This weekend is the unofficial start of summer? Bikini ready? No... well, here's a great chickpea salad to help you get there!

Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad

Serves 4

6 WW points per serving

3 sprays olive oil cooking spray
1 large whole-wheat pita, split open
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp. ground cumin, divided
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. water
1-1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 C canned chickpeas, rinsed & drained
2 C halved or quartered grape tomatoes
1/3 English cucumber, cut lengthwise, sliced into 1/2" thick pieces
1/4 C diced red onion
1/2 C coarsely chopped fresh parsley
6 C thickly shredded romaine lettuce

Place oven rack in middle position. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Coat both sides of the pita with cooking spray; place rough side up on baking sheet. Sprinkle tops with 1/4 tsp. each salt and cumin. Bake until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, water, oil, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, remaining 1/4 tsp. cumin, and pepper.

Add chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and parsley; toss to coat. Let stand, tossing occasionally, at least 10 minutes for flavors to blend.

To serve: line each of four plates with 1-1/2 C lettuce; top with slightly heaping 1-1/4 C chickpea mixture. Break 1/2 of each pita into small pieces over each salad. Drizzle any dressing left in bowl evenly over salads. Serve.

What's for Dinner? How About Mexican Chorizo Skillet?

8 SERVINGS

1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 C sweet potato (peeled & diced)
1/2 C onion (diced)
1 lb. chorizo sausage
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 C black beans (drained & rinsed)
1 C short-grain brown rice
1-1/4 C diced tomatoes with green chiles (equals 1 can RoTel)
1-3/4 C reduced fat/low sodium chicken broth
1/4 C scallions (diced)
1 C 2% cheddar cheese (shredded)

Directions
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add sweet potato and cook about 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Add onions and chorizo to the skillet. Cook stirring occasionally until sausage is cooked through (no longer pink) and onions are translucent.

Add garlic, black beans, and rice and stir to combine. Add tomatoes and chiles and chicken broth and stir gently to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 40-45 minutes or until rice is tender.

Remove from heat, fluff rice, and stir green onions into the mixture. Sprinkle the cheese on top and return the lid. Allow to sit until cheese is melted and serve.

Salsa Fresca!

This weekend, one of our local grocery stores had a HUGE sale on fresh tomatoes. So we made SALSA FRESCA! (Which I then spent pretty much all weekend eating.)

12 plum tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 jalapenos, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 C lightly packed fresh cilantro stems and leaves, coarsely chopped
1-3/4 tsp. coarse salt
2 Tbsp. red-wine vinegar
2 tsp. sugar

Stir together tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, garlic, cilantro, salt, vinegar, and sugar in a bowl. Refrigerate, covered, for an hour or two. Enjoy!

Freezer Meals - Mongolian Beef

This is my American take on one of our favorite beef stir-fry recipes. I don't usually precook this recipe. I put the prepared beef and seasoned sauce into a Ziploc bag, and freeze it. When I'm ready to use it, I take the bag out of the freezer, empty it into my Crock Pot (if you like, you can move it to the refrigerator the night before and it'll come out of the bag easier), and cook on low all day. When I get home from work, I add a bag of frozen broccoli to the beef which cooks while I'm cooking the brown rice I serve it over.

1-1/2 lbs. beef flank steak, sliced into thin strips
1/4 C cornstarch
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 C soy sauce
3/4 C water
3/4 C brown sugar
1/2 C carrot, shredded
2 green onions (scallions), sliced thinly

Coat flank steak in cornstarch. Combine remaining ingredients and place into a Ziploc freezer bag. Add steak to indicated number of freezer bags. Label and freeze.

To cook: Put contents of bag into a Crock Pot, and cook on low for 6 - 8 hours.

I'm BACK!

After forgoing my blog for a Facebook group, I've decided that I'd rather be here.  I may not get as many readers here but I don't really care.  I like the flexibility of a blog.

