‘Costco’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Recipe: Lofthouse-Style Cookies

March 28, 2012 · Narrative

This has been one of those weeks at the office where we are all, nearly literally, crawling to Friday.

That we were all supremely disappointed to find out that it was only Wednesday.

That a liquid lunch sounded like just the thing to take the edge off.

Except that it’s generally frowned upon.

The type of week that can only be saved by nearly three sticks of butter.

And a quick count to see just how many hours are left until Friday.

Have you heard of Lofthouse cookies? Funny. Every person that tried these had never heard of them before. I thought they were a little more widely known than that.

They are the giant, frosted, soft sugar cookies you can find in plastic clamshells at your local grocery store or Wal-Mart. Lofthouse got its start in 1994, and as it gained in popularity, it had added more items to its line, including gingerbread kits.

I found a copycat recipe for the cookies last week and, of course, pinned it to my cookies board on Pinterest.

Monday night, despite a very full day of work, school, CCD, and scouts, the recipe got made. Nick was out of the house for 12 and a half hours. Cookies make things like that better.

The recipe is super simple to make, and I even followed the directions enough to allow for an hour of dough chilling. Truth be told, I usually skip that step.

No patience whatsoever.

Especially with primadonna recipes.

Let alone primadonna people.

The recipe said 24 cookies. I eeked out 22. I also needed to let mine cook for a good 6-8 minutes past the suggested cooking time.

But they were good.

Sweet. Without being too sweet. Big. Almost too big.

We wrapped up a single cookie for three of the kids’ teachers. A plate full of them went into work. And a few more went to neighbors.

Just a few left at home for us.

Which is perfect.

When you want to eat your troubles away or give away a sweet treat just because.

Lofthouse-Style Cookies. You can grab the recipe right here.

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Recipe: Kid-Friendly Mini Meatballs

December 21, 2011 · Clean Eating, Eat. Live. Be., Narrative

No sooner did Mystic’s daughter finish the plate of mini meatballs and noodles last week did she ask when we could make it again. We scheduled it for today, which is perfect for this week’s edition of Eat.Live.Be. The “print” edition.

I found this recipe two years ago in an issue of Redbook magazine, from Giada DeLaurentiis. I like her recipes because a lot of them are perfect for easy, weeknight meals for your littlest picky eaters (just noticed she has a new title coming out in a few months with a weeknight theme as well). Although the recipe calls for ground chicken, I alternate between chicken and turkey, and both versions are scoffed up by all the kids. In fact, Madeline who adores most pasta of any kind, actually favors the meatballs more than the pasta, and asked for a meatball only lunch for tomorrow’s school day. A request I’m all too happy to fulfill.

I use a mini cookie scoop when forming the meatballs, which makes it really quick work, and not too fiddly to do after a long workday. The mini size works well for the kids, a nice bite without being too overwhelming, and they are super tender and flavorful, which is why they are so eager to scoff them up. A mostly clean eating, guilt-free recipe that has me just as eager to make them.

I usually serve them with this recipe for Orzo with Herbs, or mini noodles with a little chicken broth as the sauce (along with those wonderful brown bits scraped up from the bottom of the pan of meatballs).

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Recipe: Greek Couscous Salad

September 19, 2011 · Clean Eating, Narrative

I always did like a good couscous salad.

Unfortunately no one I know within sharing distance does.

Which, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t so terrible.

It just means I have to really, really, really be in the mood for couscous since it will take me several days of having it to get through eating the whole recipe.

When I put good food in my body, and by good food I mean food that’s good for you, I’m quickly reminded of how important that is. While Nathan’s cheese fries might be arguably good (and an infrequent weakness), it doesn’t quite fuel me in the same way that good-for-you food does. It’s why clean eating works.

Feta cheese.

Kalamata olives.

Jersey tomatoes (and making the last of farmer’s market goodness).

Chick peas. I could totally eat a can of chick peas. By themselves. By myself.

With full-on flavor coming from so many (simple) ingredients, it’s no wonder this shapes up to be a tasty dish. This recipe is stupid simple. Like so simple that if you like couscous, you should make this and eat it. And I hope you like couscous. Perfect for a side dish to your dinner or a light lunch for the week, it takes just minutes (like under 10) to make.

