Breakfast Burrito Love

One of my favorite Breakfast's

Breakfast Burrito A'La Ashlee
1 Tortilla (I like the kind that you cook, the un-baked totillas)
2 Red Potatoes
Cheese
1 Egg (I like Over Easy)
Avacado
2 Strips of Bacon

Serves 1 if you want to serve more than just make more.

Pumpkin, Rosemary, Shells and Cheese

Here is a Fall Twist on a Old Favorite!

What is more nostalgic than your childhood favorite

Macaroni and Cheese.  Now add some pumpkin, rosemary and a few extra spices and you have a healthy masterpiece.

Ingredients

- 16 oz. your favorite pasta (I love shells, you might like macaroni)

- 3 T. butter

- 4 T. flour

- 3 c. + 1/3 c. milk

- 12 oz. cheese, grated ( I use cheddar & mozzarella)

- 8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed (sometimes only use 4 oz.)

- 1 c. pumpkin puree

- 1 T. fresh rosemary, minced

- 1 t. salt

- 1/2 t. fresh ground pepper

- 1/2 t. cayenne pepper

 

Cook pasta and drain out water.

In large skillet on medium heat: melt butter, add flour, whisking for about 30 seconds. Add 2 cups of milk and the rosemary, whisking continuously until smooth. Add the third cup of milk and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.   

 

 

Add pumpkin and cheese, then add Velveeta stir till melted. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, and followed by the additional 1/3 c. of milk.

Once cheese sauce is smooth, combine with cooked pasta and pour into a greased casserole dish {9x13}. 

 

Cook for 30 minutes.

 

Note:

Pumpkin is super healthy for you and lately I have been trying to find more things I can cook with it.  Hence my pumpkin chili and pumpkin pasta dish both of  which are amazing and you should try.

Health Benefits of Pumpkin:

*1 cup Pumpkin has 7.1 grams of Fiber which helps your body absorb nutrients from the food you eat.
*1 cup of Pumpkin has 3.4 grams of Iron, Iron helps your immune system.
*1 Cup Pumpkin contains 1,906 micrograms of vitamin A, which helps your eyes, bones and teeth healthy as well as boosts your immune system.
*1 cup of Pumpkin supplies you with 15 % of your daily vitamin E.
*Pumpkin has beta-carotene and antioxidant which helps reduce inflammation which helps with chronic health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and arthritis.

Be healthy and happy this fall!

Hugs,

Fall Harvest, Tomatoes Upon Tomatos

With the new chill in the air everything is slowing down and going into hibernation, this is the time that you will want to harvest your garden.  Harvest time is usually right before the first frost, on October 1st I moved to a new home and had to do my fall harvest a little early.  I was worried because I had tons of green tomatoes that hadn't turned red yet.  I was talking to my neighbor and she said "you can pick them green and they will turn on their own."  I thought why not try I'm going to lose them anyway.

The Great Turning Tomato Trick

All these tomatoes were green when I put them in the box

At the end of the season harvest all of your tomatoes Red, Green, yellowish... just pick them all.

You can either put them in a box with just the unripe tomatoes or with a banana (bananas release a chemical that speeds the ripening process).  Put the box in a dark place aka pantry, closet and after a few days they will start to ripen. 

Here are some of my tomatoes that were all green when I picked them on October 1st, by October 14th most of them had turned red.  Some tomatoes took a few days while others have taken a couple weeks but it works!

My little tomato sorter, and the tomatoes that ripened after two weeks of storage

P.S. I had to move my raspberry and strawberry plants.  It would have been ideal if I had moved them once it had frosted so the plants would have been hibernating.  Wish me luck on the transfer and I guess we will only know how it worked in April/May when the garden starts growing again.

Favorite Fall Soups (Part One)

There is something about the fall; the leaves are changing colors, there is a chill in the air and all of the sudden you want to curl up with some warm food and a good book.

 

One of my most favorite things about the cooler weather is soup; I love soup, it was something my mom was amazing at making.  Now that I am living a thousand miles from my mother, I am enjoying the ability of making soup all on my own.

Here is a new yummy healthy soup that I think everyone should try!

Pumpkin Turkey Chili
1 Tablespoon Olive or Vegetable Oil
1 Onion Chopped
1 Yellow Bell Pepper Chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper Chopped
1 Clove Garlic Minced
1 Pound Ground Turkey
1 Can (4 ounce) Green Chilies
2 Cans Diced Tomatoes
1 Can (14.5 ounce) Kidney Beans
2 Cups Pumpkin Puree
2 Tea Spoons Chili Powder
1 Tea Spoon Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Shredded Cheddar Cheese - Topping
Sour Cream - Topping

In pot on medium heat brown; onion, bell peppers, garlic with the oil.  Next add the ground turkey, till turkey is all the way cooked. 

Add tomatoes, pumpkin puree and kidney beans all the while string well.  I still have a lot of tomatoes from my garden so I used fresh instead of canned tomatoes.













