Pasta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Asparagus

I had bought lots of beautiful asparagus from Russo's last week and needed to use it before it went bad. When I saw this Martha Stewart recipe that involved asparagus AND goat cheese, I automatically decided to make it. I really enjoy making pasta dishes, especially near the end of the week. They always give me lots of leftovers, making it easy to grab a quick meal before going out on a Friday or Saturday night.

It was really quick and easy to make and involves very few ingredients. First, put the asparagus on a pan with a teaspoon of butter sprinkled around.

Bake it at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until it's nice and tender. Meanwhile, boil your pasta until it's al dente. The recipe called for cavatappi, but I used fusilli because I thought it was prettier (and a little less macaroni salad-ish). When you drain your pasta, be sure to save about 1 1/2 cups of the water.

The sauce for the pasta involves about 5 ounces of goat cheese and 3 tablespoons of butter. OK, so it's not the healthiest thing in the world, but it's sooo good.

Whisk the goat cheese and butter together, along with half a cup of the pasta water.

Then add the asparagus and sauce to the pasta and mix. I added peas too, because...well, I like peas. I also bought chicken with the intention of adding a little protein to the dish and then I put the chicken in the fridge and promptly forgot about it. Until I was doing the dishes and realized I didn't have any pans to wash. But I do think chicken would have gone wonderfully with the dish.

Serve it with some chives on top! Yum!

If you are a goat cheese fan, trust me, you will like this! And yes, it gave me lots and lots of leftovers!

I happily listened to Ryan Adams' Heartbreaker while I cooked....because he's coming to Boston in September and I'm all kinds of excited. Happy weekend!

[Sues]

Little Cheesecakes with Strawberry Sauce

Let me start by saying I absolutely love mini and personal sized items. Mini cakes, cupcakes, pies, (any sort of mini food)... ummm clothing and shoes for small children. You get the idea.

So when I saw this recipe for Little Cheesecakes with Strawberry Sauce in a Food Network cookbook, I bought the book (I actually only paid $3.99 at a local bookstore!) and made the cheesecakes for Easter. The recipe calls for very simple and inexpensive ingredients [chocolate graham crackers, semi sweet chocolate chips, unsalted butter, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and orange zest].

Process graham crackers and chocolate chips in a food processor; add butter; and divide the mixture into muffin cups. Bake the crust for about 8 minutes at 325.

In a clean food processor pulse the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest until smooth; divide the filling on top of the already baked crust; bake until the rims are almost set for about 30 minutes; cool cheesecakes on a rack, then refrigerate (uncovered) for about 2 hours.

The strawberry sauce is very basic. All it consists of is frozen strawberries (make sure they're thawed well) and sugar; puree in food processor.

When ready to serve spoon sauce over cheesecake

yum yum yum :)

[Chels]

Aromatherapy for the 9-5

So last week I was sitting at my desk at work, paying some bills and cleaning my purse out (the latter needed to be done). I was tearing envelopes up... you know, the ones your bills come in that are stuffed with random perfume samples, coupons and other things you never seem to take a second look at? As I was ripping an envelope from Banana Republic I realized something smelled soooo good! I looked down and noticed I tore a sample of Banana's Rosewood perfume. YUM! I didn't really feel like throwing it away, because it was sort of nice to smell something that pleasant in the office instead of... office supplies and people's weird lunches. I often find that so many perfumes are too strong to actually spray on the body and they get sort of overwhelming following you around the whole day; so I kept the sample and stowed it away under my keyboard!
A week later my area at work is still giving off the perfect hint of Rosewood :)



[Chels]

Lemon-Raspberry Cupcakes

When I got April's Bon Appétit in the mail, I immediately knew I had to make the lemon-raspberry cupcakes on the cover. Even though I'm not the biggest lover of raspberry-flavored things (LOVE fresh raspberries, artificially-flavored not so much), I just didn't see how these could be bad. They sounded like the perfect springy treat, so I decided to make them for Easter.

