More Basement Progress…

And Cal is being sneaky.

Salsa Chicken Salad

This is such an easy dip and it’s something different from your regular salsa or cheese dip.  Perfect snack for a summer picnic or party….or just for lunch like me.

Source:  Paula Deen, The Lady and Sons Too!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups cooked and shredded chicken

16 oz. sour cream

16 oz. chunky salsa

½ packet Ranch dressing mix

1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese

8 oz. container water chestnuts, chopped

Mix all ingredients together, chill in the fridge for a couple hours.  Serve cold with tortilla chips or as tortilla roll-ups.

Tortellini with Prosciutto and Peas

Please excuse the picture, I guess I’m a messy eater!  But this was TAST-E!  Another fast recipe…this is from the “Weeknight Cooking” section from Food Network Mag.  Easy cleanup too.  Can’t beat that.  Because by the time I get off work and exercise, I don’t feel like making some time consuming thing with all kinds of steps.  But these quick meals are good and still kinda healthy…well healthier than order pizza or having mexican every night!  I did use Half & Half instead of cream, come on!  Plus there’s peas and we had a salad.

Source:  Food Network Magazine, April 2010

Printable

Ingredients:
1 lb. meat-filled tortellini, I used one with chicken
olive oil
4 oz. prosciutto, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
I also added ½ onion, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup heavy cream (I used Half n Half)
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup parmesan cheese

1. Boil water in a large pot and cook tortellini according to package directions.
2. Cook prosciutto (and onions) in olive oil until crisp, 3 or 4 minutes.  Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.  Add in a cup or so of the pasta cooking water and cream and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes. 
3. Drain tortellini and mix with the sauce.  Add in the defrosted peas, the pasta and sauce will heat them.  (I usually set mine out on the counter while I'm cooking so they're pretty much defrosted.)  Sprinkle in the parmesan.

Tasty Sositch Skewers

With couscous. 

This was a super quick and easy dinner and it was awarded the Cal Seal of Approval.  So you know it was good!     

Printable Recipe

Pesto:
¼ cup fresh parsley
¼ cup fresh cilantro
4 scallions, rough chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
S&P

1.  Puree the parsley, cilantro, scallions, olive oil and vinegar in a blender or food processor.  Season with s&p.

For the Skewers:

1 package smoked sausage, cut into 1" pieces
2 bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), cut into 1" pieces
1 red onion, cut into 1" pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes
Olive oil, S&P

2.  Toss the sausage, peppers, onions and tomatoes in a bowl with a little olive oil, s&p.  Thread onto skewers, alternating sausage and vegetables.  Grill for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally.  Brush the skewers with some of the pesto while grilling.

1 box couscous
3 scallions, chopped

3.  Cook the couscous according to package directions.  Save a little of the pesto for a dipping sauce, and mix the rest into the couscous.  Season with s&p.  Also mix in the chopped scallions. 
4.  YUM!  This would be really good with chicken or steak too.  I also made a side salad.

Source:  Food Network Magazine, April 2010

{{Happy Anniversary}}

Happy 2nd (10th?) Anniversary to my wonderful hubs!  (Yesterday) We've actually been together for 10 years, but only married for 2. 
He woke me up yesterday morning not only to tell me happy anniversary but also to remind me it's the 2 year anniversary of when I burned my hand on the damn unity candle!  Our anniversary will always be associated with that awful memory.  Thanks for reminding me Cal!

So let's look at some happy pictures to take my mind off that little incident.

The Dress:

CAKE!

The bottom layer was Red Velvet, the middle layers were Orange, and the top layers were Strawberry!

  Yum!

Decorations and Flowers

The Happy Couple

Photos by Davis Photography
Jackson, Missouri

Chicken Enchilada Dip

So, I have a bajillion jalapenos from my Papa's garden and I'm trying to find some more recipes for them!

