Cooking 2011

So just like my baking goal for the year, I also made a cooking goal. My goal is to cook 75 new recipes by the end of the year, and I am well on my way. I think I only have about 10-15 recipes left. Instead of posting pictures for every single recipe I will simply post a picture of my most favorite meal.....wonton soup.


This recipe took forever to make. Filling about 100 wontons is a laborious task, but the delicious outcome makes it completely worthwhile.

Here is the list of all of the other new recipes we have cooked this year so far:

Hot Dogs a la Rose
Spinach, Pesto and Gruyere Lasagna
Open Faced Avocado Chicken Burgers
Sloppy Joe Pizza
BLT Salad
Terrific Teryiaki Burger
Egg Salad Pockets
Family Favorite Taco Salad
Sesame Shrimp and Rice
BLT and More Salad
Ants Climbing a Tree
Dijon Crusted Chicken Breast
Ideal Chopped Salad
Spaghetti and Meatballs with Garlic Crumbs
Fast and Fabulous Thai Chicken Salad
Thai Fried Rice
Wonton Soup
Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
French Canadian Tourtierre
Cheesy Shell Stuffed Shells
Breakfast Tortas
Peanut Chicken Pockets
Bacon Cheese Stuffed Shells
Cajun Shrimp with Mango Edamame Salsa
Asian Chicken Salad Wraps
Pecan Crusted Chicken with Blue Cheese Sauce
Ginger Chicken
Herb and Cheese Stuffed Burgers
Taco Soup
Four Cheese Lasagna
Easy Chicken Strips
Rosemary Garlic Roasted Potatoes
Turkey Reuben Loaf
Chickpea and Feta Salad
Easy Barbecue Ribs
Lemon Chicken
Teriyaki Shrimp Stir Fry
Spicy Ground Beef Taco Filling
Barbecue Shredded Beef
Crispy Traditional Potato Pancakes
Grilled Caesar Chicken
Chicken Pesto Asparagus Rice Dinner
Cheese Egg Scramble
Shrimp Stir Fry
Island Pork Tenderloin & Coleslaw
Turkey Burgers w/ Cheese & Garlic Mushrooms
Chicken with Broccoli
Chicken Tarragon with Cream Sauce
Funghi and Tallegio Pizza
Fiesta Taco Salad
Mushroom Basil Cheese Tortellini
Simply Seasoned Chicken
Chicken Provolone Pizza
Beer Battered Fish Filets
BBQ Sausages
Three Cheese Florentine Burgers
Loin Sirloin Steak with McCormick seasoning
Three Cheese Mushroom Calzone
Grilled Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Here's to hoping we continue to find and make super delicious meals.

Baking 2011

For those of you who don't know, I make a list of goals for the year. Kind of like resolutions but with no pressure. One of my goals was to bake 30 new recipes. I am a little over halfway there and wanted to show you some of the delicious treats I have made.

Francois Payards Flourless Chocolate Cookies --- surprisingly similar to IOTC's cracklejack...hmmm

Lemon Crumb Muffins -- super delicious

Gluten free mini berry cheesecakes -- our passover seder dessert

Star studded mini strawberry pies for our 4th of July celebration -- super simple and delicious

Here is the actual list of new dessert recipes I have made this year thus far:

Francois Payard's Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies
Lemon Crumb Muffins
Huey's Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies - w/ rice milk
Orange Marmalade
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Tuxedo Brownies
Light Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies
Slow cooker hot fudge sundae cake
Cookie Pretzel Peanut Bark
Microwave Marshmallow Fudge
Rice Pudding
Healthified Triple Berry Mini Cheesecakes
Simplest Homemade Brownies
Lemon Bars
Star Studded Mini Pies
Tiramisu

Here's to hoping I can finish out my goal for baking and share these wonderful desserts with anyone who is interested.

Finally a vegetable garden.

So after two failed attempts of starting seeds indoors and transplanting them to the pots outside, I finally decided to just put the seeds in the pots outside and hope for the best. For weeks I watered daily and saw nothing, but then suddenly the seeds began to sprout. After a few months of watching the plants, I finally realized I should take some pictures of our beautiful garden and it's bountiful harvest.

Planters that Kevin made growing watermelons, radishes and cucumbers.

