Shake it Up.. It's a Stir Fry kind of night!

well.. I am almost ashamed to say that I really wasn't in the mood to cook tonight. I finally finished my paper portion for my presentation and I am exhausted. I need a massage/pedicure and quite frankly.. some mental time off.. I am then proud to say that I created a recipe tonight. Sometimes I am shocked at what one can accomplish when they are totally unmotivated. I saw something on TV and immediately wanted stir fry. I usually do take out for fried rice but I thought.. I can do this!

I started with rice.. obviously huh! I boiled some rice in chicken stock.. if you haven't made rice this way.. you should! I try not to use water unless a recipe calls for it. Chicken.. or Beef stock gives rice so much more flavor. Always use twice the water that you use rice.. I cooked 1 Cup of rice so I used 1 Cup of Water and 1 Cup of Chicken Stock. I don't want all of the sodium from total chicken stock cooking.. Cook it for 7-9 minutes and set aside.

I bought a bag of peppers and onions that were in the frozen section at the store.. it was a 10 for $10! I also picked up a zucchini from the produce section.. they were on sale! I heated up 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet. Add about the same amount of minced garlic. Don't burn it! After it cooks for close to 5 minutes.. drain off the oil in the pan.. get the pan HOT and add the bag of peppers and onions! Turn your fan! If you need to.. add some chicken stock(maybe a splash) so that the veggies don't stick. Add a splash of soy sauce.. not too much! Then add the rice back in and keep the pan hot. Use the chicken stock to keep the rice and veggies from sticking. Toss a few times and serve! It was impromptu and awesome. Healthy too... oh and you could always add shrimp, chicken or beef too! I just didn't have anything thawed on hand tonight.. This will be made again and I can promise you that I will add some kind protein. Hope you enjoy! I know I did!

4 posts today.. that has to be a record! This one is short and SWEET!!

Ok.. you all know my mom and dad moved to the mountains of Colorado this past November!! Since they have been gone.. my mom has been shopping for their groceries at their local Sunflower Market.. I am picturing it to look like our Farmer's Market. Well.. I must get it honest because she loves her some chocolate! She was at the checkout a few weeks ago and came across a candy bar that was dark chocolate and sea salt.. screeeeccchhh.. what was she telling me??? I am a freak for salty and sweet! This had to be the best combination I have ever heard of. She came in town a few days later and forgot to bring me one!!! I let her off the hook pretty quickly. But that made me even more determined to find this candy bar.   So the next grocery trip to Kroger had me up and down every isle that had anything to do with salty or sweet items.. it has always amazed me how some stores categorize their isles.. that is an entirely different post though.. Hello OCD!!

Well.. I went down the obvious.. candy isle after looking through the others.. and... wait for it..... I FOUND IT!!!! I couldn't get home fast enough before ripping off the wrapper.. You would have thought I was in Willy Wonka and that I was Charlie trying to find his golden ticket! No golden ticket necessary for this girlie.. The minute I bit into that candy bar.. my world was altered! I have NEVER enjoyed a piece of chocolate more than the one at that moment. You MUST try this candy bar! I promise you.. It will blow your mind! You are welcome Private Selection brands! I am a walking advertisement for this little piece of heaven you have created!

New Recipe Alert! Philly Cheesesteak Puffs!

After this post.. I should be caught up for the lack of posting the past few days.. With my last day of school being Tuesday I will sty to be better at it.. because quite frankly.. I love to blog! Oh and did you catch my statement? Tuesday is my LAST DAY OF CLASS!!! Yippeeeee! The time has finally come for me to be finished with my MBA! If you listen hard enough.. you may all be able to hear me squeal Tuesday night around 8PM. This hurdle has been tough at times but I can actually say it has been a great ride. I am ready to be finished with this chapter of my life. I have not clue what I am going to do with my time but I will have a great time figuring it out I can assure you! I really want to jump into wedding planning! It has been something I loved for quite some time and I think it will be a great way for me to exhaust some of my creative energy vibes and ideas. Well.. enough about that.. here is the newest recipe I tried last week. I did not use the puff pastry.. I got the ones in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.. patience is not a virtue of mine and I didn't want to have to wait for the puff pastry to thaw out. I only made 2. The recipe says cut them into tons of squares.. I don't have time for all of that.. roll the sheet out and cut it down the middle. I used Roast Beef from the deli counter. I am not much for the frozen stuff. I had the attendant shave it as thin as possible. I came home and rolled it up and cut it into strips. I cheated and used frozen chopped onions(this is a must to have in your freezer at all times) If you are a Kroger shopper... you can often find them 10 for $10! I also used Provolone cheese rather than Cheddar.. It is so melty and gooey! I used 2 slices for each roll too.. I love me some cheese! What I didn't do but I will next time is make a cheese sauce.. You can do this simply bu taking a few tablespoons of butter.. melt it in a pan.. add the same amount of flour.. let the flour cook for a minute or so.. two minutes is ideal. Then you take milk.. add it in slowly until all of the lumps are whisked out of the flour. This takes patience! Don't add your milk too fast! I learned the hard way. Once this is thick.. add in shredded cheese.. I would use provolone or the same cheese you choose to put into the puffs. This would make an amazing dipping sauce for both the puffs and fries or veggie straws if you negate the fries. Ok.. here is the Pic and the Recipe for you to enjoy. Let me know if you like it! Oh my word.. I almost forgot the side dish.. whew.. my brain is not with me today! I made smashed Red Potatoes! They were the bomb dot com!

