June 22, 2012- Mushroom Burger with Barley and a Salad

Mushroom Burger with Barley and a Salad

This was a veggie burger from our veggie burger cookbook. It has barley, a potato (we used a sweet potato), portobellos, and cremini mushrooms. We bought asiago kaiser rolls for the buns. We topped it with romaine letttuce, avocado, and some colby and jack slices. We served it with a salad of romaine lettuce, some spinach from our garden, strawberries, carrots, dried apricots, and walnuts. We used a tuscan herb olive oil and fig balsamic dressing. It was a delicious summer dinner. We also had some apricot beer to drink. :)

Spinach from our garden! Not much but we put it in our salad :)

June 21, 2012- Creamed Chickpeas and Peas on Toast

Creamed Chickpeas with Peas on Toast

We made this on April 21 as well so I think there may have been a picture but I am not sure. Because I am pretty sure I didn't take a picture this time. Anyway, this is a spin on creamed tuna and peas on toast, something Nick grew up eating. It was nice to have it again and I think this is an instant classic and something we will have often. It is easy to make. I decided to mash the chickpeas in the food processor this time instead of with a fork, much easier!

June 20, 2012- Melting Pot--Happy Third Anniversary to Us!

Melting Pot--Happy Third Anniversary to Us <3

Tonight we went to the Melting Pot for dinner which is a tradition for us. We went to the Melting Pot for our first date and it is a special place for us. We go here every year for our anniversary. Yay! So we got the four course meal and we were soooo full. We don't regret it but we always know going into dinner that we are going to be extremely full.

June 19, 2012- Pizza My Heart

Pizza My Heart

Tonight we went to see Stephen Hawking at the Flint Center with Nick's parents so we went to Pizza My Heart for dinner with them. Nick and I shared a garden salad with ranch and each got a slice of mushroom and cheese pizza.

Seeing Stephen Hawking in person was pretty incredible.

June 18, 2012- Veggie and Bean Tostadas

Veggie and Bean Tostadas

For this meal, we chop up mushrooms, peppers, and zucchini and saute them in olive oil. We use refried beans and spread some on a tostada and then put veggie mixture on top with some jack cheese. Then we broil them. We squeeze some fresh lime juice on top and that is all. Yum!

June 17, 2012- Cannellini al Gratin with Crescent Rolls

Cannellini al Gratin with Crescent Rolls

This is a recipe that I know I have posted about. On December 15 to be exact. It is a recipe from Vegetarian Times. It is baked in a dutch oven and has a crispy breadcrumb and parmesan crust. This is one of our favorite meals to eat and is nice with a glass of wine. Mmm mm mm!

June 16, 2012- Graduation Party

Graduation Party

Oh man...have we been busy. We were at a graduation party for a family friend of Nick's and it was supposed to end at 7pm but we ended up staying until almost 10pm. So we ate dinner there. We had roasted potatoes and asparagus, rolls, and cake. It was all homemade and was really good. Earlier that day we had massages which were nice.

June 15, 2012- Tofu with Veggie, Steamed Couscous with Orange Cumin Dressing

Tofu with Veggie, Steamed Couscous with Orange Cumin Dressing- Vegan

We had some friends over for dinner and had this meal with them. It was very delicious. I marinated the tofu in a marinade of orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and red pepper flakes. We serve brussel sprouts and asparagus. The couscous with orange cumin dressing was a recipe from my vegetarian times recipe was really good and was a new recipe.

June 14, 2012- Couscous with Soycatash and Broccoli and Teriyaki Sauce

Couscous with Soycatash and Broccoli and Teriyaki Sauce- Vegan

Nick had physical therapy tonight and was going to see a movie later so we made a quick dinner and also needed to add some vegan meals to our weekly menu. We make some couscous and then saute some broccoli and add this soycatash mixture which is edamame, corn, and red pepper, and add teriyaki sauce. It is a quick dinner to make and vegan.

We also made a blushing peach pie to have for dessert. What makes this pie so special is that it has red hot candies in it.  This makes it have a beautiful redish color and also a cinnamon taste. So delicious. This is my favorite pie. 

June 13, 2012- Nick's Parents--Coming Home

Nick's Parents--Coming Home

We needed to pick up the dogs from Nick's parents so we decided to just have dinner at their house again. Nick's mom made zucchini cakes and salad from her garden. It was a good dinner. And it was good to be home but it was also have a nice little get away :)

June 2, 2012- BFD

BFD

We were at BFD and it was all day long so we ended up just eating food at the concert. Well it was food that we had packed but it was a long day! A fun concert nonetheless.

June 12, 2012- Milk and Honey

Milk and Honey

For night two in Santa Barbara we went to dinner at a tapas bar. It was really good. Since we indulged the night before we went for a lighter dinner tonight. For lunch we went to a place called the Natural Cafe. Nick got grilled veggie tacos and I got a salad that had brown rice, guacamole, jicama, and carrots with a lemon herb dressing. We were still kind of full from that so the tapas bar was perfect. We got sweet potato fries and a brussel sprout pizza on homemade flatbread. For dessert we got a molten lava cake. Sooo good!

