I need a new hot water heater. Those suckers are EXPENSIVE. Let's be honest, I'm a teacher and I don't make a lot of money, so I'm basically handing over my summer vacation money to replace this thing. I am not a happy camper about it. Not to mention about two days later, a friend of mine broke my vacuum cleaner. I'm not super sure she intends to get me another one and it's kind of one of those touchy money situations you don't want to get into with a good friend.
So why am I telling you this? Well, I've got to try to save some money somehow, so I'm trying to be frugal about the food I buy and the amount of times I eat out. I also sweet talked Verizon into lowering my monthly rate by 15 bucks. But that's another story.
On Monday, after I realized I didn't want to eat PB&J for my lunches for the next 5 months, I whipped up a big salad that I could eat off of all week. It's a take on a Caesar Salad. It's got pasta in it. That sounds like the weirdest thing ever, but it is actually VERY good!
You will need:
Romaine Lettuce (I got the kind in a bag.)
Bowtie Pasta
Parmesan Cheese
Caesar Croutons
Almonds for Salads
The Caesar dressing of your choice
I went ahead and made 2 cups of pasta, which was MORE than enough. That was pretty much the only thing I had to make in advance. Every morning when I got up to make my lunch I would put some of the lettuce in a bowl, top it with some pasta, croutons, cheese, and almonds, and I was ready to go. I put my dressing in a little container to add later at school. Easy to make, and it was many lunches/dinners for the week. (I'm one of those people who doesn't get really bored with eating the same thing over and over!) The pasta added a little substance to the salad and it felt more like a meal than a side dish. :)
That's all for now, pray that nothing else of mine breaks in the next year.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Week 3--Creme Brulee!
All of my friends know of my undying love for all types of Creme Brulee. This past summer, while on a cruise with my friends, I may or may not have ordered two of the coconut creme brulee desserts they had for dinner one night. And they were DELICIOUS. God bless these friends of mine, they got together and got me all the supplies one needs to make this amazing dessert for Christmas...Cute little red Ramekins and a culinary BLOW TORCH!
I wasn't too keen on having to warm up the whipping cream on the stove, and luckily, I found a microwave version that seemed to work just fine!
You will need:
4 Tablespoons of Sugar
1 Pint of Heavy Whipping Cream
4 egg yolks
Salt
1 teaspoon of the flavored extract of your choice
I started by whisking together four tablespoons of sugar, and a pint of heaving whipping cream. Put this in the microwave for about 2 minutes while you separate and whisk your eggs.
After taking the mixture from the microwave, whisk in the egg yolks, a dash of salt, and a teaspoon of any flavored extract. Most recipes I found called for vanilla, but to my surprise, we had run out! I decided to use almond and it was definitely a good choice! Once all of this is mixed, I poured it out into my cute little Ramekins. :) They then need to go into the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes in a water bath. I filled the pan up about halfway with really hot water from my tap.
Once these bad boys come out of the oven, we they will be a little jiggly, and that's ok! Put them in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to set and cool. They comes the fun part...using the blow torch!
Put a thin layer of sugar on top of each and TORCH IT! :) I think I need to perfect my torching skills, but I think I did a darn good job for my first try! After torching, I popped them back in the fridge for 10 minutes, and they were ready to eat! My roommate and I enjoyed having these as dessert so much, I made another batch later in the week after we had devoured these. I used peppermint extract, and that was pretty yummy too!
Till next week! :)
I wasn't too keen on having to warm up the whipping cream on the stove, and luckily, I found a microwave version that seemed to work just fine!
You will need:
4 Tablespoons of Sugar
1 Pint of Heavy Whipping Cream
4 egg yolks
Salt
1 teaspoon of the flavored extract of your choice
I started by whisking together four tablespoons of sugar, and a pint of heaving whipping cream. Put this in the microwave for about 2 minutes while you separate and whisk your eggs.
After taking the mixture from the microwave, whisk in the egg yolks, a dash of salt, and a teaspoon of any flavored extract. Most recipes I found called for vanilla, but to my surprise, we had run out! I decided to use almond and it was definitely a good choice! Once all of this is mixed, I poured it out into my cute little Ramekins. :) They then need to go into the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes in a water bath. I filled the pan up about halfway with really hot water from my tap.
Once these bad boys come out of the oven, we they will be a little jiggly, and that's ok! Put them in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to set and cool. They comes the fun part...using the blow torch!
Till next week! :)
Saturday, January 14, 2012
I GREW SOMETHING!
I have a self-proclaimed black thumb. Not a green thumb, a black one. At any given time there is some kind of dead plant taking up space in my yard. I am very ambitious about gardening outside, but it never seems to work out well for me. That may be better if I remember to water things...
Anyway, I'm addicted to Pinterest, and saw this on there the other day. Take the white stems of green onions and put them in water. They grow immediately! I didn't really believe it, but had to try it. I always want to use green onions in my cooking, especially when I make egg drop soup, but don't ever need the entire package. I gave it a shot and IT WORKED! After a week, the onions had grown at least 3 inches. I added some more today, but here's a picture of my original onions!
Till next week! :)
Anyway, I'm addicted to Pinterest, and saw this on there the other day. Take the white stems of green onions and put them in water. They grow immediately! I didn't really believe it, but had to try it. I always want to use green onions in my cooking, especially when I make egg drop soup, but don't ever need the entire package. I gave it a shot and IT WORKED! After a week, the onions had grown at least 3 inches. I added some more today, but here's a picture of my original onions!
