Thanksgiving 2013

Simon's first solid: Sweet Potato

I'd say he liked it! He ate a good bit of it too. Of course some got on his face but I feel safe that he ate the majority of what was fed to him. 

Brian is the one who gets too feed him as I am still nursing :)

Right now we are giving him the option of eating 2 oz a day. Once he fully eats the 2 oz we will look into giving him more. Food before one is really for practice so you don't want to give him too much.

We are going to alternate between vegetable and fruit. Our current plan is:

Sweet Potato

Apple

Peas

Bananas

Carrots

We are making our own baby food and it couldn't be any easier and it's soo much cheaper!

Simon at Two Months

On 7.19.13 Simon turned two months! Today we had his two month check up.

Weight: 10 lbs 6 oz (25 percentile)

Height: 23 3/4 inches (75 percentile)

Head circumference: 15 1/4 inches (25 percentile)

His weight is an issue. While he is gaining weight he isn't gaining it fast enough. He is supposed to be at least 11 lbs 6 oz. The doctor does not think it is a supply issue, heck she called me super woman after hearing what I've been pumping. She also thinks he's been asking for food enough. She also thinks he is eating the right amount at a time based on what he eats st day care. The current idea is that my milk doesn't have enough calories in it and that's why he isn't gaining. 

So we are experimenting. Currently we are going to add formula to his diet and he will get his weight checked again next week to see if that's it. She gave us a different type of formula as well. We half and halfed the first bottle which he allowed Brian to give him and day care will give him a bottle or two. So he will get mostly breast milk at day care but some formula this week and at home he will still be exclusively breast fed. Hopefully this solves the issue.

He did a first at the doctor's office! He rolled over front to back! He scared himself silly and spent the next 10 minutes crying hysterically and this was before the shots! He has been working on rolling over for awhile now but hasn't done it until now. We have also been doing tummy time on beds which make it harder for you to roll over. I wonder when he will do it again!

On to his two month photo's!

And finally:

Simon's First Solid Food

A week or so ago Blair and Allyson were in town for their brothers graduation. While they were in town they decided to go wedding dress shopping for Blair's wedding dress and they invited Simon and me to join them.

The whole outing was fun and a success. While out we stopped at a restaurant for lunch. While eating Simon decided that it was his time to eat as well so off we went to the bathroom as I'm breast feeding. 

When he was finished and while I was getting myself put back together I notice something falling on simon's head. When I looked over I saw that it was a black bug.   By the time I could get my arms free the bug had quickly crawled into simon's mouth. Of course Simon chooses this moment to close his mouth and swallow. I'm now exclaiming "you ate a bug! You ate a bug!".

So Simons first solid food was a bug.

Pregnancy: Fifth month update

I am not happy with my dr's office. The doctors themselves are fine, as usual its the front office/administration staff that ruins the practice. The doctors appointment took way too long and there was no communication.

They told me last appointment that I had finished my fourth and starting my fifth so approximately four weeks later I should be finishing the fifth month and starting my 6th. This appointment which was 1.10.12, just about four weeks after the one before that, they tell me I am just under 22 weeks. They didn't change my due date, they just told me wrong before. So by my estimation, by the time this airs, I will have just finished my 5th month and entering my 6th.

Food: still limited but I know my boundaries so it isn't so bad. Baby has decided that it doesn't want our normal lunch routine so I am scrounging to figure out what I can eat for lunch. Lunch will become breakfast (don't worry, lunch was oatmeal) which is actually cheaper anyway. Baby does love red meat. You want to feed me something that won't cause any issues? Give me red meat. Steak, a roast, lamb...baby doesn't care it just likes red meat. I think I am low on iron. I don't want to over vitamize the baby by taking iron supplements so I have been playing with eating more broccoli, spinach and of course red meat. I am not craving red meat, its just the one food I can count on keeping down and I notice I don't drink ice water as fast (chewing on ice, wanting ice water is a sign of low iron) as I do when I don't eat red meat. I have actually not had any cravings and I wonder if that it is too early or I am eating eating of the right foods to not have cravings since all a craving is is your body telling you that you are low on something. The baby is an extreme health nut. I do need to improve on my vegetable intake but even outside of the pre-natals I am getting all the nutrients I need.

Sleep: I have noticed that I really need to eat before I go to bed. It makes me sleep deeper and longer and less starving when I get up (I still have to wait to go to work to eat otherwise I am guaranteed to get sick). However, the issue is I tend to fall asleep before I remember to eat again. Weird dreams continue, mostly about work now.

