Big Pink Beds

There could be a part of me that is coveting

the owners of these beds...

A few thoughts come to mind when I look at them:

kitsch, Marie Antoinette, ostentatious,

ethereal, chic, over-stated, feminine,

luscious, tawdry, prodigious, marvelous, Madame X

I ADORE THESE BEDS!

Tulsa Time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4peL__Q08zQ

Only a few years ago I saw Jason Boland put on one hell of a concert at a fraternity party in Norman, Oklahoma in the pouring rain--and then proceed to down his sorrows and depression with a bottle of Jack with the hosts of the party. He was conflicted, sad and tortured.

Since that concert, Boland has lost 50 (or so) pounds, doesn't sleep with a bottle next to his bed and is a self-proclaimed man of God. His Johnny Cash-type 180 is seen not only in his actions, but reflected in the lyrics of his music as well.

The recent release of Jason Boland & The Stragglers' video just made my morning-Tulsa Time-you know, the old Don Williams tune made famous by Eric Clapton (that he apparently didn't even sing when his tour led him through Tulsa).

The combination of his healthy life, his newly found faith in God, his recognizable voice and a down-home song makes for an awesome 3 minutes and 51 seconds!!

I hope it makes your day too! Click on the link above to watch!

Could it be true!? A guarantee!?

According to both the owners of the Italian restaurant, Scalini's, in Cobb County, Georgia AND my girlfriends at work, this recipe for eggplant parmigiana is guaranteed to induce labor. To date, Scalini's owners claim that 300 women, in the past 23 years of business, have given birth within 48 hours of consuming this delicious meal smothered in cheese and marinara sauce.

So is this a sure bet? Could this be the answer for the poor women of this world that are tired of wobbling when they walk, sleeping on their side, not being able to give themselves a pedicure or the worst of all-not being able to go for an afternoon run? Or maybe I'm just hoping that this is a sure bet for inducing labor for myself because of the mentioned annoyances...?

Technically, our little girl won't be 'full-term' until week 37-tomorrow I will be a week shy at 36 weeks (9 months!). But don't kid yourself, if we aren't holding Knox Leon Jolie-Pitt's future wife in our hands in 2 weeks, I will be testing this Italian hypothesis, along with any other suggestions you might have. And if this hypothesis doesn't prove true, at least we had a darn good meal out of it! Let's get to cooking my friends!!!

Ingredients

3 medium sized eggplants

1 cup flour

6 eggs, beaten

4 cups fine Italian bread crumbs, seasoned

Olive oil for sauteing

8 cups of marinara sauce (recipe below)

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 pounds of mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 cups of ricotta cheese

Directions

1. After you wash the eggplant, slice them into 1/4-inch thick slices. You may choose to peel the eggplant before you slice it. However, you may want to leave the skin on since it contains a lot of vitamins.

2. Place the eggplant slices on a layer of paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt, then cover with another layer of paper towels and hold it down with something heavy to drain the excess moisture. Let them sit for about an hour.

3. Working with one slice of eggplant at a time, dust with flour, dip in beaten eggs, then coat well with breadcrumbs.

4. Saute in preheated olive oil on both sides until golden brown.

5. In baking dish, alternate layers of marinara sauce, eggplant slices, ricotta, Parmesan and Romano cheeses, until you fill the baking dish, about 1/8 inch from the top. Cover with shredded mozzarella cheese, and bake for 25 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Scalini's Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons of chopped garlic

3 Tablespoons of olive oil

8 cups chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)

1 cup onions, chopped

1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

1/8 cup of fresh chopped sweet basil

Pinch of thyme

Pinch of rosemary

One teaspoon salt

One teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Lightly saute the onions in olive oil in large pot for a few minutes.

2. Add garlic and saute another minute.

3. Add tomatoes and bring sauce to a boil, then turn heat low.

4. Add remaining ingredients, stir, cover and let simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally

Reves Doux Mes Amis!

If you haven't met Etsy.com, then please, introduce yourself-QUICKLY!

I just LOVE this website. It's a fabulously anomalous site to buy and sell things handmade. You can find everything on this site from handmade jewelry, to paper goods, needle crafts, hand-blown glass items, anything & everything for your wedding, the PERFECT gift for your family/friends and unique items for your home that you won't find in stores.

Nearly everything is custom made for you by artists across the US. One of the neatest things that I've found on Etsy.com, is the opportunity to commission artists to create oil paintings based on the picture that you send them-how cool is that!? Another great thing about Etsy.com is that you have the ability to directly contact all of the artists with any questions, thoughts or comments.

Heidi Devlin is an artist that features a delightful collection of her handmade pillows on Etsy.com, and I think I'm in LOVE! They are all custom made based on your requests, and have a wonderfully personal touch that you'll cherish forever. Perfect for anyone! Best of all, they're SO affordable! My favorite is the pillow-"Reves Doux"-which means "Sweet Dreams" in French. I'm so excited because Ms. Devlin just confirmed that she is going to stencil our little girl's first and middle name in place of "Mon Enfant!" What a perfect example of the wonderful benefit to being able to correspond directly with the artists!

