Stuffed Zucchini

To go with our Parmesan Encrusted Chicken and Artichoke Dip, we made Stuffed Zucchini.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI
Modified from: Williams-Sonoma Bride and Groom Cookbook
Servings: 2
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5-7 minutes

Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients:
2 Zucchini (4-5 inches long)
Olive Oil for greasing
1 cup Ricotta
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbsp flour
dash of lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese


Instructions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add whole zucchini and reduce heat to simmer.  
2. Simmer 10-15 minutes until tender.  Drain and let cool.
3. Mix together ricotta, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, flour, and lemon.
4. Slice zucchini in half lengthwise and scope out the seeds.
5. Season zucchini with salt and pepper.  Add ricotta mixture in soft mounds.  Top with remaining parmesan cheese.
6. Broil 5-7 minutes until cheese starts to brown.

Enjoy!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

In addition to the Artichoke Dip, Tony and I made Parmesan Crusted Chicken and Stuffed Zucchini.  They were both yummy.  Here's the super easy recipe for the Parmesan Crusted Chicken!

PARMESAN CRUSTED CHICKEN
Servings: 2
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Ingredients:
2 Large Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup Mayo
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
4 tsp. of Italian Bread Crumbs

Instructions:
1. Preheat over to 425
2. Mix the Mayo and Parmesan cheese in a bowl.
3. Place chicken in a baking dish and top with the mayo mixture.
4. Top with bread crumbs.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Enjoy!!

Orange Medley

I'm trying to do better with what I am eating but I have a huge sweet tooth.  This is an old family favorite, usually during the summer.  It's cool and light.

ORANGE MEDLEY

Servings: 6-8

Prep time: 10 minutes

Orange Medley

Ingredients

8 oz. Cool Whip

16 oz. Cottage Cheese

20 oz. Can of crushed Pineapple, drained

3 oz. Orange Jello

Instructions

1. Mix together Cool Whip and Orange Jello.

2. Mix in Cottage cheese and drained pineapple

*Drain the pineapple juice into a glass and enjoy it plain or in a smoothie!

Enjoy!

Artichoke Dip

Sunday night, Tony and I went all out and cooked dinner.  We started with a super easy Artichoke Dip.  Here's the recipe!

ARTICHOKE DIP
Modified from: Williams-Sonoma Bride and Groom Cookbook
Serves: 2-4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes

Artichoke Dip

Ingredients
12 oz can/jar of artichoke hearts
1 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup mayo
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp cream cheese

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Drain artichoke hearts and cut into pieces.
3. Mix together artichoke hearts, lemon juice, mayo, 3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, parsley, and cream cheese.
4. Place in a baking dish and top with remaining (1/2 Tbsp) Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes
6. Serve warm with Naan, Frito-Lay Tortilla Chips, or pita.

Enjoy!

Gizmo: A Diamond in the Ruff

The beginning.

Just over three years ago, I convinced Tony that getting a dog would be a good idea.  Tony was living in NY and working second shift, finding things to do was difficult.  I thought a dog would be great solution.  There's nothing better than coming home and there's someone there that is beyond happy to see you. Tony was hesitant.  I grew up with dogs and couldn't imagine not having one.  The best thing was coming home and there's a dog there wagging their tail so hard that they're shaking their butt. Tony didn't have a ton of experience with larger pets.  His first pet was an ant named Chance.  It was going to be a big step up from an ant to a dog. 

I convinced Tony to go to Centre County Paws, a no kill shelter near State College, PA.  We looked at a couple of dogs that we knew were not going to work.  Tony needed a dog under 25 lbs for his current apartment.  Tony and his mom also have allergies.  We needed to find a hypoallergenic dog.  This narrowed down our options.  A puppy would have been fun but an older dog could possibly be easier.  We asked to look at a 5-year-old Shih-Tzu named Junior.  We were advised against it.  He wasn't the most friendly and had been abused.  We said that's okay, we'd like to see him anyways.

In came Junior... he walked around and wasn't really sure of what to do.  Eventually, he hopped up on the couch next to Tony.  Tony picked him up and held him like a baby.  Tony didn't realize how big of a deal this was but the people at Paws did.  Junior was definitely Tony's dog.  They told us a little more about Junior history.  He wasn't house broken or crate trained.  He wasn't good with kids.  One of the questions that was asked when he was surrendered was, "Does he bite?"  The people that surrendered him answered "Only when he's about to be kicked."  You have to be kidding me!! I'd bite someone too if they were going to kick me.  We knew Junior had had a rough life but we wanted to try.

Tony had to go back to work and needed some time to get his apartment ready for a dog.  He spent that week getting dog bowls, a collar, a leash, and a bed.  The following Friday, I picked up Junior and we took the four hour drive to NY together with him sitting on my lap the entire time.  This was going to be a 2 week trial to see if this could be a permanent solution.

While we're waiting for Tony to get home, this happened...

Tony get's home from work and this happens....

We tried to put Junior in a kennel Friday night.  That did not work well.  Once we brought him upstairs, he was happy as a clam and spent the night in his new bed.

Saturday started off great.  He played around, we went for a walk.  That afternoon, he was playing with a toy and had fuzz on his mouth.  I went to clean it off and HE BIT ME!  How could he bite me?  I was the one that got him to NY.  I had fed him Friday night and Saturday morning.  Apparently, no one told him not to bite the hand that feeds you. I ran upstairs crying.  Yes, crying.  I was more in shock than it actually hurt.  Tony followed and then Gizmo.  He tried to get close and apologize.  Once I calmed down, we realized that it wasn't really his fault.  He was abused.  He doesn't know any better. He does have a good heart.  In reality, it was good that he bit me instead of Tony.

The two weeks went by and he was Tony's dog.  He didn't answer to Junior and it didn't quite fit.  He was really hairy when we first got him so he looked like a gremlin.  Gizmo it was.

Where we are now.

Gizmo knew sit and that was it.  Now he knows "sit," "stay," "paw," "down," "bang, play dead," and "roll over."  I can put a bowl of food in front of him and tell him to stay.  I can walk away and he'll wait until I say okay.  He's a bright dog. 

Gizmo is housebroken and really always was.  He knows that he isn't supposed to go in the house and that it should be outside.  From the very beginning, he would last all day without any accidents.  It was nice not having to potty train him.  The only problem is that he doesn't "tell" us he needs to go out.  We have to be diligent about letting him out and he's usually good.  Unfortunately, he does have an occasional accident.

Biting.  Gizmo does still nip.  There are some people that he doesn't like their feet and we can't quite figure out why.  As for hands, he doesn't like people who have male dogs.  If he smells the other male, females are okay, he gets very defensive.  If you are first meeting him, you've got to go slow near his face.  He's still not overly trusting.  He's gotten better with kids (< 10) but I still stay very close.  My cousins love Gizmo and he's good with them.  Tony's been really good about desensitizing him.  Tony plays with his face, sticks his fingers in Gizmo's mouth, and cleans the goop from his eyes.

Gizmo has been a blessing for us.  When I started work and was living by myself, Tony let me have Gizmo.  Gizmo was there to give me a hug when I was homesick.  He knows when one of us is upset and will try to go be with them.

Gizmo is a very sweet dog.  He just needed someone to be patient, love him, and work with him.  If you have the time and the patience, shelter dogs can be an amazing option!