Bring the Heat: Fiery Tomatillo & Avocado Salsa

March is a tricky month. If you're like me and live in a climate with all four seasons, Spring is teasing you with hints of green poking through last Fall's detritus and blue skies with cotton candy clouds. But, if you live in somewhere northernish, like New York, it is still bitterly cold. You might believe the promise of those brilliant blue skies and run outside in an optimistically light jacket, only to return, windswept and numbed, a short time later. Yes, there are crocuses blooming, and I'm sure in a few months I'll be roasting, but for now, I want thick socks (highly uncharacteristic) and warm baked goods with melty chocolate (all too typical).

March is tricky for cooking, too. You still want something warm and a bit substantial, but after months of root veggies, casseroles, hearty soups, and creamy sauces...all that sort of hearty warmth has lost a bit of its comforting appeal. We're ready for crisp spring vegetables and vibrant colors of summer farmer's market stalls.

It's always this time of year that I dive into stir-fries with Thai influences, Indian curries, and, citrus-infused Mexican food. Sweet and sour becomes my sauce of choice and everything gets doused with citrus, just to ward of any scurvy that might be setting in. I realize that the possibility of developing scurvy pretty much doesn't exist, but that $#!% is terrifying, so, why even get close to risking it? Plus, limes are delicious.

So just don't. Try this salsa instead. Its vibrant kick is sure to brighten up tacos, salads, burritos, fajitas, or even just a big bowl of chips. I had, um, somehow managed to forget that serrano pepers are quite a bit hotter than jalapeños. I only used one, so the salsa wasn't too fiery, but I probably could have done without the pinch of red pepper flakes I added...

This is a terrible photo from my phone. But it's all I've got as far as
photography equipment goes right now. Wah wah. 

Fiery Tomatillo & Avocado Salsa

The flavor of this salsa is deepened by roasting some of the veggies before dumping everything in your blender and buzzing it to perfection. It's almost TOO easy. If you want less heat, you could definitely exchange the serrano for a jalapeño. 

3 or 4 medium to large tomatillos

1 small green bell pepper, seeded & halved

1 small yellow onion, halved & skin removed

1 serrano pepper

2 limes

1 avocado

Large handful of cilantro, about 1/2 cup

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp cumin

dash paprika

olive oil

salt, to taste (a heaping 1/2 tsp, for me)

water, for thinning consistency of salsa

for hotter salsa, add a pinch of red pepper flakes

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Peel skins from tomatillos and wash thoroughly. Place whole tomatillos, serrano, half of the onion, & half of the bell pepper on a baking sheet lined with foil or in glass pan. Toss veggies with a drizzle of olive oil, and roast until slightly charred; this should take about 15 to 25 minutes, depending on your oven. My oven heats very unevenly, so to get the char I wanted on my veggies, I had to turn on the broiler for the last minute or two of cooking time.

2. Let roasted veggies cool. Once they are cool enough to touch, break open the serrano pepper with your fingers and remove the seeds and membrane. (You can skip this step if you want atomic heat.) Add tomatillos, roasted peppers & onions to blender along with raw green pepper & onion, garlic, spices, and salt. Cut avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop the flesh into the blender. Add the juice of both limes and a 3 tablespoons of water. Blend until smooth. 

For thinner dressing-like salsa, add more water. 

Serve with chips, bell pepper strips, or on top of your favorite South-of-the-Border foods! 

Becoming Fearless

There are a lot of things that hold us back from becoming what we want to be. Sometimes it's a lack of ability or training, sometimes we just aren't ready to move forward, sometimes we get stuck in situations and just can't seem to free ourselves. But I think the root of most of these limitations, as we see them, is just our own fear. 

I didn't actually want to cause fear with this image that is supposed to represent fear. 

And there are so many things we can be afraid of—spiders, aliens, failure, developing a gluten allergy, rejection, pain, and supernatural creatures that move in that creepy jerky horror-movie fashion, just to name a few from my List of Scary Items. (Incidentally, I don't recommend googling images for "fear" because there are lots of twisted things on the internet.) 

