Mushroom Stroganoff

The Mushroom strikes again. You'd best make friends with him, he's not going anywhere for a while!

This is one of those meals that proves that you really don't need meat to have a rich and satisfying meal. Creamy egg noodles infused with the beefy flavor of a variety of mushrooms makes for a meal that your whole family will love. So quick, so easy, so delicious, just like this post!

Mushroom Stroganoff
By Fresh Food Fast by Cooking Light

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups uncooked medium egg noodles
butter flavored cooking spray
5 (4 oz) packages fresh gourmet-blend mushrooms (be sure to note that you need 5 of them, I think I only got one, not NEAR enough!)
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups reduced fat milk
3 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons light butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped chives (optional)

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to directions

2. While noodles cook, heat a large Dutch oven over high heat; generously coat pan with cooking spray. Add mushroom and onion; cook 10 minutes, or until browned, stirring frequently.

3. While mushroom mixture cooks, place flour in a bowl, Gradually add milk with a whisk. Transfer cooked mushroom mixture to a large bowl. Gradually add milk mixture to hot pan, stirring with a whisk. Cook, whisking constantly, 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.

4. Stir sauce and cooked noodles into mushroom mixture. Stir in sour cream; sprinkle with chives, if desired. Serve immediately.

Serves 4: Serving is 1 3/4 cups

Per Serving: 393 cal, 12.6g fat, 15g prot, 55.2g carb, 3.5g fiber

I'll be submitting this to girlichef for Pasta Presto Nights!

The Indian Palette

Disclosure: Owner Sue is a friend of mine.

I have a magnet I bought from Le Chien in Seddon a long time ago that says "Seddon - shh, it's a secret".  Well, it was a long time ago!  Seddon is such a sweet little village and has a great community feel.  Now Seddon residents have their own Indian restaurant to add to the ever-diversifying restaurant lineup, The Indian Palette.

The decor and presentation is rather genteel with embroidered napery and with high-backed, wooden chairs.  It's very quiet inside - some Bollywood on the stereo would be very welcome.  The menu is a tour of North and South India including a full range of tandoori dishes, plus a flourish of Indian-Chinese specialties.  As well as all the classics, there are lots of interesting things like curries with gongura or sorrel leaves, gutti vankaya kura, mini eggplants with peanut and tamarind, and dal pancharangi made with five different types of lentil.

Caught mid-munch, complimentary pappadums to start with cool yet spicy mint and yoghurt sauce.

Vegetable Manchurian, $6.50

Indian-Chinese food is not for everyone, but I love it.  It's Chinese food reinterpreted for an Indian palate in the same way the Sino-Australian "classics" of lemon chicken and sweet and sour pork came into being.  Soy sauce is used along with curry leaves and other classic Indian ingredients to create what I think are very unique and delicious flavours.  When Indians go to an Indian restaurant, they are often looking for the best chilli chicken or gobi Manchurian rather than rogan josh or dal makhani or the other "classics" non-Indians associate with Indian restaurants.  Anyway, these Manchurian dumplings were balls of grated vegies including cabbage and carrot, deep-fried and tossed in a dark soy and black pepper sauce.  They were a little oily but very moreish.

Mutton Chettinad, $10.00

This is a dish from Madras in southern India, cubes of tasty lamb in a dark, slow-cooked, rich sauce full of curry leaves.  It was delicious, very meaty but super spicy!  Indeed, The Indian Palette don't mess around with spice so if you are not a fan of chilli, do ask for the dishes to be mild.

Mutter paneer (cheese and peas), $8.50

An honest, homestyle dish of Indian fresh cheese and green peas, cooked in a tomato and onion sauce.  This was great but also knock-your-socks-off hot.  A serve of raita ($2.50) provided balance and cooled things down.  It was filled with chopped onion and cucumber and sprinkled with cumin. 

