tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69587735650874985082012-01-21T22:46:39.899-08:00brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.comBlogger261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-84356785956351768632012-01-21T15:32:00.000-08:002012-01-21T22:35:57.173-08:00

Winter is here. I've continued to bounce back and forth between vegan and completely non-vegan recipes, mostly cause sometimes I feel like cooking different things. Well, this weekend I felt like making some soup...Ingredients1/2 large white onion, diced1 carrot, sliced in rounds 2 short celery stalks, sliced 3 red potatoes (feel free to use one less, or three small ones) diced -- these will be

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-53519198248738355612011-09-17T03:32:00.000-07:002011-09-17T10:07:18.236-07:00

Green bean casserole has been one of my favorite dishes for awhile. Obviously, it's a must have a holiday dinners. But I love taking it to cookouts, too, and I have been known to make a batch for me just to eat for several dinners.Recently a friend gave me a whole slew of green beans from his garden, and I haven't been sure what to do with them. So when a friend invited me over for a cookout, I

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-15755753001650381722011-09-15T09:26:00.001-07:002011-09-15T11:19:08.710-07:00

Very recently I decided to try a fully vegetarian diet with very limited dairy (so far, the only dairy I've eaten is feta cheese with my hummus). There are lots of reasons for this, but I think the best way I can put it is that I hope by intentionally eating good things, I will stop unintentionally eating crap (read: red bull and hot pocket for breakfast). I live in a city full of vegetarian and

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-1843962753687036522010-11-18T18:58:00.000-08:002010-11-18T19:36:08.813-08:00

Last week I met a nice fella who saw the state of disarray of my phone. He offered to bring me his spare phone back from Portland, and I took him up on the offer! But being in the cooking/baking mood I've been in, I offered to make his favorite pie. That happened to be lemon meringue pie, which I've never made...and I'm not even sure I've ever eaten it. *sigh* However, he also said he

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-21393540408280959162010-02-03T22:02:00.000-08:002010-02-03T22:16:57.565-08:00

Tonight I made sandwiches for my roommate, his friend, and myself. We were all pretty pleased with how they turned out. Of course, I don't have any pictures. First of all, I lost my Blackberry (temporarily), and secondly my new, real camera was in my purse, in my car and needing new batteries.Ingredients4 chicken breastsItalian dressinglemon pepper4-5 cups of cleaned baby spinach4-5 white

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-84069428602238334042009-12-17T21:45:00.000-08:002009-12-18T13:11:21.531-08:00

I have no pictures for this one, sorry!I had a friend over for dinner the other night, and in addition to a roasted chicken and mashed potatoes, I made roasted asparagus. To make it a little more fun, I decided to make a glaze out of orange juice and plum sauce. It was yummy.Basically I used the juice from 2 oranges (and then a little from the carton), dripped in some plum sauce and set to medium

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-5251233074815652092009-12-01T19:21:00.000-08:002009-12-01T20:16:30.530-08:00

*Sorry for the crappy quality of the pictures. My digital camera is broken, so all I had was my Blackberry. For Thanksgiving this year, I roasted a smallish chicken. Even after sending my guest home with a plate and eating a couple of lunches with it, I still had plenty of leftover chicken. I'm sure many of y'all had this problem with turkey. So I decided to try and make a spicy tomatillo

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-30626397486724709332009-08-31T10:41:00.000-07:002009-08-31T11:00:48.361-07:00

Right about this time of year all the random groups of bushes in Eugene start sprouting blackberries. It's awesome! In fact, yesterday on my walk with Luna at Elijah Bristow State Park, there was probably a good half mile of blackberry brambles all along the path. I've made blackberry muffins a couple of times, but yesterday's batch was so great. The people at work are raving about them.

