The Blaxican

How fun is the name, BLAXICAN?  It was fun enough for us to arrive at the Food Truck park with very hungry stomachs and wait an extra 20 minutes for it to open on Saturday!  Describing their cuisine as Mexican soul food, this food truck delivers some tasty, flavorful items.

Before Saturday, I had only experienced food truck cuisine one time - at work.  How fun is that?  Our wonderful executive leaders at Children's (thank you, Linda!) treated all of the employees in HR to lunch from a food truck which came out to our location and set up in the parking lot.  It was a sandwich food truck and it was super good!!

Well, after that lunch experience, I looked into food trucks in Atlanta and thanks to my friend, Emily, I discovered the Food Truck Park online.  I thought that it would be a fun Saturday excursion - to get us out of our Sandy Springs bubble and take a short field trip down to Howell Mill and I-75 and enjoy some good eats.

I HIGHLY recommend this experience.  So, we exited the highway and could see it on the corner and I was like, "What?"  It was just kind of... there...in a gravel parking lot.  There were a few trucks - some tables with umbrellas - a lady selling jewelry, some produce stands and a lady spinning some 1970's music.  We parked and walked up to the "park" where we were faced with some decisions to make - so many food trucks to choose from!

How cool is this woman's hair??!!!

I had read about the Blaxican online and after my good run on Saturday morning, I wanted to eat some Mexican soul food, but it wasn't open yet.  Champ was starving - and thus, irritable...

So we bought some sesame fries and sriracha cheese dip which instantly lightened the mood.  YUMMMM.... I had about 3 fries - and every bit of the three of them was finger lickin' good!

Champ wanted a hot dog, so for $2.50 he got his hot dog where he could have any and all of a long list of toppings (cheese, chili, sauerkraut, onions, ketchup, mustard, tomatoes, etc.) and he opted for a plain dog.  Matt and I shared (from the Blaxican truck) a collard greens quesadilla and steak tacos.  Boy, was all of it good - so juicy and full of flavors that melded so perfectly together!!!

We enjoyed people watching, eating our delicious food and listening to music.  Of course, we finished our meal off with a little dessert...

I'm savoring and studying every last bite of my chocolate sea salt popsicle from King of Pops.  When I tell you that this thing was delicious, I mean it was DELICIOUS.  I was so sad to see it go.  Champ and Brooke shared some Italian ice.  

There are so many great chefs in the world who can't or choose not to open a restaurant but have amazing culinary talents - and starting a food truck is the perfect avenue for them!  We plan on going back again - hopefully soon!  It was fun to leave our normal bubble and see something different.  I highly recommend this experience!

Friday Favorites 8/24/2012

Happy Friday!  Here is a diverse hodge podge of favorites, but I like to shake things up a bit in general, so enjoy!

 

I picked up this bottle of soap for my kitchen and I am in love with soap (if it is indeed possible to be in love with soap).  It smells fantastic and I like the clean look of the bottle.  I bought this bottle at Whole Foods, where I always enjoy perusing the aisle with all of the natural cleaners on it.  Well, I'm partial to the extreme clean that my bottle of Tilex gives to my bathrooms, so I'm not yet ready to go organic on my cleaning products.  But, I did end up picking up this bottle in honeysuckle scent and it's smells sweet and fresh.  And I'm telling ya - this wrapped inside a super cute kitchen towel and wrapped up in a bow makes a cute gift!

 

I took this video of Brooke earlier this Summer and it tickled me so much (as you can hear from my crazy laughter in the background) that I wanted to share it with you.... and then send it in to America's Funniest Home Videos (I'll let you know if we win anything).  Keep in mind that she is still in diapers and has never actually used the actual potty.

 

Mimi introduced me to this delicious champagne vinaigrette dressing (first bottle) several years ago.  I used to always keep a bottle in my fridge but I guess after a while, I got tired of it and switched to something else.  Well, we've gotten back together and I now have a bottle in my refrigerator again.  It's just a really good and tasty vinaigrette.  Buy some.  

