Condo Makeover

Well, apparently I took the entire month of February off from blogging. Life has just gotten in the way, but I do have something to show for it!

Chris and I bought our condo!

The condo that we've lived in for the past year or so was available to purchase, so we took the leap and became homeowners. But with that, came the immediate desire to change absolutely everything about it.

We were so thankful then that my wonderful parents offered to fly out and help us for a long weekend!

The condo used to be very dark, with dark walls and mediocre lighting. Oh, and we can't possibly ignore the bamboo blinds.



We tackled the whole thing, ceiling to floorboards, with a brighter coat of paint. We then also installed all new lighting and blinds, and the result is incredible! It's like a whole new home!

A Twist on Italian Wedding Soup

The other night, I had a craving for Italian wedding soup, so I decided to make a new version of it using some ingredients I had on hand. The best part is that it had a familiar flavor, but also tasted completely unique! I didn't have parmesan cheese on hand, but what it lacked in cheese it more than made up with the flavorful sausage meatballs. And of course, it was super simple, perfect for a weeknight.

Turkey Sausage Meatball Soup

2 Spicy Turkey Italian Sausages
2 tbs olive oil
1 shallot, diced
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
10-15 crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 cups fresh spinach
4-5 cups chicken stock
1 cup short grain rice
Pepper to taste

Slice the sausages down the length of the casing. Unpeel the casing and discard it, leaving just the sausage meat.



Knead the meat together and roll it into tiny meatballs.



Drop the meatballs into boiling water to cook through fully, about 5 minutes.



Remove the meatballs and drain the liquid. To keep a little flavor, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid for the soup (optional).

In a pot, heat the olive oil, then add the chopped garlic and diced shallots. Stir until shallots soften. Next add the chicken stock and rice, as well as any reserved cooking liquid from the meatballs. My measurements here are a little vague because I added these ingredients to suit how much I wanted to make, so keep that in mind!

Bring the soup to a light boil for 5 minutes. Then, add the mushrooms and cook together until the rice is tender, about 5 more minutes. At the end, add the spinach and cook until it begins to darken and wilt, about 2 minutes.

Season with a dash of pepper. Serve with crusty toasted Italian bread.



Enjoy a quick, hearty weeknight soup!

Christmas Present for a Super Foodie

Well hello, gorgeous.

That's right, meet the newest member of my kitchen family!

My absolutely wonderful husband found this beauty for a steal - over $200 off! I've been wanting a Le Creuset for years but never could justify the expense, even for a present. But the stars aligned, he found it at a price we couldn't turn down, and I am now the proud owner of my very own Le Creuset!

Now what to make with it first??

Also, there's another member of our family who is also thrilled with the purchase, because that means he got a new box.



What are you wishing for this holiday season?

One-Pot Macaroni and Cheese

I was on Twitter for the first time in weeks the other day, and my good friend tweeted that she was about to make some groundbreaking mac and cheese that she had discovered on Pinterest. She said the outcome was pretty tasty, so I had to give it a try myself!

One-Pot Macaroni and Cheese
discovered on Pinterest, originally posted by White on Rice Couple

2 cups large elbow Macaroni, uncooked (about 1/2 lb)
2 cups low fat Milk (about 16 oz)
if needed, additional 1/4 cup milk or water for final cooking
1 tablespoon Butter, for flavor ( I tried this recipe once without the butter and I didn’t notice any difference with the recipe. More heart healthy!)
1/2 teaspoon Mustard powder
1 teaspoon Salt, plus additional for final season later
1 cup Grated Cheese, any one or combination of ( jack, cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, gouda, parmesan*, asiago*, pecorino*) *Hard cheeses are best combined with a secondary, softer, better melting cheese.
black pepper to taste (optional)

Place raw elbow macaroni in colander and quickly rinse under water. Let drain.

In medium sauce pan (about 3.5 qt), add milk, raw elbow macaroni, salt, butter, mustard powder and nutmeg.

On medium heat, slowly bring milk/macaroni mixture to a simmer, stirring the macaroni frequently as it comes up to a simmer. This will separate macaroni and keep them from sticking together. DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE! The milk mixture will come to a boil very quickly and leaving it unattended will leave a big mess on your stove top.



Once mixture comes to a simmer, immediately turn down heat to LOW. Macaroni will slowly cook in the milk. Having your heat too high will evaporate the milk too quickly! Cover and continue to stir the mixture every couple minutes so that macaroni will cook evenly and absorb milk evenly.

Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until milk has been fully absorbed. If macaroni is not cooked fully, add a little more milk or water to mixture (in small amounts) until macaroni is fully cooked. This will take about another 5 minutes.

When milk has evaporated, stir in grated cheese of your choice. I decided to use mozzarella and a medium-hard sheeps milk cheese for no other reason that that's what I had on hand at the time.

Stir the cheese evenly into the macaroni. Turn off heat and place lid on top of the pot and cover for about 5 minutes. This rest period will allow macaroni to plump up and absorb any excess milk.

Take a final taste and add additional salt to taste. Before serving, stir one final time to mix everything together.



My verdict? It's not the best mac and cheese I've ever had, but it's near the top of the list of mac and cheeses that I've made myself. And given how simple it was with just one pot, I definitely will be making it again, and will try some new cheese combinations!