December 2009

New Year’s Eve.

December 31, 2009 · 27 comments

I can’t believe 2010 is upon us.

I also can’t believe that I went to the grocery store on New Year’s Eve with the hopes that there would actually be food on the shelves and a cart for me to fill.

Well, maybe I can believe it since procrastination runs in the family.

After my grocery store run, I stopped in Target to get the 2nd season of Big Love. Because, you know I have such a disposable income that buying a full DVD set about polygamists is at the top of my must-have list.

Last weekend, we watched season 1 within 2 days. We were such bums, and it felt wonderful. I was hoping for season 2 so we could watch it and season 3 before the new season starts next Sunday. Geez, that’s alot of season’s in one sentence.

Target was out, so I went to my favorite place to pay more look for it.

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There is just something about bookstores that do it for me. The minute I park my car and walk in, I am so giddily excited about what I may find. The possibilities are endless.

Apparently, the possibilities for diet’s in the New Year are also endless. This was the display as I walked in.

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Great marketing job, B & N. I can’t imagine the amount of people walking through those doors in the next 3 days that will scoop up these fad books. I wonder if it will ever be different? Good thing we all know better.

When I was younger, I would beg my mom to go to the mall just so I could go to the bookstore. I would sit on the floor inside and read the likes of Babysitter’s Club, Sweet Valley High, R.L. Stine, and more. Once I got the books home, I could finish one within a day and couldn’t wait to read more. I engrossed myself in those books, sometimes pretending I was inside the story.

I still love fiction, and I think I always will. I am a day dreamer. I hope that never changes, but I hope I make some dreams a reality.

These days I sit for hours in other sections.

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I totally adore flipping through cookbook after cookbook after cookbook after cookbook. I wish my wallet did, too.

On our first New Year’s Eve together, my husband and I went to a Thai restaurant. This was only a few months after we began dating and were still so entangled in each other that we sat on the same side of the booth.

(I am so joking – one of my biggest pet peeves is when 2 people sit on one side of the booth. I need my space. So do my thighs.)

This was the first time I had ever eaten Thai food, and I instantly fell in love. It also became a favorite food of my husband’s, which means we had to go once a week for months until he eventually grew sick of it. This has also happened with Panera Bread, english muffin french toast, plain turkey burgers, and diet Mt. Dew. I wish it could happen with other things, like heavy metal music, egg whites, snoring, cover-stealing, and Nascar.

A girl can dream.

When I came home this afternoon, I made some shrimp pad thai from Jaden’s cookbook. After the Thai food obsession began, I had made pad thai, but have long since lost the recipe.

Her recipe ended up being fantastic. My favorite part is always the crushed peanuts on top.

We will probably continue our Big Love-athon the rest of the evening. I usually don’t go out because I’m boring, 78 years old, don’t like to remove myself from the couch, and want to eat cookies all night in the peace of my own home. Around 10pm we will hop on over to a party at my aunt and uncle’s house to ring in the New Year and eat copious amounts of food with my fabulous family.

Have a wonderful New Year’s Eve! <3 you.

{ 27 comments }

Orange-Coconut Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting.

December 31, 2009 · 41 comments

Please update your google reader! http://feeds.feedburner.com/howsweeteats/smSp

Mother Lovett made a lot of cakes. In fact, if you haven’t read her entire story yet, you wouldn’t know that she had a heart attack while hand-mixing cake batter. It began her demise, but once in the hospital, she was simply concerned with how dirty her kitchen still was.

I obviously didn’t inherit that gene, since I can’t be bother to even wash a dish.

When we lived in our magical castle, we were sans dishwasher. Some days I thought those dishes would never end . . . as I watched them pile up in the sink. I really have no idea why we were so miserable there. I am sure it doesn’t have anything to do with me not cleaning, not washing dishes, not showering, and not removing myself from the couch.

Those last 2 are a stretch, but I still think my husband would agree.

As my mom was growing up, Mother Lovett would bake every Saturday. Pies, cakes, and other goodies – all to provide dessert for the coming week.

This orange cake was one of her specialties, but I have to admit something: she used boxed cake mix, and surprisingly used box cake mix alot. I find nothing wrong with it (I usually enjoy it), but I also find pleasure and comfort in making treats from scratch.

So I used her recipe, along with a yellow cake from scratch, and it came out wonderfully.

