Stir Fry Filed under ( Turkey )

Hi guys :) Sorry I went MIA yesterday! After work, I squeezed in a quick 6 mile run, an even quicker shower and then I headed out to a dinner with Josh's work. We went to a Greek restaurant and the food was VERY good. I had a ginormous Greek salad with fresh pita bread. Obviously, given the surroundings, I couldn't exactly whip out my camera ;) The coolest part of the dinner- I met a reader! Hi Michelle!!

Due to my OT the last couple days, I got to take most of today off. I used most of the day to play catch up. I got up at my usual time and headed to the gym for 20 minutes on the elliptical and Body Pump. The majority of the rest of the day was spent cleaning the whole house, doing laundry/ironing, getting my oil changed, and doing a little relaxing with the Frankster.

Tonight, I am headed to the cooking class I mentioned earlier in the week. We will be focusing on gnocchi and risotto. I will try and take lots of pictures (if I'm allowed). Since I'm leaving Josh by his lonesome, I threw him together a nice dinner to come home to -stir fry! This one contains ground turkey, water chestnuts, broccoli slaw, pineapple, leftover TJ's grain mixture, and stir fry sauce:

A sweet reader (Hi Melissa!) asked if I could post my typical day to day schedule. I will be putting this together and hope to have it up in the next post.

I hope you're having a good night. Whats on your dinner menu?

Peanut Buster Parfait Filed under ( dessert, ice cream dessert )

I love the combination of salty and sweet! I got this yummy dessert from Lori - a friend from church. I tweaked it a little and put caramel sauce on with the fudge sauce. I love that you can make it ahead and have in the freezer. I made two pans for a large group of volleyball players
and they loved it.

Peanut Buster Parfait

30 crushed Oreos
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 gallon partially thawed Vanilla ice cream
16 jar fudge sauce
Caramel sauce
1 to 1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts
whipped cream (optional)

Mix crushed oreos and butter and spread 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13. Layer ice cream on top. **if you cut open the container of ice cream, you can slice the ice cream and lay it on top of the oreo crumbs; pour fudge sauce over ice cream and the caramel sauce if desired; top with the leftover 1/3 crushed oreos and the peanuts. Cover and freeze - overnight would be best! Enjoy as is or serve with a dollop of whipped cream!

Printable Version

Chocolate Cherry Almond Meal Cookies Filed under ( Dessert, Family, group fitness, Restaurant Review )

Please excuse my absence! Josh’s parents have been in town since Saturday and we have been busy spending good quality time with them. How has your week been treating you? Mine has been very nice- a little bit of work, a lotta bit of play and the usual teaching. I also was able to bake up a new to me treat this week. I saw Pam post about these Chocolate Cherry Cookies and knew I must try making them (since Josh’s Mom had just brought me my first bag of Almond Meal from Trader Joe’s):

 

I assembled my ingredients and got to work:

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup almond meal
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup dried cherries
• 2/3 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Desired quantity chocolate chips

Directions:

• Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place everything in a bowl and mix well (it will look like there is not enough moisture at first).
• Using a cookie scoop, scoop mix out onto a cookie sheet. Bake for ~16 minutes (if larger cookies) until bottom is slightly brown.
• Enjoy!

 

I have a tendency to go overboard with chocolate chips….

 

Last night, we enjoyed our last meal out with Josh’s parents. We went to one of our favorite Italian spots in Charleston, Mercato.  Josh’s parents:

Me & the Man:

 

And we hit up Fresh Berry afterwards :). I got Vanilla with double cherries and kiwi, fantastic:

And since I missed Workout Wednesday:

• Monday: Taught Body Pump & Step
• Tuesday:  Taught Body Attack
• Wednesday:  Off
• Thursday:  Run outside
• Friday:  Teach Body Pump
• Saturday:  10K road race
• Sunday:  Off

Have you baked up anything new lately? Please share links :) Have a good rest of the work week.

INSTANT ITALIAN THIN-CRUST PIZZA Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Cakes and Bakes, Instant Dishes )

that too made from a scratch!, including the base, all ready in 15 minutes, what more can you ask for!, In my previous post about Instant Donuts I mentioned Instant gratification, this is again one of those recipes that gives me exactly the right dose of it and let me tell you I am very pleased with the results this recipe gives a perfect, crisp base and a delicious cheesy taste,but MAKE THIS RECIPE INTO A THIN CRUST BASE ONLY which is what I PREFER not a thick one, it is simply not designed for that and you will be disappointed., so no waiting hours for the dough to rise! Get ready to switch on the oven right now....

PIZZA-There is agreement that pizza may have been developed by peasants in Naples,Italy. This early pizza consisted of flattened bread dough with olive oil, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.NOW it is a Universal favorite.

