I have officially decided to go without pasta for the month of February. Can I do it? I'm certainly going to try!
I've been scouring the web for new recipes to keep me busy and excited to make something other than pasta. Let's be real, these recipes have got to be good to keep me from thinking about my beloved noodle.
Here are some of the contenders:
Sweet Chili Chicken Bites
Cheesy Broccoli Gratin
Fish & Chips
Spicy Chicken & Pepper Jack Pizza
Baked Lump Crab Cakes w/ Red Pepper Chipotle Lime Sauce
Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Balsamic Chicken w/ Roasted Spinach & Tomatoes
Pepperoni Rolls
Broccoli Cheese Soup (w/ Velveeta this time!)
Pork Medallions with Sun-Dried Tomato pan sauce
Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Nordstrom's Tomato Basil Soup
Slow Cooker Roast w/ Potatoes & Carrots
Meatball Sliders
Cajun Spice Shrimp
Applebee's Shrimp & Parmesan Steak
Beef Stew
Chicken Pot Pie
Beef Tenderloin w/ Herb-Dijon Crust
Griddler Chicken - Gary's FAVORITE meal ever! (This is a huge step up from his previous favorite: Subway!)
Ultimate Slow Cooker Potatoes
Buffalo Chicken Bites
Garlic Lime Chicken
Clearly, this is going to be a fun month full of new recipes to knock out. Let's hope they are successful and can make it in to our family dinner rotation!
1.29.2012
Food & Fun {1}
Bridget, Gary, and I had our very first Food & Fun day! It was trial by fire with all new recipes but overall, it was quite successful. You simply cannot beat a houseful of new flavors, smoke (oops!) and one cuddly dog.
Here are the recipes we tried out:
Appetizer by Vanessa
Chef Guy Fieri's Pepperoni Parmesan Bites "Deconstructed Lasagna"
I added my own flair to this by using a few different ingredients than Guy.
1/4 lb. pepperoni, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds
1 cup crushed tomatoes (I used 1 cup of mom's canned tomatoes and 1/4 cup of tomato sauce)
1 bay leaf
48 RITZ Crackers
Italian parsley, for garnish
I'm not a huge fan of ricotta so I used that amazing Garlic Feta Cheese Dip for the cheese mixture instead :)
HEAT oven to 350ºF.
SET a large saute pan over medium heat, and add pepperoni cubes and onion. Cook for 3-4 min. until pepperoni begins to render oil, then add garlic, pepper flakes and fennel seeds. Cook until fragrant, about 2 min.; drain oil and add tomatoes and bay leaf. Simmer for 10-12 min. until thickened and all the flavors have come together in the sauce. Set aside and keep warm. Discard bay leaf.
IN a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta and Parmesan; smear a teaspoon of Parmesan-ricotta mixture on each RITZ Cracker and top with a teaspoon of pepperoni sauce. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-6 min. or until heated through. Garnish with parsley.
To be perfectly honest, I wasn't a fan, but Bridget & Gary seemed to like them. Let's give them 2.5 stars
Main Course by Bridget
Perfect Pizza Crust and Roasted Garlic Chicken Pesto Pizza
1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 envelope (2 1/4 tsp.) instant yeast
1 1/4 cups water, at room temp
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cups (22 oz.) bread flour, plug more for dusting
1 1/2 tsp salt
Cornmeal
olive oil or non-stick cooking spray for greasing bowl
Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.
Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed. Slowly add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix at low speed until a cohesive mass forms. Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it.
To bake, place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 500° for at least 30 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Form both pieces of dough into smooth, round balls and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.
Working with one piece of dough and keeping the other covered, shape the dough and transfer to a pizza peel or round of parchment dusted with semolina or cornmeal. Top as desired. Slide the dough onto the pizza stone. Bake until the crust edges brown and cheese is golden brown in spots, about 8 to 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining ball of dough or freeze for later use.
Recipe: Roasted Garlic Chicken Pesto Pizza Adapted from Annies Eats
1 perfect pizza crust (recipe above)
1/2 cup prepared pesto (store bough or homemade)
1 bulb of garlic
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
To roast the garlic: Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic. Place the garlic heads in a baking pan; muffin pans work well for this purpose. Drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil over each head, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed. Remove garlic gloves and smash with a fork.
Spread roasted garlic over pizza dough. Do this to taste. I used almost the whole (small) bulb, but I LOVE roasted garlic.
Spread the pesto on the pizza.
Add the sliced, cooked chicken.
Sprinkle with mozzarella.
Top with fresh grated parmesan.
Bake on preheated pizza stone for 8 - 12 minutes.
We (maybe just me) had so much excitement for this recipe but it just didn't measure up. The pizza crust was a little thick and the flavors didn't burst out as much as we'd hoped. 2 stars :( Add overwhelmingly more garlic and I'd bump it up to 3 stars...
Dessert by Vanessa
Molten Chocolate Cake
4 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins
1/3 cup(s) granulated sugar, plus more for muffin tins
3 large eggs
1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
8 ounce(s) bittersweet chocolate, melted
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Whipped cream, for serving
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter 6 cups of a standard muffin tin. Dust with granulated sugar, and tap out excess. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in flour and salt until just combined. Beat in chocolate until just combined. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.
Place muffin tin on a baking sheet; bake just until tops of the cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is lightly shaken, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.
To serve, turn out cakes, and place on serving plates, bottom sides up. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve with whipped cream, if desired.
