Author Archives: Anne

About Anne

Family: my wonderful husband, Adam, and our amazing little girl, Isla Dwelling: a small Cape Cod in the suburbs Real job: Human Resources Coordinator and Office Manager for DeskArmor, LLC. Homemaker tip: Even the simplest food can look elegant if you serve it properly. Presenting food on adorable platters is an easy way to impress guests. I am ashamed to admit that: I have never used a lawn mower. (I am blessed with a husband who takes pride in his yard) Three foods I can’t live without: cheese, olive oil, and chicken fingers Most important lesson learned: being a mom is the hardest job you’ll ever love One thing I am afraid of running out of: Clorox anywhere spray…and diapers

by Anne | February 22, 2012 · 8:27 am

Sweet Pork Tostada

Last week I made a pork shoulder using my favorite recipe for Sweet Pork and ended up with tons of left overs that I used throughout the week. I usually use it to make pork quesadillas or burritos, but wanted to try something different. So, I whipped up this Sweet Pork Tostada and my husband declared it as one of the best things I have ever made. This recipe is a winner.

Sweet Pork Toastada

2 cups prepared Sweet Pork
2 cups cooked white rice
1 cup cooked black beans
1 cup cooked corn
shredded lettuce
shredded cheese
sour cream
4 flour tortillas
butter

Start by buttering both sides of the flour tortillas. Grill in a medium pan until crisp on both sides. Repeat with each tortilla until you have 4 crispy, golden tortillas.

Place each tortilla on a plate and layer with the rice, heated sweet pork, corn, black beans, shredded lettuce and cheese. Drizzle with sour cream (mix sour cream with a little milk if you would like in order to make it easier to drizzle).

4 Comments

Filed under Cook, Main Dish

Tagged as grilled flour tortilla tostada, sweet pork, Sweet pork toastada, tostada

by Anne | February 15, 2012 · 8:58 am

Quick and Easy Weeknight Pasta

While I love spending time in the kitchen carefully cooking up homemade meals, most weeknights give me about 15 minutes to whip up a dinner all with a toddler clinging to my leg. This pasta dish with sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese has become a weeknight staple for my family. It is simple and easy to make but is far from boring.

Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

Pasta, any kind will do
Peas
Sun Dried Tomatos, packed in oil
Olive Oil
Goat Cheese

Boil your pasta in salted water. While it is cooking, chop up your sun dried tomatoes, heat your peas and crumble the goat cheese.

Drain the pasta, drizzle with olive oil and add the prepared ingredients. If you add the goat cheese while the pasta is still hot, it will kind of melt into the pasta…mmmmm.

I left off the exact amounts for this recipe because it really should be made according to your tastes. If your family loves peas, then add a lot. If not, just add a little or try a different vegetable like some fresh chopped spinach. This is one of those meals that is hard to mess up. I love making a huge quantity of this pasta and then will use it throughout the week for lunches.

Have any weeknight meals that you love? We would love to hear about them!

2 Comments

Filed under Cook, Main Dish, Quick & Easy

Tagged as Easy weeknight meals, goat cheese pasta

by Anne | February 8, 2012 · 8:44 am

Valentine’s Day Breakfast

It is no secret that the ladies of HAP love breakfast foods. We like the sweet, the savory and anything in between. If it can be served in the morning, then we want to try it!

This Valentine’s day, consider making up a special breakfast for your loved ones. There is nothing better than sitting down to a delicious breakfast to start the day off right. Here are some of our favorite breakfast recipes that you could whip up on Tuesday to impress your sweeties and tell them how much you love them.

Orange Scented French Toast with Nutella

Baked Apple Pancake

Cinnamon French Toast with Cranberry and Orange Chutney

Monkey Bread

Bacon Artichoke Souffle

Miss Amy Muffins

1 Comment

Filed under Breakfast, Cook

Tagged as Breakfast in Bed, Haute Apple Pie Breakfast, Valentine's Day Breakfast Ideas

by Anne | February 1, 2012 · 9:32 am

Slow Cooker Oatmeal

I love a warm bowl of fresh made oatmeal on a cold morning. The problem I have found is that it isn’t always easy to whip up on a busy morning unless you are using a packet of instant oatmeal. Once I made this Slow Cooker Oatmeal from America’s Test Kitchen, I just couldn’t go back to the instant stuff. I love to make a big batch over the weekend and then eat it though the week for a quick, hearty and delicious breakfast. The texture of the steal cut oats are so much heartier than just regular rolled oats.

Note: this recipe calls for steal cut oats. If you use quick cooking oats or old fashioned rolled oats, you will likely end up with mush. Steal cut oats are often found in the bulk bins at the grocery store and look like this:

Slow Cooker Oatmeal

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups steel-cut oats
8 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the oats and toast over medium heat until lightly brown, stirring constantly. Once they become fragrant and light brown, remove from heat.

Add the oats into the slow cooker and pour water on top. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Mix well and serve warm with your favorite toppings. I like to eat mine with chopped almonds, dried fruit and a small amount of brown sugar.

Sometimes my mornings are so hectic that I need to eat breakfast at work. I simply portion out the oatmeal into individual bowls and put the toppings in a separate bag. Couldn’t be easier to grab and go.

