5 Weeks

When we first found out we were pregnant, baby Iris was only 5 weeks along...Now we have 5 weeks to go till she [is supposed] to arrive! It's hard to believe that in that short amount of time, a life has been formed inside of me. A brand new life that is part Luis and part me. What a miracle!

Over the course of the last 30 weeks, we have begun and continued the preparation process of adding a new person to our family. This has included purchases, large and small, conversations about how and what we will do if Iris does_______[fill in the blank], talking to the dogs about how they will no longer be the numero uno babies, birthing & CPR & baby care basics & breastfeeding classes, lots of doctors appointments, cleaning, baby showers, a change in diet, and all the hormonal and emotional changes that a mom and dad-to-be go through. And so now what do we do with the last 5 weeks??? It's hard for me to understand what it is I'm actually preparing for - actually I think it's impossible, for anyone to ever understand what they're preparing for when the 1st baby is on its way. I feel excitement, anxiousness for labor and delivery, curiosity around how this will all "go down" especially with the timing and Luis' work schedule and family being in town for the holidays. So many unknowns that I can't control are attempting to drive me crazy - I know God has His plan which is the best plan; I will focus on letting go of control and letting baby Iris arrive in whatever way God desires.

Yesterday was a very exciting day at the doctors office. I was "checked" for the first time and yep, her head is down. She is preparing for her arrival which is so exciting! I'm not dilated (which is good because we want Iris to stay in the oven for a few more weeks at least), but the doc did say that means "she should fit through!" Ha - that sounds pretty funny but is great news. It is so bizarre to know and be able to feel the different parts of her body - it is the most real and unreal experience I've ever had.

We can't wait to meet this new person and show her off and teach her and learn from her. Iris Papyrus (as her Daddy calls her) is going to change our world in just 5 weeks.

Two Trimesters

Wow, I can't hardly believe we are down to the last trimester before baby Iris joins us.
It has been an interesting two trimesters beginning with morning (ALL DAY rather) sickness, anxiety, excitement, nervousness, paranoia to a growing waistline, tummy flutters, bigger butt, gas, heartburn, a barely there belly button and now, best of all, a very active baby moving about enough for Luis and me to see from the outside.
It is such a bizarre thing to try and prepare for something you can hardly comprehend... soo...We're bringing a real human being into the world and we have to take care of her...all the time...forever... OH, and the way she enters the world is rather uncomfortable. :) What a concept! What a blessing!
One of the best and worst things about being pregnant - the unsolicited advice. I have always been up for hearing the tips and tricks of being a good parent. I enjoy peoples' diverse opinions and learning about all the different paths you may take. Where the advice seems to gets a little obnoxious...(I'm sorry men)...with men...older men I should say. I'm not sure what makes someone think it's a good idea to say "It's all down hill from here." "You're life is over." "Well, you did it to yourself." WHAT PEOPLE? Seriously, think twice. :) I do have to laugh though. People are funny.
So now that this little human is blinking her eyes, growing hair, sleeping and waking at regular intervals and doing somersaults, her coming is becoming more and more real. Luis can't get enough of her (by way of my stomach). I think Daddy's nickname of 'Iris Papyrus' will stick around for the long run. It's so neat to watch his excitement and watch him bond with her even though she's not yet arrived - I don't think he's going to put her down once she's here. :) Her Daddy loves her so much already!
ME - All I want to do is sit and watch my stomach bounce around. I poke at her and it seems like she knows and pokes back. I wonder if she knows my voice.
I can't wait till she's here. Two trimesters down. One to go and then it's showtime.

2 Pink Stripes

Well, I'm writing this on the morning of Friday, May 6. Unfortunately, I won't be posting it until after May 15... will understand in a moment.

So about 2 1/2 weeks ago (4/19) I did something; something that was exciting and emotional and frightening all in one. I peed... Yes, that's what I said, I went pee. But it wasn't just any old pee. It was on a little white stick. Do you follow me?