I was soooo nervous to make these because I didn't trust how easy the recipe seemed. Luckily for us, they turned out perfectly! 4 stars!
To top it all off, Daisy was being SO cute and cuddly. The pizza pan made the house a little smokey so she snuck off to my mom's room. When the house cleared up, she came back out and slept :)
Here are the recipes we tried out:
Appetizer by Vanessa
Chef Guy Fieri's Pepperoni Parmesan Bites "Deconstructed Lasagna"
I added my own flair to this by using a few different ingredients than Guy.
1/4 lb. pepperoni, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds
1 cup crushed tomatoes (I used 1 cup of mom's canned tomatoes and 1/4 cup of tomato sauce)
1 bay leaf
48 RITZ Crackers
Italian parsley, for garnish
I'm not a huge fan of ricotta so I used that amazing Garlic Feta Cheese Dip for the cheese mixture instead :)
HEAT oven to 350ºF.
SET a large saute pan over medium heat, and add pepperoni cubes and onion. Cook for 3-4 min. until pepperoni begins to render oil, then add garlic, pepper flakes and fennel seeds. Cook until fragrant, about 2 min.; drain oil and add tomatoes and bay leaf. Simmer for 10-12 min. until thickened and all the flavors have come together in the sauce. Set aside and keep warm. Discard bay leaf.
IN a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta and Parmesan; smear a teaspoon of Parmesan-ricotta mixture on each RITZ Cracker and top with a teaspoon of pepperoni sauce. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-6 min. or until heated through. Garnish with parsley.
To be perfectly honest, I wasn't a fan, but Bridget & Gary seemed to like them. Let's give them 2.5 stars
Main Course by Bridget
Perfect Pizza Crust and Roasted Garlic Chicken Pesto Pizza
1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 envelope (2 1/4 tsp.) instant yeast
1 1/4 cups water, at room temp
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cups (22 oz.) bread flour, plug more for dusting
1 1/2 tsp salt
Cornmeal
olive oil or non-stick cooking spray for greasing bowl
Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.
Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed. Slowly add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix at low speed until a cohesive mass forms. Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it.
To bake, place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 500° for at least 30 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Form both pieces of dough into smooth, round balls and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.
Working with one piece of dough and keeping the other covered, shape the dough and transfer to a pizza peel or round of parchment dusted with semolina or cornmeal. Top as desired. Slide the dough onto the pizza stone. Bake until the crust edges brown and cheese is golden brown in spots, about 8 to 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining ball of dough or freeze for later use.
Recipe: Roasted Garlic Chicken Pesto Pizza Adapted from Annies Eats
1 perfect pizza crust (recipe above)
1/2 cup prepared pesto (store bough or homemade)
1 bulb of garlic
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
To roast the garlic: Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic. Place the garlic heads in a baking pan; muffin pans work well for this purpose. Drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil over each head, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed. Remove garlic gloves and smash with a fork.
Spread roasted garlic over pizza dough. Do this to taste. I used almost the whole (small) bulb, but I LOVE roasted garlic.
Spread the pesto on the pizza.
Add the sliced, cooked chicken.
Sprinkle with mozzarella.
Top with fresh grated parmesan.
Bake on preheated pizza stone for 8 - 12 minutes.
We (maybe just me) had so much excitement for this recipe but it just didn't measure up. The pizza crust was a little thick and the flavors didn't burst out as much as we'd hoped. 2 stars :( Add overwhelmingly more garlic and I'd bump it up to 3 stars...
Dessert by Vanessa
Molten Chocolate Cake
4 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins
1/3 cup(s) granulated sugar, plus more for muffin tins
3 large eggs
1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
8 ounce(s) bittersweet chocolate, melted
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Whipped cream, for serving
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter 6 cups of a standard muffin tin. Dust with granulated sugar, and tap out excess. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in flour and salt until just combined. Beat in chocolate until just combined. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.
Place muffin tin on a baking sheet; bake just until tops of the cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is lightly shaken, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.
To serve, turn out cakes, and place on serving plates, bottom sides up. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve with whipped cream, if desired.
I was soooo nervous to make these because I didn't trust how easy the recipe seemed. Luckily for us, they turned out perfectly! 4 stars!
To top it all off, Daisy was being SO cute and cuddly. The pizza pan made the house a little smokey so she snuck off to my mom's room. When the house cleared up, she came back out and slept :)
1.25.2012
I love Decorah.
Since moving back to Decorah, I've made it a mission to find meaningful activities and work opportunities to fill my time. I have come to realize just how important it is to feel passionate about what I do and how much I want to be involved in this community. I grew to be such a strong, confident person here in Decorah and I want to make sure that I help do that for others as they make their own way.
Yeah, I'm sure that all sounds cheesy but that is honestly how I feel. My ideal life would look like this:
Wake up
Get the kid's up
Make breakfast
Take them to school
*Work at WMC - CHECK!
Eat lunch/walk
**Work at Nisse - Almost check! (I scored an interview here tomorrow!!)
Pick up the kids from school
Help with homework
Make dinner
***Volunteer for PTO - A volunteer program dedicated to serving grades PreK-8th grade
Spend time with Gary before falling asleep
*I am so excited to start working for WMC. The ladies I interviewed with were all so lovely and I feel that it will be such a great learning opportunity for me. It doesn't hurt that though this is a .5 PT job, I still get benefits!! This just proves that I don't have to have a full-time job to make it through life :)
**Nisse Preschool recently advertised an opening for 10 hr/week Office Manager. I jumped at the chance to apply because I would LOVE to work at a preschool. Probably sounds silly but like I said above, I want to be sure I find work that allows me to give back to this community and the people that live here. What better way than to have a supporting role at a preschool. I will have a formal interview with them tomorrow so wish me luck!
