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April 28, 2012 New How (and why) I Got Over My Bagel Addiction

This is definitely one of my more personal posts on GRAS Pizza. No recipes, just a reflection on some recent changes I’ve made in my life. Albeit small and admittedly common knowledge, I hope they may give you an opportunity to think about small changes in your own life. 

I realized this morning as I poured my Go Lean over my Greek Yogurt that I haven’t had a bagel in… weeks. I really can’t even remember the last time I had one. For a girl who is known by name to my local bagel places, this is a pretty big development.

I’ve been going through somewhat of a health overhaul over the past few months, the result of my ambitious 2012 goals and resolutions. In addition to keeping my promises to get to the gym on a regular basis, I’ve tried to eat better as well. I’ve been much more in tune to how certain foods make me feel. I’m paying attention to what foods make me feel good.. aka not stuffed and uncomfortable. Basically, I’ve doing a “risk re-assessment” of my diet. (Seriously, I work too much because that came out unfiltered.)

But at the heart of it, I’ve noticed a few things about my diet that I hadn’t thought about before. I think I knew all of these things when applied to other people’s lives and I understand the concepts, but this time, it’s gotten personal. Here’s a few tid bits of advice that I’ve been giving myself lately:

  1. Eat more veggies. I’m sort of a quantity eater. I like seeing a big plate of food. I like chewing. I enjoy textures and savoring them slowly. Maybe this sounds weird to you but I enjoy the whole experience of actually eating. It calms me. (I sound like such a fat kid right now and should delete this, but I’m honest so I won’t.) Eating more veggies has given me the ability to bulk up my meals without gaining weight or consuming thousands of calories. Plus, by faux-frying and disguising veggies, meals don’t feel like rabbit food.
  2. Have a plan. I’ve been making a huge effort to plan my meals more. Whether that means just packing lunch the night before or writing it down, any effort seems to help. If I know I’m having an awesome salad or a homemade chicken salad wrap for lunch, I’m less tempted to give in to the grilled cheese or burger. Having snack bars or cut up veggies in the refrigerator at work has also helped me to stay away from the vending machine.
  3. Have an exercise plan. I won’t say that exercise dictates my day and I would never want it to. But having a plan, say before I go to bed, to work out in the morning or take a class the following night, can help to plan your day. For example, if I’m taking spin at 6:45 PM I will plan to finish work by a certain time. I’ll schedule snacks accordingly to fuel for a workout.  Exercise is an appointment that I need to keep.
  4. More Protein, More Fiber. These are the two nutrients that I frequently miss out on. It’s easy to do really. If you’re like me you associate protein with meat and fiber with.. well… prunes and other gross things. Fear not. I’m officially a greek yogurt convert. Packed with the upwards of 1/3 of your day’s protein, no fat and only 120 calories, FF Vanilla Greek Yogurt is my go-to in the morning. I combine it with Kashi Go Lean cereal blends and it’s a filling meal that still gives me the crunch I crave. Fiber – it’s all about grains, reading labels and for me, Fiber One. Bars/Cereals/Snacks, it’s the easiest and tastiest form of fiber I’ve found. I faux-fry veggies with Fiber One, use it as breadcrumbs and top my salads with it. Unexpected? Yes. Unexpected Nutrition? Totally.
  5. Try new recipes. I feel silly writing that, but don’t stop reading just yet. As a novice food blogger, I’m writing and trying new recipes all the time. Hell, my craft project this year was a recipe binder. The way I’ve enhanced this habit is by shopping my pantry and focussing on nutrition. I’ve bookmarked so many recipes that seem healthy and delicious, but I’ve forgotten about them. I’ve begun to revisit these links. I’ve searched for recipes by ingredient and keywords like “protein” and “nutrient dense.” That’s how I found my pumpkin turkey chili and got the inspiration for prosciutto-wrapped pork tenderloin.
  6. More Money, More Problems. Without following these tips and seemingly new-found inspiration, I’m spending more money. That morning bagel was setting me back almost a thousand dollars per year. I know. On BAGELS. It’s obscene and to be honest, it pissed me off when I keyed that into my calculator. Greek yogurt and cereal, about 1/3 the cost. More protein? Fewer calories? It’s a no-brainer.
  7. Bagels Suck. Okay, they don’t really. I love a good bagel. Crispy on the outside, doughy on the inside, a bagel gives me a very rare form of food pleasure. But seriously, I noticed a dramatic difference in my energy, hunger and overall health once I gave them up. Maybe it was so dramatic since I was eating one every morning, but my mornings are totally different now. I used to pick up a bagel on the way to work (and pay the freaking $2.65 for a nearly naked bagel with a slight amount of cream cheese….which they rarely listened to) and eat it at my desk, savoring every piece of the spinach bagel. It was a routine that I really looked forward to every morning. (I know, I’m weird) But I noticed that I wasn’t always hungry at lunch. I was bloated. I had no energy. Frankly, it threw off my day and nutrition. A personal effect was that I just didn’t feel good or okay to consume more calories. I needed a change. Insert #4.

