Finishing out the Year

2010 is coming to an end. I have never been so excited to see a year end and begin another year. I am not afraid of getting older this year. I feel this year coming up will bring new adventures and good news. I feel a good job coming. A job I want to have and one that I am proud to have. I hope to finally get my PGA golfer boyfriend or husband :-P. I may have to go into PGA golfer hunting. Getting a golfer boyfriend may be the best news ever. HAHAHAHA.

I started training for the Pittsburgh marathon today. I am currently involved in a 20 week training program. I hope stick to it while I have to stick to it or I won't be able to finish 26.2 miles.

Arg. I have to go to work tomorrow. Don't like my job. Arg. I hope to have a new one very soon. Fingers crossed!!!

Life's Goods and Bads

Christmas season is upon us. Unforunately, I am not really into the season. Between work and wishing my Mom was here for the season, I am not really in the mood. Work still sucks. This program called Fit For Life where we provide PE teachers for private and parochial schools just plain sucks. Teachers are calling off like crazy, and there are no subs. A sub I did have quit because the travel was tough. Oh come on...you live in Pittsburgh. Travel always sucks because you are old roads that never were changed to modern travel. Tomorrow I have to get some more subs. I just plain hate my job still.

I did a job interview today. I am not the best at interviews. I can talk your ear off and sometimes questions just through me. I should know now because I have done enough interviews. The job is not that great and the pay even worse. I have applied to so many jobs I can't even remember what half of them were.

This past weekend I went to New York City. I bright spot in a yucky season. New York at Christmas time is magical. All the people and decorations are amazing. The Rockefeller Christmas tree is amazing. It brought tears to my eyes. I loved every minute. I did lunch at the Plaza, explored 5th avenue, hung out at Rockefeller Center, danced through Broadway, ate in all the Villages, and explored all modes of transportation. I saw Addams Family and Chicago. Both were great performance. I saw Nathan Lane for the second time, and he still could be one of the best Broadway performers ever. I spent a lot of money on food and drinks but that is fine. Saturday night was a good night with food, drinks, and friends. Loved seeing all my wonderful friends. I hope to go back soon.

I hope Christmas season brings something good for me like a good job in a position I want away from a gym.

Job

I have the feeling of frustration. I am stuck again at a dead end job. How does this always happen to me? I was a good student who worked hard, and I get rewarded with terrible jobs. Problem 1: I make no money. I do not expect to make a six figure salary but I have six years worth of school. I should not be struggling as I am. I know the economy is lacking but seriously. Stupid people have better jobs then me.

Problem 2: I hate health and wellness. I am feeling the same frustrations I felt at the HealthPlex. I do nothing all day long but have to appease the members. I do personal training. Not once in my entire life have I thought: "Man, I would love to be a personal trainer." On the contrary, I would like to hire a personal trainer to kick my butt. I sitt at work most days and do nothing. They expect me to be here most days doing nothing. I don't understand how this is a full time job. It is hard to motivate myself to do more when I have no monetary compensation or otherwise. I do not get paid for the personal training or group fitness classes I teach. I have become a great flier maker.

Problem 3: I don't want to work in a gym. People are not going to stick with. The ones that do, don't need my help. As long as they have their classes and personal training they could care less what I do.

Problem 4: I have not structure, no set goals, etc. The goals that we came up with at my six month review were very little about my progress becoming a better employee. The goals were about the YMCA. I have very little desire to help the YMCA.

I am feeling the same way I did before. The conclusion is the career path. The upper management at my particular branch is not a problem. We have not idiots or anything like that. I just want a job that is challenging, requires responsibility, wants professional manners, and has a large degree of upward mobility. That is not going to happen at the YMCA.

For example, I am here writting my blog at work. I ahve not had anything to do since about 10am this morning, about 2 hours after I started. I would love to know what other employees do here becaues I do nothing.

Hoping for something new.

Washington DC

I visited our Nation's Capitol this weekend. It was wonderful.

The journey down was interesting. I hit terrible traffic. Going from I270 to I495 was absolute horrible. To go about 5 miles took about 1.5 hours. I had to miss Good Stuff, my favorite DC restaurant. However, I did get to see the new Harry Potter movie.

Saturday morning started with an early morning walk. The city was wonderful in the morning and seeing the sun come up. The walk was followed by a great day with Penn State friends and family at the PSU vs. Indiana game. The team brought home the win. The weather could not have been better. The sun was out and warm. He had short sleeve shirts on during the game. Could not believe it was November.

