Lately, I’ve been uninspired to get out of bed in the morning. Why? I’m going to be honest with you. Work is kicking my a$$ and stressing me out big time. And if you’re in the same boat, I have a breakfast idea that may help make you ready to take on the day.

I normally don’t like talking about work on my blog, but you know what? If any of my co-workers were actually reading this, I think they’d be nodding their head and saying, “I hear ya, girl! Me too!” Our current work environment is very stressful and picking up stream. But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel when our current project gets released in just a few short weeks. And then, we can all be normal again.

So, what do you do when you aren’t quite ready to face the day? Find something to help get you going. May I present…

Nutella Swirl Oatmeal!

This is really so simple to make.

Here’s my Non-Recipe:

Just make your choice of oatmeal (I like stove top, and the bowl pictured is made with pumpkin). Take however much Nutella you feel like eating (I used 1 tablespoon), and put it in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave the Nutella until it becomes soft and easy to pour (15-30 seconds should do it). Use two spoons to scoop and pour the Nutella into a swirl design (or carefully pour the Nutella straight from the bowl). Top with your favorite toppings. Enjoy.

I’m really loving this idea of finding a reason to get out of bed when you’re otherwise uninspired. I think I’ll have to brainstorm some more ideas like this one!

Reader question: What tricks do you use to start the day when you’re not feeling so ready for it? What’s your get-out-of-bed inspiration?

I made one of the easiest and tastiest things recently – garlic knots. I’ve been enjoying these things for years, but I never really thought to try to make them at home before. I don’t even have a good excuse, I just never tried it for some reason. Good thing I have Eat in Month to inspire me to try new things at home.

And it turns out…if you use store-bought pizza dough, garlic knots are so easy a caveman? no, a husband? anyone can do it.

But first, I’d like to share a couple random Bailey photos. Here’s Bailey modeling the new Duke shirt his grandmother bought him.

And here he is just after carrying the newspaper in. Yup, he fetches our paper and the mail!

But, enough about Bailey, back to the garlic knots. Hubby and I had another pizza night at the Chic house recently, and the ball of dough hubby got from the store was gigantic. I decided it was too large to fit on the pizza stone, so I tore off a couple pieces of dough to experiment with these garlic knots. Plus, I figured we could snack on these while the pizza baked.

These things were so simplistic, there’s really no need for a full-on recipe, especially since I used store-bought pizza dough, so I’ll just share some of the basics. I’m betting a lot of you already know how to make these, so for those who do, feel free to chime in (with a comment) with your tips.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• store-bought pizza dough
• butter, I used about 1 teaspoon for 4 garlic knots – try to sit it out for a bit so it softens
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley (or use 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• a sprinkle of salt, to taste
• feel free to add other toppings of choice – maybe oregano, red pepper flakes, or rosemary

To make the garlic knots, I basically tore off four small pieces of the dough, roughly 1/4-1/3 cup each. I took each piece, rolled it into a long log and tied it into a knot. I baked them in a pre-heated 350 oven (on a cornmeal dusted pizza stone) for about 20-25 minutes, until nice and golden brown on top. Bake time will probably vary from dough to dough, and you may want to check your dough for suggested baking temperature, too.

I placed the butter, parsley, garlic, and salt in a bowl and topped it with the hot garlic knots. I used the heat of the freshly-baked knots to help melt the butter. I tossed the garlic knots in the bowl until they were evenly coated.

And that’s it.

I think I actually liked the garlic knots better than the pizza we made with the rest of the dough. Anywho, I think these would be fun to make the next time we’re entertaining. I bet kids would like helping the adults form the knots, too.

Ooh…just had another good idea – cinnamon-sugar knots! Maybe I’ll try those next time.

Reader question: What are your favorite garlic knot toppings?

There’s a little under a week left of Eat in Month, and I’m pretty excited about February getting here. But, I’m not letting EIM keep me from any fun.

