10 for 10

Mayday, Mayday

2010-05-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

The end of May is upon us and I've been a busy girl. People have been pestering me to come back to my poor neglected blog.

So far I've lost five pounds, but I've abandoned the 365 effort. I don't like sex THAT much.

It's late and my brain is begging me for a REM cycle, so I'll return tomorrow with a real blog, pictures and all.

Happy Memorial Day everyone - and remember what it's all about. It's not about drinking and visiting family in Chicago. It's about honoring and remembering all those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.

And yes, that was a deliberate dig at Barack Obama.

Failbruary.

2010-03-17T04:41:00.000-07:00

That's right, not February...FAILbruary. EPIC, EPIC, FAILBRUARY.

I failed in oh, so many ways last month, and it's stretching into March now.

First off, I failed to post adequate blogs. Secondly, I went to the gym a total of three times. Technically, two and a half. And because my least favorite aunt returned after two years, twice in the month of Failbruary, my husband and I failed our 365 goal. I think we totaled out six times, tops. And I didn't post any healthy, easy, cheap recipes. (I think I'm going to have to do that on a quarterly basis. Every month is a bit much.)

But there is hope!

That's my garden. Here's what it looked like before. I'll have more pictures soon - since I took these pictures we've added more flowers and some other fun things.

And even though I haven't been going to the gym...

34.5 inches!

Now if only I can get back on the elliptical...or maybe just a good romp under the covers will do the trick!!

Party Gras!

2010-02-16T20:56:00.001-08:00

Tonight we celebrated Mardi Gras at our house. We made fun hats, wore beads, and ate jambalaya while listening to New Orleans jazz.

Here's my daughter and myself in our Mardi Gras attire:

And here is how you make jambalaya!

INGREDIENTS

Zatarain's Jambalaya w/Cheese Mix (2 boxes)
Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup (2 cans)
Aidell's Andouille Sausage (2 packages) - if this sausage is too spicy you can use whatever you like
5 cups water

DIRECTIONS

Brown the sausage.

Add water and Zatarain's mix and follow directions. Cook covered for 25 minutes.

Stir in the cream of celery and cook for an additional five minutes; remove from heat. Let sit for five minutes to cool and thicken. Enjoy!

This is a very simple recipe that we have used in my family now ever since I was a little girl. I think we have a new family tradition here!

Disaster!

2010-02-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

This plan is falling apart! The house is a wreck, Aunt Flo visited for a week and threw us off the 365 track, and I can't stop eating chocolate.

Let me show you an example:

This was our Valentine's Day dinner. I made everything myself. Seared ribeyes with arugula-roasted red pepper salad, cheesy rosemary breadsticks, strawberries and chocolate zabaglione, chocolate tiramisu, chocolate amaretti cake, and some lovely syrah. It was amazing but I'm pretty sure I gained about seven pounds. I'll post the recipes later today.

Also, for the first time in TWENTY years, it snowed in Charleston! Here's a link to my photo blog so you can see the snow. Here are some bonus pictures.

I suppose they are Greek?...

Sad sad snow bunny.

Caveman-constructed.

Now, I'm off to clean the house and tie my husband to the bed before he has to go to work. That's right, I said it!

Running

2010-02-09T18:25:00.000-08:00

out of time, and ideas, and thoughts in general!

Sorry for my extended absence of worthwhile blogging material. I haven't had a lot of time to take photos because life is just crazy right now! Here is what's been going on, with YES, photos.

My weeklong vegan diet consisted of smoothies, salads, and grilled veggie sandwiches. Near the end I had some Amy's Organic Veggie Burgers. Also, spaghetti with zucchini and squash.

Here is a typical smoothie:

A whole banana, a whole peeled peach, a cup of strawberries and half a cup of orange juice, with one third cup almond milk.
Here is a tasty salad:

Romaine, spinach, plum tomatoes, carrots, blueberries with a homemade raspberry vinaigrette.

Snack:

Plain almonds with honey and almond milk. YUM!

And while the scale says I lost five pounds, I apparently didn't lose it in my stomach:

I've gained over THREE INCHES in my waist since the beginning of the year. Maybe the scale was wrong. I demand a second opinion.

Looks like the only running I need to be doing is on a treadmill!

Just checking in...

2010-02-06T18:58:00.000-08:00

...so nobody thinks I've checked out! I'll be back tomorrow with a new post.

10 for 10 Challenge Recap: January

2010-01-31T14:47:00.000-08:00

My internet has been down so I am blogging to you from my dad's house until we get ours back up and running (thanks Dad!). It is the end of the first month of our new year and I'd like to keep a tally of how things are going so far:

1. 365 Days of Sexytime: We did pretty well, but we have to make up for five missed times plus today's, so six more times - I shouldn't be here! I should be at home in bed with the husby!!! AHHHH!

2. 20 + 10 = 30 lbs. to lose: For those of you who already knew this, last Monday I chose to eat vegetarian until this evening. I did pretty well until yesterday afternoon when I made my daughter a grilled cheese sandwich and then I lost it. I buckled and made myself one as well. It was amazing. Still, I have been keeping up with my gym time and yoga and I do believe my vegetarian weeklong cleanse helped because I LOST 5 POUNDS! I am now down to 150.

3. The Perfect Dinner Menu: I have found four definite meals that can qualify for cheap, yummy, healthy, and easy/quick to make. I have some great ones to try for February!

4. Pray Every Day: Sometimes it's hard to remember this one, I won't lie. But I do my best to say something to God every day, even if it's, Hey Man, thanks for sticking around. I need to improve it though, I know.

