June

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June has arrived.  For the past few months, I have been working on another project, that took me away from this site.  But, now I am back to give you updates and great recipes for the summer.  

Earlier this month, I planted all my vegetables.  I started with the usual assortment of peppers, tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant, but increased the amount of each one.  Last year, I planted peas and green beans and really had a good harvest so I planted them again.  I can’t wait to make Italian Potato Salad and use the fresh beans or fresh peas in Pasta with Peas.  There is nothing like the taste of fresh picked vegetables.  

I doubled the amount of tomatoes this year because I wanted to be able to make tomato sauce and jar it for the winter.  I will keep you updated to see how that is going.  

Doesn’t this look like a beautiful, green, tranquil area of the yard.  There are birds that make there home in these arborvitae. They are tall and luscious.  When you come out into my back yard, this is the first thing you see.  They’re beautiful!!   I went out to do a final clean up before Memorial Day and I weeded under these tall beauties.  I saw some weed looking things and started pulling.  They were attached with vines along the ground.  I thought it was odd, because I never saw these ‘weeds’ there before.  

On Memorial Day, I woke up and saw that I had a small red mark on the inside of my arm near my elbow.  It must have been an irritation from the yard work that I did the day before.  As the day progressed, I saw the ‘irritation’ develop into a large rash.  What could it be?  I was never allergic to anything outside before.  Then someone said it looked like POISON IVY.  Poison ivy???  Where did I get that?  When I looked it up, it sounded exactly like the fines that I pulled, bundled together and held while I pulled more.   By the next morning, my arms were covered in red dots, blisters and enormous red blotches that were itchy and swollen.  So, off to the doctor I went with my ‘severe’ reaction to poison ivy as she stated.  A week later and a course of Prednisone and steroid cream and I am almost back to normal. 

As you can see, I haven’t been back there to plant flowers in the five pots.  I’ll get the courage up soon.

No matter what, Summer is still my favorite season.  Even with all the insects and heat, I love being outside in the pool or at the beach in the Summer.  I love going out each day and seeing another flower bloom.  Baseball games and badminton, I love it all. The sound of water moving is so relaxing.  Waves at the beach, swimming pool or a water feature, they all affect me the same way.  So, pull up a lounge chair and enjoy the Summer. 

Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta

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This pasta is decadent and delicious.  The shrimp is tender and full of flavor.  The pasta is cooked al-dente and perfect.  This dish takes no time at all to prepare and cook.  This is one that will definitely impress your family and friends. 

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs Shrimp, cleaned

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/4 Cup Lemon Juice

1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

3 TBSP Butter

3 TBSP Olive Oil

1 Cup White Wine

1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley

Parmesan Cheese

Salt

 

Instructions

In a large saute pan, add the 3 tablespoons of butter and olive oil.  Saute the garlic for 1 minute, just until fragrant. Add the red pepper flakes and cook another minute. 

In a large stockpot, boil enough water to cook the pasta.  Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the boiling water. 

Add the shrimp to the saute pan.  Cook until the shrimp is pink, approximately 4-5 minutes.  At the same time, add the pasta to the boiling water and toss so it doesn’t stick together.

When the shrimp is cooked, add the lemon juice and wine to the saute pan.  

When the angel hair pasta is just before al-dente, drain it, reserving 2 cups of the pasta water.  Add the pasta to the saute pan with the shrimp.

Toss with tongs to combine.  Add the parsley and add the pasta water a little at a time.  If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved pasta water.  Add a 1/4th cup at a time.  You may not need the entire 2 cups of water.  

Remove the saute pan from the heat.  Add some Parmesan cheese and toss throughly to combine. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.  

Serve immediately. 

 

 

 

Serve this pasta with crusty bread and a fresh side salad.  A glass of white wine makes the entire meal come together.  This is great for a special occasion or just for a quick dinner.  

Seafood

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There is such a wide array of seafood that even the pickiest eater can find something they like.  There are the die-hard seafood eaters that eat anything from bold bluefish to a very mild flounder and everything in between.  For someone like myself, I prefer a mild fish like flounder or haddock and shrimp or crabs.  

The great thing about seafood is that it can be prepared in so many different ways. For example Shrimp.   Shrimp can be boiled or roasted and eaten with cocktail sauce.  It can also be mixed with mayonnaise and eaten on a sandwich. Make it Scampi style with garlic and butter or with angel hair pasta for a dish that is amazing.  Throw a shrimp on the barbecue  marinated in garlic, oil and lemon or pesto sauce and you will want this every time you fire up the grill. Broiling shrimp with seasoned bread crumbs or with coconut flakes is a family favorite around my house.  Shrimp is also great in pasta sauce, soups and in stuffing.  I never get tired of eating shrimp.  It is my all time favorite seafood.

Seafood fillets are also very versatile.  You can bake, fry, saute or grill them.  You can stuff them and roll them up. You can also put them in salads and is pasta sauce.  I love fish fillets.  My favorite is salmon, but I typically would eat any fish fillet.

Fish is easy to make and usually very fast cooking.  What holds people back from incorporating more seafood into their diet is the cost.  Seafood is expensive, that’s true.  But, lately, I have seen more and more local grocery stores run sales on various types of seafood, which makes it more affordable for everyone.  

I will give you some good options for low cost seafood meals that are delicious.  Keep checking back as I add my favorites, and hopefully yours to the site. 

 

Chicken Stir-Fry

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This Chicken Stir Fry is low fat and so delicious.  Look at all the veggies.  If you are on any type of low calorie or low carb program, this is the meal for you.  You definitely have to try this one!!

 

Ingredients

3 lbs Stir Fry Mixed Vegetables – Broccoli, Cauliflower, Bell Peppers, Red Onions, Celery, Pea Pods, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Cherry Tomatoes, carrots.  You can also add mushrooms and baby corn.  Any combination of these veggies will do very nicely. 

