A little o' this and a little o' that!

So it seems that we have been super busy lately but not a whole lot of exciting stuff to blog about. But, here's a little update on Team Clancy!


1. Two weeks from tomorrow Brett and I will be landing in Mexico! Everything is arranged and all we have left now is one shopping trip for a few goodies (I am thinking Old Navy since they have some cute spring stuff out and great prices) and a long night of packing!


2. Brett has officially lost 15 pounds!!!! He has worked so hard - 30 Day Shred in the morning, gym in the evening and counting calories in EVERYTHING!!!! Way to go baby!


3. A few weeks ago, we went to my first Bulls game. It was so much fun AND Vince Vaughn was there. I zoomed way in with my camera but it still came out blurry :-)



4. We have been drinking lots of fruit smoothies for breakfast and I just thought I would share the recipe to our favorites flavor - Peanut Butter Banana
In a blender, put 1 container vanilla yogurt, 1 large banana, 2 T peanut butter, and a handful of ice. Blend until smooth. If you like it thicker or thinner, add more ice or milk. This makes enough for two good size smoothies so split it between two glasses. Brett's then gets a scoop of protein, I get a scoop of flax seed. Stir and enjoy!!!

Our Low Calorie, Lent Friendly, and Wonderfully Delicious Dinner

I may have mentioned this a time or two but Brett and I leave for Mexico on March 27. It is taking over my thoughts - the sun, the sand, the food, the drinks (did I also mention I gave up wine, beer and liquor for Lent)!!!! We have been planning this trip since getting back from our Honeymoon 4 1/2 years ago and I can't believe it is almost here. To prepare for the trip (and the pounds we will inevitably gain from all the food and drinks) we've been very committed to eating healthy, counting calories, and working out. Our 5 am workout has been Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred and then we have mixed in weight lifting and cardio at the gym. It has been kind of exhausting and my mind has been overun with thoughts of the food I am not eating. Right now I would give anything for some chocolate chip cookies or a brownie. Please pretend you did not see my last post of the giant piece of cake I cheated with!

Since Fridays in Lent means no meat, Brett came up with an awesome idea for dinner - fish tacos. We love them at restaurants so why not make them? Here is the run down of our low calorie, Lent friendly and wonderfully delicious dinner that we made on Friday. P.S. it was so good that we ate it again on Saturday!

Fish Tacos

Fish
1/2 lb. Cod, pan fried in olive oil and then sliced or flaked, however you like it (this was enough for 2 people, 2 tacos each)

Avocado Sauce

-1 1/2 avocados peeled, pit removed

-1/2 cup fat free sour cream

-juice of half a lime juice

-hot sauce to taste (I used an Habanero sauce)

*mix these 4 ingredients in food processor until smooth

*Add 1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped and fresh cilantro

Slaw

4 large leaves of romaine lettuce, washed and thinly sliced

2 large slices of white onion, chopped

3 inch chunk of English cucumber, chopped

*mix these three ingredients together, season with salt and pepper and add juice from one lime and dash of vinegar (this is best if made ahead and allowed to sit)

Put it all together...

Warm 6 inch whole wheat tortillas in the microwave, about 10 seconds. Smear with avocado sauce, place a large scoop of slaw on tortilla and top with fish.

Southwestern Salad

(I adapted this recipe and I'm not including the amounts because it is personal taste. Use more of what you like, less of what you don't)

Romaine lettuce, washed and broken

Corn, canned is fine, washed and drained
Black beans, washed and drained

Avocado, peeled and chopped into large chunks

Red onion

Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

*Toss with a lime vinaigrette (if you make it from scratch it isn't much more than lime juice and olive oil seasoned up a bit, but I bought Newman's Own Lighten Up Light Lime Vinaigrette and it was delicious at only 60 calories for 2 T.)

Creamy Layered Fruit Sensation

Click on name for the recipe. I got from Kraft Foods and followed the directions as given except that we made individual servings instead of making it all together. Trader Joe's has an excellent bag of frozen organic berries that we used and were perfect for this recipe.

Hope everyone has a good week and enjoys this meal for a meat free Friday (or any day you feel like fish) dinner!

Mmmmmmmmm!

This is something that should not be found on my desk right now - it was a piece of cake. Now it is a mess of icing smeared on the plate because this little piggy went to town! Oh was it good!

Puggle Love

Ranch Style Chicken Chili

A big thank you to all our great Presidents who gave me the day off yesterday! And because I got pretend that I don't have a job for a day, I was able to sit around and watch talk shows (OK, I only watched two Rachael Ray and Martha) I got a fabulous new recipe. Yesterday, Rach (yeah, we're tight) made Ranch Style Chicken Chile and it left my mouth watering. Well that's what we're having tonight for dinner and if Brett doesn't get home soon, there won't be any left!!! You need to go to the store and buy these ingredients NOW!

Ingredients
4 poblano peppers
2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 pounds ground chicken (I used turkey because that's what I had and I didn't use quite 2 lbs.)
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon coriander (I did not put this in because the store only had seeds and I was confused by that so I just left it out)
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup dill, chopped (I used dried)
1/4 cup chives or scallions, finely chopped (I didn't put this in either because, well, I forgot)
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
Hot sauce, to taste
1 cup sour cream

Directions:
Char peppers under the broiler with oven door cracked for steam to escape. Place charred peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam (you can also just put them in a brown paper bag and roll the top down). Let cool then peel, seed and finely chop.
Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a medium size pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and brown and crumble the meat. Add onions and garlic to the pot and cook 5 minutes to soften. Season with cumin and coriander, and stir in chopped peppers. Add stock and herbs, and simmer 5 minutes. Season with hot sauce to taste.
Turn off heat and stir in sour cream to combine. Serve with tortilla chips alongside for dipping.

