Tag Game

The rules:

1. Respond and rework; answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention & add one more question of your own.

2. Tag eight other people

What is your current obsession?
Recipes using wheat berries.

What are you wearing today?
A silk flower and lace tank top, green shorts, black sneakers, and white socks.

What’s for dinner?
Grilled Spice-Rubbed Chicken, corn on the cob, arugula and cherry tomato salad with balsamic vinaigrette

What’s the last thing you bought?
Workbooks for my kids for "Mommy Summer School."

What are you listening to right now?
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany

Which language do you want to learn?
Russian

What do you love most about where you currently live?
I can walk anywhere

What is your favourite colour?
Red

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?
My red dress with white polka dots.

Describe the last dream you can remember?
I can't remember one. Weird...

If you had $300 now, what would you spend it on?
I'd save it. I need to fix the drainage on our lot.

What are you going to do after this?
Finish cooking

What are your favourite films?
When Harry Met Sally, There's Something About Mary, and many more

List at least 3 things you want to do before you die.
Visit Greece, eat at The French Laundry, watch my sons graduate college

What makes you follow a blog?
Engaging writing style with interesting content.

Do you like to comment on blogs or just lurk?
I do both. I love to comment because I am opinionated!

What’s one thing you dream of doing?
Helping people learn to cook and eat healthy with style and taste :)

What is your biggest regret?
Not graduating college earlier.

If you had one day left to live, what kind of buffet would you go to?
I would NOT go to a buffet. They are nasty gross cesspits. Do you realize how many people have touched, tasted, picked their butts, stuck their fingers, and coughed/breathed/sneezed on that food that has been sitting in a pool of germs for 30 - 120 minutes? GROSS. No, I would go to a fabulous restaurant.

If you could spend a romantic night with any celebrity without any repercussions, who would you spend that wonderful night with?
Wentworth Miller. That man is HOT!

What was your happiest day?
The day we brought Liam home from the hospital and Roman said, "Mommy, I love my new brother."

What is your favourite book?
There are so many. Maybe "Night" by Elie Weisel - I actually met him at a tolerance conference years ago. He's an amazing man with an even more amazing history.

Who is your favorite dish?
Spaghetti - simple marinara with some onions, garlic, fresh rosemary, and fresh oregano.

What is the dessert you would eat everyday if it wouldn't effect your health or weight?

Brownies - plain without frosting or nuts.

Tag, you're it!


Of course, if you'd rather not, I understand!

Stephen Vinson

Cooking with Children Under Foot

Ever noticed how long it takes to do anything with children? I am a Personal Chef, trained in the Culinary Arts, worked for a catering company, done a few catering jobs, hosted several personal parties, and cooked for myself and family for years. Now that I am a parent I find it nearly impossible to cook with my children around.

Every day it is the same thing. My oldest wants to "watch balloon videos" on Youtube.com. My littlest one is addicted to TV just like my husband. Of course, I cannot get anything done. If I am prepping food for us they need help or just want to be held. I wind up not getting things done. When I used to go to work everyday I always got my work done on time, on budget, and nearly always perfect. Now I'm lucky if I get if I get anything done and food in my children before they start insisting they are starving to death.

I am working on the FlyLady method of changing my habits and the way I look at getting things done. If you haven't heard of her her site is http://www.flylady.net. She is great and sets it up for small steps to be accomplished daily until they become a habit. Change is gradual and consistent. Today, I have woken up (good thing because it is hard to do stuff when I'm asleep), got dressed including my shoes, done my hair and make-up, and started this blog.

Tonight we're having grilled lamb chops, baked rice pilaf, and some grilled tomatoes. For lunch we're having leftover chicken pesto pasta salad. I am going to marinate the lamb chops in some light olive oil, a little honey, some fresh tarragon from my garden, and some salt and pepper. The baked rice pilaf is going to have the rice cleaned/rinsed and cooked in the oven. I'll small dice some onions and carrots, mince garlic, and concasse a tomato. I will saute my aromatics (onions and carrots then finish off with the garlic) add it to my rice, toss in the tomato, add some salt and pepper, a touch of apple juice, and put a little beef stock I've made (because we're having lamb) mix it well then throw it in the oven to finish off. The tomatoes will be brushed with olive oil, salt, and pepper then grilled on the grill after the lamb is done while they are resting.