Beef and Vegetable Soup

 With all of the preparations going on around here, there's little time to prepare meals every night. Greg and I have been tag-teaming dinner and one of the ways we're saving time is by making meals that can last a couple of days. It's hard with this soup because it's so good, you want to stuff yourself full of it, but we've been trying to make it last. I love this because it's hearty, warm, delicious, and it satisfies my salty craving as well as my need to eat a balanced meal. Chomping down on meat, potatoes, and veggies is way better than the pizza regimen that I was falling into.

 For this recipe, I start start by peeling and chopping about 4 small-medium red-skin potatoes and putting them to the side. Then, I heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven. Meanwhile I cut the stew meat down into more manageable chunks and cut any big pieces of fat off. Whole Foods sells the stew meat in big chunks, so I have to cut those down at least in half. I like using their grass-fed beef because stew meat can be really tough and chewy, but this is really flavorful and it's tender, which makes it easier to eat in a soup. I try to make the meat chunks about the same size as the potatoes. I brown the meat with chopped onion, about a teaspoon of minced garlic, and some rough-chopped heirloom tomatoes, salt, and pepper, and dried basil. I have to take the skin off of the tomatoes, and then I just chop them and throw them into the simmering pot with the meat, oil, etc. After the meat browns and everything cooks for about 10 minutes on medium, I skim any grease off the top, and I add a carton of beef broth, 1/2 cup of water (at most), and 2-3 tablespoons of tomato sauce. My grandmother always used V-8 juice, which is also good and adds a kick.  I turn the temperature up to medium-high to get a boil going, and put the lid on. I let it all boil for about 20 minutes to get the potatoes tender. Meanwhile, I defrost about a cup of frozen veggies. After 20 minutes, I add the veggies and set the temperature down to simmer for another 20 minutes. This is where I usually taste the broth to make sure there's enough salt and pepper (you could add V-8 or hot sauce if you like a kick). I also taste the potatoes to make sure they're getting tender. This is where a bite usually turns into a small bowl...you know, to have a proper "taste test."

Eating for Two

I admit that I am one of those people who really thought that when I got pregnant I would eat nothing but organic health foods for 9 months, take all of the vitamins possible, and go to the gym every day. Reality check. When you're pregnant, you do not get to make decisions for your own body.  First of all, let's just say that food has made me cry more in the last 4 months than every Pampers, Folgers and  Olympics commercial combined. I may have started crying in Whole Foods just a few weeks ago because I wanted pizza at 10AM and they weren't out of the oven yet and I had to have pizza "right now!!"

My emotions aren't the only thing that baby D has altered. For the first three months,  I was devastatingly (if there is a word that is more dramatic please let me know because this still doesn't seem to quite explain my desperation) hungry, but as soon as food would hit my lips I would want to run to the nearest bathroom. It seemed like a cruel trick from God.

Finally I realized that if I just made myself eat something bland, my nausea would subside a bit and I could make it through the day. Carbs became my new safety blanket. Plain bagel toasted with a dab of butter? Yes please. And so this (or some similar version of it) is what I continued to eat day in and out, for 3 meals a day. Vegetables were out of the question. Meat, especially chicken, might as well have been outlawed in our house for weeks. Watermelon was my only fiber. A lack of fiber-rich foods and iron-loaded prenatal vitamins...I'm sure I don't need to go much further for you to understand that it was a very miserable household.

Let's skip the details of the "dark weeks" as I have come to remember them, in which I was basically a miserable shadow of my former self ... and move on to the second trimester. This is a time of so much promise. Everyone assured me that things would get better. "Just make it to 14 weeks" they said and it will all go away. Through my tears and groaning, I tried to believe them, but I just didn't think there would be an end. But there was!

Miraculously, my "morning" sickness became manageable and I was able to pull myself from my bedcover cave and actually shower, get dressed, and eat real food, like a normal person. I even ventured to the grocery store without needing to make beeline for the restroom at every sight and scent. I actually started wanting more than just plain spaghetti noodles with butter and salt and actually enjoyed the meatsauce on top. I tentatively tried salads, vegetables, and even Chinese food without much incident. However now that I finally have my appetite back, I can confidently say, I HAVE MY APPETITE BACK. (Enter me crying for pizza at the grocery store). I must eat every hour or two. Let me rephrase. I MUST eat every hour or two. I don't eat a huge meal each time, but there better be at least something waiting in the fridge for immediate noshing or else this crazy women appears out of nowhere. I have to bring snacks with me if I leave the house just in case there's a meltdown. It's like I have two personalities. The mommy in me is packing snacks for the toddler in me that will throw a fit if I can't get immediate food gratification.