But what holds us back most is the fear of failure. We all want to succeed, to do well, be accepted by our peers, and feel like we've accomplished something worthwhile. I definitely want that. I want to do things that I can be proud of that make me a better and stronger person. Blog things and job things and travel things and life things and maybe even running-long-distances things. But I get scared. Like, hide-under-the-covers scared, sometimes. And it's holding me back. 

So I've decided to become fearless. 

Me, being fearless on a beach in India

This is a lofty goal, and will probably take awhile, but I've got a bit of a head start. A few months back, I'd coerced my husband into watching "Julie & Julia" with me again. While watching the scenes that detail Julia Child's first experiences at Le Cordon Bleu, I realized that I already had an area in my life where I am fearless—the kitchen! I've decided to use this kitchen fearlessness to conquer other fears, like blogging again after a year of not much.

I love trying new recipes, hardly ever don't make tweaks of my own, and often cook and bake without even using a recipe. I love the triumphant feeling when I make something new and it turns out exactly how I'd hoped: delicious. And I want to share that feeling of triumph. 

I know cooking can be a rather fearful thing for those who don't love it. I mean, there are knives and fire involved and things can go awfully wrong. But when you've figured out a few basics, the next step to being a fearless home chef is having a few "wow-factor" recipes in your back pocket. It takes a bit of courage to make dishes that go a bit beyond the realm of normal weeknight dinners. Often, those recipes take a bit of finagling or are things that are always better at a restaurant. For me, one of those things were meatballs. But I tackled it anyway, and the results would make an Italian grandma proud. 

If anyone has an Italian grandmother that I can test this recipe on,
please let me know.

This was a recipe that I finagled with for a while, but conquering and creating the perfect meatball felt like quite a feat. I found that using real bread instead of dry breadcrumbs made a huge difference for the texture of the meatballs, and using a sourdough loaf added a nice little tang. Substituting the Canadian bacon for the various types of ground pork suggested by most recipes gave the meatballs greater depth of flavor and a very porky punch without a lot of extra fat. When it comes to parsley and basil, I always feel that fresh herbs trump dried, but the dried version will do, if you can't easily get them fresh.

Making meatballs is a bit of a labor of love, but it's worth the time. Things go much smoother (terrible pun) with a food processor or powerful blender, but you can do the chopping and dicing by hand, too. 

Without further ado, 

Fearless Italian Meatballs

For the breadcrumbs, I recommend using a few thick slices of day-old sourdough or another type of rustic bread. French bread would also work well. Trim off most of the crust, cut into cubes, and pulse in a food processor or blender until, well, crumby. Also listed among the ingredients is a mediterranean spice blend that I love, from Dean & DeLuca. You can use a similar Italian blend with red pepper, rosemary, oregano, and lemon, or skip it all together. If you have a food processor, this is an excellent time to put it through its paces!

1 lb. ground beef

1/3 cup ground parmesan cheese

5 oz. Canadian bacon

1 cup fresh bread crumbs 

2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp mediterranean spice blend

1 tsp oregano

pinch red pepper flakes

1 1/2 tsp black pepper

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup onion, finely diced

2 to 3 cloves of minced garlic, to your taste

1/4 cup parsley

1/4 cup fresh basil

2+ tblsp warm water, as needed 

olive oil, for frying

1. In a large bowl, whisk together parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt, black pepper, and other dried spices. In a food processor, pulse Canadian bacon until finely ground, and stir in to bread crumb mixture. I also use my food processor to finely dice the onion and garlic before adding them to the bread crumb mixture. Finely chop the parsley and basil (you can use the food processor here, too), and set aside. 

2. Add ground beef to bread crumb mixture. It's easiest to use your (clean!) hands to thoroughly mix the bread crumb mixture with the beef. Add the finely chopped parsley and basil, and mix well. Add egg and warm water by 1/2 tblsp until all ingredients come together smoothly. Now wash those hands! 

