Well... Food is on track at least...

Hiya Rosebuds!

It's been a little while possums, and I don't even have too much to say for myself other than after taking a hiatus to facilitate the DTs from the fags, I am ACTUALLY glad to be eating well again!

This is not the first time I've tried Champix (the smoking cessation aid), but it is, by far, the LEAST effective trial. The doctor assured me the drug DOES NOT lose it's efficacy with repeated use, but ALAS... tears were shed and things were thrown. I was pretty sure I might hurt someone... even Schmeicel stayed out of the way. I can only imagine he felt like Christina Crawford... without the budget.

Anyway- today is my official 21 day mark (you know that habit forming/breaking benchmark everyone talks about)- so no more excuses... before I go making sloth and gluttony two UNWANTED habits; let's hold on to the good changes and slough the transitional allowances made!

To back track a wee bit... a thank you to send out.

This was my lovely Valentine's Day gift! Woke up to these lovelies, with a thoughtful card on my kitchen table!

MWAH! Thank you!

A few days after that I had Kiki and Puddin' over for their anniversary dinner after meeting with my Auntie Rachel for lunch (finally got to gift the Tal Ronnen book, can't wait for some recipe tips!)... Inspired by my new FAVE show Come Dine With Me, I made: Tartiflette of caramelized onion, goat cheese and pear topped with a balsamic glaze AND Asparagus/ Summer Pea Risotto. This was accompanied by a steak for my Da and some Ice Cream with Goldshlager that was never to be. I had a great time! I loved cooking for them (I know they'll eat anything with a smile) and finally had a chance to use some of my new dishes (thanks Loulou) and glassware.

So that's pretty much the highlight reel of things that happened between sulking and sleeping. I finally realize why people sleep so much on Celebrity Rehab... it's easier than being a grumpy mare!

There's more to fill in I'm sure... will get to it as it comes up.

On to today! After such shyte for a couple of weeks... it was time for a FIBRE FIX!

Tried to make a Cabbage Strata.

Oven preheated to 350 degrees- square Pyrex or baking dish greased up for some love!

First, blanch 10-12 savoy cabbage leaves for 5-7 mins then drain and dry.

Toast 3 tbsp of pine nuts- reserve until assembly

You will need approx 1 1/4 c of drained ricotta. Cheesecloth (most aptly named) is great for straining or draining ricotta, yogurt or cottage cheese- as is a clean J-Cloth. Because I like to keep my strata a little ghetto... I just put the cheese into a coffee filter with a can of corn on top and let it sit in a colander while preparing the rest of the recipe!

Next, saute 3 small leeks with some garlic and olive oil and add about 3/4 cup of veggie stock- let that simmer for approx 25 mins

When that's done, reserve the leeks and add 3/4 can of crushed or diced tomatoes to the same pan. I added more garlic at this point, but it wasn't called for. The tomatoes will need to reduce for about 15 mins, so this is a good time to get the ricotta out of it's draining medium and ready to assemble.


Just like a lasagna- layer your baking vessel's bottom with 2 or 3 leaves of cabbage (whatever completely covers the area), then about 1/3 of the tomato reduction- then some leeks (about 1/3 of the reserved amount). Next dollop about a third of the pressed out ricotta and top with approx 1 tbsp of pine nuts.

Bingo Bango Bongo- three repeats of this (or whatever- I ran out of filling, but had leftover cabbage- so cut it up and topped the casserole) and you should be out of ingredients and oven rarin' to go. You'll want to make sure you save some saucy bits showing (oh no she didn't) so they can crisp up and the liquids will evaporate a bit.

Uncovered, this goes in on the middle rack for about 25 mins (I ended up leaving mine in for 40 mins- because I only have one kitchen timer and I set it for spaghetti squash... oops)

The time bandit...

Here's one last close up before it went in...

And the finished Cabbage Strata!

All in all... it was pretty good. It's not knocking my socks off... but was relatively filling and other than the ricotta- pretty clean. You COULD use a cashew cheese in here, but I think you'd need to heavily salt this if that was your dairy replacement.

So after tonight's shift (and pretty icky weather), I have vowed that I will go home- get 7 hours of sleep (shouldn't be a problem at all), get up and GO TO THE GYM! It's been a bit... and I know that the horse and I never have any problems, I just assume he's mad when I fling myself from him! (Makes sense in my head...)

I'm also going to give no-knead bread a try if I can find a recipe for which I have all ingredients!

Til tomorrow...

Slainte!

Amanda

The Wounded Knee Massacre

Hiya Minxes!

In my ever graceful sashay through life... today I decided to take a little tumble down some stairs! I thought to myself: Self, what could I do that would be unexpected, a little kooky and all the while stay active? My immediate (and obvious) answer was of course: Throw myself down 9 concrete steps.