ENJOY!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/heididevlin?page=1

Fighting the Ho-Hums

Never did I envision this blog falling victim to the pregnancy ho-hums; and thus it has. My pre-baby brain was full of creative ideas involving cooking and other such endeavors that challenged me during our adventure in Miami. And then 'it' happened. 'It' being the details involved in pregnancy that drive your husband to spend a little more time at the gym, and force his excitement with the weekend question, "honey, what needs to be done around the house today?" Needless to say, there have been moments of complete lucidity, and then those dreadful moments that bring you to tears when the cat sees a toy in the measuring tape as you try to get the length of the crib mattress for your mother that's creating a crib-bedding masterpiece.

With that being said, there really hasn't been a moment of calm in the 33 weeks since we knew our baby girl was coming. So, I feel inspired to share a few moments and convey that, really, my creative endeavors haven't ceased completely, nor has our active life in Miami-I've just struggled with the ordeal of making POINT A connect with POINT B to equal POINT C-the blog.


My cooking certainly hasn't been cut too short. After all, we all need a nightly hearty dinner. Per the request of the sweetest boy I know, I made a Hood family favorite for Valentine's Day-the Jello Pokey Cake. Smothered in strawberry Jello, this classic was quite delicious. However, I couldn't quite recall if it reminded me more of my summers at New Life Ranch or visiting relatives at nursing homes. Brian loved it-and that's all that matters.


I've been experimenting too, and come to a conclusion; one should NEVER make cinnamon rolls without yeast. Don't listen to the online recipe comments made, "a quick, Betty-Crocker-comparable Saturday morning treat." They just don't compete, and any palate knows the difference-even my baby girl knew the difference, in utero. I can't help but compare cinnamon rolls to a Tulsa classic-Petty's cinnamon rolls. DELISH.


One thing I love about Brian is that when he sets a goal-he always finishes it. His recent goal was to complete a 1/2 marathon prior to his daughter's birth. In typical Brian James fashion, one isn't enough of anything-so he finished two in less than a month-the second on a bum knee. The Chicago & Marine Corps. Marathons are now calling his name. Don't blame me if I like the runner booty that has come of this 'vice.'


One of the recent highlights of the past few months was the acquisition of our newest family member-Cimarron Grosvenor. He's the first born (10.11.09), and only boy, of the litter of pups that my mother and father raised-Clementine, of course, being the mother. From the moment I held him in my hands at 2 weeks old, I knew we couldn't live without him-disregarding that everyone said I was crazy for taking a puppy 3 months prior to giving birth! He has made a seamless transition to our life in South Florida.


Grosvenor is mild-mannered and loving, and he will make a wonderful gun dog with his desire for discipline and loyal personality. His maturity level, at only 5 months, constantly amazes me. He LOVES his daddy and LOVES to stand at my feet while I cook dinner-hoping for the occasional vegetable to drop to the ground. Daily, Brian and I comment on how fortunate we are to have such a wonderfully adapted, well mannered dog in our lives. The true test of his nature was proven this past weekend when he joined us for dinner at some friends' house that have a 9 month old baby girl, Olivia. Grosvenor was interested yet extremely gentle with her-I was a proud mom.


Finally, we're 33 weeks pregnant with our first little girl. Elated, thrilled, nervous and unprepared are a few of the adjectives that I could easily use to describe the feeling in these final weeks. But the most honest of all of the feelings that we presently have is BLESSED. She is healthy, kicking and announcing to the world that she will be here soon. I can't help but think about her growing up to be a woman, and with those thoughts, I recalled in terror, a comment that my father made to me (in anger and frustration, naturally) at the tender age of 17 that I haven't forgotten, "someday, I hope your daughter does to you what you're doing to me." I suppose I do have a few things coming my way...


A few questions that I'm asked regularly that make me smile are:
"Do you have any cravings?" Answer: no-but I really like chocolate in all forms.
"Is the nursery ready?" Answer: no, I'm waiting on my mom and mother-in-law to finish that up for me...oh...and sleep in the same room as the baby as well. Really my answer is: Nursery? Who can afford a third or fourth bedroom in Miami?
"How are you feeling?" Answer: there have been a few moments that I've really felt badly, but other than that, this has been a very easy pregnancy. I DO confess to complaining a few extra times when Brian comes home, though, for the sake of an extra back rub that night.
"Do you have a birth plan?" Answer: whatever my insurance says that it'll pay for. My birth plan (or whatever that is) = free.
"Have you and Brian taken any Lamaze classes?" Answer: no. I am also the girl that didn't take bridal pictures.
"Are you going to have an epidural?" Answer: heck yes. I'm not looking for a medal of completion. I got enough of those in elementary basketball.
"Are you ready?" Answer: what kind of a question is this? Yes, people ask this quasi open-ended question. Am I ready? Are WE ready? I mean of course we're thrilled to meet our baby girl in April, but when you're a first-time parent, do you EVER have any idea of what is REALLY about to change your lives? According to our parents, Brian and I have no idea about what's to come-and that's the exciting, thrilling thing about life! Yes, we're so 'ready' but then again, we have NO idea what's to come-that's why we're counting on the knowledge of our mothers-with collective experience from five children, they can help tell us what to expect. Love you RAF & JAH!


