Tired

It's been awhile since I've had Olivia to myself the entire day since Mr. Ho's been home.  It was a long day.  Let's start with the midnight wake-up cry...

Midnight Cry
3:30 AM Cry
7 AM Wake-up
8:45 AM Play/Breakfast/Skype with parents
9:45 AM Music class
10:30 AM Playground
11:30 AM Lunch for O and Me/Lunch Clean-up
1 PM Nap for O/Cleaning for me
2:30 PM Wake
3 PM Pet Store/Frozen Yogurt/ Trader Joe's/Play/TV
5 PM Dinner Prep/Skype with SIL
6 PM Dinner/Dinner Clean-up/Laundry
7:30 PM Bath
8:30 PM Clean-up the house

Now I'm sitting on the couch, watching Big Bang Theory reruns.

Hope I can fall asleep soon.

Bomb.com Meatballs

These meatballs were SOOOO good. Moist and flavorful. I omitted the hot sauce so Olivia could have them for dinner as well. Still delicious. I also substituted one egg for the milk. Will definitely put this into rotation. Put these suckers on a sub roll and melt some mozz on top. Or put in your spaghetti. Or do mini ones and serve at a party.

Prep Time:
20 Min

Cook Time:
20 Min

Ready In:
40 Min

Original Recipe Yield 12 meatballs

Ingredients

1 pound extra lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 small onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 dash hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's RedHot®), or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Place the beef into a mixing bowl, and season with salt, onion, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce; mix well. Add the milk, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Mix until evenly blended, then form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, and place onto a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

From allrecipies.com

Slow-Cooker Asian Short Ribs

This is an Americanized version of korean galbi-jim. I usually skip step 4 and just drizzle the sesame oil in the sauce. My brother loves this dish.

Slow-Cooker Asian Short Ribs

Makes 4 servings
Hands-on Time: 0hr 20m
Total Time: 7hr 50m

Ingredients
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 beef short ribs (about 4 pounds)
4 medium carrots, peeled and halved crosswise
1 small green cabbage (about 1 pound), quartered
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

Directions
1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper. Add the short ribs and carrots and arrange in a single layer. Lay the cabbage on top.

2. Cook, covered, on high for 5 to 6 hours (or on low for 7 to 8 hours―see note below), until the meat is tender and easily pulls away from the bone.

3. Transfer the cabbage, short ribs, and carrots to plates. With a large spoon or ladle, skim the fat from the cooking liquid and discard.

4. If the slow cooker is on the low setting, turn it to high. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water until smooth. Whisk into the cooking liquid and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the sesame oil. Spoon the sauce over the short ribs and vegetables and sprinkle with the scallions (if using).

5. Note: Because different slow-cooker models cook at different rates, the total time is presented as a range. Check for doneness at the low end of the range (but not before, or the escaping heat will slow the cooking). If the food is not done, continue cooking to the end of the suggested range.

Japanese Curry

Tonight I made Japanese Curry. It's pretty easy but takes a bit of time because you have to stir fry all the ingredients. The directions are on the side of the curry package. I use this brand:



It also comes in a spicier version which is pretty good too. We have that in our pantry but I wanted to make something that Olivia could have a taste of. I didn't give her too much since it's a little salty and I didn't know how her stomach would react to such strong flavors.

I bought stew beef and just cut it up with scissors but Korean grocery stores actually sell packaged "curry meat." Just beef chopped up nicely for curry. I like to use 1 onion, 2 carrots, and 1 potato.



I enjoy this. It would have been SUPER ace with a side of kimchi. I was too lazy to go buy some.

Woot!

A reader used one of my recipes. This is very exciting for me. Mrs. OGDM writes:

i made this tonight in the slow cooker! OGDM loved it, he said "tastes just like diana's!!" thanks for the recipe :)

I've been thinking about making this in the slow cooker. Please share what setting you put it on? Low? High? For how long? I'm glad you guys enjoyed! OGDM always enjoyed this soup!

