Only 2 days left!

Before I can begin to talk about the amazing adventure I will be embarking on IN LESS THAN 2 DAYS, I want to share with you some festivities I got into the other day. I don't know if I have told you guys this before, but my wonderful sister graduated from West Chester University only few years before me. She graduated as an Education Major and a 4 year All-American in soccer. I cannot even begin to explain how much of an inspiration she is to me, as she is the most determined and outgoing individual I know (not that it makes it any harder to follow in her footsteps or anything). Anyways, point being, I knew West Chester like the back of my hand before I even got here. However, there was one restaurant that I always saw but never got the chance to go. With a day off of practice and barely any homework, I actually got to go! I picked Caitlin up from class and drove to Shoo Mama's Farm Fresh Cafe only a few minutes outside of West Chester. It was everything I would have hoped for and more. The menu was full of fresh, and refreshing, options that made it almost hard to choose from!  From salads, to sandwiches, soups, and smoothies...I wanted everything! I ended up choosing Ralphie's Mama; a smoked turkey breast, crispy bacon and provolone with avocado and tomato bruschetta on a whole wheat ciabatta roll. AMAZING. Caitlin had Lynn's Mama, which is grilled chicken breast, Virginia smoked ham and mozzarella on a ciabatta roll with a peach and pear smoothie. Again, AMAZING. The cafe also sells local fresh eggs, milk, and yogurt. It is definitely somewhere that I would recommend anyone to go to if they are in the area! Check it out :)

After seeing all of this amazing food, it inspired me to make something of my own, not to mention something a little bit sweet. As always, pinterest came in clutch and I found a recipe for Almond Joy Oatmeal Cookies. Made with many health(ier) ingredients like agave, oats, whole wheat flour, coconut oil, and dark chocolate, these cookies were practically guilt free. Atleast that's what I told myself and my roommates. They were also to die for...so good that I had to make a second batch within 20 minutes because they were gone! Actually, so good that I made some for my whole team! 

Now, to the exciting part. I'M LEAVING FOR ITALY IN LESS THAN 2 DAYS! Beginning at 6 pm, this Friday, I will be going on the trip of a lifetime. For 10 whole days I will be touring Venice, Florence, Rome, Parm, and various other towns and cities. I will be visiting cheese making factories, slow cooking restaurants, and THE Vatican. I know, it sounds like a dream...but it's not! I'm actually going! And no worries, I will be keeping you guys updated throughout the whole entire week with pictures and detailed descriptions of everything I see and, most importantly, eat! Since I've already told you a million things in one post, I'm going to cut it here before I explode with all the things I want to tell you about my trip. So for now, that's all folks :)

~ With love, Nicole Alexis ~

Sunday Night Heaven

So after explaining to you guys how important Sunday night dinners are in my last post, I want to show you a little bit of my Grandmas creations. Tonight, I was lucky enough to attend dinner with my family before having to leave for school again. As I walked into my grandma's kitchen, I was instantly greeted with open arms and teary eyes from Nanny. She had read my last blog post, printed it out, and put it into a plastic sleeve! It brought me to tears seeing how much she loved and appreciated what I had said about her dinners and how much they mean to my family and I. And as always, she didn't disappoint with tonights dinner. She made a popover cheese bread, chicken tetrazzini, salad, and steamed broccoli.  As my Aunt Bobbie and I agreed, even her simple salad is inquisitively good. For dessert, she even tried something new! The recipe called it Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cake, but my Aunt Laurie and I came up with the name Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake. Ofcourse, before any of us tried it, Nanny warned us that "it may not be any good," and ofcourse, IT WAS AMAZING. I even had three pieces... (shhhhhh, I decided I wasn't a nutrition major tonight). With a glass of milk, it was the perfect dessert to end my relaxing weekend at home. Here are some pictures!

~ With love, Nicole Alexis ~

Where it all started...

