Tonight we will be cooking a basic grilled chicken breast with some mccormick smokehouse maple seasoning, some basic mashed potatoes, and some snap peas.
The other day I was speaking with a lady whose 40 year old son didn't know how to make mashed potatoes! Most of you know how to make mashed potatoes (I'll give my readers that credit!), but let me share a little of what I do. I use sour cream instead of heavy cream. I actually use fat free sour cream to cut down a little and the taste is great. I also mash in some cheese with mine, but that is more of a preference for me. I mash my potatoes by hand since it's just for two people. If you don't have to make tons of potatoes, to me, this is the way to go as the potatoes are a bit more lumpy. I'm not a fan of extra creamy potatoes! If you prefer creamy you can include about a teaspoon of milk for a two person meal and use a mixer instead of a hand tool. That's about it for potatoes.
To prep the chicken, you just rub the seasoning on it. Pretty easy right?!?!? And it makes for a fairly quick meal when you have limited time in the evenings to prep.
For the snap peas, I sautee them. You can use a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and some crushed red pepper to make a spicy side item. If you don't want the spice just use evoo, garlic and some salt and pepper. Sautee until they are a bit soft and serve hot. Don't let these cool! I have found that most things I have sauteed are not very tasty when they are cool, so be sure to make these last!
Well that is it for dinner tonight...stay tuned for more dinner ideas.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Living Green and Savvy
Hi guys! It's been a while since I posted last. Today I thought I would post a little about self-sufficiency and crafting and making things you can use.
We planted a garden back in the spring. It's been a rough go of it, but I have learned so much about growing food.
First, our pepper plants never grew up. So I bought some transplants and now I am swimming in peppers! These make great additives to cook with though as they are rich in vitamin C and complement almost any dish! Lately, we have been making skewers with chicken. I'll be posting two of those recipes soon!
Then, our zucchini plants and squash plants got vine borers! We had to slice open the stems and dig these little bugs out. It was rather gross. If you decide to plant squash in your garden definitely wrap some nylons around the stems to keep out these pesky pests! Here in the South we get two rounds of them a year from what I understand. They lay their eggs on your plant and then the larvae go into the stem and stay there until they become bugs.
We planted our bean plants too late and didn't really plant enough of them, so they are dying a slow and painful death right now. If you decide to grow beans, you definitely need a lot of space to grow a lot of plants. You can plant several plants in one square foot if you are using the square foot method, but I planted 10 plants and only got enough beans for a meal or two.
A few weeks ago, I decided to buy some cucumber transplants. We have TONS of cucumbers because the bees finally made it to my garden to do their job! No more hand pollinating for this gardener! :)
Growing a garden helps you get more fresh food in your diet and helps the environment by cutting down on our own waste from gas for trips to the market to even the shopping bags we use. It's also a great way to get more veggies in and to use new recipes with your own fresh ingredients.
Another way to cut down on waste is to use reusable products for cleaning and bathing. I discovered the art of knitting dish cloths a few months ago. I made them with red hart yarn, and the total cost to me was 50 cents per dishcloth! They are completely machine washable and dryable and with each launder they actually get better! I quit using paper towels about 2 years ago, and these knitted dishcloths are part of that process. I actually bought a few dishcloths when I quit using paper towels, but I discovered that the knitted ones are better and cheaper!
Here is a link to the pattern I used to make them!
http://knitting.about.com/od/christmaspatterns/p/bias_washcloth.htm
About two weeks ago, I discovered that making face scrubbies was also a great way to cut out makeup remover towels and even cotton balls! I made them from cotton yarn, and the total cost to make 10 of them is $1.50! They are also completely washer and dryer safe. They exfoliate well and make a great gift for little occasions. The size and cotton fiber also make for great baby washcloths for babies sensitive skin!
The pattern is really basic. Using a crochet hook, you just chain four stitches and then do 12 double crochet stitches in your first stitch joining the last double crochet with the first by slip stitch. Pull the yarn to tighten the hole in the center. You then chain three stitches(first dc) and double crochet(dc) into the same stitch that the 3 chains came from. Then you do two double crochets in each stitch all the way around for a total of 24 double crochets counting your 3 chain stitch. Then, you can do one of two options. You can repeat the last round (chain 3 and dc in stitch then 2 dc in each stitch) which makes a round face scrubbie. Or you can make a flower shape by doing the 3rd round with 3 chains and 2 dc in same stitch, one single crochet in the next stitch, three dc in the following stitch all the way around. This makes a flower type of scrubbie.
These few tips will get you started to living a bit more green. We obviously can't cut out EVERYTHING that isn't green, but most of us can make a step in that direction! Good luck!
We planted a garden back in the spring. It's been a rough go of it, but I have learned so much about growing food.
First, our pepper plants never grew up. So I bought some transplants and now I am swimming in peppers! These make great additives to cook with though as they are rich in vitamin C and complement almost any dish! Lately, we have been making skewers with chicken. I'll be posting two of those recipes soon!
Then, our zucchini plants and squash plants got vine borers! We had to slice open the stems and dig these little bugs out. It was rather gross. If you decide to plant squash in your garden definitely wrap some nylons around the stems to keep out these pesky pests! Here in the South we get two rounds of them a year from what I understand. They lay their eggs on your plant and then the larvae go into the stem and stay there until they become bugs.
We planted our bean plants too late and didn't really plant enough of them, so they are dying a slow and painful death right now. If you decide to grow beans, you definitely need a lot of space to grow a lot of plants. You can plant several plants in one square foot if you are using the square foot method, but I planted 10 plants and only got enough beans for a meal or two.
