pancakes for one.

Let's face it. Whenever Chad is out of town and I'm left fending for myself food-wise, my creativity goes right out the window. I usually have a meal calendar that is pretty detailed with ingredients listed and groceries to buy, but that is when there is more than one person to feed. And, usually, I'm the meal planner and Chad's the executioner (especially since he's the only one who will get close to the grill). Since Wednesday, I have had suppers of scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, and trail mix; leftover burgers and almonds; and cereal. You know you're at the bottom of the culinary food chain when eating cereal for supper is not a far-reaching concept.

But, today was different. I had to make something. Dirty more than just a bowl or a skillet. Follow a recipe for Pete's sake. So after my morning workout, I knew that my normal two eggs scrambled (I don't think you guys realize how much I eat eggs -- Chad knows that if I had it my way, we'd have eggs every day) wasn't going to cut it. I pulled Breakfast by Williams - Sonoma from the kitchen shelf and modified their blueberry pancakes recipe a little.

Blueberry Pancakes
(adapted from Breakfast by Williams - Sonoma)

get these ingredients together:
*1 c. whole wheat or all-purpose flour
*1 T. sugar
*1 tsp. baking powder
*3/4 tsp. baking soda
*1/4 tsp. salt
*1 egg, lightly beaten
*1/2 cup + 6 T. milk
*1 T. butter melted and cooled
*blueberries, fresh or frozen

then do these steps:
01. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir until well mixed and make a well in the center. Pour the eggs, milk, and butter into the well and then gradually whisk until the ingredients are well combined but still lumpy. Gently stir in the blueberries. (The batter will be quite thick. I put a little more than 1 cup of flour into mine since it was a little runny.)
02. Cook the batter -- is there a better word to use there instead of 'cook'? I don't know...'bake'? You guys know what to do -- when the batter starts bubbling, flip it over. I learned that method from my dad when I was barely able to see over the stove top, and it still seems to be working for me after all these years.
notes: The cookbook says that the batter is thick and they are right.Spread the batter out over the griddle thinner that just ploppin' it on, like I did the first time I made these. Also, these measurements are more like 2 to 3 servings -- perfect for Sunday morning leftovers before church.

To sum it up, Chad...come home soon. I can't eat cereal for every meal. :)

simple roast chicken.

And, I wouldn't say that this is simple roast chicken if I didn't mean it. I've told you guys before (see no. 1) that I tend to dry out the meat I cook and cry in the corner while Chad fixes us something else.

But this meal, I have made twice and can attest (so can Chad) that I have been successful both times! Since you are roasting the meat, it does take longer (don't be making any plans for about 4 hours) but like all things -- Good things come to those who wait. :)

Chicken in a pot with garlic
(via Rachael Ray Magazine)

get these ingredients together:
*2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
*4 1/2 pound whole chicken
*2 halved lemons
*35 unpeeled garlic cloves
*4 chopped rosemary sprigs
*crusty bread

then do these steps:
01. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
02. In a large dutch oven, heat 1 T. Extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken, breast side down and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Turn, then  squeeze the lemons over the bird before stuffing into the cavity. Drizzle 1 T. of extra-virgin olive oil over the top and season with salt and pepper. Cover and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
03. Scatter the garlic cloves and rosemary around the chicken, cover and roast for 30 more minutes. Uncover the pot, increase the temperature to 375 degrees and roast until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a knife, about 25 minutes.
04. Transfer the chicken to a platter; using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to the platter as well. Dip slices of crusty bread into the pan juices, then toast until crisp. Serve with chicken and roasted garlic.

notes: Simply delicious. When I've made it, Chad + I have had to force ourselves to stop eating it since it is just so darn good! We have found that the garlic cloves after they've been roasting, makes this paste that is perfect on top of the bread.

___________________________________________________________________

If you want, make it this weekend. Maybe while you watch the Mad Men Season premiere! I'll be hanging out with nephew, UJ! :)

when class gets cancelled...

you make muffins. 

I don't care who you are, but if someone gives you two free hours during the day that were unexpected and completely welcomed, you take advantage of them. You hang out with the dog, turn Spotify on, and dance + mix your way to these delicious muffins.