After the game got a little interesting with a trip around DC. We got quite lost for about an hour. We had a nice dinner which everyone wanted. Then unforuately it was time to say goodbye again. It is great seeing everyone again and enjoying ourselves.

Sunday was another great morning walk in the city. Again the weather could not have been better. The trip home was a little less eventful. Got home early Sunday evening.

The best thing about this week is only two days of work because of the holiday. I just have to get through tomorrow and I am done for the week. Love it!! Not really into working anyway.

Where Have I Been?

I have not written in a well. Not because I don't want to but I have been in and out a lot lately. I have done some traveling, and stupid work. I am not busy at work but they seem to get me there all the time.

I am currently ditching work. I am not a hard working. I still have not been able to find a job I enjoy. I am not really enjoying this one all that much. Yucky. So I try to get away when I can. Hence, why I am sitting in my living room watching Days of Our Lives, updating my blog. Sometime I hope to find a job that is tolerable, fun and challenging. Just not there yet.

I signed up for a marathon today. I am running the Pittsburgh Marathon in May. This is my first full marathon. I am excited and nervous.

I am feeling a litte more author-like I will write some more.

Thinking and Same Old

A new problem has a rose...I hate my job. I do not like my job. It has me worried. I hate another job. I have only been at this job about two months and I absolutely hate my job. Is there something wrong with me? I am way too critical about my job? I wish I could figure it out. I feel very similar about my current job as I did my previous position. I do not hate my boss or my co-workers but the whole situation makes me frustrated. I am truly considering stepping away from the health and wellness field. I think my problem is the background of my career. I feel it is a vicious cycle and it keeps spinning me around. A new problem I have is that I have no idea where or what I want to do next. I want a career where I make more money is something I find interesting. I want and need a structured job. I want to work the same hours everyday, from approximately 8-4:30. My biggest problem is that I never wanted to ever work. I also picked a career because I was told I had to but I never thought I would actually have to work. It is terrible to think this but it is true. What do I want to do? I do not know. Should I go back to school? What should I study? This sucks!!!!!

Summer Time

Hello. Hello. Hello. I am now a month into my new job. The good news is...I do not hate my job. The bad news is...I still think my best career choice is PGA Tour Wife. Yes, I want to be married to a golfer but not a Tiger Wood's type. There has to be a good PGA tour player that is old school gentleman. Girl can dream. I guess I should be hanging out with tour players more...got to figure out how to do that.

I have been busy the last month getting my feet under me at work. The job is not hard. I still spend too much time on a gym floor. I still have to wear gym clothes way too much. I want a job where I can were professional type clothes almost everyday. Again, some days I do not shower because I know I will be dirty in two seconds.

My golf playing time has gone down since I started work. No more playing almost everyday. I spend too much time at the YMCA. I need to start focusing on only being at work for 8 to 9 hours.

Pittsburgh is a nice city but I need to meet more people. It is hard at my job to meet people because everyone at work has a core group and not a lot of people my age not attached, married, without kids, etc. Also, there is not a lot of people my age at my YMCA (I guess I should be only putting the Y because of the new logo and marketing plan).

So here is to hoping for a career that will make me happy, finding my PGA tour player, and playing lots of golf along the way.

New Job

I have a new job. I started working at the YMCA as a Health and Wellness Director a week ago Monday. I am very excited to start the new job. Right now I am trying to get organized. I hope to continue doing what I like at the YMCA for awhile. The facility is very relaxed. Completely different from my old position. I have very little direction from my superiors with little restriction. I love the new position. I hope I feel this way in about a month.

My staff is a whole other story. I like being in control of a group of people but I did not get to choose my staff. I have had a lot of cancellations, no shows, and changes. Hopefully, I will be able to get everyone on the same page. It not only make it easier for me but for future employees.

On Saturday, I got certified in Silver Sneakers Manage of Motion/Muscular Strength. I now will be able to teach adults 65 and over. I am excited to take on a new challenge of group fitness classes.

I am very tired currently. I am having a hard time sleeping but I know when I get more comfortable in my job I will be better off.

The Next Top Chef

I love the show Top Chef. The challenges combined with crazy contestants leads to great food. Whenever I go to a town with a Top Chef contestant's restaurant I try to go. I have not been too successful in getting into the restaurants. Some of these places are real ritzy or require a significant reservation period. However, I have been to a great Top Chef restaurant in Washington D.C. called Good Stuff.