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-79887495307311243982009-03-29T13:31:00.000-07:002009-03-29T14:00:30.130-07:00

I usually don't enjoy breakfast; the thought of food early in the morning is sort of revolting to me. But when I sleep in until 11:45, I wake up ready for a meal that is the size of lunch, but the flavor of breakfast. Today I wanted home fries and eggs with interesting ingredients. It turned out to be an amazing brunch, and I look forward to making it again in the future.ingredients2 eggs (the

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-61126285201643454722009-02-22T11:44:00.000-08:002009-02-22T12:09:49.609-08:00

Asparagus and tomatoes, or rather the lack thereof, are two more reasons to hate Winter. I guess if I was being optimistic about it, I'd say they are two reasons to LOVE Summer. But the lack of awesome tomatoes and asparagus in the wintertime is annoying, to say the least.However yesterday I got some amazing picks of these fruits and vegetables, and I decided to make a couple of REALLY easy

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-68605373254500863622009-01-18T19:02:00.000-08:002009-01-18T19:26:37.920-08:00

Having a cooking blog isn't just about sharing successes. It is also important to share failures. Not only does it keep a person humble, but it's a great way to spread the misery of a terrible meal. Perhaps someone can offer some advice on how to enhance this mongol-food of a meal.Granted, I have never really liked Chicken Piccata. I've received it by accident at a restaurant (honestly, I wanted

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-76327136625424824892009-01-13T20:50:00.000-08:002009-01-13T21:31:12.191-08:00

Baked chicken, pasta salad, and a peanut butter/honey/banana dessert. Baked chicken:4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts1 shallot sliced2 cloves of garlic, slicedFat free Italian dressingpeppergarlic powderoreganoPreheat the oven to 350. Arrange the chicken breasts in a cooking dish, so that there is not a lot of extra room (preferrably a smaller cooking dish).

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-10250104678267620892009-01-11T09:22:00.000-08:002009-01-11T09:49:11.501-08:00

This dish my favorite pasta dish, and I learned it from my mother. I rarely make it, because it IS fattening (cream, butter...need I say more), but it's SO delicious. My favorite part about it is definitely the sherry. I typically make enough pasta/cream sauce for one serving, but enough chicken for two. That way, I can use the leftover chicken for the next day's lunch. The cream sauce, as most

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-72123059456334590052008-12-15T20:20:00.000-08:002008-12-15T20:58:24.908-08:00

Today at work I held my granny smith apple in my hand and stared at it. I really wanted some apple flavor, but I didn't feel like just eating a plain apple. Still not quite sure how to solve this dilemma, I stuffed it in my bag and headed home early (snow today!).After I woke up from my nap, I still wanted the apple. I meandered into the kitchen.... saw my roommate's oatmeal sitting out. Apple

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-17499101561339818792008-12-15T19:42:00.000-08:002008-12-15T20:10:10.001-08:00

To thank my coworker for giving me her tickets to the Blazers game on Friday night, I decided to make some pumpkin muffins. She loves pumpkin treats, and muffins are *relatively* healthy and not as daunting as a pie. Everyone at work commented on how delicious they were, and I have to agree! I found the recipe online, made a few small adjustments and went on my merry way. * In every picture I

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-42926538809491780622008-11-23T19:09:00.000-08:002008-11-23T21:58:19.541-08:00

Although I made this pumpkin pie quite awhile ago, I thought it was an appropriate post as the day of pumpkin pies and turkey dies looms ahead. I should say that I got a lot of contradicting comments, compliments and criticism on this pie. Some people thought the amount of spice was perfect, others found it a tad overwhelming. Some people loved the cocoa hazelnut crust, but a couple preferred my

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-69256847302931709732008-10-28T19:16:00.000-07:002008-10-28T19:27:44.014-07:00

I could buy a pizza for dinner. Or I could get gas. Or pay my electricity bill. Or buy my dog food. It just seems like $15 is a little steep for a pizza that I won't even finish eating. So...I created a fast and extremely cheap alternative: Cracker Pizzas.ingredients (pay attention now... don't want to lose you in the list..)Saltine CrackersPepperoni slicesCheddar cheese (or mozzarella, provolone

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-73132753547097367312008-10-09T19:54:00.000-07:002008-10-09T21:17:05.410-07:00

