Fabulous Friday!

It's Friday, yippee! We have a busy couple of days planned, looks to be a fun-filled weekend.

Tonight is triple feature: first we are heading to The Wreck to see the lovely Marina the Mermaid; it'll be the first time Beren's girls are joining us so I'm really excited about that! There's always at least one little girl there, in complete awe over the show, and of course there's always the big girl who still believes in magic: me!

After that we'll have dinner and visit with Strider for a few minutes before he heads off to his bachelor party, only 1 week til his wedding! Later we are meeting Benzaiten to listen to a new-to-me folk band, 2 Bottle Sunday. I'm really looking forward to spending time with Benzaiten, music always sounds so much better when she's around.

As for Saturday, the plan is to take Beren's girls on the waverunners for a bit before they head back home. They've been wanting to ride them for so long and we just couldn't make it work so hopefully tomorrow will be the day.

Before all of that fun, though, I need to clean the Castle. *groan* I'm going to amuse myself by folding laundry & watching a dvd that Beren and I started last night; as usual, I fell asleep before the end so I have to rewind today.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, TGIF!

On My Hearth: Easy Cheesy Zucchini

Alanna at A Veggie Venture has done it again! I swear I could cook one of her recipes every single day of the week, but my own "veggie venture" involves Beren's two girls and their every-other-weekend visits/vegetable experiments! We are skipping ahead to "Z" this week simply because I have zucchini in my refrigerator now, along with every other ingredient in this recipe. How lucky is that?!

She tweaked this recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen, another one of my favorite food bloggers. I can't wait to serve this to the little ones this weekend! We'll probably pair it with some type of meat substitute, chik nuggets perhaps.

EASY CHEESY ZUCCHINI

aka Easy Peasy Cheesy Zoosy-Keesy-Neesy

See Kalyn's Kitchen's inspiring recipe
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 20 minutes
Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin (if fresh, Kalyn uses 4 - 6 from Costco)
1 pound zucchini, ends trimmed, cut in half length-wise (unless baby zucchini) and then in half-inch thick half moons
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (Kalyn uses parsley, any fresh herb would do, I think)
Kosher salt to taste
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons grated other melt-y cheese (Kalyn uses 4 tablespoons mozzarella, I used one of those 'Mexican' blends)

In a large skillet with a cover, heat the oil til shimmery. Add the garlic and stir to coat with oil, then cook for a minute or two, just until garlic begins to turn golden in color. Add zucchini, stir several times to coat with oil and garlic. Cover and cook for four minutes, stirring once or twice. Uncover and let continue to cook til done (slightly crisp suits my taste). Stir in salt and parsley. TURN OFF THE HEAT. Sprinkle cheese over top, cover and let rest for 1 - 2 minutes til cheese is slightly melted. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
With 2 tablespoons 'other' Cheese: Per Serving: 86 Cal (58% from Fat, 17% from Protein, 25% from Carb); 4 g Protein; 6 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 3 g Mono Fat; 6 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb 4; 2 g Sugar; 95 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 86 mg Sodium; 7 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

With 4 tablespoons 'other' Cheese: Per Serving: 102 Cal (60% from Fat, 19% from Protein, 21% from Carb); 5 g Protein; 7 g Tot Fat; 3 g Sat Fat; 4 g Mono Fat; 6 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb4; 2 g Sugar; 125 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 112 mg Sodium; 11 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 2 points

HOW MANY CALORIES, CARBS & WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS IN ZUCCHINI
Nutrition Information Per 1/4 pound of raw zucchini, the flesh and skin both: 18 Cal (8% from Fat, 24% from Protein, 67% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 4 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 2 g Sugar; 17 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 11 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol

SHORTHAND RECIPE
EASY PEASY CHEESY ZUCCHINI Cook 1T oil, lot garlic 1-2min. Add 1lb zucchini half moons, cover, cook 4min. Cook 1-2 min uncovered til done. Stir in salt, 2T basil (parsley, etc.). Off heat, top w 2T Parmesan, 2T other cheese, cover for 1-2min. WW=1 VV07

High Vibes

The fabulous blogger KerrdeLune (Cate) has tagged me for the game of High Vibes! I'm so honored and am thrilled to participate. This has been very interesting to do for myself, and to read the amazing other blogs that have been chosen. There are some wise & wonderful women out there! I discovered that the things that raise my vibes are not unusual or all that interesting, but sometimes it is the simplest things that make life sweeter, don't you agree?

