Schnitzel and Spaetzle

 Matt and I went to Hermann, MO for our Anniversary and had schnitzel and spaetzle at this little German restaurant.  Ever since then, we have been wanting to try making it ourselves.  It snowed this weekend, so we decided to have a German filled day.  We brewed beer, listed to German Folk Music, and made Schnitzel and Spaetzle!  



Pork Schnitzel

4 boneless pork loin chops
1 1/2 cups flour
salt and pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
4 cups plain dried bread crumbs (I used Italian seasoned bread crumbs)
2 Tbsp olive oil
lemon wedges

Begin by placing each pork chop between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound them out with the flat side of a meat tenderizer until they are 1/4 inch thick.

Put the flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.  Whisk the eggs and milk in another shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.  Put the bread crumbs in a third dish and again season with salt and pepper.  

Lightly dredge each piece of pork in flour, then in the egg, and finally into the bread crumbs, pressing the bread crumbs onto the pork gently so they have a nice even coating.

Lay the breaded pork in a single layer on a plate lined with parchment and refrigerate, uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes to allow the coating to dry out a little and adhere to the pork. 

Heat oil and butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Gently lay the cutlets into the pan and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes per side.  Remove to paper towels to drain.  Season with salt and transfer to a serving platter while still hot.  Garnish with lemon wedges.

We did not have a meat tenderizer so we used a hammer wrapped in a towel :)  There was also a lot of left over flour and bread crumbs-I will definitely use less of them next time.  

Spaetzle

1 cup flour
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pinch pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 gallon hot water 
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Mix together flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Beat eggs well.  Add milk and eggs to dry ingredients.  Mix until smooth.

Press dough through a spaetzle maker or a large holed sieve.  

Drop the spaetzle dumplings in simmering liquid.  Cook 5 to 8 minutes.  Drain well.

Saute cooked spaetzle in butter.  Sprinkle chopped parsley on top and serve.

We did not have a spaetzle maker or a holed sieve... so after a mini breakdown, we decided to come up with an alternative method of making little dumplings.  I ended up just using two spoons and scooping little pieces of the dough into the water.  It was more work, but it still tasted great.  I'm thinking I might have to ask for a spaetzle maker for Christmas. 

We also made a sauce from olive oil, butter, and lemon... yum!  This meal was delicious, we both loved it!  No left overs at our house :)

Schnitzel recipe from Food Network and Spaetzle recipe from Allrecipes.com

Beer Mac and Cheese

Beer and Mac 'n' Cheese are two of Matt's favorite food items... so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it!  

16 oz box of pasta

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

1 cup German Beer

1 cup cream

4 oz cream cheese

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

First cook and drain the pasta.

While your pasta is cooking, melt the butter and add the flour.  Mix until it turns into a thick paste.

Next pour in the beer and mix. I used Warsteiner Dunkel.

Then add and mix the cream too.

Bring the mixture to a low boil, then add in the cream cheese.  Stir and heat until it's melted.

Next add the cheese

Heat and stir until everything is melted.

Finally mix the sauce with the pasta

And then serve.. with your favorite German beer of course!

Prost!  

Recipe from Wanderlust in the City Blog.

Birthday Beer

Matt and I were in Chicago over the weekend celebrating the wedding of our good friends Britt and Ryan.   My birthday fell on that Sunday.  What better way to celebrate than a trip to Ikea and a birthday beer!  We went to a bar called The Beer Market.. I highly recommend it!  They had 50 beers on tap- so many to choose from!  I ordered a beer called Not Your Father's Root Beer from a local micro brewery, Small Town Brewery.  If you like root beer, you will love this beer!!

Who needs cake when you can have a birthday beer!
<3 Kelly

http://the-beer-market.com/
http://smalltownbrewery.com/

Pork Tenderloin and Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice Baked Potatoes

4 baked potatoes
splash of milk
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
salt, pepper
olive oil
bacon

Poke holes in the baked potato and cover with olive oil and cracked salt.  Bake in oven for an hour, turning once.  While in the oven, cook bacon and let cool.  Remove from oven and let cool a little.  Cut open lengthwise and scoop out the inside of the potato into a big bowl.  Add sour cream, cheese, milk, and small pieces of bacon to the bowl.  Stir together- add salt and pepper to taste.  Scoop the mixture back into the potato skins and put back in oven for 20-40 minutes... depends on how hot your oven is and how done you like your twice baked potatoes.

Matt loves these.. I usually make up a bunch and freeze some.

Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin or pork chops
balsalmic vinegar
salt, pepper
olive oil
minced garlic

Sometimes I add some brown sugar or soy sauce to my mixture too.

Combine ingredients and put in large bag- marinate for a few hours or overnight.  Sear pork tenderloin on all sides.  Then, wrap pork and left over marinade in foil.  Wrap twice in foil to prevent the marinate from leaking out.  Put in 400 degree oven for a half hour or until the internal temperature is at least 160.  Remove from oven and let rest.  Slice pork and serve with twice bakes potatoes and a salad with a light vinaigrette.  Yum!!

I made this when my in-laws came over for dinner the other night and it was a success!  The apple crisp with ice cream I served for dessert was a big hit as well!  Great fall meal :)

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

I felt like baking and wanted to make something pumpkiny, so I found this recipe for a chocolate chip pumpkin bread.  I love baking, but this was my first attempt at making bread.  It was an easy recipe to follow and turned out great!!  Matt and I both loved it... so much that I had a little slice for breakfast this morning :)  It is great served warm!

Recipe from Sallys Baking Addiction Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 and 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup  sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Lowering the oven rack prevents the top of your bread from browning too much too soon. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin, oil, and orange juice. Pour these wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix together using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. There will be a few lumps. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from getting too brown. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. This may be before or after 60-65 minutes depending on your oven, so begin checking every 5 minutes at the 55 minute mark or so.

Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before removing and slicing. The bread will stay fresh in an airtight container (it tastes better on day 2!) at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. But it won't last that long.

FREEZING: Baked bread may be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Blueberry Cobbler

I love all berries- strawberries, blueberries, raspberries!  I had a bit of a sweet tooth over the weekend and decided to make a blueberry cobbler and topped it with vanilla bean ice cream.  YUM!

Blueberry Cobbler
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

3-4 cups of fresh blueberries- I just used a big box of blueberries and did not measure.
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp lemon juice

Mix well and place in greased 2 qt casserole dish

Mix together:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix until crumbly and add 3 Tbsp softened butter or margarine.  Mix well and then use as topping- cover all blueberries.
Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

It wasn't enough topping for me- I will add more oats next time.  We served the cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream.. yum!

Healthy Lunches

I've been trying to plan healthy lunches to bring to work, but I am tired of eating the same old things every day.  Here are a couple new lunch ideas I tried this week:

Hummus, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and spring greens in a pita pocket.  Strawberries and pineapple.

Carrots, peppers and hummus.  Strawberries with nonfat greek yogurt.  Grilled chicken over spring greens.
I found these individual hummus packs at Sams Club- they are great to grab on the go! Over the weekend we barbecued and had left over chicken-- perfect to add to a salad for lunch during the week!  I had a bigger lunch today because i'm going to take a cycling class after work today :)

Cycling and Biking

I have taken a few cycling classes and have fallen in love with it! It is an AMAZING workout and so much FUN!!  The room is dark with some colorful lights on and loud fun music.  Indoor cycling is a great workout and always puts me in a good mood!

I am not a runner, but have always loved biking!  I like that it is low impact.  We are lucky in St. Louis because there are so many great trails to ride.

Matt and I love to bike the Katy Trail.  Biking is a great way to get exercise and spend time together. :) Last weekend we celebrated our anniversary in Herman, MO and brought our bikes along.  We rode a new section of the Katy Trail in Rhineland.  The Katy Trail is 240 miles long- so many areas to explore, lucky us!

Feels like spring!

Sunday it was sunny and 70 degrees!  It's amazing what a little warm weather and sunshine does to improve my mood.  :)  I was driving around listening to music with the sunroof down-- makes running errands a little easier. I also sat outside on the deck with a glass of wine.  Lilly and Bailey love running around outside and barking at birds and squirrels :)

Healthy Asian

Honey Sesame Chicken, Quinoa, & Edamame

Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredients: 

1 lb chicken tenders
3 T olive oil
1 cup honey
2 T sesame seeds
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
Place in crockpot if all fresh on low for about 6 hours and if you want to freeze it: 
Place all ingredients in freezer bag, toss to coat and freeze then place in crockpot and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Once it's done remove chicken & shred, and then return to sauce.Can serve over hot cooked rice/ quinoa or serve as lettuce wraps..


We used Quinoa which we seasoned with Asian five spice 

The Edamame we used 

Disney World for Adults

For spring break we decided to travel to Orlando, Florida and take on Disney World as adults. We stayed at the Port Orleans French Quarter for 2 nights. The resort was great and has a boat directly to Downtown Disney! Then we stayed at a Condo only about 10-15 minutes away from the park.

