on: 43

barring any technical difficulties, this post will go live on my 43rd birthday. happy birthday to me! this was another year of me not planning any major activities, primarily because i didn't really have the energy to deal with the logistics of a group outing. my calendar has been booked pretty solid the past few months and it's nice to not have to do all of the things. hell, i spent the first few days of this year's birthday vacation running errands and going to doctor's appointments. i'm trying to be better about taking breaks so i don't wear myself down/out. 

i'm also trying to be better about acknowledging and being thankful for progress, despite the current state of affairs...well, everywhere. also it's the end of the decade and if you've been around for a while, then you know how tumultuous the past decade has been. it's not bragging to say that i've come a long way. my therapist caught me trying to underplay my accomplishments and they rightly called me out. it's totally ok to be pleased with progress while still pondering potential improvements. it's also ok to be pleased with how i'm feeling right now without needing to achieve more. 

it's already been 2 years since i moved into this apartment. i honestly don't know where the time went. bills are paid and i have copious food and beverage options handy. work has been bonkers lately but i can't control any of it, so i'm trying to ride it out and see what happens. it's great to even have that option. it's also great to have my circle of friends and family grow even stronger over time. 

what's next? good question. definitely continued shenanigans and fuckery with my friends. hopefully weeping with joy and not abject sorrow on election night. i'll likely be having another surgery to deal with my fibroids. i'll still be involved with bourbon women chicago, so if you're 21+ and want to learn more about bourbon, you should join now so you're ready for 2020. (memberships also make great gifts!) (also don't let the "women" part deter you - there are men in our group. if you identify otherwise, you are still and always welcome.) 

what else? i dunno. my therapist asked if i was going to make resolutions for 2020. i said i usually don't make resolutions so much as i try to keep moving in a positive direction. that obviously means something different for everyone, so your mileage will definitely vary. 

but first, i am going to celebrate my birthday. and yes, the celebration will continue through mlk day because why not? i deserve nice things occasionally. 😀

recipe reviews: roasted sweet potatoes with smoked paprika and simple asian & latin holiday pork loin

another weekend, another round of meal prep. this will probably be the last meal prep i do before thanksgiving, which kinda freaked me out even though i've been prepping for thanksgiving for at least a week if not longer, lol.

i saw that sweet potatoes were going to be on sale, so i went looking for ideas. this recipe (a log-in may be required) for roasted sweet potatoes with smoked paprika looked promising. if you follow me on twitter, then you may have seen my post on friday night when i realized that i'd added a 1/2 tablespoon of salt instead of the 1/2 teaspoon called for in the recipe. oops. christin shared this article about adding acid to oversalted food, so i added a 1/2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar at the end. oh, and i'm pretty sure i used 3 garlic cloves instead of 2. not sorry. the final product wasn't as salty as i feared it would be.

the pork loin recipe comes from a marshall field's...i mean macy's culinary council event i attended last year? a couple years ago? i can't remember. at any rate, chef bill kim had a recipe for a "simple asian and latin holiday pork loin" that i was thinking about trying for thanksgiving until i decided on something else. jewel had boneless pork loins on sale, so i figured why not try it now? i can't find the recipe online anywhere, so here it is:

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dark chili powder
• 2 tablespoons madras curry powder
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 15 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 lbs. boneless pork loin

directions

1. place the pork loin in a large, shallow dish. pour 1 cup of the marinade over and turn to coat evenly. cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours but if you have time, let it marinate overnight.
2. remove the shallow dish with pork from the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until room temperature.
3. preheat the oven at 375℉ and cook 45 minutes to an hour or until the internal temperature of the pork loin is 145℉.
4. transfer the pork loin to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes. cut the pork loin against the grain into thin slices and arrange it on a serving platter.

i had 2 pork loins that totaled about 4 pounds, so i adjusted the marinade and used 3 tablespoons each of paprika, oregano, and curry powder. i didn't realize i was running low on chili powder so i only used 2 tablespoons of that since that's what i had left. kept the salt as is and used a 1/3 cup each of vinegar and olive oil. the garlic cloves i had were on the larger side so i only used 16 cloves instead of the 15. (is there anyone out there who doesn't add more garlic to a recipe?)

i marinated the pork for about 12 hours and cooked it for an hour last night. it probably could've come out a few minutes early but i was watching hockey and that's what had happened. the flavors are great, though, and that's what's important here. i wonder if i could use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic and make this in a crockpot. 

recipe review: fried rice with zucchini, tomatoes, and parmesan

me, making my grocery list: "ooh, zucchini's on sale! i wonder what i can make with it?"

