Roasted Beet Salad

Surprise!  Bonus post this week!  Yeah that’s right. Just thank the hubby who is at a meeting, the girls who are sleeping and the DEElicious dinner I made tonight that I shall now share with the world {read: you 10 or so readers.}

Look at those colors! And it’s a sooc shot!

So, the other day I received beautiful purple beets in my organic produce co-op crate.  It thought, well what in the heck am I going to do with these?  I’ve literally never, ever cooked beets in my entire life.

So that’s where Google came into the picture. (Pretty sure my family would have starved before the internet.) 

I found this recipe for a beet salad and adapted it slightly.

Ingredients:

Chicken breast

Mixed baby greens

Purple and gold beets

Lemon

lemon pepper

olive oil

feta cheese

salt and pepper

First, cut the stems off the beets, wash and place on aluminum foil.  Drizzle olive oil over the beets and sprinkle with salt.  Completely wrap the beets and place on your grill or in your oven (at about 350*). Check beets after about 20 minutes and remove when tender.

While the beets are roasting, sprinkle the chicken breast with lemon pepper and place on the grill.

When beets are done let them cool for a bit and when they are not too hot to handle, remove the skins.  Chop into quarters.

Place greens, chopped beets, and sliced grilled chicken into a bowl.  Squeeze lemon juice from a fresh lemon over the salad, drizzle some olive oil, sprinkle some salt and crumble the feta cheese on top.

It is SO.SO good.  The tanginess of the feta cheese along with the sweet, roasted flavor of the beets is YUM.  (almost said YUM-O, shoot me I am NOT Rachael Ray.)

Another bonus?  It’s healthy.  Can’t beat that!  Apparently beets are insanely good for you.

Your guide to sushi lovin’

Disclaimer: none of these pictures are my own.  Thank you google images.

Fact: I love sushi.  Fact: I used to hate it.

I think I can speak for all of my sisters when I say, sushi is GOOD (except for maybe Lindsay, I think she’s still in the process of training her palate.)

Sushi is somewhat of a polarizing subject amongst those who love it and those who absolutely despise it.  “No WAY am I trying that stuff.  Raw fish is disgusting.”   “Just try it, you’ll love it!  C’mon!  Don’t be a wuss!”  And so on and so forth.

So, let’s clear the air. 

First, WHY should you love sushi?

Because it’s healthy.  And delicious (okay we’ll get to that part later.) But really, it’s so GOOD for you.  And I’m not talking about the deep fried pieces of shrimp, I’m talking about RAW fish like salmon, yellowtail and tuna.  Packed with trace minerals, omega fatty acids, protein and enzymes, sushi is low in calories and saturated fat.  Right there should be all the reason you need to try it out!  The seaweed which accompanies most rolls, called Nori, is also chock full of vitamins and minerals with little caloric intake. Bonus: For people like me who have certain thyroid disorders, (hypothyroidism, Hashimotos) Nori is the perfect antidote because it contains quite a bit of iodine, which is crucial for optimal thyroid health.

Second, sushi is an acquired taste.

The first time I tried sushi I was in high school and almost gagged on the roll.  I thought, people actually EAT this crap?  No way.  Then, while dating my dear, sweet husband he introduced me to the chicken teriyaki roll or what I call, first base sushi. No fish in sight.  I thought, well this is tolerable.  Even good. Then I moved on to shrimp tempura.  I mean really, anything that’s fried is going to taste delicious.  Then I moved on to second base:

It’s called a California roll and it’s the gateway drug to sushi addiction.  Usually consisting of Krab, (yes with a K cuz it’s not REALLY crab, it’s actually Alaska Pollock) avocado and some type of crunchy vegetable like carrots or cucumber, it’s the tamest of sushi rolls.  Start with that.  If you don’t like it, that’s fine because once I reached Sushi Snob Status I stopped liking it too.  Go figure.  Also, that pink stuff on the side of the plate is ginger.  It’s for palate cleansing.  Technically you are supposed to eat it in between bites but I enjoy putting it directly onto whatever I’m eating.  The green stuff is wasabi (Japanese horseradish) and be forewarned: If you put too much of that stuff on your food, you will feel as if you just ingested the fire of a thousand suns.

