what i ate : July17

the problem with this meal is that it was sooooo good j and i couldn't even take a picture before indulging. i got it in my food network magazine this month.

Orzo Salad with Shrimp and Feta

8 oz orzo pasta

1/2 pound large shrimp (peeled, deveined, etc), coarsly chopped

1/3 c plus 1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

zest and juice from a lemon

4 scallions, sliced

1/2 c chopped fresh mint

1/2 c chopped fresh dill

1 c diced english cuke

4 oz crumbled feta

3 T chopped kalamata olives

cook pasta in boiling water until al dente

toss shrimp with 1 T oil and minced garlic

broil coated shrimp until pink and opaque, turning once

mix all ingredients together and enjoy

{or devour like we did}

what i ate : July12

I did awesome this week and planned a menu! Its worked out wonderfully and I haven't gone to the supermarket once. Last night's dinner was dee-lish-us.

 

Potato-Cheddar Quesadillas with Apple-Chipotle Salsa

for the quesadillas:


2 T oil


1 c sliced onion


1 large carrot, chopped fine or shredded


1 large garlic clove, minced


3 cooked medium new potatoes, sliced into 1/4 in rounds


2 flour tortillas, 8 - 10 inch (i used 4 tortillas because mine are quite small)


4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or thinly sliced

saute the onions and carrot in the oil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about five minutes
reduce heat to medium-low


add garlic and potatoes, saute an additional five minutes, stirring occasionally


build tortillas onto a griddle or pan as follows:


.tortilla.cheese.potato mixture.cheese.tortilla.


cook until cheese is melted and tortilla is slightly brown. flip. repeat.


presto! cut into wedges and serve with....

Apple-Chipotle Salsa


3 sweet apples (such as Fuji, Golden Delicious, whatever's on sale, Gala worked fine for me), cored and chopped


1 c minced red onion


2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped

2 chipotles, chopped (if dried, soaked in hot water, otherwise use canned in adobo sauce)


1/2 small garlic clove (yeah right, go for the full one)


1/4 c lime juice


1 T apple cider vinegar


1 T olive oil


2 T chopped cilantro


s&p

combine apples, onion, and green peppers in large bowl.


mix remaining ingredients in smaller bowl.


add small bowl ingredients to large bowl ingredients and mix (i covered and shook mine)



and there ya go. super simple. and super yummy.

yoga pants all day?

don't mind if i do.

due to my lack of ability {motivation} to post i have much to document. i've made many things, not taken near enough pictures, and have had some wonderful times. so, with diet coke in hand, here i go.

those beauties are coconut creme cupcakes. i made them for j's parents as a good-bye gift. coconut-vanilla cake, coconut creme filling, and vanilla frosting. how can you go wrong?

{not to mention dad and i snacking on the leftovers all morning}

and these monsters! snickers cupcakes. to make up for being a terrible friend and forgetting a lunch date, i made some girls an 'i'm sorry' treat. unfortunately, on these bad boys i had to cheat. {there isn't much time when you're moving you see} but box brownies and jarred caramel sauce did the trick. my little brother took the leftovers to his work and didn't return with any. 

thats success in my book.

moving as far away as i did was a big step. not only am i far away from my parents, but i separated these two.

harley and porter became best friends. they played together, ran together, barked together, and slept with me every night. it broke my heart to separate them. harley still seems sad.

not only did he lose his friend, but he had the worst allergies ever! i got him to the vet as soon as i could. poor little babe had sores on his nose from scratching so bad. he's doped up beyond belief, but not scratching anymore. i hope soon he'll be back to his normal doggy self.

beinvenidos a Tejas!

here i sit, in my new apartment in texas. it almost doesn't seem real.

but it is. so gotta deal.

{it kinda rocks down here}

i made a new friend

fresh produce!

target - i'm beginning to see the obsession

i got a job already

i can buy my wine and beer in the supermarket

there are some not so super parts of west texas, but i'm trying to keep my outlook positive.

but because i haven't started working yet, i get to do things like paint my nails.

and this darling fabric has to become a skirt soon.

and my lovely boy is treating me to lunch today. more creations coming soon.