Spaghetti Squash Dinner

       So tonight I made spaghetti squash for my family. None of them had ever had it before. My mom and I had been talking this afternoon about eating healthier and somehow I ended up telling her about the squash. I'm really glad I made it because it was a giant success. If you have never had it before I highly recommend you trying it. Today I will finish my blog entry with the recipes.  I'm so glad it's still in season too. Spaghetti squash can mostly be found in fall and summer. Unfortunately my phone was dead and I was too hungry so I didn't get a picture for you. Next time!
Alright so the dinner itself. We had some chicken breasts thawed so I marinated those with a quick marinade I threw together. (Which I cannot forget how I did it because it was amazing!) Then we picked up some zucchini and the squash. I will admit I cheated slightly in a fully homemade meal. I used a canned sauce. Before you cry out you really can find some good ones out there. We have been using the canned pasta sauce by Hunts. I have to say its pretty much the same as making it from scratch. If your in a hurry or if your feeling lazy it the perfect solution.
Also by using the squash we didn't have a starch for the meal. We used the squash in place of say pasta. Its a great way to cut out some of those unwanted carbs from starches and get a little more vegetables into your day.

To put the the plate together I just did a spoonful of squash on the bottom, then pasta sauce on top. Chicken topping that and zucchini on the side.

And now for the recipes:

Chicken Marinade:
        (I made this like a vinaigrette)
         1 tsp dijon mustard
         1 tsp Dried Oreganon
         1 tsp Dried Basil
         1 tsp Garlic Salt
         Salt and pepper to taste
         1 tbsp Blood Orange Olive Oil
         3tbsp Olive Oil
         Makes about 4 large Chicken Breast's

Spaghetti Squash:
          Cut the squash in half and then rub each side in salt, pepper, and olive oil. Put them face down on a cookie sheet or a baking pan. Throw it in the oven for about 35 to 45 minutes and 350 degrees. Leave it in there until tender. After you take it out of the oven let it cool for a couple minutes. Then you take a fork and lightly pull the meat away from the sides. It should come off in strings just like spaghetti (hence the name).

For the Zucchini I just steamed it. But you can grill, roast or even just saute. Cook it any way you would like. Also for the sauce I just heated it up on the stove.

I hope this will be enjoyed by some. I know not many see this but if you do and know someone who would appreciate this please pass it on! Leave me feed back too. I would love to know how this comes out if you give it a try! Even add a picture!

Vegan mushroom stuffed mushroom!

So I actually made this last week and meant to put it up here. I really enjoyed how this dish came out. First of all on the bottom is just a classics marinara sauce. Anything will do. Then I roasted some spaghetti squash with butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper. If you have never cooked one of these before you should really give it a try. After it was done I let it cool and then I scraped out the meat. This I sauteed with some olive oil and lemon oil.
Ok so for the mushroom. For this I took a hollowed out portabello and grilled it. The insides were criming mushrooms, onions, red bell peppers and spinach. His I just lightly cooked in oil salt and pepper.
Then I stuffed the mushroom. Stick this in the oven for about 10 minutes, and your good to go.
Also I sprinkled some chopped parsley o guess top for color.
1 awesome vegan dish!

My Steampunk Creations

So I spent the last couple of months working on putting together my steampunk murder mystery party. Now that it is over its time to update my blog (Yes I know Its been a while) with all the fun things I made!

 This is me in my costume. I had a ton of fun putting everything together. I didn't take a separate picture of this but the white shirt underneath is one of the things I made. I found a simple white button up shirt at the goodwill and altered it. For anyone needing a peasant looking shirt I will say this is really easy. I'm not very good at this whole crafty thing but I'm learning. All I did was take the shirt and cut out a scoop top. Leave about an inch more then how far down you want the shirt to go. You will use this for the hem. I then cut the sleeves off doing the same thing. I found elastic string about a quarter inch thick at Joan's. So for the neck and sleeves sew a hem leaving a hole to thread the elastic through. when it all threaded through sew the elastic ends together and then sew up the hole. and presto your done and you have a great new peasant shirt.

