Clothes Challenge Day 3

We'll call my look athletic today. I didn't intend to keep this on all day but it just worked out that way. I sure was comfortable though and dressed appropriately for running to the car to get out of the 20 degree weather we had today. Jimmy told me my outfit was not smile worthy; hence my attempt at a more serious pose.

30 Day Change Clothes Challenge-Day 2

The randomness continues. Here's my outfit for Day 2 of my 30 Day Clothing Challenge. I decided to add a pop of color to help brighten up the cold Winter day.

Randomness: 30 Day Clothing Challenge

I've decided to challenge myself to a 30 day clothing challenge. (Apparently, I have way too much time on my hands.) I'm tired of wearing the same three outfits every week and using the excuse that since I'm not going anywhere but to the grocery store or to Carter's school it's ok to stay in workout clothes all day or throw on whichever pair of jeans devoid of Savannah's spit up.

Darn it! I'm turning over a new leaf. For the next 30 days I vow not to repeat a single item of clothing (undergarments and workout clothes not included). I have so many clothes in my closet literally collecting dust and it's time to brush the shoulders off and share them with the world.

Disclaimer: I do not purport to have an amazing sense of style so even though I will be wearing different clothing it may not necessarily be stylish clothing. After all, there's probably a reason I haven't worn certain things for years.

I am going to post my outfits each day; mostly to hold myself accountable.

Here goes my outfit for Day 1:

Not Just Your Average Chicken & Potatoes Dinner

I'm not a big eater of beef or pork (bacon excluded) so we eat a lot of chicken in our house. Eating chicken several times a week can get BORING so I try to mix up the preparation and the types of chicken pieces I use. Most of the time I don't decide on what I'm cooking for dinner until the day of so the preparation depends heavily on what I have in the fridge and pantry. This week I happened to buy a lot of fresh herbs: parsley, cilantro, sage, rosemary, and thyme; so tonight's dinner was inspired by these. The end result was Baked Chicken Breast with Fresh Herb Pesto, Roasted Lemon Parsley Potatoes, and Whole Roasted Brussel Sprouts. It sounds simple but believe me, everything was packed with flavor. More importantly, it only takes about 1.5 hours to prep and cook everything and clean up is minimal because everything is cooked in the oven. The recipes are below.

Baked Chicken Breast with Fresh Herb Pesto

Ingredients:

Handful of fresh parsley
Handful of fresh cilantro
1 sprig fresh sage
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 clove of garlic or 1/2 tablespoon crushed garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
2 skin-on, bone-in, split chicken breasts
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

Instructions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place all ingredients except chicken and salt in a small food processor and blend until a paste is created. Rinse and pat dry chicken with paper towel. Place chicken in glass baking dish and rub about 1 tablespoon of olive oil on each breast. Then sprinkle each breast with salt. Using your hands, gently spread the pesto paste underneath the skin of the chicken breasts. Spread the remaining paste all over the chicken. Finally, pour the chicken broth in the bottom of the glass dish. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. Let the chicken rest at least 10 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute.

Roasted Lemon Parsley Potatoes

 

When I tell you I couldn't stop eating these potatoes I'm not lying. They are utterly delicious, especially with the hint of lemon and slightly charred parsley.

Ingredients:

About 2 pounds small red and white potatoes

About 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Handful of parsley

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

                                                       1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions: Preheat oven to Convection 375 degrees (or 400 if you don't have Convection). Wash and pat dry potatoes. Cut potatoes into equally-sized quarters and place in glass dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Pour olive oil over potatoes and sprinkle with all other ingredients. Stir using your hands to make sure potatoes are coated with all ingredients. Bake for 30-35 minutes stirring half way through cooking to make sure no potatoes stick to the glass dish.

Whole Roasted Brussel Sprouts

These brussel sprouts are super easy to make and tasty to eat with just about anything.

Ingredients:

About a pound of fresh brussel sprouts

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions: Preheat oven to Convection 375 (or 400 if you don't have Convection). Spread olive oil and spices generously on sprouts. Pour sprouts into glass baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes or until tender.

