Part two of how I met hubby & easy homemade whipped cream

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Denise

Hmmm…where to pick up? Our dilemma! Our love story. (If you missed part one, you can catch it here). One reason I had joined the Navy was to put myself first, be independent & not depend on a man for my happiness. Now…completely out of the blue…I met someone that I have fun and can be myself with, who makes me laugh, that I can tell anything to…..and now I’m feeling deep stirrings of something other than friendship. It really was like a “sneak attack.” I wasn’t looking for love, and it wasn’t “love at first sight.” It was a deep connection that grew between us daily…a bright spot in my day….a guy that won me over by his charm, humor, zest for life and his very blue eyes…and it scared me to the core! I mean, how in the world would this ever work out? There was a VERY rare chance of us getting the same orders to the same place when training was all said and done. So how hard do you let yourself fall?  But wait…I’m getting ahead of myself…we were still FRIENDS…how did we move past that? Continue reading →

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Celebrating a special day with chocolate mousse!

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Denise

This past Tuesday my husband & I celebrated our 14 year wedding anniversary! For me 14 years is easy to believe because we’ve been together longer than that…MUCH longer. My hubby & I have quite the tale to tell about how we met. You see, 21 years ago I was given some very good advice for me at the time by a very dear friend. I was 19, inching my way through community college….1 class at a time, while waitressing full-time. It appeared that a college degree was going to take eons to obtain. Add in a broken heart, and I was MORE than ready to run out and join the United States Navy!! Isn’t that what everyone does??

Put it this way…by the time my plane landed in Orlando, Florida in the middle of the night for boot camp just 3 months later (December 1989), the enormity of what I’d done started to hit me. And when I finally laid my head down to sleep that first night around 2am in a compartment full of 59 other female strangers, I wept silently for the life I had left behind….and all the unknown that laid in wait. You probably can guess what happened next…my 8 weeks and 2 days in boot camp was a life altering experience, and I graduated out feeling I could conquer the world. A bit brainwashed perhaps (ask my cousin!!), but that wore off eventually 🙂

Next stop (after 2 glorious weeks of leave back home….not glorious…it felt strange to be without those 59 other female strangers). It’s amazing how attached you get in 2 short months when going through that type of regimen. Anyway….next stop was Great Lakes, Illinois….Waukegan to exact….Naval Training Command. And this is where I met my future husband. It was February…and being stationed right off Lake Michigan…cold would be the understatement of the year. Let’s just say…arctic tundra would adequately describe it. So on February 21, 1990…I met my future husband in “galley indoc” when he tapped me on the shoulder and asked to borrow a pen! My thought as I turned around? Who goes to an orientation without a pen?? Oh the signs of things to come…..LOL!!

So we worked in the galley side by side for several weeks while waiting for our respective trainings to have a spot. We were actually assigned to different tasks, but somehow always stole away to hang out together. We found someone in charge to help out & I have memories of running here or there together. Or walking in for breakfast at 4am, so we could eat before helping to cook the day’s breakfast. It was dark, it was cold (frigid!!), and we’d slip and slide all over the place. My hubby is a native Floridian, so you can imagine how this type of weather impacted him!!
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     We became inseparable….not boyfriend/girlfriend….but BEST friends! As we hung out day after day, we got to know each other. We talked, gallivanted around base, and laughed and laughed. And I was NOT there to find a boyfriend. I was there to forget about men. So he was safe, and it was fun…and then I fell…and I fell hard! I certainly fought those feelings. What else could I do? We were both destined to get separate orders to probably 2 separate parts of the world…so the outcome could not be good, could it? Stay tuned for part 2…..and while you ponder our dilemma, try this easy chocolate mousse!

