review & giveaway! dinner revolution!

if you know anything about me, you know i love to cook.  i live for it.  it's my greatest source of relaxation & frustration!  i also tend not to cook a lot of the same things over & over- i always want to try something new.  i do have favorites, but i love being adventurous- always trying something new!  i was so thrilled when i got the opportunity to review & share with you a fabulous new cookbook- dinner revolution.

cooking has become less of a joy & more of a frustration since having ian.  it's hard to cook when you're chasing a baby.  whether it's stopping him from breaking dishes or going through all our cabinets, or having him pull at my leg screaming for me to feed him what i'm attempting to cook- when i can't even get it in the pan!  i tend to go for the complicated when i need to go for the simple.

chef jeff's dinner revolution is full of family friendly recipes (over 200!), with 10 ingredients (or less) and they take 30 minutes or less to prepare (really)!  i wanted to prepare a couple recipes before i shared this with you- and i can't wait to prepare more....  oh, and the simplicity of these dishes means less dishes (to wash).  boy is dave happy about that!

in our house, monday & thursday are pizza/corndogs/easy food night.  i have to work, and don't have time to cook.  i was actually able to make a dinner revolution meal- sit down & eat with my family- and get out the door to work- so much better than the same old frozen pizza.  added bonus- ian ate these meals with us!  we're in the picky toddler stage now- so anything i can get him to eat is points in my book!!

what i made: palak paneer & apricot chicken!  palak paneer:  i've dabbled in indian cooking once or twice before, but i've never made palak paneer.  i've had it as a frozen meal though, so i wasn't expecting much.  well, it was really good- and this was one that really shocked me when ian ate it- dave enjoyed it as well.  plus, it made so much that we had leftovers.  apricot chicken:  sweet chili sauce is a favorite in our house, so i was immediately drawn to this recipe- plus, i seriously couldn't believe that i would be finished making chicken in 20 minutes.  add in a simple side- and i had dinner ready when dave was walking in the door from work!

 (palak paneer with whole wheat naan)

next up in our kitchen:  buffalo chicken & bleu cheese meatloaf, and from there, i can't decide, there are so many delicious options, and if you know me, i'm going to try them all!!

so i know you want a copy of this too!  well, one of you all of you are winners!!!  chef jeff has been gracious enough to allow me to share this cookbook with all of my readers!!  all you have to do is click here for your free copy of dinner revolution!  there's something for everyone in your family in this book and i know you will all find recipes that you love!  i hope that you guys will enjoy it as much as i have!  now get in the kitchen!

here we come a-wassailing

one of the funest (not-a-word) things about marrying into another family is blending in their christmas traditions with yours, and one of my favorite things from my husband's family- wassail at christmas time, or as the family likes to call it (and i believe this phrase was coined by my bnl)- phw (piping hot wass)- i hope you enjoy it!

wassail

64 oz. apple cider

20 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice

1 cinnamon stick

1/4 t. nutmeg

3 T lemon juice

1 t. lemon zest

1/4 c. honey

put the cider and cinnamon stick in a pot and bring to a boil, then simmer, covered for 5 minutes

add the remaining ingredients and continue to simmer for at least 5 more minutes

optional:  you can also add orange zest and float sliced oranges on top!  so pretty

this is so easy- go make it, now!

mommy cooks: indian summer turkey chili

temperatures are getting colder here in the midwest.  it may be nearly 70 today, but it's not supposed to get over 40 as the week wears on, and i even heard the word "snow."  ::shudders::  to me, a perfect winter meal is a soup or chili- there's just something about the hot liquid that warms you right up.  to me, it's comfort food.  now, i make a mean chili, but we are trying to eat healthier, so we have been making a lot of meals with turkey meat instead of ground beef- turkey is a great replacement for beef in burgers, and it's the perfect meat for this awesome chili that's colorful and full of veggies!  enjoy!

indian summer turkey chili

courtesy of rachael ray's big orange book

3 T extra virgin olive oil

1 package ground turkey (i buy the leanest)

3 T dark chili powder

1 T grill seasoning

1 T cumin

2 T worcestershire sauce

2 T hot sauce

1 medium-large onion, chopped

2 large bell peppers, any color combination (orange, red, green, purple, yellow), ribs and seeds removed, chopped

3/4 cup of beer (alcohol cooks out)

1 28-oz can of tomato sauce

1/2 cup smoky bbq sauce

1 cups corn kernels

heat a pot over medium to medium-high heat.  add  evoo and the turkey.  season meat with chili powder, grill seasoning, cumin, worcestershire and hot sauce.  crumble up meat and let cook about 5 minutes.  chop the bell peppers and onion, reserving 1/4 of onion for topping chili, if desired.  add veggies to meat and cook 10 minutes more.  add beer and deglaze pan, scraping up drippings while the alcohol cooks off.  add tomato and bbq sauce, and bring to a bubble.  add corn.  let simmer for 10 minutes.  adjust to taste.  

chili toppers (use all or some according to what you like)

shredded cheese: white cheddar, colby jack, pepper jack

sliced jalapenos

salsas

sour cream

chopped onion

chopped green olives

chopped cilantro

diced tomato

(i love a little bit of cheese, sour cream, green olives and cilantro on mine)

cute as pie

besides colder weather, sweaters, great boots, and football... one thing i think of when i think of fall is all of the delicious food and baked goods that come with the holiday season.  one of my favorites: pie.  i am a fan of pie- pumpkin, apple, cherry, etc.  i'm not picky.  when i came across this pie pan at macy's, i just had to have it

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absolutely adorable.  it's from the martha stewart collection- which always has new and interesting kitchenware, gadgets and accessories (i have her to thank for outfitting my kitchen in "martha stewart blue").  the bottom of the pie pan reveals a recipe for pumpkin pie!  you'll want to start serving pie asap just to cut away and reveal the bottom of your pan!  we went ahead and purchased this for a family member for christmas, but if i accidentally ended up keeping it for myself... oops.  there was also an accompanying apple pie dish, but i can't seem to locate it anywhere, which is really upsetting because macy's has a habit of discontinuing it's msc, and this is a relatively new item (i'm still upset about the kitchenaid mixer discon.).  it sure beats a boring old glass or metal pie pan!  get it now while it's available, and on sale for only $14.99- what a steal!

i also saw this pan, and couldn't resist showing it...

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happy baking!  what pies (or other goodies) are you looking forward to making this fall?

mommy cooks (bakes) - oatmeal chocolate chip lactation cookies

yes, you heard it right here.  there is such thing as "lactation cookies."  not only are these cookies good for helping to boost your milk production, they're also delicious!!  they taste just like oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!  need a little boost?  give these a try!  don't need a boost?  remove the brewers yeast.  they aren't the healthiest cookies, but I am definitely planning on tweaking the recipe next time around

ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons flax seed meal
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips
2-4 tablespoons brewer's yeast

directions:

preheat oven to 350°.

mix the flaxseed meal and water and let sit for 3-5 minutes.

beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar well.

add eggs and mix well.
add flaxseed mix and vanilla, beat well.
sift together flour, brewers yeast, baking soda, and salt.
add dry ingredients to butter mix.
stir in oats and chips.
scoop onto baking sheet.
bake for 12 minutes.

enjoy!