Sick: Still getting sick most mornings. Can't wait for that to end.

Pictures:

I am officially showing. Still very tiny, most of the people I know who are pregnant are about 4-6 weeks behind me and are bigger then I am and not in an unhealthy way from the look at it. I call it the stage where people are still hesitant to ask if you are pregnant but are 85% sure that you are. I am officially out of the "you look like you could lose 5lbs stage" I was stuck in before. The growth did happen almost over night. I know I'm going to pop because my abs and hip area hurt right before. I am also about to lose my innie belly button. I have gained around 15lbs at this point. I am going to beat my mom in lbs but not by much if my food intake doesnt get much better. I am supposed to gain 25-35lbs total. I have noticed my legs, arms and face is getting tinier. People say I look fuller in the face but I don't see it. I see more cheekbones then I ever did before.

I am starting to feel better enough to feel okay about exercising again so I am back at the gym on top of my morning/afternoon walks to walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes or so. I hope to remain as active as I safely can. Will help me not gain unnecessary weight, make birth easier and losing the baby weight easier. Plus it is a great stress reliever.

Why do I have to be allergic to cats?

Josh's mom was having a barbecue last night so Josh and Vicki invited Brian and I to come along. Brian has been close to Josh's mom since forever and we had a great time. Ate way to much amazing food and got myself invited to go with them for an art class!

Josh's family recently rescued some kittens. They were so cute! They were even holding each other as the slept.

Chicken Caesar Lasagna

Brian and I tried a new recipe and it was okay. Not Brian's cup of tea but I liked it. It wasn't really quick but it was easy. I am posting it because if Brian liked Alfredo sauces as much as I do we would probably make this a lot more often.

Chicken Caesar Lasagna

Ingredients:

-9 dried whole wheat or regular lasagna noodles (we used oven ready but boiled them anyway and it worked fine)

-2 10 oz containers of refrigerated light Alfredo sauce (we used 2 15 oz jars, non refrigerated, regularr Alfredo I dont think it made a difference)

-3 tablespoons lemon juice

-1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

-3 cups chopped cooked, chicken breast (I would use more chicken next time)

-1 10oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

-1 cup bottled roasted red sweet peppers, drained and chopped, (we used the whole jar)

Non stick cooking spray

-1/4 cup shredded italian blend cheeses (we used the whole two cup bag, we like cheese)

Directions:

1) Cook the noodles according to package directions and drain

2) Rinse noodles with cold water, drain again

3) Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine Alfredo sauce, lemon juice, and black pepper

4) Stir in chicken, spinach, and roasted peppers

5) Lightly coat a 3 quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray

6) Arrange three cooked noodles in bottom of dish

7) Top with 1/3rd mixture

8) Repeat layers of noodles and chicken mixture twice

9) Cover and bake at 325 for 45-55 minutes or until heated through

10) Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly

11) Let stand 15 minutes before serving

Prep: 35 minutes, Bake: 50 minutes, Stand: 15 minutes

Scalloped Potatoes

This is the recipe I made to go with the lamb. Brian loved it and I liked it. I just dont think I like scalloped potatoes for some odd reason. I love potatoes and I love cheese and I like cheese on baked potatoes but I don't LOVE scalloped potatoes as I would have thought. I did think this recipe was a bit salty. I didnt really add salt, I think it came with the cheese. I also didn't really measure the cheese. I figured there is no such thing as too much cheese but maybe there is?

Anyway definitely making it again, will probably measure the cheese this time and maybe add more cream. I did think it could be creamier.

Four Cheese Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for brushing

½ clove of garlic

1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup shredded asiago cheese

1/3 cup shredded raclette or comte cheese

2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick

Kosher sat and freshly ground pepper

2 cups heavy cream

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 fresh bay leaves

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1) Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425

2) Generously brush a large skillet with butter, then rub with the garlic

3) Combine the mozzarella, asiago and raclette in a bowl

4) Heat the skillet over medium-high heat

5) Add half of the potatoes, spreading them out

6) Sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon salt, half of the cut up butter, half of the shredded cheese blend and pepper to taste

7) Arrange the remaining potatoes on top

8) Sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste

9) Pour the cream over the potatoes, then add the nutmeg and bay leaves; simmer 3 minutes

10) Dot the potatoes with the remaining cut up butter

11) Generously brush a shallow baking dish with butter, slide the potatoes into the dish; arrange with a fork if desired (if skillet is oven proof bake the potatoes in the skillet)

12) Sprinkle the potatoes with the parmesan cheese and the remaining shredded cheese blend

13) Bake until golden, about 25 minutes

14) Let rest 5 minutes before serving and discard the bay leaves

~Food Network Magazine, April 2011, page 127

Monthly Menu: October

You know how I said some of the food we got at Costco would last to November? Wrong!

