Help! The channel’s stuck and I can’t get up!
Just kidding. The remote’s working fine, and so are my legs, but I’ve completely fallen victim to the network that gives BRAVO a serious run for their money as the most addicting channel on television – HGTV.
Ben and I dreamt of our own retirement while watching zillions of House Hunters International episodes last night, and all day today I’ve been popping in loads of laundry, writing bills and tidying up the house in between Get it Sold, The Unsellables, and Designed to Sell. I can’t turn away!
I’m such a sucker for those before & after shots, and am in complete awe of designers that have the ability to remake & decorate even the most dismal of spaces, in such creative ways. Plus, how can you not help but pretend it’s YOU that’s in the market for a Tuscan villa with a vineyard-view, a la House Hunters International? Ahhh…a girl can dream 
Would you ever live abroad?
I think it sounds a lot more romantic than it would actually be, at first anyways, but yes I’d totally do it. Living in Japan for a summer in college definitely gave me the bug, but I think if I ever did it again (well, aside from my Amalfi Coast retirement home!) it’d have to be when I’m older – like after my children have graduated college. Ok, so maybe that will just be retirement…but either way, yes, I would live abroad!
This morning, before I got sucked back in, Ben and I hit the grocery store to stock up on goodies for the short week ahead (yes, May-travel madness continues later this week!) Here’s our booty:
Fridge & Freezer Items
- Trader Joe’s Cannoli (Ben totally snuck these into the cart – although I couldn’t stay mad for too long – they are fantastic!)
- Trader Joe’s Shells with Brie & Asparagus frozen meal
- Trader Joe’s Salmon & Wild Rice frozen meal
- Blue Bunny Champ Cones
- Pops
- Frozen edamame
- 1 chicken breast
- Nathan’s hot dogs
- 3 Trader Joe’s Pomegranate Greek Yogurt
- Dill pickle Slices
Pantry Items
- Hot dog buns
- Aluminum foil
- Altoids
- Carrot Cake Larabar
- 2 Honey Graham Clif Z Bars
Produce Items
- Granny Smith apple
- Baby Spinach
- Broccoli florets
- Broccoli slaw
- Cucumber
- Mango
- Green onions
- 2 limes
- Cilantro
- 2 Pink Lady Apples
All for $50.
Ummm, can you tell Ben came with me to the grocery store today?! Bahahaha! Hotdogs, Ice Cream Cones and Altoids?! Oh, boy! (Ok, I’ll clearly be digging into those Champ Cones later…)
I used some of my newly purchased fresh produce to whip up another winner-of-a-Pioneer-Woman-inspired-dinner this evening – Asian Noodle Salad!
If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time then you know that I am completely obsessed with Asian noodle dishes – Thai Peanut Noodles and Cold Sesame Peanut Noodles being two of my faves – so when reader Jane sent me the PW’s recipe via Facebook last week, I knew it’d be on the menu sooner rather than later.
This cold noodle salad is full of big flavors and textures – and tons of veggies, to boot. You could use any combo you like, but I started mine with thinly sliced peeled & seeded cucumber, then added roughly chopped baby spinach on top.
Here’s an easy way to de-seed a cucumber by the way – just slice it in half lengthwise, then scrape out the seeds with a spoon.
On top of the cucumber & spinach, I added broccoli slaw, green onions,
fresh cilantro and tons of chopped, salted peanuts.
On went cubed extra-firm tofu (it’s under there, I promise!) and cooked linguini & edamame (I just added frozen edamame into the boiling water with the pasta when it had ~3 minutes left.)
Finally I whisked up a flavor-packed dressing which combined my favorite, fragrant oils – peanut & sesame oil – with lime juice, soy sauce, fresh ginger and garlic. I poured everything on top, then tossed. Hard, right?
Flavor explosion!
Asian Noodle Salad
Serves 4. Based on a recipe by The Pioneer Woman.
Ingredients:
For the salad:
4oz linguini, dry
1 cup frozen edamame
1 large cucumber, seeded & chopped
1 cup chopped baby spinach
1 1/2 cups broccoli slaw
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/3 cup salted peanuts, chopped
2/3 block extra-firm tofu, pressed & cubed
For the dressing:
1 lime, juiced
4 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons peanut oil
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
2 Tablespoons agave nectar
1 inch fresh ginger, finely minced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. When the pasta has three minutes left, add edamame into the boiling water. Drain and rinse with cold water, then pour into a large bowl and add remaining salad ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and mix to combine.
I Looooved – with a capital L – the crunch from the cucumbers, peanuts & slaw with the chewy noodles and silky tofu.
But the combo of those oils is KEY. The taste of peanut & sesame totally shined through, making this dish so satisfying to slurp.
