New Layout, New Me!

so i'm married... (almost for a whole month now!)

boy does time fly!

and there's a new layout, 

as you can see. 

more understated. 

to remind myself it's ok to leave some time between my posts. 

here we are, happily married and on our honeymoon!

more recipes are coming your way. 

i'm back to cooking like a mad woman. 

check out these pictures and tell me how stoked you are!

yep, my mouth is watering too. 

i'm backlogged. obviously. 

and i'm off to make dinner for my husband. 

you heard me right, my husband! 

Pulled Pork with Citrusy Slaw

J got a raise at work and I knew that it called for a little celebration at dinner. The only way to make a dinner worthy of celebration for him is with a barbecue feast. After finding this little recipe at Can You Stay for Dinner? I was ready to make his day complete!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 white onion, sliced 
• 1 pound of pork (I used sirloin!) 
• 1 package of mango salsa 
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup tomato paste 
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce 
• 2 Tablespoons spicy brown mustard (it was a little bit costly, but is worth it I promise!) 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Sprinkle of salt
• Shake of pepper
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions: 

1. Sliced the onion and line the bottom of the slow cooker with it. 
2. Lay the pork on the little bed of onion you just made. 
3. In a separate bowl combine all of the remaining ingredients. 
4. Pour the ingredients over the pork, making sure to cover it completely. 
5. Cover and cook on low for eight hours. 
6. For the mango slaw, combine the mango salsa with a dash of salt and pepper. (I added some lime juice and minced garlic to add flavor). 
7. I cooked it on high for 3 hours and low for 2... It turned out perfect!
8. Once the neat is cooked, you can use two forks to pull the pork into shreds. 
9. Serve the meat on burger buns topped with the mango slaw.
10. Enjoy! 

And J, in all of his happiness, getting ready to chow down on his meal! 

Leftovers? Yes! I split the leftover meat into two little containers and had them for lunch the next two days at work... Tasty! 

Baked Cajun Rubbed Salmon

J loves seafood. I am picky about it. But I've resolved to be better about making fish not only since its so good for you, but also because my dear J loves it so and I wish I could be not so finicky about it.

Last week when I went to the grocery store their fresh, never frozen salmon steaks looked so perfectly pink (and I love pink!). I bought three and brought them home to make them yummy and yummy they were!

Ingredients: 

• 1 salmon steak, fresh not frozen, per person or serving. (J eats two so I got three) 
• Drizzle of worcestershire sauce
• 1 large lemon

For the rub:

• 1/4 cup ancho chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano 
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons dried mustard
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. While the oven is heating, combine all of the spices in a bowl and whisk together. 
3. Rip pieces of foil that are twice the size of the filets. (One per filet) 
4. Place the salmon in the center of the foil (as seen in picture below).
5. Drizzle worcestershire sauce over the top of each filet. 
6. Rub top of salmon with spice blend. (There will be extra, it's GREAT on steak too!) 
7. Cut lemon in half and squeeze over the salmon. 
8. Close up the foil around the spiced filets and place on a baking sheet. 
9. Cook for 20 minutes. 
10. Remove from the oven. 
11. Unwrap and slice the lemon in half (or more parts for more filets!) and squeeze the juice over the fish.
12. Enjoy! 

J was going to make a sauce to put on it and I said to just try it before he made anything... He did, it was so moist and tender the sauce idea was scrapped and he ate as is! I even really liked it and I'm not a huge lover of fish! 

My ABSOLUTELY Amazing Birthday Celebration!

My 22nd birthday was on Tuesday this past week, but I wasn't going to get to be with my family and J at the same time because of work and our marriage class, so we celebrated last weekend! 

Every year my mom makes a wonderful meal in celebration for birthdays and this year was no different than the past! 

Mama Bird with her homemade scalloped potatoes

J with the beet, Cara Cara orange, and goat cheese salad! 

Dad helping mom serve the plates with salad...
Sorry for the ridiculous face he's making. He absolutely refused to smile. 