Good Stuff is brainchild of Spike Mendelsohn of Top Chef. He was one of my favorite contestants because he was overly confident, loud, and he loved his red meat. Good Stuff is best explained a a high end fast food restaurant. The menu consists of All-American classic hamburgers and french fries. However, like all great chefs Spike adds twists to his food with great burgers such as the Prez Obama, Good Stuff Melt, Michele Burg (a great turkey burger), and many many more. He has several different types of french fries. The sauces that are available are incredible. Dip your fries into them or add them to your burger. The mango mayonnaise and the chipotle mayonnaise are my favorites. However, a great splurge is the shakes. My first shake was the black and white which has chocolate sauce dripped all along the sides of the cup. It is so good I cannot give it up to try another.

I have been to Good Stuff three times. On one of my trips I was lucky enough to see Spike. Since it is like a fast food restaurant you pick up your food at the container within 5 minutes after ordering. The place is always bustling and good luck finding a seat. This is a great time to make new friends. My Spike meeting occurred with my good friend Katey. Her and I love a deep love for Top Chef and Spike. When we walked in that day, I was so excited to see Spike handing out the food. I ordered my burger (I do not remember which one, I like to try something new every time. Plus the burgers are always changing.) and fries, and waited patiently for my order number to be called. I was so excited. How could I be so lucky to be handed my food by Spike? My number was called and I walked up very confidently and Spikes, "Please enjoy your food and have a great day." My response: "Is this all for me? I can't wait to eat." I did this all while giggling like a school girl. Such a great response. I made such a impression. So proud of myself. Katey and I could not stop laughing or stop eating. The food is good. (The pictures at the top are a sign with Spike at Good Stuff and Spike serving the great great Good Stuff.)

This now leads me to how I am going to be the next Top Chef. Katey gave me for my birthday the cookbook: The Good Stuff Cookbook by Spike Mendelsohn. How exciting. I could not wait to jump right in and good. But what to try first? I needed to make Spike proud with my first recipe. I chose the Good Stuff Melt with Village Fries. Let me tell you: this was tough work. I did everything from scratch. I pureed the sauces, cut the fries, caramelized the onions, sauteed the mushrooms, chopped the herbs, grill the burgers, and in the end ate everything. The Good Stuff restaurant makes it look so easy. Your food is out in five minutes at most and nice and steamy. It took me almost two hours. I am not complaining. Good food takes time. However, I learned Good Stuff takes a lot of good people. I will continue to cook Good Stuff but not all the time. Not the healthiest recipes but everyone deserves a good/saturated meal every once in awhile.

Because I want you to go and buy Spike's cookbook, I will not be posting these recipes on my blog. However, I am willing to cook you a Good Stuff meal. Reservations are required at least 7-10 days in advance. The restaurant is casual dress. Bring a big appetite and lots of napkins (Good Stuff is only good if is messy). See you soon :)

New Year in My Life

I turned 26 years old on Saturday June 5. I am not on the backside of my twenties. I am not so sure how I feel about this new year. I can already tell my body does not react like it did in high school or college. I have some aches and pains. The aches and pains seem to linger more than they use to. Also, the fear of 30 is creeping in. I still have four years till I turn 30 but it feels so close.

I also start to think about goals and dreams. Thinking back now, I know I use to say what I like to have accomplished by 25 but I do not remember what it was. I was never a person who really wanted a career. True be told I would rather be playing golf everyday, eating lunch with the ladies, and cooking dinner for my family and friends. In reality, I have accepted the fact I need to work. I feel finally I am on my way to a career that I could be possible enjoy. I start a new job on Monday as a Health and Wellness Director at a YMCA. I do not have to listen a stupid boss anymore. I have more control, and more ability to develop and lead.

Now that I have fewer years left in my twenties, what do I want to accomplish? That really is a good question. I hope to develop a good career. I want to develop and gain more responsibility. I want to join a nice country club. I like country clubs because they have golf, dining, and a lot of social opportunities. I grew up in a country club setting and feel very comfortable. In the future, I would like my children to have the same opportunities I had at a country club. I hope to save enough money so I can buy a house. Yes, I hope to marry and have children but that will happen when it happens. It does have to be before 30. I know right now I am not ready for marriage. I am still very selfish, and I am still trying to figure out how to live my life.

