Jello Cake

Last night I went to a "bring your favorite childhood food" dinner party (aka Ketchup and Carbfest 2010) and I brought the cake that my grandmommy (mom's mom) always made when I was growing up (frankly, it was either that or spaghetti with ketchup and cheese). It's simple and delicious and much more than the sum of its parts- so I thought I'd share the recipe here. It sounds weird, but I promise, it's pretty much the best thing ever.

Jello Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
1 box lemon jell0 gelatin (not pudding)- oddly enough, the cake doesn't taste lemony
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup canola oil
3 eggs

Combine ingredients and bake in a bundt pan for 40 minutes. Be sure to both oil (or PAM) and flour the pan before you put in the dough b/c I've learned the hard way that this cake loves to stick. Enjoy with fruit or ice cream.

Seasons

I love how we're sitting on the edge between seasons this week. This past weekend I was basking in the sun on the beach in Ft. Walton, Fl (thanks to my friend Steph's lovely parents who let us use their condo!) and this weekend the plan is to go to my friend Jon's family farm and have a bonfire and make s'mores. Love it!
I'm also enjoying welcoming fall food back into my house. Currently there is an acorn squash and a bunch of fresh brussels sprouts sitting in my fridge, waiting to be devoured. Yum!
I found myself sending my mom a bunch of meatless dinner ideas today and thought I'd share the list here because it is a good one. (And in true flexitarian style (p.s. I actually hate the word flexitarian), I am also planning a post on roast chicken- just as soon as I roast one during daylight hours so I can take decent pictures of the process.)
But anyway, if anyone is looking for a little meatless inspiration, I hope my list will be helpful. Note: This list is, for the most part, decidedly non-vegan (I love me some eggs and cheese).

Lentils and brown rice:
Cook dried lentils according to package directions. I like to season them with garlic, onion, chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. I serve them alongside stewed okra and tomatoes (basically, you cook frozen okra with a can of stewed tomatoes) and cornbread.

Tex-mex rice bowls:
Black beans and brown rice topped with any of the following: cilantro, lime juice, salsa, chopped tomato, sauteed onions and garlic, mushrooms (sauteed or fresh), chopped green onions, avocado, cheese, or sour cream.

Black beans and saffron rice:
Saffron rice comes in packages at the grocery store, and is bright yellow and darn tasty. Top this combination with black olives, green onions, and chopped tomatoes or salsa.

BBQ bean bowls:
Black (or red) beans and brown rice topped with BBQ sauce, green onions, and mushrooms.

White beans and Kale:
This is my favorite winter meal. White beans sauteed with hot sauce, lemon juice, onion, garlic, Kale and topped with lemon zest, and Parmesan; served atop brown rice.

Roasted tomatoes, onions and white beans:
Toss a pack or two of cherry tomatoes (or any other small tomato or halved roma tomatoes) and some roughly chopped onion with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 400 for 30 minutes. Pour tomatoes and all their juices over a bowl full of warmed white beans. Add some basil (fresh is best but I also like to get the squeeze bottle of chopped basil at the grocery instead of having to use dried basil) and mix everything up. Serve this over toast- it's beans a la king!
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Other quick bean ideas:
Garbanzo beans stir fried with Kale, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Baked beans on top of a microwaved or roasted sweet potato.
Baked beans on cheese toast (preferably whole wheat) with chopped tomatoes.
White beans mixed with diced green chilies, cayenne, and cumin make white chili. Top with cheese.
Black beans, salsa, and cheese in a whole wheat or blue corn tortilla.

Veggie Enchiladas:
Roast some chopped squash, mushrooms, and zucchini (and really whatever veggies you like- experiment!) at 400 for 30 minutes. Place cooked veggies inside whole wheat tortillas, along with some shredded cheese, and plain yogurt (or sour cream) mixed with salsa- be careful not to overfill! Roll the tortillas up (I find that 4 tortillas worth is plenty for 2 people), and top with enchilada sauce (you can get this in a can at the grocery store on the mexican food isle) and more shredded cheese. bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Kale, Eggs, and Potatoes:
I chop up red potatoes and toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme- them roast them for 30-45 minutes at 400. While that's going on, I simmer Kale in about a cup of water with garlic and onion, lemon juice, a little hot sauce, and lots of black pepper (this takes 15-30 minutes, just check occasionally to make sure the kale is done). I serve the Kale with a fried egg on top and the potatoes with ketchup mixed with hot sauce for dipping.