Enjoy!

Banana Walnut Pound Cake

I made this cake last week for my husband but when it came out of the oven it smelled so good I couldn't wait for him to get home to cut it. I know…I'm a bad wife, but if you taste this you will understand. Here's the recipe. One note, my husband has a huge sweet tooth and he requested that I use more sugar next time; so if you share his love of sugar, you may also want to add a little bit more than called for in this recipe or substitute white cane sugar for the raw cane sugar. It was perfect to me (of course).

Banana Walnut Pound Cake with Caramel Glaze

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (use convection bake setting if available). Use nonstick spray on pan and then sprinkle and coat spray with flour.

Equipment you need:

Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
Mixing Bowls
Spatula
Nonstick Spring Form Bundt or Angel Food Cake Pan
Small sauce pan

Cake Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened or at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup turbinado raw cane sugar (Trader Joe's)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (8oz) sour cream
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened or at room temperature
1 cup walnuts, crushed
3 ripe bananas, mashed
5 eggs

Glaze Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white cane sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions for Cake:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, allspice, and salt, stirring until combined.

2. Using your stand or hand mixer, mix on medium speed butter, brown sugar, and raw cane sugar until creamy. Turn off mixer.

3. Add bananas and mix on low speed until combined.

4. Add eggs one at a time, on medium speed, waiting until fully combined until adding the next one. Add vanilla extract with last egg.

5. Take turns pouring and mixing in, on medium speed, flour and sour cream until both are fully combined in batter. You may have to occasionally turn off the mixer and use a spatula to push the batter down into the center of the bowl.

6. Fold in crushed walnuts until combined.

7. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour, 20 minutes (bakes closer to 1 hour if using the convection bake setting). Remove from pan and sit on wire rack with drip pan underneath.

Instructions for Glaze:

1. Combine all ingredients in small sauce pan and cook on medium heat stirring often. Once butter fully melted and combined with sugar, turn heat to low and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Use a baking brush to put glaze on cake or carefully pour over cake being careful not to let too much drip off. If you choose to pour on the glaze, poke a few holes with a fork or toothpick on top of cake before pouring.

Now, technically, you should let cake cool completely before eating but trust me when I say it is delicious still warm. I let it cool maybe about 30 minutes before eating a piece. It had the house smelling so good I couldn't help myself.

Grocery Store Wars

Earlier today, a friend, who is new to Indianapolis, asked me where I do my grocery shopping. It took me a minute to answer her question as I really had to think about it. I never thought I would have the problem of having too many grocery stores to choose from, but alas, that's the position I find myself in. There are at least 6 grocery stores within a 10 minute drive from our house: Whole Foods, Marsh, Super Target, Trader Joe, Kroger, and Fresh Thyme. They all have their place but the time has come for me to commit and name a winner for my favorite grocery store.

Whole Foods

Theme: Healthy and Organic Foods
Cost: $$$$
Size: Medium
Pros: Prepared Food Options, Fresh Fish and Meats, Produce Options, Unique food items, Cool Factor
Cons: Cost, Difficult to find typical ingredients

I love the healthy options and homemade prepared foods at Whole Foods. I usually go here when I want an excellent cut of meat, fresh prepared sausage or ground meat, fresh seafood, and desserts. Their produce is quality but the prices are too high for my liking; especially when I have other store options. I rarely buy any pre-packaged foods from here for the same reason. In a pinch, this is a good place to go when you need a prepared lunch or dinner on the go. Most stores have a salad/soup bar, impressive deli counter, and a hot food bar with varying options. Some of the larger stores even have a beer/wine bar inside. All in all, this is a lifestyle store and not for someone on a budget.