i was already on my laptop, so i checked my folder of recipes (not to be confused with the binders of hard copy recipes on my bookshelf) and found this fried rice recipe. i skipped the red pepper flakes, used 4 garlic cloves instead of 3, used a 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme instead of fresh, and 3 bowls of microwavable brown rice that i just added to the skillet. skipped the parsley and scrambled 2 eggs because i am not a fan of fried eggs.

i like this a lot and will probably make it again, possibly with the addition of cooked chicken or shrimp depending on how i'm feeling.

recipe review: skillet-roasted chicken and veggies

i'm no longer within walking distance of one of my preferred spice shops, but thanks to the magic of the interwebz, i can stock up on spices without needing to make a special trip to lincoln square. one of the spice kits i added to my most recent order was for this skillet-roasted chicken & veggies. i bought the veggies and made it as part of my meal prep this weekend.

i think i used 7-8 garlic cloves total - half in the marinade for the chicken and the other half for the veggies. i had 4 bone-in chicken thighs so that's what i used in place of the 2 chicken leg quarters. i roasted everything for 45 minutes and, once i pulled the skillet out of the oven, realized that i should've put the skillet on the lower oven rack and not the upper one because the chicken was blackened and the veggies were way darker than depicted in the recipe. the chicken was a little dry, but i'm sure that's because i left it in the oven for longer than the recipe indicated. the veggies were tender and the sauce is delicious, so i'd probably make this again and adjust the cooking time accordingly.

recipe review: teriyaki tilapia with herb salad

i spent a rainy saturday afternoon/evening doing meal prep and drinking wine. it was nice because i've been doing all of the things and i needed some quality time at home. i made a batch of my beloved muffin tin frittatas with red bell pepper, scallions, smoked cheddar, and chicken & bacon sausage from big fork. i had smoked sausage and frozen broccoli on hand, which seemed like a sign to make smoked sausage & broccoli. i had some leftover mixed veggies from a previous meal so i dumped those in as well because why not? also made some roasted carrots with this honey ginger white balsamic vinegar that i picked up during my trip to wisconsin earlier this month. 

i'd picked up some frozen tilapia from target and also had some leftover teriyaki sauce from the last recipe i tried out. this teriyaki tilapia with herb salad sounded easy enough, so i made it for dinner saturday night and had some leftovers with roasted carrots tonight. i used microwavable brown rice since it's a pantry staple of mine. once the rice was warm, i put it in a bowl and added a teaspoon each of dried cliantro and dried basil. i only used a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and i definitely felt it, lol. i think i threw in 3 scallions that i'd sliced, and the juice of 1 lime. the fish itself was kinda blah even though i sprinkled some pepper on each piece before basting with the teriyaki sauce. gotta break out some sort of garlic next time, maybe? i'd make the rice again, though.

recipe review: slow-cooker sesame turkey wraps

i'd had my eye on this one for a while and decided to give it a try for meal prep purposes. i can't seem to find the exact version of the recipe i clipped from the magazine, but this one is a close enough version for this purpose. the ingredient list for the original version goes like this:

• 3 1/2 pounds bone-in turkey or chicken thighs, skin removed
• 1 cup prepared sesame stir-fry sauce or teriyaki sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 16-ounce package broccoli slaw mix
• 12 8-inch tortillas, preferably whole-wheat, warmed
• 3/4 sliced scallions

i used chicken thighs because i already had some in the freezer. i couldn't find a sesame stir-fry sauce so i went with teriyaki instead. my package of broccoli slaw mix was only 12 ounces instead of 16 ounces, and i skipped the tortillas and scallions.

i seasoned the chicken with black pepper and garlic powder before putting them in the slow cooker, because, well, why not? i didn't use any salt because i didn't know how salty the teriyaki sauce would be and i figured i could always add salt later. i cooked the chicken on high for 3 hours, let it cool for about 20 minutes or so before removing the bones and shredding the meat, and then let the chicken/slaw mixture sit in the crockpot for...i dunno, 15 minutes or so before transferring it to a container?

i would definitely make this again. so far this week, i've tried it with leftover fried rice (win) and leftover roasted potatoes (also win). i'm a fan of stir-fries in general so this was really right up my alley. i'd be interested in trying it with turkey thighs to see if there are any noticeable differences in taste/texture. i might also add some onion powder to the seasoning step because again, why not?

