Thanksgiving - Part Deux

The day approaches and it looks like everyone is going to get their way.

We'll be spending the day with my son's girlfriend's family. I'm bringing sweet potato pies and the seafood casserole.

The seafood casserole is my son's favorite and I agreed to make it.

My daughter wants collard greens. She's fearful that collard greens won't be on our host's table alongside the the lumpia and pansit. Even if they were, she has asked for my collard greens.

So, on Friday I am going to make sure my daughter gets her Thanksgiving. I'll make her a hen (or a turkey breast), cornbread and sausage dressing, macaroni and cheese and collard greens.

That kid is so spoiled.

And before you ask, "Who's fault is that?" I'm raising my hand. Besides, you all knew I wanted to cook anyway!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Food Remorse

Confession: I have very little self-control when it comes to food.

Last night I was at a get-together with friends and as most friends do at get-togethers, we ate. That was the purpose of us getting together. And when I say, “we ate”, I mean we really ate. I had ribs (two servings), chicken, grilled vegetables, Greek salad, Frito corn salad (two servings) and a piece of chocolate pie.

When I woke up this morning I was either still full or feeling too guilty to eat. I had a banana and now I’m sipping on some green tea. And I missed my regular sunrise run at 5:30.

Sometimes I just want to kick myself. Every single day I look at my abs and curse myself for not working harder and yet I sit down to a meal that further sabotages me.

Seriously, who does that???

I have been consistently running 3-4 times a week, every week but the scale doesn’t move and I know it’s because I can’t stop stuffing my face. The only reason I don’t gain weight is because of the running but I have got to do more, Man!

There’s a race on August 20th that I thought about running but after my lack of success in my last run I was hesitant to sign up. Who needs the pressure? I could feel myself falling back into my usual complacency. Well, this morning I signed up. I am going to revamp my diet, add serious core training to my workouts, drop 5 lbs and kick this race’s ass.

A while back I participated in a weight loss challenge and lost 5 lbs in 30 days. I was exercising but it was all about the diet. I’ve done it before and I can do it again.

I cannot continue to do the same things over and over again and expect different results. What’s that called, again? Oh yeah … INSANITY.

So, for the next month, you guys are going to keep me accountable whether you want to or not. I'll be posting my weight, what I'm eating and my workouts up until race day.

Enough is enough.

My Delicious Pasta Salad

This is a picture of my delicious pasta salad. It's a take on something I had a work function. I couldn't remember the exact recipe so I'm winging it.

By the way, I'm not that good at recipes because I leave out the measurements. If you decide to try it, just do everything to taste.

What you need:
Bowtie pasta
Thinly sliced chicken breast
Asparagus
Medium black olives, cut in half
Sun-dried tomatoes, in oil (drained)
Light zesty Italian dressing
Extra virgin olive oil
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper

What you do:
Cook the pasta according to package directions

Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet with EVOO and add chicken breast. Cook until done, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from pan. Cut the asparagus spears in half and add to same pan. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper and cook on medium heat until just warm. Do not overcook. The asparagus should still be crunchy.

When pasta is cooked to desired tenderness, drain and rinse in cool water. Pour pasta into a bowl and add dressing and toss lightly. When chicken is cooled, cut into bite-sized strips and add to bowl of pasta and dressing. Add olives and sundried tomatoes. Toss and serve.

I love this salad. It's quick, easy, light and so delicious. You could probably throw it together and take it to your next cookout. I prefer to serve it at room temperature but make sure you refrigerate your leftovers.

Leave the Gun ... Take the Cannoli

I had to post something because I was tired of looking at my evil face every time I pulled up the blog.

I completed Week 1 of C25K and tonight starts Week 2. It's a beautiful day to run and can't wait to get out there after work. I had a wonderful weekend.

Friday night was game night with the life group. We ate pizza and played this game called "Imagine If ..." Are you familiar? Neither was I but it was a very interesting way to get to know each other a little better. You have to draw a card and read the "Imagine If" statement about the person that is next to you. Then everyone else chooses an answer from the list of choices. Here's what mine said: "If Michele were a tool, which tool would she be?" (1) sledge hammer (2) pruning shears (3) level ... and I cannot remember what the other choices were. My answer? Sledge hammer. Definitely sledge hammer. I think one of the other ladies guessed correctly.

After my run on Saturday my daughter and I went shopping and found some lovely things. Check out the video to the right for the details. It was a blast but after a few hours we were worn out. On the way home I stopped at one of my favorite Italian places and picked up a slice of carrot cake for my daughter and a cannoli for myself and my son. I love a good cannoli and this one was spectacular.

