Accidental Clams & Chard

Happy Almost-Spring!!

Chirp.

and....

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!

I like to think that spring is right around the corner, and then I look at our forecast of SNOW for tomorrow.  There are worse things in the world, but I am REALLY looking forward to St. Patty's Day.  Tomorrow (or Tuesday) I get to keep up the tradition of the Irish Jig Competition, started by my fabulous predecessor, and I am so excited to experience my first one.  Even if we have snow, it will happen on Tuesday, or it will happen with our delay, but I am so sick of this snow! I JUST WANT SPRING... this is coming from the girl who complains in July that she wants Fall & snow.. I guess this is karma?

So last night, Kyle and I decided to have a romantic dinner night - which usually means we are going to eat some fatty pasta & seafood.  And guess what? We did!  I made this fabulous, fabulous pasta from The Pioneer Woman (love her).  It included sautéing searing shrimp & scallops, then cooking diced tomatoes in the same skillet.  Meanwhile only 1/2 cooking the pasta.  Then put the pasta on top of aluminum foil in a large baking dish, dump the tomato "sauce" on top, add all the seafood, fold up the aluminum foil and BAKE.  Finish off with some warm cream & basil.  It was probably the most amazing seafood pasta recipe I've made. Normally Kyle & I die for Alfredo - but this one stole my heart last night.  I highly recommend!

beautiful!

Here, let me pass this through the computer.

Well, just having this pasta was simply not enough.  A few weeks ago a super-friendly Wegmans employee was helping us with seafood and started to divulge into his familys rich-Italian heritage and how they all loved cooking together.  He started talking about making clams, and how tomato sauce vs. alfredo sauce enhances the seafood flavor much more.  I tried to remember everything he said, and created my Accidental Coupe Clams!  They were delicious. I can't take full credit for this recipe - because it was you, Mr. Wegmans-Employee that truly inspired this!

What you need:
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes
Clams (we used 3/4 lb - you could do 1 lb with this recipe too)
5 'smashed' cloves of garlic
1 cup white wine
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 fresh basil leaves torn apart (fresh really makes the flavor)

How to:
Thoroughly wash and drain all claims.  I like to scrub off their shells a little bit just to eliminate any extra grit.
To a large pot melt the butter & olive oil over medium heat.  Add the 'smashed garlic and simmer for about 30 seconds.  What I mean by smashed is peel the clove & then lay your knife horizontally flat across the garlic, and smash your fist down on top of the side of the knife "smashing" the clove beneath.  I guess this is also considered "crushed" garlic.  This way you are releasing the flavor, but keeping the cloves whole.

Add white wine and let it simmer for about a minute.  Add the red pepper flakes  & diced tomatoes.  Let this simmer for a few minutes until the ingredients have married (hey! I'm getting married too!!!!).

Add the clams & let it simmer until the clams have popped open.  This should only take a few minutes.  Pour everything into a serving dish.  Sprinkle with the basil.  We ate ours with some breadsticks/rolls - that way we could soak up the juice.  I would also recommend serving this on bruschette toasts!

Accidental Clams!

(I don't have the weight watchers points for this.  It shouldn't be too high - if you are worried about points, feel free to use 'light' butter instead of regular butter!  The white wine may also drive the points up.  But hey, we all need a date night!).

Okay so next - Kyle decided to branch out and try some Swiss Chard in his 'juices' this week instead of Kale.

I looked up how to store chard and it was very different than Kale.  Chard should NOT be exposed to water pre-storing (unfortunately wegmans had been spraying them off with the misty water).  So I laid all of the chard out on a towel & patted them dry with a paper towel.  I know I could have let them air-dry, I just wanted them off my counter!

This is vibrant healthy chard! You do not want yellow'd or brown chard.

Next, when they are dry, store them in a plastic bag. (I like to date my containers so I know when it was packaged).

Then squeeze ALL the air that you can out of the bag.  Mine looked kind of vacuum-sealed!  This should keep the chard fresh for approx. 5 days.

Leo was all up in that Chard's business

The website I used said another option is to blanch the chard, then freeze it.  If this method doesn't work this week, I may try to blanch and freeze next week.  Fun!

