Archives for 2011

Photos: Celebrating Madeline

March 9, 2011 · Narrative

Oh those eyes kill me sometimes.

I have no problem saying that my mind is like a sieve sometimes. I can recite my drivers’ license number by heart, but ask me what we had for dinner two nights ago and it is going to take some serious concentration. I have some friends, two in particular, who have steel-trap memories. Any time I need to remember a silly detail that I might have shared with Sarah, but have since forgotten, I know she remembers it. Sometimes she remembers things I’d like her to forget! ;) I totally wish my mind worked like that.

I think my memory used to be better. Perhaps pre-kids. Or when my mind wasn’t so full of 1,367 other things that I need to remember or be responsible for on a day-to-day basis. Part of the sucky memory is why I take so many pictures. Because when all else fails, a photo won’t. It can burn that cherished memory into your mind’s eye forever and a day. And you can look back and relive (and refresh) those memories when your mind just won’t conjure it up at will.

The kids seem like they’re growing up so fast. Some days I wish I could just freeze them at this age, so they don’t grow any bigger. Other days I just want to fast forward past some of their current growing pains. But I don’t ever want to forget all those little details. The details of them being them.

Here are just a few photo details from Madeline. Next Wednesday, it will be Nick’s turn. Oh, and yes, I could have totally edited out the little bits of dried milk (or frosting) and specks of food on her face, but that wouldn’t have been the point of this exercise. This is real life. This is her. Every day.

Feisty.
Opinionated.
Bossy.
Beautiful.
Tender.
Affectionate.
Cherished.
Mine.

Some days as she watches me put on make-up, she asks for a bit of eyeshadow for her eyes. Usually pink. Of course, I oblige. Her eyes are the color of her Dad’s, and I love watching her sleep. There’s nothing like watching a kid sleep.

Today she also asked for “soft pants,” her Cinderella shirt and her sparkly shoes. Oh, and a ponytail. We’re in a phase where ponytails are good. Thank goodness.

She loves stuffed animals.

When she’s tired, she still sucks two of her fingers.

She hates sleeping in her bed alone and usually convinces Nick to sleep in there with her, or she crawls into his bed. I asked them last year if they wanted to use one of their bedrooms for their beds, and the other for a playroom, but Nick opted for separate bedrooms. If both hadn’t been painted for their individual tastes, I would totally just put them together now. At least they’d be together, but in separate beds.

She gets a lot of use out of her playroom, often making me dinner in her kitchen or taking care of her babies. Sometimes, when she doesn’t want to eat dinner, she’ll tell me that she had dinner already. Because she made herself chicken in her kitchen. Right. She’s a crafty one.

Today she wanted to wear a ring, choosing a heart-shaped one because it matched the one I wear on my left hand. Oh those little chubby baby fingers. Sigh, and that purple ink-scribbled hand.

She hates to use soap when she washes her hands. For some reason, she will do it unprompted at school, but not at home unless I stand over her or remind her.

Those little baby toes.

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Preparing for Success

March 8, 2011 · Narrative

When it comes to meeting any goal head-on, whether it be health, fitness or otherwise, you absolutely, positively have to be prepared going in. If not, you are just setting yourself up for failure. Guaranteed. How can you succeed if you don’t have the proper tools?

The difference between the impossible and the possible
lies in a person’s determination.
– Tommy Lasorda

Since I started my massive “Cate overhaul” over a year ago, I’ve had friends ask me how they can get started. What I have been doing is not rocket science. I armed myself with the best tools possible for what I wanted to achieve and committed to it. I have given this nearly everything that I can, and then some, and have reaped the rewards because of it. But it’s nothing special. You can do it just as easily. As long as your going-in position is all about preparedness. How could you possibly succeed otherwise?

A good beginning makes a good end.
– English Proverb

You have GOT to have a good pair of sneakers. It doesn’t mean that you have to spend a fortune on them either. Truth be told, my go-to Zumba sneakers are a pair of $15 Danskin sneakers from Wal-Mart, which The Neighbor Husband calls my “lunchlady sneakers.” Hey, they do the job. So do these Rykas. I heart Ryka, a brand made for women by women. They mold to your feet like no other. Whatever your exercise routine is, make sure you get the proper sneakers for your activity. I have a few pairs I swap out, but have a soft spot for Ryka. In fact, I am still hanging on to my favorite pair, even though the holes in them mean my feet automatically get wet when it’s raining outside. Just can’t give them up.