3. Cover a baking sheet or portion of your countertop with waxed paper. Shape meatballs to desired size by hand; I prefer meatballs about the size of a golfball, as they cook well but are still hearty. I find rubbing a bit of olive oil on the palms of my hands helps prevent the meatball mixture from sticking. As you finish each meatball, place it on the waxed paper. Letting the meatballs rest a bit before cooking or frying helps them keep their shape a bit better. 

4. You can add the meatballs directly to a bubbling pot of your favorite red sauce to cook them, but I prefer to give them a quick sear first, as this not only adds a lot of rich flavor, but also will help preserve the shape of the meatballs. If you are going to be adding them to your sauce for part of the cooking time, you needn't cook the meatballs all the way through, as they'll finish cooking the the sauce. 

5. If searing first, heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and heat until shimmering slightly. Cook meatballs in small batches; using long tongs, turn each meatball every minute or so, rotating so most of the surface browns. LONG TONGS are needed, as the hot oil will splatter. If you aren't finishing the meatballs in a sauce, cook them until there is just a hint of pink in the center of the meatballs. (You might have to eat the one you cut in half to check. Bummer.) Remove cooked meatballs from pan and drain on a large plate or cookie sheet lined with paper towels. 

6. I love to serve these meatballs with a yummy marinara over a pile of spaghetti, and garnish with basil and plenty of parm. Since making the meatballs is a bit time consuming, I usually cheat and use a jar of Tomato Basil Marinara from Trader Joe's.  

So cook these up, eat up, and be fearless.

  

Martha's Molten Chocolate Cake & Julia's Favorite Chocolate

As most of us already know, Martha Stewart knows a few things about "good things." Also, insider trading and things that aren't nearly as pleasant as chocolate cake, so let's not talk about that. Let's talk about a some dark, deep, molten chocolate decadence that you can whip together in all of twenty minutes. And it's pretty.

via instagram, yes, because I'm still on the market for a gently used DSLR

Many of Martha's recipes, although big on wow-factor are also big time commitments. Shredded phyllo-dough birds' nests?!  Ain't nobody got time for that. (But if I ever do, you can bet I'm making this to welcome spring and become a truly epic baker/artiste.) Then there are the creations that it seems only Martha and my friend Allison, with her magical powers can make successfully, like this darkest chocolate hazelnut crepe cake. Some of those user reviews really rip your heart out. I hate to hear about chocolate hazelnut crepe dreams collapsing in a big heap on your kitchen counter. After eight and a half hours of work. Ouch.

Luckily, this recipe is nothing like that. It is dessert simplicity at its finest, with only seven ingredients, nine if you count the whipped cream and strawberries that you really should serve with it. But the true stroke of genius with this cake is the first step, in which you butter your cake pan liberally, then dust it with good-old granulated sugar, rolling the pan from side to side to spread sugar up the sides and around the bottom of the pan. During the short baking time, this butter and sugar combo crystalize to form a lovely, crisp outer crust that not only yields beautifully to reveal the molten interior but also slips surprisingly easily from the pan. 

Let's also talk about chocolate, another of my favorite topics for discussion. Ever since MJ spent a summer in San Francisco a few years ago and brought me some Scharffen Berger, I've been a huge proponent of what Julia Child reportedly dubbed the best American chocolate. Scharffen Berger extra rich milk chocolate is some of my favorite for nibbling on, with just enough sweetness and a slightly bitter bite. Their 70% cacao bar is my favorite for baking. Maybe someday I'll try making this cake with something else, just to see if it is as good. But... why risk it? However, should you decided not to wait to find some Scharffen Berger goodness before baking this cake, I would recommend using bittersweet baking chocolate rather than chocolate chips.

I also like Ovaltine, because there are some days when you just can't have
enough chocolate with your chocolate. 

