Recipe: Broccoli Bites

Eat food.

Not too much.

Mostly plants.

~Michael Pollan

Bright and early this morning, I picked up my Bountiful Baskets co-op order, the first in a very long time. I forgot how much I love getting all these vegetables. Plus getting up early starts my day off well because I feel so productive.

I've been trying to make a concerted effort to eat more healthfully, to eat REAL food. Real food doesn't have labels. Therefore, eating real food requires spending more time (not necessarily more money) preparing food. More time reading recipes. More time planning the week's meals. But I've noticed that as I make a focused effort to eat well, all of that time becomes much more meaningful and therapeutic.

Food is medicine. Food is fuel. And food is fun. Recently, I completed an online course with Stanford University, through CourseEra, called Stanford Introduction to Food and Health. I'd recommend it. As I went through the course, I was reminded of all the reasons cooking at home is generally best: it's healthier; it's tastier; you know what's in your food; it's therapeutic and rewarding to spend 15 minutes preparing your meal or a few hours once a week making meals that will last.

And so, I'm making an effort.

Today's Bountiful Baskets offering

With a table full of vegetables (and some fruit) this morning, I knew I had to be creative with my food preparation. All of this for $28 (regular basket plus a St. Patrick's Day add-on - everything in the plastic bags is the add-on) and I'm certain it will last me at least two weeks.

So far I've made a batch of vegetable soup with onions. leeks, garlic, broccoli, carrots, fresh thyme, dried herbs (Costco's blend is terrific), and some salt and pepper. I may add some chicken at a later time, but it was pretty tasty.

Because I not only had the two heads of broccoli you see in the picture, but an additional three heads already in the fridge, I decided to make some broccoli bites. I've read a few recipes in the past (probably on Pinterest) and decided to try a batch of these.

Broccoli Bites

For a first time shot, they turned out really yummy, but I'd still change a few things next time. Although, I didn't measure many of the ingredients, here is the recipe I came up with, with a few modifications I would make next time.

Broccoli Bites by Emery 

2 cups of broccoli, lightly steamed and chopped (do NOT over do it; the broccoli will cook a little more in the oven)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs
1/4 onion, finely chopped and maybe sauteed
1 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
Any fresh or dried herbs, to taste (Costco's seasoning mix would be great)
Salt and pepper, to taste 

Mix it all together in a large bowl. With hands, form small patties and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, depending on the size of your patties, allowing to brown a little. Turn over once after the first 15 minutes. Serve warm alone or with your favorite dipping sauce.

This recipe makes about a dozen 2.5 inch patties or 2 dozen 1.5 inch small patties.

Delicious! And I still have three broccoli heads left!

First time hosting Thanksgiving dinner and a turkey brine recipe.

"We can choose to be grateful, no matter what. "This type of gratitude transcends whatever is happening around us. It surpasses disappointment, discouragement and despair. It blooms just as beautifully in the icy landscape of winter as it does in the pleasant warmth of summer."

~President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Grateful in Any Circumstances"

Thanksgiving 2014 Sunrise

Just about every year for the past 40 years my mother has hosted Thanksgiving dinner to which usually upwards of 30 people come. This year, I offered to change to course of history. With Thanksgiving dinner at my house, only a handful of guests were invited. I just don't own that many chairs. Plus it was my first time hosting and making a turkey, so I didn't want to overwhelm myself.

Speaking of turkey, I read all kinds of recipes and tips online before I decided to brine my turkey. Everything I'd head and read convinced me that my turkey HAD to be brined to be juicy and moist. So the night before, I got started with my preparation of both the turkey and the veggies.

After two and a half years living in my new house and being SO careful, this guy finally attacked me. I was surprisingly amused at myself. Laughing sure is good for the soul.

So the brine. There are endless recipes for turkey brine on the internet, but all of them seem clear about the basic salt and water ingredients and ratio. The salt must be coarse kosher salt. And you must have one cup of salt per gallon of water. Also, use two oven bags (Reynolds makes these) one inside of the other to avoid any leakage. As for a recipe and instructions, this is what I came up with:

1 cup coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
16 cups water (split in half during the process)
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
5 fresh sage leaves
1-2 Tbsp of peppercorns (crushed)
a few random celery sticks and leaves

Combine salt, sugar, and half the water (8 cups) in a large saucepan and stir on stove. Add all the fresh herbs and bring to a boil. Let boil for a minute or two and then turn the burner off. Let the saucepan sit for as long as it takes for the liquid to cool.

