May Travels

Wow, I can't believe how fast May went by and now June's flying by, too.  May was a busy busy month!  Michael and I went to NYC for five days for our birthdays...his is May 8, mine is May 9.  The weekend we got back from NYC we packed up and went to Dallas to see Dave Matthews.  Then, the next weekend we flew to Kansas City to visit Michael's mom.  THEN, a few days later I headed to Tulsa with the fam to see Paul McCartney. THEN, I packed up and went back to Dallas for a girls weekend.  Oh, and did I mention we got a puppy somewhere in between the madness?

Birthday Dinner at Carmine's

Dave Matthews Concert

Paul McCartney!

Memorial Weekend in Kansas City

Andie

New York State of Mind

Get me here ASAP.  My 6 a.m. flight can't come soon enough.  Here's to celebrating the big 3-0 in style!

A Cinderella Story?

It's official, March Madness is underway and as we all know, the NCAA basketball tournament SO much more interesting when there's money on the line.  I'm hoping to pull a victory in my pool so I can pay off my NYC vacation coming up in May.  With a $20 entry fee, the winner should get a pretty good chunk of change.  Here's my bracket:

Keep your fingers crossed I win, friends!  

Peanut-Thai Pasta

I thought my days of pasta were over because there was no way I was going to find a recipe that was tasty AND clean.  Thank you 100daysofrealfood.com for proving me wrong!  A couple of coworkers made this recipe and recommended it, so I figured I give it a try.

The ingredients in the sauce may sound unusal, but trust me, you should give it a try.  When I originally made the sauce it was a little salty.  The comments suggested using a low sodium soy sauce, but I was already using a soy alternative with very little sodium, so I made a few tweaks (Side note: I use Bragg Liquid Aminos instead of soy sauce.  I started using it when I did the Daniel Fast last year and loved it, so it's now a staple at my house.)  To down play the saltiness, I added a little more peanut butter, some honey and olive oil  and it worked perfectly!  I will definitely be making this again.

Ingredients

• 8 oz whole wheat spaghetti noodles (1/2 box)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• ½ cucumber
• Optional: Crushed red pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, garlic, and basil until combined into a smooth mixture.
3. Once the pasta is ready, drain and combine with the soy sauce mixture until pasta is evenly coated with sauce. Dice half of a cucumber and toss together with pasta. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Sunny Days

Do you remember seeing Sesame Street Live when you were a child?  Well, my brother Nick and I do, and even though we couldn't have been older than five, it is a childhood memory that we both cherish.  With that said, Nick and I wanted to share that experience with our niece, Lily, so yesterday we packed up the family truckster and headed down to the Cox Convention Center to see Sesame Street Live.

Lily doesn't watch much television, so I don't think she really knew who Elmo was going into the show, but that soon changed!  Once we got to the show we immediately headed to the overpriced toy kiosk where she picked out a lighted spinning Elmo toy. She loved it...for about five minutes.

Then came the anticipation of waiting for the show to start.  This is where she started to psych herself out.  She got really quiet, then when Big Birds voice came over the speakers telling us to turn off our cell phones, Lily let out a big, "no no no no" cry.  Nick and I looked out each other and thought, "this can't be good."  Thank heavens we were wrong.

Once the show started, Lily kind of just took it in.  She sat on my lap pretty subdued.  About ten minutes into the show she passed out.  Expensive nap!  We let her sleep through the first act and intermission, then we woke her up.  In typical Lily fashion she woke up in the best mood and ready for "Melmo".  

 She absolutely LOVED the second act.  She danced in the isle and got excited anytime "Melmo" sang.  So to recap, 30 minutes of uncertainty, 30 minutes of sleep, 30 minutes of unadulterated fun.

Talk Is Cheap, Literally

I'm not a fan of silence while I'm in the shower or getting ready, but I'm not a fan of morning news, either.  So my solution, when I'm not listening to Howard Stern (he's only live M-W mornings), is to listen to an array of podcasts. For anyone interested in checking one out, here are a few that are in my rotation:

Doug Loves Movies - Comedian Doug Benson invites his friends to discuss movies and play the Leonard Maltin Game.  If you don't know what the game is, I suggest you look it up.  It's pretty entertaining and I catch myself playing it when I'm the car with movie buffs.  Most of the DLM podcasts run about an hour, which is perfect for my morning routine!  My favorite guests are Jon Hamm (go figure!), Samm Levine, Sarah Silverman and Edgar Wright.  

The B.S. Report with Bill Simmons - The B.S. Report is for all of you who enjoy sports talk mixed with pop culture.  Simmons discusses sports and pop culture with celebrities and media personalities.  The best podcast guest he has is Chuck Klosterman.  If you don't know who Klosterman is, do yourself a favor and read his work!  Chris Connelly is another guest you should make sure and tune in to.

