Daily Craving

I am pregnant (again). My cravings are not as strong this time and they are generally more healthy. This is a good thing because I am determined that I am going to gain a lot less weight than I did the first time around. I also have more tools to help me loose weight after the baby. One of these tools is "The O2 Diet" by Keri Glassman. I bought this book after I read about it in a magazine (Women's Health, I think). One of my favorite recipes in the book was a salad recipe and I recent started having a craving for it, so here it is:

Quick Cobb Salad
ORAC Value: 3,200
Makes 1 serving
Ingredients
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon grapeseed oil
1⁄4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill
2 cups chopped red leaf or romaine lettuce
1⁄2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1⁄4 cup thinly sliced cucumber, quartered
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped avocado
1 tablespoon shelled raw or roasted sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
2 slices (2 ounces) roasted prepackaged or deli-sliced turkey
2 slices (2 ounces) uncured prepackaged or deli-sliced ham
Directions
Combine the lemon juice, oil, and dill in a small bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Set aside.
Toss the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, avocado, sunflower seeds, and cheese with the reserved dressing in a medium bowl.
Lay 1 slice of the turkey flat on the work surface. Layer the ham slice flat on top, then the remaining turkey and ham slices, and tightly roll up. Slice the meat roll crosswise into thin pinwheels and scatter them on top of the salad.

I mixed the onion with the olive oil and lemon juice so it would become part of the dressing. I also could not find my sunflower seeds so I used some pine nuts I found in the freezer. I am not a fan of dill and I dislike raw onions but for some reason I really, really like them in this salad. http://www.nutritiouslife.com/recipes/?cat=4&paged=2

I saw Martha Stewart do this on her show before Easter and I had to try it.
These are my candy terrariums. I had so much fun picking the candy I wanted to use and assembling them.

That little white guy is made of marzipan, so yummy!

P.S. I actually did this project before Easter but I am just now getting around to posting it. Also, I tried to take better pictures but it is hard to take a picture of curved glass:-(

Glitter, anyone?

Some time ago I saw a post on a blog(sorry, I can't remember which one) about glittering animal shaped children's toys. It looked really fun and fancy and I vowed to try it one day. I haven't found a toy that I think deserves glitter. However, when I was organizing my craft stuff I found the plastic Easter eggs that we used last year. It occurred to me that it would be equally fun and fancy to glitter said eggs. Here are the results.

Here is the bulk of the supplies.

I also used: a foam brush to apply the glue, tooth picks to hold the eggs as I applied the glue and glitter and to hold them while they dried, and I used a block of green florist's foam to keep them upright as they dried.

I tried a couple of different techniques before realizing that the simplest one worked the best. At first I added water to the glue so it would spread better. The water made the glue not adhere to the plastic:-( I tried spray adhesive. The glitter didn't stick very well to it, also I had a hard time spraying the egg without spraying my fingers.:-(:-( Finally, I used the glue at regular strength. Oh well. I think I was just looking for an excuse to use spray adhesive.

I had some really chunky glitter and I thought it would be fun if I tried it on one egg. I ended up with...

a tranny egg.

Family Dinner

I really enjoy cooking. Fortunately, I married a man who also enjoys cooking. I am lucky enough to live near my mother and sisters so we like to get together frequently for dinner. On Sunday my husband and I made shrimp and grits, steak with chimichurri sauce, and pureed cauliflower. My mom made incredible green chili, chicken enchiladas.

The weather has been beautiful the past couple of weeks and it has brought the spring flowers into bloom. My sister made this wonderful arrangement out of the flowers in my backyard.

That evening, it was warm enough for us to eat our dinner outside.

I like food.

Chimichurri Sauce

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons chopped mint

2 teaspoons chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

salt and pepper to taste

The instructions say to chop everything finely and mix well, but I am lazy,( or industrious, however you want to look at it) so I put everything in the food processor.

I found the recipe in The O2 Diet

I will post the recipe for the shrimp and grits some other time.

Getting Organized

I don't really make New Year's resolutions, but this year I want to get my house and life in order. My husband and I can be pretty messy at times so this year I want us to get out of the habit of making piles around the house. This is my first attempt at decluttering my dining room. Sorry, no before picture, too embarrassing! There was a small shelf to the right under the picture but it was eliminated in the fist wave of baby proofing.

This is my favorite piece of furniture. My husband bought it for me as a birthday present

Baby Proofing

I need a hutch. I have been collecting milk glass for several years. Walking into my kitchen and seeing it displayed on a shelf makes me happy. Unfortunately, my eight-month-old thinks that I put them, and other dishware that is too pretty to shut up in a cupboard, there so she can play with them. So, I need a hutch. On our last trip to S.F., my husband and I spied a few that we both liked. Our favorite was a display(but also for sale) piece at Anthropologie(one of my favorite stores!). I have convinced my husband of the necessity of a hutch and now have only to find one that is reasonably priced and appealing to both of us. Two of these follow the criteria, the other...well, a girl can dream.

Mission Statement

I would like this blog to be a place where I can organize my thoughts, share my opinions, and show off my projects. I welcome all comments and constructive criticism. I love spending time with my family. I enjoy making and eating food. I appreciate fashion, and I have fun making my home a beautiful and comfortable place.