Happy As A Clam!

Hi, Friends!

Monday's are exhausting and long and make me wish the week was already over when the alarm goes off on Tuesday morning.  But despite waking up with a case of the Tuesdays, my day ended on a happy note with a big plate of spaghetti and clams.  I got this recipe a few years ago from my father-in-law, and it's one of Hubby's favorites.  It's what we had for dinner when I met my father-in-law for the first time.  That night, my future Hubby, future F.I.L., and I watched "Master and Commander" and devoured this shockingly easy, cheap and yummy dish.  Tonight, we watched "Cheers."

I always keep all the ingredients for Spaghetti and Clams on hand as pantry staples (except for the mushrooms) and consider it a default comfort dinner.  Perfect for a Tuesday.

Spaghetti and Clams (for 2)

Ingredients:
Olive oil
2 smallish yellow onions, chopped
One small package of white mushrooms, sliced
Two cans Bumble Bee Whole Baby Clams  (really important that these are whole, not minced), one can drained, the other not
Sea salt
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
Freshly ground pepper
Garlic powder
Parsley
Multi-grain spaghetti (1/2 to 3/4 of the box.  1/2 a box = a heavy amount of clam sauce per person)

Multi-Grain Spaghetti

Whole Baby Clams

In a large frying pan heated to medium, heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil and saute onions until fairly soft.  Add mushrooms and saute until they start to get soft and juicy. 

Onions and Mushrooms

Meanwhile, heat water to boiling for the spaghetti.  Immediately after you add the spaghetti to the boiling water, add the two cans of baby clams (one drained) to the frying pan with the onions and mushrooms.  Add a small amount of salt and generous amounts of pepper, Cavender's, garlic powder and parsley to the clams and veggies.  Stir and let simmer while the pasta cooks.

Clams Added to the Veggies

Drain cooked pasta and divide between two plates.  Top each serving of pasta with a generous heaping of the clam mixture and drizzle with some olive oil. 

Enjoy!

Snippets

Hi, friends!  I'm adjusting to life back at work.  The transition has gone fairly well, although - clearly - I'm lagging a bit on blogging, writing back to emails and keeping up with people in general.  I hope that improves because I love, love, love keeping up with my dear friends who are scattered all over the country. 

To get you all up to speed, I thought I'd share some reflections on my experience returning to the professional world:

•  I have a fear of heights.  My commute to work requires that I take the worlds tallest exit ramp.  Seriously.  The "hump" at the top is so steep that when you're approaching the top, you can't see where the road is going and you can totally imagine the road just dropping off.  It's like Shel Silverstein all over again.

• I bought my first pair of Spanx.  It has been pointed out to me recently that I complain about the size of my backside too frequently.  And apparently those who have pointed this out to me think this is an unwarranted (and annoying) trait.  So before anyone jumps on me thinking this bullet point is a butt complaint, let me just say that it's not.  I'm just saying that every woman, no matter how small, has some amount of, ahem, not-so-taut skin.  And certain fabrics, even when they come on size 2 dresses, just don't look so good over these areas.  So I bought Spanx.  And then I had a glass of wine.

• We use Lotus Notes for email at work.  No further comments. 

And, on a food point:

• Tonight's dinner consisted of bagged lettuce topped with Parma, olive oil, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar and shrimp cocktail.  And half a bag of chocolate chips.  Cooking anything that requires much thought at the end of the work day just isn't going to happen. So when I do cook, I've been making full recipes (for 4 to 8 people) and freezing the extra servings.  This has turned out to be a wonderful, wonderful way to have a hearty meal on a lazy night.  And while last month was apparently my Kale month, this month has been my pasta casseroles month.  These aren't your mama's tuna macaroni casseroles, either.  Here's what I've been making:

 Multi-Grain Pasta with Butternut Squash, Ground Lamb and Kasseri - First of all, I love Mark Bittman, so I had to try this recipe.  Second, it's a delicious and cozy dish.  When I make it, I double the amount of lamb in the dish and I use fresh Parmesan instead of Kasseri.  I've made it with the kasseri (sheep's cheese - which is definitely good - don't get me wrong!), but the Parmesan gives it a smoother, less exotic (more traditional?) taste.  Also, I've made it with sweet potato instead of butternut squash when the grocery store was out of the butternut.  You can barely tell the difference!

Rigatoni with Eggplant and Pine Nut Crunch -  This one is major yum!  It's rich and creamy, but it's made with REAL FOOD, so for those who prefer rich and creamy, it's a fantastic option.  I've only made this one once, but it was a huge hit with hubby.  Next time I make it, I'll be doubling the veggies.  It seemed like a lot of veggies when I read the recipe and chopped all the produce, but the finished product is very pasta heavy. 

I hope you are all living big, laughing with gusto and loving with all you've got!  I'm so thankful you, my sweet, dear friends.

Changes

Next week, I'm headed back to work in the corporate world for the first time in almost a year. 

