What a fun giveaway!

Stop over at Ashley's site to see what she's giving away! :)

http://drewashleyporter.blogspot.com/2009/02/secret-shopper.html

Chinese Pot Roast?

Last night I made this tasty recipe I found in my Cooking Light 2008 cookbook. It seemed a little different, but I LOVE Chinese food, so I figured it was worth a try! It was super easy to make - throw all the ingredients in a pot and let it simmer. I wasn't sure what Mike's reaction would be to this concoction, but he loved it - he said it was like "Chinese Pot Roast" but with chicken. I definitely think I'll make this again! One thing I did different, I decided not to saute the spinach at the end, since everything in the pot was already SO soft from simmering. I wanted at least a little bit of texture!


Chicken and Potatoes over Sauteed Spinach
(recipe adapted from Cooking Light - www.myrecipes.com)

This recipe exemplifies the Chinese technique of red cooking--braising meat in a flavorful combination of soy sauce, ginger, alcohol, and spices. Serve in shallow rimmed soup bowls so you can enjoy all the broth. Sautéed mustard greens would also be good with this dish.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups chicken mixture and about 1/3 cup spinach)

Ingredients

• 4  cups  thinly sliced leek (about 4 large)
• 1  cup  thinly sliced celery (My celery was all wilty, so I used shredded carrot instead - it tasted great, and added some color!)
  
• 6  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4  cup  julienne-cut peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4  cup  dry vermouth or dry sherry (I used the dry sherry)
  
• 2  teaspoons  sugar
• 1  teaspoon  five-spice powder
• 1  (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2  pounds  skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into thirds (I used chicken breasts...I prefer white meat to dark!)
  
• 1 1/2  pounds  peeled white potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  teaspoons  canola oil
• 1  teaspoon  dark sesame oil
• 2  (10-ounce) packages fresh spinach, divided

Preparation

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Add chicken; return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add potatoes; return to a simmer. Cover and cook 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro and pepper.

Heat oils in another Dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of spinach; cook 1 minute, tossing constantly. Add remaining spinach; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, tossing constantly. Serve chicken mixture over spinach.

Note: I didn't cook the spinach - I just drizzled sesame oil over it and tossed it well. Then I served the chicken mixture on top.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 343 (20% from fat)

Fat: 7.6g (sat 1.5g,mono 2.7g,poly 2.2g)

Protein: 29.6g

Carbohydrate: 39.4g

Fiber: 6.1g

Cholesterol: 94mg

Iron: 6.2mg

Sodium: 846mg

Calcium: 170mg

I wanna be a superhero.

Not your typical masked, caped, spandex-wearing superhero, but the kind of superhero that actually manages to get all her required tasks done. It's kind of ironic that my friend Natalie over at the Bobby Pin just posted on a similar topic. It seems that as working women, we are expected to take on SO many responsibilities. Most days I can handle my regular job - I work my usual 8-6 or whatever time I end up getting out of the office, and it's usually okay. I either go home and make dinner, or go to the gym, and then go home and make dinner. But sometimes it's just not that easy. Life happens on top of all the stress from work. Then I take on side freelance jobs to help supplement my income, and to help me make progress towards my goal of being in business for myself. And then I get a little bit stressed that it won't all get done. Then I realize that I haven't cleaned my house in two days, and the dishwasher is full of clean dishes and the dirty dishes are piled on the counter. And then I start getting sick, so that all I can do is lay on the couch until I feel better. And then I feel like maybe I've taken on too much responsibility in life? And I don't even have a kid yet! How do women do it. Sometimes I just get so overwhelmed with life! Not that I'm not happy most of the time...but wow, it sure is hard to juggle work, personal life, household responsibility, taking care of my body, and still having time to relax now and then! Seriously. I think men have no idea how hard it is to be a woman sometimes!

Valentine Orchid

Sorry this is late...life has really been INSANE lately!!! But more about that later!

My mystery orchid bloomed - just in time for Valentine's Day! So very exciting. As much as I hate purple, I really love this little orchid, just because I brought it back from nothing - and to have so many blooms so quickly just tickles me pink. Or purple, in this case! Sadly, it wilted just as the second bloom began to open. The second one is now fully open, so I still have one bloom, and two more large buds on that stem, as well as a new bud forming on the second branch.

My super large white orchid blossom finally faded away, after months of shining brightly. I was sad to see it go, but at the same time, two more branches started to grow before I could even get to trimming them down! So, I now have three more buds starting to grow on that one! It also has a new leaf that finally seems to be making some progress.

My very first orchid is growing like a weed these days. Along with these root growths you can see, there is now another one that is growing VERY fast, and a new leaf that is also growing at an accelerated pace. I am hoping that a spike will start soon!

My little paph (the green lady slipper to be) is starting to grow a new leaf as well, and I am eagerly awaiting a spike on that one! It's flower season!!!

