Blue Apron: Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni with Little Gem and Marinated Shallot Salad

Yesterday was another exciting day of car shopping and ultimately car buying,  so we decided to make dinner at home.  We had one Blue Apron meal left and decided to give it a try.  I got the oven preheated and a pot of water boiling while Mike prepped/washed the produce.  Mike marinated the shallots in the juice of two lemon wedges, salt, and pepper.  First, I made the filling for the cannelloni.  I cooked the spinach in oil over medium high heat until wilted, about 3-4 minutes.  I drained all the liquid out of the spinach and Mike chopped it up.  I added the spinach to ricotta cheese, the juice of two lemon wedges, slat, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.  After the filling was done, I got to work on the sauce.  I smashed up the tomatoes using a spatula and then my hands.  I cooked the garlic and red pepper flakes in oil for about a minute, adding the tomatoes, salt, and pepper, cooking for about 10 minutes.  While the sauce was cooking, I cooked the pasta sheets for about 3 minutes, draining, rinsing and setting them aside.  Once the sauce was cooked, I was ready to prepare the cannelloni.  I put about 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.  I separated the filling amongst the pasta sheets, rolling them up, and placing them seam side down in the baking dish.  I poured the rest of the sauce on top of the cannelloni and sprinkled them with parmesan cheese.  I cooked the cannelloni for 8 minutes while I prepared the salad.  To the mix of little gem lettuce and cucumbers, I added the marinated shallot mixture (plus olive oil) and tossed well.  Once the cannelloni was done, I plated the meal and we were ready to eat.  We actually only ate 2 cannelloni each, as they were quite filling.  Once again, everything was tasty.  I liked the salad and we modified it by adding a little less cucumber, as its not my favorite.  The cannelloni was well cooked and tasty, but I felt like the spinach needed to be better seasoned or maybe use less of it.  Overall this was a good meal, and gave us a little bit of leftovers, too.

Blue Apron: Cajun Spiced Chicken with Potato Salad and Red Cabbage Slaw

This has been a week of Cajun chicken for us.  On Sunday, I made a Cajun chicken pasta and last night we made Cajun chicken with potato salad and slaw.  This was a really tasty meal.  I love slaw and chicken, but I'm a little picky on potato salad.  I liked that this potato salad didn't have pickles, eggs, or too much mayonnaise in it.   Mike started by washing and cutting the produce while I brought a pot of water to a boil.  After what seemed like forever, I put the potatoes in the pot to boil for about 9 minutes.  Once the cabbage and carrots were ready, I mixed them with sugar, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper to form a slaw.  As the slaw marinated, I heated up some oil in a pan and cooked the onions and peppers for about 4 minutes, added some salt, pepper, and the celery, and cooked another 3 minutes.  I added the cooked veggies to the pot of cooked potatoes.  In the same pan, I heated up a little more oil and added my chicken breasts, which I had seasoned with salt and pepper.  The chicken breasts were cooked about 5-6 minutes per side.  I brushed the chicken breasts on each side with a Cajun seasoning-oil mix and cooked them a few more minutes on each side, cooking until they were done.  I added vinegar, mayo, salt, pepper, and oil to the potatoes and mixed it together.  We plated and were ready to eat.  This was another tasty Blue Apron meal.  It had a lot of great flavors.  There was so much potato salad that we definitely had leftovers.  This tasted like a perfect summer meal.

