I Think I'm Losing My Mind!

It's 2013.  Christmas decorations are packed up and put away, the recycle truck came this morning and took away the tree.  The boys are back to school.  This is normally a time where I try and organize the closets, give a good winter cleaning and catch up on some work that I've been neglecting.  But not this year.  

The week before Christmas, my husband had an elective minor surgery that had a recovery period of a couple of days to a week.  After 3 weeks, he is still suffering the complication of a hemotoma and the doctor ordered no lifting, resting, warm baths and anti-inflamatories.  He may be laid up another 3 weeks and still has a risk of developing an infection.  Having my husband home during Christmas and New Year's was actually kind of nice.  We all cuddled in bed, watching movies.  We had nice dinners together and just overall relaxed.  

But now, enough is enough.  The kids are back to school and he is here for most of the day.  "Make sure you put a plastic glove on if you're going to take out the garbage."  "The towel basket is overflowing, don't you think you should wash them."  "Don't take out the tree, I'll call Ryan (the neighbor) and he'll take it out."  "You need to vacuum in here."  "What are you making for dinner, can you make some for my mother?"  "Did you wash your hands?"  "Draw my bath."  "Where's my medicine."  "Can you make me some oatmeal?."  And so on, and so on, and so on.   

(Where's the vodka?).

Luckily, he had to run to his office for  a couple of hours on Sunday.  As soon as he left the house, the kids and I went into high gear and took all the decorations off the tree - I moved the dining room table out of the way and dragged the tree, stand and all, to the back door.  Not too gracefully, I crammed it out the door, then chucked it over the deck, leaving hundreds of pine needles in it's wake, all over the living room rug, dining room floor and on the deck.  All was cleaned up when he got back, but of course I got the look...  

(more vodka please).

And this extended 'vacation' has been brutal on my weight loss - I am up 7 pounds from the nearly 20 that I lost in the fall due to not only the few pounds most of us gain during the holidays, but the fact that I am cooking more for my husband.  Normally, he eats out a few nights a week and that keeps me in check, but we've had full course meals including lots of comfort foods.  Homemade mac & cheese (recipe on previous post), pasta and meatballs with garlic bread (loaded with cheese and butter), stuffed mushrooms, italian stuffed chicken breasts, pepperoni and cheese pizza (don't look at me that way), and ravioli (lobster for me, mushroom for him) with homemade pink vodka sauce.

Since it is too cold for the bike path, I decided today to pick an alternative exercise regimen and found an awesome kickboxing workout on Fios On Demand.  I felt like I sweat in this 40 minute workout as much as I do with 2 hours on the bike, so we'll see what happens!  In the meantime, check out the pink vodka sauce recipe that I adapted from a couple of online recipes below: (not really a low fat recipe, but oh so good and quick!)

Pink Vodka Sauce

2 cloves garlic chopped

1-2 tablespoons onion chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup unflavored vodka

8 oz heavy cream

24 oz prepared pasta sauce

Put olive oil in saucepan and sautee onions and garlic for a couple of minutes over medium-low heat until translucent.  Add butter to pan and melt.  Add vodka, bring heat to medium high and cook until you can't smell the alcohol, about 5 minutes. Lower to medium heat, add cream and pasta sauce and heat through.  

Serve on your favorite pasta, (or ravioli),  add some fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese to taste if desired 

Bon Appetit!!

My Ultimate Comfort Food - Homemade Mac & Cheese

Let's face it, Mac and Cheese is just not meant to be a low fat, low calorie dish.  I found an online recipe with the total cholesterol being 160% of the daily allowance and there was 60 grams of fat per serving.  So I doctored it up to reduce as much cholesterol and calories as possible without losing the taste.  If you are watching your cholesterol and fat closely, you may want to skip this one. 

I start with my favorite Vermont Cheddar from Grafton Village Cheese Co in Grafton, VT.

Homemade Mac & Cheese

8 oz cooked pasta

4 tbsp butter

4 tbsp flour 

salt

pepper

1 cup of milk (I used 2% milk)

1 cup cream (I used 1/2 and 1/2

2 cups of shredded cheddar (I cut small squares of Grafton Village Cheese Co. Cheddar Cheese from Vermont)

Buttered Bread Crumbs (I used seasoned Panko bread crumbs, no butter)

Buttered baking dish (I sprayed with Pam)

Cook the pasta as directed and set aside.  

Preheat Oven to 400.  

Melt butter in large saucepan and then stir in the flour, salt and pepper.  Keep stirring until smooth.  Slowly add the 1/2 & 1/2 and the milk, constantly stirring to keep the mixture smooth.  Bring to a boil, boil 2 minutes, then lower heat and cook for 10 minutes stirring constantly.  Add the cheese a little at a time, stirring until cheese is melted.  Remove from heat and stir in the pasta, thoroughly coating with the cheese mixture.

