Friday's Healthy Food

All of my favorite bloggers have a regular column on certain days of the week.  I thought I would follow suit and since I am plunging myself and my son into heathy eating, I will be featuring a healthy meal or snack.  Hope you all enjoy!

Raw Red Bell Pepper Slices and Hummus

Lent

Lent is upon us and I have decided to give up Facebook for 40 days!  Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends Easter and is a time for each individual to make a sacrifice as Jesus did for 40 days in the dessert.

I use Facebook to keep my friends and family updated on Will's fun times as well as this blog, schedule events, keep in touch with extended family so this is going to be very difficult.  My Kentucky Gentleman doesn't believe I can be successful, so as an incentive, we have a bet.  If he gives up alcohol and makes it to Easter without a drop, he wins.  If I stay off Facebook for the full forty days, I win.  My prize?  A laptop!

Cheers!

W.A.'s Momma

Cycling Instructor vs. Sodium

Let me start this post by saying that my cycling instructor Julie, will kill me for this, but I gotta do what I gotta do...

My kid eats nothing.  He eats so little that the pediatrician started "weight checking" him every 6 months.  He is fine but its a battle to get him to eat.  Sometimes, he will eat yogurt for dinner for a week.  Tonight I found a leftover Ramen noodle package in my cabinet.  So I sauteed some peas and carrots and added them to the Beef Flavored Ramen Noodles.  He pigged out!

Why would my cycling instructor kill me?  Those Ramen noodles have 790mg of sodium, people.  Not good.

I'd love some tips for kid-friendly food.  By the way, that Deceptively Delicious cookbook by Jessica Seinfield is for experienced cooks.  Experienced in that department, I am NOT!

Cheers!

W.A.'s Momma

Happy 56th Birthday Aunt Mary!

Aunt M, you are loved and missed by so many people today. I imagine that there are people out there that  can miss you more than I do, but I miss you HUGE and if that can be used as a measure, then you are missed a whole heck of alot!

You were my second mother.  I went to you with a ton of things I could not tell my own mother and you never gave up on me, or judged me.  I will never forget the things we shared together.  I am thankful for the daughters you left behind (even though you didn't want to) because I have them as best friends!  And they posses your empathy, knowledge, and love.

Whenever I watch Steel Magnolias, there is one scene that never fails to remind me of you.  It's usually difficult to get through, but when its over I'm thankful because I know as long as I watch it, I'll never lose the "essence" of you because it describes you beautifully.  Daryl Hannah's charachter is speaking to Sally Field's charachter at the funeral of her daughter and she says, "..she is with her King, ...and all she wanted to do was take care of everyone she knew and her poor body just couldnt handle it....  Now she is where she will always be healthy, and young and beautilful...She can take care of all of us as a Guardian Angel."

I know we'll meet again but until then Happy Birthday!

W.A.'s Momma

P.S. I could really use your tips on how to soothe a cranky toddler.  You always did know how to keep your cool.  I'm still amazed by that, by the way.

Paella!

Paella is our family's absolute favorite dish.  Every year we cook it as a Spring Kick Off meal.  This year we just couldnt wait!  Although my sweet husband is pissed to the highest level of piss-tivity by this, I am going to share our recipe with you (that's what they're for!).  Besides, its my dish and I cook it.

Paella is originally from Valencia, Spain (our most favorite place in the entire world) but is popular in most Spanish-speaking countries.  It is easy, but does take a bit of prep time.  I will tell you it is well worth the effort.  This dish is so flavorful it makes my mouth water whenever I even think about it.

