Quick and Easy

I am not usually one to admit that I need a day off from work, but after working all week plus driving back and forth from the desert for one day for Thanksgiving, I was exhausted yesterday. Very happy to not have to go to work! Sadly, because of the holiday, I did not have too many shows to watch on my DVR and got bored quickly on my couch. I guess being a housewife isn't my thing....

I planned my weekly menu quickly, made a grocery list, and set out to do errands and grocery shopping. For last night's dinner I made Ginger-Soy Chicken with Scallion Rice and some spicy broccolini. It was SO quick, easy and tasted like I had been making it for hours, when in reality the whole thing (including making a salad) took 20 minutes from start to finish! I used Chicken Breasts instead of boneless thighs because I don't love dark meat, but it was really good. I usually buy the big full breasts and then cut them horizontally so i get four larger pieces rather than those weirdo tenders you can buy that are chewy. It looks like more, visually you think you are eating more, and they cook quicker.

The Chicken Sizzling Away...I just love that sound!

My finished dinner! SO easy and tasty! The best part...Brian helped with the dishes! Woo Hoo!!

More NEED than want!

Sometimes there are things that are more justified as a "need" rather than a "want". I was thinking today as I was trying to organize my recipes, that there are some holes in my cookbook collection. As my feet were freezing on the tile floor I was wishing I had Brian's ugly, but really warm, UGG slippers to keep my feet warm. So as I was barely waking up this morning I complied my "More need than want list"....
These are much cuter, probably would fit me better, but still warm!

I am really excited this is already out! Maybe one day when I have some free time to get to the bookstore I can go look at this!

THIS LOOKS AMAZING! I didn't even know "healthy" and "Jewish" and "cooking" could go in one sentence! I must have this!!!

Saw these the other day, but was in a rush. They are so cute! I knew if Brian saw me piling these in my arms he would say I don't need them, but don't you think I DO need them???


Those are my thoughts for the day...do you have a "More need than want" list??

We have SO much to be Thankful For!

I can't believe it is already Thanksgiving and almost December! This year has been quite something and it is hard to believe it is almost over. I love Thanksgiving (and Pumpkin!) and get very excited every year to spend time with family and friends...and eat great food!

My mom throws the most amazing dinner parties and she is one of the few people I have met that actually cooks most of the food she serves! There is nothing better than a home cooked meal! I am so lucky to have spent Thanksgiving with my wonderful family, but also my husband's family and several great friends!

My mom's gorgeous flower arrangements in white pumpkins! Loved the fall colors and twinkling tea lights!

My sis finishing off the Sweet Potato Casserole

Cutest Idea my sister had! Her baked pumpkins that became bowls for soup

Blending the Tomato Soup

Lital's Pretty Appetizer

How gorgeous is this??? Tomato Soup in Roasted Pumpkins

Sweet Potato Casserole

Stuffing...most and savory

Kathy's Tasty Salad

Bread Basket with Chocolate Banana Bread, Bananas Foster Bread, Monkey Bread and Pumpkin Challa...whew!!

Sauteed Green Beans with Roasted Garlic

Roasted Vegetables

Bobby's Tofurky

My FAVORITE Pumpkin Dessert of all time!! Pumpkin Trifle. OMG. It is amazing.

The Banana Creme Pie that is wonderful, but it takes FOREVER to make...but worth every bite!

My very full plate! That red cranberry sauce you see was made by Kathy and was sooo good! Oh wow...looking at this is making me full. Ugh. Can't wait to go the gym tomorrow morning!


How was your Thanksgiving? What are you thankful for this year?

I LOVE Pumpkin!!

Warning! This recipe is not low in calories!

Every Thanksgiving I try to make a new recipe with pumpkin, because I looooove pumpkin! I am the wacko who waits all year till the yogurt shops start having pumpkin, the one who waits all year till I can get a pumpkin spice latte, and the nut who buys a pumpkin to roast in the oven and eat instead of carve and put on their doorstep. So, all year I look for new and different things to make with pumpkin! It also, oddly enough, is the only time of year that I am willing to bake over cook.

This year, one of my customers told me about this cake that Paula Deen makes called Gooey Butter Cake. I guess the original version is a yellow cake with a gooey center, but when I researched it, I found that she has a Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake!!

