Mexican Shrimp Bisque

Hi everyone,

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend. I had a simple but relaxing one that ended tonight with one of my favorite soups: Mexican shrimp bisque. I made it for the first time last fall but tweaked it a little this time, and I have to say it was better! If you followed my previous blog, you'll recognize this recipe, but note the changes. Also, I've doubled (and occasionally tripled) everything from the original recipe to make enough for 3-4 (which is usually enough for Mr. G and me). This is another great fall soup, but like the southwestern corn chowder, it is a bit spicy.

P.S. This was my third soup this weekend and the second I've made in a couple weeks. I think fall is officially here?

Mexican Shrimp Bisque

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 5 sodium-free chicken bouillon packets/cubes
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander (I recommend buying it ground as opposed to grinding it yourself)
• 1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I bought them cooked this time, but either way is fine)
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, saute onions and garlic in olive oil until tender.
• Pour in stock pot and stir in flour until blended.
• Stir in the water, cream, chili powdeer, bouillon, cumin and coriander - bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Cut shrimp into bite-size pieces and add to soup.
• Simmer 5 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink.
• Gradually pour 1/2 cup hot soup into sour cream; stir and return to pan, stirring constantly.
• Heat through (do not boil).
• Enjoy!

I also have to catch you up on a couple other recipes - Mr. G's favorite banana birthday cake (also with a couple tweaks from last year) and my mom's amazing sauteed mushrooms. So stay tuned for those! I also have a nearly complete bucket list ready to share soon.

Unfortunately, I still haven't finished my mossy monogram... I'm finding lately that I just don't have the energy for crafting AND cooking, so I tend to pick the one that keeps us alive. Go figure. I bought the extra glue at least, so my hope is to have the G done by next weekend. In the meantime, I'll continue gathering inspiration on Pinterest. :)

<3 Mrs. G

Southwestern Corn Chowder & Mossy Monogram Project

Hi everyone!

I finally have a recipe to share! As promised, I cooked a warm fall soup this weekend: southwestern corn chowder. I got the recipe from my Betty Crocker app, and be forewarned - it's pretty spicy. Here's the recipe... FYI: I tripled mine and it was enough for about 4-6.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth (I used chicken bouillon cubes, but you can do either)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground red pepper (I didn't have cayenne so I just used flakes)
• 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
• 1 can (11 oz) Green Giant southwestern style corn (I only found Mexican, which seemed close enough)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• Additional chives for garnish, if desired

Directions:

• In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
• Add onion and cook 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
• Stir in flour until well blended. Gradually stir in broth.
• Stir in salt, black pepper and red pepper - heat to boiling.
• Reduce heat and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened.
• Stir in half-and-half, corn and chives. Cook until thoroughly heated.
• Serve hot and enjoy!

This was the perfect fall meal, and Mr. G made a delicious broccoli side to go with it (fresh broccoli + butter + water + chicken bouillon + garlic salt + red pepper flakes). I want to make chili soon, too, as well as some pies and fall-inspired cupcakes. I was also hoping to make hot cider this weekend. I even bought apple cider at the store, but I ran out of time. :( Hopefully I'll get a chance to make it sometime this week or next weekend. Nothing makes me think of fall more than hot apple cider. :) Good news is, I have leftover corn chowder to bring to work tomorrow! Much better than a Lean Cuisine.

In other news, I also finally got started on one of my craft projects! Remember the mossy monogram I mentioned way back in April? (if not, here's the link to my post on it). Well, I bought the supplies for it forever ago, but tonight I finally got to work on it. Maybe the fall weather inspired me? Anyway, I'm actually almost done with it. I would have finished it, but I ran out of hot glue.. Didn't expect to use the whole bag! It's not terribly hard to make, but it is pretty frustrating because the moss keeps falling off and the hot glue gun and I are NOT friends. I burned my pointer finger countless times and then actually gave myself a second degree burn on my knee, of all places... I had my pants rolled up and some glue oozed out of the gun onto my knee as I was replacing the stick. I screamed bloody murder and scared poor Mr. G and Molly. I'll have a nice scab there now, and I might walk a little funny for a couple days because it's on an awkward part of my knee... My coworkers will get a kick out of this injury. Not to mention this was my second burn of the day - my first was this morning with the curling iron. Who knew hair styling and crafting would be so dangerous?! But hey, after icing my knee, I kept on crafting like a champ. ;)

I'll post pics and a tutorial for the moss letter after I finish it. I have two other letters to go after this one, and I'm still deciding whether or not to go through with them... They're smaller at least, and I have a great place to put them. So I probably will. But I may wait a few more months...

