Apr6

Hemp Jewelry – 5 dollars! Free shipping! Made by me :D

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I’ve been making hemp macrame and string macrame for years, and it’s something that I’ve always enjoyed… just, to keep my hands busy. For some reason I stopped over the last few months. However, our bartender Juan, The RAM – Lakewood asked me on Thursday if I could make two for his daughters. Immediately after leaving we headed over to the craft store & I found the cutest beads to use. And then, I got inspired!

SO HERE’S THE DEAL. I’m taking requests for bracelets, and colour beads on light hemp OR dark hemp. Wooden beads or plastic! For little kids, grown ups, you name it. Here are the two I made for his daughters.

I want to start selling them and send the across the country. Since I can just drop them in an envelope, there’s no shipping.

So for 5 dollars each, you can have cute little bracelets for you or family!

If you’re interested, email me & I will take your address and give you my pay pal account email!

stellabluecreations@gmail.com

5 DOLLARS EACH, THAT’S ALL!

Once I get people interested enough, I can start raffles and give aways, and expanding!

Mar20

Parmesan Garlic & Herb Chicken Tenders (so easy. seriously.)

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I’ve had the last few days off, and the past two I’ve been stuck in the house. Cooped up while the man has the car for work, and today I just couldn’t clean anymore. I needed to do SOMETHING to keep me active (and not browsing Netflix and Pinterest simultaneously) and not bored.

I was cleaning out the freezer (see, why am I always cleaning?! Stop it!!) and realized I had chicken that definitely needed to be used, like, as soon as possible. So, I defrosted it thinking… hmm. Use it for dinner? Nah, we had chicken last night. Let’s make a snack for the man!! So, of course, I get on to Pinterest (which I said I wasn’t going to do) and find a great recipe for Garlic & Herb Chicken tenders! What a great idea!

So after the chicken was thawed (the recipe actually called for un-breaded chicken tenders, but I only had a breast. So, I kind of just PRETENDED I had already cut chicken tenders. I cut them up myself. Which really holds no importance to the recipe.) I set the oven to 400 degrees, and then I started mixing up my mayo-garlic-herb-parmesan concoction. Once well mixed, I coated the chicken in it & tossed (more like shook the shit out of it) it in a zip lock bag with the bread crumbs. This was so easy! Why did I not do this more often? I’ve made them before, but always used beaten eggs to coat the chicken before dipping in the bread crumbs. But, since I’m car-less and haven’t been to the grocery lately… I didn’t have any eggs. Perfect that this recipe called for mayo instead!

I sprayed my baking sheet and laid out the breaded chicken neatly, and popped it in the oven for a total of 20 minutes (flipping half way through, so both sides get nice, crusty, and browned).

You can serve it with tomato sauce or ketchup, or really whatever your heart desires. I didn’t have tomato sauce (again, miss anti-grocery shopping over here O.o ) so I just used ketchup. Sometimes I’ll throw a bit of garlic powder in the ketchup to give it more flavour, but since I used so much garlic in the actual batter, it wasn’t necessary.

Once cooked thoroughly on both sides, and no longer pink in the middle, viola! You have homemade and relatively healthy chicken tenders. I should also mention that I used low fat mayo, to reduce the calorie and fat content. So aside from that, these puppies are just about as healthy as you can get!!

Here’s the ingredients that you will need to enjoy these bad ass tenders:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup plain (or italian seasoned, if you like it super herby) panko crispy bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 package (14 oz) uncooked chicken tenders (not breaded)
  • Tomato pasta sauce, if desired

    Combine all dry ingredients expect bread crumbs into a dish to coat the chicken. Put the bread crumbs into a zip lock bag (or you can just dredge it, but I found it easier to shake the crap out of it & call it a day) and shake, shake, shake! Once all are evenly coated, pop onto your greased baking sheet & cook!

    Enjoy :D

Mar5

Quick Basil Pesto for Pasta

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Basil pesto is quite honestly one of my FAVORITE things, ever. Then again, I chew on basil leaves whenever they’re around, and typically always have a plant in my home. I love the smell as well as the pack-a-punch flavour they have!

With this quick recipe, I usually just toss it with pasta. 8oz-16oz, depending on how much flavour you want per bite. I also add in about double the amount of garlic (sometimes more, if I’ve roasted the garlic first, which makes it sweeter) because, if you follow this blog and should know, I am a garl-aholic and I am not afraid to admit it. Guilty as charged! I have stinky breath and probably sweat it out. :D In any case!
Combine all of the ingredients, except the cheese, into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Once smooth, transfer to a bowl and stir in your cheese. Then, toss pasta in the bowl to coat! Salt & pepper as desired (I love salt…)

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Mar4

Roasted Salsa Verde

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I wanted to try something different tonight, and since the theme of my dinner is Mexican… I thought I’d give it a go with Salsa Verde. Oh good grief, am I glad that I did! This is one of the TASTIEST Salsa Verdes I have ever had.

