Turkey Meatball Soup (We got two meals out of this)
INGREDIENTS:
1 TBSP. olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped (I hate celery, I used a dash of celery seed instead)
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp. fennel seed
1 can petite diced tomatoes
5 cups chicken stock (I used 4 as that is what size I had)
1 lb. ground turkey
Handful of parsley, chopped
1 egg
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (I used the low fat stuff)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pinch nutmeg
4 handfuls fresh spinach (I used an entire container of the organic stuff in the plastic bin)
Salt & Pepper to taste
For Spice if you want: a few dashes of Tobasco or Red Pepper Flakes - this is what we did.
1. Heat a large pot to medium heat and add olive oil. Sautee the carrots, celery, onion, and fennel seed until onion is a light golden brown. Add the diced tomatoes and chicken stock, then turn up the heat and bring the soup to a slow boil.
2. While the stock is coming to a boil, mix ground turkey, egg, parmesan cheese, garlic, and nutmeg together. Roll into about 20 balls and drop into the soup - a note here: I would roll them into much smaller balls. It is a little boring, but I wound up chopping the meatballs into quarters as I ate it.
Wait until you have all the meatballs rolled out before you drop them into the soup and try to add them all quickly so they all cook at the same rate. Cook the meatballs in the soup while it simmers for about 10-15 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for an additional 10 minutes!
It will smell, and TASTE amazing, and best part is super low in calories carbs and high in protein!
Nutrition: 256 calories, 26 g protein, 11 g carbs, 12 g fat, 4 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 832 mg sodium
Adapted from Muscle and Fitness Hers magazine, and given to me by Sara B.!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Lemon Chicken Recipe
Lemon Chicken - From Jillian Michaels Master Your Metabolism Cookbook
1 tsp. lemon zest
Juice of a lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or oregano
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
2 garlic cloves, minded
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 (4 to 5 ounce ) boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 pitted kalamata olives, halved ( I skipped this)
Olive oil spray for the grill.
To prepare the dressing.. whisk together the lemon zest and juice, the basil, honey, mustard, garlic and salt and pepper. Whisking constantly, add the olive oil in a slow stream. Set aside.
To prepare chicken: It is best to POUND the chicken breasts so they are all the same thickness. I sometimes don’t have time for this and things seem just as tasty but if I can I do it. Other than that, just plac the chicken breasts in a plastic bag, poured the half the dressing over them, and allowed them to marinate for a few hours. Sometimes I only do 30 minutes depending on how much time I have. So 30mins to 3 hours!
If using a gas or charcoal grill, spray the grill with olive oil spray and prepare a medium hot grill.
Discard the marinade and grill the chicken until it is opaque in the center, 5 to 6 minutes per side.
Place the chicken on platter and drizzle with the remaining dressing.
1 tsp. lemon zest
Juice of a lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or oregano
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
2 garlic cloves, minded
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 (4 to 5 ounce ) boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 pitted kalamata olives, halved ( I skipped this)
Olive oil spray for the grill.
To prepare the dressing.. whisk together the lemon zest and juice, the basil, honey, mustard, garlic and salt and pepper. Whisking constantly, add the olive oil in a slow stream. Set aside.
To prepare chicken: It is best to POUND the chicken breasts so they are all the same thickness. I sometimes don’t have time for this and things seem just as tasty but if I can I do it. Other than that, just plac the chicken breasts in a plastic bag, poured the half the dressing over them, and allowed them to marinate for a few hours. Sometimes I only do 30 minutes depending on how much time I have. So 30mins to 3 hours!
If using a gas or charcoal grill, spray the grill with olive oil spray and prepare a medium hot grill.
Discard the marinade and grill the chicken until it is opaque in the center, 5 to 6 minutes per side.
Place the chicken on platter and drizzle with the remaining dressing.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
No Yoga.
