Tuesdays At The Table - Pesto Flank Steak

Did everyone watch the Super Bowl?  I did...and was disappointed that the Patriots didn't win.  It was a good game.  Congrats to the Giants and all their fans!  I also didn't originally intend to watch the Super Bowl from home.  But, when random people starting showing up at my house looking for "Joe & Melissa's" party, (including one couple that opened my back gate and knocked on my back door!) I thought it best not to leave  my house unattended.
This week, I'm sharing one of my favorite flank steak recipes.  Really, add pesto to ANYTHING, and it makes it better.  :-)

Pesto Flank Steak

4 cloves garlic
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 lemon, freshly squeezed

1 flank steaks (about 1 lb)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Chop 4 garlic cloves in a food processor until minced. Add the basil and pine nuts. Pulse a few times to combine. With the food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil (Stop a few times to scrape down the sides.) Place the Parmesan cheese into the food processor, and pulse until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Rub the flank steak with 2 cloves minced garlic, salt and pepper, then set aside.

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate.

Grill the steak to desired degree of doneness on preheated grill, about 4 minutes per side. Baste the steak occasionally with the pesto sauce. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting. Serve topped with the remaining pesto.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Cheerleading

I want to talk a little about cheerleading.  No, not the pom-pom - high pony - tiny uniform cheerleading.

Patriots Cheerleaders {via}

But if pom-poms and a good chant are you're thing...that's cool too.

I've seen a fair share of the blog/twitter world beating up on each other lately.  It makes me sad.  Life is hard enough these days. 

The economy stinks. A lot of us are looking for jobs.  Those working are sometimes having a hard time balancing family life vs. work life. Kids aren't behaving...or sleeping...or meeting the milestones...or whatever that is expected.  You know where I'm going with this, right?!

So, I'm challenging everyone to please pick a person today and be their cheerleader! Let them know that you understand that life isn't perfect and you're there to support them.  Tell someone that you love them for all that they are - whether it's the ability to find the silver lining in everything, or that they are the mom you model yourself after, or that they give until it hurts.

I'm not asking that you send flowers or candy or an Edible Arrangement (Though, I'm accepting them, if you're interested! heeheehee).  A text or tweet or email will do.  A simple "You can do it!" or "I'm so proud of you because...".

Ready. Set. Go!!!





Tuesdays At The Table/2 on Tuesday - Broccoli Cheddar Soup

If you haven't noticed, I try to do two posts on Tuesdays - our usual recipe link up, and Andrea's 2 on Tuesday (the topic for that changes every week).  As it would happen, this week's topic is food!!  We're being asked what our two "go-to" recipes are.


I am a sucker for orange chicken, and the crock-pot version is so easy and absolutely delicious!  I posted the recipe almost a year ago, and you can find it here.

Another recent favorite is Mexican egg rolls.  It's a yummy meal that can be altered to accommodate even the pickiest of kids, and it's fun for them to help assemble too! The recipe from a few months ago is here.

Because I can't follow rules - I'm going to share my favorite dessert too.  If I get invited to a cook-out and don't have much time to prepare, these suckers are going with me.  (Fine.  I bring them even if I have tons of time to prepare.  But people love them, I swear!)  Recipe here!

This week's recipe is a soup that a small group of my friends ask for every time I see them. 

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

6 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half & half
3 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups broccoli florets
1 large carrot, diced
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half and half until smooth.  Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, nutmeg, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 30 minutes.

Add the broccoli and carrot to the brother mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.  Discard the bay leaves.  Puree the soup with an immersion blender.  Add the cheese and whisk over medium heat until melted.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

 

And.... TAG {Part II}

Today I'm answering Kristine's questions. :-) Catch up with part one here.
1. If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have 3 things, what would you want with you? (-- such a common question, I know).

I'd want my dogs, my Kindle Fire and an endless supply of sunscreen. {I burn like nobody's business!} I'm also making an automatic assumption that food and water will be available to me one way or another. :-)

2. If you had to drown in any liquid BESIDES water, what would you choose?

Um... Kahlua?! I mean, if you're doing to drown, it might as well taste good for a few minutes.

