Quick and Light Appetizer - and many photographs

Wow - what a week it has been - 7 baseball events in 5 days... some hail, some rain outs, some sunshine. As much of a commitment as all this baseball is for our family, it is fun social time for us! Brooke has settled in nicely in her role as little sis at the baseball field. She snacks her way through the games and loves the freedom to roam (I'm always watching her) and explore.

Here are some pictures that I snapped this weekend. I've had my camera with me for days - snapping what I can - she's the easiest at the baseball games because I don't have to worry about photographing through the fence.

I had fun playing with black and white. Turning a picture black and white is like muting the television. It takes all the noise away and leaves you with nothing but your thoughts - it adds a level of drama to the shot. I just love it!

But then without color, you miss out on blue eyes......

I love this one. Matthew and friends took her up to the playground to play - which I loved because not only did she have a blast, but it allowed me to watch Champ's game without having to keep one eyeball on Brooke! Here they are walking back down from the playground - it appears that Brooke is leading the pack...

I continued playing with pictures last night. Here are my best shots...

I find that I get the best shots when they are kind of doing their own thing - I follow them with my camera and say, "Hey, Champ!" - He quickly turns, I shoot the shot and BAM- there it is! It also works well with animals! That's our yellow lab, Sandy, up there - she's the best dog in the whole world! (don't we all feel that way?)

Matthew's team had a pre-game tailgate yesterday and I took a little appetizer. I wanted something light and low carb - so I decided to make some little skewers with grape tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese - all drizzled with a little homemade balsamic dressing.

I looked everywhere in my kitchen for my wooden skewers. My sweet mom unpacked my kitchen for me the day we moved in, so every day, I'm on the hunt for something - it's such an adventure! I couldn't find the skewers - nor could I find any toothpicks - BUT, I did find these cute little party picks in my pantry and decided to use those. These little party picks are an example of holding onto something and waiting for the BEST time to use them - well, they have been sitting in my kitchen for 5 years. I used to hang on to stuff waiting for the perfect time - holding onto a gift card for that perfect occasion for which I have to buy something - saving a great, expensive bottle of wine for something ultra special - and occasions come and go and there I am still holding onto this stuff. So, over the past few years, I've adopted the philosophy that the every day is something to be celebrated! Who knows WHEN or IF that PERFECT occasion will come along, right? I'm all about celebrating the every day - because the every day is pretty darn awesome!

Okay, back on track I go....First, I made the balsamic dressing. My friend, Irmela, taught me how to make this years and years ago, and it's my go-to homemade dressing because it's easy and oh, so good!

Here is what you need:

What I forgot to picture here is my fresh lemon and pinch of sugar.

Here's the recipe:

Balsamic Vinaigrette ala Irmela

3 parts Oil (I use 2 parts Olive Oil and 1 part Canola Oil)
1 part Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Pinch of Sugar
Dollop of Sour Cream
Squeeze of Lemon

That's it! Now, as far as "parts" go - if you're making a huge salad and need to serve a TON of people, you can use 1/2 cup for each "part." That would make A LOT of dressing. For one family size salad, I use a spoonful - probably a little larger than a tablespoon (so it would be 3 TBS oil to 1 TBS Balsamic Vinegar). Mix all together and taste - then add anything if you think it needs it. It's delicious! The Sour Cream gives it that slight creaminess that it needs. It tastes so good! I put it into a container with a lid and shake vigorously before pouring.

After that was made, I chopped some grape tomatoes in half, cubed mozzarella cheese and tore off little pieces of basil. Seriously, this is one of the easiest appetizers I've ever made - with the exception of something store bought that's ready made. I first threaded some basil, then tomato, then basil and lastly cheese.  That's it!  Simple and really pretty...

 I then put the little skewers on my dish. If I had the little mini Triscuits, I would have put those on the sides, but I didn't - so I broke normal size Triscuits in half.

