sunday brunch, nerd style

sundays are usually pretty hectic for my nerd and i. typically, we sleep as late as we can (with a three month old baby – that's not usually very late), toss back some coffee, pack up Emi and take her for a visit to grandma & grandpa's, then we run all kinds of errands on the way home. this can include anything from grocery shopping to scouring the local target for lego mini-figs, or the nerd store for heroclix. 

before we leave for the day i need to make sure both my nerd and myself have a great breakfast that won't take me all morning to prepare. something tasty and packed with protein. this is one of his favorite sunday brunch items.

bacon & egg toast with avocado

• fry up some bacon and eggs
• toast a couple slices of 12 grain whole wheat bread and slice some avocado
• spread a little mayo on the toast and add the egg and avocado. sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.
• add bacon
• eat

the do's and don'ts of feeding your nerd: rule 2

nerd feeding can be difficult and confusing at times. most nerds will forgo meals and consume a steady diet of snacky items rather than partaking in a well rounded meal. it is your responsibility to ensure that your nerd is consuming a wide variety of nutritional food items. here are some tips to help you in your nerd-feeding endeavors. good luck!

DO: get organized! create a dinner menu for the week. try to always serve something new and unusual at least once a week. your nerd will love you for the creativity and bravery it takes to prepare something different.


DON'T: serve the same meals over and over again. this will bore your nerd and cause him to look elsewhere for his meals. you may end up finding fast food bags tucked in corners and shoved under your couch.

anti-vamp pasta salad

this recipe is perfect for keeping vampires away! it's extra garlicy, and has lots of fresh, summery ingredients.

12 oz tri-color penne, cooked according to package directions

8 oz sweet golden tomatoes, halved

1/2 c kalamata olives, pitted and halved

1/4 c fresh oregano, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

1 large cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 oz crumbled feta

1/4 c balsamic vinegar & 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

combine all ingredients and chill, covered, for several hours or overnight.

my nerd typically doesn't care for feta or kalamata olives, but he gobbled this up and went back for seconds!

adventures in meatloaf

ok, so i'll admit... i hate meatloaf. always have (which is probably why i've never made it myself). i keep trying it different ways and still have not found a variation that i enjoy eating. my nerd loves the stuff, so i thought i'd give it a go. mission impossible if you ask me, but i love my nerd, and i love to make the food he likes to eat. and of course, i can't just make the garden variety meatloaf. it has to be different. i have heard of, but have never actually seen, meatloaf with an egg stuffed in the middle. so, here's my recipe.

meatloaf with hardboiled egg center:

2 hard boiled eggs, peeled

16 oz lean ground beef

2 eggs, raw

1 c old fashioned oats, dry & uncooked

1/2 c white onion, chopped

2 tbs light brown sugar

4 tbs tomato juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbs fresh oregano, chopped

1 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbs worcestershire

2 slices bacon

2 tbs ketchup

2 mini loaf pans coated with olive oil

preheat over to 350

mix all ingredients, except for hard boiled eggs, ketchup, and bacon.

 

fill each loaf pan half way with ground beef mixture, then place an egg into each one. firmly press the remaining beef mixture into the pans.

  

cover each loaf with bacon, then spread 1 tbs ketchup over each.

place on a baking sheet and bake, on center rack, for 40 minutes.

serves 4 (or 2 plus leftovers)

results: meh...

i forgot to add the worcestershire, and honestly, i still don't like meatloaf. however.......... the egg was great, and i think with a few tweaks it would be edible (the nerd liked it, just thought it lacked a little zazz). my favorite part of this meal was the sides- steamed corn on the cob and my anti-vamp pasta salad (recipe coming soon). 

notes for next time: don't forget the worcestershire; render some bacon and add it, crumbled, to the mixture; use ketchup instead of tomato juice; increase oregano to 1/4 cup.

peppery tuna melt

i had planned a steak dinner tonight, but when i opened the freezer this morning to pull the steak out to thaw i was greeted by a tiny green lady..... 

so we had these tonight instead, and they were delicious. they're super quick to throw together, and are perfect for a last minute meal. i served them with a fruit salad i made this morning, and barbecue chips my nerd came home from work with. yum!

