What's important

I recently celebrated my 31st birthday, or as I like to call it...the 2nd anniversary to my 29th! During a work week of epic proportion, I had a 'day off' which meant I spent it in an all day meeting. I was lucky to have my phone and Internet access, though. Despite being stuck in a windowless room, I had access to the outside world. Normally I'd receive 10-15 'junk' emails of ads or other delete-able quality. This day was different, it was my birthday. Thanks to Facebook, birthdays are more than just family and immediate friends remembering your day, but MANY friends, some near and mostly from afar. I received over 75 FB posts and messages just reminding me of all those who care. I remembered last year being overwhelmed by messages, but this year for some reason it meant so much more. (thank you FB, you make Bday's great ;)

During the holiday season, seems as though everyone makes such a deal about the presents they buy or the christmas parties to attend. More than ever, I realize it's the people in my life that make life so much more joyful and important. I am so grateful to my friends and family who continue, on a daily basis, to remind me that friendship and love are truly what is most fulfilling. It's not the gifts..... it's the bonds between friends and spending time with friends and family - that is the best gift of all.

I've also been lucky that 2 years in a row my brother just happened to be in Seattle on my Birthday. I might just start to expect this :) Also special Thank you to my wonderful hubby for organizing a little Bday dinner at our favorite watering hole; And to my friends, with families and busy jobs of their own, to take a night off-mid week -and spend it with us!

Might not seem like a lot, but it made my day.

To my friends and family, you are the best!

Merry Christmas xo

Turnips and Carrots

I recently joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) veggie delivery service with my friend. Every other week a large box of organic, delicious fruits and vegetables shows up on her doorstep. Most of these are seasonal veggies (hence the CSA) and this week a bunch of turnips was included. I asked myself, what am I going to do with these? Then I remembered a delicious side dish my Mom and Memere always made for Thanksgiving. I thought I'd give it a try.

I only had 6 small carrots and 5 white turnips (small ones a little bigger than a golf ball) This allowed for about 1 cup of a finished dish.

I'd recommend:

1 whole bunch of carrots and 10-15 turnips to make a dish for all to share.

Basically, this is the easiest dish!

1. Wash and peel the outer layer of both the carrots and turnips- (they are root veggies)

2. Chop to smaller pieces

3. Boil till soft with a fork (just like potatoes)

Then mash and add the following to taste:

salt and pepper

a little paprika

cinnamon and sugar- just a little (Brown sugar can also be used and I'm sure would be equally tasty. )

Yumm!

A healthy alternative to the typical heavy in the wasteline dishes frequently found at your Thankgiving table.

Pat's favorite "Jessica Simpson Chicken"

"Jessica Simpson Chicken" (courtesy of Rachael Ray)

A Patrick favorite!
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/jessica-simpsons-chicken-dumplings/

As they say, a way to a man's heart is through his stomach :)

What you'll need:

Ingredients and a 9x13 pan (I use a glass pan)
2 rolls of reduced-fat croissant rolls, divided (recommended brand Pillsbury) (RR recipe calls for 3, I find that 2 does just fine)
1 small rotisserie chicken, skin discarded and meat removed from bones
1 can of low-sodium, reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
1 can of low-sodium, reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400ºF. ( I forgot and used 350...that works too!)

Roll out the cans of croissant sheets and separate into diamond shaped sections. Place a small handful of rotisserie chicken on each diamond, fold dough over and press ends together to create dumplings. Cut up any excess dough into strips.

PAM a 9x13" baking dish and then line with one layer of dumplings. Pour the can of cream of chicken soup over the layer of dumplings, followed by the can of cream of mushroom soup, and chicken broth. smooth out with a spatula.