I have about 22 more weeks to go, so I can only imagine what more is in store for me (and my dear friends and family...so sorry in advance).  I'll tell you what, this was not was I was expecting when I first heard the phrase "eating for two," which sounds just like getting an extra dish of ice cream after dinner. Yeah right!


Thanks for reading my thoughts about food and the destructive behavior that I have succumbed to because of it. 

P.S. No fetus was harmed in process of this turmoil. I maintained contact with my doctor at all times who assured me that the little guy/gal is growing just fine, but did prescribe me special pre-natal vitamins just in case.

Food Plagiarism

I've been eating this delicious salad for ages and (selfishly) I haven't shared it with you yet! It has all the best things: sweet, spicy, and crunchy. It's a combination of Romaine lettuce, avocado, corn, black beans, red onion, seasoned chicken, and a spicy barbeque sauce and some broken tortilla chips on top. Yum! It's the most filling salad that I've ever made and everyone who's tried it has loved it! It couldn't be easier or more delicious, especially with a margarita to celebrate the end of summer.

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I can't forget to mention, for fear of food plagiarism, that my co-worker and awesome friend
Brigid actually introduced me to this delightful dish. I don't know if she made hers exactly the same way, but I tried to use it as inspiration copy it as closely as possible because her version was to-die-for! She also got me started on my winter-time favorite butternut squash soup.

Thanks for reading my thoughts about food...I know it's been a long time but honestly I haven't been cooking much recently and didn't know if I wanted to continue posting or not. I'm trying for a comeback, so stay tuned for what kind of frozen/pre-packaged/scary food we've been eating since I haven't been cooking ... and for a little lamb dish that kick-started me out of my funk.

Salad is Golden (Raisin That Is)

Knowing that you're going to be in a bathing suit in 12 days has a funny way of making salad seem like the most crave-able dinner of all time. Not that I'm keeping track or anything, but here is a list of things that I have not eaten at school in the past two weeks out of my selfish desire not to look like I've been indoors with no sun exposure shoveling pot roast into my mouth for the last 5 months. 

1. Huge brownies with chocolate chip cookies baked into them

2. Chocolate glazed  cake that looked like a huge donut

3. Chocolate cupcakes with Spiderman frosting

4. Oreos, root beer, and homemade cookies left over from a party my 4th class had in 3rd period

 In addition, here's a list of things on my body that are in pain from working out just about every day for what seems like forever. 

1. My right big toe

2. My left elbow

3. Both of my shoulder joints

4. My hamstrings

5. My calves (but only when I walk or stand...or move)

6. My baaaack. Oh my back! Need.  massage.  now. 

In the end, the salad that I made tonight was actually really good. Surprisingly, the croutons satisfied my need for bread and salt and the raisins were nice and sweet. Here is the list of ingredients:

• 1 bag of organic spinach leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of chopped red onion
• 3 tablespoons of organic feta cheese
• a handful (1/4 cup?) of golden raisins
• a smattering of poppy seed dressing 
• A handful of croutons

Can It Be?

Has spring sprung? I don't want to jinx anything but the 70 (and even 80!) degree weather has me pulling out the spring clothes, getting my butt outside, and sprucing up the house. We were so lucky to have such  mild winter. I never got into one of my normal winter funks. Like the one where I fake-cry, pout, and sit on the couch bundled in 7 blankets and my winter coat and scowl out at the world. This winter I've kept myself busy and optimistic by looking forward to each new month. A few days ago, I went out to the tree in my front yard and cut these branches that were just budding. Now, they are beautiful and blooming. I love keeping flowers in the house, but buying flowers to stick in vases around the house seems like such a luxury. No one can argue when I have them from my own tree though! Cost -$0!

 I know it's a bit early for backyard BBQs, but I just couldn't wait to put away the crock pot and shelve the wintery recipes for next year. By then I'm sure I'll be ready for chili and pot roast and heavy pasta dishes again, but the Vernal Equinox is right around the corner, and I'm celebrating with some turkey sliders and homemade sweet potato fries.

Chocolate, Caramel, and Walnut Covered Pretzels

For this Valentine's Day dessert, I used a trial and non-error technique. I call it that because even the batches that I didn't serve on Valentine's Day were so delicious that I made sure to diligently snack on them for the next week. This is how I made them:

First I started with 3 ounces of semi-sweet bakers chocolate.

