Core: Chicken & Blueberry Pasta Salad

I love recipes that make me stop and think. Unusual combinations with uncomplicated preparations are my favorite. This one was in the Washington Post Food section just after New Year's - a spread on healthy recipes. It's originally sourced from The EatingWell Diet.

So when I had some leftover chicken and blueberries were on sale one week, I made it. Below is the original recipe but as usual I used a little less oil - about 1 or 1 1/2 Tablespoons, I used meat leftover from a roasted chicken (though normally I would grill, roast or saute it, not poach!), and I used about half the amount of feta cheese. Cheese isn't core (and trust me, fat-free feta is lame) so if you use it you have to count the Points. The flavors were great, it was easy and filling and the kids ate it. It's the PERFECT recipe!

Chicken & Blueberry Pasta Salad

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed of fat
8 oz. whole wheat fusilli or corkscrew pasta
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, cut crosswise into thin slices
1/3 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1/3 cup crumbled feta
3 T freshly squeezed lime juice (from 1 1/2 limes)
1 T chopped thyme leaves
1 tsp freshly grated lime zest
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and picked over

1. Cook chicken: place in a large skillet and add enough water to cover; boil over med-hi heat, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Transfer to a cutting board to cool. Shred into bite-size strips.

2. Bring water to boil for pasta. Cook according to package directions until just tender. Drain and place in large bowl.

3. Make the dressing: combine oil and shallot in a small skillet over med-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 5 minutes, until the shallot has softened and is beginning to brown. Add the broth, feta cheese and lime juice; cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, until the feta begins to melt.

4. Add the chicken to the bowl with the pasta, then add the thyme, lime zest and salt. Toss to combine. If serving right away, add the dressing and blueberries. If making in advance, cover and refrigerate the elements separately: the seasoned pasta with chicken, the blueberries, the dressing. Makes 6 servings

Nutrition (if prepared as above but I use less oil and feta): per 1 1/2 cup serving
324 cal, 24g protein, 33 g carb, 11g fat, 2 g sat fat, 51mg cholesterol, 270mg sodium, 4g fiber

Congratulations "Cluster G!"

Good old Genevieve of the black cluster earrings and of the phone call last night to ask how my haircut turned out has won the blue & orange earrings and will receive them next time I see her. Don't give up, folks. I am often making new earrings, and with 6 to 9 people entering each giveaway your chances are really pretty good.

Tiff - you are married to Isaac's brother, yes? Glad to have you here - thanks for the note!

DM Enters the 21st Century

Ed and I are usually about 5 to 7 years behind the rest of the world on the acquisition of technological advancements. We say it's because we like to let the price come down and the bugs get worked out. But really we just don't keep up, and only realize we want or need things after hearing or seeing everyone we know have them. It's not a keeping-up-with-the-Joneses thing. It's a dragging-way-behind-the-Joneses thing.

This year for my birthday I received two such items, both of which I've wanted for about 5 to 7 years but never justified getting myself: an electric toothbrush (thanks Ed) and a set of Exopat silicone baking mats (thanks Maren!)

The toothbrush has taken some getting used to. I don't know why I was surprised that it vibrates my entire skull, reminiscent of a dentist drill or at least the polishing tool. I keep thinking it's going to hurt but it doesn't. What it does do is make a little stutter every 30 seconds, signaling me to move to the next quadrant for a perfectly timed and even cleaning. It also makes my teeth tongue-loving smooth. I just need to remember to put it in my mouth BEFORE turning it on to avoid splattering the mirror, my face and the entire bathroom with toothpaste. Still working on that.

The Exopats have been a much smoother adjustment. I used them the other day, and honestly I don't know what I was thinking waiting so long. No burning, no sticking, no parchment cutting. I am probably the last person on earth to realize this, but they are AMAZING!!! Why did no one push these on me before? Who let me go through 3 years of baking therapy in New York and the entire Virtual Goody Plate without them? Luckily it will never happen again.

