Steele (the Day)

Joy, without reservation

// February 27th, 2012 // 4 Comments » // Faith, Family, My Fabulous Life

Despite sharing the angst of death with friends/family and witnessing Mom’s finally relenting pain last week (clarification: the two are not related; she is alive and doing well) … I was overcome with the pure, unadulterated love and joy of a child. Babies can heal just about any heartbreak.

Well, not just any baby.

Harper’s deep gratitude for people and life go far beyond her years months. Inherently, the love I feel for her is inexpressible, but after spending a couple of days with her this week, she set my heart soaring by how she radiates love for everyone and everything she meets. Without reservation.

Her love is unconditional and she doesn’t even know it.

At nine months she has no idea how joy absolutely pours from her heart, and that’s the beauty of it. Innocence. Wonder. Not a spit of  judgment coming from that quirky little mouth or those deep-ocean eyes. No fear. It’s enough to allow you to cast your cares and exhaustion  to the wind and welcome a mighty stab of adrenaline to the soul.

Wide-eyed, she follows shadows from a tree branch and erupts into giggles. The sun peeks through the clouds, she squints, then eyes open wide to look for more. More sparkles. She sees her own shadow on a stroller ride and fixes her eyes in fascination, wondering when that “thing” will come into her line of sight again, arms and legs practically doing “The Freddie” with excitement. I make her a snowball and she touches it gingerly, then gasps with delight, her eyes connecting with mine in intense amazement.

We gaze at the school of bright goldfish at the top of the winter-murky pond and she reaches, literally bouncing in my arms with delight.

She sneezes,  and her “achoo” is followed by a throaty chuckle. She loves that, too. Boogers, be damned. That was fun.

She’s done with her breakfast, but rather than fussing or squirming, she clamps her mouth shut and gives me a sideways glance. Grinning, showing off her dimple filled with steel-cut oats. She hates nothing. Kindness is so natural for her.

Last week I brought her to the hospital when Mom had surgery, because that’s the way the logistics happened. Some of  the people we met in passing looked disheveled and even scary. I hustled past many, pushing the stroller, with a vague pleasant smile, the nurse/mom/grandma in me wanting nobody to touch her if I haven’t seen them use the antiseptic gel dispensers. They made eye contact with her and she smiled big. (Real big). Her legs kicked non-stop and her arms flailed with joy and her upper body did a 180 to keep following them. Everyone is her friend. She knows no color, no class, no creed. All are loved, even the abstract ballerina with the distorted face in a wall sculpture that towers above both of us. That “art” always creeped me out.

Not Harper – she’s met another friend. I want to be like her when I grow up.

I pray her faith is as authentic and strong as her beautiful infant spirit.

I bumped into this on Pinterest the other day, and immediately thought of her. 

It’s no wonder she is such a joy to be around; her attitude is magnetic. Her heart is open. I spent the remainder of my week just trying to see things with her eyes. Clearly I had been schooled.

Maybe I’ll even get up the nerve to do The Freddie in public – I need just a bit more practice.

Praise the Lord.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
who find great delight in his commands.
Their children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.

~Psalm 112:1-2

Tea today: Sencha

Functional Foodie Friday: Sweet Corn and Quinoa Chowder (leftovers)

// February 24th, 2012 // 1 Comment » // Functional Foodie, My Fabulous Life

Original post here.

A lovely light soup from last summer is making an appearance as leftovers, since all I’ve eaten is leftovers this week and this one really hit the spot. Plus, in the midst of our biggest snow storm of the year (whoa – 4 inches!) I thought it appropriate to bring some sunshiny sweet corn, not to mention I’ve had kale in abundance around here.

I can’t get enough of the stuff. Massaged kale salad. Kale chips dusted with parm and sprinkled with sriracha. Sautéed kale with shallots, mushrooms, and garlic. It’s one of my favorite superfoods.

Gold, pure gold.

Sadly, I had to use frozen corn in this recipe since all of my fresh stuff was used by Christmas. Still? Tasty. Loaded with protein and laced with bacon. Three of my favorite players – kale, quinoa, and beans. What a team.

Sweet Corn and Quinoa Chowder
Inspiration from here.

