Smart idea! Use that freezer!

Hello Crushers!

Happy first day of spring! Although it is only 39 degrees outside, I am wearing a dress, boots, jean jacket and I am resisting wearing a normal coat. At least for quick walks outside between buildings!

I'm hoping that the weather will pick up on the humans' leads and take note. Also, I hope that all the Wisconsin teams in the NCAA tournament do a good job today! Go Badgers and Panthers!

I just wanted to share a great freezer meal prep idea that I read about from Betty Crocker today. Instead of always prepping a full meal for the freezer, you can just prep a few of the meats to use later. For instance, the link shows that you can shred chicken, brown ground beef (and season it), or make meatballs to use later. Just save those and then thaw them when you need them. It would take up a lot less space in your freezer if you don't have the room, and you can still make lots of recipes from them with pantry staples.

That Betty... she's always thinking!

Jumping over to another kitchen crush, Kristin at Iowa Girl Eats is having a promotion today where you can win a $100 Visa gift card from KitchenAid and Blogher. Not only does her Steak Crostini with Bleu Cheese Marshmallow S’more D’eourves look amazing, but if you comment on her blog, you could be entered to win! Now, I'm not sure that I could handle making savory marshmallows, but I can direct you over there to learn how to do it!

Disclosure: I am receiving an entry into the contest by blogging about the contest. But seriously, you should go read about it and enter too!

Nursery sneak-peak and French Onion Soup revisited

Hello!

One of my fitness and foodie blogger crushes was talking about doing some nesting/house repairs for the baby they're expecting over at Carrots N Cake. Tina and her husband, Mal, have big plans. Oh, and don't forget to check out their cute pug, Murphy!

Since there's lots of baby love going on with Baby Lincoln at Iowa Girl Eats and the baby that Jenna and her husband are expecting over at Eat, Live, Run , I thought I would share a nursery sneak peak with you all!

Here's a roundup of a few of the projects that I've done and totally filled up the walls:

Steve found this great map, which is flanked by art from Naptime Diaries and original art from my sister.

This is a Jen original that is going on the book shelf.

Remember when I figured out how to install a floating shelf?
I made the art on the right and just framed a greeting card on the left. The tea cup was my grandma's.

This is a total Pinterest copy-cat project. The lighting is funky here, but it works in the room.

Last, but not least, we assembled the crib! It's adorable. I'll give you a full tour after the baby shower in two weeks.

An early shower gift from my parents!

So, French Onion Soup. It only has about 8 grams of carbs per serving (so I could have a really big serving) and I'm allowed to eat a whole 45 grams for dinner to fit in my gestational diabetes diet! 15 g will be taken up by a wholesome glass of milk, but I'm thinking grilled cheese croutons for the other 15 grams...

Yes, I know that in this French Onion Soup version that I made last time, I was all about the gratinee process of melting cheese all over the place. Yes, I'm still pro-cheese. Have no fear, there will be cheese, but when you see these cute bites from Ina Garten, how could you resist? Also, I'll be omitting the wine. Obviously. No booze for me even if it's in the soup!

I'll let you know how it all turns out!

Faith-Filled Friday: Where your heart is

Good morning Crushers!

To say that I'm an involved person is an understatement. I am working two jobs (both of which, I enjoy). I am a board member for the Wauwatosa Woman's Club. I am the president of the Goldendale Horseshoe Club (only really matters in summer). I play softball and in the handbell choir at my church. I am in a book club (hated the last book). And I try to post 2-3 times a week on this blog, which means that I have to be cooking on a regular basis. This last one is pretty easy since I love cooking and we have to eat, right?

However, last night after making 3 dinners (two are for next week when my friend Kalie and her mom come to visit from Texas!), I laid down next to my husband and opened a book. (FYI - Steve did help cook!) The first line of the book was one of my favorite passages:

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:21

It made me smile because here I was just relaxing at home with the person that I love the most. We weren't doing anything special. He had ESPN on and I had a book. We were all mashed up with our legs crossing over each others. That's where my treasure is. Right at home with our little family.

