Can't win em all...

So, it's with great sadness in my heart that I must tell you I had an official "bad" dinner from Trader Joe's last night.  I had high hopes for you, Pork Roast Florentine.  You sounded so promising of your abilities to just let me pop you in the toaster oven on a hot day....

...and you looked rather appealing with your spinach and cheese center...

But this baby was no bueno! It was just SOOOO. FATTY!  It had random strands of fat laced all throughout the roll.  So sad.  So tragic.  So not buying this one again.  (Don't worry...I still heart you, Trader Joe's!)

But we did have one thing that completely salvaged dinner...

You see, I totally had this beautiful basil plant sitting on my counter since Saturday....

...but in mere seconds, that baby was plucked nearly naked....

I whirled the leaves into some presto pesto....

And mixed it with...

...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, pesto potato salad!!!  One of my work buddies suggested it to me the other day (HI JAMES!!!!) and I could not wait to try itJ  One bite and I was SOLD! 

And it couldn't have been easier.  I let the potatoes boil and refrigerated them overnight.  Whirled up that pesto in mere minutes and topped it off with a few diced scallions.  Let me tell ya:  FLAVOR POWERHOUSE!!  What a great mayo swap!  Can not WAIT to make this again!

And Trader Joe's did have one saving grace in this meal:  the baby watermelon I had picked upJ  At least it was sweetJ

So yeah...a terribly sad day indeedJ hahahahahhaa....anyways, I already have stuff to show you guys tomorrow.  And speaking of tomorrow, we're heading off to one of our favorite cities for some treats and eatsJ  Stay tuned and have a great Friday!



One word: Strawberries...

Maybe one of these fine weeks I'll actually have one week where SOMETHING doesn't go wrong with my picturesJ  This week's 'delay' came from when I went to blog yesterday and realized that I had uploaded the pictures to my computer but NOT to blogger.  OppppsJ  So again...you get another double dose of dinnersJ 

And again...both are completely different....

...but both use up that gorgeous summer produce... 

First up were these beautiful spring onions that I just could NOT resist  ....

I decided to try the recipe from Cooking Light for Spring Onion Pasta, by dicing up the onions AND the stems and letting them saute for about 15 minutes until they were soft...

When the pasta had about 4 minutes left (of the magical "7 minutes"), I threw in about 1/2 cup of white wine & 1/4 cup chicken broth and let it all simmer together with the onions to make them 'saucy.'

The thing that really stood out to make me want to try this recipe was the topping of panko (you know we love our breadcrumb pastas!).  But after reading several reviews of the pasta recipe being too bland, I made sure to spice up the panko a bit!  I added some sea salt, a sprinkle of garlic powder and a dash of cloves before drizzling with a bit of olive oil and tossing the pan in the toaster oven for a few minutes...

And I mean a "FEW" minutes!  I ran to get changed out of my work clothes and came flying back in because I could smell the panko, which was about 3 seconds away from burning...so stay closeJ

Once the pasta was done, I mixed it with the 'wine onions,' a handful of grated cheese and topped it with the panko...

Not sure if it was my 'well-spiced panko,' but this dish was bursting with flavor.  The onions were VERY sweet & mellow, so just be sure to 'season up each layer' and you should love this dish as much as we didJ

Which brings us to YESTERDAY...which I deemed "Strawberry day."  I started my day with a bowl of this new Kashi cereal... 

These tastes almost like a 'healthier' version of Cap'n CrunchberriesJ  A few extra sliced strawberries & a splash of Unsweetened almond milk and I was HAPPY!

And 'strawberry day' continued with an unlikely sourceJ

I made one of my VERY favorite dishes: Gorgonzola Chicken with strawberry gastrique!  (WHICH, I freakishly just realized I had made exactly one year to the DAY!  Must be the "peak of strawberry season" drawl!)

And I know the word "Gastrique" sounds scary, but it's really a simple process (although you don't have to tell anyone THAT part, and just throw around the word like you're a French culinary wonder...I won't tellJ)

You just heat a cup of strawberries in a saucepan with 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of sherry vinegar (or sherry wine) and a dash of cardamom.  Mash the berries, give everything a swirl to combine the ingredients and bring the liquid to a boil...

Once the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally...

You know it's done once the strawberries become thick and syrupy.  The recipe says to strain the mixture, but I liked the little strawberry chunks hidden in the syrupJ

While the strawberries were workin on the stove, Scott was busy grillin the chicken.  Once it was almost done, he topped the chicken with the heavenly combo of Gorgonzola, prosciutto & thyme and let it melt for a few minutes.  Top your strawberry sauce with the chicken and add an extra drizzle for good measure....

I think I could eat this dish for a month straight...it is just TOO. GOOD!!!!!!!!!  It is the ULTIMATE in sweet & savory dishes.  I know you might be leery, but trust me, JUST MAKE IT!  You will NOT regret it!

And our side dish was pretty awesome too and perfect for these HOT SUMMER months....

Pepper Cole Slaw

adapted from Food Network Magazine

• 1 head cabbage, diced
• 3 peppers, sliced in thin strips
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 bunch scallions, diced
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1 teaspoon dried mustard
• Salt & Pepper

1.- Combine the diced cabbage, peppers, celery & scallions....

2.-  Whisk the vinegar & sugar, until the sugar is dissolved.  Mix into cabbage and allow to refrigerate for an hour (or while you're cooking the rest of your dinnerJ)

3.-  Add the mayo, dried mustard, salt & pepper to taste and mix.  (we use Hellman's Olive oil based mayo....a little more heart healthy in the mayo world)

And wallah!  Done!  We loved the sweet bites from the peppers paired with the ZIP of the vinegar & mustard.  Definitely making this one again!!!

