Warm Scallop Salad with Bacon and Vinaigrette

Jan 25, 2012 by Julie

As the resident foodie here at DV it may not surprise you that I enjoy good food.

In fact, whenever my husband and I go on vacation we plan our entire trip around wherever it is we are wanting to eat. Anything from food trucks to five-star restaurants is fair game. We may be tourists, but we dine like locals, and enjoy it to the fullest!

When we can’t go on vacation, though, we bring what feels like a vacation into our home by re-creating some of our favorite meals. The recipe I’m sharing with you today is similar to one we enjoyed at a “dive” during our honeymoon in Palm Beach.

Warm Scallop Salad with Bacon and Vinaigrette

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• Fresh Scallops, 6-8 large
• 1-2 T Olive Oil
• 1-2 T Butter
• 3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 C feta cheese
• 3 green onions, sliced thin
• Fresh Spinach
• Grape Tomatoes (optional)
• Vinaigrette to taste (we used this Texas Pecan Vinaigrette from Costco-delicious!)

Notes: Be sure you’ve rinsed the scallops and patted dry prior to cooking. Keep it simple by seasoning them with only a little black pepper.

Directions:

1. In a sauté pan, combine the olive oil and butter over medium high heat.
2. When it starts to sizzle add the scallops. Sear for about a minute and a half per side. The scallops should be have a golden crust with a translucent center. You do not want to overcook the scallops!
3. When finished, remove the scallops from pan. Reduce heat slightly and add spinach.
4. Using tongs, give the spinach a couple turns of the pan to wilt, but not fully cook.
5. Remove from pan into serving bowl.
6. Layer the salad-spinach, scallops, bacon, feta, onions
7. Serve warm with vinaigrette on the side.

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Throw a Fabulous Tea Party on a Budget!

Oct 4, 2011 by Julie

I had so much fun Saturday hosting some lovely ladies in my home for a Bridesmaid’s Tea!

While I wouldn’t consider myself a baker, I was determined to make sugar cookies and scones all from scratch for this special occasion. Can I just tell you that I didn’t burn anything?! Small personal victory! Here’s how I put it together…

Since there were only seven of us, I wanted to keep everything simple.

After all, if we’re going to fit in those bridesmaids dresses, loading up on (too many) sugary treats isn’t the best thing to do

It was also important for me to keep this on a reasonable budget.

The Decor

Tea pots, cake stand, and serving pieces were all things I had on hand. It was just a matter of playing around with the layout to make it work. I picked up the plates, napkins and table cloth at Dollar Tree, along with the ribbon that added a little flair and tied in my “table-scape”.

For the food and drinks, I also tried to base the menu on what I had on hand in the pantry and pair that with a few fresh items. This is what I planned to serve:

The Menu

Pioneer Woman Maple Pecan Scones
(Gigantic) Pioneer Woman Angel Sugar Cookies
Fruit Kabobs (red grapes, bananas, strawberry & pineapple)
Parmesan Chex Mix

Served Buffet Style with Choice of Tea:
Passion Tea Lemonade, Regular Iced Tea or Hot Green/ Red Apple Tea

The scones were a big hit, they taste like “delicious pancakes” according to the girls. I think the kabob-style fruit was fun and also made for easy serving. Even after loading up our plates, there were plenty of scones and cookies for my guests to take home in clear cellophane goodie bags. Perfect party favors!

I was really pleased with how everything turned out I’m so glad I focused on trying to do a few things well rather than try to serve an abundance.

For baking, the only item I had to make a special purchase for was the package of powdered sugar- approx. $2. I checked the sale papers for the best prices on fruit, the strawberries were $2, pineapple was $1, grapes $.77/ lb., bananas $.39/lb. So the total money out of pocket for fruit was about five dollars. Other than the baked goods and fruit the only other purchase I made was some lemonade (on sale with a coupon for $2).

Making the most of what I already had on-hand, I was able to host a super-fun afternoon tea for less than $25.

As we approach the holiday season, let me encourage you that you can do this too! It may look different, maybe this isn’t your cup of tea (pardon the pun) but perhaps you’d like to host family or friends in your home in a unique way. Hospitality is not about putting on a show, it’s about extending your home- regardless of size to others. So, get creative, try something new this season. Have joy in making the most of what you have!

