"And we call it Bella Notte" - new recipe #7 and Matthew's first haircut!

A little blurry - but an action shot of Matthew
strutting in his snow boots

After a crazy long weekend last week and not feeling 100% all week – I was looking forward to a quiet weekend this past weekend. We made a big decision mid-week to take Matthew for his first haircut on Saturday! We were waiting until after his first birthday to cut those adorable little locks and then whenever we had some free time, I chickened out. This was one of the last milestones in his baby book that I had to fill in, and he’s growing so fast, I wanted to hold out as long as I could. The back was really starting to get long and curly and the front was just crazy somedays so I knew it was time. We found a place online – Zippity Doo’s and made an appointment for Saturday morning. We got a mini snow storm over night but nothing big so we bundled Matthew up in his snowjacket and boots and “I Love Snow Days” Tshirt and we braved the roads (they were 100% fine) to make his appointment. 

Still a little groggy

It worked out perfectly that he fell asleep on the 20 minute ride there because he woke up and was a little groggy and not quite sure of exactly what was going on. He sat like an angel while she trimmed the back, sides and front and then started to get a little scared but after he was given a school bus toy, he was fine again. He did so well that she even used the electric trimmer to cut the back “like Daddys”. We were so proud of him and he looked SO handsome with his new haircut. He was even given a red balloon for being so brave! Matthew also was given a certificate and some locks of hair for his baby book! All in all, pretty smooth for his first haircut. 

So proud with his red balloon!

After his haircut!

On the way home, we stopped and picked up everything for dinner (and a FREE fribble from Friendly's!) so that we wouldn’t have to go back out in the snowy weather again. Much like Twitter, I have joined Pinterest and don’t fully understand it yet but I had seen a pin (is that what they are called?!?) with an interesting recipe I thought we would like: Red-wine spaghetti with Parsley and Walnuts. You COOK the pasta in wine! Sounded right up our alley and it was pretty easy as well. We bought a big bottle of chianti to use in the recipe and then to have some and it turned out wonderful. I also made homemade garlic bread and crumbled some Stilton cheese left over from the glorious burgers from a few weeks ago. Amazing! We had a nice romantic dinner after Matthew went to sleep and then played some more 2012 bonanza games. A wonderful way to spend a snowy Saturday!! <3 

Red-Wine Spaghetti with Parsley and Walnuts (I made a few adjustments to original recipe)  

5 cups water
3 1/4 cups dry red wine
Salt
1 box of linguine
4 tablespoons olive oil divided
2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1 cup walnuts (4 ounces), toasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving

In a saucepan, combine the water with 3 cups of the wine and a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. While spaghetti is cooking, lightly toast walnuts in a skillet and chop the nuts and parsley. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the garlic and red pepper. Cook over moderate heat for 1 minute. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of wine and the reserved cooking liquid and bring to a simmer. Stir in the pasta and cook until the liquid is nearly absorbed, 2 minutes. Add the parsley, nuts, the 1/2 cup of cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and toss. 

For  garlic bread - but loaf in half and spread melted butter (I used I can't Believe it's not butter spread) on each side and sprinkle with garlic salt and minced garlic. Crumble cheese on top and put halves together and wrap in foil.  Heat in 400 degree oven for five minutes and then take out and lay the halves on the foil for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

Today's song title comes from Lady and the Tramp! :)

"International Love" : New Recipe #6 - Bacon Pierogi Bake

I made this a couple of weeks ago, but forgot to blog about it. Sometimes life gets a little busy...but even though it's late, it's worth sharing! 

Matthew won the wrestling match with Barry

I've recently been trying to lessen my stack of cooking magazines so I've been going through and pulling out recipes that I would like to try. I found this recipe for Bacon Pierogi Bake in the December 2010 Cooking Light. It was in the "Dinner Tonight" section which features quick and easy meals. This definitely fit the bill - I was able to prep while Rob fed Matthew his dinner and then while it baked, we read and sung to Matthew and then we ate after Matthew was snuggling with his buddies in bed.

I had never had a pierogi before my mother-in-law introduced them to me and boy am I happy she did! The Mrs. T brand is OK...not as good as homemade though. I had the wonderful opporutnity to attend a "pierogi party" a few years ago at Rob's aunt's home where we made hundreds of homemade pierogis - potato, onion, cheese, sauerkraut - and the best part, the homemade noodles from the leftover dough! I hope I am able to attend one again in the future, it was so much fun (and yummy!). In the meantime, I would try this dish again. It's filling enough to have with just a side salad and be full! 