  •     1 lb. tomatillos (4-5 tomatillos)
  •     1 jalapeno pepper
  •     1 serrano pepper
  •     2 unpeeled garlic cloves
  •     1/2 cup chicken stock
  •     4 tbsp. diced white onion
  •     1/3 cup cilantro1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  •     1 tbsp. lime juice
  •     1/2 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 500 degrees. Slice tomatillos and peppers in half, and place them on a non stick baking sheet (or in a baking dish). Roast for 20 minutes, with full cloves of garlic (unpeeled), or until nicely charred. Once cooled, puree in a food processor or blender, and add in your cilantro, lime, onion, and spice. You can use all of the pepper seeds for maximum hotness, or remove some to keep it more mild. I happened to use them all, the spcier the better! Puree until smooth. Serve with yummy chips!

Feb6

Crock Pot French Onion Soup!

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Things you’ll need:

3 Onions (I used Vidalia) – sliced
1/3 cup of butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 1/2 Tablespoons Flour
6 Cups Beef Broth
1/4 Cup White Wine
French Bread
Mozzarella Cheese
Dash of Worchestire, if you’re feelin’ it. I love it, so I added a bit.

What you need to do:

 
Melt the butter in a skillet, and then add your Onion and cook until soft. Stir in sugar and salt, and cook for another 5-10 min, until golden brown. Add in the flower & mix well in your skillet. Transfer onion mixture to crock pot with broth & wine, and let cook for 6-8 hours. I kept mine on high heat the majority of the time, and brought it down to low the last couple of hours. It was divine!

Now for the bread and cheese…
I transferred the soup to a glass bowl & poured over a thick slice of italian bread, and then smother in cheese. I baked it until the cheese was starting to bubble, and then put on the broil to make the cheese browned & crusty. Then let cool slightly & devour!! :D

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Jan27

Pepperoni Pizza: Homemade sauce &dough!

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Using the dough from an old post, I decided to make a Pepperoni pizza tonight. With cramps like a BITCH, I decided I needed to get my mind off of them. And cooking is always the best medicine ;)

Really, all I want to share here is how I made the sauce!

2 cans of diced tomatoes, pureed until NEARLY smooth. I like to leave a little bit of the chunks in there. For more of a hearty tomato bite. You don’t have to, you can puree it completely. You can also just use a can of tomato sauce. I didn’t have one, or fresh tomatoes, so I decided to be cheap about it.
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 half of a yellow onion, diced
Two cloves of garlic, minced, or more to taste (I’m pretty sure I used like… 4 cloves haha)
Pinch of each of the following (add more to your taste): Oregano, Basil, Parsley, Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper flakes, Thyme.

I sauteed my onions & bell pepper first in the sauce pan, and then added in my tomato puree.
At this time I cranked up the heat to let it reach a boil, and threw in my herbs and spices.
Once it’s hit a boil, you can leave it to simmer for an hour or so, give or take.
I let it simmer a while so all of the flavours come together nicely.
Really, this is all about YOUR taste, and how you like your pizza sauce. I like a heart, veggie filled sauce. You’ll typically find me adding way more of everything. Especially garlic & onion. Omnomnom!

Once I’ve got my dough all rolled out, I put it on a cornmeal dusted baking pan (if you have a pizza stone, you are awesome. I don’t. Yet.)

I spread a good amount of sauce onto the dough, and then add slices of pepperoni.
I like to do this in layers, by the way.
So, Pepperoni, then cheese. Then more pepperoni, then more cheese.
You can add whatever you like, underneath or on top. I was going for something a little more simple.

Here’s my progression:
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Pop that baby in at about 450, for 15-20 minutes. Let it cool before cutting! Otherwise your cheese and toppings will slide RIGHT off. Let it sit about five minutes or so, cut to your liking, and freakin’ enjoy!!

Jan26

Easy homemade Macaroni & Cheese with Bacon

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When I stumbled upon the idea of making mac & cheese from scratch I was thinking “Hell, this is going to be a process”. I was so wrong! It’s actually REALLY easy, and the more you do it, the better consistency  you get. Every time I make it, it gets better and better.

First things first, decide on your cheeses. You can use anything, really. I tend to stick to the same handful every time. I like a nutty & sharp Mac & Cheese, but you can also just make it standard cheddar.

  • Kosher salt
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
  • 1 quart milk
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 5 or 6 thick slices of bacon, more or less to taste, chopped
  • 1 yellow sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 cups Swiss – shredded
  • 2 cups Mozzarella/Provolone (an Italian Mix) – shredded
  •  3 cups extra sharp cheddar – shredded
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

Cook Macaroni (or even cavatapi!) as directed on package.

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, at 400 degrees, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven – there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it has cooled off enough to handle.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don’t boil it. Saute onions in another pan, once cooked through and translucent, melt the butter in the pot with the onions, and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. DO NOT LET IT BURN.
Take it off the heat and slowly add in your cheese, saving 1/2 a cup of Cheddar for the top.

Once it is well mixed & smooth, add in your macaroni & bacon. Transfer to a baking dish large enough to hold all of the yumminess you just created. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Melt a little more butter and mix with your bread crumbs, to sprinkle on top. Butter is important for the bread crumbs! If you don’t saturate them a bit, they won’t cook nice and brown. They’ll just sort of stay dry… and grainy. Yum? Haha

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Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and browned on top.

Let cool slightly, and serve.

This is a main dish on it’s own, INCREDIBLY heavy on the stomach. I’d suggest either making it your entire meal, or just a small side. I’d go for the meal ;)