Thursday, January 31, 2013

Casablanca

I have been trying lots of new recipes lately. David is helping. Mostly by not objecting. He has a friend who tries new recipes and posts them on Facebook. This one looked good so he read it to me and we decided to try it. I never made anything from the Middle East before. But I will try anything. (Except lima beans or beets. Eww.)

Harira (Moroccan Lentil and Tomato Soup)

Ingredients

1 lb of Lamb or Beef, Cubed
6 Large Tomatoes, Peeled, Seeded and Pureed
2 Cups of Dried Chickpeas, Soaked Overnight or 4 1/2 Cups of Canned
2 Cups of Dried Lentils
2 Celery Stalks with Leaves, Finely Chopped
1 Large Onion, Grated
4 tbls of Fresh Cilantro
4 tbls of Fresh Parsley
3 tbls of Tomato Paste
3 tbls of Rice or Broken Vermicelli
1 tbls of Butter
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Tumeric
3 tbls Vegetable Oil
2 Eggs, Beaten

Directons

Heat oil in a pan and cook meat for 5 minutes.

Add everything except the tomato paste, lentils and rice. Also, only add the chickpeas if you were using dried. If canned wait until later. Add eight cups of water. Stir well.

Mix tomato paste with 1/2 cup of water. Add it and the lentils to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 2 hours.

Add in the rice or noodles and the chickpeas if you are using canned. Simmer another 10 minutes.

Slowly pour the beaten eggs into the simmering soup, stirring constantly. Simmer 1 more minute.


Now I adapted this from the original recipe and my conversions may be off. I used canned tomato puree. My soup was really more of a super thick stew. And I really needed to add the rice earlier. 10 minutes was not long enough to cook the rice. Maybe I should have added precooked rice. It didn't say.

It smelled like nothing I ever smelled before while it was cooking. Sort of like a cinnamon beefy smell, but better. It smelled good.

And it tastes good too. A little spicy kick in the end. David tried it. He doesn't eat beans and this is a very bean soup. So he just tasted the meat. And we ate it with naan bread. He tried that too. Carolynn and Catherine gobbled it right up. It was super cheap to make. Dried beans are cheap. A cheap cut of beef and some herbs and you are all set.

We might have to do this one again.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

New Mexican Flair

Sometimes I like a vegetarian dish. Mostly because sometimes I forget to take meat out of the freezer for dinner. I found a recipe for these southwestern egg rolls on Pintrest (of course). So we tried it.

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

INGREDIENTS
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles, drained
4 green onions, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 package egg roll wrappers (about 24 total)

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine everything but the egg roll wrappers. Mix well to blend. Lay an egg roll wrapper out on a work surface so that one of the corners is pointing toward you and place ¼ cup of the filling in the center. Fold the tip closest to you up over the filling, roll a bit, then take the points pointing outward and fold them in toward the center. Continue rolling into an egg roll shape until a small part of the remaining point is still free. Dip a finger in water or beaten egg and lightly brush on the edges of the free corner. Finish rolling and press to seal closed. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Lightly oil a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the sealed egg rolls on the baking sheet seam side down and spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly brown, turning halfway through baking. Serve warm with salsa.


Talk about spicy.... WOO! But good. I think they would have been a bit better had I fried them. Also, my egg roll wrappers only came in a pack of 20, so my egg rolls were a little stuffed and some of them oozed a bit. And I think we needed a dipping sauce. Salsa was not the answer. Spicy on spicy. But sour cream or guacamole would have been awesome. Since they had beans in them David didn't try them and they would have been too spicy for him anyway. And way too spicy for Michelle. Carolynn and Catherine liked them a lot. I liked them. They would be a good party food.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

If At First You Don't Succeed....

In our quest to try new foods, I was trying to find something that David would like. He is such a picky. He is trying not to be as picky though because he doesn't want Michelle to be like him in that way. (Though don't give her the peas.... OMG!)

I found a recipe on Pintrest for Salisbury Steak. It led me to this blog and this recipe.

Salisbury Steak with Caramelized Onion Gravy

Ingredients:

Onion Gravy
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Salt and pepper

Meat Patties
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup cooked white rice
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
1) To make gravy: Heat butter in a large sauté pan. Add onions and cook over medium-high heat, until onions start to brown, stirring occasionally. When onions are slightly softened and turning a deep honey brown, add 1/4 cup broth. Reduce heat, cover and continue cooking, adding more broth as needed to prevent caramelized bits at the bottom of the pan from burning. It should take at least 25 to 30 minutes to properly caramelize onions. Stir in flour and cook for about 2 minutes. Add wine and reduce by half. Stir in remaining beef broth and tomato paste. Stir in cider vinegar. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
2) To make patties: Mix ground beef, rice, egg yolk, salt, pepper, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, parsley and thyme in a bowl. Shape into 4 oval patties about 3/4-inch thick. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Sear patties about 3 minutes per side, or until a brown crust forms. Pour gravy over patties and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Serve warm with mashed potatoes or noodles. Yield: 4 Servings.