1: Reading
I have escaped into books for as long as I can remember, they have been my friends when I was lonely, entertaining and comforting and teaching me as nothing else can do. Sometimes I get caught up in other parts of my life and start to feel a bit out of sorts, longing for something that I can't name and that's when I know: I am missing my books. Reading isn't just a pleasure, it's a need. Without the written word my soul would surely starve.

2: Writing
When I was a little girl I wasn't good at very many things; I had absolutely no athletic ability, wasn't especially pretty or witty or brilliant..but I did one thing better than anyone else I knew: I could write. I'd write anything and everything- stories and poems and articles, there was always something I was itching to get down on paper. Though my skills have suffered due to lack of use for some years now, blogging has brought the passion back. I am finding once again the talent I thought I'd lost, and it has set my spirit soaring! I feel fresh and alive when I write, there is nothing else like it to raise my vibes.

3: Cuddling
I need physical affection from those I love, we all do. I crave it especially when I'm anxious or upset, that's when I find myself turning to my Sweetie or my children, even my pets. Relaxing into a cuddle, I can feel my breathing slow down, anxiety drifting away, mood lifting. My ex-husband used to rub my head every night while we watched tv..my children would brush my hair before we went to bed...my cat kneads my lap while I read...I don't have sweet dreams without a goodnight kiss from Beren..Ahh...the healing power of touch.

4: Walking
As much as I hate to exercise, once I get out there I am so glad that I did. I love the feeling of my body coming into motion, the slight soreness of my muscles when I'm done, I like to imagine that my body is thanking me for allowing it to stretch and pull, to do what it is meant to do! My favorite place to walk is of course outdoors, soaking up the sights & smells & sounds of nature as I move by body. It truly rejuvenates me body & soul.

5: Gardening
I've come to gardening later in life, never had a green thumb when I was younger. I still don't, honestly, and can't keep a house plant alive no matter how hard I try. However, my butterfly and herb gardens require so little maintenance, they are perfect for me. I usually go out there barefoot and barehanded, want to feel the dirt on my fingers & toes. I feel so connected to Mother Nature at those times, love to come inside dirty yet contented, enjoying the fruits of my labors whether it be a freshly-cut stalk of dill weed or a serrano pepper begging to be added to the evening meal.

I am now tagging:

Letters from a Hill Farm
MorningRamble
Rose Cottage Lane
Spilling Out!
The Quiet Country House

I can't wait to see what raises the vibes of these ladies!

Moondance

We had a wonderful 4th of July! We took a little waverunner ride in the morning; found a canal that leads into a lake just south of here, zipped around there for about an hour and then stopped at Hooters for a quick beer. Greg and Mike arrived shortly after we returned home, played in the pool for a bit and then had an awesome dinner. (must get Greg's steak recipe, it was heavenly!) Lily was off with her friends, Bambi with hers, guess that's how it goes with teenagers. I missed them, though, holidays are not quite the same now that they're older. Kali and Kevin stopped by for a few minutes, was great to see them!

Once the company left, Beren and I played "our cd" and danced around the patio under the glow of the fireworks & moonlight. *swoon* Yeah, I'm a hopeless romantic, and fortunately I've got the right guy for it!

Happy Independence Day!

How is everyone spending this lovely holiday? We are entertaining our good friend Greg whose family is out of town, he is always so much fun to be around and I'm sure that today will be no different! He has decided to make Greek Skirt Steak for us, which I have never heard of but sounds yummy! In light of that, I'm going to throw together another Greek Salad w/Shrimp, slight change of menu plans might be in order. I'm sure that Beren will toss some Bubba & Boca Burgers on the grill and perhaps I can sweet talk him into grilling me another fabulous Portobello mushroom like he made the other night. MMM...

My plan is to hang out at home all day; last year we were sipping Coronas watching the city's fireworks display from the safety & comfort of my own swimming pool and I intend to be in the same place again tonight. I admit: this is not one of my favorite holidays, the combination of drunk people and fireworks just terrify me. (I was married to a firefighter, remember? I've had enough pyromania in my life!) Other than some sparklers I'm pretty lame when it comes to such things, figure Beren and I can provide our own fireworks later. *wink*

Happy 4th of July, dear friends! Have a wonderful day, however you choose to spend it!