Also - on the note of fresh herbs - just wanted to say that my Parsley has stayed healthy for about 2 weeks! Some of it did start to yellow, but I was able to go through and 'clean out', and I still have a small mason jar full of beautiful healthy parsley!

Apparently Leo had to see for himself. Go ahead, cat, BURY your face... Great idea.

Enjoy! - Jack =)

Springing Ahead!

One of the best and most horrible days of the year.  It's wonderful to have it be lighter out later in the day, but MAN when you lose that hour, it really feels like you lost a huge chunk of your day.

I am going to keep this quick since my mind is moving a million miles a minute.  This past week I 'stayed the same' only fluctuated by about an ounce or two. I should be happy because we had TWO MORE snow days, and we all know what happens on snow days... we pig out and keep ourselves occupied by eating.  However I am proud that I maintained.  This week it is back to meal planning and healthy eating.

One "tip" if you will, that I really swear by is eating a healthy and full breakfast.  I teach at a primary school, so I am constantly on, all day every day, so having a great breakfast and being ready to go at every second is essential.  I was making refrigerator oatmeals that I have not given up, but this week I decided to try another "Emily Bites" recipe of her Peach, Blueberry & Pecan baked oatmeal.  It's baking right now and smells loverly, so I can't wait to try it!  It is about 6 points per serving.  I'm excited about the idea of pre-portioning them out so that I can grab and go in the am since this week is going to one crazy-blurr of a week.

Another "tip" I emphasized last week, but I'll do it again. Don't be afraid to try reduced fat or fat free.  They really are surprisingly equivalent to their not-so-healthy counterparts, and they really do make a difference in how you feel when you are eating.  I have felt "lighter" just like I did last year when I started WW and using low fat/fat free options, and it's a great feeling. I don't constantly feel "stuffed" but I feel satisfied.

If you haven't already, I highly recommend checking out Emily Bites!  She has a lot of yummy WW friendly recipes.  I am having fun trying out a few of her recipes.

Some other recipes kyle and I are taking on this week are: Chicken & Biscuits casserole (Emily Bites), White Veggie Lasagna (emily bites), some spaghetti squash with marinara and a healthy take on Taco Bowls with Ground Chicken vs. Ground Beef.  I will post about the Taco Bowls sometime next weekend!  Kind of an easy DIY healthy take on tacos. YUM!

One last tip? Be a music teacher, and teach the Irish Jig to your kids. You will get your heart pumping ALL DAY.  I was ready to collapse at the end of the day Friday! Who knew? Healthy cardio while working. Woo hoo!

Love always - Jack =)

Just love him!

A successful 1st week back!

Last Sunday I found myself feeling refreshed and in-control of Weight Watchers, myself and my life. I know that sounds a bit extreme, but it's amazing what getting back into an old healthy habit will do for you!  It probably also was nice that it felt like spring last weekend - now I'm sitting staring outside my window wearing a fleece AND a sweatshirt, thick socks and slippers with little numb fingers staring at the 5 inches of snow that are laying on my grass.  Dear tulips and spring colors - take me to the warm weather.

:sigh:

In the first week & a half I lost approx. 4 lbs.  Now according to the weight I first put in, it says I lost about 7 lbs, but I know the 1st time I weighed myself it was mid-morning, not 1st thing in the morning AND I don't encourage promoting unhealthy weight loss. I know even 4 lbs sounds a bit extreme, but I think it's because of my drastic change in eating. Suddenly I'm eating a ton more veggies & fruits. I'm seeking out non-fat options (which normally I'd ignore, but they're actually worth it!), and our meals were much lighter. I noticed by even Friday, I was modifying what I was eating at restaurants and not stuffing my face like usual. (that's not to say I still won't do that).  So yay for healthy starts! I know I won't be losing 4 lbs a week for the weeks to come, I'm lucky & successful to even lose 1 lb, but I am in it for the long haul, so let's do this!

Stuffed Zucchini

I figured I would share a few of my successful recipes from last week. My new favorite go-to-weight-watchers-friendly-blog is EmilyBites. She's great! She makes yummy meals, and uses simple substitutions like fat free options.  Two of my favorites last week were the Stuffed Zucchini & the Zucchini casserole. Both were extremely satisfying & really delicious.