Singing Dog Vanilla

I just got my free samples today, thanks to Tracey! I can't wait to try my Singing Dog Vanilla. She sent me two beans and a bottle of extract! It looks great - now I get to decide what to make with them! Stay tuned for my review! It looks like they also sell vanilla coffee - I definitely want to try this!

I hear they will be updating their website soon, and featuring all sorts of fun vanilla recipes. So exciting!

Thanks again, Tracey - I will definitely let you know what I decided to make with my vanilla!

Almond-Crusted Halibut

Note: I served my buerre blanc on the SIDE like the recipe said, not on top of the fillet. Mine also came out kind of a beigey-tan color, not pale like the photo shows. Maybe I cooked my herbs and shallots in the wine a bit longer so it got toasty? It still tasted GOOD!

Last night's dinner was OH so good. I had printed out this recipe from All Recipes a LONG time ago, always intending to try it. For some reason though, I always ended up doing something different with the halibut, and never got around to trying the recipe. I finally decided that I was going to try it, and I am so glad I did!!! I swear, the sauce is like crack. I'm glad I ran out when I did, because I seriously could have kept eating it and eating it and eating it.... Probably better that I didn't, because I don't think the sauce itself is really all that healthy. But in small doses? TOTALLY worth it.

With no further ado....

Almond-Crusted Halibut Crystal Symphony

RECIPE FROM: Allrecipes
SUBMITTED BY: Susan W.  PHOTO BY: Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter - chilled, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 (6 ounce) fillets halibut
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 2/3 cup minced blanched almonds
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 egg, lightly beaten (I omitted this)

DIRECTIONS

1. Make beurre blanc: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine wine, vinegar, shallots, thyme and bay leaf. Boil until liquid has evaporated. Stir in cream, and boil until liquid is reduced by half; decrease heat to low. Whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time, adding each new piece before previous one has melted completely. Do not allow sauce to simmer, or it may separate.
2. Strain sauce through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl. Stir in chives, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Keep warm by setting bowl in a larger container of hot water.
3. Preheat oven on broiler setting. Pat fillets dry, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute halibut fillets for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned, and just cooked through. Transfer to a baking sheet, and cool 5 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together bread crumbs, almonds and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Brush tops of fillets with egg, and spread with almond mixture. (I didn't bother with the egg, and just put the almond mixture directly on the fish. It worked fine.)
   
5. Broil fillets 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned (watch closely - every broiler has its own personality!). Place fillets on individual plates, and spoon beurre blanc around it.

PERSONAL NOTES
I only made two fillets for Mike and I, so I made a third of the recipe, but I only halved the sauce ingredients. It still could have used more sauce, but like I said, it's not the healthiest part! If you aren't worried about the health of it though, I would probably make the entire sauce recipe, even for only two fillets.

I served the halibut with steamed vegetables, macaroni w/white cheddar, and Dancing Bull Sauvignon Blanc.

YUM!!!!

Just a little shameless promotion.

My husband rocks. So does the company he works with. Check them out.

Valentine Salad - Warm Spinach Salad w/Vanilla Bean Vinaigrette

For Valentine's Day, Mike and I tried a local restaurant downtown called Croce's. All of our food was EXCELLENT, but given my blog name, I was especially drawn to the salad. I had a Warm Spinach Salad with Vanilla Bean Vinaigrette. It was SO GOOD. I decided I needed to figure out how to make it, and in my search for a vanilla bean dressing, I FOUND CROCE'S RECIPE!!!! I am SO excited to make this, and I wanted to share it with you all!!!!

Warm Spinach Salad with Sweet Vanilla Bean Vinaigrette

Spinach salads have been popular for many years, and are featured on the menus of countless restaurants. A specially created rendition of this perennial favorite is served at Croce's. With its fresh vanilla bean dressing and poached figs, this version offers an entirely new direction and flavor profile, which pairs well with a wide variety of fine wines, appetizers, and entrees.

 

Serves:	6	Vegetarian:	Yes
Preparation Time:	00:30	Cuisine:	American
Difficulty:	Moderate	Meal Type:	Dinner
Main Ingredient:	spinach	Dish Type:	Salad
Main Cooking Method:	Simmer	Season/Occasion:	Any Occasion

Warm Spinach Salad

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. baby spinach
• 6 Mandarin oranges, carefully divided into wedges
• 9 fl. oz. sweet vanilla bean vinaigrette (see recipe)
• 24 seedless red grapes
• 6 oz. walnuts
• 2 Red Delicious apples, quartered
• 15 poached figs, halved (see recipe)
• 12 oz. Stilton blue cheese, crumbled

Directions

Slice each apple quarter 4 times lengthwise, taking care to only slice 4/5 the way through each time. Grasp apple by uncut end and gently fan out slices. In a large mixing bowl, toss spinach with warm vanilla bean vinaigrette (see recipe). Prepare 6 plates for serving. Place spinach in center of each plate, top with a fanned apple quarter. Place 5 mandarin-orange wedges evenly at 5 points around the plate's rim. Do the same with 5 poached fig halves (see recipe) so that figs and oranges alternate around plate. Top spinach with grapes and walnuts. Garnish with Stilton cheese crumbles on top and around salad. Serve immediately.