While brine is cooling, take turkey out of it's plastic and rinse off. Remove the neck and the giblet and set aside for later. Place the oven bags in a large stock pot or bucket or casserole dish that can fit in your fridge and fit the turkey. Place the turkey, breast side down (this is important since you want it to get the most access to the brine, since it will cook breast side up and the juice will drain down to the back), in the two oven bags. Add remaining 8 cups of water (cold) to turkey bag.

When the rest of the brine is cooled, add it to the turkey. At this point, be very careful that you have a good hold on the edges of the bags so that the brine doesn't spill right out as you're pouring it in. Make sure all the herbs go into the bag. 

Now you will take the inner bag and wind up the top as tight as you can, pressing out as much air as possible so your turkey is completely immersed in the brine. Secure it with a twist tie. (Reynolds oven bags come with a handy tie.) Then do the same for the out bag. Next place the container in the fridge. If your container with the turkey in it doesn't fit on a shelf  (like mine) then you should have planned better to start, but just transfer it to carefully to another container.

Leave turkey in the fridge in the brine for 8-10 hours. In the morning, place the bag in a freshly scrubbed and disinfected sink, undo the bags, and pour out the brine. You will want to rinse turkey to get any excess salt or wilted herbs off and dry it thoroughly, inside and out, before placing it the roasting pan.

Then just prepare your turkey as you like. I put onion quarters, celery and carrots in the cavity, along with some other aromatics (more rosemary and thyme) and then slathered the outside with melted butter, crushed fresh rosemary and thyme, and pepper. Then I cooked it for 3 1/2 hours until it was perfect. And it was perfect.

I have to admit, I'm pretty proud of myself. That turkey tasted so yummy, I'm ready to roast another. Apparently, even the white meat was tasty. I'm not a big fan of white meat; I much prefer the dark and juicy thigh meat, myself. Everyone's offerings made for a beautiful plate.

And, I've been enjoying leftovers for last two days. Yum! First Thanksgiving dinner as host was a success! I think I'll go make myself another plate.

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Three-day Fast.

"The philosophy of fasting calls upon us to know ourselves, to master ourselves, and to discipline ourselves the better to free ourselves. To fast is to identify our dependencies, and free ourselves from them."

~Tariq Ramadan

Utah County (point of the mountain)
taken from the Frontrunner train

On Wednesday evening I started a three-day fast. What? Why would you do that? Well, a couple of reasons. One, I was going to be fasting for 12 hours anyway in preparation to get my blood drawn for my yearly physical. Two, my mom has talked to me about the benefits of long-term fasting for my health and resetting my system. And three, I read this article about the immune system benefits of a three-day fast. As you know, I have had my share of health problems and illnesses over the past two and a half years (has it been that long?) and the idea of resetting my immune system was appealing.

But three days?!? Oh my. That's a long time. I'm not very good and certainly not regular in fasting for 24 hours, which is a customary practice in the Mormon Church once a month on the first Sunday of the month. I was not sure I could make it. I knew I could expect physical and mental discomforts, but I also felt that it would be a good opportunity for personal reflection regarding my eating habits, determining my motivations when it comes to food and how much of that is mental, and figuring out ways to combat my mental relationship with food.

Day One: Actually not too bad. On a normal day, I drink a lot of water, so I knew that wouldn't be a problem. In fact, I added about 30 ounces to my normal intake. Although on a regular day I eat breakfast by 9am, this time it didn't bother me. I had my water. I was good. By lunch time, I was a little hungry and I was smelling the goods my co-workers were having for lunch in their offices. I went downstairs to my car with my water bottle and took a nap. (Sleep is my other self-medication.) After lunch, I was a little uneasy at my desk, since usually I eat a piece of fruit or a sweet treat to get through the afternoon. But I knew I was getting my blood-work done that afternoon, so I powered through and took hope in leaving at 4pm to get that done. Interestingly, after my blood-work, as I got into the car, was the hardest moment. Typically when I'm fasting for blood-work, I have a little something to eat right after I'm done. This time however, I suddenly felt like I was starving myself. It's okay. Though I considered going shopping that night to keep my mind off of eating, I decided to go straight home so I wouldn't have the temptation of any food places. Since I wasn't eating dinner, I went up to my room and began blogging -- I have a lot of catching up to do. At about 7:30pm, I heard KDJ downstairs preparing her dinner and then within minutes I smelled the lovely smell of tacos. But I was okay because at that point I was proud I'd made it past the 24 hours mark. But don't get me wrong... being online there are food enticements everywhere! I began thinking of all the food I could make next week, when I will be easing my way back into eating. But let's be truthful... none of the food I'm thinking about is going to "ease" me back into eating. Four-cheese lasagna, sushi, cherry cobbler?

