paper plates and plastic cups.

Oh, blogworld. Hello, hello. Long time, no see.

Lots to talk about, little time before sleep takes over.



To my incredible love: Thank you for letting me use paper plates and neon orange plastic cups this week for dinner. Those 5 minutes of just being with you instead of washing those Pottery Barn dishes are worth more than all of the red and green sour patch kids in the world. Oh, and I CAN'T believe I came home to fresh baked bread today. You are absolutely ridiculous. Ridiculously amazing. To the radio stations in my car: you have finally changed. I hope you like your new home. I figured since I was married and live here, I should set up camp. To the fabulous fall weather FINALLY coming: get here. Now.

Get excited. Buffalo Chicken Paninis! (thanks, Cooking Light!)



1/4 cup hot pepper sauce, divided
1 pound chicken breast tenders
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
6 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
8 (1-ounce) slices white or sourdough bread

Preheat broiler; coat broiler pan with cooking spray. Combine 2 tablespoons sauce and chicken in a medium bowl, tossing to coat. Arrange chicken in a single layer on broiler pan; broil 4 minutes on each side or until done. Place chicken in a bowl; toss with remaining 2 tablespoons sauce. Combine cheese and mayonnaise. Spread 3 tablespoons cheese mixture on each of 4 bread slices; top each with one-fourth of cooked chicken and 1 bread slice. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Arrange 2 sandwiches in pan. Place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of sandwiches; press gently. Cook for 3 minutes on each side or until bread is toasted (leave skillet on sandwiches while they cook). Repeat procedure with remaining 2 sandwiches.

Grilled Halibut with Peach and Pepper Salsa (thanks again, Cooking Light!)


(paper plate. neon orange cup. TOLD YOU.)

2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped peeled yellow peaches (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 1/3 cups chopped red bell pepper (about 1 large)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh arugula
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 habanero pepper, seeded and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
Fish:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 (6-ounce) skinless halibut fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

To prepare salsa, combine first 9 ingredients; toss gently. Let stand 30 minutes before serving. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

To prepare fish, combine 2 tablespoons juice, oil, paprika, and 2 garlic cloves in a large, shallow glass baking dish, stirring with a whisk. Add fish to juice mixture; turn to coat. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Remove fish from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle fish evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Place fish on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve fish with salsa.

I don't know what it is about salsa on fish, but I LOVE it. WE love it. ((See next recipe....))

Grilled Salmon and Red Pepper Salsa (Cooking Light, you've done it again!)



2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder
4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
Cooking spray
Salsa:
1 cup prechopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped tomato
2 tablespoons prechopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

To prepare salmon, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine first 5 ingredients; rub evenly over fillets. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fillets to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

While fish cooks, prepare salsa. Combine bell pepper and remaining ingredients. Serve salsa with fillets.

SUPER easy. Major delish.

Kid quote: ((We have been talking about Matter for the past 3 weeks. We know that matter is something that has mass and takes up space and can be a solid, liquid, or gas.))

Kid: "Mrs. Dismuke, I know something that has mass and takes up space..."
Me: "Oh yeah, what's what?" (See previous post about the dreaded connections....)
Kid: "MY MOUTH."

Yep.


Final shout out goes to my sweet Granny. It was her birthday on the 24th. She is one of the people I am closest with in the world and absolutely don't know what I would ever do without her and my Granddaddy. Well, I surely wouldn't have anyone to talk to on my way to school at 6:45, THAT'S for sure. Gahhhh they are precious.