I didn't want the chocolate to burn, so I fashioned my own double boiler out of small and medium sized saucepans. I boiled the water in the medium one and then put the smaller one with the chocolate inside.

Here's another view with the water boiling and the chocolate melted.

Lobsta' Killa' (take 2)

Want to see what I made for Valentine's Day this year? I had success making lobster in 2010, which was the first Valentine's Day after we got married (picture below) so I gave it another shot this year. This time I decided to make a surf and turf. I bought one lobster and one filet mignon, and Greg and I split them. It ended up being the perfect amount!

A bit wary: 2010

Still wary in 2012

Below is the process from start to finish:

A 2011 State of Mind

An iPhone pic of us downtown on New Years Eve

I've had a lot of fun blogging this year. I don't know how many people are actually reading this, (I guess I could check the stats, but I think that 80% of the hits are from myself ) but I am continuing to do it anyways. I don't get paid to do it or anything, but it keeps me excited about what my sister calls my "suburban adult life." (She's 18 and too cool for baking and crafting- until she comes over for homemade cookies). There's something about putting my little thoughts out there for people to see that makes cooking dinner 5-7 nights a week and brown bagging lunches to work every day bearable and even fun. I'm afraid without it, Greg would be barely subsisting off of Lean Cuisines and Papa John's. So here it goes, some of my favorite posts from 2011. Happy New Year!

January 2011 was at the height of my Madeleine obsession. I failed twice before meeting with success finally in February.  In January I also revealed my love of cooking with wine and for the first time, got a little bit nostalgic about a childhood memory, and made one of my now-favorite dinners, spicy chicken tacos.

 

"Uh Oh" Moment

Finally!

 

Perfect thank you gift for a friend

Chicken Tacos with Spicy Jalapeno Sauce

In February I made another one of my now-most-favoritist dinners. I made a last minute substitution that has made this recipe my go-to for deliciousness and quickness. 

Penne with Non-Vodka Sauce

In March, my sister reminded me, once again, that she is cool and I am not. I also had a brief identity crisis, thinking for an instant that I enjoyed baking more than cooking. I soon proved myself wrong.

Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

April was a light month, in more than one way. I only blogged twice all month because this is also when we found out about Greg's dangerously high blood pressure and decided to try to change from our "butter is better" motto to something a bit more health conscious. We're still trying and doing alright, but we aren't as zealous as we were at first.

In May we were still on our health kick, yes. But we weren't about to start depriving ourselves of life's pleasures. This is my favorite post because it's the one I had the most fun making. I had two of my favorite people over and the three of us, plus Greg, made pizzas from scratch. Much healthier and more fun than something delivered, this was so much fun that I wish I could have a pizza night once a month! Sadly both of these friends moved away this year, one to California, and one to Florida. So if you live in Annapolis and like pizza, I my be hitting you up sometime soon, so start screening you phone calls!

June was delicious. I really got into summertime with my summer eats and my glorious and tasty obsession with shrimp.

Shrimp with Orzo from Krieger's Healthy Cookbook

Cajan Shrimp

The best part of July was when Greg and I took a trip to a small ski town in Vermont. It was empty, save the old antique shops and the creeks and rivers, which were so much fun to stop by for a quick dip of the toes. I couldn't leave without bringing home some Grade A Maple Syrup.

We used almost all of it before I could even get a good pic!

August had my other favorite post, my sister's going away party. I spent  few days making her cake and painting her a gift for her dorm room. This cake was chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. The icing was so good. I squeezed fresh strawberry juice into it for some natural flavor. It was so much better than artificial icing!

No time for a fancy picture, people wanted to eat!

In September I was mainly trying to get back into the swing of the school day, but I did drag myself away for a few minutes to make this comfort food. It was also our second anniversary. : )

Anniversary Dessert (almost as yummy as wedding cake)

In October I shared a weeks worth of meals. I also described (in every painful detail) my food shopping  strategy.

Baked Ziti

Creamy Chicken

Spinach and Sausage Quiche

In November I recapped the things I did this fall. It reminded me how much I love that time of year even though I was trying to hold on strong to summer more than usual this year.

Making Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Hiking in Maryland

December was a time for gingerbread cookies, which I had so much fun icing myself. Any time I can use the piping bag I get really excited. I feel professional, like I'm a kid putting on my mom's work pumps and lipstick and parading around the house.

Happy New Year! Thanks for reading a years-worth of thoughts about food!