Light Alfredo Sauce: A recipe for a rainy day

What to serve with chicken that I cooked in my crockpot? I found this recipe for a Light Alfredo Sauce yesterday on sparkpeople.com (they include nutritional information, still checking it all out, but it looks interesting), a new website that I happened upon in my search. It got good reviews. It is a little thinner than more caloric recipes, but the flavor was still good. I followed the advice of one review and let it sit for a bit to thicken it up. I added a cup of uncooked spinach as a bed for the whole wheat pasta, chicken, mushrooms and alfredo sauce.

Light Alfredo Sauce 

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups skim milk 1 cup chicken broth 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden brown.

In a small saucepan, stir together milk, chicken broth, flour, salt and pepper over low heat until smooth and thick. Stir into garlic. Continue to cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Number of Servings: 8 - (1/3) cup servings or 6 (1/2) cup servings

And the finished product

This got great reviews from both Ben and Emma, which is saying a lot. Ben wanted seconds and Emma readily ate pasta and told me that she really liked it and that she liked it better than the red sauce. They skipped the spinach and the mushrooms, but either way, it's a winner.

Corey: Head shots

Corey is studying music up at NAU. He has a beautiful tenor voice. He needed some head shots for an upcoming recital. Here are a few from our session.

Food, Glorious Food!

I know it's  cliche' to make New Year's resolutions regarding food and exercise, but I don't care.  I welcomed it. I knew I was on a slippery slope and by the time January 1st rolled around I felt like I was so ready for a change. I don't think eating sugary foods for every meal can be a good thing. That was the day I said, "No more!" I had pushed myself to the edge. I had abused my relationship with food. I had cheapened it and lost respect for it. I was eating without thinking of the consequences. So, the first thing that I decided to do was a sugar detox. Nothing too scientific or regimented, just eliminate the desserts and candy...just for a day...and then for another day...and another...it wasn't even that hard to do. It felt great in fact. It boosted my confidence about other changes to come. I decided to get back to my Weight Watcher's way of eating and cooking. I joined Weight Watchers 4 years ago on January 16. I lost 20 lbs. and it felt great. (Yes, past tense...I got distracted by life and some of it came back...but I am still a believer.) I pulled out my WW stuff last week and got back to eating the way that I know is right and I feel more in control. My refrigerator went through a makeover, too. I cleaned it out to give it a fresh start. Food and I are starting to work things out. I feel like we're getting back in the groove and I'm loving it all over again, with greater respect for what kind I choose to associate with and put into my body.

Let me introduce you to some of my new (old) friends...

From top to bottom, L to R: (hiding on the top row) Better Than Bouillon, Trader Joe's Natural Peanut Butter, Light Coconut Milk, brown mushrooms, lemon (love 'em!), ginger, leftover yummies, spinach, leftover Thai  chicken wrap filling**(recipe below), peanut sauce in the back**, chicken apple curry sauce that goes over rice. Some people don't eat leftovers. I am not one of them. I recycle them into something new and improved. Some of my kids see through this attempt at serving the same thing two nights in a row. Too bad. 

Other things I have on hand: the bacon bits in a bag from Costco (so versatile...and a little goes a long way), cheese (I would rather use less real cheese and real butter than fat free or light), tomatoes, cilantro, lime, cucumbers, and beans among other things.

So now when I open my refrigerator, instead of standing there and staring and wondering, "What (yawn...) am I (yaaaawwwwn) going to fix for dinner??" I smile and say,  "Oh, I can't wait to have you for dinner!" Fruits and vegetables have moved back home.  My food world has color once again and I am so dang happy about it.  I want you to feel what I'm feeling so I'm going to give you two recipes that you can get excited about and try. If you're not a big ethnic food person...change...and I mean right now. I'm not kidding. By the way, a taco from Taco Bell is NOT an ethnic food. There are so many good flavors out there just waiting for you to embrace them. 

These recipes both have a Thai theme. Use the leftover peanut sauce on the wraps the next day. We had them both this week. The first one is from the Weight Watchers All-Time Favorites cook book (I saw this book at a garage sale a couple of weeks ago. Would have bought it if I didn't already have it).

