Wow, I can't believe it's been a little less than a year since I stared this blog and outlined my resolutions for 2008. I'm proud to say I've kept them all.
Start a Blog
Well, this blog has 105 posts! I know I've neglected it of late, but with preparing for the holidays, work trips and training for Disney, I haven't had a lot of time to keep up with it. I hope y'all have enjoyed reading my ramblings.
Try a New Recipe Every Week
I haven't gone back and counted, but I think I've done this every week, minus a few when I was traveling for work or we were on vacation. I cooked the final one of the year yesterday. It's been a lot of fun to try new things and I'm happy to say that most of them have been a success! I actually still have a few that I haven't posted. I guess I'll have to get to them next year!
Start Running
I pretty much summed this one up the other day. I did go for a 10.45 mile run on Sunday and with a combination of running and walking, I finished in 2.5 hours and had an average pace of 14 minutes, 20 seconds per mile. I'm certain I'll do a fair amount of walking during the race, but I'm now actually confident that I'll finish (and maybe even have time to pause for some character photos)!
I wish everyone a safe, happy, healthy 2009!
PS - I have no resolutions for 2009 yet, except to keep the 2008 ones going strong . . .
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Recipe Catch-Up - 11/9 - Florentine Meatballs
I got this recipe from another blog I read, Jamie's McBlog. Like me, she writes about a lot of different stuff, including recipes she tries. She got this recipe from Rachael Ray, who is also one of my favorites.
The Verdict
The recipe calls for 1 1/3 pounds of turkey because that's what normally comes in a package of ground turkey, so don't worry about the weird measurement. For us, this made way more than 12 meatballs - more like 20. But, they froze really well. We really enjoyed the subs, and we ate the leftovers from this batch with spaghetti and sauce and they were equally as good. It's a simple recipe and I love that it makes enough for 2 meals! I've since made them again and we have half a batch in the freezer right now, which we'll probably eat the day after we get home from Orlando - which means I won't have to go to the store right away!
Florentine Meatballs
recipe from Rachael Ray, via Jamie's McBlog
Ingredients
1 box frozen spinach, defrosted in the microwave
1 1/3 lb ground turkey breast
1/2 of a medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large egg
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 c. bread crumbs
Olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Wring out defrosted spinach. Place turkey in a bowl and make a well in the middle of it. Add the spinach, onion, garlic, egg, milk, bread crumbs, Parmesan and salt & pepper to taste. Mix well and form into 12 large balls. Place on a non-stick cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Cook for 20 minutes in the oven until cooked through.
The Photos
I served them at meatball subs. Here's the sub with just the meatballs & a little tomato sauce:
And, here's the sub after I added some mozzarella cheese & more tomato sauce:
The Verdict
The recipe calls for 1 1/3 pounds of turkey because that's what normally comes in a package of ground turkey, so don't worry about the weird measurement. For us, this made way more than 12 meatballs - more like 20. But, they froze really well. We really enjoyed the subs, and we ate the leftovers from this batch with spaghetti and sauce and they were equally as good. It's a simple recipe and I love that it makes enough for 2 meals! I've since made them again and we have half a batch in the freezer right now, which we'll probably eat the day after we get home from Orlando - which means I won't have to go to the store right away!
Less Than 2 Weeks to Go!
I really can't believe that the Disney 1/2 Marathon is now only 13 days away. It's been over a year since I decided to try it - I remember talking about it on the phone with M.K. at Thanksgiving '07. It's been a long, sometimes hard, road for me to get the training - I tend to get really frustrated if I can't do something well, and running definitely has been, and continues to be, a challenge. But, I'm proud of myself for sticking with it, and as my step-mother-in-law has been saying "to finish is to win." As long as we finish, we'll get the medal and it doesn't matter if we were the fastest (not!) or the slowest (hopefully not!) people out there.
I have one more long run to do, today. I'm shooting for 10 miles. Hopefully it will warm up some since right now it's in the low 30's here! After that, I'll start my "taper" and just do short runs each day until we get down to Disney.
Right now, race day weather is looking less than ideal (37 degrees at the start, feeling like 27 degrees), but I'm hopeful things will change. I did buy some new running pants yesterday, and also some earmuffs that fit around the back of my neck so I can wear my running cap, too (since I'll need the visor once the sun comes up). The pants were on major clearance - only $1.44! Alec found them & didn't even realize that was the price - I didn't, either, until they rang up on the register. That sure made me feel less guilty about the $20 I spent on a new travel bag to carry around the parks!
If anyone is interested in tracking me, or Alec, throughout the races, you can sign up for e-mail or cell phone alerts at this website:
http://disneyworldsports.disney.go.com/dwws/en_US/events/eventDetail/detail?name=WdwMarathonDetailPage&pid=pip-3-3
About half-way down, you'll see an option for Runner Tracking. I'm doing the Half Marathon and Alec is doing the Full Marathon. Just a couple of warnings:
I have one more long run to do, today. I'm shooting for 10 miles. Hopefully it will warm up some since right now it's in the low 30's here! After that, I'll start my "taper" and just do short runs each day until we get down to Disney.
Right now, race day weather is looking less than ideal (37 degrees at the start, feeling like 27 degrees), but I'm hopeful things will change. I did buy some new running pants yesterday, and also some earmuffs that fit around the back of my neck so I can wear my running cap, too (since I'll need the visor once the sun comes up). The pants were on major clearance - only $1.44! Alec found them & didn't even realize that was the price - I didn't, either, until they rang up on the register. That sure made me feel less guilty about the $20 I spent on a new travel bag to carry around the parks!
If anyone is interested in tracking me, or Alec, throughout the races, you can sign up for e-mail or cell phone alerts at this website:
http://disneyworldsports.disney.go.com/dwws/en_US/events/eventDetail/detail?name=WdwMarathonDetailPage&pid=pip-3-3
About half-way down, you'll see an option for Runner Tracking. I'm doing the Half Marathon and Alec is doing the Full Marathon. Just a couple of warnings:
- Evidently, the system didn't work so well last year, and some runners' finishes were never recorded. So, if you sign up, and you never get notified that we finished, don't panic!
- The races start at 6:00 AM Eastern, so you may not want to use the cell phone option if you don't want to be alerted that early!
I can update my Facebook page (for those who are "friends" with me on there) from my cell phone, so I plan to do that as soon as I can after the race to report that I've finished. Alec is bringing his laptop, so hopefully he'll be nice & share and I can update the blog as well. My cousin K. recently discovered she can blog from her phone, so I'll try to figure that out between now & the race, too!
I'm not sure how much time I'll have to blog before we leave on the 8th (though I do want to get my last few weekly recipes up!), so I want to go ahead and thank everyone for being supportive of this goal - whether you've left a comment, sent an e-mail, or just sent up a supportive thought or prayer when you've read this blog, I really appreciate it. I know I'll have a lot of people with me in spirit on the 10th!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Recipe Catch Up - Week of 10/25 - Whole Grain Penne w/ Sweet Red Pepper, Ginger & Feta
I've done it again - I'm behind on my recipes! Although, I don't think I've done one every week here lately, so I might not be as behind as I think. This was my last recipe for October. I found a new cooking blog to follow, Prudence Pennywise. She has good recipes, and she focuses on things that are (relatively) inexpensive. Just a little warning - she has music playing (one of my pet peeves) - and you have to scroll all the way to the bottom to turn it off. So, if you're at work, and you don't want anyone to know you're not working, mute your speakers before you click the link! Then, do what I do and read the blog in a reader, so you don't have to deal with the music on a regular basis.
Anyway, I had some Feta cheese left over from our Greek wraps the previous week, and I'd starred this recipe in my Google Reader, so I decided to try it.
Whole Grain Penne with Sweet Red Pepper, Ginger and Feta
from Prudence Pennywise
Ingredients
8 oz. box Penne Pasta
4 green onions (greens only)
1 (14.5) ounce can Italian Style diced tomatoes (blended smooth in blender)
1 large red bell pepper
1 small handfull fresh parsley (save some for garnish)
4 Tbsp cream or half and half
2-4 Tbsp Feta - crumbled
2 Tbsp finely chopped ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Remove the top, seeds and membranes of the pepper and slice into thin strips. Toss them into the saucepan & let them soften on low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, peel and chop the ginger & garlic. Start cooking the pasta.
Add the ginger & garlic to the saucepan and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper.
Chop 2 of the onions & add them to the sauce. Simmer on low heat, partially covered, for 5 minutes. Add 2-3 Tbsp of water if necessary to keep a sauce-like consistency.
Chop the parsley & add to the sauce. Let the sauce cook, partially covered for another 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat & set aside.
Plate the pasta, top with sauce and 1 Tbsp of cream per plate. Crumble 1/2 Tbsp of Feta on each plate. Garnish with parsley & serve.
The Photo
Anyway, I had some Feta cheese left over from our Greek wraps the previous week, and I'd starred this recipe in my Google Reader, so I decided to try it.
Whole Grain Penne with Sweet Red Pepper, Ginger and Feta
from Prudence Pennywise
Ingredients
8 oz. box Penne Pasta
4 green onions (greens only)
1 (14.5) ounce can Italian Style diced tomatoes (blended smooth in blender)
1 large red bell pepper
1 small handfull fresh parsley (save some for garnish)
4 Tbsp cream or half and half
2-4 Tbsp Feta - crumbled
2 Tbsp finely chopped ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Remove the top, seeds and membranes of the pepper and slice into thin strips. Toss them into the saucepan & let them soften on low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, peel and chop the ginger & garlic. Start cooking the pasta.
Add the ginger & garlic to the saucepan and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper.
Chop 2 of the onions & add them to the sauce. Simmer on low heat, partially covered, for 5 minutes. Add 2-3 Tbsp of water if necessary to keep a sauce-like consistency.
Chop the parsley & add to the sauce. Let the sauce cook, partially covered for another 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat & set aside.
Plate the pasta, top with sauce and 1 Tbsp of cream per plate. Crumble 1/2 Tbsp of Feta on each plate. Garnish with parsley & serve.
The Photo
The Verdict
As you can see from the photo, I added far more than 1/2 Tbsp of cheese. What can I say? We love cheese. I also do not remember blending the tomatoes in the blender. From the photo, it doesn't look like I did. I don't think it mattered much. We honestly did not get much of a ginger flavor, but the ginger I used had been in the freezer for a while.
Since Alec isn't a huge fan of completely vegetarian meals, I cut a couple of chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and sauteed them, then added them to the sauce.
Overall, though, we liked it and I want to make it again. I bought some ginger for this week's recipe, so maybe if I don't use it all, I will try this one again next week.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Running Update
I haven't had much time for blogging lately - between my work trip, trying to keep on my training schedule and getting ready for Thanksgiving, my "free" time has pretty much been taken up.
I haven't calculated the pace on these yet, but here's what I've done lately:
Training Week #2
Monday, 11/10
intervals - 3 x 12 minutes, with 2 minute breaks, on the treadmill
2.75 miles
41:50 minutes
Tuesday, 11/11
run/walk combo
2 miles, outside
time not recorded because Alec did a 5 mile route and so he got back way after me (usually we finish around the same time if I do 2 miles & he does 3, or if he gets back first, he stops the watch for himself and then figures my time, too.)
Wednesday, 11/12
30 minute walk
This is just supposed to be a leisurely walk, so I took River to the local park for a lunchtime outing.
Wednesday night I left for my work trip that got changed at the last minute. Luckily, however, the property had a gym, so I was able to keep up somewhat.
Thursday, 11/13
run/walk combo, on the treadmill
1.66 miles
25 minutes
(I ran the whole first mile)
Friday, 11/14
rest day (I love these!)
Saturday, 11/15
This should have been a 5 mile run/walk. Since I was working, I planned to get up & be ready to run around 5:30 or 6 since I knew it would take me about 1 hour & 15 minutes. I did get up, but it was *super* windy and I knew it was too windy to try & accomplish. So, I went back to bed. Later, I did the cross training scheduled for Sunday.
20 minutes elliptical / varied incline
20 minutes treadmill / varied incline
Sunday, 11/16
I did get up and get out by around 6:15 for the 5 miles! But, I walked most of the way. Still, I got the distance in.
walk
5 miles, outside
time unknown, since I was watch-less. I was about 1.5 hours, from the time I left the hotel room (on the 23rd floor, mind you) until I got back there.
