Winter Toes

Hello, long toenails. Where did you come from? Been hiding under warm slippers all winter long? You thought you were escaping notice until I felt you scratching against my woolly socks. It's time to free you from the bonds of my toes and send you on your way out into the great wide world. Au revoir and bon voyage!

Love...

Oh, Sweet Potato, how I love thee. Especially in the winter when you're in season and your warm, soft bright orange flesh is bursting with flavor. Laden with pats of real butter, salt, Saigon cinnamon, and brown sugar, you're almost good enough to eat plain...almost. Only one thing can perfect this plate of goodness...a helping of freshly steamed in-season broccoli sprinkled with salt and butter. The perfect marriage. And with these bites, I am satisfied.

Longings...

As I sit here looking at a new blog site (new to me, anyway), English Muse, I tear up at the pictures of Paris and the idea of Europe and England. What is this longing in my soul for those lands far away? Is it just the idea of the exotic and unusual? Would I be bored if I lived there and had to take out the trash and do dishes just like I do here? Or would my soul be refreshed at the new environment and live life in a compellingly new way? I fear I will never know the answers to these questions. Death doesn't scare me. Public speaking? Who cares? Spiders. I can brave them. But this. This is my greatest fear.

In the Pudding...

Here's what I luxuriously indulged in yesterday:

Breakfast:
1 small creamy bowl of plain whole milk Greek yogurt drizzled with local honey
1 slice of honey wheat toast spread with real butter and orange cranberry preserves
1 dried apricot
1 prune
1 cup of coffee with cream and sugar
1 glass of water

I didn't need a morning snack like usual because of my filling wholesome breakfast

Lunch:
Leftover Cauliflower Gratin (made with eggs, milk, and freshly grated cheese)
Leftover Chicken au Champagne (I cut up the leftover chicken, sauteed some fresh mushrooms, mixed this with the leftover rice and simmered it over low heat with champagne)
water
1 bite of Mousse au Chocolat (made this morning...wanted to check it out!)

Afternoon:
1 Lindt extra dark truffle (savored very slowly)
1 banana shared with Lula

Dinner:
2-egg omelet with whole milk and cheese
1 slice of honey wheat toast spread with real butter and orange cranberry preserves
half of apple
1 small glass of champagne
1 small bowl of very rich Mousse au Chocolat (see recipe in previous blog)

Late Night Snack:
1 Lindt extra dark truffle (savored very slowly)

Lots of water throughout the day

What I wanted but skipped:
1 dessert coffee from Starbuck's in the afternoon

Did I miss the coffee? No, because I was reading books to my sweet baby at Barnes and Noble...an excellent diversion!

RESULTS??? I have lost a pound since yesterday! (My scale measures in 1/2 pounds) Tell me how this is a bad "diet"?

Ladies, the American ideas of diet are unhealthy, unpleasurable, and actually dangerous. God made milk and butter and cheese with whole fat for a reason! There is no reason to torture yourselves with less than adequate quality food. Eat well and you will see the results you're looking for much faster and more pleasurably than any other way. This is the last I will speak of weight and pounds as it is very poor taste according to the French. I simply wanted to give a real example.

Simple, Yet Elegant

French Women Don't Get Fat...it's a fact and it's also a book that has changed my life in the past and is working it's magic once again. Several years ago I read this book for the first time and followed its principles for a year and a half much to my delight and pleasure. It is a lifestyle...not a diet, not by any means. If you are interested in enjoying life to the fullest...including your diet and weight...READ THIS BOOK!!!

I really enjoy cooking, though I go through phases depending on the place I am in my life at the moment. But when I get back to it and devote time to it, I simply love cooking. I've always appreciated "nice" things and therefore thoroughly enjoy gourmet meals. Sometimes this can be a challenge and stress if attempting difficult recipes with unfamiliar ingredients and/or steps. However, there are some very, very simple recipes out there...such as in the previously mentioned book...that are five star quality without the stress and time one would think necessary.