Thai Chicken Satay

(serves 6, normal portions)

Chicken marinade:

• 3 T. Asain fish sauce** 
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 T. grated fresh ginger
• 2 tsp. grated lime zest
• 1 T plus 1 tsp. lime juice
• 2 1/2 lbs chicken (cut into strips that you can either broil in oven or BBQ on skewers)

**(now don't you say, "Eww!" to the fish sauce...give it a chance.  It's a seasoning, just like soy sauce)

Directions: Place marinade ingredients in a large zip lock bag, mix, then add chicken and refrigerate from 1-6 hours, turning bag occasionally. If I had skewers I'd BBQ them as my first choice. You can also broil the whole breasts and then cut them up. Cook 6-8 minutes or until they look done, turning once.

Peanut Sauce

(serving size: 2 T)

Whisk together until smooth:

• 3/4 c. light coconut milk
• 6 T. creamy peanut butter
• 2 1/2 T. honey 
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 T. fish sauce
• 2 T. lime juice
• 2 tsp. lime zest

(I like to heat the sauce up in the microwave before I serve it)

Serve with rice and asian salad. For salad try Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame dressing on lettuce greens with orange slices, sliced almonds, cucumbers, green onions and tomatoes. So de-lish.

***********************************************

This next one I found on the internet.

Thai Chicken Wrap

recipe courtesy Rachel Ray on FoodNetwork.com

makes 4 BIG wraps

(I used leftover lean pork chops from the night before instead of chicken)

Ingredients:

• 3 (6 ounce) chicken breasts
• 1 T. soy sauce
• 1 T. vegetable oil
• 1 T. grill seasoning (whatever you want)

(I would just throw this in the crock pot in the a.m.)

Salad:

• 1/2 seedless cucumber, halved and sliced thinly
• 2 c. fresh bean sprouts
• 1 c. shredded carrots
• 4 green onions, sliced in thin slices
• 12 fresh basil leaves (This is what go me excited!!)
• 3 T. chopped mint leaves (This just added to it!)
• 1 T. sesame seeds

mix and pour over salad:

• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 T. rice vinegar or regular white vinegar
• salt

Her spicy peanut sauce(did not try)besides, I love coconut milk instead of the oil:

• 1/4 c. room temp chunky peanut butter
• 2 T. soy sauce
• 1 T. rice wine vinegar or regular vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 T. vegetable oil

Add cut up or pulled apart chicken to salad and divide into 4 servings on 4 (12-inch) tortilla wraps.

Pour 2 T. of leftover peanut sauce from night before on each wrap and then roll it up. 

I used Clay Oven Baked whole wheat Lavash Bread, cut in half instead of the tortillas. I found them at Trader Joe's. They tasted lighter to me than a tortilla.

So, there you have it. These recipes are tried and true. I hope they add a little zip to your dinner menus.

Bon Appetit and Enjoy!

Cynthia

Cynthia attends ASU. She's applying for a job with Disney Channel and needed some headshots. I love doing headshots! They're like a little burst of energy. Speaking of little bursts, that could also describe Cynthia. She is cute as a button and I hope she gets that job with Disney!

Go get 'em, Cynthia!

It's not easy being green.

Sometimes I just get a food craving, and absolutely  must satisfy it. I know what you're thinking and most of the time it's not chocolate.This time of year it's often times citrus. But, lately I've also been craving this delicious, but maybe not so beautiful soup that I can quickly whip up in my Vita-Mix™ blender (I love this machine!). I am the only one in my family who will eat this soup(their loss is my gain). The rest of them complain about the foamy-ness.(It does eventually go away) I also don't think they can get past the color. I admit, it is VERY green. But to me it says: LIFE. I like when food is vibrant. It also means that it wasn't sitting on the stove f.o.r.e.v.e.r and looking like you just pureed a can of peas! A mere 3-4 minutes in my blender and that's it. I think you can duplicate this on the stovetop if you put everything in a regular blender or food processor and then heat it on the stove, if needed. I don't know. Try it and let me know. Even though I had some just yesterday, I still want it again to day. Off to make some for lunch.

