I don't think you're ready for this chili...

With the leaves changing and the weather turning toward winter, I feel inspired to make food that warms you from the inside.

With all the house buying and selling craziness, too, I am also looking for something less timing consuming to make. Have I mentioned how much I love my crock pot??

About a year ago we bought the largest crock pot we could find with a timer. It's one of my favorite appliances (right after my Kitchen Aid mixer, of course).

As some of you know, I have this great chili recipe. Again, one of my recipes that my husband really enjoys. For years, I made it on the stove top. But as time has gone on, I have become busier and busier, and finding the 1.5 hours to watch and stir the chili was increasingly hard to come by.

I decided to take my chili recipe and throw it in the crock pot instead. Voila! The chili comes out just a good and I can multi-task!

My chili recipe is an oldie, but goodie - it has been shared with a few friends and family, but it is so good, I wanted to share it with all of you. The chili is a smoky red chili. Slightly sweet with just enough heat.  I use ground turkey in my recipe, but you could always use ground beef instead.

I serve the chili in bowls with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar on top and tortilla chips on the side for scooping. Sometimes I make white rice and serve the chili in bowls over rice.

As the weather gets colder and you are looking for something hearty and warm, try out this recipe. I think you'll love it just as much as we do!

I've included both methods - crock pot or stove top - so you can try it out however you prefer.

Nikki's Chili

Ingredients:
1 package ground turkey or beef (about 1.3 lbs)
1 can diced tomatoes (lg can ~ 28 oz)
1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes (sm can ~ 15 oz)
1 can tomato paste (sm can ~ 6 oz)
1 can pink beans, drained (sm can ~ 15 oz)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 1/4 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp oil (for stove top method)
shredded cheddar for topping
tortilla chips

When cooking the chili, once all ingredients have been added you will want to taste-test part way through cooking and adjust the spices to suit your taste. You may find you need more salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin depending upon your taste and what tomatoes you use.

(I tend to be heat-averse so this has enough of a kick for me. You can always turn up the heat by adding more chili powder).

For crock pot method:

1. Brown meat in sautee pan until no longer pink adding 1 tsp salt and pepper during cooking. Break up large chunks with a spoon. Place meat mixture in crock pot.
2. Add onion, red pepper, garlic, all tomatoes, and tomato paste to crock pot. Stir to mix well.
3. Add chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, remaining salt, and pepper to crock pot. Mix well.
4. Set crock pot to low for 8 hours.
5. During the last hour of cooking, add can of beans. Stir and return the cover. 6. After 8 hours, serve hot. Top with shredded cheddar. Serve with tortilla chips on the side. Chili can be served over rice if desired.

For stove top method:

1. Heat oil in large stock pot over medium high heat.
2. Add onion, garlic and chopped red pepper. Sautee until vegetables are tender.
3. Once onions are translucent and red pepper is softened, add ground meat. Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper to meat Stir and cook until meat is no longer pink. Break up large chunks with a spoon. 
4. Once meat is no longer pink, add both cans of tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir to combine.
5. Add chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes,  remaining salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
6. Let simmer over medium low heat for 45 mintues, stirring occassionally.
7. Add beans. Stir to combine.
8. After adding beans, reduce heat to low and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Serve hot. Top with shredded cheddar. Serve with tortilla chips on the side. Chili can be served over rice if desired.

Ma!!! The Meatloaf!!!

Once again, it's been quite a while since I've posted. That's not to say that I haven't cooked anything of interest, just that I haven't had time to blog about it! I also have this problem of remembering to photograph the food before we eat it. I tend to only remember once we have eaten half the meal and it is demolished.

With so many things going on, I am lucky I can remember what my name is. The past month or so, my husband and I have been working to get our house ready so we can put it on the market. It is a good thing we weren't planning to move very quickly. There was a very long list of items to do before we could even think about listing it. We've cleaned every room top to bottom, including the basement, purged an unimaginable amount of 'stuff' and painted (even in the basement!). We've taken pictures of our house and are finally ready to put it on the market.

