Erica Shaw

My Library

2012-01-13T17:32:00.000-08:00

I have a library. It's a very big library lined with bookcases that go from floor to ceiling. The bookcases are filled with books of all sizes. Some books are only a few sentences, others are long novels. They all tell a different story, but all the stories are about my aspirations and dreams. They are stories that are rarely told.

When I feel adventurous, I go to my library and pull a book down from one of the shelves and dust it off. I rub my fingers over the soft leather cover and feel the grooves of the embossed letters of the title. Slowly opening the cover I take in the smell of it's pages. Some pages are crisp and bright white and new. Other pages are yellowing, old and very fragile. I read the words on the pages. The words bring to forth all sorts of emotions. I get excited and motivated and I think it's time to put the book away and get to work on that particular aspiration. But alas, I feel a heaviness in my chest and I cannot breathe. My heart pounds in my chest. An overwhelming feeling of despair and anxiety overcome me and I swiftly close the book. With tears in my eyes, I place the book back on the shelf. I glance at the massive amount of books I own, my heart grows in deeper despair.

I do this often, you know. I want to bring someone with me. I want them to read my books and be as excited as I am and we can leave the library, hand in hand skipping gleefully together out into the world to accomplish all our dreams. Together. But that never happens.

Instead, I open the windows to get some fresh air. I see the sunshine and it makes me smile. I dust the shelves and order the books and make things neat again. Then, I close the window, and draw the shade. As I walk toward the door of my library, I give one more longing glance and breathe a deep sigh, turn out the light and close the door.

A Minimalist Christmas

2011-12-22T09:51:00.000-08:00

Stained glass tealight Nativity set

This Christmas I had an awakening. I used to eye roll at the thought of home-made decorations adorning the tree made by the hands of a 6 year old. But something changed in me this year when I thought back on memories of being in school and making fun crafts to take home to mom. I realized my son would miss out on those memories if I did not do them since he does not go to a separate institution for school.

Next year we will switch to LED's. As you can see, some of our lights have given up.

I also looked at my stock Christmas decorations and realized only a handful of ornaments and decorations that held any sentimental value. The rest, while I had devoted much to finding perfect matches and coordinating colors, were just colorful junk that I stored in my garage for 11 months out of the year.

I went through it all piece by piece and made a Craigslist and a blog post to sell what I no longer wanted. We bought a real tree for the first time in our 10 years of marriage, along with a real wreath for the door. I have missed the smell of a real tree, I think my parents made the switch to artificial when I was a teenager. I am reminded that real trees are my favorite way to do Christmas trees.

well, at least we had fun!

Tino and I strung fresh cranberries from clear string and draped them on the tree. I dried sliced mandarin oranges and hung them from the branches. We made gingerbread cookie ornaments as a family but they didn't bake up right but we had fun making and decorating them. Tino and I also made glitter covered birds and hung them from the tree too.

I am thinking next year we will make new Chrismons for our church and some for home.

This year Christmas decorating was fun and refreshing compared to hauling out all the beautiful but meaningless decorations from years past.

I encourage you to look at what you have for Christmas decorations. Ask yourself these questions. Which one's do you love? Bring good memories? Come from someone special? Do you have more than you want? Do you have space to safely store them all? Do any bring negative memories? Could you make better memories by hand-making them?

Here is a look at the things I have kept and cherish

Nativity Advent Calender given to Tino by my parents when he was 3

Large Nativity ornament given to Tino by my parents when he was 6

Luther's Seal ornament given to us last year by my parents

Peacock ornaments (2) given to me last year by Mom and Dad (peacocks are symbol for resurrection)

Crocheted snowflakes handmade by my mom and grandma (8)

Ornaments from our First Christmas as a married couple (4)

Tino's First Christmas 2004

"Treebeard" given to me by Mom and Dad and orange slices

Given to Vince last year by my parents

Given to us last year from a member of Mt. Olive

Crown tree-topper

White dove ornaments (8) and an ornament given to us from my parents

Given to me by Mom and Dad

Given to Vince from Mom and Dad

German Christmas Pickle (hide it and whoever finds it gets a treat)

Ornaments (4) from our First Christmas as a married couple

*Someday, I will get photos of the kids in these (4)

Glitter birds Tino and I made together (8)

Guinness Chocolate Cake with Bailey's Irish Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-12-21T10:26:00.000-08:00

I am not a baker. I really enjoy cooking, but there are only a few things I enjoy baking, and most of them come from a box. This is one thing I enjoy making and it comes, from a box! It's super easy, and makes for a really unique flip on the traditional chocolate cake. It's especially fun to make for Saint Patrick's day.

It's so easy I didn't bother doing step by step photos. Just buy yourself a boxed chocolate cake. I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Mix. Follow the directions on the box but substitute the water for Guinness Irish Stout Beer.

I used this recipe from www.epicurious.com for the frosting, but I substituted cream cheese for Mascarpone cheese for an extra special touch. I also added more Bailey's Irish Cream (hehe) and Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste

Garden Pot Roast

2011-12-10T22:46:00.001-08:00

I love beef stews and pot roasts. I have made this one many times because it's healthy and is made with wine. But each time I make it a little differently. I have made it like a stew by cutting up the meat into small cubes, but this time I sliced it like the recipe states. I have tried it with red potatoes when i'm feeling a bit naughty, but I usually stick with sweet potatoes, esp when they are so readily available this time of year. The recipe suggests winter squash, carrots or parsnips and green beans. I imagine that would be good too, but I tend to like a more traditional pot roast.

To make it the way I did, Here's what you need:

Eye of round beef roast, onion, sweet potato, carrots, mushrooms, marjoram, thyme, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, beef broth, dry red wine and corn starch

Add olive oil to dutch oven and season roast with salt and pepper and brown all sides of roast

Chop onions and any fresh herbs, and grate garlic

Remove roast and add wine and reduce by half

Once wine has been reduced add roast back into the pot and pour in the beef broth

Then add the onions garlic and herbs. Cover and place in the oven for 1 and 1/2 hours

In the meantime, Slice carrots ( I like to slice them on the bias)

Cut the sweet potatoes ( I have experimented on thickness. In hindsight, I think this is too thin. I will try cubing them next time)

After baking for 1 and 1.2 hours, add sliced mushrooms

Add carrots

And add sweet potatoes, give it a good stir and cover and bake another hour

After it's done baking, remove the roast and strain the veggies leaving the gravy. Make a solution of water and cornstarch and add it to the gravy. Cook on the stove top until thickened.

Slice the roast and serve with the vegetables and gravy.

Garden Pot Roast

1 3 lb boneless beef bottom round or eye of round roast

kosher salt

black pepper

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 cup dry red wine

1 14 oz can beef broth

1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion

1/2 tsp dried marjoram (1 tsp fresh)

1/2 tsp dried thyme (1 tsp fresh)

2 cloves minced garlic

6 cups fresh vegetables ( I used carrots, sweet potatoes and mushrooms)

2 Tbs cold water

1 Tbs cornstarch

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Trim fat from roast, season with alst and pepper. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven and brown roast on all sides.

Remove roast and add wine and reduce by half.

Add roast and beef broth, chopped onions, garlic and herbs.

Cover and bake for 1 and 1/2 hours

Add chopped veggies and bale another hour

Remove beef and veggies and return pot to stove top. Make a mixture of cornstarch and water and add it to the gravy. Cook until thickened.

Slice beef roast and serve with veggies and gravy.

Easy Balsamic Chicken with Maple Glazed Carrots

2011-12-07T10:44:00.001-08:00

This chicken marinade is so easy and so versatile. You can grill up the chicken and have it as a main dish one night and use the left overs for sliced chicken over a salad for lunch the next day. Try it on pork chops or steak for diverse flavor. I paired it with a very easy glazed carrot recipe and a thick slice of whole grain bread.

Here's what you will need for the marinade:

Balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic cloves, 4 chicken breasts, and salt

If your chicken breasts are very thick, I suggest pounding them flatter so they grill faster

In a small bowl pour the olive oil

and the balsamic vinegar

grate the garlic into the bowl and add the red pepper flakes and salt

Then whisk until well blended

Place the chicken breasts inside a plastic ziplock bag and pour in the marinade, mixing until the chicken is well covered. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

For the Glazed Carrots you will need:

Baby carrots, maple syrup, brown sugar, and butter

Put your carrots in a steaming basket in a large pot with about q cup boiling water

Cover the pot and steam until desired crispness

slice 2 Tsp of butter into little pieces and melt in a saute pan

Add brown sugar and maple syrup and cook until thick and syrupy

Add carrots and toss to coat

Super easy!

Easy Balsamic Chicken

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, grated

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp salt

Pound the chicken to flatten and place in ziplock bag

In small bowl combine blasamic vinegar, oil, salt, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Whisk until blended

Pour marinade in bag with chicken and mix to coat.

Refrigerate for 4 hours

Grill until chicken reaches an internal temp of 165 or until chicken is no longer pink

Maple Glazed Carrots

2 cups of baby carrots

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs brown sugar

2 Tbs maple syrup

Steam carrots until desired crispness

Melt butter in saute pan and add maple syrup and brown sugar and cook until thick and syrupy

Toss carrots in glaze until well coated

Tupperware, Baby Bottles and Formula! Oh My!

2011-11-30T18:11:00.001-08:00

This may look neat, but the function
of mason jars impresses me.

I have this base cabinet in my kitchen that I hated until the day that I installed these from Bed Bath and Beyond. At the time they were selling for only $30 each and I had 20% off coupons (NEVER throw those away, they are by law required to have an expiration date, but they don't ever really expire)

For a while, I was using the top drawer to house tupperware and the bottom to store kids cups, travel coffee mugs and kid friendly plastic plates and bowls. The top drawer looked nice and neat, but the bottom drawer was always a mess.

