Teriyaki Kabobs and a New Wall

I am SO homes and gardens today.  A recipe AND a new decorating tip?!?  Wow. 

So, we all know I LOVE to cook...my cooking idol is Ina Garten and if I had my way, I'd cook all day everyday and make millions of dollars from my ingenious recipes.  But, I live in the real world and the work and kid thing means the food I make has to be very quick, easy and mostly toddler friendly.  I try very, very hard to feed Mia the same food JC and I eat every night, for two reasons:

• It's a pain in the ass to cook a separate meal
• I hope it will help her become a "healthy eater"...kids mimic their parents, so if we eat good food, she'll eat good food.  And only have ice cream 3 times a week, instead of 5.

But sometimes you can't always do that.  Sometimes you just need to eat something that's spicy, has a "grown-up" sauce on it or is fish or fish-related.  None of those (in my experience) are very toddler friendly foods.  I'm here to tell you that this is one of those recipes:

Teriyaki Steak Kabobs

•  Chop up a yellow and orange bell pepper (if they're on sale, otherwise use the gross (but cheap) green kind), one yellow onion and a piece of steak. Throw in some button mushrooms and  skewer them on kabob sticks.

• Season with Lawry's salt and black pepper and drench them in Teriyaki marinade.

•  Let them marinate for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator and then put them on a HOT grill.  Make sure the grill is HOT enough that it sears the meat and locks in the flavor.

DELICIOUS? Yes.  Toddler friendly?  No.  At least not for my toddler.  But no worries, we had plenty off side dishes and fruit for her.  She did not go hungry.  Here's the little bugger playing in the yard while the kabobs were grilling...red-face and all.

In other news, I played decorator last weekend and re-did a wall in my kitchen "nook."  I have found that I am very fond of collages so I made a third one in my house.  What can I say, I like em.  Each one is special though, the one in my dining room is filled with pictures that I took in Europe, the other one in my dining room is pictures of JC and I when we were younger, pictures of my brother and I when we were younger, and just fun things that mean something.  This one, is no different.  I made this collage with framed sheet music from the 1920s that I bought at a consignment store in downtown McKinney, Texas.  How awesome is that?  Maybe one day it'll be worth enough to pay for Mia's college education.  Kidding! Kind of.

Balsamic Pasta with Asparagus, Tomatoes and Mushrooms

Holy cow this recipe is good.  I swear, I make the best meals when I'm throwing together what I have and don't really plan it.  I'm gonna stop buying cookbooks (except for Ina Garten's cause she's the bomb.)

Anyway, here's the recipe:

• Chop 1 bunch of asparagus  into three sections so the spears are about 2 inches long
• Slice one package of button mushrooms
• Halve 1/2 carton of cherry tomatoes and 1/2 carton of sunburst tomatoes. Don't know what the heck a sunburst tomato is?  Well, good thing I had my camera handy when I chopped them. They're the yellow ones.

•  Put about 1/4 cup of olive oil and 2 HUGE tablespoons of garlic in a saute pan and heat until aromatic and simmering but don't "fry" the garlic.  Cause burnt garlic is worse than a $2 bottle of red wine.
• Add the mushrooms and asparagus to the simmering olive oil and cook for about 5 minutes with the lid on.  Add about 1 tsp of course sea salt and some pepper.  As much as you want, I guess.

• In the meantime, cook 1 box of angel hair pasta (broken into halves) in some salted water, then drain and set aside.  (Do I need to make a big deal out of cooking some angel hair noodles?  No, I don't.)
•  Make some balsamic vinaigrette.  For those not familiar, that's equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar with some salt and pepper, then whisked until mixed thoroughly.  Need a picture?  Fine. I whisk with a fork.

•  Once the asparagus is fork tender, add the angel hair, balsamic vinaigrette and your halved tomatoes and toss.  More pepper and probably another turn around the pan of balsamic vinegar if you really like it.  I happen to love balsamic vinegar so the more the better.