recipe reviews: farmers' market pasta and bacon-braised green beans

farmers' market season is winding down, and i knew this weekend might be one of my last chances to get out to a market. i'd had this pasta recipe in mind for a while and decided to buy whatever ingredients i could at the farmers market. i used 3 ears of corn instead of 2 because corn was 50 cents each or 3 ears for $1 and, well, i like a deal. i picked up both parmesan and asiago because they both tasted delicious and i couldn't decide which one i wanted. i didn't get multicolored cherry tomatoes because the vendor i bought them from didn't have different varieties available. i also used the whole 16 ounce box of cavatappi because i lost track and decided to just dump the whole box in. that said, this made way more than the 4 servings listed in the recipe. i had some for dinner tonight and was quite pleased.

i also decided to try this recipe for bacon-braised green beans. (the 2nd link will require a login, btw.) i did not buy fresh thyme because the recipe only calls for a teaspoon and i knew i wouldn't be using thyme for anything else i was making, so i used a 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme instead. oh, and i had "regular" bacon instead of thick-cut bacon. also added some garlic powder because y'all know i rarely trust recipes that don't call for any garlic whatsoever. i had to increase my cook time in step 2 because the beans weren't as tender as i wanted after the initial 12 minutes. i think i went maybe 20 minutes in total? i was pleased with the few bites i tried after i made it. we'll see how i feel after the flavors have more time to meld and hang out.

recipe review: skillet cabbage & sausage

while making my grocery list last week, i saw that green cabbage was going to be on sale. i had a vague memory of clipping a new (to me) recipe that involved cabbage, so off i went to my recipe binders. turns out my memory served me correctly. i had this recipe on file for skillet cabbage & sausage and i knew i had some mild italian sausage in the freezer. win!

i substituted 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg for the grated nutmeg, and i eyeballed some dried thyme for the fresh thyme. i had exactly 4 cloves of garlic on hand and minced all of them for this recipe. i used maybe a tablespoon of olive oil throughout the cooking process.

i made this on thursday night but didn't actually eat any of it until tonight, so the flavors have had time to get acquainted and meld. i'm pleased. if i make this again, i might try some pre-chopped cabbage or a package of cabbage slaw to save a bit of time and effort.

on: toni morrison

and she was loved. 

lord knows i wasn't planning on my first "serious" post in months being about toni morrison's passing, but here we are. i saw the toni morrison documentary a few weeks ago and fell in love with her artistry all over again. not that i'd ever fallen out of love with her work, mind you. y'know how sometimes you're reminded of how incredibly awesome one of your favorite artists is and you realize that yes, you must continue to stan? it was one of those moments.

and she was loved.

a friend texted me this morning to check on me because they'd heard the news and knew i'd be upset. i hadn't actually seen or heard anything until i checked twitter after that text and i totally cried on the bus en route to work. i texted another friend to check in on them because i knew they'd be just as, if not more, devastated as i was in that moment. then i got to thinking about my circle of friends and twitter and how we check in on each other whenever things like this happen and i was kinda ok for a bit. i have a postcard of this 1974 image of toni morrison posted on my cube wall and it made me smile even though seeing it made me teary all over again.

and she was loved. 

then i got to thinking about her books on my shelf, including this recent find, and i cackled because what the hell else could i do in that moment? seriously, if y'all knew how much i paid for that first edition, you'd cackle right along with me.

and she was loved.

"paradise" came out during my senior year at northwestern. i remember sitting in the suite (o hai 2-red!) literally yelling at the book because it wasn't making sense to me. i was no stranger to toni morrison's work at that point, but this book was giving me fits. i was spending hours on sentences and paragraphs when, if left to my own devices and time and life permitting, i could finish reading a novel in a matter of hours. to be honest, i'm still not sure i understood all of "paradise." i remember wanting cliffsnotes for the book because i just knew that i was missing something. but that was part of the joy of toni morrison's writing - she could draw you in and keep you there even though you knew good and well that you were out of your league.

and she was loved.

toni morrison really was loved, y'all. by me and by so many others. i hope she knew just how much we loved her. appreciated her. owed so much of our reading and writing lives and habits to her.

and she was loved.

recipe reviews: southern-style oven-fried chicken and corn with bacon vinaigrette

*blows dust off of login*

so, um, it's been a while, huh? adulting has been one helluva trip lately, as evidenced by the fact that apparently i haven't tried any new recipes in more than 2 months. it's entirely possible that i just forgot to post one, but it's also possible that i haven't tried anything new. oh well. i'm here now, right? right. maybe one of these days i'll write about something that isn't related to recipes. possibly. no promises.

