Saturday, March 31, 2012

Playing Tour Guide

A little over a year ago, I started a meetup group called Shy Gals of Seattle. It was meant for women who want to make friends, but are too shy to just go out and meet people. I am so glad I started it because it has pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to get over my shyness. I'm definitely not as shy as I used to be (and I still have my shy moments), and I'm so thankful for that.

Anyways, most of the gals that I have met are transplants and haven't lived in the Seattle area for very long. I'm one of the few that actually grew up around here, and it was kind of weird at first, but now I've found out I kinda like playing tour guide.

I like showing people around the Seattle area and showing them what the Puget Sound can offer. It's a beautiful place to live and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. By being a "tour guide," I've been able to show women how cool it is to live here.

I have also discovered that I actually do have leadership qualities. I now feel comfortable making decisions for a group of people on where to go and what to do. The women in my group tend to look to me for direction on where to go when we need to make a decision, and I used to shy away from those situations. Now, if one comes up, I just make a decision. I don't think about it at all, and I'm really starting to see how much I have changed since I started this meetup group.

Playing tour guide is fun!

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The Art of Being Bored

Growing up, I always needed to be entertained by something. Whether it was the tv, talking with someone or playing make believe with my Barbies and Tonka trucks, I needed something to keep me from being bored. Even when I had plenty of things to do, I would still find myself feeling bored and in need of entertainment.

Fast forward to my adult life. This same attitude has carried on and in some ways gotten worse. I have a constant need to be doing something. Whether its going for a walk, exploring, cooking, reading, watching tv, I always have a need to be doing something. It's even worse when I'm at home. I usually feel like I need to multi-task. The picture below is a common scene from my living room (well, a few days ago from my bedroom, but shhhh! I was supposed to be napping).



I have a tv show playing on my computer, with knitting needles and cookbooks at the ready. Sometimes instead of knitting, it will be jewelry making supplies. Other times, its other books or magazines I like to flip through. But the underlying issue is that I always feel a need to be doing something.

This makes it hard to do some of the basic everyday things, like falling asleep or napping. I woke up very exhausted this morning, like I hadn't slept at all, and I know I should be napping, but my mind is going going going. I've tried multiple times to lay down and sleep, but I feel restless.

I also feel a need to learn how to concentrate on one thing at a time. I find I also have this problem at work. I tend to start one thing and then remember another thing I have to do so I start the other thing, then I go back to the first thing and I remember something else, and the cycle just keeps going. It's rather inefficient. I've learned to make a list of the things I'm going to do for the day, and it helps, but I still have problems with getting distracted.

I guess I need to learn to focus on one thing at a time, and enjoy one thing at a time.

Does anyone have any tips?

Have a great day!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Chicken Noodle Soup

I love eating chicken noodle soup in the winter or any time I'm feeling under the weather. Usually if I don't have a lot of time, I will make my quick version of chicken noodle soup, but the last time I made this soup, I had the time and energy to spruce it up a bit. I roasted my own chicken with some garlic cloves, which I added to the soup. I also used multicolored carrots and parsley to make it look colorful.

Enjoy this soup next time you or your loved one is feeling a tad bit under the weather.



Chicken Noodle Soup

1 chicken breast, skin on, bone in
3 cloves garlic, skin left on
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 onion, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
2 stalks, sliced
1/2 bag egg noodles
4 cups chicken broth
Parsley, chopped

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Season chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish and surround with garlic cloves. Bake for 30-45 minutes until a thermometer registers 140. Remove from oven and cover with foil. Let rest for 10-15 min. 
2. Once the chicken cools, shred it. 
3. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large soup pot. Add veggies and cook for a few minutes. Add chicken broth and egg noodles. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, cook for 10 minutes. Peel and dice roasted garlic. Add shredded chicken and garlic. Serve with chopped parsley sprinkled in.

Enjoy!






   

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Thursday, March 22, 2012

Caraway Soup

A few Christmases ago, my mom gave me the Czechoslovak Cookbook by Joza Brizova. She was hoping some of my grandma's old recipes would be in there (or at least something similar) and it has proven to be a great resource for me when I'm craving Czech food.

Growing up, my grandma would make the same few dishes for us when we would visit, so I never got a really good taste of most Czech food other than my favorites. I've recently started to cook through the book and try other Czech recipes. One of the first recipes in the book is for a caraway soup. Most of the other caraway soups I've seen online have dumplings in the soup that include eggs, but this recipe uses a roux base to thicken the soup. So technically there is butter in this dish, but I've found that butter doesn't affect my stomach like most dairy products do.

I used almost the same recipe except I added some cooked, shredded chicken to make it a little heartier. This soup is a great winter warmer, especially after a chilly day in the snow.



Caraway Soup with Chicken
Serves 4

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
4 c. chicken stock
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 c. shredded cooked chicken
Salt and pepper

1. Melt butter in a large sauce pan. Whisk in flour until combined. Add in stock, caraway, celery and onion. 
2. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Add chicken and serve when chicken is hot.

Enjoy!






   

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Monday, March 19, 2012

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

I love Brussels sprouts! They are like little mini cabbages and I love them in chicken noodle soup. I never used to roast them until recently. Roasting in the oven brings out a sweetness to them that I just cannot resist. And when you pair them with bacon? Oh, who am I kidding.. It's freakin delicious!



Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Serves 4

1 lb Brussels sprouts
2 tbsp olive oil
1 strip bacon, diced
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Trim stem end off each sprout and tear of outer leaves. Cut each in half. Put sprouts on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle bacon, salt and pepper, and toss to mix. 
2. Cook for 10 minutes or until browned and soft, tossing halfway through.

Enjoy!






   

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Saturday, March 17, 2012

Czech Potato Pancakes

I grew up eating potato pancakes. They were one of my mom's regular meals to make (other than beef stroganoff and chicken paprika) and I love them. Typically, Czech potato pancakes are made with a little dill and served with applesauce, but I like mine better with ketchup (must be an American kid thing, you know, fries and ketchup). They are also made with an egg and some milk and flour to bind them, but I decided to leave out the egg and milk and see where it took me.

The pancakes were still just as good as my mom's, but they didn't flatten out into large rounds. I guess as long as they taste good, the shape doesn't really matter, right?



Czech Potato Pancakes
Serves 4

3 yukon gold potatoes
1/4 c. flour, roughly
1 tsp dill
Salt and Pepper
Oil, for frying

1. Shred potatoes with peels on using a food processor. Pour into a bowl and mix with enough flour to make the potatoes begin to clump together. Add the dill and a little salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop some of the potatoes and plop into the pan. Use the back of the scoop to flatten them out slightly. Let them crisp on the first side for about 3-4 minutes before flipping over. Cover pan with a lid and let cook for 5-6 minutes until crispy on the other side and cooked through. 
3. Serve with applesauce or ketchup, depending on your preference.

Enjoy!






   

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Thursday, March 15, 2012

Pork Skewers with Herbed Rice and Bok Choy

I made this meal about a month ago, and haven't gotten around to posting it because I am not fond of the picture. I mean, it shows the meal just fine, but I'm a perfectionist and the shadows bug me! Does anyone else have that problem (or am I just a weirdo?)

Anyways, the inspiration for this dish is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Marie Claire Seasonal Kitchen by Michele Cranston. This cookbook introduced me to seasonal cooking and it's been like my bible ever since. I love the simplicity of all the dishes and the photographs are truly amazing!

The recipe I used for the rice is actually a breakfast dish, topped with a fried egg. Since I'm going egg-free this month, I thought I would use the rice dish, but add in some pork skewers and some bok choy and you have a wonderful delicious dinner. (And the rice ain't too bad for breakfast the next day either!)



Pork Skewers with Herbed Rice and Bok Choy
Serves 4

1 lb. thin cut boneless pork loin chops
8-12 bamboo skewers
1/4 c. hoisin sauce
3 heads baby bok choy, sliced into thin strips
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 tbsp finely chopped lemongrass
1/2 tbsp grated ginger
1 c. cooked rice
1 handful cilantro, chopped
1 handful parsley, chopped
1/2 bunch chives, sliced

1. Cut each pork chop in half long ways. Insert 1 skewer through each piece of pork, threading it through multiple times. Brush hoisin sauce over both sides of pork. Let stand while you prep the rice.
2. Heat olive oil in sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, lemongrass and ginger and saute for 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all ingredients are combined and the rice begins to stick to the pan. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Heat a nonstick saute or grill pan over med-high heat. Grill or sear pork skewers for 2 minutes per side. Let rest for 3 minutes on platter before serving. Stir bok choy into rice and serve. 

Enjoy!






   

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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

The Moo and Cluck Blog

Hi there!

Since I'm going egg and dairy free this month (and seriously want to make it a permanent change), I decided to create a new blog for all my egg and dairy free recipes. Go ahead and check it out!

http://mooandcluck.blogspot.com/

Have a great day!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Update on March: Allergy-Free Month

Hi there!

So far this month I have been going egg and dairy free and it has really helped me a lot! I have a lot fewer stomach issues and my energy level is a lot higher. Who knew that removing those two allergens from my diet would create such a difference?

For the most part, I have been able to remove almost all egg and dairy products from my diet. There have been a few times when I couldn't avoid it (i.e. eat the sandwich with a smidgen of mayo or don't eat for several hours), but I haven't had any milk, no yogurt, no eggs, no baked goods, etc. And I feel fantastic!

If you are having energy problems (or stomach issues), I suggest getting an allergy test. It's quick, relatively painless and it's at least a start to making you feel better! (Of course, I'm not a doctor, so check with your regular doc before you make an appt with an allergist).

Anyways, I have been really neglecting my blog lately. I have quite a few posts I need to type up (read: 5), but just haven't had the time! I think tonight I will since my only plans are to sit on the couch with my cat George and get caught up on Psych. Anyone else love that show?

Well, have a good evening! Hope the weather where you are isn't as crazy as it has been here! (Snow, rain, sun, wind, snow, rain, snow, sun...)

Rachel

Friday, March 2, 2012

Carrot and Apple Juice

My parents bought me a juicer for my birthday a few years ago and I have loved using it. Since I moved last august, it's been in a box. Last weekend, I pulled it out and decided to use up some produce that I wasn't going to cook with and I came up with this juice combo that was absolutely fantastic!

The apples sweetened the juice, masking the taste of the carrots. The oranges and lemon gave a nice citrusy-sour note. I made a really big batch and drank it throughout the week. In fact, I think I might go buy a lemon tonight and make some more.



Carrot and Apple Juice
Makes 6 servings

8 medium carrots, peeled and trimmed
2 apples, cored and cut into quarters
6 mandarin oranges, peeled
1 lemon, peeled

Juice all ingredients and mix together. Chill for an hour before serving. 

Enjoy!






   

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