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My friend jokingly told me that I like “old people food”. I’ll admit it, I like meatloaves and casseroles and cabbage rolls (just to name a few). There’s a reason these types of dishes have been around forever, it’s because they’re delicious! But really, it’s just a matter of how a person defines comfort food. ...Cheesy Southwestern Meatloaf Muffins
I’ve been all for the quick meals recently, which is why I love using fish as the protein. Unfortunately, when you’ve got a seafood hating husband, I can’t really push the envelope too far in fear of a dinner time revolt. I’ve got to give him credit though; he’s a good sport about trying anything ...Quick Potato Crusted Tilapia with Butter Roasted Carrots
I’ve been obsessed with gochujang, a Korean chile paste recently. While I’ve had it before in bibimbap (and loved it!), it’s only recently that I’ve really opened myself up to all of its possibilities. Plus while you can get it at any Asian market, recently I’ve noticed that the big local supermarkets are even carrying ...Gochujang Chicken with a Napa Cabbage Radish Slaw
A couple of weeks ago I put out a call for ideas on the blog Facebook page. Blogging is a bit weird because it can sometimes feel as if you’re in a bit of a bubble – it’s very supportive and communal but can also be very insular. I love visiting other blogs and seeing ...“Pizza” Stuffed Mushrooms
I took an unexpected blogging vacation but I’ve got excellent news…we’ve found a house! Hallelujah, hallelujah, ha lee luuu jahhhhhh!!!! Getting that all finalized, designing my kitchen layout, picking out paint and stains and appliances along with work has been eating up my time and the next thing you know it’s been two weeks. But ...Southwestern Green Chile and Turkey Pasta
We’re still on the house hunt. And to be super productive (i.e. procrastinate and get way ahead of myself) I’ve started spending way too much time picking out appliances. Lol, we haven’t even picked a house but I’ve got a full budgeted list of options broken down by appliance type (cooktop, oven, dishwasher, etc.), the ...Singapore Style Black Pepper Chicken
As I was setting up the new site design, I realized how long it’s been since I’ve featured a recipe using beef. In fact, the last post was from August 29th and was this tasty Argentinian Steak with Chimichurri Spiked Vegetables. I cook beef one to two times a month. We’re not against beef dishes ...Spicy Pepper Beef Stir Fry
And it’s freezing again! It’s below 0 with the windchill and I was almost blown away walking into work. I literally had to freeze and stop moving in order to brace myself against the wind. The husband is still sick and possibly dying to hear him tell it (he’s not the best patient ), work [...]Pork, Swiss Chard and Potato Adobo
The weather here is going crazy and my co-workers are in and out with various illnesses. We went from 11 degrees with windchill last Thursday to the low 60’s today. I think the weather might be having some serious mood swings. With the upswing in warmer weather it’s got me craving warm weather dishes. This isn’t exactly [...]Italian Tuna and Tomato Salad.
I’m, dare I say it, soup and stewed out. It’s not that it’s not freezing outside (it’s 11 degrees with windchill), it’s not that I don’t absolutely adore you soup, I do, I really, really do. You’re perfect and adaptable – you can be cold or hot, hearty or light, and can make the most [...]“Fried” Green Tomato Po Boy
Sorry for my lack of posting last week. I had two posts planned and then life happened, you know how that goes As a quick overview of this past crazy week – I’m appearing in a video for my work, so I lost a good chunk of Tuesday’s work day to being interviewed/videoed which means [...]Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken and Okra
In today’s frenetic and always on-the-go world, I’ve been trying to live more mindfully and work on enjoying each individual moment. I’m not doing so well. I’m one of those crazy, always like to be busy, always moving types. I work the job I do because I loathe “downtime” at work. I’d rather be pulled [...]Southwest Chili Rubbed Pork Chops with Chipotle Lime Veggies
The housing search continues and it’s overwhelming. Is it such a bad thing that I don’t want to compromise on the kitchen? Seriously – sound off and tell me to stop being crazy. We spend 1 – 2 hours a night in the kitchen between prepping, cooking, dishes and then eating dinner. I don’t need [...]Oven Fried Chicken Tenders with Green Bean and Potato Salad
Happy 2013! I hope everyone had a fabulous and fantastic New Year’s Eve! As we wave good-bye to 2012 I thought I’d do a quick round-up of the Top 10 Most Viewed Recipes from 2012. I only started blogging in July of 2011 so 2012 was my first full year of food blogging (and a [...]Top 10 Recipes from 2012
I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday! Quick post today, we’re heading down to Nashville to ring in the New Year and I’m ridiculously excited to actually be going somewhere for vacation. As part of cutting our budget back to save more for a house, trips were definitely cut from our list of things we [...]Asian Chicken Noodle Soup
Happy Holidays everyone! No post on Monday of course, but I’ll probably post next week on Wednesday and Friday. Today was my first official day of vacation and I’m off until the new year. Yesterday was supposed to be my first day of vacation but I ended up heading into the office and working for [...]Almond Crusted Turkey
