Month: March 2015

Food

Breakfast Burritos

Amanda

For how much I say I don’t like Mexican food… I seem to post a lot of Mexican recipes? Maybe I’ve just been lying to myself, and I actually love Mexican food…

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Anyway, digressions aside… this is the ultimate morning-after-being-overserved breakfast. We made it originally when Tim was in town, constructing a mini-burrito bar in the apartment for everyone to serve themselves from. We combined all of our favorite breakfast foods/burrito fillings and made them into a delicious breakfast burrito! Yum. Charlie and his brother took it one step further, and actually crushed tortilla chips as a first layer to the burrito. So creative!

Smiley eggs!
So happy to have Breakfast Burritos.

Breakfast Burritos

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print
Ingredients:

  • 4 large flour tortillas
  • 8 eggs
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 1 roma tomato
  • 1/2 cup black beans
  • 2 russet potatoes
  • 1 lb protein (we chose bacon – of course)
  • 1 cup Mexican cheese
  • 1 cup guacamole
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • dried rosemary (or preferred potato seasoning)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place bacon in a single layer on paper.
  3. Add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil into a cast iron skillet. Cut potatoes into 1-1 1/2 inch cubes. Add potatoes to skillet and season with salt, pepper, and rosemary.
  4. Place both taters and bacon into heated oven. Set time for 15 minutes.
  5. After 15 minutes, check and stir taters and check bacon. Continue to check in five minute intervals.
  6. The taters should take about 30 minutes until they’re soft and just starting to crisp. After they soft in the oven, place on stovetop and crisp on medium-high.
  7. The bacon will take about 20 minutes to crisp. After bacon is done, chop into 1 inch pieces.
  8. While bacon and taters are cooking, chop tomato and pepper and place in a bowl.
  9. In a separate skillet – cook eggs as desired. (We chose scrambled!)
  10. After all burrito innards are finished cooking – line a large flour tortilla with cheese (and crumbled chips if desired). Microwave for 30 seconds.
  11. Fill warmed and cheesy burrito as desired. Roll up, and top with guacamole!

*Chef Note: I did make a little “sauce” out of the beans/tomatoes/peppers… but I preferred the fresh ingredients better. If you would like to make the sauce, just mix a portion of the fresh veggies and beans and sauté them for 10-15 minutes until soft.

Food

Prosciutto Wrapped Dandelion Greens

Amanda

We recently received Dandelion Greens in our CSA, and I found myself in the all-too-familiar “What on earth is this?” Luckily, per the previous link, our CSA Company, JR Organics, does a great job of describing what the contents in our box are, and also how to store everything! I figured the taste would be pretty close to Arugula, but it was actually more bitter and less pepper-y. Either way, it was pretty delicious.

I wanted to use it for an appetizer over the weekend, not because we were having people over. But because I like snacking. Charlie wanted to make his Reuben Dip, so I decided to add Dandelion Greens and Parmesan Pups to make it a wholesome rounded meal. (Please note, I am not a nutritionist, but I do know this is not a wholesome rounded meal.)

I used a Martha Stewart salad and picture as inspiration and ended up making the wraps a lot denser than I think I would if we were bringing this over to someone’s house, or using it as just an appetizer. I am going to have the recipe reflect a thinner filling and more prosciutto. Because the world could ALWAYS us more prosciutto. For real.

I also got to work with dates for the first time. You want to cut them hot-dog length, not hamburger-length, to de-pit them.

Also, Tucker once again was VERY interested in the meals we prepared. I feel like #TuckerWantsSome could be the next #TheoandBeau…

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Prosciutto Wrapped Dandelion Greens

  • Servings: 10 prosciutto rolls
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print
Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • Freshly Ground Pepper
  • 5 Cups Dandelion Greens, with the ends trimmed
  • 5 ounces Medjool Dates (about 14 small), halved and pitted
  • 3 ounces crumbled Blue Cheese
  • Lemon Juice (about 1 ½ lemons worth)
  • 8 ounces Prosciutto

Directions:

  1. Wash and trim dandelion greens until about 4-5 inches long.
  2. Halve and pit medjool dates (see tip above for pitting dates).
  3. Place washed dandelion greens in a bowl with blue cheese and dates.
  4. Add olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper to taste.
  5. Mix contents until elements are well coated.
  6. Lay out prosciutto on a cutting board or other hard surface.
  7. Stack dandelion greens, dates, and blue cheese on top of prosciutto.
  8. Tightly roll prosciutto, placing fold side down on a serving tray.
  9. Repeat steps until you’re all out of prosciutto or filling.

