Life is Good

Life is good when you can wake up, have 2 cups of coffee with rice milk, and study Constitutional Law in your bathrobe until noon.

Chicken Florentine

If this blog is turning into a list of recipes, so be it! Second to the crockpot, casseroles are my next best friend because they are simple, easy, and will usually take care of at least 2 of your food groups. Here is another easy and foolproof recipe that is simply delicious!

Ingredients:

1 can of chicken

1 box of chopped spinach, thawed

2 cans of cream of mushroom

shredded cheese, any kind

Optional:

saltine crackers

sauteed mushrooms

Steps:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly Pan a casserole dish - size does not matter.

2.  Mince chicken using a fork.

3.  Drain spinach by balling it up and squeezing all the water out.

4.  Mix spinach, chicken, cheese, cream of mushroom soup, crackers, and mushrooms.

5.  Bake casserole covered in foil for 20 minutes.

6.  Uncover, add more cheese (be generous), and bake for another 10 minutes.

7.  Serve over rice.  Pictured is the result.

Breakfast Burritos

Imho I make the best breakfast burritos that always hit the spot.

Ingredients for each burrito:

6 tater tots 

2 eggs

2 slices of bacon

2 spoonfuls of pinto beans

1 tortilla

cheese - any kind

optional: salsa

Steps:

1.  Pop the taters in the toaster oven.

2.  Fry slices of bacon.

3.  Heat up pinto beans.

4.  Scramble eggs, add salsa & cheese if desired.

5.  Heat up tortilla.

6.  Assemble.

7.  Add hot sauce if desired.

8.  Enjoy!

Time to Smell the Tulips?

I realize that Tom and I are sort of fortunate right now because we get Fridays off from school, work, and other life commitments. This type of flexibility allows us the time to, say, go for a leisurely walk at 10 o'clock in the morning. Today we walked slower than usual which allowed us more time to admire our neighbors' yard, take pictures of tulips, and watch a squirrel scurry atop the power line for a long distance. Often I find that our lives are so insanely busy that it's nice to sometimes stop and smell the roses.

Killer Minestrone (pictured)

I have said many times that the crock pot is my best friend. This is especially true in law school when I have only a 2-hour window on Mondays and Wednesdays to drive home, cook dinner, and drive back to school in time for my 8pm class. One of my tried and true crockpot recipes is my minestrone soup, which is just so satisfying on a cold and rainy Portland day. And to top it off, Tom loves this dish so I am willing to share it with my friends, many of whom also have a very busy schedule.

Ingredients:

1/2-1 onion

2 zucchinis

1 can white beans

1 can diced tomatoes

12 oz. spicy Italian sausage (comes in a tube)

1 cup cooked macaroni elbow (medium-sized)

1 box of thawed and drained chopped spinach

1 box of vegetable broth

Spices: Italian seasoning & garlic powder (optional)

Steps:

1.  Brown sausage with no oil, and drain (Viva paper towels work the best!)

2. Cook macaroni and refrigerate.

3. Chop onions and cube zucchinis.

4. Mix all the ingredients in your crockpot, except the macaroni.

5. Cook on Low for 6-10 hours.

6. Microwave macaroni and mix it in the soup.

7. Serve with sprinkles of fresh (not grated) parmesan cheese!

Tip: I usually do steps #1-3 the night before so that all I have to do before school is mix all the ingredients together and turn the crockpot on. Bon Appetite!

A Cheap Date

Here is a secret on how we make a dinner & a movie affordable:

First, we use coupons.  Last night we went to Chevy's where we could buy one entree and get the second entree for $3.99.  We did not order appetizers or fancy margaritas or desserts.  We ordered extra-large entrees, ate half, asked for extra tortillas, and brought the rest home for the next day's lunch. However, we do not skimp on tips and we calculate the tip amount without the coupon.  Total dinner price, including tips? $28.

Second, we buy our movie tickets at Costco.  A regular adult movie ticket is $10; student's $9, and matinee $8.  Costco sells 2 movie tickets for $14.99 (or $7.50 per ticket), which is the best deal around because we can see new releases and we aren't limited to matinee times.

Total date price?  $42.99.  I just love a good bargain, don't you?  

I'm nuts about nuts!

At times I feel like the characters Bubba from Forrest Gump, who names all sorts of shrimp varieties, or Harlan Pepper (owner of the bloodhound) from the Best In Show, who names all different types of nut varieties.

Although I prefer some nuts over others, I am definitely nuts about all nuts. I like Trader Joe's unsalted roasted almonds and unsalted blister peanuts. I love pecans, walnuts, or slivered almonds on my salads. I enjoy nuts in my cookies and cakes, and who can forget pinenuts in a hearty pasta salad or in pesto pasta dishes? My favorite combo is chocolate & nuts, like Snickers, Babe Ruth, and Almond Joy. Sliced Washington red delicious apples with generous servings of Adam's creamy peanut butter* also make a great snack. (*I feel really bad for people who are allergic to peanuts!)

Lately, I have become a fan of Marcona almonds that come from Spain and are extraordinarily expensive and can only be purchased from the deli section of a gourmet grocery store (such as Whole Foods, Zupans, New Seasons, etc). "Known as the 'Queen of Almonds,' the Marcona is a smooth, tan almond known for its sweetness and its soft texture, similar to a cashew. No other almond in the world is quite like the Marcona! Marcona almonds are handpicked and hand-fried in small batches, which explains the variation in flavor and form." To me, they are worth every penny. Alas, Tom won't let me buy them too often because of their cost (hey, someone has to fund his pricey photography hobby!).