Beachin With the Kitchen Goddess

House babble

2008-03-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

Of course nothing new to report with our house. The paper had a real estate guide in it this last Friday, and both our neighbors and the paper delivery man said they saw us in it. The paper guy even came by yesterday to bring us a free copy since so we could see it! I'm hoping tons of others saw us in there too...
I scheduled an Open House for April 27th. The realtor said she didn't want us to be disappointed, so I had to push her into doing one. Sad we have another 3 months in the contract with her. Before the OH, we may do a few things around here. Yesterday we took down Sam"s bunk beds and took the full-size to the storage unit. He's still got the twin in there, and it really helped open his room up a lot! Looks so big in there now. Our bedroom is probably next. Joe has been wanting to paint over our floral wallpaper since the day we moved in, so I think we'll do it. It really should take just a weekend, not a huge room and not any other issues to address. Lastly, the front door is ugly. We would buy a new one if we were staying. I'm thinking if we painted it we could really make it look nice. I'm not one for painted doors, but if we used the red trim paint from the outside of the house it would really stand out and I think look quite nice! We already have the paint, so it would also save us money. We'll see!
That's pretty much it to report for now. Send your good karma our way!

UGH

2008-03-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

I guess it wasn't meant to be. That house I loved already has two offers on it- it's only been on the market since last Wednesday! Oh well. Joe is going to go look at three others I liked on Friday. After that tho, we're not really going to look anymore until something actually starts happening with our house here. It's just too depressing!

OH WOW!!!

2008-03-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

I think I may have found the house I want to live in for a long time... And if it sells before we can get it there's another I like almost as much! Here is my fave!
The house is literally a block from the lake, and it happens to be closest to the children's fishing spot! The yard is ultra deep, plenty of room for our big garden. There is a new deck (with hot tub) surrounded by a brick patio. The whole yard is fenced in and there's a sidewalk in front leading down the the lake and play area.
The kitchen is big, tho in the pics there is an island (but I doubt that stays). There is a formal dining room, living room, and a nice hearth room off the kitchen with a beautiful fireplace. The bedrooms are all upstairs and are good sized. There is even a MASTER bedroom!!! We've never really had one so having a bathroom in the room would be cool. The main floor is hardwood, but the stairs and upstairs is carpet.
The basement is so fun! There was obviously peel-and-stick tile on the floor and rather than fight with it they painted it then decoratively sqiggled it. There is a wet bar down there with stainless accents which carry over to the stairs. Off to the other side of the stairs is a small workout room with a spot built into the wall to put the TV.
Joe and Sam get to see it Friday afternoon, as well as look at the other one I liked a lot. My camera's battery was pooped, so I'll try to remember to take it Friday.
Anyone looking for a house??? HAHAHA!

Recipe and rough week!

2008-03-06T15:29:00.000-08:00

I mentioned to Danielle that I made this great soup the other night. I took pics and here is the recipe!

Thai-style Chicken and Corn Soup

Corn cut from 3 ears

4 cups water

Chicken bouillon to make 4 cups broth

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 tbsp grated ginger

3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, very thinly sliced

1 tbsp chili and garlic sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

2 large handfuls cilantro, chopped

2 tsp lime zest

2 tsp lime juice

Cooked Kasmati (or basmati) rice

Bring the corn, water, bouillon, scallions, and ginger to a boil. Turn the heat down and add the chicken, chili sauce, and fish sauce. Simmer slowly about 4 minutes until the chicken is cooked thru. Take it off the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients except the rice.

Ladle soup over the rice in bowls!

See, simple, quick, and really tasty! It was light yet filling. Good stuff.

This week has been awful. I looked at three bad houses Monday, had a migraine and hit a pylon with the truck Tuesday, got another headache last night after exercising... Tomorrow is Friday, right? I am hoping the week finishes good, or it's going to be hard to get out of bed Saturday!

New camera!

2008-03-01T16:44:00.001-08:00

We bought a new camera this week. We got our Staples Rewards check and decided we could get one for almost half-price! It's a Canon PowerShot SD750 and it'a FABULOUS!!! It's so crisp and beautiful. Sam was of course thrilled- we gave him our old one.

Here's my first post with the new cam's pics. I made our fave Olive Garden Toscana soup for dinner, so decided foccacia would go perfectly. Here's the bread, topped nicely with onions, olive oil, and Italian herbs-

Here is the link to my post/recipe for the bread- Foccacia

The best part about the new cam will be using it while househunting. The other one was so big and bulky, it was a pain to carry it around. This one fits nicely into a cellphone case, so it can clip right onto my pants!

I can't wait to take beautiful vacation pictures, and of course new home pics! Keep the good selling-our-house thoughts coming!

Off to eat dinner!

Saturday is DATE NIGHT!

2008-02-09T14:59:00.000-08:00

Well I wasn't as perfect yesterday as I had hoped. I didn't have a salad for lunch but had a Seafood & Crab sub on wheat instead. It was fabulous and I enjoyed every bite! I even exercised when we got home- did 30 minutes! Last night we did have the gouda stuffed chicken and I wrapped each breast in proscuitto- very good but a tad salty. Next time I'll choose a less salty cheese. We had green beans instead of broccoli and Joe brought home a bottle of pinot noir... Yummmmm!
This morning for breakfast I made spelt biscuits to have with our eggs and sausage. We came home and Joe and Sam started working on Sam's pinewood derby 'car' while I did 35 minutes on the elliptical. I never got around to lunch, but really have not been hungry at all. Tonight we're having mexican, so it probably won't hurt top have missed lunch!
We went into town to recycle and after went shopping. I bought new running shoes to wear while exercising. I also got two new shirts and a pair of pants. I wanted something new to wear on our DATE tonight!
Joe and I are going out with friends Bea and Dave tonight for dinner and then maybe to their house after for cocktails. We never get to go out, so lately have been trying to plan a date night- whether it be a double date or just us. We went out two weeks ago and I would love to make this a routine! So today I bought a new pair of nice pants and a new shirt to wear tonight, Joe even bought a new shirt. Funny how the simple things make you happy in old-age, eh? HAHA!
Here's to a great Saturday night! How sad we've found a sitter we like (as does Sam) and we're going to move...

LOOOOOONG Week

2008-02-08T10:00:00.001-08:00

Well it's done. The house is officially listed, but no sign yet. I'm personally a tad disappointed with the asking price, but that's because I think it's worth so much more with all the work we've done. Joe however is very happy with it, so I guess that evens things out. Now we wait...
My eating has been so-so this week. Tuesday was another long workday (they all are anymore). For breakfast I ate an omelet w/ ham and provolone and lunch was a grilled chicken salad from Subway. Dinner we had grilled strip steaks, roasted sweet potatoes w/ FF sour cream, and steamed snap peas. If I ate a snack, I don't remember what it was. I did try to exercise, but could only do about 15 minutes.
Wednesday we woke to 5 inches of snow and no school. I had another omelet for breakfast. I had to take Sam to the office with me, so we went out for lunch at Wheat State because they have buffet. I ate several pieces of pizza including dessert pizza. I did have a salad first tho! For dinner I made Hoisin Pork Tenderloin with rice and green beans. I also had 2 cocktails w/ pink grapefruit Crystal Light and pineapple juice mixed with vodka. For exercise I got about 10 minutes...
Thursday I ate an apple for breakfast because I was just not hungry. For lunch I ate a bowl of chicken noodle soup, a mini veggie patty sub, and two cookies... For dinner we had pork chops w/ cabbage and carrots. I tried a mini bag of the new salt and cracked pepper popcorn for a snack- good stuff! Tastes a bit like the fries at Applebees. I also did 12 minutes exercise. Seems my stamina has disappeared since I was sick last weekend?
Today I had a granola bar for breakfast- I'm just not hungry in the mornings anymore. I haven't had lunch yet, suppose it'll be a salad. For dinner tonight is chicken breasts topped with smoked Gouda and proscuitto along with broccoli or cauliflower. I plan to try again with the exercising tonight!
I weighed today- 195.2. Not at all bad considering I have been a bit off this week! I will have to revise my first goal of 184 by March 1st tho. Now I'm looking at 190 by March 1st. I can live with that. I also hope to be back at doing 20-30 minutes on the elliptical by next week. I am still a bit weak from last weekend, so I think a week later should be good.

Go GIANTS!!!!!

2008-02-04T16:10:00.000-08:00

Well by last night (5pm or so) I was feeling much better so I ate. And ate. And ate... Of course, what I ate was two things of cuppa noodle, part of that baked sweet potato (it wasn't great) and a bowl of beef broth with rice. That was awesome too, so delish. I started feeling feverish later on (major chills) and even tea wouldn't work. Thank goodness for hot pads and hubbys who will get up and heat them for you! Needles to say, when I weighed this morning I was happy that I was still down- 195 even to be exact. Not as good as the original 4 pound loss, but much healthier!
Today I woke feeling very good considering how crappy (ha!) the last two days had been. I ate a little ciabatta loaf toasted and topped with two fried eggs (I said I felt better!)- really good! I didn't get a real lunch today since I was busy, so this afternoon I was awful and ate a pretzel from Subway while doing my grocery shopping. Tonight is stuffed cabbage rolls.
This morning I discovered the automated payroll system we use had 'dropped' one of our stores from the latest processing! I spent about 2 hours this morning trying to get them to understand I just needed those nine employee's checks, not a whole new run of the entire 98. Thankfully I finally got ahold of someone who had drank enough coffee to understand my dilemma. The checks are in the mail.
The realtors came this morning. They think we should leave the landing in the entry alone and not worry about tiling it. They really liked the beautiful red dining room and agreed that the color in the living room is fine. Basically, they say to leave it alone and hope for a sale. In this market, I'm taking all the good thoughts I can get! We got a decent price too, tho a bit lower than I had hoped. Joe is happy with it, but I think if this house was in town it would be a lot higher. I suppose I would never be happy with the price just thinking about all we done to this house. Now we just need to find buyers!
Pretty much it for my day. Hope tomorrow is less hectic!

UGH!

2008-02-03T14:28:00.001-08:00

Do you know how hard it is to find time to blog when I can barely find time to exercise?
Thursday was a bad food day. For some reason I had no desire for breakfast, so I just drank my half-pot of bean and went to work. There's a new restaurant in Emporia called U.P.er's Diner. It's pasties and such. We decided to try it since Joe stayed in town for an interview he was doing later that day. The food was not great, no flavor actually. I can say the homemade fries were good tho. Then that night was scout night and Gambino's pizza night. Joe and I split a medium taco pizza (there was a time we'd have split a large!). Again, not the best for us, but so damn good!
Friday was another can't-bear-to-eat-breakfast day, tho I did eat a string cheese. I went to Topeka to go thru files (which never really happened), so I ate a roast beef salad from one of the stores. They don't have carrots or the seafood and crab up there! That has GOT to change!!!! Then for dinner we had pork and bean burritos again. Later that night I had an apple and pear 'crisp' with some CoolWhip. I did do a 20minute workout on the elliptical, a tougher one than usual.
Saturday was a bad day. I ate well, for the most part. It was my stomach that was bad. When I woke up my stomach was pretty crabby. I even had to sit a minute while making our pancakes (WG, yes). After that I was pretty much chained to a bathroom most of the day. I made paninis for lunch with roasted chicken, provolone, tomatoes, sprouts, pepperoncinis, roasted peppers. For dinner I made baked spaghetti- basically it was lasagna with spaghetti instead of lasagna noodles. For dessert I made a baked pear. By the time we went to bed I felt so sick. I was up half the night and got almost no sleep when I did get to stay in bed.
I felt crappy this morning too, but have not had anywhere near the problems of yesterday. No pukiness thank goodness! I ate some oatmeal for breakfast and tried to help clean the house. I went back to bed at 1pm and slept for an hour or so. I do feel better a bit, had some cuppa noodle when I woke up. I plan to eat a baked sweet potato for dinner if my stomach is still okay then. The one good thing about this weekend- I lost four pounds yesterday! HAHAHA, tho I really did.
Joe got the new stairs on today, wish I could have helped him. The realtors are coming tomorrow to do their appraisal of the house so we can get a better idea what they want to ask. I'm just so ready to get this over with. The selling, the moving, all of it. I like househunting, but the rest is no fun!
I'm off to make some tea.

I'm here, I'm here...

2008-01-30T16:53:00.000-08:00

I know! Busy busy busy!

I got to go to the Topeka office last week and meet people. It's like Bizarro World where everything is so well organized! That'll never be me, that's for sure. I also had lunch with Mary, our real estate agent and someone I've known forever. She took me to a house after that and I saw the first one of many I'm sure! Nice- fully remodelled and a kitchen to kill for! I am heading back up Friday to do some work in the office, and if there's time may drive by one or two more of the houses on our list.

Weight loss is creeeeeeeping. I am now down to 197.2, so have lost a total of 6.4 pounds since December 26th. I'm still better off than I was 2 years ago- I WAS 270! I have decided to try and post here daily (I DID say TRY!) what I am eating and what my exercise is starting today. So here goes-

Breakfast- ham, shrooms, swiss omelet and coffee

Lunch- Couldn't bear the thought of a salad so I had Chinese take out- beef, chicken, shrimp w/ LOADS of veggies and I got the sauce on the side (and barely used any). I did eat a tiny bit of rice...

Dinner- pork&pintos w/ usual toppings, red wine

I'm supplying a picture of this. Those of you I share my recipes with are familiar with Sam's favorite meal- Pork and Bean Burritos. This is it. It's the perfect meal to make when you have to work all day since you use the crockpot.

And just so you know, I didn't exercise today.

Pork and Pintos- this makes several meals

3-4 pound pork sirloin roast (the cheapo boneless one), remove the netting if it has it

1 pound dry pintos, cooked and drained

1 can enchilada sauce

1 chopped onion

salt and pepper

Put the beans in the crock, top with everything else. Cook on low all day. When you get home, mash everything together with a potato masher until the beans are mostly smooshed and the meat os shredded. For our family this makes about 5 meals. It freezes very well.

We eat this on whole wheat tortillas and top them with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream- whatever! This series of meals costs me about $11 to make- for the entire batch! Talk about budget-friendly!

I am off to do just a little more work. I'll do my best to post food again tomorrow!

WoW!

2008-01-17T11:10:00.000-08:00

So much for being able to post more again, huh? Joe didn't think my working hours would change much, but here we are two weeks into the new companies and I have doubled my hours! I'm not really complaining tho, think of the nice paychecks and such. The only really hard part is when there are new employees in Topeka and I can't enter them into the system without having to call that office and have Anne fax everything to me. Eventually that will be better after we move, tho we are keeping this office here for awhile (thank goodness!).
Joe and I have still been doing our best to eat better and workout more. He has had a hard time since he is already getting up an hour earlier to get to work and getting home an hour later usually. Still doing his best tho! I have discovered that I feel much more able to finish my programmed workout if I do it right after Sam and I get home. Not that there's a real option to do it in the morning. Either way, I am getting to where I feel I can up the level I am doing, so hope that by March or so I can do maybe the 40-45 minute ones! As is I am doing the 25 minute weightloss workout most of the time- but now without stopping in the middle! Joe found out it is easier to do longer if you are watching TV instead of just listening to the iPod or something. He watches news and listens to music, I try to find a sitcom like Friends or Sienfeld. We have also started watching The Biggest Loser. There was a marathon one day and we watched while working out and found it very motivational! This made us watch the new season premiere, and we are actually learning from it! Since Christmas he has lost 6 pounds and I have lost 5. Not huge numbers, but we have also had two or three meals that were quite unacceptable... Joe's Crab Shack is EVIL!!!
Househunting is going... Joe found our dream home last weekend- it's a real true log cabin! Gorgeous inside and out, it even has a hot tub under the deck. A bit higher priced than we were thinking, but Joe wasn't really counting on my checks being any bigger than they were so there's room there. There are a few others as well- one on the top of a hill overlooking the Flint Hills! Too bad Joe is still adamant about waiting. I think we'll have our realtor here look at the house in a week or so. It really can't hurt to list it this soon.
Better finish a few last things before I pick Sam up. If ya don't 'hear' from me for a bit you know why!

I can finally tell!!!

2008-01-06T09:51:00.001-08:00

YAY! I can finally talk about the one thing I've been wanting to post!
Our boss bought 13 more stores this past week, bringing his total to 21. The stores he bought are in Topeka and Holton KS. The best part of all- we'll be moving when school gets out! This is something we've been waiting for for ages, so it's very exciting. The one downside is Joe is busier than ever now with more stores and not as much help as we had thought. He feels bad, like he's neglecting the other 8 stores, but that will get better eventually. For now tho, there is a lot of work to be done with these new stores- remodelling, updating, CLEANING... This means more work for me too with adding 120+ employees to a new payroll set up with more companies, doing a lot of Joe's office stuff like polling stores, and I have offered to drive to the other 8 stores to drop off/pick up paperwork. More work= bigger paycheck, but I sure miss Joe when I'm in the office. He's also getting home very late in the evening, so Sam misses him too! Once we're moved and things hopefully settle down, it will be better. For now tho rough days ahead with work, house shopping and selling, packing, etc.
Sam had his 8th birthday this past Thursday. I didn't make a cake or anything this year with all the busy-ness. Sam was also very sick the week of the holiday break. He started very pale the day after Christmas, then it went downhill after that. By the next night he had a fever over 104 and was getting very lethargic. We took him to the doc on Saturday- he said Sam had strep but we disagree. He never did a test or anything, just gave him antibiotics and sent us away. Joe and I both feel that Sam really had the flu, and also that maybe the doc is more of a jerk than we first thought! His symptoms were much more consistent with the flu virus than strep... He is still recovering and falls asleep very quickly at night. Soooo, his bday went by without much fanfare this year. He got a small Snickers cake that night along with his presents and yesterday we took him to Radio Shack and bought him an RC helicopter from his Grandpa John. He also got some books at Hastings. Then we took him to Montana Mike's for dinner where we surprised him with a Mudslide dessert. He had a friend spend the night Friday night as well.
Joe and I both gained some weight back the past few months so we bought a big present for Christmas- an elliptical! Man O Man- the first few times on that thing were rough! It has 12 preset workouts with varying resistances. I am now able to do the 20 or 25 minute programs with a stop in the middle to work on the weight machine for my arms. Lost 5 pounds the first week (along with better eating habits), so it must be working! My first goal is a loss of 20 pounds by March 1st, and I'm well on my way. Keep your fingers crossed!
That's pretty much it for now. This next weekend Dad and Suzy are coming so we can go to KC to see Sweeney Todd at the Music Hall. We're very excited! This time with no football draft to race back for we can stay and have dinner. Of course, rushing back after Spamalot wasn't too bad since my fantasy team came in second place- I lost the Super Bowl at the very end of the games on a last second touchdown. Not bad!
Happy New Year all!

Ladies Night- With Food PICS!

2007-11-18T14:29:00.000-08:00

MAN! That was fun! There were six of us total- worked out perfectly since I had six settings and wine glasses. Everyone brought at least one bottle of wine, and Tiff brought my new fave- Menage A Trios Red! Ok, so hubby Mike bought it (scoutmaster who owed me one!) but it counts! There were two people there I had never met before, one had not met any of us but the sister-in-law she brought. We all got along famously and had loads to talk about. Really, it was wonderful!

The food was fabulous, if I do say so (tho they all said it too!).

I made the fondue- great with a stale crusty French loaf. Didn't get a pic of that.

The Basil-Prosciutto Cheese Log was delish with Kashi Crackers- it was devoured!