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Zucchini Parmesan

Aug 16, 2011 by Julie

While menu planning last week, a friend of mine posted a photo online of an Italian dish she made for dinner- Layered Zucchini Parmesan. It looked incredible! When I asked her about it she graciously sent me the link.

As with most Italian dishes, the recipe called for marinara sauce. My husband James has acid reflux, so things like citrus, spicy foods, and marinara are things he tries to avoid in his diet. Rather than forgo Italian all-together we substitute diced tomatoes in most of our homemade pastas, pizzas, etc…

We find that this is not only more affordable than store-bought marinara, but it feels so much better for James and is healthier for both of us! This Italian dish was a total hit this week at our place. Layered with deliciousness, it is so good you won’t even miss the meat!

Zucchini Parmesan

Prep to table: 45 minutes; Difficulty: Easy; Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Zucchini, sliced into coins
• 2 T EVOO
• 1/3 C Parmesan, grated
• 1/3 C Italian breadcrumbs
• 1 can Italian diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1/2 C mozzarella, grated
• 1/2 C fresh spinach (optional)

Cooking Instructions: 

0. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.

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Chicken Enchilada Pizza

Aug 2, 2011 by Julie

Two of my favorites, pizza and Tex-Mex, come together in this delicious recipe!

Combining some grilled chicken with a few items from my pantry, this dinner for two, prep to table, took less than 30 minutes!

Homemade Pizza in half an hour- really?!

When I found this pizza dough recipe on Money Saving Mom, I had to try it myself… here’s a step-by-step look at the process:

1. Add the yeast into warm water. After the yeast has dissolved, add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. I used a silicone spatula to keep the dough from sticking to the bowl and it worked great.

2. When combined, add some flour to the bowl or dump the dough onto a floured surface for kneading. Knead for about 5 minutes into a soft dough.

3. Use a rolling pin or your hands like I am doing to spread the dough out evenly on a greased pizza pan or cookie sheet. You can make it thick, thin or traditional crust- whichever you prefer. I chose a traditional style for this recipe, it was fantastic!

4. Season the dough with spices. I used some oregano this time, but garlic powder and Italian seasoning are also great choices. Just sprinkle the spices across the dough to taste.

Now on to the fun part- toppings!

5. Since it’s a Mexican pizza, I substitute the usual tomato sauce for red enchilada sauce. I used about half a can (4-5 ounces). Let me tell you that the enchilada sauce on the homemade dough sold it for me! But let’s not stop here…

6. Add a couple handfuls of shredded cheese; I used the 4 cheese Mexican blend. Add a sliced grilled chicken breast on top of the cheese.

7. Drain a can of diced green chillies. Using a teaspoon, drop a spoonful of the chillies on each slice of chicken. Chicken + green chillies = amazing flavor!

8. Sprinkle more shredded cheese on top if you’d like and place in the oven at 450 for 12-14 minutes or until the cheese is melty and the crust is golden!

9. Remove from the oven, slice and enjoy! It’s a fiesta in your mouth!

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Knead to Know

Jul 1, 2011 by Julie

 

I must admit, prior to receiving my bread machine, the very thought of even attempting to make bread at home was a little intimidating. Then, once I had it, I didn’t know exactly where to begin.  What ingredients would I need? Speaking of kneading-what exactly does that mean?! If it was something I had to do by hand, this process could take hours! Who has the time?

The Book

That’s when I happened upon this: Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day

I had heard about this book on a couple of blogs, but could it really be true- 5 minutes?

I was intrigued.  Flipping through the pages, I was surprised to learn that the method presented could be done entirely by hand-a bread machine wasn’t even mentioned. Continuing on I began to understand just what that “Five Minutes” meant. It was the active time one spends hands on in this process. Certainly this was something I could do!

Returning home, I shared this triumph with my husband. Book-in-hand I was going to master the art of at-home bread making and revolutionize carb-eating as we knew it.

