Cooking Class

Thanks to all that submitted ideas for the company name. I have a lot to think about now!Last night I gave my first trial one-on-one cooking class in someones home. It was actually one-on-two, but you get the idea. Thank you to my friends Melanie and Meredith for being my guinea pigs.
It was a much different experience than the group setting. They were able to be more hands on than the participants in the group class. I also felt that it was more focused than the group. It was a little challenging being in a kitchen other than my own, but I felt pretty comfortable. Here are some photos from the evening: Edamame Dip on Garlic Crostini. Smooth on crunchy, and packed with protein.

Grilled Asian Pork Tenderloin on Wasabi Mashed Potatoes. So simple and easy.

Beautiful to look at and wonderful to taste. A real crowd pleaser.

We also made an Asian Slaw with Yogurt sauce. To top it all off, we made egg rolls filled with banana, coconut, raspberries, and chocolate. Total decadence.

Grilled Asian Pork Tenderloin
2 lb pork tenderloin
1 small bottle of Teryiaki Sauce
Remove silver skin from pork. Marinate pork in a plastic bag for at least 1 hour, up to 2. Place on grill. Grill for about 18 minutes, turning pork occasionally. Remove when it has internal temp of 150F. Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing into it.

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 cup whole milk
2 tb wasabi paste
1/4 cup butter
Salt & Pepper
Boil potatoes until fork tender starting with cold, salted water. Remove from water. Add remaining ingredients and smash until smooth.

What's in a Name?

Really, I am having quite an impossible time trying to name my business.
Who wants to give it a stab?

Happy Father's Day

Quinn is a pretty lucky girl to have such a wonderful dad.

For his Father's Day Dinner I made him a Farmer's Market Medly:







Grilled Cantaloupe Salad.
Sweet and oh-so refreshing when your A/C is broken.


His all-time favorite summer meal

A skeptical looked turned into a satisifed grin with this one.

It was love at first bite.

Pick Me Up

Sometimes when I am feeling sad, I go to this website:
http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/page/5/
And magically my mood is lifted.

Climb Every Mountain

I have made my daughter an official addict of "The Sound of Music." Although she really only cares for the songs (thank God for the ability to skip around on DVD), she asks for the movie daily.
"Can we watch the princesses and the two boys sing?"

She clearly believes that when you have the voice of an angel, like Julie Andrews and the Von Trap girls, then you are deemed a princess. I say that is totally fair in my book.

You see, my daughter is a sucker for a good song. Who can blame her? She loves music. I started giving her the gift of music pretty early on when I would put my I-pod buds on my belly and play her some tunes.

I always believed music would be my life.

I knew I was destined for Broadway.

But here I am instead singing The Outfield's Lose Your Love on a Friday night.

My audience? My husband, daughter, and her overstuffed teddy bear.

My microphone? A whisk.

My dance moves? Hot...inspired by Jazzercise.

My costume? T-shirt, shorts, and apron.

Tickets? Sold Out.

Yes, it generally not a show to be missed in my home. My Broadway dreams have been dwindled down to this. But I will gladly take it.

Don't worry, I don't plan to live vicariously through my daughter by becoming a stage mom. However, I will let her know that ANYTHING is possible and she is quite capable of making any of her dreams come true...whatever they may be.

Speaking of making dreams come true, I have officially hosted my first two trial cooking classes. I have to say that I am fairly happy with the way they went. For having never attempted them before, things went pretty smoothly. My audience, my friends, have been fantastic and been able to give me a lot of great ideas of where to go as well as a ton of encouragement. I will be forever thankful for that, and will show them my gratitude by forcing them to talk up the classes to their friends and family!

The final trial group class is this Wednesday. My air conditioner is broken. It's 90 degrees. I pray to Mother Nature to chill out for a while. I also pray to Logan Heating and Cooling to get this problem fixed by Wednesday evening.

First Steps

I recently celebrated my anniversary with The Great Husband. Six glorious years of nothing but marital bliss. Okay maybe not bliss every day, but life is good and we have so much to be thankful for. Especially each other.
We decided to drop off little Quinn and head to Columbus to catch a Clippers game. By total accident, we have celebrated the last 3 years by going to a baseball game; The Cubs, The Reds, The Clippers, we don't really care who it is. It is just fun for us to go together.
As a gift, he gave me 2 books about starting a business in the food industry. He also said he called the local Farmers Market and asked about handing out information about my business once I get it up and running. Now is this support or what? I love this man!
Speaking of the business, I have officially filled up the trial class dates! The first class is coming up Wednesday. After having participants fill out an online survey, they voted for the following menu for class #1:

Guacamole
Grilled Plantains
Grilled Corn Salad
Refriend Beans
Steak w/ Chimichurri Sauce
Grilled Fruit Dessert

The class will hit on some knife skills, some grilling, making a vinaigrette, and combining spices and herbs. We'll see how it goes. I am super excited to start this journey. Just as excited to share it with you!

