Vegan Supper and Mom's Zucchini

Sometimes the things I want to know from friends that like to cook are not necessarily recipes they love I want to know the products they love.  I want to know if they found one small item last time they were shopping that they just had to try. 

I want to know how it came out, how the flavor was, and would they buy it again.  Sometimes these things are very important to talk about with family and friends.  It helps you buy the right products that give you the biggest bang for your buck.

I recently found this rice mix locally.  It is glorious.  Full of veggies, low sodium, and plenty of servings in one box I even had some for lunch the next day. 

I also absolutely love this vegan sausage.  Depending on what I put it in my husband doesnt know its not meat.  It is so flavorful and just exquisite. 

I made it alongside my mom's zucchini and squash recipe.  By recipe I mean she grills it up and smothers it with salt and pepper, oregano, and garlic powder.  I dont know why I love it so much.  I think its just one of those things.  Every time I make it reminds of all the good bits of my mom that I love so dearly. 

It made for a quick and clean easy meal on a weeknight.  I love it.  My husband loved it.  What more do I need to say. 

Enjoy !!

Project idea....actually worked!

I love cooking for the creativity and design behind a recipe, but I also love crafts and designing projects for the very same reason.  Re-purposing is where its at! 

When I began blogging again I added "Top Notch Eats and Beats" so I can add craft projects or general projects from time to time to spice up the blog a bit.  

I don't pretend to be the best sewer/crafter in the world, but once in awhile a  project idea comes to mind and it actually works.  It actually works without a pattern and just a general idea in my head.  

I recently ordered some Toms for a wedding I was in a few weeks back and I was so happy with them I wanted to commemorate that wedding and purchase with another item I could make. 

You can see the beautiful Toms a little bit in the picture below with my husband. 

 

So I had the great fabric from a project awhile back and a really wanted a new bag, but didn't want to spend any money.  So made a new bag and smacked that Toms flag right on it.  It worked out beautifully!  Making bags is really the easiest sewing project you can get.  If you can sew a straight line or kind of a straight line you can do it! 

Back with more recipes soon !























Enjoy !!!

All time favorite dessert

My all time favorite dessert is mixed fruit cherries, bananas, peaches, plums, kiwis, nectarines, any type of fruit will do with whipped cream and fresh nutmeg grated on top.  That is it.  As we approach summer ending (sniffle, sniffle) give this a shot.  It is a wonderful summer dessert. 

I love it and you should try it.....that is all !

Enjoy !!!

Pot Sticker Burgers with Spicy Asian Slaw

Adapted from: Iowa Girl Eats

I have found an amazing new food blog.  It's called Iowa Girl Eats.  Every single recipe I have made from this site has been incredible.  

I just recently got a new job.  I started on today so things will steadily get back to normal I promise.  It was tremendously difficult even to check my email during the time I was looking for a new job let alone get on here and do new posts.  This recipe is delicious and fairly low-carb....Get to cooking !

 For the burgers:

• 1 package 99% fat-free ground turkey breast 
• 1 egg
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2″ knob fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 cups coleslaw mix

For the Spicy Asian Slaw:

• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more)
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 4 cups coleslaw mix

First mix up the burgers and grill them up in the fry pan, grill, or they can even be broiled in the oven.

 Then mix up the "slaw" ingredients and place it  up.  Add in the burgers and top with sriracha, or hot sauce of your choosing, or none at all!

 

This is a wonderfully quick, delicious, and healthy meal.  Get to cooking! 

Enjoy !!!

Who in the hell needs take-out?

Who the hell needs takeout?  A wonderful question to ask America.  There is certainly wonderful and healthful take out.  Even the best most nutritious take out doesn't beat what you can make at home.  I am really talking about the horrible salt-filled grease ridden take out that you often find in places that you can get an order in less that 7 minutes.  

This type of food is not okay.  It is not okay to rely on this type of food for dinner several times a week.  Sure its okay every once in awhile, but to have it be a mainstay is unacceptable.  It usually comes in the from the type of fast food Asian restaurants, greasy sandwich shops, and places where pre-package pre-prepared foods are found.  

Its difficult in the schedules we keep to move on from this lifestyle.  I present this to you though.  The meal that you find below I had no plan for.  I just had some chicken, mushrooms, broccoli, and rice.  So I cooked the rice, steamed the broccoli, cooked the chicken and mushrooms, and whipped up a quick low-sodium sauce to add in.  It also took my less than 15 minutes to prepare.

It  consisted of the following items:

1. Low-sodium oyster sauce 

2. Low-sodium soy sauce

3. Cornstarch

4. Garlic powder

5. Ground ginger 

6. Salt and pepper 

and that's it !!! 

So what it delivered is a nutritious hearty meal that had little to no salt in and was delicious and equally memorable. 

Enjoy !!!

Tales from the office desk

I have discovered  really HUGE powerful secret to success in eating lots of fruits and veggies for snacks at my desk at work.  Cutting everything up and making it nice and easy to eat up!  I don't know what it is, but i have begun cutting up everything like I am 6 or 86 not sure.  I also arrange it like I have made my own fruit plate, or line of walnuts, or perfectly chopped avocado so it not only looks delicious, but is easy to eat up.  It's working I am eating delicious wonderful fruits/veg instead of nothing basically.  It's a good trick give it a whirl...I give you tales from the office desk..

Enjoy !!!

Cooking partner

Last night I was chopping a red pepper and a strip fell on the ground and Marty instantly snatched it up.  I am always pretty leery about giving him any "people food" because he is so tiny and often cant handle big bits of anything.  So I tracked him down as he was cowering under a chair knowing that he shouldn't have it.  I kept telling him, "Drop it Marty."  Slowly as the pepper was sticking out of his mouth he lowered his head so slowly and dropped it on the ground.  This makes me very happy.  Mainly, because I (we) took special attention and time to train our dog.  Now I have a wonderfully obedient sweet dog that will listen to me if he really does eat something that could be very harmful.  That time  I wait  (we) took to train him properly could save his little life someday.  That alone is the beautiful part of pet ownership. 

This has got to be the best picture I have ever taken of my dog.  I just had to share.  I love having him in the kitchen on this lounge chair while I'm cooking.  I can't really explain it, but it is very important to me.  I think no matter where we live and no matter how long Ray and I have him I will always have a special, comfortable, wonderful place in my kitchen for him that he loves.  


Best !! 

What's wrong with America...

This is what is wrong with America.  This is so wrong.  We should not be putting cookies in coffee!!! It's digusting.  It makes me enranged because children will see this and silly parents will purchase it just to keep their children happy.  Try an apple!

This is why there is an obesity problem and we are the fattest country in the whole world!  I apologize in advance for the rant.

 

Best !!!