I've Got Friends Near Mountain Places (Vacation Day 6: May 19)

Friday was our last full day of vacation and we took the opportunity to relax a little bit before heading back home.  Some of us headed to brunch at a little place in Hendersonville.  It was tiny, but the food was yummy.

Blueberry Pancakes

Omelette

Apple Pancakes

After brunch, we went to the downtown area in Hendersonville and did a little light shopping.  We found a small present for Lola and enjoyed walking around.  There were decorated concrete bears all over the area.  We were told that they were auctioned off to benefit various charities.  Next, we met up with my good friend, Becca, and her family to visit with them at the cabin.  We hit a bit of a rainstorm, but by the time we were back to the cabin, it stopped. 

Decorative Bears in Hendersonville

It was so wonderful to visit with Becca, her husband, and sweet kiddos!  It had definitely been too long and its always wonderful to catch up friends and see how they are doing.

Sweet Friends! 

Our final meal out in NC was BBQ.  Mom and Dad drove down the mountain to go pick up BBQ for the whole crew.  It was pretty tasty, as we ate it so fast that we forgot to take pictures!

BBQ

Our last night ended pretty early after we did some packing.  We all had an early morning ahead to get home. 

Blue Apron: Hot Chicken & Sauteed Green Beans with Creamy Mashed Potato

So far, my experiences with cooking my Blue Apron meals have been very positive and frustration free.  That was not the case when I tried the recipe for Hot Chicken and Sautéed Green Beans with Creamy Mashed Potatoes.  I do not like to fry and these chicken fingers proved difficult in the frying process.  Mike started by prepping and cutting the fresh produce.  Once it was cut, I put the shallots in a bowl with vinegar and seasoned with salt and pepper.  Next, I marinated the chicken with milk, vinegar, and half the spice blend.  I let it marinate about 10-15 minutes.  While the chicken marinated, I boiled the potato for about 15 minutes.  I drained the water and added fromage blanc, butter, salt, and pepper.  I mashed the potatoes and set them aside.  Next, I heated up oil in a pan, added green beans, seasoned them, and cooked them for 3-4 minutes.  I placed them in a bowl and added the shallot mixture.  Then, I double coated the chicken in a flour/spice blend.  I heated up a pan of oil and cooked the chicken about 3-4 minutes on each side in small batches.  This is where the trouble came into play.  The outside of the chicken looked done, but the inside wasn't cooked through.  I heated up the oven and put the chicken on a pan in the oven for about 5-7 minutes to finish cooking on the inside, without over cooking the outside.  In the end, the food was yummy.  Unfortunately, I found the frying to be a pain.  The potatoes could have used a little more seasoning, perhaps some garlic would have been better.  I did like the green beans and the chicken was tasty, despite the frustration.  In the future, I need to remember to not choose recipes that involve frying or put on my patient pants. 

Go Tell It On The Mountain (Vacation Day 5: May 18)

Thursday started the last busy day of our trip.  We headed to Mount Pisgah through the Blue Ridge Mountains, making several stops along the way to enjoy the scenery and take pictures.   We did a very small amount of climbing. (I realized that my legs could handle the climb, but my lungs were not into it!)

So many tunnels! 

The Kids

After heading back to Asheville, we made a snack stop at Hole Donuts.  Everyone who worked there was super friendly.  They explained how they made the donuts to order and gave donut and Asheville recommendations.  The donuts were so tasty and we had some pretty tasty coffee, as well.   

It's Time to Make the Donuts! 

From Hole, our group split up, with Katie and Aaron heading to check out art and the rest of us going on the New Belgium Brewing Tour.  We were 4/6 of the tour, so it was nice and personal.  We also had a tour guide from Austin, Becca, who was really sweet and knowledgeable.  We learned a lot about the business and brewing side of New Belgium.  The buildings were all very artistically designed with found items by local artists giving it a very cool vibe.  The company takes great care of its employees and they all took pride in their work.  If I lived in Asheville or Fort Collins, CO, I would definitely want to work for them!  Along the tour, we got to try several beer samples and even got to slide down a slide from one level to the next.  With a beautiful campus and great beer, this was a really awesome beer tour! 

New Belgium Brewing Tour

Free Beer! 