Grantland - This is probably my favorite of all the podcasts. Grantland was started by Bill Simmons (see B.S. Report) and is a varied collection of podcasts hosted by Grantland writers and friends of the site.  Grantland, like the B.S. Report, focuses on pop culture and sports.  The difference, besides the contributors, is one in every four podcasts is sports related on Grantland where the B.S. Report is three in every four.  My all-time favorite contributor is David Jacoby.  I could talk reality television with him ALL day EVERY day!

WTF with Marc Maron - WTF is a hit or miss for me.  Whether or not I listen to the podcast strictly depends on the guest.  Marc's a great comedian and interviewer, but I can't listen to an hour chat with a guest I don't have any interest in.  Luckily for me, I'm interested in 70% of his guests.

Mohr Stories - I debated putting this on the list.  A couple of years ago I was a big Jay Mohr fan.  I'm pretty sure it was based on his appearances on Watch What Happens Live and his Real Housewives of New Jersey Blog.  Actually, I'm 100% sure that's what it was.  I'm pretty sure I'm not the only fan he accumulated during that time because right as his fan base was growing, he started Mohr Stories. I tried to listen to every podcast, but finally, I had to cut it out of my weekly rotation. I got tired of hearing about hot his wife is and listening to his Barry Katz impersonation every episode.  Occasionaly I'll tune in, but it has to because he has a guest that really interests me, i.e. Andy Cohen.  

How Did This Get Made? - The title says it all.  Have you ever seen a movie so bad that it's amazing?  Two of my favorites from The League, Paul Sheer and Jason Mantzoukas, along with June Diane Raphael, break down that exact question about some of the classics that are so bad, they're...well, they're still bad, but in an amazing way. 

Fresh Air - Fresh Air is hosted by my favorite interviewer of all time, Terry Gross. The show features intimate conversations with politicians, public intellectuals and celebrities. 

I use the iPhone app, Instacast for all my podcasts, except Fresh Air (download the free NPR app). I think I paid $1.99 for Instacast and was DEFINITELY worth it! 

If anyone has a podcast they think I'd like, please pass it along!

Two-rific

This past weekend we celebrated Lily's birthday with family and friends.  She had an exotic animal petting zoo, complete with a kinkajou, large tortoise, lemur, hedgehog, coatimundi, and a ferret.  I wish I would've gotten some photos of the party decor.  We had a popcorn machine, along with cotton candy, a hot dog bar, cookies and cake.  It all turned out very cute.

Lily wasn't too sure of the animals in the beginning, but she warmed up to them.  Here she is giving the kinkajou a hug.

Like Lily, grandma Smith had to warm up to the animals.  Here she is reluctantly petting the kinkajou.

Lily loves her friend, Gus!

My favorite animal of the day was this guy.  He's a coatimundi, which I believe is part of the raccoon family...don't quote me on that!

Lily ended her big day with a soak in the sink with her cousin Cooper.  This is my mom with her sister Rita, Rita's grandson Cooper and my grandma Smith.  Don't the Smith women look alike?

Here are a few more pics...

 

Happy Birthday, Lily!

I can't believe my sweet little niece turns two tomorrow!  It's been so fun watching her grow up the past two years.  She is at such a fun age (for her aunt, anyway!)  I love when I walk through the door and she recognizes me, even though when she sees me, she always asks where her uncle Nick is. Oh well!  Happy Birthday, Lily!

My grandma Smith got to deliver her first great-grandchild

 

Kale and Quinoa Pilaf

I'll admit, I was pretty hesitant about this recipe; kale and quinoa are not the two most flavorful foods.  But, I have to admit, I was wrong.  This dish was really easy and pretty tasty. 

A few suggestions:  Pine nuts are expensive, like REALLY expensive.  Buy them in the bulk section at Whole Foods.  Don't be scared by the $30/lb price, you only need about $2 worth for this dish.  

I used extra virgin olive oil instead of toasted walnut oil like the recipe suggests.  Next time I'll try the walnut, or at least a flavored, oil.  The evoo doesn't do much for the dish.

I also used only half the lemon and it was the perfect amount.  A full lemon would be overpowering.

Last but not least, I would suggest letting the dish cool a few minutes before adding the goat cheese.  Once the warm quinoa and kale hits the goat cheese it immediately melts.  

Enjoy!

Serves 2-4

• 2 cups salted water
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 bunch lacinato kale, washed and chopped into 1" lengths
• 1 meyer lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 scallions, minced
• 1 tablespoon toasted walnut oil
• 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
• salt and pepper

1. Bring the water to a boil in a covered pot. Add the quinoa, cover, and lower the heat until it is just enough to maintain a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then top with the kale and re-cover. Simmer another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to steam for 5 more minutes.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, take a large serving bowl and combine half of the lemon juice (reserving the other half), all of the lemon zest, scallions, walnut oil (you can substitute olive oil if you desire), pine nuts, and goat cheese.
3. Check the quinoa and kale when the cooking time has completed -- the water should have absorbed, and the quinoa will be tender but firm, and the kale tender and bright green. If the quinoa still has a hard white center, you can steam a bit longer (adding more water if needed). When the quinoa and kale are done, fluff the pilaf, and tip it into the waiting bowl with the remaining ingredients. As the hot quinoa hits the scallions and lemon it should smell lovely. Toss to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper, and the remaining lemon juice if needed.

