Zuppa Tuscana

This soup promised to be a copy-cat of the Olive Garden soup that I have had on many occasions. Even better, it was a crock-pot recipe so I knew it would be relatively easy. Unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations.

 

Here is the original recipe:
http://getcrocked.com/2011/10/23/crock-pot-zuppa-toscana-copycat/

Get Crocked's Zuppa Tocana

I was pretty excited about it when I got started. I got fancy sausage from a local grocery story which has amazing meat (and baked goods, but that's for another post). As soon as I started cooking I knew there would be a problem. Her recipe lacks direction. And I HATE when you have a recipe with an ingredient (i.e. bacon) but then it doesn't tell you about it in the steps. It makes me really mad.

My Zuppa Tocana

I followed her directions pretty closely. I used kale and boxed chicken broth instead of canned. I also reduced the cream by half and doubled the kale. I know that you are probably thinking that this is why it wasn't as good but I promise it is not. The broth was flavorless. The whole dish tasted like sausage and it wasn't enough dimension for me. Also, it needed to cook for longer than she recommended. Finally, I would recommend that you cook the onions and garlic BEFORE adding them to the crock-pot. I know this adds an extra step but that would really help with the flavor. I may try it one more time but I will probably look up another recipe and try to combine the two.
I wish every recipe could be as good as the previous two. I thought I was on a roll!
Let me know if you try it!

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Let me start by saying that is recipe is not something I would normally try. Cream of Chicken soup and Ritz Crackers just don't usually make me think of a delicious meal. I don't think I am snobby about it, just not used to those ingredients. But Pinterest promised things like, "the best chicken you will ever eat." "Say goodbye to whining at dinner time." "Your family will fight over the leftovers." I am sucker for good advertising! Those comments won me over!

 Here is the original recipe:
http://jamiecooksitup.net/2011/10/crispy-cheddar-chicken/

Jamie Cooks it Up Version

I am the first to admit that this recipe does not hit all 3 of my categories with flying colors...I give it only a few stars for healthy - I mean it is baked instead of fried and you don't have to use any extra fat to get a golden brown crispy crust (of course, that is because the cheese has enough oil to do the job for you). As far as ease goes - this one surpasses almost every other dish I cook. It probably took me all of ten minutes to prepare. And it was super tasty! In fact, we had a few friends over and they all agreed that it was delicious. They compared it to Chicken Cordon Bleu (except it was much easier)!

I had the leftovers for lunch and I think that they were better the first time around but it wasn't bad the second time. So, here is my take on the recipe:

My version.

 It doesn't look quite as pretty as hers but I think it was just as yummy. First off, I marinated the chicken in the buttermilk, salt and pepper. It makes your chicken tender and juicy and ensures each piece is super coated! Then, I read the comments on her blog and everyone suggested that you mix the crackers and cheese instead of doing them separately. I did that and I agree it was a lot easier. A lot of the comments said that her recipe had too much cheese/crackers but I didn't find this to be true. I coated my chicken pretty thick and sprinkled the few tablespoons left over on top of the chicken. I didn't have parsley so I used Italian seasoning and also added some garlic and onion powder. These added a little flavor but I think next time I would use cayenne pepper or something to give a little more kick. Her cooking time was perfect! My chicken came out just how I like it. Also, on the bottom of the pan there is this cheesy crunchy layer that is soooo good. Maybe even my favorite part of the dish.
Reluctantly, I decided to try the gravy she suggests. First off, I thought it was too thick (do I sense a recurring problem with me and sauces?). I thinned it out with some chicken stock and added a lot of black pepper. I still didn't really like it but all the men at the table liked it. I preferred mine with the leftover slap-yo-mama ranch from the egg rolls! My friend, Aspen, made some delicious baked sweet potato fries which also went great with the ranch.
I feel like I should add that you don't need any sauce for this chicken. It is pretty great all on its own!
So there you have it! Recipe #2. It gets my stamp of approval. So far Pinterest has a pretty good record with recipes! Let me know if you try it!