I wrapped it up with aluminum foil and took it to the tailgate. When I got there, I drizzled my Balsamic Vinaigrette all over the toothpicks and served! Super easy - light, healthy and delicious! And what a pretty presentation!

It's a gorgeous day so I'm off join my man outside in the yard.  Baby is asleep... boys are being boys outside and Matt is hard at work in the yard... I may try to sneak in a few pages of The Hunger Games before heading out....

Oh - one more thing.  I've got some spicy stewed beef cooking on my stove right now - compliments of The Pioneer Woman.  Mmmm... my house smells amazing!  Hopefully it'll be as good as she says it is and I'll blog all about it!

Support Will!!!

Eight months ago, I got a text from my new friend, Jennifer Penn saying that her 8 year old son had suffered a stroke and was at Scottish Rite.  I was at the beach with Allison, my sister-in-law, and her four kids.  I remember moments before I got that text, looking at our kids running around, frolicking on the beach, without a care in the world, and feeling such happiness.  I read her text and went from utter happiness to despair.  I remember feeling sad, confused, angry... How could this happen to a healthy child?  A few weeks earlier, he and Champ were running around outside together playing like boys do!  Though I had only known the Penns for a few short months, her text hit me like a ton of bricks.  Will and Champ were on the same baseball team last Spring, and we were just getting to know the Penn family when this happened.

Devastating.  

He was playing at the pool one July afternoon when he complained of a headache.... he had a stroke that afternoon and has worked harder than you can imagine everyday since to regain that which most of us often take for granted - he wants to run, he wants to play baseball, he wants to be an active boy!

Here is a sweet picture of him in the hospital several months back.  The quality of the picture isn't great but I really wanted to share a picture with you anyway. 

How blessed he is to have survived the stroke and subsequent surgery.  He goes to physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy - he has tutors, participates in therapies I've never heard of -all in an effort to make a full recovery.  He is back in school and is trying so hard to regain normalcy.  While all of this has helped him significantly, he has a ways to go and he needs your help.

On April 28th, the Friends of Will Penn Foundation is throwing a BIG party to raise money for Will's recovery - the money will help offset the high cost of his therapies.  This is going to be a super FUN event - complete with delicious food, wine and beer, a fabulous silent auction, and super fun people.  Matt and I will be there and I hope you will come out and show your support.  It's going to be a great evening and the money from your tickets and silent auction items will go directly to the Friends of Will Penn Foundation.  If you're busy that evening, please consider making a donation to help Will. 

See the invitation below and please forward this to your friends and family.  The more, the merrier!

Email me if you have any questions.  I'd LOVE to see you there. 

Chicken Schnitzel and Good Times

Good Morning!  Have I mentioned that I don't really even need to set my clock alarm here in our new house?  I think the birds in my new neighborhood are channeling their inner-rooster because before the sun even rises, they are outside our windows whistling away.  It's a beautiful sound and reminds me of what it must be like in fairytale land. :)

I've just plugged in all my kids' baseball commitments for the next couple of months, and boy, do we have a busy schedule ahead!  I do love it, though!  I love being outside and I love that they are engaged in their sports.  I'm sure this Spring I will master the art of packing a good and entertaining bag for Brooke - complete with activities and healthy snacks.  So far, she has been wildly entertained with the bleachers - stepping up, walking across, stepping down, and over and over and over again. 

Speaking of baseball, Matthew volunteered for the first Christopher League game yesterday. The Christopher League is a league for kids with special needs.  I believe kids ages 10 and up volunteer their time to help out - they are paired with a player and they assist that player throughout the game.  What an experience it was... Matthew is not as open with his thoughts as I am, so I had to really ask a lot of questions to get anything out of him afterwards.  Email Coach Leo if you're interested in helping out - I'm sure you can jump in at anytime, but email him to be sure. 

