A Thought and a Half | Southern Food & Lifestyle Blog

Sausage & Cheese Quiche: an Easy, Warm, Winter Dish

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You know those cold nights when you want something warm, but perhaps you’re tired of soup or pasta? What other comfort foods are there? Breakfast for dinner sounds good, but you want something a little more adventurous, something more than grits, eggs and toast?
How about a quiche? Oooh, you fancy.  
It sounds really fancy and difficult to make, but quiches really aren’t that hard to make. I really like making quiches at my apartment, because they’re easy and painless, and last for a few days. Plus, I can eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Quiches aren’t exactly quick fixes, but they are pretty low-maintenance, and you can do a lot with them. Here’s my favorite recipe for a delicious sausage and cheese quiche.

slice of quiche

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1, 1-pound roll of sausage
  • 5-6 eggs, depending on the size of your quiche (I used 2 eggs and the equivalent of 3 eggs with Egg Beaters)
  • Shredded cheese of your choice (I use medium cheddar)
  • 1 frozen, pre-prepared pie crust (or you can make your own, if you’re into that)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • Salt and pepper to taste
ingredients for sausage and cheese quiche

TO PREPARE:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cook the sausage in a skillet until brown. Drain and set aside.

3. Add eggs, milk, salt and pepper to a bowl and whisk until combined.

4. Add sausage to the bottom of the pie crust. Layer cheese on top of the sausage.

5. Pour egg mixture over sausage and cheese. Top with more cheese, if desired.

6. Put in oven and bake for 50 minutes. The top should be golden brown-yellow, and the quiche should be firm.

7. Let cool for 10 minutes. Slice like a pie and serve while warm.

sausage and cheese quiche
sausage and cheese quiche slice


What’s your favorite comfort food? What do you cook on cold winter nights?

Delicious, Old-Fashioned-Inspired Hot Chocolate

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When the nights get cold, what’s the one hot beverage you go for, more often than not? Hot chocolate, of course! There are a ton of pre-made mixes available in all sorts of flavors. But honestly, it’s just easier to make your own. I’ve figured out my own recipe over the last few years; it’s based on my mom’s grandmother’s old-fashioned recipe. If I do say so myself, I think I’ve hit the nail on the head. It’s hard to drink just one cup. 



homemade hot chocolate






Old-Fashioned-Inspired Hot Chocolate





3 Tbsp cocoa


1-2 Tbsp sugar or sweetener (depending on your taste)


3 Tbsp water


6-8 oz. milk


Marshmallows and/or whipped cream, toppings of choice 







Add the cocoa, sugar, and water into the bottom of a mug. Stir until just combined. Microwave for 1-15 seconds, just to heat it up a little. Stir the cocoa mix again, and then add the milk. For an extra kick, add flavored coffee cream or a splash of Baileys. Put in the microwave for 1:45. When it’s done, top with marshmallows and/or whipped cream. 










Tell me that’s not delicious, and perfect for a cold night and wrapping up in a blanket!





What’s your favorite cold-weather drink?











Apartment Kitchen Essentials

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Before I start, I must thank Lisa for inadvertently inspiring this post!







One of my favorite things about living in an apartment is having a kitchen all to myself. I love baking and I’m slowly learning how to cook real meals instead of depending on Lean Cuisines and leftovers from restaurants. And since I can’t depend on a school meal plan forever, I figure I should be confident enough to cook a few meals so I can impress my friends and boyfriend every now and then. With that said, here are my favorite must-have kitchen items! 















1. Pots & Pans: The year before I moved into my apartment in Blacksburg, my mom replaced her set of Calphalon pots and pans with a brand new set, and I got the old ones. They’re still in great condition and I love having them. Calphalon will hold up for a long time.





2. Cutting mats: I love mats as opposed to a cutting board because they’re so much easier to store and take up much less room. 





3. George Foreman indoor grill: We found a barely-used Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine in our basement last summer and I didn’t hesitate a second before packing it to take with me. I can tell you from experience that it does reduce a lot of fat and everything I’ve made on it tastes great. From chicken to burgers, this thing makes it all. I love it. 