***I somehow landed on the Decorah Community School website earlier and found something called PTO. I'm not quite sure what it stands for but I get the jist of it. "PTO volunteers raise money to help fund school equipment, field trips, bring guest authors to our schools, and much more. They also pitch in to show school staff how much we appreciate them, and offer fun events for the kids! PTO commitments can range from two hours to year long. Please join us!" Don't mind if I do. The things that caught my attention:
Book Fairs - I LOVED whenever we had book fairs in elementary. Those days were literally my favorite.
Math/Spell-a-thons - Love it.
Elementary Yearbooks - This would be sooooo much fun to do! Parents would love these and such great keepsakes for kids when they get older
Appreciation Baking/Treats - I need a reason to do more baking
Public/Media Relations - Great way to network and get to know people
Lastly, I noticed in their little brochure that they don't have a secretary...Why not??
Yeah, I'm sure that all sounds cheesy but that is honestly how I feel. My ideal life would look like this:
Wake up
Get the kid's up
Make breakfast
Take them to school
*Work at WMC - CHECK!
Eat lunch/walk
**Work at Nisse - Almost check! (I scored an interview here tomorrow!!)
Pick up the kids from school
Help with homework
Make dinner
***Volunteer for PTO - A volunteer program dedicated to serving grades PreK-8th grade
Spend time with Gary before falling asleep
*I am so excited to start working for WMC. The ladies I interviewed with were all so lovely and I feel that it will be such a great learning opportunity for me. It doesn't hurt that though this is a .5 PT job, I still get benefits!! This just proves that I don't have to have a full-time job to make it through life :)
**Nisse Preschool recently advertised an opening for 10 hr/week Office Manager. I jumped at the chance to apply because I would LOVE to work at a preschool. Probably sounds silly but like I said above, I want to be sure I find work that allows me to give back to this community and the people that live here. What better way than to have a supporting role at a preschool. I will have a formal interview with them tomorrow so wish me luck!
***I somehow landed on the Decorah Community School website earlier and found something called PTO. I'm not quite sure what it stands for but I get the jist of it. "PTO volunteers raise money to help fund school equipment, field trips, bring guest authors to our schools, and much more. They also pitch in to show school staff how much we appreciate them, and offer fun events for the kids! PTO commitments can range from two hours to year long. Please join us!" Don't mind if I do. The things that caught my attention:
Book Fairs - I LOVED whenever we had book fairs in elementary. Those days were literally my favorite.
Math/Spell-a-thons - Love it.
Elementary Yearbooks - This would be sooooo much fun to do! Parents would love these and such great keepsakes for kids when they get older
Appreciation Baking/Treats - I need a reason to do more baking
Public/Media Relations - Great way to network and get to know people
Lastly, I noticed in their little brochure that they don't have a secretary...Why not??
1.24.2012
Better than most.
Yesterday was a particularly good day.
1. Slept in and felt no affects from a night of cocktail sippage
2. Found out I didn't have to go in to work
3. Got one more of Gary's W-2 forms
4. Got a letter from our Mpls Landlord with loads of $$! Someone moved in to our old apartment and we got reimbursed from the day that person moved in. SAWEEEEEEEET.
5. Realized that I have more $$ from canceling all my other bank accounts to put in the bank. SAWEEEEEEEET.
6. Got a call from WMC. I.got.the.job. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
We celebrated with fudgy brownies and our favorite wine :)
So far, today is looking particular nice as well:
1. Slept in and felt no affects from a night of wine drinkage
2. Found out I didn't have to go in to work
I'll take it :)
1. Slept in and felt no affects from a night of cocktail sippage
2. Found out I didn't have to go in to work
3. Got one more of Gary's W-2 forms
4. Got a letter from our Mpls Landlord with loads of $$! Someone moved in to our old apartment and we got reimbursed from the day that person moved in. SAWEEEEEEEET.
5. Realized that I have more $$ from canceling all my other bank accounts to put in the bank. SAWEEEEEEEET.
6. Got a call from WMC. I.got.the.job. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
We celebrated with fudgy brownies and our favorite wine :)
So far, today is looking particular nice as well:
1. Slept in and felt no affects from a night of wine drinkage
2. Found out I didn't have to go in to work
I'll take it :)
1.23.2012
Legendary!
Way back when I was a wee little girl, I hated tomatoes. I just couldn't stomach them. It was 100% a texture thing and quite possibly the whole heating them up thing. They looked disgusting (back then) so how on earth could they taste good?
Clearly, I got over that stage in my life. I LOVE TOMATOES. I LOVE heated canned-by-my-mom home-grown roma tomatoes. They are just sooooooooo good. As you all know I tend to make goulash when I get a super craving for tomatoes. Did I ever share? No - no one liked it the way I did (which is just the way I liked it). Do I ever share now? No - no one will like it :)
ANYHOO - I made a truly transcendent batch of goulash last week. The reason? ONIONS! I decided, what the heck, bring on the onions. (Mom, aren't you proud??)