Well, it sounded delicious. But I don't think we will make this one again. First of all, I think we made the patties a little off. Catherine made them more like hamburger size when I really think they should have been flatter. And they were not as moist as I would have liked. And I don't know what was up with the rice in them. David thought they were onions and almost refused to try it. Finally, that made a ton of onion. A TON! Way more than was needed for 4 little patties. It was a good sauce though. We also added mushrooms to it. They were good. And we served it with mashed potatoes and purple cauliflower. Michelle enjoyed the mashed potatoes.

Salisbury Steak is a good idea. Even David thought so. But we just need to try another recipe.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Are You Ready For Some Football?!?!

Last year I played Fantasy Football with my dad, Vicki, my sister, my step-brother, and my cousins. It was pretty fun. I wasn't very good at it. I didn't know many players. I didn't watch games. But I was having a good time seeing who beat who each week. In the end, my cousin Wendy won the Super Bowl. I came in somewhere in the middle.

This year, we had more players for our league. Up from eight to twelve. More cousins. My sister's husband. My dad's car buddy. And David.

David got so into it. Eventually. He didn't bother to look at players to draft until after the draft had started. He never really had been a football guy. Besides the Super Bowl each year, I can't remember him watching a football game.

But this year, once he got going....

We watched games together. We rooted for the players on our fantasy teams. We razzed the other fantasy players. David wrote ridiculous recaps. Phrases like "rectum romping" and "butt devastation train" are now part of everyone's football vocab.

The season was so much fun. I hated to see it end. But it did.

I thought that meant the end of football in our house.

I was wrong.

David has become a true fan. He watches reruns of games. He watches highlight reels. He watches all the stuff on NFL Network. Every day.

I think it is kind of cute. It is fun we have something we can do together.

And in case you were wondering how I did in this year's fantasy league...

I Am The Champion!!!!

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Trip To Asia

We like Asian food. And by we, I don't usually mean David. If we go to Panda Express, we drive through the burger joint next door for him. He will eat some orange chicken if we make him.

But eating out is expensive. Especially at Panda Express or other Chinese take out. And since we are trying to stay on budget and still eat fun stuff, we decided to try and make some Chinese take out at home.

I found this recipe on Pintrest and it led me to this blog and this recipe for Cashew Chicken.

Cashew Chicken (with a kick)
2 chicken breasts cubed
1 tbsp cooking sherry
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup oil
1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you want it, a little goes a long way)
3 green onions, sliced diagonally
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tsp of jarred minced garlic)
1/2 cup cashews, unsalted
toasted sesame seeds
lightly or unsalted cashews.

Sauce:
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp white vinegar

Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce with the cooking sherry in medium sized bowl. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, put chicken pieces in soy/sherry mixture. Let sit while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a small bowl, whisk 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch, 4 tsp sugar, and 2 tsp vinegar. Set aside. Slice the green onions, and measure out the red pepper flakes and minced garlic.

Drain chicken in strainer to get the marinade off as much a possible. Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add red pepper flakes to oil,stir a couple times. Add chicken all at once, let sit for a minute or two till golden,then turn chicken. Add garlic to chicken. Cook chicken till golden on all sides and cooked through. drain oil if there is still an excessive amount. Add cashews. Move wok off hot stove and immediately pour in sauce while constantly turning chicken over to cover everything in sauce. Sauce should thicken quite a bit, if you want it thicker put it back on medium heat for about 5-10 seconds, and stir, stir, stir. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and add sliced green onions. Serve over Rice. ENJOY!


I didn't use a wok. I just used a big non-stick skillet. I didn't use low sodium soy sauce. I didn't slice my onions diagonally. And my cashews were lightly salted. I only used a 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. It had a little kick to it.

David said it was edible. Carolynn and I liked it, but we both felt that there were too many cashews. Catherine said it was too spicy. Also, it didn't make a whole lot. But enough for 1 serving each. We might try this one again. We ate it with white rice. But I think fried rice would have been good too.

Friday, January 18, 2013

A Day In The Life

Kids Say....

I was working at a fabulous prison camp in the visiting room one day, eight months pregnant. I was waddling around keeping my eye on everything. I had been there a while (about 8 months... DUH!) so the kids knew me. They drew me pictures and showed me their new clothes when they came in. Some kids even knew how to say my name. (That is a feat as there are a lot of letters in it.)