3. If you had to be covered completely in hair (I’m talking every crevasse of your body), or be completely hairless (no hair anywhere), what would you choose?

I'd say hairless.  This is probably TMI, but hair just doesn't grow on my legs. I don't have to shave my legs.  So to go from that to covered in hair just isn't happening.

4. If you had a kid (or had another kid for some of you), would you want a boy or a girl and what would their names be?

Honestly, I want a few of both.  My favorite boy names: Hunter, Evan, Noah, Nathan, Jackson, Callum and Mason.  My favorite girl names: Keelan, Sinclair, Peyton, Laurel, Piper, Skylar, Finley and Ainsley.

5. If you won the lottery, what would you do with your winnings (after taxes, obvs)?

I actually have a list for this! Of course it depends how big the winnings are... I want to donate to the ASPCA, a few rescue organizations and to Susan G. Komen.  Then I pay off all my debt, send my parents on their dream vacation, build my dream house and help a few friends/relatives with their bills.  It should go without saying that I get a few more pups and if I don't have a husband already - adopt a few kids.

6. Who are some of your favorite bloggers as of the time being? Link them to your post!

Please don't be offended if I forget you!  There are so many fabulous bloggers that I like to read, interact with on an ongoing basis.

Just a few of my favorites:

Mrs. Jones, Jane, Kasey, We 3 Dachshunds, Dachshund Nola, Preppy Girl Meets World, and Jessica.

7. If money weren’t an object, what kind of car would you buy?

I'd get a brand new version of my current vehicle! I love, love, love my Chevy Tahoe (you may have seen my tweet-fest from last week with Holly extoling the virtues of Tahoes).  I haven't had the opportunity to get a brand new one... :-)

8. Congrats! You were just granted an all-expenses paid, two week vacation to ANYWHERE in the world! Where are you going to go?

I'm spending two weeks in the UK.  I'm hitting Harrod's, Covent Garden and the National Museum in London. Seeing Stonehenge and Stratford-upon-Avon again.  Laughing as the sheep in the Welsh countryside try and push me down hills. Standing at Lands End in the Cotswolds and seeing nothing but water as far as the eye can see. Slowly meandering though Edinburgh - my favorite city in the world. Hanging with extended family in their tavern.

9. If you were an animal, what would you be?

I'm pretty sure that I'd be a dog.  I see myself as trusting, loyal and ready to defend the people I love.

10. Who is your celebrity GIRL crush?

Reece Witherspoon.  That woman is beautiful, sweet and down to earth.  She has beautiful kids, a seemingly adoring husband and a killer sense of style.

11. If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I'd probably go with pizza.  BBQ chicken pizza.  Am I weird?

And a quick reminder of my questions and who I tagged!

My eleven questions:

1. If you had to pick a super power, what would it be and why?
2. What was your best date ever?
3. You have to move to a new city now. Right NOW! What city would it be?
4. What current fad to you just abhor?
5. What's your favorite childhood memory?
6. You have to choose to not speak for a week or not use social media for a week. Which do you choose?
7. What qualities are you looking for in a mate? {Or helped you find your hubby/boyfriend}
8. What is your favorite book and why?
9. How do you relax?
10. What's your biggest fear?
11. What can make you smile, no matter how bad a mood you're in?

"Tag" to eleven people:
Mrs. Jones
Kasey
Jessica
Holly
Beach Bum & Baby
Andrea
Janna
Michelle
Jane
Meg
Jill

And.... TAG!

I have been tagged by two spiffy {Hey, don't knock my verbiage!  I'm bringing back old-school.  Like the 50's...so REALLY old school.} ladies MMS & Kristine. I want to give both of these tags the attention they deserve, so I'll do one today and one tomorrow!
The rules:
1) You must post the rules.
2) Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post. {I'm not interesting...but I'll pretend for a minute.}
3) Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged.
4) Tag eleven people and link them on your post.
5) Let them know you've tagged them.