Onions have been my tomatoes from way back when for my whole life. I love the smell of onions but I couldn't bring myself to eat them. I love the taste of them but it was the texture of onions that killed it for me. I found them utterly gross and disgusting. However, curiosity got the best of me. I fought through the pain and tears of cutting a small white onion and sweat them out for my mean batch of goulash. Little did I know that this would be THE BEST batch I have ever made.
Seriously.
These onions brought on a whole new depth of flavor that I didn't know existed. I made the batch last for six meals which was pretty amazing. After finishing the last bite, I immediately craved more. Sooooooooooo, I made another batch less than a week later.
Was it legendary? Not quite. Why? I dumped a crap ton of dried oregano on the meat.
Oooops.
Side Note = I ran out of my preferred noodle for goulash, the pretty penne. I will made do with elbow if and only if I have to. Otherwise, I just don't eat any. Spaghetti doesn't work. Egg noodles don't work. Angel Hair doesn't work. Alas, I ran out of penne noodles with this second batch of overly oregano-fied goulash. I had some linguini running around so I used that. It's just not the same. They taste different and almost overpower the goulash. That cannot happen.
Lessons learned:
1. Always use onions in my goulash
2. Penne is the ONLY noodle to use for goulash
On a whole different level, I can't eat peppers. However, I love spicy salsa. Clearly, I can eat them. My goal is to introduce peppers in to my diet. AND LIKE THEM. We'll see....
Clearly, I got over that stage in my life. I LOVE TOMATOES. I LOVE heated canned-by-my-mom home-grown roma tomatoes. They are just sooooooooo good. As you all know I tend to make goulash when I get a super craving for tomatoes. Did I ever share? No - no one liked it the way I did (which is just the way I liked it). Do I ever share now? No - no one will like it :)
ANYHOO - I made a truly transcendent batch of goulash last week. The reason? ONIONS! I decided, what the heck, bring on the onions. (Mom, aren't you proud??)
Onions have been my tomatoes from way back when for my whole life. I love the smell of onions but I couldn't bring myself to eat them. I love the taste of them but it was the texture of onions that killed it for me. I found them utterly gross and disgusting. However, curiosity got the best of me. I fought through the pain and tears of cutting a small white onion and sweat them out for my mean batch of goulash. Little did I know that this would be THE BEST batch I have ever made.
Seriously.
These onions brought on a whole new depth of flavor that I didn't know existed. I made the batch last for six meals which was pretty amazing. After finishing the last bite, I immediately craved more. Sooooooooooo, I made another batch less than a week later.
Was it legendary? Not quite. Why? I dumped a crap ton of dried oregano on the meat.
Oooops.
Side Note = I ran out of my preferred noodle for goulash, the pretty penne. I will made do with elbow if and only if I have to. Otherwise, I just don't eat any. Spaghetti doesn't work. Egg noodles don't work. Angel Hair doesn't work. Alas, I ran out of penne noodles with this second batch of overly oregano-fied goulash. I had some linguini running around so I used that. It's just not the same. They taste different and almost overpower the goulash. That cannot happen.
Lessons learned:
1. Always use onions in my goulash
2. Penne is the ONLY noodle to use for goulash
On a whole different level, I can't eat peppers. However, I love spicy salsa. Clearly, I can eat them. My goal is to introduce peppers in to my diet. AND LIKE THEM. We'll see....
What a weekend.
I.am.exhausted.
I had to work a lot this past weekend. I knew going in that it was going to be tough on my energy level but boy did it tire me out! What I find so annoying about working nights is that despite being physical and mentally tired, I simply cannot fall asleep. So at 1am, I may still be awake. I feel bad for Gary who has to wake up super early every morning. It probably doesn't help that shows I love always seem to be on when I can't fall asleep...
Yesterday's problem though? Probably all the alcohol I got to try :)
We had a scheduled bartender training session after work last night. Yes, that meant we were going to have a late night but who could complain after being able to try 20+ cocktails! Sadly, the weather was a little iffy so the crowd was small but that just meant I could sip a bit more from those cocktails I loved...
Some of my favorites?
Bee's Knees
Mai Tai
Pomegranate Margarita
Mayan Hot Chocolate
Pink Rascal
Rosita
Yeah.
I had to work a lot this past weekend. I knew going in that it was going to be tough on my energy level but boy did it tire me out! What I find so annoying about working nights is that despite being physical and mentally tired, I simply cannot fall asleep. So at 1am, I may still be awake. I feel bad for Gary who has to wake up super early every morning. It probably doesn't help that shows I love always seem to be on when I can't fall asleep...
Yesterday's problem though? Probably all the alcohol I got to try :)
We had a scheduled bartender training session after work last night. Yes, that meant we were going to have a late night but who could complain after being able to try 20+ cocktails! Sadly, the weather was a little iffy so the crowd was small but that just meant I could sip a bit more from those cocktails I loved...
Some of my favorites?
Bee's Knees
Mai Tai
Pomegranate Margarita
Mayan Hot Chocolate
Pink Rascal
Rosita
Yeah.
1.21.2012
So Many Choices!
I slept in today. Actually, most days I do. I seem to be wide awake when I come home from late nights in Albert's and of course I want to sleep in after finally falling asleep at 1am. Hopefully, though, I'll get that job which will take care of this. Am I complaining? Absolutely not.