Just a side note: While we were in Columbus we had brunch at a place called Tasi. If you are ever in town, you must go eat there. I had the best, most memorable breakfast I have ever had out. I ate poached eggs on black bean cakes with jalapeno butter. Along side I had fresh sourdough and multi-grain bread with house-made raspberry jam. I was in heaven! They make their own bread, all of their own pastries, and various kinds of jam. The coffee was delicious, the atmosphere was cool, and the service was so friendly and attentive. Can you tell I am a fan?

Walking The Walk

I went away recently and had a chance to sit down and write out some of my goals for the year. The great husband is an avid goal writer. I watch him write them, share them and achieve them. Me? I just like to talk about things, but I have struggled with following through my entire life. Hence my daughter's knowledge of the fact that many of my threats for bad behavior are pretty hollow.

I decided it was time to try it out. Yes, they are written on a paper plate ad from a magazine, but they are there. Looking at them reminds me of who a I want to be and what I want to accomplish this summer. I only have myself to hold accountable, but sometimes fear of failure is motivation enough.

I am going to share one of my biggest goals with you. I have decided to take steps toward starting some in-home basic cooking classes. I went into culinary school thinking I wanted to be a caterer. I quickly learned through my catering-specific classes that it wasn't really what I wanted. I wanted to be cooking on a much smaller scale. Going into people's homes and cooking with them was much more my style.

I have heard friends say to me, "I wish I could make that, but I wouldn't know where to begin." Or friends that have commented that they love when I come over because I sharpen their knives. I have friends who don't know what certain spices, ingredients, or certain vegetables are. I always think to myself, if they knew how to these things, cooking at home would be such a different and enjoyable experience for them. All it would take is someone to show them.

I realize I am worlds away from knowing it all, or even knowing a lot. But I do know enough to share with people the basic steps to making cooking for themselves and/or their families easier for them. Knowing the methods to do things in the kitchen can open hundreds of doors to cooking new things.

My commitment to this is large. I will need to be doing a lot of reading, a lot of refreshing, creating new recipes, and more learning from professionals. I will need the support of my friends, family, and especially The Great Husband. I will need practice, I will need to grow a thick skin, and I will need to know that small failures does not have to mean the dream is over. I am ready. I am willing. And I am sooo excited!

My first step is just to see if this is a good fit for me. I put out an email to some friends and family asking for volunteers to come attend a class in my home free of charge. In return, they must fill out a survey about the class using 100% brutal honesty. In addition, they must promise that if they liked it, and I get this off the ground that they will spread the word. I know from experience that word-of-mouth is the best type of marketing.

I promise to blog about the steps I am taking and experiences I am having. I ask you, dear reader, that you share any suggestions or thoughts you may have as they come along.

In the meantime, make yourself this sandwich...especially with some home-grown tomatoes. I was able to use the basil from my herb garden. This is one heck of a summer sandwich.

Caprese Sandwich

French Baguette

Fresh Mozzarella, sliced

Fresh Tomato, sliced

Fresh Basil leaves

Balsamic Vinegar

Salt

Sprinkle tomatoes with a bit a salt. Assemble sandwich by layering tomato, mozzarella, and basil. Sprinkle vinegar over tomato, mozzarella and basil. Enjoy.

Jammin' On The Run

We were finally able to put out the patio furniture. The first sign of summer in our home. We have been eating our meals outside, and loving every minute of it.

We spent some major time doing some landscaping, and what do you know? The deer have taken a fondness towards 6 of the bushes I planted. What once was a group of cute flowering bushes is now a group of stubs. I think they have no hope.

We have tried all kinds of deer repellent, from store bought to homemade urine. Nothing seems to work. We would have to get a fence 10 feet high to keep this family of deer away. It makes my husband absolutely crazy! When The Great Husband gets into deer mode, he reminds me of Bill Murray chasing the mole away on Caddyshack. Yes, it is that bad.

These deer have also crashed any sort of dreams I had of planting a vegetable garden. I was so excited to finally have a home with a yard. I had visions of growing food to feed my family, and spending time canning at harvest time. Visions squashed.

At least I have my sister Colleen. She has over doubled her garden space, so I can't wait to get over there and plant some veggies. I think we may have a more successful garden this year! Learning from our mistakes can only make it better. I'll keep you updated, and hopefully share some recipes from the veggies we grow. Who knows, maybe we will have surplus this year!

On a different note, my friend Melanie recently gave birth to an adorable baby boy. I got to see him yesterday, and couldn't get over how wee he is. I forgot how small newborns start out as.

I was able to bring her over some No-Knead Bread and Double Berry Jam I made. I have to say, bringing over homemade bread and jam looks like you spend hour in the kitchen slaving over these items. The truth is, both of these recipes are SUPER DUPER EASY.