I've already made the Jalapeno Cheese Grits for Easter.  And I always use them in fresh salsa and pico, but I'm waiting on fresh tomatoes before I make those. I also made a good Jerk Chicken marinade last week with a couple of them, but forgot to blog it.  So I guess I'll have to make it again!  Oh they're also good stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon and grilled.  But a few of them burned my mouth!

So if anyone has some ideas to use up jalapenos, send them my way please!

When I was thinking about what I could make with them tonight, this Chicken Enchilada Dip was the first thing that came to my mind.  I think I took it from someone's blog, but I don't remember whose.  So whoever you are, send me an email and I can credit you!

The jalapenos are not too hot in this, they won't burn your mouth.  Promise.  It's all covered in CHEESE to cool it down.  SO GOOD!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup Tabasco spicy mayo (or add a few drops of Tabasco to regular mayo)
16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 can diced green chiles
2-3 jalapenos, finely diced (remove ribs and seeds)
Half a bundle of green onions, chopped (you can sub a red onion too)
1 tsp. of Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. Garlic powder
1 lg. can of all white meat chicken

Mix all ingredients together and spread in a serving dish. I put mine in the oven on 375 for about 30 minutes, just long enough for the cheese to get melty and bubbly! Serve with tortilla chips.

Basement, Part 1

The footings were set this past Monday!

Then the walls were poured on Tuesday and the concrete will have to dry for a few days. 
Next step is to rough in the plumbing.

Weeee!  The beginnings of a basement!

Greek Pasta Salad

On Sundays, I like to make something to have for lunch for the upcoming week.  It's usually some kind of salad or soup.  This Greek Pasta Salad is light and refreshing...perfect for the nice warm weather we've been having!

Adapted from Robin Miller

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 box of Ditalini or other small pasta

2 cups of cooked Chicken, diced

1 Green Pepper, diced

½ Red Onion, diced

1 Tomato, seeded and diced

1 package of crumbled Feta

Dressing:

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

½ cup Chicken Broth

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar

2 cloves of Garlic

1 teaspoon dried Oregano

1 teaspoon dried Thyme

1. Cook pasta to al dente, according to package directions. 
2. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together, season with salt and pepper.  Pour into large bowl with the diced chicken, green pepper, onion, and tomato.  
3. Add pasta after it has cooled slightly, and stir in Feta.

Strawberry-Kiwi Tossed Salad

I made this salad for Easter Brunch... oh man!  It was De-lish!  This is a keeper.  It was gone so fast I didn't have time to take a picture!

Source:  Taste of Home

Ingredients:
2 bags of salad greens (I used a spinach mix and a spring mix)
1 cup of Strawberries, sliced
1 Kiwi, sliced
½ Red Onion, sliced
1 package of Feta cheese
Toasted Walnuts or Pecans

Dressing:
½ cup Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Sugar
2-3 tablespoons Raspberry Jam
1-2 tablespoons Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar
1 tablespoon Milk (you can use a little more to get a thinner consistency)
2½ tablespoons Poppyseeds

1. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Toss all salad ingredients together in a large salad bowl and mix in dressing.   (You may not need all of the dressing.)

And the Construction Begins!

House #3 has officially started construction today!  We got a basement hole!

This house will be 1½ stories with approx. 2400 sq. feet,  3 bedrooms, 2½ baths, and a full basement.  It's kind of a Craftsman-inspired style.  The exterior is going to be a combination of Hardie Board and stone.  It's really cute!  

We're in the middle of making roof/flooring/cabinet/countertop decisions right now.   Funny...when we moved into the last house, I was so ready to be done with those decisions...but now I'm really excited to get to make them all over again!  It really is a lot of fun!

I can't wait to get this one done!  We hope to have it completed around October-November-ish. 

{{Wishlist: Snakeskin Pumps}}

 

Jimmy Choo $495

 

Kate Spade $325

I’ve been coveting a pair of snakeskin pumps after I saw Mrs. O wear a pair of Jimmy Choo kitten heels a few times.  The FLOTUS does have some fabulous taste in shoes! 

Has anyone found the perfect snakeskin pumps yet?  What’s on your wishlist right now?