Fabulous idea. I often take a few times to perfect a cupcake recipe, but these tasted really, really good the first time I made them. One reason for this? I went to Epicurious.com and read reader comments before making them. I highly recommend you always do this whenever possible. Yes, I trust Bon Appétit , but when 8 different people are saying, "No! I made these and you need to cut down on the butter," it makes sense to listen.

The cake batter for these cupcakes was different than anything I've made before. First, the lemon peel. You really should use a zester (if you don't have one, they're cheap and very useful!), but you can use a vegetable peeler if you have to. Second, the butter. The recipe says to use 3/4 C (1 1/2 sticks), but everyone on Epicurious said that was way too much and to only use 1/2 C (1 stick). I ended up using a little less than 1 1/4 sticks and I thought it was just fine.

So, beat the butter (about 1 1/4 sticks), powdered sugar (1 1/2 C), and lemon peel (3 T) in a large bowl until fluffy and pale yellow. Then add the eggs (2) one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in self-rising flour (1 1/4 C) adding half it, then beating in buttermilk (1/4C) and lemon juice (2 T), and then the rest of the flour.

Now, the recipe says to drop a tablespoon of batter into each muffin paper. But the reader comments I read said to put more batter in because the raspberry jam you're going to add will sink to the bottom while baking. So I filled the cups more than half-way up with batter. The jam still sunk to the bottom. It wasn't a huge deal and they still tasted delicious and were pretty, but if I make them again, I'll probably fill the papers with batter and then add the jam on top. Or inject the cupcakes with jam. In this case, I added 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam on top of the already added batter and then covered the jam with more cupcake batter.




Put them in the oven at 350 for about 23 minutes. In the meantime, you can make the frosting, which is simply powdered sugar (1 1/2 C), lemon juice (2 T), and lemon peel (1 1/2 t). Whisk it until it's nice and smooth (don't get discouraged if it clumps up; just keep whisking). The recipe says to put this lemon icing on half the cupcakes and then stir in jam to the remainder of the icing and use that for the rest of the cupcakes. I wanted all my cupcakes to have pink icing, so I added the raspberry jam (1 1/2 T) right away. Spoon the icing over the cupcakes and let it set.

Since I was going to my parent's house, I used the awesome cupcake carrier my sister bought me. So cute and convenient!

When you're ready to serve, top with a fresh raspberry. These cupcakes were an Easter hit and I can definitely see myself making these past spring and all the way through summer. They were the perfect amount of moist and had a nice little lemony zing.

Hope your Easter was wonderful!

[Sues]

You Should Eat at: Z Square

After Sues and I went to listen to a talk at Harvard by the founder of BlogHer, we realized we were starving. Actually, I realized I was starving during the talk as my stomach was growling louder than it ever has before. A few months ago Sues and I were hanging out in Harvard Square and we stumbled across a cafe called Z Square, we went in and grabbed a menu, and left since we had plans to be somewhere else.

So when the talk had ended the other night I remembered that we never actually ate at Z Square and figured we should try it. So glad we did. Sues got the Smoked Turkey and Gruyere Cheese panini with dijon mustard and tomato and potato salad for a side. I got a ZLT (applewood-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado on toasted sourdough) with potato salad on the side as well. First of all... avocado on a traditional BLT... loved it. Second, the ZLT had the perfect amount of crunch and also softness from the avocado and tomato. I think after each bite I said "mmm.. this is sooo good" with a smile. And the potato salad! Normally I'm not such a fan of eating potato salad or other heavily mayo'ed foods that weren't made by someone I know (aka my moms or my aunts. yuuum!) But I figured I'd give it a try anddddd it was worth it! Really good consistency and not too much mayo, however it did need a little salt... no biggie. Also, the atmosphere at Z Square was quite lovely. Lots of chill Harvard students, great music, and the people who work there were friendly and genuine. There's also a full restaurant and bar downstairs from the cafe.

Smoked Turkey and Gruyere Cheese with Dijon mustard and tomato

ZLT, applewood-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado on toasted sourdough

Click on the menu pages for a closer look:

Stay tuned this Spring for other Harvard Square eateries because I have a feeling we'll be going back so much more as the nice weather approaches!!

