Posts tagged recipe

sunday morning i was catching up on my google reader posts and came across this recipe and was immediately starving. it was all i could think about all day so i went for it and let me tell you…amazeballs. so. effing good. i also threw in some guac for good measure.

another sunday, another crock pot meal. hooray! this time we used this recipe for beer chicken tacos. i seriously get so much pleasure from making something for others and having them eat their faces off because its so delicious. 

i wont get into a full play by play, but here are the highlights: 

homemade taco seasoning. 

mix in beer of choice. 

pour over chicken breasts and after 8 hours you have this pile of amazingness. 

now, not to toot my own horn, but personally i think the guac was the show-stopper. theres not an exact recipe, its just whatever you like, but here’s how i like it: 

for this batch i used 5 good sized avocados.

scoring because scooping makes it easier! 

mash it all up with a fork (and keep the pits in with it so it doesnt turn brown!)

lime juice! i think i ended up squeezing 4 limes into it by the end, cause i like it super limey. 

i also used a whole onion chopped up cause i like a fuck-ton of onion. 

5 minced garlic cloves. 

a handful of cilantro. 

i also grated a serano pepper (minus the seeds) and sprinkled in some lowrys seasoning salt. top with more cilantro. 

serve with whatever goodies your heart desires. 

make a taco the size of your head and enjoy! 

holy cow pig, y’all. this weekend was the second go-round with the crock pot and boy was it a hit. we followed this recipe pretty much to a tee (or to a t? - i was just trying to figure out which it is and failed. anyone know?) so i wont rehash all the nitty gritty for you. but i will say this: make more than the recipe calls for. you will want it. double it at least. triple for good measure. 

pork shoulder and onion smothered in homemade bbq goodness. 

it literally falls apart. 

dive right in. 

top with apple slaw and serve on a fresh roll. repeat. 

around this time of year, i always crave clam chowder. seeing as i have yet to find a place in la with a chowder worth coming back for, we decided to make our own. along with it - oyster crackers! my mom always makes them around christmas and they are like crack. 

for the crackers: combine 1 package hidden valley ranch dressing mix, 1/2 tsp dill, 3/4 c vegetable oil. 

drizzle over 1 package oyster crackers. stir to coat the crackers. 

spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 250 for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through. 

for the chowder: chop 7-8 pieces of bacon and cook on medium low until crispy. add 1 onion, chopped, and sauté until transparent. add juice from 1 10 oz can baby clams (save clams for later) and 6-7 cubed potatoes. cover and cook about 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. 

(at this point we had to move into soup pot. not sure why we didn’t start here) add clams, 2 cans cream of celery soup (we used condensed, so we also added 2 cans water), 1 c heavy cream, 1 c milk and 1 tsp dill. (the recipe didn’t call for it, but we also added 1 can of corn kernels) stir together and add 1 tbs butter and let melt into the chowder. cook for 30-45 minutes, or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

sprinkle with cheese and oyster crackers and enjoy! 

fish is one of the easiest things to cook. but the first time i ever tried it, i was making baked tilapia and royally failed. i’d never tried baking fish again until now. it was super simple and it came out perfect and delicious. 

place each salmon filet on an individual piece of aluminum foil. sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil. 

in a bowl, mix 1 can diced tomatoes (drained), a splash of olive oil, 1/2 tsp oregano, and 1 finely chopped shallot. make the aluminum foil into little pockets and divide the tomato mixture over the salmon. 

wrap up the pockets and place in a dish or on a cooking sheet. bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. 

serve with josies potatoes and enjoy! 

i tried my hand at friendship bracelets a few weeks ago and have lost all memory of how to do them from childhood. i need to try again though because these from material therapy are amazing. 

eggplant and goat cheese sandwiches from what did you eat? obviously need to try. 

i’m a sucker for a tailored couch. throw in a chevron print? sold. via house of turquoise. 

i one hundred percent need this llama sweater from madewell. 

thinking this scene from breakfast at tiffanys by pop pop portraits might serve as inspiration for my next tattoo…whenever that may be. 

oh hey, adorable typography. 

for more pretty things, follow me on pinterest! and again, let me know if you pin or know any awesome pinners. thanks loves!