Fun facts:

1. I carry my passport with me at all times.  I laughingly say it's so I can flee the country... but I actually have left the USA spur of the moment before.  
2. I'm allergic to coconut.  Not life threateningly allergic, but tingly lips/fuzzy tongue allergic.
3. Generally, I'm very "go with the flow".  However, I am a control freak about driving.  I much prefer to be the driver than the passenger.
4. I try to see the best in people.  Sometimes, that means I get hurt because I give people too much credit.
5. I have very little tolerance for people who think the world revolves around them, people who hurt children/animals, and the otherwise rude!
6. I can. not. wait to find a new job.  It means that I can indulge my desire to add a new pup to my little herd. :-)
7. In real life, I'm extremely shy.  That is, until you get to really know me.  Then it's hard to shut me up!
8. My dream jobs: Owner of a doggie day care, author, international tour guide, bakery owner, make-up artist, and press secretary.
9. I'm a major insomniac.  I have a really hard time both falling asleep and staying asleep.  Having the dogs sleep with me actually helps me sleep a little... My PCP has a theory that I'll be cured of insomnia when I get married - that having someone sleeping next to me will force my biorhythms to sync into a normal sleep pattern. {BTW, I don't believe her.}
10. I love jewelry!!!  But I'm really picky about it.  I prefer ruby (my birthstone) and diamonds best, like simple settings, and only gold.
11. The "clumsy" gene runs in my family.  I should buy stock in black t-shirts because I drop things on myself so often!
12. BONUS FACT: I learned how to knit when I was five.  It's a very zen activity for me.  Actually...most creative activities are really relaxing to me.

The questions from MMS

1) What one item of clothing do you have that you absolutely refuse to throw out?
I have a stash of my baby clothes that I want to pass on to my future daughter...then make a quilt out of.

2) What was the greatest gift that anyone ever gave you?
That's a hard one!  My favorite gift was my professional grade Kitchen-Aid mixer. {I cried when my parent's gave it to me for Christmas a few years ago.} 

The "greatest" gift that I've ever gotten is my dog Peach Blossom.  She went to Rainbow Bridge about 6 years ago. Here's the short story of Peachy... My grandpa {mom's dad} passed away Christmas Eve of my freshman year of high school.  I was devastated! He was the first of my grandparents to pass away, and honestly one of my favorite people.  My parents very astutely knew that I needed something to focus on as I mourned. {and puppy kisses can heal even the deepest of wounds}  So, they bought me Peach Blossom!  She was such an amazing dog!!!!  Everything that a Cocker Spaniel should be - loving, devoted to me, affectionate. 

3) Who was your first celebrity crush?
Wow.  I could easily tell you who my first real life crush was...but celebrity is a bit harder.  I'm going to have to go with Ryan Gosling back from the MMC days.

4) What was your worst date ever?
Oh...here we go.  My worst date ever was a blind date {predictable, huh?!}.  A very sweet friend set me up - on. my. birthday.  and it was an ambush date.  Seriously.  I thought I was meeting her for drinks.  She greeted me, introduced me to my blind date and excused herself. I'm sure that under normal circumstances this man is very nice.  However, he had JUST broken up with what he believed was the love of his life.  Literally days before.  I spent 2 hours nursing a drink while he cried on my shoulder about how he could never life life without Jenna {or whatever her name was}.  And then, he was so upset that he didn't pay the bar tab.  I had to!

I don't ask a lot.  Just please, don't set me up on blind dates on my birthday!

5) What is your one food guilty pleasure?
Once a year or so, I make Reese's peanut butter bars and don't share them with others.  I freeze the whole batch and then nibble one or two a night until they are gone.

6) Do you drink? What is your alcoholic drink of choice?
Yes, I do drink.  I'm a big fan of Reisling {a super yummy white wine}, mudslides, hard cider, and Alabama Slammers.