southern-style oven-fried chicken: who decides to make oven-fried chicken in the summer in an apartment that doesn't have central air? o hai, it me. when i saw this recipe, i knew i already had chicken thighs in the freezer and most of the spices on hand, so it'd just be a matter of buying buttermilk during a grocery shopping trip. it should come as no surprise that i basically doubled the garlic powder. i was worried about this being bland, so i added a 1/2 teaspoon or so of creole seasoning, along with a 1/2 teaspoon or so of the seasoning blend i use as an "all-purpose" or "seasoned salt." the last 1/4 teaspoon of salt was added to the panko mixture instead of sprinkling it on the chicken as called for in step 3 of the recipe. i may have had better luck with the breading if i actually used a shallow dish instead of a ziploc bag, but otherwise? i could see myself making this again in cooler weather. one bonus of having the oven cranked all the way up? i roasted some broccoli (with olive oil and lemon pepper seasoning) while waiting for the oven to reach 475°. win.

corn with bacon vinaigrette: sure, fine, give me another excuse to go to the farmers market. almost anything with corn and bacon is going to get my attention because, well, corn and bacon. i used 3 ears of corn, 4 slices of "regular cut" bacon (because i rarely if ever have thick-cut bacon on hand), and eyeballed some dried basil in step 5 of the recipe because no, i was not going to commit to an entire bunch of basil for one recipe. shouts to the vendor at the farmers market who let me buy one shallot instead of a whole entire bunch that i knew good and well i wouldn't use before they went bad. i have to admit to being a bit worried about this one, since the bacon didn't seem to be crisping up as much as i would normally like. i might actually cut back on the nutmeg and add the salt with the corn to see what impact that has on the flavor. it tasted fine, but i think there's room for improvement.

recipe review: spicy broiled tilapia with lime

i was making my grocery list last night and saw that tilapia was on sale. i haven't had much seafood lately, so i added tilapia to my list. then, of course, i had to think about how i was going to prepare said tilapia. these fish cakes are a favorite of mine, but i wanted to try something different. off to the recipe binders i went.

this broiled tilapia recipe seemed easy enough, especially since i had everything on hand except the fish and a lime. yes, i used the whole teaspoon of cayenne pepper. i didn't measure the black pepper so it was probably less than the 1/2 teaspoon called for in the recipe. the fish definitely has a bit of a kick but nothing too overpowering. there's some leftover so it'll be interesting to see if the spices mellow out or get stronger over time. i'd make this again, maybe subbing chili powder for some of the cayenne pepper.

recipe review: honey-glazed brussels sprouts

o hai! i've been on a meal prep kick the past couple of weeks or so because i needed to reset a bit after the decadence of new orleans and baconfest. i didn't really make anything new, though - my focus was on making sure i had plenty of fruit and/or vegetable options around for meals so i could up my intake. i ate salads for lunch almost every work day for 2 weeks. good thing i love salads. and green beans. and spinach. and broccoli.

while planning this week's grocery store trip, i saw that brussels sprouts were on sale. i knew i had almost everything else i needed to try this recipe out, so i decided to make it this weekend. i used red wine vinegar because that's what i had on hand. i opted for 1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper because i don't have crushed red pepper flakes and also because i am still a bit of a wuss when it comes to spicy food. i zested most of a lemon so i don't know if that's more or less than the teaspoon called for in the recipe.

i thought the glaze would have been a bit thicker than it turned out to be, but i like the flavor combination. i'd try them again, maybe with some pre-trimmed and washed brussels sprouts instead.

recipe reviews: roasted garlic and herb pork cacciatore and sauteed brussels sprouts with sausage and pickled red onion

i have 2 dinner options ready for me this week: roasted garlic & herb pork cacciatore and sautéed brussels sprouts with sausage and pickled red onion.

i saw a pic of the cacciatore on instagram and mentally filed it away. while i was working on my grocery list last week, i saw that there was a sale on the pork fillets and decided it was a sign to try this out. i used 8 cloves of garlic because, well, y'all know me. i also used the jarred marinara option and added a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne in lieu of the crushed red pepper flakes. i have a 4-quart slow cooker and i have to say that things looked a bit tight once all of the ingredients were added, but it worked. i had a serving over some garlic brown rice and was a happy girl.

i knew i had a package of italian sausage in the freezer, so it was just a matter of buying the brussels sprouts (which were on sale!) and the red onion. i skipped the parsley and would likely skip the pickled onions next time, since they didn't really add any flavor as far as i was concerned. let the record show that i am still trying out recipes for brussels sprouts even though prepping them can be a pain.