In the time since I last wrote, DD#1 decided to change majors... and moved back home.  DD#2 graduated high school and... decided to not go away for her freshman year of college.  So, yes, both of my college-age kids are back home.  :\  DD#3 joined her middle school's Science Olympiad team... and they went to Nationals (came in 23rd) this month.  And DD#4 may be ADHD... just like everyone else in our family.  (No big shock there.)  DH is still the same goofy, happy guy he's always been.

And me, well, I rejoined Weight Watchers and lost 50 lbs. in less than 10 months... and kept it off for almost a year.  *fingers crossed*

Actually I can't afford to gain the weight back.  I gave away all my old clothes and I've spent WAY too much money on my new, cute wardrobe.

Anyway, I'm back and am still cooking, cleaning, and trying to keep my sanity.  Well, whatever little bit of sanity I ever had but still, I'm not really ready to give it up.  lol

Look for lots of food posts.  Since I'm on Weight Watchers, I've become obsessed with finding healthier alternatives to my beloved fatty, highly caloric foods.

Oh well, gotta get some sleep.

M

I "relish" the days where not everything is "jam"med (and yes, I suck at puns)

In addition to cooking a few meals for next week, I spent part of the day making a half batch of strawberry jam and a full batch of corn/pepper relish.  For those that don't know, I love to can homemade goodies, for use during the non-peak growing seasons.  There's nothing as awesome as a smear of homemade jam on a hot biscuit in the middle of December.  And the relish is just as good as a side dish at a picnic as it is spooned onto a hot dog (in place of a traditional dill pickle relish.)  So, I thought I'd share these two recipes with you.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

STRAWBERRY JAM (modified recipe from Martha Stewart Living)
4 lbs. strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and cut into 1" pieces
5 C granulated sugar
*Note:  You can choose to add 2 Tbsp. pectin if you so wish.  This recipe will set correctly with or without it.

Put a small plate or saucer in the freezer.  Place berries in a non-reactive 10-quart stockpot over medium-high heat.  Using a wooden spoon, mix in 1/4 C sugar with the berries.  Cook, stirring, until berries are juicy (5 - 6 minutes.)  Stir in a third of the remaining sugar and pectin (if using) until dissolved.  Repeat until all the sugar has been added and dissolved, about 7 minutes total.

Bring mixture to a full boil and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes.  Continue boiling and use a stainless-steel spoon to remove the pink foam from surface of berry mixture.  Boil until most of the liquid is absorbed, mixture thickens, and temperature registers 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer (about 30 minutes.)  If you don't have a thermometer, you can perform a "gel" test (place a spoonful of the jam on the chilled plate and return to the freezer for a minute or two.  Remove plate from freezer and gently press the jam with your finger.  It should wrinkle slightly.

After jam passes the gel test (or hits 220 degrees), remove from heat.  Pour warm jam into 10 half-pint jars and:
to refrigerate - seal, label, and refrigerate for up to 4 months
to can - process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, cool, label, and store
Makes 10 half-pints of jam


CORN/PEPPER RELISH (from Karen Solomon, blogger for Williams-Sonoma and author of several amazing cookbooks - seriously, Google her.  You won't be disappointed!)

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 3/4 C diced sweet red bell peppers (3 or 4 peppers)
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
4 C fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
1 3/4 C diced red onion (1 very large onion)
1 1/2 C apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

In a large skilled over medium-high heat, warm the oil.  Add the peppers and salt, and saute, stirring often, until the peppers soften and begin to caramelize (about 12 minutes.)  Add the corn, stirring to combine, and cook the vegetables until the corn is hot (3 - 4 more minutes.)  Turn off the heat and add the onion to the pan; stir well.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the vinegar, sugar, and turmeric, and stir just until the sugar dissolves (about 2 minutes.)