I’m no sort of nutritional expert, nor am I the role model of health. I like to think that as the year progresses, I’m improving. No, I haven’t been able to get hooked on green monsters or kale chips yet, but I’ve given up bagels. For me, that is huge. It’s a small change that has had a domino-effect on my days. Think about it – you start your day right, why would you want to cancel all those positive efforts with something like a fatty burger of a greasy slice of pizza? You don’t. You want to come to GRAS Pizza and figure out how to do it right :)

As I evolve, so does GRAS Pizza. Life’s a journey and ever-changing. Don’t hold back and don’t get stuck in routine. Routine is easy. Change is brave.

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April 25, 2012 Prosciutto-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce

Growing up in my house, I was pretty much trained to try all different kinds of foods. I did not sit at a “chicken fingers and fries” dinner table. I sat down to dinners that were inspired from magazines, shared family recipes and quite often, the result of my mother’s creativity in the kitchen. She knows how to shop her pantry and still make a fabulous meal. Some of my favorite family recipes:

  • Shrimp & Olives from Real Simple. This one became my “coming home” meal as it was quite frequently requested on school vacations.
  • Lemon Meringue pie from Grammy Gras. I still remember the summer day that she taught me how to make the pie, homemade graham cracker crust and all. It’s my Dad’s favorite desert and it simply tastes like family.
  • Train Wreck. Inspired by my Aunt Kim’s original interpretation, this is my mother’s name for a dinner that has a thousand variations but often consists of: veggies, tomatoes, breadcrumbs and LOTS of cheese. It was always delicious. I told my childhood friend Julia that we were having train wreck when she came for dinner one night. Needless to say she was a bit confused.
  • Mexican Pizza. Of course this list had to have a pizza. My mom made this years ago and we were hooked.  With a taco sauce for a base, we’d layer on southwestern style chicken, lots of black olives, mexicorn, salsa, whatever we had on hand. She’s made a bunch of different iterations.. only now she’s been converted to homemade dough vs. Boboli. You’re welcome :)
  • Spinach and Strawberry Salad. My mom has been making this salad for Christmas Dinner for as long as I can remember. The honey dressing gives a subtle sweetness to balance out the coconut topping. It’s almost too pretty to eat… almost.
  • Egg in a hole. My dad used to make this for a late night snack, either for himself or my brother and I. I recently saw the “recipe” in Food & Wine and couldn’t help but laugh. Dad-you’re a chef!
  • London Broil with Babbitt Marinade. I’m not sure WHAT goes into this marinade but it’s a killer. I see london broil and flank steak popping up everywhere as a great (cheap) meat option. Mama Gras has been doing this for years. Cooked and prepped properly, it’s perfect for a week night meal.
  • Veal Saltimbocca. This was what my brother’s answer was when I asked him his favorite meal growing up. He’s right, it is delicious. While many of my friends would crinkle their noses at the thought of eating baby cow, to me it’s just normal. When my mother makes this dish, it’s 100x better than normal.

The real show stopper in my mom’s kitchen is her stuffed beef tenderloin (or for a weeknight meal – stuffed flank steak). We have it for special occasions and it such a treat. Just the thought of it brings back memories of formal dinners in the dining room and my first dinner party. My poor mother. When I was 13, I was dating a boy named John. Young love, sigh. Anyway, I wanted to throw John a birthday party. Being the oh-so-mature and sophisticated teenager that I was, I decided a formal dinner party would be appropriate. I asked my mom to make her stuffed beef tenderloin. Because she is a fantastic mother, she agreed and slaved over the beef tenderloin all day.  It was a delicious meal, but I don’t think anyone appreciated it as much as I did.