Hello my beautiful readers! It's been a couple of days :( I know, but I can't tell you how bad I wish I had the time to share my cooking journey with you. I'll tell you what, this whole college thing is getting in the way of my cooking and it is not making me very happy. Luckily, this past weekend I was able to actually go home, see my family, relax, and get away from the hectic life of a student athlete. I got to spend the night at my sisters brand new and gorgeous house, go shopping for clothes that I will "need" for Italy with my aunt (completely necessary), spend quality time with my dogs, and most importantly I got to spend Sunday night with my entire family for Sunday dinner. Now, I must tell you...I have a new obsession. My Aunt Bobbie insisted that I try Nordstrom's athletic line called Zella, because they would be perfect for my trip to Italy. Me being an athlete and all, I tend to lean towards Nike and Under Armor, BUT after trying Zella running pants on...I'm in love. My Aunt bought me 2 pairs, plus ordered another! Their purpose is for exercise, however, they are definitely the perfect everyday legging as well. I don't know what it is about them, but they are so comfortable and they are the perfect thickness for any type of activity. Definitely a must try! On another note, I feel like I need to explain the importance of Sunday dinner. When I think about the past 19 years, I can tell you that Sunday dinners have been the highlight of my life. I cannot remember a time that I didn't have this special time with my family. It's the one night of the week that I always look forward to and can count on to make all my problems from the week go away. Every single Sunday, all of my family members (Siblings, Aunt's, Uncles, Cousin, Parents, Grandparents) gather at my grandparents house around 5:30. The girls sit around the kitchen table, gossiping for the most part, and the boys sit in the living room watching whatever sports team is playing in that particular season. You can always count on explosions of laughter from the kitchen and you can always count on explosions of frustration from either a bad call or bad play in the living room. However, all of this is gathered around my Grandma, Nanny's, cooking. I know I have talked about her in previous blogs, but I think she deserves a little more recognition. Nanny is the best cook and baker around. I tell her this all the time, but I swear that anything is 10 times better if she makes it. From Chicken in the Van (cheesy chicken over rice) to classic grilled cheese, or Monkey Bread to Lemon bars, she has this magic touch that makes everything just absolutely amazing. She tells me it's from years of experience, but I can tell you that there is something else because its remarkable. She, and Sunday Dinners, are where my love for cooking and food started. In that house is where everything is okay and the problems in my life just seem to melt away. I know it sounds so cheesy and unoriginal, but it is completely true. I would be a completely different person if it weren't for my family and the values that they have taught me. And since I know Nanny will be reading this at some point, because she reminds me that she does every time I see her, I would like to thank her for everything she has done for my family and I. She doesn't know how much she is appreciated and how much she has influenced and shaped who I am today.

Well, since I just spilled my heart out and wrote a book all in one blog post...I guess I should actually get to the point of this blog. Food! I got my Blue Apron box today :) and I was excited as always. But first I must share the soup that I failed to post last week. This soup was incredibly easy and tasted delicious! It was a Butternut Squash & Kale Minestrone with Horseradish Gremolata & Parmesan Toast. Sounds complicated, but Blue Apron makes everything so easy!

As for tonight's meal, I was so excited to make a pasta based meal! Again, this was such a simple meal to make as well and it only took a half hour. This dish is my favorite of the Blue Apron recipes I have made so far...I am a sucker for a good pasta dish though. Welcome to the world of Whole Wheat Rigatoni with Wild Mushrooms & Swiss Chard. It looks just as good as it tastes. Trust me.  

I apologize for such a long blog post tonight, but I hope that you enjoyed hearing about my much needed weekend home and a little bit about my family and I! Please check out Zella and look into the recipes that I have made! I can't wait to share with you my next meal tomorrow :) happy cooking and remember to try something new!

~ With love, Nicole Alexis ~

Day in the Kitchen

After having a not so good day, I was able to go to the wonderful grocery store to get my mind off of things. I know many of you who haven't read my blog post before probably think that I am being sarcastic, but I'm really not! I love the grocery store and it really does help me to relax...weird, I know, but when you have practices five days a week and classes that take every bit of your waking time, a day off feels like a weeks vacation. Not to mention the fact that cooking and baking are my get away, so the grocery store would be one of my favorite places! Sorry for the rant...anyways, I've been having a craving for banana bread, so ofcourse I went to pinterest to find exactly what I wanted. Little did I know that there were 129,834,723,947 million types of banana bread. I finally landed on a "skinny" banana bread that looked simple enough to make in my pitifully unequipped college kitchen. Although I had a little trouble trying to mix all the ingredients with a hand mixer, it turned out great! A little crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside, and tons of banana and walnut flavor. Shortly after taking the bread out of the oven, I already had to start my blue apron dinner. Tonight I was challenged to make Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Einkorn & Crispy Sage. This recipe was SO simple! It racked my brain how granny smith apples and Einkorn could turn out edible, but as always, it was amazing how well their flavors and textures complimented each other. Plus, you can never go wrong with simply roasted cauliflower. Even one of my roommates walked into the kitchen and asked who was making what because it smelled so good. That's just a small testament to how good it was. Try it, try it, try it! It will not disappoint, and if it does...well I sincerely apologize!

