i found happy

Cake pops

2010-12-09T14:34:00.001-05:00

I wont even bother to post the recipe since there are so many easily found online. Don't make the mistake I did. Start out with 1/2 or 3/4 of a tub of frosting. If you make the "dough" too soft, the balls slide right down the lollipop stick once you dip them in the chocolate.

Happy Holidays!

Photo of the Day - Growing up too fast

2010-07-12T09:03:00.003-04:00

Uh oh.

Please help - close to home

2010-07-08T15:00:00.006-04:00

My beloved readers, please help! This photo of my child and husband is entered in a calendar photo contest for the Children's Eye Foundation.My daughter was born with Septo-Optic Dysplasia, a condition which has left her with no vision in her left eye. Until I had a baby with eye issues, I had no idea how lost one could feel with an unfamiliar diagnosis. It's organizations like this that help parents make connections and find answers. Children's Eye Foundation produces an annual Calendar to promote awareness of pediatric eye issues. For more info on them, click here.

You can vote every 24 hours until October 1st. You don't have to register or give email or anything. Just bookmark this page and click once to vote daily on "like dad, like daughter". The calendar's theme is "love at first sight". This photo was taken at one week old and was an impromptu moment between my husband and daughter. My hope is that our photo makes it onto the 2011 calendar. Thanks so much in advance.

Dear OnlyBurger,

2010-07-02T13:03:00.003-04:00

Dear OnlyBurger,
Thank you for a grilled-onion-cheddar-laden burger complete with handcut fries. You made my workday. I've missed you! I promise not to stay away so long next time.

Seriously, if you haven't checked out onlyburger, do yourself a favor next time you have a hankering for a burger but don't want to sit down in a restaurant. Today was the perfect day to take advantage of an outside lunch! They take phone orders and you can always find them via their website and twitter.

Photo of the day - Stars and stripes

2010-07-01T15:42:00.000-04:00

A repurposed oldie.

Photo of the day - The princess in her chariot

2010-06-28T09:08:00.003-04:00

Photo of the day - Missing you

2010-06-08T08:59:00.002-04:00

Photo of the day - Would you like jelly on that?

2010-06-07T09:25:00.003-04:00

From the Fort Fisher Aquarium in NC.

MBFL - Day 45

2010-05-12T08:59:00.002-04:00

DAY 45
Weight this morning:
149

Exercise:
Nada

Yahoos:
Last night was my first night off Nyquil and though I would have been able to wake up and work out, I didn't. I still don't think my body is quite ready. Tomorrow I should be though!

Yikes:
I seem to gain back my weight over the weekends every week because I go hog wild with indulging in alcohol and sweets. I'm going to try to be better this weekend. I haven't posted in so long because I couldn't bare to post that I was back over 150. Now I'm not.

Durhamites show your love for BBQ

2010-05-07T10:00:00.002-04:00

I received this email in my inbox this morning so sorry for the late notice.

“I just wanted to give you an update on what is happening with Bullock’s BBQ. Tommy’s business has suffered through this presumptive salmonella issue…to the tune of an 80% drop in customers and cancellation of almost all of his catering business. DCVB has met with Tommy 3 times this week to help with strategies for coping with this. At 5:30 Tuesday night there were 8 cars in the parking lot…and as you know, this place typically has a line outside that wraps around the building when it opens.

This is the oldest continuing operating restaurant in Durham. It’s a Durham landmark that draws visitors and they are in trouble. In 58 years of business Bullock’s has never received a health inspection rating of less than an A. So far, the health department has found NO violations, NO sick employees and only have a presumption of salmonella…on an order that was taken from the building…but even that is not definitive as of yet. Bullock’s has cooperated fully as the health department came out and tested all of their food and processes.

Here’s what you can do to help:

We have planned an event at the restaurant at noon this Friday (tomorrow, May 7th) where we’ve invited all the chefs in Durham to come and eat lunch (with their chef whites on). Even though it is the Friday afternoon of graduation, most of the chefs contacted have said they will be there to support Bullock’s.

This is a pay-for-your-own lunch event…so just come on down. (Bring Cash…Bullock’s does not take credit cards.) Your attendance will go a long way in convincing the public that it is safe.

Jim Wise and Kevin Davis have already blogged about this.

We have commitments from at least 3 television stations to do a story and be there Friday. In addition to the story about Tommy and Bullock’s we’ll provide the media with information that will help emphasize again what a great dining destination Durham is.

What Bullock’s needs more than anything are some some customers to help boost consumer confidence.

Thanks for being there tomorrow (or any day) if you can to support Tommy and this Durham landmark..

Shelly Green
President & CEO
Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau″

Mission baby fat loss - day 39

2010-05-06T19:36:00.000-04:00

DAY 39
Weight this morning:
149.5

Exercise:
Nada

Yahoos:
Still sick as hell but still sticking to the diet.

Yikes:

Mission baby fat loss - day 38

2010-05-05T08:57:00.002-04:00

DAY 38
Weight this morning:
150

Exercise:
Nada

Yahoos:
I worked out yesterday but have come down with the miserable cold my daughter had so aside from my head pounding and spinning, I just don't have the energy or lung capacity to do cardio exercise first thing in the morning. We've done really well sticking to the diet so far this week.

Yikes:

Photo of the day – Wet

2010-05-03T09:46:00.001-04:00

Damn, how hot did it get this weekend anyways? I can't believe our neighborhood pool doesn't open for another 3 weeks!!!!

Mission baby fat loss - day 36

2010-05-03T09:11:00.003-04:00

DAY 36
Weight this morning:
151

Exercise:
Nada

Yahoos:
I'm back on the diet after a serious departure this weekend. I pulled an abdominal muscle last week that seriously hindered my ability to do my turbo jam workout. I did a good amount of walking this weekend though!

Yikes:
Due to my birthday celebrations, we were completely indulgent this weekend. Cake, ice cream, alcohol and carbs. All the good stuff birthdays are made of :) I slept in this morning because I wasn't really able to get much sleep this weekend due to a sick baby. At least that's my excuse for not working out today...Tomorrow is a new day!

Mission baby fat loss - day 31

2010-04-28T08:28:00.001-04:00

DAY 31
Weight this morning:
148

Exercise:
None

Yahoos:

Yikes:

Mission baby fat loss - Day 29

2010-04-26T09:46:00.003-04:00

DAY 29
Weight this morning:
150

Exercise:
20 minute turbo jam.

Yahoos:
We took a break from the diet this weekend to celebrate our anniversary. We're back on as of this morning and I'm impressed I'm only a pound heavier! I'm also proud that we still ate very wisely despite declaring a break from the diet. Go us!

Yikes:

Mission baby fat loss - day 26

2010-04-23T09:00:00.004-04:00

DAY 26
Weight this morning:
149

Exercise:
Nada again. I was too tired. Baby is cutting teeth and was a little restless last night so I needed the sleeping in until 6 today.

Ate/drank:
I'm done logging what I eat and drink. It's too much to keep up with.

Yahoos:
It appears this week I've just maintained. Ah well. Back on the exercise routine next week!

Yikes:

Mission baby fat loss - day 25

2010-04-22T09:29:00.003-04:00

DAY 25
Weight this morning:
149

Exercise:
Nada

Ate/drank:
I'm done logging what I eat and drink. It's too much to keep up with.

Yahoos:
This weekend we're celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary and have agreed to drop the diet for our lunch and dinner on Saturday. I'm so looking forward to it!

Yikes:
Oops! I forgot to pack my string cheese today! And I so didn't feel the workout this morning. When I woke up at 4:30, I just set the alarm for later. Ah well. I had a beer tonight. I was coerced by my hubby :) We still ate responsibly though!

Photos of the day - From warp speed to a snail's pace

2010-04-21T09:06:00.007-04:00

As I was rushing this morning to get myself in the car (running late as usual), hubby directed me to look down. I never would have noticed this little guy. It was a reminder to me that it's important to look around once in awhile and appreciate the beauty of this life. It's easy to forget in the daily hustle and bustle all of the beauty that surrounds us. I stopped for a moment and watched the little guy, and ran inside and grabbed my camera (what was one more extra minute?).I have to admit, I've never even noticed all the lines and translucency in a snail's shell. They're beautiful.

Mission baby fat loss - day 24

2010-04-21T09:02:00.004-04:00

DAY 24
Weight this morning:
149.5

Exercise:
45 minute turbo jam workout

Ate/drank:
1 frittata square (approx 1 egg and 1 cup cooked spinach and mushrooms)
1 cup skim milk
diet Dr. Pepper
handful of peanuts
8 baby carrots and 2 tb hummus
Garden salad with 4 ounces ground turkey
cherry coke zero
1 string cheese
1.5 cups mashed cauliflower
4 oz grilled chicken breast
1 cup steamed green beans
1 SF chocolate pudding with 1 tb peanut butter

Yahoos:
Hubby and I are doing well with South Beach! I'm getting a little bored with all the veggies (with what I can prepare with little time), but tonight I'm going to do grilled chicken breasts and mashed cauliflower.

