Snowed in...

What a beautiful snowy day today...and it just keeps on coming. Living in New England, you get used to the snowy winters. I woke up this morning to a blanket of snow overflowing my backyard, everything glistening white. Some people hate the snow...I tend to embrace it, because there are lots of folks out there that haven't even seen it before. I feel like we have an advantage living here--it may be a pain in the butt sometimes but overall in general, I think its a beautiful thing. No work today which was wonderful, its too dangerous to be driving in these conditions anyways, but some offices (like my mother's down in Hingham) refuse to close. She had to make the venture out in her big blue Jeep to probably sit at her desk for a few hours. My dad on the other hand, had the option of going to work today. Being the man that he is, he went to work. God love him. I've been stocking up the woodstove and shoveling the walk every now and then as instructed, to keep him happy while he's away. 

The kicker of this lovely snowy day--we lost power at 8am. No coffee, no microwave, no nothing. The upside of no power at my home? We have gas. The first thing that came to mind...I can still cook! I was talking with David's sister-in-law Kerri yesterday about what we wanted to make during the storm (we work together, also). I had mentioned I wanted to make a sauce. "A sauce?!" She said. "That's a GREAT idea. That's what I'm going to do!" What's better than the smell of a big pot of italian sauce and meatballs simmering away on the stove all day? Nothing, if you ask me.  


I decided to start cooking early this morning to pass some time while the power was out. The sauce recipe is my Nana's, but my own take on it. Everything I cook is simple, with simple ingredients. Cooking doesn't have to be complicated! The best dishes come from fresh ingredients. If I can get organic products, I will, but its not necessary. I happen to love Trader Joe's. They have amazing produce, meats and cheeses, as well as there own line of products that you can tell are simply made and delicious. I made some meatballs first in a cast iron skillet to get them nice and crispy. The meatballs are simple--parmesan cheese, lots of fresh grated garlic (if you don't have a microplane, finely chopped is perfectly fine) salt, pepper, bread crumbs, italian seasonings, and an egg to bind. Onions and garlic go into a big pot with a small amount of oil. Two cans of crushed tomatoes go in, along with the drippings from the meatballs. Red wine, italian seasonings, fresh basil, parmesan and romano cheese, and a few other simple ingredients. I don't really measure while I cook, I use my own judgement but thats just another perk to cooking in your kitchen. You should feel comfortable with your food and ingredients when you cook! I prefer smooth creamy textured sauces, so I like to use an immersion blender when I make my sauce. It's a great tool. I add about half the meatballs to the sauce, and simmer on the stove for a few hours, so all the flavors meld together and you get a wonderful, delicious smelling aroma throughout your entire house. I came back in from shoveling and the scent filled my nose immediately. Instant comfort food.


The power finally came back on...2:00 and I'm drinking my coffee relaxing on the couch in my slippers with my sauce simmering away. Enjoy the snow today, and whatever else you might be cooking up... :)

The Truth about Healthy Cooking & Eating: No need for starvation!

Ok, so its the new year. Everybody wants to start dieting and exercising. Everybody wants to drop 10 pounds. The cliche of all cliche's.  There are hundreds of different ways to loose weight. However, why do people think they have to starve themselves in order to see a significant change? It does not take a lot--to be honest it takes very little--it just as matter of wanting it, and sticking to it. I find, that exercising, along with choosing healthy things to eat, is the easiest, most known to man way to take off the unwanted weight. Its the exercising part that gets people. Its hard to start exercising if you havent before, believe me, I went through it. In college I gained the freshman 15 fairly quickly, and before I knew it my clothes werent fitting and I didn't feel like myself. I started going to the gym everyday, and chose things like salad, steamed veggies, lean proteins, etc when it came time to eat. I lost almost 20 pounds in 3 months. I was committed to losing the weight, and I did it. I don't think people realize how much just exercising has an effect on the human body. If you want to maintain your weight, 30 minutes a day 3 days a week is all you need. If your looking to lose the weight, at least 5 times a week is reccomended. I understand people have lives, people have kids, but I still don't think its an excuse for not being able to get moving a few times a week. Do it for yourself! If you really want to lose a few pounds, its simple. But still, people sacrifice food instead of having to exercise. There is NO need to starve yourself! You can cook delicious, healthy food that you won't feel guilty about eating. Some people are picky--but thats still do-able. I personally love veggies--broccoli, green beans, brussell sprouts, cauliflower, peppers--I love them all. Sauteed in a little olive oil with garlic and sprinkled with a little parmesan or romano cheese, are absolutley delicious. Pair them with marinated grilled chicken, fish, or even a turkey burger on a 100 calorie round and you have a healthy, yummy dinner!