 

Sweet Vanilla Bean Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 oz. brown sugar
• 2 oz. honey
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 oz. olive oil

Directions

In a saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat and stir in brown sugar and honey. Split vanilla bean in half and core (use the pulp only). Transfer butter mixture and vanilla pulp to a blender. Add vanilla extract and pulse for 2 minutes. Slowly add olive oil, pulsing to incorporate. Return to saucepan and keep over low heat until ready to use.

 

Poached Figs

Ingredients

• 1/4 C. white wine
• 1 Tbsp. sherry wine
• 1/4 C. water
• 1/2 lb. dried figs

Directions

Bring all liquids to a boil, Reduce heat and add the figs, simmer lightly until softened and cooked through. Discard liquid; reserve figs. Let cool and cut in halves before serving.

 

(Mike wasn't a huge fig fan, so I'll probably skip that, but they are pretty tasty with the salad!)

Pesto Salmon

The other night, I went out to Buca di Beppo with the girls, and one of the dishes we ordered was Pesto Salmon. It really didn't sound all that exciting to me compared to all the sinful pasta delights, but once I had a bite, I was overcome by the succulence of it. I couldn't get enough!!! I knew I had to try to recreate it, since I LOVE salmon, and we eat it a lot at my house. It turned out SO good. In fact, I didn't even have time to take a picture before we gobbled it all up. ;) I will definitely be making it again though!!!

I didn't really use a recipe, so I'll do my best to estimate what I used.

For the pesto sauce, I combined the following ingredients in my food processor:
1-2 C of fresh basil leaves
1/2 C Italian parsley
2 T pine nuts
3 cloves garlic
1/4 C parmesan cheese
enough oil to make a smooth sauce, 1/2 -3/4 C
salt and pepper to taste

Then I mixed up a cream sauce:
2T butter cooked with
2T flour
enough milk whisked in to make a smooth, creamy sauce (about 3/4 C)
about 1/2 C parmesan cheese melted into sauce

Then I added enough pesto to the cream sauce to get a desirable mix. The cream sauce kept the pesto from being too spicy, and added an extra cheesiness to the sauce. (I froze the rest of the pesto for a future use.) Mix about 1/4-1/2 C pine nuts and 1/4-1/2 C julienned sun-dried tomatoes into the pesto sauce.

Next, I cooked two salmon fillets sprinkled with salt and pepper in just a teeny bit of olive oil, just until flaky. I served the salmon with the sauce poured over the top.

This is excellent served with steamed broccoli w/garlic and red pepper flakes! :)

YUM!

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

I was looking for a healthier version of banana bread, which I was randomly craving this past week. I came across this WW version on my favorite Weight Watchers recipe blog (I'm not on WW...just like the healthy recipes.) However, it did NOT look healthy to me with all that oil and sugar!!! I decided to substitute the oil with applesauce. Unfortunately, when I went to add the applesauce, I discovered that my jar was full of mold. EEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!
So, I had to scratch that idea, and go ahead with the oil and sugar. Oh well. As you know, I LOVE vanilla beans, so I used a vanilla bean instead of the vanilla extract, and replaced the walnuts with pecans. (My coworker is allergic to walnuts, I am not a huge fan of them, AND I didn't have any on hand - pecans were a perfect substitute!)

This bread turned out SOOOOOO yummy. It smelled awesome while baking, and tastes awesome. The top is so crusty and sweet and good! It looks a little dark in color to me, but it didn't turn out dry or overcooked or anything. Maybe the vanilla bean seeds made it a bit darker? Anyway, I took about half the loaf to work, and I swear it was gone within minutes. It was mysteriously disappearing off the table! I will definitely make this again when the craving strikes!

Here is the recipe I used, along with my changes:

Weight Watchers Moist Banana Bread recipe
Makes 12 servings

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 3/4 cups flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla (I used a vanilla bean)
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1/4-1/2 cup walnuts (optional) (I used pecans)

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, oil, milk, sugar and vanilla.
3. Add the flour and baking soda.
4. Mix well to combine for about 2-3 minutes.
5. Pour the mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake in the oven for about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

WW POINTS per serving: 6
Nutritional information per serving: 286 calories, 10.4g fat, 1.3g fiber

Feeling Disgruntled

Sorry for so many downer posts lately, but I am in such a funk lately, and can't figure out how to get out of it. I'm hoping maybe some of my readers can offer me some advice! As you may remember from my recent post, this all started off about two weeks ago, when I got scolded at work. I really felt that it was unfair, and though I later decided that I wasn't as blameless as I felt, and that I should just take it for what it was, and take note and improve my performance. But since then, I've just felt really down and blah and icky and unhappy and upset and all sorts of other synonyms. The issue at work led to other thoughts - fear that I won't ever get a pay increase. Fear that I am going to be unhappy in my career for the rest of my life. Fear that I will never climb the corporate ladder, so to speak. (Although I HATE corporations, and really don't want to work in a corporate environment.) This has led me to be very anxious about wanting to progress in life - to buy a home, to have a baby, to start a business in which I can work more for myself and more from my own home. I know all these are long-term goals, but when I am currently unhappy, it's so hard to see them as FUTURE goals, and not things that I want ASAP. I am feeling really down and depressed that we have not heard back on the house we made an offer on. I am also depressed that no new houses in our price range/desired neighborhoods have been available in the past 3 weeks. I am so afraid that we won't find something before the market starts going back up again, and we can no longer afford a home. I am afraid that by the time we ever buy a house, I will be well into my 30's, and we will start having problems conceiving a child once we are ready for that step.

