Tag Archives: cooking

Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole!

I received complimentary products from Pacific Foods. They did not ask me to write a post, nor is this post sponsored. My (positive) opinion is my own.

Every now and then Pacific Foods sends me a variety of products to sample, and I honestly have had the Organic Vegan Mushroom Gravy they sent me in my pantry for almost a year now! But what better occasion to use gravy than right after Thanksgiving, when leftovers are abound? My mom sent me home with plenty, plus a bag of fresh Brussels sprouts. When I got back to Boston on Sunday, I could hardly wait to get this casserole prepped!

Once my casserole was in its pan I just put it in the fridge, and the next night I put it in the oven and I was ready to chow! Plus I ended up with leftovers…of these leftovers. Does that qualify as inception?

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Great Grain: Wheat Berries!

Today, a day during what is probably the most recipe-heavy week of the year, I’m here to talk about a fall recipe I recently made – using wheat berries. I’ve mentioned cooking with them once before, but hadn’t done so since then. I was recently selected to partner with the Grain Foods Foundation to bring you a post on the grain of my choice, and I selected the one I thought the least amount of you may have heard of. Might as well make this post useful!

I like using wheat berries so much more than a dish base like pasta, because of their hearty texture, which is similar to barley or farro. You can usually find them in bulk bins, but my local store didn’t have any and I still found a bagged version. Milled wheat berries become whole wheat flour, so clearly they are a great source of whole grains. And they’re so easy to make – just put them in hot water on the stove top. When I cooked mine, I put the wheat berries (in water) on the stove and brought the water to a boil. If you keep a watchful eye on the pot and stir it every now and then, you don’t have to stick around and watch them cook. That is one of the top factors I look for when selecting a recipe.

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Wheat berries simmering away!

I selected Kath’s Ultimate Fall Wheatberry Salad for this post because it seemed to be just what it advertised – an ultimate fall dish. I would definitely recommend making this for your Thanksgiving table! I used dried cranberries instead of fresh since I had some on hand, but I think it would definitely be more enjoyable with those (I was just being cheap). I also skipped the brown sugar and cinnamon because I didn’t have any on hand…also don’t recommend doing that. It would have been worth it to spend some extra money and enjoy the salad more!

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Lightlife Lights Up Meals (Plus Giveaway!)

I received complimentary product coupons for review purposes. I received no monetary compensation for this post and opinions are my own.

Firstly, let me announce the winner of my Redpack Tomatoes giveaway…it’s Annie of Avocado Athlete! Congrats, girl!

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Now I know it seems a bit meh for me to do two product/giveaway posts in a row, but I’m keepin it real: both were due this week, and I do like to give you guys a chance to win products that I actually enjoy. And I seriously enjoyed (and am still enjoying, because there’s some Smart Dogs in my freezer right now waiting to be used) Lightlife veggie products! I have been a fan of cooking with vegetarian “meat” for awhile, and was excited for the chance to try a new brand.

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Redpack Dinners & Giveaway!

I received complimentary Redpack products in exchange for writing this post. All opinions are my own and I received no monetary compensation.

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Redpack Tomatoes approached me about not only receiving a slow cooker gift pack, but also giving one away to a reader. I love reviewing products that I get to give to readers too so I was all on board! They sent me a can of Tomato Sauce and two cans of Crushed Tomatoes in Thick Puree. Plus a charming wooden spoon!

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Bacon, Egg, and Brussels Bowl!

First of all, I want to say thanks so much for the supportive comments and tweets I received in response to Monday’s post. It felt great to write and even greater to get that kind of positive response and reassurance. While I work on trusting myself, encouragement from others really helps me along the way, so I appreciate everyone who took the time to send me well wishes – or even anyone who read!

I’m still trying to keep up with choosing a couple of recipes from my Pinterest boards each week to make for the weeknights I stay in. I usually follow them pretty closely, but the only ingredients in this recipe that I stuck with when I made this dish (on Sunday) were Brussels sprouts (duh) and hard-boiled eggs. I figured eggs went well with (turkey) bacon…and then bacon reminded me of BLT’s so I decided to throw in tomatoes. Plus I had some kale on hand, and I figured throwing that in there wouldn’t hurt!

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In the mixing bowl!

Don’t let the title of this easy recipe deceive you – there’s a few other ingredients in there! However the title ingredients were DEFINITELY the stars.

