Currently (Part II)

Back in January I wrote a post entitled 'Currently' where I discussed what was going on in my life - what I was listening to, reading, watching on TV and looking forward to.   I got some feedback from people saying that the really enjoyed the post so I figured I would try to do it on a more regular basis!  So here is an updated 'Currently' post with a few more categories! 

Loving: To be honest - F.I.T. Bootcamp, which is a serious problem and may present a big financial dilemma at the end of this week (more on that later).  I'm also loving that it is summer, depsite the insane amount of rain we have been getting.  I'm excited for work travel to start up again next week (NYC) and for our vacation to New Hampshire in two weeks.

Listening:  NPR (hoo-ray for the fund drive being over) and whatever happens to be on the radio at the moment.  During the summer I also tend to start listening to a lot more country music.

Reading:  After plowing through a couple of books my reading has slowed a bit, however with work travel beginning to pick back up I'm sure I'll be reading more as well.  Right now I am about 100 pages into Gillian Flynn's Dark Places which is off to a good start.

 

Watching:  True Blood starts back up this weekend, woo-hoo!  And even though the show is completely silly and not nearly as good as it was when it started I'll still watch it.  In mid-July The Newsroom returns and I am pretty pumped about that.  And as always I continue to watch every season of Real Housewives that is currently airing - right now it is Orange County and New Jersey (my favorite). 
 

Thinking About:  As always - fitness and work but this time I will include meal planning, summer activities and plans for the fall!
 

Stressing About:  How I am going to make it work if I want to continue with F.I.T. Bootcamp and certain aspects of upcoming work travel but overall that is about it!
 

Looking forward to:  Vacation!  We are going to Hampton, New Hampshire for two nights and staying at an aborable bed and breakfast that is located only 1/2 mile from the ocean.  Hampton is also located near the White Mountains and we are planning on hiking one day.  After our two nights in Hampton we'll head up to Portland, Maine for a night and explore the town (L.L. Bean flagship store anyone?).  After our mini-vacation I'm looking forward to a long 4th of July weekend, my work trip/second mini-vacation to Washington, D.C./Baltimore toward the end of July and then upcoming work travel to Springfield, IL - El Paso, TX - Fayetteville, AR - Jackson, MS and a bunch of places throughout NYS.

 

Favorite/New Dinners or Recipes:  Despite not writing many recipe posts lately, I have been cooking quite a bit!  Twice now Adam has made fish sandwiches with spicy pineapple slaw and they are to die for - I can't wait until he makes them again!  I also made some pretty awesome chili mac last night and have what I hope will be a stellar chicken, pesto, goat cheese sandwich on the menu for tomorrow!

Meal Planning 101

Remember back when I was somewhat of a crazy couponer?  This is not a post about that but it is a post about meal planning, saving money and getting back to my weekly couponing.  For various reasons we are trying to be frugal - it is the year of austerity!  We sort of sat down and said where can we save money and a big area was grocery shopping.  In the past year or so I have really gotten away from my weekly grocery shopping and couponing and have gotten in the habit of going to to the grocery store multiple times during the week which may be more convenient and require less planning but is also much more expensive!

In an effort to curb my recently adopted multiple grocery store trip a week habit we decided to start meal planning and then go to the grocery store only once per week (if it can be helped - sometimes you just need to swing by and grab something).  So far I am really liking this plan - it makes me feel prepared and I know I will save money by only going to the grocery store once a week.  This is only the first week so some meals are TBD and others are non-specific (on own = we won't be cooking together that night). 

So here it is - week #1 of meal planning!

Weekly Meal Plan

Monday

On Own

Tuesday

Chicken Cesar Wraps w/Sweet Potato Tots

Wednesday

Caprese Pasta Salad

Thursday

Out to Dinner with Friends

Friday

Chicken Lazone

Saturday

Tacos

Sunday

TBD

My First Juice

My juicer arrived yesterday and I was so excited that I ran to the store and bought a ton of fruits and veggies!  Yesterday morning after spinning I had my first adventure into the juicing world!  Here are some pictures and then the run down follows ...
 

It arrived!  The Breville!

All set up on the counter!

One tip I got from all my online research was to put a small trash can bag or plastic grocery bag in the pulp bucket for easy disposal.

 Ingredients for my first juice (not including the celery). 

An apple, a pear, carrots, celery, half a lemon and spinach!

 Juicing!

 

 Up close!

 

 Post juicing pulp.

 

 A portion of my first juice!  The color is gross but it wasn't half bad!