That's right... I said it. No yoga! The P90X program incorporates Yoga once a week. For us, it is typically on Thursday. We hate it. We loathe it. It is insanely boring. We do an hour of it, but it is actually a 90 minute program. I can't imagine doing all of that!
For our first 90 days, we did pretty much do the yoga. We hated it all the way...but I definitely saw tons of improvement on both our parts. Downward dog, plank...vinyasas...warrior this and warrior that... Its torture. We liked the balance poses a lot though. When we first started I could barely do any plank, etc. By the end of our 90 days I could do them all! Kevin can even do crane...crazy! I can get crane for about 1/8 a second. LOL
Anyway, for our second round, we decided not to do Yoga, except once during our Recovery weeks (every 4th week).
YAY FOR NO YOGA! We can't make this a lifestyle change if there is something we hate so much..it's just a fact.
So tomorrow is Kenpo day, woo hoo! Kenpo is super fun and a great calorie burn!
For our first 90 days, we did pretty much do the yoga. We hated it all the way...but I definitely saw tons of improvement on both our parts. Downward dog, plank...vinyasas...warrior this and warrior that... Its torture. We liked the balance poses a lot though. When we first started I could barely do any plank, etc. By the end of our 90 days I could do them all! Kevin can even do crane...crazy! I can get crane for about 1/8 a second. LOL
Anyway, for our second round, we decided not to do Yoga, except once during our Recovery weeks (every 4th week).
YAY FOR NO YOGA! We can't make this a lifestyle change if there is something we hate so much..it's just a fact.
So tomorrow is Kenpo day, woo hoo! Kenpo is super fun and a great calorie burn!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Movie Review: The Help
If you haven't read the book you should. It is very good. The movie is well done and a great adaptation from the book. The did a great job making it different enough to be interesting, and the characters were spot on. The things they left out were fine and weren't missed by me.
The movie is about a young white woman, fresh out of college back in the late 60's in Mississippi. She aspires to be a writer, and is a bit unconventional. She decides to write a book with stories from the help...so really it's about the help and they went through at the time. The book was more serious, and sometimes horrifying. The movie was a little lighter and funnier.
I saw a lot of folks crying in the movie and being very moved. I wasn't, but perhaps it was because I had already read the book and gotten even more from it?
All in all, it's a great flick with some eye opening stories to make you grateful to live NOW, and not bald then. Can you even imagine? I can't, not at all.
The movie is about a young white woman, fresh out of college back in the late 60's in Mississippi. She aspires to be a writer, and is a bit unconventional. She decides to write a book with stories from the help...so really it's about the help and they went through at the time. The book was more serious, and sometimes horrifying. The movie was a little lighter and funnier.
I saw a lot of folks crying in the movie and being very moved. I wasn't, but perhaps it was because I had already read the book and gotten even more from it?
All in all, it's a great flick with some eye opening stories to make you grateful to live NOW, and not bald then. Can you even imagine? I can't, not at all.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Dinner at The Pub...
There was a time we ate dinner at the Rhinelander Cafe & Pub every Friday night....literally for two years in a row. There is a large variety on the menu from lobster to a burger. The service was good, although a bit slow at times, but we were willing to put up with that because the quality of the food was always good.
This is no longer.
In the past six months to a year, we have walked out after sitting with no service for 20 minutes, had awful waitresses, and awful food. Case in point last night: we waited a good 30 minutes for a table....ok we can deal with that. Our table was in the back, next to the door....not ideal but hey, there are worse tables we've sat at! Our waitress waited on people who were seated AFTER us....then walked away but came back real quick when she saw us gawking at her. Exceptionally slow food delivery... And then the steak. Normally Kevin orders the strip steak, which is AMAZING! But he ordered the fillet, which is leaner. Well, it was awful. The taste was just wretched. We told our waitress, and she asked if we wanted another, no thank you! I shared my broiled, blackened shrimp ( which was exceptional). When we got our bill, they had taken $5.00 off a $20.00 steak we ate one bite of.
