The two sisters

The oldest, B, and her husband recently made the move out West from the Carolinas. They are getting accustomed to life in the country and becoming a student once again for the mister. The youngest, A, and her husband made a short move within the Carolinas for the mister to once again, become a student.

When we both found ourselves in similar situations - moving and the misters going back to school - but far apart from one another, we thought a blog would be a great way to still do something together and for family and friends to keep up with us. Follow us as we share our love for cooking, the great outdoors, and home.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

More Please!

Go here and print the recipe. It is not some big fancy meal. It is an economical and delicious dish. When I was putting up the leftovers, I couldn't stop sneaking extra bites...with my fingers. I used linguine instead of fettuccine and am glad I did. Served a simple spinach salad with it. Speaking of spinach, use spinach not iceberg for salads. It is obvious why. Enough said about that.

Things are busy and we'll get back into the swing of things soon. For now, go enjoy some oatmeal (true rolled oats - no flavoring, etc - the stuff out of the cardboard cylinder) with peanut butter (not the sugary stuff) stirred in and fresh blueberries sprinkled on top.

A

Monday, February 7, 2011

Finally, a Recipe

Deliciousness. Can't wait to have the leftovers.

If you don't like feta, don't let that scare you away. It doesn't have a strong feta taste. Just use more like 3oz instead of 4oz.

Angel Hair Pasta with Eggplant-Tomato Sauce 
6 servings 1 ½ cups per serving
Adapted from Cheap Healthy Good

8 oz. uncooked angel hair pasta (half the box), cooked and drained
1 medium raw eggplant, sliced into 1-inch cubes
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 t Olive oil (preferably in a spray bottle) *really don't think I used that much oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
half pint cherry/grape tomatoes cut in half*
asparagus cut into 1-2 inch pieces*1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp dried basil (or 2 T fresh, minced)
1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth (or low-fat regular)
3-4 oz reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled

1) Preheat oven to 425ºF.

2) Chop the eggplant (skin on) and red pepper, and put ‘em in a large bowl. If you have an olive oil spray bottle, coat the top of the vegetables and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Stir well (but gently). Do this three times, being careful not to oversalt. (If you don’t have a spray bottle, slowly drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil on top of the veggies. Then, follow the aforementioned directions.)

3) Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. (If you like, coat it with cooking spray. This isn’t necessary, but will make vegetable removal a little easier.) Place eggplant and pepper on sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until they start to brown. Remove from oven and set aside. *Roast asparagus separately for 10 mins until just tender. Remove and keep separate from eggplant and peppers.

4) Grab a big saucepan. Coat with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and heat on medium-low.

5) Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, until heated through. Add roasted veggies, red pepper flakes, basil, broth, and salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat up to medium-high.

6) Cook a few minutes until broth is reduced, and the mixture becomes a little saucy. Turn off the burner. Add the pasta and stir lots.

7) Add the feta and mix thoroughly, until the pasta is coated with it. If this is done while the pasta is still warm, you’ll get a lot of feta in each bite.  (We added feta while pasta was warm and did not get a strong feta bite)  *Add asparagus and toss. Serve hot.


*my changes


As you can see, I didn't make many changes. Just added a few veggies I had on hand. We give it a 4.  


Enjoy!
A

Saturday, February 5, 2011

How can I compete

with my sister's blog postings? They are fantabulous! I gush with big sis pride when I read them. For all of those with sisters out there, we are lucky little devils!
Okay, that's about the most sentimental I can get before I turn into a mess.

So, A has gotten us caught up on all of the family time that's been going on over the past month or two. Why do the moments that you want to last forever go by in a flash?

After family time in Vegas, I was lucky enough to head to Honlulu for work. I know, I can't even believe it even as I type it out. I got to go to Honolulu for WORK!!
And how can one go to Hawaii for work and not manage to squeeze in some vacation time? I squeezed!
I grabbed one of my closest friends and we jet-setted straight from Vegas to Honolulu. After I knocked out work for a day and a half (and it was even fun, considering it was work), we got down to some serious vacation time for the rest of our week in Hawaii.

We did so much in a week! Ate at the finest, most local places (including an incredible wine bar that I don't think many tourists get to experience), stayed at one of the newest, fanciest hotels in Waikiki, Chinese New Year celebration in Chinatown, soaked up the most beautiful sun/beaches in North Shore that I've ever seen, surfed (my new obsession), whale watched, surfer watched, looked adorable in our rental, red, convertible and indulged in massages and facials. Words, pictures, memories will never do it all justice.
J-Kills, you are the best travel companion a girl could have. Too much fun with you!!

Here are some pictures.
If you haven't been to Hawaii, stop what you are doing right now and book a flight.
B