Summer Vegetable Chicken Saute

I haven't been posting many recipes lately and the reason is twofold..1) I just haven't been cooking as much lately, and when I do, they are recipes I've already posted, and 2) a few new recipes I have tried have turned out to be duds.  I wonder with other food bloggers if they love everything they post?  And do they have duds like me?  AND furthermore, it would be really nice, when posting a recipe, write a little review on what you thought of it, right?  I mean, some do but a lot don't.  Ooh, here's a third reason:  We've been eating before I can take a picture!  And what good is a recipe posting without a picture?  None, that's what.  Tonight I made a summer vegetable chicken saute recipe I found from The Sonoma Diet cookbook.  I'm trying to eat less carbs and this recipe was perfect: satisfying, healthy, and delicious!

Summer Vegetable Chicken Saute

recipe from The Sonoma Diet Cookbook

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch-long pieces
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pound boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-in pieces
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano or thyme
2 cups sliced yellow summer squash and/or zucchini
1 15oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (I used pinto)
1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
6 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp minced)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or flat leaf parsley
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a covered saucepan cook green beans in a small amount of salted boiling water for 8-10 minutes until crisp tender.  Drain; submerse beans in enough ice water to cover and let stand until cool.  Drain again; set aside.

Meanwhile, in a very large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat.  In a large bowl toss chicken with oregano.  Add chicken to hot oil in skillet, cook for 5-6 minutes or until no longer pink, stirring frequently.  Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

Add squash to the skillet, cook and stir over medium-high heat for 3 minutes.  Stir in chicken, green beans, cannellini beans, chicken broth, and garlic.  Bring to boiling.  Add tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper.  Cook about 1 minute or until heated through.

Per serving:
257 cal, 5g fat, 8g fiber
That's 4 points for you WW people!

GTKY Sunday

Here are today's questions from MannLand5..head on over and link up!

1. If you accidently knick a car in a parking lot..Do you leave a note or do you get the heck out of there?

I don't know what you're talking about.  I didn't see any other cars?  Were there cars there?  I'm sure I don't know what you mean.

And then I will feel guilty for the rest of my life.

Really, I would leave a note.  I have a conscience like that and if I was the one hit, I'd be soo mad if someone didn't leave a note.

Also it depends on the size of the knick.

2. Love your body or plastic surgery?

Love your body.  I think.  From a soon to be 32 year old perspective.  Ask me in 10 years.

3. What about your favorite blog(s) continues to drive you back?

I like blogs that make me smile, make me giggle, or follow someone's life journey that's similar to my own. Or have fabulous recipes!

4. What percent of your blog is BS just to make your life seem more interesting than it really is?

I like to think I keep it real.  Sometimes if I'm down about something I don't show it, but I don't think I sugarcoat.  So I will give myself a 2% BS..I don't know why, maybe because 0 seems like I'm lying and part of me doesn't want to lie to you, even though I can't think of how I'm lying, but surely I should give myself a small blip on the BS scale.  I don't know.

5. If you had to give up one type of meat for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Already I don't eat red meat, so that is very easy to say I'll give up.  I went vegetarian for about 9 months 2 years ago. Read the book Skinny Bitch and I bet you will go vegetarian too!

6. How often to you eat out?

Usually twice a week, dinners on Saturday and Monday.

7. Skinny jeans or boot cut jeans?

This booty was not made for skinny jeans.  Boot cut!  (Did a man really come up with this question I wonder?)

8. If you caught your spouse cheating would you forgive, divorce, or plan your kill?

I HATE to even think of such a question, I don't think you ever really know how you will react to a situation until you are in it.  Right now, I say divorce, once that trust is broken that worry will always be there between you, every time they leave the house and you wonder where they are really going..and that's no way to live.  So divorce and move on!

I WON'T end on such a sour note!  It's Sunday, which is a fun day no?  This has been a great week, and though I'm not home in bed where I long to be, I feel great today.  Ever wake up on the "right" side of the bed in the morning?  I woke up today and had some unknown excitement inside of me, an energy previously unknown to me at 5am. 