Quiet Time

I took a mental health day yesterday, thought I needed some time to re-group and get myself together after the stressful weekend. I wanted to spend some time alone with Lily, just to be sure that she really was ok. We went to the gym together, then her Dad came by to see her car and transport her to work. He was taken aback by the damage, was worse than he'd imagined. Standing there in the driveway, both of us envisioning what could have been, me with tears streaming down my face...well, it made me realize that no matter how estranged we are, we will always share this; we are the only two people who understand this moment 100%. This is our daughter, and no matter our differences, we love her like only parents can. He gave me an awkward hug, we consoled each other, and the moment passed but I think we are better for it.

When I am stressed, especially by things I have no control over, I usually throw myself into something that I can control, take charge and get things done that have been long neglected. I chose to do that yesterday, made a to-do list and decided not to waste a second of the day. I live rather mindfully anyway, try not to take things for granted, do my best to pay attention to each moment, but I did so even more yesterday. I found myself driving more carefully, purposefully. I turned off the radio, didn't answer my cell phone, just focused on the task at hand. I worked around the house, but I also rested, took Brynna shopping and treated myself to a new little summer top, cooked a delicious dinner, and just tried to stay in a constant state of gratefulness. When an evening rainstorm moved in, I was delighted to find my tv broken (shh..don't tell Beren how happy I am about it) which forced even more quiet into my house. I curled up on the couch with a black cat and an open book on my lap, a chilled glass of chardonnay and the peaceful sound of rain hitting the roof. I'm so glad I listened to my body & soul and gave it exactly what it needed yesterday.

On My (Holiday) Hearth

I'm not sure how many people we're having for dinner tomorrow night, kids haven't confirmed plans yet, but I'm planning to do the traditional bbq with burgers, etc. and am going to add some new dishes as well. Both of these from Cooking Light sound interesting and tasty and will appeal to the vegetarians in the house.

Black Bean Burgers with Spicy Cucumber and Red Pepper Relish

The cucumber releases some liquid while chilling, so serve relish with a slotted spoon. Shape the patties, and wrap them in wax paper to transport them from the kitchen to the patio grill. Serve with baked potato chips and dill pickle spears.

Relish:
2/3 cup finely chopped peeled cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon finely chopped dill
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash of ground red pepper

Burgers:
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 large egg
Cooking spray
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns
Dill sprigs (optional)

To prepare relish, combine first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and chill 2 hours.

To prepare burgers, place beans in a large bowl; partially mash with a fork. Stir in breadcrumbs and next 5 ingredients (breadcrumbs through egg). Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Prepare grill.

Place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until thoroughly heated. Spread 1 tablespoon mayonnaise on the bottom half of each bun; top each with a patty, 1/4 cup relish, and top half of bun. Garnish with dill sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

CALORIES 375 (23% from fat); FAT 9.5g (sat 1.9g,mono 2.4g,poly 3.7g); PROTEIN 14.6g; CHOLESTEROL 60mg; CALCIUM 136mg; SODIUM 767mg; FIBER 5.7g; IRON 4.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 59.2g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2001

Corn Fritter Casserole

This moist, sweet & savory side dish is a cross between corn bread and corn pudding. You can use 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels in place of the canned corn, if you prefer.

3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 large egg whites
1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8 1/2-ounce) package corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir in onion, bell pepper, whole-kernel corn, and cream-style corn; mix well. Add muffin mix and black pepper, stirring until well combined. Pour into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Yield: 9 servings (serving size: about 2/3 cup)

CALORIES 247 (31% from fat); FAT 8.4g (sat 3.7g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 8.6g; CHOLESTEROL 31mg; CALCIUM 72mg; SODIUM 629mg; FIBER 1.9g; IRON 1.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 36.7g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2004

On My Hearth: Zucchini and Basil Lasagna

Zucchini and Basil Lasagna

2 cups fat-free cottage cheese
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 large egg
Cooking spray
4 cups chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups bottled spicy tomato pasta sauce (such as Newman's Own)
9 oven-ready lasagna noodles (such as Barilla)
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in sauce; remove from heat.

Spread 1/4 cup zucchini mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over zucchini mixture; top with one-third cottage cheese mixture, one-third zucchini mixture, and one-third mozzarella. Repeat procedure with the remaining noodles, cottage cheese mixture, zucchini mixture, and mozzarella.

Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until lasagna is thoroughly heated.


Yield: 8 servings

CALORIES 227 (24% from fat); FAT 6g (sat 3.1g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 17.8g; CHOLESTEROL 40mg; CALCIUM 251mg; SODIUM 537mg; FIBER 2.9g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26.4g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2003

I'm Rockin'!