Martha Stewart taught me the method for making this jam, and I ran with it. I added my own touch to this simple method.

DOUBLE BERRY JAM

1 1/2 Quarts strawberries, hulled

1 1/2 pints blueberries

1/2 c + 3 Tb sugar

2 Tb Lemon Juice

1. After washing berries, place them in a food processor and roughly chop.

2. Pour into a large pan.

3. Add sugar and lemon juice

4. Cook over medium -low heat until bubbles are covering the entire top and mixture is thick, about 15 minutes.

5. Pour into a jar and let cool.

6. Cover and refridgerate for up to 2 weeks.

Published!

Hey Gang! As promised, here is the article that came out in this week's CinWeekly paper.

http://cinweekly.com/article/20090520/ENT0108/905200316/1047/ENT0104

Wine and Dine

Okay, this picture is not the best. Everyone was sitting down to eat and the darn mini-sandwich would not pose for me. However, it is packed with flavor and punch, so I couldn't let this one pass by.

Some friends of mine do a monthly wine-tasting. Every month someone chooses a region or type of wine. Everyone brings a bottle, and possibly some food. The host invites everyone over to his or her house, and makes sure there are enough glasses for everyone to taste. We stand around and pretend to discern the flavors of each wine.

Each wine is poured, and the back of the bottle description is read. These alone can be comedy for the night. I think what it really all boils down to is "thumbs up" or "thumbs down." By the 5th bottle, they all taste the same, Delicious. The conversation by then veers away from wine. It really is my kind of wine tasting.

Of course one of my favorite parts is also the food. I love to see what people whip up to "pair with" the wine. May's wine night was hosted by a women named Laura. She lives in a fabulous old home in Clifton, and provided some delicious eats. I know that girl spent some serious time putting these apps together...and it showed. One of my favorite foods was a mini-salmon burger that was Asian-inspired. The sauce had flavors of miso and rice wine vinegar. You bit into it and your tongue received a burst of flavor from the small piece of pickled ginger that was placed on the bottom. Ooooh boy. It was a party in my mouth. I love wine night!

By the end of each tasting, I have to admit that I have no idea what I liked best, more or less what I drank. However, I always leave with a smile on my face and sore cheeks from laughing. A sign of a good night.

These pork sandwiches were inspired by the salmon burgers I ate at this month's wine night.

Mini Asian Pork Sandwiches

serves 6

2 lbs Pork Tenderloin

1 bottle of Teriyaki Sauce

1/4 c mayonnaise

2 Tb Wasabi (Found in the Asian section of the grocery)
Pickled Ginger

1 package Kings Hawaiian Bread Rolls

Place pork in a Ziplock bag.

Season with salt and pepper.

Pour in bottle of teriyaki.

Zip up bag and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat Grill

Place tenderloin over medium direct heat and close.

Cook for 10 minutes and flip.

Cook for an additional 10 minutes.

While tenderloin is cooking, mix mayo and wasabi and set aside.

Remove from grill and place on a cutting board.

Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting into it.

Cut each roll in half for sandwiches

Place a piece of pickled ginger on the bottom half.

Put two slices of tenderloin on top of ginger.

Top with a dollop of wasabi mayo.

Serve.

Smile For The Camera

Well, I took some initiative and entered a few of my recipes into various medias and what do ya know? I am getting published!
Nothing big actually, but it is a start. Cincinnati's local city paper, CinWeekly, will be printing my Taco Pie recipe next week. I was informed of this over a month ago. They contacted me and said they were interested in publishing the recipe I submitted. They wanted to send a photographer out that Friday at noon.
"Have the taco pie made and be ready to get your picture taken," they told me. That Friday I was prepared with a gorgeous taco pie that I had made. I carefully picked out a flattering shirt and painstakingly did my hair and makeup. It was my first public debut, I needed everything to be perfect.
I put Quinn down for her nap and waited for the photographer's arrival. I waited...and waited...and waited. I sat on the couch for 3 hours, trying not to ruin my hair. But it was all in vain. He never showed. I thought I was getting punked. I felt like someone had stood my up for a dance. I drowned my sorrows in taco pie.
Three days later I got a phone call from the photographer. He was quite apologetic and wanted to reschedule. I agreed. This time around, I didn't spend more amount of time than usual doing my hair, makeup, and picking out my clothes. I was going normal Erin this time. As Murphy's Law would have it, the taco pie looked awful. What could I do. He was on his way and I had no time to make changes.
My picture was taken with the taco pie, and he left. I anxiously awaited for the publication to come out the following Wednesday. Wednesday came and I picked up the paper. No article. No recipe. The next Wednesday came with the same outcome. Another week passed. Still no article. I didn't understand. My God, didn't these editors realize the people of Cincinnati need a recipe like taco pie!?
I finally received an email last night saying it will be published this coming Wednesday. There had not been room in the paper for it the past few weeks. I'll believe it when I see it. And when I see it, I will share it with you.
There are two cookbooks coming out this summer from Cincinnati Mom's Like Me that will include my recipes as well. A summer cookbook will have my recipe for Grilled Asparagus Salad. There will also be a Back To School cookbook that will include my Breakfast Cupcakes. More on those books to come!
As for this week's recipe, it is something I truly had throw together in time for the sitter to arrive. I used what we had in the house, and it turned out okay. This takes 10 minutes to put together if you already have cooked chicken.

