Some R & R

This past week I was in Ottawa with my husband.  He was sent there on business and we thought since I was off I might as well go with him.  It was perfect!  I was able to unwind and do my own thing during the days and we spent a few evenings reconnecting with old friends. While I don't have any recipes for you, I do have a confession.  One night I ate a beaver tail for dinner.  This was my first experience with a beaver tail and it certainly won't be my last.  For those of you who don't know, it is similar to a funnel cake in flavour just solid and pliable.  Deep fried dough with whatever topping your heart desired. I had it with chocolate spread and Reese's Pieces and rolled it up like a burrito and ate it. F YA! DELISH!



 I wish I smiled a little bigger in this picture...

Chicken Marinade

A few days ago some of my closest friends came to visit for a few days.  It was perfect! We relaxed and spent some much needed time catching up with one another. I always like to prepare meals that don't require too much preparation while I have company here so I decided on chicken and vegetable kabobs and roasted potatoes.  I cut everything up ahead of time and marinated the chicken all day.  Since I'm not much of a meal planner I've never really had time to marinate chicken before. Game changer! The chicken turned out great. Enjoy!



Pic from here

Yield: Enough marinade for 4 chicken breasts
Ingredients

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon dried herbs (combo of thyme, oregano, rosemary, etc.)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard  

1 teaspoons of garlic powder

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

 

Method

Mix everything but the chicken together in a small bowl.  Pour over chicken breasts and refrigerate for 8+ hours.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

Last week two lovely lady friends and their precious wee ones came over to help me decide on a few design ideas for my living room.  The trade off for their advice; muffins and tea. That morning I whipped together very simple muffins that were tasty and a tad healthier then a typical muffin. Hope you like them too.

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons ground flax seeds (optional)
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 - 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (depending on how chocolaty you like 'em)

Method
In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients (except for oats) followed by applesauce. Stir in oats and chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin tin. Bake at 350° for 21-24 minutes. Make sure you let them cool before taking them out of the tin.  I might have ripped a muffin top, or 2 off...or 5. shit.

Sloppy Joes

Pic snagged from here

My brain is officially in summer mode.  I cannot even muster up a long coherent post today, so I won't even try.  Here is a simple recipe that I threw together last night.  It was ridiculously easy to make and very yummy!  I served it on multi grain buns with a slice of dill pickle and Havarti cheese. Enjoy!

Yield: 3-4 servings (depending on how much you pack your buns -- that's what she said)
Ingredients
1 lb ground meat (chicken, extra lean beef or turkey)
11/2 cups tomato/pasta sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Montreal steak spice
*optional: 1/2 chopped red pepper

Method
Toss meat in a frying pan and cook over medium until just about done (about 5-7 minutes).  Toss everything else in the pan, cover and lower heat to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring a few times.  Serve on a fresh multi grain roll with a side of coleslaw.

Homemade Laundry Detergent Experiment

My husband and I have just returned home from vacation and we had a fantastic time.  We drove down to the Philadelphia area to visit a very dear friend who recently had her 2nd beautiful baby boy. On top of the baby cuddles, toddler games, and early morning chats over coffee, we were able to participate in the 4th of July traditions in their small town. Needless to say we had a fantastic time and we were sad to leave.  From there the hubby and I drove into Manhattan for two days in the big apple.  We were in great need of a distraction from life back home and NYC delivered, yet again.  We spend 2 days trucking our sweaty bodies around the city in the 47 degree heat but we enjoyed every minute of it.  We hit most of the hotspots and accomplished more in 2 days then most would in a week. Our itinerary consisted of Bryant Park, NYC Public Library, Time Square, Rockefeller Plaza, Magnolia Bakery, a game at Yankee Stadium, 9/11 Memorial, a walk in Battery Park, the Bull, Wall Street, Empire State Building, a walk along the High Line, a stop by in front of Madison Square Gardens, Radio City, Trump Tower, bike ride through Central Park (the whole thing!), and shopping along 34th Street. This was my 7th time to NYC and I think I've finally had my fix. It is a beautiful city that has an energy like no other.  If you haven't been you need to go.  It's an experience!

While we were gone my wonderful sister-in-law stayed here to watch the pup and to enjoy some space of her own.  I realized the night before we left that I didn't have any laundry detergent left, and based on her previous stays she has done a load of laundry or two while visiting.  Over on my Pinterest page I have been stockpiling laundry detergent recipes for months.  This was a perfect time to try a few out since I had a bunch of the ingredients already from my other homemade cleaners.  I made a super simple liquid detergent and have used it for 6 loads since getting back from vacation with much success. Today I made a relatively easy powdered detergent to compare it to.  I will be using both over the next month or so and will report back to you with which is better.  I did a ton of research about both and if they were ok to use in HE front loaders -- they are both a-ok!  The cost savings is fantastic with homemade detergents.  Let's hope this isn't a bust like my homemade dishwasher detergent. I have a feeling the powder is going to be better since it has more cleaning agents to it but I will let you know shortly. Here are both recipes I made.

Liquid Laundry Detergent
3 Tablespoons Borax
3 Tablespoons Washing Soda
2 Tablespoons Dawn Ultra Dishwashing Liquid
4 cups hot water from the tap

Method
I used an old sunlight detergent bottle and put a new label on it.  These bottles tend to be small so you might want to double or triple the recipe if you have larger jugs. Add water first then all remaining ingredients. Swirl around to make sure everything is dissolved. Use a 1/4 cup for medium to large loads. Add to detergent dispenser in HE front loaders. I like to give a little shake before I pour it in. It's as easy as that!
Yield: 16 medium-large loads
Cost per batch: ~$0.30
Cost per load: ~$0.02

Powder Laundry Detergent
1 bar Sunlight laundry soap, grated
3.5 cups Borax
3 cups Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
4 cups baking soda
3 cups Oxi-clean powder

Method
Using a food process, grate the bar of soap using the cheese grater blade. In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon.  Transfer to an air tight container.  Use 1-2 tablespoons per load depending on size and dirt factor. ****add powder to the drum of washer, NOT the dispenser.
Yield: 145 large loads (290 small loads)
Cost per patch: ~$10.00
Cost per load:~$0.07- $0.14

Happy Canada Day!



Picture from here

Nothing says 'Happy Canada Day' like a little Mexican Bean Salsa.  All I have to say is thank God July has arrive! June is always such a crazy month with the end of school, interviews, exams, Birthdays, Father's Day, etc. and this June was no exception. Needless to say, I really dropped the ball with the whole cooking thing in June. My fridge is scarce. My mind, body and soul are in desperate need of some time off. It will be nice to get back in the kitchen for some cooking therapy this summer. 

Last night I was on the highway until 9pm and got home to an empty fridge and empty tummy.  Using the crap I had around the kitchen I made a pretty tasty Mexican Bean Salsa that filled me up while watching trashy TV (that's what she said). This recipe makes a lot but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to polish the entire batch off myself in a few short days. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 cup corn
1 tomato, diced
1 avocado, pitted and diced
2 tablespoons red onion, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (cilantro would work too but I hate that shit)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice concentrate
1 teaspoon lime juice concentrate
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1-2 tablespoons pickled hot banana peppers, chopped (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

Method
Chuck all ingredients in a bowl and mix.  Serve with corn chips or as a topping on salad, hamburgers or nachos. I ate it right away but it would be good to let it marinate in the fridge for an hour or so.