I worked from home today because we had someone sweep our chimney (another house selling preparation!) and it gave me some extra time to plan dinner. Hence, the meatloaf.

This is a recipe that I found in Real Simple several months ago (their April 2011 issue, I believe). I thought it sounded worthwhile, but with one modification. I would take my husband's grandmother's method of making meatloaf and apply it to this recipe. Nana Terri is the world's best meatloaf maker - hands down. I figured it had to work.

This is one of my husband's favorite meals, and we weren't a meatloaf loving couple, except for Nana Terri's. Since nothing anyone had attempted came close to her recipe, we never bothered or kidded ourselves that anything would come close. Until I found this recipe.

This meatloaf comes out so tender, moist and flavorful, it is what Guy Fieri would call 'out of bounds' (for those of you that watch his show!). One of the best meatloafs I've ever had. It has so much unexpected flavor for a meatloaf. I guarantee, if you try it, you won't want to go back to making your old meatloaf again! 

Check out my variation of the recipe below. If you want to go for the straight from the magazine version, and do it by the book, it's up to you!

Here's a tip: I line my loaf pan with alumnium foil before filling with the meat mixture. The pieces come out easier and clean up is a breeze!!

Bacon-Gruyere Meatloaf (Nana Terri-style)
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
2 slices bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large egg
3/4 cup grated Gruyère
kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 large white onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1. Heat oil in medium sized skillet. Add chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Sautee until tender. Once tender, use food process or blender to puree mixture. Set aside.
2. Heat oven to 400° F. In a medium bowl, combine the beef, bread crumbs, ketchup, grated onion, bacon, garlic, egg, ½ cup of the Gruyère, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and pureed vegetables. Transfer the mixture to an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of Gruyère.
3. Roast the meat loaf until cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. Pour off any accumulated fat and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with your favorite sides!


Bacon-Gruyere Meatloaf (Real Simple-Style), click here.

Easy Weeknight Meal - American Chop Suey

It has been a while since I posted a recipe. That would be due to the busy, busy schedule my husband and I have been keeping lately. The past 2 weekends have been spent attending friends' weddings - both of which were TONS of fun. In the in between time of traveling and wedding attending, we've been trying to keep our house in order.

Last week we decided that we would mix things up a bit with a 7-day 'food cleanse'. With a really restricted menu of foods to choose from and a limited set of cooking methods, there wasn't much to blog about. It was supposed to be 2 days of only fruits and vegetables, days 3 and 4 incorporated beans, rice, peanut butter and oatmeal, and days 5 through 7 we could add white fish into the mix. No dairy, so no coffee.  

Long story short, we lasted approximately 2 days. At the end of day 2 when my husband had to leave work early on account of a killer headache and I came home to him laying in bed, in the dark at 5:30 pm, I decided our cleanse had to end. He had such bad caffeine withdrawal he couldn't open his eyes. I made him drink a Coke on the spot, and then I took him to Boston Market for some sustenance. All has been right in the world since!

What on earth were we thinking? Our day to day life is already so jam-packed as it is, why would we intentionally do something to make it more difficult?! Sometimes we are really crazy :)

So this week, I've been able to cook real dinners. Like tonight's dinner - American Chop Suey. Mine is an original recipe that is ready in about 30-40 minutes. A few basic ingredients simmered in a large skilet on the stovetop - perfect for a weeknight meal!


American Chop Suey
Ingredients:
1 package lean ground turkey - approx 2 lbs
1 large can Kitchen Ready Tomatoes (i use Pastene brand, but you can use any crushed)
1 14 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 large white onion, chopped
3 tsp minced garlic
3 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp basil
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In large skillet, heat oil. Saute onion with garlic until tender. Add turkey. Brown turkey, season with salt and pepper. Add both cans of tomatoes, stir to incorporate. Add garlic and onion powder. Stir to incorporate. Let Simmer 3-4 minutes. Add basil and oregano. Simmer 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, stirring to incorporate. Simmer 10 minutes. Add Parmesan. Stir to incorporate. Simmer 10 more minutes.