Week 2 Summary
I did pretty much what I was supposed to do each day. I think this was a good week.
Training, Week 3
Monday, 11/17
I was supposed to do intervals, but when I went down to the gym after I got done working, they had it all torn up & were replacing the flooring. So, I couldn't use it.
Tuesday, 11/18
run/walk, on the treadmill
3 miles
40:37 minutes
Wednesday, 11/19
I traveled home. I was supposed to do a 30-minute walk, but I was exhausted when I got back, and so I just crashed.
Thursday, 11/20
The schedule said 30 minute run/walk, but it was running club day & we met at a different place, so I didn't know the route well enough to adapt it like I do on our regular one, so I went the full 5K everyone else did.
run/walk (mostly walked)
3.1 miles
not sure of exact time, it was at least 45 minutes
Friday
rest day
Saturday
5K race
run/walk (mostly walked, I had a cramp in my right calf that would not go away. I actually considered quitting the race, but I was determined to finish. I also had a sharp pain in my left knee. I was pretty much a mess. I'm pretty sure I came in dead last in the race.)
42:07 (estimate based on crossing the line at 42:17 & subtracting 10 seconds for the time it took me to get over it at the start. The race was not chip-timed).
Despite the walking, I was more than a minute faster than the 5K I did in April, but then this course was not nearly as hilly.
Sunday
rest day (really, it's on the schedule like that b/c of the race the day before!)
Week 3 Summary
I missed 2 days, and I probably should have made them up on one of the rest days. I think this was an OK week. I was proud of my faster 5K time.
Training, Week 4
Monday, 11/24
I was scheduled for intervals and I went to the gym with every intention of doing them. I didn't even make it through the first one before the pain in my left knee was just too much for my wimpy self. I talked to Alec about it when I got home and he said it sounds like an IT band issue, the cure being rest, painkillers and wearing a brace when I run.
Tuesday, 11/25
run/walk, outside (mostly walked due to aforementioned IT band pain)
3 miles
not sure of time. I didn't write it down
After running, we went to the sporting goods store & bought a brace for me.
Wednesday, 11/26
Should have done a 25 minute run/walk, but the gym closed early and I didn't realize it was going to.
Thursday, 11/27
Should have done a 30 minute leisurely walk & had every intention of doing so upon arrival at the in-laws for Thanksgiving. But, I didn't have time to do that & get Thanksgiving dinner on the table.
Friday, 11/28
Planned cross-training consisted of walking around the mall & various other stores while Black Friday shopping. . . not sure that really counts.
Saturday, 11/29
Wimped out on planned 6 mile run.
Sunday, 11/30
Planned on resting, and did . . . while riding in the car home from the in-laws.
Week 4 Summary
Horrible, horrible! Must get back on track! (Except that I should be at the gym now for today's workout and I'm not. I swear I'll make it up Wednesday or Friday. Really.)
I haven't calculated the pace on these yet, but here's what I've done lately:
Training Week #2
Monday, 11/10
intervals - 3 x 12 minutes, with 2 minute breaks, on the treadmill
2.75 miles
41:50 minutes
Tuesday, 11/11
run/walk combo
2 miles, outside
time not recorded because Alec did a 5 mile route and so he got back way after me (usually we finish around the same time if I do 2 miles & he does 3, or if he gets back first, he stops the watch for himself and then figures my time, too.)
Wednesday, 11/12
30 minute walk
This is just supposed to be a leisurely walk, so I took River to the local park for a lunchtime outing.
Wednesday night I left for my work trip that got changed at the last minute. Luckily, however, the property had a gym, so I was able to keep up somewhat.
Thursday, 11/13
run/walk combo, on the treadmill
1.66 miles
25 minutes
(I ran the whole first mile)
Friday, 11/14
rest day (I love these!)
Saturday, 11/15
This should have been a 5 mile run/walk. Since I was working, I planned to get up & be ready to run around 5:30 or 6 since I knew it would take me about 1 hour & 15 minutes. I did get up, but it was *super* windy and I knew it was too windy to try & accomplish. So, I went back to bed. Later, I did the cross training scheduled for Sunday.
20 minutes elliptical / varied incline
20 minutes treadmill / varied incline
Sunday, 11/16
I did get up and get out by around 6:15 for the 5 miles! But, I walked most of the way. Still, I got the distance in.
walk
5 miles, outside
time unknown, since I was watch-less. I was about 1.5 hours, from the time I left the hotel room (on the 23rd floor, mind you) until I got back there.
Week 2 Summary
I did pretty much what I was supposed to do each day. I think this was a good week.
Training, Week 3
Monday, 11/17
I was supposed to do intervals, but when I went down to the gym after I got done working, they had it all torn up & were replacing the flooring. So, I couldn't use it.
Tuesday, 11/18
run/walk, on the treadmill
3 miles
40:37 minutes
Wednesday, 11/19
I traveled home. I was supposed to do a 30-minute walk, but I was exhausted when I got back, and so I just crashed.
Thursday, 11/20
The schedule said 30 minute run/walk, but it was running club day & we met at a different place, so I didn't know the route well enough to adapt it like I do on our regular one, so I went the full 5K everyone else did.
run/walk (mostly walked)
3.1 miles
not sure of exact time, it was at least 45 minutes
Friday
rest day
Saturday
5K race
run/walk (mostly walked, I had a cramp in my right calf that would not go away. I actually considered quitting the race, but I was determined to finish. I also had a sharp pain in my left knee. I was pretty much a mess. I'm pretty sure I came in dead last in the race.)
42:07 (estimate based on crossing the line at 42:17 & subtracting 10 seconds for the time it took me to get over it at the start. The race was not chip-timed).
Despite the walking, I was more than a minute faster than the 5K I did in April, but then this course was not nearly as hilly.
Sunday
rest day (really, it's on the schedule like that b/c of the race the day before!)
Week 3 Summary
I missed 2 days, and I probably should have made them up on one of the rest days. I think this was an OK week. I was proud of my faster 5K time.
Training, Week 4
Monday, 11/24
I was scheduled for intervals and I went to the gym with every intention of doing them. I didn't even make it through the first one before the pain in my left knee was just too much for my wimpy self. I talked to Alec about it when I got home and he said it sounds like an IT band issue, the cure being rest, painkillers and wearing a brace when I run.
Tuesday, 11/25
run/walk, outside (mostly walked due to aforementioned IT band pain)
3 miles
not sure of time. I didn't write it down
After running, we went to the sporting goods store & bought a brace for me.
Wednesday, 11/26
Should have done a 25 minute run/walk, but the gym closed early and I didn't realize it was going to.
Thursday, 11/27
Should have done a 30 minute leisurely walk & had every intention of doing so upon arrival at the in-laws for Thanksgiving. But, I didn't have time to do that & get Thanksgiving dinner on the table.
Friday, 11/28
Planned cross-training consisted of walking around the mall & various other stores while Black Friday shopping. . . not sure that really counts.
Saturday, 11/29
Wimped out on planned 6 mile run.
Sunday, 11/30
Planned on resting, and did . . . while riding in the car home from the in-laws.
Week 4 Summary
Horrible, horrible! Must get back on track! (Except that I should be at the gym now for today's workout and I'm not. I swear I'll make it up Wednesday or Friday. Really.)
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
I May Not Make it to 30 Posts in 30 Days
Earlier this week, I found out a installation for my company had to be rescheduled from this week until next week. That meant my colleague who was supposed to go as the trainer wasn't able to go, so I got drafted. I was supposed to leave on Sunday. Tonight when Alec and I got home from running, I had two messages from my boss. One of the bigwigs from the property we're going to is irritated about the reschedule (though, from what I understand, it's not our fault). So, I am now leaving early Thursday morning (as in, the day after tomorrow).
So, I'll have a lot to take care of tomorrow - laundry, packing, etc and I can't be sure I'll even have a minute to blog. On the trip, I'll be using the property's computers so it won't be appropriate for me to blog unless they have a public computer lab.
But hey, I gave it my best shot!
So, I'll have a lot to take care of tomorrow - laundry, packing, etc and I can't be sure I'll even have a minute to blog. On the trip, I'll be using the property's computers so it won't be appropriate for me to blog unless they have a public computer lab.
But hey, I gave it my best shot!
Monday, November 10, 2008
I think this is my 100th post
I think I may be hitting a milestone with this post. My "dashboard" says this blog has 100 posts. I think it's counting one I have in draft about our vacation though. So, I think this is actually my 100th "live" post. Pretty cool, huh?
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Running Results for the Week
Alec found a program for his Mac that can track my workout info. It's really neat, especially because it figures the pace, which is what I really want to be looking at.
So, here are my results for the week:
Tuesday
run/walk combo
2.1 miles
31 min 30 sec
15 minutes/mile
Wednesday
treadmill - 2 x 10 minute intervals with 2 minute walk break between them & after the 2nd
1.5 miles
23 min 33 sec
15:41 minutes/mile
Thursday
run/walk combo
2 miles
29 min 8 sec
14:33 minutes/mile (woo hoo - faster than the Disney goal pace!)
Friday
rest day
Saturday
cross training
20 minutes - elliptical w/ varied incline
20 minutes - treadmill w/ varied incline
Sunday
run/walk combo
5.1 miles
1 hour 13 minutes
14:27 minutes/mile
Tonight's 5.1 mile run was the farthest I've gone, ever, since I set out on this goal in January! I did have to both run and walk. The first 3 miles, I was pretty good with alternating between running and walking each time the song changed. The last two miles, however, were mostly walking with a few spurts of running. But, at the end, I felt decently good about what I'd done.
Next week I think will be a good week. The plan seems reasonable. The following week will be a challenge. I have to go on a last-minute trip for work. I don't know yet if the property has a gym and I don't know my class schedule. I'm sure I'll have to conduct some evening classes, as we typically try to accommodate the staff members who only work during that time. Sometimes when that happens, we get a break during the day, but I will be the only trainer on the trip so that may not happen. Obviously, I'll do the best I can. We are signed up for a 5K on the 22nd, the day after I get back, so I hope I'll at least get to run some. I'd like to do better in this 5K than I did in my first one back in April.
So, here are my results for the week:
Tuesday
run/walk combo
2.1 miles
31 min 30 sec
15 minutes/mile
Wednesday
treadmill - 2 x 10 minute intervals with 2 minute walk break between them & after the 2nd
1.5 miles
23 min 33 sec
15:41 minutes/mile
Thursday
run/walk combo
2 miles
29 min 8 sec
14:33 minutes/mile (woo hoo - faster than the Disney goal pace!)
Friday
rest day
Saturday
cross training
20 minutes - elliptical w/ varied incline
20 minutes - treadmill w/ varied incline
Sunday
run/walk combo
5.1 miles
1 hour 13 minutes
14:27 minutes/mile
Tonight's 5.1 mile run was the farthest I've gone, ever, since I set out on this goal in January! I did have to both run and walk. The first 3 miles, I was pretty good with alternating between running and walking each time the song changed. The last two miles, however, were mostly walking with a few spurts of running. But, at the end, I felt decently good about what I'd done.
Next week I think will be a good week. The plan seems reasonable. The following week will be a challenge. I have to go on a last-minute trip for work. I don't know yet if the property has a gym and I don't know my class schedule. I'm sure I'll have to conduct some evening classes, as we typically try to accommodate the staff members who only work during that time. Sometimes when that happens, we get a break during the day, but I will be the only trainer on the trip so that may not happen. Obviously, I'll do the best I can. We are signed up for a 5K on the 22nd, the day after I get back, so I hope I'll at least get to run some. I'd like to do better in this 5K than I did in my first one back in April.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Recipe of the Week - Week of 10/18 - Greek Pitas
One of our go-to meals for a while has been what I call "Greek Wraps" - tortillas with grilled chicken, feta cheese, homemade hummus and sometimes lettuce if we have it. I used to marinate the chicken in Greek dressing. But, our grocery store here surprisingly doesn't carry one. So, I've tried a couple of different things and haven't been happy with any of them.