Blueberry Lemon Zest Muffins

(from How To Boil Water // page 32)

get these ingredients together:
*2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
*3/4 cup white or light brown sugar + more for sprinkling
*1 T. baking powder
*1/2 tsp. fine salt
*pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
*1/2 cup vegetable oil
*1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
*2 large eggs, at room temperature
*1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
*2 lemons
*1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (about one pint)

then do these steps:
01. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line twelve 1/2-cup muffin cups with paper liners.
02. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Whisk the oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla together in another bowl. Finely grate the zest from the lemons into the wet ingredients.
03. Make a small "well" or space in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients and blueberries into the center. Stir wet and dry ingredients together with a spatula until dry ingredients are moistened but still a bit lumpy. Divide batter evenly among the muffin liners and sprinkle the tops generously with sugar.
04. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Cool muffins in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the muffins out of the pan and cool on the rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

_________________________________________________________________________

I made these adjustments -- used 1% milk instead of whole milk, used 1/2 cup of white sugar and 1/4 cup of brown sugar instead of 3/4 cup of white sugar, and squirted a little of the juice from the lemon into the wet ingredients.

I also can pass on this "muffin wisdom" to you that I read in this book -- "We can't stress it enough: Mix the batter as little as possible. Overmixing leads to tough muffins and collapsed tops." "Keep leftover muffins in the freezer, then warm them up in the oven or toaster oven when you want them."

How to Boil Water is one of my favorite cookbooks. I use it all the time for basic recipes and prep tips. If you want to buy it, Amazon is selling new and used copies.

eggs. deviled.

When I think of deviled eggs, my mind wanders to backyard barbecues, football games, and potlucks. Pretty much any meal that requires a 'dish to pass'. I, personally have never made deviled eggs in my life, so the ladies meeting at my church seemed like a perfect opportunity to try it out. It also gave me perfect opportunity to debut my Fiestaware deviled egg platter + my thrifted Pyrex bowl. (Check out how grown-up I'm being: going to a ladies meeting -- that I used to avoid like the plague, and bringing something? So out of character for me!) :)

The original recipe for these deviled eggs is created by Tasty Kitchen member Calamity Anne.

get these ingredients together: 

*8 Large hard-cooked eggs 
*2 tablespoons, ¾ teaspoons mayonnaise 
*2-¼ teaspoons dijon mustard 
*1 to 2 dashes hot sauce 
*salt and pepper, to taste 
*paprika for sprinkling

then do these steps:  

*Remove shells from eggs and slice each egg in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a bowl. Arrange whites on a serving plate.
*In a bowl, mash yolks with mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into whites. I used a ziploc bag with a corner cut out of the bottom to do a sort-of piping, but if you have something else, you can use that.
*Sprinkle paprika over the eggs.

P.S. Did any of your grandmothers call them angel eggs? Maybe that was just in our church...you know, since we don't like talking about the devil. :)

when you just don't want to cook meat...

Yesterday it snowed here. And not just a couple small snowflakes...it snowed so much that my school shut down at noon (which almost never happens). So, I spent the day inside cooking and cleaning and snuggling on the couch with Karma (who in three hours didn't move once...she's such a lazy kitty I tell ya).

When I thought of what to make for dinner I just didn't want a heavy, full meal. I think stems from the fact that a. I wasn't about to go outside and be with the three other people at the grocery store and b. I am not in the winter mood anymore. My tastebuds are craving light, spring meals. I know I mentioned that I wanted to put more vegetarian meals in our weekly routine, and we love cooking meals like this. Simple, full of veggies, and great leftovers.

Whole Grain Spaghetti with Garlicky Kale and Tomatoes 
(from Real Simple February 2011 p.113)

get these ingredients together:

*6 oz. whole-grain spaghetti
*2 T. olive oil
*medium red onion, thinly sliced
*2 cloves garlic, chopped
*kosher salt + pepper
*bunch of kale, thick stems removed, leaves torn in bite-size pieces
*2 pints of grape tomatoes, halved
*1/3 c. chopped roasted almonds
*1/4 c. pecorino (and more for serving)

then do these steps:

01. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/4 c. of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot.
02. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 4 to 5 min. Add the kale and cook, tossing frequently, until tender, 2 to 3 min. Add the tomatoes and cook, tossing frequently, until the tomatoes begin to soften, 1 to 2 min. more.
03. Add the kale mixture, almonds, pecorino, and reserved cooking water to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve with additional cheese.

