Updates and Fish Tacos.

So yeah, I know, I haven't been updating very much.
But, I started nannying for a six-week old who has decided he does NOT like to sleep whenever I come over, and have come down with some cold-type crud, and have just generally had a lot to do.
So, updates:
I haven't gotten a whole lot done on the house front. I've spray painted a bit, but not nearly as much as I need to. Still on the to do list are:

• Frame the mirrors in the bathrooms with either clearance tile or pre-finished door casing (or both, one for each bathroom)
• Spray paint the hallway mirror, lamp in the living room, and mirror above the mantle (either silver or glossy white, I still can't decide)
• Paint the master bathroom this really neat silvery-blue color
• Do SOMETHING with the backyard when it warms up a tad more (there is zero landscaping in the back yard. Nothing, zip, nada. I need trees. Flowers are nice, but I would probably kill them anyway, so trees are a must. And, I did buy a crepe myrtle on clearance at Lowe's after Christmas, but I haven't really figured out what to do with it yet)
• Spray paint the outdoor lanterns (on the garage and entryway) super shiny black
• Organize the kitchen and garage (both of which I have never done before, so that should be interesting. Upon move in, other people always took it upon themselves to unpack my kitchen, which I was super okay with, and I have never had a garage before. So... I'll probably need help)
• Finish unpacking. It really bothers me to have boxes in my house. 

 However, I have accomplished some of my goals for the new year. I'm hoping to read a book a week this year. I know this is pretty unrealistic, especially if I get a full time job, but I would still really like to try. At the very least, I'll definitely read more. So far this year, I am on my 7th book. So I am making good headway! I also have been trying new recipes. I tend to kinda stick to what I know and love and what I know will be good, so I'm branching out a little more. We ate this last week, and I have to say, it was pretty awesome. I usually stick to Italian food, since I'm just not a huge fan of Mexican (it's just really not as impressive), and I never thought I would be a fan of fish tacos, since they sound really weird, but these are seriously tasty. It looks kind of complicated, but its super easy.  The whole thing only took 20 minutes, and all I needed to buy from the store was limes.

Zesty Lime Fish Tacos

(Adapted from some recipe I saw on some TV show that I can't remember, but I changed the recipe anyway)

Stuff you need:

     For the Tacos:

            4 Tilapia filets (frozen is great)

            Small tortillas or taco shells

            Black Bean and Corn Salsa**

            Shredded Lettuce

            3 fresh limes or lime juice

            2 cloves garlic

            Olive Oil

            Salt/pepper to taste

            Optional: Fresh chopped chili peppers

     For the Taco Sauce:

            Ready-made salsa (hot is good, trust me)

            Sour cream

            Juice of 1 lime, or 2 tbsp

Stuff You Do:

Juice all 3 limes and combine with chopped garlic, oil, and peppers (if you like them). Pour in a small dish or baggie, season fish to taste, and let fish marinate for 15 minutes (not any longer or the acid will start to cook the fish). Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Allow to cool enough to touch and crumble into bite-size pieces. 

Combine equal parts sour cream and salsa (I use a cup each). Stir in lime juice. Lime juice neutralizes heat, so buy a hotter variety of salsa than you normally would. It will wind up being very mild. Serve cold.

Serve tacos with fish, lettuce, salsa, and taco sauce. Don't blame me if you get super addicted.

**Black Bean and Corn Salsa is my fancy term for stirring together a can of black beans, a can of corn, and a can of Rotel (all drained).

           

Yeah, I baked. No big deal.

So, here is my Valentine's Day post, only about a month late.

For Valentine's Day, we didn't go out for dinner. One, because I started my new job that day, and two, because everyone else does.
How did I pull off a fabulous dinner and dessert while I was at work for six hours?
Magic. And by magic, I mean the crock pot. I made this chicken, also known as the best chicken ever, rosemary roasted potatoes, and french bread. Here it is:
Here is my dog wanting some:
And yes, it was super delicious.

