rosemary on the tv

Since the invention of Pinterest, I feel a compulsive need to cook something new every night. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve found a few recipes so delicious/easy/fast/cheap that they’ve become staples around our house. But since I’m constantly trying new recipes I find on Pinterest, I thought I’d share some of the more successful ones with you yet again:

The Green Monster Smoothie. Looks scary. Filled with spinach. All you taste is peanut butter. I would like to thank this recipe for exposing me to Almond Breeze, the tastiest of all milk alternatives.

Me: “What do you want for dinner?”

Aaron: “Mayonnaise chicken.“

The grossest sounding Pinterest recipe that is not only really tasty, but easy to make. And one of Aaron’s favorites. Coat chicken breasts with a mayo/parmesan combo, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, bake. Trust me. It’s good. Though next time, I’m swapping the mayo for Greek yogurt because….

Of THIS recipe. Jillian Michaels Pasta. Roasted vegetables and pasta in a lemon/parmesan/Greek yogurt sauce. I was skeptical at first but now, I substitute non-fat Greek yogurt for any cream-based sauces, casseroles or even in place of sour cream (just use it in place of butter, oil and cream). I swapped a stick of butter and a cup of whipping cream for a cup of nonfat Greek yogurt in one of Aaron’s favorite meals, and he declared it BETTER than the original. It’s almost too good to be true.

I finally got around to making these lemon crinkle cookies that have been floating around Pinterest since its inception. Mine were tasty, but looked nothing like the photo. They were more like little round balls, covered in powdered sugar and a bit dry. Maybe I’ll give it another go sometime.

Momofuku’s Crack Pie. Apparently, this is a famously addictive pie recipe from Momofuku Milk Bar in New York. The oat cookie crust was, in fact, sweet-and-salty crack cocaine. The filling was a custard that I can only describe as being like Ooey Gooey cake – which most Southerners (and all Hendrix alum) have eaten. It wasn’t a quick pie to whip up, and I’ll admit I was a little let down that it was essentially a butter custard filling. But it completely disappeared in just a few minutes.

You’ve probably seen this pin a few times in recent months. I had an apple and a craving for something sweet one night, so I whipped a couple of these up for us. It was quick and the ingredients are all things I keep in the pantry (or fruit bowl). For the level of ease and convenience I’d rate this pretty high, but it definitely needed a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

This pasta tastes just like it looks: simple and beautiful. It’s quick to make, but beware of the mozzarella melting into a blob in the middle of the pan. Toss it in just until warm, but don’t let it melt!

Baked mozzarella sticks! So excellent! I actually used Weight Watchers string cheese for these to save a few calories. They were a great less-greasy alternative to the real thing and they still have that totally satisfying stringy cheesy pull thing happening.

And I’ve saved the best for last. This, friends, is a homemade Crunchwrap Supreme a.k.a. the way to Aaron’s heart. I used lean beef, shredded cheese (the “nacho & taco” variety) and added jalapenos to mine. Also, if you can’t find tostadas for the crunchy middle layer, put a corn tortilla directly on the rack of your oven for a few minutes until crispy. Way more delicious than Taco Bell’s original. Aaron wanted to figure out a way to freeze them for a future Fourth Meal.

Ok, your turn! Please direct me to the Pinterest recipes you’ve tried and liked so I can feed my cooking compulsion.

I’ve previously preached about my love for/obsession with tiny foods, as well as my favorite food blog, spoon fork bacon. I’ve even mentioned that spoon fork bacon will be publishing an entire book of tiny party foods. And today, my friends, Buzzfeed posted 8 photos/recipes from said book. So I had to share.

Itty-bitty country style eggs Bendict! Eek! Click here for recipe.

Tiny tacos!

Tiny chicken and waffles! (Ahem…been there, done that.)

Tiny Pop-tarts!

That’s it. I officially can not wait for Tiny Food Party to hit shelves so I can buy it and make every single tiny recipe in it! Click here for more photos/recipes in the Buzzfeed article.

Recently, I met some girlfriends for brunch at The Root Cafe. We’re enjoying our food when one of the fine folks working there brought a plate of mint and melon salad over to us to try. I promptly devoured it. Then I did what any sane person would do.

