Getting Our Greek On

The end of September was the Greek Food Festival. We decided that sounded like fun. Parking was a little on the crazy side, but it didn't take us too long to find a spot. The kids had fallen asleep on the drive there, so I fed Genevieve in the car while we let them rest.


Our first stop was for food, of course. We had way too much... gyros, pita and hummus, Greek fries, saganaki (fried cheese), loukoumathes (deep fried dough with honey) and of course baklava.


Near the food tent they had a stage with live music and dancers. Adelyn thought it was too loud, but we enjoyed watching and listening.


After our tummies were stuffed, we walked over to the rides. Adelyn and Odin picked the kid Ferris wheel to go on, followed by a bounce house. They both had so much fun.


By then we were ready to go. Mostly because it was getting chilly and for some reason we didn't think to pack jackets. Silly us.


On our way out we bought Adelyn a scarf with coins sewed all over it (think like a belly dancer). It seemed like all the little girls were wearing them. Odin wanted one too, but the nice lady at the booth found a light-up toy for him instead. Adelyn has been having fun with the scarf. It makes a bunch of noise when she dances. :)

Getting Into A Utah Groove

We've been in Utah for over a month now. Crazy! We just had to move houses on Wednesday, so we're getting settled into our new place.

February seemed to fly by. We had house guests the first week. Neither Ben nor I had ever met them before. Ben only knew them a teeny tiny bit from a group that he is in. Turns out - they were great guys. Peter and Nick are from NYC. They are good friends and they love skiing. So they spent the week skiing with Ben while the kids and I kept busy. We went on daily "adventures" being "all snow-geared up." We had a lot of fun playing in the snow.

We also discovered the local library. Every week they have "Discovery Time." I jokingly told Ben that it was like Little Gym but without the gym part. But they do have an opening song. Then the librarian reads a few books related to the day's letter or theme. More songs. Then bubble time (see? It's like Little Gym!). Then after you get stamps (sound familiar?) you can go into the other room for crafts and snacks. We've been having fun doing that.

After we got back from MN, we had 3 more house guests. These ones had me stressing out. Ben had told me that he thought they were strict Paleo dieters. We kind of eat that way. But our daily eggs couldn't be cooked in butter. We couldn't have chili because it has beans. So, yeah. I was trying to find new recipes that I could make. Turns out... Ben was wrong. They eat Paleo-ish. Basically like us. But, I did find two yummy muffin recipes. Mike, Abel and Allison were a lot of fun. At night we played games. Allison was great with the kids. They really felt like old friends to me. I like that feeling. I was very sad to see them go.

And now it's March. My mom is up this weekend to watch the kids so I can participate in the Summit Weekend with a bunch of our friends. I am excited to get out a bit more. Next weekend Ben's parents come into town. Followed by a couple of our friends. Followed by my parents and brother. Then - poof! The month will be over.

Carrot Banana Muffins I found that this makes 15 muffins. I used golden raisins instead of dates, and I didn't add the nuts.

Zucchini Berry Muffins This one made 18 muffins. I used only almond flour (2 cups). Golden raisins instead of dates again, and again, no nuts.

Things I Can Do

One handed, with my left hand, while holding a baby in my right:
Get a bowl and spoon out
Get oatmeal from the pantry
Measure out oatmeal and water and put into bowl
Microwave bowl of oatmeal
Add chocolate chips and dried cherries from sealed bags
Pour a glass of juice
Bring my breakfast to the table (two trips)

What I can't do: Eat with my left hand

Someone's in the Kitchen

Oats - A few weeks back, I finally got around to remember to put some steel-cut oats in the crock pot before I headed to bed. I was expecting a different texture, but the different taste kind of surprised me. But amazing things happen when you add chocolate chips...

Polenta - I decided to give polenta a try. I had a recipe where you cooked it with water and then added milk and cheese to it. For the most part we liked it. The cheese didn't fully melt down, so Ben wasn't thrilled with the globs. I would try it again without the cheese.

Things That Make You Go Yum!

On Friday, I decided to make oatmeal for breakfast. Mainly because we were out of bread, so the usual eggs and toast or French toast was out. I made it on the stove with milk and strawberries. Before serving it, I pulled out some homemade whipped cream and put a dollop on top of the oatmeal. Yum!

Yesterday Ben and I caught the last half of "Everyday Food" on PBS. The one recipe looked pretty good and easy, so we went to the store to buy the ingredients. It was for Steak with Brussels Sprouts and Almonds. I will admit, this was the first time that I have made Brussels sprouts. Or eaten them. But the recipe was pretty good. **Note** Skirt steak may be folded in half. Check before you cook. - Yep, we didn't know. So we didn't check. So when Ben went to turn the steaks over, they fell into two pieces. Still worked just fine, but the cooking had to be changed up (shorter time, flip again to cook the uncooked exposed parts).