Since you asked I did try a new cookie recipe for the maiden voyage. I'm already working on VGP '09 and I've got some winners. This time I made peanut butter banana cookies from Easy-Banana-Recipes.com. I added a few mini chocolate chips and took the liberty to rename them Elvis Cookies...because, you know, I do what I want.

Elvis Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 ripe bananas, mashed

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chopped peanuts, optional (I used honey roasted - yum!)

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with Exopat mats!

2. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add in peanut butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla; beat until well combined.

3. Add in bananas, 1 cup flour, baking soda and salt. Mix slightly and add the rest of the flour, a cup or so at a time until just combined. Stir in chopped peanuts and chocolate chips.

4. Drop by Tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Leave as drops or if you want, flatten slightly with a for or potato masher dipped in flour or warm water so it doesn't stick. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until golden brown.

The Hickman Family Songs

I made one up at dinner once, and the other in the car. The girls LOVE to sing them. And secretly so do I.

#1 - sung to the tune of Do-re-mi from The Sound of Music:

Ginger, Ginger, Ginger Sue,
Hazel, Hazel Xanadu,
Mommy, too,
And Daddy-roo,
Wait! Is that Daddy's naaaaaame?
Eddie, that's Daddy's name,
Kari, that's Mommy's name,
Hazel, Ginger Suzy Q,
That's the Hickman Fam-i-ly!

#2 - sung to The Adams Family tune, complete with snapping before and after:

There's Hazel and there's Ginger,
There's Mommy and there's Daddy,
And we all love each other,
The Hickman Family!

Snapshot

Tonight, 7:11 pm. Eating one of the most awesome dinners I've made in a long time - supreme nachos (NOT Core)!

Hazel, pushing food around her plate: "I don't like this."

"How can you not like this? It's got chips and cheese! It's delicious!"

"It tastes awful."

Ouch.

"Hazel, don't say that. It hurts my feelings."

"Well it hurts my feelings when you make awful food. So you need to say sorry, Mommy."

I- I- uuuhhh...

Earring Giveaway

The other day a couple of friends and I - and our NINE kids - descended upon the bead rows at Michael's and then went to one house for a jewelry-making extravaganza. Pliers were flying, as were teeny tiny choke-able sized beads (sorry, Shanna.) It's actually a great activity to do with other people because to each her own. S wanted earrings and a bracelet. J wanted an excuse to break out the big Costco beading kit she bought her daughter, and figure out what was in there. G wanted to make black cluster earrings just like the white ones she was wearing, and they turned out amazing. Me? I just wanted to do something easy with my hands.

Like make a new pair of earrings for a giveaway.
Comment here with a compliment - it can be about anything really, doesn't have to be about the earrings - and you are in the running for this oh-so-stunning pair. Giveaway closes Wednesday, February 11 at 6pm EST.

DM Takes on the Baking Cupboard

I rarely deep clean or organize anything. I'm a horrible housekeeper and obviously not bothered enough by it to change more than once a quarter or so. But on occasion I can take on a small project: a pile, a corner, a surface that can be fixed up quick and make me feel all satisfied and accomplished.

The other night while dinner was cooking and random items had fallen out of the baking cupboard onto me for the third time while I put the salt away, I decided to organize it. As you can imagine, it is my most-used cupboard and therefore, becomes a mess the most easily. But it's also only three shelves; doable.

Pulled out the bags of nuts, the jars of sprinkles, the extracts. Baking soda, powder, salt, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, baking bars, dried fruit, coconut, shortening, paper muffin liners, corn meal, oatmeal. Ran upstairs to the stash of organize-y small baskets under my computer desk from my last big organizational project, and grabbed a few. Checked on dinner, combined the three half-full bags of chopped pecans. Stacked nuts in one basket, extracts along one side. Bars here, chocolate chips there.