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude
from achieving his goal, nothing on earth can help the man
with the wrong attitude”
– Thomas Jefferson

If you are heading out of the house for your work-outs, get thyself a gym bag. Again, it’s not about how much you spend. Five Below has some great Nike ones. Mine comes from TJ Maxx and was a whopping twelve bucks. Fifteen months later, even though I’ve grown tired of the design, it’s still going strong and is washable, a huge plus in my opinion. I keep my gym membership cards in the zippered pocket, as well as my iPod headphones, a few dollars and a couple granola bars, so the bag is ready when I am.

What you have to do and the way you have to do it is incredibly simple. Whether you are willing to do it, that’s another matter.
– Peter F. Drucker

Whatever your work-out of choice is, make sure you have the proper equipment before embarking on a new program. If you don’t, there will always be an excuse. Whether you need kettlebells (my newest obsession), resistance bands or a jump-rope, arm yourself with the necessities.

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”
– Beverly Sills

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Whether you’re on Weight Watchers, visiting Curves or a gym rat, the refrain is very commonplace … drink water, drink water, drink water. You are supposed to drink half your weight in water ounces a day. And that is if you’re not working out. Are you drinking enough? And if you’re working out, it should be even more. My Spin instructor said 40 ounces of water for 40 minutes of spin. And get yourself a refillable water bottle. Please. Enough of the disposable bottles. It kills me to see a garbage bin filled with them at the gym. First, they should be recycling them, and second, so much unnecessary waste. I’ve gone through a bunch of reusable sports bottles to find my favorite. These are from Costco. They were $18 for a package of three (although they have gone on sale for $15/set before). They are BPA-free and completely and positively leak-proof. They have a clip so you can attach them to your gym bag. Nick even takes one to school every day. Love them.

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Eat. Live. Be. #10: Listening to the Experts

March 7, 2011 · Narrative

This week’s Eat. Live. Be. topic is all about the experts… who do we listen from? Whose tips do we like? Who should we be listening to?

Honestly, this week’s topic comes at a good time for me, as I’m currently in the spot where I’m shaking things up a bit, fighting through any rut that I and my body might be in. A task that is much easier said than done. Last week, I bumped my average work-out totals from 7 hours to topping out at just under 11. And my body responded. I also added a Spinning class to my schedule. And I can’t put into words how much I hate spinning. I swapped out one of my weekend Zumba classes for a three mile hike instead. Little tweaks here and there to change up my regular regime and get things uncomfortable.

As for the experts, I listen to different experts for different things. I’m an ardent follower of Dr. Mehmet Oz. Such practical, easy to apply advice for the general health and well-being of your body. I like Jillian Michaels and Bob Greene for work-out tips. When it comes to food, I lean more and more on Michael Pollan. What about you? What experts do you glean the most from?

One small suggestion for you, as you make your way through your “get healthy” journey, go and “like” your favorite experts on facebook. Most of the ones I follow post regularly, and you’ll get all sorts of new ideas and motivation from seeing their updates. I know I do. From Jillian, particularly. While you’re at it, go “like” our Eat. Live. Be. page and come interact with us too. I also follow all of my instructors (Zumba, Spinning, etc.) … seeing them on facebook are like little subtle reminders of what I’m doing, what my goals are. I’m lucky in that I’ve sought out instructors that are personally invested in their students; they care about me meeting my goals and are quick to offer countless ideas and suggestions when I need help. And my (new) Spin instructor, in particular, gently guilts me into showing up at his class. It works. And I’m grateful for it.

To find out which experts my fellow ELBers turn to, please visit them at the below links:

Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
Joanne from Eats Well with Others
Chris Arpante – Melecotte
Faith – Blog Appetit
Casey – The Starnes Family
Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
Claire – Cooking is Medicine
Rivki Locker – Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
Jennifer Schulz – Lick-a-Plate
Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations

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Weekend Photos in Review

March 6, 2011 · Photos

This is the last shot of our weekend, and she looks like I feel. I wish if I fell asleep, someone would carry me upstairs, in the pouring rain, from the car.

Two hour Zumba fundraiser Friday night. And birthday dinner celebration here for one of Nick’s friends. Followed by catching up on freelancing deadlines. And pouring myself into bed at 3:30 Saturday morning.