AHHHHH! Too much stuff!

When we had Evie, a new thing was introduced to our kitchen: baby bottles and formula. For the last 4 months, they have been housed on our counter top. This frustrated me, since I am so meticulous about my beautiful sparse counter tops.

I recently began to re-examine all the extra things in my kitchen. The stuff I had room for, and therefore I kept (like those kids cups and plates and bowls) And all the tupperware! My Goodness! Who need that much??? Especially after I purchased an extra set of Pyrex nesting bowls with lids. And I had finally broken enough of my drinking glasses to justify purchasing Mason jars so I could have multi-function.

TA-DA!

I think my son is steady enough now that he can use big plates, bowls and cups, so out went the kids stuff. I still have to have my travel mugs (my regular coffee cups don't insulate well) but I can find another spot for them easily enough. Then I purchased my mason jars and out went the tupperware.

Now I have space for the baby bottles and formula and drying rack!

I have reclaimed my countertops!

VICTORY!

3 More Multi-Purpose Kitchen Tools for the Minimalist Home

2011-11-25T10:35:00.001-08:00

After my post 7 Multi-Purpose Kitchen Tools for the Minimalist Home, I realized that I had forgotten to mention a couple more.

Pyrex Nesting Mix/Prep Bowls with Lids: I love these bowls! Imagine the possibilities. You can mix and prep with them. Since they have a lip, you can set them in a pan to create a double boiler. You can bake in them, microwave with them, and clean them in the dishwasher. Pop on a lid and you have leftovers in the fridge or soup for next week in the freezer, or a nice bowl to store a salad for a picnic or potluck. They make great serving bowls because they match with any china set you use. I love mine so much I purchased 2 sets, because I would run out of bowls before I ran out of uses. I found them at Costco for a great price of $14.99 but Pyrex has them on sale at their website too.

I plan to do an entire post on my favorite ideas to use mason jars, but for now, I'll say this... In the kitchen, you can certainly use these to preserve your fresh garden ingredients, but if this is all you think they can be used for, simply do a Google search for mason jar ideas and you will find you have been missing out on all the possibilities. Here are some ideas for other uses in the kitchen. You can forgo fancy glasswear and use mason jars, they create a quaint and homey southern "Would you like a glass of sweet tea?" feel to your dinner parties. You can use bigger jars as vases for flowers, or store dried pantry goods like lentil beans or rice. You can make home-made baby food and store them in the tiny 4oz jars or use them for spice jars. You can store leftovers, or repackage things like store bought relish or mustard. You can make salad dressing in them and crew on the lid and give it a good shake. Put candles in them and light your dinner table, it'll add a beautiful glow to your masterpiece made with love from the kitchen. Look out for my blog post that highlights my favorite uses. No matter what, never throw a mason jar away (unless it's broken) because you can always pick up a new lid, and you can always find a way to use it.

Baking sheets are for more than just baking cookies. I use them for roasting too. I also stick one on a bottom rack in the oven when I am baking something that can drip. I have put plastic wrap over them and marinaded meat by putting another layer of plastic wrap over the top of the meat. You can take them to the crafting table to keep in the glitter mess or playdough mess when doing crafts with kids. In a pinch, you could use them as serving trays when serving a large group of people drinks. Because they are larger than a plate, you can also take them to the grill and pile on the meat fresh off the grill. Make a no scrub clean-up by lining the sheets with tin foil or make them non-stick by using Silpat silicone baking mats.

The kitchen tool marketing industry would like us to believe we need 1 product for every use. But I like to defy the marketing industry. What other ideas can you think of for these products?

Chicken and White Bean Chili Verde with Sonoma Pesto

2011-11-17T20:09:00.001-08:00

This recipe is amazing! It took some time to make, but was worth the effort. There is actually supposed to be Sonoma Pesto drizzled over the top, which the New Sonoma Diet Book has the recipe for. I didn't notice the recipe was on the back of the page for this recipe so I didn't even make it. I think it was great without it, but next time, I will make it just to see if it could possibly make it even better. I'll still provide the recipe for it in case you want to try it. I'll update this post next time I make it with the pesto. The recipe calls for poblano chilies, but the store was out so I used another kind. I hope to try poblano chilies next time and I'll update this post about the difference in the flavor.

Let's begin with what you need for the Chili Verde:

Extra virgin olive oil, 2 cans cannellini beans, chicken stock, chicken breast, green chard, poblano chilies, tomatillos, onion, garlic, oregano, cilantro and salt and pepper

First start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees and then place your chilies and tomatillos on a baking sheet, bake in oven until chilies are blisters and tomatillos are soft

Like this

At the same time as you are roasting the chilies, grill the chicken breasts

Chop the onions

Grate the garlic and chop the oregano

Halve the tomatillos and blend them in a blender until smooth.

When the chilies are cool enough to handle, remove skins and seeds (this take some time and is very messy, don't worry about it being perfect)

See, very messy

Add the chilies (minus the seeds and skin) to the blender with the tomatillos and blend until smooth

Heat olive oil in a saucier pan and add onions, cook until onions begin to get tender, add garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant

Add the tomatillo mixture to the saucier and cook for 10 minutes until mixture thickens, add chicken stock and undrained beans, bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes

Meanwhile, shred the chicken

Chop the green chard

And chop the cilantro

After 20 minutes of simmering, add chicken, cilantro and chard to the saucier

Stir well to wilt the chard and warm the chicken

Enjoy!

Chicken and White Bean Chili Verde

1 lb tomatillos

1/2 lb poblano chilies

2 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups yellow onion finely chopped

1 Tbs grated garlic

1 tsp fresh oregano

3 cups chicken stock/broth

2 15 oz cans of Cannellini white beans undrained

2 Tbs chopped cilantro

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

4 cups of chopped green chard or baby spinach

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400 degrees

Place chilies and tomatillos on a baking sheet and roast in oven until tomatillos are soft and chilies begin to blister

When done, halve the tomatillos and places in blender, blend until smooth

Peel skins and take out seeds of chilies, place in the blender with tomatillos and blend until smooth

Heat olive oil in saucier pan and add onions, cook until tender, add garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant

Add tomatillo mixture and cook for 10 mins until mixture is thickened

Add chicken stock and undrained beans

Simmer for 20 minutes

Add chicken, chard, and cilantro stir well to wilt chard and heat chicken

Sonoma Pesto

1 bunch cilantro

1 serrano chili

1 Tbs pine nuts

1 clove garlic

2 oz extra virgin olive oil

1 lime juiced, with zest

salt and pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth, adding salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over individual bowl of chili verde.

Confessions from a Once Shopaholic Turned Minimalist

2011-11-12T10:14:00.001-08:00

"Hello, my name is Erica Shaw, and I'm a recovering Shopaholic..."

I know that some of my friends may read my posts on minimalism and think "That's not Erica! She is a shopaholic!" And they would be right, since some of them have seen me at some of my worst compulsive shopping streaks. What they don't know is that I had major internal battles when I did that shopping.

I saw the movie "Confessions of a Shopaholic" with some of my friends and all I could think is how much I related to the main character. Throughout the whole movie, I kept feeling my eyes tear up because I felt so much shame from my own bad habit.

It began so innocently. I needed something. I'd go shopping for that thing. I would find that thing, buy it, but then wonder if I could find a better thing or a better price. So then I'd go shopping again and buy more and bring it home and keep the one I liked best and return the rest. But then, I'd be returning the others and I'd find something else I liked better than thing I had decided to keep. I kept looking for the thing that would fulfill my need for all things. Once I have that I will be happy right? Nope.

I began to notice that all it did was make me feel guilty for spending money I didn't have. The great deal I got came with 19% interest rate on the credit card I charged. No longer was it a good deal, and worse yet, it didn't complete me like I thought it would. So off I'd go to return it to the store, ridding myself of those bad feelings. But once I was in the store, I'd find something else to take it's place, and the whole thing would start all over! I needed help.

So I put my foot down. I returned everything I could. Each store I went to I had to give myself a pep-talk. "Ok Erica, you are walking into this store, going straight to the customer service desk, returning these things and walking out. ABSOLUTELY NO MORE SHOPPING!"

It worked! I then began to go through my house looking for more things to get rid of. I felt free and easy. I began looking at minimalist websites to gain more inspiration. Now when I shop, I only buy what I need. I do a price comparisons online, and read product reviews. I also search for comparable items to make sure I am getting the best "whatever" on the market. I rarely make impulse buys anymore, it's just not worth the guilt, shame, and time spent to return it. I wait and make sure it's what I want and that I get the best price.

The more I learn about minimalism, the more I reevaluate things in my home that I once thought I needed. I have learned to consolidate. When I do need to shop for something, I look for something that can be multi-functional and can replace several things in my home.

I have much more to write on this topic, but I first wanted to share this in case anyone was wondering why I have changed.

Smoky Sweet Potato, Carrot, and Chicken

2011-11-11T18:23:00.001-08:00

I made this Halloween night for the first time and have been craving it ever since. It has quickly become one of my favorite Sonoma Diet recipes. It's smoky and spicy flavor with a hint of cinnamon is perfect for a chili rainy night like tonight.

