New Year's Resolutions

I am actually planning on sticking to these resolutions/goals this year! 

1.  Lose 25 pounds by August 1st. That's roughly 1 lb per week...doable I think. I want to look like her:

Lovely.

2.  Eat breakfast.

3.  Eat at least one vegetarian meal per week for dinner.

4.  Eat at least 5 vegetarian meals per week for lunch.

5.  Start viewing sweets as a privilege not a right.

6.  Start trying to get pregnant by the end of this year.

7.  Finish a guest bedroom, bathroom, and bedroom in our unfinished basement.

8.  Finish flower bed outside this summer.

9.  Workout at least 3-5 times per week.

10.  Go on a Mediterranean Cruise/Italian Vacation this summer.  Has anyone ever done this? I need major advice please!

This isn't an option for me.  Can you remind me of that in 3 months when I've gained 5 pounds instead of lost it?  Thanks so much :)

Well, now I'm off to cook and clean my butt off for a party that we're having on Saturday.  Can't wait to go out tonight for New Year's!  

Check out some more writing assignments and resolutions at Mama Kat's awesome blog here!

Happy New Year!!!!!

Decade in Review

The lovely Lucy over at Lucy's Life did a wonderful post about her decade "in review".  I was amazed that she could remember all that so I thought I'd give it a try. I had such a hard time thinking of everything, but I'm so glad I did! Although I'm sure I missed a ton, this is nice to have :)  

2000:

• Started my Sophomore year of high school.
  
• Went to a bunch of NSYNC concerts.  
  
• Was that all I did???

2001:

• Turned 16 in Disney World.  Magical :)
  
• Got my first car: a Ford Escort in Blue.  I loved it!
  
• Went to see Dave Matthew's Band at Comerica Park in Detroit.
  
• Continued my love of NSYNC by seeing them on the "Pop Odyssey" tour....twice
  
• Started my Junior Year of high school.
  
• Found out about 9/11 while sitting in my German Class. Horrible day for America.

2002:

• Went to NYC for the first time and saw "Rent" & the "Lion King".
  
• Went to Germany to visit an exchange student friend of mine for 2 months. We went to Paris, Amsterdam, and my favorite, Norway.
  
• Started my Senior year of high school.
  
• Very confused about where to go to college.

2003:

• Graduated High School.
  
• Saw Bob Dylan & the Grateful Dead in concert as a graduation gift from my uncle.
  
• Decided very very late to go to Grand Valley State University.
  
• Lost my Grandma "Oma".
  
• Started College.
  
• There was only one girl in high school who I really had a hard time getting along with...she was my "suite-mate"....unexpectedly.
  
• Went in to the dorms "blind", but met my wonderful roommate, Kerri, who I am still friends with now.
  
• Met my future hubby and had a little crush on him but thought he was too "country" for this Ann Arbor girl.
  
• Started dating a different guy who was the total opposite of me...some good, mostly bad :)
  
• Went to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon with my Mom and LOVED it!

2004:

• Developed my fear of driving in the snow after having to drive the 2 hour drive home from college for the holidays that actually took 6.
  
• Went to my first rodeo with my future hubby and some other friends.
  
• Snuck away to Chicago for the first time to visit "different guy".  We fought. But, I did fall in love with Chicago!
  
• Decided that my major in college was to be "Hospitality & Tourism Management".  I loved it, but I wish I would have thought of something a little more practical.
  
• Got really into my love of cooking and baking.

2005:

• Ended relationship with "different guy".
  
• Started dating the love of my life in August.  Best move ever.
  
• Lost my Grandpa "Opa".
  
• Went to NYC for 2nd time with my cousin and aunt during Christmas time. So cool!

2006:

• Turned 21 while at Disney World/Caribbean Cruise with my roommate, Heidi.  
  
• Moved out of college apartments and rented awesome historic house with friends.
  
• Got engaged in October to my love.
  
• Mourned the 10 year death of my dad.  Miss him everyday.
  

2007:

• Moved into Hubby and I's first apartment.
  
• Graduated College.
  
• Got married to the love of my life in October.

• Blessed to have a new family with two brothers, a mom, and a dad :)
  
• Went to Punta Cana on our Honeymoon and had the most relaxing week of my life.

2008:

• Moved out of our first apartment and bought a house.
  
• Lost my job two days after closing on house...
  