Why? There is so much good TV on! For example: there are TONS of Holmes Inspections late night on Sundays. There are TONS of Kitchen Cousins or Property Brothers or Income Properties late night on Wednesdays. Every other night - Guy's Big Bite. For whatever reason, that show is quite addictive. We just keep watching, just keep watching, just keep watching....You get the idea.
In the morning, however, there is NEVER anything good to watch. Seriously. But alas, this morning I hit a gold mine. My first attempt was of course Bravo and what did I find? A marathon of the current Top Chef! I missed the last episode so I'll definitely go back when that episode is up. Since I had seen the bbq episode I thought I'd check out the other possibilities. It is not odd for me to watch each episode of Top Chef over and over though.
Channel 27 - Jersey Shore. Also a repeat but a worthy contender. Who doesn't love that trashy, trashy show?
Channel 30 - Some remodeling show - I was intrigued. The couple was endearing. Oh and they were building a bar in their basement which is something I want one day. And THEN as I was leaving the channel, I saw a commercial for the FINAL crazy coupon showdown show thing. That show is insane but interesting. I'll be back.
Channel 44 - House Crashers. I found a winner! They had me at "Naughty Pine". The guy's from Boston and he was actually saying "Knotty Pine". I LOVE Boston accents.
So far so good.
Let's just hope I can break myself away long enough to take a shower :)
Why? There is so much good TV on! For example: there are TONS of Holmes Inspections late night on Sundays. There are TONS of Kitchen Cousins or Property Brothers or Income Properties late night on Wednesdays. Every other night - Guy's Big Bite. For whatever reason, that show is quite addictive. We just keep watching, just keep watching, just keep watching....You get the idea.
In the morning, however, there is NEVER anything good to watch. Seriously. But alas, this morning I hit a gold mine. My first attempt was of course Bravo and what did I find? A marathon of the current Top Chef! I missed the last episode so I'll definitely go back when that episode is up. Since I had seen the bbq episode I thought I'd check out the other possibilities. It is not odd for me to watch each episode of Top Chef over and over though.
Channel 27 - Jersey Shore. Also a repeat but a worthy contender. Who doesn't love that trashy, trashy show?
Channel 30 - Some remodeling show - I was intrigued. The couple was endearing. Oh and they were building a bar in their basement which is something I want one day. And THEN as I was leaving the channel, I saw a commercial for the FINAL crazy coupon showdown show thing. That show is insane but interesting. I'll be back.
Channel 44 - House Crashers. I found a winner! They had me at "Naughty Pine". The guy's from Boston and he was actually saying "Knotty Pine". I LOVE Boston accents.
So far so good.
Let's just hope I can break myself away long enough to take a shower :)
1.17.2012
6 Month Challenge
I have got a whole new mentality on weight loss. I've gotten to my original weight before becoming pregnant. I've got to say, this feels GREAT. I've always had an issue with weight loss only in the sense of losing weight when I wasn't trying and not losing weight when I was trying. Seems weird, but it has always been like that. It was never an issue though because I was comfortable with my weight and the fact that I could fit in to all my clothes :) Now that I have gone through a considerable (for me) weight gain and considerable weight loss, I've got so much more motivation to keep going. I could easily lose a few more pounds. I've still got a tummy, flabby arms and those beloved thunder thighs that I wouldn't mind never seeing again. SO, I have given myself a little challenge. To lose 15 more pounds. Yep. I want to get down to 110. Can I do it? Not sure, but I'm certainly going to try.
What prompted this new motivation?
Las Vegas. or Chicago.
Kendra's wedding is coming up in September (which I was already more than excited about) and we got an email from her MoH regarding ideas for her bachelorette party. OMG I cannot wait. She's thinking either Chicago or Las Vegas at the end of July or August. My vote is definitely Las Vegas because I've been to Chicago many times. I would rather go to a place I haven't really experienced before. (Yes, I know we've been there before but I was like 13 or 14 then. That is not what I'd consider experiencing Las Vegas Bachelorette Style).
That gives me approximately 6+ months. I.think.I.can.do.that.
Okay, now on to something a little more extreme. I've been thinking about the surprising 2+ poundage loss after not eating pasta for a couple of days. Seriously, that's a bit crazy. Regardless, I'm intrigued. What if I went awhile without pasta? Would I lose unnecessary weight I've been carrying since my early pasta-eating days? Thus, what do you all think of me going pasta-free for say, the whole month of February? or maybe going to eating pasta only once a week or 2-3 times a week instead of a staggering 6-7 times a week. Yep. I do that. Let me know what you think.
What prompted this new motivation?
Las Vegas. or Chicago.
Kendra's wedding is coming up in September (which I was already more than excited about) and we got an email from her MoH regarding ideas for her bachelorette party. OMG I cannot wait. She's thinking either Chicago or Las Vegas at the end of July or August. My vote is definitely Las Vegas because I've been to Chicago many times. I would rather go to a place I haven't really experienced before. (Yes, I know we've been there before but I was like 13 or 14 then. That is not what I'd consider experiencing Las Vegas Bachelorette Style).
That gives me approximately 6+ months. I.think.I.can.do.that.
Okay, now on to something a little more extreme. I've been thinking about the surprising 2+ poundage loss after not eating pasta for a couple of days. Seriously, that's a bit crazy. Regardless, I'm intrigued. What if I went awhile without pasta? Would I lose unnecessary weight I've been carrying since my early pasta-eating days? Thus, what do you all think of me going pasta-free for say, the whole month of February? or maybe going to eating pasta only once a week or 2-3 times a week instead of a staggering 6-7 times a week. Yep. I do that. Let me know what you think.