 De-licious and vegetarian if you're into that.  Perfect for summer when it's so hot all you really want to ingest is cold beer and maybe some ice cream.  Is that just me?  Anyway, I had two helpings so that should tell you something.

Father's Day Pizza

Well, we had just a marvelous Father's Day.  Except we didn't get to talk to my dad because he was working, but he got a picture of Mimi and I think he was happy.  We, of course, watched the US Open as we do every year.  Well, JC, his dad and brother watched it, while I sat there pretty darn bored.  I'm sorry, as much as I try, I just can't get into golf.  BO-RING.

We usually do steaks and stuff for dinner after the golf tournament, but this year I protested.  Why?  Well, here is how it usually plays out when the three of them get together.  The US Open gets over around 7:00pm and they want to grill the steaks after that so they don't miss the tournament.  That means at 6:00pm, I am working on doing the sides and marinating the steaks while trying to feed and bathe a little girl who is beginning to get the bedtime crabbies. Also, it's a pain in the ass to make a whole separate meal for Mia than the one we're eating and there is no way she can wait to eat until 7:30 or 8pm.  Nope.  Marinating steaks and making sides with a whiny baby on my hip makes for an unhappy Jill and while I'm trying to do it all and the dads are relaxing on Father's Day, I'm giving my husband the "Why don't you help me?!?!" evil eye.  Not exactly the Father's Day we had in mind.  Seriously, this happens every time. 

So this year, I proposed something better. Homemade Pizza! These two pizzas had just enough "specialness" to be okay for Father's Day, but not so much "specialness" that I was going out of my mind.  Here is what we (I) made:

Margarita Pizza:

- Pre-made crust (Yup, I went there)
- Sliced tomatoes, with juice squeezed out (that I spent $4.99 on because, well...it IS Father's Day)
- Sliced, fresh mozzarella (not from the bag)
- Fresh basil from my garden

Seriously...just add the sauce, slap on the toppings, cook for ten minutes and viola.  It was delicious. But the real show stopper was this....

Apple Gorgonzola Pizza:

-  Pre-made crust (Let's face it, I would just burn the crust anyway)
-  Sprinkle some Monterrey Jack cheese on the bottom...just a little
-  Add chopped green apples
-  Add a few sliced red onions (thinly sliced)
-  Add a few handfuls of walnuts
-  Sprinkle Fresh rosemary over the top
-  Top with shredded monterrey jack cheese and lots of gorgonzola cheese

Bake for 10 minutes and eat the crap out of it.  Seriously, I could eat that pizza every day of my life and be happy as a clam.  Add a tossed salad with homemade ranch dressing and some chocolate brownies with caramel and sea salt and the boys were in Father's Day heaven.  Super duper easy and no fussy Jill to be found.

Well, that was mostly because my hubby cleaned up the kitchen afterwards.  That helps. 

Good Enough is the New Perfect.

Remember when I wrote THIS POST ?  Well, nothing has changed for us. Mia still goes to a fabulous babysitter 2 days a week and we couldn't be happier about it.  Me? Well, I still struggle daily with my duties at home and my duties at work.  Do I spend enough time here, do I spend enough time there?  And please, god...will I ever make friends in this city and have a social life again?

Would I be wasting my education and shunning feminism by just really wanting to stay home and take care of my family and have babies?  Okay, whoa... so let's pause here for a moment.  Those of you who know me would never believe that would come out of me.  "Stay home and have babies?"  What?  Are we in an alternate universe?

Let me tell you...and you can blame it on the hormones, but having a child just changes everything.  In a way that nothing else every will.  Ever.  And I think in particular, being the person who grew and birthed that child, the mom has a particularly strong bond and natural need to take care of that child.  Well, that and lots of estrogen. 

Does that mean every woman who becomes a mom has these same feelings?  No.  Does that mean that I should ignore every professional accomplishment I have made and just forget that?  No.  Does that mean there is a different balance for every working mom out there?  Yes.