September was, as I thought, a very expensive food month. Part of the problem is bringing Brian but that is for another post. Worst part of September being so expensive? The food wasn't that good. Most of it was just okay but we didnt find any new favorites. If we had loved the recipes it wouldnt hurt so bad but most of the recipes left us disappointing which is making us feel it wasnt worth it.

So in trying to even it out with Octobers menu...you will notice it is quite scarce. I refuse to buy any more meat and picked cheap recipes that we only needed a few things for. There is fend a lot through the menu and I do expect us to switch up meals based on how many left overs we have. We already ordered out (I didnt want to Brian refused to let me cook) yesterday because the kitchen is such a mess.

October 2011 Menu

Saturday, October 1^st: Lamb with Turnips

Sunday, October 2^nd: RAH @ Carolines, BMC Fend

Monday, October 3^rd: Curry Chicken Pot Pie

Tuesday, October 4^th: Apple Stuffed Pork chops

Wednesday, October 5^th: Fend

Thursday, October 6^th: Garlic Lemon Mahi Mahi

Friday, October 7^th: Meatball subs

Saturday, October 8^th: Out

Sunday, October 9^th: RAH @ Carolines, BMC Fend

Monday, October 10^th: Pork Wellington

Tuesday, October 11^th: Tuna Melts

Wednesday, October 12^th: Fend

Thursday, October 13^th: Fend

Friday, October 14^th: Sausage hoagies

Saturday, October 15^th: Out

Sunday, October 16^th: RAH @ Carolines, BMC Fend

Monday, October 17^th: Salmon Cakes

Tuesday, October 18^th: Pork Chops

Wednesday, October 19^th: Fend

Thursday, October 20^th: Fend

Friday, October 21^st: Pesto Pasta

Saturday, October 22^nd: Out

Sunday, October 23^rd: RAH @ Carolines, BMC Fend

Monday, October 24^th: Spaghetti Carbonara

Tuesday, October 25^th: Fend

Wednesday, October 26^th: Fend

Thursday, October 27^th: Chicken Parmesan (frozen ones in freezer)

Friday, October 28^th: Mac and Cheese

Saturday, October 29^th: Out

Sunday, October 30^th: RAH @ Carolines, BMC Fend

Monday,October 31^st: Tortellini

Fried Chicken and Artichokes with Salsa Brava

This was last nights dinner. It wasn't hard though you do have to do the marinade and salsa ahead of time. I started the marinade for the chicken and made the salsa last night. Salsa only needed 2 hours but I knew I wouldn't have a lot of time because of the meeting with the Bankerman who we ended up not seeing that night.

This is also came from Food Network Magazine:

Fried Chicken and Artichokes with Salsa Brava

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

1 cup beer (I ended up using Woodchuck not realizing it was more like cider then beer until it was too late)

1/3 cup sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar (used regular Sherry)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

5 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed

3 bay leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

18 chicken wing drumettes*

Extra virgin olive oil for frying**

1 cup all purpose flour

1 8.5 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and halved

Lemon wedges for serving

*We used chicken breasts. I didn't want to spend money on drumettes when we had breasts. I meant to cut them to make them cook easier/faster/have leftovers but I was lazy and hungry so I didnt

**Don't use EVOO. EVOO and OO do not get up to 350 degrees without  A LOT of smoking. Brian didnt tell me this until I had poured the whole bottle in to pot so we did and it turned out fine but Canola Oil works better and is cheaper.

For the Salsa:

1 6 ounce jar piquillo or pimiento peppers drained***

¼ red onion, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped

¼ evoo

½ teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

Pinch of cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons dry white wine

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar (just used regular Sherr)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

***Don't know what these are, couldnt find them, used pepperocini...salsa tasted good. Only other thought was to add crushed tomatoes but we don't think the type of pepper affected that. We think pimento might have made it less spicy?

