Strikes my fancy

via Southern Living      INGREDIENTS                    3 Tbls unsalted butter                    6 cups fresh corn kernels (about 8 large ears)                    4 oz cream cheese, softened                    1 tsp black pepper                    2 Tbl chopped fresh chives plus more for garnish                    8oz hickory-smoked sausage, cut into 1/4" slices                    1 Tbl chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley                    1 cup chopped sweet onion                    1/2 cup half & half                    1 3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided                    1 tsp olive oil                    1# medium size peeled, deveined raw shirmp                1.  Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add corn and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 minutes. Stir in cream cheese, half-and-half, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until cream cheese melts, 2 minutes. Stir in chives.

adopted from BH&G Ingredients Butter         2 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick ribbons (1 1/2 lb.)          ½ teaspoon kosher salt          12 ounces uncooked ground chorizo         4 eggs         2 egg yolks        1 ½ cups whole milk        1 tsp garlic powder        1 tsp onion powder        ½ tsp black pepper        1 ½ cups fresh corn off the cob        1 ½ cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese (6 ounces)        ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 2-quart baking dish. Place zucchini in a colander. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. kosher salt. Let stand 20 minutes. Blot dry with paper towels. 2. Meanwhile, heat a 10-inch skillet over medium. Add chorizo. Cook and stir 5 to 7 minutes until cooked through. Drain in a colander. Transfer to paper towels; blot dry. 3. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, yolks, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. 4. Spread half of

Have you read Skinnytaste One & Done yet?  What a great cookbook! Ingredients - 14 oz. carrots (5 medium or 3 to 4 large), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces  - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8oz each), cut in 1/2 crosswise  - 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt  - 1/4 tsp. garlic powder  - Freshly ground black pepper  - Olive oil spray  - 2 tsp. olive oil  - 1 cup chopped white onion  - 1 small fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced, plus 1/2 jalapeño, thinly sliced  - 2 garlic cloves, minced  - 1 1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen  - 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained  - 2 tbsp.  chopped fresh cilantro - Juice of 1/2 lime - 4 tbsp. jarred salsa - 4 slices pepper Jack cheese  For serving - 1/4 cup chopped fresh tomatoes - 2 tablespoons chopped scallions - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro  - 1 small avocado, sliced I skipped the onion, jalapeno, cilantro - because 2/3 of our family are spice wimps and the other 1/3 thinks cilantro tastes

The best parts of summer involve fresh, juicy fruit and the grill.  Usually separate from each other, but this recipe combines both for a delicious outcome! Ingredients - 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar - 1 Tbs honey - 1 clove garlic, finely chopped - 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided - 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided - 8 Tbs olive oil, divided plus more for grill grates - 4 1/2" thick bone-in pork chops (about 2#) - 4 cups arugula - 1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, torn - 4 ripe peaches, nectarines or apricots, pitted and sliced I used boneless pork chops, mixed greens instead of arugula and peaches.  Skipped the parsley. Preheat grill to high (450°F to 500°F) and lightly oil grates. Whisk vinegar, honey, garlic, ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper, and 5 tablespoons oil. Pat pork chops dry and brush with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Season both sides with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and teaspoon pepper. Grill, uncovered, flipping

This recipe was another AllRecipes.com goodie.  You can find it here . Ingredients:  - 2 1/2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning Mix  - 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces  - 2 tablespoons Zesty Italian Dressing  - 1 cup canned no-salt-added black beans, rinsed  - 1/2 cup frozen corn  - 2 green onions, chopped  - 1 cup Salsa  - 1/2 cup Finely Shredded Four Cheese  - 2 2/3 cups hot cooked long-grain brown rice Surprise - I made this with everything on the list!! Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Add seasoning mix to chicken in medium bowl; toss to evenly coat. Heat dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 min. or until evenly browned. Spoon into 1-1/2-qt. casserole; cover with layers of beans, corn, onions and salsa. Bake 20 min. Top with cheese; bake 5 min. or until melted. Serve over rice. We loved this!  My rarely-eats