The table all set... What a pretty pink floral tablecloth you say? Why yes! And artichokes! 

J and Mama Bird serving the scalloped potatoes! 

The barbeque ran out of gas... So Bubba improvised by grilling on the stovetop!

Bub and his dear little lady, Sam.

My "It's Your Day... CELEBRATE!" Birthday girl plate (and the new strawberry Mike's Hard Lemonade -so tasty!)

It wouldn't be a food photo without the aerial shot!

My being drama birthday girl in my excitement over my cake. 

Check out that glorious thing... It was so tasty! Hummingbird cake, so perfect in so many ways!

Yep, it was amazing... All thanks to the fabulous cook, Mama Bird, and my adorable family (plus the never disappointing J!) 

Indian Infused Roasted Cauliflower

J and I love our veggies... But these are by far the best ones we've had! The only problem was I only used half of the head of cauliflower and we really wanted more than I made!

This little number goes so perfectly with the Tikka Masala flavors... And adds a little fresh produce to the meal. 

Ingredients: 

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• Lemon wedges 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450f. 
2. Mix together oil, coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper until well combined. 
3. Add cauliflower, tossing to coat. 
4. Transfer cauliflower to baking sheet and roast, stirring halfway through roasting. 
5. When tender and golden brown (about 20-30 minutes), remove from over. 
6. Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice. (Instead of the wedges I put the roasted cauliflower in a bowl, squeezed the juice over the little veggies and stirred)
7. Enjoy! 

Homemade Tikka Masala (Chicken Curry)

J and I absolutely love Indian food, but always venture out in order to get our fix. I started getting a new culinary magazine this month (Cuisine at Home) that has fabulous recipes... One of them being Tikka Masala!

This dish requires a little love because of the cook time, but it goes in a slow cooker, so once you do your 30 minutes it cooks itself. The chicken literally falls apart with no need for knives or any sort of major effort... FABULOUS! 

Ingredients for the Marinade: 

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon ginger (it asks for fresh... I don't do all that work and just get the jarred stuff!) 
• 1/2 teaspoon garam marsala
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander
• Pinch of cayenne pepper 
• 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

Ingredients for the sauce: 

• 1 Tablespoon canola oil (it's the healthiest of oils!) 
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (15 ounces) 
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Sprinkle of salt
• Dash of black pepper 
• Chopped fresh cilantro (to garnish) 

Directions: 

1. To make the marinade combine the yogurt, lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon each of garlic and ginger, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and garam masala, cumin, coriander, and cayenne in a bowl. 
2. Using a knife, pierce the chicken in several places and place in a large bowl. 
3. Pour the marinade over the chicken; stir to coat. 
4. Cover the chicken and refrigerate at least 1 hour, if not overnight. (I let it marinate for 3 hours and it was perfect!) 
5. Preheat the broiler with the rack 6-8 inches from the heat. 
6. Remove the chicken from the bowl and place on a broiler pan. 
7. Broil for 8 minutes. 
8. Discard marinade. 
9. Remove chicken from the broiler and transfer to the slow cooker. 
10. For the sauce, heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high. 
11. Add diced onion and cook until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. 
12. Add 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 1/2 teaspoon each garlic and ginger, and minced serrano chile. 
13. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 
14. Stir in the tomato paste and cook about 1 minute. 
15. Deglaze the pan with the crushed tomatoes, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan. 
16. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. 
17. Be sure to coat the chicken. 
18. Cover slow cooker and cook chicken on low-setting heat until tender, about 3 hours. 
19. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. 
20. Whisk cream into sauce seasoning with salt and black pepper. 
21. Pour sauce over the chicken and garnish with fresh cilantro. 
22. Enjoy!

I really love naan. It's an Indian pita bread sort of thing. I pick up a little package of it at the grocery store and throw it in the oven for a couple minutes on low heat to warm it. It also is fun to use to clean up any extra sauce that may be hanging around! 

