THE SPLURGE! GF

Why is this a splurge you ask? Well, for 3 reasons. For one, it wasn't cheap, secondly it was a little more calories than I normally take in and third, it takes a good amount of time and effort....However, I did knock it back a bit by swapping out a few things. For instance, I used chicken sausage rather than the good ole full fat pork sausage and I used left over prosciutto rather than bacon.
You see, the hubs and I have had an overwhelming and exhausting week/week and a half. Last night around 8:30 we hadn't had supper yet and I figured I may as well go all out. The kids were in bed and we were desperately needing some date type time. So, I decided on the English Breakfast..random I know, but oh so amazing! And to quote the conversation between Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson...(Leslie) " Why don't people eat breakfast all day?"  (Ron) "Cause people are stupid Leslie!" Everyone should love breakfast food any time of day! Seriously! :)

Ingredients

2 Chicken and Apple Sausages
4 Free Range eggs
2 Pieces of Prosciutto
Parmesan Cheese (Fresh)
1/2 Quart Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
Whole Grain Crusty Bread
Olive Oil
4 Porcini Mushrooms
6 Valencia Oranges
S&P
Apple cider Vinegar

Directions

Slice bread on the diagonal and drizzle a little bit of olive oil on it. Place bread, mushrooms and sausage on a grill type pan and the tomatoes in a oven safe bowl in the oven at 375 degrees for 20-30 min or until the tomatoes start to pop a little bit and the toast is toasty. I take the mushrooms out about 10 min earlier than the rest.

Now for the eggs...this is where it gets slightly tricky. Get a sauce pan and fill it about 1/4 of the way full. Get another sauce pan and fill it 3/4 full. Bring both to a boil. Put about 1 Tbs of vinegar in the full pot. Place on egg in the 1/4 pot (in the shell) for 30 seconds and then remove with a slotted spoon. Crack the egg into a tea cup. Using a whisk swirl the water in the full pan like a tornado, and then pour the egg into the middle of the swirl. Bring back to a boil and then remove from heat for 2 min. Remove egg with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of warm water. Do this with the remaining  eggs and keep them in the warm water until it is time to serve. So...yeah, that is how you make a poached egg!

Roll your oranges on the counter using pressure, because this releases the juices in the orange. Squeeze the crud out of em until you fill a glass and then move on to the next. I cannot tell you how good this is!
Using a peeler cut off 4 slices of Parmesan cheese and get a few pieces of prosciutto ready. Once everything is ready, layer it all onto a plate and plow it down! There is no rhyme or reason to how you eat this, just go at it! However, I highly suggest a bite with prosciutto, tomato and cheese! mmm...And those eggs......ahhh...

Green Bean Quinoa GF

Ok, I admit it, I refuse to plant green beans in my garden due to the childhood drama of having to pick and snap the suckers in the good ole humid, firey hot heat of the Indiana summers. However, There is a local organic farm Ridge Lane Farm that I buy fresh produce from and last week they had some amazing green beans, so I bought em.....way easier than growing em myself lol and I know it is healthy and I have come to enjoy the family behind the farm. Support local organic farmers!! :) Ok, I'm off my soap box. Oh, and a little disclaimer: This had Black quinoa in it and depending on where you buy it, it can be called red or black. I guess some people just refer to it differently...it is a bit red and black, so...whatever, just know it is the same thing!

Ingredients

2 C Black quinoa
4 C chicken or vegitable broth
1 1/2 C slivered almonds
3 handfuls fresh green beans
2 tbs olive oil
1 red onion
1 cloves garlic
s & p to taste
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp paprika
1/4 c water

Directions

Rinse quinoa, then put in a sauce pan with broth. Bring to a boil then back down to a simmer. Simmer for 20 min or until all of the broth is absorbed. Chop onions and garlic. Put Olive oil in a skillet on md/high heat and place onion and green beans in. The onions will start to caramelize, then add in the garlic, s & p nutmeg and paprika. Once the onions are fully caramelized, add in the waterm reduce heat to low and cover. Let cook about 5 more minutes until beans are cooked through but not mushy. In a dry skillet toast the almonds over md/high heat until lightly browned. Make sure you toss them around a little so they don't burn. sprinkle the almonds generously over the green beans and serve with quinoa.

