Lenten Sacrifice

It's finally Lent!  Maybe it's something in my design, but I crave the structure of Lent.  I admit, I'm really not good at changing my routine and how I do things, so this will be good for me.  We decided that as a family, we're only going to eat a single serving size of things (and by "as a family," I mean Daniel and I.  Anni can eat as much grub as she wants).   That is so hard for me.  I just like to eat.  Tonight when I measured out how much pasta a serving was, I realized I eat far more than a serving on a regular basis.  It is definitely a good lesson in self control and sacrifice for us.  I'm also working on integrating a deeper prayer life into my daily life as a mama.  That is a continual project :).  I planned on this being much more introspective than it is, but that's okay. 

Mardi Gras!

Our Lenten sacrifices begin tomorrow, and I'm actually pretty excited for that, but I'll share all of that with you... tomorrow :).  Today is mardi gras, and we're having our very own little party.  We were going to go to the chili cook-off at our church, but Anni's cold stretches on, and getting her better sooner is worth being stuck at home a little longer.  So, barbeque beef, chocolate and relaxation it is.  It's snowing today and the smell of beef cooking in all kinds of tasty juices in the crockpot makes our little apartment that much cozier.  Plus, who needs sunshine outside when you have your very own sunshine to cuddle with inside?

I succumbed to the beauty of babylegs... they were half off with free shipping.  She loves that her feet are free :).

Food Chronicles: We still like to eat

Last week was my week to try new things in the kitchen.  Sometimes I forget one of my love languages is words of affirmation, until my husband utters sweet words that melt me down to my toes, "You're a natural cook."  Um, he just won a week of yummy meals with that compliment :).  So, I pulled out my little Food magazine that I get once a month (amazing gift from my big sis) and cooked a three days of meals from it:

Steak and potato salad - Oh, dear, heavenly goodness in my mouth!  I don't think you could go wrong, but grilled steak and roasted mini potatoes in a salad?  It was deeelish. 

Grilled chicken, onion and pineapple wrap with tomatillo sauce - still needs a little tweaking, but I did realize I love grilled pineapple.  This was my first time ever working with tomatillos, so I was rather impressed with myself.  and as per request - the recipe for this is at the bottom of the entry. 

And last, but not least was roasted eggplant relish with pasta.  This was lovely, but I'm not sure if I did it right.  The recipe said to scoop out the flesh of the eggplant while avoiding seeds, but it seemed as if most of it was seeds!  Still, mixed with some roasted tomato, garlic and onion... so delicious!

 
Want to hear the best part of all these recipes?  Not only were they good (and by good I mean delightfully tasty and filling), but they were part of the "Light" issue.  That's right... good for you!  I love finding really yummy food that I don't feel bad about eating, because, let's be honest.  I love to eat.

 and of course... don't forget to brush your teeth when you're all done :)


Turkey kebabs with creamy tomatillo sauce (The recipe calls for turkey, but we just grilled a chicken breast instead)
from Everyday Food Magazine
serves  4
(We did several things a little different, but this was the base recipe)

1 lb boneless turkey breast, cut into 11/4 inch-pieces
coarse salt and pepper
1/2 small pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium red onion, cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
nonstick cooking spray
whole-wheat pitas or salad greens for serving
1 recipe Creamy Tomatillo Sauce


In a medium bowl filled with hot water, submerge four 12-inch wooden skewers and let soak 15 minutes.  Season turkey with salt and pepper, then thread 5 turkey pieces and 4 pieaces each pineapple and onion onto each skewer.  Lightly coat a grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high.  Grill skewers, turning occasionally, until turkey is cooked through, 14 minutes.  Remove turkey, pineapple, and onion from skewers.  Serve in pitas or over salad green, drizzled with tomatillo sauce.

per serv (with pita) 475 cal; 10 g fat (1 g sat fat) 38 g protein; 66 g carb; 11 g fiber


Creamy Tomatillo Sauce  


In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 pound tomatillos, husks removed, 1 jalapeno, stem removed, and enough water to cover ingredients by 1 inch.  Bring to a boil over medium-high.  Reduce to a rapid simmer and cook until vegetables are tender, 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a blender and add 1 medium white or red onion cut into 1 1/4 inch pieces.  Puree until smooth.  Add 1/2 bunch cilantro, stems removed, 1/2 cup buttermilk, and 1/2 peeled avacado.  Season with coarse salt,; puree until smooth.  (To store, refrigerate in an airtight container, up to 3 days.)  Makes 3 1/2 cups per 1/4 cup 26 cal. 1 g fat.
 

Former Fridays: Every day's a pool party

Yep, we totally had a pool when I was little.  And here we all are (can you find all 6 of us?), hanging out.  We definitely didn't take advantage of this pool like we should have and eventually it was taken out in favor of a backyard that didn't require constant cleaning and chemicals.  Still, it was a good life :).  I have a lot of memories of Millie beating us all out in breath-holding contests (she was amazing!) and races up and down the pool. 

On the move... again...

So, now that it's official, I can write my own little spiel about it.  Yep, for the third time in two years, we're moving.  Well, the second time was in the same apartment complex, so it wasn't too bad (except for the fact that is was right after Anni finally made it home from the hospital, so I was no help.)  This time, we're moving about half an hour away... which wouldn't be too bad, except it's half an hour (at least) further away from my family and from Daniel's (currently 8 hrs and 45 min. respectively)... which will probably cut our normal nearly weekly visits to a minimum.  So, those things are kind of a bummer.

Buuuuuuuut, there are definite upsides.  It will be good for FOCUS.  We will be closer to the mountains and the Mother Cabrini Shrine: I mean it is a really beautiful location (see above picture which I nabbed from the FOCUS website).  And, hopefully we'll be living in a slightly bigger place with a washer and dryer.  That in itself has some majorly awesome implications.  Separating office from Anni's room?  check.  Cloth diapers?  Maybe.  Not paying quarters upon quarters for laundry?  Check.  Are you picking up what I'm putting down?  Plus, there's the possibility we could live in the same apartment complex with some lovely friends.  I would absolutely love that opportunity for community!

That's about it.  Just a little post to let you know what's going on in our world.