August 25th

Garden Fresh

We have had an abundance of tomatoes from our garden lately.  I have been waiting all summer for the tomatoes to come so I could make this recipe and the day is finally here!  It was worth the wait.  This is another one that I'm sorry I can't eat again till next year!

Tarte Aux Tomates (Tomato Tart)
recipe from: The French Kitchen Cookbook

This is so simple to make and tastes so fresh and delicious.  It almost tastes like a thick-crust pizza without cheese.  We eat it as a main dish, but it would make an excellent side dish as well.

Ingredients:
for the pie dough:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/4 sticks butter
• 1 tbs chopped oregano, plus extra to garnish
• about 1/3 cup cold water

for the filling:

• 2 tbs butter
• 1 tbs sugar
• 9 small tomatoes, halved
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  To make the filling, melt the butter in a heavy saucepan.  Add the sugar and stir over high heat until just turning golden brown.  Remove from the heat and quickly add the tomatoes, garlic, and white vinegar, stirring to coat evenly.  Season with salt and pepper
2. Transfer the tomatoes to a 9 inch cake pan (I used a pie pan), spreading them evenly cut side down.
3. To make the dough, place the flour, salt, butter, and oregano in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.  Add just enough water to bind to a soft, but not sticky dough.  Roll out the dough to a 10 inch circle and place it over the tomatoes, tucking in the edges.  Pierce with a fork to let out steam.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until firm and golden.  Rest for 2-3 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and turn out onto a warm serving plate.  
5. Sprinkle the tart with chopped oregano, and serve immediately. 

Grades:

Megan - A+ (I love this one [so does Doug].  It looks beautiful and tastes beautiful.  It also appears much more impressive that it actually is.  It's deceivingly easy to make.)

Noelle - D+ (I thought Noelle was going to love this one because she is obsessed with tomatoes.  I was wrong.  I think I made a mistake because I told her it was pizza.  Then when she ate it and was expecting pizza, she was like, this obviously is not pizza.  Plus even though she acts like a little tomato-addict and can't get enough tomatoes from our garden, for some reason she is never a fan of them when they are cooked.  She ate a few bites of this and wanted me to take the tomatoes off.  Then she ate a little of the bread.  I also think she might have been a little turned off by the vinegar in the recipe (which doesn't taste strong at all to me, but might to her little tongue.)

August 24th

Post Vacation Recovery

We were in Michigan the past few days for a mini-vacation.  I don't know about you, but when I get back from vacation I usually need a little recovery time.  Since we just got back this afternoon, I was not ready to do any real cooking.  Therefore, Trader Joe's frozen section to the rescue!

Mandarin Orange Chicken
Trader Joe's

This has been one of our favorite go-to frozen dinners for a long time.  It's so easy to just pop it in the oven and serve it over some rice.  If you haven't tried this one you should...it's delish!

Grades:

Megan - A (For frozen food you can't get much better than this.  Easy, tasty, and cheap.)

Noelle - A (Noelle said she was eating chicken nuggets, which made her happy.  I wasn't sure how she would feel about the sauce, but she was sopping it up!)

August 23rd

These are A Few Of My Favorite Things...

If I haven't told you before, my top three favorite foods are:
1.  Sushi
2. Chile Rellenos
3. Popcorn

Recently I was introduced to a new food; Poke Bowls.  They are sooooo good!  Just like sushi, but deconstructed into a bowl.

Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl
The Strand Brewery and Grill
Dowagiac, MI

I never would've thought I'd be ordering sushi (or poke bowls) from Dowagiac Michigan.  It's a little country lake town, that until recently barely even had any restaurants, let alone "fancy" restaurants and breweries.  Today we went to The Strand for dinner and I decided to risk it and try the poke bowl.  I am so glad I did!  It was fresh and delicious!  I will definitely be ordering it again.

The Strand is my new favorite place to eat/drink in Dowagiac.  If you're ever in the area, give it a try.  If the weather's good sit on the patio and you'll have great views of Round Lake (even if the weather is not that good, they have fire pits and heaters).  They have a great variety of food and the beer was tasty. 

Grades:

Megan - A+ (I need more Poke Bowls in my life.  I can't wait to go back to Michigan and have this again!)