The Indian Palette is just new and is still finding its feet somewhat.  Their alcohol licence is still in the works (as of Dec 2010) so it is not yet licensed or BYO.  Some music would be grand as well as a little bell on the counter for takeaway service or to get the bill.  The prices have to be seen to be believed.  Most dals are $6, vegetarian mains from $7 to $10 and meat mains $8.50 to $12!  That's Kitchen Samrat prices for Aangan quality, or very close to.  Now that's a secret worth sharing.

Another secret worth sharing is the new child-and-parent dance classes coming up at Jeremy McPherson Ballet and Dance School in Hillary Street, Braybrook (just near Central West).  My friend Emily is the teacher and has a background in performance and teaching.  She is a passionate and accomplished person and does nothing by halves, and her classes are just going to be brilliant, really unique.  There are 3 levels, pre-crawler, crawler/toddler and preschooler, a steal at $110 per term.  Free try-out class on Monday, 24 January.  Check out the Facebook page and the recent Maribyrnong Leader article or call 9312 4664.  Go Em!!!

The Indian Palette
140 Victoria St, Seddon (map)
Phone:  9689 8776
Hours:  Tues - Sun 5 pm - 11 pm (closed Mondays)

Wheelchair Accessibility
Step to enter.

Depression Era Oatmeal BACON FAT Cookies

did your Grandma keep a coffee tin on the back of the stove for BACON GREASE?

mine did.  she used that darn bacon grease for everything. butter and fancy oils weren't used for "saute-ing" in those days...it was more like frying. AND...butter was expensive!, bacon fat was almost a freebie.  besides,  i don't think my Grams knew what the term "saute" meant...

 but what ever it was, when Grandma made it...it always tasted better.  

i think it was all in the BACON FAT!

my Grandma lived 'til 108 !

i found this recipe kind of out of necessity... i, for some unknown reason, have accumulated loads of delicious BACON FAT ! little tupperwares tucked neatly on the bottom shelf of the overcrowded fridge hiding in the way back so as not to be discovered by the fridge police.  i had to find a use for it...

i knew if i already put bacon IN the cookie, why couldn't i use the fat as butter...just one animal fat for the other....because we all know...

butter IS fabulous...but...BACON FAT IS PHENOMENAL !!!

photos shown are with roasted-salted peanuts, peanut butter chips and flax

DEPRESSION ERA OATMEAL COOKIES

i found the recipe HERE at Tasty Kitchen

 posted by Adrianna and Caroline at A Cozy Kitchen

i adapted it ever so slightly

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp maple extract if adding pecans instead of chocolate

3/4 cup BACON FAT...room temp...SEE NOTES*

2 cups old fashion rolled oats

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour...i used white whole wheat

4 pieces of bacon...HA !!!...I USED 8-10 slices cut or crumbled into fairly large pieces

i added 1/2 (give or take) cup mini chocolate chips in my 1st batch...

2nd time i used 1 cup lightly toasted pecans
3rd batch was with salted-roasted Virginia peanuts, 1/3 cup p-nut butter chips and 1 heaping Tbsp of flax seeds

preheat oven to 375 F
in a mixer combine the sugars and bacon fat until fluffy and light in color

*NOTE...i think it could handle almost 1 while cup of fat....also, i refrigerate the fat after cooking the bacon to solidify...then remove it and bring it to room temp...this works better from my experience than using it in it's liquid oil/fat form

add the egg and vanilla extract and combine well.

in a separate bowl combine the oats, flour, baking soda, salt and spices

in the mixer add the oat/flour mixture to the wet mixture in 3 batches and mix 'til just combined.  don't over mix, because you still need to add your goodies

stir or fold in your bacon and choc. chips or nuts or whatever...(cranberries a good add?)

 on ungreased or, i prefer parchment lined cookie sheet... make some round large tablespoon-walnut size balls and flatten slightly.   depending on how big you like your cookies will determine how flat...bake for  approx. 10 minuted or until done...i suggest doing a tester...all bacon fat is not equal and regulated like butter, so i say do a tester and check out how much your batch will spread.  also, the white whole wheat flour makes a hearty dough.

the pictures shown are of the cookies i added peanuts, peanut butter chips and a Tbsp of flax.  these are quite hearty cookies.  the dough seemed dry-ish and didn't really spread, so i flattened them with the bottom of a glass.  they turned out more of a crunchy cookie than chewy....DELICIOUS !