1) Mix the beer, vinegar, oregano, garlic, coriander, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl

2) Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight

3) For the salsa, puree the peppers, onion, garlic, olive oil, coriander, paprika, cumin, thyme, cayenne, wine and vinegar in a food processor until smooth

4) Season with salt and black pepper, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours

5) Heat 1 inch of olive oil in a large pot in a deep fry thermometer registers 350 degrees

6) Meanwhile, season the flour with salt and pepper in a bowl

7) Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry

8) Dredge the chicken in the flour and fry in batches, turning as needed until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes

9) Drain on paper towels

10) Return the oil to 350 and dredge the artichoke hearts in the remaining flour and fry until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes

11) Drain on paper towels and squeeze a few lemon wedges on top

12) Serve the chicken and artichokes with the salsa and more lemon

~Food Network Magazine, May 2010, page 95

Very good. Doesn't make leftovers unless you use drumettes or cut your chicken into pieces. The artichokes were interesting. Definitely make them, they went well with the meal but fried artichokes is interesting. And other then time, everything was really easy. Definitely would make this again. 

Oh and an update on the other meals: I am stuck eating everything. I was stuck eating the beef with egg noodles because the broth wasn't thick enough for Brian. I am stuck eating the chili because it is too hard for Brian to eat at work. I am stuck eating the beef stir fry because this batch is too spicy and is giving Brian tummy troubles. He says he likes the chili and stir fry but yet I am stuck eating the left overs. And he wonders why I don't make things again when he has had 2 servings and I have had the rest.

Beef Stir Fry

Here is another recipe Brian and I like from this month's menu. I got it from Jenna's Journey and she mentions that she based this on Pioneer Woman's Beef and Peppers recipe. I have used a couple recipes from Jenna's Journey and Brian has really liked or loved all of them enough to ask to have it again. I have even reposted some and have a Roast and Carrots recipe and Banana Bread recipe waiting for me to cook.

Here is the recipe, I have included our suggestions.

Beef and Stir Fry

2 lb flank steak sliced 1/4" strips, against the grain  (we would cut them into bite sized pieces, quicker cooking, easier eating)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion sliced (I literally sliced it, Brian says it should be halved then sliced)
1 package udon noodles, dry kind (we couldnt find it so we used rice. Probably won't look for udon noodles in the future)

Make two batches, in two separate bowls, of the following. One batch is for the marinade, the other is the sauce.

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup sherry
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ginger powder
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon sriacha (hot chili sauce, I forgot this in the marinade batch)

1) Mix marinade ingredients and toss beef to coat
2) Let marinade for 2 hours (due to scheduling, ours marinaded for 11-12 hours and was fine)
3) Mix sauce ingredients and set aside
4) Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat
5) Cook onions until just beginning to soften, about 4-5 minutes and remove them to a plate (I took the opportunity and added some carrots to the onion)
6) In batches, cook the meat adding additional oil if needed (I didn't)
7) Make sure to distribute the meat evenly in one layer
8) Cook about 1 minute per side (cooking took longer then expected)
9) Once all the meat is cooked, add meat and onions back to the skillet and turn down stove to low
10) Add the sauce and cook until thickened
11) Meanwhile, cook udon noodles according to package directions. Once cooked add to stir fry and toss to combine. (We used previously made white rice, so I zapped in the fridge for 1 minute, added it to pan and let it heat up the rest of the way there)
12) Serve while hot

Forgive the picture...forgot to take one until I was putting it away.

This recipe is spicy. I was fine but definitely needed a drink. If you are not one for spicy it is easy to fix, either take out the hot chili sauce, chili pepper in marinade or chili pepper in sauce or take out all three. I will probably keep the spicyness for next time...some say it speeds up your metabolism and I could always stand to drink more water ;)

Japanese-Style Crispy Pork

My father is amazing and got us a subscription to Food Network Magazine. We love it and are keeping every edition.

A lot of our new recipes we are trying this month are from it and this is a good variation of pork chops.

I wouldn't really call it "Japanese style". The only things that make it Japanese is the panko,  and ginger and using those products don't make it "Japanese".

Besides that, it is a good recipe and easy to make:

Japanese-Style Crispy Pork

Ingredients:

1 lb thin cut boneless pork chops or cutlets, trimmed

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine, sake or sherry

1 ½ teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger

2 medium cucumbers

½ to 1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes

3 large eggs

2 cups panko

¾ cup cornstarch

Peanut Oil, for frying

Directions:

1) Season the pork with salt

2) Mix the rice wine and 1 teaspoon ginger and spread on the pork

3) Stack the pork and set aside

4) Peel, quarter and seed the cucumbers; cut into 4 inch spears

5) Toss with the sugar and vinegar

6) Toast the pepper flakes with 1 tablespoon salt in a skillet over medium heat, about 4 minutes, set aside