My New Obsession

I know most of you have probably already jumped on the kale bandwagon, but for those of you who haven't, let me introduce you to my new obsession...kale chips! 

Kale chips are so easy to make and equally as tasty.  They are the perfect substitute if you're craving potato chips (well, not perfect, let's be honest). 

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch lacinato or red Russian kale, rinsed and dried
olive oil
sea salt

PREPARATION:

1. Heat oven to 350-375°F, depending on your oven. The kale chips burn quickly, so keep the temperature on the lower end if your oven tends to get hot or have hot spots.

2. Clean kale and remove the thick stem by folding each leaf in half lengthwise and cutting it away. Make sure kale is quite dry.

3. Pour a little olive oil into a dipping bowl. Dip your fingers in the olive oil and rub over each kale leaf, front and back.

4. Arrange kale on several baking sheets making sure not to crowd the leaves. Sprinkle sea salt over the top. You can also spice it up by sprinkling smoked paprika, cumin, or curry on before baking.

5. Bake for 5-7 minutes, keeping an eye on the chips to make sure they don’t burn. Turn the chips over and then bake for another 2-3 minutes more. You may need more or less time depending on your oven. The chips are ready when they are bright green ; discard any brown ones as they are burnt and quite bitter.

A little piece of advice:  a small amount of olive oil goes a LONG way!  Also, they don't store very well, so I suggest only making what you plan on eating at that time. 

Clean Eating

I'm on a 'clean eating' kick and thought I would pass along any recipes I find success with.  By success, I mean recipes I find tasty and somewhat easy to make.  

I found the Easy Red Bean and Quinoa Chili recipe on the barre3 website and decided to try it this week. The word "easy" is in the recipe, so you know it can't be too difficult!  This recipe was SUPER easy and quite tasty.  The chili took less than 40 minutes from beginning to end.  You have to love that! You can have a fresh, healthy dinner in under an hour.

RECIPE 

EASY RED BEAN AND QUINOA CHILI

2-3 Servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 can organic red beans (we prefer Eden’s Organics)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups organic sugar-free tomato sauce
1 cup water

PREPARATION:

1. Drain your canned beans and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat (Tip: choose one that is large enough to hold the beans, too).

3. Add onion, salt, garlic, pepper, and spices.

4. Sauté for several minutes, allowing the onion to soften.

5. Add quinoa and stir to combine.

6. Add rinsed beans to the onion and quinoa mixture and pour in the tomato sauce and water.  Simmer together for 30 minutes.

 

 

I'm not the best food photographer, but here's an idea of what mine looked like.  I added a little plain greek yogurt and sliced avocado to mine and loved it!  

 

Happy Birthday, Joey P

I wanted to take a quick minute and say, "Happy Birthday" to my mom, the one and only, JoAnn Patterson.  Happy Birthday, Joey P!  Here's a little trip down memory lane in honor of your big day...

Girls trip to San Diego

Dressed as the Chilean miners for Halloween

Girls trip to New York

Girls trip to see Coldplay in Dallas

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A New Year

One of my new year resolutions is to start blogging on regular basis.  As we all know, most resolutions only last a few weeks, so we shall see how long my thirst for writing will last. 

I hope everyone had a great holiday season.  It went by too fast, but it always does.  I kicked off my holidays by spending Thanksgiving in New York.  My mom and I ditched the guys and took a girls trip to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, shop, see a couple shows, eat some great food, and of course, drink lots of good wine. We saw 'A Christmas Story'  and the Rockettes 'A Christmas Spectacular.'  Both shows were amazing and I even sat next to the dad of the kid playing Ralphie in A Christmas Story.  If anyone wants any behind the scenes gossip of a bunch of ten year olds staring on Broadway, just holler at me.  This was my second trip with my mom to NYC and we're already planning to go a third time together in March.

Our first night

At the parade

A Christmas Story

The start of the parade

On Christmas Eve, I went to church with my parents then made our usual trip to my Grandma and Grandpa Smith's house. Can you imagine 60 people crammed into one room opening presents?  Welcome to my family.  It's chaos, but I love it.

About 1/3 of the room opening presents at my grandparents

My brothers and I stayed at my parents house Christmas Eve and Christmas night.  We played a few intense games of UNO, drank wine, and watched our favorite Christmas movies.  Now that I'm writing this, I'm realizing we drink a lot of wine, but in the famous words of Teresa Giudice from the Real Housewives of New Jersey, "We're Italian!"  Christmas Day was filled with eating an amazing Italian brunch my mom prepared, followed by a full day of opening presents.  Christmas is so fun with a toddler in the house.

Lily riding her new bike on Christmas morning

New Years Eve was perfect; dinner and cocktails with friends followed by ringing in the new year in our pj's.  Great ending to a great year. 

NYE