Monday Meals - Thanksgiving Leftovers

I am definitely one of those outliers who really dislikes Thanksgiving leftovers.  For some reason, I just can't get into reheated plates of turkey, stuffing, gravy and veggies for nights on end.  The rubbery turkey, gelatinous gravy and crumbly stuffing just doesn't do it for me.  I make every effort to try to reinvent the meal a bit.  I've used turkey and leftover celery and onion in a turkey noodle soup and made turkey paninis, but still have a fridge full of pyrex and tupperware containers filled with Thursday's culinary goodness.  Here are a few sites and recipes that may help with that dilemma.

Recipe Collections:

Food Network Thanksgiving leftover recipes

Martha Stewart leftover recipes

All Recipes leftover recipes

Specific Recipes:

Turkey and Mashed Potato Croquettes

Turkey Catchall Casserole
Anything Frittata
Tex Mex Turkey Casserole
Turkey Burgers

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To be a dog...

Life would be so simple...

P.S. I just got a new camera and Paddy has been my subject!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

May your turkey be moist,

Your company be jovial,

and you be blessed with happiness and love.

Best wishes for a joyful day with family and friends!

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Got Moths?

If you've ever had a sweater eaten as it sits in a warm attic, awaiting its triumphant return for fall and winter, you also know the stink associated with moth balls.  They're icky.  But they work.  So what's a girl to do when her best cashmere has that moth-free smell?  I was plagued with this very conundrum as I finally pulled my winter duds out of storage bins in the attic.  The trick is so simple...and best of all, FREE!

Toss your sweaters (only a few at a time) with 2-3 dryer sheets in your dryer on its lowest heat setting for no more than 5 minutes.  Give your clothes a good whiff and the smell should be gone; if not, put in for another minute or two.  The heat helps break down the molecules that have that pungent smell.  But whenever using your washer and dryer for dry clean only clothes (like your best cashmere), be careful as to not shrink your duds!

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The Perfect Steak

I'm always lesser inclined to cook steaks in the winter because I definitely prefer my grill.  But the broiler is just as easy and pretty quick too!  Here's what you do:

1. Season your steaks the way you normally would (marinade, seasonings, etc.).

2. Preheat your broiler on high and move your top oven rack close to the top of the oven.

3. Put steaks on a broil tray with a baking sheet underneath (to catch drips).  Cook 4-5 minutes per side.

4. And now....the most important step of all.....top with a pat of butter and leave in the broiler a few seconds longer.  Perfectly indulgent!

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Oven lovin'

There's something highly cathartic about baking for me.  The of making something with your hands is totally fulfilling.  I work in an office cubicle environment in front of a computer all day, everyday.  It's rare that I "make" something...and usually when I do, it's more like a homemade birthday card for a co-worker with printer paper and colored highlighters.  I'm pretty resourceful and always at the ready to put my craft skillz to use.  But I digress (as usual)....kneading dough, whipping some egg whites and icing a cake are all pretty physical activities that are so amazingly therapeutic to me.  Last night I decided to make some pear quick bread (thanks A Charmed Wife!) and my favorite pumpkin muffins.  It made me happy, but now I need to hit the grocery store for more sugar and flour since I drained my supply!  I'll take it!

Oh Julia, you are so entertaining!

What's your favorite activity after a long day at the office?
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Monday Meals - Fall Meal

My favorite season for cooking is definitely fall.  I love all things in season - potatoes, squash, apples and the savory seasonings that accompany them.  And with that, I think I've found my go to meal.  After perfecting a each dish, I'm there....and you know what that means....ticking my first item off my thirty before thirty list - woo!  And so I proudly present to you my "go to meal."

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

• 1 unseasoned pork tenderloin - about 4 lbs
• 1/4 C dry white wine
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1/2 Tbsp pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1. Place pork in shallow baking dish.  Top with white wine and sprinkle with seasonings.  Cover dish with plastic wrap.  Let marinate about 60 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Roast about 30 minutes.  Reduce heat to 400 degrees and cook about another 60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Sweet Potato Fries

• 2-3 sweet potatoes (or more depending on your guest count)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 pinch nutmeg

1. Peel potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch slices, making the best effort to slice them evenly for even cooking.
2. Mix all spices together in small bowl. 
3. Mix olive oil and egg white in shallow dish.  Dip each slice into the mixture and then place onto foiled baking sheet, sprayed with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with spice mixture.
4. Bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees, turning once.