A few weeks ago, I decided to buy some cucumber transplants. We have TONS of cucumbers because the bees finally made it to my garden to do their job! No more hand pollinating for this gardener! :)
Growing a garden helps you get more fresh food in your diet and helps the environment by cutting down on our own waste from gas for trips to the market to even the shopping bags we use. It's also a great way to get more veggies in and to use new recipes with your own fresh ingredients.
Another way to cut down on waste is to use reusable products for cleaning and bathing. I discovered the art of knitting dish cloths a few months ago. I made them with red hart yarn, and the total cost to me was 50 cents per dishcloth! They are completely machine washable and dryable and with each launder they actually get better! I quit using paper towels about 2 years ago, and these knitted dishcloths are part of that process. I actually bought a few dishcloths when I quit using paper towels, but I discovered that the knitted ones are better and cheaper!
Here is a link to the pattern I used to make them!
http://knitting.about.com/od/christmaspatterns/p/bias_washcloth.htm
About two weeks ago, I discovered that making face scrubbies was also a great way to cut out makeup remover towels and even cotton balls! I made them from cotton yarn, and the total cost to make 10 of them is $1.50! They are also completely washer and dryer safe. They exfoliate well and make a great gift for little occasions. The size and cotton fiber also make for great baby washcloths for babies sensitive skin!
The pattern is really basic. Using a crochet hook, you just chain four stitches and then do 12 double crochet stitches in your first stitch joining the last double crochet with the first by slip stitch. Pull the yarn to tighten the hole in the center. You then chain three stitches(first dc) and double crochet(dc) into the same stitch that the 3 chains came from. Then you do two double crochets in each stitch all the way around for a total of 24 double crochets counting your 3 chain stitch. Then, you can do one of two options. You can repeat the last round (chain 3 and dc in stitch then 2 dc in each stitch) which makes a round face scrubbie. Or you can make a flower shape by doing the 3rd round with 3 chains and 2 dc in same stitch, one single crochet in the next stitch, three dc in the following stitch all the way around. This makes a flower type of scrubbie.
These few tips will get you started to living a bit more green. We obviously can't cut out EVERYTHING that isn't green, but most of us can make a step in that direction! Good luck!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tonight's dinner!
What's for dinner tonight? Cajun Chicken Pasta!
- 8 ounces whole-wheat fusilli or rotini
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium green bell pepper, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup sliced scallions for garnish
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add chicken, bell pepper, garlic, Cajun seasoning and pepper. Cook stirring, until the onion and bell pepper are beginning to soften, about 4 minutes.
- Add flour and stir to coat. Add tomatoes and their juice; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce is bubbling and thickened and the chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in sour cream.
- Stir the pasta into the sauce. Serve sprinkled with scallions, if desired.
Per serving: 329 calories; 8 g fat ( 2 g sat , 3 g mono ); 50 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 25 g protein; 6 g fiber; 656 mg sodium; 691 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (53% daily value), Vitamin A (23% dv), Iron (21% dv), Magnesium & Potassium (20% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 2 1/2
Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 2 lean meat, 1 fat
I'll let you know how the recipe goes, but if you want to try it with me go right ahead and we can learn together!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Grains and Beans
We all know grains and beans are good for us. They fit well into the food pyramid and keep us satisfied for hours, provide us with nutrients we need, and give us great energy. One of my new favorite recipes to get all of these great health benefits is quinoa and black beans. It's much like rice and beans, but better! It's rather easy as well. I buy quinoa in bulk at costco. It's about $7-$9 for a bag, but because it plumps when cooked like most grains, it can actually make A LOT of recipes. Our bag lasts a long time. When I make this recipe for two, I always have enough leftovers for both of us to have a hearty lunch the next day, so I have no doubt it will feed four or five. Today, I am eating lunch from the leftovers from last night. Here is a link to the recipe I use. If you buy the bag of quinoa from costco, it is presoaked so it cooks in about 15 minutes or so.
http://www.cookingquinoa.net/quinoa-and-black-beans/
That blog is all about cooking quinoa, and most of the recipes don't include meat. However, I decided to cook up some fajita style chicken whenever I make this recipe. The rub takes 2tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper. I had been baking the chicken, but it has more flavor if you pan fry it with some olive oil and still is rather healthy. You can add a little more cayenne pepper for a kick, and I also sprinkle some taco seasoning (which I buy in bulk) in while it is cooking. I chunk the chicken which not only cooks it quicker but also keeps you from eating so much meat. I've learned that we should really only eat four ounces of meat at a meal and most of our nutrition should come from veggies and grains. I cooked two chicken breasts and had plenty left over for lunches today. Happy cooking!
http://www.cookingquinoa.net/quinoa-and-black-beans/
That blog is all about cooking quinoa, and most of the recipes don't include meat. However, I decided to cook up some fajita style chicken whenever I make this recipe. The rub takes 2tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper. I had been baking the chicken, but it has more flavor if you pan fry it with some olive oil and still is rather healthy. You can add a little more cayenne pepper for a kick, and I also sprinkle some taco seasoning (which I buy in bulk) in while it is cooking. I chunk the chicken which not only cooks it quicker but also keeps you from eating so much meat. I've learned that we should really only eat four ounces of meat at a meal and most of our nutrition should come from veggies and grains. I cooked two chicken breasts and had plenty left over for lunches today. Happy cooking!
What's for Dinner
Hi all! I started this blog to create a space where I can combine all that I have learned about healthy, green eating and living. I plan to post recipes of what's for dinner in the Larramore house. I have discovered a great deal about cooking and eating HEALTHY on a BUDGET! I also try to conserve as much as I can in my house, and I plan to post a few tips about green living as well. Comments are welcome and encouraged! And if you have a recipe to share, feel free to post! We are all on a health journey and learning as we go, and the internet has provided an incredible resource with which to make that journey! Happy, healthy eating to all!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)