that was good...

I just ate what I cooked and all I can say is YUMMMMMMMY!  Sometimes you need to toot your own horn and this meal=very good!

So when I noticed how much shrimp and chicken I had in my freezer I thought I needed to get out of that box a little bit.  About that time pork tenderloin went on sale at our local grocery store! yay! I love a bargain!  So when I went and got the pork tenderloin I did not realize that in each pack was 2 big tenderloins.  Since I am only cooking for 2 dinners (and one lunch) I didn't need both for the meal I cooked the other night.  So I wrapped one of them back up to save for later.  This morning I got it out to start the marination process :o)  I looked for some recipes but didn't find anything I liked so I thought I would make one up myself!!
...I am going to try and remember all the ingredients:
1/2 cup red wine (not a fresh bottle but maybe one you opened a week or so ago and didn't finish)
**I always keep my bottles I don't finish to cook with.
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbs. of worcestershire sauce
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
a few cloves of garlic (minced)
1/4 cup of dijon mustard
several basil leaves chopped
tsp. garlic powder

I poked holes in the pork tenderloin to make sure all the goodness seeps in.
By the time I grilled this it had marinated for about 6 or 7 hours.
Before I put it on the grill I washed and wrapped a couple sweet potatoes and threw them in the oven to bake.
I put the pork on a low flame on the grill whole 1st.  As it was grilling I kept going back and brushing it with the remaining marinade.  After a while I went ahead and cut the pork in half.
**when it is a decently thick piece of meat it takes a while to cook through.  But I don't like cutting it because that sometimes causes it to dry out.  But since I was brushing it with the remaining marinade several times it was staying pretty moist.**

As that was grilling I put on one of the sides I made.  Very simple slice zucchini, sliced onions, fresh garlic, salt and pepper :o)  All grilled in a tin foil pouch.

Sometimes cooking involves multi-tasking.  All the sides were done and I was just waiting for the pork to be done.  I wanted it the slightest bit pink in the middle.
So as I was waiting and every once and a while brushing the marinade on it I started my craft for the week (or longer at the rate it is going).
I want some oil lamps out on our front porch so I am making my own!  Warpping wine bottles with twine and then decorating them with vintage buttons :o)  We will see.

FINALLY the pork is all done.  It is a bit charred on the outside but perfectly pink and moist on the inside.  A little yogurt butter, truvia, and cinnamon on the sweet potatoes and all is ready to go!

old school pizza and corn

It has been a few days since I have posted but that does not mean I have not been cooking up some good stuff :o)  Just about everything on last week's menu was a hit!  I say just about everything because I had a bit of a flop with the pizza stuffed portabellas :-/  It was not too bad but I don't think I will be making them again.  They were a bit too messy and too juicy.  The taste was OK but Sean and I both agreed the texture and sloppy factor was not that great.  They tasted better the next day when all the juice from the mushroom had kind of drained out.

Tonight is going to be Pizza quesadillas and grilled corn on the cob.
I think this is going to be an easy one so I am not even going to bother with a cooking snack :o)
Very simple ingredients:
whole wheat flour tortillas
onion
olives
cherry tomatoes
green peppers
mushrooms
a few cloves of garlic minced (enough for the sautéing the veggies and grilling the chicken)
shredded mozzarella cheese
freshly grated parmesan cheese
olive oil spray
ground pepper and salt
For the dipping sauce I used some of my homemade marinara sauce
italian grilled chicken (thinly sliced)
**All I did for that was use some italian spices and fresh garlic and grilled them up**

here is all the pizza fix ins 

You can use any pizza toppings you like.  Sean and I usually love a lot of veggies.
Sauté all the veggies up and then assemble the Quesadilla.  I put a small amount of sauce on the actual quesadilla but most of it I use for dipping.  Crisp it up in the pan and it's ready to go!

I chose to do grilled corn on the cob for a side.  Remember when you were in school and they always had pizza and corn?  That was my inspiration :o)
The other day when Sean actually had a day off :o) we went to our favorite craft beer place here, Oak Tree wine and spirits, and found some yummy stuff.  We tried Southern Tier's Oak Aged Unearthy imperial IPA with our dinner tonight :o) Paired very nicely!