Also, right at about 7:30 or 8pm, my stomach started growling for the first time that I noticed all day.

Day Two:

I am now constantly thinking of all the yummy food items I could make. One pot pasta. Lemon blueberry cake. Phở. (Ooh, pho would be a good way to ease into eating again.) Pizza.

Right now I'm feeling irritable and a bit angry. I'm also feeling a bit light-headed. Every time I refill my water in the break room (today I'm already at 64 ounces), I get really sad that I can't fill up a mini dixie cup with snacks. There are three snack jars in the break room that are typically filled with things like nuts, or trail mix, or dried fruit. Today, I wish I could be snacking on yogurt-covered raisins. Or are they craisins? I don't know, but I'm starving myself, so I can't have them. This is ridiculous.

It's funny how I feel unsure of what to do next at every turn when I can't eat something. It's funny because it's not like I'm constantly eating on normal days, but maybe I am grazing a lot or something. Like last night when I didn't even want to be downstairs because I couldn't eat, so what was the point? I just stayed up in my room. Drinking my water.

Tonight, I happen to know that KDJ is planning to make black bean and mango salad. I want some so badly. Yum.

Day Three:

Well, interestingly, Day Three is easier than Day Two was. I guess I also know that I'm going to be eating dinner tonight too. That may help. I've already planned it. Phở. Yum. I can hardly wait it sounds so delicious. If you've never had it, you must try it.

I guess the thing I've noticed most in the last three days is how much of my life involves food. Social gatherings, sitting at my desk at work. I just think about food a lot. My relationship with food is complicated, I've noticed. Apparently, I eat out of habit, boredom, stress, anxiety, depression. Often, I found myself going to the fridge and just opening it up.

Water is my best good friend.

This has been an enlightening experience, which I plan to do again. Focusing on the spiritual and mental side of it has been interesting and I'd like to do that again. Interestingly, I've lost about 10 pounds. I'm sure it will come back as soon as I have the cycle of food in me, but it's nice to see that it can come off. Challenging myself and making myself come to terms with myself (if that makes sense). Maybe in a month or two. Maybe I'll be able to be more mentally controlled this time. Practice makes perfect, right?

But for now, I'll look forward to my delicious phở dinner tonight. Maybe I'll even get some Vietnamese fresh spring rolls. Delish.

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While I cook up an actual blog post...

"God has promised forgiveness to your repentance,

but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination."

~Augustine of Hippo

So, I've not been intentionally procrastinating all the posts I want to share with you... it just has happened that way. So, during this "down time" here are a few things you can think about, laugh at, roll yours eyes at, or whatever it is you choose to do while I'm procrastinating posting pictures of my new house. Yes, I said, my new house. :)

My cousin Lindsay sent me me this link a long time ago and I just found it again. Enjoy.

I've made this recipe twice since I found it nearly two weeks ago. If you're ever looking for a pretty yummy, quick, and easy recipe when you're wanting something sweet fast and you don't want to have to work very hard for it, try this. :) Like that ever happens. What? :) Now go ahead and click on it and make it. You'll thank me.

Oh, and this one. This one you don't want to miss. I've been meaning to post it for some time, but keep forgetting. I've been reading this girl's Name updates for a couple of years now. Hilarious. Seriously, I can't make this stuff up. Ha...but people do! People MAKE UP THESE NAMES AND GIVE THEM TO THEIR CHILDREN FOR THE REST OF TIME! Gosh. I won't pretend to say that I understand the heavy weight parents must feel as they choose a word (a name) by which this new human being will be known for the rest of eternity. Heavy stuff. But with that weight on your shoulders, you went ahead and chose Reggie Tayzlie? Seriously? Or Razdyn? Gosh. I know I may have unusual ideas for names (maybe it's good I don't have children), but at least they aren't a combination of letters arbitrarily put together. I LIKE unusual names, people. Trust me. My name is Emery, for heaven's sake. I LIKE having a fairly unique name. Trust me. I'm all about being the only "Emery" around (had a near identity crisis when I read that in 2005 "Emery" entered the top 1000 names for baby girls receiving SSNs in the U.S.--about near died.) But my name isn't made up. It's a name. It's spelled correctly. But Arkadian? I looked it up--it's an Xbox game. Seriously people? And Kasten? Sure as heck you won't catch me castin' my vote for Kasten. Heh. I'm funny. Anyway, enough. Check out the link here.

Speaking of babies, my friends D&S are having one, so I've had them on the mind. I saw this supercool airplane contraption. SO cool. I like it. But they're sold out. Put myself on the waiting list in case they get more in stock. Maybe by that time, I'll have a baby to put in it. :) Here's hoping.