Noelle - A+ (Noelle had a cheeseburger.  It was gigantic.  She ate it all.  She LOVED it.  She loved the food and she loved the grassy area to the side of the patio where she was running around with other kids while she waited for the food.)

August 22nd

An Old Favorite

This recipe for shrimp and linguine has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid.  I never get to eat it this way though because Doug doesn't really like shrimp.  I have made it before on this blog with scallops.  It's good that way too, but honestly the best way is with Shrimp.  We were in Michigan and Doug wasn't there, so it was perfect opportunity to sneak some shrimp in!

Shrimp and Linguine
recipe from: Maureen Konieczny (my mom)

This is just so easy and so good.  You should try it and see for yourself!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup margarine or butter (I went with butter . . . it's better!)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 cloves of garlic (this is a lot, but I love garlic)
• 1/2 lb – 1 lb of shrimp, peeled
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• dash black pepper
• 1 lb linguine
• grated Parmesan cheese

 Directions:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan, add oil and heat.
2. Saute garlic and shrimp in the oil mixture over medium heat 2-3 minutes.

   
   

3. Stir in parsley, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Simmer 5-10 minutes.
4. Cook linguini per package directions and drain well.
5. In a large bowl toss linguine, sauce, and Parmesan cheese to taste. 

Grades:

Megan - A+ (I wish I could eat this more often.  I've tried to force Doug to like shrimp, but it's just not working.)

Noelle - A (Noelle ate a lot of this.  She especially liked the pasta, but she ate quite a few of the shrimp too!)

August 21st

Too Far Behind

Ok, so I am super far behind with my blog posts.  I have a list of everything I've eaten, but honestly when I looked at the list, I could hardly remember what this one tasted like.  I guess I can't say it was amazing since it obviously wasn't very memorable. 

Lemon Garlic Pork Chops
recipe from:https://www.loulougirls.com/2016/04/lemon-creamy-pork-chops.html?showComment=1462409537913#c914866641058470290

Well, like I said I guess this wasn't very memorable.  This looked amazing in the photos on the blog, but mine turned out looking nothing like that.  The only thing I remember about this is that the lemon juice made the cream sauce get weird.  I think they acidity from the lemons kinda curdled it a bit.  Sounds really appetizing right?  I skipped the cheese on this and used milk instead of cream because I was trying to lighten it up.  Perhaps the real ingredients would do better.

Grades:

Megan - B- (This obviously is not an accurate grade since I can hardly even remember it.  I do remember thinking it was ok, but not loving it.  And I remember thinking that the pork chop had a nice crispiness to it So, a B- sounds good.)

Noelle - If I can't remember how I felt about this one, then I definitely can't remember how Noelle felt about it.  If I had to guess I'd say she probably didn't really like it that much.  She probably was ok with the pork but not the sauce. But who knows?

August 20th

Pool Party

We went to my cousin;s new house tonight for a pool party.  Yes - they have a pool - lucky ducks!  The kids had a lot of fun swimming and running around the backyard.  I had a lot of fun chatting and eating :)

Grilled Turkey Burger
at my Cousin Ryan and Dawn's House

This burger was good.  I don't really know what seasonings were in it because I didn't make it.  But, I know seasonings were involved.  Plus it was cooked on the grill which is always a good thing.  I ate it without a but because buns are bad :( (for a diet anyway). 
Then we got to have the most amazing smores after dinner.  Instead of graham crackers, they were sandwiched between two snickerdoodle cookies with dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate.  Yep, I broke the diet for that one.  Hey I had no bun, so I deserved it!

Grades:

Megan - A (Grilled = good!  Even without the bun and without cheese, this turkey burger was quite delicious.)

Noelle - A (Noelle had a turkey burger with a bun and cheese!  WOW - she's lucky!  It was a giant burger, and in typical Noelle fashion she ate the whole thing.  Like I've said so many times before...she loves burgers.  I guess she doesn't discriminate between beef and turkey burgers.)