Basically, I feel like nothing is going right, and I want to cry all the time...I am always depressed about all these things and I can't stop stressing about them. I have not been feeling well - my stomach has been feeling weird, I've been tired, I've been achy, I just don't feel RIGHT. I'm constantly wanting to snack (although I don't because I'm trying so hard to diet), probably just because I'm depressed. I know so many pregnant girls right now that I can't help but think "maybe I'm pregnant" but I know that it's VERY unlikely (we do take precautions about these things!) but this is just another thing for me to obsess and stress over.

I am at my wit's end, really. I can't concentrate on work, I constantly worry from one thing to another. I don't know what to do to get my head back on straight! I'm not usually like this. I have had issues with depression a couple of times in my life, but they always pass, and are never a big deal. But I just feel so awful. I don't know how to get over it! Have any of you ever felt like this? What do you do about it?

I got a facelift!

Or my blog did, rather! I felt that since I had a name change, I should probably change the look as well. :) Plus, I noticed a couple of cool gadgets on my friend Jamie's blog, so I wanted to try them out as well. (Check out the cool blog feed to the left! How cool is that?)

Girls Night In! - Healthy Spinach Artichoke Chicken Pizza

For the main dish, I made this tasty healthy pizza that my friend Danielle found for me. It was REALLY popular, and I have to agree, it was delicious! I will definitely be putting this recipe into regular rotation! Yum!!!

I used my friend April's recipe for Whole Wheat Pizza Dough. (I made the 1 pound option.)

To make 1 pound dough:

1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 package quick-rising yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons), such as Fleischmann’s RapidRise
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup hot water (120-130°F)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Combine hot water and oil in a measuring cup. With the motor running, gradually pour in enough of the hot liquid until the mixture forms a sticky ball. The dough should be quite soft. If it seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water; if too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Process until the dough forms a ball, then process for 1 minute to knead.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it, sprayed-side down, over the dough. Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling.
3. Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the lowest oven rack;preheat oven to 500°F or highest setting. Roll and top the pizza as desired(we suggest a 13-inch circle) and bake the pizza until the bottom is crisp and golden, 10 to 14 minutes. Serve immediately

Make Ahead Tip: Store in a plastic bag coated with cooking spray in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before using.

Nutrition Information:
- Per 12 ounces: 766 calories; 12 g fat (2 g sat, 8 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 142 g carbohydrate; 26 g protein; 16 g fiber; 1,882 mg sodium.
- Per 1 pound: 1,032 calories; 18 g fat (3 g sat, 12 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 189 g carbohydrate; 33 g protein; 21 g fiber; 2,509 mg sodium.

For the topping....

Healthy Spinach & Artichoke Chicken Pizza

(I didn't get pictures, since the party was already started by the time it came out of the oven, but mine looked about like Joelen's!)

Healthy Spinach & Artichoke Chicken Pizza Topping

original Joelen recipe

1 chicken breast, diced (I used a rotisserie chicken because I ran out of time to defrost and cook my own chicken)
cooking spray
garlic salt to taste
1/2 cup artichoke hearts (frozen, canned or jarred)
1/2 cup frozen spinach
1/2 tablespoon garlic salt
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup homemade cream of chicken soup (Again, since I was pressed for time, I used fat free canned cream of chicken soup)

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Heat a pan over medium heat.
Toss garlic salt over chicken breast to season.
Spray pan with cooking spray and saute seasoned chicken.
Continue cooking chicken until done. (I skipped all this...)
While chicken is cooking, combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl, except for the 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.
Spread this spinach & artichoke topping over the prepared pizza dough.
Top with the sauteed (or shredded rotisserie!) chicken and remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven until the bottom is crisp and golden, 10 to 14 minutes. Serve immediately.
(I actually forgot to mix the cheese in earlier, so I just put it all on top. It worked fine!)

Girls Night In! - Pasta Salad

The third salad is a pasta salad I created on my own.

Alanna's Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1 package rotini pasta (I used the 3-color kind)
1 can pitted black olives
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
oregano to taste
salt & pepper to taste

Roasted Garlic Viniagrette: (I doubled all these ingredients because I had a large bag of pasta.)
1 bulb of garlic
splash of olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons chicken stock
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon

For the dressing:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Slice off the top of the garlic bulb, just enough to barely expose the garlic inside each clove. Place the bulb in an ovenproof dish and drizzle with olive oil. Place the dish, uncovered, in the oven and cook the garlic until it is golden brown and soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool.

