January 5, 2010

This past Saturday we had SirHoney’s cousin and her husband over for dinner before they had to return home to Chicago on Sunday. I was totally exhausted after coming home from our Christmas trip with a cold and from overindulging in food and beverages for two days while celebrating New Years. (I probably overdid it since I knew it would be my last splurge for a while.)

Saturday was January 2nd, which was the official day for me to start the Ten in 10 challenge, but I decided to go ahead and let SirHoney make hamburgers since I wasn’t really up to hosting a big dinner party. We always buy lean ground beef so I figured that I would just have a burger with lettuce and tomato without the bun, and stay away from the chips and dip.

We had a nice visit and as we were all finishing up our burgers, SirHoney asks if the burgers were okay. We all told him that they were great! They were a little large and we realized that they were 1/2 pound burgers once we noticed that he only made eight patties out of four pounds of beef.

So, he asks again if we hadn’t noticed anything different and we all said no and asked why. I thought maybe he used some new seasoning or something, then he finally admitted that he put a dollop of butter inside each hamburger patty as he was making them.

Are you kidding me?

A half pound hamburger patty filled with butter!

And I ate it on my first day of my challenge to lose ten pounds?

Really?

(I don’t know if he’s secretly been watching Paula Deen, or what, but I do know that he won’t be making me dinner again any time soon.)

~LilSis

January 4, 2010

Happy new year, everyone!  I hope that you had a wonderful holiday time, and that you’re fired up about the new year and ready to get it rolling!  I love that it always feel like a fresh start to me.  Who among us doesn’t need a fresh start in some area of their life?

I talked last year about how I don’t really like resolutions because I feel like I’m setting myself up to fail somehow if I make official “resolutions”.  Instead, I like to think about what I did the previous year…what worked, what was a disaster, what do I want to do differently, what do I want to add to my life.  For me, a new year is about reflection and reevaluation.

This new year, I can see that it’s going to take extra workouts to achieve and maintain the level of fitness I’m comfortable with.  I was on that train for several months in 2009, but wandered off it and have to get back on now.  I’m not totally out in the weeds, but I’m a bit off course, and that slight veering off the path can quickly turn into a full-blown physical train wreck when you’re forty-plus!  If you don’t know what I mean, you will eventually!

The biggest change for 2010 is one I’ve been seriously contemplating for the last few months, after having it in the back of my mind for 15 years. It’s time for me to stop fiddling around and finally go vegan.

When I first stopped eating all meat products, I also stayed away from eggs and dairy for quite a while, but finally succumbed and adopted a purely vegetarian diet rather than vegan.  Since I know that the egg and dairy industries are probably more abusive than the factory meat farms, I’m going to put my money where my mouth is and stop putting eggs and dairy there.

I started out telling myself that this vegan business was going to be really hard; harder than going vegetarian was since that was pretty darn easy for me.  The biggest challenge is definitely going to be learning how to bake in a completely different way, and for me this is pretty major since I love to bake more than I like to cook.

I’ve decided this change will be fun, as well as the right thing for me to do, and one thing I’m going to do from square one to make it funner is to blog about it.  I realize that most BigSisLilSis readers aren’t vegan or even vegetarian, so I’m going to start a brand new blog for my vegan ramblings. I’m still noodling it around, so I’ll bust it out when it’s a bit more finalized.  I do know it’s going to be a little adventure, and I’m excited to start.  I’m in the process of cleaning all the butter and eggs and other holiday baking remnants from my kitchen, along with the holiday leftovers.  Once that’s gone, away we go to Vegan Land! Wheeee haw!

So, my goals or resolutions or whatever I’m calling them, are to:

• Exercise with a new motivation and keep it up, with the goal of building more muscle and getting stronger. That means getting back to Jillian Michaels’ videos, yoga class, and using the new Wii Fit I just bought myself with Christmas money.  I also joined RecipeGirl’s 10 in 2010 program as LilSis did.

• Adopt a vegan diet asap and blog about it.  You’ll notice a lot of new cookbooks in my left sidebar reading list now, since I’m going to need some help to keep my food interesting and nutritious!

• Learn how to bake without eggs and dairy!  The 2010 SPCA Bake Sale is only 11.5 months away!

• Find a new church and plug in.  It’s time already; stop messing around and commit to one.

• Work toward balance between all aspects of my life: work, blogging, social, health, and spiritual. This is a toughie when you’re an all-or-nothing personality like me!

There you have it.  I bet that some of my goals and LilSis’ goals are the same as yours, so let’s all rally around each other, and make some positive changes in 2010!  We can do it!

~BigSis

January 2, 2010

Goodbye 2009. Hello 2010!

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to put 2009 behind us and I’m looking forward to 2010 being a happy, healthy year! I don’t want to waste time talking about how stressful 2009 was for us; instead I want to focus on lots of positive energy to kick off this New Year! Being that 2010 is the beginning of a new decade, I think this is the perfect time to make some changes.