Pour mixture into a baking dish liberally sprayed with Pam Non Stick Cooking Spray.  Sprinkle the seasoned Panko bread crumbs on the top.

Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until bubbly.

I don't know what the final fat & cholesterol counts are, but they are bit lower than the original recipe - ENJOY!!!

Happy New Year! 2013

Made it to watch the ball drop, although iffy at first.  We all laid down to watch a movie and fell asleep.  But my son woke me up for some apple crisp pie at 11:00p.m. and I toasted the New Year with my husband and sons.

I am looking forward to this new start of this new year.  I am hoping to continue a healthier lifestyle, enjoying my family and friends, and maybe even getting started on my bucket list!

I wish all of you a Happy, Healthy, Safe, Fun and Prosperous New Year.  May 2013 be a banner year for us all!

Cheers...

Liebster Blog Award

Last night I received an email from a wonderful fellow blogger, C. Michelle Ramsey at WRITING MY DREAMS.  She had given me the Liebster Blog Award and I am truly flattered.  I have been amazed that there are people actually reading my blog.  Since May, over 4200 of you have stopped by and that truly is an honor for me, especially as I am such an amateur!  
  

The rules of the Liebster Award are as follows:

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog and link back to the blogger who presented this award to you;

2.  Answer the 11 questions from the nominator, list 11 random facts about yourself and create 11 questions for your nominees;

3. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 11 blogs of 200 followers or less who you         feel deserve to be noticed and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been chosen. (No tag backs)  

4. Copy and Paste the blog award on your blog.

Questions asked by Michelle: 

1. What is your most memorable 'Aha' moment in life?  One of the greatest pleasures  is doing what others say you can't.

2.  Favorite Food.  - Burgers

3.  Greatest Secret You Never Kept - I always keep secrets (wink)Seriously

4.  Favorite Song - Set the Night to Music - Roberta Flack (our wedding song)

5.  Favorite Book - Hershey's Chocolate Lover's Cookbook

6.  Favorite Author - since joining Twitter,  I have been purchasing and downloading many  books from the numerous authors I have been following.  I have enjoyed them all and cannot pick a favorite - but as a kid, I loved Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew).

7.  Scariest Moment as a Kid - Growing up.

8.  Random Word - flabbergasted

9.  Favorite Historical Person - Cleopatra

10.  Dream Vacation - a week (or month) on a private island

11.  Greatest Adventure You've Ever Taken - my marriage

Random "Me" Facts:   

1.  I love junk food.

2.  I am in the midst of a mid-life crisis and all I want to do is have fun.

3.  I hate going out by myself.

4.  I cry at movies, I even cried at the end of Wreck It Ralph. (happy tears).

5.  I have a major crush on Bruce Willis.

6.  I'm afraid of the dark. (and spiders).

7.  My new favorite phrase is "Holy Crap".

8.  I love New York!

9.  My favorite place is anywhere there is a beach.

10.  When I grow up, I want to be a photographer.

11.  I sing in the car all the time, loudly and out of tune.

Questions for my Nominees:

1.  What is the one food you can't do without?

2.  One thing you want to do before you die?

3.  What is your favorite hobby and why?

4.  If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

5.  What book are you reading now?

6.  What are you looking forward to most in the New Year?

7.  Favorite meal when eating out?

8.  If you have one 'do-over', what would it be?

9.  What is your favorite movie and why?

10.  Who is your favorite TV character?

11.  If you had a day to do anything you wanted to do, what would you do?

My Nominees:

1.  Diary of an Innkeeper

2.  Blondie in the Water

3.  Impression Evergreen

4.  Beyond Wandering

5.  Live Young, Die Old

6.  Terry Tyler's Blog

7.  JT Therrien Author Blog

8.  clairep87's blog

9.  In Better Shape

10.  The Best Diet Book

11.  Stacia Carlton

 I have enjoyed following these blogs and hope that you will too - please be sure to check them out as well as Michelle's blog WRITING MY DREAMS.  

As always, thanks for stopping by!!  Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy, Fun, Safe and Prosperous New Year!

Christmas Cookies Anyone?

Every year at Christmas my friend Linda gives me a plate of her delicious home-made Christmas cookies.  My sons don't eat the cookies because they are allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts.  They don't even ask for them as they know they can't eat them...until this year.

Mikey went up to the plate Linda gave me and asked, "Mommy, can you make me some Christmas cookies?"  So I said to myself "Oh crap."  and to Mikey, "Of course I will.  We'll have to look for some recipes tomorrow and I'll see what I need."  I love to cook, but hate to bake.  I overcook things, put in baking powder instead of baking soda and at some point the kitchen ends up looking like a flour sack exploded in it.