Mixing the Crust

I expected it to look more like packaged cake mix usually looks when you mix it, but it became more of a dough!

After the "dough" was pressed into the bottom of the baking dish

Mixing the Pumpkin Gooey Part

Baking Finished, was a little worried about how long to bake because she says, "40-50 minutes" and like I said, I am not a professional baker so I was unsure. I baked for 48 minutes, I think I should have taken it out 8 minutes earlier. I was worried though...there is always next time.

Finished Product! I made some homemade whipped cream (can not stand the kind in the can) and garnished with a little nutmeg

All in all, it turned out great, but unfortunately this is not the kind of eye appealing dessert that people are dying to try, you really need to plate it. Besides that it is really simple to make, and Paula lists other variations on the recipes so even if you don't like pumpkin, you will be able to find a version you like!

What is your favorite pumpkin dessert? What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?

Warming Our Souls

We came down to the desert this morning early and usually as we drive it gets warmer and warmer, but today it got colder and colder. It was only a high of 50, which is freezing for us out here in typically sunny California. What better to make for dinner, but something that warms your soul, but also tastes fresh and light? The answer:


My Famous Velvet Corn Soup

1/3 cup Minced Water Chestnuts
4 Cups Chicken Stock
2 14.5 ounce cans Cream-Style Corn
1/2 tsp Salt, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
4 egg Whites
1/4 cup Frozen Peas
1 scallion

In a large pot bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the cream style corn, salt and sugar; stir till mixed. Return to boil.

Dissolve the cornstarch into 1/4 cup cold water in a small bowl.

Beat the egg whites until foamy.

Add the water chestnuts to the stock and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Stir until soup thickens, about 10-20 seconds. Stirring constantly (and still boiling), drizzle the egg whites into the soup until the egg whites turn to white strands.

Add the peas and stir. Add more salt if you want. Garnish with scallions and serve!

Velvet Corn Soup


Finished dinner on my mom's cute palm tree plates perfect for the desert! I also made Chili-Garlic Glazed Salmon which is one of Brian's favorites. You need to be CAREFUL with the amount of the chilies you use. I have found the perfect amount is about half of what they say and I bump up the jelly 1 more tablespoon.

I accompanied the salmon with some coconut rice and sauteed brocollini.

What is your favorite dish to make on a cold night?

Make Shift Meal Monday

Monday nights are always rushed for us because we leave for the desert the next morning. Last night was especially hectic because I had some errands to tie up after work before I came home to cook dinner. After running to Home Goods and Target, the last place I wanted to go was the grocery store. I usually do all my grocery shopping on Sundays for the week, but on our Palm Desert weeks...I try to use every last thing in the refrigerator so as not to waste.

I came home and decided to throw together something from what we had in the kitchen. This is one of my favorite ways to cook and the dinner usually ends up being unexpectedly good! My sister can attest that when I was young I would go into the kitchen and pick out the most random ingredients and try to make something from them. I was a cooking chemist!

I vaguely remembered this recipe I saw a while ago with orzo, sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, spinach and red onion, but I never printed it out. I had all the ingredients I could remember and just kind of made my own rendition from memory. It was fabulous. We couldn't stop eating it. The only changes I made to the Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Feta was I used more red onion, only about 1/3 of the oil from the artichokes and fat free feta. I have a hard time pouring all that oil over such a healthy salad! It was extremely tasty with the amount I put on and less calories!

I had some beautiful chicken breasts and just seasoned them with salt, pepper, cumin, crushed red pepper, oregano, basil and some tarragon. Just sprinkled away...lots of flavor and after Brian (the new professional BBQ man) grilled it; it was juicy and perfect!

I also made some vegetable packets for him to throw on the grill with some "I can Believe its Not Butter" spray and pepper. I sadly ran out of olive oil the day before so I had to use the less healthy (but secretly good tasting) butter spray. My BFF Bridget and I both use this stuff and enjoy the taste and lack of calories, but I limit it's uses to corn, toast and I guess when I run out of olive oil! I don't normally like chemical experiments in my food!

Chopped Ingredients waiting for the orzo to be ready!

Mmm...Orzo was so colorful and delish!

Grilled Vegetables...easy and tasty!

