Recipe: Spinach Burgers

I have found that I waste a lot of my free time searching Pinterest, mainly when Mike is playing a game on the TV or watching football and I don't care about the teams playing. During my several hour marathon of "pinning", I find some interesting recipes. I have tried several of them, that I had to make another folder to contain the ones that we've repeated or would like to have again!

When I pinned this recipe, Mike had seen it but didn't realize that I was the one who discovered it, so when I asked about a menu for the week, he started to describe this meal. I laughed and pointed out that I was the one who found it. Needless to say, it was on the menu.

It was really easy to make, and when it was cooking in the pan, my nose kept smelling hamburgers instead of this healthy meal. It was really good, and will most likely be seen around again soon.




Here's the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 bag of thawed and well drained chopped spinach (I ended up with a small frozen container)
2 egg whites
1 whole egg
1/4 c diced onion (I added whatever I wanted, since we both like onions)
1/2 c shredded cheese (I added a little more to help with texture)
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 tsp red pepper flakes (I added to taste)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder (I added to taste)

Mix in a bowl until everything is well combined.

Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. Spray the pan with non-stick spray. Make your patties and place them into the skillet. Cook each side 4-6 minutes each side, then flip and repeat.

Serve with your favorite toppings.*

Enjoy!

Note*: Mike had his on a bun with more onion, Dijon mustard and Srircha. I had mine with a little more onion.

Recipe: Bagel Spread with Smoked Salmon and Dill Cream Cheese

This is another one of those, "I wonder how this will taste, how long it will take to make for pre workouts".

I made this recipe this morning for breakfast, just to see how long it would take, as I don't want to be making too much of a fuss in the morning (530am) before working out. This didn't take long at all. The longest part was waiting on the bagel to toast.

This recipe is also one of those Weight Watchers meals that actually taste pretty good. I'm looking forward to another one, to be honest! You gotta love those healthy meals that actually taste good!


Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

Bagel, split in half (I used mini bagels)
2 tablespoons 1/3 less fat cream cheese, whipped variety (The store only had original whipped)
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh dill, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (I used bottled)
1 oz smoked salmon, sliced thinly (I found pre-sliced smoked salmon, oakwood flavor)*



Toast bagel.

While your bagel is toasting, mix cream cheese, dill and lemon juice in a bowl, until all ingredients are fully incorporated.

Once your bagel is finished, spread the mixture on both halves of the bagel. Top with your smoked salmon.

Enjoy!

Note:* In case you have never gone shopping for smoked salmon, the flavors of the smoking methods are all over the place! Find one that sounds good to you! If you end up not liking that particular smoking taste, then change it up until you find one that you do like!

Recipe: Grilled Ciabatta with Ricotta & Blueberries

Since starting boot camp again, I have been searching for things that I can eat before and after the workout. I found this healthy recipe on Pinterest, and when I showed Mike, his initial reaction was that it looked gross. Men.

So, I bought the stuff anyways, and gave it a shot last night when I needed a little snack before dinner. It was so good, I ended up having another after dinner, before bed as a little dessert.

One of the things that I realized that I needed to play with, was the amount of fresh mint. My first round, I bit into it, and I was overwhelmed with mint. It was so powerful, it cleaned out my sinuses, which honestly, didn't need to be cleared.

It's super easy to make, and I see making this often!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

Ciabatta bread, sliced (We couldn't find any of this bread, so we picked up some artisan bread)
Ricotta cheese, low fat
Fresh mint, cut finely (I used about 1 leaf my second round and it was better)
Fresh blueberries, handful or enough to cover your slice
Organic honey, teaspoon drizzled

Toast your slice of bread.
While it is toasting, wash and prep your mint and blueberries.
Once your bread is finished, thinly spread ricotta over the entire slice. Sprinkle your mint over the ricotta, top with blueberries and finish by drizzling your honey over the top of them all.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Tequila Grilled Shrimp

After our last adventure of making a tasty shrimp meal, we decided to try again. I found this one on Pinterest as well, and discovered that it's a Martha Stewart recipe. I had figured that it could be a really good, really fresh meal, but as I started to make it, I realized that her recipe was only have there. I had to improvise, just a little.

