Total Pageviews

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Starting to try new foods

In our house growing up my mom had a phrase to get us to try new foods that has stuck with us all.

"Try it. You might have grown a new taste bud." 

I recently discovered a taste bud that is oh so fond of V8 V-fusion drinks. I know I don't get enough fruits & veggies in a day and these are delish!
This juice doesn't just look delightful, my friends.

Also, in an effort to satisfy my craving for salt & vinegar chips (stop the rumors right there- not a pregnant craving, I always love these) & to meet my calorie-counting needs I tried POPchips and whoa mama! they are go-od!

I should put some of those google ads at the bottom of my page so I can at least make a little moolah for my product endorsements. Maybe if V8 & POPchips have a surge in sales in the Chicago market they'll come knocking on my door with one of those giant checks!

Well, let's see... what else have I made in the last few days?

Banana Bread
adapted from a bunch of websites & my brain
warning: i'm starting to feel a little wacky, there is definitely chair dancing* going on while i write this one

*chair dancing: the act of dancing from the waist up while sitting in a chair. often includes swaying, head bobbing, and finger pointing


[preheat your oven to 325]
1 stick of room temperature butter (yes, I'm still working through my freezer stash of buddah)
1 cup of granulated sugar (I was really tempted to type sugah just now)
[whip those together]
2 large eggs aka grande juevos
[whip those in one at a time until you have some fluffy goodness]
3 ripe bananas (more than a few brown spots if you know what I mean)
1 tablespoon milk (a splash will do)
a serious sprinkle of cinnamon
[mash 'em till the sun don't shine]
[combine the fluffy goodness with the mashed mess]
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon each of baking soda, baking powder, salt
[combine dry ingredients]
[bring the whole gang together until just combined]
[Grease a loaf pan: I got to debut a new pampered chef loaf pan courtesy of mi madre]
[bake for an hour-ish until an unused toothpick comes out clean]





Let it cool for 10-15 minutes

While this was cooling I toasted some chopped walnuts (bake them on 350 for 7ish minutes to let the flavors take on new life)
Then I served warm slices with the nuts, honey, and butter. 
Obviously you could add the nuts in during baking if that's your style.



OH I ALMOST FORGOT-
I was recently presented with the prestigious Wife of the Week Award.
It was super exciting. I was nominated for making a weekday morning breakfast.
I made it to feed my hubs & start his day of right, but also I really needed to make something fatty on my new baking stone so it could get seasoned and biscuits were a recommended item. 



Biscuits, cheesy scrambled eggs, jonagold apple





the Start of Grilling Season

With the advent of warmer weather, I put a grilled meal on the docket. But I forgot that we live in Chicago and you can not count on warm weather or sun. Wednesday night in Chicago it was raining and cold. But, bless his heart, Adam fired up the grill and weathered the storm to make dinner.

Grilled Chicken (marinated in Italian dressing, a favorite easy marinade)

Grilled Polenta with parmesan & parsley

Steamed Broccoli


Clearly, I have a sack of polenta to work through now. 
Grilling it was simple enough. Basically, you whip up a batch just the same way you would if you were going to serve it porridge-style (a la last week's recipe). Then pour it into a greased 9x13 and refrigerate it until it is firm. Then slice, brush with olive oil, & grill to perfection.


The best thing about grilling chicken is the leftovers. I mean, seriously, what can't you do with leftover grilled chicken breasts? Just a few old standbys:
  • grilled chicken caesar salad
  • grilled chicken panini
  • grilled chicken quesadillas
On Thursday for lunch I made the most delightful salad. Regretfully I didn't take a pic and it is long gone!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

His & Hers Mac n Cheese





We don't generally get into this whole his & hers business. We have one car, one bank account, one calendar, but when it came to making some creamy cheesy baked goodness I had to make a differentiation. 
As previously mentioned, I'm on the next train out of Fatsville so I adapted a classic mac n cheese recipe to fit my dietary needs. Adam, however, is not a fan of the lighter version of classically rich meals so I amped his up to include his new found love of good cheese.