3 steps.... That's it. Enjoy :)

the whats...

What we are snacking on:
*triscuits + laughing cow wedges (perfect for salty cravings during the office)
*yogurt + granola (this is the granola recipe I used: instead of raisins, I used cranberries)
*banana bread + butter (from a church cookbook--sometimes it's nice to go a little old school)

What we are doing this weekend:
*the inevitable homework + work (must get the blahs out of the way early Saturday)
*sister + nephew coming into town and eating Sunday dinner with us
*oscar night this Sunday. We are keeping the tradition alive and having our 6th annual oscar party.

It's all set: Danielle's bringing the wine, Jenny's bringing the veggie tray, Emily is baking a cake and I'm bringing the 2011 bingo cards. We're all set :)

soup or bowl.

Remember that episode of Boy Meets World when Mr. Feeny wants tickets to the Superbowl and Cory must get them without the help of Topanga and Shawn? You know, the radio show contest with the Eskimo on summer vacation? ("I am hot and you are cold..."):

(Classic. Lemme just tell you, I was a big fan. Oh, apologies for the blurriness--it's YouTube's fault.)

Well, we aren't trying to get tickets to this year's Superbowl, but we sure are talking about it. Chad's team made it all the way to the big game and I think he's worn one green + gold item every day since the previous game. And he is completely excited. For instance, last night while I was crafting, the Milwaukee Bucks game was on and Ryan Braun was there...and Aaron Rodgers. Chad's reaction to the Wisconsin sports trifecta was so delightfully charming.

And, I must confess...I'm being a complete housewife about everything, even though I'm a big football fan, too. While he's excited to watch the game, I can't wait to make these mini spicy buffalo chicken meatballs with blue cheese dressing. Thanks for helping me show my true colors, Martha :)

i have to share this recipe.

Before I do another post, or even think about another post--I have to share this black bean burger recipe. Chad and I are always in search of easy, quick meals to make right after going to the gym. And, ever since I read the latest issue of Real Simple when it talked of eating more veggies and being more aware of what you are eating, I have tried to put veggies into every meal that we make together. Chad and I are even going to make meat-free meals a couple times a week.

With our new goal in mind, I had to find some yummy, easy, meat-free meals. Well, Betty delivered (she even has an entire vegetarian section!). I present our Thursday night dinner...

California Black Bean Burgers

(makes 6 sandwiches)

get these ingredients together:

*one can black beans, undrained

*one can chopped green chiles, undrained

*one cup plain dry bread crumbs

*one tsp. chili powder

*one large egg, beaten

*one-fourth cup yellow cornmeal

*two tbsp. vegetable oil

*six toasted hamburger buns

*two tbsp. mayo (we decided to go with sour cream instead. delish!)

*shredded lettuce

*thick-and-chunky salsa

then do these steps:

01. In food processor place beans. Cover and process until slightly mashed; remove from food processor into medium bowl. (I just put the beans in a bowl and masher them with the back of a fork.) Stir chilies, bread crumbs, chili powder, and egg into beans. Shape into 6 patties, each about 1/2 inch thick. Coat each patty with cornmeal.

02. In skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook patties in oil five to ten minutes, turning once, until crisp and thoroughly cooked on both sides. 

03. Spread bottom halves of buns with mayo (or sour cream). Top with lettuce, patties, salsa, and tops of buns. We also added a couple slices of onions.

We keep the sides light when we eat meals like this. Yesterday we had roasted broccoli with crushed red pepper drizzled with olive oil. And today I had orange slices...orange slices.

Any vegetarian meals that we should try?

blackberry-lime muffins.