The first day we were home from D.C. of course we didn't have much food in the house. So, we went to eat lunch at one of our favorite places here, a Mediterranean restaurant. Alec was already having Moby Dick withdrawal (he ate there again the night I was at my cousin's bachelorette party). The owner made us some of his special Taziki sauce (I probably spelled that wrong) and we had some left over, which of course we brought home.
That prompted the idea of "Greek Wraps" for dinner. I complained, though, that I hadn't found a good Greek marinade since we moved. Alec suggested that I find a recipe on-line. Such a smart boy!
Marinated Greek Chicken Kabobs
recipe from AllRecipes.com
Ingredients
1 (8 oz) container fat-free plain yogurt
1/3 c. crumbled feta cheese with basil & sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 t. lemon zest
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/4 t. crushed dried rosemary
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large red onion, cut into wedges
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Directions
In a large shallow baking dish, mix the yogurt, feta cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper and rosemary. Place chicken in the dish and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate 3 hours in the refrigerator.
Preheat an outdoor grill to high heat
Thread the chicken, onion wedges and green bell pepper pieces alternately onto skewers. Discard remaining yogurt mixture.
Grill skewers on the prepared grill until the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
The Verdict
I made several substitutions here. First of all, I didn't make it as kabobs, so I didn't cut up the chicken, and I didn't need the onion & green pepper. I used the same Greek yogurt I used for the Yogurt Parmesan Chicken, which is only 6 oz. I also used plain feta cheese. We grilled the chicken on our indoor grill.
It came out really well. I tasted the chicken on it's own before we assembled our pitas and it was quite flavorful. We created the pitas by smearing hummus on them, then topping that with chicken, more feta cheese and the restaurant sauce. We also had hummus and cut-up pita on the side. I warmed the pitas, wrapped in foil, in the toaster oven while the chicken grilled.
Instead of tortillas, we went more authentic and got fresh pitas from the bakery at the grocery store (they make their own pitas, but they don't sell Greek dressing. Go figure). I whipped up some hummus and we had pitas with chicken, hummus, feta and T. sauce, with more hummus and pita on the side.
The Photo
Here's the photo. The plate's not very pretty, but everything sure tasted good!
Friday, November 7, 2008
A Post About Nothing
I'm really not a fan of the show Seinfeld, but I stole this post title from it anyway.
We are getting ready to go to the city for the evening and we need to leave and I was writing a longer post, but I don't have time to finish it.
But, I didn't want to miss a day of posting. So, here's a post about nothing.
We are getting ready to go to the city for the evening and we need to leave and I was writing a longer post, but I don't have time to finish it.
But, I didn't want to miss a day of posting. So, here's a post about nothing.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
My Peppy Playlist
First of all, today's run results: 2 miles in 29:08! Faster than I need to be! Woo hoo! I was supposed to walk 5 min / run 20 min / walk 5 min. I ended up walking for a bit (one song) in the middle of the run. I'm not sure exactly what my times were for each interval, because I don't have a watch for running so I just ran for a certain number of songs.
So this is my playlist now. I need to make it about twice as long, because right now it's only 41.7 minutes and I need at least an hour and 15 minutes for a 5 mile run.
Hot N Cold - Katy Perry
Stronger - Kanye West
Thnks Fr Th Mmrs (Thanks for the Memories) - Fall Out Boy
Don't Stop the Music - Rihanna
Because the Night - Patti Smith
Ray of Light - Madonna
Disturbia - Rihanna
Beautiful Day - U2
The Boxer - Carbon Leaf
We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel
I do have a few more songs in mind. I just wish I could find my 80's mix my friend S. made me years ago - there are some good songs on there and I really don't want to pay to download them when I know I have the CD somewhere!
Leave me a comment if you have any ideas for peppy (but not too peppy - I'm shooting for 120-140 beats per minute, which is on the slow end of what's good for running, but I am a slow runner!)
So this is my playlist now. I need to make it about twice as long, because right now it's only 41.7 minutes and I need at least an hour and 15 minutes for a 5 mile run.
Hot N Cold - Katy Perry
Stronger - Kanye West
Thnks Fr Th Mmrs (Thanks for the Memories) - Fall Out Boy
Don't Stop the Music - Rihanna
Because the Night - Patti Smith
Ray of Light - Madonna
Disturbia - Rihanna
Beautiful Day - U2
The Boxer - Carbon Leaf
We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel
I do have a few more songs in mind. I just wish I could find my 80's mix my friend S. made me years ago - there are some good songs on there and I really don't want to pay to download them when I know I have the CD somewhere!
Leave me a comment if you have any ideas for peppy (but not too peppy - I'm shooting for 120-140 beats per minute, which is on the slow end of what's good for running, but I am a slow runner!)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A Quick Running Update
We've been without Internet most of the day (the horror!) and now it's bedtime. But I wanted to get a post in.
I've made a training plan for the 1/2 Marathon. Here are the results so far this week:
Monday
Goal: 4 x 10 minute running intervals w/ 2-minute walk breaks between
Result: Had a nervous breakdown over my unpreparedness instead. Never made it to the gym. Came home, got a pep talk from Alec and a nice e-mail pep message from M.K. Made a new playlist for iPod w/ upbeat music.
Tuesday
Goal: 2 mile run
Result: Success! Did a run/walk combo for 2 plus a little miles (went a block past the turn-around point b/c it's been so long since I'd run the route I forgot where it was). Time: 31:30. Peppy Playlist helped a lot!
Wednesday
Goal: Training plan says 30 minute walk, but decided to try to do Monday's intervals instead.
Result: Went to the gym (even though Alec didn't - extra points for self-motivation). Did 2 x 10 minute intervals w/ 2-minutes walking between them & after the 2nd one. Decided to go ahead and cool down so as not to kill myself & become unable to complete the week's training. Plus, my iPod died near the end of the 2nd interval. That's what happens if you leave it on, and maybe even playing, for 24 hours. Oops. Time for first mile: 15:45. Total time & distance after 2nd walk period: 1.5 miles, 23:33.
Goals for the rest of the week:
Thursday: 5 minute walk / 20 minute run / 5 minute walk (seems ambitious but I'll try)
Friday: rest day (absolutely do-able!)
Saturday: 5 mile run (I think I can do it, if I alternate running & walking. Must add more songs to Peppy Playlist; currently only runs 41 minutes. Need at least 1 hr. 15 minutes for 5 miles.)
Sunday: 40 minutes cross training (probably do-able, though 10 minutes on the elliptical about did me in the other day.)
Okay, so that wasn't so brief. I'm going to be now! I need my rest!
I've made a training plan for the 1/2 Marathon. Here are the results so far this week:
Monday
Goal: 4 x 10 minute running intervals w/ 2-minute walk breaks between
Result: Had a nervous breakdown over my unpreparedness instead. Never made it to the gym. Came home, got a pep talk from Alec and a nice e-mail pep message from M.K. Made a new playlist for iPod w/ upbeat music.
Tuesday
Goal: 2 mile run
Result: Success! Did a run/walk combo for 2 plus a little miles (went a block past the turn-around point b/c it's been so long since I'd run the route I forgot where it was). Time: 31:30. Peppy Playlist helped a lot!
Wednesday
Goal: Training plan says 30 minute walk, but decided to try to do Monday's intervals instead.
Result: Went to the gym (even though Alec didn't - extra points for self-motivation). Did 2 x 10 minute intervals w/ 2-minutes walking between them & after the 2nd one. Decided to go ahead and cool down so as not to kill myself & become unable to complete the week's training. Plus, my iPod died near the end of the 2nd interval. That's what happens if you leave it on, and maybe even playing, for 24 hours. Oops. Time for first mile: 15:45. Total time & distance after 2nd walk period: 1.5 miles, 23:33.
Goals for the rest of the week:
Thursday: 5 minute walk / 20 minute run / 5 minute walk (seems ambitious but I'll try)
Friday: rest day (absolutely do-able!)
Saturday: 5 mile run (I think I can do it, if I alternate running & walking. Must add more songs to Peppy Playlist; currently only runs 41 minutes. Need at least 1 hr. 15 minutes for 5 miles.)
Sunday: 40 minutes cross training (probably do-able, though 10 minutes on the elliptical about did me in the other day.)
Okay, so that wasn't so brief. I'm going to be now! I need my rest!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
I Voted!
I didn't get an "I Voted" sticker though. They didn't seem to be handing them out at my polling place. I guess I could have asked, but the people were kinda crotchety.
I registered to vote right near the deadline. For the longest time, I didn't think I could register because I haven't gotten my drivers license here. (I have one, it's just for our old state. Why I haven't is a long story.) But, then I found out you don't have to have a license, so I went ahead an sent in my registration form.
Then, I started waiting for my voter card to arrive in the mail. It didn't come before I left on my work trip. It didn't come while I was gone, before Alec left on our trip. It wasn't in the held mail from the Post Office when we got back. It didn't come after we got home.
The other day I checked on-line and saw that I was registered and that my registration was valid as of Oct. 30. So, I checked to see what else you can bring to the polling place: drivers license (no good, wrong state), birth certificate (possibly no good, has maiden name - duh), passport (also possibly no good, has maiden name & is expired), utility bill (bingo - right name, right state, right address!). It was all over the news that it's much easier for the polling people if you have your voter card, but I couldn't really help it.
I also checked on-line for my polling place and found out it's two blocks from the house, which was great. I planned to walk there. Since I work from home, I planned to go at a random time to avoid lines.
So today at 2:00 PM, I got up from the computer, found some shoes, put on a little makeup (I was going out in public, after all) and headed to the polling place. There was no line at all! Three people came in at the same time as me, but we were it.
There were two people checking registrations - A-M and N-Z (or something like that). So, I go up to the cute grandmotherly lady at the N-Z table and tell her my name. I even spell the last name for her.
Grandmotherly Lady: Your name starts with "C", you need to go to the other line.
Me: No, my first name starts with "C." My last name starts with "T."
Grandmotherly Lady: Oh.
So, she finds me on the roll and stamps the little "voted" stamp next to my name. I hand her my utility bill and explain that I didn't receive my card. She starts to write what I guess is my registration number on a little sticky note to pass to the next person, who is writing the numbers & names on another sheet and having people sign.
Meanwhile, the 3 other people are in the A-M line. The man checking that line has already passed the first person on to the lady filling out the signature sheet. Grandmotherly Lady is still writing my number on the sticky note. The next person steps up to the A-M Checkin Guy and hands over his voter card.
A-M Checkin Guy: Good, you have your card. I like it when people have their card. It makes it so much easier.
A-M Voter: doesn't say anything
Me (in my head): It's not my fault. My card didn't come in the mail. If they didn't have time to get the cards sent out, they should have made the registration deadline earlier.
So finally Grandmotherly Lady passes me on to Signature Lady, who writes my info down on the sheet and slides it over to me to sign.
Signature Lady: Sign here on line 20
Me: OK (reaches for pen Signature Lady is holding)
Signature Lady: (in kinda mean voice) This is my pen. You use that one.
Me: (nicely) Oh, I'm sorry.
So I sign and Signature Lady passes me over to the Booth Lady, who explains how to use the voting machine. This is actually the first time I've ever voted on an electronic, touch screen machine. It was kinda cool. I picked my candidates, reviewed them and pressed the flashing red "Vote" button. And, I was done.
Me: (as I'm leaving, to the volunteers generally) Thanks y'all.
Me: (in my head) I don't get an "I Voted" sticker? Bummer.
Then, I walked back home and sat down at the computer to get back to work.
Total time elapsed: 25 minutes. I think that might be some kind of record.
Anyway, I hope you voted too. I'm going to go cook some dinner and watch the returns.
PS - I went running tonight! I've been a real slacker. But, I'll post about that tomorrow. If I'm going to post every day for 30 days, I gotta have something to say.
I registered to vote right near the deadline. For the longest time, I didn't think I could register because I haven't gotten my drivers license here. (I have one, it's just for our old state. Why I haven't is a long story.) But, then I found out you don't have to have a license, so I went ahead an sent in my registration form.
Then, I started waiting for my voter card to arrive in the mail. It didn't come before I left on my work trip. It didn't come while I was gone, before Alec left on our trip. It wasn't in the held mail from the Post Office when we got back. It didn't come after we got home.