Voila! The Baking Cupboard, organized:

So while my laundry room,
and the rest of my house, and life, look like this:I can now make chocolate chip cookies blindfolded.

And isn't that what really matters?

New Mormon Ads

I seem to be on a bit of a YouTube kick. It's easy to get sucked in. Here's two new cute ads put out by the Church.

Youtube Bonus Tracks Tribute

Thanks, Dave, for the Lounge Party bonus tracks. The rendition of "Take on Me" reminded me of this awesome video I saw up at Maren & Quinn's.



And hey, since we're doing literal videos, here's another one. Not as funny as "Take on Me" but good for a chuckle.

Birthday Pics

February 2

Family dinner:
(Turkey lasagna, antipasto, fruit, Corner Bakery bread)
(Plus new awesome birthday tablecloth I made for myself)
Presents:

Singing:

Blowing:

Happy 34th to me:

Happy 32nd to Ed:

February 3

Ed's Birthday breakfast:

Blowing:

Happy Birthday dance for Daddy:

Disco Goes Bossa Nova

Good heavens, Dave rocks. He outdoes himself over and over and never caves to the pressure. Amazing.

This year for my birthday he compiled a mix I know he's been working on for years - the Lounge Party, full of dim-the-lights lounge/bossa nova style covers of songs you've heard but might not recognize in this form unless you listen closely. It is hilarious and PERFECT so thanks a million, Dave! Go here to get it, maybe for a limited time.

So put on your ruffled shirt and sit back with a drink, real or pretend. And just for fun, take 3 minutes to let Flight of the Conchords put you in the mood:

Happy Birthday to Me (all month)

I'm 34. Ed had to tell me; I thought I was 35. But Happy 3-5 to my friend Corey and the big #2 to Lottie Crowley.

The day looks to be about like most Mondays - gym, preschool drop-off, grocery shopping, preschool pick-up, lunch, naps. Afternoon cleaning/cooking/working on little pet projects. Make birthday cake and dinner. Mom, Dad, Aunt Janet come over for dinner, dessert and presents for Mom/Ed/me.

Saturday a few friends took me to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (fish tacos, Godiva cheeesecake), and then under the totally convincing excuse of having accidentally left my present at her house, we "swung by" Genevieve's place before "going to a movie." I walked in to find my parents standing in her kitchen - whoa, confusing mixing of worlds - and many other friends and munchkins running around: SURPRISE party for me! Wow, big huge kudos to all who were in on it - I was completely duped and that is not easily accomplished. February is the best month EVER, and it all starts now.

Fast Sunday Banana Pops

The girls have both had the stomach flu this weekend, so we didn't take them to church. Ed went to help with nursery and I stayed home. Dinner's going in the slow cooker and filling the house with tummy-grumbling aromas. So what's a Mom to do on fast Sunday afternoon with two sick girls? Make food, of course!

I got this idea from my visiting teacher Heather (of the Black & Brown Chocolate Chip Cookies.) She and I share a love of cooking and always have lots to talk about, usually followed up by emailing recipes. Heather has kids in elementary school and she said they've had PBJ in their lunch boxes all year so she was trying to branch out and get creative with their lunches. One idea was frozen bananas, dipped and rolled in a variety of things. We brainstormed until my mouth was watering and I have been wanting to make some ever since.

What we did today -

4 bananas, peeled & cut in half

8 wooden craft sticks (lollipop sticks from the candy-making aisle at Michael's; could also use the straight end of plastic spoons)

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 to 3 T vanilla yogurt

Handfuls of puff cereal, graham crackers, oats, flax seed, and some stale danish butter cookies leftover from Christmas, finely crushed in food processor

Jimmy sprinkles and mini M&M's, also leftover from Christmas

Cut bananas in half. Spread a banana half with peanut butter/yogurt mixture, then roll in crumbs and sprinkles. I had sprinkles on one plate and crumb/M&M mixture on another. I had to mix the M&M's with the crumbs because if any part of the banana were to have only M&M's on it I know the girls would just eat them off and abandon the rest of the popsicle. This way we have a fighting chance.