Do you have any funny crafting horror stories? If so, please share! I hope I'm not the only one with a glue gun handicap...

<3 Mrs. G

Sunday Recipe #8: Lemon Salmon

Hello everyone!

Hope you've all had a great week. I survived my first week at the new job! Moreover, I actually really enjoyed it, and I think I picked a good company to work for. I picked a good week to start, too - we launched our company this week and had our summer party at the horse races yesterday. I just feel so blessed to finally be doing what I want to do, even if it did take me a while to get here. :)

As for today's recipe, Mr. G and I bought a huge slab of fresh atlantic salmon on sale yesterday at Cub, so I decided to try my hand at it. I've cooked salmon a couple times before, but I've never cooked it fresh, and let me say - it is a million times better fresh. Honestly. I used a very simple recipe with only the following ingredients - olive oil, lemon juice, lemon pepper seasoning and rosemary. I cut a couple strips of the salmon, basted it in a small amount of olive oil and lemon juice, and sprinkled with the spices. After about 15 minutes in the oven at 375, I added a little more lemon juice and pepper then let it cook 2 more minutes before taking it out. In my oven, 17 minutes was perfect - the salmon was flaky and tender but still juicy. We ate it with sides of rice and broccoli, and it was a perfect summer meal.

I also made chocolate chip cookies tonight (as requested by Mr. G), and I think they were my best batch yet! I used the recipe on the back of the Nestle Toll House chocolate chip bag, but I added a little extra brown sugar, substituted some pancake mix for flour, and I didn't use the entire bag of chocolate chips. Also, they only took about 8 minutes to cook. Definitely will be making these again!

In other news, Mr. G and I joined a gym! We had been waiting to see what kind of insurance I got at my job, which turned out to be a good decision because it will pay most of our (already severely discounted) membership fee each month. :) We joined L.A. Fitness, and the one we go to is a huge facility that never seems very busy, so it's perfect. However, we do have to go at least 3 days a week in order to get insurance coverage, so we will be working out a lot. Maybe now I'll finally get in shape! If I stop baking cookies and cupcakes, that is...

Hope you have a good week!

<3 Mrs. G

Sunday Recipe #7: Croque Madame Redux + Exciting News :)

Hello everyone!

I'm not sure about you all, but I've had a very busy week. And it isn't going to stop anytime soon, because I got a job!! I finished up my internship at the ADA on Friday, and I start my new job tomorrow. :) My position is Media and Communications Specialist, and I'll be working at a start-up company that promotes health and wellness to other companies by providing tools, resources, and personal consultation to employees. It's a great company, and I'm so excited to get started!!

After getting the news last Friday, Mr. G and I celebrated with dinner in downtown Minneapolis - at the restaurant where I used to work, ironically - and went out with friends afterwards. If you've been reading my posts, you know that this has been a long time coming, and that I was starting to get pretty discouraged. But throughout the interview process for this job, it just felt right. Moreover, I was starting to get the feeling that my job search was about to come to an end - I can't really explain it, but I just felt a sort of peace about it that I hadn't had in a long time. I just knew I was close to getting a job, and it turns out I was right. :) Mr. G and I are both thrilled and immensely relieved. Life just got a lot better for our little family!

Amidst all the excitement about the new job as well as working extra hours at the internship, I still managed to re-try an old recipe that you may recognize - croque madame! Mr. G and I debated tackling a different recipe for it, but ended up going with the same one with a couple slight changes.

