Back to Work!

I finally have some wonderful news that I can share with everyone! After 9 long months of searching and searching and giving up and searching some more, I've accepted a position I was really, really hoping I would be offered! I will be working full-time at the front desk for a wellness center close to where we live. I sent an application for this position about a month ago, and then had a first round, then a second round interview two weeks ago and hadn't heard anything! Two days ago I got a phone call asking for another reference because one of mine was on sabbatical. Today I heard from one of my references saying she was contacted, and then later I was called and offered the position! It is all pending a physical I need to take on Monday, but I am not worried a bit about that :o) I have to complete 25 hours of training right away and then I will know more details. I just wanted to share this news with the world! I am so happy right now, and it is such a good feeling after waiting for so long. I am glad nothing else worked out because out of all the positions I've interviewed for and applied for, this is the one I think will make the biggest impact on my life. I changed my whole life around and it will be thrilling knowing I am helping others reach their healthiest lifestyles!

Stuffed Peppers

Without a doubt, stuffed peppers are one of the favorite meals in our home. They're delicious and pretty simple to make. The prep work is a bit tedious and I hate waiting for rice to cook, but you will love this recipe. Ryan made stuffed peppers with just the sausage and rice and I ended up adding the scallions, chives and cream cheese, and we both agree it gives it something it was lacking. I made these ones with red peppers because they were on sale at our farmer's market, but normally I think they taste best with orange. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Stuffed Peppers

2 orange peppers

3-4 scallions, chopped

1/8-1/4 cup chives, chopped

3/4 pound sweet sausage

5 oz. bag Vigo yellow rice

6 oz. cream cheese

shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil.

Cook the rice according to the package directions and brown the sausage. 

This is the best rice I've found!

Wash and cut peppers in half, removing the seeds and then place on a grill press. Allow the peppers to grill while the rice is cooking and sausage is browning.

Chop the scallions and chives and let cream cheese soften.

 

Drain the oil from the sausage and combine with the cooked rice. Add the cream cheese, scallions and chives. Mix together.

 

Place peppers cut side up on the foil lined cookie sheet. Stuff each pepper with the sausage and rice mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top if desired.

 

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Makes 4-6 stuffed half peppers.

Creamy Garlic Pasta

One of my favorite things in the whole wide world is garlic. I seriously am in love with garlic in everything. It's strange, but for awhile garlic would really mess up my stomach. I couldn't eat any alfredo or even the breadsticks from the Olive Garden would have me bent over ready to cry from the stomach cramps garlic gave me. But I thank God every single day that I no longer have that problem, because I go through about a bulb and a half a week easily while making dinners. It's great in everything. Yep, I hope vampires aren't real and if they are that I never become one. 

For quite awhile I've been trying to make a really garlicky pasta. I've probably tried about 5 different ways of doing this and it never turns out right. Ryan and I will take a bite and then look at each other, and I'll go to the freezer to defrost a bag of spaghetti sauce to dump on whatever I've tried to create. They just haven't had that good, rich, garlic taste that I desperately want to be able to make at home. I came across a recipe for a garlic pasta on Pinterest and figured I'd give it a shot. I am so glad I did. It had a really bold, strong garlic taste and I loved it. I was texting my friend Carrie as I was making it and she was saying how her husband loves garlic and she needed the recipe if it turned out okay. Well, here it is Carrie! I hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did. This will now be on rotation in our home :o)

Creamy Garlic Pasta (Serves 3-4)

(adapted from The Cheese Pusher)

2 tbsp olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced (it called originally for 4...you knew I was doing more)
2 tbsp butter
pinch salt
½ tsp pepper
3 cups chicken stock (Giant Eagle Organic is really good. Only 20 cal. per cup!)
½ lb farfalle pasta
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (buy the expensive one, it's worth it)
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp chopped chives

In a pot, bring the olive oil to medium-low heat. 

Add the garlic and stir, allowing it to cook for 1-2 minutes. 

Mix in the butter until melted. 

Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and let it come to a boil. 

Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook until almost all of the chicken stock has cooked off. I didn't know this would happen, but you will end up with no chicken stock left. Do not drain.

Reduce the stove to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and chives. Serve immediately.

I sprinkled some crumbled bacon on top. If you don't serve this immediately, the cheese starts to harden again and it's not as good. Ryan and I decided that next time I'll get a mixture of mushrooms to add and some grilled shrimp to add on top. But, it was really good even without the improvements I want to make. I can't wait to have it again!  