Looking over the recipes, most called for the same basic ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Flour
• All-purpose flour
• Yeast
• Lukewarm water
• Neutral-flavored oil
• Various additions needed to make each recipe unique.

But in between the basic ingredients and the additional, I noticed that one ingredient in particular was something I hadn’t heard of nor seen before “vital wheat gluten.”

What is that?!

I then realized every recipe in the book called for this. Vital wheat gluten wasn’t an optional addition, it was a staple item for the Five Minute method and I had to find it.

The Search

I set out for the health food store, down the specialty flour aisle and found this bag:

Okay, so vital wheat gluten is a type of flour. But this tiny bag was $6.29 and that’s not exactly cheap. Reading the description I found it was made from ground wheat berries. That’s when I light bulb went off in my head! Red wheat berries were just a few aisles away, in the bulk bins for only .99/pound- I could grind my own vital wheat gluten using a coffee grinder!

Now, I had everything I needed to make bread in Five Minutes a Day.

The Storage

The next step was figuring out the best way to store all of the dry ingredients.

Wheat Berries/Vital Wheat Gluten:

I transfer the berries from the plastic bag to a mason jar when I get home from Sprouts.

I hold off on grinding them into the wheat gluten until I need it in a recipe to keep it as fresh as possible. If I grind more than I need I store the extra in a sealed container.

Flours:

I also buy these from the bulk bins at Sprouts for $.89/lb.

All-purpose is stored in my regular canister.

whole-wheat is kept in a quart size mason jar

Yeast:

I buy this in bulk from Costco, about $5.00/lb.- much better than buying the packets.

Once opened I store the yeast in an airtight container:

Miscellaneous:

All other ingredients I use occasionally like brown sugar, rolled oats, etc I’ve found it is best to keep each in small sealed plastic container and place them in an easy to access location in the kitchen. For me this means stacking small snap wear containers in my bread basket, keeping everything together by placing it atop our bread box. This kind of   organization keeps it simple, quick and stress free when I go to make bread each week.

I share this with you because, perhaps this book/process is a more budget-friendly or storage/space friendly purchase for you than a bread machine would be. Whether you opt for a bread machine or go the Five-Minute route, let either of these methods be an encouragement to you to give bread-making a try!

What questions or suggestions do you have about bread-making?

Join in on the conversation by posting a comment!

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Make Bread, Save Some Dough!

Jun 16, 2011 by Julie

It all began when my parents gave us their bread machine a few months ago…

Me being the most experimental of their children when it comes to cooking, they knew I would make good use of it. I was delighted to be the recipient of such a fabulous small appliance and couldn’t wait to take on the new adventure of bread making! There’s just nothing quite like the taste of fresh baked bread!

I started out by making this Homemade Bread for Beginners recipe I found on MoneySavingMom.com.  It was so easy to make! The most challenging part for me was just learning how my machine operated, as the order of ingredients, or cycles, can vary between machines.   Like Crystal mentions in her post, I too prefer to use the dough cycle on the machine and then bake the loaf in the oven  (rather than inside the machine) as the end outcome is more favorable.   Figuring this out by my second or third attempt, I had perfected it!

Me being the carb-lover I am, and my husband being the sandwich fanatic he is, I tend to make at least a loaf a week for my husband and I to have as sandwich bread for lunches.  Although we’ve tried other wheat bread recipes, this one still remains our favorite.

One of the most tangible benefits of this process is the monetary savings that comes with making our bread at home each week. Beforehand, we were spending an average of $2.50 a loaf each week for wheat bread. By purchasing the ingredients in bulk, the cost for making a loaf at home is well under a dollar. That’s a savings of anywhere between $78 and $104 a year. Keep in mind that this calculated savings is for sandwich bread alone.  Having a bread machine on hand, the possibilities of what you can create for less are endless, but that’s an entirely different post

If you are looking into purchasing a bread machine for yourself, I’ve found the average retail price for a new one to be around $60.00 for a basic model. Of course there is always the potential of finding a better deal online, however, I would recommend first trying to find one “like new” at a yard sale, on Craigslist, or eBay as it would be an opportunity to save even more!

What household find has been the most beneficial to your budget?