This dish is one of those unexpected dishes. One of those dishes that I want to put a flashing pink animated frame around to properly emphasize the awesomeness of it. My husband had something going on that night – a meeting or class or something where he was eating dinner out – and I had [...]Mediterranean Rice Salad
Ugh, writer’s block! I don’t know how to start off this post. I asked my husband for suggestions and he told me I should write about how awesome he is. So this is for you Mark – my husband is amazing (most of the time ) and I’m glad he was smart enough to realize [...]Indian Spiced Chicken and Vegetables
Do you love hummus? Are you a mushroom maniac? Are peppers and onions your fav? Do you like gooey melty cheese? No? Get out. Lol, but seriously. If you’re a fan of the ingredients mentioned above you will love these. They’re deliciously messy. I’ve mentioned before that we’ve been saving for a down payment on [...]Hummus Cheese “Steaks”
I think my love for garlic has been well documented throughout all the recipes I’ve featured. I honestly don’t know what dish a clove of garlic doesn’t spruce up by adding that extra special something to. Well…maybe not desserts, but I feel like somewhere, someone is using garlic in a dessert option! So if you [...]Simplified Garlic Chicken
So on Monday I featured the Lechon Manok, or Filipino Roasted Chicken I made for my mom’s 50th birthday. I actually roasted 4 chickens to feed everyone and make sure there was enough leftovers for lunches (plus it’s a fiesta – it’s required that you have a lot of food!) On a random side note, [...]Congee / Jook (Slow Cooker)
For my mom’s 50th birthday a few weeks ago, I decided to serve Lechon Manok, or Filipino roasted chicken as the main dish (along with some Salt and Pepper shrimp but that’s a different post). So in preparation I made two different versions of it to see which one I would actually serve. Plus as [...]Lechon Manok – Filipino Roasted Chicken
So my husband’s first reaction upon seeing this dinner – “Why did you make Christmas enchiladas?” Alright, I admit it; it does maybe, vaguely, look Christmas-y between the red enchilada sauce, green onions and white cheese. But as those in the know, well know, when you ask for your meal ‘Christmas style’ that means you [...]Turkey, Corn and Swiss Chard Enchiladas
I usually try to post three times a week but in deference to the holiday season and the fact that I’m way behind on studying for a certification test (oops), I’m going to reduce my posting to twice a week with maybe a third post on random weeks if I miraculously have extra time on [...]Southwest Potato Bake
Sorry for the long wait in between posts – my husband celebrated his 31st! birthday this weekend so my Thursday – Sunday got eaten up between all the events. So happy birthday again to my wonderful husband, lol I’m glad I didn’t close the match! (Long story short – we’re meet on EHarmony ). Anyway, [...]Italian Spinach and Artichoke Chicken
It’s Election Day! I hope everyone in the US reading this either has or will be voting. My husband and I actually voted three weeks ago (yay for early voting) and I’ve got to be honest – I’ve been completely burned out on all the various political ads all over TV and the Internet. But [...]Mexican Fried Rice
I got a ridiculous amount of summer squash in my CSA, *cough cough a couple months ago* (yes, I’m that far behind lol) and knew that whatever I did, it would need to be the starring ingredient. I’ve done a lot with zucchini and summer squash – sautéed it, made fries with it, stir-fried it, [...]Summer Squash Pizza with Feta and Peppers
We’re ramping up to the holiday season! I wish I had a cute Halloween themed post but unfortunately I haven’t had the time to do all the fun stuff I’ve been seeing (plus you know – the whole not having kids yet thing also contributes to a lack of motivation in doing fun crafts/snacks). I [...]Fish with Pepper, Corn and Vegetable Relish
So I’m a bit of a honey mustard fanatic but honey mustard is also one of the few things I’m pretty picky about. I prefer a sweet flavor rather than a strong mustard flavor and I don’t like it at all when it’s sort of thin and sharp tasting. And while I do love the [...]Curried Honey Mustard Turkey and Potatoes
For an easy meal, I highly recommend keeping a couple of kinds of curry paste on hand. I know, I know, this is a food blog and I should be more authentic and make it from scratch, but there are prepared Thai curry pastes out there that are pretty tasty. I won’t go into each [...]Vegetable Thai Green Curry
When my husband and I first met he told me that he didn’t like sausage (actually he told me that he didn’t like sausage, spinach, cauliflower or cucumbers). And yes, as a total foodie the subject of food likes and dislikes definitely used to come up on first dates. My reaction was a “What?” insert [...]Chile Chorizo Potato Burritos
So my husband and I first tried dim sum a few weeks ago and I immediately become a dim sum convert. I know, I know, I live in Cincinnati, Ohio – not exactly a hotbed of dim sum but we do have two different places that offer it. Even when I was reading the reviews of the [...]Szechuan Green Beans with Pork
Work has been ramping up again (ah!). I’m the weirdo though that hates not having work to do when I’m at work. I mean, if I’m bored and not doing much I feel like I should be bored laying on my couch and relaxing, not bored sitting there at my screen (although I guess I [...]Italian Cherry Tomato Chicken with Roasted Green Beans and Feta
Real men don’t eat quiche! Not that I’m a man but it seems that that’s always the first thing that pops in my head any time I see/make a quiche. Fun backstory for the young’uns out there (like me) – that line is the title of a funny book about masculine stereotypes. It’s weird how [...]Vegetable and Three Cheese Quiche