Tilapia Edit

I made tilapia again today. But today, I went "asian." I seasoned the filets with salt and pepper. I poured a bit of seasame oil in one bowl and oyster sauce in another bowl. I used this brush thing and brushed both sides of the fish with both the oil and the sauce. And then I topped it off with chopped garlic and green onions. I was skeptical because I like to follow recipes. But it turned out really good.

And now I'm eating tater tots. This girl is no way near beach ready. But these tots are SOOO yum!

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 4 Hrs 10 Min

Original Recipe Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips
garlic powder to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cube beef bouillon
1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker.
I actually soaked the beef in cold water while I did step 2 and 3 to drain all of the blood. Then I paper-toweled the pieces very well, seasoned, and then browned them.
2. Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.
I used a green pepper and a red pepper just for aesthetics. I did not use the salt and it was fine. The soy sauce makes up for it. I also cut 5 pieces of garlic and stuck them in there.
3. Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

This was tonight's dinner and one of my favs. It's a great comfort dish. Not the best picture but I haven't made anything out of the slow cooker that looked picture-worthy. Anyway, I've italicized my adjustments to the original recipe I found on allrecipes.com. I just used some of the suggestions people posted underneath.

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 6 Hrs

Original Recipe Yield 8 servings

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 onion, finely diced
2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces
Directions

1. Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.
I season the chicken with poultry season, salt and pepper. I also use a can of cream of chicken and cream of mushroom or celery. I also chop up some celery (2-3), carrots (2), potatoes (1), frozen peas (1/2 a bag), frozen corn (1/2 a bag). And instead of water, I use low sodium, organic chicken broth.
2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High.
3. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.
First, rip up the chicken with a fork so the insides get a bit of the sauce too. I usually add the dough about an hour or so before the end. I just tear it and push them under the broth.

Friends!

Sometimes I forget that people actually read this. So I wanted to respond to someone's comment!

yum! do you think you can get by without okra? i dont even know what okra is. haha. keep the recipes coming! i think i want to try the talapia one too.

Hi friend! Okra is delicious! Especially fried okra! I think you could omit the okra but maybe throw in another bell pepper to make up for it? If you can find crab meat, definitely use that instead of the scallops. I couldnt find fresh crabmeat at the store so that's why i used the scallops. And we THINK Mr. Ho is allergic to crabmeat (seriously, what a shame!) so it was a good thing. Enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Seafood Gumbo

Makes 6 servings
Hands-on Time: 0hr 25m
Total Time: 5hr 55m

Ingredients
1/2 pound sliced bacon, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1 medium onion, sliced (1 cup)
1 green pepper, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 pound large raw shrimp, cleaned
1 pound fresh or frozen crabmeat
1 10-ounce box frozen okra, thawed and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces

Directions
1. In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.

2. Discard all but a thin coating of fat from the skillet. Add the celery, onion, green pepper, and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Spoon the vegetables into the cooker and add the broth, tomatoes (with their liquid), Worcestershire, salt, and thyme.

3. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours, or on high for 2 hours. Add the shrimp, crabmeat, and okra, and cook 1 hour longer on low heat or 1/2 hour longer on high.

I substituted a lb of frozen scallops for the crab and it was just as good. I also bought easy-peel frozen shrimp and it was fine too. Yummy broth!

Easy Baked Tilapia

This is such an easy recipe! I only took a before picture. I was too busy feeding the family to think of taking an after photo.



Here's the recipe from allrecipes.com
Prep Time: 5 Min
Cook Time: 30
Min Ready In: 35 Min

Ingredients
4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
2 teaspoons butter
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning TM, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, or to taste
1 lemon, sliced
1 (16 ounce) package frozen cauliflower with broccoli and red pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees F). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Place the tilapia fillets in the bottom of the baking dish and dot with butter. Season with Old Bay seasoning and garlic salt. Top each one with a slice or two of lemon. Arrange the frozen mixed vegetables around the fish, and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Cover the dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until vegetables are tender and fish flakes easily with a fork.

The beauty of this dish is that you can totally play with it. I seasoned today's fish with olive oil, delicious greek seasoning (pre-made), and panko bread crumbs. The veggies some Wegman's Harvest blend. I could have used two bags actually. The possibilities are endless!