Brussel Sprouts

• 15-20 sprouts (about 5-6 per person)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat
2. Meanwhile, remove the outer leaves of each sprout, cut off the husky end and slice in half.  Add to the skillet.  Cover for about 2-3 minutes to steam.  Cook about 3-4 more minutes, adding the salt and pepper.  A word of caution, the sprouts start to emit a pungent odor after about 7-8 minutes of cooking, so beware!

Serve with a Cotes du Rhone and add a delicious dessert like an apple crisp and you have yourself a perfect dinner!
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Riding in cars with dogs

Remember that movie Riding in Cars with Boys?  I think it was a Drew Barrymore movie that looked really "deep" and "emotional."  If you can sense my dripping sarcasm, you can also no doubt guess that I never saw that movie.  In any case, riding in cars with dogs/puppies is way cooler...and I'm not talking about the cinema variety.  I'm talking about the real thing folks.

I'm blessed with a dog who LOVES to hop in the back of the car and go for a ride.  It doesn't matter if it's to our favorite hiking trail or 610 miles up to my parent's old home in New England.  She's a real trooper.  And while I'm grateful for her car-loving persona, I'm also aware that prepping for the journey is half the game.  I'll share a few tips and tricks that we've used to keep Paddy a happy pup for our journeys.

Safety above all else.  Make sure your pup is safely restrained either in a crate or in the back seat or trunk of the car.  In the event that you stop short or are in an accident, you want your pet to be safe.  There are lots of options for car restraints so check your pet store for something that will work for your pet.

Stretch your legs.  Just as you get stiff on a long car ride, so will your pup.  Take time for some stops so that you can let your pet out and you may all stretch your legs.  I'm a fan of rest stops because there are usually some grassy areas that are perfect for "business" and also for a quick walk. 

Quench your thirst.  Make sure you offer your pet some fresh water throughout your journey....just make sure you offer them a corresponding bathroom break or else your car could be the unfortunate recipient!  I fill a small, round Tupperware container with water...remove the lid and you've got an instant water bowl!

Keep the windows up.  Despite your pup's obsession with sticking their head out the window, you really shouldn't indulge them.  It's not safe in case of an accident and also dirt and debris could end up in your pup's eye. 

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You lose

I have already failed at NaBloPoMo....but there's a pretty good reason for it.  Remember that book you read as a kid about a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?  That was me yesterday.  Times 100000.  After dealing with some stress related to car repairs and a rough day at the office, I was sailing home, eagerly anticipating my journey down to NC today to visit my folks.  That and the prospect of 3 whole days off!  Well, my buddy on one of our local bridge tunnels* had other plans.  Instead of electing to merge like EVERYONE ELSE in rush hour traffic, this dude, decided to just plow right past the car behind me and then continued to proceed to drive past me, by crunching up against the side of my car.  Seriously?!?!?!  Who does that???  Apparently that jerk does.  But, my faith in humanity was momentarily restored when a nice couple behind me (who saw the whole thing) pulled over, offered to be my witness AND got the dude's license plate number.  Small victory.  Hopefully my insurance company will catch that jerk!

Ok, rant over.  I'll be posting happier things and usually I don't like posting about my daily incidents, but this was ridiculous. 

*For those non-757 residents, bridge tunnels are pretty hip in our area.  Being that we have LOTS of waterways, oftentimes a bridge gets you part of the way over and then the tunnel gets you under, allowing for regular ship/boat passage.  But let me tell you, come rush hour, they are the real deal nightmare.
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Leftover Halloween Candy?

No problemo!   And, no I'm not going to tell you to bring it into work or throw it away...that's sacrilegious in my book.  So, my friends, I present to you two very tasty solutions...

Perchance do you like Coldstone or if you're from the 757, remember Uncle Harry's?  Well then, you know where I'm going with this...make your own fab ice cream sundae with a bunch of crushed up Halloween candy.  My fav is crushing Reese's cups with a fork and then mixing them into Heath ice cream.  It makes for a longer gym sesh, but it's a pretty solid accoutrement to Dancing with the Stars.  Dig in - yum!