3. When the roasted garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the pulp from 6 of the cloves and mash with a mortar and pestle, or with a fork. (Store the remaining cloves in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)

4. Put the garlic in a food processor and add the mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper and puree.

5. Slowly add the olive oil and stock through the feed tube, and puree until the vinaigrette is creamy. If it is too thick add a teaspoon of stock until the consistency is correct.

6. Add the shallots and tarragon. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

(This dressing is SO good! You can also use it on salads pizza, etc.)

For the salad:
Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Mix pasta, olives, and tomatoes.
Toss pasta mixture with viniagrette and season with oregano, salt and pepper.

Girls Night In! - Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad

I love love love this stuff. I had it in Italy for the first time about 6 years ago, and I've been making it ever since. Just layer slices of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. You can also drizzle it with balsamic vinegar if you like. Mmmm.....

Girls Night In! - Pear Salad

Last night, I hosted a "Girls Only" Night In. We had SO much fun. My living room was packed!!! At first I was bummed about all the last minute cancellations, but then I started getting some last minute RSVPs, so it ended up working out after all. Although all the girls that originally wanted to have this party are the ones that bailed - so I guess we will have to do it again another time!

I made all kinds of food for this party. I went with a semi-Italian theme, so I served lots of wine, and Rossinis - pureed strawberries and champagne. It sounds excellent, but it didn't seem to go over very well. But, oh well. I will stick with my mimosas from now on!

I made three different salads: The first one was the most popular, and I found it on my local news website! It said it "has something for everyone" so I figured I couldn't go wrong. It was delicious!

Fresh Pear Salad

ngredients: (Serves 6 to 8)

Dressing:
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 teaspoons seedless raspberry preserves
1 tbsp honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or spicy brown mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad:
1 1/2 bags mixed baby greens or spinach
2 medium Bosc pears, cored and thinly sliced lengthwise
1/2 small red onion* thinly sliced
3 ounces gorgonzola or feta cheese, crumbled (I used feta)
1/4 cup roasted walnut halves
1/4 cup dried cranberries or golden raisins (I used golden raisins)

Directions:

Dressing:
In small bowl, whisk together vinegar, raspberry preserves and mustard. Slowly add oil, whisking until thickened. You could also do this with an immersion blender to emulsify quicker. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide greens among 6 to 8 salad plates. Top each with sliced pears, sliced red onion, crumbled cheese, walnuts and cranberries. Drizzle each with dressing or serve with dressing on the side.

Food Tips:

* To take some of the bite out of the red onion, soak the slices in a bowl of salted iced lemon water. Add1 tsp salt and juice from 1/2 of a lemon stir to dissolve salt before adding ice cubes (the ice will keep the onions crisp). Let the onion slices soak for 10 minutes then drain and pat dry before placing on salad.
(I didn't bother with this.)

Girls' Night In! - Tiramisu Cupcakes!

Naturally, for dessert, I made cupcakes! Since I was going with an Italian theme, I chose tiramisu (and it might have a little something to do with the fact that it is my FAVORITE dessert!!!) I found a few recipes online, and then asked my good friend CB if she knew of any good recipes, and what do you know...the ones she showed me are the ones I had been eyeing!

The two recipes in question are:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12266682@N00/370089996/
http://beantownbaker.blogspot.com/2008/09/tiramisu-cupcakes-cupcake-hero.html

I decided to go with the first one (which I actually found on a different website, but the recipe and photo were identical!) because it sounded a bit more like real tiramisu.

Tiramisu Cupcakes

Ingredients:
6 eggs, separated (separate when cold; allow to come to room temp)
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar, divided
3 tablespoon water, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sifted, all-purpose flour (measure after sifted)

In large mixing bowl at high speed, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add half of the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are glossy and stand in soft peaks. Rub just a bit of meringue between thumb and forefinger to feel if sugar has dissolved.
In small mixing bowl at high speed, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, water, vanilla and salt (if desired) until blended.
With a sifter or sprinkle flour with a sieve over whites. Add beaten yolk mixture. Gently, but thoroughly, fold yolk mixture and flour into whites.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 min or until done.

****Okay, so GET THIS. I had baked something just a few minutes earlier at the same temperature, so I figured I was all set to start baking cupcakes, right? Well, 10 minutes goes by. The cupcakes are definitely warm, but didn't seem to be setting. So, I put them in for 5 more minutes. Still nothing. I got this sinking feeling and it dawned on me....I just might have turned off the oven after baking earlier! Sure enough...I did. The cupcakes barely got a dose of warmth, and then just sat there for 15 minutes! I turned on the oven again and left them in there and set the timer for 10 minutes. I think maybe I should have baked them for a bit less, since they DID get all that extra time in the warm oven - but since they were drenched in the espresso syrup, I got lucky with these! Anyway, I had to share...I cannot believe I did that!!!****

Espresso Syrup

½ cup confectioner’s sugar
2/3 cup water
5 teaspoons espresso powder (I have an espresso maker, so I just made 1/3 cup of espresso and mixed it with 1/3 cup of brandy instead of using water and espresso powder)

In a small, heavy saucepan over high heat, combine the water, the remaining 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar and the espresso or coffee powder. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool. (I just boiled my espresso/brandy combo with the sugar)

Use a fork to poke a few holes into cupcakes so that they will absorb liquid. Pour approximately ½-1 teaspoon of syrup onto each cupcake.