2 Large Boneless Chicken Breasts

1 Bottle Maple Grove Farms Asian Sesame Dressing – I used the Sugar Free one

 

1 tsp Ground Cloves

1/2 Cup Soy Sauce – Low Sodium

1 TBSP Vegetable Oil

3 Garlic Cloves

1/4 Cup Chicken Stock or Broth

Salt

Pepper

 

Instructions

 

 

 

Trim away any visible fat from the chicken breasts and cut them into bite sized pieces.

Chicken Stir Fry-1

 

Chicken Stir Fry-2

I picked up 2 packages of Stir Fry Mixed Vegetables in my grocery store.  They were 1 1/2 lbs each.  These were very good and convenient, but I ended up fishing out the carrots and cutting them in quarters.  

Pour 1/2 the bottle of the Asian Sesame dressing all over the vegetables and toss it to combine.  I used the sugar free one to keep it light.

Chicken Stir Fry-3

Chicken Stir Fry-4

Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a stir-fry pan.  Add the chicken pieces and season with salt and pepper.  Let them caramelize on both sides, then remove them and set aside.

Add the vegetables and the dressing to the stir-fry pan. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup of Chicken stock or broth.  Saute them until they are tender. This should take between 5-10 minutes, depending on what vegetables you are using and how big the pieces are.  

 

Chicken Stir Fry-5

 

Chicken Stir Fry-6

When the vegetables are tender, add the chicken back to the pan.  Add 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 cup soy sauce, and the 3 minced garlic cloves. 

Taste for flavor.  Add more ginger and/or soy sauce as needed.

Enjoy.

 

2017 It’s here!!

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\]2017

Yes, 2017 did arrive, right on schedule.  Are you ready?  Did you make any resolutions for the new year?  Why do we make resolutions at all?  A new year brings new possibilities, new choices and a new hope for the future.  This year, people told me they were either not making any resolutions, or had a long list of them.  Here are the ones that I have heard over and over again.

  1.  Lose weight
  2.  Get in Shape
  3.  Get organized
  4.  Get my finances on track
  5.  Eat healthy
  6.  Give more to charity
  7.  Do volunteer work
  8.  Save money
  9.  Be nicer to people
  10.  Read more

I’ve always been a resolution maker.  Every year, I  make a list of everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) I want to change and accomplish in the coming year.  I keep this humongous list in the top drawer of my dresser,  so I see it and re-read it every time I open the drawer.  January first, I am ready to go.  I have so much enthusiasm and drive that the list almost looks too small.  I start with the easy ones.  Knock out the ones that I can cross off the list fast.  I love seeing the cross outs on the list, it gives me the encouragement to keep going.

The mistake I make is creating a list that’s much too long and unrealistic to accomplish.  But here’s the good news.  I just came across a guide to making and keeping your resolutions that is awesome.  It’s a long list, but worth the read.

  1.  Keep it Simple – Simplify your resolutions to ensure you can achieve them.
  2.  Be Choosy – Agreeing to a New Year’s resolution just because you feel you should is setting yourself up for failure.  Instead, choose to change something you really desire to change and your chances for success are much greater.
  3.  Be Realistic – Sure, you may want to lose 20 pounds in a week, but besides being unhealthy, it’s unrealistic.  Set realistic expectations for what you can accomplish within the time frame.
  4. Avoid the same old resolutions – If you’ve resolved to lose 10 pounds year after year, it’s time to set a different resolution.  Instead, resolve to exercise 3 times per week.  This will accomplish the same result.
  5. Break your resolution into achievable tasks – Rather than focusing on one huge life-altering change, opt for smaller, more manageable changes that you can track and accomplish more easily.
  6. Create a plan of action – Once you know the steps you need to take to fulfill your resolution, decide what you’ll do first, then do it! Plan each step in advance so you’l know how to proceed as you reach each small goal.
  7. Don’t stress yourself out – Change, even good change, can be stressful.  We’re creatures of comfort and stepping out of our comfort zones can create stress and anxiety.  Strive to disallow stress from getting the best of you.
  8. Be prepared for setbacks – There will be days when your good intentions fly out the window and you return to old habits.  All is not lost!!  It’s just like riding a horse:  When you fall off, get back up and trudge on.
  9. Reward yourself – Look for ways to reward yourself after every step is reached.  It’ll build momentum because you’ll be looking forward to the next reward.
  10. Set a deadline – As with any goal, it’s important to have a timeframe in mind.  Give yourself plenty of time to realistically reach your goal, but plan for a specific end date to work toward.
  11. Set a limit – It’s best to work on just one or two resolutions at a time.  You’ll be able to focus your efforts without feeling overwhelmed with too much to do.
  12. Track your progress – This works especially well when you split your resolution into small, manageable tasks.  Create a chart of your progress so you can see exactly how far you’ve come with each step you’ve taken.
  13. Write out your resolutions – Writing your goals and desires on paper has a strong effect on your psyche.  It firms up your intentions and helps you focus more clearly.  Take the time to write down your goals, step-by-step, to best achieve your resolutions.
  14. Visualize the results – Imagine yourself after you achieve your goal.  What do you look like?  How do you feel?  Spend a few minutes every day visualizing your success and you’ll be amazed at how much quicker and easier your goals will be to accomplish.
  15. Hang in there.  Never give up! – The going may get tough.  You may have discouraging days.  You may feel like quitting.  But don’t.  You’ve made the conscious decision to make the changes, so hang in there.

So there is it, your step-by-step guide to achieving your goals for 2017.  By putting these strategies into practice, you’ll give yourself a chance at a great start to a wonderful new year.  May your new year be filled with happiness, love and the change you desire.

Good Luck!!

Eva Marie