I really hope you choose to fill your bellies with the latest treat from The Dawkins!

1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
2. Sprinkle the flour on the work surface.  Unfold the pastry sheet on the work surface.  Roll the pastry sheet into a 10-inch square.  Cut into 4 (5-inch) squares.
3. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.  Remove the onion from the skillet.
4. Increase the heat to medium-high.  Add the sandwich steaks to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally.
5. Spoon one-fourth of the onion and one-fourth of the sandwich steaks on the bottom third of each pastry square.  Top each with 1 slice cheese.  Fold 2 opposite sides over the filling.  Roll up like a jelly roll.  Brush the pastries with the egg.  Place the pastries onto a baking sheet.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown.  Let the pastries cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Cut the pastries in half diagonally to serve
   
   
   Crashed Red Potato Time! 
   
   
   • 12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
   • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
   • Kosher Salt To Taste
   • Black Pepper To Taste
   • Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste

   Preparation Instructions

   Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.
   On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.
   With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
   Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
   Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
   
   
   

Bacon... Yes Please!!

If you know me at all.. you know I love BACON! I crave it on a weekly basis.. when I can add it.. I usually do! Just a little known fact about this chick.

It is a Dawkins ritual to have bacon sandwiches once a week.. usually! We likely have them on Sunday night so that it is easy and we can relax before jumping head first into the week ahead. We do not believe in skimpy bacon sandwiches. For the 2 of us.. we use an entire package of bacon.. yikes.. don't tell my cardiologist! We use wheat bread and a little bit of mayo and fresh lettuce and BAM... just like that we have dinner! French Fries are a nice(and easy) side item! If you are going to go unhealthy.. might as well blow it out :) We use the Ore-ida Fast Food Fries.. they are so awesome.. they get crunchy without having to deep fry them.. sprinkle some  Willingham Wham Original Mild seasoning on them and enjoy! This is a simple dinner that is easy to make for two or twelve. You can also use Turkey Bacon or Sweet Potato Fries to lighten things up.

Sugar and Spice is Twice as Nice with 2 Nieces Around!!

Chris and I have had so much fun hanging out with our 2 nieces! It is such a blessing to be close to my in-love family and be able to be such a integral part of my nieces lives. Meeting Bradleigh has been amazing. She is such a sweet lil princess. It is funny how you forget they were ever that little. Tatelyn is a ball of energy and it is surreal to think that 21 months ago or so she was just making her grand entrance into this crazy world. Chris and I call her "The Bug" and it has really started to fit her personality.. we don't often talk much about the nickname we gave her but I think we might.. We need to get to thinking of a nickname for Bradleigh.. although... the nickname Bug hasn't been around for long.. I said it one night talking with Chris and it just stuck.. She is so funny these days! She has the energy of multiple toddlers.. I have no clue where she gets it from( she really is her father's daughter). Bradleigh seems to be a polar opposite too.. She is quiet, calm, and very collected (she is her mother's daughter).... well as collected as 3 weeks can bring! Not only are their personalities different.. they also look very different which is really neat. Bradleigh has dark hair and blue eyes.. for now! Tatelyn is a true blonde.. and her eyes seem to be changing to a hazel color (it may have just been the princess pj's that she had on the other night) which is different than her blue eyes she was born with. Regardless of their hair color or eye color.. they are both perfect Godly creations that I cannot wait to watch grow into amazing God fearing women! Here are a few recent pics of the most beautiful nieces in the world... excuse me if I am a little partial!! More posts to come.. I have been slacking lately.. Can't wait for y'all to try the latest recipe! Yumm-o!
Uncle Chris isn't passing up any snuggle time with Bradleigh.. He held her like this for at least 30 minutes.. so sweet!

Tatelyn got a new Tigers sweatshirs.. I must say.. I am not a Tigers fan but I will be if their fans look this stinkin' cute.. and yes.. it was like 100 degrees and she would not take it off! Precious!