Blueberry Lemon Bread & Garden Green Beans

Over the past few days my garden has really started to take off. By take off I mean I collected these green beans...

Ok, so maybe take off isn't exactly the correct way to phrase it. But, I am happy for any progress!

While feeling a little bit proud of myself I paid a visit to Rob's parents house. To put it lightly, I was put to shame.

Serious shame. However, I left with lots of great veggies :)!

They were very generous with their fruitful garden so today I decided to prepare a little something special for them. I usually prepare my green beans like this, but have never really used a recipe. I tried to measure things out so that I could put it on here because they were oh so yummy!!

Garden Green Beans

Ingredients

• Roughly 1 lb green beans
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 t onion powder/flakes
• 2 t minced garlic
• 1 T Dales Seasoning
• 2 t McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
• Chicken or beef broth

1. Wash and trim green beans. Chop into 1 inch pieces

2. Place in pan and cover with chicken broth. Boil about 20 minutes or until green beans are tender.

3. In a large pan heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add onion and garlic and stir about 1 minute. Place green beans in pan and stir. Add Dales and Montreal seasoning and stir several minutes.

4. Enjoy!

I do not have a food scale and got these green beans straight from the garden so I really guessed on the weight. You may have to adjust the ingredients based on how many green beans you have on hand. Hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

Now onto something sweet! Blueberry Lemon bread is one of my all time favorite things to bake in the summertime! My parents have a blueberry patch at their house, so in the past I have scoured the internet for blueberry recipes. Of course blueberry muffins are always delish, but they do get a little old. Seeing as how my parents recently gave me some fresh blueberries AND they are darn cheap right now- I have made this recipes several times already in the past two weeks! Here is the recipes

Blueberry Lemon Bread

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter- melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 T fresh lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 T grated lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Glaze

• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (may have to add some to obtain desired consistency)

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and lemon juice.

2. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder.


3. Stir into egg mixture alternately with milk. Beat well after each addition.
4. Fold in lemon zest and bluberries.

5. Pour into greased 8 x 4 loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes.

Glaze

1. Combine lemon juice and powdered sugar. Add powdered sugar to obtain desired consistency. Drizzle over warm bread. Lick bowl.



Brownie Cookies

These little babies have taken over the Isabel household today. I have made three...you read that right...three batches of these. In one day. Three. I have no self control.

Here is the recipe...

Ingredients

• 1 snack sized box Duncan Hines fudge brownie mix
• 1 snack sized bag Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix



Directions

1. Prepare each mix separately as directed per package instructions.

2. Pour brownie mix into greased 8x8 pan.

3. Drop generous rounded tablespoons of cookie dough onto brownie mix (do not mix)

4. Bake according to package instructions or to desired consistency

You read that correctly. This is a total cheater recipe. I don't know the time because I was too busy drooling into the oven and preparing a plate/fork for my delicious treat baking in front of me. I honestly checked them about half way through and almost pulled them out and ate the hot fudgy under baked cookie dough/brownie mix. I was very close. Once they did come out of the oven, all self control was lost. Oh well. They were totally worth it!

On another note, I have lots of great veggies on the way from my garden. Hopefully the nutrition from these veggies with counteract the damage that this super simple recipe will be doing in our home. I took some pictures of the garden, but am having trouble getting some of them to upload. I started these little snap peas from seeds and they have taken off. Good thing because snap peas are my absolute favorite and they are expensive little suckers!

Snap peas hanging out on the front porch

These hydrangeas were absolutely beautiful last year but the plant looked terrible after they finished blooming. I needed to prune it, but I am no good with flowers/plants and never did. I was convinced it was a goner this year. What a wonderful surprise it was to walk out today and see this! 

I also found a not so great surprise while in the backyard today. Apparently I have an unwanted garden hand (or paw). I noticed while I was in the garden I had some curious onlookers that wanted to know what was going on that they couldn't help with. Apparently when I came back inside, they investigated further...



I wonder who it was...

Luckily for them, they made up for broken flower baskets with a sweet mother's day card delivery this past Sunday. I was cooking breakfast and in walks the "herd."

Special delivery!

I love how this picture (besides the mess in the background) depicts their personalities. Tebow looks totally guilty of something. Which was probably accurate. Brantley is just being sweet and doing what he was told..."take mom the card, take mom the card." Nim apparently heard the word "sit." She is like a machine. If she hears sit her butt hits the ground so fast and stays there! Attention!

My card had a puppy on the front that said "Ruff" next to it. On the inside it read "That's what life would be like without a mom like you!" What a sweet bunch of puppies!