I think I mentioned this with her orange cookies, but now I know why she always made me zest the oranges. What a pain! It also describes why she had my late grandfather zest the oranges before me. For lack of a better word, she could sometimes be . . . bossy.

I had a hard time staying away from the freshly-squeezed orange juice.

I have never been a juice drinker, but recently my hubby and I have been having some OJ every morning. It is so nice and refreshing, minus the OCD my husband has while weighing his out in ounces each day.

Once the batter was mixed up, in went the main ingredients: orange juice, zest, and a few handfuls of coconut.

It was a challenge to stay away from the batter. The creamy, coconutty goodness was almost more than I could handle.

I topped the cupcakes off with some orange cream cheese frosting. This was Mother Lovett’s exact recipe, minus the cream cheese. I can’t live without cream cheese. If I even attempt, I start to shake.

Orange Coconut Cupcakes

yellow cake recipe adapted from smitten kitchen

4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

3/4 cup freshly squeeze orange juice

zest of 5 oranges

1 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line cupcake pans with liners.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar in a with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture will look curdled). Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing until each addition is incorporated. Add orange juice and zest.

Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Let cool, then frost.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick butter

2-8oz blocks of cream cheese

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

zest of 2 oranges

1 – 1 1/2 lbs powdered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese together. Add 1/2 of powdered sugar, then add orange juice and zest. Add the remaining powdered sugar. You may need more or less depending on consistency.

Top with coconut.

When working with coconut, I always have to leave a few goodies plain since many people in my life – like my husband and brothers – are not fans of it.

Last night I told my hubby that if he really loved me, he’d love coconut, too. I’m hoping he makes it his New Year’s resolution.

Happy New Year!

{ 41 comments }

Shoveling.

December 31, 2009 · 7 comments

I think the hubs has an addiction to snow shoveling.

For the 5th time since Sunday, he is out shoveling the driveway. We got a bit of accumulation, however it is supposed to rain soon and melt it all away. There could be many worse things in newlywed bliss.

Like his old Christina Aguilera addiction.

I’m glad that phase is over, but I still woke up to the Christina Back to Basics concert this morning . . . she is now singing Candyman, wearing what most of us would consider to be underwear. Yet, I can’t tear myself away.

Let’s look at it this way: I’m just glad he is wearing pants this time, and hasn’t consumed 7 beers like he did before shoveling Christmas Eve afternoon.

{ 7 comments }

No More Resolutions!

Welcome! I am a firm believe in making changes, not excuses! While I may have other goals to reach in the new year, I think we should all take hold of our fitness the moment we get the chance – which is now! We never know what the next day, month or year will bring, and I believe in living our healthiest lives to the fullest, starting immediately. No need to wait – make a small change today! No More Resolutions will go for 12 weeks, and gradually get a bit more difficult. I have suggestions for advanced, intermediate, and beginner exercisers, as well as once-a-week-workouts that can be done. Each workout will be performed for 3 weeks, with the repetitions changing. With that being said, no single plan fits everybody, and I caution you to pay the most attention to how you feel. I will never be posting a weight to lift, because that is up to YOU. I will tell you one thing – make it challenging. It should be difficult when you reach the final few repetitions. Give it your all. Starting the first week of January, detailed nutrition tips + goals + info will be [...]

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A Favorite Gift + Upper Body Functional Work

The minute I told my friend Cindy about my blog, she decided she wanted this cake. She was only the 2nd or 3rd person I ever shared the blog with, and she was so supportive. I was more than happy to make her anything. First she wanted the cake around Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then a week between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and then finally decided she wanted it for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Cindy and her hubby, Nick, came to pick up the cake and brought me presents! I have been whoring them out showing them to everyone who steps foot into my house and going on and on and on about how much I love them. This gorgeous mortar and pestel, which matches my kitchen perfectly! And this rolling pin that can go in the fridge to get cold before rolling out some dough. Look at how intricate and beautiful it is. I just love these gifts. I love Cindy and Nick too, although I think they bought me these with an ulterior motive – so I can make them more goodies. Thanks, guys!! 25 Days of Workouts WORKOUT #23 – [...]

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Parmesan Roasted Potato Wedges.