August 19th

Microbrews & Mexican

Today we went to Oak Park's annual Microbrew review.  I'm not gonna lie...I had a lot of beer which obviously is not part of my diet.  However, I did opt for a fruit cup snack at the fair instead of all the pizza, fries, and other yummy fair foods that were being offered.  By the time the fair was over, I was pretty tipsy, and pretty hungry, so my diet got a little off track.  But, it sure was delicious!

Chile Relleno Burrito
Boss Burrito
Oak Park, IL

Chile Rellenos are my favorite mexican food.  Burritos are awesome.  Put them together and it's a pretty amazing creation.  This was a BIG burrito and it was full of fried peppers and gooey cheese.  Mmmm it's making me hungry just thinking about it!

Grades:

Megan - A (You all know I love Boss Burrito and this was - Yum!  Messy but delicious!)

Noelle - Noelle was asleep by the time we got home from the beer fest, so she missed out on the mexican feast.  Which is sad, because she really loves mexican food.  Although, I'm pretty sure she would've hated my burrito.  Too many things mashed together and too spicy for her delicate little mouth.

August 18th

So Simple Yet So Satisfying

BLTs are only a few things; bread, bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes.  But there's something about those simple ingredients coming together to make a delicious sandwich.  If you read this blog, you know I'm on a diet, so my sandwich days are limited.  However, why not make a delicious sandwich into a great salad?  I'm starting to learn that almost anything can be turned into a salad!

BLT Bowl
recipe from: http://www.thelondoner.me/2014/01/blt-bowl.html

This is a little bit different than a BLT sandwich because there's a few additions like cheese and cucumber.  Because let's face it, without the bread, a BLT is not too satisfying.  This salad however, was very satisfying! 
Because of my diet I had to make a choice between the avocado and the cheese, and of course I chose the less healthy cheese.  Doug got to have avocado and cheese - lucky him!  I also used turkey bacon and honestly, when it's all mixed into the other salad ingredients, you can't tell much of a difference.

Grades:

Megan - A- (This salad was good, I've just had some other superstar salads lately that kinda make this one seem a little less good.  I'd definitely make it again though.  And maybe someday I'll get to have the avocado and cheese!)

Noelle - Salad = Nope

August 17th

When a Tough Cut Gets Good

Growing up we ate grilled flank steak quite often in the summer.  Nowadays flank steak is a pretty popular cut of meat, but back then I don't think it was quite as famous.  It is a tough cut of meat and not the most flavorful, so it needs a little love before you cook it.  However, if you prepare it well and slice it correctly, it is really delicious.  And it just reminds me of summer.

Grilled Flank Steak
no recipe...just grillin

First let me just brag a little bit...I am famous for overcooking meats on the grill.  But this one was cooked perfectly!!  Ah, that was nice. 

Ok...so when we were kids my mom used to poke the flank steak with a fork and then sprinkle it with a TON of meat tenderizer and let it sit for a while while the tenderizer got to work.  Honestly, I would have done the same thing because it works really well, but we didn't have meat tenderizer.  Instead, I just poked it and sprinkled it with a TON of salt because I figured salt would also help break down the toughness of the meat.

Then I grilled it perfectly :)

Then, I let it rest and sliced it.  Now, when you slice it, you need to slice against the grain on an angle.  And make the slices thin.  Then you will have a tender, flavorful piece of flank steak that has a great grilled, summery flavor.

Grades:

Megan - A (Summer in my mouth.)

Noelle - A- (I was worried Noelle would complain about it being chewy because she eats our dinners leftover the next day and leftover steak isn't the greatest.  But, no complaints here.  She ate it all up.)

August 16th

Watch Out for the Healthy Ones

So, when you make an unhealthy dinner, you pretty much know it's gonna be good even if it's a new recipe.  I mean if it's loaded up with carbs, cheese, or butter how can it not be good?
It's those healthy recipes you have to watch out for.  I've been trying a lot of new healthy recipes lately and they involve a lot of substitutions for what would be unhealthy ingredients.  Sometimes it works out great, sometimes not so much.  I think a healthy recipe is a lot harder to make delicious than an unhealthy one, but you just gotta do some trial and error.

