We’ve had a busy day so far.  Samuel had a pediatrician appointment this morning {11 lbs 8 oz!}, and then we had to stop at the post office to pick up the mail from while we were on vacation.  Two weeks worth of mail is a LOT of mail.  Mostly junk & magazines, but still…

I made these cookies the day before we left for vacation.  The plan was to have them in the car ride & share them with others.  Didn’t happen.  Nathan ate a bunch before we left, and then we decided to save them all for ourselves!  They made it all the way to Ohio.  How I didn’t gain any weight {actually lost weight} this trip I will never know.  It may be the powers of breastfeeding.

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies {from Martha Stewart Cookies}

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together flour and baking soda in a bowl.  Set aside.
3. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy {about 2 minutes}.
4. Reduce the mixer speed to low.  Add salt, vanilla, and eggs.  Mix until well blended {about 1 minute}.
5. Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl & keep mixing on low until well blended.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto a baking sheet spacing about 2 inches apart {mine were closer}.
8. Bake cookies about 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
9. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely before eating.

{makes about 3 dozen cookies}

Grade: A

Comments: Easily the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made.  EASILY.  They were the perfect amount of chewy, and they didn’t fall apart.  This is definitely going to be a “go to” recipe when I need something fast for picnics, desserts, etc.  They were easy to make, and they didn’t take much time at all.  If you make one chocolate chip cookie recipe in your life this should be it.

I turned my computer on for the first time in DAYS today with the intention of writing up a post.  That was over 6 hours ago, and I am just now getting to it.  We are blissfully busy, and it is a nice feeling to not have the time or more importantly the desire to be on my laptop.

Anyway.  Nathan & Samuel are napping, so that leaves me time to catch up on my blog {and celebrity gossip…duh}.

This recipe is so simple that it is almost too easy.  When I was on my “clean out the kitchen” tirade, this was the perfect option to use up the leftover spaghetti in the fridge.  Yes, I realize most people use Fettuccine, but I didn’t have that.  I had thin spaghetti…so call this an improvise if you will.

Pasta Alfredo {from Martha Stewart}

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pasta
• 2 sticks butter
• 1/2 lb grated Parmesan cheese
• salt

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions.  Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
2. In an electric mixer, beat butter & Parmesan until creamy.
3. In the warm pot, mix pasta, 1/2 tsp salt, cheese mixture, and 1/4 cup of pasta water.  Add more water as needed.

Grade: C+

Comments: Okay.  This recipe description says it is a Martha Stewart favorite, but there is no way.  It isn’t bad by any means, but it definitely wasn’t great either.  I was actually really disappointed.  It wasn’t very creamy, and it had almost no flavor.  It definitely needs some spices.  I’ll probably never make it again.  That said, it is so easy that there is definitely a time and a place for it.  It isn’t a bad base recipe, but you would have to make some changes to make it worth making…possibly add spices and some veggies.

Yesterday was an important day.  I was FINALLY cleared to run/exercise – 6 weeks after my c-section!  I’ve been itching to get back out there.  Last week Nathan and I stopped & bought some new running sneakers for me and the Nike + mileage tracker thing.  I had started walking some more.  Now I can RUN!  To celebrate, Samuel, Nathan, and I are doing a 5K together tomorrow.  We’ll probably walk/jog it, but I am really excited to start training for my upcoming races.

I made a recipe similar to this one earlier in the summer.  Coincidentally that one was also a Martha Stewart recipe.  This recipe is inspired by my favorite of all of her cookbooks: The Original Classics.  If you ever buy just one Martha Stewart cookbook this should be it.  I love The New Classics as well, but the orange book is just so fun.  I could spend hours reading the recipes and all of the included cooking tips.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese {inspired by Martha Stewart: The Original Classics}

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 4 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb elbow macaroni

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 2-3 qt casserole dish.  Set aside.
2. In a large pasta pot, cook macaroni according to directions.  Drain & set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a medium saucepan by cooking on medium high heat.
4. Melt the butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat.  When the butter begins to bubble, slowly mix in the flour.  Cook & stir for 1 minute.
5. While whisking, slowly pour the hot milk into the flour mixture.  Continue cooking and whisk constantly until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick {about 8 minutes}.
6. Remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the nutmeg and red pepper flakes.
7. Next, stir in the cheddar cheese until the sauce is thick and all of the cheese is melted.
8. Poor the cheese mixture into the pasta pot with the cooked macaroni.  Coat the macaroni thoroughly.
9. Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish.  Top with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
10. Cook for 15 minutes.

