About Us

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Seattle/Tacoma area, Washington, United States
Thank you for visiting! We are Amanda, Tiffany, Lauren H, Lauren F, Danielle, Lisa, Meagan, Teresa, Emily, Cassie, & Bea. We are a group of women ranging in age from 27-32. 2011 marks the 5th Fall season of us getting together weekly, on Thursdays, to make dinner for eachother, talk about our kids, marriages, jobs, weddings, homes, weekends and so on. We travel as far North as Kirkland and as far South as Graham to visit each week...that's a total of nearly an hour of driving (not counting traffic), so that should show you how dedicated we are to "the cause" of having some girl time each week. A few of us are mothers and have planned our weddings. Our group also includes a dietitian, wine distributor & a few teachers ranging from elementary to high school. We are here to share our favorite recipes, update you on our girl talk each week, answer questions from experience and review products for companies and share our takes on them for the women out there just like us. Please feel free to contact us with topics you'd like us to cover or questions you may have. Our group e-mail is ThursdayGirlsNights@gmail.com Thanks again, The Girls

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Low-Fat Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

Dinner at Meg's a few weeks back was extra yummy. We obviously love our Mexican food.  I forgot to take notes as to our non-stop witty banter so you can ad lib for us here :)

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken was derived from www.SkinnyTaste.com (photo courtesy of a very popular blog, www.chef-in-training.com) Wow, how do we get to 5800 followers too? Not that it matters too much, we're seeing heavy traffic on our blog since Pinterest has come along. It's a win/win for sure. Here is your recipe...Delicious AND healthy!
CROCK POT SANTA FE CHICKEN

  • 24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
  • 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
  • 15 oz can black beans
  • 8 oz frozen corn
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
  • 3 scallions, chopped
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
  • salt to taste
Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot.

Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top.

Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours.

Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred.

Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning.

Serve over rice (extra pts)
Servings: 8 servings
Serving Size: 1 cup
Old Points: 3 pts
Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 190
Fat: 1.5 g
Fiber: 5.6 g
Carbs: 23.1 g
Protein: 21 g

Dessert was our choice of root beer or orange creamsicle floats. We wanted to relive our glory days :)
Enjoy,
AK

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup & Spinach Salad

While I'm waiting for a recipe from Meagan, I'll post our dinner & convos from this past week at my house. I've said it before and I'll say it again...hosting these girls is so much fun! I can't say that I don't stress about making dinner for 8+ people (not to mention for my husband and 2 1/2 year old little boy), but I am happy to say we have finally implemented a new system. The one to host dinner the week before is to bring dessert for the current week. Whew...one thing off my list...until next week :)


While I was putting the finishing touches on dinner I served a Baked Brie with candied walnuts, caramelized onions & apricot preserves. Sliced red grapes and sea salted water crackers along side. Sound familiar? If you have ever been to Purple Cafe & Wine Bar in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland or Woodinville (www.thepurplecafe.com) maybe you were lucky enough to have tried this delicious treat. I was so excited when I found this wonderful blog with the actual recipe (http://northwestnoshings.com/2008/07/07/oozing-with-cheesy-goodness/), which was donated by Purple to an amazing cookbook called Pacific Northwest Wining and Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia (by Braiden Rex-Johnson), which can be found on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Northwest-Wining-Dining-Washington/dp/0471746851/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334173258&sr=8-1


Here is the Brie recipe... (note, I wasn't in love with the walnuts so I used a recipe I found on allrecipes.com which is below)

Baked Brie with Candied Walnuts and Caramelized Onions
serves 2 to 4 as an appetizer


1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small white or yellow onion, very thinly sliced
pinch kosher salt
4 sheets phyllo dough
6 tablespoons clarified butter, melted
one 4-to-8 ounce wheel of ripe Brie cheese
1 ½ to 2 tablespoons apricot jam, or orange marmalade(note: stir or whisk jam/marmalade until is loosens enough to spread)
3 to 4 tablespoons Candied Walnuts (recipe follows)
Fresh fruit of your choice, such as red grapes, apple slices, or pear slices
Baguette slices or crackers

-Preheat the oven to 450F.
-Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the onion and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and golden., 25 to 30 minutes; adjust the heat if necessary so the onions don’t brown too quickly or burn. Set aside.
-While the onions are cooking, arrange the oven rack in the center of the oven. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- Lay the phyllo dough on a clean, damp kitchen towel on a dry work surface and cover with another damp kitchen towel. Lay a sheet of dough on the baking sheet. Brush the dough lightly with melted butter. Place a second piece of dough across the first piece of dough to form a cross shape and brush lightly with butter. Place a third piece of dough diagonally over the cross and brush lightly with butter. Place the fourth piece of dough diagonally over the third piece of dough(to form a “x” shape) and brush lightly with butter.
-Cut the Brie horizontally through the middle to form a top and bottom layer.
-Place the bottom layer of brie in the center of the phyllo dough.
-Brush with the apricot glaze, and arrange 2 to 3 tablespoons of the onions and the Candied Walnuts evenly over the glaze. Cover with the top layer of brie.
 -Form a beggar’s purse by gathering all eight ends of the phyllo dough, bringing them together over the top of the brie, and pinching them together until the brie is totally encased in dough. Brush lightly with butter, place the phyllo package in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour before proceeding to the next step.
-Cover loosely with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 8 minutes.
-Remove the foil and continue baking for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the phyllo turns golden in color.
-Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving plate. Arrange the fresh fruit and crackers around the brie and serve immediately.