[Chels]

Welcome to Watertown, MA

Today I spent the afternoon in Watertown, MA. Now, if you're from the Boston area, you're probably thinking, "Watertown, woo hoo, lucky you" (cue New England sarcasm). I know, I know, the Arsenal Mall isn't exactly the hottest mall around, and the Watertown Mall is at least a hundred times worse. If you're in the area, it's probably to go to Target or maybe the less cool than Boston's version of Filene's Basement. However, I'm telling you right now, Watertown has some definite perks.

First of all, where have I been hiding for the last 3 years that I've never heard of Russo's? That is, until I heard about it 3 times in one day (no joke) a couple weeks ago, which is when I realized I had to go. So after a trip to Target, Sara took me on a tour of Watertown and was more than excited to bring me to Russo's.

This market is seriously awesome. The produce is plentiful and the prices are really, really good. Blueberries for $1.98, blackberries for $1.98, asparagus for $2.49/lb. In addition, the prepared foods looked fabulous and the bakery goods a-m-a-z-i-n-g. They also have homemade pasta. Oh, and at least 3 different kinds of Bocconcini. So yeah, now I know where to go for that. Sara also introduced me to an amazing new product: pink grapefruit yogurt. Yes, it sounds a little odd, but it's really quite fabulously delicious and now I wish I had stocked up better! I guess that means another trip to Russo's is in the future.

After our Russo's excursion, Sara took me to Fordee's, a little Middle Eastern sandwich shop in Coolidge Sqare (note: not Coolidge Corner). Their falafel wrap with tahbouli was out of this world and huge! But really, everything sounded good and the pita chips were a definite yes. Also, everyone who worked behind the counter was extremely friendly. We had already stocked up on Hommus at Russo's and were stuffed from our lunch, but according to Sara, there are tons of great Middle Eastern specialty shops in the area also.

So thanks to Sara for introducing me to the joys of Watertown. Even though she's from Connecticut and live in Beacon Hill, she somehow always seems to know more about the surrounding area than I ever have. If you're in the Boston area and haven't already, definitely go spend some time in Watertown!

Spring=weddings, which= lots of invitations to be made :)

Yet another invitation project done! Designing this stuff makes me h.a.p.p.y!

The theme to this particular bridal shower is Growth. I instantly thought of  earthy tones (shocked?) like browns and greens. I designed a graphic-y tree for the image where the leaves at the bottom of the tree start of small and get larger (grow) as the tree gets taller. To finish it off I added a quote to the invite from W.B. Yeats: "Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure, not this thing nor that, but simply growth." 

The result: 50 bridal shower invitations for a very lucky girl.

(invitation and insert card attached, envelope)

(invitation, insert card, envelope)

(invitation and insert card in envelope)

L.o.v.e  is in the air :)

[Chels]

Pasta with Turkey Meatballs and...Mozzarella

OK, so it was really supposed to be Pasta with Turkey Meatballs and Bocconcini, but have you ever heard of bocconcini? Because I haven't, and I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about food. And neither Trader Joe's nor Stop and Shop had heard of it either (nor apparently has Blogger, considering it keeps spell-checking it). So, I figured the next closest thing was mozzarella. And as far as I'm concerned, that worked out just fine. Better than fine actually. It was amazing.

I've never made meatballs before, so I wasn't quite sure how difficult they would be. But these were so easy and quick. Just mix the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, parm, garlic, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper in a bowl and then form the mixture into little meatballs. I made mine a little bigger than the recipe said to, but they were still pretty small and cute.

Put the meatballs in a skillet with butter over medium-high heat and cook them until they're golden brown all over. Then add 1 1/2 C water and continue simmering until they're cooked all the way through and the liquid reduces to 1/2 C. Then you can add the tomatoes and cook for another minute. I forgot to cut my tomatoes in half (ooops), but I kind of liked them whole. When cooking, don't let them get too soft...unless of course you like ultra squishy tomatoes.