After my sort of failure with stuffed pork tenderloin on Christmas Eve, I was very hesitant to give it another try. Ah, but here is where my cheap skate mentality came into play. I was at the grocery store on Sunday trying to gain inspiration for Sunday Dinner with the girls. (Yes, this counts for my April meal!) I had no real direction until I walked past the sign for “pork tenderloin sale.” It was a sign. Or maybe it was just me being cheap. Regardless, it was the right decision.

I quickly utilized the Epicurious iPhone App (by the way, if you haven’t downloaded this yet, stop reading and do it now. It’s so useful) and found a recipe for Prosciutto-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce. There wasn’t one part of that title that I didn’t like. You all know my love for prosciutto.

Anyway, I loaded up my shopping basket with a gorgeous ~1 lb. pork tenderloin, a few veggies, some herbs, a bagged salad and some garlic bread. Quite simply – a semi homemade dinner. My mother also taught my early on that there is nothing wrong with a bagged salad every once in a while. It’s quick, cheap, and honestly stress-free. I love to cook, I do, but sometimes when you’re under time constraints and trying to balance taste preferences, cutting a few corners is necessary. A delicious necessity, I might add as there were no complaints at my dinner table.

I modified the Bon Apetit recipe to adapt for my dinner of four and quite frankly, to make it easier. I didn’t really understand the written technique, nor did I find it to add any value. Just follow my recipe. It’s better. Don’t worry Bon Apetit, I’m still a subscriber.

Prosciutto-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce

Serves 4 (ahem ladies)

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. pork tenderloin, butterflied (that means split in half lengthwise. I’m American. Let’s keep it real)
  • ~8 thin slices of prosciutto di Parma
  • ~1/3 c. italian or regularly seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
  • 1-2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper

For the best and simplest mushroom sauce….ever

  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 8 oz. sliced crimini or baby bella mushrooms
  • 1 c. your favorite white wine (you’ll be drinking it later, no reason to open a specific type, people)
  • 1 c. low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 c. flour

Served with these simple sides

Directions

  1. A few hours before dinner, butterfly your pork tenderloin.
  2. In the exposed center, layer 4-5 slices of prosciutto.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, thyme, rosemary and 1 tbsp. olive oil. When it has a “graham-cracker-crust-like” consistency, pile on top of the prosciutto.
  4. “Flop” over the other half of the pork tenderloin and get going with your kitchen twine. This doesn’t have to be pretty. The objective is to tie together your tenderloin into a cylinder-like form and doesn’t fall apart. No one is judging you.
  5. Rub tenderloin with remaining olive oil and salt and pepper.
  6. Cover top with 3-4 pieces of prosciutto in a diagonal fashion to wrap it up.
  7. Resist all temptation to eat the prosciutto and cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for two hours.

Tick-Tock Tick-Tock, Is it Pork-O-Clock?

YES!

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add roast and sauté until brown, turning with tongs, about 7 minutes.
  2. In an oven-proof skillet or roasting pan, cook pork tenderloin for 35 minutes or until temp. reaches 145º.

Meanwhile…

  1. Place same skillet under medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; sauté until mushrooms begin to brown, about 6 minutes.
  2. Add wine and broth.
  3. Boil and whisk frequently until it thickens up a bit, about 10 minutes.
  4. Mine needed thickening – 1/4 c. flour did it.
  5. Remove from heat.

After you’ve waited long enough…

  1. Remove roast from oven and let rest 5-10 minutes.
  2. Cut crosswise and serve with mushroom sauce, that easy frozen garlic bread and salad. (or be crazy and do it all homemade. Your choice. I choose sanity and a glass of wine with my friends)

After this meal, I am certainly a pork tenderloin convert. Moist, succulent and freaking delicious, this was an incredible dinner. I could eat this all day. I mean, I could weigh 300 pounds and eat this all day. But in all seriousness, it wasn’t all that terrible for you. Eaten with a light salad and some bread, it wasn’t your usual meat and potatoes meal. Plus, the meat portion size isn’t huge by any means. I know, I’m giving myself excuses to eat stuffed pork… that has been stuffed with more pork. Oh well.

Did I mention that halfway through our impromptu mini-dinner party the fire alarms went off? I’m clearly not classy enough to host a real dinner party when I’m shoving my guests out the door.

This recipe doesn’t touch my Mom’s beef tenderloin, but maybe if I make this for her, she’ll share her secrets with me.

What were your favorite meals growing up?

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April 10, 2012 Awesome Pantry Salad

Tonight I made a salad for dinner. It was weird. Let me explain.