Life

Sea Cave Tour with Everyday California

Amanda

Everyday California was once again – the bomb diggity.

This time around we signed up for a Snorkel and Kayak tour. It was an absolutely gorgeous steaming-hot day of 95 degrees. I had convinced myself that my new super spiffy rash guard would be enough to snorkel in the Pacific Ocean. For background – the only other place I have snorkeled is Cayman. And I figured – I’m from Michigan! I can go swimming in cold water! Well, Charlie pulled the husband card, insisted we rent wetsuits and I am SO GLAD that we did. I don’t care if you like to go swimming in your skivvies in Antarctica. The Pacific Ocean is COLD. C.O.L.D. I took the opportunity all day to thank him for his wiseness and repeat those priceless marital words “You were right!” over-and-over again.

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Anyway – enough on wetsuits. We headed out into the ocean with a group of about fifteen other people… To be honest, I figured with it being a Sea Cave Tour – we would actually be going into the caves – but we didn’t! I’m not sure if that was because of tide, or if we’re never allowed. Instead we pulled up next to the caves, docked, and then jumped in the water to do some snorkeling.

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We saw lots of Garibadli (State Marine Fish of California/Giant Goldfish/Dr. Seuss character) as well as some sea lions sun-bathing on the rocks.

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Charlie and Tim saw a leopard shark, but I was back in the boat at that time. I was so bummed! Leopard sharks are totally harmless, their mouth is the size of a quarter, and they’re more likely to give you a hickey than a chomp.

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It was such a beautiful day and so much fun to be out on the water. I was a little bummed we didn’t have our ridiculous aquatic dolphin-bonding experience like the time before, but that may have just been beginners luck! Still love Everyday California – had awesome guides (again) and would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a water-based tour in La Jolla. (For more “tips” see this post.)

Side note – one of the fun things about getting “film” developed is realizing how magical digital cameras are. At the same time – it is so fun to be surprised by what pictures we “caught”! Even though the instant gratification of a digital camera is fun – it was exciting to have a little throwback to our disposable camera days! (No filter needed. The film is literally a filter…) Enjoy the rest of the photos!

Food

Butterfinger Cookies

Amanda

Apparently Butterfingers are an embarrassing habit. I am not talking about being caught with your hands in butter, because that would be kind of embarrassing. I’m talking about the delicious peanut buttery chocolately goodness that is formed into a candy bar and used to be hocked by Bart Simpson.

Tucker likes Butterfingers.
Tucker likes Butterfingers.

I wasn’t aware of it, but apparently Butterfingers aren’t “cool.” Hence Whitney not telling me until we’d known each other for some twenty odd years that BUTTERFINGERS were her favorite candy bar. That girl. Love her. Anyway, after we got that “getting to know your candy tastes” talk out of the way, I introduced her to these, Butterfinger cookies.

Whitney, enjoying her new favorite cookie dough.
Whitney, enjoying her new favorite cookie dough.

This recipe is a funny thing, because I have no idea where it came from. I know my mom found it somewhere, sometime between the day I was born and today. I do have an idea of how delicious it is. And how it could probably bring about world peace. I’m not even exaggerating.

Butterfinger Cookies

  • Servings: 3-4 dozen
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print
Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted softened butter
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 1/4 cups peanut butter
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Bag of Fun SIze Candy Bars (or 5 full size Butterfingers)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Unwrap Butterfingers (clearly) and load into a Ziploc bag.
  3. Smashy smashy those Butterfingers!
  4. In a mixing bowl, mix sugars, eggs (remember just whites), vanilla, peanut butter, butter, and baking soda.
  5. Whip for 30 seconds.
  6. Add flour, mix until just combined.
  7. Add crushed Butterfingers. Again, mix until just combined.
  8. Spoon onto a cookie sheet.
  9. Bake 10-12 minutes.
  10. Let cool on sheet for 1-2 minutes before removing to wire rack.