To back up a little, Luis and I have had the on and off "baby fever" ever since wedding bells rang. It sort of came in phases. I would be baby crazy for a bit and then it was his turn. Back and forth; back and forth. We knew at that time, a baby would not be a good idea because of Luis' school, budget, etc.

Well, in March conversations began to get a little more serious and as the days went on, we were really considering if it was the "right time." April arrived, and we decided "yes" it is! Luis will be out of school now by the time a baby arrives, he got a job at University Hospital which means a second, consistent income, we're very happy in Northside - even looking at a house; things just seemed to fall into place. We decided on no more prevention - God would choose the right time. Under the assumption that these things can take some time, we went along as normal...maybe a little more pep in our step, but nothing drastic.

Well, about 2 weeks later was 4/19 and that thing that arrives for women every month had not yet arrived... Hmmmm... "better swing by Walgreens" I thought.

So I got home to show Luis my purchase and he wanted to waste NO TIME. "GO! Go now! What are you waiting for!!!!"

That's when I did it. I peed... And afterwards I ran to the kitchen to pace for the recommended time of 3 minutes. Luis sat here on the computer as if nothing was going on.
"Ok, it's got to have been 3 minutes. Go look!" I told him. And secretly I just knew it. Before I ran back to the kitchen I saw the ever so faint SECOND strip appearing and knew.

I followed him in to the bathroom...I think he screamed...I can't remember for sure. But there they were - 2 pink stripes. All I know is he had the biggest grin on his face and believed that I somehow arranged this and it was a joke! HAHAhahaha! For some reason all I could do was laugh. I suppose it was a nervous, anxious, excited, freaked out laugh! Luis was so excited! And so was I!

Finally today, May 6th, I go to the doctor for confirmation. It's annoying how they make you wait till ~6-8 weeks before they want to see you. So, in the meantime, we have kept this a secret! We did tell a few close friends fearing that if we didn't we might actually explode. But we wanted to wait till Mother's Day to tell our families...specifically our mothers. The reason for the wait till May 13th is that my Mom isn't coming down till then. We aren't celebrating Mother's Day until she's here.

So now our big secret is out. So now we wait...and prepare...and deal with the side effects of a human growing inside me...

Baby is due on Christmas. What a perfect gift.

Christ Is Risen

The celebration of Easter is a celebration of Christ rising from the dead after dying for our sins. We are now forgiven...saved...

What a glorious event. The most important to my life. So how have I become numb to this "holiday"?

On Monday evenings I have a small group with two other ladies. The question was asked this past Monday, "How are you feeling about Easter this week?" I am embarrassed to say that I hadn't thought any more about Easter except for what Luis and I would be doing and who we would "celebrate" with. I was quickly taken back and saddened by my response. We realized that it has been fairly easy to forget, or look past, what Jesus was going to go through the week leading up to his resurrection and what the resurrection has done for us. We were all distraught at this finding. We decided we would focus on Jesus' last week of life this week.

Except for maybe in middle school, I don't recall learning much about the last week of Jesus' life, or reading about it on my own for that matter. So this week I focused on the gospel of Mark and a fantastic tool my bible provides with a day by day timeline of the week of Jesus' death. I also attended the "Holy Week Experience" put on at Crossroads church.

The one thing that stands out so vividly is that when Jesus is hanging on the cross, he cries out "Father, why have You forsaken me?" It was brought to my attention this week that when Jesus was dying on the cross, he was temporarily separated from God. This is because God is perfect and all holy and at that moment, Jesus was bearing all our sins. And so, not only was Jesus in antagonizing pain, but he was separated from any spiritual comfort that God, his Father, provided.

This has been a hard thing for me to comprehend. And honestly, through it, I am even more amazed at God's love for me.

It is important to look at the entire week before Jesus' death and resurrection. This week I focused on even the small details of this week and I am in awe of God's love. I am thankful.

Don't be numb to this week of Jesus' life, death and resurrection.

"I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die." John 11:25-26.

In the Spirit of Budgets

A monthly budget, it seems pretty straight forward, right? ... ... ... WRONG!

