Maple-Mustard Pork Tenderloin

I realized recently that it has been since October since I posted a single recipe. Yes, I've been more lax with the cooking since the last trimester started, but I really have been cooking more than it appears.

Tonight, I defrosted a pork tenderloin that we've had frozen since June. (This sparked a whole side debate about whether it would still be good or not, which the USDA and our own taste buds confirmed -- yes, after six months, pork tenderloin still tastes tender and juicy.)

Although we have an old, tried-and-true pork tenderloin recipe, I'm always on the lookout for other ideas, especially since our favorite pork recipe uses breadcrumbs, and Brian's mom and sister can't eat gluten. This recipe for Maple-Mustard Pork Tenderloin, it turns out, is a great substitute. It doesn't use breadcrumbs, but has a similar taste to our usual recipe. I didn't follow the instructions for the apples: I just fried up some Jonathans with a tablespoon of butter and a sprinkling of cinnamon, the way Grandma always used to.

As a side dish, I decided to go the sinful route and make some pumpkin ravioli with a brown butter reduction. We get frozen pumpkin ravioli at Meijer that cooks up in 4-5 minutes, so its a quick, kid-friendly side, especially since it tastes like pie.

Jack demolished the apples, of course, and enthusiastically attacked everything else. A five-star dinner in our book.

Perfect Fall Casserole

Today, I spent the afternoon making a Chicken Cassoulet with Acorn Squash. We had acorn squash, orange and purple carrots, onions and garlic from the CSA, so this recipe seemed like a perfect choice for dinner. Although it was fairly time-consuming (it has been cooking since 3:00 and it is 7:00 now), it wasn't too challenging because much of the time involved simmering or baking. The hardest part was peeling the acorn squash, which I'm not planning to do again anytime soon. If I make the recipe again, I think I'll try it with butternut squash instead since that is easier to peel.

The recipe is from Cooking Light, so it's extra healthy (only 6g. of fat and a whopping 25g. of protein, thanks to three meats and some beans). Ironically, however, after four hours of cooking, it ended up tasting very similar to my favorite Sausage and Bean Casserole, which only takes about 30 minutes to make. While I appreciate the ability to use the squash and carrots in this recipe, I think I'll be sticking to the 30-minute version unless we have a special occasion.


Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon stick margarine or butter
2 cups chopped onion, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry Marsala or apple cider
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 cups water
2 cups diced peeled acorn squash
1 cup diced carrot
2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained
1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast
2 bacon slices
1/2 pound smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Preparation
Melt margarine in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 cup onion and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add Marsala, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, basil, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Spoon into a bowl; set aside.

Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 cups water, squash, and carrot in pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Partially mash the beans with a potato masher, and add beans and tomato mixture to pan. Cook over medium-low heat 30 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 325°.

Rub chicken with 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; set aside. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble bacon, and set aside. Add chicken to bacon drippings in pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from skillet; cut into 1-inch pieces. Add 1 cup onion and sausage to skillet; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the chicken, crumbled bacon, and sausage mixture to bean mixture in pan, stirring to combine.

Cover and bake at 325° for 1 hour. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.

I Love My New Food Processor

Tonight I tried all the bells and whistles on my new birthday food processor. And am I impressed!

We had a red cabbage and some carrots from the CSA last week, so I decided to make coleslaw. The food processor shredded the cabbage and carrots together in seconds, while I would probably still be shredding by hand.

I used a Barefoot Contessa recipe, and it turned out very yummy. Here's the recipe, as I used it (I omitted the regular cabbage, in favor of all red cabbage, and I left out the celery seeds because I don't really like celery that much):

Ingredients
red cabbage (3/4 small head)
5 carrots
2 cups good mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon celery salt

Directions
Fit a food processor with the shredding blade. Process small chunks of cabbage and halved carrots together.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, vinegar, and celery salt. Pour enough of the dressing over the grated vegetables to moisten them. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Asian Chicken Salad

This week we got Napa cabbage and cilantro at the CSA, so I decided to use our leftover roast chicken to make an Asian Chicken Salad. I modified a recipe from Giada (as usual) and we were very pleased with the results. Even Jack loved the toasted almonds and rice noodles.