Once you have mastered (or decided to skip) the California roll, I’d suggest moving up to third base.  Easy there, I’m talking about rolls which contain actual raw fish.  Like a spicy tuna roll:

However if spicy isn’t your thing then by all means, ask for a regular ol’ tuna roll.  Now before you freak out and say,  But it’s going to taste so FISHY!   It’s not.  Trust me. Nobody in their right mind would willingly pay for and eat food that tastes like rotting fish flesh.  So nix that excuse from your repertoire.

If you love avocado you’re in luck.  Many sushi rolls have oodles and oodles of fresh, creamy avocado mixed throughout.  One of my favorites is the 911 roll:

911 rolls are regularly made with spicy tuna, cucumber and avocado.  Half of the roll is doused with a sweet eel sauce (EWWW EEL….oh calm down) and the other half with spicy sauce.  Mmmm…my mouth waters just thinking about it.

Once you’re ready and willing, it’s time to go HOME. Straight up raw fish over rice.  Nigiri.  Or maybe even Sashimi (thinly sliced raw fish.  That’s it.)

Nigiri is my favorite.  The sweetness and stickiness of the rice along with the soft, buttery texture of the fish is to.die.for. Wait, wait…hold the phone…what?  Raw fish isn’t RUBBERY?  It isn’t CHEWY?  Nope.  Well, at least it’s not if you go to a good, reputable sushi restaurant where you know the fish is actually fresh. Super fresh fish like the salmon, yellowtail and tuna I talked about earlier will almost feel like it melts in your mouth. 

left is shrimp, top middle is salmon, right is tuna, bottom is yellowtail

So now that I’ve talked to you about he basics of sushi eating and abolished all of your excuses (except for the I’M DEATHLY ALLERGIC excuse) get to it.  Ask sushi lovers which restaurant is their favorite and work your way toward becoming a sushi elitist.  It’s a fun club,  one where we make fun of people who refuse to try any kind of fish and where we throw down sake like there’s no tomorrow.  Kidding.  Maybe.  Well, just about the sake part.

So please, join us up here. 

My Three Favorite Workout DVDs

Since most of my posts are about food, I figured I needed to balance myself out a little with some exercise--in the form of my favorite workout DVDs!

I really love exercising (no, really, I do!) and more than anything, I love to RUN.  But, when roads are icy, the temp doesn't get above zero OR I'm just too lazy to get out of bed before the hubby leaves for work, I gotta have other options besides running.  And, since I don't have a gym membership or a treadmill, I have DVDs!  

I have specific criteria for a good workout DVD:

1.  It has to be CHALLENGING.  In my opinion, there are a lot of wussy workouts out there.  My favorites push me and make me sore!

2.  It has to be SIMPLE enough for me to get it down after the first try.  No complicated dance steps for this girl.  Also, it can't require a bunch of fancy, schmancy equipment--a couple of dumbells, maybe. 

3.   It has to have some VARIETY.  The same workout can get pretty boring.  So, alternative workouts are a must.

And, here are my faves!

P90X

Now, I know this one is expensive.  And I guess I really don't know firsthand how pricey it is since I'm borrowing the DVD set from a friend.  But, believe me, I would spend money on these DVDs.  I LOVE them!  I could kiss Tony Horton if I met him.  Okay, not really, but seriously, these DVDs are challenging, but easy to pick up and there are so many different workouts to choose from--plyometrics, yoga, weight lifting, kick boxing.  I've been doing them all winter.  And you don't have to go hard core and do the whole program, unless you really want to get totally ripped.  I just do whatever DVD I'm in the mood for at the moment, although I do try to mix up the harder workouts with the easier ones.  Seriously, I love P90x!  Best workout DVD program I've ever done.
 

