Chili Chili Chili

One night a few weeks ago I clearly didn't make enough food for dinner and Dan came to bed a wee bit hungry. There is a poker forum he reads and on the site there happens to be a chili thread where guys post their best or favorite chili recipes.

When we woke up on Sunday, Dan was chattering on about this chili for dinner idea...so off to the grocery I went. Turns out it's closed on Sunday so we settled for order in pizza. However, I had to promise chili as a Monday night dinner! After thoroughly researching this chili thread and settling on a recipe posted by a guy who calls himself "El Diablo."

Since we are in Vienna where I don't think spicy chili is a regular thing there was a bit of a change/modification on the ingredients based on what I could get here. I did write down exactly what I did and used so below is our new favorite fancy schmancy chili recipe for the fall. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 red bell peppers
2 medium onions
8-10 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno
5 chili peppers
1 medium sized habanero pepper
About 1 pound of beef stew pieces/chunks?
1.5- 2 pounds of ground beef or turkey or chicken. We used beef.
1 tsp. red chili flakes
1 tsp. black pepper
4 tsp. cayenne pepper (El Diablo called for paprika, but we didn't have it)
2 tsp. cumin (we didn't have that either so we left it out)
7 tsp. chili powder
1.5 tsp. sea salt
3 tsp. brown sugar
1 bottle of beer (I used Erdinger, but I read people using everything from Guinness to anything they had in the fridge)
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
6 oz. tomato paste
About 16 oz. chicken broth
2 tsp. white vinegar
1.5 squares of dark chocolate chopped or grated
2 cans red kidney beans

1. Chop all of the veggies, garlic & peppers.

2. Brown your meat. Do not overcrowd it. Do it in batches so it has a nice good brown on it, not grey. I did the chunks first then put them into the chili pot. Next I did the ground beef and added it to the chili pot.

3. Save some of the fat from the meat and sweat the chopped onion and red bell pepper. Add it to the pot.

4. Sweat the garlic, jalapeno, chilis & habanero. We used all of the seeds too, but use what you want based on heat you like. Add them to the pot.

5. Add all dry spices.

6. Add bottle of beer.

7. Add tomatoes, paste, broth & vinegar.

8. Simmer for about an hour uncovered stirring every so often.

9. Add in beans and chocolate. Let it cook for about another hour.

10. Take off the heat and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. You can top with tortilla strips or chips, shredded cheese, onions, sour cream...really whatever you like.



This recipe makes a thicker chili..and a LOT of chili. We had leftovers and it may have even been better the second day! It does have a long list of ingredients, but I would say it's worth it. A little time intensive as well, but it hits the spot on a cool fall football Saturday.

What is your favorite chili recipe? Let me know if you try this one and how it turns out!

Damn You, Rachael Ray!

I swear that lady has my house bugged. This week, Rachael Ray came out with a new cookbook called "The Book of Burgers" or something like that. I get it, she's a chef/TV personality/NYT Best Selling Author... so cooking and cook books are her thing. Well, here is the truth...she has been listening to Dan and I plan our menus each week and has claimed this idea as her own! Just getting the real story out there.

A while ago, Dan and I were coming up empty on ideas for dinners. We somehow got on the topic of different burgers...probably because we are genius or always hungry or love burgers....but we did NOT get this idea from RR. So we've been trying a new type of burger each week for some time now. It has been sort of a game to think of a theme or flavor and make up a tasty dinner burger. Then this week RR puts this book out. Shock does not describe. In my humble opinion, she could have stayed with the whole shortening names of ingredients train she was on....EVOO is equal parts catchy and annoying...and leave the burgers to us. Just a thought.

Since we want y'all to enjoy great food too, here are our favorite ones so far for you to try and enjoy this weekend....and Rachael Ray, beware...we are on to your game.


Mexican Inspired Turkey Burgers
similar to Taste of Home

1/4 cup salsa
3 tsp. paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 lb. extra lean ground turkey
4 slices pepper jack or cheddar cheese
4 burger buns
lettuce & tomato to top burger

-In a large bowl, combine first 7 ingredients. Crumble ground turkey over ingredients and mix together. -Form into 4 burger patties.
-We seared ours in a pan on the stove and then placed in the oven to fully cook through for about 7 minutes. These would be best if made on the grill.

You can add a sauce on top before serving. Use 1/4 cup salsa and 1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream. Mix together and use as a condiment for the burger.