Sidebar: In case you don't know, I don't bake. I can cook just fine, but baking is another beast all together. When I cook, I don't measure and usually don't follow the recipe. Apparently, you can't do that with baking. It doesn't taste good.
So while I love me some baked goods, I have to get them from somewhere else.
However: For dessert, I actually baked something. I know, crazy. I cheated some and used a boxed cake mix, but that's still awesome for me, so hush. I made conversation heart cakes! (Note: I did this the night before. It's a little time consuming. Fun tip: freeze cakes overnight before icing them. It makes them more delicious).
But then I had a bunch of left over cake. So I did something different. And I didn't have to use a recipe. So Ha!

Chocolate-covered Strawberry Cake Truffles

What you need:
1 box strawberry cake mix, plus ingredients to make it
1 can vanilla prepared frosting
Chocolate chips
White chocolate chips
Sprinkles

What you do:

Make cake as directed. When cooled, crumble into a large mixing bowl. Fold in icing. Yes, the whole can. Freeze for 1 hour. Roll into small, bite-sized balls and place on a baking sheet covered in wax paper. Melt chocolate in 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Dip cake balls into chocolate and decorate with sprinkles. OR: put melted chocolate into a piping bag and drizzle over cake. Let harden and enjoy!

And enjoy you will. Because they are seriously good.

Coming up soon:
Learn how to make these puppies:

Super Bowl Sunday

Yes, I know, I am behind a bit. Deal.

So: For the Super Bowl, we went over to April and Jonathan's to hang out and watch the game. Well, I didn't watch the game. I watched the halftime show and the commercials. I care enough about football to like one team and hate one team (Saints and Cowboys, respectively), and the rest I don't care about. I did like the Darth Vader commercial though. We had lots of fun hanging out :)

We had a variety of tasty treats to eat, including pigs-in-a-blanket and pizza dip (very tasty).
I made this:

Creamy Jalapeno Dip

What you need:
2-3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 tbsp garlic powder
16 oz sour cream
1 package ranch dressing powder/mix

What you do:
Combine all ingredients using a submersion blender (definitely one of my favorite kitchen appliances, but a regular blender would probably still work). Blend until smooth. Chill before serving (usually takes about an hour to thicken up nicely). Serve with corn chips. Also makes a very tasty topping for burritos and fajitas!

I've been told it tastes like some dip/sauce stuff at Chuy's, but seeing as how I don't think I've ever eaten there (maybe once), I don't know. It is tasty though.

Pasta Night, Anyone?

Italian food is my favorite of all the foods. Thus, we have pasta night a lot. I'm also not domestic enough to make my own marinara sauce (well, most of the time). Solution?

How to turn bottled spaghetti sauce into Homemade Marinara Sauce:

What you need:
Bottled spaghetti sauce (whatever kind you like)
Parmesan Cheese
Red Wine (dry)
Fresh Garlic
Italian Seasoning
Olive Oil
Pasta

What to do:
Cook pasta per instructions.
While that's cooking: In a small sauce pan, pour a little olive oil over medium-ish heat. Use a garlic press or small grater to add 1 clove of garlic. When your whole kitchen starts to smell awesome, add the wine (about a cup). Add 1 tbsp of Italian seasoning. Simmer and reduce for up to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 the bottle of tomato sauce and cheese (however much you like). Important: If you do not use real cheese (AKA the Kraft stuff), it will not melt. If you don't care, use whatever kind you have. Pour over pasta when cooked. Top with cheese.
Viola!
It doesn't sound like it makes a huge difference; IT DOES.

It turns this:

Into this:

You'll never go back to plain old bottled sauce again. And you can totally say you made it yourself.

When you have to fake it

So, I don't plan ahead. It's not my thing. I try, and get distracted, and wind up running around at the last minute.
So, when I meant to plan a fancy-ish dinner ahead of time, and didn't, I fake it. I do this:

Marinated Tilapia

You need:
1/2 bottle marinade of choice
4 medium tilapia fillets
Salt and pepper to taste

Prep:
Line fish fillets in a large casserole dish. Pour marinade over fish. Marinade for 10 minutes, flip the fish and spoon over marinade. Marinade another 10 minutes. OR: Place fish in a large Ziploc baggie. Pour in marinade and lay flat. Marinade for 15-20 minutes, shaking the bag half way through. In a medium skillet, cook fish for 3 minutes on each side with any excess marinade (helps the cooking process AND makes a tasty sauce). Flip with a SPATULA (tongs will not work, trust me).

