Pancetta Grilled Cheese

No other sandwich on Earth reminds me of childhood.  Well, except for maybe a fried bologna sandwich.  But that’s another story.

In fact, if “What was your favorite childhood sandwich?” was a question on Family Feud, grilled cheese would be either number 1 or number 2.  Depends on the number of PB&J fans they polled.

Today, while rifling through my Meat/Cheese drawer to grab things for Jeff’s lunch, I stumbled upon an unopened pack of pancetta.  The sneaking little guy was hiding from me.  Immediately I decided to add some crispy pancetta to my grilled cheese!

Everything is better with bacon, right?
I need a t-shirt that says that.

It’s Crunch Time

I spent a while a few years back as a scrapbooker.  I made two albums and started a couple others before I got bored.  Or uninspired.  Whichever.  With the dawn of the digital scrapbooking age my inspiration returned.

I’ll tell you a little secret:  I’m slightly a perfectionist when it comes to scrapbooking.  That’s probably another reason why I stopped creating.  With digital scrapbooking, however, I can move, add, delete, rearrange, and scrap entire projects without wasting my money.  I love that!

Thanks to Kristina Werner‘s digital scrapbooking videos, I find myself creating little mini projects here and there.  One of those projects was a countdown to our next trip:

You can look at this countdown in two ways.  In one way, there is just a little over a month until our vacation!  In another way…I have 37 days to lose the “insulation” I added to my 5’2″ frame over the last few months.  Aside from the basics (eat right, drink water, exercise) what tips can you guys give me?  I need all the help I can get!

Slow Roasted Beef Enchiladas

Have you ever made a beef roast with no plans for it?  Me neither.  Until now.  The other night, in an effort to have a delicious meal waiting for us when we got home, I made a beef roast in the crock pot.  The verdict?  A bit dry unfortunately.  Luckily, Jeff had a date with his brother, so I was on my own for dinner.  I packed up the beef, stuck it in the fridge, and heated up some fried rice instead.  I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it, but I knew I didn’t want to throw it away.

Tonight, on the way home from my new store (I’m a manager at Walgreens), I had a light bulb moment:  ENCHILADAS!  I stepped on the gas and hurried home.  This meal was super quick to make and I imagine would freeze beautifully!

Slow Roasted Beef Enchiladas

6 oz slow roasted beef, shredded*
1/2 cup salsa
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 small can green chilies (not drained)

4 whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup vegetarian refried beans
1 cup 2% cheddar cheese
1 can green enchilada sauce

Preheat oven to 425º. In a small bowl, mix the beef, corn, green chilies, and salsa.

Spray a 6×9 inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Spread 1/8 cup beans on each of the tortillas.

Spread 1/4 of the mixture on each tortilla and roll up.

Place in the dish, cover with enchilada sauce and cheese, and stick in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and the enchiladas are heated through.

One word sums it up:  DELICIOUS

*I roasted a beef roast in a bottle of Lawry’s Caribbean Jerk marinade mixed with a bottle of water on low for 8 hours in my crock pot.

Run, Run, Run, Run, Runaway Baby

You know when you get a song stuck in your head and you can’t get it out?  I hate that.  Unless, of course, it’s a song I absolutely love!  Thanks to Katie‘s post about new music, I now have “Runaway Baby” by Bruno Mars stuck in my head.  Thanks, Katie…    (Also, I decided to steal borrow her blog post idea about current music additions.  What a generous girl!)

I recently purchased Bruno Mars’s cd Doo Wops & Hooligans and I love love love it!  Every song on there is great.  I originally heard a selection of songs on an episode of “Glee” last year.  (I don’t listen to the radio often at all so I tend to be a little late on new music…)  I was immediately drawn in by the catchy tune and clever lyrics.

After downloading the album, I listened to it three times straight through while cleaning the house.  I noticed a couple of the songs would be great to run to.

I also got a great idea from my friend, Lacy.  I was always asking for new music ideas because I got tired of my playlists so fast.  She recommended making a Running station on Pandora based on several of my favorite artists.  I chose The Black Eyed Peas, Britney, Lady Gaga, Avril, Katy Perry, etc.  It works great, especially since my gym has wifi.  I get new songs all the time and don’t have to search for music that often!

Do you have any favorite songs lately, running or otherwise?

