35. still working on getting my shit together (yeah, and Shrimp Marsala - Housewife Style)

With 35 beating my door down I feel that more than any other birthday milestone, this one has caused the most obnoxious case of naval gazing I've ever undergone. This post, may, just may not make any sense as I'm pretty much just gonna shoot from the hip with what is going on in my almost 35 year old brain. Here goes:

I feel that, by this age, I really should have gotten my shit together, and when I say that, I literally mean "my shit" - like the way I feel about myself and what I've done with my time and life so far. Older readers of this blog may think, 35, that's still young, you've got time, etc, etc, but frankly, its the oldest I've ever been, and by now, I would have hoped that I could see my reflection in the mirror and say "that works".  

I wear my past like a second skin, my reflection clouded by images of all the parts of me that I haven't liked, like dust, sure you can brush them off, but its a futile exercise, dust always finds its way back to the same exact spot.

Growing up we're always told that we should love ourselves. I don't think I love myself. If I do I've got a pretty disfunctional and f'ed up way of showing myself that I do, what, with the constant go, go, go, more, more, more, push push, harder, harder tempo of my life, like maybe if I move fast enough, the dust won't have a chance to settle and I won't have to face it. 

This year, for this birthday I just want an honest image in the mirror, and I want to honestly say to my twin looking back at me.  "That'll Do". And mean it. This will take some work and I'm scared to pull on that thread in case the whole thing unravels around me, but I owe it to the person that I should be, and I owe it to the man that has so graciously asked to share this life with me. So, here goes….

Seems awkward to transition into a recipe now, right, but I've never been one for gracious segues, so moving right along, here is a really awesome dish from Mario Batali…dig in.  

PS. I served this over pan seared organic polenta with garlic roasted asparagus on the side. For wine we served it with an awesome california cabernet. 

Due to copyright and all that crap I'm just including the link the recipe: 

Link to RECIPE

Please let me know if you make it and what you think of the recipe.

Rating = Damn Good

Also, comments on the above rant are welcome as well.

35. still working on getting my shit together (oh yeah, and Shrimp Marsala - Housewife Style

With 35 beating my door down I feel that more than any other birthday milestone, this one has caused the most obnoxious case of naval gazing I've ever undergone. This post, may, just may not make any sense as I'm pretty much just gonna shoot from the hip with what is going on in my almost 35 year old brain. Here goes:

I feel that, by this age, I really should have gotten my shit together, and when I say that, I literally mean "my shit" - like the way I feel about myself and what I've done with my time and life so far. Older readers of this blog may think, 35, that's still young, you've got time, etc, etc, but frankly, its the oldest I've ever been, and by now, I would have hoped that I could see my reflection in the mirror and say "that works".  

I wear my past like a second skin, my reflection clouded by images of all the parts of me that I haven't liked, like dust, sure you can brush them off, but its a futile exercise, dust always finds its way back to the same exact spot.

Growing up we're always told that we should love ourselves. I don't think I love myself. If I do I've got a pretty disfunctional and f'ed up way of showing myself that I do, what, with the constant go, go, go, more, more, more, push push, harder, harder tempo of my life, like maybe if I move fast enough, the dust won't have a chance to settle and I won't have to face it. 

This year, for this birthday I just want an honest image in the mirror, and I want to honestly say to my twin looking back at me.  "That'll Do". And mean it. This will take some work and I'm scared to pull on that thread in case the whole thing unravels around me, but I owe it to the person that I should be, and I owe it to the man that has so graciously asked to share this life with me. So, here goes….

Seems awkward to transition into a recipe now, right, but I've never been one for gracious segues, so moving right along, here is a really awesome dish from Mario Batali…dig in.  

PS. I served this over pan seared organic polenta with garlic roasted asparagus on the side. For wine we served it with an awesome california cabernet. 

Due to copyright and all that crap I'm just including the link the recipe: 

Link to RECIPE

Please let me know if you make it and what you think of the recipe.

Rating = Damn Good

Also, comments on the above rant are welcome as well.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies | WW 1 Points Plus

 

Everyone needs a little guilt free snacking every once and a while, and these little cookies are just the ticket. Packed with a chocolate punch, they really satisfy, and at 1 points plus per - why not have a couple, seriously, you deserve it. 

I can't decide whether I like the new weight watchers as much as I like the old one, the weight definitely comes off slower, but you are given way more snacking options as fruits and vegetables are free, even bananas - oh, how I missed bananas on the old plan. 

So, new plan - you eat more, you lose weight slower, hey, I'm not getting in a bikini anytime soon, so I can take my time. Although one thing that sucks the big one on the new plan is that wine is twice as many points as on the old plan - like a stake through the heart that one was.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies | WW 1 Points Plus Value 

1 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp table salt
1/4 cup(s) butter, softened
1/2 cup(s) dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup(s) sugar, granulated
1/3 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa
2 large egg white(s)
1/3 cup(s) semi-sweet chocolate chips, miniature
1 spray(s) cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine
flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

Beat butter and brown sugar with a mixer at medium speed until light and
fluffy; gradually add granulated sugar, beating well. Add cocoa and egg
whites, beating well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until blended. Stir
in chocolate minichips.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 11⁄2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated
with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Cool on pans 2 minutes
or until firm. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
Yield: 40 cookies (serving size: 1 cookie). 