Salad:
1 lg. carrot, peeled into the bowl
1/2 head of Napa cabbage, shredded
1 head of romaine, shredded (I used about half a clamshell of organic baby romaine)
1/2 red pepper, sliced
2 - 3 Tbsp. cilantro
1 c. leftover chicken (we used roasted, but I'd make grilled next time)
1/2 c. toasted almonds (350 for 5-6 minutes)
1/2 c. rice noodles

Dressing:
1/4 c. sesame oil (this is crucial for the flavor - don't use canola or olive)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar (same as sesame oil - use the right vinegar)
1/2 tsp. sugar
dash of salt and pepper

This recipe is definitely a keeper, especially now that I've made the investment in sesame oil and rice vinegar for the dressing. Aside from the Napa cabbage, the rest of the ingredients are fairly common in our fridge. Giada's recipe called for Thai basil, but I loved the cilantro in its place. It reminded us of the yummy fresh spring rolls we get from the Asian restaurant near us.

Penne with Vodka Sauce

Yesterday when I was watching the Barefoot Contessa, she made Penne with Vodka Sauce and it looked delicious, so I decided to try the recipe for myself tonight. The best part about the recipe, since I can't sample the vodka while I cook, was squishing the tomatoes into the pan using my fingers.

Jack and Brian both loved the recipe, in fact Jack asked for a second helping. The recipe was more than enough for the three of us, with leftovers for all of us tomorrow night, too.

Bubba's Beer Biscuits

I kid you not: that's the name of the recipe.

Tonight I defrosted some of the white chicken chili that I made last month with the chard from our CSA and I wanted some sort of bread to accompany it. Biscuits sounded good, so I looked up some Paula Deen recipes -- who else but the queen of southern cooking? The recipe that follows is what I found and it was truly delicious. I'm not a Bisquick fan, as Brian will quickly assure you, but if it's good enough for Paula Deen and it produces biscuits like these, I'm a convert.

Bubba's Beer Biscuits by Paula Deen

Ingredients
4 cups biscuit mix (recommended: Bisquick)
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
1 (12-ounce) can of beer
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all ingredients well, adjusting the sugar according to how sweet a biscuit you prefer. Pour into well-greased muffin tins. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with honey butter. (To make the honey butter, I softened a half stick of butter and poured in a tablespoon of local honey. Delicious.)

More CSA Goodies

Tonight I made a Grilled Steak with Arugula salad and Maple-Glazed New Potatoes. I used the baby red potatoes and garlic scapes I got at the CSA (the scapes replaced the chives, garlic and green onions in each recipe). I also used the lemon thyme I am growing in with my begonia and coleus on the front porch.

While I've made the potatoes before, I can definitely say this was the best version I've ever made. Maybe it's just the freshness of the ingredients, but they were amazing. The salad dressing for the arugula is one I would definitely make again, too. It was so simple, but so delicious. It would be good on spinach or baby greens as well.

It's so nice to be able to cook with fresh ingredients right now!

Couscous Stuffed Peppers

Tonight I tried another Giada recipe in order to use some of the basil and garlic scapes from our CSA distribution.

It was delicious. The couscous was yummy and the basil sauce was garlicky and delicious, like a basil chimichurri sauce. I made a few adaptations to the recipe: I left out the currants (too much to ask of Brian to eat both garbanzo beans and currants in the same recipe) and I substituted the creme fresh with sour cream. I also swapped a garlic scape for the clove of garlic, which may explain the fresh garlic taste to the sauce. And the only couscous I could find at the store had pinenuts in it, which I think added a nice crunchy kick.

Brian and I both scraped our plates clean, but Jack turned his nose up at all but the chickpeas. He did, however, devour the locally made chicken-basil-feta bratwurst I bought to go with the meal and he scooped up the sauce with his spoon. I think he would like couscous if it didn't come in a pepper, so we'll have to try scooping his out next time.

Sandwich Experiment #1

Today I decided to attempt to duplicate the Sweetilicious veggie delight sandwich for my lunch.

I used Great Harvest 9 Grain bread (only the best for a sandwich) and spread one slice with reduced fat onion and chive cream cheese. Then I put thinly sliced golden delicious apples on top, followed by spinach leaves and extra sharp cheddar. Then I grilled it in the George Foreman grill.

