A healthy recipe I can't wait to try... egg muffins???

All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.
John Gunther





Sometimes I find recipes in the most bizarre places.  This one was on a Facebook photo with a link to the recipe from healthy recipes.  I can't wait to try it out!  I don't know about you but my morning breakfasts are pretty boring and predictable to be honest.  I usually get stuck in a rut of a bowl of oatmeal or an egg white omlette so when I find something that is different and sounds delicious I absolutely have to try it out.  This one is great because it is low in carbs and super high in protein (sounds like a great after workout snack Bethany!).  They use green onions in their muffins but I'm thinking sundried, bell peppers, mushrooms, anything you love!  I'm also thinking of trying them with egg whites for a lighter points value... I'll update with new recipes as I work them out!  Plus I read that you can pop them in the fridge and heat them as you need them. Since I have to wake up at 5 am in order to workout before work this is a definite must, and yes I do workout mainly because this blog would make me a fatty if not :)!!!  On a side note how cute is this little turquoise table area?  I would LOVE having my quiet time/breakfast here every morning.  Suffice it to say... I'm jealous!  Oh well, enough babbling from me... here's the recipe!

Today's Recipe Attempt... Creme Brulee

Today I am cooking for Shale's family as a combination gift for Father's Day (the husband's dad), Sue's Birthday (the husband's mom) and Khua's Birthday (exchange student living with the husband's family).  I'll be making several recipes which I'll be posting later but one I am so excited to try is Creme Brulee.  Creme Brulee is Sue's favorite dessert and I just recently received a Creme Brulee set that I'm dying to try (yes I'll be using a torch for this and no I'm not a pyromaniac).  When looking for recipes I came across this one which sounds amazing.  It is by Barefoot Contessa (who I love) and her recipes always turn out exactly like predicted!  I can't wait and had to share!!!

Roast Italian Chicken

The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is like an eggs-and-ham breakfast: the chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'.

Cute quote! Made me smile when I read it.   And REALLY cute kitchen!  Last week when I was at Publix they had a great deal on whole chickens.  So I bought 2 of them and put them in the freezer knowing I could make them in the future.  I knew however, that I wanted to come up with a new recipe because as much as I love my old one for roast chicken (found here) I thought the husband was getting a little bored of it and I promised myself I would never settle into a repertoire of 5 recipes I rotate through... way too boring for me!  So that thought combined with my mom's surplus of basil that she passed on to me I decided to come up with some sort of roast Italian chicken.  I do have to admit I was a little intimidated before I started this recipe as I was just kind of pulling off my taste buds completely and with a roast chicken you can't taste as you cook.  Needless to say I was terrified it was going to be a complete flop.  On the contrary, it turned out amazing!!!  I actually think I like it as much as I do my favorite Greek version (mentioned above).  Here's the recipe... enjoy!

Tuesday's Tip plus baked Zucchini Fries and Marsala Turkey Burger

Cookies are made of butter and love.  ~Norwegian Proverb

Today's tip is very simple and concerns cookies.  Now I'm not sure if you're like me but when I make cookies I cannot keep them at home after I make them.  If I do I will eat them all so most of the time I'll take them to work, or the husband will take them to work, or we'll take them to our Bible study groups on Sunday morning.  However, a few months back I learned a great tip for storing and shipping cookies... bread!  Now if you've heard of it you know what I'm talking about and if you haven't heard of it then you probably think I'm crazy.  Either way next time you make a batch of cookies when you put it in your Tupperware to store until later pop in a piece of bread.  It will keep the cookies moist and tasting like they just came out of the oven.  This is a great use of the heel of the bread!  If it doesn't work for you feel free to message back but I promise it is one of the best tips I think I've ever learned.  Now on to some recipes!!!  Last night I found lean ground turkey breast on sale and decided to cook up some quick turkey burgers.  I also had some zucchini in the fridge but I was craving something a little crunchy so I mixed a few things together and found 2 winning recipes.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

A recipe I can’t wait to try… Strawberry-Avocado Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

A girl told me my lips looked like somebody had pressed strawberry yogurt against my face.