Frosting

3 c mascarpone
1 c confectioner’s sugar
¼ c marsala wine (I didn't have marsala wine, but I learned that you can mix 1/4 c of dry white wine with 1 tsp brandy, and it essentially tastes the same.)
¾ c heavy cream, chilled

In a medium bowl using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat together the mascarpone cheese, confectioner’s sugar and marsala until well blended. Add the cream and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Frost cupcakes with mascarpone/whipped cream mixture. Dust tops with cocoa powder (I used unsweetened) and then sprinkle with dark chocolate shavings.

This recipe was adapted from the recipes “Classic Sponge Cake” and “Espresso Tiramisu”, both found on www.baking911.com.

Missing the hubs.

So, Mike is away for the weekend, home to see his family. It's not all that long, just a few days. But I already miss him! It's silly, even if he were home, I wouldn't see him all day, or even talk to him on a busy day, but I'm already missing him SO much. Just knowing that he won't be there when I get home tonight...that I'll have to sleep alone (though I do have my kitties!)...that he won't be around tomorrow, or the next day. It makes me a little sad. I'm sure it will go fast - I am having a girl's night tomorrow night, and I have SO many things to do to prepare for it, and then things to do on Sunday, that I will probably be fine. It's just night time that's rough for me. We aren't apart much, so it always seems so weird! For those of you who are apart from your husbands for long periods of time quite regularly, how do you deal with it?

Life sure can be hard sometimes.

Do you ever have those weeks where nothing seems to go right? I mean, nothing is majorly WRONG, but nothing is RIGHT either, and you just feel plain terrible? My last almost two weeks now have been like that, ugh. I got scolded at work last week, and that just seemed to set everything off. I feel like I'm on eggshells at work...I'm so paranoid I'm going to get in trouble and lose  my chance at ever getting a raise, and then never being able to afford to buy a home without a roommate, so we can never have a baby. Ugh. Such a chain of "what ifs." I feel like I work so hard and make so little money that I'm never going to get anywhere. What if it never pays off? What if all the extra hours I put in, and time I don't get to spend with my husband because I'm working never get me anywhere? Will I always be the lowest paid employee at my company? Will I ever make anything of myself in life?

On top of that, I've started working out a lot, which I love. I have realized that I am DEFINITELY a group exercise person. I've been going to my gym for close to a year now, and never got myself to actually try a class. I decided that this was going to be the year I saw my abs again, so I decided to try the Energizer Core class. O.M.G. It hurt SO bad. But in a good way. I quickly became obsessed. If you think about it, the first time I ever got in shape was in boot camp. That's pretty much the hardest core workout you can ever get. My whole Marine Corps career, I was in good shape because I had someone showing me what to do, and the group atmosphere really helped me get motivated. So, yeah. Classes are what I needed.

Anyway, my point is that my body has been S O R E. And tired. And exhausted. And I've been trying to eat less calories and eat healthier, so my body is kind of pissed at me. Add that to being stressed out from work, and having a visit from Aunt Flo, and having your husband be irritated at you for not being in the mood, and yeah. Life has SUCKED these past couple weeks.

Seriously, how do you get through this? Do you just grin and bear it and wait till it passes and life is just peachy again? I am so tired of feeling like I want to cry every day because I just can't deal, or I'm going to pass out. Ugh. Hopefully things will pick up a bit next week!

Cupcakes AND Orchids!!!

I know....you are all in shock - Alanna is actually blogging - and WITH PICTURES, too!!! What may you ask brought this about?

Superbowl! I love football, and I love baking cupcakes, so naturally, I had to back cupcakes for the Superbowl! I decided to cheer on the Cardinals, since the Steelers are the ones to knock my Chargers out of the playoffs, and seriously....I didn't think they really NEEDED another win. I'm all for the underdogs! Anyway, while my cupcakes may not have brought that extra bit of luck that the Cards needed, I sure had fun making these little birdies!

I decided to make Coconut Cupcakes (courtesy of Made by Melissa!). I think I have oven temperature issues, so I set the temperature a bit higher than called for. They were a WEE bit dry for my taste, but still DELICIOUS. And, I frosted them with my most favoritest Vanilla Bean Icing! I added a bit of almond extract to enhance the coconut cupcakes. Mmmmm....

I gave my first attempt at using fondant, and loved it! I just used the store-bought stuff, and it was pretty easy. I printed out the Cardinals logo and separated it into colors, then cut out a stencil with my exacto knife. I used the exacto to cut out the fondant as well. I drew in the black details with a little tube of black gel. Easy peasy!

