Thirst Quenchers

I realize I do a very terrible job at keeping up with this blog, but I do read all of my comments, and enjoy perusing my favorite blogs every morning. Summer is winding down, and with the darker mornings and a crispness in the air, fall is officially coming. I am SO excited for the cooler weather, watching the leaves fall, pumpkin patches, apple orchards, hearty soups, bonfires, and having our first Halloween in our new house.

While I am excited for this new season, this summer was a wonderful one filled with lots of great memories and of course, a lot of time spent in the kitchen. I baked, I cooked, I tried new things. I also did a lot of experimenting with mocktails and cocktails. Every weekend seemed to be filled with some type of party or event, and I never attend a festivity empty handed! I've listed a few of my favorites below. Some are from my favorite blogs, and others I have concocted through trial and tribulation. Enjoy!

Non-Alcoholic

Spa Water (cucumber, lemon & lime infused agua)

Strawberry, Lemon & Basil Spritzer

Coconut & Vanilla Limeade

via: http://thekitchykitchen.blogspot.com


Bring on the Booze!


Peach Bellini

Raspberry Beer Cocktail

via http://www.acupofmai.com



Orange Sangria

Top 10 Favorite Recipes

Between cleaning, cooking, decorating, exercising and working I am experiencing pure exhaustion. However, these are all things I enjoy doing (except working...sometimes ;)) and I have really loved beautifying our house.

For today's post I decided to compose my top 10 favorite creations. These are all tried and true recipes that I have created and love for various reasons. I have listed them in no particular order, but if something looks intriguing to you, feel free to leave a comment and I will happily post the recipe.

1. Roasted Corn Salad w/ Avocado & Cilantro

2. Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes Topped w/ Cheese & Cilantro & Panko Breaded Onion Rings

3. Basil Chicken in a Coconut Curry Sauce

4. Eggplant Manicotti

5. Vegetarian Chili w/ Sweet Yellow Cornbread

6. Crockpot Ribs w/ Homemade BBQ Sauce

7. Spicy Coconut Shrimp w/ Lime Jasmine Rice

8.Vodka Cream Pasta w/ Basil & Mozzarella

9. Turkey Burger w/ Arugula, Goat Cheese & Caramelized Onions

10. Cotton Candy Cosmos

Happy Cooking!

House Projects & Recipe

Goooood morning, all!

I have been busy catching up on emails and assignments at work, and preparing to move offices in March. I am also working on a number of projects at home, which I have compiled into the following list:

Hang shell chandelier in master bath.

Purchase/hang crystal chandelier in my master closet.

Purchase black leather couch & portable bar for loft.

Hang canopy in guest bedroom.

Install garage blinds.

Spackle and sand small holes on living room wall.

Set up front and back porch for spring.

Purchase new porch lights.

Set up firepit in backyard.

Besides running around cleaning or organizing our house, I have been cooking...a lot. Last Friday I wanted to whip up something fun and slightly indulgent for our move night. I saw a few recipes on pinterest for Taco Pizza, and thought it sounded intriguing. I looked over the recipes, but wasn't overly impressed with what I found. So, I came up with the folllowing:

Taco Pizza

Ingredients:

Fresh Pizza Dough (Trader Joe's is awesome!)
1/2 Can Low-Fat Refried Beans
Extra-Lean Ground Turkey
Taco Seasonings
1/2 Cup Taco Sauce (I love Ortega's)
Mixed Bag of Cheddar Cheeses
Lettuce, Chopped
Tomatoes, Chopped
Cilantro, Chopped
Green Onions, Chopped
Cooler Ranch Doritos
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Hot Sauce (Optional)

Directions:

-Mold pizza dough onto pizza stone. Bake at 400 degrees for 4 minutes. Remove from oven. By slightly pre-cooking your dough, when your toppings are added and your pizza is cooked, your dough will come out fully cooked and not overly doughy. Meanwhile, brown ground turkey and add in taco seasonings. Set aside. Mix together 1/2 can of refried beans and 1/4 cup of taco sauce. Set aside. Remove pizza dough from oven and top with refried beans and taco sauce mixture. Add cheese on top. You can use as much or as little as you'd like. Top cheese with ground turkey. Bake in 400 degree oven for 9-12 minutes, or when cheese is fully melted. Remove from pizza from oven and let sit for a 3 minutes. Top with lettuce, tomato, cilantro, green onions and doritos. Curb the amounts to suit your preferences.

*Although it is not pictured, I also made a sour cream/hot sauce mixture to top our pizza with. You do not have to add hot sauce to your sour cream, but if you like a little spice, you can mix 1/2 cup sour cream with about 2 tablespoons of hot sauce.

This was an easy and fun meal that was perfect for a Friday night at home.

Happy cooking!

Big Ten Game & Lots of Food

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

It's another busy work week for me! Even though I have Friday off so we can celebrate Christmas in Wisconsin, I will still be working 40+ hours, on top of finishing up Christmas shopping, wrapping last minute gifts, running errands, and cooking things for my office to enjoy. I must admit, however, that despite the insanity, I do love this time of year.

Anywho, a few weeks ago we had family down from Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin was playing in the Big Ten Championship football game, and we of course had to celebrate and cheer them on. It was great to see B's family and friends, and we had a wonderful time showing them around our town. This picture was taken outside in the cold while we were tailgating and watching the Marquette basketball game. They are such troopers! ;)



The morning of the game, I made a big breakfast consisting of a variety of juices, muffins, fruit salad, blueberry skillet coffee cake, and a creamy potato casserole. Everything tasted delicious, and it kept us full until we ate later that day.