Quick Pickles GF

So I had some extra cucumbers today and figured I may as well make some pickles! These pickles are super super easy and quick! Not to mention tasty. In fact my sister ate an entire container of them when she was visiting, so they must be pretty good! I made these last year and just threw some stuff together to make em. I had never made pickles before and figured it couldn't be that hard. :) You can also do these in tupperware containers. I used jars so you could see what it looked like better, but it isn't necessary. Also, I like mine to taste a little bit more vinegary but if you like them a little sweeter, just add more honey. Most recipes call for about a cup of sugar, but I just can't bring myself to put that much sweetness in there. But hey, do what ya want, there are no rules when it comes to pickles!


Ingredients

8 sprigs dill
4 C Vinegar
1 1/2 Tbs salt
10 cloves garlic
3 tbs raw honey
cucumbers to fill 2 mason jars

Fill your jars this full before the vinegar.

Even if all cukes aren't covered completely They will be eventually as they pickle.

Finished product after refrigerating for 24 hours.

Directions

Cut enough cucumber to fill your containers. smash garlic a little bit with the flat side of your knife and remove the paper. (ok, there is some seriously bad elevator music on the video to demonstrate this, and you only need to smash and peel. No need to chop and use salt to smash it.) Stuff cucumber, garlic and dill  into your containers. Pour vinegar, honey and salt into a sauce pan on the stove. Bring to a boil. Once vinegar is to a boil pour over your cucumbers in the jars (tupperware) seal tightly and place in the refrigerator. Shake up your containers every 15 minutes for at least the first hour. The cucumbers will start to soften up and when you shake them it makes room for all of the pickles to get down into the vinegar. Let sit at least 2 hours but it is best to let them sit over night. Once they have refrigerated overnight, they should be ready to go! If you only have 2 hours, make sure you slice your cucumbers very thinly. The thinner you slice them the quicker they pickle. (Also you can freeze these if you put them in tupperware. It also is super tasty adding white onion slices and putting only 2 cloves of garlic in....Did this last night and OMG soooo good!)

The Weekly Dish

Been sick this weekend. Andy and Nahum surprised me with flowers...sweet boys!

I think I have a snake in my garden....that's right, I said a SNAKE!!! I was out picking my tomatillos last night minding my own business when my plants started to shake as if something was rubbing against them...slithering all the way to the back of my garden! aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!! Not gonna lie. I jumped and yelped a little....however, I wasn't about to let a creepy crawler scare me away from my veggies! So, I sucked it up and finished gathering the bounty. Blech! Thinking about it again makes my skin crawl! The good news is, that I got enough cucumbers to make some quick pickles to post on here this week! Yay! I love homemade pickles! Love em! So, this week keep an eye out for those as well as some other tasty dishes!

green bean quinoa

quick pickles

Amino Marinated Pork Chops GF

Like I said in this weeks weekly dish, People constantly debate the pork issue. Some think it's super healthy since it is "the other white meat", some people think it is terrible for you. Well, I have looked into it and I don't think I would be extreme in either area. Kind of like red meat, I think it is fine in small doses. You know, maybe once a week or twice a month. It is actually quite lean if you remove the excess adipose tissue. Get rid of the fatty stuff on the edges and it is pretty healthy! Andy loved this meal! He would eat pork and red meat everyday if I would make it for him...lucky for his body I don't! LOL! This is a really great quick and easy meal to throw on the grill and super yummy too!