If you don't live near stores that sell these beautiful bars (like Whole Foods nationwide or Fairway and Food Emporium in NYC), you can buy them directly from Scharffen Berger here. And, wouldn't you know it, they offer free shipping. 

Finally, let's talk about when you are going to bake this. The answer, if not tonight, should be as soon as you can possible get your hands on some good baking chocolate. Go to, dear ones. And don't say I didn't warn you if you find yourself making it multiple times in a week. I know I sure did.

I have a wonderful mini-bundt pan that may not technically be a bundt because there are only little belly-button-like divits in the center of each cake, not a deep hole. This is what makes that pan so idea for this recipe, as well as many other quick breads and cakes. You can purchase versions it here and here and here. 

Summer Salad with Sunflower Sprouts, Stone Fruits, & Carmelized Pistachios

It is a truth universally acknowledged that New Yorkers love New York. Perhaps not always, perhaps not everything, and yes, you will hear plenty of griping about subways/heat/tourists/how expensive everything is, but generally speaking, I'm not sure if there's any city more enamored with itself. (Texas is still-winning in the narcissistic state category, of course.) But, fuhgeddaboutit. Markets not intended for tourists even sell bread like this, which I promptly purchased because I truly do {heart} NY.

One of the things I love very best about New York is the abundance of every type of food. People ask me why I like living here, and I launch into a diatribe about bagels and spices and farmers' markets and hummus and how thinner crusts really are better because of the superior topping-to-dough ratio. It's almost embarrassing, since this city also has, like, art and culture and fashion and all that stuff. But I am convinced that you could find just about any ingredient that has ever been cooked with somewhere in this metropolis if you just knew where to look, and that is just one reason why even my bread proclaims my love for this crazy city. One of my favorite places to find new foods is the Union Square Greenmarket. I never leave without some kind of produce or product that I'm ridiculously excited about.

This last weekend, it was honeycomb. Not the cereal, not that I have anything against that. But really, honest-to-goodness goodness, fresh from the hive honeycomb. I love it, but I wanted to figure out how to eat it without the wax getting distracting. While pondering this, I stumbled across stalls hawking peaches, plums, herbs, and—my new favorite green thing—sunflower sprouts.

While making this salad, I decided it needed a crunch factor, preferably one with some salty savor. I had some raw shelled pistachios on hand and decided to give them some extra punch by carmelizing them and adding a hefty pinch of salt. Turns out, salty carmelized pistachios taste a bit like bacon bits. I love happy accidents.

Sunflower sprouts have this wonderfully fresh, slightly sweet flavor that tastes like a blend of cucumbers, sunflower seeds, spinach, & the way sunflowers smell. They also have lots of protein and a wonderful, crisp texture. I realize sunflower sprouts might not be available everywhere; I think a nice mesclun lettuce blend would also be tasty. You can also grow your own.

I loved how many flavors, textures, and colors this salad brought together the salty crunch of the pistachios played with the lush bursts of honey from the comb and the creamy greek yogurt, sweetened with a bit of honey, balanced the acidity of the vinaigrette. With the nuts, yogurt, and awesome-for-your-bod sunflower sprouts, this salad packs quite a bit of protein, plus a healthy dose of vitamin c, iron, and essential amino acids. 

Which clearly means, if you have this for lunch, you can have a larger helping of molten chocolate cake after dinner. More on that later. 

If you hadn't noticed, this new recipe card thing is new! I made it myself. I feel like a new mother, except that I want to share this creation with you and let you share it as well. I am also much more well-rested than a new mother. But, the point is, you can drag it to your desktop and print it or pin it or whatever. Just please give credit where it is due if you do. Thanks!

Welcome to the Bright Lights, Baby

Because we live in New York City now. I don't think this big move really qualifies as "news" anymore, since we just renewed our lease after nearly a year of living in our little Manhattan studio. But it still feels somewhat unfamiliar, although I've embraced New-Yorker-hood with vehemence. I even have a real New York State ID. MJ may still technically be an Idahoan, but I am a certified New Yorker. And I completely adore this city.