i've made these 3 times.  1st time was straight from the original recipe, then i started to change it up a bit with some spices and a little flax.  the sweet-savory factor is fabulous.  i prefer the strong flavor of apple wood smoked bacon fat, but any good bacon fat will do.

oh yeah...more notes... i like to cook my bacon in the oven on an aluminum lined cookie sheet.  half way through i pour off the fat and reserve in a heat proof tupperware...then continue cooking bacon until crispy...again pour off fat and reserve.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Every other weekend or so Glenn and I try to drop the kids off and go out. Sometimes we like to have a nice night of dinner and a movie, other times we're just happy to go grocery shopping together, as long as it's just the two of us.

Before we dropped the kids off, I threw this salad together for the kids. We were planning on eating out, so we didn't want to eat any to ruin our appetites. The kids weren't too crazy about it, but Glenn and I couldn't stop picking at it. I don't think either of us wanted to admit it, but we both would have been happy to stay home and eat this for dinner instead!

This is such a quick and easy salad, great for potlucks and picnics. It's chuck full of colorful, healthy veggies, and then rounded out by soft cheesy tortellini. It might not be the most "wintery" dish, but sometimes it's nice to have a little blast of summer during these cold months to give us a ray of hope!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Adapted by Fresh Food Fast by Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 9 oz package refrigerated rainbow three cheese tortellini
1 quart water
1/4 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
1/3 cup chopped red pepper, or roasted red pepper, depending on preference
1 ounce Pepper Jack cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
6 drained canned quartered artichoke hearts
8 grape tomatoes, or 3 seeded and diced tomatoes
8 black or kalamata olives
2 thin slices prosciutto, cut crosswise into strips
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons light balsamic vinaigrette

Directions

1. Cook pasta in 1 quart boiling water 6 minutes. Add asparagus to boiling water, and cook 1 minute. Drain in a colander, and rinse with cold water until cooled. Drain.

2. While pasta and asparagus cook, combine bell pepper and next seven ingredients into large bowl. Add tortellini and asparagus; toss gently.

Serves 3: Serving size 1 1/3 cups

Per Serving: 304 cal, 16.2g fat, 29.7g carb, 11.2g prot, 2.2g fiber

Baking Queen in the making in Palette Sensations

Citrus Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almonds Recipe

The most challenging thing about quinoa is learning how to pronounce it, "keen-wah." After that, it's smooth sailing. A super healthy Peruvian "grain," quinoa is as delicious as it is healthy. While quinoa tastes and cooks as if it were a grain, it's actually a seed and has a light, mild flavor and somewhat chewy and creamy texture. It does a wonderful job of absorbing the flavors in dressings or vinaigrettes. Think of it as a healthier version of couscous that you can serve hot, at room temperature or cold.

I used to visit a shop on Grant Avenue in North Beach that had lots of vintage ephemera. The postcard that said "California, land of fruits and nuts" always cracked me up. Fruits and nuts. You have no idea. California is such a magnet for weirdos, and I mean that in a good way. As an agricultural state, we also happen to have lots of actual fruits and nuts. We are the top agriculture state, and the nation’s sole producer (99 percent or more) of a large number of specialty crops, including almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, grapes, raisins, pistachios, clingstone peaches, dried plums, sweet rice, pomegranates and walnuts, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

I used the sunny California combination of almonds and tangerines in this salad, but you could use segments of navel orange, clementines or any other sweet citrus fruit. This salad is good at room temperature. It would make a perfect accompaniment to grilled fish or roast chicken, but it would also be a good potluck dish. You could go even more "California" and serve it piled high in an avocado half. It will keep for a day or so, but it best eaten soon after you make it.

Note:This recipe calls for the juice and zest of half a lemon. Zest the lemon while it's still whole, then cut it in half and juice it.

