December 2012 – Cremona's Kitchen

Taco Flatbread Pizza

December 30, 2012 No Comments

I am starting my second round of p90x. And this time my focus is on nutrition. Which is particularly challenging during this holiday season. But so far so good! Especially with delicious meals like this taco flatbread pizza!

For me, the hardest part of eating healthy is not living alone. When I lived by myself in law school, healthy eating was never an issue. I controlled what food was in my fridge and what cluttered my cupboards. Now as husband and wife, grocery shopping is a team sport. Since Matt is a woodworker, he is all about the snack food that’s easy and fast to eat–which basically means unhealthy (but delicious) food that is rather hard to resist.

So finding meals that are healthy but still have that snack-like taste can be difficult. This taco flatbread pizza was an excellent compromise–full of protein, little bit of veggies, and still falls into the pizza family so both Matt and I were happy. This has definitely made it into our recipe rotation.

beef, main dishes, recipes, slow cooker

Chinese Take-Out Beef and Broccoli

December 30, 2012 No Comments

I grew up in a small town with a Kozy Kitchen and two American fast food burger joints. Any food that isn’t served in a diner is not served in my hometown. So when I got my driver’s license, my best friend and I drove to the “big town” a half hour away and ate at a Chinese restaurant. It tasted of freedom. Salty freedom followed by a fortune cookie. After three plates of chow mein, chicken, beef, and veggie dishes, we shoved 10 crab ragoons in our purses and munched on them on our parentless drive home. Ever since, Chinese food has always had a special meaning to me.

This beef and broccoli dish is easy to make and easy to prep in your crockpot to enjoy after a long day of work. The joy of a warm dinner with the freedom of no cooking.

appetizers, recipes

Skinny Taco Dip

December 5, 2012 1 Comment

Ok. Truth time. I do not like the movie Elf. I find no redeeming qualities in the movie, irrespective of the reality that I love Zooey Dechanell. The movie is just not funny. There. It’s out there. Just had to get that off my chest. BUT even though I will not spend my Christmas season watching Elf doesn’t mean I’m not excited for winter because…

It’s party season!! And this girl LOVES parties. Eggnog. Christmas cookies. Ugly Sweaters. Love Actually (now that’s a movie!). Wow, my heart is fluttering as I type this.

With all these parties, it’s likely that you’ll get an invite to a party where you need to bring something. Here is a great taco dip recipe that is SUPER easy and CRAZY delicious. Million gustas.

chicken, main dishes, recipes

Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Breasts

December 4, 2012 No Comments

Christmas time is here! Wow, that was fast. Wasn’t I just picking out costumes for Halloween and picking fresh veggies from our garden? Gah, life has a way of catching up with me! So I spent the past weekend going to Kohl’s and stocking up on new Christmas decorations. My living room, kitchen, and tv room are slowly becoming decked with jiggle bells and mistletoe.

And in that spirit of giving, my husband bought me a new purse, wallet, and clutch for winter. I’m a big believer in having a summer purse, a fall purse, a spring purse, and a winter purse. I blame my mother. Her purses were always inspired by the weather.

I wanted to show my gratitude by making something special for Matt. Matt loves wings. Whenever I find a recipe that has some spin on buffalo wings, I bookmark it. Of course, I also have a wing tooth–I love the salty, spicy flavor of a good batch of wings. Unfortunately, so do my thighs. Hence, looking for the same tasty flavors minus the hefty calories. This stuffed chicken is exactly that! A low-calorie option to deep fried wings.