Tag Archives: Olive oil

Jun13

wear it wednesday: super simple side pony; great for moms!

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MY “PINTERESTING” TAKE:

one of my favorite pictures; priceless!

super simple mommy side pony! Definitely not as cute as Morgan’s ballerina bun though 😉

“PINSPIRATION”, FROM PINTEREST:

Source: instyle.com via Karie on Pinterest

Source: google.com.au via Karie on Pinterest

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  • Project: wear it wednesday: super simple side pony; great for moms!
  • Difficulty rating (1=easiest, 5= way too hard!): 1
  • Time: 2 minutes… so quick!
  • Would I do it again? I do this a lot, so I thought I would share!
  • What I would do differently: dress it up for a night out with the hubs
  • Items used: clear elastics; love these!

Have you done anything from Pinterest lately? What’s inspiring you?
I hope you were inspired as much as I was. If not, click on “Recommend a Pin” above and I would love to hear any suggestions you might have!
Until ipinterest again!

Karie J

ipinterest.me

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May11

Pin it, do it, done; a week of pinterest inspired fun: “the best broccoli of your life”, plum eye shadow, tangerine maxi dress, and teacher appreciation week, oh my!

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MY “PINTERESTING” TAKE:

“PINSPIRATION”, FROM PINTEREST:

•

Project: “The best broccoli of your life”
• Difficulty rating (1=easiest, 5= way too hard!): 2
• Would I do it again? not so much, I really just like steamed broccoli with olive oil and salt and pepper. you can’t get much simpler than that!
• What I would do differently: the above 🙂
• Items used: http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2008/11/the_best_brocco.html

MY “PINTERESTING” TAKE:

 

“PINSPIRATION”, FROM PINTEREST:

  • Project: InStyle Plum Eyeshadow/Olivia Wilde
  • Difficulty rating (1=easiest, 5= way too hard!): 2
  • Would I do it again? yes, I love this look for date night!
  • What I would do differently: nothing 🙂
  • Items used: Mac Eyshadows, Nars Laguna Bronzer, Tarte Amazonian Clay blush, Mac Lipglass

MY “PINTERESTING” TAKE:


“PINSPIRATION”, FROM PINTEREST:

Source: google.com via Karie on Pinterest

•

Project: tangerine maxi dress for date night!
• Difficulty rating (1=easiest, 5= way too hard!): 2
• Would I do it again? yes! I love this look 🙂
• What I would do differently: dress it down with more casual jewelry and hair 🙂
• Items used: Max Studio dress, Target earrings, Stella and Dot bangles, Tory Burch gold sandals

MY “PINTERESTING” TAKE:

“PINSPIRATION”, FROM PINTEREST:

•

Project: Teacher appreciation week: “Thanks a Latte”!
• Difficulty rating (1=easiest, 5= way too hard!): 2, just a bit time consuming, but so cute!
• Would I do it again? Yes!
• What I would do differently: nothing 🙂
• Items used: http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/2011/04/thanks-latte.html , Starbuck’s gift cards, card–stock, hot pink twine from The Twinery, coffee sleeves

Until ipinterest tomorrow!

Karie J 🙂

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Apr26

day 144: cooking it up/super yummy baked creamy chicken taquitos, a definite keeper!

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MY “PINTERESTING” TAKE:

“PINSPIRATION”, FROM PINTEREST:

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• Project: day 144: cooking it up/super yummy baked creamy chicken taquitos, a definite keeper!
• Difficulty rating (1=easiest, 5= way too hard!): 1 (really, it was a 1, even for me!)
• Would I do it again? oh yes, and I already have! I made it once for Hayden’s teacher Abby who just had a baby without the onions and cilantro, and then again for us with!
• What I would do differently: We modified them a bit for Abby’s family, but I tried one and it was still good! We like a bit more heat, so we kept it the same for us, and it was SO good!
• Items used: for this amazing recipe head to: http://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/02/baked-creamy-chicken-taquitos/
Until ipinterest tomorrow!