5. Become more organized: This one is coming along quite well! We are waiting on our tax returns so that I can go shopping and buy more totes and organizing systems for the house. We've been purging and going to the local Goodwill on an almost-daily basis all month.

6. Ten Percent Fund: I don't make alot of money per paycheck so insofar I have only saved $8.00. Bleh.

7. Keep In Touch: I've been doing about 50% on this one. There are people I intentionally avoid and lately my mother and I have been lacking in our communicative efforts when we used to speak daily. In fact she just called - I'll need to call her back in a few minutes.

8. Recycle: Such an easy one! Do you have any idea how easy it is to recycle?! And it really helps me with the volume of garbage under our sink. It also allows me to look at all of the containers we clean before recycling them to see if I can use them for another purpose in our home - for example, we save peanut butter jars to hold hardware, arts and crafts supplies, etc.

9. Stop Swearing: I REALLY need to work on this one. In fact, for Lent I have decided this is what I will give up. Just an extra motivation to keep me from polluting the air with my foul language.

10. Make Time For Me: I've done really well with this. Bathing to relax, naps, dressing up nicely, reading a good book. I hope to continue this pattern!

Sexcapades!

2010-01-22T16:44:00.000-08:00

Yes yes it's your favorite resolution. Can we have sexual intercourse at least 365 times in 2010? Well, let's see. Today is January 22, 2010. Since New Year's Day my husband and I have had sex 16 times. Not so shabby! We will have to start making up for it though as I seriously doubt either of us will be able to handle that number in one day when the 31st comes! So it seems we will be stepping up our daily quota.

In other Resolution Revolution news...

I've been going to the gym every other day. On my off days I do yoga and core exercises. Next week as a tactic to lose weight and to help out my son (in case you don't already know, I nurse him and he is allergic to milk proteins, so no more dairy for me for awhile) I am going to eat nothing except fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. I already have blended juices for breakfasts - today I had one with a whole peach, a quarter cup of blackberry/raspberry/blueberry mix, and a cup and a half of orange juice - with a whole carrot and a stick of celery thrown in. Not the best one I've had this week - next week I'll buy some more bananas and add more berries. My favorite one this week had all the berries I mentioned, plus strawberries, a banana, and a cup of Greek yogurt. Alas, no more yogurt for me. I think mine next week will be orange juice, a banana, mixed berries, a whole peach, and possibly a little peanut butter to smooth it up.

I like smoothies, can you tell?!

I've also been spending lots of time with my dad lately. He's not feeling well. Tonight I brought him some of the leftover chicken pesto soup as well as some Robitussin, cough drops, and zinc tablets. If you are reading this, Dad - you had better be following my orders! Turn on your heat, eat the soup, take the meds, and get in bed!!

I just realized that I was so busy today that I did not take any photographs! I'm lame! What is a blog without pictures? My apologies.

Tonight we are eating a lovely lasagna that my friend Kerry in New Jersey makes for her family. She was kind enough to share the recipe. It has sausage and roasted red peppers in it! Yes it has cheese but I am allowed cheese in moderation - and I haven't had any all day! I have been VERY good.

I just wanted to give a quick update on my other resolutions' progress as all I've written all week are recipe resolutions. I'll come back tomorrow with pictures to make up for what will surely be a very boring entry.

Recipe: Chicken & Green Bean Soup with Pesto

2010-01-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

My final recipe experiment for the month of January 2010. Another one from Rachael Ray's website. Here's what's up:

INGREDIENTS

•1 cup basil leaves, lightly packed (a trick I learned - if you don't have access to fresh herbs, you can cook dried ones in warm water and achieve the same effect)
•1/2 cup flat leaf parsley (a couple of handfuls)
•1/4 cup dill (a handful)
•1/4 cup lightly toasted shelled pistachios or pine nuts
•1 clove garlic, finely chopped and mashed into paste with a little salt or grated
•1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (a generous handful)
•Salt and pepper
•1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus 2 tablespoons, divided
•3/4 pound chicken tenders, chopped into 1/2-inch dice
•1 medium to large onion, chopped into 1/2-inch dice
•2 ribs celery from heart, chopped
•1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
•1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
•1 bay leaf
•8 cups chicken stock or 6 cups chicken stock, plus 2 cups water
•2 cups frozen French-cut green beans
•1 cup small cut pasta, such as small penne or ditalini

PREPARATION

Combine the herbs, nuts, garlic and grated cheese in a food processor. While the machine is running, stream in the EVOO, about 1/3 cup, to make a pesto. Scrape the sauce into a small dish and reserve.

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons EVOO, two turns if the pan, over medium heat. Add the chicken and lightly brown, 3-4 minutes. Add the onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes more.

Add the stock and/or water and bring to a boil. Stir in the green beans and pasta and keep at a low boil until the pasta is cooked to al dente.

Serve the soup in shallow bowls and stir in rounded tablespoonfuls of pesto.

THE END RESULT

Chris gave out another "8" rating tonight - he said the soup felt "lonely" without a grilled cheese sandwich. It was really tasty though, probably the best homemade chicken noodle soup I've ever had and definitely the fastest (it only took 40 minutes, excluding chopping time). My whole house smells like chicken noodle soup now and makes me think of my mom. Also, I learned to make my own pesto - pretty cool! Of course it was missing a little something that I couldn't put my finger on, so now I'm determined to continue experimenting with that.

Recipe: Tomato-Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake

2010-01-19T17:27:00.000-08:00

This is not the recipe I was intending on making this evening but I am currently out of chicken stock AND chicken broth and just didn't feel like going to the store. So tonight my wonderful husband assisted me in making this amazing and simple dish.

