Some like it HOT....but I'm a mild kinda gal!

Ever since I was a kid I hated recipes. I rebelled against THEM telling ME what to do and how. Hence, my parents endured several gross concoctions that I made up all on my own! So, after being scolded for wasting yet more ingredients during a time when the budget was tight, I started using recipes as a guide, but still did my own thing with them! The results were much better in my opinion, plus who has time to measure?!

I still hate following recipes! So, my husband (a recipe follower and close measurer) bore with me as we created our own salsa. Then we found we really liked a batch but could not recreate it exactly. As a result, I wrote it down as we went last summer! I'm happy to say it was really delicious and a little ashamed to admit that it was so good, we didn't really share! Since we really enjoy sharing, we doubled the recipe this year...you're welcome friends and family! :) 

We canned our salsa so there is added lime juice and vinegar to adjust the acidity making the salsa safe to can, plus it adds good flavor! This is the part I implore you to follow, the Ball canning website has the specifics on this. There are a lot of sites where you can find canning advice so, I won't go into that. Just be sure to have the proper tools, be safe, and have fun!

Be sure to have farm fresh ingredients, if at all possible, because it really does make a difference in maintaining that wonderful fresh flavor you will enjoy all year! Roma tomatoes are best to use since they are hearty, firm, and meaty. This year we doubled the ingredients exactly except we used 3 limes and 1.5 bunches of cilantro...I saved some for my bunnies, they were appreciative!

 

Geatbullshihtzu Salsa circa 2012 

1/2 bushel Roma tomatoes 

2 ears of corn 

3 med onions

1 lime

2 bulbs of garlic and 1 section of elephant garlic

1 sm pack of yellow and red peppers

1  bunch of cilantro (chop finely)

4 jalapeño peppers (be sure to wear gloves...more on this in the tips section) 4 jalapeños makes a mild heat...add additional jalepeños for more heat or less if you are a complete wimp! :) 

Salt 4 tbsp

Pepper 1.5 tsp (fresh cracked)

Chili powder 1 tbsp

Red pepper flakes. 0.5 tsp (freshly ground)

Sugar 1/3 cup

Garlic powder 0.5 tsp or so...you never can have too much garlic!

This made 28 cups so we added 1.5 cups of white vinegar (5%) <-again, the most important thing to measure in the whole recipe....you want to be sure it's safe to eat in a month or two! Your family, your friends, your body, and possibly the health department will thank you! 

TIPS

1) boil water in a big pot (like the one below) dunk the tomatoes in for about 5 minutes then scoop them out and toss them into the freshly scoured sink (fill sink with ice water). This will help the peels just slide off. 

2) we put the tomatoes in a colendar to drain off some of the juice (drain off as much as you like to make it thick or thinner according to your preference.). We like our pretty thick and get about 3/4 of a gallon of juice off per 1/2 bushel...this will vary depending on your tomatoes. 

3) jalapeños...wear gloves like dish washing gloves from the dollar store then throw them away after. Do not touch your face or skin with the juice/oil from these little suckers, it'll hurt like the dickens and there is no good way to soothe the burning. Wash everything you use to chop these up before proceeding. Trust me on this, I learned the hard, I am now SUPER careful!

4) now, with gloves on, core the seeds out of the jalapeños and blend half the number of peppers in a cup of tomatoes (in the magic bullet if you have one...since they are indeed magical!) dice the others.  We think this helps incorporate the heat throughout the batch but still gives a few little surprises if you get a chunk! 

5) have fun, experiment it's going to be good no matter what, right? Or else you just have more to gift that year!! Seriously, make it yours if you want to....one year we added artichokes, that was pretty good! 

6) this process is very time consuming, plan on this taking a day...depending on how much you make. however, the results are worth it, and it's fun! grab a friend to help and it'll go faster! 

7) i just tasted the finished product....we might not be sharing! Sorry!! ;) 

We used a variety of onions for more color

That's one BIG pot

These are the tools we bought quite a few years ago and they are awesome! $9.99 in Target.

FINISHED PRODUCT!!!

Jane Eyre...one of my very favorites!

There are many versions of the movie Jane Eyre, of course non so good as the reading the book! However, the best version I have found, and I have seen them all, is the 1996 version with William Hurt and Charlotte Gainsbourg. They are amazing, I can watch it over and over! 

My favorite quote, among many is: 

Low calorie comfort food!!

I heard the tail end of this recipe on a cooking show this morning and decided to try to just wing it since I only got to hear the last 5 minutes of the show. The end result was delicious and satisfying. My husband and I both loved it.

I cubed about one cup of each of the following veggies and cooked them in 3 cups of chicken stock until tender. 

Rutabaga

Parsnips

Carrots

Sweet potato

Redskin potato

Acorn squash

3 cloves of garlic

Separately I cooked up a pound of ground chicken then added it to the veggies along with a cup of frozen peas. 

I then made a slurry with 1/2 cup of water and about 2 tbsp of cornstarch and added this to the pot to create a creamy rich gravy with less calories. 