I went ahead and had mine but I knew Sean would not be home until late so I didn't assemble his until he got home.  I had it all crisped up and ready on the plate by the time he got out of his uniform and his PJ's on :o)  There is plenty left over so tomorrow he will have another yummy lunch to take with!

gooey yummy burgers!

ohhhhhh what a beautiful day in the neighborhood!  OK, so everybody said that I would enjoy Groton a lot more in the warmer months (which does not last long at all so you HAVE to enjoy it while it lasts).  I think those people who said that were a little right.  There really is a different feeling up here when the trees start blooming :o)
It is a perfect evening to take a nice glass of red wine on the back porch and grill our dinner.
Tonight is Caprese turkey burgers.  This is one of the simplest things to make.

My cooking snack tonight is a little bit of almond butter and honey on some sliced apples :o)

Ingredients for the burgers:
pack of lean ground turkey
3 cloves minced garlic
sea salt
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
whole wheat bread crumbs (I had some left over from last night's dinner)
olive oil
fresh mozzarella cheese
cherry tomatoes
basil (torn into small pieces)
whole wheat hamburger buns
Mix garlic, bread crumbs, sprinkle of salt, balsamic and tsp.(ish) of olive oil in a bowl.
**Once again it's easiest to use my hands for all this.  I Pat out pretty thin turkey burger patties (eventually I am going to put these patties together and don't want to have the finished product too thick where it's hard to eat).  on one patty I place 2 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced cherry tomatoes, and torn basil leaves.  I then place another thin patty on top of it so all the cheese and goodness is in the middle of 2 turkey burger patties.  Now it's time to throw this awesomeness on the grill.

for the buns I mixed just a little balsamic vinegar and yogurt butter and spread it on each side.  

I also made a mini burger for Sean's lunch.  :o)

For homemade potato chips:
3 or 4 small potatoes- thinly sliced with peeling on (that is where a lot of the nutrients are)
a tbs. of olive oil
sprinkle of garlic salt
fresh ground pepper
In a large bowl stir in all ingredients and make sure the potatoes are just about covered in the spices.  The oven needs to be on about 425.   I spread out the potatoes on a baking stone (if you don't have one, GET ONE! they are awesome) but you can also line a baking sheet with foil.  Usually to get them good and crispy on the baking stone it takes around 20ish minutes.

Just the right amount of crispy! 

REALLY juicy so I cut them just a little bit in the middle and let them drain a little on the grill.

The cheese, basil, and sweet cherry tomatoes all melted just perfectly together to make the burgers all gooey and perfect with every bite!  

sounds like a yummy plan to me!

First off, I would like to express how much my heart goes out to the people that were effected in any way from the bombing in Boston.  I am sure that many people as they said their nightly prayers lifted up all of Boston.  We need to continue to do so.

SO, yesterday started "Operation CLEAN THIS HOUSE!"  Spring is trying so hard to reach Groton CT.  So to help it out I have started wearing my flip flops, grilling just about every night, and started the spring cleaning process.  I am also getting organized with one of my "wifely duties."  Usually during the week I will make a trip to the grocery store down the road at least 3 or 4 times.  I realize this is happening because of my lack of planning :-/  I have decided that on Sunday I am going to plan our dinners Monday through Friday and get all my recipe lists together.  Then I can see exactly what I need and exactly what I don't have.  Then monday will be my grocery store day to go get all the ingredients that I don't already have.
SO this week it is going to be...
Monday: BBQ chicken, Zucchini chips, grilled corn on the cob (this meal was wonderful! We were so hungry that I didn't blog or take a picture of it!) it was yummy yummy!
**Sean got a yummy BBQ sandwich for lunch from this today**
Tuesday (tonight): Spaghetti and turkey meatballs
Wednesday: Caprese turkey burgers and homemade potato chips
Thursday: Pizza stuffed portabella
Friday: honey sesame chicken

 To start you have to have your cooking snack!