1.15.2012
Let's Play Catch-up!
I hate that I even have to say this but I've been a very bad girl. At the start of the day I knew that I had missed 8 whole days of daily exercises. So much for my goals, right? To that I said, "Why can't I make them all up?" Well that is just what I did. 1080. This is the number of reps I needed to perform of crunches, pushups, and squats. How many reps did I perform? 1080. And yes, I'm still alive. I did 270 reps of squats in one shot. Pretty sure they'll hurt tomorrow. The 450 crnches weren't too difficult either but I did take 2-3 minute breaks after every hundred. Then there were the push ups. Truth be told, I wasn't convinced I'd be able to do 360 of them. I literally took 6 hours to do them but I did it! Every twenty minutes I did 20 pushups. The last 120 were difficult but my goal of wanting to fully catch up kept me going. My biceps WILL hurt tomorrow.
The second reason for the blog post - weightloss update. Last week I inadvertently went without pasta for two to three days. Guess what happened...I dropped from 127 to 124.4. Yeah that definitely happened. I have eaten pasta every single day since but stiiiiillll remain below 125. Saweeeeeet. I finally feel normal again. I would still like to be between 115-120 but this was huge. HUGE. And now that little Arya Joyce is finally here, Amanda and I can run the Couch-to-5k program. So excited.
Thirdly, My internet no longer works which is just a drag but I've still got my phone which is where this post is being written. How awesome is that?
The second reason for the blog post - weightloss update. Last week I inadvertently went without pasta for two to three days. Guess what happened...I dropped from 127 to 124.4. Yeah that definitely happened. I have eaten pasta every single day since but stiiiiillll remain below 125. Saweeeeeet. I finally feel normal again. I would still like to be between 115-120 but this was huge. HUGE. And now that little Arya Joyce is finally here, Amanda and I can run the Couch-to-5k program. So excited.
Thirdly, My internet no longer works which is just a drag but I've still got my phone which is where this post is being written. How awesome is that?
1.06.2012
Holy Croutons
Gary LOVES his croutons. I mean LOVES. Perhaps more than he loves me. I know, crazy thought.
To continue with my desire to eat healthy, we had salad for lunch today. Caesar salad is Gary's favorite so I was super excited when I picked up all the ingredients for this yesterday. The one thing I purposely left out? Croutons. They are sooo gosh darn expensive and just plan gross. Instead, I used what we already had in the house - bread. Easy enough!
Vanessa's Homemade Croutons
Couple slices of bread already in the house
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Italian Seasonings (oregano, basil, parsley, etc)
Salt & Pepper
Preheat oven to 450F. Place foil in the baking sheet for easy clean up. Rip up or cut your bread slices to desired shapes. (I prefer the organic shapes :)) Drizzle oil, seasonings, and s&p over the croutons and lightly mix them up to make sure each piece is covered. Place in oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. I didn't quite keep track so make sure to watch it the first time through.
Once done top over your salad!!
The amount of croutons I prefer...
The amount of croutons Gary prefers...
To continue with my desire to eat healthy, we had salad for lunch today. Caesar salad is Gary's favorite so I was super excited when I picked up all the ingredients for this yesterday. The one thing I purposely left out? Croutons. They are sooo gosh darn expensive and just plan gross. Instead, I used what we already had in the house - bread. Easy enough!
Vanessa's Homemade Croutons
Couple slices of bread already in the house
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Italian Seasonings (oregano, basil, parsley, etc)
Salt & Pepper
Preheat oven to 450F. Place foil in the baking sheet for easy clean up. Rip up or cut your bread slices to desired shapes. (I prefer the organic shapes :)) Drizzle oil, seasonings, and s&p over the croutons and lightly mix them up to make sure each piece is covered. Place in oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. I didn't quite keep track so make sure to watch it the first time through.
Once done top over your salad!!
What's for Dinner {6}
I was craving a really healthy, delicious meal and couldn't wait to try these new recipes. It was a little bit of a surprise for Gary, who only knew we'd be having fish, potatoes, and asparagus. He didn't know what would be going in to these recipes. Needless to say, he LOVED them all. So much in fact, we'll be having the same meal tonight. Hey, I'm alright with that - I don't want my leftover asparagus to go bad!
Like I said, there were THREE new recipes for this meal:
Side #1 - Hasselback Potatoes
I made these without the pesto this time. Maybe this summer...
2 good-sized red potatoes
1 garlic clove per potato
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
coarse sea salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Thinly slice garlic cloves. Set aside.
Rinse and scrub potatoes well. Slice into the potatoes but not completely through them. Slice potatoes, creating very thin rounds connected at a base. Slide garlic slices in between potato slices. You might actually need to shove them in. Just be careful not to tear the bottom.
Place potatoes on a baking sheet and generously sprinkle potatoes with salt and pepper. Top each potato with a thin pad of butter and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 1 hour, or until tender on the inside and crisp on the outside. Remove the pan about every 15 minutes to baste potatoes in the oil and butter, this will make them crispy and flavorful. When cooked through, remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
Side #2 - Sauteed Garlic Asparagus
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 bunch fresh asparagus
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and asparagus spears; cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until asparagus is tender. If you like your asparagus well done, reduce heat and cook an additional 10 minutes. (I cooked this for the full 20 minutes.)