Yikes:

Mission baby fat loss - day 23

2010-04-20T08:19:00.003-04:00

DAY 23
Weight this morning:
150

Exercise:
I had all the best intentions but decided more sleep was needed. Tomorrow I will do the 45 minute workout!

Ate/drank:
1 frittata square (approx 1 egg and 1 cup cooked spinach, mushrooms, ham)
1 cup skim milk
1 Cherry Coke Zero
handful of peanuts
1 piece string cheese
1 garden salad with 4 oz. chicken breast
4 baby carrots with 1 tb hummus
4 oz pork barbeque
1 cup collard greens
1/4 cup peanuts
1 SF fudgsicle

Yahoos:

Yikes:

Photo of the day - Success!

2010-04-19T09:16:00.003-04:00

The final one (I think) I'm going with. Costco is a great resource, by the way, for printing photos. I've yet to find a local place that compares with the quality. I went to Target once because I wasn't in the mood to battle the crowds or stand in line to exit Costco. Never again! Target may be okay for casual snapshots but the black and white was just awful. The colors at Costco are always spot on and the black and white prints have nice rich, neutral blacks. I'm going to get this dry mounted as a 16 x 20 print for $15. Can't beat that!

Mission baby fat loss - day 22

2010-04-19T08:36:00.004-04:00

DAY 22
Weight this morning:
150.5 (there's the bloat I was talking about ;)

Exercise:
45 minute turbo jam workout

Ate/drank:
1 frittata square (approx 1 egg and 1 cup cooked spinach, mushrooms, ham)
1 cup skim milk
1 diet Dr. Pepper
1 string cheese
handful of peanuts
garden salad with 4 oz london broil and light ranch dressing
1 diet Dr. Pepper
2 ground turkey lettuce wraps
1 cup stir fried veggies (with sauce)
1 SF fudgsicle

Yahoos:
Yay for returning to exercise this week, and for attempting the longer harder workout! While I dabbled with the first phase of South Beach last week, now that hubby is home, we're both doing it full-fledged (as of today).

Yikes:
We seriously indulged this weekend with alcohol and carbs and sweets. What better way to kick off a diet?!

Mission baby fat loss - day 19

2010-04-16T08:49:00.005-04:00

DAY 19
Weight this morning:
148.5

Exercise:
Not this week :(

Ate/drank:
1.5 frittata square (approx 1.5 eggs and 1.5 cup cooked spinach)
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup peanuts
Diet Coke
1 large garden salad with almonds and a grilled chicken breast
Diet sunkist
1.5 cups broccoli slaw
1/2 cup baked beans
2 glasses red wine
crackers

Yahoos:
Despite my diet deviation twice this week, I've managed to maintain the loss. Woohoo!

Yikes:
I feel a glass of wine in my immediate future. It's the weekend!!!

Photos of the day - Just dandy

2010-04-15T10:21:00.002-04:00

My daughter's bedroom has a bit of a dandelion theme. I'm working on some photo art for the walls and wanted to share some of my attempts.(click for biggie)

Mission baby fat loss - day 18

2010-04-15T09:10:00.005-04:00

DAY 18
Weight this morning:
148.5

Exercise:
Not this week :(

Ate/drank:
1.5 frittata square (approx 1.5 eggs and 1.5 cup cooked spinach)
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup peanuts
8 baby carrots
1 can of green beans
1/2 cup shredded italian beef
1 diet Dr. Pepper
2 cups Chinese chicken with mixed vegetables
2 glasses of wine (had to finish off the bottle haha)

Yahoos:
I think having a sweet vice has been part of my problem with success until this week. Finding a diet soda I can stand, has fulfilled my sweet tooth. Yay for learning!

Yikes:

Mission baby fat loss - day 17

2010-04-14T09:01:00.005-04:00

DAY 17
Weight this morning:
149

Exercise:
Actually I ended up walking about a 1/4 to 1/2 a mile to and from a CPR course this afternoon! Better then nothing I suppose!

Ate/drank:
1.5 frittata square (approx 1 egg and 1 cup cooked spinach)
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
2 cups garden salad with ranch dressing
1.5 cups stir fried veggies
celery and baby carrots (about a cup)
2 glasses of wine
1.5 ounce muenster & sharp cheddar cheese
10 olives
1/2 avocado
a serving of crackers
1/2 cup strawberry ice cream (120 cal)

Yahoos:
I hesitate to say it, but I see a trend forming here...Yay for breaking the 150 mark!!!!!

Yikes:
I am going to jump off the diet for a couple of glasses of wine tonight. I know they'll help me sleep well and this single mom thing this week has had me up about 5 times a night (I just am not sleeping well). Oops well since I was jumping off for the wine, I figured I'd do crackers and ice cream too. No self control!! Again, it was worth it.

Mission baby fat loss - day 16

2010-04-13T09:14:00.004-04:00

DAY 16
Weight this morning:
151

Exercise:
Maybe I'll get some in tonight but I doubt it.

Ate/drank:
1 frittata square (approx 1 egg and 1 cup cooked spinach)
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
3 baby carrots
garden salad with 1/2 chicken breast
diet Dr. Pepper
10 olives
naked veggie burger with a whole sliced roma tomato and 1/4 cup guacamole
rainbow broccoli slaw

Yahoos:
Another pound down? I'm proud of myself through making it through my first day with no starch or sugar (despite being surrounded by it). Hopefully I make it today too!

Yikes:
This is a bloat week for me so I won't be surprised when that scale goes back up.

Mission baby fat loss - day 15

2010-04-12T10:54:00.006-04:00

Well I'm going to try to do a modified version of the South Beach diet this week. I'll enter phase 1, but I think I'm going to keep fruit. We'll see how it goes. I made a big frittata this weekend and cut up a bunch of veggies (a main requirement for south beach).

DAY 15
Weight this morning:
152

Exercise:
Does going up and down the stairs count?

Ate/drank:
1 frittata square (approx 1 egg and 1 cup cooked spinach)
1 cup skim milk
10 peanuts
1 garden salad with 1/2 skinless chicken breast and balsamic dressing
1 diet Dr. Pepper
4 baby carrots
2 cups veggie stir fry

Yahoos:
My frittata for breakfast actually left me not hungry all morning. The snacking on peanuts was just to keep my blood sugar up until lunch. So far, so good!

Yikes:
Ouch caffeine headache! I broke down and drank a diet Dr. Pepper around 2.

Mission baby fat loss - day 12

2010-04-09T08:19:00.004-04:00

DAY 12
Weight this morning:
153 (after workout and 1 glass of water)

Exercise:
20 minute turbo jam workout

Ate/drank:
1 bowl of cereal with skim milk
12 ounce Coke
1 small apple
Rotisserie chicken and roasted potatoes
1 dove chocolate
handful of trail mix
italian beef sandwich (small)
1 glass white wine

Yahoos:
Wow did I want to stay in bed this morning. I even sat downstairs on the floor for a good 2-3 minutes once I'd changed, contemplating whether to just slump over and nap right there or put my sneakers on. I feel good about following through. I don't know how much of a chance I'll have to workout next week so I'm glad I ended this week right.

Yikes:

Mission baby fat loss - day 11

2010-04-08T09:23:00.005-04:00

DAY 11
Weight this morning:
152

Exercise:
I slept in and it was good.

Ate/drank:
1 bowl of cereal with skim milk
12 ounce Coke
1 small apple
handful of peanuts
1 volcano roll
1 shrimp tempura roll
1 dove chocolate
15 jelly bellies
Rotisserie chicken, creamed spinach and roasted potatoes (a rather large portion)
2 miller lites

Yahoos:
The scale went down? *shakes head*. Okay whatever, I'll take it!

Yikes:
No workout for me this morning. I didn't set the alarm when I went to bed last night and I told myself if I woke up in time to work out, then I would. Woo hoo for sleeping until 5:30 (when the baby stirred). Leave it to me to take something relatively healthy like sushi and be totally unhealthy about it. "Yes, I'll have the one smothered in creamy sauce and one that's deep fried please. Do they come with butter for dipping?" UG. But you know, it was sooooo worth it.

