Sunday, August 31, 2008
My crazy nephew!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Back to school...
Thursday, August 14, 2008
My Favorite (Healthy) Recipes
I use my other pizza dough recipe except I swap half the flour with wheat flour and I use unbleached flour for the remaining white flour. I recommend cutting the flour back to about 2 1/2 cups though because the wheat flour seems to absorb the water more which can make the dough tough. I also use low fat mozzarella cheese (I like the Weight Watchers brand). The recipe will make 4 pizzas. I cook 2 at a time and refrigerate the second pizza and the remaining dough (I have gone up to 2 nights with the extra dough and it tastes fine). I would also recommend reheating the extra pizza in the oven...not in the microwave.
Strawberry-Banana Smoothie:
1 ripe banana
3-5 frozen strawberries (depending on the size)
5 ice cubes
2T orange juice (fresh squeezed or from a carton...doesn't matter)
1T fat-free milk
1/2t sugar or sweetener for extra taste (optional)
Cool whip to top (optional)
This smoothie is awesome, but this recipe is not exact. I usually just eyeball everything.especially the liquids. Add a little at a time because you can always add more.
Grilled Chicken and Veggies:
Fajita Marinade:
Juice from 1 orange
Juice from 2 limes
1t cumin (I always add more)
1 clove garlic (I usually use a heaping teaspoon of the already diced stuff)
4T olive oil
1t salt
Crushed red peppers (optional)
Marinade chicken or steak (1 recipe=up to 2 lbs meat) for at least 4 hours and cook on the grill. I eat it with grilled zucchini and onion on top of brown rice (see picture), but it doesn't really matter. I got this one from Tyler Florence on foodnetwork.com
Kebab Marinade:
3 cloves garlic
2 t paprika
1/2t turmeric
1t cumin
1t kosher salt
1/2 t fresh ground pepper
1/3 C red wine vinegar
1/2 C olive oil
Marinade chicken or steak for at least 4 hours. Recipe=1 1/2 lbs meat. Again I eat this with grilled onion and zucchini (slice, place on skewers, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper, cook directly on the grill)
Sunday, August 10, 2008
So Joshua Thinks He Can Dance!!!
I am absolutely in love with this show and have been for the past four years. I can say without reservation that this has been the best season thus far. For the first time I thought all of the final four were deserving of the top prize. First there is Courtney, aside from the fact that she was smoking hot she was a great dancer and performer. I am embarrassed to admit this but she made me cry TWICE!! (once on the performance finale and once during the results finale). Call me pathetic, but she just seems so sweet and honest which is something I can appreciate. Katie, Wow! She was a complete turn around for me. When the season started I thought it was unfair that she made it because I thought he friend was way better...I ate my words. She literally did not do a performance I didn't love...ever! Twitch. What can I say? I just want to hang out with that guy. He seems like he would be such a riot! I told Matt that though I felt bad for him last year for not making it, I think that's how it was supposed to happen. Last year he would not have gotten as far as he did this year so for that I am happy. Last but not least, Joshua. AMAZING!!! From the very first dance (No Air) I loved this guy (and so did Matt). I am having a hard time believing that he is "untrained," but who cares? I am so sad this season is over. Fortunately Matt got me the bootlegged DVD's of seasons 1-3 (from ioffer.com) to hold me over until next season. Its so much fun to go back and reminisce. It is crazy how much better the dancers have gotten each season.
Here are some of the high points from this season (I could only think of dances):
The Door with Katie and Twitch
No Air with Katie and Joshua
The one with Katie and Will (pas de deux...i think)
The quirky one with Courtney and Mark
Mia Michaels Gothic wedding with Chelsea Hightower(sp?) and Mark
And here are the lows:
Thayne-I seriously think he has more teeth than the average person
Comfort coming back- I thought she was a riot, but the whole 4-real thing got old and I am sorry she was just not that good (at the other styles)
Jessica-I agreed with the judges...she was holding Will back
That was a fun trip down memory lane. Lets go season 5!!!!
Oh yeah...we got tickets to go to the concert this year :) My sister Courtney and I have been obsessed with the show since season one, but I also got my best friend Meghan and my other sister Danielle hooked this year so we are going to make the hike out to Glendale to watch the top 10 (and Comfort) perform...cant wait!