Ingredients-

(makes 3 medium sized one's)

• Refined flour-1 cup
• Olive oil/butter- 2 tbsp.
• Salt-1/4 tsp.
• Sugar-1/4 tsp.
• Baking powder-1/2 tsp.
• Milk- 7-8 tbsp.or as required

For the Topping- use as per your requirement and liking

• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Capsicum
• Tomato ketchup
• Mushrooms
• olives
• pineapple
• sweet corn
• pepperoni/shredded chicken
• chicken/paneer tikka/chilli chicken bits
• Any kind of cheese(provolone/gorgonzola/ cheddar/mozzarella)
• Oregano/italian seasoning- as desired
• chilli flakes
• anything else you like

Method-

Pre-heat oven. Combine all the ingredients for the base together (except milk),slowly add milk to make into a soft ,pliable dough, divide into three balls, roll out thinly like a chapati, prick with a fork , bake for ten minutes.            

the rolled out pizza base

Take out the base, spread out about 2-3 tbsp. of ketchup first and then all the toppings (chopped up/sliced) that your heart desires sprinkle the oregano, or

for Pizza Margarita-use only  ketchup ,spread 1/2 cup grated cheese, sprinkle oregano and bake

.

                  grating the cheese

Bake for 20-25 minutes or till base is crisp and crunchy, and cheese is golden and bubbling.... bite in...YUM!                                                      Instant Italian thin-crust pizza

 

Good things in life-Flowers and Hot Pizza!

Apricot-Glazed Grilled Chicken Filed under ( chicken, fruit, grill, light recipes, main dishes, quick and easy, sauces )

Another great thing about summer food is all the grilling you get to do! I love grilling for two reasons, it's a healthy and delicious way to eat your food, and it requires few ingredients for lots of deliciousness! I also love how every time I turn around, there are more and more fun ways to grill your food.

I wasn't quite sure about this recipe at first, mostly because of my grumbling husband who can't seem to grasp the magic behind combining fruit and meat. However, our whole family came out very pleasantly surprised by this recipe. The meat has more of a tang then a sweetness, and the flavor is so mouthwatering. This recipe calls for using bone in breasts, thighs, and legs, which I would really stick to. We used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and while it was still delicious, I don't think it was quite as juicy and flavorful as if we had followed directions! This recipe calls for mostly your common pantry items, so get busy and let me know how you like it!

Apricot-Glazed Grilled Chicken
Found in Cooking Light June 2009

Ingredients

3 tablespoons apricot preserves
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 bone-in chicken breasts halves, skinned
2 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
2 chicken drumsticks, skinned
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Spray

Directions

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well.

2. Prepare grill for indirect grilling. If using a gas grill, heat one side to medium-high and leave one side with no heat. If using a charcoal grill, arrange hot coals on one side of charcoal grate, leaving the other side empty (this will probably be how we grill our chicken from now on, it keeps it from charring).

3. Let chicken stand at room temp for 30 minutes. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Place chicken, meaty sides down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray over direct heat; grill five minutes, or until browned.

4. Turn chicken over; baste with apricot mixture. Grill 5 minutes over direct heat or until browned. Turn chicken over, moving it over indirect heat; baste with apricot mixture. Cover and cook 15 minutes. Turn chicken over; baste with apricot mixture. Cook 20 minutes, or until done.

Serves 4: serving size one piece of chicken

Per Serving: 247cal, 10.7g fat, 26.5g prot, 10g carb, 0.1g fiber, 82mg chol, 1.2g iron, 370mg sod
Points per Serving: 6

Also, a thousand apologies to Rachel and Rachel vs. Kitchen and Julie at Sporadic Cook. These lovely ladies were nice enough to award me these awards a few weeks ago, and I have let way too much time go by before expressing my appreciation. This one is from Rachel...

And this one is from Julie...

Thank you so much ladies, and if you haven't visited Rachel and Julie yet, I can assure you that you are missing out on some good stuff! I am going to pass these out, but it's pretty late right now and my brain has pretty much shut down for now. So with that I bid you adieu and wish you a wonderful week!

Homecoming Filed under ( Annie, Friends, Jenna, Meg )

Our local high school split this year and my girls are attending the new high school. They are just loving it! We had our first Homecoming this past weekend. Both girls are also attending the other high school's homecoming next weekend. Yes, the craziness never ends!



Meg and Jenna (10th grade) and Annie (11th grade)


Jenna and good friend - Morgan. Kiley is Annie's good friend...


Jenna and good friend - Jay. Jenna and Lauren and Kiley-Best Buds!



Annie and good friend - Keithan!

Simple Shrimpy Dinner Filed under ( Healthy, Seafood, Vegetables )

Thank you all for your sweet comments on the wedding pictures I posted yesterday! You are all wayyy too wonderful :)

Today was one heck of a busy day. Work was out of control! When the day was over, I coudln't wait to get into the gym. I ran two miles and then took a great 45 minute spin class. I came home to get some more work done and do some laundry/ironing. For dinner, I wanted something simple and delicious. Here is the view via Josh's plate.

Shrimp cooked with a hint of olive oil, lemon juice, and old bay:


TJ's grains:

Pineapple:

Roasted butternut squash:


All together now:

And now its back to work! Hopefully this will mean a shorter day Wednesday ;)

Any exciting events this upcoming week? I have a fancy pancy dinner with Josh's work tomorrow, a cooking glass (gnocchi and risotto) on Wednesday, and my 10k Saturday!

