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Monthly Archives: July 2012

Baked Penne

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Well HEY there! Didn’t think I would be posting again so quick eh? Tonight’s dinner was another new dish. We don’t eat a lot of pasta however I was drooling when I saw this dish. By looking at the photo, It reminds me much of baked ziti except this dish has a few twist and turns. Plus, I have really been wanting to use the Philadelphia Cooking Creme.

Source: plainchicken.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

Baked Penne

Ingredients:
1/2 lb of ground beef or ground sausage
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
24oz Spaghetti sauce
1 tub of Philadelphia cooking creme ( Italian Cheese and Herb )
1 cup of mozzerella cheese, divided
3 cups cooked penne pasta ( 1 1/2 cups of dry pasta )

Brown your choice of meat with the chopped vegetables. Stir in spaghetti sauce, 3/4 of cooking creme, and 1/2 cup mozzerella. Stir until mozzerella is melted ( 2-3 minutes ). Add your cooked pasta. Pour mixutre into a casserole dish. Top with remaining creme and mozzerella.Cover and bake for about 20 minutes ( uncover after 15 minutes ).

Voila..You have baked penne.

okay okay . . . so this dish is not my favorite, didnt really tickle my fancy. Its another EASY recipe. Great for on the go moms when they need to prep dinner prior to cooking them. Its also good for picky eaters, just remove everything they wont eat. Anyone can become very creative with this dish ( use meatballs, chicken, all veggies ). Try it! I hope you enjoy it more than I did.

Baked Italian Chicken

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I told you I had a few new recipes to try this week…Here is my first one! Several people pinned this recipe on pinterest however the recipe is not linked to a website to give any one person the credit ;0)

Source: via Kimberly on Pinterest

Recipe as follows:

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 degrees

4-6 chicken breast ( I am only cooking for 2, so I did 2breast )

Red potatoes

Green Veggie ( the recipe actually states green beans or broccoli, canned or fresh; I used canned green beans drained)

1 packet of dry Italian seasoning

Melted stick of butter ( I used 1/2 stick, olive oil is probably healthier )

Salt and Pepper as needed

Bake for 1 hour ( I did 45 minutes since I only had 2 breast )

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Of course I had to keep my veggies separate so they didnt touch the other food… The little things I do for my picky eater :)

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Its definitely something to try. We both thought it was pretty bland, nothing special. If your looking for something easy to throw together and go, this is it! I am sure you could even make ahead minus the butter…maybe use chicken stock instead ( also healthier alternative ) . Check back this week for more first time recipes !

Whats been shakin’ bacon ?

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It seems like I have been busy for quiet some time the past couple of days. well…I can’t say busy just haven’t really had time to blog. Frankly I haven’t had much to blog about..

Summer TV has started which consumes alot of my down time when I am not working or running… Its a horrible thing I know. The Bachelor Pad, BIG BROTHER, Breaking Bad, True Blood, Americas Got Talent, and of course the Olympics. Speaking of the Olympics, am I the only one that was not impressed by the opening ceremonies? For all the hype, it was just not great to me. It especially T’d me off when all of the Olympic athletes were being introduced and they were more concerned with tweeting, facebooking and taking photos rather than absorbing this moment of there life. Whatever!

About that running thing… So you already know how my race went. . . I changed my running pattern to afternoons since I am running by myself now. I will admit I am to scared to run at 5:00am by myself. Oh, Em, Gee, It is scorching hot outside. Most people say that the heat does not affect the run, damn if it does. It really slows me down, and at 1.5 miles I am drenched in sweat. I was embarrassed on Tuesday bc I was sweating so bad it looked as if I peed my pants. Of course, every car in Lake Mary had to pass by me. I even had some one honk their horn { oh no ! }.

Last time we went to Tallahassee, My mother decided to not nonchalantly tell me my father was diagnosed with melanoma on his chest and back. Thanks Mom ! He did have surgery this Friday to have these areas removed. My understanding was that the front was pretty large. Its hard getting accurate information living away from home, however my mom is keeping me well up to date as best as she can. However, my dad is doing well, sleeping a lot, on the road for good recover. Now we just cross our fingers and pray its all been removed.