Zucchini Casserole

I also wanted to share my new go-to sweet satisfy-er.  I know a lot of people that do weight watchers swear by that veggie loaded soup. And honestly a few summers ago when I tried weight watchers, I liked the soup. Last year when I tried it? I wasn't a fan. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm just not a big fan of the veggie soup. So instead my new filling & satisfying go to snack & lunch addition is Natural Unsweetened Applesauce.  ZERO points!  I guess you have to like applesauce, but I like to consider this my little secret to success =).  

Have a great hopefully not-snowy day!! - Jack =)

Keeping those Veggies & Herbs Fresh!

Ever since the New Year, Kyle and I have been into using our "NutriBullet".  It's fabulous - and apparently sits right between juicing & smoothie-making.  The drinks are usually more of a smoothie consistency, but the nutrients are still preserved.  That being said, our grocery bills have sky rocketed because of all of the fresh produce we are buying.  We normally we buy fruits & veggies each week, but now we are buying a ton of spinach and kale, berries, bananas, celery, carrots PLUS anything we need for cooking during the week.

We are still working on trying to reduce the grocery bills, and part of that is preserving the fruits and veggies we buy from week to week to make them last longer and stay fresh.  I never knew how to keep veggies & fruits fresh, honestly. I just either kept it in a cute little bowl, or put it in the fridge & got rid of it when it was time.  Yes I learned the basics from my mom about what stays out of the fridge, when it's ripe, when it's not, but the things I wanted to know are things that not everyone knows.  Like, how do I keep Kale fresh and crisp the entire week, or how do I prevent spinach from wilting.  How do I keep my parsley from getting moldy or stinky after 2 days.

Here's the rule: Fruits & Berries DO NOT wash them until you want to eat them (most people know this, I did not until last year... oops!).  Or buy frozen!  Kyle and I have gotten some great deals on bulk frozen fruits. Yes, I know some of the nutrients get sucked out when they freeze, but hey, fruit is fruit!

Kale & Celery: Remove from the plastic bags and wash in cold water. Let it sit out and air dry for approx a half hour, then shake off excess water. Wrap in dry paper towels & store in the fridge.  Works like a dream!  I separate the celery stalks, and I also trim the stems on the Kale just so it doesn't take up so much room in the fridge.

Spinach, Parsley & Herbs: Do not wash yet.   I use mason jars and fill them halfway up with cold water (doesn't matter what size, usually depends on how much I have).  Trim the stems of the veggie/herb and place them in a bundle into the mason jars & store on the counter.  Then when you need to use them, pluck off what you need & rinse of with cold water.  Not only does this keep the herbs & spinach fresh all week, but it also decorates your countertop!

Cilantro or thyme anyone?

Yes, these ways are a bit more time consuming than just throwing it in the fridge, however I have developed a little routine on Sundays after our grocery run. Kyle is usually out running with his group, and I will take my time, sip my coffee, and take care of the veggies & herbs. There's something therapeutic and refreshing about knowing you're A. saving money and B. using fresh ingredients, and doing what you can to keep those ingredients fresh and yummmy!

Another venture I have been exploring? Taking care of house plants. We came from an apt that was a dark cave most of the day, to a house that has light streaming in everywhere. It's fantastic! But now, my plants are not dying (which this girl knows how to throw out a dying plant), instead they are THRIVING, and this girl? Is definitely in the learning process of taking care of my pretty little house plants.

Since they're blooming, it means winters over, right??

Happy Gloomy Sunday!
Love always - Jack

Feeling Refreshed!

Well, I thought I was back at the end of the summer, guess not! I really am not going to make a big post about how I am re-committing, because I don't want to let myself down. I am, however, going to make an honest effort to post on the blog for myself. Yep, I'm going to be a bit selfish. Ever since getting engaged I have been so caught up in our house, re-doing our closet, my new job, and planning a wedding, that I haven't been focusing on myself and feeling good about myself.  So now is the time I am jumping back on the WW bandwagon, and trying to gain back that motivation I had exactly one year ago. First comes food, then comes the working out.

