Update

I thought I would update you on a couple of the posts I’ve written about in the past.

The “diet” is NOT going that well but I haven’t given up. I’m still determined to lose 10 lbs. by January. Wish this Chunky Monkey luck as the holiday season is definitely upon us. I actually kicked off my holiday season in Vegas on October 15. I swear it has been a non-stop party since then. Lots of eating and drinking going on in my world. I need to go pick out a sexy birthday outfit for extra motivation.

I tried the Stolichnaya White Pomegranik. I am not a fan. It takes like cherry cough syrup. I certainly can’t drink it straight and, in all honesty, I couldn’t even stomach it in a Cosmo. I’m pretty bummed about this. I will be sticking to Stoli Orange on the rocks and plain Stoli in my Cosmo.

I took a photography class. It was great, if not overwhelming; I’m looking forward to practicing everything I learned. Look for some better photos to start appearing on the blog. I also got inspired to buy Photoshop to help take my photos up a notch – so I will have to learn that also. So much to learn, so little time.

My posture is getting better. I still catch myself slouching all the time but I do catch it and try to correct myself. I think I need to strengthen some specific muscles to help hold myself up properly. (As I just caught myself slouching again.)

Oh, and I found my heart rate monitor buried at the bottom of my bra drawer. I think I left it out and my husband put it “away.” I went 5 months without it (took that long to find it), now that I found it again, hopefully it will help me stay in my “fat burning zone” while working out.

That is my update for now; in case you are following along I didn’t want to keep you guessing.

Fun Drinking Quotes

I just came across these quotes after the holiday (Thanksgiving) weekend and thought they'd be fun to share.

"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.” -- Frank Sinatra

"I drink too much. The last time I gave a urine sample it had an olive in it." -- Rodney Dangerfield

"If your doctor warns that you have to watch your drinking, find a bar with a mirror." -- John Mooney

"My grandmother is over eighty and still doesn't need glasses.  Drinks right out of the bottle." -- Henny Youngman

"Being drunk is hell; getting drunk is heaven." - Kingsley Amis (English novelist) 

Cheers!

Homemade Hummus

I don’t know about you but I’ve always bought my hummus at the store.  For some reason it never occurred to me to make my own.   Well, I was reading Women’s Health magazine and they listed a simple recipe for hummus and declared that after making this recipe you will never go back to store bought hummus.    Well, I decided to take the challenge.   And the verdict?   It is true, I will never buy store-bought hummus again.   I loved it!   

Here is the recipe for you to try. 

Combine the following in a food processor:

2 cloves of garlic

1 15-ounce can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

2 Tbsp. tahini

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. water

3 Tbsp. olive oil

½ tsp, ground cumin

½ tsp. salt

Blend until smooth.

(I added cayenne and extra olive oil to mine; and an extra clove of garlic. You could also add roasted red pepper or jalapenos for variety.)

You will get 2 cups of dip that will keep for a week in the fridge.

Serve with pita chips, carrots, snap peas, and cucumbers.  (Or whatever you little heart desires.)

Let me know what you think!  It is so good.   I’ve now stocked up on chickpeas so I can whip up a batch next time I’m craving it.

Nothing says fall like Apple Crisp!

I recently made apple crisp for, what I think is, the first time.   I don’t remember ever making it before?  How can that be?   Anyway, I got a recipe from my sister and then tweaked it a little bit.   The result was an amazing apple crisp; the perfect dessert for fall.   I even got inspired to make my own caramel sauce from scratch, which also turned out great.    I did not, however, get inspired to make my own ice cream.   I have to draw the line somewhere otherwise I really wouldn’t get anything else done.    But I will have to try to make all three sometime in the future.   The recipe is below.   The perfect use for those fall apples.  And, due to the apples, we can go ahead and count this as a "healthy" dessert.

Apple Crisp

Topping

1/3 cup softened butter

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup flour

2/3 cup oatmeal (quick oats)

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. white sugar

Pinch of salt

Knead together with hands.