Lay on cookie sheet and carefully insert a pop stick in the bottom of banana half. Freeze for 3 hours or until solid.

(Hazel insisted on one plain one)

Other things to try -

Dip/spread any of the following or combinations of them:

Peanut butter

Yogurt

Honey

Melted chocolate

Cream cheese

Fruit puree

Roll in:

Sprinkles

Crushed cookie/cracker/pretzel crumbs

Wheat germ or flax seed

Granola/oats

Coconut
Mini chocolate chips /M&M's/candy

Coarsely crushed Rice Krispies/corn flakes/cereal

Chopped nuts

One of my favorite treats to get on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, CO was a chocolate-dipped frozen banana at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Frozen bananas are creamy like ice cream, mmm. And what's great about making them at home is they can be a healthy snack or a sweet treat, depending on what you use. Either way, they're mostly banana, a whole food that most kids like.

I haven't asked Heather if she's sent these in lunches yet. I worry they would thaw in the lunch box and then be kind of messy, but maybe if you packed them in foil with an ice pack? I don't know; I welcome thoughts. And I also welcome the next 2 hours passing quickly so I can gobble up one of these bad boys. After ending my fast, of course.

Blah blah bl-

I've organized my blog bookmarks so I can more easily, and maybe even more frequently, visit friends' and other cool blogs. I've already started, and in so doing remembered why I don't read other people's blogs very often - they are either boring (sorry) or so cool they make me feel lame.

BUT some are awesome and I'm glad to be back to those. One thing I've realized is how much I like reading short posts. Some people really have the short-but-sweet thing down, delivering power and punch in 3 paragraphs or less. There is a sign in American Sign Language that means longwinded; rambling; going on and on, and I think it perfectly describes the way I let my posts get. I'm amazed people get to the end and post comments.

This is not a commitment to change anything; I put hard-to-keep promises in the same bin as New Year's resolutions (trash.) It's just an exercise; practice. I've got two kids that haven't napped today and are leaning their heads on anything that holds still. I've been to five stores trying to keep them awake, and have only succeeded in exhausting myself and my debit card. And the only thing I can think to blog about is blogging. At least today I can keep it short.

Core: Roasted Red Pepper and Arugula Salad

I don't have a picture of this one; it's a new find I've only made once but it's a keeper. To roast and peel a red pepper: If you have a gas cooktop or other open flame, you can place the pepper right over the flame. Hold it with tongs or just rest it on the burner grate. If you cook with electricity, put it on a baking sheet under the broiler. Turn the pepper frequently. You want to blacken the skin all over, but you don’t want to char the flesh. Once it is black, put it in a paper bag and close it, or cover it with a kitchen towel for five minutes. I've also done a plastic ziploc and it didn't melt. It steams its own skin loose. Then rub off the blackened skin, and core, cut, and seed the pepper.

1 to 2 red peppers, roasted as described above
1 to 2 bunches arugula, washed & coarsely chopped
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Thinly shaved Parmesan for garnish (not Core)

Toss the peppers and arugula. Whisk the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper for dressing. Pour over and toss. Garnish with shaved Parmesan (but count the Points.)

Core: Grilled Potato Salad

This salad is totally delicious but the grilled potatoes are slightly a pain. Either you have to grill them in batches inside on your grill pan, which smokes up the kitchen pretty good, or outside on your grill where about 1/3 of them will fall through the gaps. Take your pick. Either way, it's worth it.

The Core Plan suggests consuming 2 tsp of olive oil each day, which is how I justify a little olive oil in salad or other recipes. This calls for 5 T and makes 4 servings so that's more than 2 tsp per person, so I just decrease it a little, using only as much as I have to.
Grilled Potato Salad

4 large Yukon gold potatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
5 T extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 T grill seasoning blend
2 T rosemary leaves, 3 sprigs, stripped and chopped
2 navel oranges, peeled and chopped
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 to 5 cups arugula, chopped, 2 bunches
2 T red wine vinegar

1. Preheat grill. Place potatoes in large bowl and toss with about 3 T olive oil, 2 T grill seasoning and rosemary. Grill potatoes 4 to 5 minutes on each side.