Some woman like to get away all day for 5 days and need that to handle the challenges of motherhood. Some mothers cannot physically or emotionally bear the thought of leaving their child in another person's capable care.  Me?  I'm somewhere right in the middle.  I want a little of both and that's what I got going for me.  It works right now but it isn't perfect.  When you do both, it's a constant state of limbo and you never quite feel "good" about either situation.  Any other mom's sympathize?  I used to agonize over not doing enough...not answering an email quick enough, not spending enough time with Mia and missing milestones, not hitting my deadlines fast enough and let me tell you, it wears you down and eventually...you'll hit a wall. Or in my case, you stress out so much about it, that you lose 80 pounds in less than a year.

Working moms, if you can relate...Go out and please, buy THIS BOOK.  It's seriously opening up my eyes and just lets me breathe so much easier.  If anything, it's helped me sit back and look at myself and say, "I'm not crazy, other woman do this too!!!"  The bottom line; each mom has to find her balance and what works for your family.  If working is a necessity, then this is a moot point.  Money is money and if you need it to surive and provide for your family than your natural need to stay home and care for your child/children doesn't fit in anywhere in that scenario.  But, if you are fortunate enough to have a choice and wrestle with the decision...then trying to choose can be a very dramatic ordeal.

Okay, so where am I going with all of this.  Well, I'm here to say I have had an epiphany.  Good Enough is the New Perfect.  I'm not perfect and I have to stop trying to be.  I don't have to swiffer my floor every day, an email doesn't have to be answered within 5 minutes of receiving it, and I don't have to agonize over someone else taking care of Mia for a few hours.   Superwoman, I am not.  And I am MORE than happy with that.

On a side note, I'm also starting to catch some baby fever (no, not yet, not now...but its in the future).  I think that will throw this delicate balance all to heck and I'm gonna have to start over, right?

Teriyaki Chicken and extreme grocery shopping

God, I'm getting so old.  Wanna know why? Cause I have a blog about what I cook and I'm about to talk about how much money I saved at the grocery store with coupons.  That's why.  Anyone who is interested, keep reading.  Anyone who thinks I'm old and this blog is a waste of time, then head on over to Myspace and check that out. 

Anyway...so I've figured out this grocery shopping thing.  I am AMAZED each month how much we spend each month on food for 3 people...okay, well, more like 2 1/2 people.  Anyway, I watched a few previews for the new TLC show "Extreme Couponing" and got inspired.  So, I've done it for two weeks and listen up...it's amazing what a little time and effort can do to your grocery budget.

Okay, so week one.  I scoured the weekly ads for Kroger and Tom Thumb, the two grocery stores near me.  I circled the items that I wanted to buy at each store.  I headed out on Saturday morning, hit up both stores, bought everything that I circled and then a few items that I didn't circle (but were still on sale)...and guess what, just by buying ONLY things that are on sale...I saved $65.  WHAT?!?!?  $65!  That's crazy talk.  So, I got really excited and thought, okay, next week I can do better. 

So, I did the same routine, EXCEPT, this time I had coupons. I bought a Dallas Morning News (just for the coupons) and cut out coupons that matched up to the items that were on sale at each grocery store.  I headed out this past Friday and did the same thing (bought only sale items) + used a few coupons that matched up.  I saved $55 this week but I bought SO much more than last week.  Example...just in the meat department, I bought a 2 lb chuck roast, 2 pork tenderloins, 2 packages of ground turkey and 1 package of 6 chicken breasts.  The meat was all hormone and crap free.  That meat alone would cost me $70 probably...and I got it for around $25 to $30 (lots of buy one get one free and $5 Friday specials.)

I'm telling you...it's worth it and kind of addicting. Okay, high five to me and now on to the cooking...on the menu: Teriyaki Chicken. So, with the super sale chicken, I did this. 

Cut up chicken breast and added some Teriyaki marinade.  I did that, added some black pepper (no salt though) and stuck it in the fridge for awhile.  Then I cut up some peppers.  (These were also on super sale, yellow and orange peppers for like 75 cents a piece!)

Then this happened.

Her snack cup of goldfish crackers all over the floor.  Uh-oh is right, Mia.  Uh oh is right.  But it's okay, cause she's cute.

