Simple, Real Simple Recipes

You know the magazine, Real Simple, right?

Did you see in last month's issue, they featured a month of easy dinner recipes?  They have invited their readers to follow along with their staff and make the recipes- their staff will be blogging all about it.  I looked at the recipes, and since they are healthy and yes, easy, I have decided to try them out.  They even made a printable shopping list for each week!  I mean, this might be easy enough for even me!

All of their photos just look so pretty.  And just from a photo, you know the ingredients!  No creamy mystery sauces or veggies hiding in cheese.  Fresh proteins.  Fresh veggies.  Fresh herbs.  A natural approach to flavor, I suppose you can say.

My plan is to select one or two each week to try out.  I will only be making ones I think have potential to be made again and again.  Which means, they have to pass the kid-test.  And the lazy-chef test.

I thought I would review the recipes that I have made here.  Real Simple is a very popular magazine so maybe you already saw the "Month of Dinners" article, the gorgeous photos, but haven't yet tried them out.  

First up:  Tortellini with Butternut Squash, Mushrooms, and Fontina.

Recipe From Real Simple:

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash (2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 pound button or cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and halved if large
• 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
• 2 ounces fontina or Gruyère, grated (1/2 cup), plus more for serving

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450° F. On 2 rimmed baking sheets, toss the squash and mushrooms with the sage, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once and rotating pans halfway through, until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water; drain the tortellini and return to the pot. Add the vegetables, fontina, ¼ cup of the cooking water, and ½ teaspoon salt and toss gently to coat (add more cooking water if the pasta seems dry). Sprinkle with additional fontina

I was so proud- I tried my very best to follow all the directions to the T!  I did alter a couple of ingredients but only slightly.  I just used a package of pre-sliced non-fancy mushrooms.  I also used dried sage (rubbed sage to be exact) instead of the fresh because that is what I already had.  I probably over-seasoned the veggies, but man oh man, they were SO good.  

Kate's Two Cents:  Super easy.  Few ingredients.  Everyone loved it!  

Next time I will:  not mix the veggies until *just* before serving.  I felt like I was bruising the squash when I mixed it up.  

In case you wondered...it did not look like the picture!  I love the presentation of a meal just as much as the taste.  I think next time, I will show you the "real-life" pictures of what the dinners look like.  

{Tutorial} For the Love of Monkey Bars Shorts (aka Bike Shorts)

My daughter, Stella, loves the monkey bars!  To my shock, she is pretty darn awesome at zipping across them, too!  

She also happens to love wearing dresses.  

Which don't go well with being monkey-like.  

Enter...the *For the Love of Monkey Bars* Shorts.  

A few weeks ago, I saw an awesome tutorial to make leggings using just two pieces of fabric, at Make It and Love It - One of my all*time FAVORITE blogs.  That girl, Ashley, has THE best ideas!  Not only was this tutorial perfect because my daughter loves leggings, but I *needed* an excuse (and some encouragement!) to sew with my twin needle.

**Tip 1:  I chose an old shirt and used the bottom hem as the hem on the shorts.  One less step!  

**Tip 2:  I used the stripes as my guide for how long the shorts should be (ie hem should be at the blue stripe).

{Tutorial}:: For the *Love of Monkey Bars* Shorts

1.  Fold shirt so the side seams are on top of each other.  (See the sleeves up?)  Place the folded leggings (or your pattern) along the shirt fold and the hem of the shirt lining up with the desired shorts length.  2.  Allow room for your elastic.  3.  Mark/chalk the outline.  Remember to add seam allowance.  I used 1/2 inch.  4.  Flip the leggings over and do the same along the other fold.  Cut them out.  

5.  Pin two pieces right sides together.  Sew the pinned seams.  6.  Open up and pin the crotch/inseam together.  7.  The twin needle worked perfectly!  8.  Fold and pin casing for the elastic waist.  Sew and leave an opening for the elastic.  Feed elastic in, sew up...Done!

I found this Twin Needle Tutorial from Ashley at Make It and Love It and followed her directions.  But...I don't have the same sewing machine as her sooooo.....This is what happened when I didn't read the manual for my machine for using a twin needle.  Eeek! 

Apparently, it required more than just swapping the needle out and adding a spool of thread.  But after reading the directions it worked perfectly!   

I highly recommend reading your manual if you have never used your twin needle before.  