Pack the vegetables into 3 clean 1-pint jars, and pour the warm brine over the vegetables to cover completely, discarding any unused brine.  To can the relish for longer storage, process the jars for canning (10 minutes, hot water bath canning method.)  Otherwise, cover tightly and let the relish sit at room temperature for a day before moving it to the refrigerator.  Refrigerated, this will keep for up to 6 months.  Canned, it will keep for up to 1 year.  Makes three 1-pint jars.

Am I a Bad Parent if I Occasionally Need to Get Away From My Kids?

In July, all 4 of my kids will be out of the house for a week.  DD#1 will be with her biological father in Florida for 3 weeks, and the 3 younger DD's will be at sleepaway summer camp.  While I was relishing the first week without any of my kids in the 18 years I've been a parent (excluding a week in the hospital 7 years ago), I mentioned this to a friend.  This friend said that she's the opposite, she loves having her kids around all the time.

And that got me to thinking... does wanting to escape my kids for a week make me a bad parent?  It's not like I'm taking a week off from work (I'm planning on taking 2 days, so I can clean the basement without hearing "But Mom I need that *fill in the blank*!") or going away while they're not home.  I'm just looking forward to not hearing "Mom... Mom... MOM!" and not having to cook dinner if I don't feel like it.  (DH can throw something together for himself, if I do that.  lol)  Oh, and being able to use the bathroom without someone knocking on the door.

Does that make me a bad parent?  Or does it make me a wise parent because I'm realizing I need an occasional break from being responsible for everything?  I was thinking that a week to recharge my batteries while the kids were off having their own adventures would make things better for everyone involved.  Now I'm afraid that maybe I'm looking forward to that little freedom a little too much.  What say you?

Mary

*****Tonight's dinner:  Italian Chicken and Pasta

1.5 lbs. boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, sliced 

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/8 C Italian seasoning (or you could use a mix of fresh basil and oregano, if you got it)

1 can Cannelli beans, drained and rinsed

3 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped into small pieces

1 quart of homemade spaghetti sauce

1 C shredded Italian cheese blend (I used Sargento's 6 cheese Italian blend)

Parmesan cheese, grated

Salt & pepper, to taste

1 lb. cooked pasta (I used fusilli, but you could use anything)

Brown the chicken in the olive oil, and cook until done.  Add onion and garlic, cook for a few minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, seasoning, beans, and bacon.  Cook until everything's warmed through and hot.  Stir in sauce, cheeses and salt & pepper.  Cook until hot, then toss in cooked pasta.  Serve with garlic bread and olives on the side.  (You could add the olives to the chicken and pasta as well, but one of my kids prefers the olives plain.)

*This is a "nothing fancy" dinner that really hits the spot when you don't know what to make.  Oh, and it only takes about 30 minutes.  (Take that, Rachael Ray!  You don't need to stoop to using pre-made sauces and crap to make a good 30 minute meal.  lol)

Update on My Not-So-Exciting Life

A quick update on life and stuff...

I’m depressed that the kids have completely wrecked the house… yet again.  I swear, I don’t know how they do it.  One day, the house is clean and completely organized (a/k/a “company ready”) and the next, I go back to work and it looks like a tornado has gone through.  WHY?!?

They’re filming the sequel to Captain America next door to my office, so we get to deal with tons of cranes, etc. to set up the “shoot” for the next week.  Actually, they’re only filming one day (Monday) but it looks like it’s going to take them 4 days to set up and 4 days to disassemble.  Oh well, could be worse.  When they were filming on the West Side of Cleveland, they shut down a major highway (and a bunch of roads downtown) for TWO WEEKS.