While sauce is simmering, cook box of multigrain elbow macaroni. Drain. When sauce mixture is done, top pasta with sauce and serve with extra grated cheese.

Waiting out the storm with a homemade pasta experiment

Well, Hurricane, um, er, Tropical Storm Irene has pretty much come and gone. In our area, there isn't much sign that she was here. Our lights stayed on and our trees are still standing. We saw plenty of rain and it's still a little windy, but all in all, it was a low key day at home. We watched plenty of Instant Streaming on Netflix - we started watching 'Scrubs' from the pilot episode. Everyone needs a little mindless comedy.

Since we had so much time on our hands and the electricity was working, I decided to experiment with homemade pasta. It was inspired by a show on the cooking channel with Mario Batali. He was visiting a few restaurants where they were making homemade pasta. I decided to give it a shot - I had time and I wasn't going anywhere.

Handmade macaroni was a specialty of my grandmother's, and my mom is an expert at homemade ravioli. They spent years rolling out pasta by hand - no pasta machines necessary! That's the method I used as well. To go along with the handmade macaroni, we needed sauce (gravy as my husband would call it) and meatballs. Both made from scratch, too. The sauce and meatballs were my husband's contribution - they are his specialty.

The end result was absolutely delicious. I highly recommend that everyone try making pasta from scratch - it has a flavor and texture that can't be replicated through mass production.

Here's the recipe I used for the macaroni dough:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp water

Combine flour and salt in medium size bowl. Combine wet ingredients in separate bowl. Create a small well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour wet mixture into the well. Begin mixing the wet ingredients with a for slowly incorporating more and more of the flour until incorporated. Finish mixing with hands.

Move dough to floured work surface and knead until shiny and elastic. Add small amounts of flour during kneading if dough is too sticky. Form a ball and place dough ball into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for at least 10 minutes at room temperature.

When ready to roll out the macaroni, remove from bowl and place on floured work surface. Flatten ball into a small disc with hands. Using a rolling pin, roll from center out, repeating until thinned. Occassionally turn disc so as to thin equally. Add flour to surface should dough begin to stick. Roll out until dough is paper thin.

Once dough is thinned and not sticky, roll dough onto itself lightly from one edge to the other, until completely rolled. Beginning at one end, begin slicing 1/8 inch sections - chiffonade style.

Shake out cut pieces into long thin strips. Lay out on wax paper to dry. Macaroni can be placed in freezer to store.

When cooking the pasta, the pasta will cook quickly - within 5 minutes in boiling water. Drain and then top with your favorite sauce and enjoy!

The pasta can be used for ravioli as well. Instead of rolling and cutting, leave the thinned pasta in the sheet form.

Hurricane Eve Pizza: Nana's Pizza

On the eve of Hurricane Irene, we decided we would order a bunch of pizza so we could have leftovers should the power go out. (Read = we didn't feel like cooking!) We had my in-laws over so we needed a place that would have Gluten Free options for my father-in-law. We decided to try out Nana's Pizza in Everett, MA, since it was closest driving distance. (Well, if you don't count the 20 minutes my husband got lost picking up the pizza, it was the closest.) 

It was excellent! Even the Gluten Free Pizza was very good according to my father-in-law. I also sampled the Gluten Free Chicken Wings and they were quite tasty. There are more and more restaurants with Gluten Free options, but it is still challenging to find something that tastes good. Nana's Pizza did a great job. 

Their other menu options were also excellent. We had a regular cheese pizza, mushroom and pepperoni, all of which far exceeded our expectations. We also sampled one of their Specialty Pizzas - the Zsa Zsa - it was bellissimo! One of the best pizzas that we've had recently. It is a white pizza with fresh tomato slices, ground garlic, oil and a topped with a four cheese blend. I highly recommend it!