Katherine Heigl quotes 

I love chips and salsa.  I mean to the point where my husband makes fun of me.  In fact if you asked me my comfort food I would probably that it’s tortilla chips with melted cheese and salsa.  I try not to eat it that much because I really can’t stop.  I love them.  So when I came across this creative recipe for unique chips and salsa from Cooking Light I knew I had to share it with you.  I can’t wait to try it… in fact I may just have to stop and pick up the ingredients on the way home from church today so I can make it. However, I may be making a few changes like using non-stick spray on the tortillas instead of oil and using high fiber tortillas as I’m doing weight watchers right now and want to bring the points value down a little bit.  In case you’re wondering current the recipe (as is) has a points plus value of 4.  Along with being great it sounds like a wonderful summer party appetizer.  So without further ado… here’s a great recipe idea. 

A recipe I can't wait to try...

I love the culture of grilling. It creates an atmosphere that is festive but casual.
 Bobby Flay

Of course the "king of grilling" from the Food Network would have the perfect grilling quote.  I too love grilling mainly because it adds so much flavor without having to add any extra fat or calories.  Right now the husband and I have pretty much settled into a routine fall back meal of grilled chicken and vegetables.  It's easy and always seems to turn out right.  Plus right now several veggies including zucchini, squash and other summer vegetables are in season, which makes them REALLY CHEAP!  We typically mix together some zucchini and squash and sometimes toss in some cherry tomatoes, peppers, baby portobello mushrooms, whatever sounds good for the night.  However, I found this recipe online the other day and I can't wait to try it!!!  As you may know I really, REALLY love goat cheese.  This recipe which combines goat cheese (tanginess) with portobello (meatiness) and topped with a tomato to finish it off has got to be amazing.  I loved the idea of it so much I had to share.  I hope it works out well for you!!!

Click Read Full Post To See Entire Recipe

Tuesdays Tip - Cutting Meat

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans”

John Lennon

Beautiful Etsy Turquoise Platter

What a perfect quote for me right now.  I haven't been blogging as much lately because I have been incredibly busy.  For those of you who don't know me personally I work full time as an event coordinator for a student ministry at a local church.  Seems simple enough right? Until you take into consideration that our church student ministry is so large that we have to put on our own camps during the summer.  Due to this I am pretty much in non-stop work mode from mid-May through the middle of July.  Unfortunately this means I come home from work and either finish more work, like I'll be doing tonight after I finish this post, or I'm so mentally drained I don't get around to sharing my thoughts and recipes on here.  However, I do still cook during this time.  For me cooking is almost a calming ritual of sorts.  I drive home, feed and walk the dogs, and then immediately start working on dinner while watching some of my favorite TV shows (yes I'm lucky enough to be able to see my TV from my kitchen).  However, tonight I am catching up with one of my girlfriends at my favorite local coffee shop.  She's the overachiever who is sitting here studying for grad school while I type a quick blog before I start working on camp expectation manuals (sounds fun huh?).  So needless to say I'm not cooking tonight, instead I'm writing about something that I really feel makes a difference in your cooking... cutting your meat.  I know seems simple enough but so many of us get it wrong all the time and ruin what would have been a tender, juicy cut of meat.  

Chicken Teriyaki and Southern Style Green Beans

"Southerners can't stand to eat alone. If we're going to cook a mess of greens we want to eat them with a mess of people." 

Julia Reed

I love the quote above.  While some people may not think there is a distinctive difference in Southern cooking and other cooking those who have grown up here will disagree.  Having a mother from South Carolina, a father from Virginia, and a grandmother from Mississippi I grew up learning that not only are there typical foods distinctive to the south (greens, hoppin' johns, fried chicken, etc...) it is almost more of a cultural thing than it is a type of food.  I was raised learning that you invite friends over as often as possible, you give your extra cookies or baked goods to neighbors, and you always make a pound cake for a friend who has lost a loved one.  So when I came across this quote I thought it fit perfectly.  For this post I am sharing with you the simple love of cooking in the South, particularly in using a cast iron skillet and making fabulous green beans.  I hope you enjoy the simplicity as much as I do.