Kale Spaghetti:
Cook the Kale like you do above, then toss it with some cooked spaghetti and Parmesan or goat cheese. You can top this with a poached egg too. Poaching eggs is really easy. You add a splash or two of vinegar (you won't taste it, I promise) and a little salt to a small pot of water and bring it just to a boil, meanwhile, crack an egg into a small bowl (this is really important. You can't just crack the egg into the water or it will break). When the water is just boiling, turn down the heat, gently slide the egg into the water, then cook for 3 and a half minutes. Remove it with a slotted spoon to let the water drain off before you put it on your food.

Baked Eggs in tomatoes:
Hollow out a couple of tomatoes and throw away the tops. season inside the tomatoes with salt and pepper, then sprinkle in a little cheese (goat cheese is awesome here- but you can use any cheese or any sort of spices you like really, just don't add too much b/c you want room for an egg inside the tomato). Crack and egg on top, being careful not to spill it. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until the egg has set. Serve with toast or a side salad.

Scrambled egg tacos:
Fill either whole wheat or blue corn tortillas with scrambled eggs, salsa, and shredded cheese. Devour. :)

Scrambled eggs and portobello mushrooms:
Brush portobello mushroom caps (2 or 3 per person) with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and broil for 10 minutes, turning them over after 5 minutes. In the meantime, scramble 2 eggs per person. Put eggs on top of the mushrooms. You can add toppings like goat cheese or veggies to this too, but it's surprisingly good plain.

Veggie omelets:
My favorite omelet in the world contains, fresh spinach, fresh chopped tomatoes, and feta cheese. So fresh and delicious.

Tomato soup and grilled cheese. It doesn't get any easier.

Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! I'm at my parent's house, and am about to go to bed so I can get up early-ish and go shopping with my mom. It is definitely in my best interest to not spend very much money tomorrow (a fact that failed to prevent me from going to Old Navy after Thanksgiving dinner...) but I would like a heavy black button down or zip front sweater with no hood or large collar. The one I currently have is a) old, and b) has a flap collar that makes it uncomfortable to wear under a coat. Mom wants new towels. Exciting, I know. We're not getting up especially early, but we're hoping to get out to the stores by mid-morning.
I just want to stop for a moment and reflect upon how blessed I have been this year. This may actually have been my best year thus far!
I am so thankful for my wonderful fiance, family, future in-laws, friends, and pets. I am thankful for my good health and for my athletic achievements this year. I am thankful for my new car and for being able to keep the job I love during a tough economic time. And I am thankful to live in a city that I love. I am also thankful for all the good things that have happened to my friends this year as well. It's been wonderful to see my friends achieve their goals, get married, and expand their families. It's been a wonderful year and I hope that we all have many more years that are just as good!

Should I go for it?

I just found out that there is going to be a half marathon at 8am the Sunday after Thanksgiving at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Given that I ran 12 miles two weeks ago, 6 miles last Sunday, and am planning on making it to 13 this weekend, I know I can do the distance, although I would have preferred to run 13 miles prior to my first half marathon race (I'll probably do no more than 10 miles this weekend if I do the 1/2 though because you are supposed to taper the week before a race). It would also be on my way home from Thanksgiving with my family in Gulfport anyway, and I would certainly burn off Thanksgiving dinner! :)
It's not what I planned to do, but since I'm so far ahead on my training (I started my training earlier than I needed to so I would have some leeway in case I needed it) I am pretty sure I'll be fine. The race description also says that this is a good one for beginners....
As you can tell, I'm totally talking myself into it, but I'll blog my final decision when I make it. One issue is that it cuts down the time I get to spend with my family, but maybe I can get them to come cheer me on. Also, when I am at my family's house, my nutrition tends to suffer. We eat out a lot because my mom and I both tend to view visiting each other as an occasion for going out, and my parent's kitchen tends to be red meat and no-carb land (they love Atkins, and don't get me started on how much I disagree with them regarding that diet). These issues are fairly minor though, I can come equipped with oatmeal and whole wheat pasta or quinoa (at least my parents have plenty of frozen veggies)- I just have to be diligent about how I fuel in the few days prior to the race and try to stay away from the junk food. Except on Thanksgiving day of course. I'm totally allowed to be a pie eating monster then! :)

And...after about 5 minutes of consideration I've decided that I'm totally going to run the race! Racing is so much fun! I'm excited!!

