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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Confessions

I have been told that confession is good for the soul. The release is thought to relieve a burden from the mind and with it, a bit of tension
(or anger – sadness – regret).


(image: Silent Confessions by WeberPhoto)

Confession:
I find my husband's endless list of food dislikes to be tiresome.

He says he likes mushrooms (but only in his eggs - and only if they are cut up into itty bitty little slivers of flesh). He says he likes beef (but only if it is ground up, or shredded – oh, and overcooked and seasoned to death).

He says likes vegetables (meaning, he likes onions, bell peppers, asparagus and green beans.... but not eggplant, squash, spinach, zucchini. potatoes, celery...and on and on....

Oh, and he doesn't care for pork (unless it is bacon)...and wait, no chicken, or lamb either...
Also, no nuts or seeds in the bread. No. No. No.
There are a lot of Nos.


Confession:
I acknowledge that I can be quick to anger –

and too easily offended...

When he (who happily eats Hamburger Helper - ick -
and 'ground beef mixed with ranch dressing and tortilla chips' - ew )
criticizes the dinner - I slaved over -
because the “meat chunks are too big,”
or it “would have been better with meat”
… but only if the chunks weren't “too big,” right?


Confession:
I would give just about anything for him to, no matter what I serve him, think it was the most delicious thing h
e's ever eaten.
And despite the continued frustration when he doesn't... I still go on striving to create aromatic and flavorful dishes that just might one day, be his delight.

(image: Confessions II by ChristyDeKoning)

On the occasions on which I choose to discuss these short-comings, I am often brushed aside as a “food snob.” But the issue is not snobbishness - it is a deep-seeded frustration with his unwillingness to try new things or admit that he may have been wrong about an ingredient.

Slowly, I am accepting that I will forever be cooking for a picky eater.
and SLOWLY, I am beginning to embrace the challenge:
- of getting him to broaden his horizons -
- of creating dishes that are so undeniably delicious that he cannot find fault -
- of sneaking vegetables into his meals -
(right past his “there is something foreign” alarm)
.

Slowly, he is accepting that sometimes I just can't control my temper.
and SLOWLY, he is beginning to learn that sometimes:
- it is just easier to walk away -
- I may even concede that some things are just not worth fighting about -
(no matter how much I just want him to acknowledge I AM RIGHT...)
- And....sometimes......
- There is just nothing better than my Spaghetti and Meatballs -

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Weekly Smoothie Recipe - Frothy Iced Mocha

It is oh-so easy to get distracted when you have a lot to do! Often this is because it is just too hard to focus clearly on any single thing. When this happens to me, which it does all too frequently, I try to stop, write things down, and sketch out a to-do list to get me through the day...

Unfortunately, I still have not figured out just how to stick to the list. In fact, it is not unlikely for me to add about a million more things to it before I even finish the first thing on the list – resulting, inevitably, in most of list remaining -- still unchecked -- at the end of the day.

Indeed, it isn't so much the making of the list, as it is the tackling one thing on it at a time, and committing to completing one task before moving onto another, that keeps you on track and moving forward. As I begin to find a routine that works for me, and allows me to best get things done, it becomes easier to commit to sticking to that schedule each day!

My smoothie and breakfast routine, which I've been maintaining for well over six months now, is one of my minor successes. As small as the achievement may seem, I should point out that until this year, my first meal would not occur until well after noon. So, being able to pull myself out of bed and then pull together a meal - all before I start my daily to-dos - has been a huge lifestyle improvement, and certainly a small step in the right direction.
(The next step, certainly, will have to be adding in a regular exercise regiment, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves here....)


____________________________________

So, this week's smoothie is a bit of a deviation from my regular fruit-yogurt smoothies. This rich, chocolaty treat is more of a dessert than a breakfast drink, but the added coffee is a great pick-me-up for the morning. Certainly not a daily extravagance, this little delight is a great way to punch up the start of the week, especially when you need that little extra shove out of the weekend.
Enjoy!!