The Main Event - Tosca’s Keep-It-Tight Tilapia
I forgot a few of the ingredients but this still turned out wonderfully.
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp dried mustard
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1 pinch cayenne pepper
4 tilapia filets, thawed
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl combine olive oil, garlic and seasonings. Dip each filet into the seasoning and place it on the baking sheet. Pour any remaining seasoning over the filets on the sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes.
At the end I added the juice for half a lemon to both the asparagus and fish. SOOOOOO good.
Like I said, there were THREE new recipes for this meal:
Side #1 - Hasselback Potatoes
I made these without the pesto this time. Maybe this summer...
2 good-sized red potatoes
1 garlic clove per potato
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
coarse sea salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Thinly slice garlic cloves. Set aside.
Rinse and scrub potatoes well. Slice into the potatoes but not completely through them. Slice potatoes, creating very thin rounds connected at a base. Slide garlic slices in between potato slices. You might actually need to shove them in. Just be careful not to tear the bottom.
Place potatoes on a baking sheet and generously sprinkle potatoes with salt and pepper. Top each potato with a thin pad of butter and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 1 hour, or until tender on the inside and crisp on the outside. Remove the pan about every 15 minutes to baste potatoes in the oil and butter, this will make them crispy and flavorful. When cooked through, remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
Side #2 - Sauteed Garlic Asparagus
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 bunch fresh asparagus
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and asparagus spears; cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until asparagus is tender. If you like your asparagus well done, reduce heat and cook an additional 10 minutes. (I cooked this for the full 20 minutes.)
The Main Event - Tosca’s Keep-It-Tight Tilapia
I forgot a few of the ingredients but this still turned out wonderfully.
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp dried mustard
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1 pinch cayenne pepper
4 tilapia filets, thawed
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl combine olive oil, garlic and seasonings. Dip each filet into the seasoning and place it on the baking sheet. Pour any remaining seasoning over the filets on the sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes.
At the end I added the juice for half a lemon to both the asparagus and fish. SOOOOOO good.
1.03.2012
A New Year - Resolution #1 & #2
It's incredible how time flies. I remember last year this time I was awaiting finding out about a job and I am doing the exact same thing this year. I tried not to be too excited or hopeful just in case it didn't work out and yep, I'm doing the same thing this year. I am thinking about how much I appreciate having my current job but wish it wasn't nights and weekends. I am excited about a big change coming up - GETTING MARRIED and though I'm not doing that ever again, I'm excited about the big change we are hoping to make this year - BUY A HOUSE.
It's just incredible how time flies yet is practically the same.
Okay, moving on. I have a few things that I want to accomplish this year. They are goals that I would LOVE to say that I have accomplished by December 31, 2012. There are only 365 days in a year and it's so important that we don't waste those days because they move sooooo darn fast.
Resolution #1: Focus on ME
I learned so much in the short time I was pregnant. I felt like my hormones were more normal, my appetite more normal, my mood more normal (considering :)). I also realized that the habits I have created for myself will one day affect another. Me not taking the time to exercise, drink enough water, eat balanced meals throughout the day, take vitamins, etc are TERRIBLE habits that not only affect me now but everyone around me. Any future babies, my husband, my family, my colleagues, etc are all affected by my habits. It's time to take responsibility for myself and focus on me. Here are the things I'd like to work on:
1.1 Drink 64+oz. water a day
1.2 Eat 2-5 servings of fruits & veggies a day
1.3 Perform daily exercises at > 85% for the month
1.4 Exercise at least 3 times a week
1.5 Take a daily vitamin
1.6 Drink less - I've decided that my max will be 2 drinks a night. If more, alternate between water and another glass or bottle of whatever.
I'm interested to see how these changes will effect some other things that bother me: dry lips and feeling so lethargic all the time. We'll have to see.
Resolution #1: Focus on OTHERS
2.1 Recognize Birthdays! I've been saying this for awhile but I reallly realllly want to remember everyone's birthday. I've created a spreadsheet with the dates and will be setting up reminder's in my google calendar which will prompt me to action.
2.2 Spend more time with family. I LOVE the idea of monthly get-togethers. We all have more recipes we'd like to try out and/or different projects we could work on together (okay, maybe just me - putting the backing on Emma's remembrance quilt is terrifying!) What will make this difficult is my random Hotel schedule. I tend to work most if not every Saturday but could probably get the 21st off of this month. Bridget, if you'd still like to do this, let me know what you think! Oh and Skype will help me to keep in touch with Leta and Amanda/Neil/Almost-Here-Heller-Baby. Speaking of, I can't wait to meet her!
It's just incredible how time flies yet is practically the same.
Okay, moving on. I have a few things that I want to accomplish this year. They are goals that I would LOVE to say that I have accomplished by December 31, 2012. There are only 365 days in a year and it's so important that we don't waste those days because they move sooooo darn fast.
Resolution #1: Focus on ME
I learned so much in the short time I was pregnant. I felt like my hormones were more normal, my appetite more normal, my mood more normal (considering :)). I also realized that the habits I have created for myself will one day affect another. Me not taking the time to exercise, drink enough water, eat balanced meals throughout the day, take vitamins, etc are TERRIBLE habits that not only affect me now but everyone around me. Any future babies, my husband, my family, my colleagues, etc are all affected by my habits. It's time to take responsibility for myself and focus on me. Here are the things I'd like to work on:
1.1 Drink 64+oz. water a day
1.2 Eat 2-5 servings of fruits & veggies a day
1.3 Perform daily exercises at > 85% for the month
1.4 Exercise at least 3 times a week
1.5 Take a daily vitamin
1.6 Drink less - I've decided that my max will be 2 drinks a night. If more, alternate between water and another glass or bottle of whatever.