Zumba for Wii

I have had a revelation in the past few weeks…I hate the treadmill.  OK, so hate is a strong word, but when I think of a fun workout, the treadmill does NOT come to mind.  What does, however, is ZUMBA!  Zumba is a fun, dance based cardio workout that uses many Latin forms of dance to get you up and moving.

I first heard about Zumba at a Relay for Life gathering I participated in for work.  I saw a demonstration and thought “Wow!  That’s for me!”  Being as I’m kind of intimidated by group classes, I never went.  (I can be a perfectionist so trying new things ALWAYS scares me because I’m afraid I’ll look stupid…even though no one ever looks perfect on their first try.)

My friend, Carolyn, started doing it at her gym though and said she really liked it.  I went to visit her one weekend and we went to a Zumba class.  I was hooked!  I was still scared to do it at my own gym, though eventually I got over those fears and started going every Tuesday night.

After I got pregnant, Zumba became more challenging for me.  I would constantly be out of breath and my heart rate would hover around 175 the majority of the time, sometimes getting up in the 190s.  It was too much.  To my dismay, I stopped going.  Even after I lost the baby, I didn’t go back.  I’m not really sure why…

Anyhow, I have wanted the Zumba DVDs to have at home for a while so I could get in some form of cardio without having to drag my butt to the gym.  They are $60, which isn’t really a lot, but it was more than I wanted to pay at that time.  Then I saw Zumba for the Wii!  How fun!  I ordered it, Just Dance, and Super Mario Galaxy 2 (gotta have fun, right?) when they were Buy 2 Get 1 Free at Best Buy.  I just received Zumba in the mail last night so this morning I had to try it!

Basically, you put the controller belt around your hips and make it tight enough so it doesn’t slide around during your workout.  Then you choose the program you want to complete, hit start, and dance around like a fool.  I completed two programs this morning and I have some pros and cons.

Cons:
*There is an annoying lady that talks over the music telling you “Keep it up!  You’re doing great!  Great job!” etc.  She doesn’t say anything productive and talks to you even if you aren’t doing anything.  The good news is you can turn her off!
*You never really know if you’re doing anything right because they don’t give you any feedback based on your actual movements.  The good news is Zumba isn’t about doing things “right” but more about moving your body.
*During the cool down (and actually during the workouts themselves) you’re not sure what they are really doing.  You are watching a simulation of a person, not an actual person.  She doesn’t talk to you at all so you just have to follow her moves.  Since she’s a simulation, she’s not 100% crisp and clear.  It wasn’t too hard to follow her, but that’s only because I have done all those cool down moves before.  If I was new to working out, I wouldn’t be 100% sure what she was doing.

Pros:
*The dances are fun and really get your heart rate up.  Mine got up in the 170s at some points!  They incorporate slower paced music and dances with faster ones to really work your heart rate (which is better for burning calories).
*The time FLEW by!  They have a timer on each dance so if you are getting tired, you can look and see “OK, just 2:24 left in this dance!”.
*They have tons of programs to choose from at all different levels.  I like that they have a 20 minute program and a 45 minute program for each level (beginner, intermediate, and expert).
*They have a workout calendar included in the game and it tells you which program you should complete on the given day.

All in all, I really liked this game!  It was a great way to burn some calories without leaving my house!  I am still going to continue to go to the gym for now because I think it is important to incorporate some running and arc trainer, but if I find myself staying at home more often to do my cardio, I might say SEE YA to my gym membership!

Side note:  I got Just Dance in addition to Zumba as another game to use to workout.  I did about four different dances and, while they may be fun, the game will not be used as a cardio replacement.  Some of the dances were better than others, but overall the game just wasn’t what I was looking for.  If you want a dancing game that gets your heart rate up, try Dance Central on the XBOX 360 Kinect.  It is SO FUN!  I’m contemplating getting the Kinect just for this game…

What is your favorite at home workout game/video?

 

Hawaiian Memories

Some of you know, but many of you don’t, that I am lucky enough to be going to Maui for a week in about a month and a half.  Jeff and I decided to get one last luxurious trip in before adding to our family.  If you know me at all you know that I am hardly containing my excitement.  I’m trying, but I’m not doing all that well.  What can I say? 