Needless to say, we weren't pleased. After 10 minutes of speaking nicely, and I hope constructively with the manager, we were given a $20.00 gift card. So, I'm satisfied, but not sure when we'll be spending that, as we aren't going back.
Hope they get their isssues worked out!
This is no longer.
In the past six months to a year, we have walked out after sitting with no service for 20 minutes, had awful waitresses, and awful food. Case in point last night: we waited a good 30 minutes for a table....ok we can deal with that. Our table was in the back, next to the door....not ideal but hey, there are worse tables we've sat at! Our waitress waited on people who were seated AFTER us....then walked away but came back real quick when she saw us gawking at her. Exceptionally slow food delivery... And then the steak. Normally Kevin orders the strip steak, which is AMAZING! But he ordered the fillet, which is leaner. Well, it was awful. The taste was just wretched. We told our waitress, and she asked if we wanted another, no thank you! I shared my broiled, blackened shrimp ( which was exceptional). When we got our bill, they had taken $5.00 off a $20.00 steak we ate one bite of.
Needless to say, we weren't pleased. After 10 minutes of speaking nicely, and I hope constructively with the manager, we were given a $20.00 gift card. So, I'm satisfied, but not sure when we'll be spending that, as we aren't going back.
Hope they get their isssues worked out!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Movie Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love
Overall I really loved this movie! Oh my gosh I laughed so hard at parts of it! Truly hysterical, and nice that it wasn't the gross-out raunchy humor that has been so popular lately (Bridesmaids, The Hangover, etc). This is a solid "adult" drama, comedy I'd say. Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, bunch of other actors. One of those movies with lots of characters and story lines.
Don't know that you need to rush out ASAP and see this - there are no cool special effects or anything. Just lots of laughs, some sad times, some heartwarming times, and a few good snickers! It was a perfect getaway for me though - a break from the realities of the work week.
If I want to get picky, I'd say Julianne Moore's character could have used more development, as she pretty much was the same in the whole movie. Maybe they did that on purpose and it was supposed to be focused on Steve carell's part.
Don't know that you need to rush out ASAP and see this - there are no cool special effects or anything. Just lots of laughs, some sad times, some heartwarming times, and a few good snickers! It was a perfect getaway for me though - a break from the realities of the work week.
If I want to get picky, I'd say Julianne Moore's character could have used more development, as she pretty much was the same in the whole movie. Maybe they did that on purpose and it was supposed to be focused on Steve carell's part.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Dangling Conversations
Today was Shoulders & Arms workout. I like this one because there are no pushups or pull ups involved! So you can't really go wrong. Also another torturous 16 minutes of Ab Ripper X. Good times at 6am....good times.
I listened to the collective works of Simon & Garfunkle at work today. Very calming, which is nice. Such good lyrics.... Lots of good memories of working at Batawagama as well. Old friends...
(more drowned fruit flies!)
This recall election is getting out of hand on tv...the ads are worse than I have ever seen, and insanely frequent. One more week until the recall election and I cannot wait to have these ads go away.
I listened to the collective works of Simon & Garfunkle at work today. Very calming, which is nice. Such good lyrics.... Lots of good memories of working at Batawagama as well. Old friends...
(more drowned fruit flies!)
This recall election is getting out of hand on tv...the ads are worse than I have ever seen, and insanely frequent. One more week until the recall election and I cannot wait to have these ads go away.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Nice Hummus Recipe
Love the foods on this blog! Made this Sunday night and it is a great way to use up basil when you have an overabundance.
http://www.dailygarnish.com/?s=Basil+hummus
http://www.dailygarnish.com/?s=Basil+hummus
Plyogenics & Fruit Flies
Today was our first stab at Plyogenics after 3 weeks absence. I have to say I was impressed with us! Normally we start cursing at the tv around 20 minutes in, but this time it was more like 40 minutes in before the words started flying! Also by now, we know we can do it, and do it even more than before.