Yesterday we decided to have a BBQ and friends over to play in the pool. The water was 89 degrees!!!!!!! Not refreshing at ALL. Lola always gets to play in the pool and becomes very very very sore the next day, almost lethargic-like. I always feel like a horrible mother the next day. I actually got to try some very interesting sausage, one link was made with crawfish and the other was shrimp. Different but Good.

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This week I am making several new recipes, I cannot wait to share them. My mouth waters just thinking about them. We also have our engagement photo session this afternoon. I am kind of nervous about it . I have no idea why. I just am! Our photographer is doing some work in the St. Augustine area for the summer, and I suggested us going to him to take photos. I hear St. Augustine is pretty. I have never been.

Hopefully we will have engagement photos to share with you soon! Happy Sunday !

The Blogger 411; All you need to know about me LINK UP

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1. How long have you been blogging? And what got you started on blogging? Has your blog changed? I believe I started blogging in January of this year. I was actually inspired by my friend Melissa to start blogging. I would say my blog has changed. As my life continues to develop and unfold, I have more to write about.
2. Did you go to college? If so where, and what did you study? Why yes I did . I went Tallahassee Community College and studied dental hygiene. I have been a dental hygienist for over 2 years now. Woah, does time fly. I am currently enrolled to get my bachelors degree.
3. Where have you traveled? California , Tennessee, Washington D.C, Aruba, and several place in my home state of Florida :0)
4. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would buy? That is easy, our boat !
5. What is your favorite movie? I have several BUT my ALL time favorite is Fried Green Tomatoes.
6. What is your drink of choice; wine, beer, or liquor. Or Water, Soda, Tea? I drink it all . My favorite wine is a Cabernet Sav, My favorite Liquor drink is a Margarita with a VERY SALTY RIM, and any ice cold beer is pretty much okay with me. My favorite soda is DIET COKE. and I like unsweetened ice tea ( so odd for a southern girl , I know)

7. What is something you enjoy to do when you have me time? Singing at the top of my lungs like I am Kelly Clarkson.
8. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be? Ann Taylor
9. Share with us an embarrassing moment of your past? Or present. I have several. Do we have to go there?
10. What day would you love to relive again? The day my best friend asked me to marry him !
11. What are the jobs you had in high school/college/the early years? Lets see.. My very first job was at the cookie place in the mall. I worked at a car dealership for SEVERAL years. I was a waitress then became a sales coordinator for the same restaurant, and then I moved on to the dental field.
12. If you could travel anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go? Bora Bora … No questions about it. I want to go here on our honeymoon.
13. Show us the most current picture of you or you, or your family, or anything of meaning to you. FAMILY IS MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ME.


14. Where do you see your life 5 years from now? In nine months we are getting hitched. I want to have 2 kids, work part time in my career as a dental hygienist and be family focused ! We can all envision what we want our life to be in 5 years, however it can be completely different than how we expect it

Choc-Oreo-Nies

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I am sure you are wondering what in the world are chocoreonies ? Okay okay so I sort of made that name up however I can not claim I came up with this super sweet dessert !

Chocoreonies : (n) a combination of CHOCOlate chip cookie dough, oREOs, and browNIES!

See below for this yummy recipe I found on pinterest !

Source: kevinandamanda.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

INGREDIENTS:

I used the pre-made cookie dough, but if you would like to make your own go right ahead.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1 pkg Double Stuffed Oreos
1 Family Size (9×13) Brownie mix
1/4 cup hot fudge topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For homemade cookie dough:

Cream the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well to thoroughly combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt, then slowly incorporate into the mixer until the flour is just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread the cookie dough in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish that’s been lined with wax paper and sprayed with cooking spray.

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Top with a layer of Oreos.

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Mix together brownie mix, adding an optional 1/4 cup of hot fudge topping to the mix. Pour the brownie batter over the cookie dough and Oreos.

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Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for an additional 15-25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting — brownies may still be gooey in the middle when still warm, but will set up perfectly once cooled.

Enjoy!!

BEWARE…. this is a REAL SWEET TREAT.

Race results

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I am sure you have been sitting on the edge of your chairs, sweating and waiting on my result post ! NOT! Sorry to keep you waiting!

