The results?

It worked! I didn’t do everything at the exact time I had planned, but each day I accomplished all of the tasks that I had set forth. Also, it has helped me put exercise back on my daily/4x a week schedule, instead of just ‘when I feel like it’.

Success! Feels good.

However…after a weekend of not doing it…well…I need it again. I’d like to post an image of the calender—I use ICal—does anyone know how this can be imported onto the blog? Thanks.

In lieu of the image, I’ll just list what I need to get done from today until Thursday:

Today:

• Meal plan
• Grocery Shop
• Exercise
• De-clutter living room, kitchenette
• Pot some plants, plant some seeds
• Build compost pile

Wednesday:

• Exercise
• Finish unpacking, organizing the office (yay yoga space!)
• Finish our bedroom
• Work on garden beds

Thursday:

• Exercise
• Pack snacks
• Babysit Zoe
• Start making preliminary registry for baby (baby stuff is confusing!)
• Meal plan for weekend
• Grocery shop for weekend

There you have it! The tasks of the next three days. Wish me luck!

So…what to do? While I don’t have many solutions for leftovers except to eat them or not make as much (I am practicing the latter…I’m coming upon a ‘make only 3 servings’ rule), I do have two solutions to get rid of your vegetable waste.

1. Compost

Veggie scraps in a 5 gallon bucket

Ah…compost.  Seeing Home Depot or other plant nurseries stacked high with sacks of compost can lead to the impression that it’s “just dirt”, but compost, my friends, can be made. And it’s not just dirt—no sirree. It’s black gold for the gardener.

Compost is what happens in nature when plant matter falls to the ground, decays and leaves a black, crumbly layer behind called humus. Humus provides nutrients for the surrounding plants and the cycle continues through each season, year after year.

Gardeners, large and small, apartment and house, can replicate this cycle with their own yard trimmings, raked leaves, earthworms and kitchen scraps. You can buy small scale (and large scale) composters or you can make your own.  Making your own with chicken wire is cheap—we just purchased 24 ft of chicken wire for $15 dollars—especially considering that some of the prefabricated ones run upwards of $100. The most important considerations in making a compost pile are: that it has plenty of oxygen,  you’ll be able to access it easily and that it doesn’t get too dry or too wet (no standing puddles, for instance).

To make compost you just collect your kitchen scraps (raw plant matter, skins, eggshells, coffee grounds and tea leaves; not meat, fats or cooked food) and take them out to the compost pile. In the pile you want to have roughly 70% brown matter (leaves, yard trimmings, brown paper bags, ash, cotton, linen, cardboard) and 30% green matter (kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, tea leaves, grass, manure).

You can also check out worm composting, especially for you apartment dwellers, but as I don’t have experience with that I won’t write about it (yet!).

…Really, that’s all there is to composting. To speed up the process you can turn the pile every day or so, pour on wine/molasses/natural cola or cover it with a tarp to let it “cook”.  In 3-4 months you’ll begin to see your compost!

2. Vegetable Broth

Pretty much everything in the fridge went into this pot...

So. Yesterday I went to the store to buy ingredients for a soup I was making for our Monday night group. I returned home and unpacked my groceries to find out—crap!—that I forgot the vegetable broth. Only the most important ingredient in the soup.

Laziness prevented me from going back to the store, but necessity had me looking for alternatives. I peered into our fridge and voilà! I had tons of cut up crudités from the weekend before (moving snacks) that were on their way south. Not rotted, mind, but just…you know, flimsy. More, I had some waning fresh herbs (thyme and bay), peppercorns, lemons and plenty of garlic and onions.

Make broth. So I threw it in the pot—skins and all—added salt and let it simmer for a few hours while I did other stuff.  Every once in a while I stopped by to taste, add salt or take out a flavor I didn’t like (celery became overwhelming—I put in a ton).  After two hours of simmering I strained the broth and done!

It worked!

Here’s what I would use in broth:

Carrots, onions, garlic, parsnips, celery, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, mushrooms (for richness), fennel, leeks, cauliflower…

The best part is that it’s freezable. Even if you’re not in a bind, make the broth when you notice your vegetables going downhill and freeze it for later use.

It’s important to note that you shouldn’t use rotted or gummy vegetables, as boiling concentrates flavor and you can taste it. But when you have a full fridge of veggies you know you’re not going to get to—well, broth is a pretty logical choice!

Plus, you save money. Instead of $3 to $4 dollars for a quart I probably spent…$1/quart…and that’s with organic vegetables.

There you have it! Two ways to reduce waste and save money.

As I was going through my morning I kept hitting this mental block: I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where to even START with this house!

So, I sat, not really doing much of anything. I feel like I have that I don’t know what to do attitude with several other things in my life: pregnancy eating and fitness, organizing my schedule, writing, gardening. Although with some its more like: where do I go now?

Then I happened to look at a little icon at the bottom of my screen. Hallelujah I-Cal!

I basically made up a daily schedule for three days. No more than three days…sometimes I plan too grandiose and then I get overwhelmed. Just three days of menus for all meals and snacks, grocery lists, specified times to work out, clean, write, unpack, garden, etc.

I am notorious for creating lists and calenders and then not do them. But I have this one printed and hanging on the fridge, my bedside table and my bathroom mirror.

See, this is what it takes for me. Constant reminders. Constant reminders of why and how I can be productive. I feel no shame that I am not the most organized soul on the planet. But I would feel bad if I didn’t do something to try to make myself accomplish my goals.

So…that’s my pep talk for the day! Are you accomplishing what you want? Why not? What’s your personality? Don’t be ashamed if you’re not the super ambitious, type-A, everything done on a schedule and perfect. If that’s not you…that’s fine!

However, if you’re like me and what you desire to be accomplished keeps getting pushed back a day because of disorganization, laziness or bad habits…Maybe a three day plan could be a good jump start.

I’ll let you know how it works out for me

Simple Salad, French Bread, Pasta Rosada

Last week, while we were in the process of moving Jonathan and I needed simple dinners. Of course, we ate out plenty, but we came up with some easy meals to eat.

This recipe is courtesy of Jonathan’s mom and it’s easy, cheap and—best of all—delicious.

The thing to remember about this meal is it’s really about ‘to taste’. Use as much meat as you like, as much tomato, as much cream, as much basil. It’s a good meal to begin learning how to ‘throw a meal together’ and learn what you like.

Ingredients:

Rotisserie chicken or turkey

Onion, medium

Garlic, minced, about two or three cloves

Fresh Basil, a good-sized packet, julienned

Crushed tomatoes, 1 can

Cream, to taste

Linguine

Salt, pepper, dried oregano

Directions

1. Start the pasta. Tear up the chicken and turkey, as much as you need. I used 1 turkey breast for both Jonathan and I, and we had one serving of leftovers

2. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan. Add the onions and cook till soft. Add the turkey, dried oregano and stir till warm and fragrant.

3. Add the crushed tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper. Don’t add the garlic with the onions—garlic takes on a harsh flavor when cooked over too high a heat or too long. Adding it with the tomatoes lets the flavor disperse through the juice. Let simmer for five to ten minutes. Taste to make sure seasoning is as you like it.

4. Add cream to taste. Let it heat. Stir in basil and let it simmer, softly, for another few minutes.

5. Drain pasta. Pour the sauce over. Voilà! Serve with warm French bread and a simple salad.

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

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…

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

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!

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!

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