Remember how I’ve been cooking up a storm and not telling you about it? Well after that happened, I made chili and gave you all the details. The night after, I ate the chili again. The next night, I tried to disguise it in a quesadilla. And then tonight, well, I just couldn’t do it anymore. I threw the last couple servings in the freezer and promised myself to eat it again soon.

I still needed to eat, though. Desperately actually. I took my first spin class in weeks tonight and left the gym sweaty, famished and red-faced. I felt awesome. I really wanted to keep up the awesome and the nutritional content of my dinner. As I mentally started going through what I had in the fridge, I remembered all that romaine lettuce I bought for lunches this week. Three whole hearts that were only going to last a week… but so much cheaper than buying bagged greens. Do you ever get stuck with the lettuce scramble?  I suppose if I had a family to feed it wouldn’t be so difficult, but with just me, it’s a race against the wilted greens.

So salad it is. How would I make this actually seem like dinner? By following a recipe, of course :) I remembered Tina’s Favorite Salad from a Can that I had tried back in November. I had gotten way too excited and bought mass quantities of beets and garbanzo beans. I actually only made the salad once because I couldn’t get past the weird beety flavor, and I think I made it with spinach at the time which was just all too much for me. Oh and I hadn’t used any dressing. Basically, I killed Tina’s salad.

This time, I took precautions and changed it up with some bottled light balsamic, quartered artichoke hearts to avoid the cost of the pricey Italian marinated ones (and the fat), the tiniest cherry tomatoes I have ever seen and my favorite: blue cheese. The result was me gobbling up a huge bowl of salad like it was macaroni and cheese. Maybe even better since I stood up satisfied, guilt-free and so awesome.

Quick “Pantry” Salad

I call this a “pantry” salad because the ingredient list is composed of things I usually have on hand. Take a look in your pantry and see what you could swap in or out! Thanks to Tina @ Carrots N Cake and Trading Up Downtown for the original inspiration! Measurements are approximate, adapt as you wish!

Ingredients (for 1)

  • ~2 c. chopped romaine hearts
  • 1/3 c. cooked chickpeas (from can, drained and rinsed)
  • 1/8-1/4 c. crumbled reduced-fat blue cheese
  • Handful grape tomatoes, sliced
  • ~6 quartered artichoke hearts (1 serving, look on the can)
  • 2 tbsp. light balsamic vinaigrette
  • 1 c. chopped broccoli
  • 1/2 c. sliced beets (canned)

Directions

  1. Let’s keep is simple: combine all ingredients in salad bowl.
  2. Toss.
  3. Enjoy.

I have been enjoying this salad at work for a fancy lunch and for dinner as an easy dinner. I actually started serving it in my new pretty pasta bowls to make it feel more “fancy.” Plus, I have no good reason to fill one of these bowls up with a pound of carbs. But fill it up with a delicious, tossed salad? Amazing.

Salad for dinner is now on the regular mix. Salad for dinner from the pantry is now an absolute stable. Why? Because it makes me feel awesome. Anything I eat that makes me feel strong, satisfied and satiated is fantastic in my book.

I also feel it necessary to note something about salads. Rather a question… why are they so expensive? You know what I mean. You’re going out for lunch with coworkers or friends and see that salad bar. It’s the easiest way to either 1) create a protein-rich and filling meal or 2) kill yourself with too many add-ins that make a salad’s nutritional content that of a cheeseburger. Either way, the salad bar is EXPENSIVE. It kills me! Luckily, my work cafeteria is subsidized due to our health initiatives, so a salad is a great option. But this past weekend, I went out in Greenwich, CT and got a small tossed salad with field greens, chicken, chickpeas, tomatoes and edamame and it set me back $10! Crazy, right? 4 servings of this post’s salad cost me $10. And it was better. Moral of the story: BYOA – bring your own awesome.

Question of the Day

What food makes you feel awesome?

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April 8, 2012 Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Do you ever read those features in fashion magazines where the editors seamlessly take four or five random pieces together and turn them into like, 100 outfits? It always amazes me how they make things like bright green pants both “office-chic” and “date night approved” with just a few tweaks. It also shocks me how many different looks can be created with just a few pieces. For example, the basic black pencil skirt that every woman has in her closet:

Source:  The Lovely Undergrad

Or this post on different ways to wear nude pumps!

Source: The Budget Babe

My obsession with my own nude pumps has now fully returned. I would never have thought to wear nude pumps with shorts.

