Ode to the Yellow Stove

Howdy folks! Guess.... Whose... Back?!

Why yes, that'd be me... ready to bring you my latest culinary adventures galore!

We had ourselves a fantastic week of catchin' up the greatest, the best, the most missed friend we have venturing his way to home in good ol' Indy!

Circa January 2012

We met up with him at a local place called MacNiven's Restaurant and Bar on the hip and constantly growing Mass Ave.! Definitely a place to see downtown if you visit Indy! Plus some of his family joined, and come later in the evening, some of mi familia! HOLLLLA! ;)

Sorry, my talking and insistent use of the drink specialty book as a personal fan took over my picture takin', but I did manage to catch a pic' of a much need to-make-ASAP menu item the bar we met up in was offering!... We had already eaten so this was way-too-much for almost 9pm, but perhaps we'll be back soon! ;)

Seriously! How unbelievably good does this sound?!

Nonetheless, we were there for the much talked about brewskies :)

The night followed us the beautiful Rathskeller's Biergarten, which naturally began raining about ~5 minutes after getting our drinks..... So a mash-pit to the the inside began as we sipped, talked, dried off, etc.

I missed him from the day he moved away from the day he last visited... and then some! Alex and I are not bar hoppin' kinda peeps, just you're old married couple stuck in their 20's but for the one and only BFF, we made an exception :)

So, while blogging has been largely ignored as I've been seeing more of openly scary wires & delivery/repair-men... Cooking has been condensed to take out, smoothies, take out, salad, take out, PBJ's, and did I mention take out?! Such a horribly bad combo mixed with the post-vacation hopes to eat light and de-combust before I blow into a tiny million pieces.

But lookie what finally arrived just before I went out of my mind was gettin' antsy for an actual home COOKED meal...

Ain't she perdy?!

And WOOOOOOT for fresh veggies from the garden!

... And to be used in just a bit! Two thumbs up!

 

Let's get cookin' peeps!... but before that, let me share our last meal made with our eye-blinding yellow stove!

Four Cheese Pasta

Serves 4-6

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

In the line up for the Homemade Marinara!

12 ounces of Quorn ground "beef"/grounds

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 minced yellow onion, small-medium sized
2-3 teaspoons minced garlic

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 small carrot, finely chopped

1/2 green onion, finely chopped

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 dried bay leaf

Coach's Orders!

1. Heat the oil on medium to medium/high heat, and chop the veggies while waiting for oil to heat up.

2. Add the diced onions and minced garlic and sauté until onions are translucent, about 4-6 minutes (again, this stove had a total mind of its own!)

3. Be sure to not burn the garlic, so once onions and garlic are beginning to look cooked, add celery, carrots, and peppers.

4. Once the veggies are tender, add the "beef" grounds and mix with the flava's of the veggies to start moldin' all the flava's together.  Stir for and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Turn down the heat if necessary. 

4. To round' out the sauce, add the crushed tomatoes and spices, then stir to combine.  Turn down the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30-60 minutes.  If you want a thicker sauce, roughly chop the veggies, and a thinner sauce, mince the veggies to get a more consistent sauce.  I like mine a bit choppy :)

Feel free to make the sauce ahead o' time or even in a slow cooker, then re-heat when you're ready to prep this beauty of a dish! So let's get rollin'...

In the order for the Four Cheese Pasta!

2 cups water
1 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon oregano

8-12 ounces penne (or short length pasta)

1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons shredded romano cheese

Coach's Orders!

1. In the same medium/large sized skillet you made/heated up the homemade marinara sauce, add the 2 cups water and bring a subtle boil. 

2. Once the sauce is bubblin', add the uncooked pasta and stir to combine and cook until al dente.  Make sure to not overcook!

CONFESSION: I am horribly guilty of doing this all too often... WHOOPS!

3. When the pasta is plump and al dente, turn off heat and add THEE CHEEEEEEESES!

Don't worry if your mourth starts watering here, it's totally natural! ;)

4. Stir em' all up together with the pasta/marinara mix and then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese on top and prop it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.... and get-your-forks-ready!