Asian Fusion Turkey Burgers
idea from Finger Licking Food

The recipe I found was for Asian bean burgers. We are mostly meat eaters so I used turkey instead. These could definitely be made with beef too. I am going to try the bean burgers out one night...but haven't yet.

1 lb or package of extra lean ground turkey
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp minced or ground garlic
1/2 tsp or more red chili flakes for heat
2 tbsp diced scallions- I used 2 whole scallions and diced them
2 tbsp diced carrots- I used 1 small/medium carrot and chopped it up
4 burger buns

-Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl (except the buns...)
-Form into 5 or 6 burger patties.
-We cooked ours in a skillet on the stove and finished them in the oven, but a grill would again be a great option

For the sauce:
1/4 cup light mayo/olive oil mayo- we used less, just enough to make it into a sauce texture
1/2 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 tbsp minced scallions
1 tsp hot sauce

Once the burgers are done, place them on the toasted bun and top with a bit of the sauce. Enjoy!


Breakfast Burgers

1 lb or package of extra lean ground turkey or beef
salt and pepper to taste
4 eggs
4 English muffins
4 slices of cheese of your choice
dijon mustard
tomatoes

-Season the ground meat with salt and pepper
-Form into burger patties
-We cooked ours on the stove and finished them in the oven
-While burgers are in the oven, lightly fry the egg in a skillet
-Place burger on toasted english muffin and top with a slice of cheese, a slice of tomato, some dijon mustard and the egg


So that ends our recipe share for the week. Hope everyone has a great weekend! Enjoy that summer weather for us...

And thank you all for your sweet comments and emails about our anniversary! Dan planned a great dinner at a new steakhouse here in one of the casinos. It was amazing food! We had a great time and enjoyed some fun gambling afterwards. Perfect celebration!

Clean Summer Meals

Since we are coming into the summer months, our menu's are bound to change up. I am constantly trying to find new dishes and new ingredients to try in our meals. We have those staple dinners we use often, but it has been fun mixing in some new foods and flavors.

Here are two new recipes we really love...they are easy peasy and husband approved.

Seared Ahi Tuna from SimplyRecipes

2 Ahi Tuna or Yellowfin Tuna steaks, sliced into long 'columns'
2 Tbps dark sesame oil
2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger- we used ground ginger, not fresh
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green onion or scallion thinly sliced
1 teaspoon lime juice

-Mix all ingredients together and pour over tuna in a dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, turning half way through.

-Heat a non-stick skillet to medium high or high heat. When the pan is hot, remove tuna from marinade and place in pan. Sear for a minute to a minute and a half on each edge. Best to keep tuna on the rare side for the inside. Don't overcook.

-Remove from pan and slice into thin pieces and serve.

*I toasted sesame seeds in the oven and rolled the tuna 'columns' in the seed before searing. You can also sprinkle the seeds over the cooked tuna before serving.


Tangy Pumpkin Seed Salad from The Eat-Clean Diet

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup EVOO
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lettuce for the salad
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted in the oven
Chicken, shredded or sliced if desired

-Rinse lettuce under cold water and set aside in a bowl

-In a small bowl add garlic and sea salt. Add lemon juice and Worcestershire. Mix well. Whisk in EVOO in a steady stream. Whisk until smooth. Add pepper to taste.

-Add toasted pumpkin seeds and shredded chicken.

-Top with dressing and toss to coat.

*We added the chicken- a rotisserie chicken shredded up- for a dinner. We also added cucumber, tomatoes and onions. One major change we made...we only used 1/4 cup EVOO. With only 2 of us there was no need for 1/2 cup of EVOO. Less than 1/4 cup is definitely possible as well to limit calories.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. We are looking for some fun British things to do this weekend to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee....possibly tea for two this afternoon?

A Few Fabulous Recipes

I know in all of this traveling craziness I have neglected the recipe part of my blog for toooooo long. Sharing recipes I use is one of my favorite things, and the easier and healthier the recipe, the more excited I am to pass it along.

Our internet here has been a little crazy, but we are headed to Manchester on Sunday so I promise to post all about Amsterdam and Barcelona once we get to Manchester and have better/more consistent internet.

Today I want to share 2 new recipes (plus a bonus favorite of ours). Since the beginning of the year my recipes haven't been all that exciting. We've been eating a lot of chicken. Ben and Dan joke that I should start a cookbook on 101 ways to cook chicken breasts. The idea is growing on me.

