Recipes Every Man Should Know

I've been planning to post this for so long and now I'm finally doing it. I received a book to review called Recipes Every Man Should Know by Susan Russo and Brett Cohen. Susan has a blog that I follow called Food Blogga. Here is a link to her blog. http://foodblogga.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-make-killer-bisquick-free.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Foodblogga+%28Food+Blogga%29
The first recipe I decided to try- Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies. I packaged them up for friends and then asked them to let me know what they thought. Their reviews were great and the cookies were deemed delicious. I will definitely be using this recipe again. I'm not going to post it in the hopes that you will buy her book and try the recipes yourself.

Since I missed the Christmas season for this book as a stocking stuffer I think it would be great in an Easter Basket or tucked in with your son's gear as he packs for college. If you buy her book, let me know what you think of the recipes.

Teriyaki Meatballs and Rice Noodles

These meatballs are incredible. I can't believe I made my own teriyaki sauce. When I first tasted it I yelled for my husband to come taste it right away. Could it be that I had made a sauce that was better than the one that comes in the bottle? Yes!
I made these the night before and then the next day for dinner served it over rice noodles with onion, bell pepper and pineapple. I can't wait to make these again. I try not to make red meat more than once every 2 weeks so I'll have to wait a little while but it's worth it.

Here is a link for the recipe
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/01/teriyaki-meatballs.html

Brisket and Blueberries

Sundays are big football days in my house and for our friends. We were invited over to a friend's place for brisket and football last Sunday. I love brisket and this one was delicious. I brought dessert, a blueberry & lemon crostata that I've posted about before. It was a great day, other than the Bears lost, but they are still going to the Playoffs. yay!


Do you have a favorite football team? I'm partial to the Chargers since I'm fairly close to San Diego, but the Bears have my heart.

Best Granola Ever- Honey Almond

This is the best granola I've ever had. You'll never buy granola at the store once you try this recipe. It's super easy and so yummy.
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
1/4 Cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
2/3 Cup Honey
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
3 1/2 Cups Rolled Oats (not quick-cooking)
1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds
1/2 Cup Pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 225 deg. In a small saucepan, bring oil & honey to a simmer. Remove from heat and add vanilla. In a large bowl, combine oats and nuts, then add oil mixture and stir until all the oats and nuts are coated. Spread onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Allow to cool and then break into pieces. Store in an air-tight container. Enjoy!
If you haven't eaten all the granola while it's cooling you can make a breakfast parfait.
Which you can eat while cuddling in your new bed with the cutest kitty ever...my baby Mason.

New Bedding...YAY!

Finally Finally Finally we replaced our bedding. We've had the same bedding for years and we finally decided to buy something new. I love it. It's like sleeping in a marshmallow. I'd been shopping for weeks and didn't see anything I loved. Then, one night while wondering thru Macys, there it was...my perfect bed. Thankfully, the husband agreed.

Do you have a recent purchase that you are so excited about that you must share it with the blogger world? I'm hoping to find a new pair of boots that I feel this passionately about. My boots are ready for the trash.

Mozzarella, Raspberry & Brown Sugar Panini- Giada

Oh My Goodness...this is panini heaven. I found this recipe in Giada's cookbook and since I happen to have all the ingredients I decided to try it. It's so so yummy. Especially with a latte to sip. Here is the link for the recipe
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/mozzarella-raspberry-and-brown-sugar-panini-recipe/index.html

Mushroom Rigatoni and Gingerbread, oh and New Year resolutions too...

My hubby and I stayed in for New Year's Eve. I toasted the night with champagne & POM juice and tried my best to stay up until midnight. I made it- just barely though.
For dinner he picked out a recipe from Giada's new cookbook. Creamy Mushroom Rigatoni. It's so so yummy. You must try it. I'm not a huge mushroom fan but this dish changed my mind. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/everyday-italian/rigatoni-with-creamy-mushroom-sauce-recipe/index.html
For dessert, I was craving gingerbread so I used a Barefoot Contessa recipe. I omitted the raisins. Delicious. There is still lots of it left which will be accompanying us to a friend's house for dinner tonight. http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=479&S=0
And now, New Year's resolutions...I don't think I've ever kept one but I'm really going to try this year.
1. Eat at home as often as possible. I'm going to try my best to pack breakfast and lunch every day.
2. Use my gym membership at least 3 times a week. This is going to be hard since I'm not morning person and after work I get really lazy. Plus, we are moving in a few weeks which makes the gym just a little farther away. But, no more excuses, I will go to the gym. I promise, I will. LOL
3. This is the last one. Maybe if I only make a few resolutions I won't feel so overwhelmed by trying to be perfect and I won't give up. Last resolution is to live in the present and not worry about the future. Enjoy each day and take the time to relax and have fun.
I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year celebration.