Fwiw- Plyogenics is cardio with lots of jumping. I attribute it to my better speed and coordination at agility lately.
Oh and the fruit flies are back. UGH!! I have two bowls of vinegar with soap in them sitting out and they have been sinking many a fruit fly! Hate those things...
My abs are killing me...another round of Ab Ripper is up tomorrow.
Fwiw- Plyogenics is cardio with lots of jumping. I attribute it to my better speed and coordination at agility lately.
Oh and the fruit flies are back. UGH!! I have two bowls of vinegar with soap in them sitting out and they have been sinking many a fruit fly! Hate those things...
My abs are killing me...another round of Ab Ripper is up tomorrow.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Tired, Achy, Sore... Ahhhh... Welcome back to P90X! Round 2 starts TODAY!
Well, after two weeks of very little activity on the workout end - we are finally back at P90X. We finished our 1st 90 days a couple weeks ago and decided to take a little break in between. I think 2 weeks was a bit much, or, we should have done one or two workouts in there. I did a few cardio workouts but it wasn't enough.
I feel 100 times better this morning now that we are back at working out! Yay!!! Today was Chest & Back, + Ab Ripper X. We haven't done any strength or Ab Ripper for THREE weeks because our last week of the 1st round was Recovery Week, which doesnt have strength or abs. It was tough, but felt good.
Trying to keep track of reps/weights so can make sure we improve and dont dog it!
Also going to try to do a Shakeology Shake once a day this round. I do think it is helpful. Seems to quench the appetite a bit, and is full of your daily vitamin needs, plus is low cal, low carb. Going to try to have it in the a.m., as p.m. for me is more munchies, and carrots work for that.
I feel 100 times better this morning now that we are back at working out! Yay!!! Today was Chest & Back, + Ab Ripper X. We haven't done any strength or Ab Ripper for THREE weeks because our last week of the 1st round was Recovery Week, which doesnt have strength or abs. It was tough, but felt good.
Trying to keep track of reps/weights so can make sure we improve and dont dog it!
Also going to try to do a Shakeology Shake once a day this round. I do think it is helpful. Seems to quench the appetite a bit, and is full of your daily vitamin needs, plus is low cal, low carb. Going to try to have it in the a.m., as p.m. for me is more munchies, and carrots work for that.
REBOOT!
I am going to try to reboot this Blog. Blogs are great fun, and it was really enjoyable to look through some of these old posts. Love it! So, let's start fresh NOW.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Recipes from last night
We had a "Tapas" kind of night last night for dinner. Started with some homeade guacamole - yum. I chopped up 2 small avacados, a small handfull of white onion well chopped, and a handful of cilantro, along with a splash of apple cider vinegar (wanted lime, but forgot to buy) - and then some salt & pepper. It was divine! We ate it all.
Next I put together finely chopped kalamata olives (1/3 cup), 2 Tablespoons of chopped sun dried tomatoes in oil, 1 TB of the oil from the tomatoes, a handful of chopped basil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Last I threw in some feta cheese. This was served over lightly toasted bread sliced. It was very tasty!!
The other dish we had was simple - sliced roasted red peppers, hard salami slices, and slices of asiago cheese. All stacked as you wish on the lightly toased bread.
It was a bit of an odd meal, but it filled us up and was very tasty! You could do this as appetizers for guests sometimes really easily. The olive mix, I would make a larger batch of, and the mini-sandwhiches I would maybe add some interesting mustard mix to put on, and you could do ham/swiss/tomato as well.
Next I put together finely chopped kalamata olives (1/3 cup), 2 Tablespoons of chopped sun dried tomatoes in oil, 1 TB of the oil from the tomatoes, a handful of chopped basil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Last I threw in some feta cheese. This was served over lightly toasted bread sliced. It was very tasty!!
The other dish we had was simple - sliced roasted red peppers, hard salami slices, and slices of asiago cheese. All stacked as you wish on the lightly toased bread.