I think because my birthday is rapidly approaching and for me, it's been like going through the stages of grief.  You know, first shock and denial (I thought I had another week before my birthday, surely it's not NEXT WEEK!  NOOoOOo!) , then pain and guilt (this one hit me hard! How can I be turning another year older when I didn't accomplish anything at 31?!), then anger and bargaining, depression and reflection (Oh how sad I was on Thursday), the upward turn (Happened yesterday), reconstruction and working through (last night), and today!  Today I hit acceptance and hope!  Because although 31 sucked - 32 is going to be the year that changes my life!

I mean, it's ridiculous really, no?  To go through stages of grief over a birthday?  Who does such a thing, honestly! 

If you are home on this glorious Sunday, do me a favor please, get off this computer and go enjoy the day! 

There are unfortunate people at work all over the world who do not have it so lucky.

Some people don't even have WINDOWS to look out of.

Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late, ah, I use the side door - that way Lumbergh can't see me, heh heh - and, uh, after that I just sorta space out for about an hour.

Da-uh? Space out?

Yeah, I just stare at my desk; but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch, too. I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work.

So go on then, go, enjoy your Sunday!

Happy (GTKY) Sunday!

Just this past week I've been really pining for fall.  I can honestly say, that has never happened to me before.  Normally I want summer to last year round.  This summer, however, something happened.  I started sweating.  I never sweat ever in my life, until this year, no joke!  And now that I sweat, (does that happen because I'm getting old?)  I am ready for fall.  Does such a place exist on Earth, where the temp stays between 70-80 all year round, and daylight lasts from 6am - 8:30pm?  This is where I want to live.  I must investigate.  Who's coming with me?  Who's coming?  Who's coming with me, besides Flippy right here?

Here are today's Getting to know me questions from MannLand5!

1. If you could host a Reality TV show, which one would it be?

I do love a reality show!  I'm saying..I love a lot of them but to HOST one?  Gosh..Probably I'm not meant to type all my thoughts, maybe just an answer would suffice?  Somehow I can't stop typing everything that passes thru the noggin.  Ok, I will say..Project Runway!

2. Do you put your seatbelt on before or after you start the car?

Before

3. Shave or hair removal cream?

I wonder who uses that hair removal cream..I mean people MUST because they haven't stopped selling it.  Like, and I know I'm typing all my thoughts here again, but the only time I ever tried that cream was in high school, and I think of the silly cream commercials back then, and for some reason my brain transitions to Salon Selectives and how every girl back in grade school used that, and didn't it smell great!  And how come that went away but this cream is still sold?  Hair removal cream seems so early 90s to me.  Ahem so I choose shaving.

4. What's your favorite feature in a house?

5. What is your favorite "Fall" scent?

There really is only one "fall" scent if you ask me.  PUMPKIN!  Although maybe this year I will try APPLE PIE, doesn't that sound lovely.  I have to find someone who makes a good one.  Yankee Candle?  Scentsy?

6. What tv show are you looking forward to seeing the most this Fall??

My favorites are on right now, and I suppose will go into the fall - Project Runway and Big Brother.  I hope not to get addicted to too many others.  Ok Survivor and Modern Family, and that's all.  That I can think of right now.

7. Personal Shopper or Personal Chef?

I'm not sure what the question is here.  Which would I rather be?  Chef.  Which would I rather have? Chef.  Which would I want my husband to be?  Shopper.  Who do I think makes more money? Shopper.  Who would I hire before hitting the red carpet?  Chef.  What is the question?!

8. What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of "Fall"?

Pumpkin.

Happy Sunday!!!

 

Double Chocolate Brownies

Better late than never right?  I may have missed my blog's big day but that's no excuse to skip the brownies..am I right or am I right?  Yes, I am slimming, so I had a wee little piece and will be bringing the rest to work!

Double Chocolate Brownies

3/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup butter, melted, divided
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1-1/3 cups AP flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks

In a large bowl, combine cocoa and baking soda; blend in 1/3 cup melted butter.  Add boiling water; stir until well blended.  Stir in sugar, eggs, and remaining butter.

Add flour, vanilla, and salt.  Stir in the chocolate chunks.  Pour into a greased 13x9x2 baking pan.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the side of the pan.  Cool.

Recipe from Taste of Home
Prize Winning Recipes 2008

Now if you will excuse me, I've some treadmilling to do!

Well whadya know!? I missed my blog's birthday

Does that make me a bad blogger??

At first I was thinking 100 blogs, I must celebrate!  And I missed that but I thought for SURE I'd make my 1 year .. birthday?  anniversary?  It was 2 days ago and I didn't even make a cake.  Oh! The shame!

photo

No, dear pup, no cake here.  Mama's slimming.

