Monday, May 21, 2012

Distraction and Stuffed Peppers

It has been a little over a week since my last blog.  I've been really busy with work.  I went to Peachtree City for the triathlon that was on Saturday.  We had about 40 employees from Children's who competed in the race.  What was so great about the race was that it offered two distances - a super short distance called the Super Sprint and a longer distance which is called the International or Olympic distance.  It was so lovely to see so many people and families involved in this race.  I decided on Saturday that next year, my whole family will do this event.  The Super Sprint is a 300 yard swim, 8 mile bike and 2 mile run - VERY do-able for a new triathlete, be it child or adult.  And wouldn't it be great to do something like this as a family?  For me, it really grew that desire for our family to do something like this together - it was an EXPERIENCE from start to finish - to see 11 year olds running out of the lake to then jump on their bike - what a sense of accomplishment they must feel!!  I urge you to consider it - be good role models for your kids as far as health and wellness are concerned - grow their confidence and sense of accomplishment. 

Alright - I'm stepping off my soap box  now.  So, another reason I have not blogged, in addition to my crazy work week, is that I have been engrossed in the story of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele.  Those of you who know this couple know how....um....engrossing their story is.  I'll leave it at that. 

Last weekend, we got home after a long day at the baseball field and I really wanted stuffed peppers, but it was so late that I didn't think I would have time to prepare and cook them to end up eating at a normal hour.  Just as I was about to pull something out of the freezer, I decided to see how quickly I could get them done.  And within 45 minutes (including cook time), I had a wonderfully delicious and healthy meal ready to be eaten!

I did not use a recipe - just a little of this and a little of that.  But here's what I did.  I browned a pound of ground beef.  Then I added tomato paste (a few TBS), salt, pepper and oregano, and a can of drained petite diced tomatoes.


I cut the tops off of my red peppers and scooped out the seeds from the insides.


I cooked one cup of brown rice in chicken broth.


Then I added the rice to the meat mixture.


I scooped the meat/rice mixture into the bell peppers and topped with freshly grated mozzarella.


I put them into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, which honestly wasn't long enough.  The bell peppers were still pretty crispy.  Next time, I will place the bell peppers in a Pyrex that has a little water covering the bottom and cover them would foil so that the peppers steam a little bit.


Aren't they gorgeous?  They were delicious - super good for you and very easy!!  Enjoy!


Friday, May 11, 2012

Hidden Secret

I'm going to make this post as quick as I can.  I have a FUN day ahead that I've been looking forward to for weeks!  I'm living the "celebrity life" today - meeting Debbie for a pedicure at 10:45 and then heading over to our friend's house for a bday celebration with about 10 women by her resort like pool.  I can't wait!!  I have made childcare arrangements for the kids and I'm ready to relax and enjoy!!  A great start to Mother's Day weekend, for sure!

A few weeks ago I made twice baked potatoes - a family favorite.  I believe I served them alongside barbecue meatloaf (which I can't believe I haven't shared this yet with you because it's SOOO good - and I'm NOT a meatloaf gal).  I started with four potatoes in a 450 degree oven for about an hour - or until tender to the fork's piercing.


When these potatoes were almost done, I chopped andboiled a head of cauliflower.


I strained the cauliflower and then put it in my food processor and cranked it up until it was almost pureed.


I scooped out the potatoes and put the potato pulp into a bowl. I added about half of the mashed cauliflower.  Check this out - you can't tell what's potato and what's cauliflower!




I added my "mixers" (salt, pepper, butter, ranch, shredded cheese):



I mixed it up with a fork and knife - careful not to over mix because when over mixed, it becomes gummy and gross.  I scooped the mixture back into the potatoes - top with cheese (freshly grated, of course.  I always like to freshly grate cheese if I have time because the flavor and texture is so much better!) - put into a dish - cover with foil and I'm ready to cook them later at dinnertime!


I like to prepare as much as I can ahead of time (in the morning) because you know how it is with a toddler.  Come 5 or 6 o'clock, she has no more patience - she's hungry - the boys are tired - I'm frantically trying to throw dinner together.... it's just not the calm scene that I prefer...



The beauty of this dish is that no one knows that they're eating cauliflower.  It's a hidden secret!  I kept half the mashed cauliflower for myself and added salt, pepper, cheese and a little butter - my own twice baked cauliflower mash - and it was excellent!  I didn't miss the potato ONE BIT - and I saved myself calories and carbs. 


The downside - as always - is the clean-up that must take place when you're done - that's when we wives need wives, right?  Maybe there is something to be said for that guy who has 4 wives (the one with the reality show)?!!  Ha!


Happy Mother's Day to all the mommas out there!!  Sit back, relax and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done!






Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Grilled-Pork Banh Mi

Do you ever have those days that are pretty NORMAL but just so good?  It started with a run this morning.  I went into my office late today because I had a late afternoon meeting, so after my run, I was able to shower, enjoy two cups of coffee, make the marinade for my pork dish and work at my computer in the comfort of my own home for over an hour before Brooke woke up.  I was so happy to see her when she woke up and we spent some time eating breakfast together and playing.  Morning is my favorite time of day - so fresh and full of energy and the hope of a great day ahead...