I chose to top mine with some fresh basil & a wee-bit extra ricotta and let's dig in ma' friends!

Even meat-eating mouth's are watering, aren't cha'?!... Don't be shy!

Love the very subtle crunch of the pasta from the last minute broil and the variety of cheeses in this dish! Seconds pah-please!

 Glad we left the hated beloved yellow stove with a DELISH dish to remember it... with it's barely 2 out of 4 workin' burners....

Sorry yellow stove, you are not missed, just gotta' be honest now folks!

Enjoy ma' friends... and why yes, I'm still off to watch more Gilmore Girls cause' I'm an odd creature of habit that falls back of my regular shows in the interim waitin' for my new shows to come back COUGH: Mad Men/Law & Order: SVU/Parenthood: COUGH!

Perhaps some of those are just as shameful, but what can I say, I love what I love! No shame ;)

PS: Don't forget to enter my Quorn giveaway while it lasts and your chance to make this dish for almost free! FTW!

I thought I could do this.... + A GIVEAWAY!

Happy #MeatlessMonday ma' blog-a-licious friends!

Sorry I've been crazily MIA since my vacation recap, but there has been no cooking done in our house since we got home... EEK! But with only the best intentions gone astray...

 We returned to Indy, happy to cuddle up with our furry kiddos and still spoiled by the luxury beach house we stayed in at Nag's Head with a kitchen made for a King leaving us wanting to change every-little-thing-in-our-house, even though we know it's our "starter" home!

Insert our immediate discussion and decision to GET RID OF THE UGLY YELLOW STOVE with only 2/4 working burners that have been drivin' me nutty!

Truth be told, we LOVED this kitchen and was honestly our house huntin' deal for how much counter space it has compared to 99% of homes (big & small) in our area... especiallllllly after being cramped in the tiniest apartment kitchen for far too long!

However, with space also came decor that left me hard to imagine anything different than something my great grandma's would have excitedly bought at an antique shop :\

Let's just see for ourselves shall we...

Just call me Gran-ma'

Yellow daisy wallpaper, which we have since removed & painted, yellow countertops, yellow stove, and awful Hi-I'm-circa-1970 flooring....

So we were on a mission! taking advantage of Lowe's Labor Day specials they had goin' on to start flippin' this kitchen into a circa I've-actually-seen-past-2000 era space! New hybrid grill, new stove, new over the range microwave -- WOOT!

However, some hubby pre-work was required to remove the current fan and some almost useless cabinets to fit aforementioned microwave... which ended up creating this:

Alex: Hunny, don't be alarmed when you walk past the kitchen, it's all under control!

........

**insert a boom followed by a loud sparking noise**

Me: Hunny, is everything okay?!?!

Alex: ..... Ummmmm..... Yeeahhhh?

.... I thought I could do this....

Actualllllllly, um NO was the correct answer and the loud sparking noise was a "mini" electrical explosion from removing the oven fan/over the range which resulted in me exclaiming:

 OKAY, we're calling a professional babe!!!!!!

.... So we've been waiting for Lowe's to come with our new, long awaited appliances to install sans electrocuting ourselves or burning our house down... thus, not very much cookin' goin' on up in this house!

However, THE-SHOW-MUST-GO-ON ;)

So for this Meatless Monday, let's kick off the week with a long-awaited #Quorn GIVEAWAY for a free supply of any Quorn product for you to try!

Enter now to win and stay tuned for post-oven-explosion meals!

Check out all of their product options here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


You have one week to enter with the options above and I'll announce the winner on Tues. 9/17

GOOD LUCK Everybody circa Backstreet Boys 1997 style! ;)

I'm off to watch some Gilmore Girls.... for the millionth time... Yes, I know! I know! Alex is rollin' his eyes as I type!

Vacation RECAP!