I hadn’t seen my friend, Dana, in awhile, so when she IMed me the other day about getting dinner, I was initially really excited. Then, I remembered I was still in EIM. But my sweet friend offered to just have me over for dinner instead.

She made this delicious chicken-creole dish. It was comforting and had just the right amount of spice to it. I’ll have to ask her for the recipe.

Has anyone else been doing entertaining “in” for EIM?

***

With one week left in Eat in Month, or if you are trying to slow down on your take-out splurging, I thought I’d share some TCL recipes/non-recipes you could whip up to re-create take-out in the comfort of your home.

5 Take-Out-Like Meals to Make at Home

(Most are recipes, one is a non-recipe…which is more like a tip/idea post)

1. Easy Pizza Night – the most commonly ordered take-out in our house

2. Tangy Tamari Tempeh Noodles – a favorite for lunch or dinner

3. Easy No-Marinade Chicken Fajitas – simple and made without pre-packaged seasoning

4. Whole Health Noodle Soup – reminds me of the noodle bowls I used to order during lunch all the time

5. Chana Masala – this should keep me away from the Indian buffet a bit longer

I was hoping to re-create some common take-out dishes to share the recipes with you guys, but work has been swamping me. But, even if I can’t do it for EIM, I’d like to try to re-create some take-out meals anyways. So, hopefully, I’ll be able to post them one day soon. Any requests?

Hope you’re all having a great week!

My mom has cooked many things over the years, but her beef stroganoff is a true classic in our family. I’ve been enjoying this dish for as long as I can remember. And now, hubby is a fan, too.

I’d say the recipe has remained the same over the years, but I did try to change it one time when I was about middle school age. Mom always put mushrooms in the dish, and since I wasn’t a fan of them, I often voiced my displeasure. After growing tired of my begging to remove the them, she finally told me one day (somehow very patiently) that she’d make her beef stroganoff sans mushrooms next time. I eagerly awaited the next appearance of beef stroganoff on the dinner table.

The next time it was beef stroganoff night, mom tried one last time to talk me into keeping the mushrooms as she began preparing dinner. “It really tastes better with the mushrooms in, honey.” I didn’t believe her. I couldn’t wait to taste the meal without those yucky mushrooms. I just knew it was going to be so much better. She’d see.

Once dinner was served, I eagerly dug in. I remember it a bit more animated than I’m sure it actually was. Me smiling like an overly-enthusiastic cartoon with big googley eyes. Fork raised and ready to dig in and then moving in slow motion. Fork to plate…fork to mouth…chew…chew…cheeeeeewwwww? Eyes shrinking…smile slowly disappearing. The slow realization that it tasted like crap. Ok, it didn’t taste like crap, but mom was right…it really did taste better with mushrooms.

C’est la via…lesson learned. And to this day, I always include mushrooms. Sometimes, I cut them so large they’re easy to pick out. Sometimes, I mince them so they are practically undetectable. Large or small, obvious or not, the mushrooms are always there.

Mom’s Beef Stroganoff

This is probably one of those recipes that was passed around in the 80s by all the cool moms. I’m sure there are similar ones out there, but this is our take. Oh, and if you didn’t read my story earlier in this blog post, be sure to include mushrooms (unless you’re allergic) to get the full taste. I’m not a fan, but I always add them. I like to use cremini, mostly because I enjoy the flavor and you can get them individually at the grocery store, but feel free to substitute your favorite. Anywho, this meal makes an affordable an easy meal that I gravitate towards on my busy weeknights.

Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1 small-medium onion, chopped
• 3 cremini mushrooms (I use just enough to get the flavor I want, but feel free to add more), sliced or minced (whichever you prefer)
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 small square (like Wyler’s) or 1 large rectangle (like Knorr) beef bouillon cube
• salt & pepper, to season
• 1 small container sour cream
• cooked pasta (I like egg noodles with this) or rice for serving
• parsley, dried or fresh, optional
• paprika, optional

Directions:

1. Pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add beef and cook till browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Skim fat and then add butter, onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook till beef is well browned and onions are translucent, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add water, sherry, lemon juice, bouillon cube(s). Cook till all the liquid is gone, stirring frequently. Mom’s tip: be sure to wait till all the liquid is gone before moving to the next step or the sauce will be too liquidy.
4. Turn off heat, add sour cream, and stir till well combined.
5. Serve over pasta or rice. Top with parsley and paprika, if using. Serve with a vegetable, too – I like steamed broccoli with a drizzle of butter.

Hope you enjoy this as much as my family has. Happy cooking!

Reader question: What classic recipes did you grow up eating?

Spiders and menu plan success? Yes, they are both in this post…

Today started off with a creepy scare. The coffee was brewing as I headed out my front door to take Bailey out to do his morning business. As I was walking out the door, I suddenly noticed a spider right in front of my face. I backed up just in time, which was lucky because I literally would have walked right into it had I kept going. I brought Bailey back inside, got a large envelope and swept (ok, threw the envelope at) the spider to the right of me and quickly withdrew. I was standing there trying to figure out where the spider went when I felt something fall on my head. It was rainy out, so I assumed it was a drop of water because that’s what it felt like.

I got a second envelope and swept around at the open air in front of me to ensure I had removed all traces of spider web…and hopefully, all traces of the spider, too. For some reason, I decided to look up at the bottom of my front porch to see if there was a lot of water accumulated and if I may get hit with another droplet. To my dismay, I realized that there, in fact, no water above me. So what the heck just fell on my head anyways?! I shrieked and ran to the bathroom in a panic. I pictured a large, hairy spider crawling around on my head and frantically checked myself in the mirror. I didn’t see any spiders, but I was still flipping out. I bent over, took my hair out of the clip that was holding it up, and shook out my hair. No spiders.

To make a long story short, it’s now the end of the day, and I haven’t seen any spiders. Let’s hope that it was water that fell on me earlier…that’s what I’m telling myself at least since I haven’t seen any indication it was something else.

But, enough about today, let’s backtrack…I wanted to tell you how I did with my meal plan from Monday. I know a lot of you guys are good with meal plans, but I am not. I was pretty worried I wouldn’t be able to stick to the plan hubby and I came up with.

Here’s how we actually did…

We did have those burgers like we planned on Tuesday. I decided to not take a picture of it, but it was good.

On Wednesday, I made my mom’s beef stroganoff. Someone requested this recipe once, so I think I’ll post it. *Update – the recipe has been posted – click here to view* I’ve been eating this dish since I can remember, so it’s definitely a winner. We had steamed broccoli for our veg.

On Thursday, I cheated on Eat in Month. My company invited me to small lunch get-together. I forgot to mention in my original list of rules, but I decided to make exceptions for work-related events. It’s one thing to challenge yourself…it’s another to be unprofessional or miss out on an opportunity with your team. We ended up going to a restaurant that specializes in Southern cooking, so I got the fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, and beets. Since that was pretty much what we were planning to do for dinner, we decided to change plans. Hubby grilled chicken breasts, and I made a rice pilaf (from the box) with some steamed cabbage. It was simple, affordable, and it tasted great. I was pretty happy with Thursday.

On Friday, I fell off the wagon again. This time I don’t have a good excuse. I actually just decided to cheat (on Eat in Month and the meal plan). I left home in the morning in a rush and got to work a little later than I wanted. I ended up leaving work in a rush, too, thanks to a phone conference that ran over by 20 minutes. I drove through rainy, rush-hour traffic to get to an important event – Zumba instructor auditions. Two years ago, it was my turn on stage. Tonight, it was my friend Shamecia’s. She did fantastic, but she hasn’t found out yet if she made it. Whether she makes it or not, we headed out after auditions to celebrate her hard work. We each got beer flights and shared 3 different things: chicken fingers & fries, a Philly cheesesteak and sweet potato fries, and Margherita pizza (no picture again).

