, a cup of half-n-half, and salt and pepper to taste. Oh yeah and SIX TABLESPOONS of butter. The instructions said to, who was I to argue?
I ate it for dinner and thought it was okay but I didn't think it was anything super-duper great. Then I got an email from Mike today saying "I <3 Irish Champ" so I guess I will add it onto the "boy-approved" list.
Happy Hump-Day to all my fellow Sunday-Thursday worker bees.
But here it is.
Last night, I wasn't feeling very well. We didn't have any meat in the house. I didn't feel like going out to buy food.
So we ate potatoes.
I had a recipe from a "Gourmet Slowcooker" book for "Irish Champ". It said to cut up 8 russet potatoes and cook them with one cup of chicken broth for two hours. One cup of broth did not seem to come even close to covering them. The recipe didn't say if it was supposed to. I decided, at this point, that I didn't care what the recipe said. I poured the rest of the box of broth in and let it cook for two and a half hours.
When it was done I transferred the potatoes into a bowl with a slotted spoon, added a full bunch of chopped scallions, a cup of half-n-half, and salt and pepper to taste. Oh yeah and SIX TABLESPOONS of butter. The instructions said to, who was I to argue?
I ate it for dinner and thought it was okay but I didn't think it was anything super-duper great. Then I got an email from Mike today saying "I <3 Irish Champ" so I guess I will add it onto the "boy-approved" list.
Happy Hump-Day to all my fellow Sunday-Thursday worker bees.
Trader Joe's Yogurt.
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Alert, alert! I can eat Trader Joe's yogurt and it doesn't suck complete ass. Pardon the strong language, but this calls for it. Every other brand or flavor yogurt I have found that meets my requirements is disgusting. I had the TJ's vanilla today and the cocoa yesterday. They are both fantastic. No ill effects. I'll get more than 4 next time I am Charlotte. It felt good to eat breakfast again!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Leftovers. Alternate Title: Garlic-City
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Last night Mike and I were laying on the couch together watching television, and unwinding. I commented that everything smelled like garlic, and we eventually determined that it was actually garlic-boogers that I was smelling. Classy, yes, I know.
Anyway, I had a grilled chicken recipe that I was planning on trying out yesterday. I had the chicken defrosted. I was also going to make mashed potatoes. It didn't happen. I got home from work at 7:30pm, giving me only about 2.5 hours to relax before bedtime. I decided to cook to chicken the fastest way possible, and we re-heated the potato medley that I had made on New Year's Eve. Also, I found the tapioca cheddar biscuits that I can eat at Whole Foods. I bought four containers of them and stuck them in the freezer. I was so excited!
I cut the chicken up into small pieces (mostly to ensure that it was completely thawed, as it was still partially frozen when I got home and I had to soak it in a bowl of hot water to quickly defrost the insides). I put it in a pan with a little olive oil and four (yes, four) large cloves of garlic. Have I mentioned that I love garlic? I squeezed half of a lemon on top. Then I picked out the seeds that fell in. I topped it with garlic salt and lemon pepper. When it came out, it was a little bland and white looking. I like to serve food that looks appetizing, so I decided to make a gravy. I added a little chicken stock (just finished off the box I had sitting in the fridge) and a little rice flour. It was really good, even though it looks a little gross in the tupperware. Chicken with a lemony-garlicky gravy.
Mike asked me to make it again.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
When simple is best...
Cooked rice pasta.
Browned sausage (Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage from Trader Joe's)
Mixed up a bottle of Trader Joe's pasta sauce with a couple big tablespoons of ricotta cheese and two tablespoons of crushed garlic. Love garlic.
Mixed it all up and spread onto a pan.
Topped with a bag of shredded Italian cheeses.
Mike says I should make food not cooked in the crock pot more often.
I also took a picture and sent it off to my blog, but it never made it. Sadly, I deleted the picture right after to free up some memory. It was a picture of my plate with four hunks of cheese and a bunch of potato chips on it. I found chips at TJ's made with olive oil and they are so good! It had been six months since I last had chips! Also, around here, it is very very hard to get good cheese. I got the cheese while I was at Trader Joe's and it is so good!