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Staying Put is Marvelous

I cannot thank everyone enough for the support I received in response to last week’s post about my doctor’s appointment. It’s weird – sometimes something is weighing on your mind so much that it just has to come out in some way. So I wrote that post. But once I did, I was kind of over talking about it. I am so appreciative of the love I have received, but I also often found myself politely brushing off the subject with an, “I’m doing better!” or a quick change of subject whenever someone checked in on me. I’m glad I put my feelings out there, but now am trying to focus on moving on. What better way of doing that than a Marvelous In My Monday (MIMM) weekend recap?

Link up with Katie if you too are talking marvelous on this Monday.

Marvelous is…STAYING PUT! Every weekend in September except this past weekend I have plans to be away. So I knew I wanted to just stay in Boston. After all, I always can find plenty to do in the city. Starting with Friday night – after-work happy hour with co-workers turned into dinner, dive bars, and a bit of dancing.

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Five Things Friday: My Week

I’m glad you all related so much to last week’s Five Things Friday post about aspects of life that have REALLY been making me feel adult-like lately. Those reminders have continued throughout this week, and I also want to give an update on how I’ve been doing since my particularly overwhelming weekend. Then I got to thinking – there are five days in a work week, and it’s Five Things Friday. So I’m going to share how each day of my week went/has been going, in an effort to catch you up on all the things.

Link up with Clare today if you are also rambling on about five things!

1. Monday

I knew all I wanted to do Monday was go to work, go to spin class, and stay in watching the Emmys. One of those things didn’t happen – spin class. Did I not feel well? Did I not have time? No, I just didn’t want to go. I got out of work late and the class was halfway over. I could’ve made it to half the class or gone to the gym to do my own workout, but I was starving. I was exhausted. So i went home, heated up the casserole I’d prepared the night before, popped a bottle of Prosecco (which I ended up not drinking half of and pouring out #singlegirlproblems), and watched approximately 20% of the Emmys. And then I went to bed, because it was absolutely necessary.

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Five Things Friday: Adulthood

I really wanted to post yesterday, but when I got home from the gym on Wednesday night, the idea of blogging just did not appeal to me. Probably because I am sooo into Breaking Bad right now and wanted to watch the season four finale. Yes, I’ve finally finished season four! And can I say, holy crap.

Anyone who’s seen the episode will know what I mean here.

Anyway, I’m here on Five Things Friday with a little theme I like to call “adulthood”. This week I keep getting reminders that I am an adult, and while I certainly enjoy being a single lady in her mid-20’s living in Boston, there are some parts of living at home that I’m missing.

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Five Things Friday: Currently

I often see blog posts written in the “currently…” style as in, I am currently doing/feeling/loving/eating/insert-verb-ing-here this. I thought I’d mash that up with Clare‘s Five Things Friday and do five “currently…” updates. (And if you missed yesterday’s restaurant post, be sure to check it out – it’s been awhile since I wrote a good old restaurant visit recap!)

Link up with Clare if you are sharing five things on this Friday!

1. Currently snacking on…Sweet & Salty Chex Mix Popped. I was sent a couple of new Chex Mix products (and honestly can’t remember who did so…but thank you to the mystery network/PR company that did so) from the lower-fat Popped line. I opened the bag and thought I was being all smart portioning out a bit to mix into my chocolate pudding…until I instantly became addicted after bite #1. I even got out of bed to get more after I’d finished my first helping. Foiled by crack-like snack products! Screw portion control.

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MorningStar Farms Meatball Bake

MorningStar Farms products were a staple in my household back when I was still living at home with my parents. My mom often liked to “sneak” the Meal Starter “Crumbles” into family meals (I say sneak because my siblings and dad are not quite as open minded about plant-based protein as my mom and I are!), like her Mexi-Casserole. But I hadn’t tried any other products from this brand aside from the crumbles, so I was excited to have the chance to try some new stuff, thanks to this Clever Girls campaign.

I was also fortunate enough to receive this lovely glass/plate set with wooden utensils, napkin, and a placemat!

I was also fortunate enough to receive this lovely glass/plate set with wooden utensils, napkin, and a placemat!

I was challenged by MorningStar Farms to pick a theme and build a recipe around it, so I selected 15-minute meals. I am a very busy person and quick is certainly a component I look for in a recipe, as well as “Does it match what I have on hand?” and “Is it healthy?” Luckily I was given the ability to choose which MorningStar Farms goodies I wanted to try, and the decision was tough since the products are so varied and versatile. But I was inspired by this Lightened-Up Meatball Casserole by Julie of PB Fingers, so that made my decision to try the veggie meatballs an easy one. Almost as easy as my recipe 😉

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