Spiced Grilled Chicken was perfectly cooked and juicy

For some reason, this week Brian has been obsessed with making guacamole and buying TONS of potato chips! Our pantry has bags and bags of chips...it is so funny! Look at him so intense eating that! Can you believe he ate that whole bowl of dip?? That takes "healthy fat" to a whole knew level...

It's That Time of Year...

For the Return of the McRib.

I think the McRib is DISGUSTING. Now, I rarely say I don't like something without trying it, but I am certain I would not like this. First of all, I wont even eat chicken nuggets because they do not resemble any chicken part I have ever seen. I know the McRib is made from Pork, but it has no bones? The food creators over at McDonalds just decided the best thing to do would just be to take ground up pork and mold it into this shape? SO GROSS.

The above image is what chicken nuggets are made from! Can you even imagine putting this in your mouth after viewing this image??? ugh!

As the holiday season comes every year, I dread the commercials and billboards advertising this terrible invention. I love Whoppi Goldberg, but when I saw her put this sandwich in her mouth on "The View" the other day, I lost a bit of respect for this otherwise fabulous woman.

This is what it looks like without the sauce. =( 500 calories and 26 grams of fat later completes the picture. Oh, it is just so bad! I have to close my eyes during the commercials...it is like a horror film!

Have you ever tried one? Is it as bad as it looks? Someone needs to confirm my theory...

My First Dinner Party

For a wedding gift Brian's grandpa, better known as "Red Levy", gave us a grill for our tiny patio/laundry area. This was in June, it is now late November and my husband, the BIGGEST procrastinator, finally hooked it up. In honor of this momentous occasion we decided to have a dinner party with my family to celebrate the unveiling of the WeberQ120.

I have been wanting to try this recipe from Giada for months now for Couscous-Stuffed Peppers with Basil Sauce. I saw it on her show a while ago when I was home sick with Strep Throat and I just have never had the right menu to compliment them. They just looked so delicious and beautiful...they did not disappoint. I love mixing all sorts of random things I have in my refrigerator and pantry in rice and couscous, so I knew I would just love the mix of dried fruit, spinach, feta cheese and garbanzo beans. The recipe calls for dried currants, but they are so hard to find (sometimes I get lucky), so I chopped up some dried cherries instead. I also substituted the regular feta for fat free because that is all I had on hand, tasted just as good with a fraction of the fat and calories! Same with the Creme Fraiche, I used reduced fat Sour Cream. This was a huge hit and I will be making this again soon!

I also made Bloody Mary Flank Steak for a little break from the normal flank steak marinades you see all the time. Classic recipes are wonderful, but sometimes I am in the mood for something a little more interesting. Nothing says interesting like Vodka and Hot Sauce!

Slicing my Flank Steak with my fabulous Shun Knives

The new master griller!

My sister's unbelievable Carrot Cake that is Cooking Light (tasted like the real thing)!

Our Meal (Still looking for a better way of taking pictures of food, my current strategy does not do it justice!)

Our Appetizer Dips with my cute new Anthropology Bowls (I am sure you will be seeing a lot of them. I am obsessed with tiny bowls)

Brian and his guacamole! He insisted on making it and it actually turned out great, very different from his "famous salmon". I will save that story for another post...

Whats your favorite flank steak recipe?

Restaurant Review: Mahe Dana Point

Saturday night Brian and I went down to Dana Point to celebrate my best friend, Bridget's birthday! After just getting back from Cabo San Lucas for her wedding last week, it goes without being said that none of us were craving Mexican food.

Mahe was the perfect venue because they have a Teppanyaki area, sushi bar and live music. We were sat at a table with a very enthusiastic and friendly four-some who Bridget, of course, made friends with immediately! There is nothing better than being able to watch your food being prepared before it is presented on your plate. The chef was very personable and put on a show for us complete with the typical shrimp tossing and onion volcano! Overall I give the food...a 7 out of 10, the company...a 10 out of 10!

Miso Soup with Green Onion and Tofu




Onion Volcano, Sauteed Vegetables, and Fried Rice

Brian (the pro shrimp catcher) about to Catch the Shrimp

Beautiful Filets Searing on the Grill

We had a fantastic time and ate well! Looking forward to the next night out with our friends Bridget and Jack!

What's your favorite Teppanyaki restaurant?