I'll keep you updated on the continued adventures Brian & I encounter. The support that we are shown THOUSANDS of miles away in Miami is continually humbling. Thank you. We love you.

Cimarron Grosvenor 2.21.10

A fun day at the beach!

First, and definitely NOT the last 1/2 marathon!

Grovie was Dad's BIGGEST fan!

33 Weeks folks!

'Tis the Season for...PUMPKINS!

It has been a busy "Fall" in Miami (I have to quote the season because it never really feels like Thanksgiving/Christmas time down here because daily, it's 90 degrees and 100% humidity). Wasn't it just June, or even the Fourth of July? I digress.

Anyway, I have been cooking at a lot-or so it seems. Pumpkin and local varieties of squash have been my recent medium, so I want to share a DELIGHTFUL recipe that my MOL sent me-Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce. My mouth is water as I think about it.

We had some friends over for dinner right before Thanksgiving, two of which are pescatarians. This was what I served, along with grilled salmon and roasted veggies. The raviolis were absolutely delicious and a wonderful taste of the season. I didn't grow up eating a lot of sage, but it is a flavor that paired wonderfully with pumpkin!

One thing I suggest is that you treat each ravioli as an individual entity. Drop them in the water to cook individually and let them dry individually. You spend so much time creating each ravioli that you owe it to yourself and your sanity to treat each one with care during the actual cooking process as well. I didn't do this, and as a result they stuck together and we didn't get to experience the artful care that I put in to each ravioli. I would also suggest to use LESS pumpkin than you think is necessary. The wonton wrapper is very thin and too much filling will result in a busted ravioli.

If you make these, please let me know how they turn out! I had a blast making them and watching Brian's face when he put the first taste in his mouth-I definitely scored some points with the hubby with this dish! :)

Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce

for the ravioli:

1 cup pumpkin or squash puree

1 cup ricotta cheese (use fresh if you've got it, otherwise drain the

store-bought cheese in a cheesecloth for an hour)

1 tbsp butter

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp dark molasses

1 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

dash of sea salt

dash of ground pepper

1 package of wonton wrappers

for the sage brown butter sauce:

4 tbsp butter

6 chopped sage leaves

2 tbsp white wine

3 tbsp sour cream

4 large whole sage leaves-for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread squash puree on a baking sheet and place in the oven to dry, 10-15 minutes. You want your puree to be at a mashed-potato consistency. Scrape in to a a large mixing bowl.

Heat 1 tbsp butter in a small sautee pan over medium heat until it begins to brown. Remove from heat, swirl in balsamic vinegar and molasses. Add to the pumpkin along with the ricotta, Parmesan and nutmeg. Season to taste with the salt and pepper-chill for a couple of hours. At this point the filling can be refrigerated for 1-2 days-so you CAN make this in advance.

Lay out the wonton wrappers. Place a small amount of the chilled pumpkin filling in the center of the wonton and using a pastry brush, moisten all of the edges with cold water. Fold the wonton in half or in to a triangle. Using a fork, firmly press each seam forming a solid edge. Cook the raviolis in gently boiling water for 2 minutes-no more.

While the raviolis are cooking, melt 4 tbsp of butter with the chopped sage and a pinch of salt until it foams and begins to brown-continue to swirl the butter sauce until it creates a chestnut brown color. Slowly add 3 tbsp of sour cream and 2 tbsp of white wine and mix together well.

Spoon the sauce over ravioli individually, or place ravioli on a large platter and spread the sauce over them that way. Top with some Parmesan, freshly ground pepper and perhaps some fried prosciutto--DELICIOUS!!

The Pack Rat's Solution!

I confess. I'm extremely sentimental. My mom has always called me a 'pack rat' because I have kept anything and everything that reminded me of a special memory. I have boxes and boxes of memories from pee-wee t-ball trophies, to notes passed in middle school, to concert access bracelets from Cross Canadian Ragweed concerts in high school.

Prior to the development of iPhoto and and the ability to organize photos based on events, we had all of our pictures printed at Med-X or Walgreens. So needless to say, I have pounds and pounds of photos from my days at New Life Ranch Summer Camp, to high school basketball action shots. Thankfully, I was an obsessive scrap-booker in high school, so many of my memories are safe and sound in an over-sized blue book that I have stopped hauling to/from each place that I live. I only wish that I had an electronic version of this.

So, I have TWO answers to TWO dilemmas. Firstly, the issue of safe-keeping photos that have been printed. Secondly, the issue of commemorating the special memories.

1) Safe-keeping your existing photos with/without the negatives.

The answer: Scan Cafe (www.scancafe.com)! You have the ability to take all of the loose photos that have been sitting in your house for years, put them in a box and mail them to to this company-securely and safely. They scan your pictures and load them to a proofing system, where you can choose the ones that you want and don't want. Keep in mind that you have to keep 50% (at a minimum) of the pictures that you submitted. During the proofing stage, you can organize your photos so you don't have to do that prior to sending.