I still would like to be a PGA Tour wife. My career as amateur golfer is pretty much over. I will still play in some tournaments throughout the year but not like I use to. I love being around golf tournaments. I do love being a spectator of the game golf. It is fun to watch people play and see how they react to the course. Hahaha. A girl can dream.

As I start a new year of my life, I am ready for the challenges. If I can get through the last year I feel like I can get through anything. New challenges maybe hard but I just need to power through. So here it goes........

Golf Still Makes Me Cry

This past Wednesday I played in a golf tournament outside of Pittsburgh, Pa. It was not fun. I would call it a disaster. I was so embarrassed. I have been playing a lot of golf and have been able to work on my game more than in the past. However, I do not have a good practice area, and my confidence in the game is gone. It terrible to think as I get older the competitive nature of my game is disappearing. Work and life is more in the way, and golf is taking a backseat. I hate that I can not be as competitive as I use to be. It was such a huge blow. I am now learning that golf is going to be in my life but in a whole different way. I feel sad about that. I know that I have to grow and take life changes but it is hard. Golf will always be there but I will have to learn to appreciate the new aspects of the game. I can still do tournaments but I have to pick the right tournaments for me. Some lessons are harder to learn than others.

summer is on its way and golf is in my life

I am still in between jobs. My new job does not start for another two weeks. I am excited to get back to work but I hate to have to be indoors. I am an outside girl. Plus summer is golf season. I love to play golf. Thus the reason why I want to be a PGA Tour wife. This spring has been iffy for golf but the last two days have been perfect.

On Monday, I was privileged to be invited to play Rolling Rock Club. This is one of most prestigious clubs in Pennsylvania and on the east coast. The Mellon family of Pittsburgh owns the club and you either have to be rich or invited to belong. The Club has everything: golf, tennis, horseback riding, hunting, shooting, swimming, hiking, etc. I was there to play golf. The front nine is designed by Donald Ross. Ross is one of my favorite course designers. My heart belongs to older/maturer golf courses. The back nine is only about ten years old designed by David Silva. Not my favorite design but he did well with the land he had available. I played so bad. The course has beautiful greens with tough rolls. The rough was ready to host the US Open. I loved getting to play the course.

I am a country club girl. I grew up playing country clubs and my parents belonged to a country club. I hope in the next couple of years to join a club myself. Country clubs in the Pittsburgh area are suffering from low membership and do offer good membership drives usually in the fall. This fall I am going to look into a club. Plus a lot of clubs offer junior memberships to individuals under 35. Plus I can get more status by joining as a female. Sometimes it pays off to be a female in golf. I jokingly say I am going to hang out at the gates of Oakmont and beg some poor guy to marry me so I can play Oakmont everyday. HAHAHAHA. I would just settle for one round of golf.

A little delay

It has been a little over a month since my last post. A lot has happened since my last post. I have left my old job but glad to announce I have a new job. I will be the Health and Wellness Director of the Penn Hills YMCA just outside of Pittsburgh. I am very excited. I do not start until June so I am enjoying an extended vacation. I have been able to travel a little. I have been to Boston, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh. A lot of fun. I have also been playing lots of golf. I am a golf girl, and it is hard to keep me off the links.

I am continuing the cooking trend. Tonight I was a grill master. It was very simple but delicious. I love mushrooms so I grill portabello mushrooms and added some Swiss cheese on top. I then lightly grill the buns for a wonderful portabello sandwich. In addition, I grill asparagus. I just placed the asparagus right no the grill. The whole meal took about 15 minutes. Quick and easy. Something for everyone there.

Crazy week

For someone who is only working two or three days a week, I feel exhausted. I am so glad I am leaving my current place of employment. Everyday the place gets more and more ridiculous. It is actually very sad at how upper management works. I really just want to scream at the General Manager and use all the bad words I can think of. He is just a terrible person. The worse part is that the members will be the one's to suffer in the long run. F*** you Mr. Stedman. Hahaha...that feels good to say.

Today I had the day off and work still is recking havoc on me. At about 8:45 am I get a call to see if I can teach cycling class at 9:00am. I was at home enjoying the morning off reading a book. In less than five minutes I brushed my teeth and put some workout clothes on. I get there and the tense is crazy. The worse part about everything is that some people in this ordeal cannot stand up for themselves. The complain all day long and when push comes to shove they back away. Do not act like you care...you had your chance.

