Homemade Sweet Potato Fries

I found this recipe over at www.theartofdoingstuff.com via Pinterest and knew I had to try it out asap! Yesterday for lunch I whipped up a pretty large batch of these sweet potato fries and Sriracha Mayo Dip. They were delicious! I loved that they were baked, with a little bit of olive oil, so much healthier than the deep-fried sweet potato fries you'd get at a restaurant! I gave some to Jack and he couldn't get enough of them. :)

Don't these look yummy! The thin layer of corn starch really gives it a light crispiness that I'd really only expect from frying. I also made the dip but didn't get any pictures of it , oops! The recipe didn't call for any salt on the fries, but after they were done baking I sprinkled a tad of salt on them and tossed them around a bit. Also, I added a bit more sriracha to the dip because I like things spicy. ;) If you give it a go let me know how you like them too! Enjoy!

Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe and My Finished Tester Bag

So last Sunday was the Super Bowl and we went over to Tom's aunt's house. I wanted to make something to bring but they always have so many goodies already so it's tough to think of something that won't already be brought by someone else. In my family my aunt always makes stuffed mushrooms, and then it dawned on me, that usually nobody in Tom's family makes those! My aunt's recipe is super easy, so I thought I'd share it here! This recipe makes a lot of stuffed mushrooms, but for a big party they're perfect. You can always halve the recipe if you don't as many :) Also, apparently you can make these up to 2 days in advance without baking them. Then, when party-time rolls around pop them in the oven and add a few extra minutes of cook time. Yummy!

Ingredients:  

1 lb of spicy Italian sausage removed from casings

4 crates of mushrooms (about 4 dozen total)

block of cream cheese

1 Tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce

Directions:

1.  Carefully remove stems from mushrooms and trim off the woody part and throw it away. Chop the non-woody part of the stem.

2.  In a large saucepan, start cooking the sausage over medium heat. Break up the sausage so it's in pretty small chunks as it cooks.  Add the chopped up mushroom stems to the pan of sausage as it cooks.

3.  Add the Worcestershire Sauce to the sausage and mushroom stems.

4.  Once the sausage is cooked and the chopped stems are tender turn off heat. 

5.  Add the block of cream cheese and stir in completely. The heat remaining in the saucepan should help to melt the cream cheese a bit and make it easier to stir. 

6. Lay all of the mushroom tops upside down on a cookie sheet that has a lip so the juices won't run off of the pan. ( I also tried using muffin tins to prevent the mushrooms from tipping over

7.  Use a teaspoon to put a bit of the mushroom/sausage mixture into the mushrooms. 

8.  Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

9.  Serve hot and enjoy!

 Waiting to be put into the oven!

All cooked and ready to serve!

I finished the tester for my mom's bag yesterday! Halleluiah! I love a good challenge, but trying to figure out how to construct this thing was tough for me! I know the fabrics/colors are not the greatest but keep in mind it was just a tester so I could figure out how to make it. Below are a few pictures of it.

Being displayed by my car. Outer pocket and straps are as long as she wanted. I don't know why the sides stick out a little like that, I think I'll need to interface those in the final bag I guess. :-/

Inside with dividers. My Mom wanted a skinny side (bottom part in picture) to put her laptop. Then 3 compartments for her water, papers to sit upright, and her coffee thermos. She gave me exact dimensions and I have to brag that it turned out exactly as she requested! :) Also there are two flaps that can be snapped on the top in case it rains or something, but when not in use just fold into the bag.

The bag sitting up on it's own.

What do you think of it? Any feedback/ suggestions are always welcome!

Yummy Modified Thai Fried Rice Recipe

So I had some leftover rice I was trying to figure out what to do with. I was talking to my sis-in-law and she told me I should look up a recipe for Thai fried rice. After searching around online a bit I found this recipe over at realthairecipes.com After reading some of the comments under their recipe it seems as though maybe it's not 100% authentic since it doesn't have fish sauce in it. Well, I didn't have fish sauce on hand anyways, so I went for it. I made some changes so I thought I'd share my recipe with you here. Warning, this recipe isn't super specific as far as measurements. I usually just gauge how I make food depending on how it looks, smells and tastes as I go, so bear with me I'm not a cookbook author. :) 

Ingredients:

• 3 T. Olive oil (divided 2T. and 1T.)
• 1 cup sliced onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 lb. of uncooked chicken breasts
• 2 1/2 cups cooked rice (About a day old is good since it's better if it's a little dry apparently)
• 4 diced roma tomatoes
• 2 T. Soy Sauce
• 3 T. Sriracha chili sauce
• 2 eggs cracked into a bowl but not stirred
• about 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 5 chopped green onions
• 1/2 cucumber chopped
• 1 lime quartered

Directions:

1. Prep all ingredients. Chop, mince, slice and dice all of the veggies. Cut the raw chicken breasts into bite-size, thin slices. If the rice is cold from being refrigerated heat it up a bit in the microwave so it's closer to room temperature.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on high until hot. Add the sliced onion (don't add the green onion yet). Stir well and when it’s softened add the garlic. When the garlic is slightly browned add the chicken. Stir well. Keep flipping the chicken until it’s white on all sides.
3. Stir in the rice and tomatoes.
4. Add the soy sauce and Sriracha and stir well.
5. Push the rice to the outside side of the pan so that there's an open hole in the middle. Add the remaining 1 T. of olive oil into the hole and drop the 2 eggs into the hot oil. Let set for a minute or two then stir it all together. Make sure that the eggs are fully cooked as you continue to stir everything together.
6. Stir in the cilantro and green onions. Turn off heat.
7. Serve with a quarter of the lime and some cucumbers on top. 