Here's what you need:

Extra virgin olive oil, chicken stock, chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, cilantro, onion, lime juice, cinnamon stick, sweet potato, carrots, garlic, grilled chicken, kosher salt and pepper

Chop half an onion

Chop the garlic

Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan, add the chopped half onion and garlic

Brown onions and garlic

Peel and chop the sweet potato

Slice the carrots

Chop Chipotle chili

Add sweet potatoes, carrots and Chipotle chili to saucepan and cook until potatoes on med low heat for 5 mins

Add chicken stock and cinnamon stick and simmer for 10 mins or until veggies are tender

Meanwhile, shred chicken

And chop cilantro

After 10 mins add chicken and heat until chicken is warm

Add cilantro, salt and pepper and lime juice and stir

Serve with a sprig of cilantro and an extra slice of lime

Smoky Sweet Potato, Carrot, and Chicken

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup diced onion

1 Tbs garlic chopped

1 Tbs chopped Chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

1 cup chopped carrot

1 cup chopped sweet potato

1 cinnamon stick

1 cup chicken stock

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

1 Tbs chopped cilantro

lime juice

kosher salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large sauce pan and add onions and garlic and brown

Add carrots, sweet potatoes, and Chipotle chilies, cook on med low heat for 5 min

Add cinnamon stick and chicken stock bring to a simmer

Cook until veggies are tender

Add shredded chicken and heat through

Add cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste

Lentil Soup with Brown Rice

2011-11-10T19:54:00.001-08:00

I found a blend of 3 different kinds of dried beans and Costco, which I thought would possibly make a new spin on lentil soup. This soup is very brothy compared to most thicker lentil soups I have had. The difference is refreshing. The recipe didn't call for carrots, but I couldn't wrap my mind around a lentil soup with them.
Here is what you need:

Olive oil, chicken broth, dried lentils, 1 can tomatoes, brown rice, 1 onion, celery, carrots(optional), lemon juice, oregano, thyme, garlic, Parmesan, cheese, kosher salt and pepper

Start by chopping the onion and celery and grating the garlic

In a dutch oven, heat olive oil and add onions, garlic and celery and cook for 5 min

If you choose to add carrots, slice them and add them and cook another 2 mins

Stir in broth and uncooked brown rice. Bring to boiling, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 10 mins

Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes and rinse the lentils or bean trio

Stir in tomatoes and lentils or bean trio, return to boiling, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 30 mins or until beans are tender

Meanwhile, chop the thyme and oregano, after soup has cooked 30 mins stir in the herbs and salt and pepper

Shave some Parmesan cheese over individual bowls and serve with a hearty whole grain bread

Lentil Soup with Brown Rice

3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup celery

6 cloves garlic

8 cups chicken broth/stock

1/2 cup long grain brown rice

2 cups tomato or 1 can of diced tomatoes

3/4 cup dried lentil or bean trio

1Tbs chopped thyme

1Tbs chopped oregano

1 Tbs lemon juice

kosher salt and pepper to taste

shaved Parmesan or Asiago cheese

In a dutch oven heat oil and add onions celery and garlic. Cook until tender about 5 mins

If using carrots, add carrots to dutch oven and cook another 2 mins

Stir in chicken broth/stock and uncooked rice

Bring to boiling then reduce heat to simmer for 10 mins

Meanwhile, drain canned tomatoes and rinse beans

Add tomatoes and bean to soup, bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 30 mins

Meanwhile, chop thyme and oregano.

Add thyme, oregano, salt and pepper to soup after 30 min

Shave Parmesan cheese over individual bowls

Spicy Smoked Pepper Halibut

2011-11-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

This recipe is super easy! I think this marinade would also be great on other types of fish and even chicken. It also makes a great dipping sauce. Watch out, it is pretty spicy. I served this fish with sauteed garlic corn and red quinoa and brown rice mix.

Here is what you need:

Canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, oregano, garlic, lemon or lime, red bell pepper, halibut, and kosher salt

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to cut the bell pepper into smaller pieces before blending

Place your fish in a shallow baking pan and sprinkle with salt

Pour about 3/4 of the sauce over the fish and turn to coat both sides, refrigerate for 30 mins

Grill fish until it flakes with a fork, place leftover sauce in small dishes and serve with fish

Spicy Smoked Pepper Halibut

6 - 4 oz Halibut fillets or one large 1 to 2 lb fillet

1 med red bell pepper (cut into large pieces)

2 canned chipotle chillies in adobo sauce

1 Tbs adobo sauce from can

2 Tbs lime or lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp kosher salt

In a blender or food processor, combine bell pepper, chilies, adobo sauce, lime or lemon juice, garlic, oregano, and 1/8 tsp kosher salt, blend until smooth

In a shallow baking dish lay your fish sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt

Pour 1/2 of the marinade on fish and turn to coat both sides

Refrigerate for 30 mins

Grill fish until it flakes with a fork

Salad Nicoise with Tuna

2011-11-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

This is a Sonoma Diet version of Salad Nicoise. It's simple and elegant and very French. Remember that anchovy fillets are optional, and I opted out.

You will need:

Lettuce, oregano, olives, haricot verts (french green beans) grape tomatoes, green onions 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 can tuna

Make sure you blanch the haricot verts before you start. Halve tomatoes and haricot verts, slice green onions to 1 in pieces, chop parsley

Boil and chop 2 eggs

Drain tuna and chop into smaller pieces

For the Nicoise dressing you will need:

Olive oil, champagne vinegar, Dijon mustard, kosher salt and pepper

Add all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well blended

Arrange your lettuce on plates

Add the tomatoes, haricot verts, and green onions

Add olives, tuna, eggs, and parsley, then drizzle the dressing

Salad Nicoise with Tuna

4 oz fresh haricot verts

5 cups chopped lettuce of your choice

1 6oz can of solid white tuna packed in water

4 med tomatoes quartered or equivalent in halved grape tomatoes

2 hard boiled egg, peeled and chopped or quartered

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 green onions sliced into 1/2 in pieces

4 anchovy fillets drained, rinsed and patted dry (optional)

3/4 cup ripe green Nicoise olives

Blanch green beans and cut in half

Halve grape tomatoes

Slice green onions

Chop parsley

Chop hard boiled eggs

Drain and chop tuna

Add lettuce to each plate

Begin layering all ingredients adding eggs, tuna and parsley last

Drizzle Nicoise dressing

Nicoise Dressing

In a small bowl combine: 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, 1Tbs champagne vinegar, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, salt and pepper

Whisk until well blended

Cannellini Bean and Squash Stew

2011-11-03T23:21:00.000-07:00

When you are on a budget, meat begins to look pretty expensive. I love meat, but I need to add a few more vegetarian meals to our diet in order to meet my budget. This stew makes a great vegetarian stew, especially for a cold fall day. The butternut squash adds a touch of sweetness and the beans are a good source of protein. The recipe calls for shaved Manchego cheese, but I used Parmesan since that's what I had on hand.

You will need:

Olive Oil, chicken broth, 1 can diced tomatoes, 2 cans cannellini beans, butternut squash, onion, paprika, garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and Parmesan cheese

Finely chop the onion, heat a large soup pot or dutch oven with olive oil and begin to cook the onions until tender

Meanwhile grate or mince garlic cloves and add paprika

add the garlic and paprika to the dutch oven and cook for 2 minutes more

While onions, garlic and paprika are cooking, chop thyme, rosemary, and parsley

Add chicken stock, butternut squash, tomatoes, and rosemary to the dutch oven.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat cover and simmer for about 15 mins or until squash is tender

Drain and rinse the cannellini beans

Add the beans, parsley, and thyme, season to taste with salt and pepper, cimmer uncovered for 10 minutes more.

Shave Parmesan cheese over each bowl and serve with a thick slice of whole grain bread

Cannellini Bean and Squash Stew

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 chopped onion

6 cloves of garlic, grated

1 Tbs paprika

28 oz chicken broth

3 cups 1 inch cubed butternut squash

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary

2 14 oz cans of cannellini beans (white kidney beans)

2 Tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley

1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme

Kosher salt

black pepper

shaved Manchego or Parmesan cheese

In a dutch oven heat oil over med heat. Add onions and cook for 5 min or until tender

Add garlic and paprika cook for 2 min more

Add chicken broth, squash, undrained tomatoes, and rosemary

Bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 min or until squash is tender

Drain and rinse beans, add beans parsley and thyme and cook uncovered for 20 mins at low simmer

Shave cheese over individual bowls

Pork Chops with Apples in a Cider Sauce and Sauteed Garlic Herb Mushrooms

2011-11-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

This is a fantastic recipe for pork chops. It must be the German in me, but apples and pork chops go together perfectly. I paired it with garlic mushrooms and a hearty whole wheat bread.

Here is what you need for the chops:

extra virgin olive oil, chicken stock, cinnamon stick, corn starch, apples, pork chops, and salt and pepper

rub salt and pepper on the chops

brown both sides of the chops in a large skillet with olive oil

peel apples and slice to about 1/2 inch thick

brown the apple slices in the same skillet used to brown chops

add cinnamon stick and chicken stock

transfer apples and stock to a baking dish and cover with the pork chops. bake until chops have internal temp of 145 degrees

once the chops are done, transfer the apples and stock into a pan, add cornstarch and cook until sauce becomes thick

For the Garlic Thyme Mushrooms you will need:

mushrooms, lemon, thyme, garlic, cooking wine, olive oil, and salt and pepper

clean mushrooms by rubbing gently with a dry cloth, remove the stems if desired, slice thick

Thinly slice garlic cloves

In a large skillet cook mushrooms and garlic in olive oil until tender and browned. Add wine and thyme and saute until most of the wine has been absorbed.

Serve with a hearty whole grain bread.

Pork Chops with Apples in a Cider Sauce

4 boneless pork chops
kosher salt and black pepper
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 med apples peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 cup chicken broth or stock
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp corn starch
1 tsp water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Season chops with salt and pepper
In a large skillet heat oil and brown chops on both sides, remove chops and set aside
Add apple slices to skillet and cook until brown and tender
Add chicken broth and cinnamon stick cook for 2 minutes
Place apples and broth and cinnamon stick in a baking dish and cover with the pork chops
Cover and bake for 20 mins or until pork has internal temp of 145 degrees
Remove pork chops and cinnamon stick and place apples and broth in a sauce pan
Make a paste out of the water and corn starch and add to the pan of apples
Cook until sauce is thick.