Hints:
HEB makes fabulous bottled marinades that sell for about $1. I'm in love with them, seriously. My favorite is the garlic and herb. If you don't have and HEB handy, you can always substitute Italian style dressing.
Lemon-pepper seasoning salt (which I just happen to have for some reason) is great instead of salt and pepper if you go the Italian route. Soy sauce, dijon mustard, and garlic is a super simple marinade if you don't have any of the aforementioned options.
Sam's Club sells AWESOME tilapia fillets in the frozen section. They're individually packaged and frozen, and have no fillers or preservatives. I ALWAYS have them in the freezer. Mostly so I can get away with never planning anything.


Add your favorite veggies and you have a fantastic meal that tastes fabulous and a lot more complicated than it was.
If you have leftovers, tilapia is fantastic for fish tacos.

Easy Recipies: Semi-Stroganoff

So, on those days that I really need to go the grocery store, but can't (or just don't want to), I discover all kinds of interesting meals made from whatever I have in the pantry. This is one of my new favorites, and it's made from stuff I always have on hand. Its definitely one of Phillip's all-time favorite things to eat ever.

Semi-Stroganoff

Ingredients:
1/2 box of pasta
1 pound ground beef
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 can water
1/2 cup white wine
1 tbsp. margarine or butter
2 tbsp. Onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Prep:
Cook pasta as directed. Don't forget to salt the water. While pasta is cooking, brown ground beef in large skillet. Season to taste (I use salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder just about always) and drain. Set aside.
In the skillet, combine soup, butter, and wine. Fill the empty soup can 1/2 full with water, and whisk into the sauce. Add onion powder and pepper (I use a lot of pepper). Taste and see if it needs anything (I always add more wine, but hey, its me). Add beef to the sauce. Fold in pasta when its done.

Its seriously pretty good. It looks a little like gravy before you add the pasta, but it tastes not like gravy, so don't freak out. Its a little reminiscent of Hamburger Helper, but better, both in taste and because you make it yourself. You can also add fresh or canned mushrooms to it if you're a fan.

Lazy Day Recipie

So, I tend to get lazy.
Might have something to do with working 40 something hours every week while not getting paid and getting evaluated/judged on everything I do (since, apparently, normal human teachers do not make mistakes).
When I get lazy, I am not domestic. It doesn't work out.
So, I make this for dinner:

Kinda-Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken, de-boned
1 can yellow hominy (corn if you are finicky)
1 can original rotel (drain half the juice if you are finicky)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cartons chicken broth
Tortilla chips
Cheddar or Jack cheese

Preparation:
Dump first 5 ingredients into a pot and heat until simmering.
DO NOT ADD SALT.
Put into a bowl, Top with crushed tortilla chips and liberal (and I mean "Would you like some soup with your cheese?" liberal) amounts of cheese.

Its warm, comforting, mildly spicy, and awesome. Its wonderful when its cold outside. Its wonderful when its not cold outside. It also makes a VAT of soup, so you have leftovers for tomorrow so you can perpetuate your laziness. Its also nice to entertain with, since everyone likes it and its pretty cheap per serving.

I have several other go-to lazy day recipes, but I shall save them for another day. :)

Best. Recipe. Ever.

Crockpots are my new favorite thing ever.
This recipe is simple, cheap to make, and tastes gourmet.
I adapted it from something I found online, and was amazed by how delicious it was! (Not to toot my own horn or anything)

Chicken in a Pear and Red wine Reduction

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thawed)
1/2 cup pear preserves or jam
1/3 cup sweet red wine (I like Pinot Noir)
1/2 envelope french onion soup powdered mix
1/2 cup water

Preparation:
Put chicken into a medium sized crock pot.
Combine other ingredients.
Pour over the chicken.
Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
If chicken is frozen, add another 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high.
Enjoy!

You can substitute the pear preserves for another variety. Blackberry or apricot would also be delicious. If your sauce is too watery (mine was), pour into a small sauce pan and boil unit it reduces by half. I paired it with rosemary roasted potatoes, which were also delicious in the sauce.

Seriously. Trust me. Its awesome.