Friday, March 20, 2009

I'VE MOVED!

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY NEW SITE: LITTLEBITOFMONI.COM THIS BLOG WILL NO LONGER BE UPDATE! BE SURE TO BOOKMARK LITTLEBITOFMONI.COM! :-)

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Tonight's dinner: Lentil and Sausage Soup with French Bread.



INGREDIENTS:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 pound turkey kielbasa, thinly sliced
1-1/4 cups brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
5 cups water
1 (14-1/2) can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the kielbasa, lentils, and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes longer.

This will serve four people and takes 15 minutes to prep and 40 minutes to cook.
Taken from Weight Watchers Momentum Cookbook.

Even though this is from Weight Watchers, it doesn't taste like it is from Weight Watchers. They actually have the best recipes that are full of flavor and not fat.

Some funny links for you today...


Happy Hump Day Everyone! I know that Wednesday is almost over, but I wanted to share some Wednesday funnies with you. Check them out!

For those obsessed Twitter users out there, this one is for you! http://tinyurl.com/cx723z

A little political humor... http://bit.ly/13BVZ

How geeks write checks. http://tinyurl.com/cc7rbl

Let me know what you think! Post a comment!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

A little St. Patrick's Day comedy.


I was poking around YouTube today and found this great St. Patrick's Day Comedy Time. I wanted to share this with you. Please check it out at http://tinyurl.com/cjng5v. Please feel free to leave me a comment!

Chicken is what's for dinner on St. Patty's Day!


I know that it is part of the St. Patrick's Day tradition to eat corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes, but I thought I would be a rebel this year and make Chicken with Mushrooms and White Wine. Today was the first time that I made this dish, and my husband said it was great and tasted a little bit like stuffing. I didn't find that to be true, but it was a very good dish. If you are interested in making this recipe, please send me a comment, and I would be happy to forward the recipe to you! Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Very inspiring quote

"Both dreams and myths are important communications of ourselves to ourselves.
If we do not understand the language in which they are written, we miss a great deal
of what we know and tell ourselves in those hours when are not busy manipulating
the outside world." -Erich Fromm

Helpful tip!

During tough times, it can be difficult to keep up with your busy schedule and plan out dinner. I know that many families are trying not to go out to eat right now because of the cost, but sometimes you can forget and get caught up in everything else and just resort to a quick, fast-food or restaurant dinner. Therefore, I suggest to create a menu at the beginning of each week of what you are going to make each night. Break the grocery list down by day so that when you are going to the grocery store, you know which day you are shopping for. That way if you decide to not make dinner one night, you know which ingredients go to which day. Remember, if you are also interested in coupons, separate them ahead of time to make sure you do not forget to use them!

Fish is sooo good for you.


This is what is for dinner tonight: Baked Salmon with Basil and Garlic.

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 (6oz) salmon fillets
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 450°F.
Mix first 6 ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
Add salmon; turn to coat both sides with mixture.
Place salmon fillets on an 18x24” sheet of heavy-duty foil.
Pour remaining mixture over salmon; seal and place on a cookie sheet pan.
Bake until just opaque throughout, about 20-25 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Serving: 1 piece
Total servings: 4

Monday, March 9, 2009

Tonight's dinner wasn't so planned.

Today was a very hectic day for this organized wife. I usually plan out dinners on Sunday, but Sunday was hectic as well. I had already thawed some boneless skinless chicken breasts, and was wondering what I should do with it. I purchased a dry rub with lots of yummy spices and sprinkled that on the chicken. I then grilled it on my grill pan and viola! Instant dinner! I included a side of green beans and a side salad. Healthy dinner is served!

Compliments of Foodimentary...

Cooking tip #1:Grating cheese can leave more cheese stuck to the grater than what is on your plate. Grate a potato afterwards to loosen up the cheese and make it easier to clean!

Cooking tip #2: Microwave your lemon for 15 seconds before cutting it open to juice it, and you will double your juice instantly!

I'm ESTJ, what are you?

In my behavioral science class, we are talking about personality types, and here is a great assessment. http://www.kisa.ca/personality/. Feel free to take it and post your answers. If you click on the other links at the end, you can see what career best fits your personality type. Happy testing!

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Happy Saturday to you all!

Quote of the day~"The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread."~ Mother Teresa

Hope you're having a fabulous weekend!

Friday, March 6, 2009

A very good quote...

Today, I read the quote, "Practicing unconditional self-acceptance is one way to reduce your fear of rejection by others." Very true!

Good morning!


Happy Friday AND National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day!

Just in case you are not planning on heading out to Cheesecake Factory anytime soon, here is a recipe you could make at home!

White chocolate Cheesecake with a white chocolate brandy sauce

INGREDIENTS (Servings: 12)
4 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups finely chopped white chocolate
2 fluid ounces brandy

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Wrap the outside of a 10 inch springform pan with foil. Grease the inside of the pan.
Place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour in a mixing bowl and cream until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape bowl.
Melt 4 ounces of the white chocolate. With an electric mixer on low speed, mix melted white chocolate into cream cheese mixture. Keeping electric mixer on low, slowly beat in the vanilla and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Blend well. Pour mixture into the prepared springform pan.
Place cheesecake pan in a water bath filled with warm water. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 50 to 60 minutes, or until center of the cheesecake is just firm. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Refrigerate until set before removing from pan.
To make White Chocolate Brandy Sauce: Place 1 cup heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Watch carefully so it doesn't boil over. Pour hot cream over 2 cups of finely chopped white chocolate and stir with a wooden spoon until melted. Add brandy and continue stirring until incorporated. Pour over chilled cheesecake and serve.

This recipe received five stars out of 110 voters. Check it out on http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/White-Chocolate-Cheesecake-with-White-Chocolate-Brandy-Sauce/Detail.aspx.

Please do not forget to post your opinions if you do decide to make this receipe! Enjoy!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Today's Tip of the Day

For those of you who have crazy schedules, write at least 30 minutes into your weekly schedule every week for YOU time. You'll find that your week will feel more balanced, and that you won't have an excuse to do stuff for yourself because you will plan other things around it.

Have a wonderful day!

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Chicken "panini" with mozzarella


Below is the recipe for that yummy dish and very healthy dish that you will not feel bad putting on the table.






INGREDIENTS:
8 oz. mozzarella cheese
4 large, skinless, boneless chicken breasts
8 large fresh basil leaves, plus extra to serve
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 can of diced tomatoes with basil and oregano
Mixed salad greens
Salad dressing of your choice
Tooth pics

DIRECTIONS:
Cut the mozzarella into 8 thick slices and set aside.

Put the chicken breasts onto a board and, using a sharp knife, cut horizontally through the breast without cutting all the way through. Open out flat and season the insides with a little salt and pepper.

Put 2 basil leaves, a few garlic slices, and 2 slices of cheese in each breast, then fold back over, pressing firmly together. Secure with toothpicks.

Start heating the tomatoes in a small saucepan on low heat.

Brush the packages with a little oil and cook on a preheated outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan for about 8 minutes on each side until the chicken is cooked and the cheese is beginning to ooze at the sides. Serve hot with the tomatoes, a few basil leaves, and the salad.

*If you find that the inside of the chicken is not cooking well when compared to the outside, try putting the inside of the chicken down on the grill before stuffing it and cooking the outside.

Welcome!

I realized that I have such a passion for organization and figured that I should blog about it. Apparently, I apply this to everything that I do and found that a household runs much more smoothly when organization is present. Keep checking back for updates to my blog. I will be positing helpful information about shopping, cooking, recipes, and entertainment. Please feel free to add comments or message me! Thanks for reading!