So, we swept it up and went about our business.  I threw the marinated chicken chopped peppers into a pan and sauteed for a few minutes.  Then I added some pineapple and poured it over jasmine rice.  See?

Delicious.  We all loved it.  Except Mia, who is now becoming pickier by the day.  If it's not spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, french fries, waffles, fruit or cookies, she ain't eating it.  I'm gonna have to start making green bean cookies or something.  On a happier note, here's my husband. Cute, aint he?

GAH!!!!!

I've got a talker on my hands.  Mimi repeats everything I say and if you tell her what something is (only one time)...she knows it.  She can't form complete words that well yet, but she's getting better.  She probably knows about 25 words now and associates them with things or people now.  For example...when my computer screen goes idle and my pictures start doing the slideshow thing, if a picture of my mom pops up, she points and says Na-na.

She says Big Bird, La-La (Elmo), Mama, Dada, ki-ki (kitty), more, no, walk, doose (juice), rock (as in a rock on the ground and rock in the chair), chocolate (that one is more like cha-ca), cak-cak (duck), cracker, thank you, please, jacket, na-na (my mom and banana), wa-wa (water) and ba-ba (sippy cup/milk).  These are all of the words that she says if she sees the actual item.  If I point and tell her the name of something, she says it back to me.  Or at least tries very hard to.  She is one smart cookie, let me tell you.

Her latest word...GAH.  $20 bucks to the person who knows what she's talking about.  Here's a hint:

If you guessed GUITAR, then you know what a GAH is.  You see, my husband is a guitar player (a very good one might I add) and he has an acoustic and electric guitar hanging on the wall of his office with his amp below it.  Every now and then, he would take it down and play for Mia and let her strum on it.  Now, when she goes in his office, she points and says GAH!!!! Then whines until we get it down...(we're working on her saying please everytime she asks for something).  She sits and strums and strums and strums.  Sometimes she hums too.  She is definitely a music lover.

Today, we got the GAH down for a bit.  She loved it.

Friends and Fish

I have this great friend in Nashville. I miss her greatly.  I should call her more.  I should visit her.  Until I get my act together and actually do that, I read her blog.  Like me, she too aspires to just cook all day and create wonderful food and be Ina Garten (or whoever her culinary idol is).  Our dream is to open a catering business/bakery/restaurant...or something like that.

Anyway, I read her blog and that's how I stay connected.  On her blog, she made this Yummy Dinner.  Well, I made it too and she was right. DELICIOUS!!!

The best part.  Simple and fast.  I have a 15 month old toddler who is into everything and wants to go everywhere.  So, when I cook, it needs to be quick and uncomplicated.  I need one eye on the food, one eye on the girl.  So this recipe works for me.

FYI...from this point on, my fish will ALWAYS be coated in Panko bread crumbs.  Why would you use anything else?  They are delicious and perfect for fish!

See for yourself...

Healthy eating at our house.  Had to counteract all of that sugar and butter from these last night.  But that's okay...cause it was delicious.

It was also Mia's first taste of fish.  That was about the last thing that I waited to give her, food-wise.  I have no idea why...I just thought she needed to be "older" to try fish.

So, I gave her some.  It went in...

And came right back out.

Maybe she isn't quite ready yet.

Hormones, preservatives and crap.

If I had all of the money and time in the world,  I would grow my own vegetables, fruit, meat, etc.  I would only shop at Farmer's Markets (if I needed to) and probably only get things like milk, cheese and pasta at the grocery store.  Even if I had a lot of money, I don't think I want to make cheese or milk a cow and have to pasteurize it.  No thanks.  

The point is...I do not want to eat (nor feed my family) things like preservatives, hormones, nitrates, high fructose corn syrup, etc.  

Well, turns out, I don't have all of the money and time in the world.  Darnit.  Heck, I'm not even a full time stay at home mom.  I'm a half time at home mom...(I am very very lucky to be in my office three days a week and home the rest). But still...it's hard to juggle it all.  So, I've learned to compromise.  Case in point.  Mia's lunch today...