Citrus Quinoa Salad with Toasted AlmondsServes 4

Ingredients

1 tangerine, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks (remove as much of the membranes as you can)
1 cup white quinoa, rinsed well
1/2 lemon, preferably organic
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon flat leaf parsley, minced
1/4 teaspoon sriracha, or more to taste
2 Tablespoons thinly sliced toasted almonds

Instructions

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly, then toast it in a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes until it is fragrant.

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 3/4 cups water, the quinoa, and 1/2 tsp. salt to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is translucent and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Spread out the quinoa on a baking sheet to cool to room temperature.



Finely grate the zest from the lemon and then squeeze the juice into a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, scallions, parsley and sriracha. Fold in the quinoa and tangerine pieces, season to taste with salt and top with almonds just before serving.

Enjoy!

More fruity quinoa salads

Quinoa Salad with Pears, Baby Spinach & Chickpeas and Maple Vinaigrette from Gluten Free Goddess

Quinoa Salad with Grapes from the Kitchn

Pineapple Quinoa Salad with With Sweet Curry Vinaigrette from Poor Girl Eats Well

Quinoa Salad with Mango & Herb Marinated Shrimp from Well Fed

Teriyaki Salmon with Mushrooms

Thanks for all of your sweet comments on my last post. It was a fun way to get to know a lot of you better too!

Every once and a while I find a theme in the foods I am eating and cooking for a period of time. Maybe a take a few weeks to roast just about everything I put in my mouth. Or I want to put eggs in everything. For a series of days I might even be looking for anything that might be slightly delicious doused in my favorite balsamic vinegar. And then I move on.

Lately I feel like I can't keep my fridge stocked full enough of mushrooms, specifically cremini. What is it about those lovely little fungi? I think it's their ability to soak up any flavor you introduce it to, while still adding a flair of it's own. They can be the real star of a dish, but also don't have a problem acting as a supporting role. I just love them.

So you can imagine how much I loved pairing them with this salmon dish. Sauteed with tangy teriyaki flavors and then laid on top of a nice rich fillet of salmon, it was a total party for my palate. And I got the recipe from...do I even need to tell you? Healthy, rich, flavorful, happy new year to me, and you!

Teriyaki Salmon with Mushrooms
From Fresh Food Fast by Cooking Light

Ingredients

1/4 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup low sodium teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 (8 oz) package presliced baby portobello mushrooms or creminis
4 (6-oz) skinless salmon fillets, about 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick

Directions

1. Combine first three ingredients in a small bowl; stir to dissolve sugar.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms, and saute 4 minutes or until tender. Add 1/3 cup sherry mixture to mushrooms. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Spoon mushroom mixture into a bowl; set aside.

3. Heat pan over medium-high heat, add fillets. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until browned on all sides. Add mushrooms and remaining sherry mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes. Transfer fillets to a serving platter, and top with sauce and mushrooms.

Serves 4

Per Serving: 335 cal, 14.3g fat, 37.6g prot, 0.9g fiber,9.5g carb

What kind of food themes do you find yourself in?

Queen's Rose The Sun

Queen's Rose The Sun - sounds like an old-man pub, doesn't it?  It was only chance that made us park right outside this tiny Sunshine restaurant.  We were planning a trip to big, bright and shiny Thuan An for fabulous goat curry, but I felt some sort of undertow to try this unassuming little eatery out.  How glad we were we did!



Eating at 5.00 pm meant we were the only patrons and we had plenty of room to spread out.  The lovely waiter brought ceramic bowls for the grownups and plastic bowls for the kiddos, who amused themselves staring at the lonely barramundi hovering in his tank.

Nem cha ran Ha Noi, $17

This wins Footscray Food Blog's unashamedly subjective award for best dish of 2010!!!  Nem ran is the Northern Vietnamese name for the classic spring rolls or cha gio, as they are known in the South.  Cha gio were traditionally made with rice paper (as are rice paper rolls or goi cuon) but when the Vietnamese diaspora arrived in Australia, only Chinese wheat wrappers were available, and due to what I imagine is their comparative hardiness, wheat wrapping has persevered.  I have had nem ran like this at Dong Que in Footscray, but Queen's Rose The Sun's version was different again.  The nem ran were actually more like a patty or nem nuong, wrapped in rice paper to form a square packet, fried and then chopped into quarters.

