Pineapple Chicken

(The natural light was already lacking in the kitchen, so I did the best I could to get a decent photo!) If you don't own a slow cooker you need to stop what you are doing right now and go get yourself one! It makes the best meals. All you do is dump a bunch of stuff in the cooker, and then depending if you want a low or high setting, it will cook for several hours. No fuss in the kitchen and you have a dinner ready, waiting for you. At home I use it for a lot of things, like shredded Mexican beef, split pea soup, roasted chicken, turkey chili, etc. This time around I used it for Pineapple Chicken. I found this recipe on Kath Eats Real Food. This was SO good that I'm making again for Sunday. I get off of work at 6pm, so I'll have dinner ready in my slow cooker when I get home! 

I'm definitely going to add cilantro to mine on Sunday since I forgot to buy some for when I first made it! It was really missing that fresh, cilantro flavor. I didn't even need a knife for my chicken because it was so tender, it just fell apart as you poked it with the fork. I served mine topped with avocado, a side of Israeli couscous that was a medley from Trader Joe's, and a small caesar salad.  

 
Click this link for Pineapple Chicken. Thanks KERF for sharing!
Always, Fallon

Care Package Time

Another Holiday is upon us. Not like it's a BIG deal but it is Valentine's Day! February 14th is about 2 weeks and some days away believe it or not. I'm really excited not because it Valentine's Day but that my boyfriend will be home sooner, 3 months. I think I've said this numerous times but the time just goes by way too quickly. I've been trying to get together his care package before Valentine's Day because I rather him have it early then late. After this post I'm heading to the post office to send it! I packed all kinds of goodies this time around. Hershey marshmallow hearts, a big Hershey Kiss, real fruit strips, chex mix, his favorite gum,Valentine boxers (hehe), and 2 baked goodies! Oh and one of those Hallmark cards where you can record your voice and then music plays!

The baked goodies are probably the best and I know he enjoys them. He told me that he doesn't share ANY of the baked goods with fellow soldiers, but he will share the store bought stuff. LOL. I always tell him to share if it is too much, so maybe he does? I made simple sugar cookies, cut into shapes and top with red and pink sprinkles. The other item I made was something I came across on Cookie Madness called Oat 'N' Toffee Grahams. I had all ingredients on hand except sliced almonds, no problem but a quick trip to the store! I love to use up everything and then buy fresh once it is all done.

Anna from Cookie Madness has a GREAT blog and some of the best recipes. I'm always looking for something new on her blog, and usually don't have a problem doing so. The Oat 'N' Toffee Grahams came together so easily. They set really well in the freezer for a few minutes, and then just remove from the pan and peel off the foil. They will cut beautifully into squares. Let me just say they are addicting! Something about the graham cracker, toffee and oat mixture, and semi-sweet chocolate makes them so delectable. The oats are chewy but not hard. The toffee is soft and the graham cracker is crunchy. Let's just say everything pairs well together, flavor and texture wise. It is a very different treat but very good! I left a plate for my dad and he finished them all up after work. So I hope my boyfriend likes them just as well! 

Definitely a treat I recommend. It makes a lot so it good for a huge house gathering or even the upcoming Superbowl! I decided these be a cute treat for Valentine's Day. You can get the recipe for Oat 'N' Toffee Grahams on Cookie Madness blog. It was originally adapted from Better Home and Gardens All-Time Favorites 2010 cookbook. I may have to pick this book up. ;) Two days off go by so quickly. I have to get to the post office, 10 minute of abs and yoga today. Come home shower and get ready to go out for a little bit. Whoo HOO for Friday!!!

Fallon

PS: I will be sharing my sugar cookies sometime at the beginning of next week!

Banana Coffee Cake with Macadamia Nuts

Good morning!! So my last post was somewhat successful, although only one person comment, they left me with a WONDERFUL banana bread recipe. I'd like to thank Shelby from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch for helping me out and sharing with me one of her favorite banana recipes. It comes from the wonderful Cooking Light magazine. I've made several recipes from Cooking Light and they always turned out amazing. You can't go wrong with a Cooking Light recipe and I know Shelby could agree with that!