The result: a very yummy sandwich and a feeling like I was dining somewhere much fancier than my house. Definitely a sandwich I'll make again, maybe even for dinner sometime this week.

Since I have the bread in the house, I'll be trying different sandwich combos most of the week. We'll see what inspires me tomorrow.

Our First CSA Basket

In the spring, Brian and I decided to buy a share in Titus Farms, a local fruit and vegetable farm, in order to receive weekly vegetable allotments throughout the summer and fall (June 30 - November 3). This is called community supported agriculture or CSA.

Yesterday I picked up our first CSA distribution. Because it's still early in the growing season, we didn't receive a huge basket, but it was still plenty for us. I could choose five of any item: swiss chard, beets, collard greens, mixed lettuces, cucumber, garlic scapes, basil, mixed herbs, or strawberries. I chose swiss chard, lettuce, basil, cucumber and strawberries (much to Jack's delight).

Last night, I made a white bean chicken chili, using the swiss chard. I figured for our first try, it'd be better to disguise it from Jack and Brian both. The chili turned out quite yummy and both of my men gobbled it up. Here's the link to the chili: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/white-bean-and-chicken-chili-recipe/index.html

For dessert, I made my grandma's vanilla pudding recipe to serve with the strawberries. This is a rare occasion in our house because the recipe involves stirring the pudding non-stop for about half an hour. Needless to say, my hand felt like it was going to fall off before the pudding was done. But the results were worth the effort -- it is far tastier and far healthier than the Jello variety, and it was a perfect compliment to the tiny, fresh strawberries from the CSA. Jack was begging for more when he finished his bowl.

Here is Grandma's recipe:

1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
2 3/4 c. milk
2 T. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Then slowly stir in the milk (I used a combo of our skim milk and Jack's whole milk). Heat over medium heat, CONSTANTLY STIRRING. Let the pudding come to a boil for one minute (still stirring) and then remove it from the heat -- it takes almost 30 minutes to come to a boil. Don't rush it. Once you've moved it off the stove, stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour it into individual bowls and chill in the refrigerator at least an hour or two. Top with berries or cinnamon to serve.

Next week, we'll be using the basil to make Spaghetti with Smoked Almonds and Basil. Yum!

Barefoot Contessa Chocolate Cake

For Father's Day, I decided to make Brian a chocolate cake, since I pooped out on his birthday cake and we ended up getting a key lime pie instead. I noticed that the Barefoot Contessa cake was basically the same recipe as my grandma's cake, except that Ina adds a cup of hot coffee instead of a cup of boiling water. Any cake that involves coffee seems like a winner to me, so I thought I'd give it a try.

The cake turned out delicious -- very moist and yummy, except the middle didn't rise the way I'd like it to. I don't know if it was because I used 8" pans or because I used older baking soda. Either way, I'd try it again and hope for a more rounded center.

The frosting is extremely buttery but very yummy. Jack happily licked the spoon and showed his approval with a chocolate mustache.

We'll be trying the finished product after dinner.

Spinach & Sausage Alfredo Lasagna

I had this lasagna at my neighborhood baby shower and had to get the recipe... even though it is incredibly rich and naughty, it's delicious and worth the splurge.

12 oz. (or 9-10) lasagna noodles
1 lb. pork Italian sausage (I like Bob Evans)
10 oz pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 jar alfredo sauce (preferably with garlic)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 c. shredded cheddar
15 oz. carton ricotta cheese
1/2 c. parmesean cheese
1 c. shredded mozzarella

Soak noodles in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain.

Brown sausage and drain. Add spinach, alfredo, salt and pepper.

In a bowl, combine egg, cheddar, ricotta and parm.

In an ungreased 9x13 pan, dish 1/3 sausage mixture, 3 noodles, and 1/3 cheese mixture. Repeat twice. Top with mozzarella.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Paula Deen's Cheesey, Buttery Macaroni

Tonight I tried a Paula Deen recipe that Brian had been drooling over for a few months (he drools over Paula Deen in general -- I think he has a secret crush). It was for Creamy Macaroni and Cheese but supplemented with a can of cheese soup. I shuddered when I saw the recipe, but it actually turned out pretty good. Of course, the half a stick of butter and the 3+ cups of cheese didn't hurt any.

