what can i say, really?

i'm buried in work. and study materials. for the last 3 weeks or so - apart from the hour i set aside every night to cook and eat dinner - i have been living and breathing architecture. 


at work, we are in the home stretch for our renovation project. i work 10-11 hour days- definitely not the norm- and do not get paid overtime or collect comp time. a grande pike place from starbucks each morning is my way of coping. at home, i am studying for the first of my architecture registration exams. there are 7 total. i'm not sure exactly when i will take this first exam, since i am waiting on the TN board to approve my application and give me a testing number. my goal is to finish all exams by the beginning of june 2011. we'll see how that goes.


i'm sorry that all this seems to have a "woe is me" vibe to it... i really am surprisingly quite happy and satisfied with the way things are going lately. one thing i have found is that i am about 150% more productive during the week (and weekends for that matter) than i was with my 40-hour work week. somehow i find time to workout and cook dinner every night. if it weren't for those 2 things i think i would go crazy. oh, and the support of my wonderful bf doesn't hurt either. 


even so, i'll be happy when this deadline has passed and i can have time to style my hair in the mornings.


so that's where i am. i do have delicious recipes to post- i still try to cook something new once a week. soon i will post: portabello burgers. yum :) you will LOVE them.


thanks, friends, for continuing to check in. 
miss you all!!

and 3 months later... i'm back

here's an update on my life this past three months. i'll make it quick because, let's face it, my blogging endurance is not at it's finest...


september: channeling julia child... boeuf bourguignon

october: halloween partaaaaaay

november: seattle and portland

december: the girls' visit & merry christmas

i'll talk to you soon :) i promise.

hearty minestrone

had a fabulous run tonight!! i did 3.4 miles in 31:30, which is great for me!! PLUS i went running even through i really didn't feel like it. it takes a lot to overcome your mind saying "nah, no running tonight.... wouldn't it just feel good to cook dinner and sit on the couch?" yes. yes, it would. but i won the argument with myself, so combined with the great time i did i count tonight as a double victory. 

and here's dinner for tonight. it's been a while since i posted a recipe and since this was fairly easy, very delicious, and a hit with the boys tonight so i figured i'd share!!

HEARTY MINESTRONE
from the South Beach Diet Cookbook
(i couldn't find good picture of this soup, so you'll just have to trust me- it's delicious!!)


1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white and green parts, white halved lengthwise, rinsed and thinly sliced, green parts chopped
2 ribs celery with leaves, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups swiss chard, chopped (couldn't find this so i didn't use it...)
1 cup green beans, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup whole wheat ditalini or small shell pasta
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped italian parsley
1/2 cup sliced zucchini
4 tsp grated parmesan cheese
4 sprigs oregano, for garnish


heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. add the leeks, celery, minced garlic, dried oregano, pepper, and salt. cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften.
add the broth, swiss chard, green beans, and pasta. bring to a boil over high heat. reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the pasta is al dente.
meanwhile, in a cup, combine the chopped garlic with the parsley. stir into the soup along with the zucchini. cover and cook for 5 minutes or until heated through.
ladle the soup into 4 bowls and top each with 1 tsp of the cheese. garnish with the oregano sprigs.


enjoy!!


makes 4 servings. 


and for those of you that care... per serving: 138 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 5 g protein, 17 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 1 mg cholesterol, 988 mg sodium.


(and if you're doing the south beach diet, this is a phase 2 recipe... if you leave out the pasta it's phase 1.)

new recipe!!

after our racquetball game last night, sean and i coupled this delightful dish with some spanish rice. it's quick and delicious and you should make it!!