The meat filling was sublime - juicy, porky with cloud ear fungus (bad translation, delicious, textural foodstuff) and rice vermicelli.  The wrapper was supremely crunchy and totally non-greasy.  It came with a generous helping of warm rice vermicelli, a plate of lettuce, bean sprouts and mixed mints including purple perilla leaf, as well as perfectly balanced nuoc cham or sweet dipping sauce.  We were instructed to make up our own warm salads.  Such a simple, healthy meal yet perfectly rendered.  Amazing!



Bo chien don, $13.80

Queen's Rose The Sun has plenty of unique dishes on their menu, such as this bo chien don, described as "stir fried beef with malt and honey sauce".  It came as deep-fried thin slices of beef with a very malty, almost molasses-like sweet and musky sauce.  I thought the malt was actually quite overpowering but Mr Baklover loved it.  A good dish for a sharing table, perhaps.

Rau Cai Xao Dau Hu, $9

There were plenty of interesting vegie side dishes on the menu like kangkong or "water convolvulus" with preserved bean curd or shrimp paste, or even a simple "stir fried bean curd with bean shoot".  That would be taking it too far for the Bak-kids, though.  I'm not kidding anyone, really, as I love stir-fried vegies done simply like this.  These were great - I do prefer less sauce, but when it is this tasty, I can live with it.

The other impression I had when we left was there was zero MSG thirst afterwards.  I will report back again after trying a soup here, as stocks traditionally harbour the most MSG, but it was literally refreshing to not have that creeping, insatiable thirst and burning throat that often follows a (quite delicious) yum cha or bowl of pho.

How fortuitous that we stumbled into this little Sunshine gem.  The prices were very reasonable, too.  It will be hard to go past the nem cha ran Ha Noi next time, but perhaps Mr Barramundi can be our next course - yum yum!

Queen's Rose The Sun

229 Hampshire Road, Sunshine (map)

Phone: 9310 2887

Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-9.30pm, Sat-Sun 10am-10pm

Wheelchair Accessibility

Entry:  Level

Layout:  Could accommodate

I'm okay, you're okay. That there's where it's at.

 

I can't complain. 

I have heard that phrase uttered by countless people, countless times, and never really given it much weight. Until I realized, very recently, what it meant.

I have spent the majority of my teens and all of my adult life struggling, wanting, striving, fighting, trying, pushing and stressing. I have been moving toward something that I have not yet attained or obtained. It has been any combination of money, love, comfort, stability, community, and calm. And expectations – both my own and others’ of me.

I think we all do this.

I’ve searched for the job that is what-I-want-to-be-when-I-grow-up. What I am. What I will be. What I am supposed to be. I strive for the apartment/house that is my home. Where I can drop anchor. I want my friends to be my forever friends, the friends like the friends from Friends, friends. I wonder if whichever guy that I’m with is the guy. Or will the next guy be him? I should really have a nest egg by now, right? Wait – am I financially stable? I’ve never known what that feels like, so I’m not sure. When am I allowed to stop – or at least pause – and inhale?

The answer for many of us in this country, in this time, is probably never. But, guess what? Very recently I stopped. I took inventory, as it were. I inhaled. You know what I realized? I’m okay. I love my friends. I love my house. My relationships with my family are solid. We are all healthy. I am inspired. I am creative. I have the-job-that-is-my-job-when-I-grow-up-job. And even though I don’t have a nest egg, I am financially stable. I’m comfortable.

I get it now. I can’t complain. Though I often do.

No, I’m not married with two point five kids in a big house and a droopy dog lounging on the front porch. No, I’m not even in a relationship. No, my life at thirty-six is not the one I thought I would have when I was a young girl. It’s also not the life my parents would have predicted for me. But, regardless, I have landed and I am here. Where is here? Right where I am.