Earlier in the year, I joined the MyPanera club. The brainchild of the Panera restaurant chain, it’s free to join and they scan your key tag every time you visit and you get rewarded with free menu items. And apparently free recipes too, because that’s where this Greek Couscous Salad recipe originated from. Courtesy of the folks at Panera and my e-mail inbox.

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Playing Tourist: Seattle’s Market Theater Gum Wall

May 24, 2011 · Narrative

When Sarah and I were planning our trip to Seattle a few weeks ago, I asked one of the local Starbucks reps that we were working with to suggest a few off-the-beaten path things for us to do and visit while we were there. As soon as I saw her mention of Seattle’s gum wall, I was so in. I mean, visiting the Space Needle is a given. But a disgusting gum wall? Even better. Sarah, on the other hand, needed a bit more convincing. And that was before we knew it was voted the second germiest tourist attraction in 2009 (the Blarney Stone took top honors).

We knew the general area where it was, but not an exact location. As soon as I saw this graffiti-filled alleyway, I knew we were in the right place.

And I was right.

I thought it was awesome. In a disgusting sort of way. My inner germophobe might have been hurling just a bit, but it was just one of those fun things to cross off our virtual bucket list. Even though Sarah still swears this never appeared on her bucket list, I bet she’s secretly glad we went anyway.

It’s across the alley way from a little club, in the vicinity of a theater, and the start of a ghost tour (totally missed that! we’ll just have to go back). Back in 2008, Jennifer Aniston actually filmed a scene from Love Happens right by this very wall. If disgusting gum walls are your thing, there is another one in Cali that bears checking out. That one has been around a lot longer, with its inception dating somewhere around WWII. By comparison, the Seattle one “officially” started in 1999, after locals were unsuccessful in getting people to stop putting gum there.

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Eat. Live. Be. #14: What Supplements Do You Take?

April 18, 2011 · Narrative

“Can I ask you a personal question?”

I braced myself.

“All those pills you take… is everything ok?”

“In that little green container?”

“Yes, the one with the days of the week on it.”

“Oh yes, everything is fine. Those are just all the supplements and vitamins I take.”

“Ahh, gotcha.”

And then I rattled off what the container held so there wouldn’t be cause for worry. My friend had every right to be concerned though. I’ll be the first to admit it, I take a lot of stuff. It was such an inordinate waste of time opening up all the bottles every day, when a co-worker suggested getting a pill dispenser to ration out my daily pills, it was one of those “duh, why didn’t I think of that?” moments. But it definitely makes it look like something is seriously wrong with me if you don’t know better.

I have always taken a multi-vitamin and extra Vitamin C. That’s a given. Over the past year and a half, I have seriously upped the regime to include fish oil supplements, calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin B-12, flax seed and green tea supplements. I even had to upgrade to the XL pill dispenser after just a few weeks. But the thing is, I’ve only been sick once (last week, as a matter of fact) in the past 18 months, so I have to believe that what I’m doing works.

Fish Oil – lowers your triglycerides, lowers blood pressure, prevents and treats arthritis and promotes healthy joints.
Calcium – helps keep bones healthy, and per Dr. Oz, most people don’t get enough calcium from their food sources.
Vitamin B-12 – helps develop your red blood cells and is used to make the protective coating around your nerves; it plays a key role in brain and nervous system development and the metabolism of cells.
Flaxseed Oil – studies show it can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Vitamin D – essential for the growth and development of bones and teeth, and protects against multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune conditions. A higher intake of vitamin D has been associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer in women.
Vitamin C – stimulates the immune system, helps prevent and treat infections and diseases, aids in the production of white cells, helps form and maintain collagen (the basis of your connective tissue) and even assists in lowering your cholesterol.
Green Tea – promotes increased metabolism and aids in weight loss.

I keep the Vitamin C tablets separate (since they’re soft, they don’t do well mixed with the others when I ration out the week ahead), so I take those at work, along with two of the three green tea supplements.

With the way I and the kids eat, I know we’re getting a ton of vitamins from all the fruits and vegetables we eat, but I don’t think it’s enough, and studies have shown that even if you’re hitting all your marks with the proper amount of recommended daily amounts of fruits and vegetables, it’s still not enough. This regime just bumps it up a notch, and as a single mom, I just can’t afford to get sick. Who will take care of me and the kids? :)

I’m not quite sure why it’s necessary to write the days of the week beneath the letter of each day. My first thought, because it’s raised, was that it would help those that are blind, but my smaller dispenser doesn’t have the days written out on it.

