Strawberries & Meatballs

After being busy and feeling uninspired to blog, I'm baaack!!!

Taylor, some friends, and I went strawberry picking this weekend at Miller Farms Market. It was a bit muddy due to recent rain but we had a great time and got a lot of juicy, delicious strawberries. They also have blackberries that will be ready to pick soon, lots of herbs and plants for sale, and various other items for sale in their market section. 

We also bought some fresh ground beef at Olde Towne Butcher and made homemade meatballs. We added powdered ranch mix and Panko bread crumbs to the meat. We then added spaghetti sauce with a dash of Italian seasoning. We served the meatballs open-faced on Challah rolls that we bought at the Farmer's Market from the Artisan Bread Company. We topped them with a bit of shredded cheese. They were so yummy!

It's good to be back :)

Foodie

I will admit it, I am a foodie. I love food! I love to eat it, cook it, and learn about it....

I love trying new restaurants and foods, I shamelessly make yummy noises when eating, and I (embarrassingly, at times) take pictures of food at restaurants and at home.

I experienced several culinary delights this past week. The first was a delicious ice cream cake made by one of my co-workers. It had layers of cookie dough ice cream, peanut butter cup ice cream, Reese's Pieces, Reese's cups, and an animal cracker crust. Yummy!

I also made several homemade pizzas this weekend. I wanted to make different kinds so I made mini-pizzas. Clockwise from L-R: Jamaican jerk chicken with onions and spinach, Buffalo chicken with onions and bleu cheese, and chicken with onions, garlic, and rosemary. They were great!

Happy cooking :)

Spring is in the air...

(And so is pollen!)

After a weekend course in Baltimore, I enjoyed the beautiful spring weather the past 2 days. It was very relaxing! The trees in our area are out in full bloom and are really beautiful right now! They smell good too.

I tried a new recipe as I was having a craving for cookies. It was really easy and light and made delicious cookies. You can find the recipe here.

So happy that spring is here! :)

April is here!

Taylor is here visiting this weekend and we decided to be adventuresome and cook a big breakfast today.

We made an easy quiche recipe since Taylor decided he likes it after trying it at my Grandmother's house. Here it is:

Easy Quiche

1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1.5 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
dash of pepper
1 cup shredded swiss cheese (or cheddar)
1/2 cup ham or bacon, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup spinach, cut into small pieces
3 eggs
1/2 cup biscuit mix (like Bisquick)

Mix melted butter, milk, salt, pepper, eggs, and biscuit mix in a bowl with whisk. Pour into greased 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese, meat, and spinach, pushing items gently below the mixture with a spoon. Bake at 350* for 30-45 minutes. Allow quiche to set 10 minutes before cutting slices.


We also tried a new biscuit recipe inspired by ones we had during our stay at a B&B in Asheville. It is an adaptation of this recipe:

4 cups Bisquick
1 cup sour cream
6 oz ginger ale
**We added 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese to the batter**

Bake at 400* for 8-10 minutes.

Yummy :)

One last glimpse of winter...

Mother nature decided to play one last trick on us and brought some snow to the Fredericksburg area overnight. I have to admit, it was very pretty to wake up to, though I am glad that it has all melted and disappeared now. Here are a few pictures I took:

I always like to make up new recipes and I tried out a new one this weekend. I made calzones with homemade whole wheat pizza dough, tomato sauce, meatballs cut into small pieces, fresh spinach chopped, mixed italian cheese, and italian seasoning. They turned out to be delicious and large so the 2 that I made will end up being 4 meals for me!

Yummy :)

I'm baaack!!

After a month-long hiatus, a "Spring Break" road trip across NC and TN, a computer repair, and the beginning of Spring, I'm back!

Right outside my apartment :)

Of course, there have been some delicious food experiences along the way!

Here are a few of my favorites:

*San Antonio's Restaurant, Charlotte, NC-modern Mexican with fresh, delicious dishes. Some are a little spicy so beware, but everything was really good. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! For more information: http://www.centraarchy.com/samm/

*Miller's Country Cafe, Christiana, TN-country cookin' just like it is from Grandma's kitchen. Wonderful gem in a tiny town outside of Murfreesboro. Definitely worth the drive! I recommend taking a dessert home with you because you will likely feel like you are going to pop after finishing your meal! http://www.millersgrocery.com/

*Tupelo Honey Cafe-delicious southern food created from fresh, local ingredients served in a "old fashioned tea room" building in downtown Asheville, NC. Definitely recommend checking it out! http://www.tupelohoneycafe.com/

*French Broad Chocolate Lounge, Asheville, NC-OMG, I love chocolate so this place was a must-visit on our trip to Asheville! It was wonderful! Fresh desserts, homemade truffles, and delicious homemade hot chocolate served in a relaxing atmosphere which features live music on Friday nights. Amazing!!! http://frenchbroadchocolates.com/

*Wright Inn, Asheville, NC-Taylor and I spent a night at this B&B and it was wonderful! The innkeepers were very friendly and helpful, and the breakfast they served was awesome! Beautifully decorated in a funky neighborhood just outside of downtown. Recommend it rather than a hotel!
http://www.ashevillebedbreakfastinn.com/default.htm

It is good to be back :)

Weekend Cooking Adventures

Since I only work 4 days a week, I have a long weekend every week! I enjoy cooking on these weekends, trying new recipes, and stocking my refrigerator (or freezer) with meals for the coming week. 

This weekend I tried a new recipe for Butternut Squash Soup with Rosemary Ham. It was a very easy Cooking Light recipe that turned out pretty tasty!

2 12-oz. packages frozen butternut squash

1 cup chicken stock

2 Tablespoons cinnamon sugar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1.5 cups diced ham

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon rosemary

Microwave squash in packages for 5 minutes until thawed. Combine with chicken stock, sugar, and black pepper in microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 3-5 minutes in microwave until heated through. Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Cook ham for 2 minutes until browned and add rosemary, cooking an additional 1 minute. Serve soup in bowls and top with ham mixture. Enjoy! :)

Sugar Cookies


I've had a package of sugar cookie mix in my pantry for a while. I meant to make them for Valentine's Day but that (obviously) didn't happen! So, I decided to make them this weekend. I think they turned out pretty well and definitely remind me of spring (which is coming soon, I hope)!

Eat up :)