martha monday & an organizing update

Like pancakes?

Then you MUST try this recipe. 

Martha calls them her "best" buttermilk pancakes and I can vouch for the fact that calling them so is neither a boastful, nor overzealous comment. 

I am not a huge breakfast person, but I do love a good pancake every now and then, and this one more than fits the bill. See ya later, Aunt Jemima...we are only using this recipe around here from now on.

You'd think that making homemade pancakes would be a huge pain in the biscuit, but this was so simple and the results were unbelievable.

Airy, fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. 

You really should give them a go!

And now an update on Operation Organization...

You might remember that I am trying to get rid of the excess in our lives and focus on only the really important things. We are going through all of our things, one room at a time and keeping only what we need and giving the rest to people who could use it. 

We figure it is a win-win: we get to spend more time doing fun things and relaxing instead of cleaning and whatnot and people who might be in need of the things we are donating will get some use from them.

I don't know about you, but organization is bliss to me!

Here are some shots from the bedroom...

Oh, it feels so good.

"what do you mean chick peas are beans?" martha monday

I suppose that it a legitimate question. 

I mean, they are called chick peas. 

My poor meat-atarian boyfriend....

He claims to not like beans of any sort. How can I torture him so? 

Poor man had no idea he was eating beans...

What was this meal that has caused such mystery in our home this evening? Well, it was Martha's Pasta with Chickpea-Tomato Sauce, and it was delish! 

I didn't vary at all from the recipe (a first for me!) other than using linguine instead of shells. Just wasn't feeling that kind of pasta tonight. Oh, I also added a sprinkling of panko to the top just to give it a little extra texture. So...I guess I did vary a tid bit...but I didn't change the recipe itself at all.

It was very tasty! The sauce was light and fresh with the red pepper flakes and fresh torn basil adding just the right amount of zip. It wasn't as good as the pasta with chickpeas I had in Bermuda, but I would definitely make it again. 

p.s. mmb really liked it! though in the interest of full disclosure, I did add some crisped bacon to his. 

I have to get back to grad school work and getting ready to scrap the weekend away at Croptopia with three of my favorite ladies. Can't wait!! Three days of scrapbooking 'round the clock, hot tubbing, swimming, what promises to be an awesome photo editing class with the super talented Sarah Kristiansen  and perhaps a spa treatment....ahhhh heaven!

martha's cashew chicken (or not)

Oh my, Martha. You hit the nail on the head with this one. 

Have you ever had a craving for chinese food, but could do without the famous "chinese food hangover"? You know...that icky sluggish feeling you get after eating food far too laden with msg and whatever else it is that contributes to that feeling that makes you swear you will never eat chinese food again?

Well, if you have ever suffered from this phenomenon and would like an easy and delicious recipe to satisfy that chinese food craving, I would highly recommend Martha's Cashew Chicken. 

To adjust this to my liking I added chopped red pepper, celery and pea pods. I also left the chicken out of mine, and although the cashews packed plenty of protein, I think next time I would add some tofu (to my dish only, relax mmb). 

Serve this over some jasmine rice with some chopsticks and, viola! A delicious dinner that leaves you with no regrets immediately following your last bite. 

Now, I must get back to this disaster...

Dear God, what have I gotten myself into? Yes..I have literally torn my scrap space apart in order to get some more organization going 'round here. 

Say a prayer for me ;-) 

baked shells with winter squash

Hello out there. Hope everyone had a nice Monday. The weekends go by so quickly! 

For this week's Melissa & Martha Monday I whipped up M-lady's Baked Shells with Winter Squash recipe. And oh my goodness, is this one to warm your soul (and your house as the comforting aroma of sage and squash drift through your rooms). You might even think it is Thanksgiving for a moment if you close your eyes and try hard enough. 

BAKED SHELLS with WINTER SQUASH

 

The creaminess of the squash and the soothing properties of the calefacient sage made this one an instant comfort food for me.

I pretty much followed the recipe, with the only variances being using fresh sage and fresh squash versus dried and frozen. I also opted to have bigger pieces of butternut in the dish so I used half puree and half bite sized pieces. 

