Western Baby Shower and Cowboy Caviar

What a crazy couple of weeks it has been! Last weekend I threw a  baby shower for my beautiful best friend and mommy to-be, Rachel! I've known Rachel since I was 6 and I wanted it to be very special! (Special thanks to Lauren Earl for the photography - she is wonderful!)

She and her husband have decided on a Western theme for their nursery and it is adorable! I stuck with that theme for her baby shower and what a fun theme it was! 

The Saloon

I made these chalkboard wine glasses by spray painting the bottom of a wine glass with chalkboard paint.  I have twelve that I use for parties. To make them match the theme, I tied a piece of ribbon in a bow around the stem. (Shout out to my amazing friend Danielle who actually tied all the bows for this party - couldn't have pulled it off with out you!) I used chalk markers to write the guest's names on them. They are always a hit. 

The Sweets Station

The pink lemonade cake was made by Retro Bakery.  Their designs and flavors are fantastic.

Guest Book and Thank You Table

Chuck Wagon

I received a ton of compliments on the shower but the one thing people raved about most was the Cowboy Caviar which was actually one of the easiest things I made.

Cowboy Caviar

1 (15.8oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 (14.5 oz) can of corn, drained

1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, drained

2 fresh medium jalapenos, seeded and minced

1 small red onion, minced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

6 tbsp red wine vinegar

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp ground cumin

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or up to 2 days.   Serve with tortilla chips.

This is one of the easiest salsas to throw together in no time and people tend to love it. Give it a try at your next get together!

Bacon & Jalapeño PB&J

This is going to be one of those posts where you are just going to have to trust me. 

My husband and I visited Portland  in February and I was determined to visit to PBJs which is a little food truck tucked in between the shops on 23rd that specializes in gourmet peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  They add ingredients to PB & Js that I would never have imagined in a million years.  I had done my Yelp research on PBJs before our visit and had already decided the two sandwiches I was going to order: The Hot Hood and The Oregonian.  Unfortunately, they were out of the ingredients (Challah bread, Marion berry jam, Rogue Creamery blue cheese, Oregon hazelnut butter) for the Oregonian so we ordered the Hot Hood and the Spencer.  We both became immediately obsessed with the Hot Hood.  They take challah bread, black cherry jam, jalapeno, apple wood  smoked bacon, PBJ’s peanut butter and put it all together for grilled yummy perfection.  I've been craving one ever since we left and while I'll be making a return trip in June for the real thing, I needed something to hold me over until then. So here we are - my copy cat PBJs Hot Hood aka the Bacon & Jalapeno PB&J.

(sidebar: this is in no way a replacement for the original - you must must must go to PBJs when visiting the Portland area - I insist!)

Here's our lineup:

Today I went to Glaziers, another local small market in my neighborhood. It is another great market and I feel so fortunate to have that and my beloved F&E so close. So, we start with our staples - NATURAL peanut butter, black cherry preserves, and challah bread. But wait, there's more - applewood smoked bacon and jalapeños!

First, I turned on my broiler, covered a pan with some tin foil and placed halved, seeded jalapeños on it.

I placed them under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until they charred on top.  This softens the jalapenos and takes away their crunch.  They looked like this when done:

Next, I cooked up the bacon... mmmmmm.... bacon!

Then I sliced my Challah bread into thick slices and spread butter on one side of each slice.

Then I placed the each slice on my griddle, butter side down. (you can do this in a regular pan over the stove if you do not have a griddle)  I removed the slices once they were golden brown.

I added peanut butter to one slice and black cherry preserves to the other.

Next, I added the jalapeno (sliced) and bacon

Then sandwiched, cut in half, served with milk and DEVOURED. Even went back for seconds. These little PBJs are so yummy! I cannot wait to return to Portland for the real thing, but for now, this copy cat recipe will more than do the trick when faced with this crazy craving. 

That's all for now.

Quinoa Burgers

I'm sure most of you have heard of Quinoa (keen-wah) - for those of you who haven't it's a magical little grain/seed.  Wikipedia defines it as " a species of goosefoot, is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the true grass family." So there, now that we kind of know what the heck it is - let me introduce you to a wonderful way to use it: Quinoa Burgers. 

I start with this recipe from Eating Well Living Thin.  I've seen a number of recipes for quinoa burgers but this is the first one I tried and we LOVED it so much that I've never wanted to stray...