I sat through the game - most of the time with tears in my eyes.  Tears because I felt sad for these kids who are living with their disabilities - tears of complete joy in seeing how excited they were to be out there - oh my goodness, they were having the time of their lives!  Tears from seeing how many volunteers there were out there - adults and kids alike... it was an amazing show of support.  Tears of happiness and thanksgiving because my kids are so healthy.  It was very emotional for me - why should some be afflicted with disabilities and others not?  That we will never know, but I do believe that God doesn't give us that which we cannot handle - and these parents and kids deserve an extra special spot in Heaven for enduring all that they do.  All this said, I urge you contact Coach Leo and try to come out and volunteer.  Matthew was really nervous before we got there and told me not to leave his side, but when we arrived, he saw some of his friends and was immediately relaxed.  It was a great experience.

Okay - so from baseball to schnitzel.  I just love the word SCHNITZEL :).

Mmmm... one of my favorites. My chicken schnitzel is the "Christa" version of something much better overseas. My dad has a friend who owns a bar on the beach of the North Sea in a little town called Neustadt, in northern Germany. It's a quaint little bar that sits right on the beach in this tiny little town. Many moons ago, I travelled to Neustadt from Bonn by train, and I got off at the train station, asked someone where the beach was and I found the beach and just walked. I walked with a heavy backpack on my back for several miles until I reached this little bar. In I walked where I was greeted with smiles, open arms and lots of hugs. I was put up in a cozy place for the night where I stowed my backpack, and I spent the better part of the evening commiserating with the local townsfolk - lots of good German beer (mmmmm....), conversation, smoke (cough, cough) and great food. The owner's wife, Liesel, made a huge platter of wiener schnitzel with a creamy mushroom sauce - oh, it makes my mouth water just thinking about it....

So, fast forward almost 20 years, and here I am in my own little world making my Chicken Schnitzel dish - might not make your mouth water, but it's very tasty and the kids love it.

My dear friend, Irmela (yes the name is German and so is she :)), taught me how to make this.  So, first, I rinse and pat dry boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Slice them in half lengthwise so that you're left with 2 pretty thin pieces.  If they aren't thin enough (I like mine really thin), I pound them with a mallet. 

Set up your stations - you'll need a plate of flour seasoned with salt and pepper, a bowl of 2 whisked eggs, and a plate of breadcrumbs (seasoned or plain, your call).  Pour some oil (I use half olive oil and half canola oil) into a big pan and heat to hot.

Dip your chicken into the flour first - then eggs and finish off in flour.  Put it into the hot pan  - it should sizzle when you put it in - if it doesn't, then the oil isn't hot enough.  The hot pan/oil is what seals in the juices, so you really want it to be hot.  This is a great meal to set up and involve your kids.  Meet my sous chef, Matthew.

Cook until the outside is brown and then flip - turn down and finish cooking until cooked through.  This doesn't take long because your pieces of chicken are so thin. 

At this point, you can do any number of things.  You can slice a lemon and use this and some parsley to garnish and then serve.

You can put it into a Pyrex and pour your favorite marinara sauce all over with mozzarella & Parmesan on top and bake (chicken Parmesan).  You can serve the plain chicken with cranberry sauce (delicious!!). 



Alright, so I want to share some pictures with you.  I love this picture - I took it yesterday afternoon:

I love it for so many reasons.  Matt had just put in a new propane take on the grill.  There is reason #1.  He was cranking through his "honey-do" list yesterday!  He is looking up the hill at the kids laughing and playing on the trampoline.  I can tell that he's kind of smiling in this picture, and this is what I love - the joy he feels about us being here as a family in our own home.  It was a fun, relaxing day yesterday :).

Now, this next shot is a terrible shot, but it shows Matt and Brooke on the trampoline having fun and it makes my heart smile.

And this was is as if we told them to sit there... but we didn't.  Matt and I were enjoying a glass of wine on our patio when we looked up and saw the kids on the swing together.  This is seconds before the camera battery ran out of life, so it's blurry. 