Using our fast pass helped a lot and being able to check wait times on the disney app was another big help. 

Downtown Disney 

*We ate at Portobello Italian: this was delicious 

*Ghirardelli chocolate for dessert..looks like a long line but it wasn't 

*Toy store I built my own Mr. Potato head for my classroom (there are only certain parts you can get in Disney World) 

Epcot 

We ended up going our first day there and our last.

Sunday (Day 1 of Epcot): 

Fastpass uses for Soarin, Spaceship Earth, & Finding Nemo ...Soarin was a good ride and worth the fast pass all the other wait times didn't really need the fastpass. After the Nemo ride is a huge aquarium we saw manatees & dolphins put on a show. We ate at The Coral Reef restaurant we had reservations for it was alright food with a really cool atmosphere. We walked through all the worlds ate in Japan for dinner and stayed for the show Illuminations. Drinks we had bubble tea, german beer, and asian alcohol. 

Friday (Day 2 of Epcot): 

Fastpass for Fast Track & Mission Space. Fast track was a great ride and Mission space was a pretty cool simulator ride. We also did Ellen's energy adventure which was a good ride to relax since it's 40 minutes long but not very exciting. We looked at Flower & Garden show exhibits and went through the worlds for lunch/ snacks. Foods we tried pineapple soft serve with rum, candied strawberries, & rose blush lemonade. 

Must dos Epcot: Soarin, Aquarium, Fast Track, Tour the Worlds , & Illuminations 

Animal Kingdom 

Wednesday (We did this 1/2 day and started in the morning) 

We didn't use our fastpass for this park we used them for Hollywood Studios. We rode Mount Everest, Dinosaur, & went to It's a Bugs Life show. The wait for the Safari was too long so we missed out on that. We had some unique foods & beverages that were African & Asian. 

Must dos Animal Kingdom: Mount Everest & It's a Bugs Life 3D Show

Hollywood Studios 

Wednesday (1/2 day started in the afternoon) 

Fastpass use: Rock and Roller Coast, Tower of Terror, & Star Tours 

We also rode The Great Movie Ride and the best part of this day was doing the Backlot Tour and my husband Nick got to participate in the show. We stayed for the show Fantasmic which was fantastic. 

Must dos Hollywood Studios: Tower of Terror & Fantasmic 

Magic Kingdom 

Thursday 

Fastpass use: Big Thunder Mountain, The Jungle Cruise, & Space Mountain. 

We also did the Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor, People Mover, & Pirates of the Caribbean. 

We watched 3 parades morning, afternoon, & night. The afternoon parade called Fantasy parade had the most characters with the best music. The night entertainment was magical the parade, light show on the castle, and then fireworks. This park for me = Disney World. 

Must dos: Parades, Night Show, Space Mountain, Pineapple Dole Whip & Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor 

Make sure you have down time since there is a lot of walking, walk around with alcohol, enjoy the food & use the fastpass so you don't have to wait in line! 

Paleo Week Four

Another week of Paleo.  My weight loss has slowed, but I feel great!  This week I worked on experimenting with new side recipes.

Asparagus with Roasted Red Peppers and Capers

I love Leftovers Weight Watchers Cookbook

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb asparagus
1/2 cup thinly sliced roasted red peppers
1 Tbsp capers
1 garlic clove minced
1/8 tsp black pepper

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add 1 lb asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces, and cook, stirring often, until crisp-tender for about 5 minutes

3. Add roasted red peppers, capers, garlic, and black pepper.  Cook stirring constantly until heated through about 1 minute

2 WW points per serving

Summer Salad

It's starting to feel like summer out there and I made a yummy healthy salad.

Lettuce
Avocado
Strawberries
Grilled chicken
Light olive oil/vinegar

The weather is beautiful with a high in the 70s this week-- i'm going to try to get outside and exercise and garden :)  I need to work on my window boxes. Can't wait to put my winter coats away for good!

Healthy Fettuccine Alfredo & Cauliflower Breadsticks

The Sauce & Pasta Used:

The Sauce did not taste like alfredo at all...it was very runny and odd tasting. The pasta was delicious!

The breadsticks turned out alright. I think I would use a different pan next time to get them crispier. 