Ingredients

5-6 thin cut pork chops (fatty edges cut off)
1/8 C sesame oil
1/4 C rice vinegar
1/2 C Bragg liquid amino acids (Tastes exactly like soy sauce!)
1 bulb garlic (yes the whole darn bulb!)
toasted sesame seeds and green onion  to top

Directions

Remove fat from edges of pork. Place in a flat dish and crush the cloves from an entire head of garlic over the pork. Pour over the oil, vinegar and amino acid. Cover and let sit 6 hours in the refrigerator. Grill (preferably over charcoal) for about 7 minutes per side or until it is cooked completely through. top with green onion and toasted sesame seeds. Is great served with long grain brown rice or Himalayan whole grains.

Like I said, the hubs loved this....maybe a little too much! ;)

Pepita Pesto GF

Ok, I love, love, love pesto! Love it! And I hate nothing more than when I order it at a restaurant and get a minuscule dollop on the top of my meal. Or this is my favorite...We went to Olive Garden one time and asked for pesto...ummm the waiter didn't even know what it was!!! It's suppose to be Italian!! Come on! So yeah, you get the drift. I love it and I am pretty sure the hubs loves it more! This pesto is a bit different than your typical pesto. I used pepitas rather than pine nuts. I have a number of friends/family who are allergic to nuts or have a child allergic to nuts. Also, there is less fat in the pumpkin seeds than there is in pine nuts. Oh, and a big yahoo is that the price for pepitas is a fraction of the pine nuts! Can't go wrong there!

Ingredients

1 c toasted pepitas
4 Cloves garlic
1 c fresh grated Parmesan Cheese
3 C fresh Basil leaves
3/4 C Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
1/4 C cooking water from your pasta ( You could use a whole cup of olive oil, but I like to try to keep the fat lower so I use some of the starchy cooking water from whatever pasta I am making with my pesto. If you like to have it oilier than you could use up to 1 1/2 C olive oil as well. this is up to you.)
1 lb of whatever pasta you want to serve it over.

Directions

In a dry skillet toast the pepitas over md/high heat. You will notice some of the oils start to come out of them. This is how you draw out the flavor of the pepita. Once Toasted, place all of the ingredients except the oil and water in a food processor. Turn on and as you puree it drizzle in the oil and then the water. Puree until well blended and semi- saucy. It will be thicker than your typical pasta sauce for sure! Serve over hot pasta or chicken or whatever your heart desires!

The Weekly Dish

If only you could hear the high pitched squeal of delight that accompanies this  tensed up,  grinning  face.

I am tellin ya what! I have been so busy, I have no idea how people blog on a daily basis in the summer! Whew!! I will say, that the more my garden produces the more excited I get about fresh cooking! I am a tad bit crabby though. After the major storm we had last week with the 60 mph winds, my zucchini plants bit it! Seriously! They were blown over and the leaves were yellow within 5 days! arg!! On the happy side, I am seeing new plants growing out of the old dead one so Hopefully I will have more coming. This week I am going to try something new for me! Pork! People argue weather it is healthy for you or not, but from what I have researched eating it is pretty good for you as long as you don't eat it super frequently...which I don't, and as long as you get a lean cut and remove the excess adipose tissue if there is any. So, I am going to give it a whirl! We will see how it goes! Now that I have already let you in on one of my meals, I will give you the rest.

Amino Marinated Pork GF

Pepita (pumpkin seed) pesto GF

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad GF

What?! This isn't Britt's banana bread you say? Yeah, well....It flopped! I refuse to put something not great on here and well to say the least it was not great! It was dense  and not cooked through and well...it just plain didn't taste much like banana. Nahum loves it and it is decent enough for me to eat a slice for breakfast, but clearly I mis measured something somewhere! So, you get this instead! It was waaaaay better than the bread lol! This salad is great for a side dish for a party but I think it is best as a meal. Like I have said before the quinoa is packed full of protein, so who the heck needs meat?! I don't like eating heavy food in the summer, so this is a light meal with everything you need! In fact, I learned from a couple of my cousins today that Dr. Oz had mentioned quinoa on his show as a "super food"! Go figure! Eat lots!