2. While potatoes are cooking, combine oranges and red onion and dress with red wine vinegar and some extra virgin olive oil.

3. Remove potatoes from grill to the dressed oranges and onions. Toss to coat. When you grill potatoes they will be slightly drier than when you use other methods of cooking. By adding the potatoes to the dressing while hot, they really soak it up. When ready to serve, add the arugula to the potatoes and toss to distribute.

Core: Edamame Salad

When I think "salad" I still have my blinders on: lettuce, cucumber, carrot, green pepper, tomatoes. Cold, crunchy and boring. Which is why I'm sooo happy when I come across a different vegetable combination that I actually like. This one's a perfect example. Plus it's hard to get more nutritious than a big helping of edamame.

Edamame Salad

1 (16 oz.) bag edamame
1 1/2 cups corn
1 cup sliced radishes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 T rice vinegar
1 T olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
Salt and pepper

Cook and shell (if necessary) edamame. Toss with corn, radishes, cilantro and scallions. In a small bowl, make dressing by whisking vinegar, oil and garlic. Pour over vegetables and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Core: Warm Black Bean and Corn Salad

I've been in a bit of a funk lately - a fog the last few days. Feeling behind, unorganized, can't think clearly. Just keeping head above water. That also means lots of blog posts stuck in the conceptual stage, not getting thought out or written properly. So in the meantime at least I can post recipes I promised.

Here's one of my favorite salads - fast, easy, flavorful, and most importantly to me in the winter - warm! It's really tough swallowing cold green salad when the temperature's below freezing. So serve this up with anything - rice, fish, chicken, or eat it plain. Pictured here with Trader Joe's flax seed chips though sadly they're not Core. Everything in the salad is, though, except the olive oil. I decrease it to about 1 T.
Warm Black Bean and Corn Salad

2 T olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
½ to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (medium heat to extra spicy)
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 (10 oz.) box frozen corn kernels, defrosted (or kernels cut from about 4 ears fresh corn)
½ cup chicken stock or broth
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
Juice of 1 lime
2 to 3 T fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
6 cups baby spinach

1. Preheat a medium skillet over medium heat with 2 T olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.

2. To the cooked onions, add the bell pepper and corn kernels and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Add the black beans and cook until the beans are just heated through. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the lime juice, cilantro and spinach. Toss to wilt the spinach and then taste to adjust the seasoning.

Happy Birthday, Ginger Sue! (Take Two)

Yesterday the Munchkinator Missy Sue turned 2 years old. Yeah, a year's worth has happened since her last birthday and she has certainly grown and changed but I clearly remember writing her 1st birthday blog post and it just seems more recent than a year ago. But enough sentimentalizing.

The day started off with a very grumpy birthday girl who didn't get enough sleep, unimpressed with well wishes, Happy Birthday singing, even chocolate chip smiley face pancakes.
In the morning we dropped Hazel at preschool and went to the gym, only to find out there had been a water main break and the Kidz Klub was closed until Monday. So we spent a leisurely morning browsing through World Market, which I have carefully avoided for the budget's sake since moving here, and then hit Party Depot for helium balloons, birthday candles, and cupcake sprinkles. Ginger brightened right up in the party store - lots of colorful and exciting things for a 2-year-old to oogle at, so she didn't even mind riding in the cart.

We picked up Hazel from school, and when we got home the weather was so nice - sunny in the high 40's - that I grabbed my camera for a few birthday shots. How she's grown!