Additionally, Scan Cafe can also restore old photos, pixel by pixel, that have scratches, color fading, anything! If you have a favorite picture of your friends or family that has aged with time, this is the perfect opportunity to let the experts fix the photo and bring it back to life!

For your loved ones that have been avoiding the 'old photographs' topic and have kept the picture cabinet locked and demand no mention of this burden, this is the perfect solution! Scan Cafe even has a Gift Box that is sold for $149. It is the ideal way to force the subject and make sure that all pictures and memories are well preserved!

2) The issue of commemorating special memories.

The answer: My Publisher (www.mypublisher.com)! There have been a few moments in the past years that I have wanted to share with my friends and family. Scrap-booking is so much fun and so creative, but I wanted to expand from that a bit and create something that could show off professional quality photographs in a clean and concise format. The day that Brian and I were married, I gave him a book that I made through a program, Blurb (www.blurb.com). It turned out nicely, and recalled our courtship and engagement. Looking back, Blurb was quite hard to work with, and it seemed I was always battling with some flaw in the program.

We have almost been married for two years so it was time (especially with a baby on the way) to commemorate our wedding day. It took me a little over a week to finish the book using the My Publisher program, with a considerable about of time committed. I received the book one week ago and I am shocked how well it turned out-so much more beautiful and professional than Blurb's book. It has an exquisite linen cover and showcases the pictures in a clean professional way!

The program was SO easy to use, and My Publisher offers a multitude of themed options that can help guide you through the making of the book, ranging from love stories, journeys, family, the great outdoors, baby, school days! Best of all, it was very affordable and they gave me a fabulous coupon that I couldn't deny (of which they are still offering to first-time publishers). I would definitely recommend this program! I loved preserving our wedding day through My Publisher, and will definitely use it again!

Surprise! A Pea in the Pod!

Surprise! 14Chalgrin is back and ready to blog!

I know what you're asking..."well what the heck have you been doing for 3 months!?" My reply is easy and completely understandable-I have been growing a baby! Brian and I are four months pregnant with our first itty bitty baby Hood! This baby is a miracle for us in so many ways. God has been so generous with us, as there were many moments that we thought that we were not going to be able to have children.

I won't go in to detail regarding the first trimester of pregnancy, but I will say that you do NOT feel like a human being for weeks. Your body is flooded with Progesterone which makes normal tasks seem like climbing Mt. Everest, your rational thinking flies out the door and you're exhausted to the point that making lunch for yourself is daunting. It's absolutely incredible how, out of no where, the veil of first trimester symptoms are removed and you feel like a person again!

Brian was absolutely amazing during the first trimester . His patience and willingness to be the mommy and the daddy in the relationship was profound. He would come home, after a long day at the hospital, and make dinner, do the laundry and help with any needed task. Every day he reminded me why I love him so much and why I am so blessed to have found the most amazingly supportive and loving man.

We found out on Brian's 30th birthday (August 5th) that we were expecting, and on my 26th birthday (11.16.09) we'll find out if it's a boy or a girl! Every Thursday we move UP one week. This Thursday (10.29.09) we will be exactly 16 weeks pregnant (of 40 weeks total). We are absolutely thrilled!

I promise that this blog will not turn in to a 'mommy & baby' blog, but I did want to share our wonderfully exciting news. We couldn't be more thrilled about our mid April baby! I hope that you will forgive my short hiatus from from 14Chalgrin, but I'm back, feeling great and ready to talk about anything and everything.

The ultrasound pictures below are from our 12.5 week ultrasound!

Quinoa

Quinoa was cultivated and originated in the Andean region of South America over 6,000 years ago. It was sacred to the Incan culture, and referred to by them as "chisaya mama" or "mother of all grains." Secondly to the potato, quinoa was a nutritional staple to the pre-Columbian Andean civilizations.

Today, quinoa is a tremendously healthy choice for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, as its protein content is typically in the range of 12%-18% per serving. Unlike wheat or rice, this gluten-free product is packed full of a balanced set of essential amino acids, making it an unusually complete source of protein. Along with that, it's full of dietary fiber, phosphorus, iron and magnesium. Basically, it's a super food!

Before you can eat it though, you need to learn how to say it: KEEN-wah. Try it, KEEN-wah.

Now that you can pronounce it correctly, it's SUPER easy to cook! It's just like cooking rice, 2:1. Two cups of stock (chicken, vegetable, beef) to one cup of quinoa. Bring the stock to a boil, put the quinoa in, cook with the heat on for 5 minutes then turn the stove off and let it sit until tender. It's not available in ALL grocery stores, but your health food stores and high end grocery stores are sure to have it in stock. Make sure that you thoroughly rinse it off before you cook it, otherwise the it will be very bitter.

It's absolutely delicious! I visited a restaurant on Miami Beach the other day and had a 'Super Food' salad. It was chickpeas, edamame, golden raisins, pumpkin seeds, broccoli and a HUGE scoop of warm quinoa on top, over a bed of spinach. Top it off with a carrot ginger dressing and it was absolutely delicious!!!!! I would not have expected it to be so satisfying on a salad!