From our 21st floor window.

It is the most beautiful, crazy, hectic, breath-taking, fascinating, varied, classy city I've ever known. I know hundreds of hit songs have said it before, but there really is no place like New York. I'm not sure if there is anything you couldn't find here, somewhere, if you just knew where to look. You can even find tiny hidden parks with roaring waterfalls.

Green Acre Park is a lovely oasis between 2nd & 3rd Ave. on 51st Street.

 I was worried that my nature-loving soul would shrivel up and retreat into hibernation once we moved to this concrete jungle, but I couldn't have been more wrong. I miss the wide open skies and towering mountains of Utah and Idaho, but New York City is delightfully lush. New Yorkers are extremely aware of the high value of real estate, and they definitely make the most of any open patch of dirt that can be found. The city is dotted with parks and green spaces, and Central Park is a wonderland of greenery in the heart of a city of steel, cement, stone, and glass.

A woodsy part of Central Park, very aptly named "The Ramble."

I could live in this city for the rest of my life and never really know it. MJ says I still look like a tourist, since I'm constantly craning my neck to look up at all of these incredible buildings. Michael and I live in the Financial District on the southern tip of the island of Manhattan. Dutch settlers first started building here in the early 1600s, so to say we live in an older neighborhood is far from an exaggeration. We also spend a lot of time in Battery Park City where Michael works, which is built on the landfill made with the dirt excavated during the construction of the Twin Towers, so our neighborhood is a blend of the oldest and newest buildings in Manhattan. I love the juxtaposition.

The Woolworth Building built in 1913, was the tallest building in the world at 792 ft. Soaring into the clouds behind the Woolworth is 1 World Trade, now topping out at 1,776 ft. tall.

 True, New York is dirty, gritty, and rough in spots. It doesn't always smell very pleasant, and the summer heat of the subways can be suffocating. But then there are times when you get smacked upside the head with so much beauty that you just can't believe one city could be such a feast for the eye.

Sunset over the Hudson River.

I know it was Paris that Hemingway deemed a "moveable feast," but this blur of a city is captivates your senses in so many ways, I can't help but feel like it's a place to be devoured rather than merely viewed. Perhaps this is because my life is now so focused on food—it's all I talk about all day long. But that's another post... Whatever the reason, I can't get enough of this place.

Stoop-id Love

So if you're ever walking down Wall Street and see a woman leaning precariously out of a window over 200 feet above the pavement, don't panic—I'm just drinking in my view.

Looking west along Wall St.

Rushing to Press

I have the best job. I get to work with the fantastically witty people of my senior staff (who are occasionally quite snarky, & then I just love them more). I get to edit fascinating articles. I get to be a little bit bossy. There are so many perks to being the managing editor of Insight.

And with all of the brilliant folks that I am lucky to work with, we get to publish the magazine of the BYU Honors Program. It's almost too fun for me to be paid to do it. But I'm not complaining.

Here's a sneak preview of all the goodness that went down—and up—at our cover photoshoot.

staff & friends

the lovely art director Sarah Kay, me, & our ruthless freshman editor, Mike

Hawaiian Mmhm BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

aka: Why MJ & I Are Obviously Meant to Be Together Forever

Saturdays at our house are days celebrated by sleeping in, occasionally watching movies, neglecting homework, going to the market, and cooking up lots of deliciousness. I've been missing Jerusalem quite a bit lately, so I was planning on making challah and was dead set on finding matzo meal to make matzo ball soup. But, after searching two of the most likely markets with no luck, I admitted defeat. Besides, MJ was craving a burger.

But not just any burger. Something gourmet. Something packed with flavors. Something with pineapple. And maybe bbq sauce. I, being one of those kids who always picked chicken nuggets over any burger, was a bit skeptical. So, being the awesome, considerate, self-sacrificing wife I am, I persuaded him to think about a bbq chicken sandwich instead. He thanked me later.

