Just a regular 'ol post...

So I realize that I haven't blogged in a few weeks. Mainly because I haven't been cooking. Gasp. Yes...this is true. Unfortunately. Well I shouldn't say I haven't been cooking, unless putting something in the microwave to heat up isn't consider cooking?? :) A few weeks ago, Matt had to go for a week to Fort Irwin, CA...aka the desert. He sent me a picture of the drive from the airport and let's just say...BORING!!! He had to go with his brigade to do some sort of something with some people. Haha. I really didn't understand. I just knew he was gone. So, I had to come up with things to do. My week consisted of watching Netflix, working out (surprised???), and running random errands. I took Maggie to the vet. She was scared as usual. She's been scared of the vet ever since she was spayed. I can imagine it'd scare me too. Going in somewhere and coming out in pain. But she did great. We went on post to Fort Carson. The whole appointment was about 20 minutes long. That included the shots and tests and waiting. I thought the staff was really nice and they loved Maggie.

View from Carson

Of course after the initial scary visit with the nice Vet, she was much better and was showing off for the staff. Typical. I am sad that we weren't able to live on post. It's so beautiful with the mountains right there. I mean we can see the mountains from our house, but they aren't as close as they are at Carson.

Maggie's birthday was also while Matt was gone. We also semi-celebrated Tiggie's birthday as well. Hers is very close to Maggie's.

We had a "girls night" (haha)...which consisted of me, Maggie, Millie, and Tiggie eating a little bit of carrot cake (raisins removed) and playing with a new squeaky toy for Maggie (which kind of looks like a squirrel??) and a cute fish toy for the cats.

It was really cute watching the cats play with their toy. It suctions to the window and they can play by themselves or I can take it off and play with them. I think it was the best $1 whatever I spent. :)

On that Saturday, I tried out a new place to get my hair cut. This has been the hardest thing for me moving because since I was 13 I had the same hairdresser. I love her and how she knows my hair. She has set a pretty high standard so I judge people against her. :) I went to a place that is actually about 10 minutes away from the house and had a nice woman named Missy cut my hair. She did really good work. She was very attentive to making sure my hair was perfect. It felt good to get it into some sort of shape. I got about 4 inches cut off and it's still long. I also got my hair re-layered of course. I think I'll end up going back to her. She was really nice and easy to talk to. The hair place was in a strip mall type area so I was a little nervous, but I had done a lot of research and they had gotten pretty good reviews. Of course initially I really wanted to go to this place that got great reviews and the bonus was the owner dresses up in drag on Fridays!! :) It's kind of far away though and was looking for something closer for convenience. Darn, right?? I love fun places like that.

Yea my hairs all messed up

After my hair appointment I decided to go try on clothes at Chico's. My mom works there now and she was wondering what size I was there. The sizes are confusing! 00, 0, 1, 2, 3....what?!?! I guess it does make you feel slightly good for once to be like "yea I wear a 00 or 0 or whatever" haha! Luckily my mom had told me what the "real world" sizes would equal in Chico's world. It was fun trying on clothes because I really haven't gone shopping. I really need to of course. Especially if I get a job anytime soon (ugh...big time stressed about this). My Express pants don't fit me anymore. They look like parachute pants and then I look ghetto with them hanging on my hips. I keep getting nervous about interviews. I think one pair that I didn't wear too much is okay...big, but okay. I just wouldn't want to go in and them thinking that I look unkempt. Anyway it was great trying on clothes. They have some really neat blouses that I was told by my mom that after you dry them in the dryer you pull them out and they are good to go, wrinkle free! They come in really pretty colors too. After trying things on I went into Starbucks. I got my usual Grande Iced Skinny Caramel Macchiato and that was my lunch for the day. Later that day I went to the gym, of course, and tried out a new (to me) Les Mills class called Body Attack. It was actually a lot of fun. It was a 30 minute class (it's normally an hour), so it was fun to try it out. As I type this, I'm trying to decide if I want to go to the class today as well (*Update: I did go. It was fuuuuun!). After Body Attack was Body Pump 30 and then CXWORX. So I actually stayed for all three. They were all 30 minutes so for just an hour and thirty minutes of work, I was able to do different things. It actually went by really quick.