I am not nearly done with struggling, wanting, striving, fighting, trying, pushing and stressing. I am still moving toward something that I have not yet attained or obtained. Otherwise life would be boring. But I am pleased with where I am, what I have and the trajectory of how it all came to pass.

This is what I have realized while the end of 2010 became the beginning of 2011. This is what I realized as I saw some things end and others either begin or grow bigger at the stroke of midnight last Friday. Ever since that moment I have enjoyed a relaxing week and I have felt calm.

Last night, while trying to cultivate a fabulous and ornate dish to usher in the new year with this post, I realized all I really wanted to eat was something healthy and simple. I wanted the dinner that the me in my alter life, the one that’s married, with two point five kids and a droopy dog lounging on the porch, would have for dinner. I wanted chicken, rice and a green veggie. Hell, I didn’t even have a glass of wine – just water. The meal was very good, if not decorated with truffles, fennel pollen or the like. And as I ate my dinner I thought to myself and smiled: I really can’t complain.

Happy New Year, and here’s to a beautiful and inspired 2011!

Vinegar-Braised Chicken with Garlic and Celery Leaves

Serves 2

1 tablespoon olive oil oil 

1 pound (2 breasts) skinless boneless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Celery leaves from 1 large bunch
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup red wine vinegar 

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley 

In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; add it to the pan in a single layer. Cook over high heat, turning once, until well browned, 8 minutes. 

Stir in the garlic and cook over moderate heat just until fragrant, 1 minute. Add most of the celery leaves and stir just until wilted, 30 seconds. Add the stock and vinegar and cook, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan, until the sauce is reduced to a few tablespoons, 5 to 6 minutes. 

Add the parsley and the remaining celery leaves and serve over jasmine rice.

Chin Mee Chin Confectionary .... for a flush of nostalgia.

Chin Mee Chin Confectionery is more like a coffee shop that sells cakes and pastries. The confectionery sits in one of the conservation shophouses near the East Coast road and Joo Chiat road junction. The two times we visited this 'old school' confectionery, there's always many people. What pulls them here?

During my first visiting the afternoon, all the cakes and pastries were swipe out like there's going to be war and I'm the last one here to try to get some food. All the trays sitting on the shelves were empty! So we waited for a table to have some coffee and bread, typical of a Hainanese coffee shop.

This time round, we came on a Sunday morning and the place was equally packed but there were cakes and pastries available on the trays. We grabbed a couple of curry puffs and custard puffs to be boxed up for a takeaway.

Our box of Chin Mee Chin Curry Puffs and Custard Puffs

The custard in the puff pastry.

This is 'old school' custard. Not the popular choux that comes from
the French-Japanese 'schools'.

Chin Mee Chin Curry Puff

The puff was tasty and had good texture. The curry filling
was red with taste that I prefer to be slightly more savory.

I guess I must have been spoiled by the popular choux creme puff pastry. The 'Old School' custard puff from Chin Mee Chin, to me, was more like a reminiscence of that delicious custard puff that mummy bought for me when I was still a kid. Now, the word to describe these custard puffs is "nostalgic" more then "delicious". Among the custard puff and curry puff, I prefer the curry puff for the puff texture but I prefer the filling to be more savory. However, I'll still visit Chin Mee Chin just for 'old time' sake. Somehow, sitting inside a conservation shop house, sipping traditional Hainanese coffee and eating 'old school' cakes appeals to me.

204 East Coast Road (between Joo Chiat Road and Still Road)

Tel : +65 6345 0419

Singapore

4 Things About Me

If you haven't visited Mandi and Erica over at Itzy's Kitchen yet, you really need to. These girls are absolutely adorable, so sweet, and totally kick-butt. They are both into health and fitness and constantly inspire me to be healthier. Go check them out.

After doing the "4 things about me" tag, Mandi tagged me. Since I have so much fun reading about you fellow bloggers, I'm excited to participate as well.

Four shows I watch:
1. Dexter. I'm slightly obsessed with this one, which could be a bit scary since it's a show about a serial killer. Of course it doesn't hurt that the main character is not hard on the eyes :)

2. Glee!! Tuesday nights just might be my favorite night of the week because of this show. I've always been a music/theatre nerd, so this show is right up my alley.