Fine print: I almost ALWAYS cook with chicken tenderloins rather than chicken breasts. I buy them in frozen bags from the store. When I am not sure how much to cook I use this formula - Men = 4 tenders, Women = 2 tenders, and kids = 1 tender. Last night we had Guy (4), Kort (4), Me (2), Aspen (2), Vance (1), Vaughn (1), Porter (1), and Rosalie (1) so I made 16 tenders. I had 2 leftover. For me that is the perfect amount!

 

Pinterest...the cooking version

So lately I feel like I have been in a cooking rut. I cook the same general recipes over and over again. While I admit that a good pasta soothes my soul, my family is a little sick of it. And it is never fun to cook a meal and have so many leftovers that you feel like you are the reason for starving children in China. I know when I cook a good meal because there are hardly any leftovers left (and the ones that are left quickly get snatched up for lunch {and sometimes breakfast} the next day). So I asked myself, why am I wallowing in the sorrows of my leftovers when Pinterest has posts every day promising me and my family the best {insert recipe name} we have ever tasted?
Well fret no more! I am on a mission to cook these meals and report to my fellow cookers!
You may or may not know that I live on the edge. The edge of the United States that is. There are not a lot of good places to eat up here and the places that we do have are mobbed with grimy, greasy, single men. One of the restaurants I miss from Cheyenne is Chili's. I couldn't tell you much about their menu except for the sinfully delicious Southwestern Eggrolls and the equally delicious {put it in a cup and drink it with a straw} Avocado Ranch. So when I saw a recipe for a baked version I quickly pinned it. It's probably been over a year but I finally tried it. Here is the link to the original recipe:

http://www.cakeandallie.com/2011/02/southwestern-egg-rolls-with-avocado-ranch/

Cake and Dallie's Eggrolls

It looks delicious, right? I have three categories that a meal must meet if it is going to make it in the rotation (which is really just a sticky note inside my cabinet). First, it has to taste good. If it doesn't then I might as well forget it forever. Second, it must be somewhat healthy. Vegetables are good. Baked instead of fried helps. Can I use low fat instead of regular? Third, it must be relatively easy. I get burned out if I am trying to be a Michelin Chef every night.
This recipe got five stars in every category!!! Ok, I changed the recipe quite a bit but I will get to that in a second. My family (and our friend, Robert) inhaled the eggrolls. Vaughn even asked for one for dessert. Plus, they are relatively healthy!
Here is what mine looked like:

My Eggrolls, too bad I didn't get a picture of the ranch.
Please take note of my fancy food styling!

So since I was making this for dinner and not an appetizer I added one pound of ground chicken which I cooked first. Also, I doubled all of the spices that she used. It was pretty bland before I did that. The corn I used was a Southwestern mix that was fire roasted and had peppers in it. Yum! I also added a LOT of cilantro. But her base recipe was pretty solid. The Avocado Ranch, however, was another story. I made it just like she suggested then tasted it. It was thick and super mayonnaisey and grossed me out a little bit. So I added a lot more buttermilk (to get to a consistency I could stomach) and a tablespoon out of a ranch packet. I was getting closer to Chili's version but it wasn't there yet. More lemon juice...not quite there. Then I threw in the rest of my cilantro. That did the trick! I don't know how close it tasted to Chili's but the end product was something I would drink (it was pretty green though so Vaughn wouldn't touch it). I had the final 3 eggrolls for lunch today and I think they were even better the second day!

Fine print: There were 19 eggroll wrappers in my package. I filled them all and only had a minimal amount of filling left. I filled them pretty full. The texture of the wrapper would be better fried but it still satisfied my craving.

If you try this recipe let me know! If you have a recipe you love or one you have been dying to try, tell me so I can try it too!

