We’re moving in a week!

We put the rush on our closing date to help a potential subletter. Ah!!!!

Ah, the Glory-mester. I am officially 14 weeks, folks, and that means that the second trimester has officially begun. Everything they say about it is true: I have more energy, less (intense) mood swings, nausea is decreasing and leafy greens look…well, appetizing. Not…nauseating. Hooray!

Eats around here have been blessedly simple. I’m learning that for food to be good it doesn’t need to be complicated, new, intense or full of ingredients. It can be classic, heart-warming and…not to beat a dead horse…simple.

Allrecipes (and no, I’m not getting paid for this) has helped a ton in this regard. I’ve used the site for years and years, but now with cheap as an imperative it’s easy to click on there, browse recipes, read reviews and have consistently good meals. Some of the recipes I use as a “base” recipe and add on as I see fit (or as other reviewers suggest), and some I follow to the T. So far, I’ve not been steered wrong, though I’m sure the day is coming.

Last weekend we had Fluffy Pancakes. I…was….STUNNED. This is the quintessential pancake recipe. Better than IHOP. Better than any downhome diner ever. Move aside Bisquick.

Topped with butter and maple syrup, served up with a glass of milk. Heaven.

However, most mornings this week have started with a Green-Monster-in-a-Bowl:

Spinach, Banana, Frozen Mango and Berries, Almond Milk, Protein Powder

Because I can eat (and desire!) greens again!!!!

Some lunches have been American classics:

Pacific Tomato Soup, Grilled Cheese Sammich

Monday night it was our turn to bring dessert for our small group. In the spirit of things (Taco Soup) I made Tres Leches. If you’re not familiar with Tres Leches–become familiar! It’s basically a sponge cake, soaked with three milks (or two milks and a syrup) and  then topped with sweetened whipped cream and fresh fruit. The ‘brown stuff’ on top of mine is traditional Dulce de Leche (Argentine), caramelized sweetened condensed milk. In Mexican tradition they use Cajeta, which is caramelized goat’s milk.

Did we take a bite? Yes. Yes, we did.

Dulce de Leche. The best Argentine export, along with Manu Ginoboli, yerba mate and empanadas.

On Monday we had Mandy’s Taco Soup, which is one of Jonathan’s favorite meals. It combines all of his desired elements: it’s wet, mushy and has potential for the copious use of toppings–especially cilantro. So he requested that I make Tortilla Soup on Tuesday, which I did. I found this recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup I.

Tortilla Soup with Cilantro, Cheese, Chips, Sour Cream and Lime Juice

Drooling, even now, and even though I had leftovers for lunch.

I don’t know what’s on the menu tonight—probably ‘fix your own’, and if so I’m craving an omelette. Mmm…

Tags: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, recipes

Hello all! It’s been almost a month and a lot of cool things have been happening. Jonathan and I purchased a house–yay!—and are now trying to find a subletter for our apartment. We are moving mid-February. I am also done with my part-time job so now I am writing full time. It’s exciting and surprisingly difficult—not the writing so much as making my own schedule!

Because of all of this running around and saving money,  dinner around here has been simple and cheap.

The makings of deliciousness: pork tenderloin + QUALITY root beer + 8 hours on low

Then add some Rich & Tangy...Mustard based BBQ sauce...

Finish with Easy Slaw (Miracle Whip or Mayo + white vinegar + salt/pepper + sugar...all to taste), a whole wheat bun and a pickle

Man! That was one filling and satisfying supper. Jonathan loved it, and it might have been the easiest dinner I have ever made. Yum.

For lunch today I had a frenchie meal:

Scrambled Eggs with goat cheese, salad greens with avocado, tomato, red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt/pepper

Yum. I’m really loving the egg + goat cheese combo right now. It’s full of protein and fats, but  it’s not too heavy. Perfect pregnant food.

Tomorrow night is another simple dish: bean and pasta soup. It’s supposed to be cold and rainy, so I think it’ll be perfect. Off to watch TNG with friends…though I’ll insist on Bones next

Tags: Dinner, easy, pork, slow cooker

Hello all!

