Sunday Morning

(Totally thought I posted this last week!... so double post day it is)

I love our Sundays. 

Typically they are slow, mostly lazy days filled with nothing big but totally special.

We start off waking up a little late... or maybe early... whenever we feel like! 

Then we go off to our favorite neighborhood diner for breakfast.  We are basically regulars but only our drink orders are regular: Diet Pepsi for him and a Jamaican Me Crazy coffee.

For breakfast, I typically do eggs (over-hard, egg white omelet with cheese and veggies, scrambled with cheese), bacon, sour dough toast and home fries. So much bounty for $4.99!



G tends to get the French Toast special with sausage and steals half of my home fries.



Yeah, it all looks like a lot of food but we typically don't finish all of it and ALWAYS skip on lunch.  Ahhh... a good breakfast!

Then we go home or to the store to get groceries.  And the rest of the day is light cleaning, lots of resting and tons of enjoying our time together.

How about you? 

Super Bowl Snacks: Our Quest for the Golden Spoon

For the past 3 years, our group of friends have gotten together for every Super Bowl to watch the game and fight for foodie glory! 

Our mission: Make the best appetizer.

Our prize: The Golden Spoon!

LOL... it's a wooden spoon with gold metallic paint but boy, does that thing carry some heavy bragging right for the year!

We are the current Gold Spoon Champions and we are excited to compete again this year!

I've been trying to find something DELICIOUS but low-fat, low-cal and low sugar.  y.u.m.

I've been looking at my Hungry Girl cookbook and I think I have some ideas!

I'm thinking her Fiber-Fake-Fried Onion rings (since they are savory, crunchy and George and I can eat a ton worry-free)...

Mmmm... thank you http://www.hungrygirl.com/ !

Another option might be the Fiber-ific Fried Chicken Fingers...



i die.  http://www.hungrygirl.com/

But I'm still not 100% sold.



I have people to impress and a Golden Spoon to fight for!

George and I are known for our chicken nachos.  Like, people request us to bring them to fancy dinner parties because they are that good (the tricky: a hot, hot, hot oven and non-liquid producing toppings go first).

Buuuut, we can't use chips. 

So we got to thinking: what if we make chips?  What if we make them from veggies?

We are thinking BAKED zucchini chips...

Now we need a low-fat topping... low fat blue-cheese?  Maybe Bethany Frankle's Skinny Girl version?

Blue Cheese Dip:

•1 container (8 ounces) reduced fat vegetable cream cheese, softened
•1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 4 ounces)
•1 tsp. garlic powder
•1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
•1 tsp. minced fresh parsley
•1 tsp. minced fresh dill weed

Dare I sprinkle crispy turkey bacon?  I don't know?!  We might be on to something here.  It's different but it could be amazing!

I will probably make the onion rings for real snacking and the chips for a taste or two.

What do you think?  Do the veggie chips sound good?

What are you all making?  GO BILLS! haha

I Miss Cooking

Yeah, Mama JC (aka Jenny Craig) does give us much of an opportunity to cook. And I miss it.

I miss the smell. I miss the chopping. I miss the dashing and sprinkling and stirring and tasting.
I don't miss the dishes so I guess that's something!

But if I could eat what I want, and cook what I want, and host a fancy-shamancy dinner party, this would be the menu...

First course: Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Figs




Second Course: Seafood Bisque with warm sherry




Third Course:  Seared Sea Scallops



Fourth Course: Herb Roasted Beef Tenderloin with vegetables



Fifth Course: A Cheese and Fruit Plate for sharing



Sixth Course:  Assorted Pastries with coffee and tea




Is it bad that I am thinking about celebrating our weight loss with food?   Yeah, it kind of is.  At least my vision is in portion control :)

But how fun would it be to have a black-tie dinner at home with your friends?  It my dream.  Well, one of my many festive food dreams. 

The lack of grease in my diet must be getting to me! haha

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We did it!  We hosted and survived our 1st Thanksgiving!  14 people, 32 lbs of turkey, 4 batches of green bean casserole, 10 lbs of mashed potatoes and 5 lbs of stuffing later, everyone is in a turkey trance and on their way home. 

Here are some highlights of the craziness...

My happy helper! 

I am so thankful that George stuck by my side and took on this crazy task with me!  I really missed having Thanksgiving with my family (my mom wasn't ready to give it up... story for my therapist another time...George's family was ready to order take-out and call it a holiday).  But we talked 4 times today, going over what we were making, when we were starting each dish, etc.... still, just not the same.

So I am thankful for my husband, thankful for a healthy and happy family, our good jobs, a beautiful home, health insurance, reliable cars, food on the table, clothes on our backs, Starbucks grande non-fat caramel lattes and Netflix instant streaming.

What are you grateful for? 

Boxed Wine is Fine

We live in the Finger Lakes area.  That probably means nothing to you, so let's just call is The Napa Valley of New York.

The Finger Lakes are is giving Napa, Italy and France a run for their money when it comes to wine.  With our warm summers and cold winters, the Finger Lakes offer the perfect environment for growing grapes.  The lakes help balance the climbs and fall in temperature, protecting the grapes for being shocked by the elements. 

About 5 years ago, I started working at a local winery where I gained a boat load of knowledge on growing, harvesting, making, bottling, storing and drinking wine. 

Two things I thought were odd but TOTALLY made sense we the industries interest in transitioning to synthetic corks (they let less air in than the porous, real corks) and cask or air-tight bag to replace bottling.  You might know it as BOXED WINE!...

Oh the horror, the horror!!

It actually makes a ton of good sense.  Boxed wine hold air-tight bags prevent air from getting to the wine prior to consumption.  Yes, it's great to let wine breathe so the flavors and aromas can develop.  But air eventually spoils the wine.  So after 2 or 3 days, your pinot noir tastes like pinot-of-crap.

There are a few brands that are leading the way in banishing the cheap-wine stigma that is associated with boxed wine. 

One is Black Box.

Their reds are full bodied, bone dry and really good.  Their whites range from a semi-sweet Riesling to a dry and citrusy Pinot Grigio.   The Riesling will pair well with Turkey (all Rieslings will) and be a hit with George's sweet-wine loving family.

For myself, I went with Big House Red...

I haven't had it yet but the online reviews are great and my wine shop pros were all a buzz over it.  For $16 and the equivalent of 3 bottles, I went for it!

The best part, once opened, these each should last 3-4 weeks!!  That will bring us into the holiday season with a well stocked bar.

I'm a firm believer in boxed wines taking over the market.  Glass bottles will never be gone completely but I do think the boxed wine will become the norm.

Have you had any great boxed wines?  I would LOVE to know what you think.

Thanksgiving Check List

As you know, George and I are hosting his family for Thanksgiving.  Yes, there will be about 18 of us packed into the first floor (cause the second floor is a bathroom and 3 bedrooms... boring) of our 1600 sq ft. colonial. 

But it's cool because we are in full-planning mode.

First, I have made my lists and have checked them 200 times.

List one: Wegmans!

Many of you are familiar with Wegmans or already adore the majesty that is WEGMANS.  However, where I am from, Wegmans is more than a store.  It's a way of life.  A respected institution.  Mecca.  It is our city.  Wegmans was founded in my hometown.  It employs a third of George's family and thousands in our area. Sure, there are a few other places to shop for groceries but none are as trusted as Wegmans.  People suffer through the economic hardships and lack of opportunity in our area because we know Wegmans is a catalyst for change.  They drive pricing competition (I know, I worked in PR for their top competitor), quality standards, green efforts, and bring other businesses to our area. 

And no one said it better than Alec Baldwin's mom - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqEUYzOpvZ0

Okay, enough of my Wegmans obsession and back to the list.

