GYRO BURGERS WITH TAHINI SAUCE

Posted on February 11, 2009 by Jenn

Last night, we had another cooking experiement, and it was a success again! Thank you myrecipes.com! We made Gyro Burgers with Tahini Sauce, and we substituted ground turkey for ground beef and tzatziki sauce for tahini sauce. The tzatziki was fresh from Tangiers, a local grocery store and really made the meal! We also had one piece of Dove Dark Chocolate each. If you know me, you know that is some real self control. Ryan says that since we’re trying to work on our cholesterol, we should have a small glass of red wine and a piece of dark chocolate every night. Hopefully the doctor agrees! The Dove chocolates always have an inspirational line written inside the wrapper and Ryan’s was “Early detection saves lives.”

Gyro Burgers with Tahini Sauce

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning
  • 4 pita rounds
  • 4 lettuce leaves
  • 8 large tomato slices
  • 4 thin red onion slices
  • Tahini Sauce
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese

Preparation

Combine beef and seasoning. Shape into 4 patties.

Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until beef is no longer pink.

Cut off 2 inches of bread from 1 side of each pita round, forming a pocket. Line each with 1 lettuce leaf, 2 tomato slices, and 1 red onion slice. Add burger. Drizzle each with 2 tablespoons Tahini Sauce, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Southern Living, AUGUST 2003

Posted in Recipes | 3 Comments

MONDAY NIGHT COOKING EXPERIEMENT

Posted on February 10, 2009 by Jenn

Tonight I made Jasmine Rice-Stuffed Peppers from Cooking Light, via The Mattatall Newlywed Cookbook. They were delicious! And the perfect portion for us to each have them again tomorrow for lunch. Yum!

Jasmine Rice-Stuffed Peppers

This recipe calls for green bell peppers, but feel free to use any color you like. Jasmine rice adds fragrance to this dish, but you can substitute basmati or another long-grain rice. Remove the seeds from the jalapeño if you prefer milder flavor. Serve with salad.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 pepper halves)

Ingredients

  • 4 large green bell peppers
  • Cooking spray
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, minced
  • 1/2 cup uncooked jasmine rice
  • 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups tomato sauce, divided
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 2/3 pound ground sirloin, extra lean
  • 1/3 pound ground turkey breast

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes, leaving the stems intact. Place on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan, cut sides up.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeño to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Add rice, and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely.

Combine rice mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/4 cup cheese, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until blended. Spoon about 1/2 cup meat mixture into each pepper half. Spoon remaining 1 cup tomato sauce evenly over peppers. Cover and bake at 400° for 45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese; bake 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Domenica Marchetti, Cooking Light, AUGUST 2006

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BYE BYE BACON

Posted on February 8, 2009 by Jenn

We recently took blood tests, and were weighed and our height was measured, to determine our eligibility (and pricing) for life insurance. On Friday, our broker called us to say that Ryan had come in one pricing structure higher than she had quoted us, which almost doubled the price! The actual test results are in the mail, but she said that his cholesterol is high. I started reading, and started getting worried. Once the numbers come, we’re going to go see Dr. Brodie to discuss. And if he gets the number down, he can retake the blood test next year to qualify for a lower rate. So, today, I was off to Aldi to stock up on cheap fruits and veggies so I can take care of my husband and make sure we live a long and healthy life together, just like we promised we would!

(Ignore the beer!)


I had a fun “girls’ day” yesterday – saw He’s Just Not That Into You and had yummy sushi at Natori. I also got started reading my book club book. I just wish someone would clean the house for me – and I wouldn’t have to pay them. Only then would my weekends be truly perfect.
Posted in Cooking | 2 Comments

MY BAD DOG

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Jenn

A lot of nights by the time I am home, Ryan has already left for a rehearsal or a gig. Usually he leaves me a note on the counter to let me know if the dog has already eaten or if I need to feed her. Or he’ll call or text me to say, Izzie has already eaten, and don’t let her tell you otherwise. Today, she today me herself that she had not yet eaten:

And of course after I fed her, she went right in and ate the cat food. Bad. Dog.

Posted in Izzie | 1 Comment

I KNOW THIS ISN’T FACEBOOK

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Jenn

There’s this thing going around Facebook now. You’re supposed to post a note with 25 random things about yourself. I filled them out on Facebook, but couldn’t bring myself to post it. It just felt too open. I have too many professional contacts on Facebook. I know that technically this is more open, but I have a feeling less people would see it here (even though there’s a link on my Facebook profile to this blog). So here it goes . . .

1. I sometimes feel like I have an anxiety issue, although I don’t think I’ve ever had a full blown anxiety attack. My freak outs are usually emotional with little physical complications. See #2.