While putting the recipe card away for the above recipe, I came across Strawberry Shortcake. Hmmm... We have strawberries. We have some whipped cream leftover. Why not? But instead of following the recipe card, which calls for Bisquick, I found another one from scratch. Mainly because of our 1899 fetish, but also because we don't have any Bisquick on hand (because of our fetish). Ben was a little worried because he is very much attached to the way his mom makes shortcake. But it turned out great! He must have liked it since that's what he asked for for breakfast. :)

It's [was] the Holiday Season!

I love Christmas! Ben is such a dear and willingly turns the radio on during Christmas (something that he usually does not do) just so I can have Christmas tunes following me everywhere.

It started off that we weren't hosting anything this season. But then, Christmas magic happened and we were hosting three events. One was cancelled due to weather. So we were down to two - Christmas morning and a family gathering that took place last weekend. We love to host and it is nice not have to go anywhere. And now the house is clean. :)

Aside from enjoying time off, family time and Christmas, I also completed my 2009 Resolutions. I have made two new recipes every month. I have run 100 miles. It felt great to have goals that stretched the whole year to keep me motivated and going. Now I'm trying to determine some for this year. I had thought about keeping these ones, but does it really count as a resolution if you have already done it? Still pondering that one.

New Recipe

I know, I know... I'm a slacker. Maybe that will be my New Year's Resolution for 2010 - keep this updated a bit more. Speaking of resolutions... Only 6.5 miles left for me to run! And thanks to our "Eating like it's 1899" kick (more on that later) I have made a lot of new recipes. Like this one: Upside-Down Pineapple Pancakes. Ben took 1 bite and said, "This is a keeper!"

Merry Christmas everyone!

Quinoa, Deer and Pants

Last night I made some quinoa for the first time. According to Wikipedia, it is a grain related to beets, spinach and tumbleweed. I liked it. So did Ben. I guess we will be adding this to our list of food we like (which is a very long list) and to the list of food we can eat (long story). If anyone has a recipe that they like with quinoa, pass it on!

This morning on our walk, all of a sudden Zoey got super excited. She started hopping on her hind legs and pulling my arms out of my sockets. It was pretty dark this morning, but I did make out the outlines of two deer and their white behinds. Zoey really wanted to chase them. Thankfully, I was able to keep her under control and on the leash.

I think today I am retiring my walking pants. This makes me sad as they have been my loyal companion for many years (along with Zoey, of course). The other day the button popped off. No biggie, I can just sew it back on. But then today the zipper broke. While it's true I can fix that too, it sounds like a lot of work for my raggy, stained and worn pair of pants.

Yummy Surprise

Yesterday Ben told me he was going to make us a tasty treat. He then asked if we had 2/3 cup of Baking Soda at home. ??? That much baking soda? That doesn't sound good at all. He assured me it was good. Ok. Guess we will see about that. He went to work on that while I got a chicken in the oven and went for a run. Side note - the run felt great! I haven't gone on one for too long. I got a PB! Back to the story - I finished getting some sides ready for dinner. Then Ben said he would need my help. He took some of the dough and started rolling into a snake. Any guesses? He then made a loop and a twist and folded it down. Have you figured it out yet? Then we put them in boiling water with baking soda (ah, we are not eating that much baking soda, just using it to boil). Then we brushed the tops with beaten egg yolk. Sprinkled them with some extra coarse salt. Put them in the oven. And.... homemade giant pretzels! They were so good. We almost had a dinner of pretzels instead of chicken.

Being Productive

This weekend Ben has been at a conference by the MOA. Every day starts early and ends late so I have pretty much been on my own. Yesterday after our run, Zoey and I cleaned our bedroom and bathroom from top to bottom. It had gotten way out of control. I feel so good about the room now. Almost all the clothes are put away (the ones that aren't are from today's washing) and everything is put in order. I do have a pile of things that need to find new homes. Unfortunately, that new home is probably my office/craft room downstairs. That room has seen some progress, but not there yet. Maybe I'll hide the box of stuff until that room is under control too.

Anyway, today I did some grocery shopping. Went to the dog park (as it turns out, 80 and sunny makes for a hot day for a black dog). And did some cooking for the week. I bought a full chicken and roasted it. Once it cooled down I shredded some and left the rest in pieces. That will be lunch and dinner tomorrow. (Dinner will transform it into a chicken pot pie type dish). Kitchen is all cleaned up.