I got in my car and drove straight to the farmers market to purchase a watermelon, cantaloupe and some fresh mint. The people at The Root mentioned that the salad was made of watermelon, cantaloupe, mint and a little honey, but I figured since I had mint-infused simple syrup leftover from cocktail merrymaking, I’d drizzle my salad with it.

I was feeling indecisive about fruit shapes, so I chopped/balled the whole cantaloupe and half the watermelon.

Then I chopped a sprig of mint (maybe 10 leaves?) and tossed it in.

I squeezed the juice from half a lemon in there to keep things fresh. Then I drizzled the whole thing with a little mint-infused simple syrup and tossed it.

IT WAS SO GOOD! And it was even better the next day.

And I had so much watermelon juice and pulp left over, I canned it and plan to use it for more cocktail merrymaking this week!

spoon fork bacon. you are my favorite food blog.

because of your delicious recipes…

because of your cookbook tribute to tiny foods…

but mostly because of your gifs.

My “Food and Recipes” board on Pinterest has about 350 recipes. Have I made them all? C’mon, girl. Not even close. As a matter of fact, most of the recipes I’ve pinned are outlandish, decadent desserts that would add only two things to my life: 1) more deliciousness and 2) a crane to lift me from my house.

But I have made a lot of the recipes I’ve pinned. Some were great. Some were so-so. Some were terrible. Those Pinterest waters can be hard to navigate, my friends. So I thought I’d share a few of my most successful Pinterest cooking adventures with you.

 Black bean patties with corn relish and avocado cream sauce:

In a word: Delish. In three words: Delish but demanding. This recipe took a few hours and a LOT of dirty dishes to create. So if you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner, this is not your recipe. However, it made a lot of food, which makes this a great Sunday dinner. Leftovers will last you halfway through the week.

Chicken sausage oven-roasted pasta primavera:

This recipe is a quick, healthy weeknight meal that’s become a regular dinner for us. It’s made from stuff I usually have around the house and can be whipped up in a half hour. A general note about my cooking: I never, EVER eat mushrooms. Gross. No. I usually substitute whatever vegetables I have on hand for mushrooms, such as squash or zucchini.

Party mix:

A classic holiday recipe. Double it and give bags to friends as gifts or keep on hand so you never attend a Christmas party empty handed. This recipe is the closest I’ve come to recreating my grandmother’s, who made perfect party mix year round.

Crispy shrimp tacos:

These were great, but required a pot of extremely hot grease for deep frying, which made me a little nervous (read: which means I made Aaron do most of the work). Also, they didn’t reheat well the next day, so save this recipe for a dinner party or a night when you have people over. Or sometime when you’re really, REALLY hungry.

Rosemary-rubbed pork chops:

A summer staple around here. Takes all of 30 seconds to whip up the dry rub and get it on the pork chops. Grill with kabobs of marinated vegetables for a healthy, satisfying meal.

White cake with blackberry buttercream:

As previously mentioned, I don’t want to inspire a TLC television special or be lifted out of my house with a crane, so I rarely find occasion to make the crazy s’mores-brownie-cinnamon roll-chocolate chip-cookie bar-ice cream-pie desserts that are so popular on Pinterest. But I made this cake for Easter one year and it was beautiful! The buttercream turned out a bit more pink than purple but when is that ever a legitimate complaint?

Crock pot carnitas:

Oh. My. Nom. A perfect blend of ease and deliciousness. This takes very little work – about 15 minutes the night before, then throw it in the crock pot the next morning – and you come home to a house that smells like Chipotle! I keep it simple – tortillas, avocado, cilantro and sour cream. Make plenty – it’s even better the second and third days!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

I whipped these up one afternoon when friends were coming to town. I ate at least three before my friends arrived (point illustrated: TLC special). A little bit cake, a little bit cookie, a little bit autumn-y. TRUST.

 Of course, I’ve recommended other recipes in the past. Click on the “Food and Recipes” tab to see recipes I’ve found around the web as well as some of my own. Have you made any Pinterest recipes that turned out particularly delicious? Please share!