Sometimes I’m afraid to cook with more than a few Tablespoons of oil – I’d rather spend my calories on a brownie, for instance – but it was definitely worth it to get those deep, satisfying Asian flavors. Plus I stay fuller longer when I incorporate modest amounts of good-for-you oil into my cooking.
Per Livestrong’s Recipe Calculator Tool, the recipe only came out to 515 calories per HUGE serving too – so I’d say it was a win all around! 
In other news, I cannot believe it’s Sunday night already. I feel like this weekend went by in the blink of an eye! In the next couple of days, before I go out of town again, I am looking forward to getting back on a good workout schedule (my fitness routine has been in shambles since I got back from Minneapolis) and being very productive and proactive on packing, freelance projects and work. What are your goals for the upcoming week?
Have a great night!
~~~~~
What do you wish you could quit right now?
If those cinnamon rolls weren’t finally gone (Ben and I polished the last two off this morning) I’d definitely say those. MERCILESSLY ADDICTING!
We’re watching HH Int’l right NOW! Dominican Republic…ooh lala. It’s on pretty much all day err’ day over here. It’s like traveling from the comfort of your couch.
I see a diet mt. dew in there!
I wish I could totally quit talking negatively about myself.
I would love to live abroad too! My husband and I spent a week in Spain this winter and by the end of our first day we were already plotting a move!
This week I wish to accomplish running a marathon in less than 4 hours. FARGO here I come!!
I’m always so impressed by how little money you spend on groceries each week! My husband and I spend around $90 each week at Trader Joe’s + another $23 for local, organic produce (CSA).
i would love to live abroad….somewhere tropical & beautiful, but i would SO miss my friends and family! i couldn’t do it full time. and what do i wish i could quit right now?…….procrastinating! i’m terrible at thinking, “oh, i’ve got lots of time to do that, so why do it right now?!”. pathetic!!!
My goal is to be cheerful at work and not let my co-workers’ negativity bring me down. It’s been grumps-ville the last couple of weeks and I can’t take it anymore!
Weirdly, I can’t quit yoga! I have been doing Bethenny’s workout on Exercise TV 2-3 times a week and I honestly can’t get enough! Crazy!
I get sucked into HGTV all the time!! House Hunters International is my fav! I’m thinking I would love to have a 2nd home in Costa Rica or Fiji.
Love the new TJ’s items. I heading there this week so I need to take some notes of what to stock up on.
I soooo wish I could quit my job right now! =)
You’re not alone!
I made the cinnamon rolls today and the hubby completely flipped out. So good! Thanks so much for posting the recipe. He says I’ve ruined him (meaning no more store-bought).
LOVE HGTV! When I was Cali over Easter that’s all we watched.. and it was my dad who turned it on!
I lived abroad for 5 years, first in London, and then in Italy and NYC is basically a different country hahaha) and it was amazing, but hard too! You miss the inconveniences of America (aka Target!) But I would love to live abroad for another year or so!
Hi, Kristin! I visit your blog frequently, but have only commented one time previously. I enjoy trying the recipes that you post! I am usually able to alter them to accommodate my numerous food allergies. I’m writing to let you know that I tried the cinnamon rolls that you made…Wow! They. Were. *AmAzing!* (And simple too!)
You mentioned that the cinnamon rolls wouldn’t come out of the pan if you didn’t spray it. I am allergic to the soy, corn, and olive oil in the cooking sprays. So, I have some Wilton silicone sheets that I use when I’m baking. They are great to have around! Nothing sticks to them and all of my cookies, rolls, etc. bake evenly. They have paid for themselves because I have saved money on parchment paper. I thought one who enjoys baking, as you do, may be able to appreciate the convenience of them. After you use them, you just wipe them off and store them until next time! They are available in a couple of different sizes, but don’t necessarily have to fit the pan perfectly. Here is the Amazon link to them:
http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Easy-Silicone-10-Inch-15-Inch/dp/B000FPX4G2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1305505366&sr=8-2
Thanks for all of the great recipes, Kristin!
I’ve never watched house hunters, but your post reminded me of when I used to be addicted to watching trading spaces on TLC. I, too, loved seeing the “before and after” shots!
I would love to live abroad someday! My dream city right now is Grenoble, France. It’s super bike friendly, in the alps region, and so beautiful! I spent two night there this fall during my bike tour, and I fell in love with the city!
Goals for the week: clean my room, stick with my training plan, and make magentic quotes for my fridge ( I just found an awesome list of proberbs from around the world).
This week, I hope to be successful in cleaning out our pantry/fridge for our upcoming move.
At work, I hope to survive our last true week of a typical school schedule with my sanity in tack.
