Happy Thursday!!! I took it to the kitchen after work today. I’ve discovered the joy of making my own red sauce and will never buy jarred again. I don’t have an exact recipe, but I can tell you I roasted a bunch of Roma tomatoes with garlic and onions/drizzled with avocado oil and seasoned with salt and pepper, oregano and basil-roasted about 25 minutes at 350, then cooled and removed the skins. In a large sauce pan, sauté half of a diced white onion, one diced carrot (breaks up the acidity of the tomatoes with natural sweetness), and a ton of minced garlic🤣. Add one large can of peeled whole Roma tomatoes that’s been drained. Squish the tomatoes with your hands (or a spoon lol), add a few chunks of Parmesan cheese Season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano and basil. Cook down for about 25 minutes. Add in the tomatoes you roasted and removed the skin, and purée with an immersion blender or whatever you use to blend things. Add back to the sauce pan, and let warm through. Add a pat or two of butter to finish it off. This time I added sautéed Italian Turkey sausage and served over brown rice noodles. Yum!!
Do you enjoy making homemade sauces? What’s your favorite?
This morning started out a little rocky. I woke up from a terrible nightmare as my husband reached to kiss me goodbye this morning WAY before the birds (or anyone else for that matter) were awake. I laid in bed, practicing my deep calm breaths as my heart raced a million miles per hour. Would he be ok over this next year? Will the Nanny’s first day go well? How can I help my 16 year old cope with, well, being 16? Ugh…
Several deep breaths later, I was up and getting ready for work. The Nanny arrived promptly on time, and everything went quite well for our discombobulated first morning. She texted me as soon as my little got on the bus, and I sighed a HUGE sigh of relief. I had a busy day at work, but was in awe of how many times I smiled, and was reminded of how far I’ve come in life. It really is true. You control your mood, no one else. #learninglessonseveryday
I drove home from work in a crazy snow storm, picked up my little from after school care, and we headed to Home Depot. See, our front light went out, we were out of sidewalk salt, and my daughter’s bathroom toilet lid broke right off. Guess since it was the original one from 1989, it was time to replace it. These are ALL things my husband normally takes care of. Although he isn’t handy, he does do all the hard things that I haven’t had to do in over a decade usually. Yet it’s time I figure out how to be on my own again, and do all the hard things.
As I lifted the huge bag of salt from my Jeep, I reminded myself that I CAN and WILL do this and be stronger for it.
My mini and I cooked our version of Jambalaya for dinner in preparation for an evening of shoveling out above said snow, and here’s a quick recipe.
Jambalaya Ingredients
4 links of pre-cooked chicken sausage, sliced into coin shapes
1 cup of precooked shrimp, chopped into small pieces
1 large can of crushed red tomatoes (use the spicy ones for added kick) with the juice
1 can of black beans, strained
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 small white onions (or one large), diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Creole seasoning to taste, salt, pepper, and chives
Fresh chopped Parsley to garnish
In a deep sauté pan heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and sauté the garlic, onions and celery until slightly tender. Add in the tomatoes and beans, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add in the chicken sausage and shrimp until heated through, and serve over your favorite rice or quinoa. I used a brown rice quinoa blend that I cooked according to the package instructions. I even had a little help from my mini.
Not sure which sparkles more, her eyes, or this dress? ❤
Dinner is served! Healthy AND Delish!
As we cleaned up the table, I got a text from one of my newest neighbors. She told me her husband has a landscaping business, and plows in the winter. Would I like him to plow my driveway? I broke down crying, and thanked God for all he’s blessed me with through this deployment preparation. He came over to plow, and I thanked him profusely as the temps are dropping, and I now only had to shovel my sidewalk and salt.
BRRRRRRR
Next it was time to fix that darn toilet seat. And who took the lead? Yup…my 16 year old. With a little help from Sammy…LOL!
“Mommy can I help? Or can I at least lick your face?”
Girl power! We did it!