4. Blender: Smoothies, sauces, daiquiris, margaritas and more. I love my blender and use it almost daily. It’s great for smoothies in the mornings and a daiquiri on the weekend. But mostly for smoothies. 





5. Muffin pan: I had no idea how many uses a muffin pan had! Muffins, cupcakes, large ice cubes, mini quiches…the possibilities are endless. Muffins are super easy to make and super super easy to grab and go on my way out the door in the mornings. 





6. Keurig coffee maker: Last but certainly not least! I cannot say enough good things about my Keurig. It’s convenient and easy to maintain and brews coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. This was one of the best purchases I made for my apartment. And with as much coffee as I drink, it’s so easy to just pop in a K-cup and brew a cup whenever I need. I’m seriously in love with this thing. It’s my favorite. 





What are YOUR kitchen essentials?







“Spring Cleaning” Includes My Diet

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It’s finally spring! I thought winter would never go away. And there might still be another round in the near future…Blacksburg is supposed to get more cold and possibly some now again this coming week. Cut us some slack, Mother Nature!

Anyway, with spring comes spring cleaning and promises to diet and get in shape for summer. I’ve told myself this every spring for the last I-don’t-know-how-many years, and sometimes I’m successful, and sometimes, not so much. Fortunately for us, it’s much easier to diet and get in shape in the spring. The weather is warmer, so you don’t crave warm, gooey comfort food as much. And salads are much more pleasant to eat in warmer weather. And warmer weather is so inviting for outdoor workouts and activities.

I want to look my best for graduation and my trip to Europe, so I’m really cracking down this spring.

Here are some easy ways to clean up your diet this spring!

Breakfast: As tempting as it can be, never skip breakfast, under any circumstance! I always eat at least a cereal bar before drinking my coffee, and then eat something a little more filling after. I’ve become a fan of oatmeal, especially with a little brown sugar and banana slices. Fruit is always a good way to start the day, too. I just really love fruit at any time of the day. Smoothies are great ways to get a good dose of fruit in the mornings.

I found a recipe for Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins on Pinterest the other day, and made a batch for myself. I altered it a little by adding a dash of cinnamon, using 1 egg and 1 egg white, and adding chopped pecans for a little crunch. Still delicious, and will make a great breakfast on the go.

Cut the carbs: Like many of us, I have a love/hate relationship with carbs. I love to eat them, but I do not love what they add to my body. The phrase “cut the carbs” may sound nightmarish and impossible, but I’ve learned that it’s not as bad as it sounds. And you don’t have to cut them completely, just…the bad/unnecessary ones. My “favorite” way to reduce carbs is to go for lettuce wraps and plain cold cuts. I’m a huge fan of Jimmy John’s “unwich” option, which just replaces the bread with lettuce and turns your sandwich into a crisp, crunchy wrap. At home, I’ll make a lunch out of sliced lunch meat (Hillshire Farms low-sodium ham and turkey), some fruit, and a little cheese.
Snacks: This is where I struggle the most. When I get hungry on campus, I go for what’s convenient, and that isn’t always what’s healthy. I know I have to make a real conscious effort to choose better snacks in between meals. Almonds are growing on me (especially cocoa-coated almonds), and I recently discovered Smartfood white cheddar popcorn. The “Delight” popcorn has just 35 calories in 1 cup of popcorn, which is only about a third of a serving. And of course, fruit. I recently added oranges to my diet. Clementines used to be my first choice in citrus fruits, but navel oranges are delicious, too. Also, if anyone has good tips for peeling and slicing oranges, please share. I make a mess when I try.

Fruit water & green tea: Another difficult thing for me to cut back was coke. If you know anything about me, you know I drink Coke Zero like it’s water. Well, I used to. I’m proud of myself for cutting down as much as I have, but sometimes I can’t resist a can or bottle on campus. But at home, fruit-infused water is always in my fridge, and I keep a stock of green tea. You can use any combination of flavors, but my favorites are cucumber-mint, blueberry-lemon (below), blueberry-orange, and lemon-raspberry. Fruit-infused green tea is also delicious.

