Tag Archives: favorite

Nov16

Monday Update: Really Good Recipe Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Monday Update: Really Good Recipe Edition

Helloooo everyone and happy Monday! As you guys know, I really enjoy cooking and once or twice a week I like to make dinner at home. This past weekend I made one of my all time favorite recipes that I just had to share – it’s that good. If you’re a fan of unique, bold, and slightly spicy dishes then you’re going to love my Peanut Noodles! This recipe is directly from the Quick Vegetarian Pleasures cookbook by Jeanne Lemlin and if you can get your hands on a copy then I urge you to do so! It’s an excellent cookbook for fast and healthy vegetarian eating. Here’s the step by step guide to making a Peanut Noodle dish of your own:

       Ingredients:

  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • 4 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter (I use crunchy PB but creamy will do, too!)
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or sherry
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar or other vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced (I use 6)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • Note: The sauce is a bit too bitter for my liking so I add about 3 teaspoons of white sugar to balance it out

Directions:

  • To make the sauce, combine 2 tablespoons of sesame oil with all of the other ingredients except the cucumber and scallions. Beat until well mixed and refrigerate.
  • Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the noodles and toss with the remaining two tablespoons of sesame oil.
  • This dish can be served hot or cold so you could refrigerate the noodles if you choose or eat it hot after the spaghetti is cooked. I prefer it hot but it’s still very good cold as well!

My mom started making this recipe forever ago and it remains one of my favorites to this day. I made the Peanut Noodles this past Friday and was left with only a small dish of leftovers which I annihilated for lunch the next day. Almost everyone in my family is a big fan of this recipe and I hope you guys enjoy it too! It’s a quick and easy dish to whip together but it tastes like you spent hours cooking it. Peanut Noodles have been my go to dinner to make for a few boyfriends and many a night when there seems to be “nothing to eat” in the house. If you like trying out somewhat “different” recipes to change things up at home then this is the recipe for you!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Really Good Recipe Edition. Once again, if you can snag a copy of Quick Vegetarian Pleasures – DO IT!! Who is going to give the Peanut Noodles recipe a try? What is one of your go to dishes to make at home? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct28

Frittata Favorite

Posted on by
Standard
Frittata Favorite

Hey everyone and happy Hump Day! Every Sunday I love making dinner for my family and I hate to brag but it turned out pretty darn good this past weekend! I made frittata with rosemary garlic home fries. I followed a tried and true recipe for the frittata but I freestyled the potatoes with lots of butter, herbs, fresh garlic, onions, and romano cheese and it turned out SO yummy. I posted a status on Facebook about my dinner and some of my friends expressed interest in getting their hands on the recipe for the frittata, so I thought I would post it for the world today! This recipe is from the Broccoli Forest cookbook and it’s excellent if you can find a copy of your own:

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbs olive oil (you might need additional oil or butter when sauteing the veggies)
  • 1 tbs melted butter
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced (I usually use 6 cloves in mine)
  • 1/2 tsp salt, basil, oregano
  • 1/4 tsp thyme, rosemary
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 5-6 mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 small zucchini, sliced
  • 1 small bunch or spinach, swiss chard, or kale chopped
  • 1 small green bell pepper
  • 5 large eggs, well beaten
  • grated mozzarella cheese
  • grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. In a large cast-iron skillet, cook the onion and garlic with salt and herbs in combined olive oil and butter for 5-8 minutes
  2. Add remaining vegetables and cook over medium high heat until the vegetables are tender for 8-10 minutes
  3. Turn the heat way up and pour in the beaten eggs. Cook on the stove-top for several minutes, lifting the edges, and letting the uncooked egg flow underneath the cooked egg (as you would for an omelet). Turn the heat back to medium as you do this.
  4. As soon as the egg appears set, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top and then top it off with the parmesan. Place it in the oven at 350 for 12-15 minutes (until it’s firm and the cheese is melted and slightly brown).

