Quickie Friday: Baked, Cheesy Zucchini

Have you ever found yourself faced with a crisper drawer full of zucchini, but with no idea where it came from or what to do with it?

No?

Just me?

Ok then. 

Should this predicament ever arise in your future, peeps, may I recommend slicing said zucchini, tossing it with ricotta, Parmesan, oregano, garlic, and red pepper, throwing it in a baking dish, topping it with mozzarella and baking the whole thing at 350 degrees for about half an hour?  May I?  Because I do.  Strongly. 

But now tell me, should I support these as strongly as my tasty zucchini concoction?

via

I'm not so sure.  There's nothing heinous about them, but are they cute enough to justify wearing cheaply made, ungodly uncomfortable shoes that will probably fall apart in 3 wears?  Thoughts?!

Additionally, could I ask any more questions in this post?!  I'm having an inquisitive day, peeps, and for that I apologize.

Energy Balls

This recipe for no-bake energy bites (which I prefer to call "energy balls," given my affinity for ball-shaped foods) thrilled me the moment I stumbled across it on pinterest.  With my minimal modifications I can assure you, peeps, that these will become a staple in my house.

I went with reduced-fat, creamy peanut butter in place of regular, wheat germ in place of flax seed, and chopped dark chocolate in place of the mini chocolate chips. 

I brought some of these into work, and they were as big of a hit in the library as they were at home.  The F has even requested them since, which is definitely a success, in my book!

I think that I'm going to request a pair of these, and see what happens.

Christian Dior via Bergdorf Goodman

I am quite certain that there is not a single person in my life who would grant such a request, but it may be worth a (long) shot.

Favorite Things Thursday: Sometimes You've Gotta Eat Out

For my birthday, last year, the F was kind enough to purchase a cute android tablet.  Since law school, my laptop had taken a turn for the worse and since I no longer required full computing power, the tablet was perfect.  Also perfect:  the vast number of apps available to me, including the Open Table app.

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Never has a more convenient tool existed, in my opinion (but that's probably because I love to eat).  Booking reservations couldn't be easier, particularly at the last minute, and it gives me access to reviews and menus before I book a table.  I LOVE IT and if you love food and haven't tried it, then I recommend it. 

Let's Talk About the Oscars . . .

Yea, yea, yea.  I realize they happened over a month ago.  I also realize that I remember NOTHING from the actual show (other than this guy), but that seems inconsequential because I made some GREAT food.  Like, really great.  And an amazing cocktail, too. 

But back to the food.

I am of the belief  that crescent rolls can, and should, be used at every opportunity.  Side dishes, main dishes, appetizers, desserts . . . you name it, I can probably crescent it.  This particular appetizer involves rolling out a can of crescent roll dough, spreading it with a mixture of (fat free) cream cheese, bacon bits (I use the "real" bacon bits), and finely chopped onion, then baking.  But not before slicing it real pretty first.

Baked in the oven at 350 degrees for about 11 minutes, these puff up and become golden brown, and they are guaranteed to make your kitchen smell fabulous.

These are also great served as a starch-alternative at your next brunch of breakfast party.  They are DELICIOUS alongside eggs (and if you can make a fabulously fluffy scrambled egg, without adding anything to it, all the better with these treats).

Much like the delightful aroma of these pinwheels invigorates my nose, these invigorate my feet.

Christian Louboutin via Saks

Or they would, if I could afford them.  Truth be told, I spent about half an hour staring at these shoes before I decided that I like them.  But, in the end, I think they're the perfect mix of natural and outrageous.  And the high wedge heel doesn't hurt.

Quickie Friday: Easy Broccoli Side

When I was busy disguising pork a few weeks back, I also got busy jazzing up some broccoli to serve with it.  And lemme tell ya, peeps:  it got JAZZY.

I made an excess of the sauce, of course, but this couldn't have been easier (and I suspect you all know, already, that this recipe came from Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast: Over 280 Incredibly Flavorful 5-Ingredient 15-Minute Recipes).  Two tablespoons of fat free sour cream, two tablespoons of skim milk, and one tablespoon (if you're me) of a whole grain spicy (again, if you're me) mustard.  Heat it slowly, then dump it over a package of steam-in-the-microwave broccoli.  Easy peasy.

Since I'm clearly going through a slippers-as-real-shoes phase, I bring you these.

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Velvet AND slippers.  For everyday wear.  And at an extremely low price-point. 

You're welcome.

Crispy Grilled Porkchops

There are very few foods which the F does not enjoy.  Mushrooms come to mind, as do sauerkraut (which I understand) and porkchops.  Pork.  Who doesn't like pork?  The man loves bacon, a pork chop is just an adjacent piece of deliciousness on the meat-spectrum, as far as I'm concerned.

Because of this . . . quirk . . . I set out to make pork chops in the most F-friendly way possible:  breaded and fried (kind of like these).  Or, more accurately, lightly coated in egg whites, breaded in panko with a hint of Asiago cheese, and "fried" in a grill pan coated with zero-calorie cooking spray.

And they were a hit (alongside some crescent rolls).  At first the F didn't even realize they were pork and that, peeps, is when I knew I'd succeeded.  All hail the Cookin' in Heels kitchen and my ability to mask pork as chicken. 

Let's talk, now, about masking slippers as "real" shoes.

via Topshop

What do we think, peeps?  Can I get away with wearing these as real shoes?  Would they make my feet look awfully snappy at my upcoming librarians' conference?  Or would I look like a Hugh Hefner wannabe (minus the satin smoking jacket, obvs.  Nobody can pull that off like Mr. H.)? 

Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

When I walked in the door with not one but two large cartons of Shiitake mushrooms, I thought the F was going to kick me to the curb.  My fabulous cooking be-damned, mister does NOT like the 'shrooms.  Particularly when they're out in the open like this.

I'm pretty sure that it was the pat of butter, not I, who managed to get him on board with this dish (which is from Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast: Over 280 Incredibly Flavorful 5-Ingredient 15-Minute Recipes, obviously) but I am not complaining.

Just when I think my pictures are getting better . . . sigh.  Hopefully if/when we move, things will improve.  Anyway . . . while the F ate this dish, the leftovers went untouched (a sign that it probably won't be made again, unless a mushroom lover enters the house) but it was a good experiment in making the F eat things he really doesn't like.  And that's always fun.

Also fun, gold shoes.

 Giuseppe Zanotti via Barneys

I had a student tell me, last week, that she owns gold shoes (that were identical to the purple pair she was wearing) for "safety reasons."  Her explanation confused the men in the room, but I understood.  Great minds think alike.