This meal was one of those nights when I looked in the fridge and freezer and thought "Well, what can I make with what I have on hand?"  I LOVE AllRecipes.com for their search feature that uses ingredients that you enter.  Saves me many a night!  Here is a link to the recipe. Ingredients:  - 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage links  - 2 small zucchini, sliced  - 1 small yellow squash, sliced  - 1/2 cup chopped onion  - 1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes with liquid I used kielbasa sausage instead of the links and skipped the onion. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the Italian sausage until the inside is no longer pink. Cut sausage into 1/4 inch slices, and continue cooking until browned. Stir in the zucchini, yellow squash, and onion; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes, with liquid. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. This was super easy to make.  I did think that it needed more seasoning - next time!

Oh man, where to start with the kitchen.  This is the listing photo: As soon as we had the keys, little girl and I changed all the knobs to silver.  We bought a black fridge because...that's what color everything else was!  After we had been in for a bit, I took down the wallpaper - that was zero fun - and painted.  I also put peel and stick wallpaper on the back splash area because a girl can only handle so much fake wood and I had it leftover from a different project. We've mulled over lots of ideas with what to do with this space, but they all involve $$ and so I've focused on smaller things I can do for lesser $$.  I've changed the light fixture out as well.  Recently I've been thinking about color on the cabinets.  It's kind of hard to tell, but they are a creamy color.  I don't hate the color...too much, but the cabinet space (specifically in the uppers) is horrible, so we'll probably go with a different cabinet when we remodel.  Which m

As soon as I saw this recipe , I knew it would be a hit at our house! Ingredients:  - 2 Tbls toasted sesame oil  - 2 halves, skinless, boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced  - 2 Tbls finely chopped fresh ginger  - 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped  - 3/4 pound snow peas, trimmed  - 3 Tbl reduced -sodium soy sauce  - Juice of 1 orange  - 4 cups chopped mustard greens  - 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted I skipped the ginger and sesame seeds - didn't have them on hand.  I also subbed pineapple juice for the oj due to an allergy. In an extra-large skillet heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high; add chicken in a single layer. Cook without stirring 2 minutes or until browned. Cook and stir 2 minutes more or until chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Add remaining sesame oil to skillet; heat over medium-high. Add ginger and garlic; cook and stir 30 seconds. Add peas; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp-tender.

One of the funniest thing about the listing for our home was that it said something about the backyard being ready for a cocktail party.  I don't know what you envision when you think of a cocktail party, but I can tell you that no lady in heels wanted to be in our backyard...or our back deck.  I loved the size of our deck the first time I saw it...and hated the red - probably because of the brick. I'll be honest - moving in with an almost 1 year old and so many "immediate" redo needs....we didn't take care of our deck.  We aren't convinced it was built to too high of a quality standard either, but we didn't love the wood like we should have.  So fast forward to this year and it was something I both wanted and needed to work on.  We replaced a few boards and needed to stain all of them.  I should say that our long term goal for this space is to make it screened in.  The mosquitoes around here are no joke!  We love our creek and our "it rained too

For some reason, all of my pictures seem to have disappeared, but check out this site for the original recipe and her pictures! Ingredients 1/2   red onion , chopped 1   red bell pepper , chopped 2 15.5 oz cans of chickpeas ( rinsed and drained) 1/4   cup tamari or   soy sauce 2   tablespoons   balsamic vinegar   (the more syrupy, the better) 2   tablespoons maple syrup 1/2   teaspoon   garlic powder   (or 2 minced garlic cloves) 1/2   teaspoon   ground ginger   (or 2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger) 1   teaspoon   red pepper flakes 1   teaspoon  toasted sesame oil 3   green onions , chopped  sesame seeds , for garnish  Cooked white rice , for serving  I skipped the onions, sesame seeds & red pepper flakes - didn't have them on hand.  You could also use 3 cups of cooked chickpeas, but for the me the cans are easier. Instructions Add the red onion, bell pepper, and chickpeas into the bowl of your slow cooker.  In a small bowl, whisk togethe

