Getting Reading for Vacation

G and I leave on Saturday for a cruise to the Caribbean. We are so excited, we can barely contain ourselves. G sends me a text message every morning telling me how many days, and today it was 5. So, it was time to start packing. So far I have 9 dresses, 4 bathing suits, 2 cover ups, comfy clothes, and a few pants/tank combinations. I was also super excited to buy sunscreen in January - I think that was one of my happiest moments of the planning process thus far! I will be sure to write more as I continue to pack. And, of course, as we embark upon our journey!

Working from home..

Today I got to work at home - which I found out can be just as stressful and busy as working in the office! But, I got to make/eat some good food today.

I started the morning out right by brewing a few cups of coffee. I like to sprinkle a little cinnamon in the coffee before brewing- makes for an especially yummy cup! I also made a breakfast sandwich - an Arnold Select whole wheat sandwich thin, with an egg and a slice of cheddar. I added a side of blue berries which oddly enough are so sweet right now!

Since I was home this afternoon, I thought I'd make a meat sauce. I used 90% lean ground sirloin to try to make it a bit healthier. Here's the recipe:

olive oil
1 medium sized onion
1 lb ground sirloin
2 cloves garlic
1 large can of crushed tomatos
1 small can tomato paste
Garlic Salt
Basil
1 tbsp sugar

Pour oil in large saute pan, enough to cover bottom. Chop onion into bite size pieces. Turn on heat and add onion to the pan with oil. Saute until just opaque. Add sirloin and stir. Add 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Cook until sirloin is cooked through. Add tomatoes. Add Garlic Salt, Basil and sugar to taste. Simmer on low for hours...

I served the sauce with whole wheat pasta (on a small plate, because I find it makes me feel more satisfied- like I ate more than I actually did) and a big bowl of greens on the side. Yum!

Now to settle in for a quiet night at home. You can't beat it!

Happy New Year!

For Christmas, I got a cast iron casserole dish- a Dutch oven. I had been wanting one for awhile, so Mom and Dad got me a beautiful blue one - the brand is called Cooks, it's from JCPenny Home. So when I got the oven, I thought right away that I wanted to make a pot roast for G on New Years. It's his favorite - and I wanted to do something thoughtful and nice. So today, we made a great roast. G uses a recipe that his mom always made for him as a kid (below). It came out great, and we had plenty to share with his roommates. We decided to have a nice sit down dinner at the dining room table - place mats, and nice dishes and all. We had such a great time that we are planning to make a habit of Sunday night dinners for the year 2012! It is off to a great start!

Pot Roast:

Bottom Round Roast
3 Potatoes
6 Carrots
1 Large Yellow Onion
4 Cloves Garlic
6 Beef Bouillon Cubes
3 1/2 Cups water
Pepper and Salt to taste
Garlic Powder
Minced Dried Onions
Olive Oil
1/2 cup flour

Set conventional oven temperature to 325. Peel and slice into bite sized pieces potatoes, carrots and onion and set aside. Rub roast with olive oil, garlic powder, minced onions, crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Place in dutch oven and surround with vegetables. Put 3 cups water in oven, and place 4 bouillon cubes around the roast in the water. Place cover on the dutch oven and bake in conventional oven for approximately 90 minutes - 2 hours or until the roast is 160 degrees (for well done). When finished cooking, set aside roast to rest (cover with tin foil). Remove vegetables from dutch oven. Put drippings into a sauce pan (for gravy) and put on low heat. Mix 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 cup water and stir. Add slowly to drippings. Add 2 bouillon cubes and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve gravy over roast with vegetables as sides. Enjoy!