Sauteed Garlic and Herb Mushrooms

1 1/2 lbs fresh mushrooms
3 Tbs olive oil
3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1 Tbs chopped fresh Thyme
1/4 cup wine
1 Tbs lemon juice
kosher salt and black pepper

Thickly slice mushrooms removing stems if desired
In a large skillet heat oil at med heat and add mushrooms cooking about 10 min
Add garlic and thyme, cook 1 min
Add wine and lemon juice and cook for 1 min
Season with salt and pepper

Etsy.com- A Minimalist's Dream

2011-10-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

Sound like an oxymoron? Not to me. You see... I love shopping, but I hate spending money, and I don't want lots of stuff in my home. Etsy is my virtual shopping mall. I can feast my eyes on a buffet of beautiful items and I can "heart" them and make them my favorites. I love to go to Etsy and gaze at my favorites list, and search for new treasures too. Every once in awhile I find something so fantastic, it fits my need in every way, so I buy it. I feel good because I am supporting a small business. Someone made it by their own hands. This is what they love to do. If something is close but not quite right, I can send a message to the shop owner and ask them if they would be willing to do a custom order for me.

There are also some things on Etsy that I would never buy for myself, but I think it's absolutely a beautiful work of art, like this bed for example. In a minimalist home, this bed better be the only thing in the room, but my good night dreams are totally met by looking at this beauty on my computer screen.

I love hats, but I don't want to have a whole closet devoted to them. Here is an artist who has devoted herself to making gorgeous replica hats. Her shop is Yellow Field 7. There are so many great ones how do I choose? maybe this one.

Of course Etsy also covers vintage stuff. My favorite shop for vintage clothing is Coral Vintage. Going for the upscale truly unique finds, Coral Vintage has taken a giant leap away from the neighborhood Salvation Army! My absolute favorite item is this dress. If I could afford it, I would buy this dress as my goal dress.

I came across this toy shop while looking for some special dolls for my daughter Evie. Hazel Village made me these adorable pair of foxes. Owen and Flora Fox. Jane was wonderful to work with communicating with me in order to make sure I was getting exactly what I wanted. Jane hand makes all her dolls to order and they all have a cute bio. She even ships her dolls with a lavender and mint sachet so the smell nice when they get to you. You can really tell she puts love in each animal.

Looking for some yummy sweet? Here's my friend Becky's shop Sugarnums. Take a look at these adorable pumpkin cookies. I have been lucky enough to taste her creations in person. She loves to bake and really has a creative bone for making them look as good as they taste.

Sometimes you have need something very practical but you just don't want to go buy the ordinary at your local Walmart. I wanted a baby sling and I found the perfect one at my friend Beth's shop BabyEtte. Here I am at Disneyland using the one I bought from her. I use it often and I love it.

Not only can you have favorite items or shops, but also Treasury Lists. Isn't this list
perfect for Oktober?

Whether you are a minimalist or not, you gotta love Etsy. Check out all my Etsy favorites. Add me to your circle if you are on Etsy too.

Curry Pork Chops with Apple Sweet Pepper Slaw

2011-10-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

I was going for a spicy and sweet combination tonight. I made the pork chop marinade yesterday so that the chops had plenty of time to soak up all the flavors. I used less honey than what I wrote in the recipe, but once I tasted it, I believe that it needed a full tablespoon.

For the marinade you will need:

white wine, extra virgin olive oil, whole grain mustard, curry powder, red pepper flakes, green onions, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper, and pork chops

Start by rubbing salt and pepper on each side of the chops

The chops I bought were extra thick so I put them in a plastic bag and pounded them out a bit

In a small bowl combine the white wine, mustard, red pepper flakes, curry powder, grated garlic, grated ginger and green onions

Stir well

Fold down the top of the bag and pour marinade into the bag with the chops

Make sure the chops are well covered and seal the bag. Place a plate under it in case it leaks in the fridge. Refrigerate for 6-24 hours

For the slaw you need: nonfat plain yogurt, apple cider vinegar, honey, shredded cabbage, celery, carrot, apple, red bell pepper, a few sprigs of fresh thyme

Slice the celery, carrots, and red bell peppers, and chop the apple. Place it all in a large bowl with the shredded cabbage.

In a small bowl combine yogurt, honey, vinegar, and thyme

Stir well

Add the dressing to the slaw and mix well

Grill the pork chops until internal temp reads 145 degrees. Great paired with Chardonnay.

Curry Pork Chops

3 or 4 boneless pork chops

1/2 cup whole grain or spicy mustard

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 Tbs curry powder

1 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs sliced green onions

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 clove garlic grated

1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

Trim fat from pork chops and rub both sides with salt and pepper

Put the chops in a ziplock bag

In a small bowl combine white wine, mustard, curry, olive oil, green onions, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes

Fold down the top of the ziplock bag and pour the marinade in. Mix well.

Refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours

Grill over med heat until internal temp reaches 145 degrees.

Apple and Sweet Pepper Slaw

2 cups shredded red or green cabbage

1/2 cup red bell pepper slices

1/2 cup chopped apple

1/2 cup sliced carrot

1/4 cup thinly sliced celery

1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt

1 Tbs honey

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

3-4 sprigs of fresh Thyme (about 1 tsp chopped leaves)

Combine the cabbage, red pepper slices, carrot, apple, and celery in a large bowl

In a small bowl combine yogurt, honey, vinegar, and thyme

Pour the dressing over the slaw and mix well

Spring Mix with Oranges, Tart Montmorency Cherries, Sliced Almonds and Orange Muscat Champagne Vinaigrette

2011-10-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

Quick and easy salads that allow me to be creative are right up my alley. Once you know some basic home-made Vinaigrette recipes, you can change up the oils and vinegar, and make totally new flavors. I found this bottle of Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar at Trader Joe's that sounded so good that I had to make a dressing with it. I plan to branch out into different nut oils in other dressings, but a sweet fruity green olive oil is perfect for this.

Ingredients you need:

Spring Mix Salad, 1 orange, dried tart montmorency cherries, sliced almonds, extra virgin oil oil, orange muscat champagne vinegar, dijon mustard

*not pictured: salt and pepper

peel, section and de-seed 1 orange and cut each section in half.

To make the dressing combine 1 Tbs of olive oil, 1 Tbs of orange muscat champagne vinegar, 1/2 tsp dijon mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk together until well blended.

Add desired amount of spring mix salad in each salad bowl or 1 large bowl

Pour half of the dressing on each salad

Lightly toss to coat all the leaves

Add half the orange, 1 Tbs of dried cherries, 1 tsp of sliced almonds to each bowl

Spring Mix with Oranges, Tart Montmorency Cherries, Sliced Almonds and Orange Muscat Champagne Vinaigrette

desired amount of spring mix salad (enough for two side salads or 1 larger dinner salad)

1 orange

2 Tbs dried tart Montmorency cherries

2 tsp sliced almonds

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbs of Orange Muscat Champagne vinegar

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

pinch of salt and pepper

makes 1 large dinner salad or 2 side salads

peel, section and de-seed orange and slice sections in half

combine olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk together until well blended

place desired amount of spring mix into each bowl or 1 large bowl

drizzle the dressing over the top and toss lightly to coat the leaves

add half the orange to each bowl

add 1Tbs dried cherries to each bowl

add 1 tsp sliced almonds to each bowl

Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage and Cherries

2011-10-18T23:39:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that it's fall and the weather is getting cooler, and the leaves are changing. Fall is my favorite season next to Summer because I love fall foods, they are so cozy and rich. I saw this Butternut Squash in the deli counter at Whole Foods and thought I better go home and try to make it myself. I looked up their recipe at wholefoodsmarket.com and made a few changes. I'll tell you what I did differently, but I'll also share the recipe below.

First, here's what you need:

Olive oil, dried cherries or cranberries, salt and pepper, 1 butternut squash or equivelant in pre-cut package, and onion (I used red for a pretty color, though yellow is pictured) * Not Pictured: pecans and fresh sage

If you are using a whole butternut squash, you will need to peel and cut it first. I skipped this step by buying it pre-cut from Costco. Spread on a baking sheet and drizzle 1 Tbs of olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper. Roast in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Thinly slice one onion and drizle 1 Tbs of olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Mix with a spoon and bake at 375 for 20 mins.

This is what they will look like when they are done.

Toast about 2 Tbs of pecan pieces in a pan over med heat. You could always use more, but I am watching my calorie intake.

Chop the pecans into small pieces and set aside

Finely chop 1 or 2 Tbs of fresh sage and set aside

At the last 10 minutes of baking I added the cherries to the butternut squash so they had time to soften and get warm.

In a large bowl, combine the butternut squash with cherries, onions, sage and pecans.

This goes really well with a top loin Pork Roast, a thick slice of hearty whole grain artisan bread, and a glass of Zinfandel, I recommend either Raven's Wood or Rodney Strong.

Here's the Recipe:

Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage and Cranberries

Serves 4-6

1 medium butternut squash
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided (I used 2 Tbs)
Sea salt and ground pepper
2 medium onions (I used 1 onion)
2 tablespoons chopped sage (I used 1 since I don't like a strong sage flavor)
4 tablespoons dried cranberries or cherries (I used cherries, it's what I had in the cupboard, and it was yummy)

*2 Tbs toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Peel squash and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds from the center and discard. Cut squash into large chunks. Coat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil (I used 1 Tbs). Season with salt and pepper to taste and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until well caramelized. (I added the dried cherries at the last 10 minutes)

Peel onions and cut into large chunks. ( I thinly sliced them) Coat with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil ( I used 1 Tbs). Season to taste with salt and pepper and spread on a second lined baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until well caramelized. When squash and onions are done, toss with sage and cranberries. (I also added 2 Tbs of toasted pecans) Serve immediately.

