Ipod and Tuna Salad

Hello!

Ho has everyone been? I feel like I have been sitting in front of my computer for days, months, years! I have been updated my ipod and making new playlists and finally getting around to putting all my cds onto my hard drive. Is it even possible that I can get exhausted from this? It takes forever and I have to rearrange things to my liking. How do you arrange your playlists?

So that has been what I have been up to, how about you?

Since this is taking up a lot of my time, I wanted to give you guys a healthy, fast dinner, or lunch.

It’s a super simple salad and you can adjust it any way you like. This is a tuna salad. I hope you guys try this and enjoy!

Ingredients/recipe

4 cups of chopped lettuce or spinach

¼ cup of white kidney beans

2 tbs of chopped olives

1 tomato, chopped

1 can of tuna, drained

¼ cup of mozzarella cheese

2 tbs of EVOO

2 tbs of red wine vinegar (I love mine tangy)

Squeeze of lemon juice

Mix all of your ingredients, except for the evoo, vinegar and lemon juice, in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix your evoo, vinegar and lemon juice. Top your salad and give it a few good tosses.  Eat and enjoy!

If you don’t like tuna, you can use chicken or just leave the meat off.

Enjoy!

Copycat Recipe Cold Stone's Cake Batter Ice Cream

Hello!

How is everyone? Have I ever told you I played the piano? Well did. I haven’t played in a few years. My keyboard still works but its missing a key and sustain pedal does not work so it’s harder to play. I watched a tape of myself playing and I realized how much I missed it.

I just need to bring out my keyboard and play it again. I shouldn’t let my talent and something that I love go to waste, especially after all that money spent for piano lesson’s.

Speaking of music, yesterday was one of my favorite singers birthdays so today instead of cake, I have birthday cake ice cream! And the best thing about this is you don’t need a ice cream maker! You get pieces of cake, and frosting and ice cream. Here is how you do it.

Ingredients/recipe

1 pint of heavy cream (16 oz)

1 can of sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)

Left of cake, any kind, I used chocolate,-no frosting*** broken into small chucks

1 can of frosting (its up to you how much you put in there)

¾ cup of sifted yellow cake mix

First, whip up your heavy cream until soft peaks form. In another bowl pour your sweetened condensed milk into a bowl and slowly mix in your sifted cake mix. Add your cake chunks, then fold in your heavy cream.

 Next, layer your sweetened condensed milk/heavy cream mixture and frosting into containers. I start with the mixture than do a tablespoon or two of frosting and keeping going back and forth until the container is full. The frosting part is really up to you on how much of a bite of frosting you want. I LOVE frosting so I used a lot, but didn’t use a whole container. 

Put in the freezer for a few hours and than enjoy!

This ice cream was amazing! It was like Cold Stones Cake Batter Ice Cream. You get chunks of cake and pockets of frosting, delicious! 

***If you have left over cake, or have to buy a cake with frosting, use that in this but don’t take off the frosting. Let the frosting on the cake or cupcakes be the container of frosting.

I hope you guys try this and enjoy!

Last Day of Sub-Week with Messy Giuseppe's

Hello! How is everyone today? Sometimes I am lost for works. I am not sure why because I love to talk, but today I don’t have much.

I think the main reason is I am super excited about the end of sub-week. This is more of a sloppy joe, but you put it in a roll, that has butter, garlic and lots of cheese and basil. I saw this on Rachael Ray years ago when I first started cooking. My family is obsessed with these. We used to make them all the time. 

This sloppy joe is called Messy Giuseppe. Rachael Ray called them Italian sloppy joes.  I really hope you guys try these, they are amazing and I promise this will be a weekly staple.

Its Messy, and I might have left the bread in to long, but sooooooo good!

That's the stuff, look at that goodness! TRY THIS!

These are from Rachael Ray Talk Show

Ingredients/Recipe

      2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
      1 pound ground, 90 percent lean sirloin
      1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 

1 small onion, chopped

5 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 medium portobello mushroom cap, finely chopped

A pinch of allspice

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Coarse salt and black pepper

1/2 cup red wine

3/4 cup beef stock

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

5-8 fresh basil leaves, about 1/4 cup, chopped

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

4 crusty hoagie rolls

1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella cheese or 1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 slices 

Preheat the broiler to high.

Heat a large skillet with evoo and add the ground beef and cook until lightly browned, breaking up the meat. Add green pepper, onion, 3/4 of the garlic, mushrooms, allspice, red pepper flakes and a little salt and pepper to the beef and let cook for a few minutes 5-8.

Add the wine and cook another minute then add the beef stock, Worcestershire and tomatoes. Bring the mixture up to a bubble, than reduce the heat to medium-low and  let simmer for  about 10 minutes. Add in your chopped parsley.

While the meat is simmering, combine the remaining garlic with the soft butter, basil, Parmesan cheese and a little salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Split the rolls in half lengthwise but don’t cut all the way through. Press open the rolls by flattening them out a little bit. Spread the butter mixture on both sides of roll and place 2 slices of the mozzarella on each roll. Toast  until the cheese is all melted and kind of brown, just a few minutes 2-3 minutes.

Take out the rolls and top them with the meat mixture and enjoy!

I want these right now. I really hope you guys try these, they are delicious. Enjoy!

Chicken Banana Pepper Sub

Hello! Its mid-week and I can happily say I am glad I was off this past weekend because the weather was so nice and this weekend doesn’t seem like it is going to be as nice. I am also happy to report that I went to the dentist and I have no cavities! For all the sweets I eat this is great! I eventually need a crown on a cracked tooth, but for not it is ok. I am so happy because for awhile I didn’t have insurance and I wasn’t able to go, so this is exciting for me. Now the only thing I have to get back on is working out, that will come.