Apples

Peel and cube 3-4 apples (I used honeycrisp apples, which were amazing due to their natural sweetness).   Mix the apples with a splash of apple juice and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.   Top with the oatmeal crumble and bake at 375 for 50 minutes.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes – take off foil for 25 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.  YUM!

Exciting News!

Back in March (March 23 to be exact), I posted that I was inspired by a new idea that I was really excited about and promised to keep you posted.   Well, I’ve been working on it since then and it has finally come together.   

I’d like to introduce my new website:  www.thesparklingqueen.com

This is how it all came about….  I was sitting by the pool in Palm Springs, CA trying to figure out ways to put my sommelier classes and certification to good use.   I took the classes two years ago because I love wine and figured since I will be drinking wine for the rest of my life, I might as well learn as much as I can about it to make my experiences and food pairings that much better.    Well, the world of wine is a bit overwhelming to say the least.  There are hundreds of varieties, hundreds of regions, and thousands upon thousands of producers.   It is hard to stay on top of it all.  Then I asked myself the million-dollar question: what is my favorite type of wine?  The answer being Sparkling wine, of course!    And there I had it, I realized my niche.    I’ve been drinking and learning all I can about it and launched the website to share my love of the bubbles with everyone.   My goal is for the site to be informative and fun.   So many people reserve sparkling wine and Champagne for a special occasion and it should not be that way.   Bubbly makes every occasion special and just adds something festive and fun to the moment.  Check out the site and my  Sparkling Wine blog and let me know what you think!

Cheers!

Operation Chunky Monkey

Dear Diary,

I’m sick and tired of these extra 10 pounds that are stuck to my body.   I feel like a chunky monkey.   I’m sick of the vicious cycle.  I do well for a while, and then I fall off my “healthy routines” horse and grab that cookie, in turn sabotaging all my efforts.    I figure if I don’t shake these 10 pounds now, they will continue to accumulate and then I will really be cranky.  It is time to make a real effort to shed the stubborn 10 pounds that are hanging around and create some healthy, long-term habits for myself.  I figure putting them here will help me stick to them.   I need encouragement!   And while I have darling friends that think I look good the way I am (thanks), it is all about how I feel and feeling like a bloated chunky monkey is just not a good feeling.  I’m not happy with my body and I want to lose the jiggle and firm up.  In all honestly, I might have a rock hard body under this 10 pound layer that is just waiting to shed its shell so to speak. 

The word “diet” completely freaks me out and makes me want to devour all of the sweets in the house for fear I won’t be able to indulge ever again.   The idea of depriving myself kills me.  I love food way too much.  So, in an effort to not set myself up for failure, I’ve decided to adopt a couple things to change at a time in hopes that they become a habit.    Here are my rules that I am going to start right now (you are my witness) and continue through the rest of the year.  

1. No eating while watching TV.   I tend to plan meals around catching up on my shows.  For example, I can’t watch the Bachelorette without a yummy snack and a glass of wine.  I think this rule is going to make a huge difference in my waistline and free time; as I’m sure I won’t watch as much TV if I can’t eat something while watching (I only average 30-60/day of TV, but still).  I honestly can’t think of the last time I watched TV without eating.   This is going to be hard.
2. No candy.   Leave it to me to make this rule right before Halloween to torture myself.  But the fact of the matter is, we don’t get trick-or-treaters so I eat it all myself.   If I am going to have sweets/dessert it has to be unprocessed and not come in a package with graphics.   
3. If I’m going to have dessert, it has to be within 40 minutes of my meal.  Dessert/sweets also have to be limited to less than three per week.  (This will be huge for me because I LOVE sweets and eat them daily).
4. Try to eat lots of fruits and veggies.  If I NEED a snack, it will have to be fresh fruit or vegetables.
5. Try to eat mostly REAL food – fresh and not processed (i.e. – more homemade foods from scratch).  This will be a fun challenge in the kitchen.
6. Eat smaller portions.  I need to be more feminine when I eat.  Seriously, I eat like a man.  I need to be daintier.   Maybe using a smaller plate will help?
7. Just say NO to seconds.  While seconds sound good, they are not necessary.  I already know what the food tastes like and I am usually already FULL.   No need to make myself uncomfortable and consume extra calories.
8. Cardio for 1 hour/5 times a week.   Need to sweat it out in my fat burning zone - now to find my heart rate monitor which has been missing since June.
9. Weights for 30 minutes/ 3 times a week.  Time to tone and firm up.  I see tank tops and mini skirts in my future.
10. Walk Miko every day.  It is starting to cool off which makes me unmotivated to go outside but this will be good for both Miko and me.  

