We are the girls of Ohio. This is a blog dedicated to our friendship and our latest homemaking discoveries. We hope you enjoy!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Lemon-Butter Salmon & Broccoli Penne

Here are a few recipes that I have recently posted on my blog,
they were very yummy and very healthy!
Enjoy.



Lemon-Butter Salmon & Broccoli Penne
Adapted slightly from Fitness Magazine

2-3 Salmon Fillets (salt and peppered)
3 cups of dry whole-wheat pasta or multi-grain
2-3 cups of cup up Broccoli
1 tbsp of butter
1/2 cup low-sodium Vegie broth
1 lemon juiced and zested
2 tbsp of corn starch mixed with 1/4 cup of the Vegie Broth
2 garlic cloves, minced

Make it: broil or Grill Salmon for about 8 minutes or until done.
Cook Pasta according to package directions. When pasta is almost done add broccoli and cook another 2-3 minutes.
Whisk together melted butter, broth, lemon zest and juice, and garlic in a saucepan. When slightly boiling add the cornstarch mixture. Cook until thick. Toss the sauce with the drained pasta and broccoli. Serve pasta and add Salmon to the side or on top. I also like to add some Parmesan Cheese on top of all.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken with Roasted Vegetables


Garlic Parmesan Chicken with Roasted Vegetables
Adapted slightly from Fitness Magazine

4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese
4 tsp. olive oil
3-4 Chicken breast
4 cups chopped vegetables
( 1 cup broccoli, 1 cup sweet potato, 1 cup red or yellow bell pepper, 1 cup other zucchini)

Make it
: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix together 2 of the minced garlic cloves with the cheese and 1 tsp of the olive oil. Pat the garlic-cheese mixture onto chicken and place in baking dish. Toss cut up vegies with 3 tsp. of olive oil and the other 2 garlic gloves and salt and pepper. Put the vegies around the chicken in the baking dish. Cook for 20 -30 minutes until your chicken and vegies are done.

Firehouse Turkey Chili


Firehouse Turkey Chili
Adapted From Shape Magazine

Ingredients:

-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 large clove garlic, smashed (I used 2 large cloves of garlic)
-1/2 cup chopped scallions (green onions)
-1/2 pound ground turkey (I used 1 pound of ground Turkey)
-2 tablespoons chili powder(I used only 1 Tablespoon and it was just perfect for our families taste)
-1 large can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
-(I also added one small can of V-8 juice for extra liquid)
-1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I used Organic canned Kidney Beans)
-1 medium red bell pepper, diced
-1 cup carrot, diced
-1/2 teaspoon brown sugar ( I put in 1/4 cup to make the chili not so hot)
-salt to taste

Directions:

*In a large saucepan heat oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Toss in garlic and all but 2 tablespoons of the scallions and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.

*Add turkey and continue to cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cook for 1 more minute. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, bell pepper, carrot, brown sugar, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat.

*Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Divide among 4 bowls and garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of scallions. Top with nonfat sour cream if desired. (I also served the Chili with Organic Corn Tortilla Chips, Kirkland brand from Costco)

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 23 minutes

Nutrition Score per serving: 1 cup: 268 calories, 9 g fat (27% calories), 2 g saturated fat, 40 g carbs, 17 g protein, 11 g fiber, 106 mg calcium, 6 mg iron, 789 mg sodium

Monday, March 2, 2009

Laundry Essentials

One of my obsessions is making sure every stain is out of our clothing and that our clothes smell good. Here are a few tips that help me keep all of my laundry clean and smelling good.
*Note: I always use these in addition to my laundry detergent.



Rubbing Alcohol is a life saver in my house! My kids love to color with markers and pens and their clothes are constantly getting drawn on. Solution: Pour a little rubbing alcohol directly on the ink marks and toss in the washing machine and it comes out as good as new.


My family is frequently getting grease spots on their clothes (either from working, playing, cooking, or newborn spitup). Solution: Pour a small amount of dawn dish soap directly on the oil/grease mark and toss in the washing machine. (On occasion, if the grease is really embedded into the clothing, you made to reapply dawn and wash a second time - this is rarely the case).

I use bleach when washing all of my white towels, but I don't like to use bleach for my colored towels. Instead, I use vinegar. It cleans the towels great and they never have a nasty smell. Vinegar also works great to get the musty smell out of clothing if you have forgotten to change loads and they have been in the washing machine too long.