I got up on Sunday and went to the gym and got reacquainted with the treadmill. I did 30 minutes of intervals and then ran another mile for good measure. Actually, after the intervals I didn't feel as though I had done anything so I ran the extra mile so I could work up a good sweat. After the workout came the shower and shampoo and then I grabbed the Princess again and we went to lunch at this El Salvadorian restaurant. Check out the review over at Delicious! Yummy!

I noticed that I discuss food a lot on this blog. That probably explains my inability to get my weight lower than 141. The good news is, it's also not any higher than 141.

I hope you all had a good weekend as well. It's Monday again ... make the most of it.

Happiness Is ...

It was a ridiculously beautiful day. January 1st and over 60 degrees. I cannot believe that just seven days ago we were in the middle of a blizzard.



I spent the majority of the day today in the kitchen. I did more cooking this holiday season than I have ever done. Don't ask me why because I have no idea. I enjoy cooking but not like this. This morning I made this quiche.




I really enjoyed it but it could have used a little more salt. For dinner, I did the smothered pork chops and black eyed peas with cornbread. For the first time, I made my own gravy!!! Hear that, Diva? It was easy and tasted pretty good.




Now that the new year has begun I'm looking forward to things settling down and getting back to normal. No more sale papers in the mailbox. My meeting schedule will resume. I'm getting ready to go to church tonight and I'm taking the kids out for brunch tomorrow. Peaceful living.

That is how I would describe these last few weeks: peaceful. Everything is falling into place. I've scheduled two restaurant visits for this month and will post the reviews soon. I've been doing the 30-day shred for the last week and it is surprisingly strenuous for a 20-minute workout. Anyway, it's just what I need to get rid of the holiday pounds.

I hope everyone is safe and happy on this day. 2011 is looking pretty good from here.

Blessings in Odd Places

I absolutely love when a plan comes together. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction. I take the time to plan something and then I watch as all the pieces slowly come together. It’s such a rush.

I find it even more fascinating when something wonderful happens and I had nothing at all to do with it. No plan, no execution, nothing. Just BOOM! There it is.

Let me tell you a story.

Back in the summer of 2008 I began writing restaurant reviews for this magazine . I am a writer after all but I hadn’t really written anything significant for a while and I felt that this was a good opportunity. My former S/O hooked me up with the editor of the mag and we developed a list of places to review. I had no idea what I was doing but I figured it out and finally fell into a groove.

I really enjoyed it at first. I didn’t mind that I wasn’t being paid or that I had to pay for my own meals, gas and mileage. What I did mind, was that my reviews needed to be slanted in a positive way. You see, the editor’s goal was for me to write something good about these places so they would in turn buy advertising from him. Also, if you flip through some of the pages of the magazine and look at some of the pictures … well, if you know me, you’d know that the places he wanted me to go were not places that I would generally frequent. It wasn't even really about the food, it was more about the party. The magazine is geared to a younger audience and let’s face it, I’m over 40. And the editor was older me.

Anyway, I pressed on because it was a writing opportunity.

After about a year I decided it was time to move on. The assignments were becoming more demanding and the byline just wasn’t worth it to me anymore. But I still wanted to write the reviews. My love for writing about food had increased significantly. I played with the idea of soliciting other magazines or newspapers to try and get a paying gig but then it hit me: it’s not about money, it’s about eating and writing. That was when I decided that I could just do this on my own and Delicious! was born.

I could go where I want. I could be completely honest about my experience. I could write or not write whenever the spirit moved me. I wrote my first review on July 8, 2009 and I haven’t looked back. I get real pleasure out of eating and describing puttanesca sauce or a vitello saltimbocca. Some of the places are fancy and some are just dives and I’m having a ball doing this. There is no pressure and it is truly something that I love to do.

Fast forward to Monday, December 13, 2010 and I receive an email from a local sous chef and culinary professor. In her email she tells me that my former S/O gave her the link to my food blog and she asked me if it would be okay if she used it in her culinary classes as a teaching aide.

She says:

I would use your blog for:
1. Plate presentations from local area chefs
2. How you describe the entrees, apps and desserts
3. Flavor profiles that local area chefs use

Students do not have the money to try all these restaurants so it is good that you take them there.

