Movin' it with Michelle

My MasterChef open call experience

October 13, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

Wow. Where do I begin. After several months of practicing, studying, and perfecting my signature dish the day came upon us way too quick.
Friday I took the day off work for last minute shopping and preparing my dish.
First I made my spicy red pepper and carrot purée along with my broccoli, leek and basil purée. We would keep these heated with some awesome thermos I bought in the camping section of Target.

I got my list and supplies all set out for our trip downtown Friday.

Friday we packed up our crockpots and electric griddle to quickly seer off my Chilean sea bass in the morning.

We headed downtown and I tried to relax. I’m sure we were quite the sight with several suitcases and coolers packed for a one night stay.

The morning of auditions I woke up in a panic. After checking the coolers, I noticed water leaked in to my container holding the fish. Oh. My. Goodness. But thankfully my amazing husband helped calm me down the best he could. We got everything ready and I was headed to the lobby to catch a cab.

I showed up promptly at ten am when the doors were set to open. I was welcomed by an awesome bell man who recognized immediately I was trying out for the show. He directed me to the third floor and there was only two people in front of me in line. I got all checked in and turned around to see Kira and Elise from last season. Trying to soak it all in, and squelch my nerves I asked for photo ops with them both.

They were both amazing, chatting with us all and my nerves calmed down a little. I found a seat, and waited for about an hour in the initial holding room. And then…my number was called to head to the second room to wait in a smaller group of about 21 home cooks. Quickly we bonded, sharing stories, recipes, and what we brought for the show. I made a couple friends, and settled in being my normal silly self.

Finally an hour and a half later we were called in to the tasting room. There were several producers, and a couple chefs that would taste our dishes. Sadly no photos were allowed but I was quite pleased with my plating. After being given a couple minutes to get organized we had three minutes to plate our dish.
Finally the chef came to my plate and I described the dish. She tasted and seemed to enjoy it, nodding and really enjoying my spicy purée. After several questions she thanked me and next was the producers questions. I answered all the questions with confidence and felt good.

But once they finished and the numbers were called for people to stay on, sadly my number wasn’t called. I smiled, wished my fellow cooks good luck and walked to the lobby to text Brian telling him the audition was over. I had tears in my eyes, sad to see the journey end so quickly but was reminded quickly from my friends and family how far I had come these last few years.

I just tried out for one of the biggest cooking shows on TV in the world. And they liked my food. Even my fellow contestants tried and liked my dish! So despite slight disappointment, I am ultimately pleased and proud of all they happened this weekend.

So instead of feeling sad or sorrowful after the audition, we went and had an amazing meal afterwards and shopped at Eatily for ingredients for Sunday supper.
Today I cooked with a renewed passion and strength in my cooking, regardless of my lack of progressing to the next round. I made a French cut veal chop with roasted veggies and basmati rice. I also made a red wine and cranberry reduction for the veal that was delish.

At the end of the day, I’m pleased, proud, and know that cooking will always be a huge part of my life.

food, goals

I’m still here!

October 7, 2014October 7, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

I’m still without a computer but wanted to check in with you all! This weekend is the open call for Master Chef season 6! I’ve got my dish ready! Here were the two final candidates:

I’ll be making the Chilean Sea bass, but will plate more like I did the salmon. I’ve got my crock pots ready to keep the food warm and two “all day” thermos containers to transport my warm components to the audition.

My goals and expectations for Saturday are quite simple, and very much like running a marathon for the first time in part.
First. Don’t die, trip, or make a fool of myself.
Second. Pray the judges like my food at the very least.
That’s it!

More to follow!! Thanks for all the support.

