Yes you can eat the greens!

Most people seem to choose to saute them up with a little olive oil and garlic.

I also learned that the greens are similar in nature to chard and possibly related to them in some way.

I didn’t want to saute the greens up because I wanted to use them in a salad.

I peeled the beets, chopped them up and boiled them for a few minutes until they were tender.

I washed and chopped the greens, making sure to remove as much of the stem as possible.  The stem is edible, but is a little fibrous and is better when it’s cooked.  Since I wasn’t cooking the greens, I put it aside.

I dressed the greens and beets with a lovely vinaigrette made with orange zest, fresh squeezed OJ, and dijon, and a little red wine vinegar.

Beets and orange pair really well together and this light dressing worked perfectly for the greens.

My first introduction to beet greens was a success!  I normally buy loose beets because they tend to be a little cheaper at the market.  I might buy the bunches now on occasion so I have a chance to use up the greens.

Have you had beet greens before?  Did you like them?

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Then I realized it wasn’t moving like a bunny and at that point I flew off the couch to get my camera.
It was a mama duck leading all her little babies to some water!

I did the best I could to capture some pictures.  I didn’t want to make too much noise or move around too much because I didn’t want to scare her.

She went from my backyard through the fence and into my neighbor’s backyard.  He lives directly behind us.

Please click on the pics so you can see them full size.

I believe she had about 10 babies with her which is a lot to handle.  You go mama!

After talking with my neighbors I learned that her nest was just across the street from my house in my neighbor’s landscaping.  She built her nest behind some bushes and up against the front of their house. My neighbor had been feeding her and watching over the nest for two weeks.

Such a fun surprise! We have a lot of ducks and geese around here but I didn’t think that any of them would build their nest out that far from water.

First baby sighting of the season and it was a cute one!

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Nevermind that I have zero experience with horses.  And nevermind that I’ve never even ridden a horse.

I wanted to be a jockey when I grew up.  My parents weren’t too supportive of that though, they said I was too tall.

I begged for a horse and to rent space at the local fair grounds to house it.  I was denied every time.

I watched the Derby growing up and would watch equestrian events like it was the most captivating show ever.

So this year instead of celebrating Cinco De Mayo we honored something else, The Kentucky Derby. Thinking back to childhood and recommitting to my dream of some day being around horses all the time.

I made a Derby pie this year thanks to see it on Rachel’s blog.  I did a few changes like used pecans instead of walnuts and chocolate chips instead of chunks.

I also used extra bourbon, brushing it on top as soon as the pie came out of the oven.  The bourbon crackled and got absorbed into the piping hot pie.

I’m not a pie fan at all but these kinds of pies I can get down with.

Chocolate, nuts, and booze?  Who wouldn’t love that?  If that means you, we might possibly need to reevaluate our friendship.

Later in the evening Scott had a bourbon drink to go along with the lovely Derby Pie.

Did you watch the Derby last weekend or did you enjoy tacos instead?

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Scott loves plain white Jasmine rice and I like my rice to have a little something going on.

It doesn’t have to be much but something!

I came up with a solution that satisfies us both!  It’s got enough UMPH that it isn’t plain and it’s doesn’t have so much UMPH that it turns into something else.

It has become my favorite rice and whenever I have all the ingredients on hand, it’s what I make.  I do my little happy dance if I get a chance to eat this rice.

Andrea’s Favorite Rice

• 1C White Jasmine Rice
• 2C Chicken or Beef Stock
• 3 Green Onions, finely chopped
• 1/2tsp Soy Sauce

In a medium sized sauce pan add stock and soy sauce, and bring up to a boil.  Add in rice and cook until rice is done.  About 10 minutes.

Once rice is cooked, add in the green onion and stir.

Serve and enjoy!

See, super easy to make! And perfectly tasty!  Just enough green onion to give it some kick but not so much that it becomes oniony and overpowering.

The soy sauce is just enough to give a little bit of additional background flavor.

I always make rice with stock because it gives it more flavor and a little bit more of a nutrient bump.  If you want to use water though, go right ahead.

Keep things simple and you’ll have a great dish every time!

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This week while Scott and I made a quick trip to Whole Foods, I got a hankering for some pepperoni.  I knew that I wanted some for pizza later this week and decided to start looking around for something that fit the bill.

I found some Applegate Pepperoni and decided to give it a try.  Ideally, yes, I would love some pastured raised pork pepperoni.  Realistically I have yet to find that.

This is as good as it gets at this point.

I have to say that the pepperoni isn’t that bad.  There’s less fat which makes it a little bit drier than typical pepperoni but not enough that it’s inedible.

I also love that it’s sandwich size and not the wee little round slices.

I cut some up and put it on the pizza!

Pizza this week was pretty simple with just a few toppings.  My main focus was on pepperoni so I didn’t want to overshadow that with other things.

• Whole Wheat Crust
• Sauce
• Shredded Mozzarella
• Red Onion
• Banana Peppers
• Pepperoni

The pepperoni cooked up great!  Nice and crispy with an intense pepperoni flavor.  Winner!  I would have no problems using this again for pizza.

