Food for Thought

Image by mollycakes via Flickr

I know I've told you my calling isn't in the kitchen - but I have been cooking dinners for my family and wanted to share with you a couple of recipes that are not only quick - but quite good!

Creamy Tomato-Basil Pasta with Shrimp (Kraft Magazine)

3 cups farfalle (bow tie pasta) uncooked
1/4 Kraft Sun Dried Tomato Dressing
1 lb uncooked peeled deveined medium shrimp
1 cup fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp EACH Garlic Powder and Black Pepper
4 oz Neufchatel Cheese, cubed (lowfat cream cheese)
2 cups grape tomatoes
1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
8 fresh basil leaves, cut into strips (okay - I used chopped basil from a jar!)

Cook pasta.   In skillet heat 2 tbs of dressing.  Add shrimp; cook and stir 2-3 minutes until shrimp pink.  Remove shrimp from skillet and keep warm.  Discard any drippings.   In skillet, add remaining dressing, broth and seasonings, cook 2 minutes or until heated through.   Add Neufchatel, cook & stir 2-3 minutes or until melted.  Stir in tomatoes, cook 1 minute.  Drain pasta and add it to skillet.  Stir in Parmesan and half the basil.  Top with Shrimp and remaining basil.

NOTE:   BOY 2 is a big fan of this.   It tastes very rich and creamy.   I used Low Fat dressing and think you could probably use whole wheat pasta and fat free cream cheese (maybe?) to make it healthier.


CHICKEN AND BLACK BEAN SALAD - very easy!

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, salt and peppered (I grill mine - but recipe says to cook in skillet in 1 tbs oil)
8 cups lettuce
1 can black beans, drained, rinsed
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 large carrot (I usually skip this!)
8 green onions, chopped
1 cup finely shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup honey Dijon Dressing

After cooking chicken, layer 1/4 lettuce, beans, tomatoes, carrot, green onions, cheese and chicken.  Then drizzle each salad with 2 tbs dressing.

Happy Friday!!!

Image by photogg19 via Flickr

SO I did my Yoga tonight - ungracefully and could not get into some of the stretches - but somehow after the 20 minutes I do feel very relaxed!   The picture here kind of represents how I am feeling right now.

I have been working away at my master closet.   And seriously am so excited it is nearly done.   I took everything out on my side:   clothes, all items on shelves, EVERYTHING.    I then sorted into threes - just like the experts say to.   Keep, Trash, and Give Away.   I have reduced my clothes by at least 1/3 and the storage items by probably 1/2 or more.  I've cleared out space where we have now added a shelf/drawer unit, and actually have space for a chest of drawers now too!   Before I did this, every time I walked into the closet I was overwhelmed.   Now I just want to go in and sit in there and look around at my good work!!   Clothes are hung by season and color, and I have lots of empty shelf space.   It is truly amazing.

Now while I was organizing, I had a stack of T-shirts to fold and put on a shelf.    And it was driving me crazy because I could not get them folded the same!   SO....I get on the Internet and google "how to fold a t-shirt" and guess what site it takes me to????   Real Simple.  My Favorite Magazine and website.    ANYWAY - this is probably not news to all of you but there is a really cool way to fold t-shirts so they are flat and neat and uniform.   I had never seen this before.   Here's the link:  http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/laundry/fold-t-shirt  

It really works well!  I had a whole stack folded in no time and all look the same.   So now I am going to go get a load of laundry that needs putting away in my newly organized closet.   Its more fun to put things away when there's some organization to it.

Catching Up

Technical difficulties this a.m. - thought I had posted but apparently only saved.  Apparently I am still having problems understanding my computer.

YESTERDAY I RAN 3 MILES OUTSIDE BY MYSELF!!!!!!!   I am totally psyched!    It felt so good to know I could do it.   As I mentioned, I signed up for a new training program to get ready to run a 5k.   So on Tuesday of each week, I get an email telling me what I am supposed to do  each day.   This was the hardest yet (run 7 minutes, walk 1 (4x)).   It was cool and cloudy yesterday morning and I just thought I'd try running outside again.    AND IT WAS JUST AWESOME.     I'm excited for tomorrow now.

School is starting today and tomorrow here.   As I talk to Moms its a kind of bitter-sweet time.   Good to get back into the routine but sad to lose the sun and fun-filled days.   This has always been my favorite time of year as I love the late Summer / Fall season.    And of course, I love football!   Boy 2 has started practices this week and is one tired and hungry boy.