I do not claim that these are the be-all, end-all solutions for anything, and changing just these things will not bring immediate results. But they are definitely easy changes to make and a great place to start.

Apartment Cooking: Return of the Crock Pot

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I haven’t done a substantial food-related post in a while, so it’s time to make up for that.

I woke up one day last weekend and decided I wanted a real dinner instead of my usual cheese and crackers and fruit, or Jimmy John’s.  Sometimes I forget I have a crock pot, but it seemed like a good day to use it.  After a quick browse through my Pinterest account, my decision was made: meatballs!

This was definitely one of the easiest dinners I’ve made at my apartment, and I will definitely be making it again.  It’s also affordable, and leaves you with plenty of leftovers for dinners later in the week.  What more could you want?

Ingredients:
Bag of frozen meatballs
Marinara sauce
Mozzarella cheese
Cooked pasta, plain (optional)

NB: Your cooking times might be adjusted, as all crock pots cook at different rates and heats.  Change as necessary.

Dump the meatballs into the crock pot and set it to high.  There’s no need to spray or grease the pot, but you can if you want.  I didn’t.  Cover and let the meatballs cook for two hours.

After that time, pour about half of the jar of marinara sauce over the meatballs, and add the pasta if you desire.  Stir, recover, and cook on low for two more hours.  Stir occasionally.

About 20-30 minutes before you’re ready to eat, uncover and spread a generous layer of cheese on top.  I used mozzarella, but any Italian cheese or blend would work just as well.

Let the cheese melt for 20-30 minutes, and then serve immediately.

It’s delicious.  I hope you think so, too.

Next cooking experiment: turkey burgers with my George Foreman grill.  Stay tuned…

What’s Cookin’, Good Lookin’?

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I like to play around in the kitchen; I think we all do, to an extent.  When I’m at home, I use it as an opportunity to find new meals and snacks to make at my apartment in Blacksburg.  And as always, I try to make things that are (somewhat) healthful without sacrificing taste and flavor.  That’s not always as easy as it sounds.

Here are some of my favorites from this summer…

Cake Balls

I’ve made these twice now, and both times, they were fantastic and extremely easy.  These can even be made gluten free using the Betty Crocker Gluten Free cake mix, and all BC frosting is gluten free.

All you need is 1 box of cake mix (any flavor, I used yellow Funfetti), ingredients for the cake, 1 container of frosting, and chocolate candy melts of any kind (dark, milk, white); you can also use regular chocolate chips. That’s for the “real” version.  For a lower-fat, somewhat lower-calorie version, I made the cake with 1 cup of water and 1 container of plain, nonfat Greek yogurt.  It tastes just as good, and it’s not as dense as using eggs and oil.  And then I used half a container of frosting, maybe a little less than half, and about 2/3 of a block of low-fat cream cheese.  The end result is the same, and just as tasty.

Bake the cake in a 9×13 pan according to the directions on the back of the box.  When it’s done, let it cool completely.  Crumble the completely cooled cake into a large bowl; make sure the crumbles are small and broken up well.  Add the frosting/cream cheese (in whatever proportions you so desire) to the cake crumbles and mix well.  It’ll form a dough.  Let the dough chill for at least half an hour; I usually let it sit for an hour, but half an hour is sufficient.

While the dough is chilling, prepare the chocolate melts.  They can be melted in the microwave or on the stovetop.  When the dough is ready, roll it into 1-inch balls and set them aside.  Try to keep them cold between being rolled and being dipped in the chocolate; it’ll make dipping them easier.  Roll the balls in chocolate, and then set them on a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  If you desire, top them with sprinkles or other decorations while they’re still wet.  This is optional, but it makes them look pretty.

Chill them in the freezer, just long enough for the chocolate to harden.  Store in the fridge in an airtight container.  Try not to eat them all at once.  It’s difficult, trust me.