The Slide

Bottling Line

Trouble Maker

From New Belgium, we headed to Urban Orchard Ciders to try some ciders and enjoy some appetizers.  There were several unique types of cider, including some with hints of jalapeno or honey.  We also enjoyed some pimento cheese, another treat of the South.   

Cider Flight

Pimento Cheese

After a long day, we relaxed back at the cabin, preparing for the end of our trip. 

Pin a Day: Peanut Butter S'more Blossoms

On Wednesdays, we bake.  I love to bake and share with my friends at Whitestone for trivia.  This week I made Peanut Butter S'more Blossoms.   This is basically a twist on the traditional peanut butter blossoms or as we call them, Peanut Butter Ta Tas.  I started by gathering up my ingredients and making sure that Lola was fully occupied, as I didn't want her adding to the recipe.  First, I mixed peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until it was nice and smooth.  I added in the vanilla, egg, milk, salt, and baking powder.  Finally, I mixed in the flour, a bit at a time, allowing the dough to take shape.  I used my scoop to shape the dough into balls and rolled them in sugar.  I placed them on 2 baking sheets and cooked them for 7 minutes.  After the came out of the oven, I used the end of a baking spoon to carefully poke a hole in each cookie.  Then, I quickly added a mini marshmallow and mini Reese's cup to each cookie.  I allowed them to cool completely before moving them to my storage containers.  The recipe made 4 dozen cookies so I had plenty for my beer tenders, friends, and some to keep at home.  I love all things S'mores so these were delightful.  They tasted great with darker beers and would also pair nicely with milk or coffee.  I also liked the small size, making them a perfect snack.  These were easy to make and tasty, so they will definitely be filed among the favorites in my recipe book!

Put Some South in Your Mouth (Vacation Day 4: May 17)

Wednesday was history day.  We decided that we would go to the Biltmore after going out to breakfast at Biscuit Head.  As we were getting ready, Rocky came to visit us again.  He was not happy with us when we were leaving, barking as we left.  We headed to Biscuit Head, a place we had seen on the Travel Channel. 

Rocky came for another visit

Biscuit Head was a tiny, hole in the wall type place with eclectic decor and an interesting menu.  In addition to the regular menu items, there were gravies, sides, bacons, and beverages of the day.  So there were lots of options that morning.  We tried most of the gravies in our group, along with the giant biscuits.  Mike enjoyed the gravy flight, where he could choose 3 different types of gravy.  The red eye gravy was really interesting, as it was thin and comprised of coffee from the previous day along with other seasonings.  Most of the gravies had a bit of a kick to them, which was a little surprising to some members of our party.   

Biscuit with a Gravy Flight

Cajun Biscuit Sandwich

From Biscuit Head, we went to the Biltmore Estate.  The Estate or Village is one of the major employers in Asheville and it was interesting to see the combination of historical and modern features.  Per the suggestion of my friend, Becca, we decided to do the tour with the audio devices.  The audio tour really described each room in detail and almost painted a picture of what it was like to live on the Estate.  The house and gardens were beautiful and it was cool to learn more about the history of the building and the Vanderbilt family.  We got a bit warm in the gardens, so we decided to go to the winery to cool off a bit.  We were able to sample several different wines and even brought a few home. 

Biltmore

History Day! 

Tapestry in the Biltmore

Chandelier

Kitchen

We finished the tour! 

Part of the Gardens

From the winery

Many of our friends who had been to Asheville in the past recommended that we go to Tupelo Honey for a meal.  We had a little bit of a drive as there was traffic, but we got there and got seated.  Our waiter was fabulous, giving us recommendations and pointing out some of his favorite menu items.  We started off with fried pickles and nachos along with our drinks while we made our dinner selections.  Mike and I had a really yummy peanut butter and jelly beer from Catawba that tasted just like peanut butter and jeally.  Our food was okay, but we did have a long day and may not have been super hungry to fully enjoy it. 

Nachos at Tupelo Honey

More Biscuits! 

Chicken Sandwich and Tater Smashers

Fried Chicken BLT with Brussel Sprouts and Hominy

By Wednesday evening, we were all starting to get a little tired, so we made it an early night.  We had several more things on our list to do/see and were rapidly running out of time and energy to conquer them all.