But here are two recipes we tried out this week and loved:

Not my picture, but obviously mine looked JUST like that :)

The first is Turkey Meatloaf. Now, I know that the concept of meatloaf is kind of gross or unappealing to some. However, this recipe involves very few ingredients, small loaf sized or cupcake sized portions, and ground turkey or chicken. I used a combo of turkey/chicken because that's what they sold here in Barcelona.

I found this recipe on Pinterest, but realized it's from a website I refer to often for dinner ideas- skinnytaste.com.

Here is the recipe as Gina has written:

Petite Turkey Meatloaves
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 mini loaves Serving Size: 1 loaf • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 221.3 • Fat: 4.6 g • Carbs: 14.1 g • Fiber: 1.2 g • Protein: 28.9 g

• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1.3 lb 99% lean ground turkey
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1/4 cup ketchup + 2 tbsp
• 2 tsp worcesterchire sauce
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp marjoram
• salt

Preheat the oven to 350°. Saute olive oil and onion on low until translucent.

In a medium bowl mix turkey, onion, oatmeal, egg, ketchup, salt and marjoram. Divide into four equal loafs and place each loaf into a non stick mini loaf pan or shape into small loafs on an un-greased nonstick baking pan.

In a small cup mix remaining 2 tbsp ketchup with worcesterchire sauce and brush onto each loaf to give it a nice glaze.

Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes at 350°. After baking let it sit for 5 minutes serving.

*Now, here are my changes: 

- I omitted the marjoram simply because I could not find it here.
- I used close to 1.75 lbs. of ground turkey & chicken mixed
- I used two medium eggs
- I used a whole onion chopped because we like onion

The boys loved this dinner. I served it with rice and veggies and they really enjoyed it overall. In fact, the each get to pick a favorite meal for me to make this week since it is our last week, and this one is solidly in the running for top choice. Super easy, clean and delish.

Not the best picture, but it tastes amazing!

The second recipe is also from Skinnytaste.com. It reminded me of one of Dan's and my favorites from our friend Laura's blog- Sunday Gravy from AndBread. The recipe I made last night is a sort of chicken version of Sunday Gravy.

I did make this dinner in a large stock pot, but it had to be transferred into the dish you see above so the pasta could be cooked. We don't exactly have a fully stocked kitchen in our little apartment, but we make it work :)

Here is the recipe as Gina wrote:

Pollo in Potacchio
Inspired by Chef Trabocchi
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 5 - 10 • Serving Size: 1 thigh with sauce • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 123 • Fat: 4.6 g • Protein: 14.3 g • Carb: 4.1 g • Fiber: 0.7 g • Sugar: 0.5 g
Sodium: 186.4

Ingredients:

• 10 skinless chicken thighs (with bone)
• kosher salt and fresh black pepper
• 3 - 4 small sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 cups Imported crushed tomatoes (Tuttoroso)
• 1/4 tsp dried marjoram
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio)
• 2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth
• kosher salt and fresh black pepper

Directions:

Lightly season the chicken with salt and fresh pepper. Place a dutch oven or large heavy pot on medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil, when hot add the chicken and sear until browned on all sides, about 6-7 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a dish and set aside.

Sauté garlic and onions (and red pepper flakes if using) in remaining oil; sauté until golden, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add celery and carrots and saute on medium-low for about 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add the wine and chicken broth, scraping any caramelized bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.  

Add tomatoes, marjoram, reduce heat to low, adjust salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the chicken and rosemary to the sauce, partially cover and cook slowly on low heat for another 25 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding water if needed.

For the Crock pot:  

Start with the same directions as the first two paragraphs up to adding the wine and half of the chicken broth listed. Add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours taking the lid off the last 30 minutes.

*Now here are my changes: 

- I used 6 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts and browned them in two batches
- I used two stalks of celery and one very large carrot
- No fresh rosemary or marjoram found or used, but added extra crushed red pepper for flavor
- I cooked all of the ingredients in the last step for almost an hour on low. The longer it simmers the better the flavor. I didn't need to add any water
- I served this with vegetable pasta and crusty wheat rolls

This dinner was wonderful as well. The right amount of spice. The chicken was falling apart. It was full of veggies. I will probably add some chopped bell peppers and maybe mushrooms next time to add even more flavor. I think it could be served without pasta and just a piece of bread to soak up the sauce and a salad. It is filling and clean.