At least until my real birthday!

Anyway..Back when I started blogging, I had no idea what would become of it, I just wanted to write and keep in touch with people I didn't speak to often.  Then I discovered a whole world of blogging I didn't know existed, and then a world inside the bloggosphere dedicated solely to food blogs and it sent my head spinning.  I tried to do it all I think.  I'm not a focused type a gal, so why should my blog focus on one thing?

As each of you became a follower, I must admit being a bit of a nerd, I would exclaim with joy and smile big for each and every one of you.  And if there were ears close by I let them know I had a new follower!  I am very excited you are here, see!  Thank you very much for following, and commenting, I love the comments!

Wow this year really flew, but it has been really fun!  I'm thinking hard here, for a spontaneous poem, a la The Waitress, in honor of this momentous occasion.  Nothing comes to mind, so I will be extra spontaneous and write it as I go.

Ahem

Please picture a group of background vocalists, noted in italics. 

Thank you.

My blog is turning ONE!

whoop!  whoop!

And I MISSED IT!

shute.

Well that's no stinkin FUN!

no fun, no no fun!

But I will not have a FIT!

You best not girlfriend

Aaaaand that's all I got.

You coulda did better, yeeeaaahh!

Thank you all for reading and I hope for another fun filled, less stressful, size 10 wearing year ahead!

Go on and have a margarita for me tonight!

Cheers!

Confessions of a reality tv addict

Oh, dear.

Just this week I made a startling discovery.  It happened Wednesday.  I was thinking there wasn't much to do, let me flip on the tv.  Oh yeah, this is Big Brother night!  And So You Think You Can Dance!  And Top Chef!  Oh thank heaven for my DVR! 

Like a true addict, only certain people know about certain shows.  I must discuss each one with someone, only I have a different someone for every show.  I talk with my sister about Big Brother, my brother about Top Chef, and my aunt about So You Think You Can Dance.  And these are just Wednesday shows.  This past Wednesday...they were together, my brother and sister were!  I was texing my sister and then all of a sudden I felt completely busted.

Don't get me wrong, I don't watch every reality tv show, please, that would be silly.  I can honestly say I've never seen a single episode of Jersey Shore or The Real Housewives.  Some I catch by chance but don't follow - The Next Food Network Star or the art show that's on after Top Chef.  Then there's the addiction: Project Runway, my personal favorite, Top Chef, So you think you can dance, Masterchef, Dancing with the Stars, Big Brother, Survivor!  It's really sad when I wake up on a Thursday morning and think it's going to be a great day, Big Brother and Project Runway are on tonight!  As I type this, you should know, I am shaking my head in shame. 

I tried to break this addiction.  I say I'm not going to watch tv anymore, I will get a life.  Then the DVR came along and ruined that great idea.  I still spend the same amount of time watching tv, well nearly the same amount of time because I get to fast forward through commercials.  It's hard, very hard, to watch tv in real time anymore.  I don't care for watching commercials one bit.

Hello, my name is Karina, and I'm a reality show addict.

Getting to know you Sunday

Head on over to MannLand5 to link up!

1. Do you think mustaches are sexy?
Somebody Tom Sellecked ma bus bench is all I think of.  But no.."stand alone" mustaches, not sexy. 

2. What's the last concert you've been to?
I have to think good and hard about this one, I can't remember.  Haha (!) It was probably Eminem, I knew someone who toured with him and got free tickets to go to his concert in Detroit.  That was several years ago.

 3 What was your favorite 80's sitcom?
I don't know what kind of picture this is painting of me, first with Eminem and now when I tell you it was proooobably Full House.  There is a whole score of sitcoms I watched..Alf, Growing Pains, Family Ties, The Facts of Life, Cosby Show..for some reason I really liked that Full House.

4. Were you named after anyone?
Negative
5. When you buy new clothes, do you wash before wearing?
Nope sure don't

6. If you didn't blog, what would you do with your spare time?
There's SO much I want to do!  Learn to sew, design clothes and shoes and purses, go to culinary school, and baking school, start a couple businesses, read, write a book, swim, workout full time with a trainer, then learn to teach spin class because I've been to great ones and the one at my gym stinks so I want to take over. I think that's all for now.

