Happy Belly: Bacon Pancakes

I've had a dream for a while.


That dream was to have bacon pancakes.

Well said, Jake the Dog.


Anywho, on my May trip to California, I got to live my dream thanks to my fabulous cousin, Em.

The How is pretty simple: 

Make bacon. We did it in the oven (my favorite way- clean up is super duper easy). 

Take sip of bellini. This step is VERY important. 

After that, Mix up pancake mix. We did bisquick because, well, it has yet to let us down.

Take another sip of bellini.

Then, you chop up the bacon, and sprinkle it on the pancakes. 

Flip. 

Serve. 

Cover in butter. 

Cover in Syrup. 

EAT and be ridiculously happy. 

Happy Belly: Accidental Broccoli Soup

Sometimes you mean to make one thing but end up with another very tasty thing.

One of those sometimes was last night.


See, I set out to make zucchini-basil soup. It sounded so good and refreshing and delicious that I marched myself right over to Whole Foods and got the two pounds of zucchini and herbs needed to make it.

Then I got home and realized I had bought cucumbers instead of zucchini.

And by 'realized' I mean I was cheerfully chopping them up when my roommate looked over and said, "You know those are cucumbers, right?"




In my defense, they look very much alike and are stocked next to each other.


Anyways, I already had my onions and garlic going so I had to make something. Luckily, I had broccoli, the unsung hero of most dinners.


It turned out very very yummy. And a very pretty color.




Here's the recipe if you want to try it:

Accidental, or 'Ruh-Row' Broccoli soup

2 lbs broccoli
1/2 and onion
Garlic
Olive oil
A handful of basil
4 cups chicken broth
Salt and Pepper

Dice the onion and garlic and get them sautéing at the bottom of a soup pot in the olive oil. While thats getting going, cut up the broccoli into smallish (think 1-2 inch) pieces. Once the onions are soft and a little see-through, add the broccoli. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let that sit stirring occasionally so nothing burns until the broccoli is soft. Then, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Take it off the heat. Blend the veggies and broth either in a blender or in the pot with a hand blender  (I prefer the hand blender- less clean up). Lightly chop the basil and add to the pot. Blend until it's as smooth as you like. Serve with a dollop of cream, some parmesan, or just in a mug; all options are tasty.

Enjoy!

Happy Belly: Kale Chips

I have an obsession.

Kale chips.

I love kale anyways, but popping it in the oven and crisping it up with salt makes it the best thing since sliced bread. Nope- it's better. Definitely better.

So here's how its done: 

Preheat oven at 350° -375°.

Then rip up the kale into yummy chip sized pieces and lay them out on a cookie sheet.

Spray it all down with Pam (thats my quick trick).

Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder.

Pop them in the oven for 7-10 minutes.

BOOM- you got the tastiest treat under the sun. 

What about you guys? Whats your favorite snack right now?

Weekend Pin Ups

That's right. It's Mitzi Gaynor.
I'm always surprised when people don't recognize her; wasn't everyone brought up on classic American musicals? It's like when people haven't seen All About Eve. I just don't understand parents these days.

Anyways, here are my Pinterest picks this week:

Weekend Pin Ups

Here are my favorites of the week. Happy Saturday! 

Happy Belly: Italian Soup.

I love soup.

This is one of my favorite soups and is super easy and SO yummy

All you need is:

1 white onion
garlic
1 box chicken broth (or vegetable broth, if that's what you're into)
2 cans chopped tomatoes
2 cant white beans (or kidney- it's all yummy)
a handful of pasta, maybe two

olive oil
fresh rosemary
parmesan

Ok. Now you have than menagerie collected, lets do this:

Chop up the onion and garlic. toss it in the bottom of a soup pot with a little olive oil and sauté it till the onions are soft and slightly transparent. Then, add the chicken broth and the tomatoes. Note- don't drain the tomatoes; the juice is yuuuuummy. Let that simmer for a couple minutes while you drain your beans. Toss those in. Let it all come up to around a boil (this is a super precise recipe, in case you haunt noticed,). Toss in some pasta. Now, I like to ere on the side of caution here. Pasta tends to soak up the broth, so i like to put just a bit of pasta so I still get the broth goodness.

Back to the cooking.


Let the whole thing bubble till the pasta is cooked how you like it.
while that's happening, take a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a mug or cup or microwavable container. throw some rosemary in there and microwave it for 10-30 seconds. The goal here is just to warm the oil so it soaks up the rosemary flavor.

ok- its soup time!
Grab a bowl, ladle up some soup, drizzle some rosemary oil and add cheese to your hearts content.

Then snuggle down on the couch and EAT UP!!!

Happy Belly: Poached Eggs

I'm pretty sure eggs are the best food in the world.

And I'm pretty sure poached eggs are the best eggs in the world.

Think about it: poached eggs are creamy but cooked, gooey but manageable, soft yoked but not fried so they're good for you. It really is the best of all eggs.

I will put poached eggs on... Well, anything I suppose. I put them on soup, salad, sandwiches, most meats, any carbs... Just about anything. The trouble is that they can be very tricky to do right-  so easily can one find a whisky, stringy mess staring back at you from the pot of lightly bubbling water. Is there anything more sad and disappointing when all you want is an egg?

Well, the Mama Cravens has found the solution: poach pods.

I know, I'm just as skeptical of anything with "pod" in the title. But these are magical.
They've simplified the process of poaching an egg to boiling the water, spraying the pods with pam, cracking eggs into them, and putting them in the boiling water. A few minutes later, you come back to beautiful, happy, shiny little eggs glinting back at you cheerily.

So what does one do with that time? If you're me, (which I am,) then you put one of those laughing cow cheese wedges on toast, put the eggs on, crush some salt, pepper and flax seed on, and go to town.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some eggs to eat.
Or twelve.

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Wish List: Kitchen Bits

I think my favorite part of the kitchen (besides the food and eating part), is accessorizing it with the cooking utensils and tools. That wall of single-purpose toolset Williams Sonoma is heaven. So I went on a ModCloth an Anthropologie rampage to find the sweetest little kitchen tools possible.

kitchen brush, oven mitt, bottle opener, s&p shakers

yellow apron, measuring spoons, teapot, geometric apron

dish towel, spice jars, measuring spoons, ceramic farmers market basket, utensils set 

How ADORABLE would this kitchen be?