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On another note, my mystery orchid, one of the ones that Mike rescued from the garbage, is about to bloom! Here it is in bud. I am guessing it will be purple, but I don't know anything other than that. I am excited! The other 4 plants are in various stages of growth, but no blooms yet!

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Anyway, that's all for now. I'm having a bunch of girls over on Saturday, so I'll be doing a lot of cooking for that. Till then....

Still alive!

Hello, friends! I am SOOOO sorry it has been such an eternity since I've blogged. I am still doing well, still cooking, still growing orchids, but very busy. Work is keeping me busy, which is a good thing. We are also house hunting! I am SO excited. It is a LONG process though, and can be very frustrating. I am really anxious for the day when we finally get a place that is our own! I will try to do better this year in keeping up with my blog, I promise! :)

2008 in Review

I have seen this done on so many of my dear friends' blogs, and since I think it is an excellent idea, who cares if I'm a bit late? I could use a reminder myself of all the fun things that I did over this past year!

January: We spent our first night in our new rental house in Del Mar, CA on New Year's Eve. Mike and I, and our new roommate, Troy, were so worn out from moving that we spent the evening with a bottle of rum, a coconut, and the latest Pirates of the Caribbean. Sadly, none of us even stayed awake until midnight! I did a lot of blogging this month, since I was working at my temp job as a receptionist with nothing to do most of the day. I did a lot of cooking. I sampled my first cupcakes from Mr. Cuppycakes. Little did I know, this was going to be the beginning of a big cupcake obsession. I got pretty new dishes for my kitchen, and saw my Chargers in the Playoffs! They didn't make it to the Superbowl, but they sure put forth one hell of an effort. I went to my friend Marilea's wedding.

February: Mike took me to see Cirque du Soleil's "Corteo" at the Del Mar Fairgrounds for Valentine's Day. It was so awesome! I wasn't sure how it would be seeing a Cirque show in a circus tent vs. a Vegas venue. It was totally awesome, I must say! Afterwards, we went to dinner at one of our favorite local places, Paradise Grille. I entered my first Cupcake Hero contest, and entered my now legendary Vanilla Nut Martini Cupcakes. I didn't win the Cupcake Hero award, but I sure won with all my friends - I still get requests for those cupcakes! I continued to do a lot of  blogging and cooking, and made Superbowl cupcakes. My husband and roommate started really getting a kick out of my blog photography. I began my love affair with Vanilla Beans after discovering they could be acquired on ebay for a very good price.

March: I got a new job!!!! This was DEFINITELY the highlight of my year so far. I had to finish most of the month at my crappy temp job, but I was SO excited to finally have a new job lined up. I started at my design job as Girl Friday at the end of the month. I gave my blog a makeover. I made some fierce cupcakes. I won my first blog award - "You Make My Day". Mike and Troy went on a trip to Hawaii for 10 days. This was the longest we've ever been apart. It was nice to have some time to myself for the first couple days, but it got ROUGH after a while. I got so lonely. Thankfully I had my cats and my wonderful friends who took me to baseball games, breakfast, and so on. I had a girls' brunch one weekend morning.

April: I visited Chicago with a group of 16 wonderful girls from around the country that I met while planning my wedding. We had SO much fun! Definitely one of the highlights of my year!!! I WAY started slacking on my blog, since I was so busy at my new job. No complaints though - it's better to be working!!! The boys and I started our garden. I went to my friend Molly's wedding, and I went to see KT Tunstall with Amanda.

May: I found out that my sister was pregnant with her third baby, due in December. I tried my hand at homemade pasta, and it was delicious. I saw the Police in concert. It was good, but not mind-blowing, like I had hoped.

June: I went to the Independence Jam and saw a new band called The Silent Comedy. Flogging Molly was DEFINITELY the highlight of that concert. I got to spend time with my friends Melissa & Jason, who are living in Trinidad. (Melissa was home on break from school.) I saw Ingrid Michaelson with my friend Jamie, and I just LOVED her. I didn't think I really liked her, but since that show, I just can't get enough of her music. My garden continued to grow, and the homegrown veggies were excellent. I posted my recipe for White Sangria that Amanda won an award for. I hosted an Asian-themed dinner party with my friends Jamie and Keziah. We traded in my car and Mike's truck and bought a Honda Element. We visited the Del Mar Fair several times. Roommate Troy's surf film premiered. I bought my first Phalaenopsis orchid and watched it bloom.

July: Mike and I went to Ohio for the 4th of July, and our trip happened to cover our 1st wedding anniversary. We took a road trip up to Canada, and spent the weekend at Niagara Falls. We went on Maid of the Mist, and several other attractions. It was an AWESOME trip. Mike and I took a motorcycle safety course and got our motorcycle licenses. We bought a Vespa for our local commute. The Del Mar Races started, and since we live so close, we went many times. We saw Heart and Journey. AMAZING. We saw Wolfmother and Stone Temple Pilots - AMAZING. I made cupcakes for the Obama bake sale.

