Zest! - A review

Happy Sunday friends!

My weekend was wonderful.  My dad came to visit!!  The past few times I have gone to Valpo he has been out of town so I have been unable to see him for a couple months.  I have been missing him a lot so I was really looking forward to him coming to visit.  He is the best dad in the world.  I may be a little biased but he is always there for me good or bad.  He is so kind, loving and understanding.  He was just want I needed this weekend. 

Friday night when he got into town I took him to a restaurant near my apartment in Broadripple called Zest! Exciting Food Creations.  It was AMAZING!  It is a little pricey so bring mom or dad when they come into town ;)  But it was very tasty and I will absolutely be going back.  

The story behind the restaurant "is a unique locally-owned restaurant and caterer. The imaginative concept of 'Downhome Goes Uptown' gives lovers of unique food and warm service memorable dining experience".  Guy Fieri visited the restaurant on his show Diners, Diners, and Drives and you know my love for that show.  When walking into the place it is small but cute and inviting.  We had reservations at 6 but did not need them.  The place was practically empty but started to fill up once we were leaving.  The service was friendly and fairly quick.  Our waiter provided a couple suggestions and visited often.  The menu is limited but imaginative. There were 7 main entrees to choose from with 3 or 4 specials.  I of course couldn't choose between 3 different entrees.  

 I ended up picked the

Chick Pea Cakes
pan-seared shiitakes, lemon-pistachio
couscous, fresh herb pesto, crispy spiced
chick peas, grilled asparagus

 Dad (with a mouthful)  chose the

5-Hour Braised Short Ribs
rosemary-gorgonzola polenta,
roasted brussels sprouts

Check out the size of that bone!!!

We both thought our meals were absolutely fantastic!!  After we finished our meals we headed to Morty's comedy club where we met up with some of my co-workers.  We were there for the semi-finals of some contest and Comcast was there to film it.  A total of 6 comedians performed and we picked 2 of the best.  Morty's closed down for a bit and then re-opened a couple of months ago.  I was happy to see that it is now non smoking and still funny.  We had a great time.  Every comedy show I have ever been to I for some reason get picked on.  This comedy show was no exception.  We were seated right next to the stage and I just knew I was in trouble.  I got through the first 4 comedians with flying colors.  Then when the fifth stepped on stage I was a goner.  He kept looking in my direction and I just knew he was going to call me out on something.  Sure enough near the end of his skit he did.  Something about Bart Simpson and Barney.  I don't really remember as I was totally embarrassed and couldn't hear anything!  Saturday morning Dad and I headed to the Broadripple Farmer's Market to pick up some items for dinner.  The Farmer's Market in Valpo is a tad small so I wanted my dad to see a larger one.  Sadly we are nearing the end of the season and so there weren't as many vendors as normal.  Despite that dad still enjoyed it.  We also visited Fresh Market for the remainder of my ingredients for dinner (blog post to come) and dad was OBSESSED with this place.  I have a strong love for this place as well and knew dad would enjoy.  The moment we walked in he was excited.  He left me in the produce section and I didn't see him again for 15 minutes.  They don't have markets like this in Valpo so he enjoyed himself.  We had lunch at Taste and then spent the rest of the day napping, watching college football and watching a slide show of 800 pictures from his recent cruise in Europe.  It was a great relaxing weekend and just what I needed to feel recharged ready for the week.  Hope ya'all enjoyed your weekend.

Cheers!!

xoxox

I like it saucy!!

Hi friends!!!

Today was a beautiful day in Indy.  It was prefect weather and the leaves have all turned.  While driving to my friend Amber's house I drove with the windows down, sunroof open and music blaring.  Sad to say that might have been my last time to do it this year.  But this is my favorite season so I am ok with it.  Sad day in football for the Colts once again but I still believe in them and will continue to!

While hanging out with Amber and her sweet little girl McElla we switched between the game and Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on food network.  Dinner tonight was inspired by a pizza we saw made today.  I knew I was running to the store after I left her house and just couldn't resist getting all the ingredients for this delish meal.  It honestly did not cross my mind that I was going to blog about this but I was talking my dad right before I started dinner and he told me he had just caught up on my recent (or not so recent posts lol).  I then realized that I had taken photos of my last few meals but never posted.  Unbelievable!  I am clearly so unreliable!  ;) 

Tonight's Dinner =  artichoke, feta, pesto pizza!  Um yes you read that correctly....and had me artichoke!  I love them so much.  I put them in anything I can.  Pasta, salads, burgers you name it I will try and make it work.  I just love the tangy taste of this glorious veggie.

