Sniff sniff.
Do you smell any testosterone?
Nope.
Just womanly smells of perfume, potpourri, and Aveda candle!
Karen and I had a dinner party tonight without Matt, who is still playing cowboy up in Montana. [It’s almost scary to think about how many miles separate us!]
We cracked open some merlot for the occasion
And dined on a Tofu Parm with Quinoa and Kale
Karen brought over the tofu, which was inspired by this recipe: Tofu Parmigiana.
She pan-fried some sliced Twin Oaks tofu that was dredged in egg and herby panko bread crumbs. Then she layered it with tomato sauce, mushrooms and mozzarella and baked it at 400* for 25 minutes until the cheese started to brown. Serves 4. It was delicious!!
I made the kale by lightly steaming it and tossing in soy sauce, salt, Worcestershire and garlic gold. It was a wee bit salty though. Red quinoa was cooked plain and served under the parm.
We’re about to watch Eat, Pray, Love and sip minty Numi tea!
When I was in college, I read all of Lavyrle Spencer romance novels. Cheesy or not, they were fabulous. Having been inspired by Montana, A River Runs Through It, and Legends of the Fall, I’m itching to read a Western romance again. Do you guys have any recommendations for fabulously written ones? [Is there such a thing!?].
Or just a good cheeseball. Because a good romance is a good romance.
Evan Thomas says
Fabulously written Western romances? Isn’t that an oxymoron? 😉 Just kidding. Have a great weekend.
Becca says
Love your blog, Kath. Keep up the good work! (PS I always wanted to be the first to comment!)
DCRunner says
I haven’t read it myself, but I reckon True Grit might be a good read. The movie was great.
[email protected] says
That parm looks amazing. And romances ain’t my bag, so I got nothin’. 🙂
Katy (The Singing Runner) says
Tofu Parm sounds amazing 😀 Enjoy your evening!
Allie (Live Laugh Eat) says
Enjoy Eat, Pray, Love! Love the red napkin.
Darcy @ She Sings at the Table says
Have you ever read Lonesome Dove??? I just finished it and it was so so so good. And Montana is definitely involved!
Kath says
No!! 🙂
Clarice says
I agree. McMurtry is an excellent author for books about the American West. He has several smaller books as well, like The Last Picture Show.
Christine says
That was going to be my suggestion too! We read it in an English class at UCLA, so you know it’s not total crap 🙂 Really long, but really good.
Rach says
Oh geez, I didn’t read through these and totally just posted Lonesome Dove… So I thought I would throw my vote in… READ IT 🙂
Kath says
Already ordered from Amazon!!!
Mandy says
All of McMurtry’s books are good. The Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy is good (and a must-read!). If you want a more of a real “western romance” feel, “Conagher” by Louis L’Amour might work.
Dani says
Read it! It is a wonderfully written story and a great Western escape.
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says
Girl nights are fun every once in a while! Have fun with Karen!
Kristy @ KristyRuns says
Looks like good food, good company, and a good plan. Have fun!
maria @ Chasing the Now says
No book recs, but dinner looked fantastic!
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
cute. i wish i lived close to my mother in law!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is says
I love a good romance!
Kate (What Kate is Cooking) says
Whoa, that tofu looks amazing! I thought it was lasagna!
Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine says
I love how close you and and Matt’s mom are! I’m interested to hear what you think of EPL- I thought it was beautiful but kind of frivolous.
larissa h says
the pioneer womens new book! ive read the online part and couldnt stop reading it… not good when you have a final the next day!
Mari says
I was going to recommend this one as well! I read a lot of the story when she posted it online and I couldn’t stop. It comes out on February 1st.
Maryann says
Sounds like a fabulous evening Kath!
Elizabeth @ The Sweet Life says
I love that you two are so close-what a blessing!
Jenn says
If you want a fabulous romance/adventure/historical novel/just all around excellent story, I recommend Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. It’s long, but soooo totally worth it. It’s the first of a series that just keeps getting better. It’s not a western, but it’s awesome. I started reading the series when I was in college and I had to stop because my homework was starting to suffer. It’s that good!
Susan says
That is a good series. Unfortunately, when I finished the third one, there were no others out. Now there are more and I feel like I need to re-read the series.
Stacy @ The Girl with the Pug Tattoo says
Love Outlander! They are fabulous.