This recipe is one of my family’s favorites and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! One again, it’s from the Broccoli Forest cookbook and it really is great, especially if there’s any vegetarians in your family. What is your favorite thing to cook for dinner? Do you have a primarily vegetarian cookbook that you would recommend? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Sorry for the lack of pictures of the frittata – it was completely devoured before I got around to snapping some pics!

Oct12

Man Crush Monday: Evan Peters Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Man Crush Monday: Evan Peters Edition

Heyyy one and all and welcome to the newest edition of Man Crush Monday – Evan Peters style! Since the buzz on American Horror Story: Hotel is in full swing it only seems appropriate to dedicate a #MCM post to the AHS star that everyone swoons over! Take a listen to Evan Peters croon NIrvana’s “Come As You Are” in Freak Show and then let’s discuss:

Dear Evan Peters,

Oh sweet sweet Evan, you darling boy, you. Saying that I love you is an understatement…because I really freakin love you. Your performances season after season on American Horror Story are beyond impressive. I stand firm in the belief that the show would be nothing without you and Sarah Paulson especially now that Jessica Lange is no longer the AHS queen bee. Every role you’ve played on American Horror Story has been dynamite but I think my forever favorite would have to be Tate Langdon on Murder House. Your debut as the disturbed but charming as hell Tate made me as well as probably every person viewing the show fall head over heels in love with you. Another favorite of mine is when you played Kit Walker in Asylum – hubba hubba!! Unfortunately, I wasn’t too fond of when you played Kyle in Coven because all I wanted to do was hear your sweet voice instead of Frankenstein style grunting every episode. And of course I wouldn’t mind you putting your lobster claws all over me as Jimmy Darling in Freak Show! I’m so excited for your character to be introduced in Hotel so I can stare longingly at the television every time you appear on screen! I LOVE YOU!!!!

evan3evan2

^^^ My dear lord, come to mama. ❤

So there you have it, this week’s Man Crush Monday: Evan Peters Edition! Who is everyone’s #MCM this week? What was your favorite role that my man crush played on American Horror Story? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct3

Parks and Rec! My favorite:)

Posted on by
Standard
Parks and Rec! My favorite:)

My mom and I are absolutely in love with the show Parks and Recreation. We binge watched up to season five and were SO disappointed to have to wait for such a long time to see season six, as it only came out on Netflix and DVD a few days ago. Lucky for us, we finally snagged the DVD set from the library, and have been watching our usual two episodes per night, just like before! My P&R time with my mom is very similar to my Dancing With the Stars time with my dad (see previous posts!). It’s our special time with each other, where we don’t have to think or do anything other than laugh. We love the cast of the show so very much. I’ll be honest, I used to despise Amy Poehler before I started watching Parks. I found her quite annoying. But after spending six seasons with her on this show, I adore her. She’s the cutest little thing ever! I love how passionate her character, Leslie Knope is about her job and her coworkers. I find it so adorable just how much she goes above and beyond for all of the members of the Parks team. Leslie Knope is thoughtful and goofy! Poehler is just fantastic at portraying this. Another fan favorite of ours is Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger. (Anne Perkins!) This guy cracks me up! Everything said by Traeger is either funny or indirectly funny because of his delivery. Seriously every time he opens his mouth it puts my mom and I in stitches. The chemistry between the cast is really something special. They also have a great script to work with as well. The writing on Parks is sharp and quick. I love the different types of humor it touches on, everything from sarcasm, satire, to complete silliness. Even the smallest backhanded comments on each episode pack a humorous punch. I’m looking forward to watching more of season six. My partner in crime and I are on episode five and so far so good!

If you haven’t watched Parks and Recreation, I can’t recommend it enough. Fantastic writing, a solid story line, and an all star cast including Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, and Adam Scott to name a few. Did I forget to mention Guardians of the Galaxy super star Chris Pratt is on the show too?! He’s a trip. Here’s a few snippets of some funny moments from the show:

Where are all of my Parks and Rec fans on here? What’s your favorite episode? (Mine is the Sexual Education epi on season 5!) Who’s your favorite character? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! Goodnight! -Sarah