Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Food and foodies

Okay - so I guess if it came right down to it, I'd be classified as a foodie.  I have the worst time with cook books, especially ones with great photos!!  I also have a hard time wasting a day away on the internet looking at blogs of cooking.  My favorite site right now is Smitten Kitchen.  She's amazing!!  I think her photos are a little on the dark side - but who am I to complain.  She has published cookbooks!  sigh.
Anyway, going through her site and another one yesterday, Sprouted Kitchen I really had to whip something different up for lunch.  I wanted to make the yummy looking Pea pesto linguini, but ended up doing fingerling potatoes instead.

I guess I'm not a true gourmet, as my daughter figures, because when my future son-in-law asked me what rub I'd used on the steaks I cooked them for Father's Day, I had to answer "smiths".  lol  Since I'd bought them at Smiths and it was how they were packaged.  I did do the hickory smoke chips with it though, and I think that made a little difference.
Anyway - I was making fingerling potatoes with zucchini and fresh peas while my daughters worked out with my niece - our very own personal trainer!!  She was over with her little boy, a sweet little angel that has the cutest smile!

And I got to tend him while they sweated.  sigh.  My turns today...so don't think I got out of anything.
So - to my post.  She (the blogger at smitten kitchen) was waxing poetic about fresh peas, and I realized I had a large bowl of just fresh picked ones from our garden sitting on my counter.  They are really yummy, by the way.

This is what we ended up with...


This is what was left over....  quite a pile.

Now I'm going to make some into the pea pesto, and freeze what's left.  Who knew I'd have this much from our own little garden?  My niece was even impressed.

I was feeling quite the photographer yesterday, can you tell??  lol  I don't know.  Sometimes I get in the mood.  I see all these great blogs with great food and think, I really missed the boat.  But oh well...I still love to cook.  Hubby and I are going away for our anniversary, and I'm contemplating it being a cooking getaway for the two of us...lol  I don't think he'll mind, but I might get tired of it after a while.  I can cook at home!  Of course, I don't always have the appreciative group I'd have in my hubby.  ;)
This was a quick dish that I did in the microwave since I didn't want to heat up the house by turning on the oven.  I'm really trying to figure out how to make decent cookies without the oven...might have to do the ones you cook on the stove.  But that's for another time.
If you want to make this, this is how I did it.  If you're just reading for fun, enjoy.  It was as yummy as it looks!  ;)


Fingerling Potatoes with baby Zucchini
Makes enough for 2...sort of

6 fingerling potatoes (of various sizes) washed and sliced in half and crossways
1 baby zucchini, sliced thin
bacon bits (these were the artificial kind, but real would have been better!) to taste
Mrs Dash Garlic and herb to taste
handful of fresh peas

spray a microwavable dish with pan spray.  lay potatoes in pan, cut side up.  Spray again with pan spray and sprinkle with Mrs. Dash.  Microwave on potato setting.  Add zucchini, kind of toss the potatoes and sprinkle with Mrs. Dash again, toss in the peas.  Microwave on fresh veggie setting.  test potatoes to make sure they're done.  If not, microwave on potato setting again.  I layered a small piece of swiss cheese on top and let melt as well.  It was a yummy smoky potato lunch, and I made myself save a few pieces for my daughter.
hmmm.



Tuesday, June 12, 2012

strawberry rhubarb slow cooker bread pudding


okay - that's a mouth full!!  I decided that I needed to use some of the strawberries I'd gotten from Bountiful Baskets since I've been buying strawberries like crazy the past two weeks...yum!  and saw a post about strawberry rhubarb bread pudding.  That made it my goal!!  Of course, being as how it's June, I was trying to avoid the oven, so I decided to try it in the crock pot.  It turned out great!  So, you'll have to try it now.  That is, if you're a rhubarb fan...which my hubby isn't, but still liked it enough to have two servings!  ;)


We had it with whipped topping, but I'm sure it would be great with ice cream or frozen yogurt.  sigh.  The possibilities are endless...

Since I'm still not with the swing of things, there isn't a blow by blow of how to make it with glorious photos...lol.  So you'll have to just make it and see if you like it.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Slow Cooker Bread Pudding

    Rhubarb, 1.75 cup, diced (which is about 10 - 12 stalks from my plant)
    Strawberries, fresh, 4 cup, chopped (large pieces)
    *Alpine Valley 9 Grain Bread, 10 slices, cut up (or broken up)
      1 TB cinnamon
      1 tsp vanilla
    2 large eggs
    6 large egg whites 
    1 1/2 Cups skim Milk
    1/2 C Agave Nectar 
    1/4 C brown sugar (unpacked)

Spray slow cooker with pan spray. Place broken/cut up bread in slow cooker. Add chopped rhubarb and strawberries, mixing well.
In a bowl, combine eggs, xagave, vanilla, milk and spices. Pour the mixture over the fruit/bread.  Cook on low for about 3 hours. Take lid off, sprinkle brown sugar on top, put back on and cook another 1/2 hour.  if you think it's too saucy, leave lid off and turn off cooker to let it absorb some of it.
Serve with whipped topping or ice cream.

makes 12 servings


  • Calories: 142.8
  • Total Fat: 1.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 31.4 mg
  • Sodium: 120.0 mg
  • Total Carbs: 27.5 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 4.5 g
  • Protein: 8.7 g