2 roma tomatoes

2 cans chunk light tuna

1 tsp lemon juice

1/3 c mayonnaise

1 green onion, minced

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 sourdough baguette

4 slices provolone

set oven to broil

slice roma tomatoes. sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.

in a medium bowl mix tuna, lemon juice, mayo, onion, salt and pepper. 

cut baguette diagonally into 4 1.5-inch slices. spoon tuna onto bread, top with provolone, then tomatoes. place in broiler for 5 minutes.

serves 4 (or 2 plus leftovers)

cold coconut chicken with chilled blueberry mint soup

on particularly warm days i like to prepare this meal for my nerd early in the day. this gives everything time to chill by the time he gets home from work. served with honey mustard for dipping, asparagus and bacon mac'n cheese, and salted cantaloupe. 

coconut chicken:

preheat oven to 350


1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
10 chicken tenders


in a medium bowl, mix together cream, onion powder and garlic powder. set aside two tablespoons of mixture. add the chicken and make sure it is completely coated. allow to rest for one hour.

3/4 c flour

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 eggs
2 tbs heavy cream mixture


1 c panko bread crumbs
3/4 c sweetened coconut flakes


3 small bowls (i use cereal bowls)


in first bowl combine flour, salt and pepper.
in second bowl beat together eggs and heavy cream mixture.
in third bowl combine panko and coconut flakes.

line a large baking sheet with foil. dredge each chicken tender through the bowls: flour first, then eggs, then panko & coconut.


arrange chicken tenders on baking sheet evenly, and bake for 15 minutes on each side. 

chilled blueberry mint soup:

2 c blueberries- fresh or frozen (these were on sale at my market a few weeks ago so i bought a ton of them and froze them.)

1/4 c granulated sugar

3 lg fresh mint leaves

1/2 tsp lemon juice

3/4 c sour cream

in a large sauce pan comine all ingredients except sour cream. cook over high heat until boiling. reduce to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.

allow to cool for 20 minutes. using a hand blender (or pour into a food processor), puree until smooth. cover and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.

whisk in sour cream before serving.

results: full bellies and one happy nerd <3

serves 3

blue box revolution episode 1: bacon & asparagus

one aspect of feeding my nerd is turning generic pantry food into something palatable. we have a new baby, so we can't always afford the higher end groceries and meals out that we used to. that being said, our pantry is chock full of blue boxes, canned "emergency food," and those little pre-cooked rice bowls. i absolutely refuse to stoop to the instant stuff- potatoes, rice, etc., but i've found that the blue box mac'n cheese is salvageable, with a little forethought and inspiration.

1 box mac'n cheese (the kind with the powdered cheese. you know... the one in the blue box)

1/3 cup milk

4 tbs butter 

4-5 slices bacon (more if you like), cut into 1-inch pieces

handful of asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch pieces

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/3 cup onion, minced

1/3 cup grated cheese of your choice (i use extra sharp cheddar)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

in a large skillet render bacon until crispy. set bacon aside on a paper towel, and drain the grease. in the same pan, add the asparagus and cook until lightly browned.

cook macaroni according to package, but do not add milk, butter, or cheese packet.

once the macaroni is drained, set aside. in the same pan brown 4 tbs of butter. add minced garlic and onions, cooking until caramelized. add macaroni back into the pan. stir in milk, cheese packet, pepper, and 1/3 cup grated cheese. mix until cheese is smooth, then gently stir in the bacon and asparagus.

the do's and don'ts of feeding your nerd: rule 1

nerd feeding can be difficult and confusing at times. most nerds will forgo meals and consume a steady diet of snacky items rather than partake in a well rounded meal. it is your responsibility to ensure that your nerd is consuming a wide variety of nutritional food items. here are some tips to help you in your nerd-feeding endeavors. good luck! 

DO: create a well organized shopping list (especially if the nerd in question will be heading to the market with you). this will allow you to stick to your budget and get in and out of the market efficiently.


DON'T: go to the market unprepared. you will end up coming home with tons of junk and nothing you can prepare a meal with.

monday sweets

chocolate covered strawberries. just because.

<3

butterscotch birthday

march, 2012

sifting some flour...

brown sugar and some other stuff

whipped egg whites. by hand.

eggs, etc.

baking

voila... this frosting was hell to make.

mmmmmm toasted pecans

and homemade butterscotch sauce

happy birthday hunnie buns <3

recipe: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/old-fashioned-butterscotch-cake-recipe/index.html

i HIGHLY recommend using a hand mixer for the frosting. i don't currently own one as i like to think i can do everything by hand. i spent hours trying to whip the butter and sugar to no avail. i ended up with the worst sore arm and frosting that tasted and looked great but had a weirdo butter-like texture.