The Onion and Brie Pizza was amazing too, I will make that one whenever given the chance. Obviously it was enjoyed thoroughly!

I must say tho the best (lightest and most refreshing too) appetizer was Laurie's Stuffed Shells Ensalata.

You really MUST buy her cookbook! I passed my copy around to all, I know of at least one who will definitely buy one.

One of my guests brought me a birthday present- she and I have not really gotten to know eachother and yet she brought me a cookbook! I am making one of the side dishes tonight, it's a cauliflower and corn scalloped dish with a crunchy topping. It looks fabulous and I haven't even put it in the oven yet! Some good recipes in there, can't wait to try them...

Well Joe was out burning leaves this afternoon and couldn't find his glasses when he was done. They had fallen out of his shirt pocket and I inadvertently tossed them with a jumble of leaves into the fire! He's very upset- more at himself for having them in his shirt than at me. He rushed into town to the Walmart Vision Center (this will be the 6th pair of glasses purchased there in 2 years for this household!) just a bit ago, but his new glasses won't be in until at least Thursday. He has a meeting out of town tomorrow too... Unfortunately he really has only his sunglasses now, bad deal.

Been a bad month. I went to the dentist last week with a pain in my tooth. I've been having this pain for 5 years, but this time the Xray actually showed a crack. They did a temporary fix on it, but I have to go in December 6th for a crown. I offered to cancel my birthday pampering, but Joe said not to. I think now I will tho with the new glasses and all. Something good is going to come eventually, right?

Long time no post, eh?

2007-11-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know it's been ages. Sorry. Been super busy with work and school and scouts... Besides, I can't really write about what I WANT to write about, so it's hard for me to want to write anything at all!

Well here's what's been up the last month or so-

Scouts is keeping me really busy. I was in charge of popcorn sales and we just finished that and got the corn out to deliver. I am still waiting for the prizes to arrive- Sam sold enough to get the bow-and-arrow. Can you tell I'm a bit scared? The boys walked in the Veteran's Day parade Saturday. I know it doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but Emporia is the town where Veteran's Day was started so it does hold some special meaning! We have the Christmas parade in two weeks, seems so soon! I have already told the others I will not be as active after January tho.

I've been working a lot more lately. Joe has been extra busy with the stuff I can't talk about so I am taking up more work to ease that- plus I have to earn the "Promotions" title! Starting the 19th we're joining a promotion with a local gym- Emporia's Biggest Loser. Obvious choice right?! We also started using a new payroll system about 3 weeks ago. It's the same company we had been using, but now we're in the bigtime. Some aspects are super-cool, others are something of a pain. Either way, it's a better fit for our-sized company.

Joe's mom was here this past weekend, so we got to run away for a few hours Saturday. We went to Topeka and goofed around at the mall and Barnes & Noble, then went to Olive Garden. No, we did not behave and NO, I don't feel at all bad about it! Kate and her hubby Dave are coming for Thanksgiving this year- Dave hasn't seen the bedroom yet! I'm making a couple of new items for the dinner table this time, but nothing too weird. I think he's really going to like the mashed root veggies I'm making instead of plain mashed potatoes!

I'm having a Ladies Night this Saturday. I wanted to do something like that for my birthday this year and I'm very excited! Most of those I invited are unable to come, but a few that are will be bringing other friends. This is strictly a 'forget you're married/pregnant/a mom and come have wine and hors d'oeuvres with the gals' night! No responsibility other than bringing a bottle of wine! I am making some semi-fancy nibbles and desserts to have- Cider Cheese Fondue, a Prosciutto and Basil Cheese Ball, Onion Brie Pizza, and fall-type desserts of Apple Cranberry Crisp and Pumpkin Flan. It's my excuse to cook fun things I would not usually make and spend an evening relaxing with friends! I'm SO excited!

Well I thought I'd throw this in here too. Today there wasn't any school, so Sam has been pretty bored. He was telling me this morning he really wanted to make pancakes for breakfast, but I was just too tired. We did it for lunch instead! In order for it to count toward a scout requirement, he had to do everything- mix the batter, cook/flip the cakes, and clean up afterwards. Tell you what- they were pretty darn good pancakes! Here's the pics of Chef Sam and his first fully prepared-on-his-own meal!

I have been making a lot of food from Laurie's cookbook lately. Joe and I now have a couple of new favorite soups! Her Creamy Cabbage Soup and her Cauliflower Soup are both delish! The last time I made the cabbage one I added a small diced potato to the broth and mashed it up once it was really tender to sort of thicken it all. MAN O MAN! LOVE THEM, L!~ You can buy her book here.

Off to clean some. Have to make the house fabulous for Saturday!

Weekends are the pits... sometimes

2007-09-24T07:50:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know everyone looks forward to the weekend, but sometimes weekdays are better. I like my quiet Monday mornings, reading email, drinking coffee, Charlie in my lap. Creatures of habit, you have another member!
Saturday we went to Topeka to shop and goof off. Ate lunch at Red Lobster and NO, I didn't behave! You can't go there and not eat at least two CheddarBay Biscuits and have the Shrimp Alfredo when they have Endless Shrimp! Good stuff too... After lunch we went to the mall, walked off lunch, and I got some jeans from OldNavy- even after eating I still got 16s! Got Sam a camo coat for winter and bought some shirts for him too. All of their pants are so big around the waist! I have to switch the kiddo to 2% milk or something, he's so scrawny I can't buy him clothes. I know, better scrawny than pudgy...
I was much better Sunday with food, tho we did have dessert. I made mini Kahlua cheesecakes the other night- man were they good! For dinner last night I made something from my friend Laurie's cookbook, the Cauliflower and Ham Soup. I can't tell you how fabulous it was, and so quick and easy too! It smelled just like potato soup, and even tasted similar. Joe loved it as well, and he's not one for the idea of cauliflower-as-potato thing. Here's the recipe, with my minor adaptations for what I had on hand-

Cauliflower and Ham Soup

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
2 carrots, diced
3 chicken cubes (had no veg broth, each makes 2 cups broth)
5 cups water
1 tsp savory (I was out of dill)
1 cup chopped ham
2 cups 2% milk
1/4 cup arrowroot powder (my addition, we like thicker soups)

Bring the cubes and water to a boil, drop in carrots and cauliflower. Boil for 20 minutes until veggies are tender, stir in savory. Using a potato masher, gently smash cauliflower into bite-sized bits. Stir in ham (add this towards the end so it doesn't get tough). In a bowl whisk milk and arrowroot together, then stir into soup. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat and eat!
I sliced sourdough bread into 3/4 inch thick slices and broiled them, topped with Havarti cheese, and broiled them again. Made killer croutons. This is one soup I will make again and again for sure! Later this week I am making Toscana Soup like they serve at Olive Garden. I will try to photo it! I forgot last night. :(
My friend Linda called me yesterday. The PTO here is doing a dinner before the home football game Friday, and she was told to make a pie. She doesn't MAKE pie, so she called me. I told her I'd make a pecan pie and one for her to cut and freeze so she can eat little slices whenever. Well, when Joe heard me say that he begged me to make HIM one too! I will do the same with his- bake it, slice it, freeze it. Maybe I can get Linda to have me make her stuff like this more often, eh? :)
My fantasy football team is 3-0 so far. I don't know how, since this week was really the one time they've played well. I guess I've just gotten luck so far. My opponents have not played well so that helps. I am at the top of my division and loving it! hahaha! GO Ballbusters!

Whoops!

2007-09-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

So much for no grains! Sam's school pairs with a local (fabulous!) pizza place- Gambino's- once a month for School Fundraiser Night. The class that has the most 'attendance' wins a pizza party. Last night was the night, and since we were planning to have leftovers anyway... Sam wanted it, Joe wanted it, so we got it. My plan was to eat two slices, then have a salad. Yeah, well that didn't happen! I adore their pizza (it's not the place with the wheat crust, there would be no guilt from that), so I ate 4 slices of deluxe pizza and three small cinnamon dessert sticks. That was it tho, and I still weighed less this morning than yesterday! Not that this will encourage me to do it again. This was my once-before-Texoma thing. For the next week I will eat maybe one grain a day, lots of salad, and walkwalkwalk! At least lunch yesterday was a salad.
Today will be an experiment with Sam's lunch. He has been wanting to take chicken noodle soup to school, but the insulated container I bought leaked. Well yesterday I got him one ($15!!!) that doesn't leak, so he took soup today. It'll be interesting to see if it's still warm four hours later. It's a Thermos-brand, and says it's guaranteed to keep it hot for 5 hours. We'll see!!!
Going to Topeka tomorrow to shop and goof off. Hope we find some bargains!

Hello again!

2007-09-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

I know, I said I was going to try keeping up with this blog, but man I seem to get busy and forget! Sorry...
I had been having a very hard time lately with eating any and every thing I am not to eat- chips (geesh, have you TRIED those jalapeno chips??? OMG!), cookies (when I enter a particular Subway there are always Franken-Oatmeal Raisin cookies with tons of raisins), and french fries galore. I decided this Monday to start typing in my meals again, tracking calories, and cutting out grains for a while. When I weighed Monday morning, I was sitting at 198! Yikes!!! As of this morning, my bod is working much smoother and I am back to 192.8. Part of my problem is with the bad foods I have not been feeling quite right, but I am "feeling much better now" (I miss Night Court, don't you?). I am doing better getting my water down- had a gallon yesterday! I didn't walk yesterday (working) and got rained on when I went Tuesday, but I will go today for sure!
We are going to Texoma this year. It's the first weekend in October. Sam is so excited he's going to see Joseph soon! It'll be a bit different than last year- Joe's dad won't be there- but it's still going to be nice to get away and have fun for the weekend. What's great is that Dad and Suzy are at the midpoint of the drive, so we'll head to their house that Thursday night after work. That way we only have another 3 hours drive Friday instead of doing all 6 and missing out on half the day! Plus this year I have a better idea of what to expect so I can plan better. I will make sure we stop at the grocery when we get there instead of making two trips back into town.
Scouts starts September 27th. There isn't school that day, so I have to get a key from the principal the day before. Man, as a kid I would have DIED to have a key to the school! ;)
We did do something a bit silly Saturday- we bought a new TV! I got a raise last week, and Joe has been wanting a flat screen, HD TV. Walmart had a 37" Sanyo for a really great price, so we did it! It fits perfectly into our armoire and looks great. We rented 300 that night- manoman was it fabulous! That will be our Christmas present to each other...
Nothing else is new really. I have been cooking up a storm lately with better foods- Chicken Dijonaise, Swiss Steak, and such. I will try to post my recipes more. This is the Chicken Dijonaise-

Chicken Dijonaise
1 roaster chicken (about 5-6 pounds), rinsed off and put in a large zipper bag
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1/4 cup lemon juice
several cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp pepper
3 tbsp Dijon mustard

Mix the marinade ingredients and pour over chicken in bag. Marinate overnight at least!
Drain the chicken and either grill it or roast it. Last time I flattened and grilled it, this time I used my upright roaster and it worked just as well. Roast until the thighs are 170 degrees (about 2 hours at 375), then take it out and tent with foil for 20 minutes. I served it with sauteed asparagus and some carrots, very tasty! This is a very tender and juicy bird- highly recommended!

Long day ahead!

2007-09-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

Well Sam got his glasses Monday after school, and MAN is he happy!!! He immediately turned around and said "Mom! I can read that sign allllll the way in the back of the store!". He is a bit paranoid about breaking them- and I'm sure that's our faults. We've been telling him the right way to set them down, not to take them off at school, to take them off when he brushes his teeth/takes off his shirt, etc. He woke up in the middle of the night Tuesday having a bad dream that they had been broken and he was afraid we'd be really mad! It's definitely going to take some time getting less uptight about them.
My MIL stopped by here last night and left a comment- Welcome Kate!! I know there haven't been many recipes lately, I will work on that.
Lots going on lately, most I can't mention here. I have been working a lot more, and with scout stuff have been very busy! There is a meeting I would have liked to attend tonight, but Sam is getting a cavity filled this afternoon and I think I'll stay home with him. We are planning our first meeting on the 27th, and then a big popcorn sale Blitz-thing that weekend. This month is going by soooo fast! We want to go to the family reunion thing at Lake Texoma this year, but aren't sure if we can make it now. It's the first weekend in October- in three weeks!! It seems so far away, yet it will be here before we know it.
Well I am off to the office to finish payroll and a bit more work, then it's to school for Grandparent's Day (standing in of course!). Have a great day!!

Is it Friday yet???

2007-09-06T07:05:00.000-07:00

Man, it seems like this week has draaagggggedddd on so long! Sam being out of school Monday and Tuesday couldn't have anything to do with that, could it?? ;)

I took the twerp to the eye doctor yesterday because he'd been complaining for a month or so that he couldn't see the board at school. Well, he gets his new glasses sometime next week! WallyWorld was having a 2fer sale, so we got him two pairs for $230. Not much, especially when they are supposed to be virtually indestructible and I bought the extended service agreement. Sam is very excited, freaking us both out a bit. We asked why he was thrilled- was it because he was getting glasses or what- and he said it was because now he'd be able to see better at school! I asked the doc, there really is no way for him to have fibbed his way thru the test, so he really does need them. It's just bizarre how his prescription is worse than MINE and he was pretty much 20/20 last year. Scary, eh? Let's hope it doesn't mean he's going to be changing 'scripts every six months... Next week- CAVITY!

Subway does the halftime fun during football games every year. The last few years we've done a punt, pass, and kick competition for a party sub. This year Joe wanted to do something different, so we've been brainstorming. I am so excited about what we came up with! We bought one of those huge (22 inch) inflatable soccer balls from WallyWorld and I am getting some exercise bands from the Rec Center. We'll have two teams of five players- one goalie each and two pairs, tied-up three-legged-race-style. The first team to score wins! I think it'll be a hoot! It's going to be harder for them, but they should be able to do it. The original plan was to buy snowshoes or swimfins, but those are super expensive. This will be easier for us, and I think just as funny!

Scouts and work are keeping me very busy. The four leaders who can are meeting Sunday to plan out the first couple of months for scouts. We also have popcorn sales to do starting September 29th, so that will keep me VERY busy! We're going to try to make it to Lake Texoma this year again to see Joe's family. That is the first weekend in October. Seems we've driven a million miles this year already...

Oh, here is the fabulous meal I made the other night! We love a good Sausage and Peppers Pasta, so I made a big batch of sauce for us to eat on a couple times this week-

Sausage & Peppers Sauce

1# Italian sausage (I used JimmyDean in the tube), browned and drained if needed

1 large white onion, chopped

1 large red pepper, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

1/2 a zucchini, diced

8 huge shrooms, chopped

2 tbsp chopped garlic

28oz can diced tomatoes

Italian seasoning to taste

Fresh chopped parsley

After the sausage is browned, add in the chopped veggies and cook 10 minutes or until they are softened and liquid is evaporated. Add in the garlic and spices and cook another 3 minutes, then add the can of tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check seasoning, and simmer another 15 minutes covered. I top mine with the chopped parsley right before serving.

That's it! I served mine over 'fried' polenta slices, and Joe had his with WW spaghetti. Good stuff maynard! We're having the rest tonight...

Off to do a food order before heading in for work! TGTIF- Thank Goodness TOMORROW Is Friday!

I know, I know...

2007-09-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

Yeah, been gone awhile. Things have been a bit crazed around here for a couple of weeks.
My Uncle Dave passed away August 22nd after a very short fight with a particularly vicious form of cancer. He was always a very healthy and fun person, and the cancer was quite a shock. He had been getting treatment in St. Louis for a few weeks when he just became so tired and weak from the treatments. He was a wonderful man, great dad, rabid Cardinals fan,and all-around happy person and will be missed terribly. We love you, Uncle Dave!
Since school started I have been very busy with CubScouting stuff. Being the Assistant Cubmaster and the only one of us three 'helpers' with any real time, I have taken on a lot of responsibility. I became the "Unit Kernel" for our upcoming popcorn sale, organized the Race To Join Scouting Night with my GirlScout counterpart, and spent all day Friday running around Emporia getting boys signed up (in our packet for Race night they only gave us 6 new boy packets- we had 26 show up!). As of Friday, our pack has grown from 9-11 boys last year to around 20 this year along with two new adult volunteers! I still have a few new boys to get signed up, too. With so many boys and so many schedules to accommodate, we will be having meetings on two different nights this year- Wednesday and Thursday. Melissa and newbie Mickey will head up the group on Wednesday while newbie Dan and I will do the Thursday group. We'll have to have a full pack meeting once a month, but that can be arranged. Cubmaster Mike is working in Emporia, Kansas City, and two other states right now so he will work on getting to as many meetings as he can!
I have also been keeping busy with Subway work. Joe had me get business cards last week. I told him he needed to come up with a title for me since I couldn't very well put "Joe's slave-girl" on them! I am now titled the Human Resources and Promotions person. Cheap-o cards, but fun all the same. Plus, now maybe people will call me first instead of hoping Joe gets me the message!!!
Sam is doing better in school. He had two somewhat bad days this week- talking of course- but otherwise has done well so far this year. He's not really putting forth the extra effort on assignments, but that's no surprise when you look at who is parents are! ;) He's very happy scouts are starting back up as well. His friend Blake moved away today, so that will be an adjustment but he's got a new girl in his class that he loves to hang around with. We also discovered his 'cousin' goes to his school. Joe's cousin Carrie and hubby Bruce have two daughters- Kelsey and Olivia. Kelsey is in kindergarten this year and they transferred her to the same school as Sam. They see each other everyday, and everyday when they get out she comes over and hugs me too! It's great for both of them- Kelsey has a 'big brother'-type person to watch our for her and Sam has actual family with him and someone to look out for. It's cute, after school if she hasn't come by yet he will go looking for her to say good-bye!
Well that's it for now. Some fun stuff in the future I hope!

I'm still here!

2007-08-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

Well she loved it! My M-I-L got here Thursday night and we were so excited to show her! She went to open the door to her room and looked up and said "Ah! You put up a new door!" When she walked in, she nearly flipped! Couldn't believe we had done all that work- especially ourselves. She can't wait for us to come and tile HER house now... HAHAHA! Kate agrees it is like a Japanese Zen Garden room with the green and how relaxed she feels in there now. So cool!
Nothing however will top yesterday. We left home around 11:30 to get to KC for the 2pm SPAMALOT performance. It was amazing!!! Honestly I can't remember laughing so hard in my life! Joe and I are SOOOOOO glad we did that. Cost quite a bit, but realllly worth it! We bought t-shirts for ourselves- mine says "I'm not dead yet" and his has the shields of King Arthur's knights. I had so much fun!
Then we had to rush home, change, and get to our fantasy football draft. That was great too- beer, football, BS-ing with the guys we pretty much only see once a year! And of course, since my team was awful last year I got to bring the "Good Grief!" Award home (where it doesn't belong!). Joe made it a few years ago- it's Charlie Brown and Lucy in the classic pulling-the-football-away pose. We have had it two of the three years it's been around! Hopefully next fall one of us will have the winner's helmet instead...
So Kate spent the day alone with Sam yesterday and came to a 'diagnosis' of his problems. She says he has chronic motor tic disorder related to OCD-type stuff and says a good treatment for it is B vitamins and spirulina. Let's hope that helps. She also said a big part of it is oppositionality and defiance towards the child's parents. Well that sounds right-on! We're hoping the vitamins and behavior modification will help. He's even been making the humming noises at school, so it's GOT to stop. She did say they usually 'outgrow' this by age 10 or so. God I hope so.
Off to make fondue...