• Fulfilled a dream and started a new "job".
  
• Celebrated our first anniversary by going wine tasting in Traverse City.

2009:

• Started Blogging.
  
• Did tons of home projects.  You can see some here and here.
  
• Joined an Episcopalian church nearby.
  
• Got baptized.
  
• Celebrated our second anniversary by going to Washington State and Vancouver on Vacation.

2010:

Resolutions to come tomorrow!

Asian Spring Rolls

Since I was a little "overstuffed" from all the holiday eating I have been doing I decided to make something a little lighter for dinner last night. These are something I have made before and we always eat them up.  I like them because it uses up some leftover veggies in the fridge and also because they don't take a lot of time.  I don't really have a recipe but here is what I basically do. You can change any of the ingredients based on what you have on hand.

Asian Spring Rolls

Serves 2

Ingredients

Spring Roll Skin  *note and picture below*

Rice Noodles, Phad Thai Noodles, or any other noodle

1/2 pound of shrimp, cooked

1/2 cucumber, sliced thinly lengthwise

1 bunch green onions, sliced thinly lengthwise

1/2 bag of shredded carrots

lettuce, torn into smaller pieces

Here are some pictures of what I do:

This is the "Spring Roll Skin".  I've seen it in both packages.  One comes from the Asian Market and one comes from my local grocery store.  I haven't had a hard time finding them in our local store, but if you do the Asian Market is sure to have them.

Soak one "Spring Roll Skin" in warm water until soft. I would say this takes about a minute.  Lay "skin" onto a cutting board or paper towel and put your veggies and other things in.  Roll up like a burrito and slice in half.

Voila!

Here is the dipping sauce I make.  I kind of just throw things in, so do it to your taste.

Ingredients

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tsp chile sesame oil 

1/4-1/2 cup water depending on how strong you like it

Whisk ingredients together and serve in little bowls.

To see some more delicious recipes check out these fabulous blogs:

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Tuesdays at the Table

Tasty Tuesday

Have a great day!!!

Menu Plan 12/28 - 1/2

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was super busy full of visiting family, driving, and eating!  On Christmas Eve we went to my Dad's side of the family to have prime rib and presents. Some of you know that my dad passed away when I was little. However, we still spend Christmas Eve with his family, which is really important to me.  I only have one cousin on that side of the family, so it's great to see her whenever I get the chance. After dinner we go drive around to look at lights and sing along (loudly) to Christmas songs.  So fun! I got an amazing cake dome from Crate & Barrel that I can't wait to use:

Christmas day was spent at Hubby's family in the morning then we quickly went to my mom's to open presents and have breakfast.  Later in the day we went to Hubby's grandma's to have dinner.  His grandma gave me her old cordial glasses and some fabulous cookie cutters.  I am so excited about the glasses!

This weeks menu plan is a little crazy because we are having a party on Saturday and I have LOTS of food to cook :)  So I am trying to make the rest of the week as easy as possible.  I will be posting some of the recipes I'm making for the party, so check back later.  Here is what I have so far:

Monday:  Asian Spring Rolls (I'll be posting this recipe with pictures tomorrow)

Tuesday:  Chicken & Asiago sausage from Sam's (they're so good!) & polenta

Wednesday:  Chicken Squares

Thursday:  Yummy New Years Eve dinner with just my hubby before going to a friend's party.  We're having crab legs and steak.  I'm also making broccoli with this vinaigrette:

Broccoli with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 lb broccoli, cut into florets

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

3/4 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp garlic, finely minced

fresh pepper

salt

1 lemon

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a tablespoon of salt.  When at a strong boil, add in broccoli and cook for 3-5 minutes.  I like mine with a little bite to it so I do about 3 minutes.  Drain broccoli and rinse with cool water.  Place in a serving bowl.

In the meantime, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, pepper to taste, and 1 tsp salt.  Pour dressing over broccoli and squeeze lemon over the top.  I like to eat this at room temperature, but I think cold or hot would be good too.

Friday:  Pizza....because it's oh so easy :)

Saturday:  Party!!

Sorry for the jumbled plan but I will have recipes later in the week!

To check out more plans join in on the Menu Plan Monday fun here.

Have a great week!