Because I can...i started with a dessert snack :o) I found these awesome boxed cookies from one of my favorite brands "Back to Nature."  They are just the right chewy, crunchy, salty and sweet.  And of course I had to have a little glass of milk with them!

Spaghetti and turkey meatballs:
Once again I made my own marinara sauce--> 2 cans of diced tomatoes (pureed), 4 cloves of garlic (minced), a few leafs of basil and a sprig of oregano (all minced with the garlic).  As all that was simmering I added around a half a cup of red wine, a tsp. (ish) of olive oil, and a little sea salt.
This is my first time making these meatballs--> I got this recipe from Pinterst but of course I put my little twist on it :o)
Ingrediants:
pack of lean ground turkey 
whole wheat bread crumbs (i made my own with a little garlic salt and olive oil)
2 eggs whites
onion (chopped very fine)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1(ish) tbs. of olive oil
oregano
thyme
ground pepper

a few chopped basil leaves 
1/3 (ish) c. of freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

2 tbs.  Worcestershire sauce

1/3 c. of chicken broth 

I sautéed the onions, herbs and spices in the olive oil until the onions were tender.  Then add the Worcestershire and chicken broth (cook out a bit of the liquid).  After that cooled down a little I mixed it in a large bowl with the ground turkey, bread crumbs, Parm, and egg whites. 

*you have to mix all this with your hands...sometimes it's good to get your hands a little dirty when cooking.  Puts a little extra love in it :o) *

After it is all mixed and mushed together I roll out the balls and place them on a baking sheet (covered in foil to help with the mess later).  Cook for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees. 

**another tip, I also found that putting the mixture all in the fridge for about 5 to 10 minutes as you clean up some mess helps with forming the meatballs.

The finished meatball product! I topped it with a little extra grated Parm. :o)

All of it together :o) YUMMY!  I used Barilla's Plus (it's a little better for ya) angel hair pasta. 

**As I was making all of this I was not satisfied with the individual parts of this meal.  I didn't think the meatballs tasted amazing by themselves and I didn't think the sauce tasted alright by itself.  But when I put it all together with of course a little extra freshly grated Parm. on top..it all came together :o)

I paired it with this yummy new Petite Sirah I found :o)  This wine might have been a bit too acidic for this dish.  Probably would have been paired a bit better with my favorite Cabernet Sauvignon.

**The hubby finally came home and has given this meal 2 thumbs up!! 

warm weather warm food!

Perfect day in the neighborhood!  After being sick for a week and not being able to get out of this house at all, today was a wonderful day to be well!  Sean and I have an agreement; I cook all during the week and on the weekends he takes me out :o)  Well last week I could not hold up my end of the deal.  SO Sean had to live off left overs and take out.  But not tonight!!
Since it is so pretty outside I thought what makes me think spring and warm weather is on it's way!?  Of course the grill!!  I love grillin' weather! (of course however, when we moved up here one of the moving guys said that he loves to grill steak on the 1st snow...so I guess any weather is grillin' weather up here).  Tonight it is going to be tequila lime grilled chicken quesadillas with home-made guacamole on the side :o)
This afternoon I started the marinating :o)
In the marinade:
3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
1/4 cup of tequila
juice from one lime
tsp. olive oil
sprinkle of salt
tbs. cumin
tbs. smoked paprika
a little chili powder (depends on how spicy you want it)
*I like to puncture my chicken before marinating so the flavor really sinks in.

I Slice half an onion and half a green pepper.  All this gets tossed in about a tbs. (ish) of taco mix powder and 3 or 4 whole garlic cloves (really gives the onions and peppers a creamy garlic flavor)

On one side of the grill (very low heat so it stays pretty juicy) I place the chicken on the other side i placed the onion and peppers.

While that is grilling all nicely I start to make my guacamole.  OK, you know how I always say to have a snack while you are cooking?  Well, I do that for a reason :o) After all was said and done the hubby had a little less chips and guacamole to eat :o) 

When the chicken is done Cut the it thin.  Then I am ready to assemble my quesadilla!