Blue Apron: Blackened Pork Chops with Roasted Squash and Tomatillo Salsa Fresca

Yesterday our second batch of groceries arrived from Blue Apron.  I unpacked everything and then we had the task of deciding which fabulous meal to cook first.  Ultimately, we selected the pork chops.  The last pork meal we tried from Blue Apron was so awesome and we had high hopes for this one, too.  This recipe was tasty, but we decided that the last pork recipe was truely awesome.  We were excited that once again we got to work with a new ingredient.  This time that ingredient was tomatillos.  Mike started as my sous chef with prepping the produce by washing, cutting and slicing it.  Meanwhile, I preheated the oven to 475, prepared a baking sheet, and got a pot of water to start boiling.  In a medium bowl, I mixed together the tomatillos, cilantro, juice of two lime wedges, jalapeno, and the lime zest (whoops!).  I also added in some salt, pepper, and olive oil.  Once the water was boiling, I added the barley and let it cook 25 minutes.  Next, I put the cut squash on the baking sheet, seasoned it with salt and pepper, and drizzled it with olive oil.  The squash cooked in the oven for 9 minutes.  To prep the pork chops, I seasoned them with the season packet and salt and pepper.    I cooked them in a hot skillet with olive oil for about 4-6 minutes per side.  I let the pork chops rest for a few minutes.  I mixed the squash into the barley, along with lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.  We served the sliced pork with the barley and salsa Fresca.  The pork was very tasty, but the barley was pretty bland.  However, the salsa mixed with the barley was quite tasty.  Overall, we liked this meal, but it wasn't necessarily  the best meal we'd ever made.

Bones, Art, and Coffee (Vacation Day 3: May 16)

By Tuesday morning, we were in full vacation mode.  We got up at a reasonable hour, got ready, and were on our way to Asheville.  As in previous vacations, a good way for us to learn about a city is to take a hop on/hop off tour.  Our plan was to ride the trolley all the way through and then go back to any points of interest.  We rode most of the way through, hopped off, and then finished the tour.  This tour was a little different in that many of the stops were hotels or restaurants, and not necessarily places of interest for us.  Eventually we got off near the River Arts District to do a little exploring.  It was nice to get to hear a little bit of history of Asheville and some of its beautiful buildings. 

Asheville Trolley Tour

Historic home

Historic Buildings in Asheville

Happy Campers on the Tour! 

The River Arts District wasn't exactly what we had expected.  Everything was a bit more spread out than we had realized. We did visit a few places before seeking refreshments.  Katie, Mike and I went for a cider and beers at Wedge Brewing Company.  It was a hole in the wall type of place with a great patio and the promise of rotating food trucks.  We thought we could walk to 12 Bones Smokehouse from the River Arts District, but that didn't work out.  We headed for coffee and a quick snack at Ultra Coffee House and then hopped back on the trolley to finish the tour.

Wedge Brewing in the River Arts District

Iced Coffee! 

Fabulous art in the River Arts District

After we completed the trolley tour, we drove to 12 Bones Smokehouse for some highly recommended BBQ.  We each tried something slightly different and had a chance to try bites from each other.  The turkey was smoked and almost seemed shaved.  It was totally different and really great.  I loved the jalapeno cheese grits because you have to eat grits when you are in the South.  Mike tried the ribs and they were good, but he likes the ribs at our local joint, Big Cat BBQ, better.

Highly recommended BBQ

Oh Boys! 

Pretty Mama  

Turkey, jalapeno cheese grits, green beans, corn bread

Turkey sandwich, baked beans, potato salad  

Cold beer, ribs, mac and cheese, potato salad

There was a Wedge Brewing Company attached to 12 Bones with a clever mural, so we had to get a picture.  We spent a little bit of time checking out a few of the artist studios.  My favorite was a place that encouraged you to touch the art.   

Wedge Brewery by 12 Bones Smokehouse

On our way back to the cabin, we stopped at Walmart again for more provisions.  After a day of eating, we had snacks in the evening and ended the night with some fun and games. 

