Savory Sundays: Greek Islands Steak Salad

Yesterday I told you guys how excited I was for tomorrow because it will be my first rehearsal with a local youth symphony, and I kinda jabbered on and on and on about that. So today I’ll try to talk about something else.

Last week I did a vlog showing all the awesome things that I ordered from Pampered Chef, but it was kinda long because I hadn’t done a vlog in a few days and wanted to catch you all up on everything! Well yesterday my dad and I kept going back and forth on what to make for dinner, and I told him it had to be something I hadn’t shared with you all yet because I am a procrastinator and hadn’t made anything for today’s post… >_> We finally decided on this super yummy steak salad, and I realized it was the perfect opportunity to use my new bamboo bowls I got in my Pampered Chef order!

**** Quick aside, if anyone is interested in ordering Pampered Chef, my sister sells it and I’m sure she would love to help you out! You can e-mail me (my e-mail is on my “About Me” page) and I’ll direct you to her ****

The bowls are seriously so great, and I’m really glad I got them because my dad and I have been eating anything that requires a bowl out of these really really tiny cereal bowls that we have, and I was sick and tired of it! And with summer coming up these are great for holding a salad, or eating ice cream! You know, typical summer-y things, right? hehe

I really loved this salad though, and my dad loved how easy it was for him! He could sit out by the grill, talk on the phone, and drink a glass of wine while I did all the “hard” work (as he put it) in the kitchen preparing the salad.

In the recipe book I got it from it says “Chopped kalamata olives and pepperoncini peppers add depth and authenticity to this hearty salad’s dressing.” and it’s true. The pepperoncini’s added a nice acidity to the salad, but was balanced out by the olive oil in the dressing. My perfect bite of this salad included some steak, some salad, and some feta cheese! It was a really nice balance, and tasted so good!

So here’s another super yummy salad for you all to add to your summer recipe collection. I hope you enjoy it as much as my dad and I did!

<3 and harp strings,
Kate

Sweet Saturdays: Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This week has been a pretty good week for me. I met with the conductor of a local youth symphony (who also happens to be a professor at my college, that was a nice surprise!) Wednesday and then again today to discuss the symphony and if I could be a part of it. Turns out the symphony still has two concerts left for this season, both in June. The concerts are their Pop concerts where they are playing John Williams music! So today the conductor gave me the music for the theme from Schindler’s List and Jaws so I can look it over before rehearsal on Monday. I’m so thrilled for Monday, but also nervous, because I have don’t have any orchestra experience, and Monday is basically my audition for the symphony! But, on the plus side I get to sight read the piano part for Star Wars! The conductor was going to have it played on the keyboard because the score wants it to “synthesize” the harp, but I don’t care what I have to do, I am going to make it work on the harp because I’ll be damned if they do Star Wars and I can’t play in it!!!!!

Phew, alright. After all of that text I need a cookie. Would you like one? I sure hope so because these are delicious! I personally think there is nothing better than a fresh-from-the-oven, gooey chocolate chip cookie. When I was looking for a chocolate chip cookie recipe to try, I really wanted one that would be soft, and super chewy, because that makes the best gooey cookie if you ask me! So when I stumbled upon this recipe in Martha Stewart’s “Cookies” cookbook, I knew this was one I wanted to try and share with you all.

My dad was more than happy to be my taste tester, and noted that although these are really good, they didn’t live up to the chocolate chip cookies that my mom used to make. Unfortunately, my mom changed recipes a lot and I’m not sure which one is the one my dad really liked, let alone where to even start looking!

But for now, this is definitely a keeper recipe! And funnily enough, these cookies actually reminded me a lot of the big chocolate chip cookies that Mrs. Fields sells. I haven’t decided whether that’s a good thing or not, because when I think of Mrs. Fields I think of a commercial cookie, not something that was homemade… but that being said, these cookies certainly fulfill their title!

I sure hope you all enjoy this recipe for seriously soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies!

<3 and harp strings,
Kate

P.S. I seriously need to NOT procrastinate on making the recipe for this post, because I should be posting this much earlier on Saturday so you all can enjoy it, not at almost midnight… *sigh* At least I have a goal for next week, right? >_>

Savory Sundays: Citrus-Butter Shrimp Toss

Me playing my harp at a senior assisted living center.

Is it seriously Sunday already?? Really?! I just can’t accept this. The other day it was FRIDAY! As in the start of my weekend. Yesterday was spent getting my business cards ready and volunteering an hour of my time to play the harp at a local senior assisted living center (which was awesome btw, but my day was seriously spent doing that and homework. And baking/writing yesterday’s Sweet Saturday post) And now the calendar is telling me that all of a sudden I have school tomorrow? This is completely unacceptable. Someone really needs to re-write the damned calendar to give us at LEAST one more day in the weekend. At least.

I had such a blast volunteering my time yesterday, and I can’t wait to go back to play for them on Mother’s Day

But, since that’s not going to happen, no matter how much I beg (maybe I’m not talking to the right people? hmm…) I guess going to the beach with friends will have to make up for it all.

On the off chance that you guys are upset about it being Sunday already, I made you a delicious meal to take your mind off the entire thing. How does this magical meal do this you ask? Simple. It’s flavor is so delicious it completely takes your mind off everything except for how awesome this meal is. And by awesome, I mean seriously awesome!

If you don’t believe me, you’ll just have to make it yourself. And when you do, let me know if it’s a dish you’re going to make over and over again, because I know I am!

I really hope that you all are enjoying the rest of your weekend before we all get back to the “awesomeness” (yay sarcasm! hehe) that is the work week!

<3 and harp strings,
Kate

Sweet Saturdays: Double Chocolate Brownies

Hey everyone! I know it’s really late on Saturday, and that it’s not even Saturday technically for some of you! But, as long as I get this post out sometime on Saturday, everything will be fine

My baking assistant, the lovely dog-dog!

I was really unsure as to what I wanted to bake for this post, which is why I didn’t actually get it baked until today… but that aside let’s talk about these delicious brownies I made! These were the very first homemade brownies I have made (as in, not from a box mix), and I am really proud of how they turned out! I may have overbaked them just a tad because when I put my cake tester in no crumbs were stuck to it, and the recipe said it should have a few, but I sampled a couple of them and they still tasted great!

These brownies I made to share with you all are from Martha Stewart’s “Cookies” cookbook. The only baked good I can recall trying by Martha Stewart are the Chocolate Crackles I used to make with my mom for Christmas, but I am really enjoying these brownies! They are dense but packed full of chocolate because of the semi-sweet chocolate and cocoa powder the recipe calls for. They are seriously the ultimate fudgy brownie, so if that’s your thing, then please give these a shot. You won’t be sorry!

<3 and harp strings,
Kate

Savory Sundays: Mojito Chicken Salad

The weather down here has been really hot and summery, which has had me thinking about grilling, eating out on the patio table, and drinking yummy mojitos in the warm summer air. And even though it’s still April, and despite the fact that we have are having the sweltering summer days with chilly spring evenings, I know that this salad with it’s mandarin orange pieces, tangy/sweet dressing, and sweet grilled chicken will definitely get you ready for the summer evenings that are sure to come in the next few months.

Happy pseudo-summer everyone

<3 and harp strings,
Kate