Cauliflower Breadsticks
8K+
FB Source: Wrap Me Skinny
Ingredients:
1 large head of cauliflower
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 oz low fat mozzarella cheese
To season I used Italian Seasoning about 2 Tablespoons it has: garlic, parsley, basil, and some other herbs. I think you can season to your pleasure. Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

1. Chop the cauliflower into chunks and place into microwave for about 5 minutes or until soft

1. Place the cauliflower into a food processor and blend until it's a mashed potato texture

1. In a medium bowl, stir together cauliflower, eggs,cheese, and seasonings

1. Lightly spray a baking pan with spray oil and coat with the mixture (about 1/2 inch thick)

1. Bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the top starts to brown

1. Add additional cheese to the top and enjoy

 

3 dollar earrings

I bought these silver hoop earrings for only $3 at Target. They are lightweight and not heavy at all All my students were paying attention to me today I think this is why. :)

Paleo Week Three

This week was a little more difficult- I had cravings for chocolate and carbs!!! I was hungry this week and ate too much- didn't loose or gain anything this week. I'm finding that I do ok without dairy, but really miss carbs.  So this week, I decided to experiment with baking.

Blueberry Muffins

From The Gluten Free Home Maker- found on Pinterest

1 cup coconut flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

6 large eggs

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1/2 cup honey

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12 cup muffin tin

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, salt, and baking soda

3. In a smaller bowl, beat together with a fork the eggs, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla

4. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a hand mixer on medium speed for about one minute or until well combined.

5. Stir in the blueberries

6.  Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups.  Bake for 20-25 minutes 

7. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack or plate to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins

Approximately 64 total WW points- 5 WW points per muffin.

These were very easy to make and I will definitely make them again!  The batter was thicker than I had thought, but they turned out great!  The blueberry muffins were moist and delicious :)  

Subway Chopped Salad

I was also getting tired of my packed lunches and decided to go out to lunch on Friday.  I went to Subway and tried the Ham and Turkey Chopped Salad- it was so good!  I loaded it up with veggies and just got a little oil/vinegar and salt and pepper on top.  Yum Yum.

The Windy City: Chicago St. Patrick's Day

We traveled to Chicago for St. Patrick's Day weekend. It is half way from St. Louis to Toledo. We used hot wire to find the best hotel deal and ended up staying at the Knickerbacker hotel right by Water Tower. The hotel's location was an excellent walking distance to many things on Michigan Avenue. 

Saturday

Allison, Nick, & Maryjo went to http://www.alliumchicago.com/ for lunch. This was a modern, nice, & relaxing restaurant. Farm fresh food in the heart of a city.
I (Allison) had a black bean burger: 

Kelly & Matt arrived! We walked down to the Chicago River to see the dyed green river. 

We then ventured to Wriggleyville land of the Cubs to meet up with another UD alumni (Ryan & his finance Brit). We went to Murphy's Bleachers Sports bar https://murphysbleachers.com which was a perfect place to celebrate St Patty's Day-  bag pipers walked through, a nice selection of beer on tap, & of course green beer. 

After Murphy's we ordered some Chicago deep dish pizza. http://www.loumalnatis.com

Once we got back near our hotel, Allison & Nick decided to venture to Ghiradeli chocolate for a late night dessert. 


Sunday 

The first brunch place we attempted to attend was Yolk but it had a 1 hour wait. We then went to was West Egg Cafe. Chicago likes to name brunch places after eggs. It was a tasty brunch!

Then we decided to check out the Shedd Aquarium...once we got there in the freezing weather about 20 degrees with high winds we would have had to wait outside for 1 1/2 hours. :( Hopefully, we go next time. After our failed attempt we went back to Michigan Avenue & shopped! We know why they call it the windy city!

Places we shopped: Crate & Barrel, Nordstrom, Garret's Popcorn, Nordstrom Rack, Lulu lemon, Victoria Secret, & some other in mall shops. 

Half way through shopping we stopped at Eno Wine Bar to relax by a fire & sip on some wine. It was a great way to relax & warm up before heading out again. Enjoyed Allison and Kelly time! 

http://www.enowinerooms.com/

Dinner at http://www.jakemelnicks.com/suggested by the hotel. It was a casual & feel good food place to eat. 

Dessert: Sprinkle Cupcakes ..we did not use the vending machine since it was cold we headed inside. http://www.sprinkles.com/
Cupcakes tried; Dark Chocolate & Maple/ Bacon 

Monday 
Allison Tried Argo tea since she gave up coffee I had to dodge the Starbucks urge on every corner. This tea place was the perfect satisfaction without having my large latte. http://www.argotea.com/

Then we had to head home home..

Forever Roomies!