Pin a Day: One Pan Italian Sausage and Veggies

After vacation, it takes a hot second get back in the groove of things.  For me, that includes cooking.  On Saturday, we ate out because we had no food and on Sunday, we had spaghetti because I didn't want to think too hard.  Last night, I was ready to try something new.  The Blue Apron meals have inspired me to try new veggies and eat a bit healthier.  The scale after vacation definitely makes me want to eat better!  So, I made One Pan Italian Sausage and Veggies.   I liked how simple the recipe was once everything was prepped.  I actually did all my own chopping, which is amazing if you've ever seen my knife skills!  I started by gathering up all my ingredients and preheating the oven to 400 degrees.  I got out a big baking sheet and lined it with foil.  Next, I started cutting and chopping my veggies.  I used a summer squash, carrots, red potatoes, broccoli, and red peppers.  I also sliced some chicken Italian sausage.  I put the veggies and sausage on the baking sheet.  Next, I mixed a spice blend of basil, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, minced onion, red pepper flakes, thyme, salt and pepper.  I blended that with some olive oil and drizzled it over the sausage and veggies.  I popped them in the oven for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, I tossed the veggies and cooked them for another 15 minutes.  When the veggies were done cooking, I pulled them out of the oven and grated some parmesan cheese over them.  Dinner was ready to serve.  We ate the sausage and veggies straight from the oven, but you could definitely add rice, quinoa, or pasta to stretch the meal a bit.   We really liked this meal.  It was tasty, healthy, and only used one pan!  This recipe is more of a blue print, meaning you could easily switch up the veggies, meat, or spices used.  This is definitely a meal that we will be repeating again this summer.

Mission for Dogs

We got home from vacation at dinner time on Saturday.  After enjoying a quick dinner, we headed home to start on laundry and try to catch up on some tv shows.  Sunday started with sleeping in, more laundry, and some light yard work.  We hadn't been to the grocery store in a while, so we were so excited to head to Whitestone for a Pints for Pups event.  Whitestone was donating $1 for every pint sold to Texas Humane Heroes.  We always support Humane Heroes, as that is where we met Lola.  The event included many of our favorite things: beer, puppies, and a new food truck!  We got our pints, said hi to various friends, and headed out to the patio.  Texas Humane Heroes had a raffle for various prizes and one pup that was available for adoption.  There were tons of pups visiting on the patio, enjoying the cooler weather.  In addition, there was a Praline table, face painting, and live music.  The featured food truck was Mission Dogs.  Mission Dogs was a hotdog cart with bacon wrapped hotdogs.  There were several variations with lots of toppings, but we opted for traditional.  We just got plain dogs with bacon.  They were fabulous!  A juicy hotdog, wrapped in crispy bacon on a toasty bun really paired well with a cool brew!  It was a really busy day at Whitestone and we had several errands to run, but it was a great stop.  Whitestone never disappoints with fun events, great beers, and awesome food! 

Some Rest for the Wicked (Vacation Day 2: May 15)

Monday started off late.  We all took the opportunity to sleep in.  As we awoke, we ate breakfast and drank coffee on the covered porch.  We had a great view of nature, both plant and animal.  At one point, we tried to keep track of the various animals we saw, but we definitely lost track.  The first morning we saw a turtle, deer, and several large carpenter bees.  It was a cool morning and we took a bit of time to enjoy our coffee and make plans for the week. 

Turtle! 

As we were sipping our coffee, suddenly, we got a visitor!  A little white dog came running up to the porch, tried to snag food from us, and eventually snuggling with us and taking a nap.  As we made plans for the week, he just sat there listening and snuggling.  Eventually, a golf cart pulled up, and we realized that our visitor, was the neighboring dog, Rocky.  He left, reluctantly, and we finished making plans. 

Rocky, our neighbor

After we got ready, we headed into Asheville, which was about a 30-40 minute drive.  We decided to try Wicked Weed Brew Pub, as they had beer and food options.  We started off with some homemade chips and dip and the drinks began to flow.  Mike and Aaron really got into the fun and tried flights of beers, so they knew what to try next.  We all opted for burgers and fries, with some people choosing black bean or bison burgers, various toppings, and different types of fries.  I got beer cheese to put on my burger and as a dip for fries.  It was pretty good and reminded me of a beer flavored nacho cheese.  We really enjoyed the laid back atmosphere and our waiter was awesome and gave us other recommendations of places to visit.

Enjoying the brews at Wicked Weed Brew Pub

Burgers, beer cheese, and fries

After Wicked Weed, we took a short stroll down the road to Double D's Coffee.  Most of us enjoy an afternoon "frappe hour" and today was no different. Double D's was a cute coffee shop out of an old double decker bus.  I really enjoyed my peanut butter cup mocha.  It was just what I needed to pick me up. 