This is a versatile grain that can be used as a side dish or as a main course. Brian and I experimented with the below recipe that my friend from Peru gave me-it's a staple in her country. It was absolutely delicious! I served it as our main course, with a salad! I hope that you will try it!! I guarantee that you'll LOVE it!

Mushroom Quinoa

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup skim milk
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Rinse and drain quinoa three times, using a fine mesh strainer to remove the bitter outer coating. Heat olive oil in a heavy saucepan or dutch oven over medium-high heat and saute the mushrooms-remove from pan. Add more olive oil and onion-cook until soft, stirring constantly. Add garlic and quinoa and continue stirring a minute or two. Stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until quinoa is tender, stirring occasionally, approximately 10-12 minutes. Add the mushrooms back in and cook another 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat. Add cheese and let stand a few minutes, so quinoa can thicken.

Sleep Luxuriously

Leontine Linens was founded in 1996 in New Orleans, based on the belief that one's linens should be a reflection and extension of the person's personal taste and lifestyle. They produce some of the most beautiful monogrammed bedding that I have ever seen. LL uses the most indulgent products that you can find to produce embroidered, appliqued and quilted final products. They also sell incredible bath items, indulgent gifts and fabulously monogrammed napkins. LL offers their clients the opportunity to use their signature monogrammed collections or collaborate with their sales team to create their own personalized designs. There's no doubt that you'll be sleeping like royalty when the finished product is finally on your bed. 

Monogramming is a very sophisticated and Southern touch that you can add to nearly everything! I became addicted by to three-letter monogramming when we got married. We even have wine glasses with our married monogram and I LOVE them-we use them all the time! I can recall my first three-letter monogrammed item-my grammy made it for me when I was a little girl. She created a needlepoint pillow with navy blue letters on an ivory background-so beautiful and so special. It's an heirloom that I cherish. 

An individualized three-letter monogram should consist of the first initial to the left, the last initial in the middle and the middle initial on the right. If you want a three-letter monogram for a couple, the woman's first initial is on the left, the last initial of the couple is in the middle and the first initial of the man is on the right side. Don't let people tell you that the man's initial should be the first letter-it's not apropos. We might take the last name, but our name shows up first on the three-letter monogram-so take THAT boys!

Leontine Linens produces products that are heirloom quality. With heirloom quality comes heirloom prices. I've started saving money. I can only imagine how much my taste will change between now and when I've finally saved enough to make my first purchase, but it doesn't hurt to window shop! :) 

http://www.leontinelinens.com/

Thank you Coach Switzer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFyLEtSu0JA

In case you haven't noticed or heard the rumors, Barry Switzer is the star of the new Dunkin' Donuts commercials-and they're HILARIOUS! He sports a 70's era crimson and cream uniform, and plays an eccentric coach that hasn't been able to forget the glory days.

This is a joint ad campaign between Dunkies and Spike TV. It features various 'coaching' moments including chess, lacrosse and swimming. I think that my favorite ad is when he plays the chess coach and the player inquires who he is-the remark is priceless! But then again, Petunia and 'loose baby' is so funny too! I hope that it's as entertaining to you! Click on the above link!

BOOMER SOONER! 

Meatless May

Let me preface this by saying, I love meat! I like it in all forms: fish, chicken, steak, pork, lamb. I like it raw, I like it medium rare, I like it juicy and tender. I have no ethical or moral objection to meat. In the past, I have never spent time dwelling on the living conditions of the animals that I have devoured, and I have never seen a piece of meat and thought, "I'm eating flesh."

With that being said, I must share with you that Brian and I didn't eat meat for the month of May! We were what you could consider lacto-ovo vegetarians, meaning, we ate dairy products and eggs. 

I'm sure your thinking (because someone said it every time we mentioned our month-long experiment), "That's crazy. I love meat. There's no way that I could ever give up meat. You HAVE to eat meat to survive." But let me tell you, friends, it was a fantastic and enlightening experience that everyone should just try-at least once in their lives. 

It all started one Sunday morning when Brian's parents were visiting. We were watching CBS Sunday Morning, and Charles Osgood was featuring a group of firefighters in Austin, Texas that drastically changed their lifestyles to follow a plant-based diet and lower their skyrocketing cholesterol. Rip Esselstyn is a fellow firefighter and author of The Engine 2 Diet-the inspiration for the the firefighters plant-based diet. Esselstyn claims that after a 28 day following of this diet, you'll see remarkable changes in the way that you feel, your blood pressure, your cholesterol and your exercise potential. The four of us decided to give it a shot-why not try the vegetarian lifestyle for 28 days and see how we feel? 

My kitchen was totally unprepared for this lifestyle change. Each evening when I came home from work, the dinner that I prepared consisted of some sort of animal protein, a vegetable and some sort of a carbohydrate (bread, rice, pasta). For May, I needed every type of bean, whole grain and tofu-yes, tofu. 