It's DONE!!!!!!!!!

2007-08-12T14:34:00.001-07:00

We did it!!! The room is done, all we have to do is put the new door back on when the sealer dries. Joe is building a 'box' to cover up the drain from the dishwasher and that's all that's needing to be done now. Well, that and decorating...

Let's refresh, shall we??

Before-

After! The new closet doors and the new tile floor, the shade in the window over the oak ledge on top of marble tiles, and the antique headboard on the bed with new bedding and the new side table. My old chest looks great at the end of the bed!

Joe's mom is coming Wednesday for a week and has NO IDEA we've been doing this! She's going to completely flip out! Joe came up with a great name for the room- The Lincoln Bedroom... Because you have to make a BIG donation to get to sleep there! HAHAHAHAHA! I think instead it should be known as the 'Grandparent's Suite' since my grandparents (thru Dad) paid for it and Sam's grandparents will be sleeping in it! It really is amazing to think it's the same room. (Wish I had pics with the nasty rotting brown shag on the floor and close-ups of the broken mirrored closet doors!) The downside is it's not OUR bedroom, the upside is when we do our room we get to sleep in it!

We WILL be taking a break for a while. Not sure what the next project will be, but it's probably going to be just as major. I'm sure we'll do the tiling on the landing and redoing the stairs going to the basement next. nothing TOO major in that.

The eating is going OK. Not been super disciplined and only exercised twice in the (whole ) summer! Those were walking last week even. It's so hot now- over 100- that walking outside isn't really an option during the days. Now that the room is done, I was able to move most of the stuff blocking the 'Beast" so I should be able to start that up again. With school starting Tuesday (can I get an AMEN!) I will be able to go whenever I want. I plan to go in and walk at that park Wednesday morning before going in to the office. When I walked last week, it felt great and I slept better. Looking forward to it! Joe is losing well, I am mostly steady at 189 or so. When I start eating better AND exercising, it should start melting off! Have to fit into those jeans from Linda this fall/winter!

Long time!

2007-08-07T14:59:00.000-07:00

Didn't realize how long it had been! Busy busy busy...
This past Sunday was our trip to the Great Wolf Lodge. It was a day of firsts too! When we got to the area where the lodge is, we were hungry and had a couple hours until our check-in time. The area is called Legends and is full of shops and restaurants. We ate lunch at a place called Styx- it is a Japanese hibachi grill/sushi place. We sat in the grill section so we could get a "show" with our meal. Sam thought the grill chef was awesome- he even loved his teriyaki scallops with SAUCE on them!!! I tried my first sushi- I got three tuna rolls- and it was very good. The waiter told me to try it with soy sauce, but it was better with the sweet soy sauce the chef brought out. Good stuff! I was surprised it didn't have any weirdness to it, just a really creamy texture. Sunday night we ate dinner at a place called T-Rex's- obviously a dinosaur themed restaurant. They have a dino-dig spot for the kids, which Sam loved. The food was crazy good- I had the Mammoth Mushroom Ravioli (big portabello-stuffed raviolis simmered in a white garlic sauce and topped with chopped roma tomato). After dinner and Sam's dino-dig, we ate dessert at Cold Stone Creamery! The service was horrid- and I mean REALLLLLLLY bad- but the ice cream was sensational. I got a small mocha ice cream with graham cracker crust, brownie, and a little fudge sauce mixed in and barely ate half of it. Sam got the cake batter ice cream with white chocolate chips and Joe got a dipped waffle cone with nuts filled with sweet cream ice cream with peanut butter cup added. All was delish, and only Sam finished his. We figured it was the one time we'd ever eat it, so we did!
So school starts next Tuesday!!! Sam is in the same class- they have looping classrooms at his school- so he will have the same teacher and mostly the same classmates. We saw the class assignments yesterday, there are two new kids and I think only one or two kids aren't in there from last year. I do sort of wish he had a new teacher, but it's only for this next year, then they get a new one. He sometimes says he's excited, sometimes he's not. I know I am tho!!! I think the only reason he isn't sure is I have been letting him go to the pool here with his friends for the last week. He doesn't get that the pool closes when school starts! It'll mean getting up at 7:15 every morning again, but it'll be worth it...
The room is almost done. We bought the new door, got it home and it was too small. Took it back yesterday and got the next size up and it's too big! Had to take THAT ONE back today and get the smaller one again, we'll just have to shim it a lot. Got the trim for the closet painted, the window too. Have to get the door done and we can finish cleaning the floor and seal it. Then we can get the baseboards up and put the bed in there. We found a great side table at Nebraska Furniture Mart yesterday, so we're pretty much set. Just need to finish those last few things and we'll be ready for Kate next week. She doesn't even know we've done this... I will get the pics once we are finished and the bed is in there. It's going to look so nice with the new bedding we got too!
Off to start dinner and clean up a bit. Had a major bad headache most of the day so I laid down after grocery shopping. Feel like I've accomplished NOTHING today!!!

Ah, Monday...

2007-07-30T08:02:00.001-07:00

Well, it was a productive weekend! We got all the tile in but two around the door and a small row if tiles we have to cut in the corner. Our "random" pattern couldn't be as random as we wanted- the green tiles were just a little smaller than the cream ones. Oh well! It looks good now, and if we can get the grout in this week it will be fabulous (plus we'll be able to move things back in!). Dad and Suzy brought two prints for us, and I think the one with an Asian theme will look wonderful in there with all of the green on the walls and in the print. Suzy showed me a great website that I found lots of things at! We still need to get some doorknobs for the closet- Joe wants something a little whimsical and I was looking at something more antique-glass-knob-like. They have both there, along with some really neat shelf brackets I adore. I also really dig this hook system. It would be great for bathrobes or whatever! I'll post pics of the room without furniture when we get the floor grouted. We still haven't fully decided about the baseboards yet, but are leaning towards oak to match the closet doors and switch covers.
Joe and I took Sam to the 5Th Harry Potter movie last night. Man, I can't say I like what the new director has done. Hagrid isn't the oaf he always was, the scene when they speak to Sirius in the fire was done completely different than before (and it was cooler before), and there were some things cut that I really felt were extremely important for the future. Now the good points were that Umbridge was PERFECT, Bellatrix was amazingly creepy (excellent for someone in Azkaban for 14 years), and the scenes with Dumbledore's Army were fantastic (tho there were fewer than I had hoped). Oh well, I understand they couldn't include everything from the book. It just seemed they left out some very pertinent scenes. Maybe I should direct the next one!
The garden is still producing. We have had rain the past two days, so I hope the last couple cantaloupes will still be sweet since I just picked them this morning. The tomatoes are everywhere, but Dad and Suzy did take a few. They also took a cantaloupe and a huge cuke. We made BLT's with one of the bigger toms Saturday and Suzy was very pleased with the flavor of the 'German' we used. Too bad I could only get them to take four home! Joe and I also have eaten the half-pint and another pint of the salsa, I may be making more of that before I can plain toms! I will use a whole quart tomorrow in the pork roast.
I did eat a bit off this weekend, but that was expected. I still weighed in at only 190.2 this morning, and I'm sure that my only drinking 2qts of water each day had something to do with that. I even ate popcorn at the movie and bad Mexican food Saturday night. I hope to see 186 by Friday (just in time to go to Great Wolf Lodge this weekend...). I have noticed my tighter shorts feel better, so that's a plus too. And I got an amazing compliment both days this weekend- Saturday night at the (bad) play, our friend Krista said "Oh my Gosh! You look amazing!" and then Sunday at the mall some Subway regulars from way back saw Joe and I and called us the "getting skinny people". Now, Krista hasn't seen me in ages (maybe over a year?) and the other lady has always been a super-sweetie, but I'm taking them both!
Sam has his friend Blake over for the day. Blake's sister is getting something removed from her finger today so I said he could come over here and play with Sam. Maybe they'll take Sam Wednesday so I can tackle the fun payroll with the two different wages problem!
Hope everyone has a great week!

Friday at last!!!

2007-07-27T10:57:00.001-07:00

Well I made it thru the week. Yes, there was doubt after the long weekend but I made it!
As I said, when we got home our garden was 'a-overflowin'. It hasn't slowed down either! I got another melon Tuesday, and two more yesterday. I used the one from Tuesday to try a new ice cream from my Ben&Jerry's book- Cantaloupe. It's ok, nothing spectacular. I think that's my fault tho- I was a bit afraid so I only used half the melon instead of all of it. The only problem with the ice cream is that it's pretty light on flavor. I bet with some strawberries it would make an excellent milkshake!
I also have an abundance of tomatoes and peppers. Our little yellow/pink toms we've been slicing and eating nearly ever night were SUPPOSED to have been 'Green Zebra' toms, and we've had another switch with some peppers. We thought we were buying 'Big Chilis' which are bigger than jalapenos and great for stuffing. Apparently what we actually got were something like a serrano- same length as a jalapeno but skinny and REALLY hot! Since the salsa I make every year tends to be on the mild side, I made hot stuff this time with a bunch of those peppers. Man, I gotta say it's the best canned salsa I have ever made! Not hot enough to make you wish you were never born, but just hot enough to remind you to grab a beer. Good stuff, especially with some goat cheese mixed in and the Veggie Chips we bought at Wild Oats! I got three and a half pints and two big quarts. Yummy!!
My slicer toms are going nutso out there. I have an entire countertop covered with them, trying to give them to everyone I know. Hope Dad and Suzy want some when they come!
They should be here tonight for dinner. They are coming to help us tile the guest floor and finish up any loose ends. If we don't wear ourselves out tomorrow, we're all going to see "Gilligan's Island: the Musical"! That's the last summer theater play, and it sounds like fun.
I have managed to get myself back down to 188.2 from the weekend's daliances. I'm sure it won't be that good on Monday, but if I can manage to drink all of my water I might be ok. Joe even got past the elusive 200 for the first time since the beginning of the year! I think when school starts things will get better, at least for me. It's very hard to exercise right now. (It doesn't help that the "Beast" is hidden amongst everything from the guest room closet!)
Well, one quart of water down, two more to go. I'm off to the liquor store for vino, beer, and tequila! I bought some of the Zilch stuff (it mixes with tequila and water to make a SF margarita) and want to try it. Have a great weekend all!

We're baaack!

2007-07-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

We're back and settled. We only got to do about half of the things we wanted to, there just wasn't time! We got to the Art Museum and saw the mummy exhibit and the Napoleon exhibit. We happened to be there Friday night when they had free entrance to Napoleon and were staying open extra late. Convenient! There was some really amazing stuff to see, and we didn't even see everything. After that, we went to the Hard Rock Cafe at Union Station for dinner. Best burger I have ever had! We had this fabulous waiter- looked a bit like Talking Heads front man David Byrne from 20 years ago. He set us up with a free set of their collector glasses just because Joe didn't complain about the guacamole on his burger! He also brought Sam free french fries when he was disappointed with his mac and cheese. It was a great place! After dinner Joe and Sam rode the paddle boats around the pond in the Station and we walked around for a bit.

The hotel was nice, great for the price. It was very old, and needing redecorating not more covering-up. Nice people tho. And no, Joe didn't want to use the free limo service. I made him promise that we would next time we went anywhere that offered it tho!

Saturday morning we ate breakfast outside at a creperie before heading to the Zoo. We spent over four hours there. We went and had lunch at the Science Center before walking around there most of the afternoon. There was a walkway over the highway that we could use radar guns to see how fast people were driving! Very freaky! After that we went back to the hotel and swam for a little bit- the pool was on a second floor terrace! We went back to Union Station for dinner, this time to a New Orleans-style seafood place called Landry's. Great food there too! We walked around the Station for awhile, played 3-D mini golf (pretty lame actually), bought some fudge and crazy-good chocolates, did some shopping, and walked off dinner.

Sunday morning we ate breakfast at the hotel (ever had Amaretto French Toast?) and went downtown to see Busch Stadium and my grandparent's brick. Thanks to direction from Dad and my cousin Mike we found it no problem! It was a very tearful moment. They have a bust of Jack Buck doing (with full sound!) many famous broadcasts and it made me think of Grandma and Grandpa even more. They would have loved everything we saw! Then we went to the Arch. Sam had been bugging us since we hit town Friday night about going! We went under it to the museum and store, but did NOT go up in it. I don't do heights and Joe doesn't do enclosed spaces. It's funny tho, I teased Joe for hours afterwards about not taking Sam up and then later in the day we found out about the power outage they had Saturday night causing about 200 people to be stuck for several hours at the top and in the trams. I can't tease him anymore!

All in all, I ate somewhat badly, but feel I should have walked off every little bit of it! I think we probably walked about 5-7 miles everyday at least! We did see several things we'd like to go back and do, but childless. We never made it to the Botanical Gardens, the Anhueser-Busch Brewery, or any of the wineries along the way.

Joe asked me where I thought we should go next. We had both been thinking about Chicago! Gonna have to make that a longer trip tho- can't see much of Chicago in 3 days. Plus, I say next trip we take the train. I know Joe really likes having his car, but there are so many other ways to get around without all the hassle of paying EVERY TIME you want to park!!!

When we got home, there was a ripe cantaloupe and TONS of tomatoes. I picked two Germans that were 1.25 pounds EACH!!! We ate the whole cantaloupe last night- man was that good. I have tons of canning to do this week with the tomatoes and cukes I got yesterday. Got slicer toms too tho, lots of Germans and several Stripeys. Good eats!

Off to go grocery shopping then back here to try and finish Harry Potter!

Friday here I come!

2007-07-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

Well, we're leaving tomorrow! I've got just about everything packed, and the house is pretty much picked up. We even got a power inverter for the car so Sam can watch movies on the laptop while we drive! Of course, I bet he chooses to read more than watch movies... Smart kid!

This is what I made for dinner last night. It was just a chicken breast stuffed with a mix of spinach and mixed Italian cheeses. Then I baked it for 30 minutes @ 425 and topped it with more cheese. I broiled that until it browned nicely. I made a "bed" for it out of a pint of my canned tomatoes mixed with Italian seasoning and simmered until it reduced quite a bit. Served with broccoli and fresh tomatoes it was a great meal! These sliced tomatoes we have eaten at every dinner for the last week. I have said it before, but NOTHING beats a garden-fresh tomato! We even had some again tonight with the Thunder Thighs, green beans, and baked butternut squash!

As I said, I baked a squash tonight. It was one from our garden of course. I was surprised- Joe even ate his half! I cut it lengthwise and seeded it. Then I put on a tablespoon of olive oil spread and sprinkled the cut side with DiabetiSweet Brown and covered the dish with foil. Bake it @ 425 for an hour, then drizzle it with the melted butter in the cavity and I drizzled a little SF maple syrup on it. Bake another 10 minutes and YUMMMMMMMMMMMM! Definitely a new Thanksgiving dish!

Have a great weekend!

Yummmmm, fresh tomatoes!

2007-07-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

Man, there really is nothing like a fresh tomato! The 'German Johnson' variety is fabulous for slicing and eating with a little salt and pepper. In fact, that was half of my lunch today- most of a sliced tom and two light hot dogs w/o buns. YUMMY! I picked a 'Mr. Stripey' today, but it won't be ready for another day or so.

The kitties are growing so fast! I took these picks of them today, and compared them to when we brought them home. Max is ha-YOO-ge! He's going to be built like Tripper I think- big, stocky, and thick. Miss Charlie is growing too, and tho she's smaller than Max she isn't going to be a tiny thing. She's almost as big now as Sam's 3yo outside cat Fizzy. They are as frisky as ever too. Luckily the waking up at 6am every morning to play stopped quickly! I have also noticed that as in people, female cats mature faster than their male counterparts. Charlie already has her permanent teeth, but Max still has his baby ones. I suppose it IS possible they aren't brother and sister after all, but I doubt it.

I am canning tomatoes right now. This first batch is five pints, and I'm sure there will be plenty more after our trip! I tried some new varieties of roma-type toms this year and think the best have been 'Mamma Mia'. They are huge, thick-walled, and practically seedless. They skin so easily too! I will be on the lookout for them next season.

I cut all of my butternuts today as well. They are all orange like the ones in the store, so I figured I was safe. Counting the one I tried the other night, I had 12. There are new small ones on the vines now, so I bet I get more this fall!

Time to start packing for the weekend. Joe always thinks I'm compulsive, but he has to admit we never forget ANYTHING!!!

Office Pics part 2

2007-07-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

We are in the upstairs area of the Farm and Home Real Estate officees. In the basement there are two small radio stations, on the main floor there is a temp service and also a massage therapist!! It's a guy, never seen one of those before. We have a separate entrace on the side and the stairs go straight to our door area. Down the hall from our office are two nice bathrooms and a kitchenette. There is also a "living room"-type area there with a sofa, chairs, and a stereo. It's so nice!!! No spiders or kids running around, very quiet and clean. Obviously we need some pictures on the walls! We're also told the breeze that comes in with our big windows is wonderful, so we're looking forward to fall! We even have our own thermostat!!!

This is the corner in the back office where we'll store stuff, and another small window-

This is my side of the desk, and the second big window. We have hanging planters for this room.

This is the view of the front office from the back office.

Office Pics!!!

2007-07-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

Went there today to return my work to it's "home" and took these pics. Sam HAD to be in them! I'll make two posts for all of the pics.

This is as you walk in the front doors-

The right side of the front room, where I want to put my own desk eventually. Nice big window that does open! Facing this way the front doors would be behind you.

The left side of the front room where the file cabinet is. The two doors are offices being used by others, and in the tiny corner there is a closet. It's still full of the previous renter's stuff, but that will be moved out soon.

Walking into the back office-

The monster desk system!

Long week...

2007-07-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

We are moved in! The office is fabulous. We got a lot of stuff moved over Thursday, and then Friday the bossman, his brother, and his two nephews came and helped move the big stuff- like the 500 pound desk. We got it all set up by 7:30 Friday night. By then it was too late to go home and cook so I just grabbed Wheat State and brought that home. Yesterday we bought some plants to go in there since there are two big windows and two smaller ones. I will try to remember to photo it when I go in today.
Sam was fine at his appointment, tho did flip out when it came time for his shot. He cried and whined, then she gave him a coupon for a free cone at McD's. Guess that makes it all better? This marked the first time since his birth that his weight was more than his height. Not by much tho! He is now 49 3/4 inches tall and weighs 50 1/4 pounds. Like I said, not by much. Growing like a weed and twice as stubborn!
Have been getting lots of tomatoes. The roma/canners are ripening well, and I got two of the heirloom slicers this weekend. They are the 'German Johnson' variety, and man are they good! A pink tom with the sweet heirloom flavor, few seeds, and so juicy! There are several more out there, but I'm waiting for the 'Mr. Stripey' toms to ripen- those are extraordinary! Killer sliced and salted. The little orange/pink/yellow ones that I bought thinking they were 'Green Zebras' are fabulous too. Wish I knew what they were for next year! I took several over to the neighbor across the street last night. Her hubby is in Iraq... Anything I can do to make her feel welcome.
Picked a butternut the other night and grilled it along with the chicken. Would have been good too, if it had cooked all the way. Could have used another 15 minutes. I have plenty to "experiment" with! The melons are about ready too, just another couple days should do it. They are putting on several new fruits too, so it won't just be an eat-the-fruit-quickly thing. We'll have a whole other batch! The jalapenos are still growing wild. I have three quart bags full, have canned a pint already, and will stuff them tonight and tomorrow. We're even giving some to the bossman! The zuke plant is toast. Whatever was getting at it won. Luckily the eggplants that are right next to it are completely untouched. The cukes are putting on another batch too, tho it will be a couple weeks for those. I did try those pickles I made- not bad! It's wild, they are sweet, tangy, sour, and spicy all at the same time!
The guest room is looking good! The walls and ceiling are painted, we got the closet doors installed, the ledge on the wall is stained and waiting to be put in. Honestly the biggest thing now is the tiling. We bought the rest of the tile yesterday, and decided it would be cheaper to buy a tile saw than rent one. Basically, we blew a ton of money at the home store yesterday! The room has become a little more expensive than we had hoped, but not by much. It's going to look so nice! I keep telling Joe we may end up wanting to make that OUR bedroom!
Well off to take the last of my work stuff to the office and then go grocery shopping. We leave Friday for St. Louis so the list is very small. I do plan to get some good snacks to eat along the way!