*I found the process of charring the peppers kind of fun. Here is before...

and this was after...

I followed the directions almost to a tee expect the few ingredients changes I mentioned above. When it was done, I put it in the crock pot to keep hot 'til Brett got home. I wish I could put a smell on here because this soup seriously smells so delicious! Even Lucy kept standing at the counter trying to get a whiff!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Brett and I are celebrating in our usual way...Chipotle!!! We did changed it up a bit (we skipped ice cream at Oberweiss) and are currently hanging out at Borders. Brett has his calendar and some travel books and I have my laptop and my Valentine. Life is good.

In case you didn't know - yesterday was the Super Bowl. The Saints won. I called it.

Now that I have updated you all on the football news, here's the fun stuff - our DiGiorno sponsored pizza party!!!! I signed up several weeks ago to "host" a DiGiorno Game Day Believers Party (spokesman is none other than Pittsburgh's own Jerome "The Bus" Bettis) and was picked. I received this fabulous "party pack" complete with 6 coupons for free Digiorno pizzas, $4 off coupons for my guests, a DiGiorno hot pad, a DiGiorno pizza cutter, DiGiorno stickers, and DiGiorno party beads. The catch? Serve the pizza and upload photos. Basically - eat and blog - that I can do. By the way . . . the thin crispy flatbread Chicken Tuscano is OUT OF THIS WORLD and the garlic bread crust pizzas are way Delicious as well!!!

Brett and I and ALL our pizzas!

Lucy wearing her DiGiorno beads

"Tucker, what did you do for those beads?"

I made a Brownie Banana Split Pizza to keep up with the theme for dessert

The Billings Family LOVE DiGiorno pizza!

And last, the boys and their food...

Recipes from a Sick Blogger

Today I am blogging from . . . bed! I seem to have come down with a yucky cold that has left me with absolutely ZERO energy. My dear, dear husband has been a cleaning machine all day as we are having a Super Bowl party tomorrow. Because he has become Mr.Domestic, I have been able to lay in bed, sip some tea and watch one of my favorite movies, P.S. I Love You!


This week, I cooked up some rather yummy dishes that I hope you enjoy!

• Blueberry Breakfast Cake: It calls for fresh blueberries but I used frozen. I also used the buttermilk substitute (1/2 T. vinegar in a 1/2 cup measuring cup and then fill with milk) This cake was fabulous breakfast last Sunday that was perfect wit a cup of coffee and served warm out of the oven.


• Italian Spinach Pie: While this may not have been Brett's idea of a "man's meal" he enjoyed it and I thought it was out of this world. A few changes: add some garlic, a whole cup of chopped red peppers, and maybe some onions, basil instead of oregano and a sprinkle of garlic salt on top. IT does need to cook for a little longer than the recipe says.


• Grilled BBQ Sandwiches with Spicy Avocado Sauce: These were super yummy! Since it is FREEZING outside, I grilled them on my grill pan on the stove top.


• Since I had chicken, buns and red pepper left over, we had chicken sandwiches another night, but this time it was my own creation. Sara Lee Wheat Buns (80 calories), chicken (pounded into thin cutlets, sprinkle with a little dry ranch and grill), spinach leaves, sliced red pepper, a touch of Light Ranch Dressing, and a wedge of Laughing Cow Light Swiss ( I spread half of the wedge on each of our sandwiches). Put all this stuff together and you have a magnificent and healthy grilled chicken sandwich!


• Thursday night was an easy night: Pizza! We had the Organics spinach and cheese and a side of Del Monte Cinnamon Peaches. I would highly recommend that you hightail it to the grocery store and pick these two things up. SOOO tasty!!!!

I am looking forward to blogging about our Super Bowl party. I was lucky enough to win a DiGiorno party pack...should be a lot of fun (even if all the girls do have the same cold)!!!!!

Life in the City

This is where I spent the day on Wednesday. I had a brief training for work in the morning and got to spend the rest of the day feeling as if I didn't have a care in the world. A little shopping, some free WiFi at Borders, a Starbuck's coffee and the best part of the day - lunch with Brett! It's hard to believe some people get to do this everyday!!!

Souper Sunday Italian Style

The tradition of Souper Sunday just isn't the same when the day is not spent watching football. With only the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl left, we decided we needed to get in another yummy pot of soup! Brett decided yesterday that he wanted to make "the Olive Garden's soup". Coincidentally, my mom gave me a delicious recipe for Zuppa Tuscano not too long ago. This may be one of our best soups yet!!!!!

Zuppa Tuscano

6 large potatoes, sliced (not peeled) and quartered

2 lg. red onions, diced

2 T. olive oil

4 T. minced garlic

2 lbs. loose Italian sausage

Roux: 10 T. flour, 10 T. butter, 2 t. salt, 1 T. pepper

2 c. white cooking wine
6 c. chicken broth
2c. half and half
4 t. cumin
4 t. basil
6 oz. baby spinach, washed and torn (can use frozen)

• Boil potatoes until half way cooked. Drain and set aside.
• Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Set aside.
• Brown and drain sausage. Set aside
• Make roux by heating butter until melted. Slowly stir in flour, salt and pepper using whisk until smooth.
• Add wine, chicken broth, and half and half. Stir constantly with wire whisk until bubbly and thickened slightly (not lumpy).
• Add onion, garlic, cumin, basil, sausage, potatoes, and spinach to liquid. Stir well. Cover and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours.

Enjoy!!!!