I'm interested to see how these changes will effect some other things that bother me: dry lips and feeling so lethargic all the time. We'll have to see.
Resolution #1: Focus on OTHERS
2.1 Recognize Birthdays! I've been saying this for awhile but I reallly realllly want to remember everyone's birthday. I've created a spreadsheet with the dates and will be setting up reminder's in my google calendar which will prompt me to action.
2.2 Spend more time with family. I LOVE the idea of monthly get-togethers. We all have more recipes we'd like to try out and/or different projects we could work on together (okay, maybe just me - putting the backing on Emma's remembrance quilt is terrifying!) What will make this difficult is my random Hotel schedule. I tend to work most if not every Saturday but could probably get the 21st off of this month. Bridget, if you'd still like to do this, let me know what you think! Oh and Skype will help me to keep in touch with Leta and Amanda/Neil/Almost-Here-Heller-Baby. Speaking of, I can't wait to meet her!
1.01.2012
Resolution Reads
I'm still working on my new year's resolution list. I want a list of attainable goals for the year that I can strive for and achieve. As I was going through my morning routine, I found a helpful link to several books that might help my journey to a better me :)
Resolution Reads for a Better YOU!
Resolution Reads for a Better YOU!
Bucket List {4}
I kicked butt in December. I set a pretty high goal for myself and for the most part kept up with it. I find that I lose steam half way through so I'll need to think of something creative to keep me going the rest of the month. I'm not sure what that would be...
Anyhoo, here's how my month ended up:
CRUNCHES *
12,000 GOAL
2,964 COMPLETED as of 12/31
9,036 LEFT TO COMPLETE by 10/31/12
Dec Average/Day = 41.7
Nov Average/Day = 27.8
Oct Average/Day = 39.5
*I definitely came back in full force. I ended up missing 11 days and made up 6 of them.
PUSH-UPS
10,000 GOAL
2,241 COMPLETED as of 12/31
7,759 LEFT TO COMPLETE by 10/31/12
Dec Average/Day = 30.2 SO CLOSE! I'll beat it next time.
Nov Average/Day = 22.1 Boo.
Oct Average/Day = 30.4
SQUATS
10,000 GOAL
1,395 COMPLETED as of 12/31
8,605 LEFT TO COMPLETE by 10/31/12
Dec Average/Day = 25.5 KILLED IT!
Nov Average/Day = 12.3
Oct Average/Day = 20.4
WALKING
5,200 GOAL (in minutes)
1,257 COMPLETED as of 12/31
3,943 LEFT TO COMPLETE by 10/31/12
One of the things I've come to realize in my daily exercises is that it is so much more helpful and motivating to have an end goal in mind. For these exercises, it's simply to perform the number that I set out to do at the beginning of the month. The other side of this goal is that I want to lose some weight and be toned all over my body. These exercises are helping the toning. I will need to incorporate jogging and more wii fit to lose the pounds. I'm certainly getting there but have been at 127-129 lbs for quite some time now. I would like to see myself between 115-120 in 8-12 weeks. All it takes is a goal and dedication.
My goal for January is to maintain the attitude of trying to beat my best average. To do that I will need to do at least the following each day:
Crunches - 25 reps twice a day (50 total)
Push ups - 20 reps twice a day (40 total)
Squats - 15 reps twice a day (30 total)
Anyhoo, here's how my month ended up:
CRUNCHES *
12,000 GOAL
2,964 COMPLETED as of 12/31
9,036 LEFT TO COMPLETE by 10/31/12
Dec Average/Day = 41.7
Nov Average/Day = 27.8
Oct Average/Day = 39.5
*I definitely came back in full force. I ended up missing 11 days and made up 6 of them.
PUSH-UPS
10,000 GOAL
2,241 COMPLETED as of 12/31
7,759 LEFT TO COMPLETE by 10/31/12
Dec Average/Day = 30.2 SO CLOSE! I'll beat it next time.
Nov Average/Day = 22.1 Boo.
Oct Average/Day = 30.4
SQUATS
10,000 GOAL
1,395 COMPLETED as of 12/31
8,605 LEFT TO COMPLETE by 10/31/12
Dec Average/Day = 25.5 KILLED IT!
Nov Average/Day = 12.3
Oct Average/Day = 20.4
WALKING
5,200 GOAL (in minutes)
1,257 COMPLETED as of 12/31
3,943 LEFT TO COMPLETE by 10/31/12
One of the things I've come to realize in my daily exercises is that it is so much more helpful and motivating to have an end goal in mind. For these exercises, it's simply to perform the number that I set out to do at the beginning of the month. The other side of this goal is that I want to lose some weight and be toned all over my body. These exercises are helping the toning. I will need to incorporate jogging and more wii fit to lose the pounds. I'm certainly getting there but have been at 127-129 lbs for quite some time now. I would like to see myself between 115-120 in 8-12 weeks. All it takes is a goal and dedication.
My goal for January is to maintain the attitude of trying to beat my best average. To do that I will need to do at least the following each day:
Crunches - 25 reps twice a day (50 total)
Push ups - 20 reps twice a day (40 total)
Squats - 15 reps twice a day (30 total)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)