Family Recipes

I've been wanting to get all of my recipes organized for years. I tried the 3 ring binder... and the recipe box... and finally, the cabinet stuffed with magazine clippings and printouts. None worked. So I'm trying another means of gathering my recipes in the form of a blog. I've always wanted to be able to sort my recipes not only by breakfast, lunch, dinner, but also by quick or cheap or Italian... or whatever. This week I started a new blog dedicated solely to family recipes, and I've begun adding some of our favorites. And, though I have many many more to add, I'm excited! I'd also love to hear what your favorite family recipes are. We're always looking for new ones!

"What good is popcorn if you don't have anyone to share it with?!"

That's what Carson said tonight. Abby has a friend to spend the night and they didn't feel like watching a movie, and I was finishing up a wedding. He said, "All I want is a movie, popcorn, and someone to share it with!" I assured him I'd watch a movie with him in the morning, complete with popcorn, but for tonight he may just have to have his own movie night, to which he replied, "What good is it to make popcorn if you don't have anybody to share it with?" Awww... It wasn't long after that that his Daddy got home and made popcorn with him and sat down to watch a movie. Sweet moments.

Popcorn is sort of a tradition in the Powers family (and it goes back generations). The family has a recipe and a certain way of making this delicious popcorn, but I have never achieved it. Sandy and Aaron are the masters. Perhaps I'll see if he'll share the family secret and I can post it.

For now, I'll share another popcorn recipe. Much to my husband's dismay, I occasionally make a different kind of popcorn... sugar popcorn. It's not as "pure" and wonderful as the family recipe, but I enjoy it!

Sugar Popcorn 
Equal parts (usually 1/3 cup each) of each of the following ingredients:

• Canola oil (other types like coconut work well too) 
• Popcorn kernels (Walmart brand is ironically our favorite)
• Sugar

Directions

1. Pour oil in pan, and turn heat to medium high.
2. Drop 3 kernels in and wait for them to pop.
3. Once they pop, quickly pour sugar and popcorn kernels into the pan, and put the lid on. Fast!
4. Give the pan a shake every 30-45 seconds or so to keep the sugar from burning.
5. Popcorn should be done in a couple of minutes. Pull off heat when the popping slows.
6. Dump in a bowl and add a pinch of salt, then toss.
7. Enjoy the sticky, crunchy yumminess!

Garden Update 6/14/12

Well, summer has arrived and the garden looks a little different than last time. First off our little corner with the cucumbers, blackberries, and flowers (I have no idea what kind I planted) has taken off! Aaron found me some pallets a couple of months ago and I decided to use them as a trellis for the cucumbers. So far they seem to like it!

In our raised bed, we finally had to pull the pumpkins after harvesting about five of them. I think I may have sorta killed them when I trimmed them back (they were taking over our yard!) and they weren't doing so good. We'll be planting them again in July in preparation for Halloween. The tomatoes are taking off! We had so many tomatoes I wasn't sure what to do with them, so I've made several batches of homemade salsa lately,and it's been yummy! (I'll put the recipe below.) I pulled all but one of the brussel sprout plants, and I almost pulled that one up today, but lo and behold, there are sprouts nearly ready to harvest. Not sure if they'll be good or not this late in season, but we can try!

Fresh Salsa

Ingredients: 6-8 medium sized tomatoes
1 jalepeno, diced
2-4 cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 to full bunch of cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1/2-1 lemon
Cumin, Salt, and Garlic Powder to taste

Instructions: Bring water to boil in a large pot. Once water is boiling, add tomatoes and boil for three minutes, then remove from water and let cool. While cooling, combine remaining ingredients in bowl. Once the tomatoes have cooled, peel skin from tomatoes, then pulse in food processor until tomatoes reach desired consistency (I like to leave it a little chunky), then add to other ingredients and refrigerate! Lasts up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Abby (7.75 years old)

This little girl is growing up.

And I just can't believe what a great kid she is. I've really enjoyed the time I've spent with her lately. Last week I decided I'd start running a few times a week, and Abby asked if she could come along. So, I said yes... and it's been so fun! Not only is she a great runner, but she's great company too. I enjoy listening to her tell me all about her day, all about her friends, the things she likes and doesn't like, what she wants to be and do, and on and on and on.