It was relatively easy to assemble and then cooked in the Crock Pot for three hours while I played with Jack and we met with our financial adviser -- a nice way to fix dinner and then forget about it.

Although I don't love it as much as the more sophisticated flavors of the Barefoot Contessa's Macaroni and Cheese, I do think we'll probably make the recipe again when we're craving some comfort food.

Sous Chef, Part 2

On Saturday, I made a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for my parents and grandma. Jack, as usual, was on hand (in sling) to assist. Once I finished the frosting, Jack helped lick the beaters (his first time!). He thoroughly approved.

Bacon and Cheese Make Even Cauliflower Taste Good

Since Jack has become such a huge fan of broccoli ("brock-lee!"), I've been looking for ways to branch out from steamed and roasted broccoli, so last night at the grocery store I decided to buy him some "white broccoli" (a.k.a. cauliflower). I saw a Giada At Home recipe that used bacon, gruyere, and buttered breadcrumbs to make a cauliflower casserole, so I decided to give it a try. The Cauliflower and Bacon Gratin turned out delicious. Brian loved it, I loved it, and Jack ate it. (He seemed to love the country ribs we served with it a bit more.) The casserole is rich and creamy with lots of flavor. The only change I made to her original recipe is using a combination of Panko breadcrumbs and regular breadcrumbs, and I left out the salt because the bacon and gruyere were salty enough. Next time, i wouldn't bother with the capers. They're too pricey for the minimal impact they have on this dish. With these modifications, this is a definite keeper!

Great Summer Meal

Tonight I tried another Giada creation: Spaghetti with Beef, Smoked Almonds and Basil. The recipe sounds bizarre -- smoked almonds on a raw tomato, basil and lemon sauce? Really?! But the results were amazing. The lemon and basil gave a fresh kick and the smokey almonds added some hidden crunch and tasty flavor. We made it with filet mignon, but I would try it again with chicken, too, for an alternative.

Jack ate his spaghetti one strand at a time to savor the flavor. At least that's what I'm telling myself.

Not My Grandma's Meatloaf

Tonight I made another Giada creation: Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sun-dried Tomatoes. I'm not normally a meatloaf fan, but Brian thought it sounded good so I gave it a try. (I chose to leave out the salt because the feta was so salty, and I'm glad I did because sometimes Giada adds a bit too much salt.) It was incredibly easy -- I mixed it all together and then put it in the fridge until Brian got home from work. Then he popped it in the oven to cook while I was getting my haircut. I mashed potatoes (Idahoes with a little milk, sour cream and garlic powder) and steamed broccoli to go with it.

At first, I wasn't sure that I liked it. It was so far removed from what I thought of as meatloaf-flavor that it threw me off. But as I ate more, it grew on me. Brian says it tasted like pizza. I think it tastes like breakfast sausage patties. Either way, we liked it a lot, and even Jack ate almost his entire slice with a hearty side of ketchup, a definite victory.

Here's Jack polishing off his broccoli (his current favorite veggie). He calls it "brock-leeeeeee".

Copy-Cat Chicken Salad Sandwich

Tonight I tried to reproduce (based on one bite and Brian's memory) the delicious chicken salad sandwich that we had last week at The Soup Spoon Cafe in Lansing. The sandwich consisted of chicken, apples and tarragon with a sharp cheddar cheese and tomatoes on whole wheat. We had some leftover rotisserie chicken, so I thought I'd give it a try. Here's my recipe:

1 to 1 1/2 c. cubed chicken
3/4 of a Granny Smith apple, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 a lemon, squeezed over the chopped apple
1/4 c. mayo (I used the kind made from olive oil)
1/2 - 1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 T. minced shallot (I'd use more next time)
1 T. chopped fresh tarragon
Extra sharp cheddar
Tomato
Whole wheat bread

I mixed the apples with the lemon juice and then combined them with the chicken. I mixed the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl and mixed them into the chicken. Then I broiled the bread with cheese on top, assembled the sandwich with the tomatoes and chicken salad, and broiled it a bit longer.

Brian liked it a lot, saying it was as good as Soup Spoon's, but I think we need to add more onion next time. After that, I think it'll be just about perfect. And I'm not even a chicken salad fan!