And lastly, my love for the Royal Family (okay, my love for the Duchess of Cambridge) has not waned and I   often go to this website to see her latest sartorial picks or this website. Both are good. I mean anywhere you can see this Kaleidoscope Kate is worth visiting regularly. :)

Well, that's it for now. More later. Lots more hopefully. Pray that procrastination doesn't get the best of me.
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Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cranberries with a Balsamic Vinegar Reduction.

Hated Brussels sprouts.
Then got old and figured out
Brussels sprouts are yum.
~Brussels Sprouts Haiku
by eclaires

Is your mouth watering just from the title? No? You hate Brussels sprouts, you say? Well, really, I still urge you to try this recipe.

Roasting is my favorite way to cook vegetables. Toss any vegetable with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper and then roast and you've hooked me. Roasting brings out such a rich earthy flavor.

I found this particular recipe on Pinterest and modified it for a smaller portion on Saturday night. I only wish I had more Brussels sprouts now so I could make more. So delicious!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Topped with Dried Cranberries
(adapted from Pioneer Woman's blog)

1 pound Brussels sprouts
1/8 cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/8 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Dried Cranberries

Trim/clean Brussels sprouts, then cut them in half if desired (or you can leave them whole). Put Brussels sprouts in a mixing bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet covered in tin foil, for easy clean up, and roast at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until brown.

Combine balsamic vinegar and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and reduce until very thick, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Drizzle the balsamic reduction over the roasted sprouts, then sprinkle on dried cranberries. Toss and serve immediately.
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Fish.

"Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all."
~Harriet Van Horne

Several weeks ago, at one of my MANY doctor visits during the month of January (remember how I was sick with the heart attack flu?), my doctor recommended that I introduce more fish into my diet. Let it be said that I love fish and all things de la mer. That said, I just don't cook it all that often myself. I order it when I got out to eat. It's like my favorite delicacy...when someone else makes it for me.

Well, now that the doctor's orders have been laid down to eat it at least two to three times a week, I am trying to do just that. Only, because I'm always trying to save some money, this means cooking it myself and not spending an arm and a leg for someone else to do it for me.

Teriyaki Tilapia over greens - last Saturday's lunch

I must say I'm pretty proud of myself. Well, I've been successful at making some delicious tilapia and salmon. Tilapia is pretty mild, a little too mild, but still tasty especially when prepared well. But salmon? I love salmon. I always have. Tonight, when I went to Costco (only to buy paper towels, toilet paper, and shrimp, mind you), I came home with a 3.5 pound cut of whole salmon.

Whole salmon, you wonder? Yeah, I was a little over-ambitious, thinking that deboning it myself so I could save $4/lb wouldn't be too bad. Ha. Well, it wasn't really that bad, but I just didn't expect it to have so many bones. I know the bones are soft and pliable, which makes it that much more difficult. I'm not so sure I'd go that route again... except that my lemon rosemary salmon fillets (with most, but not all, bones removed) that I made last night were de-licious!

Lemon Rosemary Salmon

I was so busy de-boning that I didn't have time or energy to make the asparagus and Israeli couscous that I had planned on adding to the meal. Maybe I'll do that tonight, since I still have leftovers.
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Random Photo: Swordfish for Christmas Dinner 2011.

"Life goes faster on protein."
~Martin H. Fischer

It was absolutely delicious. And quite humorous when Dad unknowingly cut his into the shape of a fish.
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Bountiful Baskets: Just another peek.

"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon."
~Doug Larson

I just can't resist showing you what I got this week from Bountiful Baskets. I promise not to post every time I pick up my basket, but those cucumbers were just so delicious! I don't eat potatoes very often, so I'm going to have to come up with something now that I've had two weeks in a row of potatoes. Oh, and the peaches! Yum. So incredibly delicious! Nono would be proud of me. I think he's smiling down on me, laughing that it took me so long to come to appreciate the pure deliciousness of a ripe, juicy peach. :) But now I love them!

Happy eating!
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Bountiful Baskets.

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating."
~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story

Recently, I heard about Bountiful Baskets, a volunteer-run food co-op, wherein you spend ("contribute") $15 to receive tons of fresh produce. Today was my first pickup and here's what I brought home.

All that for only $15? Yup. It's going to be a tasty week.
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Winter Cooking.

"I eat merely to put food out of my mind."
~N.F. Simpson

Last week, I decided it was time to start making some winter soups to get me through the winter months and save some money while I'm at it. I whipped up some bean soup. Sounds appetizing, right? Eh. Well, actually it did taste good, and beans are supposed to be healthy for you, aren't they? Especially when you've mixed in lentils. I can hear you now, "Lentils? You cooked with lentils?" I know, I know, they taste kind of like pockets of severely compounded sawdust. Well, the soup was pretty good and served to provide me with meals for the last week. I still have three more servings.