Surf's up everyone! ;)

Did you follow me on Instagram to see some tidbits of the shenanigans from our long awaited #vacation?!

Oh the ocean, how we miss thee!... but nonetheless, all good things must come to an end and we have returned from Nags Head, NC enjoying the beaches of the Outer Banks to celebrate my sister and brother-in-law's safe return from the Peace Corps and 3 1/2 year wedding anniversary... beach-side style!

SO.EXCITED.TO.SEE.THEM!

Since I'm more-than-incredibly afraid of flying the nearest airport was 2 hours away, most of our family opted to drive the 14 hours, split up by stopping in Richmond, VA first and then headin' in or headin' home!

So, let's hit the road folks!

Off we went, car stuffed full, dogs dropped off with our generous cousin who took great care of them (THANKS JUSTIN!), Alex's interesting chex mix blend in toe that we devoured on the trip down... SLURP, SLURP!

Meanwhile, I was on a mission to get all the state signs as we drove... and utterly failed with only capturing West Virginia crossing a beautiful blue bridge... why aren't more bridges blue?! For reals, so pretty!

And stopped along the way to stretch our legs and enjoy some scenic views and rest stops before the sun went down as we headed into Virginia!

I was feelin' pretty good with about the 2-hours-left... I usually HATE being a passenger, but I was A-OKAY this ride!

We woke up the next morning in Richmond to drive the rest of the way to Nags Head and get our feet in that sand... STAT!

My little dare-devil ;)

I see..... OCEAN!!!!!

Enjoying the breeze at a rest stop just outside of Nags Head! 

Spotted our first SAND DUNES on the way onto the island!

Welcome to Nag's Head!!!!

First day was really hectic with driving 4 hours into the island, but once we arrived, let the games begin!

1) Smell the ocean, 2) Feel the sand, 3) Pop open a beer... not particularly in that order ;)

      BEER IN THE HAND, FEET IN THE SAND!

CHECK!

Now things are pickin' up as 15+ people unload their cars and stuff, find their rooms in this maze of a house, get things ready for White Night: Wine & Dine and then get ready ourselves so it didn't look like we all were pulled out of a drain...

Enter casa partay-town!

 

Private beach entrance... FTW!

Time to start Night 1 festivities!

Let's wine and dine people!... or more like take long-overdue family pictures before it's too late, then stuff our faces with food followed by a lot bit of whiskey...

All 5 of us finally reunited after 3+ years! WOOT!... It's family time peeps!... Bring on the wine now ;)

Over the past 3 1/2 years, 5 became 7... soon to be 8 siblings! =)

Doesn't Mike look so excited for the extra testosterone?!... Welcome to the family fellas!

Before we stuff our faces... Time for a toast from and to the couple of the week!

Commence chow time!

My veggie plate loaded with pureed sweet potatoes, summer orzo pasta, mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette and a tomato, mozzarella and pesto sandwich on ciabatta bread! 

SLURP!... More pah-please!

Served with wine.... naturally!

Let the partay begin... Ya' can't be with my sista's until you're ready to laugh until ya' cry... seriously! 

Quality sister and hubby time ya'll!

I <3 these ladies like none other :)

....Are we ready for day 2 yet? ;)

Up and at em' ready for Sunday brunch for 60+ people, with a view that's hard to beat!

A delicious #vegetarian brunch with a slice of asparagus & roasted red pepper frittata, spinach, artichoke & sun-dried tomato quiche, a side salad and mixed fruit!

Next came pool time with family and friends... and my desperate attempt to not look like Caspar the friendly Ghost!... that's a losing battle for me.

Then Black Night rolls around: Beer, Bourbon & BBQ!

Time to rally folks ;)

More family lovin'!... We clean up nice eh?!

Then... more chow time!

My delicious #veggie plate of more summer orzo pasta, potato salad and cole slaw slathered in North Carolina BBQ on a slider bun! More YUM!

Sunday night was quieter since most of the friends had either left already or were leavin' early Monday mornin' so the shenanigans were kept at bay we'll say ;)

Monday was another beauty, and as our family does best: hydrate, rest, relax, enjoy the ocean breeze..... 

