Lately: Favorite Recipes

Part of starting a new blog — with a new less specific name! — was being able to expand the variety of topics I write about.  I absolutely love the freedom to talk about more than just food, but the tradeoff is that a lot of weekday meals get skipped over.  I have an easier time highlighting fun restaurant meals and fancier home-cooked weekend meals, but it’s the Tuesday dinner at 8 PM that misses it’s time in the limelight.  Which is a real shame because we crank out some really delicious stuff during the week too!  I thought I’d take a moment to show you some of our winter favorites this year.

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Kale, Mushroom & Sun-Dried Tomato Lasagna Rolls

Am I the only one who’s intimidated by regular lasagna?  The idea of mini rolled versions is much more appealing and these are so tasty.  They’re a tad bit time consuming — I made them when I was home alone the other night and felt like it took me for.ev.er. to finish — but they made a whole casserole dish full so there’s plenty of leftovers, which re-heat beautifully.

Lighter Buffalo Mac and Cheese

I’m a sucker for anything mac and cheese, an obsession I no doubt inherited from my mom, and this recipe turned out SO GOOD!  We ended up subbing Laughing Cow Swiss for the blue cheese (couldn’t find it) but the flavor was out of this world, nevertheless.  I don’t know how I lived without buffalo sauce until this year.

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Soup

I adore this recipe!  Not to get all cliché on you, but it’s like a hug in a bowl on a cold winter night.  Plus it’s super creamy (thin soups are my idea of torture) without being chock full of unhealthy stuff.  A word to the wise, triple the amount of veggies it calls for and keep extra broth on hand because the leftovers thicken up quite a bit.

Greek Quinoa Dinner Omelets

Is it omelets or omelettes?  The recipe uses the former, but I usually go with the latter.  Mostly because that’s the French spelling and it makes me feel très cultured.  We made these on a Tuesday night and even though it was just a boring Tuesday night (and I had to watch Joey use the most questionable omelette-making techniques), this dinner was so fun and delicious that it felt like a special occasion.  Bonus points for looking fancy but being super easy and fast.

The Best Shredded Kale Salad

Okay, so I already told you we made this one before Christmas but since then, I think I’ve made it five more times.  In fact, I put it on our menu every damn week.  Officially addicted.  Joey thinks I need an intervention, but he doesn’t seem to be complaining while he’s eating it alongside me.  If you have a True Food Kitchen in your area and love their Parmesan Kale Salad, this is exactly how it tastes.  I don’t know about you, but I’m a fan of making restaurant-quality food right at home.

What have been some of your favorite recipes this winter?

The Little Things

I have been in such a good mood lately.

And really, there’s no big reason for it.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my 23 years of life, it’s that it’s all about the little things.  Yeah, getting promoted, buying your dream house, winning the lottery, etc. is great (and I totally wouldn’t mind any of those things :P), but the little things add up too!

It’s leaving yoga at sunset and catching some trees all decked out in Christmas lights.

I admitted to Joey last night that although I detest cold weather, I really enjoy going out on winter nights and seeing all the lights and decorations.  Christmas happiness overrules my hatred of the cold.  Also, how good is a toasty yoga class on a cold night?

It’s finding a bag of Hershey’s White Chocolate Meltaways in the breakroom at work and adding a little bliss to my work day.

If I’m being honest, I’ve always had a soft spot for white chocolate.  There’s a time and a place for dark chocolate (like when you want to pretend the chocolate you’re eating is “healthy”) but there’s also a time for milk and white chocolate.  

And that time is apparently 12:30 on a Monday.

It’s getting a mani/pedi with your best friend on a Tuesday night.

In addition to a toasty yoga class, a piping hot foot soak is equally amazing on a winter night.  Plus we got to discuss important matters like online Coach sales, suspicions that your mom might like your boyfriend more than she likes you and our thoughts on men getting pedicures.

I went with OPI’s “Didjeridoo Your Nails?”

It’s listening to this song and wondering how it’s even possible to have a voice as good as Ray LaMontagne’s.

FYI, this song is extra good if you listen to it while you’re laying in bed, right before you go to sleep.

It’s having a home-cooked meal with your family and realizing how lucky you are to have a mom who’s such an amazing cook.

And who has the brilliant idea to cook some chili then cook some mac and cheese and layer the one over the other.

My mom confessed to adding an extra layer of cheese to the macaroni.  I could hardly scoop it into my bowl with all the strings of cheese oozing everywhere.  Extra cheese = extra love.

It’s picking up your Turkey Trot bib and being super excited to rock a 5K before indulging in two delicious Thanksgiving celebrations.

Crossing my fingers (and toes!) that I’m one of the random racers who wins $500.  Because that’s probably the closest I’ll ever get to winning the lottery.

It’s also skipping your workout to sit on the couch and mindlessly watch TV, with a candle burning and the heat on high.  Yeah, it’s definitely that.

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Tomorrow is Friday, how are you celebrating the kickoff to the weekend?

What little things made you happy this week?

White, milk or dark chocolate?