Things I've Been Digging Lately

I am, if nothing else, a girl who kinda likes her stuff.

Stuff as in clothes, nail polishes, shoes, home decor, blah blah blah could I be more of a stereotypical girl?

So for anyone who happens to share my interest in stereotypically girly stuff, here's for you BUT THERE IS STILL A RECIPE!  Just, um, scroll down if you feel you might start to get all judgy.

1. Random printed t-shirts!

Found this on clearance at J. Crew. Little crowns! Ha!

2. Neon nails!

Nothing says "take me seriously" like day-glo nails. I don't let that stop me.

3. Nice-smelling anti-bacterial gel!

The older I get, the more of a germ-o-phobe I become. The worst is the gas station. You can't not touch the pump handle. And not only can you can't-not-touch-it, but you have to iron grip that thing. All five fingers.  Gross. Bath and Body Works makes my favorite kinds, like iced pineapple.

4. Thai egg rolls with spicy peanut sauce

 

Spicy, cilantro-y, peanutty, coconutty

Nothing draws the poochies into the kitchen quite like an open jar of peanut butter.

Sambal oelek. Buy this stuff. I use it often. It's a fresh chili paste.

Thai Egg Rolls makes 8 servings of 2 egg rolls
-1 lb lean ground pork
-1/2 cup shredded carrots
-1/2 cup chopped green onions
-1/2 cup fresh cilantro
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Egg roll wrappers (16)
-1 Tablespoon olive oil

Spicy peanut sauce:
-1/2 cup coconut cream
-1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
-2 teaspoons sambal oelek
-1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
-1 teaspoon lime juice

Ok so for starters, buy the regular coconut milk. Not the "lite" stuff. Pop that in the fridge at least 12 hours in advance. Open up the can, drain off the coconut water, and you'll have the hardened cream. Go ahead and microwave that a wee bit until it's liquified. Now measure out your half cup.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Stir together sauce ingredients and let set at room temp while you make the egg rolls.
3. Saute ground pork over medium-high heat. Once it's almost cooked (no longer pink), add the shredded carrots and green onion. Cook for another few minutes- you want the carrots to be slightly cooked.
4. Remove from heat and stir in salt and pepper to taste. Add cilantro. Let cool slightly.
5. Wrap up the meat mixture in the egg roll wrappers and dip your finger in a little water to seal it. The water mixes with the starch to form a kind of paste that keeps it from popping open. Place seam side down on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (might want to spray with a bit of olive oil spray).
6. Bake for 10 minutes; flip each egg roll; continue baking for another 10-15 minutes or until nicely browned.

 

But before you eat, make sure you sanitize your neon-manicured hands.

A little processed cheese never killed anyone...I think...

Oof.

I've been back at work for a week and a half. My new schedule is just four days a week, which I was initially super jazzed about- a free day off! Happy baby time! Happy husband time!

Except it never occurred to me that I still have the same workload, but 8 hours less in which to do it.

Oof.

But ultimately so far, so good. We've developed a routine, and yes, I am still cooking. Kind of. This is one of the least dietitian-y things I've ever made and posted. In the spirit of feeling chronically crunched for time, here's a super easy, super tasty meal.

Cheeseburger Pull-Apart makes five servings
1 can refrigerated biscuits (one that has 8 biscuits)
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 medium yellow or red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 can Campbell's cheddar cheese soup
2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium saute pan, cook beef and onions until beef is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat. Add Worcestershire sauce, parsley, and pepper. Stir in cheese soup.
3. In a Bundt pan, tear up 4 of the biscuits and line around the bottom. I tore each biscuit into roughly 4-5 chunks. Pour beef mixture over the raw biscuits. Sprinkle cheese. Top with remaining biscuits, also torn into chunks.
4. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until biscuits are nice and golden brown.

Who wears black, was white, and got red all over?

So it is suddenly summertime in Minnesota, as evidence by the raging sunburn I got yesterday. Hoping I can still avoid Melanoma City: Population Me.

Beyond just making me red, summertime weather calls for summertime recipes, including this no-oven-needed-but-go-fire-up-the-grill one.

Sweet Chicken Wraps with Mango Pico de Gallo  makes 6 wraps
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1" thick
1 bottle Hawaiian or Caribbean type marinade (Lowry's makes some good ones)
1 ripe mango, diced
1 cup tomatoes, diced (I used 4 Roma tomatoes)
3/4 cup diced yellow onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
3 teaspoons lime juice
6 whole grain medium sized wraps
2 cups Mixed greens

Place chicken in a large resealable bag along with the bottle of marinade. Refrigerate for at least an hour (can sit overnight as well).

Combine all remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Pico can be refrigerated for a few hours in advance as well.

When ready to assemble, heat grill to medium-high. Grill chicken until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees.  Let cool for a few minutes before slicing it into 1" wide strips. Assemble wraps with chicken, pico, and mixed greens.  Can be eaten warm or chilled.

Now that that's done, does Costco sell aloe by the gallon by chance?