I’ve priced out most of the supplements, checking online and stores when they have their sales combined with coupons, and Costco seems to have the best deal for the ones I’ve researched. No surprise there. If you stock up there, just be sure to check the expiration date against how many pills you’ll have to consume before they expire. I haven’t had any issues, but just something to be aware of.

I’m one week behind on my ELB posts since I wasn’t posting last week, so I will do this week’s topic (what’s on our playlists) later this week. To find out what’s on the iPods of my fellow ELBers (and what supplements they do or do not take, from last week’s topic), please visit them at the below links:

Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
Joanne from Eats Well with Others
Chris Arpante – Melecotte
Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
Claire – Cooking is Medicine
Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations
Rivki from Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
Claudia from Journey of an Italian Cook
New Jersey Epicurean

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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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Project 365 – The Final Frontier

December 31, 2010 · Narrative

So I started Project 365 on January 1, 2010. A picture every day, depicting something in our life. I didn’t count any of the photographs that were included in the nearly-daily posts during the year. I wanted them separate, as a bit of an additional challenge. I also put all the weekend photos in one Sunday night blast, and didn’t count any of those as my daily photo requirement.

All that to say … that even after the 14 pictures that I’m sharing from today, I am now at #353. But in theory only. Because if I went back and counted the weekend photos, I would well have exceeded the challenge. So that’s going to have to do.

Here we are, the last day of 2010. This year has certainly been an interesting one, filled with highs and lows, challenges and surprises, happy moments and sadness. Goals met. Goals not met. But we made it. And with all my blessings, truly I cannot complain. Although I have been known to say I think I’ve had enough challenges this year thankyouverymuch, and perhaps maybe it could be someone else’s turn next year…?

I have parted ways with some friends, and rekindled relationships with old and dear ones. I have re-evaluated. Taken stock. Cleaned house in every sense of the word and lived to tell about it. We’re on the threshold of 2011 and I’m insanely curious to see what it holds in store for me. For you. For all of us. A lot can happen in a day. A week. A year! There is magic ahead. Love. Life. It’s a clean slate for all, to start fresh, start over or just continue where you left off. The choice is yours… and it begins … NOW. Welcome 2011!

Project 365
December 31, 2010, Photos #340-353
It takes longer to pry the kids away from the 3-D tv display at Costco than it does to just pick up the photos I ordered.

Both kids got seriously shorn today, with one ending up in tears. I love a hairdresser that makes house calls. Best discovery ever.

A quick bite to eat with the kids. Well, me. Because my kids wouldn’t eat their lunch. Shocking.

Thank you, FireMom, for reminding me of the wonder that is eBay. This little one arrived today – love it. But Hallmark, can we have a word? When you want to charge $9.95 for an ornament, would it seriously kill the budget to attach A LITTLE PIECE OF STRING OR RIBBON TO IT for hanging purposes? I mean, c’mon!…

Recipe: Pumpkin Bread

December 15, 2010 · Narrative

As I made this recipe again tonight, I realized that I hadn’t shared it with you. Even though Thanksgiving and pumpkins are long gone, that’s no excuse not to make it. Canned pumpkin is still readily available, and in this season of giving and gifting, this is the perfect recipe to make. It makes two loaves: one for you, one to wrap up for a neighbor.

I’m usually not a big fan of sweet bread recipes, but this one is the surest way to make anyone a convert. Toast up a slice in the morning and spread on the thinnest layer of butter … mmm, delish. Nick likes to take a warm slice with him on the way to the bus stop in the morning, so a loaf doesn’t last long.

Project 365
December 15, 2010, Photo #275-279
Snack time at Costco. Babybel cheese, Gouda cheese and Stacy’s Naked Pita Chips. I just read something recently about all the different things that you can taste at Costco, and for some of the warehouses that had more to-try booths, the calorie count, if you tried everything, was like 1800 – ouch!

After dinner art time with Jamie.

Madeline’s class is working on the letter I this week, so I made a batch of cupcakes with buttercream frosting (her color choice) featuring a few “I” words.