Ready for a little peace...

2007-07-10T07:28:00.000-07:00

It has been so crazy with the remodel and not working in the office lately! I am so ready to get back to normal. I have work I need to do, and it's not easy doing it here when the files I need are in the file cabinet in the office! UGH! Joe hopes to start moving into the new space Friday. I can't wait!
I made a stir-fry the other night for dinner, along with egg drop soup (a fave of all of us!) and the crispy noodles. The stir-fry was some of the chicken I cooked for the wraps (really just ground chicken with seasoning), leftover asian-mix veggies, some broccoli, carrots, and onion. I also used a couple of my eggplants and made a spicy eggplant side. It was ok, nothing spectacular. The egg drop however... I love it! Even Sam adores it, snarfs it down!
I made some zucchini bread yesterday. While I was tasting it, Sam came in and wanted to try it. He loved it! Then later when I told him what it was he vowed never to eat it again (chocolate chips or not). Last night for his snack that was what he asked for! I asked him to make sure that he remembered what it was. He said he didn't care because it was really good. Wow! Joe even ate some for breakfast today.
Last night was stuffed peppers. Man those are good! I made a cuke salad to go with it from our garden haul- tomatoes, carrots, onions, and of course a cuke! Good stuff!
I finally made some pickles yesterday. I lost that recipe I wanted to try, so I made one up! These are sweet/spicy pickles with a hint of cinnamon. I don't know how spicy they'll be tho, all I did was put a half of a jalapeno in the jar before I added the cukes. Should work tho, I did some like that last year. Just gives them a little zing at the end. Hope these are good!

Rained again yesterday- stormed actually. The lights flickered a bit while we were eating dinner, but we never really lost power. I was hoping the rain would skip us, the cantaloupes are ripening and they are not to get watered the last week. Oh well! I also couldn't go out and spray the bugs off in the garden. The zukes were covered in eggs the other day, and they all hatched. Hate using any chemicals, but at least what I have now is organic. Still losing the plant tho...
Today is Sam's check-up. So not looking forward to the fit he's going to throw when they go to give him his booster shot. He hates needles, and really goes into super-panic mode. Last time they had to take a little blood, he threw himself down on the floor and went into hysterics for 15 minutes! Yes, it was only last year!!! It's going to be a very long day. After that we have to go grocery shopping. Wish me luck!

Rangoon, Wraps, and Relaxation

2007-07-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

I made those wraps Friday night- not quite the same, but pretty close! I also fried some Crab Rangoon to have with it. Yeah, I said FRIED! They were soooooo good too!

P.F. Chang'S Soothing Chicken Lettuce Wraps

8 dried shiitake mushrooms

1 ts arrowroot

2 ts dry sherry

2 ts water

1 ts soy sauce

salt and pepper

1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken, ground

5 tb oil

1 tsp fresh minced ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onions, minced

2 sm dried chilis, (optional)

1/2 of an 8oz can bamboo shoots, minced

1/2 of an 8 oz can water chestnuts, minced

1/6 of a package cellophane chinese rice noodles, prepared according to instructions in pkg

Cooking sauce:

1 tb hoisin sauce

1 tb soy sauce

1 tb dry sherry

2 tb oyster sauce

2 tb water

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. arrowroot

Iceberg lettuce 'cups' leaves (I used butterhead leaves)

Cover mushrooms with boiling water, let stand 30 minutes then drain. Cut and discard woody stems. Mince the mushrooms. Set aside. Mix all ingredients for cooking sauce in bowl, and set aside. In medium bowl, combine arrowroot, sherry water, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and chicken. Stir to coat chicken thoroughly. Stir in 1 tsp. oil and let sit 15 minutes to marinate. Heat wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add 3 Tbsp oil, then add chicken and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes. Set aside. Add 2 Tbsp oil to pan. Add ginger, garlic, chilies(if desired), and onion; stir fry about a minute or so. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts; stir fry an additional 2 minutes. Return chicken to pan. Add mixed cooking sauce to pan. Cook until thickened and hot. Break cooked cellophane noodles into small pieces, and cover bottom of serving dish with them. Then pour chicken mixture on top of noodles. Spoon into lettuce leaf and Roll.

Crab Rangoon

3.25oz package of crab meat

8oz lite cream cheese

1 tsp sesame oil

salt & pepper

1/2 tsp each garlic and onion powder

1/2 package wonton skins

Mix everything but the skins together and chill. Wet two sides of a skin and put 1/2 a tbalespoon of filling in the middle. Fold in half to form a triangle, then bring in the two bottom tips together and seal with water. I put these on a plate with arrowroot to keep them from sticking together. When all are made, heat and inch of canola oil in a pan and fry four at a time until browned. I cooked them most of the way, then finished them in the oven.

Well Saturday we did NOTHING! We went to the movies and out to dinner last night. It was relaxing day at our house, no work was done other than watering the garden and picking more veggies. I got three more cukes (two I gave to the neighbor and she nearly fainted at the sight!), another big eggplant, four smaller ones, a zuke, and we picked all of the first-batch carrots. Here's the haul for yesterday-

Today, we WORK! After breakfast and coffee, we will go into the guest room and not come out for hours.

It's open!

2007-07-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

The store opened yesterday. Nothing fancy, just opened the lobby. They did decent sales for not having any advertising at all and a Bobcat in the parking lot making a new spot. The practice run for the drive-thru should be this afternoon- if the guy gets there and finishes the headset work. It will open officially Monday! I goofed when I did payroll yesterday and forgot to change the delivery address. Luckily the UPS driver saw the big note on the old location and brought it down to the new store. That could have been VERY bad!
I took Sam and a friend to the pool in town yesterday. It was really perfect pool weather- 93 degrees and partly cloudy. I swam a bit, then just sat out and enjoyed the sun. The boys had fun going around the lazy river, going down the water slides, and diving for rings. There weren't too many people there, so it was not overly crowded. Too bad it costs $7 just for Sam and I...
We have two huge cukes in the fridge and two more on the vine. I have GOT to get those pickles made! The tomato plants look awful, like they are burnt, but they do that every year and still go on producing. The slicer plants are covered in fruit! The butternuts are definitely ripening since they are all a nice creamy butter color now. I am sure they will be ready by the end of the month. The cantaloupes are lightening, so those will be ready soon too!
I weighed this morning- just for the heck of it since I ate a HUGE steak last night. It said 187.6! I did it twice just to make sure and it was the same both times. I don't get it!
I am making those PF Changs wraps tonight. I wanted to make them last night, but the store didn't have any ground chicken and my stuff at home was frozen. I am thawing two chicken breasts now, so I will have to chop it up myself. I found the recipe for the wraps on the forum I used to go to, and it looks like it will be dead-on. I am very excited! I think I might make a cold soba noodle side to go with it, maybe using some of the zucchini or eggplant from the garden. We'll see!

Happy Fourth!

2007-07-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

Made my veggie fajitas last night. They weren't as good as the other way. Oh well, live and learn!
We shot off the rest of our fireworks last night. Tonight we will drive into town and watch the big(ish) display, and then we'll be up all night listening to the neighbors... Since they are legal in our small town, everyone shoots them off until way past midnight. It's just once a year, but goes on for daaaaaays.
I made Joe some muffins yesterday. I was going back thru the blog and saw my Applesauce Muffins and thought he'd like those again. This time I added a cinnamon swirl to them- good stuff! They are especially good with that horrible pumpkin butter on them! ;) I will have to try to duplicate that this fall...
I have Sam working on some workbooks this morning. He has been just awful the last couple weeks acting like he's the center of the universe, so we are now going to start assigning him a couple of chores everyday and he's doing "school"work. It's hard to find a good chore for him tho. I'd love for it to be changing/scooping the catbox, but that's not a good one for a kid. I think he'll be doing the table-setting at dinner, helping put away his laundry, and I'm not sure about any others.
We got his enrollment packet yesterday! I'm going to mail it in this time, since we don't have to get accepted this year. So nice to have one less worry! He may say he doesn't miss school, but I know he misses his friends! It's also getting harder to work with him around. The sister of his friend that was supposed to be watching him during payroll weeks called and cancelled at 10:30pm the night before she was to watch him. I didn't even get the message until about 15 minutes before I was going to drop him off! Needless to say, she isn't watching him now. There are two girls here in town that will be in high school next year, and both of them could do it. I hate to pay someone to watch him when I'm here, but it does make it easier! Plus, they are both really sweet girls. They were both his "book helpers" when he was in kindergarten. With the pool being just two blocks away, they could easily take him there.
Joe and all of the employees are at the new store today cleaning up, doing food prep and learning where everything is. He is so stressed! Every time a store opens, someone from corporate comes, plus you have the health department inspection and all. I know he is so ready to get this over with. He is so concerned that it's going to be a disaster tomorrow! They got the awnings in the front and all the pole signs put up yesterday- it looks really sharp! I'm very excited about it! Now if it just stays dry so they can do the drive-thru stuff...
Well, off to do some work. I have to make about a million copies today and do payroll and such. Have a happy 4th and stay safe!

The office

2007-07-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

I get to go put our deposit down on the fabulous office today! We won't get to move in really until next week at the earliest with the other store moving and all. That and we have a huge desk that will require both of us AND another person! I may move some smaller stuff in before then tho.
The new store will open Thursday as planned. The lights they were waiting for came in yesterday (three weeks late and a day early), and the pop machine should be in today. They plan to just open the lobby for a couple days since the drive-thru won't be done until Friday at the earliest. That is if it doesn't rain today or tomorrow like it might. And of course they are also waiting on the guy who is setting up the drive-thru ordering system (who happens to be the guy we rent our current office from, so we can't seem to get ahold of him). Let's all think good thoughts, eh?
Last night I picked yet another giant cuke from our vine. This prompted me to measure both this latest one and the super giant I picked the other day. The new one is 17 inches long with a circumference of 8.25 inches. The other one was 18 inches long and a circumference of 8.75 inches!!! I think they are wild!
I also counted the squashes and found we have 11 bigguns out there. I picked two Ichiban eggplants to eat this week (Joe says "Eggplant Parm??!!") and took a few more zukes. Whatever is nibbling them is killing the plant, so I'm not sure how long I will be able to get them. One zuke has been completely dissolved by it! My tomatoes are covered, so I'm still looking for that sun we usually get relentlessly in July. I pulled most of the remaining onions too. With the ground so wet, I was afraid they'd begin to mold or rot. I have tons of jalapenos, so this week we're having "Appetizer Night" with dinner- stuffed peppers and wings! Looks like the little Fairy Tale eggplants are supposed to get about 4-5 inches long, so I will be picking them soon. They sure are cute! Pink and white streaked. Like little Easter Eggs! Here is a link to them at Burpee.com- http://www.burpee.com/product/vegetables/eggplant/eggplant+fairy+tale+-+packet+%2830+seeds%29.do Mine have a bit more white on them than the ones in the picture. I did notice they grow in clusters like cherry tomatoes tho, really neat! Nothing tastes better than a homegrown eggplant...
Off to do some Subway work. Stay dry everyone!

Getting to work!

2007-07-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

I mentioned we'd be remodeling the guest room soon. Well a flooded corner of our basement was just the motivation we needed to get moving. Actually, we were planning to start this weekend anyway, this just made it more important to get the carpet outta there! Unfortunately, they had used some wicked adhesive to hold it down, so we had to get a solvent to get the rest up (we're about 1/4 done). We also pulled off a small section of drywall as we discovered it had flooded before and it was moldy! When we pulled it off, we found an old termite home coming in from a crack, so we patched that too. It's going to be a lot of work getting this done, but I guarantee it will be done right!

We bought one box of floor tiles just to bring them in and see how it looked. We are using 12x12 tiles of a mossy-type green and brownish pattern. Hard to describe, but very nice. They are really inexpensive too! The boxes have 15 tiles and are only $12!!! We'll probably only need 10-12 boxes, so that will save us some money. We bought the paint based on the tiles too. A nice mossy green for the walls and a very very pale green for the ceiling and closet doors. We even picked out some light fixtures we liked, so that will be next.

The ceiling was terribly textured- I mean that both in how much it was and how badly it was done. There was red glitter in the texturing?? Joe got it scraped down pretty well, not fully flat but not super bumpy either. A nice happy medium. I did a lot with the solvent on the floor, it has to sit 15-30 minutes after applying. Both of us are sore, but this is going to look so great when we're done!

I ate badly this weekend, but am not beating myself up about it. I worked hard both days (as all of my backside muscles can tell you!), so I feel okay about my food. Mostly I just ate too much of it, not really eating BAD things. It's all good- this is a new week! Last night with our brat dinner, I made a salad with veggies all from our own garden. It was a ranch salad with sliced cukes, carrots (both our orange and purple ones), sweet onion, and cherry tomatoes from the patio plant. Very tasty and completely organic. Still have two cukes to eat, and more on the vine. I hate to make more pickles since I still have some from last year, but I found a new recipe for sweet&hot ones that sounds delish. One cuke will make about 2 quarts! Plus they are perfect for camping- all that vinegar keeps them well.

Garden update-

We have about 7 cantaloupes, all growing very nicely in this rain. The butternut squashes are turning more of a creamy yellow-orange color. Might be ready in a month? The tomato plants are covered in fruits, but need SUN!!! Come on, Mother Nature! Momma needs some homemade spaghetti sauce! The Ichiban eggplant is fruiting nicely, there are three more on there. The Fairy Tale eggplants are growing too, tho fruiting is slower with those. They grow in clusters a bit like cherry tomatoes, it's quite cute! The zuke plant has many small ones on there, but none big enough to cut yet. Something dissolved one of them, so I'll have to keep an eye out.

Shopping with the kiddo today and watching Pan's Labyrinth tonight... Oh, and that office is ours if our bossman approves when he sees it today! I even got the rent down some. I know, I'm GOOD!!! Here's to hoping it's a dry week!

Grilled chicken... and my Granola recipe- YUM!

2007-06-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

The chicken last night was delicious! Unfortunately, the marinade didn't really flavor it, so next time I do it overnight instead of the 4 hours it recommends. It took about an hour to cook, and the last few minutes I put it over direct heat to brown it up more. So moist and wonderful! I browned and roasted some small new potatoes seasoned with a French mix of garlic, lavender, basil, chervil, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, savory, and thyme. I bought the mix at Aldis of all places! I also steamed some sliced carrots and sauteed broccolini. No pics of those of course, too busy eating! I do have chicken and veggies leftover for lunch today, if I'm even hungry.

I haven't been sleeping terribly well lately, tossing and turning all night long after taking at least two hours to fall asleep. I have tried different sleeping pills and such, but nothing is really working. I have been getting so tired, I find myself waking up later and later every morning- today was almost 10am!! I'm sure a big part of it is that I'm not getting any exercise. It's been so rainy that I just haven't had the opportunity to go for walks and when it isn't raining I've been working more! Hopefully next week it will stop/slow down so I can walk.

Checked in this morning... 189.2! That's even after having banana bread at breakfast yesterday, so I felt safe enough to have granola this morning. I made some homemade last week and it's very good! Here's the recipe:

Granola

7 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup raw wheat germ

1/2 cup each sliced almonds and chopped walnuts

1 cup SF maple syrup

3/4 cup canola oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients in a huge bowl, whisk the wet in a smaller one. Pour the wet onto the dry and mix well (use your hands!). Divide mixture between two large rimmed baking sheets and bake at 250 for one hour. Stir the mixture and bake another hour. Remove from the oven and cool completely. You can add 1 cup unsweetened coconut to the dry ingredients, but Joe doesn't like it so I left it out. Also, after it cools you can add some raisins, dried currants, or even mini chocolate chips! It's not very sweet, so it's perfect I think. I bet it would work really well as a crunch topping for apple pie or something like that. Great in a bowl of milk too!!!

We're going to a play tomorrow night- Yay for sitters! ESU is doing Plaza Suite, and of course we have free tix to the summer theater shows. This will be the first time in ages we've gotten to go out ALONE, so we're greatly looking forward to it!

The new store is not going well. All this rain- at the worst possible time- is delaying the finishing of the drive-thru area. Can't pour concrete when it's pouring rain! The inside lights won't be in until Tuesday, meaning the electrician will be hanging them on the Fourth of July, so he isn't happy. They were supposed to have arrived weeks ago, but got lost somehow??? They also found out Wednesday that the pop machine Joe ordered a month ago has disappeared from the shipper? Luckily it was a second unit, but that means there won't be one out in the lobby for customers to fill their own cups. It's nuts! Like I said before- whatever COULD go wrong HAS! They had scheduled a "dry-run" for the drive-thru for Monday night. All 17 employees got 5 coupons to give their friends and family for free food from the drive-thru. They won't be ready for it Monday! Joe is stressed, I am stressed for him, and the poor workers putting this store together are getting stressed too. Can't wait for it to be over! It''l be worth it when it's over, but until then- SHEESH!

I weighed the huge cuke from yesterday- it weighs 3.5 pounds! That's insane, dontcha think? Sure is going to make a lot of sweet & spicy pickles! I will make those tomorrow.

Rain, Rain, Go Away! Well, then again...

2007-06-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been raining now for two solid days! I do have something wonderful to report tho- during a short lull today I picked these-Notice the pencil for size reference?!? The carrots are the small variety (in addition to being dwarfed by the massive cukes!) and the zuke I just really wanted to pick! It will go well with the veggie fajitas when I make them! Guess the rain is good for something after all... Sam likes it too!

The other night I made a great bean salad, but somehow the pictures got erased? Here is the recipe anyway!

Santa Fe Salad

1 can each pintos and black beans, drained and rinsed well

1 small can sliced black olives

1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup sweet corn

1/4 cup fat free sour cream

2 tbsp lime juice

1 cup fresh cilantro,chopped

2 tsp cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced

pinch salt

Mix everything together and fridge for a few hours before serving. The original recipe called for green beans and green chiles, but I left those out. I do think it needed some chopped tomatoes!! Cukes would be good too...

Tonight I am making Chicken Dijonaise from my grilling cookbook. It's basically a whole chicken (flattened) marinated in a mix of dry vermouth, dijon mustard, garlic, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice. It smells incredible as it's cooking now, so I hope I remember to photo it! I am serving it with sauteed broccolini and steamed carrots. I am also making broasted new potatoes, but I doubt I will eat any. Saving those calories for a glass or two of pinot grigio! ;) If I remember to photo, I will post it tomorrow.

Long week...

