Monday Madness

Holidays always equal mess. Everything the day after is like a world class hangover. There's food everywhere, dirt all over the floor, bottles and cans laying around and as if a tornado blew through. Then, when you get up in the morning it's like the body remembers all the partying and decides it's had enough. Slow motion life sets in as you look around and realize, 'someone has to clean this up.' LOL!

Well, today has been full speed ahead for me. I doubt it will last long but you know, take the energy while you have it, right? Finished ALL the laundry yesterday, today I'm packed and ready for my upcoming trip (OOOH Monday madness I tell you!) and the dishes are washing as I type and the kids have all been drill mastered through their studies, no more Ms. Nice Mom. I handed out paper work as they walked through the kitchen, got their breakfasts, did the chores and then promptly seated in their chairs to work. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Everyone wanted Monday off but like I said, when you only have so much energy you grab ahold of it. When your morning starts off kicka$$, it's such a waste to not keep going on that note. ;)

Been trying to decide if I should buy an iPad2 for the kids. It's got stiff competition with the Samsung Galaxy tab. Both refurbished, and the Galaxy is about $20 less. However, Apple's in the lead with some apps that I really would like to use for my autistic son. And then Galaxy comes back supporting flash. It's a real toss up. Then dh walks in and informs me we need a laptop. Uhh. ok. Nothing like being right there with the large ticket purchases right now. Seems it may all have to wait until I get back. Maybe not the iPad. Or the Galaxy. Sigh. Here I go again.

So the madness of today is simple. Post holiday, decision making, and a trip! I'll be leaving Friday so here's your hint for later this week:

Hint: If I get to this post Thurs night while trying to show the nanny all the cleaning stuff, food and schedule, then you'll get something fun to try this weekend. If not, well, I may try to put something together when I get there, via my iPod. It's a pain typing on the iPod though, so hence being unsure about the situation. Also, next Monday and Friday I will be in the mountain and on the beach so very little will be posted here if anything at all. I return shortly after that, and will resume the following Monday.

WHEW! Some hint. All the information you ever didn't need or want to know, but it's there! Let's hope my plane takes off and lands as usual or this is the end of the blog as we know it! hahaha. Get it? The end of the... ok ok ok. Bad joke.

Hope to see you here reading my new recipe on Friday AND that I see my destination in one piece! As usual for a rambling Monday piece, have some eye candy to reward yourself for reading this far!

Awww. Maybe not quite the 'eye candy' you were hoping for?! Better luck next time. =)

Free Friday - Spinach Artichoke!

You've waited TWO weeks now for this one! It's going to be great! Spinach artichoke dip. I was going to make this today, but I think my spinach has spoiled. So, instead, I will share with you the source and my recipe and hope you enjoy this amazing dish - wheat free!

Who does not LOVE spinach artichoke dip??? When you're sitting in the restaurant and see it on the menu, don't your eyes light up and think of the hearty crunch of a tortilla chip with the rich creamy goodness of cheese and spinach with a kick of tart artichoke? And then you realize you can't have it.

But I assure you, you'll be glad you saved yourself the $7.95 by NOT ordering this one at the restaurant. This recipe was adapted (from: http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/appetizer-starter-recipes/spinach-artichoke-dip )

DO NOT, and I'll repeat, DO NOT follow her recipe. Not only does it have wheat in it, it does not have cream and I assure you, like the other reviewers, you may not like it much. Also, if you were following along on Monday, you'll remember, hot mayo is worthy of the garbage can, and I refuse to ruin perfectly good spinach and cheese and artichokes to the likes of hot mayo.

For a little change up or if you're needing a main course, take this dip, add chicken and broccoli, or turkey and peas for a meal.

Spinach Artichoke dip

(adapted from the link above)

20 oz of spinach cooked down and set aside

(or you can use the 2 -10 oz boxes of frozen, but that's just gross)

4 oz butter (or coconunt oil)

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 small onion chopped

2 tBsp chopped thyme

2 tBsp grated lemon peel (can sub 1/2 oz of lemon juice)

3-4 oz of garbanzo bean flour

1 tBsp chicken flavor soup base

16 oz heavy cream

fresh ground pepper

couple pinches of nutmeg

2 cans artichoke hearts - chopped

4 oz of parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (PLUS a few generous handfuls)

8 oz of shredded mozzarella

Start with a large skillet, melt the butter OR oil over medium heat, add garlic and onion till tender - about 5 min. Stir in thyme and lemon peel. Whisk in the garbanzo flour until all the oil is soaked up and may start to clump - cook about 3 min. Gradually whisk in cream, making sure to break up all your clumps and the sauce is creamy smooth, add in the soup base, pepper and nutmeg. Continue heating on medium heat about 6-8 minutes to thicken - do NOT boil... your cream sauce will break! After it thickens, stir in 1/2 of each of the cheeses, completely melt THEN add in your spinach and artichokes. Stir well.