So there is a little update to the recipe/foodie side of the blog. Let me know if you try these recipes out and what you think of them. I am always looking for feedback or suggestions to better our plates.

Hope everyone is doing well. We are finishing up Barcelona and looking forward to 6 full months in Manchester beginning in April.

I will post some more next week so keep checking back for fun new stories and photos!

Until later...xo

Spicy Voodoo Kabobs

Summer is almost over. I said it. I hate that it's true, but I wanted to remind you of this reality so that you can get your fill of the grill before it's too late.

This past week Dan and I were craving some kabobs on the grill. I decided to make beef kabobs since we've been eating a lot of chicken lately. It was so super easy and delish. This recipe is definitely a keeper, not only for the summer, but it would be great for those tailgate parties that are starting sooooon!

Since the beef is spicy, we paired ours with brown rice and a tomato, onion and cucumber salad with a little fresh feta.

Here is a link to the recipe if you want to make it for a larger group, etc. We made it for 4 and had some amazing leftovers for a 2nd nights dinner.   Spicy Voodoo Kabobs

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 10 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 1 hour
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. Dissolve bouillon in water. Stir in the garlic, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Toss the meat in the marinade, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
2. Preheat a grill for high heat.
3. Skewer the beef cubes, using 6 to 8 pieces per skewer. Pour the oil onto a plate, and roll the skewers in it to coat them on all sides.
4. Grill the skewers, turning frequently, until the beef has turned light pink, 12 to 15 minutes.

This recipe can also be made in the oven if you can't or don't want to grill. Such a great marinade and you can definitely alter the cayenne for desired spiciness. I omitted the salt since there was so much with the beef bouillon already. Your choice. You can also add veggies to the kabobs or leave it beef only. The next time we make them this will include some pita and tzatziki sauce for a killer sandwich the next day. SO many options! :)

Enjoy!!!

Birthday Monday

Today is Dan's birthday so this is all about celebrating his big day! He is 27 today- officially on his way to 30 and being o-l-d :) I can just say that because he is older than me.

On Saturday night, we went over to Mike and Laura's for a mexican fiesta night/birthday celebration. We made homemade margaritas (best recipe ever with only fruit, tequila, ice, and a little sugar) homemade chicken taco soup, cornbread, and cheesecake cupcakes (made by me).

Dan loves cheesecake so I decided to make these individual cheesecake cupcakes with chocolate chips. They were good- a great small way to have cheesecake without making the whole pie. Plus, I didn't have a spring form pan here so this was a great option.

Here is the easy recipe: Cheesecake Cupcakes

The few changes I would make are these: omit the salt for the crust all together- it isn't necessary. Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream- possibly a vanilla Greek Yogurt for a sweeter taste. These would be great with or without chocolate chips. I made a few with some mini peanut butter cups and some plain just topped with extra crust crumbles. Best to eat once they are cooled down and refrigerated.

Before Cheesecake Filling

Finished Product

Birthday Boy!

Gift time!

 

Birthday Happies

Hope everyone had a great weekend. The Bachelor Pad 2 is on tonight...it may or may not involve Kasey serenading Vienna. Prepare yourself! The recap should be interesting!

Border Agents and Crab Cakes

At first glance, those two items- Border Agents and Crab cakes- have very little to nothing in common. However, my experience yesterday on my day trip to Buffalo, NY made me think twice.

Let me first put this out there, when we moved to Canada we knew there was a risk of sorts crossing the borders. It seems that other countries don't really like non-citizens moving there and residing for any period of time. Since we are not with a company, and Dan's job is a little taboo for some, this posed some extra hurdles for us in our moving process.

Dan did his research before we came up and brought supporting documents with us illustrating we have the funds to support ourselves while living in Canada and that we own a home in the US, so there is something for us to go back to and we won't stay in Canada forever. Once you prepare as much as possible, you have to leave the rest up to luck/fate/chance that you get the right border agent that understands. Luckily, we didn't have a real issue getting into Canada in July, and the agents were very helpful and friendly. Some other poker players have faced a worse fate and have been formally refused entrance at the border.

Yesterday, as I prepared for my day trip, I made sure I had all of the necessary documents I would need to plead my case of reentering Canada if necessary. I was mostly worried about coming back to Toronto. It never crossed my mind to worry about getting into the United States. Ironically enough, that was the hardest part- getting back into the States as a US citizen.