After a bit of brainstorming and pantry assessment, we created what we both feel/taste is The Best BBQ Chicken Sandwich Ever. It is possible, however, that we are the only people who would like this so much because it contains a lot of our favorite things, all on the same bun. Perhaps we should have christened it the Destiny Burger. You, dear friends, will have to let me know if this is actually an appetizing combo.

Our tastebuds were in heaven. Sweet pineapple, creamy neufchatel, juicy bbq chicken, rich havarti, crisp butter lettuce, & even more tangy honey bbq sauce? Perfection, right? This was one of those culinary experiments where the results were even better than we'd imagined. The name was inspired by our reaction. Yum. Now I want another one.

Hawaiian Mmhm BBQ Sandwiches
2 rather large pieces of chicken would comfortably make 4 sandwiches. We have—and love—havarti cheese, but mozzarella or provolone would also be yummy. We also used neufchatel rather than cream cheese (we're trying to be healthier & it has 1/3 less fat). And romaine or even iceberg lettuce would also be just fine.


2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2 inch strips
1 1/2 cups (maybe a bit more) honey bbq sauce (we used Kraft)
4 slices havarti cheese
4 slices deli ham
1 can pineapple rings
1 tblsp. nefuchatel cheese
4 leaves butter lettuce
4 hamburger buns
salt & pepper

1. Slice chicken into strips 1/2 inch thin and place in a glass bowl or plastic bag. Cover generously with bbq sauce. Add 3 tblsp. of the juice from the canned pineapple. Salt & pepper to your taste. Let marinate for at least 3 hours.

2. Cook the chicken using a grill on high heat. You could also bake it in the oven. I attempted to pan fry mine. I would not recommend this approach. It was very splattery.

3. Toast buns lightly. In a small frying pan, heat ham slices for 3 to 5 minutes. Assemble sandwiches. Spread a layer of cream cheese on the bottom bun and place pineapple slice on top of cream cheese. Add a layer of chicken, then the havarti, then a slice of ham, then the lettuce. Spread additional bbq sauce on top bun.

Yes... there were also sweet potato fries. Here are the basics:

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Wash, dry, and slice sweet potatoes into thin strips. Place fries on a large baking sheet.

2. Coat with 2 tblsp. cornstarch. Add 1+ tblsp. olive oil. Spice it up! (I used ground ginger, paprika, a dash of curry powder, salt & pepper, and a little pinch of cayenne.)

3. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the fries are crisp on the edges and soft and fluffy in the centers.

Low-Fat, No Sugar, Still Delicious Oat Breakfast Cookies

I know, I know. No sugar? No butter?! Is this even Rush Slowly??? Yes. Sometimes you reach the point in your life where you realize that baking two cakes in a week (and then eating chocolate cake for breakfast) isn't going to make you look great in your little black retro swimsuit on your trip to Vegas next weekend (!!!). So. You go to the gym. You bake something mostly healthy, with no eggs, no butter, minimal but good-for-you fats, and very little sugar (but still with a healthy dose of chocolate to give your morning a boost).


And you have a slightly smaller slice of dark chocolate cake with creamy coconut chocolate frosting after dinner. I really like cake.

I'll admit, I cheated a bit on these by using some home-made apple sauce that definitely had some brown sugar and maple syrup in it... but I think it would be just as good and even better for you with plain 'sauce.  I was inspired by a recipe I found via pinterest, of course. But I yummed it up a bit more.

These are loaded with protein and good for you nutrients & even healthy fats. You won't be hungry five minutes after leaving the house. Yeah, there's some chocolate, which probably won't help you drop 2 dress sizes in a week. But chocolate triggers the release of endorphins, which we all need in the morning. So. You'll be happier, even if your skirt is still a bit tight.