Update your google readers! http://feeds.feedburner.com/howsweeteats/smSp Hi folks! How are you doing on this 3rd to last day of 2009? Time is going so fast. Many times I wish I could slow it down (like most Saturdays) and other days I find myself wishing it would hurry the heck up (like Monday through Friday from 8 am until 5 pm). Guess I shouldn’t wish these precious days away, now should I? These potato wedges are a staple in our house. I know, I know. I just said that yesterday about cheese. What can I say? Cheese and potatoes are a staple in our house. So is bacon. And now that you mention it, I want some bacon and cheese potatoes. Thanks alot. I use Yukon Gold’s because . . . I just do. I love their taste and for 8 months have refused to use any other potatoes. That ‘stubborness’ gene is directly inherited from Mother Lovett, in case you were wondering. Cut them in half lengthwise, then again, and again for a final time. Not sure if it makes sense to cute a potato lengthwise. Really, they are usually in the plump shape of a circle, correct? I guess in that case [...]

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Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Please update your googles readers! http://feeds.feedburner.com/howsweeteats/smSp I had about 4 very ripe bananas, and wanted to do something other than banana bread or cupcakes. I love bananas from the point of them being yellow until they turn very brown. I usually freeze them for shakes, but these ones were really on their last leg. I didn’t want to throw them away and my husband only eats green bananas. I know. He is a strange fellow. After staring at them for 25 minutes, I knew a cookie was in order. These were so ripe. As in, ‘I can’t peel the skin off without mashing the banana’ ripe. Perfect! There is something about mashing bananas that I just love. Perhaps it is because I picture smashing the daylights out of a certain stuffed turkey. Perhaps I just really love to mash bananas with a fork. The dough was incredibly tasty. I would know because I consumed spoonful after spoonful after spoonful after . . . Wait. That’s not very motivating for the New Year. The cookies have a cake-like texture. It is like eating a tiny slice of banana bread. Or in my case, an entire loaf. Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies from allrecipes 2 [...]

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New Challenges + Bodyweight Workout

Hello friends! We are coming down to the wire with the 25 days of workouts challenge! I will admit that during this busy week, I slacked a bit on my vegetable goal. I hope that some day I will truly enjoy veggies, but for now I must smash them all into a shake in order to get them in. If any of you made a small change or set some goals, did you stick to them? I really encourage you to write down those goals! Make them real – whether they are about fitness, health, work, or life in general. Once you write down that goal, it holds you accountable – make the change, not an excuse! With the new year coming, comes the new workout challenge! I’ve teamed up with the brilliant Estela from Weekly Bite to bring you added nutrition information, tips, and goals round the clock! Combined with the No More Resolutions workout challenge, you are sure to reach your goals and maintain them in 2010. In the next 2 days, I’ll be posting the first round of workouts for No More Resolutions. You will find: Workouts for beginners, intermediate, and advanced exercisers Options for full body [...]

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Crabmeat Stuffed Eggplant.

Please update your google readers! http://feeds.feedburner.com/howsweeteats/smSp Helllo. How are you doing? I am swell – and really enjoying time to relax on this nice little Christmas vacation. While this may be the first time in months that my husband and I have had an extended period of time at home together, and while he sometimes makes me lose my marbles, I am thoroughly enjoying it. Our bedroom floor may be covered in 65lbs of my clothes, and I have 382 loads of my own dirty laundry to do, but I’m sure he is enjoying it just as much. This crab stuffed eggplant is phenomenal. Remember our friend Barb, the wonderful one who gave me her restaurant recipes?? This is another one of her’s, and oh my – it sure is a tasty one. It is also heart healthy, protein packed, and low fat. I know – where is the Jessica you know and what have I done with her? No worries – I plead temporary insanity. I started with one giant eggplant. It took a good search in the grocery store, since all vegetables and their concurring locations have been burned from my mind. I sliced it in half, let it [...]

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Food Relationships + Bootcamp.

Mornin’ friends! How are you all doing this morning? Planning goals for 2010? Don’t forget – this coming week I will be posting more on the No More Resolutions Workout Program. Be sure to check it out! Do you classify certain foods as good or bad? I can’t help but notice a lot of people talking about foods that are ‘bad.’ I think it is so important to note that food is not good or bad – it is just food. Too much of anything can be harmful to our bodies. I think the first step to developing a healthy relationship with food is to realize that there is not one right way for each person to eat. Food is food – it is not good or bad – it is how we consume it. Eating clean doesn’t mean foods need to be bland. In fact, I don’t even like the term ‘clean.’ (Probably because I don’t like to clean anything.) I find it very disturbing when someone says ‘I don’t eat that.’ If it is because the person does not like the food, there are ethical reasons behind their decision, or the food does not agree with them, that [...]

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