Snow Day!

So the entire city of Milwaukee and many surrounding areas had a snow day yesterday! It was actually a lot of fun! Since I don't have a job it was just like any other day, but this time Evan was home and so were my cousin Nicki and her boyfriend Andy! I woke up to Evan and Andy outside cleaning up all the snow! We got 20+ inches of snow from Monday to Wednesday morning. It was nuts! Our back door had to be pushed open cause so much snow was piled up outside it. Nicki and I were able to get in a good workout to some workout DVDs, which was also a plus! Towards the end of the day Evan and I went to my mom's house to help her dig a path on the back patio...which had about a 4 foot drift on it. I was able to play with our dog Kaya in the snow and she had a blast! Her are some pictures of the snow.

This was our house in the morning!

These are some cars down the street! I felt pretty bad for these people :(

I am standing on my Mom's back patio here and the snow is up to my waist!

Kaya catching snowballs

My baby and I

The snow day was so much fun! I decided to make Chicken Piccata for everyone last night and it was amazing!! I got this recipe a while ago from my cousin Kim who lives in Kansas. I made it once when I got the recipe but had not made it again until last night. I used chicken tenders instead of whole chicken breasts. I did this because I didn't want to cut and pound out the chicken! The tenders worked great and I would probably do it this way again!

Chicken Piccata
by Kim Litscher

Ingredients:
4 chicken cutlets (or chicken tenders)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon capers
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
fresh lemon slices
salt and pepper
flour



Directions:

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Coat with flour. Spray skillet with non stick spray. Add oil to skillet and heat over medium heat. Saute chicken 2-3 min per side. Transfer to a warm plate. De-glaze pan with wine. Add garlic, cook for about 2 minutes. Add broth, lemon juice, and capers. Return chicken to pan and cook each side for 1 minute. Transfer to serving plates. Add butter and lemon slices to sauces. Once butter melts pour over chicken.

Prepare For The Snow!

It has been a pretty exciting week here in Milwaukee. We were expected to see up to 28 inches of snow from Monday to Wednesday....I think for once the weatherman was right! On Tuesday morning we woke up to a little bit of snow...but not a lot. We were expected to get the most snow on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. So I went to the store and decided to get some things for dinner. My friend Carly posted a meal on her blog ( http://carlyskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/01/best-meal-ever.html) a few weeks ago and she raved about it so I thought since I had the time I would make it. It was a ton of work...but totally worth it! The recipe is from Ina Garten. If you would like the recipe you can see Carly's blog but here are some pictures...

I also made the beans and garlic potatoes!

Evan is saying, "Don't take that picture!"

I also decided to make Ina's Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp. Evan is always asking me to make Apple Pie because he loves it so much, but I have to admit I am not a huge fan of Apple Pie. I decided since I had all this time because of the snow I would make Ina's crisp because she always makes it on her show and it looks so good.

It was delicious and with a little vanilla ice cream it was even better! I invited my cousin Nicki and her boyfriend Andy down for dessert also...they loved it too!

Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp
by Ian Garten

Ingredients:
5 Pounds apples
Grated zest of one orange
Grated zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound cold cubed butter

Directions:
Preheat over to 350* and butter a 9x14 baking dish.
Peel, core, and cut apples into large wedges. Combine apples with zest, juices, sugar, and spices. Pour into dish.
To make topping combine flour, sugars, oatmeal, salt, and butter in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low until mixture is the size of small peas. Scatter evenly over apples.
Place crisp on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour until top is brown and apples are bubbly.

Hope you enjoy this recipe! Tomorrow I will have snow pictures and a delicious Chicken Piccata Recipe!

A Conversation with Bethenny!

I have to admit, I am totally obsessed with "The Real Housewives." All of them! But one of my favorites is New York and I love Bethenny Frankel! I have read both her books, "Naturally Thin" and "The Skinny Girl Dish." Soooo when I found out she was coming to Milwaukee to do a show I was pumped! I bought tickets as soon as they went on sale!

The show was awesome. She pretty much sat on stage and chatted about her books, her life, and everything she lives by. But the best part was that she really did have a conversation with the audience. She is totally down to earth and I love her even more!

Here are some pictures from the night. Sorry no recipe with this post but I have a good one for tomorrow!!

My friend Andrea went with me!

Grilled Salmon with Citrus Salsa Verde

For Christmas I recieved many cookbooks. One of the books I got from Evan's family was Giada at Home. I decided the other night that I wanted to make dinner from her book. The meal was amazing and I can't wait to make it again! The salsa verde that goes on top of the salmon could be used for so many things, it was so good. Hope you enjoy this recipe!

Salsa:
2 large oranges
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1/4 cup olive oil (I used a little less)
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 scallions finely sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (cut down on this is you don't like a little "kick")
Salt and pepper

Salmon:
Olive oil to brush on the grill (I used a grill pan since it is too cold to grill outside)
4 (5 oz) skinless salmon fillets
2 tablespoons agave nectar
salt and pepper

For Salsa: Grate 2 tablespoons zest from the oranges and put it in a medium bowl. Peel and trim the end from each orange with a sharp knife. Useding a paring knife, cut along the membrane on both sides of each segment. Free the segments and place on cutting board. Chop the segments and place them into the bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, scallions, mint, capers, and red pepper flakes. Toss lightly and season with salt and peppe. Set aside.

For Salmon: Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a grill. Brush the rack or pan with vegetable oil to keep the salmon from sticking.
Brush the salmon on both sides with the agave nectar and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side, until the fish flakes easily and is cooked to medium. Transfer the salmon to a plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Spoon the salsa verde on top of the salmon.

Enjoy!!

Welcom To My New Blog!

My name is Lindsey DeStefanis and I wanted to welcome you to my blog. This first post is going to be a little background about me and what I am all about.


I started this blog because I have a friend whose blog I check every day and I get so excited when she puts something new up. I wanted to have a place where I can post pictures and recipes of the delicious food I make.


I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and I couldn't love it more! The best part about living here is that mostly all of my family and friends live here and they are a huge part of my life. My fathers side of the family is Italian and let me tell you we are all very proud Italians! I love Italian food but I don't cook it as often as you might think. My mother is not Italian but growing up she was always making Italian dishes. I think I get my drive for cooking from both my Grandmothers. My Italian Grandmother (Nana Nina) was always cooking savory dishes and Sunday dinners were the best! My other Grandmother (Grandma Issie) was always baking or canning pickles! I definitely got the best of both worlds and I enjoy experimenting with many different things.


Just to give you a little idea of who I am and what I am all about I wanted to tell you a little about my life. I am 24 years old and though that might seem young to some people I have definitely been through my share of triumphs and struggles. I am extremely close to my family and friends and I don't know what I would do without them! I have an older brother, Bryan, who lives in Napa, California and of course my mother who lives here in Milwaukee with me. When I was 15 years old my father lost his battle to cancer and it was a very hard thing for me to deal with. Because of that tragedy I decided to become a nurse. I recently graduated from Nursing School and I am still in the process of looking for a job. I live with my boyfriend of six years, Evan. We rent the bottom half of a duplex from my cousin and her boyfriend who live upstairs. That might sound overwhelming to some, but the four of us have a blast together and I have always been extremely close to my cousin! Right now in my life the most important thing is my job search but I also have a lot of time for trying new recipes and I can't wait to share them with you!

My brother Bryan, Me, and my Mom

                

                 Evan, Me, and my cousin Nicole and her boyfriend Andy who live above us!

My best friend Carly who inspired this blog. She lives in Utah but is moving to Chicago soon and I can't wait!!!!!!!

Me and Evan <3