Tonight, we had a laid back night at home (she was home sick today) and we spent time in the kitchen cooking together. She made chicken strips and a honey mustard dip all by herself. She loves cooking. And art. And she now wants to be an EMT when she grows up so she can help people. And she wants a Mustang convertible... with it's own Starbucks and that's full of pillow pets. Yep, that's right. She's a dreamer. She's passionate. And kind. She still loves babies. And her friends. And having her back "tickled". So many things that have become distinctly her, and still, she's so full of surprises. It's so amazing getting to watch her as she grows up, and I can't wait to see what great things God has in store for her!

Chicken Noodle Soup [What's Cookin']

It's been a while since I posted a recipe, so I decided I'd post one (no, two) recipes that I tried for the first time tonight, and they are the perfect "fall is here" type recipes. This was my first soup of the season and it warmed my soul.

Abby hated the celery in the soup (next time I'll make it without), but the promise of more garlic knots inspired her enough to finish it. Enjoy!

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 stalks celery, medium-diced (1 cup)
3 carrots, medium-diced (1 cup)
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 quarts chicken stock
2 cups wide egg noodles
2-3 cups cooked shredded chicken
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the celery, carrots, salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook for 10 minutes, then add the chicken and parsley. Continue cooking until the chicken is heated through and serve immediately.

Garlic Knots
You might want to double this recipe!

Ingredients:
1 can Pillsbury Breadsticks
1 T. EVOO
2 T. butter
1 t. finely choped garlic

Directions:
Grease 12 muffin tins and preheat oven to 375. Tie each breadstick into a knot and place in muffin tin. Melt butter with olive oil in microwave (about 30 seconds), then add garlic, then brush/pour onto dough. Bake 10-15 minutes until golden and delicious. Try not to eat all 12 yourself.

Pina Colada Sorbet [What's Cookin']

The summer heat is in full swing, and I find that all I can really think about is being in the pool and having something icy cold to drink. Yesterday, I sat poolside reading a magazine while the kids swam, and as the sweat dripped down my neck, a recipe all but audibly called my name. After the pool, we headed straight to the store.

The kids and I all loved this cool, summery dessert and hope you will too!

Pina Colada Sorbet
modified slightly from the Cooking Light recipe

3 cups cubed fresh pineapple
10 oz. can coconut juice
1/2 c. sugar
8 oz. can cream of coconut
1 can lite coconut milk

1. Place first 3 ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and sugar dissolves. Combine pureed pineapple mixture, coconut milk, and cream of coconut in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
2. Pour mixture into freezer can of an ice-cream freezer and follow manufacturer's instructions. Once frozen, eat! You can freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container.

It's yummy with graham cracker or sugar cone garnish. Would also be good with some sort of tangy syrup. Working on that!

P.S. Jason and Natalie, I LOVE the ice cream maker you guys got us a couple years ago! It's so much fun! :)

Pot Roast + Leftovers [What's Cookin']

It's been a crazy year, but I've been trying to get back into cooking more. I have to admit leaning heavily on my meal plan subscription and my husband a lot lately, but we're starting to eat at home more. Just thought I'd share a new recipe (x2) we discovered that we'll be adding to our family cookbook.

Pot Roast
You can use your own recipe if you like or this is the one I used last week

4 lb. Chuck Roast
2 packs of brown gravy mix
1 c. water

Place roast in crock pot. Stir 1/2 cup water into each packet of gravy mix and stir. Spread thick gravy mix over roast and cook on low 6-8 hours. Reserve 1-1.5 lbs for tomorrow's dinner.

Beef and Artichoke Fettucine
Aaron, who does not really like pot roast (something I will never understand), says this dish makes him look forward to having roast in the future for the leftovers!

8 oz fettucine
6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1 c. half and half
1 c. shredded parmesan cheese
2-3 c. chopped roast beef from Meal 1

While pasta is cooking, saute onion in 1 T of artichoke oil in large skillet. Cut artichokes into fourths and discard remaining oil. Add to skillet: half and half, cheese, artichoke hearts, and beef. Stir until hot. Drain pasta, return to pot and pour mixture over pasta. Toss. Serve with steamed broccoli and garlic bread.

Roots and Such

When I was about eight, my family and I moved to "the country". I remember our very first drive out there. It seemed to take ages. Where were all the houses? They were so spread out compared to our little house and little yard in our little town. Why were we moving out here, again? Well, it turned out to be amazing. I have so many great memories riding my bike up and down the country roads, having scavenger hunts in the back yard, playing in the playhouse Dad built in the back corner, and... planting a garden. The garden was huge. There was corn, beans, okra, squash, watermelon and more, and Mom and Dad had us help with both the planting and the harvesting. I'm sure I wasn't too keen on all that work at the time, but looking back, I remember it all fondly. There was something wonderful about eating a squash casserole or fried okra picked fresh from the garden.