I've spent the past eleven months getting over a terrible case of mono with complications, looking for a new career opportunity that's right for me, getting married, settling into a new home with my hubby, struggling to feel productive and satisfied sans a job outside the home, spending a lot of time in the kitchen, learning to be efficient around the house, enjoying mid-day exercise and sunshine, indulging in full nights of sleep (and quite a few naps, as well), coming into my own as a stay-at-home wife, and finding peace and contentment in making a home for my new little family.  

I'm faced with mixed emotions as I prepare for the transition out of the quiet little at-home life that I've developed.  I'm really excited to tap back into "professional me," make some money and move forward on my career path.  I'm looking forward to the challenge and the sense of fulfillment that I get from working hard and developing professionally.  I'm spending this week trying to get back into the habit of going to bed - and waking up - early, brainstorming quick and portable meal ideas, trying on my work clothes and planning out outfits, and tying up loose ends of errands and projects that are best done during during weekdays (like visiting the passport office and going to see our tax guy).  I'm staying busy this week because I want to be as ready as possible so I can hit the ground running and knock their socks off at my new company. 

But also?  I'm trying to keep myself distracted because I'm really nervous.  Changes and transitions can be difficult to adjust to.  My daily routine is about to change completely, and I'm trying to prepare myself for both the practical and emotional challenges that the transition is likely to bring.  I'm doing everything I can think of to prepare for the practical challenges, but the emotional ones are more difficult because I'm not really sure how to brace myself for them. 

All I can think of is to just keep reminding myself about the many big decisions I've made and major changes I've been through in my life and how BOLD I was through them.  I've always had a jump-in-head-first-and-don't-look-back attitude in life, and I'm clinging to that.  I'm trying to remember that it's been in the toughest, most chaotic and uncharted times in my life that I've discovered how much strength I have and how capable I am. 

And as I'm thinking about all this, one quotation keep returning to my mind.  It's one that pops in my head pretty much every time life gives me a little mountain to climb:

"A woman is like a tea bag.  You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water."
- Eleanor Roosevelt

I can plan meals, pick out clothes and finishing up a list of errands; but when it comes to facing changes and challenges with grace and poise, I just have to trust.  I have to trust that the universe will unfold as it will and trust that my inner strength will be there when I need it.

Furniture and Veggies

Although I didn't watch as many chick flicks as planned this past weekend (okay, I actually didn't watch any) while hubby was away, I did enjoy my quiet nesting time.  I organized files, played with produce and worked on a furniture project.  I also slept a lot and devoted all of my movie-watching time to food related documentaries. All I have to say about that is that I'm really glad I was eating a completely vegan meal while I watched Food, Inc.  But, anyway; about the furniture and veggies...

Shortly after we got married, hubby and I worked on the inside of this wonderfully whimsical antique china cabinet that used to be his grandmother's.  The inside used to be that 1970's pale mustard-ish yellow.  We re-painted it (including the under-sides of the shelves) and the stemware racks (which we installed - aren't you impressed?!) a warm cranberry red to match the red panes of glass in the doors and we added mug hooks to the bottom of one of the shelves.

China Cabinet

 
That was our first furniture project, and since then, we've been relishing in learning about, acquiring and revitalizing antiques.  Lucky for us, hubby's dad owns enough antiques - many of them just piled up in his attic! - to open several shops, so we can do our own "shopping" whenever we want.  We recently brought home a "lawyers shelf," several layers of which supposedly belonged to this guy, an ancestor of hubby.  This is what I worked on this past weekend.

The Lawyer's Shelf (Before) - dusty and dry

When we brought the shelves home (each layer is separate and stackable), they were covered in dust and the wood was very dried out.  We still need to replace one missing pane of glass and some hardware, but with the help of some trusty tools, more than a few rags and some good ol' elbow grease, we now have a gorgeous piece of furniture in our living room ready to be filled with well-loved books and treasured objects.

Trusty Tools

 

 

 

 

After

After

After

 

After

 

 

Aside from working on furniture, I also played around in the kitchen and experimented with making Kale chips.  They are super easy to make and very tasty, but my one piece of advice: Don't over-salt them. 

Kale Chips

one head of Kale
olive oil
salt and pepper OR any variety of seasoning salt

Wash and thoroughly dry Kale.  Tear leafy parts into bite-sized pieces.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil.  Using hands, toss Kale to coat leaves evenly.  Sprinkle (sparingly) with seasoning salt.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Enjoy immediately!

Parmesan Chicken with Veggie “Pasta” and (Quick) Homemade Marinara Sauce

My hubby is out of town for the weekend, deep in the no-cell-phone-service reaches of the Alabama woods, for a good friend's bachelor party.  I'll miss him being away, but I'm thrilled for him to have a break from the day-to-day rat race.  And I'd be lying if I didn't say that I'm a little bit excited about the quiet weekend I'll be having at home by myself.  I have one social outing planned for tonight (Miranda Lambert concert at Billy Bob's!!!!!  Can you tell I'm excited?!), then I'm going to hole myself up and nest, nest, nest. 