Grade: A-

Comments: Delicious!  Baked macaroni and cheese is so good, because you get the “hard” top and the gooey inside.  You could easily add broccoli to this if you wanted some vegetables.  This recipe could be easily cut down or made larger.  I think we got about 10 servings from this, and Nathan took leftovers for lunch during the week.  It reheats nicely, and you could even freeze it if you preferred!

{This week’s menu is posted.}

So, I know last week I had said I was going to do a cloth diaper post every Sunday, but yesterday I had a baby who wanted to snuggle.  My computer sat closed until late in the day, and by then I just opened it to check my email.  It was a great day of snuggling & watching movies on Hulu.  So, that will resume next week.

This is the last of the Everyday Food recipes from last week.  I can’t believe what a kick I went on there! I made some pretty significant changes to this recipe, but I can’t take credit for the inspiration.

Salmon with Honey-Soy Glaze {inspired by Everyday Food}
Ingredients:

• 3 salmon fillets {remove skin}
• 1/4 cup honey
• 5 tbs soy sauce
• 2 tsp olive oil

Directions:

1. To make the glaze mix the honey and soy sauce in a small bowl.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
3. Coat the top of the salmon with the glaze and place in the heated skillet.  Set aside the extra glaze.
4. Cook each side for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat & transfer to a plate.
5. Pour the remaining glaze into the same skillet and cook on high for about 2 minutes.  Serve as a dip or as additional glaze.
6. Serve with your favorite vegetables and garlic butter noodles!

Grade: B-

Comments: Nathan liked this a lot more than I did.  Here’s the thing: I HATE soy sauce.  HATE.  I thought that if I balanced this out with more honey than soy, it wouldn’t be so obvious.  I was wrong.  Salty foods are by far my least favorite thing.  I don’t put salt on anything, so I thought this was really salty.  If I make it again, I would use even less soy.  So, the lesson here is that even with the honey, the soy flavor is strong.  Nathan did really like it, so if you like soy sauce then you’ll definitely love it!

Last night we took Samuel to see the Falcons Friday Night Lights game.  I’m glad we decided to go, because when we left our house there was a terrible thunderstorm.  After some back and forth, we decided to make the 40 minute trip to North Gwinnett High School anyway.  We were glad we did, because once we got out of Roswell the rain stopped.

Here is Samuel when the game was coming to an end:

Adorable, right?  A few days ago we had bought a signature football {did you know that NO ONE in Atlanta sells Falcons onesies?} to get some player autographs.  It is so cool that Samuel will have the signatures of some great players from his first football season!

Now that I have told you all about our Friday night, let’s discuss egg salad.

This started out as a recipe from Everyday Food, but I did some changes {like doubling & dropping some ingredients}.

Southern Egg Salad {inspired by Everyday Food}

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 4 tbs light mayo
• 4 tsp sweet relish
• 1 tsp basil
• 4 slices wheat bread

Directions:

1. Place eggs in a medium size saucepan, and cover with water by 1 inch. 
2. Bring water to a boil, and then immediately remove from the heat.  Cover and let stand for 12 minutes.
3. Drain and rinse the eggs under cold running water.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the mayo, basil, and relish.
5. Peel the eggs, and chop into coarse pieces.
6. Add the eggs to the mayo mixture.
7. Serve on bread!

Grade: A-

Comments: I love egg salad, but this isn’t the best I’ve ever had.  I think my mistake was actually doubling the mayo content.  It probably would have been fine with just 2-3 tbs of mayo, because I like less.  It was a nice simple dinner after a busy day.  It would make a great picnic food for sure!  Now that I’ve made egg salad for the first time EVER {seriously, where have I been?} I know I’ll make it again and just play with the recipe some.

…and Everyday Food Week continues!

Last week when I was putting together this week’s menu, this recipe immediately caught my eye.  Something about combining french toast with a summer classic seemed delightful.  Nathan was 100% on board, and I added this intriguing dish to our menu.