The other day I checked on-line and saw that I was registered and that my registration was valid as of Oct. 30. So, I checked to see what else you can bring to the polling place: drivers license (no good, wrong state), birth certificate (possibly no good, has maiden name - duh), passport (also possibly no good, has maiden name & is expired), utility bill (bingo - right name, right state, right address!). It was all over the news that it's much easier for the polling people if you have your voter card, but I couldn't really help it.
I also checked on-line for my polling place and found out it's two blocks from the house, which was great. I planned to walk there. Since I work from home, I planned to go at a random time to avoid lines.
So today at 2:00 PM, I got up from the computer, found some shoes, put on a little makeup (I was going out in public, after all) and headed to the polling place. There was no line at all! Three people came in at the same time as me, but we were it.
There were two people checking registrations - A-M and N-Z (or something like that). So, I go up to the cute grandmotherly lady at the N-Z table and tell her my name. I even spell the last name for her.
Grandmotherly Lady: Your name starts with "C", you need to go to the other line.
Me: No, my first name starts with "C." My last name starts with "T."
Grandmotherly Lady: Oh.
So, she finds me on the roll and stamps the little "voted" stamp next to my name. I hand her my utility bill and explain that I didn't receive my card. She starts to write what I guess is my registration number on a little sticky note to pass to the next person, who is writing the numbers & names on another sheet and having people sign.
Meanwhile, the 3 other people are in the A-M line. The man checking that line has already passed the first person on to the lady filling out the signature sheet. Grandmotherly Lady is still writing my number on the sticky note. The next person steps up to the A-M Checkin Guy and hands over his voter card.
A-M Checkin Guy: Good, you have your card. I like it when people have their card. It makes it so much easier.
A-M Voter: doesn't say anything
Me (in my head): It's not my fault. My card didn't come in the mail. If they didn't have time to get the cards sent out, they should have made the registration deadline earlier.
So finally Grandmotherly Lady passes me on to Signature Lady, who writes my info down on the sheet and slides it over to me to sign.
Signature Lady: Sign here on line 20
Me: OK (reaches for pen Signature Lady is holding)
Signature Lady: (in kinda mean voice) This is my pen. You use that one.
Me: (nicely) Oh, I'm sorry.
So I sign and Signature Lady passes me over to the Booth Lady, who explains how to use the voting machine. This is actually the first time I've ever voted on an electronic, touch screen machine. It was kinda cool. I picked my candidates, reviewed them and pressed the flashing red "Vote" button. And, I was done.
Me: (as I'm leaving, to the volunteers generally) Thanks y'all.
Me: (in my head) I don't get an "I Voted" sticker? Bummer.
Then, I walked back home and sat down at the computer to get back to work.
Total time elapsed: 25 minutes. I think that might be some kind of record.
Anyway, I hope you voted too. I'm going to go cook some dinner and watch the returns.
PS - I went running tonight! I've been a real slacker. But, I'll post about that tomorrow. If I'm going to post every day for 30 days, I gotta have something to say.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Washington DC - Day 4
So I just learned from my pal Diana that November is NaBloPoMo, or National Blog Post Month. Apparently one is supposed to post one blog entry a day for 30 days. Like Diana, I'm starting late. And, I'm kind of cheating. I had this post mostly written, I was just trying to figure out what to do with the pictures, because I have quite a few. If anyone knows of any good (free!) sites where I can create slideshows for my posts, please let me know! I know I can do it with a Picasa album, but that seems to just be a link from here to my Picasa page and I don't know if people would find that annoying.
There is also a beautiful fountain.
Dinner was at Moby Dick House of Kabob. Alec really, really, really loves this place. Their website says "This could become an addiction." That is so true. Honestly, we're both addicted. We went there on our first trip to D.C. together and I've loved it ever since. We had our usual - Kabob-E-Joojeh - marinated chicken kabobs with rice & bread. It was so yummy. E. ordered the Falafel (basically a chick pea patty) as well for us to share. I had never had that before. It was okay. But, not as good as the Kabob!
Anyway, I hope y'all aren't too bored with the vacation stories yet . . .
Tuesday, October 14
Tuesday we went to the museum I was most excited about, but that ended up being our biggest disappointment, the National Museum of the American Indian. This is a new museum. I'm not sure it was even finished last time we were in D.C., back in 2004.
The building is gorgeous. The exterior captures the feel of a pueblo, the desert and the rolling prairies all at the same time.
There is also a beautiful fountain.
The rotunda, where you enter, is beautiful with a display of 4 different types of canoe. This is particularly striking viewed from above.
The exhibits, however, left a lot to be desired, at least the ones we looked at. First we visited "Our Peoples" an exhibit about Native history. Although I was impressed with the exhibition design when we first walked in, the more I got into the gallery, the more I disliked it. The majority of the exhibition consists of 8 small galleries highlighting the history of 8 different tribes , 4 from North America and 4 from Central & South America. The thing I didn't like about the exhibit was that it was a lot of information to read and videos to watch and not many objects to look at. If I want to read or watch a video, I'd rather do it curled up in a comfy chair than standing in a museum.
Next we visited the "Our Lives" exhibit, showcasing the modern lives of 8 tribes. Unfortunately, these were 8 different tribes than in the "Our Peoples" section, so it was very difficult to get a sense of how the tribes have managed to merge their history with modern life. Again, there was a lot to watch & read and not much to just look at. So, we didn't spend much time in that exhibition.
Finally, we spent a little time in the "Window on the Collections" area. We both thought this was very cool. Various objects from the collection (yay, stuff to look at!) were installed in cases along the wall. In front of each section was a touch screen computer showing a layout of the case. You could touch an object on the screen to get more information or zoom in on a picture of the object to see the detail. Under each case were drawers with even more objects. Opening the drawers and exploring them really gives a sense of exploring the collection. As much as we were enjoying this area, we'd already been there more than an hour, and overall were not enjoying our experience, so we decided to head out.
I'd pretty much used up Alec's museum tolerance for the day (at least his tolerance for museums in which he's not particularly interested) so we just headed to the Ballston Common mall to hang out until M.K. got finished with her day. We went over to M.K. and E's apartment, where E. was trying to organize the usual weekly volleyball game. But, not many people were around, so that didn't really work out. So, we all piled into the car to head for the thing Alec had been waiting for for months . . . dinner at his favorite restaurant.
Dinner was at Moby Dick House of Kabob. Alec really, really, really loves this place. Their website says "This could become an addiction." That is so true. Honestly, we're both addicted. We went there on our first trip to D.C. together and I've loved it ever since. We had our usual - Kabob-E-Joojeh - marinated chicken kabobs with rice & bread. It was so yummy. E. ordered the Falafel (basically a chick pea patty) as well for us to share. I had never had that before. It was okay. But, not as good as the Kabob!
We actually went to a location that I hadn't been to before (yes, this is a place that falls into CRC #1) and when we pulled into the shopping center, what did I see? A Krispy Kreme with the Hot & Now sign on! I said right then that if it was still on when we finished dinner, we were going there for dessert. (KK absolutely falls into CRC #1 - do you know how long it's been since I've had a hot Krispy Kreme donut? Well, now it's only been about 2 weeks, but before that, it had been forever!) Lucky for me, the light was still on after we ate. They didn't have any donuts on the belt when we went in, but they put a couple on just for us! The gal at the counter thought it was cool that I was from Winston-Salem, the home of Krispy Kreme. We at our hot donuts, plus took a couple home for later. I got the custard filled, my favorite next to a nice, hot original glazed!
All in all, it was a good day!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Washington DC - Day 2 & 3
The saga of our trip continues . . .
Day 2 - Sunday, October 12
This was a pretty low-key day with not a lot of activity. Alec was hoping to get to town in time to watch the Redskins game at 1 PM. But, he slept through his alarm and didn't even wake up until I called him around 10 AM. Since he was a good 4 hours away, clearly he was not going to make it!
J. and I had a nice brunch at the Original Pancake House. Though this is a chain restaurant, and I try not to eat a chain restaurants on vacation, this particular place falls into Chain Restaurant Rule Caveat #1: Places that are unique and that I don't have regular access to are allowed. I had yummy lemon crepes. J. had the croissant French toast.
After brunch, we headed to Whole Foods to pick up supplies for "Mom's Famous Chicken" which J. planned to fix for us that night (her her gorgeous new kitchen, I might add!). As we pulled in to the shopping center, I noticed an Ulta! As I posted back in May, we don't have Ulta here. I fell in love with it in Tulsa, and I miss it. Anyway, we decided to go in. As luck would have it, the liter size of my shampoo was on sale for $9.99 per bottle, so I stocked up again. I'm almost out of the bottle I bought on that trip in May! I picked up a few more things and then we headed to Whole Foods. I love that place. It's expensive, but so nice.
Alec got to the house about the time we did. We watched the end of the game and then headed out to Target to get a few things. The Target nearest the house is two stories, and has a special escalator you put you cart in to take it upstairs. Usually when we go there, we don't need a cart and I'm always disappointed because I want to play with the cart escalator. But this time, we were buying soda, so we needed a cart! Mind you, we didn't need anything from the upstairs floor, but I went up anyway. Just to play with the cart escalator. Yes, sometimes it's the little things that make me happy. One thing to remember, though. It's not a good idea to leave your purse in the cart while it's on the escalator. The escalator might break and your purse will be stuck and you'll be late for your nail appointment. (Disclaimer - this did not happen to me, but to a friend who told me the story after I shared my glee at finally getting to use the cart escalator.)
We went back to the house and ate the fabulous Mom's Famous Chicken. After dinner, we headed over to see Alec's best friend from high school (who was the best man at our wedding) and his family. We had an nice visit with them and made plans to hang out later in the week.
Day 3 - Monday, October 13
Monday was Columbus Day, and we'd made plans to meet up with my college friend, "Archer" (she works for the government, so she had the day off) and check out the Ansel Adams/Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit at the National Museum of American Art. Archer had been sick all weekend with the flu, but she came anyway since it was a rare chance to see each other!
We met at the museum, but were hungry, so we headed to the restaurant Archer had suggested for lunch, Matchbox, just a few blocks away. I had heard of this place from keeping up with Tom Sietsema's reviews and I was excited to try their pizza! The restaurant is a cool space - the original building (the recently expanded into the one next door) is only 15 feet wide! Each table has a different matchbox embedded in it. I wish I'd thought to take pictures. (Later in the week, my cousin Belle asked why I didn't take a picture of my meal for my blog - duh, that would have been a great idea to do all along!)
Anyway, about the food. We all had pizza. I thought Alec might try their other famous dish, sliders (mini hamburgers) as the only red meat eater in the group but he wanted pizza. Alec had the "matchbox meat" pizza, Archer had the "veggie" and I had the "chicken pesto." Besides mine, I did try a bite of Archer's and they were both fabulous! Alec really liked his as well. Even in the 10-inch personal size they were a bit too much food for me, but with Archer being sick, we didn't really want to share (and Alec wanted red meat). Half a pizza and a side salad would have been perfect. But, I'm still glad we went and I think it will be on our list of places to eat next time we're in the city!
After lunch we went back over to the museum. As I mentioned in the Day 1 post, I was an intern there in college. The museum has been totally renovated (it was closed I think for 3 or 4 years) since that time and it looks gorgeous. It is connected to the National Portrait Gallery and between the two spaces we saw 4 exhibitions: Ansel Adams/Georgia O'Keeffe, "Women of our Time," an exhibition of photographs of 20th century women, an exhibition of Herblock's political cartoons and the permanent exhibition of Presidential Portraits.
The Adams/O'Keeffe show was good. I enjoyed seeing the photographs juxtaposed with paintings, if not of the same subject, then of similar shape and layout. "Women of our Time" was interesting, but with a lot of wall text to read, as there was a short bio accompanying each photograph, so we kind of skimmed that one. We went through the Herblock show backwards, starting with the more contemporary stuff and going back to his cartoons from the 30's & 40's. What struck me about it was that while the presidents changed, the subjects were pretty much the same! Just goes to show that some things never change! We also ended up going through the presidential gallery backwards so it was funny to go from the first two rooms where we recognized everyone to the later ones where for the most part we were thinking "who the heck is that?"
