Finally get to update you with what went on in my kitchen this weekend despite boo’s first little accident 🙁 I’m happy to report that she is 110% better, by that night it was like we had never even went to Urgent Care!!
So over this long weekend I was able to finally make the Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Cups I’ve been dying to make so check out the recipe and of course my detailed pics!! I thought they were awesome and I still have some of the filling (which is made in the crock) so I think I’ll make regular tortilla’s at some point this week, or make some more of these who knows!
Today was “N” is for “N”o Bake, meaning Almond-Peanut Butter “N”o Bake Bars! Great for your own homemade granola bars!
Also, over the weekend I made my own onion rings which I called Healthified Onion Rings. Check them out, of course their are pictures, as I’m trying to take a lot these days! Not even sure what inspired this, it may have been an Applebee’s commercial that was on before the Bruin’s game started Saturday afternoon so I got the urge to make them!! Of course I served them with these!!
My best friend ended up coming to visit Maddie (How cute are they!!) and hung out for a few drinks then my hubby actually went out with some buddies, which he never does so I layed low with my lifetime……….and wine of course!
Saturday into Saturday night my hubby went to our camp……….love this place!
This is our summer home. Home away from home, weekend retreat, haven, family gathering place, whatever you’d like to call it, I often call it heaven because we surrounded my family, great friends, sun and believe it or not a lot of quiet. During the week when I stay their it’s peaceful and relaxing!! So hubs started to open it up and get it ready for us!! We literally lived their last summer!
While he was gone I had an “itch” to make something but boo was up and causing haveck so I tried to make something rather easy! Introducing The Common Man’s Quinoa Pilaf, now those of you who do not know who or what the Common Man is, it’s a restaurant in NE (their are quite a few actually) that has an awesome atmosphere and great food, my hubs and I go often for our Date Nights, well one night last week my MIL and I went to the one in Concord and I fell in love with this Dish. It’s actually called Acorn Squash stuffed with Quinoa Pilaf and Root Veggies. And for an extra $3.99 you can get it with chicken, so it can be a great vegetarian meal for those interested in for those of you who like the chicken (me!) Go for it!! So I seperated the recipe because this Quinoa Pilaf is an awesome side dish for anything, I’m actually serving it with my Baked Parmesan Pork and Roasted Veggies tomorrow and plus I’ll be making the complete dish in honor of the Common Man later this week because I thought it was awesome that the manager was nice enough to email me the recipe! I have to at least make it! So for now I’ll walk you through the Quinoa Pilaf, it’s a great airy dish loaded with veggies and it still has that pasta taste, I also see this ok to eat cold, I’ll let you know tomorrow when I try it out cold!!
OK here we go……..Ingredients:
I started with chopping my veggies first, I just got them all ready to add. I didn’t have pecans (and frankly I find it disgusting that they are $7.99 for a small bag, so the rule in my house is don’t buy another kind of “nut” product until the other is gone!) So I substituted with walnuts. Probably not as good since pecans have that sweet taste and well…….walnuts don’t but I’ve already tried this and it was awesome!!
I then sauted the veggies in light oil for about 5 minutes.
Then I added the Quinoa and cranberries and stirred them for 2 more minutes.
I then added the water and brought it to a boil, then I turned it down a bit and let it simmer for 20 good minutes. I just kept stirring it to make sure everything cooked together.
While that was simmering I toasted my walnuts because, well that’s what I thought I was supposted to do, not sure if it make a difference but I did it anyways!
Then right before it was finished I added the toasted walnuts, tabasco, salt, pepper, green onions and brown sugar and stirred that a few times.
That’s basically it, this is the mixture that is stuffed inside the indent of an Acorn Squash imagine that! YUM!
It has some great taste and I love all the veggies in it!
Oh and that’s not even including the root veggies that go on top of this and the secret ingredient that gets drizzeled on top of everything…….you’ll have to stay tuned for that!!