This recipe made 4 entree servings. Also, I'm not completely sure how much of the olive oil, soy sauce and Sriracha I actually used since I just added it as I went, so you may want to use your better judgement depending on your tastes.

I hope you enjoy it! I know I'll be making it again soon. :) Please feel free to comment or ask questions if there's anything you'd like to me to clarify.


And for good measure here's a video of my sweetie :)

Homemade

Last night for dinner we made some pasta, chicken and a salad. I made my first loaf of bread from scratch without using my bread maker. It actually came out really good and we got two loafs from the recipe which is nice. I used a recipe in an English cookbook I have. The bread is Oatmeal Bread and it has a slight sweetness to it, with very full flavors. I have to admit I'm pretty proud of it. Also, a few nights ago I made latkes from scratch for the first time. They tasted delicious but I didn't take a picture since they weren't the prettiest things I've made.

Oatmeal Bread

Our Complete Meal

So much going on!

This past week was crazy for us! It began with Jack and I heading downtown to the LA flower mart to pick up the flowers for Brandon's and Kari's wedding on Wednesday morning. Jack was so good and didn't fuss at all. I think he actually enjoyed it, he had so much to look at down there. I made the bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres and the flower girl's kissing ball for the wedding, so I started working on those as soon as we got home from Los Angeles. My grandparents came into town Wednesday evening and I made my easy carnitas tacos for them, which they loved (recipe to follow).

Thursday morning my grandparents came over again and helped me make the boutonnieres, (which I had 10 to make) while I finished the bridesmaids bouquets(6) as well as the toss bouquet, corsages(4) and the kissing ball. I threw together the green bean casserole that I was bringing and he headed out to our first Thanksgiving feast. There were about 50 people there from our family, Kari's family and her sister's in laws. Kari's older sister Karla and her hubby Vince hosted it and did an amazing job. Everything came together well and everyone enjoyed each others company.

The Matron of Honor's Bouquet

Our huge Family

Our Little Family

Chatting with Each Other

Next we headed off to Tom's family's Thanksgiving. It was a nice surprise that his Uncle and cousin from northern California made it down since we weren't expecting them. We ate massive amounts of food and ended the evening chatting while the boys went outside and smoked their pipes. We got home around 11:30 and I got straight back to work on the flowers. I finished wrapping the bouquets in the ribbon, which takes so much longer than people realize. Then, I made the groom's boutonniere and the bride's bouquet. Everything came out just the way I had hoped it would. We went to bed at 3 and got as much sleep as we could before the big day.

Jack and his cousin Joey

Tom and Jack with Uncle Lance and Evan

Friday morning we got up and ready to be at my Dad's house for the girl's pictures. Kari loved the bouquets and so did the bridesmaids. After the girls finished their pictures, we all headed over to the church. The ceremony was gorgeous and of course I cried. It's my baby brother getting married, so it's understandable right? The couple looked stunning as always. The reception was at my Dad's house and we had cake and champagne with everyone and later in the evening dinner with the family. They had a table of cupcakes as their cake and while I was in the bedroom nursing Jack, somebody (I won't say who) knocked over the table with the cake on it and they all went crashing to the floor. Brandon and Kari took it with grace though and laughed it off. My stepdad saved the day and went to Vons and got them a couple cakes so they could at least have their wedding cake tradition.

The Gorgeous Couple Relaxing at the Reception

The Siblings

My Beautiful Sisters! ...Note their bouquets :)

Kari and Savannah

Me with my Mom and Jack

The Ladies

They're SO Excited!! :)

Saturday my family all came over here and we had the whole day to hang out and visit with them. It was really nice to not have any plans and just enjoy the day and the time together. Sadly, my out of town family had to leave Sunday morning so after we had breakfast with them at their hotel we said our goodbyes.

Carnitas Recipe:
Pork shoulder (last time I got 3 lbs)
Jar of green salsa (whatever spicyness level you prefer)
6 cloves of garlic
water
1. Put pork shoulder in crock pot
2. Empty jar of salsa over meat
3. Place whole, peeled cloves of garlic on meat
4. Cover with water
5. Cook on low for 10-12 hours or high for 6-8 hours
6. Take out meat and shred to remove fat
7. Serve with tortillas, guacamole, salsa, chips and whatever toppings you prefer
ENJOY!!