Scrumptious Macaroni and Cheese Soup

This dish is so delicious and such a refreshing break from the cold weather of winter (although here in sunny San Diego we aren't really fighting the freeze!). As soon as I saw this in Food Network Magazine, I knew it was meant to be... But, as always, I had to make some little changes to make it tastier for J and me!

This bowl of pure comfort food is half the calories of plain old mac and cheese which means you can enjoy TWICE as much! 

Here's a little note for you: this meal takes hardly any time to make (like less than 20 minutes) as long as you are good about multitasking in the kitchen... I paid really close attention and BOOM turned out quick and perfectly delicious!

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 box elbow macaroni
• Cooking spray
• Cubed french toast (I got the whole wheat kind, absolutely delicious)
• Fresh ground pepper
• Salt
• 1/2 bunch of green onion
• 1 carrot, grated (I buy the pre-grated stuff)
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cups low fat milk
• 8 ounces shredded mild cheddar cheese 

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450f. 
2. Bring a medium saucepan to a boil with salted water. 
3. Cut the french bread into small cubes. 
4. Add the macaroni as soon as the water comes to a boil. 
5. Mist a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange the bread in a single layer. 
6. Season the cubes with salt and pepper and slip into the oven. 
7. Bake the bread until golden brown, about 5 minutes. 
8. Chop green onions and grate the carrots. 
9. Mist a saucepan with cooking spray and add the veggies. 
10. Cook over medium-high heat about 5 minutes. 
11. Add the flour and cook for two minutes, stirring. 
12. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil, until thickened. (I used a whisk to break up the little flour balls that managed to float around) 
13. Add the milk, cheeses, and macaroni. 
14. Stir until the cheeses melt. 
15. Season with pepper. 
16. Top the soup with the little toasts. 
17. Enjoy!

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Maple Jalapeno Sour Cream

My Mama Bird made these and absolutely loved them! She passed on the recipe to me and boy, oh boy, are they wonderful! Here's a little twist on the meat and potatoes meal (that is so much my favorite!).

This little sweet potato number is so easy, but so absolutely fantastic. J loved it and made a point to stress it needs to be repeated (please note: he always compliments what I make, but does not always emphasize a repeat).

Ingredients:

• 1 (BIG) sweet potato
• Vegetable oil
• Dash of salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup 
• 2 teaspoons seeded, minced jalapeno (I used jarred, because fresh stuff burns my hands and face) 
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• Tabasco sauce (to taste) 
• Bacon bits
• Sliced scallions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 f with rack in center position
2. Rub sweet potatoes with oil and salt. 
3. Bake the potatoes directly on the rack until soft when pierced (40-45 minutes) 
4. Combine sour cream, maple syrup, jalapeno, lime juice, salt, and tabasco; chill until ready to serve.
5. Serve potatoes with sour cream mixture, bacon bits, and scallions. 

J made the marinade for the steak... He loves to do that part of it and he then grilled it on the George Foreman. Here's his marinade recipe!

J's Tangy Teriyaki Steak Marinade

Ingredients:

• Steak (we always get London Broil because it works so perfectly for this!) 
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
• 2 spoonfuls of minced garlic 
• A couple shakes of garlic salt
• Dash of black pepper

Directions: 

1. Cut the steak into 3 inch wide strips if you are going to make it on a George Foreman... It makes cooking easier!
2. Put the steak in a plastic gallon size bag 
3. Add all of the ingredients with the steak. 
4. Seal the bag making sure to squeeze out some of the extra air. 
5. Squish around the ingredients and meat to ensure it's all mixed together completely. 
6. Let sit overnight (if you can!) otherwise a couple hours will do! 

And, of course, J wanted his plate to be snapped too! I can't tell you how opposite we are in composing our dinner plates... He is a mixer and shaker; I a purist. 

Garlicy, Lemony Quinoa Tabouli with a Side of Chicken

I love quinoa. I mean, I love it. Everything, absolutely everything about it. The texture (and I'm a really picky texture person, J will tell you), the taste, the way it mixes so perfectly with so many other things... Oh I love quinoa.