Jillian Micheals' 30 Day Shred

Biggest Loser fans know Jillian and how she likes to scream in people's faces.  Well, she doesn't scream in your face in this DVD, but her workouts are definitely hard.  I like this DVD because she has three different workouts, which are all good workouts, and each is only 20 minutes long.  So, if you have a busy day but you still want to get in some form of exercise, you can just do one of these workouts.  But if you have more time, you can add another--and that's a challenge!
 

The Firm

The Firm goes way back.  And it was one of the first DVDs I ever worked out to.  Despite it being a little old school, the Firm is a good workout.  I particularly love the one above--it's a good overall workout with cardio and weight lifting but it's not too complicated.  There are a ton of Firm DVDs to choose from.  I'd say they are more aerobic-based, which isn't always my thing, but the ones I've done are simple enough for me to get.  And they're not too cheesy.  And the first time I did this DVD, I was sore for over a week--seriously.  Being 7 months pregnant at the time may have had something to do with it, but regardless, it was a good workout.

Oh and one more thing:  a good, cheap (free!) way to try out new workout DVDs is to check your local library.  They should have a selection of DVDs and you can try a bunch of different ones.  I know mine carries a bunch of The Firm ones.

So there you go!!  Go get sweaty!

Mad, Sad, and Glad Music

I've mentioned my love for music before, but I can't express it enough. I am constantly on the hunt for new tunes. If I am intrigued by a song in a T.V. show, movie trailer, etc., you can bet the second I get the chance to, I will be looking it up and most likely downloading it. When I listen to a song I like, I get lost in the rhythm and allow my my heart to fall completely in love with the lyrics. Music is food for my soul; I can practically taste the wonderful melodies and they are oh so delicious. Obsessed? Absolutely. Music is my anti-drug and I am completely and 100% addicted.

So, I am putting my infatuation to use. I'd like to suggest songs to listen to when you're happy, sad, or mad. These are by no means "classic" songs, but merely tunes on my current play list that I recently find myself going to depending on the mood.



Happy/Carefree






Sad


I won't lie, I actually tear up while listening to this. There is something so beautifully mysterious about this song.



Angry/Defiant





Happy listening! :)

Refinishing Wood Furniture

Short story - some time ago, I needed a dresser to house little boy clothes that will soon be worn by a newborn little boy of mine in about 4 weeks.  I dreamed of a Mid Century Modern one but they were far out of my budget.  But, I persevered and found one on Craigslist - for. FREE. It was a magical day, truly it was.  But, this dresser needed a lot of TLC which I was happy to provide.  So, in the case that you might have some wood that needs some refinishing, I thought I'd share my process with you.  Unfortunately I did not have the foresight to take a real "before" picture, but you'll have to use your imagination when I say it was in pretty bad shape.  

Materials you'll need:

Howard's Restor-a-Finish, Howard's Feed-n-Wax, fine grade (0000) steel wool, rubber gloves, and a mask (especially if you're pregnant like me.  And even if you're not.  Fumes are bad in general.) Also not pictured - wood filler burn-in sticks and wood putty in the shade of your wood, and a soft cloth. 

Step 1: Prep Work

Clean your furniture, inside and out, especially if you got it off Craigslist or at a thrift store or something.  Vacuum inside, and wipe everything down with a mild cleaner.  

Prep the wood by filling in any scratches and chips in the wood with your wood filler sticks and wood putty.  When you've filled in all the knicks, make sure the surface is completely smooth and dry before moving on.  

Step 2:

Break out the Howard's Restor-a-Finish.  I had never used this product before and I was a little skeptical since it is a little pricey, but I decided to give it a shot since I bought it at Home Depot and you can return anything you want there.  (Also a side-note - this stuff comes in different colors, and they didn't have one that was close to my shade of wood, so I just went for their "Neutral" shade, and it worked like a charm).  Let me tell you people - this stuff is magic in a bottle.  

Anyway, wearing your mask and rubber gloves, take a section of steel wool and poor a bit of the Restor-a-Finish onto it.  Rub gently in the direction of the wood grain and watch magic happen.  This stuff seriously took out all the minor scratches, water, and heat rings without breaking a sweat.  I was elated, since all the other methods of refinishing wood I looked into required sanding the finish off first and I really hate sanding.  This stuff was super easy and the wood looked brand-new when I was done.  