It's highly unusual for me to post two recipes in a row (although trail mix shouldn't even count as a recipe), but I had to share this recipe for blackberry-lime muffins while it was still fresh in my mind. There was no special reason I made this--limes and blackberries were both on sale at my grocery store, and after browsing tasty kitchen, I knew I had to make it. One thing that I learned while making this yesterday: fruit zest rubbed into sugar is the most fragrant smell to ever come out of the kitchen. Until I make the next thing of course. :)

Get these ingredients together:

• 1-½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ cups sugar
• 2 whole limes, zested
• 1 whole egg
• ¼ cups canola oil
• ⅓ cups buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup blackberries
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Then do these steps:

01. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 9 paper liners or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

02. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.

03. In a small bowl, add the sugar and lime zest. Rub sugar and zest together until fragrant (a.k.a the best step ever). Add sugar and zest to the flour mixture. Whisk ingredients together.

04. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, mix egg, canola oil, buttermilk, lime juice, and vanilla extract together.

05. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture. Slowly stir together, the batter will be thick. Don’t over mix. Gently fold in the blackberries. Stir carefully or you will have purple muffins.

06. Fill 9 muffin cups with the batter. Sprinkle each muffin with turbinado sugar (which I didn't have, so I just skipped that step--they don't need it, but I'm sure it would taste delicious).

07. Bake muffins for 17-20 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let muffins cool on a cooking rack.

Then, get out your feistaware saucer, brew a cup of tea, and your current read. Snuggle up next to your purring kitty and settle into a pleasant afternoon.

 Happy Weekending my dear friends!

recipe created by: two peas and their pod.

not rocket science.

There is no way you (and by you, I mean myself) can screw up trail mix. It is one of the simplest snacks out there.  That also means that it's one of the tastiest snack out there (the two seem to go hand in hand, right?).

I am one of the most annoying people when it comes to eating trail mix. First, I hog it all (seriously--with me you gotta buy your own bag).  And second, I pick out all the stuff that I don't like (and then proceed to give it to Chad. He always gets extra raisins and hazelnuts that way.)

What I like in my trail mix:
pretzels. m & ms (the only snack where you can eat them guilt-free--hey, you're eating the good stuff too!). peanuts. mixed nuts (along with the extra peanuts). dried cranberries. almonds.

Ideas for next time:
sunflower seeds. cheerios. yogurt covered nuts. dried apricots. clusters of granola. cheese crackers. marshmallows. banana chips. teddy grahams.

Put in individual containers for an on-the-go household (like mine!)

am grateful for.

01. A mother-in-law who buys us a big bucket of popcorn on Black Friday every year. (We don't need no stinkin' cardboard dividers...it's butter, salt, and caramel all in one bowl.)

02. A husband who understands that I need to write this paper. This analytical paper about WWII and children on the home front. A husband who brings me cookies from his parents house since I wasn't able to go, and remembers my favorite kind. 

03. A weekend where we couldn't get out of the house...even if we wanted to. Time with my Chad for two whole days. Just me + him. In our house--snowed in.

04. Things like Gossip Girl, Love Actually, and back issues of Oprah magazine that are a nice distraction from aforementioned paper.

05. A cheery phone call from my long distance best friend. Can't wait to be reunited.

06. 8 more days until Christmas Break. I know, I'm a fifth-grader...I'm just so pumped to be done with this month!

Christmas Around the Home: In the Kitchen

I can't think of anything more traditional than treats at Christmas. Every year, I look forward to getting a plate of cookies (and the always-present Rice Krispies) from my grandma. Ever since I started going out with Chad, we've always gone over to his parent's house for the sugar cookie decorating extravaganza. And every Christmas Eve, we have our food spread of crackers, meats, mini cheesecakes, and apple cider when we open gifts.  I am eager to start my own food traditions with Chad (and my future babies).

Tradition and food go hand-in-hand wouldn't you agree?

Let me just tell you, it was hard to narrow the choices down to nine. I spent days looking in bloggers' archives, Martha's website, and Real Simple. There is just too much good out there. I am just giving you a little sample of what I like; look and see what you can find out there that will inspire you.