The classic recipe:
melt 1 Tb butter, add 1 Tb flour, stir until smooth (or as I like to refer to this step "roux it up")
slowly add 1 cup milk, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper
Add 1/2 cup cheese,  approx 2 cups cooked mac
top with another 1/2 cup of cheese, bread crumbs, bake until bubbly, voila!

You can double, triple, add, subtract, make it your own this thing till the cows come home.
For mine, I used the single recipe, light/low-fat versions of everything and carefully measured the portions:

Hers: pre-baking
For Adam's, I used 6 cheeses and the "regular fat" versions of everything:
Manchego, Sharp Cheddar, Merlot Cheese, Provolone, Irish Cheddar, Parmesan

His: coming together into gooey goodness before baking

His: Bubbling and piping hot!




Monday, May 23, 2011

case of the Mondays

Monday night on Argyle Street consisted of a walk to the dog park with Thing 1 & Thing 2, Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas, House season finale, and Strawberry Banana Smoothies. The windows are open and the breeze is warm. Ahhh.




Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas (around 500 calories per enchilada)





  • 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken breasts, chopped




  • cups preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese




  • 1 2/3 cups plain low-fat yogurt




  • 1/3 cup butter, melted




  • 1/4 cup onion, chopped




  • garlic clove, minced




  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper




  • 1 (10 ounce) can condensed reduced-fat reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup




  • 1 (4 1/2 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained




  • 8 (8 inch) flour tortillas




  • tablespoon canola oil




  • cooking spray




  • 1/2 cup finely shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese




  • 1/4 cup green onion, chopped









    1. 1 Preheat oven to 350°.
    2. 2 Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Remove 1 cup of mixture and set aside.
    3. 3 Spray 13 by 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
    4. 4 Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Oil both side of one tortilla and heat in skillet for 5 seconds per side. 
    5. Remove from pan and place 1/2 cup of chicken mixture in the middle of tortilla. Roll tortilla jelly roll style and and place seam side down into the baking dish. Repeat with remaining 7 tortillas.








    1. 5 Spread the reserved 1 cup of chicken mixture over the tortillas.
    2. 6 Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
    3. 7 Uncover, spread with cheddar cheese and green onions, and bake for 5 additional minutes.
    4. Forgot the green onion- oopsies!





  • Strawberry Banana Smoothies (approx 200 calories per serving)

    2 bananas
    2-3 cups frozen strawberries
    1/2 c. skim milk
    1/4 c. plain fat free yogurt
    3 packets splenda



    Polenta = Dinner Grits



    I thought about titling this entry "Grits is just ground up corn" because this clip from Outsourced kept running through my mind when preparing this meal. This package of polenta just made me laugh.

    It was easy, tasty, and under 320 calories. 

    It called for a handful of fresh herbs. I haven't started an herb garden yet (long overdue) so I opted to dry the extras so I didn't feel so wasteful.

    Today is my traditional day off, but I only have the morning so I prepped two meals for later in the week. Stay tuned for Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas and "His & Hers Mac & Cheese." 





    Wednesday, May 18, 2011

    and the last shall be first

    This weekend I witnessed a momentous occasion. My sister, Laura Grace Gianeskis, graduated cum laude from Georgia Southern University. She is the first one of my siblings to get that piece of paper and I couldn't be more proud of her.
    This encouraged me to wrap up my own educational journey. Believing that I met all graduation requirements as of last semester, I trucked over to my advisor's office this morning.

    Um, hi. I think I am done with school, but I was preoccupied with planning a wedding and didn't bother to apply for graduation last semester... or the one before that. 


    Embarrassing. Nine years later, I'm finally ready to be done with higher education.
    But, I can say for my lil old self, that I did work hard, I did learn, and I did end up student loan debt free (with much help and many jobs).