On this particular day, one little boy kept calling me "Teacher".

"Look at this picture Teacher."

"That is my mom over there Teacher."

"Look Teacher, Grandma bought me and Mommy cookies."


He was cute.

I walked near his mom, the inmate he was visiting, and he said "Look Mommy, there is your teacher."

She looked at him. Then she told him, "No. That is not a teacher. She is a police lady."

He looked confused.

He argued. No, I had to be the teacher.

Back and forth. Teacher. Police lady. Teacher. Police lady.

He asked me. And I confirmed. Police lady.

Still, he didn't believe it.

Finally, his mom asks him how come I can't be a police lady.

"Because she is too fat to be the police." he says.

And there you have it.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Feeding The Baby

Now that Michelle is such a big girl... All of 4 months old... She has started eating baby food. She is a good eater. A pig really. She never misses a meal. Her first food was mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving. I gave her a few bites from my plate. Technically I have been giving her little tastes of stuff on her binky practically since she got the binky when she was two weeks old.

Her first food just for her was rice cereal. She loves it. And baby oatmeal. Then we moved to applesauce. That has remained one of her favorites.


So far we have tried...

Rice Cereal- Yum!

Oatmeal- Yum!

Applesauce- Yum!

Bananas- Yum!

Sweet Potatoes- Yum!

Turkey- So far just one try on that and it was a no go. I will try that more times.

Pears- Yum!

Peaches- Yum!

Carrots- Yum!

Prunes- Yum! But be careful of the aftermath. Because EWWWWWWWW!!!!!!

Peas- Negative! OMG! We have tried it four different times. She gets so excited when she sees the baby food container and a spoon and then you get the bib on... She opens her mouth just like a little baby bird. Then when she realizes it is peas, she gets so mad and won't open any more and cries until you get her something else. Usually I can get her to eat about 1/2 of a container. But it is such a struggle. I won't be forcing that one anymore.

Green Beans- That one we have tried twice. It isn't as bad as the peas, but it isn't looking good.

Squash- The first time we tried it, she was too busy making raspberries to give it a go. The second time, she ate it right up.

Mashed Potatoes- This is homemade. Not baby food. I just thin out what I make a little for her. She loves it.

She also has a cuppie now. A cuppie! She drinks juice. Well, 20% juice and the rest water. She likes apple, white grape and pear.


Before I know it, she will be ordering a Big Mac and nomming on a turkey leg.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Trying Something New

So in order to eat out less and save money, we are trying out some new recipes. Less money is spent and we even tend to eat healthier. A winning combo. Our first experiment was Chicken Tortilla Soup. I got the recipe from Food Network.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Recipe courtesy Danny Boome
Show: Rescue Chef Episode: Sunday Soup for Supper

Total Time: 35 min
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 25 min
Yield:4 to 6 servings
Level: Easy

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 jalapenos, finely diced
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2 limes, juiced, plus wedges for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 (8-inch) flour tortilla, grilled, cut into thin strips
1 avocado, pitted, sliced
1 cup shredded Monterrey cheese

Directions
In a large saucepan heat the vegetable oil. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Once the onions have softened add the garlic and jalepenos and cook for another minute. Pour the chicken broth, tomatoes and beans into the pot and bring to a boil. Once at a boil lower heat to simmer and add your chicken breasts. Cook the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes. Once chicken is cooked remove from pot. When cool enough to handle shred it and set it aside. Add lime juice and fresh cilantro to the pot. In a serving bowl add a mound of shredded chicken. Ladle soup over chicken and top with a lime wedge, grilled tortilla strips, avocado slices and cheese.


I didn't follow this exactly. First of all, I was out of chicken stock. So I used turkey stock instead. Also, I didn't make my own tortilla strips. I bought tortilla chips at the store. And also, I added a cup of frozen corn. I thought it might be spicy and I thought the corn might help. It wasn't too spicy. We also didn't think it needed lime wedges. The avocado was good though.

Carolynn, Catherine and I liked it. It was too spicy for Michelle to try. David doesn't eat anything with beans in it. This is something we will be sure to make again.

Friday, January 04, 2013

A Day In The Life

So I am standing at the metal detector, freezing my ass off, watching inmates walk to breakfast. Living the dream. It's 24 degrees outside and I can not feel my lips. Or my nose. My eye balls and teeth feel frozen. It is awesome. My partner is also freezing and we are watching the clock in anticipation of time to go home.

An older, Hispanic inmate walks through the metal detector and it goes off. We send him back. Again, he sets it off. We send him back. He says no. He keeps walking.

Ummmm.... No.