I planned to go to the store on Saturday to pick up a couple of extra ingredients to make another soup, Italian sausage soup, but winter decided to arrive that night... I ended up not leaving the house because it was so snowy outside. With no snow on the roads on my way home from work tonight, I stopped at Smith's and picked up the key ingredients I was missing. This soup is similar to Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana, only without the cream and bacon, so it's healthier. It's pretty delicious, if I say so myself. Plus it has mass amounts of kale, which I find so incredibly delicious in soup.

Here's the recipe:

Italian Sausage Soup

Ingredients
2 lbs of ground Italian sausage (½ mild & ½ spicy hot)
1 tsp dried crushed red pepper
6 slices of bacon diced (cook bacon to a crisp)
1 or 2 large diced onions (white or yellow)
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic (4 cloves of garlic)
6-7 cans of chicken broth (or approx 12 cups water with 6 cubes/teaspoons chicken boullion)
2-3 lbs of russet potatoes - unpeeled and chopped into bite-size pieces
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 cup of heavy cream (I've actually never used the cream, to reduce calories, and I think the soup is delicious without it)
4 cups of roughly chopped kale (stems removed)

Directions
1. Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat and set aside while preparing the remaining ingredients
2. In the same pan, sauté bacon till fat is rendered and add onions and garlic for approximately 10 minutes or until the onions are soft.
3. Mix together the chicken bouillon and water, then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.
4. Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add heavy cream (if desired) and cook until thoroughly heated.
7. Stir in the sausage.
8. Add kale just before serving, allowing it to cook for no more than 5 minutes. Delicious!

Then, I have also had a craving for these Chocolate No Bake cookies. Yum. Made a quick batch of those. I'm thinking those won't last all winter...

Well, goodnight. I am headed to bed. I can hardly wait to fall asleep.
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Wish List: It's It.

"Crave for a thing, you will get it. Renounce the craving, the object will follow you by itself."
~Swami Sivananda

Remember how I love It's Its? I wrote about here. Ah yes, now you remember. You'll remember how I calculated the cost of getting them shipped to me and how it was too expensive, so I decided to just ignore the craving. Yeah, well, the craving hasn't gone away... a year and a half later.

Off to eat my salad, instead.
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Looking forward to the 4th of July.

"An intense anticipation itself transforms possibility into reality; our desires being often but precursors of the things which we are capable of performing."
~Samuel Smiles

I really love the 4th of July. I think I've mentioned that before. Yes, I have. Here. I just really love the relaxed feeling of this holiday on a warm summer evening with fireworks. I feel a little cheesy, but I've really gained a ridiculous affinity toward fireworks. Maybe I've always had it. I remember going over to the Presidio to watch the fireworks over the Golden Gate Bridge as kid, or just sitting on our roof and watching them... through the fog, of course. I guess I always have loved fireworks. I suppose I just expected that this intense liking and awe of fireworks might dissipate with age. I'm here to tell you it hasn't.

So this weekend, I'm looking forward to watching three nights of fireworks!

I'm also looking forward seeing and visiting with my cousin Amber, her husband Steve, and their girls this weekend.

And to eating a grilled hamburger.

And chips! (Who looks forward to chips? Someone who never eats them except on special occasions.)

And making (and eating!) Pearl Dean's strawberry peach ice cream. It's not the 4th of July if I don't make Pearl Dean's deeeeeeelicious ice cream.

And looking forward to seeing Britt, Casey, and their girls, now home from Deutschland.

And relaxing!

And singing patriotic songs.

And eating Pearl Dean's strawberry peach ice cream.

And relaxing.

And eating Pearl Dean's strawberry peach ice cream. Oh wait, I think I already said that.

Fireworks photo found here.

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Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles.

"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love."

~Hamilton Wright Mabie

For me, Christmas started when I received a beautiful Christmas swag all the way from Maine Wreaths in early December, from my Grandpa. It smelled so wonderful that I decided to keep it in the house for a couple of days before I hung it, as the sole Christmas decoration we put up this year, on the front door, where it's still hanging. I know Christmas is over, but it's a decoration that is more seasonal for me, as opposed to strictly holiday, and I love seeing it every time I come home. (Picture to come.)