Today we're riding out Hurricane Irene at home. We have a TON of leftover pizza, so we'll see how it does when it's reheated. For me, I like to eat it cold! That will be a good thing especially if the power goes out!

Hope everyone is staying safe in this hurricane!

Go-to Grilled Pork Chops - easy enough for a Monday night!

Go-to Grilled Pork Chops

My husband and I try to plan our weeknight meals in advance so we don't have to run around after work during the week getting ingredients and deciding what to have for dinner. We go to the grocery store on the weekend, so we sit down beforehand and decide what meals we want to have for the week and develop the grocery list from there. Don't get me wrong, we change our minds sometimes mid-week, or we run out of an ingredient and need to do a mid-week grocery run. But for the most part, our advance planning helps keep our household running during the week. If we didn't plan, we'd constantly be ordering out or going out to dinner since things tend to get very hectic during the week. 

Depending upon what good deals we might come across at the store or if we change our minds mid-week, we often end up with a random collection of items in our freezer at any given time. Every couple of weeks when we make our meal plan for the week, we look to see what is in the freezer first. Most likely we have enough meat for a couple of meals hiding in there.
For instance, tonight's dinner of Go-to Grilled Pork Chops were chops that I picked up a few weeks ago during a stop to a specialty store that I don't normally get to on a regular basis. Since I was off from work while I was between jobs, I made it a point to stop in there. I picked up two, two and a half inch boneless pork chops knowing exactly what I wanted to make with them - eventually. So, tonight was the night!

The first time I made the Go-to Grilled Pork Chops they evoked the following statement from my husband, "I would order these in a restaurant. These are restaurant-quality." Needless to say, after a statement like that it becomes challenging to serve food each night that lives up to those expectations! But, you can never go wrong with the Go-to Grilled Pork Chops. They are simple and easy to prepare with few ingredients, and are the best pork chops you'll ever have!

Go-to Grilled Pork Chops
Ingredients:
2 2.5 inch boneless pork chops (leave fat on; do not trim)
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Combine rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl or on cutting board. Using your hands rub herb mixture on both sides of pork chops.
Place on top rack of outdoor grill over indirect heat. Cook over indirect heat slowly until cooked through to desired doneness, turning halfway through (approximately 25 minutes total).

Enjoy!

Sunday Afternoon Experiment: Cooking Light's Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

The past couple of weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind! With starting a new job, I haven't done too much cooking, well, experimenting in the kitchen at least. With my new job, I took it easy on the weeknight meal front, and then ended up traveling to Florida for training, so wasn't able to cook. We did manage to sneak in a little family entertaining for  few nights, but that consisted mostly of basic grilling: marinated steak tips, chicken, burgers, and dogs. Since this weekend was free, I have been able to catch up on some house work and had time to test out a Cooking Light recipe from this month's issue: Fettuccine Shrimp Alfredo.

The recipe came out really delicious - both my husband and I agree. It was big on flavor even without all the fat that is often in Fettucinne Alfredo. The Cooking Light version is made with lighter ingredients, keeping the total fat count down but with big flavor.

The thing that I like about the recipe is that it is really easy and super fast. Obviously shrimp take hardly any time to cook so that contributes to the speed and ease of the recipe, but the key is the fresh refrigerated pasta that cooks in 4 minutes!! I hadn't ever thought to use fresh pasta from the refrigerator case, but the recipe called for it, and it came out great!  I will definitely be using that as a recipe shortcut and weeknight meal time saver.

If you do try the Cooking Light recipe, I recommend adding salt and pepper when sauteing the shrimp, and then when making the pan sauce. Cooking Light often doesn't mention that as a step in the recipe, so do keep that in mind. It will definitely boost the overall flavor of the recipe. Also, if you can't find Parmigiano-Reggiano, you can subsitute grated Parmesan. I did, and the recipe still tasted fantastic.