For the next few days I will be cleaning up this blog. I’m going through and deleting old posts and also re-tagging for clarity and organization.

The next few weeks I’ll also be reorienting this blog towards more major themes and less scatter shot, everyday posting. That type of posting, while fun for me to read, just wasn’t working out (obviously…I hardly ever managed it!) and isn’t my style of writing.

And, in a pattern that is typical to me…I need to find my camera!!! Hopefully a D-SLR will be joining this blog soon

Stay tuned!

So, last Friday Jonathan and I got a “Pink Friday” surprise:

Seeing double...

That’s right! I am pregnant. About 5 weeks and 1 day (further abbreviated as 5w1d).

I debated for awhile about whether or not to start a separate blog, but then I decided that healthy, balanced eating while pregnant is interesting, too!

I have been taking these everyday:

Rainbow Light Just Once Prenatal, MorDHA Prenatal

So, what have I been eating for this precarious, weird 1st trimester?

1. Green Smoothies (spinach, berries, banana, almond milk…it’s perfect pregnant food chock full of vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, potassium and fiber).

2. Coconut water, for the thirst (potassium, electrolytes)

3. Whole wheat bagels with fresh chive cream cheese (It’s my new thing…don’t laugh! Full of vitamin K [helps with nausea!] and fiber)

4. Sweet potatoes

5. Beans. I’ve been loving food with beans…which is good, since they’re a great source of protein, fiber and vitamins.

6. Lemonade. This child might be made of lemonade.

7. Chips and salsa. I could try to defend it, but I won’t…though salsa does have lots of vitamin C

So what’s being pregnant like so far?

Luckily, I’m not super sick (yet). I’m only 5w1d, and most people I talk to say their morning sickness begins in the 6-7 week. Joy. I’ve been a little queasy, and I’ll be not hungry until I am and then WATCH OUT! It’s dinner time! I also can’t/don’t like to eat a lot at one sitting. Makes me queasy.

There’s been some cramping—a lot like a period cramp but more like a streeeeetch. It can get quiet uncomfortable.

Also, I can’t move for more than 10 minutes. I tried doing some yoga yesterday and ended up sleeping on the floor after 2 Sun Salutations. My goal for today is a 2 mile walk.

So will the focus of this blog change?

Well—kind of.  In part, necessarily so. I’m pregnant. Sorry to say, the red wine habit has to go (at least for now—I’ll post later on alcohol and pregnancy).  But the focus will stay on healthy eating and movement, just with an emphasis on pregnancy.

Okay. I just had a case of the pregnancy brain and lost my train of thought…Time for a nap!

Tags: first trimester, pregnancy nutrition, pregnant

Here is my recipe for a herbed, golden-roasted Thanksgiving turkey!

Begin by preheating the oven to 350.

Start with a turkey... Be sure to get all of the gizzards out and rinse well.

Salt and pepper it REALLY well. Preferrably good sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Pour quality chicken broth in the bottom of the roaster.

Then, chop potatoes...

...sweet onions...

...and carrots. Add them to the bottom of the pan with the chicken broth.

Next, chop up a few cloves of garlic--about 5 or 6.

Rough chop a "poultry blend" of FRESH herbs: thyme, rosemary, sage and bay leaves. SAVE! the stems of the herbs and scatter them with the vegetables and place them in the turkey's cavity (if not stuffed).

Place the herbs and garlic in a bowl. Then, squeeze half the juice one large lemon into the butter mixture. Squeeze the other half over the turkey and veggies, placing the rinds with the veggies and in the turkey's cavity.

Add room temperature butter to the bowl and...

...mush!...together the butter, garlic, herbs and lemon juice until well mushed Use your hands. It's easier.

Now, rub olive oil onto the turkey until it's good and coated.

Then, slather the butter-herb mixture over the turkey.

Cover with aluminium foil and pop it in the oven! Baste every hour or so by squirting the broth over the entire turkey.

About 3/4 of the way through cooking (for a 17 pound turkey, 3 hours) pour a cup of dry white wine over the top of the turkey. This is a dry Gewurtz, but Pinot Grigio/Gris and Sauvignon Blanc are good choices. Remove the tinfoil at this time and let it cook for another hour, or until the internal temperature is 165.