Hope everyone has a great week!

My Husband's Dream Wife

If only I could transform into an Asian, I would be my husband's dream wife. He loves all food Asian! I seriously think that he would let me be a stay at home personal chef...if I were even a tiny bit Asian! One thing I do have to say is, Asian food is unique and delicious. And...a little bit difficult to replicate!

Over the past few weeks I have been experimenting in the kitchen with some Chinese recipes. After running to our favorite Chinese restaurant (before 3pm of course-to get lunch prices) several times I decided to give it a try. Not so fast my Puerto Rican friend. Not only is it difficult to find a good recipe, but also very labor intensive to make. Here are a few of the recipes that worked best, and satisfied my Asian- loving hubbie.

Attempt #1- His favorite

General Tao Chicken

Picture and recipe compliments of Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
•  
• 4 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 Tbs distilled white vinegar

• 1/2 cup white sugar (I decreased this because I wanted it to be more spicy than sweet)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup oyster sauce
• 2 tbs ketchup
• Optional- steamed broccoli, chopped red chile, garlic ( I added all of these)

Directions

1. Coat the chicken pieces with 1/4 cup of cornstarch; set aside.
2. Beat the eggs, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl until smooth. Stir in the flour and baking powder until no large lumps remain. Mix in the chicken until evenly coated.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Drop in the chicken pieces; cook until golden brown and no longer pink on the inside, about 12 minutes. Set the chicken aside; keep warm.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-high and stir in the sesame oil, ginger, and green onion. Cook and stir until the onion is limp and the ginger begins to brown, about 1 minute. Pour in the water, vinegar, and sugar; bring to a boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in the soy sauce and add to the simmering vinegar along with the oyster sauce and ketchup. Stir until the sauce has thickened and is no longer cloudy. Stir in the chicken and simmer until hot.

Attempt # 2

Mongolian Beef



Picture & Recipe compliments of Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 pound beef flank steak, sliced 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
• 2 bunches green onions, cut in 2-inch lengths

Directions

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the garlic and ginger until they release their fragrance, about 30 seconds. Pour in the soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Raise the heat to medium-high, and stir 4 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce boils and slightly thickens. Remove sauce from the heat, and set aside.
2. Place the sliced beef into a bowl, and stir the cornstarch into the beef, coating it thoroughly. Allow the beef and cornstarch to sit until most of the juices from the meat have been absorbed by the cornstarch, about 10 minutes.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep-sided skillet or wok to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Shake excess cornstarch from the beef slices, and drop them into the hot oil, a few at a time. Stir briefly, and fry until the edges become crisp and start to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the beef from the oil with a large slotted spoon, and allow to drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
5. Pour the oil out of the skillet or wok, and return the pan to medium heat. Return the beef slices to the pan, stir briefly, and pour in the reserved sauce. Stir once or twice to combine, and add the green onions. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook until the onions have softened and turned bright green, about 2 minutes.

Attempt #3

Orange Chicken

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
•  
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
•  
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• chopped green onions for garnish

Directions

1. In a bowl, stir together warm water, brown sugar, orange juice, soy sauce, ketchup, white vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, five-spice powder, and orange peel until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is well combined.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat, and cook and stir the chicken until the outside is golden brown and the inside is no longer pink, 10 to 12 minutes. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover the skillet. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. While the chicken and sauce are simmering, bring the rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the rice aside and keep warm.
4. Whisk the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl until smooth, and stir into the chicken and sauce, a few teaspoons at a time. Let the chicken and sauce cook for about 2 minutes to thicken, then serve over hot cooked rice, sprinkled with green onion.

Robert loved them and appreciated my attempts to be Chinese. I certainly wasn't fooling anyone, but they were all pretty yummy if I do say so myself! He loved the General Tao, but voted the Mongolian beef "closest to Chinese take-out." I personally liked the Orange chicken the best. I suppose I just gravitate toward all things sweet!





Donut Holes

Because I am married to a cop, it is only right that I know some good donut recipes. I am not big on frying things in my kitchen, because I don't like my house to smell like grease for 3 days. Naturally I was very excited when a friend of mine turned me onto a little miracle machine called a Babycakes cake pop maker. It is a George Foreman style appliance used to make cake balls, or in my case, donut holes! Since it is my friend's birthday this week I thought I would bring her some donut holes to celebrate!

Donut Holes

• 1 1/4 cups AP flour
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs sugar
• 1 Tbs baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup veg oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 apple cider
• toppings of choice

Directions

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a mixing bowl.

