Belated Valentine's Wishes

HELLO!! It's been an excruciating week with lots of school work! So, it's been a while and I didn't have the opportunity to stop and say HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! We didn't do much for Valentine's day, sat back, played some Little Big Planet 2, and had a few drinks. Which leads me to my current post, I have a new love -- sadly Steven has been shoved aside -- Beringer, I love you! We placed the bottle of Beringer in the fridge and I have now started to add one ice cube which lightens the taste and makes it crisper and cleaner (for me at least). MMmmmM...it is the most delicious wine I have tasted thus far & what makes me happiest...it's super inexpensive! Hope everyone else had a wonderful Valentine's involving great food/drink!

Our next post will be about the pizzas I promised last post.

In Texas, as I would hope the cost would average around the same price, we can pick a bottle up for about $5-$6

Happy (Belated) Valentine's Day!

"Crazy Bread"

We love the "Crazy Bread" from the pizza company Little Caesars! However, we prefer homemade pizzas more than any franchise's pizza. So, we decided to try our own "Crazy Bread"! The "Crazy Bread" didn't taste exactly like theirs, but I don't have their secret recipe, so we winged it --AND -- these bread-sticks turned out delicious! I will follow with two posts about our homemade pizzas we had with the scrumptious "Crazy Bread"! 

"Crazy Bread" : 

Homemade pizza dough / packaged pizza dough that still needs preparation

4 T Butter

2 T Garlic powder

1/2 t Salt

Parmesan powder cheese

- Heat oven to 425

- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper

- Melt the butter -- add the garlic powder & salt to butter, and mix thoroughly

- Roll your pizza dough into a rectangle

- Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 1 inch strips & the length of your choice

- Place the dough strips onto the baking sheet

- Stir the butter mixture -- brush the butter mixture onto the dough strips

- Place in the oven and bake 8-10 minutes -- until light golden brown -- remove from oven

- Once you have removed them from the oven -- sprinkle with the Parmesan powder cheese

- Let the "Crazy Bread" cool & enjoy

VOILA!

Simple "Crazy Bread"

Versatile Meatballs : Spaghetti & Meatballs

As promised, the recipe for the tomato sauce the meatballs are in. I love these spaghetti & meatballs! They remind me of when I was a child spending time at my grandmother's, she would spend an entire day making spaghetti & meatballs, then after a delicious dinner, she would freeze quart-size bags and then we could have spaghetti & meatballs whenever we wanted! 

Versatile Meatballs - Spaghetti & Meatballs : 

2- 28oz Can tomato sauce

1 Large Tomato (once chopped roughly 3 C) or 28 oz Can diced tomatoes

1- 6 oz Can tomato Paste

1 Bell pepper

1 Yellow onion

1 t Garlic powder

Salt

Black pepper

- In a large pot, combine tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, & tomato paste

- Finely chop bell pepper & onion -- add to pot

- Add garlic powder & stir -- Turn the heat onto medium-high & cover

- After 15 min, stir, add meatballs & salt & pepper to taste -- stir & cover

- After 15 min, taste the sauce, adjust seasonings if needed, if the sauce is too thick, add 1/2 C water & stir

- Let the sauce cook for another 30 minutes on medium -- Check at 15 min intervals

- Serve over pasta

VOILA!

Simple Spaghetti & Meatballs!

Versatile Meatballs : Meatball Subs

To follow up our versatile meatball post (because I promised I would) I want to show you how we incorporate them into other tasty meals! One of the meals we used our meatballs for was meatball subs. 

(My next post will include a recipe for spaghetti sauce)

Super easy & super delicious!

Versatile Meatball Sub : 

1 Mini baguette

2 Meatballs in spaghetti sauce

1 C onion (sliced)

2 T Olive oil

Sea Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

- Cut the baguette in half lengthwise & then cut the height in half to resemble the picture above

- Toast the bun in the oven @ 350 for 10 min -- if you like yours crispier like I do, turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes as well -- watch carefully if you turn the broiler on so the bun doesn't burn!

- When bun is done, take out to cool

- Heat a skillet with olive oil on medium heat -- when oil is heated add onion and salt & pepper to taste

- Saute onions until they are soft

- Take your 2 meatballs and slice in half

- Place bun on plate, place the half meatballs on bun, top with onion!

** You can always saute a bit of thinly sliced bell pepper with the onion -- we just didn't have any in the house **

VOILA!

Simple Versatile Meatball Subs!

Versatile Meatballs

When we eat out I never order a meatball sub, spaghetti & meatballs, or meatloaf. Why?? Because I am very very particular about the taste of the meat. However, I do have a recipe from my grams that takes care of all the cravings I could have for these foods! Luckily, Steven likes the recipe too, even though when we were first dating and he discovered what I put into the meat -- he swore it was not going to be good, but agreed to try them. Some of his favorite foods are now made with these versatile meatballs! I will be updating with the two variations of meals you can make with these meatballs!

Versatile Meatballs :

1 lb Ground meat (beef / turkey)

1 Egg

3/4 C Fine Breadcrumbs (unseasoned)

1/4 C Bell Pepper (finely chopped & strained very well)

1/4 C Onion (finely chopped & strained very well)

1/2 t Salt

1 T Ground black pepper

- Preheat oven to 400

- Prepare a large baking sheet with foil & spay with cooking oil

- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with hands -- Make sure all ingredients are incorporated into the meat

- Separate meat and roll into small balls about 1 inch wide -- Place on baking sheet

- Bake for 15-20 minutes (depending on the exact size of your meat balls -- check at 15, if they are cooked through remove from oven)

- Remove from oven and set aside to cool

** Make sure to strain the bell pepper & onion well -- or the liquid will ruin the consistency of the meatballs **

VOILA!

Simple Versatile Meatballs!

Tasty Veggies

Lately I have been wanting to try zucchini, squash, & eggplant. However, I couldn't figure out the best way to try them either independently or together. Over the past weekend I just figured I would cook them all together with flavors I love...and...they were DELICIOUS!

Tasty Veggies : 

1 Zucchini (sliced and quartered)

1 Yellow squash (sliced and quartered)

1 Japanese eggplant (sliced and quartered)

1/4 C Onion strips

1/3 C Red bell pepper strips

2 Garlic cloves -- minced

1 T Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

- In a large skillet heat oil on medium-high

- When oil is heated add onion & garlic -- cook until onion is caramalized

- Add zucchini, yellow squash, & bell pepper -- Stir

- Add salt & pepper to taste

 - Add eggplant when yellow squash begins to get tender

- Cook for an additional 2 minutes

- Place in serving dish

 VOILA!

Tasty Veggies

DO YOU KNOW HOW IMPORTANT ALFALFA IS?

*Alfalfa is the main food for dairy cows, beef cattle and honey bees.

HELP SAVE OUR ALFALFA!

 

TO TAKE ACTION BEFORE MONDAY 1/24 :  http://communications.wholefoodsmarket.com/servlet/website/ResponseForm?PohsLEVTUU_TU_VU_0HrL_7Jmphg_uLPU

Do you believe organic and non-GE farmers have a right to grow foods without fear of contamination from genetically engineered crops? Do you want the choice to buy organic and non-GE products?

To get the whole story : http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2011/01/urgent-action-needed-to-support-organics-and-non-ge-crops/

Everything borrowed from wholefoodsmarket blog : http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/