Perfect Morning

As usual, Coco woke us up this morning by crying promptly at 7 AM, which is when we wake up during the week.  We've got to teach her weekdays vs. weekends.  Anyways, instead of dreading the early hours, I looked out the window to see snow!  I got so excited and saw it as an instant opportunity to go have some fun wear out Coco.  I was a little nervous because dogs usually emphatically love or hate the snow.  Luckily Coco responded with favor and didn't want to come inside.

After dragging her inside, what do I find? My fiance.  Awake at 8 AM. Making pancakes.  Honestly, I'm more surprised that he was awake, but apparently he had this scheme all planned out.  And best yet? He bought non-high fructose corn syrup syrup.  He knows me well!

I couldn't have asked for a better start to the weekend!

Easy Cheesy Pasta

Last night, I made this recipe for Gorgonzola and Apple Porkchops.  I had some leftover ingredients, so I thought it would mix perfectly with a pasta.

1 cup wheat pasta
1/2 cup gorgonzola
1 apple, peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp pine nuts
Italian seasoning to taste
Salt & pepper to taste

Boil your water and add the pasta.  Drain and mix in olive oil and gorgonzola.  Let the gorgonzola melt into a creamy sauce and serve.  Add the apple slices and pine nuts as garnish.  As a side note, the apples can be browned will some butter, but I felt the raw apples added a better texture.

Lobster Attack!

One of my most favorite things in this world is lobster, especially in the form of a traditional Maine lobster roll.  Boyfriend and I have talked about making these forever and finally got the nerve to do it.  It was lot easily than I thought, but also very difficult for me to actually deal with live creatures.  Luckily I got over my squeamishness and dug right in!

Even Coco wanted some!    We made the following recipe when we were really hungry, so we overcooked a little bit.  I think it would be more suitable for 4 servings.

3-1.5 lb lobsters
1/2-cup mayonnaise
1/2-stick melted butter
Celery to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
Salt & pepper to taste
4-rolls

Boil your lobsters for about 15 minutes or until red.  You know they're done when you can easily pull out the antennae.  Rinse with cool water and then pull out the meat.  You can easily find tutorials online about de-shelling lobsters.  We used this one.  From there, cut the lobster meat up into cubes.  Mix all of the ingredients together and let cool in the fridge for about 15 minutes.  In the meantime, heat up the stove and toast your rolls!  Then make your sandwich and enjoy!

Sweet Cream

Often I desire desserts that are rich, chocolatey, and caloric (although that one is most definitely not by choice).  I've been trying curb my habit of always ending a meal with a sweet, if I can help it.  But sometimes it's nice to indulge in something sweet, especially if it's easy to make and not completely horrible for you.  Let me introduce you to this delight!

It's as simple as this:

1. Pick a fruit for dipping.
2. Mix equal parts plain Greek yogurt and sour cream.  Add organic honey to taste.
3. Dip & enjoy!

Fast Food

Lately I've been so busy with school, work, a new blog (Blog Trends Chat), disciplining Coco, and planning a wedding/honeymoon, I haven't had time to make dinner.  This has resulted in ordering take-out every night.  It's actually gotten quite embarrassing, especially when the delivery driver recognizes you.  I finally decided to get everything done, avoid any distractions (almost impossible with a puppy), and make a good dinner.  Luckily this only takes 15 minutes, so I can still prepare it even when I'm in a rush.

Lindsay's Italian Chicken Pasta

Whole Wheat Pasta

Fresh Mozzarella

Chicken Cutlet

Marinara Sauce

Garlic

Olive Oil

Parsley

Italian Seasoning

Red Pepper Flakes

Salt & Pepper

Start by boiling some water with salt.  I usually add my pasta before it boils because I'm terribly impatient, but I suppose the proper thing to do is to add the pasta after the water boils.  Slice some fresh mozzarella and keep it on the side to add later.  Slice your chicken cutlet into small strips or cubes.  Add it to a pan with a small amount of oil olive and proceed to season with parsley, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.  In the meantime, heat your sauce.  In a rush, I use a jarred marinara (sue me), but I improve it by adding garlic and spices.  Drain your pasta.  Get a bowl, add the pasta, the chicken slices, some sauce, and fresh mozzarella.  And voila! You've got a meal!

What are your solutions to a quick meal?