Chili

 Remember when I showed you these? 

And complained about the Hub's cooking hygiene?

I take it back.

I just finished the last of said chili for lunch today. 
I'm already sad.
When will we have it again??

Sorry folks, this is one recipe I cannot share, but if I could, you would swoon....

This is all I have left....

Would licking the bowl at work be wrong? 

I know, it looks like I already did.

My bad.

Love,
Susie Q

Pizza Dip

 So the last of the recipes from our fun party two Saturdays ago was this amazing Pizza dip!

Pizza Dip

A layered, hot cheesy dip with all of the great pizza flavours including pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni, olives and green peppers.

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, grated
• 1/4 cup parmigiana reggiano (Parmesan), grated
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, grated
• 1/4 cup parmigiana reggiano (Parmesan), grated
• 2 ounces pepperoni, sliced
• 2 tablespoons green pepper, sliced
• 2 tablespoons black olives, sliced

I doubled the recipe, 86'd the olives and green pepper (I don't like olives, and Kroger was out of green peppers), and added some 'shrooms.  Oh, and of course I used the less fat version where I could. 

Stuff you might need

Directions

1. Mix the cream cheese, sour cream mayonnaise, mozzarella and parmigiana reggiano and spread it across the bottom of a pie plate. (if you double this you will need a casserole dish)
2. Spread the pizza sauce on top and sprinkle on the cheese, and toppings

Pre-Oven

3.  Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the cheese has melted, bubbling and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
 4. Find something to transfer this from the plate to your mouth.  I suggest slicing some french loaves into small pieces.  Toast them with some garlic and butter if you'd like.
5.  Enjoy!

Again, I got excited about people and stopped taking pictures...

Sorry.

But it was delicious!  I felt a bit vain at times because I couldn't stop talking about how good my own dip was, but I was just so impressed. 

So there you have it.

Pizza dip that will make you feel vain. 

Love,

Susie Q

Cake Balls!

It's recipe week here at Life After Happily Ever After!

If you don't like it... sorry

But these are some amazing works of art... so I think you'll like it.

CAKE BALLS:

1 Package of your favorite cake flavor (I picked french vanilla)
1 Package of your favorite icing (I went with the theme of Vanilla)
The ingredients for said cake mix
Decorations
Candy Melts (can be found at Michael's or Hobby Lobby, or any arts & Crafts store)
Popsicle sticks (optional)

First cook the cake according to the directions and while still hot,crumble in a big bowl.

Add about 3/4 of the package of icing to the crumbled cake and mix until you can't see the icing anymore (again, do this immediately)

Use a spoon, or good tablespoon scoop to roll the mixture into balls and put them onto wax paper.  After every 5 or 6 balls you will need to wash your hands so be sure to do this somewhere where you can get up and down (ie. not on the couch watching TV with your husband with the cookie sheet of balls on your lap, like me) then stick them in the fridge for at least an hour.  I left mine in overnight for good measure.

This is when I forgot to take pictures....

My bad....

But basically, read the directions to heat the candy melts and do that.  Then, take a Popsicle stick and stick it in the side of the ball.  (there will be one side of the ball that is flat from cooling on the rack, be conscious of this side as you cover the balls with the candy -- you will lay the ball back down on this side)

If you want to do sprinkles immediately sprinkle them on.  If you want to do icing, wait for them to cool a bit.


Voila....

Excuse the messy plate, I got rushed as people started showing up.  ALSO, I would either lay these back on wax paper, or grease the plate, these all stuck to the plate :-(.  Still yummy though!  Not bad for my first try I think!

These are totally not on any diet, but were really great!  The cake stayed moist for days after too!  (At least through Monday morning when my coworkers gobbled the last few up) 

Have a happy Friday Eve! Stay tuned tomorrow for Pizza Dip! 

Susie Q.

Mushroom Sauce Yumminess!

I've been trying to find new pasta recipes lately since the Hubs is training for this little old thing called a marathon... I came across this recipe on Sam's blog and thought I would give it a shot.  The only change I made was to add a chicken breast for a bit of protein.  I believe she also adapted her version from EatingWell.com  so this would be the third tweak to the original recipe.

Ingredients

Pasta with Mushroom Sauce

12 oz whole-wheat fettuccine (I used regular spaghetti because it's what we had... it really doesn't matter too much)

1 T olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped (*I love me some red onion*)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 T dry sherry
3 T all-purpose flour (I use whole wheat flour)
1 cup broth (vegetable or chicken)
1/3 cup light cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 Chicken breast

Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until onion is soft. 

 Add mushrooms and cook about 10-12 minutes.

In a separate pan, cook one cubed chicken breast with salt and pepper to season

Stir in sherry and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute.  Sprinkle flour over the mushroom mixture and stir to coat.  Pour in broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute. 