June 11, 2012- Palazzio

Palazzio

Tonight was our first night in Santa Barbara. We walked around State Street until we found something that sounded good. We settled on an Italian restaurant. We got a baked brie appetizer, split manicotti, and had bananas foster for dessert. I had a glass of merlot and Nick had a glass of cabernet sauvignon for wine. It was a very decadent dinner but was quite delicious. We had walked to State Street so overall it was over a 3 mile walk for us.

June 10, 2012- Polenta and Singapore Rice Noodles

Polenta and Singapore Rice Noodles

We dropped the dogs off at Nick's parents again so they could watch them while Nick and I went to Santa Barbara for the next couple of days. Mia and Riley were also over and Mike and Joanie were picking them up so we were all there for dinner so we all ate together. Nick and I brought a polenta dish and Nick's mom made Singapore style rice noodles. It was a fun get together.

June 9, 2012- Family Get Together

Family Get Together

We had a get together at Nick's sisters to celebrate Logan's graduation. We had Togo's sandwiches for lunch. We were mostly full from lunch so we had some dosa's from Trader Joe's for dinner and then went to a friend's house later to play poker.

June 8, 2012- In N' Out

In N' Out

We ate at In N' Out for dinner tonight because we were going to the LMFAO concert. We hadn't been to In N' Out in a while so it was nice to eat there again.

June 7, 2012- Loving Hut

Loving Hut- Vegan

We had Logan, our nephew's, 8th grade graduation tonight so we decided to go out to dinner afterward. We had a Groupon so we used that and went to the Loving Hut which is a vegan restaurant. Most of Nick's family came with us so it was fun to have everyone join us. The restaurant is family style so we got things ranging from a fried rice, pad thai, pho, and sweet and sour soup.

June 6, 2012- Flatbread Pizza

Flatbread Pizza

We have made these before. You buy flatbread from Trader Joe's put pizza sauce on them and sprinkle cheese and bake them. That's really it. And since Nick had class tonight, they are really convenient to make for him to take.

June 5, 2012- Salsa Rice Enchiladas

Salsa Rice Enchiladas

This is one of Nick's favorite dinners and we hadn't had it for a while so we decided to have it for dinner tonight. You make some Spanish rice, from the box. Meanwhile you saute some salsa. You add the Spanish rice to the salsa and add some corn and black beans. You serve the mixture in warm flour tortillas with sour cream, cheese, and lime wedges. It is a quick meal that is really filling.

June 4, 2012- BBQ Tofu with Brussel Sprouts

BBQ Tofu with Brussel Sprouts- Vegan

We had BBQ tofu tonight with some roasted brussel sprouts. We made the BBQ tofu how we usually made it. We cut the brussel sprouts in half and tossed them with some olive oil and salt and pepper and roasted them for 25-30 minutes. They were delicious. Who knew brussel sprouts were so good?

June 3, 2012- Pasta with Lemon Garlic Sauce

Pasta with Lemon Garlic Sauce

We had a long weekend so we made up a quick dinner with a lemon, garlic sauce with some pasta and topped it off with some parmesan. It was simple and easy to make especially with how busy we had been this weekend.

June 1, 2012- Dinner @ Nick Parent's

Dinner @ Nick Parent's

We had 8th grade graduation to go to at our church and needed to drop off the dogs at Nick's parents so they could watch them for the weekend. We had dinner at their house to make things easy. We had Indian food from one of our favorite restaurants, Taste Buds. It was a little different this time but still really good.

May 31, 2012- Mac and Cheese Style Cauliflower

Mac and Cheese Style Cauliflower

We tried this for the first time in April. Instead of having noodles in the mac and cheese you use cauliflower instead. The sauce is with milk and soy milk, cheddar cheese and parmesan, and some herbs. We also add in top pumpkin and some cayenne pepper for a kick. We top it off with bread crumbs and bake it. It is soooo delicious and I wish I had been eating this all my life!!

May 30, 2012- We don't remember?

We don't remember?

Nick had class. The calendar is empty.

May 29, 2012- Carrot Spaghetti

Carrot Spaghetti- Vegan

Carrot spaghetti is a really yummy alternative to regular spaghetti. You peel carrots down to not being able to peel them anymore and use the peels as the noodles. You saute it in olive oil until softened and add garlic and pepper. We had it with a tomato basil sauce and then also had some roasted asparagus.

