Completely Different.

It is now  November 5th, 2011.  Summer has come and gone.  Halloween was a blur.  Thanksgiving will soon be here. 

Things have changed drastically in my world over the past few months.  The month of August was an emotional roller coaster.  I had a job opportunity in New Jersey.  I intended to use the job as the catalyst to get my family to move to New Jersey, having insisted for years that we would move there before Emma started kindergarten.  However, when the opportunity suddenly presented itself, there were too many significant concerns for it to feel like the responsible choice.  After a month of indecision and perpetual unease, the decision was made to let the opportunity pass and to deliberately stay here in AZ and continue to work towards creating a better life and future for ourselves.  We own 2 homes here, and the economy and real estate market were completely against us as far as being able to walk smoothly away from either of them.  Renting seemed to be our only possible option, but it was not a reassuringly good one.  Essentially, the only piece of the puzzle missing to make our Arizona life flow more smoothly was me finding a job.  Whereas, the only piece of the puzzle that we solidly had for the New Jersey scenario was that I did have a job... but that's it. 

We decided it would be more wise to stay here and hope that I'd be able to find employment.  And, fortunately, I did!  I had been saying for at least a year that I was pretty sure that the only people finding jobs these days are people with connections.  If you have a friend at a company that is hiring, your chances for getting that job are far higher than if you're just an anonymous applicant.  In my case, this was exactly how it went down.  A friend with whom I had worked several years ago told me that her company was looking for part time help.  She gave my resume to her supervisor, and he gave me the job.  I worked part time for about a month before mentioning that I would like more hours.  The next day, I got a full-time schedule.  My life insurance, health insurance, and 401K are all now in full-swing and I am feeling so justified in the decision to persevere here in AZ. 

Life is certainly different now that I am a full-time employed mom!  I'm still working at getting better organized as far as keeping up with household responsibilities.  It is definitely not easy, but I'm getting into a groove and Paul is extremely helpful.  Life is good. 

W.F.D. 6/15/2011

What's for Dinner?  Last night, it was a Middle Eastern inspired meal, and I quite enjoyed it.  I'm honestly not certain whether Paul liked it or not... his first reaction (just looking at his plate) was not good.  After he ate, though, he said "So, what inspired that healthy and delicious meal?"... Was he being facetious or did he think it was delicious?  I don't know, but I liked it so I guess that's worthy of blogging.  That and the fact that it's been several weeks since my last post.  And I don't want to talk about weight-loss today.  I'd rather talk about food. 

The Menu:

Nutty-Pilaf Stuffed Round Zucchini with Unie Kaas Reserve

Israeli Eggplant Salad

Hummus

Mini Pita Bread 

First, I made the eggplant salad (because it is meant to be served cold or room-temperature).  I followed a recipe (I hardly ever use recipes!) from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest.  The dish turned out deliciously, I couldn't stop nibbling on it while I prepared the rest of the meal!  To make the salad, you cube the eggplant, toss it with 1/2tsp salt, and then set it aside.

Cook 1 1/2 cups minced onions in 2T olive oil for 5 minutes, then add 2-3 cloves minced garlic and cook 5 minutes more.

Add the eggplant and another 1/2 tsp salt.  Stir, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water as necessary to prevent sticking (I didn't have to add any water).  After 20 minutes you stir in 1-2T red wine vinegar and black pepper to taste.  I didn't have red wine vinegar so I did 3/4t of each white balsamic and apple cider vinegar... it worked out! 

The stuffed zucchini was pretty easy although I didn't follow any recipe.  I simply halved the globe-shaped squash and used a spoon to scoop a small amount of the flesh away, leaving a cavity for stuffing.

I placed cut-side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roasted them at 425 until they started to brown (I didn't keep track of how long it was, keep an eye on them... 10 minutes or so?).

While the zucchini roasted, I cooked a box of "Nutted Rice Pilaf" that I picked up at Whole Foods, according to package directions.  Zucchini is a very watery veggie, so before stuffing them with the rice I picked up each roasted half and squeezed it gently over the sink, allowing excess moisture to drain out.  Then, I stuffed each one with a good spoonful of pilaf and topped each with a small amount of the world's most delicious cheese... it's an aged Gouda, I believe, and it has little crystallized bits in it which give it a sort of crunchy yet rich and smooth texture.  It's divine.  So, once each zucchini had been stuffed and topped with Unie Kaas, I put them into a 450 toaster oven for just a few minutes until the cheese began to bubble, keeping an eye (and nose) on them as they finished up.

