Wow! Whining?

  So, recently Madison has been doing a lot more whining than normal. Her favorite is the "I waaaant it". It just seemed to come out of nowhere. I can handle crying, but whining just shatters my core. I am amazed at how fast her vocabulary is picking up and how much more I am able to understand what she is asking of me. She will be turning 2 next week, but she will always be my little bundle of joy.
  So, I was thinking about doing a different kind of blog along with this one. I wanted to do a blog that focused on restaurants that I have visited and rating them certain criterias such as venue, menu selection, quality and taste, and service. What do you guys think? Your feedback would be appreciated.
  Speaking of food, last night I tried a recipe for chicken. Being that I only eat chicken and fish, I am always on the hunt for yummy recipes for that good old barn yard pimp. Last night I made Braised Chicken with Leeks and Tomatoes. This was the first time I ever cooked with leeks and dish was great. I had to add more salt to the recipe than what it called for, but that was the only negative. Enjoy!

Braised Chicken with Leeks

From Woman's Day

Clocking in at 295 calories per serving, this recipe is hearty and healthy, featuring chicken, leeks, carrots and plum tomatoes in a fragrant wine broth with dried rosemary and thyme.

By Woman's Day Kitchen

Nutritional Information

(per serving)

Calories	295
Total Fat	11g
Saturated Fat	3g
Cholesterol	101mg
Sodium	681mg
Total Carbohydrate	17g
Dietary Fiber	2g
Sugars	n/a
Protein	32g
Calcium	--

Alan Richardson

 

• 2 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon(s) each salt and pepper
• 1 3 3⁄4-lb chicken, cut in eighths; skin removed
• 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 1 tablespoon(s) butter
• 4 leeks (2 lb) white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise, diagonally sliced crosswise, rinsed and dried
• 1 cup(s) diced carrots
• 1 tablespoon(s) minced garlic
• 1 cup(s) chicken broth
• 1/2 cup(s) dry white wine or chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon(s) each dried rosemary and thyme, crushed
• 6 fresh plum tomatoes, cut in chunks

---

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Have ready a 3-qt Dutch oven.
2. Mix flour and 1⁄4 tsp each salt and pepper in a gallon-size plastic food bag. Add chicken, seal bag and shake to coat.
3. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1⁄2 the chicken; brown 4 minutes per side. Remove to a large plate. Repeat with remaining oil and chicken.
4. Add butter to Dutch oven; melt over medium heat. Add leeks, carrots and garlic; cook, stirring as needed, 5 minutes or until softened.
5. Add broth, wine, herbs and rest of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring up bits on bottom. Add chicken.
6. Cover and bake 25 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; bake 15 minutes more or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Put all chicken, reserving 1 breast, on serving platter. Scoop 2 cups vegetables including broth from pot; pour over chicken. (Reserve the chicken breast and remaining ingredients in pot).

Busy, Busy, Busy

  I have been extremely busy lately. I decided to take a Temporary assignment at a Mortgage Company as a way to get out of the house. The assignment is only 4-6 weeks and people that I work with are great, but, it has made my home life insane. Trying to squeeze in cooking dinner and the gym and a commute and spending time with my Madison in one night has been a challenge. I just realize today that the reason why its a challenge is because Madison goes to bed so early. She usually falls asleep between 730pm and 830pm, leaving my window to get everything done really small.. I guess I can't complain too much because I know people who can't get their little ones to fall asleep at a decent hour. So, if I have been MIA, I am sorry and will try to do better to stay connected.
  A couple of days ago, I had to leave work early to pick Madison up because the babysitter had an event she was attending. Since I had extra time, I took Madison to the park. She has this game that she likes to play where she runs away from me and she gets great joy in me chasing after her. I must look like a goof when I run because she will actually fall on the ground laughing! I need to run in front of a mirror to see what's so funny.  I am glad she enjoyed it because I spent extra time with her and I got my exercise for the day. We were forced to leave the park once Madison decided it was ok to stick her hand in the doggy fountain. Yuck!
  Well, since I have been busy, I have had to come up with some quick recipes and one thing I like to make at home is pizza. Trust me, once you start making homemade pizza, you will never want to go out and order pizza elsewhere. Here is a recipe for pizza dough. It's extremely easy and it can be frozen for up to 3 months for later use. Enjoy!