Xo
Michelle

food

Shrimp spring rolls

September 30, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

I had several people ask me for my spring roll recipe. I apologize for the double post but wanted to write it up before I forgot!
What you’ll need:
One bag of precooked shrimp, thawed and chopped.
One cucumber, chopped finely
Half of a red pepper, chopped finely
Two spring onions, chopped finely
One carrot, grated
One clove of garlic, minced
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
2 teaspoons of gluten free Tamari soy sauce
A splash of sesame oil
Kosher salt, black pepper and five Chinese five spice to taste
I package of rice wrappers

Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl and let marinate for 15 minutes.
Soak wrappers according to package directions.
Place about a tablespoon of the mixture at the bottom end of the wrapper. Roll a quarter turn tightly, bringing in the edges and continuing to roll tight.
Set aside.
Dipping sauce:
Tamari gluten free soy sauce-about a quarter cup
Splash of rice wine vinegar
Crushed red pepper flakes
Pinch of freshly grated ginger
One teaspoon of spring onion
Pinch of brown sugar
Just a touch of sesame oil
Mix well and this makes for a tasty dipping sauce.

I served with basmati rice and edamame. Delish and healthy!!

💗Michelle

food

Cauliflower purée recipe

September 30, 2014September 30, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

I’ll keep this quick with my computer still being down but wanted to share this yummy recipe.
What you’ll need:
One head of cauliflower, roughly chopped.
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons of butter
Drizzle of EVOO
1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup of low fat sour cream
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

In a deep pot melt the butter and EVOO and add in the cauliflower and garlic. Cook for about 12 minutes on medium high heat until tender, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Once cooked add in your milk and sour cream and purée with a stick mixer or blender.
Voila! Simple, quick, and a great side for any protein!

Enjoy!!
💗 Michelle

goals, moving forward, running, strength, training

Quick Fox Valley Half marathon recap

September 23, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

My computer official died. So my recap will be short as I’m posting via my phone.
We made it to the start with an hour to spare. I was oddly not nervous and was met up by my awesome friends. Brian was quiet but I believe he was excited.

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We started with the 9:30 group but quickly passed the group. Call it adrenaline. But we were cruising the first few miles. Seeing my family several times helped so much. But the hills at the 4 mile mark killed us. We slowed down and found a happy 9:24 pace.
We saw Andrea and her Do Epic Shit sign at the 5.5 mile mark and I knew we could run strong.
We continued on for several miles at a steady pace and I realized we were just short of a sub 2 half. Despite trying to push it my stomach had other plans and I had to slow it down. I felt my sport beans come up along with the Gatorade I shouldn't have drank and my heart sank a little.
Ten miles in I said, "If we push we can get a sub 2" but I knew it just wasn't in the cards for us. So we walked the last water stop as well as on the bridge leading to Mount St. Mary's park. Brian apologized and with tears in my eyes I said, "Don't you dare apologize. You're kicking butt." And as we came across the corner to the Illinois Street bridge where we saw the finish line, Brian grabbed my hand and choked back a sob. We ran in to the finish line hand in hand. He immediately embraced me and we cried.

We did this. Together. And I couldn’t be more proud. 2:05 was our official finish time.
And we did this. Together. Oh. I said that already.

And now. He’s got the bug. And I’m giddy all over again. 🙂

dedication, goals, running

Wordless (thankful things) Wednesday

September 17, 2014September 17, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

dedication, food

The end of season 5, Master Chef

September 16, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

After work today I quickly took a shower, got my kids fed and swept my little one off to ballet class from 6-7 pm. The season finale for Master Chef was TONIGHT, and I knew I’d miss the first 15 minutes but it was so worth while seeing my baby so excited to dance. So dance…we did.

We got home at 7:15, and I literally ran down to the basement to watch the season finale of Master Chef. Thankfully I had an old pair of running shoes on…keep in mind, I am still wearing said shoes. LOL.

My hubby had the wine ready, and we settled in quickly to watch the show. One cool aspect was that Twitter was allowing you to ask questions to the Chefs…and yeah…Graham Elliot responded to my tweet. Keep in mind, I suck at tweeting.

But I watched in awe as these home cooks did their thing…and I cried at the end, hoping, wishing, envisioning myself standing there in boots, and not heels.

