Wednesday, May 30, 2012

3 Wishes Wednesday - Kvetch Mom is in the house!

We all have that friend who has a way of being honest without being ugly or hurtful and if you're like me, you wish you could more easily emulate that quality.

Jennifer from Kvetch Mom is one of those people. Honest, incredibly funny and fearless as she navigates life, being a Mommy to three beautiful children, blogging and oh so much more.  I can always count on her to provide a good laugh with a side of provocativeness, Kvetch Mom is a blog I love seeing pop up in my inbox.  Check her out, follow her, laugh, ponder, and enjoy!

Twitter: @jlweinberg
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KvetchMom
Blog: http://kvetchmom.wordpress.com/


Wish away Jennifer.......


Thank you, sweet Meg, for inviting me to participate in your wonderful
3 Wishes series! It's an honor to be here. This has been a very
thought-provoking post to write.

It is really difficult to chose something that I would change about
the past because I feel like I am a sum of its parts. The good, the
bad, the ugly. It seems that changing one thing could alter the whole
path that got me to where I am today. And happily, I am doing pretty
well these days! So, I might not change anything but whisper in my
young ear along the way something like this: You are exactly where you
are supposed to be at this moment. It'll all come together one day and
make sense. Rather than resist the intensity, ride it like a surfer
would a wave and trust you'll be okay and that it's all part of the
process. P.S. Wear sunscreen every day and stop skipping class!

My wish for today would be, I guess, to listen to that voice that's
whispering in the ear of my younger self. I want to live my life with
less fear and more courage. Eleanor Roosevelt said, "We gain strength,
and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop
to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot."
If in the next twenty years I can have the confidence to go after my
dreams undeterred by fear and self-doubt I will be a very satisfied
person. I think this applies to parenting, marriage, friendships and
creative endeavors.

As I move into the future I hope to achieve balance in my life with
grace, laughter and with patience. I aspire to be fully present for my
husband and children and at the same time honor my own needs for
creative and professional growth. (A book deal would be great!) I want
to grow older without fear and see wrinkles and laugh lines as things
of beauty. I wish for my children to always have a sense of humor and
be above all kind, thoughtful, and generous. I wish them financial
stability, love and friendship, too. For my husband, a peaceful heart,
good health and lots of opportunities to sleep. Genie wishes: Free
airfare to visit friends & family any time, money to pay off mortgage
and student loans, a cancer free life, and all the free housekeeping a
girl could ask for.

In honor of my dear friend Sarah, who has so many qualities I love and
admire, I'd like to share a simple summer drink recipe that I think
she'd like.

The Salty Dog (from Bon Appetit
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2010/07/the_salty_dog)

Ingredients
Coarse kosher salt
Ice cubes
1/2 cup vodka or gin
3/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice

Preparation
Pour coarse salt onto small plate. Moisten rims of 2 highball glasses.
Gently dip rims into salt to coat lightly. Fill glasses with ice
cubes. Pour 1/4 cup vodka over ice in each glass. Divide grapefruit
juice between glasses and serve.

Monday, May 21, 2012

MMM Monday! All-in Smoothie


When I was pregnant with my daughter, my saving grace during the first few months were smoothies.  My appetite was minimal in the first trimester and I had 24-hour nausea for the first 10 weeks.  I knew I needed to be filling my body with nutritious foods for my growing little one but the thought of eating fruits and vegetables was daunting.  

Enter smoothies.  Light, delicious and nutrient rich, smoothies were a great way to pack a lot of punch into a palatable treat that actually coated my stomach and helped reduce my nausea symptoms. I felt good knowing I was consuming essential nutrition for our baby and even better that I could make one in less than five minutes.

The All-In Smoothie is one of my favorites.  Filled with antioxidant rich ingredients, folic acid (essential for pregnant mommy's), vitamins and nutrients, this delightful smoothie will treat your taste buds and give you an easy pick me up any time of day.

Pregnant or not as the summer heat approaches, smoothies can be an excellent substitute for a light breakfast, lunch or snack and a great way to filly your body with nutritious food.


All-In Smoothie

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Servings: 2

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 Cups Organic Light Yogurt Plain Yogurt
1 Medium Banana, sliced
¼ Cup Pineapple Juice
¼ Cup Frozen Blueberries
¼ Cup Frozen Strawberries
¼ Cup Frozen Raspberries
1 Cup Fresh Spinach
1 Kiwi, peeled and sliced
 ½ Cup Ice
1 Tablespoon Agave Nectar 

Directions
·      Combine all ingredients in blender, blend until smooth  
·      Serve immediately, enjoy!




Monday, May 14, 2012

Roasted Beets 
O.K., O.K.  This blogging Mommy has been slacking....BIG TIME....let's just say family trips, a girls trip to Vegas for Cinco de Mayo & the Kentucky Derby, and a traveling husband have been pulling my attention away for the last few weeks but I HAVE RETURNED!!!!


Did you miss me?

Beets.  Hate them or love them, that's usually how it goes.  This girl happens to love them (although I used to hate them).

Scary.  That's what I thought cooking beets myself would be.

HAPPY!  That's how I felt when I pulled out the old Betty Crocker recipe book and found out roasting beets was easy!

This simple recipe results in delicious beets ready to serve warm with dinner or they can be chilled and served later as a salad (add a little goat cheese, pine nuts or shaved almonds and drizzle with organic olive oil, salt & pepper - DIVINE!).

Try it, let me know what you think.


Roasted Beets



Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 - 60 Minutes
Serves: 6 -8

Ingredients
2 Bunches Organic Medium Beets (approximately 6 - 10 depending on size)
4 Tablespoons Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
2 Tablespoons Organic Sea Salt, divided
Aluminum Foil

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Remove stems and thick ends from beets; wash thoroughly with a vegetable brush but do not remove peels
  • Spread a large piece of aluminum foil onto a cutting board or other flat surface.  Place beets next to each other (not on top of) and drizzle with 2 Tablespoons EVOO and 1 Tablespoon Sea salt
  • Take another piece of aluminum foil and cover the prepared beets. 
  • Fold edges down to seal off an to create a "steam pocket" for the beets
  • Place in center of oven 
  • Bake for 30 - 60 minutes; depending on beet size, begin checking them at 30 minutes and every 10 minutes thereafter.  Beets are done when they can be easily pierced with a fork through the center. 
  • Remove from oven, open a corner of the pocket to release steam
  • Remove top sheet of aluminum foil and allow beets to cool until they can be handled easily
  • Remove beet peels simply by using your fingers or you may also use a paring knife (you will be amazed how easily the peels just pull off with your fingers)
  • Once peels are removed, cut beets into 1/4 inch rounds
  • Place on a serving tray, drizzle evenly with the remaining olive oil and salt
  • Finish with shaved almonds, cracked pepper or crumbled goat cheese for some added flare or serve simply as is. 
  • Enjoy!