Chili Surprise

I’m a little backwards on my timeline here but shhh! Don’t tell anyone you haven’t seen honeymoon meals before seeing this honeymoon-return-meal.

I’m lucky to call one of the kindest humans I know, my friend. Ms. L not only supported me through allllll my wedding planning as a bridesmaid, but she cooked a meal and delivered it to me with all the fixings so I could put off grocery shopping after the honeymoon. How well does she know me?!

laura_chili_above_590_390
She made Ina Garten’s chili and sent onions, sour cream, shredded cheddar, and corn chips for toppings. AMAZING! I ate it for meals on end before actually grocery shopping. It was delicious and I hope she kept some for herself too!

Chicken Chili (Ina Garten’s recipe)

Ingredients

4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
1/8 cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken
1/8 cup minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
Freshly ground black pepper
For serving: Chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream

laura_chili_pot_590_390

Directions

Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly.
Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes.
Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

laura_chili_bowl_590_390
It was such a thoughtful gesture and we loved it. I ate it for lunch all week too. I’m totally stealing this idea and giving somebody a meal when I think they’d need one. Thanks Ms. L!

Speaking of chili…I entered a Chili Cookoff! Can’t wait to share that with you too!

 

Love Lists

I love lists. I’ll admit it. Most people do.

I keep my daily to-dos at work as a running word-doc to avoid all the paper. My life to-dos are spread between 4 apps, shared google docs with the hubby, and the occasional post-it or white board note. I keep a grocery list on a shared app which was a genius invention even-though we rarely shop unplanned without coordinating with one another.

I think my lists make me more accountable and it’s just so fun to cross stuff of of there! Here a new list…probably the first of many. I define fall as pre-December.

Fall “To Cook” List:

  • Pumpkin Pancakes (I made them as waffles a long time ago) <find it here!>
  • Some sort of stew (I’m thinking maybe lamb & lentils?)
  • An annual apple crisp attempt (that won’t ever compare to my mother’s) <find it here!>
  • stuffing (I don’t like to call is dressing so stuffing is what I’ll make!)
  • some sort of cranberry cocktail (when I relocated our liquor I unearthed lots of cranberry vodka)
  • rosemary cashews (I made these in August but didn’t blog ’em…addicting) <find it here!>
  • risotto (I bought some in Italy!) <find it here!>
  • coconut shrimp (just want to make it…it doesn’t have to be summer, right?) <find it here!>

Most are thematic but if I just need an excuse or when inspiration is lacking, I’ll be back…and I’ll be checkin’ stuff offa there! Have any recipes you suggest for these?

Stay tuned!

Gettin’ Crafty

I was so excited about my many pinned projects but I couldn’t share these with you until I gave them to their lucky recipients. I made coasters for my bridesmaids  as part of their gifts.
crafts_coasters_590_390
The coasters were SUPER easy. Also very inexpensive. They’d make a really quick weekend project so get to work.

“Ingredients”

4 ceramic tiles (16 cents per piece)
1 piece of scrapbook paper (32 cents per piece, reversible if possible or wrapping paper)
modge podge & sponge brush
acrylic spray
16 self adheasive furniture protective footers, or 8 cut in halves (or small squares of felt)

Directions

Cut scrapbook paper for each tile. I did 2 coasters with a square and 2 coasters with the design carefully cut out.
Lay everything out and modge podge over it.
Let dry, and repeat (don’t forget the edges)
Let dry, and spray with acrylic spray
When dry, apply the furniture protective footers to each bottom corner

I thought these were fun and very easy. The longest part of the project was letting them dry! Supplies were cheap and I assume I’ll use the modge podge and acrylic spray again on other items.
crafts_coasters_390_590
My sis/maid-of-honor got something else and requested some coasters for xmas. She’ll be really surprised to open some…wink, wink.

I saw huge tiles that screamed “I want to be a kitchen table trivet”. Maybe it will get that chance.

I’m baaaaaack!

I’m baaaaaaaack! I didn’t forget about you. Life just got away from me and between honeymooning, jet lag, seeing friends and family without a wedding focus, a trip for work, and not feeling so hot, I’ve been slow to get back to life. It all caught up with me after NYC kicked my butt. The pup can attest that the apt looks insane and I haven’t been cooking regularly. It’s craziness.
I have lots of fun to catch you up on. Here are some teasers you can just sit on the edge of your seat for:1) I’ve tried to get crafty…with a food/drink focus
2) A blue Le Creuset made it’s debut in my kitchen
3) Mr. J falls for sangria in Spain and I swoon over Paella
4) We could get used to 3 course meals all the time
5) birthplace of pizza was a pizza dining adventure
6) 2 words: chili cookoff
7) It’s time for crockpots, apples, and pumpkins ohh my!

I feel terrible that it has been so long, but never fear, I’m back. I am trying not to feel guilty since I do this for myself and it’s not like it’s my job or I’m letting any sponsors down (cough, cough:sponsors-welcome;cough).

Honey Limey Shrimpy

Here’s a quick dinner I wanted to share. Today I’m off to NYC for work after only been home from my honeymoon for 10 days. I was away for the weekend too. Phew! What a whirlwind! November definitely quiets down so I can’t wait to get some fall-ish meals going!

One night we thought a his & hers dinner would be good so we shared some roasted asparagus and each made our own thing. I had some grilled shrimp and Mr. J made some beefy thing. Chicken fried steak maybe? The only trick was that I started the asparagus wayyy too early, and my shrimp didn’t take long to cook either. Our tiny kitchen isn’t really conducive to 2 chefs so it didn’t surprise me that the timing wasn’t perfect.
shrimp_asp_plate_590_390
Anywho, onto my made up marinated & grilled shrimp!

Ingredients

7 shrimp, peeled & deveined (I buy them frozen that way)
1 tbs lime salad dressing (or lime juice)
1 tbs honey
½ tsp chopped garlic
½ tsp crushed red pepper
salt & pepper

Directions

Soak 2 bamboo skewers in water for 5 minutes to avoid splinters
Whisk marinade together and let shrimp rest in it for 10 minutes
Grill 4 minutes on each side, flipping once
shrimp_asp_grillshrimp_590_390
The asparagus was just roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt, and pepper. The shrimp was really delicious. It got a great carmelization from the honey and was perked up from the lime and red pepper.
shrimp_asp_asparagus_590_390
I like skewers just for the ease. Do you remember my ‘On A Stick’ appetizer for fried ravioli on a stick? I thought the stick just made it easier. Same story for the grilling.

I don’t always think about shrimp when I’m coming with up a quickie dinner but maybe I should!