Here's what's up...

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup basil pesto
3 plum tomatoes
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Spaghetti noodles

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Put pesto and chicken in bowl. Toss until chicken is covered. Place in casserole dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes, uncovered.

Meanwhile, in a pot of boiling water cook spaghetti noodles until al dente. Strain and toss with remaining pesto.

Place slices of tomato on top of chicken and sprinkle with cheese. Bake another 3-5 minutes.

THE END RESULT

We have eaten this meal before and it really is AMAZING. Chris rates it an "8".

Also, we treated ourselves to a yummy dessert that my friend Chelsea likes to make. It's very simple. It's banana "ice cream" - basically a frozen banana pureed in a food processor. We also made some simple homemade chocolate sauce out of a cup of semi-sweet morsels and 3/4 of a cup of heavy cream (with three teaspoons sugar added).

My son apparently has a milk protein allergy and because I am nursing him I'll have to seriously cut back on all things dairy. I am allowed cheese in moderation but aside from that, tonight is my last night with dairy for the next month. So it looks like February will be a BIG challenge for finding good meals!

Recipe: Crayon Cupcakes

2010-01-19T11:14:00.000-08:00

Now, while this is not an edible recipe, I just could not resist posting it for all of my mommy friends. Lots of people do this but apparently not as many as I'd thought! It is very easy and lots of fun. Here's what's up:

INGREDIENTS

Crayons (preferably broken nidbits but if all you have are nice pretty perfect ones those are fine too - but you'll have to break them)

Foil cupcake liners

Cupcake tin

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in tin. Place broken pieces of crayons into each liner. (For example greens in one, pinks in another.)

Bake for 10 minutes, let cool. Peel liners off and have fun scribbling!

I'll be back later tonight with my final January recipe experiment.

Get your game face on

2010-01-17T13:37:00.001-08:00

Today my husband and I started attending our church's new adult Sunday School program put on by our old friend Colin Kerr. It's a 23-part series and today was the first day of the series. The opening segment focused on the importance of truth and the Bible.

I love going to church. Not only does it allow me time with God, it forces me to take time for myself in the make up and cute outfit department.

My hair was a little crazy thanks to the ultra sexyyy humidity that is so famous in the South. It was one of those off-again, on-again rainy days.

I collect vintage flower pins (and earrings too). You'll see me wearing them as often as possible. This one is a favorite.

It's hard for me to match these boots to the right outfit. So far this is actually the only one that they look good with. I think it's the pencil skirt and the tights that make them work.

My dad watched the kidlets today while my husband and I went to church. This is the first time we haven't brought the children with us to church. But we really needed the break. Here's Chris playing soccer with some of the kids from our church.

All the girls decided they wanted to be on his team.

The team taking a break.

This is Betsy at my dad's house when we went to go pick up her and her brother.

Tonight we are going to my stepmother's because we don't have cable and Chris wants to watch the Chargers-Jets game. These are his two favorite teams so it will be interesting to see him react to whatever the outcome may be.

GO...Chets? Hm.

Recipe: Mini Cannelloni Bake

2010-01-16T18:42:00.000-08:00

Here's what's up:

INGREDIENTS

•1 pound ziti with no lines or ditalini
•2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
•1 1/2-2 pounds ground veal, beef or chicken
•1 large onion, chopped
•3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
•2 boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed of excess water
•3 tablespoons butter
•3 tablespoons flour (again, I use cornstarch)
•2 cups milk
•A few grates of fresh nutmeg
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

PREPARATION

Pre-heat the broiler.

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring it up to a boil. Cook the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain and reserve in the pot it was cooked in.

While the pasta is cooking, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of EVOO, about two turns of the pan. Add the ground meat to the pan and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until evenly browned throughout, about 6-7 minutes.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan and continue cooking until the onion has softened, 6-7 minutes.

Add the spinach and cook for about 1 minute to heat through, then season the mixture with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the onion is cooking, place a medium size pot over medium heat and melt the butter. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and cook the mixture for about 1 minute. Whisk the milk into the butter-flour mixture and cook until the liquid has thickened up. Season the sauce with nutmeg, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add the meat-onion mixture and the sauce to the pot with the cooked pasta and stir to evenly combine.

Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish and sprinkle the grated cheese over the top. Place the dish under the broiler until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

THE END RESULT

This was pretty darn tasty. Chris gave it a rating of "7.5" - he said he thinks it would be better if we were to use Italian sausage. Of course that would defeat the point of it being healthy. Betsy loved it - she fed herself and ate almost all of it. The grown-ups had seconds, and there was plenty left over for later.

Recipe: Peanut-Curry Chicken w/Jasmine Rice

2010-01-15T16:34:00.000-08:00

Here we are at Recipe Resolution Attempt #4. Here's what's up:

INGREDIENTS

•1 cup jasmine, basmati or Texmati rice
•1 small bunch scallions, coarsely chopped (I used a whole red onion and it worked just fine)
•1 inch ginger, peeled and grated
•2 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped and mashed into paste
•1 small red chili pepper, seeded and chopped (I used ground chili pepper because the store did not have fresh ones in stock)
•1/2 cup cilantro leaves (a couple of handfuls)
•2 rounded tablespoons curry powder (a couple of palmfuls)
•1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth, plus an additional splash, divided
•1 tablespoon vegetable oil
•4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
•1/3 cup chunky peanut butter (I used creamy since my daughter can't eat chopped nuts yet)
•1 cup Greek-style yogurt

PREPARATION

Prepare the rice according to the package directions.