I started moving stuff out of my apartment. I moved a whole car load to Johnstown on Monday. I cannot believe I am moving back to my parents house. I definitely need to but it is still crazy. I am currently sending out resume and cover letters like crazy. I wish in a cover letter you could just beg. I really want to write: "Please hire me. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE hire me!" Do you think that will work?

I have not tried any new recipes this week. I have been eating out a lot this week. Not a great idea but I think that is going to be happening a lot the next week and half. I have a lot more to move and so much to clean. I do not mind cooking or doing laundry but cleaning is not for me.

I am going to Boston in little over two weeks. I am very excited. I have never been to Boston before. I am also going to a formal for MIT. My brother has his grad school formal and I will be attending. I think this should be scope out all the smart boys and make one my husband. (Just kinding....I am still holding out for a PGA tour professsional.) Like a boy he tells me to wear something a little nicer than what I wear everyday. What I am thinking is I get to go get a new dress. Shopping time.

I love that it is March. The weather has been wonderful this week. I feel like the sun has not shown all year. This week the sun has been out and the weather has been warm. It just makes you feel better. Another great part about March is all the basketball. Again my sleep is off. During the Olympics I was up all hours watching the events. Today has not been as exciting as day one but still good games.

I've Got Sunshine and recipe

The sun has been shining for the last four days. It has been wonderful. I have opened my windows during the day in my apartment with the shades open. The temperature is very comfortable to be outside. I wish I could go for a walk because this is one of my favorite past times. I am still having some trouble with my right foot, and walking a lot is very uncomfortable. My foot problem is just annoying.

I tried a new recipe tonight. Cajun Chicken with Dirty Rice. It was delicious. I loved. I added a lot more spicy and hot saude to really make it good. I do not have the nuritional information but I do know it is about 500 calories per serving.

Cajun Chicken with Dirty Rice
1 teaspoon dried Cajun seaoning
4 ounces chicken breast
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons tomato passte
Few dashes Tabasco sauce, to tast
3/4 cup precook brown rice

Sprinkle Cajun seasoning on chicken and bake or grill. Cook brown rice per directions on package. Add oil to skillet; saute garlic, onion, bell pepper, tomato paste, and Tabasco for 2 to 3 minutes. Add pre-cooked rice and saute for 5 more minutes. Serve chicken on rice.

Black Bean Enchiladas

GREAT GREAT GREAT recipe. It was so good. I want to make it now.

8 cups fresh spinach leaves, stemmed (1lb.)
15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1/2 cup fresh salsa
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder
6 6-inch corn tortillas or non-fat flour tortillas
1/2 cup non-fat or low-fat sour cream
1 1/2 - 2 tsp. lime juice
4 ounces low-fat Monterey Jack or Cheddar Cheese (about 1 cup)
2 Italian plum tomatoes, diced
2 green onion (green and white parts), thinly sliced

1.)In large pot, bring water to boil. Add spinach to boiling water and cook 1 minute. Remove with slotted spoon and drain well in colander. Press out as much liquid as possible.
2.)preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3.)In a medium bowl, combine spinach, black beans, salsa, cumin, and chili powder. Spoon 1/4 of this mixture down the middle of one tortilla. Roll the tortilla around the filing.. Place tortilla seam side down in a shallow nonstick baking pan or casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat process with remaing tortillas.
4.)Bake enchiladas, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
5.)Meanwhile, combine sour cream and lime juice. Remove enchiladas from oven and spread sour cream mixture evenly over enchiladas. Top with cheese, tomatoes, and green onions and bake for 5 minutes.

Plan ahead: Freeze to use later. After rolling enchiladas, place them in a container and cover tightly with foil or put them in an airtight plastic freezer bag. Increase cooking time to 35-0 before removing from oven and adding top portion.

Makes 6 servings. Calories 201, Protein 17g, Carbs: 34g., Fat: 1 g., Sat. Fat.: 0g., Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g., Monosaturated Fat: 0g., Cholesterol: 3mg., Sodium: 374 g

fresh tomato salsa

I made this for a picnic and it was a huge hit. I almost doubled the recipe and added almost every pepper in the recipe and more. No cooking necessary.

Fresh Tomato Salsa
servings: 12 (1/4-cup) servings
carb grams per serving: 2

1-1/2 cups finely chopped tomatoes (3 medium)
1 fresh Anaheim pepper or one 4-ounce can diced green cile peppers, drained
1/4 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onions
3 to 4 tablesppoons snipped fresh cilantro or parsley
2 tablespoons lime juice or lemon juice
1 to 2 fresh jalapeno, serrano, fresno, or banana peppers
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

1.) seed and finely chop hot peppers. In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, Anaheim pepper, sweet pepper, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, garlic, salt, and black pepper.