Brie with pecans


Cheese is my downfall, especially soft, creamy cheeses like brie.  It’s especially delicious when melted and topped with strawberry jam, or baked in crescent roll dough.

Another favorite is topped with pecans and a brown sugar glaze.  My mom made this a few weeks ago, and kicked it up a few notches with some Jack Daniels honey whiskey.  We kind of eyeballed it, but here’s an exact recipe to follow, from Saucy Girl’s Kitchen:

1 wheel of brie cheese (we use Presidente Light)
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans (we use pecans)
1/4 cup brown sugar (we use the Splenda brown sugar blend)
2 Tbsp whiskey of choice (it’s especially tasty with JD Honey)

Place brie in a medium-to-large(ish) baking dish or on a plate.  Microwave it just enough to soften the cheese (or you can put it in the oven, at 350, for 5-7 minutes).  Mix the nuts, whiskey and brown sugar in a bowl and microwave for 3-4 minutes until the sugar is melted and the mixture bubbles.  Pour over the cheese and serve immediately with crackers.  It’s also great with apple slices.

Click that link and tell me that photo does not make your mouth water.

Graham cracker pudding sandwiches

I found these on Pinterest and had been wanting to make them for a while.  We had family friends visiting last weekend, so what better time to give them a try?  They were easy, and everyone loved them.  They’re a really nice, light alternative to ice cream sandwiches, and just as delicious, if not more!

You’ll need 1 box of graham crackers (I used low-fat honey), 1 box of pudding mix (I used sugar-free, fat-free chocolate), 1 small container of Cool Whip, and about 1/2 cup of milk.

Mix the pudding mix with the milk and Cool Whip until it forms a thick mousse.  Chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes so it will thicken up a little.  While waiting, break apart about 10 graham crackers so you have 20 pieces to make the sandwiches.

When the pudding is ready, spoon a heaping spoonful onto a cracker, smooth it out, and top with another cracker.  I dipped the sides of my sandwiches in sprinkles for some color.  Then set the sandwiches on a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and let them freeze until ready to serve.  Mine stayed in the freezer all afternoon until dessert after dinner, but only a couple hours is enough.

Happy cooking/baking, y’all!

Apartment Cooking Episode 2: It’s Fall, Y’all

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There are a hundred and one things to love about fall.  The colors, the weather, the sweaters, football…you name it.  Fall is a wonderful time of year, for more than just the weather, clothes, and sports.

I love the colors, weather, sweaters, and football (and the start of basketball season), but my favorite thing about fall is the seasonal food.  The coffee shop on campus has Pumpkin Spice as its flavor of the month, and the Au Bon Pain has pumpkin muffins.  Goodbye, meal plan.  Sure, you can have pumpkin foods all year, I suppose, but they’re best in the fall; same with apple.

Unfortunately, I haven’t made any pumpkin foods myself quite yet, but that will come.  For now, I would like to share a couple favorites, a homemade version of a healthy snack, and my new favorite drink…second to coffee, that is.


The first food I will share isn’t necessarily a “fall” food, but I just made it tonight and I haven’t written about it yet.  My mom makes it at home a lot, and I love it on a sandwich or just on some Ritz crackers. This magical food is pimiento cheese.  You can make it with any “harder” cheese…I doubt mozzarella or havarti or anything like that would work because they don’t grate very easily.  I use cheddar; anywhere from mild to sharp, white or orange works just fine.

To make this, grate your cheese; I use one 8-oz. block of sharp cheddar, which is plenty for me.  Mix this with a whopping spoonful of mayonaise and a capful of apple cider vinegar.  And then the chief ingredient, about half of a small jar of diced pimiento peppers.  Mix this all up until it is thick.  If you feel like there is too much mayo, add more cheese.  You can eat it as soon as it’s made, which is what usually ends up happening with me, or you can chill it for a couple hours and let it come together.  Either way, it is delicious, especially in a grilled cheese sandwich, or atop a hamburger.