I started watching Grey's Anatomy among other shows on Netflix. I had never really gotten into the series until I started watching some of the episodes on Lifetime. Definitely funny and good. I know I'm however many years late on that one. My bad. I also did a Harry Potter marathon. The week actually went by rather fast. I think the animals knew something was going on during this week....because they were acting really odd. Like Tiggie trying to "dig" out of the coffee table???

And Millie playing dead? This picture cracks me up. What cat lays like this???

Here is a top view. Strangest cat I've ever known. She doesn't really like to be held or pet...unless it's up to her. Every time I do try to pet her she looks like I'm about to smack her. Which I've never hit her or any of my animals for that matter (maybe popped Maggie on the bottom for being bad...but that's it!). Then every time I walk or look like I'm going to walk near the basement stairs she darts across my feet trying to go down there to get to their food which we keep in the bathroom down there. It's like I starve them. She's a sweet kitty though. Just odd.

I don't think I mentioned it in the blog yet, but a few weeks ago Matt and I went to Estes Park, CO. I got to see the famous Stanley Hotel, which was surprisingly smaller inside than what I thought it was going to be. There was a wedding going on that day so parts were blocked off. But we still got to go inside and look around. I am trying to persuade Matt to book us a room just for one night there :) CREEEEEPPYYYYYYY!!! I don't think I'd be able to sleep. It's a really pretty area though. Very Colorado.

Do you see the chipmunk??

Matt also took me into the Rocky Mountain National Park. Military get in free. :) The whole way up he kept talking to me about all these elk and bighorn sheep and the chipmunks. So I was pretty excited. Especially about the chipmunks. Well. The elk and sheep did not think making an appearance was important that day. But that's okay because I got to feed and see and even hold (for a second) chipmunks!!!!  They were so cute. They'd come and take the peanut out of your hand. The view was absolutely stunning from where we were. I'm so happy that we did it and I'm planning on taking my parents (and auntie if she comes!!) to the park as well. It's just really beautiful.

This week Matt has been living out of his truck. The commander set up a war game type thing on post and they have been doing that all week until odd hours. I was able to sneak over to Carson to see him and give him a few things he needed on Tuesday night. But hadn't seen him since until last night he randomly got to come home and sleep in a bed! I was really excited to see him. This week has been ubber boring. I wasn't really prepared like I was for Irwin. It really stinks to not have a job and have to figure out things to keep you busy all day. I've been very stressed about finding a job. Not just for spending money for myself, but also just for something to do. I've applied to everything under the sun and haven't even gotten an interview. It's very discouraging and I often feel like I'm either over qualified or something is preventing me from getting a job. I won't say any more on that. But it's been in the back of my mind as far as recommendations go. I feel like no one is giving me a chance. Of course, I don't have many networks built up here yet. I did meet with the brigade wives group on last Thursday which was super fun. It felt very sorority-like (which I loved). The CO's wife is super nice and easy to talk to. We met at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort, which is another beautiful place to be. I told Matt that he and I should go there to have a drink or something. The view is spectacular. I've also reached out to the Gamma Phi alumni group here and will hopefully be getting to know them soon; as well as the Aggie group here--Pike's Peak Aggies. Which we will get to meet them on GAME DAY #1 in the SEC!!! So I'm trying. It's just really hard to know that you have a lot to offer, but no one is biting. I know I just have to know someone who knows someone. I applied for a History aide job here at a charter school for grades 7-12...definitely qualified!!! And wasn't even given a chance. I was told by one of the wives who has been a teacher for years that it was because they probably already knew someone for the job. She was utterly baffled that I didn't get it. Which made me feel good because at least I'm not crazy. I know I have to be patient. But it's just a huge let down. All of it. I am in the process of getting my substitute license here which is a good back up plan. It'd let me work when I wanted to as far as going back to school. Just not exactly the job I had in mind. It's a weird long process though. And very headache inducing.