Pizza Dough

3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups of warm water between 85 and 110 degrees
1 yeast envelope
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix flour, salt and sugar in mixer. In a separate bowl, combine yeast and water and let rest for 10 minutes. Add olive oil to the yeast and water mixture and then add this to the dry ingredients. Mix together until the dough forms about 2-3 minutes. Dust a counter surface with flour and place dough on the surface. Knead the dough a little and then cut into two equal size portions. Knead the two portions of dough separately and place in two bowls that have been coated with a little olive oil and cover. Let dough rise at room temp for about 2 hours. Remove from bowl, knead, and then work the dough to form two 9 inch pizzas. If you are only making one, freeze the other for a later time.  

San Francisco Treat

  Most people that know me knows I love football, so, the past few weeks with the free agency and the whole Peyton/Bounty/Tebow thing has consumed the majority of my time. My Television has been locked on ESPN. All these transactions get me so hyped up for the season that I am like a kid waiting for Christmas.
  Last weekend, we decided to go to San Francisco for the day. Tyson and I always talk about how close the city is and how we never take advantage of exploring it. So, last Saturday we headed there for the day and we started by visiting the Ferry Market Building. This building contains a lot of cute specialty shops that sell a lot of quality and local meats, produce, pastries, etc. We ate at a stand that sold roasted chicken and potatoes. When I tell you that the potatoes were so yummy, I mean they were some of the tastiest potatoes I have had. I noticed that the potatoes were cooking at the bottom of the rotisserie so all of the chicken drippings cooked right into the potatoes. Brilliant!
  The weather was kind of crappy and it wasn't that it was extremely cold, but the wind could knock you down! So, we didn't get to explore the city like I wanted to because I didn't want Madison in the cold. For dinner, we went to R&G Lounge for chinese in Chinatown. I had seen this restaurant on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, so I was hoping that is wouldn't disappoint and it didn't. I would definitely recommend for anyone that is going to this restaurant to order the Salt and Pepper Crab. It is the dish they are known for and it was delicious. The Lychee Martini was tasty also. After that meal, I was glad that I had squeezed in a workout before dinner. I was able to enjoy my crispy crab without guilt. Madison was all smiles. She loved the crab also.

We went back to the hotel and spent the rest of the evening relaxing. We really enjoyed ourselves and we are looking forward to the next trip to San Fran.

Date Night with the Hubby

It is rare that we are able to go out without Madison, but last Friday and Saturday, Tyson and I were able to spend some quality time together. We had dinner at Lucas, an Italian restaurant downtown. They have these amazing zucchini chips that we couldn't stop eating. I ordered the swordfish, which tends to be on the dry side if overcooked, but this was cooked perfectly and so moist. Tyson had the Cioppino. He enjoyed it. Afterwards, we went to the Dessert Diner, which was Tyson's request. I was trying to be good, but could not resist the selection of yummyness that was in front of me. I ended up getting the Banana Chocolate Cheesecake and Tyson had the Peanut Butter Chocolate cake.

I tried not to take a bite before I snapped the picture, but I couldn't help myself:-)

  There was this homeless man outside of the diner when we walked up asking people for change. I never carry cash so I didn't have anything to give. We went inside, got our food, and came outside to eat. Why did this homeless man whip out his cell phone and was chatting away. Didn't this fool just ask for some money? It was a nice phone too! I just shook my head...