After lunch Ginger took a nap and Hazel and I baked cupcakes. Duncan Hines makes a "cupcake mix" that's smaller than a cake mix and only makes 12 cupcakes. Bang-for-buck it's a rip-off but when you'd just as well prefer to have fewer cupcakes around the house, it's perfect for a 2-year-old's birthday. When Ginger woke up I whippped up some serious pink buttercream frosting, and we got out all the decorations - mini chocolate chips, red hots, and sprinkles galore. Not surprisingly, cupcake decorating was my favorite part of the whole day.


In the evening Grandma & Grandpa came over and the girls could hardly contain their excitement for the birthday party. There was lemon spaghetti, shrimp fra diavolo and jello salad for dinner. And of course you know what dessert was.

Here's Ginger holding up two fingers, kinda.

After dessert she opened presents - adorable! There was a flannel Diego pillowcase Nana made, some plastic magic wands, Little People, and more. The toy cupcakes were especially a big hit, and have already increased our opportunities to practice sharing.

In a way I can't believe she's two but mostly I can. Everybody says, "She's already two? Wow, goes fast, doesn't it?" I smile agreeably and say, "Yeah, it sure does." But the honest answer is no, it doesn't. It seems like a half a lifetime since she was born, and frankly I'm glad to be through with the baby stuff for awhile, though she's still in diapers. Having a kid who walks and talks and entertains herself and is full of personality is fabulous, and having two is even better. Happy Birthday, Ginger Sue! We love you!

Congratulations Heidi!

The results are in. Heidi Lott Paige, aka LDSMommy, won the red and orange earrings. We visited my sister Maren & family this weekend in Vermont and my nephew Peter helped in this highly scientific process. It was only fitting he wore red and orange for the occasion.


Luckily we salvaged enough of the paper to make out Heidi's name.

Heidi - email me or message me on Facebook your address so I can send them. Then I want to see pictures of you wearing them!

Core Dinners

A couple of people have asked me what the heck I eat for dinner on the Core plan. Remember, the Weight Watchers Core plan allows you to eat mostly unlimited amounts of pretty limited foods: whole grains (think brown rice & Shredded Wheat), fresh or frozen (un-added-to) fruits and vegetables, lean protein (lean cuts of beef and pork, chicken, turkey, seafood), and fat-free unsweetened dairy (plain yogurt & skim milk.) Those are the basics. Anything you eat in addition to Core foods must be counted in WW Points and you get 35 points a week (which doesn't go far if you want to have goodies!) WW has just come out with a new program, Momentum, which sounds like a combination of Flex Points and Core, but I don't care - since I wasn't going to the meetings anyway I'm just sticking to what I know.

So the above can make you stop and wonder what to make for dinner night after night, especially if you tend, like me, to use cheese in a lot of dishes, and carbs like bread and pasta to round out the meal. In fact, bread and pasta is my kids' dream meal, so there has been a lot of crying at the table and going to bed hungry since I started serving Core dinners. Sometimes I feel sorry for them and make a separate pot of mac n' cheese.

I've got a couple of go-to dinners we eat frequently, but I love to try new recipes at least a few times a week. So I usually browse the Cooking Light recipe database for dishes that are mostly Core, or my Weight Watchers cookbooks. Even my regular cookbooks have hidden gems - a lot of dishes are Core or mostly Core without even trying. While preparing to write this post I also found several online forums where people shared Core recipes. For example:

Weight Watchin' Wiki
Health Discovery Core Recipes
Links to Core Recipes
Beth's Core Recipe Box

Lots to choose from! Usually dinner here consists of a main and two sides. My most basic formula is:

Meat + Vegetable + Fruit

I'll get to actual recipes in a future post, but here are the things I make regularly, that don't require a recipe.