Luis and I are huge advocates of Dave Ramsey and his lessons on paying off debt, savings and priorities when it comes to budgeting. Unfortunately, although I am an advocate, things aren't any easier when it comes to the monthly budget and the multiple allocations for our fixed amount of income.

I have and use an extremely straight-forward template. There is a line item for all of the necessities as well as the options; and I am to fill in the determined amount for each item, every month. Yes about 90% of the items are fixed (or rarely/slightly change) including: rent, electric, tithing, groceries, gas, insurance, Urban Active membership and any other monthly bill we pay. The problem arises with the optional items; entertainment, clothes, home maintenance...those are the main items that stand out in my mind, but there are others.

So why is it so difficult when 90% doesn't change? Ya know, the more I think about it, it's not the difficulty of determining the "right" amounts for each field, but rather the discipline in actually obeying those "right" amounts. Because, once I type them in my little excel sheet, press 'save' and begin the month, things are "set in stone"...yes?

Let me first let you in on a little secret...it may shock you...Luis is the FREE SPIRIT in our budgetary relationship. Shocking, right!?! :) For the most part, he cares to have little to no involvement in the monthly budget assignments. And those months that he gets the itch to put in his two cents...well let's just say, that scenario is not nearly as smooth. So, in being the free spirit, he has the ability to wipe out any recollection of a budget when he really wants something; or when I really want something for that matter. Every now and again, I do get the urge to just say "Screw it. I'm ready to spend that money we don't have!" and Luis will be like "Sweet!" On the other hand, when Luis is saying that, I am able to quickly bring him back to reality.

I often tell him to quit making me be the 'bad guy' in our budgetary relationship. If people ask us out to dinner around the 28th of the month and we have no more money in our 'entertainment fund' the answer should be no...technically. Well Luis is a yes man, and so if he says yes and then I say "babe, we're fresh out of money for the month," well then I'm the bad guy. See how that happens? We're working on that. (Let me also say here that Luis' yes man and free spirit tendencies are also a few of the reasons I love him so much.)

So what's my point? Discipline. And our world has made it so easy to avoid discipline with money at all costs because now we can charge it and pay it back later. At least that is how it's suppose to work. Let me just say, it rarely does. Because it is out nature that once we get a little, we want more and the vicious cycle begins.

And so, we are working on paying off debt and enjoying life with what we have now. Dave Ramsey says "Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else." Hopefully that 'pays off'...see what I did there. ;)

Cincinnati Spring

Good Morning to you.
I just have to say that spring in Cincinnati is the absolute best. Not that I have experienced it in many other locations, however, it's the people here. We embrace it immediately.

As we know, the winter in Cincinnati is brutal. And it seems to me, this past winter has been more brutal than the rest. Actually, in all honesty, every winter seems worse than the one prior. Maybe that is just me hating winter more every year....?

However, Cincinnati does not wait for extended periods of nice weather in order to jump on it. If there happens to be a 50 degree, sunny day in the middle of January, and snow is still on the ground, people are out, enjoying the day.

And THAT is the enthusiasm that makes Cincinnati springs fantastic. It is March 19th and the past three days have been perfect. March 17th, as you know was St. Patty's Day, which also gave us a big jump start. The outside patios of bars and restaurants were packed until late evening. AND as a bonus, daylight stays around for a while! Luis and I sat outside at Christy's and as it was bright and sunny at 6:30pm, we reminisced of the darkness beating me home after work just weeks ago (I normally get home at 5:30pm)... that was depressing.

So last night, I left the bedroom door open as it can be arranged to stay extremely dark in my room for all day if I so choose. Doing so, this morning, I was pleasantly woken up with streams of sunshine from the kitchen windows. What a wonderful way to wake up on a Saturday. I have to say, I love the house I currently live in and the kitchen is my favorite room. Two windows and a back door opening up to the yard make for a very bright, happy, welcoming location. Windows are also one of my favorite things.

