Pinned this...made that! Cheesy Quinoa Cakes

More Quinoa Cakes. These have some yummy cheesy goodness instead of yummy veggie goodness.

Pinned this...

Source: spoonforkbacon.com via Janet on Pinterest

made that!

A definite make again recipe!

In my neighborhood, we have a  limited selection of groceries. We have everything you need and occasionally random things that you want. One of the bigger stores just did away with their fancy cheese and hummus...broke my heart. The other store still has hummus and a decent assortment of cheese. But, alas, no Fontina. So, I called mom from the store and she did some quick internet research and determined that I should use Gruyere and a hint of Parmesan to achieve the same effect. The Gruyere i chose was a bit bland (probably because  I bought the obscenely cheap kind). So, if I make this again (which I probably will) I will search the north side of town for Fontina or buy better quality Gruyere.

The aioli was quite tasty! I made panko crusted talapia to go with the cakes and the aioli on the fish was also a nice combination!

Pinned this...made that! Quinoa Cups and Avocado Salad

 

Pinned this...

Source: authenticsuburbangourmet.blogspot.com via Janet on Pinterest

Source: iowagirleats.com via Janet on Pinterest

 made that!

Salad was a champ!

Quinoa Cups:

They were a little bland. I'm sure removing the ham had something to do with this. I probably should have added some kind of spice, but I didn't. Nathan topped his with salsa to give them some flavor.  P.S. When the recipe says to spray the pan liberally I think it meant it. My cups stuck to the pan hard core!

 

Avocado Salad:

The avocado salad was DELICIOUS! Personally, I could do without the tomatoes (still learning to eat raw tomatoes). I changed a few things in the recipe to make it a little more Janet/Nathan friendly.

1. I halved the recipe so that we wouldn't have too many left overs since sliced avocado doesn't last long.

2. I sauted the corn (about 2 cups) with the onion (no grill and I thought the raw onion would be too strong) I put it in the fridge to chill before mixing in the remaining ingredients.

3. I only used half of the tomatoes called for in the recipe (so really a quarter of the tomatoes)

4. I used balsamic vinegar in the dressing instead of sherry vinegar.

Pinned this...made that! Talapia and quinoa cakes

Pinned this...

Source: gavanmurphy.com via Janet on Pinterest

Source: anediblemosaic.com via Janet on Pinterest

made that!

 

Quinoa cakes tasted great, but definitely did not hold together AT ALL. Talapia was a bit bland by itself, but  when paired with the rest of the dinner, was very yummy.

Pinned this...made that!

I know I don't have many followers, but the main reason I write this blog is for me to document my own thoughts and adventures as a way to remember, reflect, and reminisce. (And it archives things since I'm terrible at keeping up with my scrapbooks and journals!). So, I'm starting a new series, Pinned this...made that!

I spend so much time pinning recipes on Pintrest and I really want to go back to cooking regularly like I did last year. So I figured I would start a series to document my efforts to cook what I pin. Don't know how long this will last or when I will post. But, it will be fun!

Makeshift Closet

My projects always seem to back up. Some day I will learn how to not procrastinate or maybe just how to not bite off more than I can chew :)

I've been trying to finish many started projects, but in the mean time, I figured I would share a projects that Nathan and I finished a while ago.

I've been reading the "Love Your Little House Series" at On the Banks of Squaw Creek. Someday when I own my own little house, I will be able to do more permanent projects and buy furniture that fits a space a little better, but right now that doesn't seem practical for a rental.

We have no closets on our first floor, so we had to improvise since I really hate when jackets get thrown over the banister on the stairs. Here's what we ended up with (never mind that I will have a MILLION holes to fill when we move out):

Cheesy...absolutely!

Art by Jennifer Hall

If only it looked this tidy all the time!