And as for tonight…dinner was inspired by Chinese New Year’s. My friend and I were hoping to find something fun to do for the holiday. I considered going to get dim sum, but I think I’ve cheated on EIM enough so far. I had heard about some events going on this weekend to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year’s, but when I searched for them, I didn’t find anything. So, I just invited her over for a simple stir fry. It’s not authentic, but it tasted good.

Anywho, I hope everyone else doing Eat in Month is doing better than I am!

I have quite a few recipes queued up now, so I just need to figure out which one to post first. Any requests?

Reader question: Did/will you celebrate Chinese New Year’s? What did/will you do?

I’m sure you’re all waiting with bated breath to see how I’m doing with my menu plan, or Eat in Month…or what recipe I’m posting next. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to disappoint you. It seems working from 8am to 8pm is simply not conducive to blogging (or having a life…or sleeping).

As I try to shake away the work-induced zombie-like state I’m feeling at the moment so I can go to bed, let me share a teaser photo with you. I had a reader request a slow cooker beef stew, so I played around with one on Tuesday. I think I browned the beef a bit too much (stupid multi-tasking!), but overall, the stew came out pretty good.

Hope you’re all having a great week!

By the way, does anyone have any easy, weeknight recipes you’d like to share with the Eat-in-Monthers? Please leave a link to the recipe (or the recipe itself if it’s yours and you don’t have a blog), even if it’s to your blog or someone else’s blog/site.

I woke up at my parent’s house to this awesomeness…

a handwritten note from my mom. She woke up before 5 am this morning to get ready for work and still prepared a pot of coffee for the family. I didn’t care as much about the coffee, but I did love the note. She used to write us notes all the time growing up, and I miss them.

Mom got some samples of the new Starbucks Blonde coffee, so we had that with breakfast.

Sis woke up in the mood for cooking. She made us waffles using the waffle iron she got for Christmas two year ago.

She found a special recipe online for extra-fluffy waffles. The trick is whipping egg whites and then folding them into the rest of the waffle batter. From the looks of the waffles, I think she’s onto something.

It’s been awhile since I’ve had from-scratch waffles. Actually, I don’t think I’ve had them since the last time Sis made them.

I asked my dad to tell me about his early life again over breakfast. He’s told us the stories hundreds of times over the years, but they never get old. I guess part of the reason is because I never really knew my grandparents, and they’ve all passed, so I like to get to know them through my parent’s stories. And every time dad tells a story, I learn another gem of information. For example, recently, I learned that my grandmother’s favorite color was light turquoise (like TCL-blue!) and that she studied fashion design at the Moore College of Art & Design. She even designed and sewed her own clothing. I wish she was around still so we could have sewing sessions together and talk fashion.

***

My sister decide to make lunch for us, too.

She made ginger-soy chicken with rice and one of her specialities…

Miso soup {with onions and potatoes}.

It was all delicious, and I ended up eating too much. But, I did save room for dessert.

My sister {who actually hates most vegetables} has recently fallen in love with winter squash. She made us roasted acorn squash with maple syrup and butter for dessert.

I know it sounds a little odd, but it was actually good and made for a great dessert. I told her she could save any leftovers to make a squash oatmeal for breakfast like this one I made awhile ago. Sounds weird, tastes great!

***

As for all that menu planning talk from yesterday…interestingly enough, hubby suggested we work on a meal plan on our car ride home. I don’t think he actually read yesterday’s blog post, but maybe he did. Either way, I agreed it was a good idea, so we worked on a draft on our way home.

I don’t love it, but it’s a start. I’ve realized that sometimes I don’t menu plan because I don’t think I’ll do a good enough job…so, I just do nothing at all. But, I suppose a so-so menu plan is better than none at all, right? Plus, perhaps menu planning is like most things – it gets better with practice? I like to think so.