recipe review: cajun bayou stew

i had some birthday rewards from the folks at savory spice shop that i needed to use, so i decided to add their cajun bayou stew mix to my order.

i had a pack of andouille sausage in the freezer already, so it was just a matter of buying the vegetables and lemon called for on the package to be ready for meal prep. since the sausage was raw, i browned the links for a few minutes in a separate skillet and then sliced them to add to the stew.

the directions called for the stew to simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils were softened and most of the liquid had been absorbed. i checked after 25 minutes and there was still plenty of liquid left, so i added another 10 minutes of cooking time. the stew was still a bit on the soupy side after that, but i figured things would set up a bit as the stew cooled.

i had a serving for lunch today and thought it was pretty good, even though the consistency still isn't exactly what i had in mind. i put a serving in the freezer and will probably add another serving or two to the freezer depending on how the week plays out, so it'll be interesting to see how this plays out later when i thaw it out.

recipe review: lemon chicken thighs

i tend to stock up on chicken when it's on sale, which comes in handy when i decide to try out a recipe. this time it was for lemon chicken thighs.

i need to make this again because there were a couple of things that i'd like to tweak or fix. the skin didn't really get as crispy as i would've like, so i want to adjust the cooking time and maybe use a different burner on the stove to see if that makes a difference. i didn't have any aleppo-style pepper, so i figured i'd mix some cayenne pepper and chili powder together. i misread the measurements, though, and wound up using a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne and a full teaspoon of chili powder. i didn't realize this error until i started eating and found myself wondering why the chicken seemed spicier than i thought it would.

there's some leftover vinaigrette in the fridge that i may try to use for a marinade for some boneless pork chops i have in the freezer. or maybe i'll make some veggies and use the vinaigrette with that.

thoughts on the nfl 100 commercial

i wasn't expecting an ad for the nfl to be my favorite commercial from sunday, but here we are, although i did shriek with delight during the stella artois spot when the dude showed up.

 
some thoughts, in no particular order, now that i've watched the ad at least a half dozen times today:

• marshawn lynch is still bereft of fucks to give and i still love him for it. also i have totally looked at a cake the way he did. sorry not sorry. 
• mike singletary! 
• barry and his spin move will never not be awesome. 
• ed reed can and will intercept your face. i want the jacket he was wearing. 
• fuck tom brady always and forever, amen.

recipe reviews: oven baked chicken tenders & roast sausage and fennel with orange

i was all set to do some meal prep this past weekend, but then i came home thursday night to a note saying not to use my kitchen sink because the drain pipe was frozen. as of saturday night, i was told that progress had been made and that i could use the sink "sparingly." i already had plans for sunday, so i decided to make meal prep monday a thing, which worked out because i had the day off.

i'd bought a package of boneless skinless chicken breasts during a previous shopping trip, so i already had everything i needed to make these chicken tenders. i was only making one batch (see step 5), so i halved the amounts for the egg wash, flour mixture, and panko. i didn't make the sauce because i already had honey mustard in the fridge. i thought these came out ok, but would consider adding more paprika (i used a little more than 1/2 teaspoon) and/or some other seasonings.

since i loved them so much the 1st time i made them, and since green beans were on sale, i made a double batch of these soft green beans. i may need to start buying those bags of pre-trimmed green beans as a time saver if this keeps up.

i also decided to try this recipe for roast sausage and fennel with orange. i had a pack of italian sausages in the freezer, so all i needed to buy were the fennel, onion, and orange. i used dried rosemary because i wasn't going to buy a package of fresh rosemary only to use 3 sprigs. the fennel bulbs i bought had very little fronds, which was fine with me because i'm not a big fan of fennel fronds anyway. the recipe calls for cutting the orange into supremes, which was more effort than i was willing to expend. i juiced the orange into a bowl and followed the rest of the directions for adding the vinegar. i don't know if i'd be in a rush to make this again, but i do like the idea of roasting the sausage with fennel and onion, and possibly adding some sort of garlic to the equation.

recipe review: maple-glazed pork tenderloin

i read a cook's illustrated cookbook a few weeks ago and while i was filing away the recipes i wanted to try, i came across this one for a maple-glazed pork tenderloin. i already had all of the ingredients and decided to make it on friday as part of my meal prep.

unfortunately, i can't find a direct link to the recipe, so i'll include the ingredients and directions here.