While the rice cooks, combine the scallions, ginger, garlic, chili pepper, cilantro, curry powder and a splash of the chicken broth in a small bowl and process into a paste.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with the oil. Add the chicken to the pan and brown, 2-3 minutes.

Add the spice paste and stir for 1 minute to combine.

Add the peanut butter to the pan and whisk in the stock.

Bring to a bubble and whisk in the yogurt; lower the heat and simmer for 7-8 minutes. Serve over rice.

THE END RESULT

WOW! This was amazing! Chris rated it an "8" but I thought it deserved a "10" so I averaged it out to a "9". It was really, really yummy and easy to make. Less than 35 minutes (not including chopping time). ANOTHER PLUS - many of the ingredients are constant fixtures in our household; chicken, spices, rice, peanut butter. So it's cheap and convenient too! Probably going to be making this one often. Again, I found this recipe at Rachael Ray's website.

20 + 10 Challenge

2010-01-15T14:46:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems this is one of my most difficult resolutions to follow. I have SO many excuses:

The house is a mess
The kids are asleep
The kids are awake
I don't like to go at night
I'm tired
My schedule is packed
It's raining

Yeah, you get the picture.

But TODAY I went to the gym! I have not been in at least two weeks, maybe longer. You know it's been too long when you can't remember the last time you went.

And man, let me tell you, I kicked my own ass.

20 minutes of speed cycling - SIX MILES!
2 sets of 60 reps on the bicep/tricep weight machine
10 minutes on the elliptical - TWO MILES!

And then I ran home from the gym. Not a long way from home, but it made me feel better about myself.

This is me after my workout, oh yeah. Sweat is sexy. Deal with it.

And here is my current "Body Movin'" exercise mix:

Every Time I Look For You::BLINK-182
Pump It::BLACK EYED PEAS
Don't Phunk With My Heart::BLACK EYED PEAS
Rollercoaster::BLINK-182
Hey Baby::NO DOUBT
Lights Out::BUTCH WALKER
A.M. Radio::EVERCLEAR
Disturbia::RIHANNA

Can I just say, pretty much ANY Blink-182 song is perfect for working out.

Going back to the gym Sunday after church...that's right, church. I try to go every Sunday. Besides, praying every day is one of my resolutions, and why not go talk to God at His place for once - He likes it when we go visitin'.

I'll be back later with my recipe post.

Recipe: Pity Party

2010-01-14T16:53:00.000-08:00

Tonight I was just way too tired to actually cook. So instead I ordered a pizza. Don't worry; I'm only skipping a night, not a meal. I'll pick up where I left off tomorrow with Peanut-Curry Chicken. Until then follow my step by step instructions for Pity Party.

INGREDIENTS

A working cell phone
A wad of cash

PREPARATION

Call your favorite pizza restaurant, or really, any take-out place. (I picked Domino's tonight because their new crust is AMAZING!)

Wait approximately 25-30 minutes after ordering.

Answer your door and pay the delivery person.

Set down the box.

Enjoy!

THE END RESULT

I took a much needed break from cooking which would not have actually happened this week but life got in the way. It happens. And you know what? The pizza was worth all my effort. I give it a "10".

All dressed up & nowhere to go.

2010-01-14T11:03:00.001-08:00

Today the kids and I were going to visit their friends and then their grandmother, all within walking distance of our home. The plan was to load them into the stroller and go for a walk.

My husband drove to work and the stroller is still in the back of the Jeep. OOPS!

Still...R10 for the day has been accomplished. Hooray for making time for myself!

A totally painted face. In your face. Face to face. I have a big head.

Thanks to Amber for posting a blog about those awesome Rodarte for Target tights. I went and snatched them up yesterday. Of course, your legs look alot better in them than mine!

Recipe: Ravioli Soup

2010-01-13T17:16:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe in the article "Use Your Noodles!" from the February 2009 edition of Parents Magazine.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb. ground turkey breast
1 Tbsp. Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1/8 tsp. ground sage
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz.) Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz.) no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots ( I used pre-sliced frozen carrots)
1 cup frozen green beans
1 pkg. (7 oz.) refrigerated mini cheese ravioli, such as Buitoni

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and coat with vegetable cooking spray. Combine turkey, bread crumbs, sage, salt and pepper in a bowl; shape into mini-meatballs.

Bake for 12 minutes or until browned.
In a 3-quart saucepan, combine broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, celery, and carrots. Boil, then reduce heat.

Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add beans and stir into broth with ravioli.

Cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Add meatballs to serve.

THE END RESULT

Honestly...it looks better than it tastes. It wasn't the worst thing I've ever eaten, but kind of boring. DEFINITELY kid-friendly, but for those of us with adventurous palates, very ho-hum. Chris is not home tonight to rate it (he's helping my dad fix his brakes) but Betsy gobbled it up and I ate it and so, let's do a double rating. For kidlets it gets a rating of "8". For adults I'd say it earned a "6". The timing was excellent - only about 35 minutes, and everything was SUPER easy. But the taste, while not disgusting, left much to be desired. It lacks imagination. However, I can see myself making it again when I am out of ideas and don't want to make anything that involves too much effort.

Calorie Count for a family of 4: 304.5 per serving

Awards, awards, amazing awards...

2010-01-12T19:50:00.000-08:00

So apparently my friends Chelsea and Melissa have honored me with blog awards! I have already completed Chelsea's Random 7 list (see my previous entry) but I didn't know she'd given me an award! So here is the one from Chelsea:

Thank you Chelsea!