Mike liked this one a lot. Me, not so much. It was good, but I much preferred the previous recipe over this one. I had a small side dish of Sriracha sauce for dipping, and that helped, but Mike had the majority of this batch. I also didn't "grill" my shrimp, which would have helped.

There is a section of the original recipe that didn't specify what to do, so I made it up as I went. I cooked the shrimp in the marinade when I should have spooned them out and placed them into the pan for cooking.

So, here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used 2 pounds of pre-cooked cocktail shrimp)
1/4 cup silver or white tequila
1/4 cup lime juice from about 3 limes (I didn't have enough limes, so I used bottled stuff)
1/4 cup orange juice from 1 orange (I didn't have any oranges, so I used the OJ we had, which also had pineapple flavoring...oops)
Coarse salt and pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (I left seeds in, for kick)
Lime wedges for serving (I tossed mine into the mixture while cooking to add more lime flavor)



In a medium nonreactive bowl, stir together shrimp, tequila, and juices. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. Grill shrimp until opaque throughout. 4-6 minutes, flipping once. Transfer to a platter and top with jalapenos. Serve shrimp with lime wedges.

Enjoy!

Note: I tossed the jalapeno into the mixture whilst it was cooking in the pan, as well as some lime wedges, to boost the flavors a little more. I also didn't have a grill or grill pan accessible, so I used a standard skillet instead.

Recipe: Aurochs Roasted with Leeks

Again, I found myself flipping through the pages of the Game of Thrones cookbook that I gave to Mike for this past Christmas. So far, I must admit that this has been well worth the money that I paid for it, especially because it's always a toss up to how good the food will really taste when it's based off of a book or movie series...in this case, both.

I have repeated a few recipes already from this book, and foresee doing it again and again. Have I found the "go to" cookbook?

As I flipped through the pages, I found this recipe. I wrote it down, and thought that this would be a good one to try, as we usually never have roasts. It's very seldom that we do, and I think that with how much Mike and I liked this recipe, we might be having roasts more often.


Also, in case you're not familiar with an Auroch, it's a cross between a mammoth and a cow. Picture a mammoth sized cow... =) Imagine killing and feeding your entire village with that!

So, because the recipe is called Aurochs Roasted with Leeks, just keep in mind that aurochs have long since been extinct and beef or bison roasts will do just fine. =)


Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

Top round roast of bison or beef, about 3 pounds (I used close to 6, just for leftovers)

6 leeks, white and light green parts only, well washed and sliced (I bought 2 mainly because that's what the store had left)

4 carrots, washed and sliced (I used more than 4, just to help add volume)

1 head of garlic, broken into cloves and peeled (I'm sure that if you can find pre-peeled ones, that's best)

Small bunch of fresh thyme, rosemary, bay, sage or a mixture (I used rosemary and sage)

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Broth or water for basting, if needed (I didn't need it)


Preheat oven to 400*. Take roast out of fridge 30 minutes before it goes into the oven!

Place the vegetables, garlic, and herbs into a roasting tray, or similar dish and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to make sure that everything is coated.
Drizzle oil over the beef, then liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place meat directly on top of the vegetables.
Place the tray in the preheated oven and cook for around 1 hour. Near the end of this time, check for done-ness with a meat thermometer. 145* should be about medium.
Check the vegetables halfway through the cooking process. If they look dry, baste them and the meat with juices from the tray. This is where you can add a splash of broth or water into the tray, and use that. Basting will keep the vegetables from scorching.
When meat is cooked to your satisfaction, transfer it to a cutting board and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. (I left mine in the tray to rest, giving the vegetables a little more juice) Slice it thinly and serve it. Serve with the vegetables.