Till next week! :)
Week 2--Mexican Pizza
My goal in doing this blog was to take some time for myself to do what I love--cook. I realized this past weekend that this is also something to share with friends. Last Sunday evening, my dear friend Rita came over to have dinner and watch my new favorite show "Once upon a Time" with me. (I'm a sucker for fairy tales) I took care of the main dish, and she brought some yummy desserts, which I will be trying very soon.
I made some Mexican Pizza. It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD. Back in the day when I thought Taco Bell was a great idea, I used to always get the mexican pizza. I no longer thing that taco bell is a great idea since the fact that you can buy dinner for 4 bucks just scares the bejesus out of me.
Here's my take on a Mexican Pizza.
You will need:
1 Can of Crescent Rolls
1 can of refried beans
a package of ground meat
Taco Seasoning
Tomatoes or Pico de Gallo
Shredded Cheese
Taco Sauce
Green Onions
1 White onion
I started by unrolling my crescent rolls into a little rectangle on my favorite air bake pan and, following the directions on the can, baked them. While that was cooking, I heated up the refried beans in the microwave. I also browned the ground meat with an onion in a skillet, adding taco seasoning as per the directions on the packet.
Once the Rolls were baked, I spread the refried beans on the crescent rolls, and layered my ground meat mixture on top of that. I put tomatoes, cheese, and green onions next and put back in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese. I topped everything off with taco sauce--my favorite. :)
So there ya go! Week 2...DONE! Maybe if the Saints win their football game today, I'll cook something cajun next week!
I made some Mexican Pizza. It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD. Back in the day when I thought Taco Bell was a great idea, I used to always get the mexican pizza. I no longer thing that taco bell is a great idea since the fact that you can buy dinner for 4 bucks just scares the bejesus out of me.
Here's my take on a Mexican Pizza.
You will need:
1 Can of Crescent Rolls
1 can of refried beans
a package of ground meat
Taco Seasoning
Tomatoes or Pico de Gallo
Shredded Cheese
Taco Sauce
Green Onions
1 White onion
I started by unrolling my crescent rolls into a little rectangle on my favorite air bake pan and, following the directions on the can, baked them. While that was cooking, I heated up the refried beans in the microwave. I also browned the ground meat with an onion in a skillet, adding taco seasoning as per the directions on the packet.
Once the Rolls were baked, I spread the refried beans on the crescent rolls, and layered my ground meat mixture on top of that. I put tomatoes, cheese, and green onions next and put back in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese. I topped everything off with taco sauce--my favorite. :)
So there ya go! Week 2...DONE! Maybe if the Saints win their football game today, I'll cook something cajun next week!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Week 1--Chicken Ranch Rolls
I've realized lately, that any recipe worth trying has a packet of ranch dressing powder in it. This only fuels my LOVE for all things ranch. I got the recipe I tried out this week from Pinterest, which is quickly surpassing Facebook as the most addicting place on the internet.
This week I made Chicken Ranch Rolls. For this you need...
1 8oz block of cream cheese
3 chicken breasts
1 packet of ranch dressing
2-3 cups of Cheese (I used Monterey Jack/Colby Jack blend)
Dash of salt and pepper
2 cans of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
I started out by boiling three chicken breasts. I just threw them in a pot and let them go for awhile. While the chicken was cooking, I threw the cream cheese (soften it) the ranch dressing, cheese, and a dash of salt and pepper together and mixed it up real nice. When my chicken was done, I shredded it (I hate doing this) and mixed it with the other ingredients.
Once your mixture is ready to roll, separate and roll out your crescent rolls. Or, if you're me, have you roommate extract the rolls from the can because you such at opening those... Spoon a bit of the chicken cheese mixture into each triangle and roll up into a little bun. Mine made about 12 roll-ups, which was so much more than I actually needed haha.
Brush some butter over the rolls and pop them in the oven at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. They're delicious!
I've been eating them all week since there are so many of them. Maybe next time I try out a new recipe, I should invite some buddies over. :)
Enjoy!
This week I made Chicken Ranch Rolls. For this you need...
1 8oz block of cream cheese
3 chicken breasts
1 packet of ranch dressing
2-3 cups of Cheese (I used Monterey Jack/Colby Jack blend)
Dash of salt and pepper
2 cans of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
I started out by boiling three chicken breasts. I just threw them in a pot and let them go for awhile. While the chicken was cooking, I threw the cream cheese (soften it) the ranch dressing, cheese, and a dash of salt and pepper together and mixed it up real nice. When my chicken was done, I shredded it (I hate doing this) and mixed it with the other ingredients.
Once your mixture is ready to roll, separate and roll out your crescent rolls. Or, if you're me, have you roommate extract the rolls from the can because you such at opening those... Spoon a bit of the chicken cheese mixture into each triangle and roll up into a little bun. Mine made about 12 roll-ups, which was so much more than I actually needed haha.
Brush some butter over the rolls and pop them in the oven at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. They're delicious!
I've been eating them all week since there are so many of them. Maybe next time I try out a new recipe, I should invite some buddies over. :)
Enjoy!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
My Mission
My Mission: To cook at least one new/old favorite thing a week and post it on here. I love sharing recipes and feel like this might be a fun way to do it. If you're lucky, I might even share some of my delicious Cajun recipes with you. :)
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