2. Add veg oil, egg, and apple cider. Stir until well blended.

3. Fill each babycakes cooking reservoir with about 1 Tbs of batter.

4. Bake 4-5 minutes or until toothpick inserted into donut hole comes out clean.

5. Add topping of choice.

I personally have made these several different ways. This time I chose to make a variety of toppings including the chocolate glaze with sprinkles, powdered sugar, and vanilla glaze. Previously I tossed them in cinnamon sugar and they were delicious. They seem to do a little better if you toss them in some melted butter and then the powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar. This time I tossed them straight into a bag of powdered sugar while they were still hot and they seemed to do ok. 

Peanut Butter Clusters

Do you remember those gooey peanut butter clusters from school lunches? I remember always wanted an extra, even though I have never really been a huge peanut butter fan! They were delish! This week in an effort to begin some spring cleaning I have been trying to get a little creative with some ingredients that we already have in the kitchen. I wanted to make some snack items using these random things to A. make room in my cabinets B. save a little dough. Who doesn't want to save a little dough, right? Here is the recipe...

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• Frosted flakes cereal

Melt peanut butter and white chocolate chips in medium saucepan over low heat. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop onto parchment paper or onto greased surface. Cool in refrigerator until set.





Doesn't get much easier than that! These measurements can all be adjusted to your preference or changed to use up whatever is taking up your cabinet space! I did not measure the frosted flakes out but just poured and mixed until I achieved the consistency that I wanted. You could easily use regular chocolate chips, add peanuts, or substitute another cereal to change things up. Enjoy!

Granola Bars

Today I woke up and got started on my normal routine. Brew coffee (as fast as I can), start up my computer, throw together some odd mixture of oatmeal (and a lot of things to make it more like dessert), sit down to enjoy breakfast at my computer. I usually scan over FB (my newspaper as Robert calls it), Pinterest and then always weather.com. I know that doesn't sound all that exciting, but knowing the weather for the day helps me plan out my day. Today all I can say it that weather.com was wrong. Very wrong. It called for thunder storms at 8pm. So I was a little surprised when I was several miles from my car and it started to downpour...at 5pm. At first I was a little mad at the weather prediction, but the rain really felt great. I continued my run and embraced the rain for 10 very wet miles. During my run I couldn't help but think how we all complain about working out, but it is really such a privilege. We should not say we HAVE to work out, but rather we GET to workout. Some people don't have the option to go for a jog whenever they please. Whether it be for health reasons, or because they live in a country that doesn't allow them to practice free will. So next time you don't want to get out there and sweat a little, just remember that it's a privilege to be able to workout and your body needs it. Why deny yourself something so great to boost your energy, mood and health!

Something else that you should not deny yourself is this granola bar recipe. If you have been around me in the past 2 weeks I know you have heard me rave about it. Our household of two has already consumed 3 batches of these! DELISH! I was happy to come home and find some still leftover from our latest batch after my run today. I snacked on these as I packed Robert a couple to take to work tonight. They are very filling and seem to last a pretty good while! I know I have been on a granola/granola bar kick lately, but it's just the old lady in me coming out. These are great to have for a snack, quick breakfast, or even dessert! They honestly taste like cookie bars. Here is the recipe, I hope you will try them!

Granola Bars

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup craisins 
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, craisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (mine were definitely closer to 30 minutes) in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

*I made several adjustments which included adding walnuts and dark chocolate chips. I also made a "healthier" batch in which I used 1/2 cup brown sugar, substituted applesauce instead of oil and used egg whites. It was definitely not the same, but still good. I would suggest making the original recipe (with the added chocolate and nuts of course) and adjust from there. I also made a batch with blueberries, cashews and white chocolate chips. You can really add whatever you prefer or have on hand. Such a great recipe to create so many different options!

Enjoy!

Granola

Hands down, easiest recipe ever! One batch is a perfect fit in these little mason jars, and makes a great homemade gift in about 10 minutes! The challenge is not eating all of the granola while it is cooling! Here is the recipe...

• 2 T creamy peanut butter
• 2 T honey
• 1/4 t vanilla
• 1/4 t cinnamon
• 1 cup quick cooking oats

1. Place honey and peanut butter in microwave safe bowl. Microwave about 20 seconds until melted and able to stir.

2. Add in vanilla and cinnamon.

3. Mix in oats. I added a handful of coconut to mine, but you can add any other mix ins here.

4. Bake at 350 about 7-8 minutes.

5. Burn your mouth eating beautiful oat clusters

6. Let cool completely.

{T= tablespoon, t= teaspoon}

Recipe compliments of pbfingers.com

Enjoy!