Miss Me?

no, no, we haven't been starving, just busy.  which doesn't mean no time for cooking, just no time for blogging, so sorry, to the one sweet soul who actually reads this blog.  so a few not noteworthy things we've had for dinner in the last 2 weeks are:  crockpot roast with no fat mashed potatoes, rotisserie chicken with brown sugar glazed acorn squash and asparagus, and chicken broccoli fettuccine alfredo.  i'll give the noteworthy meals their own post :)

roast and mashed potatoes: easy peezy. browned a roast, threw it in the crockpot with a packet of lipton onion soup mix, an onion cut into rings, and a can of beef broth.  cooked on low 10 hours.  it was yummy.  for the mashed potatoes, i boiled 3 potatoes that i had peeled and cubed until they were tender, then i put them in my stand mixer (because mr. d doesn't like lumpy mashed potatoes) and whipped them up with some skim milk and a dallop of greek yogurt.  they were pretty good, you couldn't even tell they were super healthy!  i loved adding protein rather than fat!  i also made a gravy out of the meat drippings left in the crockpot.  1/2 c butter, melted, mixed with 1/2 c flour, then stirred into the meat juice.  sorry, no picture.  it probably wouldn't have turned out pretty anyway (not that any of my pics do, lol).

rotisserie chicken:  i cheated and bought a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store.  i wasn't in the mood to cook anything, and i like using leftover rotisserie chicken in pot pies, taquitos, soups, etc.  i got an acorn squash in my bountiful basket and googled some recipes, this martha stewart one looked the best.  http://www.marthastewart.com/317276/glazed-squash?czone=food/produce-guide-cnt/produce-guide-fall&center=0&gallery=275063&slide=261751  and since i was at the store getting the chicken, i picked up some asparagus, because we love asparagus at our house.  to cook it, i just trimmed the ends and steamed for a few minutes.  added a touch of butter and salt, and dinner was served!  the meat was good, the asparagus was awesome, but we weren't huge fans of the squash.  i don't care much for squash, so i don't think it was the recipe, just my general dislike for it.  if i get acorn squah again, i will probably try roasting it and making a soup with it.

fettucine:  with the huge container of greek yogurt i had from adding it to the potatoes, i needed another recipe for it.  and since i also had broccoli, this seemed like a good idea.  http://www.celebrations.com/content/skinny-chicken-broccoli-alfredo  it wasn't.  well, i liked it, and taking into consideration that it was pretty decent for you (i used whole wheat noodles of course) it really wasn't bad.  mr. d was not a fan.  he thought it was very bland and tasteless.  yes, i realize that is just using synonyms to describe it.  i told him to add salt or pepper, but he just ate it as is, unhappily.  he's a good sport about eating whatever i cook for dinner, and he only let me know how he felt about it when i asked for honest feedback.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

fall has definitely set in this week, with colder temps and a crispness to the air that only autumn can bring.  and not to get too cheesey, but i read this quote this week from william cullen bryant "autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile."  yes, fall is the best time of year, not only because of the amazing colors of the changing leaves, but because it is perfect weather for soups, one of my favorite things to eat!  So here is the first of what is likely to be many soup recipes over the next month.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 large potatoes, grated

4 carrots, grated

1 onion, diced

1 stalk celery, chopped (optional)

1 bunch of broccoli, chopped

Cook veggies in 1 quart of water and 6 chicken bullion cubes.

Melt 1 stick of butter, stir in 3/4 cup flour, cook 4-5 mins.

Add 1 quart of water and stir until thick and creamy.

Stir in 12 oz of cheese whiz or velveeta.

When cheese has melted, add sauce to veggies.

Serve and Enjoy!

this recipe is so easy, quick, and delicious!  i got the recipe from a very dear friend of mine.  she was giving me a recipe for corn chowder, and this broccoli soup was on the same page of the copy she gave me.  when mr. daugherty asked where i got this recipe, and i told him it came from our dear friend, he said, "oh, that's why it's so good, she's the best cook."  i did not make the bread bowls we ate for dinner this week, but that's something i would like to try someday.  if you have a recipe for bread bowls, please share!

The Whatever-th Annual Halloweenie Roast

the forsberg halloweenie roast is the most magical time of year.  my 2009 invitation said it was the 11th annual, but so did my 2011 invitation, and this year's invitation said it was the 12th annual, so although no one really knows how long it has been going on, i look forward to it every year.  for dinner of course, we roasted hotdogs over the fire pit.  it isn't called the halloweenie roast for nothing!  i did take a snapshot of my plate, which consisted of a delicious roasted hotdog, nacho cheese dorritos, a brownie, and a piece of apple cake, but the sun had already gone down, and the picture came out pretty dark.  mr. d had a similar meal, but his included a homemade cinnamon roll, which he raved on and on about.  (note: one of the quickest ways to mr. d's heart is thru a really good homemade cinnamon roll.  i made some from scratch once, it was more work than it was worth.  if you have an easy recipe, pass it my way!)  back to the halloweenie roast.  grandma gayle and company totally out do themselves, and this year was no exception.  every year i tell myself i am going to take more pictures so i can give it the props it deserves, but every year i forget, and then the sun goes down before i get any good shots.  if you ever find yourself at the halloweenie roast, make sure you get a ride on the barrel train.  yes, barrels, made into seats, attached to a tractor, and pulled around the yard. 