Front yard..possible grass

This week our lawn was actually worked on. About time. The sprinkler guy came and fixed the sprinklers. Then the lawn people came and sprayed the weeds one day and then came back two days later and put down dirt and seed. I was really preferring sod to be honest. But I'll take whatever! As long as it's not dirt and weeds anymore. Matt pointed out this morning when he left again at 5am that there was some grass sprouting up! Yay!

Back yard...used to be covered in weeds

I've just been really embarrassed by the lawn even though it wasn't our fault at all. It was a big disappointment when we showed up and there wasn't a lawn like there had been in the pictures we were sent. But it's progress and we are hoping that the grass will keep growing. Of course there are all these rules for winter watering and stuff, so hopefully my head doesn't explode and I do it correctly. I've been wanting to invite people over like from Matt's work and stuff. But it's just been so gross in the backyard and front that I just have refused. I love to entertain as many of you know, so I wanted everything to be perfect. I can't wait to use the backyard and our fire pit! :)

Well I guess that's about it. I really haven't been doing anything different this week or last week. Lame. Hopefully this war game thing will be over soon and Matt will actually get to rest. I've felt so sorry for him. He's been getting 3-4 hours of sleep, if that, a night. He's some sort of important person in this whole process and has been doing really great at it! He's an awesome leader :) So hopefully, fingers crossed, next week I'll be back to my cooking. But I guess this was a good change of pace. Until next time!! Have a great weekend! :)

Yep...I'm behind...Two Traveling Tuesdays!

So, I like many other people have A. gotten really wrapped up in the Olympics and then of course B. Matt went out of town for a week ( I miss you Matthew!) to Fort Irwin, CA for some leadership thingy majig with NTC (National Training Center). I just know he's gone for a week, it's hot there, and they are out in the middle of nowhere. :) Being my first "real Army" experience, I have not experienced the NTC aspect of stuff yet. Needless to say the past two weeks I've just been wanting to spend time with him before he left. :) But tonight we get TWO recipes. Yippee!

I decided I wanted to do a "trip" around the United States. Splitting it into different taste regions. So I started with something Southern.

ALABAMA PULLED  PORK SANDWICHES WITH WHITE BARBEQUE SAUCE
Serves 12 or so (2 pork sandwiches, 1/4 cup pork and 2 1/2 teaspoons sauce)

Ingredients

Sauce: 
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise  
2 tablespoons white vinegar 
1 teaspoon coarsely ground fresh pepper 
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 
Dash of salt

Pork: 
1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed 
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 
1/4 cup water 
3 tablespoons brown sugar 
2 teaspoons kosher salt 
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper 
1/2 teaspoon chili powder 
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Biscuits: 
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces) 
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato (about 3/4 pound) 
2 tablespoons brown sugar 
3 tablespoons butter, melted 
2/3 cup fat-free milk 
Cooking spray

I also made coleslaw to go on the side. 

CREAMY COLESLAW 
Serves about 6
 
3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
3 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed, or celery seed (optional)
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
Pre-cut coleslaw mix (with red cabbage, green cabbage, and carrots)

I will have to say that the serving sizes were a little off with both the pork sandwiches and the coleslaw. Matt finished the pork for dinner during the weekend and there wasn't really that much left. I did use a 1 lb 8 oz pork though (from Hormel). But it shouldn't have made that much difference...who knows! I am going to preface these recipes though by saying that the white BBQ sauce...not a fan. And the coleslaw...also not a big fan. I add the caraway seed and it didn't taste right. Live and learn though! It's all about your taste preferences! Anyway...

