A Change in Chefs

This evening, for a change, I cooked.  My roommate Julia and I always eat together and she always does the cooking.  She has two tests tomorrow though, so I offered to cook.  I made a nice and easy meal.  Breaded pork, mashed potatoes, and frozen vegetables.  All you have to do is combine flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together on a plate.  Scramble eggs in a bowl and put bread crumbs in another bowl.  Flatten out the pork into thin pieces and toss them in the flour combination.  Then dip them in the eggs and cover them in breadcrumbs.  Once you have done that to all of the pieces, place them in a pan of hot oil and cook until light brown on both sides.  While they are cooking, heat up the mashed potatoes.  I recommend getting Wegman's brand and adding butter, sour cream, and milk.  Steam your vegetables and you're all done!

Pork, mashed potatoes & veggies

Roomie Dinner

My roommates and I decided that today was a perfect day to do a nice sit down dinner together.  On the menu, chicken quesadillas.  Football was on the TV all day and Julia was busy in the kitchen.  To make chicken quesadillas, you first salt & pepper two large chicken breasts and then boil them.  Once cooked through, shred the two pieces of chicken.  While the chicken is boiling, saute peppers, onions, and tomatoes in olive oil and minced garlic.  Combine shredded chicken with the vegetables and add taco seasoning.  In another pan, lay a tortilla, a layer of taco cheese, the chicken & peppers, another layer of taco cheese, and then top with another tortilla.  Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Britt, Julia, Steph & I 

Chicken Quesadillas

A Perfect Day

Today was a perfect day to spend quality time with my grandma.  She is one of the most important people in my life and she knows her way around the kitchen.  I have a homemade recipe book filled with pictures, memories, and recipes from her.  It was made with so much love and I will cherish it forever.  My roommates are always begging me to bring back grandma's chocolate chip cookies for our cookie jar.  So today grandma and I made some.  

Toll House Cookies

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

3/4 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1t Salt

1 cup Butter

2 1/2 cups Flour

1t Vanilla

Add 1t Baking Soda to 1t Hot Water

Cream butter and add sugars gradually; beat well.  Add eggs and beat.  Add vanilla and mix.  Add baking soda; sift flour and salt.  Add to creamed mixture and mix.  Add a large bag of chocolate chips.  Drop by spoonful onto lightly greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes.

All Mixed Together.

Ready for the Oven.

Ready to Eat!

Pork Rub

I am always looking for simple and delicious meals to make.  Wait... let me rephrase that.  I am always looking for simple and delicious meals for other people to make for me!  Whether you are cooking for a family or just one, this easy pork meal will leave you satisfied.  Combine these dry ingredients in a bowl to make a rub; paprika, salt, cumin, brown sugar, chili powder, pepper, and garlic powder.  Cover the pork completely in it.  Bake in the oven on 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.  For a simple side, I highly recommend Wegmans brand red skin mashed potatoes.  Also, peppers and onions cooked in olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Simply delicious!

pork, mashed potatoes, and peppers & onions

Perfect for a Rainy Day

When it's raining outside, which it has been a lot lately, there is nothing better than a slow cooked meal.  On today's menu... sausage sandwiches.  They are really easy to make and taste delicious.  Not to mention, they make your house smell great.  First you need to grill the sausage links.  They do not have to be cooked all the way through though because they will finish cooking in the crock pot.  Then cut up some peppers and onions.  Add those, the sausage links, and a can of tomatoes to the crock pot.  Throw in some red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.  Slow cook all day on low.  Enjoy!

Sausage sandwich with peppers & onions.

*Recipe courtesy of my sister, Sarah.

Healthy Eating

All this talk about food makes me think about what I am eating compared to what I should be eating.  My roommate, Julia, and I were discussing our eating habits and decided that they aren't bad, but could be a lot better.  Julia began some research and came across a website that I wanted to share with all of you.  It is www.choosemyplate.gov.  On the homepage, it shows you what should be on your plate everyday.  You can click on the different sections and it gives you all kinds of tips, including recipes.  The website also explains to you, in depth, the eight different food groups.  It is good to know what you are eating and which category it falls into.  I hope you all find this website as helpful as I have! 

A Taste of Chicago

So I have to be honest... I am not a good cook, nor do I enjoy cooking.  I just simply love to eat.  There are a few things that I can make really well, but for the most part I kind of stink at it.  Fortunately for me, I am surrounded by people who love to cook and are extremely good at it.  I grew up with my dad, Harry, cooking different and delicious meals every night.  Both of my older sisters, Elizabeth and Sarah, are good cooks.  I can't even begin to explain how good of a cook my grandmother is.  The woman spends more hours in her kitchen than anywhere else!  My roommate, Julia, also has a knack for cooking.  Tonight, she is making us Chicago hotdogs; a recipe we got from my dad.  It is a regular hotdog in a bun, but topped with mustard, tomatoes, onions, pickles, relish, and a pinch of celery salt.  They are to die for and so simple to make (even I can do it).

*TIP: Add potato chips as a side!*

Chicago hotdogs with chips