I could of made normal banana bread from my go to book, Better Home and Gardens but I really wanted something different. It gets boring when you make the same thing all the time! When I saw the recipe Shelby sent me, at first I was a bit skeptical. It was a coffee cake and it had a topping with coconut and macadamia nuts. My dad isn't a fan of coconut at all! I asked what he thought about banana bread and macadamia nuts and he was okay with that! It was a really super easy recipe to put together and within an hour we had banana coffee cake! The cake is best warm, so once the cake has cooled and you put the topping on it, dig in! It was so moist and so full of flavor. I've never added nutmeg to my banana bread before and the 1/4 teaspoon brought out that flavor, which makes you guess, "Hmm what is that?" You would never even notice it, but with the bananas sweetness and the slight spice it was absolutely delicious. The cake was so moist and light. The brown sugar glaze with the macadamia nuts was soaked right up by the cake, and left a beautifully sweet and nutty but not overpowering flavor. The banana was definitely the star of the cake, everything else just helped pronounce the flavor even more. 

It was a winner in my household. I don't have a problem making it again either because it came together so quickly!

Look between my Aunt and my Dad this

cake was halfway done!

Thank you to Shelby for sending me this recipe! You can get the recipe here for Banana Coffee Cake and Macadamia Nuts (minus the coconut!). Time to go knock out some miles! I have my first 5K race in less then 2 weeks!!

Have a great day,
Fallon

I need your help!

Took this with my iPhone! Not bad huh?

I have a bunch of super ripe bananas and you know what that means. BANANA BREAD! I have my usual recipe from cookbooks I'll resort to when I need it done quickly, like Better and Homes. This time around I want to try a new recipe! So far I've been doing my own searching, but I'm curious what my readers have saved on their computer! Maybe it your own recipe that you swear by and I must try as well if you insist. ;) Here what I have: Baking Bites Basic Banana Bread David Lebovitz Banana Bread or Banana Cake (Now this one is looking real good!) Unfortunately those are the only recipes I've saved for banana bread over the months. I could always use my NEW Joy of Cooking cookbook from Christmas but I'd love to see what you guys have to share! And while I'm asking for banana bread recipes, I could really use your help in the sugar cookie department as well! I want to make the roll-out sugar cookies and use my heart shaped cookie cutters! I'm sending this to my boyfriend for Valentines Day. I really wanted to decorate them with frosting, but with shipping across the country I doubt they would taste "awesome." So I'm just going to top them with red and pink sprinkles! Thank you!! Oh and I just realized it is Friday! Too bad I'm working all the way till Monday :( Fallon

Pineapple

Hey Everyone!! The weekend is already over but I'm not worried. Time seems to be flying by anyways, so this weekend will be here any minute in Fallon time. ;) I had a fabulous Italian dinner Saturday night at a friend's house party! My childhood friend just graduated and became a firefighter just like his dad. We are like family to them, so it was nice to celebrate this accomplishment. The food was REALLY good. Sorry no pictures (camera battery was charging), but I'll type what they had.

Appetizers:

• Pita chips with cream cheese and raspberry chipotle sauce or boursin
• Can't remember the name but it was a mixture of peppers marinated and topped on homemade ciabatta bread.. THE BREAD WAS AMAZING! His grandma made it and brought over like 8 huge loafs!

Dinner:

• Beef Braciole, this was amazing. My first time trying it and now I'm ready to make my own.
• Spaghetti and meatballs. They used whole wheat pasta too!
• Delicious Italian salad with a Tarragon dressing. Here is a recipe similar to what she described to me but she also had added some Dijon mustard and a little sugar.