AJ says
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Outlander series. Not a Western, but definitely worth it. Every girl needs a Jamie Fraser.
melon54 says
Linda Lael Miller has written quite a few western romance novels. This is off topic, but I always enjoy sharing books with other people who like to read. If you like time travel stories, A Knight in Shining Armour by Jude Deveraux is one of my all time favorite books! Do you have a Kindle? I love mine. The best part is that I will no longer have to lug a few books with me when I travel. I always worry that I will be stuck somewhere without something to read1
Pamela says
I was totally going to mention A Knight in Shining Armor, too! I’ve never known anyone else who read it, but it’s one of my fav romances (and I’ve read, um, a ton). It’s sort of a Harlequinized Time Traveler’s Wife. Good rec!
Hannah says
Aw, how lovely! It’s so nice to get along wonderfully with your mother-in-law 🙂
Theresa says
What kind of perfume is that?
(truth be told, my husband wants to know…he liked the bottle!!!)
Kath says
Juicy Couture!
Nicole says
Wow, that tofu looks INCREDIBLE!
Katelyn says
Redeeming Love! It takes place during the gold rush in California and is absolutely amazing!
Rach says
Read “Lonesome Dove”. Excellent Western {and I don’t even like Westerns} and the mini series is good too… But the book- AWESOME!!
Jess (Sweet Potato) says
Tofu parm.. what an interesting idea. Looks great!
Amy says
Kath , do you mean LaVyrle Spencer? She is a Minnesota author. I love her books and many are Minnesota based. You can’t beat a good romance novel.
Kath says
YES! Typo – thanks!
Alaina says
Ah, sometimes there’s nothing better than having a girls night in. 🙂
Kat @ Cupcake Kat says
Wow best looking dinner ever. Yummy!
J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) says
Tofu parm sounds and looks amazing!! I never thought about going that route, love it! 🙂
[email protected] lady says
What a great night!!!! I love girl dates 🙂
That tofu parm looks simply scrumptious!
Namaste Gurl says
Mmm, tofu parm sounds right up my alley! Good to see you back to your normal routine meals and activities 🙂
Eat, Pray, Love was a lot better than I thought, in fact, I really enjoyed the message and plot. Hope you enjoy it and have a lovely evening!
Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) says
what an awesome post!
perfume, potpourrim, and Aveda candle = right up my alley
kale
a girls night
romance books/movies
FUN!
🙂
L says
I remember reading the book A Sweetness to the Soul by Jane Kirkpatrick (Oregon Trail era) and loving it.
Meg says
It’s not your typical romance but I just read “Hearts of Horses” and it was great and really different.
Kiran says
When using soy sauce, try avoid salting before a test taste. Soy sauce has salt in it. The food looks amazing though. I love tofu and always on a look out for new recipes 🙂
Brittany says
That dinner looks amazing and I love girls nights. I hope you and Karen have a great evening!
Meg says
I second lonesome dove! Only western to win the pultzer prize. My other favorite epic tale is the thorn birds. Great story!!
Stephanie says
I was going to recommend the Thornbirds, too. Love it!
Susan says
I’ll be curious to see what you thought of EPL. It took me over a year to finish reading the book. Didn’t care for it or the movie and everyone always seemed to be raving about it. I finally asked my friends and it turns out they didn’t like it either. I was so relieved not to be the only one.
Jil @ Big City, Lil Kitchen says
Oh – I love the idea of using tofu like this!!
Michelle @ Turning Over a New Leaf says
Whoa… tofu parm sounds pretty good! I may try that this next week!
Justeen @ Blissful Baking says
Mmm that tofu parmesan looks really good! Eggplant parm is my fav, but tofu sounds delish too! Sounds like you and Karen are having a great evening!!
Jocelyn says
Lonesome Dove. Read it. Super long but oh my gosh so good.
kristin says
Have you read the “Hunger Games”?
Rachel @ Suburban Yogini says
Have you read The Loop by Nicolas Evans – he wrote The Horse Whisperer too. Both are set in Montana + The Loop is all about wolves + romance. i loved it. It’s a few years old now but worth a read if you haven’t already read it.
Erin says
Nicholas Evans writes good books (The Horse Whisperer is the most famous), mostly set in the West, from what I remember. I don’t think they’re really romance novels but they’re excellent.
Andy says
Whoops! Didn’t read this post before posting… I’ll just say, “ditto”.