Cream of Spinach Soup 
(2 servings)

1 cup spinach( I usually pack in more)
1 med tomato

1 thin slice onion or 4 green onions

1 rib celery (o.k. to skip)

1 chicken bouillon (I love Better Than Bouillon™ paste)

1 T. cornstarch

1 cup steaming skim or lowfat milk

1/4 cup swiss or cheddar cheese
**garnish with a little dollop of sour cream

Here's the bonus: 1 cup only has 125 calories.

(note: Costco sells a big jar of Better Than Bouillon™ . 
Once you start using it, you'll need a big jar. It is the best.)


Go Green and try this soup. Hope you like it.

An Indian Princess Bride

     When I first met Farooq and Samreen, they looked like most other college students, dressed for comfort in jeans and sweatshirts. They were busy with work and school. Samreen was kind of quiet. She wore glasses. I couldn't really see what she would look like as a bride. Some weeks later when she stepped out of the car for our Portrait Session, I did a double take, you know the kind you see in the movies when a  woman slowly exits a car with her long elegant leg leading the way and then the slow unveiling of the beautiful being attached to that leg. It was kind of like that with Samreen.  She had been transformed into a beautiful Indian Princess. Farooq cleaned up pretty well, too, but Samreen stole the show. (I don't think Farooq minded one bit. She was his new bride and he loved her loveliness) Samreen is from India and Farooq's family is from Pakistan. They held their marriage in Chicago around Christmas time and one week later had their reception here in Phoenix.

     This is my second Muslim wedding celebration. I thoroughly enjoyed the culture, the people and the food. I could go on and on about the food.  It was Indian Cuisine and I think I have to vote it "Best Reception Food". Lynn, my second shooter, and I both are big food fans and adventurous eaters. In our enthusiasm over the dinner, we forgot to get a beautiful shot of the food. But, even without a visual reminder, I will not soon forget it. The Naan was oh so yummy. I could have eaten an embarrassingly huge amount, but I used restraint and besides had to get back to work!

     Before their reception, Farooq, Samreen and I spent some time on the beautiful grounds of the LDS Temple. We picked the right day and had the place to ourselves. Samreen had the ability to be both elegant and cute. Her beautiful traditional Indian dress and veil were sent to her by her grandmother from India. The color was perfect and was a hint at the dress colors I would be seeing later that night.

Isn't she just stunning?

They are very cute together. Refreshingly innocent.

With the beadwork on the veil weighing it down, the veil needed some managing, which Samreen did beautifully.

The Henna tattoes on her hands and feet took about 5 hours to apply.

I couldn't decide between these two, so I'm including them both.

Before the reception started Samreen's mom helped her properly attach the veil so she wouldn't have to worry about it all evening. Her mom was also beautiful. I think you can pick up on her elegance just by her hands.

Friends of the Bride and Groom.

Close friends and family accompanied the couple into the reception hall for their Grand Entrance.

It was at this point that I thought to myself, "Hmmm, I think I really like Indian music!" I need to find out what song they were playing. I loved it.

These girls are just an example of the beauty of the people and the colors of their dresses. If I didn't stick out like a sore thumb in these clothes, I would seriously love to wear them.

In American wedding tradition, the Bride and the Groom cut the cake and feed each other a small piece of it. In Samreen's culture, they not only feed each other a piece of the cake, but it is also shared in like manner with various family members, so to these children watching this happening, they must have thought, "Everyone is getting cake except us!" I just thought the look on their faces was priceless. They did eventually get some cake, which, again, was delicious.

I have added to my circle of friends and feel that my life has been enriched by these new friendships. It was fun to be a part of Farooq and Samreen's wedding celebration and once again, I feel joy and hope in the commitment that marriage brings and wish them a life together that is, "Happily Ever After". 