It was a bit of an odd meal, but it filled us up and was very tasty! You could do this as appetizers for guests sometimes really easily. The olive mix, I would make a larger batch of, and the mini-sandwhiches I would maybe add some interesting mustard mix to put on, and you could do ham/swiss/tomato as well.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
FOOD, what else?
Since last monday (april 20), I have been trying VERY hard to stay away from too much processed sugar and foods. This is a very big accomplishment for me lately, since now it has been 10 days! Including a weekend out of town! I think I am back on track. I really need to be as well, because I have gained weight which is not good.
Bad part is I am off to Florida on saturday for a solid week. I am going to have to work very hard to eat properly down there, and make sure Kevin supports me. We have a bad habit of buying pastries for breakfast, and not too healthy snacks on the beach, and too much food for dinner. I think I can do it though. Plus, I am going to try to do some jogging on the beach. All the way down to the public beach! That is about a mile. It will certainly be a challenge, but I believe I can do it! As far as the eating goes, I think if I stay away from appetizers, and carbs, and red meat, it'll be OK. Here's hoping anyway!
Bad part is I am off to Florida on saturday for a solid week. I am going to have to work very hard to eat properly down there, and make sure Kevin supports me. We have a bad habit of buying pastries for breakfast, and not too healthy snacks on the beach, and too much food for dinner. I think I can do it though. Plus, I am going to try to do some jogging on the beach. All the way down to the public beach! That is about a mile. It will certainly be a challenge, but I believe I can do it! As far as the eating goes, I think if I stay away from appetizers, and carbs, and red meat, it'll be OK. Here's hoping anyway!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Eating
I am having a terrible time with my food intake lately. I need to MAJORLY get this under control. I HAVE been working out 3 times a week for almost 3 months now I think? That's crazy...except this week has been bad. I havent been at all. I better go tonight. Thankfully, because of the exercise, I havent gained weight...except in the last week!
When I was following my "anti-sugar, anti-processed food diet" I did so well and lost 20 lbs! All of which is back now, 2 years later. I still eat better than I did prior to that, but I think I need to focus better back on that. I really need to get away from my sugar cravings - totally out of control. I crave crave crave sugar. Plus I have no self control. Do you know how difficult it is for me to leave the grocery store without a candy bar or a box of super sweet cereal? It's nearly impossible! I did on Monday, but then Tuesday I went to Golden Harvest and came away with 6 impossible to resist cookies (okay, and an apple bar). I was proud of myself monday, and depressed with myself tuesday! Today is wednesday...so far not too bad...
Normal ceral/toast for breakfast. Lunch same thing. Dinner I ate a VERY healthy low fat tilapia fillet on whole wheat toast with mustard & fat free mayo, along with a large serving of steamed corn. At work I also had a bananna, some carrots, and then about 6 little chocolate eggs (Laura's fault! I had to sit at her desk for awhile and they were staring at me!) I am hopeful today is a starting point! There is not much else in my house to eat that is not healthy.
Do you know that if I have sugar, butter & cinnamon available in my house I will eat like, 6 pieces of cinnamon & sugar toast? Seriously.
Also of course I am an emotional eater...bad day = CAKE! I try to not do this, but I do. And winter is worse, because it is dreary and cold and horrible out.
What amazes me is that I KNOW I feel better and am more productive if I eat healthy and go work out. If I dont, I sit on the couch and feel like total dogshit. Total! And I know it, so why do I do it? I KNOW if I eat 6 cookies I will feel like crap, but apparently the yumminess eating them is worth the ugh after? Not really. I could probably eat just ONE and be just as happy and not feel like ugh after. But I do it anyway.
So in the end, I'm going to try harder, or hope to try harder, or something.
......need chocolate......