7) Beat the eggs with ½ cup water in a shallow bowl

8) Put the panko and cornstarch in 2 separate shallow bowls

9) Dredge each piece of pork in cornstarch, dip in egg, then coat with the panko

10) Heat ¼ inch of peanut oil in a large skillet over high heat

11) Fry the pork in batches until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side

12) Drain on paper-towel-lined plate

13) Sprinkle the cucumbers with some of the spiced salt

14) Mix the tonkatsu sauce and the remaining ½ teaspoon ginger in a bowl

15) Serve the pork with the cucumbers and sauce

~Food Network Magazine, May 2010, page 78

The same page gave a recipe for a possible side sauce: 

2 tablespoons each: Ketchup, Worcester, Sugar and 1 tablespoon of water mixed together. The sauce definitely went with the meal and is very easy.

Notice Brian's expert plating abilities. The cucumbers were a nice touch, nice and light and not too spicy due to the red pepper. We would definitely make this recipe again.

Beer Braised Chicken

This is similar to my Mom's chicken Dijon in some ways. Instead of wine, it uses beer. Instead of Dijon it uses ground mustard (we used Gulden's). This is VERY easy and good.

Beer Braised Chicken

Ingredients:

¼ lb slab or thick cut bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2lbs) (I used 2 chicken breasts cut up)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (I used regular salt as I didn't realize it was supposed to be Kosher until now)

All purpose flour, for dredging

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 12 ounce bottle beer (preferably brown ale)

1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed (if you can't find them frozen, skip. NOT worth trying to peel fresh ones)

½ lb small red-skinned new potatoes, halved (cooking will take less time if you quarter them)

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

2 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

4 sprigs fresh thyme

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1) Heat large pot over medium high heat

2) Add the bacon and cook until browned, about 5 minutes

3) Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate

4) Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off the excess

5)Add the olive oil to the drippings in the pot

6) Add the chicken in batches and cook over medium high heat until golden on the bottom, 6 to 7 minutes, then flip and sear the other side, about 1 minute

7) Add the beer, onions, potatoes, mustard, sugar, thyme and 1 cup water to the pot and stir, making sure the chicken is fully submerged

8) Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes (we halved the potatoes so while the chicken was done in 15, the potatoes weren't. It probably took 30 minutes total)

9) Discard the thyme and stir in the bacon and parsley

~Food Network Magazine, April 2010, page 82

New good recipes

September as I have said before is full of recipes that are new to us. We were so excited about trying them. So far they have all been  a bust. Not horrible but not worth the effort. We finally found two meals (we liked the fried pickles though they take  awhile but that isn't a meal) that we like so hopefully our luck has turned the corner.

I am going to post one today and the other tomorrow.

 This recipe needs a preface. I am not a huge fan of chili. I can handle about one bowl and that is it. Brian ends up eating all of the left overs and I can go for awhile without eating it. I understand the attraction to it and sometimes forget that I don't like it but am quickly reminded that I don't.

That being said....I did like this recipe and will actually share the leftovers with Brian.

Chili Pot Pie with Polenta Crust

Recipe says it take 2 hours to make....I would budget for 3. Chili is VERY similar to tomato sauce, cooking it longer never hurts and well I was having a hard time with the timing of it. I started it around 7 and we weren't eating until about 9:15.

Ingredients:

Chili:
-2 teaspoons olive oil
-1 1/2 lbs well trimmed boneless beef chuck cut into bite sized chunks (ours started out at over 3 lbs but after trimming it was just about right. I actually think we could have gotten a bigger piece of meat and be fine)
-Salt
-1 medium chopped onion
-1 medium red pepper (I had green so I used green..it was fine)
-3 cloves crushed garlic
-1 serrano or jalapeno chile (recipe says seeded, so that's what I did and mine was pretty big. Not very spicy so if you like your chili spicy you may want to keep the seeds in)
-2 tablespoons tomato paste
-3 tablespoons chili powder
-1 tablespoons ground cumin
-1 (28ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice
-2 cans (15-19 ounce) red kidney beans rinsed and drained

Polenta Crust (what ended up being the hardest part)
-2 cups low fat (1%) milk (we used soy as that is all we have)
-1 1/2 cups cornmeal
-4 1/2 cups boiling water
Salt

Directions:

To prepare chili:

1) In 12 inch skillet, with a broiler safe handle* (if not broiler safe wrap handle in double thickness of foil for broiling in oven late), heat oil on medium-high heat until hot

*All the food would fit precariously in a 12 inch skillet. I used my stock pot and then transferred it to a dutch oven to put in the oven since messes and I normally are best friends, I don't need anything that makes making a mess any easier.

