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Tasty

Sunday Night Dinner

January 1, 2013

With the playoffs approaching football games have been fun to follow the last couple of weeks (even for me!), so we invited over my family to watch the games and share a relaxing Sunday dinner.  

During a Saturday morning Costco run we invested in a new slow cooker and I couldn’t be happier – here is the journey of its christening ..  

Pulled Pork with Caramelized Onions 

Homemade Sweet Potato Chips 

Bread and Butter Pickles

A couple tips I learned along the way… 1. Make the meat the day before, refrigerate it and skim the fat off of the top (the cut of meat is a little fatty for my taste), 2. Invest in a mandolin – they are a dream for a making a meal like this (evenly cut chips/pickles/etc.), 3. The pickles were really good on the sandwich (a vinegar based slaw would have been great too). 

Party, Tasty

Birthday Brunch

December 26, 2012

Luckily for my family we get to celebrate two birthdays on December 25th – Jesus’s and my mom’s! And what better way to kick things off than with a Martha inspired brunch!?  Check out my menu below:

Bloody Mary Bar

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White Cheddar and Apricot Puffs

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Chocolate Filled Croissants

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Winter Fruit Salad with Basil Syrup

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Potato, Scallion and Goat Cheese Frittata

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Cider Braised Slab Bacon and Smoked Country Apple Sausage

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And voila! Happy Holidays!

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PS. I doubt it was my breakfast… but I must have been on the nice list because my husband got me a gorgeous new big girl camera… translation – I will be able to post legit food pictures now… goodbye iPhone photos!

Tasty

Healthy Holiday Eats

December 19, 2012

With the holidays in full swing I’ve been trying to eat healthy when I’m not at events (I’m so glad no one can see the half eaten peppermint brownies on my desk as I type away…).  That being said I’ve been starting my day off with half a Meyer lemon (from my tree!) squeezed into hot water.  It’s supposed to jump start your metabolism and is surprisingly tasty. 

I like to eat throughout the day so I’ve been making Greek Yogurt parfaits with homemade granola and blueberries (can’t forget the drizzle of honey!).  A great lunch idea is something my sister got me turning onto… Trader Joe’s sells low carb tortillas and I put a little hummus, mixed greens, and roasted chicken or turkey breast, a couple veggies (cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.) and you’re good to go!

For dinner at home this week I was pleasantly surprised with some of this low-cal finds.  Check them out!

Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Asparagus


Pork Chops with a Mustard Maple Sauce : I served with Couscous and green beans…  it’s a tad on the vinegary side but if you’re into that (like me!) it’s a hit… and at 254 calories a serving… you’ll get over it! 🙂

Party, Tasty

Football Funday

December 18, 2012

On Sunday we hosted a “Football Day” for our friends… due to an extra bloody mary (or two)… I blew it on taking appetizing pictures of anything we ate… but here was our menu:

Drinks:

Bloody Mary Bar

Mimosas

Appetizers:

Homemade Honey Mustard Pretzels: they were not good and were immediately deleted off my Pinterest

“Healthy” Buffalo Potato Skins: EPIC (in my opinion)… i put the toppings on the side so people could assemble as they “deemed fit”

Grilled Sausage with a Spicy Dipping Sauce: easy and uninspiring… but feeds the masses

Entrees:

Because Sunday was a full day affair we had different options available.  We made everything from polish sausages to burgers to chili.  We like to do a “toppings bar” so everyone can assemble their own but I also converted a chili recipe to a “crock pot recipe” and had bread bowls easily accessible.

Chili Recipe: I just browned the meat and sauteed the onions, then put all the ingredients into a crock pot for the day… sprinkle with cheese and diced onions in a bread bowl and… voila!

Having a massive sweet tooth you can’t forget dessert… Creme de Menthe Brownies

Enjoy!

Tasty

Hidden Healthy

December 7, 2012

In an attempt to clean out my fridge/freezer, I’ve been avoiding grocery stores and trying to use what we have.  After a week of frozen pizzas and canned pasta sauces, I caved and got back on the usual program.  Here was the menu for the week:

Chicken Piccata with Arugula Salad and Parmesan Pasta

Roasted Salmon with a Shallot Grapefruit Sauce and Couscous

Three Cheese Macaroni (with hidden cauliflower) and a Red Lettuce, Apple and Pecan Salad

Enjoy!