    The meeting went better than expected and I anticipate all this paperwork being turned in tomorrow. Alas, I missed the deadline by 2 days. Seriously? This would happen to me. And okay, no big deal, I'll just apply for the next term. Oh, when is that? NEXT May. Whatev. It's still done.


    In other news, the Bulls are in the playoffs. For those of you residing with a man you will understand that this is like living alone temporarily. Well, with the exception of the constant roar of the tv and intermittent outbursts from the other room.

    "Hot Sauce!"


    What does that even mean?


    So, that leaves Buddy & I here in the office, nestled among boxes yet to be packed. And lucky you, we're blogging!


    Tonight for dinner I made a calorie-conscious meal in keeping with my new health initiatives.

    Borrowed from Cooking Light,

    Herb & Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
    served with sauteed spinach and whole wheat couscous


    1/4 cup panko Japanese breadcrumbs
    2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint
    2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
    1 4 oz package goat cheese
    4 6 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
    1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
    4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
    1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
    1 10 oz package fresh spinach
    Lemon Wedges (optional)


    1. Preheat broiler to high.
    2. Combine first four ingredients in a small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each breast half to form a pocket Stuff 2 Tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket; close opening with a wooden pick. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt. 





    3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 Tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add chicken to pan, and cook for 2 minutes on 1 side or until browned. Arrange chicken on a baking sheet (browned side up); broil for 8 minutes or until done.


    4. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, red pepper, and spinach; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.


    chicken & spinach only 348 calories





    Sunday, May 8, 2011

    Starting to get it together

    This post is brought to you by the get-it-together initiative.

    There comes a time when I look in the mirror and realize I have let myself get out of control. Maybe it's the comfort of marriage, maybe it's just a cycle of life, maybe I'm just being lazy but I have let myself get out of control.

    Prompted by some helpful links from Ebeth Andaas (who is becoming a kind of regular guest star on this blog) I decided it was time for a plan. I joined her on the quest to keep track of what is going in my mouth and how often I am exercising using myfitnesspal, a free calorie counting & tracking website and app. It is fantastic. I started tracking on Friday and even got a few co-workers and friends in on it. I would LOVE to have even more friends on myfitnesspal so if you are also in need of a little spring reality check, join us!
    In addition, I committed to the couch-to-5k training plan with Ebeth. For anyone who knows anything about me, I hate to run. So this is a BIG deal. But I think it will be worth it. After all, it's made for exercise haters like me who would rather just sit on the couch.

    As motivation for this journey, I am going to use fun catch phrases (some of which are coined by my dad) such as but not limited to the following: 


    "getting my fitness on"
    "hey where did you get that energy? i gave it to myself"
    "staying on the program"
    "i don't want that [fill in blank with tempting food item] more than i want a size 4 waist"
    "there's no hunger a little caffeine can't suppress"

    I will also be using some strategies to keep my mind off of food, like:


    "closing" the kitchen after dinner is done
    keeping my hands busy while watching tv: brush the dogs, color in coloring books, work on scrapbooks
    keeping healthy food in plain view and unhealthy options out of sight
    avoiding just sitting as much as possible

    I will not stop:


    making tasty and interesting food for me & Adam
    drinking a lot of iced doppios at Starbucks
    going out to eat


    So, here I go. Starting to make a difference in my health, happiness, and waistline.



    Wednesday, May 4, 2011

    Chicken Parm Two Ways

    AKA Starting to get Adam to eat leftovers.

    My husband has quite a few endearing qualities and some um, well, less than endearing ones (but not many). One of those on the not-so-endearing list is his declaration to never eat a leftover, except in the case of Lasagna which I have convinced him really is better the second (or third) time. So I have to get creative with the leftovers, perfectly portion the entree in the first place, or eat chili by myself for six days in a row.  This entry is the story of creative leftovers. Be advised, there was no trickery involved here. He knew it was leftover but it was presented anew and therefore was a success!

