what's for lunch this today: cucumber tea sandwiches.

when my five year old decided she wanted a little tea party for her birthday, i went into plan mode.  i'm the total nerd mom that loves to plan a birthday party.  i totally admit it.  sweet treats and cupcakes were on the list, but i knew i wanted elegant little tea sandwiches.  and i knew exactly where to look.

i love the show "southern at heart" on the food network; my daughters and i watch it online all the time.  damaris, the show's chef, is just the cutest thing.  she's southern, wears the best accessories and has the coolest kitchen goods like aqua mason jars for measuring cups and wooden twig like things for measuring spoons.  yeah, i kind of love her.

she featured a recipe for "benedictine" on a recent episode i had watched, and i knew i had to make it.  tangy cream cheese and fresh cucumber with a bite of red onion?  um, yes.

not only were these sandwiches cute, they were delicious.  i could not stop munching on them, and i kind of want to make them again just for myself.

any adults want to come over for a tea party?

here's the recipe.

cucumber tea sandwiches

* 1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded
* 8 oz. cream cheese, softened (please use the real deal... sometimes it's just not worth skimping, and this is one of those times)
* 1 1/2 T. mayo
* 1 1/2 T. finely chopped red onion
* salt and pepper
* 8 slices of whole wheat sandwich bread
* sprouts (I used pea sprouts; they are super cute and the leaves look like little hearts)

- in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine cream cheese and mayo until smooth, about 1 minute.

- add cucumber and red onion and mix until combined, about 30 seconds.  season with salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

- spread onto a slice of bread, top with sprouts and another slice of bread.  cut into triangles and serve.  they taste best on a pretty plate ;)

enjoy!

what's for dinner tonight {sausage&pepper sandwiches}.

my husband pretty much loves everything i cook. i mean, seriously. i could put a piece of cardboard infront of him on a plate and he would say he liked it. he's just not picky and so easy to please.

this is wonderful... and also tricky at the same time. because how do i know what he really wants for dinner? or which dishes are his favorites? such a quandary.

until these sandwiches. this is one of his frequently-requested-recipes. and not just because he's easy to please. but because they're really, really good.

we adapted this recipe from the neely's on the food network (how cute are they!?). when i was pregnant with bella this was one of my frequent cravings... which works out well because nick learned to make them on the nights that i was too tired and swollen to cook dinner after work. which makes them especially delish.

sausage&pepper sandwiches

* 1-2 T. olive oil

* 1-2 lbs of smoked turkey sausage or kielbasa (when we want lots of meat, aaaand lots of leftovers we go with 2... but you be the judge of what you want!)

* 1 red bell pepper, sliced

* 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

* 1 orange bell pepper, sliced

* 1 yellow onion, sliced

* 3 garlic cloves, minced

* 2 T. tomato paste

* 1 c. beer

* 1/2 c. your fav bbq sauce

* 4 whole wheat hoagie rolls

- preheat oven to 350 degrees.

- over medium heat, warm olive oil in a large pot. add sausages and brown on all sides and remove from the pot.

- add peppers&onions and saute until soft. add garlic. stir in tomato paste, beer and bbq sauce and cook for a few minutes. return sausage back to the pot. reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened.

- slice rolls and bake in oven until toasted. fill with sausage mixture and enjoy!

deeeeelish.

what's for lunch today {chicken salad wraps}.

one of the things i have *loved* about the blogging world is connecting with other women: crafters, cooks, wives, mamas, all of the above. connecting with strangers across the country, and re-connecting with old friends from high school, college or seminary days.

i have this friend, amy, who i love. we traveled together in a singing group in college (cedarville university... yes, it's in ohio... and yes, it's in a cornfield) and spent every other weekend together during the school year touring and doing concerts. we spent a week over spring break traveling to tennessee, georgia and florida to perform aaaand we spent eight weeks together in an 11 passenger van, worked two weeks of summer camps, put on concerts every night and stayed in strangers homes together. seriously one of my most treasured experiences of my life!