 

 

I took my boys to Six Flags the week before school started as a little farewell to Summer activity, and we had a blast!  This has become our annual back to school tradition.  In fact, I may start training for it next year.  Geez - that place is exhausting!  We tore threw that park and maximized every minute we had.  We were all so excited.  I told the boys we had 4-5 hours and boy did we rip through that park like a few crazy people.  The key is to go after most schools are back in session so the park is not at full capacity.  That way, there are minimal lines and you can enjoy rides 2 and 3 times over!  (though this proves for some to be more of a curse than a blessing - take your Advil). Those of you who have ever been shopping with me (Allison, think of our trip to the Mart) - there is no lolly gagging - it's all about go-go-go.  Let's be efficient and walk walk walk.  Water?  Food? Who needs THAT when you're on a mission.  That's how we rolled at Six Flags, except it was the boys who were telling ME we didn't need to stop for food or drink. I wanted to experience the fun and not just watch them ride the rides, so I learned that if I closed my eyes and prayed, with God's help, I could manage my fear.  It's funny - I loved all the rides as a child - the wilder, the better.  Well, as and adult I spend a lot of time with God when I'm at Six Flags.  God and I talked about how wonderful He is - how wonderful my life has been - I asked him to please take care of Brooke and Matt if the boys and I perished.  I was convinced  - and I mean THOROUGHLY CONVINCED - that we were going to be a death statistic before the day was through.   Contrary to what my own crystal ball was telling me, we made it through the day.  We can't wait to again next year!  I'm a sucker!  

Ahhh.. my favorite pass time.  I love Words With Friends.  I've been playing for over a year now and I love it more and more with each day.  I have not tired of it one bit.  I play against people I know with the exception of one random opponent, who has become, over the year, a friend in ways - a friend with whom I share very little other than the occasional, "Happy Friday!" or "Merry Christmas!"  Back when I was up three times a night nursing Brooke, this random opponent kept me occupied during these middle of the night feedings.  Remember when I blogged about dropping my phone into the toilette?  My first thought as it fell into the depths of the toilette bowl was, "No.... Words With Friends!!!!!" (slow motion).  I felt like Tom Hanks in the movie, Castaway, when Wilson fell off the boat.  The first thing I did when I got my new phone was start a game with my random opponent.  I heart this game and my random opponent! 

Have a lovely weekend!  We are off to visit the Food Truck Park on Saturday and will report back next week!

Sinfully Good Dessert

And I mean SINFUL.  This stuff should be illegal and I hesitate to share it with you because I'm a little embarrassed that I even ate it knowing what was in it.  BUT, it did have apple in it, so it wasn't TOTALLY bad.  And I am a believer in making DESSERT if you're making DESSERT, meaning, don't try to lighten up a dessert by using fat free ingredients.  If you're concerned about calories, serve some fruit.  But if you're going to make dessert, make it how it's supposed to be made - serve smaller portions if you feel like it, but don't ruin by trying to make it healthy.  There, that's what I think about that.

Last weekend, my niece, Kendall, spent the afternoon with us.  We had so much fun (Allison, you done good, girl - what a wonderful young lady she is).  She watched Brooke (and Champ) while I ran to the store (a stark difference from "running" to the store with an almost 2 year old in tow) - huge treat!  After we had lunch and put Brooke down for a nap, we broke out my new Pioneer Woman cookbook and cooked our way through the afternoon.  The recipe is called, "Apple Dumplings."  Mmmm mmm.  This would be a great dessert to make after you go apple picking this Fall. 

Having a helper in the kitchen is AWESOME!  We divided and conquered and produced lots of yumminess that afternoon.  Kendall melted the sticks of butter - yes sticksssss.  Shhh... In one ear and out the other. 

While she did that, I peeled and sliced the 2 granny smith apples. 

Then I unrolled the croissant dough - yes, I know... butter & croissants and we're not even through with the recipe yet.  We put one apple slice on each piece of dough and rolled it up, croissant style. 

We placed those in a 9x13 baking dish. 

Kendall poured her yummy "sauce" (butter, vanilla extract, sugar) on top. 

Then we added 12 ounces of Mountain Dew. Yes, Mountain Dew.  Isn't that weird?  It was really liquidy and I thought, 'how in the world is this going to work....'  But work it did - so deliciously.

Into the oven it went and 45 minutes later, we had a "try" bite and we were oohing and aaahing over this simply sinful dessert as we served it with a little vanilla ice cream.

You can spoon the yummy syrupy sauce on top and it's just heavenly - a sure crowd pleaser!! 

I must say I was concerned about the caffeine in the Mountain Dew keeping the kids up all night.  Turns out they were fine - it was mama here who tossed and turned all night.  I might consider substituting Sprite next time.  We'll see... for now, I'll be serving fruit to give my arteries time to recover. 