That's always been one of the things I've missed about living in the country and having so much space. I figured it'd be years before I'd ever be able to have a garden. However, when I came across this post by The Pioneer Woman , I realized that having a garden in the back yard didn't mean I had to have a acres of land, you could start with just a little space. And so... here is our first ever garden. I know it's certainly not award winning or anything, but I love it and have so enjoyed taking care of it.

What's growing this year??
Early Girl Tomatoes

Cherry Tomatoes

Serrano Peppers

Jalepeno Peppers

Bell Peppers (Green & Red)

Green Beans

Sweet Basil

Italian Parsley

Chocolate Mint

Rosemary

Thyme

Strawberries

Blackberries (planted elsewhere)
Marigolds (to attract bees + butterflies, etc.)

Chocolate Chip Cookies [What's Cookin']

It's only been over the past several months that I've rediscovered baking, but I really love doing it. I don't think I ever realized just how quick and easy it can be to whip up a batch of cookies. I've tried quite a few cookie recipes lately, but I always keep coming back to one. It's sooo good. It's a recipe that I found and modified from one of the recipes in my Giada's Family Dinners cookbook. It makes a pretty big batch, so most of the time, I'll bake a few and then freeze the rest of the dough to bake later (you know, when those late night cravings hit).

Ingredients:
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips

Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper. Finely chop the oats in a food processor. Transfer the oats to a medium bowl. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Stir in the toffee, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips.

For each cookie, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of dough onto sheet, spacing 1-inch apart (do not flatten dough). Bake until the cookies are golden (cookies will flatten slightly), about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Enjoy!

Quick, Cheap Meals [What's Cookin']

There are just some nights (more than I'd like to admit) where I just don't feel like spending a lot of time or money on dinner, and I don't want to go out either. So I've started a list of meals that are quick, easy, and cheap.

Sesame Chicken ($10)
Historically, I've made this from scratch, but last night I just didn't feel like it. The solution?

1 bag Fully Cooked Sesame Chicken from HEB (in frozen section) - $6.99 (5 servings)
1 bag steam in-bag Edamame (in frozen section) - Under $3 (My kids think it's cool popping the beans out of their pods)
2-3 cups rice (steamable or 5 minute rice) - Under $1

Pizza
Even the homemade version (unless you make your own crust) doesn't take a lot of time or money. Just use your favorite toppings! Here are two of our favorites...

Tomato Pesto (with our without chicken)
Your favorite pizza crust (we use the Pillsbury canned dough that's with the biscuits)
Basil Pesto
Roma Tomatoes
Fresh Mozzarella
Grilled Chicken Breast (I get the little $3 bag of pre-cooked strips)

Burger Broccoli (Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. It's good!!)
Pizza crust
Pizza Sauce
1/2 c. broccoli, steamed
1 lb. ground beef
Shredded mozarella

What are your favorite quick and easy meals? I'd love some new ideas!

Warm Spiced Pears [What's Cookin']

I'm so very extremely behind on the task of documenting our family's life over the past month or two. There are Christmas photos I haven't even posted yet! Things have just been insane lately, and in an attempt to get back in the saddle again in terms of blogging, I'm posting food. Seems that lately, as I've spent time with friends, we've all talked about sharing recipes. I've loved reading posts from friends about what they cook, so here's a quick share.

Confession time: I've never eaten a fresh pear in my life. I've always loved pears--from a can. So last week when I saw fresh pears in the produce section, I was intrigued, and I bought some. Since last week, they've sat in a bowl on my counter, serving more as decoration that nutrition. Today as I was making lunch I felt bad about this, and decided that I would get past my reluctance to try a "real" pear. So I sliced it up, and was delighted and surprised to find that it was soft and juicy, not crunchy like an apple (though, I suppose that this could be an effect of sitting out on the counter for a number of days). It was yummy. I decided to take it a step further and saute them. Found a recipe to loosely go by, and discovered that pears make EXCELLENT dessert.