So much for losing any weight in January...
Also, I spent the day in Matthews with my good friend Meg playing Singstar yesterday. So much fun! I took a picture but I think she would be angry if I posted it :)
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Special New Year's Eve Dinner
This was a great dinner, and it wasn't that hard. It WAS time-consuming, though. It was worth it just to have Mike lean back in his seat, let out a contented sigh, and ask if I could make it again for his birthday, and every other day between now and then.
The beef burgundy was made with rice flour instead of regular flour. I couldn't even tell the difference. I did notice that the rice flour didn't stick to the pan, and I had to add a little more when I was making the wine-sauce, but it was so good! The recipe called for pearl onions, which are hard to find around here, and also a pain in the butt, so I used regular onions.
If anyone wants the recipe, I would be so glad to share it. It met all my diet requirements!
The potatoes were awesome, too. Also very, very easy. Those were made in the oven and only took about 45 minutes to make.
Once again, I am very excited about eating leftovers!
HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!
If this is as good as it gets.
Since this is supposed to be my blog about the upside of life, I thought this was something I should share.
Sometimes, I get really stressed out. It's actually one of the reasons I decided to change the theme of this blog from "food diary" to "positive life changes". I get stressed out and sometimes have a very hard time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. One of the recent examples was about a month ago, when I was rejected for a promotion I had applied and interviewed for. I became convinced that there was no way I could survive. It's true, with any dramatization on my part, that my monthly bills total more than my monthly income. Even making minimum payments on my credit cards, I still don't make enough to cover everything. But it's also true that I'm not in it alone, and Mike picks up all my loose strings - he always has.
So, where am I in life right now?
Well, I live in a crooked house. Propane is wickedly expensive. But we have a roof over our head, reasonable rent, kind landlords, and we can say that we have a real home. We have a home that is filled with love. We have a fridge with an ice-maker. So what if we have to carefully choose which walls we lean bookcases up against, so they don't crash down and give us (more) bloody noses? We can live with that. We have a roof over our heads. Not everyone can say they are so lucky.
I got stuck with a car payment that I really can't afford at a very inopportune time. I also have a boyfriend who was gracious enough to put the car in his name to save me 12% interest, which is an ultimate sign of trust. My car is also cherry apple red and freakin' sexy. Just a few years ago I had a car that was paid off, but my epilepsy was so bad that I couldn't drive it. I'll take this. It's another thing that I'm lucky enough to have, that can't be said for everyone.
I don't love my job. Well, who does? I haven't gotten a promotion yet and had been hoping I would, but at the same time, there are hundreds of other people in this county who will kill to work for Lowe's. They have an extremely fair system that I really can't find much to complain about with. Although I am used to making more money, it's still more than minimum wage. If I didn't have so much debt I would call it a livable salary. I could be unemployed. I could work for one of the many companies out there that are laying people off left and right. I could work someplace that doesn't offer insurance, or sick pay. I am confident that a promotion will come my way eventually, when I have truly earned it. I like most of my co-workers. I am lucky and probably don't deserve it, for all the complaining I do.
My family and most of my friends are very, very far away. But they are alive. And they love me. I'm not going to jinx that by talking about it any further.
My skin sags and makes dimples and ripples when I cross my legs. But six months ago, I was so fat that I couldn't cross my legs. I am the healthiest I have ever been. My boyfriend doesn't complain about my body and seems to love me/it more than ever. I also know that there are six billion other fat girls out there who hear about problems associated with weight loss and say "yeah cry me a river" (and other less-favorable things, I am sure.)
So all this begs the question... what if this is as good as it gets?
If this is as good as it gets, that is just fine with me.