Here's the link to my previous post on (and recipe for) le croque madame. This time, however, we used Italian white bread (not French, but better than wheat), actual Gruyere cheese (yay Cub Foods!), and a bit more milk (I wanted the bechamel sauce to be slightly runnier). We also tried to cook the sandwiches less on the stove as well as in the broiler, but they ended up being about the same - slightly burnt, but not as bad as before. They actually started burning in the broiler almost immediately, so they were in there maybe a minute. Overall, the sandwich was still delicious, even though it was still quite a challenge to cook. Timing everything is the hardest part, but it's definitely doable, and there are plenty of easier recipes out there to try if this one scares you. Either way it's worth the trouble!

Wish me luck at the new job!

<3 Mrs. G

Belated Sunday Recipe #6: Low-Fat Turkey Tacos

Happy Monday!

I tried a new recipe last week, and Mr. G helped me out with this one. It's a quick, low-fat meal that anyone can make, and it tastes amazing! I served it with refried beans and Mexican rice, but you can skip the beans to keep it health-conscious. Personally, I have an obsession with refried beans... Hope you enjoy the recipe! I know I'll make it again.

Low-Fat Turkey Tacos

Ingredients:

• Mission tortillas (96% fat free)
• 1 lb ground turkey 90/10 (we used Jennie-O - watch out for the recalled stuff from Cargill!)
• Ortega reduced sodium taco seasoning
• Diced tomatoes
• Onions
• Green onions
• Lettuce
• Mexican cheese blend
• Light sour cream

Directions:

• Cook ground turkey in skillet. Once cooked, add taco seasoning according to package directions.
• While turkey is cooking, cut up vegetables into bite-size portions.
• Serve with tortillas and desired toppings.
• Enjoy!

Stay tuned, because I have exciting news as well as a very successful bargain shopping trip to report. 

Feel free to share any ground turkey recipes of your own! We buy a ton of the stuff, so I'm always on the lookout for new ways to use it.

<3 Mrs. G

(Really Belated) Sunday Recipe #5 - Summer Apple Salad

Hello everyone!

Sorry for the late recipe, but to be fair I did only make it last night for Mr. G's grandpa's 80th birthday party. Mr. G and I have been on a salad kick lately, which I think our bodies appreciate. I made one last week with leftover grilled chicken, cucumbers, onions, bell peppers, and cheese topped with a red wine and olive oil vinaigrette. It was delicious, but I wanted to try something a little more challenging for the party. I was inspired by a popular salad at the Italian restaurant where I used to work. It's called Apple Gorgonzola Salad, but I tweaked it a little to make it my own. It's the perfect summer salad, and it's especially great for those who want to indulge in something sweet without the calories of a cupcake. ;)


Summer Apple Salad Recipe:


Ingredients:

• 3 heads romaine lettuce
• 2 green apples
• 8 oz. crumbled goat cheese (the original recipe calls for gorgonzola, but Mr. G and I prefer goat)
• 2 small bags of glazed walnuts and dried cranberries (I bought them together in a bag, but feel free to purchase them separately - I just couldn't find any glazed walnuts by themselves)
• Pinches of cinnamon
• Dressing - I loved Marzetti's white balsamic vinaigrette, but Mr. G enjoyed Litehouse's raspberry walnut vinaigrette. You choose!

Directions:

• Rinse and cut lettuce heads into bite-size portions, excluding the tops.
• Rinse and cut apples into bite-size portions (cut in quarters, slice each quarter in half, then cut into smaller portions).
• Drop a few pinches of cinnamon in each cranberry/walnut bag and shake to mix (or mix in a ziploc bag if you bought the ingredients separately).
• Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. 
• Top with dressing and serve cold.
• I would guess this serves 6 as a main dish and 10-12 as a side salad. Mine fed about 20 in very small portions, and there was plenty leftover.

After a delicious dinner last night of grilled chicken, fruit salad, my salad, and veggies, I went to my very first legit tent circus. It was a family-run circus called Culpepper & Meriweather's, and they set up shop in the middle of a field, in the middle of nowhere. It was straight out of an old movie; I didn't know those types of circuses still existed! I went with Mr. G's youngest siblings, and it was their first circus. I still remember my first circus... It was a Barnum & Bailey's, and I went with my dad when I was really little. I don't remember the acts, but I do remember the cotton candy, which took me all night to finish. They had cotton candy last night, but I didn't partake this time around. I did, however, have some delicious birthday cake when I got back - a flourless chocolate cake made by Mr. G's mom. 