    #1: Chicken Parmesan a la Cooking Light Italian
    (please be advised I did not measure anything so my rendition is loosely based on this)

    1 1/2 cups shredded fresh parmesan
    1/4 cups dry breadcrumbs
    1 Tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon basil
    1 large egg white, lightly beaten
    1 pound chicken breast tenders
    1 tablespoon butter
    1 1/2 cups bottled fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce
    2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
    1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    1/3 cup shredded provolone cheese




    Preheat broiler. Combine Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley basil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Dip each chicken tender in egg, dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Set aside. 

    Combine salt, pasta sauce, vinegar, and pepper. Heat throughout stove top or microwave. Pour sauce over chicken in pan. Sprinkle evenly with cheeses. Broil 2 minutes or until cheese melts. 

    Served with a small side of pasta, garlic bread and a caesar salad. 
    Delish.


    #2: Chicken Parmesan Panini

    Sliced italian bread
    Olive oil
    Leftovers from last night


    Slice last night's chicken.
    Assemble: bread brushed with olive oil, cheese, chicken, extra sauce, italian seasonings, cheese, bread. 
    Grill until cheese is melted and bread is crispy. 


    Adam wanted a little dipping sauce on the side.
    I added a little leftover pasta from Monday night.



    Adam said this was the best sandwich he'd ever had. I know that's probably not entirely true, but it did solve my leftover dilemma and it was tasty!


    Monday, May 2, 2011

    Italian Dinner to go

    ...to go to our living room for the NBA playoffs at least.

    The appearance of the sun in the last few days brings fear to most Chicagoans. While we've been bundled up under our down coats and sweaters for the last 6 months or so we've been packing on the pounds. This prompted me to pull out a different cook  book for this week's meals. Tonight's meal is brought to you by Cooking Light Italian.

    Ziti Baked with Spinach, Tomatoes and Smoked Gouda


    8 ounces uncooked ziti
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 cup chopped onion
    1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
    3 garlic cloves, minced
    1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil garlic and oregano, undrained
    1 (10 ounce) can diced Italian-seasoned tomatoes , undrained
    4 cups baby spinach
    1 1/4 cups shredded smoked gouda cheese, divided
    Cooking Spray


    Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
    Preheat oven to 375. 
    Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper, saute 5 minutes. 
    Add garlic, saute 2 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach, cook 30 seconds or until spinach wilts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add pasta and 3/4 cup cheese to tomato mixture, tossing well to combine. Transfer to 11x7 or 5 small dishes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, bake 15 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown. 




    I think my mom and mema would be proud of this dish because they are a big fan of colorful food. It has all the colors, not just my favorites (white, brown, and yellow: carbs, meat, and cheese that is). It was pretty tasty. I think I would spice it up again the next time and Adam really wished it contained sausage. But it accomplished the goal, easy enough and not fatty fat-fat.
    The Chicago Bulls are playing as I write this so I trayed the meal up with some italian bread and leftover goat cheese marinara from the weekend and delivered it to the man cave.



    In other news: Buddy got a super cute hair cut today and he looks just like his boyhood self.
    He and sister Jasmine went to the park in honor of the Springy weather. His grooming salon is closing so after 4 or so years of fantastic hairstyles from her, we'll be following his favorite groomer to a new salon next time. Here are some fun shots from the day:

    Before:

    Before haircut. He isn't as unhappy as he looks. He just doesn't like cameras. Minutes before this he was smiling at me, I promise.
    After. He's so tiny.

    Talking about the other dogs... and that squirrel they almost got on the way over here.

    Happy to be outside.
    Jasmine is not smiling because she is embarrassed after a front tooth was extracted last week. 
    Over It.

    In more other news we are in the process of buying a condo. It's a short sale so we're in for a lot of waiting.
    Stay tuned for "Starting to get organized", "Starting to pack", "Starting to move", "Starting to decorate", and "Starting to be a home-owner". This process is my blog-writing dream. Punctuated no doubt by "Starting to lose my mind."