 This is one of the tables I put together for the decor. I had wine bottles all over the house and outside that I put candles in. Its a perfect way to decorate. Which I must thank Pintrest for! I found this idea on there.

 This is the gun we put together for Ashlie. We found just a simple gun and the 99 cent store. I had a lot of fun painting this for her. I did the painting and she glued the parts onto it.

 My dad was making a box so I decided I needed to make one too. This is what I came up with. I think If I had more time I could make something a lot better but it turned out fun. I found a plain box at Michaels. Then I stained it and glued the piece on top. Then painted that. I also printed out a old map of the world which I glued on there and then painted over it with a seal. Also used some of my other clock parts just to add some flare.

 Sorry this picture is blurry. Best picture I got of my earring. These are one of my favorites things I made. They came out perfect. Plus I can wear them agian just for fun! These were made with just some basic jewelry parts to hold everything together. I used jump hooks and I'm not sure what there called but they are thin wire needle like things. The parts are from my clock parts and also some gears from a scrapbook kit my mom and I found at Michaels.

 Favorite Item! My mom helped me sew these. I bought the lace on Etsy and then We just followed a picture.

 This started out life as a neon green and yellow nerf gun. I spent so much time making sure this was perfect!

 You can't see them that well but this was another Pintrest craft idea. I found one about transforming egg cartons into flowers to put onto a string of Christmas lights. It was the perfect added touch! also I got that wood sign and painted it with chalkboard pains for instant awesome chalkboard. Can reuse for all kinds of great things!

Lastly this is the Necklace I made for my costume. A clock face that I added some jewles onto and just a simple little cameo all on a chain.

I hope you enjoyed my crafts that I made. Maybe I will add some more details about the more involved crafts at a later time. Or if you wanted to know more let me know!
Thanks for reading my blog! I would love to hear feed back on how I'm doing!

Its cupcake time!

Last week I had a going away party for a friend so I decided to get creative with cupcakes. I have discovered this website called pintrest.com. If you haven't been there yet you need to check it out. Its a site all about bookmarking. You make and arrange pin boards that you can pin pictures from sites that you really like. So I found these awesome cupcakes with roses on top. So I just had to try them for myself. I think they came out pretty good for the first try!

Stumbling Block

So the last week has been on of the most Boring week for a long time. I am out of work on an injury and therefore have just been sitting at home. Been trying to find stuff to keep me busy. I'm getting ready to host a steampunk Murder Mystery with a couple friends so I have been working on a Nerf gun. Its been a ton of fun. I painted it and also added some accessories to it. Also if anyone has any great ideas I would love to hear some! Its set in the Victorian era at a English dig site in Egypt. I'm really excited to see what people come up with.

I did get the chance to read some great books too.
One of the book I read this week was Divergent by Veronica Roth. I'm really torn about what to feel for this book. It was an amazing read but it still somehow left me feeling like something was missing. I felt like the whole beginning and middle was building up to something, she had to make it through the initiation to get to the real battle. When we finally got there it was over in a blink for her, but not over. Also it ended before they really accomplished anything, yes the escaped, and ended the simulation but no it still just the beginning of the war. It felt like this book is a set up for books to come. Which hopefully will be the case. I would love to see how these characters unfold, develop and grow. There is so much more story to tell. I will say that even through all this I did love the story. It was gripping and suspenseful, with some humor and a good amount of Romance thrown in. Overall it was liked but left me wanting more.



I also had the chance to read The Iron Kind by Julie Kagawa.
All I can say is Yes, please give me more.
I couldn't put this book down. I loved the relationships that were
set up with the characters. I also haven't read a story about the fey
in a while and this was a refreshing difference. I do love that it was
a very classic telling of the fey, with a really weird change to the
Iron fey concept. Very fun read. I'm almost done with the
Iron Daughter too and loving it just as much, can't wait to get to the
Iron Queen.