Mission baby fat loss - day ten

2010-04-07T08:45:00.006-04:00

DAY TEN
Weight this morning:
154 (after workout and 1 glass of water)

Exercise:
20 minute turbo jam

Ate/drank:
1 bowl of cereal with skim milk
12 ounce Coke
banana
handful of trail mix
grilled chicken burrito
roasted corn
1 dove chocolate
chocolate pudding cup with a tsp of peanut butter
veggie lasagna (with alfredo sauce)
2 glasses of wine (I needed it damn it)
a handful of crackers and an ounce or so of muenster

Yahoos:
The scale did not go UP today. Woofuckinghoo. Perhaps it sensed my dissatisfaction yesterday? I'm thinking next week I might bump up the workout to the more intense one (30-35 min?) and do it at night. Hubby is traveling so I wont have the time in the morning. We'll see how that goes!

Yikes:
Yawn. I'm tired despite the 20 minute turbo jam and my morning caffeine. The pudding was completely unnecessary. I just ate it because I was bored. I do too much eating because of boredom. Oops on the wine...and cheese...and crackers.

Mission baby fat loss - day nine

2010-04-06T08:53:00.005-04:00

DAY NINE
Weight this morning:
154 (after workout and 1 glass of water)

Exercise:
20 minute turbo jam

Ate/drank:
1 bowl of cereal with skim milk
12 ounce Coke
1 banana
handful of peanuts
2 fish (tilapia) tacos with slaw and cream sauce (and they were goooooooood)
1 apple
1 grilled chicken burrito
1 serving roasted corn
1/2 cup of rocky road ice cream

Yahoos:
The alarm woke me for the first time in a loooong time this morning. I wanted to roll back over and go back to sleep, but alas, I dragged my fat ass out of bed and got my turbo jam on.

Yikes:
Okay why is the scale going the OPPOSITE direction????? Maybe I need a new scale. Bastard.

Mission baby fat loss - day eight

2010-04-05T09:22:00.005-04:00

DAY EIGHT
Weight this morning:
153.5 (after workout and 2 glasses of water)

Exercise:
20 minute turbo jam

Ate/drank:
1 small bowl of oatmeal with 1/4 cup of raisins
12 ounce Coke
1 apple
1 mean cuisine swedish meatballs
1 package of Lance nekot cookies with peanut butter
1 romaine salad with pickled onions, parmesan and hazelnuts
Parpadelle with duck ragu

Yahoos:
I managed to get back on track this morning.

Yikes:
It appears I'm back where I started a week ago. I had a heavy starch weekend though and I think I'm just holding the carbs as weight temporarily. I hope to see that scale return to where it was a few days ago by tomorrow or Wednesday. I think I overdid it on indulgence this weekend. We had a dinner party and I seriously overate with the antipasto and the entree. Oh and then there was dessert later...OOPS! I meant to take photos of the food, but I was too busy entertaining :)

Photo of the day - Splish splash

2010-04-05T09:20:00.001-04:00

Our "pool" opened this weekend :)

Mission baby fat loss - day six & seven

2010-04-04T10:45:00.002-04:00

I get the weekends off my diet and exercise. I have always done dieting this way. I have to have downtime or else I can't pull it off all week long. So any healthy eating and exercise over the weekend is just bonus in my book!

Mission baby fat loss - day five

2010-04-02T09:09:00.007-04:00

DAY FIVE
Weight this morning:
151

Exercise:
I didn't set the alarm and actually managed to sleep past 5 am for the first time this week. I've worked hard and I deserved that extra sleep. I also woke up NOT SORE this morning. It appears my body is already acclimating to movement ;)

Ate/drank:
1 small bowl of oatmeal with 1/4 cup of raisins
12 oz Cherry Coke Zero
1 small apple
handful of peanuts/trailmix
1 small iceberg salad with ginger dressing
2 sushi rolls (8 pieces each)

Yahoos:
Still no ice cream (yesterday)! I know this doesn't sound like an accomplishment, but I've literally eaten ice cream or chocolate every single day since I was like 3 months pregnant. This week, it's just been a small (hershey's kiss size) piece of chocolate daily.

Yikes:
Okay I ended up having late night ice cream. And it was good damn it.

Mission baby fat loss - day four

2010-04-01T08:53:00.006-04:00

DAY FOUR
Weight this morning:
151.5 (after workout and drinking one large glass of water)

Exercise:
I did the 20 minute turbo jam. I stretched afterwards. I'm noticing that I'm beginning to limber up a little. Thank goodness. Monday I couldn't come close to touching my toes!

Ate/drank:
1 huge bowl of apple cinnamon oatmeal
12 oz Cherry Coke Zero
1 mean cuisine "cheese ravioli" (not bad after I added a good amount of salt). There are only 6 in there, so I cute them each into 4 pieces so that I would eat them slower and trick myself into thinking it was enough.
1 petrified orange (those that look great until you peel them and split them open and they're all dried out). I still ate it though because I was HONGRAY.
1 package cream cheese & chive on crackers
12 ounce Coke
1 dove chocolate
1 chicken and avocado quesadilla
1 serving wheat pretzels
2 bottles of Killians

Yahoos:
The scale budged again! I'm proud of myself for working out this morning. I said last night (as I was finishing of glass #3 of wine) that I'd take today off, but when I woke up at 4:30 (yes again) and couldn't fall back to sleep, I decided to go for it! I've enjoyed the energy it's given me. I've also managed to keep myself from indulging in ice cream for the 3rd night in a row. Yay!

Yikes:
The pretzels at 10 pm were completely unnecessary. And they were the result of being influenced by 2 beers. Why do beer and pretzels go so well together? It's like cigarettes and coffee...

Mission baby fat loss - day three

2010-03-31T08:48:00.009-04:00

DAY THREE
Weight this morning:
152 (after workout and drinking one large glass of water)

Exercise:
I woke up at 5 am today and I did the 20 minute turbo jam AGAIN. Woohoo! Am dragging some because I actually woke up around 4:30 and couldn't fall back asleep.

Ate/drank:
1 bagel thin with 1.5 tbsp cream cheese
1 small apple
8 oz Coke
1 Fiber One oats and chocolate bar
1 small apple
1 mean cuisine chicken, artichoke and spinach panini (worth every one of the 310 calories!)
12 oz Coke
1 dove chocolate
1 tbsp peanuts
100 calorie bag of popcorn
Chicken taco salad (minus the taco!) with lime dressing and sour cream
1 serving of everything crackers
3 glasses of Chianti (had to finish the bottle!)

Yahoos:
I'm proud of myself for only 1 glass of wine last night. Usually it's a 2 glass minimum :) Woohoo the scale budged! I'm sure it's because I drank less water though. I guess we'll see!

Yikes:
3 glasses of wine *shakes head*. Well it seemed like a great idea at the time. At least wine is good for you, right?

Mission baby fat loss - day two

2010-03-30T09:01:00.008-04:00

Thanks to everyone for your support yesterday. I definitely want to lose more then the 6 pounds. I was up about 8 pounds prior to pregnancy so my ultimate goal is somewhere between 135-140. I've been able to maintain that weight before so I know it's realistic (even though I'd love to weigh 125).

DAY TWO
Weight this morning:
153 (after workout and drinking two large glasses of water)

Exercise:
I woke up at 5 am today and I did the 20 minute turbo jam AGAIN. Woohoo! I wasn't as exhausted after the workout today as I was yesterday either.

Ate/drank:
Bowl of oatmeal
8 oz Coke
1 small apple
1 tbsp peanuts
1 mean cuisine roasted veggie pizza (totally tasteless BTW and not worth the 340 calories. It was all crust).
1 chocolate pudding cup
6 mini-carrots
1 tbsp peanut butter + 1 serving of whole wheat pretzels (6 mini rods)
cheese (about 8 oz each muenster and sharp cheddar) & crackers (about 2 servings of wheat thins)
1 glass chianti

Yahoos:
Despite my arms being sore and my bed being comfy, I still rolled out of it and laced up my sneakers. 2nd night with ice cream in the house and I didn't touch it! Go me!

Yikes:
I really could have chosen a wiser dinner then wine, cheese and crackers, but oh well :)

Mission baby fat loss - day one

2010-03-29T11:16:00.013-04:00

So it's been a year and the baby weight isn't gone. A year and 2 weeks actually. I lost all but 6 pounds within a week or two of delivery and have basically maintained that weight. I did get sick and got as close to 2 pounds away from pre-pregnancy weight, but now I'm back up. I am terribly out of shape. I have gotten used to this enormous appetite that pregnancy and breastfeeding has given me and now that I stopped breastfeeding, the pounds are actually going up.

So starting today, I will watch what I eat and I am committed to trying to exercise during the week. I know this is probably of no interest to anyone, but I'm going to journal it here because I think I will make wiser choices and not opt for that doughnut or slice of cake in the breakroom if I have to record it somewhere. And I do not want to start a separate blog for this. So I'll record stuff here throughout the day and hopefully hold myself accountable and hopefully not bore any readers I have to tears.