Stacked Enchilada Pie

1 1/2 c enchilada sauce
3 whole wheat tortillas
2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
1 1/2 c cheese
1 can black beans, smashed
1 small onion, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350.

1. Spray a deep pie pan with cooking spray.
2. Pour 1/2 c enchilada sauce on the bottom.
3. Lay one tortilla on sauce.
4. Sprinkle 1 c chicken, 1/2 can black beans, 1/2 onion, and 1 c cheese.
5. Lay another tortilla down and repeat step 5.
6. Lay another tortilla down and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
7. Place in oven for 25-30 minutes, until cheese is melted and edges are brown.
8. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before cutting into pie.

Back to Life, Back to Reality

Sorry it has been a while. There have been some vacations taken, and adjusting back to life has been a slow transition. I was lucky enough to go to Florida with my family.

I was nervous about the trip, I have to admit. I didn't know how traveling with children would be. We were staying in a condo with my sister and her family as well. I pictured absolute chaos and mayhem at all times. Quinn and her cousin, Morgan are close in age. They love each other a lot, but this comes with lots of fighting, teasing, screaming and tears. Girls will be girls.

In reality though, this trip consisted of lots of princess dress up, running around, swimming, playing, laughing, and only a few tears. I really could not have asked for more.

I returned on a Sunday only to turn around and go back to a different section of Florida to meet up with my old college roommates for our yearly girls weekend. Years ago on our spring break trips, we would have a blast. But there were times that consisted of fighting, teasing, screaming, and tears. Girls will be girls.
Those days are long gone. Yes, there were tears. These days the tears are not a reaction of each other, but rather of a story we are sharing about our lives. Yes, there was screaming. These days the screaming was laugh-induced when sharing stories about our children's antics. There was a lot of joy, a lot of laughter, a lot of support shared. We have come so far since the 10 years we graduated from college. I am proud to call them my friends. I am lucky to still have them in my lives.

Now I am back to my life. Being away always makes me appreciate my family more. I was sad to leave the vacation-life I was leading, but happy to return home to my real life.
With real life comes the real responsibility of feeding my family. I have been trying to conjure up some new recipes, but needing inspiration. The farmers markets are opening soon, which always revs me up!

This recipe was heavily influenced by Bobby Flay. I added some of my own ideas and subtracted some of his, and came up with my all time favorite meatloaf recipe to date!! Honestly, this is a great one!!!

Balsamic Glazed Turkey Meatloaf

adapted from Bobby Flay's Balsamic Meatloaf

1 Large Red Pepper, finely chopped

1 Large Yellow Pepper, finely chopped

1 Large Carrot, shredded (using a peeler)

3 Green Onions, finely chopped

5 Cloves Garlic, smashed to a paste with course salt

Salt and Pepper

1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

2 Tsp Thyme

1/4 c Fresh Parsley, finely chopped

2 Large Eggs, beaten

2 Lbs. Ground Turkey

1 c milk

1 c Panko (Japanese) Bread Crumbs

1 c Ketchup

1/4 c + 2 Tb Balsamic Vinegar

Preheat oven to 425F.

Heat oil in a large pan over high heat. Add peppers, carrots, garlic paste, half of the red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, thyme and parsley. Add turkey, Panko, half of the ketchup,milk, 2 Tb balsamic vinegar, and the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until combined.

Mold 2 loafs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Whisk together the remaining ketchup, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Pour mixture over the two loafs, separating evenly. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Let meatloaf sit for 10 minutes before cutting into it.

Taking the Wheel

Pizza is the meal that is most definitely the strongest player in our rotation of dinners. I would say we as a family have pizza on average once a week.

My husband craves it every Sunday. Quinn asks for it every single day. I have to say that I don't really complain about this.

When we lived in New Jersey, we loved the NY-style pizza. Thin crust, large slices that needed to be folded in half, loaded with crushed read pepper.

In Chicago, we loved the heart-attack inducing Chicago-style stuffed pizza. 3 inches of cheesy goodness. One piece and I was full.

When I was in college, I couldn't get enough of Papa John's pizza with garlic "butter" dipping sauce. Oh yes. No leftover crusts on this pizza. It was like two meals in one.