Then I placed it all in a 13x9 pan and cover it with 5 layers of phyllo dough brushing each later with a bit of olive oil. 

I then baked it at 425 for 30 minutes, until it was bubbling and the phyllo was brown and crispy. 

I let it cool for about 6-8 minutes...I was hungry so that was as long as I could wait! ;) Divided into 6 serving each serving was 294 calories and low in fat!  Make it the way you like it by adding whatever veggies you enjoy. then  just calculate the calories to stay within the 300 per servings range. Then, if you are planning a 500 calorie dinner you can add a yummy salad! 

This meal tasted rich, creamy, and delicious!!! A great comfort food and when you consider that it is low calorie and low fat, you can feel really good about it! 

Low Cal Root Beer Floats!

 

Simple and delicious! 

 

Low Calorie Vanilla Ice Cream and Diet Root Beer = Low Calorie Treat that tastes indulgent!

 

The glass on the right was for my husband 1/2 cup of ice cream & diet root beer = 90 calories. 

 

The glass on the left was mine, I chose to have a 45 calorie float by putting 1/4 cup of ice creams . . . that way I can have seconds!

 

"I am not a glutton - I am an explorer of foods"

Erma Bombeck

Sixty-Eight Sticks of Butter!

Okay, so I have had it...it's not the fact that I get squeamish when I see pictures of myself or that I dread swim suit season...it's more about that fact that I am a nurse, I know better and I deserve to do better for myself and make some lifestyle changes! It started with a change in jobs with less stress in my life I could not justify the fat laden comfort foods that I had been consuming without a second thought. My 10th wedding anniversary was coming up and I am soon to be the big 40....okay well not too soon, but it's a few months off and what better gift can I give myself than not to have an Myocardial Infarction going up a flight of stairs??!!

So, for my wedding anniversary I asked for jewelry, a bracelet. More specifically I asked for the Nike Fuel Band!! It tracks my steps, calories burned, and fuel (you'll have to read what this is on the Nike website). The bracelet is a visual cue and it it motivating. You can push the button and it light up where you are on fuel for that day and where you need to go to reach your goal. It has encouraged me to go the long way, no more short cuts...let's get those steps in!! Plus you can "win" trophies and get little encouraging banners along the way when sync your band with the app on your phone!

In addition I downloaded the My Fitness Pal app for iPhone/iPad. I use it M-F to help me track what I eat.  On the weekends, I give myself a break from tracking my eating, I am just careful and tell myself I am only hurting myself if I over do it! This app also helps me to see the nutritional content of the foods I am eating and work to get all my vitamins in by looking up different good foods to eat!

Armed with these two resources and a LOT of self motivation I started out 6.5 weeks ago to lose weight. So many diet attempts have failed for me in the past but I was not to be daunted on this endeavour...I have a determination that I have not had in the past. Now, I do not have to be a size 2, I have never been there nor will I ever be...but I do want to be healthy! I want to eat good whole foods and veggies. I want to pay attention to what it is I am putting in my body. As a nurse I want to set an example, how can I talk to my patients about their health when I am neglecting my own? I am determined...I WANT THIS, I am strong and I can do it! Then YOU came alongside me!!

YOU, are my friends and family who are encouraging me along the way, boy do I need that!! Wendy and Tonia cheering me on!! Tara "making me" do 8 thousand flights of steps each day!! The other day when she reached the top she said "you aren't even out of breath!" AWESOME, I wasn't and yet just a few weeks ago I thought I was going to pass out as I gulped for air at the top....trying to look dignified but feeling mortified! My husband for sharing excitement with me for each pound lost we measure weight loss in sticks of butter it's more fun to say "I lost 4 sticks of butter" vs "I lost 1 lb." Thanks Honey!! Thanks Mom and Claudia who promise me a trip to Toys R Us when I reach my goal!! :) Thanks to the many others who are cheering me along on the side lines...don't stop!! PRAYERS and ENCOURAGEMENT APPRECIATED! Although I am motivated I am not naive enough to think this cognitive and lifestyle reframing will be easy!

Week 6 weight loss total: 68 Sticks of Butter!!

Truly, Madly, Deeply!

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth...literally!

First off, I HATE going to the dentist!  Since my childhood and then after my car accident, I ahve been there more than I wish to even think about!

So, with a pretty intense oral surgery looming today, I have been sick over it for weeks and try not to think about it.  Last night I took valium, this morning Valium and Xanax....still anxious....but ready to get it over with..I trudge in.

I get they get me all settled, consent signed, me sedated, mouth numbed, and I hear her showing the partial to Beaver. I asked to see it....in my stupor I note a possible error, but think it might be the medication speaking....so I slowly formulate my question and I hear silence in the room.........Uh-oh....I am so sorry, the partial is wrong.  I got laughing so hard I had tears steaming down my face!  Only me!!!

Long story short, I ended up with free sedation, another Rx for valium, an appointment for another day, and LOTS of apologies.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS MY TWO FRONT  TEETH....LITERALLY!!