Oscar Night!

How was everyone's weekend?!  Chris and I had a blast back on campus at Miami!  We definitely had a busy weekend filled with wedding venue meetings, alumni meetings, campus/uptown eats and even an alumni awards dinner.  When we got home we decided to have a little fun with Oscar Sunday and make some flavored popcorns and cocktails, turn on the fireplace and relax before a busy week!

For the popcorns I had seen an article on BuzzFeed with recipes for unique flavors.  I picked Parmesan & Garlic and S'mores, when making the S'mores I ran into an ingredient snafu so I switched it up and made peanut butter s'mores popcorn instead.

Parmesan & Garlic Popcorn
(I made a half batch of this by splitting a microwave bag of popcorn in half)

Ingredients:
- 1/2 bag of plain microwave popcorn (you could also air pop it if you have a popper)
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 to 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste


 

Instructions:
- Pop popcorn in microwave or using an air popper or over the stove.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter and olive oil together.

- Pour butter and oil mixture over popcorn and slightly toss to coat.
- Sprinkle Parmesan, garlic powder and salt and pepper and mix.

- Enjoy!

Peanut Butter S'mores Popcorn

 Ingredients:
 - 1/2 bag of plain microwave popcorn
- 1/2 c. light corn syrup
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 1/4 c. brown sugar
- 3/4 c. peanut butter
- 1/2 sleeve of graham crackers, about 4 crackers
- 1/2 bag mini marshmallows (I didn't have that many but I just used the rest of my bag)
- 1/4 c. chocolate chips

Instructions:
- Pop popcorn in microwave or using an air popper or over the stove.
- Break up graham crackers and toss with popcorn to combine.

- In a saucepan combine sugars and corn syrup until combined and boiling, stirring so it won't burn.
- Stir in peanut butter until all of it is incorporated.

- Pour mixture over popcorn (I did this a little at a time so I could mix it well) lightly mix with a greased mixing spoon until well coated.

- Add in marshmallows and chocolate chips and lightly mix till all is incorporated.

- Serve and enjoy!

Both were delicious!  Chris preferred the Parmesan Garlic, I preferred the PB S'mores.  Now for the cocktail!

Sparkling Cosmo
(This makes two)

Ingredients:
- 4 and 1/2 oz. citrus vodka
- 2 oz. cranberry juice
- squeeze of lime juice
- splash of grenadine
- small bottle of champagne

Instructions:
- In a shaker over ice mix vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice and grenadine.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Float with champagne.
- Enjoy!

These were my glamorous take on a classic which I thought would be fitting for a night like the Oscars.  I was so excited Jennifer Lawrence and Anne Hathaway won in their respective categories!  Anne has always been a favorite of mine but Jennifer is a new addition to the favorites group!  The fashion was fabulous as well as the musical numbers during the show (aka I LOVEDDDDD the Les Mis number).

Next up a Lent friendly dinner and maybe a new Sunday Soup!

Cheers!
Steph

Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks

So after a fabulous weekend of food in Chicago my innermost foodie self was utterly content and giddy!  I took some of that excitement and put it into lining up a week of all new recipes to try!  In this blog I'll be featuring Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks with Sundried Tomato and Basil Orzo.  Typically I don't go for bone in chicken in any form unless its wings at a restaurant or rotisserie.  But I had seen chicken drumsticks at Meijer for a reasonable price and thought why not give it a try!  I had remembered seeing a recipe somewhere in my Pinterest plethorae so I hunted it down and here we are!  We paired it with Sundried Tomato and Basil Orzo and a salad.

Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks
(Makes two to three servings)

 Ingredients:
- 5-6 chicken drumsticks
- 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 c. honey
- 1/4 c. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- a few shakes of rosemary




 

Instructions:
- In a bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and rosemary then pour into a resealable plastic bag.

- Place drumsticks in bag with marinade, seal and turn to coat drumsticks.  Place in refridgerator to marinate.  (The original recipe says for two hours, I didn't have that kind of time so I only did it for 15 or so minutes)

- Preheat oven to 450 F.
- Place chicken on foil lined baking sheet and place in oven for about 30 − 35 minutes, until skin is carmelized and dark in spots.  At about 15 minutes turn the drumsticks.
- While chicken is baking, pour remaining marinade in a small saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer on low until it thickens (about 15 minutes).

- Use a pastry or sauce brush to brush the cooked marinade on the chicken about 5-7 minutes before its finished baking.
- Serve, you can add a garnish of toasted sesame seeds if you'd like.
- Enjoy!

These were delicious!  The sauce was just right and the chicken was nice and juicy.  Not to mention other than taking some time in the oven its a pretty simple recipe.  

Sundried Tomato and Basil Orzo
(this makes four side servings)

 Ingredients:
- 1 c. orzo pasta
- 1/4 c. fresh basil leaves
- 2 to 3 Tbsp. sundried tomatoes (rehydrated or oil packed)
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4 c. and 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add orzo and cook for 8 minutes or until al dente.  Drain and set aside.
- Mix basil and sundraied tomatoes either in a food processor or with an immersion blender until blended.
- In a bowl, toss orzo, basil tomato mix, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

- Serve warm or chilled.
- Enjoy!

The great thing about this orzo is it can be warm or cold, offering some versatility.  This was equally as good.  Altogether Chris gave it a thumbs up and "make again please" rating!  Not bad for a Thursday night dinner. 

Next up we're headed back to Oxford for alumni and wedding meetings!  Very excited to get back to campus but I am hoping mother nature cooperates with us.  It's about time I get a cocktail recipe up here so I'll do my best on Oscar Sunday!  Happy Weekend everyone!

Cheers!
Steph

Sunday Soup! (part 2)...on Monday!