I spent a while looking through a bunch of different tabouli recipes and came up with a fun little recipe for Quinoa Tabouli (that makes lots of leftovers so I can have some tomorrow for lunch too!).

Ingredients: 

• 1 box quinoa 
• Water, to boil the quinoa
• 1 cucumber
• 1 box grape tomatoes
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped 
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 3 grated carrots 
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Juice from 2 lemons 
• Sea salt 
• 1 bunch green onions, diced 

Directions:

1. Cook the quinoa as according to the package that it comes in. 
2. While the quinoa cooks, dice the veggies (cucumber, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, carrots, and green onions) and combine in a bowl. 
3. When the quinoa is done cooking, fluff it and put in a large bowl. 
4. Add the veggies on top of the quinoa. 
5. Add the 1/4 cup olive oil and lemon juice. 
6. Stir to ensure even spread of juices in the quinoa-veggie mix. 
7. Sprinkle with salt, stirring. 
8. Taste test the tabouli and see what you think... Add what's needed. 
9. Chill in the fridge for two or three hours. 
10. Enjoy! 

To compliment the tabouli I was planning on making homemade Tikka Masala, but didn't read my recipe early enough in the day... So I had to wing it. I grilled up a few chicken breasts in olive oil, salt, and pepper with a bit of lemon juice.

A side of naan (which you can find readily made at the grocery store near you - or Target where I got it!)  is the perfect compliment and so delicious with the tabouli on top of it! 

Needless to say, I can't wait for lunch tomorrow! 

Cupboard Cooking Challenge Day 2: Cajun Chicken, Couscous, and Lemon Grilled Garlic Chips

Tonight was night number two of the Cupboard Cooking Challenge! It went just as well as last night... Part of me thinks J might be more impressed by my random cooking adventures from the last two nights than my big planned meals he's used to!

I just picked some random ingredients out of the cupboard and fridge today that I knew J loved... And it worked out for the best!

Ingredients:

• 1 box of couscous
• 6 frozen chicken tenders (just the Albertson's brand) 
• 3 small zucchinis (left over from last week... In their last moments of goodness, but cooked just in time!) 
• 2 lemons 
• A handful of spinach 
• 1 clove of minced garlic
• Drizzle of olive oil 
• Cajun seasoning
• A dash or two of black pepper

Directions:

1. Run the chicken tenders under hot water in the sink to thaw. (This just has to happen for five minutes) 
2. While the chicken is thawing, boil the water for the couscous as directed on the box. 
3. Cut chicken tenders into small pieces and drop into pan. 
4. Sprinkle the chicken with cajun seasoning. (Warning: don't get too excited, it can get too salty fast. You can always use pepper to add more flavor!) 
5. As soon as the water is done boiling pour it over the couscous and cover. Let it sit and cook itself. 
6. Stir the chicken occasionally making sure it gets cooked through. 
7. Cut up the zucchini in small chips. 
8. Add to a pan with a handful or two of spinach. 
9. Add minced garlic to the pan of veggies and drizzle with olive oil. 
10. Juice both lemons into the veggie stir fry and stir. 
11. Sprinkle with pepper. 
12. Check the chicken. Once cooked through turn off heat. 
13. Veggies are done once the spinach is dilapidated (not a good word, but not sure how else to put it... Help here?) and the zucchini chips are brownish. 
14. Serve... and Enjoy! 

This was a very delicious little meal... J has grown used to my mini photo shoots of my dinner before we eat... Tonight he got involved and told me I serve my plate wrong. This is what he came up with:

All of the elements joined in a little pile of togetherness! 

And the proud plate maker... Wearing a ridiculous turtle shirt... I have not shared the turtle tales with you!
I'll add it to my "to blog" list! 

And mine... Just to compare:

If you can't tell I'm a purist. I like to mix my food by my own accord and not by phenomena and fate, much unlike J.

