Quick Update and Ice Cream Cupcakes!!!

Phew we have been busy here at the Bright household. Can you believe hubby only has three weeks in the academy left? It feels like just yesterday we were starting out on this completely unfamiliar path and now it is almost at its end. I guess time really does fly when you are having fun (err something like that.) We are both really excited and a little nervous about this next step but it has been a long time coming and it is such an exciting new journey.

At any rate, with the end in sight we have been busy prepping ourselves for the impending 24 hour shifts. Since we aren't going to be seeing each other as much we have been trying to squeeze in as much time together as we can until then. That means less cooking and crafting but some invaluable togetherness I wouldn't exchange for anything.

Though I did find some time to whip up some AMAZING cake batter ice cream cupcakes for my co-workers birthday on Friday. 

 

BBQ Pulled Pork Mac N' Cheese

If that title does not have you drooling you may want to check your pulse because you might be dead. Seriously, I am drooling just thinking about it. Cheesy delicious baked mac 'n cheese is a thing of beauty all on its own. So is smoky tangy bbq pulled pork. Put the two together? Well that's just magic. This recipe takes a little while (we usually start the pork Saturday night and make the rest for Sunday dinner) but it is well worth the effort. Marinate the pork overnight then slap it in the crockpot in the morning. By dinner time you will have comfort food to die for.

 

 

Cracked Pepper Cheddar Bacon Biscuits

Yesterday Hubby and I spent the day shopping in Annapolis. We went to the Amish market and perused all of their Easter chocolates and candies. Then we headed to a nearby shopping center and picked up a few books for myself and some video games for Hubs. Finally we ended up at our favorite organic grocery store for some goodies. While we were picking out what to make for the week we ran across these frozen biscuits that sounded amazing. They were peppered bacon biscuits with cheddar and they looked to die for. But at $30 for a box of eight there was no way I was going to get them. A simple peek at the ingredients though, and I was pretty sure I could make them at home. Hence, these babies came about:

Recipe: Soy Sauce Eggs

 Today I am bringing you a quick little side recipe for my take on Soy Sauce Eggs (or shoyu tamago if you are feeling authentic). Soy Sauce Eggs are delicious briny boiled eggs that you can add to you ramen (which is my favorite) or snack on all by themselves (which is more hubby's cup of tea). Usually all you would need is soy sauce and some hardboiled eggs but I like to step mine up a notch with salty bacon and fresh onions and chives.

Replica Recipe: Coco Ichibanya Chicken Curry

When Adam was in the military he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan for a year. He talks about it constantly. How amazing the people are, how beautiful the beaches look, how fun the nightlife is, but mainly how delicious all of the food is. I have never been, but it is definitely on our bucket list of places to visit together. 

Now you have to remember that while hubby was stationed in Oki he was a mere 19 year old Marine. He was in a foreign country, working ridiculous hours, and was a teenaged male so he wasn't exactly eating at Michelin star quality joints if you get my drift. So when I say he talks about how delicious the food is I mainly mean he babbles on about how great their curry houses were. One in particular comes up a lot in conversation and that is Coco Iichibanya (heads up that link is in Japanese). 

From what I can gather from him and a few of his Marine Corps buddies many late nights after work or after a few rounds they would head over to the curry house and order up huge plates of cheesy chicken cutlet curry. We are talking plates covered in sauce and ooey gooey melted cheese over crispy fried chicken. What's not to love? Anyway, I have been hearing about this place for the past eight years and have been trying to replicate it to his memory ever since.

We found a few recipes in our searches and (according to hubby since I have never been) this is the closest replica we can find. The sauce doubles or even triples really well you just need to adjust your times for sweating the veggies accordingly.

Halloween Memories

Don't worry you are not reading the title wrong and you certainly didn't click on the wrong date. 

Considering how much time I have to make up for here (and how stinking cold it is outside) I have been spending some time going over and organizing old photos. 

Like this gem of my two boys:

Chicken Cordon Bleu ala Brights

I'm a big fan of well used recipes. Recipes that you learned years and years ago that you know so well you can throw them together without even thinking about it. Meals that over time have become a staple of your household. 

This is one of those recipes for me. Chicken Cordon Bleu is a classic french dish and it is easy to see why. Chicken, ham, melted cheese? Sold. Plus it is way easier than is seems so it is a great dish to pull out when you want to impress but don't want all of the stress.  We update the classic a bit by doing away with the old swiss and kicking up the ham. 

Cajun Mac and Cheese

We're big Mac and Cheese fans in this house. Soft pasta, ooey gooey cheese, what's not to love? We are always on the lookout for new ways to spice up a favorite recipe. We came across this recipe by Rachel Ray and decided it was worth a try.

Quick and Easy Spicy Sausage Alfredo

Whew! This has been one hectic week and I have been horrible about keeping this updated! Adam and I have been busy running around from one thing to the next so we haven't had a ton of time to ourselves or to try out anything too terribly new or exciting. 

One of the biggest draw backs of being as busy as we have been is that it doesn't allow for a lot of home cooking time. I don't know about you guys but when I am tired and stressed out the last thing I want to do after work is spend a lot of time in the kitchen (or on the dishes after.) So a lot of times we find ourselves eating out or grabbing something on the go.  Neither is what I would call... healthy or doing any favors for our waist lines. We've been trying to get better about making more time for ourselves and taking better care. We've started a new (butt kicking) workout plan and eating approach. I don't want to call it a diet because that's not really what it is but we certainly are making some changes. Absolutely no fast food and we will cook from home whenever possible.

We started by sitting down together and making a menu for the week. We fit in some new things we were looking forward to trying but haven't made the effort (mole anyone?) and a few favorites (Shoyu Chicken!). We planned around our schedules and even plotted for the  inevitable days that we won't feel up to making a big dinner or a big mess to clean up. Which is how we came up with last nights super tasty super easy pasta: