I have been lazy lately.  I really need to get some food cooking in my kitchen.  My focus has been on the gym, and have let the rest of the things in life to the back burner.  On a high note...In 6 weeks I have lost 9.5lbs, and gained some muscle too.  I lost 10.8 & gained 1.3..so equals to 9.5 =)

The golden girls have been pretty quiet lately.  Poor Dawn lost her keys somewhere.  She was out walking her crazy mutt.....WELL he really walks her.  She refused to get a leash that is sufficient for him. He drags her around like she is an after-thought.  Somewhere her keys fell out of her pocket.  She called me at around 9pm one night over the weekend to tell me she lost them.  I have a copy of her house key at my home.  I went out with Chi-Chi at 7am to go look for them.  I had no luck.  I can't imagine having losing every key I own.  She had to have a new car key made, house, mailbox, get a new faab...what a PITA (pain in the ass).

I promise to cook this weekend.  I need to make some mac&cheese for a co-worker who just had a baby.  Talk laterz

I spent the weekend at home for the most part.  I had told "Yo Momma" that I would cook a lot of healthy dishes to portion out between the both of us.  The weekend prior we had gone and bought a whole shitload of groceries to do just that.  First we had to stop off and visit one of her best friends.  That proved to be a great stop....Her son was visiting and he is HAWT!!  Too bad he is married =(  sigh....  It wasn't a total waste, we did have some blood orange mimosas that were in a bottle.  Not bad... Made by an Italian company named Canella.  Sharon is a great woman.  She was funny and asked "Yo Momma" if she could kidnap me from time to time.  She always wants a date to functions.  =)

We made our way to the HEB which "Yo Momma" had never been to...well this particular store.  Who woulda thought a 73yr old woman would be like a kid in a candy store.  She loved the international isle.  Somehow we managed to rack up a bill of over $250.  She has great reasoning - " I would rather spend all the money now, and not have to keep coming back for a few weeks."

Somehow I only made one dish that weekend.  I threw together a white bean chili.  It was very good, and well within the caloric range I wanted to be per portion.  I was so out of sorts, I forgot to take pictures.  This recipe and all the others will be posted on the site in the next few days.

On to the SHOW =)  Saturday I decided to start making some of the dishes before the produce went bad.  First dish was Cannellini & Cabbage Soup.  I think it is pretty good.  Very fresh, and no meat at all.  All the protein comes from the beans in this dish.

This Recipes makes 6 Servings.

Cannellini & Cabbage Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups thinly sliced cabbage

2 carrots, sliced

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cans (14 ounces each) low-sodium chicken broth

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) no-salt-added diced tomatoes

1 cup water

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

In a large pot, heat olive oil over high heat. Add cabbage, carrots, garlic, thyme, and pepper; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in broth, undrained tomatoes, water, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 8 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Mash half the beans with a fork. Add all the beans to the pot. Heat through and serve.

Nutrition facts per serving: 164 calories, 11g protein, 30g carbohydrate, 4g fat (1g saturated), 9g fiber

 

I did take a small break and make some unhealthy stuff too....COOKIES.  I decided to make some cookies I saw on a post recently, and knew I wanted some.  They were Peanut Butter & Fudge Oatmeal Cookies.  Pictures are on the digital camera at home.  I will post the recipe now, and post the picture tomorrow.  The cookies were very good.  I like things a little less sweet than others, so it was right up my alley.  I started bagging them up and handing them out to people in my building.  I really do not want to gain weight because I ate the whole batch =)

Peanut Butter & Fudge Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, very soft

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups chocolate chips

One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350°F and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix the butter, peanut butter, and sugars. (You can use beaters, but it's easiest to just vigorously mix by hand.) Mix in eggs and vanilla until thoroughly incorporated. Add the oats, baking soda, and salt, and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate the dough while preparing the fudge topping.

Mix the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir vigorously to make sure the mixture is evenly mixed. Turn off the burner under the chocolate.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll half of it into walnut-sized balls, pressing each one semi-flat on the cookie sheet. Top each ball of dough with a teaspoon of the warm chocolate mixture. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until just golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on the sheets for a few minutes until they have firmed up enough to remove to wire racks. (You can remove the entire sheet of parchment paper and move the cookies to the rack in that way.) Repeat with the remaining dough and fudge topping. (Warm and stir the chocolate over low heat if it has hardened too much to scoop.) Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

 

Back to the Healthy Stuff.....  I made this dish a few months back and LOVED it.  Who knew it was healthy and good for you????  Creole Chicken Stew.  I used to be a white meat person all the way, but have really started to enjoy dark meat of the chicken more and more.  This recipe is made with boneless/skinless chicken thighs.  I love my COSTCO for having this easily available to me =)  Served over brown rice or wild rice, you can't go wrong.

Creole Chicken Stew

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch squares

1 onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 slices turkey bacon, chopped (optional)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 cup white wine

1 can (15 ounces) no-salt-added whole tomatoes in puree, chopped

2/3 cup water

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce

1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

Cooked rice

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion; cook, stirring, 4 minutes, or until tender. Transfer to a bowl. Add chicken to skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add bacon, if using, and garlic; cook until browned. Pour in wine; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, bell pepper mixture, water, oregano, cumin, thyme, and hot sauce; bring to a boil. Add green beans; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve over rice, if desired.

Nutrition facts per serving: 337 calories, 38g protein, 15g carbohydrate, 12g fat (3g saturated), 5g fiber

I am trying to work on a "New Years Resolution" a little early.  I seem to get excited about starting a new project in my life, but then lose interest just as fast as the urge started.  It is a trait that I have that really irks me.  As I have been very steadfast with hitting the gym as much as possible this past month, I am going to make it a point to blog almost everyday.

I have a few pictures from meals past that should be shared with you guys.  There is also the food I decided to make this weekend.  Have you ever just woke up and said "I want to cook today?"  That happens to me more often now.  This is great for me, as I did cook everyday 18 hours a day, for 3 years.  I miss it more and more everyday.

A little about the "Golden Girls" before I start showing you the food.  One of my Favorite "GG's" is Joann.  Her nickname is "Yo Momma."  This was a self proclaimed name, and it has stuck.  I guess it is mostly from how she greets me on the phone.  She has a long time friend in from his leisurely travels.  The joys of having money and being retired.  Not to mention that he has been married 6 or 7 times.  He is in his 70's with a sex drive of a 20 something boy.  He gets irritated when he doesn't get any.

I know way too much about these people =)  "Yo Momma, L & I went to eat at the restaurant next to the Cabochon, where we live.  Live piano and singing...loud but always good.  In the middle of the music and food, L gets a call.  He tells this woman "I enjoyed the pictures you sent me."  LONG PAUSE  "I didn't send you any pictures."  OOOoooops..AWKWARD.  Yesterday we have a feeling he went to "make-up in person" for that comment.  =)  The joys of date.com.....

 

The above pictures represent one of the yummy, Fattening Dinners I made a month and a half ago.  Coffee Encrusted Ribeye, Homemade Mac & Cheese, "Surprise" Squash (farmers market who knows what we bought), & Southern Comfort Apple Pie.

This was extremely good.  The steak gets the little kick from the coffee and brown sugar, the stick to your ribs mac & cheese, and the hot and gooey Apple Pie.  Recipes will be posted at a later date.

Hopefully everyone is ready for an interesting ride.  I am going to start writing about my daily interaction with "The Golden Girls", the office & the fun people I meet day by day.  Not to mention the many yummy recipes I make.

I am in the middle of a health kick right now.  I am headed to Italy for the first time ever in February.  I am trying to get my body in the best shape EVER.  Most of the food I will be blogging about may bore some.  Tofu, Turkey, Chicken, Brown Rice etc etc etc.

Don't fret my friends..it is Holiday time and that is when all the yummy baking needs to be done.  I will not let the time pass without some of the "Sins of the Holidays" pass me by.

Look forward to hearing from you & sharing your fun and interesting recipes as well!

I have been really busy with things of late....I am hoping to actually make dinner tonight.  It has been awhile since I did some good ole fashioned din din.
Hopefully tomorrow I will have something to post

I cooked a couple times over the weekend.  Friday i decided that I should entertain my neighbor Joann & I also invited Patrick.  Fun night with 4 doggies and 3 adults running around my apartment.  It wasn't too bad..both dinner and dessert were "1 pot" meals.  I was craving Spanakopita -- but I wanted to have some protein in the dish.  I cooked some chicken breast that I added to the mix.  I love spinach pie.  I guess it all goes back to working with a greek family for a few years.

Dessert turned out AWESOME.  I bought a few yellow peaches.  I halved them and cut out the pit.  Then I took out some of the pulp...That made room for the yummy filling.  I used the pulp I removed, crushed amaretti cookies & sugar.  After a quick mix i stuffed the peaches.  Once in the pan I crumbled more cookies and drizzles some rum and sugar on top.  30 minutes later it was soooooooo good.

Saturday lunch came around and I had to use up some of the fresh japanese eggplant and green tomatoes I got from the Farmer's Market.  I decided to try something new.  First I needed a quick jaunt to the Central Market....Pizza Anyone?
I bought a multigrain crust to use, garlic lovers pasta sauce made with San Marzanos.  I bought some herbed goat cheese, fresh shredded mozzarella, portabella mushroom & away I went.  The sauce smelled awesome as i coated the pizza crust.  Then I decided to help the veggies along and grilled the eggplant and green tomatoes.  I also soaked the Portabella in EVOO & Balsamic.  Then I grilled that as well.  I placed the veggies all over the pizza and then dropped bits of the goat cheese all over.  I sprinkled thyme all over the pizza, fresh cracked pepper & a little mix of my SW Seasoning.  Then a nice top of mozzarella and it was ready for the oven.  MMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm  It was better than I hoped.

It's Monday the 14th of June, 2010.  I wasn't sure what i wanted for breakfast this morning.  I took Chiich and Colin out at 6am for a walk while I contemplated.  HOLY CROW it was already 85 out.  I was sweating before I even fully opened my eyes.  That sucks =(
After about 30 minutes I had enough.  I got the pups into the house and I started getting around for my day.  I decided to heat up the ole grill pan to make a refreshing tomato sandwich.  I had a few green tomatoes from the Farmers Market to use.  Have you ever just grilled a green tomato?  It is soooooo yummy.  A little tart, a little lemon-ish, and oh-so good.
I put a little olive oil mayo on some whole grain bread.  A little fresh ground pepper, garlic powder & thyme made for great sandwich.  Granted it wasn't extremely filling, it was better than nothing.

Another Monday back at the office.  Fooood....Friday night I decided to try a recipe I wrote a few weeks back.  I browned a package of ground turkey to start.  Once that was done I added it to a crockpot.  I then topped it with a can of crushed pineapple, can of kidney beans, jar of raspberry chipotle salsa, jar of peach salsa & some chili powder.  After 2.5 hours I went in for a taste.  OH MY GOSH!!!  Yummy...sweet and spicy all in one.  I know Breann..fruit in the food  =(  LOL....It was just 210 calories a serving.
Saturday I had yummy Pesto Chicken Salad at Barnaby's.
Last night I had another recipe I threw together to try.  I bought some turkey cutlets (looked like pork chops).
I sprayed a baking dish and placed the cutlets in there.  In another bowl I whisked sugar-free seedless blackberry preserves, Worcestershire sauce, low carb ketchup, salt, red wine vinegar & chipotle powder.  It sounds like a mess...but I poured it all over the turkey and backed for 45 minutes.  Served it over brown rice...YUMMY  Only 296 calories

No news is better than bad news?  I haven't written much as I haven't had an exciting week.  I plan on cooking some this weekend and will see what happens =)
One of my neighbors works for a company called "Gourmet Ranch".  He said they specialize in meats.  It is always good to make friends with people that can get you things at cost =)
I was asking him about boneless whole turkey breasts..Yippie they have them.  He actually brought me the complete item list.  They are like a SYSCO I guess.  I can get everything I want from them.  The "game" section was quite entertaining.  Any type of Venison you need?  They have elk, antelope, rabbit, buffalo, wild boar, alligator, frog legs, turtle, quail, squabs, ostrich, kangaroo, rattle snack & python.  Hmmmmm Do I dare?
I sent in a few requests on pricing...the strangest thing I want is Buffalo strip steaks =)

After work I was hankering for something with a little spice.  I had written a recipe a few weeks ago that I never made...until now.  It is very high in protein and low in calories.
Chiich and I went for another hour long walk around River Oaks.  She was not having it...she looked at me like I was Satin.  When we got home I started on dinner.
The rice...standard process.  I just do half chicken broth & half water.  I just think it is a little more depth of flavor.  The stew was a few stages.  I sauteed the onions & bell peppers until they were translucent and tender.  Transferred that to a bowl.  In the pan I now sauteed chunks of boneless/skinless chicken thighs.  I generally am not the dark meat kind of guy.  I just thought I would try again.
After the chicken browned on all side I added 2 sliced of chopped up turkey bacon and garlic.  Once they were cooked I added white wine..water..chopped tomatoes..thyme..S&P..hot sauce..cumin..after a quick boil I added green beans and let it simmer for 20 minutes.  It made a YUMMY meal.