In the midst of everything else going on last night, I also received an amazing belated wedding gift from one of Mr. G's relatives. Apparently she took a lot of photos at the wedding, because she put together an entire album of wedding photos and even made a video slideshow not only of the wedding but also of all the details (invitations, programs, welcome bags), the reception, and my bridal shower in MN. It was such a thoughtful gift, and I was so happy to see some of the photos the photographer was unable to capture (ie: a close-up of our vows and our first kiss!). The funny thing, too, is that Mr. G and I had finally watched our official wedding video in its entirety for the first time a couple nights ago - and now we have two! Plus, this is our first wedding photo album. :) I'm hoping to have one made by our photographer as well, plus I would like to put together a scrapbook. Maybe now I'll get on the ball with those!

I hope you enjoy the salad recipe! Feel free to comment with any of your own - I'd love some more to try.

Stay tuned for my next post on engagement / baby shower cupcakes. ;) Have I mentioned I love summer?

<3 Mrs. G

Sunday Recipe #4 - Three Cheese Manicotti

Hi everyone!

I've been lazy again this week with recipes, so I'm posting yet another old favorite from Connecticut - three cheese manicotti. In addition to Mexican, I also have a strong love for Italian food. I actually worked at an Italian restaurant for four years, and I never once got tired of the food. I could live off of baked pasta, bean dip, and pico de gallo for the rest of my life. However, I would also weigh 300 pounds, so....

This recipe is especially cheesy and unhealthy, which makes it especially delicious. I wouldn't recommend it for people with heart problems... Honestly.

Ingredients:

• 20 manicotti shells
• 2 cartons (15 oz. each) ricotta cheese
• 5 cups (20 oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 2 jars (26 oz. each) spaghetti sauce (three cheese sauce by Classico is really good)

Directions:

• Cook shells according to package directions.
• Preheat oven to 375.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 3 cups mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and seasonings. 
• Drain shells.
• Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce each into two ungreased baking pans (I used 1 9x13 and 1 9x9).
• Stuff manicotti shells with cheese mixture - I do this by splitting the shells down the middle, stuffing them with a couple tbsp of the cheese mixture, folding the shells back over, and placing them seam down in the pans.
• Top shells with remaining sauce.
• Cover pans (don't forget this or you'll get crispy pasta!) and bake at 375 for 40 minutes.
• Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.
• Enjoy! This serves about 6.

Feel free to post any other yummy pasta recipes you recommend! I'm really craving manicotti now... 

<3 Mrs. G

Sunday Recipe #3 - Healthy Chicken Pasta

Hello all!

I hope you've had a lovely weekend. I had a relaxing one - I slept in, went swimming, and went out to eat with Mr. G and some friends. Nothing crazy, but it was great. We were due a chill weekend.

To keep with the theme of my weekend, I'm posting a ridiculously simple recipe tonight. It also happens to be one of Mr. G's favorites - we eat it once a week. What makes it even better is it's actually super healthy. The best time to make this pasta is when you have leftover chicken, which - if you're like us - you always have. We pretty much live on a chicken diet.

Healthy Chicken Pasta:

• Ingredients:
• 1 box penne pasta (penne is Mr. G's favorite, but bow tie and linguine are also good)
• 2 cooked chicken breasts - grilled chicken is healthiest
• 1-2 cups broccoli (I don't measure - put however much you like)
• Olive oil
• Directions:
• Cook/grill chicken, if not already cooked.
• Cook pasta according to box directions.
• While pasta is cooking, cut chicken breasts into cubes and cook broccoli (we just microwave frozen broccoli). Cut broccoli if desired.
• Strain pasta when it is finished cooking, then add chicken and broccoli and toss to mix.
• Divide pasta onto plates and top with olive oil. I also use parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.
• Enjoy! This recipe serves 2-3.

Speaking of recipes, I finally used my rhubarb crisp recipe! I baked one with raspberries a couple nights ago when Mr. G's grandparents came over for dinner. It looked a little undercooked when it came out of the oven, but it tasted delicious, so I consider it a success! It's especially good with vanilla ice cream and French vanilla whipped cream. Yum!