Apple Dumplings

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
2 cans of crescent roll dough
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 12 ounce can Mountain Dew
Ground cinnamon to taste
Vanilla ice cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Wrap each apple wedge in 1 piece of crescent roll dough, beginning at the wide end and ending at the point.  Place the rolls, seam side down, in a buttered 9x13 inch dish.  Melt the butter over low heat and add sugar and vanilla.  No need to dissolve the sugar; you want the mixture to be grainy.  Pour this over the rolls.  Next, pour the Mountain Dew on top.  Finally, sprinkle with cinnamon and bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve the dumplings with ice cream and don't forget to spoon on some of the syrup from the bottom of the pan!!

One for the Recipe Box

I have been on a cooking streak for the past few days (to which the scale can attest).  I have devoted every free second of time to cooking - and I have cooked things that have brought tears to my emotional eyes.  In fact, tonight, as I tasted the deliciousness of my dinner, my eyes actually stung as they filled up with tears at how good it was.  I believe I could hear angels singing around me.  Ahhhh!!  It was a wonderful moment when we were all crowded around the kitchen table and I could hear all my boys talking at once... Things like, "Oh, this is good."  "MOM!  This is the BEST thing you've ever made!"  "It doesn't look like there is going to be enough."  "Mom, can you make me another one..."  All the while I was chewing ever so slowly so as to enjoy every microsecond of my dinner... And that's when I heard Brooke from the other room, "Oh no, Mommy..." 

Smile. Breathe. 

She was not with us in the kitchen while we had our crazy moment of meal bliss.  She was in the den.

With a Sharpie.

I walked in to her beautiful artwork all over one of the cushions on the sofa.  I looked at the sofa.  I gasped.  I looked at Brooke.  Brooke cried.  Not much you can do to remove Sharpie from microfiber.  I squashed my stress immediately as I put my 20 year hindsight rule into practice.  I WILL laugh at this in 20 years - so why not laugh right now... and laugh we did - at how much damage she did and how cute she was. 

That's what we get for letting the meal consume our every sense.  So, back to the meal.  From the Pioneer Woman's latest cookbook, I tried something she called Drip Beef.  If this says anything, Matt was hovered over the crock pot AFTER dinner lapping it up. 

You won't believe how easy this is.   And I am so excited to share it with you, I can hardly stand it.

This is actually 2 recipes.  Drip Beef served on "homemade" rolls. 

I bought a chuck roast (between 3 and 4 pounds) and seasoned it with salt and pepper.  Actually, Matthew seasoned it.

I melted a little butter and a little Canola oil in a skillet and browned the chuck roast on both sides.

While it was browning, I put 2 cups of beef broth and one cup of water into the crock pot.  Matthew chopped up 2 TBS of fresh rosemary. 

We put the chuck roast into the crock pot, and here is the crazy part - we added 1/2 jar of pepperonchinis (with juice).  I turned it on high (I would have cooked it on low all day, but we didn't assemble this until almost noon so I did a combo of high/low for the rest of the day) and as the day went on, the wonderful aroma of this meal filled my kitchen. 

When it was tender, I pulled the roast out onto a cutting board and shredded the meat with two forks - and discarded the fatty parts. 

Back in the crock pot the shredded beef went and I was ready to roll.  I snuck a bite and I knew without any doubt that this would quickly become a household favorite.

Now over to the rolls.  Oh, the rolls.  May I just say that I am going to steal my brother-in-law's holiday meal responsibility (sorry, Austin!) as I will now be taking over the job of bringing rolls.  These are so good that they spin you into some outer orbit of satisfaction and enjoyment.  Your taste buds have never had it so good.  And like all the recipes I love, it's a cinch!

Frozen bread dough - next time you're at the store, pick up a bag from the freezer section.  I mean bread dough - not frozen rolls that you heat in the oven - but little balls of raw bread dough.  My bag was Kroger brand frozen bread dough. 

I sprayed a small cast iron skillet (though I am going to start using something bigger like a 9x13 cookie sheet because my iron skillet doesn't hold enough) with Pam, pulled out about 7 or 8 rolls from the bag and arranged them in the skillet. 