Remove from the heat and stir in cream and 1/4 cup Parmesan. 

Drain the pasta, the chicken should be finished

At this point you can either add all the ingredients to one bowl and mix for you to separate later, or you can portion them into two bowls and serve

Don't mind the mess on my stove... I'm a messy cooker, oh Wow, and there's a door open in the cabinets...I really should not have shared this picture.

Either way, once in two bowls add a bit more Parmesan for the heck of it

My phone is supposed to have a zebra print cover... I think it more just blends in with the counter.

This was a really great, easy to make dinner.  Hubs and I really like 'shrooms and he has requested I make it for all of his long runs now because he said he felt really great last Saturday morning for his 16 mile fun run!

Do you have a pre-workout ritual?

Any pre-long run suggestions?

What is your favorite pasta dish to make?

Do you often take very messy pictures of your kitchen???

Random Thoughts on a Friday

Happy Friday Everyone!

What are your big plans for the weekend?  We're cleaning tonight...I know, so fun.

Tomorrow is long run day for the Hubs, and my first "Long Run"  I'm supposed to go three miles.  I think I'll go 4.5 instead so I can run from our condo to Chastain Park and back.  Only a few more weeks of running distances I'm used to and then it's gonna get interesting!

After that I'll meet Hubs and give him some refreshments, start baking, meet hubs again, and then take the dogs to the vet...

THEN, when I get back, I'll finish baking and getting ready for our Friends to arrive!  We're showing off our kitchen watching the USC/UGA game at our condo with a bunch of friends Saturday.  I'm really excited to have everyone over!  USC will obviously win though! Go Cocks!

Sunday I'm hoping will be a pool day... and craft day :-).

So since that is my plans for the weekend, and while they are very exciting it's also all I have to share with you, I thought I would send some random thoughts out in the world to see if anyone else thinks these things too... an "Am I Normal" of sorts.

• There are certain grown adults who sound like they're wearing a diaper when they walk....
• How do dogs collect so many eye buggers in a day?
• Pollen sucks
• Is it the instructor or the music that makes cycle class so awesome?
• This week is National Waffle Week... I might make waffles for lunch tomorrow just to celebrate!



Does she look like she knows it's "her week"

• I'm really enjoying this weather, but am I the only one that's sad summer is ending?  I think the kitchen distracted me from the August heat.  

That's it!

I'm making this and this for Saturday... wish me luck! 

Love,

Susie Q

Inspriation... Where are you?

I seem to have no inspiration for today's post... actually, that's not true, and I cannot tell a lie... I have lots of inspiration for today's post... just nothing so interesting I can talk about it for long enough to make it a real post...

EXCEPT!

This...

SPAGHETTI WITH ROASTED ZUCCHINI

Serves 2
2 medium zucchini, sliced into ½-in. rounds
Olive oil
½ cup chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of ½ lemon
1½ tsp. butter
¼ cup fresh bread crumbs (I used canned crumbs)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint
6 oz. spaghetti
¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives
¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450. Place zucchini on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tsp. olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 10-15 minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven and set aside.

2. In a 12-in. saute pan, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil. Saute onions over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Stir in zucchini and lemon zest. Remove pan from heat.

3. Melt butter in small skillet over low heat. Add bread crumbs and saute until lightly browned. Let cool, stir in mint and set aside. (You don't need to do this step if you use canned crumbs)

4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 9 minutes. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of pasta cooking water. Add pasta to zucchini mixture. Add olives and reserved water. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle in cheese. Toss pasta until cheese melts. Divide between two bowls. Top with bread crumbs. 


We tried this recipe last Friday before Husband's 10 mile run on Saturday.  I ripped it out of the magazine the other day and made note that it seemed like a good "carb filled" meal for the night before a long run.  It did not disappoint, it was really delicious!  There are just a few things I would change:

1) I added a grilled chicken breast in -- cubed and split between the two of us (or in searching for this recipe online I saw someone added shrimp, that would be good too!)
2) I would add Mushrooms next time
3) I would half the mint, it was a little strong.
4) I 86'd the olives... I'm so not a fan.

After Hubby finished his plate he asked me if there was any more, always a good sign to "keep it in the rotation."

PS, I prepared this post yesterday, except I couldn't find the recipe anywhere online... I searched for an hour, then gave up.  However, I gave it one last shot and found it this morning!   So anywhere it says "today" just think Yesterday :-) 

Fallen Trees and Yummy Shrimp Dish

Happy Friday everyone!

The hubs has left on a jet plane to California today.  He's got quite the social calendar this weekend!  He's off to a wedding tonight followed by a jaunt through the mountains to meet his family for their annual camping trip, then he's going to a jazz festival with his best friend and playing golf Monday before returning on the red eye.  I'll pick him up Tuesday morning and bring him home so he can then get to work -- He's going to be awfully tired come Tuesday night.