Coffee break at Double D's

We headed back to the house and enjoyed some time on the patio, checking out the view and eventually seeing a few stars.  After a big lunch, we snacked for dinner and headed to bed at a reasonable hour, so we could get up in time for a trolley tour on Tuesday. 

Love birds

Sunset on the patio

Ain't No Mountain High Enough (Vacation Day 1: May 14)

Once again, its family vacation recap time.  We started our journies in Austin, TX and St. Louis, MO, heading to Asheville, NC.  Part of our group loaded up bright and early, road tripping from St. Louis.  Mike and I flew from Austin to Charlotte and then drove to Asheville.  We had a fabulous week and were excited to get to spend Mother's Day with Mom.  This year's trip gave us plenty of beautiful experiences and pictures, while being much different than the past few years' beach trips.  We spent the week in a fabulous cabin in the mountains of Hendersonville and trekked to Asheville for many adventures.

Our View on the Drive from Charlotte to Hendersonville

Road Trip Fun! 

We all had smooth travels on the first day, with no mishaps.  Our drive from Charlotte to Hendersonville was relaxing and beautiful.  However, once we got closer to the cabin, the drive proved to be a little bit difficult.  The steep, gravel/paved road was almost a little bit more than our rental car could handle!  Thankfully, my parents vehicle can take on any challenge, so Bob was the designated driver all week. 

View from our cabin

Our home away from home was gorgeous with plenty of porches for enjoying nature.  Over the course of our trip, we saw deer, turkeys, turtles, lizards, squirrels, and a few dogs from our home.  The inside was really neat, too, with a lofted master bedroom, spacious common area decorated with bears, and two cool basement bedrooms. 

Our Home for the Week

Home, Sweet Home

We Made it! 

After arriving and unpacking, we we all ready for dinner.  Going out to eat can be a challenge on Mother's Day, especially when you are in a new place.  Bob found a great Italian restaurant in some of the travel information.  So we loaded up and headed down the mountain to Mona Lisa's in Hendersonville.  We had a little bit of a wait, but the kind staff got us seated and settled.  We took a little bit to decide because everything sounded so yummy.  In the end, Katie and I split a pizza, with everyone else enjoying various Italian dishes.  All the food was fabulous and definitely better than any Italian food in Texas. 

Chicken and Pasta at Mona Lisa's

Gnocchi

Sausage Pizza

A family vacation always requires a trip to Walmart for necessities and this year was no different.  After dinner, we headed to Walmart to pick up food, forgotten items, and a bit of local adult beverages to enjoy.  We opted to not stay up too late, as we were all tired from a long day of travel and we wanted to start our vacation off well rested on Monday.

Blue Apron: Roasted Pork and Mustard Pan Sauce with Asparagus and Fingerling Potatoes

Our third Blue Apron meal this week was another winner!  This was one of the best pork dishes we've ever made.  My mom will also be proud that I ate asparagus and I may have liked it. I started by gathering the ingredients and preheating the oven to 450.  Mike worked on washing and cutting all the produce/herbs.  I put foil on a pan and prepped the pork by seasoning it.  I seared the pork in a pan with oil over medium high heat for 2 minutes on each side.  Then, I cooked the pork in the oven for 16 minutes.  While the pork was cooking, I cooked the potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper in a pan with olive oil.  Once the potatoes were cooked, I added the asparagus and shallots.  I cooked that for about 5 minutes, seasoning at the end.  Once the pork had finished cooking, I let it rest on a a cutting board for about 5 minutes.  The last step was making the pan sauce.  I used the fond (pan scrapings) from the pork, the drippings from the roast pan, butter, mustard, water, lemon juice and salt and pepper.  I turned off the heat and added in the tarragon, mixing it well.  We plated our meal with pieces of pork, vegetables, and a generous helping of the sauce.  It was amazing!  The pork was cooked perfectly.  We loved the fingerling potatoes.  I ate aspargus and didn't hate it.  The sauce added so much flavor to an already wonderful dish.  We have definitely enjoyed our first week of Blue Apron meals.  We tried new things and new styles of cooking.  We definitely ate more vegetables and got some great ideas for future meals.  This week was just a test run, but we loved it and look forward to our next week of meals.