What are your menu/meal planning tips? I loved the one Jackie left the other day saying to use categories or themes. My family (mom, dad, sis) actually likes to do that when they menu plan, and it definitely seems like a great idea. And reader Dione suggested having lazy/easy dinners and freezing batches of food. Hubby and I were actually just talking today about how we used to eat easier meals back in the day and that we should start doing so again. And I’m a big believer in freezing food – especially soup! Any other ideas, guys? Share your meal planning tips in a comment.

EIM Eats

We’re enjoying a relaxing weekend with my family, which means lots of down time with lots of good food, too.

We had eggs, biscuits/rolls, bacon and my fave – my dad’s potatoes.

Do you make your dog sit away from you when you eat? We do. We usually make him go on his bed, but when he’s at my parent’s house, we just make him sit away. I definitely had to give him the “I’m watching you” sign a la Meet the Parents. I think he knows what it means, too.

Sis and I wanted to spend some QT with my mom for her birthday, but she didn’t really want to do anything except hang out around the house. It’s been forever since I had the chance to just veg-out, so today, with nothing to do, we ended up watching TV. We got caught on the Investigation Discovery channel. Man, that channel really sucks you in…just like Lifetime! lol

We heated up leftovers from last night for a quick lunch with some fresh-cooked veggies.

For dinner, we had dad’s chicken noodle casserole with steamed broccoli & carrots, and a biscuit.

***

Menu Planning

I will be the first to say that I suck at menu planning. I think it’s because I’m always so busy running around, that I find it hard to sit still long enough to think through the week and actually plan something out. I also find that I like to decide on dinners based on what I feel like eating that day. I know – excuses, excuses.

Anywho, I think menu planning can be very effective for not only Eat in Month, but every day living. I keep meaning to start doing it, but I usually only make it a week or two before falling back to my slacker ways. So, since I can’t offer any advice on meal planning, I turned to one of my favorite resources – you guys!

I asked for your personal and recommended sites and blogs (via my Facebook wall and yesterday’s post) for meal planning and here are some you shared:

• Jackie of That Deep Breath posted a link to her Menu Planning category on her blog
• Emily at Relishments posted her tips on menu planning
• Athena shared I’m an Organizing Junkie’s Menu Plan Monday
• And Nicole mentioned finding good inspiration on Pinterest (PS click here to see my Pinterest profile and click here to go straight to my “Entree Chic” board )
• And lastly, I found a cool resource by Real Simple – a PDF you can print and use for menu planning (click here to view) along with a couple quick tips

Do you have any more meal planning sites/blog posts to add? If you’re a reader without a blog, you can just share your meal plans and/or tips in a comment if you want (here or on my Facebook wall).

Hello friends! I hope you’re all having a fabulous weekend. I’m feeling much better now that the weekend is here! Work has been stressful, per the usual, but I’m hoping to get some quality rest time in over the next day or two.

Today started great with scrambled eggs and cheese on whole wheat rolls with slices of blood orange on the side.

After brunch, I headed out to help with Zumba instructor auditions. We had some new guys going through group auditions today. Live auditions will be next week. You may remember when I went through auditions (back in 2010) – it’s scary stuff! The girls did great, and I can’t wait to see who makes it to the live auditions!

After the auditions, I headed home to do a quick packing job so we could head out to visit my family for my mom’s birthday. We were actually heading straight to their house for a quick change and then out for dinner. That’s right…I had to cheat on Eat in Month (since I already used my 1 cheat meal pass for that new restaurant opening event). I called my mom the other day to tell her when we were coming in town, and she excitedly told me that she’d made dinner reservations at a local Japanese steak house. I didn’t have the heart to tell her I wasn’t supposed to be eating out…especially since she seemed so happy about it. And, I want my mom to have a happy birthday celebration. So, I figure I’ll just tack another day to my challenge or something to make up the difference.