After the museum, we headed to Macy's at Metro Center so I could purchase my cousin K's wedding gift. They didn't have anything from the registry that really caught my fancy so I didn't buy anything. We said goodbye to Archer after that. She was really not feeling well and we were going to Filene's Basement which is not one of her favorite places, even when she's healthy! It was wonderful to get to spend some time with her, though!
After Filene's, I felt in need of some caffeine so we walked up to the Dupont Circle area, where I knew there was a location of a coffee shop/restaurant I really like, Cosi (another place that falls into Chain Restaurant Caveat #1 - henceforth to be known as CRC#1). But, just as I spotted it, we also spotted a place that looked really intriguing, Hello Cupcake. It's a bakery that sells only cupcakes. I happen to love cupcakes, and M.K. had christened me with the family code name "cupcake" so we decided to go in. In lieu of a coffee, I had the "pick-me-up", a chocolate cupcake with espresso icing and a chocolate-covered espresso bean on top. Alec had the "peanut butter blossom", a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter icing. The were both awesome! Well, I guess they both were. It's not like Alec shared or anything. There was a photo shoot going on in the store, supervised by the owner, Penny, so we were able to chat with her for a few minutes. She was super nice, and her store is super cute. If you're in DC, you should go. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
After that, it was back to the house for "taco night." After dinner, we headed over to visit with Grandma A. for a bit and then went to another Macy's to try to get K's gift again. They still didn't have exactly what I wanted to get, but I found a good 2nd choice. (Sorry, K, I really wanted to get y'all the cream & sugar set and the butter dish, but neither store had the right color!) Then, it was back to the house & early to bed for me, as I was not feeling well and I didn't want to put a damper on the next day!
Coming Up Next: The National Museum of the American Indian, more quality time with M.K. and E. and a trip to Alec's favorite restaurant . . .
Day 2 - Sunday, October 12
This was a pretty low-key day with not a lot of activity. Alec was hoping to get to town in time to watch the Redskins game at 1 PM. But, he slept through his alarm and didn't even wake up until I called him around 10 AM. Since he was a good 4 hours away, clearly he was not going to make it!
J. and I had a nice brunch at the Original Pancake House. Though this is a chain restaurant, and I try not to eat a chain restaurants on vacation, this particular place falls into Chain Restaurant Rule Caveat #1: Places that are unique and that I don't have regular access to are allowed. I had yummy lemon crepes. J. had the croissant French toast.
After brunch, we headed to Whole Foods to pick up supplies for "Mom's Famous Chicken" which J. planned to fix for us that night (her her gorgeous new kitchen, I might add!). As we pulled in to the shopping center, I noticed an Ulta! As I posted back in May, we don't have Ulta here. I fell in love with it in Tulsa, and I miss it. Anyway, we decided to go in. As luck would have it, the liter size of my shampoo was on sale for $9.99 per bottle, so I stocked up again. I'm almost out of the bottle I bought on that trip in May! I picked up a few more things and then we headed to Whole Foods. I love that place. It's expensive, but so nice.
Alec got to the house about the time we did. We watched the end of the game and then headed out to Target to get a few things. The Target nearest the house is two stories, and has a special escalator you put you cart in to take it upstairs. Usually when we go there, we don't need a cart and I'm always disappointed because I want to play with the cart escalator. But this time, we were buying soda, so we needed a cart! Mind you, we didn't need anything from the upstairs floor, but I went up anyway. Just to play with the cart escalator. Yes, sometimes it's the little things that make me happy. One thing to remember, though. It's not a good idea to leave your purse in the cart while it's on the escalator. The escalator might break and your purse will be stuck and you'll be late for your nail appointment. (Disclaimer - this did not happen to me, but to a friend who told me the story after I shared my glee at finally getting to use the cart escalator.)
We went back to the house and ate the fabulous Mom's Famous Chicken. After dinner, we headed over to see Alec's best friend from high school (who was the best man at our wedding) and his family. We had an nice visit with them and made plans to hang out later in the week.
Day 3 - Monday, October 13
Monday was Columbus Day, and we'd made plans to meet up with my college friend, "Archer" (she works for the government, so she had the day off) and check out the Ansel Adams/Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit at the National Museum of American Art. Archer had been sick all weekend with the flu, but she came anyway since it was a rare chance to see each other!
We met at the museum, but were hungry, so we headed to the restaurant Archer had suggested for lunch, Matchbox, just a few blocks away. I had heard of this place from keeping up with Tom Sietsema's reviews and I was excited to try their pizza! The restaurant is a cool space - the original building (the recently expanded into the one next door) is only 15 feet wide! Each table has a different matchbox embedded in it. I wish I'd thought to take pictures. (Later in the week, my cousin Belle asked why I didn't take a picture of my meal for my blog - duh, that would have been a great idea to do all along!)
Anyway, about the food. We all had pizza. I thought Alec might try their other famous dish, sliders (mini hamburgers) as the only red meat eater in the group but he wanted pizza. Alec had the "matchbox meat" pizza, Archer had the "veggie" and I had the "chicken pesto." Besides mine, I did try a bite of Archer's and they were both fabulous! Alec really liked his as well. Even in the 10-inch personal size they were a bit too much food for me, but with Archer being sick, we didn't really want to share (and Alec wanted red meat). Half a pizza and a side salad would have been perfect. But, I'm still glad we went and I think it will be on our list of places to eat next time we're in the city!
After lunch we went back over to the museum. As I mentioned in the Day 1 post, I was an intern there in college. The museum has been totally renovated (it was closed I think for 3 or 4 years) since that time and it looks gorgeous. It is connected to the National Portrait Gallery and between the two spaces we saw 4 exhibitions: Ansel Adams/Georgia O'Keeffe, "Women of our Time," an exhibition of photographs of 20th century women, an exhibition of Herblock's political cartoons and the permanent exhibition of Presidential Portraits.
The Adams/O'Keeffe show was good. I enjoyed seeing the photographs juxtaposed with paintings, if not of the same subject, then of similar shape and layout. "Women of our Time" was interesting, but with a lot of wall text to read, as there was a short bio accompanying each photograph, so we kind of skimmed that one. We went through the Herblock show backwards, starting with the more contemporary stuff and going back to his cartoons from the 30's & 40's. What struck me about it was that while the presidents changed, the subjects were pretty much the same! Just goes to show that some things never change! We also ended up going through the presidential gallery backwards so it was funny to go from the first two rooms where we recognized everyone to the later ones where for the most part we were thinking "who the heck is that?"
After the museum, we headed to Macy's at Metro Center so I could purchase my cousin K's wedding gift. They didn't have anything from the registry that really caught my fancy so I didn't buy anything. We said goodbye to Archer after that. She was really not feeling well and we were going to Filene's Basement which is not one of her favorite places, even when she's healthy! It was wonderful to get to spend some time with her, though!
After Filene's, I felt in need of some caffeine so we walked up to the Dupont Circle area, where I knew there was a location of a coffee shop/restaurant I really like, Cosi (another place that falls into Chain Restaurant Caveat #1 - henceforth to be known as CRC#1). But, just as I spotted it, we also spotted a place that looked really intriguing, Hello Cupcake. It's a bakery that sells only cupcakes. I happen to love cupcakes, and M.K. had christened me with the family code name "cupcake" so we decided to go in. In lieu of a coffee, I had the "pick-me-up", a chocolate cupcake with espresso icing and a chocolate-covered espresso bean on top. Alec had the "peanut butter blossom", a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter icing. The were both awesome! Well, I guess they both were. It's not like Alec shared or anything. There was a photo shoot going on in the store, supervised by the owner, Penny, so we were able to chat with her for a few minutes. She was super nice, and her store is super cute. If you're in DC, you should go. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
After that, it was back to the house for "taco night." After dinner, we headed over to visit with Grandma A. for a bit and then went to another Macy's to try to get K's gift again. They still didn't have exactly what I wanted to get, but I found a good 2nd choice. (Sorry, K, I really wanted to get y'all the cream & sugar set and the butter dish, but neither store had the right color!) Then, it was back to the house & early to bed for me, as I was not feeling well and I didn't want to put a damper on the next day!
Coming Up Next: The National Museum of the American Indian, more quality time with M.K. and E. and a trip to Alec's favorite restaurant . . .
Washington DC - Day 1
We're back from our big trip to the east coast! It was so much fun, and so wonderful to see family & friends. We were there for about 10 days, so it will take me a while to blog about it all, which means I'd better get started!
I arrived in D.C. ahead of Alec by about 2 days. My boss scheduled me for a work trip the week before our vacation and the timing didn't really work out for me to fly home from the that and get here by the time we had planned on leaving for the drive out east. So, I flew from here to Alabama, and then from Alabama to Baltimore, where the intrepid M.K. fought Friday-night, holiday weekend traffic to retrieve me. That doesn't really count as Day 1, though, unless you want to hear about planes & airports. I did briefly return "home" to N.C. with a layover in the Charlotte airport!
I count Day 1 as Saturday, October 11.
I got up not-quite bright & early, and after my step-mom-in-law, J. (she really needs a more creative blog nickname) and I enjoyed a cup of morning coffee, she dropped me at the local Metro station so I could ride downtown & meet up with M.K. and her husband E. (yeah, he needs a better nickname, too). We met in the Gallery Place/Chinatown neighborhood, where I was an intern many moons ago at the National Museum of American Art. Boy, has the area changed. The new Verizon Center arena has brought all sorts of new restaurants & shops to the neighborhood and while it does seem to have lost some of the Chinatown character (at least on the main drag) it has a new vibrancy.
In need of some lunch, we decided to walk along 7th St. and see what restaurant struck us. We saw a few good options, and finally settled on a place none of us had ever heard of, Nando's Peri-Peri. It is a restaurant dedicated to my favorite meat, chicken! The menu sounded good, and the decor was intriguingly funky, so we decided to give it a try. As we were placing our order at the counter, M.K. noticed something unusual - a hand-washing station for guests in the center of the restaurant. She studies water sanitation, so she's always noticing those sorts of things! Then, she went to the ladies' room, where she was thoroughly impressed with the automatic faucet & especially the Dyson hand dryers. The manager came to our table just to say hello and of course she had to spend a few minutes praising him for the great facilities. He told us that the faucet doesn't run on a sensor, it actually reacts to the electricity in your body to turns on when you get near it!
Enough about the bathroom! The food was great. I had the Chicken Breast Sandwich with Lemon & Herb sauce. This is their mildest sauce, and it still had a little kick to it. I had mashed potatoes as my side & they were wonderful. E. I think had the chicken wrap. He had the Hot sauce which he said was quite spicy. He had fries on the side & tried a couple of their dipping sauces with them. M.K. had the Butternut Squash and Cous Cous salad, which she really enjoyed. Apparently, our love of this restaurant was well-founded, as the next day it appeared in the Washington Post's Fall dining guide issued by their critic Tom Sietsema! So, if you're in the area, you may want to hold off a few weeks before you try it - restaurants tend to get crowded after he reviews them!
After lunch, we headed over to the National Mall. Our ultimate destination was the National Museum of African Art, but we took a few detours along the way.
First, we wandered through the National Gallery of Art sculpture garden. In all my visits to D.C. I have never actually taken the time to go through it, though I've always meant to. It's a beautiful space. We actually spent more time talking to the guard about his nifty T3 Electric Vehicle than we did looking at the sculpture!
Next, we headed across the Mall toward the African Art museum. We detoured briefly thorough the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden, which I had not previously explored. The museum is located in the Enid A. Haupt garden, so we wandered in there for a bit before entering the museums.
The National Museum of African Art is one of the Smithsonian Museums that I've never been to before. One of my goals for this trip was to try to get off my beaten path and see some things I've never seen. I did manage that to some extent, but also couldn't resist visiting old favorites! I really enjoyed this museum. We saw three exhibitions: one of jewelry, one of textiles and one of various artifacts from the museum's permanent collection. It was especially interesting because M.K. and E. are about to move to the Republic of Congo, so we had a bit of a treasure hunt through the permanent collection looking for items from there. One of the first pieces we saw from the region was a rather scary guy with a spear in one hand and a head in the other! There were a couple of tamer pieces we saw later, though. The museum is also has interesting architecture. It's one of 3 (I think) Smithsonian Museums that are mostly built underground. You enter from the top, then work your way down through the exhibitions.
After the museum, we took a few pictures in the rose garden.
Then, we headed toward Union Station, enjoying the sights and the beautiful weather along the way. We had a good time checking out all the political memorabilia available in the Union Station shops, then had coffee and shared a piece of chocolate cake at a cafe there.
We concluded the day by driving out to the in-laws neck of the woods for a nice visit over Mexican food. All in all, it was a great day!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Recipe of the Week - Yogurt Parmesan Chicken
Yep, this is the recipe of the week for last week!! I am finally caught up. Well, kind of. The week of 9/20, I made a really good Mexican dish, which I kind of made up myself. I clearly remember writing down how I did it after the fact, but I can't find the document. So, I will have to make it again sometime and post it then. There won't be any recipe for this week, because I leave tomorrow for a work trip which leads directly into our vacation. I don't know if I'll blog during the trip. We'll see.
Anyway, I made last week's recipe on Monday. It's another one from the Stirring Performances cookbook.
Yogurt Parmesan Chicken
from Stirring Performances by The Junior League of Winston-Salem
Ingredients
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. green onion, chopped
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
8 chicken breasts
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 t. thyme
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 375.
For the sauce, blend well the yogurt, mayonnaise, onions and Worcestershire sauce.
Place the chicken in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Pour lemon juice over it.
Pour yogurt sauce over chicken. Then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 1 hour.
The Verdict
There is a photo of this, but Alec left the card reader at work, so I can't get it off the camera.
This dish was so yummy and really quite easy! I used Greek yogurt, because it was the only kind of plain yogurt that came in a single-serving container. I didn't want to buy a big thing of it knowing I wouldn't use it all in a timely manner. The single serving was 6 oz., and I used all of it. The recipe doesn't specify dried or fresh thyme; I used dried. I didn't really measure, I just sprinkled it over the chicken. Same with the lemon juice - I just used 2 small lemons and squeezed them right over the chicken. Then, I just used my microplane grater to grate some Parmesan over it. Although I only made 3 chicken breasts, I still made the full recipe of sauce. If I was going to do 8 breasts, I might double, or even triple the sauce recipe. It's so good, you'll want extra!
I served it over cous cous, with a side of broccoli.
Anyway, I made last week's recipe on Monday. It's another one from the Stirring Performances cookbook.
Yogurt Parmesan Chicken
from Stirring Performances by The Junior League of Winston-Salem
Ingredients
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. green onion, chopped
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
8 chicken breasts
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 t. thyme
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 375.
For the sauce, blend well the yogurt, mayonnaise, onions and Worcestershire sauce.
Place the chicken in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Pour lemon juice over it.
Pour yogurt sauce over chicken. Then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 1 hour.
The Verdict
There is a photo of this, but Alec left the card reader at work, so I can't get it off the camera.
This dish was so yummy and really quite easy! I used Greek yogurt, because it was the only kind of plain yogurt that came in a single-serving container. I didn't want to buy a big thing of it knowing I wouldn't use it all in a timely manner. The single serving was 6 oz., and I used all of it. The recipe doesn't specify dried or fresh thyme; I used dried. I didn't really measure, I just sprinkled it over the chicken. Same with the lemon juice - I just used 2 small lemons and squeezed them right over the chicken. Then, I just used my microplane grater to grate some Parmesan over it. Although I only made 3 chicken breasts, I still made the full recipe of sauce. If I was going to do 8 breasts, I might double, or even triple the sauce recipe. It's so good, you'll want extra!
I served it over cous cous, with a side of broccoli.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Alec's Birthday & the Recipe for the week of 9/13
For Alec's birthday, I made a dish I've been wanting to try for quite some time. But, I knew it wasn't the sort of thing you'd make for just two people, so I had to wait for an occasion where we'd have guests. I invited a few friends for a small dinner party and eagerly pulled out this recipe!
It's a baked pasta dish, but with a twist - you bake it in a puff pastry shell, using a springform pan.
In the interest of time, so I can get caught up, I'm just posting the link:
Baked Angel Hair with Eggplant
from Giada DeLaurentiis, The Food Network
The Photo
It's a baked pasta dish, but with a twist - you bake it in a puff pastry shell, using a springform pan.
In the interest of time, so I can get caught up, I'm just posting the link:
Baked Angel Hair with Eggplant
from Giada DeLaurentiis, The Food Network
The Photo
Here's a photo of the dish, before I cut & served it. The glass bottom of my springform pan fit perfectly onto my pewter tray. I initially had a cake knife out out to cut it, but we ended up having to use a chef's knife. The cake server worked well, though! I wish I'd taken a picture of a slice; it looked really cool!
The Verdict
I made one change, which was to leave out the eggplant. Neither of us is really a fan. I considered artichoke hearts as a substitute, but ultimately decided the turkey sausage would be enough. (If you have an idea for a substitute, leave me a comment and maybe I'll try it next time!)One mistake I made was that I didn't read the recipe thoroughly enough and I missed the part where you are supposed to let the pasta mixture cool before you put it in the pastry shell to bake. We ended up having to shove it in the fridge (which I know is a bad idea, as it brings down the temp in there but I didn't have time to wait).
I suggest putting a sheet pan on the rack below the springform pan. I guess some grease from the sausage dripped into the bottom of my oven. I didn't notice, until the next time I went to use the oven and smelled an awful burning smell. That resulted in two rounds with oven cleaner and a couple of nights of baking dinner in the toaster oven. Basically, it was a huge mess, which could be avoided by having something to catch the drips!
We ended up letting it sit for longer than 20 minutes and I was concerned it would be cold, but it was still hot & steamy.
Everyone at the party raved about the dish! There were 2 portions left over and I had them for lunch over the next couple of days, heating them up in the toaster oven (I don't think using the microwave would be successful.
More Photos
Here are a few more photos of the event.
The Cola Cake, all decorated.
The table, set for dinner
A close-up of the place setting. I used my New Yorker cartoon plates as the salad plates.
The bar area. I lined up 3 TV trays and draped them with a full-size table cloth.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Recipe Catch-Up - Week of 10/6 - Cola Cake
This recipe was inspired by a trip to Cracker Barrel. We went for breakfast one day, and Alec noticed a card on the table advertising their Coca-Cola Cake. Since we were there for breakfast, he didn't get it, but I mentioned I thought I'd made one before. I remember my friend J. had a Coca-Cola cookbook, and we tried a few recipes from it the summer I lived with her & her family. Anyway, all this led to the suggestion that I should make the cake for Alec's birthday, which was coming up. (If you don't know, Alec is a huge fan of Diet Coke and Coke Zero!)
So, I set out on a quest to find a recipe. Ultimately, I found it in the place I should have looked to start with - the Coca Cola website! They actually have a great section of recipes using their products.
I decided I was not about to make a brand-new kind of cake for a party without testing it out first. Since we were going to Kansas to see M.K. and some friends, I decided to make one and take it with us.
Cola Cake
from Coca-Cola Recipes
Ingredients
For cake:
2 c. sugar
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. small marshmallows
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 T cocoa
1 c. Coca-Cola
1 t. baking soda
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
For Frosting:
1/2 c. butter
3 T. cocoa
6 T Coca-Cola
1 box (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar (note: this is 4 cups)
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, sift sugar and flour. Add marshmallows.
In saucepan, mix butter, oil, cocoa and Coca-Cola. Bring to a boil and pour over dry ingredients; blend well.
Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk just before adding to batter along with eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well.
Pour into a well-greased 9 x 13-inch pan and bake 35-45 minutes. Remove from oven and frost immediately.
To make frosting, combine butter, cocoa and Coca-Cola in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and pour over confectioners' sugar, blending well. Add vanilla extract and pecans. Spread over hot cake. When cool, cut into squares and serve.
The Verdict
One thing I read on the AllRecipes website while I was looking for the recipe was that this cake is very sticky, and it does best baked in the 9 x 13 pan and served from there. I really wanted it to look like a real birthday cake, though, and use my new cake-decorating skills to decorate it. So, I came up with the idea of using a springform pan. For good measure, I lined the pan with parchment paper, which I "glued" to the sides of the pan with cooking spray. I wanted to spray it with Baker's Joy, but my canister was all clogged up so I skipped that on the test cake & hoped for the best, but it worked fine. The cake was a little lopsided on top, but it still looked okay.
I only used 3/4 c. of pecans, because that's how the brand I like to buy is sold, and I had a coupon for buy one, get one free of that size. But, it was more than plenty!
I didn't take any pictures of this version, but I will have some to share in the post about Alec's party!
So, I set out on a quest to find a recipe. Ultimately, I found it in the place I should have looked to start with - the Coca Cola website! They actually have a great section of recipes using their products.
I decided I was not about to make a brand-new kind of cake for a party without testing it out first. Since we were going to Kansas to see M.K. and some friends, I decided to make one and take it with us.
Cola Cake
from Coca-Cola Recipes
Ingredients
For cake:
2 c. sugar
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. small marshmallows
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 T cocoa
1 c. Coca-Cola
1 t. baking soda
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
For Frosting:
1/2 c. butter
3 T. cocoa
6 T Coca-Cola
1 box (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar (note: this is 4 cups)
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, sift sugar and flour. Add marshmallows.
In saucepan, mix butter, oil, cocoa and Coca-Cola. Bring to a boil and pour over dry ingredients; blend well.
Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk just before adding to batter along with eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well.
Pour into a well-greased 9 x 13-inch pan and bake 35-45 minutes. Remove from oven and frost immediately.
To make frosting, combine butter, cocoa and Coca-Cola in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and pour over confectioners' sugar, blending well. Add vanilla extract and pecans. Spread over hot cake. When cool, cut into squares and serve.
The Verdict
One thing I read on the AllRecipes website while I was looking for the recipe was that this cake is very sticky, and it does best baked in the 9 x 13 pan and served from there. I really wanted it to look like a real birthday cake, though, and use my new cake-decorating skills to decorate it. So, I came up with the idea of using a springform pan. For good measure, I lined the pan with parchment paper, which I "glued" to the sides of the pan with cooking spray. I wanted to spray it with Baker's Joy, but my canister was all clogged up so I skipped that on the test cake & hoped for the best, but it worked fine. The cake was a little lopsided on top, but it still looked okay.
I only used 3/4 c. of pecans, because that's how the brand I like to buy is sold, and I had a coupon for buy one, get one free of that size. But, it was more than plenty!
I didn't take any pictures of this version, but I will have some to share in the post about Alec's party!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Recipe Catch Up - Week of 8/16 - Turkey & Cheddar Macaroni
We are going on vacation soon, so I am determined to catch up on my "recipe of the week" posts before we do. That way, when I get back, I can share photos and stories from the trip! Not to mention updating the status of my running (it's not good, which is why I don't like to talk about it!)
I got this recipe from the "Grubfest" episode of Paula Deen's show. I love that episode, only in part due to the fact that her sons, Jamie and Bobby are on it. Boy, are they cute! I've had this recipe in my Food Network "recipe box" for quite some time and was reminded of it when the episode ran again. The original recipe calls for beef, but since I don't eat it, I substituted turkey.
Wayne's Beef & Cheddar Macaroni
from Paula Deen, the Food Network
The Photo
Here it is - doesn't it look yummy?
I got this recipe from the "Grubfest" episode of Paula Deen's show. I love that episode, only in part due to the fact that her sons, Jamie and Bobby are on it. Boy, are they cute! I've had this recipe in my Food Network "recipe box" for quite some time and was reminded of it when the episode ran again. The original recipe calls for beef, but since I don't eat it, I substituted turkey.
Wayne's Beef & Cheddar Macaroni
from Paula Deen, the Food Network
The Photo
Here it is - doesn't it look yummy?
The Verdict
This was really good. Alec liked it a lot! As I said, I substituted turkey for the beef. I also cut the recipe in half, and it was still enough to fill my 9 x 11 casserole, so it was more than plenty of food for the two of us! I ate on it several days for lunch.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Recipe Catch Up - Week of 8/9 - Chicken Parmesan
I am very excited to share the awesome dinner party I threw last weekend for Alec's birthday. But, before I do, I am making myself finish catching up on the Recipe of the Week backlog. Also, I have not downloaded the pictures from the dinner and I don't know where Alec put the card reader.
Anyway . . .