We all have good intentions when it comes to making our New Years Resolutions but how many times have you started out super, duper excited yet within a very short period of time, you lose focus? It’s happened to me before, but this year I’m feeling really motivated and determined to achieve my goals.

When first read about the Ten in 10 challenge that was started by Lori of The Recipe Girl; I knew right away that I wanted to participate. If you read The Recipe Girl or follow RecipeGirl on Twitter, I’m sure you’ve already heard about the Ten in 10 challenge. It’s got a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Ten in 10! I decided that my overall goal is going to be to lose ten pounds in ten weeks in 2010! 🙂

This challenge was officially kicked off yesterday and you can read the details of the Ten in 10 challenge to find out how you can join. Anyone can participate and there is no deadline to sign up so you can hop on board at any time.

I’m working on a few new ‘work related’ projects that are going to require a lot of focus and time. In order to get everything accomplished that I want to get done, I’m going to have to work harder and smarter. I’m going to try to get to bed earlier so I can get up earlier and instead of working in my office for a few hours before my workout, I’ll be doing my daily workout first thing in the morning. That way I’ll start my day off right and won’t get irritated if something comes up that prevents me from exercising. If I don’t have that time for myself to relieve some stress, I’m in an entirely different mood for the rest of the day.

Since I’m already on a pretty regular exercise routine and have still managed to hit a plateau that I can’t seem to get past, I know that there are several specific things that I need to do in order to reach my overall goal.

Losing a pound a week doesn’t sound like an unrealistic goal, but I know it’s not going to be easy. It’s time to get serious and crank it up a notch.

Here are my goals:

• Go to bed earlier so I can get up earlier.

• Plan healthier meals for the whole week and do all grocery shopping on Sunday.

• I’ve never done this before, but I’m going to write down everything I eat.

• Work out first thing every morning, Monday through Saturday.

• Add 30 minutes of weight training two days a week after one hour of cardio.

• Go to Yoga class three days a week. (I feel so much better when I do this.)

• Walk or ride bike for 30 minutes after dinner at least two or three nights a week.

• Restrict “weekday” cocktails.

• Have a piece of fruit for afternoon snack instead of cheese and crackers.

• Weigh in every Friday and track progress on WiiFit.

• Try to squeeze in one of the Jillian Michaels workouts once a week.

• Add 15 minutes or so of WiiFit Hula Hoop a day or two a week. (It’s a great workout, but also a lot of fun!)

For me, this challenge isn’t just about losing the weight; it’s about eating leaner, exercising more, managing stress, and just basically feeling stronger and healthier.

I’m hoping that by participating in this challenge, I’ll connect with some of the other participants who have similar goals and we can help each other stay motivated and on track to achieve our goals for 2010. I’m really excited about this and would love to see some of our readers join this challenge.

~LilSis

December 31, 2009

We have one more little topic to wrap up for 2009 just as we fly into 2010…the SPCA Bake Sale results, of course!  The sale was held for one day only on December 14th, and we thankfully sold every crumb we had!  We also had a web site set up for donations from out-of-town folks, or for local friends who just couldn’t make the sale.

So here are the results.  Drum roll, please!  The web site donations are $405, and the one-day sale of baked goodies brought in $3618.  That makes our grand total so far $4023!  Woo hoo!!

We are enormously grateful for the support of our friends, family, fellow tenants, our building’s management, and an awesome SMU fraternity.  Thank you so much for showing your love to the animals and to the SPCA of Texas in a huge way! We baked our fannies off, but without all of you, it would have been for nothing!

Here are some photos from the sale.  You can get an idea of how much we started with, but what you can’t see is that we have boxes and boxes of more goodies under the table!  We sold it ALL!

Cakes and breads all lined up before the sale started at 8 am.

Bars and brownies are ready to be snatched up and gobbled up!

Cookies were all huddled together here.

All the treats were organized in happy little rows here.

Almond Toffee and Soft Peanut Brittle went into these cute little totes.

Cakes and breads were packaged in tall treat bags from PaperMart.

Brownies and other bars got these cute Treat Toppers from Hobby Lobby.

3 kinds of fudge were molded into shapes, and then decorated.

Cinnamon and Peanut Butter Fudge close-up.

Pretzels got a dip in chocolate, and then a swoosh and a drizzle of cuteness.

The cutest gift bags ever were donated by LilSis!

Thanks again to everyone! We can’t wait until next year!

~BigSis

December 30, 2009

The weekend before we left for Chicago, I decided that I was going to make Almond Toffee to give to our friends and neighbors for Christmas. It probably wasn’t the best timing to try a new recipe as we were still finishing up Christmas shopping, wrapping, and packing in preparation for our trip to Chicago the following day.