Life

Yesterday and Tomorrow

Amanda

This past week I tried Pop Sugar’s Burn SF workout. If you need to find me, I’ll be bathing in ice.

Does anyone else think it is a terrible idea to wear a Hawaiian shirt in Trader Joe’s? To the man I asked about orzo. I am sorry.

Honeymoon shopping has been fun. I am working on building a “staples” group inspired by The Everygirl’s Capsule Wardrobe piece. Purchased this week… Birkenstocks, comfy walking shoes, and shirts.

Also on my honeymoon shopping list… Peshtemas. These blanket/towel/scarf hybrids are apparently up for anything you throw at them. I’m thinking red and green?

Berger Cookies. I will find you. I will replicate you. And I will gain 300 pounds. Watch out world. (Note to self: buy seat belt extender.)

We are trying Plated this week – cannot wait to report back on our feelings, thoughts, and belly reactions. (Note the hyperlink is a referral link.)

How are we so close to April? I swear being in San Diego removes all awareness of seasons/months.

I’m still in shock businesses no longer do 1-hour photo developing for film. It made me feel old and sympathetic to my grandparents.

Ending Note: I am really freaking excited for the Avengers. I’m not even ashamed. Counting down the days. Counting down the minutes.

Food, Life, The Manimals, Travel

Little Brother Visits/Brewery Tour (SD Bucket List #7)

Amanda

Family is the best. This past weekend Charlie’s brother came out to visit us in SD. We had a jam packed schedule all weekend, and I am only slightly recovered. Tim got to meet his nephew, Tucker. He was already familiar with his other ornery nephew, Walter. And we got the opportunity to really show off our “home” in San Diego!

Tim arrived late Thursday night and had a Monday afternoon departure, which left us with all day Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and part of Monday to cram as much SoCal as we could. If our sleep deprivation is any proof, we succeeded.

Friday

I had to work… LAME. But I was kept up to date with Snapchats and texts as Charlie and Tim headed out to explore SD. After breakfast at the casa they headed to Fiesta Island/Dog Island so Tucker had a chance to show off his talents. Then they, of course, headed to In-N-Out for a classic animal-style lunch. (Digression – Does anyone else not really like In-N-Out? Not a huge fan. Apologies to the West Coast.) They then headed to the brew store to pick up some brewing equipment as well as the ingredients for a Honey Dunkelweizen (NOMS! Amanda Beer!) I arrived back at the apartment from work to a steaming hot apartment, beer debris everywhere, and two very happy productive men.

After they finished their liquid gold, we headed to Hodad’s for dinner. Hodad’s being what I believe is the best burger place in SD. After a brief line we headed in to the beautiful license plated dining area and ordered our food. I conquered a milkshake for six people, and we all felt terrible about ourselves afterward. (Terrible meaning – absolutely satisfied with no regrets.)

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Saturday

We had a JAM PACKED Saturday, which required a very early morning alarm and a rush out the door to get to a Farmer’s Market where no one was ready for us. (Whoops!) Must have been Daylight Savings Time hangover from last week – the merchants at the Little Italy Market were moving sloooowly. We ordered up some Papalecco coffee drinks and patiently waited for our favorite stands to kick it into gear. We had some delicious Crepes courtesy of La Creperie – the boys feasted on the California Surfer while I returned to the Green Gobbler. With time running out, I headed to pick up our CSA from JR Organics while the boys perused our other favorite stands – including Vonda Lee’s California Cheesecakes – YUM!

We raced home and changed into our sea-adventure clothing and headed out to kayak! We got to La Jolla just in time and wet-suited up to prepare ourselves for a deep sea adventure of snorkeling and kayaking. We brought waterproof cameras, and learned afterwards that no one does one-day film photo anymore? It has to be sent away – so pictures and a recap will come next week.

When our time with mermaids had come to an end, we showered, and changed to go to breweries! We started at Intergalactic. Oh. My. Nerdfest. I say that in the best endearing way possible. Classic Star Wars posters, hilarious beer names, amazing people – definitely a new favorite for this girl.

After Intergalactic we set out for Greenflash – a consistently awesome brewery that is extremely popular in San Diego. Apparently it had been a while since we had gone, because they did a COMPLETE overhaul of the place. It’s beautiful! There is even a fancy Greenflash food truck with meat and cheese plates. And parmesan garlic fries. We were so impressed with the new set-up, and can’t wait to spend some cash in the gift store. When we have cash.