Jeff and I went to Kauai for our honeymoon in October of 2007.  Kauai was nice, but it wasn’t my favorite island.  It was, though, still Hawaii and who can complain about Hawaii??  I thought I would share some of our favorite pictures and video from our honeymoon.

Hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane!  What has been your most memorable vacation?  What destination is highest on your must see list?

The Empty Plate Phenomenon (Doubledays Restaurant Review)

I have lived in Dayton for six years.  For three of those years, I drove past Doubleday’s Grill and Tavern very often (as much as ten times a week going to and from work).  I always wondered if the food was good, but I would often forget to ask the “locals” what they thought.  One day, my husband’s friend told me he had eaten there for lunch.  When asked how the food was, he responded “fantastic!”  I had to go.

I kept forgetting and kept forgetting and then one day, out of the blue, I remembered!  My husband and I walked in and got a table right away.  The first thing we noticed was the enormity of the restaurant.  It didn’t look like much from the outside, but the inside seemed to go on and on and on.  The second thing we noticed was the enormity of the menu!  It also went on and on!  I remember taking Carolyn here one time only to remember she panics when she has so many choices in front of her.  Not too smart on my part!  (View full menu here.)

They have so much to offer I can’t remember all the things I’ve tried, though I have a couple favorites I have ordered more than once.  If you don’t know this about me, I am a creature of repeat ordering.  I really try not to be, especially in a place like this where you can’t seem to get a bad meal, but if I find something I like, I end up ordering it over and over again.

Tonight was no exception.  I had a craving for a burger with bacon (surprise, surprise) so that’s what I went with.

Jeff, deciding to try something new, ordered the BLT pizza. Doubleday’s has their very own pizza parlor type add on to the restaurant called Monster Pizza.  They have many different types of pizza including “Bride of BLT”, “Italian Werewolf”, and “It Came From Outer Greece”.  Great names, great flavors, what more can you ask for?

There is one stipulation in my book for going to Doubleday’s.  The potato soup, complete with cheese and bacon, must be ordered.

There are two types of potato soup in the world, my friends: the cheese laden version and the creamy, wonderful, melt in your mouth version.  You can guess which one this is.  While there is nothing wrong with the cheesy version, I prefer my potato soup “plain”.  Too much cheese overpowers the wonderful flavors of the potato.

Take this into consideration: I do not eat at restaurants by myself very often.  I will go to Panera and sometimes City BBQ by myself, but never to a restaurant that has servers.  A few days after I sampled this wonderful concoction of potatoes, cream, butter, and other ingredients, I ended up back at the restaurant at 11:30a on a Tuesday, Harry Potter book in hand, to eat alone.  It was the best day ever.  Just me, Harry, and a vat bowl of potato soup.

It’s always a sad feeling when the potato soup bowl runs dry.

The Empty Plate Phenomenon occurs on a very rare basis.  It’s about as common as Hailey’s Comet.  It’s been documented and studied with no scientific conclusions made.  Basically, every time Jeff and I go out to eat, I end up taking home a to go box.  I never, ever finish my entire meal.  I have been like this since I was a little girl.  Every so often, however, I *gasp* finish an entire meal out!

Tonight, I brought my big girl panties to the table.  I ate my entire cup of soup (very filling, mind you) and my entire (8 oz…yes I know it’s not huge) Bacon Cheddar burger.  In record time.  I think from the time the plate hit the table to the time I finished, Jeff had eaten 1.5 pieces of pizza.

The burger wasn’t phenomenal (I would definitely go to Five Guys or Sammy’s if given the choice), but it was still good!  The burger patty itself was just that…a patty.  I believe it was a traditional frozen patty they thawed and threw on a hot grill.  I could be wrong, but that’s how it tasted.  As I said, though, the burger was still quite tasty.  I’m not sure I would order it again, but I had no trouble finishing it tonight.  If you want to get something really tasty, go with the French Dip grinder.  YUM!

As I said, Jeff and I have never had a bad meal here.  Their salads are even good!  Put it this way…I have always wanted to try their dessert, but I never have room for it. If you’re in the Centerville area, stop in for a bite!