I threw a towel over the top and let the dough thaw and rise over the course of several hours.  About 20 minutes before dinnertime, I brushed a tiny bit of butter on top of the rolls and sprinkled them with poppy seeds.  At 350 degrees, I baked them for about 20 minutes or until lightly brown. 

Ohhhhhhh.... now here comes the best part - the marriage of the juicy shredded beef with that little kick from the pepperonchinis - and the rolls - oh, the rolls - like they just came out of a French baker's oven... I sliced the hot roll in half, laid some shredded beef atop the bottom half, topped that with some sliced pepperonchinis and served that with a little bowl of the liquid in which the beef cooked - mmm mmm... A meal unlike any other. 

I would serve this for company.  Actually, I was thinking that this would be a GREAT game day meal.  If you're having some friends over to watch a Fall football game, throw this together that morning (all in, you might spend 25 minutes prepping and at that point, your work is done!) and they will be going nuts during half time as they indulge in the tastiness of this dish.

Tonight, I served this with roasted vegetables:  broccoli, red bell pepper, asparagus and okra.  My boys love fried okra, so I did a healthy variation - no frying necessary.  I cut up the fresh okra and tossed it in a bowl with a combination of breadcrumbs and corn meal - then I added that to the vegetables and roasted it all for about 30 minutes at 420 degrees. 

Go out this week and buy a chuck roast, a jar of pepperonchinis and a bag of frozen bread dough.  It'll be the easiest and most loved meal you will cook!

Tuscan White Beans with Rosemary

I was kidding. 

As sad as I was a week ago at the thought of the Summer ending, I am equally if not more excited that school starts this week for my boys.  I could list all the reasons for my change of heart, but you all know what they are.  I'll just leave it at this:  It is time.

In my last post,I mentioned that one of my back-to-school-week meals would be Tuscan White Bean (Soup) with Rosemary, served with grilled cheese.  Now, I know that this is more of a Fall/Winter dish, but back to school (even in August) makes me wish it to be Fall already.  I made this soup a few days ago and it was yummy!!  It is a crock pot meal, but I was working the day that I wanted to serve it, and with trying to get to work at close to 7:00 a.m., I didn't have time to prep the soup before needing to leave for work - even though the prep took only 15 minutes.  So, the night before, I assembled the soup, put the crock pot in the fridge for the night, took it out the next morning, plugged it in and off I went to work while my dinner cooked all day.

This is all to say that we're all busy - whether we're working full time, part time; whether we're stay at home moms who spend a lot of time volunteering and running the household; whether we've got older kids or toddlers... with a little forethought, we can still do all that we need/want to do AND serve a healthy meal to our families.  It IS possible!  (most nights of the week, that is)

First, I cooked the pancetta.  Pancetta is like a cross between ham and bacon, and when you cook it til it's crispy, boy is it delicious.  It gives pep to any dish. 

When it was done cooking, I put it into the crock pot.  Next, I cooked an onion.  The recipe calls for a red onion, but I only had a yellow onion, so that's what I used (cooking is all about improvisation). 

I have learned that when you add a little dash of salt to your onion while it's cooking, it helps it to reach its desired state (translucent or brown) more quickly. 

To the cooked onion, I added chopped garlic, rosemary, and parsley and sauteed for 1 additional minute.  Then I stirred in the tomatoes and brought that to a boil. 

Yummy.  At this point, your house will smell like Souper Jenny.  Delicious!

While the tomato mixture was cooking, I drained and rinsed 2 cans of navy beans and poured them into the crock pot.  The recipe calls for white kidney beans or cannellini beans, but I prefer the smaller, softer texture of the navy beans.  If you like a hearty bean, use kidney or cannellini beans.

After you add the tomato mixture to the crock pot, you pour just enough water to cover, turn it on low and go about your day.  After 8-10 hours, you have a warm, flavorful and delicious soup awaiting you.  With 12 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber, this soup is sure to satisfy even the hungriest in your bunch!

Tuscan White Beans with Rosemary

1 TBS olive oil
3 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
1 large red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup whole parsley leaves (I used a tsp dried)
1/2 tsp salt (I omitted this because the pancetta is salty and so are the tomatoes)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes (I used petite diced or fire roasted)
2 (19 ounce) cans white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (I used navy beans)

In a skillet over medium high heat, add oil.  Add pancetta and cook until it just begins to brown.  Transfer to a slow cooker.  Add onion to skillet, reduce heat to medium and saute until softened.  Add garlic, rosemary, parsley, salt (I omit), and pepper.  Saute for 1 minute.  Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil, breaking up tomatoes (if necessary).  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring until liquid thickens.  Meanwhile, add beans to slow cooker.  Pour tomato mixture over beans; stir well.  Add just enough water to cover.  Put cover on slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours. 