The Road...The Book

I just finished reading The Road. It's the kind of book that I just need to talk about. Jon-Erik?? I admit, I read it  with caution. I am a sensitive reader and don't like to be bombarded with things that my brain can't handle, things that don't necessarily make a story better, but are there to shock, at least shock me. The book was surprisingly clean. I think the movie manages to fill in the gaps for the audience and make it rated R. That is one of the reasons I will not be seeing the movie. TMI: Too Much Information. I loved the book, as painful as it was to read at times. I felt like the author wrote so simply and didn't go into graphic details with some of the horrific scenes that take place, but allowed the reader to imagine those scenes at his/her own level. I had to keep reading. I felt like if I didn't, the characters in the book might die in my absence.  They couldn't possibly survive one more freezing night or day without food, if I put the book down. I wanted someone to tell me it was all going to be o.k. in the end, but I didn't dare ask Jon-Erik, because part of experiencing the story fully is the not knowing how it was going to go for the boy and his father. They didn't know. They could die and that would almost seem better than living after seeing what they must do to survive and how little there was to live for.  I don't want to spoil it for anyone. The most I will give you is this description on the back of the book:

THE SEARING, POSTAPOCTALYPTIC NOVEL DESTINED TO BECOME CORMAC McMARTHY'S MASTERPIECE.

     A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food--and each other.

   The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, "each the other's world entire," are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of it's vision, The Road is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of:  ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.

If anyone wants to do a book club with this book, I would love to. We can discuss it over lunch. Can you have a book club if you only meet once? I'm not asking for a long term commitment, just this book, this one time. Anyone interested??? I will gladly read it again and I recommend Thai food for our discussion, although I'm flexible on the food. Email me.

Just Catching Up: Baking and Bouncing

O.k....I don't know if any of you do this, but I am so behind in blogging that I am going to take the liberty to back track. I just don't want to jump over things completely. First stop...the beginning of Christmas break. I started it on Dec. 18th and now I return to it: 

This is my favorite break of the year. The weather is beautiful (here in AZ). It feels like we have weeks ahead of us. Christmas is just around the corner. As I write this I can hear my cute little backyard neighbor boys playing in their backyard and I'm reminded of days of the past when my then little boys played all kinds of make believe games outside and made use of every minute of our warmish winter wonderland in sunny CA. At this moment the house is quiet. All the boys are scattered here and there, doing their own thing with friends or work or Brian. Thank goodness I still have Emma to remind me what childhood is all about. She embodies zest for life. Along with that zest comes personality. I walked into her room the other day and found the following note written on her chalkboard:

I only like one

 of the boys 

in this house 

and that is my dad!

A Bake Sale is a perfect fit for enterprising 9 year olds who are just itchin' to do something. They had the whole break ahead of them. It felt like summer with the potential for all kinds of fun. Emma had been wanting to make these jumbo cookies for days. Today was the perfect day.

The recipe was supposed to yield 8 cookies. I guess the word "jumbo" spoke to the little girls louder than the number 8. They decided to make ONE JUMBO cookie that ended up having to be baked in batches from the outside in due to it's expansive cookie mass. We would cut off the done parts and put the rest back in the oven until we finally reached the center. Eventually they ended up with a plate of uniquely shaped cookies. Crunchy but quite tasty, I must say. When it comes to cookies, looks aren't everything. The tablecloth was a homey touch.

I thought they would just go out to the corner of our cul-de-sac, but when I went to see how they were doing, I had to walk around 3 corners to find them! Not satisfied with the occasional passerby that our street offered, they took their product to a more populated location. Location is everything, you know. Here are some of the images from their very successful sale, thanks to generous friends and neighbors who patronized their little operation. 

I just love her velvety skin and the Nissen trademark ear.

Gain the trust of potential customers with honest advertising.

Matthew's turn to attract business...and it worked!

The thrill of the sale!

The day was still young. What's the best way to celebrate after a successful cookie sale and you've still got energy left to burn?
Close up shop,divvy up the profits and find the nearest trampoline.

I love it! The world is their oyster and the possibilities are endless.