It almost Looks Just Like the Picture!

I decided to make Polenta with Shrimp and Tomatoes tonight since I had all the ingredients on hand. It was super simple but very yummy! I managed not to overcook the shrimp like I tend to do and they were just super succulent! I also added a sprinkle of Old Bay to kick up the flavor and more red pepper flakes since we like things spicy. I was so proud of my photo-taking skills too cuz it almost looks like the picture from the website!

Mine

Website!

Sausage and Apples are Always a Winning Combo!

Tonight's dinner was inspired by this Sausage and Apple Stir-Fry. I used Trader Joe's Smoked Apple Chardonnay Chicken Sausage, which is one of my hubby's favorite. I thought they went really well with the apples and to kick up the flavors, I also added some cinnamon and cayenne. It was such a yummy dish and we especially loved the thick sauce on top of the couscous!

Finally, Korean Food at Home!

I've gotten pretty good at Thai, Chinese and Indian cooking but something about Korean food scares me. I think it's mostly because I don't have much experience with it and we usually only go out for BBQ which isn't easy to make at home without a grill. I came across this recipe for Korean-style marinated pork stir-fry and decided to give it a try. I didn't have the Chili sauce used in the recipe so I substituted with Sambal Oelek. I also used Kimchi instead of regular cabbage for more Korean flavor. The meal came out amazing and incredibly easy too! Now I'm starting to let go just a bit of my fear of Korean cooking!

After-Movies Indian Chicken

We got off work early yesterday, which of course made a long weekend even better! To take advantage of the extra time, I decided to marinate some Indian Lemon Chicken before heading out to the movies. We watched The Avengers (LOVED it!) and came home to an easy and yummy dinner! The spice mixture flavored the chicken perfectly and the yogurt kept the meat moist and tender. I can't think of a better way to start the long holiday weekend!

My BF wanted Chocolate so Chocolate it is!

My best friend Kat is visiting this weekend and I asked her what cookies she wanted me to make her. "Anything with chocolate" was her reply so naturally I made Double Chocolate Dream Cookies! Man, where these babies CHOCOLATEY! My entire kitchen smelled like the Chocolate Factory, which is not a complaint at all BTW! The office loved them and I know Kat will too!

What I've Been Doing in my Spare Time

I don't get a lot of spare time during the week but when I do, I love to be creative. One of my favorite outlets is pencil-drawing. I've done a few drawings in the past but as anyone who knows me knows that my hobbies come and go. Here are a few that I've been working on recently and I'm pretty proud of them!

Restaurant-Quality Thai Food at Home!

My hubby always talks about some ground pork dish that his coworkers order whenever they go to a Thai restaurant so I thought I'd try and recreate it for him at home. I found this recipe for Pork in Chili Sauce and thought I'd give it a try. I used canned chopped tomatoes and substituted Kaffir Lime Leaves for the lime juice for more authenticity. It came out REALLY good and my hubby said it tasted just like the restaurant! I served the pork over rice noodles since they're his favorite and it was definitely a yummy Thai dinner!