As I pulled up to the agents booth at the border, I smiled politely and handed him my passport. I quickly realized I drew the short straw of agents and this would not be a pleasant experience. I am terrified in situations like these where someone has all of the authority and can arbitrarily decide your fate. To be fair, these border agents are supposed to be firm and business like to protect our country, but this guy took it a bit too far at 10 in the morning.

The minute he started asking his rapid fire questions, he didn't like my answers. His response to almost all of them was, "That doesn't make sense." I about lost my mind wanting to know if he just wasn't listening since I was clearly speaking English. Long story short(er), he informed me that as a US citizen, I could never be denied getting back into my country, but if he were in charge he would refuse me since my husband and I are clearly on the run doing illegal things.

Wow. Ok. Big fighting words. I was so upset, but I had to sit there and take it until he let me in. He then went on for about 5 minutes asking me how we got into Canada in the first place. His reasoning is that we lied about Dan's job. He also informed me that I would "probably be spending the night in Buffalo, since I had no chance of getting back into Canada."

I mean, I get it. I do. He has to be strict. But at 10 am on a Wednesday, am I- a single, young lady doing nothing wrong- his biggest concern? Really?

Early in the summer, a poll was done ranking the friendliest countries in the world. For the second year in a row, Canada has been ranked #1. After yesterday, I am convinced that the poll is obviously conducted at the borders. The Canadian agent I spoke with on my way back- nicest person, no questions or accusations, very professional. A great 'welcoming committee' for the country. The US agent- not surprising we didn't crack the top 10 on the list.

Sooooooo, in honor of my crabby border agent, here is a crab cake recipe we tested this week. It will be called the Crabby Border Agent Patty from here on out. :) I have also included the homemade remoulade sauce I made to go with it. Enjoy!

Crabby 'Border Agent' Patties
The changes I made are as follows: I used 8 oz of fresh lump crab and 8 oz can of crab lumps to make the quality and taste better. I also only used about 10 ritz crackers instead of 20. I let the formed cakes sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes before I baked them in the oven for 30 minutes on 350 degrees. 15 mins on each side. It was just an easy way to avoid frying dinner.

Remoulade Sauce
I left out the olives, parsley & capers. No food processor here, and those are things we could easily not use in this recipe. It is a great sauce, but makes a lot. I cut everything in half so we didn't have too much. It is also a great sauce to use on a shrimp po'boy or light fish meal.

Definitely a meal we will rotate in every once in a while. Easy to make, out of the ordinary for us, and delish.

Until tomorrow...xo

Homemade Bread: UPDATE

Just an update for those of you thinking about making the homemade bread that I posted over the weekend.

I know I said I used the pastry whole wheat flour for a softer texture, but I wouldn't recommend that. It isn't great for sandwiches that way. It makes it a tad too soft and crumbly.

And just remember, I was looking for a plain plain plain wheat bread to make. If you are looking for a sweeter wheat bread there are some great honey wheat recipes out there. Or you can add in honey to this mix/sub it in for the brown sugar. Please know this bread is plain...but great with peanut butter, a little butter and honey, or a blt. Versatile taste, but plain.

Here is the recipe one more time: Homemade Bread

Homemade Bread

Since I have been on a 'figure it out' kick as far as food goes, I decided on a whim to try making my own bread. Today, after yoga class, I set out to the St. Lawrence Market bulk section with my recipe- and recipe comments- in hand.

I feel like a) since I have more than enough time, b) there are plenty of recipes available, and c) I am pretty positive I can make a healthier and more cost effective bread.

This is the recipe I used: Homemade Bread

It makes 6 loaves of bread in 8 x 4 in. pans. So if you want, you can make half and go from there. I am planning to freeze 4 of the cooked loaves for later use. I also didn't have a electric mixer, or any kind of mixer for that matter. I did all of the mixing and kneading myself with a spoon, a huge bowl and my own two hands. It is the least fancy bread recipe I've seen!

The one change I made was: where it calls for 10 cups of bread flour, I used 4 cups of whole wheat soft flour and 5 1/2 cups of white bread flour. Nothing crazy.

This afternoon, the house smelled amazing and I couldn't wait to see if the bread would actually turn out. It was definitely a process to make it, considering it was my first time, but I think the results are totally worth it and it will only get easier with practice. If you find yourself in the cooking mood and with a little bit of time on your hands this weekend, I suggest giving this a try.

Now that I have made it (and tasted it!), I am not sure I will buy any more bread while we are here. I really enjoyed the process and feel like it's better than the stuff we're buying. I will have to see how it holds up as sandwich bread, but with a little butter or some peanut butter, this bread is dangerous!

Hope you have a great weekend! I promise to have some better and more regular posts next week :)

Myers Pizzeria?

This blog was never intended to be a food blog...but after reading through many of my previous posts, it seems to be about food a lot. I guess it's just that our days involve food so much that it's a big part of what I focus on. Menu-ing, shopping, cooking, trying out new things....etc. Most of the recipes- if not all- are not mine. I am just trying out some foods that people recommend or I find fun. I will try to mix in more things non-food related....but with all of that said, here is another blog about food. Enjoy!

Last week when I was making my menu, I decided to try add some 'made from scratch' ideas in to mix things up.

I decided to try homemade pizza crust and sauce for the first time. We love pizza and I thought it would be a fun challenge. I found two different recipes online and set out to the market to get some items in bulk.

Here are the links to the two recipes. They are very easy- so keep that in mind- nothing fancy or overly incredible. I was looking intentionally for the basic recipe so that I could try it and then tweak it as I get better at making them.

Pizza Dough  and  Pizza Sauce

I did make the sauce early in the week, like on Thursday, and put it in the fridge to set. I read some comments that said it was better the day after making it, etc. So I gave that idea a try. I also used a 13 oz. can of tomato paste and 1 1/4 cup of water instead of the tomato puree. That change was simply out of necessity. No tomato puree in our store.

On Saturday night, Dan and I decided to have pizzas so I went about making the dough. One side note of the recipe- the yeast doesn't bubble. Just let it sit for the 10 mins and then add it. Don't wait for it to bubble.

We used items we had in the fridge for toppings. I didn't get any toppings at the store like pepperoni or sausage since I didn't know when we would be making pizza and what kind we would want that day. So Dan put together a jalapeno and onion pizza and a shredded chicken and bacon pizza. Both were delish. And the leftovers were amazing still too!

Here are some pictures of our homemade challenge:

Dough Rising

Avocado, Orange & Red Onion Salad...our favorite

Chicken and Bacon Pizza

Jalapeno & Onion Pizza

I will say it was a great feeling when the dough and sauce turned out and were edible. It was also a fun way to make a healthier version of a dough and sauce with much less salt and ingredients. Next time I am going to try a whole wheat crust. I will also reduce the sugar in the sauce. We like it less sweet and more spicy...personal taste change.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. If you have a dough or sauce recipe that you want to share, let me know in the comments or send me an email!

Menu Making

Happy August! I can't believe it's already here. The first month in Toronto has flown by and we still have so much we want to see & do here. We are also hard at work planning our next stop which will be here before we know it! (Side note- Happy Birthday to my sister Kelly and cousin Bruce Anthony!)

But it's Monday...and a Civic Holiday here in Canada so everyone is off work. I am in my Monday routine of making a menu for the week.

St. Lawrence Market has the best prices on fresh meat in the city. Like $ 4.59 per lb. for fresh HUGE chicken breasts. So I can't bring myself to buy meat at the grocery store for their prices. Problem is, the market is closed on Sunday and Monday, so I spend my Mondays making a menu for the week so I can get all the main dish ingredients we need for the week when I shop on Tuesdays. Without this menu, I am forced to be pretty creative with meatless dishes and left over ingredients to get through Sundays and Mondays.

Positive Side: Monday mornings are probably my favorite part of the week: menu making. I love writing down all of our days and dinner ideas with side dishes and deals. Dan is also super helpful in this process which makes it even easier.

Since I have food on the brain and today is a pretty low key day for us, here are some pictures of a dinner I made last week: grilled shrimps, potatoes and onions and corn on the cob.

These are ideas/recipes I got from my mom and aunt. The shrimps have the shells on and I sprinkled them with a dry bbq spice. Once they are coated heavily, put a few butter slices on top. Cover the aluminum disposable pan with foil.

To prep the potatoes, wash and cut them into quarters. Chop up an onion. Place all ingredients into another disposable aluminum pan and drizzle with olive oil. I also added some salt and pepper to the mix. Cover with foil and head out to the grill.

Before you prep the food, heat up the grill to medium. Once the food is ready, place the potato pan on first. These take a little longer than the shrimps. I cooked them for 10 minutes then stirred them up and cooked for 10 more since we like the potatoes a little brown. After those 20 mins, I added the shrimp pan to the mix. After about 5 minutes I stirred the shrimp and removed the foil from the shrimp for the last 3 to 5 minutes. Easiest dishes to make, great flavors, and almost zero clean up.

