I recently made some vegetable quinoa that has turned out to be one of our go-to meals. It is really tasty, quick to make, and is very healthy and hearty – perfect for these cold, dark Fall nights. I got inspiration for the recipe from Mollie Katzen’s Vegetable Heaven cookbook, but adapted it to use whatever we had around the house.
Side note: for the record – we did not choose the pink window trim in the photo below. Judge me for other things, but not for that.
Halloween is my favorite holiday. As far as I can remember, it always has been. I’m not exactly sure why, but I think it has something to do with the lack of stress. No pressure, no over thinking it – it just is what it is, you know? This year I haven’t had quite enough time to do all the Halloween-related festivities I’d like (fingers crossed I can make it to a pumpkin patch), but I was able to make some Halloween sugar cookies last night. It was a new recipe that I would give two thumbs up. They have nutmeg in them, so they’re definitely not your traditional sugar cookies…even if the recipe is called “Traditional Sugar Cookies”. I won’t waste too much time pondering that.
The recipe can be found in this cookie cookbook.
1. Rainbow sprinkles make coffins and such seem less scary.
2. Mostly though, I couldn’t find my collection of sprinkles. Add it to the list of M.I.A. items since we moved 6 months ago.
I made what Mollie Katzen claims to be the “best pasta salad”. I might just have to agree with her. I put it together the night before a bbq we had last weekend, and I swear to you it tasted better the longer it sat in the fridge. Best. Leftovers. Ever.
The only photo of the finished salad was taken by Steve’s cousin. But here it is, proof. (Thanks Maggie!)
Side note: I doubled the recipe, and since our giant bowls were already being taken up by various other salads, the pasta salad ended up in a pot. What can you do, eh?
The recipe can be found in this book. If you’re thinking about making the purchase, I would definitely recommend it. The recipes are simple and delicious.
Usually when I make a fruit salad I literally just chop fruit up and put it in a bowl. For some reason last weekend I decided to follow a recipe. Call me crazy.
The above recipe can be found in this book.
Along with our house, Steve and I inherited carrots, potatoes, strawberries and rhubarb. Jack. Pot. The rhubarb is the only one ready to be harvested, so yesterday I decided to concoct a sparkling rhubarb drink with ingredients I had in the house. The recipe:
1 oz vodka
3 oz ginger ale
1 tbsp rhubarb simple syrup
2 ice cubes
{Pairs perfectly with a freshly mowed lawn.}
The recipe for the simple syrup can be found here and is also below.
Rhubarb Simple Syrup
2 cups rhubarb, cleaned and chopped
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
Add ingredients to a saucepan and cook until mixture reduces by a third. Rhubarb will be completely soft and sugar dissolved. Strain through cheesecloth to remove all fibers.
To be honest with you, I had no idea what was in Shepherd’s Pie until I googled it last weekend. As it turns out, it’s a delicious combo of mashed potatoes, ground beef and vegetables. You really can’t go wrong.
Last weekend Steve and I made Alton Brown’s version and I probably won’t ever try a different one. It was that good. (An important thing to note is that we used ground beef instead of ground lamb, which I would totally recommend.)
Also, there isn’t a photo to accompany this post. Which is probably for the best since it tastes way better than it looks.
Last week I made the best vegetarian lasagna I’ve ever had. Seriously delicious.
Steve and I followed that up with some shortbread. I’ve never made shortbread before, and it definitely turned out too crumbly. Thankfully it tasted really good though. Phew. Disclaimer: I actually don’t remember which shortbread recipe I used. I know it came out of one of our cookbooks, but I’m just not sure. For now, you should try this one and let me know how it turns out.
And what’s a Saturday night without a rip-roaring game of Yahtzee? (I won by the way. All of them.)
Last week I made some chocolate chip pumpkin cookies from a recipe I got in this book. They were chewy and delicious, with just the right amount of seasoning and pumpkin flavors.
(The only thing I would change the next time I make them, is to opt out of the frosting. I really don’t think they needed it.)
I used this little pumpkin that we got at the Carleton Farm pumpkin patch a few weeks ago.
Along with the invitation to my last bridal shower, everyone was asked to fill out a recipe card and bring it with them. My friend Amy won MVP when she not only provided the recipe, but also all of the sauces necessary to make Vietnamese Vermicelli Bowls. Steve and I decided to try the recipe out with pork on Friday night (you can use chicken, pork, tofu or beef). And let me tell you. It was insanely delicious. Such a tasty (and healthy!) meal.
Some of the sauces provided by Amy.
And some more to be used as toppings later on.
This is part of the recipe. I can't give you the whole thing as it is now a Hoang/Sullivan family secret.
The finished product, before being covered in sauces.
I found out on Friday night at around 10pm that I needed to bring a dessert to a friends house on Saturday. So I decided to whip up a white cake with butter cream frosting from scratch that night. (Don’t panic, it was actually much less time consuming than I expected.) It’s not perfect by any means, but it was delicious. Which is really all that matters. AmIrightoramIright?
Recipe for cake and frosting from the Betty Crocker Bridal Edition Cookbook.
You like that plate? The set was given to us about 4 years ago and their hideousness sort of makes me giggle.