2) Sprinkle beef with 1/4 teaspoon salt
3) Add beef to skillet in 2 batches and cook 4 to 5 minutes per batch or until beef is browned on all sides stirring occasionally and adding more oil if necessary
4) Transfer beef to bowl once it is browned
5) After all beef is browned, add onion, pepper, garlic, and serrano chile to same skillet and cook on medium 8 minutes or until all vegetables are lightly browned and tender, stirring occassionally
6) Stir in tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly
7) Return beef and any juices in bowl to skillet
8) Add tomatoes with their juice stirring and breaking up tomatoes with the side of spoon, heat to boiling on medium high
9) Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer an 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
10) Add beans and cook chili uncovered for 15 minutes longer or until meat is tender
11) After adding beans to chili prepare the polenta

To prepare the polenta (this should be easy, I don't know why it was hard)

1) In a microwaveable safe deep 4 quart bowl or casserole, combine milk, cornmeal and 3/4 teaspoon salt until blended.
2) Whisk in boiling water
3) Cook in microwave on high 12 to 15 minutes (be careful it doesnt bubble over)
4) After first 5 minutes of cooking, whisk vigorously until smooth (mixture will be lumpy at first)
5) Stir 2 more times during cooking

Putting everything together:

1) While polenta is cooking, preheat broiler
2) When chili is done skim off the fat (there wasn't any when ours was done)
3) Spread polenta evenly over chili in skillet (chili was in a dutch oven at this point)
4) Place skillet in broiler 6 to 8 inches away from source of heat and broil polenta 3 to 4 minutes or lightly browned, rotating skillet if necessary for even browning. (Ours never really browned and I left it in for about 15 minutes)
5) Let pot pie stand 10 minutes for easier serving, makes about 9 cups

~Good Housekeeping

Very good, Brian isn't sure why it is "pot pie". I told him about the polenta but it had melted into the chili when I took it out of the dutch oven. Will definitely make this again but won't do it when I am running late and starving :)

Busy Saturday :)

We have had a very busy and productive Saturday and it is only 1pm!

We had to be up at 8 because we got free breakfast at Chik Fil-A. Well our entrees were free and we chose to get hash browns and drinks on the side so we ended up paying a total of $6 for the both of us.

Before breakfast I managed to finish stuffing the Save the Date cards and get them out in the mail. So people should be on the look out for those. I was only 4 days late :)

After breakfast we went to the bank to deposit the rest of the house down payment (did I mention we decided to buy the house? well we did :) ) and went to meet the house sales lady. We are meeting with the bank on Monday and if everything goes well we will finalize the banks paper work then and finalize house paperwork on Wednesday. We should know if everything went through and when the house will be finished by the 19th.

After that we went to Walmart. We were going to Walmart because I wanted a new hot/cold water bottle and groceries and I didn't want to have to stop at two stores. Well....I couldn't find a water bottle that could do both hot and cold water and the larger coffee cup/mug/thermos was only 24 ounces and I need a bigger one then that because I can't just refill it whenever I want. Brian asked why I couldn't just bring two and well, A) I shouldn't have to, B) more for me to carry and drop and C) more likely that it could spill at my desk and get all over the place. I think we are going to look on Amazon for it. The Walmart trip ended up costing about $50 dollars or so but this trip did contain pantry items that we had run out of. I only mention it so I can look up and see how much this month has cost in food.

We have also gone through the most recent Food Network Magazine and of course Brian has found about 10 more recipes I apparently have to make for him. I love the magazine but our recipes of "must try" is getting out of hand.

Brian is going to go play his game for the rest of the day and I will watch Ally McBeal and knit which I haven't gotten to do a lot this week. I should be able to finish the current square and get a good start on another one before tomorrow.

September's Grocery List

This is the first installment of September's grocery list. As I mentioned earlier that other then Costco we are going to go grocery shopping weekly so I am going to update my weekly trips here like I did when we went monthly.

Yesterday's trip was to Costco and Food Lion. September is going to be a more expensive month like a thought but in a different way. I thought it was Costco that was going to be more expensive but it is really going to be Food Lion that is going to cost more I think. Sure Costco did cost more then it normally did but I think most of what we got is going to actually last closer to 3 months rather then 2 so that even's itself out. I have already spent $88 at Food Lion and that is some pantry items and the ingredients I need to last us until September 10th. This is okay, just interesting to me. October will be a cheaper month so it will even out in the end.