While the meatballs are cooking, boil your pasta. The recipe called for orecchiette, which is one of my favorite pastas (what? Is it weird I had a favorite pasta shape?). But I went to 2 grocery stores and neither had it! So I settled for cappelletti because it looked pretty similar. Once the pasta is al dente, you can drain it, put it back in the pot and add the mozzarella...or um, the bocconcini if you know what that is and manage to find it (If so, fill me in).

Then add the meatballs and tomatoes and whatever else is left in the pan. Add some more parsley, parm, and butter, too, and mix it up.

I seriously think this may be one of my new favorite meals. It was super flavorful and made soo many leftovers (yay food for the rest of the week!). And I feel kind of proud of myself for making meatballs for the first time. I'm growing up!

I had a fabulous glass of Marchese de Petri 2006 Sangiovese with my dinner because a) it came highly recommended by 2 Guys Uncorked and b) it's only $3.49 at Trader Joe's. Need I say more?

[Sues]

Fish & Veggie Pockets

I saw this recipe for Italian Fish & Veggie pockets on Food Network over the weekend while I did nothing but eat and be merry with the siblings at my sister's house.  I haven't had much of an appetite lately (maybe because the seasons are changing, or allergies are starting to kick in... or the fact that ever since we started this site I've been stuffing my face and now it's time to rest?) but I thought this recipe was perfect because it's light and refreshing.

The recipe actually calls for trout but I decided to use salmon instead (a. the recipe says "or other fish about 1/2-inch thick and b.) the pickins' of fresh fish at my grocery store are pretty slim by the time 6pm rolls around.  

[the veggies washed & prepared | the salmon about to start cooking in the oven]

2Guys Uncorked recommend a A to Z 2006 Pinot Noir. 

I think I enjoyed this recipe so much because it not only tasted great, but it was so simple and quick to make (a few minutes prepping and about 15-20 minutes on 350 in the oven) especially after a long day at the office.

[Chels]

Warning: Cupcakes Ahead

My weekend consisted of a lot of cupcakes. This may have been the first time I've had cupcakes since the infamous Chicago Cupcake Crawl in January. And, oh how I've missed them.

TKTC brought cupcakes from Molly's Cupcakes (the best place for cupcakes in Chicago) and I bought cupcakes from Party Favors (the best place for cupcakes in Boston...or maybe anywhere).

Party Favors cupcakes usually have really beautiful frosting flowers on them, but since we are in Boston and it is St. Patrick's Day weekend, it was all about the shamrocks. They also had ones with big leprachauns on them, but they were a bit creepy.

We definitely had a bit of fun sampling the cupcakes. We would have rated them for you, but we were way too busy enjoying them. Just know that if you're in the Chicago area, you need to go to Molly's Cupcakes and if you're in the Boston area, you need to go to Party Favors.

And if you can get them both at once, well then, consider yourself pretty lucky.

[Sues]

Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Though I am quite obviously a meat eater, I'm also a fan of tofu when it's done right. Sometimes I'm just in the mood for it, plus it's pretty easy to cook. And it lasts in the fridge for months, which is a huge plus for me because I enjoy buying things and then forgetting about them for a bit. But when it comes to tofu, you usually have to make a dish with a lot of flavor, as it tends to be rather bland on its own.

I decided to make Martha Stewart's tofu and broccoli stir fry since it looked simple, healthy, and delicious. It was exactly what I was in the mood for.

Since tofu is pretty much a thick block, you'll want to start by cutting it. Cut it crosswise into 5 or 6 slabs. And then cut each slab horizontally into 4 triangles. Place triangles on a paper towel and leave for a while so that it can dry a bit.

Now you can cook the broccoli. But really, only cook it for about 2 minutes, until it turns bright green. For me, there's nothing worse than overcooked veggies. After it's done, you can drain it and just put it aside.

Now you're ready to fry up the tofu. Put some vegetable oil in your pan and put the tofu in. Cook it, turning pieces over for about 15 minutes, until it's nice and golden brown. Be careful; the tofu is kind of delicate and it might fall apart if you're not gentle with it. When it's nice and brown, take it out of the pan and put it on a paper towel.