I'm a scarf addict right now. Good thing the weather is kind of cold here so I don't look absurd wearing them! 

Are you a purist too? Or do you like the beautiful disaster of a plate J has concocted? 

Cupboard Cooking Challenge: Eggplant and Artichoke Heart Pasta Casserole

J and I spent the weekend in San Luis Obispo hanging out with my family and visiting the sweet little town where Bubs goes to college. Such a fun time and amazing memories were created! (I will share these soon!) We didn't get back until late Monday after a long weekend away and I was not really interested in going grocery shopping. Bubs' birthday is this weekend so J and I will be out of town again at my parents' house... This means, only three days of cooking this week. Because there isn't much cooking going on, I felt like grocery shopping was going to be a waste... And the Cupboard Cooking Challenge was born!

Basically this is how the challenge works:

• No grocery shopping for the week. 
• All meals must be made from what you already have in the cupboards (and fridge!) 

Yep, it's the easy... Except you'll be shocked because it's never truly that easy!

A side of mini caprese salad always makes everything better!

Ingredients: 

• 1 Eggplant (I bought it last week and was so lucky it didn't go bad over the long weekend!) 
• 1/2 bag of pepperoni 
• 1 bag/box of the pasta of your choice (or what's left in your cupboards) 
• 1 can artichoke hearts (for some reason I can't get enough of these lately!) 
• 1 cup of grated mozzarella cheese 
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce 
• Dash (or many) of black pepper 

The idea for this recipe came from Food Network's latest magazine,
The Italian Issue, that had this sweet little meal making flow chart! 

Directions: 

1. Cook a pound of pasta (I used penne) in a pot of salted water about two minutes less than directed on the package. 
2. While the pasta is cooking slice the veggies and meat. (You want a total of about 3 cups of chopped ingredients)
3. Drain the pasta and let sit. 
4. Add 1/2 of the jar of sauce in a LARGE pot. (This is where you're going to mix everything so please make sure it's big enough!) 
5. Add the meat and veggies and let cook for five minutes. 
6. If you want to add red pepper flakes, fresh herbs, ricotta cheese, this is the time to do so! 
7. Add the pasta to the pot. 
8. Add 3/4 of the cheese to the pot. 
9. Stir contents together adding additional spaghetti sauce as you see fit. (I am very liberal about this) 
10. After all of the contents is stirred together, put it in a greased casserole dish. 
11. Cover with the rest of the grated cheese. 
12. Bake at 450 f for about 15 minutes, until the cheese on top is melty and bubbly. 
13. Remove from oven, let cool for five minutes. 
14. ENJOY! 

BEFORE

AFTER
(Just 15 minutes later!)

Random note for all my dear readers:
J is a booger because he thinks my sweet name for him is too short. Want to know what he thinks I should call him? Jet. Like a turbo jet? I think NOT. It's J. Period. This is my blog. J start your own if you want to be a stinking, fuel-wasting Turbo Jet.

(I really do love my dear J, but he was watching over my shoulder after giving me a hard time about the nickname... So this is what he gets!) 

Chocolate "Crack"-le Cookies

How cool does this look!?! 

These cookies were posted by Martha Stewart on her website and they are "mmm, mmm good". My brothers and J were convinced I had laced them with some sort of crack because they couldn't stop eating them! What a great compliment as far as I'm concerned! You can catch the original recipe here! 

Ingredients: 

• 8 ounces chocolate, melted (bittersweet or sweet, whatever you like!) 
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/3 cup milk 
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar (plus a bowl more for rolling) 
• Granulated sugar (used for rolling too!) 