The first thing I did was get the pork going. Now you can see there are a lot of spicy type spices in it. I will tell you that it wasn't spicy at all. First you cut the pork lengthwise and then again crosswise or so. Just so it cooks quicker.





Next combine the apple cider vinegar and the next seven ingredients through the garlic powder in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the pork into the mix, cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for 1 hour or until tender. 

The next thing I did was mix the white BBQ sauce together. Which is easy. Combine all the ingredients into a bowl, mix, cover, and refrigerate. 

Next...the coleslaw. Also easy!! I took the premixed coleslaw mix. Combine all the ingredients and toss with the coleslaw mix. Cover and refrigerate. 

In this recipe, you also get to make your own biscuits! Which turned out great and in fact Matt loved the biscuits so much, I decided that I'd just keep the recipe for the heck of it and make them again. (Preheat your oven to 425 at this point!) I first cooked the sweet potato. I used only one big one. I peeled it, cut it into chunks and then boiled it until done. Then I mashed them and begun the biscuits. 

First, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the potato, sugar, butter, and milk, stir well and then pour over the dry ingredients. Stir this until a soft dough is formed. It's going to be sticky! Just an FYI! 

Turn the bowl onto a very well floured surface, knead a few times,  and roll out into a 10-inch circle. The dough will make about 24 biscuits. I used about a 2-inch cup to cut out the biscuits since I don't have a biscuit cutter...that I know of. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray and bake at 425 for about 12 minutes or until golden. They are super tasty! Seriously. 






When the pork is done, take it out of the pot and shred it with two forks. Some people on the reviews cut it into big chunks, but the shredding was really simple. It turned out sooooo tender!!! And tasty! Pour the liquid over the pork after you are done shredding. 




 

Now we are ready to eat! I place everything out on the island for a build your own sandwich thing. I did have a salad as well. No surprise there. 

As I said before, they were a hit besides the white BBQ sauce and the coleslaw in my opinion. Matt tried it with regular BBQ sauce and of course it was really good too. But the total calorie count for the sandwiches was 211 per serving. Yep...that's right. For 2 sandwiches..even the biscuits included!! The coleslaw was 49 calories for about a 3/4 cup serving. Not too bad! I loved the pork and the biscuits. And I think you will too!! :) 




Onto the next! So this recipe wasn't a United States one, only because I need to do more research. But I've been wanting to make it for a while. And can I say, I love chicken tenders. They are so easy to cook up and great for fast cooking. They always turn out so tender. I did a smaller recipe for this past Tuesday because I knew Matt was going out of town and honestly, the most I do with leftovers is put the meat over some sort of salad; which guess what my lunches/dinners will be this weekend! :)


QUICK CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA FOR TWO
Serves 2-3 


Ingredients

2 teaspoons garam masala (I found this at Whole Foods!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces chicken tenders
2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small sweet onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

This was really good and it was a faster version of tikka masala which was great!

First stir together the garam masala, turmeric, and salt in a small dish.  Next sprinkle the mix (reserving a bit for later) over the chicken tenders on each side.

Place the flour in a shallow dish and coat the chicken tenders in it.

Heat one teaspoon of oil over medium high heat and cook the chicken until browned. Remove to a plate or bowl. In the same pan, heat the remaining teaspoon of oil. 

Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring often, for about 3-5 minutes. Add the reserved spice mix until fragrant which is about 30 seconds to a minute. 

Then add in your 1 1/2 teaspoons of flour and stir until coated. It'll start to thicken. 

Add the tomatoes with their juices and bring to a simmer. Cook them stirring often for about 3-5 minutes. 

Action shot!!

Stir in the cream and add the chicken back in along with the accumulated juices.

Bring everything to a simmer and cook about 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Once done, garnish with the cilantro.

I also made jasmine rice. I love this rice. It's boil in a bag and always comes out super fluffy!