  The next evening, we decided to go and play Bingo. One of Tyson's co-worker had been begging us to come out. He calls the numbers there. The jackpot the first Bingo round was $2000 and the Jackpot for the second Bingo round was $7500. Unfortunately, the second bingo round ended at 2AM and that is way past my bedtime, so we stayed for the first round. Tyson and I were so lost.  Those people spend a lot of time in the Bingo hall. The early games started at 4pm and people were staying for both rounds. That's 10 hours of sitting! Unbelievable! We didn't know what we were doing, but we had plenty of laughs and a great time.

To Live and Die in LA

  I feel so rejuvenated after my long weekend in LA. The drive down wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It's a little over 5 hours, but even if it was 8 hours, it was worth it to spend time with family and friends. The trip was almost like a food adventure. We started by going to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffle, almost as soon as we hit town. Oh my goodness! That combination is deadly. Their waffles are so tasty. Later that night, we went to my favorite Cuban Restaurant, Versailles. I have been going to this restaurant since my first trip to LA back in 2000. I ordered my usual roasted chicken, rice and beans and it was just as tasty as I remembered.
  Saturday morning, I thought it would be a good idea to get a workout in. My brother suggested doing the Santa Monica stairs. I crawled my way through it, but was able to finish 5 sets. Of course, this worked up an appetite, so we went to the Blue Plate for breakfast where I had an omelette with chicken sausage and goat cheese. Later, my family and my cousin's family drove around Beverly Hills and Hollywood to see the sights. My husband and my cousin was on the hunt for a hotdog from Pinks, but when we arrived, the line went all the way down to Palm Springs. Are people really that crazy for a hotdog? Luckily, the Kogi Food Truck was still in Koreatown.  The food was sweet and spicy and delicious. I ordered the Sweet Chili Chicken Quesadilla and it was yummy. If you go to LA, please don't sleep on the food trucks. For dinner, we went to STK, which is one of my favorite restaurants. I ordered their snapper, which is to die for. They have this little mushroom and artichoke sauce underneath. I don't know what they put in it, but it has to be similar to crack cocaine.
   Sunday, Superbowl Sunday, we woke up early and went to see the freaks on Venice Beach. Madison wasn't feeling the icy temperature of the Pacific Ocean. As soon as the water touched her feet, she was done! LOL! My cousin fried fish for breakfast. I know it sounds unusual, but it's a Florida thing and, yes, it was yummy. Afterwards, we returned to my cousin's house where we watched the Superbowl and ate bbq. I was sad that my beloved Patriots went down in flames, but, there is always next year:-(
  Monday, we ended with breakfast at the Hyatt with a long time friend that I hadn't seen since I was pregnant with Madison. It was the perfect end to a great weekend. I have a food baby reminding me of the weekend:-)
   I don't eat meat, but I try to cook it for my husband. He especially likes lamb chops. Here is a quick and easy recipe for grilled lamb chops. Enjoy!
   
Grilled Lamb Chops

4 lamb chops
2-3 medium sized mint leaves, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons of coriander
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
Salt
Pepper

   Season lamb chops with salt and pepper. Place chops in a freezer bag. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour the mixture into the bag, making sure it covers every inch of the lamb. Place it in the fridge and let it marinate for at least an hour. Heat grill until hot. Grill lamp chops for 4-6 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the chop. Serve with cous cous or rice.

Help!!! In Need of a Vacation!