2. I have an obsession with picking up the house. Not cleaning, just putting things in their places. I am not sure if this is my Montessori upbringing, or just a case of undiagnosed OCD. When I get home, I have to put all of my stuff away. The dishes have to be clean before I go to bed. But I’ll leave the cat box a literal sh*thole. Putting things in their place might be my equivalent of an eating disorder. It’s easy for me to control.

3. I wish the same thing every time I wish something – when I see a shooting star, when it’s 11:11pm, when I blow out candles. I’ve been wishing the same thing for almost 13 years now. If I die still wishing it, then it will have come true.

4. I stopped biting my fingernails several years ago, I can’t remember exactly when. But I usually have at least one fingernail that I let myself bite when I need to.

5. I miss my parents so much, but have no desire to move back to Florida unless I win the lottery and never have to dress up for work in such a hot place.

6. I can’t imagine having children without my mother close by.

7. I sometimes fear that motherhood and working will be too exhausting for me. Sometimes I feel like life is too exhausting for me. (I am NOT pregnant)

8. Since the New Year:
– I have flossed every night.
– I haven’t even had a sip of soda and it’s been so hard.
– I have not microwaved anything, except at work.

9. I can really relate to Dane Cook’s “crying” stand up routine.

10. My dad and some of my other relatives call my Jeffiner. But no one else is allowed to. Ever.

11. I think I still see myself as the skinny girl from high school, even though I know so well that I am not.

12. It really scares me when I can’t remember things. My husband sometimes says, remember that time when . . . and I have no idea what he’s talking about. In my defense, I have over 13 years of memories with him.

13. I don’t know how people can go on living after the death of someone close. Sometimes I picture what my life would be like if I lost my husband, but I just see myself curled up in a ball in my bed. I have never lost anyone who I saw on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis.

14. All my life I have pictured the worst, because I feel like if I expect it to happen, it never will.

15. Someday I’ll send my secret to Post Secret. It’s not that bad, but I think it would hurt someone I love to know I butted in. I haven’t sent it yet, because I don’t feel like I can come up with a creative enough way to display it. Also, I’m chicken.

16. I get kidney stones. They suck. But I haven’t had them in a while. One time I had to strain my pee for weeks in hopes of catching a stone.

17. I never wear makeup. I don’t even own any.

18. I am jealous of people who have their whole families close, but I haven’t made an effort to move closer to mine yet.

19. I feel really bad that I don’t give Jasper as much attention now that we have Izzie.

20. When I don’t like a present or know I won’t use it, I return it immediately or give it to Goodwill. That’s one big advantage to living far away from family.

21. I miss the days when I didn’t have to wear a bra.

22. I hate being a grownup. I wish someone else would take care of my grown up stuff and I could just live like every day is Saturday.

23. I consider myself a nice person, and I get so upset if I realize I’ve made someone else feel bad. I also get really upset thinking back on some of the things I did as a kid to make others feel bad.

24. I speak to my mother on the phone almost every day on my way home from work.

25. I still can’t believe I’m married. I wanted to be married for so long. Now I realize, I pretty much already was. (Our 1 year Anniversary is in less than 2 weeks)

Posted in Family, Florida, Izzie, Jasper, Life, Wedding, Work | 1 Comment

FEBRUARY BOOK

Posted on February 3, 2009 by Jenn

I am a little late getting started, but finally picked up a copy of our February Book Club Book – The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. Although I staked out the library for a few weeks, this book is popular and new, so I was not able to get it there. I finally broke down and bought it at Borders, hence only having 2 weeks to read it. I was also trying to finish up Seven Years in Tibet, but that is so not happening. I’ll be happy to finish that one by 2010 (although it is good and getting better as he gets closer to meeting the Dalai Lama). Even though it stinks to pay $22 for a book I don’t know if I like, there is something wonderful about reading a book in hard cover (and owning it). I picture myself sitting in my study/library one day with all my hard cover books around me, drinking tea, and relaxing (because I am so rich I have quit working, of course). What a nice relaxing visual a hardcover book conjures up for me.

We had a fabulous weekend, lots of social engagements! Friday night we went to a wonderful performance by Robert Black. He played a bunch of short pieces and didn’t stop for applause between them. It was weird to listen to a whole recital without clapping once. And to have one piece flow into the next was really cool. On Saturday, we had some new (outside of work) friends over for Game Night. I sampled the Irish Red Ale from Thomas Hooker Brewery and it was delicious (look for a brewery tour review coming soon)! Sunday, we went to a hilariously fun get together at a (relatively) new book club member’s house and the Superbowl actually held my attention past halftime.

Last night’s dinner idea came from accidentally buying gorgonzola instead of bleu cheese for the Superbowl dip. We made Gorgonzola-Walnut Fettuccine with Toasted Breadcrumbs. It was really light and yummy. We added chicken and are considering create a cream sauce for it next time.

