Sausage & Garlic Kabobs

I realize this is kind of a summer recipe, but let me remind you my friends, it's still over 100 degrees here in Phoenix.  For those of you who live somewhere getting fall weather, I'm jealous, but consider this post a tribute to those of us still sweating.  A dear friend of mine made these while we were on our friends summer vacation and they were delicious.  While I was visiting another friend, who I lovingly refer to as Dirty, we decided to make them.  She's not a huge cook, but these are simple enough that she stuck through it!  I even was able to snap a picture of her, much to her objection.  Read on to see it :)

Soak 10 skewers in water while you prepare the veggies.

Cut up one red pepper, green pepper and yellow pepper into large bite pieces.  Cut around 12 mushrooms in half.

Dirty cutting things up like a pro! 

We also cut up some onion, garlic cloves and big chunks of Italian bread  Place all ingredients in a bowl.  Toss with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. 

Cut up Italian sausage into one inch pieces, or whatever kind of sausage you like.  You can use different kinds too! 

Alternatively thread the veggies, bread and sausage onto the skewers.  You can grill them or bake them in the oven, until the vegetables are starting to tender.

These are so awesome, and the bread and garlic really make these different and even more delicious.  Thank you to Chef Dirty for helping out and providing the kitchen! Until our next adventure ;)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Sausage & Garlic Kabobs

Serves 4+

10 wooden skewers

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 green pepper

1/2 onion

12 mushrooms

10 garlic cloves

1 loaf of Italian bread

2 links of Italian sausage

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Soak skewers into water while preparing vegetables.

Cut up all vegetables into 1 inch pieces.

Place all vegetables and bread in a bowl.

Toss in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Cut up sausage into 1 inch pieces.

Alternatively thread meats, vegetables and bread onto the skewers.

Grill or cook at 350 degrees F, until vegetables are tender.

Enjoy!

Green House Cafe - Traverse City, MI

I've posted a few of my favorite places to chow down in Traverse City already, and have a few more to go! I spent around a month there this summer, with friends and family visiting, so I have more restaurant reviews than I know what do with.  The day we went to Green House Cafe I had my cousin, best friend, a friend from Milwaukee, her daughter and my Mom in tow.  We had a big group and needed a good, kid friendly spot for lunch.  Green House Cafe did all of that in a great way!  They have a pretty extensive menu, and daily specials.  I opted for the special sandwich with one of their soups of the day.  The soup was cheddar potato.  It was creamy and delicious!  I will admit though it was very hard to pick the soup, all of their daily soups sounded amazing. 

The special sandwich was a chicken cherry salad on a croissant.  How fitting for a post this week since I've already shared recipes for chicken salad and a cherry dessert.  They coincided nicely! 

It was delicious and served with a big pickle.  Yum! 

Even the baby liked it!  She was digging in.  

Green House Cafe is a great place downtown Traverse City if you're looking for a fresh lunch with loads of flavor.  Check them out and let me know what you think!

Wordless Wednesday

Chicken & Apple-Cucumber Slaw Sandwiches

I really love chicken salad.  I've made a few different versions and must say no matter what's in it or how it's made, I like it.  During my first job out of college I would make a pretty simple version for lunch everyday.  Now that I have a little more knowledge (and time) I can take it to the next level.  The outcome is sure to please.

Cut one Granny Smith apple into matchsticks.

Cut two English cucumbers into matchsticks.

Thinly slice two scallions.

Stir together apple, cucumbers, scallions and mayonnaise.  Set aside.

Shred chicken from a rotisserie chicken, discarding the skin and bones. 

In a large skillet, heat chicken, mustard, vinegar, honey and 1/4 cup of water over medium-high.  Toss to combine until warmed through, around 3-5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Divide chicken mixture among buns and top with apple-cucumber slaw.

These are not the sexist thing to eat.  I guarantee you'll end up using around five napkins, and have some food down your shirt.  This sandwich is worth it though.  Be prepared to get messy and enjoy.