Broken Glasses: $300. Cracked Tupperware: $1.99. First Aid by Kim: 2 glasses of wine (to be awarded). Trying to explain why a grown woman has scrapes all over both her knees: Priceless.

So after a little damaged pride (not too much left in the bank at this point), a few WSIB forms and a bang up spectacle repair (in the form of Todd- who decided I should look like Lisa Loupner) I was perfectly looked after and put directly to work. These babies STING!

I've just called my Suz to let her know: I WILL be at the gym... I just don't know if I'll be able to bend and straighten my legs in any succession.

In order to heal these gashes... I voted for the omega 3 fatty acids found in tuna to keep my blood thin and my skin supple! I also found this handy as I had broken the tupperware that housed aforementioned meal and needed to consume or dispose before making my lunch bag smell like SeaWorld.

Just a can of white tuna (washed) with 2 tbsp of dijonaise and a couple of chives, stalk of celery and scallions- all served on washed Boston Lettuce. I really like the hydroponic lettuce- less grit and sand than some of the earth bound varieties- and the stalks are fairly flexible, making them good for wrapping and stuffing!

Breakfast was (wait for it....) a green monster. This time I made it with some frozen blackberries, so it turned into more of a Purple Monster. Lunch was a cheese string and some baby carrots on the bus- while watching my beloved Little Dorrit! I'm finally on the last episode and I already know that I'm going to miss these characters! I'm not one to READ Dickens, but honestly, ANYTHING Andrew Davies touches turns into pure gold. He's set to do a Middlemarch remake- which I LOVED the first time! It starred Colin Firth's brother and a Gor-Geous Rufus Sewell.

Speaking of Dickens- Today is Family Literacy Day! I try to take great advantage of my local library, and love seeing families and children there (well- as much I like seeing them anywhere really). My Mum and Da took great time and care to read to me and to make sure that it was a priority... I think it's a fabulous value to instill in children. Do you have memories of a favourite book from your childhood- or a special moment reading with your parents or children?

According to the photographic history of my very sophisticated family- I've always had a fondness for reading on the loo... Thanks goes to Kiki and Puddin' for documenting a 5 year old making her mark on the world.

So now... my peeps... I turn to you! I really need some help in the menu planning department. Trying to plan what to have and then cook most of the components is turning out to be a little more daunting than I esteemed. I AM trying to cook at least 2 new recipes a week- and am having a hard time incorporating that agenda with just getting my act together for regular meals (most of which are transported to work). I'm also finding it a pain to try these recipes while cooking for one. I'd love any suggestions you guys might have for planning/sticking to and brown bagging your meal plans.


So, because I've been a little lazy this week- I'll have to catch you up on the rest of the week.

Sunday- I found myself in quite possibly the biggest conundrum I'd been in in some time. After working a midnight into Sunday- I decided it was going to be a quiet night at home. Fireplace on and wine poured with some spinach pizza (deep dish... oops) baked for a lovely evening... I came to a fork in the road. Test the Nation-with the world's most adorable Liberal (don't find THAT very often huh?) Justin Trudeau OR Celebrity Rehab III with the INDOMITABLE Dennis Rodman. I eventually chose Dr. Drew and gang because... well, because I love a train wreck. Honestly, this guy is a disaster of galactic proportions! He tried to tell the group that he was above all the 12-step stuff and that he was smarter than them and he has reached a 'Zen state! Sure- say hi to Gary Busey in Nirvana! or Tarzana... whichever you get to first!

Monday- Robbie Burns day! 251st birthday of Scotland's Favourite Son... wee Rabbie! I celebrated by having some lunch with my Da at Boston Pizza (I have no substantiated proof that the Scots ever colonized Massachusetts, but there's no Nova Scotia Pizza in my hood).


Nah- just kidding... I had this healthy bugger!

Wasn't great... I really like Jim Treliving- but the guy needs to work on vegetarian healthy options at Boston Pizza!

Then, in true Scottish form- we carried on to my FAVOURITE PUB- Up Yer Kilt! A couple of ciders later we carried on for another couple of places til we ended up at my Da's local. There, I honoured Mr. Burns by doing my best "Ode to the French Onion Soup". Again- no real segue, but soup was all I could really muster off that menu that was vegetarian and wasn't deep fried.

Tuesday- Quiet day- 1 packet of no-name vegetable soup with one sleeve of high fructose corn syrup saltine crackers. SEVERAL glasses of water.

So that's a wrap mein liebchen... back tomorrow and let you know how the crusty kneecaps are doing! I hope I can run! Maybe I'll do a day to day photo spread so you can all see how quickly I heal. Wait for the keloids kids... that's my new talent (I'll cover my X-Men regenerating skin talent in another post- it's sorta freaky... I'm an overhealer*)

Slainte!
Amanda

* This has not been verified by a doctor. It's been downright dismissed in fact, I was told "That's not even a thing". But like Susan Sarandon in Lorenzo's Oil, I won't let the establishment break me.