Directions: 

1. Chop chocolate into small bits and melt over medium heat in a double broiler (or makeshift one if you're like me!). **To make a double-broiler set a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water.
2. While the chocolate is melting, beat butter and light-brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until it's light and fluffy. 
3. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. 
4. Add the melted chocolate. 
5. Add the dry ingredients, flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. 
6. Add milk. 
7. Beat until combined. 
8. Divide the dough into quarters and wrap with plastic wrap. Then chill in the refrigerator until firm (2 plus hours). 
9. Heat the oven to 350 f. 
10. Fill one bowl with granulated sugar and one in confectioners' sugar. 
11. On a clean countertop, take out one portion of the chilled dough and cut into sections (I made about 12). 
12. Drop a section into the granulated sugar and then roll into a ball. 
13. Then drop the ball in the confectioners' sugar and make sure it's covered completely. 
14. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and repeat! 
15. Once all of the sections have been chopped, dipped, balled, dipped, and placed, cook for 12-15 minutes or until the sugar is crackled nicely and the chocolate insides look not too shiny between the white sugar shell. 
16. Remove from the oven and let cook on wire racks 
17. Enjoy! 

I realized half way through with all of the dough making a constant mess on my hands to drop the dough into the granulated sugar first to keep the dough from sticking. This sugar also ensures the confectioners' sugar to stick!

His and Hers Pizza Party

For the first time ever, J and I have participated in a culinary competition in my kitchen! We usually work together to make dinners... Or I make it while he drives home from the gym and showers... But the other night we competed. Each of us made our own pizzas and mine, of course, was tastiest!

We couldn't agree whose pizza was truly the best, so we resolved to put up a poll on here and see what my readers think. (Please remember you are my readers!)

His

Marinara Sauce with Sausage in it

Spinach

Cheese

Pepperoni

Hers

Alfredo Sauce

Tapatio Hot Sauce

Cheese

Artichoke Hearts

Pepperoni 

And now, it's up to you! 

(Leave a comment voting for one!) 

And on the side of our pizzas... The only thing uniting our plates was the always delicious caprese salad!

How sweet does that picture of us look in the background? In the midst of the battle it was the only thing sweet in the room!

Simply Bo-vine! Beef Vindaloo

This little number is one of my favorite dishes from my childhood. My Mama Bird found this recipe in the local newspaper and trued making it. For such a random find it's a true gem!

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound top sirloin (or flank steak) 
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 cup minced shallots 
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger root
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vinegar
• 1 cup beef broth 

Directions: 

1. Slice the beef as thinly as possible. (It helps if it has been in the freezer for 15 minutes and is a little bit firm and if you cut across the grain of the meat) 
2. Combine the coriander, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne, and the salt in a small bowl and set aside. 
3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
4. Add the minced shallots and cook until golden brown (about 2 minutes). 
5. Add the garlic and ginger root and cook stirring until fragrant (about 2 minutes). 
6. Add the spice combination from the bowl and cook about 1 minute. 
7. Add the beef, brown sugar, vinegar, and beef broth. 
8. Bring all ingredients to a simmer and cook until the beef is cooked through and flavor is well-blended (6 to 8 minutes).
9. Serve on a bed of rice or pasta and enjoy! 

Eggs in Purgatory at a Kitchen Floor Picnic

Being the church going gal that I am I wouldn't usually drool over something called Eggs in Purgatory... However, this was worth every sinful drool I committed! It's just delicious and the flavors together are amazing, especially considering I would NEVER have thought of putting something together like this! 

Thank goodness, Food Network Magazine put out an all Italian issue and included this dish. (Random fact: It's an Italian peasant dish that has made itself into culinary royalty!) I promise it won't disappoint! I changed the recipe a bit so it wasn't quite as much food (this still solidly serves four) and so it fit the flavors that I already know my Best Friend and I love! 

The dish was so steamy that it steamed up my camera lens! And the first bites burnt our tongues!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 4 ounces deli-sliced salami, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Italian green frying pepper, thinly sliced (My store didn't have these so I got two little sweet Mexican peppers that were rated as mildly spicey) 
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced 
• A splash and sprinkle of red pepper flakes
• 1 cup of marinara sauce 
• 4 eggs
• A handfull (or two!) of mozarella cheese
• A loaf of bread to serve with (I used French because it's my favorite!) 