Christmas Dinner Party

I'm not even going to get into the lack of posting. Everything is fine, other than I can't stick to a commitment...at all :)  Instead, I'm moving on to more positive things!  My un-committed butt had a dinner party.  I stressed, of course, but I think everything went pretty well :)  Here are some pictures of the table as well as my china.  I rarely use it, but it is the love of my life. Sometimes, I want to wave at it in the morning when I wake up.  Sometimes, I do.

For dinner I was lucky enough to not have to make appetizers or a salad. So, I made Italian Beef Roast, Creamy Parmesan Polenta, and Broccolini with a vinaigrette. I'll have to share the recipe for the pot roast soon, but here is the one for the Creamy Polenta. Go make it now because it's really easy and really yummy.

Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Serves 8

Ingredients:

4 c. whole milk

4 c. chicken stock

2 1/2  tsps salt

3 cups "medium" cornmeal       (It comes in coarse and fine too.  I prefer medium.)

8 Tbsp butter

1 c. parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

In a large sauce pan (I use a soup pot), bring milk, chicken stock, and salt to a boil.  While stirring, slowly add in the cornmeal.

Reduce heat until it is lightly simmering and continue to constantly stir.  Cook until it thickens, but not until hard.  (This will take about 10 minutes depending on the grain of your cornmeal. I would taste it after 5 minutes or so, to see if it is starting to soften.  I prefer mine to be like "al dente" pasta.  Not mushy, with a little bit of a bite.)

Remove the pan from the heat and add in the butter and cheese.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

**At this point I would serve it right away.  However, if you need to hold it over for a party, like I did you can keep it creamy for a little longer.  Polenta will harden once it cools.  This can be nice because you can cut it in wedges and grill, top with sauce, fry, etc.  However, if you want it creamy for a while it needs a little attention.  I just continue to add milk and a very low temperature while stirring.  I wouldn't do this for hours or anything, but I held mine like that for about 45 minutes. ***

You can check out some more great recipes @ Tempt My Tummy Tuesday & Tuesday's at the Table !

Enjoy your Christmas week!!!

Oh my.......

Hello! Hello? Anyone there?  Hmmm.....probably not because my blog is well....a little dusty to say the least.  Truly, I have no idea what has happened to it.  Life I guess.  Anyway, I got a lovely little message today in my email.  I thought..."someone is still reading this"? And then I got some more.  And then another.  Finally someone congratulated me on the Foodie Blog Roll. Well, there you have it.  The blogger who never blogs got put on the Foodie Blog Roll.  

Thanks Foodie Blog Roll for getting my butt in gear. Because,well, I'd really like to make some kind of commitment to start keeping up on my blog again. I enjoy it, and now that it is getting cold again I am bored. Most importantly, I miss reading everyone else's blogs. So, I don't think I can commit to everyday, because I'm just not that exciting.  If I set a goal to do something and I only half do it, than I kind of just give up all together.  For example, I say I'm going to lose ten pounds.  Then I only lose 2.  Then I just stop trying.  Not good.  

So, I am committing to writing at least a couple of times a week.  I know I can do that.  If I write more than a couple....don't get too used to it.  I don't have a good track record.  Oh and also, I'm not going to worry about my grammer so much.  It stresses me out.  Then I take like 500 hours to write one post.  Then I stop writing.  You get the picture.

Anyway, I have been up to a lot.  I have been cooking a ton and redecorating too.  Next Friday we are leaving for Washington State.  We are going to the mountains the first half of the trip and then Vancouver and then Seattle.  I am going to be hiking.  Yes I said hiking.  We'll see how that goes.  Thank goodness the second half of our trip in Vancouver and Seattle is going to be all about food.  I need to recover. If I don't write when I get back it's because I got lost in Pike's Place.  I'm already dreaming about the fish. Whole. Fresh. Fish. Sort of like this one:

Then we're eating at this place. I'll be the dork taking pictures of the food so I can show you.

Thanks again Foodie Blog Roll.  I really needed this.  

An Apology and Some Awards

Oh goodness, I feel like such a bad blogger.  Not only have I not been keeping up with my posting but I also have a couple of awards that I have not responded to.  

First off, sorry for ignoring my blog and the others I read.  My hubby has been sick and I am having surgery next week.  Don't worry, my surgery isn't serious. The doctor is checking to see if I have endometriosis.  I am hoping to have kids in a couple of years and I am also showing signs of endometriosis. That's obviously not a good mix so basically I just want to know if having kids is an option for me :)  

We are also having our floors refinished next week too (I know...I'm a little nuts).  That means I have to take everything off them including the china cabinet, so I have to pack up everything in it.  FUN!  Okay...now I feel like a giant Debbie Downer so here is this as an apology:

Ahhh..........

