Apr. 6 - Grilled cheese & broccoli

I think I'm making it slowly back into the land of the living, so I decided to give dinner a whirl. I figured a grilled cheese would probably be safe, so I split one with Luke (who not only gobbled up his half, but also a bowl full of tomato soup!). I didn't do any soup...not sure how the acidity of the tomatoes would work on my tummy...but I also made broccoli. I found a really delish recipe and thought I'd try that. I definitely recommend it - I often get a little tired of plain veggies and enjoy giving them a shot of flavor (with soy sauce, no less...I think it's my new favorite condiment).


Broccoli with Garlic Butter
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped salted cashews

Directions

1. Place the broccoli into a large pot with about 1 inch of water in the bottom. Bring to a boil, and cook for 7 minutes, or until tender but still crisp. Drain, and arrange broccoli on a serving platter.
2. While the broccoli is cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper and garlic. 
3. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. 
4. Mix in the cashews, and pour the sauce over the broccoli. Serve immediately.

Apr. 5 - NOTHING!

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I was a mess yesterday - I couldn't eat a single thing for fear it would all come back up again. Good news? I kick-started the diet again! Haha - at least I'm feeling better today.

Apr. 4 - Crab cakes, shrimp & mac-n-cheese

Happy belated Easter! It's taken me awhile to update the blog because I have been SUPER sick :( I started off Monday around 5:30 a.m. and didn't stop vomiting for 12 hours. I thought it was a stomach bug, but the boy came home around 6:30 that night and started feeling sick - he wasn't even around me long enough to catch a bug, so we're thinking we may have had food poisoning.

Anyhoo, on Easter we celebrated with my family, and my mama cooked crab cakes, grilled marinated shrimp, and macaroni and cheese. As always, it tasted fabulous! There's something about your mom's cooking that just always tastes good, don't you think? The crab cake recipe is the same as the one posted here. The marinated shrimp recipe is definitely worth trying!


Garlic & Herb Shrimp
Ingredients
2 teaspoons ground paprika
2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

1. Whisk the paprika, garlic, Italian seasoning, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, basil, and brown sugar in a bowl until thoroughly blended.
2. Stir in shrimp and toss to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, turning once.
3. Pan-fry or grill shrimp, draining and discarding excess marinade.

Apr. 3 - Crab Legs

Since Miss Linds is spending the weekend with Memma & Poppie, the boy and I figured we should make the crab legs so that we didn't have to share them with her - ha! Armed with about 4.5 lbs. worth of crab legs and instructions from Sarah as to how to make them, we made our first batch of crab legs at home ever. The boy wound up making them for the most part (Luke needed a bath after he projectile vomited his carrots from dinner - my fault for drinking a chocolate/peanut butter milkshake last night and then nursing throughout the day)...and they were great!

We had king crab legs, which were "spiney" and hurt my fingers like hell trying to get them opened (if I missed an easy way to avoid that, let me know - my fingers are still sore as I type), but they tasted so delicious. The only issue I had was that the shell was a bit rubbery...can't figure out if it was because they were overcooked, undercooked, refrigerated and then frozen, or what. It wasn't a big issue - we got the meat out, and that's all that mattered!

And what makes this occasion even more exciting is that I got to purchase my very first stock pot to cook them in! I also bought a nutcracker set, which I hadn't had before. New kitchen toys - yay! They were super easy to make - we boiled the water and a bottle of beer mixed together, tossed in the crab legs, and cooked them for 15 minutes. I recommend giving them a shot if you like crab meat!

Apr. 2 - Hersheypark!!

Friday was Hersheypark day!! Linds, Luke and I went with my little brother (Zach) and his girlfriend (Rachel). They were awesome sports - chasing after the kids all day, squeezing onto the itty bitty kiddie rides, putting up with the crazy crowds... and seemingly loved it all?! My kids ARE darling, but after an entire day of them, I can understand wanting to run the opposite direction - but not Uncle Zach & Aunt Rachel!

We ate at the park since we were there from 1 - 9 p.m. We debated what to eat and decided on good ol' Minetown Vittles - the ONLY place in the park where you can not only get a burger and fries, but also an ice cold beer. Rachel and Linds split a personal pizza, Zach and I each ate a bacon cheeseburger and Landsharks, and Luke ate a few of the french fries that the rest of us shared. We had such a fantastic time...I absolutely love spending time with my little brother and his girlfriend...and watching the kids' have a blast on the rides was priceless. I always laughed at my mom for saying her favorite part of a trip to Hersheypark was seeing us have fun, but now I know EXACTLY what she meant. I guess that makes me a true mom!

Apr. 1 - Burgers, Macaroni Salad & Beans

The kiddos and I planned to go to Hersheypark on Friday, so we decided to head up to my parents' house Thursday night and spend the night so we could sleep in a little since they're closer. Mom had been in Exton visiting my sister last weekend and picked up some of their AMAZING bleu cheese burgers (YUM!), so she grilled those up for my brother, dad and the two of us, with some Nathan's hot dogs for the kids. She also had some baked beans and this scrumptious macaroni salad that she makes. It's very reminiscent of my Nana's macaroni salad, which, sadly, no one was ever able to get out of her before she passed away.

Creamy Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
1 lb.elbow macaroni
3 or 4 stalks of celery
1 or 2 small carrots
4 hard boiled eggs
1 small onion
2 cups mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vinegar

Directions

1. Chop celery and onion and eggs; grate and chop carrots. Set aside.
2. Cook macaroni according to package directions.
3. Combine mayonnaise and sugar. Beat well. Add vinegar.
4. Add hot drained macaroni and all other ingredients. 
5. Chill overnight. 

 With this one, it's very important to make sure the macaroni is added while hot. It will also be runny when first combined. After it sets overnight, however, it will be thick and creamy. Enjoy!