Sweetest Day

Wow.
When I woke up yesterday morning, I thought the biggest news of the day was that I was going to darken my hair color. I went to work, then left at noon to go the the salon. While I was at the salon, a car crashed through the window in the front of the salon! I was in the middle of having my hair colored at the time, so I'm pretty amazed that it came out alright. :) The lady who crashed her car ended up being my colorist's next door neighbor who actually had an appointment with my colorist! She had a cast on her right foot and apparently hit the gas instead of the break as she was trying to park. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
After my hair appointment, I was apparently a little distracted, because I accidentally locked my keys in the car when I got home, along with my purse and phone! I ended up making friends with my new downstairs neighbor because I had to wait until 5:30 for Benjy to get home. (Yes, I am departing from my usual pet name for my sweetie, for reasons that will become apparent....)
After that, we had some cheese and crackers (I'd locked my snack in the car too) and got ready to go to the Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel. When we left, I called my friend Anne, who was going to be at the bar, and said "You won't believe the crazy stories I have to tell you about today!" Little did I know!
Benjy had been saying all week that he was really excited to go see the hotel because it is a historic New Orleans hotel that has just been reopened. (Benjy is really into New Orleans history and culture.) Apparently Huey P. Long, a noteworthy New Orleans politician, spent a lot of time there in the 20's and Benjy told me that they had restored his old suite on the 10th floor and marked it with a plaque with an "H" on it. We were supposed to meet everyone at 7, but we got there about 10 minutes early, and so Benjy said "Let's go see if we can find his room!" We went up to the tenth floor and Benjy led me down the hall saying "You're supposed to go left, then right, and the room is at the end of the hall." I was gamely walking down the hall thinking it was cute how much he loves New Orleans history. Well, we got to the end of the hall and I was looking around for the plaque, and feeling kind of confused because I didn't see one. Benjy took out a room key and said "I lied!"

He opened the door into a beautiful suite with rose petals scattered on the floor and a table with roses in a vase and a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket...He sat me down and then got down on one knee and proposed!!!!! I'm engaged!!!! I was so surprised and happy! (I cried, of course.) :)

The set up

When Benjy proposed, he gave me a beautiful round diamond that belonged to his mother. Today, we went to Symmetry Jewelers and I chose a design for my ring. It is so beautiful!! Symmetry Jewelers is known for their hand crafted rings, especially those designed by Tom Mathis. Each ring is individually manufactured in their shop, and all of their designs were gorgeous. It was really hard to decide which one to get, but I am so happy with the one I chose! My ring will be ready on November 20th! I can't wait to wear it!

Of course, all my friends were in on the surprise, and after I called all my family and Benjy's family and out of town friends, we joined them in the Sazerac bar. I was talking to my friends when all of the sudden, Mom and Dad walked into the bar!! I was so surprised that I started crying again!

Calling everyone!!

Benjy had also gotten a chocolate and raspberry cake from Sucre that said "Happily Ever After" so we all went upstairs and had cake and champagne. My parents called it a night after that because they had to drive back to the coast, but the rest of us ate at the Sazerac Bar restaurant then hung out in the bar for a while after that.

After we went to bed, I couldn't sleep very well because I was too excited and happy. I kept waking up and thinking about everything that happened! I think I got about 4 hours of sleep, total. So I am pretty tired today. :) This morning we ordered room service and sat around enjoying the suite- it was lovely.

The view from our room this morning

After breakfast, we went home, walked the dogs, and went to pick out my ring.

I keep feeling like I should pinch myself because everything was so wonderful and I just can't believe it's real. It was the best day ever. :)

My wonderful fiance

Western Wear

Our trip to Oklahoma was very nice. I really enjoyed spending time with my dear boyfriend's family this weekend. It was a lot of fun!
We got to Tulsa around 11 pm on Friday. We got up bright and early on Saturday to go buy my dear boyfriend a cowboy hat. He's been wanting one and found out that there was a sale at a local store. I think he looks pretty sharp. :)
After that we had brunch with his family, then hung out until dinner which was at Elements Steakhouse in the River Spirit Casino. It was really good! I very rarely eat beef for a number of reasons (I don't consider it to be a very healthy meat, and there is so much amazing seafood available in New Orleans that I don't miss it when I am dining out), but I figured that since I was in Oklahoma, I should get the steak. It was medium rare, served with gorgonzola cream sauce, and very tasty. We ended the evening by gambling. I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually gambled,but we all got $15 free dollars to gamble with from the casino (a combination of $5 for signing up for a player's card and $10 certificates given to us by my dear boyfriend's aunt- I'm not sure about the deal behind that) and I ended up spending no money of my own, and winning $4. High Roller! :P
On Sunday we had brunch at the casino, which was also very good. I had chicken fried steak and a roll, both smothered in white gravy; along with some macaroni and baked beans. I also had several chocolaty things for dessert. So yes, I ate enough food to power me for a week over the course of 2 days. Despite this, I later had a bbq pork sandwhich at the Memphis airport during our layover. I am a machine. :P
My dear boyfriend ate his weight in donuts and fried balogna (okay, he only had one piece of balogna, but I'm not kidding about the donuts!) at the buffet and was full until breakfast on Monday.
Speaking of Monday morning, the cat decided that he was too bored for us to hit the snooze button (since we got home around 9:30 on Sunday night and went to bed not much later) and woke me up by biting my hand. He then jumped on my dear boyfriend. He was playing- but being pretty rough. When we shooed him off the bed, he sat down and started howling! Poor kitty was ready for someone to pay attention to him! I spent yesterday referring to him as Cat the Ripper.
As for this week, I am just getting back into the swing of not eating like it's my last meal, getting back in my runs (I didn't manage to work out at all, unsurprisingly), and getting things done at work. I'm hoping I'll have a very low key weekend because the last few weeks have been so busy- it's been a little overwhelming.
Tonight I am driving to pick up my schnauzers! I've missed my little furry boys. :)