~ With love, Nicole Alexis ~

Low Fat Banana Nut Bread

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks

The Blue Apron

Hi guys! So being sick is not fun at all...in any way, shape, or form. Walking to class against 10 degree wind chills is not the best environment for a runny nose and sore throat. However(!), that has not stopped me from taking on my Blue Apron recipes!  I am proud to say that with these recipes I have tried ingredients and combinations that I would have never thought, or wanted, to try. Try something out of the box like I did! You won't regret it :) I promise!

For the Winter Panzanella, I was very spectacle of how everything would come together, but yet again...it was good enough to go back for seconds. My favorite part about this dish was the toasted almonds. I have never had simply toasted almonds and they literally made the whole dish come together. This would be a perfect meal for a day that was full of heavy meals. This is light, yet very filling.

Winter Panzanella

The Soba Noodles may have been my favorite of the three. This recipe was so easy to follow and was full of flavor. This way my first time poaching an egg too! It came out pretty well I'd say :) I even got my picky best friend, Caitlin, to say that it was good...and by picky, I mean she would eat chicken, without any seasoning, every day of her life. So if that doesn't tell you this was good, I don't know what else to tell you. This was yet another simple and easy meal that I would recommend to anyone that doesn't have a lot of time. Please please please try it! 

Shiro Miso Soba Noodles

Remember...try something new! I hope you guys are staying warm and healthy :) cook well!

~ With love, Nicole Alexis ~

                                                

I'm Back!

Dear readers, I sincerely apologize for my absence the past couple days! Getting back into the swing of things at school with classes and field hockey has really taken a toll on my ability to cook. However, I have found my new savior and obsession! If you haven't heard of The Blue Apron, you need to click on the link as soon as possible. The Blue Apron is an amazing company that sends fresh, pre-measured ingredients, for amazing original recipes right to your door step. You have special preferences? They got it. You want them to deliver it on a certain day? Not a problem. IT IS AMAZING. So anyways, today I walked through my front door to find my first blue apron box awaiting me and I could not have been more excited. I grabbed the box, ran upstairs (almost face planting), and instantly tore it open. I pulled the package apart and there laid individually wrapped, fresh ingredients, perfectly chilled by and insulated package and ice packs. Unfortunately, I had to go to practice shortly after, but I rushed home as soon as I could. I had to choose between three different meals and all of them looked amazing. I ended up choosing the White Pizza with Meyer Lemon & Arugula-Brussels Sprout Salad. It only took 45 minutes to make! It was different, unique, and amazing. I would definitely, without a doubt, recommend this! Fortunately, I have 2 more full meals in the refrigerator to make for this week! And I PROMISE to keep you guys updated with pictures and recommendations! I hope you guys have had a great start to the new year and are busy enjoying all the meals you have made! This is the year to challenge yourself in really enjoying everything you create :) have fun with it!          

  ~ With love, Nicole Alexis ~

A little bit miss matched...

With request from Travis, tonight's menu included General Tso's Chicken with Cream Cheese Wontons. At a first glance, finding an Asian recipe with low sodium content for my Dad's high blood pressure was a challenge... but as always, Pinterest is a magical source that has everything and anything. Instantly, I was able to find a recipe for Skinny General Tso's Chicken that was incredibly easy and would fit my family's health needs. This recipe can easily be altered to the preferences of your guests. My sister is not a fan of anything hot or spicy, so when adding the hot sauce and cayenne pepper, I had to back the amounts down a notch...however, a half of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper was still too much for my picky eater. Overall, the chicken turned out fantastic and had just the right amount of heat for the preference range I had at the dinner table. As for the wontons, I kind of just came up with my own recipe. I spaced out enough wontons to fill a greased baking sheet and lightly brushed some whisked egg on the edges to help with adhesion. Adding a dollop of regular cream cheese to the center of each wonton, I then pulled each of the sides up and over the mound to create a tight seal for the cheese to melt in. After brushing the capsules with a light layer of egg, I placed them in the oven at 400F until the edges became crisp and golden brown (about 5 or 6 minutes). As a complete dish, I added some sweet a sour dipping sauce on the side. Simple, easy, and delicious!

   

Dessert

Recently, I've realized how little fruit my family consumes. Not only is this a huge problem for my family, but the nation as a whole has an outstanding necessity to increase their fruit consumption. A gallup poll done in 2010 showed that nationwide, less than half of Americans (46.6%) report eating five or more servings of fruit and vegetables on five or more days per week. That's a huge issue considering more than one-third of the US adult population is obese (CDC). ANYWAYS, with that in mind, I decided to make a Berry Clafoutis for dessert! This recipe is extremely easy and doesn't take any time at all...plus it adds some fruit to your daily consumption. I hope you enjoy!

~ With love, Nicole Alexis ~