Blue Apron: Mexican Beef Fajitas with Sweet Peppers and Lime Creme Fraiche

Yesterday I got my latest delivery of Blue Apron groceries and the first recipe definitely did not disappoint.  We love Mexican food, but always wonder if we can make it better than the local Tex Mex places.  Last night, I think we came close.  Mike got all the produce washed and prepped. I preheated the oven and made the lime creme fraiche by mixing together creme fraiche, juice of 2 lime wedges, a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper.  The creme fraiche was a bit runnier than I would have expected, but the flavor was excellent.  Next, I started the rice boiling, allowing it to cook for 12 minutes.  When the rice was done cooking, I fluffed it with a wooden spoon and stirred in lime zest, salt, and pepper.  While the rice was cooking, I heated up some oil in a cast iron pan and prepped the beef by drying it off with a paper towel and seasoning it with salt and pepper.  I cooked it about 3 minutes and then another minute or so until it was browned and almost cooked through, setting it aside.   Next, I heated up a little more oil and cooked the onions for a few minutes, adding in the garlic and peppers for 5 more minutes.  While the veggies cooked, I put the tortillas, wrapped in aluminum foil, in the oven for 5 minutes.  I added the spice blend to the veggies and cooked for a minute and added in 1/4 cup of water, stirring and letting the water cook off.  Finally, I added the beef back to the veggies, cooking about a minute, turning off the heat and adding the juice of 2 lemon wedges.  We plated our fajitas by taking tortillas and layering them with rice, meat and veggie mix, creme fraiche and cilantro.  These were really yummy.  The beef was tender and everything had so much flavor.  We definitely had more food than would fit in our tiny corn tortillas that came with the delivery.  We each used a flour tortilla that we had in the fridge to use up all the food.  With all the great flavors and ease of the recipe, we will definitely be making these again. 

Pin a Day: Lightened Up Cajun Chicken Pasta

Sunday was another hot day here in Central Texas.  The temptation to eat ice cream for dinner was great, but I didn't have any ice cream at home.  Instead, I tried out this Lightened Up Cajun Chicken Pasta.   I started by bringing a pot of water to a boil and had Mike dice a tomato and scallion.  Normally, I would have had him chop up a red bell pepper, too, but I forgot to buy one.  I cooked the pasta for about 10 minutes.  While the pasta was cooking, I heated up some olive oil in a pan and cooked the Cajun seasoned chicken breasts for about 5 minutes on each side.  Once they were done in the pan, I put them on a foil lined baking sheet and cooked them in the oven at 375, cooking them until they reached 165.  Next, I heated up some more oil in the pan and added garlic, cooking until soft and fragrant.  I added in the milk and brought it to a simmer.  Then, I added in the water-cornstarch mixture and let the sauce thicken.  Finally, I turned off the burner and mixed in the parmesan cheese.  I stirred in the cooked pasta.  After the chicken had cooled, I cut it in to bite sized pieces and added it to the pasta.  We plated the pasta and garnished with tomatoes and scallions.  This dish was great.  I can't eat a lot of creamy sauces because they upset my stomach, but this lighter version was perfect.  It was light, but still had good flavor. The lightened version was great on a hot summer day.  There were some leftovers, but not too many leftovers to be overwhelming. I could see this dish becoming a staple in our house.

The Burger in the Hat

Yesterday we needed to go to the Domain so Mike could make an exchange at the Apple Store.  While we were there, we decided to get some lunch.  Walking around was really hot, but there were so many restaurants to choose from in the Rock Rose area.  We couldn't decide what we were hungry for, so we stopped at the first new place we saw, which happened to be Hat Creek Burger Company.  There are several locations throughout the Austin area, but it was our first time visiting.  This location had a slide for kids and really nice patio seating.  However, it was the hottest day of the year, so we sat inside this time.  After browsing the menu, we made our selections and ordered.   I picked the little hat burger with fresh cut fries.  Mike picked the 4 piece chicken flashers with fried pickles.  There were also 3 different sauces to try: a fry sauce, a mustard sauce, and a peppery sauce.  The food was really good.  My burger was tasty and not too big.  The fries were awesome and tasted great with the mustard sauce or fry sauce.  We didn't really care for the peppery sauce as much.  Mike liked his chicken flashers and fried pickles, too.   

We really liked the food here and would gladly come back again.  They also had milkshakes, but that seemed like a bad choice on such a hot day.  We look forward to trying those and more next time we visit. 