dessert, chocolate

5.0 from 2 reviews
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Very Simple Chocolate Mousse
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert, Chocolate
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
A decadant and romantic dessert...easy to make, but will impress others like you slaved all day!! My girls felt so special when I served it to them.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 4 egg whites
  • 2 Tbsp butter (room temperature)
  • Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
  1. In a thick bottomed saucepan, melt chocolate and butter on very low heat...keeping a constant eye and stirring frequently.
  2. Beat egg yolks for a few minutes (I did this in my Kitchen Aid Mixer).
  3. Transfer eggs to separate bowl.
  4. Use Mixer to beat egg whites and salt till stiff. Much easier with Kitchen Aid mixer but hand mixer will do.
  5. While egg whites are mixing, add egg yolks to chocolate and stir till smooth.
  6. Fold egg whites gently into chocolate mousse.
  7. Put into separate serving dishes and refrigerate till cold (at least 3 hours).
Notes
*This dish utilizes RAW eggs. If you are nervous, then when you pull chocolate off the heat, pour a bit of it into the egg yolks to warm the yolks up. Then pour egg/chocolate mixture into the pan with chocolate. Mix well & then warm up over low heat stirring constantly. A few minutes should be sufficient to "cook" your eggs. **The original recipe called for fine chocolate chopped and ½ cup sugar. Since I used chocolate chips which contained sugar, I omitted the sugar so it wouldn't be overly sweet. Dark chocolate is my preference...and the finest quality will really make a difference since chocolate is the focus and there are so few ingredients.

 A couple notes ~ Please remember to share the recipe with sharing options below (like Facebook or Twitter) if you like it.

Also please take a moment to drop by and vote for Creative Kitchen here . I’ve been nominated for Babble’s Top 100 Food Mom Blogs 2011. Thanks SO much!!

 

This recipe is linked up with Sundays at One, Monday Mania, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Mouthwatering Mondays, My Meatless Mondays, Homemaker Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, Mangia Mondays, Tuesdays at the Table, Delectable Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Hearth and Soul Hop, Real Food Wednesday, What’s Cooking Wednesday, What’s on the Menu Wednesday, Waltz on by Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, It’s a Keeper Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursday, Thrilling Thursday, Friday Potluck, Friday Favorites, Finer Things Friday, Foodie Friday, Fun with Food Friday, Fresh, Clean & Pure Friday & Food Trip Friday.

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Chicken Parmesan Pasta…easy stovetop method!

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Denise

I have another keeper for you today! I’d say I make this recipe at least twice a month, if not more. It was a recipe born of necessity as one night I didn’t have enough chicken to make chicken parm and what I did have wasn’t thawed out all the way. My oldest daughter loves chicken parm! I’m right there with her….but it takes forever to make, uses A LOT of chicken breast and I have to turn on my oven. Living in South Florida where it gets very hot & humid in the summer, I love meals that don’t require oven use.

So what did I do? I diced up the chicken, which meant it would thaw faster and COOK FASTER! I made chicken nuggets in a skillet, and combined everything in one pot on the stovetop. Then I stirred in mozzarella cheese in order to get that cheesy goodness in every bite!

After this method, I’ve never looked back. It’s the ONLY way I make chicken parm now. It’s seems faster and easier to me. And the BIGGEST benefit is that I can stretch a little over a pound of chicken breast to feed my family of 5 in a satisfying way. My meat-loving husband doesn’t feel like he’s giving anything up with this meal, and it helps me stick to my food budget.


5.0 from 3 reviews
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Stovetop Chicken Parmesan Pasta
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner, Italian, Frugal, Easy
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8
 
