Hello Friends!

Let me give it to you simply... my best friend came to visit for the weekend and she is crazy dieting. Crazy diets are fun because it makes the experimenting with cooking all the more fun, I also don't feel as bad going for seconds!

I made Athenian Shrimp Orzo. As per usual, I tweaked the recipe to how I liked it. This meal is only 330 calories per cup and a half! Perfect for a diet.

ATHENIAN SHRIMP ORZO:

ingredients:

• 1lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined 
• 2 large tomatoes diced (i think it adds more taste!)
• lemon zest/juice 2tablespoons (i use store bought in a bottle)
• 1 small onion diced
• 1/2 cup of capers (you can use less if you hate these guys)
• half a box of orzo
• 3/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup of fetta cheese (more if you think necessary)
• 1 cup of dry wine (pinot)
• 1 cup of chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups of diced eggplant
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

1. First dice up all of your veggies. Oil a pan and cook onions, eggplant and garlic. In a separate pan start boiling the water for the orzo, see directions on box.
2. After about five minutes add the tomato and capers to the veggie pan, slowly stir in the wine and chicken broth, let this simmer for five minutes.
3. After the sauce is mid-way cooked add the shrimp and let them boil in and cook until they're pink
4. At this point the orzo should be done, so toss it into the skillet with the shrimp and sauce mix, take the lemon zest/juice and add close to a tablespoon. 
5. Let this mixture cook for five more minutes and then stir in the parsley and top with feta cheese! Yummy

Seattle Pi Day

Hi fellow foodies! This past week I took a spontaneous trip to Seattle to visit a good friend of mine, beautiful place if you ever get the chance.

During my time in Seattle I got the wonderful chance to not only celebrate the famous Pi Day, but bake on Pi Day!

My friend and his roommates baked and bought. We tried out a nationally ranked place called, High 5 Pie. We indulged in Salted Caramel Pear Pie, Apple Pie and Chicken Pot Pie. As for baking we made Bourbon Pecan Pie and Frozen Margarita Pie. I assisted on the Bourbon Pie... here is the how-to!

BOURBON PECAN PIE

ingredients:

1 cup of sugar

3 tablespoons of butter 'melted'

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

3 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 to 2 cups of pecan halves

2 tablespoons good-quality bourbon

1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie shell, unbaked

directions:

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.

1. in medium bowl mix sugar, melted butter.
2. then add corn syrup, eggs, pecan and bourbon- stir until all ingredients are combined.
3. pour mixture into unbaked pie shell, in pie dish, and place on a heavy-duty cookie sheet.
4. bake for 10 minutes, then lower temperature to 350 degrees F, and continue baking for 25 minutes, or until pie is set
5. remove from oven and cool on a wire rack

Now YOUR turn... comment below and let me know what kind of Pies you made this year!