While it's still cooking, you can make up your sauce. The sauce consists of soy sauce (3 T), rice vinegar (2 T), red-pepper flakes (1/4 t), garlic (4 minced cloves), cornstarch (1 T), and water (3/4 C). Whisk it all together. Don't be concerned it if looks watery; the corn starch will thicken it right up when you cook it.

Now, add the broccoli into the pan and cook on high heat for a couple minutes. Pour the sauce on top and then put the tofu back in and cook for another minute to coat. The sauce will thicken up nicely. Next time I make this, I'll probably double the sauce recipe as I would have liked a little more.

And now you're ready to serve! I put it over brown rice, with some toasted cashews on top. I also added some carrots since I love when my food is colorful.

While cooking, I listened to Ryan Adams and the Cardinals' Cold Roses because it's one of my all-time favorite albums and was the perfect easy-going, relaxing music for a Wednesday night dinner.

And of course, there are plenty of leftovers, which always makes me happy.

[Sues]

Chicago Cupcake Crawl

I want to do all our Chicago readers a service and let you know that your city has some of the best cupcakes in the country. I should know. On my last trip to Chicago, I ate a lot of cupcakes. Just for you guys. Because I wanted to tell you what was the best. Aren't I nice? Awww, I know; you can thank me later.

Beth, Adam, and I created a cupcake crawl, hitting on what we think are the hottest spots to get the best cupcakes in the city. If you live in Chicago, you must do this cupcake crawl. Or at least read through it and go to our fave spots. If you don't live in Chicago, I'll try to do a Boston cupcake crawl soon and possibly a New York City one. Or feel free to create your own and let us know the results!

Our first stop was Sensational Bites (located at 3751 N. Southport Ave), and yes, it actually was sensational. The cupcakes at SB (yeah, we're on that kind of basis) were my second favorite in all of Chicago. The shop was super cute and perfect for the freezing cold (um, it was 0 degrees) snowy weather. SB had a huge selection of all kinds of baked goods, including tons of cookies and cupcakes. Beth and I sat in the shop for a while, eating cupcakes, sipping on coffee, and warming up. The cupcakes were perfectly sweet and the presentation was beautiful. Amazing start to our crawl.

Sensational Bites on Southport.

Vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting $1.65

Chocolate peanut butter cupcake $1.75

And they get extra points for having Patriots cookies

Our next stop was Southport Grocery (located at 3552 N. Southport Ave.), an adorable little gourmet store/cafe/bakery. We spent a while just browsing the store, which is filled with gourmet food, books, and prepared foods. The cafe looked like a great place to lunch, but we only had cupcakes on our mind. So we picked up two and brought them home for later. They only had vanilla and chocolate, so if you are in the market for variety, Southport Grocery probably isn't the cupcake place for you. Also, they're not fancy-looking; just your basic cupcake. They tasted good, but weren't our faves; the cake tasted a bit too much like corn bread and the frosting was super sweet.

Southport Grocery and Cafe

Chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting $2.00

Saturday was a new day and we had renewed appetites for cupcakes. Our first stop was Swirlz (located at 705 W. Belden). This shop is tiny and has a huge case just filled with all kinds of cupcakes. I love the fact that the cupcakes say "happy" on them. Swirlz also has lots of cupcake merchandise and I snagged an over-sized coffee mug that says, "Cupcakes make people happy." Yes, they do. I'm still mad at myself for not getting a t-shirt, too. Again, the cake part of the cupcake was a little too much like cornbread, but I would definitely go back to Swirlz. They have a huge selection, including a daily "surprise" cupcake. We tried the mint grasshopper and it was delicious.