I remember walking into Papa John's one time to pick up my meal. I saw them making a batch of their sauce-less pizza. They were spreading TONS of garlic "butter" sauce all over the dough. This was even before they spread a pound of cheese on it. Holy cow. I had no idea. It would explain the excessive weight gain I had in college...at least some of it anyway. Yeah, lets just say I surpassed the average "freshman fifteen" a student gains.

Now we are back in Cincinnati, and I have to say that my favorite pizza to eat is my own. I made a pact with myself that I would make home made pizza more often than ordering out. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. But at least I try.
Making your own pizza dough is such an easy task. It takes little effort, and tastes fantastic. In the end, you know exactly what your meal is made of. You have complete control of how much sauce, how much cheese, and what type of topping you like on it.



Mushroom and Onion Pizza

DOUGH
adapted from the Cooking Light Cookbook
1 package dry yeast
3/4 warm water, divided
2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
2 Tb low-fat milk
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1 Tb olive oil
1 Tb cornmeal

Pizza Toppings
1 c canned crushed tomato
8 leaves fresh basil, chopped
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 1/2 c sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 tsp kosher salt
tsp pepper
2 c mozzarella cheese




Dissolve yeast in 1/4 c warm water in a large bowl; let stand 20 minutes. Add 2 cups flour, 1/2 c warm water, milk, olive oil, and salt. Mix well.
Turn dough out on a floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes, until smooth. While kneading, add remaining flour 1 Tb at a time when needed to keep dough from getting sticky.
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray. Spray a bit on top part of dough as well.
Cover and let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes, until dough had doubled in size.
Punch dough down once in the middle; cover and let rest 5 more minutes.

Preheat Oven to 500F.

Roll out dough in a rectangle, to fit a cookie sheet. Place dough on a cookie sheet lightly floured with cornmeal.

In a medium bowl, mix tomato, oregano, basil, rosemary and red pepper. Spread mixture on bottom layer of pizza. Top pizza dough with remaining ingredients, spreading evenly. Place in oven and bake for 8 minutes, or until golden brown.

Easy As Pie

Some people have asked me how I find time to do a recipe blog. I tell them it really takes me no time at all. I am cooking for the family anyway, so I just take that opportunity to be creative.
I have to say that it does frustrate the great husband sometimes. I will prepare his plate, but he can't touch it until I have made the food pose and go the just the right shot. This usually takes me a few minutes, so he ends up having a cooled off meal. I say this is a small price to pay for a happy wife.
I take time to write when Quinn is sleeping or watching her favorite show. The longest part of the process is writing down the recipe. The most difficult part of keeping this blog is remaining creative.
There will be times I have posts written, but no recipe because I haven't been inspired by any foods. This usually happens in the winter.
Then there are times when I have recipes stacked up, but I cannot think of a single thing to write about. Yes, I could possible just post the recipe but I think that people visit food blogs for various reasons. Some like the pictures, some like the recipes, and some like the stories. This reason along makes it important to contain all of the components in every post.
I also save time because I seem to never proofread my post before I publish it. But if you are a regular reader, you probably have already picked that up. I spell check, that is about it. And let's be honest, I don't do it to save time. It is an important step that I have never made habit of. I never it did it in school either. At least I am not getting graded anymore.

Here is a recipe that is quick and easy. A fantastic way to impress your company when they stay over.

Goat Cheese and Vegetable Quiche

1 pie crust in a pie pan
3 sweet peppers, sliced
1/2 c sliced mushrooms
5 stalks of asparagus, chopped
1/4 c of goat cheese
3 medium shallots, sliced
3 eggs
1 c milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375F. Place all of the vegetables in the pie crust. Crumble goat cheese over vegetables.
In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper.
Pour egg mixture into pie shell.
Place in oven for 35 minutes or until fully cooked. You can check this by shaking the tin. If the middle is still giggly, then it is not done yet.

Welcome, Baby!

My dear friend just gave birth to her baby girl just a few hours ago. This is her first child. She ended up going into labor a week after her due date. This did not make her happy, to say the least.
Her sister had been induced two weeks early for both of her children, so her mind had convinced her that she would somehow go early as well. Then her due date came and went. I called her a couple of times that week. She was crabby. I decided texting might be better. Still crabby. In the end, I sent her an email just saying that I was thinking of her.
I don't think she was doing anything wrong by being frustrated. I remember that time. I went past my due date too. I thought Quinn was never going to show up. Ever.

I was tired, swollen, my joints hurt, I was emotional. I was a pure joy to be around. For a week I went to bed thinking I might be in the early stages of labor. I thought every night would be the night, then I would wake up the next morning with no signs of baby coming.

Finally, 5 days after my due date, I woke up and took a 2 mile walk and cried. It was chilly and windy. Tears were streaming into my ears. I wasn't sure if I was ready to have the baby yet, but I sure was ready to not be pregnant anymore.

