You know, the kind who only posts her successes; never posts a picture of something that came out terribly. As proof, I offer up my cherry pie, which falls in the "It tastes better than it looks!" category:
(This is what happens when you slice a pie straight out of the oven.)I promise it tastes delicious, but we got a little over-eager in the slicing of the pie. By morning, it firmed up nicely, but by then, of course, it was too late. My cherry pie is now cherry crumble. (But seriously, is there anyone out there who can resist a hot-from-the-oven cherry pie? Am I really expected to wait until it's cool to slice and eat it? Pshaw.)
Rest assured, however, the weekend was not a complete flop. I present the following:
Rest assured, however, the weekend was not a complete flop. I present the following:
(Left: Horseradish Potato Salad; Right: Quinoa Black Bean Salad)I did have a recipe in front of me for the potato salad, but I used it as more of a guideline. I didn't officially measure anything; I just eyeballed it. (Recipe, as usual, is posted at the end.) I thought it was pretty good; a nice change from my usual mayo-mustard-onion-egg salad. There was a birthday party for Ryan's aunt today, so I brought this. Apparently everyone else thought it was pretty decent, too, because it all disappeared.
I made the Black Bean salad for supper Saturday night, and it is abso-freaking-lutely fabulous. It is pretty cilantro-y, so if you're not a big cilantro fan, this may not be for you. I, on the other hand, cannot get enough cilantro. I could eat this salad by the bowlful. Ryan approved as well, though I could tell he wasn't as in love as I was. But that's fine--more for me :)
In addition to the Black Bean salad, we also had Noodles with Tempeh and Peanut Sauce. According to RecipeZaar, "Tempeh is fermented soybean cake, which has a texture similar to tofu. Tempeh is more easily digested than tofu and does not have a specific taste, but like tofu, will take on the taste of the dish it is used in." (Sounds appetizing, huh?) This was my first time with tempeh, and I wasn't really sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. Despite what the definition states, I found it to have a very strong mushroom taste. As mushroom lovers, Ryan and I both enjoyed it. The peanut sauce was wonderful, as well. I think I'll be adapting that for other uses in the future (peanut chicken, anyone?).
And in an abrupt change of subject, can I show you just how cute my daughter is?
I made the Black Bean salad for supper Saturday night, and it is abso-freaking-lutely fabulous. It is pretty cilantro-y, so if you're not a big cilantro fan, this may not be for you. I, on the other hand, cannot get enough cilantro. I could eat this salad by the bowlful. Ryan approved as well, though I could tell he wasn't as in love as I was. But that's fine--more for me :)
In addition to the Black Bean salad, we also had Noodles with Tempeh and Peanut Sauce. According to RecipeZaar, "Tempeh is fermented soybean cake, which has a texture similar to tofu. Tempeh is more easily digested than tofu and does not have a specific taste, but like tofu, will take on the taste of the dish it is used in." (Sounds appetizing, huh?) This was my first time with tempeh, and I wasn't really sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. Despite what the definition states, I found it to have a very strong mushroom taste. As mushroom lovers, Ryan and I both enjoyed it. The peanut sauce was wonderful, as well. I think I'll be adapting that for other uses in the future (peanut chicken, anyone?).
And in an abrupt change of subject, can I show you just how cute my daughter is?
(I wish I could take credit for her cuteness, but, alas,both she and Darren look just like Ryan.)
This is Leah as we were about to leave for the birthday party. I totally didn't expect her to tolerate the hat. Darren despises hats, and always has. To my surprise, she didn't really seem to care one way or the other. Leah also had her first encounter with a dog at the party. The dog was about the same size as she is, so they were a good match. He apparently found her tasty, because he licked her a lot. (Of course, bad mother that I am, I didn't get a picture.)
And one more gem of a picture for you, before I retire for the evening. Whilst perusing GoodWill this weekend, I found a stack of decorative plates. Most of them were for various states, but in amongst them, I found this gem:
Yup. That pretty much says it all.
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Horseradish Potato Salad
3 lbs. baby red-skinned potatoes
3/4 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. mayo
1/4 c. horseradish sauce
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard (I used about a 1/4 c.)
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 c. celery, finely chopped
1/4 c. green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 c. white onion, grated
2 tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
2 tbsp. pimentos, drained and chopped (I didn't use these)
1 tbsp. apple-cider vinegar
salt and pepper
Okay, the recipe give long directions, but I'm lazy, so I'm going to give you the CliffNotes version:
Boil the potatoes. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Drain and cool the potatoes; fold in the dressing/sauce until combined.
Horseradish Potato Salad
3 lbs. baby red-skinned potatoes
3/4 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. mayo
1/4 c. horseradish sauce
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard (I used about a 1/4 c.)
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 c. celery, finely chopped
1/4 c. green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 c. white onion, grated
2 tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
2 tbsp. pimentos, drained and chopped (I didn't use these)
1 tbsp. apple-cider vinegar
salt and pepper
Okay, the recipe give long directions, but I'm lazy, so I'm going to give you the CliffNotes version:
Boil the potatoes. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Drain and cool the potatoes; fold in the dressing/sauce until combined.
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