apparently last year there was a mishap with the train taking a corner too tight and the barrels tipping over and screaming children being dragged behind the tractor.  the drivers were a bit more cautious this year, which did make for the longest barrel train ride of my life, but it was still a blast.  the best part of the halloweenie roast is the hay wagon ride, when grandma gayle walks next to the wagon and narrates about the decorations out in the pasture.  this year, the skeletons were a group of cowboys who had been killed at the ok corral.

sorry the picture is blurry, i took it while i was bumping along in the barrel train.  also new this year, the batmobile! 

one kid pointed out there was a coffin on the end of the car, to which grandma gayle quickly said, "no, that can't be a coffin, batman is a good guy!"  maybe one day the kid will realize you can't throw a halloweenie roast this size every year without reusing some old decor :)

Teriyaki Tuesday

i know, i know, it doesn't have the same ring to it as Taco Tuesday, but tonight we went with teriyaki chicken for dinner.  the inspiration for the meal came from http://eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com/2012/07/teriyaki-chicken-and-noodle-bowl.html.  the first time i cooked this, i followed the recipe almost exactly, just substituting brown rice for the noodles, and it was delicious.  the homemade teriyaki sauce really makes the meal.  so the second time i made this, i decided to grill the chicken, but cook the veggies and sauce the same way.  again, so delicious!  that's what i decided to do tonight.

no, mine did not turn out that beautiful.  that picture is from the amazing chef (and photographer!) jenn at eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com.  i chopped up my veggies (carrots, broccoli, bell pepper, and onion) the night before to save some time on a busy weeknight.  i threw the onions in with some olive oil, to let them caramelize and cook up a bit longer than the rest of the veggies.  while the veggies cooked, i grilled the chicken, which i had pulled out the fridge about 20 mins before, so it could be close to room temperature before grilling.  while the chicken was grilling and the veggies steaming, i made the sauce.  the best teriyaki sauce you will ever eat.

Teriyaki Sauce

1 1/2 cups cold water

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sesame oil

3 Tbsp cornstartch

Whisk all ingredients together until there are no lumps.  Heat in pan until sauce thickens.

when the sauce and veggies were ready, i grabbed the chicken off the grill.

yes, this actually happened.  no, i didn't actually cry, although i felt like it.  well, like crying or cursing, i went back and forth for a minute.  the cursing might have happened.  in the end, the chicken that did make it to the table was yummy, once it was covered in sauce.  of course this meal will make it onto the menu again.  what i'd like to try is making the sauce beforehand and marinating the chicken in it for a few hours before grilling it.  

Sunday Dinner--7 Up Chicken and Pasta Salad

several years ago we were having dinner at my mom's, nothing too fancy, just grilled chicken ceasar salads.  before she grilled the chicken, she marinated it in sprite and soy sauce.  i thought it was the weirdest thing, but the chicken turned out so good!  i forgot all about that "secret" marinade, until a few weeks ago while browsing pinterest, and i came across someone's pin for Grilled 7-Up Chicken.  i checked out the recipe http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/09/moms-secret-chicken-marinade.html and thought it was so funny how this blogger talks about her mom making chicken this way for years.  i marinated my chicken in 12 oz of sprite and 1/2 cup soy sauce for about 7 hours.  i didn't use the horseradish that the recipe calls for simply because we didn't have any, and i cut out the oil because who needs added oil?  and because the picture on the blog with the recipe for the marinade included a pasta salad, i started craving the pasta salad my mom makes for every family bbq.  seriously, this pasta is so good!  so while the chicken was marinating, i whipped up a batch and let it chill until we were ready to eat.  i'm pretty sure the pasta salad recipe came out of a magazine, so i'm not sure where the credit for the recipe goes, but here it is!

Creamy Italian Pasta Salad

1 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic

1 tsp basil

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 1/2 cup twist macaroni, cooked

1 chopped bell pepper

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup sliced ripe olive

Combine first 6 ingredients.  Mix in remaining ingredients.  Cover and chill.

super easy, and i can't mention enough, so good!  like my mom always does, i used the entire 1 lb bag of pasta rather than the 1 1/2 cups to make it less creamy and not so strong on the taste of the mayo.  this dinner is definitely something i'd make again.  mr. d said that the chicken had a good flavor to it, although he was a little disappointed when i told him in marinated in sprite because he was worried about how much sugar it had in it.  of course he worries about things like that.  he also had his dinner with a side of steamfresh italian veggies, so that he could have some veggies with dinner without having to eat the "disgusting olives" in the pasta salad.

More on Scaddy's.

The egg burger had the same "fixins'" as the regular burger (lettuce, tomato, ...) with a fried egg.  The egg was cooked solid, a little runny is best to top a burger.  Both the burger and the egg were a little over cooked.

Friday Lunch at Scaddy's

 

this friday matt and i had a healthy lifestyles even in murray, so we ventured further south than usual and had lunch at scaddy's.  scaddy's is a burger joint where everything is made fresh.  the atmosphere was welcoming, although most of the tables were dirty when we got there.  i had the hand battered chicken fingers, and matt had the fried egg burger.  the taste and quality of the food was about average for what it was, nothing i would hurry back for, but we left content.  luckily, we had a coupon for this week's lunch, so for both of our meals, our total was only $10.  considering the coupon (which saved us $5.49) the overall value of the food for the price we paid was a win.  and as always, the best part of lunch was the company!