I served this with the rice and a salad. My only suggestion to this yummy recipe was adding salt at the end before serving. It was a little bland with no salt added. I'm usually not all about salt, but for this recipe it really brings out the flavors. 





The total calorie count for this was 300 calories for a serving of 2 1/2 cups. I don't think that's too bad! It was creamy and very lovely. I could only eat about 1 1/2 tenders. Matt laughed because I guess my eyes were bigger than my stomach. He told me that I "really loaded my plate there..." :) Since it was just me I put my leftovers into the leftover container. I don't mind. :) All in all, I loved this recipe. It was fast, easy, and very tasty! I highly recommend it! 


Here are the recipes: 


Alabama Pork Sandwiches
Creamy Coleslaw
Quick Chicken Tikka Masala for Two


I hope if you try them that you enjoy! Well it's late and I'm off to bed. Until next time!! :)

A Two-Fer! Traveling Tuesdays...Portugal and Peru

I decided to group these two recipes together even though they are waaaay different...except for the pepper paste/sauce for each of these recipes. Pretty similar and both VERY good! The first recipe I got from our awesome neighbor who was across the street from us in Leavenworth. She lent me her book on Portuguese cooking, called Portuguese Homestyle Cooking by Ana Patuleia Ortins, and I was able to copy some recipes that sounded great! Here's one of many:

BEEF PORTUGUESE STYLE
Serves 6 (great for leftovers, I put the meat in a yummy salad...and also great for a Maggie dog)

Ingredients

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Sweet Red Pepper Paste (recipe to follow)
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, plus another 2 for later
2 teaspoons paprika
2 bay leaves, crumbled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 3 1/2 lb chuck roast or bottom round roast
2 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper (optional!)
1 cup red wine
1 to 2 cups water, as needed
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled seeded and coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
6 large new potatoes, peeled and quartered (I used red potatoes)
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

This recipe for the Sweet Red Pepper Paste is awesome! It takes some time...but it's well worth it. I believe you may be able to find it stores, but it's not complicated at all. The recipe for this WAS in the book that our neighbor lent me, but silly me was soooo excited that I wasn't paying attention to the "look on page 166" direction.  So I found this one online and it's so tasty.

SWEET RED PEPPER PASTE
Makes about 1 1/4 cups

Ingredients

8 medium (or 4 large) sweet red peppers, washed, cored, seeded and cut lengthwise into about 1in wide strips
2 tablespoons course or kosher salt
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/3 cup olive oil (approx.)

First...how to make the paste! Take your red peppers and wash, core, and seed them. Then cut them lengthwise. Put these strips into a bowl, salting the strips in layers. I took each pepper, cut it, and when I placed it into the bowl sprinkled salt on it. That way each pepper cut got an equal amount of salt. The salt will draw out any extra water.

After all of the strips are salted and placed in the bowl, set the bowl somewhere on your counter, and leave it there for about 24 hours. The strips will be flimsy and sad. But don't fret! They are about to be amazingly happy and tasty!

After the 24 hours, pour off the salty water and take your strips, place them in a 250 degree preheated oven and leave them alone. Don't even touch them for 2 hours. When they are done, they will be soft and slippery and ready to peel.

It takes a little work, but if the skins are slippery enough, they should come off pretty easy! See? Once they are peeled, place them in a blender or food processor along with the minced garlic and start blending. Pour in the olive oil as it's going until the paste is a creamy, deliciousness. Now your ready to cook the beef!

First you take the garlic and mash it as best you can. If you have a pestle and mortar, use it. I did not. I just used my knife; blade AWAY from you though! Combine the garlic with the parsley, paprika, and bay leaves. Mix well and drizzle in the olive oil. Rub this mixture on the meat and place it into a Dutch oven (I used a large pot because I don't have one...surprisingly!) along with the onions and crushed red pepper (if you're using it). Mix the water and the wine together and fill your pot up until the liquid is up 1/3 of the meat. You may have to add water to get this. If you are wanting to marinate the meat overnight or for a few hours, now would be the time to do that.

