Pizza Bread

I can't wait until I'm 80 years old and grocery shopping so my sassy attitude is easily accepted. I love recipes and meal planning, but unless I'm shopping at Shaw's (which is far less crowded, closer to home, but much more expensive) I loathe grocery shopping. We have a new massive and great Market Basket in town, and the old Market Basket (one minute down the road) is still open until the lease runs out. I went to the new one today with my students to do a grocery store scavenger hunt. This was at 10:00 this morning and it was mobbed. Then, after work, I did my own grocery shopping at the old one, which was also pretty busy. People just love to leave their carriages in the middle of the aisles, or not notice that their carriage is blocking the exact item you need. Then there's the whole leaving your carriage in a parking space issue, which I won't even get started on. If I did, this blog would turn into a violent rant, which may cause people to be afraid of me and stop reading.

Point is, you had the energy to walk through the store and shop, so you have the energy to put your cart in the corral.

Ok, so I said I wouldn't go there, but I have to share a story about carriages in the parking lot. Last week, at Shaw's, I ran into the store for a few items. It was one of those super freezing cold days, so luckily I only had 2 bags worth of food and didn't need a carriage. When I left, there was a woman trying to leave her carriage next to my driver's side door so I couldn't get into my car. Here's the dialogue that followed:

Me: "Ma'am, you need to move your cart, you're blocking my door".
Ma'am: "Oh, I'm sorry."
She grabs her cart and goes to put it on the other side of her car.
Ma'am: It's just too cold today to put it over there."
Me: "Yeah, it's cold. But I just think about the poor high school kids making minimum wage who have to be out in the cold even longer because they have to gather the carts from all over the parking lot because people don't put them over there."
She stares at me as I get in my car.

Ugh, people suck.


So, back on track. Thankfully, my longer shopping trip today fell on a good day. I didn't have to rush home after work to let the pups out because our baby Lana went under the knife today. She's all spayed and spending the night at the vet. As nice as it was to come home to a quiet house and cook without wondering what she's destroying in the living room, I miss her excited wiggle as she runs at me when I get home so she can hug me. Yeah, we hug when I get home...

A quick dinner was what I needed. Which, I know, doesn't make sense to choose a super easy dinner on a night where I would have the peace and quiet to make something a bit more grand, but I'm tired and I have a meeting first thing in the morning. After that I get to go pick up the little lady and hang out with her while she recovers all day. This dinner was quick and easy, but not exactly what I was hoping it would be. The bread gets a little soggy, and you should definitely spray your baking sheet, so this doesn't happen:

Pizza Bread
adapted from Pinch of Yum

1 lb. ground beef
handful of pepperonis chopped
peppers and onions, chopped and steamed in the microwave
1 jar pizza sauce
shredded cheese of your choice
6 sub rolls

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. Brown the beef in a skillet. Add the pepperoni, veggies and sauce and mix.
3. Hollow out the sub rolls and sprinkle some cheese on the bottom of each. Fill with meat mixture and top with another sprinkling of cheese.
4. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and sub rolls are slightly browned.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This recipe would have come in handy yesterday, during the freak snowstorm we got. The "light dusting" of snow we were warned about became a full blown storm of 5-6 inches in a matter of 4 hours or so. Way to go on that one, weather guys....

So, today was the day for soup. Today was also the day Lana decided to completely chew and destroy our TV remote. I guess the only plus side to that is that I learned there's an app for your phone where you can download a remote for Comcast. It's pretty neat, but I'd still prefer my remote. Most people around here would be panicking about a loss of a remote with such a big Patriots game on, but alas, I'm not much of a football fan. I didn't watch a second of the game. I spent my afternoon chasing Lana around and doing some meal planning. I'm loving the fact that I have tomorrow off as well. I already have my baking planned out and ready to go!

I wish I had known about this soup recipe a while ago. I love chicken soup, and there's nothing better when you have a cold, but I always find soup a bit lacking. I like stews and chowders, something with a little more sustenance. More veggies, more meat, more noodles, thicker broth...you catch my drift? Well, this recipe did just that for chicken noodle soup. There's enough chicken, noodles and veggies, but the best part is the broth. It's creamy and thicker, without being so heavy that you can't get through a bowl of it. I ate a bowl and a half! For soup, that's a feat for me. I usually have a small bowl and that's it. This recipe is also so easy to make. The most work I actually put in was having to cook some chicken before hand. If you have some pre-cooked chicken or even use a rotisserie chicken, this recipe comes together in minutes (well hours with the cook time), but little work on your part. Throw it into a crock pot and then go spend the next few hours chasing your dog, stopping her from destroying everything in sight, or maybe spend that time doing laundry. Hopefully you find a better was to spend those hours than doing laundry or controlling a crazy dog.