 

So how did I like my first juice?  Honestly - it was decent - not great but definitely not bad!  I didn't follow a specific recipe and pretty much just tossed together what I thought would taste good.  The juice tasted initially like apple, followed by an intense celery taste.  I think I definitely added too much celery and will know for next time that a little celery goes a long way.  Since yesterday I have been looking up a bunch of juicing recipes and I'm excited to give some new ones a try. 

 

I was debating when to drink my juice during the day and I ended up having it at lunch time.  In the morning I had coffee and a bowl of celery, then at 11:45 AM I started to drink the juice.  I drank it slowly and finished around 12:30 PM.  The drink definitely kept me full for a while!  Around 2:30 I ate a peanut butter and banana sandwich (my favorite!) that I had packed that morning.  After that - I was good until dinner!  Moving forward it'll be interesting to see how juicing fits into my daily schedule.  So far I like drinking it for lunch/in the afternoon but I am definitely not opposed to having it in the morning.

 

In other news - I got my hair cut!  I went into the salon with the anticipation of getting some more layers and shortening my side bangs, but I left with a (longer) bob!  This is the first time I have had short(er) hair in a loooong time, but I really like it!  My hair is shorter in the back and longer and more angled in the front.   We'll see how it works out over the next couple of months but so far so good!  (If only my hair had more volumn, but I believe I may be destined for a life of straight lifeless hair.)  

 

New hair!

So Good It Deserves Its Own Post

A couple of weeks ago I made Sweet & Spicy Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes.  They were a major hit and I absoluetly loved them.  They were also buried in another post and did not get the front and center attention that they deserved.  Well the other night I had everything I needed to recreate the twice baked sweet potatoes so I set out to do just that; the only problem this time was that once the sweet potatoes were cooked and I cut into them the skin pretty much feel right off - not an ideal situation for a baked potato that needs to be restuffed.  So instead of abandoning ship I decided to throw everything into the mixer and make sweet and spicy twice baked MASHED sweet potatoes.  Honestly, they came out just as good if not better than the first time around!

 

Sweet & Spicy Twice Baked Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes

2 links Spicy Andouille Chicken Sausage (Trader Joe's)

1/4 cup light sour cream

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp minced garlic

1.5 cups fresh spinach
 

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 and place the forked sweet potatoes on a raised baking sheet ~ bake for about 1 hour or until tender ~ once cooked slice the potatoes (skins and all) into chunks and toss them in the mixer bowl ~ with the paddle mix on a medium speed until the potatoes are mashed but some chunks remain ~ in the meantime slice the chicken sausage into about 1/2 inch pieces and cook over medium heat until browned ~ just before the sausage is finished add the garlic, salt and spinach ~ allow the spinach to cook down ~ once complete transfer the spinach/sausage mixture to the mixer bowl ~ add the sour cream and mix all the ingredients on a low speed until well combined ~ once mixed transfer the mixture to a (greased) 8x8 baking dish ~ if desired top with cheese and bake at 350 for an addition 20 - 25 minutes. Enjoy!

 

This is fast becoming one of my favorite weeknight meals - I highly suggest you give it a try!

Paula Deen's Lighter Chicken Divan

I have wanted to try Paula Deen's chicken divan recipe for a long time now but everytime I look at the ingredients I put the recipe right back in my binder; the dish is full of full fat mayonnaise, sour cream and cheese, delicious I'm sure, but not very healthy.  The other day I had a portion of the afternoon off from work and I was really craving a hearty chicken dish for dinner, so I searched the web for a lighter version of Paula's famed chicken divan and I found one!  Now this recipe is still not the healthist (there is 1/2 cup of light mayo in it) but I ended up omitting a couple of ingedients to make it even healthier and avoid cheese (I believe the originial recipe called for shredded cheese in the sauce).  Here is is ...

 

Lighter Chicken Divan

Ingredients

1 bag steamable frozen broccoli florets

3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

2 garlic cloves, minced/1 TBS pre-minced garlic

1 (10 oz) can heart healthy cream of mushroom soup

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

½ cup light mayonnaise

½ cup nonfat plain greek yogurt or light sour cream

½ cup parmesean cheese (optional)

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 cup bread crumbs
2 cups cooked rice

 

Directions
Grill the chicken then set aside to cool ~ in a large mixing bowl mix together the can of cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, greek yogurt (or sour cream), minced garlic and salt and pepper ~ once mixed, set aside ~ microwave the steamable frozen broccoli for half the time needed to cook the entire bag ~ while the broccoli is defrosting grease an 8x8 pan ~ place the half cooked broccoli in the bottom of the 8x8 greased pan ~ shred the chicken and add that to the pan, on top of the broccoli ~ once complete pour the sour/yogurt/mayo mixture on top of the chicken and broccoli ~ top with bread crumbs and bake at 400 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes or until bubbly.  Enjoy!
 