When I was following my "anti-sugar, anti-processed food diet" I did so well and lost 20 lbs! All of which is back now, 2 years later. I still eat better than I did prior to that, but I think I need to focus better back on that. I really need to get away from my sugar cravings - totally out of control. I crave crave crave sugar. Plus I have no self control. Do you know how difficult it is for me to leave the grocery store without a candy bar or a box of super sweet cereal? It's nearly impossible! I did on Monday, but then Tuesday I went to Golden Harvest and came away with 6 impossible to resist cookies (okay, and an apple bar). I was proud of myself monday, and depressed with myself tuesday! Today is wednesday...so far not too bad...
Normal ceral/toast for breakfast. Lunch same thing. Dinner I ate a VERY healthy low fat tilapia fillet on whole wheat toast with mustard & fat free mayo, along with a large serving of steamed corn. At work I also had a bananna, some carrots, and then about 6 little chocolate eggs (Laura's fault! I had to sit at her desk for awhile and they were staring at me!) I am hopeful today is a starting point! There is not much else in my house to eat that is not healthy.
Do you know that if I have sugar, butter & cinnamon available in my house I will eat like, 6 pieces of cinnamon & sugar toast? Seriously.
Also of course I am an emotional eater...bad day = CAKE! I try to not do this, but I do. And winter is worse, because it is dreary and cold and horrible out.
What amazes me is that I KNOW I feel better and am more productive if I eat healthy and go work out. If I dont, I sit on the couch and feel like total dogshit. Total! And I know it, so why do I do it? I KNOW if I eat 6 cookies I will feel like crap, but apparently the yumminess eating them is worth the ugh after? Not really. I could probably eat just ONE and be just as happy and not feel like ugh after. But I do it anyway.
So in the end, I'm going to try harder, or hope to try harder, or something.
......need chocolate......
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Doggies
I missed Molly this winter, when my feet were cold and she was not there to lay on them.
I miss Molly at night when there is no stinky dog paw in my face.
I miss Molly in the morning, when she is not there to snuggle up on the bed with me for a morning belly rub.
I missed Molly this spring, when there are no chewed up sticks in the front yard to clean up.
I miss Molly in the afternoon, when she's not there barking at the door to come in.
I miss Molly in the morning, when she's not there barking at the door to come in.
I miss Molly in the evening, when her soulful eyes are not staring at me from the other end of the couch.
I miss Molly on the couch, when her head is not there on my leg claiming me as hers.
I miss Molly's warm, dry, not right nose.
I miss Molly's incessant, high-pitched, irritating barking.
I miss Molly's refusal to go outside when she knew there food to be had.
I miss Molly's fear of the smoke alarm (which were all disabled while she was alive).
I miss Molly lying on the bathmat while I took a shower.
I miss Molly's smile when I come home.
I miss Molly's floppy ears.
I miss Molly's huge furry paws.
I miss Molly's stinky farts.
I miss Molly's snoring and groaning as she slept.
I miss Molly in her chair.
I miss the tip of Molly's tail wagging when she would see me come in the room, or hear my voice from another room.
I miss Molly.
I miss Molly at night when there is no stinky dog paw in my face.
I miss Molly in the morning, when she is not there to snuggle up on the bed with me for a morning belly rub.
I missed Molly this spring, when there are no chewed up sticks in the front yard to clean up.
I miss Molly in the afternoon, when she's not there barking at the door to come in.
I miss Molly in the morning, when she's not there barking at the door to come in.
I miss Molly in the evening, when her soulful eyes are not staring at me from the other end of the couch.
I miss Molly on the couch, when her head is not there on my leg claiming me as hers.
I miss Molly's warm, dry, not right nose.
I miss Molly's incessant, high-pitched, irritating barking.
I miss Molly's refusal to go outside when she knew there food to be had.
I miss Molly's fear of the smoke alarm (which were all disabled while she was alive).
I miss Molly lying on the bathmat while I took a shower.
I miss Molly's smile when I come home.
I miss Molly's floppy ears.
I miss Molly's huge furry paws.
I miss Molly's stinky farts.
I miss Molly's snoring and groaning as she slept.
I miss Molly in her chair.