I've always wanted to learn how to cook tofu-I've just never learned because, well, I really didn't want to learn badly enough, I guess. My first run-in with tofu was at the cafeteria my freshman year in college. Needless to say, I have been hesitant to try it again. But now was my chance to learn to cook this soy-based product. It always seemed ubiquitous, and completely lacking in pizazz or substance. I googled recipes for days; I felt determined to finish this diet satisfied with having mastered the art of tofu. 

Our first attempt at a meatless May; black bean veggie burgers. Our thoughts? Absolutely satisfying! We topped them with cheese and and tomatoes-no different than any other burger. They were absolutely fantastic! Second attempt-spicy tofu. Thoughts? A mediocre attempt at tofu preparation. By day two, I called Brian's mom ready to quit. In typical Jan fashion, she gave me encouragement and creative ideas for satisfying meals. 

And then something happened. We continued to be creative and finally began to enjoy what we were cooking. Lentils are a big staple in East Indian cuisine-we cooked lentils in every way-soup, salads. Lentils are super food that give you tons of protein and cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber, and twice as much iron as any other bean. Additionally they are packed full of B vitamins and folate! Best of all-they were absolutely delicious! 

One of our favorite meals was the hummus feta and vegetable wrap. It is a large spinach wrap filled with homemade hummus, cucumbers, carrots, green onions, spinach bell peppers and topped with a generous amount of feta cheese. It was amazingly satisfying and so delicious! I gave my hummus a little extra vitamins and fiber by making a roasted beet hummus! The final result was a deep-red hummus filled with protein, fiber and antioxidants! It was so good on wraps, sandwiches or as a simple dip for vegetables or crackers.

Another great meal was prepared by Brian; baked manicotti stuffed with ricotta cheese. He served it with salad and sourdough bread. It was so satisfying and we ate it for days! Italian food offers a lot of vegetarian options, and we indulged in them quite often.

Cottage cheese, yogurt, nuts, fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, soy-based products, eggs and complex carbohydrates became a staple. Breakfast was yogurt (Greek or vanilla) with Ezekiel 4:9 cereal, topped with honey and fresh fruit. Our lunches consisted of the hummus and feta wraps combined with fresh fruit, a trail mix (dried fruit mixed nuts and chocolate chips), yogurt, cheddar cheese, peanut butter and jelly crackers (if we needed something sweet) and anything else that we had that would be packed full of protein and nutrients. Dinner was perhaps of a tofu stir fry with vegetables or anything hearty. 

The best part about our meat-free experience was that we were finally becoming very conscious about what we were eating. Brian works 130 hours a week so he needs to be as observant about his diet as possible to get him through his 35 hour days (yes-days can be longer than 24 hours in his world). His meal options at the hospital are limited and late night hunger left him in the McDonald's line. I was not much better. I was eating a shockingly huge amount of sugar, and animal protein consisted of 70% of my diet, rather than fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Meatless May proved to be a fantastic experience to REMIND us that our body is very well fueled by the plants and grains that the Lord has given us. Not only did our exercise routines become stronger, our entire bodies felt stronger as well. You don't NEED meat in your diet to survive, as you can find all the needed nutrients in plant and dairy products.

We ate meat for the first time June 1st in Colorado. It was absolutely delicious! When I put the first piece of steak in my mouth, time did not stop, and dramatic theme music didn't play in the background. But it was darn good. I like meat. Since we've been back to Miami though, I haven't had any meat. I'm not avoiding it-not at all. It's just that I've found as much satisfaction in a meatless lifestyle. That doesn't mean that I won't love a medium-rare filet if you put it in front of me.

This experience isn't for everyone. But I do think that you can learn a lot about yourself, your body and your eating habits by trying this. What do you have to lose? Well, I would suspect that most of us have a few cholesterol points to lose for starters. :)

The delicious baked manicotti stuffed with ricotta cheese

roasted beet hummus

baked portobello mushroom caps with sauteed peppers and onions topped with blue cheese

Make Your Man a Cobbler!

It's a running joke between us: 

"Mer, what are we having for dinner?"-BJH

"Whatever is on sale!"-me

There's no doubt that we're in the middle of the recession, so cooking frugally is necessary-and very simple, I might add. Pay attention to what is on sale at the grocery and by all means, friends, get creative with what is available and affordable! If Bartlett pears are on sale, think out of the box and try a new recipe; perhaps a pear tart!

I shop 80% of the time at Fresh Market in Coconut Grove. It's a variation of Whole Foods, but much smaller. Fresh Market has FABULOUS sales everyday on everything from fruits and vegetables, to fresh cheese and fish. Daily, they have $.98 per pound specials on fruits and vegetables (mostly organic), so I'm always well stocked with VERY affordable items that are becoming increasingly expensive-compared to the old days at least. It keeps us eating well too!

I happened upon blackberries for $.98 per container the other day. In typical Okie fashion, I immediately put 10 containers in my cart. The thought of a delicious blackberry cobbler popped in my head and I thought, "I'LL MAKE MY MAN A COBBLER!"