And so, I must state the obvious, God is a genius. Bringing out days that are so undeniably beautiful, that can't help but to just liven people up; it's contagious. Thank You, God for spring, long days, beauty and a rejuvenated energy.

Vegetarian Italian / Italian Vegetarian

Life is good. Food is good.
Italian and Indian seem to be the easier routes in making a substantial vegetarian meal...substantial being the constant challenge. Without that big, [nasty] chuck of meat (j/k)...what do I use to fill the plate besides rice and bread? Let me first just say that eggplant is awesome. Awesome tasting, an excellent replacement for meat and so simple to cook. Beans, potatoes and diced tomatoes are also a saving grace.

Let me share a few Vegetarian Italian recipes that I have tried recently and Luis and I have enjoyed.

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:
1 eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch slices
8 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces ricotta cheese
6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
4 cups pasta sauce
Additional Ingredients Sarah adds:
1 zucchini chopped
1 yellow onion chopped
mushrooms chopped (doesn't matter if they are canned or fresh)
Any color peppers you might have on hand chopped
Even a few tomatoes chopped if you so desire

(If you haven't noticed, I always add any extra veggies I might have on hand)
Now it's time to start cooking.
First, sprinkle both sides of the eggplant slices with salt. Place slices in a strainer, and place a dish underneath to capture any liquid that will sweat out of the eggplant. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix in egg and basil.
Rinse the eggplant in cold water until all salt is removed. In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Place one layer of eggplant in the pan, brown each side. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices, using additional oil if necessary.
In skillet, saute any additional veggies you are adding as well.
In a 9x13 inch baking dish, evenly spread 1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce. Arrange a single layer of eggplant slices on top of the sauce, then arrange additional veggies. Top the eggplant and veggies with 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layering process until all the eggplant, veggies and cheese mixture is used. (Do not worry about perfection). Pour remaining sauce on top of layers, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
Bake 30 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbly.
ENJOY!
Original recipe c/o allrecipes.com.

Eggplant Mushroom Tomato Casserole

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 large Onion diced
1 clove Garlic pressed
1/2 cup Green Bell Pepper diced
1/4 pound Fresh Mushrooms thinly sliced
3 large Tomatoes diced
1 tablespoon Parsley chopped
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Thyme
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
2 medium Eggplants diced
1 tablespoon Seasoned salt
1 tablespoon All-Purpose flour
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
(feel free to add additional veggies; zucchini, red/yellow peppers, etc.)

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium low heat. Add onions and sauté a few minutes. Add garlic and green bell pepper and sauté. Add sliced mushrooms, continue to sauté a few minutes. Add diced tomatoes, chopped parsley, pepper, and thyme. Simmer 2 additional minutes. In large non-stick skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add diced eggplant and seasoning salt. Sauté until lightly browned. Stir often. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in flour carefully with spatula. Return skillet to heat. Add tomato mixture. Simmer 2 minutes. Spoon mixture into greased casserole dish (8-inch x 8-inch). Sprinkle Parmesan (and/or mozzarella) cheese over top. Bake 35 minutes. ENJOY!
Original recipe c/o eggplantrecipes.net.

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon salt
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained (I did not have this, but think it would be a delicious addition)
3 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and green chile peppers. When vegetables are heated through, reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes.
Mix the tomatoes into the pot. Season chili with chili powder and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving.
ENJOY!
Original recipe c/o allrecipes.com.

More Vino Por Favor

One of Luis and my hobbies include drinking wine. (What a great hobby, right?!)
Seriously though, it has come to be one of the things we really like to do together. And I don't mean drinking wine as in a drunken wine fest but rather a conversation.

I have enjoyed wine ever since I can remember. This probably sounds awful, but I remember getting the wine at catholic mass and thinking "Mmmm, that's tasty." In college, it wasn't all that appealing to the majority of my friends, but after college it started to become the drink of choice.

Luis was never a fan. I couldn't even get him to take a sip of wine until one day we decided to check out this wine bar near our apartment in West Chester; there was a $5 wine tasting that day. I think he was more-less entertaining me in his decision to go but none-the-less we had a blast.