Are you ready to drool all over your computer?  This recipe is perfect for a night when you just don't have the energy to cook something.  Enjoy

 Boboli pizza crust.  I put it in the oven for about 10 mins to warm it up before putting the toppings on

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Slather with pizza sauce!

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And PESTO!  Wipe the drool off your face! 

 

Artichoke hearts

 

 Feta....oh yes I went there!

And mozzarella....oh baby!

Bake at 450 for about 10 mins

 Get in my mouth...NOW!

The recipe that this diner made had spinach on it too but I forgot to pick that up at the store.  Really you can through anything on a boboli and it will be yummy.  I hope I have inspired you to think up your favorite pizza and not spend money on that delivery crap :)

Fall Flavors

Greetings friends!

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  I was home in Valpo this weekend.  It was my best friend Erin's birthday and I wanted to spend some time with her.  We got to spend a lot of quality time together even though little Cayden boy had the chicken pox.

I also got to spend a lot of quality time with my sister Rachel and her hubby David.  They two of my most favorite people in the world and I love being able to just hang out with them.  I am sad when I have to leave all the people I love in Valpo but my home is Indy and love living here.

Once back in Indy it was time to prepare for the week.  I ran to the store and got all the fixins for Pumpkin-Black Bean Soup .  As you know from previous blog posts I am obsessed with pumpkin this time of year.  The last time I went to the store they did not have my favorite brand, Libbys.  This time.....JACKPOT....I found a whole shelf.  I swear there was a light shining above the shelves and there was music playing.  I stocked up naturally :)  HOORAY.  There may be a piece of pie on this can but its pure pumpkin.  The sweet pumpkin is delicious but has SO much added sugar so I would rather buy the pure stuff.  

Ok now back to my recipe.  I heart pumpkin and I heart black beans.  The recipe sounded a little strange but I just had to try this.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups drained diced canned tomatoes
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled queso fresco
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• Pumpkin seed kernels (optional)

Preparation

• Place tomatoes and beans in a food processor; process until about half the beans are smooth. Set aside. 

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; saute 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Add cumin and garlic; saute 1 minute. 

• Add bean mixture, broth, and next 3 ingredients (through pumpkin); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in sherry. 

• Ladle about 1 cup soup into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle each serving with about 2 tablespoons queso fresco and about 1 tablespoon green onions. Garnish with pumpkin seed kernels, if desired.

 And wha-la (how the h*ll do you spell that??) lunch for the entire week and dinner tonight!

 

And here is the pretty finished product.  

                   

I went to Marsh to pick up my ingredients and they do not carry queso fresco.  So I substituted feta.  I am sure the queso would have been oh so yummy but the feta did the trick too.  It added a nice tang to the soup.  Now this might not be the prettiest soup in the world but it really was pretty good.  The pumpkin flavor is very subtle.  Two of my favorite things combined into one....it doesn't get much better then that.  I would say a great way to end my weekend.  Laundry, unpacking, packing my lunch & snacks for tomorrow and packing my gym bag are calling my name.  Oye still lots to do tonight and its already 8:30!  Check ya later kids!

xoxoxo

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 175
• Calories from fat: 16%
• Fat: 3.1g
• Saturated fat: 1.2g
• Monounsaturated fat: 1.1g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.2g
• Protein: 10g
• Carbohydrate: 29.2g
• Fiber: 9.3g
• Cholesterol: 6mg
• Iron: 3mg
• Sodium: 785mg
• Calcium: 139mg

Cake pop obsessed

Cake pops are all the rave right now and me being obsessed with trying new things I couldn't wait to try these.  If you recall from an earlier post a couple months ago I made cheesecake red velvet cake pops and they were delicious.  They were a huge hit but were complicated to make.  I made 2 different kinds this time and they were equally delicious and much easier.  Today's agenda, brownie pops and red velvet pops.  YUM!!!!

Brownie Pops

1 box of your favorite brownie mix

1 bag of milk chocolate

1/2 cup of Peanut Butter

Mix and make the brownies the brownies according to the directions on the box.  If there are directions on how to make the brownies more cake like follow those directions.  Bake according to the directions on the box and let cool.

Once the brownies have cooled take a fork and shred/crumb up the brownies.  I just did the middle part and the edges are crunchy and I didn't want the pops to be hard.

Mix together the crumbled brownies and the peanut butter until the the mixture is creamy and all mixed together.