A million errands Saturday, followed by a three mile walk and dinner for 10 Saturday night and two kids sleeping over. Kids that went to bed after 2:30 am. Which is when I finally gave up. Kids who got up at 6:30 am this morning. Ack.

Birthday party Sunday afternoon, followed by a celebration dinner.

Kids are bathed and in bed, and I am right behind them, operating on a bad case of sleep deprivation and a need to be one with my bed and the Tivo remote. I need a weekend to recover from my weekend. But good times, people, good times. Hope yours was much of the same.

Project 365
March 5, 2011, Photo #63

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Recipe: Carnitas Salad

March 4, 2011 · Narrative

I have been to Chipotle exactly three times. Each time, I’ve ordered the exact same thing. Rut much? But when it’s so very good, why deviate, right? After the last time that my friend Beth and I went, I decided to get to work on recreating my favorite dish at home. After all, it really was just a combination of a few different components, packed with fresh ingredients and clean eating to the very last bite. Why shouldn’t I enjoy it at home?

When you order the salad at Chipotle, you start with the base of lettuce and build from there, deciding on your meat option, which salsa you want, whether you want red beans or black, rice or not, corn or not, guacamole, sour cream and so on down the line. When I’m ordering, I go with carnitas (pork), black beans, fresh salsa, cilantro lime rice and guacamole. Although it comes with dressing, I swear you don’t need it. All the other flavors mingle together to do a happy little dance in your mouth without it. The salad is filling, utterly satisfying and guilt-free.

As far as a recipe goes, the most important one you need is for the carnitas. It’s super simple since it just hangs out in your crockpot. The pork is insanely tender, coming apart with just the touch of your fork after it’s done.

To assemble your dish? When serving, I put out lettuce leaves in a big bowl, and then separate bowls for the pork, black beans, fresh salsa, guacamole (avocado, cilantro, sea salt and lemon juice, that’s it people), and cilantro lime rice (last weekend, I used my own made up version, but I have since found this copycat version, which I’ll be trying tomorrow night). This way, everyone could build their Carnitas Salad the way they see fit. And now with the recipe below, you can too, so hop to it. It’s so very good, especially when all put together … your only regret will be not having had it sooner.

Project 365
March 4, 2011, Photo #62
Went to a fundraiser tonight at a new (to me) gym, which is, by all accounts, more like a spa resort than a place to go sweat. Loved this poster on the way out.

Bonus picture from Thursday night. Jamie taught the kids the art of eating whipped cream from a can. As you can tell by the look of pure joy on Madeline’s face, she was fighting every second of it….

Playing Catch-Up

March 3, 2011 · Narrative

Miss me? I get so accustomed to sharing here with you all five days a week, I am quickly lost when the site goes down. And I hold my breath until it comes back up. Apparently the host took it down because of some suspicious surge in traffic, and didn’t warn anybody before doing so. Luckily my ace designer got it back up, alive and well. Nice to see you all again! Moving on…

Just a little photo catch-up today, and then tomorrow I’ll share the recipe for the Carnitas Salad. A busy weekend is on the horizon… fundraiser and birthday dinner for one of Nick’s friends tomorrow night, sleepover and dinner for ten Saturday, a play on Sunday, along with the usual spate of gym work-outs, errands and enjoying sunshine. There are little peeks of blue skies and big white fluffy clouds lately, giving us a small taste as to what’s coming up, and this girl couldn’t be happier.

Project 365
March 1, 2011, Photo #59
Some of the robots that Madeline’s classmates made.

Project 365
March 2, 2011, Photo #60
If you’re a regular reader here, you know I have no problem with the occasional use of food coloring (or for us, gel food paste), but I draw the line at green ham. It makes my stomach turn just a little bit. This week is Read Across America in the schools, and Nick’s class had a Leprechaun Cafe celebration. No, I don’t quite know why we’re celebrating green and leprechauns three weeks before St. Patrick’s Day (there were also green bagels, as you’ll soon see), but yesterday was also Dr. Seuss’ birthday, hence the green eggs and ham. My mom and I went into Nick’s class to read with him and join the celebration, and I stopped in to Madeline’s class in the morning to read a Dr. Seuss book (Green Eggs and Ham, one of my favorites) to them as well.

These did not taste any better than they looked.

Some of Nick’s artwork in the school hall.