Meanwhile --

This fell down in our complex last night

I took the picture this morning -- 

Excuse the blurriness... two dogs trying to get to the chainsaw man does not make for an easy picture.  Yes, that's a giant tree limb, the gutter is hanging down from the building, the shutters have fallen off... it's not pretty, but luckily, no one was hurt! (Don't worry, we live in a different building at the complex)

ZOINKS!

I'm off to Sara's tonight for a Friday night date night instead of our usual Mondays.  I'm very excited!  I'll be making my most delicious seafood risotto recipe adapted from Hungry Meets Healthy one day I'd love to meet that chick!  I love reading her blog!

SO to make the Risotto:

1/2 cup orzo

1/2 pound frozen shrimp

1/2 a bushel of Asparagus chopped

4 baby portebella mushrooms sliced

1/2 a Red onion chopped

4 Roma tomatoes chopped

1/4 cup white wine

1 ounce goat cheese

1 ounce pimento cheese (optional, if you don't add this do 2 ounces goat cheese)

1 tsp Red pepper flakes

2 tsp Oregano

2 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp grape seed oil

Preheat the oven to 375

I start by putting my onion and garlic into the pan with the oil and sauteing until they are in danger of burning.  Then I add the white wine and cook until the alcohol is gone.  While the wine is cooking I add the rest of the ingredients except the shrimp and cheese.

Once everything else seems to be cooked (about 4-6 minutes) I add in the shrimp until they are pink, then the cheese until it's melted and well mixed.  

After it is all mixed together I transfer it out of the sauce pan and into a baking dish.  Put it in the oven for 15 minutes and then bring out and serve in a bowl.

SOOOO Good!

Christina makes hers by stuffing a tomato with all the ingredients (well, I added a few) but I found I always had way more ingredients than could fit so I just put it all in a bowl and chop up the tomato and put it in to be cooked with everything else.  

LOVE this one!  Before Hubby got food poisoning on the honeymoon I would make it literally twice a week for myself!  Now I reserve it for those few nights I'm by myself... gives me something to look forward to while I miss the Hubs.

What's your favorite dish to make?  Do you have treats you save for when your significant other is traveling?  What are everyone's Memorial Day plans? 

Girl Time in Music City

Hey Everybody!

I hope you all had a really wonderful weekend!  Mine was filled with a whole lot of girl time and some bachelorette games to boot!
I was in Nashville this weekend for the very wonderful Sara's Bachelorette Bash!  We had such a great time exploring the city and finding fun things to do! 
Friday was spent with a morning work out followed by some lounging at the pool while enjoying my skinny margarita concoction.  It's very simple:

1 ounce clear tequila
ice
Sprite Zero until the glass is mainly full
a splash of lime juice
a splash of pomegranite juice

Make sure to put some peter ice in there if you can too!

This makes a very light and delicious drink that is great for sipping by the pool!  and Bonus, your calorie intake is limited to the tequila and a few calories from the splash of pom.  :-)  I like it.

THEN, we went to dinner at a restaurant that had food... It was somewhat neat inside, but not all that Yelp said it was.

The ladies at the restaurant suggested we go to Printer's Alley for some fun bars so we decided to walk the few blocks and check it out before returning to the condo to pick up the last two girls coming in from Atlanta.  Oh Printer's Alley.... it seemed a bit like a gauntlet of strangers offering candy to a baby.

This sign greeted us at the beginning of the alley

Then we kept getting asked by tattooed and pierced men to come inside... no?  Well come back later then!  I'm sure they were all very nice, but opening with nude Karaoke is really not the way to win this group of ladies over. 

SO when we picked up the girls we decided that some dancing and celebrating at The Stage was much more "our thing".

We had SOO much fun at The Stage!  When we first walked in all I could think about was that no one was smoking!  That was just amazing and wonderful!  I was sooooo happy about this! (can you tell?).  THEN I thought about how great the band was.  I think that might be what I liked best about Nashville, everywhere you went there was a live band!

Saturday was spent doing all sorts of fun things!  We watched some cable movies, talked, went to see Bridesmaids -- save your dollars and wait until it's on video -- and then came back for Sara's lingerie shower and some bachelorette games.

That night we went line dancing at the Wild Horse Salon as well.  This place was a lot of fun!  We had a lesson at 8:30 and at 10:30 where we learned two different dances.  We're thinking of remembering them for the wedding!

I must say though, I think the best part of my weekend was coming home to my hubby.  I loved my girl time, but I sure did miss the hubs.

A few more pics:

Yay! this is the first pic of the two of us in a while!

These are the bags I gave everyone -- Thermal lunch totes

The beautiful Bride :-)

.... Then my camera died :-( Sorry!