Fresh and Easy is the absolute best when you're looking for something unusual (quinoa was unusual to me at first and I had no idea where to look in the store for it).  They have an entire grain/bean section with clearly marked, resealable bags.  Here's what it looks like in my store:

Here's the rest of our F&E ingredient line-up:

Quinoa, carrots, onion, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, egg, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, sugar, flour. 

First, make your quinoa. Boil water, add quinoa, and reduce heat.

It will take a while to cook (check package) but when it is done it looks like this:

Add all the ingredients into a large bowl and combine well:

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-low to medium heat and place 1/4 cup of the mixture into the oil. I fit two patties in one frying pan:

Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels and serve with burger fixin's.  I try something different every time I make these.  I served these with a tomato slice, greek yogurt and a side salad.

ENJOY!

Ingredients

• 1 cup rounded quinoa
• 1 medium carrot, grated 
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• ½ cup cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp flour
• ½ tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp garlic powder 
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• Olive oil, for frying

Directions

1. Prepare quinoa per instructions on bag.
2. In a large bowl, mix quinoa, carrots, onion, cheddar, cottage cheese, egg, flour, and spices.Combine well.
3. Heat olive oil on a fry pan at med-low heat.  Drop ¼ cup mixture into fry pan and cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Patties are fragile so be careful when flipping.
4. When golden brown on both sides, remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
5. Serve with tomato, avocado, bacon and thousand island for a burger-like experience.

Makes 4 Burgers 

Click here for a printable recipe

Holy Crazy Busy, Batman - What's for Dinner?

So, if you haven't noticed - I have been MIA for the past week! It has just been crazy around the house.  I am throwing my bestie a baby shower this weekend and prepping for the event has been hectic.  I am an uber planner and while there is nothing I love more than throwing a shower for my soon-to-be mommy friend, it is no exaggeration when I say that I go a little overboard on the planning.  That said, I look forward to a blog post next week with lots of adorable pictures from the shower. 

My poor husband hasn't had a Fresh & Easy homemade meal from his wifey dearest in a week, so it is about time I make up for that starting.... NOW!  Here's the menu:

Quinoa Burgers with salad
Pineapple & Chicken Curry w/Rice & Naan
Pork Tacos  w/Creamy Cilantro Slaw
Blue Cheese Crusted Filet w/Wedge Salad 
(Steak recipe per request from Adrian Young who started the petition to keep F&E stores open - if you haven't signed yet, do so by clicking HERE!)

I promise to not neglect the site as much as I have recently! Thanks for hanging in there with me! 

Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onion, & Pancetta Pizza

My husband's favorite food is pizza (well, according to him anyways - I just so happen to believe that his favorite food is hot dogs). Since this is his 'favorite' food, I'm constantly trying to come up with new pizza ideas so we can have pizza often and not get sick of it.  Also, it  just so happens that one of my favorite things to buy from Fresh & Easy is their ready-to-use pizza dough.  They have regular, whole wheat, and garlic & herb all packed and ready to go in the refrigerator section (next to the cheeses in my store).  In my opinion, this is one of THE BEST products they sell. Last night we took F&E whole wheat dough and concocted a delicious goat cheese, caramelized onion, and pancetta pizza.

Here's the ingredient line up: whole wheat pizza dough, mozzarella cheese, diced pancetta, goat cheese, yellow onion, thyme (fresh from my 'garden' - woot woot!).
Also used minced garlic, olive oil, cayenne pepper but they didn't make it in to the picture.  

The first and most important step is to let your dough sit out for 20 minutes until it is at room temperature.  It is almost impossible to work otherwise. So, while that is happening, prepare your other ingredients.

Fry up that pancetta! It's basically like diced up bacon - if you have bacon, you could easily use that as a substitute.  

You want to cook that until it is nice and golden.  Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels to drain.

DON'T TOUCH THAT PAN WITH ALL THAT PANCETTA GREASE! WE'RE GONNA USE IT.... to caramelize the onion that you have sliced into thin rings, of course!

These bad boys might take a bit (20 mins or so...) to get nice and golden. You will want to stir them occasionally but in the in between time - go work your dough.  

You can use a pizza stone or a pizza pan - I chose a pan because I forgot to preheat my stone with the oven -  oops! Anyway, work your dough. Remember to stir those onions every once in a while...

I drizzled olive oil on my crust and then sprinkled with minced garlic and cayenne pepper to give it a little heat.