2007-06-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a couple days. It's been a long week already!
The store Joe has been getting ready to move closed yesterday, and they spent most of the day tearing down the old store. That meant he didn't get to do as much in the office today. This translates into me not being able to get MY stuff done in usual fashion. I also had to drive to another town for him to take them some supplies as they have been very busy lately. MILEAGE+BEING ON THE CLOCK= NICE CHECK! The one real downside is poor Joe. He hasn't slept much in the last month, and the next week is going to be very hard physically. He also had one of those days today, everything that could go wrong did.
So on my side of the world...
I have decided to start tracking my calories again for a little while. My loss had stopped and started to go the other way a bit. Well the first day I typed in my usual morning omelet and was horrified!!! It was over 640 calories! Soooooo, a few changes and better portioning later, I got it down to a reasonable 450 or so. I am trying for about 1500/day. That may seem like nothing to some, but it's really only temporary. In fact, I have been doing this for just a few days and have gone from 193 to 190.2 today. I know that's not accurate, but it's better than it going the other way!!! I plan to do this for another week or so, then gradually move up a little. I am also cutting back on the grains and starches a bit. I would really like to just get my starch from veggies for this time- sweet potatoes, peas, carrots... I look at it as a "jump-start", and I really need one!
Well, I want to spend some time with Joey! Bye!

Broccoli with Clam Sauce a a little pasta!

2007-06-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

I made this last night and the pasta you see is it, I had MAYBE 1.5 oz? I've made this before, and this time it was just as good as always even without the pasta! Basically it's just 2 cans of clams drained reserving the juice, a bag of frozen broccoli (cooked), a little milk, and the juice from the clams! I topped it with parmesan cheese and that's it! I also had a big salad, so there! ;)

I spent most of the day looking for a new office. Our one we're in now is just not the best situation. I found several, and one really would be super! It's in a real estate office, but up on the second floor and in the corner. It's actually two offices in one, the back main office and a front "reception" area. It would be so nice! There is a kitchenette just down the hall with a fridge and microwave that we'd be welcome to use. It's a bit more than we're paying now, but such a better deal in the long run- it even has cable TV in there?! We have to wait until Friday tho, technically it's rented already but they have yet to pay their deposit...

Not much to say now, I will try to catch up tomorrow.

Burgers and Chicken Zin

2007-06-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post the burgers we had the other night- so good! Not terribly friendly mind you, but with the frustration Joe and I are feeling at this ugly plateau we're both at we didn't care! I basically made 6oz burgers from nothing more than 85/15 ground beef, then after I flipped them topped them with two slices bacon and a mix of shredded cheddar and (gasp!) a tiny bit of French's onions. Then when they were done, put them together with BBQ sauce and homemade pickles! Great with roasted sweet potatoes.

Last night I made Chicken Zin. It's from my grilling book and is based on Coq Au Vin. You marinate the thighs in a mix of zinfandel, dijon mustard, garlic, thyme, and EVOO. Then grill them alongside boiler onions and shrooms. I also added the first eggplant and baby zuke from our garden! I cooked up some sprouts to go with it, and it was heavenly! All I do for the sprouts is trim them and simmer in 1/2 cup water with a chicken cube (beef is even better!) in a saute pan. This time I added bacon pieces. Simmer it about 10 minutes until they are just about done, then remove the lid and let the liquid cook out and brown the sprouts a bit. Even Sam likes them this way!

So the big plan for today is shopping- well, sort of. Joe wants to start working on the guest bedroom. That room is so atrocious! His plan is to go find a huge rug and buy it. Then he wants to base the colors and such on this rug. Pull up the rank carpet and tile the floor (it's in the basement, so we'd need a reallllly big rug!), find an antique head/footboard for the bed, replace the closet mirrors/doors... Big project. It's either that or we repaint the living room and I'm not up for that just yet. I LIKE the color we chose this last time, even if he decided once it was on the walls that he didn't. I find it relaxing!

The garden is going crazy today. We got some rain last night, and when I was out there I found several more cantaloupes! I picked a cuke the other night to have with our burgers, but there are still two bigguns out there. The onions are about ready too! Yay for gardens!!!

Off to get the kid's hair chopped! Happy Saturday!

Garden part three!

2007-06-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

These are my beautiful black hollyhocks. That is one happy bee!

Here are half of our carrots. We planted Purple Haze and small orange ones this year. Sam made the marker!

My clematis is very happy. It got cut back early on, then again after that late freeze. Will do that again!

I keep forgetting to photo the incredibly happy grape vine! I will try to remember tomorrow. Going to be tons of jelly and juice this year!

More garden...

2007-06-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

Here are the sweet potatoes. There are nine plants.

Here are the canning tomatoes. There are tons in there!

And the zukes. Can you see them in there?

My pretty eggplant! I can't wait to grill these!

Happy cukes! We have already gotten two about 12 inches long, with a diameter of maybe 3 inches? These are still babies at maybe 9 inches long?!

My Garden

2007-06-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

The pics of my salad last night were awful. I can tell you tho, it was delish! Pretty simple really- mixed greens, avocado, bacon, cheese, egg, ranch, tomatoes, red onion, and those croutons. Good stuff...

I took some pics of the garden last night for everyone. Here they are! I will have to do this in two posts.

This is the cantaloupe plant. if you look closely you can see the little melon in there!

This is the butternut. there are several in this picture.

This is the onion patch. It got quite beaten by the wind! See the volunteer tomato?

Here are the three jalapenos plants. Almost time for stuffed "mice"!

And this is the funky artichoke. You can't see, but it's covered in little red ants...

Shanghai Salad

2007-06-19T15:10:00.000-07:00

First off I have to say-

DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO TYPE WITH A KITTY PAWING AT THE SCREEN???

Charlie has developed this obsession with pawing the computer screen in search of the little space shuttle mousie. This has now begun to get annoying- she just now knocked over my tea all over the desk! OY!

So last night I tried a new recipe. It's from that great cookbook "The Good Carb Book". It's called Shanghai Salad and can be served alone or on top of lettuce. I decided to use the lettuce for the extra veg- wouldn't have it any other way! Here's the recipe:

Shanghai Salad (this was for our two big salads)

2 cups cold cooked angel hair pasta (WW of course!)

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 large carrot, coarsely shredded

1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts

1/2 cup chopped bamboo shoots

1 large chicken breast, cooked and sliced thinly

1 bag baby lettuce mix

Grape tomatoes

Snow peas

Red pepper, julienned (I didn't have any)

Dressing ingredients- Mix together and fridge for 2 hours!

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

1/4 cup Splenda

2 tbsp sesame oil

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp finely minced ginger

1/4 tsp chili paste

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup veg oil (or EVOO)

Toss the noodles and everything but the chicken, tomatoes, snow peas, and lettuce with 1/4 cup of the dressing and fridge for 2 hours. When ready to eat, layer on a plate lettuce, noodles, tomatoes and snow peas, and chicken. Drizzle on additional dressing if desired. You could add chow mien noodles or something, but it really is fabulous just like this!

My friend Linda- who farms the best eggs- has been sharing her "can't-wear-'em-anymore" clothes with me for the last couple months. She gave me another great bagful of shirts today that I am so excited about! I can't tell you how much she's saved me from buying lately. It's great! She also has chickens and we buy our eggs from her. If you haven't had a farm-fresh eggs before, try it once. I swear you will NEVER go back to store-bought! We switched in March, and have only bought store eggs once since then (and that was an emergency). There really is nothing like it. I eat one every morning! They have ten times the flavor of the others and they are the one thing we eat I can say are truly LOCAL. Look for a local farmer!

Garden is getting happy! There are two or three little zukes, the cukes are growing a million little ones, and I even have one small Japanese eggplant! Going to use that and a zuke tomorrow night. There are roma tomatoes everywhere- including a volunteer in the onions! My early butternut plant is covered to the tips with little babies! Luckily my friend Jane wants some, or we'd be eating it every night this fall! The cantaloupe plant has only only melon, but it's still very early. The sweet potato plants are vining out nicely, just wish I could see how they were doing underground. My artichoke finally looks like it may want to send up a stalk this year after all. I was beginning to get grumpy about it. It has sent out many new and more vertical leaves in the last two days. Seems a good sign? If anyone knows about growing them, I'd love advice!

Off to start getting things ready for dinner- BLT salads tonight with croutons made from that rosemary onion focaccia!

The weekend details...

2007-06-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

So I couldn't say what we were doing for the weekend because it was a surprise. Over a month ago my dad's wife Suzy asked if we could possibly come to Tulsa to surprise Dad for his birthday. We had been keeping this a secret for quite awhile! So, Friday Joe worked the morning, then we all got in the car and drove to Tulsa. Not a bad drive actually, except for the kiddo in the backseat whining "Are we there yet?". We got to their house a bit later than planned (there was an accident on the freeway immediately before our exit and we had to find another way), and we had Sam go ring the bell. When Dad answered, he was floored to find Sam standing on the steps! It was great! We stayed there until Sunday morning, then came home a different route- much faster and shorter. It was a great weekend! I must say I was very surprised that he didn't suspect anything after my mysterious entry the other day...

They took us to dinner Saturday night at PF Changs. Oh man, that was sooooo good! I had the Sichuan by the Sea- scallops, calamari, and shrimp in a sichuan sauce over brown rice. The calamari was so incredibly tender, it was all so delicious! Probably a good thing there isn't one near us! I think I may be able to replicate the chicken lettuce cups we had for the appetizer too. I will work on that. So not a great weekend food-wise, but we're back to behaving this week! dad said next time he'll take me to try sushi. I have been wanting to try it, but Joe has no desire!

Another thing we did was go to a Wild Oats store after dinner. I have never been to one, and could very easily lose all sense of monetary control there. They had Larabars in seven flavors, so we got a pecan pie one and a chocolate coconut one. I bought bulk fructose and lots of bulk spelt flour for so cheap! I also bought this gorgeous orchid. It was a surprise to find out what it would look like- it was covered in buds but had none open yet. Two of them started opening in the car on the way home. I'm very happy it's so different!

Well that's all I have to report right now. Today I am working on getting back to normal!

Friday!!!

2007-06-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

I did make the cake yesterday, but Joe is going to have to live with me making something else. I doubled the recipe because it freezes well. The 9inch pan I baked part of it in stuck a bit and the bundt pan I did the rest in stuck horribly! Needless to say, the bundt cake is in pieces in the freezer and the other I coated with a glaze to hold it together! It still tastes great tho! ;) No pictures this time however... I bet the broken pieces will make a fabulous trifle with blueberries and lemon pudding!

I made the Sausage and Peppers again last night and added angel hair pasta. It was outstanding! I even took a pic for the blog! This time I added a small sliced zucchini and the garlic I forgot last time. It was even better! Here's the "official" recipe and the photo:

Sausage and Peppers W/Pasta

4 links Italian sausage

1 large can diced tomatoes

1 red bell pepper, chunked

1 green bell pepper, chunked

1 onion, sliced

1 small zucchini, sliced

2 tsp each dried oregano and basil

1 tbsp minced garlic

Angel Hair pasta, cooked and tossed with EVOO

In an 8x11 baking dish, mix the veggies and herbs. Lay the sausages on top and cover the dish with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for an hour, then remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes or until the sausages brown a bit and are cooked thoroughly.

Serve on top of the pasta and top with a little shredded Parmesan if desired (highly recommended!).

So Dad checked my blog yesterday! Guess he knew I was thinking about him, eh? I can't wait until July when we can take a weekend and go visit them in the new house. It's going to be so nice having them only 4 hours away instead of 14! Sam is very excited about going camping with them sometime this summer. Can't imagine why... His Gramps was the first person to take him camping! We just have to convince Sam that it's okay to camping somewhere other than Arches... That may take time!

Sam took this picture of Miss Charlie last night. She must be part ferret, she is always sitting up like this! I even catch Max doing it too from time to time. They are truly bizarro kitties! I'm very happy that her mark on her forehead isn't fading anymore. The Eiffel Tower is too cute to disappear!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Swimtop and dinner...

2007-06-14T06:37:00.000-07:00

I got my swimtop yesterday! It's really nice too! I ended up spending almost $80 after shipping, but it got here in 3 days and I got a free beach bag with it. Here is the link top what I bought, I got the black one- http://www.junonia.com/detail.htm?sid=537005&tl=1&ldid=2&sdid=5 It looks great with the boyshort bottoms I bought at Walmart. I am trying it out today. Sam passed his level in swimming yesterday, so today is a free day and I'm going to swim with him.

Last night I made a pretty tasty dinner. I have a great grilling book and got the chicken recipe from there. They are called "Thunder Thighs"! I also made yummy soba noodles with lots of veggies and some broccoli to have with it. Very good meal!

Thunder Thighs

1 package chicken thighs, boneless & skinless

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup red rooster sauce (Vietnamese chili garlic sauce)

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp sesame oil

Mix everything together in a zipper bag and marinate for about 2-3 hours. Supposed to grill them, but it was raining so I broiled them for about 10 minutes on the first side and 7-8 on the second. Yummy!

Asian Noodles

1 package soba noodles, cooked as directed

1/2 small zucchini, julienned

1 carrot, julienned

1/4 red bell pepper, julienned

1 small onion, thinly sliced

2 large mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 tbsp EVOO

2 tbsp low sugar teriyaki sauce

Saute the carrots and shrooms in the oil about 4 minutes, then add the onion and zucchini. When they begin to soften, add the noodles, pepper, and sauce and toss thru. That's it!

For some reason (maybe been skimping on the water or something?) my weight has been at 190-191 for the last few days. I think I haven't been doing well with my water and know I have had tiny bits of non-friendly foods. It may also be that I haven't been walking lately. Hope today's swimming will help a little.

Have tons to do today, unfortunately nothing I can mention here for now. Let's just say I am baking a Lemon Olive Oil Cake this afternoon for the weekend. I will try to remember to photo it and post the recipe.

Today is my Dad's 56th birthday! Happy Birthday Dad!!

Catching up! Fondue and Focaccia

2007-06-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

I know, I know... I haven't been very good the last week or so in posting. Been busy with those calls and other work, sorry!

Sam had a friend spend the night Friday, so instead of fish for dinner we had pizza. It was good, not fabulous, and I ate way too much of it. Oh well, not the end of the world! Of course then we had leftovers Saturday night and Sunday for lunch... It's gone now tho!

I made "stuffed" cod the other night. I have the recipe for the stuffed shrooms from Olive Garden so I used that stuffing and topped the filets. The stuffing was fabulous- full of WG bread, clams, and parmesan cheese! Very tasty filling, the fish was not great tho. Cod has no flavor! Next time I will just stuff portabello caps.

Last night I made fondue for dinner. It was just a classic swiss fondue, nothing fancy. I served it with cut-up carrots, red bell pepper, and homemade focaccia! I also made a quick cucumber salad from part of one of our garden cukes and ranch dressing. All went well with a bottle of Vampire Cab. So good! Here is the recipe for the fondue:

Swiss Fondue

1# swiss cheese, cut small or shredded (I use 2% Kraft)

2tbsp WW flour

1 cup dry white wine

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic

Toss the cheese with the flour and set aside to warm to room temp. In a medium saucepan over low heat, heat the wine and halved garlic clove to simmer. At a simmer, remove the clove and add the lemon juice. Slowly by handfuls add the cheese, waiting to add more until the last handful melts. Stir constantly in a figure-8 to keep from burning. It will take several minutes to melt and mix in all of the cheese. When all incorporated, serve with bread and veggies- apples are great too!

I made focaccia to serve with the fondue. This time I split the dough into two loaves so I could top one with the rosemary and onion and leave one plain. I did brush both with a garlic rosemary oil tho. Yummmmm! Here is the recipe for that:

Focaccia

Preferment-

1 cup WW flour

3/4 cup water

Pinch yeast

Dough-

All of the preferment

1 1/4 cup water

3 cups WW flour

2 tsp salt

The rest of the yeast packet

Mix the preferment ingredients the night before in your mixer bowl and cover with wrap overnight. It will look very dry- don't worry!

The next day your preferment will be puffy and wet looking. Add to it the dough ingredients, starting with the water. Mix in the mixer on low speed until it holds together (it should be very slack and wet still, I usually have to add more water). Then mix on low for 2 minutes, then increase to medium for another 4 minutes. The dough will still be soft. Cover it tightly with wrap and let rise 30 minutes. A great place for this is in a cold oven with the light on!

After 30 minutes, turn it out onto a floured surface and pat it down a bit. Flour your hands well! Fold one-thrid of the dough over and then the bottom third- like you are folding a business letter. Brush the excess flour from the dough when you fold, you do not want to incorprate any more into it. Turn the dough a half turn and fold again to make a packet. Put the dough back into the bowl and cover again. Let rise another 30 minutes. Repeat the folding process and again let rise for 30 minutes. Do one more fold for a total of three. Put the bundle onto a well-oiled very large baking sheet (use good olive oil!) after the last folds. Spread the dough to the edges, you may need to let it sit for a couple minutes. Cover the dough after it is spread out and let it rise another 30 minutes. This is the time I oil the loaf with the infused oil.

During this last rise, preheat the oven to 500 degrees (yes! I said 500!). If you have a baking stone, put it in there. Allow this to heat for 30 minutes.

To top the dough, I mixed some olive oil with two cloves garlic and a sprig of rosemary and warmed that and let it steep for an hour. I brushed this oil on both loaves and topped one loaf with thinly sliced sweet onion and finely chopped rosemary. I dimpled the top a bit when I added the toppings. You don't have to add the onion tho, you could just brush it with the oil and sprinkle kosher or sea salt on it!

Reduce the oven temp to 425 and put the baking sheet in right on top of the stone. Bake the bread for 18-20 minutes until deep golden brown. Remove and let cool at least 10 minutes before cutting (use kitchen shears, they work best!).

Been missing me? Yeah, right!

2007-06-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

Ha! I just realized I haven't posted in a couple days. Been very busy with those phone calls and my other work. Today was payroll, so it was a long day anyway!
I have been very happy with weigh-in the last two days. I was nervous after the marshmallows, but as of this morning I am back to 189.6! Funny how that seems to be a magic number? So I fully expect next week to be even better. I have been holding myself to one serving of grain- if any- for well over a week and have seen tremendous results. I do not intend to change that much for the time being.
Last night I made a great dinner! We adore pasta (one of the reasons we have some trouble sometimes), and I love to make homemade sauce. Last night I did one that was fabulous, and with a little bit of pasta it made a nice two-night meal! Here's what I did:
Browned 12 oz ground round with one half of an onion chopped and one zucchini chopped. Then add in one large and one regular can of diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning (I have one called simply "marinara seasoning"). I simmered it for about 15 minutes while the pasta cooked and drained, then tossed it with 6oz of pasta (measured before cooking of course). I layered half in a large baking dish and topped it with a container of skim ricotta and some mixed Italian cheese, then put the rest of the pasta mix on top and some more cheese. I baked it for about 30 minutes until it was browned and bubbly. I did forget to take a pic (surprised?), but I can tell you it was delish! We ate half of it last night and finished it tonight. I really was good!
Tomorrow night we're having Sloppy Joe's I think, or maybe fish. I can't remember! I can't promise I will photo it, but I wish I could remember to!
So this weekend we are taking Sam fishing again. He is very happy! He's been taking swimming lessons all week and has then again next week. I am glad he's having fun there too. Monday night his friend's mom called to see if Sam could come over Tuesday and play. He did- all day no less!- and I took him back today. The friend has a big sister who is 20 and she watches him all day. I "hired" her to watch Sam today so I could work. It worked wonderfully! I got to work and give it my full attention, and he got to play with his friend all day. Sounds like a great set-up to me! I have more work to do tomorrow, but can do all of it from home. Every payroll week tho... I think he's got a place to go!
I need to order a new swimsuit soon. My old one is still in great condition, but I have lost way too much to wear it comfortably! I want to get a tankini, and can buy the bottoms somewhere like Walmart (don't plan on needing the same size next year!), but the top is a different story. Those of you who know me know WHY I can't buy tops from just anywhere! GGGGGGGoodness knows! (teeheehee!) Anyway, I have found a great top- one made from chlorine-resistant material- but it's $70! JUST FOR THE TOP!!! Of course, that part of my body doesn't really seem to be changing much, or at least enough that I'll need another top in the next several years (unless the magic reduction-fairy pays me a visit...). Now it's just going to take some effort on my part to convince Joe I really need this one and not the $50 one. I called the company and the lady said the more expensive one is much better support, so that should be enough to do the trick. Wish me luck!
Off to spend time with Joe! Good night!