Fun Trip to Mississippi

So my top secret trip this weekend was to Jackson, Ms. My cousin, Kaley (pictured), decided to throw a surprise 50th birthday party for her parents (whose birthdays are in Aug. and Sept.). I had a great time at the party on Friday night. On Saturday, Kaley and her hubby got up early and went to the first Mississippi State game of the season, so my dear boyfriend and I had breakfast with my Aunt and Uncle. My uncle also took my dear boyfriend skeet shooting for a little while, so I hung out with my aunt and took a little nap on her couch. (We were up late at the party the night before!)
After that, we drove to Gulfport to pick up my dogs from my parent's house (they dog sat for me for about a week and a half due to my farm trip last weekend). We had dinner with my parents and made a quick stop at the outlet mall where I basically bought out the new JCrew outlet and stopped at the Nike outlet for a new pair of running shorts. I am very excited about them b/c they are tight (which will hopefully prevent my legs from rubbing together) and have a zip pocket in the back. I'll never understand why most women's athletic shorts are made with no pockets. It's such a pain!
Besides the running shorts, I got 2 button down shirts (one is a bright purplish pink, and the other is dark purple- I'm really into purple for fall), a light weight v-neck sweater (bright pink), a plain white t-shirt (it was $7), a navy hoodie, a dark purple tissue tee, and a cool cream and black headband. I'd call that a spree! :) We finally got home around 10 last night. It was fun little trip!
Today I am going to clean up my house and run the Crescent Connection Road Race (it's less than 7 hours away!) Wish me luck!! :)

Frankencar

My parents came over Sunday afternoon so my Dad could take apart my car. Since I decided to do Cash to Clunkers, my car is going to be crushed once I turn it in. (And I do have mixed feelings about this, because it's been such a great car- but apparently I am not $3500 sentimental.) When my dad realized this, the wheels in his mind started turning and he told me to ask the car dealer if it was okay if the car showed up missing the radio and a few other parts. We got the green light from the dealer and Dad gleefully started deciding what parts he could cannibalize from my car and use on his boat and motor home. I told Dad that as long as I could comfortably drive it this week, he could have whatever parts he wanted.
Let me tell you that the gaping hole where my radio used to be really drives home the fact that I'm not going to have my car much longer (he's planning to put the radio in the boat). He also took the roof rack, running boards (I think he actually wants to put on my mom's Jeep- which amuses me b/c they say "Explorer") and the rear window windsheild water sprayer (for his motor home). At the end of the week, he's also getting the spare tire (for his boat trailer) and the jack.
Dad, of course, had a great time taking my car apart. Afterwards I showed him some videos of Foresters going off road (because I knew he'd love them) and I think he's really excited about my new car now as well. (Dad's a huge fan of AWD vehicles.) I am planning to take my new car to Gulfport next weekend (provided that I get it on Friday, which is the current plan) and I think I'm going to have to hide the keys to prevent dad from taking it mud riding. Haha!
Anyway, here's a slideshow from Motortrends that has a bunch of pictures of the Forester (two actually, the turbo and regular) in red. It's paired with an article about it being Motortrends SUV of the year in 2009.

