March 2013 – forEVR and always

egg cupcakes

March 29, 2013Leave a comment

Last night jay had a basketball game, and when I am home alone….I go crazy after a while. I can’t stand having idle hands! I decided to try and make Easter cupcakes in eggshells. They turned out great and I thought I would share the how to!

WHAT YOU NEED:

12 large eggs (you will empty them out, and if your cupcake recipe calls for eggs you can use the inside of the ones you empty)
Corkscrew
Foil
Plastic Bag
Cupcake mix or recipe of your choosing (you can fill these with any cupcake batter)

1. Wash your eggs!

2. Take the corkscrew and make a pin-sized hole in the bottom of the egg. Then slowly make the hole larger so that it is around the size of a dime. Don’t be afraid to press hard into the egg!

2. Empty the contents of the egg into a bowl using the corkscrew to ease it out. When you are done rinse the eggs well inside and out, then put in a saltwater bath for 30 minutes (make sure to let the saltwater get into the egg so it sinks)

4. Make your cupcake batter while the eggs are soaking (any batter you love).

5. Once the eggs have soaked, rinse them again well in the sink (inside and out), and place on a paper towel hole side down

6. Pour the batter into a plastic bag and cut a small hole in the tip of the bag…this will be your egg filler!

7. Fill those eggs up and place them in a cupcake tray. I used some foil to hold them upright and into place…

7. Bake and don’t worry that the cupcake is pouring out!

8. Cut off the excess cupcake and clean the outside of the egg with a damp paper towel

9. Crack shell & top with frosting if you like! You did it!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and Happy Easter!

xo-j

Can’t stop

March 28, 2013Leave a comment

Things I can’t stop obsessing over today…

How badly these hurt my feet…

The fact that we found and tried all 3 flavors…They weren’t going to be sold in nyc but through some duane reade magic they were there yesterday. Checked back today and they were gone 😦

Chvrches new song (and old one too)

culinary institute

March 27, 20131 Comment

Last night my friend Erin and I took a wine, cheese, and meats of Italy class at the Institute of Culinary Education…it was so. much. fun. We learned all about the different grapes, regions of Italy, the different textures, flavors, and aromas of not only the wine, but cheese and salumi. We had a great time pairing the wine with the food (obviously), and learning at the same time!

Here are some pictures from our amazing class:

(did you know all salami is salumi, but not all salumi is salami?!)

(we had 10 different wines!)

I would recommend this class to anyone! I want to take so many more now! Thanks so much M&D for this great gift.

xo-j

Busy bee

March 25, 20133 Comments

As always, we have been running around. Here are some pictures from life lately…

(spring)

(city view from cab)

(night in with my loves jac & char)

(my amazing homemade turkey burger. i brought the leftovers to work and here is the result. thank you so much kitchen jerk whoever you are)

(the annual festival of tom)

(even rondo had a case of the mondays)

xo-j

chicken pasta

March 19, 2013Leave a comment

My Mom is an amazing cook…but much to her annoyance, all of our favorite meals she makes take her 20 minutes. She can spend hours and hours making a meal, and we will all love it just about the same as the simple things. Having been cooking on my own for a while now, I understand why this makes her nuts. To spend hours on a cake when everyone would rather eat the Shop Rite cookies…ugh!

Anyway, she gave me this recipe for chicken pasta and it has become a staple in our apartment. Jay’s #1 request…so I thought I would share since, at the end of the work day, who has 4 hours to make the food network version of recipes with 984 ingredients, when everyone loves the simple recipe just as much, if not more!

CHICKEN PASTA

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 lb chicken breast
2 cans cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup (i use one of each)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup parm
1 box ziti
Frozen broccoli (or frozen mix)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brown and dice the chicken in a deep pan (that has a lid)with a little oil & butter. I put some red pepper flakes on mine in the pan, let it brown, then dice in the pan.

2. While the chicken is browning, bring a pot of water to a boil for the ziti.

3. Once the chicken is browned, add the milk, parm, and soup. Stir it up, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.

4. Cover the chicken mix and let it simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

5. Cook the pasta for the recommended time on the box (normally 10 minutes). The last 3 minutes of the pasta cooking, add your frozen broc or frozen mix to the boiling pasta.

(so if it is 10 minute pasta time, after 7 minutes add the broc, return to boil for the remaining 3 minutes)

6. Drain the pasta/veg mix, and add to the simmering chicken/soup mix that has been cooking for 10 minutes (it’s ok if it has been longer)…

7. Now stir it alllllll up!

8. Top with the cheddar. The recipe says 1/2 cup…both my Mom and I are cheese liberal, I use at least a cup…probably more. Then cover so it melts on top (about 1 minute) and you are done! Look how delicious!!