Mocha Smoothie

(Serves 2)

2/3 cup plain yogurt*
2-3 tbsp. chocolate syrup
1 tbsp. confectioner's sugar (or more for sweeter results)
Approx. 2 cups of brewed coffee, frozen into ice cubes
1-1/2 cups soy milk (or low-fat milk)

Combine all of the ingredients into a blender (starting with the yogurt - or tofu, then the chocolate syrup, coffee cubes and milk), and blend until smooth and frothy.

Serve immediately, and enjoy.

*The yogurt gives this smoothie a "tang" that my husband just does not appreciate. In his opinion it "taints" the coffee flavor, and so when I make these for him I'll substitute in 1/2 cup firm-tofu for the yogurt, as it has no flavor of its own...

Each (yogurt) smoothie contains approximately 277 calories, 2 g fiber and 12 g protein. Also high in Calcium!



FIND MORE SMOOTHIE RECIPES HERE

Monday, November 2, 2009

Amidst Chaos and Distraction

(image: Finding Peace Amongst Chaos, by JessicaJoy)

We all know that even the smallest distractions can be bothersome. Whether it be the nagging little annoyances around the house (the kitchen sink is filled with dishes again, or you pull a book off the shelf only to get a face full of dust and now you are wiping down EVERY surface in the house just to be rid of those clingy little dust bunnies), or the surprises that creep up in your email, ensnaring your curiosity and driving you just a little further off course (a new sale at your favorite shop, or a note from a friend, or a fan!), there is always something lurking around the corner ready to dismantle your entire to-do list.

When you are self-employed (or, in my case, out of work and struggling to get by on freelance work until something new and better comes along) it is often too easy to let the distractions become completely overwhelming! After all, there is no one (but yourself) to keep you on track, set your hours, and push you toward a deadline! Some days, as hard as you may try to resist them, you even lose the battle with these diversions and allow yourself to be pulled astray, and then before you know it, the day has passed and you have not gotten a single productive thing accomplished! Oh no!

And, well, we all know that it is not uncommon for me to be distracted here and there by any number of things (a sudden craving for fudge brownies, an unexpected inspiration, an email – or a phone call), but over the past few weeks it has been a constant struggle to do anything but chase these distractions down. For the first few days I sank a lot of energy into resisting them, but after a while I decided to just give-in and see where they would take me.

I admit, at first, I did little more than listen to music, write emails to friends, and spend entirely too much time stalking my friends' Facebook pages.... but once that was out of my system I ended up spending the rest of the week in the kitchen stocking the fridge with hearty meals, in my workroom designing (and making) some new jewelry for Graceful Elements, and just letting my mind wander and letting all that chaos just work itself back out.

I was surprised that I did not get secondarily distracted by tidying tasks around the house, and since I didn't do much writing (obviously, you will have noticed the lingering silence here), I also managed to avoid many of the distractions I run into on the web (frequently checking email, browsing pages of handmade treasures on ETSY, or reading the most recent postings from my favorite bloggers – and envying their ability to ... stay on task). But by turning off the computer (and the TV – and my phone), I did manage to finally clear my head, develop some coherent trains of thought, and reinvest myself in my goals and aspirations.

Obviously, I have yet to find some magical cure for this recurring lack of focus, but over the past week I have discovered that sometimes it is beneficial to wander along an unplanned path, to allow yourself to be open to new possibilities and new opportunities, and that you can surely find inspiration in unexpected places …

So long as your eyes are open (and looking in all directions).

_______________________________________

So, what little things do you do to keep distractions in check? Or do you let yourself stray from the task at hand to pursue the unanticipated adventure?

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Corn Custard - Reimagining a Grandmother's Recipe


Please excuse the lack of blogging the past few days...
I have been feeling ill and, truth be told, have done very little besides sleep, read magazines and watch movies, and I certainly have not done any cooking.

When I finally started feeling better last night, I was so thrilled that I still had a few of these corn custard cups in the freezer from last week's cooking binge! It allowed me to get a quick something into my stomach, without resorting to canned soups or, worse, quick take-out.

