I has a new blog

http://kj-20something.blogspot.com/

New years!

So this is the new year,
Last year was a rollercoaster of insane, and good things.
I have never really been all that into resolutions (especally the new years kind) but I think that setting some goals for the year might not be a bad idea, and i am posting them so that I can go back and look at them and see how I have done.

So here goes, (not in any order at all)

1. I want to be better about saving money and budgeting (no more forever 21 shopping sprees!)
I had some money in my savings account but then christmas distroyed that so I want to be putting away $20 each pay check, and them extra monay anytime I can.

2. I have a bad habbit of starting books and never finishing them so I want to finish every book I start.

3. Get HEALTHY! I don't need to lose any weight but I do need to exercise more, drink less and eat better. Joe and I have already started (well we started this morning).

4. I want to actually get dressed in the morning and be out of bed by 9 everyday. I have a lot of clothe but wear the same thing everyday because I am lazy.

5. keep growing my hair.

6. Keep my room clean and organized.

7. pay my loan on time every month. I am so bad about that!

8. wash my face twice a day, lotion twice a day.

9. Blog regularly!!! as you know if you read this I am so so bad at that!

10. eat out less!

Thats it for now I think.

wish me luck

OH GEE!

I am sorry loves
I really shouldn't be promising once a day posts...
I sort of feel like my life is falling apart and so getting around to doing the things I actually enjoy doing (blogging) is hard because I am just so sick and tired of life.
Nothing comes easy anymore, not even sleeping!
Okay enough complaining

2 dinners 1 post
I am not going to cheat y'all

So
Thursday, Taco Night
And
Friday, Grilled chicken salad.


Shopping list for Tacos:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pack of fajita mix
1 small can of corn
Mexican cheese mix
lettuce
1 tomato
salsa
1 large can of re-fried beans
small sized flour tortillas
tequila
Margarita mix
triple sec
chipotle Tabasco sauce

So tacos are easy (so so easy), in the morning before you go to work put your chicken in tupperwere with the fajita mix, and water (there are instruction on the back of the pack) shake it up and close the lid, and simply put it in the fridge for the day. When you get home pull out the chicken and grill it up using the foreman grill (or you can bake it). Cut up the veggies, chicken strain the corn, and put everything in little bowls (because tacos are more fun when you can make them yourself). Dump the re-fried beans in a fry pan over medium heat, cover and let them cook for about 10 minutes stirring every few minutes. Set your oven to warm and put the tortillas in, just until they are warm you don't want to over cook them they will dry out. Make your margaritas. Set the table, don't forget all of your toppings, and make sure you have a serving spoon for everything and plenty of napkins!
I understand tacos are a very personal thing and this is sort of a cop-out because most people know how to make tacos ?(i mean really?) but I more or less just want to give ideas for easy dinner for 2 this week, and as far as easy goes this is almost as easy as it gets! Plus who doesn't love tacos?



FREAKY FRIDAY
So if you cant already tell I love my Foreman grill more than anything! But if you don't have one all of the grilled chicken I make can be grilled outside on a real grill, on a stove top grill or baked (at 350 for about 45min, probably longer). But really just go get a "lean mean grilling machine" you'll love it!

Salad night!
Joe and I love this dinner!

Shopping list:
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Big bag of salad mix
Shredded cheese (cheddar or Romano depending on the dressing)
2 tomatoes
*any other veggies

Things you should have:
Italian salad dressing
Cesar dressing
croutons

So again put your chicken in tupperwere and cover it with Italian dressing, let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour, if you can do this in the morning and let it sit in the fridge all day. Grill the chicken and chop it into 1 inch cubes. Then put the chicken in the fridge while you make the salad, because putting hot chicken on top lettuce makes it wilt. You can either just prepare 2 salads or make a big bowl and serve your selves (but why dirty more dishes). I make this chicken all the time, in salads and sandwiches...it's just so easy and so good.
easy. healthy.yay


the week is finally over

and now the weekend...that never feels like a weekend because 5 people in a 3 bedroom 1 bath apartment isn't relaxing for anyone.
Hate my living situation.

poo&junk
kj

Oh and sorry for being depressing...

HUMPDAY

So for dinner tonight
Spaghetti and meatballs
and warm Focaccia bread
(remember I said you'd use it again)

What's more romantic that spaghetti? I mean really!
I have you seen Lady and the Tramp?
AMAZING!
ADORABLE!
(although I would recommend if you are going to be nudging meatballs with your nose you don't wear a white shirt)

Meatballs are one of those things I normally will make and cook a big batch of and freeze (one of the few things), but for this I am going to post a half batch recipe, but even with a half batch you will most likely still have leftovers.
Oh well...