I miss the tip of Molly's tail wagging when she would see me come in the room, or hear my voice from another room.
I miss Molly.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Best Mac 'n Cheese EVER
Kevin confirmed, this was the best mac 'n cheese ever! Note I made the sauce extra creamy & more than was mentioned in the recipe, because I have used similar recipes and they came out too dry. This was PERFECT. Also, I just used plain old breadcrumbs from a jar.
Ingredients:
4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.
Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.
Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.
Ingredients:
4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.
Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.
Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.
Sensual Beef
Here is what I made for dinner saturday night - note the butcher said they dont get skirt steak anymore, and gave me sirloin tip. If I make this again, I would instead do tenderloin or something. I just dont like chewy meat. This was actually very tasty. The recipe is kinda vauge on the measurements. I recommend using just 1/2 cup of sprite & the rest to taste - it made a VAST amount of liquid that was wayyy to much:
The Sensual Beef Salad
Skirt Steak, Pineapple, Radish, Cucumber
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Directions:Pineapple, Radish & Cucumber:
Mix ingedients in a salad bowl.
Skirt Steak:
Season skirt steaks with salt, pepper and chili flakes. Grill in olive oil to medium rare and allow to rest. Then slice thin against the grain.
Lime Dressing:
Mix ingredients in a bowl.
Assembly:
Add chopped cilantro and mint to pineapple, radish and cucumber. Dress with lime dressing and mix. Add sliced steak.
Send a link Print it Ingredients:Pineapple, Radish & Cucumber:
1 pineapple, peeled, diced
1 bunch radish, sliced
1 cucumber, sliced
Skirt Steak:
1 lb skirt steak
Salt and pepper to taste
Chili flakes to taste
1 oz extra virgin olive oil
Lime Dressing:
1 sprite
1/2 cup fish sauce
1 cup lime juice
4 chilies
1T white vinegar
Garnishes:
Chopped cilantro
Chopped mint
The Sensual Beef Salad
Skirt Steak, Pineapple, Radish, Cucumber
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Directions:Pineapple, Radish & Cucumber:
Mix ingedients in a salad bowl.
Skirt Steak:
Season skirt steaks with salt, pepper and chili flakes. Grill in olive oil to medium rare and allow to rest. Then slice thin against the grain.
Lime Dressing:
Mix ingredients in a bowl.
Assembly:
Add chopped cilantro and mint to pineapple, radish and cucumber. Dress with lime dressing and mix. Add sliced steak.
Send a link Print it Ingredients:Pineapple, Radish & Cucumber:
1 pineapple, peeled, diced
1 bunch radish, sliced
1 cucumber, sliced
Skirt Steak:
1 lb skirt steak
Salt and pepper to taste
Chili flakes to taste
1 oz extra virgin olive oil
Lime Dressing:
1 sprite
1/2 cup fish sauce
1 cup lime juice
4 chilies
1T white vinegar
Garnishes:
Chopped cilantro
Chopped mint
Saturday, February 7, 2009
FIVE WEEKS!
I cant even believe I just realized I have been going to the gym 3 times a week for FIVE WEEKS IN A ROW! This is a new record, and the most physical exercise I have gotten since oh, year 1 of college, so that would be like 1993 or something.
Have only seemd to lost about 1 lb, maybe 2, have to check for sure. But I am doing good I think. Maybe I even feel a little more toned, it is hard to say. I thought maybe the other day my arms looked a little less fat.
This was a HUGE week for me working out. I have been doing the torturous Elliptical machine for the past 3 or even 4 weeks. It is some sort of love/hate relationship I think. Anyway, I used to just barely make it 20 minutes on that little bit of hell, but then I worked up to 30. It took me about 18 minutes to do a mile. My goal has been to do a mile in 15 minutes. This week I did a mile in LESS THAN 14 MINUTES!!!!!!!! This is huge! It means I am pushing myself. I sweat even! Yes really, Melissa Sweats! Its crazy I tell you, crazy! I am finding that I can keep my heartrate up, too. I can get up to like 145 and not die. I was certain I would a few nights, but I didnt, so I am braver now.