Last night I made the following recipe with amazing results. Not only was it easy, it was a delight to smell the fragrances coming from the oven while the chicken baked. NOTE: IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO USE QUALITY INGREDIENTS!!! Even Walmart now sells "good" chicken that is free-range and vegetarian-fed. The quality of meat will make or break a meal regardless of the preparation. I've simply marinated and grilled some quality chicken breasts recently, and they are so tender and delicious! One of the major French principles is QUALITY OVER QUANTITY, and I cannot stress this point enough! I used thyme as the seasoning and didn't even mince it or anything. I simply took the fresh sprigs from the box and laid them on the breasts. Shallots can also be purchased at Walmart as can a cheap, yet tasty champagne. So here it is:

Chicken au Champagne

There are other recipes at the website above as well as information about the book and the French principles of eating. I can't wait to try some of them. One of my all time favorites that I've been making for several years is this easy Salmon recipe. It is so rich and delicious, you'll never think of fish the same again!

Salmon with Orange En Papillote

I also attempted a chocolate mousse this morning. The spoon tasted yummy, though I think I will change the technique next time. Here is that recipe:

Mousse au Chocolat

Ingredients:
4 ounces dark chocolate (80 percent cacao preferred) *Also available at Walmart
1 tablespoon sugar
3 egg yolks
5 egg whites

Process:
1. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water on medium heat.

2. Remove the chocolate from the heat and add the sugar. Stir well and add the egg yolks, one at a time. (I think next time I will use the electric mixer for this step as just stirring made the chocolate lumpy and difficult to work with for step 3. It would probably be better if the yolks were at room temp too so they don't harden the chocolate as much.)

3. Beat the egg whites until stiff, glossy peaks are formed. Gently fold the whites into the chocolate mixture until well blended. (This took a little time, but would probably be easier with a smoother chocolate as noted in step 2)

4. Pour the mousse into a serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

9 Months and Going Backwards

Lula turned 9 months old on January 17. She had her check up last Friday and we discovered that she is now in the 10th percentile for weight! Yikes! She has always been petite, but this seems a little low. However, the doctor wasn't concerned as her head and height have continued to grow at a normal rate. She wasn't eating very well for a while, but she seems to be back on track now. So hopefully we can fatten her up a little!

Lula is doing all kinds of new things these days....like crawling backwards! She can get around every which way you can imagine...except crawling forward! She's pulling herself up on things, jabbering like crazy, and feeding herself now. She seems older every day. She will be taking her first trip across country via plane in March. I must say I'm a little nervous about this as I'll be by myself with her and she doesn't sleep well apart from her crib or pack n play. So it should be interesting! She's a really good baby though. So it will probably be just fine.

I feel like I always write about Lula, but being a stay at home mom doesn't allow for many exciting adventures apart from my child! Not that my life is boring...it is very full. I'm still sewing a lot and trying to get new things on Etsy for a "spring Lula in London line"! I'm still working on a book that I started writing about five years ago! My New Year's Resolution is to finish that by the end of the year. When it's finished and published, I'll tell you what it is! I don't enjoy explaining what I'm writing because to me it seems like everyone is writing a book just like everyone is in a band or knows someone in a band. It's almost cliche and I realize that...So I don't want to make it a bigger deal than it really is. That was my little soapbox for this blog! I need to start writing more about my thoughts, huh? Except I think the only people that read this are family members looking for new pictures of Lula...which is probably why I only write about her anymore! And there it is. And here are the pictures you've been waiting for!

A Snowy Day

Lula's first big snow merited a trip outside to at least take some pictures in it. So we bundled her up and stayed out briefly for some video and camera shots. It was really beautiful. She didn't really know what to think about it, but decided that the white fluffy stuff looked good enough to try as I handed her a little scoop. Upon feeling the cold, however, and realizing this wasn't the usual white treat of Andy's frozen custard, she refused another bite! Oh well! Next year she'll be able to play in it and will probably enjoy it a little more. But the pictures turned out pretty cute! Who can resist a scrumptious little marshmallow?!




Lula's latest development is clapping. I don't know why it's so exciting to see her do such a simple thing, but nevertheless it is. I think it's the fact that she "gets" something. She realizes that when I sing a song, she's supposed to clap and enjoys doing so based on the smile that always accompanies the clapping. I skyped with my mom this morning to show her Lu's new "trick." She was delighted of course and wanted to see if Lula would clap while she sang. She did and seemed to like it even better than when she does it with me! Probably because my mom is incredibly enthusiastic!

Lula was also playing peek-a-boo with my mom's picture which sits on a bookcase in our hallway. That was cracking me up! And finally, she's up on her knees and rocking...a typical precursor to crawling. Better get the baby gates up!