Ingredients

2 C Quinoa
4 C Water
1 Tsp Salt
6-8 Tomatoes
2-4 Cucumbers
1 small yellow onion
5 cloves garlic
1/4 C rice vinegar
1 C Feta cheese
Pepper to taste

Directions

Cook quinoa to directions on package (I buy bulk with no directions and I use 2 c quinoa to 4 c water. Rinse quinoa then put in water and bring to a boil. reduce to simmer for 20-30 min) Cut tomatoes and cucumbers in same size chunks. finely chop the onion and crush the garlic. Once quinoa is fully cooked, let it cool completely. Add all veggies, cheese and vinegar. Chill and eat! (BTW, I totally thought I posted this on Friday...yeah, turned on my computer today and realized, NOPE! I totally forgot to hit publish! I am losin it!)

Reeses Whoopie Wanna-Be's

This recipe was a happy accident. Nahum wanted to help me make cookies one day so I said sure! He decided he wanted to make vanilla cookies and when they were almost done mixing he decided they needed chocolate too. so.... I added some cocoa! After they baked they had a texture that reminded me somewhat of a whoopie pie so I figured I would run with that idea. And who doesn't like chocolate and peanut butter together?! (Those of you with a nut allergy can use sun butter and it works just the same!)  Nahum, Andy and I ate these things like they were going out of style! So good and full of protein!

Ingredients

1/2 C oikos brand vanilla or plain Greek yogurt
3/4 C raw honey
1 egg

cookies pre filling

2 Tbs Vanilla extract
1 1/3 c whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 C cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt

Filling

1/2 C natural peanut butter
1/4 C raw honey

Directions

Beat the honey and butter together until creamy. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Mix completely. Drop by tbs full onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 min. Watch bake time, it will differ depending on the size you make your cookies. Remove and cool on a cooling rack.
Mix peanut butter and honey until smooth and spread it on one cooled cookie and top with another to make it  look like a whoopie pie!

The Weekly Dish

Aren't these flowers beautiful?! My friend Brooke made this and gave it to me. Isn't she so creative and crafty?! I love my friends! I also looooove getting flowers. Andy has taught Nahum that it is nice and special to get flowers for me, so every time he goes outside he picks me a flower. I love getting flowers....anyhow, on to food. :) This week I had two recipes in mind and I actually made one tonight. However, I usually use Andy as a filter and he wasn't the hugest fan of it. It was kinda dill-ish and it made him think of pickles instead of pasta (lol) so I think I am going to do two baked items this week instead. Not a norm, but it will work non the less. Hope you all are having a great summer full of fun, friends and family! (Even more, I hope your friends and family are as amazing as mine!)

Reeses whoopie wanna-Be's
Britt's banana bread revisited (go-round #2)

Roasted Kohlrabi GF

Bonus Blog Alert!! I had 3 big kohlrabi bulbs from my garden...sadly they were my last 3 as well. I had a number of people ask me how else they could eat kohlrabi other than raw with salt, so I figured I would throw something together with my final 3. This is super super easy and really great for a side dish with grilled chicken or beef of some sort. However, I am eating it at 9:30 pm for a snack lol! It is really delicious! In case you are wondering, Kohlrabi raw tastes a bit like a mix between a radish and cabbage. However, roasted this way it is milder and a little less bitey/spicy. Super good!

Ingredients

3 bulbs kohlrabi
2 md yellow onions
8 cloves garlic
olive oil
s & p

Directions

 Preheat oven to 425. Cut the kohlrabi and onions in similar sizes and peel the garlic. Place them in a baking dish and toss with a little bit of olive oil (you don't want it to look oily, just lightly coat) and salt and pepper to your taste. Bake for one hour or until the kohlrabi is soft enough to prick through with a fork. Eat up yo!