Karie J 🙂

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Mar29

day 119: cooking it up/ simple, but yummy SPAGHETTI AGLIO, OLIO, E PEPERONCINO (spaghetti with garlic, oil, and chili pepper flakes)

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MY “PINTERESTING” TAKE:

 

“PINSPIRATION”, FROM PINTEREST:

Source: yumsugar.com via Karie on Pinterest

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  • Project: day 119: cooking it up/ simple, but yummy SPAGHETTI AGLIO, OLIO, E PEPERONCINO (spaghetti with garlic, oil, and chili pepper flakes)
  • Difficulty rating (1=easiest, 5= way too hard!): 1 (even for me!)
  • Would I do it again? on a night when you have a lot going on, but you still want to do something homemade versus store bought or drive through, this is a defintie recipe to remember. The simplicity of the flavors is hard to resist!
  • What I would do differently: it was a touch spicy for the girls, so I had to add a bit of butter to theirs 😉
  • Items used: yummy recipe from: http://www.yumsugar.com/Spaghetti-Garlic-Olive-Oil-Chili-Flakes-21398824

Until ipinterest tomorrow!

Karie J 🙂

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Mar19

day 110: cooking it up/ super yummy, simple, and healthy balsamic roasted carrots and brussels sprouts

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MY “PINTERESTING” TAKE:

 

 

“PINSPIRATION”, FROM PINTEREST:

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    • Project: day 110: cooking it up/ super yummy, simple, and healthy balsamic roasted carrots and brussels sprouts
  • Difficulty rating (1=easiest, 5= way too hard!): 1, this is such a simple, and pretty much fool-proof recipe, even for me! 😉
  • Would I do it again? oh yes, it was so good, even the girls liked it, yes they like brussels sprouts!
  • What I would do differently: absolutely nothing!
  • Items used: for the amazing recipe go to: http://lapetitemaisonverte.blogspot.com/2012/02/balsamic-roasted-vegetables.html

Until ipinterest tomorrow!

Karie J 🙂

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Mar4

day 95: cooking it up/ chicken and mushroom pasta bake with roasted asparagus, SO good!

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MY “PINTERESTING” TAKE:

“PINSPIRATION”, FROM PINTEREST:

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Project: day 95: cooking it up/ chicken and mushroom pasta bake with roasted asparagus, SO good!
• Difficulty rating (1=easiest, 5= way too hard!): 3 (I am so bad with the timing of everything, but it still turned out great!)
• Would I do it again? oh yes! This is a definite keeper. It is a very rustic Italian dish with comforting flavors and crisp asparagus to round it out!
• What I would do differently: we substituted regular spagetti for whole wheat spagettie, which was excellent, as well as substitued Parmeseam for Peccorino Romano since we had it on hand. We also did not use the whole package of spagetti- about 3/4 ths. You could easily steep rosemary in the cream for an additional layer of flavor as well as substitue the chicken for a vegetarian option.
• Items used: amazing recepie from Jamie Oliver: http://www.jamieoliver.com/us/recipes/pasta-recipes/chicken-mushroom-pasta-bake-spaghett-1

ingredients

• 1 oz /a small handful of dried porcini mushrooms
• olive oil
• 4 chicken thighs, preferably higher welfare, boned, skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 handfuls of mixed fresh mushrooms, cleaned and torn
• 1 cup white wine
1lb dried spaghetti
• 2 ½ cups double cream
• 7oz• Parmesan cheese, grated
• a sprig of fresh basil, leaves picked
• extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Put your porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour over just enough boiling water to cover them (approx. 2/3 cup). Put to one side to soak for a few minutes. Heat a saucepan big enough to hold all the ingredients, and pour in a splash of olive oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown them gently in the oil. Strain the porcini, reserving the soaking water, and add them to the pan with the garlic and fresh mushrooms. Add the wine, with the strained porcini soaking water, and turn the heat down. Simmer gently until the chicken pieces are cooked through and the wine has reduced a little.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions and drain well. Add the cream to the pan of chicken, then bring to the boil and turn the heat off. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the drained spaghetti to the creamy chicken sauce and toss well. Add three-quarters of the Parmesan and all of the basil and stir well. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish or non-stick pan, sprinkle with half the remaining cheese and bake in the oven until golden brown, bubbling and crisp. Divide between your plates, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese before serving.