A wall of rainbows… oh how that makes my heart happy. I seriously wanted to take them all and bring them home so I could enjoy them, but I think the other kids might have been a bit upset with me.

Outside one of the younger grades’ classrooms. Don’t be surprised if this turns into an art project for my kids this summer. You know, when I get brave enough to do hand painting with them.

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Eat. Live. Be. #9: Portion Control

February 28, 2011 · Narrative

I am going to preface today’s post by saying I am likely to be zero help with this week’s Eat. Live. Be. topic: Portion control. Why? Because with the type of eating that I do (clean eating), there is no measuring, counting or weighing really. As long as you’re eating the right foods, you can have as much as you want. It’s one of the many reasons why it’s worked so well for me and why I love it so much. It takes all the guesswork and heck, just plain work, out of it and makes the whole approach very simple.

What do I mean by “the right food?” All natural. God made. Food in its purest sense of the word. Vegetables, fruit, protein, some carbs. For the most part, nothing processed, man-made or from a factory somewhere in middle America. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, chances are, I’m not eating it. Except in the rare jelly bean case of course. This girl has to have SOME indulgences. But as long as you’re sticking to REAL food, there is no portion reminder. Spinach, asparagus, shrimp, tilapia, oranges, bananas, nuts, eggs, the list is endless. You get the idea, I’m sure.

Of course I bend the rules a bit. I’m not kidding about the jelly beans. They’re on my desk as I type now, and I’m picking out the red, white, purple and pink ones before I send them along to my Mom. Ok, Madeline likes purple too, so I’m trying to share. But the way I eat probably encompasses about 90% of my choices. I reserve the extra 10% for the occasional indulgence.

There is a quote in Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food that sums up clean eating beautifully:

When you’re cooking with food as alive as this – these gorgeous and semi-gorgeous fruits and leaves and flesh – you’re in no danger of mistaking it for a commodity, or a fuel, or a collection of chemical nutrients … The cook in the kitchen preparing a meal from plants and animals at the end of this shortest of food chains has a great many things to worry about, but “health” is simply not one of them, because it is a given.

For more tips and tricks when it comes to portion control, check out my fellow ELBers at the below links:

Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
Joanne from Eats Well with Others
Maris Callahan – In Good Taste
Chris Arpante – Melecotte
Faith – Blog Appetit
Kristen – Dine and Dish
Jenna – Stop, Drop and Blog
Casey – The Starnes Family
Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
Tri-Fit Mom
Claire – Cooking is Medicine
Allison – Sweet Flours
Jen – NJ Epicurean
Leslie – The Hungry Housewife
Rivki Locker – Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
Claudia – Journey of an Italian Cook
Jennifer Schulz – Lick-a-Plate
Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations
Denise and Lenny – Chez Us

Before I forget, Nermeen asked in last weeks’ ELB post about the Salad Fixins’ I had a picture of … I got that at Costco. I think it was $7-8 for the bag. It’s made by Aurora Products.

Tomorrow? I’ll be sharing some details about the divine Carnitas Salad we had for dinner last night. Clean eating, guilt-free and super simple to make….

Weekend Photos in Review

February 27, 2011 · Narrative

Project 365
February 25, 2011, Photo #55

Project 365
February 26, 2011, Photo #56

I had to shoot a short video segment for two potential jobs that are coming up, and decided to make the rainbow cake as part of it. It took the better part of two hours to make a one minute and thirty five second video. Fits of giggles notwithstanding.

No, I didn’t buy them. But what will they think of next?

Went out Saturday night and three of us showed up with some sort of ruffles. Clearly ahead of the trends.

Project 365
February 27, 2011, Photo #57
The potholes in our county are insane, and I can’t wait for winter to be done so the state can get around to fixing them. The fence above? Had 23 hubcaps on it that had been victims of the pothole in front of their house.

Madeline is working on the letter R this week in school, so of course, Rainbow Covered Oreos have to make an appearance. Thank goodness for awesome friends who go above the call of duty and make these at 11:30 at night.
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Recipe: Five-Spice Shrimp and Rice Bowl

February 24, 2011 · Narrative

One of the tricks that my old trainer taught me was the key to making the quickest dinner (or lunch possible) … prep ahead. And this weekend, I actually got a chance to do that. I roasted two trays of vegetables (sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, red bliss potatoes and parsnips) and loaded them into small sealed containers.