The point im trying to make: just because fats like oil and butter give things a lot of flavor, using less fat and more spices or seasoning can work wonders for your diet. Lets think about this: how many ground spices are there to chose from these days? Hundreds! Thousands! Things as simple as garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, even dried herbs can transform your food without the added fat and calories. Marinate your chicken or fish with dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, and fresh chopped garlic. add a teaspoon or two of olive oil and a little dijon mustard and you have a perfect marinade. Like your food a little spicier? Add some tabasco or franks red hot to your plate. For people who aren't a fan of veggies, I reccomend starch like a baked potato with a little bit of light butter or light sour cream. Or whole grain rice. Even a cup of whole wheat pasta is perfectly fine. Combine these foods with regular exercise...and you'll see the weight come off. I'm serious. You don't need to cut everything but dry protein and flavorless veggies out of your diet! That's just stupid.

You all probably know all of this. But some people may find it helpful. I will leave you with one of my favorite recipes to make while I'm trying to keep it healthy:

Marinated Grilled Chicken & Broccoli with a Dijon Cream Sauce (Yes, I said cream!)

Thinly sliced chicken breast
2 teaspoons lemon/pepper/garlic seasoning (any herbed seasoning is fine, I like McCormack products)
1/2 cup fat free, low sodium chicken stock
3 tablespoons light cream
juice of 1/2 a lemon
sprinkle of parmesan cheese
1 cup broccoli florets, steamed
salt & pepper
cooking spray

Directions:
Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Add seasoning to both sides to coat evenly. Spray a medium sized skillet with cooking spray. Cook chicken breast 3-5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.

In the same pan, add 1/2 cup of fat free lower sodium chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add 2-3 teaspoons of dijon mustard, and 3 tablespoons of cream. Whisk together and boil for a minute until sauce is thickened.

Plate chicken and steamed broccoli. Add salt and pepper, along with a sprinkle of lemon juice and parmesan cheese to broccoli. (I like to add a little crushed red pepper flakes to mine, too)
Pour sauce over chicken, and serve.

It's that simple!

First time for everything: A little about the author

There is a first time for everything. I decided to start blogging about my love for food because, well because I love it that much. I am surrounded by it, and not only crave it to eat, but crave it to cook. My boyfriend David, who I give a lot of credit for putting up with all of my food antics, loves it just as much as me. After thinking about creating a blog, and talking with him about it, I was more than inspired to start one. "All you do is talk about it," he said to me last night. "Its all about cooking it, eating it, and then once your done its always "so what should we have for dinner?" or, "what else can I make today?" It's sad, but incredibly true. Always thinking about the next meal. My parents have also played a big part in my love for food--as well as my grandparents on both sides. My mothers family is Irish & Italian, so of course I grew up with pasta, sauce and meatballs at Nana's every Sunday after Church. Every holiday it was a traditional holiday meal, plus lasagna, meatballs, and more sauce. My fathers side is English, and on weeknights when we stayed with my grandparents my brother and I ate traditional meals that have been in my family for years. My mother cooked dinner every night, and we sat down at the table to eat no questions asked. I think that's a very important part of growing up, but thats another topic for another day.

I am interested in all different types of cuisine, and would love to try to get into more ethnic or different types of food you don't eat everyday. Currently I'm on a health kick, so anything I can make thats healthy and still delicious I'm more than willing. Cooking is what I enjoy, and its what I want to do in my free time. Making people happy with food is what I LOVE to do. I'm not much of a baker, or have much of a sweet tooth for that matter, but I have never said no to whipping up a batch of cookies, or my mom's made from scratch brownies. Along with this new blog, I hope to also help with the Food for Hunger program, which was another reason I was inspired to write. I not only want to cook for my family and loved ones I want to reach out to those in need and try to feed ones that need it most. As American's we take advantage of the fact that food is so readily available and at our fingertips. Some of us, even in the U.S., are not that lucky.

I am open to any comments, new recipes, and new things to try--so, here I am. Writing, sharing, creating, and tasting all things food.