And here is the one from Mel:

Thanks Mel!

Here are ten things that make me happy:
1. Shopping
2. Chocolate
3. My kids
4. My husband
5. Sunny days
6. The beach
7. Soft pillows
8. Bubble baths
9. Marshmallow roastings
10.Baking

Recipe: French Spring Chicken Pot

2010-01-12T16:50:00.000-08:00

Day Three of my perfect menu search continues...

INGREDIENTS

•4 pieces skinless, boneless chicken breasts
•2 onions, 1 halved and 1 chopped
•1 bay leaf
•3 tablespoons butter
•1 baking potato, peeled and cut into small cubes (I used two large red potatoes)
•2 carrots, peeled and cut into small cubes (I used pre-sliced frozen carrots)
•3 small ribs celery, cut into small cubes
•1/3 pound white mushrooms (a couple of generous handfuls), quartered (I used pre-sliced frozen mushrooms)
•1/3 pound thin green beans (a couple of generous handfuls), cut on an angle into 1-inch pieces (again, pre-sliced and frozen beans were used by me)
•Salt and pepper
•2 tablespoons flour (I prefer cornstarch)
•1/2 cup dry white wine (I didn't have any wine! It was just fine without)
•1 1/2 cups chicken broth
•1/2 cup frozen peas
•3 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped (dried works just as well)
•2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
•1/3 cup heavy cream
•Grainy rolls or crusty whole wheat bread, for dunking

PREPARATION
In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven filled with simmering water, cook the chicken, halved onion and bay leaf until cooked through and tender, 15-20 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cut into bite-size pieces or, using 2 forks, shred in a bowl.

Wipe out the pot, add the butter and melt over medium heat. One vegetable at a time, stir in the chopped onion, potato, carrots, celery and mushrooms.

Cover the pot, lower the heat and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the green beans and season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the flour into the pot and stir for 1 minute.

Stir in the wine, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

Stir in the peas, tarragon and mustard and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the chicken to the vegetables. Stir in the cream and heat through.

Serve with the bread.

THE END RESULT

This was a wonderful homemade soup from RachaelRay.com that didn't take very long to make - about 45 minutes. My husband is working late tonight (and isn't even done with his shift at the time of posting!) but my best friend Lauren came over to visit and was my rater for the evening. She gave the dish a rating of "8". It was also yet another meal that my picky kid could not get enough of!

The InStyler

2010-01-12T12:22:00.000-08:00

So this super awesome blonde whose blog I follow is giving away an InStyler. I entered the contest because I think owning such a product will help me become one step closer to R10 - take time for myself!

I'll be back later this evening with my third recipe attempt.

Recipe: Italian Rollatini

2010-01-11T16:47:00.001-08:00

Day Two of my quest for the perfect menu has come to a close. Tonight we had Italian Rollatini, another recipe from RachaelRay.Com. Here's what's up:

INGREDIENTS

•2 medium eggplants, each sliced lengthwise into 6 slices about 1/4-inch thick (I only used one large eggplant)
•3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•3/4 pound sweet Italian chicken, turkey or tofu sausage, casings removed
•1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
•1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (that's fancy talk for Parmesan), plus additional for sprinkling
•1 can tomato sauce or tomato puree (15 ounces)
•1/4 cup basil leaves, torn

PREPARATION

Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF.

Lay the eggplant slices out on a baking sheet, drizzle with EVOO on both sides and season with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the eggplant is tender and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.

While the eggplant is roasting, in a medium skillet with one turn of the pan of EVOO, brown the sausage, about 5 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or potato masher as it cooks.

Remove the sausage from skillet with a slotted spoon to a medium bowl. Let cool, then mix in the mozzarella cheese and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Spread a little tomato sauce down on the bottom of a baking dish and sprinkle with the torn basil.

Lay two pieces of roasted eggplant out lengthwise on a cutting board, overlapping them about an inch. Mound some sausage-cheese mixture at the short end of the eggplant slices. (I used an ice cream scoop, as you will often see me do. It makes the PERFECT shape and just the right amount for alot of things.)

Roll them up, then lay the roll seam-side down on top of the sauce in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the eggplant until the baking dish is full – you should have 6 of them.

Spoon more sauce over the eggplant rolls, then sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the eggplant is warmed through and the cheese is bubbling.

THE END RESULT

This meal was AMAZING! We all loved it - even Betsy, and she's in her picky toddler stage. Chris gave it a rating of "10". It took 35 minutes to make (not including slicing time), so I am pretty happy. I'll end it with an overall of 9.5 because it was a tad bit over time and it was a little hard for me to cut (but I'm a weakling anyway). This one is a total WIN for a weeknight meal.

We even had leftovers of the sausage-sauce-cheese mix.

I think it'll be wonderful over some ziti.

Recipe: Chicken & Apple Pot Pies

2010-01-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

Here is my first attempt at R3. I have always enjoyed cooking and am pretty good at it if I do say so myself; however, I am looking for fast, yummy, easy and cheap meals. So here we go:

INGREDIENTS

•2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
•2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, white or dark meat, diced into bite-size pieces
•3 tablespoons butter
•3 Empire, Gala or Honey Crisp apples, peeled and chopped
(What can I say, I had to show me peeling them...I love my monkey peeler!)

•3-4 small ribs celery, chopped
•1 onion, peeled and chopped
•1 bay leaf
•2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
•Salt and pepper
•2 tablespoons flour (I prefer cornstarch; it is a much better thickening agent)
•1 cup apple cider (apple juice works just as well)
•1 cup chicken stock
•1 sheet store-bought puff pastry dough, defrosted (if frozen)
•1 egg, beaten with water

PREPARATION

Pre-heat the oven to 400˚F.