Steak and Blue Cheese Wraps

2011-10-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

So last night I made Marinated Flank Steak, and I said that it's one of my favorite recipes from The Sonoma Diet. Here is why. The next day you can use the left overs to make these.

Here's what you need:

Whole wheat tortillas, baby spinach, romaine lettuce, roasted red peppers, crumbled blue cheese, and sliced flank steak

Use about 1/2 of a roasted red pepper or 1/4 cup

Slice the red pepper into thin strips

Heat the tortillas on a cast iron griddle or a large pan

Plate the tortilla and add a little romaine lettuce

Add baby spinach on top of that

Add some roasted red pepper strips

Add a little bit of the meat

Sprinkle a little of the blue cheese, and fold into a wrap

Steak and Blue Cheese Wraps

3 oz left over grilled Marinated Flank steak (sliced)

1 cup of torn romaine or baby spinach or both

1/4 cup bottled roasted red pepper drained and cut into strips

1 tablespoon of crumbled blue cheese

1 whole wheat tortilla

Heat tortilla, arrange all ingredients on tortilla and wrap it up.

Marinated Flank Steak and Sauteed Broccoli with Roasted Red Peppers and Goat Cheese

2011-10-02T21:40:00.001-07:00

This is one of my favorite recipes for steak because you can use the leftovers the next day to make Steak and Blue Cheese Wraps. I'll Show how tomorrow when I prepare lunch.

Remember to prepare the marinade and score the steak at least 2 hours before you plan to cook, so the flavors have a chance to soak in.

This is what you need:

You will need: 1 & 1/2 to 2 lb flank steak, kosher salt and pepper, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, paprika, red pepper flakes, garlic, and olive oil

Finely chop any fresh herbs you may use

Place them in a small bowl with any dried herbs and the paprika and red pepper flakes

Add the grated garlic

Pour in the olive oil

Add the salt and pepper and stir into a paste

Trim any fat off the steak and score both sides in a diamond pattern

Rub the marinade onto both sides, cover and place in the fridge for 2-4 hours

Grill to your liking. Let it rest for a few minutes while you finish the broccoli and then thinly slice it

Here is what you need for the broccoli: broccoli(duh), kosher salt and pepper, olive oil, Italian parsley, garlic, kalamata olives, jarred roasted red bell peppers, lemon juice, green onion, and goat cheese

Chop the parsley, olives, and peppers, and slice the green onion

Mix them in a bowl with salt and pepper

Slice the garlic

Saute the garlic and broccoli in a large skillet with olive oil for 5-8 minutes or until tender but crispy

Add the mixture of olives, peppers, green onions and stir. Squeeze lemon juice over the top and stir. Top with goat cheese when plating.

I love how goat cheese tastes with this especially when it begins to melt, but if you don't like goat cheese, you can sub feta and it tastes good too.

Marinated Flank Steak

1 1/2 to 2 lb Flank steak

1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tbs dried rosemary

1 tbs fresh chopped marjoram or 1 tsp dried

1 tbs of fresh chopped oregano or 1 tsp dried

3 cloves of garlic (grated)

1 1/2 tsp of paprika

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp black pepper

3 tbs olive oil

In a small bowl combine rosemary, marjoram, oregano, garlic, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and olive oil

Trim fat from meat and score both sides in a diamond pattern

Rub marinade on both sides of meat.

Cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge for 2-4 hours

Cook on med heat grill to desired doneness

Sauteed Broccoli with Roasted Red Peppers and Goat Cheese

2 tbs olive oil

4 cups of broccoli florets

2 cloves of garlic (sliced)

1 cup of bottled roasted red peppers (drained and chopped)

1/4 cup of kalamata olives (chopped)

2 tbs fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

1 green onion (sliced)

1 tbs lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 oz crumbled goat cheese

In a large skillet heat oil over med heat. Add broccoli and garlic. Cook for 5 -8 min or until crispy yet tender

Add the olives, red peppers, green onion, parsley, salt and pepper ans continue to saute

Squeeze lemon juice over the top and stir

Sprinkle goat cheese just before serving

Mediterranean Pork Chops and Broccoli with Almonds and Hot Pepper

2011-10-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

I had a busy morning getting the kids and myself around to go to church. After mingling for awhile after service, I ran back home to make us lunch. I knew Vince had no breakfast he was going to be hungry. I was in a rush and did not take step by step photos, but I am sure that with this recipe you won't need them. It's very simple. The recipe calls to roast the chops, but I grilled them to save on cooking time and the effort of having to clean a pan.

Here's the recipe which can be found in The Sonoma Diet.

Mediterranean Pork Chops

4 boneless Pork Chops cut 1/2in thick and trimmed of fat

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp of dried rosemary (crushed)

3 cloves of garlic (grated)

Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper, set aside

In small bowl combine rosemary, and garlic. (Since I was grilling I added a tsp of Olive oil so my chops wouldn't stick)

Sprinkle mixture over chops and rub in.

Place chops on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.

Roast chops in 425 degree oven for 10 mins, reduce temp to 350 degrees and cook another 15 to 25 mins depending on how you like your chops. I like to take mine out at 145 degrees or so, and let them rest which will continue to raise the temp.

Broccoli with Almonds and Hot Pepper

4 cups of broccoli florets

4 cloves of garlic (grated)

2 tbs olive oil

1 tbs lemon juice

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp kosher salt

In a large skillet cook broccoli and garlic in hot oil over med heat for 5 to 8 mins or util broccoli is crisp but tender

Stir in lemon juice

Sprinkle with almonds, red pepper flakes and salt

Chicken En Papillote with Vegetables

2011-10-01T23:56:00.000-07:00

This was day one Sonoma diet dinner. I followed direction exactly, but i will tell you a few things I would change. If you really like tomatoes, I suggest leaving them whole. This recipe calls for them halved, but it came out very watery, and the contents of the tomato separated from the skin. If you don't like tomatoes, leave them out altogether and maybe add red peppers instead (which I think would be much yummier anyway) Also, try adding grated garlic to the chicken, I think it would add more dimension.

The ingredients you will need:

Here is what you need: boneless skinless chicken breasts, asparagus, green onions, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, lemon, bottled artichokes, Italian flat leaf parsley, thyme, oregano, olive oil, kosher salt and pepper

Trim fat from chicken breasts and cut into 1/4 pieces

Finely chop oregano and thyme, zest lemon, lemon juice, olive oil and a dash salt and pepper and mix well

Chop asapargus into 1/2 inch pieces, roughly chop parsley, halve cherry tomatoes, trim snap peas

Add drained artichokes and mix together thoroughly

Slice green onions

tear aluminum foil into 4, 12 inch long sections, evenly divide veggies and chicken and top with green onions

fold into packets by bringing top edges up and folding over and then crimping sides

Bake for 20 mins at 400 degrees or until chicken is cooked

Now these came out watery, so follow my suggestions and hopefully they won't be as watery for you.

Chicken En Papillote with Vegetables

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

2 tbs olive oil

1 tbs chopped oregano

1 tbs chopped thyme

1 tsp grated lemon peel

2 tbs lemon juice

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 cups asparagus (trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces)

2 cups sugar snap peas (trimmed)

1 cup of jarred artichokes (drained)

1 cup cherry tomatoes (or sliced red bell peppers)

2 tbs chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup sliced green onions

Cut chicken breasts into 1/4 inch pieces. in med bowl combine chicken, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme and salt ad pepper. let stand while preparing veggies

In a large bowl combine asparagus, sugar snap peas, artichokes, cherry tomatoes and parsley

Slice green onions

Tear 4, 12 inch pieces of aluminum foil, divide veggies, chicken and sliced green onions on each foil.

Fold foil packets by bringing top edges up and fold over and crimp sides

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 mins or until chicken is done.

*optional: add grated garlic to the chicken while mixing lemon and oil and herbs

Greek Salad with Grilled Shrimp

2011-10-01T22:55:00.000-07:00

Today is my first day back on The Sonoma Diet, (while making this link I discovered it's now called the New Sonoma Diet which includes some new updated information) I am following the meal plan for the first 10 days that is provided in the book. Today I made this for our lunch. I love Greek salad and I love shrimp, and this is healthy and yummy.

You will need:

Here is the ingredients you need to make the Greek Vinaigrette dressing: mint, oregano, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and kosher salt and pepper.

Pour the olive oil, and red wine vinegar into a screw top jar. Squeeze the juice out of 1 lemon. Finely chop the mint and oregano. Add the herbs and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Screw the top on the jar and shake well.

Here is what you need to marinate the shrimp: lemon zest , 2 cloves of garlic

Grate the garlic and lemon, add to the shrimp and mix well to coat

Skewer the shrimp and grill until pink and opaque

This is what you need for the salad: cherry tomatoes,cucumber (1 used mini cucumbers) radaishes, red onion, kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese, baby spinach, romaine lettuce.

Slice the radishes, cucumber and red onion

Halve the cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives

Add all the ingredients and pour dressing over the top and mix well.

Greek Salad with Grilled Shrimp

1lb of uncooked shrimp

2 cloves of garlic (grated)

1/2 tsp lemon zest

3 cups of baby spinach leaves

3 cups of torn romain lettuce

1 cup of cherry tomatoes (halved)

1 med cucumber or equivalent mini cucumbers (sliced)

1/3 cup kalamata olives

1/4 cup sliced red onion

1/4 cup thinly sliced radishes

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Toss shrimp in bowl with lemon zest and garlic

Skewer the shrimp and grill until pink and opaque

slice red onion, radishes, and cucumbers

halve the cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives

Assemble salad, sprinkle with feta cheese, and drizzle with dressing

Greek Vinaigrette Dressing

3 tbs olive oil

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tbs lemon juice

1 tbs fresh mint (finely chopped)

1 tbs fresh oregano (finely chopped)

dash kosher salt and pepper

Combine in a screw top jar. Shake well right before serving.