Also, before I move on to the recipe, I have to talk about the source. Better Homes and Gardens puts out these special edition magazines where they focus on certain recipe types. This one is from the 2014 Low-Carb Cooking edition. I also have one for Fast & Healthy cooking. There was one at the store today for slow cooker recipes, I should have grabbed it. I stopped getting cooking magazines, because there's so many recipes on the internet that I was ignoring my magazines and cookbooks. Now, I've found I enjoy the magazines. I spend so much time recipe planning, which online means just a lot of staring at the screen and scrolling, so having something tangible to hold is nice every now and then. Check out any of these magazines if you see one, I tore out at least 15 recipes from each, which is more than I usually do from a magazine.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
BH&G Low-Carb Cooking 2014

5 cups of water
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (10 oz) package frozen mixed vegetables
1 tsp. seasoned pepper
1.5 cups dried egg noodles

1. In your slow cooker, add the soup mixes and stir the water into them, stirring until combined and smooth.
2. Add the chicken, vegetables, and pepper. Cook on low 5-6 hours or high 3-4 hours.
3. Add the noodles and cook for another 30 minutes on the high setting until noodles are tender.

I love some Saltines in my soup. I don't have any, hence the cracker box in the background. I crushed up some butter crackers and threw them on top. Just look at how creamy that broth is in that picture!

Red Velvet Brownies with Chocolate Frosting

Now that Lana has become a crazy teenager, cooking and baking are a battle if I'm home alone with her. She's constantly trying to swipe things off the counter, running where I can't see her and peeing, or crying to go outside every 10 minutes. Tonight I decided to start these brownies when she finally fell asleep. The second she heard the dishwasher open, she was awake and in the kitchen next to me. She then distracted herself with her bouncy ball, so I took the opportunity to load up the dishwasher. I noticed she was a little quiet so when I looked around the corner to living room I found her tearing the stuffing out of our couch cushion. Therefore, no more baking when Dan isn't home to watch her. Once he got home I was able to make the frosting without worrying about what destruction may be going on in the living room.

And go figure, when I had Dan to keep her occupied, she decided to nap.

*Sigh


Anyways, these brownies are rich in every sense of the word. They're dense, and the red velvet flavor is insane. That's also because instead of using the red food coloring, I used a red velvet emulsion in place of it. So I had the making of a red velvet batter, plus some red velvet flavoring. It was a double dose of red velvet. Then, it's topped off with a frosting that I will probably use on any chocolate cake I may make in the future. It's creamy, smooth, and insanely rich. Not something I tend to like, but if you're gonna go for chocolate frosting - go all out. Basically, don't make these if you're dieting, because they are the anti-diet brownies. So if you're not dieting, or cheating on your diet, or just throwing caution to the wind, try making these.

Red Velvet Brownies with Chocolate Frosting
from Deliciously Yum

Brownies:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1.5 cups sugar
1.5 tbsp. red velvet emulsion or liquid red food coloring
1.5 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 large eggs

Frosting:
8 oz. milk chocolate chips
2.5 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup cocoa powder
pinch of salt
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla


1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave and stir until smooth. Mix into the flour mixture using a rubber spatula.
4. Add the sugar into the mix and mix until combined.
5. Add the emulsion or food coloring, vanilla and cider and mix until combined before adding the eggs. Add the eggs and mix until the eggs are just combined.
6. Pour batter into pan and bake 35-40 minutes. Let cool.
7. For the frosting, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave and set aside.
8. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, cocoa powder and salt.
9. Add the corn syrup and vanilla and stir one minute to combine. Add the melted chocolate and stir one more minute until combined and smooth.
10. Spread on the brownies and then try not to eat them all!

The first brownie removed from a pan never comes out clean and pretty. Then again, I was using a paper party plate, so I can't exactly say I was going for the prettiest picture out there. But, you get the idea from this picture what you're in for.

Cheesy Garlic Brown Sugar Pork Chops

What a start to the week it has been. The best news I have is that our home now has interior doors up! Before Monday, we only had an interior door to the bathroom and the basement. We now have the doors up for our bedroom, the guest rooms, and the doorknobs are finally on the basement door. I can finally say goodbye to the baby gate blocking the hallway from Lana's course of destruction in the bedrooms. The other new so far this week is dismal and annoying. Midterms start at the high school tomorrow, so my students have a lovely unfamiliar schedule causing all sorts of anxiety. Midterms also mean a new quarter starts next week, so grades and report cards are due. I had two two-hour meetings today (which went well), but that also throws a day into upheaval. I finished a re-evaluation report today as well, only to get to planning on the next one. Life certainly doesn't slow down this time of year for a teacher....or any time of year...