Until ipinterest tomorrow!
Karie J 🙂

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Feb16

day 78: cooking it up/ crock-pot dessert mac and cheese? A bad attempt, not the recipe…me :(

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MY “PINTERESTING” TAKE:

“PINSPIRATION”, FROM PINTEREST:

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• Project: day 78: day 78: cooking it up/ crock-pot dessert mac and cheese? A bad attempt, not the recipe…me 😦
• Difficulty rating (1=easiest, 5= way too hard!): 1 (yes, it actually was easy, even though I messed it up!)
• Would I do it again? well I might have to since I totally botched this one up!
• What I would do differently: ok, so let me serve to remind you that I cannot cook (only under direct supervision from my husband). So obviously he wasn’t here, and I thought I could substitute sweetened condensed milk for evaporated milk (yes I know now). So not only did the end result turn out a touch too sweet for a savory mac and cheese, but it also ended up not a bit creamy or cheesy as you would expect it to. Now I can’t blame it on the recipe since I totally messed this one up, so I’ll have to do a redo soon to see if this one was a keeper or not!
• Items used: below is the recipe from: http://whiskandaprayer.blogspot.com/2010/08/magazinecookbook-monday-slow-baked-mac.html

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups milk
One 12 oz can evaporated milk (I used skim, evaporated milk keeps the egg and milk from curdling)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled to room temp
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheese (I used an Italian blend, recipe calls for Italian fontina cheese)
1/2 pound elbow macaroni or mini penne tubes, par cooked and drained (this means cook them for about five minutes until tender but not completely cooked)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the inside of your slow-cooker with cooking spray or grease it with olive oil. Combine milk, evaporated milk, eggs, butter, and salt in slow-cooker and whisk until until smooth (or you can use an immersion blender to do the whisking for you).

Add the shredded cheese (not the Parmesan) and macaroni, sprinkle with black pepper (and whatever other spices you want to use). Stir gently with a spatula to coat evenly.

Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, reduce the temperature to LOW and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until custard is set in the center and the pasta is tender. The macaroni and cheese may sit in the cooker on the KEEP WARM setting for 30 minutes before serving. Before dishing it up, I sautéed some bread crumbs with olive oil and sprinkled them over the top to make it a little fancier.

Until ipinterest tomorrow!
Karie J 🙂

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Feb8

day 70: cooking it up/ creamy cheese risotto with grilled shrimp and asparagus (Nordstom’s knock off!)

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MY “PINTERESTING” TAKE:

“PINSPIRATION”, FROM PINTEREST:

•

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Project: day 70: cooking it up/ creamy cheese risotto with grilled shrimp and asparagus (Nordstom’s knock off!)
• Difficulty rating (1=easiest, 5= way too hard!): 2 (probably a 3, but I had Adam’s help 😉
• Would I do it again? yes, it was so decadent, rich, and light at the same time. The shrimp was a touch too spicy for our  3-year-old, Morgan, but for our 6-year-old, Hayden, she ate it all up right away!
• What I would do differently: we added a few drops of truffle oil to the whole dish at the end, as well as added white wine and  salted the risotto to taste 🙂
• Items used: recipe below from: http://katienorwood.blogspot.com/2011/01/nordstrom-knock-off.html

Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1 inch segments
1 pound peeled & deveined shrimp
juice of one lemon
1 t. red pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 T. chopped flat leaf parsley
1 c. uncooked Arborio rice
3-4 c. chicken stock
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil

Combine shrimp, 2 T. olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, garlic, parsley, and shrimp in a small bowl. Toss to combine and let marinate in fridge for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop onion and saute in a bit of olive oil over medium high heat.

Saute asparagus in a small pan with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes over medium high heat. Asparagus can cook while you get the risotto going, but it only needs to saute for 10 minutes or so. When it’s crisp-tender, just turn off the heat and reserve for later.

Once the onions are sauteed, add the Arborio rice and stir. Toast the rice with the onions on medium high heat for 2 minutes or so.
Then begin adding one cup of chicken stock at a time – just enough to cover the risotto. Continue to cook the risotto and broth at medium high heat. Stir frequently.
When most of the broth has been absorbed and the rice is looking “dry”, add more broth, one cup at a time. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to babysit the risotto and stir it every second. You just need to stir it every once in a while. You’ll be standing by the stove to cook the asparagus and shrimp anyway so you can stir it then.