I got home, talked to my mother-in-law, who "I know, Erin. You are just saying to yourself, 'Get this fucking baby out of me!" It made me laugh. It was one of the only times I had heard her drop the F-bomb, and she saved the occasion for me. And she was right.

As with every day for the previous days, I had some pains. This time though, they just never went away. I called my husband at 9:00. "I think this is it. You need to come home." He came home and told me that I had to eat. It was going to be a long day and I needed energy.

We went to Jimmy Johns and I watched him eat his sub. I was way too excited to eat. This was a mistake, because I truly did not realize at the time how long our day would be.

The labor hurt a bit, but it wasn't killing me. "This isn't so bad. I'll totally be able to go natural." Ten hours later, I had completely changed my mind. My midwife had told me I wasn't allowed to come to the hospital until my contractions were 5 minutes apart. They weren't getting there, but they were by far the most pain I have ever felt in my entire life. By 11:00 pm I was throwing up with every other contraction.

"Screw the rule. Tell her they are 5 minutes apart so we can come in." My husband begged the midwife to let us come in to get some pain relief. We hopped in the car and drove to the hospital. I remember throwing up into my bag, and looking over at the car next to us at the stoplight thinking, "This woman probably thinks I am wasted."

We arrived at the hospital. I was checked out by the midwife. "You are only 1 cm dialated. You could probably go home for a while." I started to cry. Then I puked again. I pleaded with them to give me drugs. I had changed my mind about the natural birth. Seriously-changed-my- mind.

They reluctantly brought me upstairs. By this time, my mom, sisters, and mother-in-law were all in the waiting room. They gave me the drugs. I waited to feel better. I didn't feel as much pain, but I continued to throw up. I was delirious and weak at this point. Whoever said this was a beautiful experience?

Finally, at 7:00 am I was ready to push. This part is all a little blurry to me. I remember throwing up while I was pushing. Then I could hear my sister gagging. I wanted this to be a cool experience for her, but I think it was all just too much for her at this point. I was feeling the same way.

I pushed. And pushed. And pushed. The midwife had to step aside and let the doctor come in. By this time, there were about 6 health care professionals in the room down at my feet. That would make a total of 10 I was totally exposed to.

"Forceps," they said. One doctor pulled. No luck. Another doctor stepped in and pulled. I could not believe that this baby's head was not going to pop off with all of this pulling. My sister said the doctors were literally bracing their legs and pulling so hard their arms were shaking.

Then the baby arrived.

It was a girl.

I was crying. My husband was crying. After a few minutes, Quinn was crying too.

She had a full head of hair. She was so tiny. So precious. So beautiful. All of the pain and work disappeared from my mind. She was here. She was ours.

So to my friend who had her baby last night, I hope it was beautiful. I can't wait to meet your daughter. I can't wait to see you as a mother. This will be the ride of your life.

Here is an easy recipe to make when you are exhausted. It is one of my favorites. M, I know you don't like onions, so you can leave them out.

Southwest Salad with Chicken

Basically I just throw the following things on some greens:
grilled chicken

black beans

corn kernals

jalepenos, sliced

cilantro. chopped

red onions, thinly sliced

I mix some salsa and sour cream (or salsa and ranch if you are feeling crazy) and drizzle it over the salad.

A Head for Bread

I drove to Chillicothe, Ohio yesterday to cook lunch for a day of wellness for women. The day, hosted by my mother-in-law and a chiropractic center was focused on how to balance out one's mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical health.

With examples in guided meditation, chiropractic services, acupuncture, and massage, it was truly a day of relaxation for these women. There was also a section on nutrition. A lot of what the presenter spoke about was quite shocking, like how much sugar was in many of the things we eat. I have to say though, this man does not believe in eating bread.

*sound of crickets chirping*

Really? No bread? I am sorry, but I think this man must lead a very, very sad life if he doesn't eat bread.
Now, everyone is entitled to their opinions and theories. So I will let him have his. But by Golly if he is going to tell me that bread is bad for me. People have been making their forms of bread since the beginning of man kind. I have to say that I disagree. This girl will never go breadless. Never.

With that said, I was told to bring a breadless meal for this lunch. But in real life, I think this recipe is fantastic served with a crusty bread on the side to dip it into.

Chicken Chili with Kale

2 Tb olive oil

1 large onion, finely shopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

3 large carrots, chopped

1 bunch of kale, stemmed and finely chopped

2 cups great northern beans

1 lb chicken, cooked and chopped

5 c chicken broth

sea salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat olive oil of medium heat.

Add onions and garlic, saute until translucent.

Add celery and carrots.

Continue to saute for an additional 3 minutes.

Add kale and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Add beans, chicken and broth.