The kicker was, having my husband ask me why I was crying…”You see yourself standing there, don’t you?”…Your darn right I do…because I know I have the passion needed to get where I want, need, to be.

At the end of the day, my husband said, YOU CAN DO THIS…and I will polish off my combat boots and try my hardest.

‘Nuff said.

Keep movin forward gang!

dedication, food, goals

Masterchef test kitchen, take one…

September 15, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

Well, I haven’t ran this week as most of you know. I took it, mostly, in stride despite starting to go crazy by the end of the week. I had decided yesterday that I would run tonight, but I woke up with another sinus headache, and several bloody nose bleeds to follow so I set the goal of running tonight aside. After a couple hours, I got the nose bleeds under control, so I showered, got dressed and hit the grocery store running with my youngest in tow. She’s my ‘sous chef’ and we decided along with our regular grocery shopping that we would get something nice to prepare for our traditional “Sunday supper.” I was also secretly using tonight as a test run for my Master Chef try out dish.

On the menu was:

Pan seared scallops

Roasted red pepper and carrot puree

Zucchini salad

We started by prepping our carrots and peppers. Here’s what you’ll need for the puree in case you’ve missed my previous post.

Roasted red pepper and carrot puree ingredients:

2 large carrots, chopped

2 red peppers, chopped

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

Transfer to a large bowl, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet, and roast for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Let cool, and transfer to a food processor, adding a 1/4 stick of unsalted butter, dollop of low fat cream cheese, and two teaspoons of sun dried tomato pesto with whole pine nuts. (I use the Bella Sane Luci brand, but any will do). Puree on high until smooth, seasoning as needed. I finish it with a sprinkle or two of freshly grated parmesan cheese. DELISH. I normally make this first as it’s the most labor intensive, and put in a baking dish to reheat although it’s quite tasty at room temperature.

Zucchini salad ingredients:

One half of a large zucchini noodled by your gadget of choice. I use the Vegetti and love it. Season the zucchini with salt and pepper and just a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Top with 2-3 radicchios finely diced. For garnish, the tops of oyster mushrooms lightly fried in basil infused olive oil (I made my own!). Drizzle with a light lemon vinaigrette dressing of which I also make my own. (One teaspoon of Dijon mustard, juice of one lemon, salt, pepper, and whisk in extra virgin olive oil). Note: I separate all toppings, and make each salad individually.

Pan seared scallops:

Dry your scallops with paper towels, and place on a plate, seasoning simply with kosher salt and pepper. Pan fry (I used my basil infused evoo) on medium to high heat, and turn once. Finish by draining the scallops on a plate lined with a paper towel.

Serve, as shown. I garnished the dish with fried basil leaves, and it was a hit.

This picture sadly wasn't the best, but it shows you how I plated the dish. — This picture sadly wasn’t the best, but it shows you how I plated the dish.

I made a couple yummy appetizers that I forgot to take pictures of, I know…blogger fail. But stuffed cherry tomatoes with cheese and basil roasted to perfection and crostini’s also accompanied our dinner.

My take away at my first real attempt at a “Master Chef” dish:

I need to acquire better pans to get that amazing sear on scallops without having them stick. (Christmas list item, number one.)

I need to work on time management as I find myself spending hours preparing these meals despite knowing the show is timed. Sadly (well not really) I lose myself in the kitchen nearly as much as I do with running…therefore losing track of time. Could I make this dish in just an hour??

I’m still unsure…but, I am still trying. Working. Hoping that I can find that inner spark to get my through to the ‘next round’ so to speak.

At the end of the day, I am pleased…I had almost given up on my dreams (yet again) of being well, more than I have allowed myself to be…but I have realized I am not satisfied with just ‘being.’

The last few years I have found myself talking in my own head…telling myself I know, I KNOW there is a greater purpose out there for me besides a 7-4 job…I just have to keep movin’ forward and FIND it…more so MAKE it happen.

And. I. Will.