Zucchini Bread with Salted Caramel Frosting

I hate summer. Even as a kid I hated it. I hate the heat, humidity, bugs, sweating....I could go on and on. And since I didn't grow up with a pool, going to the pool isn't something I really care to do at all. I am perfectly happy sitting in my air-conditioned 67 degrees cool house, sipping iced coffee and doing non-summer things. Baking. Cooking. Reading. Shopping. The usual things I enjoy. And most people are like, "Oh, I just love working out in the summer outside!" I hate those people. They either can tolerate the heat or they're full of shit. I prefer working out indoors, preferably in an air-conditioned environment. Since this is pretty much the hottest summer I can remember in a long time, I also have no tan. Ryan thinks it's ridiculous because the last two years when I worked as a nanny, I spent pretty much every day at the pool with the kids (which I hated. I spend all that money on highlights and then the sun and chlorine strip my hair. No thanks.) I also figured since I spend a small fortune on anti-aging products, it doesn't make sense to slather amino peptides on my face each night and wear moisturizers with at least 15 SPF then bake my face in the sun. So I've been avoiding it like the plague. 

Fortunately, that gives me lots of time to do stuff inside I really enjoy doing. Like making Salted Caramel Frosting and icing yummy things with it licking it off my fingers and eating it by the spoonful. Fortunately for you, my dear friends, I'm going to post the recipe! I'm not gonna lie. This stuff is amazing. If you make it, it will be gone. It was so tempting just not to eat the caramel by itself.

One of the few, few, few things I like about summer is the bountiful zucchini. I have zucchini coming out my ears. And I LOVE it. We have been eating zucchini about 43 different ways in the past three weeks. One of my favorite ways is just straight sauteed with some garlic. Ryan and I also love zucchini bread, and I made two loaves of it the other day. I had some salted caramel frosting left over from a cake and slapped some on top. Oh baby. I now need to make more zucchini bread and frosting. If you make this, be prepared to need to make about a batch a week. It's a bit time consuming but so worth it. Enjoy!

Salted Caramel

(adapted from Life on Blackberry Farm)

1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons corn syrup (light Karo worked great)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine the sugar, water, and the corn syrup in a large saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
 

Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
 

After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
 

*Do not stir from this point on, but instead swirl the liquid around the pan so that the caramel doesn’t burn.* (This is the tricky part. Use an oven mitt to hold the handle of one side of the saucepan)
 

Continue to cook until the caramel turns an amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds. It honestly took forever. I was wondering if I was doing something wrong. Just keep swirling. It will get there.
 

Pour 1/2 cup heavy cream into the mixture. The mixture will bubble up significantly and is very hot.
 

Stir the mixture.Add the butter, lemon juice, and salt. Stir until combined.

There's your salted caramel. Let it cool and it is amazing, especially over ice cream.

Salted Caramel Frosting

Set aside 1 cup of the salted caramel. 

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachement, combine 2 sticks of butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese (both softened). 

Beat until creamy. Add 3-4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar. Do this slowly and without the mixer running or you will have a mess. Add just a bit at a time. 

Once combined, add the 1 cup of salted caramel. 

Add more confectioner's sugar to get the right consistency. I feel like I had to add A LOT of powdered sugar. Next time I will let my salted caramel cool more, but I couldn't wait!

It was about 97 when I made this frosting last week, and I used it to make a 4 layer chocolate cake. The humidity and heat killed my icing and it wouldn't stay stiff, so I didn't take any pictures. However, I did snap a shot of the icing on zucchini bread that I was eating for breakfast a few mornings ago!

Trip to Germany

 First, an apology to everyone who reads my blog. Just as I thought I would seriously get my butt back into blogging on a semi-regular basis, my mom and I had to make an emergency trip to Germany. My grandma was visiting her relatives with my uncle and his family, when she collapsed at the airport. She ended up spending 10 days in the hospital in Frankfurt with a pulmonary embolism. It was then discovered she had blood clots in her legs and she wasn't cleared to fly home with the rest of the family. Since I have yet to find a job and my mom only works one day a week, her and I flew over on June 23 and returned home on July 1. Here are a few photos from our trip! Because of my grandma's condition, we were unable to do any traveling and sight-seeing, but we stayed with the most amazing family members (Hi Guenther and Christel!) and had a wonderful time.

Friedberg Castle

Strausel & Lilli. I was obsessed.

Part of the Budegen Castle. Beautiful.

haha, this was our car! a lime green Ford Fiesta. I was surprised- this little pea had green giant pep on the autobahn.