5 Misconceptions about Minimalism

2011-09-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

Minimalism is not about owning only 100 things, or owning next to nothing. It’s about living only with what you need, want, and love. Many people, including myself, have many misconceptions about minimalism. I wanted to write about a few of those here.

Misconception #1: Minimalism means you have to get rid of everything you own.

I have read many minimalist blogs, and it seems that they all have something in common. Trying to own as little as possible. Some maybe even go as far as to limit their trash. I think this is a little pretentious. It’s as if these people think it’s cool to brag about how little they own. As if it makes them a better steward of the Earth’s resources, or maybe they think it makes them a rebel in the face of consumerist America.
Don’t get me wrong, I find great inspiration in reading those blogs. And to be fair, I will say that Miss Minimalist is one blogger who has made it very clear that she and her husband own very little stuff simply because they live in Europe and can’t move things as easily. Miss Minimalist even urges her readers to find their own comfort level, and if an item holds real value for you, then it’s worth keeping so long as you have a place for it.

Misconception #2: Minimalist Design must be modern and stark.

Mention minimalism and most people think bare white walls, huge empty spaces, low profile hard lined furniture, empty table surfaces, and concrete, tile or other hard flooring. This may be the style of many minimalists, but it certainly is not a pre-requisite.
I believe you can have a beautifully ornate fabric on your sofa, or brightly painted walls, or heavy elegant drapery on your windows. You can have antique furniture or a vintage lace tablecloth covering your dining table and still be minimalist.

You see, I believe minimalist design is about eliminating excess. So if you have antique furniture, you only have pieces you need. They are pieces that are proportionate to the size of the room. If you have heavy elegant drapery on the windows, you balance it with light and simple upholstery on your sofa and add a big mirror to reflect light. If you choose a bold pattern for you sofa, you use a simple covering on your windows and maybe a neutral wall color and think about no mirrors so you don’t create too much pattern. If you choose bold paint colors on your walls, you go more neutral on your sofa and maybe try going with bare windows. It’s all about balance and eliminating the unnecessary items that collect dust and create overstimulation of the eyes.

Misconception #3: Minimalism means you can’t shop

There is a concept out there called Minsumerism. This is a term used to describe people who do not want to be consumers. But remember everyone consumes. It’s impossible to eliminate all consumption in this life.. Minsumerism is a good thing when used properly to evaluate your purchases and eliminate mindless irresponsible spending. It is a practice meant to keep clutter at bay before it even enters your home.
It is not meant to keep you from buying new clothes when yours are worn out or no longer fit you. It is not meant to stop you from replacing items that have broken or have run their course. So if you have an antiquated laptop computer, minsumerism doesn’t stop you from replacing it. It’s only meant to reign you in from buying the latest and greatest every time something new comes on the market.

Misconception #4: Minimalism does not allow room for keeping nostalgia

People think that minimalists don’t save any memories through nostalgic objects. This isn’t always true. While I agree that some people go extreme and look at all nostalgia as clutter, I believe that most minimalists have discovered that if something doesn’t give you joy, if it is more of a burden than a treasure, then it is not worth saving. Minimalists take pictures of things that they want to remember but don’t want to keep. If they have something they want to keep, they try to find a special place to display it, instead of hiding it away in a box in the attic.

Misconception #5: Minimalist’s have it all together

I will be the first to admit that while I keep a tight reign on my personal belongings, I am terrible at keeping reign on my life. I’m sure some minimalists out there have even their calendars, bills, paperwork, appointments, and other responsibilities in check, I for one, do not. I still miss appointments, and forget to pay bills. I still run late to parties and have tons of junk mail. Life is a work in progress. While I will never be perfect, I continue to work hard to be better and I take rest in knowing that Christ is perfect for me.

Born Organized?

2011-09-24T11:33:00.000-07:00

When I was first married, my mom told me about a book called “Sink Reflections” from the Fly Lady Marla Cilley. It’s about getting your clutter under control and making a clear outlined plan of housekeeping. I found this book to be incredibly useful, though, I am a perfectionist and perfectionism stops you from doing things unless you can do them perfectly.

In her book the Fly Lady coins a few terms one being a BO person (that’s born organized person) While reading this book and desperately trying to get organized, I shook my head, no, I guess I’m not one of those. As the years have gone on, I have discovered that organizing comes easy for me. When I have a need for things to have a place, I know my action plan and I create a neat organized space for them. This has made me ponder… Am I a BO? Why do I find it easy to give my things a home? Why do I feel like most of my possessions have purpose. I know people who look to me for help, including my husband. So I am looking way back into my childhood to diagnose why I am the way I am.

My grandmother ,who lived with us while I was growing up, saved everything. Her closet was full of boxes, baskets and other containers to store all her stuff. Though she had a lot of stuff, I must admit, she kept it all organized well. I would ask her if I could borrow a ruler, and she would go to her closet and open one of the many pencil boxes that filled it and hand me a ruler saying “Remember to give this back as soon as you are done”

This person didn't do it right!

She also stayed home with me during the day while my mom and dad worked. She taught me how to take care of my toys and gleaned when I would line up all my dolls and stuffed animals against the wall from smallest to biggest. I’m not sure if she taught me to do this, or if I did this on my own. I did other things that lead to believe I did it on my own.

Yes, the yellow ones DO taste the best!

For instance, I had a tiny folding toy kitchen. It was the size of a small doll house, but when you opened it up, it was purely a kitchen, with a sink, and cupboards and refrigerator. A common treat my grandmother would give me was M&M’s. Whenever I got them, I would separate the colors and put each color in it’s own cupboard. I would eat 1 from the red cupboard, then a yellow from another, and a brown from another, and so on, until they were all gone.

That bar is bending, maybe it's time to weed out a few things

As a teenager, my organization skills went out the window until my mom told me to clean my room. Then I would kick into gear and get things done. My closet is an example of how meticulous I could get. I liked my hangers to match. I liked to order my clothes. Coats and dresses in the back, followed by pants and skirts, then sweaters and long sleeved shirts, then short sleeved shirts and tank tops. I had to have each hanger spaced evenly along the bar. I still practice this habit today. Though I care much less about it since I do laundry for 4 people.

My mom, being raised by a pack-rat, was totally opposite. She saved very little. She didn’t tie her emotions and memories onto an object, and somehow she taught me to do the same. We also moved a lot, and every time we moved, we got rid of more and more. I kept this habit from her. In my married life, I have continued to move a lot, therefore, with each move I have kept less and less.

I still have much more than I would like to own. A lot of it is not my stuff, but that of my husband and son. I can control a good deal of what my son keeps, but not my husband. Right now, my husband is a pack-rat with a minimalist heart. He wants freedom from his stuff, but is having difficulty letting go. I try really hard to be supportive through this process, but I must admit, at times I can be not so nice. Any suggestions on how to deal?

The List Maker

2011-09-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

I'm getting ready to go on a trip. Whenever I have to pack for a trip the first thing I think is "I need to write my list"

I have always written lists. I got this habit from my mom. Any time we planned anything big or small, we would write a list. School project? We would make a list of ideas and then a list of what we needed. Had a lot to errands to do? We made a list and crossed them off as they got done. Thanksgiving dinner? We would make a menu list, and a shopping list.

This habit is something I have really appreciated in my life. Any time I need to gather my thoughts, I make list and it all comes together. I get great satisfaction out of crossing things off my list that I have accomplished.

I used this habit when I wanted to reduce the stuff I own. Recently, I looked in my bathroom and realized that things had gotten out of hand in there. I had a vision of a beautiful almost empty counter top with only a soap pump, cotton jar, toothbrush holder and mouth wash carafe on it.

So in order to make this vision a reality, I first started by making lists After all the lists were made, I cleared out anything that I did not use, want, or like. Then I looked for storage solutions for everything.

I came up with the idea of using little clear cosmetic bags to separate each category. I Have 4 cosmetic bags in my bathroom drawer:
oral care bag
grooming tool bag
first aid bag
make-up bag

I also have a toiletries travel bag for when we go on trips, I store it under the sink along with a cosmetic bag with sunblock and aloe vera, and the medicine box.

I found a great solution for my medicine box. I use a compartmentalized ArtBin box.

My sink cabinet has a spot behind a small door in the where I keep my hair dryer, flat iron, hair accessories, and heating pad.

I have a mirrored medicine cabinet that holds my perfume, powder, deodorant, face lotion, and eye make-up remover and nail polish remover.

I then began my search for the perfect bathroom set with a soap pump, toothbrush holder, and cotton ball jar. I finally found the perfect set by simplehuman.

I used this method of list making in my office, as well as my kitchen, my cleaning closet, my clothes closet, and my laundry area.

Here's what my lists looked like for the bathroom. What would yours look like?:

toiletries I use everyday:

Shampoo
Conditioner
Shower gel
body scrub
body butter
shaver
pumice stone
face wash
face moisturizer
powder
deodorant
tooth brush
tooth paste
hand soap
Listerine
hand lotion
hair brush
detangling comb
hair bands

what I need occasionally

floss
tooth scraper and dental pick
teeth whitening strips
hair dryer
flat iron
hair accessories
heating pad
sunblock
aloe vera gel
travel bottles
toiletries bag (for travel)

make-up I use:

mascara
brow mascara
bronzing powder
retractable powder brush
lip gloss
eye make-up remover

make-up for special occasions:

liquid eyeliner
shimmer eyeshadow
nail poilsh
nail polish remover

grooming tools

finger nail clippers
toe nail clippers
tweezers
cuticle pusher/trimmer
hair scissors
hand mirror

first aid stuff :

band aids in various sizes
Neosporin
Hydrocortizone cream
medical tape
gauze pads
melaluca oil
rubbing alcohol
hydrogen peroxide

OTC medicine:

Acetaminophen
Ibuprofen
Children's Acetaminophen
Children's Ibuprofen
Vicks Vapo-Rub
chloroseptic spray
antacid
anti-diarrea
stool softener
ero ear wax removal
eyedrops
Zyrtec allergy
Benadryl
thermometer

There is a doctor in the family so we have a few presciption meds such as antibiotics and special ointments on hand. I keep prescription meds until 1 year past expiration date in case of emergency.