Place your tomatoes in the pot as well along with the parsley around the meat, cover with a lid, and bring everything to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Add the carrots and potatoes after the 1 1/2 hours and cook for another 30 minutes, or until the beef and veggies are done. Remove the meat and veggies to a serving platter and reduce the liquid by half. Pour this over everything and garnish with some parsley! It was really tasty. I think I will marinate it next time to be honest. But overall it was great!

I'm not sure of the calorie count; however, similar recipes fell between 200-300 calories. The ingredients are all super fresh and simple. There isn't a lot of stuff going on with the meat besides the red pepper paste that's made with olive oil (which is a healthy fat!). So I feel it's a pretty healthy meal. Of course, it's all about portion control!! I served this meal with a....SALAD! How could you guess?!?

Here is the website for the Sweet Red Pepper Paste. And since the recipe for the actual dish is on a copied piece of paper sitting next to me, if you are interested feel free to email me if you know it or leave a comment and I can send you a pdf of the recipe! Now..onto the next!!

ANTICUCHOS WITH ROASTED YELLOW PEPPER SAUCE (aka...Peruvian Beef Kebabs!)
Serves 4-6 (depending on how much meat)

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons hot paprika or aji amarillo
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric (Note: this WILL stain things yellow!)
Cooking Spray

FIERY RUB
3 tablespoons fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon hot paprika or aji amarillo
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

ROASTED YELLOW PEPPER SAUCE

1-1 1/2 yellow bell peppers
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot paprika or aji amarillo
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced 

First you want to cut your meat into 1/2 inch pieces and put them into a bowl along with the following six ingredients, which are the red wine vinegar, hot paprika (I used 1/2 teaspoon regular paprika and 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper for a little heat since I couldn't find the hot paprika), salt, pepper, cumin, and turmeric. Mix well, cover, and chill in the frig for a good 3 hours.

While that was chilling I made the Roasted Yellow Pepper sauce and the fiery rub. To make the sauce, preheat your broiler and slice the yellow bell peppers into strips. Put them onto a baking sheet and pop them into the oven for about 15 minutes. Remember to leave the door cracked!!!


 

After they are done, take them out and put them into a zip lock plastic bag. This will allow the skins to come off easier. Leave them in the bag for another 15 minutes or so.

Peel the skins off and put them into a blender or food processor. Blend in the remaining ingredients (green onions, vinegar, olive oil, water, lemon juice, cumin, hot paprika, turmeric, salt, pepper, and garlic) until everything is smooth.

Like this! And once you are done with that set it aside and make your fiery rub. Which is super easy.

Combine all ingredients for the fiery rub and set it aside until the meat is ready. And once the meat is ready, thread everything onto about 6 skewers. I ended up having about 12 pieces on each skewer, but it definitely depends on the size of the meat and how big you cut the pieces.




After threading the meat, rub the fiery rub onto it and then you are ready to cook it up!!! Personally the rub wasn't too spicy. I read on the reviews that you can substitute the hot paprika for regular paprika or even 1/2 regular 1/2 smoked paprika. It's up to you!

Grill the meat for about 6 minutes, turning only once, until the meat is done the way you prefer. I also covered the meat while it was cooking with some foil to trap the heat and make the meat more tender.







I served the meat with the Roasted Yellow Pepper Sauce as well as the Sweet Red Pepper Paste/Sauce from the Portuguese recipe. Both tasted GREAT!!! with the meat. I also served hot white rice and a salad which included the other 1/2 of one of the bell peppers so it was super crunchy and yummy!!

The recipe calorie count (which includes the sauce!) is 188 calories per serving. It was super tasty. I know I do a lot of kebabs, but they are just so easy and experimenting with the different flavors of all around the world is a lot of fun!!! I really enjoyed this recipe and I hope you are able to make it and enjoy it too!!