DAY ONE
Weight this morning:
153 (after workout and drinking two large glasses of water)

Exercise:
I woke up at 5 am today and I actually did the 20 minute turbo jam. I'm patting myself on the back for that one.

Eaten/drank:
1 whole grapefruit
8 oz Coke
1 Bagel Thin with about 1.5 tbsp cream cheese
1 Fiber One Oats and Chocolate bar
12 oz Coke
2 cups veggie rice casserole (see below)
5 mini carrots
handful of peanuts
2 smallish bean and cheese burritos with green sauce and sour cream

Yahoos:
I declined the crueller offered by my coworker and have resisted the bowl of candy outside of my cubicle all morning. Did I mention I woke up at 5 AM to work out? Oh and I stretched TOO!

Yikes:
2 glasses of coke? Totally unnecessary.

Impromptu Veggie Rice Casserole
While cooking 1 cup of dry wild rice in a separate pot. I sauteed some celery, onions and carrots in a little canola oil until soft in a medium saucepan. I added 2 tbsp of oil to that and 2 tbsp of flour and cooked over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Next I added in about a cup and a half of milk (any variety of milk works) and cooked another 10 minutes to make a basic white sauce. I added in a frozen bag of corn and stirred and removed from heat. I seasoned to taste with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Once cooled, I cracked and mixed in 2 eggs. I microwaved fresh cauliflower and broccoli (about 4-5 cups) for 2.5 minutes to soften a little and mixed into the pot of veggies. When the rice was done, I mixed that in too. I preheated the oven to 400. I poured my soupy mixture of veggies and rice in a 2 quart casserole dish and baked it until the eggs were set (about 35 minutes). I topped with about a cup of shredded sharp cheddar and returned to oven. I turned the broiler on and cooked until cheese was melted and bubbly. All in all, not too bad on the calorie intake. A cup of cheese to 5-6 entree servings and minimal oil used.

You know you're a parent when...

2010-03-19T10:32:00.002-04:00

You don't honk or yell when you get cut off by another driver so badly, that you have to slam on your brakes. Why? Because you don't dare wake the newly sleeping child in the backseat.

Talk about feeling conflicted.

My favorite Irish Soda Bread recipe

2010-03-16T11:20:00.002-04:00

Make this tonight and devour it tomorrow with some corned beef and cabbage. This is the easiest bread ever. If you don't have buttermilk, you can sub regular milk. Just measure out the 2 cups and add 2 tbsp of vinegar to the measuring cup. Allow to sit 5 minutes. It will curdle. Then add it to the recipe as specified! It's soooo good.

Irish Soda Bread (adapted from allrecipes.com)
Makes one loaf
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup of raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Blend egg and buttermilk together, and add all at once to the flour mixture. Add raisins. Mix just until moistened. Stir in butter. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Wrap in foil for several hours, or overnight, for best flavor.

Yellow cupcakes with raspberry buttercream and cream cheese icing

2010-03-16T07:50:00.004-04:00

I made cupcakes for my daughter's first birthday. It was important to me for her first bite of dessert to be not only homemade, but from scratch. I used Martha Stewart's, "Yellow Butter Cupcakes" recipe with a modification. I couldn't find cake flour so I used all all-purpose flour. The cupcakes, while being very good, weren't what I had in mind. They were somewhat dense and didn't resemble yellow cake. They were closer to white cake. Oh and I should have trusted my intuition when I read in her recipe to fill muffin cups. I know better then to go over 2/3 full...I ended up with less then 36 but that's okay.

I made two icings for these cupcakes and the combination of the two was DIVINE. First I made a raspberry buttercream and a basic cream cheese icing. The cupcakes were a hit and I had lots of fun decorating them. I did have to refrigerate them both to harden slightly before piping them. It was a little warm in the kitchen. I also had quite a bit of the raspberry buttercream leftover. After taking "frosting shots", I ended up throwing out about 1.5 cups. This cupcake was devoured by the birthday girl. Well worth the effort :)

Chocolate chip cheesecake dip

2010-03-15T08:00:00.003-04:00

I made this for my daughter's first birthday party this weekend. Yes it's really been a year already! Hard to believe! If you're a cheesecake lover, you must try this recipe. It's incredibly easy and delicious. Her party was the perfect excuse to whip it up.

Chocolate chip cheesecake dip (frome recipezaar)
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened
1.5 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.5 cups semisweet mini chocolate chips

Directions:
Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in sugars and vanilla.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Cover and store in refrigerator. Serve with graham crackers, vanilla wafers or graham cracker sticks.

Random

2010-03-04T10:25:00.005-05:00

This morning, after dropping my daughter off at daycare (a process which takes no less then 20 minutes), I sat in my car in my work parking lot. As I reached into the passenger seat to gather my slew of bags for the day, I inadvertently looked down at my lap and noticed something strange.

I saw a seam. I actually looked closer with disbelief, that not only did I not notice I was wearing my skirt INSIDE OUT, but my husband didn't notice either. I had encountered I don't know how many people at daycare looking a fool. However, being parents, I'm sure they understood.

So there I sat in the work parking lot, now knowing I HAD to go inside wearing my skirt inside out. I even debated for a millisecond whether or not it was possible to correct my wrong in my car. Not possible. Hahahaha!

Be mine

2010-02-13T12:33:00.003-05:00

I took the suggestion of Brown Eyed Baker and made these moist, fluffy, chocolatey cupcakes. I didn't have any vanilla extract left over for the frosting, but that so didn't matter. They were heaven. And aren't the little white chocolate hearts cute? I just melted some bark and drizzled the shapes on waxed paper and let set. I delivered a plate to my nice new neighbors and we're devouring the rest.

The plight of a working mother and wife

2010-02-11T11:06:00.005-05:00

As my daughter nears the one year mark, I feel a need to document some of the things I've felt since her birth. At a time in my life that I felt I truly knew who I was and what I wanted in and out of my life, the birth of my child, and returning to work, have flipped me upside down. I never knew I could love so fully or feel so vulnerable. I've got a handle on things, but it's been a journey and it's constantly changing.

My list of worries and concerns in no typical order:

Do I advocate for her as best as I can?
Am I neglecting my husband?
Am I neglecting myself?
How do I balance mother and wife and what is left of me anyways?
Is my relationship coming second, when I always swore it would come first?
Why, when I love my daughter and cherish the moments with her, do I actually look forward to alone time?
Should I feel guilty about all these questions?
When this should be (and is) the happiest and most rewarding time in my life, why do I find myself smiling less?
Would she be behind if I stayed at home?
Does she get the attention she needs and deserves (both at home and daycare)?
Am I falling behind in my career because I've settled into a non-demanding and uncreative position? Should I care that I might be?
Why can't I just let her be who she is and not fret over every little thing she may behind on?
Should I feel bad that I look forward to going to work at the end of the weekend?
Should I feel bad that I'm looking forward to giving up breastfeeding?
Why don't I take care of myself the way I used to?
Do I feed her as much variety as I could/should?
Does she get what she needs from me?
Is any or some of how I've felt even remotely normal?

Capriccio Ristorante Italiano – Roxboro Road, Durham

2010-02-11T08:53:00.005-05:00

Since becoming a Northern Durhamite a couple of weeks ago, I've become painfully aware of our limited takeout options within a 4-5 mile radius. Don't get me wrong, we like living further out, but I do miss the plethora of options I had being closer to city center. Where we are now, we have several options for fast food, sandwiches, mexican and take-out chinese, but that's it.

Driving home this weekend I noticed a sign for a new retaurant next to Chik-fil-a in the old Bull City Deli building (prior to that I think it was a Schlotzsky's). I was intrigued and not two days later read the restaurant opening report at Carpe Durham. Last night, I dropped in to grab some take out. I noticed the signs advertising a take out window, but didn't see it set up just yet.

The decor is nice; a peachy stucco interior, filled with booths, soft Italian music playing. The lighting is soft, but bright enough to see your food. It felt very much like a family Italian restaurant to me. It's run by an Italian family and all the staff that I encountered was extremely friendly (especially Karen the bartender). While sitting at the bar, waiting for my food, I could hear only Italian being spoken in the kitchen – a good sign.

There are many vegetarian options and a lot of eggplant dishes, if that's your thing. For dinner, it's mostly pasta, brick oven pizza, panini, seafood and chicken. They also have a nice selection of salads. If you're a beefeater, this isn't the place for you. I found the pasta options to be priced kind of high for it not being freshly made pasta, but they do have a "make your own" section where you can customize pasta and sauce and add on homemade sausage or meatballs (not available last night).