Preheat oven to 400f. Remove mixture from the skillet and pour into a baking dish (13x9 is fine). Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and pop into the oven for about 20 minutes. I did not use the broil method as she did because I had a glass pan. If you have a metal pan, you can go ahead and broil it. Baking kind of gives it that 'lasagne' melt together, awesomeness that you don't get from broiling though. I'd suggest the bake every time.

Serve with gluten free crackers, or use the casserole suggestions above for a meal. Either way, this recipe yields the most AMAZING, mayo free spinach artichoke dip. Your guests will swear you bought it at a restaurant and you'll know better from all the work, but it will be so worth it.

Enjoy!

Food Negligence

I think that should be a blog felony. You cannot write a food blog then neglect food. It just isn't right. You see, it all started on Monday (last Monday) with my delusions of grandeur....

I thought I'd get on the right track by starting to talk about hot mayo and how riled up I could get talking about that one thing that's so icky, but then with the saving grace at the end by tossing in a redeeming dish with no hot mayo! What a great game plan. Until I went to see Johnny. Oh ya. You read that one right. My birthday was this past Friday, and what did I get for my birthday? John Rzeznik. Well. Not like in my house, at my disposal (whoa is it getting warm in here???) but live in concert; an acoustic show worthy of all praises. I was front row, pretty much, one short girl kinda next to/in front of me but I was really close. My friend went with me and I shot some amazing video, very very awesome. He was on F-I-R-E fire. I was getting really bummed out waiting because I got there so darn early, since I was afraid of missing it, that I started getting so tired of waiting and thought about if it was going to be worth it. But alas, he was the last one on stage and boy did he rock it. Very alive and sounded like an angel. Good setlist, nothing crazy, BUT he did sing American Girl - hot! When John Waite doesn't come in and take over... =( I wanted to get it on video John singing American Girl live... instead I get this 80's throw back singer turned stage hog. Don't get me wrong, John Waite is great for his own songs. But John sings American Girl like a dream.

For dinner, I had the steak and shrimp fajita at a decent chain restaurant. Later that night a hit at the rack for some sushi. That was the day's dealings with food. I was going to try to be up early to write here but it just all fell through. I was going to go for a walk too and that didn't happen, and I was going to sleep more and that didn't happen either. Seems like I have some catching up to do. Saturday I did end up making a gluten free sugar free cake, but I'll have to replicate the recipe a few more times to make sure it's right on.

So. Since I partied with JR, screamed like a overzealous teenager, celebrated my birthday and had a blast this past Friday, it's time to get back to work. So, what's coming up on Friday?

Hint: What I was going to talk about last Friday. =)

Stay tuned!

Oh he's so beautiful... Like an angel with golden ethereal tresses and a voice from heaven... (am I going a bit overboard? NAH I DIDN'T THINK SO! hee hee!)

Hot Mayo

Today's sneak peek Monday is about complaining. Nothing say's "here's your hint for the week" quite like complaints. Maybe not that bad =) BUT, seriously. I have real issues with hot mayonnaise. There's lots of different kinds of mayo. Homemade, 'real', Miracle Whip. Most people have a favorite; I commonly hear real mayo is the best. I've tried it and I'm not a fan. I'm not really a fan of any of them, but if I had to choose it would be a light slathering of Miracle Whip. It's not more healthy, or any better, just something about it is tolerable. That is, until someone adds heat. Take a hamburger, or a sandwich, or just leaving it in the car too long and suddenly, I cannot stomach it at all.

Something about hot mayonnaise is blerg worthy. I can't smell it, can't taste it, can't tolerate it. I'll wipe it off sandwiches I would get from fast food restaurants, and if I was smart, ask them beforehand to skip it. So, why then when I search for recipes sometimes, they have mayo in them? I think this is disgusting. A condiment should NOT be in a recipe. A true recipe will have ingredients, which can be altered with heat or mixing, but why add ketchup to a sauce? What's that doing for you? Why not just some vinegar, tomato paste and some sugar? That would taste much better and probably cook better too. Somehow people still do this though.

I was really craving something amazing that I could not eat. I found out they made this particular dish with flour and no longer could order it. It was one of the most delicious, amazing dishes, and I really missed it. After a long time searching the internet, you know what people were using in this dish? Mayo. Seriously. Mayo. I was about to lose my stomach all over the keyboard. I could not imagine such a delicious dish containing mayonnaise. So as I continued to dig, I did find something.

You don't need mayonnaise. Surprise, surprise (sarcasm font).

So, save it to put on fish, chicken, sandwiches or burgers (if you must) but I assure you - you will NOT need it for this next dish, and I guarantee you'll LOVE it (if you loved it before having to give up wheat!) This next recipe is one of my favorites, it was adapted from another source, so I"ll let you in on who that is, and then we'll go from there.