Dawn's Candied Walnuts

Ingredients

  • 1 pound walnut halves
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (I omitted because it didn't seem relevant to the brie dish)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread nuts in a single layer over a baking sheet. Roast for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until the nuts start to turn brown and the smell of roasting nuts fills the kitchen.
  2. Stir together sugar, cinnamon, salt, and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, or until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage of 236 degrees F (113 degrees C). Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla immediately. .
  3. Add walnuts to sugar syrup, and stir to coat well. Spoon nuts onto waxed paper, and immediately separate nuts with a fork. Cool, and store in airtight containers.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup (originally found at http://utah.todaysmama.com/)

                                                      Photo by Clair Buys/BYU Magazine

Makes about 2 quarts (about 8 servings)

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
2 cups half and half, warmed (or skim milk if you’re trying to cut some calories)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

1.  Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.
2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.
3.  About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper.  Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don’t be afraid to always season to taste at the end).
4.  Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.


Cranberry-Avocado Salad with Candied Spiced Almonds and Sweet White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Courtesy of: http://thecafesucrefarine.blogspot.com/

I keep this dressing on hand at all times now. I've used it over a Chicken, Black Bean & Quinoa dish I threw together as well as a basic green salad. It's super versatile.


Ingredients for the dressing:
⅓ cup sugar
1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
1 ½ tablespoons sesame seeds
½ teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons dried mustard
1 tablespoon minced sweet onion
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup white balsamic vinegar
⅓ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil


Ingredients for the salad:
6 dinner size salads, 8 side salads

12 ounces baby spinach, arugula and/or field greens
1 small bunch cilantro, washed and dried, leaves removed whole from stems
2 medium avocados, peeled and halved
¾ cup dried cranberries
¾ cup Candied Spiced Almonds (recipe to follow)

Directions:
1. For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a pint sized glass jar and shake well to dissolve sugar.

2. For the salad, place greens and cilantro leaves in a large bowl. Add avocado and dried cranberries and about 1/4 cup of the dressing and toss gently. Scatter candied almonds over salad and sprinkle lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pass extra dressing at the table.

Candied Spiced Almonds


Ingredients:


5 cups sliced almonds, or a 1 pound package*
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin*
1-1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika* - some smoked paprikas are quite hot, if you don't like "hot", just use 1 teaspoon and they will be mildly spiced.
1 teaspoon vanilla
sea salt

*The cumin and the smoked paprika give just a hint of mysterious, delicious flavor - even though these are savory spices, these almonds are still wonderful served with sweets like ice cream or yogurt.

Directions:
1. Place a large sheet of foil on a work surface. Spray with cooking spray or rub a teaspoon of oil over foil with a paper towel.

2.  Place sugar in a large non-stick sauté pan and heat over medium heat , occasionally tipping and swirling the sugar until it is all melted into a pale golden syrup.

3. Lower heat immediately and add butter, cinnamon, smoked paprika and vanilla. Stir until well combined and all butter is incorporated into the sugar syrup.

4. Add the nuts and stir gently to coat. Don't worry if you have some clumps of caramelized sugar - they will melt as you continue to sauté the almonds. Cover and continue to cook on low, stirring every minute or so until almonds are a delicious golden brown. Watch very carefully as they can go from beautiful to burned very quickly! Turn out onto prepared foil and sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Spread out on foil to cool.
We chatted a lot about our families this past week. From growing them to marriages and other relationships within our own families. Lauren has 2 boys, Aiden & Isaac; Emily has a girl, Ellie; and I have my son, Wyatt. We try to get the kids together once a week or everyother week...maybe we should keep the ball rolling on this whole girls group thing and create a moms group as well (maybe we already have)...

Enjoy the recipes!
AK

Monday, April 9, 2012

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Nelle hosted us a few weeks back....yes, here I am trying to get caught up again. She always has yummy-ness to snack on before dinner. This particular day was Tzatziki from Cooking Light magazine (April 2012), slightly modified by her. Then we moved on to Wild Mushroom Risotto and a Spinach Salad.

After dinner the old photo books from these girls college days at Wazzu were brought out. OH. MY. HILARIOUS! It makes me both sad and extremely thankful I didn't go to college myself. These girls had WAY too much fun. Danielle, Meagan, Lauren, Lisa, Tiff & Teresa graced the campus of WSU back in the day and had the photos to prove they left a few memories. I actually met a few of these girls for the first time on a trip over with Tiff. Ridiculousness all around!
Here are your recipes...

TzatzikiIngredients
3/4 cup Greek yogurt (I like Chobani)
1/4 peeled and grated cucumber
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves minced
*Mix all ingredients in medium bowl, chill in fridge before serving with fresh veggies, crackers or pita bread

Spinach SaladFrom Danielle
Fresh washed spinach (maybe 6-8 cups)
Fresh washed arugula (maybe 2 cups)
Sliced baby portabello mushrooms (1/2 cup)
Chopped or cubed goat cheese (a lot!)
Chopped green onions (4-6)
Pecans
Crasins
*Mix all ingredients in large salad bowl, toss with homemade white balsamic dressing before serving.

White Balsamic Dressing6 Tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
Minced garlic (2-3 cloves)
Salt & pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients in small bowl and let sit for 10-15 minutes before tossing over salad

Gourmet Mushroom Risotto



Ingredients
  • 6 cups chicken broth, divided
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 pound portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • sea salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. In a saucepan, warm the broth over low heat.
  2. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid, and set aside.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet, and stir in the shallots. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed. Add 1/2 cup broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, chives, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.               

Enjoy!