2.)If desired, for a smooth salsa, place 1 cup salsa in a food processor or blender. Cover; process just until smooth. Stir into remaining salsa. Cover; chill until serving time. Makes 12 (1/4-cup) servings.

Make-ahead tip: Prepare as directed through step 2. Cover and chill in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Nutrition facts per serving:
Servings: 12 (1/4-cup) servings
Calories 8
Total Fat (g) 0
Saturated Fat (g) 0
Cholesterol (mg) 0
Sodium (mg) 27
Carbohydrate (g) 2
Fiber (g) 1
Protein (g) 0
Vitamin A (DV%) .1
Vitamin C (DV%).6
Calcium (DV%)0
Iron (DV%) 0

Pasta With Spinach, Garbanzos, and Raisins

This recipe is awesome. I know it sounds like a weird combination but it works together. It is more like a soup but it is great.

Dietitian's Tip: The key to this recipe is to have the pasta and sauce done at the same time so that they don't overcook.

Serves 6

Ingredients
8 ounces farfalle (bow tie) pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 can (19 ounces) garbanzos, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup unsalted chicken broth
1/2 cup golden raisins
4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Cracked black peppercorns, to taste

Directions
1.) Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add the past and cook until al dente (tender), 10 to 12 minutes, or accoring to the package directions. Drain the pasta thoroughly.

2.)In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Add the garbanzos and chicken broth. Stir until warmed through. Add the raisins and spinach. Heat just until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Don't overcook.

3.)Divide the pasta among the plates. Top each serving with 1/6 of the sauce, 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese and peppercorns to taste. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Analysis (per serving)
calories 347, cholesterol 1 mg, protein 11 g, sodium 341 mg, carbohydrate 62 g, fiber 7 g, total fat 7 g, potassium 426 mg, saturated fat 1 g, calcium 79 mg, fat 4 g

Macaroni and Cheese

This is probably one of my favorite mac and cheese recipes. I make it a lot. You will love it.

Macaroni and Cheese: chipotle chile pepper lends an unexpected but enticing kick to this classic comfort food made heart-healthier with a combination of reduced-fat dairy products

work time: 10 minutes/ total time: 45 minutes/ servings: 8

3 cups elbow macaroni
3 med scallions, chopped (1/4 c)
2 1/4 cups 1% milk, divided
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat (2%) sharp Cheddar cheese (10 oz)
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp chopped chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp dried bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp olive oil

1.) preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2.)prepare macaroni per package directions
3.) add scallions and 1 3/4 cups of milk to large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat while macaroni cooks. Whisk flour and remaining 1/2 cup milk in small bowl. Whisk milk-flour mixture into simmering milk. Cook, stirring, until thinkening. Remove from heat and gradually stir in Cheddar until smooth. Add sour cream, mustard, and chipotle pepper. Add drained macaroni, salt, and black pepper. Transfer to prepared baking dish.
4.)combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, and oil in small bowl. Sprinkle on top of macaroni and cheese. Bake 25 minutes or until bubbling and gold brown.

Nutritional Info per Serving 357 cal, 19 g pro, 43 g carb, 2 g fiber, 13 g fat, 6.5 g sat fat, 35 mg chol, 728 mg sodium

Lemony shrimp with white beans and couscous

I did not like this recipe. I am not a white bean fan but I decided to try this recipe anyway. This did not change my dislike for white beans.

Lemony shrimp with white beans and couscous
hands-on time: 20 minutes/total time: 20 minutes/ serves 4

1 10-ounce box couscous (1 1/2 cups)
Kosher salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1.)In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Stir in the couscous and 1.4 teaspoon salt. Cover and let sit off heat for 5 minutes; fluff with a fork before serving.

2.) meanwhile, heat 1 tablesppon for the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and scallions and cook for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until they begin to turn pink, about 3 minutes.

3.) Stir in the beans, parsley, lemon juicie, the remaining butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 reaspoon pepper. Cook until heated, through, 2 to 3 minutes. Servie with the couscous.

Per serving: 510 calories; 12 g fat (6 g saturated fat); 195 mg cholestrol; 810 mg sodium; 36 g protein; 66 g carbohydrates; 6 g fiber.

