Weekly < 30 min. Recipe #3

Bell Pepper-feta Pasta Toss
Ok sorry I took a week off to visit with family and make a pig of myself. So now this week you will get 2 less than 30 minutes recipes, including the Weight Watchers points. This one is riduculously easy because you basically use the boiling hot pasta water poured over the red pepper to soften them a bit.

6 ounces uncooked linguine or fettucine
1 large yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
salt to taste
1 (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese with basil and sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced olives, drained (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Put Pyrex measuring cup in sink, put colander over cup. Place bell pepper in acolander; drain pasta over bell pepper. Combine pasta, bell pepper, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently and thin with a little reserved pasta water if desired. Serves 4

1 serving is 5 points so you could have 2 servings if you have had a good day.

Inaugural Hangover, In-laws and the Super Bowl

I obsessively watched the inauguration almost 2 weeks ago. And I have been crazy busy since then so this is going to be a long read for you. I had a friend and her 2 kids over that morning of 1/20/09 and we feasted on bagels and donuts. As soon as Aretha, in her fabulous hat, started singing I was teary and sniffling and it lasted all day long. That evening Auntie M and I tried to come up with our own version of the inaugural feast for our dinner.


http://www.chow.com/food_and_cooking/7032


We ate shrimp cocktail, rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, green salad and apple pie and vanilla ice cream. And lots and lots of champagne.


The next day I had a teensy bit of a hangover and I am so jaded from the last administration that I just assumed Obama would take a few days off to play golf. He actually went to work after staying out all night dancing. And every time I see him sit down and sign a new pledge to the American people with his left-handed scrawl, I want to make-out with him.


Soon after the inauguration my inlaws came to town from Arizona. Must people would shudder at a week long visit by their inlaws but mine are really cool. We visited and ate and took pictures and celebrated my FIL's 60th birthday. That is the picture below. My children don't sit well for pictures, they are the squirmy ones. Don't worry that's just water on Jake's pants, he has a hole in his lip.







Right after that party was SUPER BOWL. I could really care less about the game but having 55 people over to party on a Sunday was very exciting! I made 2 huge vats of nacho cheese sauce and we had a make your own nacho bar. It was a potluck too so we had a variety of toppings, plus hotwings, taquitos, several desserts and tons of beer. Good times!!! I think Bekah basically ate a dozen cupcakes by herself as much as I tried to stop her. Well at least she didn't go to bed hungry. That's her picture below with the evidence on her face and trying to put her 3D glasses on for the halftime show.

Our other halftime show was my dear husband and his buddy playing guitar. They sounded way better than Springsteen but the video I took turned out really shitty so I didn't post it here. They also played a post-game show that included Uncle Chrissy singing made-up blues songs that were, uhm, very interesting.

We did some betting with squares and I am not even going to pretend how that works but some squares were empty and since the game went long everbody decided that Erik and I would get the cash from the 3rd and 4th quarters and the rest would go to the N.E.O. Mamas party fund.

Speaking of my new and improved mom's club. When the universe slams a door shut she opens a window. I feel bad for blowing up the last club but everyone seems happier and far more entertained and we get almost one new member a week. There is obvioulsy a need for a group of women that aren't easily offended, and their husbands like it too. I know because a couple of husbands have told me to my face that this club is better.

I also heard that a couple of scab pickers are still reading my blog/blogs. What I mean by this is that there are some women who read my blog only to get mad or to confirm their suspicions that I suck. Hey if that floats your boat be my guest. I personally avoid stuff that pisses me off or makes me feel bad. Life is way too short.

Even though I just said I avoid stuff that makes me feel bad, I do have to take a minute to get personal and talk about feelings. So skip this part if you want, I am fine with that. So all last week and yesterday, people kept commenting on how brave I am (and maybe a little crazy) to host a super bowl party with 55 guests. Most of these guests were under the age of 5 years old.

Let me tell you why I don't mind doing this. I grew up in a house with an asshole, alcoholic, drug addict. That would be my mother's current husband (sorry mom you might want to skip this part). Even though my friends were welcome to come to my house, they often did not want to because they were scared of my step-father. They told me this then, and they tell me this now as adults, how they felt as children. So don't think I am just projecting my feelings on others, this is a fact.

This is why I don't mind hosting parties, playgroups, potlucks, etc. I won't lie it's a killer on my carpets and I spent a huge part of my morning cleaning, and I am not done yet, but it's so worth it. To have a home where not only my kids feel safe, but where other parents' kids feel safe and have fun, is something that is very, very important to me.

Uh-oh now I am having some deep feelings so I better go eat the leftover pork ribs in my fridge until these feelings go away.

Semi-Sabbatical

I got in-laws in town. Don't worry they're cool. I just wanna say my computer time may be limited this week and I am dying to share with you my thoughts on President Obama. As I am sure you are dying to know (just kidding). I also have roughly 55 people coming over for Super Bowl and my FIL's 60th birthday to deal with. I will get back to you all as soon as I can.

When I don't write for awhile my brain becomes a cable news show. You know how they have that running commentary of news items on the bottom of the screen? That is what my brain becomes until I get it out of my system by putting it in writing. Sometimes I just have to stop and write a quick outline on a piece of paper and then throw it away just to purge my brain of that line of words constantly moving across my frontal lobes. Does this happen to anyone else?

Weekly < 30 minute Recipe #2

I have lost 2.5 pounds in the last 2 weeks, so eating healthy so far is worth it. Even though I do miss the See's candy from December............sigh.

Mexican Pork Chops

Thin cut pork chops

2 tsps. chili powder

salt to taste

15 oz. can of black beans rinsed

1/4 cup diced red onion

2Tbs. chopped cilantro

1 tsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar or fresh squeezed lime.

Rub the pork chops with chili powder, 1/2 to 1 tsp. each side and salt to taste. Brown chops in non-stick skillet, rinse beans in colander with warm water so the skins don't split, set aside. Chop onions and cilantro. Toss everything but chops in a bowl. Put 1/2 cup serving on plate and top with pork chop or serve beans on side. Resist the cheese and chips. Serve with a Corona lite and a lime wedge.

1/2 cup serving black bean salad and one thin pork chop and a lite beer is a total of 9 Weight Watcher's Points.