Cook on low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until carrots are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add Me As Your Friend

I have what they call an "addictive personality." I have a laundry list of things I could say I am addicted to. Coffee, crusty bread, my email, The Real Housewives of the OC, New York, and Atlanta, Mad Men, and jazzercise. Those are just a few of my standing addictions.
I am proud to say that I have a fresh new addiction to add to my list: Facebook.
Yes, I am 33 years old and I am on Facebook. I worried about that for a second, until I saw that 300 + people I knew my age and older were on it as well. They too admit that they are now addicts.
Facebook is really quite amazing. A reunion on your computer, if you will. I have found people I haven't seen in many years. I now can see pictures of their family, know where they work, and see what their current interests are. It is all a little stalker-ish, but just adds to the addiction.
Some one's name from my past pops into my head and most likely I can find them on Facebook. If I can't today, I will wait a couple of weeks. Everyone eventually joins. An example of this would be when I had a memory of first grade. I lived in Connecticut then. I remember 2 people from my first grade class; my teacher and the girl who sat next to me. I went to that school for only one year then we moved to Chicago, so my memories are not very vivid. I thought I would give it the old Facebook try anyhow. I typed her name it. Pop! There she was, 27 year later. I wrote her a note telling her I remembered her. She got picked to be in the musical. Her mom owned a candy shop. These are the things that were stuck in my head.
No response.
I felt like a total stalker at this point. I never should have written. I just thought it would be fun to reconnect with the way, way past. She was probably calling the cops.
Then all of the sudden a note appeared in my Facebook inbox. It was her. I am pretty sure she didn't remember me from what she wrote, but it was a super nice note anyhow.
Nothing is sacred on Facebook. If you post it, it is out there for the world to see. The bad thing is that if someone else posts it, it is still out there for the world to see. My biggest fear is that someone is going to have a bad picture of my childhood that will show up. So far so good.
I appreciate Facebook. No, I love Facebook.
My name is Erin, and I am Addicted to Facebook. I have no shame about it...except that it leaves me less time in the day.
Oh well.
Here is a quick meal that will leaves me more time to stalk the people of my past:

Healthier Reuben Sandwich
serves 4

4 slices rye bread
1/2 lb of shaved turkey
1 c sauerkraut
2 slices low fat/low sodium Swiss cheese
4 Tb Dijon mustard

Spray a medium skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add turkey and cook by constantly moving it around until it begins to brown. Add sauerkraut and continue to cook for 4 additional minutes.
Put turkey and sauerkraut in a pile and divide it into two. Turn heat to low. Place a slice of Swiss on each pile and let it sit until melted.
Spread 1 Tb of mustard on each slice of bread. Place each turkey/kraut mixture on a slice of bread and top with another slice of bread.

Stylin'

I grew up in a single parent household. As a mother now, I sit in wonder how my mom raised four children on her own without killing one of us. I have to imagine that my worst days with Quinn are probably just a quarter of her worst with us as young children.



My mom started working outside of the home when I was in grade school. She started early, so we were responsible for getting out the door and getting to school on our own. We were quite capable of this, so it wasn't a big deal. It as lo gave me the liberty to choose my own clothes to wear each day. And boy did I take liberties in doing that.





I look back at some of the outfits I wore and want to crawl in a hole. I guess you could say that I was exploring my fashion personality. One day I would wear a poodle skirt with rain boots, the next day I would dress in my mom's work clothes going as far as wearing her glasses. One day I was punk, the next prep. I was Madonna, I was Debbie Gibson. I wanted to try it all. The only problem was that I never ironed my clothes. So I could imagine that my fashion identity was totally and completely lost among the mass of wrinkles I had going on. My mom even got a call one day from her sister saying that she saw me walking down the street looking like a total "rag-a-muffin."




My poor mom was most definitely mortified worrying that every adult thought she sent her daughter to school dressed like that. Thanks, Mom, for letting me have my own sense of style. Now as Karma would have it, my daughter has discovered her own sense of style.

She wanted to go to school in this.

Then she decided on this...ya' know, to cover up a little.












































We compromised on this outfit. Too cool for school.














I have no segue to my recipe. So here it is:



Asian Salmon Burgers



1 lb skinless salmon fillet, chopped into very small pieces.

1 Tb lemon juice

1 Tb sesame oil

2 Tb Wasabi Paste

3 Tb mayonnaise

1 Tb sesame seeds

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 c Panko breadcrumbs

1 Tb butter

1 avocado



In a medium bowl, combine first 8 ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Mix breadcrumbs into salmon mixture.

Form 4 patties, about 1 inch thick each. Melt butter in a heavy skillet. Cook salmon patties until nicely browned and crusty. About 3 minutes per side.



Serve over mixed greens. Top with sliced avacado.

Dancing Queen

Last summer my friend Jenny mentioned that she goes to Jazzercise classes. I giggled to myself, picturing people dressed up in leotards, wearing braided headbands and legwarmers dancing to Let's Get Physical by Olivia Newton John. Last time I heard about Jazzercise was probably sometime in the 80's, so it the thought of it was stuck in that decade as well.