Enjoy!

Boot Camp, Freezing Weather and Amputations

Hello everyone!


Now that Mike and I have been back from our trip in Oregon, we are still getting back into the swing of our normal routine. It's been a little challenging, as the weather hasn't been very cooperative.

I might have mentioned that our garage door had frozen shut, due to the cold, so Mike had to hit the door to get it unstuck. Of course, in doing so, he managed to slightly bump the sensors out of place, which caused the door to go down a foot, then go back up. After about a week to two weeks of having to deal with that, Mike finally started to get someone to come out to the house to take a look. Within seconds, the man had it fixed. We just got the bill for that too. Five seconds of work costs $30-$50.  I think I'm in the wrong business!

Now, when I say that it's been cold here...I mean it's been cold! I have found that I have been quoting the movie "Just Friends" quite often. There is a part in that movie that has the two main characters heading inside, and they are commenting on how cold it is there. They mention that it's like the South Pole. So, I've said that a few times to Mike. I get a chuckle here and there, but I've since stopped as I'm sure that it's getting old to hear.

One morning, I had gotten up to go to my boot camp workout, and when I got there, I thought that perhaps the door was open for me. I walked across the way, pulled on the door...locked. I pulled out my phone to see how early I was. Only five minutes or so. I thought, "Oh, I'll just wait here." I lasted all of ten seconds before walking back to my car. There was no way I could continue standing out there. When I returned to the warmth of my car, I checked my phone to see what the temperature really was. Mike and I have an app on our phone called "Weather Bug". It gives you the exact temperature of the area you live, plus the wind and all of that fancy jazz. I refreshed it numerous times, thinking that it was not telling the truth, but it was.
After the workout, I talked to Mike, who pulled it up on his phone, and this is what he saw...

Three degrees warmer than my morning workout check.

 

When I had checked the app before my workout, it said it was -36*. Half hour later, and it had warmed up 3*. The whole day was this cold. It didn't get much warmer than 1*. So, when I say that it's cold...I really mean that it's freaking cold! When I see that we are in the positive numbers, I smile because it's warm, well, warmer than -36* anyways...

 

Boot camp has been tough, but so far, it's been worth it! I know that I have areas that need to be worked on and I know where I struggle. I have to say that I have enjoyed going, even though there are mornings that I would rather sleep in and not go, but when I'm done, I'm glad that I had. It's only an 8 week program, and I'm done with 2 of those already!

 

This Saturday, I have my Girls Day Out event. I'll be at the mall all day, trying to get my name out there again, and hopefully sell some things. I've already been contacted for a wedding, and I am still working out the details. Nothing is set in stone, of course, but I am happy that I have someone interested in me, enough to do their wedding. They are talking with a couple other photographers, so like I said, I'm not signed into anything yet.

 

A couple nights ago, Mike and I were watching a movie. With the weather being as cold as it has been, we have the fire on, and it warms up the house nicely, except our bedroom, as we have the door closed and it gets pretty chilly in there when we go to bed, but during our time awake, we love it. The cats, however, love the fire more than we do. Each time it's on, the cats plop down in front of it, and remain there all day...well, as long as the fire place is turned on, that is.

 

Cuddling by the open fire.

 

 

Now, during our movie, Kitty decided that he wanted to cuddle with me. Okay, fine, no big deal. He leans over, and forces his cuddles sometimes, if I don't move to allow him my lap. I finally wrapped my arms around me, allowing him what he wanted, which he loved, but then, one of the girls freaked out for no reason, scaring him, and he started to claw his way off of me. I managed to grab him to help get him off of me before he ripping into my flesh...he still managed to claw me but it could have been a lot worse than it was.