We then set out to Rough Draft, another brewery we had been before, where we played a tantalizing game of Connect Four and drank more beer. (Are you sensing a pattern? A beer pattern?)

To finish off the day we stopped at St. Archer, or the Mockingjay Brewing Company. See the similarity? Credit to Tim. I loved the set-up of St. Archer – they had a great patio with lots of space and some nice lighting that came on as the sun set.

We decided Tucker had probably had enough stimulation for the day and headed home to drop him off before going to dinner. He basically crated himself and waited for us to leave, we must be such a bother to him. We decided the best way to finish a day of total debauchery was pizza – so we headed to Pizza Port. An OB staple that is a must on our visitor checklist. Good beer. Great pizza. Awesome people watching. At this point all of us were completely exhausted, and two of us had definitely been over-served. (Spoiler Alert – it wasn’t me. I was driving).

Sunday

After a VERY long lazy sleep we woke up and crafted some breakfast burritos. They took a long time, but the end result was worth it and delicious. I’ll more purposefully make the recipe again so I can post it on here.

I sent the boys to go to Torrey Pines and told them I would walk Tucker while they were gone, but instead I took a nap… It was 90+ degrees out, so when I did wake up and try to get Tucker to go outside, we made it about a block before he turned me around. In that he dragged me across the street towards home and wouldn’t walk any farther. Dogs are hysterical.

When the boys returned home we cooled off in the pool for a bit and then headed to the ultimate SD spot – Bluewater Grille. We had originally tried to go Friday but it was SO CRAZY. They were basically out of every kind of fish. Sunday was just as insane! They hadn’t run out of quite as much fish though. After about 45-minutes we made it to the cash register to put in our order. I can tell you indisputably, no matter how long you have to wait for Bluewater. It is worth the wait. I will do an entire Bluewater Ode eventually. But here is a preview of what deliciousness is waiting for you if you head our way…

Because we felt that our stomachs still may not be stretched to their absolute maximum capacity, we stopped at a new favorite Baked Bear. To give you an idea of how the gluttony had finally taken a toll on me – I didn’t finish my ice cream sandwich cookie. That’s a really big deal.

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We then all collapsed on the floor at home, praying to the digestion gods that they would move quickly so we could all feel back to normal.

Monday

I again had to work – STILL LAME. So Charlie and Tim headed to Dog Island and Lucha Libre! Ugh – taking away my bucket list items before I even get the chance to go! Not fair. They said it was delicious, and I am making Charlie take me back sometime soon. After that Tim went back to the cold east coast and Charlie and I slept for a day straight.

(Please note the sleeping comment is wishful thinking… we’re still trying to get off the struggle bus.)

xx

Amanda

Food

Taco Tuesday!

Amanda

Okay so this recipe is not for an actual taco. It’s better. Because it is less messy, and literally takes a blink and wink to make. Once again we rely on our trusty Penzey’s stockpile to produce a delicious meal with minimal effort. We really didn’t change much in this recipe except for shaking up the seasoning a bit!

There are all sorts of different textures in this Taco Soup, there are the crunchy chips, the melty cheese, the yummy veggies. Everything! Ugh, mouth watering now.

Taco Soup

  • Servings: 5
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print
Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground Turkey
  • 2 15 oz. cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 14.5 oz can Corn Kernels, drained and rinsed
  • 1 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes, NOT drained (I prefer unsalted as well)
  • 1 16 oz jar of Salsa (Pick your own heat level)
  • 1 ½-2 tsp Penzey’s Bold Taco Seasoning
  • Salt
  • Tortilla Chips
  • Shredded Cheese (We used the “Mexican” mixture)
  • Sour Cream

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, cook Turkey until well done
  2. Drain fat from pot
  3. Add Black Beans, Corn, Tomatoes (with juice), Salsa, and Taco Seasoning
  4. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently
  5. Add approximately 16 oz of Water (conveniently the size of your Salsa jar)
  6. Add Salt to taste
  7. Cook for 20-30 minutes over medium-low heat
  8. Serve with crumbled Chips, Cheese, and Sour Cream
Life

Best Coast Brew Fest

Amanda

To be honest, the only thing I can think of that is better than drinking a cold beer on a 75 degree day at Embarcadero Park South in San Diego, is doing it all for charity. Yes, that is right – this past Saturday we sacrificed our time and money to drink beer and support Cancer For College. The fun twist on the whole event is that Cancer for College is a charity started by one of Will Ferrell’s best friends from college. There were Anchorman references galore and the website is so Will Ferrell it is hysterical.

