Today I am headed over to Cobb Galleria to pick up my race packet for the U.S. 10K Classic on Monday. I’ve always wanted to do this race, but we’re not usually around for Labor Day weekend.  Finally we’re in town, so I signed up as soon as I could!  It is going to be interesting pushing a stroller up that hill on Cobb Parkway {read: I don’t expect this to go well}.  Then tonight Nathan, Samuel, and I are headed to a concert at Riverside Park.  We’re definitely loving the concert series there!

I’m apparently on a “let’s make nothing but the basics” kick…or at least I was a few weeks ago.  This is another super basic recipe that people make everyday.  Whatever.  It was delicious, and I added just enough to make me feel like I was making something special.

Chicken Salad {my recipe}

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 cup miracle whip
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 tsp dried basil

Directions:

1. In a pan, heat olive oil on medium high.
2. Once the olive oil is hot, add the chicken and cover.  Cook until chicken is completely done and slightly browned.
3. Meanwhile, hard boil the eggs.
4. Cut the celery into small pieces and put into a large bowl.
5. Mix the miracle whip and basil in with the celery.  Set aside.
6. Once the eggs are done, peel and cut into small pieces.  Add to the bowl.
7. When the chicken is done cooking, remove from the heat and let cook for about 10 minutes.  Once cooled, cut the chicken into pieces no larger than an inch.  Mix into the bowl.
8. Serve on bread or as a salad!

Grade: B+

Comments: Adding the egg was a fabulous idea.  Chicken salad isn’t something I eat often, but I always hate that it is just chicken, celery, and mayo.  The egg added some great flavor as well as made the texture much thicker.  I wish I had thought to make more of this and just stick it in the fridge for sandwiches all week.  Nathan ended up taking the leftovers with him to work the next day, and then we were out.  This would be a great picnic recipe!

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.

It’s funny that I’ve made salmon twice recently, because I went over a year without making it.  See, in late 2008, I bought some salmon at the farmers market.  I was so excited.  Unfortunately, it was horrible.  So horrible we couldn’t eat it.  Like we didn’t even give it to the cat.  Something was definitely wrong with it.  After that experience we both swore off salmon.

Then I saw the Honey-Soy Salmon.  I had to try that.  Then I saw this recipe.  I was determined to work salmon back into our diets.  Thankfully, this time our salmon was much better {thank you, SuperTarget}.

Cold Poached Salmon with Herb Mayo {slightly modified from Betty Crocker Cookbook: Bridal Edition}

Ingredients:

For the salmon:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 large onion
• 1 lb salmon fillets

For the herb mayo:

• 3/4 cup real mayonnaise
• 1 tbs chives
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 2 tsp honey dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Chop the onion into small pieces.
2. In a skillet with high edges, heat all of the ingredients except the salmon & those for the herb mayo.  Bring to a boil & reduce to low.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Remove the skin from the salmon and cut it into serving pieces.
4. Place the salmon in the skillet {add water to cover if necessary, but you shouldn’t need to}.  Heat to boiling then reduce the heat to low.  Simmer uncovered about 15 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily.
5. Carefully remove the salmon and drain it on a wire rack.  Cover and refrigerate until cool or 2 hours {mine was cool in about 45 minutes}.
6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the herb mayo.  Cover & refrigerate until salmon is ready.
7. Serve the salmon with the mayo on the side.

Grade: B+

Comments: This was really good!  I had never had cold poached fish before, so I had no idea what to expect.  Thankfully, this was a great first experience.  The mayo went with the fish perfectly, and we had some of it left!  I used the mayo the next day on a turkey sandwich, and it was just as good.  This would be a great summer picnic item, because you could easily make this recipe larger & there is a lot of room for changes.  Plus, if you had leftovers {we didn’t}, you could toss them with the herb mayo & make a salmon salad for sandwiches!

{This week’s menu is posted.}

What a day!  Things started early for Samuel and I {like 5:45 AM early}.  We had a lot to do including taking the car in for a new turn signal & a haircut for me.  I’d been growing my hair out, because for some reason in my mind I thought having long hair would be easier to manage with a newborn.  Ponytail & go!  Except I got sick of the ponytail, and I realized I had NO idea what else I could do to it.  I’ve had long hair about 3 times in my life: once in college, when I was getting married, and now.  So I’m sporting a bob…basically the same haircut I had circa 2005-2006 {I change my haircuts a lot}.

After we got all of our errands done, we headed home, changed into running clothes, and got a good five  miles in before dinner.  Thankfully the heat wasn’t too bad even though the humidity was awful.  I’m just grateful to be running again!

Anyway, food.