Here are the links:
Anticuchos with Roasted Yellow Pepper Sauce
Roasted Yellow Pepper Sauce

And here's a rainbow that appeared while I was making dinner after a little afternoon shower. It was really pretty! I'll leave you with that! :) Have a great day!!!!

BONUS Traveling Tuesdays...England and Job Hunting

So I said a while back that I was going to be posting a great Fish and Chips recipe that I made ohhh back in March I think? And it's baked!! Of course I'll post about the yummy "trip" we took this past Tuesday, but for now...onto England!

BAKED FISH AND CHIPS
Serves 4

Ingredients

Olive oil cooking spray
1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/4 inch thick wedges
4 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning, divided (I used Creole)
2 cups cornflakes
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites, beaten
1 pound Cod or haddock, cut into 4 pieces* (I used haddock)

*Note: This is from the Eating Well website in regards to the fish. "Overfishing and trawling have drastically reduced the number of cod in the U.S. and Canadian Atlantic Ocean and destroyed its sea floor. For sustainably fished cod, choose U.S. Pacific cod or Atlantic cod from Iceland and the northeast Arctic. For more information, visit Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch at seafoodwatch.org."

First things to do are set your oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. Then preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with the cooking spray, as well as a wire rack which is set on another baking sheet.

Next thing is to wash your potatoes in a colander. Pay dry and cut into the wedges.

Once in wedges, toss the potatoes in the canola oil and 3/4 teaspoons of the Cajun or Creole seasoning in a large bowl until coated. Spread them out on the baking sheet and pop them into the oven on the lower rack, turning every 10 minutes for a total of 30-35 minutes.

Meanwhile, coarsely grind the cornflakes in a food processor or even crush in a sealed plastic bag. Transfer this to a shallow bowl.

In another bowl, place the flour, the other 3/4 teaspoons of the Cajun or Creole seasoning, and the salt. And finally in a third bowl, place your beaten egg whites. I did a little assembly line! Dredge your fish in the flour, dip it in the egg whites, and finally coat all sides evenly with the cornflakes. Then place the fish on the wire rack. And repeat!



Coat the fish with more cooking spray and pop it into the oven on the upper rack for about 20 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

I've never had fish and chips from England, but this recipe was AMAZING!! Matt, who isn't a big fan of fish (I'm working on him!), LOVED IT! It's was super crispy and very tasty. I know I will make it again.

Per serving it was 325 calories! Not bad in my book. I, of course, served it with a salad and had tartar sauce and ketchup for it as well.

Here's the recipe: Oven Fried Fish and Chips

Things are coming along here at the house for the most part. I am still trying to get used to where everything is, etc. There are still a lot of boxes in the basement to go through, but we plan to do that a few weekends or so at a time. Not too stressed about it. We bought some flowers this past weekend and I was able to plant them today! I am really excited to be adding some color and can't wait until our yard is normal again because there's a flower box in the front that is screaming for flowers! :) We bought snapdragons, petunias, and marigolds for the flower boxes that sit on the deck. And then for the hanging baskets we bought dahlias (I think?) in yellow and pink. Here's hoping they stay alive!! I want to plant an herb garden down in the back yard under one of the trees and try my hand at some vegetables. I'm thinking tomatoes at first. Then maybe something else. Right now my mind has been focused on finding a job. I've applied for quite a few and haven't heard back. It's really frustrating especially with absolutely no connections here. I feel over qualified for everything that I've looked at, but all I want is a job that I feel good about doing. No matter what it is. Too often in the past I've felt not appreciated and like I wasn't making a difference. I don't want to get caught in that rut again. Simply because I have a hard time giving up on something. I always stick it out, no matter how hard it is. Unfortunately this isn't always the best choice. I know there has to be something out there for me, but it's hard to see what that is! So that's where I am job wise...no where. :-/ Hopefully I have better luck soon!! Pray that the right job comes along for me! I really would appreciate it!