Minestrone... my way

this recipe is adapted from Cooking Light's minestrone soup.

here is the easy breezy, kids are watching sesame street
{be quick}, version.

~ 2 tsp olive oil
~ 1 yellow onion diced
~ 2 tsp oregano
~ 2 tsp garlic
~ 2 zucchini, chopped
~ 2 carrots, chopped
~ 3 roma tomatoes, diced
~ 1 can corn, drained
~ 1 cup or more of cooked chicken
   (costco precooked pieces are perfect)
~ 3 (14oz) cans of chicken broth
   i use one carton of trader joe's chicken broth
~ 1 can Great Northern Beans, drained
~ 1/2 cup uncooked ditalini noodles
~ fresh spinach
~ salt and pepper to taste
~ parmesan cheese

1. heat oil and add onions and oregano. saute.
2. add garlic, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, and corn.
3. cook until softened, stirring often.
4. add broth.
5. simmer for 15-20 minutes. until fully cooked.
6. add Great Northern Beans.
7. add noodles.
8. simmer for another 10-15 minutes until fully cooked.
9. take off heat.
10. stir in a few handfuls of spinach.
11. add cheese salt and pepper.

i have made this four times now. i have loved it more each time. my version comes out with very little broth, since i only add the carton. and the noodles suck it up. you could easily add more. i like it with little broth... more of the good stuff.
the original recipe calls for asiago cheese, but i'm not a huge cheese lover and i don't like that flavor. i prefer the trader joe's parmesan.

you can also adjust any of the vegetable amounts. sometimes i add more zucchini or a little extra pasta.
i also added the chicken element.
i can buy every ingredient from trader joe's, besides the pasta. that is at target. also the costco precooked chicken is from costco ;)

buffalo chicken sliders

on super bowl sunday i tried something new... buffalo chicken sliders. success.

here's how:
3 lb bag of frozen chicken
12 oz bottle of Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce {pay attention... there are many varieties}
1 packet of Ranch salad dressing

yeah... that's all you need. three simple items. my idea of perfection.

1. throw the entire bag of frozen meat in a big ol' pot and set heat to low.
2. pour the entire bottle of Frank's on top.
3. sprinkle the ranch packet over top.

simmer.

once the meat is fully cooked, shred the meat into tiny pieces. i used my tongs and a fork.

simmer some more so the buffalo wing sauce soaks into each piece.

done!

we put the buffalo chicken on rolls. we also cut up celery and carrots to add as a side.

the next night we added the meat to quesadillas and they were heavenly.

chicken hominy soup

this is currently my favorite meal.

{chicken hominy soup}
tastes like a mexican vegetable soup

add:
a few teaspoons olive oil to the bottom of your pot
4 teaspoons cumin
2.5 teaspoons paprika
one diced onion
sauté until the onion is soft

add 10 cups chicken broth

add 4-6 freshly sliced zucchinis
a handful of baby carrots
4-6 frozen chicken legs {i use the costco prepackaged kind}
one can diced tomatoes {do not drain} or 2 freshly diced tomatoes
one large can of hominy {do not drain}. target- mexican food aisle.
4 teaspoons tabasco

cook on high for 20 minutes
let simmer until chicken is fully cooked

serve in a bowl. add crushed tortilla chips and an avocado on top. heaven. and it's fairly healthy ;)

dinner

i'm loving pinterest. for one reason alone. meal ideas. i know how to cook. pretty well i think. but most days i have a show down with my kitchen. i fight dinner planning all day. like a meal is randomly going to appear or something. i guess my main problem is... what sounds good at 8 am {to thaw} sounds terrible at 4 when it's time to cook. or go out. or beg ryan for take out.

so... pinterest has been a saving grace this summer. it inspires me. even if it's not a new meal, but simply a picture that triggers a memory of a meal i once made. memory loss... it's my newest 'post baby' trick i've mastered. ummm... scary!

i've actually been inspired by aunt m. she has this handy little note pad on her fridge that says what they are eating every day of the week. i do this... sometimes. and it's great. until we are invited to dinner and change up the week. then i panic about that meat in the fridge. throw everything in the freezer. and am back to the original dilemma. neurotic... yes.

now this meal was inspired by pinterest.

grilled cheese on sourdough with avocado and tomato. it reminded me of a restaurant sandwich. 