Meat/Protein:

• Roasted whole chicken with rosemary stems and smashed garlic cloves under the skin; lots of salt & pepper or grill seasoning all over; lemon and/or onion in cavity
• Roasted or broiled fish fillets like salmon, talapia, trout, etc. drizzled with olive oil and some yummy seasoning blend and lemons to squeeze
• Grilled (or grill panned) sirloin steak
• Ham steaks (yummy with fresh pineapple, raw or grilled)
• Veggie burgers with no bun or just half bun (count the bun Points)
• Hamburgers (93% lean ground beef or ground turkey, egg, worcestershire, seasonings; count Points for breadcrumbs and/or Parmesan cheese) with no bun or just half bun
• Pork roast or chops rubbed all over with garlic and rosemary

Vegetable:

• Steamed fresh or frozen vegetables: asparagus, broccoli, corn, peas, carrots, etc.
• Roasted vegetables (cut into same-sized pieces, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, any seasonings, maybe a little balsalmic vinegar; roast at about 400 until tender, varies by veggie) - yukon gold or baby potatoes, broccoli, sweet potatoes, peppers, onion, fennel, or any combination
• Baked potatoes (Core rule: you can have brown rice OR potato OR whole wheat pasta one time a day so plan ahead)
• Green raw salad - lettuce, cucumber, peppers, carrots, etc. with no or fat-free dressing (I like salad seasonings from Penzey's)
• Spinach salad - spinach, hard-boiled egg, red onion, crumbled bacon (count Points)
• Other salads (recipes to come): Roasted red pepper & arugula salad, Grilled potato salad (so good!), Edamame salad, Warm black bean and corn salad

Fruit:

• Any fresh fruit or combination to make fruit salad: apple slices, clementines/oranges, berries, bananas, peaches, pineapple, grapes, kiwi, etc. (you can also add 1/2 pouch of sugar-free pudding powder, like lemon or vanilla flavor to a fruit salad; it mixes with the fruit juices and makes a thick sauce for a slightly fancier salad)
• Sugar-free Jello, with or without added fruit (there's usually less crying on Jello nights)
• Unsweetened applesauce (good with pork roast/chops)

Other sides, depending on the dinner and the day (must follow the rule of only one per day):

• Brown rice
• Whole wheat noodles/pasta
• Whole wheat couscous

Sample Week of Dinners:

Sunday
Whole wheat spaghetti, jarred or homemade marinara with extra veggies added (mushrooms, peppers, onions), frozen corn, roasted broccoli

Monday
Grilled steak, roasted potatoes, green salad

Tuesday
Roasted chicken, roasted pepper & arugula salad (recipe in future post - I promise!), SF Jello salad (SF raspberry Jello with fresh or frozen blueberries & sliced bananas added when partially set)

Wednesday
Chicken & vegetable stir-fry (using leftover chicken from yesterday), brown rice, orange slices

Thursday
Broiled salmon, whole wheat couscous with shredded zucchini & carrots, sliced strawberries "sugared" with Splenda

Friday
Chili (Bush's Chili Magic chili starter plus canned diced tomatoes, cooked lean ground beef or turkey, and lots of chopped bell peppers and onions), baked potatoes, fat-free sour cream, cucumber/tomato/red onion salad

Saturday
Fried ham steaks, fresh pineapple, brown rice with chives/salt/pepper

A few other ideas:

• Taco salad - Grill or pan cook chicken breasts marinated in southwest seasoning; serve with lettuce, tomatoes, corn, black beans, red onion, olives, scallions, salsa, fat-free sour cream
• Chili verde (one of my very favorites) over brown rice
• Vegetable frittata - Saute zucchini, onions, broccoli or whatever you like until tender. I like to use leftover roasted potatoes (olive oil, grill seasoning), chopped small, and leftover ham or chicken if I've got it. Whisk 3 or 4 eggs with some seasonings and pour over vegetables. Cook on medium heat, covered, until set, or bake at 350 degrees until set (about 5 to 15 minutes.)
  

So yeah, there's no lasagna, cheesey garlic bread, or cornbread with honey butter, but it's do-able. That's what I keep telling myself week after week. But I get easily bored, so I use at least some of my 35 weekly Points for an ingredient here or there that isn't Core. I've got a couple great recipes, and I'm always trying more, so stay tuned.

