Walk to the White House Today

Fountain in the park at The White House.

Benches in the park across the street, at The White House.

The back of it, at The White House.

April Showers lead to May Flowers?

I hope so because it poured here in the DMV (DC, MD, VA area).

Strawberry Banana Bread

This recipe was adapted by Sweet Beginnings who recommended it to me. I adapted it some because I didn't have whole wheat flour or apple sauce on hand.  I couldn't wait to make it. I love strawberry bread and I love banana bread. So Hello best of both worlds. Lets get baking. This bread was amazing. My house smelled so good. I wish I could post smells to the interwebs... Can someone invent that? I'll take a small portion for giving you the idea. HA! I get off subject so easy. Click on the above link for the original.

Ingredients:

-2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 tsp baking soda

-1/2 tsp baking powder

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-1/2 cup granulated sugar

-1/2 cup butter

-2 eggs

-1/2 cup sour cream

-1/2 tsp vanilla

-3 mashed bananas

-1 cup chopped strawberries

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan.

2. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Mix in eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and mashed bananas. Stir in chopped strawberries.

4. Add flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix to combine.

5. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing and cooling fully on a wire rack.

Celebrity Recipe Swap Cumin and Lime Roasted Pork Tenderloin

I got this recipe from Jenna's Cooking Journey. It is a Rachel Ray recipe and it was FANTASTIC. The flavors melded together and my toddler loved it. Which is a plus because the little stinker has turned into a picky eater. But when he does like something he eats tons.

Thanks Jenna. My family enjoyed it.

Cumin and Lime Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Adapted from Rachel Ray’s 365:No Repeats

Ingredients

2.25 lbs pork tenderloin

1 can of orange juice concentrate, made into juice

2 limes, juiced

3 tablespoons cumin, divided

2 tablespoon ground coriander, divided

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 jalapeno, chopped and seeded

6 garlic cloves

Directions

1)      I marinated the pork tenderloins in orange juice, the spices, and the jalapenos for two hours.  I put the pork in a gallon sized zip lock bag and put enough orange juice to cover the pork in the bag.  I used one lime, took a tablespoon of pepper, a tablespoon of the coriander, and one jalapeno and threw it in with the orange juice.

2)      Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

3)      Place the pork tenderloins on a baking sheet and drizzle a little of the marinade liquid onto them. Try to dig all the jalapeno pieces out of the liquid and put them on the pork as well.  Cut 3 or 4 slits in the pork (depending on the length) and stuff the slits with garlic.  Rub the remaining lime juice and spices on onto the tenderloin.

4)      Place into the oven for about 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.  

5)      Take out and let rest for a few minutes before cutting.

Swedish Meatballs

Recipe Courtesy of Alton Brown.

These were amazingly easy to make and super tasty. Tristan ate three plates of meatballs, rice and broccoli. The kid eats like a horse and looks like a mouse. Tristan is already begging for me to make them again!! I will since I ate a few more than I should have too.


Total Time: 55 Minutes
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time 25 Minutes

Ingredients

2 slices fresh white bread
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons clarified butter, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
A pinch plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 pound ground chuck
3/4 pound ground pork
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups beef broth
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Tear the bread into pieces and place in a small mixing bowl along with the milk. Set aside.

In a 12-inch straight sided saute pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sweat until the onions are soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread and milk mixture, ground chuck, pork, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and onions. Beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes.

Using a scale, weigh meatballs into 1-ounce portions and place on a sheet pan. Using your hands, shape the meatballs into rounds. (I eyeballed this with a cookie scoop.)

Heat the remaining butter in the saute pan over medium-low heat, or in an electric skillet set to 250 degrees F. Add the meatballs and saute until golden brown on all sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs to an ovenproof dish using a slotted spoon and place in the warmed oven.

Once all of the meatballs are cooked, decrease the heat to low and add the flour to the pan or skillet. Whisk until lightly browned, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the beef stock and whisk until sauce begins to thicken. Add the cream and continue to cook until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Remove the meatballs from the oven, cover with the gravy and serve.

Born to be wild!

Tristan loves to cruise around with my iPod. Well my iPhone with the iPod on. Last night he cruised to Born to Be Wild.

Get your motor running...



head out on the highway...



Looking for adventure in whatever comes our way.



I like smoke and lightning, heavy metal thunder, racing with the wind and the feeling that I'm under.



Yeah, darling, gonna make it happen.



Like a true nature child we were born, born to be wild.



We can climb so high, I never wanna die.



Born to be wild, born to be wild.



Get your motor running, head out on the highway.

Tristan's 1st Soccer Game

Next Week's Meal Plan

Sunday: Easy Slow Cooker Lemony Garlic Chicken Breast with asparagus (it's in season!) and whole-wheat couscous (ready in minutes!)
Monday: Chef Meg's Slow Cooker Lasagna with cheesy potatoes and a green salad.
Tuesday: Sun/Mon Leftovers
Wednesday: Chef Meg's Healthy Chicken Vegetable Casserole.
Thursday: Sloppy Joes

                                             Friday: Wed/Thurs Leftovers

                                             Saturday:  Slow Cooker Marinara Chicken and Vegetables

Jerk Chicken

I can't tell you how happy it makes me that my 3 1/2 year old LOVES spicy food. He asks for it. This chicken does have a bit of a kick but with the lime juice it pops. So yummy!!!!