Later that month, my cousin Kelly mentioned to my that she did some babysitting at the local Jazzercise center. Childcare peaked my interest. I had to check it out. I had heard it is much more like dance than aerobics. This might actually be a match for me.

I mean, I aspired to be on Soul Train when I was younger. I was convinced I had to go to a school like where the kids in FAME went to. I LOVED to dance. Ask any close friend of mine what happens at a wedding when the song Footloose comes on. The people at the wedding inevitably form a circle around me while I break it down like Kevin Bacon. I am pretty sure they are laughing at me, but I like to imagine they are moved by my incredible knowledge of 80's dance moves.

With all of this in mind I was still a bit apprehensive of trying Jazzercise out, but I had to go once and see for myself.

I walked in and they greeted me like they had known me for years. No one was in a leotard and legwarmers, so I must have looked pretty darn silly. But they were nice to me anyway. The music started and I was able to keep up okay. I only bumped into people a few times. Then people started cat calling. Whoo HOO! They would scream. I mean really, are they that excited to be exercising? It made me uncomfortable.

The instructor started talking about how beautiful we all were and how happy she was that we were there. I didn't even know what to do with that information, so I just looked down...and slammed into the poor woman dancing next to me. I am pretty the people in charge were going to ask me not to come again because I was injuring everyone around me. But they didn't.

Now it is 7 months later and I am hooked. I drank the Kool Aid and became a tried and true lover of Jazzercise. I now go to get my daily dose of motivational speaking while I dance away to a huge array of music, new and old. And yes, I even make the cat calls.

With this healthy choice I am happy. I have yet to change the way I eat, but we all need to take baby steps towards our goals, right? This recipe is a baby step towards lighter eating.

Cranberry-Oatmeal Bars

from November 2008 Cooking Light

Crust:
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons orange juice
Cooking spray
Filling:
1 1/3 cups dried cranberries
3/4 cup sour cream ( I used light)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. To prepare crust, weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle butter and juice over flour mixture, stirring until moistened (mixture will be crumbly). Reserve 1/2 cup oat mixture. Press remaining oat mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. To prepare filling, combine cranberries, sour cream, granulated sugar, and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well. Spread cranberry mixture over prepared crust; sprinkle reserved oat mixture evenly over filling. Bake at 325° for 40 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Snow Day!

Growing up in the Chicago area we were used to bad winter weather. We never got off of school. Never. All of our schools were in walking distance, there were no hills, and the Public Works had the streets cleaned up with the first mention of snow. There was really no excuse not to show up.

I live in Cincinnati now and things are drastically different. The weather people LOVE to talk about the winter weather. Yesterday was the start of a winter storm here in Cincy. It is the talk of the town. No Today Show because the four hours of local news took over the airwaves to talk about how it is still snowing! My sister was shaking without her daily dose of Matt and Meredith...and of course she can't go a day without seeing her love, Willard Scott.

I have to admit, this is a bad one. Snow, then rain, then freezing rain, then hail, and now more snow. My husband is out of town this week, so I came up to my Mom's house on Monday. I have been stuck here ever since.

I guess "stuck" is not the appropriate word. I am lucky enough to have people to talk to during this inclement weather. I can just imagine that if Quinn and I were stuck in the house for three days alone, it might be a bit like the movie "The Shining." No death or killing, but a bit of madness. Maybe some ghost twins taunting me down the hallway. Who knows?

So here we are in Loveland, Ohio. It is really quite beautiful. The snowflakes are huge, there are icicles hanging from every branch every tree. It is like an Ansel Adams photo taken in suburbia.

I am still in my pajamas, my daughter is watching the Muppets Take Manhattan, and my mom is doing her puzzles. The weather may be a pain, but I really have to be thankful for a lazy snow day.

My mom made one of our favorite winter meals for us yesterday. A recipe given to her by a good friend in our old neighborhood. Perfect meal for a snow day!

Mrs. Martin's Mac & Cheese

1 lb box of medium shells
2 8 oz wedges of Asiago cheese
8 Tb Butter
2 Tb finely minced onion
4 Tb Flour
4 c whole milk

1 1/2 c Italian breadcrumbs
1 tsp Pepper

Cook shells according to package directions.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Shred Asiago Cheese.

In a medium sauce pan, melt 4 Tb butter and saute onions.

Make a roux by adding flour and stirring until smooth. Add milk and stir until roux is liquid is smooth and thick. Season with pepper.

Spray a 9" x 13" pan with cooking spray.

Pour a 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the pan and spread out evenly.

Layer half of the noodles on the liquid.

Sprinkle half of the cheese over the noodles.

Layer the remainder of ingredients in the same order.

In a medium bowl, melt 4 Tb of butter in the microwave. Add the breadcrumbs and stir until they are moist with the butter. Place breadcrumbs on the top layer of the mac and cheese and spread out evenly.

Cook for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.