I joined this fun food Improv group a few months ago but with the craziness of the last months of school never got the chance to take part. Well I finally have a bit more free time and September’s challenge was to use both zucchini and brown sugar. I wanted to skip the baked goods [...]Sweet Pork Zucchini Vegetable Stir Fry
I used to cook 4 dinners a week and we would use the leftovers, since I typically make 4 servings per dinner, for lunch the next day. Both my husband and I work downtown (actually within a two minute walk of each other) so it’s definitely oh so tempting to meet up and just grab [...]Italian Turkey Broccoli Focaccia Sandwich
So remember when I mentioned that I’m way behind on my posting? Err…yeah so here’s a perfect example. I’m totally posting this recipe, which I was originally going to call Summer Vegetable Lasagna at the end of September…oops. Hence the name change to ‘Bechemel Sauced Vegetable Lasagna’ hah! But it’s still tasty, promise! And besides, [...]Bechemel Sauced Vegetable Lasag
My life has settled down into a nice little routine that I’ve been greatly appreciative of. I get up at 6 am, do a small workout to wake up, then either catch up on the news, mess around on the net or check my personal email while I drink my green smoothie. After that I [...]Turkey Vegetable Fried Rice
I’ve become obsessed with the holidays lately. Don’t they seem like they come earlier and earlier every year? I mean, it’s like what, mid-September – why on Earth am I already planning for Thanksgiving?! Honestly, I’m not even ready/don’t really want to let go of summer. Here in Ohio, we get all four seasons. I’m [...]Arugula and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Roasted Broccoli and Po
I actually used to hate shrimp. I know, very un-Filipino of me, but there it was. When we used to get combo fried rice, etc. I would always just pick the shrimp out and give it to my mom or whatever family member happened to be around. Now though, I’ve been having fun experimenting – [...]Crispy Cajun Shrimp with Spicy Remoulade
Hi all! I’m guest posting over at Kristen’s blog, Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. She runs one of the largest and funnest (yay for making up words) improve challenges around. She’s got some awesome looking recipes on her site (ahem – spam fried rice and yes I love that stuff) from entrees such as [...]Sausage and Fresh Tomato Pasta
Happy Labor Day! I hope everyone’s been having a fantastic weekend – around Cincinnati we have a giant Labor Day fireworks display along with a huge Labor day picnic (that my husband incidentally helps organize) but the rain has been sprinkling on and off for the past two days, i.e. the weather has not been [...]Pisto Manchego
I don’t think it’s hit me yet that I’m officially done with school. I mean, I suddenly have all this time but it’s almost like I’m on Spring Break and I’m going to get dragged back into another course. While I do believe that there’s always opportunities for learning throughout our day and lives, just [...]Argentinian Steak with Chimichurri Tossed Vegetabl
I am officially freeeeeeee! That’s right; I have finally graduated and now have my MBA. Picture me doing an awkward happy dance a la the guy in the yellow shirt from the Choice Hotels commercial. In fact, embedded video below if you want to check it out. So was I seriously dancing like that? Yes, [...]Jamaican Red Bean Stew (Slow Cooker)
Who doesn’t love a good piece of pork? (No I’m not directing that question toward vegetarians/vegans or people who choose not to eat pork based off of cultural and/or religious beliefs). So I guess I should have started that question with that caveat – so if you choose to eat pork, who doesn’t love a [...]Greek Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Zucchini Orzo Salad
I have a bit of a confession to make. Those fake fish deep-fried sandwiches from popular fast food chains? I love those. I know, I’m all about healthy recipes and local and well, real food but there’s just something about those deep-fried fake fish sandwiches that I really like (probably the grease). Maybe it’s the [...]Traditional Fish Sandwiches with a Waldorf Inspired Coleslaw
If you’d been around me recently you’d know that I’ve been all about hardcore effort recently. I’m supposed to be on a 30 hour a week schedule, but I’ve been logging somewhere between 42 – 45 hours a week, plus you add in my normal class responsibilities and I feel like I basically do nothing [...]Mango Chicken Stir Fry
I’m still working on catching up – I’m in the home stretch, but my classes have started up again and work responsibilities have increased so it’s a definite juggling act that I’m working on figuring out how to balance. Unfortunately the things I want to do, like blogging have definitely fallen a bit to [...]Grilled Fish with Avocado Sauce
Quick post because I’m still working on catching up and my new classes have just started *ugh*. For the most part I like couscous but tend to find it just a bit, well odd. I think it’s a bit of the texture when you’re eating it. It’s these tiny balls that I’m sometimes not sure [...]Vegetable Couscous with Pesto Goat Cheese Artichokes
I’m baaaaaaacccccckkkkkkk! I took an unintentional break from the blogosphere due to the general craziness of life i.e. stepping up into some new responsibilities at work as well as dealing with the last two weeks of the spring quarter of classes. I’m happy to announce that I’m down to only 7 weeks before I’ll be [...]Curried Pork and Broccoli with Mango Chutney