French Toast BLTs {modified from Everyday Food iPhone app}

Ingredients:

• 8 slices turkey bacon
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• chives
• salt & pepper
• 3 tbs margarine
• 8 slices whole wheat bread
• 8 lettuce leaves
• 16 slices of tomato

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  On a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil, place the bacon.  Cook for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large shallow bowl, mix the eggs, heavy cream, some chives, salt, & pepper. 
3. Preheat a griddle to 350 degrees & melt the margarine. 
4. Dip each piece of bread into the egg mixture and cover it thoroughly. 
5. Place the bread on the griddle.  Cook until brown on both sides.
6. When the bread is done, place a piece of lettuce, 2 slices of tomato, and a piece of bacon {broken in half} on the bread.

Grade: B+

Comments: This was pretty good.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it turned out delicious.  It is a fun little meal that works as dinner or would be a great brunch.  We decided to serve them as open-face sandwiches, but you could do a regular sandwich if you preferred.  We saved the leftovers, and ate the french toast by itself the next day.  It was delicious as well!

I am just going to title this week “Everyday Food by Martha Stewart Week.”  Why you ask?

There are four recipes that will probably go up this week from that magazine.  This is the first.  See, I LOVE Everyday Food.  I get the magazine, use the iPhone app, and often search for the recipes on the Martha Stewart website.  Everyday Food is Martha’s version of “quick & easy.”  If you are familiar with the Martha Stewart cookbooks {like me and own almost all of them} then you know her recipes usually take a little longer to make.  Everyday Food is usually an hour or less which is perfect when you have a newborn {and your life is now measured in two or so hour increments}.

Zucchini Lasagna {slightly modified from Everyday Food}

Ingredients:

• olive oil, for baking dish
• 8 ounces fat free cream cheese, room temperature
• 15 oz part skim ricotta cheese
• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 6 no boil lasagna noodles
• 1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Lightly oil an 8×8 baking dish & set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese and ricotta; season with salt and pepper.
3. Cut the zucchinis in half.  Then slice into thin pieces.
4. Spread 1/3 zucchini mixture in prepared baking dish & top with oregano; top with two lasagna noodles, then 1/3 ricotta mixture. 
5. Repeat twice with remaining zucchini mixture, noodles, and ricotta mixture, finishing with the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella.
6. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil & cook for 35 minutes.  Remove the foil & cook for another 20 minutes until cheese is brown.  Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Grade: A-

Comments: This was my first time using no boil lasagna noodles, and they were pretty good.  I’d probably just use regular ones next time {for any lasagna honestly}.  This dish turned out to be very delicious.  The zucchini by itself was a great idea, and the cheeses complemented it perfectly!  The recipe on the Martha Stewart website says it makes 4 servings, but we cut it into 9 pieces.  4 servings would mean the pieces were HUGE.  This was a fabulous summer dish!

Macaroni & cheese is one of those foods that takes me back to my childhood.  I love that it hasn’t lost its charm after all of these years.  There is something incredibly comforting about a bowl of mac & cheese, laughing at dinner, and talking about our days.

A few months ago, however, I had a huge mac & cheese mess up.  I bought cheap shredded cheese, because I thought it would work.  It didn’t, and it was quite possibly the most disgusting dinner I’ve made.  We ended up throwing it out and eating sandwiches.  I thought Nathan would ban me from ever putting mac & cheese on the table again {lest it be from a certain iconic blue box}, but I convinced him to let me take another swing at it.  Armed with a new recipe and better cheese, I just knew I could pull it off.

I did.

We all know that I aspire to be Martha Stewart {minus the jail time}, so it is only natural I would turn to her website to find the recipe that would make my prior mac & cheese sins forgiven.  This recipe is awesome.

Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese {from MarthaStewart.com}

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• Coarse salt
• 4 cups whole milk {don’t skimp on this…go for the whole.  It is going to make a difference}
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 pound small shell pasta or elbow macaroni
• 4 cups coarsely grated sharp yellow cheddar (3/4 pound)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium.
2. Chop the onion and add it to the butter.  Cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
3. Add flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is pale golden, has a slightly nutty aroma, and is the texture of cooked oatmeal, about 5 minutes.
4. Whisking constantly, pour in 2 cups milk; add 2 more cups milk and cayenne and whisk until smooth.
5. Cook mixture, stirring constantly along bottom of pan, until boiling, 6 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and does not feel grainy when a small amount is rubbed between two fingers, about 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente; drain thoroughly and put in a bowl.
7. Remove sauce from heat and let cool 10 minutes. Quickly whisk in cheese, mustard, and Worcestershire. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and stir to coat.
   