The week of 8/9, I tried my hand a Chicken Parmesan. I got the recipe from a cookbook I've had for 2.5 years, but haven't used yet, Stirring Performances from the Junior League of Winston-Salem. How I got it is actually kind of a funny story.
First, two pieces of background. When I lived in Winston-Salem, I was very active in the women's circle at my church, along with one of my best friends. Alec and I went back to Winston-Salem to get married in December, 2005 and were there for about a week before the actual wedding. So, when I was telling my friend (who was also a bridesmaid) when we were coming to town, I was very excited to find out that the circle Christmas party would be the same week. This party was always one of the highlights of my holiday season. I loved the women in my circle and we always had a great time at the party, eating yummy food and playing a vicious game of "dirty Santa." It might have been a church group, but we took our gift stealing very seriously!!
Even though I had a ton of wedding stuff to do, I decided there was no way I was going pass up the opportunity to attend the party. During the "dirty Santa" I opened, on my first try, a copy of Stirring Performances, which had recently been re-released by the Junior League. My mom had this cookbook when I was growing up, and I always loved to look at it. I was very excited to get it. The problem was, I had an awfully long time to defend it before the game was over. I successfully did so with plenty of pouty comments like "I'm getting married on Saturday, don't you think I need a cookbook?" and "I have always, always wanted this book" and "Doesn't everyone already have it?". Plus, plenty of hugging it to my chest and trying to hide it. Fortunately, there was plenty of snowman stuff (I don't know what it is about these gals and their snowmen, but they always cause good-natured fights) to go around and I got to keep it!
I then proceeded not to use it for 2.5 years. Maybe my excitement was overrated. Really, I think it was because I always thought it was full of really difficult, gourmet recipes. I remember mom using it for special occasions. But, when I finally looked through it, I realized that there's plenty of easy, everyday stuff in there, like this Chicken Parmesan.
Now that you're convinced I'm never going to get around to the actual recipe, here it is:
Chicken Parmesan with Herbed Tomato Sauce
from Stirring Performances by The Junior League of Winston-Salem
Ingredients
3/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1/3 c. fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
4 chicken breast halves
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/4 t. oregano
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. basil
4 slices mozzarella cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Wash chicken and dip in egg, then coat in bread crumb mixture.
Heat oil in a skillet and saute garlic over medium heat. Add chicken and brown 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and drain on paper towels.
Arrange chicken in 5x8-inch casserole. In a small bowl, stir seasonings into the tomato sauce and pour over chicken. Top with mozzarella slices.
Cover casserole and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve.
The Verdict
(No pictures. I forgot.)
The only thing I would do differently is maybe reduce the amount of breadcrumbs a bit. I might try Panko breadcrumbs next time. I just thought it needed to be a little less "bready." I also used grated mozzarella b/c I forgot to buy slices and it's quicker to grate from the block of cheese than to cut it into a bunch of slices. Thus, it melted a lot faster and was pretty much incorporated into the sauce by the time it was done.
Overall, though, it was a successful dish. Alec said he could eat it every week. Which I guess is a pretty strong endorsement. I haven't made it since then, but I have it on the list for next week!
Anyway . . .
The week of 8/9, I tried my hand a Chicken Parmesan. I got the recipe from a cookbook I've had for 2.5 years, but haven't used yet, Stirring Performances from the Junior League of Winston-Salem. How I got it is actually kind of a funny story.
First, two pieces of background. When I lived in Winston-Salem, I was very active in the women's circle at my church, along with one of my best friends. Alec and I went back to Winston-Salem to get married in December, 2005 and were there for about a week before the actual wedding. So, when I was telling my friend (who was also a bridesmaid) when we were coming to town, I was very excited to find out that the circle Christmas party would be the same week. This party was always one of the highlights of my holiday season. I loved the women in my circle and we always had a great time at the party, eating yummy food and playing a vicious game of "dirty Santa." It might have been a church group, but we took our gift stealing very seriously!!
Even though I had a ton of wedding stuff to do, I decided there was no way I was going pass up the opportunity to attend the party. During the "dirty Santa" I opened, on my first try, a copy of Stirring Performances, which had recently been re-released by the Junior League. My mom had this cookbook when I was growing up, and I always loved to look at it. I was very excited to get it. The problem was, I had an awfully long time to defend it before the game was over. I successfully did so with plenty of pouty comments like "I'm getting married on Saturday, don't you think I need a cookbook?" and "I have always, always wanted this book" and "Doesn't everyone already have it?". Plus, plenty of hugging it to my chest and trying to hide it. Fortunately, there was plenty of snowman stuff (I don't know what it is about these gals and their snowmen, but they always cause good-natured fights) to go around and I got to keep it!
I then proceeded not to use it for 2.5 years. Maybe my excitement was overrated. Really, I think it was because I always thought it was full of really difficult, gourmet recipes. I remember mom using it for special occasions. But, when I finally looked through it, I realized that there's plenty of easy, everyday stuff in there, like this Chicken Parmesan.
Now that you're convinced I'm never going to get around to the actual recipe, here it is:
Chicken Parmesan with Herbed Tomato Sauce
from Stirring Performances by The Junior League of Winston-Salem
Ingredients
3/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1/3 c. fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
4 chicken breast halves
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/4 t. oregano
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. basil
4 slices mozzarella cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Wash chicken and dip in egg, then coat in bread crumb mixture.
Heat oil in a skillet and saute garlic over medium heat. Add chicken and brown 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and drain on paper towels.
Arrange chicken in 5x8-inch casserole. In a small bowl, stir seasonings into the tomato sauce and pour over chicken. Top with mozzarella slices.
Cover casserole and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve.
The Verdict
(No pictures. I forgot.)
The only thing I would do differently is maybe reduce the amount of breadcrumbs a bit. I might try Panko breadcrumbs next time. I just thought it needed to be a little less "bready." I also used grated mozzarella b/c I forgot to buy slices and it's quicker to grate from the block of cheese than to cut it into a bunch of slices. Thus, it melted a lot faster and was pretty much incorporated into the sauce by the time it was done.
Overall, though, it was a successful dish. Alec said he could eat it every week. Which I guess is a pretty strong endorsement. I haven't made it since then, but I have it on the list for next week!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Recipe Catch Up - Week of 8/2 #2 - Black Bean & Corn Salad
We had a pool party to go to, and the main dish was going to be barbecue. I had checked ahead of time and those in charge of ordering the food were pretty sure they had only ordered beef, pork and ham. None of which I will eat. So, I decided to bring a salad. I found this black bean and corn salad on the Food Network site.
Black Bean and Corn Salad
from 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray, Food Network.
Once again, I forgot to take a photo.
The Verdict
It was good, but not fabulous. I got compliments on it at the party, but I wasn't super happy with the flavors myself. I forgot that I was out of cumin, so I substituted some Mexican oregano I had left over from another recipe. So, the flavor was slightly different that intended in the original recipe. I personally was not a fan of the red onion. I think if I make it again, I will use a sweet onion. I used a mixed yellow and white corn, I think from Bird's Eye that was really good.
This brings me to the last of the recipes I listed in my update at the beginning of August. Of course, I'm still behind because now it's September. So, the recipes I still have to update for you are:
Week of 8/9: Chicken Parmesan
Week of 8/16: Turkey & Cheddar Macaroni
Week of 8/23: I didn't do one, our schedule got all out of whack
Week of 8/30: Cola Cake
Black Bean and Corn Salad
from 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray, Food Network.
Once again, I forgot to take a photo.
The Verdict
It was good, but not fabulous. I got compliments on it at the party, but I wasn't super happy with the flavors myself. I forgot that I was out of cumin, so I substituted some Mexican oregano I had left over from another recipe. So, the flavor was slightly different that intended in the original recipe. I personally was not a fan of the red onion. I think if I make it again, I will use a sweet onion. I used a mixed yellow and white corn, I think from Bird's Eye that was really good.
This brings me to the last of the recipes I listed in my update at the beginning of August. Of course, I'm still behind because now it's September. So, the recipes I still have to update for you are:
Week of 8/9: Chicken Parmesan
Week of 8/16: Turkey & Cheddar Macaroni
Week of 8/23: I didn't do one, our schedule got all out of whack
Week of 8/30: Cola Cake
Recipe Catch Up - Week of 8/2 - Spaghetti Carbonara
This was another Robin Miller recipe from Food Network
I didn't really make an changes, so I'll send you to straight to the Food Network website:
Spaghetti Carbonara
from Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller on the Food Network
The Photo
Here's a photo. Doesn't it look yummy? I served it just with bread from our fabulous grocery store bakery.
The Verdict
This was so good! I loved it, Alec loved it! And, it was super easy. My one change was to use angel hair pasta instead of spaghetti, because we like it better.
The only thing I will say is stay pretty true to the amount of cheese in the sauce. I recently made it again, and there was just a bit of a chunk of Parmesan cheese left, so I used it all, without really measuring. It was clearly way more than 1/4 cup, because the sauce was way too thick. It was almost the consistency of paste! But, I just thinned it out with some more milk and it was all good.
I didn't really make an changes, so I'll send you to straight to the Food Network website:
Spaghetti Carbonara
from Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller on the Food Network
The Photo
Here's a photo. Doesn't it look yummy? I served it just with bread from our fabulous grocery store bakery.
The Verdict
This was so good! I loved it, Alec loved it! And, it was super easy. My one change was to use angel hair pasta instead of spaghetti, because we like it better.
The only thing I will say is stay pretty true to the amount of cheese in the sauce. I recently made it again, and there was just a bit of a chunk of Parmesan cheese left, so I used it all, without really measuring. It was clearly way more than 1/4 cup, because the sauce was way too thick. It was almost the consistency of paste! But, I just thinned it out with some more milk and it was all good.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Recipe Catch Up - Week of 7/26: Grilled Chicken & Veggie Tacos
That last post was short, plus if I don't get caught up soon, I never will so I figured I'd do another one!
At the end of July, after almost two months of solo anchoring both his shows, Alec finally got a new partner. We welcomed her and her husband to town with a taco buffet! They moved here from California & have lived in Arizona, so it's not like they don't know what Mexican food is, but I still thought tacos were a good welcome to Texas!
I didn't do it just like the recipe, so below is my adaptation. Click on the link to get the original recipe!
Chili Lime Chicken & Veggie Tacos
Adapted from Good Things Catered by Katie
Ingredients
4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 green peppers
1 red pepper
1 large vidallia onion
1/4 c. fresh lime juice (1 large lime or two small limes)
1 tsp fresh lime zest
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp chili powder (less if you want less spice)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
family pack of flour taco sized tortillas
other taco fixings as desired
Directions
Get the grill started. Or, have your husband do it.
Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness. Place in a Ziploc bag & set aside.
In a large bowl, combine lime juice, zest, olive oil, chili powder, garlic salt, pepper, and paprika. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
Pour marinade into the bag with the chicken and squish it around to get the chicken coated with marinade. Put in the fridge to marinate for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, julienne the peppers, and slice the onion into 1/2 inch rounds (keeping onion rounds intact). Lay out a long piece of foil. Place the veggies on half of it and sprinkle with line juice, olive oil & spices. Fold the other half of the foil over & roll the edges to make a cooking packet.
Grill the chicken (take it out of the plastic bag, first!). When it's about 1/2 way done, put the veggie packet on the grill.
When the chicken is cooked, take it off the grill and let it stand for 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, make foil packets of about 10 tortillas each & heat them on the grill.
After chicken as rested for about 7 minutes, slice on the diagonal.
Serve with peppers, onion, extra lime wedges, tortillas and other taco fixings. (We had red salsa, green salsa, Mexican-blend shredded cheese, Chipotle Cheddar shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream & tortilla chips. I also served black beans)
The Photos
Here are a couple of photos of the taco buffet!
Gotta love the sour cream served right out of the container. At this point, I had also forgotten to put out the cheese. So, that got served straight out of the Sargento bags. Martha Stewart would not be proud.
At the end of July, after almost two months of solo anchoring both his shows, Alec finally got a new partner. We welcomed her and her husband to town with a taco buffet! They moved here from California & have lived in Arizona, so it's not like they don't know what Mexican food is, but I still thought tacos were a good welcome to Texas!
I didn't do it just like the recipe, so below is my adaptation. Click on the link to get the original recipe!