butterballs are one of my most favorite holiday traditions. others include getting holiday pj’s on christmas eve, my grammas bread dip (which i may have to make soon also), and the themed secret santa exchange with my family. anyways, these are so delicious, and pretty easy to make. be warned though: you will need a glass of milk with them. guaranteed. heres what i did: 

• preheat oven to 325
• mix 1 c soft butter, 1/2 c powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla
• gradually sift in 2 1/4 c flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 3/4 c finely chopped pecans
• chill dough
• roll into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet
• bake for 12-15 minutes or until set (not brown) 
• roll in powdered sugar while still warm
• cool, roll in powdered sugar again
• enjoy! 

like i said in my last post, i don’t necessarily have a favorite thanksgiving dish, so i just make whatever. this year, i made brussles sprouts with bacon, fried pickles, and corn on the cob. heres what i did: 

• halve about a pound and a half of brussels sprouts and scatter in baking dish
• sprinkle with salt & pepper and drizzle with olive oil
• chop up 4 slices of bacon and scatter evenly over the top
• bake on 425 until the bacon is cooked through and the brussels sprouts are tender (the directions i used called for 25 minutes, but it was closer to 40 for the bacon to be done completely). 
• enjoy!

i know brussels sprouts aren’t on the top of everyones list, but i love them, and i’d never cooked them this way before but it was delicious! i mean, bacon. duh. and it was so easy.

i basically used this recipe, but my ingredients for the batter were a little different based on what i had:

• 1 c flour
• 2 tsp cracked peppercorn
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp onion powder
• dash cayenne pepper
• dash chili powder

for the wash, i used two eggs because i wasn’t sure of the ratio and i used too much buttermilk for one egg. the first couple pickles weren’t batter-y at all. and obviously, we had fried the turkey, so i just used the frier instead of a pot of oil. next time though, i would definitely double the batter recipe because this made just enough for one jar of pickles, which was not enough for my hungry friends! they literally disappeared before my eyes. 

• you don’t have to, but i halved my corn cobs (its easier just to snap them with your hands than to try and cut through them with a knife.)
• chop a handful of parsley and a couple cloves of garlic (i used 4) and simmer in a generous amount of olive oil. season with salt & pepper. 
• lay down a piece of tinfoil under your corn, brush with oil mixture, wrap foil, repeat. 
• grill about 25-30 minutes, turning them halfway through
• enjoy! 

again, totally easy and totally delicious. 

ta da! this is what i started yesterday and just enjoyed for lunch. so simple and so delicious. heres what i did: 

• cook your pasta. it doesn’t matter what kind, i used medium shells but its good also with the swirly ones. i used about 3/4 of the box. i thought it wasn’t going to be enough, but turned out to be just the right amount. 
• cut your veggies. i used a cucumber and one of each red, yellow and orange bell pepper. 
• add some goodies. i added a jar of artichoke hearts. they were in some kind of marinade that was a little too strong so i rinsed them off before tossing them in. i also toasted up a handful of pine nuts and finely chopped a couple green onions. 
• mix it all together. throw the veggies, the pasta, the goodies all into a big bowl and add some your dressing. i use wishbone’s italian dressing cause its what my mom used so its my favorite. i put a little more than half of the jar of it on right away. use a more than you think you should cause it soaks into the pasta. 
• chill it. a couple hours, or overnight. 
• dress it. when i serve it up, i put another splash of dressing on and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. 
• enjoy! 

so i’m home and feeling productive and motivated so i’ve been cooking all day! (and when i say all day i mean i made two things) i’m only gonna share one recipe today though, cause the other wont be ready til tomorrow. i cant take actually take credit for thinking of them either…but i did make em! credit for this one goes to miss nontra. its mostly a “to taste” recipe, so i’ll just tell you what i did. 

• thinly slice one cucumber and place in bowl
• cover so about 3/4 of the cukes are submerged in rice vinegar
• add water until liquid completely covers them
• add a splash or two of olive oil
• add a liberal amount of salt (a couple of tablespoons maybe? i didn’t measure, i just dumped it in til it tasted good)
• swoosh it all around to mix
• refrigerate for as long as you can handle it! they’re “ready” as soon as they’re cold, but they get better the longer you let them sit. 
• enjoy!