August: I hosted book club at my house. Football preseason started!!! We went to the Seahawks vs. Chargers game. We got a trackside table at the Del Mar Races. We went camping up in the Idyllwild mountains. Mike and I created a tasty new summer drink we called "Peters Punch." I got my new Blackberry Pearl!!!

September: We had a Labor Day beach party at our house. I invented Cherry Vanilla Coffee Cupcakes. Not my fave, but they were wildly popular. We went to the Panthers vs. Chargers game. We saw Nick Cave. What a cool show! We went on a weekend trip down to a condo in Mexico for Mike's 30th birthday, and I made Roasted Pineapple/Jalapeno Margaritas. We went to the Jets vs. Chargers game and WON!!! I acquired several new orchids (bringing my total up to 5) and started my obsession with my 'chids. I love them! I joined my first Fantasy Football leagues.

October: The Chargers beat the Patriots. Ah, that was sweet. I started Christmas shopping online. The Chargers played the Saints in London! We saw Neil Young. Another awesome show. Mike and I started house-hunting, and started discussing the idea that we might want to have kids in the not-so-distant future. Mike and I dressed as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett for Halloween.

November: BIG election - Obama won!!! Joyful tears all around - what a wonderful night! My cousin Philip and his wife had their first baby (premie - but she is healthy and doing well! I turned 30 and went wine-tasting in Temecula with several of my friends. I continued to do Christmas shopping. Mike had his first gig with his new band. We went on a road trip to Colorado for Thanksgiving. We had a great time! We stayed at a couple of B&B's, spent time with my little nephews, and went to a hockey game with my brothers. We also went to the Broncos vs. Raiders game and then went to ESPN Zone to watch the Chargers play. We spent a lot of time with my BFF Stesha. We spent some time in Vegas on the way to and from Colorado, and got stuck in hellacious traffic on the way home. I changed the name of my blog to it's current name, combining my two blogs into one. I started getting stressed that I wouldn't finish my knitting projects.

December: My friend KT had her baby, Bailey. We put up our Christmas decorations. All the holiday parties began! My work party was awesome. I got my first Christmas bonus ever!!! I finished my Christmas shopping, and had a hard time waiting until Christmas! We had a nice Christmas at home, and had Christmas dinner with my aunt, uncle, and cousins here in San Diego. I made a HUGE Christmas dinner the day after Christmas, and we had a house full of people to help eat the food. My third nephew, Elijah, was born two days after Christmas. We went to the Chargers vs. Broncos game, and watched the Broncos get destroyed. Chargers are in the PLAYOFFS!!! We had a New Year's party with our neighbors.

Which brings us to 2009! We are still house-hunting, and are very much looking forward to big things happening in 2009. I will do my best to keep my blog updated occasionally, at least with anything big that happens! :) I hope that you will all have a wonderful year!!!

Feeling stressed!

I'm feeling like I have too many hobbies, and I don't know how I'm going to get everything done. I hate having so many unfinished projects, but it always seems like something else more important comes up. Now that it's almost Christmas, I'm practically hyperventilating because I don't know if I'll get to everything in time, not to mention my fun, personal hobbies. :P Does anyone else ever feel this way? How do you handle it?!?!?!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Last night I had the BEST chicken tortilla soup I have ever had. Seriously. It was just a simple recipe in my crock pot cooking book, called "Fix It and Forget It", but BOY was it good!!!! I didn't get any pictures, but I wanted to share. It's super easy, and super yummy!

2 chicken breasts
1 can black beans, undrained
1 can Mexican stewed tomatoes or RoTel
1 can diced green chiles (I used the fire-roasted kind)
1 C salsa (hot, medium, mild - your choice!)
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 t cumin
tortilla chips or tortillas
1/2 C shredded Mexican cheese

Put all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for about 8 hours. Before serving, take out chicken breasts and dice into bite size pieces. Return to crockpot. Serve with crushed tortilla chips (I used torn pieces of flour tortilla) and cheese.

This could be easily customizable...serve with avocado, sour cream, cilantro, etc.

Mike and I both thought it was amazing last night, and I am still raving over it after eating leftovers for lunch!

New Blog Name!

As you may have noticed, I have renamed my blog! I figured that since I don't update all that often, it really made no sense to keep TWO blogs. From now on, I will be combining my fun random posts with my cooking posts all here on the same blog.

Why the vanilla bean? I LOVE vanilla. I have never been much of one for chocolate...I have always preferred vanilla. And once I discovered that fresh vanilla beans are affordable on ebay, I was hooked! Now for the clincher - my favorite flower is an orchid. I discovered that vanilla beans are produced by orchid plants, and the vanilla orchid is the only orchid that produces a fruit. I figured that this is just way too much of a coincidence, and orchids/vanilla are definitely meant to be my thing!

Please point your browsers from now on to http://alannasvanillabean.blogspot.com.

Stay tuned for more! :)