Join in on the conversation by posting a comment!

Don’t forget to enter the Seasons of Life Giveaway. Prize options include books from Elisabeth Elliot, Paul David Tripp, and Elyse Fitzpatrick! Click here to visit the giveaway page…

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Simple Symbolic Sufficient

Apr 18, 2011 by Julie

I love Easter. I might go so far as to say it is my favorite holiday.

This will be our first Easter as a married couple and as it is approaching I am so excited to begin establishing a few family traditions! Being that I’m someone who enjoys cooking (and eating), loves spending time with family, and wants to be available for serving our church as much as possible, it can be easy for a girl like me to lose sight of what Easter is really about.  Knowing this of myself, I am in the process of approaching this holiday differently than I ever have before.

I started early…

I have been spending my quiet times over the past few weeks in the book of John. I chose this book because it is centered on the message and ministry of Jesus leading up to his death on the cross and all the way through His Resurrection.  To me, there just seemed to be no better way than this to completely set my focus on Christ.

I read a couple of chapters each day, only a couple of days a week, so that I could really take it all in.

Typically I would have spent several days gushing over different recipes, trying to plan the perfect Easter feast. It probably would have been pretty elaborate-involving several grocery trips, hours of prep, and potentially multiple courses.

Instead, by focusing on my quiet time in the Word, I’ve found that our Easter meal can be simple as well as symbolic.

Lamb of God

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

Living Water

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”(John 4:13-14)

Bread of Life

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)

Our Easter menu this year includes: LAMB, fresh baked BREAD, and WATER.

This meal may not be particularly elaborate. I may choose to add a side dish or dessert, but regardless of whether I do or not, just having these items as symbols are sufficient, because Christ as all of them was and is sufficient.

I’m so thankful for that truth!

I hope that sharing this with you will help you prepare for a special Easter.

A post from me wouldn’t be complete without some recipes! Even though I haven’t yet chosen specifics for our meal, I’ve included some links to potentially tasty recipes below! Just remember: Never allow the meal overtake the Message.

Lamb Recipes:

Paula Deen’s Roasted Rack of Lamb- You can never go wrong with the Lady! Paula Deen’s recipe is probably the most traditional of the three lamb recipes I’ve linked up. She also includes a Cucumber, Tomato and Mint salad recipe that would serve as a tasty garnish or side dish too!

Crispy Rack of Lamb with Honey and Mascarpone- This is a Giada di Laurentiis recipe I came across on FoodNetwork.com…it sounds delicious-how can you go wrong with honey and mascarpone?!  Be sure to expect sweet and savory!

Lamb Loin Chops with Mint Pesto One for the more adventurous foodies-Guy Fieri’s recipe! The mint pesto sparked my interest in this one. Mint and rosemary seem to be great spice parings for lamb. The chops might be a good alternative to a rack if you’re cooking for two or if you’re trying lamb for the first time.

Bread Recipes:

Buttered Rosemary Rolls- Pioneer Woman features a simple yet wonderful way to change up those go-to freezer rolls! As mentioned above, rosemary and lamb pair well together, so these rolls along with any lamb dish would be so delicious!

Pioneer Woman Hot Cross Buns- Absolutely beautiful and are an Easter/Good Friday tradition for many. Did I mention I love the Pioneer Woman…

I would love to know what YOU are serving up this Easter!

Be sure to leave any of your Easter recipes or traditions in the comments section.

Have a blessed Easter week!

To peruse more Easter posts, click here!

To read more Foodie Files from Julie, click here!

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Life Lessons From a Head of Cabbage

Mar 9, 2011 by Julie

At the beginning of most dating relationships, there are a series of conversations that take place in which each person shares some basic facts about themselves. You know, sort of like playing twenty questions…Topics range from where they grew up, favorite sports teams, and activities they enjoy. Somewhere along the way you learn what their favorite food is so that you can either:

1. Take them out to a special dinner featuring that favorite food.
2. Attempt to make it for them!

Something that may not come up in these lengthy Q & A sessions are the foods that either of you cannot, will not, will in fact refuse under any circumstances to eat.

This, my friends, is a VERY important discussion to have!