Chili Lime Chicken & Veggie Tacos
Adapted from Good Things Catered by Katie
Ingredients
4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 green peppers
1 red pepper
1 large vidallia onion
1/4 c. fresh lime juice (1 large lime or two small limes)
1 tsp fresh lime zest
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp chili powder (less if you want less spice)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
family pack of flour taco sized tortillas
other taco fixings as desired
Directions
Get the grill started. Or, have your husband do it.
Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness. Place in a Ziploc bag & set aside.
In a large bowl, combine lime juice, zest, olive oil, chili powder, garlic salt, pepper, and paprika. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
Pour marinade into the bag with the chicken and squish it around to get the chicken coated with marinade. Put in the fridge to marinate for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, julienne the peppers, and slice the onion into 1/2 inch rounds (keeping onion rounds intact). Lay out a long piece of foil. Place the veggies on half of it and sprinkle with line juice, olive oil & spices. Fold the other half of the foil over & roll the edges to make a cooking packet.
Grill the chicken (take it out of the plastic bag, first!). When it's about 1/2 way done, put the veggie packet on the grill.
When the chicken is cooked, take it off the grill and let it stand for 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, make foil packets of about 10 tortillas each & heat them on the grill.
After chicken as rested for about 7 minutes, slice on the diagonal.
Serve with peppers, onion, extra lime wedges, tortillas and other taco fixings. (We had red salsa, green salsa, Mexican-blend shredded cheese, Chipotle Cheddar shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream & tortilla chips. I also served black beans)
The Photos
Here are a couple of photos of the taco buffet!
Gotta love the sour cream served right out of the container. At this point, I had also forgotten to put out the cheese. So, that got served straight out of the Sargento bags. Martha Stewart would not be proud.
You can barely see them there in the back, but at least I had fiesta-themed napkins!
The Verdict
Well, everyone said they were good! You are supposed to only use about 2/3 of the marinade on the chicken, and the rest on the veggies, but I just didn't read my recipe all the way through so I didn't do that. Hence the fact that I just squeezed some lime juice and sprinkled spices over them. I think I'd used all the chili powder in the original marinade, which is why I didn't make more. The original recipe calls for them to be cooked in a grill pan but we don't have one, which is why we did the foil packet. I also think they'd be good done in a grill basked (we don't have one of those, either). Anyway, they will definitely be made again!
Recipe Catch Up - Week of 7/19: Chicken & Pepper Jack Taquitos
This one was part of my Mexican food kick that I went on in July & the beginning of August.
We had the new camera by this point, but I guess I forgot to take a picture. We must have been really hungry!
It was from the Food Network, and I didn't make many changes, so I'll just provide the link. Robin Miller is my new favorite Food Network host. Her recipes, for the most part, are really easy. On each show, she focuses on 3 dishes you can make for quick weeknight meals. Often, this involves cooking up a batch of something early in the week and then using the leftovers in a new way later. I haven't done a full shows worth of recipes yet, but even on their own, the recipes are quick and delicious.
Chicken & Pepper Jack Taquitos
Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller, Food Network
I do remember that they were very spicy. Next time, I will probably do half Pepper Jack and half plain Jack cheese. We also did flour tortillas because we like them better than corn.
We had the new camera by this point, but I guess I forgot to take a picture. We must have been really hungry!
It was from the Food Network, and I didn't make many changes, so I'll just provide the link. Robin Miller is my new favorite Food Network host. Her recipes, for the most part, are really easy. On each show, she focuses on 3 dishes you can make for quick weeknight meals. Often, this involves cooking up a batch of something early in the week and then using the leftovers in a new way later. I haven't done a full shows worth of recipes yet, but even on their own, the recipes are quick and delicious.
Chicken & Pepper Jack Taquitos
Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller, Food Network
I do remember that they were very spicy. Next time, I will probably do half Pepper Jack and half plain Jack cheese. We also did flour tortillas because we like them better than corn.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Recipe Catch Up - Week of 7/12 - Mystery Chicken & Neiman Marcus Bars
So, it turns out that I actually made two things the week of 7/12. I kinda thought I had, but I could only specifically remember the Neiman Marcus Bars. But, a look in the camera revealed a picture of a chicken sandwich. I could only guess it was Mexican-style, since the photo showed chips & salsa as a side dish. So the question was, where did the recipe come from? I checked my "recipe box" on the Food Network website and my "starred items" on my Google Reader. Nothing looked familiar. I glanced through a couple of cookbooks. Didn't see anything. I checked in all the spots (other than where they belong) where I stash the recipes I print out. I didn't find it. So, I have picture with no recipe. I guess I might never know. It sure looks like it was good, though, doesn't it?
So on to the Neiman Marcus Bars. My first experience with this delicious dessert was several months ago. Alec and I went to a small town nearby for a sausage festival. In addition to the sausage (which I of course didn't eat) there was a bake sale. We had received free tickets for the sausage meal, so we decided to buy something from the bake sale to support the organization. Okay, that's not the only reason. We picked out a yummy looking plate of something called "Neiman Marcus Bars." We had never heard of them, so we decided to give them a try.
They were delicious! I started looking for a recipe, and I found quite a few, but none of them sounded exactly like what we bought. I never made them, and I kind of forgot about them for a while.
Until I was getting ready for my mom to come visit and trying to pick out some recipes to try while she was here. I pulled out a cookbook she gave me a long time ago, but I had never used, called "An Appetite for Art" which was published by the NC Museum of Art. As I was leafing through it, what did I see but a recipe for Neiman Marcus bars! So, I decided to give them a try.
Neiman Marcus Bars
from "An Appetite for Art" complied & edited by Elizabeth K. Norfleet for the NC Museum of Art.
Ingredients
1 box pound cake mix
1/2 c. butter
3 eggs, divided
1 c. chopped pecans
1 lb. confectioner's sugar
1 8-oz block cream cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9-inch x 13-inch pan with butter.
In medium bowl with electric mixer combine cake mix, butter, 1 egg and pecans. Press mixture into pan bottom.
In another bowl, beat with mixer to combine: sugar, cream cheese and 2 remaining eggs. Spread over cake mixture.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool and cut into bars. Makes 16 bars.
The Verdict
First of all, it made way more than 16 bars! I sent Alec to the office with about 1/2 of them! They tasted yummy, but I vaguely remembered a different texture from the ones we bought. It seems like maybe those had pecans in the cream cheese mixture as well as the base, or maybe just sprinkled on top. I will probably try another version next time!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Cake Decorating - Week 2
I'm doing two blog posts tonight because I am so excited to show my first cake!
The first week of cake decorating class, there wasn't anything to show. In class, we just went over the lessons, went through the tools in the class kit, learned how to make the "Class Buttercream" icing and how to ice our cakes. One good tip I learned was how to get smooth icing: after you spread the icing, let the cake sit a while until the icing starts to firm up. Take a piece of wax paper and lay it over the top. Run your spatula over the wax paper. Pull up the wax paper and your icing will be smooth! (That is if you wait long enough - I didn't the first time. Humidity can also be a factor - like I can do anything about that in TX!) Do the same thing with strips of wax paper wrapped around the sides of the cake.
So, for Week 2, we had to bake an 8-inch round cake and ice it. In class, we would learn to use the star tip to fill in designs and a thin, round tip to do lines.
I make my cake from a mix. Normally I like to bake from scratch, but someone I know who has taken the class advised me to just use a mix, because there's enough to worry about with getting the icing ready and practicing the techniques without worrying about if the cake is going to come out, and mixes are hard to mess up!
Here is my cake, with the base icing. I give myself a B- for the smoothness. 
"Why," you might ask "is it shaped like that?" Well, that would be because the dog ate my homework.
I had baked the cake and put on one coat of icing. Alec and I were in the living room watching the Olympics. I heard a noise in the kitchen and I yelled "River, get down." Here's what happened next:
Alec: What is she [River] doing?
Me: I think she was trying to get on the counter & lick my cake.
Alec walks into the kitchen.
Alec: Um, hon, she didn't just try to lick the cake.
I walk into the kitchen and I see this on the counter:
Yes, that would be my cake, with the icing licked off most of one side, and a big bite out of it. After I panicked for a minute (it was around 9 pm and I didn't really have time or energy to make another cake) I had a brainstorm - the design for the cake in the class book was a rainbow! I could just cut off the part River had licked and the design would still fit! So that's what I did.
In addition to the cake, we had to take a bunch of icing to class. We were supposed to color the icing for the rainbow (I'd misunderstood and thought we were going to do that in class, so all mine was white. But, here are all my containers ready to go:
Class went a lot better than I expected. I've tried a little bit of cake decorating to enhance some of my bundt cakes from my patterned pans. I've never done very well. But, I was pleased with my results. I think my rainbow looked really good. I didn't do so well with the border around the bottom, but I don't have a turntable, so it's a little difficult. 
Alec took the cake into work today and he said everyone liked it.
Next week, we will learn to make clown figures, and icing roses!
Recipe Catch-Up - Week of 6/28 - Roasted Chicken Breasts w/ Lemon, Garlic, Rosemary & Seasoned Potatoes
Well, I scanned through my camera, and it didn't jog my memory for the two weeks of recipes I'm missing. I thought maybe it was because I forgot to take pictures. But, what I actually forgot was that our camera was broken. So that would explain why there are no pictures. I guess those two weeks are just gone forever.
Anyway, the week of 6/28 I made this:
Roasted Chicken Breasts w/ Lemon
from Good Things Catered by Katie
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened but not melted
Zest of 1/2 large lemon, lemon reserved
2 large cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 russet potatoes, washed thoroughly and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
Kosher salt ground pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line large baking pan with foil for easy cleanup.
Pat chicken breasts dry, season liberally with salt and ground pepper, and place breast-side up at least one to two inches apart in pan.
In small bowl combine butter, lemon zest, garlic, and rosemary and stir with spoon to thoroughly combine. With back of spoon, spread butter mixture on top of chicken breasts evenly.
Slice reserved lemon and place slices in pan around the chicken.
In medium bowl place cubed potato and toss with 1 tsp olive oil, parsley and salt and pepper.
Scatter potatoes around chicken breasts.
Place baking dish in oven and cook about 30-40 minutes or until thickest portion of chicken breast has reached 175 degrees.
Remove from oven, take chicken breasts out of pan onto a warm serving platter and tent with foil.
Take one pinch more of Kosher salt to sprinkle over potatoes, toss and place back in oven for 5-10 minutes.
Remove potatoes and serve with chicken.
The Verdict
Of course, I have no idea if I substituted anything. More than likely, I used either Yukon Gold or red potatoes. I have a vague recollection of picking up the Russets in the grocery store and Alec requesting something different. How I remember that, I don't know. I remember the most random things.
Anyway, I do remember it was good, and I will probably make it again!
Anyway, the week of 6/28 I made this:
Roasted Chicken Breasts w/ Lemon
from Good Things Catered by Katie
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened but not melted
Zest of 1/2 large lemon, lemon reserved
2 large cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 russet potatoes, washed thoroughly and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
Kosher salt ground pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line large baking pan with foil for easy cleanup.
Pat chicken breasts dry, season liberally with salt and ground pepper, and place breast-side up at least one to two inches apart in pan.
In small bowl combine butter, lemon zest, garlic, and rosemary and stir with spoon to thoroughly combine. With back of spoon, spread butter mixture on top of chicken breasts evenly.
Slice reserved lemon and place slices in pan around the chicken.
In medium bowl place cubed potato and toss with 1 tsp olive oil, parsley and salt and pepper.
Scatter potatoes around chicken breasts.
Place baking dish in oven and cook about 30-40 minutes or until thickest portion of chicken breast has reached 175 degrees.
Remove from oven, take chicken breasts out of pan onto a warm serving platter and tent with foil.
Take one pinch more of Kosher salt to sprinkle over potatoes, toss and place back in oven for 5-10 minutes.
Remove potatoes and serve with chicken.
The Verdict
Of course, I have no idea if I substituted anything. More than likely, I used either Yukon Gold or red potatoes. I have a vague recollection of picking up the Russets in the grocery store and Alec requesting something different. How I remember that, I don't know. I remember the most random things.
Anyway, I do remember it was good, and I will probably make it again!
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