Summer Reading

I am reading Gone With the Wind. I'm really a horrible Southerner for never having read it or having watched the movie! I tried to read Gone With the Wind several years ago, right after my divorce. However, I went through a period of several months during which I couldn't focus enough to read anything because I was so distraught, so I never got past the first few pages. (I finally finished a book- The Secret Garden, which I'd read several times before- 4 or 5 months later.)
Now that I am finally reading Gone With the Wind I am really enjoying it. I can't believe I waited this long to read it- it's wonderful and right up my alley. (My alley being "any books or movies set before 1930 and preferably involving dramatic and beautiful clothes.")
Right now, our neighbors just set off a bunch of loud fireworks, and my dog Bernie went nuts! The cat wasn't too happy either. The worst thing is that the fireworks were just loud- not pretty at all. Lame.
In other news, I had a lovely lunch with my friend Xiujuan. I love going over to her house because I get real Chinese food. So yummy! Her little boy, Tate, is 4, and she is expecting to give birth to her little girl, Ola, in November.
I also got some scary news this evening. Apparently my little brother (he's 24- so not that little, actually) and his friends took my dad's boat out to Horn Island in the gulf for the 4th of July. They were on their way home when a huge storm blew up. They knew they wouldn't be able to make it to land in time, so they had to go back to the island (with waves so tall they were crashing over the boat), anchor the boat, put on life vests, and sit on the empty island until the storm passed! My mom called me because they'd called everyone before they got to the island, but their phones were too wet to use after the storm had passed and so my parents called the coast guard and everything. Fortunately, they made it home safely- but I've been told that they are all very tired! I plan to call my brother tomorrow so I can hear all about it! (And of course, I plan to call him Gilligan for the next several months.) I'm so happy he's safe!

Bliss

Dinner tonight was grilled yellow squash and zucchini; as well as chicken, tomato, bell pepper, red onion, pineapple, and bbq sauce shish kabobs. I am full and happy. :)
Tomorrow we are driving to Gulfport to hang out with my parents, go out on my dad's boat, and eat watermelon.
I love the summer. :)

The Fat of the Land

I went to my parents' house today and brought along my good friends Bonnie and Gabe because Gabe needed 7 lbs. of blueberries to make a blueberry flavored beer. (Gabe's hobby is home brewing- he's very talented.)
Bonnie and Gabe we doubtful that they could get 7 lbs. of berries from our 6 trees, but after an afternoon of picking, we actually got 14 lbs! Mom was so proud. :)
My parents have always been avid gardeners, and this year, they've outdone themselves. In addition to their giant blueberry trees (that my grandfather actually planted years ago) they have a huge garden with all sorts of veggies, as well as another plot for melons, rows of blackberries, and another plot for corn, beans, and wheat.
We helped out in the garden this afternoon and we all took home produce as our reward. We got tons of radishes and new potatoes, and an entire laundry basket full of turnip greens! I also took home two yellow squash, one small zucchini, and the biggest zucchini I have seen in my life. It was longer than my forearm and thicker than a soup can!
Of course, I had to cook it immediately. I had some small bay scallops in the freezer because they were on sale at Whole Foods this weekend, so I decided to stuff the zucchini with scallops. I just made up the recipe as I went along, but it turned out really well so I am going to share it!

1 Zucchini (It doesn't have to be a huge one, but it should be as big as you can find.)
2 cups (give or take) bay scallops
1/4 Italian breadcrumbs
Garlic Powder to taste
Onion Powder to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste (I used some homemade sriracha that Bonnie gave me)
1 Handful of Parmesan Cheese

Microwave zucchini for 10 minutes. (I had to nuke mine for 15, but it was so big that it almost didn't fit in the microwave!)
Cut zucchini in half, scoop out insides and reserve. Place hollowed zucchini shells in a baking dish, set aside.
Chop up the zucchini insides and sautee them over medium heat in a little butter. Add scallops and cook, stirring frequently) until the scallops are done (approximately 5 minutes).
Add salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders to taste.
If the scallop/zucchini mixture is very watery (mine was), drain the water out and return to the stove.
Add hot sauce to taste. (Note, if you've never tried sriracha hot sauce, I strongly recommend it. It is delicious and pretty easy to come by- it will definitely be in any Asian grocery, but you can find it at a lot of supermarkets as well these days. Here is a fun NYT article explaining what it is.)
Mix scallops and squash with the breadcrumbs and a little bit of the cheese.
Fill the zucchini shells with the scallop mixture, top with the remaining cheese and bake at 400 for 10 minutes.

Qualities Inherited from my Paternal Grandmother

1. Love of coffee
2. Being extremely cold natured- think down comforters in July
3. Love of British Comedy
4. Habit of sitting around the dining room table for long periods of time
5. Home is my comfort zone
6. I say "Well!" when I am irritated or flustered.