1 bunch sliced green onions
2 slices cooked bacon, chopped
3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 5 ears)
2 -15 oz cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 – 4 1/2 oz cans chopped green chiles with liquid
3/4 cup cooked quinoa
30 oz chicken (or vegetable) stock (approximately)*
3 cups chopped fresh kale
Fresh ground pepper to taste (I may have thrown in a palm full of hot pepper flakes)

*I keep a jar of chicken base in the frig, whisk in water what ever amount you need for a recipe. I tend to use less than the 1 tsp:1 cup base to water ratio, as it’s pretty high in sodium. You can alternately use low-sodium chicken broth, or of you’re Martha Stewart, stew yourself some some chickens.

I usually have cooked quinoa on hand. If you don’t, cook yourself up a batch while you’re stripping the corn. Cut corn off the cob and then mop down your kitchen. If you must, you can use frozen corn, or as we say in Iowa, “frozen regret.”

Slice onions and chop bacon. Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add corn, beans, chiles, and quinoa and mix well. Add chicken stock. Soup will thicken as it cooks so use more or less to desired thickness.

Let soup come to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add kale (you could also use spinach) and cook until it wilts.

Tea today: Genmaicha

Functional Foodie Friday: Cauliflower Crust Pizza (my take)

// February 17th, 2012 // No Comments » // Functional Foodie, My Fabulous Life

You can only look at something that’s been Pinned a bazillion times before you HAVE to try it. The cauliflower crust pizza was haunting me for weeks. I had a teeny bite of it at a gathering and thought “hmmm” and knew I had to make it. I really needed a few more bites to decide if I liked it. One bite of anything is never enough for me, unless it’s meat (then it’s sometimes too much).

Warning, if your dream is to be a tidy cook, this recipe is not for you. I had riced cauliflower everywhere, including my hair. Not sure what I did wrong there, other than peek into the chute of the food processor…

So is it good? Yes, it’s sort of like a cheesy bread. It even puffs up nice like bread. It doesn’t taste cauliflowery, but it’s definitely not chewy-doughy-firm like pizza crust either, so the name is rather misleading. I suppose “pizza crust” is easier to say than “a healthy gluten-free delivery mechanism for some awesome pizza toppings” and the result was more of a casserole. But it was delicious and I will make it again. It could also be a sort of flat bread – I’ll have to try that one.

I loved how the edges got crispy-crunchy and a bit burned. Sort of matched the over-caramelized onion I had on top of it. I have a penchant for near-burned food. Stay away from heavy toppings if you want to pick it up like a piece of pizza. I ate this with a fork. Those artichokes are heavy, and I used an entire onion.

This would have photographed better if I had some daylight. It’s Iowa. In winter. And my camera isn’t exactly stellar for low-light shots.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza adapted from Eat, Drink, Smile

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (fresh shred from block, please. Bagged cheese should be illegal)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp garlic salt olive oil

Preheat oven to 450°.  Take about 1/2 head of fresh cauliflower, and cut into florets. Place into food processor and pulse until it’s about the texture of rice. You’ll want approximately 1 1/2 cups raw because it cooks down. Place in a microwave safe dish and cook for about 6 minutes (no water needed). Keep an eye on it as it will start to scorch and stick together if it gets too done.

Brush a pizza stone with olive oil. In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir together the cooked cauliflower, cheese, egg, oregano, garlic, and garlic salt. Place on the pizza stone and pat into about a 9 inch circle with your hands. Brush the top with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes.

While the crust is baking, prepare your toppings as you will only be reheating them under the broiler. I sauteed a yellow onion until well carmelized, added some mushrooms and cooked until they were tender. I topped the pizza with some left-over marina I had in the fridge, freshly shredded mozarella, the onions, mushrooms, black olives, and chopped artichoke hearts. I topped with another light layer of the mozarella and put under the broiler for about 5 minutes.

Any favorite toppings will do – you’ll just probably need to eat it with a fork if they get really heavy like mine did.

I can’t believe I ate the whole thing….