Marsh

Theme: Traditional Grocery Store
Cost: $$$
Size: Large
Pros: Wide Fresh and Frozen Seafood Selection, Cheese Bar, Sales on Canned Goods
Cons: Cost, Difficult to find unique food items, Deli and Bakery Goods not Homemade

Marsh is a major chain grocer in Indiana so it's your typical grocery store set up. Each store is different but the store I shop at went through a major renovation within the last couple of years. The renovation improved their produce, deli, sushi, seafood, meat, wine/beer/liquor, bakery, and hot/cold food bar areas. While the renovations did improve the store, the quality of their prepared food options is not that great and does not appear to be fresh or homemade. Additionally, many of their pre-packaged food items are more expensive than at competing stores. This store is the closest to my home so I usually go here when I need a few things quickly. I also go here occasionally for seafood. They have an extensive frozen seafood section, including various fish varieties, crab legs, lobster, scallops, shrimp, etc. All in all, it's a solid neighborhood store but again, not the place to shop if you're on a budget.

Super Target

Theme: Everything under the sun
Cost: $$
Size: Huge
Pros: Cost
Cons: Size, Difficult to find unique food items, No Quality Deli, Bakery, or Hot/Cold Food Bars

I love Target!!!! And I love Super Target even more!!!!! I can just about get everything I need in life at this store. I used to do most of my grocery shopping here but recently I have changed my (and by default, the family's) diet to more clean eating and less processed foods so Target is no longer on the top of my list. I still shop here for canned or pre-packaged foods when I need them because they tend to have the best prices. I also get most of the family's personal care goods (e.g. lotion, toothpaste, medicine, diapers, etc.) from here. The produce section exists but is…ehh. You can find some good deals on fruit sometimes but it's not necessarily the best quality. There also isn't a fresh meat department which is a must for our family. All in all, it's an awesome place, especially if you're on a budget, but doesn't offer many options for fresh and healthy foods.

Trader Joe

Theme: Healthy and Unique Foods
Cost: $$
Size: Small
Pros: Cost, Wine, Produce, HMO-free meats, Healthier Pre-packaged Food Options, Unique Food Items
Cons: Difficult to find typical food items, Limited Produce Selection, No Fresh Meat/Seafood Section, No Hot/Cold Food Bars

I find myself shopping here the most as of late. I appreciate the small size of the store and know that I can get in and get out without a fuss. I also appreciate the friendly customer service. Because the store is so small I know where everything is and can order my shopping accordingly. Their fresh foods and packaged fresh (and previously frozen) meats are consistently of good quality. They have an awesome wine selection at varying price levels. Most important, their prices are reasonable and don't fluctuate. What they are lacking is a fresh meat/seafood counter, deli counter, and hot/cold food bars; but I suspect if they included these things, it would slow down the customers ability to get in/out of the store quickly. All in all, this store has cornered the market on how to present healthy food options in an non-intimidating way. And it doesn't break the bank.

Kroger

Theme: Traditional Grocery Store
Cost: $$
Size: Large
Pros: Cost, Improved Produce and Organic Foods Section, Improved Deli and Bakery
Cons: Better Store Alternatives

Kroger is a national chain grocer. The store closest to me just went through a major renovation in order to compete with a new grocery store that just opened across the street (Fresh Thyme). Before the renovation, the store wasn't that great. The lighting was dark, the produce wasn't especially inviting, and the fresh meat/seafood section was limited. Since the renovation, the produce section is brighter and has more options overall but has specifically added more organic options. The deli and bakery have also been expanded, and they have added an aisle specifically dedicated to healthier pre-packaged foods. While I appreciate the updates, it almost feels like it's a little too late. However, what they do have going for them are their prices, which for the most part, are pretty reasonable. They also run a lot of specials and accept most coupons. All in all, it's a solid grocery option now that they have updated the store.