SPANISH-STYLE SHRIMP WITH GARLIC

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (or more if you like spicy)

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 bay leaf

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

pinch of kosher salt

2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

4 lemon wedges

heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

add crushed red pepper, garlic, and bay leaf and cook 2 minutes stirring constantly.

bump the heat up to medium-high and add shrimp

saute about 4-5 minutes until the shrimp are fully cooked.

remove from heat, sprinkle with salt and discard bay leaf.

sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

TA-DA!!

a whole bunch of things

a lot went on today, and i'm here to give you the exclusive scoop!! i bet you feel lucky...

work went well- we're staying busy and i'm learning lots. i get to do a larger variety of stuff at this new office. and it's refreshing to have something different to do everyday. after work i went down to mud island for an evening run with rachel. things have been busy lately and we haven't had much hang out time, so it was fun to get together for a bit. the run was nice, too. the weather has been perfect for the past couple of days and that helped a lot with my endurance since i haven't been training as methodically as i should have been. the zoom through the zoo race is on thursday. it's a 4-miler. i know i can do it, i just hope it's not so hot that it's unenjoyable.

zoe has been grooming herself for the past 45 minutes. after talking with sean on the phone tonight, i noticed zoe has a bit of a stench to her... just a little accident... ew. so i had to give her a bath. yes, i gave my cat a bath.

BEFORE

AFTER

she didn't really want anything to do with me since then, although she made sure to stay within my line of sight so i could see what i'd done to her. i think she has finally forgiven me and is laying with me in bed. cuddles.

but before all this craziness, i had a fabulous dinner. SIMPLE, SUMMERY AND SAVORY. i shall share :)

BLACK BEAN, CORN, AND AVOCADO SALAD

serves 6

1 (30-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups corn kernels

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 avocado, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tsp grated lime zest

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp salt

combine all ingredients in a bowl. serve at once.

i put the mixture on a bed of lettuce, along with some baked tortilla chips.

another fabulous weight watcher's recipe: 283 cal per serving

you can also make your own tortilla chips... cut reduced fat flour tortillas into strips or triangles and arrange on a sheet of foil. bake on the middle of a pre-heated oven at 375, until toasted. about 5 minutes.

that's a good note to end on. so i will.

quickest, most delicious dinner ever

PAN-SEARED SALMON with FRESH TOMATO-BASIL RELISH

this dinner for two takes only fifteen minutes!!! since i am missing my other half, i ate most of this dinner myself. but in my defense i did buy a slightly smaller piece of salmon than the recipe called for.

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

2 (6-oz) salmon fillets, skin on

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp olive oil

combine the tomatoes, basil, garlic, vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp in a small bowl.

sprinkle the salmon with the cumin and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. add the salmon, skin-side up, and cook for 4 minutes. turn the salmon and cook 1 minute longer. cover the pan, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the salmon is just opaque in the center and flakes easily, 2-3 minutes.

transfer the salmon to serving plates and add the tomato mixture to the skillet. increase the heat to high and cook until the mixture is warmed through, 1-2 minutes. spoon the relish over the salmon.

it's a weight watchers recipe, too :) 350 cal per serving. enjoy!!

martha, martha, martha

there's a new addition to my family of kitchen tools.

a martha stewart collection salad spinner.

one of my childhood friends, clay, got married this past weekend. another one of my friends, eric, and his fabulous girlfriend, suzanne, were in town for the blessed event and needed to go to macy's to buy a gift. eric kept raving about his salad spinner back in new york, and insisted that i needed one. so he bought me one!! i'm sure it was a thank you for putting them up for the weekend, but i also think he is just THAT excited about salad spinners. which i find fantastic. so thanks, eric, for the wonderful gift!! i have no lettuce right now, but i'm going shopping soon and am really looking forward to some legit salads.

(plus, look how pretty it is.)

while searching for the perfect gift (which, by the way, is EVERYTHING MARTHA STEWART) i fell in love with the following products and want to own them as soon as humanly possible.

Martha Stewart Collection

Multi-Color Prep Bowls

i don't actually know what i would do with these bowls. i know they're for "prepping" but i think it's really just a fancy way to say you have more dishes to wash when dinner is over. maybe i could use them to hold little snacks: teddy grahams, a bit of ice cream... yes. that sounds good.

Martha Stewart Collection

Mouse Novelty Cutting Board

it's just SO precious!! just look at his little tail. at the store, some of the novelty animal cutting boards were being displayed as "plates" and i wondered how realistic that is. do people serve meals on little individual cutting boards? maybe rich people. though if i had this little mouse cutting board i would find a way to eat off of it everyday.