First, take a look at this cute kid plate and baby fork.  It's just one of those items at Target that make their way into your cart and why you can NEVER leave there without spending at least $80. 

That's besides the point.  But really, I have a love/hate relationship with Target. As a kid I remember eating lots of macaroni and cheese and hot dogs. I LOVE hot dogs, but don't really eat them because of the crap that's in them.  Same with mac and cheese...I don't even want to KNOW how long it takes for my digestive system to process all of the crap that's in that powdered cheese. 

Still, it's a great meal and very kid friendly.  So, here's my compromise...

Annie's organic mac and cheese and Oscar Meyer Angus hot dogs (free of the crap).  Yes, it's a little more expensive at the store...but really not much.  I found a deal at Kroger that sold Annie's mac and cheese for 99 cents a box...which is LESS than the preservative-filled Kraft kind.  I think the regular price is aournd $2 a box.  And for a 15 month old, that box lasts a long time. 

So, here it is....hot dogs and mac and cheese...brings back memories.  Oh...and steamed carrots too.  While I like to think she likes to eat the fancy food I make for dinner (sometimes).  Here is what she really wants.  Simple and easy for her to digest. 

Here's the deal...you don't have to buy EVERYTHING organic.  And it's a rare person who has the time to grow their own food (although I'm going to try this summer).  Does my child eat mandarin oranges in the pre-filled cups?  Yes.  Did she drink some chocolate milk with high fructose corn syrup this morning? Yes.  No, we're not perfect...but we try our best.  Why wouldn't you give your child (and yourself) the healthiest food you possibly can.

Plus, she likes it.  And doesn't throw "too" much on the floor.

We're still working on actually using that "fork" thing.  She still prefers her hands. 

Something healthy to cancel out the fat.

So, lately I've eaten things like Whataburgers, Jiffy Burgers and Drip Beef sandwiches with lots of chocolate chips and red wine to wash it down.  So, I decided we needed to do a little health(ier) dinner detox.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not dieting or anything, but both JC and I are just better off when we eat healthy and most of the time that's the food we like anyway.  Although...a whataburger every now and then keeps a person sane.  It's true.

So, I thought I'd switch it up and show you the Mimi first and the food second.  Here she is with her "ba-ba".  She calls her sippy cup her baba.  I think maybe that's what she calls milk?  I still heat up her milk for her in the morning and when I get her from her crib and she hears her bottle warmer go off, she squeals, "BA - BA!!!!"  It's the cutest thing ever ever ever. 

Cheerios and a "ba-ba" to keep her busy while I finish dinner...

And now on to the healthy stuff.  I did not pre-prep this dinner and instead rushed it together after I got home from work.  It could have been alot better and would have been good with some bread or a salad, but no time.  I had a hungry baby who was on the brink of meltdown if she didn't eat soon.

So, here it is...Baked Pasta e Fagioli.  It's basically, pasta, onion, celery, spinach, canellini beans, stewed tomatoes, tomato puree, romano cheese, chicken stock and...I think that's it.  Heat it in a sauce pan and then top with the cheese and bake for 15 minutes. Simple, easy and great for leftovers!

Next time, I'm prepping this the night before.  Why?  Because it's hard to chop an onion with a baby on your hip, that's why.  Overall, JC said it was good and Mia liked it.  Especially the beans.  Hey, at least it's not another ham sandwich, right?

A week at home...

I did move to Texas, right?  The place where it's supposed to be no colder than 45 degrees in the winter and hot as the surface of the sun in the summer? I did leave Nebraska and it's snow, ice and -20 (with wind chill) temperatures 2 years ago, right?  K, just checking.  Cause we're covered in ice and the high today was 15 degrees.  It's cool though, cause I've been working at home all week with my Mimi and husband.  He's been sequestered in his office since Sunday cause it's National Signing Day week.  If you don't know what that is...click here... www.huskersillustrated.com. That's where my husband lives.  In that website.  So, if you want to say hi to him, that's where you should go.