Although I will never call myself a fashionista, I do try to be creative with my closet. The most valuable (both fashionably and fiscally) tip I’ve ever heard is to shop your closet. The different looks that can be created with items you already own is infinite. And let’s face it, everyone loves being complimented with a, “Wow I love your outfit. Is that new?” I’m always trying to revitalize my closet with some changes or risks.

The same goes for the kitchen. Shop your pantry. Make dinner based on what you already have. Look at your pantry stables and see what could be enhanced or accessorized with some fresh herbs or produce. What could you make with just what’s in your refrigerator? Before I march off to the grocery store to buy a bundle of groceries, my new approach has been to shop my pantry and see what I can make with what I already own. It has forced me to get creative while saving a bit of money.

Shopping my pantry has also mixed up the menu. Just like the weather has been totally out of season, so is the chili that I made last weekend. I was looking to make a lightened up version with ground turkey. After surfing the blogosphere and coming up with a few good options, I stumbled upon this recipe for Pumpkin Turkey Chili… twice. Once on a blog I’ve never read but really enjoy now, and once on a blog I regularly read. Having the pumpkin, broth and spices on hand already, I knew it’d be an inexpensive option for a week of meals. Plus, it was a slow cooker recipe! Any excuse to use my slow cooker is a good enough one for me.

I took advice from both of the blog posts and put together the recipe below. It turned out spicy, but not too spicy. If you like it with a little more heat, double up on the chili powder. The pumpkin didn’t make it sweet, but sort of pulled everything together in a lovely round way. This one is a keeper, people!

Pumpkin Turkey Chili 

adapted from Skinny Taste and We Are Not Martha

Ingredients

  •  1 lb 99% lean ground turkey
  • 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 can white northern  beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
  • 4.5 ounce can chopped green chili
  • 2 cups broth – I used Better than Boullion vegetable because it’s what I had on hand
  • Fat Free Sour Cream for dolloping
  • Chopped Chives for topping
  • S&P as desired

Directions

  1. Use your muscles and take the slow cooker off the shelf.
  2. Heat large sauté pan with non-stick cooking spray to medium. Add ground turkey and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook about 5 minutes or until all white. Transfer to slow cooker.
  3. Add oil to the sauté pan, then onions and garlic. Sauté about 3 – 4 minutes, stirring often so you don’t burn your garlic. Add cumin and sauté another minute.
  4. Now the easy part: add onions and garlic to crock pot.
  5. Open all your cans. Dump then in.
  6. Don’t forget the broth, chili powder, oregano and bay leaves.
  7. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours.

This was a bit haphazard of a cooking experience for me. I realized I had no oregano and ran down the street for some before turning on the slow cooker, came home to an excellent mess of food and wondered how it happened.

Nevertheless, the results were fabulous. I loved how the pumpkin was totally hidden and just gave a subtle sweetness. I also haven’t had a good turkey chili until this one. I grew up on my dad’s super spicy beefy chili and totally have a soft spot for that stuff. This one was definitely lighter but super filling. Packed with beans and lean turkey, this was an incredibly nutritious dinner that I enjoyed throughout the week.

Oh and have I mentioned the best part? It’s a budget meal. I calculated all that I had to purchase and it was only $10.13! I imagine this would yield around 6 servings, so that makes it only $1.68 per serving! I’m sure if you didn’t have some of the ingredients it would bump that up a little, but more than a $15 total price? Not a chance. An incredible nutritional value all around.

Question of the Day

How do you “shop your pantry?”

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April 6, 2012 Q1’12 Results

Happy April everyone! And if you’re in my world, happy quarter end! You know the drill, the quarter’s over and everyone wants to see how the business did, where we’re in line re: budget and what we need to stress this quarter. Well, it seems that in my personal world, if I want to tackle my aggressive 2012 Goals and Resolutions, a check in is in order, right? I thought it’d be fun to see where I’m at and where I need to be.