Pull shrimp out of marinade and grill at high heat on a grill pan (or just a skillet would work as well). I like my shrimp crispy, so I let them cook a while and keep turning them to get brown bits.
After you’ve added all the broth and it’s been absorbed by your Arborio rice, it should have a somewhat thick, creamy consistency. The rice should be soft but still with a chewy bite. Remove from heat and add your Parmesan. Yum, yum.
It’s time to plate up your risotto! I like to serve mine in a pasta bowl. Mound the risotto in the bowl and top with asparagus and grilled shrimp. With this recipe, you won’t even want to go out to dinner.

Until ipinterest tomorrow!
Karie J 🙂

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Jan18

day 49: cooking it up/ baked chicken parmesan casserole, a hit!

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MY TAKE:

FROM PINTEREST:

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Project: day 49: cooking it up/ baked chicken parmesan casserole, a hit!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
hot red pepper flakes, to taste
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 5, but they were huge!)
2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup chopped basil
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
4 oz Parmesan, grated
1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons

Directions:

  • put olive oil. garlic, pepper flakes in a 9×13 Pyrex or casserole dish
  • layer chicken breasts, marinara, basil
  • put half of the mozzarella and parmesan
  • layer croutons
  • sprinkle the remainder of the cheeses on top
  • bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (or until your chicken reaches 155 degrees)
  • set for 10 minutes
  • enjoy!

until ipinterest tomorrow!

Karie J 🙂

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Jan11

day 42: cooking it up/ citrus and spice grilled chicken with southwestern black bean salad, yum!

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MY TAKE:

FROM PINTEREST:

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  • Project: day 42: cooking it up/ citrus and spice grilled chicken with southwestern black bean salad, yum!
  • Difficulty rating (1=easiest, 5= way too hard!): salad (1- so easy!), chicken (4- but it is definitely worth it!)
  • Would I do it again? most definitely for the chicken, it has a ton of flavor; the girls inhaled it! The salad was very easy, but might be better for the summer time (it was light and refreshing).
  • What I would do differently: chicken: tenderize the chicken by puncturing with a fork, which also allows the marinade to penetrate deeper. salad: add more cilantro, and don’t forget to thaw the corn (yes, again I forgot to read the recipe thoroughly! 😉
  • Items used: chicken recipe from Cooks Country: http://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/Citrus-and-Spice-Grilled-Chicken-/30909/?extcode=M00KSCR00
  • Salad recipe from Skinny Taste: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/06/southwestern-black-bean-salad.html

citrus and spice grilled chicken

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, chopped course
1teaspoon grated lime zest, plus 1/4 cup juice (2 limes)
6 garlic cloves
2tablespoons olive oil
1tablespoons grated orange zest (2 oranges)
2teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2teaspoons salt
1/2teaspoon pepper
1/2teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2teaspoon ground cumin
1/8teaspoon ground cloves
3pounds bone-in chicken pieces, trimmed (breasts halved crosswise)
1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum roasting pan (for charcoal grill only)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Process onion, lime juice, garlic, oil, orange zest, oregano, salt, lime zest, pepper, lime juice, cinnamon, cumin, and cloves in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds; transfer to zipper-lock bag. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and add to bag, turning to coat. Refrigerate for 1 to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
2A. For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely and place pan in center of grill. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour into 2 even piles on either side of pan. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
2B. For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-low. (Adjust burners as needed to maintain grill temperature around 350 degrees.)
3. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken skin side up on grill (in center of grill if using charcoal). Cover and cook until bottom is browned and chicken registers 155 degrees, about 25 minutes.
4. Flip chicken skin side down. If using charcoal, slide chicken to hot part of grill. If using gas, turn all burners to high. Cook until well browned and breasts register 160 degrees and thighs/drumsticks register 175 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve.

Southwestern Black Bean Salad
Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 12 • Size: 1/2 cup • Calories: 106 • Old Points: 2.5 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 105.9 • Fat: 6.0 g • Protein: 3.2 g • Carb: 13.0 g • Fiber: 3.6 g  Sugar: 1.2 g
Sodium: 137.8 mg

Ingredients:

  • 1 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 9 oz frozen corn, thawed
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 1 small hass avocado, diced
  • 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
  • 1 scallion, chopped
  • 1 lime, juice of
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp cilantro
  • salt and fresh pepper

Directions:
Combine beans, corn, tomato, onion, scallion, cilantro, salt and pepper. Mix with lime juice and olive oil. Marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes. Add avocado before serving.

until ipinterest tomorrow!

Karie J 🙂

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