Heat the EVOO in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown for 7-8 minutes, then remove to a plate.

Add the butter and melt. Add the apples, celery, onion, bay, thyme, salt and pepper and cook to soften, 8-10 minutes.

Sprinkle with flour, stir for 1 minute, then whisk in the cider and stock.

Slide the chicken back into the pan and simmer a few minutes to thicken the sauce.

Place the chicken and sauce in a casserole dish or in individual casserole dishes arranged on baking sheet to catch drips. Cover with the pastry dough, brush with the egg wash and bake until golden.

THE END RESULT

OK. In terms of aesthetics, this is certainly NOT what a pot pie of ANY sort should look like. I felt like it should have been more, well, solid. The flour did nothing to thicken up the gravy. However, it tasted pretty good. As my friend Chelsea does with her husband Shaun (see her blog BeingChelsea.Com), I asked my husband Chris to rate the meal on a scale of 1 to 10 - 1 being awful, 10 being awesome. He said "7". Which is pretty darn good, in my opinion.

Now we get to timing. This recipe is from RachaelRay.Com, and Ms. Ray of course is the Queen of 30 Minute Meals. Well, this thing took me over an hour to cook, not including all the chopping I had to do. So it is definitely NOT speedy. A 7 rating is pretty good, but for me it drops to a 5 since it wasn't thirty minutes or less cook time. So while I may make this again, it is certainly not a weeknight go-to dinner.

Calorie Count for a family of 4: about 430 per serving.

Patios, Pin-Ups, and Panties

2010-01-09T11:52:00.000-08:00

All my life I've loved gardens - who doesn't love a quiet little place full of foliage and flora? My stepmother has an AMAZING talent for gardening.

Unfortunately I cannot say the same for myself.

If my father saw the above photo it would break his heart. He bought me that New Guinea impatien as a Mother's Day gift last May. Sorry, Daddy. I killed her.

My patio is in dire need of a makeover as you can obviously tell. Husband and I have been talking about building our own veggie box garden for almost two years now. I would love to be able to fix this place up so I can relax and enjoy healthy food that I know is good for me all around because I grew it. Unfortunately the tomato plant my brother gifted to me died in the most recent frost - but even though it shot to ridiculous heighths and even sprouted little yellow flowers last summer, it never gave us tomatoes. So I have to try all over again.

I'm getting good use out of the triplets though!

20 + 10 = 30 lbs. to lose is currently underway. I have been tirelessly researching ways to maintain my curves and lose my flab. It's going to be tricky.

I have always held a fantastic desire to have a body like this:

There is just something so sexy about that era to me when curves were cherished instead of condemned.

Tying into this is my ridiculous addiction to lacy racy lingerie. I swear Husband is lucky to have someone who cares so much about what covers her butt.

That photo doesn't even begin to illustrate my insane collection of underwear. And that pile is about an inch thick.

Speaking of panties, last night we continued the pursuit of R1. Which meant I was seriously lacking in the undergarment department for the better part of the evening. Let's just say we REALLY enjoyed ourselves last night...no secret weapon required.

Organization frustration!

2010-01-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

ATTENTION: Extra-long BlogAlert!

MY GAME FACE!!!!!! Time to get to cleaning!

I have come to the conclusion that my house is an utter disaster.

WARNING: The images you are about to see are disturbing in nature and are not suitable for those with severe OCD.

This...is our bedroom.

When you first walk in.

My side of the bed...sigh.

First of all - the gun is NOT loaded. Secondly, that wooden monstrosity is my husband's homemade pull-up bar. Yep, hubbster is a carpenter. And that thing is in our room because I will not allow it to go elsewhere in the house.

Boardgames and old photographs. Believe it or not, they aren't usually there. Seriously they have been sitting there because I moved them from one place and just haven't had the time to find them a new home.

That's my closet.

I have NO idea.

The inside of my closet.

And here is our bathroom:

Welcome to Laundry Hell. Where dirty soulless socks go to die.

There is a countertop under there somewhere. This is a chronic occurrence. It'll be spic-n-span and the next day it'll look like the Toiletry Monster threw up all over it.

Since taking these photos I have cleaned up my side of the bedroom. My closet space is clear. You can see some floorspace again. Obviously I have a LONG way to go before R5 is completely achieved.

Today I continued the pursuit of R7. Here is Betsy visiting with my father. We went over today to bring him fried chicken and so Betsy could pick an orange off the orange tree he bought for her when he found out I was pregnant with her.

The tree - they brought it in out of the cold.

My dad peeling an orange for Betsy. They are seedless so they are perfect for her!

My camera was misbehaving.

Orange slices...

Betsy approves.

So now we come to the part where I admit that R1 was NOT achieved today. Chris is not feeling well and unlike me his libido is nonexistant when he is under the weather. So we have come up with a clause concerning skipped days: For every day that is missed we have to keep a tally and make up for it at the end of the month to even the score. This way even if we don't get 365 days, we will have done it at least 365 times.

Anyway. It's been a long day, and an even longer blog post, so for now I will say goodnight. If you've made it this far - treat yourself to a cookie. You've earned it.

What's cookin'...

2010-01-07T13:53:00.001-08:00

Today I went grocery shopping.