What we got at Costco:

A case of Brian's Monsters (energy drink)
NutriGrain bars (48 pack)
Chicken breasts (a package of 6 units with 2 breasts per unit)
Ground turkey (a package of 4 1lb containers)
8 lbs of Chuck Roast (only needed 5 1/2 but that was as close as we could get)
Eggs (package of 18)
English muffins (package of 18)
Bread (2 loaves)
Pork chops (3lbs...this will last until November)
Leg of lamb (7lbs)
Beef flank (3lbs....this will last until November)
Pork tenderloin (this is a package of 2, this will last until November)
Chicken Sausage (3 sleeves of 8 sausages...this will last until November)
Butter (a package of 4 boxes of unsalted butter. First time buying butter from Costco so not sure how long it will last)

This all totaled $223. I don't think that is too bad given what we had bought and how long everything will last. I listed things I was sure would last until November but there are other things that could last until November as well depending on what we do for October. And red meat is more expensive then Chicken/Turkey and we haven't eaten red meat in a while.

What we got at Food Lion:

Egg noodles
Pretzel sticks
Wheat germ
Pasta sauce
Dill pickle chips
Cornmeal
Tuna
1 can whole peeled tomato
Pinto beans
Red kidney beans
Green chilis
Tomato paste
Yellow onions
Spinach
Garlic
Jalepeno pepper
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Lettuce
Crescent roll
Cream cheese
Cheese
Pizza dough
Crescent rolls
Feta
Goat cheese
Cheese Tortellini

This all totaled $88 dollars. Some of it will last longer then just the meal but not too much. Based on usual numbers this means we have about $99 dollars to get us through the rest of the month. It might be possible, it will be interesting to see what happens.

Eating while working out...

Is very important to losing weight and getting in shape or even just maintaining your current weight. Everyone knows that the more calories you burn and the less calories you consume the more weight you will lose. This is of course a very slippery slope.

I tend to accidentally have an issue with this. I am obviously working out and burning calories and I am also trying to eat less so I can lose weight. However, there are days I feel like I haven't eaten enough. If you don't give your body fuel it will go into starvation mode and you won't lose weight. If you don't give your body enough fuel it will not create the muscle tone/change that you want it to. My issue comes with the later. I am eating...just some days not enough it seems. I don't want to cut down my activity as I am having fun so the only answer is to eat more.

That is easier said then done. One reason this is hard is because I am so used to eating small amounts multiple times a day that I can't eat a lot at one time. Another reason is that I hate feeling like I am constantly eating. It doesn't matter what I am eating, I hate feeling like I spent all day eating even if it was only carrots. My schedule also makes it harder since I can't eat at my desk and can only really get up from my desk on my designated breaks.

I don't like to eat unless I am hungry. However, I am a big girl so I force myself to something before I leave work. My preferred breakfast is an English Muffin with Jam but right now it is a piece of bread with peanut butter since I ran out of English Muffins. I don't eat anything during my first/second break so I think I might add something there although that will end up being very close to my breakfast time so I won't be hungry or even thinking about food. Also not sure what I would add since I only have a 10 minute break and I would have to get to the break room on the other side of the building to eat whatever it is I brought. Since I work out during lunch I eat a Nutri Grain bar after the gym. I am running out of Nutri Grain bars so I am going have to use a Zone bar which might actually help. That typically holds me until 3-3:15 with my 2nd/3rd break where I eat lunch. My lunch is typically left overs from the night before. After work I go work out and get home where I start dinner and eat that.

Some days it isn't about how many times I eat but more of how many calories I consumed that day. I made Potato Corn chowder the other night so I brought that for "lunch" yesterday and today and I just don't think that has enough calories to hold me over. I need to up the calories without going to high and remaining healthy.

So my solution:

Breakfast: Bread or English muffin with Peanut Butter on it. Holds me over better then jam/jelly
First/Second Break: Hard boiled egg or something like that
Lunch: Nutri Grain bar
Second/Third Break: left overs from the night before
Dinner: Regular dinner

Any ideas on what I could eat on my first or second break other then a hard boiled egg?

(I only really get 2 breaks a day each being 15 minutes long. When I am in training they do two 10 minute breaks in the morning assuming we will only take 10 minutes in the afternoon but as our peer coaches take 15 minutes in the afternoon we end up with an extra 5 minutes as break time. The first break is usually between 9-9:30 where I would eat the extra snack. The second being at 11 which I don't want to eat in yet unless I feel like I need to. A) it is awful close to 9-9:30 and 12:45 when I get out of the gym and B) I don't like going to the gym with food in my stomach)

A weekend with nothing to do...