Once soup starts to get a little more fluid add your spices, remembering to add salt to taste.  Soup should be ready in 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

 My friend Shannon has an amazing corn bread recipe which I am going to beg for... it supstitues half of the butter for Apple Sauce and taste better than any Corn Bread I have ever eaten.

Shannon's Corn Bread... so good!

Garden Update

Tomatoes upon Tomatoes:  Tomatoes have got to be the best thing I have grown this year! They have been producing fruit since June and have never stopped.  I have gone on two vacations and they have not only survived but didn't skip a beat.  Everyday I come home to a happy harvest of at least 10 red tomatoe babies ready for the picking. 

Raspberry Surprises:  I was told that Raspberries do not produce for the first couple of years.  I was prepared to be patient and just wait.  So when my first year little baby plants started to produce lovely red berries, you can imagine my shock and pure happiness.  Like the tomatoes I get to pick these lovely berries everyday, when I get home from work... Pure Bliss!

Strawberry Kisses:  What hardy and wonderful Strawberries I have had this year!  They started producing mid May and have never stopped.  The only problem to be had was the birds but for some reason they stopped mid summer... leaving one happy little gardener to enjoy the fruits of her labor.

Bountiful Basil:  My basil been wonderful this year!  The best basil was the sweet basil I planted in the ground.  It truly has been such a great herb to grow.

Wonderful Watermelon:  Isn't it fun to think you can put a few tiny little seeds in the ground and before you know it you have a beautiful watermelon.  I have already eaten two good sized watermelons out of my garden.  This little baby is the next one to be harvested.

 

 

 

Came home to this the other day... Happy little Harvest.

It's been fun having my first garden, the best thing I did was to weed everyday I watered (which was everyday).  It seemed like a burden in the beginning, that it was a never ending chore but as the summer went by the weeding got lighter and lighter till it it became almost non existant. 

I hope you found something you enjoyed as much as I have enjoyed my little garden.

Sweet Summer Peaches

Growing up in Washington had it's advantages, the beautiful forests, the Puget Sound, Seattle... but one of my very favorite things would have to be a sweet tree ripened peach.

My parents owned a little grocery store which was only open in the summer time. We sold only fresh produce and locally made products. Every summer my sisters and I would be in charge of the fruit, at one time I could bag up a pound of cherries exactly to the ounce, I can still half a nectarine, apricot and/or peach with out having to use a knife. Along with my many fruit skills, I fell in love with fresh fruit, like many girls are in love with chocolate; I crave Raspberries, Strawberries, Blue Berries, Blackberries and yes Peaches.

Peach season is at the end of summer, it is short but wonderful at the same time.  When I was little (and up till I moved away for college) my dad would come home with a huge bag of peaches and some half & half.  He was always so excited he would say "Ashlee look what I got!  Want to have Peaches and Cream?".  We would make our little treat and talk about life, he had a way of making the littlest things so fun and memorable.

Peaches are best when they haven't been in cold storage, they stop sweetening when they are picked, so when you go to a store and the peach is blah, it's because it was picked too early and then in cold storage.  To be honest, Washington Peaches cannot be beat they are large and super flavorful. Just on Monday I was driving home from Seattle and I couldn't resist the urge to stop and buy a box of Peaches in Eastern Washington. 

 

Peaches and Cream

Peaches

Half and Half

2% Milk

If you want it a little sweeter:

Sweetened Whipped, Whipping Cream (not Cool Whip)

 

Directions: Peel and cut up your peaches, I have noticed that 1 large peach is enough for 1 person.  Then in a cup mix half & half with 2% milk and then top it off with a little sweetened whipped whipping cream.

 

My dad was a purest and would only use half and half.  I think it's best to mix the half and half with a little 2% milk.  If you want to you can add sugar, personally I don't think you need it but to each their own.

How to Enjoy Peaches all year round! 

I bought a box of peaches when I was traveling from Washington State to Utah, knowing I couldn't eat a box of peaches all by my self.  I ate what I could, peaches and cream everyday for a week and then I peeled cut up and froze the rest.  Now I have two bags of frozen peaches I can use for peach pie, peach smoothies, little snacks or what ever.

How I Freeze my Peaches:
Wash & peal peaches, slice and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet, then place in freezer.  When peaches are frozen put in zip lock freezer bag and store in freezer.

                Enjoy,



Sushi Tuesday

I have always been afraid to make sushi on my own. Being a major sushi lover and a bit of a sushi snob, I have learned that sushi is an artisan craft. And I always thought it was better left to the artisans. 

 My cute younger brother is in town and wanted to make sushi, which is something he loves to do. So being the softy sister that I am... I let go of my fear and dove into a night of sushi making with one of my favorite people on earth.

 Here are all the things we put in our sushi:

 

Rice

Nori

Crab

Shrimp

Avocado

Mango

Strawberries

Cucumber

Green Onion

Cream Cheese

 

Two ways to roll:

Rice on on the inside, and rice on the outside

the rolls we made are basic Maki sushi rolls with rice on the inside.