It was also a really good reminder that for all the busy, busy things I do, my real life is ahead of me in Heaven. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." says Matthew 6:21. Heaven is where my ultimate treasure is. That's a really nice reminder for a very busy week.

But what did I make for those three dinners? I was in a pasta mood. It's always a wonderful thing to feed a crowd! Remember the tortellacci? Or the lasagna? Or the meatballs and angel hair? We kind of love Italian food at our house, and I LOVE Giada de Laurentiis and her book (and show) "Everyday Italian." I consulted this book while making baked eggplant Parmesan last night. Note: that recipe is not in her book, but she has helpful hints about cooking with eggplant in it. I also made noodles with veggies and garlic butter sauce and these butternut squash gnocchi from Kristin at Iowa Girl Eats.

Baked Eggplant and Zucchini Parmesan (original recipe with some help from research)
1 medium eggplant
1 medium zucchini
1 cup bread crumbs
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 heaping tbsp of Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 egg
2 Tbsp water
2-ish cups marinara sauce
1-2 cups (or two handfuls) of shredded mozzarella cheese

Gear you'll need: two shallow dishes, one 8x8 or 9x13 baking dish, one baking sheet, measuring cups and spoons, a sharp knife.

Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry your veggies to make sure that all garden dirt is gone. In one shallow dish whisk the water and egg together. In the other shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Slice the veggies in 1/2 -1 inch thick slices across the veggie. That means we're not making long strips, we're making disc-like shapes.

Coat the veggie slices in the egg wash and then roll them/cover them on all sides with the bread crumb mix. Place on the baking sheet that you've already give a light coating of olive oil to and feel free to let the veggies touch each other since they'll shrink. 

Tip: Put the olive oil in a shallow bowl or pour a little directly on the pan. Use a brush or even some paper towel to rub it all around. Only use half of the olive oil because you'll need the other half later for the baking dish. You could go ahead and brush that on now too because you won't have to do it twice!

 Bake the veggies for 25 minutes and then flip them over and bake for another 20-25 more so that each side gets golden brown. Remove from the baking dish and place the veggies in the baking dish and cover with most of the mozzarella cheese. Pour the marinara sauce on top of that and then sprinkle a bit more cheese over that. If you use the smaller pan, feel free to layer!

I put mine in the freezer for next week, but when you do need to bake it, make sure it's thawed all the way through. When it's ready, bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until it's bubbling and cheesy.

Note: Feel free to peel the veggies if you aren't a fan of the skins, but remember that the part of the plant that is the most brightly colored is the most nutrient filled!

Virtual Running Date No. 25: Al's Run and kitchen gear crush

Good morning, Crushers!

I'm not sure what other parts of the country are all experiencing, but most of the Midwest seems to have found fall. I'm not just talking about how stores already have Halloween decorations up and there are pumpkin flavored things everywhere.

Source

The high temperature for today is 62 degrees F. That's a nice brisk jeans and hoodie kind of weather. Or jeans and cute top and scarf weather. I love scarf weather! I also love pumpkin weather. I really need to find my pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe...

Random side note: I have trouble typing the word pumpkin because my fingers automatically want to add a -g to any word that ends in -in. I keep having to backspace after writing pumpking... Argh.

Anyway, if this was a running date, I'd tell you about how the glorious weather was wonderful last Saturday for the Brigg's and Al's Run/Walk for Children's Hospital. As you may or may not know, I spent 12 days as a resident of Children's Hospital of Wisconsin back when I was 10 because I had a horrible staph infection (called osteomyelitis) in some bones in my left foot. Do not ask how I got this because I don't know. I'm pretty sure it's because I tripped and possibly broke the growth joint in my big toe while on vacation in Florida with my family. This is why I was called "The Florida Case". Although my doctor was kind of a jerk, the nurses, other surgeons, staff, and tutors there were fantastic! Especially the nurses on orthopedic floor 5! Love them!

We did the run/walk with a team from work. It was amazing! There was a rumored 13,000 people there. I believe it!

Two of thousands at the start line.

TONS OF PEOPLE!

If this were a running date, I would tell you that the course is mostly flat, if not downhill, and for a 5 mile course, that's important. My favorite part was seeing a family running together and they all had on superhero capes! I wish I had taken a photo at the finish line with the little girls because they were awesome! Here is the conversation we had a half mile from the finish line:

Me: Wow! I love your capes!