Have a mascot like Baby Zoe...

...and voila! A beautiful, golden-brown turkey.

…Whew! What a post. Hope it helps you with your own T-day turkey

Tags: meat, recipe, thanksgiving, turkey, Wine

General Tso's Chicken, Hot and Sour Soup, Sticky Rice, Edamame

Last night Jonathan and I decided to take it easy and order Chinese from Chinatown. Jonathan ordered Shrimp Curry and I ordered General Tso’s.  We then proceeded to sit on the floor and watch back-to-back Bones…’cause we’re slothful like that

Usually I love Chinatown’s food—they’re an interesting place for your typical Chinese. A huge menu and an even bigger winelist—and usually, usually the food is super good. But my General Tso’s sucked last night. Too much fat, too much dark meat and just…gross. I ate maybe two-and-a-half pieces. Jonathan liked his, though.

We ate it with another Navarro wine, the ‘Edelwicker’.

Navarro Vineyards "Edelzwicker": Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris

Perfect match for Chinese food! A little sweet, a little full and a dry finish. Perfect for fatty and sweet/sour tastes.

Kung-fu Kitty looking for Chinese food

Ninja! From under the couch.

This morning I got up early and had a peaceful breakfast.

Spinach smoothie, Yogi Digestive Health cereal, PG Tips tea w/ milk & sugar

Loving this cereal!

For lunch I made up a couscous pilaf.

Moroccan-spiced couscous with currants, chickpeas, carrots and spinach

Moroccan Couscous

1/2 c. orange juice

1/2 c. broth, vegetable or chicken

1/4 c. water

Dashes of: cinnamon, cumin, cardamon, coriander, salt and black pepper

1/2 c. currants

1 c. chickpeas

1 can chickpeas

1 carrot, grated

Walnuts, chopped, optional

Greek yogurt, optional

Vinaigrette, optional

Spinach

Directions

Bring orange juice, broth, water, spices and currants to a boil. Add couscous and chickpeas, take off the heat and let seat for 5 to 7 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Place spinach on a plate. Spoon pilaf over spinach, sprinkle carrots, walnuts on top. Dollop of yogurt or drizzle with vinaigrette to taste.

The plan for the day is to write, run, go grocery shopping and then fix French Onion soup and grilled cheese for dinner. See ya later

Tags: beans, chinese food, recipe, spinach, vegan, vegetarian, Wine

So good that I ate it before I could even consider taking a picture!

Last night I decided to try out a Cooking Light magazine I had from a few months ago. I love cooking magazines, (R.I.P. Gourmet ) but have always shied away from the healthier ones…bring me the decadence!

Alas, for the last few months I’ve been in a dinner rut. Tired of making the same old things and tired of my cookbooks. Magazines are a much cheaper, occasional, remedy to that problem. So, thus, last night—Moroccan Pita Sandwiches with Carrot-Currant Slaw and Yogurt-Tahini Sauce.

Um.

Delicious.

The recipe called for tomato paste to mix in with the meat, and I thought this was a good time to recommend:

Double Concentrated--so you use half

I like to use a tube of tomato paste instead of a can. First—I never use the whole can, and always end up wasting it. Secondly, this stuff tastes and works better. It’s Italian-style, so double concentrated. Find it with the tomato products and then store it in the fridge. This particular brand also makes a sundried tomato paste and a basil-pesto paste—both are yummy and add little bits of flavor to a lot of my recipes.

We topped our pitas with radishes, fennel, carrot matchsticks and cucumbers. Yum. The recipe is here. By the way–it was ready in about 40 minutes.

I had a writing breakthrough last night which I attribute to an amazing yoga session before I began dinner (Surya Namaskar, parsvokanasana, trikonasana and a few rounds of chandra namaskar, as well), a good meal and a cup of tea made lovingly (and perfectly!) by my husband.