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So about the 5k… I was a little upset with my self. After several weeks of training I did walk about 10-20 seconds, but that was it! It actually was more painful to walk instead of run!

I was petty t’d off because we ran on red brick roads! Word to runners in training . . . It’s a pain ! It hurts! And it’s slows you down (slightly)! I ended up jumping onto the grass to make it easier on myself and my shin splints- I ran on the grass alot through training. It does help !

I was anxious as it was but to make this experience even more dramatic it was scheduled at 6:30 at night! Who schedules a race, in Florida, at 6:30 PM??? The obvious issue is that it was
Hotter than hell, humid and on top of those annoying florida traits …it RAINED!!! It is kind of an expected thing here on a summer afternoon… Right?

Anyways… I ran a 5k, barely walking and I was 3:40 seconds over my goal. Oh well ! My finish time was 33:40 ! Not horrible but not great either! For a ‘first’ 5k, not going to break myself down ! After all, I am already signed up for another race in 2 weeks! GO ME!

60 days, a birthday and a race!

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Today is my Dads birthday! While I won’t say how old… Oops ! I mean young he is ;0) I will say that I hope he has the best day ever!!! Happy Birthday Dad !

Today also marks 60 days since I have stopped biting my nails ! Yay for me ! Last weekend I actually had to go get some tools to cut and shape my nails ! It took me awhile to do and get used to but I did it ! It was my first time
I ever had to cut my nails ! Yippee !!!

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I am getting excited for tomorrow , race day! I picked up my race day gear yesterday ! Wah-hoo ! Tuesday morning I ran over 3 miles and today I am taking a break getting ready for tomorrow !

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Happy Wednesday !

Cinnamon Toast Crunch CUPCAKES…

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Oh yes I did…. I pulled out the inner fat kid and made some delicious cupcakes. Of course this recipe was hidden among my other 174 pinterest food pins. What can I say, I truly love to cook and bake anything. It was my neighbors birthday this week, since she has been on vacation we have not been able to celebrate. When she gets home she will have some fun, crunchy, sweet cupcakes waiting on her !

Source: bsinthekitchen.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

I really did not stick with the recipe connected to the pinned photo above. Here is the {Semi-Homemade} recipe I used. They cupcakes came out so moist and PERFECT

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cupcakes. . .

Cinnamon Cupcake :

3 Eggs
1/3 Cup oil ( I used canola oil )
3/4 Cup Buttermilk
1Teasoon Vanilla Extract
3/4 Cup Sour Cream
Vanilla Cake Mix
1 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
 

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Buttercream Icing:

8 oz cream cheese, Softened
1/2 Cup butter, Softened ( I used salted )
1 Teaspoon vanilla
3 Cups powdered sugar
2/3 Cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch Powder
    - crush cinnamon toast crunch cereal in a bag or food processor. Sift out 2/3 cup )
 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line muffin pans with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix in sour cream.

Add cake mix and cinnamon into the wet ingredients, mix until smooth.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 15-18 minutes. I baked at 17 minutes and they came out perfect after they cooled.

For the icing: beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Adding powdered cereal. Add vanilla and powederd sugar. If your consistency becomes to thick, use milk to thin out to your liking.

Pipe onto cupcakes as desired. Top with cereal square.

ENJOY !!!!

 
 


 

It’s race week!

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( photo courtesy of google images)

Tomorrow marks 4 days leading up to my actual race day…July 12! I am keeping up with training! Currently I am running ( no walking!!!) 2.65 miles at 25 minutes !

A lot of experienced runners may laugh at my short distance of 2.56 miles however, I think of it as an accomplishment for myself! Never have I ran this much consecutively with out walking ! My time is also not bad , but it’s also not great ! I am happy with it ! Tomorrow I will step it up by running 28 minutes with no walking for three days, finishing thursday with 30 minutes! I will admit I nervous and hope the adrenalin can help push me through !

Think I am done after that ? Not a chance! Although running is not my favorite thing in the entire world , I am going to continue running local 5ks and continue training during the weeks! Don’t forget I am a bride to be! I need to be get in shape ;0)

Happy Weekend!