Take it from my experience:

The Date: March something, 2009. I was single, living in my first apartment, obsessed with Food Network and finding pretty much any recipe on their website that was healthy and fairly inexpensive to make.

The Guest: James Turner- the guy in my singles small group at church who I had been dating for maybe a month at the time-who could have guessed he would eventually become my husband!

James enjoyed my cooking experiments thus far and I knew he mentioned he liked Chinese. Perfect! I thought… I knew just the thing to make!

The Recipe: Sesame Shrimp Fried Rice with Cabbage

As we sat down to eat our dinner that day, I beamed.  The finished product actually looked like something you would get at a restaurant! Surely this meal would satisfy our take-out craving. Even better, it would be healthier! Only I had to know that it hadn’t taken more than a few dollars to make.

Mission Accomplished.

With an empty bowl at the end of the meal I went to collect James’ as well. As I cleaned everything up in the kitchen, I noticed the serving bowl was still pretty full of the Shrimp Fried Rice. Great! I thought: we can have left-overs when he comes over tomorrow! I packed the remains of the dish away and thought nothing more of it until I pulled it out of the fridge the next day. I warmed and served it up the following night. This time, though, I noticed James wasn’t making as much progress eating the meal as I was.

“What’s the matter?” I asked. “Is everything okay?”

“Oh, the rice is really good. I’m just not a big fan of cabbage.”

I was disappointed. Not just because James didn’t like the meal, but more importantly, if I had known I could have avoided including cabbage in the recipe altogether.

Needless to say there was a lot that I learned from this experience.

Lesson #1: Get to know whom you’re cooking for!

I learned that James isn’t the kind of person that would be so blunt as to tell you that he couldn’t stand something. Especially knowing how much I had put into making this meal. Rather than say anything, he chose to eat around the pieces of cabbage and wasn’t going to say a word.

If I had only known he wasn’t a cabbage kind of guy-or even that most people (outside of my family) weren’t big fans of the food, I could have spared us both the disappointment!

It was remarkable to me that James was willing to put his own tastes aside in order to show his appreciation -even a second time (as if the first cabbage dinner wasn’t bad enough)!

I soon after re-gained my courage to try another recipe out on him-avoiding cabbage at all costs!

Lesson #2: Frugal Fail!

When it came down to it for this recipe, the only element James didn’t care for was the cabbage. If I knew then what I know now, spending a few extra dollars would have made this meal so much better!

In my effort to keep it frugal, I completely failed!

I learned a meal is no longer “frugal” when the money saved compromises the enjoyment.

Remember: Saving money is a wonderful thing-but it is not the only thing.

Lesson #3:  When in doubt, ask.

Now that we are married, I’ve learned to ask him:

“Straight up now tell me, do you really want to eat this meal again (oh oh oh)…”

Okay, maybe not in the fashion of Paula Abdul exactly, but I do ask him directly if he liked the meal I made. By asking, I allow him the opportunity to give his honest opinion without worrying about hurting my feelings.  Brace yourselves ladies-you have to be prepared for any response or suggestions he might give!

When the response is a “Yes.” I can hardly contain my excitement! It brings me great joy to know that the meal I made was pleasing to him. If its obvious that he enjoyed it, I know that I can include this dish on our “menu” on a regular basis.

Now, if he isn’t crazy about the meal, that’s okay. He might be able to suggest some ways it could taste better. This could be anything from using a different seasoning, adding in a little something extra, or even substituting an ingredient out to better suit his preferences.

Take it as constructive criticism, and don’t let it keep you from getting creative in the kitchen!

What can I say, I never expected to get “schooled” by a head of cabbage! But hey, we’ve learned to “keep it real” in our house. It keeps me joyful in my endeavors, and keeps James well fed

Join me in the coming weeks as I share: No-Fail Frugal tips, delicious recipes for Spring, and more!

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Sharing the Love: Pioneer Woman Simple Perfect Enchiladas

Feb 15, 2011 by Julie

When I find something good, whether it be a recipe, or a bargain while out shopping, there is a great need for me to share that good find with others!