Step 3:

Wait for the Restor-a-Finish to dry (I only waited a few hours), and then apply the Howard's Feed-n-Wax by squirting a small amount on a soft cloth and rubbing down the entire piece. (I should probably say that I am not getting compensated by Howard's to say any of this. Although that would be cool.)  It's funny though, this stuff has been around forever and totally reminds me of my Mom.  She used to make me use it to dust all the wood furniture in our house, and the second I opened and smelled it this time, I felt like I was about 9 again, getting my Friday chores done.  Anyway, this wax will help preserve the wood finish and keep it looking all shiny and pretty.  

After I had finished the steps above, tah-dah!  This is what the dresser looked like:

That was probably a little anti-climatic since there was no before picture.  But trust me, it looks lightyears better than it did.  And please ignore the random cord coming out from behind the dresser.  I was too lazy to move the dresser to unplug the lamp just for the picture.

So at this point you could be done.  But while I loved the look of the dresser in the first place, I wanted some hardware to make it look extra pretty.  So I ordered these pretty ring pulls to put on the middle drawers.  After very carefully measuring and marking where I wanted them to hang on the backs of the drawer fronts, I forced my sweet husband to drill the holes in the drawers for me.  

After screwing on the ring pulls... 

this beauty was finished!  

A little close-up of the hardware.  

And there you have it - refinishing an old (free!) dresser from Craigslist in just a few steps.  

And just for fun, look what I found on the inside of one of the drawers?

The Escort - charming name, isn't it? :)  After a little googling, I found that this is a legitimate dresser made in the 50's or 60's, and similar refinished pieces from Kent Coffey can go for a lot of cash.  I shouldn't have mentioned this to my husband - he was a little tempted to sell this bad boy and make a profit.  I said no way - it's all mine!  

Miscarriage Support

For some reason, miscarriage tends to be a taboo subject.  I’m not sure why, when it is far more common than one might think.  Perhaps as women we tend to feel as if our bodies have failed us and to have every one aware of that fact would be too much of a burden to carry.
For those women who have not experienced the loss of a pregnancy it helps to know how to support those who have, what to say, what not say and how to ease their pain.

*I realize every woman is different, and what has helped me may not be helpful to someone else so I can’t speak for every woman everywhere.* 

As someone who has experienced three different types of losses in the past year (early miscarriage at 7 weeks, an ectopic and a missed miscarriage at 14 weeks) I wanted to express what has helped ease my pain in hopes that it will help others.  Now, most women miscarry very early on in their pregnancy at a time when others aren’t even aware the woman was pregnant and it’s difficult to support in those circumstances.  But if you ARE aware, here are a few tips.
1. Acknowledge the loss, NO MATTER HOW EARLY IT WAS.  A pregnancy is a pregnancy, the potential for a baby and a forever altered future and it hurts immensely when all those hopes are dashed, whether it be at 5 weeks or 10 weeks.
2. Do not tell them, “It’s for the best.” Even if you have the greatest of intentions, those words are like a slap in the face.  It’s never “best” for a woman to lose a baby she so badly wanted.
3.  Use your judgment and continue to ask how they are feeling about the loss even weeks later.  Most people will forget or start ignoring the woman’s loss after a couple weeks.  But no woman who has experienced it will forget. Ever.
4. Depending on your relationship, if you feel comfortable, send them a note or a treat.  Express your deepest sorrow and let them know you are there whenever they need you.  I cannot tell you how much these acts of kindness have saved me and how they lifted my spirits.  It meant the world to me, even if it took them five minutes out of their day.
5. Do not tell them, “Well it’s really common.” For some reason, this sentiment made my losses feel insignificant, as if they don’t matter.  Every loss is as important as the woman feels it is. Gauge their tone and match your sympathy to their feelings.
6. Hug them.  Even if they aren’t huggers. 
7. Emails, texts and phone calls are invaluable when you are not in close proximity.
8. Even though I know those who say this are only trying to make me feel better about the situation, the saying, “It wasn’t in God’s plan” or something similar just makes it hurt all the more.  God doesn’t want me to have another child?  Am I not doing a good job with the children I already have?  Or if the woman who doesn’t have children at all, can you imagine how much it would tear down her self esteem? God doesn’t want her to be a mother?  And I know this isn’t the intention of the sympathizers but those are the thoughts that run through our heads.  If you bring up the subject of God or Heavenly Father, only tell them how much He loves them and is aware of their pain.  That’s all that needs to be said.
9. Depending on the relationship, tell them you love them.
10.  Take them out for dinner or a pedicure.  Plan a girls’ night out, anything to take their mind off the pain.  But don’t sidestep the issue, ask them how they are feeling and if they want to talk about it, they will.