Saute 1 T. butter over medium high heat. Slice pears into 3/4 inch slices and drop into butter. Cook approximately 2 minutes, then sprinkle with a little lemon zest, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

These pears are warm, comforting, and oh-so-easy. And, of course, if you toss a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top? Well... there you have a dessert that I'd be happy to serve to anybody.

An Update [12.22.10]

I had planned on 2010 being the year that I was ahead of the game. I planned on being "done" with all things work related when the kids were out of school so that I could relax and play and cook and shop and have fun with them and my holidays would be stress free. Well, you know (because I'll bet you set the same goals) how that played out!

Really, I don't know that the past couple weeks have been too stressful, just busier than I had planned. But overall, it's been great, and we've made some happy memories.

-Carson's Christmas Party - Last Thursday was Carson's Christmas party at MDO. They shared a Christmas meal together and then exchanged gifts. When he opened his gift (below -- what are those things called, anyway?!), he shouted, "I've been wanting this for my whole life!!!"

- Abby's Christmas Party also happened to be my first official duty as Room Mom. With the help of Abby's wonderful teacher, Mrs. Conklin, and some other super moms, we were able to pull together a fun party for the kids. We decorated cookies, ate, and at the end painted their noses red (which they thought was so very cool).

- MY Christmas Present - I broke all my rules and gave Aaron his Christmas present (a Kindle) a month ago. We normally don't really even do gifts for eachother at Christmas, but he had been dying to get one, so I thought I'd get it for him. I wasn't expecting to get anything in return. There just wasn't anything I wanted that bad -- or so I thought. Last night before dinner, Aaron quietly (but full of excitement) told me, "I got you a present." I had no idea what to expect, but I was intrigued! So... when we got home last night and he asked if he could give me my present now, of course I told him yes. And look what I got! A KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Oh. My. Gosh. "I've been wanting this my whole life!!!"

- So... naturally, today I made bread... so that I could use my dough hook. Easy. Tasty. And it makes my house smell oh so good. Yay for bread.

- Speaking of tasty yumminess. Our friends, Josh and Kelly, took us out to dinner for Christmas Monday night. They asked us to meet them over at the Quarry. And where did they take us??? Fleming's Steakhouse (a.k.a. the nicest restaurant I have ever been to in my whole life). Ah-maz-ing. Everything was delicious and amazing and wonderful and awesome. In addition to that, we were easily amused by the fact that they asked us things like, "Would you like bottled water or is the house water fine?" and, "Are the white napkins okay, or would anyone prefer a dark napkin?" Or when they'd do things like rush around and apologize when the "chilled forks" didn't arrive with our salads. I think our favorite of the night though was that when one of us would get up to go to the restroom or something and leave the napkin on the table or chair, the waiter would come by and neatly fold it for us. Then of course, it became a game, where we'd fold it, but then just make it a little bit off to see if he'd come fix it. (He did.) Okay, clearly we don't belong in establishments like this! It was an amazing night though, not only for the food, but the company. So blessed to have such great friends!

-My computer crashed last week. Hard drive. It wasn't even two years old. Was really bummed and it set me about a week behind in my work, but all is well now.

-I just found out that I got voted in the top 10 wedding photographers (in the San Antonio/South Texas area) for The Knot's Best of Weddings 2011! I'm pretty super excited about that one.

-Went out and spent a day with Sandy and her friend Jen from New York taking pictures just for the fun of it, and it felt great! Hope to be doing this more often.

-Packed up the kids one evening, went to Starbucks, and drove around looking at Christmas lights. We did this last year and it seems to be a fun little tradition.

-The kids and I are heading out in the morning for a super quick trip up to Dallas so we can be at Christmas Eve at Nanny and Pawpaw's. It makes for a lot of driving, but I'm really excited to get to see them and all my cousins, aunts, and uncles. I have a pretty amazing family and I'm always happy to see them.

Hope you all have a very merry Christmas!

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

A couple years ago, we got one of the best Christmas presents ever from Jason and Natalie -- an ice cream maker. We've had a lot of fun with it and recently found probably our favorite ice cream yet. If you know Aaron at all, it will come as no surprise...

Peanut Butter Ice Cream. Hello.

I love it's creaminess, tastiness, and how fabulously easy it is to make.

The cast of characters:

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

What to do?

1. Cream together sugar and peanut butter
2. Mix in milk until sugar is dissolved
3. Mix in cream and vanilla
4. Pour in ice cream maker and flip the on switch.
5. Go write a blog post and check your Facebook (or whatever you want to do) and come back 20 minutes later to find the creamiest, tastiest homemade ice cream ever.
6. Consume. If you feel like splurging a little, serve with some nice warm brownies!