That's your hint of the day! Regardless of where you've found this recipe before - it won't require mayo.

Friday will be a big day for me with my birthday and concert, so I may post Friday's a bit early! I have delusions of grandeur of getting everything done that day!

Come back and see what we have cooking on my birthday!

Have a good week!

Free Friday - Crème Brulée

It's FRIDAY! Thank goodness. This has been a rough week; bad food choices, giving up, then refusing to eat (what am I a two year old?) the long and short of it is, we are still here, still walking, and still dealing with life. So, let's do what we can with what we have. Which may not be much! You know how it goes, you're tired of watching everyone have whatever they want, meanwhile you're nickle and diming whatever you can out of meals to try to find something edible AND tastes good.

I know I didn't say much on Monday and today I was hard pressed to find something I could write about, after all, this week is food crisis week right? Well. Not entirely. Monday I made my first ever crème brulée. While this was not my first custard, it was my first of this particular dish I'll refer to as CB. All I can say, is it turned out SMASHINGLY well. Like blockbuster hit at the theatres on a Friday night smashing. Speaking of movies, this recipe is not time consuming, it is a little difficult and precise but I assure you if I can do it at 11 o'clock at night before a party, you can do it on a Friday night after a movie (do not attempt after drinking - but if you have blood sugar issues WHY are you drinking???), and have decadent CB in the morning for breakfast. Added sugar free, creamy, rich and delicious to boot. I broke it down as simply as I could one step at a time so there's no missing anything.

Let's hope I got pictures of this one. I was really tired that night. (update: zero pictures of the custard and tons of pictures of chocolate I shouldn't have eaten. So, at least we know where my focus was. As soon as I make another, I'll be sure to post the pic. Until then, I'll save you the torture of staring at pics of chocolate and put up something adorable like Johnny.)

Vanilla Crème Brulée

(adapted from THIS website: http://recipecircus.com/recipes/Dixie/DESSERTS/Sugar_Free_Crème_Brulee.html)

1 quart of heavy whipping cream

9 large egg yolks

1 oz vanilla extract

3/4 of an OUNCE of splenda (2/3 of a cup)

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of salt

1. Scald cream with vanilla in heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Set aside allow to cool a bit.

2. Put 8, 6oz ramekins in a baking dish (or 2)

3. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit - make sure the rack is in the center.

4. In a mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks and splenda, salt and nutmeg

5. While mixing constantly, slowly stream the hot cream into the eggs. Very. Slowly. That's the biggest help I can give you here, because too hot, too fast, and too much = scrambled eggs, not custard. If this happens, you're done. Start over because the custard will never set right.

6. Pour custard in ramekins.

7. Place baking dish in oven on center rack and add the hot water to the pan, being very very careful not to spill any water into your custard cups.

8. Bake 30 - 35 minutes - they will be 'jello' like in texture (but not liquid), when you shake the pan, expect them to jiggle. Bigger ramekins will require more time, account for this if you're using a different size.

9. Remove the ramekins (CAREFULLY!) from the water and place them on a rack until room temperature.

10. Refrigerate and allow to set up overnight.

11. Wake up in the morning and enjoy a perfect crème bruleé.

Now, some of you may be thinking, "Wait, wait, wait. How do we get that decadent crispy-fried crust on the top of it that we all know and love from the restaurant?"

Well, I have some good news, and I have some bad news. The good news is that some people do this with packet splenda (as you will see in her recipe) and they are happy with it. Here comes the bad news: I will tell you. I was unhappy with it. It gave off a nasty chemical burn smell. Splenda is a chemical so there you have it (I will try this recipe with Stevia at another time.) The only other thing I tried was a little bit of sugar free syrup on top, that got gooey like a caramel. It tasted fine. The custard itself is amazingly delicious when done right and has a to die for texture. It doesn't really NEED the crusty coating, but if you absolutely had to have it, you could try one of the above suggestions, or just a tiny bit of sugar.

PS - you need a mini torch for that, which I have, but not crisping the top saves you from having to buy a kitchen torch just to make CB. =)

Enjoy the scenery. And do not be afraid to make crème brulée!!!

Sneak Peak Monday - mystery meal

Today is Monday and it doesn't even feel like it. My friend threw a party today (all day affair) and it was a blast. I wore a new 'party dress' from Modcloth that was pink with multi colored mushrooms on it and a red sash. Paired with a pink headband and my pink Fluevogs, I could definitely have pulled off a June Cleaver. It's always great to get out with that circle of close friends and just laugh and eat and eat and eat. There went that diet. We had a great time, lots of chatter and just a great get together for friends. I'm totally exhausted now and I'm sure it has to do with all the chocolate I ate (for those of you on a sugar free diet, like me, that is a big no-no). So, another fail for today, another meaning two days ago, I kinda caved to some chocolate and know this is going to come back and bite me in the rear... as in adding another 10lbs to my rear. Tomorrow is another day and not every day is a party with friends.

