Peanut Butter Cup Martini

$1.89 per martini 

Valentine's Day is coming up and I was trying to think up a yummy chocolate themed menu for my sweetie when I remembered this gem. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are one of my favorite treats, especially the mini's! So obviously this martini is a winner in my book. My Mom came to visit me last summer and she showed me how to infuse vodka. We tried our hand at several variations and I was the most concerned about the peanut vodka we were making. I wasn't sure how it would turn out. Pineapple vodka? Sure! Peanut vodka? Wait, what? 

However, all of my doubts were put to rest when we mixed up all the ingredients for this cocktail. I cannot even begin to describe how delicious this is -or- how it tastes exactly like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup!!! If you want to impress someone with your bar-tending skills or just love the peanut butter and chocolate combination, then you have got to give this cocktail a try!

***Side Note: Unless you are on a weight loss plan, you should never have 'forbidden' foods. Denying yourself will only lead to the desire to binge. The key is moderation; don't keep sweets and junk in the house but occasionally, it is just fine to enjoy a treat. How you define 'occasionally' is up to you. For me, it is less than twice a month but especially on my Birthday and Valentine's Day, this girl's got to have her chocolate!***

Peanut Butter Cup Martini  (serves 1)

2 parts Cream Soda
1/2 part Chocolate Syrup
2 parts Peanut Vodka

Peanut Vodka:
1 cup Unsalted Roasted Peanuts
2-3 cups Vodka

Place peanuts in a glass container with an airtight seal. Cover the peanuts with vodka so that there is about 1/2 inch covering the top. Fit with the airtight lid and store in a dark, room temperature place. Swirl mixture every day for 4 consecutive days. On the 4th day, strain the peanuts from the vodka and discard. Place the strained vodka in the freeze until ready to use.

Combine all ingredients in a chilled cocktail shaker, using a shot glass to measure.

Vigorously shake for 15-20 seconds.

Strain the liquid into a chilled martini glass. You can garnish with mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or if you have some Nestle Quick, you could rim the glass with that!

Get ready to be amazed!

Nutritional Analysis:

Per Martini: 210 calories, 0g fat, 20g carbohydrates, 0g protein

Fancy Roasted Pork Loin

$6.39 total / $0.64 per serving

This Christmas, my husband's family came to visit and I decided to make Christmas dinner. So of course, I racked my brain to think of what to serve as the main course. Last year I made a prime rib roast so I knew I had some big shoes to fill! I finally decided to make roasted pork loin stuffed with all sorts of yummy things like garlic, rosemary and parsley.

This roast is spiral cut and stuffed so the presentation is beautiful. Spiral cutting takes a bit of patience and a good sharp knife. My knives aren't the best so I got frustrated half way through; if you are like me, it's ok. Just take your time and go slowly. Eventually it will come together. There are a bunch of tutorials on youtube for the specific process if you are unfamiliar as well.

Nutritional Highlight: Parsley. I always thought parsley was a little useless and honestly didn't bother buying it if it was called for in a recipe. However, I've learned a few things. Parsley, along with other micro-greens, are really good for you! It adds a light, fresh flavor to your foods while providing Vitamin K, chlorophyll and a ton of antioxidants like Vitamins A & C for your body. 

Fancy Roasted Pork Loin  (serves 8-10)

2.5 lbs Pork Tenderloin
1/2 bunch Parsley
12 unpeeled Garlic Cloves
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp fresh Rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 tsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Butter
Kitchen Twine

Bring roast to room temperature for more even cooking. Preheat the oven to 325º and heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Toast the unpeeled garlic for about 6-8 minutes or until the outsides are browned and the garlic is fragrant - be careful not to burn them. Keep in mind, smaller cloves will need to be removed first. Cool the garlic and then reserve 2 cloves for later use. Peel the remaining 10 cloves.

In a food processor, add peeled garlic, red pepper flakes, parsley, olive oil and salt. Pulse until combined. This is going to be your filling for the pork.

Starting at about 1 inch above the base, slice into the pork with a sharp knife. Continue to slice the pork while rolling it away from the knife. You should be able to keep rolling the pork away from the knife until you have cut the pork all the way open. Generously spread the filling all ove the inside of the pork. Starting from the end, roll the pork loin back up gently as to not displace the filling. Secure the pork with a couple knots from the kitchen twine.