List one: Wegmans
2 turkeys - one 15 lbs. and one 22 lbs.
3 servings batches of green bean casserole
2 cans of corn
4 bags of dried bread cubes for stuffing
Parsley, Thyme, Sage
Onion, celery and carrots
Yams
Marshmellows
Butter - 1 box of each salted and unsalted
Poultry seasoning
Nutmeg
Allspice
2 boxes of chicken broth
2, 5-lbs bags of potatoes
Cream cheese (for potatoes)
Sour cream (for potatoes)

List two: Perkins... I am getting some assistance on dessert cause sister needs a break!
1 peanut butter silk pie
1 pecan pie

List three: Liquor Store a.k.a. - my happy place... more on my wine interest later
1 box of Black Box Riesling
1 box of Big House Red
3 bottles of red wine
3 bottles of white wine

List four: Decor
Paper plates (the fancy brand)
Plastic utensils (the fancy brand)
Snack plates
Festive napkins
Clear cups (the fancy brand)
Brown craft paper - 1 roll
Crayons
Area rug
coffee table
Table clothes
Flowers
Folding chairs
Folding tables

Ahh, nothing better than seeing a bunch of tasks crossed off!

As you can see, we have a good start!   There are a few more things we need but we are getting there.  I anxious to finish up and start cooking.  We both took off Wednesday so we will get the rest of the items, start some prep work and make a few dishes ahead of time.

I would love to have grace but, as I mentioned before, George's family isn't religious.  So I am thinking about having a "Moment of Thanks".  We can all go around saying what we are thankful for.  I know this might open me up to some gruff but I want to start some traditions.  So we will see.

How are your plans coming along?  What new or old traditions do you have?

Thanksgiving a la Martha: My Mother, My Mentor

True story, when I was younger, I told people that I was Martha Stewart's daughter she put up for adoption and people believed me.  I'm not sure what's worse; that I told this bold-face lie or that people believed it.

Yes, I was mesmerized by the Martha Stewart lifestyle at a young age.  So it was no surprise that when I was getting married, she was my first point of reference for guidance and support through the planning process.

Now that I am married, a homeowner and starting a family, she is still my go-to source for all things cooking/entertaining/crafting/organizing/decorating.  I may not find the most of-the-moment ideas from her but she has the classics down.

So when I started planning our first Thanksgiving dinner for George's 20 family members, I immediately went to MarthaStewart.com and got my inspiration on.

After much research and testing (on roasting chickens) we are going with Martha's Herb-Roasted Turkey...

I love chopping the fresh herbs, mixing them in soft butter then rubbing the mixture all over. 

Next, and almost as important as the turkey, is the stuffing...

This is her Simple Stuffing that I am going to jazz up a touch with brown butter sage.

I also plan on turning to the Crockpot for help.

First I am going to make "Company's Coming" mashed potatoes.  They are a staple in my family and I hope George's family will love them too.  You make these the day before then put in the Crockpot to warm the day of.  They have butter, cream cheese and sour cream... fat, fat and fat so you know they are good!

Martha has a version very similar too:

Big Martha's Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese
3 1/2 pounds white or Yukon Gold potatoes
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup whole milk, warmed
1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed

Directions

1.Place potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in a medium pot, cover with cold water by 2 inches, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover partially, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 35 minutes. Drain, and let stand until just cool enough to handle. Rub off skins, and discard. Cut potatoes into large pieces.

2.Combine potatoes, cream cheese, butter, milk, and 1/4 cup cream in a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until combined. Season with salt and pepper, and beat to desired consistency.

3.Return mashed potatoes to pot, and place over medium heat. Add remaining cream, and cook, stirring constantly, until heated through. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a covered bowl over simmering water for up to 2 hours.
______________

I also will be tapping a candied yams souffle from the Food Network...

Mmmm...

And finally, my all time favorite side dish: Green bean casserole by Campbell's

I remember my first official Thanksgiving with George's family.  It was just after our 1 year anniversary and it was my first time not having dinner with my Mom.  I asked George to ask his family if they planned on having green bean casserole and, if not, would it be okay for me to bring it.  Well, his family had never had it and they were fine with me bringing something. 

I poured my heart into that dish!  I was so worried about it being not too soupy, not too bland and the crunchy onion topping still had to be crunchy.  My efforts paid off... it was a hit!  I have brought this to every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner since.

I will make homemade cranberries with orange zest and maybe roast root vegatable or squash, but the above are all in place.

Now I have to figure out a chocolate dessert since his aunt is bringing her famous (not joking) pies.  Don't worry, I know just who to turn to...