Tea today: Trader Joe’s Green

Functional Foodie Friday: Crockpot Black Bean and Chicken Tacos

// February 10th, 2012 // 1 Comment » // Functional Foodie, My Fabulous Life

There’s a vague migration toward chicken thighs going on here, and I’m not talking body image. It’s totally out of character for me, but I’ve taken to liking the thighs more than chicken breast in certain dishes, despite the fact I still need to pick and pick and pick to get all the “stuff” off of them. They’re more tender and they almost melt into tiny pieces so you barely know they’re there. They don’t dry out (especially in the crockpot), and from a nutritional standpoint, they have more iron and zinc. Cutting off the fat and skin can be left unsaid, but there, I said it.

I’ve made this taco filling several times, and change it every time. Next pass? Half of the chicken and a can of pinto beans, perhaps replace the salsa with a can of hot Rotel. Then I think it will be perfect. If you decide to use chicken breast, I’ve found that if you coat them generously with some kosher salt the night before, then rinse before putting in the crock, it’s more tender and has a better texture. It plumps the chicken up and it behaves  like it was brined. We all like well-behaved chicken. And it won’t be too salty. I used a combination of thighs and breast in this version.

Ron Burgundy must really like this, because I had a bowl of it in the frig, along with taco shells, chopped tomato, chopped romaine, and some shredded cheese and he only ate the filling. For three days. Boy really doesn’t like to stray toward variety much, does he?

This filling would also be great in a burrito bowl with chewy brown rice and a boatload of cilantro. Or on nachos. Or in a wrap. Or as a base for some chicken tortilla soup. The possibilities are endless. I like to double this because it freezes well.

Crockpot Black Bean and Chicken Tacos
adapted from dinnertool.com

1 large onion
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat, or combination of breast and thighs
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen sweet corn (I had plenty on hand)
1 cup salsa, any kind you have on hand
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 corn tortillas

Use a 4 or 5 quart slow cooker. Slice the onion thinly and place in the bottom of the crock.

Rub the chicken with salt and pepper and place on top of the onions. Add beans, corn, and salsa on top of the chicken, then sprinkle the cumin and paprika over the top. Drizzle olive oil over mixture. Cover and cook on low for 4 – 5 hours. Remove the chicken and shred with a fork, then return to crock and mix all ingredients together.

Fill each corn tortilla with the chicken and black bean filling. Serve tacos with desired toppings.

Topping ideas:
shredded romaine lettuce (please, no iceberg)
plain Greek yogurt
shredded cheese (shredded from brick, no bagged stuff)
salsa
diced tomatoes
black olives
jalapeno peppers
cilantro

Tea today: Maa Feng (sadly, the last of the bag)

Functional Foodie Friday: Buffalo Chicken Pizza

// February 3rd, 2012 // No Comments » // Functional Foodie, My Fabulous Life

Hot, hot, hot. It’s the only way I can eat my food in the Iowa winter. Plus I read somewhere (on the internet, maybe? It must be true) that hot peppers keep the germs away. So far it’s working.

I can sum up the healthy attributes of this pizza in two phrases:  real food and portion control. The latter was made easier by the fact that I used a  crust from Gluten Free Bistro and they’re not very big. Delicious, but only about a  12 inch crust. BUT (hear me out here) – the ingredients are whole grain and real food. Not a stinkin’ chemical in there! My druthers would have been P-Dub’s Pizza Crust, which is infallible, but unfortunately gluten is not my friend any more and I continue to experiment with alternatives. And the hot new cauliflower crust? It’s awesome, trust me, but alas, I had no cauliflower….

And RB had no idea he ate a gluten-free crust. I sort of wish he’d have hated it – more for me.

I also used homemade ranch dressing, but you could certainly use bottled, if you have a propensity toward a bunch of unpronouncables. Yes, that’s a word – now. Lots of preservatives in what I call “bottles of regret.” I like to use a mix from Erin Chase of $5 Dinners with light mayo, which has only one unpronouncable. And you only need to make a little at a time.

Side bar: I ROASTED A CHICKEN!! They were on sale at Fareway and I thought, dang, I could make that pretty and I know Ron Burgundy would clean off the running gears, so LOOKEE!! I brined him and everything! It wasn’t until I started cutting him up, that I realize I’d roasted him upside down. Or breast-down anyway. In all of these years of cooking I’ve never roasted a chicken, but I know turkeys go the other way. Still, it was tender and delicious, even with his hind end up in the air. Duh.