Blue Apron: Masala Spiced Beef with Plum Rice and Lime Yogurt

Yesterday was a long hot day, which we spent out searching for a new car.  When we finally got home, I was definitely glad that we had a Blue Apron meal at home to cook because I was hot and done being out.  Mike really likes Indian food so he was definitely excited to try this meal.  Mike washed and prepped the produce while I worked on putting everything together.  Once the plum was chopped, I marinated it in a bowl with sugar and the juice of one lime wedge. I made the lime yogurt by mixing together Greek yogurt, juice of one lim wedge, salt, and pepper.  I got the rice going by putting rice, water, and salt in a pot, bringing it to a boil, and cooking it for about 14 minutes.  When the rice was done, I stirred in the marinated plum, including the juice.  While the rice was cooking, I heated oil in a pan and cooked the squash and shallot for about 3 minutes until browned.  I seasoned it with salt and pepper and cooked another 3 minutes.  After the squash was done, I put it on a plate and heated up more oil in the pan.  I added the ground beef with a little salt and pepper and cooked it until lightly browned.  Next, I added in the tomato paste and masala spice and cooked another 4 minutes.  I added water and cooked until the liquid reduced.  Finally, I added in the spinach and cooked squash, cooking until the spinach wilted.  I turned off the heat and added the rest of the lime juice.  We plated the meal by putting rice on our plates, some masala beef mixture, a spoonful of lime yogurt, and a garnish of cilantro.  This meal was delicious!  There were so many interesting flavors and there were no ingredients that I didn't like.  Mike discovered that he might really like plums and I've been learning not to judge combinations of ingredients because the end result might just be amazing.

Blue Apron: Chicken and Napa Cabbage Salad with Cucumber, Asparagus, and Cashews

After the other night's less than favorable results, I was hoping to have a better meal.  I was really excited for the chicken and Napa cabbage salad because I really like salad and Asian flavors.    While I got a pot of water boiling, Mike washed and prepared the produce.  I mixed together the miso paste and water until it was smooth,  Next, I made a dressing of vinegar, sesame oil, olive oil, salt and pepper, adding it to the cabbage, cucumber, and carrots.  We let it marinate while we finished the rest of the recipe.  Then, I heated up oil in a pan and cooked the chicken until it was lightly browned.  I added in ginger and the white part of the scallions, seasoned with salt and pepper, and cooked another 2-3 minutes.  I filled a bowl with ice water and set it aside.  I boiled the asparagus for 2 minutes until it was bright green and softened and transferred it to the ice water.  To the chicken, I added the soy sauce and miso water and cooked it about 2 minutes until the sauce had thickened.  I turned off the heat and added in sesame oil.  Finally, I added the chicken and sauce, asparagus, cilantro leaves, mint leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil to the marinated vegetables.  We split the salad on two plates and garnished with scallions and cashews.  The salad was really tasty.  It had great flavors and even though I don't love cucumbers and asparagus, they were tolerable because the dressing was really good.  This is definitely a meal I could see us making again in the future. 

Blue Apron: Tomato Saffron Risotto with Sautéed Summer Squash and Baby Greens Salad

I was a bit frustrated by Blue Apron this week.  First, my shipment was a day late, due to a problem with Fed Ex.  I understand that wasn't in their control, but when my shipment arrived, it was not in the best shape.  My recipe cards were wet and wrinkled and the scallions were smashed.  This is quite atypical of the shipments I've gotten lately.  On Thursday, we decided to cook our first meal of the week and realized that we were missing one of the main ingredients-the saffron.  We cooked without it, but I did send an email to Blue Apron expressing my disappointment with the situation.  I got a really nice email back and a credit to my account.  I appreciate great customer service and hope that I don't have to contact them again.  Mike started by washing and cutting up the produce while I got the risotto started.  I heated up some oil and added in the shallot and garlic, letting it cook until fragrant.  Next, I added in the tomato paste and red pepper flakes, cooking until it was dark and fragrant.  I added in the rice, would have added the saffron at this point, and water, heating until boiling and cooking for about 16 minutes.  Once the risotto was done, I turned off the heat and added butter and mascarpone cheese.  While the risotto was cooking, I heated oil in a non stick pan and added in the squash, seasoning it, and cooking it until browned.  Then, I added in garlic, salt and pepper, cooking it for 1 minute, and finally adding in some vinegar and cooking it 1 more minute.  I made a salad dressing of vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper and drizzled it over the baby greens and parmesan cheese.  We divided the risotto on our plates and topped with the cooked squash and chives.  We really liked the salad.  The baby greens were fresh and it was a nice, salad.  The risotto was a bit disappointing.  It was cooked right, but was definitely lacking in flavor.  The squash and chives could only do so much for a rather bland risotto.  I don't know if the saffron would have completely fixed this meal, but I wish I had the opportunity to try that out.  I am glad we got a new idea for salad and hope that the rest of our meals are a little more flavorful. 