In Case You're Interested:
01. Handmade Organic Gingerbread "Gift Tags" {the cutest looking treat on earth}
02. Peanut Brittle {I try to like it, but it always gets stuck in my teeth!}
03. Handmade Edible Gingerbread Mansion {I vote that you make your own--this one is a pretty penny}
04. Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
05. Holiday Tree Brownies {I want to give dozens of these away, don't you think they would make you so happy?!}
06. Death By Rum Ball
07. Christmas Hats and Stockings
08. Peppermint and Dark Chocolate Spoons
09. Peppermint Candy Picks

9 Treats deserve 9 Links:
* Don't put your cupcakes in regular liners--try these Christmas cupcake liners.
* I would put my Starbucks Gingerbread Latte on one of these letterpress coasters.
* Here's a sassy little Mrs. Claus apron.
* Now that you've liner your cupcakes, make sure to put on these Christmas cupcake pinwheels.
* Visit this site for some holiday cookie inspiration.
* You could put your homemade goodies in these holiday treat bags.
* Or, you could use these personalized holiday labels.
* I am so inspired to make that first Christmas cake.
* Now this is some pretty treat bag packaging.

Do tell: what are your Christmas food traditions? 

around the kitchen.

Remember how I told you that I have found my passion for cooking and trying new things? Well, thanks to Tasty Kitchen and fresh fruits and veggies, I've been cooking up a storm recently.

01. Friday was chicken crescent rolls and wine. {We added frozen peas to the mixture to get a little more color in them.Friday was also the end of True Blood Season 2--what a whammy! Can't wait for Season 3 to be released via DVD.

02. Thanks Grandma for these tomatoes from the garden so that I could make:

Bruschetta before church. Broiled bread with melted butter is so completely heavenly...

03. And today, one of my sweet co-workers brought in some peaches she got from the farmer's market. Now all I have to do is decide if I want to make Peach Coffee Cake or Peach Iced Tea. Good thing is, I've got enough for both! :)

Wanna share any recipes? I'd love to hear.

shut. the. front. door.

The words of Rachel Zoe describe these streusel topped blueberry muffins perfectly. They are delectable and so simple to make {no butter used in the actual muffins either!} I made them on Thursday and am so glad I did.  For the lighter version, click here. If you want to make the original version, search your Betty Crocker cookbook that you have in your cupboard somewhere {you know you have one...}

Enjoy! You will. Trust me. 

on my plate.

I love watching the cream/coffee mingle. One little pleasure of mine.

The above picture is my breakfast for today. Toast with butter + honey and peanut butter + strawberry jam. I'm always trying to find new combos to put on my multi-grain to make it even more delicious. The classic pb + j is one that I'll always love.

In the glass is our homemade iced coffee. We've been making it daily and can't. get. enough. In our opinion, it's better than McDonald's {and about 1.50 cheaper per cup}.

Steps:
We brew a pot the night before,
pour it in a pitcher,
add a little sugar for sweetness {while it's still hot so that it dissolves completely},
let it cool overnight,
pour it into a thermos the next morning right before work {adding ice cubes to the cup},
adding creamer if desired {I desire, C doesn't desire. Sometimes he does add a little chocolate sauce, but he's more of a straight-out-of-the-coffee-pot kind of drinker}.

My figurative plate is full today too. I'll be busy with household to-dos {laundry, dishes, vacuuming, putting everything in the right place}, a lunch date with a friend {so excited to show her wedding pictures}, dinner, and then C's softball game. 

Finally, I'm lovin' my readers as of late. You guys are so charming and you are just like real-live girlfriends. I am thankful that all of your voices are telling me that you liked Inception too, you have new school fears too, you love gg just as much as I, you are a list-maker, and you hunger for God's Word. If you feel like talking, I'll be so appreciative. Anything on here that sparks a thought: I'll listen. Blogging is the best. Truly--I enjoy every single comment so so much. 

p.s. It's my birthday tomorrow. Hip hip hooray. Tune in to view my list of 22 things I want to accomplish in my 22nd year.

Show & Tell: my kind of cookbook

Before I bring you the next part of the epic wedding tale, I thought I'd show you my cookbook of choice: How to Boil Water. It has everything a young bride who is an inexperienced cook needs. I am such a bride. I actually looked up their helpful tip: "How to Hard Boil an Egg" today. I don't view this book as a cookbook...it's more of a how-to guide. It tells you the right way to stock a pantry, what to look for at the meat counter, how to properly cut an onion. Now don't get me wrong; I do love my Betty Crocker cookbook from my mother-in-law (I'm making the peanut butter cookies out of it tomorrow) and I am putting Ree's cookbook on my Christmas list, but this one is special. It's exactly what I need as a beginner: my kitchen bible.  Tell me, any cookbooks you love?

time for a change...

