Monday, January 31, 2011

Photobucket


Menu plan monday is back!!!!! I can't tell you how much a menu plan saves me on time and headaches every day, I mean there's nothing better than to go through your week knowing what's going to be on the table that night, especially if like me you have kids with activities almost everyday!!!! I usually cook my dinner either after lunch time so it'll be ready as soon as we get back from soccer or dance or music, or like this week, I try to cook 2 or 3 meals on the week end and put them in the fridge and just reheat them when needed.
 

Monday : Beef biryani with rice (made this w-e)

Tuesday : Roasted chicken using this recipe http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/roasted-chicken-and-potatoes-recipe/index.html with roasted potatoes and grilled asparagus with parmesan.

Wednesday : Chicken noodle soup (using leftovers chicken)

Thursday : Chorizo and potatoes empanadas http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Potato-Pepper-and-Chorizo-Empanadas-230748  (I made the dough sunday) and green beans with tomatoes

Friday : Black bean soup in crock pot

Saturday : leftovers soup with paninis

I hope you got some inspiration from this menu, if you have a monday or even tuesday menu plan please let me know so you can post it here.
PS: I am still working on how to put just a title on the different links for the recipes.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Pictures and a recipe.

My head is still full of pretties from the antique show... I was ready to buy everything!!! Alas my budget wasn't that big, and some of the things were quite expensive. I still managed to buy few items but you'll have to wait another day or 2 ( I didn't get a chance to take pictures of them). I also got the chance to talk with some nice people who were happy to tell me more about what and where their antiques came from, so interesting. And they have their shops locally so if the antique bug gets me I know where to go. Now on with the pictures...

I think I caught the silver fever!!!








Cameos, I love cameos I think they are so elegant...


Pretty plates...




salt anyone???


my love for purses caught up with me


and this one is just because I love silhouettes


I have so much more pictures but mostly of the same things, I don't want you to get bored, HA!!!


Now with the recipe, I wanted to share a salad recipe, one of my favorite. I know the weather is not a salad weather, but I'm sure once you give it a try you'll be hooked...My salad is a couscous salad it is full of veggies,  and the dressing has a hint of curry


You'll need a cup of grated carrots, a cup of cucumber diced really tiny, chopped calamata olives, chopped mint, crumbled feta cheese...


a cup of red pepper diced really tiny, 1/2 cup of raisins, a small can of sweet white and yellow corn drained and washed, and of course 2 and 1/2 cups of cooked couscous.


Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl and put it in the fridge. For the dressing,

Mix togheter 1 measure of lemon juice for 3 measures of olive oil, 1 tbsp of dijon mustard, salt and pepper, and 1 tsp of curry powder. Add the dressing to the couscous and let it stand another few hours in the fridge the longer it stays in the fridge the better!!!! Bon appetit... 

Sorry that's the only picture I have of the salad.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

So excited!!!!

Tomorrow is the Winter Antique Show in Saratoga Springs, NY.  And for the first time I get to go and look at all the pretty things they have for sale, and maybe come back with some pretty things for my house...Woohoo so excited!!!! I must admit I love antiques. I'll post pictures of my day this week-end.

Blueberry pudding cake.

For me there's no better way to eat fruits than in a cake or cookies or pudding....I know I can hear you all tell me "but all the nutrients are gone at the end..". Well you have to know this about me, I don't like to eat fresh fruits, that's it I put it out there for the whole world to know!! But the real reason for not eating fresh fruits is because I have allergies to some of them, cherries, peaches, apples, strawberries...and so I just stopped eating them altogether, but in the baked form I can eat everything, so I bake.

Yesterday I baked a blueberry pudding cake, it's a moist cakky goodness I love to make when I feel like eating blueberries. Infortunatly I don't remember where I got the recipe from (I wrote it on a scrape of paper) so I can't give the credit to anybody...oh well!!

First stir together 1/3 cup of sugar with water, lemon juice and cornstarch in a small saucepan then add 2 cups of blueberries. Bring to a simmer, and let it simmer for 3/4 minutes stirring occasionally. Then remove from heat.




Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 cup of sugar in a bowl.


In a large bowl whisk together egg, milk, butter and vanilla, then add the flour mixture, whisking until just combined


Spoon batter into buttered baking pan, spreading evenly, then pour blueberry mixture over the batter.




Bake until a knife inserted into center of cake portion comes out clean, 25/30 minutes. Let it cool for 5 minutes. I like to eat it warm, so as soon as the 5 min. are done I dig in for a taste and then I can not stop anymore, it's the bad thing about that cake...


I just realize, I forgot to take a picture of the whole cake!!!

  • 1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 10 oz blueberries (2 cups)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
ENJOY!!!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

O.M.G!!!!

I can not believe it's been almost 2 years since the last time I posted on my blog!!!! I guess I felt I had nothing exciting to say or show after visiting all those amazing blogs out there.. But recently the itch came back, and I started having some good ideas of posts I wanted to share. So here I go. My first post (coming tomorrow) will probably be a recipe I would like to share with you all, and maybe later share some of my favorite blogs out there, especially decorating blogs. Later on I'll post some of my own rooms makeover and decoration, and will ask you for some help on that.
So stay tuned!!!!!!