7. What is your favorite department store?
I tend not to shop at department stores too much, but I do like Dillard's.

8. If you were to get Laser Hair Removal..where would you get it?
Shaving is a huge pain in the arse so I would get it everywhere..legs, bikini, pits, and brows.  Just being honest here.

Have a great Sunday and thanks for stopping by!

Orlando

Last weekend we went to SeaWorld.  It's amazing how the time flies when you get back from vacation, I was just thinking how last week at this time we were chillin in the pool, relaxing, and enjoying the day.  And now here I sit again at this desk I seem to be shackled to these days.

I think a lotto ticket is in order.  I like being on vacation better than being at work.  Let it be known here first, I will not be one of those keep my job even though I just won 20 million dollar people.  I will work for sure, but I will have my own business.  I am working on a couple businesses of my very own right now but that's another story.  Ooh I can't wait for one of them to be up and running, hopefully very soon, because you are going to love it.  (Yes, you!)

Anyway, Orlando was a blast.  We went to SeaWorld, which the prices I must say are astronomical.  They go down significantly after 3, so if you're headed that way and want to save money keep that in mind.  Also keep this in mind:  Don't go at the end of July/early August.  Holy sweat down my back HOT.  Imagine being so hot you are drenched in sweat, dehydrating by the minute, crammed in with a million people, then go see a show crammed sitting smooshed in a small stadium only to watch these beautiful water creatures swimming by, a whole cool clean pool all to themselves, as though to say Aaahhh..look at me you ridiculous people, sitting there sweating like that.  I am enjoying a thrilling jaunt around the pool all by myself, haha!

And we clap for that creature, who taunts us so! 

The next day the majority wanted to go to Typhoon Lagoon.  Normally I would be amongst the majority, I am a water freak afterall.  But these days, me + bathing suit does not equal fun.  Every which way I looked, people were fit.  I'm wondering where in the world am I, and where are the hefties like me?  I sucked it up though, pretended I wasn't walking around in a bathing suit, and had some fun.  I just hope I managed to stay out of anyone's pictures! 

Being as we drove to Orlando, my hubs continued to pull into BP gas stations when we ran low, and I continued to grimace until we moved to the next gas station.  I don't know why people continue to buy gas there?  Maybe seriously people need to put up pictures of oil slicked birds and dead wildlife on their pumps and then maybe people will not go there?  And just wondering why there is no solidarity here, so many people live in their boxed worlds and just don't seem to care.  Why not boycott and really make a difference?  I am only slightly disgruntled about this.  Grrrrr.

If I was head of BP, gas would be .99 cents a gallon right now.  I'm just saying.

I digress.  Orlando was tons of fun and it was a much needed vacation!

Now I'm back on the weight loss train to skinnyville.  I now have a Christmas goal of 40 pounds lost. It's going to be a grumpy ride but there's no turning back now.

Toot toot.  =)

Tortellini Pasta Salad

I was in Orlando last weekend, more on that later!  We rented a lovely house nearby..if anyone is going to Orlando, message me and I'll send info about this house.  I really think you save money too, being in a house, you have a kitchen, 4 bedrooms, a private screened in pool (!) and bbq grill.  And just a short distance to the theme parks.

Leaving Charleston, I grabbed the mail out of the mailbox as we drove off, including which was the latest copy of Southern Living magazine.  I LOVE Southern Living magazine!  It's got great home decorating ideas, gardening, and great recipes.  It just so happened we were planning a cookout and there was a fabulous cookout recipe.  This salad was really good freshly made, but even better as leftovers when the flavors blended.  We even thought it would be fabulous changing out the veggies too.

Grilled Chicken and Veggie Tortellini

4 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise

2 skinned and boned chicken breasts

1 Tbsp freshly ground Italian herb seasoning

1 (19 oz) package frozen cheese-filled tortellini

1 (7 oz) container refrigerated reduced fat pesto

2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Garnish: Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat grill to 300 to 350 heat.  Sprinkle zucchini and chicken with seasoning.  Grill zucchini and chicken at the same time, covered with grill lid.  Grill zucchini 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until tender.  Grill chicken 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until done.  Remove from grill, let stand 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare tortellini according to package directions.  Coarsely chop chicken and zucchini.  Toss tortellini with pesto, tomatoes, chicken, and zucchini.  Serve immediately.  Garnish if desired.