Pin a Day: Sugar Cookie Bars with Buttercream Frosting

On Wednesdays, I bake for trivia.  This week, I tried a new recipe for Sugar Cookie Bars with Buttercream Frosting.   These bars turned out great, however, they were definitely not healthy.  I could tell that when the recipe called for 1 lb of butter.  Fortunately, the beer lovers at Whitestone aren't all too worried about their figures, so I warned them, but most happily enjoyed these new treats.  I like to make bars because they are relatively easy, they don't have to look especially pretty, and they make plenty for a crowd.  I ended up giving away about half last night, so Mike had some to take to his work friends this morning.  I started by mixing together 2 sticks of softened butter, vegetable oil, vanilla, sugar, and powdered sugar until it was smooth.  Next, I added in the eggs.  Finally, I gradually mixed in my dry ingredient combo of flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar.  Once the batter was well combined, I smoothed it in to a lightly greased 9x13 pan.  The bars baked for about 20 minutes.  I let them cool completely and made the frosting.  For the frosting, I mixed together 2 sticks of butter, powdered sugar, and a little bit of milk.  I spread the frosting on the bars and let it set at room temperature.  When I picked up the pan to take to trivia, I was a little shocked at how heavy it was.  I cut the bars before we left and when I served them, I was surprised that they felt light as individual bars.  They seemed to be a hit, but they were quite sweet and filling.  These were good, but they didn't have chocolate, so they may not be repeated too much in our house.  A couple of changes we might make in the future include: a lemon frosting instead or adding a little vanilla or other flavoring to the frosting.

Pin a Day: Roasted Parmesan Green Beans

Green beans are probably my favorite vegetable and I will eat them any way possible.  However, sometimes just cooking them on the stove gets a little boring, so I'm always on the search for a new recipe.  Mike prefers them cooked and softer than raw or super crisp.  I think I found a great recipe this week in Roasted Parmesan Green Beans.   These were super easy to make and yielded great results.  The step that took the longest was preheating the oven to 425.  After that, I gathered my ingredients, and lined a pan with aluminum foil.  The green beans I bought at HEB were already washed and trimmed so that saved me some work, too.  I put the green beans on the pan, sprinkled them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and drizzled them with olive oil.  I put them in the oven for 10 minutes.  I pulled them out of the oven, tossed them a little bit and cooked them for another 5 minutes.  After the green beans were done cooking, I sprinkled them with parmesan cheese.  We paired these with steak and baked potatoes.  They were delicious!  It was such an easy recipe and the green beans were tender and flavorful.  Mike loved them, too, and we will definitely be making these again in the future.

Cheeseburgers on the Patio

Yesterday was Sunday Funday.  Lola and I started the day off with a long walk, which then required a long shower for me!  We hadn't been to the grocery store in a bit and with the Blue Apron recipes we haven't had as many leftovers, so we knew we'd head out somewhere for lunch.  We have so many great places nearby that choosing is sometimes hard.  I was playing around on Facebook and saw that Whitestone Brewery had a food vender, Duane's Damn Good Burgers, that we hadn't tried yet, so we headed over right after they opened.   Duane was still setting up when we arrived so we started with a beer and caught up with Kevin, a beer tender, at Whitestone.  Duane came in from the patio to let us know that the grill was ready and we could order.  He described all of our options.  In the end, I topped my burger with bacon, cheese, onions, ketchup and mustard.  Mike skipped the onions and mustard.  The burgers came with a small bag of chips.  We sat back at the bar while the burgers cooked.  Normally we might hang out on the patio, but we didn't have Lola so we took the opportunity to sit at the bar.  Duane brought the burgers in after a few minutes and we were ready to enjoy.  The burgers were awesome.  They were cooked to perfection-not too overdone and juicy.  The bacon was extra delicious too.  An added bonus was that the bun was lightly toasted.  We really liked these burgers and next time Duane is at Whitestone, we will have a hard time not going up for more burgers, hotdogs, or cheesesteaks.  Burgers and brews are both great parts of summer and a lazy Sunday!