I've been trying to replace some of the fats in my baking with coconut oil of late because, despite being a saturated fat, coconut oil is actually good for you!  Studies have shown that it  promotes heart health & boosts your metabolism. Your body can burn the fat more efficiently because of the composition of the molecules (they're smaller). PLUS, it also doubles as a fantastic lotion. This I learned in India after I spent a day spreading lye-based cement by hand. My skin was chapped & raw. I went to a small home near the shop we were building & asked for water to rinse the lye off my hands. The sweet woman of the house helped me wash, then motioned that I should wait. She returned with coconut oil & slathered my arms & hands. It felt wonderful.

Sorry. Tangent. The point is, coconut oil is good for you. It's a bit more expensive, but so are visits to the doctor.



Oat Breakfast Cookies
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cups shredded coconut (mine was toasted)
1/3 cup almond meal (blanched almonds ground in a food processor until smooth)
3/4 cup Krusteeze wheat & honey pancake mix
3/4 cup cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup mixed nuts (I used more almonds)
2/3 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
dash of ginger
pinch of salt (unless using salted nuts)

3 ripe bananas
2 tblsp canola oil
2 heaping tblsp coconut oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tbslp. water
dash of almond extract (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a large cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients & stir until evenly combined. If you don't have almond meal (I didn't, either), put 1/4 cup of almonds in a blender or food processor & blend on high until you have a fairly fine powder.

If you have a food processor, the wet ingredients come together in a snap. If not,  a hand mixer, KitchenAid, or Bosch would also work well. Mash bananas thoroughly, then add oils, applesauce, vanilla, water, & almond extract, if you so choose. Whip them together until smooth.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until evenly blended. I let my dough sit for a while (while I folded laundry) so the oats could soak up some of the moisture of the wet ingredients. Drop by large spoonful—these are breakfast, remember—onto your lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for twenty minutes, or until edges begin to brown and the bottoms of the cookies are light brown & crisp.

I'm already a fan of these! They feel a lot more loving that tossing a Clif bar at your honey on a rushed morning. :)

Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles w/ Ginger Lime Chicken

Hi friends. (if you don't know me, but like butter, we should be friends.)

Newlywed life is full of adventures, big and small. Suddenly, I'm the homemaker. The chef. The wife. It's blissful. And challenging. But it feels great to create a space for the twos of us. And weekly menus!

That's the latest challenge: plan menus for the week that appeal to both of us (we can't eat cream-cheese-based foods all the time, unfortunately) and concoct menus that use the groceries we buy to best advantage and somehow trick MJ into eating his vegetables. I've even been doing price checking and coupon cutting. Yeah. Really. Clearly, I it's time to get back to blogging about these culinary newlywed adventures. Plus, Barbi said she was bored with cooking and requested a chicken recipe and I like her, so here it goes.

I wish I would have tripled this recipe. I could have eaten these leftovers—
hot or cold—for a week. Blissfully.

Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles w/ Citrus & Ginger Chicken
After lots of rich soups and hearty winter meals, my body was begging for something a bit...fresher. This was a perfect solution, full of crisp veggies and bold flavors—and still filling! I pulled much inspiration from these noodles a small snippet and a marinade by Bobby Flay, but both have been altered quite a bit. I tried to gear it to feed two hungry people and leave plenty of leftovers leftovers. It would serve 4 to 6, depending on how hungry you are. You could easily add another chicken breast with this amount of marinade and up the portions a bit. In fact, I would recommend that you do.


The marinade would make a fantastic salad dressing as well. I may have snitched a spoonful. Or two. 


Marinade
4 green onions, chopped
one-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled & chopped
~ 1/2 cup lime juice (about 1 1/2 limes)
4 cloves garlic, peeled & smashed
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 heaping tblsp. sugar
2 generous tblsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

zen

2 chicken breasts, sliced into one-inch pieces

In a blender, combine lime juice, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, pepper. Blend on high until smooth, then add onions and sesame oil. Blend again until smooth. (I used  my brand new Cuisinart mini-prep. pure. joy.) It should be a tan color and smell like amazing. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade for noodles.