Shopping list:

1/2 lb lean ground beef

1 jar of pasta sauce

1 box of spaghetti

1/2 loaf focaccia bread

1 onion

1 bottle red wine

Things you should have:

1 egg

olive oil

minced garlic

Italian bread crumbs

So fill a pot with water, let it boil and add the spaghetti, about half a box for 2 people is what I normally do. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Now finely chop 1/4 of the onion and set it aside for a minute, in a large bowl put your beef, 1 egg and one cup of bread crumbs and mix it with your hands until it become less sticky and is all combined, then add the chopped onion, and 1-2 tsp of minced garlic. Shape mixture into balls, the size is up to you but don't make them huge it will take forever to cook, arrange the meatballs in a glass baking dish and bake for 15 minutes rotate them and then bake for another 15 minutes. Your pasta should already be done and strained at this point I normally toss the pasta with about half the jar of sauce, heat it over very low heat to keep it warm. When the meatballs are done put the other half of the sauce in the bowl with them cover in foil and place in oven on warm. Slice the focaccia bread into pieces about 1 inch wide, mix 1 tsp garlic and 1-2 tbs olive oil and brush the tops of the bread with the mixture. Arrange the 'breadstick' on a baking sheet with tin foil, and put in the oven with the meat balls for about 10 minutes. At this point set the table and pop open the wine. Put your spaghetti in a serving bowl and pour the meatballs and sauce over the top, grab a wide mouthed glass or mug and arrange your bread sticking out the top (it looks fancy that way), and ENJOY!

I normally make a small salad to share with his meal, but that up to you and I am not posting instruction for that...HA.

romance&junk

kj

OOPS...

So I had a crappy day yesterday and forgot to post Tuesdays dinner
bad Kelsey!
I know
I'm sorry

But I am going to post it today along with todays dinner so don't worry!

So on the menu for Tuesday we have

Teriyaki tofu with rice noodles and veggies
and for desert Saki fruit salad!
Yummy!

shopping list:
1 package of rice noodles (I like the fettuccine style that are flat)
snow peas
shredded carrots
1 green onion
1 package of firm tofu
fresh mixed berries (Shaw's normally has like fruit cup sized packs of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, that will be enough)
1 bottle of Saki (or plum Saki)

things you should have at home:
teriyaki sauce
minced garlic
sesame seeds
soy sauce
vegetable oil or peanut oil

Start by draining your tofu really well! Cut the tofu into slices about 1/2 inch thick, then smother it with teriyaki sauce and let sit for a few minutes wile you start the noodles. Boil about half the package of noodles according to the package instructions. drain the noodles and get 2 medium frying pans, one for noodles and one for tofu (if you want to use less dishes cook tofu first and put it in a warm oven and re use the same pan for the noodles). Place tofu in a lightly oiled pan over medium heat (if you have peanut oil it add a nice flavor to the dish if not vegetable oil will work). Cook tofu until the sauce becomes a little crispy about 3 minutes on each side. After draining the noodles rinse them with cold cold water, and let then sit in the strainer for a minute, in the other pan over medium heat saute the chopped green onion (leave about 2 tbs for garnish), 1 tsp of minced garlic in 3 tbs of oil for 3 or 4 minutes then add the noodles snow peas and carrots. Stir the noodles with everything in the pan and add about 1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce, stirring constantly cook for another 4 to 5 minutes when everything is done plate it, sprinkling everything with sesame seeds and the noodles with chopped green onion!

Enjoy your dinner! Desert is super easy, fill a 3 oz juice glass or cocktail glass 3/4 of the way with mixed berries and then fill the rest with Saki at room temp.

I normally cook 2 pieces of tofu per person and put the rest in a baggie in the fridge, for another night or smoothies or something, you can buy small packs of tofu depending on the selection your local store has. My boy isn't big on tofu but once in a while it's a good meet free dinner that he doesn't complain too much about, I think mostly however to avoid my "benefits of soy products" lecture. HA!

soy&junk

kj

MONDAY: dinner for two!

So today was a gloomy day here in Boston,
it didn't rain but it was overcast, cold and windy (and just the beginning)
Oh damn winter!