On December 19th, we (SLCA) sang the works of  Rachmaninoff, Respighi, Ramírez, and Rutter to a sold out house in Libby Gardner Hall during our holiday concert. Read the rave review here. SLCA requires a large time commitment with rehearsals, individual study and practice of the music, and extra rehearsals before concerts, but it's always worth it once we're on stage and singing. It really is rewarding and I just love adding all this exceptional choral music to my repertoire. Not to mention, singing with a great director like Dr. Brady Allred, and with such wonderful singers and friends.

The Christmas season would not have felt complete without attending the evening Christmas Carol service with friends or the noon concert with my mom of Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols, both at The Cathedral of the Madeleine. The choristers of the Madeleine Choir School truly fascinate me with their poise and discipline. Great concert atmosphere, great singing, and a great way to celebrate Christmas!

Then off to Dad and Nancy's or as we like to call it, Resort Montrose. I arrived on the 23rd and had a full day with Dad and Nancy to myself! Loved it! We talked, ate Phở, talked, shopped, tried a new frozen yogurt bar down the street, sat by the fire, talked, read, wrapped presents, talked, and talked. It was great! The next day, Christmas Eve, Marina and Shepherd arrived separately (Marina flying in from NYC and Sheppo driving down from San Francisco) in time for a Christmas Eve dinner of tamales (yum!), traditional opening of Christmas pajama pants, and a hilarious showing of Hangover.

Christmas morning brought the unveiling of so many fun gifts (future posts on these). Isn't it fun when you're so excited for everyone else to open the gifts from you, almost as excited about opening your own gifts? That afternoon, we drove over (in Shepherd's new car) to Auntie Vicki and Uncle Hank's for the traditional family Christmas Dinner.

Enjoyed delicious fare including: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans with carrots and pine nuts, southern pineapple casserole (delish! -- Thanks Amanda!), shrimp cocktail (I could live off this), and a bunch of desserts that I didn't even try.

Saw cousins who have grown a foot since the last time I saw them. Held my newest baby cousin, Henry, born in November. Enjoyed catching up with everyone. We ended the night at home reading. All in all, a great Christmas day.

Since the five of us don't get to see each other often enough, we spent the rest of the weekend just spending time together talking, reading, enjoying new Christmas gifts, listening to music, walking around The Americana at Brand window shopping, seeing Up in the Air, and going out to Min's Kitchen for a delicious Thai dinner.

Sunday, I flew home. And Monday, it was back to work. But like I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I still felt like I was on vacation this week. Work was quiet since so many people were on vacation. I just felt a whole lot more relaxed at work than I have in awhile. It was nice.

A great Christmas season it was for me. And after finals, it really was relaxing and most enjoyable. I hope yours was too!

Photo of The Cathedral of the Madeleine found here.
Photo of the organ at Libby Gardner Hall courtesy of Tom Sparks.
Photo of Southern Pineapple Casserole found on a Google Search.
All other photos courtesy of Nancypants.

On-the-run. Gotta eat. Must plan ahead.

"If we're not willing to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn't settle for junk food."

~Sally Edwards

School is back in session, (has been for over a month now) which means planning for meals takes even more forethought on my part. Some days I leave the house at 5:20am and don't return until 9:30pm. That means all three meals (and two snacks) are eaten away from my pantry and refrigerator. Packing my own meals has saved me cash and calories!

First things first: Snack size ziploc bags are a must! They allow you just the right amount so you don't eat too much. Also, investing in a good insulated lunch bag is crucial. But of course, neither the snack bags nor the insulated lunch bag will do any good unless you prepare beforehand. As soon as I get home from the grocery store, I separate everything into individual servings. If it's not convenient, I won't take it because I always seem to be in a rush in the morning.

Here are some of my favorite things:

• Hors d'oeuvres. Whole-grain crackers with 3 tablespoons goat cheese; top with halved grape tomatoes and fresh basil. Or spread on spicy hummus and top with sliced black olives.

• Kirkland (Costco brand) Chocolate Weight-loss Shake. It's basically a generic Slim-fast. These shakes (when cold) are a delicious on-the-run breakfast!

• Snack bag of baby carrots and a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese.

• Mini Babybel cheese rounds. They're only .75 ounces and 70 calories. A great little dairy treat. Buy them in bulk at Costco. And who knew? They're made by Laughing Cow also.

• Mediterranean Meal. Open a whole-wheat pita and fill with 1 to 2 tablespoons hummus, fresh spinach leaves, sun dried tomatoes and 1 ounce string cheese or a .75 ounce Babybel mini.

• Small handful of almonds. Dry roasted with NO salt is my favorite. They're hard to find without salt. I buy mine from The Nutty Guys at the Salt Lake Farmer's Market. Maybe Whole Foods would have them, too.