The Blueberry Skillet Coffee Cake is a Paula Deen recipe, and is super easy and tasty. The recipe can be found at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/easy-blueberry-skillet-cake-recipe/index.html or here:



Ingredients:

Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) of unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Coffee Cake:
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) of butter
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 (12-ounce) tube buttermilk biscuits
1 cup blueberries

Directions:

For the streusel topping: Combine the almonds, sugar, butter, flour, and cinnamon until large crumbs form.
For the coffee cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a 9-inch cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet, cook the butter and brown sugar over medium heat until melted. Arrange the biscuits in a single layer in the skillet. Scatter the blueberries over the biscuits, and then distribute the streusel topping over the berries. Bake until the biscuits are golden, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and serve from the skillet.

The potato casserole was the perfect accompaniment to the coffee cake. I prepped it the night before, and popped it in the oven right before serving. I got the recipe at http://www.plainchicken.com/2011/11/creamy-potato-casserole-aka-football.html , and have also listed it below.

Ingredients:

1 (28-32oz) bag frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
16 oz sour cream
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups corn flakes, crushed
1/4 cup butter, cubed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients, except corn flakes, and spread into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Top with crushed cornflakes and dot with cubed butter. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

Tomorrow is B's 28th birthday, and my mom wanted to have him over for his favorite meal. This past weekend I took him to Christmas at the Zoo on Friday, and the Melting Pot for a 3 course fondue dinner on Saturday. We had a wonderful time, and I am so lucky to have him as my partner. More pictures to come later :)

Subject to inspection and appraisal...

we have a house! After 6 months of searching, studying locations, crunching numbers, and planning for our big move, we have found the perfect house for the 2 of us(4 if you include the pups). This house is perfect for us because it is our house, in which we can create memories, and make it our own. We found out the sellers accepted our offer last Friday, and our closing date is at the end of January. Our inspection is this Wednesday, so please keep your fingers crossed. The house is only 4 years old so we aren't expecting anything major, but I am still nervous. Here is a photo of our biggest purchase to date...

P.S. The shutters and front door are all the same color, despite the coloring in the photograph :)

Along with being busy at work, I have been doing a lot of cooking/creating in the kitchen. I am really looking forward to having my own kitchen to cook in, along with having my own space. I have SO many recipes I can't wait to try out, and thanks to B's mom, I am now the proud owner of two more boxes of books to add to my collection!

Working 40+ hours a week, going to the gym, taking care of multiple dogs, executing the daily household chores, all while trying to maintain a social life can be hectic. We all have those days where we get home, exhausted, and don't know what to whip up for dinner. I had one of those days last week and threw together this super simple, but tasty meal.

It is more of a summer salad due to its fruit selections, but you can enjoy it any time of the year with the right choice of fruit.

Summer Salad
Salad Ingredients:
Bag of fresh spinach or arugula salad
Handful of freshly sliced strawberries
Handful of blueberries
1/4 cup of pecans (or cashews)
2 grilled & sliced chicken cutlets (optional)

Dressing Ingredients:
3/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 T chopped garlic
Dash of sugar
Dash of salt & black pepper

Toss together freshly washed spinach, strawberries, blueberries, pecans, and chicken. In separate bowl, whip the vinegar while adding in the garlic, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Slowly add in the olive oil while whisking. Toss dressing on salad, and serve immediately.

I also served this salad with gorgonzola garlic bread. It is so easy to make, and puts a different twist on your average garlic bread.


Gorgonzola Garlic Bread
Ingredients:
1/4 cup margarine (softened)
1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese
1 T chopped garlic
1 T chopped basil
Dash of salt & black pepper
1 baguette, cut into slices

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Whip together the margarine and cheese. After chopping the garlic, add in this along with the basil, salt, and pepper. Spread the cheese mixture on top of the sliced baguette pieces. Place into 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted. For extra flavor, you can top slices with parmesan cheese upon removing from the oven.

Happy cooking!

"A charming woman is a busy woman." -Loretta Young

Good morning, blog followers! It has been awhile since I have posted, so I thought I should update you all on a few things...

The bf and I still haven't heard anything regarding the offer we put on the short sale house. Yes, it has almost been 3 months. We are continuing our house hunt, but because his lease is up at the end of January, we would like to have something finalized by the end of this year. We are looking at multiple houses this weekend, so we will see what that brings.

I have been doing a lot of fall cooking, and love the rich, hearty recipes that accompany this season.

Here are a few of my favorite dishes as of late:

Vegan Stuffed Peppers with Mexican Flautas

Tortilla Soup with Avocado and Cilantro

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

The stuffed peppers were vegan, and turned out delicious. I also make tortilla soup quite frequently because I LOVE all of the flavors, and can add as much or little hot sauce as I like. Finally, the pumpkin cookies are the perfect accompaniment to your Thanksgiving dessert table. They are full of flavor and perfectly fluffy. I found the recipe here...http://www.nutmegnanny.com/2009/11/24/pumpkin-cookies-with-brown-butter-icing/

I have been super busy this fall, and am sure things will get even more busy as the holiday season approaches.

In the past 30 days I have done the following...

Visited B's family in Wisconsin and had a fun alcohol-free night of celebrating Wisconsin's win against Nebraska.

Gone to the baptism of B's first nephew wearing the cutest outfit I have ever seen (a Ralph Lauren onesie & shoes I bought him)!

Golfed at a country club for the first time, and surprisingly didn't do too bad.

Visted Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland to see my dad's side of the family...I literally shopped until I couldn't see my toes from all the bags I was holding. Did I mention Times Square was extra insane with the Occupy Wall Street Protestors there?

And, my adorable pup, Tinky, attended his first dog costume party (dressed as a turtle) where he partied with Peyton Manning's dog, Presley.

Duke also dressed up...as a fat pumpkin.

In conclusion, life is busy, but really good. I am getting excited for Christmas, and can't wait to get more kitchen gadgets for our house, and other decorating things. Tis the season!