These are only a few things I thought of that have helped me in my emotional recovery and I hope that those who read this can help a friend or a family member find her way out of the heartache caused by a miscarriage.

Eat Chili--Eat Healthy

And.....we're back!!!

I take full responsibility for this blog's neglected state.  Well, it certainly doesn't look neglected--it looks very pretty (thanks, Kel!).  But for the lack of posts--yeah, that's my fault.

But it's a new year and we're off to a fresh start!  

Speaking of fresh starts, for a lot of people, the new year is a time to get healthy.  Whether is by losing weight, exercising more, eating better, people are committing (or re-committing) to taking care of themselves. And, like a lot people, I've got tips on how do that.   

Today's tip:  CHILI!!

I know, I know, chili is probably not what you think of when you think of healthy.  And, certainly, chili that comes on top of a bunch of fries with loads of cheese won't lead you down the path to a better body.  

But homemade chili can be really healthy--and DELICIOUS.  Make it with a lean protein, fiber-filled beans, lots of veggies--and it's a tasty, good-for-you meal.  I happen to love chili, especially this time of year and especially when I can just throw it all in the slow cooker and let it simmer away all day.  Because that's the other thing about chili--it's EASY.  

So here are a few of my faves.  And I did copy all the pictures from the blogs where I got these recipes because I wouldn't want to butcher their tasty work with my ugly photos.  

Sweet Potato Chili  
(adapted from crockpot365.com)

photo from crockpot365.com

This is my latest favorite.  Follow the link for the original recipe, but here's my slightly adapted version:

Ingredients:

1/2 lb or 1 lb (depending on how meaty you like your chili--I use less) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and in 2-inch chunks
1 yellow onion, diced (I leave this out for my husband who is prejudiced against onions)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney or pinto beans, drained and rinsed 

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomatoes 

1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Directions

Place sweet potatoes and onions in crock pot.  Follow with the chicken, red bell pepper, can of tomatoes, the beans, garlic, and seasonings. Pour in chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the onion is translucent and the sweet potato is fork-tender.  

You can go one of two ways with this chili.  Cut the sweet potatoes in bigger chunks and cook the chili for less time, which keeps the sweet potatoes more intact.  Or you cut the potatoes in smaller chunks, cook for a longer time, which results in sweet potatoes that fall apart and kind of mix into the chili, thickening and sweetening it and disguising the sweet potatoes from picky children.  I do a mixture of both ways, some big chunks and some little ones that I mash into the chili.

Top with cheese, sour cream, chips or cornbread.  It's sweet and smoky and YUMMY.  And healthy!

These next two chilis I'm just going to give you the links for because they're basically perfect just as they are.  They come from one the best food blogs out there: ourbestbites.com

photo from ourbestbites.com

White Chicken Chili

 A nice change from the traditional tomato-based chilis and oh so easy and oh so good.  This one is light, yet filling.  I could eat bowls and bowls of it.  

photo from ourbestbites.com

Chipotle Chocolate Chili

I know, you're probably thinking, chocolate?  In chili??  Yes, that's right and the combination is magical.  The little bit of chocolate in it gives the chili this rich, deep flavor.  It's sure to warm your tummy up.  Try it, you won't regret it.

And there you have it.  Three delicious ways to be healthy, warm and satisfied!