I picked up this habit of packing the fridge full of berries from my mother. When I was little and berry season began, I would come home to find our entire refrigerator packed full of the freshest berries-all with Mama's intention of making fruit preserve, pie, or better yet, freezing them until needed. I remember helping her make enough strawberry preserve to last through the year. Smucker's will never compare...

The cobbler turned out to be a success, was very easy and it was a product of using what was on sale! This recipe made more of a cake texture, and when served warm with a touch of milk, whipped cream or ice cream, it was divine! The best part of all though, my sweet one loved it! Ladies, MAKE YOUR MAN A COBBLER!

Blackberry Cobbler

1 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

1/2 cup melted cutter

2.5 cups blackberries

1/2-1 cup sugar

preheat oven to 375 degrees

1) mix blackberries and sugar-let stand 20 minutes or until fruit syrup forms

2) mix together flour, baking powder, salt and milk in an ungreased dish/pan

3) stir in butter to flour mixture until blended and spread evenly in dish

4) drop blackberries evenly in to mixture

5) bake for 45-55 minutes, or until dough rises and is golden

ENJOY! 

serve warm with ice cream, milk or fresh whipped cream!

The Tomato vs. The Mango

It is part our Okie culture to share with your neighbor. Very often, we would find deliciously juicy cherry tomatoes in a brown paper sack, from our neighbors across the street, on our back steps when we would come home. We would pop them in our mouth and eat them like candy, or we would drizzle them with a balsamic vinaigrette and top them with fresh basil from the pot that sat near the driveway.  When the tomatoes in our garden were ripe and ready to eat, we would return the gesture, signed-Freeman Family.

Brian and I ventured out for a walk through Coconut Grove a few days ago. We happened upon an older lady in the front yard of a series of townhomes, that stood no more than 5'2" in height. She held a 10' long contraption that had claws at the end of it. She was pulling from the tree what I initially thought were avocados. WRONG! 

I asked her what she was pulling from the tree and she responded, "You aren't from around here are you? Come here and take some! They're mangos!"

My thoughts: Mangos! We didn't have mangos in Maple Ridge! I can't believe I live in a place where mangos grow like walnuts-but then again, peacocks run wild in my neighborhood. Are these poisonous mangos? How am I going to cook these mangos-salsa, chutney, salad, pasteries?

So, Brian and I GLADLY accepted the green, unripened fruit with the instructions that we were to put them in a dark place so they could mature, turn orange-ish red and their flavor sweeten. For the past week, we have patiently watched the fruit mature and develop-I only wish that the Internet had a 'scratch-n-sniff' option so I could share the tropical aroma of the fresh fruit. 

If I knew the name of the lady that shared her fruit with us, and the specific home she lived in, I'd drop a THANK YOU in her mailbox. She has proven to us that the neighborly mindset of 'share thy wealth' doesn't stay in the borders of the South. Even the harshness of the Miami culture can be softened by the sincerity of someone that lives next door. 

**The plural of tomato is tomatoes. At least from what I can tell-there is NO definite plural form of mango-some say mangos and some say mangoes. The latter just looks funny to me, so I'm going to stick with mangos.

The ripe & ready to eat mango!

Pandora

I'm never on the forefront of technology, and I'm marginally savvy. I think that I was the LAST person (my age) to get a cell phone, and 'predictive text' was a perplexing concept. But recently a monster was created by my Mother & Father-in-Law, Clay & Jan. What's the monster you ask?? My obsession with their early birthday gift-the iPhone.

I was a CrackBerry fan-I loved it! Perhaps it was because it was that device that I mastered the art of predictive text. In my mind, there was no need to connect the CrackBerry to the Internet, After all, I was simple-I didn't need anything more than phone capabilities and texting (which defeats the whole purpose of even having the phone-I know!).

The last week in April, Clay showed me the powers of the iPhone, and I've been obsessed since. I LOVE IT! It has everything that I could ever want at the palm of my hands. When I get lost, I punch the MAPS application and I'm quickly reminded. If need to check email-I punch the MAIL application there it is-my email! It's fabulous! I'm a believer now-I have converted-I won't go back!

The best application that I have downloaded to this day is Pandora. Since I was a little girl, Country Music has been my music of choice. Living in Texas and Oklahoma provided me the chance to be in the MIDDLE of the exploding RedDirt scene. If Ragweed was playing-I was there. In South Florida, however, things are quite different. My only option is a lackluster station that repeats Rascal Flatts & Friends-gag!

Since I've discovered Pandora, the music from home is finally at my fingertips again! I love to plug my iPhone to the auxiliary in my car and listen to Stoney LaRue, Wade Bowen, Julie Roberts, Miranda Lambert, Cross Canadian Ragweed and Brandon Rhyder! It's fantastic-and it's a FREE application!

With that being said-I can guarantee you that I'm the only girl in South Florida jamming to the Julie Roberts station on Pandora. I laugh and think to myself as I sing out-loud to CCR's song, Number, "there isn't a soul sitting at this red light that has any clue who sings this song, and it's fabulous!"

I'm fully aware that nearly everyone that reads this has probably found the 'NEXT, NEW THING' for accessing their favorite tunes-I'm not at the forefront, I know. But thanks to Pandora, I now have a new favorite tool, the iPhone, and because of the iPhone I finally have access to my favorite genre of music that makes me feel at home, even when I'm 2,000 miles away!