what i loved about staying with amy was that she and i were obsessed with collecting recipes and decorating ideas from our host homes. aaaaaand fast forward almost ten years, now we both have blogs where she share... you guessed it; recipes and decorating ideas :) (among other things...)

you must check out her blog! it is so great and she is super creative with ideas for your home along with being an amazing photographer, so her photos are fantastic! i'm always so impressed! she posted this recipe a few weeks ago, and i asked her if i could feature it on my blog. it looks delish and i love recipes that use things i already have on hand. check out this link to find the recipe, and while you're there... look around!

thanks, amy!!!!

what's for lunch today {egg white sandwiches}.

this is a lunch or breakfast meal... but i love eating it for lunch. i'm obsessed. last week i had one of these lil guys every afternoon before heading off to work. so good and so good for you.

my friend, holly, posts yummy pictures all the time of the healthy, good food she eats and last week she posted a snapshot of an egg white sandwich she made for breakfast. that's all it took. i came up with my own creation and paired with a grapefruit, it's the *perfect* lil lunch (or breakfast) for me.

here. you. go.

egg white sandwich

* 1 egg

* 1/4 of an avocado, sliced thinly

* 1/4 of a tomato, sliced thinly

* 1 slice of sharp cheddar cheese

* 1 whole wheat bagel thin (these are my newest obsession. only 110 calories and 5 g. of fiber per bagel. you can find them in the bread aisle at the grocery with the other bagels)

- spray a small skillet with pam and over medium heat, cook egg white until done. pull off heat, top with cheese and set aside.

- toast bagel thin. cut avocado and tomato into thin slices. when bagel is toasted, top with egg white&cheese, avocado and tomato. season with salt&pepper. top with other bagel slice. serve with fruit or a side salad (my favorite side? a pink grapefruit, of course).

i made these for nick&i for breakfast the other day and added some turkey bacon. super yum. save the rest of the avocado and tomato for another sandwich the next day because i know you will want another one of these (or... if you have a baby who is eating solids, avocado is a great food to cut into chunks and let your munchkin learn to pick up. bella loves it, so we share our avocado... mine for a sandwich, hers for her high chair tray... and hair, and nose, and ears, and the floor...wherever it may end up these days! you can also save the yolk from your egg to scramble up for your baby. my favorite baby food site: www.wholesomebabyfood.com suggests this as a good form of protein before your baby is able to eat whole eggs)

enjoy :)

what's for dinner tonight {pulled pork sandwiches}.

i'm not originally a texas girl, although i do enjoy occassional barbeque (thanks to my meat-loving-husband) and i LOVE, love, love pulled pork sandwiches. i actually had these growing up at a little cafe in the center of our town... yes, it's true...they have pulled pork sandwiches in maine. and they're good. i created a health-ier version made with lean pork tenderloin that is just as moist and just as delicious AND... you guessed it, done in a crockpot (as all of my favorite recipes are these days!).

as i've said before, usually when i'm inventing in the kitchen i don't pay attention to how much of what ingredient i'm adding... i usually just add, taste, add more, taste again. so... here is my best attempt at giving measurements for the ingredients. you may need to add/subtract according to your taste! have fun!

pulled pork sandwiches

*3/4 c. barbeque sauce

*1/4 c. ketchup

*1/4 c. white vinegar

*1/4 c. light brown sugar

*1/2 c. italian dressing

*1 T. soy sauce

*2 T. worcestershire sauce

*2 cloves garlic, minced

*1 lb. lean pork tenderloin, frozen

*6 whole wheat sandwich/hamburger buns

- whisk together the first seven ingredients in a small mixing bowl. place frozen pork tenderloin in crockpot, cover with sauce mixture. mince two cloves of garlic, toss in. cover, cook for 4-6 hrs on high or 6-8 hrs on low.

- when pork is tender and cooked, use two forks to help shred meat (it should fall apart!) toast sandwich buns and fill with pulled pork.

YUM. i plan on these making lots of appearances next year during football season on lazy sunday afternoons. serve with salad, veggies, beans or a healthy version of coleslaw. enjoy!