Martha Stewart Collection

Over-the-Sink Cutting Board w/ Colander

this is just c o o l. the colander is collapsable so it's easy to store. you can rinse and drain your veggies in the colander, over the sink, and then chop them right there. genius!! my friend, jessi, has one of these and i remember the first time i saw it... like i was hearing music for the first time. and i'll never be the same.

IT'S HERE.

no, not the abominable snowman. the moment of truth. sean is upstairs doing his "warm-up"... some random 'world' questions to get those brainy juices flowin'. he'll probably head out in 20 minutes or so. and then will be one step closer to M.D.!!

last night, i saw the manifestation of his nerves. nothing to bad, just some funny little things that i know are not in his normal routine :) he spent a couple minutes cleaning his earplugs (ew, i know) then proceeded to layout his clothes for the day. jeans and... what to wear, what to wear... he stood in the closet staring at his shirts for a good while, slowing scanning each row to figure out which shirt is going to be the shirt. he finally landed on a good one, a long-sleeved american eagle polo, and laid it by his jeans.

1. sean never lays his clothes out the night before.

2. when choosing an ensemble, sean is usually the most decisive person i know. i'm the one staring at the closet with desperation like someone stole my favorite outfit. so it was quite entertaining to see him so focused and determined.

3. the earplugs thing was just flat out FUNNY. the details make the man. :)

rachel and i are going for a run this morning, once we send the boys on their way. and then i'm going to make the surprise treat for sean- a reese's chocolate peanut butter cheesecake!! he doesn't know about this, and i hope it serves a wonderful surprise post-test. and i hope it don't screw it up. he's a cheesecake connoisseur and i've never made one. eeek. if it's fabulous i'll post the recipe- no doubt.

food for thought

this week has been mildly intolerable. i have been bored bored bored and very restless. i cannot seem to occupy myself with anything. today was a little better, but i am DEFINITELY looking forward to this weekend. i'm going to nashville :) taking a little road trip with my friend rachel!! should be a great time. i think it would be fun anyway but considering my daily boredom, i think this weekend is going to be amazing!!

the highlight of my week so far was the dinner i made tonight. i had planned to make corn-cheese quesadillas from one of my cookbooks. the only problem is that i forgot which cookbook i saw i it. ha! so after i spent 10 minutes unsuccessfully looking for the recipe, i decided to be creative and do something myself. we'll call it veggie and cheese quesadillas. (so creative, i know.)

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 package frozen whole kernal corn

1 can black beans

1 tbsp vegetable oil

ground cumen

4 burrito size tortillas

pepperjack or cheddar cheese

i heated the oil in a medium skillet and sautéed the first four ingredients. meanwhile, i drained and rinsed the black beans. i just added the beans to the sautéed mixture towards the end to heat them up. add the ground cumen to taste. set the sautéed veggies to the side.

butter one side of each tortilla. briefly heat a large skillet, and when warm, lay the buttered side of a tortilla onto the skillet. immediately place the cheese of your choice onto one half of the tortilla. spoon the veggies onto the cheese and fold the other side of the tortilla over. when the bottom side of the tortilla is golden brown, flip with a spatula and brown the other side.

tonight, this recipe made about 5 quesadillas. you can stretch it farther if you put less veggies on each tortilla. i think at minimum, this would make 4 quesadillas. it's really great because you can personalize it and use as much or as little veggies and cheese. and i'm sure if sean was home, he would top it off with a scoop of light sour cream.

delicious and relatively healthy!! yippee!!

i'm semi-proud of myself :)

this is me loving food.

my friend rachel has been raving about her new mark bittman cookbook for some time now. considering the godliness she has bestowed upon him, it only seems appropriate that this month's issue of Women's Health has an entire article dedicated to his recipes. these things look delicious and it's all i can do not to run into the kitchen and just start eating everything in sight. let me illustrate this for you:

lamb burger with smoked mozzarella

garlicky shrimp fajitas with guacamole

and these beautiful concoctions are supposed to do good things for my figure!? YES PLEASE. oooowe! i am SO ready to eat. for these recipes and 35 others that also look amaaaazing, click this.