 

The dish turned out awesome!  I served it over rice which made it filling and flavorful!  The leftovers also reheated really well for lunch the next day.  This recipe got two thumbs WAY up from the crowd.  Give it a try - it's a great weeknight meal!

Lighter Shrimp & Grits

For Valentine's Day Adam gave me Bobby Deen's new cookbook 'From Mama's Table to Mine: Everybody's Favorite Comfort Foods at 350 Calories or Less'.  Bobby Deen also has a show on the Cooking Channel called 'No My Momma's Meals'; the show is so-so but I love his recipes.  Being from the south and loving Savannah, GA I by default love all things Paula Deen but of course her recipes are about as far from healthy as you can get so Bobby Deen's new cookbook is a great and healthy way to cook it like Paula but with half the calories.  There are so many recipes in that book I want to try!  First up was Bobby Deen's Lighter Shrimp & Grits.  Lately I have been trying to cook more with shrimp and since most shrimp dishes also tend to be cheese-less this has worked out well during lent.

 

Bobby Deen's Lighter Shrimp & Grits

 

Ingredients
1/4 cup Canadian bacon, diced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 lb large shrimp, peeled, de-veined and de-tailed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10 oz) can petite-cut diced tomatoes
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fat-free half-and-half
3/4 cup uncooked grits (I used real South Carolina made grits)

Water to cook grits (see directions on package/bag)

 

Directions

Prep and/or begin cooking the grits according to directions.  Add canadian bacon to a nonstick skillet and saute over medium heat until crisp. While the bacon cooks dice the onion and green pepper.  Once the bacon is cooked transfer it to a plate and set aside. 

 

Add the oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender (about 8 minutes).  Add the uncooked shrimp and garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until the shrimp being to turn pink, about (4 - 5 minutes).  Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and set aside. 

 

Add the tomatoes, wine, hot sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors are blended and the sauce begins to thicken (about 6 – 8 minutes).  Return the bacon and shrimp to the skillet then stir in the half-and-half, allow the mixture to heat throughly.

 

 Shrimp, onions and peppers!

 After the shrimp is cooked - remove them and add the tomates, hot sauce, white wine and salt! 

Add the shrimp, canadian bacon and half and half - let everything heat through.

Voila - shrimp & grits!  I promise there are grits under there!

 

Now I know that some shrimp and grits recipes are tomato based and some are more cream based - this recipe is a combination of both, creamy and tomato based!  It turned out really well and was pretty simple to prep and throw together.  I ended up making it on a Saturday night but if you have everything ready to go I think it could easily be a weeknight meal.

Baked Shrimp Scampi

Since I have been observing lent this year by giving up cheese I figured I would also challenge myself to not eat meat on Fridays.  So Fridays = no meat and no cheese.  Challenge accepted!  This Friday was also unique in that we were going to the Tegan & Sarah concert (so much fun!) that night which meant I had about 45 minutes to cook dinner, eat, get ready and be out the door!  So I searched the internet looking for something that was meatless, cheese-less and quick!  I decided on a baked shrimp scampi - not the healthiest thing on the planet (everything in moderation) but quick, easy and from the picture looked delicious! 

Baked Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients

1/2 cup of butter

2 heaping tablespoons dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 LB shrimp (raw, shelled, deveined, tails detached)
1/2 LB linguine

Directions
Thaw, peel, devein and de-tail the shrimp (if not already done) ~ preheat the oven to 450 degrees ~ in a sauce pan melt the butter and combine with the dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic and parsley ~ whisk occasionally and allow to heat throughly, but not boil ~ place the raw shrimp in a greased shallow glass baking dish (I used an 8x8) ~ pour the butter mixture in the dish and bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until shrimp is pink (do not over cook or the shrimp will become rubbery) ~ while the shrimp is baking, cook the linguine ~ plate and serve together with your favorite veggie (I chose broccoli, of course)

This dish was REALLY good!  Go light on the sauce because it is rich but this recipe mirrored some of the best shrimp scampi I have had, not to mention it is a great super quick weeknight meal!