Bon Appetit!

My friend, Chelsea, just gave me the most wonderful housewarming gift - Ree Drummond's latest cookbook.  I'm no chef - I'll be the first to admit that, but I sure LOVE to cook and if I had to be on a desert island and had to choose between taking novels or cookbooks, I'd probably take cookbooks, and I'd be sure to pack all that the The Pioneer Woman has published.  She's a mom, like me, who loves to cook!  And look at her now!  I even found a couple of of my favorite recipes in her cookbook! 

Inspired by her latest cookbook, I spent all of Saturday cooking with the help of my 13 year old niece, Kendall.  We cooked up some wonderful dishes that I plan on sharing with you this week!

Back to School Week of Meals

Time is constant and it's always the same.  A minute is always 60 seconds... right?  This Summer, I feel like minutes have lasted only 30 seconds, hence my shock at the fact that it's Back to School time already.  I'm not ready!  I want more pool days, more days when I don't have to fix a lunch, no homework to deal with... the list goes on and on! 

My boys have a few more days between now and school beginning, but I know many of you have already put your kids on the bus.  Even though it's a month too early, in my opinion, back to school is a fun time - it's a fresh start to a brand new year,  That's why I love mornings, too - it's a fresh start to a brand new day. 

I'm thinking about what to cook the first week, and I'll share with you my menu. 

MONDAY

(First Day of School)

How about some french toast for breakfast with a side of turkey bacon and a small bowl of fruit?  I always go "old school" on the first day and have warm chocolate chip cookies waiting for them when they get home (recipe coming this weekend!).  And for dinner, I think I'll serve my (Allison's) Chicken Pot Pie with a fresh fruit salad.

TUESDAY

I'm thinking grilled chicken (marinated in K.C. Masterpiece Lemon Pepper marinade), a green vegetable (let's make it easy and cook a can of green beans, rinsed, and simmered in chicken broth for an hour or more {lid on}), and potato casserole.  I have growing boys and potato casserole is just what they need after a long day at school.  (see bottom of blog post for recipe with pictures!) 

WEDNESDAY

Tuscan White Bean Soup with Rosemary.  YUMMY!!!  I found this recipe in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution several years ago. Yes, it's hot soup and it's still really hot outside, but it's good for you, delicious and comforting - just what kids need during their first week of school.  I'll serve this with grilled cheese (for the kids) and a salad (recipe coming this weekend). 

THURSDAY

How about some breakfast for dinner?  We do this about once a week during the school year.  I'm thinking either scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, toast and fruit or whole wheat pancakes, turkey sausage and fruit. 

FRIDAY

MEXICAN!  I grew up going to El Toro on Roswell Road every single Friday night.  When I got old enough, my best friend, Ann, and I would sit at our own table and devour basket after basket of chips with cheese dip.  Our parents sat at the biggest table in the corner of the restaurant and would stay there laughing and carrying on for hours.  Fortunately, El Toro (back then) had a huge arcade - - -which is where I learned to play what became my greatest skill.... Ms. PacMan.  I turn into a kid even now every time I see this arcade game.  It might be my favorite pass time, though I rarely have the chance to play it.  I would totally love to get the real arcade game to put in our basement.  Maybe I'll put that on my list for Santa this year. 

Anyway, back to Mexican.  Because of how I grew up, I am wired to crave Mexican every Friday night.  After a week of cooking, I hope to go out and enjoy some salsa and tacos - with an ice cold beer, of course!

Below is the recipe for the potato casserole. 

Potatoes Deluxe (from the Marist Cookbook 1990)

4 large baking potatoes

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 cups light cream (I use half and half)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 pound Cheddar cheese, grated (I use a block of cheese and grate that as opposed to a bag of shredded cheese)

1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 cup sour cream

Cook potatoes and then refrigerate until cold.  I usually microwave my potatoes (takes about 15 minutes for 4).  Grate unpeeled potatoes on large side of grater.  Melt butter and combine with cream, salt, pepper and grated cheese (the cheese doesn't melt all the way). 

