Simple Easy Side Dishes that I love!

A great side dish can just make a meal sing and sometimes can be even more exciting than the entree. I tend to focus a lot on sharing recipes for entrees and realized the other day that I have some super simple, healthy, and delicious side dishes I have come up with that deserve a post as well.
I love veggies and a typical dinner in my home usually includes some type of protein and a veggie side dish. I don't make a lot of starches at dinner time and actually try to avoid too many carbs as a general rule. I know it could seem easier sometimes to open up a box of rice or instant mashed potatoes but these side dishes are just as quick and better for you.
Nick and I both love asparagus. I have found that my favorite way to cook it is to roast it in the oven.

Roasted Asparagus

Asparagus
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Clean and trim asparagus and place on a cookie sheet or baking pan. Drizzle olive oil on asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Mix around the spears to make sure each is coated with a little oil and seasoning. Cooking time will vary depending on your oven and the size of your spears so I would check on them after 10 mins and then continue cooking until you reach desired doneness. I love to get mine a little crispy!
You can enjoy the asparagus just like that and it tastes great but you could also squirt a little lemon juice on them or drizzle a little soy sauce on them depending on what your entree is.

 I came up with this next recipe one night when I noticed we had some tomatoes that were getting soft and needed to be eaten.

Roasted Italian Tomato Slices

tomatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
shredded motz, Parmesan, and or cheddar
oregano

preheat oven to 350. Clean a couple small tomatoes and cut into thick slices. Spray a cookie sheet or baking pan with cooking spray and arrange the slices on the sheet. Drizzle a little olive on each slice. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese on each slice and it almost doesn't matter what type of cheese you use. I have tried all kinds and they always taste really yummy. Then top each slice with a little oregano.
Cook slices in the oven for about 10 mins and then check on them. Continue cooking until the cheese is nice and melty and maybe even a little browned.

I adore brussel sprouts and make them really often with a piece of grilled chicken. That is a summer meal go to. I also love that you can season these brussel sprout several different ways and they just suck up the flavor.

Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts

Brussel Sprouts
olive oil
salt and pepper
minced garlic
red wine vin
optional: lemon, Italian dressing, Parmesan cheese, wine wine

Clean brussels and chop each one in half long ways. Place brussels in a skillet on med heat with some olive oil, salt and pepper, and minced garlic. Cook brussels until they begin to get bright green and a little softer then add a little vinegar and any or all of the optional ingredients. Turn up the heat to high and stir often. The goal is to get a little brown crust on the veggies but to not completely over cook them.
enjoy! The picture below shows the brussel sprouts with some grilled chicken and a little guacamole.

This next one is super simple and very summery!

Herb and Feta Cucumber slices

1 Cucumber
Any Oil based Salad Dressing like a vinaigrette, Caesar, or Italian
feta
salt and pepper

Take your cucumber and clean and peel it. Slice up and either put in a bowl or right on your dinner plates. drizzle with your favorite Italian style salad dressing. Sprinkle feta on top and season with a little salt and pepper. Done!

I just came up with this next one last week and Nick and I both were crazy about it! This one has more fat than the other recipes above but its still pretty healthy and it has avocado in it which is a super food.

Avocado and Crab Salad

1 avocado
1 cup imitation crab meat
light mayo or sour cream
lemon
minced onion flakes
old bay
minced garlic or garlic powder

Slice avocado in half, remove seed, and scoop out chunks into a bowl. Add 1 cup of chopped imitation crab meat. Squeeze a little lemon juice into the bowl then add old bay and garlic and how much just depends on your taste. Next shake about 1 tablespoon of minced onion flakes into bowl and then a tablespoon of mayo or sour cream. You can add more if you like the salad wetter. Mix and taste and add more spices, lemon, and/or mayo if you like until you get it just right. chill the salad for about 30 mins.
You can serve as a side dish or put over salad greens and eat as your entree. Add bacon if you are feeling crazy.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and I will share more healthy and easy side dishes soon!

Today was a good day......

