Spring Cleaning: Kitchen Pantry

The first time I saw David's kitchen 'pantry' I was in shock. It was the smallest closet I had ever seen and only had one full size shelf that was so high I could hardly reach it. After a year and a half of hating that closet I decided it was time to put in a real pantry. David of course was thrilled with the thought of more storage and created the new shelves we put in. Below is the previous pantry.

We decided to paint the inside the blue we painted the hall closet so it would actually appear bigger. Then David cut and painted shelves.

Here is the final pantry! We still want to get a few more Tupperware containers to organize it a bit more but for now it is a huge improvement. It is such a change and frees up a whole kitchen cabinet with room to spare! The black painting on the door is another ongoing project that I will blog about shortly.

Oh how I do love organizing!

Asian Inspired Scallops

Last week was a very hectic week and I didn't cook as much as I would have liked. So on Friday I decided I wanted something delicious and low in calories, scallops! I absolutely love seafood so when I want a treat I turn towards shrimp, scallops, or fish. I also wanted to use a lot of ingredients that I already had so I decided to make my own recipe. I was inspired by kabobs but seeing that is it February I tweaked the recipe just a little so I didn't have to stand outside in the cold. Surprisingly, it turned out very well!

Ingredients:

6 tbsp soy sauce

3 tsp wasabi powder

1 tbsp honey

1 1/2 tsp ginger

1 lb scallops

8 mushroom caps halved

Directions:

1. Preheat grill or for me the panini press (which doubles as a grill for me).

2. Combine the soy sauce, wasabi powder, honey, and ginger in a bowl. Toss scallops and mushrooms in sauce.

3. Grill scallops and mushrooms until finished, about 4-5 minutes. I turned them halfway to allow for even grill marks.

4. Toss over rice or couscous.

Of course you can always add more delicious veggies. I just happened to have a bunch of mushrooms in my fridge so this worked!

Breakfast Quesadilla

I recently joined weight watchers as a way to check that my meals are balanced and healthy. It has also provided me with a great new resource for recipes! On my quest to continue eating high protein breakfasts' I created this really simple breakfast burrito.

Ingredients:

small quesadilla shell

1/2 cup fat free cheese

1 slice turkey bacon

egg whites

Directions:

1. Spread your ingredients on half the quesadilla shell.

2. Fold shell over ingredients and grill. I use my panini press but you can also just use a frying pan which works very well to make the outside crispy and melt the cheese. This is such a super easy breakfast and delicious as well. When I am running low on time I even leave out the egg whites and it still keeps me filled up!

A Change of Pace

As part of my quest to a healthier me I have begun adding more time to my current workout routine and making sure to go to the gym at least 6 times a week. Not only do I feel even better it has me thinking about other ways to improve my body, like yoga. I have tried it before and found it difficult. I am use to being sweaty and out of breath for an hour a day but to be sweaty and focus on only my breathing is another thing. My mind is normally going 100 miles a minute and to quiet it for an hour is extremely difficult for me. However, it is my new goal to practice yoga at least once a week. I know the quieting of my mind will help to make me a more centered person and the strength and stretching will improve my body and other athletic endeavors.

Picture from lululemon blog and hopefully me soon!

So, in search of a change of pace I began looking at new classes and therefore gyms. Now let me tell you that I love my gym, I have gone to Fitness First in Arlington for 2.5 years and they have been amazing. However, they offer a limited number of morning classes and to vary my routine I need more choices. So starting March 1 I will officially be a member of Gold’s Gym in Ballston! I am super excited about this since it is closer to my house and my roommate Stephanie is a member, yay for workout dates! I will keep you all updated on how my yoga adventure goes. If anyone has tips on practicing yoga please feel free to share!

Spring Cleaning: Hall Closet

This past weekend was a rare winter weekend with temperatures in the high 50's. So I guess you could say I caught the spring cleaning bug and decided to help David get organized! David's house has limited storage so I was excited when my sister introduced me to the Iheartorganizing blog. I was inspired by her fun closet colors and great use of containers. Here is the hall closet we began with.

Although it isn't too full it is unorganized and could use a nice coat of paint. We decided to go with a lighter blue paint to help brighten the space and make it appear larger.

David surprising me while painting. I was definitely the painter this weekend.

While the paint was drying we made a trip to target. We picked up a shoe organizer and 3 bins for the top shelf to store our hats, gloves, and outside toys.

Here is our final product. Much more inviting and organized! Very excited to start utilizing the space in this closet!

We even add a leash hook for Grace!

 



Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of my favorite desserts to make is the basic chocolate chip cookie. I follow the Nestle Toll House recipe with just a few tweaks to make it my own. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar (dark)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

12 oz pkg Nestle Toll House Semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.

3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels.

5. Bake in oven 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.

To make my chocolate chip cookies my own I make sure to use dark brown sugar instead of regular. I also really pack the brown sugar. Lastly, I make sure to take the cookies out the second they start browning or a minute before. It makes them crispy on the outside but still gooey on the inside.

Chicken Tandoori

Once again we tried a recipe out of the Food Network Great Easy Meals Cookbook. Tonight we tried Chicken Tandoori which I was skeptical about but it ended up being delicious.

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Juice of 1 lemon

Kosher salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain yogurt

1 tbs vegetable oil

1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 2-in piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

4 tsp tomato paste

2 tsp ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 3/4 tsp hot paprika

2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler. Make shallow cuts in the chicken thighs with a sharp knife. Toss the chicken with the lemon juice and 1 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl.

2. Pulse 2 tbs yogurt, the vegetable oil, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, coriander, cumin, 1 1/2 tsp paprika and 1/2 tsp salt in a food processor to make a paste. Toss the chicken in the mixture and let marinate 15 minutes.

3. Place the chicken on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil, turning once, until slightly charred and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees, 5-6 minutes per side.

4. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/4 tsp paprika, the cilantro and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Top the chicken with the yogurt sauce and serve with rice, if desired.

We didn't like the large pieces of cilantro so we used the food processor. It did change the consistency but the taste was delicious.



This dish is delicious and low in calories. Only 230 calories per piece of chicken! We will definitely be making this one again.