• Tuna Cups. They are marvelous. Now, they're a little more expensive than buying regular tuna in a can in larger sizes, but they are so convenient and the perfect single size. The best part? They don't require draining of water and they're wet enough that you don't need to add mayo. Pop one open into a salad. Have one with some crackers.

• Celery sticks with peanut butter. I never thought I'd say this, but it's really yummy. I tried them once with raisins. You know, the whole ants on a log idea. I didn't love it. Leave the raisins out and I'm good.

• Fruit! Grapes or melon chunks. Dip into 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt (I like vanilla flavored). OR grapes with a Babybel mini or a Laughing Cow wedge. Seriously delish!

• And since I have a sweet tooth... Trail mix snack. I mix my own because store-bought kinds have so much salt in them. I mix roasted unsalted almonds, with raisins, and dark chocolate chips or M&Ms. Just a small amount in a snack bag can really hit the spot!

So there you have it. Do you have any favorite snacks or food ideas for an on-the-run lifestyle?

All photos from a Google search. Trail mix photo a la moi.

Wanna cupcake? The answer is YES!

“When you look at a cupcake, you've got to smile.”
~Anne Byrn

Last night, I went out to dinner with the work girls (half of whom don't even work with us anymore) to a great little place called Blue Lemon Restaurant in Highland. If you live close by, you should check it out.

I had the Blue Lemon Portobello Burger, which was delicious! With a grilled portobello mushroom, caramelized onions, garlic and herbs, provolone and cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, lettuce, citrus pesto aioli and a splash of Blue Lemon vinaigrette on a Tuscan-herbed bun, I was in heaven! And as they promised, I never missed the meat!

But, THE REAL REASON for this post is to tell you of the delectable deliciousness that is a Sweet Tooth Fairy cupcake!

Camille took orders and picked up our treats on her way to dinner. I could hardly wait! I'd been thinking about those cupcakes ALL week long. No lie. The Sweet Tooth Fairy opened up their bakeshop in Provo, in January of this year, and they have been growing exponentially (it seems) ever since. I've heard about their cupcakes and have anxiously been waiting to try them. Thanks to Camille, that little food dream came true!

And let me tell you, those cupcakes did NOT disappoint! In fact, they were much better than I anticipated. That's the truth. Now, you see, it's all in the frosting. In my opinion, frosting makes or breaks a cake ... or a cupcake, as it were. And The Sweet Tooth Fairy knows her frosting! Oh boy. My mouth is salivating as I write. Seriously so delicious!

My selections were a Va-NIE-lla Squared, a Carrot, and a Cookies n' Cream. I've already eaten the first two, and I might have to say that they were honestly the best cupcakes I've ever eaten. I'm saving the Cookies n' Cream one for tonight. After that, it's back to the normal diet. :)

Oh goodness. SO yummy. If you live in or around Provo, beware... you might be tempted to begin making weekly (daily?) cupcake runs, if you ever taste even just one. Seriously, they're that good! Good thing I'm an hour's drive away. Although... I hear that they're expanding, and one might guess that they'd come up closer to Salt Lake. I'd better start building up my will power now. But just look at them... how can you resist?

Be sure to check out both the Blue Lemon website, as well as The Sweet Tooth Fairy website and blog if you haven't already. Photos found on their blog.

Tomatoes, Talk, and Travel.

"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato."
~Lewis Grizzard

Today, Katie and I took Harley on a walk. Harley is Brittney and Casey's miniature English bulldog, whom we are dog-sitting until Monday, when she will board a plane to Germany to meet up with Britt, Casey, and the girls. Yes, she gets her own flight. Getting her prepared to go overseas is quite an ordeal (legally speaking), but I don't think Casey could live without her. So off she'll go on Monday (thanks to Brittney's careful planning and preparation).

So anyway, back to our walk.

Today is such a beautiful day, with the sun shining and a slight breeze keeping things fairly cool at about 80-85 degrees. We all know that I don't like to be hot. :) So, the purpose of the walk was two-fold: Harley needed to go out and the Stake President's garden is full of tomatoes. :) Don't worry; we were invited to take them.

As a child, I never liked tomatoes much. Yuck. Well, that's not entirely true. I liked them in spaghetti sauce, but, "Ew. Get that tomato OUT of my salad and OFF my sandwich!"

Oh, how we get wiser with age...

So, we filled a bag full of beautiful red tomatoes. I could hardly wait to get home to try them, so I tasted one while still roaming in the garden. Yum. So wonderfully delicious. Homegrown tomatoes far outrank their grocery store counterparts. They are just THAT good.