3. True Blood. I'm kind of over the vampire craze, but this show is so edgy and dark that I just can't turn away.

4. Grey's Anatomy. I loved it, then I tolerated it, then I hated it, and now I'm back to loving it again. I feel like the dialogue gets a bit "speechy" but I really love the characters, so it's kept me hooked. Plus I'm really glad that Izzy's gone.

They're my favorite!

Four Things I'm passionate about:
1. Without coming off as totally generic and cliche, I have to say the people in my life. My family, my friends, those that have touched me throughout my life. I just don't know that life gets anymore gratifying then when we make genuine positive connections with other people, especially those closest to us. I don't know where I'd be without my little family, they're the reason I do 99% of what I do.

2. Food, a no brainer. The fun thing about having a passion for food is how it's ever changing. I used to think that I was big into baking, but now I'm realizing that cooking is really my forte and I leave the baking to my husband. I love trying new things in the kitchen, but I also love returning to the familiar comforts of old recipes.

3. Books. I. love. to. read. And when I say books, I mean actual books. Covers with pictures and printed text. I have a Kindle, and I plan to use it, but I just can't let go of the romantic connection I have to holding an actual book in my hands, smelling the ink, turning the pages. It's magic to me.

4. Traveling, I don't get to do it a whole lot right now, but I don't have to do it to know that I'm passionate about it. I have an ever growing list of places I can't wait to visit.

Four phrases I use a lot:
1. "Hey babe/buddy/sweetie/kiddo/dude/sister/girlfriend"...the list goes on. I'm big on nicknames, and I live in a home with kids that will greet you whenever you walk into the same vicinity of the house as them, so I'm saying hello a lot.

2. "No worries." I don't like to get hung up on offenses or grudges, it weighs me down, so no worries.

3. "Totally!" Yes, I'm a child of the 80's, I say totally all the time.

4. "What's up" this is pretty much how I start all of my conversations.

Four things I've learned in the past:
1. It seems that no matter how difficult a period of time was, the things that I remember most about those times are the positive things. So I try to focus on the positive things as much as possible in the present since the negatives will most likely fade from my memory anyway.

2. A good night's sleep can cure a lot of what ails you.

3. No matter how great my relationship with my husband is, nothing beats having good girlfriends.


4. Working out really is the best way to start your day, and this is coming from someone who never cared much for exercise!

Four places I'd like to go:

1. Scotland! I don't know what it is about that place, but I've already told my husband that it's the very first place I want to go when we are able to start traveling. It is so green, so pretty and has castles!

2. New Orleans. There's just something so sultry and soulful about New Orleans, I'd love to experience it.

3. Barcelona. I saw a special on it once, and I've been infatuated ever since.

4. Greece. Every single thing I've ever seen or heard about Greece makes me ache for a visit. Plus, how could you not want to go to a place that invented Baklava and Gyros?

Four things I did yesterday:
1. Dropped my daughter off at school, despite her wishes to take just one more day off.

2. Got in a nice workout at our local YMCA.

3. Started the laundry.

4. Chatted with old friends. (Yesterday was a delightfully quiet day).


Four things I love about winter:

1. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with winter. I love it when it starts, I hate it towards the end, right around the time that spring should be appearing. Right now I'm a bit indifferent. So when I actually do love winter, I love: Wearing big comfy clothes, sweaters, scarves, fuzzy socks, and wrapping up in blankets. It's just so cozy.I'm obsessed with scarves!

2. Going skiing. I haven't gone in years, but I love it and can't wait to go again.

3. The smells, you know, all of those fragrant Christmas smells of pine, cinnamon, apples, even the cold air has a distinct smell. I love it.

4. The comfort food. It might not be that great for my waistline, but I love warming, rich, creamy comfort foods to get through those cold days.

So there you go! I'd like to tag:

1. Kim from Stirring the Pot

2. Kim from The UnGourmet

3. Julie from The Sporadic Cook

4. Jennifurla from Indigo's Sugar Spectrum

Enjoy!