Okay well enough negativeness.  I got an award yesterday and also one a long long time ago that I have not posted.  I appreciate them so much but for some reason fail to post them.  

Numero Uno:

Thanks so much Meagan and I am so sorry this took me so long.  Meagan's Blog is called "The Life of Me" and it is wonderful.  She also started a new blog that I am so super excited about. It is a blog all about makeup.  She posts tips and also awesome pics of some of the things she's done.  To check it out go here.

Numero Dos:

This award is from Tecia at The Kirven Crew.  Her blog is so real and sweet and I love it!  She also has the cutest kids ever.  So thank you Tecia!!!!!!

I am going to try and post some up until my surgery but then starting next Wednesday I am going to take a little time off.  Then I will be back!! Watch out!!!

Have a great day!!

Menu Plan 6/8 - 6/13

I am happy to report that the block party I planned was a success on Saturday!!  We managed to avoid most of the rain and had a great time.  I made cake flower pops which were a hit with the little ones. Ummm....however, I completely forgot to take a picture. Yesterday I was a lazy couch potato. I think the only thing I did was go grocery shopping :)  

This week's menu is really kind of boring now that I look at it.  Could I have any more chicken? I am, however, making a broccoli casserole tonight that is fantastic!!  So definitely check back for that tomorrow. Okay here is the week ahead:

Monday:  Flank Steak and Broccoli Casserole, which I will post tomorrow

Tuesday:  Lucy's Chicken and Rice Casserole and a salad

I am so excited for this casserole!  I have a secret love of mushroom soup ;)

Wednesday:  Baked Chicken with asparagus and homemade mashed potatoes

Thursday:  LO Chicken and Rice Casserole

Friday:  Chicken Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing using leftover chicken from Wed.

Saturday:  OUT!!

To check out more menu plans go to Organizing Junkie's Blog here!!

Have a great week!!

A Friday Giggle

Well I haven't posted a funny kid video in a long time and this one may just be my favorite!  I seriously should carry this around with me to watch when I'm feeling down.  It's a great reminder to smile at the little things in life!

Happy Friday!!!

Picture Tag

A couple of days ago I was tagged by the fabulous Mommy Gourmet to post the 6th picture in the 6th folder under pictures on my computer.  So I went a looking and here is what I found:

This was a bonfire that I went to last year with a friend of mine from college.  A family friend of hers has it every year and we always go.  This fire is SOOOOOOO big!  Here is what happens when people on the expressway see the fire:

The fire department comes and makes you spray down your barn so it doesn't catch on fire.  Then they stay and admire the greatness of a giant bonfire.  Ahhhh.....country life.

So thanks for tagging me Mommy Gourmet!!!  I would really like to see what everyone has in their picture folders so I'm tagging all my readers.  

Have a great day!!

Half Healthy Raspberry Cookies

I absolutely love the combination of raspberry and chocolate chip.  I actually love the combination of most anything sweet.  Whipped cream and chocolate. Strawberries and chocolate. Ice cream and ice cream. Whipped cream with a little side of whipped cream.  You get the idea. However, raspberries and chocolate sound especially good recently.

Now, with that being said I would like to lose a few pounds in general before having a baby (years away!!) and also off my booter, because...well...it's getting too big. So, I decided to remake an old recipe I had to be a little bit healthier.  I didn't want to make it too healthy though because if it tastes like tree bark, it's not going to satisfy my sweet tooth. So here it goes:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1 egg white

2 tbsp flax seed meal   (This is simply ground flax seed and totally optional)

1 cup fresh raspberries

1 cup chocolate chips   (I used semi-sweet, but you could use anything including white)

1/2 cup chopped nuts  (I used almonds)

Directions:

Beat sugar and butter until fluffy.  Mix in yogurt, egg white, honey, and vanilla until just combined. Slowly mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flax seed until combined.  Gently fold in the chocolate chips, raspberries, and nuts.

Place in refrigerator and cool for at least an hour.  This is a really important step, because the mixture is pretty wet.  

Heat oven to 375.  Make one inch ball and place them on a greased cookie sheet.  Gently press to flatten a little and bake for 10-12 minutes.