The three primary forms of sushi are:
Urumaki: Rice on the Outside
Maki: Nori on the outside, Rice within
Nigiri: Rice with Fish atop

Sushi Etiquette for the Beginner:

 

You can pick up the roll with either chopsticks or your fingers. both are correct (using a fork is not)

 

Use the Thin end of the chopstick for bringing the sushi from your plate to your mouth

 

use the wide end of the chopsticks for bringing the sushi from a group plate to your plate

 

Eat Ginger between rolls as a palate cleanser (it does not ever belong on the sushi)

 

Wasabi is placed on the sushi, not in the soy sauce

Me enjoying my home made Sushi

Look at that delicious Roll o' Maki Sushi. aint it good? don't you want it? BTW that's my bro.



Summer Food Love

I love summer food, everything is so fresh and delish!

Here are some of my latest and greatest dishes.

BBQ Chicken Salad, Photo by Ashlee B.

BBQ Chicken Salad
Lettuce Head of Green Leaf Lettuce
1/2 Rotisserie Chicken
Corn 1 cup
2 Tomatoes
1 Avocado
1/2 cup Cheese
Tortilla Strips
BBQ Sauce
Ranch

BBQ Chicken Salad, Photo by Ashlee B.

Wash and cut up your lettuce, add diced tomatoes, avocado, corn and shredding chicken.  Sprinkle Cheese & tortilla strips on top and then dress with BBQ Sauce & Ranch Dressing.

So Fresh and Yummy.

Below is a dish my good friend Shannon made, it was so good... I had to share!

Cilantro Lime, Photo by Ashlee B.

 

 

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Ingredients ½ cup fresh lime juice
 2 teaspoons kosher salt ½ teaspoon fine pepper
 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  ½ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup olive oil
6 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts

 

 

I hope you are making the most of your summer, making food you love and going on adventures.

 

 

                  XOXO,



Fruit of My Labor, Garden Update

 

Here I am two months invested in my garden and up to my elbows in little baby tomatoes.  I couldn't be happier!

My Cherry Tomatoes, they seem to be doing the best.

 Everyday after work, I check up on my plants see what needs watering, what needs weeding, see what is producing/ripening.  I'm amazed when I see little blossoms on my tomatoes, strawberries or on my blood orange tree.  It's like the blossoms are little specks of hope or happiness, they have so much potential to produce great things.

Everything is growing and beautiful, my tomatoes are turning red and producing tons of little green babies.  I'm so excited for them to ripen so I can eat fresh caprice salad from my yard.

Here is the first big beautiful red tomato, I'm going to pick it today and am so excited to eat my own produce.

 Lesson learned about buying tomatoes:  Since I was a beginner, I thought I will spend a little more money and buy a few big plants and a couple small tomato plants.  In my mind the big ones would be the ones that were going to produce a ton, so I put them in the best spot and with the biggest cages... two months later it is the little inexpensive plants that have took off and done the best. 


My tomato and basil garden, ripening for yummy Italian cooking.

I was at the nursery and one of the workers laughed when I told him this, he then told me "The big plants never do as well because they have a advanced root system in their pot, the little plants do great because they have room to spread their roots once they get in the ground."  With planting, bigger isn't always better, you don't need to spend a ton on big plants, just buy the small baby plants and they will  produce better in the long run. 

Rhubarb - I have two Rhubarb plants; an older one which was in the side yard before I moved in and a new one which I planted in April.  The older one has the yummiest stocks, the new one is finally getting bigger and I harvested a few stocks last night.  Hooray for Rhubarb the whole summer long!!!

My Baby Rubarb Plant flanked by my Baby Watermelon Plants.

Watermelon - I planted a bunch of seeds and waited, nothing came.  The thought of having fresh watermelon was so overpowering, I went out and bought a little watermelon plant.  A month later my little watermelon seeds started to come up.  Now I have a thriving Watermelon plant from my seedlings and little plants from my impatient buy.  Lets see what happens.
 


Watermelon from seeds planted.

 


Watermelon from plants bought


Strawberries - My Strawberries are finally recovering from the constant attacks from the birds.  I was so happy to see more little flowers blossoming.  I will have to make little cages to keep the birds away, wish me luck this time around!

Zucchini

Squash

Newest additions:  Lemon Grass, Cilantro and Pumpkin

In these last two months I've gained more than a few ripe tomatoes, I've learned to slow down and care for something.  We live in a world of instant gratification, (gardening is anything but instant gratification), plants grow slowly, that being said the rewards are worth it in the end.  I feel that I understand some of my favorite literature more now that I have had a garden.  "The Little Prince", the "Bible" and "The Book of Mormon" all have growing analogies that I didn't really ponder or fully understand till I had my own garden.  How important it is to pull the weeds out of our lives before they take over, how seeds are sown and how good seeds take root & bad seeds wither. 

This has been such a great opportunity and I truly feel that my life has become more beautiful because of it.