I selected "Pasta Della Nonna" which was fettucine with ham and mushrooms in a tomato cream sauce. For the hubby, I ordered spaghetti with pesto and sausage. I tacked on two side salads with the house Basil-Chianti vinaigrette (for an extra ~~$3.50~~$3.25).

The food was great. Everything was well seasoned. The pasta was cooked perfectly. The only complaint I have was portion size. The pasta dishes were definitely entree size, but not enough to have leftovers for lunch (which is what I'm used to from the nearby Pomodoro). The salads were honestly really pitiful for ~~$3.50$~~3.25. 5-6 pieces of cut up romaine, 4 slices of olive and cherry tomato, some red onion, a few pieces of roasted red pepper, a couple of baked pizza dough squares and a slice of cucumber. This isn't local organic produce or anything so I really expected more lettuce for the price. The ingredients were great, as was the dressing.

We'll definitely go back, but probably for lunch or perhaps a special occasion. I'm curious about the pizza. The little breadsticks that came with the entrees were nice and crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. I can't see dropping $40 for take-out (entrees and salads only) on a regular basis. I think Pop's definitely has them beat for dinner (food and selection).

*Click for larger images of menu*

Ah life

2010-02-09T14:27:00.005-05:00

Life has been busy.

We survived the holidays and had fun celebrating them for the first time with our rapidly growing baby girl. We've enjoyed watching her accomplish milestones and at the same time have been saddened by how quickly she's becoming a girl, and not so much of a baby anymore. Oh and did I mention she decided to get mobile exactly 2 weeks before we had to pick up everything and move?!

We decided to try to sell our house after much encouragement from our phenomenal realtor/friend. Much to our surprise, it was under contract in 2.5 weeks, the week of Christmas nonetheless. It was a pleasure to pass our family's first home on to a couple who truly fell in love with it. I know they'll take good care of it. We bought a bigger home, in a quieter area with more land. Though I miss being so close to downtown, we hardly ever actually dine at restaurants and it's just as easy to live the extra 10 minutes away and grab takeout on the way home for date night. Oh and have I mentioned the quiet? No bass-thumping, lawn-parking neighbors to speak of. Our first weekend in our new home we were greeted by our next door neighbors with a plate of homemade cupcakes, and our neighbors across the street offering to shovel our driveway. Niiiiiiiiice.

Last weekend we settled in more, hanging things on the wall and even getting out to do a little shopping. Our new home feels like home and I think life is beginning to slow to an almost manageable pace again.

**Shameless plug**
I am attempting to further my photography passion (and hopefully make a little extra money) by doing portraits. I've got a studio space in the new house complete with lighting and backdrops. If you need some photos taken, consider using me!! There are plenty of photos on this blog, but if you'd like to view a few samples, you can do so here.

Christmas gifts - Peppermint Oreo truffles

2009-12-12T10:05:00.007-05:00

I had heard about these morsels called Oreo balls/truffles from my friend Melanie about a year ago and when racking my brain about what to make for coworkers this year, they popped into my head. Originally I was going to make peppermint bark popcorn, but instead decided to make 2 kinds of oreo truffles. I made plain with chocolate candy coating, drizzled with white almond bark (chocolate) and sprinkled with sea salt. I also made a peppermint version. It turned out absolutely devine. I think the peppermint might be my favorite. The all chocolate version is just soooo rich.Peppermint Oreo Truffles
Makes 3 dozen (depending on ball size)
Ingredients:
1 bag original Oreo cookies
1 8 0z. package of cream cheese, softened (you can nuke it in a bowl for about 30 seconds to achieve this)
4 peppermint candy canes
3/4 package of white almond bark
1/4 tsp peppermint extract

Directions:
Crush candy canes in food processor until small. Place a strainer over a bowl and sift out the dust/finer peppermint pieces. Wipe out food processor and dump oreos in. Process until there are no chunks. Add cream cheese and peppermint extract and process until a nice sticky dough forms.

It's up to you, but I find it a little easier at this point to refrigerate the dough for an hour before rolling out the balls. Roll them in your palms about the size of a quarter and place them back in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Melt almond bark either in the microwave or in a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water (double boiler method). Once it is melted all the way, stir in the finer dust of the crushed peppermint.

Working with a spoon and fork, lower an oreo ball into the melted chocolate and coat evenly. Shake off excess and place on waxed paper. Repeat with a few more and sprinkle with the coarser peppermint before the chocolate has set. Allow to set at room temperature or speed up the process in the fridge. Trim away any excess chocolate with a knife once chocolate has hardened. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container (because of the cream cheese).

Artery clogging corn casserole

2009-12-03T07:56:00.002-05:00

I'm sure everyone knows who Paula Deen is. I'm convinced she has millions invested in butter. The woman cooks with one thing in mind, FLAVOR. Calories and fat grams are not things she's heard of. I remember seeing her speak about her style of cooking once and she noted that her family owned restaurants and so they always cooked with flavor, and not your figure, in mind. That being said, I'm quite proud of taking one of her recipes and actually making it less healthy.

I made her recipe with 1 omission and 2 additions. I omitted butter. Instead I chopped and cooked a 1/2 lb. of bacon and poured all the grease and the bacon into the mix and I added one beaten egg. The casserole had great flavor and a thick, almost custardlike texture. It was so rich and yummy.

I did this to turn this side dish into a main and I totally intended on serving it with a huge healthy salad to balance it out. Turns out my lettuce wasn't feeling any love and despite having been purchased only 2 weeks ago, took a turn to the dark side.

Instead I made fried okra for hubby and I had green beans. Arteries be damned.

Not news to me

2009-12-02T08:51:00.004-05:00

Not to follow a gripe post with another gripe post, but is it me or do we have the crappiest morning news in the country? Post-child, I do not have time to get my news online or read the paper. Therefore, I'm reduced to 5 minutes of news in the morning as I eat my bowl of cereal. I typically watch ABC, but am occasionally treated to CBS (heh). So far this week I've been treated to:

1. A tabloid publishing a story about a professional golfer screwing some cocktail waitress.
2. Whatever schmuck was eliminated from dancing with the stars.
3. Navigating the channel's website. Seriously do I need to watch you surf your own site? Brian Schrader please stick to the traffic.

I know there's more, but they aren't coming to mind right now.

And while I'm at it, can someone please get Elizabeth Gardner a new wardrobe that isn't centered around shoulder pads and gigantic collars? I'm no slave to fashio, but DAMN. At least she's got good personality and seems knowledgeable.

Tact needed

2009-12-01T11:35:00.002-05:00

Okay, I've been told on several occasions that I lack tact. Help me out here. How does one tactfully request an adjacent coworker to eat with their mouth closed? I don't want to hurt feelings here, but seriously I'm ten feet away and playing music and I can't block out the crunching resonating from a nearby cube. Oh and the same suggestion would be helpful for slurping of coffee every morning...Please help!!!

A month later...

2009-11-10T14:38:00.003-05:00

Wow, has it been a month since I've posted here? Goodness. Well I could say I've been busy readying for the holidays and whatnot, but that would be a lie.

I used to look forward to cooking over the weekend and do you know what my beloved Sunday cooking has become? A cheese plate. I honestly don't know where time disappears to these days, but I want to say that with the cooler weather and shorter days, I've just grown lazy. All I want to do is snuggle up with the family and drink wine and eat cheese.

Pathetic. Yet comforting.

How does the change of seasons effect you?

Candy corn coma

2009-10-09T13:41:00.002-04:00

Help me. I swear I only ate like 10. The thing is, that I wasn't even really impressed with the first couple I ate. But I couldn't stop putting them in my mouth. 10 candy corn later, I was so jacked up, I thought I was going to have a stroke.

Ever hear your own heartbeat in your ears?

Now? Now I'm crashing hard. No surprise there. #1 ingredient: sugar. #2: corn syrup.

Yikes.

Pea Puree

2009-10-02T08:23:00.000-04:00

Pea Puree
Makes 24 1 ounce servings

Ingredients:
1 lb. frozen sweet tender peas (I used frozen for convenience, but you could use fresh)
water

Directions:
Bring a cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add peas, cover and reduce heat to low. Steam until just tender/thawed, but not mushy. Drain peas and reserve some cooking water.

Place peas into your preferred pureeing mechanism. I used a food processor. Puree until smooth, slowly adding cooking water until you achieve your desired consistency. Serve immediately once cooled or pour into ice trays, cover and freeze. Once frozen, dump into freezer storage bags. Serve within 4 weeks. To thaw, place one or 2 cubes in covered container in fridge overnight or microwave until thawed (be sure to allow to cool before serving).

Apple Puree

2009-10-01T11:15:00.001-04:00

Apple Puree
Makes 16 1 ounce servings

Ingredients:
5 ripe apples
water

Directions:
Peel apples, core and cut into cubes. Steam until tender (about 5 minutes). Reserve cooking water.