Dessert:

• A firefighter truck cake, she made it with a pan and decorated it. It was really cute!
• Vanilla Cheesecake with Cherries... The crust was the best part of this bad boy. I picked that off and gave the rest to mom!

Oh and I had a glass of Santa Margharita Pinot Grigio.. That is about the only white wine I actually enjoy! Other then that I'll stick with red!

Okay enough of my yummy Saturday evening and onto sometime that I love. Fruit is amazing and it is something I can never have enough of! Lately I've been buying some of the sweetest and most delicious pineapples! I don't know about you, but not only is being in the kitchen relaxing but cutting fruit is something I enjoy even more! I love cutting pineapples, watermelons, cantaloupe, honeydew etc. Just something about it relaxes me. Weird huh? LOL I figured this be a perfect moment to give love to the pineapple. When I pick a pineapple I don't go for color. First I start pulling the green leaves off. If they come off quickly, then that the first step of it being a good pineapple. Then next I'll smell the bottom of the pineapple. If it smells sweet and doesn't look over ripe, then I know its a winner. Sometimes they can be really green but when you cut into it the flesh is super right and it just smells sweet. I've always picked my pineapples like that. How do you pick your pineapple?

After all that cutting and coring, I was ready for a snack. I cleaned some strawberries earlier as well. In a bowl I added 2 oz. of organic raspberry yogurt (any flavor will do) and 2 oz. of plain Greek yogurt. Mixed them till they were incorporated. I like to do this sometimes because regular yogurt has a lot of sugar and can be very sweet, so the plain Greek mixed in helps to balance the sweetness. It is perfect. Next I topped with some pineapple and strawberries. I topped with a 1/4 cup of wheat cereal for crunch ( granola or cereal of your choice) and 1 tbsp of raw pumpkin seeds or pepitas! This has been one of my new snacks lately and it is just so good! I love the combo of yogurt because there is a little protein from the Greek yogurt and a slight sweetness from the regular yogurt. The sweet fruit and the crunch of the cereal and pumpkin seeds makes for a delicious and healthy snack!

Before I go I also wanted to announce that I'm running my FIRST 5k in 2 weeks. It on February 6th and it is for Run For A Wish. I'm really excited about this, and I can't wait to blog about it when I past that finish line. I decided to do the untimed version because I don't know what to expect and I haven't been training enough. I just started today with making sure I get my adequate runs in for the week but still won't be enough time in 2 weeks. It only a 5k, so I shouldn't have any problems anyways! I'm really excited.

Wish me luck ;)
Fallon

Mexi- Italian Quinoa

Hey Bloggers. How is everything? I'm pretty happy right now because it is Friday! I have today and tomorrow off from work. How lucky am I? I have some cool things going on this weekend so I'm definitely happy about that. It is always nice to have somewhere to go. As I've mentioned a few posts ago, it time to get back on track! Get this holiday weight off and to feel good about myself once again. Well so far, it starting kind of slow. I'm still up 3 pounds and it is pretty frustrating. I should turn this blog into a daily blog and write about my daily eats! I always felt like I never ate enough and now I feel like I'm eating too much? My workouts have been pretty intense, and I can feel the burn the next day! So enough blabbering and maybe by this weekend I'll feel better about myself! Quinoa is on the menu for today. This is such a WONDERFUL grain and I really think if you haven't tried it yet, go buy some now! It cooks up so quickly and makes a great side dish, meal, or as a cold salad. You can do so many wonderful things with this grain, and as soon as the weather warms up, I can't wait to make some cold salads out of it. This grain also carries protein and fiber, that will fill you up and keep you satisfied! I love Italian and wanted to make a healthy dish without using pasta. I had yellow squash and zucchini that was looking lonely and thought they liked to meet quinoa. Although I wanted the Mexican flavor as well, so I added cumin for a little extra kick! 