Sometimes I am so productive I scare myself.

We Are Like Grasshoppers Compared to Them

Saturday was a beautiful day. I went for a run (only 35 miles left to go). It was a lot of fun. There were grasshoppers all over the trail and as I ran they would hop or fly out of my way. A very nice distraction from my run.

After that we had a few friends over. Some friends that moved out of state were in town, so we got together to catch up. It was a lot of fun to see them again and hear how life is for them. They are doing great.

Last week I made halibut kabobs with lemon tarragon butter. They were pretty good, but it turns out that I don't like tarragon very much (slight licorice taste). Then I made some peach jalapeno jam. It turned out a little thick, but it will probably still be pretty tasty on top of some cream cheese. Tonight I made risotto Florentine. It was pretty good too.

In other news, the good news is that my friend, Levrette, from India will be coming for a visit in September for a month or so. The bad news is that he is coming to learn another of my friend's jobs because the job was off-shored. It was expected, so at least it didn't come as a complete surprise. But it sucks. It was really hard for me because I knew about it a week or so before the team here did. It was hard keeping it a secret. Then when everyone found out the news, it was hard to defend why I kept it a secret. But I am relieved that it is out. And I am excited that Levrette will be here! I started to make a list of things to do. One thing on the list is to have Root Beer Floats. If anyone wants to join us for floats, let me know!

Peach Time

It's that wonderful time of year - I have a whole crate of delicious Colorado peaches. Yum! The other night I made a salad recipe from Every Day with Rachael Ray that had grilled peaches and grilled ham. The ham and peaches were great! The salad was... a little over the top. There were too many flavors. Ben requested that we not have the leftovers for the next night's dinner.

That same night I made Peach Cobbler from BH&G cookbook. I used more peaches than it called for, but I think that only helped the recipe. So yummy served warm with ice cream.

I have about 1/3 of the crate left, so I'm sure I will be posting with some more new recipes.

Record Breaking Month

I forgot to mention that this month I am on fire for new recipes! I made homemade pecan coconut frosting the other week for Ben's German chocolate cake. Friday I made Moroccan Chicken (anyone know how to smooth out spices? The dish seemed grainy to me). Today Ben wanted teriyaki shrimp but we didn't have teriyaki sauce, so I made some. And there's still more to come! Tuesday and Wednesday I have new recipes planned too. Whew!

Star Gazing

The other night Ben woke me up so we could watch some shooting stars. We grabbed a blanket and a pillow and headed to our front yard to watch (our new neighbor friend, Cassie, might think we are weird since she witnessed us setting up). It was a pretty nice night out. No bugs and slightly cool. We were out there for about an hour looking at the sky and talking. We probably saw about a dozen shooting stars. Not nearly the number we were expecting, but that's ok - it was still way cool.

The other night Ben and I made Mango Chicken with Coconut Rice. So yummy! And just like that, I've made two recipes already this month. :) Anybody have other uses for fish sauce?

Last weekend, Heather and I did another triathlon. I learned a few things - 1. Training makes things easier (so I will train before I do another one) 2. Red Wing has some terrible hills. But I suppose overall it was fun. Next time in addition to actually training, I think we will pick one closer to home. On the road by 5:45 am is not that much fun.

Whooah, we're half way there

Last Friday night we threw Andrea a surprise half birthday party. Her real birthday is close to Christmas and a few months back she commented to me that she doesn't like when her birthday is because people forget about it since they're so busy with the holidays. So, I thought it would be fun to throw a surprise half birthday party. The beauty was that she had no clue whatsoever. It was so much fun! We ate, played Catch Phrase (still not a fan of the scoring) and Rock Band and Guitar Hero. I was the party pooper and kicked everyone out. But it was 2 am, so I think that it was ok (especially considering I had been up since 5 am).

On Monday, I ran 4 miles. It's only note worthy because it put me over half way to my goal of running 100 miles this year. Only 48 to go!

And, I'm also half way through my recipe resolution. For June I made Spicy Halibut thanks to my wonderful husband who caught it in Alaska. The fish was fantastic! The spice combination was only ok. We used some of the leftovers to make fish quesadillas. That was pretty good. The second recipe was for the half birthday party. Andrea loves baked brie, so I decided to make it. It was super easy, and I thought pretty good. It was just a round of brie "frosted" with sour cream and then brown sugar, pecans and butter on top. Yum!

What a Weekend

This past weekend was a lot of fun and relaxation. Friday was our first 1/2 Friday of the summer, so Ben and I took advantage and went out to eat and then to the dog park (after picking up the little Zoey girl). Ben went swimming while I ran to Costco for some brats and buns and then we grilled and watched a movie with my bro (12 Monkeys).