Sometimes, I get really stressed out. It's actually one of the reasons I decided to change the theme of this blog from "food diary" to "positive life changes". I get stressed out and sometimes have a very hard time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. One of the recent examples was about a month ago, when I was rejected for a promotion I had applied and interviewed for. I became convinced that there was no way I could survive. It's true, with any dramatization on my part, that my monthly bills total more than my monthly income. Even making minimum payments on my credit cards, I still don't make enough to cover everything. But it's also true that I'm not in it alone, and Mike picks up all my loose strings - he always has.
So, where am I in life right now?
Well, I live in a crooked house. Propane is wickedly expensive. But we have a roof over our head, reasonable rent, kind landlords, and we can say that we have a real home. We have a home that is filled with love. We have a fridge with an ice-maker. So what if we have to carefully choose which walls we lean bookcases up against, so they don't crash down and give us (more) bloody noses? We can live with that. We have a roof over our heads. Not everyone can say they are so lucky.
I got stuck with a car payment that I really can't afford at a very inopportune time. I also have a boyfriend who was gracious enough to put the car in his name to save me 12% interest, which is an ultimate sign of trust. My car is also cherry apple red and freakin' sexy. Just a few years ago I had a car that was paid off, but my epilepsy was so bad that I couldn't drive it. I'll take this. It's another thing that I'm lucky enough to have, that can't be said for everyone.
I don't love my job. Well, who does? I haven't gotten a promotion yet and had been hoping I would, but at the same time, there are hundreds of other people in this county who will kill to work for Lowe's. They have an extremely fair system that I really can't find much to complain about with. Although I am used to making more money, it's still more than minimum wage. If I didn't have so much debt I would call it a livable salary. I could be unemployed. I could work for one of the many companies out there that are laying people off left and right. I could work someplace that doesn't offer insurance, or sick pay. I am confident that a promotion will come my way eventually, when I have truly earned it. I like most of my co-workers. I am lucky and probably don't deserve it, for all the complaining I do.
My family and most of my friends are very, very far away. But they are alive. And they love me. I'm not going to jinx that by talking about it any further.
My skin sags and makes dimples and ripples when I cross my legs. But six months ago, I was so fat that I couldn't cross my legs. I am the healthiest I have ever been. My boyfriend doesn't complain about my body and seems to love me/it more than ever. I also know that there are six billion other fat girls out there who hear about problems associated with weight loss and say "yeah cry me a river" (and other less-favorable things, I am sure.)
So all this begs the question... what if this is as good as it gets?
If this is as good as it gets, that is just fine with me.
Resolutions.
For the last six months, I have been trying to make resolutions frequently - and keep them. Some of them I have done very well with. Others, not so much. Time for a new list of resolutions to ring in the new year with. I'm curious to hear what everyone else has on their list, as well.
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS:
#1 Be a better girlfriend. This means doing what I can to always be a positive force in his life. Being a good listener, yada yada yada. I want to know that his life is better for having me in it. I'd also like to, at the very least, be engaged by the time the year is up. Or the month. No pressure though, Mike, if you're reading this... (yeah, right. Don't worry, he doesn't really read any of my blogs!)
#2 Make the house a thing of beauty. Keep everything clean and organized. Put up flower beds! Plant grass seed! Make my hickville neighbors jealous and confused!
#3 Try at least one new recipe a week. Become a great cook. This is my favorite resolution, and one I have already put into practice. The first part, anyway!
#4 Continue updating my blog, and make an effort to actually comment on all the other blogs that I read on a regular basis!
#5 Waste not, want not. Donate, compost, and recycle. 'nuff said.
#6 Spend more quality time - more time reading and writing letters and soaking in the bathtub and less time watching television and picking my nose.
Your turn!
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS:
#1 Be a better girlfriend. This means doing what I can to always be a positive force in his life. Being a good listener, yada yada yada. I want to know that his life is better for having me in it. I'd also like to, at the very least, be engaged by the time the year is up. Or the month. No pressure though, Mike, if you're reading this... (yeah, right. Don't worry, he doesn't really read any of my blogs!)
#2 Make the house a thing of beauty. Keep everything clean and organized. Put up flower beds! Plant grass seed! Make my hickville neighbors jealous and confused!