Once your onions are done and cooled (I'm so sorry I didn't get a picture of mine), arrange them on your dough. Cover with mozzarella cheese. 

Add pancetta and top with goat cheese.  Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped thyme leaves before serving. 

Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onion, & Pancetta Pizza
Ingredients

• 1 pkg. pre-made pizza dough or make your own from scratch
• 1 5 oz. package pancetta
• 1 yellow onion, sliced into thin rings
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
• couple sprigs fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Let dough sit at room temperature about 20 minutes
3. Cook pancetta in a pan over medium heat.  Cook until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to drain. 
4. Place onions in pan with pancetta drippings to caramelize onions over medium heat.  Stir onions occasionally until a golden color is achieved. Remove and cool.
5. Work dough into pizza pan and sprinkle with cayenne pepper
6. Drizzle olive oil and garlic evenly onto dough.
7. Top with caramelized onions, pancetta, mozzarella cheese, and goat cheese.
8. Cook for 12-15 minutes until edges of crust are golden brown.
9. Remove from oven and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Serve & enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

Creamy Tomato Soup (only 4 ingredients!!)

I just recently (I'm talking within the past year or so) became privy to the magic that is tomato soup with a grilled cheese.  I know, that is complete insanity, so let me explain... Ya see, when I was a kid I would turn up my nose at pretty much anything that had tomatoes in it and unfortunately, this included tomato soup (sad face!!).  I ate grilled cheese regularly - bread, butter, and cheese I could handle like a champ.

I missed out on years and years of the magical comfort food pairing. When I finally decided to give the combo a try, you can imagine my excitement! The two just belong together! Needless to say, I now crave this combo constantly. My stomach is probably trying to make up for years of neglect.

Yesterday, one of these cravings came over me and I had to have some cheesy goodness, on crunchy golden bread, dipped in warm, creamy tomato deliciousness, STAT. Luckily, While I was on my lunch break I was able to whip up a batch of this soup with a grilled cheese in 15 minutes to satisfy my craving.  

Here are the ingredients - 
Soup: butter, flour, 2% milk, 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with garlic & olive oil (do not drain) 
Grilled Cheese: butter, french bread, sharp cheddar

 I started by melting butter.

 Add the flour and wisk it all together.

 Add milk and wisk until there are no clumps and mixture begins to thicken.

 Add can of tomatoes and mix well.

Transfer to a blender or food processor and pulse until well blended.

Make grilled cheese and serve together! YUMMMMMMM.

Creamy Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 2   tbsp butter
• 2   tbsp flour
• 1 ½ cups 2% milk
• 1   14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with garlic & olive oil

Directions

1. Melt butter over medium heat.

2. Add flour and mix well until blended and paste is formed.

3. Slowly, wisk in milk. Continue to wisk until the sauce thickens and there are no flour clumps.

4. Add can of tomatoes and stir well.

5. Transfer to blender or food processor and pulse until well blended. Serve immediately.

TIP: Any blend of canned tomatoes would work for this soup - I’ve seen some with basil and oregano that would also work perfectly.

Click here for a printable version

Weekend Chores and What's for Dinner This Week?

Happy Monday! Hope you had a wonderful weekend.  Mine was FULL of house work and chores - not a fun way to spend a weekend.  The most exciting thing I did this weekend was plant a garden (kind of...).

Let me tell you the story of my adorable little garden. When Cody (aka the hubby) and I get bored, we go to Home Goods to wander.  This can sometimes be a rather dangerous excursion as Home Goods has ridiculously cute household items.  For instance, this little herb home ($19.99):

We have been wanting to plant a garden; however, we have mischievous dogs that will somehow make their way into any place they are not supposed to be. When we stumbled upon this little wooden decoration, we knew we had to give it a try!  We stopped by our local nursery and picked out a few herbs to test out: cilantro, basil, rosemary, parsley, and thyme.  I cannot wait to test these babies out this week! 

That being said, here is this week's dinner menu: 

Cobb Style Burgers for two w/Rosemary Roasted Red Potatoes
Spicy Pasta w/a side salad tossed with homemade Garlic-Parmesan & Peppercorn dressing
Goat Cheese, Pancetta, Caramelized Onion Pizza
Taco Salad with Southwest Chicken Chili

Only 4 recipes for this week because the hubby is leaving town on Friday for a bachelor party so my night will probably consist of leftovers and meeting with my girlfriends for a couple drinks. Geez.... is it Friday yet??