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Got Leftover Cranberries? Make Nantucket Cranberry Pie

December 7, 2010 · Narrative

I won’t lie. I still have leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving. Even after I made another batch of Cranberry Conserve. And Cranberry Almond Bars. And Cranberry Broccoli Salad. It seems those giant bags of cranberries from Costco are way more giant than I give them credit for. So you know I was more than a little stoked when I saw this recipe for Nantucket Cranberry Pie on The Pioneer Woman’s website, adapted from a Laurie Colwin recipe.

I was planning to write about something else today, saving the pie for later in the week, but after my Mom tasted it and said she did everything but lick the plate, I figure I should share it right away. You know, in case you are also left with cranberries from the giant bag you bought at Costco.

And, um, yeah, if you have any awesome cranberry recipes you’d like to share, I’m all ears, because, believe it or not, I still have a cup or so of cranberries left. Whatcha got for me?

Project 365
December 7, 2010, Photos #248-256
Meg had a post the other day about “keeping it real,” and I thought it was a great reminder. Sometimes when visiting blogs, everything can look perfect … adorable kids, homecooked meals nightly, a from-the-pages-of-a-catalog decorated home, a big dose of Keeping Up with the Jones’, but the reality is, we all have dirty dishes. We just assume you know. This is what it looked like when I left the house this morning. We were on the verge of running late because someone had a meltdown about an outfit. On a day like today, a burglar could break into the house and think “oh shoot, someone beat me to it.” It was just the kitchen that looked this bad, but I hated dashing out on it just as much as I hated coming home to it.

And the other side of the kitchen? Piles of clean laundry that are waiting for the Magic Laundry Fairies to cart upstairs and put away. Real life, peeps.

“Mom, Eli is my best dog ever.” Had to get a picture when she said that. Too cute. (Of course, this was 4 hours after her grubby little tear-stained face left the house. Reality check and all.)

Breakfast. Whole grain deli flat, peanut butter, sliced banana, drizzle of honey. Fiber, protein, good carbs, slight sweetness, perfect.

Love this. A friend stopped over tonight to drop off a thank you gift in the form of two new additions to our kitchen food and drink tree.

“Mom, I’m a good helper.” Sometimes yes, sometimes not so much. This week, they are studying the letter H in school, and a cookie topped with a Hershey Kiss seemed like a perfect treat for her to bring in. A new recipe from the folks at Hershey, but truth be told, I’m not a fan. To the point that I’m debating about tossing them and making something else tomorrow.

Sometimes cute just isn’t enough.

Remember the Family Circus cartoons in the Sunday paper? The mom would find a huge mess and all the kids would yell “not me,” and there was a drawing of a little ghost figure wearing a shirt that said “not me” on it. That was us today. The Not Me Ghost visited our kitchen and accidentally spilled half a box of Wheat Thins on the floor and scurried away before being caught.

Do You Edamame?

October 22, 2009 · Narrative

I try to take certain opportunities to taste new food items. This weekend, I spied a salad on the restaurant menu that had golden beets and polenta croutons. I knew and liked the rest of the ingredients in the salad, so that was the perfect time to try two new things I hadn’t had before. The beets weren’t bad, although I’m not going to be craving them anytime soon, and that might have had more to do with the preparation than the actual beet. The polenta croutons? Yum.

Last year, while at a moms’ night out, the restaurant we visited served edamame as a snack in the beginning of the meal. It was my first time for edamame, and I was hooked. Addicting little suckers, they’re quick to deshell and pop in your mouth. Not a strong taste at all, it’s a mild little bite. I thought the kids might think it was fun to try to get the pods out of the shell, so I kept an eye out for them at the grocery store the next time I went. They were harder to find than I thought! (I have since learned that Costco sells them sometimes too, so that’s another good resource)

The first time I put them on the dinner table, I got suspicious glances all around. I mean, really, they’re green, so it must be a vegetable, right? And vegetables are sometimes harder sells than they need to be. I showed them (and The Husband) how to pop the pods out, gave everyone their own small pile and they went to town. All of them. One after another popped into their mouths, the piles replenished and the stash quickly diminishing. Halfway through, I suggested a contest to see who eats the most.

Guess who won?
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