My one complaint was that I found it to be a bit bland, even with the fresh herbs. I think next time I might roast the squash with a little olive oil and sea salt or add some caramelized onions. Maybe even some apples sauteed in a little butter and brown sugar...I'll let you know how that goes ;-)

mmb liked it just fine, but as a side dish. For you carnivores I would suggest perhaps adding pork or sausage, either would be a nice complement to the cold weather flavors in this dish.

Well that is it for this week's Melissa & Martha Monday. Meet me back here next week for another one! 

I'm off to play catch up with DYL, or do my taxes... Whichever one grabs my attention first.

Any guesses which I'll choose? ;-)

martha's fast fajitas

So, I will let you in on a little secret...I am slightly addicted to mexican food. We eat it around here at least once a week. From tacos to enchiladas to today's Melissa & Martha post...fajitas!

This recipe is super easy to prepare and you will be sitting down to eat faster than you can say "Ole!"

 I don't care for meat, so mine was strictly veggies but mmb (my boyfriend) said the chicken was great.

I'll take his word for it. ;-)

If you are looking for something flavorful and fast that you can feel good about eating, then give this recipe a try. The freshness of the ingredients lends a crispness to the meal that leaves you satisfied without that yucky too full feeling.

Add some light sour cream and avocado and you are transported to Mexico in an instant!

(Or so I think anyhow, I haven't been there yet...)

On a side note, have you seen all of the great products that CHA is rolling out this year? MellyPea from Two Peas has some great videos on her blog that you can check out to see what is the latest and greatest in the paper crafting world. I knew I was holding on to those gift cards from Christmas for a reason! Oh how I envy people who live in California right now...

And speaking of craftiness, be sure to stop by on Saturday. Some of my crafty blogging friends and I are up to it again...

..and this time it is love themed, just in time for Valentine's Day!

fettuccine with leeks & white beans

Well, here it is people: Melissa & Martha Mondays...as promised!

Tonight I gave Martha's Fettuccine and Leeks with White Beans recipe a shot and boy, oh boy am I glad I did!

Seriously...this recipe is SO good. Even my carnivorous boyfriend gave this deliciously meatless dish 5 stars (and that is a high honor from a man who would eat meatballs for breakfast lunch and dinner if he could...).

I did make a couple of accommodations, like opting for fresh pasta and fresh sage. I also used light cream vs. heavy and cut the amount in half. The beans provided plenty of richness and I prefer a bit of a lighter sauce anyhow.

The combination of the creaminess of the beans was perfectly complemented by the warmth of the sage and the subtle bite of lemon was just enough to cut through and provide a little freshness, like a little hint of summer on a cold winter's night.

And even with making fresh pasta to go with it, this recipe was very easy to make. 

I would absolutely recommend this recipe!

busy, busy & a fun new feature

My goodness, time certainly does fly when you're having fun. This past vacation was one of the best ones yet...and we didn't even go anywhere!

But now it is back to work, back to school, back to tutoring time. And did I mention on top of that I am taking two classes at BPS?? Am I crazy??? Nah...just (overly?) ambitious. Besides, I figure that whatever I cannot get to in terms of scrapbooking I can catch up with next month at Croptopia (can't wait, ladies!!)!

In the meantime, don't be surprised to see posts coming in at 1:00 am ;-)

And now for some news...

After much thinking I have decided to put "what i'm loving wednesdays" on hold for a bit.

However, I have come up with a fun new feature I hope you will enjoy just as much.

Beginning next week, Mondays will be....

"Melissa & Martha Mondays"!

(yes, it is in fact inspired by Julie & Julia...except with recipes AND crafts!) 

Woohoo!

I heart Martha Stewart. Like seriously. Naysayers have your wrath, but I think she and her team are a collection of creative genii (it's proper english, I looked it up) and I, for one, cannot get enough of the amazing creations and concoctions that they produce time after time.

Have you ever picked up her Everyday Food magazine in the checkout aisle at the grocery store?

It is hands down my favorite cooking magazine out there. It is filled with a copious amount of helpful tips and the pictures alone are enough to get my mouth salivating. Fresh herbs, gorgeous cooking utensils, local produce... It's like foodie heaven.

But I digress,

sort of.

Beginning next Monday I will be posting about one of Martha's recipes or crafts that I have given a try.

I'll let you know how it went, my thoughts, if I would recommend it, etc...

Should be a lot of fun, I hope you'll check it out!