   Oh my goodness! Soooo, it was my bright idea to take two Nursing courses and potty train Madison at the same time. The courses are the last two that I need before I can apply to Nursing school, but I am having a hard time trying to find time to study. I have been staying up until 12:30am at night reading my textbooks and trying to do dosage calculations.  My brain is tired.
   Then this potty training thing is just the pits. No one ever told me how much patience you have to have as the parent. Today, I had to clean poopy drawers and the poopy was a little moist. Yuck! Then she had the nerves to start crying. I told her her that I should be the one crying! She has learned a new word...Mickey Mouse and she asks to watch Mickey Mouse all day long! Of course, I don't let her watch it all day, but she will continuously hand me the remote control throughout the day and say, "Min Mouse!". Then, she will throw a tantrum when I don't let her watch it. Mickey Mouse has become my worst nightmare. I think if I ever go to Disney World, I would find Mickey and hit him in the throat!
   On a brighter note, I have lost 5 pounds in the month. I have really commited myself to working out and tracking all of the food that I eat and it is working. Now, If I can lose another 20lbs, I would be back to my fine, sexy college body. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
 Somehow, through everything that I have to get done throughout the day, I can always find time to cook a meal. I always focus on using fresh ingredients to maximize taste and flavor. Today, I made Shrimp Etouffee. I think I found this recipe on the Whole Foods website, but it is delicious. Cutting all of the fresh ingredients is a little tedious, but well worth the work. If you can't find fish stock at your grocery store, you can substitute with clam juice. Enjoy!

Shrimp Etouffee

The perfect accompaniment to étouffée is a heaping mound of sautéed greens and okra. Add a nice cold beer or a glass of iced tea and for dessert, key lime pie.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1/2 cup white wine
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup fish stock
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

Method

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add yellow and green onions and cook until fragrant. Add bay leaves, thyme and wine. Cook down for 5 minutes, then add bell peppers and celery. Reduce heat to low.

In a separate medium pot, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in flour until smooth. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly for 10 minutes, until roux is dark brown. In a bowl combine fish stock and tomato paste, then whisk the mixture into the roux. Pour this into pot with onion mixture and stir well. Add Tabasco, Worcestershire, tomatoes, parsley and shrimp and cook just until heated through. Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve étouffée over steamed white rice, if you like.

Nutrition

Per serving: 180 calories (60 from fat), 7g total fat, 3.5g saturated fat, 130mg cholesterol, 230mg sodium, 10g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 4g sugar), 16g protein

New Year

So, for the New Year, I promise that I will blog more. So far, so good. It is only the 9th day and the New Year and I have one up:-) I am aiming for 1 every two weeks. We will see how that goes.
 I was trying to upload some of Madison's current pictures on the computer and everytime I pull out the camera, she smiles and says "deese". Its pretty funny. Here are some of her recent snapshots...

In this one, her cousin, Nyeemah stole the spotlight. LOL!

 Don't let the pretty face fool you. She has been having fits lately. She will start screaming when she can't have something and will roll around on the floor. Tyson and I are pretty good at just ignoring her, but the other day, she rolled and kept rolling for about 10 feet! We couldn't help but laugh because she kept having to propel herself! I will have some good memories in the future:-)
 This toddler stage has been pretty tough. I bought Madison some big girl underpants think that if he had on underwear, she would be able to better feel the "wet sensation." I also bought the rubber pants to catch whatever comes out. Well, 2 days ago, I put them on her and she was walking around as if nothing was going on. I decided to check her and found that she had done a number 1 and 2! She then looks at me and says, "Pee-Pee?" Ugh! I hope that I don't have to change too many of thoses. It was quite disgusting. I figure if I start training early, I can take my time and be patient with the whole process.
  She has also become afraid of everything. She screams when I wash her hair, she screamed when the doctors were trying to get her height and weight, she even screamed when I was putting the rubber pants on her. If anyone has any suggestions on breaking her from this, I am all ears.
 Oh yeah, she also will not each these delicious Chicken Tenders that I made for her. I think the texture is new to her and that is why she didn't like them, but I did. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Panko Crusted Chicken Tenders

2 Chicken Breast Cut into Strips
1 Cup of Panko Bread Crumbs
2 Eggs beatened
Salt
Pepper
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking or sheet pan with cooking spray. Season Chicken strips with salt and pepper. Put bread crumbs into a bowl and beat egg in a separate bowl. First dip the strips into the egg and then roll them into the panko and put onto the baking pan. Cook chicken tenders for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with honey mustard or bbq sauce.