Chicken & Apple -Cucumber Slaw Sandwiches

Adapted from Everyday Food

Serves 4

1 rotisserie chicken, around 2 pounds

1 Granny Smith apple, cut into matchsticks

2 English cucumbers, cut into matchsticks

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/4 cup honey

coarse salt and ground pepper

4 hamburger buns

Cut one Granny Smith apple into matchsticks.

Cut two English cucumbers into matchsticks.

Thinly slice two scallions.

Stir together apple, cucumbers, scallions and mayonnaise.  

Set aside.

Shred chicken from a rotisserie chicken, discarding the skin and bones.

In a large skillet, heat chicken, mustard, vinegar, honey and 1/4 cup of water over medium-high.  

Toss to combine until warmed through, around 3-5 minutes.  

Season with salt and pepper.  

Divide chicken mixture among buns and top with apple-cucumber slaw.

Cherry & Dark Chocolate Brownies

If you're a fan of cherries and sweets, this is the treat for you.  These brownies are very rich but have a very unique taste when you add the cherries and nuts.  Make sure you have a few people around that will share with you so you don't eat them all up and go into a brownie coma.  You've been warned ;)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Butter a 9x13 inch pan and set aside.  In a medium sauce pan melt the butter over low heat.

Add 1/4 cup of cream and dark chocolate, stirring constantly until chocolate melts.  Set off heat and cool until luke warm, around 10 minutes.

Pour the cooled mixture into a bowl.  Whisk in sugar and extract until well blended.  

Add eggs in one at a time, whisking after each until well blended.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together.  Add flour mixture to the chocolate butter mixture.  

Fold cherries into the batter slowly.  

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.  Sprinkle nuts on top.  Bake for around 30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

After the brownies cool, heat one tablespoon of remaining cream in a small sauce pan and heat until hot.  Add the chocolate chips into the cream, and stir until the chips melt.  Drizzle the ganache over the cooled brownies.  

Let cool until you cut into squares and serve.  You'll need a big glass of milk to go along with these, but they are so tasty.

Enjoy and happy Monday!

Cherry & Dark Chocolate Brownies
Adapted from I Adore Food

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream
8 oz. dark chocolate baking bar, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cup flour
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup fresh dark sweet cherries, pitted and chopped
3/4 cup peanuts
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 
Butter a 9x13 inch pan and set aside.  
In a medium sauce pan melt the butter over low heat.
Add 1/4 cup of cream and dark chocolate, stirring constantly until chocolate melts.  
Set off heat and cool until luke warm, around 10 minutes.
Add eggs in one at a time, whisking after each until well blended.
In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together.  
Add flour mixture to the chocolate butter mixture.  
Fold cherries into the batter slowly.  
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.  
Sprinkle nuts on top.  
Bake for around 30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  
Cool completely on a wire rack.
Let cool until you cut into squares and serve. 

Getting Back In The Swing

Just wanted to pop in and tell you I'm still here!  It's been a busy week for me, after being gone for a little over a month I'm finally back in Arizona.  Welcoming me home was C, Mia and a cold.  Safe to say getting back in the swing is taking a little longer than normal.

Also welcoming me home: a to do list, and a VERY empty fridge. What else can I say other than... men.   P.S. The bowl in the back was spaghetti squash that I made before I left.  Yum.

Many new and fun posts to come next week, stay tuned and have a great weekend :)

The Cove Restaurant - Leland, Michigan

As you may or may not have known, I've spent the past month or so in Michigan. Spending my time all around the state visiting family and friends, going to weddings, catching up and enjoying being outside in August and September!  Today, I head back to Phoenix, and it's a little bittersweet.  I've really missed C and Mia, but nothing beats Michigan.  Especially Michigan in the summer!  In honor of spending the last weeks at the Cove (nickname for our cottage), today my post is about the restaurant The Cove in Leland Michigan.  A friend of mine sent me this article about Mario Batali spending his summers in Traverse City and that the Cove was one of his favorite places to eat.  We had to try it out!  Even the wine glasses were Cove themed.