I'll be able to get a new start and possibly get back on my walking schedule with my neighbor. She and I walk about four miles, three times a week. This alone can be exhausting when your metabolism doesn't work well and your pancreas doesn't function correctly. But it can be done and it can be enjoyable. I know how difficult it is to get a partner for this most times, but if you can find someone near you that will go, definitely do this. It's so much better to walk with someone, it makes the miles melt away and you won't even realize you're exhausted until you get home and collapse on the couch. The average time it will take to see results from this is about 4 weeks, but continuing this habit can result in permanent changes for the better. The body can be trained to improve it's calorie usage and you in turn will get better at remembering to eat right and keep going. Even small changes are totally worth it, don't get derailed (like me) when you have a setback. I get totally crushed because it feels like all the work wasn't worth anything. But it is. It's taken me almost 3 years to completely revamp my diet and start working out as often as I do. I DO wish there was some sort of time machine to show me what I'd look like if I wasn't taking care of myself the way I do now. Perhaps I'd be so bad off I'd be bedridden at this point or have compounding health issues. Either way, all we have is here and now, so go for it, if here and now has to happen once a day, then affirm to eat better and take better care of yourself. It is hard. I think it is a hundred times harder for people battling chronic disease. It's not like you can tell yourself it will get better some day. It will only get worse no matter what you do. But if you take care of yourself and eat right you can minimize the effects on your life and be able to enjoy yourself more often.

So today's sneak peak is a mystery meal. What does that even mean? heh. It means I spent all day with my friends partying and laughing and not thinking about anything so here I am at the end of the day saying, "hey, I have your hint ready!"

Hint: I have no idea what I'm going to post Friday, so come back and get a surprise! Even for me!

Free Friday - Chicken Kale stew

Welcome to Friday! It's the weekend and today I'm going to give you a great recipe to feed the family as well as freeze for a few lunches next week. My hint was that you were going to need a slowcooker. If you are starting with nothing but a bunch of ingredients and a raw chicken, then yes, you need this. But if you're swinging by the store on the way home and grabbing a rotisserie chicken, then no, you don't need the crock pot. This particular dish is a great, warm, comfort food, filled with hearty veggies and rich proteins. No sugar and no wheat, it's the perfect cold night stew. I realize we're headed into spring and don't worry, I'll be pulling out more recipes for salads and maybe a few cakes, but for now I was really looking for something nutrient dense and this definitely does it.

The ingredient list isn't complicated but it is full. The method isn't crazy but it can take a little bit. If you're in a hurry, make this stew ahead of time. It tastes great after being in the fridge overnight and freezes very well. I used my 6 qt pot and found it was a little too small. If you have a stock pot, definitely use that.

Also, straying from my usual butter obsession, today I've put a new ingredient on the list: coconut oil. Coconut oil is supposedly VERY good for you, has all these magical abilities and in general will save the world someday. Unrefined will give your food a light coconut magic taste and refined will just give you magic. I used the coconut oil in my chicken stew instead of butter because there's been some recent discussion about how butter is bad. I disagree to a certain extent, however, I do think I probably eat too much butter. So, if you can make the splurge (coconut oil is NOT cheap) then go for it, it's good fat.

Let's get started!

Chicken Kale Stew:

Ingredients:

3 oz butter or coconut oil

8 oz carrots chopped

1/4 onion or bunch of spring onions chopped, including green tops

3oz chopped garlic (about 1/2 head garlic)

2 stalks of celery chopped

2-4 cups water

2 tablespoons of chicken soup base

bag of frozen mixed veggies - your choice/favorite

14 oz of fresh chopped kale - I buy a huge bag already chopped

2 cans cannellini beans

teaspoon of thyme (or if you have it fresh 3 sprigs torn up)

8 large basil leaves torn

1 whole cooked chicken, pulled apart into pieces/chopped into 1" pieces

Start with some oil/butter in the bottom of your stock pot. Throw in onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Cook on medium heat till the carrots start to become tender. Add the soup base and 2 cups of water, and the frozen veggies. Stir and start to bring the pot back up to medium heat cooking the veggies. Add in the basil and thyme, beans and kale. Stir until the kale is fully incorporated into the soup and turning bright green, adding water if necessary to cover everything. Finally, add the chicken, bring the stew to a boil (add more water if you find it to be a little thick). Gently boil for 15 min to help blend flavors and serve hot. This is where your stew will end up tasting better the next day, by letting it sit overnight (refrigerated), reheating will awaken some of those flavors that weren't quite ready when it was fresh. But it still tastes great right out of the pot.

Enjoy!