Blue Apron: Stir Fried Wonton Noodles with Bok Choy and Radishes

Tonight we made our second Blue Apron meal and while it wasn't as good as the first meal, I would eat it again.  This time, I didn't exactly follow directions as they were printed.  First of all, Blue Apron made a substitution and gave us a Persian cucumber instead of radishes because they were a fresher option.  Secondly, we are not mushroom people, so I replaced the shiitake mushrooms with a chicken breast.  Otherwise, we followed the directions.  First, I had Mike work cutting ginger, scallions, cucumber and bok choy.  While he was doing that, I heated a pot of water on high heat, cooked the chicken in a skillet with olive oil, and marinated the cucumber in a bowl of vinegar with salt and pepper.  Once the chicken was cooked, I added garlic, ginger, and scallions to the pan with salt and pepper and cooked it about 2 minutes.  Next, I added in the bok choy and more salt and pepper.  I let it cooked for 3 minutes, added some water, and let it cook 2 more minutes.  While the bok choy was cooking, I cooked the noodles in boiling water for 4 minutes.  I drained them, reserving 1/2 cup of the noodle water.  To the skillet, I added the cooked noodles, hoisin sauce, the marinated cucumbers and the marinade, half the noodle water and half the gochujang (for spice).  I cooked the combination about 2 more minutes.  I turned off the heat and stirred in the fromage blanc. 

We portioned out our plates and topped with cashews and furikake.  We enjoyed our stir fry with a brew.  We've tried lots of Asian recipes and while this was not the best one, it was pretty good.  I am not really a cucumber fan and the Persian cucumbers were almost a cross between a cucumber and zucchini.  I probably would have liked the radishes better.  This meal also made plenty for one meal and leftovers.  We are really enjoying the Blue Apron recipes and look forward to trying another one tomorrow night. 

Blue Apron: Tandoori-Style Chicken and Rice

This week, we are going on a new food adventure.  After hearing about Blue Apron and seeing that they have a local office right by Mike's office, we decided it was time to give it a try.  I found a promo code that basically cut the price of our first shipment in half.  Signing up was simple.  After filling out the billing information, I put in some dietary preferences, and got to select recipes for my first shipment.  When I made my first selection, I could only choose from 6 recipes, but I have noticed that they have now changed it to 8 choices.  I picked 3 recipes and waited anxiously for my first shipment to arrive.  My first shipment arrived today in a cardboard box while I was running errands.  Inside the box, was a foil/bubble wrap insulated bag, recipe cards and other important informational sheets, all the ingredients for 3 meals, and two giant ice packs.

My ingredients ranged from meats, vegetables, rice, spices, herbs, and extra items.  Each item was clearly labeled with storage instructions and the name of the item.  I'm not sure how long my shipment sat on the porch, but everything was still very cold when I unpacked it and added it to the fridge.

After picking up Mike and Lola, we looked at the 3 recipes to decide which we would try for dinner.  We opted for the Tandoori Style Chicken and Rice with Summer Squash and Raita.  I looked at the recipe card to pull out the correct ingredients and got started.  I had Mike grate the cucumber, slice the squash (zucchini), and quarter the lemon.  I got started on the chicken.  I preheated the oven to 475 and prepped chicken.  I removed the skin because I really didn't think this recipe needed it.  I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper.  I mixed together the tandoori spice packet and half the Greek yogurt.  I coated each chicken breast with the yogurt mixture and popped it in the oven for 20 minutes.  The next step was the rice.  In a small pot, I combined the rice packet, a pinch of salt and 1 cup of water.  After brining it to a boil, I lowered the heat and covered it, allowing it to cook for about 12 minutes.  Next, I mixed the raita.  I took the shredded cucumber, remaining Greek yogurt, the juice of 1 lemon quarter, and salt/pepper and mixed it all together.  Then, I heated up some olive oil in a skillet and cooked the seasoned zucchini for about 7 minutes.  Everything was finished at approximately the same time.  To finish the rice, I added in the zucchini, the juice of 1 lemon quarter, and some chopped mint leaves. 

We each took one chicken breasts, some of the zucchini/rice mixture, a lemo quarter, and a bit of the raita.  After we took our portion, there was still plenty of rice mixture and raita leftover. 