But todays dinner for two is going to be a cafe style,
soup, sandwich and salad.

This is a really good Monday night dinner, I always find that on Monday I come home from work tired and in a bad mood not wanting to cook at all! But ordering pizza every time I had a bad day at work wouldn't really be reasonable.

For the Sandwiches, we're going to do a Foreman grill panini, with ham, Swiss, sprouts and spicy brown mustard. then a vegetable minestrone soup (tomato basil works really well too) and a mixed greens salad with celery, carrots, tomato and cucumber.
( I am going to put a shopping list in each post, and then the cooking directions, so that if your a once a week shopper you can just combined them all or you can just run out to the store after reading)

shopping list:

1/2 lb honey ham, thin sliced
1/2 lb Swiss cheese
1/2 loaf of focaccia bread
1 bag of salad mix
Celery
Carrots
1 tomato
1 cucumber
Barley sprouts
1-2 cans of vegetable minestrone soup
1 bottle of red wine

*Things you probably should have at home*
(but if not get them)

Spicy brown mustard
Balsamic salad dressing

Just a few notes notes on the list, the Shaw's that I go to sells half loafs of bread, if yours doesn't no sweat focaccia makes awesome cold sandwiches, garlic bread, or is good as a side with any dinner instead of rolls. Also you will end up with extra veggies, I normally make a salad to go with every meal, so I don't worry about having extras, if you are however you can buy bags of salad mix with other veggies mixed in or get a bag of raw veggie slaw (an awesome salad and sandwich topper!). Now for the soup Joe and I can normally split one of the large cans and be fine it just depends on how much soup your going to want really, to be safe though I would do 2 cans.

Now, let's start cookin'!
Plug in your Foreman and cut your focaccia in half (so you end up with 2 quarters) then slice it open like a bun, spread a thin layer of the mustard on both sides of each. Then drop a pile of rinsed, dries sprouts on one side then a slice of Swiss, then 1/4 lb of ham, then another slice of Swiss, a few sliced tomatoes, then put the top on. Don't grill them yet, you want to have both sandwiches constructed and the soup, starting to cook before you start cooking. So, put your soup in a sauce pan on medium/high heat. If you have a big enough grill you can cook both sandwiches at once, if not don't crowd them just cook then one at a time and put one in the oven set to warm while the other cooks. While your sandwiches and soup are cooking cut up any veggies that need to be, and toss salad in a large bowl with balsamic dressing.
The sandwiches should be a golden brown on the outside and a little crispy, the cheese should be melted but the ham might not be hot, that's okay that's how it is supposed to be if you leave it on the grill till the ham has warmed all the way through you will most likely burn the bread.

So plate the salad and sandwiches on a plate and pour the soup into bowls, set a table for two and pop open the wine!

Tune in tomorrow for another delightful dinner for two

romantic&junk

kj

Table for two please

I don't normally cook meals just for two people, but my hours at work got cut so Joe and I are going to have date night in for a while...
There are tricks for cooking for two, and a few methods of attack,

1- THE PRE-FREEZE
This is where you buy more thank 2 serving of things like, veggies and meet and break them up into one or two serving size freezer bags and freeze them. I don't like this method...because I don't like having to defrost things, but for those who don't mind it it's the most economical.

2- THE POST-FREEZE
When you fully cook a large meal and then split it up into one or two person servings tupperwear it and freeze it. This is easier than the pre-freeze but it doesn't work for everything...and if your like me you tend to forget about what you've cooked and froze. So be careful if you decide to do this.
3- THE (UN-FROZEN) LEFTOVER
I find this works best if you have roommates or like taking lunch to work. Joe and I aren't big on eating the same meal twice a week so this would never work if it was just the two of us living alone, throwing out food is sad and normally that's what this normally leads to.

4- THE ONLY COOK WHAT YOU'LL EAT
I like this best, but it is the least economical and involves many trips to the store...or at lease for me it does because I am so bad a planning meals more than a few hours before dinner time.

The trick is finding what works for you and then planing accordingly and it always takes a while to get into the swing of meal planing and nightly cooking and I always think it's a lot easier to cook for a crowd than a couple.

But the good news is I am going to be doing another week long project! Unlike before the end result wont be one big meal each day I will post a complete meal for Two! (you will be able to apply any of the methods above to each day and hopefully I will get some pictures up to go with these). I am going to make these all quick and easy week-night dinners, you know the kind you don't totally dread making when you finally get home at 8pm.