DD#1’s dorm has been reserved and the first payment made.  I’m still stunned at the cost, though - $14k for 9 months.  “Oh, but that’s for a double room (only one roommate) and includes telephone (local & long distance), TV and cable, WIFI, use of the fitness center, use of one of the communal kitchens on each floor, and a private bathroom. “  Yeah but that’s still more than the cost of my first car.  Holy shit!  Thankfully she has/had some awesome grandparents (my late mother left her and DD#2, because #3 & 4 weren’t around when she passed, money for college and my ex in-laws are paying the majority of the dorm) to help with this.  Oh, and this doesn’t include the $7k in tuition for the fall semester and the approx. $800 in books and materials.  *smh*

We spent Thursday and Friday of last week with DD#2 at the doctor’s.  She sprained her ankle three months ago and about a month ago we noticed some rash-like discoloration and swelling in her lower leg.  First our pediatrician sent us to a dermatologist because of the rash.  Apparently it’s not a real rash but just discoloration.  However, combined with the swelling, it could have been a sign of lupus.  Several blood tests later and, thankfully, it doesn’t appear to be lupus.  So, back to the pediatrician’s last Thursday.  She noticed the swelling and it must have really concerned her because she sent us to see two rheumatologists at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland on Friday.  Over two hours of examinations later, and no one seems to know exactly what’s going on.  It could still be lupus (they ordered additional blood work) or it could be the sprain damaged some still developing blood vessels and they need time to “repair” themselves.  Either way, the doctors ordered more blood work (done on Saturday), an MRI (being done this morning), and physical therapy & orthotic shoe inserts (to help fix her gait, which has been thrown off because of the sprain.)  Hopefully we’re going to get an answer soon.  The good news, though, is that she can still spend a week in July as a counselor at her former summer camp (and be “the boss” of DD#3 & #4 who will be campers there this summer.)

Does anyone else do this:  Spend a day on the weekend, cooking for the upcoming week?  I spent Sunday prepping and freezing meals for during the week.  This way, I can call on my way home, ask DD#1 or #2 to take one out of the freezer, plop it in the oven at 425 degrees, and by the time I get home, it’s reheated and ready to go.  All I have to do is put the oven down to “keep warm” status, make a side dish and some veggies, and we’re good to go.  It’s almost like having a housewife (albeit one that doesn’t do laundry or wash the dishes) and we don’t have to order takeout or live on pasta.  Sorry but I’m not cooking a full dinner every night after working all day.  Once in a while, fine.  But every night?  Nah, just not gonna happen.

For those who are interested, this week’s frozen meals included marinated pork roast, barbecued chicken breasts, meatloaf, steaks with a red wine reduction sauce (I’ll have to share that recipe here later, it’s absolutely amazing and pretty easy!), and a pound of ground beef (cooked and frozen, ready to be added to a casserole when I feel like assembling one.)  Add in one pizza night and pasta (with a jar of my own spaghetti sauce that I canned earlier), and we’re good for the week!  Oh, I also cooked a pound of bacon for use in sandwiches and salads later during the week (convenient and so much better than the precooked stuff sold in the store – mine is much leaner and crispier.)

I also prep some veggies and make my own bagged salads (Target has reusable produce bags for $1 each and they’re the perfect size for this.  The ones I bought from Crate & Barrel are better for buying fresh produce but are too large for salads IMHO.)  That way, I can control exactly what goes in, it’s better for the environment (no more “individual use” plastic bags to dispose of), and quite frankly, it’s cheaper to buy several heads of romaine lettuce at Sam’s Club and other veggies like carrots, celery, baby spinach, etc. and make my own.  I’ve also found that DH & the DD’s are more likely to make a salad to eat with their lunches than if I just left the stuff in the fridge, unprepared.  All they have to do is grab a bag, portion out what they want, add some dressing, and *voila* salad.

Today during lunch, I need to plan out some dinners for next week and start working on my shopping list.  Since the highway’s back open, I’m tempted to make a run to West Side Market for meats on Saturday morning.  I’ll buy produce there only if I’m planning on using it in the next 2 or 3 days.  For whatever reason, it never seems to last as long as the stuff from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.  Maybe I should just stop by the farmer’s market in town on Friday, after work.  (I still can’t believe they’re not open on the weekend… only Fridays.  WTF kind of farmer’s market is that, right?!?)

Bye for now.