And speaking of sweet & savory...for dessert, Scott & I split some of this new chocolate bar from Trader Joe's...

And they weren't joking around about the sea salt (which you can actually SEE!)....

...OR the caramel center! J   Mmmmmmmmm...this was like a 'grown up' CaramelloJ  Sooooo good! 

Remember Caramellos??  Do they even still make those anymore??

Well, I hope you guys are staying cool...wherever you are!!!  I am staying inside as much as possible today because it is suppose to be in the TRIPLE DIGITS.  UGH!  Bring me snow ANY day over this...blehJ 
There's ONE 'person' who apparently didn't mind the heat, as Penny went last night to the very back of our yard to go lay in the direct sunlight....

She's crazyJ

I already have a "barely any cooking" dinner planned for tonight.  I'm not even gonna mess around today AT ALL!  Hope you guys have a good one! 

How do you even STAND that heat & humidity, Miz Helen??  You Texas gals must be toughJ

2 Seasons in one post...

OK...so I have 2 dinners to show you today that are TOTALLY different from the other, but they both have one thing in common:  They use some of the great fresh produce we found this weekend!!  But that's about where the similarities end...one dish is perfectly summer appropriate while the other is super warm & cozy Fall food...

The first dish was the super cozy one from Sunday night where the main stars were some roasted tomatoes (made like last time) and a beautiful bushel of red swiss chard.  Just check out the ruby color of those stems.  So prettyJ

I boiled the swiss chard for a few minutes before adding it to a saucepan to saute for a few minutes in a little olive oil and garlic.  Because, I mean really, what doesn't taste better sauteed in garlic?? J

While the tomatoes & kale were roasting and boiling away, I got to work on the polenta.  Now the grocery store I went to was completely sold out of the dry polenta, so we had to do a little improvising with the tubes of polenta (also garlic flavored...see what I'm talkin about??J)

Now you could just slice the polenta and add any toppings to it, but I wanted a more creamy base.  So I ended up dicing it up and adding about a cup of vegetable broth to the pot and stirred while it was warming up...

Much like the magical Trader Joe's "Frozen Polenta Kisses," the slices slowly broke down and formed the creamy polenta I was hoping for!  Lemons into lemonade, folksJ

Oh yeah...and we also toasted up some while beans.  That's one crowded stove top!

So when everything was done, I layered up my dish with a little polenta, the swiss chard, the roasted tomatoes, white beans and oneeeeeee extra little surprise from the market....

YUM!!!!!

The feta added just enough creaminess & decadence to make this dish come together.  This was some goooood warm & cozy comfort food.  It felt like we were eating on the Amalfi coast in mid October.  Which, as you can imagine, made me very happy!  So good!

It also helped my Fall dreams by the fact that it was an absolutely GLORIOUS cool & sunny Sunday.  Penny loved lounging away with us and enjoyed the weather while we ateJ

And the other dish of fresh, summer proportions was our typical Monday night salad:

In the mix:

• Red leaf lettuce
• Grilled Chicken
• Scallions
• Diced strawberries
• Pesto Feta Cheese
• Craisins
• Carrots

A lovely "no dressing needed" kinda deal.  I always enjoy those!

Anyways...hope you guys are havin a good day.  The mercury is on the rise again in Jersey and I hear it's suppose to be 96 degrees tomorrow.  UGH!!!  Time to hide in the air conditioning again!!!

And speaking of Jersey but is it ME or does anyone else think the "Real Housewives of NJ" are reading this blog??  Friendsgiving??  We invented that, ladies!  I got my eye on you!J hahahahhahahahahaha.....just thought that was funny & randomJ

Alright, have a great Tuesday everyone...see ya tomorrowJ

Can you hear me now??

OK...so after my 6 hour yoga retreat today, I am pretty BEAT...so I think I'll be saving our eats for you until tomorrow.  BUT I do have one thing to share with you guys today.  A friend of mine had introduced me to Cinchcast.com and suggested I start doing weekly Weight Loss tips & motivations to share with you guys. 

Soooooooooooo...drumroll...

My first audio clip!  Just wanted to give you a quick overview of my journey & the main reason I blog:

I'll try to post these every week as as "Motivational Monday" kinda thing...because Lord knows we can ALL use motivation on Mondays, myself included!!  Let me know if there's any questions or subjects you're interested in hearing about!

And while I'm at it, here's my workout rundown for the week:

Tuesday:  40 minute Bethenny yoga

Wednesday:  Bethenny: Weights x 2 + "Booty Bonus" x 2  + Bob Harper 30 minute Cardio Kettlebell workout  (SO TOUGH!!!!)

Thursday:  30 minutes dance + weights

Friday:  1 hour Bob Harper Yoga for the Warrior

Saturday:  2 3/4 mile walk/jog treadmill in 33 minutes  (worked on endurance rather than speed ~> alternating between walking & jogging every 1/4 of a mile)

Sunday:  1 mile walk + 1 hour boxing class

And of course...my yoga today:)  2 hours of Vinyasa (SWEATY!) yoga + 2 hours of meditation practice and an hour of restorative (stretching) yoga.  (and lunch, of course!)  I feel enlightened AND exhaustedJ hahahahhahahaha...(THANKS ROMY, if you're reading this!!!)

OK...off I go to collapse for the day!  Namaste and see ya tomorrowJ