Their speciality is their fresh fish, caught in Lake Michigan, which you can see from the restaurant if you sit outside.  Their menu has a lot of other great things to offer as well though.

The fish dinners include Caesar salad, yum!

Garlic rolls also included, you can taste the freshness of the bread.  Got me more and more excited for the meal!

My Mom ordered the almond whitefish.  I had to try and taste and it delicious!

My friend Ashley and I both ordered the garlic Parmesan white fish.  It came served with mashed potatoes and the fresh seasonal vegetable, which was corn on the cob.  It was so good!  You could tell the whole meal was very fresh, and made with love.  It was a large piece of fish, but I ate every bite.  

Mom, Ashley and I after our dinner

Here's the Mario Batali article framed inside the restaurant.

Thanks to The Cove for a great fresh meal, and for the Cove (cottage) and my parents for a great time in Michigan!  Until next summer...

Homemade Cliff Bars

This is one of my favorite posts/recipes to date.  I see nutritional or energy bars at the store and have to buy them to try the taste of each one.  It gets expensive, let me tell ya!  I decided to try and venture out on my own to see if I could make them homemade - cheaper and most likely better for your then store bought.  I thought they were very good, and perfect to wrap up and eat whenever you're on the go and hungry.

You'll need 1 1/4 cups of rice cereal.  I used Rice Krispies, gluten free, and they worked perfectly.

In a large bowl combine rice cereal, oats, flax seed, dried fruit and nuts.

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, bring syrup and brown sugar to a boil.  Stirring constantly, then remove from heat.  

Stir in nut butter and vanilla until well blended.

Pour nut butter over the cereal mixture, stirring until the mixture is well coated.  This step is really important, if all the cereal mixture isn't coated the bars won't stick together when cooled.

Press mixture firmly into a 8-inch square pan, sprayed with non-stick spray.  Cool in pan or on a wire rack.  Cut into bars and wrap tightly in plastic to store.

These were tasty and very filling!  I wrapped them and kept the remaining in the fridge and would grab one when I was on the go and they worked perfectly.  You can also change the ingredients, add chocolate chips or other dried fruits that you might like.  Enjoy and have a nice weekend!

Homemade Cliff Bars

Serving Size 12

1 1/4 cup crisp rice cereal

1 cup uncooked oats

3 tablespoons flax seed

1/4 cup finely chopped dried fruit (I used raisins and cranberries)

1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts and peanuts)

1/4 cup honey (or brown rice syrup or maple syrup)

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl combine rice cereal, oats, flax seed, dried fruit and nuts.

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, bring syrup and brown sugar to a boil.  

Stirring constantly, then remove from heat.  

Stir in nut butter and vanilla until well blended.

Pour nut butter over the cereal mixture, stirring until the mixture is well coated.

Press mixture firmly into a 8-inch square pan, sprayed with non-stick spray.  

Cool in pan or on a wire rack.  

Cut into bars and wrap tightly in plastic to store.

Humble Abode

I wanted to share with you some photos of our new place in Phoenix.  Let me preface this by telling you that C had about a month by himself in the new humble abode, and he had some interesting decorating ideas.  We compromised for the better good.  By compromised I mean he went work, and I made some changes :) Here's the dining room BR (Before Rachel.)

After Rachel.  I had to buy a cactus.. when in Rome!

Kitchen BR.

Kitchen now.  I didn't make too many changes on the outside, it's inside the cubbards that were changed around a bit :)  

Guest room BR.  All of my stuff that C didn't know where to put went here until I got into town to unpack it all!

I put my desk in the guest room, where I'll be blogging to you from!

This is where you'll stay if you're ever a visitor here.  Turned out really nice, and I was glad I had a place to put my Europe map that has pins on every city I visited.  Hopefully this room will see a lot of friends and family!

More pictures to come....