My grandparents have several pecan trees on their property, and every year they get about 30 pounds of pecans.  My grandpa makes pecan pie, but my mom and I keep it simple and spice them up, literally.  Spiced pecans are delicious, an addicting snack, and are really easy to make.

In a sautee pan, toss a handful or two (or three) of pecans in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Let it simmer for about five minutes, and then remove from heat and cool.

See?  Easy.  I made a batch tonight, and I’ll be shocked if they last me through tomorrow.

Applesauce was one of my favorite lunchbox snacks, and I still enjoy it every now and then.  I stumbled upon a recipe for crock pot applesauce on Pinterest, and I had to try it.  I was surprised at how simple it was, and it made enough to last me a week.

I used a mix of about 15 apples: predominantly small fujis and galas, with a couple larger granny smiths thrown in for a sour twist.  Peel, core, and chop the apples, and put them in a lightly greased crock pot. Add cinnamon and brown sugar, stir, and cover, and cook on low for about 6 hours.  I uncovered and stirred once every hour or two, just to mix it around, and to let the smell fill my apartment.  And I’m telling you, that is an incredible smell.  The finished product is delicious served hot or cold.

And finally…my new favorite drink, and believe it or not, it’s mostly caffeine free!  I’ve discovered my love for ginger ale, but I can’t seem to drink it plain.  When we stopped in Victoria, BC this summer, I ordered a Shirley Temple at dinner, it was made with ginger ale and orange juice.  I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, and I have made it for myself again and again.  But even better than orange juice is cranberry juice mixed with ginger ale.  I must drink three tumblers of it every day.  It’s a nice balance of tart, tangy, and sweet-ish, and a nice fall beverage.

And with all of that…happy eating, and happy fall!

Speaking of fall colors, I can’t help but to show off how beautiful my school is during this season.  Now I understand why they say, “if God’s not a Hokie, then why do the leaves turn maroon and orange in the fall?”

 

Apartment Cooking: Episode 1

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Hello blog world…I’ve been slightly inactive for a couple weeks.  College life is super busy, and I just haven’t had a whole lot to blog about.  But now I do!

I really love having a full kitchen in my apartment.  It’s so convenient, and I’ve been exploring my culinary talents.  Fortunately, I’ve had more success than failure in the kitchen, but I’m sure I’ll get confident and try something way out of my league.

Thus far, my favorite thing to cook is pasta.  My mom makes delicious mac and cheese at home; it’s one of the home foods I miss the most.  I asked her to send me her recipe* so I could attempt to do it myself.  My rendition was good, but nowhere near as good as Mom’s.  Tonight, I was in a pasta-cooking mood, but I didn’t want regular mac and cheese.  Using my mom’s recipe as a base, I created my own pasta dish.  And it was delicious, if I do say so myself.


You can make this dish wish pretty much any kind of pasta you like, except maybe spaghetti or something like that.  Tonight, I used bow tie, but I’m sure shells, elbows, penne, rotini, or pretty much anything else would be fine.  I boiled about half of the box, which was plenty for me, and will provide leftovers for the next week.

The sauce is probably the most complicated part of this dish, but that’s not saying much since it’s pretty easy.  Melt one 8-oz block of cream cheese with a handful of Italian cheese blend, a splash of milk, and a spoonful of pesto.  I bought the pesto at the grocery store, but you can certainly make it yourself!  It’s a thick sauce, so for a thinner consistency, add more milk.

Once the pasta is soft, drain it, run some cold water over it, and drain it again.  I like to drizzle mine in olive oil for some extra flavor and no-stickiness.  Pour the pasta into a lightly-greased casserole dish, and then toss in the sauce.  You can bake it as is, or top with more cheese; I topped mine with a mix of crushed Ritz crackers and parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, until it looks gooey and delicious.  This is the end product:

Yeah, it was delicious.

Soon enough, I’m going to have to learn to cook some things other than pasta.  But for now, I’m pretty proud of my creation.  Try it yourself, and maybe add your own twist to it.

* For my mom’s traditional mac and cheese, use elbow macaroni, and make a sauce out of cheddar and milk.  The rest is the same.

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