Place apples into your preferred pureeing mechanism. I used a mini-processor. Puree until smooth, slowly adding cooking water until you achieve your desired consistency. Serve immediately once cooled or pour into ice trays, cover and freeze. Once frozen, dump into freezer storage bags. Serve within 4 weeks. To thaw, place one or 2 cubes in covered container in fridge overnight or microwave until thawed (be sure to allow to cool before serving).

Butternut Squash Puree

2009-09-18T09:14:00.000-04:00

Butternut Squash Puree
Makes 20 1 ounce servings

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Cut butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place flat sides down in a deep dish (I used a 9x13 casserole). Pour about an inch of water into the dish and bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Reserve cooking water.

Scoop flesh from skins and place into your preferred pureeing mechanism. used a mini-processor. Puree until smooth, slowly adding reserved water until you achieve your desired consistency. Serve immediately once cooled or pour into ice trays, cover and freeze. Once frozen, dump into freezer storage bags. Serve within 4 weeks. To thaw, place one or 2 cubes in covered container in fridge overnight or microwave until thawed (be sure to allow to cool before serving).

Pear Puree

2009-09-17T09:10:00.000-04:00

Pear Puree
Makes 10 1 ounce servings

Ingredients:
3 ripe pears
water

Directions:
Peel pears, core and cut into cubes. Steam until tender. Reserve cooking water.

Place pears into your preferred pureeing mechanism. I used a mini-processor. Puree until smooth, slowly adding water until you achieve your desired consistency. Serve immediately once cooled or pour into ice trays, cover and freeze. Once frozen, dump into freezer storage bags. Serve within 4 weeks. To thaw, place one or 2 cubes in covered container in fridge overnight or microwave until thawed (be sure to allow to cool before serving).

Sweet Potato Puree

2009-09-16T09:02:00.002-04:00

Sweet Potato Puree
Makes 10 1 ounce servings

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato/yam
water

Directions:
Peel sweet potato and cut into 1 inch cubes. Steam until tender. Reserve cooking water.

Place potatoes into your preferred pureeing mechanism. I used a mini-processor. Puree until smooth, slowly adding water until you achieve your desired consistency. Serve immediately once cooled or pour into ice trays, cover and freeze. Once frozen, dump into freezer storage bags. Serve within 4 weeks. To thaw, place one or 2 cubes in covered container in fridge overnight or microwave until thawed (be sure to allow to cool before serving).

Photo of the Day - Bull City

2009-09-03T10:28:00.001-04:00

What I want to know is, who gets the steak?

Photo of the Day - Grandpa

2009-09-01T09:17:00.002-04:00

From our first trip to see the Bulls play this weekend. What a great place for kids!

Los Portales - Fayetteville Road, Durham

2009-08-25T08:57:00.003-04:00

I could eat Mexican food every day of the week and never get sick of it. One of my favorite parts of living in Mebane was having a really great Mexican restaurant to eat at. I love Durham, but find it seriously lacking a good family Mexican-American restaurant. I don't like Torerros or El Rodeo. El Custaleco was okay, but the flavors don't quite jive for me. And yes there are lots of great taquieras, but that's not what I'm talking about.

I strolled into Los Portales on Sunday afternoon after a trip to Babies R Us. My first impression was that the decor is bright and cheerful, and the restaurant is clean. I was promptly seated in a booth next to another table with a baby and handed a menu.

The menu is diverse and allows you to create your own combinations, along with a wide selection of their own specialties. The prices were quite decent too, especially for the Southpoint area. After ordering from the vegetarian menu (also featuring custom combinations), I snacked on chips and salsa. The chips weren't anything too special, but the salsa was great. It had a smooth texture and great flavor.

My potato burrito was filled with mashed potatoes, onions and cheese, and smothered with a lovely tomato-based sauce. My spinach enchilada was filled with fresh sauteed spinach and diced onions. The flavor in both of the items was fantastic, and the rice and beans were just what I like.

I've been eagerly awaiting the opening of this restaurant and am thrilled to no longer have to drive to Mebane for great Mexican food! Go check out Los Portales and let me know what you think!

Shepherds pie

2009-08-24T09:04:00.004-04:00

This was my first go at an old recipe. I've never eaten Shepherd's pie, but I've seen it. I know it usually has peas and is made from lamb. This was not traditional, but was extremely tasty. My hubby informed me that it's usually also made with cubed meat and has more gravy. If you like it that way, adjust the broth and flour amount and use cubed meat.Shepherd's Pie
Makes one pie (4 large servings)
Ingredients:
5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp oil
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 carrot, sliced thick
1 celery stalk, sliced thick
4 large shallots, chopped
4 oz. button mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
3/4 cup beef or vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Bring medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and boil until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/2 to 1 cup water. Add 1 tbsp butter and adding back cooking water, mash until smooth. Whip with a spoon until light and fluffy. Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, shallots, thyme, rosemary and a pinch of salt. Cook 10 minutes. Add ground beef and mushrooms and saute until beef is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Break up any chunks and salt and pepper to taste. Add flour and stir well to combine. Cook another 2 minutes. Add broth and cook until thickened, another minute or 2.

Dump meat and vegetable mixture into a 9 inch pie plate and level. Pile mashed potatoes on and smooth to edges with a spoon. Using a fork, create fun little ridges with the potatoes. Break up 2 tbsp butter and spread evenly over top. Bake in oven 30 minutes. Broil until potatoes are lightly browned, about 3 minutes.

Avocado puree

2009-08-21T08:00:00.002-04:00

Avocado puree is probably pretty self-explanatory, but unless you plan on feeding baby the entire thing in one sitting, you'll want to freeze some for later. Avocado can be a little tricky with it's tendency to brown almost immediately. I figured I'd share the method I used.

Avocado Puree
Makes 6 1 ounce servings

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
breast milk, formula or water

Directions:
Slice the avocado in half and remove the seed. Running a tablespoon along the inside of the skin, gently scoop out flesh and place flat side down on the counter. Slice lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices. Keep 1-2 slices out and place the rest in a freezer bag or plastic container. Take the 2 slices and mash with a fork in a small feeding bowl until smooth. Add breast milk, formula or water until you achieve your desired consistency.

Now with those frozen slices, I just remove 2 and drop in a bowl and nuke for 15-20 seconds and mash and add liquid as described above. It works great for keeping the avocado from turning brown.

Acorn squash puree – baby's first vegetable puree

2009-08-20T14:20:00.006-04:00

I'm making my own baby food, surprise of all surprises. So far baby has had avocado, rice cereal (not homemade) and oatmeal(not homemade). Earlier this week I prepared her first vegetable, acorn squash. It was super easy. I can't wait until she's old enough for me to begin adding spices to things. The squash was a hit!
Acorn Squash Puree
Makes 12 1 ounce servings

Ingredients:
1 acorn squash
water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place flat sides down in a deep dish (I used a 9x13 casserole). Pour about an inch of water into the dish and bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Reserve cooking water.

Scoop flesh from skins and place into your preferred pureeing mechanism. I dropped mine in a bowl and used an immersion blender. In retrospect, this was messy and splattered me and my kitchen! I'll be using a mini-processor from now on. Puree until smooth, slowly adding water until you achieve your desired consistency. Serve immediately once cooled or pour into ice trays, cover and freeze. Once frozen, dump into freezer storage bags. Serve within 4 weeks. To thaw, place one or 2 cubes in covered container in fridge overnight or microwave until thawed (be sure to allow to cool before serving).

Parenthood

2009-08-20T08:44:00.005-04:00

Things I never would have guessed but have discovered in my first 5 months of being a new mom:

1. That I'd walk in to work at least 1 day a week with puke on me.
2. That I'd have to plan an extra 30 minute buffer into anything (in case of blow-out, etc.) to be on time.
3. That date night would consist of take-out on the couch.
4. That I can do almost anything with 1 hand!
5. That I would narrate virtually everything I do as I do it, for my child.
6. That dinner would be eaten between 8-9 pm.
7. That I could change a diaper probably blindfolded.
8. That I wouldn't even mind changing diapers.
9. That I'd wash my hands so much that I have alligator skin.
10. That I can function on 3-4 hours of sleep, for weeks on end (though I really prefer not to).
11. That I'd fully comprehend how much love the human heart is capable of.