The end effect was worth the wait!  The chicken was tender and flavorful with a definite kick.  The rice was fluffy and had great flavor with the addition of the mint and zucchini.  Despite not liking cucumber, I actually liked the raita, which reminded me a little bit of a Greek sauce.  The raita paired great with the chicken to cut some of the heat.  We really liked this meal and would order it again, given the option.  I will definitely hang on to this recipe card so we could make it again.  Our first Blue Apron recipe was a definite success and we look forward to trying more recipes. 

Pin a Day: Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Risotto

I am my mother's daughter in many ways.  One of those ways is that on occasion, I love a good steak!  I must have been hungry for steak when I made this week's menu, including this Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Risotto.   I did change things up a little bit by using arborio instead of instant white rice and sirloin steaks instead of tenderloin.  I started by gathering up my ingredients and had Mike chop up a red pepper and zucchini.  Next, I cooked my veggies in some Greek vinaigrette dressing (I substituted this for the other vinaigrette).  Once the veggies had cooked about 7 minutes, I added the other ingredients and brought them to a boil.  I let that simmer about 20 minutes because arborio rice takes a bit longer to cook.  Meanwhile, I heated up my skillet, added in some Greek vinaigrette dressing, and cooked my steaks.  The steaks were pretty thick so it took a while for them to get to medium/medium well done ness.  Finally, the food was ready to eat!  I really enjoyed this meal.  The risotto was creamy and fluffy.  The veggies and dressing added great flavor.  The steak was yummy, too.  I enjoyed the flavor that the dressing added.  This is definitely a recipe that could be changed up depending on the dressing and vegetables you have in your house.  This was also a great choice for us because it didn't make way too many leftovers.  We will definitely have this again, as I am always a fan of steak!

You Are My Sunshine!

This Sunday, Lola was up and ready to go.  We went for our walk and she ate breakfast and I was ready for coffee.  After much deliberation, Mike and I decided to head to Morning Sunshine Breakfast Treats to get some coffee and breakfast.  We've been meaning to go, but we are really "wake up in time" for breakfast people.  Lola is working to amend that!  Morning Sunshine was located in a newer strip mall close to our house.  It had great reviews on Yelp, so we had high expectations.  Morning Sunshine had a varied menu with donuts, breakfast tacos and sandwiches, bagels, kolaches, muffins, and even a yogurt and oatmeal bar.  They also had several types of coffee with various milk and syrup options.  Amy, helped us make our breakfast decisions by recommending that we at least try the cake donuts and that made our ordering a little bit easier.  Mike got two of his favorite donuts, chocolate iced cake donuts, and a sausage kolache.  I opted for a cinnamon sugar cake donut and a chocolate iced donut with buttercream filling.  Everything was amazing!  The coffee I picked had pecan flavoring and really fixed my need for caffeine.  Mike's cake donuts tasted just like birthday cake with chocolate frosting.  My cinnamon sugar donut tasted just like a churro and there is nothing better that a donut filled with buttercream frosting rather than custard.  Mike really liked his kolache, too, and can't wait to try the breakfast tacos.  We also had a nice time chatting with Amy and discussing our love of donuts and the disappointment of many Texas donuts. (She is from Colorado.)  Mike and I have definitely found our new favorites and to give my St. Louis friends a better understanding of how great these donuts are-they are just as delicious, if not, better than my beloved Old Town Donuts.  We will be back soon for more delicious donuts, coffee, and to try more breakfast treats! 

Pin a Day: Healthy Turkey Enchiladas

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Today's lunch was thematically appropriate from last night's leftovers.  We loved these Healthy Turkey Enchiladas.   This was a healthy and tasty recipe that we will definitely be making again, perhaps with a few modifications.  I started the recipe by defrosting my ground turkey and then browning it in the skillet while my sous chef diced a zucchini.  Once the meat was browned, I added the zucchini, onion and garlic, allowing it to cook for a few minutes in the skillet.  Side note: garlic burns if you get it in your eye.  Once the meat and veggies had cooked, I added a cup of tomato sauce and a cup of enchilada sauce to the mixture.  I scooped about 1/2 cup of the mixture into 10 tortillas and placed each seam side down in a 9x13 dish.  I sprayed the top of the enchiladas with cooking spray to help crisp them and cooked them at 375 for 20 minutes.  I pulled them out of the oven and poured enchilada sauce and sprinkled cheese on top.  I put them back in the oven for about 5 more minutes.  Then, we enjoyed cheesy enchilada goodness.  The zucchini was a nice addition to enchiladas as a way to add in more veggies to a meal. I used full fat cheese because I don't like the way low fat cheese melts.  In the future, I might consider using less cheese to make this dish a little healthier.  It was yummy for dinner last night and still tasty for lunch today.  We will definitely have this again soon.