This is the first weekend where I haven't had much to do for the wedding. Sure we have the photo shoot tomorrow but we don't really have to do much for that other then going shopping for Brian today. I haven't known what to do with myself.

I have finished watching The Kennedys with Greg Kinnear and Katie Holmes among other famous people. I enjoyed it very much. It was 8 episodes but, to me who did not grow up within the Kennedy decade(s), it seemed to cover the big things very well. I was impressed with what I had already known. Maybe I did learn something in High School :)

Brian has been playing his game. He has been playing them a lot. I can't really complain as there really isn't anything else for him or us to do. I have gone in today about 5 times asking if he wants to do something and we can't decide what we can do.

I think I am going to pick knitting up again. I don't really have any excuse not to now that the wedding is basically planned. Plus my mini mountain of squares is looking at me.

You know your weight loss program is working when you can wash and dry jeans and not have to jump into them :) They are even a little loose :)

I already have September's meal plan organized. I have decided that we are going to go shopping once a week. That will hopefully solve the issue of forgetting items at the store which has been plaguing me this August and hopefully make it so that I can pay for some of the trips myself. Brian still has to do Costco because he knows his pin number on his debit card but I should be able to help with the actual grocery store. Before I would never have the money at the moment we needed to go for the month as 90% of the bills come out of my bank account. While that is still true, if we do it it weekly the amounts needed will be smaller and I should be able to help share that burden. It will also give us something to do on Saturday.

I like Septembers menu but it will be more expensive then normal I am afraid. We normally don't have red meat. We love red meat but it is expensive and not so great for you in the portions we wish we could eat it in. September has more red meat in it in normal. I could split the red meat menu's up between September and October but that doesn't really change anything as the meat comes from Costco and the Costco trip will be for September and October. October will be a cheaper month so it will even itself out. A lot of the meals on the menu are Brian's favorites and recipes we have been wanting to try for a while. We will also have more left overs. So far in August we have had JUST enough left overs to get us through.  September will definitely fix that. I am excited for the menu in September but still not sure if I am going to try and spread it out or if that will make much of a difference.

Random....

* This month's menu planning is still going awful. Tonight was supposed to be cheese souffle and not only did I not have heavy cream and had to replace it with half and half but the egg whites would not peak so we ended up having to trash the whole meal. It is an expensive meal that only Brian really likes and it is expensive :( Plus we don't have that many left overs and I was counting on this to work.

* Fitness Center is going well. This week several instructors are on vacation so we have had subs and boy am I sore! I must be gaining muscle as I apparently packed on 5 lbs though I don't look it other then maybe more muscle? I have been eating the same save this past weekend....

* Found a DJ for the wedding so now we just need a florist which we will do in October and start planning/ordering/doing the small decorations. The Save the Dates are in and I plan to pick those up on Saturday. Now I just have to A) get the instructions on how my guests should book and B) get those mailed out

*Payday is tomorrow. I also find out how I did on my first work test. I am still not at all used to getting paid every two weeks. It is weird.

*I was feeling less overwhelmed until today.

*I don't do phones and people keep calling/wanting to do things over the phone rather then email which isn't helping me feel less anxious/overwhelmed.

It is only day 6.....

of August and we have done HORRIBLY on the grocery budget. I blame it not having a printer and having to copy everything by hand.

I have so far forgotten eggs, butter, zucchini and half and half so I have had to go back and get those. Actually I got the eggs and butter this morning. I was purposely waiting on the zucchini so it doesn't go bad and didnt realize I didn't have half and half until I started cooking dinner and went to grab it.

I think what happened with the half and half is that what I did have went bad and I threw it out. Brian is currently running to the store and grabbing more.

Here is hoping these are the ONLY things I have forgotten for this month. Without going to Costco this is becoming our most expensive month and I swear we had a lot of this stuff already at home. Do not understand. :-\

August's Grocery List

Here is August's grocery list....it actually shouldn't be that bad...

August's Grocery List 2011

English Muffins

Sub Rolls

Crusty Bread

Dish Detergent

Tomato Paste

Molasses

Potatoes

Frozen Peas

Frozen Carrots

16 ounce bag of frozen hash browns

Garlic

Capers

Red Onion

4 Onion

3 red peppers

Tomatoes

Provolone

2 Cheddar cheese

Parmesan Cheese

6 ounces Gruyere

Manwich

Chili

1 16 ounce can of whole kernel corn

1 15 ounce can creamed corn

Tuna

Bacon

Heavy Cream

Half and Half

Butter

Sour cream

Eggs

Pasta Sauce

Steak Sauce