May 28, 2012- Cheese Hominy Casserole

Cheese Hominy Casserole

This is a casserole that is fairly simple to make. It requires two cans of hominy, cream cheese, onion, and cheddar cheese. You saute the onion and add the cream cheese and hominy. You put it in a casserole dish and top it off with cheddar. It is a very rich dish but is really good. We were supposed to have it with roasted asparagus but Nick forgot to make it :)

May 27, 2012- Family Get Together at Nick's Parents

Family Get Together at Nick's Parents

We had a get together at Nick's parents today and when we do we usually eat so much during the day that we usually aren't hungry to eat dinner.

May 26, 2012- Polenta with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Polenta with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

This is one of our favorite ways to have polenta. We usually have portobello and cremini mushrooms but we forgot to buy cremini mushrooms but that was okay because we didn't need leftovers. The sauce for this is sour cream, white wine, parmesan cheese, and some herbs. You serve the creamy mushroom sauce over the polenta.

May 25, 2012- PARTY!

Tonight we had a party with a bunch of my friends from my graduate school program over. I don't really feel like recounting everything we had to eat but I know I made some tortellini kebobs with pesto ranch, stuffed mushrooms, homemade strawberry shortcake, a chocolatey peanut butter dessert, and a cheese pizza.  Other people brought things too. We had a lot of fun and stayed up until the wee hours of the morning. Yay!!

May 24, 2012- Portobello Mushroom "Cheesesteak" Sandwiches

Portobello Mushroom "Cheesesteak" Sandwiches

We have had these many times and hadn't had them in a while so it was about time. You sautee mushrooms in olive oil with some oregano. I also have some red pepper with mine so I do mine and Nick's separately. You then let some swiss cheese melt on top and put the mushrooms into a toasted bun. We had a pretzel roll that we shared and it was a really large sandwich but was really delicious.

May 23, 2012- Pizza Tortilla Rolls

Pizza Tortilla Rolls

Nick had class tonight so I needed something simple to make for dinner. These are exactly what they sound. You make a tortilla and spread pizza sauce over them and then sprinkle cheese and roll them up. You bake them on a cookie sheet and sprinkle cheese on top. They are really good and super easy to make.

May 22, 2012- Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

This is a recipe we have been having for quite a while. It is really delicious. The bottom has cannellini beans, peas, potatos, carrots, broth, and some spices. The top has sweet potatoes with cinnamon and parmesan cheese. It is a simple meal to make and it really yummy.

May 21, 2012- Spaghetti

Spaghetti

It had been a while since I made homemade spaghetti sauce so I decided to make some for dinner tonight. The sauce has chopped mushrooms and carrots sauteed in olive oil with garlic. I then add tomato sauce and tomato paste as well as some sugar and some spices. I also add a little bit of parmesan cheese to my sauce. It may not be an authentic Italian sauce but I like it! :)

May 20, 2012- Roasted Quinoa with Potatoes and Cheese

Roasted Quinoa with Potatoes and Cheese

This is a recipe we tried a month or so ago. You start cooking quinoa and add the potatoes in to begin cooking with some whole cloves of garlic. You then spread the quinoa and potatoes out onto a cookie sheet and bake it for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. You sprinkle cheese on top and bake it until the cheese is melted. Then you serve. This would also be good as a breakfast dish.

May 19, 2012- Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes and Spaghetti

 Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes and Spaghetti

We had spent some time over at Nick's parents and we decided to have them over for dinner and make what we originally planned (sweet potatoes) and what they planned (spaghetti) for dinner. The twice baked sweet potatoes had sour cream, butter, and brown sugar in them. We topped them off with some walnuts. The spaghetti was a cappellini pasta with some tomato basil sauce and parmesan. It was a random and spontaneous get together but it was good nonetheless. :)

May 18, 2012- Orange Glazed Tofu

Orange Glazed Tofu- Vegan

This is one of our favorite ways to have tofu. Since we can't have orange chicken we have this instead and it is really good! You sautee tofu in olive oil and then make a sauce out of orange juice, orange marmalade, soy sauce, garlic, rice vinegar, and some corn starch dissolved in water. We serve this over basmati rice. It is really easy to make and also vegan!

May 17, 2012- Out to Dinner- Fresh Choice

Fresh Choice

We went to Fresh Choice for dinner after Nick had physical therapy. We really like going to Fresh Choice because we can each get things that we like. I also really like getting a really big salad. Yum!

May 16, 2012- Bean and Cheese Burritos

Bean and Cheese Burritos

Tonight Nick had class so we just made simple bean and cheese burritos for dinner.

May 15, 2012- BBQ Tofu with Roasted Veggies

BBQ Tofu with Roasted Veggies- Vegan

Tonight we had BBQ Tofu with Roasted Veggies. We bake the tofu for about 15 minutes, flipping it after about 10 and then add some BBQ sauce and bake for about 5 more. For the roasted veggies, we use our stoneware pan and we do green beans, sweet potatoes, a red pepper, onions, and brussel sprouts. We drizzle them with olive oil and a little salt and pepper. We usually bake them for about 30-40 minutes. It just depends on how done you like your veggies.