I'm supposed to go to the office tomorrow, but it's not looking good anymore...given that my boss called me and said to stay home.  So, that means, I'll be staying home while my husband tries to fly to Nebraska for tv interviews.  We'll see if THAT happens with the frozen tundra that has taken over pretty much the entire country. 

Anyway, Mia went to bed early tonight and so I have time to work and cook. Here's what I made...

Breaded tilapia with rosemary, parmesan mashed cauliflower, cherry tomatoes with italian dressing (fancy, I know) and some bread.   It took all of 15 minutes to make (minus the steaming of the cauliflower) and it was EXACTLY what I wanted to eat. Easy, yummy and little clean-up.  See, complicated food makes me not happy.  I don't want to have to wash a million things and I don't want to have my eyes glued to a recipe in order to cook something.  Simple food is the best food.  Period.

So, you're wondering what's on the bread?  Oh, I'm glad you asked...it's butter and jelly.

Why? Because I'm from the country in Nebraska and that's how we eat our bread at dinner.  With butter and jelly (or homemade strawberry jam if you're at my mom's house).  Don't worry, I'll get there, eventually.  There is just something about the little bit of "sweet" with a savory meal that just makes me feel good.  I LOVE those contrasts, sweet and salty...hence, the brownies with sea salt.  That's LITERALLY sweet and salty. 

And the tomatoes with italian dressing...it's something that I learned from a coworker that is delicious. 

And how much simpler can you get than that?  You can't really.  Oh, unless you add salt and pepper.  Which I did.

More of the sick....and some shrimp!

Really? When does this sickness stop?  Is this life with a child forever as I know it? Will it get better?  Ugh...I feel so bad for my little girl and at this point, all three of us would benefit from about a week's worth of straight sleep.  Needless to say, it's hard to concentrate on work...with the sleep deprivation, crabby baby with a cold and all. 

Back to cooking.  I did have a chance to cook a little in the last few days.  This one is from Ellie's cookbook...again.  It was a good one.  Maybe the best one I've made from it so far.  This recipe is the exact reason why I love cooking like Ellie Krieger and Ina Garten.  Fresh ingredients, not alot of prep or cook time, put together in a simple way for a DELICIOUS meal.  Here's the thing...I'm not a fan of cooking "technique." I am not good at butchering meat (I really don't even know how to cut a whole chicken that well) and I don't enjoy long, complicated processes to cook something.  Although, I do enjoy a really nice slow roasted piece of BBQ... 

But again, here's the other thing...I also don't like to take short cuts with fancy kitchen gadgets.  I like to chop an onion with a butcher knife...not a fancy onion chopper thing.  I just want a set of really good knives (that I now have thanks to my awesome mother-in-law), a cutting board and raw, fresh food. 

So, maybe that sounds a little contrary, but that's how I like to cook.

Okay, onto the meal.  This is Garlic Basil Shrimp.  I followed this recipe almost to a "T"...I seasoned the shrimp a little more with some Old Bay and it didn't really call for that. I also added a little butter to the orzo before I added the shrimp...but other than that, followed the recipe perfectly.

Next time, I'm getting better quality shrimp...but that's hard to find in January in North Texas.  The tomatoes on the other hand, were beautiful! Not as good as the ones I am going to grow this summer, though. Stay tuned for that!

Let's try this again.

Well I used to blog.  Alot.  I used to blog about being pregnant with my first baby and all of the fun things that were happening with her, me, my body and our little family. 

So, I gave birth and ran out of spare time.  For those who are pregnant or thinking about having a baby...let me just tell you.  The first year is spent completely devoted to just adjusting to life as a parent. It was for me anyway.  I spent the last year so utterly enamored with my little girl that I really didn't want to think about anything else.  And if you are a working parent (like I am)...you start to spend your time at home thinking about work and you spend your time at work thinking about your little one at home.  There is little time to even think about anything else.

I am a go-getter.  I have a hard time sitting still and am always doing "something." Nothing about that has changed since our family of 2 became a family of 3. The problem...is not having any time for anything other than washing clothes, vacuuming the floor and feeding the cat.  (You get the picture).