Guacamole GF

I have been slightly on the obsessed side when it comes to guac! I have been making this for years and I always make it the same way cause I love it so much! This is also one of those recipes that lots of people ask for my recipe on, so I figured it was about time I got it up! We had some good friends over today for a cook out, and with Don and Caryn it is tradition to make this stuff! Another thing about guac is that I think you have to eat it with blue corn chips! It is just soooo much better that way! Now I will give ya a heads up, this makes quite a bit. If you aren't crazy, die hard, shovel the guac type of people you may want to halve the recipe. Also, I made it for company.....there were 4-5 of us eating it along with other food and we polished it off.....So, if you are making it for 2 people than halve it, otherwise I suggest keeping it just as is!..........If there isn't green goo on your face after taking a bite, then there wasn't enough guac on your chip!

Ingredients

7 Avocados
2 Limes juiced
3 cloves garlic
1/8 of a red onion
1/2 bunch cilantro
Salt to taste

Directions

Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit. If you are careful, the easy way to remove it is to hit the pit with the blade of your knife and then give it a half turn. Here is a link to a youtube video to show you how. I don't have the capacity to get a video "how to" on here just yet. :) Remove the avocado from its skin and put into a bowl. Immediately squeeze the juice of your limes onto the avocado and smash it in. This keeps the avocado from turning brown. Finely dice the onion, crush the garlic thinly slice the cilantro and add into the avocado. I like to keep mine a little chunky so you get big bites of avocado every now and then, but smash it all in to your liking. Add salt to taste.

Tomato Basil Quinoa GF

Seeing how it is the 4th weekend, I have had 2 cookouts to make side dishes for. This one is a side dish, however, it could be a main course as well. Quinoa  is a complete protein as it is and I must say I find it very filling! I also use it as a replacement for pasta. Quinoa is one of the most versatile foods I have ever worked with! I love it! When I made this yesterday I accidentally dumped too much salt into the water....I say dumped, because I literally dumped it. I wasn't thinking. Ya know how when you make pasta you generously salt the water to flavor the pasta? Well, once the pasta is cooked you drain off the water.....with quinoa it absorbs the water...yeah....I was thinking pasta. So, even though it was a tad on the salty side, I did get some good reviews from the extended family on this one. So....just keep in mind...do not over salt the cooking water! hee hee! Keep in mind this doesn't have to be a side dish. It is packed with a protein punch and is a great summer meal! BTW the basil is from my garden! yay!

Ingredients

1 1/2 C quinoa ~ cook to directions your quinoa comes with, usually twice the amount of water to quinoa
1-3 tsp salt ~ taste the salted water and be sure it isn't too salty. This is how salty your quinoa will taste
1/4 red onion

2-3 cloves garlic
1- 8 oz package fresh pearl mozzarella
2 C halved cherry tomatoes
1 C basil
1/8 C extra virgin olive oil
1/4 C rice vinegar ~ I like the garlic infused one

Directions

Cook quinoa in salted water. Cut onions finely, crush the garlic, halve the tomatoes and thinly slice the basil. I mix all of the veggies/cheese together and chill the quinoa. Once the quinoa is cooled completely, add it in to the cheese, basil, tomato mixutre. It is quite simple!

The Weekly Dish

Big shoes to fill....

Happy Holiday weekend everyone! I am shocked I have the time to do this today, but I do! Andy has  Nahum outside on the tricycle and Olie is playing like a big boy all by himself on the floor.....and now he is screaming! There went that break! Trying this again with him on my lap. I wish these 4 teeth torturing my little Olie-pop would hurry up and break through for the love! So anyhow, I got to thinking these recipes might have been better posted last week so you could make them for the cookouts you are destined to have today and tomorrow, however, I am making them for cookouts this weekend and recipes always go on after I have made them. Oh well, these recipes are great for anytime, not just cookouts with your fam and friends. Have a great 4th tomorrow!

This weeks recipes

Tomato, Basil Quinoa salad GF
Guacamole GF

I love summery, fresh foods!