Tomatoes and Beans. We are finally beginning to have the tomatoes turn red.

Our little herb corner: basil, chives, rosemary, green onions, parsley

Here's to hoping we are able to continue enjoying the food and herbs our garden produces and that we can continue to have a beautiful garden in the years to come.

and I'm back

So I promised a lot of blogs to catch up on the past few months, so here it begins.

A few months back, April to be precise, Kevin and I redid our patio area. When we moved in there were two huge plants on either side of the walkway and not much else. They were overgrown dieing in sections and overall just not appealing. One day I decided that it was time to change the garden and remove them. Kevin and I headed over to Lowe's picked out some flowers and bought a shovel to dig up the old horrible plants.

The almost before picture. Forgot to take one before we started digging, but you get the idea

After not too much time we realized that we only needed to remove one bushy plant on each side and then it was suddenly better. We added cute little flowers and some pavers so you could easily get to the patio. In just a few short hours we gave new life to our entry way and personalized our new home even more.

After. New pavers, plants and overall much better.

A few months later. Everything has grown in and we moved our hummingbird feeder.

Here's to hoping that our garden continues to inspire us and bring us daily joy.

Goodbye Abbott 0:-)

I woke up this morning to very sad news. My precious cat Abbott had died. He had been pretty sick for a few weeks, but we were all hopeful that the vet would be able to get medication to help. He was having kidney problems, and who knows what else, but he was clearly getting sicker. He lost a lot of weight, and his fur went from light in color and fluffy to dark and oily. My parents took him to a 24 hr vet clinic to have him put on an IV, and apparently his sodium levels were so high that the machines couldn't even read it. This morning my parents made the decision to put him at peace. Although it is hard news to hear and I haven't stopped crying since finding out, I know that it is what was best for him. He was sick and probably in pain and did not deserve to live like that. I know he is at peace now and no longer suffering. But, while he may be at peace, all of us who loved him so dearly are left with the pain.

Abbott in his healthier days :-)

Abbott, you were a wonderful cat. I remember bringing you home as a kitten with your brother Costello and you would both chase me down the hall biting my ankles. You were always the timid one who would hide inside the couch to avoid any people. You were a little crazy, just like me, but you were the sweetest cat when you wanted to be. I loved you dearly, and your life was cut too short. We had about 8 wonderful years with you and I am hopeful that you felt loved and had tons of fun. I know you are at peace now, and I will try to remember all of the wonderful times with you. I will miss you everyday Abbott. 0:-)

Abbott just a few weeks ago, he is clearly not doing well

Here's to hoping Abbott was not in pain and that he is at peace now. Here's to hoping that we are all grateful for the time we have with those we love, because it can be cut so short. 0:-)

clearly I've been busy....

I did not realize how long it has been since my last post. This must mean that I've been busy, which is the truth. So, over the next few weeks, I will try to catch up on what's been happening.

Sneak preview of what's to come:
- patio update
- garden fun
- baking
- cooking
- court reporting
- new steno machine
- Kevin's birthday
- garage update
- new bed
- probably a lot more that I'll remember as I go

Here's to hoping I continue to be busy and have as much fun as I have been having. :-)

Green thumb.....i think not

Even though we have had weeks of constant rain and coldness, I am still focused on spring. Although it is not for the reasons most people think of. The warm weather is not appealing to me at all, but being able to start a garden is always fun.

A few weeks back, or more like a month and a half, Kevin and I went to Lowe's and got all of the things to start a new garden this year. We got a little indoor greenhouse tray to start seeds indoors before transplanting outdoors along with a bunch of different seed packets.

My seeds sprouting the first time around - before they died after moving outside

Got everything planted and it was going so well, but silly Lindsey did not read all of the instructions about transplanting. I failed to "harden off" the plants first and subsequently almost all of my plants died. My beans were going strong too, but after a week-long torrential downpour I think they drowned.

But, with my love of gardening, even though I clearly lack the green thumb, I decided to start again. This time I am reading all of the directions on the seed packets and following every step. My seeds are sprouting once again and I look forward to the day when I can transplant these new plants outdoors.

Here's to hoping for a fruitful garden and wonderful spring. My life is so wonderful and I hope this gardening season only adds to my happiness. :-)