Our "baby's" first birthday has come and gone and she is now 13 months. I am slowly gaining more confidence as a mom and am still trying every day to balance home and work.  That'll always be a challenge, as I'm sure it is with every other working parent out there.

This blog will be my creative outlet. A place for my passions. What are my passions...hmm...let's see.  Let's start with food.

Since I was about 22 years old, my love for cooking has slowly grown.  You see...I love food.  I love shopping for food.  I love picking out food.  I love dreaming up with I'll make with the food.  I watch the Food Network for fun. My heaven is Whole Foods. I framed a picture of the best caprese salad I've ever eaten when I was in Venice, Italy. That picture hangs on my wall at home. I almost went to culinary school (until I saw the $80,000 price tag).  My idol is Ina Garten. To put it simply, I. Love. Food.

Don't get me wrong, I still cooked during my first year as a mommy, I made homemade baby food for my little Mimi for 6 months.  But I haven't cooked with...oh..."pizazz"...if you know what I mean.  Lots of vegetable, starch, meat meals with no character, flavor composition or well...pizazz.

I'm claiming back my pizazz.  So, I'll start here.  I have aspirations to grow my own vegetables.  I live in Texas where the soil isn't exactly vegetable growing friendly, but I'm giving it a shot.  I did grow my own basil, chives and cilantro last summer and it's a FABULOUS feeling, walking out your backdoor and cutting your herbs for dinner.  I'm gonna do as much as I can of that. 

I'm going to cook healthily and organically when I can.  We're not made of money and I don't necessarily think that every piece of food you eat has to be organic.  You just have to know the basics and have an understanding of the type of inorganic foods that are most harmful.  Minimal processed foods, no hormones, pesticides...you get the picture. 

And this blog will be where I share it. I've already started the "pizazz reclamation" process...it's slow going...but you gotta start somewhere.

Friday night's meal...taken from Ellie Krieger's cookbook So Easy. I altered the recipes a little bit.  Oh yeah...that's something else you'll learn about me.  I really don't like to measure and I change just about every recipe because, well, that's just me. Don't tell me what to do. :)

Friday's Menu...simple and easy. 


Garlic Lemon Turkey Breast
Rosemary Red Potatoes
Parmesan Brussel Sprouts

I'm also trying to photograph my food and know NOTHING about that.  We have a fancy Nikon.  I have a sister in law who is an unbelievable professional photographer and a husband who is pretty good also.  I'm not gonna pretend to be a photographer.  But this will be so much more fun if I can take pretty pictures of my food.

Soon after we had the above delicious meal, Mimi started throwing up so much that we ended up in the ER.  So, Saturday night's meal was a pepperoni pizza from Domino's because we were going on about 4 hours of sleep. But Sunday night...game on.

Sunday night's menu...my recipe.

Sweet Pork with golden raisins and onions
Acorn Squash

This is my recipe...something that I came up when I wanted to clean out the fridge/pantry.  It's now my husband's favorite meal and the only way I know how to cook pork without drying it out.  

Recipe:

Pork Tenderloins (4 thin tenderloins)
Brown Sugar - (1/4 cup)
Golden Raisins - (a handful...or more...depending on how much you like raisins)
Yellow Onion - (half an onion, cut in half and then sliced into 1/2 rings)
Salt and Pepper - (to taste)
Olive Oil - (4 tbsp divided)
Orange Juice - (1/4 cup)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Rub the tenderloins with 2 tbsp olive, salt and pepper in an 8x12 baking dish.  Set aside.  In a mixing bowl, combine the the rest of the ingredients.  Pour over the top of the pork evenly and cover the dish with tin foil.  Bake for 45 minutes covered or until pork is done, raisins and onions are soft and sauce is thickened.  Enjoy!

I also made acorn squash. I made it the way my mom always did...with butter and brown sugar.  Hated it as a kid, LOVE LOVE LOVE  it now.

So there you have it.  The beginning of growing, cooking and photographing my own food.  When it warms up around here and I can actually plant things...this will really get interesting.

Also, today, Mimi had her very first apple.

She liked it.