Bacon Pierogi Bake

Bacon Pierogi Bake

• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen potato and onion pierogies (such as Mrs. T's)
• Cooking spray
• 2 bacon slices, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup of 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped seeded plum tomato
• freshly ground black pepper

 Preheat oven to 400°. Arrange the pierogies in an 11 x 7-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cook bacon in a saucepan over medium heat until crisp; remove from pan. Set aside. Add garlic to drippings in pan, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add 1/3 cup cream cheese to pan, and cook for 1 minute or until cream cheese begins to melt, stirring frequently. Gradually add chicken broth to pan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over pierogies. Top evenly with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until bubbly and thoroughly heated. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with bacon, green onions, tomato, and pepper.

Ah They're Whipping...

In January of 2011, Rob and I began a "Boardgame Bonanza" which was a year-long, multiple game boardgame challenge. Last weekend, Rob won the bonanza and his prize was that he got to choose the meal for last night and I had to make it. After putting some thought into it and going through some old cooking magazines he chose the following menu:

Appetizer - Pineapple wrapped in bacon
Entree - Potato and corn chowder and stilton burgers (both recipes from the September 2009 Cooking Light)
Dessert - Black forest cake


The appetizer is something I've made a few times, it was a recipe from my bridal shower (thanks Kristen!). One of the first things I ever baked for Rob way back in 2003 or 2004, was a black forest cake with the help of my mom, so this was my first attempt alone. I had never made a chowder before so I thought that would be a challenge but was evened out by the burgers, which I didn't think would be too hard. I took the week to do some preparation. After reading over the recipes, doing some research, a trip to Trader Joes, the liquor store, the local butcher and two different grocery stores - I had everything I needed and I spent almost the entire day in the kitchen (with a break to take Matthew for a walk on an unseasonably warm January day). Everything came out EXCEPTIONAL and I'm happy to share three new recipes!


Corn and Potato Chowder - modified from Grilled Corn and Potato Chowder
Note: the modifications I made were mainly because we don't have a grill. I look forward to trying out the original recipe someday when we have a grill.


1 pound small red potatoes, quartered
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons softened butter or butterspread, divided
1 bag of frozen corn (I used sweet yellow and white)
sprinkle of grill seasoning (we had Mesquite)
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk (I used fat free and it was still very good and creamy)
1/2 cup half-and-half
2 thyme sprigs
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Corn and Potato Chowder 

Place potatoes and 2 teaspoons salt in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Let potatoes stand in hot water 5 minutes. Drain; cut into 1/4-inch cubes. Return pan to stovetop and saute corn with a tablespoon of butter or butterspread for approximately 3 minutes. Add potatoes and grill seasoning to pan. Remove one cup of corn kernels and place in a food processor and process until smooth. Remove potatoes and corn from pan and set aside. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 1 teaspoon salt and red pepper; cook for 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Stir in potatoes, remaining corn kernels, pureed corn, milk, half-and-half, and thyme sprigs; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard thyme sprigs. Stir in chives and remaining ingredients.


This came out so fantastic and there was enough leftover that I froze it and it should be enough for two dinner portions! Another great feature of this recipe is that I used the same large pot for all steps so it was less dishes :)

Stilton Burgers

Stilton Burgers - modified from Stilton Burgers  
2 teaspoons olive oil 
1 medium onion – sliced 
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 pound ground porterhouse
2 tablespoons grated onion
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup crumbled Stilton cheese
2 Keiser rolls
Sliced tomato
Green leaf lettuce

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan. Add sliced onion and 1/8 teaspoon salt; cook 18 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, beef, grated onion, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper and garlic. Mix together and form two patties. Grill or broil burgers until desired doneness. (I broiled 5 minutes on each side). Top each patty with 1 tablespoon cheese during last 2 minutes of cooking. Top burgers with sliced onions, tomato and lettuce on a Keiser roll. 

AH-MAZING! This was honestly a restaurant quality burger. I went to the butcher and asked for his advice, he sold me the porterhouse and the keiser rolls and it was an awesome suggestion. I went to Trader Joes to get the stilton cheese. Again, these would be wonderful on an actual grill - hopefully someday we will have one :)

And for the grand finale...