Let’s continue on with Sub-week. This one my roommate actually thought of and was going for more a flavor combination. This is a Chicken Banana Pepper sub. I hope you guys try this one.

Ingredients/recipe

1 loaf of wheat bread

A package of Boca Chicken Patties

Banana Peppers to taste

Cucumbers to taste, cut thinly.

Mustard to taste

Cut your loaf in half, not cutting all the way through. Heat your Boca patties. While your patties are heating up, cut your cucumbers and take the banana peppers out of the container and pat dry (take out as many as you like). Place your cucumbers on the bread, chicken patties, banana peppers and mustard on the bread. Wrap tightly in tin foil and let heat through in a 350 oven.

Take out, unwrap and enjoy!

This is super simple and very affordable. Serve this up with a nice side salad or fries, which ever you prefer. It should serve 4, but  I like to think I’m still growing and ate half.

Enjoy!

Sub Week!

Hello! How was everyone’s weekend? I was lucky enough to have it off and I relaxed, cleaned, enjoyed the beautiful weather, and planned meals. 

My poor roommate either had someone break into his car, or someone ride along in his car. We put boxes into the back of his SUV and noticed that the screen cover was pulled all the way out, and the blanket he has back there was all out of place and bunched up. He wasn’t sure when it happened, or how, but it is pretty scary to think that someone went into the back of his car and possibly rode along. 

On a lighter note I am excited to announce SUB WEEK! Yes a week full of homemade subs. These are simple, affordable, healthy subs that you can make at home. These are just suggestions. You can pretty much do anything with these subs so here is my first sub and a take on it.

The only thing about this sub is I cannot figure out a name.  Its not a quite a rueben, but its close. 

This is a Turkey Giardiniera and sauerkraut

Wrap tightly in tin foil

look at that, I want to eat the whole thing!

my mouth is drooling...

look at this! so excited!

Ingredients/recipe
1 loaf of whole wheat bread

1 jar of giardiniera, chopped

1/2 pound of deli turkey meat

Swiss cheese

Mustard

Preheat your oven to 350. 

Cut your bread in half, but don't slice all the way through. Put a layer of Swiss cheese, turkey met, giardiniera and mustard. Wrap tightly in tin foil and place in oven for about 10 minutes.

Take out and enjoy!

I love homemade subs because you can do anything with these! I hope you guys make some homemade subs and enjoy!

Reuben Pull Apart Bread

Hello and Happy Pre-St. Patty’s Day! I really enjoy all the festivities that take place around this holiday. I think it is so cool that Chicago dyes the Chicago river green. I have never gone there the day it is being done, but I have visited a few days after when it still has a light green tint. I am not a big drinker so for me it is all about the food. I love being able to have sweets or Reuben’s, even though I can make this anytime of the year. 

I saw this recipe on The Rachael Ray Talk Show awhile ago, made it and saved it just for this week. It's very simple and you make your own homemade dressing! Love it! It is so good and I really hope you guys try this and like it. 

Oh yes homemade Thousand Island Dressing! Its easy, trust me!

I used a smaller bread and it was a sourdough bread.

The Finished product, so good!

 You can find the original recipe and a video here.

Adapted from Rachael Ray.

Ingredients/recipe

1 loaf of Sourdough bread
1/2 cup sauerkraut, washed and drained
1 1/2 cups chopped corned beef
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup relish

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut the bread so it forms squares, not cutting to the bottom.

Place the bread on a baking sheet and stuff the bread with sauerkraut, corned beef and Swiss cheese. Bake in the oven for about 10- 12 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, ketchup and relish. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove bread from oven and top with the ketchup and sour cream sauce.

A St. Patty’s Cheesecake…Mint Swirled Cheesecake

Hello! 

St. Patty’s Day is right around the corner and while I am not sure what I am doing yet, maybe taking on falafel, I am just not sure.I'm not into drinking green beer, although it sounds cool, I am into eating though.  I actually made this a while ago and I am finally getting around to sharing it. This was one of my first desserts I made and tried doing a “pretty” topping with the drizzled chocolate on top. Not bad, but hey it was a first attempt. This is super simple and really good. Here is how you do it;

Green Swirl

chocolate drizzle

Chocolate Drizzle and Andes Mints yum-o

Its so creamy, I need this now

Ingredients/recipe

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp of mint extract

2-3 drops of green food coloring

1 1/2 cups finely crushed Oreo cookie crumbs (approximately 20 to 22 cookies)

3 tbsp butter, melted

1 package of Andes’s mints

½ cup of chocolate chips

1 tsp of oil

Oreo cookie crust;

Put a pot of water on the stove and heat to boiling.

Wrap the bottom of your spring form pan with tin-foil. I like to put mine in a water bath and you don’t want water to make the crust soggy.

While the water is coming to a boil, crush you Oreos and add in the melted butter. Mix and press into the bottom and sides of a greased 9 inch spring form pan.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour 1 cup into a bowl; set aside. Pour the rest of the mixture on top of your Oreo crust.

In the 1 cup of reserved mixture, put 1 tsp of mint extract or more if you want a more minty taste. Then add two to three drops of green food coloring depending on how green you want it. Carefully pour over the filling and cut through with a knife to create a swirl. 

Put your pan in a large roasting pan and pour in hot water. Place the pan into the oven and bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.

While your cheesecake is cooling, cut your Ande’s mints at a diagonal. Save some to break into smaller pieces. 

Melt your chocolate chips and oil in the microwave at 30 seconds until melted. Drizzle across cheesecake. Place Ande’s mints all around the boarder of the cheesecake and put a few smaller pieces into the center.