Earring Tutorial and Giveaway

Years ago one of my college roommates, of whom I do not otherwise have any fond memories, gave me a pair of earrings for Christmas...that she had made herself. They were simple, with a couple of brown glass beads on each, but I loved them and was totally impressed. She assured me they were easy to make but I didn't want to spend that much time with her so I never learned.

Fast forward 10 years to living the good life in Boulder, Colorado. I got Kat to take a $15 jewelry class at Michael's with me, and was that ever money-and-an-hour well spent. I bought my tools, loaded up on beads and wire, and for the next few years spent my free time making necklaces, bracelets and earrings for myself, friends and family - gifts, shower favors, or "just because." When we moved to New York the beading supplies got boxed up and I only pulled them out a few times - it was almost impossible to find a childless window in which to get them out, spread them out, make something, clean up and pack up. Just before leaving NY I did a little jewelry workshop with some ladies from church, to help clean out my supplies, and you may remember an earring giveaway my friend Lindsay did with the pairs she made.

Well ever since then I've been meaning to do a little blog tutorial here on how to make a pair of earrings. It's a remarkably useful skill to have. The equipment is cheap and small, and most women have pierced ears so it's handy to whip them up for people anytime. And a pair of handmade earrings is so impressive! So here you go.

How to Make Earrings

Qualifier: It is way easier to just show someone than to explain in writing and pictures. Most steps are two-handed but Ed was at work so I had to take the pictures with one hand. Luckily my entire readership is of above-average intelligence so you can mostly figure it out if you follow along.

Tools:

Wire cutters, Round-nose pliers, Needle-nose or Chain-nose pliers

Supplies:

2 head pins
2 ear hooks/wires
Beads*

*Make sure the bead holes are big enough to fit on the pin but not so big they slip off the head. You may need a small bead to go on the pin before a large one. Don’t pick very heavy beads.

1. String the beads on a head pin the way you want them. This is the hardest part! Seriously, you wouldn't think lining up 2 to 5 beads on a pin would be tough but what you think will look good doesn't always, and vice versa. Design matters!

2. Using needle-nose pliers bend the pin at about a 90-degree angle.
3. Wrap the end of the pin around the tip of a round-nose plier, using the needle-nose pliers to help you hold the earring.
4. Watch carefully here. Slip the round-nose pliers out and reinsert the lower nose into the same loop. Twist the wire around to make a complete loop but don't close it because you have to slide on the ear hook.
5. Slip the earwire onto the pin loop before finishing it. Do NOT look at my ugly fingernails. I am a hardworking Mom who doesn't get a lot of manicures. Let's see yours!
6. Hold the earring as shown and, using your other hand and other pair of pliers, take the tail and twist it back around itself once or twice under the pliers you see in the picture so it fills in any extra wire between the top bead and the loop.
7. Cut the extra pin wire off using the wire cutters. 8. Repeat for second earring.
Tip: If you can avoid it, do not make your earrings on the back porch in 30-degree weather without a coat on. I can attest, it's less effective.

9. Try to get at least the little beads cleaned up before Ginger wakes up from her nap and excitedly asks, "Whatcha' dooooin'? Can I help you?"

Now you can wow all your friends and neighbors, hold a jewelry-making party, or at least accessorize your own wardrobe perfectly.

Now about the giveaway. I knew everyone would be so jealous of the pair I made in the demonstration that it would be cruel to not offer you at least the chance to have them for your own. So yes, this is a giveaway. Leave a comment saying "I want them" or something and you will be entered in the random drawing. But listen, not everyone can work red and orange, so make sure you've got the right attitude before leaving your comment. These were meant to be worn, not left in the jewelry box with the wallflowers. Contest closes Monday night 1/19 at 6pm. Sorry if you were hoping to get them in time for the Inaugural Ball.