Sort of give a whole new meaning to the term “chicken plank.”

I will also tell you that it probably wasn’t that cheap, since after RB noshed on it for a day or so, I sliced off the breast meat and ended up with only a 2 1/2 cups of chicken for the freezer. But it looks pretty! (If you don’t mind running gears and blood vessels).

Keep in mind you may need more of the ingredients if you use a larger crust than I did.

Do-overs? I would have added a bit of gorgonzola or Maytag blue cheese on top.

And you just can’t beat that Emile Henry pizza stone.  Best there is. Guess someone reads these posts after all.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Pizza crust of your choice
1/3 cup ranch dressing
(about) 3 tablespoons buffalo sauce (to suit your taste) – divided
1/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
4 oz jack cheese (please, please shred from a block. No bagged stuff allowed!)
2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Mix dressing and about 1 tablespoon of the buffalo sauce in a small bowl. Like hot? Add more buffalo. Sprinkle celery on top.

Toss the chicken with the remaining buffalo sauce and spread over the top of the pizza. Top with cheese, and bake in a preheated oven at 450°. Bake for about 15 minutes or until crust is brown and cheese is well melted. Top with cilantro and serve.

Tea today: China Green (still a lot left over from the wedding!)

This, or nothing at all.

// February 1st, 2012 // 4 Comments » // Family, My Fabulous Life

Feel like I should post more and having rambling thoughts – probably because I’m doing anything in my power to not implode because my phone is broken and I haven’t my calendar handy for meetings for three days.

Phone fail. “Your insurance doesn’t allow you to get an immediate replacement if your phone stops working, only if you break it.” Well ok then, perhaps I should have smashed it on the cement floor. In the meantime, I’m carrying a circa 1999 “replacement” that smells like old, stale cigarettes, won’t let me pick up voice mail, and I have no access to email or my contacts. Thank you, carrier that rhymes with “Glint.”

Upside: I get to write a post about it. Wahhh, WAHHH. And I fully realize this is a First World Problem.

The annoyed gym rat: I’m slugging along on the elliptical at the gym last night and this pretty ponytailed older lady (my age and wearing way fewer clothes) comes up to me and asks me how much longer I’m going to be on the machine. Told her I’d be done in about 25 minutes. She took her Coach gym bag to a treadmill, changed her shoes and proceeded to walk. Fifteen minutes later she went to the weight machines (toting her gigantic Coach bag – they make gym bags??) and changed into another pair of shoes and lifted for a bit.  After the elliptical, I grabbed my water bottle and Walmart fleece and hopped on a treadmill, and she finally got to the elliptical that was right in front of my treadmill. But..

…not until she changed into another pair of shoes! Taken from (you guessed it) her COACH BAG. I was feeling rather like a slob in my oversized hot pink “Knock Out Breast Cancer” t-shirt and old warm-up pants.

Redemption: The gleam of the price tag swaying in the breeze on her spiffy little tank top. She was obviously new at this game, but I don’t know how she figured she needed four pair of shoes. But I guess I do know why she needed that huge bag. And the fact that we were  both at the gym gave us something in common. Perhaps we’ll become BFFs.

The overachieving husband: I needed some frozen corn for a dish I’m making for Bible study. The study is “Made to Crave.” The irony is not lost, but the requirement is healthy food. I was out of corn. I emailed RB “Any way you can stop and pick up a bag of frozen corn for me on the way home? Just one.” I put “just one” on purpose, because he always gets two of everything. I needed about a cup of corn. We all know what size bag one would normally get.

I found this in the freezer this morning.

FOUR pounds of corn. Walmart corn. I love how they show it in a colander and with the disclaimer “serving suggestion.” I don’t believe I’ve ever thought to serve corn in a colander before.

Shameless granddaughter promotion:

Harper got her first tooth yesterday. You can’t see it, of course, but I needed an excuse to post a Skype shot, along with her sweet mom and Sophie the Giraffe who returned from her unfortunate escape after eating Mexican food,  just in time to welcome that first tooth.

Tea today: Something green that didn’t have a label – the last of the bag. We shall call it “China Mystery”