The noodles look awesome! I’m actually super excited that I have everything but the cilantro and ginger. Oh, and I’ll be substituting chicken for the tofu. How exactly does one get their steak and potato loving hubby to eat tofu?? I would tell him it was feta cheese… if only he ate feta cheese! Sigh…
I made your Thai Peanut Noodles this weekend and it was ANOTHER smashing success. I think this is dish number 6 or 7 I have tried from you and every single one has been a winner. I love the garlic noodles but I have to say the Thai Peanut Noodles were my favorite. I have craved a good Pad Thai kind of thing since I ate at Joy’s in Chicago (5 years ago!) and I have to say that Thai Peanut Noodles satisfied it. 5 years of looking for a good pad thai…that’s a long time! Also, I love that all the dishes I have cooked from you, my entire family has enjoyed. That would be a 16 month old who COULD NOT shove those noodles in fast enough, a 4 yr old who is a good eater anyway and a meat and potatoes kind of husband. THANKS for all your recipes, it really makes me look forward to discovering something new and making it one of our favorites.
I DO live abroad..and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made! I miss the USA all the time (and family,friends,etc) but this is such an amazing experience that I would never trade!
Those noodles look amazing!! I think I will be making it this week with some rice noodles! =)
I’m currently living abroad in singapore and it’s the most amazing and challenging experience at the same time. Traveling all over SE Asia has been one wonderful experience after another, but I miss the conveniences and how much cheaper it is to live in the US! Plus I really miss my family. Thank goodness for Skype!
Yes I would love to live abroad I lived in Italy for 4 months and I did not want to leave. I used to dream of being an expat but then I married a firefighter, so now we stay put.
Love the recipe!! — My family and I are currently living abroad. My husband is in the Air Force, which brought us to Germany. We’ve been here for right at 2 years. I think visiting to Germany would have been awesome, I probably would have never wanted to leave! But actually moving here with out two small children and a work schedule that won’t quit..I’d say at times its a little less than ideal. Don’t get me wrong, Germany is beautiful, and most people are very friendly, but I can’t wait to be back in the states. -Which brings me to what we’re doing this week. We are on the one week countdown *7 Days! <–ahh!* till we will be back to visit home sweet home –Texas! Absolutely-can-not-wait!!! Yesterday started it all as the longestdayever! So, I'll be trying to keep my self endlessly busy before we leave! Hope you have a good trip this week!
Wow that dinner looks amazing! Perfect warm weather meal, definitely bookmarking this one! Happy Monday
My goal for this week is to make a healthy, home cooked meal every single night this week! Throwing together odds and ends has been too easy to fall back on these past few busy weeks!
Thought of you yesterday when I spotted Coffee Mate’s newest creamer in the dairy case at my Super Target. They have “Natural Bliss” line out now, made with ALL NATURAL ingredients! The flavors are caramel, sweet cream, or vanilla. I actually whipped my phone out to post it on your Facebook page right there in the store, but the baby was crying, so it had to wait. Have you tried these yet?
I’ve got a minor sugar addiction going on …too many sweets! I need to quit them and get back on track.
Starred that noodle dish!
I tried getting on a HGTV show. A guy came over and interviewed and video taped us and the space we wanted done. It was a “design on a dime” type show. That dime was $2500, hello! But they said they were going to shoot some episodes in LA since there was too much snow in MN at the time. Boo.
You’ve been using tofu in recipes lately and I have been, too. Until I read Kimberly Snyder’s book which details how soy is pretty bad. Just google “Kimberly Snyder soy”. Just wondering if you had any thoughts on that.
i totally need to quit office-snacking….i type this as i am…office-snacking.
I did my QUIT! This last week I quit blogging!!!
Yayayayayya!!! FREEDOM!
I didn’t realize how much space and time it took up and I feel like I have been reborn!
Still love to come and see all your hard work though!
$50 for all of that!? Okay, I’m officially jealous. Can we please petition for cheaper groceries in NYC?
My week goal is to stay on track with exercise. I’ve fallen off the ol’ wagon and need to get back on that horse.
That looks absolutely delicious! I need to start getting creative again in the kitchen! At least now I have the perfect blog for inspiration!! Have a great day Kristin!
Where do you get agave nector. I was at Rainbow today and couldn’t find it. I have looked at Trader Joes and Target too. Am I just not looking in the right place? Can I omit it since i have everything else?
[...] – Asian Noodle Salad [...]
[...] posted a recipe for this Asian Noodle Salad the other week, and I knew I would be trying it [...]
OMFG, I made this tonight and it was the best cold noodle dish i’ve EVER had. Words cannot describe just how delicious it was, THANK YOU for sharing! I’ve had your pad thai and lemon brown sugar chicken too. Great job!
This looks so delicious! I always like seeing what you get at Trader Joe’s.
I am SO bummed we didn’t get a chance to meet at the Sabra event – I was so looking forward to meeting you! I have followed your blog for awhile now – I made your yogurt /pumpkin butter/almond/banana dish and it became a staple for breakfast around here – you have definitely inspired me to choose BETTER foods for me and my family and I am sorry I missed the opportunity to thank you.
xo
Deanna