Place whatever left over croissant rolls parts into strips in a crisscross pattern on the top of the dumplings and soup mixture, season dish with salt and ground black pepper and bake until the dumplings are tender and cooked through and the top is bubbly and brown, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Holiday Time

Wow, and just like that it is winter! Where did fall go? I just love this time of year...pumpkin spice lattes, Christmas music on the radio and hibernation mood taking place all over. Hard to believe Thanksgiving is 2 weeks away! What is it exactly that makes the Holidays so special? Is it the endless buffets, pies and cookies, family dinners and gathering, holiday parties, Xmas trees, or festive music? Is it the glitz and glitter of the season, the warm taste of cognac and eggnog, thanksgiving dinner and all the fixings, football and family time passed out on the couch? Is it the gift exchanges, tree decorations, stockings filled with special treats or the memories of yesteryear that make the holidays fill your heart with joy? I have a better answer.



I recently returned from a week home in MA at my parent's house. During the week we spent much of the time visiting with friends and relatives and just being together. I was able to visit some of my closest friends and their children who have taken a piece of my heart with every visit we share. It was a privilege to photograph their little expressions and engage in much needed and missed face to face conversation with their moms. Friends from childhood, that I've known for over 20 years could still sit together and reminisce about old times, all the while feel like we've never aged. Being home also allowed for wonderful shared meals with my family and just being together. It was the special moments like so sitting with my grandparents and holding hands as they shared old stories.



On one drive Mom said to me "Doesn't this feel like Christmas week?!" I couldn't help but agree! See the holidays are so much more than filling meals, sweet snacks, rushing around and gift exchanges. The part that really matters and fills my soul are those moments spent with the ones we love, family and friends who will always be close at heart.

Rachael Ray's Official Website :: Bacon, Leek and Tomato Spaghetti

Rachael Ray's Official Website :: Bacon, Leek and Tomato Spaghetti

A personality

Yes, why thank you, I have welcomed myself back to blogging too!

It has been quite awhile. I'm still trying to feel out what I'd like to blog about. Finding my voice has been a challenge. I've finally decided what will excite me, photography and delicious recipes! I can post my photos, share what I think is fantastic about them as well as share healthy, yummy recipes that I've come across or made that might excite you too- some of them may even be weight watcher appropriate. (AND take PHOTOS of my favorite dishes!) On occasion I will rant, about 'whatever' but hey it's my blog and I can do so if I want :)


I'm sitting in my fine circa 1950s-1970s rented home, and recently cooked a great pasta dish. I'm returning to MA tomorrow for a week visit and thought I'd be a good wife and cook something for my husband! I'll give the shout out to Rachael Ray for the recipe, it's a good one and super easy. (see the link to the recipe below!)



Bacon and Leek Pasta....yumm (leeks are a kind of mild onion)
super easy, delicious and makes enough for plenty of left overs.

Ingredients:

3 leeks
1 can of crushed tomatoes (garlic and herb)
1 lb of whole wheat pasta
6 slices of bacon (ok I used a lot more than that!)
4 cloves of garlic (chopped or sliced)
2 turns of the pan EVOO (olive oil!)
basically: cook the bacon with a little olive oil till crispy, add the cleansed chopped leeks, add tomatoes. pepper generously add garlic. Then add pasta...yumm!
I withheld the parsley because I'm lazy, might be even more delicious!

Here are some pics!

ok still learning how to arrange stuff.



You get the idea!













I am very much looking forward to my East coast visit. I love Seattle but miss my peeps!

Maybe when I return there will be more reasonably priced newly remodeled, attractive homes on the market in the zip code we are interested in, till then, we wait, semi-patiently!


Don't you just love the changing of the seasons? Me too!

Girl Crush

Yes, it has happened. I have a girl crush. Ha! More so, I finally have a famous person that I just really like. And drum roll please, who could this famous person be?... Chelsea Clinton.

As you know, Chelsea had the celebrity 'wedding of the year' this past weekend in upstate NY. She hasn't been in the lime light as much as other celebrity profiles, probably because she is well behaved! Seems these days only the infamous make the papers. Growing up in the 90s with Clinton in the White house, the whole world watched Chelsea at her father's side. Rather, Chelsea had the joy of going through puberty on TV. Poor gal.

However, what a beautiful, classy and admirable woman she has become. Chelsea has had a life of privilege, an opportunity to not just watch but to be part of history at the side of her parents, who for better or worse, were and are our world leaders. Given her birthright advantage she also had to grow up and become her own person; always in the media and in the shadow of her famous parents. Chelsea has done so with grace.