Fresh Thyme

Theme: Healthy Food and Personal Care Store
Cost: $$$
Size: Medium
Pros: Bulk Food Section, Deli, Fresh Fish Section
Cons: Cost, Difficult to find typical food items

This store is less than a month old so it's still working out it's identity. It's had a lot of good sales/specials during its first weeks of opening but I have a feeling those prices won't last. It reminds me of whole foods but not as good. I also don't like the way the store is arranged. It seems a little disjointed and this makes it difficult to find things. What I do like about it is the bulk food section. It's self serve and you can select the amount of grains, legumes, nuts, dried fruit, and candy you want. A bonus are the machines that churn out fresh nut butters. My favorite is the roasted honey peanut butter. The deli and fresh seafood sections are solid and offer great quality selections. They also have a fresh juice bar which is pretty cool (unfortunately, it's stuck in the back and unnoticeable unless you're already back there for something else). The pre-packaged foods are limited in selection and are more expensive than the same/similar good at other stores. All in all, the store needs some more time to find its identity but will probably land somewhere between Whole Foods and Trader Joe.

AND THE WINNER IS…

TRADER JOE!!!!!!

Like I mentioned, Trader Joe is my go to store for the ease of the shopping experience, quality of the goods, and reasonable prices. When I need something Trader Joe doesn't have I usually shop at Super Target or Fresh Thyme (which has edged out Whole Foods).

Quick Weeknight Meal: Penne with Shrimp and Broccoli

I typically cook dinner 4-5 times a week. I don't always have a lot of time to prepare a meal so having a few quick meals in my arsenal is key. For the most part, I like fresh and healthy foods. As a general rule, I stay away from processed foods (I do have a weakness for pasta and rice) and foods with a high sugar or salt content. Since I'm the one doing the cooking, by default, Jimmy and Carter eat like I do; except, Carter doesn't really like sauces or foods that are mixed together and Jimmy has a threshold on how many green veggies he'll eat. So when Jimmy is traveling I take the opportunity to enjoy all the veggies he doesn't like.

Today, I decided to make Penne with Shrimp and Broccoli. Carter loves pasta but he doesn't like sauce so I made whole grain penne and mixed in some olive oil, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning. Part one of the meal done. While the pasta was cooking, I steamed some fresh broccoli. Part two of the meal done. For part three of the meal, I decided to sauté shrimp. Usually, I use fresh uncooked shrimp but because it takes a lot of time to take the shell off, clean and devein I have started keeping frozen cooked shrimp in the freezer for quick meals like this one. I first thawed out the shrimp and then sautéed them with a little butter, salt, pepper, fresh lime juice, and tangerine balsamic vinegar. The entire meal took about 30 minutes to cook and that's only because it took time for the pasta water to boil. Quick and healthy (a little butter never hurt anyone). I served mine with a little parmesan cheese on top and it looked like this:

Carter doesn't like his food all mixed up so I served his like this (and he asked for seconds and thirds - score!):

After we ate, I decided to do something different with the leftover broccoli and pasta. One of my favorite quick pasta recipes comes from "Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook" and it's called Supreme Green Spaghetti. Here's the recipe:

8 oz uncooked spaghetti or other pasta
1 lb frozen chopped spinach or broccoli (I always use fresh spinach or broccoli and steam it)
1/2 cup skim milk (or heavy cream if you like your sauces creamy)(or soft tofu if you don't do dairy)
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp melted butter (or olive oil if you don't want the butter)
Salt to taste
4 tsp grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Prepare pasta as indicated on the package. Cook spinach or broccoli as directed on package or steam if you're using fresh veggies. Transfer all ingredients except the pasta to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour sauce over the drained and hot pasta. Stir to combine and sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese.

Now, this is the normal recipe and it comes out delicious with a very simple but savory taste. However, tonight, I wanted to mix it up a little bit. This is how my ingredients differed:

Whole Grain Penne pasta (leftover from dinner)
1 1/2 cups steamed fresh broccoli
1/4 cup 2% milk
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
3 small fresh basil leaves (would be delicious with fresh mint as well)
2 tsp tangerine balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

I put everything, except the pasta, in a blender and pureed until smooth. I poured the sauce over the pasta remaining in the pot and then warmed up the dish on the stove on low heat for a few minutes. It was so yummy I ate dinner twice tonight. Here's what it looked like:

I can't wait to eat some more for lunch tomorrow.