How sweet is that? She has also invited me to visit her classroom to taste her student’s assignments and provide feedback. I mentioned to her that my daughter was very interested in the culinary arts and would it be okay if I brought her along. She agreed.

I never thought my little food blog would help anyone in this way. Kinda gives me a warm and fuzzy. Especially, since one of my prayers is that God will put me in a position where I can be of service. I certainly did not expect this. I’m just eating and writing and trying not to get fat and look what happened? There are about 40 reviews on the site right now and yesterday I made a list of restaurants to visit in 2011 and I can’t wait to hit the first one.

I love when a non-plan comes together.

Snob?

Okay so here’s the thing: every now and then I search through the (minimal) options on an on-line dating site. I have a profile, without a picture and I am not a paying member. Why? Because I’m not really ready to go there but I’m still curious.

Yesterday, I received a quick note from a guy who (of course) asked to see a picture and said he liked my profile. I scanned his profile and two things jumped out: he only goes to church on special occasions and his favorite restaurant was TGIFriday.

After I finished laughing, I hit the X in the right hand corner and kept it moving.

The church thing bugged me a little because it's hard to relate to somone spiritually if I attend services every week and they don't attend at all or on special occasions. And I would rather not be in a position where I have to beg someone to accompany me to church. I love going and I would like the person I'm with to share that with me.

The restaurant thing is a little more difficult for me to accept. TGIFriday? Really? If you know me, you know I take my food very seriously. I do not frequent chain restaurants. I just don’t. I have nothing against you if that’s your choice, it’s just not mine. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve taken the kids to Red Robin for dinner several times. I’ve even hit up Smokey Bones in a pinch. And let's not forget the spicy garlic wings at Buffalo Wild Wing.

But on the regular? Um no. I don’t know where you live but around these parts there are just too many good locally owned spots with fantastic food and service for me to pass them by. I write about some of my favorites here. It drives me crazy when folks suggest a trip to Red Lobster when we live minutes from the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay and have access to fresh seafood. Fresh seafood, I said!!!

So a guy who tells me that his favorite restaurant is TGIFriday gets the side-eye. O_o His favorite? All I can see is a lifetime of cheap wine and potato skins. I simply cannot. Then I thought, well maybe I can introduce him to some nicer restaurants (by the way, “nicer” does not always mean more expensive). Well, I can’t do that either. I don’t want to be in a position where I’m always waiting for someone to catch up. And somehow I don’t believe that a person who frequents TGIFriday would be very open to try new things.

Does this make me a snob? It's okay if you say yes. If I'm a snob, at least I'm a well-fed snob.

I'm out.

Favorite Food Memories

While listening to the radio this morning on my way in to work, I heard a food writer talking about favorite food memories. And how more often than not the memory is tied to the people involved in that memory just as much as the food is. It’s not often that your favorite food memory will involve a great sandwich that you ate alone while standing over the sink.

In yesterday’s random post I mentioned that I spend quite a bit of time thinking about food. Not sure where that comes from. I just really enjoy my food.

I don’t love to cook. I can cook and I enjoy it sometimes. Especially when I’m making something new or making something for someone else. To me, cooking for someone, providing sustenance, is a way to show love. Which is why I don’t cook for every single man I meet. But if I do break out the pots and pans, baby, you are special.

My favorite food memories are all tied to my family. My favorite dish growing up was my Dad’s spaghetti.

Nothing special about it. But it was his and I loved it. Today, my son loves my spaghetti and meatballs. Back in the day, my mother taught me how to fry chicken and it is still one of my favorite things to make.

I don’t do it quite as often because I’m trying to lay off the fried foods, but still. My all time favorite food memory is Thanksgiving dinners at home. Oh my goodness!

There is nothing better than the smell of turkey and dressing when you wake up on Thanksgiving morning. It’s because of those memories that Thanksgiving remains my favorite holiday.

I have a few favorite food memories from restaurants. My most favorite has got to be dinner at Zoe’s.

You can read about that experience here

From the moment we hit the door I knew that evening was going to be special: Virginia figs with maytag bleu cheese and a lavender drizzle, spinach and tomato stack topped with fried goat cheese, drunken mussels, shrimp tempura, filet mignon, lemon tilefish, blue crab mac-n-cheese, chocolate soufflé and several bottles of wine. The food and the atmosphere combined with the company made this one of my favorite food memories.

What about you? Any favorite food memories to share?

(Semi) Wordless Wednesday - Apple Pie

I don't bake often but I had a weird craving for apple pie so the Princess and I made one over the weekend:

It was delicious!