My oldest asked if she could talk to me. I froze. What’s wrong? She confided in me that she’s been struggling with feeling happy, and I was catapulted back to 10th grade. I told her WE would get through this, and I would help her in any way I can to learn to find happiness even in the toughest of times. And I was just so darn touched and honored that SHE CAME TO ME. #allthetears
My hubby just got home from a very long day of training, so I think it’s time to wrap this post up. But here’s your reminder, that we can ALL do the hard things, if WE believe we can.
Do you have a handy spouse? What’s the hardest thing you’ve done lately?
Ok, so my Three things Thursday post is going to go a little like this:
1. I’ve been at my current job for nearly 10 months now. I’m finally settling in, feeling more comfortable, and really making connections with my staff, peers, and Pathology staff. I’d been told a pay raise was in the works, as my annual merit raise was pennies since I was only with the hospital technically one quarter of last year (June 30th ends the fiscal year for our hospital). Today when checking my pay stub, I saw that my raise kicked in and I smiled. It’s not huge, but it made me feel really good that my hard work is recognized. YAY. Every little bit counts!
Pic credit: adminfinance.umv.edu
2. Today marks the 2 week anniversary of my self mutilation – aka Christmas injury. You can read about it here: https://movinitwithmichelle.com/2014/12/27/christmas-injuries/ I am happy to report that for the first time in 2 weeks, I was able to take a REAL shower without my uber bandaged thumb. The wound is healing NICELY, I am able to cook again, and am looking forward to RUNNING next week!!! Tonight is the first time I have a regular Band-Aid on the wound, but will probably add more padding when I leave the house-just for safety purposes. It’s still very tender, hasn’t closed completely quite yet and is still very bruised. But…it gets better every day, and soon I’ll be back it all with full force, despite lacking a slice of my digit LOL!!
3. We are currently experiencing Polar Vortex #2 with our 3rd day in a row of a crazy artic blast. Temps have plummeted, schools closed, and winds are blowing at top speeds. I also just found out that I’ll be back on single Mom duty for the next month and a half while my husband travels off and on… SOOOO….What does that mean?
COMFORT FOOD!!!! Here’s my take on a healthy beef stroganoff:
What you’ll need:
1 lb of beef chuck roast, cubed, and seasoned with kosher salt and pepper. Place in a bowl, and sprinkle a 1/8 cup of flour (I used gluten free, Namaste brand-my fav!!) Set aside.
1 can of low fat golden mushroom soup/1 cup of low sodium beef stock.
1 white onion, diced
3 gloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of mushrooms, chopped (I used Shitake, but any brand will do)
2 tablespoons of low fat sour cream (add this at the VERY end)
4-5 splashes of Worcestershire sauce
Thyme, chives, and parsley-pinch of each
1 cup of gluten free rice (or the rice/pasta of your choosing), cooked to package directions
Preheat your wide sauce pan with EVOO at medium to high heat. Cook your beef until golden on each side-do not cook through. Remove from the pan, and drain the grease. Add a touch more oil, and sauté your onions, garlic, and mushrooms for 5-7 minutes until tender. Season with salt and pepper.
prep work!
Add back in the beef, and increase the heat just a touch. In a separate bowl, add the mushroom soup and stock and mix well. Pour over your meat. Add 4-5 splashes of Worcestershire sauce. Season by adding the Thyme, Parsley, and Chives. Lower the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes (I use this time to cook my rice). Add in the sour cream in the last 2 minutes, stir well and get ready to plate. Taste for seasoning, serve, and enjoy!!!
Fancy? Nope..Yummy? You bet!
Time for 3 questions!!!
How do you handle recognition/raises at work? Is it frigid where you live? What’s your favorite comfort food?
I’ve been trying to expand my normal mid-week meals, so decided to try a version of Orange Chicken after doing some research. As most of you know, I never strictly follow recipes, more so use them as guidelines.
Here’s my version of Orange Chicken, made easy…
Chicken:
Cube 6 chicken thighs-I prefer the thigh as the flavor of the meat is richer. You can use the breast, but I find it tends to dry out.
Next, separate 4 eggs, keeping only the whites. Place them in a bowl large enough to hold your cubed chicken.
Whisk in a couple tablespoons of corn starch until the mixture becomes frothy…Add in your chicken and coat well. Season with salt and pepper, mix again, and set aside while you prepare the Orange sauce.
