Cooking 101 :: Indian

I have decided I want to learn how to cook better.  The problem, as I told my mom tonight, is that I don't really like following the recipe. She laughed and as she's said many times in the last few years "Well, that may be another genetic problem...".  Which I should have realized.  I've been asking her for years for her spaghetti sauce recipe which came from her mom, which is the best spaghetti sauce on the planet.  Everytime I ask she says "well you'll just have to watch and take notes next Christmas... I have no idea what the recipe is."  Alas, I am left with 5 Tupperware containers full in my freezer but still no idea how to make it.  Maybe next year...

So when I cook I decide what I want to do and that's it.  I make it up and if it's good, GREAT, if it's not... well better luck next time.  So last night I made chicken tikka masala.  Which is supposed to look like this....

via

No mine was not pretty like that but it did taste pretty good. So I am going to start a new series called Cooking 101.  This is not for a foodie {well maybe only to laugh at}, this is for other girls like me who are trying to learn how to cook but for whatever reason still aren't fantastic. It's not going to be pretty folks...

The Ingredients... or some at least. And that ginger was my snack.... so....

Don't be deceived... I am only cooking for myself. Clearly I need to learn how to do that in my prep work. Now I realize the chances of any of you using this recipe are slim. But I'm going to write the blog post like you are anyway... humor me.

I used 1 green and 1 red bell pepper, julienne cut carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, and green cabbage but you can pretty much use whatever you want.  I have a love affair with cooked veggies so I always use more than I should.  Most real chicken tikka masala's I found didn't even have veggies in them... snooze... so make it your own.

I use jasmine rice mostly because I like it more than normal rice but also because while you're cooking it it makes your house smell incredible {yes, like jasmine}.

Be warned this is no minute rice. It takes in total 30 minutes to cook so you might want to start it first no matter what you are adding to it. It's worth it!

I kind of forgot to take pictures in between steps here.  Just sauté all of the veggies until al dente, cook the chicken in a separate pan and then dump the veggies, chicken and tikka masala sauce in the sauté pan.  After you mix it up add some jasmine rice to your plate or bowl and then add the veggies and chicken on top of it.

Success! It was actually pretty good.  I'm not going to tell you what I did tonight to make it even better {add more sauce and a dash of almond milk} I feel like most foodies will judge me for it....

This was the fail of the night.  I was using a spatula as a flyswatter....

Luckily that was supposed to be tonights leftovers so no I didn't go hungry. Thanks for your sympathy.

xoxo,

Molly

Happy Thanksgiving :: Pumpkin Cookies to Drool Over...

I hope by now everyone is relaxing with family somewhere but I have a feeling that most of you are still traveling to your destinations! Get there safely and once you do.... MAKE THESE!

I have been making these for years as soon as the November chill finally sets in.  Ever since a college friends boyfriend made them for our house {senior year we lived with 7 girls... yes you heard right... 7 girls. Before that was 66 girls though so it felt like being alone}.  Anyway after he brought these over I immediately got the recipe and have been making them ever sense.  Cookie doesn't even describe it right... it's like a cookie, cake thing. Whatever it is Betty Crocker... you are one smart women.

I made these Monday night for Southern Boy and to take to work Tuesday.  Southern Boy had initial reservations about them and almost got a back up just in case he didn't like them.  He has turned over to the dark yummy side!  Everyone at work seemed to love them too. And they are kind of ridiculously easy even though they seem like they took all day which is ALWAYS a plus in my book.

Ingredients:

1

box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix

2

teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1

cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1/4

cup butter or margarine, softened

1

cup Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting

12 3

In large bowl, beat cake mix, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin and butter with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute. Stir in raisins.

4

On cookie sheet, drop dough by generous tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart.

Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until set and light golden brown around edges. Cool 1 to 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Frost with frosting. Store loosely covered.

See?? Easy as smeezy!!!  Enjoy and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! {check back here tonight for a few Thanksgiving Pinterest outfit ideas if you have as much trouble getting ready for this day as I do...}

xoxo,

Molly

Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pans). Lightly grease or spray cookie sheet.

Rando... Deliciouso

Ok... this is a random post.  I am not a big food endorser... I mean... I LOVE food.  More than you would probably think... I eat A LOT but obviously this blog is not surrounded around cooking/food. However I can't keep this to myself... it's TOO amazing.

After a particularly hard yoga class last night I tried to make it to the grocery store.  For anyone that does yoga you might be able to appreciate the lethargic feeling you get after a class... especially one from Stephanie at Karmany Yoga {drop 5lbs one class... seriously.}.  Anyway, {sorry I get off track so easily...} I was lethargically driving toward what I thought was Kroger... nope I went to Whole Foods.  Oops... oh well, I was getting mushrooms, tortillas, and salsa so this should be fine.  I realized by the milk, I needed milk.  So this is what I grabbed:

Now, I have had coconut milk before.  I actually prefer it, but I saw this unsweetened version that is only 50 CALORIES a serving and I was sold.  I did assume it was going to taste pretty watery but oh well... lets try it out.

HOLY SHIT!! The name is no lie.. it is SO DELICIOUS {sorry if you just gagged a little there... I did too}.  I have almost finished every box of cereal I had in my apartment. It's AMAZING!! So yummy....

Now I have something else to admit {sorry family...}.  My family does something gross... when we run out of milk we use half and half in our cereal, not just because "oh... I just really want a bowl of cereal."  More like "YES.. the milks out so I can use half and half and not feel like a disgusting human being for it!".  Well folks... this is just as good and you don't have to feel guilty about it!!  Trust me... I eat a lot of cereal {another product I thought about selling to you... Special K Cinnamon Pecan... I went through 2 boxes in one week and have banned myself from it.. it's pure heaven.  Wait... what do you think they would taste like together? O.M.G....}.

Ok for anyway that actually got through this post {mom, dad, southern boy... thank you!}... I will try to do something less random next time... but I couldn't help myself.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

xoxo,

Molly

Weekend Round-Up

This weekend I decided to FINALLY go to the Dallas Farmers Market.  I first tried to go to the one in West Village... no beuno.  It was no where to be found? So I went to the one near Deep Ellum instead.  Now I am going to preface this with the fact that my dream Saturday morning is walking through a cute little Farmers Market with friends, my mom, one of my sisters or Southern Boy.  There would be a little folksy band playing in the background, cute handmade jewelry and candles, and of course piles of gorgeously grown fruits and veggies. Lots of locally grown fresh flowers to take home and put in vases for the upcoming week.  Not to mention a stand with AMAZING tamales to take home for dinner that night.

INSTEAD, this is what I found.  Now from my pictures it looks fine.  I didn't take pictures of anything besides the veggies and fruit because the rest of it was VERY unappealing.  I felt like I was missing something? How does a city like Dallas NOT have a good farmers market!? I did leave with a basket of peaches and a package of chicken sausage.  I asked around and the only tamale maker (COME ON! We are in Dallas TEXAS) was a guy that made vegetarian (again COME ON.. we are in TEXAS?! Why are they VEGETARIAN?!) and apparently they stuck straight to the corn stalk and weren't good anyway.  So alas... I went home feeling very underwhelmed.

This was the musical entertainment.  I will give him credit... I know he doesn't look like it but he sounded like a legit country singer!

Well, I am off to Kansas on Thursday.  Since I know Wichita has a MUCH cuter Farmers Market maybe I will get my fill there (seriously Dallas? Wichita's farmers market is better then yours... how does that make you feel?!)