Saturday we went to Albertville to do some furniture shopping. We found 4 bedroom sets that we liked, but we forgot to measure the room beforehand, so we didn't buy anything. The sales lady, Darlene was hilarious. That night Rick, Mickey and Malachi came back to town, so we hung out with them.

Sunday was my mom's birthday so the family got together to celebrate. After that we went to the Gale's for the annual Memorial Day party. I was relatively good this year. We had a lot of fun and the weather was perfect!

Monday we slept in and went back to Albertville to buy our furniture set. The bad news is that it is all over the country, so we won't get it until the end of June. Which really isn't all that bad, but we wanted two beds set up for this Friday because we have multiple house guests. Oh, well.

I've also caught up with my recipe resolution. Ben and I made an Italian Pasta Salad from our pasta cookbook the other night. It was easy and good. And then tonight I made Corn and Beef Creole with Olive Biscuits. Of course, I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but it was pretty yummy. I am a little worried about how well the biscuits will hold up as leftovers.

April Update

For Easter I made a Key Lime Pie Poke Cake from Betty Crocker. It was pretty tasty. I count this as my second recipe of the month. Ben said that I should only count main dish recipes. What do you think? Just in case he's right, in May I will do three recipes. So, to kick things off right, the other night we grilled some salmon. We made a rub of brown sugar, salt, pepper, and other seasonings. It was great! We used the leftovers for a salad.

On the weight loss progress... India kind of threw me for a loop. I didn't exercise at all while I was there (one day I swam 3 laps, but I don't think that really counts). But I am down 3 pounds from where I started. I think this next little bit will be a challenge. Since I'm training for the tri I am a lot more active. But I don't want to sacrifice muscle so I am trying to eat enough to keep my body in good shape. We'll see what happens.

Week 5 Results

During Week 5 I rode our exercise bike for a total of 150 minutes and 29 miles. And it's a good thing that I started exercising again: May 2 is the annual Run of the Mills 5k run and then somehow Andrea managed to talk me into doing a mini triathlon on June 13. Time to really get this butt in gear! Since the start of my diet/life change I have lost 3 pounds.

Last night I played volleyball. My mom slightly freaked out when she found out that I was playing (concern for my back). During the middle of the third game I thought to myself, "Huh, how would I get home if I threw my back out again?" Thankfully everything was fine. We lost, but I am still in one piece.

I forgot to post last week about a new recipe I tried: Barley and Vegetable Saute from Betty Crocker. It was pretty darn healthy and not bad. Ben's comments were: "I've never seen so many Lima beans in one place before." and "This looks like peasant food." But he ate it several times (it made a lot) since it was low in calories, high in protein and pretty filling.

Recipes

This weekend has gone by way too quickly. We didn't have any particularly exciting plans, but here we are on Sunday night and I wonder where the time went.

Tonight we had my parents over for dinner. We were supposed to do some Wii bowling too, but we ran out of time. We haven't been with my parents for a long time, so there were a lot of things to catch up on. For dinner I made "Sizzling Hot Fajita Salad." I got the recipe from Karen. I thought it was pretty good. And aside from all the slicing I did beforehand, it was on the table in about 10 minutes.

The other day I was thinking about my new recipe resolution. Would anyone like to see me post my recipes that I have been trying online? I know there are a few sites out there where I can create and share a recipe box. But I'm not sure if anyone cares. I mark up my recipe books, so I don't need an online version, but thought I would see if anyone else wants my recipes. Thoughts?

Flannel

Why is it that flannel sheets feel so warm when you crawl into bed but regular Cotton sheets don't? This weekend I (finally) put the flannel sheets on our bed. Mmmmmm.....

Since I last posted I have made two new recipes! I am really on a roll here. :) On Wednesday night I made Meatball Soup also from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I made a few slight changes (no surprise there): instead of making my own meatballs, I used frozen ones; I didn't have mini pasta so I used regular sized (and increased to one cup); I also threw in some leftover chopped tomatoes from taco night. It was a pretty tasty soup. And easy!

Last night we had David and Heather over for dinner and Guitar Hero. I made a Vegetable Stuffed Roast (recipe from BH&G). I thought it was pretty tasty. For dessert I made chocolate molten cakes, but I've made them before, so that's not a new recipe.

I guess that brings my new recipe count up to 3. I probably won't make anything new this week. On Friday we are leaving for Texas for Cassie's wedding. So excited for her. And also excited to see John, Sara, Malachi and Val.