Image from Planet99
Swirlz Cupcakes

Vanilla with vanilla buttercream frosting $3.00

Chocolate with vanilla buttercream frosting $3.00

Mint grasshopper surprise cupcake $3.00

While en route from one cupcake place to the next, I happened to see a giant blue and orange sign out of the corner of my eye. "Cupcakes...cupcakes...." I started stuttering. "Why isn't that on our list??" Adam swerved the car over, parked (much easier to do in Chicago than in Boston) and thus we found my favorite cupcake place in Chicago. Molly's Cupcakes (located at 2536 North Clark St.) has a fun, youthful atmosphere. It's a pretty big shop and has vintage toys decorating the walls and retro board games for you to play while you eat your cupcakes off of grandma's mismatched china with real silverware. There's a bar area where you can sit on giant wooden swings. And there's even an area where you can add toppings and decoration to your cupcakes. The cupcakes were the PERFECT amount of sweet and the frosting just melted in my mouth. The kind of cupcake that just makes you smile with every bite. They definitely weren't the prettiest of cupcakes, but maybe we could have remedied that if we added more decorations on our own.

Molly's Cupcakes

Vanilla with vanilla buttercream frosting $2.00

Chocolate with vanilla buttercream frosting $2.00

Carrot Cake $2.00

Image from Yelp
Swing Seats at Molly's

Your cupcake crawlers loving Molly's

If you type in "cupcakes" on Google, the website for Cupcakes (located at 613 W. Briar Place) in Chicago is the #1 search result. So naturally I was extremely excited for the last stop on our crawl. Unfortunately I was disappointed (and not just because I was so full from cupcakes, I didn't even want any more). The shop was tiny and only had a place for 2 to sit. And the selection was sparse. So, we picked up a few and brought them home. As we ate them later, we weren't very impressed. Maybe it was because we had just come from Molly's, but while these cupcakes are really pretty, they just tasted pretty blah with a much too sweet frosting. The chocolate cake with pumpkin frosting was a unique idea and much tastier than the vanilla cupcake. Also, Cupcakes has dog cupcakes, which is a fabulous idea.

Cupcakes

Vanilla with vanilla buttercream frosting $2.50

Chocolate with pumpkin frosting $3.00

That ends our cupcake crawl, but I'm really disappointed and sorry that I did not get to visit Sweet Mandy B's (located at 1208 W. Webster Ave.) on this cupcake crawl. And you really, really should add it to yours. I think out of all the cupcake stops on our tour, Beth still claims Sweet Mandy B's is the best. So you know that must mean something.

Image from Cookie magazine

Sweet Mandy B's

Warning: after completing our cupcake crawl, I didn't even want to think about cupcakes for a month straight, so be prepared. It was so worth it, though. And I think I'm finally ready to gear up for the Boston cupcake crawl (as soon as Beth and Adam get here). Boston, get your cupcakes ready for us.

[Sues]

1154 Lill Studio... THE BAGS ARE IN!

And I am in love with how mine came out... now I'm thinking about going back to make a matching tote or something to toss this makeup bag in! 

I also kinda like how it takes 3 weeks to make; it's like a nice little treat when you finally get it!

1154 Lill Studio

220 Newbury Street

Boston, MA 02116

617.247.1154

[Chels]

Commitment-phobe...

Ever since moving into my apartment I've been a little nervous to hang an excess amount on the walls and go "crazy" with the decorating. We were lucky enough to find an apartment in a really great location in the city that happened to be a gut renovation. Needless to say I would enjoy getting a decent amount of my security deposit back whenever I happen to move out... meaning no to very little damage left when I leave... so I'm always on the lookout for temporary design solutions. That's why I think these Tile Tattoos and Tile Decals (aka Tile Tats) from 2Jane.com are a greaaaat idea for those who are renting.... or afraid of commitment, both of which I am.  

[image: www.2jane.com]

[www.2jane.com]

Bonus: They can be removed without leaving any residue andddd they withstand the effects of water and moisture... perfect for the kitchen and bathroom! 

*FIERCE* as Christian, aka the winner of Project Runway, would say... love him! :)

[Chels]

Saturday Night Fiesta!

When Sara said suggested cooking dinner together on Saturday night, I thought it was a fabulous idea. Since we're all obsessed with Mexican-ish food (can you tell with our posts lately?), we decided to try and do healthy Mexican featuring fajitas. And we succeeded!