*Okay a couple of notes about this.  First, if you don't like the texture of whole wheat flour, just use all regular.  Second, I really wouldn't use frozen raspberries, because I think they would be too runny.*

Hope you like them :)

To see more delicious creations visit Tasty Tuesday here and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday here!

Have a great day!!

Menu Plan 6/1 - 6/6

I hope everyone had a great weekend!!  I had a great time at the wedding I went to.  The bride and groom were so happy and everything was beautiful! However, now I feel like I need a weekend from my weekend :) Well here is what I have for the week!

Monday:  Makeover Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta

Tuesday:  Curry Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken breasts, cubed

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup mayo

2 tsp curry powder

1/4 cup diced apple, I like to use granny smith

1 pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper

salad greens

pita bread

Directions:

Mix everything together and let sit for about an hour. Serve in pita bread with lettuce!

Wednesday: Left over Creamy Pasta

Thursday: Taryn's Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

Friday: Dinner out with another couple!

Saturday:  Neighborhood Block Party that I have been organizing :)

To check out more menu plans visit Organizing Junkie here :)

**Ummmm....I have no idea why this post looks so weird.  I have tried re-typing but it's not working.  Oh well :)

Have a great week!!

Happy Girl

After last week's very pessimistic post about things that I am sick of, I thought I would take another one of Mama Kat's suggestions and write about 10 things that make me happy!

1.  Having a house makes me really happy.  I love to keep it clean.  Yes I know I'm an oddity.  I like to decorate for the seasons and change things up too. Mostly though, I just like knowing that it's mine :)

2.  Blogging make me really happy.  I totally didn't expect to get such joy out of blogging when I first started.  It really has been something I look forward to everyday.  It's nice to have a way to document my life and I like that friends and family who I don't see all the time can read to keep up me!  And of course, I like all the blogs I read and the new "friends" I have met.

3.  Cooking.  This should be obvious.  I love cooking!  I like to make things for people as a sign of affection and my hubby loves it too.  Lets get real though....I mostly just like to eat.

4.  Gardening has recently became something that I really enjoy.  Since having a house I have loved getting to know different flowers and watching what everything turns into!  Here's a picture I took this morning out the window, because the weather isn't so good here today:

5.  I really like to read.  I come and go with how much I actually read, but when I get into a book I can rarely put it down.  I don't know why it takes me so long to actually start one.  I don't have a favorite but I am still really enjoying reading the series I wrote about here.  

6.  Babies also make me really happy.  I don't have any yet, but nothing can make be smile faster than a squishy little baby.

7.  Traveling.  I don't do it much, but when we do go somewhere it is so exciting!  I travelled to Europe for 2 months in high school, and I still have super fond memories of it.  I would love love love to go to Italy or back to the Dominican and lay right here:

8.  Menu planning makes me happy and also keeps me sane.  I know it's really weird that I would add this but I am able to save money this way by not wasting and make more unique and varied meals because I actually have time to plan them.  I also really hate going to the grocery store, so not having to go all the time makes me happy too :)

9.  My friends and family.  It sounds cliche but they really do make me so happy everyday. Whether it's my mom or my girlfriends, I love spending time with all of them.

10.  And the best for last.  My hubby.  He makes me the happiest.  I love all the time we spend together, especially the boring couch snuggles where he lets me watch all the Jeopardy and Real Housewives I want.

To check out what makes others happy or more assignments go see Mama Kat here!!!

Have a great day!!!!

Old Clothes

Yesterday I had a little time on my hands and decided to go through some old clothes.  I took some to a consignment shop to sell and made $68.  I sold them at a place called Plato's Closet. I don't know if they're nationwide or not, but they pay a pretty good amount for clothes.  

Next, I separated some into a pile to give to Goodwill.  Then I had some shirts that were really stained, ripped, etc.  I didn't really want to give those to Goodwill because they were incredible hideous and I don't think they would even keep them.  But, I didn't want to throw them away either. So, being my cheap self I decided to make little rags with them.  I have been trying to reduce the amount of paper towel I use, but I don't like to dirty my nice dish clothes. Cutting up these yucky clothes were a good solution.  