Brace yourselves, I have some news about Pizza Thursday.

I may move it to Friday nights.  Eeep!

I know, it’s crazy!  We’ve been having Pizza Thursdays for years now.  The reason we had it on Thursdays was because that was the end of our week and the start of our weekend.  Fridays are my days off and they were also my day off from working out.

So pizza and a little wine on Thursdays was a nice treat and a lovely way to end the week. However Scott and I started doing CrossFit and we workout M-W-F, early in the mornings.

Having pizza on Thursday when we have to turn around and get up at 5am on Friday doesn’t seem like such a treat any more.

So we’re thinking of moving pizza night to Friday nights.  Not the same I know but life happens, things change, and sometimes you just have to go with the flow.

We’re still deciding what we’re going to do but Pizza Friday so far has lots of points in its favor.

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This is our haul from a recent butcher trip and this is pretty typical for us.  It’s actually missing a 40lb box of chicken backs on top of all of that only because I already had some in my freezer.

Whenever I shop, I stock up.  I buy BIG.  It doesn’t matter if it’s the grocery store or if I’m buying wine.

I prefer to buy in bulk so I  buy a lot at one time.

The reason for this is simple, I do not like having to shop weekly.

In fact I hate it.  Going to the grocery store once a week for supplies would make my head explode.

1. I have no desire to do that on a weekly basis.

2. I don’t have time to do that on a weekly basis.

So I plan my time accordingly and make a big shopping day.  I know that I’m going to spend at least 2 hours (if I’m lucky) out and probably 30 minutes back home getting organized.

I’m okay with this because I won’t have to go to the grocery store again for three weeks.

Score!

Our butcher is located downtown at North Market.  This isn’t a place that we frequent often nor is it a place that is close enough for a quick trip.  There’s no running out just to get some bacon or chicken.

So when I have to resupply our freezer, I’m buying a lot at one time.

This should last about three months.

A few hours spent downtown and I won’t have to go back again for months?

YES!

Yes this means that I’m dropping some serious cash when I shop but for us and our budget it all works out at the end.  Naturally if I’m not shopping on a weekly basis, the bill will seem high at the end.  But that’s covering us for weeks or months if we’re talking about  a trip to the butcher.  It works for us and I’m happy with the results.

What’s your shopping schedule like? Do you buy in bulk as well or do you like to shop on a weekly basis?

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When it’s hot and most especially when it’s humid, I don’t want to be stuck in a hot kitchen. Then eating a hot meal on top of that? Ick.

Pasta salads and roasted veggie salads almost become a summer staple here at the HQ.

I wanted to do something a little differently and decided to play around with some Asian inspired flavors.

I first made this dish last year to bring to a potluck (theme for the potluck was PB&J and this was my contribution) and made it again for us recently to have for dinner.  It’s a keeper.

Andrea’s Noodles with Coconut Peanut Sauce

For The Sauce:

• 1/4C Water
• 1/4C + 1TBSP Unsweetened Coconut Milk (Either canned or from the dairy aisle)
• 1TBSP Chili Garlic Sauce (found in the Asian section at the grocery store)
• 1tsp Soy Sauce
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 1/4C All Natural Peanut Butter (no added sugar, the kind you have to stir)
• 1TBSP Honey
• Juice from 1/2 a Lime

For the Pasta:

• 1/2lb Whole Wheat Spaghetti
• 1/2 Large Cabbage, cut in thin slices
• 1/2 Red Pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 Green Pepper, thinly slice
• 2 Large Carrots, Shredded
• 2 Green Onions, chopped
• Roasted peanuts, crushed for garnish

In a blender, combine all ingredients for the sauce and blend until smooth.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, and add about 1/2tsp of olive oil.  Lightly saute the peppers until they just start to soften, about 2-3 minutes.  This is just to remove some of the excess liquid they have.

In a large stock or pasta pot, fill with water and bring to a boil. Cook pasta until just shy of being al dente.  You want it to have a little bite to it.

Drain pasta and add back into pot.  Add in all the veggies and toss.

Pour sauce mixture overtop and toss until everything is well combined.

You could serve immediately or place mixture in a bowl, cover and store in fridge until you’re ready to eat.

No need to heat this up, serve chilled.

Sprinkle with crushed peanuts if desired.

This dish completely hit the spot for us!  It was light, full of veggies, and with a slightly spicy heat in the background.

On a hot day when you don’t feel like cooking much, this is the perfect recipe!

The crushed peanuts give it a little bit more texture and some crunch to the dish.  You could get a little fancy and season the peanuts before roasting them with a little oil, chili powder, and garlic powder.  Roast at 350 for about 5 minutes.

I happened to have the whole wheat spaghetti on hand so that’s what I used but soba noodles would work well here as well.

Rice noodles, like the kind used for Pad Thai might also work though you may need a little bit more sauce if you use those.  You’ll have to play around with it and see what you come up with.