Molten Lava Crunch Cake

2009-08-13T10:53:00.003-04:00

I got my weekly crap bundle of coupons in the mail yesterday and in it is an insert for Domino's. Apparently they've got this dessert now, 2 of them for $3.99. Has anyone tried it? I think It's worth ordering the pizza to try it out. Hmmm easy dinner tonight! I'll report back tomorrow :)

Photos of the Day – Black & White

2009-08-12T14:01:00.002-04:00

Photo of the Day - Shadows

2009-08-11T15:06:00.002-04:00

Photos of the Day – Wedded Bliss

2009-08-10T09:03:00.001-04:00

I am just starting to sort through some 400+ photos taken this weekend. Pawleys Island is BEAUTIFUL!!

Backyard BBQ Pit #2 - Guess Road, Durham

2009-08-04T12:18:00.004-04:00

Friday night I got take-out from Backyard BBQ Pit #2. While this restaurant is not my idea of a great place to dine-in, the take out was GREAT! They have an extensive selection, the food was hot, good and extremely reasonably priced.

We got 2 small BBQ plates which come with 2 sides and hushpuppies. Between the two plates we had well over a pound of barbeque, homemade baked mac and cheese, homemade collards (not from a can), black eyed peas and green beans. All of the sides were fantastic. The mac and cheese was amongst the best I've had out in the area. It was filled with gobs of cheddar, no slimy velveeta sauce. The portions of barbeque were huge and more then we could finish. My husband wasn't wild about the sweeter sauce that came on the side (he prefers vinegary), but I thought it was great on the 'que.

All of this for $12 made one of our cheapest "date nights" on the couch ever.

Bliss comes in all forms

2009-07-31T10:53:00.004-04:00

I am photographing my first (second really, but the first one was a catastrophe) wedding soon on Pawley's Island, SC. I'm super excited about it. To add to my small collection of lenses for the event, I've reserved/am renting a 17-35mm wide angle lens. That's right folks, I'm putting a lens worth more then my camera body on my camera. WOOHOO!! I figured this was the perfect excuse to try this one out. I can't wait to use it and see the photos. I'm sure I'll share some here (with permission of the bride and groom of course).

Photo of the Day - Gaze-go

2009-07-27T13:24:00.003-04:00

I snapped this with my phone last week and had forgotten about it until just now. I was making my normal trip home and had to do a double take. It's not everyday one sees a gazebo driving up Duke Street.

Kids Exchange - State Fairgrounds, Raleigh

2009-07-21T10:44:00.003-04:00

I know I have a few moms and future moms that read my blog so I wanted to pass this info along. This weekend the Jim Graham building at the state fairgrounds will be housing the annual (I think) Kids Exchange sale. I am actually selling all my daughter's newborn and 0-3 month clothing in the sale. Yesterday when I went to drop everything off, I was treated to a preview. This sale is MASSIVE. I love being able to re-use other's clothing and for others to use mine. I've quickly learned that babies grow so fast that some of her clothing has never even been worn by the time she outgrows it!

I had no idea as to the enormity of this sale before yesterday and I cannot wait to go to the seller's pre-sale on Thursday!! It's absolutely not just clothing and everything looks so well organized (down to toys being sectioned by gender and type). The public sales are:

Friday, July 24 9am-6pm

Saturday, July 25 9am-5pm

Sunday, July 26 10am-5pm 50% Off Day

I loved that they give you the choice to either pick up your unsold items at the end or donate to charity. I'll let you know how I make out. I'm hoping to just break even, but I secretly know there's no way that will happen!!!

Lifecycle of a blog - a reflection

2009-07-20T09:02:00.005-04:00

I don't post here much anymore, and even when I do, I rarely document my cooking. At one point, I was posting here daily about my kitchen activities. Especially in the summer. The farmer's market is bursting with fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs. How tasty and inspirational!

Yet here I sit, in silence.

The funny thing is that I still do cook good stuff, but mostly just on the weekends. Take last night for example. We had a lovely roasted pork tenderloin served on top of risotto with sweet corn and cherry tomatoes. It was delicious. I didn't even think to drag out my camera or write down one bit of what I was doing.

I have to ask myself, has the excitement of my blog worn off?

I believe it has. I still have a love affair with food. Maybe I just have less of an interest in sharing it online? Or perhaps it's that I want to spend what little of my free time I have, with my family or trying to catch up on sleep or relaxing?

Life has changed. With change comes adaptation.

When my daughter was born in March, I quickly realized I wouldn't be able to keep up with this blog in the manner I had. I promised myself I would try to post about my weekend cooking adventures. I failed miserably. I don't know why I felt this pressure to blog. I know it was all in my own head. This was supposed to be a creative outlet for me to share my love of cooking. I think I've finally come to the realization that now is not the time for that. I blog avidly for my daughter on her own little private blog and perhaps that's all I need as a creative outlet right now.

I think I'll continue to post here about life, but probably a lot less about food. I have no idea who would be interested in reading such drivel, but I just can't bring myself to kill this blog. I like having a journal I can look back on and a nice collection of my recipes. So for now, this blog will live on. Not in the fashion that it had, but in the way that it fits in with my life. Adapted.

Blueberry buckle and a quest for the past

2009-07-13T10:37:00.005-04:00

When I was growing up, we lived in what used to be known as the country. Of course that's not the case now. The only thing that was even remotely close by was a small health food/general store called Sunrise Farmer's Market. Odd combination, I know. At any rate, when I earned money (which I did in any number of ways, I was very entrepenuerial), I chose to ride my bike down to the market and spend it on a treat for myself. I was brought up in a healthy house where sugar was only around in very limited quantities. Even our cereal was unsweetened.

I always bought one of three items at the store to reward myself for my hard-earned money. It was either a Dove ice cream bar, a Ben & Jerry's brownie bar (good luck finding one of those now) or a piece of blueberry cake. When I say cake, I mean it more in a sheet cake fashion with no icing. This was made by Ninth Street Bakery. I've never been a fan of blueberries, but wow was this cake good.

Like anyone else, I occasionally crave food from my childhood, probably because I know I can't have it. Ninth Street Bakery is still very much in business, but they mostly make bread and my guess is that this cake/bar concoction is long gone.

Skip to Sunday, I was at the grocery store and spied blueberries on sale. I decided I was going to attempt to find a recipe similar to the cake. I found a recipe here for blueberry buckle and it seemed to be close to what I remembered and relatively healthy and easy to make.

The only modification I made was that I used salted butter instead of unsalted and I baked it in a 9x9 square pan instead of a spring form pan. I don't keep unsalted butter in my house. Whoever dreamt up such a thing!?

The cake was delicious, but sadly, wasn't quite what I was remembering. It tasted a bit more like coffee cake because of the cinnamon streusel topping, but it was still excellent. If anyone knows a good recipe for something that sounds like what I'm describing, or where to get a Ben & Jerry's brownie bar, please let me know.

Breaking news!

2009-07-07T13:59:00.004-04:00

I've just eaten an entire full size snickers bar for the first time in probably 3-4 years.

It was just as good as I remembered and worth every bit of 280 calories.

So, do you have a rare indulgence?

For me, I'd say ice cream, but I indulge in that very regularly. So I guess it's the occasional candy bar.

Photo of the Day - Lake Gaston

2009-06-29T09:30:00.002-04:00

Baby girl's first annual family trip to Lake Gaston was this weekend. She's definitely a lake girl!

Nestle cookie dough recall

2009-06-19T11:54:00.002-04:00

It was bound to happen. The FDA is warning not to eat Nestle Toll House prepackaged cookie dough (cooked or raw) and Nestle is recalling it due to E. Coli. Link here. Turns out our moms were right heh.

Durham's West End Wine Bar

2009-06-19T08:59:00.003-04:00

I'm headed out to the new West End Wine Bar in Durham tonight. Have any of my Durham readers been yet? What are your thoughts? How does it compare to Six Plates? I've never been to either one, but I've been to it's Chapel Hill counterpart.

Best meal?

2009-06-18T10:42:00.004-04:00

What's the best meal you've had this week?

Mine was from last night. Yes, I actually cooked! I sauteed some spinach and shallots and set them aside. Then I sauteed some thinly sliced chicken breasts (just salted and peppered), threw fresh cream, basic and crushed garlic in with them and let it reduce down a little. I piled the chicken on top of the spinach and poured the basil cream sauce over it all. Them I steamed some fresh haricot verts from the farmer's market and sauteed them with more shallots and a little lemon juice and garlic.

Random

2009-06-15T14:01:00.003-04:00

People that whistle or sing music in public piss me off. What's one of your peeves?

Durham organic spa

2009-06-09T14:20:00.003-04:00

This post is a little late coming, but better late then never, right? For mother's day this year (my first ever), I was gifted a massage, a brow wax and facial at a new organic spa in our beloved bull city, Orchid. What's an organic spa, you might ask? Well, they only use organic products. So for my facial, I was treated to masks, etc. made of all natural ingredients. No harsh chemical peels or acids that will give you cancer ;)

The location is the only negative feedback on the place. The staff was friendly. The services were professional, relaxing and not cut even a minute short. The atmosphere is relaxing and clean. Being directly at the intersection of Chapel Hill road and University drive though, makes for a massage not as relaxing as it could be. The cinderblock walls didn't do much to dampen the sound of cars whizzing by. Eventually I tuned them out and really enjoyed my massage.