No doubt, the best part of the meal was the Mexican-style hummus that Sara was in charge of. It was simply pinto beans, salsa, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, and cumin, put in a food processor and pureed until smooth. Stir in a little cilantro and bake some pita bread with olive oil, salt, and pepper sprinkled on top, and voila:

It was SO easy and tasted SO good that I have a feeling I'm going to be making it quite often. I have a bit of a hummus addiction and this tasted better than any kind I've ever bought in a grocery store. The recipe isn't lying when it says, "it's so good, however, you may just want to eat it with a spoon." I may have had more than a few spoonfuls the other night.

Nina made the tomato salsa, which also went along with the pita chips and was added to the fajitas, too. She diced tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos; and mixed them up with some lime juice, cilantro, and cumin. Salsa is another simple recipe that most people don't think to make on their own. But it tastes so much fresher than anything that can be bought in a jar (ahem, I say that knowing full well, that I'm really obsessed with Newman's Own salsa and eat it by the jarful. Hummus and salsa=heaven to me).

For the main course we made chicken fajitas with crunchy lime cabbage and avocado. And they were pretty simple and quick to make. Cut up chicken breast, red pepper, and onion and put it in an olive oil/chili powder/garlic marinade for about an hour (this is why it's important to read recipes before you start cooking. Then you can have the time to do things like marinade chicken for an hour). Then just cook it up. The recipe says to use a griddle, but really? Not necessary. We had to use 2 frying pans though because we made so much of it.

The fajitas also interestingly called for red cabbage. None of us had ever cooked with cabbage before, but Sara managed to chop it up. Sprinkle it with olive oil, lime juice, lime peel, salt, and pepper and it adds a beautiful color and perfect crunch to your fajita.

We also cooked a side of Mexican rice. I didn't have the serrano peppers the recipe called for, so I decided to use chipotle peppers instead. Warning: using just one chipotle will cause quite the kick. A kick that I find enjoyable, but be careful if you have guests who prefer more mild food. We also used brown rice to make the meal even healthier (and because I happen to have a ton of brown rice on hand).

The recipe didn't call for any cheese, but in my opinion, you're not eating Mexican unless you're eating cheese. So we put a little light Mexican-style cheese on our fajitas. And also topped them with some cut up avocado. Look at how pretty and colorful it is.


For dessert, we whipped up some Mexican hot chocolate, which we made by warming milk and chocolate chips in a saucepan and adding some vanilla and cinnamon. Oh, and marshmallows are a must! Wait, did I forget to mention Kahluah? Mmm, it really hit the spot!

Thrilled by our fabulous cooking skills and content from a huge meal and lots of girly gossip, we headed out for an evening of more fun together. It was so good, I have a feeling we'll have to have another Mexican fiesta again soon. Next time I think a pinata would be fun.

[Sues]

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips + Turkey and Vegetable Chili Verde

I was at work the other day and realized I had spent way too much money on lunch last week. I decided to make some soup when I got home because I love how it a) is so quick and simple to make - i.e. I finished cooking and was sitting down eating in time to watch Idol and b) it's great to freeze and bring for lunch throughout the week. I went to www.whfoods.org and found a great recipe for Turkey and Vegetable Chili Verde. All of the ingredients were easy to find (the recipe calls for a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes and a 4 oz can of green chili... I happened to find two cans of diced tomatoes with green chili in the Goya aisle, which worked out quite well... love when that happens). 2guysuncorked recommend Ravenswood 2005 Zinfandel to bring out more of a spicy-ness or Los Vascos 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. 

I also had quite the craving for white bean dip so I decided to whip some up too. Aaaaaand it was great and took about 5 minutes to make. I'm going to have to keep this recipe in mind the next time we have people over. 

I'm not normally a "stickler" for what I eat... (hello, bacon about 50 times a week). But I must admit it's quite nice knowing what I'm putting in my food and having that sort of control. Even the pita chips were so easy to make... all you do is cut them into triangles, toss some salt and pepper on them, drizzle some oil on, and pop them in the oven. Simple enough!

mmmmm. scrumptious.

[Chels]