4 Comments

Filed under Breakfast

Tagged as slow cooker oatmeal, steal cut oatmeal

by Anne | January 25, 2012 · 8:44 am

Key Lime Tarts

I have this strange obsession with mini treats. For some reason dessert seem so much more special when you are given your own personal tart! I made these Key Lime Tarts for my good friend’s baby shower. I found the recipe off of Our Best Bites and couldn’t believe how easy and delicious they were.

Key Lime Tarts

10 mini graham cracker crusts
5 egg yokes
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice or fresh lime juice – do not use the imitation juice out of the bottle, only the real stuff!
2 drops of green food coloring if you would like your tarts to have a little more color

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place your mini pie crusts on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix the egg yokes, sweetened condensed milk and lime juice until well combined. Add your food coloring to adjust the color if you would like.

Distribute the mixture evenly among the pie crusts. Bake for about 11 minutes.

Cool, chill in the refrigerator and top with whipped cream right before serving.

2 Comments

Filed under Cook, Treats

Tagged as key lime tarts, mini dessert, mini key lime pie

by Anne | January 18, 2012 · 8:42 am

Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

My family loves having a big breakfast over the weekend when we have a little extra time on our hands. This pancake recipe is one of our favorites. It is my Grandma’s basic buttermilk pancake recipe with just a few extra special ingredients. You can make the pancakes any size, but for some reason I love making these almost as big as the pan!

Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup melted butter or oil
2 eggs
2 bananas, chopped into small pieces
1/2 – 1 cup mini chocolate chips
(optional – 1/2 cup chopped walnuts)

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Mix the buttermilk, melted butter or oil and eggs in a small bowl until combined. Mix the wet ingredients to the dry.

Finally, mix in the chopped banana, mini chocolate chips and nuts if you are using them. Mix well, smashing the banana chunks as you go.

Ladle into a well oiled pan (that makes them nice and crisp on the outside) and flip once you see bubbles form on the top.

Eat them warm with syrup. They are sweet, indulgent and oh so delicious!

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

by Anne | January 10, 2012 · 12:36 pm

Grapefruit and Avocado salad

Now that the holiday rush is over, I find my self craving fresh and light meals. Don’t get me wrong, I love the cookie plates and green bean casseroles as much as everyone else, but now that it’s over my body is asking for a little bit of a detox.

I sometimes find it hard to make really delicious salads throughout the winter due to the lack of fresh, ripe ingredients. This grapefruit and avocado salad has become a staple for me. Delicious Grapefruits and avocados can be found just about anywhere this time of year and they add a refreshing flavor to any salad. I like to finish mine with shaved Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. I have found that this salad has so much flavor that I can skip the dressing all together.

Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

1 grapefruit, sliced into wedges
1 avocado, sliced and scooped out
lettuce
Shaved Parmesan
Olive oil

Simply top your greens with the sliced avocado and grapefruit. Add your favorite cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

5 Comments

Filed under Cook, Healthy

Tagged as grapefruit and avocado salad, winter salads

by Anne | December 21, 2011 · 8:35 am

{Homemade gifts} Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Over the past month, I have made and frozen dozens of cookies. This weekend I pulled out all of the cookies to put together cookie plates for neighbors and friends but I quickly realized that I was short cookies. Looks like my husband and I may have stolen too many cookies out of the freezer!

I had a day to come up with something else to deliver to friends. I pulled out my favorite Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread recipe and purchased disposable holiday tins from Michaels. They came together so quickly and were the perfect gift.

Need a last minute gift? Try making your favorite recipe and find a creative way to package it. Everyone loves to receive something homemade.

Have a wonderful Holiday!

1 Comment

Filed under Christmas, Cook, Treats

Tagged as chocolate chip zucchini bread, holiday treats, homemade holiday gifts

by Anne | December 14, 2011 · 8:56 am

{Homemade Holiday Gifts} Chocolate Caramel Drizzle Chex

I love delivering homemade goodies to friends and neighbors this time of year. I usually stick with the traditional cookie plate, however this year I came across this Caramel Chocolate Chex recipe and k new I wanted to try it. It is incredibly easy to make and is a perfect little snack!

Chocolate Caramel Drizzle Chex

3 cups Corn Chex cereal
3 cups Rice Chex cereal
25 Caramel Chews
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Milk
1/4 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips

In a large, microwavable, bowl mix the 6 cups of Chex cereal.

In a medium bowl, microwave the caramels, butter and milk for 2-3 minutes stopping ever minute or so to stir. The mixture is done when the caramels are smooth and the mixture is well combined.

Pour the caramel mixture over the cereal and gently stir until evenly coated. Then, microwave the caramel coated cereal for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir after each minute, until the mixture just begins to brown.

Spread the cereal mixture on wax paper in order to cool.

In a small bowl, microwave the chocolate chips for about a minute or until smooth and melted. Drizzle over the cooled cereal. Let the chocolate harden, then store mixture in an airtight container.

I made a couple batches of this snack and placed them in colorful treat boxes that I found at Michael’s There were the perfect gift to deliver to neighbors!