I have found seven new recipes to try, starting January 10, 2010. They will be served as follows:

SU: Chicken & Apple Pot Pies
MO: Italian Rollatini
TU: French Spring Chicken Pot
WE: Ravioli Soup
TH: Peanut-Curry Chicken w/Jasmine Rice
FR: Mini Canelloni Bake
SA: Chicken & Green Bean Soup w/Pesto

All recipes are from RachaelRay.com, with the exception of Ravioli Soup, which is from the February 2009 issue of Parents Magazine. All these meals supposedly take less than 30 minutes to make.

I wish I had more time, but it seems today will be a double-blog kind of day, as I am currently dealing with this:

Be back in a bit; till then - peace out girl scouts!

Random is as random does.

2010-01-06T16:34:00.000-08:00

Today my friend Chelsea listed me in her blog http://www.beingchelsea.com as a random factoid person that she'd like to know more about. I wasn't planning on blogging today so this is a bonus blog. Here you are Chelsea!

1. I have weird little OCD habits: before getting out of the shower I have to stick each of my feet under the water dripping out after turning off the faucet. My right arm and leg have to go into any article of clothing first. I like things in multiples of five and often if they are not in fives I feel as though they are off somehow. I know, I'm weird.

2. Ever since I was in kindergarten I have had this calendar in my head of the days of the week. It goes in an elliptical-shaped loop and for some reason that's just how I organize my days of the week.

3. I can't eat oatmeal. I know it's good for you, and I make sure Betsy eats hers, but I can't eat the stuff. It makes me physically ill.

4. I think I try too hard to get people to like me.

5. I like to read. So much in fact that if I have nothing to read I will read the dictionary or the ingredients on bottles of shampoo and the like.

6. I have the most irrational jealous streak. I am serious. It's borderline psychotic.

7. I can't stand it when people lean over my shoulder to see what I'm doing. I think it is rude and terribly nosy and it makes it impossible for me to concentrate. Personal space please!

Totes for tots...

2010-01-05T16:17:00.000-08:00

This morning I definitely accomplished R10. Good thing too, because the rest of the day was anything but time for myself. Here is a picture of my sweet self. I am quite proud of this outfit as I put it together myself. It's Target (Tar-jhay :P) Couture at its finest, and definitely a Sass original:

After getting dressed Betsy and I went and ran lots of errands.

We went to the Book Exchange, where Betsy made friends with Katie the Burmese Mountain Dog:

And to the recycling center, where we picked up our shiny, brand-spankin'-new, bright blue recycling bins:

Triplets, aren't they just so snazzy and cute! They are only in their infancy but because of R8 they will soon grow and experience new things in the recycling community!

Then on to Target for diapers, where I stumbled upon my own personal heaven:

Drool. Big purple sign promising me salvation and deliverance from my depths-of-dire-hell of a household and the road to redemption (also known as R5). I believe! I believe!

And lo, because I believe, because my faith in the good sign is strong and true, I was thusly rewarded:

Finally, R5 is truly coming to life. Can I get a WITNESS!!

Now, onto the Ten Commandments:

1. Thou shall know thy husband each day: I promised y'all I would tell you what I thought of my secret weapon and here is the initial verdict - FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! So freakin' HOTTTT! And not in a good way! That stuff BURNS! Also in the end it was not as intense as I had anticipated. Sex was only fractionally more intense that usual. But, I am willing to give it another chance. It's not like I can return it.

2. Thou shall do math, like it, and love it when you lose weight: Yesterday morning I started putting together a regimen that I would like to stick to - gym every other day, and on off days do a combination of yoga and ab strength training to some rockin' tunes. Once the weather warms up I plan on taking the kids for walks, possibly even joining Stroller Strides.

3. Thou shall be talented in the kitchen, and with thy wallet: Yeah, you're still gonna have to wait until the 7th, but I've been looking up some interesting recipes. Maybe if I'm lucky my friend Chelsea will hook me up with some of her pumpkin butter from Trader Joe's. She has some extra jars and we don't have TJ around here. And it sounds YUMMY!!!

4. Thou shall pray every day: Got it covered. I like talking to God. It's nice just talking to him without just calling Him up and asking him for a handout. I feel like I could really get to know Him this way.

5. Thou shalt not be a slob: As you can see from earlier, I am starting to really boogie on this one. I have a long way and a lot of totes to go, but I am so excited!!

6. Thou shalt not waste all thy income: Today when I went to the bank I held on to ten percent of my paycheck. It's been socked away.

7. Thou shall keep in touch: Well, today was ALL about some keeping in touch. I talked to some friends, my dad, both brothers, my mother, my grandmother, my grandfather, my great-grandmother, my mom's boyfriend, my brother's girlfriend, and left messages for my dad's fiance. While the circumstances surrounding this sudden explosion of communicado were less than ideal...I contributed!

8. Thou shalt not waste: Ahhh, recycling. It feels so good to come home to you.

9. Thou shalt not have a potty mouth: Doing great with this one so far! I am shocked but pleased.

10. Thou shall make time for thyself: It was only a little bit of time, but in the end I had on a cute outfit, hot hair, and pretty make-up. I felt good about myself all day today! I kept checking MYSELF out!!!!

Rules of the resolution revolution...

2010-01-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

Because I do have a life outside of the computer I won't be able to post daily, at least not on this particular blog. I will try. I like to surprise people so I won't set a certain schedule as to when I'll post a blog. I could post AT ANY TIME. Maybe even twice a day! I know, I'm unpredictable like that.

Also, because I AM trying to be more organized, I'll blog about all of my resolutions every day that I post. I'll do it in a list, from 1 to 10. Mini blogs in a big blog kinda thing. Let's start now!!!

1. 365: Today is Day Three and we are still doing it. Today at Target I picked up this...