#3 Try at least one new recipe a week. Become a great cook. This is my favorite resolution, and one I have already put into practice. The first part, anyway!
#4 Continue updating my blog, and make an effort to actually comment on all the other blogs that I read on a regular basis!
#5 Waste not, want not. Donate, compost, and recycle. 'nuff said.
#6 Spend more quality time - more time reading and writing letters and soaking in the bathtub and less time watching television and picking my nose.
Your turn!
Sadly, no picture to accompany.
Last night for dinner I made the Buffalo Wing Soup from the Year of CrockPotting blog. (Have I mentioned how much I love this blog? Let me mention it again now. Love it, love it, love it.)
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/09/buffalo-wing-soup-crockpot-recipe.html
I didn't get to take a picture of the soup, because my BlackBerry was dead and I was too lazy to charge it. I thought I'd just take a picture of the leftovers today, but no such luck, as I will explain shortly!
The hardest part of this soup was baking the chicken ahead of time. Needless to say, that wasn't very hard. We used Texas Pete hot wing sauce, which was free of any scary ingredients. I did use an entire 8oz of Velveeta, because... well... do I really need to explain? We like cheese.
This was SO good. I found myself sneaking spoonfuls of it after it had only cooked for an hour. Finally at about two hours, I had a bowl. Okay, two bowls. The instructions said to cook on high for 3-4 hours, so I went to bed after it had cooked 2.5 hours, knowing Mike would be home in an hour, and left it on high.
When he came into bed I woke up and asked him how he liked dinner. He said that it was gross so he made a sandwich. I was angry at him, because I had been excited about making some that I just knew that he would like. But, alas, I woke up this morning and saw that it had burnt and left gross burnt parts floating around in it. So, if you make this (which I highly reccomend), watch it and stir it often. Also, it probably doesn't need to cook that long, or would be better made on low. I wouldn't make this and leave it in the crock pot all day.
No leftovers :( No worries, though, because I will be making it again!
Since tonight is New Year's Eve, I am making a special dinner. Beef burgundy with a roasted potatoe medley. I also picked up some lemon rum and raspberry vodka to make some mixed drinks with. I will post pictures of the dinner, since it is special and a lot of work. (I started the beef burgundy this morning.)
Anyway, another post will come later today. RESOLUTIONS!
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/09/buffalo-wing-soup-crockpot-recipe.html
I didn't get to take a picture of the soup, because my BlackBerry was dead and I was too lazy to charge it. I thought I'd just take a picture of the leftovers today, but no such luck, as I will explain shortly!
The hardest part of this soup was baking the chicken ahead of time. Needless to say, that wasn't very hard. We used Texas Pete hot wing sauce, which was free of any scary ingredients. I did use an entire 8oz of Velveeta, because... well... do I really need to explain? We like cheese.
This was SO good. I found myself sneaking spoonfuls of it after it had only cooked for an hour. Finally at about two hours, I had a bowl. Okay, two bowls. The instructions said to cook on high for 3-4 hours, so I went to bed after it had cooked 2.5 hours, knowing Mike would be home in an hour, and left it on high.
When he came into bed I woke up and asked him how he liked dinner. He said that it was gross so he made a sandwich. I was angry at him, because I had been excited about making some that I just knew that he would like. But, alas, I woke up this morning and saw that it had burnt and left gross burnt parts floating around in it. So, if you make this (which I highly reccomend), watch it and stir it often. Also, it probably doesn't need to cook that long, or would be better made on low. I wouldn't make this and leave it in the crock pot all day.
No leftovers :( No worries, though, because I will be making it again!
Since tonight is New Year's Eve, I am making a special dinner. Beef burgundy with a roasted potatoe medley. I also picked up some lemon rum and raspberry vodka to make some mixed drinks with. I will post pictures of the dinner, since it is special and a lot of work. (I started the beef burgundy this morning.)
Anyway, another post will come later today. RESOLUTIONS!
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