Andy says
So how did you and Karen like the move? I’ve heard mixed reviews… What about The Horse Whisperer? I read it a million years ago and it was a really good light read. I can’t remember where it took place, but it’s somewhere up that direction!
Lauren says
I absolutely loved Annie Proulx’s short story Brokeback Mountain (the movie is one of my favorites as well). Is it your typical romance? Clearly not… but it is well-written and a beautiful – though emotional – story.
Katie says
Karen is just awesome! The tofu dish she made looks incredible! What a fun night ; )
I hope Matt is doing good!! Im sure he will be excited to get home to you !
Lauren at KeepItSweet says
Yum, that tofu parm looks delicious! I don’t like being a part from the husband for too long, but sometimes 1 night is a nice amount of time to get “me” time or girl time!
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says
I tried to tell you this last night, but my phone would not take the comment. Dinner looks amazing! Quigley Down Under with Tom Selleck is a great Western! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed your girl’s night!
Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down) says
Mmm…your dinner looks fabulous. Nothing like a girls only night. My sister and I did the same last week and we also watched Eat, Pray, Love. I thought it was just okay, but *loved* the book. 😀
Lauren says
That tofu recipe looks delicious! Glad you had a good girls night.
Barbara says
You might also like Wallace Stegner’s Angle of Repose or the fun mystery/romances of Virginia Swift. Tofu looks yummy!
Michele @ Healthy Cultivations says
I normally loathe tofu, but this version looks very good.
Haleigh says
I’ve never tried red quinoa before, if it’s anything like the usual.. then I’m sure it’s wonderful! My husband and I have had to be about for about 6 months in total since we started dating, then he was all the way across the Atlantic, sniff sniff… (he’s swedish!) I hope the time apart doesn’t feel like too long for you! I know it’s hard.
Camille says
Yay for girl’s night! Have fun!
Hope says
Your dinner looks so delicious!!! So cute that you had a girls night with Karen!
Kjirsten- Balanced Heatlhy Life says
That tofu recipe sounds great! I have been looking for ways to cook it so I can get the Husband to eat it!
Katie says
I can recommend a great Western Canadian book, The Outlander by Gil Adamson. It’s fantastic. (and not be be confused with Diana Gabaldon’s book of the same name…)
Maria @ The Fitted Apron says
I have a new found love for tofu.
Maria @ The Fitted Apron says
I have a new found love for tofu!
Priscilla says
I have been reading your blog for over a year but have never commented until now…I must join the crowd and say Lonesome Dove!
Allison @ Happy Tales says
Aw, yay for girls nights!!! I know I don’t like it when Ryan travels… so it’s nice to have company over!
Macrae says
That looks sooo good, all parts too! You rarely have a dish without any sweetness involved so this dish is a nice change.
Natalia - a side of simple says
It’s not a book, and it takes place in Australia, but my very favorite movie is “The Man from Snowy River.” Romance, horses, mountains…I think you’ll like it!!
Lisa says
Oh man, I read ALL the LaVyrle Spencer books the summer I was 13. I also recommend the Outlander series, although as others have mentioned, they’re not westerns. They are SO GOOD. There’s 8 now, and even though they’re at least 1,000 pages each, I read the whole series last January.
Jenny (Fit Girl Foodie) says
I love Juicy! Definitely one of my favorite perfumes. I got their newest one for Christmas and I think it smells even better than the original!
Emily says
Johanna Lindsey has a few good western romances, try ‘Angel’ or ‘A Man to Call my Own’. Or check out the blog: http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/ because they always have excellent recommendations and hilarious reviews! (especially look up the review on ‘The Playboy Sheiks Virgin Stable Girl’. Simply amazing.
Sarah says
Kath– you should read the Susan Elizabeth Phillips books. There’s a football series that is really funny, cute, and romantic. Heaven Texas was a good one. But, they’re all good. They’re not Westerns, but they are truly funny. I have reread all of her books several times, and they’re always fun.
Charise says
I found Twin Oaks tofu at my Whole Foods here in Ohio this week! I didn’t buy it as they only had the Italian herb and I was making an Asian stirfy, but may pick some up to try out this recipe. Sounds delicious!
Kate says
I’ve got to cast another vote for the Outlander series! So, so, SO good.
Meredith says
I know quinoa is great for you and everything, but I just can’t make myself eat it … it looks a little worm-y to me.