(Semi) Wordless Wednesday - Birthday Food!

All diets are off ...

But I'll have my butt in the gym tonight.

Ho Hum

12 days in and I have to say this whole meatless thing is a little frustrating. I’m not going to give up because I am not a quitter but I doubt I’ll go beyond March 31st.

Here’s the thing: I love food. I love everything about food and I don’t get that excited feeling about my food when I look at a plate of vegetables. Or pasta. And don’t get me started on the meat substitutes. I’m an adventurous eater so I’ll try just about anything. But it’s difficult when I have two meat-eaters in my house who turn their noses up at anything that didn’t once have parents. I think my daughter ate grilled cheese sandwiches for the past two days because she didn't want the delicious pasta salad (penne, asparagus, sun dried tomatoes, garlic and olive oil) I made. My son ordered pizza the other night and he graciously ordered half of it with green peppers and olives for his Mama. I searched the net for about two hours this morning trying to find a restaurant to go to tonight that had a decent vegetarian selection. I decided on Thai. We’ll see how that goes.

So yeah, I’m a little frustrated.

I need to do more research on where to shop because my regular grocery store kinda sucks when it comes to variety. Truthfully, it’s not the store’s fault. I have to be a bit more creative when it comes to my food. Especially if I want to get the same feeling I get when I eat my wings. Or rockfish. Or sushi. I mean, food shouldn’t just be about sustenance … it should be an enjoyable experience. Am I right? Of course, I am. I watch this show on Food Network called, The Best _______ I Ever Ate. I’ve had to stop watching it recently because it was making me crazy. But the best meal I can remember having is a dish from my favorite restaurant called the Off the Hook “Rockafella” which combines the daily catch with fried oysters, creamed spinach with fontina cheese, bacon, and mashed potatoes. So good. I want to have a vegetarian meal that will make me want to slap somebody.

Oh well, I’m about to have some tomato basil soup for lunch. Yay!

Hey, there is an upside … I’ve never been more regular in my life.

Vegetarian Recipe of the Week

Five days without meat and I'm still going strong. One thing I noticed though is that in the beginning I thought I'd be really hungry, so I'd pack a big lunch when I come to work. Yesterday I brought a big salad, triscuits, string cheese, yogurt and a protein shake. Between 7:00 and 4:30 I couldn't eat all that stuff. Turns out I'm no more hungry now than I was before.

Anyway, I made this recipe last night and I really enjoyed it. The kids didn't touch it. I brought the leftovers in for lunch today.




Minestrone with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and White Beans

Adapted from Vegetarian Times Feb 2010 issue
(Vegan & Gluten Free)

1 Tbs olive oil
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried basil
1 medium diced onion
2 sliced carrots
3 stalks sliced celery
6 cloves minced garlic
½ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
15-oz canned white beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
2 Tbs. white wine vinegar


1. In a three-quart saucepan, heat your oil then put your dried herbs in to sizzle for about half a minute.

2. Add the carrots, and let them cook for a minute or two; then add the onion and celery. Cover and cook until the onion is translucent.

3. Throw in the minced garlic and let it sizzle for less than a minute. Add the sliced sun-dried tomatoes and cook 5 minutes more.

4. Add the beans, 4 cups of water, and a little salt and pepper.

5. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to about medium-low, and cook in a low simmer for about 10 minutes.

6. Add the peas, and simmer 3 to 5 minutes more.

7. Stir in vinegar, then taste for seasonings. Add salt and pepper if needed.

Pre-Game Show

I went on my first vegetarian grocery shopping trip today. I expected to spend less money but somehow it turned out exactly the same -- about $150 for the week.

This is what I have planned for the week:

Minestrone soup with sun-dried tomatoes and white beans
Veggie fajitas
Veggie pizza
Cheese enchiladas
And a pasta dish that includes sauteed zucchini, squash, mushrooms and tomatoes served over linguine. I used to toss in shrimp. Not this time though. I'll have vegetable soup and/or salads for lunch.

I also went to the gym this morning and my current weight is 137.5 pounds. I'm wondering if my March diet will affect that. While at the gym, I spent 40 minutes on the treadmill alternating between walking and jogging. I burned 350 calories. I worked on the ab machine and I did lateral pull downs. It was a productive day.

March Will Be Meatless

I’ve decided. Thirty-one days without meat.

