Pierogy Wonton Soup

Hi there, Cocktail Cutie readers. It's been a long, long time! In the past oh, 6 months or so, a few major things have happened in my life - the most important of those things being, of course, that I had a baby! My husband and I very happily welcomed our first daughter, Zoey, into the world on December 11, 2013. She's all that we imagined and more, and we love her to the moon and back! Becoming a parent really is an amazing experience. I've had 9 weeks of maternity leave so far (out of a total twelve) to enjoy with her, and I have to say that I'm very much NOT ready to go back to work and lose the time I have with her day in and day out while on leave - I'm going to be one sad momma the first day (and likely all of the subsequent days) I have to return to real life. That being said, I'm going to be rearranging some of my priorities so that I can maximize the time I spend with my family during my free time...and I've thought a lot about what those changes mean.

I didn't want to completely give up on this blog, because I really do enjoy sharing great recipes with my friends and family. I don't, however, really have time to continue to maintain it or even write in it as extensively as I might like. At this point, I feel like I really need to focus on one writing "project" at a time. In this case, that project is the urban fantasy trilogy that I've been working on for the past two years (you can read more about it here).

Like I said, though, I don't want to completely give up on Cocktail Cutie. Instead of taking a break, I've decided to simply change the "format," so to speak. I'll focus a lot more on just posting recipes rather than writing a blog post to accompany those recipes. I've already started a Pinterest board for the blog and will be utilizing that as a source of searchable recipes as well as a way to easily share my posts. Those who "like" the Cocktail Cutie Facebook page will still receive updates whenever I post a new recipe, but I'll no longer post the notifications on my personal page.

I'm hoping that this change will be better for both you and me, since only posting recipes takes a little bit of the pressure off of me but still gives you ideas for easy meals that you can make at home. This way, I should be able to share more of the great recipes that I hope you'll love!

Thanks for sticking with me. Here's your recipe for today!

 

Pierogy Wonton Soup



2 1/2 cups baby spinach

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 cans (15 oz) chicken broth

1 tsp soy sauce

1 package Mrs. T's Mini Pierogies (any flavor - I use 4 cheese)

1/2 cup sliced radishes

Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

 

Bring broth, soy sauce, garlic and ginger to a boil. Add pierogies and cook (at a boil) until heated through, 5-7 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook until spinach wilts. Add sliced radishes and remove from heat. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with sesame seeds (if using). 

Until next time...

Cheers!

Weeknight Bites: Seared Scallops with Bacon, Cabbage and Apple

Scallops could quite possibly be one of my favorite foods. They're so delicious, versatile and easy to make - what more could you ask for? Today's recipe is fresh, bright and really allows the scallops to shine as the star of the dish. It comes from the January/February 2013 issue of Cooking Light (ya, ok, I'm a little obsessed with this magazine), and though I made a few minor changes of my own, it's definitely a keeper. Need a quick and healthy but still fabulous dinner recipe this week? This one won't disappoint.

Seared Scallops with Bacon, Cabbage and Apple

Adapted from Cooking Light magazine (Jan/Feb 2013)

3 center-cut bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

6 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup water

1 chopped Gala apple

3 tbs cider vinegar

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbs canola oil

16 large sea scallops (1 lb)

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp fresh dill, chopped

Cook bacon pieces in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon pieces from pan, keeping drippings in the skillet. 

Add sliced cabbage and dried thyme to pan and saute for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup water and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cover pan.

Cook for 5 minutes, then stir in chopped apple and cider vinegar. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Stir in bacon and 1/4 tsp pepper.

Separately, heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Add oil to pan and swirl to coat. Season scallops lightly with salt and pepper, then add to pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until scallops are done (3 minutes works well for cook time on large scallops; use 2 minutes for smaller). 

Place 1 cup cabbage mixture on each of 4 plates. Arrange 4 scallops on each serving and sprinkle with dill.

Until next time...

Cheers!

New Year, New Life

Happy New Year, everyone! I realize that this sentiment is slightly delayed since 2013 has been here for a full two weeks now, but hey - like they always say, better late than never, right?

2013. Wow. Where has the time gone? This year marks 11 years since I graduated from high school, 7 years since I graduated from college (SEVEN?!? whew!), and 6 years since I first started my job at Norfolk Southern. It also marks the last year of my twenties...good grief. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was turning 21?

Sometimes it feels that way. Like 11 years ago was just here, a blink of an eye away. Like 7 years was a blur. And I guess, in the big grand scheme of things, it isn't really that long.

Sometimes, though, it feels like forever. When I sit down and think about all of the things that have happened to me in the last decade (plus 365), I realize how wonderfully full my life has been. I've been places, done things. Fallen in love. Found new friends. Lost touch. Mourned. Renewed my Faith. Learned new things (every day). I bought my first car, became a homeowner, adopted animals, watched my family grow. Got married. Taught myself to cook. Read a lot of books...a LOT of books.

Started a blog. Wrote a book.

Found myself.

I know that most of my blogs are typically short, sweet and to the point (and always contain a yummy recipe for you to try), but tonight, I'm not going to do that. Tonight, I'll just give you a little food for thought (ya okay, a little cheesy).

The last two years of my life have been a bit of a rollercoaster ride - a lot of ups, a lot of downs, and even some crazy loops every now and then. I came to a point in my life where I was really, really NOT happy, and there came a time when I decided that instead of moping around and feeling sorry for myself, I had to take the reins and take the horse down a different path, so to speak. I quit my job, convinced that starting a career in my "field" was the answer to the emptiness that I was feeling in my everyday life. But while I certainly learned a lot about myself through that transition, there was still something missing.

Passion. Somewhere along the line, I'd lost mine. Somehow, I let routine and normalcy and "life" take over the person that I'd always wanted to be. Honestly, it's no wonder I was so unhappy.

When I think about where I am now compared to where I was then, I can't help but think that this blog saved my life. That may sound dramatic, but it's true. This blog forced me to remember the things I enjoy in life, to focus on those things instead of getting stuck in the daily rut of work and chores and bad television. To branch out, to teach myself, and to try new things. And, more than anything else, it allowed me to do the one thing that I've always wanted to do, that I've always loved to do: write.

When I penned the last word of the first draft of my novel back in November, I suddenly felt...different. Lighter. Happier. Accomplished. Truly, I felt empowered. I'd set out to do something I'd always wanted to do, and I DID IT. I actually, finally did it. And it didn't matter to me how long it took me to reach that point - because in the end, the time it took wasn't relevant. All that mattered was that I set a goal for myself and I got there. And now, I'm no longer controlled by the routine. By the rules that society puts in place for us. Now, I know that I can do anything I want to do. I may never make a dime off of my book. But you know what? I didn't do it for money. I didn't do it for fame.

I did it for myself. And I'm really proud of that.

I implore you to make 2013 your year to do something big for yourself. Set a goal and stick to it. It doesn't matter what it is, or why. It doesn't matter who you tell, if anyone. Because in the end, you'll know. And that's what matters. Your happiness is entirely in your own hands.

I hope you'll come back often this year to check out my recipes, party planning tips and entertaining ideas. As I've recently gone gluten free (that's a story for another day, since I've already given you a book in this post), I'll be posting GF recipes that I come up with as well as adaptations of recipes that I find in cookbooks and my favorite cooking magazines. I can't wait to share more fabulous food with you!

Until next time...

Cheers!