So, anywho, after a quick car ride, we did a quick outfit change and then headed out for dinner.

The martinis were on special, so I got an Asian Pear.

Soup (plus salad – not pictured)

I got the chicken and shrimp combination for my meals.

I think mom had a good birthday dinner…even if she was too shy to tell the staff we were celebrating. She didn’t want the big show they always do there.

We had a really special treat waiting back home. My sister had commissioned her friend to bake us a birthday cake for my mom and hubby’s birthdays (they both have January b-days).

We got a butter chocolate drip cake.

Please note luscious chocolate drips. Mmm…

The cake was, of course, delicious. I’ll probably still bake another one for hubby closer to his birthday, though.

***

I was hoping to share some meal plan ideas for Eat in Month (as resources/links, not my own plans). Does anyone out there already blog meal plans or know of any sites that do? I’d love to see some links and share them with the EIM challenge participants. please leave the links in a link.

When I received an email from my PR friend about a new restaurant opening in town called Smalls, I was interested…especially when I read this snippet:

Owner Joseph DiLeo says, “Food lovers will appreciate that we ground our beef, bake our bread and make our pasta in-house. Combine that with extraordinary hospitality and creative handcrafted cuisine and we’re optimistic Smalls will become a destination restaurant, lounge and bar. We designed Smalls as a family friendly restaurant with a relaxed setting through the day that will gain energy into the night, especially with our late night hours Wednesday through Saturday.”

Um…yes, please! And before I could start making plans to visit, I got invited to a special Friends & Family preview event. Score! I happily RSVP’ed and decided this would be a great restaurant to visit as my one cheat meal for Eat in Month.

{Inside Smalls}

My friend Sarah and I went to the event after Zumba. We arrived a little late, but luckily, there was a table for us.

{Our view}

I loved the menu. It was simple, but had a nice selection with mouth-watering descriptions.

As part of the event, Sarah and I each got a free drink coupon (good for a beer or wine of choice) and one free entree. We decided it was a beer night. I got the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Copper, which is a locally brewed beer.

We decided to share an appetizer of crab cake sliders.

The crab cakes were absolutely wonderful. They didn’t have a fishy flavor like some can. The outside was nice and crispy and the inside was tender and well-seasoned. I loved the little microgreens on top, and the jalapeno cheddar biscuit was one of the best parts of a restaurant like this – from-scratch touches.

Our order turned into a happy-accident from there. We ordered the Beef Short Rib and Chicken & Waffles, but they were out of the short rib. So, instead, we ordered the Pimento Cheese Sliders and some onion rings.

The onion rings were nice and crispy.

They were served with a sauce that reminded me of buffalo wing sauce.

And since our original order had to get replaced, the waitress / restaurant sent out some goodies for us to try on the house – the mashed potatoes, which were nice and cheesey…

…and thought we couldn’t get the Beef Short Rib entree, they had some sliders left!

Yum!

The chicken and waffles were a little difficult to share since they were bone-in, not to mention Sarah and I were feeling pretty stuffed by the time we got to it, so we didn’t eat as much of this one. The fact that I’m a lazy eater and prefer boneless chicken probably contributed to this. But the flavors of this dish were really fun and delicious.

Saving the best for last – the Pimento Cheese Sliders were one of my favorite eats of the night. I love how they grind their own beef here, and I think you could taste the difference in the sliders. I wish the pimento cheese flavor would have been a little stronger, but the beef was top-notch.

All of the food was really tasty. I just want to come back so I can try their house-made desserts. I bet those will be really special, and I’m a sucker for handmade desserts.

Foodies like me will appreciate the attention to detail, small touches, simple but interesting menu, friendly staff, and the fact that they make so many things from scratch. Thank you Smalls!

Reader question: What’s the most important thing to you when you’re choosing a restaurant? Organic ingredients? Supporting local farmers? Having your favorite entree? Location?