I yell at him to get back here. He comes back, mumbling under his breath. He returns to the metal detector, and removes the radio in his pocket. My partner looks at him.

Really? The radio? You didn't know that would set off the metal detector?

The inmate looks at him and says....

"Suck my dick."

Wow.

That is how this is going to go today.

He clears the metal detector and we call him to us. We ask him to repeat himself. He starts telling us a story about how it was his medication that set off his metal detector.

Sure, that is all he said. I believe him.

I get his name and number and write him an incident report.

Living the dream....

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

Happy New Year!

I am really going to try to do this more this year. The baby is growing up so fast and there is so much I want to document. I got this from a blogging buddy and I thought it would be a good way to start the year.

1. What did you do in 2012 that you had never done before?

We went to Yosemite. It was so beautiful. Also, I never had been pregnant in a prison before. That was a new experience. Finally, I had never had to have a pet put to sleep before. Our cat Betty had a liver disease. It was so sad.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions and will you make some for 2013?

I don't think I made any. Last year at New Year's I had a terrible flu that just wouldn't go away. I found out I was pregnant the day after New Year's. So I guess I resolved to have a baby in 2012. So... Mission Accomplished!

For 2013, I am going to try and lose this baby fat. I will try and exercise more and eat better.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Ummmmm..... How about me? Ha ha ha! Michelle was born in 2012, Year of the Dragon. Also, several of my co-workers had babies. And 2013 is bringing more! My sister and my cousin Wendy are currently expecting babies this spring. Also, more of my co-workers. Well, one I can think of who should be popping any day. And my friend Karen. She is also due very soon.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My Grandpa passed away in the spring. I am sure he missed my Grandma and his health was bad. So it was hard to be sad about it. I have all the memories. And I don't believe he isn't still here. He and my Grandma and my other Grandparents are with me all the time.

5. What countries did you visit?

Ummm.... This one. That is it. I didn't even leave the state. Sad. Carolynn and Catherine went to Nevada to visit their dad for the first time in August. David went to Texas for his brother's wedding in October.

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you didn't have in 2012?

More money and more time off. And a kitchen table.

7. What dates from 2012 will be etched upon your memory and why?

September 5- Michelle's birthday!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Michelle. Also moving to the new house. That was a chore. And getting my brother to text me. Also, a chore. Now, if I could get him to talk to me....

9. What was you biggest failure?

As always, diet and exercise. I suck at that. Also, saving money. I suck at that too.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Well, nine long pregnant months was no picnic. And the 2 weeks of vertigo toward the end there was awesome. But it was all worth it and I would do it again. (But just one more time, and not today.) Other than that, we had a pretty healthy year.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

David's car. All the baby stuff. Carolynn got a new bedroom set.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

David. He survived me pregnant. Lived through labor. Barely. And is a great dad. I knew he would be. Just look at Carolynn and Catherine.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Politicians and the cast of Jersey Shore

14. Where did most of your money go?

Moving to the new house. Wasted on eating out too much.

15. What did you get excited about?

The baby. My baby shower. It was so cool seeing that much of my family.

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?

Michelle by The Beatles

17. Compared to this time last year, are you a) Happier or Sadder? b) Thinner or Fatter c) Richer or Poorer?

A- Happier. New baby, great family, good job. What is there to be sad about?
B- Slightly thinner. Shocking, I know. Not thin enough though.
C- About the same.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Again.... Diet, exercise, and saving. Also, walking the dogs or taking them to the dog park. Spending more time with the teenagers before they leave me like jerks.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Spend. Eat out. Worrying.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

I actually had the day off! We had planned on getting up and baking cookies and making a ham. However, we woke up to a broken oven. So we made spaghetti instead. Carolynn got a new sewing machine and spent the day making pajama pants for herself and the baby. Super cute. Catherine got a new computer. We may never see her again. The baby had a good time. She liked the excitement.

21. What was your favorite TV program?

Classic Simpson's. Friends reruns. Food Network and the History Channel. Disney Jr.

22. What was the best book you read?

What To Expect While You're Expecting

23. What did you want and get?

A healthy baby and a new house

24. What did you want and not get?

A baby boy... Not that I want to trade in Michelle. Also, a new car. I kind of want a mini van. I am such a mom.

25. What was your favorite film of 2012?

Brave

26. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?

I was 35. I probably worked. Ugh.

27. What one thing would have made your year immensely more satisfying?

Winning the lottery

28. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2012?

Can you say maternity clothes? And nursing tops?

29. What kept you sane?

David. He is a trooper.

30. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.

Babies happen. It is okay to not worry. And I have been off my anxiety medicine for a whole year. Everything will work out.