Live Lettuce

Okay, so I know I posted before about the celery, but I just found a new live lettuce that can be replanted as well. You eat all the leaves off, but keep the heart and root intact to replant. We bought the Butter Lettuce kind, which comes in a container with the roots at the bottom and, as my husband says, "So we bought dirt with our food."

Well kinda. The roots still have some dirt to keep them nourished while they're out of the ground, making them easier to replant. Just add dirt to the container it came in and place it in the window. According to my books and online research, it's only going to take about a week to have a new head of lettuce. Not only that, but, once planted, you can just continue to pluck the leaves from the existing plant, week after week, without further replanting. A dedicated lettuce plant, right there in your kitchen!

As a single head of lettuce, it's a bit pricey. But even if you just use this lettuce for sandwiches, you could save well over $120 yearly. That's just for starters, and it can be a nice chunk of change to put in the bank, or use for date nights.

P.S. 

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Healthy New Start

1/2 a container of low fat strawberry yogurt
1/4 a cup of Honey Bunches of Oats
sprinkle of almonds maybe a tablespoon
sprinkle of cranberries maybe a tablespoon
hot fudge Sunday dish

1/2 of your Honey bunches of Oats go in the bottom of the dish.
1/2 a container of yogurt goes on top of the cereal.
The rest of your cereal goes on top of the yogurt.
Then sprinkle the almonds and cranberries on top.

With New Years resolution diets starting because of the over indulgence over the holidays this little switch from holiday cookies or sweets will help curb your sweet tooth in a healthy way. Putting it in a special dish always makes my kids feel fancy and more willing to think of it as a treat.

P.S. 

I would love to meet you on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/GardenTwoPlate/ or on Twitter Garden 2 Plate@GardenTwoPlate

Fresh Stir Fry

1 Summer Squash

1 Black or Italian Zucchini

3 carrots

1 small head of broccoli

1 scallion

about 1 cup of yellow waxed beans (I didn't measure I just picked a handful)

20 snow peas in the pods  (again I didn't measure I just picked a handful)

1 lb of tri-tip

2 tablespoons low sodium beef broth

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon corn starch

2 cloves of garlic

2 teaspoons brown sugar 

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

*1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes

about 1/4 cup of water

1. Cut meat into bite size pieces.
2. In a Ziploc bag combine broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire,brown sugar,corn starch, and 1 tablespoon olive oil and add the beef.
3. Squeeze all the air out and refrigerate for 1 and half hours.
4. While that is marinating rinse all veggies you just picked.
5. Then cut carrots, squash and zucchini into rounds. (They cook faster this way)
6. Chop broccoli into manageable pieces.
7. Snip the ends off the peas and the beans and cut them in half.
8. After the hour and a half, drain and discard the marinade from the beef.
9. Heat the wok with a tablespoon of olive oil.
10. Add the beef and heat till it's lightly brown, remove meat from the wok and place in a bowl set it aside.
11. In the same wok add the carrots and broccoli, first, adding tablespoons of water as needed to keep them steaming.* (If you want to add some heat to this dish add the crushed pepper flakes at this time.)
12. When carrots and broccoli are slightly tender add the remaining veggies and the beef back too the wok.
13. Cook for 4-5 min.

P.S. 

I would love to meet you on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/GardenTwoPlate/ or on Twitter Garden 2 Plate@GardenTwoPlate

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

1 box pineapple cake mix
1 can sliced pineapple
juice from the can pineapple
1/2 cup brown sugar
8 maraschino cherries
1/2 a stick of butter
Eggs and oil as recommended on package

*Don't use the water the box asks for instead we are using the leftover pineapple juice if there isn't enough then add water to the juice to make up the difference.

1. Heat oven to 350°
2. Make cake mix according to box (except the water part) then set aside.
3. In a large skillet that has been sprayed with cooking spray, heat the butter and the brown sugar over medium heat.
4. When the sugar starts to bubble up take it off the heat.
5. Add the 8 pineapple slices around the edges and one in the middle.
6. Add the 8 cherries in the middle of each pineapple.
7. Slowly pour the cake mix on top making sure not to move the pineapple or cherries.
8. Then place pan in oven for about 45 min or until toothpick interested in center comes out clean.
9. Let cool slightly, using an oven mitt turn over onto plate and let cool.

Best served slightly warm but it's still really good the day after (if there is any left)!

P.S. 

I would love to meet you on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/GardenTwoPlate/ or on Twitter Garden 2 Plate@GardenTwoPlate

Love Breakfast

Ingredients
6 eggs
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup mild cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Pam
Heart Pan

Preheat oven to 350°
In a medium bowl beat eggs, salsa, cheese, salt and pepper.
Spray Pam in you heart pans.
Pour the egg mixture into pan about 3/4 the way full.
Bake in oven for about 17 min or until the eggs are the consistency you like.

The pan I found at Target for $19.99 but I found it later cheaper on Amazon for $10.15
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004S7Z6/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=1944687722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000M9OBO0&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=10G79KSTF1Y2ET89Q4S4

P.S. 

I would love to meet you on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/GardenTwoPlate/ or on Twitter Garden 2 Plate@GardenTwoPlate

Watermelon Margarita

1 mini watermelon
3 cups ice
6 to 8 shots of tequila
Pink sugar

Cut rind off 3/4 watermelon.
Chop watermelon into bite size pieces.
Cut a few pieces of watermelon with rind into pie like slices.
Add watermelon, ice, and tequila to blender.
Blend to slushy consistency.
Pour sugar onto a plate.
Dip glass into slushy drink just coating the rim.
Then dip glass into the sugar sprinkles.
Pour mixture into glass and garnish with a slice of watermelon.

*If you want to make it themed:
Christmas: dip in green sugar sprinkles.
Patriotic: Blue sugar sprinkles.
Valentines: use the red sugar sprinkles.

P.S.

I would love to meet you on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/GardenTwoPlate/ or on Twitter Garden 2 Plate@GardenTwoPlate

Chunky Monkey Cupcakes

2 cup flour

1 cup cocoa

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs (room temp)

Filling:

1/2 cup milk

1 cup sour cream

1 small box of banana cream pudding

½ cup crushed walnuts

Frosting Recipe:

1/2 cup unsalted sweet cream

2 cup powdered sugar

3 teaspoons of imitation banana extract

2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream 

1         Preheat oven to 350°.

2         Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan.

3         Add dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.

4         Sift all dry ingredients together.

5         Mix liquid ingredients together including the eggs.

6         Slowly pour by the cup full the liquid ingredient into the dry ingredients.

7         Beat in mixer until totally combined.

8         Pour batter into lined cupcake pan until 3/4 full.

9         Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes, and cool for 15-20 minutes.

10     Let cool completely.

11     Using a melon baller scoop a hole in the center of the cupcake.

Filling

1         Mix milk, sour cream and walnuts into pudding mix.

2         Fill a pipping bag with pudding mix and pipe it into the middle of the cupcake.

Frosting

1         Mix soft butter with sugar in stand up mixer.

2         Continue to mix at medium speed adding whipping cream.

3         Add in the imitation banana extract.

4         Continue to mix until frosting stands in stiff peaks.

5         Add additional powdered sugar at 1/2 cup at a time until the stiff peaks form and stand.

6         Apply frosting to cupcakes in a pastry bag with star tip.

Top with what ever your theme is, in our case it was movie night!

P.S.

I would love to meet you on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/GardenTwoPlate/ or on Twitter Garden 2 Plate@GardentwoPlate