If there was a female version of JFK Jr-God rest his soul-it is Chelsea. At least in my opinion anyway! And this is why she is my girl crush :) I laugh when I hear this description as it reminds me of a 'man crush'. My husband coined this term in our household with regards to his own fascination, at times with one sports hero or another. As most of you who know me best, I am terrible at pop culture in 'who sings what or plays in what movie" and for goodness sake I haven't even seen 1/2 of the American classics..cough cough..Starwars..for example.

To really follow, admire and have interest in a celebrity, this is a big step for me. If a biography comes out I'm pretty sure I'll be one to own it! In the meantime, I'll enjoy the well behaved, graceful and classy figure that she is. Between Michelle Obama and Chelsea Clinton there are two great roll models for young girls everywhere to be intelligent, strong, beautiful, powerful, graceful and full of class.

Not 20 anymore

Rule #1 about blogging, you don't have to follow the rules :) I tried to update my first blog regularly, but it didn't happen. Oh well.

We are still back to square 1 on our house hunt. We haven't found it yet. We've seen in excess of 60 homes so far. We've found the right neighborhood, the right lot, the right house, but not the right house in the neighbor we like on the right lot, yet. So we keep looking. We are 'anxiously patient' and ready to pounce. I think we will know the house when we find it. In a glance ahead at our schedule and what we have going on with work and travel, our next realtor adventure probably won't be 'til mid August. Yes, the schedule is that ridiculous.

We recently had a wonderful trip back east and had a great time with the fam. My Dad even took time off to hang out with us. We enjoyed cook-outs (east coast BBQ) and pool fun and bachelor and bachelorrette parties, a trip to Newport and even found time to go to 'the outlets'...a not to miss adventure.
Shouldn't come to any of you as a surprise that I don't think I'm 20 anymore. Of course I realize this being that I'm 30... My body had a rude awakening in the early dawn last Sunday, the night after my sister-in-law-to-be's bachelorette party. I'm pretty sure I partied just like everyone else, but somehow felt it more. Must have been the glow in the dark test tube shots. Gross. Thank you body for reminding me that I'm 30, sometimes you need that gentle reminder. My Dad was the rockstar when he brought home chorico rolls on Portuguese bread, just what the doctor ordered to treat a hangover. Thanks Dad!

The picture is from Castle Hill in Newport, a gorgeous sunny afternoon s/p rainstorm. As I always say, you need the rain so you can appreciate the rainbows.

On homebuying

In order to buy a house, you have to find one first. Who knew this process would be so difficult? In the beginning, searching for a home was fun. The mystery of walking through a new front door and wondering "could this be the one?" and then walking back out that same door a short while later saying, "nope!" The search continues.

For some reason, sellers in the NW seem to be able to list homes at extraordinary prices. The worst part, buyers are paying these prices, which of course, leaves them high. So sure, the gal who loves to shop has seen plenty of beautiful homes, just too overpriced. Many homes in our price range are left to the scrutiny of our keen eye and we find with them, many faults. So we keep looking.

Then we find the house which seems 'oh so perfect and we love everything about it and we can't wait to..'.WHAM...it's off the market so fast because everyone else likes it too and we weren't fast enough to put in an offer.

This is why I think the process is heinous! So today a frustrating day, though in our sights, Monday; another day to look and be hopeful. We will know when we see it, no rush. That's what it's all about right?

This is a first...

Well I have certainly learned to 'never say never' and here it is, a blog. I won't take credit for it all, my wonderful husband made the suggestion. Inspired by our attempts to buy a house and finally grow up into our 30s, here I am, a blogger. There have been a lot of 'firsts' lately. Going to the dog park, with our friend Sam, was a major first. Me in the middle of a park with 30+ other dogs, who would have thought. Or better yet, running a 1/2 marathon?! This comes from the girl afraid of her own shaddow and who never ran more than 2 miles in my entire life 6 months ago. Like I said, never say never! So our adventure begins and I welcome you and thank you for reading my blog. I toast today to many 'firsts' to come and to never saying never!