Wow...

It's been a LONG time since I've written anything...

I need to get back on this horse.

I'm boring, I know...

Ok, I understand... I have a blog that I never update. Maybe interesting stuff just doesn't happen to me. Or maybe I just need to look deeper into my everyday life to find things to blog about. Allison has tons of things to blog about... I'm sure I can find something!

The only thing I've got right now is that I am considering canceling all of my holiday weekend plans to finish "Breaking Dawn". Not only is it intensely hot outside and nice and chilly in my apartment... but this book has me in it's grips. I am going to be so sad when it's over :o(

So that leads me to an update on my book list for the year. It's been slow... but I currently own most of the books (*) so it might be a bit easier to get through in the next 5 months :o)

1. The Hollow (Nora Roberts) - Done!
2. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer) - Done!
3. New Moon (Stephenie Meyer) - Done!
4. Eclipse (Stephenie Meyer) - Done!
5. The Pagan Stone (Nora Roberts) - started...
6. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) - started...
7. The Last Lecture (Randy Pausch) - started...
8. Breaking Dawn (Stephenie Meyer) - started...
9. Carolina Moon (Nora Roberts)*
10. The Horse Whisperer (Nicholas Evans)*
11. She's Come Undone (Wally Lamb)*
12. The Princess Bride (William Goldman)*
13. The Secret History (Donna Tartt)*
14. Bridget Jone's Diary (Helen Fielding)*
15. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)*
16. Atonement (Ian McEwan)*
17. Can You Keep a Secret? (Sophie Kinsella)
18. The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkein)
19. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
20. The Nanny Diaries (Emma McLaughlin and Nicole Kraus)
21. The Rule of Four (Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason)
22. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)

Wow - I've read 4 books already this year. Anyone that knows me knows that is ironic! AND... I've started 4 others... Wow. It is quite plausible that I could read at least 8 books this year. Who am I? hehe

Walls.

Current mood: restless

You're close enough to touch
But still too far away
For me to keep you in my clutch
Forever and a day.
I know that you exist
Because every day I catch a glimpse
Of what it would be like
If you were mine.
These walls I hide behind
Are supposed to keep me safe
Because I'm frightened that I'll be alone.
But all they're doing is making sure
That all I'll ever be is alone.
I try to open up
But my fears take over
Keeping me quiet
And hiding what I feel.
I bring the words to my lips
Then swallow them down
Without ever whispering a sound.
My walls need windows...
Or doors.
Something that can open and close freely
Allowing me to be more open
Yet closed off when I want to be.
There's more to me than meet's the eye
But will anyone ever get past the wall
To see the real me?
I need someone strong enough and quick enough
To break down the walls
Before I have time to reinforce them.
I need someone to hold me
While the walls come crashing down around us.

Turkish Night - Supper Club June 2009

I was the host of Supper Club for Turkish Night.

Acma with Feta and Olives. Pita Bread with 2 kinds of hummus and labneh with roasted red peppers on top.

Hummus with Pine Nuts and Cayenne Pepper Oil. It had a kick to it!

Hummus with Cinnamon and Currants.

Labneh with some type of awesome red pepper stuff on top.

Kebabs.

Karniyarik. Literally translates to "split belly" - basically, it was stuffed eggplant.
(http://almostturkish.blogspot.com/2007/09/stuffed-eggplants-karnyark.html)

Nohutlu Pilav (Pilaf with Chickpeas).
(http://www.turkishcookbook.com/2007/11/pilaf-with-chickpeas.php)

Rice Pudding... with Rose Water. Unfortunately, it tasted like soap or like Glade was being sprayed in your mouth.

Answer: Beef Stir Fry

The Question: What can I do with lots of fresh veggies and a hunk of beef?


The meat was marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, garlic and some crushed red pepper for a kick!

I can almost taste the yummy-goodness just by looking at the picture!

Puff Pastry Night - Supper Club May 2009

The gracious host of May's supper club was Angie. And as usual, everything was delicious!

Turkey Triangles with Chutney Sauce by yours truly.

Cheddar "filled" pastry with homemade tomato soup made by Jennifer

Individual Beef Croustades with Boursin and Mushrooms - by Angie.

Puff pastry pinwheels stuffed with sun dried tomatos and pesto prepared by Emily.

Apple Tart with Tossed green, candied walnuts and sherry vinaigrette made by Jenn.

The people I work with...

It was our boss' idea to all put on red and get our picture taken by the fountain. Aren't we a scientific looking bunch? I think we need more males in the lab... they seem to be outnumbered!

South Beach Soups

Black bean soup - my favorite!



"Cream" of Broccoli Soup....


These soups were extra-simple to make. I like to freeze a serving size in individual freezer bags. When I put them in the freezer, I lay them flat so they freeze and defrost in a minimal amount of time. It also makes them easy to transport to work for lunch!

Home-Style Turkey Meatloaf with Mushrooms and White Beans

This is a South Beach Diet recipe. I was looking for something that would incorporate more fiber into my daily diet. With the addition of beans, this recipe does the trick!


Ingredients:
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/4 pounds extra-lean ground turkey
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped parsley
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard plus extra for serving

Instructions:
Heat the oven to 375° F. Lightly coat an 8- by 4- by 2 1/2 –inch metal or glass loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, thyme, cayenne, paprika, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and mushrooms are incorporated, about 5 minutes longer. Add beans and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine cooled bean mixture, turkey, eggs, parsley, and 2 teaspoons of the Worcestershire sauce. Mix well with wet hands to combine. Form into a loaf and place into the prepared pan.

Stir together mustard and remaining 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce and set aside.

Bake meatloaf on the middle rack of the oven for 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven and brush with the reserved Worcestershire mixture. Return to the oven and continue baking 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until a thermometer inserted into meatloaf registers 170 ° F. Let meatloaf stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with additional Dijon mustard.

Yum. Look at all that mushroomy goodness!

The texture was a bit odd, but the flavor of everything mixed together is awesome.


Nutritional Information
205 calories
5 g fat (1 g saturated fat)
15 g carbohydrate
30 g protein
4 g fiber
549 mg sodium

Italian Love Cake

My dear friend Ines is headed back to Italy and my boss had her, myself and some of her Italian friends over for dinner. I was trusted with bringing dessert, as usual. :o)

They wanted something chocolate and since we were having an "Italian-style" dinner, I looked for something with Italian ingredients and came up with this. It has ricotta cheese in it... and is super simple to make. Very delicious - especially the next day. It's not too rich, but has the right amount of chocolate.


Going into the oven, the ricotta is on top. But when you are finished baking it, the ricotta ends up in the middle! It's like magic! hehe

A view from the top...

Deliciousness :o)