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Buying food is one of my favorite things to do, right up there with tasting wine and visiting places where wine is made (or where food is made!). Saving money on day-to-day things so that I can do the above is also a favorite of mine, so I am always on the lookup for bargains and often compare prices from store-to-store.

Back in October, the Target in the South Bay Shopping Center in Dorchester got all fancy and became part-grocery store. South Bay is not one of my favorite places; it can be downright chaotic, but it’s close, and as much as I love me a small, local store, I do love Target.

And their grocery section is good! They have a lot of great deals, especially for their Archer’s Farms brand. A favorite this time around? Strawberry Cheesecake yogurt. It really tasted like cheesecake and made for a nice little Monday breakfast with some walnuts.

Target had some of my favorite things, including these addictive sweet peppers.

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While I was making dinner, I kept washing and eating them raw. I had to make myself save some for the chicken, which turned out to be skillet chicken with sweet peppers, tomatoes, and goat cheese.

I was happy to see that Target offers some humanely-raised chicken. It was a little more expensive, but this is one of the places I am willing to spend more.

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Here you see the chaos of my cooking station. I try to get lunches and dinner done at the same time. And eat olives while I cook.

The chicken was a really simple preparation. I threw it and a lot of olive oil into a pan and got it cooking. I wanted to make sure the outside got golden brown.

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When both sides were cooked, I added in grape tomatoes that were getting to that wrinkly point and the chopped sweet peppers. I topped it with a little more olive oil and some garlic powder and let it cook away while I made some spinach with lemon and garlic to go underneath.

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It always amazes me how spinach cooks down. An entire bag of fresh baby spinach made two teeny servings. It was good, but I want more spinach!

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Once the chicken and vegetables were cooked I put them on top of the spinach and then topped the whole thing with goat cheese which started getting nice and melty with the heat. After feeling icky for days, this bright meal was just the thing to help boost my energy. I am having daily freak-outs about my inability to run, with the marathon coming up more quickly than I would like. I am hoping some good eating and a little more rest will have me back to normal soon!

Do you have a particular grocery store you always shop at? Have you ever shopped for groceries at Target?

Tags: chicken, Food, goat cheese, grocery shopping, recipe

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Could it be possible Nutella jars look even more beautiful in black and white? Could I possibly have any more work this week? Did you have a good Valentine’s Day?

This week has been absolutely insane with conference calls and new projects. Yay! But, it does get overwhelming to sort of always have to adjust to a new schedule. By the time work and running were done at 7:00 last night, the last thing I wanted to do was to cook. I did want to make something a little sweet and decadent for Valentine’s Day though. Once again I garnered inspiration from my Philadelphia cream cheese cook book (Thanks, Mom!), grabbing a savory recipe and turning it into my own sweet creation.

It involved three ingredients.

1 package refrigerated crescent rolls

4 ounces cream or Neufchatel cheese

As much Nutella as you like

Preheat the oven to 350.

Roll out the crescent roll dough into two rectangles on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Top one of the layers of dough with cubed cream cheese and dollops of Nutella. Honey and cinnamon would also probably be good.

Fold the second layer of dough on top of the first, and push corners down to seal the fillings in.

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

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Remove the dough from the oven once it is golden brown on the outside. Set aside to cool, the cut into desired servings. Be sure to heat any leftovers before serving so to achieve the below gooey consistency.

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The dough ended up light, flaky, and buttery, and the sweet Nutella was cut by the creamy, more savory cheese. I love desserts with cream cheese or any sort of cheese. (Check out Emily’s Palmiers. I am making these ASAP!)

The end result is not too sweet and made for a dessert that appeals to lots of palates. It also makes an indulgent breakfast with an espresso. Smile

I don’t know about you, but I am ready for the long weekend already. What’s your best trick for getting through an exhausting week?

Tags: breakfast, dessert, Nutella, recipe

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you all get to celebrate love today for family, friends, significant others, and pets. And that you have some Champagne or chocolate or whatever your heart desires.

I celebrated Valentine’s Day a day early yesterday, helping out at the MSPCA Valentine’s Day sale. The sale is also on today at the MSPCA Angell Memorial Hospital in Jamaica Plain. Stop by to pick up flowers, baked goods, dog and cat toys, and other fun items, with all proceeds going to the MSPCA. I was happy to be in the mascot costume; it was a chilly day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

When I got home, I didn’t feel like eating much. I don’t know if it is tiredness from being away over the weekend, or I am coming down with something, but most foods didn’t appeal to me yesterday.

One recipe did, however. My mom gave me a cookbook she received from the Philadelphia cream cheese company, and I zeroed straight in on the Maple Bacon Potatoes Au Gratin. Somehow, though the bins of spinach and other veggies in the house did nothing for me, cheesy potatoes with sweet and salty flavors did. Sometimes you just have to eat what feels good, even if it’s not the healthiest dinner.  I think these would make a great side with any sort of chicken, steak, or pork dish.

Sadly, I deleted all of my prep photos before uploading them. Out of it.

maple bacon potatoes

These potatoes are super easy to make. I scaled it back to feed two, which ended up being a portion for about six people.

Before I got started on the ingredients, I preheated the oven to 400.

Then I used my mandolin to cut half a red onion. I added the onion to a dry frying pan and let it get a little browned and crispy, stirring frequently so it didn’t stick.

In the meantime, I cut two large Idaho potatoes into thin slices. I set those aside and got started on the au gratin sauce which consisted of chicken stock, milk, and cream cheese. I basically eyeballed the ingredients until I had a creamy sauce mixed with the onions. To that I added four slices of chopped, cooked bacon and a swirl of maple syrup.

These potatoes need to cook, covered, for a long time. Leave them in for about 40 minutes, then uncover, cook for about 10 more minutes.

What you end up with is a baking dish filled with cheesy, sweet, salty potatoes. The smoky bacon, the crispy onions, the cream cheese, oh the flavor love!

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I didn’t feel very well when I started eating, but by the time I finished my first bowl of these, I had my appetite back. I had another bowl, made a fresh carrot and apple juice, and called it a night.

I hope my energy returns!

And I hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Ever since the blogger dinner at Stone Hearth Pizza, I have been dreaming of a cozy night in with pizza and bubbly, so that’s what we are doing. I might make a special dessert if I am feeling better.

Do you have any fun plans for tonight?

Tags: bacon, potatoes, recipe

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