This is where he met smoked Gouda; the wine pairing that changed his ways.
If you aren't familiar, smoked Gouda is a cheese that tastes like bacon. Seriously.
We sat through 5 different types of red wine accompanied by this meat flavored cheese; I finally found the way to his heart...bacon.

It was great though, he was enjoying the different wines, we were feeling so prestigious in our "deep" conversations of each of the wines and the different tastes, noses, legs, etc.(a little wine lingo for you).

For Christmas I received a wine journal. It gives you all these tips on smelling, tasting, describing wine and in the back there are pages for you to jot down your description of different wines.

Luis and I seem to be regulars at this little wine and beer shop up the street where we like to go and get different wines and beers and "rate" them. AND, the great thing about this is there is no right or wrong answer! :) It is one of our favorite things to do.

Fighting Fair

Fighting Fare...
This made me laugh; I looked up the definition to fighting and the first one read:
'a. To attempt to harm or gain power over an adversary by blows or with weapons."

"Luis, we're suppose to attempt to harm each other by blows or with weapons fairly!"

No that is not the definition we are suppose to use in this circumstance but I just wanted to share that. HA!

Last night we had dinner with friends and we started talking about fighting fair and we compared stories of how each one of us fights and how "good" we are at fighting fair. It's funny, our friends were saying how you could be doing so great at fighting fair and one bad move by one party and it's all down hill. Because really, if you're doing well and one person decides to break the rules, how can you maintain fairness? True.

For Luis and me, he will tell you with no hesitation that he is really bad at it. So for me, because he is so bad, I try my very hardest to maintain fairness; but as I think about it now, because I do that, I get to also use it against him when we talk about things later. For example: we're fighting. Even if he's right, because he blows up, I win because I don't. So, my question, is that fair? (probably not exactly).

Another funny thing, after we have resolved whatever the argument, I'll ask him what I can do to help him fight fair. He tells me to let him know in the midst of the argument to stop being mean, fighting unfair, etc. YEA RIGHT!
Here is a bad (and fake) example of that scenario...

Luis "Babe, you're dumb! You don't know what you're talking about. (slams door)"
Me (in extremely calm voice) "Luis, let's make sure we fight fair."
Luis "YOU'RE DUMB! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" (slams door).

Ok, now that is a really awful example but you get the picture. There is no way that will go over well.

So what's the secret? Practice makes better? That's really not that motivational though because who wants to motivate themselves by the idea that the more fights we have, the better we will be?

It's a tough question. I will be sure to let you know when I find the answer.

To be continued...

My Kitchen smells more like Indian than Asha's

Hello. Happy Saturday...if you haven't been outside, you should check it out - it feels like spring! Just close your eyes so you don't have to see that ugly melting snow. Ya know, I appreciate the warm up in temperature, however, I am fairly annoyed with every other weekend having a mud pit in my back yard, which, in return means muddy dog feet multiple times a day. Come on weather, make up your mind. I'm thinking of "Just say a simple, 'Yes, I will,' or 'No, I won't.' Anything beyond this is from the evil one." (Matthew 5:37)... Bad parallel? I'm just sayin, be winter or warm up for good! Let's make up our minds here.

So it is the last weekend in January and I get paid on Monday...until then things are tight (in the budget area, if you know what I mean). I seriously have never seen my fridge so empty - this is not an exaggeration by any means. In hopes of avoiding the grocery at all costs, I dug through the ingredients I had, trying to find a way to be thrifty. Onions and red potatoes...canned tomatoes, spices...water... I knew there had to be some sort of soup out there I could make (and hopefully double in order to keep us fed for the remainder of the weekend).

...SCORE...Curry Tomato Soup!