Blue Apron: Persian Style Chicken and Crispy Rice with Summer Squash, Currants, and Lemon Yogurt

Friday night had us enjoying another Blue Apron meal.  This time we had Persian Chicken with crispy rice, summer squash, and a lemon yogurt sauce.  After the ok summer squash the other day, I was hoping this recipe would redeem it for me and I was in luck. Mike prepped the produce while I preheated the oven and got the rice cooking.  I coated the chicken in a Persian spice blend along with salt and pepper.  I heated up some olive oil in a pan and cooked the chicken for about 7 minutes on medium high heat.  I put the cooked chicken on a plate, reserving the leftover bits in the pan.  To the pan, I added the butter, onion, and salt and pepper, cooking 7 minutes.  Next, I added the summer squash, cooking it about 5 minutes, until it was tender.  I added in the almonds, chicken, and half the parsley, cooking it about 1 minute and seasoning with salt and pepper.  While the veggies were cooking, I put half the rice on a baking sheet and drizzled it with oil, seasoning with salt and pepper, and cooking it 9 minutes.  When the rice was cooked, I added the crisped rice back to the rest of the rice along with the currants and lemon juice.  I did encounter a little problem here as I had lined the pan with foil and the cooked rice stuck to the foil, so I ended up with less rice to work with.  My final step was to make the yogurt sauce by mixing Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, water, salt, and pepper.  I plated by separating the rice on two plates, adding some of the chicken and veggies, and garnishing with lemon yogurt and parsley.  This was a tasty meal.  The chicken had great flavor, everything was cooked just right, and the lemon yogurt sauce topped it off nicely.  I wasn't sure if I would like this one, but it pleasantly surprised me.  I've really enjoyed getting to try new foods and styles of cooking using Blue Apron. 

Blue Apron: Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Summer Squash and Celery Salsa

Many of the Blue Apron meals lately have included summer squash, as it's currently in season.  For the most part, I have liked the squash recipes, but this squash was just okay.  We really liked the grilled cheese sandwiches, but the celery salsa was not good.  I would give this meal 3 stars, as part was great, another part was ok, and the third part was not our favorite.  Mike washed and prepped the produce while I gathered the ingredients and preheated the oven.  Once the oven was preheated, I roasted the squash (drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper)for about 15 minutes.  While the squash was roasting, I caramelized the onion for about 9 minutes, adding the verjus and cooking an additional 2 minutes.  Next, we made the celery salsa by combining celery, parsley, capers (which I don't like), vinegar, and garlic, along with salt and pepper.  Then, I assembled the sandwiches by dividing the onion and cheese between 2 sandwiches.  I grilled them for about 3-4 minutes on each side and sliced them in half.  We plated the sandwiches along with the squash and salsa.  These were really good grilled cheese sandwiches and the onion added something special.  I definitely would consider making a mash up of these and my Martha Stewart fancy grilled cheese sandwiches in the future.  The squash was a little bland and maybe didn't get roasted long enough or was cooled off too much by the time the sandwiches were done, so it was just okay.  The salsa had a pickle-y flavor along with a few ingredients (capers and raw celery) that I just don't care for.  Overall, I'd repeat the sandwiches and skip the sides for this dish. 

Blue Apron: Ginger Pork Meatballs with Yakiniku Sauce and Green Beans

Last night, we made another delicious Blue Apron meal.  After receiving our delivery, the hardest part is always deciding which recipe to make first.   We finally selected Ginger Pork Meatballs.  While Mike was prepping the produce, I started by adding rice, water, and salt to a small pot and brining it to a boil, cooking it for about 12 minutes.  Once the radishes were sliced, I put them in a bowl with vinegar, sesame oil, salt, and pepper and let them marinate for 10 minutes.  Next, I made the meatballs by mixing ground pork, ginger, breadcrumbs, sesame oil, salt and pepper.  Using a portion scoop, I formed the mixture into 12 meatballs, setting them aside on a plate.  I heated up olive oil in a non stick pan and cooked the meatballs about 2 minutes on each side, until they were cooked through.  Then, I added in the green beans and a little more salt and pepper, cooking them about 2 minutes.  I drained the marinade from the radishes, saving the liquid.  I added the marinade, yakiniku sauce, salt and pepper to the pan and cooked another 2 minutes until the sauce thickened.  I finished the meal by plating with rice, the meatball/green bean mixture, and garnishing with radishes.  Dinner was served!  It was so good!  I have discover that I like-maybe even love radishes.  I think the marinade made them so delicious.  The meatballs were also amazing.  They had excellent flavor from the ginger and sesame oil. This was definitely a meal I'd be happy to repeat.  I have no doubt that we will be making this again in the future.