Perfect Summer Day

After a stressful vacation we were ready for a break. Today provided the perfect opportunity. The weather was sunny but not too hot. We reunited with our best friends and had a picnic at the park/splash pad! Thank goodness that life at home is so good because mama won't be vacationing for awhile. (Until next week when we go back to Rosalie's doctor in Denver).

I am pretty sure that this picture says summer more than any other. This girl and I seriously bonded last week. I feel so blessed to have her around and to get to see her awesome personality all day long. She really is amazing.

These two boys drive their dads crazy with their hand holding but I just can't get enough of it. Some days they seem more like brothers than friends. Today they were so happy to be back together and enjoyed every minute of it!

P.S. Did you hear that Guy is going to CHINA! He is quite the international businessman! I am now taking visitors throughout September to keep me company while he is gone. Come on, I know you have all been dying to come to North Dakota!


Back at it!!

Everyone has been telling me about blogging from their phone. I thought I better check this out since I spend endless hours on here! Life is pretty good right now! I have been taking a boxing class which has boosted my self esteem and awesomeness. Vaughn finally got into a preschool and is pretty excited to start. Rosalie is beginning to talk. Her personality shines through! She reminds me a lot of me which is good and bad all at once! Guy is working hard and being the best husband ever! Here are some pictures!

Rosalie found a stamp in my purse and put it on like lipstick!!

Vaughn made a batman mask at day camp!

We discovered the pool in Williston!

Rosalie found true love!

And finally, Vaughn is just awesome!!!

Are we friends....

...on facebook? I know that many of you have reasons to oppose facebook but if you are on facebook make sure we are friends. I haven't been very good at updating my blog but I have been putting lots of pictures on facebook! My iphone makes it so easy! Now that the weather is nice I can't make any promises of updating the blog but I already created a summer 2012 album on facebook and I am updating it often! For those of you who aren't on facebook, email me so we can keep in touch (hint, hint, Erin)!

Hawaii

At the beginning of January we went to HAWAII! I know this post is super late but it really is the most exciting thing to happen to us lately and these are the most recent pictures on my computer. I have been such a slacker lately!

The whole point of the trip was to see my brother get married. My camera died at the rehearsal dinner and I forgot my charger. Lame, I know. But here they are together with our crazy family!

I am not too big a fan of the ocean but I really enjoyed sitting on the beach and working on my tan. Rosalie usually hung out in the water but in this picture she was spending some quality time with mama! Do you think we look alike? I think she is Guy's twin! And those are my awesome sunglasses that I had to buy there! I forgot to pack mine.

Our hotel had penguins and flamingos! If you didn't already know, Vaughn's favorite animal is the penguin. It was pretty cool but really smelly. After the excitement of the birds wore off we realized that they stink. But of course, the little boys didn't mind. Here is Vaughn with his cousin, Max, checking out the exhibit!

There are so many cool things to do in Hawaii but they all cost an arm and a leg and your first born! Luckily we were willing to sacrifice Vaughn so we could take a submarine ride! Guy and Vaughn loved it. I thought it was just so-so. I wouldn't pay to do it again.

Vaughn absolutely fell in love with his Uncle Casey on the trip. He is my oldest brother and he loves kids. He is so much fun and always up for a good time!

Here is Rosalie showing off her model lips.

Vaughn and Max were best friends. Max was so sweet with Vaughn. Even though he was older he never got frustrated. He was never mean to Vaughn. I was really impressed. I think that they will be great friends as they grow up!!

I will hate myself for posting this but I think every family needs a picture of them at the ocean. So here we are! Please don't look at me!

On our first night in Hawaii Rosalie decided to taste the sand. It was good that she got it over with then because she didn't try to do it again the whole trip! Live and learn I guess...

We had the most beautiful view from our hotel room. The kids loved playing on the balcony (Vaughn even drove a car off of it once). It was a great trip. A wonderful time with family. I don't know if we will make it back to Hawaii any time soon but it was definitely the trip of a lifetime!