Can't stand the heat

Summer heat makes me not want to spend a single second in the kitchen, no matter how hungry I get. Yesterday was our first really humid day and it was awful. I had wine and popcorn for dinner, no lie. 

Today it's cooler and I'll probably make something with the chicken I got on Monday & repeat the tomato & green bean salad from last week since it was so so so good.

I'm also on the hunt for a fun snack to bring to friend's housewarming this weekend. Hmmmm. Smittten Kitchen has a great post about this for summer events, tons of salads & slaws & treats all in one place. I'll be sure to post pics when I think of something....

Stay classy & cool Whiskers!

New Things!

are these bees not adorable??

Salt & pepper shakers from Target from a run up there earlier last week and today I ordered a Grill Pan from Macy's with their Memorial Day sale price. Cannot wait for this to come in the mail! I have moved my old clear salt & pepper shakers to over on the stove for easy access when cooking. The bees look much prettier on the table. 

Spice up your chicken

Tho I did not Grill this delicious recipe, it came out so so so good.  Simply Recipes is one of my favorite food blogs and probably one of the first ones I found as well. I like this recipe bc you can make the marinade ahead of time, put the meat in and leave it sitting in the fridge during the day. Dinner gets ready while you're at work - genius! 

I wasn't so sure how we'd like the spicy flavors of the cilantro, cumin & paprika so I didn't use as much but it still had a little kick. And I used vanilla yogurt, not the regular plain. 

I wasn't sure what to make as a side. I ALWAYS do brown rice. I didn't want to make a potatoe...so I mixed balsamic vinegar & olive oil, added some dried herbs, S&P and tossed with green beans and cherry tomatoes. I quick cooked the green beans and tossed them in last. 

Start here for the pics on Flickr...

Sunday Shopping

I love our local grocery store. The large welcoming produce section as you walk in the door, good selection of ethnic items, the store brand of natural and organic products - it's all great. Here's what we picked up today.

Chicken breasts & tenderloins 

Cherry tomatoes & green string beans - for a great looking salad I want to make this week

Apples, bananas, mangoes & avocado

Vanilla Yogurt

Activia cheese - single serve mozzarella yummmmm

Special K cereal

Spices for a recipe I want to try - paprika & cumin

Cilantro & a mixed container of 'poultry herbs"

4 pack of cranberry juice 

V8 low sodium

We got a bunch of coupons this time around which is cool. Funny tho since they are all for health & beauty products, which we didn't get today and rarely buy at the grocery store anyway. 

I'm off to make a marinade - pics of the final product tomorrow!! 

Balsamic Chicken & Rice

balsamic chicken & brown rice

"I don't know if it's any good"

recipe inspired by rachel ray's

but not as fancy I guess.

I did the always good 'sandwich bag' marinade. Olive oil & Balsamic Vinegar in a storage bag. Add in chicken and let sit. Bunch of rosemary chopped up & added to the mix. Yum I love love love rosemary.

All of it's dumped into my trusty two-handled pan and slow cooked over low heat. I chopped up one garlic clove into about 5 pieces and added that too.

Brown rice takes forever to get fluffy & yummy. But it's so worth it. As evident from the clean plate club!!! 

For the mommies

For the women who taught me how to cook....Happy (day after) Mother's Day. The gardenia is a very special flower for us ladies in the Whisk family.

Before I go on to list some great things various women have taught or showed me how to do that relate to food, I would like to share one great food memory involving my very own Mommy. It involves us eating an entire box of Mallomars while grocery shopping. How very awesome indeed. And yes we paid for the box!

Things I've learned about food from some very great Women

use the good China

use a fancy glass for any beverage

silverware engraved with your initial

grapefruit spoons & corn on the cob holders

artichokes & pomegranates

bon-bons

birthday cake

kielbasa, perogies and gwumkies

hot dogs, peppers & rice

eggplant parm

the joy of a freshly picked tomato with salt

"the weekend of bread"

cosmopolitan, dirty martini & corona light

coffee

fun cake pans

monster cookies

chinese delivery 

Nathan's hot dogs 

cold cut platters on new year's day& the lamby cake at easter

the picnic table & umbrella that tilts

subway at the beach

whatever you want on your birthday

twist the pastry bag closed before you start piping

cookie parties with my middle school BFFs

progressive dinners, fellowship dinner, and all other 'church food'

aprons

breakfast can be dinner

sunday lunch = anyone's welcome over

always have baked goods on hand

set up a screenhouse outside in the summer

you can make s'mores inside!!!

the missy cup & tommy tippie

tupperware & corelle

placemats & cloth napkins

bendy straws

Mc Donald's on Friday nights

sauce from a jar is ok

have a pretty teapot for serving guests

buffet= everyone's happy

start the meal with a glass of water as your beverage

pancakes & french toast weekends

carvel ice cream 

folding a cloth napkin into a dolly - wish I remembered how to do this

clams, oysters and all kinds of yummy shellfish

afternoon tea with huge sugar cookies

if you can - get it fresh from the farmstand in the summertime

taco night, pasta night and everything else

I thank you & love you....

Yummy Birthday Cake!

Boys ask silly questions - like "do you want to go to dinner tonight?" when it's your birthday. 

Best birthday cake in a loooooong time!

I think I have graduated to a point in my eating where I can eat a 12oz steak too. Just had the 8oz last night and could have had more. But it was nice to not feel soooo stuffed after bread, salad, steak & the baked potato (and some red wine of course). Why worry about carbs on your birthday??? I was home & sound asleep by 9:30 which was a great way to end all that eating! 

Back to the cake - 6 layers of vanilla goodness and delish lemon icing & filling. 6layers!!! I hardly ate any at the restaurant and am planning on eating most of it tonight! 

Looks are so deceiving!

This looks like a big old mess....but seriously...baked eggs with parm cheese & sauce, good crusty bread on the side. So so so good. Paired with a bellini and a beautiful spring day - delish. 

Little Frankie's Pizza - East Village NYC