In the magazine, they suggested serving the Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo, with Roasted Asparagus:
Ingredients:
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
2 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Combine olive, salt, ground red pepper, and asparagus on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Serve with lemon wedges.

For the asparagus, I substituted fresh ground black pepper for the red pepper, and it came out excellent. Flavor was excellent without the heat, which is my preference.

Hope you get a chance to try these recipes! I'd love to hear how you like them and what variations you come up with.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Toffee Squares to celebrate the end of an era and the beginning of another

It has been a little while since my last post, but I have been busy. Of course! Who isn't? I traveled to Maine over the weekend to celebrate my Mom's 65th birthday. It was fabulous time with great weather and the chance to visit with family that I haven't seen in a while. I have wonderful relatives including 3 nephews and a niece that are a constant source of entertainment. My niece's name is Emily and I don't think it is a coincidence that the first hurricane of the season the weather professionals are watching is Hurricane Emily. Just kidding, she's really sweet and extremely smart. No doubt, we're related!


Today was my last day at a job that I have worked at for 3 years. It was bittersweet to say good bye to so many wonderful people and friends that I have made over the past 3 years. But I am comforted in the fact that I am leaving to move on to a new and exciting position at a new company. I have a few days off before I start my new job, and I plan to spend my time relaxing and shopping! I'll probably fit in some cooking and baking, too, since those are my all time favorite pastime.


Tonight I am making Chocolate Toffee Squares to bring to some friends I haven't seen in a while when I visit them tomorrow on my first day off. This is a really easy recipe that has always been a big hit. I will give credit to my mother-in-law for sharing the recipe and technique with me. (though, I am sure she got the recipe from her friend, Karen...)


I hope you and your friends enjoy this recipe as much as we do! Enjoy!
 

Chocolate Toffee Squares

By: Nicole Bonfiglio

Ingredients:

Butter – 2 sticks

Sugar – ¾ cup

Saltines – 1 sleeve

Chocolate bits – 11.5 oz. bag

Chopped or diced walnuts – 1 cup

Preheat oven to 400°.

·        Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place 1 sleeve of crackers in one layer with the edges touching.

·        Once oven is heated, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the 2 sticks of butter and ¾ cup of sugar.

·        Melt mixture in microwave, in 1 ½ minute intervals, stirring between intervals. (Heat in microwave until frothy- takes about 3 times in microwave. Be sure to watch it in microwave or you will end up with caramel!)  

·        Remove from microwave when melted and stir well.

·         Spoon butter and sugar mixture over crackers.

·        Put the cookie sheet in the oven for 5 minutes.

·        Remove from oven and quickly re-arrange crackers so that all crackers are touching.

·         Immediately cover crackers with chocolate bits.

·        Let bits partially melt, and then smooth over with knife or spoon, covering all the crackers.

·        Sprinkle with nuts as desired.

·        Remove squares from foil with a spatula and place individual squares on clean cookie sheet.

·        Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove from pan and arrange in muffin baking cups or wax paper.  Enjoy!

Makes about 30 squares.

Grilled Bruschetta for the weekend!

Just when I think things are settling down for my husband and I, something pops up that throws it all out of whack! Thankfully it is nothing major. We had our bathtub refinished yesterday (actually, repaired the refinishing we had done months ago) and we can't use the shower for 2 days. Since it is the only bathroom in our house, we are staying at a nearby hotel. I like to travel and to stay at hotels, but it loses its luster when it is a necessity and I have to get up and commute to work! Needless to say, I'm sleepy and in needs of lots of coffee this morning.

Once we're settled back into our house, we'll get back into our routine. Well, as much of a routine that we have. It's summer and it seems like we always have something going on. But, since the humidity has finally dried out, I'll feel like cooking again!

Here's a recipe that I think I'll make this weekend while we're visiting my parents in Maine. My husband and I have made it several times and it is always SO delicious!

Grilled Bruschetta
Ingredients:
1 ciabatta loaf
15-20 cherry tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic, minced (fresh is best)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
extra olive oil for brushing


Heat outdoor grill to medium heat.