Camping!

2007-06-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

Camping was a blast! It was just the one other family and us, so it was very nice. Not too many people, and we all got along great! Sam and their son had a ton of fun swimming in the lake, fishing with the dads, and trying to avoid the poison ivy. It was really nice to go and see him have fun, and for me to be around another mom to talk to! hahaha! We had a huge meal Saturday night of beanie weenies, smoked sausages, roasted veggies, and lots of chatting. After dinner we roasted marshmallows and of course made S'mores. All the kids had a blast, and so did we! Even Joe was cool with spending half of Saturday without a shower! He agreed to go again this summer, so that's progress. Neither one of us got much sleep. The site was pretty quiet (the surrounding people didn't keep partying) except for the coyotes howling and the wind blowing 20 MPH. All in all, it was a huge success!

I did a pretty darn good job staying on-target foodwise. I did eat several marshmallows, but how do you not when they are black and gooey?! I ate some new potatoes and baked beans, but that's not horrible. Yesterday we had quite a few grains, so today we are backing off a bit. Joe actually LOST weight over the weekend? How is that even possible???

So today's food has been-

Breakfast- slice of ham topped with veggies, two OM eggs, and cheese

Lunch- lemon yogurt (the Weight Watchers stuff is good!), roast beef, cuke salad

Dinner- will be riblets with corn on the cob (yeah, I LIKE IT, sue me!)

For my snack tonight I will probably have an apple and maybe some carrots.

Here are a couple pics from this weekend! Joe caught a big catfish and Sam helped his friend bring in a big walleye! We didn't keep any of the fish they caught tho.

Chicken Wings and Green Beans

2007-06-02T07:53:00.001-07:00

Last night's dinner was good! The wings were fabulous, even if they weren't grilled. I marinated them for two hours in a mix of

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp chili garlic sauce

1 tsp spice mix (ginger, garlic, white pepper)

1 tsp sesame oil

and 2 tbsp rice vinegar

Then since it was pouring outside, I broiled them for 10 minutes on each side, brushing them with the marinade (yes Grandma, I boiled it first!). They were awesome, and I will definitely make them again, maybe next time I'll use the whole chicken? The green beans could have cooked a bit longer, but they were good. I sauteed half of a small sweet onion chopped finely with 1 tbsp minced garlic in a bit of EVOO, then threw in the beans and 1/2 cup water. I "steamed" them for about 7 minutes (should have done 10?) and then removed the lid to evaporate the liquid. I then stirred in one packet of Stevia Plus. I drizzled a little tamari on my helping- YUMM!

Yesterday Sam and I made cookies. It was raining all day and he was very bored, so we looked thru my cookbooks and found a recipe for whole grain Snickerdoodles. I used sugar-sub for the sugars IN them, but did use a tiny bit of real sugar for the rolling. They turned out a bit dry, almost biscuit-like in texture? Not bad tasting tho! Yes, I did have one- they were very very small. We made them to take with us today.

Joe brought Sam home a fishing pole last night, he was so excited! He had one already (an old ice-fishing pole, perfect size for him), but it doesn't work very well. They are outside now setting it up for later. We are still going camping, even with the tremendous amount of rain we have gotten the last week. It'll be interesting to see how muddy it is out there. Could be a short trip!

I better get out there and help get everything loaded into the truck. Back tomorrow!

Yesterday...

2007-06-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

The shrimp last night were pretty good! I hate cooking them on the grill tho, I never know when they are done and usually end up overcooking them. Not last night tho, I did good! I skewered all of them, then sprinkled some with unsweetened coconut and some with cajun seasoning (paprika, thyme, oregano, cayenne, garlic & onion powders, salt, and pepper). The cajun were the best of course, coconut shrimp doesn't work well without real breading. We ate them with cheesy cauliflower and I finished the broccolini from the other night.

Lunch yesterday consisted of a container of yogurt and then a strawberry-banana smoothie after walking/bike riding. I tried jumping on the trampoline with Sam, but my legs were just too tired!

I did have a snack last night- more nuts, some grapes, and a hard-boiled egg. I also did a terrible job with my water yesterday, only had three of my five huge cups (22 oz each). I will do better today!

Today's food will be-

For breakfast I didn't feel like going thru the hassle of making my omelet. Instead I sauteed the shrooms and onions, put them onto a thick slice of ham and nuked that while frying two eggs OM. I put those on top and topped them with shredded cheese. OH MAN! I may switch to that from now on...

Lunch will be probably a small salad with grape tomatoes, cukes, and shredded carrots.

Dinner is going to be grilled chicken wings (yeahyeahyeah, not overly SB, but we love them!) and green beans.

We were up most of the night last night with pretty strong storms. Monsoonal downpour lasted at least an hour, with constant thunder loud and strong enough to shake the house and keep Joe and I awake. I bet we got at least 2 inches of rain! I can only imagine how happy the garden is right now, but there is more rain on the way this afteroon. Gonna make for some REALLY muddy camping tomorrow! Good thing I packed extra clothes... :)

I got some of my bazillion calls done yesterday. I did come up against a couple people who were, shall we say, less than nice? One woman went so far as to yell at me that she didn't like our boss and wanted me to make sure I never called again! MEOW! This was offset by the one woman who thanked me for calling, and she was so excited about the convention I was calling about. She was very pleasant, and I should have gotten her email address to write her and thank her for being so sweet to me! Why couldn't they all be like that? I mean, is it THAT hard to be nice to people? Granted, I WAS a little rude to the anti-abortion telemarketing/fundraiser guy who called here the other night, but come on! He was asking for it! teeheehee!

Off to call more grumpy people! Good thing I'm getting paid, huh?

TGIFriday!!!

Charlie loves me

2007-05-31T15:24:00.000-07:00

Look at her favorite spot!

Another day...

2007-05-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am a slave to my scale. I admit it! I weigh nearly every morning. Some say not to do that, I am in the other crowd. I feel that is the best way to see how my daily food choices affect me. I can see right away how not drinking enough water or eating too much pasta affects my body. This morning I weighed again, as usual. Could you hear me holler in Germany, D? 189.6 baby! I have officially broken thru the 190s! Now I am fairly certain the S'mores I plan to eat Saturday night will change things a bit, but for now I am ecstatic! If I can get it down a little more before then, well I may not change as much.

Anyway, back to other things!

Last night I made the sausage and peppers for dinner. It really was delicious! Would have been even better with rice, so we'll do that next time. All I did was grill the sausages (Italian) and then "submerge" them in my baking dish full of chunked red and green pepper, onion, and a large can of diced tomatoes seasoned with fresh oregano and basil. Heck, I even forgot the garlic! Needless to say, it was very good eats along with broccoli! Unfortunately the picture looks terrible, so I'll not post it this time.
Lunch yesterday was not what I had planned. I had to go it to work and didn't bring the leftover veggies with me. Joe forgot my soup, so all I ate was a small bag of apple slices. My breakfast was eaten pretty late tho, so I really wasn't overly hungry until dinner.
For my snack last night, I ate some mixed nuts, the leftover sweet potatoes with a little FF sourcream, and some grapes. Sounds like a lot, but really it wasn't.
So I am starting today as every other day, omelet with 2 cups veggies, ham, and cheese. Not sure what lunch will be. Dinner tonight is grilled shrimp- probably with a cajun seasoning- and green beans or cauliflower.

Last night we went out to look at the garden. Our second planting of carrots is up, as are the second radishes. We pulled several of the first radishes and will be taking them Saturday. I have blossoms all over my tomato plants, some even have a few mini fruits. I am curious to see what the "Red October" tomatoes look like since their blossoms are double! My broccoli plants are all leaf and no veg yet, trying to figure that out. I have one blossom on one of my eggplants, and the cukes are getting bigger (have two that are about 7 inches now, tho they will get up closer to 16 inches long and about 8 inches around!) as well as the zucchini plants. My early butternut squash plants are getting very bushy, and I saw some pre-blossoms. The cantaloupe plants are finally growing too! This year I am even trying artichokes! They had one at a greenhouse we went to, and the lady said they were very tasty. They are not suposed to be tolerant of winters this far north, but she said if I can have several other annuals come back year after year then these definitely have a shot! My one plant (all they had left) is getting very big, I am ready for it to send up a stalk. Also my sweet potatoes are looking quite happy in the spopt Joe planted them. Looking forward to those this fall! The onions are actually growing this year, we have never had them do this weel. Come fall I will have tons of sweet yellow onions! All in all, this year's garden seems very happy so I anticipate a very good haul! Wish all of you were closer so we could share in it.

Off to make a million phone calls. The big bossman has me calling about 200 people to remind them about the convention this July, and we aren't even going! I would love to see New Orleans...

Have a great day, all!

190-even!

2007-05-30T08:59:00.000-07:00

Guess it's working, eh?

Well, here is my food from yesterday (if you are looking for inspiration, Kate!)-
breakfast was the usual omelet with 2 cups of veggies
lunch was the leftover pork fajita stuff with beans
dinner was that steak meal (soooo good!)
and for a snack Joe and I split a huge apple and lots of grapes.
Today is looking like this-
breakfast is the ever-present omelet
lunch is leftover veggies from last night
dinner is sausage and peppers and probably broccoli!

Kitties are feeling much better. they are rumbling like they always have, and amazingly can still jump into the windows! Max is sleeping at my feet and the moment, charlie is desperately trying to wake him up to play. So cute!

So far we're still planning the campout this weekend. Has rained the last few days tho, so I wonder how wet the ground will be? Sam said yesterday, "If it rains, we can just stay in the tent!" I don't think so! I did buy the last of the supplies yesterday, and true to my nature began packing too. Compulsion, anyone? Hey, at least we won't forget something or be unprepared! Sometimes it's GOOD to be a planning fool.

Better get to work! Ciao!

Tonight's dinner and a kitty update...

2007-05-29T17:29:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd go ahead and post this before I forget. Tonight we had grilled ribeyes with roasted sweet potatoes, grilled broccolini, and buttered cauliflower. All went well with a nice glass of cab!

Also, kitties are home. We feel so sad that they are hurting tonight, but know they will feel better tomorrow. Poor Charlie! She ventured upstairs but had obviously tuckered herself out in the process so laid down as soon as she got to the top. When Joe got home she rolled back to see him and rolled/slid down the stairs! She is better now, no harm done. Both babies are enclosed in their room for tonight, we will see them out tomorrow. Both are so pooped anyway, it's probably best to avoid Sam for awhile- he's much too playful with them!

Good night!

Feeling better already...

2007-05-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I did forget to photo last night's dinner! We ate late and by the time everything was at the table we were all pretty dang hungry! I can tell you this tho- it was fabulous! I seasoned the chops with a mix of salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and chipotle powder and then grilled them to 145 degrees and let them sit 10 minutes while I grilled the veggies. Three huge chops left plenty for lunch today and some to freeze for later! I ate a huge mound of beans with it, along with lots of grilled veggies. Sadly, later in the evening I got the munchies and ate one of those cheesecake cups, a frozen coconut bar (too good, can't buy those again!). and some peanuts. Only one of those snacks wasn't good for me, so I think I did okay. ;)

Breakfast this morning was the usual omelet with 2 cups of veggies, and lunch will be the leftovers from last night. Tonight's dinner will be pretty simple- steak, roasted sweet potato, and probably green beans or broccoli. I go shopping today so I should be able to stock up on fruit to snack on.

These are our new kitties, for those of you who haven't seen them yet. The orange tabby is Max, the black-and-white is his sister Charlie (she was supposed to be a boy!). Our kitties are at the vet today getting declawed (don't hate me, we just think it's best) and Max is getting neutered. The house is so quiet without them today!

Today is also the first "official" day of Sam's summer vacation. The first shopping trip with him in the summer is always a task, so I am very happy he will have a book to read! We have so much to buy this week with the camping trip coming up Saturday, it could be a LONG afternoon! Last year it took until nearly the end of summer to realize that taking a book would be wise, not this year! I bought him tons of books at the library book sale last month so he's well stocked.

I am beginning to get very excited about this camping trip Saturday! Granted we will be with a bunch of people we don't normally socialize with (it's a bunch of boys and their families from Sam's cubscout pack), but this is also the first time Joe and I have been since around our second anniversary! I grew up camping, so I love it. He on the other hand is NOT a big camper. With all that hair and such, he gets testy if he doesn't get a shower within 10 minutes of waking. The place the scoutmaster chose is at a state fishing lake and there are newer bathroom facilities near the camping site. I'm excited that there will be other boys there to play and fish with so Sam won't get too bored. I just missed camping, so this will be nice (unless there are some bad campers next to us like last time!). I will take lots of pictures! It's okay to have a S'more, right? ;)

Better Health Thru Better Eating...

2007-05-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

I am trying to get back into blogging my meals, but have not been terribly motivated lately. Well with a comment from my dear hubby yesterday, I decided to start using this space not only for my recipes but also to become more accountable. No, he did not say, "Hey, your butt's looking a bit big today!" or anything of that sort. He is having a hard time jumping back into proper eating habits, as am I. This will be an exercise for both of us to see exactly what we are doing wrong and right and what we can do to help eachother and ourselves.

This is our meal from last night. It represents what we need to eat for the next week or so to get back on track. I grilled strip steaks and topped them with a bruscetta tomato topping, and served them with buttery carrots and garlicky baby beans. It was a delicious meal, paired nicely with a new cab we tried- a Redwood cab. We are going to strive for no grains at dinner this week- at least until Saturday when we go camping... This will be tough, but we both feel a "purge" is neccessary.

Meals yesterday went like this-

Breakfast was two eggs OM and four small PB chocolate chip waffles (wow, these really did taste like a Reese's!) with a little SF syrup

Lunch was an open-faced ham and tomato sandwich with meunster under the broiler

Dinner of course was the steak and veggies

Dessert was a little cheesecake cup I had made and frozen- a mix of LF cream cheese, SF vanilla pudding, milk, and FF CoolWhip. I also ate a small piece of mint-infused dark chocolate!

Today I started out with my usual "western" omelet- one shrooms short as Joe had made himself some scrambled eggs before I woke up! Not sure about lunch, I had salad stuff in the fridge so should prpbably have that! Dinner tonight should be "fajita" pork chops- thick boneless chops with sauteed onion, shroom, and green pepper- along with refried beans (Sam's fave!) and cheese. I will try to remember to photo that!

Well, off to the store for the veggies for tonight! Enjoy the day off!

Pancakes 4-ways!

2007-05-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

I bought the new King Arthur Whole Grain Cookbook recently and love it! This is the recipe for the Homemade Whole Grain Pancake Mix. It makes a ton, which is good because we thought this was fabulous! I made these four ways- Sam likes chocolate chips, Joe likes walnuts, and I like blueberries. That left some batter plain, and those were just as delicious!

Homemade Whole Grain Pancake Mix

3 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, ground not quite to a powder

4 cups white whole wheat flour

1 cup unbleached flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)

3 tbsp sugar (I used 8 packets Stevia Plus)

3 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp baking soda

3/4 cup vegetable oil

Mix everything in the bowl of a large mixer. With paddle attachment running on low, drizzle the oil in and blend thoroughly. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and test the mix. Squeeze a clump of it in your hands- if it holds together it is perfect, if not add in another tablespoon at a time until it's right. Store indefinitely in the freezer.

To make pancakes-

Combine 1 cup mix with 1 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk/soy milk and 1/2 cup plain yogurt, which is what I did), 1 tbsp orange juice (I didn't have any, so I used another tbsp soy milk), and 1 egg. It will seem thin at first, let it sit 15 minutes and it thickens. Cook pancakes as usual, turning when the edges begin to turn from glossy to matte.

Tuscan Lentil Soup

2006-10-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

I know I have mentioned a cookbook I love- The Good Carb Cookbook. I saw this recipe and thought it sounded interesting, though I have limited experience eating lentils and that experience was NOT a pleasant one! So today as the weather has definitely changed, I decided would be a great time to try this out on the family. We were not disappointed! In fact, Sam ate two servings (small ones, but hey!) as did Joe and I. Conveniently the store had marked down their foccacia rolls, and they were a match made in heaven! The really nice thing is that this whole meal probably cost less than a latte!
Here it is, I highly recommend trying this one!

Tuscan Lentil Soup

3/4 c brown lentils, picked thru and rinsed
1/3 c brown rice
4oz mushrooms, rough chopped
1 c chopped celery, including leaves (yummm!)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 zucchini, diced (this was my addition, I am trying to get more veggies!)
1 tbsp crushed garlic
beef bouillon granules to make 4 cups broth
2 tsp Tuscan seasoning (I have a little grinder that has sage, bay, basil, marjoram, thyme, and rosemary)
1/4 tsp black pepper
5 cups water
1 quart jar tomatoes, crushed in juices
3 c packed fresh spinach (I used 1 cup frozen and will use more next time)
2 tbsp olive oil
Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a big soup pot (at least 4 qt) over medium-high heat until rippling. Toss in the chopped veggies (except tomatoes and spinach) and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes until tender, then add in the rice. Cook stirring often for a few minutes to slightly brown the rice, then add in the spices and lentils. Pour in the water and the bouillon and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer for 40 minutes. Add the undrained tomatoes (and frozen spinach if using) and cook another 20-30 minutes until lentils are tender and the liquid is thick. Add in the fresh spinach and remaining oil and cook another minute or two to wilt the spinach.
Serve topped with grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese and a nice crusty bread! This also paired nicely with a new pinot noir we tried- Scarlet of Paris.

"Musical" Chili

2006-10-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

I call this "Musical" Chili for an obvious reason! It was very tasty and -tho vegetarian- it was also very filling! I will be making this many times in the next few months...

"Musical" Chili P1

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 1/4 cups cooked soybeans
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 small zucchini, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 TBSP chopped garlic
1 large can tomato sauce
1 quart home-canned diced tomatoes
2 TBSP cajun seasoning
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp salt, if needed
2 tsp olive oil

Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat until hot. Saute zucchini, onion, pepper, and garlic about 5 minutes until soft. When softened, dump into 5 or 6 quart crockpot set to high. Add all other ingredients except salt, and stir well. Cover and cook on high 2 hours (at this point mine was simmering). After 2 hours, check for seasoning adding salt if needed. Continue cooking on high another hour or two.

We ate ours topped with shredded white cheddar cheese and FF sour cream. This makes a couple meals-worth, and freezes well!

5:4 Challenge #9- Beef, Potatoes, Peas, Legumes, and Tomatoes!

2006-10-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

This is my dish for the latest 5:4. I know it's not terribly creative, but the cool snap has me thinking warm, comfort-foody thoughts! This definitely fit the bill!