So yummy I forgot to take a photo! adapted from Woman's Day Mag Ingredients: 1 15oz can black beans, rinsed 1 Tbl finely chopped chipotles in adobo  1/4 small pineapple, cored and cut into thin 1/2" pieces 2 small red peppers, sliced 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 8 small corn tortillas, warmed fresh cilantro & sour cream, for serving I skipped the chipotles & onion, used canned pineapple & flour tortillas. Instructions: Heat oven to 425 degrees F or an outdoor grill to medium-high. Tear off four 12" squares of foil and arrange on two baking sheets. Toss together the beans and chipotles, then divide among the pieces of foil. Top with the pineapple, peppers and onion. Cover with another piece of foil and fold each edge up and over three times. Roast or grill (covered) for 15 minutes Transfer each packet to a plate. Using scissors or a knife, cut an “X” in the center and fold back the triangles. Spoon the mixture into tor

I found this recipe in Oprah magazine, but this link is to the original. Ingredients: 3 cups cauliflower florets, approximately 2-inch pieces 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one 15-ounce can organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained) 1/2 cup tightly packed frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid 3/4 cup finely chopped red peppers 4 scallions, white and light green parts, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley 1/4 teaspoon cumin 1/4 teaspoon turmeric Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 large organic eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 cup dressing or sauce of your choice (tahini**, salsa, spiced yogurt, etc.) We didn't have red peppers or scallions, but used shredded carrots instead. Instructions:  Place the cauliflower in a steamer basket and cook over medium-high heat until just tender, 8 to 10 minu

adapted from BH&G Ingredients: 2 15.5oz cans of chickpeas, rinsed & drained 1# carrots, peeled & sliced 1/4" thick 2 cups cauliflower florets 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp ground cumin 1 cup vegetable broth 1/2 cup orange juice (I substituted pineapple juice due to allergies Instructions: In a 12" skillet heat 2 Tbls olive oil over medium-high.  Add chickpeas; cook 4 minutes or until lightly brown, stirring occasionally.  Remove chickpeas from skillet; set aside. Add 1 Tbl olive oil to skillet.  Add carrots, cauliflower, paprika, cumin and 1/2 tsp salt.  Cook 5 minutes or until carrots and cauliflower are just tender, stirring occasionally.  Add broth and juice.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Boil gently, uncovered, 10 minutes.  Stir in chickpeas; heat through.  If desired, sprinkle with mint (I did not) This dish was better received than I thought it would be.  We all loved it!  One pan, 2 steps - that's a winner in my book! 

adopted from Food Network Magazine Ingredients: 4 boneless pork chops (1" thick) Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper 1/2 cup BBQ sauce 1/2 cup hot pepper jelly  2 cups frozen lima beans, thawed 2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed 1 15.5oz hominy, drained & rinsed 2 scallions, sliced (white & green parts separated) 1 tsp fresh thyme 4 Tbls unsalted butter, melted  I omitted the hot pepper jelly (at least 2 of us would have paused before eating that!) and somehow I missed adding hominy to my grocery list, so we added edamame (which is a favorite vegetable of my toddler).  Instructions:  Preheat a grill to medium high. Lay out four 12-by-18-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Whisk the barbecue sauce and hot pepper jelly in a small bowl. Remove 1/3 cup of the sauce to a separate bowl and brush all over the pork chops; reserve the remaining sauce. Mix the lima beans, corn, hominy, sc

I've realized I need to keep a list of major home projects somewhere so I can remember when we've done things.  So what better place than my blog!  These are listing photo for the house: We bought the house in 2016 and moved in quickly.  We did an air test before we moved in (it had been vacant and with my mold allergy, I could smell something was off as soon as I walked in.  Thankfully it wasn't mold!)  The tester told us "you should take the carpets out, but since you don't have small animals or crawling children you should be fine for a bit"....we had a 9 month old.  We ripped out the carpet and lived on painted subfloors for a year while saving up money to redo the floors.  I'll tell more about that when I post about the floor redos. In 2017 we had the fireplace cleaned, even though we'll probably never use it....it never gets cold here (now I've probably jinxed myself for this winter!).  The man that cleaned it said to have h