At least there is a three-day weekend coming up this weekend. A much needed day off is in store! The past couple weeks have reminded why I said I would never get a puppy again and only rescue an older dog. It seems like Lana has forgotten all of her training and commands. I believe she has hit puberty, so that brings on a slew of behaviors for her. The dogs have begun battling for each other's food, and Lana will even try to jump the fence....while attached to a leash in my hands. So, I say again like I said after raising Tess, no more puppies. I had finally gotten into a good groove where I was able to cook a meal uninterrupted by them, they would both lay around, Lana was finally laying in the kitchen with me while I was cooking, but that didn't last too long. Now I have to check back every three minutes because her newest behavior is peeing and pooping everywhere in the house. No more puppies...

I guess there a second good piece of news. Tonight's recipe came out fabulously! My lack of recent grocery shopping has left me eating pasta dishes lately, so tonight I was definitely ready for anything but. Funny thing is, what did I have as a side with this? A veggie mac and cheese steamer side. Well, at least the main portion wasn't pasta, right? Using a good amount of fresh garlic not only makes the dish taste wonderful, but my house smells heavenly right now. The garlic, brown sugar, butter and smoked paprika make an unbeatable flavor combination. As much as I'm a supporter of adding to cheese to just about anything, you don't even need it for these. Granted, it added even more flavor, but if you want to cut back on the calories and fat, feel free to leave the cheese out. You won't miss it if you've never tried it with the cheese. Go ahead and make these for your next dinner, you won't be sorry. I promise.

Cheesy Garlic Brown Sugar Pork Chops
from Beyer Beware

3 or 4 pork chops
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp. butter, melted
salt & pepper
1 tsp. smoked paprika (regular is fine)
1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Rub both sides of pork chops with brown sugar and garlic. Don't be shy, use it all up!
3. Pour butter over pork chops.
4. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Top with cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.

Peanut Butter, Beef and Cheese Dog Treats

What do you do when you want to make something, but nothing seems appealing? You make something for your dogs. At least, that's what I did. I went through cupcake recipes and baking recipes, and just couldn't settle on anything. I found a recipe I had pinned a while ago for a dog biscuit. I didn't want to use that recipe so I searched for some others. I really tried to avoid ones with peanut butter in them because Tess is not a fan of peanut butter. All of the other flavored ones were more time intensive and would've had me searching for some rarer ingredients. I finally found one that had some peanut butter, but some beef flavor and cheese as well. Tess is at my parents' right now, so she won't try one until tomorrow, but Lana loves them. She even loved making them.

How can you not love cooking with this little one? I know how...when she tries to steal everything off of the counters. See how in the background there's a lot of clutter at the back of the counters? That's because it's out of her reach...

This recipe was nice and simple. The only items I needed were natural peanut butter and beef bouillon cubes. If you want to make this, go for the ground bouillon, I ended up crushing my cube so it would dissolve faster into the milk. In the end, they were quick to make and very basic. They make quite a bit, I stopped making them after 20 cookies, but the recipe could make about double that.

Peanut Butter, Beef and Cheese Dog Treats
from Homemade Laughs

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 cup fat free milk
1 beef bouillon cube
1 cup natural peanut butter
1 handful shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease a cookie sheet.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.
3. In another mixing bowl, dissolve the bouillon into the milk. Add the peanut butter and cheese and mix until fully combined. It will be chunky at first, but it will all come together.
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out some dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Using any shape cutter you'd like, cut out shapes and place on greased baking sheet.
6. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Shrimp and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

It's a tropical 7 degrees out right now. I don't think I'm helping the depressing matter by looking at honeymoon locations. I'm ready for winter to be over already.

Today was my second day back to work after winter break and an extra two snow days. After two weeks of eating at my leisure, it's been hard to get back to the school schedule. I'm back to lunch before 11 (yes, the first lunch shift at the school is at 10:21). This leaves me starving by 5, especially the last two days, I haven't even had an appetite that early in the day. Yesterday I ate maybe a 1/4 cup of couscous and veggies, and today I ate about the same amount, but it was pomegranate seeds. By the time I got home tonight, I was pretty ravenous. It was definitely a good thing that I had something on the healthier side planned.