7 Multi-Purpose Kitchen Tools for the Minimalist Home

2011-09-14T00:09:00.000-07:00

There are so many different gadgets and tools you can buy for the kitchen all promising you time savings or gourmet skills, or more fun while cooking. I admit I fell prey to many of them. With a military and Seminary life we have held, packing and loading, and unpacking all those gadgets got tiring. I began to research and find kitchen tools that are multi purpose, and eliminate ones I don't need or don't use. Now we are settled and have been for 2 years, but because you never know where life is going to take you, I have continued to pair down and streamline. Here are some things I love and could never live without.

Rosle Kitchen Thermometer

This thermometer is awesome! First, let's state the obvious, it's sleek, small and has a simple operation. What make it so special? For starters it works on a variety of different foods because it has a huge temperature range -58 degrees to 572 degrees F. It also reads temps in 5 seconds or less which makes the perfectly cooked steak more possible. It has a ring on the top should you want to hang it rather than storing it in a drawer. Why have a candy thermometer, a meat thermometer, a deep frying thermometer, and a grilling probe thermometer when you can have this one simple device that is all those in one? Of course, you cannot leave it in a roast or steak in an oven or grill, but, considering all the space and money you save, I think it's wonderful.

Microplane Zester/Grater

I used to have a lemon zester, which peeled away tiny strips of lemon strips, but wasn't easy to use, nor did it really extract the essential oils. I also used to have a garlic press. I disliked that it crushed the garlic, but left a bunch or garlic inside that was wasted. And yes, I owned a rotary cheese grater, but I found it impossible to clean, and again, it wasted a lot of cheese. I never even bothered to cook with ginger before I had this grater because I had no idea what tool to use to eliminate the hairy stringy pieces. Now I can do all those things with this one tool. It takes up very little space, it's easy to clean and it comes with a plastic sheath to keep your fingers safe when reaching in a drawer. It works so well at zesting citrus, grating cheese, ginger and garlic. An added benefit to grating your garlic, by the way, is that it brings out more of the antioxidants.

Rosle 10 inch Collapsible Colander

I purchased a stainless steel colander for Vince when he got his first apartment in the military. It worked really well and even after 10 years it looked great. It didn't however collapse to save space, nor did it fit in a pot to allow for steaming food. This colander doubles as a steamer basket, eliminating the need for a separate one. I love the shiny stainless steel, the bright green silicone, and the fact that I can put it in a pot and steam a pound of crab legs with the lid on flat. I also love that it takes up so little space in the dishwasher and it has a little ring to hang it from a hook on the wall.

Joseph Joseph 3 in 1 peeler

After my peeler proved to be more of a chore to use than a knife, I went out looking for a peeler to replace it. I know, I know, why not just use a knife? Well, I would have if I hadn't found this product, which also happened to solve another dilemma; how do I make tiny julienne slices like a pro without having a mandolin? I am not that skilled with a knife yet. Maybe someday, but for now, this is great. It has 3 sides, 1 for hard fruits and veggies, 1 for soft skinned fruits and veggies, and one side that makes julienne slices. It also has a stainless steel eye remover for potatoes. It's easy to use, a cinch to clean, and it really works well.

J. A. Henkels Knife set

Nothing at all beats a good knife set. For years I was using a cheap set I bought Vince for his first apartment. When I got J. A. Henkels for Christmas a few years back, I finally fell in love with cooking. And let me just say for the record, I love the kitchen scissors! I use them for everything! I go crazy when someone takes my kitchen scissors out of the kitchen, or uses them on something other than cooking. Okay, now that I got that cleared up, back to the knives. This knife set may not be a professional's choice, but for the home cook, they are great. Someday, when I decide to open my own restaurant, I think I will upgrade to the Shun Premier set. This is not the same set I have, but I could find my set on amazon.

KitchenAid Professional 6 qt Stand Mixer

This baby has power to do almost anything! I love that one machine is able to be so many machines in one. Sure, you have to buy ridiculously expensive attachments which also need a home in your kitchen, but it sure beats having a separate machine for each job. In addition to mixing cake and cookie batters, whisking egg mixtures and kneading and bread and pizza doughs, I have made ice cream with my ice cream maker attachment which was the same price as a stand alone unit by Cuisinart! You can also purchase the pasta roller attachment, the pasta extruder attachment, the meat grinder attachment, the grain mill attachment and many more!

VitaMix blender

This is the most expensive blender you will ever see! But it does more than mere blending and ice crushing. The VitaMix can make soup, nut butters, sorbet, smoothies and shakes, salsas, and other dips, baby food, fondues, and even homemade flour. I won't go into the the tech side of it, their website explains all that. I can tell you, that I love mine, and I have hardly begun exploring the culinary options available, but I wouldn't give it up for anything! Pictured is not the model I have since mine is 10 years old.

UPDATE: Please read 3 More Multi-Purpose Kitchen tools for the Minimalist Home for more versatile products.

Blended Chicken Tortilla Soup

2011-09-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

Have you ever bought a bunch of fresh veggies for one recipe but are then stuck with a little left over after dividing what you need for that recipe? What do you do with the left overs? Sometimes I make stir fry, sometimes an omelette. But today I felt like making soup. A great soup to make when you have left over fresh veggies (and a heavy duty blender) is Blended Chicken Tortilla Soup. I got the basic recipe from my VitaMix blender cookbook. It's super easy and you can use any left over veggies you have and it makes about 4 good sized bowls of soup. Another added benefit from making this soup is that the veggies are barely cooked, so you retain all the nutrients.

Feel free to mix it up and try new things, all you need is a handful of each. Here's what I had on hand to make this soup today. Shredded carrot, cilantro, tomato slices, sliced zuchinni and summer squash, cubed butternut squash, baby red and orange bell peppers, plus onion, garlic, and serrano chili.
PLEASE NOTE: Because this isn't cooked much, you will only want 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, only 1 tbs of chopped onion and half of a seeded serrano or less. Then all you need is some taco seasoning and hot chicken stock, and salt and pepper to taste.

Here's what I used:

I add all the veggies in the blender reserving 1/2 of the cilantro to be used later. Then I add 32oz of HOT chicken stock and about 2 tsp of taco seasoning and salt and pepper.

If you are lucky enough to have this bad boy it will make this so much easier, but a regular blender or food processor will do as well. With the VitaMix you blend all the ingredients on high for 2-5 minutes or until well blended and steaming hot.

After blending for 2-5 minutes and the soup is good and hot, add some chunky ingredients such as a handful of corn, brown rice, stale tortilla chips (that's right, I save those stale pieces specifically for this soup) , the reserved cilantro and 1 chopped cooked chicken breast. Save the avocado for a topping. Blend on very low speed (or stir by hand if your blender does not have such a low speed)

Serve topped with avocado

Other ideas or substitution for the soup base may include:
canned tomato, spinach, green bell peppers, jalapenos

Don't have chicken stock? Use water and chicken bouillon. Don't have taco seasoning? Use a combo of spices such as paprika, chili seasoning, and Old Bay.

Other ideas for chunky ingredients may include:
canned black beans, chopped tomato, chopped onion, black olives

Other additional toppings:
more cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, more tortilla chips

Zuppa Toscana

2011-09-09T00:46:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, I must give full acknowledgement to my dear friend Alissa Ulmer who gave this recipe to me at a soup exchange party. I loved it so much it has become a staple in the Shaw house during soup season. Thanks Alissa!

Ever crave Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana? I do, but with the prices raising at the Olive Garden all the time, I was so excited that my friend Alissa gave this recipe to everyone at a soup exchange party she hosted.

Since then, many people have asked me for the recipe, so I thought I'd pass it on, for all to enjoy. I included step by step instructions and the full recipe can be found at the bottom of the post

Here's what you need:

Ingredients

1 med onion

2 cloves of garlic

2 russet potatoes

1 qt water (not pictured)

1 qt chicken stock

1 lb Italian sausage

1/2 lb bacon or prosciutto

2-4 cups of Kale

1 cup heavy cream or half and half

salt and pepper to taste

Brown and drain Italian sausage

fry, drain, and chop bacon

chop onions, slice potatoes, and grate garlic and combine in large soup pot or dutch oven

pour in 32 oz of chicken stock

pour in 32 oz water

simmer on med-low until potatoes are done, then add sausage and bacon and simmer for 10 additional minutes

add 2-4 cups of kale and cook another 5 minutes

stir in 1 cup of cream and heat through

Serve immediately

Zuppa Toscana

1 med onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic crushed or grated

2 russet potatoes cubed or sliced

1 qt (32oz) of water

1 qt (32) of chicken broth or stock

1 lb Italian sausage crumbled

1/2 lb of bacon or prosciutto

2-4 cups of fresh Kale leaves chopped

1-2 cups of heavy cream or half and half

brown sausage and bacon/prosciutto separately and drain fat

combine potatoes, onions, garlic, water, and chicken stock in a large soup pot or dutch oven, simmer until potatoes are done

add sausage and bacon and simmer another 10 minutes

add kale and cook another 5 minutes

stir in cream, heat through and serve

Homeschooling: The Land of Anti-Social Kids with Bad Home Haircuts

2011-09-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

I am on a new road of discovery. A road that has it's ups and downs, it's twists and turns. It's more like a roller coaster really, it's called homeschooling........