So I also made my mom Ratatouille this week. She had never had it before. I decided I wanted to try and make it like they did in the movie. It came out really good. Although I did cheat a bit I left out mushrooms and red peppers. Mostly just because those are the things we don't like. I had a lot of fun playing with it. Putting it together and making it look pretty. Yes I really am that bored!

Now I have to figure out what to keep me occupied with this week. My physical therapist told me about this great site that is all about projects and stuff. Its called Pintrest.com. There people make pin boards with links, and things that interest them or that they have done. I'm hoping I can find something fun on there that I can do. Other then that there will be more books and hopefully party planning. Also I would love to try and make this blog better.  I know I don't have much of a goal here yet. Mostly the random ramblings of me. Mostly all about food and books. Well at least trying to keep to that. I need to smooth out the rough edges and maybe post more consistently So if anyone knows any great sites that help you to organize and bling out your blog I would love it. I would also love and tips and advice!

Till Next time! :)

Sorry It's been a while

So I know I haven't updated this in a while. Been trying to figure out what to write, also been a little distracted by life. Since the last time I was on here I've done a bunch of cool dish's at work. I thought I would go ahead and share them with all of you, (all 4 of my followers!) Hopefully this will eventually reach more people.

So the Guy I work with really doesn't like having to throw together vegan meals. Well it happens to be that I love to improvise and make stuff. So this here is a dish I had to throw together in 5 minutes. I ended up sauteing some potatoes with paprika and cumin. then I added sauteed squash, Mushrooms, spinach and grilled pequillos peppers. Finished the dish with parsley and basil and chili oil.  It came out pretty fabulous. One of my best vegan dish's so far.  Hopefully I will get many more chances to experiment in the future!

 Yes we played with Black french truffles!

 And yes this is it. Those little spears on top are slivers of the truffle. Our chef put together a seared tuna dish for a tasting for a large party in September. On the bottom is a saffron hollandaise. Then a warm Haricot Vert and pickled shallot salad. Sumac and cumin seared albacore tuna. A lemon foam, black truffles with a frissee salad to top it off. 

So I hope you enjoyed these little snap shots of foods I've done lately. I will try to stay on top of my post better. Plus take more pictures of delicious food! :)

Good night all!

The end of Harry Potter

I can't believe the last installment of the Harry Potters movies comes out tonight! It still feels like just yesterday I was sitting in a Borders with my friends waiting for the midnight release of the 5th book. This series has made a huge impact on so many people. In High school as many of you know I was a bit of a nerd, but it was ok because all of my friends were too. We went to every midnight release of book and movie. Now that the final one has come we are all coming back together for the last hurrah. What we started together we now get to finish together. It is amazing to see how far we have all come in this time. I think I read the first book freshman year of high school. I remember my brother coming home one day and telling us about these books his teacher had recommended. He doesn't read and she thought these might keep him interested. At the time only books 1 through 3 were out. Well it worked within a couple weeks my entire family had read all three and we were waiting with abated breath for the next one. It was around book 4 that the  Harry Potter craze started. And man did that craze heat up. I went to the book release of the 7th one. I kid you know there must have been 500 to 1500 people waiting to get that book at just the Barnes and Noble we were at. There were so many people they had to call int he police to rope of the parking lot and contain us in a certain spot. It was pure mayham and insanity. I loved every second of it! I love seeing all the people. The best part of these events is the people watching. What costumes will show up, who will do something crazy. I'm hoping for some great stuff tonight. Well Its time for a quick nap and off to the show! I hope everyone enjoy it!

Day 13: Which book/series is you favorite?

I love this question, but its so hard to choose! I also have choosen my top three series. I also have a favorite book that tops all of these but I've decided to go with series. My all time favorite book it The Princess Bride. This is also one of the few movies where I am not disappointed in how they did it. I love both!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy most definitely holds the top spot. I have a great love of ridiculous British humor. These books kept me laughing and entertained. I've been meaning to go back and re-read them. So much I have forgotten about them. Douglas Adams really did a phenomenal job of creating a really different and eccentric world. This is a world I would love to live in. One where a Towel if your most prized possession  and you can put a slug in your ear and be able to understand everyone. Where 42 is the answer and you don't get to know the question! There's romance, adventure, and just about anything you could ever thing of.

