Chicken Sausage, Broccoli, and Red Peppers Pasta

I decided to try the Johnsonville chicken sausage that I've seen at the store because I had $1.50 off coupon. So how could I pass it up? I decided that I would try it with some bowtie pasta, along with some red peppers (a favorite of mine) and broccoli. I also paired it with another favorite of mine...alfredo sauce. I really liked this dish and thought it was the perfect combination of ingredients.

Now, I can't say this creation was all my idea...the picture on the front did have red peppers and broccoli on it, I just added the alfredo sauce.

I forgot to take photos as I went, so I just have one of the finished project.

Recipe:
2 c of bowtie pasta (or any pasta of your choice)
2 c of broccoli (I used the frozen kind)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/2 a jar of alfredo sauce (more or less, depending on your liking)
1 package of Johnsville Three Cheese Italian Chicken Sausage, cooked and sliced

1. Cook pasta in a large pan. As pasta is cooking, cook sausage according to directions on package. When the sausage is done, let it cool and then slice.
2. Slice bell pepper and cook broccoli half way (I used the frozen steamer kind, and cooked for 4 minutes, so it wouldn't get soggy).
3. When pasta is done, drain.  Add a little olive oil to the pan and cook peppers for 1 minute to soften pepper. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, until ingredients are well mixed and warmed.
4. Enjoy!

Organization Overhaul

Well I've been a little M.I.A. these past few weeks due to returning back to school. This past week was crazy adjusting back to my school schedule, which consists of 5:30 am wake up calls and early bed times. Due to this, it's been hard for me to find time to actually post things to this blog. I think I'll be fine after this week though. There is one thing that I love to do...organize. However, I find that I can let my organization go if I get busy or I simply find different ways to reorganize something. One thing I did get a chance to do this weekend was finally organize the hall closet and our utensil drawer. Both of these had been "organized" before, but were in need of a serious update. I found myself simply setting things in the closet instead of putting it back in the appropriate basket or not wanting to open up a lid to put the item back. The system just wasn't working anymore. And if it's not working...go ahead and change it. So, that's exactly what I did!

This is most of the closet before the organizing began.

First I took EVERYTHING out of the closet and put it in piles organized by product (face, teeth, hair, body, etc). I also made a piles for trash and donating. Once that was finished I looked at baskets I currently had and baskets I had just found in the Target dollar section. From there, I simply put everything from one pile into a container that fit well and organized them to fit on the shelf. I think it turned out beautifully, if I don't say so myself.

The white mesh baskets were $2.50 and the gray and white trays (they were actually paper trays) were $1.00. The rest I already had. That means the whole makeover cost $12.00. Not too bad.  There were other white baskets for $1.00, but I liked these betters. Anyway, now I can actually find things when I open the closet door. I absolutely love that feeling!

The next makeover was the utensil drawer. I absolutely can not stand this drawer and was at wit's end with it. I could never find anything that I wanted and often avoided it at all costs. I can not wait for our kitchen remodel when I hopefully have more space. Here is the before of the drawer:

As you can see, there was an attempt for organization with the white baskets, but it was not working out! So again, I took everything out of the drawer and separated everything into piles, including a trash and donation pile. I decided that I would no longer hold onto things I had not used in a long time, just in case I needed it one day. After everything was separated, I put in my two organizer drawers that I also bought at Target. This was a bit tricky, as they were a tight a fit and took some maneuvering. I actually broke the drawer, well made it come off it's track, but it would not go back on. I had to call Tanner in to help out (which is huge because I hate asking for help). After about 15 more minutes (the whole time I was panicking that all my hard work to organize may not happen) the drawer was good to go! So then, I put everything into its new home. While I like it, I'm not sure I absolutely love it, but it is definitely an upgrade from before. So here you go, for your viewing pleasure...

As I said, it was a tight fit and is definitely an improvement from before. 

So, there you go...a little organization from 7907. What are some of the things you've organized lately?

First Meatless Monday, I Mean Tuesday, is a Success

One of my goals this year is to eat vegetarian at least one time a week. When I shared this with my sister, she suggested Meatless Mondays, which is what her family does. I figured it was catchy enough and I would give it a try. This also helps me with another goal-to try a new recipe each week. I've been searching Pinterest and blogs friends have suggested for yummy looking vegetarian recipes and have found several. I'm super pumped to make them all. 


I found the following recipe for "chili" stuffed peppers on Fat Free Vegan Kitchen and was anxious to make this my first recipe for Meatless Monday. However, yesterday I was too full from my late lunch with my sister that Tanner and I decided to postpone dinner to tonight. I again followed the recipe as stated on Fat Free Vegan Kitchen, except I added cumin to the mix. I absolutely love cumin and look for anytime to add this spice to anything. This recipe was a huge hit at 7907, causing Tanner to even go back for more! This is definitely a recipe I'll be making again, after I try all the other tasty vegetarian recipes I've already found.