In other news, is anyone else going to see the last Harry Potter movie this week? I'm going at midnight on Thursday (with poor Mr. G in tow) and I can't wait! I love Harry Potter, and I don't care if that makes me a nerd. I grew up reading the books, and I've loved them ever since. I'm going to attempt to watch all seven movies before Thursday, but so far I've only managed to watch the first one - I have a long way to go. Marathon anyone??

<3 Mrs. G

(Belated) Sunday Recipe #2: Mocha Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

Hi everyone!

Long time no see... Sorry for the delay in posts! I was in northern MN at a cabin all last week with the  family. We didn't end up crossing over into Canada after all (Mr. G was afraid I'd get stuck because of my outdated passport), but we had a nice, relaxing week that I will relay in my next post.

For this post, I'm attempting to catch up on one of the Sunday recipes I missed with my latest cupcake confection - mocha cupcakes with chocolate ganache!

Let me begin by announcing that I am no longer a mall employee... I quit my job just before going on vacation. My managers and coworkers were all really sweet, and I was treated well, but it was time to leave retail. My last week was also our biggest sale of the season, so I was scheduled for my first (and hopefully only) overnight floorset shift. It was also a potluck for us associates, so of course I seized the opportunity to try a new cupcake recipe. Here it is:

Mocha Cupcakes (from my 200 Cupcakes recipe book):

• Ingredients:
• 1 cup water
• Heaping 1 cup superfine sugar
• 1/2 cup lightly salted butter (I used unsalted)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp coffee granules
• 1 3/4 cups self-rising flour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• Directions:
• Line muffin pan with paper/foil liners and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Put water and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the butter, cocoa powder, baking soda, and coffee granules and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool. (Try a little bit - it legitimately tastes like mocha!)
• Beat flour and eggs into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Pour cake mixture into muffin pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until risen and firm. 
• Makes 1 dozen cupcakes.

Chocolate Ganache (from my faves Katherine and Sophie at Georgetown Cupcake):

• Ingredients:
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups chocolate chips 
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• Directions:
• Put 2 cups water in a pot and bring to a boil.
• Place large heat-resistant bowl on top of boiling pot.
• Pour chocolate chips and heavy cream into bowl.
• Stir continuously until chocolate chips are melted and mixture is smooth and shiny. This process should only take 3 minutes. :)
• When ganache is ready, "dip and twist" cupcakes into mixture and add desired topping.

Here are photos of the ganache and the finished cupcakes:

FYI - these cupcakes taste even better than they look. They're perfect for both chocolate and coffee lovers alike, and they're practically necessary for all-nighters (that's how I justify it). 

Hope you enjoy! I'll report on the vacation soon. Feel free to comment with any yummy coffee recipes you recommend.

<3 Mrs. G

Sunday Recipe #1 - Mexican Shrimp Bisque

Hello all,

Hope you all had a lovely weekend. I've decided to start posting a new recipe every Sunday - hopefully I keep it up!

I haven't tried any creative new recipes recently (with the exception of cupcakes, of course), so the one I'm posting today is actually one I made while in Connecticut - Mexican Shrimp Bisque. I got the recipe from The Taste of Home Cookbook, which I received as an engagement present last year from my in-laws. It's a great, well-organized cookbook, and this recipe in particular is amazing. Very time-consuming, though - it was my first time peeling and cooking raw shrimp. The soup wasn't challenging to make once the shrimp was finally peeled and cut - it's just a matter of heating all the ingredients until the shrimp is cooked and the bisque is at the right consistency.

The odd thing about this recipe is that it doesn't make much at all. I ended up doubling the recipe to serve two, so you might need to triple or quadruple it depending on how many you are cooking for. Nevertheless, it's a delicious Cajun/Mexican soup that is sure to become a favorite if you like seafood and spice.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (I think I used the equivalent of already minced garlic)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp sodium-free chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Stir in the water, cream, chili powder, bouillon, cumin, and coriander; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Cut shrimp into bite-size pieces - add to soup. Simmer 5 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink. Gradually stir 1/2 cup hot soup into sour cream; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Heat through (do not boil).
• Serve and garnish with cilantro (if desired).

Hope you like! Enjoy your week!

<3 Mrs. G

P.S. I start my internship this week. Wish me luck!