I have been known to over-share at times, because, to my surprise, other people may not care (or at least not to the extent that I do) about the particular item. Perhaps they aren’t the bargain shopping type. I’ve come to learn that that’s okay. I’ve also learned to choose your audience prior to speaking

You may or may not be that into cooking. You may or may not be in the market for a new cookbook.  I know cookbooks in general can be hit or miss, but I’m betting on the fact that everyone likes to eat good food.

So if you fall into that category…may I suggest this one:

Why The Pioneer Woman Cooks?

• Everything in this cookbook is really tasty!
• Each recipe includes step-by-step pictures
  • As Pioneer Woman also has a passion for photography she includes a photo for each step -even the worst of cooks could not mess this up!
• She keeps it real.
  • Ree (The PW) is a home cook, not a fancy chef. So the recipes are things normal people eat and the ingredients are things you can easily find at the store. How many times have you found a recipe but can hardly find let alone pronounce some of the ingredients?!
  • She shares a piece of her life through these recipes. Pictures and stories of her family and friends. I think its so cool to be able to relate to and feel like you know someone just by turning a few pages in their book!

Simple Perfect Enchiladas

This Pioneer Woman recipe has become a staple in our home. It’s perfect for feeding a crowd, or makes a great dinner & next day lunch for our family of two.

Ree’s recipe calls for ground beef –which is wonderful!  Maybe your family doesn’t eat red meat, or perhaps you don’t have ground beef on hand.  If that’s the case, do not let it stop you from trying this recipe. Simply make a substitution!

I recommend subbing the ground beef for a can of black beans. Along with the green chili’s you won’t even miss the meat! You could also sub shredded chicken or even just double up on the cheese.

I just love the method Ree uses. I love that I can have amazing Mexican food from my very own kitchen! This recipe with or without variation is tried and true.

I just HAD TO share it with YOU!

Simply click here for the full recipe!

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Julie’s Spring Chicken Pizza

Feb 1, 2011 by Julie

One of my favorite things to do when I am traveling, or just trying a restaurant for the first time is to order the most unique item on the menu. While traveling with my sister in Seattle one spring, we stopped for lunch at a quaint place on Bainbridge Island that featured pizza. This was not your typical pizza joint, in fact, far from it! When I read the words blueberry, chicken and pizza all in the same description, I was sold!

The unexpected flavors were surprisingly delicious, as the blueberries had burst to create a sweet and savory sauce.

Coming home a few days later, I was excited to re-create the pizza for my then boyfriend, now husband, James. Before I continue, you must know, that, while I am adventurous when it comes to food, James is not.

I’m a French dip while James is a turkey club.

I’m a Beef Bourguignon while James is a classic pot roast.

So you can imagine how skeptical James was when I told him I wanted to make him that crazy pizza I had in Seattle!

I made it, he tried it-and liked it!

I call this my Spring Chicken Pizza.

James calls it the meal that changed his life.

We like it so much that we even used the recipe as our wedding favor!

This is proof that: before you knock it, try it for yourself.

I’m glad to share this recipe with you :

Julie’s Spring Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 prepared pizza dough either (I’ve used homemade or store-bought, just your preference!)
• 1 grilled chicken breast, sliced into strips
• 1 C Spring mix lettuce
• ½ C shredded mozzarella/Italian cheese
• ½ C blueberries-fresh or frozen
• ½ Granny smith apple, sliced very thin
• ¼ C feta cheese (or sub more mozzarella if you prefer)
• 1 T garlic powder
• 2 T Italian seasoning

Instructions:

• Preheat oven as directed for dough (usually 375 or 400 degrees)
• Spray pizza pan or cookie sheet with cooking spray
• Roll out the dough, seasoning with garlic & Italian seasoning
• Bake seasoned dough for half the cook time (5 minutes). It will need to be firm enough to sustain the toppings, but not fully baked.
• Remove from oven and arrange the remaining ingredients in the following order: field greens, ½ mozzarella cheese, chicken, apple slices, blueberries, feta
• Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top of and place back in the oven until the edges are golden brown.
• Let cool for 2 minutes, then slice. When sliced, the blueberries will burst creating that delicious sweet and savory sauce!

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