INGREDIENTS:
(this is the original list, I doubled the majority of ingredients)
1 package firm tofu (optional)
5 potatoes
1 onion
2 carrots
1 can diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp butter
recipe calls for green beans (this I did not have...they were not missed)
5 white mushrooms (this I also did not have...I'm sure they would have been delicious)

In a large pot, melt butter on low-medium heat. Add chopped onion, curry, paprika and garlic - saute for ~2 minutes. Add potatoes and stir to coat. Add 2 cups of water (or enough to cover potatoes). Cook ~5 minutes.
Add carrots, tomatoes, and any other veggies - cook till potatoes are soft. Add water if soup is too thick.
Finally, add tofu and cook for additional 5 minutes. Serve with rice or bread. YUM!
Original recipe c/o Grouprecipes.com.

After dinner Luis and I left the house for a while. Upon returning, it still smelled like Indian food. Luis said "Our house smells more like Indian than Asha's!"

At Your Request.

Thanks for asking! I am very excited to share these recipes!

Disclaimer: I find my recipes from many different sources. Unfortunately, it is a little more difficult to share because for the most part, I add something, delete something or in some way change every recipe I use... and never write down what I do.
...don't be scared though...

Also, lots of recipes call for salt. I never add salt - it's over-rated.

Let me give this a whirl.

First things first: Fish Tacos (Luis kicked himself in the face, these were so good).
INGREDIENTS:
Calling for mahi mahi, I used White Roughy - there come 2 large pieces of fish, separately wrapped. (I randomly picked out a fairly priced package of frozen fish at Trader Joe's - you could also use tilapia or orange roughy.)

1/4 cup canola oil
1 lime, juiced
1 tbsp chili powder
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
flour tortillas

GARNISH:
fresh tomatoes
shredded white cabbage
sour cream
red onion
cilantro (if you are a fan)
salsa

Place fish in medium sized dish. Mix together oil, chili powder, lime juice and cilantro. Pour over fish and let marinate for 15 - 20 minutes.

Place fish onto HOT skillet (I put extra oil in skillet to avoid a stuck fish). Be careful, you will get splash back. Cook fish on the first side 4-5 minutes and flip. Cook second side 30 seconds - 1 minute. Depending on what type of fish you use, this time will fluctuate. I kept my fish on a little longer for added crispiness.

Let fish rest for 5 minutes and flake with fork. Throw your tortillas on the skillet for ~15 seconds. Divide fish and serve it up! It's as easy as that - ENJOY!
(original recipe c/o the Food Network)

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

INGREDIENTS:
3 large peppers (experiment with different colored peppers!)
1 (14.5 oz can) diced tomatoes
2 cups couscous (I used whole grain couscous from Trader Joe's)
fresh eggplant, zucchini, yellow onion and mushrooms - you can adjust additional veggies to your preference. I did not measure a specific amount of veggies just threw in some.
Oregano, basil and garlic spices to taste - I recommend basil and garlic only.
1 cup italian cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large skillet (spray with oil), combine tomatoes, vegetables and spices - grill over med-high heat for a few minutes (until onion is softening)
Stir in couscous and 1/2 cup water. Cover, remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir.

Fill peppers with mixture and top with cheese. Put peppers in baking dish with 1/3 cup water in bottom of dish. Cover lightly with foil, bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. ENJOY!
(Original recipe c/o Cooks.com but I butchered it)

Vegetable Curry

INGREDIENTS:

3 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. tumeric
1 tsp. whole cumin seed
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 medium head cabbage, chopped
3 medium carrots, diced
4-5 small potatoes cut into 3/4 cubes (I used red potatoes)
Vegetable broth OR water
I also like to add additional veggies - zucchini, eggplant, cauliflower.

In large skillet, add oil. Add onions and garlic and fry for 4-5 minutes. Add curry powder, tumeric and cumin seed(and any additional veggies). Continue frying for 3-4 minutes. add tomatoes . Depending on tomatoes, you will now have somewhat of a sauce. I always need to add vegetable broth (or water) here to get sauce. I add ~2 cups.
Add cabbage, carrots and potatoes - stir until all are covered by sauce. (if necessary add more vegetable broth). Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes. Add water any time sauce is below 2/3 depth on vegetables.
Serve over rice. This might be my favorite!! ENJOY!
Original recipe c/o "More-with-Less"

Salmon and Veggies

I have to be completely honest - I did not do anything special here. I got the salmon from Trader Joe's and it was already seasoned. I threw it on an sprayed baking sheet along with tomatoes, onions and green peppers and threw it in the oven (you could spritz with lemon juice also. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes - you can check readiness by fluffing with fork. FYI - it is hard to overdo fish in the oven. Serve with rice or couscous. SUPER SUPER EASY. ENJOY!

