Push-up Pops

I've been trying out smoothie recipes lately.  I came across this one on pinterest, and had to try it!  When I was a little girl I used to go visit my grandmother in the lunchroom where she worked, and she always let me have an orange push-up pop out of the freezer.  Such a sweet treat. :)

Yum!

Love the homemade ranch from skinnytaste.com.  Makes me feel so virtuous.  :)

Cooking with Pinterest

I finally put my pinterest to use again last night and used two of the recipes that I've pinned and tried before.  So maybe it doesn't count, but I still store the recipes on pinterest and go back to reference them when necessary.

First, my new favorite.  

I adapted this Melted Fontina recipe from Barefoot Contessa to suit my needs.  Obviously, I don't need a serving for 4-6, so instead, I diced enough fontina into small cubes to fill a small ramekin, then drizzled olive oil, and sprinkled salt and pepper over the top.  I set it under the broiler until it was bubbly and just starting to brown.  Then I popped it in the microwave to keep warm while I toasted the French baguette. You could easily halve or double this recipe depending on the number of guests, and it'll definitely be a crowd pleaser.  :)

Verdict: YUM!!!

While the fontina was melting, I had pasta boiling on the stove and this skinny marinara simmering.  I can't say enough good things about this marinara--it's delicious--and when I'm done eating I feel pleasantly full rather than overstuffed (which is how I usually end meals that involve anything Italian).

Yours in calories,

M.

Crepes with Pear, Ricotta, and Honey

Latest recipe.  I actually made these a while back, but blogger has been obstinate about loading my pictures lately.  

I found this recipe from Smitten Kitchen and had to try it.  I couldn't find any sugar plums, so I followed her advice and tried pears.  And I did indeed double the honey and butter.  Delicious.  Making crepes reminded me of the good old days in second grade when my French teacher would make crepes in the classroom and let us watch Muzzy videos.  :)

Ignore the brown spots.  They were still delicious.

Yummm...

Not perfect yet...

Ice cream completes every dish.

Girls' Night In

I had another awesome craft night with my friend Anna last night.  We both had to take the Foreign Language Proficiency exam on campus at 3, so we carpooled to that, and then headed to her place to unwind.  (She's pretty sure she passed, and I HOPE I did!)  

It was so great to chill out and throw together an easy meal before vegging out on the couch and watching Project Runway (yes, I've finally gotten sucked in :).  We also watched an episode of Househunters International that was AMAZING.  An American couple with 6 kids looking for homes in Normandy.  I have a few new dream homes now.  :)

While we watched, we worked on our latest projects.  Sneak peek!

Anna had a recipe from Ina Garten for Orzo with Roasted Vegetables that was so delicious, and while we were waiting for the vegetables to roast we made Little Fellows (her great-grandmother's recipe for lemon tartlets).  I rolled out the pastry dough while she made the filling.  I don't know why, but there's something incredibly satisfying and relaxing about rolling out pastry dough.  (Not so for cookie dough, for some reason I find rolling out cookie dough to be so frustrating).  

I found the recipe for the Orzo here.  And I'll post it below.

I'll ask Anna if she'll do a blog post for her great-grandmother's Little Fellows and I'll link to it.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

• Ingredients:
• 1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4 inch diced
• 1 red bell pepper, 1 inch diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 inch diced
• 1 red onion, peeled and 1 inch diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 lb orzo pasta or 1/2 lb rice-shaped pasta

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice  (2 lemons)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

To assemble:

• 4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
• 1/4 cup pignolis, toasted (pine nuts)
• 3/4 lb good feta, 1/2 inch diced (not crumbled)
• 15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne

• Directions:

  1. 1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. 2.  Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan.
  3. 3.  Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.
  4. 4.  Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender.
  5. 5.  Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
  6. 6.  Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.
  7. 7.  For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables.
  8. 8.  Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil.
  9. 9.  Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.
     
     
     Yum :)
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  edited to add:  
  Anna's already posted about her lemon tartlets here!  Check out her blog too, I love the Marie Antoinette decor.  For last night, we actually used a sweet pastry crust recipe from joyofbaking.com.  It was fantastic.  Thanks, Anna!
  
  
  
  
  
  

Back in the habit?

I haven't been cooking at all lately, so I decided to get back into the swing of things tonight and try a new recipe.  I love squash and zucchini, so when I came across this recipe on Pinterest (new favorite site) I knew I had to try it.  

Verdict: yumm!!!  

And I actually ate some vegetables.  Which is good.  Cause it's been, like, a year.  :)

Pictures!!!

Finally, I can post.   :)

First, my kanzashi!  I plan to make some more tonight, so much fun, and so fast!

I finally started working on my basket weave afghan again!

I tried a new Shortbread Brownie Bar recipe.  Sadly, they didn't wow me, but I do expect a lot out of my desserts.  I felt that they were too plain, but maybe this recipe from Picky Palate would be better.  I'll give it a try sometime around Halloween.  :)

I also tried Fettucine with Sausage and Sage from Our Life in the Kitchen.  I loved the recipe, but the recipe calls for one cup of white wine to deglaze the pan after cooking, and I used the whole cup where I think I was supposed to use only enough to deglaze the pan?  In any case, the wine taste was a bit too strong for me.  If I try it again I'll keep that in mind.  (Actually, as I was visiting their page to link it to my post, I found a recipe for Sausage, Red Pepper, and Cream Cheese Casserole that looks amazing!  I'll definitely be giving that a try next.)

I also tried Pioneer Woman's White Chicken Enchilada recipe!  Loved loved loved everything about it, except the tortillas got a little soggy and mushy in the casserole dish, maybe I didn't drain them well enough after frying them.  Still delicious though!

Look at that deliciousness!

And finally, the perfect summer dessert.  I picked up some fresh strawberries at the grocery store, and together with Cool Whip and some poundcake have been enjoying a delicious, cool dessert of strawberry shortcake.  Pretty much every night.  :)

See you next time!