Easy Sesame Salmon

I tried a recipe tonight & I knew I had to share it after one bite! Mr.Hooah & I like trying new foods, however, he is SUCH a Picky-Pete! When something is put before him (i.e. brussel sprouts), he acts like a kid & whines until I threaten "No dessert if you don't clean your plate" Joking Joking LOL. But on the other hand I am not as bold as he when it comes to going outside the lines of your basic meats... Mr.Hooah likes loves eel sushi, cow tongue tacos, swordfish & lamb. All I can think of when he gets lamb at our local Mongolian Grill, is a little white lamb "BAAAAAAAAAAAA'ing" its sweet little face off LOL! So ummm, no sirreeeee, NOT FOR ME! Needless to say, our fridge is always packed full of chicken, turkey burger, & steaks... we don't really do fish often & if we do, it's talapia, but I tried this salmon recipe a friend recommended & it was so delicious. I liked salmon before but THIS salmon, I LOVE!!! I cannot tell you all how much I love love loooooove asian food! (I'm not just stereotyping myself ither lol) The honey tones down the heat from the sriracha & the salmon was so moist & cooked perfectly in the 10 minutes it took to cook. I mean, 10 minutes, how stinkin easy is that?! This is definitely a winner for Mr.Hooah & I! We are going to make sure we add this to the next meal plan for sure! Hope you guys enjoy it too! (:

Easy Sesame Salmon 

1 TBSP Sriracha

1/2 c. soy sauce

1 TBSP honey

2 TBSP sesame oil

Salmon Steaks

Toasted sesame seeds

• Mix together all ingredients except the salmon and sesame seeds. 
• Marinate the salmon in the sriracha mixture for 3 or more hours in the fridge. 
• Pat salmon dry with paper towels. 
• Put toasted sesame seeds on a plate & press one side of the salmon into the sesame seeds.
• Bake on a foil lined baking sheet, sesame side up, at 425' for 10 minutes.

My Unhealthy Lemon Obsession

It seems like lately I have been unusually crafty. Time to do it is stretched tho because I run a small side business specializing in custom tutu's, bows, ACU keyfobs, embroidered beach towels, & custom embroidery for all the little cutie cakes out there (boutique type items but at a fraction of the boutique price!) The house stuff is coming along, we have finally gotten settled in!  I was looking online a few months ago & I ran across the cutest lemon wreath (I became obsessed with it lol), it was on sale for way cheaper than originally priced but still I looked around hobbylobby & other craft stores for about a week & picked up stuff to make one myself because I couldn't see myself paying even the sale price of $39+shipping for it, but every time it came down to getting fake lemons, NONE of what I found looked the least bit realistic so I would put everything back...so then, yes, I broke down & added that cute lil lemony wreath to my shopping cart & upon checkout, the total came to a whopping $79! PUMP THE STINKIN BRAKES YO! Those people have bumped their noggins, HARD! I went BACK to hobbylobby (I'm pretty sure the workers there know me by name lol) & I got a wreath & some floral that happened to be on sale & then went to DollarTree where I remembered they sometimes sold fake fruit & then badda-bing-badda-boom, my lemon wreath was born! I was also searching around for cute italian/french signs to make for my kitchen & BAM! I found an Italian lemon sign & knew instantly I just HAD to make it to go above the garage entry door to pair with my wreath in the kitchen! So here is where my inspiration for the 'lemon sign' came from, & now here is mine! Mr.Hooah stayed up with me because he had to break down a pallet, I finished around 5am so we call the lemons I painted, "The 5am Lemons" haha.

Herbs de Provence

2013 was a pretty great year, packed full of blessings for Mr. Hooah & I! But out with the old & in with the new, right?! I decided that I needed to keep up with my blog more & it definitely needed a face-lift so here we are! I changed things around a smidge & gave her a new look. Boy, did she need it! Now onto the point of this post...I don't know if I've ever told any of you how much I LOVE Herbs de Provence, so incase I didn't & just so you'll know now, I LOOOOVE it! I, like most NYR's (New Years Resolution, but in this case 'NYResolutioners'!!), I am trying to "health" up our life.. I already try to make everything I cook healthier & I swapped out ground beef for turkey burger & brown rice for quinoa (it is FULL of protein & healthier for you) a long time ago.. I just really want to start incorporating more fresh fruits, veggies, & etc. I have an amazing recipe for my favorite: Roasted Veggie Quinoa (The post for this coming soon!) that I found on Pinterest, along with a recipe for Herbs de Provence which I tweaked.. I guess it's the Italian-bone in me but I just love the herby-ness of this.. The oregano, basil, & oh man, the fennel! Smells so yummy when your mixing it all together! You can find this in stores but it is usually a little more pricey than I like to pay so I'm definitely down to make my own because most of these spices are ones that I have on hand already. I always say: A penny saved..... Then hear: "is a penny of mine that I never get to see because you spend all my money woman!" <--what Mr.Hooah always tells me if he hears me quote that! Haha! 