It's time (up here in Oregon at least) to break out the jackets, turn on the heaters, and stock up on cold medicine. My roommate is getting over a throat infection/cold, my boss was sick with a cold and everywhere I'm hearing sniffles, coughs, and complaints of a cold. Today I started to feel a little stuffy and got that "impending cold" feeling in my head and throat. I had to act fast. I greeted

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-49764807376509967712008-09-30T11:48:00.001-07:002008-09-30T11:48:46.672-07:00

I've been reading a bit about Feng Shui lately. Here's a tip I received in my email.Dear Brooke,Here is your Daily Feng Shui Tip for Sunday, September 28"I think I love this time of year the best (I say that at the turn of every season though!). I love the crisp, cool mornings and how the days are starting to slightly shorten while darkness descends just a bit earlier each evening. And I love

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-9807323917635598692008-09-28T11:10:00.000-07:002008-09-28T11:24:36.165-07:00

I have had three chicken fried steaks this summer (well I guess it's Autumn now!). One at a Eugene restaurant, one at Babe's in Roanoke, Texas, and one made by me. The one in Eugene was AWFUL! I didn't even eat half of it! Everything about it was bad. The one at Babe's was good, of course, but it definitely lacked a "home-cooked" meal feel.But mine...mine was delicious. I really have to

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-12032819663535470982008-08-26T21:09:00.000-07:002008-08-26T21:37:32.869-07:00

Evidently I'm both blog lazy and pie crazy. I haven't had much access to internet lately, so I've been slacking on the blogging. However, with all that extra free time I have found a new hobby...pie making! I loved the apple pie so much, I thought I'd try out a strawberry pie. Considering I've never EATEN a strawberry pie....I think it turned out ok.To make the crust, I used the same recipe as in

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-1602569570369627022008-08-11T21:35:00.001-07:002008-08-11T21:44:27.577-07:00

On a hot Summer day, the craving for pasta is usually met with disdain at the thought of eating some steaming dish of noodles. A delicious and often healthier option to fettucine alfredo or spaghetti and meatballs is ...Pasta Salad!2-3 cups of Penne PastaBalsamic VinegarExtra Virgin Olive OilParmesan CheeseGarlicCherry or Grape tomatoesMozzarellaOrange Bell Pepper Boil pasta and two cloves of

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-45519361663503311982008-08-02T09:24:00.000-07:002008-12-08T15:39:13.083-08:00

Several days ago I finally ate one of the apples from the trees in our backyard. They're crab apples, which evidently some people don't like. But seeing as how I'm partial to the more sour apples, I LOVED them. I ate another one immediately. Then I began dreaming up ways I could incorporate them into cooking. And what better way than a homemade apple pie?!I've never made apple pie filling, let

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-9916328677464291802008-07-29T19:05:00.000-07:002008-07-29T19:27:15.537-07:00

It was one of those afternoons where there's no real food in the kitchen. I had some frozen chicken tenders, but I wasn't in the mood for those. I didn't want a sandwich, I didn't want this or that. I was feeling pretty restless.My eyes fell upon some cheese in the refrigerator, and I thought to myself, "Man...I could kill for some homemade mac and cheese."I only know how to make two kinds, one

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-54143088947640310142008-07-21T19:32:00.000-07:002008-12-08T15:39:13.260-08:00

I have never roasted chicken, and I was a little apprehensive as I approached this tasty option for dinner. All I had was a chicken breast, and since it's just me, that's all I really need.Ingredients:1 russet potato1 small white onion1 chicken breast (with bone and skin)2 tbsp butter2 tbsp olive oillemon juiceitalian seasoninggarlic peppersaltground peppershredded parmesan cheese (optional)After

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958773565087498508.post-34748541231478724352008-07-21T19:15:00.000-07:002008-07-21T19:30:17.006-07:00

I have recently started cooking for just myself. Being on a budget, I can't really go out to eat very much. I try to limit myself to getting food out just once a week. So then I'm left "fending for myself." Well, I don't do TV dinners. I am not a big fan of box dinners. I'm actually a very picky eater, so I find it's just easier to make whatever I know I will like.Cooking for one is always an

brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203698514018055028noreply@blogger.com0