Directions: 

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. 
2. Add the garlic and cook until it's golden brown (3 or so minutes). 
3. Increase the heat to high and add the chopped salami, sliced onions, slivered peppers, and splash on those red pepper flakes. 
4. Cook, stirring lots, until the salami is brownish (about 5 minutes). 
5. Add the marinara sauce and 1/2 a cup of water.
6. Cook until the vegetables are tender (about 5 minutes).
7. Reduce the heat to medium. 
8. Make 4 indentations in the pepper mixture for the eggs. 
9. Break one egg into each indentation (Be careful with the shells! Use a bowl to crack them if you're a little rough like me!) 
10. Cover and cook until the eggs whites are white and the yolks are cooked to your liking.
11. Serve with slices of your bread of choice! 

It was so absolutely delicious on a piece of bread! 

The special thing about this sweet little dish was that J and I had it on a picnic... In the middle of my little kitchen floor! It has been beautiful in San Diego, but the sun is still setting absurdly early, so I decided this would be a cute way to make it seem more like summer (it really seems like it with the 75 and sunny weather!). J was such a sport sitting on the floor and listening to me rave about how sweetly romantic I felt like we were just sitting there. 

Here's the scene of the crime... Our offense: drinking beer with Italian which always calls for a nice wine!
But the floor is freshly cleaned if that makes up for anything. :) 

Timing the auto-timer on my camera proved to be a tough task, but this one turned out cute!
And yes, I'm still in my running clothes from that morning, talk about a lazy Saturday!

This summer activity in my kitchen was all started in looking at the so sweet blog of Laurie at Food is Love. Check out her summer in the kitchen challenge and try something out for yourself! It definitely doesn't have to be eating on your kitchen floor! 

Whoopie You're Home! Chocolate Whoopie Pies

So yesterday before I started enjoying the Welcome Home festivities with Jason's family for his brother, I decided to make my first ever whoopie pies! They were a little bit messier than I wanted them to be, but that's ok, practice makes perfect!

Although I've tried to stay away from box cakes since I figured how to make one without a box, I steered directly for a box this time because I wasn't sure how exactly to execute the whoopie pie... That makes this recipe really simple, but I will upgrade to completely homemade sometime!

Ingredients for the cookie/cakie part:

• 1 box Devil's Food cake mix
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs 

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350f. 
2. Make the cake mix as directed on the box, but use only 3/4 cup of water. 
3. Mix the batter together. 
4. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. 
5. Place 2 Tbsp scoops of batter on the sheets and place into the oven. (I used a coffee scoop that measures 2 Tbsp I bought at the grocery store!) 
6. Let cook about 15 minutes. To tell if done stick a toothpick in the middle and they're done if it comes out clean. 

Ingredients for the marshmallow fluff: (this is used in the filling for the center) 

•  3 egg whites
• 2 cups of light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups confectioner's sugar 
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine egg whites, corn syrup, and salt. 
2. Mix with an electric mixer on high speed for 8 minutes (or until thick). 
3. Turn down to low speed and add in the confectioner's sugar. (I did a half cup at a time to keep the powder cloud under control) 
4. Add the vanilla and mix until well blended. 

**Please note: This recipe makes a whole lot of fluff, so you're going to have to find something else to use this for during the week... Stay tuned for my post of leftover usage!**


Ingredients: (For the frosting filling)

• 2 cups marshmallow fluff 
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 

Directions:

1. Mix the marshmallow fluff and shortening in a bowl with an electric mixer on high speed. 
2. Turn the speed down to low speed and add the confectioner's sugar. 
3. Add the cup of graham cracker crumbs. 
4. Add the vanilla extract. 
5. When all mixed together, sandwich it between two of each of the cookie/cakies. 

Such a yummy little treat! I want to make some with cream cheese frosting inside, the frosting above is more of a buttercream (which I have said before I'm not the world's biggest fan of). But so yummy and the graham cracker crumbs make a delightful little texture in the whoopie pie center! Now I must figure out what I'm going to do with the marshmallow fluff I have!