Winter Salad with Adult Grilled Cheese

In the winter it is hard to eat clean and light--but I think this was well accomplished with this Bistro like meal.  

      (left: salad dressing after blended, top: ingredients for salad dressing, bottom: salad ingredients) 

Cooks Note: Allow about 30min prep time and 10 min cook time

Winter Salad Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients: 
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, or as needed
2 ounces brown sugar
1 Gala apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 garlic clove minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
juice of 1//2 lemon
salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup expeller pressed canola oil

Salad Ingredients:
5 slices thick-cut bacon
6 ounces mixed greens 
1/4 celery root peeled and very thinly sliced or cut into matchsticks
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, halved and sliced very thinly
3/4 cup pecans
1 tart apple, cored, halved and sliced very thinly

Directions:

First, preheat the oven to 375 and toss in bacon strips.  Combine 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and the brown sugar in a small skillet and cook over medium heat.  Stir and cook until the mixture turns a dark caramel color and begins to thicken   You will start to see big foamy bubbles on the surface.  Add the apples and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until the apples are tender about 5 minutes.   Remove from the heat and put into a blender along with the remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar, thyme, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.  Mix until blended.  Then add the oil blending the dressing till emulsified.  Taste and season with salt and more vinegar if needed.  Combine the bacon with the remaining ingredients for the salad and toss with about 1/2 the dressing, add more to taste.  (reserve the rest of the dressing for another delicious use)

Adult Grilled Cheese

Ingredients: 
Baguette cut into skinny diagonals 
Gruyere Cheese (1/2 slice per sandwich)
Cheddar Cheese (1/2 slice per sandwich)
butter (just a tad to butter bread on outside for golden touch)
Ham optional 

Directions:
Assemble sandwich and grill on panini pan for about 6 min till you reach desired darkness.

Wish I had more time to write but here are the basics; its amazing, a fun new recipe and well balanced...back to work and wedding planning!  Enjoy and please leave comments after you make--love to hear feedback!

NO FRY, FRIES

One of my favorite foods is French Fries--especially McDonalds.  But now, since I try to stay as healthy and fit as I can, I make them from scratch and bake them.  This way I feel less guilty!

Ingredients:
1 large long russet baking potato
1 tablesppon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat Oven to 425.  Meanwhile slice potato the long way about 1/4 thick--to make this easy, first I cut it in half for more stability (but make sure you do it the long way).  Next, slice into 1/4 pieces again, so now you have long rectangle potato pieces that are 1/4 on every side. (See pictured right)

Toss Potatoes in Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper.  Lay flat on baking sheet, bake in preheated oven for about 25 min, turning over half way through.  I like to make these with Turkey Burgers (click for recipe)

ENJOY!

DIY: Coffee Table

If your like me you probably think everything is either over priced  for what it is, just plain boring or for us to expensive to buy for our temp situation.  We have been going back and forth about getting furniture for our patio because we will be moving soon and do not want to buy twice if it doesn't work out at the new place.  I wanted to share the steps of this do it yourself built in succulent table that I made for around $50.00 (includes the wood, plants, nails, rocks, stain and brush).  I also had some wood left over and made 3 flower boxes.   

DIY Succulent Table

First you have to draft the plans and decide on the size.  Then take your measurements/plan to Home Depot and pick out the wood.  You most likely will need to make cuts depending on the size of your table.  I asked them to cut the wood for me (I do not have a power saw), they are super helpful and will actually cut it for free, its the Home Depot way!  I had left over wood, and took it with me to make flower/plant boxes.

Flower boxes (used leftover wood)

Unloaded all the materials and started constructing when you get home (see picture below).  First frame the outsides of the table, next add the top planks, middle box, table legs and last add the succulents.  I stained it after I added the succulents.  I would recommend staining first but I was not sure I wanted to and decided to stain last minute.  You can be inventive with the center box, I went with succulents surrounded by rocks (saw the idea online).  You can take them out and repurpose for an ice and drink holder for chilling your summer drinks or whatever you decide.  Make sure to leave holes in the built in box wood for watering drainage.

Our backyard patio is still a work in progress, next I am considering making cabana drapes and some fun pillows to add accent colors and comfort.  Surprisingly just by adding chairs and a table, we went from spending no time outside to spending lots of time.  We have coffee and work on the patio in the morning, and summer drinks and dinner on warm summer nights.  I am glad we decided to move forward and enjoy where we are today rather then just waiting, waiting, waiting till we move.  I'm sure the day I finish the whole project will probably be the day we get our place.  At least I can do it ALL over again! :) 

Bananas TO Bread!