Grade: A

Comments: At first I was worried that I had screwed up my cheese sauce, because the consistency didn’t seem right.  However, it was perfect!  This was SO good.  The recipe says it is for 6 servings, but it made almost 10 {at least for us}.  This would be so good with hot dogs or at a picnic.  The cheese flavor isn’t too super strong, but it is just enough to be absolutely delicious.  I definitely recommend not skimping on the milk and cheese to go for lower fat – just accept that this recipe isn’t healthy and move on.

I have a subscription to Everyday Food: A Martha Stewart Magazine.  I love it if only because the recipes are “weekday compatible.”  They are pretty fast, use simple ingredients, and they don’t break the bank.  When my June issue came, I immediately knew I had to try this recipe.  I marked the page, and I worked it into the menu for the very next week.  The picture alone was enough to make my mouth water.

No Bake Summer Lasagna {from Everyday Food June 2010}

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 3 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tbs + 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 8 lasagna noodles
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 2 pints grape tomatoes
• 2 zucchini (about 1 lb)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, and 2 tsp oil; season with salt and pepper.
2. Break lasagna noodles in half.  In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions; drain.
3. Cut the grape tomatoes in half.  Thinly slice the zucchini.
4. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbs oil over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper.  Cook until slightly broken down, about 3 minutes. 
5. Transfer the tomatoes to a bowl.
6. Add 1 tbs oil and zucchini to the skillet; season with salt and pepper.  Cook until zucchini are tender, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to another bowl.
7. Place some tomatoes on plates; top with a noodle and small spoonfuls of ricotta mixture, zucchini, and more tomatoes.  Repeat layering twice, then top with remaining noodles and tomatoes.

Grade: B+

Comments: This was really good.  I love lasagna, but I avoid it like the plague in the summer.  It had never dawned on me to make it this way.  It would be good with even more vegetables like squash, cucumbers, onion, and other summer veggies.  You could also rework the recipe to be a delicious pasta salad if that is more your style.  The fact it is sauceless is really nice, and it lightened up the dish a ton.  If you really wanted something, it would be great with a little Italian dressing drizzled on it.

Sunday night was my family’s last night in town before heading back home.  We had such a great weekend, and I wanted to it to end with a bang meal wise.  My family isn’t that into sweet potatoes.  I’m kind of learning that they generally are more of a Southern/Midwest food.  Honestly, I don’t think I ever had them until I went to college in Ohio.  However, I knew I could find a recipe that would make them wish that they ate them more!

This little dish was really good.  A little spicy, but really good.

Roasted Pork Loin with Black Bean and Sweet Potato Salad {from Martha’s Everyday Food App for the iPhone}

Ingredients:

• 3 lb center cut boneless pork loin
• 4 tbs vegetable oil plus 1 tsp divided
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbs fresh lime juice
• 1 can black beans
• 1/2 medium red onion

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with racks set in the upper and lower thirds.  Peel the sweet potatoes then cut into 3/4 inch cubes.  Chop the onion very finely.  Drain the can of the black beans.
2. Place the pork on a rimmed baking sheet.  Rub with 1 tsp oil; season with cumin, salt, and pepper.
3. Roast the pork on the upper rack until a thermometer registers 145 degrees when placed in the thickest part of the meat.  This is approximately 40 minutes. 
4. About 15 minutes after the pork has begun roasting, place sweet potatoes on another rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with 2 tsp oil.  Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.  Toss to coat.
5. Roast the sweet potato mix on the lower rack until tender.  Toss once during cooking.  Cook about 30 minutes.
6. In a large bowl, whisk lime juice with remaining 2 tsp of oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add sweet potatoes, beans, and onions.  Mix gently to combine.
7. Serve!

Grade: A

Comments: This was so incredibly delicious.  Honestly I would love to make it again like tomorrow.  Except without the red pepper flakes.  The pork was perfect.  The sweet potatoes and other veggies were amazing.  It could easily be one of my favorite recipes in a long time.  The sweet potatoes and black beans acted more like a salsa than a salad.  Try them on top of the pork.  Seriously amazing.