21 Day Fix Swedish Meatballs
recipe from: https://mycrazygoodlife.com/easy-instant-pot-swedish-meatballs-recipe-21-day-fix-swedish-meatballs/

So, I was debating between two recipes for "lightened up Swedish Meatballs." One had cream cheese in the sauce and one used greek yogurt.  I went for the greek yogurt one because I figured it would be healthier.  Next time I'll choose the cheese.  I think these would have been good had the greek yogurt not gotten all weird on me. 

First of all, I do not have an instant pot, so I just made them in a pan on the stove the old fashioned way. 

Secondly, the recipe specifically says to let the sauce cool before adding the greek yogurt or it will curdle.  I did that, but then I was like, I can't put cold sauce on my meatballs, so I decided to heat it back up a little.  That's where the greek yogurt got mad and gross.  I think I'll try the other recipe next time that uses cream cheese in the sauce instead of greek yogurt.  Because besides the strange clumpiness of the greek yogurt, it also had a different flavor that I wasn't particularly fond of in the sauce. 

Grades:

Megan - D (Greek yogurt can not be heated.  It has been tested and it is true.)

Noelle - D- (I can't blame her...these were not my greatest.)

August 15th

Sneaking in Mustard

So Doug isn't the biggest mustard lover, and this dressing is mustard based.  But there's lots of other delicious stuff in there, so I thought I could sneak in some mustard successfully and it worked!  I think the honey balanced out the mustard flavor enough that Doug liked it.  There's no fooling him... he knew there was mustard in it, but he still liked it anyway.

Honey Mustard, Chicken, Avocado, and Bacon Salad
recipe from: https://cafedelites.com/honey-mustard-chicken-avocado-bacon-salad/

This was delish!  The only thing I really changed was that I used turkey bacon instead of regular bacon because you know...diet.  I also didn't put corn on mine.  I didn't miss the corn, but it would've been good with that too.

Grades:

Megan - A (I love honey mustard dressing so this was perfect for me. )

Noelle - Mustard + salad = no bueno for Noelle.  I didn't even attempt to try to get her to eat this one.  How old are kids when they start liking salad?   I guess probably not for a while.

August 14th

I say tomato, you say tomahto...

We have been having quite the harvest of tomatoes from our little garden in back.  Get ready for lots more tomato recipes to come!

Chicken Caprese
recipe from: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/chicken-caprese/

I love a good caprese salad or caprese sandwich, so why not add some protein into the mix and make caprese chicken!?  This would be fabulous with grilled chicken, but you all know I'm too lazy to go down three flights of stairs and grill my chicken, so I cooked it on the stovetop instead. 
It really doesn't get much easier than this...cook some chicken and slap some cheese, tomatoes, basil, and balsamic glaze on top.  Voila - dinner is served!

Grades:

Megan -A (tasty and easy - just the way I like it!  Pretty healthy too!)

Noelle - B- (Noelle had hers without the vinegar because I didn't think she'd be into that.  She gobbled up those tomatoes because I swear this girl would rather eat tomatoes that candy.  After that she had some chicken and cheese, but was pretty disappointed there weren't more tomatoes.)

August 13th

Worth the Wait

I have had these sandwiches on our weekly dinner menu for several weeks and we always ended up being busy on Sundays when I was going to make them so they kept getting pushed back to the next week.  After all this waiting, I was a little nervous that they wouldn't live up to all the hype and high expectations we had created for them in our heads.  But, I have to say, they were pretty delicious and worth the wait!

Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Sandwiches
recipe from: http://www.closetcooking.com/2015/05/huevos-rancheros-breakfast-sandwich.html

These were packed with flavor and for being a sandwich, they really aren't that unhealthy.  I tried to make mine healthier by using whole wheat english muffins.  I also didn't have any refried beans on mine, but Doug and Noelle did and it looked pretty amazing.

Grades:

Megan - A (I'm a sucker for a runny yolk and this sandwich had the perfect yolk that dripped onto the plate and created a nice sauce that I could dip my sandwich in.)

Noelle - A+ (I have never given Noelle an egg sandwich or an egg with a runny yolk and I guess I'm going to have to start doing it more because she was obsessed.  Her sandwich had everything except the salsa because I thought that would be too messy and maybe too spicy.  She ate the entire sandwich and was full of non-stop Mmmms.  She said, "I love my egg sandwich so much.  Thank you mommy for making me this sandwich.  It's so yummy!" and that just melted my heart.  You can have all the egg sandwiches in the world baby girl!)

