So, this happened.

My mom director of marketing has really been pushing me out of my comfort zone recently.  In the past week in a half I've done a radio interview and a news segment.     It makes me SO anxious to speak/be seen like that, so I have to give myself a tiny bit of credit for doing it at all.
Here's the link to the TV segment.  OMG.
WZZM 13 News

Thai Turkey Rolls and a Bonus DIY

 Love me some Friday!  Even when I have to work this weekend, there's just something so lovely about the end of another week.

To celebrate, how about a delicious meal AND a DIY?

Forgive me, I don't have an actual recipe for this one.  I really made it up on the spot.  But I promise it's simple!

I started by sauteeing onion, carrot, red bell pepper, and garlic in some olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper.

 Next, I added lean ground turkey and allowed it to cook through.

I then added some of my most favorite flavors in the world.  

For added freshness, color, and nutrients, I then added a bunch of chopped kale and allowed it to wilt slightly

 

 After allowing the mixture to cool, I filled store bought egg roll wrappers with some of the turkey mixture.

Using some water to seal the edges, I rolled them up like a burrito.

 

Next, I heated a skillet with canola oil and, once it was hot, fried the rolls until all sides were golden and crisp.

 

 Finally, I allowed the excess oil to drain on a paper towel.

  Slice and serve just like this, or add your favorite Asain sauce (I had some soy and siracha with mine).

And for the bonus: I rehupolstered my dining room chairs yesterday.  I've been meaning to get around to this project for approximately 3 years, so it was about time!  

I am absolutely thrilled with how they turned out! Have a happy weekend,

Way too good to be true. Or is it?

Well, it's been awhile.  I have to be honest, I've been lacking in the blog motivation lately.  I just haven't felt very inspired with topics!  I'd rather not post then to post pointless things.

Good news, though--this recipe is worth it!

The last changes I've made to my diet include a LOT less gluten, less sugar, and less dairy.

I've found it to be kind of a fun challenge to see what kind of recipes I can re-create.

Mind you, these cookies were 100% experimental, but I actually was really happy with how they turned out.

 They're gluten free, dairy free, low-sugar, low-fat, and packed with nutrients.

Gluten & Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 Cup Gluten Free Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 cup Applesauce

1/2 cup Soy Milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup Truvia

1 tsp Vanilla

6 oz Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Chips/Chunks

Optional: 2 Tbsp Flax seed and 1/2 cup Toasted Coconut

1. Cream together the Truvia, soy milk, oil, applesauce, and vanilla.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, flax, and coconut.

3. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined.

4. Fold in the chocolate chips at the very end.

 

 Scoop 2 tbsp sized cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.  One thing I will do differently next time I make these is to slightly flatten the dough.  

*They tend to keep their shape when they bake, so if you flatten them they'll cook through more evenly*

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

 These turned out so tasty!  They're really soft and chewy.  Delicious.

Enjoy :)  

Grilled

When I say pizza is my favorite food, I'm not talking the Americanized version.  Don't get me wrong, I do love a good Pizza Hut every so often.   I'm talking good, authentic, Italian pizza. The other night, I made a fresh dough, grilled it, and topped it with herbs and cheese. So easy and delicious!  

I started by making a classic pizza dough with yeast, flour, salt, olive oil, and water. (Pick your favorite dough and follow the directions).  It may be time consuming, but it's simple and so worth it!

Next, I made an herb oil, grated some mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and sauteed some of my favorite veggies.

 

When the dough was properly risen and rested, I stretched the dough (I like an artisan look to my crust so I don't get too concerned about the shape) and dusted it with cornmeal.

Next, light your grill-propane or charcoal will work.  Just make sure it's very hot before adding the crush.

Adding the crust to the grill is kind of stressful...it's very difficult to work with.

I had to ask my husband come out and help me :/

 

Allow the crust to cook until there are grill marks on one side.  Use a pair of tongs to flip the crust (if you used enough cornmeal and allowed it to cook fully, it should be very easy to flip.)

Quickly brush it with the oil and top with cheese and toppings.

Next, close the lid and allow the cheese to melt for a few minutes.

 When it's finished, transfer the pizza to a board and chop it into pieces.

 

The trick here is to not add too many toppings.  If you do, the crust will be weighed down and soggy.  The crunch of this crust is the best part.  Seriously.  Make it now.

 

  Success!

Husband's Away, The Wife Will...Make Risotto

Well, my hubs is away for work tonight, so I thought I'd make a blog-worthy meal to share with you all.

I love a classic risotto.  What I like to do is make a risotto "base" and add whatever mix-ins I want. 

Start by adding 4 cups of chicken stock to a sauce pan.  Add a pinch of saffron and allow the mixture to warm for about 10 minutes.

In 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil, sweat 1 small or 1/2 large white onion until just softened. 

Add 1 cup of Arborio rice to the pan, allowing it to toast for about 2-3 minutes, stirring often to ensure it doesn't burn.

Next, add about 1/2 cup of dry, white wine (I used a Pinot Grigio) to the pan, stirring until the wine is almost completely absorbed by the rice.  

Now is when you have to start really babysitting the risotto.  Add about 2 ladle-fulls of the chicken stock at a time, stirring the rice until almost all of the liquid is absorbed, until the stock has all been used and the rice is cooked through and creamy-about 20 minutes.

 The saffron gives the risotto not only a great, warm flavor, but also a really beautiful color.

 When the risotto is cooked, add about 3/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese.

Next, I sauteed some of my veggies of choice--mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and garlic.

 Add these (or any other ingredients you may choose) to the risotto "base."

 As my side dish, I went with roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts.  This is a vegetable that gets such a bad rep, when they're actually really delicious!

 

Start by de-stemming and quartering 1 lb of sprouts, discarding the dark-green outer leaves (they can be bitter).

Next, toss them with 2 tbsp of olive oil, 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of pepper.

 

Roast the sprouts at 400 degrees.  I like mine tender and slightly charred, so I leave them in for around 20 minutes.  Adjust shorter or longer dependent on personal preference.

  

Voila!

 Cheers :)

Home!

SO many mixed emotions about this.  The last 2 days or so of our vacation, I legitimately sunk into a deep depression about leaving. I always get kind of bummed at the end of a trip, but it increased ten-fold leaving the 80 degree weather to return to snowy Michigan.  I am most certainly over winter right now.
You know how we all say, "I just need a vacation to get rested and recharged!"?  Biggest myth of all time. So, we work so hard when we're at home, completely exhaust ourselves with a 14 hour travel day that happens to begin at 3:00am, drink ourselves into oblivion rest for a week, re-exhaust ourselves with yet another 14 hour travel day, spend 2 days unpacking and doing laundry, then go back to working like a mad-man/woman at home.
Don't get me wrong, I loved laying by the pool for a week straight, but I feel not even near rested now that I'm home.
Getting back into the routine does feel kind of nice though.  AND I got to see my puppy!  We missed her an unnatural amount.
I'll leave you with an obnoxious number of photos :)