Fitness goals:

  1. BE ACTIVE AT LEAST 4X/WEEK. SCHEDULE ACTIVITY INTO CALENDAR. Right on track with this one and have been going an average of 4-5x/week to the gym. Scheduling it into the calendar? That’s not always working since my workouts at night revolve around my work schedule.
  2. SCHEDULE APPOINTMENT WITH PHYSICAL THERAPIST TO GET TO THE ROOT OF MY KNEE PROBLEMS. Not even close. I did establish a gyno in CT though, does that count? No, I know it doesn’t.
  3. UPPER. BODY. STRENGTH. After meeting with a trainer at my gym, I learned some great exercises and am supplementing them with a regular schedule of Body Works 2x/week. Welcome to the gun show. 
  4. UTILIZE FITBOOK AS A WAY TO TRACK PROGRESS. I used this for 2-3 weeks in January, but after my schedule kept changing with work, I never could stick with it. I need to restart it though because it was really fun to track my progress. 
  5. TRY 3 NEW WORK OUTS. INITIAL THOUGHTS INCLUDE CROSS FIT, BALLET WORKOUT (I HEAR THERE IS A BALLET GYM OPENING IN STAMFORD?) AND KICKBOXING. I tried “Sweat and Soul Yoga” with my friend Rachel in Boston in February. I loved it and my next visit will definitely include another class with Rach. Best part? The classes are only $10/each, a bargain in the world of yoga. The problem with these specialized work outs is that they are so pricy. I’m hoping to find a Groupon for Bar Pilates in the area.

Foodie goals:

  1. HOST DINNER FOR FRIENDS AT LEAST ONCE/MONTH. Check! I’ve had a few of pizza and pasta nights with the girls.
  2. PERFECT HOMEMADE DOUGH – UTILIZING MY NEW KITCHENAID MIXER! My whole wheat dough has proved to be awesome time and time again.
  3. FIND A GO-TO HOMEMADE TOMATO SAUCE. I haven’t been doing a ton of tomato-based pizzas so this one is still open.
  4. PUT TOGETHER RECIPE BINDERS AND ORGANIZE FOOD MAGAZINES [I NOW SUBSCRIBE TO COOKING LIGHT, BON APPETIT AND FOOD & WINE!] A work in progress, but I’ve got the binder filled and organized with the archives. This was a long project in January.
  5. USE GRILL PAN. I BOUGHT A QUALITY GRILL PAN DURING THE HURRICANE IRENE LOCKDOWN ONLINE AND IT’S BEEN IN THE BOX EVER SINCE. It’s still on the shelf…even after a few times that I definitely could have used it. 
  6. PREPARE, COOK, AND CARVE A TURKEY. This one still has me shaking in my knee-high boots.
  7. GRILL A PIZZA. This will have to be a summer goal… once I find friends with a grill. Anyone?
  8. USE ICE CREAM MAKER… AN EARLY FOODIE REQUEST I HAD IN MIDDLE SCHOOL I THINK. MY PARENTS OBLIGED AN BOUGHT ME A LOVELY CUISINART ICE CREAM MAKER – THE DESIGN HASN’T CHANGED IN 10+ YEARS. AWESOME. It’s still in the box. I think I just need to be inspired with an ice cream recipe I can’t pass up. I also have been trying to cook a bit healthier and ice cream isn’t always conducive to that one. Anyone have a good sorbet or frozen yogurt recipe?

Recipe Musts (one for each month!):

  1. LENTIL WALNUT BURGERS  I made these and was actually really disappointed. Mine just didn’t turn out to be all that moist and they crumbled when I tried to eat them like a regular burger. I actually reached out to Angela of Oh She Glows and  being the sweetheart that she is, she actually responded to my email (she’s a very popular and busy blogger/future cookbook author!). She wasn’t sure of the problem, but I’m sure it was on my end since she hadn’t gotten that comment. Fooey.
  2. CAESAR SALAD PIZZA Well, the lack of pizza cooking will certainly hinder this one.
  3. ZUCCHINI BREAD I’m going to say this is a summer goal for summer squash.
  4. MAC AND CHEESE LIGHT I didn’t make this recipe but I did make the one from Real Simple! It was phenomenal and a new favorite. I’m calling this one completed and exceeded.
  5. HG MIRACLE MASHIES The other HG and I haven’t been getting along so well lately. I’ve been neglecting her recipes as much as I’m neglecting to shave my legs in the winter.
  6. SHRIMP SCAMPI This seems like a good recipe for my next dinner party, yes?
  7. TLAYUDA I sort of forgot why I wanted to make this. Not complete. 
  8. LEMONY-ZUCCHINI GOAT CHEESE PIZZA See comment on #2
  9. MUSHROOM MARSALA PASTA WITH ARTICHOKES Oh baby, I’m desperate to make this one.
  10. ARTICHOKE, SPINACH & FETA STUFFED SHELLS I didn’t make this one, but I made a similar Spinach and Artichoke Baked Pasta from Woman’s Day that was fabulous. Completed and exceeded. 
  11. HOMEMADE GNOCCI – SWEET POTATO OR MARIO BATALI’S VERSION Don’t remind me of how big of a failure this one was. Needless to say, I still have some pathetic frozen gnocchi in my freezer. Anyone want to defrost them for gnocchi mush?
  12. VEGAN PASTA FROM OH SHE GLOWS .. OR JUST SOMETHING DELICIOUSLY VEGAN. Nothing vegan is coming out of the kitchen these days, unless you count me putting nutritional yeast on just about everything.