First of all, whatever extra shifts Buddy had to take to get Santa to give us the most BEAUTIFUL day so far this year, kudos. He must be improving on his Etch-a-Sketch skills. I wore shorts and a ratty old Green Beer Day shirt from college. It was so youthful. There were over seventy breweries including some of our favorites: FAT CAT, White Labs, Ale Smith, Anchor Steam, Ballast Point, Green Flash… to name a few. We also discovered a new favorite; Toolbox Brewing, with flavors including Purple Drink – Boysenberry Brett Farmhouse and Grass Fed Lettuce – Dry Hopped Blonde Sour Brett. These oddly named happy serums were both absolutely delicious. Shockingly so.

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Another bonus of the fest was the mass amount of food trucks hovered around the entrance, waiting for us famished pickles to come searching for sustenance. I gravitated toward plain macaroni and cheese, because I honestly can’t think of anything more delicious. Charlie got a pork belly sandwich and he scarfed it down before I could even get an aroma.

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After perusing the different stands and drinking a ton of water, we trekked to the Gaslamp Quarter and had some sobering appetizers at Werewolf. (I mean sobering in a good way, since I had to drive our crew home).

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The whole time we were at Embarcadero Park, I couldn’t get over the fact that we live here.. in San Diego, where on March 7th it is sunny and warm and there is beer everywhere. It is so easy to take the place we live for granted, especially being so far from friends and family. I need to make the effort to appreciate where we are each and every day – get outside, drink beer, and enjoy every bit of SoCal!

xx

Amanda

Food

Chocolate Chip Bars

Amanda

I often find myself craving cookies without the desire to make individual cookies. Mostly because I’m lazy and sometimes because I have had too much wine. Before you feel too badly for me, I found a solution – Chocolate Chip Bars.

These were a favorite of my Mom’s when we had to make cookies fast, but had other things to do other than clearing out a batch every 14 minutes. These can be made in a 9×13, a heart shaped cake pan, a skillet, or a microwaveable mug. The best part about these is you can make them as “done” as you want. My preference is to eat them with a spoon.

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Chocolate Chip Bars

  • Servings: 12-16 Bars
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print
Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup softened unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • (1 cup nuts)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Cream butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Add in flour and mix until just combined.
  4. Add chocolate chips (and nuts).
  5. Distribute into an ungreased 9×13 pan.
  6. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Life

Torrey Pines

Amanda

Along with the weather, San Diego has some of the most beautiful views in the world. Disclaimer being that I have only seen a small percentage of the world, but there really does seem to be a consensus that San Diego is ridiculously beautiful.

One of the benefits of this “beautifulness” is the opportunity to easily view it – such as Torrey Pines. You may know Torrey Pines from the famous (public) golf course, I (duh) haven’t golfed it, but I hear it is a great course! Torrey Pines is also an amazing State Park with free access (as long as you are not parking in the park). Pre-Tucker we hiked it probably every other weekend, but since it isn’t dog friendly we haven’t been going nearly as much.

A tip on parking – park on S21/N Torrey Pines Road. There is always street parking! It adds a little bit on to your hike, but aren’t you there to do something good for your body anyway?? Or show off where you live. Either way…

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Whenever anyone visits from out of town, we insist on bringing them here. It is an easy hike and the views outweigh any minor physical discomfort getting to the top of the mountain/hill. Last weekend my girlfriend Taylor came in from Chicago, she left -13 degree wind chill, which is a nice reminder that San Diego really is better than Chicago… at least in terms of weather! We did the “Broken Hill” trail. It is a little longer, but not necessarily harder. One time I was hiking with my Mom and someone had just seen a rattlesnake on the trail! (We have those in San Diego… point Chicago).

Anyway, I got to play a little bit with our fancy new camera. Clearly still have a lot to learn – but in the meantime… enjoy!!! (Click for larger views!)

xx

Amanda