Shrimp and Squash Vindaloo - WW 5 points plus

This is what you get as an image for this meal for two reasons. 
1. The dish looked like yellow hell in pictures
2. Chris ate it so damn fast I really didn't have time to take pictures. Damn man take time to chew the damn stuff.

Needless to say. Awesome. That is if you like shrimp and squash and curry of you don't like that stuff than this would just suck for you, pretty much. Anyway, I love WW recipes that Chris really enjoys, it makes this whole trying to lose my fat ass thing a bit easier.


One thing I will say is that you don't need acorn squash for this - go ahead and use butternut if you want. I am actually also thinking about making a vegetarian version of this with cauliflower instead of shrimp, I think that would be very good as well. I served this over quinoa (is that spelled right), but I think cous cous would have been better, (adding this will add to the points value of this dish) I really didn't' think it needed anything, but Chris wanted to lay it on a nice bed of carbohydrates.


And another thing. I am officially sick and tired and then sick again of all this snow. We are getting another 6-10" tonight. Lovely. And it always comes during my morning or evening commute.
When its not snowing, its ass biting cold, like -2 degrees cold. I love that too. We have officially escalated the 15 year retirement plan to 12, I can't stand this weather. I want grape vines and farms that produce all year round, not this cold arctic tundra that is the I-95 corridor.


Shrimp and Squash Vindaloo | 5 WW points plus

2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp curry powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp Ground Cumin Seed, or other brand

1/4 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional

1 medium acorn squash

1 spray(s) cooking spray

3 medium shallot(s), peeled and minced

2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced

2 cup(s) vegetable broth, fat-free, sodium-free

1 pound(s) shrimp, medium-size, peeled and deveined

In a small bowl, stir the vinegar, curry powder, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, salt, and cayenne, if using, until the mixture forms a paste. Set aside.

Cut the squash in half along its "equator"; scoop out the seeds with a small spoon, preferably a grapefruit spoon. Set the squash cut side down on a cutting board; use a vegetable peeler to peel off the skin, shaving along the natural arc of the flesh. Cut the flesh into 1-inch cubes, repeat with the second squash half, and set aside.

Spray a large saucepan with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic; cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Do not let the garlic brown. Add the prepared curry paste; cook, stirring constantly, for 15 seconds.

Add the squash; cook, stirring all the while, until coated in the spices, about 20 seconds.

Pour in the broth; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly until the squash is tender, about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the shrimp. Cover again and cook until the shrimp are pink and firm, about 3 minutes. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving. 

Rating = So Damn Good

Barrel Fever | Pino Evil

 

Its been a long time since I've written a Barrel Fever post, and believe you me it has not been for lack of drinking wine, its just the fact that once I get a few glasses in me, I simply don't remember to take a picture of the wine label, and then poof, the wine is gone. We've literally drank dozens of bottles since my last post, whenever that was. You know what sucks, I don't even have a good wine for my return to wine blogging. This one sucked so bad that I had to post it so that you would not be tempted to pick up a bottle of this shit if you saw these three little monkeys calling out to you from the label. Walk away, and pick up any other bottle.

If you know anything about Pinot Noir, you know it's distinctive, the nose, is always lovely and the palate has the most distinct lingering flavor. This, this had absolutely no Pinot characteristics and was just flabby and unremarkable from nose to palate to finish. 

Yuck Yuck Yuck.

I think I paid $8 - totally not worth it.

Rating = Ugh 

Creamy Corn Chipotle Dip | WW 1 Point +

Just in time for the Pats game this weekend, an awesome, figure friendly dip. I made this the other night because I had a can of chipotle chilis in adobo opened from a recipe I had made the day before. This little number is so smoky and creamy, you'd never guess it was only 1 point. Serve with vegetable dippers and this is a seriously good thing to nosh on while the Patriots take on the Jets. Maybe I'll go all barefoot the day of the game in order to try and distract Rex Ryan. We all know about his foot fetish. I have to admit, I think Sanchez is hot though. 

Creamy Corn Chipotle Dip

3 Tbsp = 1 points plus

4 oz fat-free cream cheese   

2 item(s) canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeded   

3 cup(s) frozen corn kernels, or fresh corn kernels*   

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice   

1 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin Seed

1/2 tsp table salt 

Place all ingredients in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade; 

pulse a few times, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and process until 

smooth. To store, spoon into a medium bowl, cover, and refrigerate for up 

to 3 days; return to room temperature before serving. Yields about 3 

tablespoons per serving.

I actually think this recipe is better the next day, so make ahead if you can.

I also stirred in a bit of chopped fresh cilantro to mine, I think it made it a bit better than the original recipe.

Rating - Damn Good