Greetings from the Windy City!  We have had a fabulous weekend here in Chicago!  Unfortunately Miami lost in their outdoor hockey game but thankfully the weather was pretty cooperative.  We packed a lot into a weekend!  In addition to the game we ate at some amazing restaurants and got to catch up with friends and family.  Here are some pictures from the weekend!

We got to have dinner and drinks with one of my best friends from home, Holly!

Solider Field

My college roommate, Nikoo, and I were able to meet up at the game!  Her and her fiance drove in from Indiana for the game, they are getting married this summer!

I was digging through my Pinterest boards for some soup recipes for my Sunday Soup and came across this Mexican Chicken Soup.  I knew Chris might not be a huge fan because of the black beans in it but I figured it was worth a shot.  It was so easy!  Instead of simmering on the stove all you do is put it in the crockpot for a few hours.

Mexican Chicken Soup
(This made four lunch portions and one dinner for two portion)

 Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts, cubed
- 1/2 c. water
- 1 envelope taco seasoniong
- 32 oz. tomato juice
- 1 jar of salsa (I used my Gran's homemade)
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 package frozen corn, thawed
- olive oil
- cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips or fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions:
- In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat, saute chicken until no longer pink.

- Add water and taco seasoning, simmer until chicken is well coated.

- Put chicken in slow cooker.
- Add in tomato juice, salsa, beans and corn.

- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
- In the last 5 minutes of cooking I stirred in a handful of chopped fresh cilantro just because we like it but its not required.

- Serve with cheese, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips or fresh cilantro for garnish.
- Enjoy!

This was so easy, the pictures of the steps almost seem silly!  It's a delicious soup, the chicken and black beans definitely give it more substance and the thickness is just right.  It's not too spicy either, I suppose if you wanted to add some kick you could add in red pepper flakes when cooking the chicken.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Cheers!
Steph

Valentine's Day!

So last blog I talked about loving Fat Tuesday since high school, well since high school I haven't really loved Valentine's Day.  Insert your typical wah, wah teenage drama of dumb exs or mean girls...spare me.  Being the pretty independent woman that I am I never loved the idea of a day centered around people in relationships regardless if I was in one or not.  I guess I've always felt that you shouldn't need one day to tell people you love them, if you love them you should tell them every day!

For Chris and I the 14th is our "special day" it marks the day we started dating a zillion years ago (okay maybe not a zillion exactly).  On this February 14th it marks 64 months that we've been together.  My favorite part about the 14th (of each month not just February) is I get to think back to how our relationship has grown over the years.  How it all began one day in Emerson Hall when at the time I was meeting a guy I thought would just be my friend or merely an acquaintance, he turned out to be my best friend and the one I get to spend forever with!  In college our special occasion restaurant was DiPaolo's, now that same place is a possible wedding vendor for us!  Sheesh time does fly!

Usually we go out for Valentine's dinner but this year with our upcoming Chicago trip we thought we'd eat at home, save some $$ and calories for the weekend!  But we still wanted to make it special so we got some steaks and I planned to make a little dessert for after dinner.  I decided on making Nutella Mousse Pies.  I liked that it looked easy and that it could be made for two because we don't need leftover sweets around.  I also decided to try a new recipe for one of our sides, oven-baked risotto.  I've previously blogged about making risotto over the stove but I found this recipe on Kitchen Daily and was intrigued.

Oven-Baked Risotto
(This makes more than four generous helpings as a side)

Ingredients:
- 1 c. Arborio (or long grain white) rice
- 1 can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic soup
- 1 1/2 c. water
- 1 c. milk
- 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 c. frozen peas (optional)
- 2 Tbsp. chopped sun-dried tomatoes (rehydrated and drained)
- 1 Tbsp. parsley (if using fresh use 2 Tbsp.)




Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Stir rice, soup, water, milk, cheese and tomatoes in a medium bowl.

- Pour mixture into a shallow baking dish and cover with foil.

- Bake 30 minutes then remove from oven and stir.
- Bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until rice is tender.  (I had to bake it for 15 minutes uncovered given my baking dish wasn't quite shallow enough)
- Let cool for a few minutes, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
- Enjoy!

The baking dish I used ended up being a little small and things got a little messy trying to pull it out of the oven.  Other than that, it was delicious and easy!  You could probably experiment with different frozen veggies to put in it, a mixed medley, corn, green beans, the possibilities!  Although it does take some time (at least 45 minutes) its not much quicker than the stovetop version it just takes less stirring and standing at the stove.  I plan to make Arancini with the leftovers, I've featured how to make Arancini previously in this post.

Nutella Mousse Pies

Ingredients:
- 6 or so Ritz crackers
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
- 2 Tbsp. Nutella
- 1c. Cool Whip, plus some extra for topping

Instructions:
- Grind crackers in food processor or roll over them with a rolling pin a few times in a plastic bag.

- Combine crushed crackers, sugar and butter. Divide mixture in half and put in bottom of ramekins, set in fridge to chill.

- Whip Nutella and Cool Whip with a hand mixer (I just used a whisk by hand) until well combined.  Divide among ramekins, top with additional Cool Whip and sprinkles or dust with cocoa powder or shaved chocolate.

- Chill then serve.
- Enjoy!

These were easy peasy to make!  I actually whipped them up over my lunch when I was home.  The original recipe I found called for shortbread cookies but I didn't have those on hand nor did I want to buy them so I improvised.  You could also use crushed Oreos or Thin Mints to make it more chocolatey or even some graham crackers would do!  Or you could leave the crust out altogether.  The crackers give it some saltiness rather than being super sweet which was nice.  Chris rated this a "good, you can make again but not right away" rating.

Next stop, Chicago!  Can't wait for a weekend of friends, family and fun!

Cheers!
Steph