Pin a Day: Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

Do you ever get tired of eating the same things all the time?  I definitely do!  I have been on a big risotto and grits kick as my go to side items with meals, but I was finally ready to try something new.  I had planned on making some oven BBQ chicken with a salad and I needed another side.  I browsed Pinterest and found this recipe for Orzo with Parmesan and Basil.   It sounded pretty tasty and was pretty easy to make, too.  I started by melting butter in my pot.  Next, I added the orzo and cooked it for a few minutes until it was golden brown.  Next, I added in 3 cups of chicken broth and brought the orzo to a simmer.  I let it simmer about 20 minutes, until all the liquid was absorbed by the orzo.  While the orzo was simmering, I granted some parmesan cheese and chopped up my basil.  After the orzo was done cooking, I added it the parmesan and basil, giving it a good stir.  We served the orzo with the chicken and were ready to enjoy.  I really liked this recipe!  The orzo was almost a cross between pasta and risotto, but was different enough to not be boring.  I also liked the addition of the parmesan and basil, two of my favorite things.  This recipe was a great addition to our meal and will become a new rotating side dish in our weekly menus.

We All Eat at the Planet Submarine...

Sunday was a family fun day for us.  We slept in, had donuts, and went to the park for a long walk on the trails.  We were hot and sweaty and didn't feel like cooking.  I wanted something light and couldn't decide what sandwich place to go to.  Mike had the great idea to try Planet Subs.  We had seen them while on another adventure and meant to give them a look.  We prescreened the menu and had a hard time trying to decide which sandwich to eat.  In the end, I picked the Creamy Turkey Club and Mike ordered the buffalo chicken sandwich.  It took a few minutes for them to make our sandwiches and then we were ready to eat.  My Creamy Turkey Club consisted of turkey, bacon, a tomato, sprouts, and cream cheese on toasted bread.  It was delightful!  The cream cheese took the place of cheese and condiments and was so good.  I will be keeping this in mind for future sandwiches at home, too!  Mike's buffalo chicken sandwich had great flavor and came with a side of ranch for dipping.  They also had taps of local beers inside.  We didn't partake this time, but it was a cool idea.  Overall, we were happy with our sandwiches and intrigued by some of the other options.  We will definitely return to try them out!

It's Time to Eat the Donuts!

I've been really hungry for donuts lately, but too lazy to drive to any to my favorite donut shop.  Fortunately, I found one that is even closer and just as delightful.   Vista Donuts is located on Vista Ridge in Cedar Park and happens to be in the same shopping center as a great pizza place and my new favorite ice cream place, Scoop and Score.  Yesterday was a pretty cool morning, so Lola and I slept in a little bit before heading out for our walk.  After our walk, she ate and went to snuggle with her dad while I got the donuts.  Mike is a little particular about his favorite type of donut, so I panicked a little bit when I got there.  They sold out of the chocolate iced cake donuts.  While I was texting him, the sweet lady behind the counter helped me decide.  I like a variety, so I went with 6 different options.   I picked a blueberry cake, a strawberry iced with sprinkles, a cinnamon sugar, a maple iced, an apple fritter, and a chocolate iced custard filled.  I also got 6 chocolate iced donuts.  I texted Mike when I left and he had coffee ready to enjoy with our donuts.  We didn't eat all 12 donuts, but we did try several.  I think our favorites so far have been the apple fritter and the blueberry cake donut.  The apple fritter was huge and full of apples and cinnamon goo.  The blueberry donut was soft and tasty.  This morning I enjoyed some more donuts and there are still more left for a snack or tomorrow's breakfast.  I am so excited to have found a donut shop that is close with such friendly workers.  I may have found my new Thanksgiving donut shop!