Ingredients
4 to 5 pounds chicken breast
1/2 cup malt vinegar (or white vinegar)
2 Tbsp dark rum
2 Scotch bonnet peppers (or habaneros), with seeds, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp dried thyme, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons ground allspice
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
4 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons molasses
1/2 cup lime juice
Salt and pepper

Safety note: I strongly recommend wearing protective gloves while handling the chilies and the jerk paste.


1. Jerk Paste: Put vinegar, rum, hot peppers, onion, green onion tops, thyme, olive oil, salt, pepper, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and molasses into a blender or food processor. Pulse until mostly smooth.

2. Place chicken in a large freezer bag, or in a large roasting pan or baking dish. Pour lime juice over the chicken and coat well. Add the jerk paste to the chicken pieces and coat well. Seal the bag or cover the chicken in the pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

3. When you are ready to cook the chicken, remove chicken from the marinade bag or pan. Put the remaining marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to use as a basting sauce for the chicken. If you want you can reserve a little of the marinade (once boiled for 10 minutes since it has been in contact with raw chicken) to serve with the chicken or to mix with some ketchup and a dash of soy sauce for a serving sauce.

4. Preheat grill to medium high. Sprinkle chicken halves with salt and pepper. Place chicken halves, skin side down on the grill grates. Cover. Cook for approximately one hour, keeping the internal grill temperature between 350°F and 400°F, turning the chickens occasionally and basting with marinade, until the chicken halves are cooked through. The chicken is done when the juices run clear (not pink) when a knife tip is inserted into both the chicken breast and thigh, about 165-170°F for the breast and 180-185°F for the thigh. Transfer chicken to platter. Tent loosely with foil to keep warm and let stand 15 minutes.

Cut chicken into pieces. Serve with black beans and rice.

Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe adapted from several sources

A... Breakfast

An apple and tea. YUM!

Tristan Loves to Cook

Tristan loves to cook and he loves his new Chef Hat and Apron that he requested after many episodes of Iron Chef.

Game of Thrones Season 2 Episode 1 (SPOILERS)

Welcome back to Westeros, boys and girls.

Who watched it?

What did you think?

I loved it. I think Joffrey is still a royal ass. I don't know how Sansa stands him. I love that the show is sticking to the books. The end made me sick to my stomach. HOW cruel to cover up your affair and incest that you kill babies and children. As always I could have done without all the T&A but HBO loves nudity and the dwarf is still my favorite.

I am routing for The dragon queen. I do miss her husband he sure was a fine sight to look at. I love that all the children are in power. King Joffrey, Bran Stark sits in charge of Winterfell; Daenerys Targaryen is leading her pledges through a barren wasteland; and Robb Stark is commander of the armies of the north.

Some of my favorite quotes from last night:

"Death is so boring -- especially now, with so much excitement in the world." -- Tyrion
"What you just did is punishable by death. You will never do it again. Never."- Joffrey
"A king does not ask. He commands"-  Joffrey
"The night is dark and full of terrors"- Mesliandre
 "If I were capable of tricking father, I'd be emperor of the world by now"- Tyrion

So there you have it -- sex, blood, infanticide, incest, rebellion, poison and great big wolves. Man, I missed this show, didn't you? 

Gina's Oxtail Stew and Buttered Noodles

This recipe was so easy and as it simmered all day it smelled divine. Tristan loved it and keeps raving about it.  I was worried the wine taste would be over powering due to using a whole bottle but it was perfect. Serving it over buttered noodles cut some of the richness. It was perfect. I will be making it again! I used Chianti wine because someone had left a bottle from a party. I started it around 2 on this past Sunday and it was done by 6pm.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/ginas-oxtail-stew-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

5 pounds meaty oxtails
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, cut into half moons, about 1/4-inch thick
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch thick pieces
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 (750 ml) bottle dry red wine
2 cups beef broth
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
2 bay leaves
8 ounces button mushrooms
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Buttered Noodles, recipe follows, for serving

Directions

Wash and dry the oxtails. Add the meat to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss the meat in the flour until lightly coated.

Add the olive oil to a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the oxtails on all sides, in batches, until well browned. Transfer the meat to a plate and pour off some of the drippings, if necessary.

Add the onions, carrots, celery, thyme, and garlic to the pot and saute until the onions are tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the tomato paste and toast. Deglaze the pot with the bottle of red wine and stir up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the beef broth, tomatoes with their juices and the bay leaves.

Add the browned beef back into the pot along with any accumulated juices that may have collected on the plate. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook until the beef is tender and falling off the bone, about 3 1/2 hours.

Stir in the mushrooms and cook uncovered, for 30 minutes more. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper, if needed, and stir in the red wine vinegar to brighten the flavor. Remove the meat from the pot and pull the meat off the bones, then add back to the pot. Discard the bones. Transfer the stew to a serving dish and serve hot over Buttered Noodles.

Buttered Noodles:

1 (12-ounce) package wide egg noodles
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 small shallot, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water over medium heat, according to the package directions. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and saute until tender. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and melt. Stir in the chives, Parmesan and lemon.

Add the noodles to the skillet and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.