 So the Parasol Protectorate had to make the list as well. Once again because it keeps me laughing the whole time. This is a newer series I have discovered. I love the characters that Gail Carriger has created. The way they continue to grow and change. They keep me fascinated and glued to the pages. I've almost finished Heartless and loving it so far. I already can't wait for the next one. Also this really make me want to go out and buy a parasol and sew hidden pockets into it. I'm pretty sure I am going to do this! Who wouldn't want one like Alexia's!

Harry Potter makes the list also. I don't know If I can even remember how many times I've read the first one now. These are one of the only books that I can re-read and re-read and still love them just as much. I would also love to get  more copies from other countries. I don't have nearly as many and my friends Lacey and Morgan but I too have a couple different versions. It is very sad that in only 2 days an end to an era will come. The very last movie comes out on the 15th. I will be there for the midnight premier with all my friends and it will be bittersweet. Can't wait to see how they finished this movie. I'm not ready for it to be over yet!

Day 7

So once again I have skipped a day. Last night was my brothers birthday so I didn't get a chance to get on here. Although looking at the question I may have to think on it a while and get back to it. I'm not sure what to pick or what it would be.
So On to Day 7.

Day 7: Something You Use Everyday

This is a hard one too. What do I really use everyday that's worth mentioning. We use so many things everyday. I'm going to go with reading. It is nearly impossible for me to pass a day without reading something. Sometimes I only have enough time for 10 pages other days its a whole book. I feel like I have missed out somehow if I don't get any reading in. It really is a disease and obsession. Right now I am reading Heartless by Gail Carriger. If you haven't heard of or just haven't read her series, The Parasol Protectorate, then you really are missing out. This has been my find of the year. A lady at a book store saw me looking for a book and recommended it to me. They are a steam punk series, with a supernatural side. So if you like, Victorian gadgets, werewolf's, ghosts, vampires, and a superbly witty heroine then this is for you.

Just read the author bio and you will be sold.

(I had an picture of me and the book to add in here but my stupid phone is backfiring. So if you know me just picture a typical Katie face holding a book, if you don't, I'm sorry. You are missing out on one of life's great experiences.)

Her Blog: http://gailcarriger.blogspot.com/

So yes, books and reading are what I use everyday.

Ok so final note. I need suggestions on where to go for dinner for my Birthday. Any ideas?

Day 4 and 5! Yes I know I skipped 3!

Sorry Guys, the holiday weekend snuck up on me and I didn't have a chance to keep up with the challenge. I'm going to skip Day 3 for now, and dive right in to day 4.

Day 4: The people that make your world go round...

This is something I feel very blessed about. I have an amazing family that is there for me at every turn. I know I can go to them with anything. My mom especially, I've been having a hard time lately with trying to find my own way in this world and she has been there at every turn to support me and help pick me back up.

I also have amazing friends. Some of them have been around for years and some of them I just made but everyone one of them is important. They are my support and lifelines. Thank you guys so much.

Day 5: Your Favorite Show

How in the world am I just supposed to pick one. I try not to watch too much tv, but who am I kidding I'm a little obsessed with too many shows. Here are my top few of right now!

Game of Thrones

Chuck

Being Human

Warehouse 13

Glee

Covert Affairs

There are more but I'll leave it at that. 

I will say Game of Thrones tops that list. I really wish HBO did longer seasons. This first season went by way too fast. They did really good job of following the books though. I remember being so excited for True Blood then so pissed that it was nothing like the books. It was nice to watch something for a change that actually followed the story. Plus these books depend so heavily on things following just the right order I can't imagine not staying to the books and having it really work.

PS: She is second in line for character I would be for a day! 

New job New Adventures

Who wouldn't want to work at the happiest place on earth. As a kid Disneyland is so real. The characters are really them and the rides are small trips to galaxies far far away. Now as an adult it all still there, even if you know the truth, its nice to forget about that and go with the illusion. Well working here is the same way. I started working in The Grand Californian about two months ago. My coworkers really are the happiest people. I love working with them. I had gotten so used to negative emotions around me that this has been a real treat. Plus I get to go to Disneyland when I want to!