The finished meal was, to me, quite satisfying.  A glass of Newmans Own Cabernet Sauvignon for me, a big frosty draft beer for Paul, and a spread of pitas, hummus, eggplant dip, and stuffed zucchini made for a nice weekday summer meal.  I love letting my produce drawer dictate what's for dinner, and that's exactly what happened last night.

Bringing Sexy Back

I am on a mission.  I am determined to get myself into shape and to get my body back.  I have reached an all time low... well, an all time high, really.  I had noticed that my jeans (which were supposed to be just temporary "big" jeans until I lost allllll the baby weight from my 2nd pregnancy) were starting to be uncomfortably tight.  I realized that I was gaining weight.  I kept telling myself I'd start getting more serious about getting some exercise every day and that my body was just desperate to lose the weight, so a small change like 30 minutes of walking every day was all it would take.  I was continuing to eat whatever I wanted and not actually doing the walking that I knew I needed if I was to lose weight, let alone stop gaining it. 

A few weeks ago a Groupon-like site featured a deal for a place called MedShape Weight Loss Clinic, and I bought it.  For $30 I am to receive 5 weekly injections of "metabolic uplift" vitamins.  At my first visit, I was weighed.  I'm having a hard time even typing the number that came up on that scale.  I was shocked and spent the rest of the day feeling utterly depressed.  That evening, when I had a bit of time all to myself, I sobbed.

Waaahhhhh...... sad.... poor fat me......  but then I got motivated as hell.

In my first week on the "metabolic uplift" I logged everything I was consuming.  I cut out alcohol (waaaahhhhh.... sad....), cut out tortillas (oh how I love tortillas!), and ate a lot of protein and very little fat or carbs.  At the next week's appointment I got on the scale eagerly, hoping that my week of being hungry had me headed in the right direction.  I was absolutely thrilled to see that I had lost SEVEN POUNDS!  Talk about motivating!

The following week was Emma's 5th birthday.  I was wrapped up in planning, cleaning, prepping, shopping, etc.  I ate cupcakes.  I ate cake.  I ate tortillas and cheese (we made amazingly delicious enchiladas with home-made verde sauce) and hash brown casserole (sour cream, condensed soup, cheese, potatoes... deliciously fattening).  I drank beer.  And at the following weigh-in at MedShape I almost started sobbing again... I went from dropping 7lbs in week 1 to gaining a pound in week 2.  So, my total 2 week weight loss was less than my 1st week... 6lbs down in 2 weeks.  Not something to cry about, still motivating, but disappointed with myself at how quickly I took steps backwards.  If I had only lost 1 pound that week I'd have been satisfied, but gaining is the opposite of what I need to be doing.

Back to motivated as hell.  On to week 3.  I'm back to logging my food.  I'm eating Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal for breakfast, bran flakes or Special K with fat free milk for lunch, a protein bar for a snack, an apple for another snack, tons of water, coffee/green tea/diet cola for caffeine-needs (which are aplenty), and a satisfying protein-and-vegetable based dinner.  Minimal carbs, minimal fat (in the form of avocado, olive oil, and light cheese), and minimal sugar.

Yesterday at nap time I finally got some exercise and it felt so good!  I've had a yucky cold all week and have been feeling rather wiped out, so my morning walks haven't been happening.  It's also gotten to be quite extremely hot out, so if the walk hasn't happened by 9ish a.m., it's not happening.  I recently discovered that Netflix has a bunch of work-out movies available in their Watch Instantly library and added a bunch of them to my queue.  I'm looking forward to naptime today so I can do the Crunch Slimdown pilates/yoga video again, it was great!  I'm sore all over today, hungry, and feeling back on track.

Eyes on the prize.  I'm bringing sexy back, dammit, and that's all there is to it.  I've decided that blogging about my progress might help me stay the course.  I feel more accountable for my actions when I announce them to the world, even if the world is oblivious to this l'il blog of mine.  I'm expressing my intention.   I'm putting it out there.   I am determined, world!