The fast, frugal and easy way to get chicken parm on the dinner table! Stovetop Chicken Parmesan Pasta is one of our family favorites! And the stovetop cooking method keeps you from heating up your whole house. What's not to love?
Ingredients
  • 1.3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast*
  • Italian seasoned bread crumbs to coat
  • 1 whisked egg
  • Favorite spaghetti sauce**
  • Pasta of choice***
  • 4 to 6 oz. Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions
  1. Prep water for pasta, bring to a boil & turn on low.
  2. Make chicken nuggets with chicken breast.
  3. To make chicken nuggets: cut chicken into 1-inch cubes.
  4. Dip cubes into egg, and then put in ziploc bag with bread crumbs and toss to coat.
  5. Heat oil in skillet, and fry up chicken nuggets.
  6. Make spaghetti sauce or heat up sauce of choice.
  7. Make pasta per directions and drain.
  8. Add chicken nuggets and pasta to sauce.
  9. Add fresh mozzarella and stir around till melted in.
Notes
*For chicken breast ~ I buy Murray's chicken. ** For spaghetti sauce ~ I use 1 jar Bertolli Tomato & Basil. I then add in one 15 oz can of organic tomato sauce and then seasonings to our taste (basil, oregano, sea salt, thyme, sage, garlic powder, onion powder). I do add a couple tablespoons of sugar because we like our sauce to be on the sweeter side. *** For pasta ~ I use Ronzoni Healthy Harvest whole grain angel hair pasta. For this recipe I use the 13.25 oz box, plus 1 half box. When combining cooked pasta with sauce and chicken, I add in to desired sauce ratio. If this makes too much pasta, keep some plain for leftovers. But I usually add all of the pasta to the recipe.

 

A couple notes ~ Please remember to share the recipe with sharing options below (like Facebook or Twitter) if you like it.

Also please take a moment to drop by and vote for Creative Kitchen here . I’ve been nominated for Babble’s Top 100 Food Mom Blogs 2011. Thanks SO much!!

 This recipe linked up with Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Monday Mania, Mangia Mondays, Mouthwatering Monday, Homemaker Mondays, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Delectable Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tasty Tuesday, Hearth and Soul Hop, What’s on the Menu Wednesday, What’s on Your Plate, Real Food Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, It’s a Keeper Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Family Friendly Fridays, Finer Things Friday, Food Trip Friday & Saturday Swap.

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Settling in with a Grilled Steak Lettuce Wrap!

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Denise

Welcome to our new home on the web!! I’m VERY excited to be here, and to show you all around! After a lot of hard work and many late nights it’s great to finally be all settled in over here. As I’m sure you’ll notice as you look around, there are a lot of NEW features . Most of these features I’ve been eyeing with blogger envy for awhile, and I’m so happy to now have them in my blog!

A couple things to note ~ I now have “Pages” in the header, so there is a lot more information available. You’ll see a tab for my “Food Budget” and for “Real Food” in which I finally answer common questions I get. I’m VERY excited about my new “Recipe Index” page. There in one easy to find location, you’ll have all the recipes at Creative Kitchen listed by categories (breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizers, etc). I’ve always wanted one of those!! And don’t forget to check out my “Blogs to Digest” at some point…I’ve listed a lot of great blogs I read, and they are finally categorized so you can find the ones most interesting to you.

Also at the end of each post, you’ll have an opportunity to “share” it with various social media such as Facebook, Google Buzz, Twitter, Stumble Upon, Email etc. If you find any of my recipes or posts helpful, I hope you’ll recommend it to others. There’s also a button to “like” it on Facebook which shares it automatically as well. If for some reason any of the new features don’t work, please let me know. I’ve tested everything out, but you never know. 😉

I still have a few new things to add like “Printable Recipes” coming soon…REALLY soon!! 🙂 That is another feature I’ve longed to give you guys. You’ll notice a few more things added here and there over the next few weeks…I found if I waited until everything was done, we’d never get over here!! Now on to what you’re here for…the recipes!!

Grilled Steak Lettuce Wraps

  • Sliced grilled steak
  • Romaine lettuce leaves
  • Diced tomato
  • Diced onions
  • Chopped fresh Cilantro
  • Mexican Crema Sauce (this stuff is GOOD!!)

Assemble your lettuce wraps with toppings of choosing just like you would a taco. It would also be amazing with diced fresh avocado & fresh lime juice. I was out of avocado. Top with Mexican Crema Sauce instead of sour cream. This sauce is what makes the whole thing!!

Mexican Crema Sauce (adapted from davesgarden.com community forums)

  • 1 cup good sour cream (I use Daisy)
  • 1/4 cup ketchup (I know…trust me though)
  • 1 Tbsp vinegar
  • 1 -2 tsp crushed dried red pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp sea salt (more or less)
  • 1 heaping Tbsp sugar
  • Enough milk to thin out

Whisk all ingredients in small bowl except for milk. Add in milk until you get to desired consistency. Refrigerate. Keeps for at least a week.