Now, let's put that unhappy business aside for the moment and focus on some fun, shall we? The lovely Grace awarded me with a Rockin' Girl Award! Isn't that the coolest? I am honored and just thrilled as Grace herself is one rockin' chick and has been a very good friend to me for many years.

So, it is now my pleasure to pass the lovely pink button on to other worthy girls who rock!

Silke Loses Weight, one of the most inspiring and thought-provoking blogs you'll ever read, whether you have body/weight issues or not. Silke has been my online friend for several years now and I am so honored that she hangs around and puts up with my craziness, and I'm thrilled that she's decided to share some of her wit and wisdom with the blogging world. Not only is she gorgeous and brilliant, but she has an amazing sense of style and an awesome shoe collection to boot! *wink*

Domestic Minx, a blogger I just discovered recently but I am already head over heels in love with. It's ok, I don't mind admitting it, everyone has a crush on the Minx! Take one peek at her blog and I promise you'll be hanging on her every delicious word as well.

Domestic Chicky, who is the designer of my very own lovely headliner, baker, sewer of fabulous aprons, and a helluva good writer in between being a wife and Mommy! She gets so much done, I swear the Chick must never sleep! I am in awe of her, she really rocks!

And then there's one of my very best friends, Susan, who has recently started blogging but is off with a bang! Her way with the English language just takes my breath away, she is just amazing. Incorporating song lyrics, poetry and her own prose into her blog, she makes me think and laugh and cry, sometimes all at once. Susan Rocks!

Last but certainly not least is my daughter's blog, cierva-veza.verde. She is not a frequent blogger but I know this girl's talent, she is just so busy being a student, employee, girlfriend, sister, mommy to various critters as well as publishing her own 'zine..she just doesn't have the time. She really rocks, though, and I'm hoping that she'll find a few minutes to post something fabulous now & then.

Thanks again for the award, Rose! It was just what I needed after a rough weekend. Now I can start the week with a smile on a face 'cause somebody out there thinks I rock!!

One Pissed Off Bitch

Lily was in another accident yesterday, and once again I experienced all of the emotions that come along with such an experience. I am weary this time, though, along with angry and confused. I am afraid that some of these emotions reared their ugly heads at the accident scene, were directed at the f-ing idiots otherwise known as cops who had no control of the situation, who were trying to force me to use their towing company instead of AAA, at a huge expense to us of course, who stood by and demanded that we get her car out of the road or he would tow it to the impound yard and charge us $300 to get it out...then stood by, arms crossed, and watched as we struggled to push the car, assisted by a few good Samaritans. I am enraged that they said it "wasn't their responsibility" to help us because though this may be true, what happened to compassion? What happened to helping one's fellow man? Didn't we teach our children to ask for assistance from "the nice policeman" if they were ever in trouble? I am livid that it took 20 minutes for them to arrive in the first place, and that I myself was stuck in the traffic that the accident caused, a mile or so away, frantically trying to get to my daughter, not knowing for sure that she was ok, repeatedly calling 911 to inform them of the situation. I am enraged that while Lily got the $180 ticket, and perhaps she should have, there was nothing done to the man who was doing well over the 35 mph speed limit, in a construction zone. I am furious that the female officer told Lily, "Even if the other guy had been doing 100 mph, it was still your fault because you had the stop sign." I am enraged that the officers refused to do a breathalizer on the other driver even though Beren requested it, for good reason. I am angry that they would not measure skid marks or do any further investigation to possibly place part of the blame on the other guy, and that they were laughing and speaking to him in "their language," suggesting some kind of unfair alliance. I am so mad that they didn't take Lily seriously and brushed her off because she's a teenager. I am pissed that this construction has been going on for over a year, supposedly to put a traffic light at the location where Lily was hit, and at the very spot where someone was recently killed as a result of the dangerous intersection. How many people have to die before something is done? And why did the city not anticipate the need in the first place? Poor planning? Lack of funds? It's all bullshit. So, yeah, I ranted and raged. I told the cops just what I thought, told passersby just how I felt, had them cheering us and cursing the police, invited the helpful car-pushers back to my house for a party..I was a bit crazy, a little out of control, someone whom Beren said he has never seen before. I was in Mama Lion mode, defending my child in the aftermath of a situation I did not, could not have protected her from...so I reacted to what I thought I could control.

So, that's it for today. I'm still pretty much, to use a family phrase, "an anger ball." And with damn good reason, I think. I'm going to hold onto this feeling a bit longer because I'm quite sure that it's better than the nearly-falling-to-my-knees-sobbing sickness I first felt when coming upon the accident. Yeah, anger is much preferable.