On top of all that, we ended up spending most of the weekend in Mission Bay at HayHay’s surf competition since he made it all the way to the finals. But, somehow, in the midst of all that, I did manage to make two batches of toffee.

I’d like to give a “shout out” and a “huge thanks” to Anna of Cookie Madness for taking the time to reply to me via email regarding a couple of questions I had about the instructions.
I really appreciate it, Anna!

This recipe is one that Anna has made for many years and since the directions are a little long, I think it’s best for you to go to Cookie Madness for the Best-Ever Almond Toffee recipe. You’ll also want to read her Almond Toffee Revisited post which has more tips on making this toffee turn out “just right”.

Pecan Toffee

For my first try at this recipe, I just made the small batch so I could get a feel for it. I substituted pecans for the almonds, since I had some on hand, but I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. Other than that, this batch was just a teensy bit thicker than I would have liked, which may have been because the temperature got up to almost 295 before I poured it out of the pan. It was still crispy and crunchy, just not perfect.

BigSis has made this toffee almost every Christmas for as long as I can remember. And, guess what? Hers is always perfect. Mine turned out pretty darn good for being my first time to make it, but it wasn’t perfect. That’s okay though, I still gave myself a little pat on the back for trying something new and not having a meltdown over a slightly thick batch of toffee.

Best-Ever Almond Toffee

For my second batch, I went ahead and doubled the recipe since I was feeling a little better about the process. This time I did use almonds, but since I discovered that I don’t like chopping chocolate, I used semi-sweet chips instead. (I shouldn’t have done that!) When I asked for a couple of expert opinions from the chocolate lovers in my house, they both noticed that the chocolate in the first batch was better.

This batch also turned out a little too thick, as you can tell in the photo, but it was still good. I don’t think anyone else really noticed, but this batch got a little chewy after the initial crunch. It wasn’t as crispy and crunchy as it should have been, but I think I know why. I panicked just a little after I poured it into the pan and I think I gave the pan one too many teeny, tiny taps, which Anna specifically advised me not to do. I knew right away that some of the air bubbles were popping and apparently that’s what keeps this toffee so crunchy.

When in Chicago, my mother-in-law happened to pull out some toffee that her brother-in-law had sent to her from Florida. Even though I usually bypass the sweets, I was curious to try it because of my recent attempts at toffee making. This toffee was even thicker than my second batch but somehow was still really crunchy and crispy. It’s supposedly made at some special store and our uncle loves it, so if I ever end up with a perfect batch of toffee, I’m going to send some to him and my mother-in-law. I’m sure they’d both be surprised!

All in all, in the end, I did learn a few things about making toffee.

First of all, toffee making is not for wimps. I never knew how long it took to get candy up to 290 degrees and with constant stirring, it’s a bit of a workout. Secondly, I would invest in a new thermometer before attempting this again.

This is the thermometer that I used, which is the “attach-to-the-pan” type that Anna advises not to use. It’s all I had and I didn’t have time to go get a new one, so the fact that both batches turned out thick probably means that my thermometer was a bit off.

Lastly, just stick exactly to Anna’s Best-Ever Almond Toffee recipe! Don’t make substitutions, use a good thermometer, and follow the instructions to a tee and I bet you end up with a perfect batch of toffee! 🙂

~LilSis

December 29, 2009

For the first time since 1926, Dallas got a White Christmas!   It snowed all day Christmas Eve, and we ended up with around 3 or 4 inches of blowing little flakes.  Our weathermen actually called it a blizzard!  I think that folks up north who know what a real blizzard looks like would have laughed their butts off to hear that!

For us, the snow caused lots of traffic problems since it turned to ice just as everyone in the area was on the road, but it was gorgeous and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  Here are some images from my Christmas this year…

After a day of snow, still snowing.

Pretty snow with sunshine and clear walkways! No shoveling!

Gaby wishing he was anywhere but in the Rudolph costume!

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and that it had a few surprises for you as ours did!

~BigSis

December 28, 2009

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!

I’m sure that lots of you had snow on the ground for Christmas morning, but if we had stayed in California, we definitely would not have had a White Christmas. I think I mentioned earlier that HayHay was really hoping for a White Christmas, and, as the saying goes, you better be careful what you wish for because it just might come true!

A week ago, Sunday before we left for Chicago, he was doing this!

And two days later, he was doing this!

It really was beautiful though.

We wouldn’t have seen icicles like this in San Diego!

We had a great time with all the family and are so thankful that we were able to spend Christmas together this year.  It was 15 degrees when we left Chicago on Sunday so I have to say that I am glad to be back in the San Diego sunshine again, even though we do already miss everyone!

And, in case anyone was wondering, HayHay was back on the surfboard at 8:00 this morning! 🙂

~LilSis

December 24, 2009

From BigSis and LilSis, we’re sending you warmest wishes for a wonderful Merry Christmas!