Moppin Sauce and Triathlons

I promise to share a recipe soon.  I have been documenting my future blogs with lots of pictures.  So, it's not that I'm lacking in material.  It's utter laziness.  I'm sitting here in front of my computer with my lovely glass of wine which I shall show you with a picture.

My camera is somewhere in my house (I know because I just used it to take pictures of my chicken schnitzel just a couple days ago!), but I'm too tired right now to get up and look for it.  I have spent the past week doing things like painting and hanging pictures with my extra time.  Organization is next on the list.  So, when I tackle that, I'll be sure to house my camera near my computer - and then I'll be back to blogging recipes.

I did try something new this evening.  In my Eat Right Atlanta basket, I found some bok choy.  I've never cooked bok choy before.  My friend, Tara, told me to cook it like I do spinach, only higher heat and for longer.  I washed it and cut the thick part out of the middle and threw it into a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped garlic (also in my Eat Right Atlanta basket).  I sauteed it for 12 minutes or so.

 I was craving greens tonight, so I had a plate full of them!  I roasted some brussel sprouts and asparagus and then had a scoop of shredded chicken with Stubbs Moppin Sauce. 

Okay, let me just tell you how much my family LOVES this sauce!  It is a basting sauce, but we use it as barbecue sauce.  It is a vinegar based, wonderfully spiced sauce - with no high fructose corn syrup - very low in calories and carbs.  We love it on chicken barbecue - on quesadillas.  We actually put it on all sorts of foods as a condiment.  When I had gestational diabetes, I used this instead of regular barbecue sauce (regular barbecue sauce used to spike my blood sugar levels, and I could eat Moppin Sauce and be just fine).  I have even put a few chicken breasts into a crock pot with 1/2 bottle of this sauce and cooked it on low for 5 hours.  Shred it and serve it on whole wheat buns and you have yourself some mighty fine barbecue!

If I may share a personal highlight with you... Matthew was interviewed by Atlanta In Town Newspaper, a free newspaper publication that can be found at all sorts of in town locations, for his triathlon experience.  Click the link below to read it.  It's pretty amusing!

http://www.atlantaintownpaper.com/2012/03/intown-runaround-run-bike-swim-homework/

He hopes, schedule permitting, to be able compete in Iron Kids again this Summer.  Let me just tell you that if your child has any interest, it was a GREAT experience for Matthew.  He felt like he really achieved something and it made him feel great!  Kids have amazing energy anyway, so why not channel it into something like this?  Let me know if your child wants to sign up for any one of the kids' tri's in the area. 

Eat Right Atlanta

I don't believe I have blogged yet about one of my most FAVORITE services - produce delivery!  Eat Right Atlanta is a husband-wife team who delivers fresh produce bi-weekly right to your doorstep.  The produce differs week to week and it's always fresh and delicious.  They deliver to all of our large campuses at work and people flock to them in herds.  For $15 or $25, you can get a half or a full basket (bag) of produce.  I will tell you that you could not buy the same amount in the grocery store for less.  It's a heck of  a deal and you don't have to go anywhere!  It's delivered TO YOU! 

Yesterday at work, I picked up my bag which included a pineapple, strawberries, potatoes, oranges, grapefruits, apples, pears, bok choy, romaine lettuce, brussel sprouts, and garlic.  They have grown so much over the past two years and the website says that they are not accepting new customers unless you are a part of a group.  Groups must be 10 or more. 

So, I encourage you to talk to your neighbors and try to form a group of 10 or more - you can even split a bag with a neighbor.  These days we are surrounded by food products where the list of ingredients is longer than a college essay - processed this and that.... and as a society, we are growing farther and farther away from the wonderful, natural foods that come straight from our earth.  You know me - I'm not Mrs. CLEAN Eater all the time, but I sure try to eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables that I can, and Eat Right Atlanta makes it SO easy!