Monday, January 24, 2011

Flexitarian?

It's a real thing, I promise.

flexitarian
n
1.
a person who eats a predominantly vegetarian diet, but who eats meat or fish occasionally

A few months ago, I convinced the family that we should participate in Meatless Monday and it really lit a fire in me. I love veggies. I mean, I actually *crave* them. I don't need meat. Unfortunately (for me), I live with two very dedicated carnivores. After lots of thought and research, I decided that flexitarianism might be exactly what I need! My reasons for limiting the amount of meat I eat aren't ethical or moral. It's a preference and a choice to improve my overall health and well-being. 

I don't want to throw a huge kink into the family meals though, so here's the plan: when I am eating solo (lunch, Laura's at work, etc.) I'll eat "vegi-". When we're all together, I'll eat "flexi-." Meat will be incorporated into our family meals, except on Monday. They still have to deal with that. :)
















Sunday, January 23, 2011

"Where Did You Get Your Apron!?"

I've heard this question many times so I thought I'd share my secret. I found this awesome little shop on Etsy that has the cutest, flirtiest aprons EVER! You've got to check out Kisses N Lollipops.

"Leftovers" Cupcakes

Last week I wanted to bake and realized I had leftover frosting in the freezer. There was a tub of chocolate fudge frosting from the peanut butter cupcakes that didn't turn out so hot. There was also a tub of bourbon caramel cream cheese frosting from the second batch of amazing eggnog cupcakes. Being the frugal person that I am, I decided to use the leftovers. I baked up a batch of vanilla cupcakes from the book 500 Cupcakes and frosted half with the chocolate and the other half with the cream cheese. Truth be told, they weren't that great. Brennan still ate them but he's 12 so he'll eat any sweets he can! I'll keep searching for the perfect vanilla cupcake recipe.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Curry Perfume!?

I love curry...love it! I love the taste, the smell, everything! I love it so much that when I was cooking dinner the other night I told Laura that I'd wear curry perfume if I could find it. She asked me not to ;) I found this recipe when I was cooking with pearl onions for Thanksgiving and couldn't wait to try it! Pearl Onions and Curry Chicken served with some rice, asparagus, and naan. Yumm!

 Pearl Onions & Curry Chicken

10 oz. package pearl onions, peeled (boil in a pot of water for about 3 minutes to make them easier to peel)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 tbsp. curry powder
1/4 cup white white
1/2 tsp. Sriracha ("Rooster Sauce")
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil

Sauté chicken breasts in olive oil. I seasoned with a little curry powder, salt, and pepper first.  Remove after cooking and cut into chunks.  Sauté pearl onions in the same pan for about 3 minutes.  Stir in curry powder, garlic, and Sriracha.  Sauté until the onions are translucent.  Return chicken to the pan and stir in wine and tomato sauce. Let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serves 4.