Place shredded potatoes in a greased 9x13 pan.  Pour cream mixture over potatoes (the cheese will settle on top so be sure to spread it around).  Sprinkle chives over all.  Bake in 300 degree oven for 35 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with crumbled bacon and sour cream.

This is a divine potato dish - very simple, but soo good.  I will be indulging in just a little of it, but I hope my boys (and Brooke) devour it!  I made this all the time back when we used to entertain a lot prior to having kids.  I have tried this with frozen shredded potatoes and shredded cheese and it's just not as good - so take the time to shred the potatoes and the cheese - it won't take a lot of time and the taste will reflect your efforts, I promise!

Here are my pictures. 

Some of the potato skin gets grated with the potato which I love - makes it look and taste more farmy or authentic.

I usually dollop sour cream on top of each serving.  Isn't it pretty?  Mmm... mmm.. it's good.

Hope the first week went/goes well for you and your family. As much as I hate to say goodbye to no schedule, there is a part of me that delights in the freshness of this new school year and the beginning of a routine. Treat yourself, moms, to a girls' night out... after all the forms, carpools, early mornings, packing lunches, helping with homework, etc. - you DESERVE IT!  



Friday Favorites 8/3/2012

My first favorite this week is happiness...happiness that Matthew, at 11 years old, has just changed his first dirty diaper.  He, the boy who before today wouldn't touch a dirty diaper that was all folded up and ready to be thrown away, has just changed Brooke's first diaper.  Woo hoo!!

LARABAR

 

I mentioned these yummy bars in my last post.  I came across these bars recently and instantly fell in love.  I am thankful for Lara, creator of this bar, because in my opinion, she really has a great concept with these bars.  I love them because not only do they taste good, but they have REAL and very few ingredients.  My favorite flavors are Cashew Cookie (made with cashews and dates) and Uber Roasted Nut Roll (made with roasted almonds, cashews, brown rice syrup, roasted peanuts, dates, pecans, roasted macadamia nuts, honey and sea salt).  I love when I can look at a list of ingredients and know what each of them is!!  They are under 2 carb servings per bar which is great for a diabetic diet, and they have some protein, iron and much more, depending on your flavor. 

I realize that food is very subjective.  While I LOVE the Cashew Cookie flavor, it's not Matt's favorite.  A co-worker friend of mine loves the peanut butter chocolate chip flavor and I don't like it at all.  I encourage you to pick up a few (they cost a little over $1.00 - though if they were twice as much, I'd still buy them - I like them THAT much!) and find your flavor of choice - they're tasty, a great on-the-go snack, and they're CLEAN with very few but identifiable ingredients.  Brooke loves them!

EARLY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!

I know, I know.  It's only August, but I have started!  While I was down at the beach, I spotted a few things that I thought would make great Christmas gifts, so I picked them up.  I made my list where I list everyone for whom I buy and then jotted down gift ideas for each one, and my goal is to be done by the end of September - done with everyone but the kids, that is.  Then when December rolls around and we put our tree up at the first of the month (sometimes as early as Thanksgiving weekend), we'll have wrapped presents ready to adorn the tree skirt - and I won't be stressed about having to find time to shop!  Tackling this early is the way to go - I highly recommend it!  Simple as that! 

I love Etsy!  I've known about www.etsy.com but have never gone to the site until this week.  I've already picked out some adorable Christmas presents!  It's all handmade stuff - be it clothes, jewelry, toys, quilts... and much of it is very affordable.  Because the recipients of some of the things I plan on ordering also read this blog, I can't list the cute stuff I've found just yet.  But I recommend going to the site - it's the new pinterest for me!

Ahhh... isn't she pretty?  She is my new August to August calendar, courtesy of the Container Store.  Yes, some of you may think that it's "old school" of me to still be using a paper calendar, but thanks to my friend, Kerri, for introducing me to this calendar many years ago, I've grown accustomed to managing my life with this thing.  How perfect for a mom of kids in school that it starts and ends in August!  I'd probably do better switching fully over to the iCalendar on my phone, but for the next 12 months at least, I shall enjoy my pretty pink calendar.

