Monday, May 11, 2009

Beautiful Birthday Recap <|:-)

   When I was younger I used to love all the extravagant birthday parties—my mom was a birthday party pro; she always made sure everything was fit for a queen. =) Nowadays I would rather just spend time with the family in a nice low-key celebration which is exactly what I did. I also did a few things to bring me back to my childhood that I don’t make time to do anymore. I colored, took a stroll with good ol’ daddy and did some rock picking, and I ate butternut squash fries which I used to eat like all the time!(recipe below) I also requested NO presents just because I have everything I could possibly need and more, but of course mom and dad couldn’t resist and after I opened it I was not complaining! They got me three beautiful Cutco knives! The idea is that each knife can only be used for a certain task, and as the years go by you add to your collection(rather slowly for now since they are expensive!) But they have a lifetime guarantee so it’s worth it! Can’t wait to put these to the chopping test!

CIMG0178

<—The most meaningful card in the background. And how cool are the knives?! They even have grooves in the handles to get the best grip.

CIMG0180

         I love the pearled handles too! It matches with my KitchenAid mixer perfect. I am glad she picked the pearl vs. the black. Thanks again mom and dad! =)

Now onto the eats. I had planned this dinner for a couple days. I am so happy to finally be able to bring out the good delicious summer recipes. Much lighter but oh-so-satisfying and fun! Don’t get me wrong, comfort food rocks, but when you eat it all winter you’re ready for some fruit, veggies, and the grill!

I decided on Stuffed Veggie Peppers from the new Hungry Girl cookbook, but I changed it up a bit so I could share! =) I used soy crumbles(which the recipe called for), and even my carnivorous dad did not notice. So for all you out there who have shied away from soy, give it a shot! So much healthier and cheaper=double bonus!

CIMG0175

Posh Pineapple Peppers

Serves: 4 Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

*2 large red bell peppers

*1/2 C chopped green pepper

*1/2 C chopped onion

*1/2 c chopped pineapple

*2 medium Roma tomatoes, chopped

*4 TBSP of mixed shredded cheese

*1 C soy crumbles

*1 C chopped mushrooms

*1 tsp taco seasoning

*1 tsp minced garlic

*1/2 C tomato sauce

Directions:

  • Wash all produce first! Take red bell peppers, cut off tops, de-seed and slice horizontally. Place cut side up on sprayed baking sheet and bake at 375 for 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile take and dice onion, mushroom, pineapple, and green pepper and sauté in pan on medium heat until tender (3 min), add garlic and let cook 1 more minute. Transfer cooked veggies to bowl.
  • Add in the seasonings, sauce, cheese, Roma tomato and soy crumbles.
  • Once red peppers come out of the oven, allow to cool briefly(5 min), then pat with a paper towel to absorb moisture. Lower oven temperature to 350.
  • Fill each pepper evenly and sprinkle with additional cheese if desired.
  • Pop in the oven for 20 minutes, take out, and dig in!

CIMG0176

<—Check out that cheesy goodness! Of course I had to pair this with a stunning side dish as well, which is where HungryGirl inspired Bake-tastic Butternut Squash Fries come in. Make sure you head on over and get the recipe!

CIMG0174

Once you try the Butternut Squash fries, potato fries will be a thing of the past. If you want to turn these into a sweet treat, I love em’ with a pinch of cinnamon and a dash of sugar!

2 comments:

Jenny said...

so glad to hear you enjoyed your special day :) can't wait to see all of the yummy creations you come up with using those knives!!

lovelovelove,
Jenny

Laura said...

Yaaay for bdayness... I agree with the lowkey bday idea, that kinda celebration sounds perfect to me too.... Those knives look perfect for all of your kitchen craftyness (I myself am horrrrrible at cutting and should prob invest in good knives to help me out) The pepper recipe looks awesome too I just added it to my Living Cookbook Program so I have it on file, if I make it I will be ssure to let ya know... enjoy the rest of your Birthday week (because bdays totally are a week long celebration haha) Goodnight girlie!