Isa arrived and off to work I went where I spent a very productive day. I got home around dinnertime and spent time with my three kiddos and am now enjoying a wonderful glass of Cabernet while Dancing with the Stars is on in the background.  Doesn't get much better than that!

Alright - so did my blog title impress you?  If I may puff out my chest and show my feathers for a moment, let me say that I just grilled probably the best tasting pork I've ever had.  Taken from the May issue of Food & Wine magazine, I followed a recipe line by line and made Grilled-Pork Banh Mi.  I have no idea what Banh Mi is, but that's no matter.  This is a Vietnamese dish, so says the little write up of the recipe, and holy cow, is it ever tasty!  The recipe is actually a sandwich - which I made for Matt, but I ate just the meat (to avoid all the bread) and seriously could have easily polished off all 2 1/2 pounds of meat. 

Take a minute to grab a pen and paper and write this down. This recipe is a keeper - easy and rich in flavor - I will be serving this for dinner parties, weeknight dinners, new moms, meal for a new neighbor, etc.  It is easy, tasty, full of flavor and very impressive. 

Can you tell I'm excited about it?  This morning before Brooke woke up, I plugged in my Cuisinart food processor and pureed Asian fish sauce, honey, sugar, ground pepper, scallions and garlic.  Now, let me tell you about the fish sauce.  I opened it up and started pouring it into my measuring cup when I decided to give it a quick smell.  Big mistake - it smelled so awful that I went back to the recipe to make sure that this is truly what it called for.  When I confirmed that, I started looking for the expiration date thinking that maybe it was rancid.  Nope - not until 2013... then, I checked the ingredients -what is actually IN fish sauce?  Anchovies, salt and water.  I love all three of these things on their own, but together as a sauce... not so much.  NASTY is the word that I kept uttering - out loud, mind you.  I carried on and blended it with the other ingredients, but I was still very skeptical.  I sliced two pork tenderloins into thin slices and then poured the marinade over all and let it sit in the fridge all day.  The recipe said to refrigerate for 2-4 hours only, but that didn't work for me because I worked all day, so mine sat in the marinade all day long.



When I got home this evening from work, Matt fired up the grill and I cooked the pork medallions on medium heat for about 6-8 minutes (recipe called for 4 minutes total, but I didn't think it was done enough).

The result?  Oh my goodness - the most wonderfully flavored pork EVER!!!  I couldn't BELIEVE how great it tasted - best pork I've ever had!  EVER!!  Brooke and I couldn't get enough!  I continued on with the recipe and assembled the sandwich for Matt using Sriracha and Hoison as the condiment spread - and he loved it! 



Here's the recipe (if you click on the name, it'll take you to the online recipe):

Grilled-Pork Banh Mi

1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
1 TBS honey
2 TBS sugar
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
6 scallions, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
Six 8-inch long rolls or 2 baguettes, cut into 8-inch lengths and split
Hoisin sauce and Sriracha chile sauce
Vegetable oil, for grilling
1/2 seedless cucumber, cut into 2 by 1/2 inch matchsticks

In a blender or food processor, puree the fish sauce with the honey, sugar, pepper, scallions, and garlic.  Transfer the marinade to a bowl, add the pork and toss.  Refrigerate 2-4 hours (or all day!).  Thread the pork through the top and bottom of each slice onto 12 bamboo skewers. (**I did not take the time to do this).
Spread the rolls with Hoison an Sriracha.  Light a grill and oil the grates.  Brush the pork with oil and grill over high heat, turning, until just cooked, 4 minutes (I cooked a bit longer).  Place 2 skewers on each roll and top with cucumber.

This was FANTASTIC!!!  I thought about just keeping this delicious recipe to myself as a sort of "secret recipe" - but why not spread the culinary joy with you?  After all, what's joy when you keep it to yourself? 

Go out TODAY and pick up the ingredients - they are few - and spread the joy to your family, your guests, whomever - they'll be so impressed and you can sit back, as I am doing, with a glass of wine and fluff your feathers :).

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Party Rock is in the House Tonight!

Wow.  What a weekend we had!  LMFAO comes to mind when they sing, "Everyday I'm shuff-a-lin.."  My weekend was full of shuffling - shuffling of children, ice, cases of beer, silent auction items, more kids, baseball games, babysitters, etc.  The Friends of Will Penn Foundation hosted its first event at the Buckhead Barn on Saturday night, an event which benefits Champ's friend, Will, as well as other brain injured children.  You won't believe what they raised... drum roll, please... SIXTY THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!  Not bad for a group of rookies who put this thing on!  The kindness and generosity displayed throughout the past few months since Will's stroke, speaks volumes for how respected and loved the Penn family is.  We're all Will's biggest fans and want the very best chance at a full recovery for him.  It was a bittersweet evening because really, this is not an event that you ever want to host for your own child as you'd rather he/she be healthy enough not to need one, but they made it so much fun anyway!

Jen and Steve have taken this stroke by its horns and while it's a constant battle, they have not once let it beat any of them.  The progress Will continues to make is quite amazing, really, and the reason he continues to make strides is due to the energy and determination they (and he) put into his therapies each week.  This fundraiser was amazing with tons of alcohol, a great band, delicious food, fantastic auction items and a whole bunch of fun people.  If you would like to make a donation, please click here.