I have been thinking about the vegetarian lifestyle for years but never really had any real motivation to try it. I thought it would be too inconvenient. I thought I would not get the protein that I needed in my diet. I was really just too lazy to think about it. But over the past 24 hours all I’ve done is think about it.

What am I going to eat?

Truth is, there are many days when I don’t eat meat without even thinking about it. Yesterday, I had a slice of wheat bread with peanut butter and some yogurt for breakfast, a can of soup (white beans and a ham-like substance) for lunch and eggplant parmesan for dinner. I also had cheese and crackers for a snack.

I’ve been doing some research just to see exactly how difficult this is going to be. Tofu? Tempeh? Lentils? Meatless crumbles? Should my home be a meat-free zone or should I still buy and prepare it for the kids? Are there always vegetarian alternatives when I go out? Questions, questions and more questions. I’m sure I’ll figure it out.

I did find some really interesting recipes to try and I’m realizing that I would eat this stuff anyway: cheese lasagna, stuffed Portobello mushrooms, veggie pizza, spicy rice and beans, veggie fajitas, etc.

I don’t know what is going to happen at the end of the 31 days. I want to see if I lose any weight and I want to see if there is any difference in how I feel. I’m going to record my progress in a journal and I’ll probably post updates here.

I'm going to miss my wings.

Delicious!

Check out my latest review over at Delicous!

Food! Glorious Food!

It is 9:21 a.m. and I am starving!!! I had two scrambled eggs, three strips of bacon, toast and juice for breakfast at about 6:30 and I just had some yogurt and I am still looking for something else.


I'm told that strength training increases your metabolism and makes you really, really hungry. My sweetie just told me that snacking is my friend. I'm eating almonds right now. But you know what I really want?

(Sidebar: Idea to post pics of food was totally hijacked from LadyLee ... what? what?)






Roasted Turkey

Shrimp and grits

Seafood casserole with lump crab meat and shrimp

Fried flounder with asparagus

Glazed ham

Maybe some gumbo

Ben and Jerry's ice cream


or my version of a Black Forest cake

even a teeny, tiny piece of chocolate.

It's fun to dream but I need to get back to reality and find myself a nice big salad:

Guilt as a Motivator

It’s Friday night. My guy was working. My son was working and my daughter was out with her friends. I was alone, sitting on the couch and was trying to figure out where I could get a good cobb salad. Then I started to get perturbed. I eat well all week long and I began to feel resentful. I really, really wanted some buffalo wings. So I decided to knock out my grocery shopping on Friday night and while I was out I picked up some buffalo wings:

That’s right. I got ‘em, brought ‘em home and ate every last one of them. They were so good. Of course, immediately afterward I felt guilty as hell. So on Saturday morning I woke up naturally at 6:00 a.m. I made myself three scrambled eggs, toast and a large glass of orange juice with my iron supplements. I was at the gym by 7:10 and I did an hour of strength training and ab work. Then I did forty solid minutes on the treadmill. It was one of the best workouts ever. I felt great all day long. I like going to the gym in the morning as opposed to after work. When I go after work I’m always thinking about getting home so I can cook for the kids and I'm not fully focused on the workout.

Anyway, guilt is one heckuva motivator, ain’t it? I read an article over the weekend that suggested that I shouldn’t feel guilty. In fact, I should schedule one “cheat” meal a week so I won’t feel so resentful. Now, that’s a great idea!

When you just don’t care and you want to pig out, what is your food of choice?

We Don't Diet

We tried a new restaurant this weekend and the food was just wonderful.

I had the shrimp and grits.



My guy had fried flounder with asparagus. We also had fried pickles as an appetizer. I had never heard of fried pickles and thought they were worth a try. They were interesting. We both had red wine and berry cobbler for dessert. Yes, we had dessert.

Here's what I brought to work today:




That's two bottles of water, carrots, a banana, yogurt, almonds and the He.althy Ch.oice Honey Ginger Chicken for lunch. I also had two hard boiled eggs before I left the house.

Something interesting happened over the weekend. I participated in an activity which I absolutely hate: I went shopping. I wanted to buy a casual dress for our dinner date. Why did I have to go to six different stores only to end up at the very first store that I went to? Why did every dress marked "medium" look too big on me? Hmmmm. And I'm wearing a suit today that would have been considered inappropriate just a year ago. Last year, the skirt hugged my hips too tightly and I had to keep pulling it down. Not today. Today, this skirt fits honey. It fits, I tell you!

Still not bathing-suit ready and I still haven't stepped on a scale but I'm very curious.

Have a great day.