But how does that become dinner? Simple. Add a protein and a carb, mix it all together and serve. The hard part (and really, roasting vegetables isn’t hard, it just takes a bit ‘o time) is done, so then during the week, when you’re a bit short on time, you just need to add the extras and you’re golden. Two dinners this week took less than 15 minutes.

1. For Sunday night’s dinner, I added Five-Spice Shrimp (recipe below) to roasted vegetables and brown rice. Once plated, I squeezed half a lemon over the whole thing and added sliced avocado and fresh chopped cilantro. It was perfect, and light (yet filling enough for a meal) and one of our guests remarked that it was one of her favorite meals here so far I mean, really, did you LOOK at that picture? It was sublime.

2. For a second dinner, I marinated some flounder in lemon juice, garlic, sea salt and parsley and again, added the roasted vegetables, brown rice and lemon juice.

For alternatives instead of brown rice, whole wheat cousous would be great, as would some quinoa. Mix and match the roasted vegetables. Add a sprinkling of fresh herbs and lemon juice over the top and call it a day. Or a meal. Crumbled turkey meat, wild salmon or grilled chicken would also be pretty awesome (in place of the shrimp or flounder) as well.

The key here, as with many meals, is to have some of your prep work done ahead of time, so when it’s time to start making your meal, it’s just a little bit of mixing and matching, a little bit of heating and a whole lot of devouring.

Project 365
February 24, 2011, Photo #54
Dear Grandma, thank you so much for the soft yellow duckling that plays the Bruno Mars song over and over and over again. I love it. My mom? Not so much. xoxo Madeline

PS – Want one more recipe before escaping for your weekend? These Banana Walnut Pancakes I have over on Betty Crocker’s website are the perfect start to your lazy Sunday morning, or a great treat for breakfast at dinner. Enjoy your weekend!

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Me + Giada in Redbook Magazine

February 23, 2011 · Narrative

Taking my fun moments to a national magazine level.

Kids! Gotta love ’em.

Tomorrow? I’ll be sharing the recipe for that delicious dinner that hit the table Sunday night … Five-Spice Shrimp and Rice Bowl. In the meantime, can you help out my friend Sarah and take her quick survey about family mealtime? See ya tomorrow!

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Recipe: Caramel Apple Dip

February 22, 2011 · Narrative

Caramel + Apples make up a perfect dessert that you’ll find yourself making again and again.

In the interest of full disclosure, I will readily admit a few things.

I hate apples. The kids eat them like there’s no tomorrow, and I will quite happily bake with them. But raw, like from your hand? No thank you. It’s a texture thing.

I am not a fan of caramel anything. Not Snickers, no caramel-coated apples. None of it. Hate the stickiness.

So when my friend Mary said she was bringing her Caramel Apple Dip to my Valentine’s Day party last week, I figured I was safe. Cupcakes, I would be tempted by. The occasional piece of chocolate, sure. But Caramel Apple Dip? Nah. And apparently I was totally 100% unequivocally wrong.

And darn her for leaving it here at the end of the night.

The “try anything once” rule is not only for my kids, but for me as well. Because if not for that, I wouldn’t have discovered that I actually don’t mind salmon sometimes, like brussels sprouts and have embraced the world of tilapia.

So at the end of our meal, when all the dessert was put out (and there was A LOT of dessert, fancy that!), I tried an apple dunked in the dip. And another. And another. Clean eating? Not so much. But hey, I ate apples! And I stand by the statement that a little indulgence is a good thing. If you deprive yourself too much, for too long, you’ll end up caving and eating far more of that “little indulgence” than you would have in the first place.

So, if you don’t like apples. Or caramel. I don’t care. Make this. Try it. And share it. Above all else, get it out of your house before you finish off the dish by yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

Project 365
February 22, 2011, Photo #52
Nick is off from school until Thursday, and celebrated by coming to the office today. Puzzles were used to break up the monotony of the schoolwork his Mom and Grandmother forced him to do. ;)

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Eat. Live. Be. #8 Healthy Snacks

February 21, 2011 · Narrative

Today the Eat. Live. Be. crew is tackling what we eat as healthy snacks. I could honestly give you a hundred different items, but I grabbed the camera and gave you some visual answers instead. These are some of the healthy snacks I have on hand, as of right this second, for a grab-and-go munch without the guilt.