We’re taking off a few days to celebrate Christmas with our friends and family, and will be back soon.  Til then, Merry Merry Christmas!

December 22, 2009

I like for things to be perfect.  If I had my way, Baby Jesus would have been born in a nice temperature-controlled room, on clean smooth sheets, with a nice cozy fire in the corner fireplace, and maybe some lovely candles burning and peaceful music playing softly in the background.  Oh, and how about some nice snacks for the 3 Wise Men to munch on after their long trip; homemade of course!

That’s not how it happened though, and guess what?  Things worked out like God intended, even though they didn’t appear perfect to us; whatever our definition of perfect is.

I’ve been running and rushing around like crazy for a month, and will probably run as fast as I can to finish my To Do List before Christmas.  I’ve had my little holiday meltdown, and I confess to getting wigged out over things that really don’t matter that much.  I’m stressed that while I take a few days off to celebrate the holidays, the work accumulating in piles on my desk at the office will grow taller and taller.  I’m thinking about this itty bitty Christmas detail or that one.  All in an effort to make things perfect.

I just have to stop right now, and give myself a little shake.  What in the world do I have to be worrying or freaking about, and why aren’t I being grateful beyond words to just have this Christmas with lots of my family?  I am thankful, but I think the stress of the details can get in the way of the spirit of the season for me and lots of people.  I don’t want it to be that way.

Is it going to matter if someone wants a Cream Soda on Christmas Eve, and I only bought Dr. Pepper?  Who will care if I buy the guacamole instead of making it?  Will it be the end of the world if the cat hacks up another fake Christmas tree needle hairball in front of my guests?  Nope, nope and nope.

So today, I’m reminding myself that Christmas is about the birth of the Baby Jesus, and how grateful we are for that gift.  It’s about spending time with friends and family, and being thankful for that opportunity. It doesn’t matter if every single little detail about the celebration isn’t perfect.

Merry Christmas to you all!  Enjoy your friends and family, and don’t worry about all of the teeny weeny details!

~BigSis

December 21, 2009

Lovely, ooey, gooey, creamy, bubbly, yummy melted cheese!

What more could you ask for?

Maybe some garlic, rosemary, and olive oil on top?

Oh yeah!

How ’bout some toasted baguette bread to spread it on?

Now you’re talkin!

It doesn’t get much better than this.

SirHoney & I devoured this entire wheel of cheese, just the two of us, within minutes. I’m not too proud to admit that.

Unfortunately, my habit of munching on cheese and crackers before dinner is about to come to a screeching halt after the first of the year, so I decided to just go all out on this night.

And, you know what?

It was worth it.

The minute I saw this recipe, I ripped it out of the magazine because I knew that I’d be making it soon. I found it in the November issue of Food Network Magazine recently while trying to catch up on my magazine reading.

I’ve always liked Jamie Oliver, and his cookbook, Cook with Jamie, is one of my absolute favorites. I love the beautiful full page photos next to each recipe in his book. I’ve determined over the years that I’m what you call “a visual learner” so I love this style of cookbook. I need to put his new book, Jamie’s Food Revolution, on my Amazon wish list!

His recipe for the Baked Camembert was originally intended to be poured over pasta, but I decided to try it as an Appetizer instead so we could dip into it with some toasted baguette bread slices.

So, dip into it, we did.

Then, we spread a little,

And, then, dipped some more.

I’ve baked a lot of brie but this was my first time to bake Camembert cheese so I wasn’t sure about the consistency. It did seem a little thinner than brie, so next time I’ll try it poured over some cooked pasta and spinach.

Baked Camembert
(adapted from Jamie Oliver via Food Network Magazine)

1 8 oz. box camembert cheese
2 cloves garlic
1 spring fresh rosemary
Fresh ground pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Baguette bread
Rosemary Herb Seasoning Mix (I used Pampered Chef)

Slice the baguette bread, brush each slice with a little olive oil and sprinkle with your favorite Herb seasoning. Toast in preheated oven at 350 for a few minutes then set aside. Open the box of cheese and unwrap it. Place it back in the wooden container or put in a small Corning Ware dish. Score a circle in the top of the skin, then lift it off and discard.

The original recipe called for slicing the garlic and just picking the rosemary leaves off from the stem. Since I knew that I was spreading on the toasts and not pouring over pasta, I pressed the garlic cloves and finely chopped the rosemary instead.

Just spread the garlic and rosemary on top of the cheese, sprinkle with some pepper and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Place the cheese into the preheated oven for 25 minutes. (If cooking in the box, place the box on a cookie sheet before placing in oven.)

Remove cheese from oven and let sit for a minute or two, then dig in. This makes an awesome, quick and easy appetizer perfect for serving at your next party.

~LilSis