So all in all, its going well, and I am definately going to continue with hopes that I get more toned, and also of course lose weight, but just LOOKING less fatty would be great in my opinion.
Have only seemd to lost about 1 lb, maybe 2, have to check for sure. But I am doing good I think. Maybe I even feel a little more toned, it is hard to say. I thought maybe the other day my arms looked a little less fat.
This was a HUGE week for me working out. I have been doing the torturous Elliptical machine for the past 3 or even 4 weeks. It is some sort of love/hate relationship I think. Anyway, I used to just barely make it 20 minutes on that little bit of hell, but then I worked up to 30. It took me about 18 minutes to do a mile. My goal has been to do a mile in 15 minutes. This week I did a mile in LESS THAN 14 MINUTES!!!!!!!! This is huge! It means I am pushing myself. I sweat even! Yes really, Melissa Sweats! Its crazy I tell you, crazy! I am finding that I can keep my heartrate up, too. I can get up to like 145 and not die. I was certain I would a few nights, but I didnt, so I am braver now.
So all in all, its going well, and I am definately going to continue with hopes that I get more toned, and also of course lose weight, but just LOOKING less fatty would be great in my opinion.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Last week
Last week I went to the gym on Monday & Tuesday night, but Wed & Thur is was just too damn cold!!!! I did however go on Friday night! So 3 times which is good. I did some shoveling saturday (great cardio), and today I took Mocca for a walk across the lake with 10 extra pounds in boots on, so it was a real workout! It was interesting that on the 2 days I did not go to the gym, I felt like POO all night. I would like to blame that on starting these antibiotics, but probably isnt true.
Last week I found I had lost 1lb since the week before, so I am quite happy about that. I would like to lose 1lb a week. I think I am on the way. I have not had any incidents of over-eating, and no vast quantities of cookies or candy bars...a bit, but nothing horrid like I am known for. Lunch was pretty healthy last week as well, with a hand made yummy salad one day!
Tuesday & Wed last week I got up at 515am. I did this on purpose, to see if it could be done. It was okay, and I sure did get a lot done on those mornings, and into work a tad early, too. But...was awful tired by the time thursday rolled around. Will try again this week.
right now I have a cat sleeping on my arm.
Last week I found I had lost 1lb since the week before, so I am quite happy about that. I would like to lose 1lb a week. I think I am on the way. I have not had any incidents of over-eating, and no vast quantities of cookies or candy bars...a bit, but nothing horrid like I am known for. Lunch was pretty healthy last week as well, with a hand made yummy salad one day!
Tuesday & Wed last week I got up at 515am. I did this on purpose, to see if it could be done. It was okay, and I sure did get a lot done on those mornings, and into work a tad early, too. But...was awful tired by the time thursday rolled around. Will try again this week.
right now I have a cat sleeping on my arm.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Update
Last night I did go to the gym and did 2 miles on the treadmill, at the fastest level I could. I kinda sweated almost, well, not dripping sweat, but a sheen sorta.
I set my alarm for 5am to get up & go to the gym AGAIN because I cant go tonight. Well, that didnt happen, but I did get up at 530 and do an exercise thing with the TV and did a good 25 minutes which felt pretty good. I think this might have to be the solution for me because I do not see how I will get functioning and to the gym at 5am and be presentable!
I will continue to try to get up early & work out...will TRY to get to the gym, but we'll see!
I set my alarm for 5am to get up & go to the gym AGAIN because I cant go tonight. Well, that didnt happen, but I did get up at 530 and do an exercise thing with the TV and did a good 25 minutes which felt pretty good. I think this might have to be the solution for me because I do not see how I will get functioning and to the gym at 5am and be presentable!
I will continue to try to get up early & work out...will TRY to get to the gym, but we'll see!
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