Herbs De Provence 

2 TBSP dried savory (if I do not have this, I just use a good dash of sage)

2 TBSP dried rosemary 

2 TBSP dried thyme

2 TBSP dried oregano

2 TBSP dried basil

(The basil & oregano, if I don't have single spices for that I just throw in italian seasoning, same thing!)

2 TBSP marjoram 

2 TBSP dried fennel seed 

2 TBSP parsley

Mix all spices together & store in an airtight container! 

Simple as that! 

 

(I save all my crystal light containers, just in case, & they come in handy like so...)

Happy New Year guys! I know, I know, I have been MIA..we have been all over, trying to finish up our house, Mr. Hooah being on leave & trying to shove two holidays into one with the family & all the hustle & bustle that comes along with the holiday rush, it has just been such a busy time. But, I have made it my NYR to try to be better at blogging & keeping things moving along, so I'm looking into making some changes here & bringing some freshness here too! I haven't forgotten about you guys, I still swing by & read all my favorite blogs & I hope you guys haven't forgotten about me & still check in here from time to time! XO.

Where I've been...& some GREAT pasta salad!

"Hello out there!?! HELLOOO?! Is any one out there?!"

*..I call out from the bottom of the dark hole I've been hiding in..*

Oddly enough, I just envisioned myself at the bottom of a hole & a guy saying: "It puts the lotion on its skin"...BAHAHA! Ok so, hopefully someone out there has wondered what I've been up to..."where have you beeeeen?...I've been every wheres man!" *in my best Rihanna voice* (haha love that song) Well, for those of you who were wondering about me, my life has been moving right along had the gas pedal floored & has seemed to be running at 120MPH! But moving on, no seriously, MOVING is exactly what we are in the middle of! We wanted to get a bigger house in a more private location (you know, a house that isn't so close to your neighbors that you can open your blinds & you can see straight into their dining room & feel like your sitting down having breakfast with them lol) & not so 'cookie cutter suburbs'. Just thinking about it made it happen because we actually have already sold our place to our newly wed friends so we don't even have to worry with putting it on the market! Out of 22+ houses, we only found one that felt warm & inviting that actually suited my our tastes..(Mr.Hooah said he sleeps in tents, or occasionally on the warm hood of Humvee's when its cold, & sometimes in the dirt for a living so anything with a roof would suit him...Thats the army in him talking lol!) It is totally adorbs & I LOVE that it is a two-story home! It is a bit bigger than our house now but that is ok, since it is a two level home, it breaks the space up & is much more spacious! And its all about what makes us happy & feels like home, right? So, after a little renovating & final finishes with the hardwood & tile flooring, Mr.Hooah & I will finally be able to move in! Thank heavens! Living out of packed boxes is absolutely NO FUN whatsoever! I hope that all of you sweet followers/bloggers out there are doing wonderful & haven't completely forgotten about me! I will be returning full swing as soon as we get moved, as I plan on having an 'Open House' on here for my family back home & thought maybe it would be something you guys might enjoy also! But as for now, I'm going to share a SUPER SIMPLE & FRESH pasta salad recipe that I got from a great friend of mine, who also happens to be an awesome armywife! Miss you Lex!!! This recipe would be great to whip up for July 4th or a great light dinner for the hot summer days ahead! Take care & keep an eye out for me within the next few weeks! I've sure missed you guys! (:

Mrs. O'malley's Chicken Pasta Salad

1lb. rigatoni or penne pasta
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1 TBSP. lemon juice (I used sprinkled however much I thought it needed)
1 sweet red pepper, diced or sliced.
1 head broccoli, chopped.
1/4 c. Basil Parmesan Vinaigrette dressing by Kraft
4 boneless chicken breasts, cooked & cut into bite size pieces
 (I cut into bite size pieces before cooking instead of after) 
Salt & Pepper to season chicken with before cooking

 The seasoning that I personally made up & use to season the chicken with is a mixture of the following by teaspoon: Onion powder, chili powder, garlic pepper seasoning, salt, black pepper & paprika.

• Boil water for pasta & cooked as directed.
• After washing chicken, sprinkle with chicken seasoning. Then dip chicken into lemon juice before cooking chicken...(I drizzle however much lemon juice I think it needs & cook it in a pan with a little EVOO until nice & browned/chicken cooked through)...When chicken is done, set aside to let cool.
• Cut veggies to size desired.
• After pasta is done, drain & rinse with cold water so it cools the pasta down. Then add chicken, veggies, Parmesan cheese, a little splash of lemon juice & dressing; mix together well then place in refrigerator to cool.

**When serving if it seems a little dry, mix in a little more of the dressing!***