Hash P2-3

8 tiny yellow potatoes, scrubbed and chopped
1 quart home-canned tomatoes with their juice
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup cooked soybeans
1 1/2 cups cooked ground beef
1 TBSP beef boullion granules
1 TBSP chopped garlic
3/4 cup water
1/2 TBSP olive oil
1 small onion, chopped

Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, add the oil and potatoes. Cover and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and cook another 5 minutes, adding some of the water as neccessary. Sprinkle with beef granules and add the beans and tomatoes with more water if needed. Cook covered for about 10 minutes until potatoes are cooked. Toss in the peas and garlic, and cook uncovered for 3-5 minutes to heat thru and slightly cook the garlic (I like the bite of raw garlic!).That's it! Simple and delicious!

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

2006-09-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

As I said, I am now trying other flavors of bread pudding. The one comment Joe made about the cranberry one was that he thought it needed chocolate chips! Well, I didn't want to use the last of that bread for it, so I used some homemade Whole Wheat Oat Bran Bread I made the other day. It was drier, so it soaked up more milk and was moister in the end. Very good! I have also found that my local Walmart is now carrying Ghiardelli Bittersweet Chips! Yay! No more breaking up my bars! Notice the piece taken out, that wasn't like that when I put the pan away last night...

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding P2

8 cups cubed WW or WG bread, preferably homemade
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup brown sugar substitute
1 can evaporated skim milk
1 ¼ cup skim milk
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup SF Kahlua syrup
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
Cinnamon/ fructose mix

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8x11 pan well.
Mix the wet ingredients and sugar substitute together well, and toss with the bread. Let this sit 20 minutes.
Mix in the chips and pour everything into the sprayed pan, making sure to level the top. Sprinkle with the cinnamon fructose.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Let cool 45 minutes before cutting.

Cranberry Bread Pudding

2006-09-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

My hubby has always said he liked bread pudding- I had never had it! We tried the fried ones at Applebee's recently, and though they were good they just weren't healthy! I had that Cranberry bread, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Yummo! It's inspired me to try other varieties too!

Cranberry Bread Pudding P2

3 large slices WW Spiced Cranberry Bread, cubed
2 eggs, beaten
3 TBSP fructose
1 can evaporated skim milk
2 tsp cinnamon
Cinnamon/fructose mix, optional

Mix the fructose, eggs, and milk together in a large bowl. Toss in the bread cubes and let soak for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350. Place ramekins into 9x13 pan and pour hot water around them (water-bath).
Divide the mixture among sprayed ramekins (I used four large), pouring the juices evenly in them. Sprinkle lightly with the cinnamon fructose if desired.
Bake for 25-35 minutes until knife inserted comes out clean. Let cool 20 minutes before eating (if you can!)

I made a little "sauce" for mine with 1 TBSP SF apricot jam and 2 tsp spread, nuked. I poured this over the top and added a small dollop of Cool Whip. Heavenly! Did have it last night without the sauce, it was just as good.

Stuffed French Toast

2006-09-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

I made that cranberry bread the other day, and thought it would be fabulous like this- I was right!

Stuffed French Toast P2

2 slices WW Spiced Cranberry Bread
1 beaten egg + 1 egg white
¼ tsp vanilla
Pinch cinnamon
2 TBSP cinnamon cream cheese
SF maple syrup

Mix together the egg and white, cinnamon, and vanilla. Set aside.
Heat griddle to 300 degrees. Grease or spray lightly.
Dip each piece of bread into the egg mixture and let sit 2 minutes. Cook the bread on the hot griddle4 minutes on each side or until nicely browned. Remove to a plate and spread the cream cheese on one side of one slice, top with remaining slice. Return to griddle and cook another 2 minutes or so to warm the filling. Plate with syrup!

Veggies & Cheese Casserole

2006-09-22T16:39:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe today from Danielle. I had asked for suggestions to liven up our dinner veggies as it seems we are eating the same old, same old. She gave me this one, and I added a couple things. WOW! The kiddo wasn't impressed, but he's not fond of mixing anything. Hubby and I though thought this was terrific, and it will be made quite often I'm sure! Thanks DD! I served this with Bacon Cheezburger Meatloaf. It was a match made in heaven!

Veggies & Cheese Casserole P2 (P1 if you omit breadcrumbs)

16oz bag frozen cauliflower
10oz bag frozen broccoli
4oz lite cream cheese
2 wedges Laughing Cow Lite
3 TBSP dried chives
1/2 cup FF sour cream
4 TBSP margarine, divided
3/4 cup WW breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup shredded Italian mixed cheese
1/4 cup bacon bits (the real kind)

Preheat oven to 350.
Bring water to a boil and cook the cauliflower just until tender, then drain well and place in a bowl. Using a potato masher, mash the cauliflower leaving some chunks. Boil the broccoli until tender and drain it. Add this to the cauliflower along with the cream cheese, sour cream, chives, garlic powder, salt & pepper, 3 TBSP margarine, Laughing Cow, Italian cheese mix, and bacon bits. Stir until mixed, and pour into a sprayed 8x11 baking dish.
In another bowl, mix the remaining margarine, breadcrumbs, and cheddar until crumbly. Sprinkle this over the top of the veggies. Bake for 35 minutes until browned and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Spiced Cranberry Wheat Bread

2006-09-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

I made this yesterday and it's amazing! Honestly, it tastes just like fall! I can't wait to make french toast with it this weekend! I got the recipe from a cooking magazine, and adapted it to MY needs.

Spiced Cranberry WW Bread P2

1 1/4 c water- hot from the tap
1/3 c honey
2 TBSP oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
3-3 1/2 c WW flour
1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice
1 pkg yeast
1 c dried cranberries (or cherries)
1 TBSP orange peel (I had none, so used 1 tsp orange extract)
1/4 c gluten

You can make this in a bread maker, but I used my big mixer to mix and knead the dough. When the dough is kneaded, turn it into a greased bowl and let it rise in the oven with the light on for an hour and a half or until doubled. You may want to put a pan of boiling water in there to keep it humid. Punch it down and form it into a loaf (I made a round loaf in a 2qt soufflé dish). Place it into a greased loaf pan and put it back in the oven to rise. Let rise one hour or until coming up oven the sides of the pan. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove and cool on a rack.

Chicken and Dumplings

2006-09-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, who doesn't get images of Grandma making this in the kitchen on a chilly winter evening? I got the base of this recipe from a friend of a friend and added dumplings instead of making potpie, and I think mine is better! (Shhhh! Don't tell Julie!) Now, I admit, this version is a little different from what I've made in years past. I always used Bisquik and now I use Hodgson Mills Insta-Bake. The flavor is different, but if it means we can still have this meal then we can adjust! Try this and let me know what you think!

Chicken and Dumplings P2 (P3 if concerned about the potatoes)

4lb chicken, skinned and giblets removed (if there)
6qts water
Celery leaves
½ pound carrots, cut into large dice
1 baseball-sized red potato, peeled and cut into large dice (can omit, but not right!)
3 stalks celery, chopped
6 shrooms, chopped
½ large onion, chopped
1 cup peas
1-2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp salt (sounds like a lot, but trust me!)
1 ½ cups WW baking mix (I use Insta-Bake)
¾ cup skim milk
Fresh parsley if desired

Place the chicken, water, and celery leaves in a large stock pot, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for an hour. Remove chicken and cool until you can handle it. Strain the broth and place back in the pot. Remove chicken meat from the bones, discard the bones and put the meat back in the pot. Cook this on low two hours uncovered to reduce somewhat.
About an hour before serving time, finish the soup. Add the carrots, potatoes, and celery. Saute in another pan the shrooms and onions just until softened, add those to the pot. Stir in the seasonings and half the salt. Simmer about 30 minutes, until veggies are tender.
In a bowl, mix gently the baking mix and milk to form a dough. Drop by rounded large spoonfuls into the simmering broth. Cover and cook 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, turn the dumplings over and then add the peas and parsley. Cover and cook another 10 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the dumplings comes out clean. Check broth for seasoning, adding remaining salt if needed.

Italian "Beef" with Penne

2006-09-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

I got a new cookbook recently- The Good Carb Cookbook. It is chock full of delicious recipes! This was the first thing I had tried, and we will definitely have it again! It called for just ground beef, but I used half beef and half turkey then added in some leftover sweet sausage. I also added mushrooms because, well, everything is better with shrooms! I of course changed some of the amounts just a tad- more garlic, used penne instead of bowties...

Itailan Beef with Penne P2

1 pound ground beef or mix of beef and turkey, browned and drained
1 small onion, chopped
6 large shrooms, sliced
5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/2 cup beef broth
1 quart home-canned tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp oil
8 oz cooked penne or other WW pasta
3/4 cup shredded Itailan cheese or parmesan

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat until hot, add the oil. Saute the onion, shrooms, and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the broth and simmer 5 minutes until alomst evaporated, then stir in the paste and canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and add the spices. Add in the meat, and simmer 10 minutes adjusting for salt if needed. Remove from heat and add the pasta, tossing to coat.
When you serve this, sprinkle a generous amount of cheese on top!

5:4 Take 8! Thai Shrimp and Apple Snow Peas

2006-09-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

As soon as I said apples, I began to get ideas. Then they all flew straight out of my head! This came back tho, and was truly a creative meal for my family. We all liked it, tho hubby is NOT a fan of pineapple. He still ate tons of shrimp! Can't wait to see what Danielle and Laurie came up with...

Thai Pineapple Shrimp with Bean Threads P2

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1 tsp oil
½ can lite coconut milk
½ tsp basil
1 tsp salt
½ a package of bean thread noodles
½ cup toasted WW breadcrumbs

For the bean threads- Heat a saucepan of water until boiling, remove from heat. Place the nests of noodles in the water, and let them soak for 10 minutes. Drain, and toss with oil if desired. (I just placed them on the plate right out of the water)
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the pineapple chunks and sauté until nicely browned (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add the coconut milk, basil, and salt, and bring to a boil. Toss in the shrimp, and “poach” them in the milk. The milk will thicken and reduce creating a creamy sauce for the shrimp. Cook about 5 minutes or until the shrimp is all pink.
Spoon the shrimp, pineapple, and sauce over the noodles. Top with the toasted breadcrumbs for crunch!

Apple Snow Peas P2

2 cups snow peas, trimmed
8 oz apple juice (no sugar added)

In a sauté pan, heat the apple juice over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce the juice to a scant tablespoon (this takes about 5-7 minutes, watch it carefully!). Throw in the peas, and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat about 3 minutes, just to barely soften the peas. Serve!

5:4 take 7- Chicken Fried "Rice" with Sesame Green Beans

2006-09-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

This one was really tough for me. Everything I kept coming up with was a boring, "standard" type of meal. I wanted exciting and different! This is what I finally came up with, and it was pretty good! I can't wait to see what the other two came up with!

Chicken Fried "Rice" P1

1 large head cauliflower, cored
1 pound broccoli florets
2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into small cubes
2 eggs, beaten with 3 TBSP water
2 TBSP mushroom-flavored soy sauce
2 TBSP oyster sauce
3 TBSP oil

Using a large-holed grater, shred the cauliflower. Set this aside.
Heat a large wok over high heat. Swirl in 1 tbsp oil. Add half the chicken, stir-frying until it is browned and cooked thru. Remove it and finish with remaining chicken. Then quickly stirfry the broccoli for a few minutes to barely cook it. Remove and wipe the wok clean.
Reheat the wok and add 1 tbsp oil. Cook eggs stirring occasionally until done, remove. Wipe the wok clean.
Heat it again and add another tbsp oil. Cook the cauliflower 5 minutes until it begins to soften. Then stir in the oyster sauce, chicken, and soy sauce. Toss together. Top with the broccoli and serve.

Sesame Green Beans P1

1 pound frozen or fresh green beans
2 TBSP mushroom-flavored soy sauce
1 TBSp oil
1 TBSP sesame seeds

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a saute pan. Add beans and saute covered 5-7 minutes or until desired doneness. Stir in soy sauce, let caramelize. Remove to platter and top with sesame seeds.

Chicken Cordon Bleu and Fixin's!

2006-09-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

We LOVE Chicken Cordon Bleu. I LOVE asparagus (can you tell???). A match made in heaven! I made the Mock Hollandaise sauce to top them, and it was just the right flavor!

Chicken Cordon Bleu P1

Thin sliced chicken breast, one slice per person
2 slices ham per breast
1 slice Imported Emmenthaler Swiss per breast
salt&pepper

Very simple. Bake the chicken for 5 minutes at 425. Top with two pieces folded ham then the cheese. Broil for 10 minutes until cheese browns.

Mock Hollandaise P1

1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1 tbsp spread
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dijon mustard

I double this because I love it so much!
Melt the spread in a measuring cup in the microwave. Whisk in the egg or sub, lemon juice, and mustard. Heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes on low heat stirring every 15-20 seconds until thickened.

PIZZA!!!

2006-09-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my new cookbook "The Good Carb Cookbook". This is an oatbran crust, and it's fabulous! Even the kiddo liked it, and he HATES ww pizza crust! He ate five pieces...

Oatbran Pizza Crust P2

1 1/2-2 C WW flour
1/2 C oatbran
1 package rapid rise yeast
3/4 C very warm water
1 tsp honey (it said sugar, I used honey)
pinch salt
3 TBSP dry milk powder

I used my big mixer for this-
Put half the flour, all of the oatbran, the salt, and dry milk powder in the mixer and make sure it's mixed. In another bowl dissolve the yeast in the water with the honey. When it foams, slowly add the water mixture into the flour mixture with the mixer going. When the dough begins to form, add the last of the flour slowly. Let the mixer knead the dough until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl (about 3-5 minutes). Turn off the mixer and remove the dough to a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place 30-45 minutes until nearly doubled. Punch dough down and turn out onto your lightly-greased pizza pan. Pat or roll the dough out onto the pan. Let rest/rise 15 minutes.

Top with desired pizza toppings- I used homemade tomato sauce with herbs, chopped Canadian bacon, green pepper, onion, shrooms, and turkey pepperoni. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes until crust is browned around the edges and toppings are browning! YUMMY!

"Chantal's Chicken" with more Asparagus Bundles, Brussels, and Cauliflower

2006-09-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

Tonight I had to have more of those asparagus bundles- they were so good! I broiled these for about 7 minutes on each side, but that may need to be more for thicker stalks. The cauliflower was just steamed frozen stuff, and the brussels were just boiled frozen ones (cooked in double-strength chicken broth with some bacon bits). The chicken I got from a friend several years ago. It's usually slow baked, but today I used my new fabulous crockpot! Worked just fine, but the bacon didn't crisp so I didn't show any in this picture.

"Chantal's" Chicken P1

1 B/S chicken breast per person
1/2 cup SF maple syrup
1/2 cup SF ketchup
1/4 tsp cloves or 6 whole cloves
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 strips bacon per breast
1 sliced onion

In the bottom of the crockpot or baking dish place the breasts in one layer. Put the bacon on top of each one, then a few slices of onion.
In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Cover and bake at 300 for 2 hours or cook on high in the crockpot for 3 hours, basting often.

This is VERY simple, and very delicious!

Creamy Crusty Broccoli

2006-09-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

This is a side dish I threw together last minute.

I used frozen broccoli, cooked.
Toss this with 2 TBSP spread of your choice and place into a baking dish. Mix together 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar and 1/4 cup WW bread crumbs, and sprinkle this over the broccoli.

Broil 4-5 inches from the element/flame for about 5 minutes or until nicely browned!
Very simple and very delicious.

Filet, Sweet Potatoes, and Asparagus Bundles

2006-09-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

This isn't so much a recipe, as it is what I threw together last night.

I peeled, quartered, and sliced one sweet potato and tossed it with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I put it in a foil "pouch" and roasted it over the flame of the grill for 30 minutes. We top ours with FF sour cream- YUMMY!
I then seasoned my last two ( :( ) beef filet steaks with salt and pepper and grilled them to medium-rare perfection.

I also seasoned two bundles of asparagus (these happened to be super-thin) with salt and pepper, and wrapped them in one slice each of bacon and grilled them along with the steaks. These were incredible! I am going to try broiling them tonight...

5:4 take 6! Pork Scaloppini w/ Squash Primavera

2006-08-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

This installment of 5:4 was quite a challenge for me! My family does not like squash, and I have only had spaghetti squash once before- with mixed feelings. This dish is not terribly "inspired", but it was wonderful nonetheless! I can't wait to see what the other two chefs came up with! Check 5:4 for their dishes. Catherine- We wish you tons of luck in law school, and miss you already! 5:4 will be one short until your return!

Pork Scaloppini With Spaghetti Squash Primavera P1

1 pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
½ spaghetti squash, cooked and separated into strands
1 eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 quart tomatoes with Italian seasoning (home-canned)
6 large button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, pressed
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
Salt & Pepper
Olive oil

In a colander in the sink toss the eggplant with 1 tsp salt, let sit 15 minutes. Rinse well and squeeze the eggplant cubes to extract any extra water.
In a large sauté pan, heat 1 TBSP oil over medium heat until hot. Add in the eggplant, mushrooms, and onions and sauté for 10 minutes until everything has released its moisture. Add in garlic and cook another 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Pour tomatoes into pan, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes until sauce has thickened slightly. Toss with the squash strands.
Toss the pork with salt and pepper and sauté over medium-high heat in a nonstick pan. Cook about 10 minutes until no longer pink.
I plated this with the pork on the bottom, then the vegetable mixture, then topped it with the toasted pine nuts. Would also be good with a nice dusting of fresh grated Parmesan cheese!

Hens in the Crock Pot

2006-08-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

I got a new crockpot a month ago and have only used it once. Awful, huh? Looking thru my crockpot cookbook the other night, I found this recipe. I added carrots, but otherwise did it right as the recipe said (proud of me Danielle?).

Hens in Herb Wine Sauce P1

1 game hen per person
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
5 garlic cloves, pressed or chopped
3 tbsp chopped bacon (approx. 2 slices cooked and crumbled)
1 onion sliced
2 tbsp flour (I used soy flour)
salt and pepper

Toss the hens with the flour and S&P. Place the onion slices into the bottom of the crock, and put the hens on top. Mix the broth, wine, thyme, and garlic and pour over the hens. Cook on low for 8 hours.

I added a pound of baby carrots at the beginning(which would make this P2), and a then for the last 30 minutes added a bunch of fresh asparagus. This was excellent with some brown rice!

Grilled Dinner

2006-08-18T17:09:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted!
This is what we ate tonight. It was pretty simple, except for the artichokes. Very tasty tho!

Grilled Dinner P1

1 pound sirloin steak
2 fresh artichokes
1 quart water w/ lemon juice or white wine vinegar
broccolini
1 sweet onion, sliced
6 shrooms, sliced
Newman's Own Lite Balsamic Vinagrette

Marinate the steak in some of the vinagrette.
Prepare the 'chokes by peeling the stems and removing the lower several layers of leaves. Cut off the top 1/3 and plunge the artichokes into the acidic water for 10 minutes to prevent browning. Drain and cut them in half. Using a grapefruit spoon (or something sharp like one), remove the fuzzy choke and any purple tipped leaves. Steam them for 10-15 minutes until a knife goes in easily. Remove and toss gently with more of the vinagrette and let marinate. Add the broccolini as well.
Heat the grill over high flames for 10 minutes, then add the steak and veggies. Grill for 3-4 minutes, then flip everything. Grill another 6 minutes or so until meat is desired doneness.
While the meat rests, saute the shrooms and onions until caramelized, then top the steaks with them!

5:4 Challenge Take 5!!

