Pinterest Fail

Scrolling through Pinterest I found a delicious picture of an egg baked inside an avocado. If you are not a stranger to Say The Blessing, you know I LOVE me some avos. Seriously, I could eat them everyday and I think I do. The magazines say it is good fat so don’t judge, ok?

20130313-247951-sunday-brunch-eggs-baked-avocado-1

This is the Pinterest version (aka what I was trying to get it to look like)

Anyways,  in my head it went like this: “Yay what a fun idea! I love eggs, I love avos, what’s not to love about this! I have some English muffins leftover from my English muffin pizzas and I could make some grits and have this awesome breakfast for dinner night. Oh and it totally looks so easy. I mean all you have to do is pour an egg into the hole where the pit was in the avocado and bake for 15 minutes. An idiot couldn’t mess that up!”

I am that idiot. Y’all that pin is not as easy as it looks. I had a difficult time getting the egg to stay in the freaking avocado (one of mine barely has any egg at all) and I let it cook too long. BUT, I will still share the recipe and I will still share my pictures because, let’s face it, food does not come out like perfect every single time. And, even though it wasn’t exactly Pinterest pretty, it was still pretty yummy to me. By the way, check out this amazing Pinterest Fail blog.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients
1 avocado, halved and pit removed
2 eggs
Salt/pepper
(bacon crumbles on top optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425. Place halved avocado (remove enough avocado to place an egg in it) in a baking pan so it can lean up on the sides. Pour the egg into the avocado. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the egg sets like you like it.

IMG_3350

IMG_3351

Scoop out and eat with spoon or spread it on toast (then it doesn’t matter how pretty/not pretty it is).

IMG_3356

WHAT I WILL DO BETTER NEXT TIME:

  • Take out more than enough avocado. There needs to be a lot of space for an egg and I underestimated it.
  • Divide the egg yolk and whites when you are cracking it (use a ramekin to hold the egg whites) and put the yolk in first and gently pour in the whites. I would almost whisk the whites in the ramekin before I poured it in there too to break them up some because in the state it is in, if a little bit of whites pour over the side, the whole thing goes!

*After re-reading this post,  I hope this doesn’t discourage you from doing this recipe. I want you to do it! I want you to let me know your tips and send your pictures in. Don’t be afraid to mess up a recipe because then you’ll never get in the kitchen. The mess sometimes even comes out better than what you intended.

About these ads

Stuffed Peppers

This meal may require a lot of pots and pans (I used four) but don’t let that intimidate you! The deliciously, healthy meal really fills you up and is pretty easy to pull together.

The following ingredients are for ONE stuffed pepper, but feel free to double the recipe for date night or 4x it for dinner for the family.

Ingredients
1 pepper
1/4 lb. ground turkey
1/4 of an onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes (I got the ones seasoned with basil, garlic, and oregano)
1/4 cup cooked brown rice
Small handful of Italian cheese blend

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the top off the pepper and carefully remove all the seeds and white membranes. You might need to trim some of the bottom of the pepper to get it to stay upright, but make sure that you don’t make a hole in the pepper while doing so! Submerge it in a big pot of boiling water and let cook for 3-5 minutes. Pull out of the water and set aside.

IMG_3322

IMG_3323

In a pan, add about 3 tablespoons of oil and sauté onions until clear. Add in ground turkey and cook until you can’t seen anymore pink. There shouldn’t be too much fat that comes off the turkey, but if there is drain it carefully.   IMG_3324

Add onions, turkey, about half of the can of tomatoes, and 1/4 cup of cooked rice (I used the boil-in-bag kind and saved the rest or the rice and the tomatoes for other meals later in the week) to a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Fill pepper with mixture and top with cheese.

IMG_3325

Bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted. Note: I had some of the mixture leftover that didn’t quite fit into my pepper but it makes for a good snack while the pepper bakes.

IMG_3328

IMG_3333

Coffee Rub for Steak

I’m not a big fan of steak [gasp]. But, my boyfriend loves it! So, when he cooks on date nights it’s usually steak. Well I stepped in and decided to try a new rub to spice mine up a little. And thus my coffee rub was born. It leaves the steak with a uniquely flavored “crust”. You do NOT have to be a coffee lover to love this.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons coffee
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon all spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a container or ziplock bag.

20130325-094641.jpg

Brush oil onto the steaks. Season with salt and pepper like you normally would. Generously coat the steak with the rub.

20130325-094632.jpg

Cook on the grill or in a hot, buttered pan on the stove.

20130325-094647.jpg

20130325-094653.jpg

English Muffin Pizzas

The first meal I ever made on my own was scrambled eggs. The second, were these babies. I used to eat these up as a kid. They are so easy, literally a child could make them. Back then, I cooked them in a toaster oven. I have upgraded it some by making it on a pizza stone in the oven. Regardless of your preferred method, this is the best 4 ingredient dinner ever. Seriously, make this for lunch or dinner soon.

IMG_3093

Ingredients
1 package of English muffins (I use 1 1/2 muffins per adult)
1 jar of pizza sauce
1 bag of shredded mozzarella
1 bag of pepperonis
+ any additional toppings you like!

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place halved English muffins on pan or pizza stone. Layer with pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings to your liking. Cook for about 10-12 minutes. Serve.