I really do mean that it could have been a lot worse. The scratches started to bleed. It hurt to move my arm, and I couldn't bend my arm. I washed it with a wet cloth, which was making the bleeding keep going, but the inflammation was less...however, the pain remained. Days later, and I've got that scabbed over, hurts to extend as it stretches the healing skin, and sometimes I can't roll up my sleeves without taking some it with me. I told Mike after a shower, the night that it happened, and even the day after, that he needed to take my arm. Just cut it off because it hurt.

 

"For the love of God, just take the arm!"

 

As I said, had I not been able to grab hold of him, it would have been a lot worse. Mike was concerned with how close it came to some vital veins etc, and was concerned that had it been worse, we might have needed to go to the hospital.

 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Kitty, he is the one that I rescued from outside that was living under my shed back in the Springs. He was a year old at the time, with a broken tail. He is also the 20 pound cat. He isn't fat, but because of his breed, he's big and strong. People ask me why the biggest cat of ours is named something like Kitty, which is reserved for tiny cats...when he was living outside, that's what I called him, and he responded to it. I've called him that ever since, even though his vet records state that his name is really Alley...like Alley Cat.

 

Last night, Mike and I finally took my new computer out for a spin with our online game. Before Christmas, Mike and I talked about how frustrated I had become over playing games with him as I was lagging and unable to keep up with him. My graphics sucked, and it was challenging to play. Mike had done some research and decided that he could build me a computer online with a company in Oregon, where his last five computers have been from, and it would be pretty awesome for the gaming side of things. When we got home from Oregon, it arrived a week later. We had the computer set up and ready to go, but I wasn't in the mood to play games. I wanted to just relax. So, last night, we started to play the game again, and it was much easier to play. I was pretty excited to see how nice the game looked on the screen and I know that we're going to be playing more soon enough.

 

I've been making some new recipes, and I will be making more here tonight, so keep a lookout for those.

 

Mike and I are hoping to get down to the Springs this weekend, but I will have to see what is going on with family this weekend, and the weather, as trying to get through several passes with snow and icy is a bit tricky.





Today, I have a few things that I need to work on, such as basic household things, and then I am unsure of what I will do after. I've been pretty focused on one of our older Playstation 3 games, which makes Mike laugh at me every day he comes home, but I've been into playing it, and looking forward to continuing with it. So, he will just have to keep laughing at me.

This coming Tuesday, Mike has a jury summons to go to. He should be dismissed pretty quickly, as it's a trial that is affecting the hospital. I think it's going to be pretty challenging to get a jury that doesn't know the case or what it's about. If I get a summons for it, I know a lot about it as well, and would most likely be dismissed when I state that I know.

Well, I think that's about it.

Until next time!

Recipe: Shrimp with Garlic and Parsley

Ever since Mike and I ate at the coast in Oregon during our Christmas vacation, I have been on a crazy seafood kick! I have missed the taste of the fresh crab and shrimp, and being in the Northwest corner of Colorado, we are limited to what kind of seafood we can even get here!

Mike had gone to the store after work and managed to find some frozen shrimp. We started to think about what kind of shrimp to make, and I found this recipe on Pinterest, and we loved it! I foresee making this a few more times, if we can find the shrimp again!

Mike loved the sauce so much, that he decided that we needed to make popcorn, so that he could dip it into the sauce. I had warned him numerous times not to get sick off of the sauce, and he heeded my advice, but loved it. I joked that I could put it into a container so that he could put it on his eggs in the morning, but he said that he was finished with it!


Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

4-5 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced (we used more because we love garlic)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (we used more)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika (we used smoked paprika and more of it)
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (we used 2 pounds)
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (we used more but we used bottled)
1-2 tablespoons dry white wine (we used more and an old wine we had)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (we didn't use this at all)
lemon pepper to taste (optional) {we did not use this}


In a saute pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil.
Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and paprika. Saute for 1 minute or until things are fragrant.
Increase the heat to high, add the shrimp, lemon juice and dry white wine. Stir well. Saute the shrimp until the turn pink and are opaque throughout, about 3-5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with parsley and serve!

Enjoy!