Slow Cooker Spinach Lasagna

Just made this last night and it was DELISH! I should have taken a picture. The only thing is, it's hard to get out of the slow cooker without it looking like a total mess. That doesn't matter though but don't make it if you're looking for something pretty to eat.

Ingredients

* 1 lb ground beef or turkey, browned and drained
* 8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
* 1 (28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce, any flavor (Prego is my fav)
* 1 teaspoon oregano or italian seasoning
* 1/3 cup water (I just pour a little water into the sauce jar and swish it around and then add it)
* 10 oz package chopped frozen spinach, microwaved and then squeezed very dry
* 15 ounces ricotta cheese
* 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

1.Break 4 noodles into pieces and place in bottom of greased crock pot.
2.Stir Italian seasoning into browned meat add spaghetti sauce and water. Layer half the tomato sauce/meat mixture on top of the noodles in the crockpot.
3. Combine spinach with ricotta cheese. Spoon all of this mixture on top of meat mixture in crock pot. Top with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
4. Add the remaining 4 noodles to the crockpot, then layer with remaining sauce and then finally the remaining mozzarella cheese.
5. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.

Korean Chicken Soup

This is such an easy dinner and SOOOOO yummy and healthy! I'll bold the ingredients.

1. Get a whole chicken and strip off all the skin and take out all its innerds. Rinse chicken and place in a big pot.

2. Chop onion in half and put in pot.

3. Put in peeled garlic. I overdo it - maybe 10-15 pieces? Love garlic!

4. Fill pot with water. Cover with lid. Boil on high. Once it boils, turn it all the way down to low and let it simmer for 2.5-3 hours.

When it's ready, the chicken should break apart easily with a ladle. I usually skim the fat on top before serving. Eat with rice and both the soup and the meat. I don't eat the onions or garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with some chopped green onions!

Baked Ziti

Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Yield Serves 4

Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 ounces ziti rigate (ridged) or other short pasta
1 cup part-skim ricotta
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1 jar (24 to 26 ounces) best-quality tomato sauce (about 3 1/2 cups)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions; drain and reserve.

In a small bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and half the mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.

In the bottom of a shallow 2-quart casserole dish, spread half the tomato sauce. Top with ziti, then ricotta mixture and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Place casserole on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until top is browned and sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.

Soy-Ginger Chicken

Gotta love the slow-cooker!


Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 30 minutes
Yield Serves 4

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus sprigs for garnish
1 piece fresh ginger (about 2 inches long), peeled and cut into thin strips
5 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal (1 cup packed)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
4 chicken drumsticks and 4 thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds total), skin removed
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon cornstarch
For Serving cooked white rice

Directions

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together soy sauce, sugar, garlic, cilantro, ginger, 1/2 cup scallions, vinegar, coriander, and pepper. Add chicken and carrots; toss to coat. Cover, and cook on low until chicken is tender, about 6 hours. Using a large spoon, skim off and discard any fat from surface of cooking liquid.

In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, whisk cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Ladle 1 cup cooking liquid into measuring cup; whisk to combine. Pour into a small saucepan, and bring to a boil; cook until thickened, about 1 minute. With slow cooker turned off, stir in cornstarch mixture. Serve chicken with white rice, and garnish with cilantro sprigs and remaining 1/2 cup scallions.

Sauteed Cajun Shrimp

I will share some more recipes since I know several of us are always wondering WTH we should make for dinner! Most of the recipes are very quick and easy. It's not easy to cook with a baby holding onto your legs!


For the Cajun Shrimp, I skip the first step. I just use rice in our rice cooker. I do step 2 and then add some chicken stock and let it simmer for a bit and serve with the rice. It's more soupy that way but it's still delicious! Oh, I also add some cajun spices in step 2 to kick it up a notch.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Yield Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup long-grain white rice
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), sliced lengthwise into thin strips
8 ounces precooked andouille or kielbasa sausage, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 pound frozen large shrimp, thawed, peeled, and deveined

Directions

In a medium saucepan with a lid, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil over medium. Add onion; cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add broth, and bring to a boil. Add rice; season with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil over medium. Add bell peppers and cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add sausage and shrimp; cook until shrimp is opaque, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide rice among four bowls; top with shrimp mixture, and drizzle with any pan juices. Serve.