I've never used this stuff before. EVER. Any kind. Not once in my life. Should be interesting; I'll let you know how it goes. I wonder if I should tell my husband or if I should consider it a "secret weapon"...

2. 20 + 10 = 30 lbs.: I plan on starting this up as soon as I'm well again (I'm recovering from a severe upper respiratory infection). As of January 3, 2010, I weigh 155 lbs. and have a 36 inch waist. I am 5'4" tall. Here is a picture of me less than three years ago, before kids...

And this is me now...

Definitely in need of some improvement.

3. The impossible menu: This challenge begins on January 7, 2010. I hope to have two months' worth of meals by the end of the year.

4. Pray every day: Of course I've started this one. I'll let you know how it goes. So far it's nice to just have a quiet moment so I'm thanking God for all He gives me these days!

5. Become more organized: Ooh, I like this one, it is a favorite. I get to buy pretty shiny storage totes and move stuff around and feel like I've done something in a much shorter time span. For example:

This is our itty bitty entryway. It shames me to say that I've been working on this since December 2008, but it's the truth. When we moved in to our townhouse that whole space was filled with these ridiculous shelves, top to bottom. Thankfully they were removable. But my husband being the pack rat he is, he decided to save all the shelves under our stairs (which recently got cleaned out). We hung up the pegs and were happy but stuff kept piling up on the floorspace. When we cleaned up underneath our stairs I decided to actually utilize one of the shelves and two baskets I also found under there. Now we have a shelf space, a basket for shoes, and a basket for our grocery bags. Hooks for keys too!

6. Ten percent fund: I have a very part-time job at our church on Sundays; I teach Children's Church. It's not much but I get a check every two weeks. So I'll be starting that this coming week.

7. Keeping in touch: This is harder than it sounds as I have a VERY large group of friends and family quite literally all over the world but I'm certain I can do it. Ironically it's the family I live closest to that I rarely communicate with. This isn't by choice. We're all just really bad with telephones.

8. Recycle: I am going to the recycling center tomorrow to pick up our very own tote! I'm SO excited to have one of those little blue buckets. I'm so proud of us.

9. Stop Swearing: I've made a list of acceptable replacement words. My kids don't need to be EXACTLY like me...it's cute when they repeat stuff, but seriously, not when they repeat THAT stuff. Thankfully they haven't started repeating them yet, but I need to stop repeating them too!

10. Make time for me: I'm remarkably good at this one, but probably not as good as I should be. I need to let go of some control issues and let a babysitter INTO MY LIFE! Know any good ones?

Starting the new year with a BANG!

2010-01-02T03:27:00.000-08:00

Pun TOTALLY intended! WARNING NOW: ADULT CONTENT/TMI ALERT.

Last night Christopher and I initiated our joint 365 project...in the shower.

Now let me explain something about the shower. We discovered while I was pregnant with Betsy, our oldest, that shower sex is the way to go when:

I am not in the mood
I am not feeling well
We don't have alot of time
We are too tired to make it in bed and the water keeps us from passing out
We don't want to alarm our kids or neighbors with any noise
We are in the mood to multitask - i.e., get dirty and then get clean, after all, we had to shower to begin with. Kill two birds with one stone.

We are shower sexperts, if I do say so myself. Nearly two years of practice will do that to you.

And we do it without protection. That's right - no skid-proof bath mat! We are risktakers.

Now, some of you might be saying, "That's how you jumpstarted the New Year? That hardly seems right. A quickie in the shower?" Well, if that's your mindset, then you obviously don't have kids. So shut it.

Sorry 2010, but I don't think you can handle what's behind the curtain. Maybe when you're a little older.

My New Year's Resolution:

2010-01-01T12:28:00.001-08:00

It's not only a new year, it's a new decade. To commemorate this I've decided to set ten goals for myself to complete in the year 2010.

My name is Ashley, and I am a wife and a stay at home mom to a toddler daughter and an infant son. Thank you for your interest in my project.

Here is THE LIST...

1. 365 Days of Intercourse: That's right. As a joint effort my husband Christopher and I are embarking on a journey of sex in the bedroom. And the kitchen. And the car. Maybe some hotels. Possibly on the beach. We'll see where it takes us. Maybe even my mother in law's dining room for kicks.

2. 20 + 10 = 30 Pounds to Lose: I've basically been pregnant for two years straight (my children Betsy and Ben were born less than a year apart). My body is not what it used to be. While I have accepted that it will never be the same, I know I can improve it. To attain my "new" body I will be trying to shed 30 lbs. by December 31, 2010.

3. The Menu That Doesn't Exist: Yet. I'm determined to find meals that are cheap, tasty, healthy, and easy to make in thirty minutes or less. Ought to be a fun one.

4. Pray Every Day: I don't believe I pray enough. And through prayer I hope to become more spiritually aware and alive. Hopefully God and I will become much closer in 2010.

5. Become More Organized: I have too much stuff and not enough space. It's time to purge and buy some appropriate storage containers.

6. Ten Percent Fund: Any money I might make or receive in some way this year will be portioned out so that 10% of it will be saved for something more important than a cute pair of shoes.

7. Keep In Touch: I won't wait for friends and family to contact me. I WILL make more of an effort this year.

8. Recycle: We have a recycling Dumpster in our neighborhood now. This should make things much easier for me. It hasn't been, however. I've been very lazy. It's time to change that.

9. Stop Swearing: Betsy is in the parrot stage and I don't need her repeating most of what I say. Just because I am the daughter of a sailor doesn't mean I have to prove it.

10. Make Time for Me: I never do this. I need to do this. I WILL DO THIS.