I'm currently talking with a consulting firm about possibly working on a project for them.  It will require travel but would be a short term assignment.   I am really torn about this.  Feel like I need to maybe try it but not convinced its right.  I am hopeful that I can decide something on it this week.   So we will see.

I've been working on my master closet.   I can't wait to tell you all about it!   Its going to be very sweet!!

Yoga tonight!  I am sure that will provide us some laughs!!!

Turning Off

There's something to be said for feeling physically tired at the end of the day.  I don't mean exhausted - I just mean like you've done something.    Today, it was a busy day and I am feeling it.  My mind hasn't stopped "churning" all day and I think this has caused me to reflect more on my mind "clutter".   I am a person who has a difficult time "turning off".    I've never been one to relax.   There are countless times I've been told by Doctors, Massage Therapists and others to relax.  But the truth is, I don't know how.   I remember our first Lamaze class and the instructor telling mothers to lay down and relax.  The partners were then instructed to lift their partner's arm, allowing it to drop like a wet noodle.  Yeah Right!  I was eight months pregnant, laying on a teeny-tiny mat on the floor.  (Okay maybe not so teeny-tiny - but I was definitely bigger than the mat and I was not in a happy place!!)    Point is:  I was not relaxed!!!  Wonderful Man kept trying to take my arm and I kept it rigidly straight (no wet noodle here!)   I remember he started telling me to relax through clenched teeth (ha, ha!!) and I just kept saying "I can't!!" (soon also through clenched teeth).  Oh, we were quite the pair for Lamaze!   Anyway - I am nowhere closer to relaxing in every day life than I was then.  (Only time I relax is in our boat!!)    MY POINT IS (in case you were thinking I'd forgotten it) that I think I can't relax because my MIND will not turn off.

A friend pointed out an article that talks about meditating while running; no Ipod allowed.   That just about blows my mind.  If I don't have my music, then all I can think about is my breathing - or more precisely, the lack of breath.   Reading the article it tells you that meditating while running means you focus on your breathing and your surroundings only.  So, while I have the first part - its not the right kind of focus - because mine turns into panic.  And its all because my mind will not turn off so I have to have music to distract it.  At night, I read before sleeping just to get my mind somewhere else!   Let's face it - some of you have read my written ramblings now for almost two months....just imagine what my mind is like!  And, I have spent my entire adult life this way.

This is all tied into the whole just enjoy "being" and not feeling so freaked out when I don't have something to do or when its not on my time schedule.  I really do need to learn how to just breathe, how to let my arms feel like wet noodles, how to just enjoy an afternoon when nothing is going on.  So, while I continue to work on training to run a 5k, I have decided to take my off-days and try and discover Yoga.  (I have been told my numerous professionals that I would benefit from this!!)  Somewhere in this house there is a dvd that has a short 15 minute Yoga session for beginners.   I've avoided this before because it requires a certain amount of coordination that I don't think I have!!!   So I will be sure to tell you how that goes.

Odds & Ends

One thing I've tried to do every morning before getting out of bed is to be thankful for all my blessings.  Even when things are bad, I have SOOO much to be thankful for.   Today I am grateful for:

• Two uninterrupted hours spent with Wonderful Man and Boys 1 and 2 "just talking"
• The time I spent this weekend with extended family
• The energy to get up at 5 a.m. 
• Friends who check up on me
• The wisdom to know that last week is in the past!
• Silly Dogs who make me smile
• Wonderful Man getting my bike down so I can ride this a.m.
• Coffee (someone knew what they were doing!)
• Temperatures down from the 100's
• My Health - without it none of this is possible

Here's a recipe I may have mentioned (given to me by a great friend who has tried to make my re-entry into the kitchen easy!) .  This is a big hit in my house - and very easy.

• 3 lb. Chuck Roast (I use Rump Roast as its leaner)
• 2 c water
• 1/2 c Soy Sauce (I use reduced sodium kind)
• 1 tsp each Rosemary, Thyme, Garlic Powder
• 1 bay leaf (I use two!)
• 3-4 Whole Peppercorns

Crock pot on low for 5-7 hours.  Take out bay leafs.  We slice for French Dip Sandwiches.  Juice is great AuJus.  (Side Note (sort of?):  Last time I went to make this I had measured my spices out and then discovered my roast was still frozen in my freezer!!  SOOO, I took my measured spices and put in plastic bag.  Next day this was even easier to make (especially since roast now thawed!).  BUT it really did save time for the morning - so I am going to try and incorporate the measuring for recipes the night before.)

Its a new Monday!   Enjoy!