I was looking through a very old copy of Better Homes & Garden a few weeks ago, and stumbled across a recipe similar to this.  Last week I was on a mission to use everything in our freezer.  Sometimes I go through these modes where I decide that our “backup food” needs to be gone.  See, I buy one or two extra things a month so that if something comes up or a recipe goes wrong we have something to eat.  The most common backup items: chicken and pasta.  This recipe called for the chicken.

Chicken Sandwiches {my recipe, but inspired by Better Homes & Garden magazine – 2007}

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 portabello mushrooms
• 4 slices demi french bread
• 8 oz reduced fat cream cheese
• 2 tbs honey mustard
• olive oil

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil on medium high.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium high.
3. In the medium skillet, place the chicken breasts and cover.  Cook thoroughly.
4. Remove the stems from the mushrooms, and place them in the large skillet.  Cook until the mushrooms are soft {about 10 minutes – flip halfway}.
5. Meanwhile, in a small dish mix the cream cheese and honey mustard thoroughly.
6. Cut the bread into four pieces & toast.
7. Spread the cream cheese mixture on the toasted bread.  Top with chicken and mushroom!

Grade: B+

Comments: This was a different twist on the grilled sandwich.  I loved the cream cheese and honey mustard combo!  It definitely worked out in our favor.  Oh, and portobello mushrooms make everything delicious.  My only suggestion is to make sure you don’t over toast the bread.  Just a light toasting is plenty!

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 idea came to me as I was standing in the refrigerated foods section at SuperTarget staring at an Archer Farms whole wheat pizza crust that was on sale.  See, I don’t usually buy pizza crusts, because they are so easy to make.  However, I decided to get this one anyway hoping it would taste half decent and make for a good veggie pizza.

Tomato & Ricotta Pizza {my recipe}

Ingredients:

• 1 whole wheat pizza crust {I used Archer Farms}
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper
• 3 pieces turkey bacon
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Set the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium skillet, cook the three pieces of turkey bacon.
3. Peel and chop the avocado.  Cut the grape tomatoes in half, and cut the yellow bell pepper into small pieces.
4. Spread the ricotta cheese across the pizza crust as evenly as possible.
5. Place the vegetables on the pizza. Once the bacon is done, cut it into small pieces & place on the pizza.
6. Top the pizza with shredded mozzarella & cheddar cheeses.
7. Cook for approximately 15 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted completely.

Grade: A

Comments: This turned out really well!  The crust was just okay {homemade = way better}, but I would buy it again to save myself some time.  All of the toppings went great together, and it was the perfect summer pizza.  You could easily add tons of vegetables to this to suit your personal tastes.  Asparagus or olives would be great additions!

{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.

So, on Tuesday I was all prepared to make plain old spaghetti for dinner.  We’re leaving on a two week vacation here pretty soon, so I am in “use up what’s in my kitchen” mode.  Except I had no pasta sauce.  Not even the jar stuff.  Oh, and I didn’t realize it until AFTER I had started the noodles.

That’s a problem.

So, I did what any desperate wife with a hungry husband does when she doesn’t want him to know she has promised a dinner she can’t deliver: improvised.

I scoured the fridge and did a mental inventory of what I needed for the rest of the week.  Then I grabbed anything that was “extra.”  I figured I could make something that was at the very worst barely edible.

Turns out I picked a fabulous combination of items, and it was one of my best improvised dishes to date if not the best.  So I’m sharing it with you.  Lucky, right?

Oh, there are a lot less pictures than usual, because I wasn’t sure that I was actually going to post this.  I just took them when I remembered…which was not often.

Tomato and Pepper Pasta Topping {my own recipe}

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 medium tomatoes
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 green pepper
• 1 tbs dried basil
• 3 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup marsala {the wine & the dryer the better}
• 3 pieces of turkey bacon
• salt
• romano cheese
• mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. In a skillet heat olive oil on medium for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes and pepper.
3. Add the tomatoes and pepper to the olive oil.  Cook covered for 10 minutes.
4. Set the oven to broil.  Put the bacon on a baking sheet that has been covered in aluminum foil.  Cook for 8 minutes.
5. Once the tomatoes and peppers have softened add the basil, marsala, and vinegar.  Cover again and cook for 5 more minutes.
6. Once the bacon is done, let cool for about a minute.  Transfer to a cutting board and chop into small pieces.
7. Add the bacon to the mixture in the skillet, turn to high, and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Put on top of the pasta, and you are good to go.

Grade: A

Comments: Nathan thought I had “planned” this, so my trick worked!  It turned out really well, and it went perfectly with the pasta.  It made about three servings which was enough for each of us for dinner and an extra for Nathan to take to work the next day.  This little topping would be great on steak or chicken as well.  The peppers and tomatoes turned out nicely, and the marsala gave it some flavor without being too strong.  Loved it!

…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!