Little Runner #1: Thanks! We're Super Runners! Don't you wish you had one?

 Me: Yes! I wish I had thought to make one.

Little Runner #2: They make you go faster.

Oh. My. Word. Too cute!

If this were a running date, I would also tell you that my beloved 3 quart sauce pan is now flaking. Yes, the non-stick coating chipped. Before you all start saying "It'll give you cancer" or "Stainless is the only way to go", let me tell you that I have stopped using the pan (I think I'll just hang it up for decoration). I can also tell you that it was PFOA-free, I never put it in the dishwasher or used a metal utensil with it, and I am really careful about those things. Plus, I manage to burn things in stainless steel pans. Ever try to make an egg over easy in one of those without tons of butter? Yeah? How'd that work out?

Anyway, one of my kitchen crushes, Kristin from Iowa Girl Eats is having a giveaway on  her blog today for a Calphalon Elite Slide Nonstick Fry Pan, and I'm in love with it. Just in case I don't win, I think I'll use a gift card from our wedding to get these lovely pans or perhaps these. Right now, I'm leaning toward the second set.

I was showing this link to my friend Kelly, also an amazing cook, and she said, "Wow, if you got those pans (and got to use a gift card), all you'd need is a cast iron one and you'd never need another pan." Fortunately, Steve bought some cast iron pans for camping back in his bachelorhood. Unfortunately, they were stored in the garage, so I'm going to need to un-rust and re-season them. The aforementioned Kelly sent me some helpful hints on how to do this. I'll let you all know how it works out.

In the meantime, please go enjoy all things pumpkin and perhaps a run in this beautiful weather!

"D'oh!" Dough

I am going to need a second cup of coffee this morning. Why? Because I am terrible at making dough, and I was too ambitious to try three different dough recipes in the past week. I stayed up until 11 p.m. making this new recipe. WHY DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF?!

Back a few posts to the Kitchen Mischief Review, I said how you should never swear in the kitchen. I think that foods pick up on your moods and act accordingly. I once made a layer cake (granted, I was doing this WAY too late at night in order to have it done for a friend's birthday party the next day), and the top layer kept sliding off since I kept swearing at it. Now, I'm normally not a potty mouth, but sometimes I slip. And when that happens, all of a sudden your rolling pin slips out of your hands and sends flour across your kitchen floor. Ugh, dough problems.

Anyway, I had the house to myself last night, so I thought I would spend some quality time in the kitchen attempting to make this drool-worthy Butternut Squash Gnocchi from Iowa Girl Eats. My high school friend Kelly suggested that I start reading this blog, and she was right! Kristin from Iowa Girl Eats is adorable and a total kitchen crush. We both like running, cooking, traveling and all sorts of stuff, so it's fun to read! She probably now thinks that I'm obsessed and/or crazy, but no, I'm just a fan. *waves hi to Kristin*

Major props to Kristin who could actually make these lovely hand-rolled gnocchi with what sounds like cool confidence. I'm only going to guess that she did this without getting frustrated at how sticky the dough was. I felt like I could not get enough flour into this dough. Granted, I probably should have measured it out like a good little student instead of eye-balling it. Argh.

I did manage to get a few pictures of the process until my hands became covered in dough while trying to roll them out. I'm going to direct you right to Iowa Girl Eats for the recipe instead of writing down what I did, especially since mine got a little out of control. However, I've got a big ol' bag of these gnocchi in my freezer now, so I hope I didn't botch them. I was too tired when I finished these at 11 p.m. to actually boil some and add the buttery sauce. This will happen soon though, and I'll report back.

Here are the pictures:

Pop the olive oil covered butternut squash in the oven for roasting with a sprinkling of pepper and salt

Food processor full of delicious roasted squash!
I could have stopped right here and eaten the whole thing of butternut squash puree.

Frozen (hopefully) tasty freezer bag of gnocchi.
Note the cooking instructions written on the bag.

TEASER: These are my entry in the newspaper's holiday cookie contest.
Recipe soon to come. Stay posted.