I made three sizes.  Big ones for the hubby when he washes the car, does yard work, etc.  Middle size ones for larger clean ups and little ones for wiping the counter and other kitchen things. Now, I know you are wondering to yourself if I use them in the bathroom too. Ummm...maybe for the occasional light counter cleaning, but this girl will NOT be using these on the toilet.  I'm simply not green enough for all that.  The idea of washing anything with toilet rags makes me a little icky.  And I don't think it's worth wasting a load of laundry to wash them alone.  I'd might as well use paper towel with all the water I'd be wasting.  

So here they are:

Have a great day!!

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

I made this for a barbeque that we had on Saturday and it was so good and easy!  It had a great strawberry taste and didn't feel quite as heavy as a normal cheesecake.  Not that I've really had a problem with heavy desserts before....but. Ugh. Well, you know what I mean.

Ingredients:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 tbsp butter, melted

1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar

4 pkg (80z) cream cheese

1/2 cup strawberry preserves

2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped

1 tub (8oz) Cool Whip, thawed

Directions:

Mix graham crackers, butter, and 1/4 cup sugar together.  Press into bottom of 13x9 pan. Refrigerate while making filling.

Beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar until well blended.  Add in preserves and mix well.  Put strawberries in a small bowl and sprinkle 2 tbsp sugar over.  Mash strawberries with fork or potato masher.  Stir strawberries and Cool Whip into cream cheese mixture.  Spoon over crust. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm.  

Obviously we liked it....

To see more yumminess check out Tasty Tuesday here and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday here!

Have a great day!!

Menu Plan 5/25 - 5/30

Well I had a great weekend!!  It's so nice to just have that one extra day off.  It's amazing what a difference it can make in your week.  Last night we had some friends over for a barbeque.  I made a great dessert which I will post tomorrow.  We also had brats, burgers, corn, and the Broccoli Slaw I posted last week.  After dinner we had a fire in the back which went on way too late so I'm a little tired today :)

Well here is the plan for the week: 

PS... I was really bad about the picture thing.  I will try to post some later as I make them :)

Monday:  Hubby's Burgers with Special Sauce and baked sweet potato fries

Ingredients:

                                                               

1 lb ground turkey

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp orange juice

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tsp ginger, grated

Mix all ingredients together make 4 patties.  Grill each patty about 6 minutes on each side. Top with special sauce:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mayo

1/2 cup greek yogurt (or mayo)

2 tbsp green onions, chopped

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp orange juice

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp ginger, grated

Mix all ingredients together and spoon over burgers!  This is really yummy and a great burger in the summer :)

Tuesday:  Kung Pao Chicken

*I know that this seems like a lot of ingredients, which there are.  However, a lot of the things are just basic pantry items.  Once you make the quick sauce it's very fast from there.  This is really tasty and a nice change from normal stir fry*

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 tbsp sherry

5 tsp cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vinegar

couple shakes of hot sauce (to taste)

1 tbsp cooking oil

2 tsp ginger, grated

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts

2 cups rice, cooked

Directions:

Mix in a medium bowl chicken, sherry, and 1 tsp cornstarch.  Cover and set in fridge for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl stir together water, soy sauce, 4 tsps cornstarch, sugar, vinegar, and hot sauce. Set aside.  

Pour cooking oil into a wok or skillet.  Heat for a minute or two over medium high heat.  Stir fry ginger and garlic in hot oil for about 15 seconds.  Add chicken and stir fry until cooked through, about 4 minutes.  

Stir in sauce until thickened and bubbly.  Add in green onions and peanuts and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Serve over rice.

Serves 4.

Wednesday:  Flank Steak with roasted potatoes and broccoli

Thursday:  LO Kung Pao Chicken

Friday:  Rehearsal Dinner for the wedding I'm in on Saturday in Detroit

Saturday:  Wedding!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited!!

To check out more menu plans go to Organizing Junkie here!

Have a great week!!

Cute Cute Cute

I was on Perez yesterday and saw this video. Yes...I occasionally read Perez. Anywho, this is a really sweet video and one of my very favorite songs. Take a peek:




Happy Friday!!!

Sick Of

So today I decided to do an assignment from Mama Kat. I'm listing 10 things I'm sick of because I wanted to be a Debbie Downer today :) Just kidding, I'm not in a bad mood at all, but hey it's kind of nice to write down what you're sick of. I wrote it down now I'm moving on! Okay here's me complaining.

I'm sick of:

1.  Flies.  As I'm writing this one flew past my head.  We live in the country and they are everywhere!  Seriously, being originally a city girl this has been the hardest thing for me to get used to.  Maybe if I dressed up like this I could scare them away.