{i think it would be over-the-top delicious with bacon}

perhaps spelling out my meal here, for next week, will help me. and maybe you will be inspired to make something new. or give me suggestions.

monday- hamburger pie... also known as shepherd's pie.

tuesday- salmon, asparagus, brown rice

wednesday- naan bread pizza, salad

thursday- beef tacos

friday- cobb salad

okay... we shall see. i desperately need to hit trader joe's... so now i have a game plan.
:)

the crown room

yesterday we went to the hotel del. for sunday brunch. because, and only because, we had a coupon. and even with that i could barely justify spending that amount. not to mention... i really shouldn't be stuffing myself in hopes of getting 'my monies worth' anywhere. swimsuit season is literally weeks away. 

despite those concerns... it was magical. really. like teary eyed, over the top, royalty special. just being inside the hotel del feels special.  

my goal was to eat things i never make at home. and i refuse to admit to how many plates i made myself total. here are a few. 

crab legs, shrimp, prime rib, potatoes au gratin. 

and the coffee... hands down best coffee i have EVER had in my entire life. don't ask me how they do it... but they do. i tried to get the trade secret out of our server... but he just smiled a big 'this is our secret' smile. believe the yelp reviews when they mention this. went home and googled it. nothing. i would be willing to work here. learn the secret. then quit. yes. it was that fabulous.  

and... let's just skip to the point. the dessert table. red velvet cupcake {i may or may not even like this flavor cupcake. but look at it!}. whipped cream with berries, and candy. yes... i am 6 years old at heart.

ryan's dessert plate.

the chocolate fountain. head and shoulders above any fountain i have ever met. quality rich dark chocolate. dipped strawberries, marshmallows, and cookie sticks. and the kicker was the bailey's chocolate shot glass with a strawberry. had two. wish i brought tupperware in my purse. 

the room itself was grand. i imagined the years gone by and the people of the past who stepped foot in this very room. 

and felt sad that they didn't have the pleasure of a chocolate fountain years ago.

then we browsed. snooped around the gift shops. admired the chandelier. fascinated by the old elevator. 

mmm hmmm... stormy san diego day.

it was a memorable day. full of good food and dessert and laughter. can't think of a better way to spend a day in san diego.

foodie

i would consider myself a foodie. as best explained by the urban dictionary:
'A person that spends a keen amount of attention and energy on knowing the ingredients of food, the proper preparation of food, and finds great enjoyment in top-notch ingredients and exemplary preparation. 
A foodie is not necessarily a food snob, only enjoying delicacies and/or food items difficult to obtain and/or expensive foods; though, that is a variety of foodie.'

i love food. i think i love it more than the average person. i think about it all day everyday. it reroutes my drive home, it changes the places i shop, it is {almost} my most favorite thing to talk about. 

nursing a baby makes food even more fun. since my body is burning all these sinful calories making milk, i eat almost anything i want. it's going to be a hard habit to kick. i feel zero guilt preparing a meal with lots of butter and oil and sides and dessert. lots of dessert.  

lately i have been inspired by auntie m. she nearly cooks everything from scratch. from blueberry muffins to beef wellington and everything in between. this is where my true 'foodie-ness' comes into play. i think homemade- from scratch meals, treats, snacks are under appreciated. in a time where you can buy anything pre-made, it's rare to find someone cooking something genuine. something homemade. something good. I appreciate a homemade from scratch item so very much. especially now that i'm a mom and time is sacred. 

i take great pride in my from scratch items. especially my coconut cupcakes from ina garten. if ever a bogart there was, it would be me with these cupcakes. it's almost as if they could only be appreciated by other foodies, someone turned off by an overly frosted vons cupcake. i'm sorry... if you love a cupcake that coats your mouth in an oily residue, then you can not have one of mine. if you inhale your food then you can not have one of mine. 


i am proud of my cooking skills. i am proud to call myself a foodie. i am thankful there are people as obsessed with food as i am. i wish my babies didn't have 'mom's meal is ready~ i need her RIGHT NOW' radar.

  
pizza port... one of my favorite reasons to camp at san elijo state beach