The Blonde Diaries

Normally, I do not have a problem picking a main ingredient and making a meal out of it. Today though, I have a problem. You see a few weeks ago Kroger had a sale on frozen fish so I picked up a bag of Tilapia and then a bag of Flounder. I have been using the Tilapia to make fish tacos at home but they are fairly light and flaky. I thought Flounder was a thicker or meatier fish but according to my mother it is very similar to Tilapia. So I’m not exactly sure how to cook it or more precisely, what kind of dish to add it in. I could always fish taco it but that gets a tad boring you know.

How do you cook Flounder?

I was sitting back in the tub this morning getting ready for work when I decided to take a minute and read the front of my Philosophy 3-in-1 body wash in Double Rich Cocoa scent. If you aren’t familar with Philosophy products, their body wash scents are to die for. The body wash can also be used as a shampoo/conditioner combo or as bubble bath. Hence the 3-in-1.

On the front of every 3-in-1 bottle is a “recipe” for whatever the scent is. In this case it seems to be a recipe for hot cocoa. I’ve also noticed the recipe on the front of my cinnamon buns and crumble berry cake 3-in-1s in the past but I’ve never paid too close attention. Today though after reading that recipe I wanted to try it out. The only bad part is that I don’t know if it is a real recipe or not. I would assume so.

Have you ever tried to make one of their “recipes”?

Short title for a post I will admit but I think it says it all. I have been eating A LOT of soup this week with the weather crappy and being sick. I started with my mom’s chicken noodle soup and progressed to some canned Progresso Italian Wedding Soup (not so good) and some Zesty variety which was good.

Tonight I decided to continue the trend because soup is also good for filling you up without a lot of calories so it is perfect for weight loss when you aren’t in the mood for salad. After work, I headed straight to Kroger and picked up some soup starter kits. I love these kits because they provide a base for a good soup and then you can tailor them up however you like. Plus you get 6-8 servings per bag for just under $4. Can’t beat that budget helper!! So I decided to make Chili tonight. I have never made that myself so I was excited and nervous. I browned my ground beef and then rinsed and drained it. Next I boiled the water and added the tomato paste, seasoning mix, and ground beef and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

Boy was that a good Chili and I really didn’t have to add anything special to it. I also liked that in total, dinner only took 30 minutes from start to finish with browning the meat, simmering the chili, and making grilled cheese sandwiches. I’m freezing a few servings for January and February when it gets really cold and finishing the rest off this weekend at lunch and dinner. Yum!

Man!  I stopped by the grocery store after work today to pick up the bare essentials to get us through our half week as we will both be semi-away Wednesday through the end of the week.  So I passed the yogurt area which is right next to the refrigerated cookie dough – so cruel right – and decide to pick up a pack of cookies to bake for Mike as a surprise.  I have a cute penguin cookie jar that is sitting empty right now and no snacks for Mike so it just made sense to bake cookies.  So I came home and while I’m getting dinner ready – a Tyson’s heat and serve meal- I bake the cookies, let them cool, and then place them in their new home until Mike got in.  Well, Mike comes home and is just sick from the minute he gets through the door (I will spare you the details).

I was so disappointed that a) he’s sick and b) he isn’t even interested in knowing what his surprise is.  Of course I hope he gets well soon but go figure he would come home sick like this when I baked him cookies as a surprise.  He’s drugged on the couch right now so hopefully the meds kick in soon and get him well.  We have that birthday party to attend to this weekend and he can’t be sick for it.

Last week, before the holidays and my subsequent gorging on Turkey and Ham, I made a pretty quick and easy meal that I wanted to share. I did not remember to take a photo but I did freeze the left overs so maybe when I unfreeze it later on I will remember and post a photo. I did not go off of a particular recipe for this meal idea. I actually got the idea from a dish I had at an Italian restaurant last year that Mike and I went too and I thought it would be easy enough to recreate at home which it was. This is my version of Cheesy Shrimp Risotto.

1 box of Risotto (Parmesan flavored works nicely)
1 package of medium sized shrimp (I purchased the cooked, pre-peeled and pre-veined version)
1/2 bag of frozen peas and carrots

Prepare the Risotto following the box directions. Boil the Shrimp until cooked and tender. Heat peas and carrots until cooked. Once everything is cooked (takes about 10 minutes total for all 3) combine into a bowl and stir until everything is well mixed. Spoon onto plates and serve. I haven’t perfected this recipe but next time I plan on adding more cheese to give it a more cheesy taste.