Place garlic in medium sized bowl.

Place cherry tomatoes on grill and cook until they are at the just-bursting stage. Remove from grill and place in bowl with garlic. Mash with fork (or masher, or whisk) until tomatoes are broken up. Add in salt and pepper. Mix. Drizzle in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Mix well. Let mixture rest while bread toasts.


Slice ciabatta loaf length-wise, to create 2 long open-face pieces. Brush each open face with olive oil.
Place on grill, open face side down. Grill until toasted. Remove from grill, and place on tray open-face up.

Spoon tomato mixture over the top of the grilled bread. (Be cautious to not add too much of the tomato liquid, or bread will be soggy) Slice into individual serving-sized pieces.

Variation - add thin sliced Parmesan or fresh mozzarella to bread after it is toasted, so it melts before topping with tomato.

Enjoy!

Cranberry and Goat Cheese Chicken Salad

Since it's summer, we've been spending our free time outside enjoying the wonderful New England weather. We've been doing a lot of grilling since we love the taste of food from the grill, and it helps in keeping the house cool. We love to do boneless chicken on the grill in a variety of marinades. We typically grill a bunch of chicken for dinner at the beginning of the week, and we save the leftovers to have in salads later during the week. It is a big time saver!

In honor of summer and the hot, hot weather we've been having in New England, the first recipe I want to share is for a salad and dressing. We have this salad a lot when we're looking for a quick dinner or lunch. Enjoy!

Cranberry and Goat Cheese Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
1 bag of Baby Salad Greens - I like to use a mix of Romaine, spinach and Arugula.
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
1/4 cup of goat cheese crumbles
3 boneless chicken breasts, marinated and grilled

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing:
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of fresh black pepper

Directions for salad:

Place greens in a bowl. Sprinkle on cranberries, walnuts, and goat cheese. Slice boneless chicken breast and place on top.

Directions for dressing:

In a separate, small bowl add vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. combine with whisk. While whisking, drizzle in olive oil. Whisk until well emulsified.

Dress salad just before serving.

Dressing can be stored in a covered container for 7 days.

Welcome! A little about the blog and me.

Welcome to my blog and my crazy chaotic life! I'm new to this blogging thing, but I thought there may be a few other folks out there interested in some of the recipes I've collected over the years. I also hope there are people interested in sharing tips and recipes, too.

Food has always been focal point in my life. Growing up in an Italian family, it is impossible to not be tuned into food. I  have been in love with cooking and baking my entire life; even before I was old enough to have an Easy Bake Oven. Instead of tea parties, I used to force my dad to sit down to fake meals on my miniature Tupperware set. When I was older, I played restaurant, and if the participants were willing, I would serve them actual food. It was mostly leftovers from the fridge, but my brothers' friends were big fans of leftover pizza.

I spent many days with my grandmother in her kitchen watching her cook and learning my way around the kitchen. She is really the reason I became interested in food. From her I learned that a few simple ingredients can yield outstanding results. We made numerous batches of homemade macaroni, meatballs, sauce, cookies, and... I could go on for a lifetime.

From my Dad I learned how important it is that if a person loves food, they need to love the right foods, indulge in moderation and pair the passion for food with exercise. When I was very young, he suffered a heart attack at 37 years old. I learned more about cholesterol than any 5-year-old should. I also learned that how what you eat affects your health at a young age; much younger than most people. I grew up my entire life concerned about arterial plaque, exercise and heart health.

As an adult, making choices about food is difficult (as you all know) especially when you have a love affair with food like I do! Finding time to cook healthy meals is next to impossible. And finding something both my husband and I like is also very challenging.

I've found there are a few meals that I have created over the years that we continually come back to - I'll be sure to post the recipes as they occur to me.

I also like to experiment with new recipes and ingredients as time allows - sometimes life is just too crazy and we go for the basics (or take out!). I'll be sure to share the results of my experiments with you, too.