I was reminiscing yesterday, remembering that very first cooking video I shot in my kitchen. The lighting wasn't great, the sound was a little off, and as I felt the need to explain everything in utmost detail, it was entirely too long.
But people started watching. And since I was featuring “Zucchini Noodles” a fairly new and exciting concept no one seemed to mind the low budget quality or rambling host.
That first video is what started everything...
I love food (obviously). And I have made a happy deal with myself that I can have the pasta, garlic bread (and the brownie too) as long as I workout... but this can be a flawed deal.
I only have so many hours to spend in the gym working off said meal and let's face it, working out sucks. So I made a new deal. I cook healthier dishes during the week and the more indulgent selections are kept for the weekends.
Since being pregnant, I have been on a real fruit kick. I think I- or maybe I should say, the small human being in my tummy is craving sugar. SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR...and water!!
There is nothing like waking up in the middle of the night desperate to slurp water out of the faucet. Isn't pregnancy beautiful?!
So fruit is kind of the perfect food that my body wants right now. Sweet with natural sugars and jam packed with juicy goodness.
And yes, I'll admit, a little better for me than the sour patch kids and gummy worms which have been finding their way into my candy drawer lately.
End Of The Road, Not The End Of A Dream!!
Well let's just get right down to it...I got sent home this week...
I spent the day dreading 9 p.m., knowing the tears I would inevitably have to watch myself cry. But at least everyone would finally know what happened and I could think about what was next.
A couple times a week this happens in my house...
It's 8:30 and my husband comes home only to find me on the computer, blogging, producing, editing, writing (maybe online shopping ;) and he meekly says “What's for dinner?”
You see, at this point in our marriage he is well aware that if he doesn’t walk in to find me rocking to 90's pop with the kitchen in full-on disaster mode than I'm probably not making dinner.
I'm a traditionalist when it comes to my Pesto. I like it just the way an old Italian Grandmother would make it. A few simple, fresh, quality ingredients tossed with some hot pasta and call it a day.
If you start using walnuts or almonds or anything besides pinenuts, I start getting angry. Throw in some parsley with the basil and I might just lose it.
Another Day Another Donut
This week I had the opportunity to spend Sunday night at 9 o'clock with my family watching FNS together. And one of their first questions was..."You really didn't know someone was coming back"
The response? NO!!! The production team can be smooth and we really didn't know that when we got down to 5 people we were quickly about to make it 6 again. They just LOVE to surprise you...
NYC can be a lonely place. You might be surrounded by people but it can be hard to make the city feel like home. In my 12+ years in the city I have carved out my own slice of home in the chaos.
Things like a favorite local restaurant, a bartender that knows your drink and a nail place that doesn’t rush you for taking a million hours to choose a shade are all things that help. But let's face it, there is nothing like family to make a place your home.
I love a good salad, the crunch from the lettuce, the tang from the dressing, and the hidden surprises of things like chewy cranberries and juicy oranges.
The only real problem that I have with salads is that they don't contain carbs.
I know, you're asking yourself why that is so important... Well, guys...
I'm a carboholic...
Please take a minute to vote for me!! Click HERE
Week #7 and down to 6!!!
The vibe has changed slightly. And though I still love all these people and am so happy to have them around during this insane experience- we are all having the realization that we could make it to the end. Suddenly the finish line doesn't look so far away...
Of course, once you have that thought you also realize that some really good people are going to have to go home in order for you to reach that goal. All you can do is hope that it's not you.
RECIPE:
¼ Olive Oil
8 Garlic Cloves - sliced
6-8 Large Tomatoes cut into 1 inch chunks or 3 pints cherry/grape tomatoes
3-4tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
3-4 Tbs Chopped Basil
1lbs Linguine
2 Chicken Breast, split in half, breaded and cooked See Recipe
Heat oil in a pan on medium low and add garlic. Cook till just slightly golden about 3-5minutes and add tomatoes. Let tomatoes cook until tender, 15 -20minutes. Smash tomatoes down with a spoon and add vinegar, basil and salt, cook for another 5-15minutes until you have the consistency you want. Taste to see if it needs more salt. Toss with pasta and serve.
Serves 4-6 portions
Notes:
Kabocha squash is like that quirky but cute guy you have been eyeing at the grocery store but are too afraid to approach. There is something about him that intrigues you and you have a feeling that he's better for you then some of the other handsome junk in the store but...
He seems like too much work to get to know. You wouldn’t even know where to begin. And so you walk away from Mr. Kabocha Squash, never knowing the love affair that could have been.
This week it's all about selling a product that represents yourself and of course it has to be super tasty (by the way, they have totally done this challenge in past seasons.)
I love to make alternatives to tomato sauce, like red pepper sauces, eggplant sauces, and I serve them over pasta or rice or on top of chicken, fish and pork. So I immediately think of bottling one of these sauces for the challange. I want to show people a new way of eating veggies.
JULY 4th LIVE!!
This week was all about working LIVE and we all knew it would be a challenging week.
For me I knew the main thing I had to do is control my excitement and nervous energy. My goals where to think before I talked and most importantly I had to try to not talk a mile a minute (which I can do as easily as breathing.)
I like any sauce with a name that I can’t easily pronounce. Because I'm guaranteed that I will eventually say it to someone else and they will have no idea what I'm talking about and suddenly I will look super smart.
And really my goal in life is to pretend to be smart.
Oh, and make delicious food of course!!
TEAMS!!
As we are opening up our envelopes that tell us what genre we are cooking for I am sitting there thinking "just not Western."
I can fit my POV into a Romance or Musical theme (though I'm not sure what kind of food is musical in nature) but "Meat on the Side" doesn't exactly scream western. Western flavors are more or a Russell thing filled with bacon and smoky meats.
But of course on this show you rarely get the easy route.
When your child is young you feed them pureed vegetables. This food is nutritious and easy to eat.
And then, without warning, it goes down hill...fast!! You start trying to give them whole broccoli instead of the pureed stuff.
This seems logical enough until the tree like foreign object is promptly rejected and dumped on the floor...
And there it sits, under their chair, next to the scary carrot and every horrifying brussel sprout.
But why give up the simple idea of eating pureed vegetables??
Hate the texture of a vegetable? Puree it!
Think veggies are too bitter or bland?? Add other more tasty pureed stuff to them!
Before you know it you’re eating a whole head of broccoli in a single serving...
Or maybe a whole eggplant...
BACK ON TOP!!!!!!
I felt a lot of pressure going into this week. After last week I couldn't make another mistake or I really could be going home.
With this realization on my shoulder I walk into the mentor challenge only to see mystery bags on each of our stations. I don't like mystery bags, oh geeze
People tell you all the time that things are easy.
I usually don't believe these people.
It's like when someone tells you to take a class at the gym and they reassure you that it's easy...
But when you can't walk like a normal human being for a week and sitting down makes you grunt a little, you learn to be skeptical.
Here we go again!
As we pull up to this massive set up with grills, a stage, tables and more chairs than were at my wedding I quickly realize that though the day will be spent in the sun, I will definitely not be relaxing and working on my tan.
My mother-in-law loves lemons.
If I’m trying to get in good with her, all I have to do is whip up a dish that includes a burst of lemon and I’m in the running for Favorite Daughter-in-Law.