Birthday Dinner:)

.. so last monday night was my birthday dinner! my birthday was actually a month ago when we were in Mexico for my brother's wedding, but life has just been so crazy busy that this was the first chance that my whole family could get together to celebrate! last week, i didn't get a chance to cook, but i did get the chance to make my own birthday cake! usually my dad decorates it and he does a phenomenal job! but this year i wanted to do it as i had bought a frosting spatula and  hadn't had a chance to use it yet; this was the perfect opportunity. originally i was going to make my cake from scratch, but then i realized that as silly as this may sound, i love the Betty Crocker yellow cake mix. it is seriously the best. so i just used a box cake mix and canned vanilla frosting.

 one thing i learned with canned frosting is that if you dye it, it does something funny to the frosting and then it becomes very soft and does not hold up too well. by the time we ate the cake my flower was drooping down the side of the cake.

 For the meal we had:

 bagels from Panera: blueberry, french toast, chocolate chip, and cinnamon crunch.

 sunchips

 watermelon.

and for the main course, Marston's salad!
Marstons is a restaurant in Pasadena, California, where my mom grew up. they make this really great salad dressing and on the back of the dressing bottle is this amazing recipe. the recipe for what in the salad is below.

every year i celebrate my birthday with my Aunt Lynne, whose birthday is the day after mine!

i can't believe i'm already 17! next year at this time i'll be getting ready for college! it's crazy how fast time flies. i remember when i was little, looking up at seniors and thinking wow, they are so grown up. i feel very blessed by all the great family and friends that i have in my life!


oh yes, one of my birthday presents was a subscription to the Food Network Magazine ! so be looking out for some new recipes from there!

Marston's California Orange Salad

4-6 chicken breasts
2 heads Romaine lettuce, chopped
(or 2 heads iceberg lettuce and 1 head red-leaf lettuce, chopped)
1 avocado, chopped
4 handfuls of candied pecans, chopped
6 oz. black raisins
1 large apple, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
12 oz. Mandarin oranges, drained
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
8-12 oz. San Pasqual Dressing.

 

Basil Chicken Strips w/ Parmesan Vegetable Rice

... a while back ago i went up to Michigan with my brother and two of my cousins (Steven, Kim, & Jojo) to visit my cousin and her husband(Jim & Maria)! We went thrift store shopping,

 ice skating, 

had a pizza cook off (between Maria and Jim, quite entertaining.) and we even went to P.F. Changs. (gotta love their lettuce wraps.) Anyways while i was up there staying at my cousins' very cute house, Jojo and I browsed through her cookbooks. she had this one awesome cookbook that had pictures of almost all the dishes (i love it when recipes have a picture of the food!) well i found a recipe for  Basil Chicken Strips w/ Parmesan Vegetable Rice. i just got to try them out a few weeks ago and they where AMA-Zing! the Parmesan Vegetable Rice was my favorite, and i ate wayyy to much of it! I hope you try these easy recipes out because mmmm, they are so tasty!

Recipes: 
Basil Chicken Strips (i 3x this recipe for 5 people)
Ingredients
1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried basil
Directions:
  In a large resealable plastic bag, add chicken and flour, seal bag; toss to coat. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the chicken; saute for 5 minutes stir in the red wine vinegar and basil; cook until the chicken is no longer pink.

Parmesan Vegetable Rice
Ingredients
1/2c. uncooked instant rice
1/2c. chopped green pepper
2 tsp. butter
1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. celery salt
2 Tbsp. shredded parmesan cheese, divided
Directions
  Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile in a small nonstick skillet coated w/ cooking spray, saute green pepper in butter for 2 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomato, salt, celery salt, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice and 1 tsp. cheese; heat through. Sprinkle w/ remaining cheese.

Mexico

...okay so it has been about 2-3 weeks since i've posted, and i apologize for that. the reason for me not posting wasn't because i was lazy, but because i was in mexico for my brother's wedding! it was a B-E-A-utiful wedding! Kali (my new sista!) did a great job, and i'm so happy to have such an amazing person join our family!

 the couple. aren't they so cute?

our family. (my siblings and i all got to be in the wedding!)

  and now for an update on my garden! when i got back from mexico i could not believe how much my plants had grown! and the weeds :( but with some hard work i got my garden back in order!

 my squash!

 the peppers.

 tomato plants

 my corn.

 okay so it's out of focus but this a blossom on one of my potato plants!

and my one and only sweet potato left, i started out with 5, but 4 of them died :(

and my carrots and onions, which in fact grew so much that i picked some of them for supper the other night!

aren't they beautiful?!