These dishes can also be prepared the same way but by using the oven. Your choice.

On a different note, Saturday night Dan and I went out to a bar with Laura and Mike. They wanted to go dance and we were up for a night out. The bar itself was cute. It was in little Italy- a very cute part of town I am excited to go back and explore more. We had a good time- even though we didn't dance due to the rap only music...long story- but it was a nice to be out on a weekend like we were back in college.

Hope everyone has a great Monday. I'm off to continue menu-ing.

Uncle Lee's Least Favorite Dessert

Overall it has been a nice little Saturday here in Toronto. It is still incredibly hot here, which I am sure is the same everywhere, but we were definitely not expecting a hot summer and a freezing winter in the same location. Sooo maybe this means a warm winter!? Here's to wishful thinking :)

I found a new grocery store today that I am pretty happy with! It feels like a normal grocery store from the States and has fresh produce and meat. It is clean and well organized, which makes shopping much easier! Since cooking has been my main job here, the grocery store is important! It's called Loblaws. Bob Loblaw?! (Arrested Development reference) It is really close to our house as well. Win win. I also found some incredible deals on things we eat/use everyday so that is my main reason for excitement! Gotta keep up that bargain shopping :)

One thing I have been really happy to find in all of the grocery stores here are Mr. Christies Chocolate Wafers. In the States it was hit or miss whether the store would carry them. I use them to make a really easy, light summer dessert. I call it "Uncle Lee's least favorite dessert."

Quick story. My mom is one of 6 children. Every year my grandmother would make a dessert for their birthday. Each year, Grandmother would make this dessert for Uncle Lee's birthday. It is simply made with the wafers and cool-whip (or homemade from Grandmother). When I was old enough to start helping my mom with family meals at the holidays or summer cookouts I started by making this dish. I had been told it was my Uncle Lee's favorite. Every time he came in from Nashville for a holiday I was so proud that I had made this dessert with him in mind. He happily ate a serving and never said anything. It wasn't until a Christmas meal when I was in college that he broke the news to me. This dessert, in fact, is not his favorite dessert at all. Everyone always assumed it was since Grandmother made it every year on his birthday! It has now become one of my favs though!

Here is the easy recipe: Get a package of Mr. Christies Chocolate Wafers, or any sleeve of flat chocolate wafers. Use 1 tub of Cool-Whip, regular, non-fat or low fat. It doesn't matter. In a deep serving dish- a trifle bowl works best, but use whatever you have on hand- layer the cookies on the bottom topped with a layer of Cool-Whip. Repeat until you run out. You can top it with the wafers or crumble them up and sprinkle them on top to make it a fun presentation. Let this sit overnight in the fridge.

A spoonful of this treat after dinner is all I need for my sweet-tooth. It is light, a little chocolately, and cool- the perfect Summer treat.

Enjoy your Saturday night!

Today I Don't Feel Like Doing Anything

Bruno Mars sings about it about every 5 minutes on the radio, and today it was my theme song. I didn't feel like doing anything.

So again today, a little bit of a boring blog. 

We were going to do dinner and a night out with Laura and Mike, but Laura is sick so we are spending the night in. It is actually a nice thing since Dan has been working all day and I've been, well, doing a lot of nothing. I did do some laundry and paint my nails, but pajamas have been the outfit of choice today.

Since I was lazy all day, I had to do something productive in the form of dinner. I stole my idea from a delish dish I had a Ciao Bella before we left Memphis. It is pasta with a basil pesto sauce and spicy sausage. Earlier this week when I went to St. Lawrence Market, I stopped by the Sausage King. He makes all of his sausages homemade right in the shop and has been there for over 50 years. They are said to have the best sausages in Toronto. So I chose a chicken & turkey spicy sausage in lieu of pork.

I used a whole wheat penne noodle, and for the sauce I cheated a bit. I used Classico's Basil Pesto sauce and mixed it in with cooked noodles and browned sausage. Now that I know we will like a homemade dish, I will try a homemade sauce next time.

Dan keeps reminding me that every day can't be exciting and new, and that I just need to relax. I am really going to work on that this week and enjoy the down time.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Tomorrow we will be rooting on the USA Women's Soccer team. Who knows what else is in store.