7) What was your favorite vacation?
My favorite vacation was the two weeks I spent on a tour of England, Scotland and Wales when I was 16.  I went with my mom, my grandma {mom's mom}, my brother and one of my cousins.  Every single day was hours spent on the tour bus going to a new attraction/city, getting corralled through countless museums/castles/etc., a forced understanding of what haggis and mead are, fire alarms in the middle of the night, having to use the men's room at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, tales from our guide {who looked exactly like Ringo Starr}, trying to decipher Welsh road signs and lugging my mom's vastly over packed suitcase to the bus each morning.

In other words - it was MAGICAL!! Every single moment of that vacation will be etched into my brain forever!

8) What is one thing that people like that you just don't get the appeal of?
Uggs.  I'm so sorry...but I just don't get it. They are bad for your arches, look ugly {in my opinion. I understand that I may be alone in that opinion.}, and are super expensive.

9) What is your favorite tv show?
I don't have just one favorite show.  I will share my current favorites! The West Wing {which I'd likely list if you made me pick just one}, Torchwood, Doctor Who, Covert Affairs, Dancing with the Stars, Two Broke Girls, Royal Pains, Criminal Minds, New Girl, Glee, and Bones.

10) Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
Nope.  Just my two live animals.  :-)

11) Are there any foods that you won't eat?
I have a "thing" with food textures.  I don't like mushy.  That means no yogurt, pudding, cheesecake or pie.

Other than that, the only foods I really dislike are: mushrooms, eggplant & brussel sprouts.  Oh and I don't do animal organs {tripe,liver, sweetbreads}.

My eleven questions:

1. If you had to pick a super power, what would it be and why?
2. What was your best date ever?
3. You have to move to a new city now.  Right NOW!  What city would it be?
4. What current fad to you just abhor?
5. What's your favorite childhood memory?
6. You have to choose to not speak for a week or not use social media for a week.  Which do you choose?
7. What qualities are you looking for in a mate? {Or helped you find your hubby/boyfriend}
8. What is your favorite book and why?
9. How do you relax?
10. What's your biggest fear?
11. What can make you smile, no matter how bad a mood you're in?

"Tag" to eleven people:
Mrs. Jones
Kasey
Jessica
Holly
Beach Bum & Baby
Andrea
Janna
Michelle
Jane
Meg
Jill

The Lucky Winners!

Thanks to everyone that entered my giveaway!  You make a girl feel loved.  :-)
I'm glad I made the decision to do multiple prizes so I can share the joy amongst some really cool ladies!

*Drum roll, please*

Our winners are:
Bert's Bees Gift Pack - Preppy Girl Meets World
$20 Gift Card - Puddles (and her momma) @ We Three Doxies
Custom Hat - Kasey @ The Domestic Hygientist
Soda Stream - Mrs. Jones @ Keeping up with The Joneses'
Mystery Gift - Jessica @ You Are My Color

Now, I could tell you what the mystery gift is.  But I want Jessica to be surprised...so I'll wait a few days to reveal the package contents.  :-)

Winning ladies, please email me so I can get your prizes out later in the week!

Tuesdays At The Table - Chicken Pot Pie

Happy Tuesday!  If you entered my 500 follower giveaway, come back tomorrow when I reveal the winners.  :-)
Here's a little secret... I love the winter.  I'm not a huge fan of the snow, but I really like cold weather.  I'd much rather be cold than warm, think cold weather means making heartier meals for the family and longer nights to snuggle on the couch with the pups (or a human) you love.

In that vein - I love chicken pot pie!  I got this recipe from Pillsbury.com and made a few minor changes of my own. (Below is the original recipe, with a strike through anything I altered.)

Chicken Pot Pie

Crust

1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Filling

1/3 cup butter or margarine

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 3/4 2 cups chicken broth (I like either Swanson or Rachel Ray's brand)

1/2 cup milk

2 1/2 cups shredded diced cooked chicken or turkey

2 cups Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen mixed vegetables (of your choice), thawed

1 cup potatoes, par cooked and diced

Heat oven to 425°F. Make pie crusts as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie using 9-inch glass pie pan.                   

In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.                    

                      

Stir in chicken, mixed vegetables and potatoes. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust.                    

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. During last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

What's cooking in your kitchen?