Chili-Stuffed Peppers 


Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 large portabello mushroom, diced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, minced (or more to taste)
• 1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed well (or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans)
• 1 1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• 1 15-ounce can can fire-roasted tomatoes (I used tomatoes and green chilies instead)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder* (or more, to taste)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 red bell peppers
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Ingredients

1. Heat a large non-stick skillet or saucepan. Add the onion and cook, stirring often until it softens, about 4 minutes. (Add a splash of water as necessary to prevent sticking.) Add the mushrooms and jalapeno and continue to cook until mushrooms soften.
2. Add black beans, corn, tomatoes, and seasonings. Cook for a few more minutes to allow most of the tomato liquid to cook off.
3. Preheat oven to 400F.
4. While the chili is cooking, prepare the peppers by cutting them in half through the stem end, removing the seeds and membranes, and rinsing the insides to make sure all the seeds are out. Check to see if they will stand upright, and if not, peel a strip off of the back side. Oil a baking dish big enough for the peppers (or line it with parchment paper). Fill each pepper half with the chili and place it in the baking dish. Bake until peppers are tender, about 40 minutes.
5. Sprinkle each pepper with sliced green onions and serve hot.

Finished Product:

We didn't quite have these as vegan peppers...we added sour cream and cheese to the top of these and it made them oh so delicious! Definitely a must if you aren't looking for a vegan version.

Breakfast Bites are a Big Hit at 7907

In my attempt to find new recipes, I have been searching Pinterest for new ideas. I came across this simple breakfast recipe, Breakfast Bites, from The Little Birdie Blog. I love breakfast food, but I do not enjoy making it. I often beg Tanner to make me omelets on the weekends or even better, convince him to go out. After looking at this recipe, I thought it was simple enough and even better, you can save them and reheat them throughout the week...perfect! So this morning I woke up and decided I would give the recipe a whirl. I followed the recipe the exact way it was presented on The Little Birdie Blog. Tanner and I sat down to enjoy my hard work and the verdict was...they were good, but were missing something. I added some salsa to mine and more pepper. As we were eating them, I told Tanner I thought they would be better with green peppers and onions, to which he agreed. I had leftover hash browns, so I quickly mixed up another mixture (this time only making 6 bites) and they were amazing. The green pepper and onion gave them the extra kick that they needed. This is definitely a recipe that I will be making again with the added peppers and onion.

This afternoon I met my mom and sister for lunch before my sister took off to fly back to California. I told them about my new recipe and my sister talked about how easy it would be for her to make them for her husband and daughter and change the ingredients to meet their individual taste preferences. This was much more appealing to her than the casserole she currently makes. My mom also thought they would better if lined with cupcake liner. After making two batches I agree because a lot of the hash browns were left on the bottom of the pan, despite spraying it down. I think the next time I make them, I will take my mom's advice and use cupcake liners.

Here's the recipe. Sorry the pictures aren't the best. I had to use my iPad because I can't find the USB cord to my camera.

Breakfast Bites

Ingredients:

• hash browns (I used plain, but the southwestern ones would be good)
• eggs
• cheese (I used cheddar and colby jack)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (or oil of your preference)
• bacon (8-10 slices or bacon bits, which is what I used)
• green pepper (1/2 pepper, chopped)
• onion (1/4 onion, chopped)
• salt 
• pepper

Ingredients from the first round, all that's missing is the pepper and onion

• Preheat oven to 425. Spray pan or place liners in pan.
• Mix the hash browns, oil, salt, pepper, and 1/3 cup of cheese.
• Put mixture into the cupcake pan, filling it to the top. I had leftover hash brown mixture and ended up making 6 more bites with it. If you don't want that much, I would consider only using 20oz bag.

• Bake for 15-18 minutes, until hash browns are golden brown.
• Remove from oven and reset temperature to 350.
• Break an egg into each cup. On some I ended up using one egg for 2 cups, it's up to you though. Break the yolk up a little bit.
• Add your other ingredients: bacon, green pepper, onion. You can also use different meat or vegetables, that's the great thing about this dish.
• Top with cheese.

The half with the cheese is what it should look like before you place it in the oven.

• Place in oven and bake for 14-17 minutes, until eggs are as firm as you would like.
• Remove from oven and let cool. Slide knife around edge to remove.
• You can add salsa or whatever toppings you would like.

Finished project from round 1

Hope you enjoy these bites. I'd love to hear about ingredients you add to these bites and how they turn out for you. 

And We're Off...A New Year Full of Lots of Changes

So I finally did it...I started a blog. I figured if I was going to do it, it should start on the first day of 2012. I've thought a lot about what I want my blog to be about. Crafts I've started making due to my Pinterest obsession, adventures in home ownership, recipes I love/want to try? Why not a combination of all three? So that's what this blog will be about...all things happening at our wonderful home, 7907. 


So what is happening at 7907 you ask? Today was full of lots and lots of resting due to a fun night out last night (and football for Tanner). Nothing very exciting today. Between my resting though, I thought about what I wanted to try out in 2012. Now, I'm not a big New Years resolutions girl, but I do have some goals in mind that I want to try. Some of the things I'm hoping on doing this year include: trying at least 1 new recipe a week, eating vegetarian meals once a week, seriously using the treadmill/fitness tips I've posted on my Pinterest board, and finally updating our kitchen (a huge task that I want to accomplish this year). I also wanted to start a blog and figured if I started one, then I would have to post things on it and it would force me to keep up on my goals. So far, 2012 is off to a great start. What about yours? What are your goals/resolutions for 2012?