So: Nanowrimo: 14,328

Today, for lunch:

Buffalo 'Chicken' Salad and a juicy D'anjou Pear

Gorgonzola dressing: fat-free mayo, non-fat plain greek yogurt, buttermilk, white vinegar and gorgonzola cheese

Buffalo Chicken Salad ala Ellen Krieger. I substituted the chicken for Quorn patties, which I like much better than actual chicken breast.

Tonight the plan is to test run another Cooking Light recipe—baked Chicken Parmesan with polenta—and then run and write.

Oh! And more Bones DVDS come today…Yaaaaayyy!!!

Tags: beef, cooking light, moroccan, nanowrimo

Last night I had no real plan for dinner, so I rooted around my pantry and fridge and came up with chicken sausage, dried cranberries, acorn squash and rice. Hmmm….

Harvest Stuffed Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash, halved and seeded

1 c. brown rice, already cooked

2 links chicken sausage, sliced

1/4 c. dried cranberries

1/4 c. walnuts, rough chopped

1 tbsp. apple butter

2 tsp. stone ground mustard

1 tsp. maple syrup

Directions

1. Place halved acorn squash face down in 1/4 inch water and cook for thirty minutes at 400.

2. In a bowl mix together precooked rice, sausage, cranberries, walnuts, apple butter, mustard and syrup. Stir well.

3. Take out the squash, turn them over and stuff. Cook an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Voila!

I served it with a hot spinach salad that was…okay. I need to work on that.

Harvest Stuffed Acorn Squash with Hot Balsamic and Honey Spinach Salad

Coleman's Natural Garlic Chicken Sausage

Jonathan and I opened a Pinot Noir from Marimar that we bought on vacation. The salad totally overpowered the wine, however, it went quiet well with the squash. Though,  it tasted more Burgundian, and therefore I think would really shine with a mushroom ragu. By Burgundian I mean that it tasted more earthy/rich/spicy, not super-fruity like Californian wines tend to be. Though that, of course, is an over-generalization, but still. Mushroom ragu! Or…ooo…pepper-rubbed lamb. Either.

Marimar Estate "Earthquake Block" Pinot Noir

We ended our night watching ‘Bones’–we are currently obsessed with the show. We’re on Season 2, Disc 4. Ahhh…Already I want Brennan and Booth to just get on with it! Still–every story needs a good dose of sexual tension, non?

By the way…speaking of TV…Glee returns tonight! My friend Christine and I always wait until Thursdays though, so we can watch it together on Hulu.

Nanowrimo: 11,232

Tags: autumn recipe, marimar, nanowrimo, recipe, sausage, squash, Wine

It happens to the best of us, right?

Today I was going to finish posting vineyard pictures. However, after last night I don’t even want to look at a picture of wine/alcohol, much less think about it, because that might engage my olfactory senses, which might engage my taste buds, which might make me barf.

Actually, none so dramatic as that! (Seriously ) However, today’s post (still lacking that damn camera!) is going to be recovering from overindulgence. Overindulgence, of course, being the euphemism for drinking too much.

Timely, too, since this is holiday season!

1. If you can do it without puking, drink a few glasses of water before bed.
2. When you wake up, drink coconut water. It’s full of electrolytes, minerals and has low acidity. Ditch the Gatorade, stat! That stuff is nasty.
3. B.A.R.T.: Banana, applesauce, rice, toast.
4. Or, sometimes, a big greasy hamburger.
5. Strong, strong coffee or tea.
6. Later in the day, have a green smoothie, emphasis on the green. Easy peasy: lots of spinach and/or kale, green powder if you have it, banana, almond milk and frozen berries. Sometimes I add a little apple juice. Tasty and healthy. When you overindulge–too many drinks or too much fatty food–your body needs to have vitamins, minerals, fiber and water to move that crap out. A green smoothie is an easily digestible way to accomplish these goals.
7. Rest. Light yoga. A walk. Some fresh air. Believe me, its better than your dark bedroom or bathroom becoming your own personal hell.

And that is what I do! Hope it helps you navigate your way through the delicious road of the holidays!

Can you believe it’s holiday season? Me either!

Nanowrimo: 6,211

Tags: drinking, Health, holidays, liquor, nanowrimo, Wine