Martha Stewart Roasted Cod

I made this for dinner last night and I LOVEEDDD it!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Yield Serves 4

2 pounds red new potatoes scrubbed and quartered
4 cloves garlic halved lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 cod fillets (6 to 8 ounces each)
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes whole or halved
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
Lemon wedges for serving (optional)
Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with garlic, rosemary, and 1 tablespoon oil; season generously with salt and pepper. Arrange potatoes in a single layer, cut side down. Bake, tossing potatoes once, until beginning to brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, rub fillets with remaining teaspoon oil; season all sides with salt and pepper.

Remove baking sheet from oven. Add tomatoes and olives to potatoes; stir to combine. Push vegetable mixture to one side; place fillets flat on baking sheet, next to vegetables. Return to oven, and roast until fish is cooked through and potatoes are brown and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer fish and vegetables to serving platter. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges if desired.

Nasty Ripe Bananas = Delicious Moist Banana Bread

I know, 5 posts in one night.  But I have to do them when I remember or I'll fall into a lull and feel like I have nothing to blog about.

Tonight, I took gross bananas and turned them into the most delectable banana nut bread.  The recipe is from allrecipes.com.  Let me know if you make this.  Truly delicious.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups white sugar 2 cups mashed overripe bananas 4 eggs, beaten 1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2.	Sift the flour, salt and baking soda into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the butter or margarine and sugar until smooth. Stir in the bananas, eggs, and walnuts until well blended. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture, and stir just until blended. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans.
3.	Bake for 60 to 70 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the crown of the loaf comes out clean. Let the loaves cool in the pans for at least 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack, and cool completely. Wrap in aluminum foil to keep in the moisture. Ideally, refrigerate the loaves for 2 hours or more before serving.

Just a Tuesday Afternoon

Lucky readers, I am posting a second entry.  The article was too long to include in the mish-mash of this awesome entry.

Last week, Mr. Ho and I got vaccinations for our upcoming trip to Hong Kong + Beijing.  Luckily, most of ours were up-to-date.  Those damn shots hurt like a b*tch.  Mr. Ho took it like a man but I took it like a wuss.  But, I did go to yoga right after, which may have not been the best idea because my arms were pretty wobbly.  I really love yoga, though.  I feel so centered and relaxed afterwards.  Also, there are the cutest old people in my class.  I especially love the old men who try really hard to get into their poses.  There is definitely a soft spot in my heart for old men, but for some reason, not old ladies.  

Update on the no-buy:  I haven't bought anything for myself.  I am not coveting anything at the moment though, so it's been easy.  As long as I can stay away from the mall or my kryptonite - Forever 21 - I think it'll be a breeze.  I haven't renewed my magazine subscriptions either, so there is even less temptation.  The only magazine that is being delivered to me is Real Simple, which I absolutely love.  Some of my dinner recipes for the week came from the magazine - spiced braised beef with sweet potatoes, halibut with sauteed radicchio.  I also made korean chicken soup yesterday and will be making spaghetti carbonara on Thursday.  Yum.  

Our weekend was pretty tame, nothing too crazy.  I finally watched Twilight and I think I laughed through most of it.  It was just so melodramatic and kind of crushed the image I had in my head.  I love the Twilight saga and just seeing these actors writhe in pain when talking about taking a walk in the woods, was just too much.  Not sure if this is old news, but the author is putting out a new version of Twilight called Midnight Sun, which is Edward's point-of-view of what happened in Twilight.  Here's a link to a partial draft if you are interested:  http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/pdf/midnightsun_partial_draft4.pdf

Oh, we also watched Role Models, which I thought was hilarious.  Kiss my anthia!

That's all for now.  

Makeover Monday

Yes, it's a new template!  I was getting sick of that little bird.

Time to make dinner.  On the menu tonight - Lemon Garlic Tilapia & Rice Pilaf.