Not to mention that the small portion sizes were perfect for not overdoing it with my first real meal in days...

The recipe itself is a reinvention of a dish I remember my grandmother making for Easter brunch. Her recipe is essentially one box of Jiffy corn muffin mix, butter, eggs, creamed corn, onions and green peppers and then baked (in one large casserole dish) until set. But when I set out to make these last week I wanted to spice the recipe (and cut way back on the butter), so with what I had available in the fridge (and pantry) this is what I ended up coming up with.

Overall, I really enjoyed the updated dish. It wasn't as dense, or greasy, as the original dish (which, of course, is what my husband says he like about it in the first place), but instead, was light (like a quiche) and had an airy, bread pudding-like consistency. The thyme gave them a wonderful aromatic flavor, and the small tomato chunks were like pieces of sweet treasure. Plus, I added bacon! You can hardly ever go wrong with bacon!


So, go ahead and eat these for breakfast or lunch! They reheat quickly in these serving size portioned dishes and can even be taken along to work!


Corn Custard with Bacon and Tomatoes

(Makes approximately 5 custard cups)


2 tsp. olive oil
2 - 8.75 oz. cans kernel corn, drained and pureed
(yields approx. 1 cup corn mush)
3-4 slices bacon, cooked and sliced thin
1 small onion, finely diced
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup half and half cream
1 tsp. thyme

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease 5-6 ramekin cups (lightly) with olive oil. Set aside.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a saute pan, and cook the onions 3-4 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Then, mix together the corn, onion, tomatoes, bread crumbs, half and half, bacon and thyme. Add in the eggs and mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the ramekin cups and place them in a large baking dish. Add enough hot water to come half way up the sides of the cups. Lay foil loosely over top of the dish and bake for 30 (or so) minutes, or until the centers of the custard cups set.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Per serving: approximately 328 calories, 11 g protein and 4 g protein.

FOR MORE BRUNCH RECIPES CLICK HERE!!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Make-Ahead Meals: Baked Penne with Sausage

There is nothing I like more than being able to, after a long day, enjoy a hot and steaming plate of home-cooked goodness, without having to lift a finger!

How is this possible, you ask?


Well, the trick is to have a few make-ahead meals prepared and stocked up in the fridge (or freezer) for those days when you know that you just won't have time to pull together a well thought-out dinner. Last week, we survived off these such dishes... and this one, in particular, fed us for 3 days (and a few snackings).

It is not the most daring, or creative meal...
No, it is simply a home-cooked family favorite, that is both easy and cheap!



Baked Penne with Sausage

(Serves 6, approximately)


1 - 14.5 oz. box Penne Rigate (I use Smart Taste brand for extra fiber and calcium.)
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
1 lb. spicy Italian Sausage, cooked and coarsely chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes, seasoned to taste
(I prefer fresh, but canned are convenient and cheap to have on hand...)
6 to 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
(Again, I prefer fresh, broken up into bite size chunks, but a bag of shredded is cheaper...)


First, cook up the pasta to al dente in a big pot of boiling (salted) water.
Drain, rinse and set aside.

In the mean time, saute your onions and peppers in a bit of olive oil until the onions begin to soften and turn translucent. Remove from heat.

Next, season the crushed tomatoes to your personal tastes... I throw in a ton of oregano, basil, thyme and some cayenne for a little extra kick. Add the onions, peppers and sausage and then stir in the cooked pasta until the sauce has evenly coated the noodles.
Transfer to a large casserole dish and top with shredded mozzarella.

At this point, you can cover the casserole dish with foil and store it in the fridge, or freezer, for later use...

OR

Bake at 375 degrees until the cheese melts and begins to bubble and brown around the edges (approximately 30 minutes).

Serve with a side of garlic sauteed green beans and garlic bread. Enjoy!

Per serving: approximately 500 calories, 12 g fiber and 35 g protein. Also high in calcium and Vitamin C.


FOR MORE OF OUR FAMILY DINNERS CLICK HERE!!
 
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