 
Mexi- Italian Quinoa By Fallon 
Ingredients
1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
1 16oz can of no salt added diced tomatoes
1/2 water
1 large zucchini, sliced in half and half again
1 large yellow squash, sliced in half and half again
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 large red onion, chopped
3-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small shallot
1/2 tsp cumin salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp extra virgin coconut oil (olive oil works too)

First, I rinsed my 1 cup of dried quinoa. This helps to rid of any bitter tasting residue left on the quinoa that it is known to have. I do this just to make sure I don't experience anything bitter. In a pot, I added the can of diced tomatoes. I used that can and filled it up half way with water to thin it out a little. Added the quinoa to the pot and brought to a boil.

While waiting for the quinoa to boil, I chopped and diced up my vegetables, garlic and shallot. In a large skillet I heated up 2 tsp of coconut oil, once that was ready, I added my garlic and shallot first. Once I started to smell those flavors I added everything else to the skillet and cooked together. I season them with salt, pepper, and cumin.

Once the quinoa comes to a boil, make sure to lower the heat to simmer, put the lid on top and stir every so often until the liquid has cooked away. Since I added the diced tomatoes, the quinoa was a bit moister then usual. It reminded me of Mexican rice! When the quinoa was done and the vegetables were cooked but not mushy, I added them to the quinoa. I mixed until everything was incorporated and then tasted to make sure it was seasoned well. If you want more cumin or maybe some added spice, go ahead! It will only make it taste better. You can't taste the coconut oil at all! I like using this oil because it has a lower burning point then most oils, so the veggies can cook perfectly without burning.

I've been eating this dish for several days straight. It is so good. I especially like it paired with an egg on top for some added protein. I love when the yolk seeps through the quinoa, so good!


The other night I took it to work and ate it cold with hummus on top, which was really yummy because the garlic and lemon of the hummus, paired well with the flavors in the quinoa. Then after the gym one night, I was craving some eggs with my quinoa. I made a spinach omelet and stuffed it with herb goat cheese. THEN I topped it with a fire roasted mango papaya salsa... I was humming my whole way through the meal. It was absolutely fantastic. So many flavors that all went well together. You had the sweet from the salsa, the creaminess from the goat cheese, and the cumin tang in the quinoa! Too bad I didn't take a picture of it, I was just too hungry! This just goes to show you how versatile quinoa can be! Of course you can do it with any grain, but quinoa is something new and makes eating a little bit more interesting!

Time to get this weekend started!
Have a good one, I know I will!
Fallon

It's 5:30am and I'm making waffles!

Well I'd only make waffles for someone special that early in the morning. My boyfriend is pretty special, so it was worth getting up extra early to make him a good breakfast before heading back to Iraq! He had to be at the airport before 7am, so I wanted to make sure breakfast could come together quickly. I had buttermilk lingering in my fridge, and it was just going to be thrown away eventually, so I knew I could make pancakes or waffles. Waffles sounded so much better because I haven't used my waffle maker in forever! I went straight to my Better Homes and Garden cookbook for a waffle recipe and they had just what I was looking for. Buttermilk waffles! Since I didn't have time to melt butter, I used canola oil instead to make the process go quicker. With his waffles I topped it with a smear of butter, fresh berries, pure vanilla bean maple syrup, and a side of scrambled eggs. I started in the kitchen at 5:45am and by 6:20am he was eating breakfast. Not bad huh? Oh and one more thing. He said these were the best waffles he ever had! Guess I past the waffle making test ;) I think the buttermilk is what makes them taste just really good. They were light and flaky. They also had a great flavor which helps from the vanilla extract added to the batter.

I cooked them until they were extra crisp!