So as I take my last sip of my orange cello (lemon cello with a twist of orange, YUM!) and I mentally prepare for our half marathon (my husband’s first!) I realize we can…and we will…OVERCOME. ALL things…in life. It’s our choice…it’s MY choice. And I’ve made it.

Just wait.

Question: What inner dreams do you have? Do you push yourself to attain these dreams, or do you let them be simply a dream?

❤ Michelle

moving forward, running

One week to go…squelcher and all…

September 13, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

I have been battling sickness for the entire week. My PTO bank is nearly empty, and I have a race to run in just over one week.

So what did I do tonight, after a long day at work?

I cooked. I washed my hands, cleared my throat, took my sinus meds, took another deep breath…and I cooked. I made my famous chicken soup, of course, because what else do you eat when you aren’t feeling well?

The recipe can be found here: https://movinitwithmichelle.com/2014/01/06/simply-chicken-soup/

This week has been a toughy…sickness, seeing so many lose loved ones, and just in general discord lead me to write this post.

Because at the end of the day, isn’t it all about what brings us joy?

So tonight I dusted off my knives, prepared dinner with my youngest sous chef by my side, reminding myself not to be the squelcher of joy in my kids lives. Because sadly, I have found myself being a squelcher.

What is a squelcher you ask? It’s the one who constantly nags, clean you room, get your elbows off the table, do your chores, oh, and is your homework done all on a Friday night when they should be able to let their hair down…meh, I suck sometimes.

So tonight, I shut my trap. I let it all be. I called my Mom, like any 41 year old woman does, and I vented, chatted, and laughed. I listened to my kids banter. I welcomed my husband’s kisses…and I just smiled.

This weekend I will celebrate my eldest daughter’s 15th birthday one week early. I will rest. And I will mentally prepare for our half marathon NEXT weekend.

What are you up to this weekend?

❤ Michelle

goals, moving forward, Three things, Thursday

Three things, Thursday…

September 12, 2014 Movin' it with Michelle

1. I haven’t ran in 6 days…after a wonderful weekend in Chicago this past weekend, I caught my death with who knows which strand of flu. I felt it hit Monday night and it took it’s toll on my body, and my mental strength to say the least. I have prided myself in my mental strength over the years not only in regards to running, but life in general as I’ve been hit with more than I’d wish on my worst enemy in my lifetime. But Tuesday night after being sent home from work (NEVER happens) I cried. I’ve worked so hard this summer training with my husband for his first half marathon, to not run for a WEEK is killer to the mind and soul. Because if I don’t run, well, he doesn’t either…so I hope this doesn’t hurt HIM in our race next weekend. We are going to run tomorrow, regardless of how I feel…I don’t want to let him down.

2. I am in awe of the friends and family who reached out to me this week. My immediate family, friends both near and far, and even coworkers texted to see if I needed anything. I feel. so. loved. Additionally, I realized I need to stop chasing people who just don’t give a shit about me even if they are blood. I’ve unfollowed several this week, and will continue to squelch negative energy from my life. For I have so many blessings that surround me. Chasing long lost hopes for relationships that used to exist is a waste of my blood, sweat, and tears. Just because you were close to someone decades ago, doesn’t mean that relationship will last. Move on. ‘Nuff said.

3. Today marked the 13th anniversary of the September 11th bombings. I never do very well on this day…I remember the call, the terror, and the sense of urgency that was felt while I was stationed at Scott Air Force Base, IL in 2001. I remember working more hours than I can count that day as our blood donor center was activated. I remember the buzz of the Humvees that circled the base’s perimeter. I remember my friends and I huddled in my tiny trailer home, tightly snuggled on my couch, watching the news and people falling from the top of the towers. I remember tears, pain, and a newfound love for my Air Force family. We were bonded so closely, but this brought us even closer together. Our lives, will never be the same, and if asked I could name every single person that sat with me on that grave evening.

This post has no pictures, gifs, or the like.

It’s simply a real post of ME, and all I have held close to me in my 41 years.

And it encompasses my mantra…#keepmovinforward

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