August 12th

Fair Food

Today we went to our first state fair.   We went to the Wisconsin State Fair since it was the closest to us and it did not disappoint!  There were lots of fun activities for Noelle like seeing animals, going on rides, and playing games.  And there were fun activities for me, like eating and drinking :)  So many foods on sticks and so many different fried options.  It really was overwhelming and I wished I had planned out my food choices in advance.  But I made some pretty good decisions in the end.

So Many Things...
Here's a list of the things I tried:

Fried Old Fashioned (fried cake with the flavors of an Old Fashioned - orange, cherry, and bourbon) - I was really looking forward to this since Old Fashioneds are my favorite cocktail.  But, I was disappointed.  The flavors were kind of strange and not what I expected. 

Roasted Corn on the Cob
Spiral Dog (a hot dog wrapped in a fried spiralized potato, topped with sour cream and bacon bits) - yum - amazing
cheese curds - my favorite food of the fair
chocolate chip cookie dough on a stick - good, but slightly disappointing for some reason
Fried Oreo - This was delicious, but you couldn't taste the oreo that much.  It more just tasted like a doughnut 

Grades:

Megan - A (I loved the fair and can't wait to go back again sometime and try some new things.  there are so many choices so next time I will definitely be pre-mapping out my food!)

Noelle - A (Noelle loved every bit of it from the food to the rides.  It's pretty much a kid's paradise.)

August 11th

Oodles of Zoodles

I pulled the trigger and bought a Veggetti, which is something I have been wanting for a while.  I was so excited to make my Zoodles and have a healthy alternative to pasta.   Then my sister came by telling me how disgusting she and her family think zoodles are and how much I am going to hate them.  How sad...my excitement about my new veggetti was slightly crushed but I decided to try them anyway.  And you know what??  She was wrong!  I like zoodles!  Of course they aren't as good as real pasta because hello...they are zucchini.  But, they were good and oh so healthy!

Garlic-Lime Cashew Zoodles
recipe from: https://www.saltandlavender.com/15-minute-garlic-lime-cashew-zoodles/

Ok...when you try zoodles DO NOT go into thinking, "this is going to taste just like pasta."  Instead, go into it thinking, "this is going to resemble pasta and be different than pasta, but still good, and soooo much healthier."
I think a good thing about this recipe is that it has carrots in it.  The carrots stay a little crisp.  And maybe I just haven't mastered my zoodle cooking yet, but my zoodles had a little crispness to them that pasta obviously doesn't have.  However, because there are the carrots in there it kind of tricks your brain into thinking, yeah...this is supposed to be a little crisp.
Another good thing about this recipe is that the sauce is packed full of flavor.  I think you need a strong tasting sauce to coat those zoodles so the zucchini taste is a little masked. 
Overall, my first attempt at Zoodles was a success...I'll definitely be making more.

Grades:

Megan - A (I really liked these and loved how easy and healthy they were.  The sauce was delicious and the cashews made it seem decadent.  Make sure to get unsalted cashews or your dish will be way too salty.  Also, I would spiralize way more zucchini than the recipe says because it really didn't make a very big serving.)

Noelle - Like I sad, this did not make a very big serving so between Doug and I, we ate it all leaving none left for Noelle to try.  Would she like zoodles??  We'll have to wait to find out.

August 10th

How Do You Roll?

Whenever a recipe says to roll meat with a filling inside I get really excited thinking, oh...my meat is going to be filled with yumminess and when I cut it open it will look like a perfect pinwheel just like the picture in the recipe.  Well, then I get to making it and realize I just don't have what it takes to roll meat.  Everytime I try to make a stuffed meat that involves rolling, the filling mostly squishes out and there is no pinwheel.  Mine are more of a fold in half than a roll.  I think it's my own fault because I never pound the meat out, but instead try to cut it really thin (who can pound meat when their toddler is sleeping??).  So, mine are always semi stuffed, but the flavor is still there.