Black Forest Cake - modified from a few different recipes (including some help from Joy of Cooking) - but I wanted to make one as similar as I could to the one my mom and I made back in the day so I made some adjustments, and all together - everything tasted PERFECT!

Final Product

Black Forest Cake  

2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup kirsh (cherry brandy)
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
1 can pitted sour cherries
½ pound fresh cherries
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
Maraschino cherries
Chocolate shavings or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper (optional…I did not and it was fine). In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely.

Heat water and sugar until sugar evaporates and let cool, add in kirsch. 

Split each cake layer horizontally in half. Place one cake layer on cake plate. Brush with kirsch syrup. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 1/3 of the cherries. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping and add on fourth layer. Frost sides and top of cake, pipe around the edges on the top. Use maraschino cherries and chocolate to decorate top. Refrigerate until ready to serve. ENJOY!

With Rob's piece taken out

All in all, one of the best meals I've made - ever. Congratulations to Rob on his 2011 victory! After dinner, we kicked off the 2012 bonanza - and I won both games. I think it was karma, after slaving away all day, I deserved the wins :) 

Today's post title comes from a Pearl Jam song that was I was singing as making the whipped cream. I didn't realize that Rob had paid attention, but later posted a Facebook status about it. 

"Whisper Words of Wisdom...Let it Be" - 30 Before 30 List Update

Jackie's 30 Before 30 List:

1. Visit a zoo in New York
2. Run a 5K
3. Hold my son’s hand as he walks by himself
4. Make a lasagna
5. Cheer on my husband as he receives his MBA
6. Visit the Met
7. Drink a Long Island Iced Tea on Long Island
8. Take a tour of the Brooklyn brewery
9. Walk on the beach in the Hamptons
10. Create a new blog to record memories
11. Try 30 new recipes and blog about each one (2/30 completed)
12. Eat real sushi
13. Watch all the Harry Potter movies again in order (1/8 completed)
14. Complete 100 consecutive push ups
15. Watch “Casablanca” and “Gone with the Wind”
16. Ride the carousel in Central Park
17. Ride the feris wheel at Coney Island
18. Try a wine from each of the 50 states (8/50 completed - CA, CT, MA, NC, NY, OR, SC, WA)
19. Complete a crossword puzzle
20. Take a tour of Fenway Park
21. Listen to all of Pearl Jam’s studio albums in entirety
22. See at least 3 more Broadway shows (1/3 completed - Wicked)
23. Complete 3 scrapbooks (1/3 completed)
24. Sample cupcakes from Sprinkles, Magnolias and Carlo’s bakeries (1/3 complete)
25. Ride on a motorcycle
26. Buy myself a pair of kickass heels
27. Try a spinning class
28. See a plastic surgeon about the age spot on my cheek
29. Go to dinner with all my siblings, just the 4 of us
30. Read/reread 3 novels from high school English class.

I have some work to do in the next 10 months, but I am confident that I'll finish the list. The wine from every state is proving to be a challenge, but I'm working on it!

I must say 2012 is off to a FANTASTIC start! I rang in the New Year with a kiss from my wonderful husband and got to sleep in until 8:30am. When I got up, I went to lay on the couch and Matthew walked over to me with some books and put his arms up to climb up on me to cuddle and read. It's not often these days (except at bed time when he's enjoying his last warm bottle of milk), when he likes to just sit quietly and read. Usually he will bring a book over and then stand and dance or play with other toys as we read to him. So even though it lasted probably two minutes, it was a fantastic two minutes! The rest of the day (and pretty much the entire week since Christmas) consisted of being lazy, watching football and playing with Matthew. I was proud to get a run in though and got to use lots of Christmas gifts in the process. I got new running shoes, pants, shirts, gloves, socks and headphones. It was a great Christmas :)

I made a few resolutions this year - to run at least three times a week, drink at least 8 glasses of water each day and take a vitamin each day. I started training in May and ran two 5Ks this fall/winter and I'm looking forward to completing more and setting some personal records beginning in the spring. I don't have a distance goal, but the longest distance I've run is a 5K so I want to increase mileage as well.

2012 will consist of a lot of exciting things and I look forward to every one of them!!

Happy New Year!

Today's lyric choice was inspired by Justin Bieber's performance last night. I know, I know...I'm probably in the minority thinking it was good and Beatles fans are probably upset. But I liked it.