I Love Chiles.

I love Chiles!  They are so diverse and yummy and fun to cook with.  My number one favorite chile is the poblano, and I have several poblano plants growing in my little backyard "salsa garden".  

To roast chiles, I just put them in my toaster oven with the heat as high as it can be (450F for my model).  I keep an eye on them as the skin begins to blister, and turn them occasionally to make sure they roast evenly.  Once they're thoroughly blistered up, I put them into a big tupperware container and put the lid on for 5 minutes or so.  This gives them an opportunity to release a lot of heat and steam, which loosens the skin, which makes it easier to peel them.  Once you have a lovely pile of roasted, peeled (and stemmed and seeded!) chiles the possibilities are endless.  Chop them up and add them to just about anything- Mac N Cheese, casseroles, soups, salads, paninis, pastas..... 

My two most recent roasted chile recipes were rajas and green chile salsa.  

For rajas, I roasted poblanos and red bell peppers, cut them into strips and then added them to sauteed onions and garlic (I cut the onions into long thin strips to match the size and shape of the peppers).  Then I made a creamy, cheesy sauce and combined it with the chile mixture, which resulted in a delicious dish for dipping tortillas in or for spooning over rice and beans or adding to burritos... it was spectacular!  

Rajas (the photo definitely doesn't do it justice!)

The green chile was an attempt at re-creating Paul's Grandma Emma's chile, which we have tried to do several times.  This time wasn't *just* like Grandma's, but was our closest yet and absolutely delish.  For Grandma's green chile (the vegetarian version), you need a combination of 6 jalapenos, 6 green chiles, and 6 yellow chiles.  I added 2 poblanos to the mix, because.... well... I wanted to.  So, we roasted the chiles in the toaster oven, set them aside in a covered container to steam, and then de-stemmed, de-seeded, and peeled each one (without running them under water!).  We diced the roasted chiles and combined them with 3 cloves of diced garlic (this makes a very garlicky chile, 1 clove would suffice if you're not big on the raw-garlic flavor), 2 chopped scallions, and 1 chopped yellow tomato (that was a random addition, simply because I had the tomato and it needed to be eaten.).  This chile wasn't nearly as liquidy as Grandma's is for some reason, so it's more like a chile salad than a salsa.  We have been sprinkling it onto everything for the past several days, and it is addictive.  It's quite spicy, but not painful to eat.  I'm totally pleased with how it turned out this time but am still looking forward to playing around with the recipe a bit more, too. 

Springy Lasagna

 A couple of days ago I spent over an hour prepping a lovely spring lasagna.... I think that merits a blog post.  Also, I just don't post enough on here so it seems like a good excuse to add another post to my poor, lonely, neglected bloggy-blog.

So, here we go.

I bought a bunch of super skinny asparagus, which was the inspiration for the dish.  I also got a nice yellow squash, a zucchini, and a shallot to add to the Springtime vibe I was going for.

First, I boiled the lasagna noodles according to the package directions.  I sliced the zucchini and yellow squash on an angle to get nice big oval shaped discs, and sauteed them with olive oil and a couple of cloves of chopped fresh garlic.  Once they were nearly cooked through, I transferred them to a bowl and then used the same garlicky-oily pan to briefly sautee the asparagus (just for a couple of minutes to get them started before they hit the oven).  I transferred them to a separate plate and then got to work on the sauce.

At some point here the noodles finished cooking (cooked to al dente so they could finish in the oven), so I drained them and separated them from each other a bit so they wouldn't form a big noodle clump while I was still working on the other components.

Ok, sauce.  I diced the shallots, plopped them into the same pan I used for the veg, and added about 2T butter.  When the shallots were translucent, I added 2T of flour and cooked while stirring continuously for a couple of minutes.  Then, I poured in some whole milk (didn't measure, just added as much as I thought seemed right.... hopefully you can do the same.) and whisked to combine everything.  Once it hit a simmer I reduced the heat, added salt and pepper, and let it sit on med-low heat for a few minutes to thicken up.