My custom facial was fantastic and so was my brow wax. Jennifer took her time doing a personal skin analysis and studying the arch of my brows before proceeding with both services. I'd really like to see this place succeed, but perhaps another location would be more ideal? And if you're in the market for a massage, I'd still recommend Christine Hughes for the Durham and Chapel Hill area. She's got a location much more conducive for relaxation, decades of experience, and no, I'm not biased just because we're related ;)

I miss you

2009-06-09T10:05:00.004-04:00

I started back at work last week and it went pretty well with the whole being-separated-from-baby-after-11-weeks-and-putting-her-in-the-hands-of-strangers thing. But for some reason, this week has been harder, especially today. I miss her terribly today, I wonder why?

Photo of the Day - Wrapped around your finger

2009-06-03T21:24:00.003-04:00

Our little girl at 3 weeks old. Her hands are much bigger now!

Fall off the bone spicy baby back ribs

2009-05-30T07:27:00.004-04:00

Have you ever wanted to try to make ribs, but been worried about tough meat? Fear no more! I made these for memorial day. It starts with a dry rub and a slow roast and is finished off with your favorite sauce on the grill. It's super easy!

Fall off the bone spicy baby back ribs
Makes 4 large servings
Ingredients:
2 racks baby back ribs
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
Your favorite barbeque sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Chipotle)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all spices in a small bowl until well blended. Using your hands, rub spice mixture over the ribs until coated evenly. Place ribs, rounded side up, in a shallow baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 2 hours.
Preheat grill on high heat. Brush barbeque sauce over ribs and place on the grill. Cook covered 6 minutes. Brush more sauce over ribs and flip and grill 6 minutes more. Serve alongside with some corn and asparagus salad (pssst I blanched my asparagus and used canned corn as a shortcut) and dinner is done!

Photo of the Day - Kicking back beach style

2009-05-25T13:50:00.001-04:00

Carolina Beach, May 23, 2009.

Photo of the Day – Buzz off

2009-05-21T10:11:00.003-04:00

These flowers were filled with bumblebees last week at Duke Gardens. They were climbing all the way into each flower. Seems like a bee's paradise!

Best damn turkey meatloaf

2009-05-19T08:27:00.003-04:00

I've decided to share my beloved meatloaf with you folks. It's only cause I like you and I feel guilty for not blogging much these days. I prepared this Sunday and just tossed it in the oven last night for 55 minutes and it was delightful.
Jeni's Best Turkey Meatloaf
Makes a 9 inch loaf (about 5 servings)
Ingredients:
20 ounces lean ground turkey (breast)
2 eggs
3/4 cup breadcrumbs (I use store bought dried stuff)
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tb ketchup (for topping)
5 large white button mushrooms, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tb oil
1 tsp ground sage
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt, divided
dash of black pepper
handful of parsley, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. Saute mushrooms and onions (sprinkled with 1/2 tsp salt) for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Combine all remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl, except the 3 tb ketchup. Add mushrooms and onions. Knead ingredients with hands until everything is mixed evenly. Dump into a nonstick 9 inch loaf pan and form a loaf with a rounded top. Top with remaining ketchup and bake for 55 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes before cutting.

Orecchiette with escarole and sundried tomatoes - a promise kept

2009-05-18T09:03:00.006-04:00

I cooked two meals last night and will be blogging them both. This first one was an experiment. I'd never had escarole before and I bought a beautiful head of it at the farmer's market this weekend. If you're never had it, it's a bitter green that mellows nicely after being cooked for awhile. We both really liked how the sweetness of the sundried tomatoes balanced out the remaining bitterness of the escarole. If I had some ricotta on hand, I would have tossed a little of that in too, but alas, I was out! You could use any pasta with this really, but I like to use ones with fancy names cause they make me feel fancy. Make sure to rinse that escarole really well. You don't want to bite into grittyness like we did. Poor hubby, I kept insisting it was the sundried tomatoes because I didn't want to gross him out ;)Orecchiette with Escarole and Sundried Tomatoes
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
1 head escarole, washed and cut in half inch ribbons
2 large shallots, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 tb olive oil
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 lb orecchiete (little ears)
2 tb grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook pasta per package instructions and reserve 1/4 cup pasta water. Heat olive oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots, red pepper and sundried tomatoes to the pan. Fill pan with however much escarole will fit and wait to cook down a little so that you can add the rest. Salt and pepper to taste. Saute for 8 minutes. It will cook down A LOT.Remove from heat and toss with pasta, pasta water and parmesan cheese.
Serve warm alongside some other yummy italian creations. We had ours with chicken parmesan and a fresh tomato salad.

Photo of the Day - What is this?

2009-05-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Photo of the Day - Peony

2009-05-14T08:00:00.004-04:00

Did you know the delicate, fragrant petals of peonies are opened by busy little ants? It's true.
This photo was taken at my mom's a few years ago. I thought I'd post it just to show you.

They have a great many varieties of peonies at Duke Gardens, but my favorites were the classic pale pink.

Photo of the Day - Irises

2009-05-13T07:52:00.004-04:00

Until my trip yesterday to Duke Gardens, I really had no idea how many iris varieties there are. It's not just a difference in color either. Being near the end of their season, I didn't photograph all the varieties there, but take my word for it.

Photo of the Day - Kicking back

2009-05-12T22:36:00.003-04:00

From our trip to Duke Gardens this afternoon. Many more photos to come tomorrow.

Beer migration

2009-05-12T08:46:00.004-04:00

I am not a huge lover of beer. I do like it and I will drink it, happily. However, if I am allowed only one drink (which I am since I'm nursing) and am given the choice of beer or wine, I will always choose wine. There are a couple of beers I hold quite closely to my heart and perhaps it's that they are so hard for me to get that I love them so much.

Beer number one is Fat Tire. It's brewed in Colorado. I used to live there with my father and when I went back and visited several years ago, I tried Fat Tire for the first time. I fell in love with it. I was treated to it again the last time I was in Arizona. I was sad not to find it on the east coast. That is, until 3 weeks ago. I was in Moe's (the fast food mexican joint) and they were selling the Amber Ale by the 22 oz. bottle. Later that week, I found one last bottle for sale at Parker and Otis. This weekend though, I was very very happy to be treated to it on tap at Tyler's as one of their seasonals. It seems Fat Tire has finally made the ride to the east coast.

Beer number two is Sweetwater Blue. I was turned on to this by two friends that had friends in Atlanta. It's a lovely ale with a hint of blueberry. I looked forward to holidays when the friends would make the trek up from Atlanta and always with some Sweetwater Blue. Well, life happens and people move, drift apart, get divorced, etc. I haven't had Sweetwater Blue for many years. That is, until last night. When I was shopping at my local Kroger yesterday, I traveled down the beer aisle to see if they maybe had Fat Tire. This is when I spied the six pack of my other beer love. At $9.14/6 pack, I find it a little steep for casual daily consumption (not that I drink beer daily), but this was a special occasion. I was celebrating my two favorite beers migrating to Durham!

Photos of the Day - Spring Blooms

2009-05-11T09:56:00.002-04:00

There was a time, not too long ago, when I used to post photos of the day. I don't know why I stopped. Yesterday I spent my day with moms, including my own. My mom has a beautiful garden. Actually it's her whole yard that is landscaped gardens. I'm always inspired by the flowers.

God I suck

2009-05-07T08:18:00.003-04:00

This poor blog has been so neglected since the baby has been born. It's not that I don't have the time to cook. I do and I do. And my love of food hasn't dwindled. I've just not been filled with inspiration to photograph and document what I'm cooking. The baby gets all of my attention and focus. I keep her (private) blog current and filled with almost daily photographs.

From here out, I'm going to make an effort to cook a lot of food on Sundays (so I can freeze or easily finish off dinner during the week). I will try to blog these cooking ventures for you. I do apologize for the decrease in post frequency, but what can I say? Take a look at who's occupying my time (isn't she cute)!

Chocolate chip banana nut muffins

2009-04-27T16:31:00.002-04:00

Yum! I modified a banana bread recipe from allrecipes.com and made muffins this morning. They turned out fantastic!Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins
Makes 16 muffins
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 mashed overripe bananas
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir flour, baking soda and salt into wet mixture; stir just to moisten. Stir in chips and nuts. Pour batter into muffin cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick is clean after being inserted into the center of a muffin.