My Chef

My husband and I are different in almost every way. While this fact makes me crazy at times, I absolutely wouldn't have it any other way. Reason #1,419,722 that I adore this man? He likes to cook. And he's good.

Me? Well, to give you a picture, I am a Kraft Mac-N-Cheese, frozen pizza, sandwich, and canned soup kind of girl. I'm just to lazy to really cook. Don't get me wrong, there are times when I love cooking. But that's about as predictable as the weather. I have visions of being a domestic diva, but alas... When I cook, I stick 100% to the recipe, and still have the terrible tendency to forget to buy some key item from the grocery store (this morning I made pancakes and then realized there was no butter in the house). Once the meal has been cooked, it goes on the table in whatever pot or pan it was cooked in, and everybody digs in. Ta da! It's actually very anti-climatic.

But Aaron? Well, he's a steak and grilled asparagus with homemade sauce kind of guy. When he is in the kitchen, he's in his own world. He skillfully -- artfully -- creates and invents and tastes and plates everything. Recipes are not to be held to, and meal in a box (when his wife has been too lazy to buy or think up the real stuff) has no limits. If he's wife has been absentminded and forgotten some important ingredient... no sweat! He improvises. (I don't even know HOW to do that in the kitchen.) Nothing is served in it's original container -- he presents and plates every dish and side as though we were at a five star restaurant. If the smells coming from the kitchen weren't good enough to make me come running, the beauty of the presentation would.

He's so good, it's intimidating. But that's the other great part. Even though I'm much less refined in the kitchen, he always loves to eat whatever I put on the table... Well, unless you count the horrible Beef Stroganoff incident. But even then (I think it actually made me feel worse) he ate every last bit.

I love sitting in the kitchen with him as he cooks. I love our evenings spent around the table as a family. It feels like home to me.

Just so you get a picture, this was tonight's dinner. It was originally almost all out of packages, but he put his own spin on things, added here and there, and made it his own. Isn't it pretty?


I had to include this picture because as we were standing in the kitchen, Abby asked, "Daddy, why don't you ever smile with your teeth?" So, he obliged her with his toothiest grin.

Back to School Time

Well, the time has come for school to start again. I can't believe that the summer flew by so quickly! It was jam packed with lots of fun, and now the kids are excited to be starting at new schools. Abby will be at Ward Elementary starting First Grade, and Carson will be at MDO one day a week (maybe two at some point) at Powerhouse TNT Gymnastics.

Last night, there was a Meet the Teacher Night at Abby's school, and she really enjoyed getting to look around, pick out her desk, and meet her teacher, Mrs. Conklin!



Tonight we had a special Back To School dinner for the kids (an idea that I 100% stole from a friend), and it was a really fun time! The kids got to pick what we had for dinner (spaghetti and meatballs, green beans, and key lime pie). We decided on a special verse for the year, set goals, and prayed for their teachers. It was a really great way to start things off!

Here is our family verse for the year:

Whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

I Corinthians 10:31

Coconuts and Other Simple Pleasures

For months (and perhaps even longer) Abby has been extremely intrigued by coconuts every time we pass them in the produce section. "Mom, can we please get one of these?!" I don't really like Coconut and I've seen too many movies with people making fools of themselves trying to open one. So we never did.

But last week our friends Jason and Candace invited us over for a Hawaiian themed dinner, and she asked me to make coconut rice. Knowing very little about coconut or coconut milk, I purchased pretty much all varieties. Coconut milk, coconut creme, and of course, the real deal. Abby was beside herself with excitement and couldn't wait for us to crack it open. (I have to admit being a little curious myself.)

Turns out... 1) It wasn't that hard to open. They do all the hard work for you beforehand. 2) I was pretty intrigued to try what's inside. There was TONS of liquid sloshing around inside. We eagerly tried it out to see what it tasted like. It was fairly flavorless. The stuff in the can was much tastier. 3) Also tried making our own toasted coconut flakes. Well, we succeeded in toasting them for sure. But they tasted nothing like the packaged ones.

So why have I spent this long blogging about an anticlimactic coconut experience? I'm still not entirely sure. I guess the fact of the matter is, the coconut was secondary. Abby and I had a lot of fun trying something new and hanging out in the kitchen together. I love seeing the smile on her face brought on by a coconut or a hug or by her making up a "new recipe" (there have been some very interesting ones lately!) I'm so thankful for my sweet girl!