Once all of the components were cooked and ready, I assembled my masterpiece.  The first thing into my lightly sprayed lasagna pan was a ladle-full of the bechamel sauce.  Next, 4 of the cooked lasagna noodles, slightly overlapping, and then another one (torn to fit) along the top because the noodles aren't as long as the pan.  The first veggie layer was the squash.  Even though it wasn't visible, I got all shmancy and alternated rows of zucchini and yellow squash to form that layer.  Then I sprinkled on some chopped fresh Italian parsley and some chopped sun-dried tomatoes (from a bag, not soaked in oil but not crispy... kind of like raisins).

After that I added the cheese layer.  I mixed 1 whole egg with 1/2 a small container of ricotta and added dollops of that all over the top of the veggies.  Then, I sprinkled grated mozzerella on top.

Next another layer of noodles, then more sauce, then the asparagus.  I trimmed it so it was shorter than I would have if I was serving it on it's own, and then arranged it so that there were asparagus tips on both of the outer sides and the stem sides all met in the middle.

I added another ladle full of sauce on top of the asparagus, then a bit more mozzarella and another layer of cheese.  Last layer was just noodles, sauce, mozzarella.  I baked it at 350 covered for about 25 minutes, then took off the cover and baked another 20.  It was delicious! 

Valentines

Last week we celebrated that most controversial of Hallmark holidays- Valentines day.  While I tend to agree that it is over-commercialized and pretty much ruined by the giant pink and red plastic heart-shaped everything, I refuse to refuse to participate.  I like to be crafty.  To me, Valentines day is an opportunity to do something fun, sparkly, girly, and love-filled with my little girls.  My four year old is in preschool, and we had fun making home-made valentines for her to give to all of her classmates.  My daughter was literally the only child in her class who gave something hand-made, rather than a perforated-edged store-bought card on which a parent had (presumably) hastily filled in the "to" and "from" section and affixed a new pencil or a bag of mini m&ms.  Unfortunately, this left me feeling slightly embarrassed for having put so much effort into this little preschool exchange.  Oh well, we had fun and despite feeling a bit like we overdid it, I know that I stayed true to my anti-commercialism perspective while also taking advantage of a chance to get crafty and break out my glitter collection.

First, we made heart shaped crayons.  This was seriously an exciting project for us both.  We searched through the crayon bin to find all of the broken bits as well as the undesirable very used crayons to be sacrificed for the hearts.  The most tedious part was peeling the paper off of each crayon, but after they were all de-papered the creative part began.  We used a silicone heart-shaped mini muffin pan, filling each little heart with broken crayon bits of assorted colors.  I tried to do hearts with colors that would contrast nicely- pink/orange/yellow or blue/purple/gray or green/yellow/blue, for example.  Once each heart was filled, I let my daughter sprinkle glitter over the whole thing and then placed the silicone tray onto a cookie sheet and popped it into a 375 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, until the crayons had melted completely.  As soon as they were melted, I carefully carried the cookie sheet outside and left it out there to cool off.  The melted crayons definitely gave our whole house a very waxy smell, so letting them cool outside also helped keep the aroma from being overpowering.  Once completely cooled, the heart-shaped crayons popped right out of the silicone pan with ease.  The melted wax creates a beautiful swirling effect, sort of like marbles.  We were both very pleased with the end result!

For the valentines for the class, we went to Michaels and bought several sheets of scrap book paper in all sorts of neat prints.  During my daughter's quiet time, I used a package of plain-white heart shaped cardstock to trace hearts from the scrap book paper and then cut out an assortment of patterned hearts.  My daughter then used a glue-stick to affix the colorful hearts onto the cardstock, and then decorated each  one with glitter and rhinestones.  She wrote the name of each of her classmates on the plain white side and signed her name on each one (this was the most time-consuming part for a four year old!).  We used little circles of double-sided sticky foam to affix a heart crayon onto each, as well.  The finished valentines were unique and very representative of my daughter's personality, and I think that she was proud to give them to her friends.  It was fun to see her select which heart would be for which classmate (only one special little boy got a heart that looked like a waffle, and with a cupcake sticker on it.... cute!). Here are her finished valentines, with crayon hearts affixed.  See the waffle, in the middle of the bottom row?  Her best buddy got the butterfly.  Happy Valentines Day- no perforated edges here! :)