BEST DIET TIP #3 Filed under ( BEST DIET TIPS )

                                                  Double click on above image to enlarge

Masala Biscuits Filed under ( Cakes and Cookies, From other Blogs )

It was always a dream to bake Masala biscuits at home….. But I always was hesitant even if my taste will near to the ones like City Bakery. Now u may wonder whats City Bakery…. It’s one of the famous bakery were we get the best cashew macrons, masala biscuits and The best Benne Butter (if I got to translate this it will be Butter Butter: P). Macrons ver the one vchi cud no can eat at any time….. nd these r the best ones  have tasted. Butter is like a kick to the morning tea…… I remember my school days where I used to eat countless butters with my tea…..:D nd Amma telling have limits to eat tht u even got to eat ur brkfst…………..

Ok now to these masala biscuits…….. I could never get the City Bakery taste but yeh they ver tasty without ne doubt. I remember speaking to Divya about this biscuits the day i was preparing it.... and she too wa with the same opinion tht she loves them :). 

 I adopted the masala biscuit recipe from here but I replaced curds with milk and did not add mint leaves and even added turmeric powder to gain a bit of yellow color.

• Maida - 1 cup
• Sugar - 2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric powder-  2 pinches
• Butter - 1 stick/ 100gms
• Baking powder 3/4 tsp
• 4 green chillies chopped finely
• Curry leaves chopped
• 2” Ginger grated
• 1/2 cilantro chopped fine
• Milk 3tbsp

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add butter and mix till evrything mixes well. Do not knead, just shorten the mixture (until you get a bread crumb consistency).

Mix the chopped chillies, curry leaves, ginger, cilantro. Add milk and mix. Roll the dough and cut to desired shapes.

Place on a greased baking sheet 2" apart Bake at 180 degree C for 15 minutes or till done. After they cool down, store in an air-tight container. Tastes Yum Yum  when u add lozza love in it.

Bubye Folks!!!! Promise to be back soon!!! 

Signing Off,

Weekend Wedding Filed under ( Family, Vegetables )

Hope you all had a nice weekend :). We had another busy wedding filled weekend. Below is a summary with lots of pictures.

Friday: Up early and out the door by 6 am. Drove to Virginia for the wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. The dinner was Hawaiian themed and was held in a park. It was very laid back and a lot of fun.

Josh (right), Groom (center), Josh's friend Andrew (Left):

Josh and I (I wore the multi dress to the rehearsal dinner):

There was a LOT of drinking that took place on Friday night. I didn't join in, but did help form the beer-sphere seen below:

Saturday: Up early again and snuck in 6 miles on the gym treadmill before the wedding. The groomsman and groom messing around pre-wedding:

Josh and I (there were like three cameras clicking away here so we're both looking at different ones haha):

The ceremony was beautiful! Here is a picture of the gorgeous bride (in a dress her mom MADE) and the handsome groom:

One of the best parts of the wedding was that Josh's parents were also invited! Here is a picture at the cocktail hour of Josh's parents (left), Josh, and two of Josh's friends, Ryan and Michelle:

And me and some of the dudes:

The reception was a blast filled with good food and dancing. Below is a picture of Josh, me, and Josh's parents:

and Josh and his friend Andrew:

They provided the BEST vegetarian dish I have ever had at a wedding. Veggies and a phyllo purse filled with Israeli couscous and more veggies all served with a black bean sauce(YUM!):

We crashed HARD last night and were up early early again this morning.

Sunday: Since I knew I wouldn't have enough time either this am or this pm to fit in my entire workout, I decided to divide it up. I hit up the hotel gym for three miles running on the treadmill before we left for SC. Upon returning home, I went food shopping, did another three mile run outside, and did TONS of laundry. We also picked up Franky and I gave him a bath.

Our friend Jeremy came over for dinner. He and Josh had burgers and grilled fries:

I had grilled peaches and veggies with marinutta sauce:

I also had some fruit and cereal on the side (what a random dinner ;)). Now, I am watching football and considering going to sleep. What was the best part of your weekend?

DEVILLED EGGS..with green chilli pickle Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks )

Enough to get you drooling right???, the mere mention of green chilli pickle does this to me specially the one's pickled in mustard seeds, yummy!, this is a cool cocktail snack with a zing, and is always a hit at all get-togethers! and to top it all it's as easy as ABC!

                                  fresh brown eggs

Ingredients-

• Eggs- 6 (hard boiled)
• Pork/chicken ham or salami- 1/3 cup, finely chopped
• cheddar cheese- 1/3 cup, grated
• mayonnaise- 1/3 cup
• pickled green chillies-2-3, (depending on how hot you want it).
• salt and black pepper to taste
• chopped cilantro/coriander for garnishing

Method-

Cut eggs into halves and remove yolks carefully, mash them up in a large bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, as well as the green chilli pickle, chopped fine ,do this very carefully, WARNING: DONT TOUCH YOUR EYES OR FACE AFTER CHOPPING THESE, PREFERABLY USE GLOVES, refill back into the egg whites, garnish with cilantro,and serve!, see I told you it was that easy!.

                           devilled eggs- ready to serve