ingredients
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup (i used some of the bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup i got for christmas)
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon bourbon
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
salt and pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
1 12-ounce pork tenderloin, trimmed (the tenderloin i had was a little larger, so i adjusted the cook time accordingly)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

directions
1. adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. stir 1/3 cup maple syrup, mustard, bourbon, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl.
2. combine cornstarch, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in shallow dish. pat tenderloin dry with paper towels, then roll in cornstarch mixture until evenly coated on all sides; thoroughly pat off excess cornstarch mixture.
3. heat oil in a 10-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. brown tenderloin well on all sides, 6-8 minutes; transfer to plate.
4. pour off fat from skillet and return to medium heat. add syrup mixture to now-empty skillet, bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until reduced to 1/3 cup, 30 seconds to 1 minute. return browned tenderloin to skillet and turn to coat with glaze. transfer skillet to oven and roast tenderloin until meat registers 145 degrees, 8-12 minutes.
5. remove skillet from oven. transfer tenderloin to cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
6. meanwhile, transfer glaze left in skillet to small bowl and stir in remaining 1 tablespoon maple syrup. brush tenderloin with 1 tablespoon glaze, then slice 1/4 inch thick. serve pork, passing remaining glaze separately.

i wasn't serving the tenderloin right away, so i took the meat out of the skillet and added the tablespoon of maple syrup directly to the skillet. i returned the tenderloin to the skillet, coated it with the glaze, then let it rest. i sliced the tenderloin and poured the glaze over the slices before putting everything away.

i had a quick bite of this and thought the flavors were ok. we'll see what happens when i dive in after a day or two of the flavors coming together.

recipe review: soft green beans

saw this soft green beans recipe in the latest issue of eating well and decided to try it out as part of my meal prep.

i used 1 large yellow onion and a little less than 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. me being me, i used 3-4 cloves of garlic that i minced instead of slicing. omg y'all. the aroma of onions, garlic, and cayenne was amazing before i even added the broth and the green beans. i decided not to reduce the liquid that remained after the cooking time, since there wasn't much left and i wanted to keep the beans moist for future servings.

i would totally make this again. it kinda reminded me of the green beans i ate when i was a kid - tender if not damn near overcooked, but still delicious.

10 ingredients to always have on hand

read this week's "i love lists" post from shutterbean and came across someone's 10 ingredients that they always have on hand. i found it interesting because there are definitely staples that i keep around almost all of the time. here's my list, in no particular order:

1. rice: i'm sitting at my kitchen table and i can spy at least 2 microwavable bowls of brown rice and a couple other rice pouches as i type this. sometimes i'll decide to make a stir-fry or fried rice and it's nice to not have to worry about cooking a fresh batch of rice.
2. eggs: there are always eggs in my fridge. i'm making a variation of these frittatas as part of my meal prep for next week. on the rare occasions when i bake, i'm already set because i have eggs on hand. i don't fry foods that often, but when i do? i have eggs ready for an egg wash.
3. bacon: come on. you had to have seen this one coming. if there's not bacon in the fridge, there's definitely some in the freezer, and if i'm completely out, it means i haven't gone to the store yet to re-up. that, or i've been sick and you should probably send someone to check on me.
4. frozen vegetables: i'm particularly happy about this one at the moment, given that the produce sections have been cleaned out due to new year's resolutions and the holiday's impact on delivery schedules. 
5. wine and/or whiskey: this should be another no-brainer. i cook with liquor in the sense that i will pour myself a drink (or three) while i'm cooking. 
6. frozen chicken, turkey, and/or pork: i am my father's daughter, which means i will almost always have some sort of meat-based protein that i can thaw for the next day or a round of meal prep. jewel had pork tenderloins on sale for buy 1, get 2 free, so now i have 3 pork tenderloins in the freezer.
7. cheese: i use cheese sticks as work snacks and occasional "oh god i need to eat something before i pass out" snacks. there's usually cheese slices and/or shredded cheese around as well. 
8. chocolate: i keep a bowl of individually wrapped dove promises on the table for those times when i want something sweet but don't necessarily want dessert.
9. garlic: 2 forms of garlic, actually, if we're counting garlic powder and fresh garlic. if you've read my recipe reviews, then you know i am a proud member of #teamgarlic. 
10. various condiments: soy sauce (for the aforementioned fried rice and stir-fries). bbq sauce. mustard(s) - there's probably at least 3-4 different types around here right now. mayo. jams/jellies/preserves. worcestershire sauce. maple syrup.

honorable mentions go out to olive oil, various vinegars (cider, red wine, balsamic, etc.), and the assorted spices in the cabinet.