  I'll be posting an actual food post tomorrow:)

vegetable and rice burritos

...well a few tuesday nights ago was a very yummy supper but a messy one. i made Vegetable and Rice Burritos out of, once again, Cooking Light. i love mexican food, especially burritos, and especially when it's filled with veggies! now the reasons why they were so messy was because i used 4" tortillas instead of 7-8" tortillas. and the reason why i used such a small size was because we had mexican tortillas, like REAL mexican tortillas made in Mexico. they are sooo good! but they were much too small and they didn't hold the filling too well. so that is why my picture of them doesn't look too good, but trust me, they were tasty!

And for my garden:

i added some sweet potatoes on the left, and my onions and carrots have gotten much bigger, but the dog rolled on some of my onions:(

my potatoes!

green peppers and tomatoes

 and i added squash!

Vegetable and Rice Burritos

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1/3 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 teaspoon chopped garlic, divided
2/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño pepper
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup chopped onion  
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms (i left these out, not a huge mushroom fan)
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels $

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1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 3/4 cup)
3/4 cup halved grape tomatoes
4 (7- to 8-inch) whole-wheat tortillas (in my case 4" tortillas)
4 ounces quesadilla cheese, shredded (about 1 cup packed)
Cilantro leaves (optional)
Directions: 
1. Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add rice and 1/2 teaspoon garlic; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 2/3 cup water and 1/8 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork; stir in jalapeño.
2. Combine sour cream, chopped cilantro, juice, and red pepper in a small bowl.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic and mushrooms; sauté 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add corn and zucchini; sauté 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and tomatoes; sauté 30 seconds or until tomatoes are thoroughly heated. Remove vegetable mixture from pan. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel.
4. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide sour cream mixture evenly among tortillas; spread to a thin layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup cheese, about 1/4 cup rice mixture, and about 1/2 cup vegetable mixture. Roll up each, jelly-roll fashion. Return skillet to medium heat. Add 2 burritos to pan, seam side down; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining burritos. Garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired.

Creamy Spring Pasta

mmm, i think what i made a few tuesday nights ago is THE favorite meal of mine that i've made so far... Creamy Spring Pasta. it was amazing! now you're probably wondering why it's my favorite and here are some reasons why:

• first of all, i love pasta! it is my favorite type of food.
• second, my favorite type of pasta is when it is served with a creamy white sauce.
• third, it used my favorite type of pasta noodles, fettuccine. 
• fourth, it had asparagus, and i love asparagus.
• fifth it had peas. i love peas with pasta (like seriously, i even put peas in my mac'n' cheese).
• and finally, sixth, it had bread crumbs! i love creamy dishes with breadcrumbs.

so that is why this dish is one of my very favorite that i have made so far. and guess what, i found it in my favorite cooking magazine, Cooking Light.

...and for my garden, you will be happy to know that i weeded it! also my carrots are finally starting to poke through, and most exciting of all, i put my tomato and green pepper plants in!

 Creamy Spring Pasta
Ingredients: 
3 quarts water
2 ounces French bread baguette, torn into pieces
1 tablespoon butter
3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 1/2 cups (2-inch) diagonally cut asparagus
1 cup frozen green peas
6 ounces uncooked fettuccine
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
3 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup packed)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
Directions:

1. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven.
2. Place torn bread in a food processor; process until coarse crumbs form. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 garlic clove to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add breadcrumbs; sauté 3 minutes or until golden brown and toasted. Remove breadcrumb mixture from pan; wipe pan clean with paper towels.
3. Add asparagus and peas to boiling water; cook for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Rinse under cold water; drain.
4. Add pasta to boiling water; cook 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and keep warm.
5. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and the remaining 2 garlic cloves; cook for 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Place flour in a small bowl; gradually whisk in chicken broth. Add broth mixture and milk to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat; add cheeses, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheeses melt. Add pasta, asparagus, and peas; toss well. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and tarragon.

 

Grilled Chicken with Cola Sauce

..well it was another Cooking Light adventure a few tuesday nights ago! we had: 

 Wheat Rolls with Orange Butter ( i did not remember how good flavored butter tastes!)

 Plums (Yum!)

Butter- Roasted Carrots ( delicious!) 

and Grilled Chicken with Cola sauce ( the sauce is actually made from Coca-Cola!) 

It was a very tasty supper if i do say so myself :)

and exciting news in my garden, my onions and potatoes are shooting up just dandy!

and um i was um kinda like um irresponsible and didn't go out to my garden for a while and this is what i found:

WEEDS :( 

Recipes:

Wheat Rolls with Orange Butter

Ingredients: 

2 tsp. unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. grated orange rind

4 (1-ounce) whole wheat dinner rolls

Directions:

   Combine butter, honey, and rind; stir well. Serve each roll with about 1/2tsp. butter mixture.

Butter-Toasted Carrots

Ingredients: 

2 c. (2-inch) diagonally cut carrot

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 tsp. olive oil

1/4tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Cooking Spray

Directions:

   Preheat oven to 425. Combine first 5 ingredients on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.