That is it! Easy, delicious, happy. In an effort to be healthy I served ours with a little salad that I made (arugula, strawberries, parm, and homemade dressing)…

Beware, making this recipe will result in you making this recipe thousands of times because everyone loves it! Thanks Mom!

xo-j

Lately

March 18, 20132 Comments

Some pictures of life lately…

(he can dream)

(the boy)

(heaven at lure)

(duh…more food)

(hanging with my boys yesterday)

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

xo-j

tub

March 13, 2013March 17, 20132 Comments

Thank God for Jay…last night I brought Rondo back from daycare and didn’t notice anything weird on the walk home. But as soon as he ran in the door Jay immediately stopped him before he could jump all over our bed. Rondo rolled in I don’t even want to know what at daycare yesterday and he stunk! Before my jacket was even off we had him in the tub for a bath…look at the face…

If that isn’t the face of a dog who knows he did something wrong, I don’t know what is.

birthday party

March 11, 2013March 11, 20132 Comments

Well, the birthday is over and I made it out alive! I had such a great time on Friday and Saturday celebrating! Friday was a snowy mess! I ate way too many treats, went out with friends from work, and then came home and hung out with poor sick Jay. Saturday was my party at Spritzenhaus…what a great time! Thank you to everyone who came! I know Brooklyn isn’t always the easiest to get to and I really appreciate you all coming and partying the day away! Here are (way too many) pictures from the past couple days…and yes, all the food was mine and eaten within 48 hours…

(this is steve…my balloon animal. i loved him)

Again, thank you everyone for making 27 such a great birthday!

(T&L thank you for coming all the way from DC, you two are the best! I know how much you are dying to be thanked on this blog you love SO much Ty.)

xo-j

Tomorrow

March 7, 2013March 7, 20138 Comments

Tomorrow is my 27th birthday…and to be honest, I’m not all that thrilled. I know that 27 is young, but I can’t believe how close I am to 30. I’m as close to the age I started high school (which sometimes feels like yesterday) as I am to 40…ah!

So in the spirit of being an adult, whatever that means, I have made a list of 27 things that I want/need to do in my 27th year (and yes the entire list is me talking to myself)…

Get Healthy – I have to go to the gym…or at least take yoga. Ugh, I’m already not into it and I haven’t started. Have to change that attitude.
Disease – Just because you hear about a new disease on tv, or read about it on cnn, or sniffle, or have a pain in your arm, it doesn’t mean you are going to drop dead right? Yea, gotta work on telling myself that one.
Mean – I need to work on not being so mean to the people I love most. I have the tendency to overreact…big time.
Facebook– I have to delete people who bother me on there. Why do I allow myself to get so bothered by other people and what they are doing? I need to make less time for this type of junk in my life.
Cook – I have to start cooking more instead of ordering food out…we waste so much money on takeout.
Right – It has come to my attention I am not always right?! What?!
Read – Stop watching so much tvvvvvv!
Hobby – I have to get a hobby…something that I like/want to do. Even if it is knitting…idk, just something to do that is only for me.
Friends – I need to see all of you so much more.
Money – Apparently you can paint your nails at home?! I have to stop spending money I don’t have on manicures, lunch out, snacks…
Wake up! – Stop sleeping until 8 and pressing snooze 4 times…just get up!
Boozeeey – Probably don’t need to drink like I’m in college still on Saturday nights.
Fight nice – I have to work on how I fight with Jay…seriously. I need to learn to listen and not be so #3
New York – Stop whining about NYC and start loving it. I am always angry people aren’t walking fast enough, or moving the way I want them to, enjoy this city you are lucky to be in.
Little things – I have to pick my battles and let little things go. I don’t need to get so angry that the tourists want to take a picture of 30 rock when all I want to do is eat my lunch…I’ll get to lunch, even if it is 1 minute later, I’ll live.
Phone – I am glued to my phone. This has to stop. I don’t need to be looking at it all the time, or have it on the table at dinner.
Different things – Just because my friends want to do different things than me doesn’t mean what they are doing is wrong or not fun.
New things – Go do some of the things with friends that you don’t really want to do…I bet in the end it will be fun.
Green Juice/Dubstep/Quinoa – Stop getting so annoyed when people talk about these things and like them…who cares that they want to do a juice cleanse and instagram it? Let them live…no one is forcing you to like these things, so stop getting so annoyed by them.
Rondo – Walk him in the early morning and late at night…it sucks, but you have to do it or he is always going to think the pee pad is ok.
Cheerleader – Be a better cheerleader for everyone you love so much.
Breathe – Breathe more at work instead of freaking out and getting so frustrated. Take a breath and handle it.
Fruit – Eat more fruit. It sucks, but you have to eat more fruit.
Vitamins – Along with the fruit, get better about taking your stupid vitamins, it’s so easy!
Like/Just/Yolo – STOP saying these words
F.C.B.A.S. – Yea, you have to stop saying all the words those letters stand for so much too.
Be Happy – I’m young, love Jay, my family, Rondo, where I live, I have a great job, yet I can cry and whine like no other. Remember to be happy…

Alright there is my list, it was a lot to read and I doubt that anyone really cares except me. That list is for after my birthday though…Today I’m going to eat, curse, drink, and yell at all of you!

xo-j

cookie time

March 5, 2013Leave a comment

On Sunday I thought I was going to go nuts if I didn’t eat a cookie! I was too tired (ok, lazy) to bundle up and go buy cookies at the store…then I realized, I had everything I needed to make cookies at home. They were so easy, ready in about 20 minutes, and delicious!! You can find the easy recipe here. I skipped the nuts and added some cinnamon. Mmm…