There you have it.   I’m going to stick to these for the rest of the year – there are only 14 weeks left in 2010 which sounds manageable.    Hopefully these rules will become habits and continue into 2011.   Wish me luck – I will keep you posted.

FYI - I almost made rules about alcohol and fried food but visions of Champagne and French Fries danced in my head and I just couldn’t do it.  

Cheers!

Ceviche Styles

I was recently buying fish to make ceviche and the fishmonger asked if I was making Mexican style or Peruvian style.   I said “Mexican” (because I was adding cilantro), and then realized I wasn’t quite sure of the difference between the two.  Well, not wanting to be in dark long, I researched it and here is what I found……

Ceviche in General

Ceviche, which is also spelled seviche or cebiche, depending on which region it comes from, is typically made from fresh, raw seafood prepared in a centuries-old method of cooking by marinating it with the acidic juice of citrus fruit instead of heat.  Lemons and limes are the most commonly used citrus.  You can use various kinds of fish, such as shrimp, halibut, red snapper, tuna, and sea bass.   Depending on the type of fish being used, ceviche can be ready in five minutes or it might take three-four hours.  Ceviche can be eaten as an appetizer or entrée.

Ceviche's origin is disputed between many different countries and regions.   However, most historians agree that ceviche originated in the area of present-day Peru.  Despite its origin, every country has given ceviche its own touch of individuality by adding its own particular ingredients. 

Peruvian Ceviche
In Peru, ceviche is composed of chunks of raw fish, marinated in lemon, lime, or bitter orange juice (naranja agria).  Chili, sliced onion, salt and pepper are often added and maybe some garlic, chili rocoto, or olive oil.  Sea bass, shark, or sole are the kinds of fish traditionally used.  The mixture is marinated for several hours and served at room temperature with chunks of corn-on-the-cob and slices of cooked sweet potato.
The modern version of Peruvian ceviche, which is similar to the method used in making Japanese sashimi, consists of fish marinated for a few minutes and served promptly. 

Mexican Ceviche

In Mexico, ceviche is served in cocktail cups with tortilla chips, or as a tostada topping and taco filling.  Shrimp, octopus, crab, squid, tuna, and mackerel are popular bases for Mexican ceviche. The marinade ingredients include salt, lime, onion, chile, avocado, and cilantro.  Tomatoes, chilies, passion fruit, Tabasco, lime juice, garlic, and bell peppers might also be added. 

My Version
I think my version leans more towards the Mexican style.....

 
When I make ceviche, I don’t really follow a recipe but the ingredients I include are:

White fish (such as Halibut)

Shrimp

Scallops

Lime and lemon juice

Cilantro

Cucumber

Red Onion

Jalapeno

Garlic

Splenda

Salt & Pepper

Avocado & Mango

I make sure to use very fresh seafood and cut the fish into similar sized pieces (usually pretty small).   I combine the fish in a bowl and completely cover with the citrus juice.  I let that marinate for 3-4 hours in the fridge (it usually takes about 4 hours).

When the fish it done, I add the rest of the ingredients (chopped cilantro, cucumber, red onion, jalapeno, and garlic) and let that sit for about 30 minutes (at room temperature).  

Just before serving I season to taste with salt & pepper and add a packet or two of Splenda to help cut the acidity of the juice.  

I serve my ceviche with tortilla chips and slices of avocado and mango.

There are many tempting flavors of exotic tropical fruits, spices, and vegetables that lend themselves to many different versions of ceviche.   Let me know your favorites!

Cheers!