Thanks Kim

About a week ago my dear friend Kim made a delicious meal that I really enjoy making, Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic.

I think she first introduced it to me last year and when I tried it I knew I loved it. I never felt that it was a difficult recipe and even today I did not feel this way.

I have sort of been MIA a bit lately. The new school year has kicked my booty. Just adjusting to a new situation and staffing has been quite a challenge for me.

So, I am starting to get myself back in the groove. The cooking and baking, the things I want to do and I am not.

I took on the big task of a carnival but I should not have taken it on. It really is too much but I can never say no. The only benefit is that it will be over this weekend and then I can go back to working on myself and my family.

So, this evening I made this fabulous dish. AND I finally took pictures of me cooking along the way (the picture taking is something I want to do better).

Sauteed chicken

The garlic smelled so good (not sure if there are exactly 40 cloves in there)

The final product with all the yummy sauce

I chose to put it over egg noodles to save the time with what the children will eat and I really was not in the mood to make roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Actually that is hubby's signature dish and he was busy using the wet vac on our flooded basement. It was a very good dinner and I am so glad Kim brought it back into my memory.

Enjoy!

Zizette

Bad Mommy Award or Just Evil Mommy?

I think that is what I am in the running for today.

You see I have told my children a little white lie.

Actually I didn't lie, it was an omission, or rather an assumption by them (see I am putting it off on the little lads - bad mommy, huh?)

I decided that my little children needed some variety in their diet.

They love the same foods all the time. I try to have some diversity but they are who they are and I guess it is mostly my fault so now I have to work hard at getting them to eat new foods. The thing is there was a time when my pickiest eater son, did eat any and all foods his nanny, Julie gave him and then one day something changed.

So, tonight I did a trick from the past.

I have done it before but one day got caught so I have not dared to do it again,

until

TODAY

I was shopping and bought Boneless Pork Loin Chops.

You know, the thin ones that you can totally pass off as chicken, specifically Chicken Cutlets?

I did it.

I made the pork cutlets and the kiddies thought they were chicken cutlets. I never said chicken, I just said cutlets. Sam even asked to have his with cheese on top - like his chicken - "No problem" says his evil, I mean Wonderful mommy.

Can you believe they ate EVERY.SINGLE.MORSEL?

They had a fabulous dinner, Pork with Cous Cous and Green beans (fresh from the Farmers Market - more on that later).

Oh yeah, my other time. In the past I have passed off fresh fish fried as a cutlet and the kids have loved it as well, until one day I bought frozen flounder from a favorite place. It was not good, too salty or something off but I did not know until Sam tells me after one bite, "this is the WORST chicken you have ever made MOM!" I said, "No it's not, it's the worst fish I have ever made!" He could not believe I tricked them. For a while he wouldn't eat my chicken and he loves my chicken. So, I had to wait until the memory was out of his head. Today it was. My husband asked if he should tell the kids about the pork, I told him "NO WAY."

So, am I really that bad since I did something good? I am happy they liked it and it gives me more to give them.

Zizette

Good Day

Another good week. I lost 1.2 lbs!!!

I know it seems small but every little pound or even ounce is a triumph.

I stuck to it and it paid off.

Thank you for all of the kind words from my wonderful friends and supporters.

Zizette

Fasting = Feast

I am fasting today as part of my religion. While this may be my least favorite holiday obligation it is sort of my favorite holiday.

I love the "Break Fast" food.

All my faves bagels, cream cheese, lox, whitefish oh the list goes on and we traditionally break it first by having an nice Bloody Mary. That's the way we roll in my house.

Years ago I made an egg salad. No biggie but it has now become a MUST HAVE at our table. I know I am making it but a few nights ago, late by my standards (9:30) my step mother calls and says, "you are making egg salad, right? Hugh and Jeannette are coming over and you know how they love your egg salad." To which I replied, "absolutely, how could I not?"

So, this am while I am fasting I will make the egg salad.

Zee's Fab.U.Lous Egg Salad (at least to my peeps it is)

1 dozen Large Eggs

2 1/2 Tablespoons Mayo (more or less to your liking)

2 Tablespoons finely chopped Capers

1 Tablespoons finely chopped Shallot

1 Squirt of Dijon Mustard (again more or less to your liking)

2 Teaspoons finely chopped Tarragon

Place eggs in pot with 1 inch of water covering, once water is boiling cover for 1 minute then turn off water and let covered pot sit for 15 minutes. Prep other ingredients. Remove eggs from water and put into ice water bowl to cool. Peel and cut eggs, separating whites and yolks. Chop whites. Mash egg yolks and mayo. Combine all ingredients. Serve on top of a salad or your favorite bread.

Bon Appetit!

Falling off the Wagon

Ok, I am ashamed.

So much so I have not even logged onto Weight Watchers, like the computer is going to berate me.

What is wrong with me?

I really don't know. I mean, I had a few cocktails over the summer and all that BBQ, somewhere I fell off the wagon and I was doing so good.

SO, school started last week and I said to myself, it's time to pick your self up and do it.

So I did. I weighed myself and put it into the computer (made myself accountable).

I stuck to my eating plan.

And, you know what? I Lost weight.

YAY! I lost 2.5 lbs!

So here I am, being accountable to you my friends from now on.

BTW the being accountable for last weeks weight, yeah, I did it after I lost the weight this week. I am sorry but I needed to show a loss to myself to get me going. I know Pitiful. But I lost and now I am am sticking to it.