I need one. I haven't cut my hair since my sister's wedding almost two years ago. Yes, I've had trims but nothing really dramatic. I'm looking for long, breezy layers like my girls--hilary, alyssa, amanda, and kristin. I just want something easy for the summer and at all costs want to avoid the snarls that I get in the back of my head with my current non-hairstyles. Will have to post the before + after once it happens. It looks like I might want to go blond as well based on these four...maybe I'll do some highlighting along with my celebrity haircut.

in other news...

real housewives of nyc has the season finale tonight. let's watch ramona's vow renewal together.

i made my first "wife" meal tonight: chicken pasta in peanut sauce. it was a crowd favorite and comes highly recommended by c & a --having the rest tomorrow for lunch.

crisp+refreshing

When Chad worked for a bank a couple years ago, his lovely co-worker, Pang, gave him this recipe. A few weeks ago, we made it and are now eagerly awaiting summer when we can snack on this all the time. It's so tasty and easy to make. See directions below--it will not disappoint

Fiesta Bean Dip {or Chad's Packers Dip--he's the one who wants to call it that}

Ingredients:
1 can each:
* black beans
* red beans
* pinto beans
* black eye peas
* shoepeg corn

1/2 cup each:
* apple cider vinegar
* granulated sugar
* vegetable oil

yellow pepper
green pepper
red onion
jalapeno (optional)

Drain each can and put in large bowl. Rinse the beans with cold water until clean. Set aside.
{You are gonna need a large, large bowl. This makes a big batch of dip.}

In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, and oil on low heat until sugar is dissolved.

Dice peppers and onions and combine with beans.
Drizzle sugar mixture and stir.

{For best results, leave in refrigerator for several hours before eating. That will make it not so 'soupy' and will give the sugar mixture time to get soaked into the beans.}

perfectly refreshing

Man, the gym has been my home away from home the past couple weeks. I'm not turning into a gym-rat or anything, but I know that I'm going often when a girl in my class asked if I was at the gym before class started. When I replied "No", she said "Oh, I just thought you were since whenever you aren't at school, you're at the gym."
I guess I'll take that as a compliment.

The last few times after I've come home from a workout, I've needed a little pick-me-up. That's when I turn to the fruit smoothie. No, it's not quite like the 'shmake' that Jess made. It contains four ingredients: one banana, a handful of frozen blueberries, four ice cubes, and orange juice. Set blender to liquify and pour in glass. I've got a lip-smackin' good drink that is good for me {hello, antioxidants}.

P.S. What tunes are on your i-Pod when you work out? I'm revamping mine and I'd love to know what you're sweatin' to.

{literally} 5 ingredients.

My sister hates when people use the word 'literally' when they should actually say 'figuratively'. (Example- she hates it when people say "I literally died when I saw what she was wearing.")

But with this recipe, I think she'll agree that it's literally 5 ingredients. Chad and I were looking for affordable, easy meals with few ingredients last winter when we stumbled on this jewel at Good Housekeeping.



Here are the 5 ingredients needed to make Orzo with Shrimp and Feta:
1 1/2 cup(s) orzo
1 tablespoon(s) margarine or butter
1 1/4 pound(s) medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
4 ounce(s) (3/4 cup) garlic-and-herb flavored feta cheese, crumbled

01. Add shrimp, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper to a medium non-stick skillet. Add tomatoes and cook 30 seconds, stirring. Remove skillet from heat.


02. When orzo is cooked, drain the pot and add the crumbled feta cheese.



03. Add shrimp mixture into orzo and cheese; mix ingredients together.


04. Enjoy while sipping a glass of white wine and watching your favorite television show. We chose "The Biggest Loser" because you can't watch that show without eating, am I right?!

Bonus: If this is a dinner for two, I guarantee that you'll have lunch for the next day.