Ingredients:
Pinch Blackened Redfish seasoning.
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups long grain rice
1 tsp Saffron
1 can chicken broth
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
5 small tomatoes diced
1 small red onion diced
1 capsicum diced (red pepper)
1 yellow pepper diced
1 jalepeno pepper chopped (optional)
1/2 cup fresh peas (you can substitute chopped asparagus)
5 chicken tenders cubed (or 2 boneless, skinless breasts cubed)
1 cup smoked sausage sliced
1 cup shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 tsp lemon zest, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Mix saffron with 1 cup hot water and set aside.
Sprinkle blackened redfish seasoning and 1 tsp lemon zest over chicken.
Cook your chicken in the olive oil in paella pan on the stove.  When fully cooked, add sausage. Cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
Add mushrooms, stir on medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
Add peppers, tomatoes, peas and onion.  Stir on medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add rice and stir, cover and set on simmer.  Pour can of chicken broth in along with 1 cup water/saffron mixture. Stir.
Cover and let simmer for approx. 20 minutes or until rice is done.
Add cilantro, 1 tsp lemon zest and shrimp.  Cover and let simmer 3-5 minutes or until shrimp is done.

Stir and serve with a warm baguette.

Dont forget the hot sauce!!!!

We have tried several versions of Paella from different cookbooks and celebrity chefs, this one is a little something from all of them.  I hope you and your family enjoy this dish as much as we do.  We had fun tweaking it, preparing it, and eating it together!!!  Even the kids can help.

Cheers!

W.A.'s Momma

Southern Style...

This topic is a little unrelated to my son per se, but I just wanted to share some thoughts...



I just finished reading Saving CeeCee Honeycutt for the second time.  I do not enjoy the sad and tragic plot to the story but I do however, enjoy the transplanting of a 12 year old girl to the heart of the South, Savannah, Georgia, when her heart is broken.  This book is a wonderful example of a loving Southern lady.  It also has beautiful and precise descriptions of true southern homes with extravagant and enchanting southern gardens.

I have been missing all things Southern lately.  See, there truly is a slower pace and a more genteel way about the South.  Although southern women are either portrayed as dumb, or better yet, seriously deficient in manners (Real Housewives of Atlanta) it simply is not true.  A southern woman has grace, manners, empathy, values and charm.  Being a Southern Girl means (to me) that you open your home, your oven, and your heart to your friends when they are in need of comfort. 

I miss my home state of Georgia immensely sometimes, and I do wish to get back one day and sit on my front porch with a glass of real iced tea.  Until then I have some comforts of the South around my house.  And I also have two other important things: Your Southern Peach, and my subscription to Southern Lady Magazine.

I would like to share with you what every southern woman will have in her household.

1) Her Grandmother's pearls and a portrait of her family's matriarch.
2) Blue and White Porcelain and a crystal bud vase.
3) An American Flag.
4) Memorabilia from a fine southern college, i.e. The University of Georgia or University of Kentucky, in our case.
5) A sitting room (or parlor, or tea room) for chatting with women friends (not gossiping, that STILL should only be done at the beauty shop).
6) A Talbot's Catalog.
7) A garden of some kind.
8) Small book collection from her favorite Southern writer (mine happens to be Mary Kay Andrews). And a copy of Gone With The Wind.
9) A Family Bible (I have the first and last Bibles my Grandmother ever bought me).
10) Steel Magnolias, starring the Queen of all that is Southern, Dolly Parton.

There are many more items (the iron skillet, cookie press, doilies, etc.) that should be added, but these are my top ten favorites.

Bless Your Hearts, Sugars!

W.A.'s Momma

P.S. Pleeeeeease make sure you check out Your Southern Peach.  She is precious.

Cleaning out...

There are two types of items I have a ton of: books and picture frames.  Ive decided less is more.  Last year, my Kentucky Gentleman and I removed six boxes of books from our house.  This is what I decided to get rid of today:

I like to read...alot.  So does my sweet husband, we just do not have room for all of these books in a 1900 square foot house.  Did I mention the books I am keeping fill up one bookshelf in a guest bedroom, and then there is this one in our living room:

 Yeah, its way too much.  We've decided to get a Kindle, and hopefully our local library will be happy with our latest donation...
Cheers!

W.A.'s Momma

P.S. if you are looking for a book, let me know the title.  It might be in my "donate" pile!