I’ve also used cilantro in this dish.  A handful added into the sauce and then some for garnish.  I left it out this time because I didn’t have any but feel free to toss that in if you like!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

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There was sausage! Again! Since I had been craving sausage on pizza for so long there needed to be a revisit this week.

I was a little concerned about how the dough was going to turn out though. Slight moment of panic.

I made it like I always do but you know how finicky dough can be and yesterday it was a hard little ball of flour.

After sitting for a couple of hours it had not doubled in size.  It rose but not as much as it normally does.  Typically the dough is bursting out of the bowl but this dough was content to just sit there and puff a bit.

Yikes!

Even after rolling it out, it was a thick little brick of dough.

It worked though and we had a lovely crispy crunchy pizza with several air bubbles.  Score!

Toppings were simple this week:

• Shredded Mozzarella
• Red Peppers
• Red Onion
• Italian Sausage

Yum!

We watched No Reservations Kansas City while we ate.  Loved this episode! It featured Zamir and you just cannot help be adore him.  In this episode he was in top form and it was fantastic.

Dear Travel Channel, please give Zamir his own show!  Please!

Being in Kansas City, the episode was all about BBQ.  MMMM  Kansas City is my favorite style of BBQ, smokey goodness with a thick spicy sauce.

Though I admit that I don’t have much experience with Memphis or Texas style BBQ.  North Carolina BBQ doesn’t even rank on my list. Ick.

BBQ, love it or leave it?

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Heaven.

Growing up, my grandmother, hands down, made the best mashed potatoes.

The. Best.

I’m pretty sure most Polish grandmothers make some rocking mashed potatoes.

So I tend to be really picky about mashed potatoes.

My poor mother had to deal with my childhood criticism of her mashed potatoes.  Because my mother’s mashed potatoes were lumpy, not creamy, and not at all like my grandma’s.  I also felt free to let her know this everytime she made them.

Looking back now, my mom’s mashed potatoes were fine and nothing worth such harsh judgement.  I’m also surprised my mom didn’t lose her shit on me for being such a butthead about her mashed potatoes.  Thank you mom!

I have no idea how my grandma achieved the perfect mashed potato and sadly I never asked her.  I took it for granted that I would always have amazingly delicious mashed potatoes.

My grandma has been gone now for over 20 years and every time I make mashed potatoes, I think of her.

Food is important to me and there are many foods that make me automatically think of someone I love dearly.  For me, food is a connection.  It’s a bond.  It’s something I share with that person that no one else does.

I cannot make mashed potatoes like her.  I’ve tried.  Oh goodness how I have tried.

Instead my mashed potatoes are probably pretty similiar to my mom’s with a few extra tweaks.

And I’m okay with that.  While I would love to be able to achieve mashed potato glory, right now, I’m okay with homemade mashed potatoes with an extra pat of butter, some love, and a great memory.

Comments: 4

Growing up it was always made with soup mix, you know that stuff that doubles as meatloaf and pot roast flavoring?     When I was on my own and responsible for providing my own food, I would purchase premade dip.

That’s alright and it got the job done, of course, but there comes a point when you have to move away from the pre-made stuff.

Once I started cooking more and making my own versions of things, French Onion dip was something I tackled right away.

And failed at.

Oh the dip was tasty but it was way too sweet.  Caramelized onions are intense and super sweet! I was having trouble combating this and finally I put this idea up on the shelf to be revisited at another time.

I recently got inspired to start making dips again (we are a dip loving house!) and decided to give French Onion dip another shot.  This time I reduced the amount of onions and added in horseradish for much needed kick.

This was a winner!

Andrea’s Horseradish Onion Dip

• 1 Large Onion, thinly sliced
• 2TBSP Light Olive Oil
• Pinch of Salt and Ground Pepper
• 1TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
• 2TBSP Prepared Horseradish
• 2TBSP Whole Grain Mustard
• 1tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2tsp Onion Powder
• 1 1/2C 2% Greek Yogurt

In a medium sized skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add in the onions and stir.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stir again.

This is the part that takes the longest, caramelizing the onions.  This will take about 45 minutes to get the onions to where they need to be.  Stir on occasion until the onions are browned and soft.

They will look like this when ready:

Be patient! It’s completely worth it!

 

Allow onions to cool.

In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients including the onions.  Pulse until everything is well combined.  Do not pulse until completely smooth. You want some pieces of onion throughout the dip for texture and color.

Spoon dip into a glass bowl, cover and store in fridge at least 2 hours before serving.

Serve with your favorite veggies and chips!

I was a very happy lady with this dip!  Creamy with just enough onion bite to let you know it is the star ingredient.  The grainy mustard and the horseradish balance out the sweetness of the onions and give the dip that much needed tang and spicy note.

You could add in some red pepper flakes if you wanted to give it even more of a kick.

This makes a good amount of dip perfect for parties or two big dip lovers.

Or you could go bananas, and use this as a spread for shredded beef or thinly sliced ribeye sandwich.  Just a suggestion of course.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

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