I make sure the cheese goes on 1st so it melts all nicely.  After all the fixings are on I throw it back on the grill to get all crisped up.  

To start off with I only made one because I thought I was going to eat it by myself (usually the hubby does not get home in time to eat with me).  But as I laid the single quesadilla on the grill the door opened!  YAY I have a dinner date!  

The windows are open with a nice breeze, the husband is eating by my side (he paired his quesadilla with Founders Centennial IPA), I have a nice glass of J. Lohr Chardonnay, The voice is about to come on (Sean won't admit it but he loves watching that with me!)...spring is here FINALLY! 

Amendment to...

Amendment to "a submarine and a pizza"

another lesson...sometimes your original intent will change into the actual intent.
So one thing I have learned being on the US Navy support crew (aka a sailor's house wife) is that what you plan could and usually does change :o)
So the quick "homemade" pizza that was to be eaten by my rushing husband before church turns into the quick comfort food for a night with "Reba."(i love that show!)

:o) a happy wife's tummy :o)

...later there will be ice cream!

a submarine and a pizza

Some days you just don't want to get out of the bed.  But this morning I did and I was thankful I could :o)  Made some good strong coffee and had a nice cereal creation (Sean swears that we should start a cereal only restaurant with all my creations!)

I was blessed to be able to babysit one of the cutest and coolest kids ever, little Gus! 

After getting home I felt a little poopy.  However, there was still so much to do!  But sometimes a nap is just needed.  When I woke up the "so much to do" was still there! :-o  So even not feeling too well I got to it.  

When I was young I can remember my Daddy coming home and telling Mama that there was a lunch at school the next day and he was bringing ____________.  So I really knew that meant Mama was making __________ and daddy was going to take it and brag on how awesome of a wife he has.  Well even before Sean and I were married this started :o)  I don't mind at all making cookies, a side dish, cupcakes, a submarine...that's right I said a submarine.  

In about 2 weeks Sean and I get to get all dressed up and attend my very first big submarine ball.  I went to one in Charleston with him but the way people talk, there is none to compare to the Sub Ball in Groton CT.  At this Sub Ball the different boats are to represent their tables with centerpieces.  Sean and I have agreed to make one of these centerpieces.  When they said "centerpiece" I thought to myself I can so do some centerpieces!  We did all our centerpieces at our wedding!  But then after talking to Sean and some of the other sailors I discovered these centerpieces were not just flowers and candles.  So...I am in the process of making a submarine.

This is the beginning of what will hopefully be our submarine centerpiece.  I will put the finished product up as soon as it is done...unless it sucks.

Ok, now for supper!

Even though Sean and I don't have kids yet we sometimes have a lot going on during the week. This week is holy week so that means there is LOTS o' church!  I know how this is going to go tonight...he is going to rush home from work about 15 minutes before we have to leave, still need to shower and change, and I still want to provide a hot meal for my sailor when he comes home from work.  So a quick and easy thing that is always sure to make his tummy smile is "homemade" pizza!

Still have to have a snack while cooking :o)  Since I was feeling a little poop-like I chose pretzels and some awesome unfiltered Ginger Ale

I make my own sauce which is simmering on the stove now; one can of diced tomato (pureed just a little more), half a can of tomato paste, fresh basil and fresh garlic (minced), a little sea salt, and a tsp. of olive oil.

The crust: I said it was "homemade pizza" because I cheat a little when there is a time constraint:

Sean and I LOVE all veggie pizzas.  I do it different just about every time.  Tonight, I chopped up some purple onion, red pepper, kalamata and green olives, portabella mushrooms, and sun dried tomatoes.  

I put the crust on a baking stone (makes the edges just the right amount of crispy).  

Generously put the sauce and all the veggies on the crust.

sprinkle a little shredded cheese, freshly grated parmesan cheese, a couple chopped leafs of basil and it is ready to go for when the hubby calls to say he is rushing on his way home.  

:o) happy tummies happy home!!