Chicken Gumbo, Yo

Something new!  Something successful! I kicked off two of my 2011 things to accomplish last night with this Chicken Gumbo Soup from a cookbook that my mom gave me for Christmas, Simply Soup. First, it was a new recipe, made in an allergy friendly manner. Second, I froze four servings to eat later. Although I had to send Husband to the store for okra and an onion, I'm still proud of myself!

This was no wheat day, so I used Rye flour instead of all-purpose flour and was a little scared that the substitution would ruin the soup, but it was still pretty good.  You know, I didn't even think to research what type of flour would be best (besides regular) for soups.   It is intimidating how many different types of flour are out there.  I purchased soy, rye and brown rice flour from my country bumpkin Kroger last week, so just think what you would be able to get at a "real" grocery store.

A note on the meat - I bought a carton of chicken broth to use, but it was only 4 cups. Because I used boiled chicken breasts, I was able to use an extra cup of the "chick breast stock" to make the full 5 cups.  Also, Husband grilled the garlic sausage the previous night and it did not taste good at all. But the flavor really came out when it was cooked in the soup, so don't judge the garlic sausage if you've never had it.  It was the perfect thing, and the best part of the soup in my opinion.

Other changes to the recipe: I added a can of kidney beans with the tomatoes and used brown rice rather than white rice. I also dosed the gumbo with chili powder at the last minute. And because bell peppers are not on the list of things to eat for the next month, no green bell peppers for this girl's gumbo. I had a severe allergy attack just cutting a poblano pepper the other day. Really, I'm not kidding. You woulda thought I was chopping giant mutant venomous jalapaños (Why does spellcheck want to change that to Galapanos?).

I take my sugar straight, please.

I'm up early, sipping on espresso that is sweetened with Truvia rather than raw sugar because today is not sugar day.  it just doesn't feel right, but such is the way of the Rotation diet. Considering I gorged on raw cane sugar cubes Sunday night, I don't think it's a very good idea to cheat "just this once."  

Even though I really, really want to.  Really, really bad.  

I've always had a thing for sugar.  When I was little, my Poppy (an affectionate term for Grandfather) hid me under the kitchen table, table cloth and all, with the sugar bowl and a spoon.  I remember sitting on that linoleum floor, watching people walk around me, listening to the footstep sounds of the old house while spoonfuls of sugar dissolved in my mouth. It's not that bad, really, when you consider that my cousin had a thing for peanut butter and butter sandwiches on white bread, extra butter.  Hey, don't judge.  We were quite happy with the butter and the sugar.  Gran still calls me her "Sugar Bowl Angel."  She still keeps a jar of maraschino cherries in the fridge for me, but that's a whole other obsession.

Sugar cubes may be my biggest weakness.  No need for a spoon!  Just a nice, little compact piece of sugar.  Granted, I haven't eaten sugar cubes straight in quite a while, excluding last Sunday.  Well, that's a lie.  Up until the Rotation Diet, I would sneek one or two everytime I walked by the pantry.  I can't help myself.  Even in public.  Even in fancy restaurants.  If you've got sugar cubes on your table, I'm eating them with my fingers, whether I'm eight or twenty eight.  

Like last March, the In-laws took Husband and I skiing in Canada.  We spent the last night in a fancy Vancouver hotel, which I swore to revisit.  When we showed up at the hotel restaurant for breakfast, that hotel, that sweet little thoughtful hotel, had sugar cubes on the tables in cute little bowls with cute little tongs.  And yes, I ate them with my fingers, too.  

People always scrunch up their noses when they find me out, but everybody has some kind of weird food thing they can't shake.  Husband eats frozen waffles with peanut butter and syrup.  Cousin, the peanut butter and butter sandwich.  Even Boss has an obsession with stale Peeps (those gross little marshmallow candies).  What's your crazy food thing?

A Champion Juicer!

Just like everyone else that has a blog or a person to talk to,  I've made a list of New Year's Resolutions.  You can see them here if you are interested.  But in other news, look what I can do with my Champion Juicer! We first leaned about Champion juicers on our trip to Kauai this past summer when we got banana ice cream from Banana Joe's Fruit Shack. 

Banana Ice Cream!  But we needed ripe bananas.  We've got some ripening on the kitchen table for the next batch.

Soy Cherry and Banana Ice Cream!  Mostly Cherries.  I intended to make cherry juice but left the wrong parts on the juicer, so I got homogenized cherries.  This ice cream was so much better than the first batch. 

It will also make nut butter.  AND there is a separate attachment that can be used to make flour from grains, oats, rice, etc.  Isn't that crazy?  This thing makes flour!  Husband and I are both really excited about this new addition to our kitchen.  I have no idea what we will make next! Oh wait, I do.  More banana ice cream.

Cookbook Club: "Wanna be Quiche" Frittata

We made this Cookbook Club recipe for frittata the morning of Christmas eve. But of course it was a little different from the assignment. I couldn't bring myself to make a lintel and broccoli frittata. I just couldn't. If I was going to have eggs and cheese, then I wanted to eat eggs and cheese with stuff I knew I liked.  

Oddly, I feel the same way about lots of stuff, like Subway. I used to eat Subway sandwiches all the time because it was moderately healthy and easy. Now, it just doesn't feel worth it. If I only get to eat wheat once every four days on the rotation diet, I want it to be something amazing and worth it rather than a bun from Subway. So, I wanted to make this frittata "worth it."  

I switched out the lentils and broccoli for ham and spinach and my mom had two little quiche pans, so we made two thin frittatas rather than one think one.

"Wanna be Quiche" Frittata

1 cup chopped ham

3 or 4 cups fresh spinach

1 cup chopped red onion

1 tbsp olive oil

8 eggs

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

6 oz cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup shredded cheese

salt and pepper

avocado slices

Set oven temp to 375. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, water, pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper.  Stir in chopped parsley and set aside. Saute onions and ham in olive oil until onions are tender. Add spinach and continue to cook until spinach is wilted. Add the cherry tomatoes and stir gently to combine. Place mixture in 2 french tart or quiche pans. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the vegetables. Cook at 375 for 15 minutes, sprinkle with cheese and cook for 5 more minutes.

Serve with avocado slices, lots of espresso and good company.

A Triathlon Relay

Here's a backlog for you:  The Katy Triathlon relay I did with two friends in 2009.  This was my second race and I went back in 2010, a few months ago, and did it solo.  So did one of my relay teammates.  

I did the cycling portion of the relay on my dad's twenty year old, forty pound steal framed Schwinn Paramount.  I called it the Black Stallion because it was beautiful but slow and stubborn when I rode it.  The new bike, A Trek Madone which has not yet been named, weighs half as much and is much easier to ride.   

A relay was a great way to experience one of my first races because I had friends right there with me; a built in support system.  

I don't think I will do another sprint triathlon relay.  I just feel too antsy waiting my turn.  I would like to do the swimming portion for a long distance relay, like an Ironman 70.3 or full ironman, so 1.5 to 2.5 miles.  I am a pretty decent swimmer and if I found a really good runner and cyclist, we might actually be a competitive team.  That would be a nice change of pace, considering that I am in no way competitive on the bike or on foot.  However, I don't think these longer races offer a relay option.  Sounds like a catch 22...

I think I just set a new Slowlady fitness goal.  By the way, Slowlady is my new Fitness Super Hero name.  I haven't decided on the colors of my uniform yet, but it will most likely involve glitter.