IMG_3095

IMG_3097

(Boyfriend approved)

IMG_3098

Smores Brownies

IMG_3192

Come again?? Smores AND brownies combined?? Be still my little heart.

I have said it before and I will say it again, I am NOT a baker. However, I somehow pulled this off. You can have dessert for dinner right? Time to put on my stretchy pants. I’ll go ahead and apologize in advance for taking tons of pictures… but can you blame me? These things are gorgeous.

Ingredients
10-11 Graham Cracker cookies, crushed
7 tablespoons of butter, melted
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 pinch salt
1 package of your favorite brownie mix (and all that calls for, usually oil and eggs)
Mini marshmellows

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with greased aluminum foil. Set aside for now.

Place Graham Crackers in a ziplock baggie and take some aggression out on them by smashing them into crumbs.

IMG_3150

Add cracker crumbs to melted butter with sugar and a pinch of salt. Press crumb mixture into pan. Cook for 10-12 minutes until golden.

IMG_3151

IMG_3156

While that is baking, go ahead and mix together your brownie mix. (I love any chance I get to use my KitchenAid).

IMG_3155

Pour mixture over the Graham Cracker crust.

IMG_3157

Bake according to package until you can stick a toothpick inside and it comes out clean. Let brownies cool.

IMG_3159

Put oven on broil. Put marshmallows on top of the cooled brownies and place under broiler for about 2 minutes. This goes quick so stand by!

IMG_3187

IMG_3189

Cut with plastic knife and serve warm.

IMG_3190

The Holy Spirit

vog-221x300

I am so sorry readers for not updating more of my Christian-part of this blog. I have been immersed in a wonderful bible study called Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer. It has been an amazing growth in faith for me, and with that a lot of personal conviction and application. So personal that I have been hesitant to share exactly the ways God has moved me these past few weeks. However, I feel it absolutely necessary to encourage you all to pick up that devotional workbook and really learn about the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost as I was used to referring to it) was never really addressed as I grew up in the church. In fact, calling it a ghost was scary/intimidating. Never would I have thought the Holy Spirit is such a vital part of my existence! When Jesus died, God gave us the Holy Spirit to live inside of us as our direct connection with God. That’s worth repeating– we have a direct connection with God LIVING INSIDE OF US! How awesome!

You can start by thinking of the Holy Spirit is kind of like a conscience at times, but here are some qualities of the Holy Spirit/God’s voice that sets it apart from your conscience. The Holy Spirit is:

  • loving, gentle, and soothing: kind of like Him ooing and ahing over us as a parent does with a child
  • speaks always for good: He will not tell you anything that will bring you harm
  • supported by God’s Word in the Bible and circumstances God puts in your life to help you recognize He is truly speaking to you: think about a time you were dealing with a situation and you thought you your “conscience” was directing you one way, then your friend tells you the same thing, then the tv show you watch covers the same topic, then the devotion you do contains a bible verse that is really speaking to you about the situation– nothing is coincidental with God!

I cannot possible do the Holy Spirit justice in one blog post. He may speak to me to talk more in depth about Him later on, but until then I suggest you pick up that workbook (doesn’t matter if you are male/female or what stage you are in your spiritual growth) and dive in to learn more about this AMAZING thing that is inside you.

Scripture: John 3:6-8, Romans 8:2-6, 2 Corinthians 5:16-18, Habbakkuk 2-1
Observation: I never asked myself is it really my conscience talking or is it the voice of the Holy Spirit. I never really knew the characteristics of the Holy Spirit. 
Application: I will be quiet and still waiting to hear the Holy Spirit inside me. I will not question and I will obey instantly (or try my hardest). I will be constantly grateful for this amazing gift of God.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you so much for sending your Son and the Holy Spirit to us. Help me to better listen, discern, and obey the Holy Spirit’s voice on a daily basis. I hope I never take for grant again what it means that the Holy Spirit is living inside of me. Amen.

Asparagus, Spinach, Feta Orzo Salad with Lemon Dressing

This is such a nutritious side to any meal. Not to mention, it will make a fabulous entree for lunch or dinner on it’s own. Served hot or cold, this salad can do no wrong! This recipe makes for a huge salad, definitely will serve 4 people as a side dish or a couple of people as big entrees. I made this for just me and had it for dinner one night and lunch for a few days after.

Ingredients
1 cup orzo
3/4 lb. of asparagus, stalks cut into two or three pieces
1 cup fresh spinach
4 oz. feta
2 lemons
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
Salt
Pepper

Directions
Cook orzo according to package. Drain. Set aside.

IMG_3064

Sauté asparagus in a little oil or butter. Make sure the asparagus is prepped properly and cut up into bite sized pieces. Once those are cooked to your liking (I prefer mine more crunchy, right after they turn a bright green), add in the spinach. The spinach will cook and wilt down quickly- so make sure you stand by!

IMG_3065

IMG_3067

In a large bowl, juice two lemons and whisk in olive oil and Dijon mustard. Season dressing with salt and pepper to your liking.

IMG_3063

Add spinach, asparagus, feta, and orzo to the bowl with the lemon dressing. Mix throughly.

IMG_3069

Serve immediately warm with salmon, or serve cold for lunch!     IMG_3073