Orange Sauce:
In a sauce pan combine the following ingredients:
The juice of 2 oranges, along with a teaspoon of the zest (**set the zest aside to add at the end)
Soy sauce-I use low sodium/gluten free but feel free to use your favorite…1/4 cup give or take.
1 cup of stock, whatever you have on hand
A couple splashes of rice wine vinegar
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
1 clove of garlic, minced (or use a micro plane, MUCH easier)
1 teaspoon of minced ginger (use that micro plane again, trust me!)
1 teaspoon of honey
A splash of sesame oil-don’t forget this, as it really adds depth to the sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
**Have a small cup of water with cornstarch mixed in to add at the end, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. This will help thicken the glaze. Just before serving add in your reserved orange zest.
While your sauce is simmering, heat a wide/deep pan with oil. I used avocado oil as I love the flavor it adds, but use your favorite frying oil. Fry the chicken in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan. Brown the chicken on each side, cooking through evenly. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and finish with a pinch of salt.
To serve, place a cup of your favorite rice or noodles in the bottom of a deep bowl. Add your favorite veggies (I used steamed broccoli and shredded carrots)
Spoon your orange glaze over just before serving (this helps keep the crunch to the chicken), and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.
Dinner is served! I love the fact that my family prefers this type of food over take out any day of the week!
Orange Chicken served over jasmine rice with steamed veggies…YUM
This was (as cooking always is) some much needed therapy after a stressful day!
What’s your favorite meal to prepare during the week? Do you prefer home cooked or take out food?
Two of my all time favorite things are my family, and food. If you have been around my blog for a while, you have read of my trials and tribulations, but more so the glue that held my life together this last decade or so…
My family. No matter how near or far we are physically, we always come back to one another welcoming each other with open arms. Here are some good shots from my eldest nephew Jack’s Confirmation this past weekend.
Jack receiving his Holy Confirmation
Jordyn and Jenna
Sophia and Julia
James and Sophia
A couple weeks ago, we were blessed to have our pictures taken by Missy Donovan Photography based out of Geneva, IL. WOW…I can’t stand my picture getting taken, but the sneak peaks today were amazing. Here’s one of my favorites, so far…
Yup…these people. Crazy, goofy, silly, serious, driven, moody, and best of all-TOGETHER
I’ve been slacking with my cooking since my MasterChef audition, so decided to keep our dinner tonight simple. In 20 minutes I prepared jasmine rice according to package instructions, adding salt, pepper and thyme.
Too easy!
While the rice was cooking, I sautéed garlic, shallots, and Portobello mushrooms in a wide pan. I added a teaspoon of pomegranate infused vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of veggie stock and let reduce down. After ten minutes, I added chopped asparagus and cooked for 5 minutes until still slightly crunchy. Lastly, I added the shrimp that I marinated in the pomegranate vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. The shrimp was precooked, so I simply had to heat through.
Serve the shrimp and veggies over the rice, and you’ve got a healthy meal in less than 20 minutes.
Shrimp over jasmine rice
Do you have any go-to recipes you use during the week? What size family do you have?
Here lately I have had people asking for my lemon vinaigrette recipe-which I have found to be so versatile, and my go to dressing for salads, fish, and even chicken/pork/steak.
What you’ll need:
The juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 small clove of garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon (to taste) of apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch of Mediterranean oregano and basil
Lightly mix, and whisk in a couple tablespoons of a good extra virgin olive oil
Serve over your favorite salad or protein! Delish!!
Here is a pic of my latest creation that I dressed with this vinaigrette.
I got a new “noodle” gadget tonight, where you can take veggies and make them into noodles! It’s GREAT!
I “noodled” 3/4 of a zucchini, added 1/4 thinly sliced red onions, and some sliced roasted (gluten free) roasted turkey as well as some cherry tomatoes! Looking forward to lunch tomorrow! This took only 10 minutes or less to prepare!!
Hope you all enjoy!
This week starts back to better eating and exercise…although I’ve done pretty well with my running, I know my eats haven’t been top notch! Here’s to more recipes and better adventures to share with you all!!
Movin' it with Michelle 