To prepare for my weekend of nesting, I went to Central Market (non-Texans, I'm truly sorry that you don't have Central Market in your lives) this morning and spent about $90 on produce.  I'm pretty sure the person bagging my groceries was thinking that I am going to start sprouting roots and turn into a vegetable if I actually end up eating everything I bought.  Good thing I didn't spend a buck more on produce because there is zero space left in this refrigerator:

Don't judge the two (large) cartons of Half and Half.

Also, I bought chicken, ground turkey, half and half, dark chocolate, and current issues of Bon Appetit and Southern Living while I was there.  Just, you know, for variety.

I have a whole slew of mostly just veggie and fruit recipes that I plan on experimenting with this weekend, sort of as a detox/reset/nutrient boost for myself and to find new ways to eat super good-for-me things.  I also plan on tackling some major organizational projects around our home and working on cleaning, waxing and buffing some of our antique furniture (including an incredible lawyer's bookshelf that's been in hubby's family for years and years - pics to come throughout the restoration project!).  And, I may watch a ridiculous amount of chick flicks while all this is happening.

Before I disappear into my nest for the next couple of days, though, I wanted to share with you one of my most favorite healthy, quick and hearty recipes.  This is one that is pretty much just in my head, so I finally took the time on Wednesday evening to measure out the ingredients and write down my process.  Then I scarfed the food down so fast that no pictures were taken.  (Hence the photograph of the inside of my 'fridge to keep this from being a photo-less post...)  Oops.

Parmesan Chicken with Veggie “Pasta” and (Quick) Homemade Marinara Sauce

Hands-On: About 30 Minutes
Total Time: About 30 Minutes
Serves: 2

For the chicken:
2 eggs
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Approx. 1/2 Cup finely shredded or grated Parmesan (plus more for garnish, if desired)
1/3 cup unseasoned whole grain or whole wheat bread crumbs
Fine grain sea salt
ground black pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
olive oil

For the veggie “pasta”:
2 each “normal” sized yellow squash and zucchini squash
olive oil

For the sauce:
1 – 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 – 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (no salt added)
1 small can tomato paste
thyme (fresh, if you have it)
dried parsley
dried oregano
dried basil
dried rosemary
2 dried bay leaves
½ tablespoon of sugar (don't skip this - sugar makes all the difference separating a fantastic marinara sauce from a blah one)
2-3 minced cloves of garlic

*note – You will need a julienne peeler for this recipe.  They aren’t expensive, and it will change your life.  I promise.

Prep your cooking space by having all of your ingredients out and ready.  This is a quick recipe, but everything happens at once (thus, making it quick…), so help yourself out by having everything in reach. 

Prep the chicken breasts by laying them out on a piece of plastic wrap on a cutting board and cover them with another piece of plastic wrap.  Using a heavy pan, a rolling pin or a meat pounder, pound out the chicken. 

Prep the pasta by using the julienne peeler to make “strands” of zucchini and squash from the fleshy part of the veggies.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and mustard together.  In another medium bowl, mix bread crumbs, Parmesan, salt and pepper.

On the stove-top, heat two medium to large skillets/frying pans to medium heat and pour about 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil in each.  While the pans are heating, place a small sauce pan on the stove and empty the cans of tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and tomato paste into it.  Add the sugar, garlic and herbs to the tomatoey mixture in amounts that are pleasing to your taste.  Stir and heat this sauce pan to medium.  (Continue stirring occasionally and keep an eye on the sauce pan while you’re working on the rest of the recipe and turn it down to simmer once it starts bubbling).

Place the veggie “pasta” in one of the skillets/frying pans and sauté, stirring occasionally, just like you would with any veggie.  Cook to your desired doneness.

While veggies are cooking, one at a time, dip the chicken breasts into the egg and mustard mixture, letting any excess drip off and dredge well in the bread crumb mixture.  Place chicken breasts in the other skillet/frying pan.  Cook 3-5 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked throughout. 

To serve, place a bed of “pasta” on each plate, top with a chicken breast, ladle a generous portion of marinara sauce on top of that and sprinkle with more Parmesan, if desired. 

Enjoy!

Happy weekend, everyone. :)

What I've Been Loving Lately

The sign in my bathroom that says, "It's the little things in life that make living so grand."

Sunshine in the dining room.

 

This book.

A lazy and cozy Valentine's Day with my Valentine.

A new energy and positive movement in my job search.  And feeling so thankful for friends and colleagues that go out of their way to help me and vouch for me.  And embracing being able to stay up late, sleep in and work out in the middle of the day while I still can.

Getting excited for friends (real life and blog world "friends") that are pregnant.

 

Feelings of deep, deep connection - in the simplest, most mundane parts of life - so strong that they bring tears to my eyes.  I feel so blessed and lucky for the huge love in my life.

       Method’s Hardwood Floor Cleaner.  I’m a sucker for anything almond scented.  Plus?  This stuff makes my wood floors so pretty and shiny!

The Tracy Anderson Method.  I've been doing her mat workouts and dance cardio for a while now, but I started her Metamorphosis program yesterday (the fitness part; not the full food program).  Man, oh man, am I sore this morning!!!