I used a 1/2 tablespoon to make mine but you can make these as small or big as your would like.  Measure out the size you would like and roll into a ball.

Once you have rolled all of the mixture place the balls in the fridge or freezer.  It works best when rolling them in chocolate for them to be cold so the mixture doesn't crumble into the melted chocolate.

Melt one bag of chocolate over a double boiler and stir frequently so the mixture melts evenly and doesn't burn.

 

Once you have rolled all of the balls in the melted chocolate place them back in the fridge until the outer shell has hardened.

I didn't take pictures of the red velvet pops as it is the exact same process but instead you use red velvet cake mix, 1/2 cup of cream cheese frosting and a bag of white chocolate chips.  These are absolutely my favorite flavor combo yet, but they are a little more stingy to make.  The below picture is my first ball that I dipped in the chocolate and the last!  WOWZA.  The cake mixture start crumbling into the chocolate and by the end the chocolate was dyed pink and hardening.  The next time I make these I will only take a few out of the fridge at a time to ensure there is less crumbling.  I will also melt the chocolate in batches to help with the mixture turning pink.  These bad boys were all the rage at work when I brought them in.  A huge hit!  These are so easy to make and are always a nice little treat!

 
Enjoy my friends!  xoxox

something different

This weather is seriously unbelievable!  When I woke up this morning I had a frost alert on my phone and it was 41 degrees.  Wasn't it just 80 last week?  This is by far my favorite season but I just had to turn on the heat and that I dislike!

How was everyone's week?  Mine was long and sleepless.  I have been sleeping somewhat decent the past couple of weeks and then this week....BAM no sleep.  I am right back to getting max 5 hours of sleep a night.  What is the deal?  I am exhausted when I actually decide to lay down but toss and turn for hours.  After a couple days of this I inevitably become so exhausted that I crash.  It is a vicious cycle.  UGH!

Now onto a foot update.  I went back to the doctor this week and no progress :(  I have been wearing this darn brace for 3 weeks and it is just as painful as it was day 1.  Doc says that I will need to wear the brace for at least another 6 weeks.  Yikes....the thought of wearing this stupid thing for another 6 weeks makes me cringe.  I am supposed to only be wearing gym shoes and can't walk more than a block.  Good thing we are leaving flip flop weather and moving into closed toe shoe weather.

What's for dinner this week?

  Marsala laced mushrooms courtesy of my friend Robin.

This recipe was quick, delicious and pretty healthy.  Robin ate her's on a baked potato and I thought that was a great idea.  The night I made these I was craving some mashed taters! 

Marsala-laced mushrooms

Serves 4-6

2 Tbls butter, divided
1/3 C Marsala cooking wine
1 Tbls soy sauce
1 lb thickly sliced mushrooms
1/3 C plain dry breadcrumbs
2 Tbls parm
1/4 tsp dried sage

oven- 425 melt 1 Tbls butter. combine cooking wine and soy sauce, stir in butter.

 

Pour mixture over mushrooms in a large bowl. Let stand 10 min., stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir breadcrumbs, cheese and sage. Melt remaining butter and stir into breadcrumb mixture. Set aside. 

Put mushrooms in an 8 or 9 ' pie plate or square baking dish. Bake on upper rack 15 min. 

Remove and pour off half the juice. Sprinkle w/ breadcrumb mixture and bake 10 more min. 

Robin has suggested rolling the shrooms in the breadcrumb mixture and I couldn't agree more.  They turn out extra crunchy and yummy.  Reheating these bad boys wasn't as pleasant.  They were ok but the first time around was best.  Throwing them back in the oven for 10 mins or in a skillet with a little evoo worked ok.  Experiment and see what way you like best.  

Enjoy!

xoxox

It's finally fall

Hello friends!!

I am sorry I have not been a very active blogger.  I have had a hard time making time for it.  But here I am :)  The Colts are not playing so hot so I need a distraction anyways!  Fall is by far my most favorite season.  I love the chilly weather and I get to eat lots of soup/stew/chili!  HOORAY!  I could eat soup every day...I really could.  This week I made my friend Sara's chicken chili. 

This is a great recipe that she shared with me and I love it.  It is super simple and quick!  Me likey!

Chicken Chili

Put 3-4 Chicken breasts in the crock pot
Salt and Pepper per your taste
1/3 a packet of taco seasoning 
1 can of Rotell 

Cook on High for 3-4 hours
* *about 1/2 - 3/4 of the way through, I take a fork and half the chicken breasts just to ensure thorough cooking.