Now THIS is a simple, no fuss appetizer for you... Parrano cheese, fig spread and crackers.  Throw it on a plate with a cute spreader and you're all set!  The taste of the Parrano cheese which is slightly sharp but also creamy coupled with the sweet fig spread is a delightful combination on a cracker. I like to use a buttery cracker with this like Ritz crackers.  It used to be that you could only get these at Whole Foods, but Publix now carries both the cheese and the fig spread.  It's a huge hit in my house amongst all of my family members. 

And HAPPY FRIDAY to you!  We are going to be tackling some back to school clothes shopping this weekend (wish I was still in school!) and some other honey-do's around the house.  We are thankful that we have one more week of Summer before the boys go back.  For all of you who start Monday, good luck!!  I hope to be back on my nightly cooking routine soon at which time I'll have much to share with you for good school night recipes. 

Clean Streak Days 1, 2, & 3

Day 1

My alarm buzzed at 5:35 a.m. this morning and I was extremely unhappy about that.  I fought it for a few minutes and then reminded myself that the worst part of getting up so early is actually rising from my comfortable bed to make the journey to the bathroom.  Once I started brushing my teeth and getting dressed, I felt instantly better and widely awake.


I did a run/walk for about 25 minutes and came home and did 3 sets of 10 each of mountain climbers and push-ups.  It felt great to exercise, even if it was much less than I normally do. 


After two relaxing weeks away, I packed my food for my day at the office.  Preparation is key.  Last night I cut up watermelon, shredded a rotisserie chicken and steamed some broccoli.  I went ahead and put it into containers so that the next morning, all I had to do was grab and go on my way out the door.


Breakfast:  1 Nutrigrain waffle toasted with natural peanut butter, 2 cups decaf coffee (I've heard that because of how much is done to chemically make coffee caffeine free, it's better to drink regular, fully loaded coffee; however, I do not like being a slave to caffeine, so I continue to drink decaf)

No snack because I had a long meeting this morning.  When I got back to my desk at lunchtime, I was ready to eat my own hands because I was STARVING.  I ravenously ate my cut up rotisserie chicken, steamed broccoli, cut up watermelon and cheese stick.  I polished this off with 2 squares of dark chocolate.  Yummy...

Not enough.

An hour later I was starving so I had some Greek yogurt and a spoonful of natural peanut butter.

Then I got home and made enchiladas for dinner.  While I made that I had some bites of almonds, watermelon, brown rice, pretzel goldfish, chicken, and cheese.  (Moms in the world, doesn't this sound familiar?  Do you do this while you're preparing a meal for your family?  Snack on a bit of this and a bit of that?)

For dinner I had roasted peppers and onions, salad with chicken on top, a scoop of brown rice and a tall glass of water. 

It is 9:25 p.m. and I'll be honest with you - I'm starving.  I just poured myself a glass of red wine and am making my poster board for our family Olympic showdown (thank you, Allison!  We've never been this engaged in the Olympics before!).  I don't plan on eating anything else tonight because it's late and also because when I think back on my day, I feel that I've had plenty to eat.  I think this is my body adjusting to a normal amount of food. 

I'll report back tomorrow and let you know how it goes!

Day 2

I had my usual for breakfast, 1 Nutrigrain waffle with natural peanut butter.  That and a cup of coffee... mmmm - it's my perfect breakfast!

Snack:  I gobbled down a Lara bar. 


I LOVE LOVE LOVE these bars.  More on these soon.










For lunch I ate about 1/2 cup brown rice with 1/2 cup black beans and 2 squares of dark chocolate.

I came home from work and had a handful of almonds and cooked dinner.  The boys were gone so I just cooked some turkey bacon, eggs and spinach for dinner (with lots of hot sauce, of course).  I followed that with a glass of wine and off to bed, I went. 

Day 3 (today)

I woke up with NO energy.  Not enough food on Day 2 - I set off for my run and turned it into a walk because I was so lacking in energy. 

I remedied the no energy thing by eating more today.  I've just read all that I've written so far and I'm really bored, so I know you must be.  I'm no longer going to report what I'm eating - but will continue on this streak because I'm feeling pretty darn good - though it is an adjustment - most just in getting used to smaller portions and less carbs, but my body is happy with me. 

The more I read about sugar, the more I want to cut it out of my diet completely.  More on that soon.

For now, I need to join my husband on the sofa - hoping to see more of Ryan Lochte.  Matt told me that I'd be a rich woman if I got a dollar every time I said, "Mmmm mmmm" whenever Lochte graces the TV screen.  :)