2.  Hearing about Twitter.  I don't care if people have it and there are some I even like to read. However, I think it's getting a little out of hand.  I don't need to know when you pee.  I don't think it's meant for all that.

3.  Hearing about the economy.  The more we hear about how bad it is, the more we worry. The more we worry, the more we don't spend money.  It's a vicious cycle.

4.  Tanning.  I'm in a wedding in a little over a week and the dress currently matches my skin color.  I never seem to have a problem tanning quickly, but for some reason it's not going so well this time.  I don't really like to tan and this is becoming very unfun.

5.  Texting.  Are you sensing an aversion to technology here?  I just think texting, like Twitter, is getting out of hand.  I don't think people talk anymore. I also think texting an entire conversation is a lot of work.  Why not just call me and we can discuss it in 5 minutes instead of spending 20 minutes typing it out. Oh, and have you heard of sexting?  I saw it on the Today Show the other day. Hmmmmm....is all I have to say to that.

6.  Not being able to go the the beach.  It's still a little cold here.  But not for long!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7.  Feeling like I need to lose weight.

8.  Having giant cravings for things like this:

That's a peanut butter pie in case you were wondering. I think about them 24/7.

9.  Wanting to plan a vacation but not having the funds to actually do it because of annoying car/house things.

10.  Not having projects done in our house.  I want our bedroom to look like this:

There you go! I'm officially a big complainer! I promise tomorrow I'm going to have a very positive post :)

To check out more assignments go to Mama Kat's here!!

Have a great day!!

Baked Macaroni with Chicken

I used to make this all the time, because it's one of my husband's favorite.  However, I kind of forgot about it and haven't made it in a long time. I made it last night though and it was very tasty!  I wouldn't say that it is incredibly flavorful but I like it because it's really comforting. Also, it's a breeze to make and pretty healthy.  

Ingredients:

1 box macaroni *see my note below the pictures for an alternative

2 boxes chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 eggs

1/2 cup onion, minced

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper to taste

you're favorite tomato sauce (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Poach chicken by simmering in salted water until cooked through.  (You could use any type of chopped chicken.  Rotisserie, left over, baked, etc)  Boil noodles.  

In a separate bowl beat eggs and mix in spinach, onion, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Once chopped chicken and noodles have cooled a little mix those in too.  

Place everything in a sprayed casserole dish and top with mozzarella.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

I like to serve mine with Vodka sauce :)

***Okay a note about the noodles.  You could also use spaghetti and bake it in a well sprayed bundt pan.  Then remove the noodles onto a plate.  Serve the sauce in the hole.  I have done this before but didn't have any spaghetti.  I think it's more fun for kids and a nicer presentation if you're having guests.***

To see more yumminess check out Tasty Tuesday here and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday here :)

Have a great day!!

Menu Plan 5/18 - 5/23

I had the best weekend!!  On Saturday morning 5 of my girlfriends and I left for Detroit for a friends bachelorette party.  We went to an 80's nightclub and it was so much fun!  The bar came complete with a giant dancefloor, disco ball, and plenty of Blondie.  It was a mix of all ages including an 80 year old man who could dip better than any woman I've ever seen.  So now on to my slightly boring menu this week.  I had to send the hubby to go grocery shopping on Sunday and didn't want to make him try to find anything too complicated at the store :)

Monday: Baked Macaroni with Chicken  (I'll be posting this tomorrow for Tasty and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday after I make it tonight)

Tuesday:  Gyros with a salad

Ingredients:

1 lb lamb

1 lb ground turkey (or beef)

2 tbsp grill seasoning 

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp coriander

1 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp cinnamon

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup feta, crumbled

1 10oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix all ingredients well and form into a 3 inch wide long roll on baking sheet.  Coat with olive oil and bake for 40 minutes.  Serve with pita, onion, tomato, and cucumber yogurt sauce below.

Ingredients:

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 chopped cucumber

1 grated clove garlic

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp salt

juice of half lemon

Mix everything together and spoon into pita

Wednesday:  Brats and Broccoli Cole Slaw

Thursday: Left over Gyros

Friday:  Left over Brats

Saturday:  Sonic!!!!!!!!

To check out more menu plans go to Organizing Junkie's Blog here :)

Have a great week!!