"Mom thinks I'm cool"

Back when I was in school, homeschooling was a bad word. They were the weird kids, the miss-fits in society. They didn't know how to socialize, they sat in the corner with their head down (in a book...during a party) The girls all had long straight hair down to their ankles and wore handmade sweaters and long jean skirts with socks and Birkenstock sandals , the boys had bad home hair-cuts and the same homemade sweaters and khaki pants that were too short and tennis shoes that were from 1972 (it was the late 80's early 90's)

Things are so much different now. I have met so many normal well socialized incredibly smart homeschooled children since then. In fact at least 50 of my FB friends have either been homeschooled or are homeschooling or are planning to homeschool. I have had lots of possitive influence in my life reguarding homeschooling.

I admired these homeschoolers for their dedication, but I never considered it too seriously myself. I always thought of sending my children to a Lutheran School that was most likely attached to the church my husband was a Pastor of. I thought, if no Lutheran School was available, I would send my child to a Classical Private School or something. Cost was never an issue, of course, since i never seriously looked into such things.

That was of course, until Vince got his first call to a church with no school and the Lutheran school in town wasn't up to our standard, and the financial reality of living in Sonoma County on a Pastor's salary hit us like a ton of bricks. That was when we pulled Tino out of preschool and began our journey.

This past school year I called "kindergarten" and we taught Tino how to read, write and do basic math using a great computer program called Funnix. Outside of that, he had lots of time for art, and imaginative play. Anything he wanted to know about animals or bugs, or anything really, we looked to Google to find info and pictures and videos. He also has the Dangerous Book for Boys and the Children's World Atlas and a Junior Encyclopedia to help satisfy his curiosity.

This year we start a more formal instruction based on the Classical method of the Trivium. We are using curriculum suggestions from the book The Well Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home. Most of our curriculum books came in the mail yesterday, minus our science books and one history book. I need to use a placement test for Math so I know which level to purchase from Saxon Math.

We are so excited to start the school year! We may be a few days off from other homeschooling families, but that is the beauty of homeschooling, you do it when it's the right time for you.

For those who are still worried about the socialization, have no fear, we are registering Tino in the Cub Scouts. Our nearest local pack is within walking distance! But I can't promise he will get good home hair cuts! ;D

The PERFECT Soft-Boiled Egg

2010-02-22T14:45:00.003-08:00

Soft-boiled eggs: A mix between firmer whites like a hard boiled egg and the runny yolks of an over-easy egg = Heaven!

I had never even heard of soft boiled eggs until I married Vince and saw him eating one that he made during a midnight scavenger hunt in the fridge. I was as first appalled at the thought of it, but he coaxed me into tasting it, and since then have been on a quest to make the perfect soft-boiled egg.

I should begin by saying that Vince has some magic mojo thing going on when it comes to making electronics work ( I can't begin to tell you how many times he has successfully made the computer do a command that I failed to get it to do the last 20 times) Apparently, this magic mojo had extended over to egg boiling.

He has tried to teach me some of his tricks like setting the cold eggs in a bowl of warm water before dropping them in the boiling water, checking them after 3 minutes for the "spin test" (This is when he takes an egg out and spins it from the top, if it topples quikly it is under-cooked, if it spins perfectly it's over cooked)

I have done all these tricks, on top of trying to add them to the water before it boils, and after. I have taken them out anywhere from 3 minutes to 4 minutes and 30 seconds, experimenting and finding that an egg can go from being completely runny and undercooked to overcooked in like, 0.29 seconds flat!
What I found to be even more frustrating is that my eggs seem to have completely different results in the same batch! How can it be that this man can be better at cooking eggs than me?!? (I love you, Honey ;D)

All this was before I found the greatest invention ever made! It's a boiled egg timer! It's a plastic egg shaped timer that you put in the water the same time you put your egg in. The color turns from red to black from the outside in. the smaller the red space, the harder the egg is. Here's a link from Amazon so you can get your own:
http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Egg-Rite-Timer/dp/B00004UE75/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1266880261&sr=8-1

This little contraption takes some practice to use too. The directions say to use room temp water, eggs that are room temp and to place eggs and timer over high heat to boil the water.

The first few times I used it, my eggs still came out over done (med to hard boiled) even when I removed the pan from the heat right when the timer said the eggs were soft. I realized this was happening because even though I removed the heat and dumped the water, the eggs are still cooking because of residual heat from inside themselves.

Today I took the pan off the heat as soon as the timer said they were soft. I quickly dumped the hot water out and took out the timer and ran extremely cold water over them for 1 minute. I dried the eggs off and though they felt cool to the touch, after being dried and put in the egg cups they were warmed up again.

You can't imagine how proud I was to break open the top and find a perfectly cooked soft-boiled egg! The whites were firm, not runny, but the yolk was runny not firm and I could dip my little english muffin strips into the gooey yellow yumminess! I have created a little of my own magic mojo! And now I pass it on to you!

Mahi-Mahi Mai'a

2010-02-22T14:08:00.004-08:00

Growing up in San Diego had many perks. Going to the beach on the weekends, sunny weather, lots of great dining. My parents liked to try new restaurants but some were favorites that we went to on special occasions. One of them being Peohe's in Coronado.

Peohe's is a tropical restaurant that specializes in seafood, their signature dish and my personal favorite was Mahi-Mahi Mai'a, now renamed Halibut Mai'a. The menu describes Halibut (or mahi like it did when I was growing up) sauteed with bananas, macadamia nuts and Frangelico. Memory serves my parents and I that it was a creamy banana sauce with chunks of banana and macadamia nuts.
I have been researching recipes for something close to this entree. I have had NO LUCK! So I went to Peohe's website, looked at the description on the menu and began searching Google for keywords like "banana macadamia nut Frangelico" or "mahi-mahi with bananas" or "fish with banana Frangelico sauce" the closest I came to was a recipe called "Chicken Pasta Frangelico"

This recipe called for a Frangelico cream sauce consisting of Frangelico, cream, sugar and a dash of salt, and roux for a thickening agent. Let me tell you... It asks for 1 cup of Frangelico to be reduced to half. Exactly how does that happen? I had my pan on med with the Frangelico in it, it slowly came to a soft simmer for probably 15 minutes but still no reducing. All my other pans were ready to go so I added the cream (3 cups!) and sugar and salt and cooked for another 5-10 minutes. Then I added the roux (1TBSP melted butter mixed with 1TBSP of flour) this did not thicken at all. This sauce was not sauce but a hot drink! I may experiment again and allow more time for the reducing of the Frangelico and add A LOT LESS of the cream, and I may even add more roux if needed.

Meanwhile, I chopped up my Macadamia nuts and sauteed them in butter until they were toasty brown and then I added 2 bananas (quartered). My sauce hadn't turned out and my banana's were browning very nicely so I on a whim poured some Frangelico right in the pan of bananas and nuts and it sizzled and added a nice nutty aroma.

The Mahi-Mahi was easy, I heated butter in a pan and cooked the fillets for roughly 2-3 minutes on each side. I made sure to dry the fillets really well so they would brown properly and they came out PERFECT!
I plated the mahi with the banana, macadamia nut pieces on top and served a scoop of Wild Rice on the side.

Wild Rice... It's better when sparingly mixed with brown rice or something. I did not like the rice on it's own.

I also made home-made ice cream ( there is NOTHING like it) I thought to stick with the tropical theme and make Thai Coconut. I have a recipe for it in my Thai cookbook. It was good, but I think I would say this one word of warning. Don't heat the coconut milk and cream for as long as they ever say to in recipes. If you do, it tastes more like "steamed milk" instead of ice cream.

Love Notes

2008-01-25T16:35:00.007-08:00

OH! Young Love! Today I reviewed old letters in a box. I got a great idea on how to display them by punching holes in them and binding them w/ book rings. While grouping them, I read a few. Transported back to when love was new, the future was still unsure as I read a card with a bratty faced little boy holding out a flower with the note inside saying "I really really really like you" Soon cards became "Top 10 Reason's We are Perfect for Each other". When we were apart, cards came with sad little puppies exclaiming "missing you is ruff" When things got pretty serious cards became wordy with exclamations like "I loved you before I met you". When we fought there came cards that tried in a cute way to make-up such as boxing gloves with the words "are we fighting? am I winning?" And once our future was secure the cards take on a new maturity. As well as being a lot less frequent, they are now much larger in size and flowery (if they are for me) and manly and robust if they are for Vince. Romantic, and yet very established and confident with proclamations of Everlasting Love withstanding trials of life, and mundainity. You may think I mock, but really, I treasure these the most.

Yes, it is a thrill to time travel back to the days when my stomach fluttered when he entered a room and getting chills when I heard his voice on the other end of the phone; when cards came from out of the blue and usually were accompanied with flowers. I could get melancholy and dwell on the fact that things like that don't happen, and I'm lucky to get a card on my Birthday. But really, I think it's not a sign of a spark that has gone out. In fact, I am thankful that we feel so comfortable with each other. We have gotten past the material. Our love is comfortable, relaxed, always there, always reliable. Time has sweetened it, like your favorite old pair of jeans. They may be tattered and have terrible flaws, but you can't wait to get home outta your work clothes and throw them on. You can't imagine giving them up, because they have formed to you (and you to them) they know you better than any other pair, your needs and wants. They don't constrict you, they give you space to breathe. And even when it's time to be washed (self improvement), they fit just the same.
Marriage is hard. It has it's ups and downs. You get frustrated sometimes and wanna give up. But when you look back at the physical proof of your love, old love notes, it reminds you why you go through this. You have a story. A tale of ups as well as downs. In youth and maturity. I look forward to adding to this story throughout the years. We've got a good one to tell.