Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Bake

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

1 medium butternut squash

1/2 white onion

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb macaroni noodles, dry

5 cups milk

4 tbsp butter

5 tbsp flour

4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cups mozerella cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs

1 cup grated parmesean cheese

Salt and pepper

Skin butternut squash. Scoop out seeds and cut into cubes. Roast in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes with olive oil, salt and pepper and roughly chopped onion. 

Meanwhile, start roux. In a large pan, slowly melt butter. Once butter is melted slowly sprinkle flour and whisk until combined. Cook for 5-10 minutes, constantly whisking. The longer you cook the flour, the more rich the roux will taste. Add half of the milk to the roux and whisk until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Boil macaroni in a large pot of salted water for 2 minutes shy of the box instructions. 

Once the butternut squash is roasted, add to roux with the rest of the milk. Blend with an Emerson blender until smooth. Add cheese to roux and whisk until smooth. 

Once noodles are finished cooking, strain and pour into a 9x13 casserole dish. Pour all of the sauce over the noodles and mix until thoroughly covered. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and parmesean cheese over top of dish and bake for 20 minutes until breadcrumbs become warm and toasted. 

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Ribs with Dr Pepper BBQ sauce

When pork is on sale, it's time to play. Ribs always seem so tedious, as they should. The right combination of sweet and savory, char with meaty. But who has time for that? 

As much as I like going out for barbecue, I sometimes just want an affordable meaty meal with slathered sauce, from home. If we went to our local barbecue spot, we would have an amazing meal, for around $30 for two. Since pork ribs were on sale, this rib meal, with potatoes and veggies on the side, cost under $15. 

It might not be the high caliber, smoky, charred, barbecue from down the street, but it sure beats the McRib. 

Slow Cooker Ribs with Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce

12 oz Dr Pepper soda

2 cups ketchup

1 tbsp Worcestershire 

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1/2 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

4 oz apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 lbs of baby back ribs

In a medium pot on medium-high heat, combine soda, ketchup, Worcestershire, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, sea salt, liquid smoke and apple cider vinegar. Whisk for five minutes. Once all the ingredients are combined, bring to simmer for 10 minutes. 

Coat ribs in brown sugar, reserve any extra. Once sauce is complete, add ribs to slow cooker (I had to cut the slab in half to fit them). Add remaining brown sugar to pot. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of bbq sauce and pour the rest over the ribs. 

Cook on low for 5 1/2-6 hours. Rotate ribs occasionally to make sure they are coated in sauce. Serve with reserved sauce for dipping/ smothering.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Protein Waffles

With the New Year, I'm trying to be healthier. How stereotypical. But I'm talking about getting serious. Since I have a more regular schedule and a less physical job, I need to get into a regular heathly groove. Ya dig? Haha.

Step one: get new running shoes, check. Step two: join a gym, check. Step three: set a tangible goal (aka run a 5k), check. Step four: track food intake, check. 

So now that I keep track of my food I get to see what I'm overdoing and lacking. After a week of tracking my food intake, I've discovered a few things. I don't eat enough protein, I don't eat enough fiber, I don't get enough calcium and I consume too much sugar. Getting fit, is more than counting calories, it's eating a complete meal.

I normally would not eat protein until the end of the day, which is bad. I told myself I was being vegetarian for most of the day, but it backfired. So now I'm on a little protein missing. Protein in every meal, lean if possible. 

Here's my first breakfast solution: peanut butter protein waffles.

1 cup all purpose flour

4 scoops of vanilla protein powder, I used EAS

1 whole egg

2 egg whites

2 cups of milk

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 tablespoons of peanut butter, I used crunchy 

Mix all dry ingredients together. Mix all wet ingredients together, including peanut butter. And combine two mixes. Add more milk if the batter is too thick. Coo in waffle iron until preferred doneness. 

This recipe makes 12 regular sized waffles, or 24 mini waffles. I like the minis because they're stackable like pancakes, cuter and they get that crunchy texture faster than the bigger waffles. 

I ate mine with bananas and maple syrup, Bryan ate his with jelly, like a pbj. Next time I might add more peanut butter as a topping, just for that extra oomph.

Refrigerate any left overs for the next day, or freeze for future use. Just microwave or put in toaster.

Enjoy!

Akemi-chan

Christmas Family Vegas

It's that time of year! We're heading West to Vegas to meet the family for Christmas. Bryan got to tag along this time, his first Christmas in Las Vegas, and yes he survived. 

Here we go again

Snow

Lunch at Spago

Salmon pizza, salad and carbonara

Passion fruit and chocolate 

Surprise lift

Merry Christmas Caesar

Victory cocktail

Our view from the Rio

Aloha Specialties feels like home: Saimin and Hawaiian Sun

Christmas dinner at Lotus of Siam with Grandma, Aunty and Uncle

Family ice cream date at the California hotel

Absorbing the sun

At the "Trevi" fountain

Bellagio Conservatory

Dinner at the Wicked Spoon, family;s first time

Dinner with Erin and Brent

Buffet matters, but desserts matter more

Last meal in Vegas: Hash House A Go Go Brunch

Virgin Mary, my favorite

Chicken and waffles tower

Chicken Eggs Benedict

Biscuits and Gravy

Blueberry pancake bigger than your head

I'm so happy that we got to see so many of my family members. Living so far away is difficult, but I love that we can still see each other sometimes. I'm even happier that Bryan got to come along and experience one of my family;s regular vacation spots for the second time.  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season... even though it's a few weeks late. :-)

-Akemi-chan

November December Randoms

These past few months have been difficult in our family. But family gets through things together. 2015 has gone by and a brand new year is upon us. Here are a few last moments of 2015.

Chamoyada 

Tights and tweet

Pure new garden

Inspired by Mad Men 

Packed lunch

Stop by the food truck for some morning energy

Pumpkin croissants

Pumpkin bread

Beautiful pastries from Mirabelle's

Tomato, basil, goat cheese salad with balsamic dressing

Yellow cauliflower

Newf babies

Chicken thigh, green beans and Swiss chard

Date night at Wedge. 10 tacos for two

Butternut squash soup

Office time

Winter outfit