Sunday, February 26, 2012

Italian Meatball sliders

Once upon a time, I found a recipe for Italian Meatball sliders in Cooking Light magazine.  It starts like this:

ground sirloin, bulk Italian sausage, ricotta, eggs, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper

add toasted Panko breadcrumbs

and sauteed onions and garlic

fry those little babies up in a little EVOO

I chose to layer them in a slow cooker with jarred marinara sauce

more layers

They are simmering away right now.  I'll post more pics later...

And here it is, ready for noshing!


SO GOOD!!!

Monday, February 20, 2012

new recipe

I found the recipe on foodgawker (I think, but can't find the recipe for reference).  It started like this:


...and a couple of hours later, it turned into this:



I love the foodgawker website and plan on making many more recipes that I've already bookmarked for future kitchen forays.

Here's the recipe for either of the two readers who stumble my way:

Hearty Winter Chicken Noodle Soup


3 chicken quarters or thighs (about 2 lbs total)
4 cups water
1/2 cup chopped celery plus 2 stalks, thinly sliced
4 medium carrots, sliced into coins
3 medium onions, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 cups milk
2 tbs all-purpose flour
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped (reduce to 1 tsp if using dried)
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 bay leaf
4 oz (1/4 package) dried medium or wide noodles

Directions: Skin the chicken, rinse and pat dry with paper towels.  Place the chicken, water, 1/2 cup chopped celery, parsley, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf in a Dutch oven or stock pot.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
Add the sliced celery, carrots, and onions; cover and simmer for another 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender and no longer pink.  Turn off heat, remove chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.  When cool enough, debone the chicken, discard the bones and chop the chicken; set aside.
Heat the soup to boiling.  Add the noodles; cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the milk and the peas.  Combine the remaining 1/2 cup milk and the flour in a screw-top jar and shake until smooth (or whisk together in a bowl); stir into the soup.  Cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly.  Stir in the chicken and cook for another minute or two to heat through.

This recipe was good, but not great.  I'm not sure if it's the peas or carrots or both, but there's a sweetness I don't care for.  Anyone that knows me knows that I don't like sweet things that aren't supposed to be sweet, i.e.  honey-baked ham, maple-glazed turkey, etc.

Better luck next recipe!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

mi media naranja

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

VD

Haha!  Valentine's Day, not venereal disease...

I have been reading a great book, "Meeting Your Half Orange" by Amy Spencer.  It is putting me in the right mindset to invite love into my life.

This time next year, I will be celebrating Valentine's Day with my big love!  :)

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

new apartment

I am *loving* my new apartment!!!  Not only is it cheaper, but it's cozier and in a great neighborhood.  I have put up curtains and hung my paintings.  I am organizing more every day, although it's pretty clutter-free.


bathroom (lucky bamboo!)

bedroom

my bookshelf overfloweth!

my crackbox's home station

don't mind the recipes taped to the cabinet!

I love my new curtains!

my living room area...and my new Ikea lamp!


It's been fun setting up my apartment.  Just a few more items and I'm golden!  I plan to accentuate my paintings with some homemade touches...more photos to follow.  I am inspired by Katie and cannot wait to get busy making stuff!

In the meantime, I'm going back to the kitchen to make some of those recipes taped to the cabinet.  I made gnocchi gratin today; not bad, but don't know that I'd make it again.  Here's a pic of the finished product; find the recipe here.