Grilled Chicken with Cola Sauce

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped onion $

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1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup cola (such as Coca-Cola)
1/3 cup ketchup 
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves $

Cooking spray 

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in cola and next 4 ingredients (through chili powder); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until sauce reduces to 3/4 cup, stirring occasionally. Set 6 tablespoons sauce aside.
3. Combine sugar and next 3 ingredients (through cumin), stirring well. Rub spice mixture evenly over both sides of chicken. Arrange chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; baste with 3 tablespoons remaining sauce. Grill 5 minutes. Turn chicken over; baste with 3 tablespoons sauce. Grill 5 minutes or until done. Serve with reserved 6 tablespoons sauce.

Creamy Tomato Soup & Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

..hi, i'm Hannah Marie, and i'm a Pinterest addict. i don't know how many of you know about Pinterest, but from the moment i got an account on it i was sucked in! whoever invented the site was literally a genius! for those of you that don't know, let me try to explain to you what it is.....okay so i sat here for 10 minutes trying to describe it, and it's just too hard. so here is an excerpt from the actual pinterest site saying what it is all about:
      
      Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard. Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.

If you don't already have an account on pinterest, i would highly recommend getting one, especially if you're into making homemade crafty things. you can follow my Pinterest here. Anyways the dinner i made a few tuesday nights ago was from recipes i had found on pinterest and they were amazing!! 

first up we have Creamy Tomato Soup! it was super fast and very good.

followed by Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas, which i L-O-V-E-D! i'm hoping to make this again this summer after the vegetables in my garden are ripe and ready to harvest!

 and last but not least, Hummingbird Cupcakes. the flowers on top were made using a pineapple! these were a lot of fun to make!

and now for the long list of recipes :)

Creamy Tomato Soup

Ingredients: 

1 Pint heavy cream ( heavy whipping cream is fine too)

1 can tomato paste (6oz)

1 12oz. can tomato sauce

1/4 c. butter

Directions:

  Melt the butter and add the tomato sauce. Stir. Add the cream and tomato paste. Stir again. Heat through, but do not allow to boil. I usually then add Italian herbs to taste. 

Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 poblano chile, cut into matchsticks
2 red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium onion, halved and slivered
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 T heat-safe oil like grapeseed or coconut
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups homemade or store bought salsa/pico de gallo
2 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 2 big handfuls)
9-10 corn tortillas, halved (try making homemade tortillas!)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a cheddar-Monterey Jack blend)
sour cream and thinly sliced scallions (green onions) for garnish, if desired

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a large shallow roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet.
Place poblanos, red bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, and corn kernels onto cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle the cumin and minced garlic over top. Add a generous pinch or two of salt and black pepper, then use your hands to mix everything together. After everything is coated well, spread the vegetables evenly in the pan. Roast for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender and begin to brown in spots. Stir or shake the pan every 10 minutes for even roasting. Remove pan from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 8x8x2 or 9x9x2-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, stir the cilantro into the salsa. Spread 1/4 cup of salsa into the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortilla pieces, to completely cover the salsa. Top with 1/3 of the vegetables, a handful of spinach, and 1/3 of the cheese. Make a second layer of tortilla, salsa, vegetables, spinach, and cheese. Top with with a layer of tortillas, salsa, vegetables, and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through. Let it sit for 5 minutes and cut into squares. Serve with sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced scallions. Serves 4-5

HUMMINGBIRD CUPCAKES

Ingredients for the cake:

1 box yellow cake mix

3 eggs

1 1/4 C water

1/3 C oil

1 ripe banana (cubed)

1 C crushed pineapple drained

1/2 C roasted sweetened coconut flakes

1/2 C roasted chopped pecans 

Directions for the cake:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside.

2. Follow the cake mix box instructions to make the cake batter.

3. Add in the chopped banana, crushed pineapple, walnuts and coconut. Stir and mix until combined.

4. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes.

5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cupcakes have cooled, top each cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting. Decorate with dried pineapple flowers. Serve at room temperature.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients for the frosting:

1 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)

1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)

1 lb powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Makes 3 cups

Directions for the frosting:

1. Beat cream cheese and vanilla until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. With mixer on medium speed, gradually add butter, beating until incorporated.

2. Reduce mixer speed to low. Slowly add sugar, beating until incorporated. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using.

PINEAPPLE BLOOMS/FLOWERS

Makes about 3 dozens depending on the size of your pineapple.

Ingredients for pineapple blooms/flowers:

1 Fresh ripe pineapple peeled.

Directions for pineapple blooms/flower:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper.

2. Using a small melon baller, remove pineapple "eyes." Using a sharp knife, cut pineapple crosswise into very thin slices. Transfer slices to baking sheets. Bake until tops look dried, about 30 minutes. Flip slices; bake until completely dried, 25 to 30 minutes more. Let cool in a small muffin pans to form flowers. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.