I found my beautiful dream dress (that ironically looks totally different than anything I imagined myself in) and I want to be a bombshell on my wedding day.  The positive thing is that I already feel beautiful in the dress, what a fabulous experience it was, even though I was terrified at first. But my mom is such a wonderful support, and the boutique, Irini's Originals in Wilmington DE is a wonderful, warm, loving, family shop that makes you feel comfortable and at ease.

All of that being said, I am going to try to start blogging again, for myself. Maybe I'll even throw in a few music ideas I've come up with throughout the year!

I wanted to share a few blogs and recipes that I have been enjoying lately to allow myself to get back into the healthy habits (and kyle has been loving them too):
"Skinnytaste" Blog is fabulous - and she includes all WW points
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/02/slow-cooked-jerk-pork-with-caribbean_19.html
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/10/no-bean-turkey-and-sweet-potato-chili.html (this is an absolute MUST)

"EmilyBites" Blog is also fantastic -
--Last night we made her "Best lasagna ever",
http://www.emilybites.com/2011/02/best-lasagna-ever-really.html
which was fabulous,
and we are making her "Zucchini Casserole" tonight to accompany a steak,
http://www.emilybites.com/2013/07/zucchini-casserole.html
and later this week "Stuffed Zucchini" - She also includes WW points!
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/287597126179202381/
OH YEAH we also may try her "Cheeseburger Soup" That you can find under her "Recipes" tab

http://laughingspatula.com/chicken-avocado-burgers/

Let's do this!

Mom and I ready to go dress shopping!

Summer Cooler

This refreshing drink I got the inspiration from last year on a Pinterest blog of course.  Unfortunately I can't seem to find the original link, but it said something about this speeding up our metabolism.  I honestly don't know if it does, but what I do know is that it encourages me to drink more water because it's refreshing!  Water is great, but sometimes it can get boring. This adds some natural flavor without any preservatives/sugars etc.

Enjoy! & Refresh!

What you need:
-1 Lemon
-1 whole cucumber
-10 mint leaves
-Water
-Pitcher

How To:

-Slice lemon into medium slices, or you can cube, it is honestly personal preference.
-Peel & slice cucumber.
-Leave the mint leaves whole!
-Place all items into a large pitcher.  Mine holds approx. 3L (and is rather large).
-Fill the pitcher up with water.
-Let the drink sit for approx. 2 hours. Enjoy!

-It does not mater how much water you add - I usually fill mine up to the 2Liter mark, and just refill it when it gets down to the 1L mark.

*Serving Suggestion- Take off the cap & let some of the cucumber, mint & lemon fall into the cup.

*A Twist! - add SkinnyGirl Cucumber Vodka in a small glass (I have yet to try it, but I will!).

love always - Jack

ps - tomorrow is the first day of school in the new school! Yay!

I'm back.. I hope

Hi! Long time no chat. I'm not going to try to make excuses for myself, except just say life got in the way (in a good way) and blogging fell to the bottom of my list. As did Weight Watchers and fitness. But I am back, and I plan on sticking to my goals once again. Sitting back and looking at the whole scene, I realized that blogging kept me really motivated. I by no means expect this blog to be as successful as some that I visit, but it is just a really great outlet for me to share recipes, and honestly just keep myself motivated with my weight loss goals.  So, let's pray I'm back for good this time!  Being at the beach, having chats with my cousin, and talk about health and fitness, I feel refreshed and motivated. We all need that once in a while don't we?

Where to start? Last time I blogged was April 28, and in approx. 3 months I have lots of HUGE news.

1. I GOT ENGAGED!  My wonderful, wonderful fiancee proposed to me on May 11, 2013.  In my last post I talked about how we were house hunting, well if you've bought a house you KNOW that buying a ring does not fit into that picture. I was so shocked, to say the least, which is so special to me because I am normally an OCD CONTROL FREAK (anyone that knows me is probably sitting at their computer nodding vigorously).   You can read more about the Proposal in "The Lucky Gal". I figured I would put the story up there so that I can enjoy it over & over!

2. WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! The horrible hunt finally came to an end.  We were blessed with a WONDERFUL realtor, as well as a wonderful lender who we felt were really truly looking out for our best interests. After a million failed attempts at townhomes in our town, we decided to change our search and check out single family homes.  Wouldn't you know we saw this adorable little place that looked like a barn out in a lake community 10 minutes outside of town. We fell in love and knew we had to see it.  The inside was a bit scary (dark dark walls) & the furniture was HUGE for a small space, but we saw the potential.  Wouldn't you know that we found out the seller accepted our offer the night BEFORE we got engaged??  Can we say most overwhelming 24 hours of my life?? It was a short sale, which means it should last a long time, and it lasted 5 days!  Next thing you know, July 3rd rolled up and we were settling for our precious little barn home.  Now please, don't think I'm making this out to be easy. Anybody knows that buying a house is such a rigorous and honestly, terrible process. I was so stressed I could barely eat for 3 days before settlement.  Despite our wonderful assistance, it is still stressful none the less. Am I making the right decision? Are we stupid for doing this? Is it too much? is it too big? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. If Kyle & I survived buying a house, I am confident we will have a successful marriage =).

Icky Walls and Color before (with primer started)

Our adorable kitchen after! 2 coats of primer & 2 coats of paint later!

3. We were at the beach for a whole week and a half!  My bloated self thoroughly enjoyed an adorbs one piece swimsuit I got from target, and we had a great time. First hitting up the awesome Atlantic City for a bachelor/bachelorette party for friends, followed by Fam-Time in Rehoboth!  Nothing beats Rehoboth beach. Clean, beautiful, peaceful.  My inner-old-lady just loves it.

4. I conquered Etown music camp Show Choir for the 4th year in a row. Did I attend? NO, but I have the pleasure of directing their show choir. Now let me make this known, this show choir has a 1 hour rehearsal, 5 days a week. Friday night we perform.  Meaning I have 5 hours to put this show on. My co-director suggested Les Mis for this year, which we were a bit wary about at first, but it turned out fantastic. THe kids never cease to amaze me how hard they work and how talented they are.  It was one of those amazing proud teacher moments, when 46 (yes 46 in a show choir, and PROUD) amazing students, are marching in the epic Les Mis triangle singing "Do you hear the people sing", while the littlest one is waving a red flag in the background. I bawled like a little baby, forget directing, I just cried.  That moment of feeling so utterly proud of your kiddos? priceless. Sorry for the cheese-moment, it's just a great feeling.

They're so awesome =)

5. We picked a venue!!  The beautiful Inn at Leola Village. It's an old Amish farm that was converted to an Inn, and they eventually built reception venues.  Our guest list is HUGE as of right now (close to 200) and we are having the hardest time.  I really have so much more respect for people that plan weddings.  No more comments about "Ugh I can't believe I wasn't invited". 1st of all weddings are expensive. 2nd of all it is so difficult to create a guest list. If I could invite everyone that I enjoy, I'd probably have 300 on my guest list, but like I said weddings are expensive, and that needs to be respected.  I am so honored to have been invited to all of the weddings that I have been able to attend, because I understand the hardships endured so that I can attend (well me and everyone else).  We also found a fantastic-sassy photographer who I just love.  We're working on the DJ & I'll probably check out dresses for the 'maids soon.

A shot of the Reception/Wedding Hall

Oh yeah!  In order to pick our bridal party we did these awesome packages with the theme of "mustaches". My awesome fiancee came up with the idea thanks to Pinterest.  His read "Dude, I mustache you a question" or "Bro, I mustache you a question, will you be my Groomsman?".  In order to respond the boys had to send back a picture of themselves wearing a mustache! SO CUTE.  I sent out little boxes that had cards in them that read "I found my man, but I still need my girls..." They also had to send back pictures of themselves wearing mustaches.  I just love how the whole concept is FUN and cute.  FUN is the theme of our wedding (aside from the rustic chic color scheme I am going with).

I just love it!

Okay, enough for now.  A recipe for some Spaghetti Squash coming later on today!  As well as a blog about the AWESOME eats' down in Rehoboth.

Check out "The Lucky Gal" for the story of our Proposal!

xo - Jack