4 days worth of thoughts. get comfy.

i just realized how wieeeeerd i am! i mean, i've always known i had a slightly crazy side but this confirms it. i am currently watching tv, waiting for my 9:30pm bowling date to arrive, and i am flipping back and forth between 2 shows. The "Planet Earth" Documentary. and E!'s "The Girls Next Door". HA! even i cannot believe the extent of my diversity :)

and i find both shows fascinating. for different reasons, obviously, but nevertheless, FASCINATING. it's amazing how many parallels you can draw between the struggles of African wildlife and the pressures of becoming a playmate. survival of the fittest. or the most surgically enhanced. same thing, right?

anyway. on the 21st, i'm having an engagement party for a childhood friend. it will be a modest party, but i'm determined to make it as great as it can be. all of the people coming to the party are old old old friends - like, 1st grade friends - and we don't get a lot of chances to visit now that everyone leads their own grownup life.  BUT here's what i'm thinking for food:

spanish salted almonds (see  post from jan 2nd)

croissant rolls

spinach dip with pita chips

guacamole with tortilla chips

shrimp with cocktail sauce

cranberry meatballs

veggie & fruit plate

valentine's candies

chocolate chip cookies

and assorted DRINKS!!!

yay! can't wait!!

sean and i are celebrating our 4 year anniversary next week. :) we usually combine anniversary and valentine's since they are so close. this year, we've decided on dinner at The Tower Room American Grill. i've wanted to eat there for years, since it has a wonderful, high rise view of memphis. and i've heard the food is delish. regardless, it sounds like a good valentine's spot, and it shouldn't break the bank. so i'll let you know.

alright, i think we're caught up.

enjoy your friday and i'll enjoy mine. 

that's how i roll

i had the best day!! well, maybe not the best, but it was pretty damn good. lately i've not only been waking up early on the weekends, but i've actually wanted to do so. on days when i desperately need the sleep (i.e. post-2 am bedtime or after slightly too much vino) i can definitely  s l e e p  as long as necessary. but i find that i don't really WANT to do that anymore. if i can accomplish x y and z before, say, 1 pm then i feel victorious and unstoppable. 

so today went something like this:  i woke up at 8:30 or so and read a little, did some sudoku, feed zoe, and strategically contemplated when i should wake up sean. this is a delicate process. wake him too early and you could get the evil eye... but wake him too late and he will start the day feeling as though he's already behind. i've got a 2 out of 3 chance of screwing it up, but i've gotten good at reading his sleep "mood" and can fairly accurately predict the best time to interrupt his beauty sleep. 9:00 we made breakfast. and by we, i mean me. bagels and eggs scrambled with fat free ham and cheddar cheese. delicious. 10:00 field trip to starbucks with sean and paul, then back to the house to enjoy. 11:00 i did some emailing, facebooking, cleaning, and kitty cuddling before grabbing my grocery list and heading to superlo. 45 minutes and $77 dollars later, i'm at home and having a tumultuous inner dialogue about whether or not i'm going to go for a run. i beat myself and decided to go for it. 1:45 it was definitely cold outside today- was 37, but no sun and a slight wind made it much worse. it was torture for the beginning. i kept thinking "i should have worn a hat, or another shirt, or put some vaseline on my lips" but eventually i warmed up and really fell into a groove. 3.6 miles in 33:07. not record-breaking, i know, but i was proud of myself. 3:30 i spent the afternoon at my parent's house, where i read my new book (which after only 15 pages i ADORE- i'm sure this book will have a post all it's own in the near future) i was told there'd be cake, essays by sloane crosley, drank some wine, 5:00 gave my mom a facebook tutorial (yeah, my mom's on facebook!!), 6:00 had dinner, 7:00 dessert, and 7:45 watched some of the SAG awards.

now here's the highlight: the following conversation took place as my dad was preparing to make dinner. i was so amused by this that i had to write it down immediately. i will most likely tell this story every chance i get for the next week or so. hopefully i can just continuously meet new people so i can just keep on telling it.  

dad: "you'll never guess what i found at the store- i had to search everywhere..."

mom: "ooo-what!?"

dad: "thick spaghetti!"

mom: "eww, i don't like thick spaghetti"

dad: "well that's just too bad. that's how i roll."

and i'm spent.

it's been a g o o d day.