2006-08-10T08:53:00.001-07:00

This time the ingredients were:
sausage
peppers
legumes
parsley
tomato sauce
This was something I had thought about since the ingredients were first chosen, and luckily it was as good as I thought it would be! I am curios to see what my fellow chefs came up with for their own dishes! This was so simple and took maybe 20 from start to finish!

Sausage and Peppers with Lentils and CousCous P2

One each green and orange bell peppers, sliced into strips
One onion, cut into wedges and separated
One package Benetino's Cabernet and Asiago Sausages, sliced
One small can Roasted Garlic Seasoned Tomato Sauce
Eight large button mushrooms, sliced
One package Roasted Garlic CousCous, prepared with water and olive oil
One can lentils, drained and rinsed or 1 cup prepared lentils
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Fresh chopped parsley

Heat oil in a large saute pan until hot, then add the veggies. Saute over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes or until they begin to soften slightly. Toss in the sausage and cook another 5 minutes to warm it. Add in the lentils and sauce, cook for another couple minutes to warm. Salt and pepper if desired.
Plate with a scoop of couscous, and sprinkle the top liberally with chopped parsley.

Chicken and Asparagus Sandwich with Spinach and Tomato

2006-08-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

This is my redo for the most recent 5:4 challenge. I wasn't pleased with the sauce from the other one! This turned out very delicious, I highly recommend it! I must tell you, this recipe was entirely my hubby Joe's idea! He hates to cook, but "makes" a killer sandwich!

Chicken and Asparagus Sandwich with Spinach and Tomato P2

1 boneless, skinless chicken thigh
2 tbsp Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing
asparagus spears
baby spinach leaves
2 slices multigrain bread
dijon mustard
garlic clove
sliced tomato

Marinate the chicken in the dressing for about 6 hours. Drain chicken and place on broiler pan. Broil 2 inches from heat for 5 minutes, then flip. Add the asparagus to the broiler pan and continue broiling 10 minutes more, turning the asparagus every few minutes.
Toast the bread and rub a cut garlic clove over the warm slices. Spread with dijon mustard.
Slice the chicken into thin slices and layer on the bread with the asparagus, spinach, and tomato slices. Top with the other slice and EAT!!!

5:4 take three- Huevos Rancheros with Cumin-Roasted Cauliflower

2006-08-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, so for the third installment for 5:4, I came up with this breakfast. I have honestly never had heuvos rancheros, so I have no idea how this compares! I know it is served on a tortilla, but I wanted to use cumin and salsa as my extras so I skipped it! I did also add some extra cilantro to the salsa because, well, I LOVE cilantro!!! I have to tell you, this was absolutely delicious!

Huevos Rancheros with Cumin Roasted Cauliflower P1

1 can refried beans (I made homemade ones- boiled the pintos 2 hours, then mashed with some of the cooking liquid and cumin), heated
1 pork tenderloin, very thinly sliced
Cumin
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 head cauliflower, separated into florets
2 eggs per person
Salsa
Sour cream
Cilantro

In a large zipper bag, combine the sliced pork with 1 tsp oil, a good amount of salt and pepper, and cumin to taste. Toss well and marinate in the fridge several hours.
In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with 2 tbsp oil, lots of salt and pepper, and about 2 tsp cumin (more if you want it spicy). Pour out into a large baking pan and roast at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well browned and cooked.
Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat, adding 1 tsp oil. Stir-fry the pork until done and nicely browned, about 10 minutes.
Fry the eggs as desired- I prefer over-medium.On the plate, place a large dollop of beans on one side and top with some pork. On the pork, place the eggs and top them with salsa, chopped cilantro, and sour cream. On the other side of the plate, put a good amount of cauliflower.

Bacon Tomato Chicken

2006-07-30T16:51:00.000-07:00

This is my adaptation of George Stella's Chicken with Bacon, Tomato, and Thyme. This was wonderful served with roasted sweet potato and green beans.

Bacon Tomato Chicken P1

1 BS chicken breast per person
3 slices bacon per breast
2 roma tomatoes, sliced thick
1 Vidalia onion, sliced thick
Salt & Pepper
Ground thyme

Sprinkle the chicken with the salt, pepper, and thyme and place in a roasting pan. Top each breast with sliced tomato and onion, then top them with the bacon slices. Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. I sprinkled the top with chopped fresh tomato.

Lava Cake!

2006-07-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

These could be my fave dessert on the planet! Who knew you could make them (almost) SB-friendly!? But with a few adjustments, they are just as good as the original. I served mine with a simple Raspberry Coulis and Cool Whip.

Lava Cakes P2

8Tbs Fleishman's Olive Oil Spread
2 tsp. soy flour
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 c. Splenda

Preheat the oven to 450.
While oven is heating, spray 4 4oz molds or small ramekins with cooking spray microwave the butter, be sure to place something over the top, butter pops. While butter is melting Beat together the eggs, yolk and sugar until creamy yellow Take the butter out of the microwave and add the chocolate. Stir until the chips have melted. Pour chocolate into the egg mixture and stir to combine. Add the flour and stir. Pour into prepared dishes. Bake 6-8 minutes until the sides have set but the middle is still soft. Invert on plate, wait 10 seconds, unmold by lifting up one corner of the mold. You may want to run a knife around the inside of the ramekin before inverting it.

Raspberry Coulis P2

One bag frozen raspberries
1/4 cup Splenda

Empty a bag of frozen raspberries into a saucepan and add about 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. Strain it, then simmer for another 10 minutes or until it gets syrupy. Add about 1/4 cup sweetener and stir it well. Pour into a small container and chill.
Mine made about 1/2 cup. You really only use maybe 2 tsp per cake!

Rainbow Tuna Salad

2006-07-25T17:52:00.001-07:00

I wanted to make something for the challenge with both fresh AND canned tuna. This is what I came up with for the canned- and it's so good!!!

Rainbow Tuna Salad P1

1 large pouch tuna
3 tbsp mayo
Salt & pepper
Bell peppers, any color(s), cut into strips
Endive leaves
Celery stalks
Mushrooms, sliced
1 lime
Olive oil

Mix the tuna and mayo with some pepper to make the tuna mix, if desired stir in some chopped celery.
Assemble on the plate in a spoke-pattern the pepper strips, celery stalks, and endive leaves. Put sliced mushrooms around the middle, and top with a large scoop of tuna mix.
For the dressing, whisk together the juice of the lime with some oil until it emulsifies, then add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle a little over the tuna and veggies!

Zesty Tuna Skewers with Sweet and Sour Celery and Brown Rice

2006-07-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

I was really stressed thinking about what to do with the celery! I had the rest of the ingredients pretty well planned when we started. The it hit me! It sounds bizarre. but really it was an incredible pairing!

Zesty Tuna Skewers With Sweet and Sour Celery P1

1 pound tuna steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
Bell peppers (any color) cut into large cubes
Mushrooms
2 Limes
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Celery (about 4 large stalks)
2 tbsp Splenda

Preheat your grill over very high heat.
Mix together the juice of one lime, salt and pepper, and 3 tbsp oil.
Thread the tuna onto a skewer, and thread the veggies on another one or two. Sprinkle the tuna well with pepper.
Place the veggie skewers on the grill. Baste them with the lime mixture. Grill over high heat for 5 minutes, and then turn them. Cook another 5 minutes.
Now put the tuna skewers on, and baste them with the lime mixture. Grill over high heat for 3 minutes, turn and cook another 3 minutes. Remove to platter.
Serve on a bed of brown rice and Sweet & Sour Celery!

For the celery:
Slice the celery on the bias into ½ inch thick slices. Sauté them in 1 tbsp olive oil for 3 minutes, stirring almost constantly. Add the juice of the other and Splenda, and stir well to mix. Cook another couple minutes to begin to caramelize the celery.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

2006-07-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

This is the sauce I used for the lasagna!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce P1

4 LBS roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 small eggplant, peeled and chopped
2 small onions, chopped
1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped
4 small carrots, shredded
1 29oz can concentrated crushed tomatoes
3 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp olive oil

Heat the oil in a heavy 4-quart pot. Sauté the veggies and garlic for about 10 minutes to soften them. Then add in the tomatoes and canned tomatoes, stir well. Add the dried herbs and stir.
Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and cover. Cook covered for about an hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Uncover and cook another hour on low (barely simmering).
Ladle into freezer containers, or use within 3 days!Makes about 2.5 quarts.

Lasagna!

2006-07-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

I made the yummiest lasagna tonight! Paired with a wonderful Fetzer Cab, it was a divine meal!

Lasagna P2

6 WW lasagna noodles, partially cooked
1 15 oz container light ricotta
1 tbsp each dried oregano and basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 package shredded Italian cheese
1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 quart homemade sauce

Mix together ricotta, egg, spices, parmesan, spinach, and a handful of the shredded cheese. Spread a cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 8 x 11 pan, and top with a layer of noodles. spread some ricotta mix over the noodles, then pour more sauce over that. Sprinkle shredded cheese on this, and repeat the layers.
Bake at 350 for an hour, covering the top with foil if it browns too quickly. Let sit 15 minutes before cutting.

Special THANKS!!!

2006-07-24T08:11:00.001-07:00

I just want to say a special THANKS to Laurie. Since updating my Internet Explorer, I have been unable to post any pictures on this or the 5:4 blog. Laurie has been wonderful and has posted all of my pictures for me for the last two weeks! She deserves a great big hug!

Thanks L!!!

Cinnamon Apple "Pudding" Cake

2006-07-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

This is so amazingly good! I got the recipe from the Food Network site, then tweaked it to make it SB-friendly. I hope you can try it soon!

Cinnamon Apple “Pudding” Cake P2

Topping:
¾ cup water
¼ cup SF maple syrup (try using flavored ones?)
2 tbsp spread
¾ cup DiabetiSweet Brown Sugar Substitute
Cake:
2 tbsp melted spread
1 cup evaporated skim milk
2 cups WW pastry flour
1/3 cup DiabetiSweet Brown Sugar Substitute
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Granny Smith apples, shredded (not peeled)

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all of the topping ingredients in a glass measuring cup and heat in the microwave until it boils. Remove and cool a bit while mixing the cake.
In a large mixing bowl, stir the flour, sugar substitute, baking powder, and cinnamon. In another small bowl, stir the milk and melted spread together. Stir the wet into the dry until just mixed, and then add the apples.
Pour cake batter into a sprayed 8 x 11 pan, smoothing the top. Gently pour the topping over the cake, but DO NOT STIR.
Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm with whipped topping or ice cream!

Tequila Chicken, Refried Black Beans, and Carrot Pepper Salad

2006-07-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had a fiesta! The chicken was marinated for the entire day, but was not overly boozed-up. It was perfect! The salad came about from a suggestion from friend Laurie (her blog is here). The beans were simply cooked black beans and canned tomatoes smashed in a pan and "fried" for a few minutes to reheat.

Tequila Chicken P1

1 chicken breast per person
1/2 cup tequila
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 chopped scallions
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp taco seasoning
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shredded cheddar

Mix all together but cheese in a large zipper bag and marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Preheat grill to high. Grill breasts over high heat uncovered, 5 minutes the first side, then flip and cook 5 minutes more. Top with cheese, turn of the burner underneath, and cover the grill for about 3-5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Serve with pico de gallo and sour cream!

Simple Pico De Gallo P1

1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 minced jalapenos
3 chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
dash lime juice
salt

Mix all together and let sit on the counter at least an hour for flavors to meld.

Carrot Pepper Salad P2

2 cups sliced or shredded carrot
1/2 green pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp ranch powder

Mix the mayo, milk, and powder together. Toss in the carrots and peppers, and mix well. Refrigerate at least an hour to thicken the dressing.
We think this would be great with halved cherry or grape tomatoes and or cukes added to it!

Smothered Chicken Parmesan "Sandwich" by Catherine

2006-07-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

I tried the chicken and eggplant dish my fellow "FourChefs" chef Catherine made. WOW! Even my picky six-year old liked it! I did serve it with noodle, but only becaue the boys in the house would have rioted! Everyone MUST try this! Her blog is here.

Bourbon and Cola Roast w/ Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2006-07-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

WOW! All I can say is WOW! This was SO GOOD!

Bourbon And Cola Roast P1

2lb chuck roast
1 can diet cola
3-4 oz bourbon (I used 5!)
1 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp worchestershire
1 tbsp soy sauce
pinch ground allspice

Mix all together in a bag and marinate in the fridge for several hours.
Preheat the grill with all burners on high.
Sear the meat for 5 minutes on all sides, then tunr the heat down to medium. Continue to cook the meat over medium with the grill covered for 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness. Cook until it reaches 135 on a thermometer (for medium rare, 145 for medium). Remove from the grill, place in a pan, and cover with foil to rest for 10 minutes. Then slice thinly and serve!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes P2

one sweet potato per person
olive oil
salt and pepper

Cut the potato into one inch pieces, toss with remaining ingredients. Put in heavy skillet and place over indirect heat on the grill (or roast at 450 for 1 hour). Cover and roast on grill for 45 minutes or until very soft. Top with sour cream!

Four Chefs Challenge Dish

2006-07-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

I have been dying to post this for days! Please check the other variations my fellow chefs created at the link at right- Four Chefs!

Eggplant and Chicken with Pepper Cream Sauce P2

1 Japanese or other small eggplant, sliced ¼ inch thick lengthwise
2 small bell peppers, I used one purple and one green, seeded and chopped
2 ¼ cups milk (it must have some fat, I used whole)
½ cup Parmesan cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1-cup WW breadcrumbs
2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper
¼ cup olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a saucepan, bring the 2 cups milk, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, pepper, and the chopped peppers to a simmer, then lower the heat and cover to steep.
In two dishes, place the ¼ cup milk in one and the breadcrumbs in the other. Sprinkle remaining garlic powder into the breadcrumbs, along with some salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Dip the eggplant into the milk, then the crumbs pushing to coat. Set them aside and repeat with the chicken.
In a heavy sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat until hot. Fry the eggplant slices for 3 minutes on the first side, then flip and fry 2 more minutes. Remove them to paper towels to drain. Place the slices on a baking sheet and sprinkle with 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese. Place the baking sheet in the oven while you finish.
Wipe out the sauté pan and add remaining oil. Fry the chicken in the same manner, 6 minutes on the first side then flip and cook 5 minutes on the second side. Strain the milk/peppers over the chicken, sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover and simmer for 7-10 minutes or until the chicken is done and the sauce thickens.
Serve over the eggplant slices.
I would recommend peeling the eggplant. I didn’t and it was a bit crispy!

Grill Roasted Chicken and all the fixin's!

2006-07-14T17:16:00.000-07:00

I roasted this chicken on the grill tonight. Sorry I didn't get a pic of it before I cut into it- the guys were hungry! I threw some applewood chips in my little grill-top smoker box and they flavored it quite well! The green beans are from my garden. I sauteed them with some onions, then threw on some red wine vinegar and Stevia Plus. Toss and they're done! This went very well with a nice Pinot Noir.

"Roasted" Chicken P1

one roasting chicken, about 5 pounds
Applewood chips
olive oil

Preheat grill to about 350 degrees.
Rinse the chicken and pat dry. I have an upright roasting rack, so I placed mine on that. Rub with the oil and season if desired.
Turn off the center burner on your grill, if you have a three burner grill! If not, turn off one side and just use the off side. Place chicken on or off your roaster on the unlit side. Throw some smoke chips onto the lit side. Close the grill and cook for about 30 minutes. Turn the chicken, and cook for another 30-45 minutes or until it reads 165 degrees.
Remove to a platter and let sit for 15 minutes.

Chinese Night!

2006-07-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had Chinese night for dinner- Sweet and Sour Pork and Chicken, Brown Rice, and Eggrolls. Everything was delicious!Yes, the eggrolls and meat were fried, but I measured the oil after it cooled and I was only "missing" about 1/4 cup- and you know most of that had to end up on the newspaper and paper towels! Besides, it's not going to kill us to do this once a month...

Sweet & Sour Pork and Chicken P2

6 cups cubed boneless skinless chicken thigh and pork sirloin- smaller than 1 inch cubes
2 TBSP soy sauce
5 TBSP arrowroot powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar substitute
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1 bell pepper, cubed
1 carrot, sliced thin
oil for frying

Mix meats, soy sauce, 3 TBSP arrowroot, and baking soda together well. Marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.
In a small saucepan mix juice, vinegar, sugar substitute, ketchup, and water. Bring this to a boil, then turn down to low, cover to keep warm.
Heat 2 inches oil in a wok or heavy skillet. When hot add in the meat a little at a time, cooking in batches. Make sure to separate the pieces so they don't stick together! Cook the meat about 5 minutes or until it is deep brown and cooked through. Drain the meat on paper towels or newspaper.
When all the meat is done, remove all but 2 TBSP oil from the pan and heat again. Add in the peppers and carrots, sand stirfry for a minute or two. Toss the meat back in the pan.
Mix the remaining 2 TBSP arrowroot with 2 TBSP water and pour it into the sauce mixture. Pour the sauce over the meat and veggies and bring back to a boil. Mix thorouhgly and serve! Serves 4

Eggrolls P2

one bag cole slaw mix
2 TBSP oyster sauce
2 TBSP lite teriyaki sauce
4 mushrooms, finely chopped
8 eggrolls wrappers
2 TBSP water in a small bowl
oil for frying

In a skillet, heat 1 TBSP oil over medium heat. Add in slaw mix and shrooms. Stirfry for about 10 minutes or until the veggies have given all their liquid and it has evaporated. Then stir in the sauces, mixing well. Remove to a bowl and cool.
When cooled, place one wrapper on work surface in a diamond shape and wet the top tip and sides. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop filling onto the middle of the wrapper. Bring the bottom up over the filling, pulling firmly. Roll half way, then tuck in each side over the middle. Finish rolling to the top. Set aside and filling remaining wrappers.
Heat 2 inches oil in a heavy skillet or wok to pretty hot! Carefully place an eggroll into the hot oil, followed by another one (fry two at a time). Fry 3 minutes on the first side, then turn over and fry 2 more minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels or newspaper. Serves 4

Cream Puffs

2006-07-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

Catherine asked if I thought one could make a SB-friendly version of the classic cream puff. Well, with a little tweaking from another friend and myself here's what we came up with!

Cream Puffs P2

2 packages instant vanilla pudding mix (I used one each of chocolate fudge and banana)
2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup butter (I used Fleishman's Olive Oil Spread)
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour (I used WW pastry flour)
3 eggs
2 egg yolks

Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix and milk. If using two different kinds, mix in separate bowls! Cover and refrigerate to set.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry. When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.

Brat Supper

2006-07-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

I have made this dinner for years, but I think the changes I made to make it SB-friendly have really improved it! I replaced the new potatoes with sweet and added green beans fresh from the garden and brussels sprouts. This is also great with mushrooms added, but I didn't have any left. Delicious!

Brat Supper P2

One package brats, each cut into fourths
three large handfuls baby carrots
1/2 pound sprouts, trimmed
one red onion, cut into slivers
one pound fresh green beans, trimmed
one large sweet potato, cut into one inch pieces
2 tbsp beef boullion granules (or one packet French Onion soup mix)
1/2 cup water
Preheat grill to about 400 degrees. Turn all burners down to low (for charcoal grill, move most of coals to sides.
Toss all ingredients together. pour into a large broiler pan or foil roasting pan, spreading it out evenly. Cover with foil and place on grill rack. Cover grills, and roast for 30 minutes. Stir the meat and veggies, discarding foil. Cover grill again and roast for another 20-30 minutes or until sweet potato is fully cooked.