The last couple of weeks, this event consumed every moment of "free" time I had, so now that it's a thing of the past, I feel like I'm constantly being given the gift of time.  I actually sat down on Sunday night with a glass of Cabernet and enjoyed a full episode of Mad Men, one of my favorite shows. 



It'll make even the most prude of us long for a tumbler full of strong liquor and a cigarette.  Oh, and the clothes are just fabulous.  I think I may just starting donning (no pun intended) some 1950's and 60's style clothing.  Perhaps I'll start a trend....

I've been cooking when I can.  For those of you with big kids, think back to the days when your little one took a nap.  It was precious time, wasn't it? The second I lay her down, I am doing laundry, cleaning my house, folding clothes, doing the dishes, checking email, preparing dinner, making calls, etc. and be it an hour or three hours that she sleeps, I use every second to get stuff done.  When she's awake, all my attention has to be focused on her.... or else. 

Here she is up on my desk while I was trying to do something the other day. 



I've made some delicious banana bread, chicken and rice, sandwiches, etc. that I have been photographing and will share with you.  I've also made a lot of quesadillas and eggs and bacon for dinner.  On the days I both work and have baseball games, there is no 1950's style meal served to my family.  I turn into a drill sergeant on the way home from the ball field.  We get into the car after the game, chat for a few minutes and then as we get closer to my neighborhood, I starting dishing out the orders, "Champ, you shower in your bathroom - Matthew, you shower in mine...Champ, when you're done, please go downstairs and make sure your backpack is packed and ready for tomorrow.  I will put Brooke to sleep and then come down and give you guys dinner.  Matthew, while I'm putting Brooke down, start cooking the turkey bacon.."  It's GO GO GO - it's hurried and frazzled, occasionally funny, sometimes stressful.... but we get it done.  My goal is to get them fed and into their beds early enough that they get a good solid night's sleep.  On those nights, I throw together some quesadillas (with turkey bacon and shredded cheese) and applesauce, turkey sandwiches and sliced cucumbers, breakfast for dinner - sometimes Zaxby's... we do what we need to do and somehow it works. 

Lately, I've cooked a lot of quesadillas and a lot of breakfast for dinner.  Last week, I bought a loaf of challah bread.  Challah is available in the bakery section of your grocery store. 



It is a beautiful loaf of bread and it's super soft and squishy on the inside.  I used it last week to make French Toast.  It was AMAZING!  I mixed some eggs, sugar, cinnamon, a splash of vanilla extract and a little milk together.  I dipped each slice and then cooked it on the stove - poured some warm syrup over it all - served it with orange juice, turkey bacon and some cut up fresh berries - and we were all happy.  Of course, while I was cooking, I was taking whole slices and smearing Smart Balance butter over the slices and devouring them.  Do you ever do that?  You eat so much while you're cooking that by the time you're finished cooking dinner, you're full?  That was me - except I proceeded to have some French Toast, too... The deliciousness was followed by a massive stomach ache!  But it was worth it. 

My friend, Kerri, told me about some cold oatmeal that she treats herself to from time to time at a local cafe.  It sounded interesting and I came across a recipe for it, so Kerri, this is for you.  One of the ingredients in this recipe is Chia Seeds. 



They don't have a taste whatsoever.  I even mixed some in a glass of water and didn't taste anything.   The texture is what's interesting. They gel when mixed with anything close to a liquidy substance.  So, you have a bit of a gel texture followed by a little crunch on the inside where the middle of the seed is.  It is said that they help us stay fuller, longer; slow down how quickly our bodies convert carbs into sugars; they are great for athletes because of their hydration properties; reduce blood pressure and they are really high in Omega 3's.  I'm already a fan.  I picked up a bag from Whole Foods for about $15.00. 

I came home and made my cold oatmeal.  First I gathered my ingredients:


  • 1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
  • 1/3 cup skim milk
  • 1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
  • 2 teaspoons honey (more or less to taste)
  • 1/4 cup blueberries (or enough to fill jar)

  • I filled a Tupperware with everything but the blueberries.


    I put the lid on and shook it really well.


    I took the top off, added blueberries, mixed and in the fridge it went overnight.  When I grabbed it in the morning, it was ready to eat!


    It was really tasty.  It's creamy with a little chia seed crunch to it.  For such a small amount, it is VERY filling.  This morning, I even sliced some banana to go with it.

    I must tell you that the first time I made it, I used vanilla Greek yogurt and did not add the honey to it, thinking that it would be sweet because I used vanilla, but that was not the case.  So, the second time I made it, I drizzled some honey on it, and it was perfect!

    You can use any fruit (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, mango, peaches, etc.) and you can use any sweetener (maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, etc.).  It's an interesting taste and I've only made it twice now, but I can't wait to have it again!  I made 4 containers at once and so the next morning, all I had to do was open the fridge and grab one!  It takes MAX 10 minutes and that is if you're making 4 at a time.  What a delicious breakfast when it's 100 degrees outside this Summer!