It's Never Too Late!

It's never too late to tell your mama that you adore her!

Okay, okay-so Mother's Day was a few days ago-I'm late. But, Katie Brandon (Frange) just sent me this link proclaiming that her mother, Joy, is the 'Mother of the Year!' Knowing the track record and list of achievements that Mrs. Brandon has tallied up, I wouldn't doubt for ONE moment that she would have a litany of stars declaring their admiration for the years dedication that she has shown to her dearest three-Katie, Claire & Meg. After all, if you pick up ANY Theta magazine, you will see Mrs. Brandon's written opinion on how to develop your daughter to be the PERFECT Theta candidate during Rush.

Show your mother you LOVE her-Seal and Heidi Klum LOVE her too!

CLICK BELOW!

http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/?nid=AvBRZE4PmYpu4WJqRLktizMyMTI0Ng--&referred_by=16960924-LrtllYx

Audrey Tautou

Flash back to 2001 when the quirky and whimsical movie, Le Fabuleaux destin d'Amelie Poulain, was THE international film of the year. It was nominated for 5 Oscars including: Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Sound and Best Writing for a Screenplay. It didn't come away a winner, but it placed Audrey Tautou in the international spotlight.

The theme of the movie is, "one person can change your life forever." It chronicles Amelie's quest for justice using creative antics, resulting in finding love by returning a photo album in the most creative and imaginative ways. It was shot in the Montmartre area of Paris, known for Sacre Cour and Moulin Rouge. If you haven't seen this film-it's a must. When the movie ends, you'll surely have a grin on your face.

Ms. Tautou stars in a biography on Coco Chanel, Coco avant Chanel, that will be out in 2009. She's also the NEW face of Chanel. We've all seen the commercials with Nicole Kidman and Kiera Knightly, but Ms. Tautou truly epitomizes the essence of the French perfume-Chanel No. 5. 

Watch the short film (which is actually the commercial that will be aired) below-the 'un-said' moments in love are perfectly captured by Ms. Tautou. It is romantic, enchanting, chimerical and SO European. I can't help but wonder if the writer of this short film was inspired from a role that she once perfected in Amelie-"one person can change your life forever." 

I hope, hope, hope Chanel has more of these 'commercials' planned! 

Click Here:

http://www.chaneln5.com/en-us#/the-film

Beach Bliss

As an Okie, the beach will always be a novelty. Every time we venture to Miami Beach it always feels like it's the FIRST time I've ever felt the sand between my toes and smelled the salt water (which is actually more of a stench than a smell to me). The neon lights on the Art Deco buildings, combined with the purity of the ocean and sand makes for an alluringly beautiful destination and fascinating place to live.

I'm in awe of the intensity of the waves and how they shape the shoreline. The creatures and objects found in the sand bring out my inner marine biologist-and 5 year old curiosity alike. The way that the color of the water changes from emerald green to deep blue makes me recall freshman biology, and ponder the plankton level and how it changes seasonally.

I must admit though, I'm not really a very good 'beach girl.' I get quite bored after 15 minutes of 'sunning' myself, and taking a nap in the sun isn't something that comes naturally to me. Maybe it's the ingrained fear that too much sun exposure results in the BIG C. After all, my skin lacks quite a bit in melanin-milky white would be a good description. I don't really tan. Rather, I become pink and acquire so many freckles on my nose that you can't even play Connect-the-Dots.

Miami Beach is as close as you can come to a melting pot 10 different cultures in ONE, very thin, strip of land. Each ethnicity prefers to stick together on different parts of the beach, with the Southern-most tip of South Beach being very mixed and the most risque, as topless tanning is just a part of the culture from sun-up to sun-down. You'll hear languages ranging from French, Spanish, Creole, Portuguese, Italian, Swahili, Russian, Polish and Zulu. You must prepare yourself before you visit-'everything goes' on Miami Beach. After a year and a half of living here-nothing shocks us anymore. You can use your imagination.

Something that you don't hear about is the crime rate and homeless population on Miami Beach-it's not a safe place. There are about 91,000 people that live on Miami Beach, and it ranks higher than Houston & Dallas in crime. Your chance of becoming a victim of crime is 1 in 71. Now, this shouldn't detour you from visiting Miami Beach, you should simply be knowledgeable of your surroundings-anything too far from Collins Avenue probably isn't a great decision. It's a VERY temperate location, so homelessness is vast. This was all quite shocking to me at first, as I had quite a 'Hollywood' idea of Miami Beach, but the facts are the facts-we're not in Oklahoma anymore.

As long as we live in Miami, I will continue to be shocked that we live as close as we do to something that I always assumed would be a conversation piece about a dream vacation. This place is truly something out of a movie-so gorgeous! It attracts a genre of people that I am familiarizing myself with daily. It also attracts a certain type of wealth that is flamboyantly displayed-reminding me of how important humility is in life. 

Here are a few pics from our most recent walk on the beach. It was a PERFECT day!