Rosemary Pesto Stuffed Pork Loin
recipe from: http://www.designsofanykind.com/rosemary-pesto-stuffed-pork-loin-blood-orange-carrots/

Ok guys...I was just looking back at this recipe and I really messed this one up.  Mistake 1;  I didn't make my own pesto because who has time?  Instead I bought a pesto and added rosemary.  Probably not the best idea since the recipe is a parsley rosemary pesto and mine was a basil rosemary pesto.  Mistake 2; I completely neglected to make a gravy like it says to do at the end of the recipe.  This would have been sooooo much better with gravy.  Without it, it was a little dry.  Oh, and I didn't even attempt to make their carrot recipe.  Basically, I didn't follow the recipe at all.  Hmmm....Maybe I'll have to try this one again.

Grades:

Megan - C (I think if I would have actually read and followed the recipe instead of just buying some pork and stuffing it with store bought pesto it would have been good.  My version...not so much.  It was too dry.)

Noelle - C- (Noelle had no comment on this one, but her sudden lack of appetite after eating a bit of it was enough of a comment to me.)

August 9th

Can A Quesadilla Disappoint? 

I never thought I could be disappointed by a quesadilla, but this one didn't live up to the deliciousness I had envisioned in my mind.  It could be because I "healthified" it by using less cheese, more vegetables, and a whole wheat tortillas.  I think if I had regular tortillas and packed in the cheese it would have been a bit better.

Cheese Steak Quesadillas
recipe from: http://easypeasypleasy.com/2015/07/07/cheese-steak-quesadillas/

These had all the ingredients to equal deliciousness, but somehow just weren't as great as I had imagined.  Like I said above, add more cheese and that might do the trick. 

Grades:

Megan - C+ (They weren't bad, they were just meh.)

Noelle - B (Noelle liked these slightly more than me, but she also didn't seem too in love with them.)

August 8th

21 Day Fix

So, I've started a new health regiment and I am loving it!  I joined Beachbody On Demand and have access to so many fun and challenging workouts I can do at home.  So convenient! The first program I decided to try is 21 Day Fix.  I love it because the workouts are short (30 minutes) but hard!  Also, it comes with an amazing nutrition plan that is really easy for me to follow and I don't feel starving all the time.  I get to eat things like this, that are healthy and delicious!

Guacamole Turkey Burgers
recipe from: http://www.thegarlicdiaries.com/guacamole-turkey-burgers-21-day-fix/

These are so good I would eat them even if I wasn't on a diet!  The burgers are full of flavor and I love avocado, so the guacamole on top is perfect.  Also, they are super healthy and only use up a red container, a blue container, and a teaspoon in the 21 Day Fix diet plan!
I made mine inside on the stove, but they would be so good on the grill!

Grades:

Megan - A (I was surprised by how good these were.  I will definitely make them again...next year of course.)

Noelle - A+ (Noelle loved this.  In fact, while she was eating it she said, "I'm going to eat it all.  It's really yummy!"  Little does she know it's also really healthy too!)

August 7th

Los Pollos Hermanos 

Did you watch Breaking Bad?  If not, do yourself a favor and watch it.  It's on my list of top 5 TV series of all time.  This salad has pretty much nothing to do with the show, but for some reason the first thing that popped into my head when I thought of taco salad was Los Pollos Hermanos.  Just watch it.  You can eat this salad while you watch!

Loaded Chicken Taco Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing
recipe from: https://www.averiecooks.com/2015/06/loaded-chicken-taco-salad-with-creamy-lime-cilantro-dressing.html

This salad was delicious!  The chicken was so flavorful and there were so many tasty ingredients involved that I really didn't need much dressing at all.  I have to say though, I loved the dressing and how easy it was to make.  I even used the leftover dressing as a dip for veggies and it was so good!
The only real change I made was that I did not add tortilla chips to mine because...diet.  For the same reason, I also did not add any sugar to the dressing.  And I really don't think it needed it.

Grades:

Megan - A (This was healthy and filling - that's a win in my book.  The dressing was really good and could be used for so many things if there is any leftover.)

Noelle - Noelle still isn't eating salad, but she did have some of the chicken and liked it a lot.  She was happy because she thought she was eating chicken nuggets.