1. got 8+ hours of sleep last night

2. came home for lunch and got quiet time with sean

3. finished my 'assignment' at work - proud of what i did and ahead of schedule

4. did 40 minutes of cardio - my power song: "let it happen" jimmy eat world

5. cooked new recipe - delicious, reduced-fat mac and cheese

6. visited with roommates and friends

7. watched PRESIDENT Obama's oath of office and inauguration speech. tears came. the good tears.

what's for dinner

i am typing with a massive band-aid on my left index finger. i cut myself while chopping cilantro for the following recipe. this handicap will no doubt make this entry tedious and time-consuming, but i believe it will all be worth it.

just to give you this:

CORN-TORTILLA SOUP

serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded & chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 (6-inch) corn tortillas, coarsely chopped

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes, with their juice

1 (10 oz) box frozen corn kernels

1 medium-large all purpose potato, peeled and cubed

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

heat the oil in large saucepan. saute the onion, bell pepper, and garlic until the onion is tender; about 5 minutes.

add the tortillas, broth, tomatoes, corn, and potato; bring to a boil. cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the vegetables are tender; about 10 minutes.

stir in cilantro.

[tip from the cookbook: for a more substantial soup, stir 3/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into thin strips) into the soup to cook with the vegetables.]

notes: 

1. i did not have an onion. to add more to the soup, i added a small can of black beans (drained) along with the tortillas, broth, etc.

2. i did not peel the potato - the skin is the best part for you! 

3. i served with my signature (ha) cheese quesadillas, although baked tortilla chips of a dark green salad would also finish off the meal nicely.

oh, and did i mention that this is a weight-watchers recipe!? YAY!

per serving (1-3/4 cups)

228 calories _ 5g total fat _ 1 g sat. fat 

and no cholesterol!

super-DUPER-lo!

i just returned from my weekend errands, and i must say that it was one of the more successful trips i have had in a while. everywhere i went, i found everything i needed. and on top of that, i didn't spend impulsively!! cheers all around!!

i realize that what i'm about to say is kind of pathetic. but i get excited about the weirdest things nowadays. super-lo is my new grocery hot spot. i cannot claim discovering it- my friend rachel gave it rave reviews so i had to try it out. it's a regular grocery store, and they have all the name brand stuff. but unlike kroger or schnucks, their own generic brand is WAAAAY cheaper. for instance... this upcoming week's dinner menu looks something like this:

corn-tortilla soup

pasta with roasted red pepper sauce

turkey rolls cordon bleu

quesadillas

baked chicken breasts

i got the makings for these dinners, PLUS snacks and lunch stuff for THREE people.

and guess how much i spent!? 

$68.24

and we split grocery bills three ways. so i am essentially eating this week for less than $25. getouttahere. now who wouldn't get excited about that!?!?!

i rest my case. 

super-lo you rock my world. 

starting off the new year right

first thing's first: i feel as though i am channeling carrie bradshaw. i am WRITING on my MAC while drinking a COSMO. now if only i wasn't wearing pj pants and a wife-beater...

moving on.

i made the following appetizer for our new year's eve dinner party and it was so delicious that i had to share. it's from a cookbook that i bought at costco a while back called "Best Ever: Three and Four Ingredient Cookbook". some things in this cookbook are surprisingly complicated, but this is most definitely not.

SPANISH SALTED ALMONDS

serves four to six

1 egg white

1 generous cup shelled, unblanched almonds

a good handful of flaked sea salt

preheat the oven to 400. whisk the egg white in a bowl until it forms still peaks.

add the almonds to the egg white, and stir until the nuts are thoroughly coated. tip the mixture onto a baking sheet and spread evenly into a single layer.

sprinkle the salt over the almonds and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the egg white and salt are crusty. leave to cool completely. serve in bowls.

they are perfect as an appetizer or just an afternoon snack.

enjoy, and happy new year.