A Slight Chill in the Air May 6, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Dinner, Family, Food.Tags: Hamburgers, Hotdogs, Macaroni Salad, Picnic
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Today we celebrated my father-in-law’s birthday and Mother’s Day a little early. Lots of fun was had by all when we gathered at a park for a picnic. Chris and I orchestrated the soiree and brought hamburgers, hotdogs, and my macaroni salad.
I will admit that it was slightly colder out that was anticipated. Boulder has been 80* for the past few days. Today however, it dipped down to 60, stayed cloudy, and had a hint of rain in the air.
(not a picture from our picnic today, as it did rain and I forgot to bring my camera)
We did have lots of fun, my nephews liked the playground and got to practice playing catch, Oliver enjoyed being outdoors for the afternoon, and I liked spending time with the family. Good times, and good eats.
On a separate note, Happy 9 month birthday, Oliver!!!
What a cutie!
Summer Time, Summer Time May 3, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Dessert, Dinner, Family, Food.Tags: Bell Pepper, Grilling, Hamburger, Justin's Chocolate Hazlenut Butter, Quinoa Salad, Strawberries, Summer, Terra Blues
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Nothing says summer like 80* days and grilling. Now, I might not be a huge fan of the heat, but I am certainly a fan of the fire.
Chris decided that tonight would be the perfect night to fire up the grill and make some of the ‘Omaha Steak’ burgers that my grandmother gave us for Christmas. They were perfectly cooked and positively delicious!
To go with the burger, Chris popped an orange bell pepper on the grill. I just love the grill marks! I brought home some Terra Blues as a treat… Chris loves them because they are the official snack of JetBlue! I also made a quinoa salad, which is absolutely delicious!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 sweet onion
- 1 2/3 cup low sodium vegetable broth or water
- 1 tsp salt (if you want)
- 1 cup tomatoes
- 1 1/4 cup corn
- 2 scallions
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 avocado
Directions:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add quinoa to onions and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes. Add vegetable broth/water and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. Cover pan tightly with lid, turn heat down to low and simmer for 17-20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked. Transfer cooked quinoa to mixing bowl and chill in refrigerator.
- When quinoa is cool, add remaining tablespoon olive oil, tomatoes, corn, scallions, cilantro, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Right before serving, scatter avocado chunks over top.
- Enjoy!
The salad is so delicious and cool. The lime juice gives it a nice freshness. I can definitely see having this in the middle of summer. Absolutely fantastic.
For dessert, I had strawberries dipper in Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter… heavenly!!!
Talk about a summertime treat!
A Very Busy Few Weeks February 26, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Dinner, Exercise, Family, Food, Lunch.Tags: Busy Weeks, Chicken Parm, Chicken Potpie, Puppy Training, Ski, Sofrito, Winter Park
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The last few weeks have been incredibly busy. Several days of working late, a couple of birthdays, a weekend of skiing. Lots of fun, but lots going on as well.
Our darling Oliver passed his intermediate puppy training classes. In return, he got his beloved green bitty bear.
Chris and I when skiing at Winter Park. It was a glorious day… the first time I have ever skied in nice weather, in fact!
We made several delicious meals, that lasted for several meals of leftovers.
Chicken par, which was made ahead of time by Chris:
I made chicken pot pie from scratch… delicious, if I do say so myself!
Carrots, and onions, and peas, oh my!
My mock jambalaya with chicken andouille sausage and sofrito sauce. Sofrito includes tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and cilantro. Delish!
It’s been a great few weeks, and here’s hoping that I can back to regular programming this week!
Lazy Sunday Morning February 12, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Breakfast, Craving, Family, Food.Tags: Berries, Pancakes, Poached Egg
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I really enjoy family traditions. It’s probably one of the many reasons that I love the Christmas season. I love setting out decorations in the same spots every year. Baking the same cookies, making cranberry relish, singing the same carols, and wearing cracker hats.
There are other traditions that my family has throughout the year. One of the best is the Sunday morning tradition of pancakes. Now, Chris and I don’t often have pancakes or waffles, but today we decided to go for a big breakfast/brunch.
I don’t always want maple syrup, so today I opted for a berry mash to top my pancakes. I try to keep frozen berries in the freezer, specifically for days like this! They definitely come in handy, you can pull out as many as you want, and they are quick to thaw.
Today, I also attempted to make a poached egg. They are one of my favorite ways to eat an egg, but I still have not mastered the process.
It came out pretty well today, with minimal shredding of the egg white into the boiling water. Usually when I try to drop the egg into the boiling water, it explodes into ribbons and makes a huge mess in the pot. This was a distinct improvement!
Literary Spare Ribs February 6, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Dinner, Family, Food.Tags: Books, Broccoli, Roald Dahl, Spare Ribs, Wild Rice
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I love foods that are inspired from books. Little House on the Prairie has an entire cookbook of frontier foods. I’ve made a root vegetable Shepard’s pie after reading the Redwall series. One of my favorite’s though, is a Roald Dahl cookbook that includes favorites such as, Hair Toffee from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Frobscottle from The BFG, and my personal favorite: Hansel and Gretel Spare Ribs from Rhyme Stew.
A little macabre, but lots of fun to make… and eat!
They take a while to make, but come out incredible crispy and delicious. You can certainly imagine a witch munching the meat off the bones. I do promise that no children were harmed in the making of these ribs!
The recipe couldn’t be simpler:
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 lbs pork ribs (not children’s, as that is frowned upon greatly)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425*.
- Combine the first six ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Place the ribs on a roasting pan, and coat with the sauce mixture.
- Cook the ribs for an 1.5 hours, turning them every half hour and basting with the juices in the pan. Be forewarned, this recipe does produce some smoke!
- Slice the ribs before serving, and enjoy!
Healthy Heath 