Doubleday’s Grill and Tavern
199 E Alex Bell Road
Dayton, Ohio

Resolutions and Goals for 2011

Many people out there have decided to do a Resolutions 2011 type post.  I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon and do one of my own.  Here are the top ten things I am most trying to change or do better in 2011 (plus a bonus):

1.  Make healthier choices. This applies not only to food and fitness, but everything in life.  You have to take a long, hard look at the different aspects of your life and ask yourself if you are truly happy with the outcomes.  If the answer is no, and you can’t or don’t want to change something, move on.  It’s not worth the time, energy, or stress it might cause you.  Who wants premature wrinkles?  This also leads me to my next resolution:

2.  Let the little things go. As I said, you can’t control everything.  I work in an environment that can be very stressful at times (i.e. Holiday season) and more often than not, I have had to go off to a place by myself, grit my teeth, and then breathe and move on.  Most of the time people think or act without thinking.  It’s no reason for the situation to ruin your day.

3.  Blog more, but only if the content is worthwhile. I’m totally taking a page out of www.ohsheglows.com‘s resolution page.  She says it’s more about quality than quantity and I have to agree.  I’m work full time, have a full time husband who (joy of joys!) likes spending time with me, and have a chore list about as long as my arm on the days I get to take a break from work.  Blogging is a hobby, not a job.  I love hearing everyone’s thoughts on my blog, but, like Angela, unless my posts are 100% my best work, I won’t hit Publish.  I’d rather blog less with better content, than blog a bunch of random nonsense.

4.  Vlog. I love being on camera.  I always have even at a young age. I figured why not add some videos to my page!  There are some things (like chopping an onion) that are just better explained via video than words.  Plus, it would be great to be able to look back on my videos later on…kind of like a video scrapbook!

5.  Finish what I start. I am a procrastinator.  I usually start a project with every intention of finishing it right then…and then I get tired.  Or hungry.  Or distracted.  Something happens and I put off what I was doing and never go back to it.  Just go look at my basement!  (I was supposed to be organizing it when I was on vacation…in September.  I sorted everything in piles and then *poof* nothing happened.)  I also want to get better at putting things back where they belong.  I will use something and, instead of taking it right back where it goes, I just leave it.  This drives my poor husband crazy.  No more!

6.  Use coupons/be more financially aware. I was one of those people who never couponed.  Ever.  It was a waste of my time and energy and they never gave me coupons for anything I wanted, so why bother?  I still have a hard time using coupons at the grocery store for this reason.  I am very particular in what I buy and typically the things I buy are not things I typically get coupons for.  I do use coupons for most of the things I buy elsewhere though.  If I’m going out to a store or restaurant, I will do a quick check online to see if I have any coupons.  I’m going to be spending the money anyways, so why not try to save a few bucks?  It means having more money for vacations, people!  (One of my favorite websites to use is thekrazycouponlady.com.)

7.  Take more pictures (and not just of food!). I was a camera nazi in college.  I never went anywhere without my camera.  I still don’t, but I don’t break it out as often as I used to.  Then I regret the fact that I don’t have pictures of the events I went to.  I’m a blogger, after all!  It’s my job to take pictures.  This will serve as my disclaimer for all those people who don’t like to get their picture taken.  If you are with me, be prepared that you could very well end up in my pictures!  Just sayin’…

8.  Use cookbooks more. Cookbooks are fabulous.  They are filled with so much information!  I am going to try to use my cookbooks more.  I just received three new ones for Christmas and they are calling out to be used.  I still have yet to use my Art of French Cooking cookbook Carolyn got me for my birthday.  :/  I would like to say I would use my cookbooks at least once a week, but for now I’m just going to say I’ll use them more. Here’s hoping!

9.  Try more things that scare me. This resolution scares me.  Does that count?  I have a tendency to shy away from the activities and social engagements that make me uncomfortable.  Most people are this way I’m guessing.  I would like to put myself out there in 2011.  Imagine all the wonderful things that could happen if I quit getting hung up on the scary part!  For one, I could learn how to ski and develop a love for something that will get me outdoors and moving during the winter!

10.  Appreciate the wonderful relationships I have made over the years. This really doesn’t even need an explanation in my opinion.  My family and friends are the most important people in the world to me.  I try to let them know as much as I can, but people can always stand to get a little more love.  Tell your loved ones how much you care about them today and see what happens.

Bonus:  Get pregnant. This is more of a hope than a goal or resolution.  I know Baby D is just waiting to be conceived.  Here’s hoping, little fetus…

I wish you and yours a happy 2011!  Please feel free to share with me some of your resolutions and goals for the year.