Place in roasting pan and cook in a 325º oven for 1 hour - 1 hour 20 minutes. The pork should register at 145º internally. Meanwhile, peel the remaining two garlic cloves and mince them. Combine the butter, sugar and garlic in a small microwave safe bowl. Melt the butter mixture in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

Once the pork is removed from the oven, brush the garlic butter over the top of the roast. Tent the roast with foil and let rest 15 minutes.

Slice and Enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis:

Per 4oz serving: 196 calories, 7.6g fat, 2g carbohydrates, 33.5g protein and over 15% daily value of Vitamin A, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Magnesium, Niacin, Phosphorus, Riboflavin, Selenium, Thiamin and Zinc

'Happy Wife, Happy Life' Eggs

$1.81 total / $0.91 per serving

Can I tell you something? I have the best husband. Fact.

Ok, Ok. I'm sure those of you who are married have pretty great husbands too. :)

Anyway, as usual, my morning was a little crazy due to assignment deadlines, class today and plans to meet with our House Church tonight. My husband and I sat down and had a little 'think tank' session on organizing our time so that I could get all of my activities done today without being completely overwhelmed and we could still spend time together.

As I sit in our office completing my first assignment, I hear Jake hustling and bustling in the kitchen. A little while later as I am typing away on our computer, he comes in and announces that breakfast is served. That was sweet enough. Seriously, I don't know how many times I've rushed off to campus and been famished by 2:00 because I forgot to leave time to eat! Well, Jake to the rescue. Not only did he make me breakfast, he made me the most delicious breakfast I've had in ages. Crushed it.

Nutritional Highlight: Steaming. By steaming the vegetables after the eggs are cooked you can maximize your nutrient intake. Instead of sautéing the vegetables on a high heat first, which can destroy heat-sensitive nutrients like Vitamin C and Folate, steaming retains the crisp texture of the vegetables while also preserving nutrients.  

Look at all of that yum!

'Happy Wife, Happy Life' Eggs  (serves 2)

5 Eggs
4 strips Bacon, sliced into 1 in. pieces
1 quarter of a Red Bell Pepper
1 quarter of a Yellow Bell Pepper
3 Green Onions, diced
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Brown the bacon over medium-high heat until slightly crisp. Drain off the fat and add the garlic, cook until fragrant - about 1 minute. Add eggs to the skillet. Scramble the eggs in the pan until almost cooked through. Add in the red pepper flakes and vegetables. Reduce heat and and cover to let vegetables steam - about 5 minutes. Add the cheddar cheese and mix well. Turn up the heat slightly while mixing occasionally to melt the cheese.

Plate up and enjoy!!!

Nutritional Analysis:

Per serving: 375 calories, 28g fat, 4.7g carbohydrates, 26.6g protein and over 15% daily value of Vitamin A, Vitamin B-12, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Calcium, Folate, Phosphorus, Riboflavin  and Zinc

Localize 2013

New Year's Resolutions. I don't know about you but I am pretty into making a list for things I would like to accomplish throughout the new year. I'm a list maker. That's what I do. For me, it helps to organize my thoughts and allows me to check up on my progress fairly easily. One of my biggest new year's resolutions for 2013 is to buy more food locally.

I filled up this entire bag with produce for less than $6 at the Community Co-op Market!

This has been a goal of mine for a while but it always seemed a little intimidating and out of reach. I really didn't know where to begin. After starting this food blog and meeting some people that were into the 'buying local' scene, I decided just to jump in and do it! I did a little research and found multiple food co-ops and farms through community supported agriculture in my area.

Community Supported Agriculture is great for people who want to pay upfront and have their groceries delivered at steady intervals throughout the growing season. Many CSA's will have options for produce, dairy and meat.

Food Co-ops are great for people who want to do some shopping themselves, have a bit more flexibility and a low starting cost.

For me, starting out with a food co-op is what sounded like the most convenient and do-able thing for my family. I decided to check out The Community Co-op because they have open markets twice a week as well as online ordering. They run on volunteer service to keep the prices low and annual membership of only $5!

I picked up my first 'share' from them this weekend. They have several options of online orders ranging from a standard share (pictured above) to individual items and other local goodies. I was amazed at all of the food I got for just $27!

I have been encouraged so far with the items I have received as well as how much money I have been saving. I feel like my goal for the year is much more attainable than I did a few months ago. Please follow along as I navigate this journey to buy my food locally. I'll keep you up to date with recipes as I eat more seasonally.

What local products do you love? I would love to hear any tips you have about buying local or eating seasonally as well!

With Love,
Jess