Baking with a Sous Chef

This evening, Jack and I baked some Lemon Thyme Bars that I saw on Giada At Home this afternoon. I started baking on my own, but shortly after I started getting out ingredients, Jack came running into the kitchen dragging his sling, meaning that he wanted to cook with me. So, he assisted with the squeezing of the lemons and the mixing of the butter and sugar. He also licked the beater, quite enthusiastically. All three of us like the results, and I would probably leave off the glaze next time in favor of a more savory dessert instead of being so sweet.

Leftover Ham + Rainy Day = Split Pea Soup

On days like today, I start to crave soups like Grandma used to make. I remember long, rainy afternoons when Grandma would make soup, and often Grandpa would be home because the weather would prevent him from working. Even though I didn't like pea soup as a kid, I loved the atmosphere of its creation.

Since we had a ham bone left over from Easter, I decided to use it to make soup this morning. If found a good recipe from The Food Network by Emeril and gave it a try. I tested the soup at lunch and it's quite yummy. Hopefully Brian and Jack will like it -- somehow I think Jack, our pea lover, will be more enthusiastic than his dad.

I'll try to post their reactions later.

UPDATE FROM DAY 2 of THE SOUP:
Even better the second day... My picky, non-pea-eating husband happily ate a second bowl of soup today without complaint. A success in my book. Jack, however, wouldn't touch it.

Bunny Cake

This Easter, I decided to make a bunny cake, like my mom and grandma used to. I made Grandma's Silver White Cake recipe and a lemon butter cream frosting. Instead of gumdrops and jelly beans, I used fresh fruit to make the ears, eyes, nose, and polka dots. Unfortunately, the strawberries on his ears dribbled juice a bit, making him look like he's bleeding from his ears. Aside from the mildly gory connotations, I'm pretty happy with the results.

Possible Birthday Dish...

I realized that I've been very lax lately about posting recipes, mostly due to a continuous sinus infection, coupled with a bout of the stomach flu for everyone in the house.

But I'm back to cooking new things, and tonight we decided to try out a possible macaroni recipe for Jack's birthday. We're planning to serve pulled pork and baked beans (Jack's favorite veg), so we thought some mac and cheese would work well with that, but we don't have a really fabulous mac and cheese recipe yet. So, we'll be trying out a few over the next two months.

Tonight we tried The Barefoot Contessa's Macaroni and Cheese, which was absolutely delicious, to the point that we both helped ourselves to extra spoonfuls, more than once.

The Recipe: Mac and Cheese

The Source: Barefoot Contessa (Food Network)

The Rating: 5 out of 5

We loved the nutmeg flavor and the nuttiness of the gruyere cheese. I especially loved the tomatoes on top. Brian says,"It just kind of snuck up on us how good it is" because at first we thought it was merely good. By the third extra helping, we knew it was fabulous.

My only complaint is the pricyness of the meal. Getting a GOOD gruyere cheese cost about $12 for 12 oz., plus the cost of the cheddar. Not cheap. But worth it for a special occasion.


Next time, we're going to try Paula Deen's Mac and Cheese recipe, which includes a can of cheddar cheese soup. I'm mildly appalled, but Brian says it's his birthday party, too, so he wants to try the Paula Deen dish. Personally, I think he might be a little in love with Paula Deen. ;)

Chipotle Pork Tenderloin with Strawberry Avocado Salsa

Source: Cooking Light

Recipe: Chipotle Pork Tenderloin with Strawberry Avocado Salsa

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

We're always looking for new pork tenderloin recipes because it's such a cheap, easy and healthy cut of meat. Plus, with two tenderloins per package, we need two good recipes per purchase so we are motivated to eat pork all week.

This recipe is a definite keeper. The marinade wasn't too spicy, so Jack was able to eat it, and it made the pork juicy and tangy. The salsa was delicious, and a combo of Jack's favorite foods -- strawberries and avocado -- plus my favorite herb (cilantro), so we were happy with that. We might try the pineapple salsa from the pork taco recipe while strawberries aren't in season, since the flavors would also compliment the pork.

Our only concern was what to serve with it. I ended up just eating the pork and salsa, while Brian ate some tortilla chips.

Two thumbs up from Brian and several "num-nums" from Jack means we'll definitely be making this again.

Sweet and Spicy Tacos for My Sweet and Spicy Valentine

Source: Cooking Light

Recipe: Chipotle Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Rating: 4 out of 5
Good for a weekend meal, but too much prep required for a weeknight.

Tonight, as a special Valentine's treat, I tried this recipe for pork tacos. The salsa was delicious and the pork was spicy, but yummy. Unfortunately, it was so saucy that it easily broke through the corn tortillas. Brian and I both agreed that it would be excellent over brown rice, so we'll be trying that with the leftovers. The pork was way too spicy for Jack to try, but he did give the pineapple salsa a "num-num" rating.

Creamy Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

Source: Cooking Light

Recipe: Creamy Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

Rating: 5 out of 5

I made this soup on Monday night, along with a tomato soup recipe (trying to get a jump start on the week). This soup was a definite winner. We ate it last night with some of Jack's chicken and maple organic sausages -- the maple flavor in the sausages brought out an even richer level in the soup. All three of us gobbled it right up. Brian and I will be making this for Soup and Substance at our church this year, since it can easily be adapted to be vegetarian for Lent.

Cinnamon-Chocolate Fudge

Source: Giada At Home

Recipe: Cinnamon-Chocolate Fudge

Rating: 5 out of 5

I made fudge for my department meeting today, and it received rave reviews. The sea salt on top is an amazing addition, and the recipe was incredibly easy. Just 8 minutes to cook it! The only problem is limiting the servings you eat.

Three-Cheese Penne

Source: Cooking Light

Recipe: Three-Cheese Baked Penne

Rating: 5 out of 5

Tonight I tried a recipe that Brian had marked in Cooking Light two years ago, right around the time that Jack was born. I've been a little behind on Cooking Light ever since and finally got around to pulling out all the recipes we'll potentially make.

All three of us absolutely gobbled it up. It was fairly easy, except for un-casing the turkey sausage, and fairly economical, except for the goat cheese. But with the cheesy, gooey delicious results, we'll be certain to make it again.

I made a couple of adaptations to the original recipe. I didn't have Italian seasoning, so I put in 1/4 tsp. oregano and basil and 1/8 tsp. sage. Also, I put a cup of Brian's homemade spaghetti sauce in instead of the tomato sauce that it calls for.

The crinkly, cheese sounds as I mixed in the mozzarella and the goat cheese were a clear indication that this was going to be a winner. Even Jack cleaned his plate with minimal objections, and with a little bribing with the cinnamon chocolate fudge.

Chocolate Pudding

Tonight I made some chocolate pudding for dessert from Cooking Light. As you can see, it received rave reviews from Jack.

It's made with bittersweet chocolate chips, and the creamy texture was definitely worth the 20 minutes spent stirring the milk mixture.

Soup Spoon Cafe

We just had an amazing lunch at the Soup Spoon Cafe in mid-town Lansing. Located right next to Bancroft Flowers, the cafe is a tiny little place that specializes in local food and daily soup specials. I had a half BLT with Avocado and a cup of Rice and Ancho Chicken soup. Delicious. Brian tried the Greek Chicken Wrap with the same soup and Jack had grilled cheese. We finished the meal by sharing a bowl of bread pudding with spiced caramel sauce. We will definitely be returning again, and next time we plan to try a "flight" of soups. And I have a feeling we'll be getting the bread pudding again.

Chicken Milanese With Tomato and Fennel Sauce

Source: Giada at Home (Food Network)

Recipe: Chicken Milanese With Tomato and Fennel Sauce

Rating: 4 out of 5

Recommended: Weekend Meal

Although I have never eaten fennel before and was admittedly thrown off by the raw licorice flavor as I chopped it, the cooked fennel was delicious and a wonderful tangy accompaniment to the crispy chicken palliard. I served the meal over brown rice.

Brian loved it, and I willingly ate the leftovers the next day (high praise from me). Jack seemed to enjoy the chicken and loved the tomatoes and fennel. A good meal for all three of us.

Why another blog?

I've recently started using more online recipes, especially from Food Network, but also rather than storing my Cooking Light recipes in a cookbook it is often easier to simply pull them up online.

My purpose with this blog is to leave a record for myself (and anyone who chooses to read it) of how the recipe tasted, what Brian and Jack's reactions were, and what adaptations I made to the recipe.