Once cooked all the way through, Remove chicken and shred. I then layering the following:
Shredded chicken
2 cans of Northern Beans (drained)
1 (additional) can of Rotell (or desired type of tomatoes)
1 small can corn/peppers (mexi-mix)
2 handfuls of shredded cheese

Mix it all together, cover, and cook ingredients on Low for another 30 minutes or so....
**Once everything is warmed up, I like to take a big spoon and smoosh some of the beans against the side of the crock pot, mashing them....it creates a nicer/thicker/more tasty base. :)

Salt/pepper/more cheese as you like when eating!
Enjoy!
 

I have eaten this chili all week and am still not sick of it.  It makes about 5 servings.  I added about 1 can of water to the end product just to make it a little more soupy but it is delish as is...thick and hearty. 

What is your favorite fall soup/stew/chili?

Hello there punkin

Fall is in the air and I am excited.  It is by far my most favorite season.  I love the smell of burning leaves, sweatshirts, tailgating (duh), and the cool weather.  I dislike being extremely hot or cold.  So this weather is my heaven.  My favorite flavor in the fall is pumpkin!  Mmmm!! I can not get enough of this stuff.  I put it in pastas, smoothies, pastries, drinks...you name it...I will try it.  This week I made a smoothie and pumpkin fettuccine.  I get bored really quick when it comes to breakfast.  I need to switch it up a lot.  I can only eat so many eggs, or so many bowls of oatmeal.  I like change!  My solution when I get in this rut....SMOOTHIES.  I <3 them.  You can make so many different flavors that it never really gets old.  I am a planner.  I always have been.  I get anxiety if I do not have a plan.  Its my nature and I like it.  It keeps me organized and knowing what is going on at most moments in my life.  Grocery shopping is another one of the things that I must be organized about or I will stress.  I know I know....you are probably thinking I need to lighten up.  But I enjoy it.  I really do.  If I could go grocery shopping and plan meals as a full time j.o.b.  I would.....in a heart beat.  It's fun and challenging to me.  I enjoy sitting down and planing my meals and then organizing what I will be getting.  And yes my lists are organized.  I organize them however the store I am going to is laid out.  I don't want to have to back track and be wandering all over the store.

 So I plan out which store or stores (yes sometimes I go to several) I am going to and then write my list accordingly.  The reason for many stores is that I love Trader Joes, Whole Food and Fresh Market however some things are just cheaper at Marsh or Kroger.  And I also go according to sales.  I want to get the best deal on my food as possible.  Yes it is a process, but to me it is worth it. 

The past couple of days I have made a "pumpkin pie" smoothie for breakfast.  Um hello....can you say yummy!  I do not mind sipping on this my entire way to work.  It makes me in such a good mood and its healthy.  I put protein powder in all my smoothies since I don't get enough through out the day.  You can absolutely leave it out.  I made mine with half milk and half plain yogurt but you can do whatever you want.  My protein powder is a tad sweet so I don't use any sweetener and use plain yogurt for that reason too.  If you don't use any protein powder I would suggest vanilla yogurt/greek yogurt or honey flavored.  I ran out of pumpkin pie spice so I just used cinnamon and nutmeg.  Equally delish as pumpkin pie spice!

Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie

1/3 c canned pumpkin

1 frozen banana

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

5 ice cubes

¾ c. milk

1 ½  tsp. pumpkin pie spice


For dinner pumpkin fettuccine.  I bought several cans of pumpkin at the store and just could not get enough of the flavor.  So behold yummy fettuccine.  Now the easy way to make this and not so healthy is to buy a jar of alfredo or make your own and stir in some pumpkin puree.  I wanted to lighten it up a little bit.  The way I made mine was

Cook about 3 servings of fettuccine

3/4 cup of chicken broth
1/4 cup of finely chopped onion ( i used red cuz i had it on hand but you can use any kind)
1 clove of finely minced garlic
S&P
2 wedges of garlic and herb laughing cow cheese

Boil all the above ingredients until the chicken broth evaporates.  Let the onion and garlic brown.  While the broth simmers mix together the below ingredients in a separate bowl.

3/4 cup of pumpkin puree
3/4 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
S&P

Once the chicken broth mixture is browned pour in the pumpkin mixture and heat through.  Once its warm pour all over your pasta and enjoy!  Healthy and delcious!

Hope you guys enjoy!  Have a great long weekend and be safe this labor day!

xoxox

Karin