Poppy's Tortilla Soup

There was a night about seven years ago that changed my life...

I was taking night classes at SAC, and I walked out to my car to find it covered in ice. It was freezing cold. While I waited for the ice to melt off of my windshield, Aaron called (he was my boyfriend then) and invited me over to his mom and dad's. I would've gone anyway, but when he told me his dad had made a huge pot of soup, I was sold.

An hour later, I finally made it to their house, and Bill graciously filled a huge bowl of his tortilla soup. I remember sitting at the table, and for a while, there was nothing else in the world but me and that soup. It was extraordinary.

A couple years later (when I was sufficiently tied to the family), he was kind enough to share his recipe with me when I asked, and this is still one of my favorite meals. I love the smells, the process of making it, and the fun of adding all the "fixins" when its done. It's so good that I'm going to have it for dinner tonight AND tomorrow night (and perhaps for lunch). :)

The Chopped Champion

I am not a very good meal planner. It's just that I don't really think about food until I'm really really hungry and it's time to eat. Last night, Aaron got home and he asked what we were having for dinner, and I said, "Well, we have NOTHING to make here, so we'll probably need to go grocery shopping or get take-out." (Because that's how I roll.) "Nothing?" he replied. "Yeah, nothing... I mean look!" He gave me a smile that showed he was out to prove me wrong. I looked at him skeptically. He stood there for a while, and I said, "See??"

"Nah, we're good," he replied, and he pulled out several links of Alsatian sausage that he bought in Castroville last week, shredded hash brown potatoes, and parmesan cheese. What?! This was looking more and more like an episode of Chopped, where contestants are faced with a basket of completely random food, and have to make a delicious dish from it. Like watermelon, canned sardines, and pepperjack cheese.

I was skeptical, and as he cooked, I sat in the living room [not-so] secretly making plans to eat that last egg roll that was in the fridge instead.

Well... I never made it to the egg roll, because Aaron created a masterpiece of a burger with his odd assortment of ingredients. It was unbelievably good, and I was so proud (and jealous) that he could just "whip up" something like that without a recipe or anything. I seem to screw up food even with a clear instructions before me! I should've taken a picture, but I didn't. Regardless, Aaron has been named the Chopped champion in our household, and yet another great burger has been added to the family cookbook.

Favorite Restaurants

I love eating out. When I was growing up, eating out was always a big deal, and even now, I still get excited about going to restaurants. So today, I thought I'd pay tribute to some of my favorites. :) I'm sure I'm leaving something out, but...

Casual Dining

• Panera Bread [Favorite Dish: Asiago Roast Beef Sandwich with French Onion soup]
• Einstein Bros. Bagels [Favorite Dish: Five Cheese Bagel]
• Longhorn Cafe [Favorite Dish: Cheeseburger]
• Five Guys Burgers & Fries [Favorite Dish: Cheeseburger]
• Chili's [Favorite Dish: Used to be the Turkey Combo with Broccoli Cheese soup, but they no longer serve the soup and I'm all messed up. :)]
• Pei Wei [Favorite Dish: Honey Seared Chicken]
• Florio's Pizza [Favorite Dish: a slice or two of good ol' Cheese pizza]
• Pizza Italia [Favorite Dish: Canadian Bacon pizza]
• Rudy's BBQ [Favorite Dish: Smoked Turkey + Cream Corn]

Fine Dining

• Paesano's [Favorite Dish: Shrimp Paesano]
• Texas Land & Cattle [Favorite Dish: Smoked Sirloin]
• PF Chang's [Favorite Dish: Wok Seared Lamb]
• Maggiano's [Favorite Dish: Braised Beef Cannelloni]

Fast Food

• Chick-fil-A [Favorite Dish: #5 - Chicken Nuggets]
• Bill Miller's [Favorite Dish: Turkey Po Boy]
• Taco Cabana [Favorite Dish: Chicken Fajita Tacos]
• Subway [Favorite Dish: Oven Roasted Chicken Breast Sub]

Dinner Ideas?

I need new recipes.

I have a hard time getting excited about cooking dinner sometimes, and I feel like I've run out of ideas. On top of that, we're really trying to eat healthier, so a lot of my "go-to" recipes are out. :)

I'd love to hear what some of your favorite dinners are!