My current “want” is some sort of neat, creative, fun, quirky way to store my recipes. I am on the lookout for a mini dresser with little wooden drawers, so that I can keep desert recipes in one, crock pot recipes in another, and so on. My “on deck” project is to organize my recipes and purge ones I don’t use, etc. I have a feeling finding fun storage for them will help me get motivated for this little project.

Gorgonzola-Walnut Fettuccine with Toasted Breadcrumbs

Ingredients

  • 1 slice day-old hearty white bread (such as Pepperidge Farm), torn
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
  • 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 250°.

Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 2/3 cup. Place breadcrumbs on a baking sheet. Bake at 250° for 30 minutes or until dry.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic, and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove garlic mixture from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Return pan to heat. Stir in breadcrumbs; cook 6 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring mixture frequently.

Cook the fettuccine according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Place fettuccine in a large bowl. Add the breadcrumb mixture, parsley, Gorgonzola, walnuts, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper; toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2003
Posted in Book Club, Friends, Recipes, Shopping | 3 Comments

MY FAVORITE YOGA POSTURE

Posted on January 28, 2009 by Jenn

Last night Sarah and I went to Power Yoga at our local yoga studio. We weren’t sure if “Power” was right for us, but it was the only night this week that fit into both of our schedules. It was quite a challenge – people were doing head stands while doing a split in the air! At one point I decided my palms are just too sweaty for this many ‘downward dogs’ – I felt like I was sliding all over the place and my wrists were killing me. Someone once showed me a ‘dolphin’ (I think!) as a good option to downward dog where you don’t put stress on your wrists. I can never remember what all the poses are called. I need a cheat sheet. Maybe I’ll add a basic yoga book to my to read list for this year. However, I do know my favorite. It’s called Savasana. Savasana is a yoga asana often used to begin and conclude a yoga session. It is a relaxing posture intended to rejuvenate one’s body, mind and spirit.

I’m hoping to focus myself back on fitness and healthier eating and try to push all the negative energy I have been having out of my brain. I am fine at home, I just tend to dwell on the negative during the workday instead of letting things go. This is the first time in my life (or at least in a long time) that I haven’t had something to look forward to – no vacation plans, plane tickets, time off, etc. Although, I should be looking forward to every day of my life when I wake up! I am such a long term planner, I should just focus on the short term and live in the moment – my biggest challenge in life. See I even put living in the moment in the big picture, and I make plans to live in the moment! See, that’s why I like savasana. It’s about the only time when my mind is clear.

Posted in Exercise, Yoga | 1 Comment

THE HOLIDAYS ARE OFFICIALLY OVER

Posted on January 26, 2009 by Jenn

I have quite my second job, my holiday job. I was still employed there, but had only been scheduled once in about 3-4 weeks and it was just getting to be to much to keep my weekends free and have to call every Thursday to find out if I’d be working that week. It feels good to shed the extra responsibility. However, reading about how economists think it’s going to get worse before it gets better is scary and makes me think back, with my stomach turning, about this holiday season, and the weeks leading up to it. I really hope that was the worst. I really hope things start to pick back up.

Posted in Work | 2 Comments

BABIES ON THE BRAIN

Posted on January 25, 2009 by Jenn

I can’t get babies off the brain lately. How can you blame me, they are all around me. And they are adorable. I guess they aren’t really ALL around me. A friend at work is pregnant, and I am enjoying every second of watching her belly grow on a daily basis. I have never known someone who was pregnant that I saw almost every day of their pregnancy. I think it’s pretty neat. One of the blogs I read almost every day will soon become the blog of not only a wife, but also a mother. And of course there’s our newest and most adorable addition to Book Club, Luke. I am so enjoying spending time with Luke, and learning about motherhood from Jenna. Also, at work, we’ve been championing a short term disability insurance plan that would essentially act as maternity leave, which is great, since they haven’t figure out what actual paid maternity leave will be yet. I am not saying I am ready to have a baby, but I am sure am thinking about it (and talking about it) a lot lately. I guess that means I am almost a grown up. Double yuck.

Posted in Babies | 2 Comments

MEN ARE FROM MARS

Posted on January 24, 2009 by Jenn

My husband doesn’t read my blog. I would be constantly reading his, if he had one. It’s not that I am the jealous type, because I am certainly not. I would just want to know what he was writing, what he was feeling about things, and what things he was pondering. It’s not that he doesn’t tell me those things, he does. I just think it would be interesting to read his writing. I like reading his reviews of books on Goodreads. In college, he had to create a website about himself, and I loved visiting it. Now he has a real live website. And I love visiting that too. It’s just interesting how different we are in that respect. I think he’s just more private. And don’t even try to tell me he really does read my blog. A few days ago he actually apologized for not reading, and asked me if I cared. Of course, I said No.

Posted in Blogging | 1 Comment