***PLEASE be sure to let me know you stopped by today by adding a comment below (it’s a tiny spot under the other post suggestions)!! I’m SUPER excited about my new site, and would really love to have some feedback and hellos. Thanks SO much for making this bloggers day 🙂

This recipe linked up to Mouthwatering Mondays, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Mangia Mondays, Homemaker Monday, Made by You Monday, Monday Mania, Tuesdays at the Table, Delectable Tuesday, Simply Sugar & Gluten Free, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Hearth and Soul Hop, What’s Cooking Wednesday, What’s on the Menu Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, It’s a Keeper Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursday, Thrilling Thursday, This Week’s Cravings, Finer Things Friday, It’s a Hodgepodge Friday, Friday Potluck, Friday Favorites , Family Friendly Fridays, Foodie Friday, Summer Salad Recipes & Food Trip Friday.

60 Comments

Hungarian meatballs with noodles

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Denise

This recipe is a keeper! It’s easy, and quick…even with making your own mini-meatballs. It’s definitely a family pleaser…when my girls found out I was making Hungarian meatballs Monday night they were super excited. My 8 year old said it’s her favorite meal after the Zuppa Toscana soup. And as I was dishing it out, I remembered I’d wanted to double the recipe next time so there would be plenty for seconds (and thirds or leftovers). We didn’t have any leftovers. Probably since it serves 4, and we have 5 people in our family.

And lately I keep forgetting how much my older two girls can eat…they are growing girls after all. And my 12 year old eats like an adult. Sheesh…hard to remember!! When did I get a pre-teen? Can anyone relate to the bottomless pits they seem to be? Seriously it’s a full-time job just keeping them fed! So you may want to double the recipe if you have the same issue in your home. 

This recipe isn’t mine, so I can’t take credit. Back in 2003 when I was losing weight after my second daughter was born, I was utilizing the Weight Watchers message boards for accountability and support. It was a great source of motivation for me at the time, and I didn’t even have to attend meetings. Their message boards are FREE! It was there I discovered the wonderful Couch to 5K running program and went on to run my first 5K. Which in turn inspired my husband (who was never a runner) to train with the same program. He went on to run many races including 3 marathons and a half-ironman!! I am SO proud of him!

Needless to say, I lost all my baby weight, got in great shape (as did my hubby) and made some great friends! It was one of these gals that ended up sending me this recipe. She photocopied it out of a Weight Watcher magazine. It took me several years before I ended up making it…isn’t that always the case? And then I was kicking myself. She even made a notation that “paprika makes the taste.” I wasn’t very familiar with paprika at the time, but since then it’s become one of my favorite spices to use.

So here you go…Hungarian meatballs with noodles! I promise you…they are definitely a lot tastier than they look in the pictures. There’s a great broth down there in that bowl. It’s hard to take appetizing pictures of meatballs without them being covered in some type of sauce or cheesy goodness, right? But trust me…they’re good!

Hungarian MB


Hungarian meatballs with noodles (adapted from a Weight Watchers magazine article) ~ serves 4

  • 1 pound ground beef (I use hormone free, Whole Foods)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil (for skillet)
  • 4 cups filtered water or beef broth
  • 1 Tbsp beef base (or 2 beef bullion cubes) ~ omit if using beef broth
  • 12 oz. package egg noodles (I use Ronzoni Healthy Harvest whole grain)
  • salt and pepper to taste ~ hubby says best with lots of pepper!!
1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, egg, onion, parsley, salt paprika and pepper. Shape into small 1-inch mini meatballs.
2. Brown in oil in large skillet (large enough to hold 4 cups broth when done browning).
3. After browned on all sides (about 10 minutes on medium), add broth or water/bullion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
4. Make egg noodles according to directions. Drain.
5. For each serving top noodles with meatballs and broth. Season with salt and pepper.
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*Note the “share” and “facebook like” buttons below. If you like this recipe, I’d appreciate your recommendation to others! Thanks!!
 
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