I work in the Banquets kitchen under Chef Ralf. I really like working for him. He gives us a lot of creative power. When we have a banquet and get a vegan or even sometime the vegetarians we get to come up with the dishes. The last two times I had the chance to make the dishes. I had a lot of fun coming up with them and finding ways to make sure they were vegan. 

So here they are:

So this one right here is Ratatouille inspired. On the bottom we have white beans. In order to  make them creamy reduced soy milk. Soy milk adds a lot of sweetness so you have to be a little heavier on the salt and pepper to keep it savory enough. then I layered grilled Portabello, Eggplant, Zucchini, Yellow Squash and Red Bell peppers. For a garnish we blistered some cherry tomatoes with sliced garlic, then drizzled some herb oil. Finishing touch was a sprinkle of Espellte.

I loved the way this dish turned out! I came out so much better then I imagined it. Underneath the Portabello is a bean mixer with sauteed spinach. I marinated the portabello is a wonderful lemon olive oil that we have.

The filling for the mushroom was made with: Crimini mushrooms, red bell peppers, eggplant, and yellow tomatoes. I stewed all these down then I added reduced soy milk and panko to bring it all together.

After we baked them I added a panko mixture on top and flashed it. I garnished the dish with a balsamic reduction, herb oil. and chili oil.

I really looking forward to improving my vegetarian and vegan cooking. More fun dishes to come!

Day 2 of the Photo Challenge

If you could trade places with a character from a book or movie who would it be and why?
There are so many good ones to choose from. It was so hard to narrow it down. But since I just read this book I'm going with Cerise. She lives in a world that is all about survival, and magic. She is wicked with a sword and fighting. She can hold her own against any enemy. Plus she has William an extremely sexy, deadly, hot, did I say sexy yet?  shape shifting man. Another plus is that he is rich and has two castles!

Photo Challenge 31 Day Challenge: Day 1

So my friend Lacey started this challenge on her blog. You can see her under people I follow. Her blog is awesome. So I thought It would help me get a jump start on mine again if I posted my responses here and then put the link in her comments. Here we go then!

A Photo Ofor
Tell Us Aboutor both..

1.     A photo of yourself with 10 facts.

 

1. I went to culinary school
2. I'm kinda awkward
3. I read more then is healthy
4. I just discovered steampunk fully and I love it!
5. Pickles are one of my favorite foods
6. I speak Dutch
7. Zebra's are my favorite animal, but my family takes it way too serious
8. I really wish I had a better fashion sense
9. Rum and coke is my go to drink
10. I secretly wish I was a ninja/ pirate

Its been a While

So my wonderful friend Lacey has inspired me to get my blog going again. It going to take a bit of a twist now though. I will still be putting stuff up about food and pictures of fun dishes I do. I still need to go back and show off some of the amazing cheese displays I've put together. But I've also decided to start putting more stuff in here about life in general. Also I'm such a book nerd this blog would not be complete without a little book talk. And No I'm still not any better at this so bear with me. I'm a horrible writer and most likely will have a million grammatical mistakes! (maybe I should make a game out of it), but I'm trying.
I also plan on following Lacey's 31 day photo challenge on here so we'll see how that comes out!

Ok so for today I decided that an amazing dinner was in order so I could have a bomb picture to start this new beginning with!

Photo: Chicken with a BBQ Ranch broccoli and corn slaw with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes. Garnished with Marinated cherry tomatoes and zucchini and drizzled with Pomegranate Balsamic Dressing. 

         Served with a Valpolicalla Ripaso.

Yes this is what I made myself for dinner, it tasted amazing! Thank you Megan for the slaw inspiration. Took it from the lettuce wraps we had the other day and tweaked it a little bit.

I hope you will all enjoy this new updated blog and I would love ideas and feedback from you! Hopefully I will stick with it this time!

Talk to ya all soon!