Wellness goals:

  1. JOURNAL AT LEAST TWICE/WEEK. This one surprises me. I thought that with the known joy I get from blogging that this would be my easiest resolution. The thing is, I find myself writing blog posts in my head. I can be in the car and I’ll want to start recording my thoughts because I get so excited about a recipe or a topic. With my journal, it’s like I’m forcing something unnatural. Dear Journal, I’m just not that into you.
  2. READ ONE BOOK/MONTH – READ BEFORE BED? AT THE GYM? IN THE CAR? I am kicking this goal’s butt. While some would argue that books on CD, “isn’t really reading,” I’ve greatly benefited from them. Not only have they helped my commute and trips to/from Boston fly by, but with the beauty of the library: free entertainment. So far I’ve gotten through the following (via CDs, kindle, and gasp: hard copy): 1) Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld, 2) Decision Points by George Bush, 3) The Pact by Jodi Piccoult, 4) My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Piccoult, 5) Atonement by Ewan McEwan, 6) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, 7) Love It Don’t Leave It: 26 Ways to Get What You Want at Work by Sharon Jordan-Evans, 8) Against All Odds by Scott Brown, 9) The Other Woman by Jane Green, 10) The Beach House by Jane Green.
  3. VISIT MY FAMILY’S LAKE HOUSE IN VERMONT OVER THE SUMMER. [CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS ACTUALLY A GOAL... BUT I DIDN'T MAKE IT A PRIORITY LAST YEAR WITH MY MOVE AND SPENT A YEAR AWAY FROM HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER] We’ll see this summer!
  4. EMBRACE THE PHONE. I DISLIKE PHONE CALLS. BUT, DUE TO MY STRONG DISLIKE FOR PHONE CALLS, I NEGLECT FRIENDSHIPS. WELL THAT IS STUPID, ISN’T IT? I LOVE MY FRIENDS. I WANT TO HEAR FROM THEM. EMBRACE THE (I)PHONE. I’ve been making a sincere effort. While I’ve had a handful of purposeful calls with friends, I am actually picking up the phone more. I know that sounds so bad. Truthfully, I’m terrible at multi-tasking when I’m on the phone, so I usually just prefer texts. However, the planned phone dates I’ve had have been more than rewarding and fun. I’m slowly being converted.

My overall assessment? I’m doing pretty well for 3 months in. I’ve been doing a ton of cooking lately and I’m exercising which is really the biggest goal for the year. Reviewing the list has helped me to re-align my strategy though and I think I need to take a harder look at a few things:

  1. Why don’t I enjoy journaling? Is there some sort of preconceived notion of what a journal entry should be? Maybe I should open this up and just write whatever comes from the pen for 5 minutes each night.
  2. I get really distracted with recipes. Cooking for one can be difficult. I need to work harder at finding (or adapting) recipes to be for one-two servings rather than a week’s worth. I loved the mac and cheese I made but I ended up getting rid of a bunch of it because I made too much and didn’t want to waste room in the freezer.
  3. Sticking to a schedule doesn’t necessarily work for me anymore. I haven’t put much of an emphasis on a hard schedule with work outs and recipes. Surprisingly, this is going alright for me as long as I adapt and don’t make myself feel bad about it.
  4. Friendship is important. As with anyone’s life, 2012 hasn’t been a breeze so far. Having friends to call and in return, having friends that call you for help, is something I appreciate this year more than any other year.
  5. Clean eating has consistently made me feel better. Eating more quality grains like lentils, barley, wheat berries, always leaves me feeling full yet guiltless after a meal. I’d like to put more of a focus on high quality grains this year. Not only do they pack a nutritional punch, but such a bargain.

This was a great exercise for me and I encourage anyone else who made resolutions to do the same!

Question of the Day

When is it okay to abandon resolutions?