Our Week in the Kitchen: Feeling Creative (#3)

I'll be honest. I don't remember much from this week except for I felt creative in the kitchen and used what I had really well. When I can just whip up dinner without planning and use what I have on hand I give myself one giant pat on the back. It makes me feel confident and actually, quite responsible. I'm saying to myself, "Yeah, that's right...you show that grocery store you don't need to spend more money!" Another line that comes to mind is, "Yeah, you stick it expiration date! You ain't sneaking up on me no more!"

Red Pepper & Ranch Pasta 
This was a first-time concoction. I had a ranch dip packet, sour cream, farfalle pasta, and tons of veggies in the fridge. Bippity-boppity-boo and we've got pasta salad. It was killer warm and great over a bed of romaine lettuce.

Siracha-Sesame Meatballs with Asian Cucumber Salad from Kalyn's Kitchen
I'll admit, I subbed beef for turkey...but remember I didn't want to run to the store. I loved using up the last of my cucumbers from Jacob's Cove and finding a new way to use that awesomely-underused siracha! Again, can't speak enough of Kalyn's blog, I make her recipes all the time!

Caprese Salad
I love buying Mozzarella from Costco. It may not be the best Utah offers, but I enjoy it. The big perk is it comes in a 2-pack and I keep one on hand for anytime I want to bust out a Caprese Salad with my Jacob's Cove Heirlooms. Such was the case this week when I made my little sissy a caprese-a-la-becky and she loved it. I think I could drown in a pool of balsamic reduction. Couldn't you? Actually maybe we wouldn't drown, we'd just get stuck, right?

Brunch by Becky
I played bed and breakfast owner and served my lil' sis a great brunch full of honey-nut scones, herb-roasted red potatoes from the in-law's garden and made-to-order eggs. I even pulled out my fancy milk frother I got last Christmas for hot chocolate.

This week also included a much-needed trip to J-Dawgs for a polish and to The Awful Waffle (more on that later) for some great crepes and Belgium waffles. We also made room for a couple fend-for-yourself and leftover nights. I am going to slack on my baking updates because my mind is mush. I do, however, know that I probably made like five Tuesdays with Dorie recipes, two of which were brownies.

Check out my other Our Week in the Kitchen posts.