Blue Apron: Thai Steak Lettuce Cups with Spicy Green Beans and Sushi Rice

Last night, we made one of my favorite Blue Apron meals, so far.  Lola had her training lesson and was very focused on her dinner, so we had plenty of time to get dinner made.  We love Asian food so we were excited for these Thai Steak Lettuce Cups.  Mike got the produce ready while I got the rice started.  I cooked the rice about 17 minutes until all the water had been absorbed.  Next, I heated up some oil, added the green beans, and seasoned with salt and pepper.  I cooked those for about 4 minutes and added the chopped up pepper, cooking for 1 minute.  I put the peppers and green beans in a bowl after cooking and cleaned the pan.  Then, I added more oil to the pan and heated it up, adding in the seasoned steaks and lettting them cook about 6 minutes per side to cook to medium/medium well.  I removed them from the pan and let them sit on a cutting board for about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, I made the sauce by cooking the garlic in the drippings from the steak for 1 minute, adding in ponzu sauce, juice of 2 lime wedges, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of water.  I cooked that for another 2 minutes until it had slightly thickened.  Mike sliced the steaks and I started assembling the lettuce cups.  I put down the lettuce, added some rice, green beans, and steak slices.  I drizzled the cups with the sauce and garnished with the mint and cilantro leaves, squeezing a little lime juice on each lettuce cup.  These were amazing!  They had so many great flavors.  I really liked the sticky sushi rice and spicy green beans.  I would definitely make and eat these again. 

Blue Apron: BBQ Glazed Chicken Wings with Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges and Creamy Cabbage Slaw

Yesterday was a lazy Saturday.  We lounged around before heading to the movies to see Baywatch.  It was a silly movie, but we had fun picking out some landmarks from Tybee Island, where it was filmed.  When we came home, we got to work on our dinner.  Mike prepped the produce while I got the oven preheated and prepared 2 pans by lining them with foil.  Once the oven was preheated, I put my chicken wings, which I had drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper, into the oven.   I cooked them for about 22 minutes, until they were cooked through.  A few minutes later, I added in the sweet potato wedges, also covered with olive oil, salt and pepper.  They cooked about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.  Meanwhile, we mixed together the cabbage, carrots, white part of the onions, mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper to make the slaw, allowing it to marinate. I mixed together a glaze of vinegar, ketchup, mustard, molasses, salt and pepper.  After the wings had roasted, I coated them in half of the glaze and cooked them another 5 minutes.  Next, I put them back in with all the glaze, tossing gently.  Then, it was time to eat.  I really liked the slaw and the wings,  but the potato wedges were just ok.  The potatoes almost needed to be sliced a little thinner to get crispier.  The slaw was a great mixture of sweet and sour and wasn't drenched in dressing.  The glaze on the wings was tangy and flavorful, without being spicy.  Overall, this was a great meal and we look forward to our next Blue Apron meal tonight.

Dinner on the chipped plate (It's been chipped almost since we got it and I refuse to replace it because I like to give Mike a hard time.) 

Blue Apron: Pork & Snap Pea Ramen with Marinated Cucumber

Our Blue Apron meals arrived a day later this week due to Memorial Day, so we didn't have a chance to make one until Thursday.  We selected the Pork and Snap Pea Ramen with Marinated Cucumber.  As per usual, Mike prepped all the produce while I did the mixing and cooking.  After the produce was prepped, I marinated the cucumbers in vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.  I let them marinate while working on the rest of the meal.  I heated up some salted water in a medium pot until it was boiling.  I made a sauce of miso, ponzu sauce, warm water, and gochujang, seasoning with salt and pepper.  I cooked the ginger in a non stick pan in olive oil for about a minute, adding then pork and cooking it thoroughly.  We skipped the mushrooms because we just aren't fans.  Next, I added the snap peas to the pork and cooked it for about 4 minutes.  While that was cooking, I boiled the noodles for about 3 minutes.  I saved a cup of the noodle water after draining the noodles.  Then, I added the noodles, sauce, and half the noodle water to the pork mixture.  I let it cook about 2 minutes, adding a little more water for consistency and seasoning with salt and pepper.

Finally, dinner was ready.  We served in bowls with the marinated cucumbers as garnish.  I didn't care for the cucumbers because they were way to similar to pickles, which I hate.  Otherwise, the pork ramen was good.  We did not divide the ramen in half because we felt like it made a lot of food.  We actually had some leftovers.  I am glad I had the chance to make some ramen that didn't come in a 99 cent package.  I would love to make this again or go to a ramen restaurant to try other ramen dishes.