He already had one waffle down! lol

Okay I have a story now since we are talking waffles. Last year when I would go visit my boyfriend in Texas he always wanted to make me breakfast. I mean he used Bisquick for the pancakes, and one morning he actually made french toast. I remember he woke up and said I have to go buy cinnamon! I was so confused, but when I walked into the kitchen he was making french toast! No one EVER makes me breakfast, I'm usually the one in the kitchen making something for someone. So it was definitely a nice change. Well one morning, he took control of cooking once again (awesome!). He said, "Babe would you like waffles this morning?" I'm thinking, he has a waffle maker? Awesome! I said, "Sure!" He pulls out FROZEN waffles from the freezer and I said, "OHH I thought you had a waffle maker?" He started laughing! I should of known, a guy living on his own, probably wouldn't own a waffle maker. LOL

I actually found the recipe online for Buttermilk Waffles at the Better Homes and Garden site and you can click the link HERE to get it for yourself! They come together really quickly and make a lot of waffles. I think I made about 14 waffles? When I came back from the airport I was finally hungry. The waffles were soft again, but all you have to do is pop it in the toaster oven for a few minutes and they are crisp as can be! They also freeze really well too. Which is what I did with the leftovers!

With my babe leaving for the airport!

I have more yummy food coming up! So happy it is Wednesday!

I'll be back soon,
Fallon

I Love Gelato

Hey Hey Bloggers! I'm back and today is Monday. I figured I'd start up with some eats I experienced this last week. I started my detox few days ago, basically just cutting out all the sweets and stop mindlessly eating excess foods because I feel like I'm still hungry! I gotta get back to being conditioned like I use to be. I'm up about 3 pounds right now and I'm not very happy about this! Last week my boyfriend reserved a two night stay at the new Aria resort and casino in Las Vegas. It was a great way to spend time together, have fun, and feel like we were somewhere else. Of course we were always walking by the Jean Philippe Patisserie and he knew my mouth was watering for something! Check out this video I found on YouTube. They have gelato, crepe bar, sandwiches, pastries and coffee. I wanted it all but I knew I wasn't going home till I had something. I settled and had the gelato. If you remembered, during the summer on my little vacation to Huntington Beach, they had opened up a new gelato shop near the beach. The owners spent quality time in Italy to produce some of the best tasting gelato at the beach. My dad and I had a cup every day because we wanted to try all the flavors. It been a few months since I had gelato and it was time my friends to experience it all over again. Many flavors to choose from but what really caught my attention was roasted hazelnut. I paired it with regular chocolate, to reminisce nutella. Check out the size of that cup! Definitely not cheap in price but they give you a really nice serving. It was absolutely amazing. I've had Jean Philippe gelato before because he also has a place at Bellagio, which features the worlds largest chocolate fountain. I found a nice video here on YouTube so you can check it out! Anyways, the gelato like I said was absolutely amazing. Not overly sweet, creamy, smooth and full of flavor. The toasted hazelnut actually had roasted hazelnuts throughout the gelato. It was a nice, unexpected crunch. It paired well with the smooth chocolate. Definitely a well deserved treat.

Finally we stopped by the patisserie and I was happpy!

MMM MM Good!

It is Monday but it doesn't even feel like it to me. I'll be back soon with a recipe for waffles! Fallon

Still Alive!

Hey guys. This last week has flew right past me. Just came back from the airport an hour ago from dropping off my boyfriend. I can't believe it been 2 weeks? His break went by way too quickly, but now I'm just hoping the next few months go just as fast! It was so nice to have him home and to be with him. I have photos and recipes to share! So stay tune for that. I have to upload and edit them. I also just signed up for Grumpy's Honeybunch email recipe club! I have my first deadline on January 21st to submit a recipe for my favorite chocolate dessert. This will be a tough one, but by writing it out here, I have no choice but to join in the fun! Just wanted to give a quick update and I'll be back soon. After a week of eating out and not really having any gym time... I'm proud to say today I'm starting my "detox." For the next few months I will share recipes that I use all the time and that are healthy. Plus I'll add a dessert here and there because the next best holiday is coming up... Valentines day! Hey Hey it is Friday, meaning the weekend is here!! Which also means I'm about 2 days behind in all my blog reading too. Time to catch up! Fallon