One year I made Christmas cookies with a friend of mine so I went in search of  the recipes we had used which I put in my Chocolate Lover's Cookbook.  I looked in the cabinet that I thought it was in.  It wasn't there.  Oh no, it must be in the bookcase in the garage which was boxed in by some old toys, beach gear and outdoor furniture.  There was a small opening on one side where I began sliding cookbooks out and then smash.  A candle on the shelf fell and the glass smashed in a million pieces.  So I cleaned that up, replaced all the cookbooks and tried to figure out where on earth my cookie recipes were.  As it turns out, the book was in the cabinet over my refrigerator.  

I made my list and picked up the ingredients at the market in the morning.  

And had success!  I first made thumbprint cookies.

Thumbprint Cookies

1/2 C  Fleischmanns no salt margarine (dairy free)

1 C firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg replaced with Ener-G Egg Replacer 

1 tbsp vanilla

2 1/2 C quaker oats

2 C flour

1/2 teas salt

2/3 C apricot preserves

350 degree oven

Beat butter & sugar until fluffy - beat in egg and vanilla.  Combine oats, flour, salt in another bowl then add to butter mixture.  Form 1 inch ball, place on cookie sheet.  Press center with thumb and fill with apricot preserves.

Bake 12-15 minutes, then cool

makes approximately 3 1/2 dozen

The next batch of cookies I made were Craisins Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies.

Craisins Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 C Fleischmanns no salt margarine (dairy free)

2/3 C brown sugar

2 eggs replaced with Ener-G Egg Replacer

1 1/2 C old fashioned oats

1 1/2 C flour

1 teas. baking soda

1/2 teas. salt

1 5 oz pkg. Craisins

2/3 c (allergen free from Whole Foods) chocolate chips.

375 degree oven

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy - Add eggs mixing well.  Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.  Add to butter mix in batches, mixing completely.  Add the craisins, then the chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded teaspoons full on ungreased baking sheet - Bake 10-12 minutes

Makes approximately 3 1/2 dozen.

Today we began with Butterballs.  The recipe I had made in the past called for regular sugar and was very dry.   My friend Cindy gave me a recipe which called for confectioners sugar and they came out nice and moist.  (I used the wrong measurement for the vanilla (more) and it came out great!)

Cindy's Butterball Recipe

1 cup Fleischmanns no salt margarine (dairy free)

1 teas vanilla (I used a tablespoon)

1/2 C sifted confectioners' sugar

2 1/4 C sifted flour

1/4 teas salt

(I omitted 3/4 c finely chopped nuts due to nut allergy)

325 degree oven

Mix all ingredients together - roll into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake to desired texture 20-30 minutes, I eyeballed it - Cool, not completely and roll in confectioners sugar.  Once cool, roll again in confectioners sugar.

My sons now have three different dairy, egg, and nut-free cookies.  They taste pretty good in spite of the substitutions.  Mikey's favorite is the butterballs!

Twas the Week Before Christmas...

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house

My sons and I decorated, with no help from my spouse.

The stockings were hung on the rail by the stairs

The blankets and pillows decorated the chairs.

Unfortunately we tied the tree to the wall,

Because after a few days of tipping we feared it might fall.

Part of the village was set up under the tree,

And some even sat on the table near the TV.

The nutcrackers guarded the TV remotes.

To see the outside, we had to put on our coats.

Santa and Mrs. Claus looked out below.

At Rudolph's nose glowing right there in the snow.

A family of reindeer stood in the side yard.

Where at Halloween, there was a graveyard.

A moose and a wagon out front with a light.

The beautiful decorations lit up the night.

A snowman will welcome Santa, that jolly old elf.

When he comes here on Christmas all by himself.

But no, he won't be alone this year.

He'll have his sled and all the reindeer.

And after he leaves, and rides out of sight,

He'll say, 

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!

(this was composed with a little help from my 11 year old son)

Have a wonderful holiday everyone!!

RIP Little Angels

I hugged my kids harder this weekend.  We all slept together on Friday night, although I didn't really sleep too well, waking up quite frequently.   In Newtown, Connecticut signs are hung saying our hearts are broken, and my heart is broken too.  I cannot wrap my head around the fact that little 6 and 7 year old children were targeted in such a horrific and senseless attack at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.  I look at my beautiful sons and cannot image the horror and fear of initially not knowing if your child is alive or not, then the overwhelming grief of learning they are not.  My heart breaks for those families who have lost their precious children and loved ones.


So, I hugged my boys tighter, we watched some Christmas movies together, read some books and cuddled on the couch.  This afternoon, we took a ride to the cinema and finally saw Wreck It Ralph which my younger son had been asking for weeks to go see.

Later this evening, after the boys went to bed, I turned on CNN and watched Anderson Cooper name each slain child and teacher, show a photo when available and tell a little bit about each one.  I'm glad I watched and hope you have the opportunity to do the same.  If I were those parents, even in the midst of such personal loss and suffering, I would think I would want everyone to know what wonderful, special children they were.  I hope by watching I did a little to honor their children by learning a little about their own stories.  Parents should not be burying their children.  My heart is broken for them.  May God help somehow ease their pain.  

RIP Little Angels.