So, every week I will report back to you, here.

Here's to a good week.

Lots of Love.

Zizette

Old Fashioned Fun

Before the New Year celebration was the Labor Day Weekend at the lake.

As always we went to the Goshen Fair.

We love it so much and have gone I would say, for the past 8 years.

It is so cool to see the tractor pulls (I don't get it but we watch it), the sheep, the goats, all the livestock, the rides, the food and oh so much more.

My sisters in laws (is that right?) took the kiddies, sans men, to the fair. The kids ranged from 3 1/2 to 14. LOTS 'O FUN!

My youngest nephew with my niece vs the two boys

Check it out.

What's a fair without a snow cone and cotton candy?

Never too old for the carousel

Ahh, the 3 amigos

They couldn't get over the pigs fighting to eat and the momma not moving.

It was a great time by all and we can't wait for next year to continue our tradition!

Have a Sweet New Year

Today is the New Year in my religion.

Last night we had dinner at my sister in law Emily's house (the foodie remember?).

She made the traditional foods, we all do.

But I offered to do tonight's meal. No one from hubby's family is coming as we all gathered last night, my other brother in law and his family are going to the other side of their family and my in laws live further away and we saw them last night.

So, this evening is for my family. My dad always cooks and I said I would do it. I want to give my children the tradition of their mom cooking as well.

On the menu for this evening is:

Brisket (only my 3rd time making it and I think it rocks - this time I went with a little different than all the recipes out there and I think it tastes great)

Noodle Kugel (my sister in law made one last night that absolutely rocked but my boy said it was too sweet - I should document that comment) I did a little different of a recipe and he can't stop from eating it.

Roasted Red Bliss potatoes

Roasted Asparagus

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Fruit platter

Traditional Challah (I did not bake it)

I will share all my recipes with you. Last night I also made a chocolate chip cake that hubby forgot to take out of the pan after 10 minutes (I had to get to bed it was the night before the first day of school) and he forgot until 5 hours later and it got a little broken. A little creative plating and it looked fabulous AND tasted FAB.U.LOUS!

Brisket

3-4 lb brisket

1 jar of chili sauce

1 packet of onion soup mix

1 medium/large onion

Slice onion into rings and put on bottom of pan. Mix chili sauce and onion soup mix and cover brisket completely in pan. Let sit overnight (you don't have to you can cook right away but it worked for me). Add water to pan, covering onions. Cook brisket at 300 (basically cook 1 hour per pound) until tender (160 degrees). Cool, then slice and put back into sauce, cover and put in refrigerator. It is best if it sits sliced in juices/sauce overnight (more important than sitting in marinade). Warm up at 350 and serve.

Noodle Kugel

1 (16 oz) pkg. med egg noodles

8 eggs

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 pt. sour cream

1/2 lb cream cheese

1 lb. cottage cheese

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 lb. butter (melted)

pinch of salt

Cook noodles as directed on package. Beat eggs, combine eggs, sour cream, sugar, cottage cheese, cream cheese, vanilla and melted butter. Beat again. Combine noodles. Put noodles in a greased oblong baking dish. Bake for an hour at 350 degrees.

Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes

2 lbs. Red Bliss potatoes

6 cloves Garlic

Salt

Pepper

Paprika

Olive Oil

Slice potatoes in half. Put in a roasting pan (can be an aluminum one - easy clean up) , cover with Olive oil, salt, pepper and Paprika. Chop up the garlic (we like bigger rough cuts as they are real tasty when eaten) and add to the pan. Toss all the ingredients together. Bake at 350 for about an hour or until tender. We like them crispier so I may do it at a higher temp for an extra 10-15 mins. Every 20 minutes or so I give the potatoes a good mix.

For my asparagus I just oil, salt and pepper them on a roasting pan until tender then serve with Fresh Grated Parm/Reggiano cheese. Yum-O!

My dad was so nice to bring over some Spanish Wine (he has a fabulous wine cellar in his house).

We had a fabulous dinner.

Last Days of Summer

Wow, has this summer flown by?

It was a great summer filled with camp, friends, family and fun times.

The kids had a a great time at camp.

We all had great times at the lake, swimming at Papi's and going to the beach.

There were some birthdays, visiting grandparents and even a fair or two.

I love the beach and next year have to go much more.

BUT

I love fall.

I love the leaves changing, the food cooking in my home, the apple and pumpkin picking. I love how the weather gets to be just right - warm during the day but a little cool at night.

So even though I love the summer, I look forward to the fall.

Zizette

Lake Time

I am getting in some last minute time at the lake.

The kids and I are going up for two days, then coming back so I can see my new classroom and then heading back up on the weekend with the hubs for the weekend.

I still have so much to do but I will do it on Friday, somehow.

Here's a little peek into where we will be

A view of the lake from the pool

Maybe I will get some alone time in the pool

Pool Table / Grandpa's office

Dining room where we gather for big meals (during the cold seasons)

Breakfast room with mural of the houses on the lake (way back when)

We are very fortunate to have a beautiful place like this to go. My in laws have expanded the home to fit the expanding families as their children got married and had kids.

My children love it here and as a child I had a lake house to go to and hang out with my cousins (who were like siblings because at the time I was an only child). I am happy that my children also get to have close relationships with their grandparents and cousins. (My parents live just 3 blocks away and the lake is only and hour and a half away).

I will hopefully get more pictures today and post them, my mother in law has a kitchen I would die for.

Have a great day my friends.

Zizette