Blue Apron: Asparagus and Summer Squash Curry with Ginger Lime Peanuts

Sunday evening after our company had left, we were really tired.  We had one Blue Apron meal left and decided to give it a try.  I was a little concerned about the Asparagus and Summer Squash Curry because its not necessarily something I would try on my own, but I was willing to give it a chance.  Mike got the produce washed and cut up.  I started boiling water for the rice, cooking it for 14 minutes after the water boiled.  While the rice was cooking, I made the ginger lime peanuts.  I heated up olive oil in a skillet and added half the ginger.  After cooking the ginger for 2 minutes, I added in the peanuts and toasted them for about 2 minutes.  I added the lime zest and cooked it for about a minute.  I moved them from the pan to a paper towel lined plated.  Next, I heated up more olive oil and added in the shallots, carrots, squash and ginger.  I added salt and pepper after cooking for about 4 minutes.  I added half the curry paste and cooked it for another 2 minutes.  Finally, I added asparagus, coconut milk, Golden Mountain sauce, sugar, salt and pepper.  I cooked it about 10 minutes allowing the sauce to reduce in volume and the asparagus to soften.  I turned off the heat and added the juice of 2 lime wedges and salt and pepper.  We divided the curry between 2 bowls and garnished with cilantro and ginger lime peanuts.  We really liked the meal.  It was different, but it had great flavor.  I am learning to give new vegetables and styles of cooking a chance.  I feel like the Blue Apron has really been a good way to try new foods.

Making Memories Weekend

Many people come home from vacation and relax or slow down a bit, but not us!  We were lucky to host our sweet friends, Ashley, Jason, and Ethan this past weekend for some Austin adventures.  It started off with pizza at Brooklyn Heights on Friday and led to entire weekend of fun.  We are all foodies and craft beer lovers so we knew we were in for a weekend of indulgence.  Ashley and I love to shop so we knew we'd get to have some girl time, too.   Saturday morning, Ashley, Ethan, Lola, and I took a morning walk.  Later we headed to the Dig Pub for lunch and to Hamrick's to check out their stash of rare beers.  We drove to an area in North Austin that was home to several breweries and tried out 4th Tap Brewing Co-Op and Adelbert's Brewery.  There were several more in the area, but we only had so much time. 

Saturday night, we tried a new place, Gagnam Zip, for dinner.  It was a Korean place that was highly rated on Yelp.   It was really crowded, which we took as a good sign. We ended up taking it home.  Everyone tried something different and it was all tasty.  Later, Mike and Jason went to Whitestone for beer and an 80's cover band.  Ashley and I enjoy shakes from In and Out and girl time while watching Bad Moms. 

Sunday was another busy day.  Ashley and Jason got us treats from Morning Sunshine Breakfast Treats, which were all super tasty.  We got ready for a busy day, stopping off at Big Cat BBQ for a quick bite first.  After lunch, we dropped Mike and Jason off at Jester King Brewing and headed out to San Marcos to the outlet mall.  It was super crowded, but we found a parking spot.  Ashley found some great deals and the people watching was abundant that day!  On Monday morning, we walked over to Easy Tiger for breakfast and did some light shopping at the Parke.  We came back to the house and got ready.  Later, we went to Mighty Fine Burgers for lunch and sent our friends on their way.  It was another fabulous weekend with some of our favorite adventurers.  We can't wait for our next adventure together!

Sleepy Pup after a long weekend with friends

So Long, Farewell (Vacation Day 7: May 20)

We all got up early on Saturday to get the vehicles packed up, the house cleaned up a little, and get on our way home.  We were able to enjoy one last breakfast/coffee together on the porch.  The weather was great and the views were beautiful. 

The roadtrippers left first as they needed to get a good start to avoid traffic.  Mike and I budgeted our time carefully so as we needed to drive to Charlotte and return our rental car before catching our flight.  As we packed up our car, we even had a little friend who wanted to help us! 

Everyone made it home safely without any major travel issues.  It was another fabulous family vacation in a totally new location.  Once again, we were so lucky to travel to a new place and have time to spend with each other.  Thanks Mom and Dad for another wonderful Christmas gift!