Feel the power! Love this new Cuisinart!

Pour over chicken and let marinate for at least 20 minutes, but no more than 40. The lime will start to break down the chicken too much and it will get mushy instead of tender and juicy.

For Noodles
3 tblsp. sesame oil
3 tblsp. canola oil
1/2 to 1 tblsp. cracked red pepper (depending on your fire tolerance)
3 tblsp. honey
3 tblsp. brown sugar
3 tblsp. soy sauce
4 tblsp. reserved marinade
2 1/2 tblsp. chunky peanut butter
10 oz. whole wheat pasta (spaghetti or linguine)

1/2 of a green bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
1 cup shredded carrots
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

In a medium frying pan, combine sesame and canola oil. Add cracked red pepper and cook on medium for 3 to 4 minutes. Strain out red pepper flakes and set oil aside to cool slightly. In a bowl, whisk together honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, and reserved marinade. Add peanut butter and oil.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt to taste, and begin cooking pasta. In the same medium frying pan, heat two tsp. canola oil. CAREFULLY add chicken (the marinade will sizzle and splatter when it touches the hot oil). Cook on medium high, adding a bit of the remaining marinade after about 5 minutes.
When the marinade begins to carmelize on the chicken and turn a dark golden brown, be sure the it is cooked thoroughly, then remove from heat.

When they are cooked to your liking, drain noodles. In a large bowl, combine noodles, chicken, veggies, and most of the chopped cilantro. Pour sauce over noodle mixture and stir to coat evenly. Serve with a pinch of cilantro on top. Enjoy!

Our meal was even better with the addition of a great smoothie MJ whipped up of various things we had on hand. soooo good. I really love him.

MJ's Piña Colada Smoothie
3/4 cup fresh or canned pineapple
3 fresh (or frozen) strawberries
1/2 a can of coconut milk
~ 1 cup orange-pineapple juice
1 very ripe banana
about 15 ice cubes
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

Blend on high until creamy, dreamy, and delicious. YUM.

December 29th, 2011

This is my best friend and his cute mama. 

He married me.

(How lucky am I?!) 

On December 29th, 2011.

It was pretty awesome.

The most handsome groom I ever did see.

The night before, we had a party with lots of friends and loved ones.

There was a bit of cake smashing

And some dancing.

But the sealing that took place at the Newport Beach temple, just inside that window behind us, was by far the most spectacular experience.

Now I know that I'll have this wonderful man 

at my side 

for the rest of my life.

And if we faithfully keep the covenants

that we've made to the Lord

and to each other

death won't part us.

We will spend eternity as husband and wife.

We were so grateful to be surrounded by friends and family.

And loved the addition of some little cousins.

             

 

Had a great line-up of wonderful friends (many of whom traveled far to be there).

We felt the love of friends who have become family through years of laughter, tears, & love.

We showed off our classy sides.

We also kissed a bit.

The Murdoch Men looked particularly dashing.

There was more kissing. With some extra help this time.

I even caught some air.

I have new family members to love.

And a husband to share my adventures, trials, and triumphs.

              

 

Running through the fog to the beach that has always felt like home was exhilarating.

And then the sky caught fire.

My cousins, Tiff and Alan Hancock, of Hancock Photography, captured our day beautifully.

Standing in my groom's arms, 

toes in the sand, 

on the beach where I grew up was 

the perfect way to end 

our truly perfect day.

While planning a wedding in 56 days 

and keeping my budget under $5,000 for two receptions, 

life got a little crazy a few times.

But I like crazy. 

And I had a great guy to love me through the insanity.

And the support of so many who pitched in to make our wedding possible.

Our parents were incredible, our friends were kind, and we felt so loved.

 I love my newly expanded family.

With my Mr. by my side, life as a Mrs. is pretty fantastic.