This recipe was quick, simple, and had so many great flavors. At the store today, as I was grabbing some goat cheese, I saw the honey goat cheese. Out of curiosity I grabbed it, hoping it would add another element of flavor to these quesadillas. It sure did, the goat cheese was my favorite part. I would repeat this same recipe, but change it slightly. The roasted red peppers were pretty water-packed, so when heated, they released the water in them, making these a little messy to eat. I think I would maybe do some roasted corn next time, though the red peppers did have a great flavor. I added in some of the sweet and smoky rub I tend to use in most of my Mexican-style recipes. The original recipe didn't have any seasoning on the shrimp or peppers, which seemed a little bland to me. You could add any seasonings you like. I also recommend (like I do every time I use tortillas) Mission Carb Balance tortillas. They are super soft and fresh, and have less carb than other flour tortillas. I did put my recipe into My Fitness Pal online, and each serving (makes 4) was 194 calories. Not bad considering my tacos and quesadillas are usually loaded with salty seasoning, loads of melted cheese and sour cream.

Shrimp and Goat Cheese Tacos
adapted from Savour the Senses

20 or so shrimp, peeled, deveined, cooked and chopped
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, minced
2 tsp of a seasoning of your choice
2 oz. Honey goat cheese (or any flavor or plain)
4 flour tortillas
olive oil for brushing
black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray lightly.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the shrimp, red pepper, jalapeno and seasoning.
3. Spread the goat cheese over the four tortillas. Spread the shrimp mix on half of each tortilla. Fold over and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with black pepper.
4. Bake for 8 minutes, or until golden brown and tortilla gets a little crispy.

Lemony Chicken and Green Beans

Some divine power must love me, because I got two bonus vacation days! So far, it's a good start to 2014!

The start of 2014 means, like it does every year, that I'm going to eat healthier. I am currently here blogging as the snow starts to pick up, as Dan shovels outside (I asked if he wanted some help and he said no), and as my cousin muds our laundry room in the basement. Also, he brought his dog, who is not fixed, and neither is our Lana. That was a disaster, so now I have a crying puppy in the garage and a crying puppy in the house, and all they want is to see each other. Lana has been crying and screeching for a solid 20 minutes now...

Luckily, I was able to cook dinner before the arrival of Brody (the other dog), so I had a little quiet time in the kitchen. Well, other than when Lana tried to steal a raw chicken breast from me...

I just keep telling myself, "Puppies are cute. This is normal. I love Lana.". Over, and over, and over.

Last month, or maybe even back in November, I grabbed an issue of Better Homes & Gardens special edition on low-carb cooking. I'm glad I did, because I tabbed over half the recipes in the magazine, which is rare. Knowing we were getting snow I chose one slow cooker recipe for tomorrow (not from the magazine) and this chicken recipe for tonight. It is an incredibly easy recipe that I made even easier by buying thin-sliced chicken breast, skipping the step of flattening them out, and microwave steamer green beans, that I quickly added to the lemon and capers. I was in and out of the kitchen in 20 minutes. Okay, maybe 25 since I did have to spend some time fighting off Lana as she tried to sneak some chicken.

Lemony Chicken and Green Beans
slightly adapted from BH&G Low-Carb Cooking

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin (I used 8 thin-sliced breasts so we had some extra)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard (didn't use all of it, it's just to brush on the chicken)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs (I used plain)
olive oil
8 oz. green beans
2 lemons, 1 sliced and 1 juiced
1 tbsp. capers, rinsed and drained

1. Heat oven to warm to keep chicken warm after it cooks.
2. Trim chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Brush each chicken breast with mustard on each side and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
3. In a large skillet on medium heat, heat a swirl of oil. Add chicken in two batch of four, and cook on each side for 3 minutes or until cooked through. Move to the oven to keep warm.
4. Add another swirl of oil to the pan. Add the sliced lemons, lemon juice and capers. Add the green beans and cook for one minute, stirring to coat the beans in the lemon.
5. Serve!

The beans were SUPER lemony. I would cut back on this with maybe half the lemon juice and some other seasoning. My first bite made my cheeks sting and my mouth pucker. Not exactly what I want when eating dinner. The chicken was fantastic! I really thought since I used plain bread crumbs that I would think they are too plain, but they weren't. The hint of mustard and the salt and pepper gave it just enough flavoring, keeping them healthy. And, since they were thin-sliced, I didn't feel super guilty for having two pieces!

Lana crying at the door to see Brody