Featured Friday – Foxes Love Lemons

Happy Friday Folks! Another one upon us! Which to me means another week closer to delivering my son! Six more weeks and counting! When do I get to start counting days?? Well since it’s another Friday that means I have another Co-Host to introduce you all to!!!!!!!!! My favorite time of the week! I found this lovely lady over at my #SundaySupper group, the name of her blog stood out to me because it’s super cute and we all know how I feel about blog names……I love to know where they came from, mine got stuck with a boring name because I didn’t think too much about it, but the more I think about it the more I like it because I’m Momma in this house so it fits well for me. Well Lori over at Foxes Love Lemons has a simple story behind her blog name. Her maiden name plus the girl loves lemons, who doesn’t! Wala!

Like me, Lori grew up in a home where they sat as a family 6 nights a week and had dinner. Though it wasn’t gourmet it was dinner and it was together and Kraft Mac & Cheese was her favorite!! It’s still my favorite Lori!! 🙂 While earning her college degree in Communications Lori cooked meals with her roommates using something called “The College Cookbook” given to one of them as a gag gift. Hey it worked for her!

After working in advertising for five years she decided to leave the career after she realized that the best part of her day was leaving work to go home and cook something interesting for her and her now-husband. It was actually his idea for her to go back to school and earn a degree in the Culinary Arts. What a great guy huh. So after waiting a year and a half for admissions off Lori went to learn how to make eclairs, sushi, baguettes and sausages galore! Now since earning her second degree (you go girl!) she has worked a restaurant reviewer, a private cooking instructor, food writer, a recipe developer and tester. This girl has got some pretty beautiful pics of her food! She doesn’t mess around!

Let’s talk about some of her favorite recipes I’ve picked out. I almost made her Chicken and Green Chili Taquito’s the only reason why I didn’t was because I wanted a bit more of an easier recipe that night and I didn’t have corn tortilla’s I only had flour ones on hand….so I’d like to try this one some time!! Another one I gave a lot of thought to was her Spring Vegetable and Chicken Primavera dish. I’m a huge huge lover of spring vegetables so when the farm stands open soon enough I’ll be trying this one! Then there was Lori’s Kimchi Fried Rice, I went to buy all of the ingredients and couldn’t find the Kimchi!! AHHH!!!!! I love making home made fried rice!! I must find this special addition Lori! I also almost made the Parmesan-Lemon Roasted Broccoli because well we love Broccoli in this house and I’ve never made it with a seasoning besides butter and cheese before, but I had no parmesan cheese left so this one is an easy side to throw together for my baby girl who loves “Brocci” 🙂

Let’s get to what I made!!! I’ve come to realize that I get sick of the same side dishes over and over again, when I asked my husband what he likes for sides besides mashed or baked potatoes he answered “Potato Chips” or “French Fries”. Well that’s not an option, well at least not every night it’s not. So I’m constantly trying to find other side dishes to serve to my family. I love rice, my husband, well not so much unless it comes with a side bottle of soy sauce. I’m constantly trying new things! I decided to make Lori’s Guacamole Rice!

Since I really wanted to try her Kimchi Fried Rice but could’t find the main ingredient I decided this one looked good too! Besides I’m 6 weeks away from delivering my baby boy and after he comes along, back to healthy eating and this dish is IT!! The only thing I did differently with this dish was leave out the Jalapeno Pepper, not because I wanted to, believe it or not my daughter likes a kick, but because I didn’t have one and it was the only thing I was missing from the recipe. I also added some fresh cracked pepper on top!

Lori talks about serving it cold, I served it hot the night I made it for my family, my husband isn’t a fan of cold salads, it was awesome hot if you haven’t it tried it that way yet Lori!!! I also had it the next day cold with my sandwich and it was just as awesome so your right……….it’s just as good cold!

I think I have a new addiction to trying homemade rice pilaf’s because this is like the third one I’ve tried in the past few weeks. I love the boxed kind don’t get me wrong, however they are always so high in sodium and making your own is so simple and fresh!! It’s actually fun!

Don’t worry the fun isn’t over yet……I tried something else of Lori’s!!! Not so much a recipe but a spice blend. Anyone out their like Dunkin’ Donuts? Ha funny question right, who doesn’t, well I also know that their are plenty of other bagel companies out their that have a flavor called “Everything” bagels. I love them, I always have, when I splurge on a bagel it’s often the one I choose to have. Well Lori thought of a way to cut the calories and fat but still enjoy the taste!!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! How awesome is that??!!!

She likes to call it the “Everything English Muffin.” It cuts the calories by more than half and if you go check out the spice blend you’ll see some of her other suggestions on what to try this blend on! I love the idea of putting it on top of fresh rolls Lori! Next time I make fresh bread sticks or buns I’m using it!! I had no idea that it would be that easy to make, my husband tried it the other night when we decided to have breakfast for dinner and he thought it tasted just like an Everything Bagel too!! I’m so glad I came across this because now I won’t feel so bad splurging!!

Well it’s time to say good-bye to our Co-Host this week, thank you so much Lori for allowing me to Feature you and Foxes Love Lemons!! It’s been fun and I enjoyed both of your recipes!! Make sure you go and visit Lori and tell her that this Momma sent you!!