These "under shorts" or "bike shorts" can run $10-15!  And they are, pretty much necessary.  Mine cost $0.  I love $0.  

I suppose if Stella loved swinging as much as the monkey bars, I would have called these the "for the love of swings shorts".  But not the case.  She has only opted to wear shorts one time all school year!  I bet she is a sight to see- climbing and swinging and being all wild-animal-like in.her.dresses.  

Linking Here:

{Recipe} Fudgy Pumpkin Brownies (made with 2 ingredients!)

I wanted to call everyone I know today to tell them about these brownies!  

Because I made them with 2 ingredients.  Only.  Nothing else.  

I did not come up with this recipe.  My sister told me about it this summer.  And she got it from her co-worker.  It sounded too easy.  I just could not imagine how it would turn out.  How would it taste?!

Brownie mix + Canned Pumpkin = awesome fudgy brownies

I promise.

Just dump them in and mix.

I used a 13x9 pan and baked it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

(If you want thicker brownies, use a smaller pan and adjust time/temp.)

Ok, I will tell you, they are not cakey brownies at all.  They are a very chewy, soft, fudge-like consistency.  You know when you try to turn your recipes to fat free with applesauce and splenda??  OK.  Well not quite as weird-rubbery-chewy as those.  Think like brownie fudge- but less fat and calories and more fiber!

Pumpkin Brownie Love!!!!

Linking Here:

{Bucket List} Adding Four More Projects (#27-30)

Dear me!  My Craft Bucket List is really starting to grow.  Seems like I make one and add four!  How's that for productivity?!  

As you can see my ideas are all over the board- accessory, recipe, home-dec, and hair candy.  One thing they all have in common- they are all simple to make!  I should be able to knock these out soon.  right?    

#27.  Lotus Flower Pin
I came across this tutorial when I wanted to make lotus flowers for my friend.  It wasn't what I was looking for for the flower bouquet and it doesn't remind me of the lotus flower my friend has on her sign, but it is just stunning!  I want to make this for every cardigan sweater this winter!

Tutorial at Create and Delegate

#28.  Zucchini Fritters
I love zucchini!  And it is in season now.  These look so simple and would go with many different recipes as a side dish.  Can't wait to try them.

Recipe at Creating a Family Home

#29.  Bottle Cap Magnets
These are made with root beer caps.  I love root beer.  My husband loves root beer.  We also love cream soda.  After a long day we will sit down on the sofa and twist open a bottle of cold soda, put our feet up, and watch a little Modern Family.  

Tutorial at Let Birdz Fly

#30.  Felt Bows
Now we all know I am all thumbs when it comes to ribbon bows.  So why not try felt bows?!  My daughter lost two bows at school already.  I didn't know I had to keep a stash of reserves!

Tutorial at Sew Candid

And if any of my sisters are reading this if you ever see something you want me to make you for Christmas, let me know...bottle cap magnet, anyone : )  

Sometimes being a mom means:

1.  You don't get even ten minutes a day to do something that you want to do (blog, sew something, pee, etc.).  And that's ok.  I suppose.  

2.  Your kids are going to stress you out so much that you can barely think straight. You won't have the answer to the problem(s) but you are committed to finding them.  (and if anyone knows why my son is saying he misses me so much that he doesn't want to go to school, cries about it, and puts up a fight about it every morning- or how to fix this- I am all ears!).  I feel like I need a do-over of this week!

3.  Some days and weeks you are the dad, too.  You don't cower because the job is hard and you don't get a break, you suck it up and face it with guts and grit.  Put on your game-face, Kate!

4.  There is a plus side.  Somewhere.  Like, your two-year old is a sucky napper but by golly he is potty trained!  (Really, I have to choose between diapers or sleep?  Really?)

5.  Standards/Progress/Achievement are on a sliding scale.  Checking one thing off your To Do list is better than nothing- even if all it meant was sending a txt message (instead of calling) to RSVP for that birthday party.  Bills not yet paid, dishes still in sink, hair not fixed, and kid on lap now as I type because 58 minutes is all I got today.  But in addition to the RSVP text, I did get to eat a half-sandwich and an apple, look up some ideas for a possible GI Joe birthday party, collected a couple Bucket List ideas (to add soon) and share these 5 thoughts with you so you know I am still here.  

For example, #4:

Down side:  Everything that was in the drawer is now on the floor and I have to clean that mess up.  

Plus side:  He told me this was "blue"!         On the second guess.