 Then it's time to play ball!....of some sort, thus...

BOCCHI BALL IT IS!

 

We didn't skip a beat with meals on this vacation.... 

LUNCHTIME!

My veggie plate of a #Morningstar veggie dog (SO GOOD!) topped with leftover slaw and BBQ sauce... LURV this!... and let's not forget the DE-LISH side of potato salad (kicked up with some extra seasoning) and a side salad!

.. And back to the beach we go!... and never too far from the house for the often occasional beer run ;)

Dinner was made by my sister's in-laws and I'm tellin' ya... WHAT-A-DARN-GOOD-MEAL they made!

Chicken Piccata over Angel Hair Pasta -- so perfectly beach and summer-like!... And they so nicely substituted my plate sans Chicken with a Quorn Chik'n Cutlet (this is a must re-create at home dish, ASAP!) and it was AH-MAY-ZING! Served with a side of grilled zucchini, squash and eggplant slices, fresh tomatoes in balsamic vinegar and baked crostini's topped with goat cheese and roasted red peppers.  

Did we just enter food heaven?!

Why yes... I think we did =)

The rest of the week was FAMILY TIME on steroids... AKA... the best kind there is!

The athlete of our family, Christine, rallied us one by one from just throwin' the frisbee around to a full on sibling ultimate frisbee game that began with probably the best moment of the entire vacation...

After givin' my mom a hard time for insisting on family pictures while we're awkwardly mid-bite and finally all siblings have assembled to strategize teams for ultimate frisbee while she continues to play bocchi ball without takin' any pictures... She hauls herself over to the field, camera in hand ready to take video (oh yes, Christine made a sand FIELD my friends.. I told ya', she we don't play around!)

Conrad yells, "LET'S GO" and throws it to our team... but the wind had a better idea...

All 4 of my team are lookin' up, waitin' to see whose best to catch it and start this game a-goin' and KERPLUNK!.... Wind take holds and my dear bystander mom gets nailed with the frisbee while all 5 of her oh-so-loving children fall to the ground laughin' so hard I'm pretty sure I'm covered on any ab workout for the next century... and the nice son-in-law's ask if she's okay naturally!

Sorry mom.... but not really, cause' that was just classic!

It's frisbee-time!

... of which Alex and I lasted until the last 2-3 plays... clearly we need to work out more to keep up with my fam... EEK!

As we come panting off the field, catchin' our breath's... here's Kyle...

"Life's rough..."

HA!... He cracks me up...

That was our family's night to cook for the whole gang!... and we are a cookin' fam!

My brother Mike inserted his role in kitchen as the official "taste-tester"... naturally!

He took his role very seriously ;)

NOM, NOM!

Sorry for the blurry photos... we had multiple photog's this vacation!

Each day was goin' faster and faster, with so much we wanted to do, but by Thursday, we definitely needed a nap and to chillax on the beach, take a stroll and enjoy the view!

On our walk to the pier, we spotted some friends =)

A beautiful family of dolphins!... Sorry folks, an IPhone can only zoom so far :(

Then came Friday... Our last day to soak it all up and enjoy our time on the beach, so we mozied over to the farther pier and enjoyed a great view and some lunch!

 Then snapped our last photo by the ocean and some of the birdies before sayin' our goodbyes and heading back to Richmond before our 10 hour drive the next day!

 Until next time... bye bye beach! 'Twas fun :)

Back to Indy we went... beating the pit stains from an absurd heat wave that was apparently rampant all week while we enjoyed the ocean breeze! (WOOT!)

So back to some fresh and light cookin' after stuffing my face all week!

Hope ya' had a relaxing and food-filled Labor Day!

Meet ya' tomorrow for some back-to-reality fresh, light & veg-licious dishes!

~~~~~

Don't forget my next #Giveaway has been announced on my Facebook page, so take a look to the right of ya' there!