Indian veggies

INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 onions, diced
4 tomatoes, chopped or one 12 oz can diced tomatoes
3 carrots, sliced
2 potatoes, chopped into one inch pieces (I use red potatoes)
3/4 cup water

Heat the oil and margarine over medium heat. Add garlic and spices and reduce heat to low. Cook for one minute, stirring once or twice.
Add onions and sautee for 3 minutes, or until onions turn clear. Add tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and water. Cover your pan and allow to cook for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are done, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice. ENJOY!
Original recipe c/o About.com.

Mock Chicken Salad (can also be used as hummus)

INGREDIENTS:
2 cans garbanzo beans
1 red onion
1 green pepper
lime juice
ranch dressing and/or mayo

Mash garbanzo beans - do not mix in juicer or food processor.
Add extremely thinly sliced peppers and onions.
Add lime juice to taste. I add ranch to taste directly into the mixture - you could also just add as dressing on sandwich or mayo if preferred. Serve on toast with lettuce and tomato. If using as hummus, you may be OK using a mixer. Serve with crackers.
This is also SUPER SUPER easy and excellent! ENJOY!

Well, that is all for now. I will continue adding recipes from now on :)

What's for Dinner?

Two weeks down already in the new year! I hate to say such a cliché thing, but..."time flies...and, I can't believe it." In all honestly, living in a world of 92% routine is a scary thing. Days, then weeks, then months, then years are in the past. I always feel a little guilty when I'm complaining about a slow day, because then, when the month is over I say, "Man, I wish time would slow down."

Back to dinner; food has been a very large part of my 2011. I feel like I have been to the grocery store more in two weeks than I have in the past 5 months! In my last blog, I wrote about our decision to go organic. Well, along with that decision has come new recipes, new budget, new pantry and fridge. Luckily I get off work at 5pm and my husband is not a picky eater. AND, most of all, thank God for google!

Over the past two weeks, I have been cooking organic lunches and dinners, face masks and juicing multiple times a day. The goal is for 51+% of each meal to be raw...let me just clarify that this is incredibly difficult and rarely happens. This is, however, the reason for so many trips to the grocery. We try to have a salad with every dinner and sometimes have totally raw dinners, but Luis does not always appreciate those options...

The greatest thing about our new menu has been discovering new flavors, cooking with color and feeling physically and mentally really great about our choices.
Some of the new recipes include:
Couscous and vegetable stuffed peppers
Vegetable curry

Fish Tacos

Salmon and vegetables

Tofu Stir-fry
Mock Chicken salad sandwiches made with garbanzo beans
Spaghetti with vegetables
Eggplant lasagna

And the list goes on...

Now, if you're wondering about the face mask I mentioned, this is a concoction of diced tomatoes, lemon juice and oats.

When I first used this mask, I wondered if Luis was questioning his decision to marry me! :) HA!

And finally, juicing. Juicing is a large portion of the Gerson diet. Gerson recommends juicing 12 times a day. Yes, this is impossible unless you devote your day to it because you cannot make a bunch on juice and drink it over the coarse of the day. It has to be drank right away otherwise the enzymes are gone and therefore, the entire health benefit is lost. We try to juice twice a day - although this, as you can imagine, is expensive so once a day is my goal.

It's really very surprising what tastes good when juiced together. Luis and I have experimented with different cocktails of apples, oranges, carrots, yams, pineapples, cucumbers, etc. We have not gone down the tomato juice path just yet; we will though.

So that is the status quo of the Polo household.