Farfalle with Mushrooms

In addition to writing my blog, I am going to post the recipes that I made. I will also let you know if I liked it, or I will never make it again. This is a good recipe and liked the taste a lot.

Farfalle with Mushrooms
Prep: 10 minutes/ Cook: 10 minutes
Makes 2 servings/ Servings size: about 1 3/4 cups

6 ounces dried farfalle (bow tie pasta)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced portobello or other fresh mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups thinly sliced fresh spinach
1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme
2 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese

1.) Cook farfalle according to package directions. Drain well.
2.)Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until mushrooms are nearly tender. Stir in spinach, thyme, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; cook 1 minute or until heated through and spinach is slighly wilted. Stir in cooked pasta; toos gently to mix. Sprinkle with cheese.

Per serving: 438 cal., 10 g total fat ( 2 g sat. fat), 4 mg chol., 172 mg sodium, 70 g carb., 8 g fiber, 18 g pro.

another good meal

Today was so beautiful outside. The temperature was about 40 degrees and sunshine. The best part was the sunshine. I went shopping and bought a nice spring outfit. A skirt and shirt to match. I also bought a white demin jacket. I was so excited because I lost my other one a trip. I like that I can wear this coat with almost anything.

I made a new meal tonight. It is called farfalle with mushrooms. Another simple recipe. I have so much leftover though. This is a good thing because I will not have to cook for awhile.

life

Hello all. Can you believe this winter? Never ending. I was suppose to go to Baltimore this past weekend, and unfortunately mother nature had other plans. I drove to Johnstown on Thursday evening just to say hello but ended up being there till Monday morning. The city got about 12 inches while I was there leaving me snowed in. Not a lot of fun. Everything in Johnstown closed which does not happen often. The movies even closed on Friday. I watched a lot of television. On Saturday evening, I finally got out for a little to see Up In The Air. This is a must see movie, dark comedy, George Clooney, you can't ask for more. However, I did not get to go to Baltimore. I hope to get down there soon, and spend some time with friends.

I tried a new recipe for leftovers. I have a lot of extra ham I had frozen and I used it a chicken cordon blue wrap. Another easy recipe and not that hard. Great way to use the ham. Nothing exciting with the food.

A bad thing in my life is my right foot. I have a collapsed cuboid bone. I have to get it popped back into place every morning at the physical therapy office. Not much fun, and it is pretty painful to walk right now. The bone being collapsed it putting extra pressure on tendons and my foot is upset because the bone is in the wrong place. Also, I hate this problem because I can not workout. I have to rest my foot. I hate not working out. I want to exercise, and I hate sitting around. The physical therapist says hopefully it will feel better in 3-5 days. I want it better today but I will have to behave.

A New Post, Again

I hate to admit this but I forgot I have a blog. My life has hit a lot of speed bumps in the past three months. Like I have stated many times before my job is terrible. Well, that will not be the case for long. I put my resignation letter in last Thursday. I will be at my current position for about another month. After that point who knows. A lot of factors went into my decision. The biggest thing is...I am unhappy. I need something more from my job, and I am going to figure out what that is. I do not have a job lined up but I am meeting with a career counselor to hopefully figure that out.

A huge reason I am taking this leap is my mom passed away at the end of January. The whole thing came as a shock to me and my family. I miss my mom terribly. I talked to her everyday. My mom definitely was able to help me get through this job. I could call her at anytime to talk, bitch, cry, or just whatever. Adding the sadness of my mom's passing with my distaste of my job has made a really tough month. I do not need to feel this way. So with all of those factors, I am going to try a new chapter in my life. I have a lot of support here in West Virginia and especially all of those at home and everywhere in between.

A new aspect I am going to add to my blog is my new recipe of the week. I like to cook but I always seem to be cooking the same recipes. So, I decided to pull a Julie and Julia and start cooking. I am pulling recipes from everywhere. If you have a suggestion pass it along.

My first recipe was lemon shrimp with white bean and couscous. Not a good recipe. I loved the shrimp and couscous but not the beans. I was trying something new with the beans. I typically do not like white beans but I thought with the lemon flavoring I would like it more but no such luck. The recipe tonight was Black Bean Enchiladas with spinach. This was an A+++ recipe. I made 8 enchiladas and ate three tonight. I can not wait to eat some more tomorrow for dinner. No idea what I am going to try next week but I will let you know.