My Mom was famous for stealing the mini Hershey's bars and chopping them up to use for homemade chocolate chunk cookies.  Probably a better use in the long run, anyways.  M&M's, Reese's cups, Reese's pieces and Hershey's bars are all great picks for cookie filling. 

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60 minutes

Today is the official end to daylight savings....the beloved "fall back."  What will you do with your extra hour?

- Sleep?

- Cook some healthy meals for the week?
- Snuggle with your loved ones?
- Exercise?

- Do some extra chores?

- Watch an hour of trashy reality TV without the I'll-never-get-that-hour-back feeling?
- Read a book?

I'm feeling a bit run down these days and am on the brink of a few days of vacation so I plan to sleep and get in some extra relaxing so I'm well rested for my few days of r&r...er that sounds like an oxymoron, huh?

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I heart...Navy blazers

There's just something about a Navy blazer.  I adore them - they make my preppy heart swoon.  My favorite traits are a fab lining, gold buttons and perhaps an embroidered crest.  They're classic, evoke prep-school style and will never be out of fashion.  There's just something so perfect about a Navy blazer thrown over a button down oxford with jeans and cute flats.  Definitely one of my favorite weekend looks. 

And I've been eyeing this beauty at JCrew...

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Rug size handy tip

Figuring out the right rug size for a room can be challenging.  It can be really tough to visualize the size and how it will occupy the space.  I've set up visual markeres like a magazine or a book to mark out the corners, but it stil doesn't really get the job done.  And you can only do so much with a tape measure...

So the trick of the day for visualizing a rug size is simple - tape it out!  Painters tape is perfect for the job and won't hurt your floor or carpeting.  And it makes for the perfect visual cue on the size and fit of a rug.

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It's official!

My Mom, Auntie and I have registered for the Disney Princess Half Marathon in Disney World in February!  I am so excited to share this awesome experience with them and in one of my favorite places. 



So far, we're all doing very well in our training and I can't wait to cross the finish line together!  And so begins, one item to tick off my thirty before thirty list...
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I heart...vanishing dark circles

You know when people tell you that you look tired?  It's the kindest way to tell someone that they look crummy.  Who wants to look tired?  Well, my friends, that answer is simple - no one!  Even when I'm not tired, I suffer from persistent dark circles.  No matter how much sleep I get, there's always a trace of them around.  And I've tried all sorts of concealer to mask their icky appearance to no avail.  But recently I trekked to my local Sephora and hunkered down for a while.  I went in make-up free (gasp!) and went to town trying all sorts of products with a goal of finding some hardcore under eye concealer and a new eye shadow.  After trying three different concealers -  a Laura Mercier, a Dior and a Benefit, - I settled on the Benefit Erase Paste.

This little gem saved me over the last few weeks.  I've been majorly sleep-deprived and it helped my eyes look as bright as they possibly could under the circumstances.  It's a bit shellac-like, but it works.  It comes in a pot with a "spatula" for application. I also love that it came with a little booklet on how to best apply.  Available at Sephora for $26 in three shades. 

Thank you, Benefit Cosmetics - so grateful for this miracle worker!

*Disclaimer: I was neither compensated nor requested to write this post...I just like to write about products I love!
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Don't forget to vote

It's not only your civic duty, but a chance to voice your opinion on your political representatives!

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And I'm back!

After finishing up a graduate certification and a major, very time-consuming project at work (read: working LOTs of late nights and weekends), I'm back in action and excited to be back to the blogosphere.  And now that I have my life back, I'm pretty excited to enjoy this month.  There are some wonderful things on the horizon...

* First and foremost, welcoming my parents to the south!  They've recently flown south and I will be spending 5 glorious days in their new home.  I can't wait to visit and have them closer.

* Cooking.  With lots of long days, I've been noticeably absent from my kitchen.  I am excited to indulge in fall flavors - squash, roasted meat, thyme and rosemary, pumpkin muffins and apple crisp. 

* Getting back into my running routine. 

* Enjoying my kindle.

Happy Fall, ya'll!
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