I bought a ton of bananas (they were really really really on sale).  Some of them were going bad so I decided to make a bread... Super moist and super yummy and super easy!

Ingredients: 

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup to 1  cup sugar (experiment, I used 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Directions: 
No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 min (depending on your oven). Enjoy!

Its In the Detials

2012 Summer Priorities!  

Its always easier to accomplish things when you make a check list.  I make a checklist every morning before starting work (SIM) to eliminate forgetting important tasks, prior to the grocery store to help me stay focused so I do not only buy sweets, for errands so I can get them done quickly, etc. etc... basically, I make a lot of checklists!  Sometimes going as far as adding things I already did, just to check them off... haha!  This morning, inspired by Cupcakes and Cashmere I decided to make a FUN based checklist for a great way to kickoff to the 2012 Summer that is just around the corner.  

 

Number Six, looks like the perfect start.  Maybe a first day of SUMMER purchase, better start my research NOW! 

To Do
1. Spend a day in Chicago like a tourist.
2. Host Oyster and Champagne housewarming party. (When we finally move in!!)
3. Go to Salon for blow-dry and style for no occasion at all.
4. Take Spontaneous vacation!
5. Babysit Avery to give Xtina and Robert a break (this includes burping and changing her diaps.. haha)
6. Buy a nice handbag that I will LOVE and CHERISH forever.
7. Have a styled photo shoot with friends to dip back into my fashion roots.
8. Finish "COLORS" photography project.
9. Play a FULL round of golf with GMAY
10. Take a gardening, cooking, baking and painting class.
11.  Visit the local winery's (part of GMay's Xmas gift) 

Now Back to WORK! 

Best Turkey Burger (base recipe)

Turkey burgers are much healthier than red meat so we try to make them as often as we can. If your like me and feel they lack flavor, I have a recipe on what to add to them before you grill them. Here you go...




Ingredients (Yields 4):
*knead all ingredients into turkey meat
1lb Lean Turkey meat
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
Pinch of Garlic Salt
1/3 Teaspoon Black Ground pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
Dash Hot Sauce
Dash Worcestershire Sauce
add in chopped jalapenos if you like spicy
(I also sometimes mix the cheese in right away with it, I did not this time)

As you can see here, we topped it with all sorts of good stuff. The recipe is a great base for the burger and you can add on from there. Toppings in picture; Colby Jack Cheese, Sprouts, Avocado, Banana Peppers, Pickles, Ketchup, Mustard all on an English Muffin!

Healthy Chicken Pot Pies!

It is hard to mix healthy and yummy! But I think my Homemade Chicken Pot-Pie Recipe combines the two very well! Hope you ENJOY them...

Makes 5 mini pot-pies and ONLY 375 Calories each!


Ingredients
1 lb grilled pulled chicken
1 bag of frozen mixed veggies (recommend: carrot, green beans, peas (I pick them out..lol), and corn. you can also use chopped fresh)
20 ounces of *low sodium chicken broth
10 ounces of cream chicken or mushroom
1 baked potato cubed
1/3 teaspoon pepper (we like a lot)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tubes low fat crescent rolls (you will have extras)
(5) 1 lb mini loaf pans for individual servings


Preparation:
(see cooks notes below before preparing) Grab all Ingredients and preheat oven to 375. On high heat in a 4 quart saucepan whisk together chicken broth and cream of chicken dissolving all lumps and bring to a low boil. Add in, diced potato, pulled chicken, veggies, pepper and oregano. Bring back up to low boil. Spoon mixture in evenly across the 5 mini loaf pans while mixture is still pipping hot. Place 2 low fat crescent rolls on each pan covering mixture leaving slight overhang on sides of pan. Bake for about 20 min until crescent rolls turn golden brown. ENJOY!


* Cooks Notes*
I prepared extra grilled chicken a few days before for an Enchilada dish I was making--immediately taking it off the grill I pulled it apart in about 1 inch chunks using 2 forks(it pulls apart easier when it is still hot). I also baked the potato in advance when I made pizza the night before. I like to plan all meals out a week before. Therefore, this makes grocery shopping less expensive because you can use ingredients from previous meals in addition to being less wasteful. It also saves you time because it is less trips to the grocery store.