On the way home, we ran into a man in our ward. They live in a very German style home, almost cottage-like. He told us that returning to the States following a period of several years living in northern Germany, they wanted to build their home to have that European feel.

Over dinner in a restaurant one night, they laid out their ideas, drew a floor plan, and subsequently took it to an architect. A year and a half later they had their home. He said sometimes he wonders if they made a mistake, since the home looks nothing like any in the vicinity, but it's what they wanted. I assured him that I didn't think it was a mistake at all! I love looking at it as I walk or drive by. Helps me keep my traveling dreams fresh in mind.

So, where will it be next? :)

Saturday's Tasty Treat.

Dear Farmers Market,

I'm so excited that you opened yesterday. You have suddenly given me something extra to look forward to on Saturdays. I had so much fun wandering around taking in all your lustrous colors, smells, and tastes. The brilliant red of your tomatoes. The vibrant green of your cucumbers. Oh and the delicious smell of all the Mediterranean food booth. Ooh, and the Sudanese food booth looked simply mouth-watering. And let's not forget the creamy taste of all your cheese. And the honey. The breads. The salsa. FM, it's simply never-ending!

This Saturday, I'm going to buy some of your cucumbers. Maybe some salsa. And I'd love some cheese. Maybe even some bread. I might just have to visit you often. Afterall, you are going to be around until October.

See you Saturday!

Much love,
eclaires

P.S. I loved walking through your Art & Craft Market too.

Day with Dad.

Yesterday, my dad called and said that he was flying into town for a funeral for a family friend (sorry, sometimes I can't resist alliterative phrases), a former bishop, a mentor of sorts. He spent the night with my Uncle and then today at noon, I met them both at the church.where the funeral was happening. Attending a funeral for someone I don't really know too well isn't something I've done very often. This one I most thoroughly enjoyed. Clayton, the deceased, seemed like such a wonderful person, a fun character, and a true mentor to hundreds of youth like my dad. I found myself really wishing I'd known this man and feeling grateful that he influenced my dad's life.

As a mission president in Switzerland, he was once reviewing the budget allotted to each missionary. Apparently, he was heard exclaiming aloud, "This is all wrong. Missionaries can't live here in this beautiful land and not take pictures!" He successfully convinced Church Headquarters to build in the cost of two rolls of film into his missionaries' monthly budgets. I think I would have liked him a lot!

The closing hymn at the funeral was one of my favorites and seemed to strike a chord with dad.

"Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing"

Come, thou fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for thy courts above.

I love this hymn, and have been moved by these words several times and was happy to be able to share those thoughts with my dad, who read them intently as we were signing. And, as it happens, I am directing a choir at our Stake Conference on Sunday morning and this is one of the hymns we're singing.

After the funeral, dad and I took advantage of the Salt Lake City Dine-o-round, and ate a tasty lunch at The Wild Grape. We spent a couple of hours talking before I dropped him off at the airport. I love getting my dad to myself and talking to him. We had a great day. Thanks Dad!

Venturing East.

Last week, I returned from a five-day trip to Washington, DC and New York City. Despite feeling quite sick, I had a great time with KDJ in DC and my family in NYC.

KDJ and I ate Chipotle and Red Hot & Blue, drove down to Mt. Vernon, got pedictures, watched "What Happens in Vegas" as well as several other TV shows. Since I was feeling sick, we had a pretty low-key visit, which was fine by me and wonderfully enjoyable. KDJ is a great hostess, making me breakfast and homemade Mediterranean salad for dinner. And the best is that she just took care of me while I was sick. Thanks Katie, for being my nurse.

I took the train into NYC, where I was met by Dad, Nancy, and Shep. We were all gathering to attend and celebrate Marina's college graduation. Dad and Nancy had this perfect two bedroom apartment for the week, so I got my own invalid's wing.

I LOVE NYC. I'm just a city person. That's it. It's not like I ever doubted, but living in this great little apartment for a few days reminded me of how much of a city person I truly am. I guess that's what I get for being born and raised in San Francisco.

The first night we had dinner at French Roast.

So... Marina graduated! Everyone was there. Dad, Nancy, Shep, Auntie Vicki, and Uncle Hank. Hillary Clinton spoke at the commencement. I must say, whether you like the woman or not, she's got a strong presence and gave a wonderfully inspiring message. (Can you see her in the picture?)

We were cold during the graduation and crowded afterward, but so happy to be there. Dinner at Compass was great, despite the fact that my sickness caused me to lose the ability to taste anything. So strange. But the night was very fun.

On the morning of my departure, we took a walk down Broadway and back up Amsterdam, and indulged in a New York classic, a Gray's Papaya hot dog with their papaya drink. Yum!