I woke up this morning to a very happy baby girl and Nick bringing me a cup of coffee in bed. So far this day was getting off to a great start! Lily went down for a nap around 9:30 and slept long enough for me to workout, tidy up just a bit, and take a shower. This day was still going great! I laid out some clothes to wear for the day and found my favorite underwear was clean and whenever that happens, I know its going to be a good day! I wasn't even upset when I realized that I didn't have any clean jeans that really fit me. I found a pair that would button enough for me to function and have some lovely muffin top, threw on an over sized sweater and accepted that this outfit and how it fit was ok for today. Then I scooped up little Lily from her crib and headed to Wegmans with gift certificates I got for Christmas. Could this day get any better?! I love Wegmans and I love free groceries from Wegmans. It was super crowded and some snotty woman fresh from the gym was rushing around the store with zero regard for anyone else and I had the unfortunate luck to run into her several times but...I did not let her bother me because I was wearing my favorite underwear and it was a good day.
I got to the register and watched my grocery bill go down to almost nothing with those wonderful gift certs and then headed to the car with my goodies and my sweet girl. I got to the car and was unloading the groceries when a nice older woman asked if she could help me and then take my cart. WHAT?! this is such a lovely day. She chatted with me and kept an eye on Lily while I packed up my car and it was a really nice moment. She waved goodbye and took my cart and I got Lily in her car seat and headed home.
Lily ate well at lunch and laughed while I made funny faces and sang to her and then went down for her afternoon nap. She slept long enough for me to clean my kitchen floor, empty trash, clean the guest room and bathroom, put away some Christmas gifts, and eat lunch myself.
She woke up happy and I found her playing in her crib with her bear and her blanket and she smiled at me when I came to get her.
My house is cleaner, groceries put away and I have a full fridge and freezer, I feel great from excising this morning, and Lily is playing in her bouncer so I can type up this post.
I am so very lucky to have this life. I am so blessed to have a beautiful and loving family (on both sides) that has a close bond and isn't too far away to spend time together often. I am thankful that I have experienced great love and great loss and learned so much from both. I am so happy for the time I got to spend with my Mother before she passed and for the fantastic childhood her and my father gave me. I am so very thankful that 2012 was a good year for me and my family for the most part. So many precious babies were born this year in my family and to my dear friends and this was a year filled with life and love instead of fear and loss.
I don't know what 2013 holds but I hope its full of more good days, happy babies, exercise, and just being happy for the little things like...your favorite underwear.

A man was found shot dead in my neighborhood last night just a few yards from my house. I don't know who this man was or why this happened to him. He was found in his car and the details still haven't been released. It is so scary to know that something so horrific could happen just a few feet from your doorstep.
I woke up this morning and held my daughter tight and was so very thankful to be inside my warm house, close to my healthy and happy family. Today was a good day because I had today at all. Anything could've happened today but I started it with a smile and a hug and the thought that I was very blessed to have the sun rising up in my backyard to shine on me and my family. I think of my mother whenever I see the sunrise, which is another story, but she shined on us today and reminded me of every wonderful thing I have to be thankful for this year.

and here are some pictures that make me happy....

Powering Through Yoga and Being a Temporary Stay at Home Mom

I recently made a huge life changing decision to take a leave of absence from my job of 10 years to stay home with Lily for a little while. She has had some troubling stomach issues since she was born and then after a few concerning events at her daycare, I just decided I needed to be home with her. It was one of the hardest and scariest decisions I have ever made actually. On one hand I get to stay home with my sweet baby and protect her and teach her and give her all the one on one attention I was missing with her.

I can focus more on taking care of my home, making delicious dinners, running all those errands that fell to the wayside, and garden in the spring. On the other hand I have been working since I was 15 years old and juggling that with school and/or theatre and I am so used to being very busy that part of me worried about how I would handle all this home time. I also haven't even mentioned that I am not getting a paycheck anymore so that is scary as well.
 It has been a big adjustment. The first couple weeks it didn't feel real and I had a little anxiety in the evenings because I kept feeling like I needed to get ready for work the next day. It has been almost two months now I guess and I am settling into a little routine and I think I am finding a new kind of happiness. It is different and still a little scary but spending time with Lily and having a tidy home is really lovely. Lily is sleeping until 7am usually and after waking up at 5am or earlier for work for a long time, 7am is a dream! I have discovered that I love the Ellen show and really look forward to 3pm. I have taken many walks and now know which neighbors seem to have homes and yards to be proud of and which seem like they are secret hoarders. I cleaned my dishwasher and discovered that it was full of goo in the corners and that was super gross. I have developed a love for HG TV so between that and my gardening and cooking, I am feeling very Martha stewarty these day.  I also have added in workout time during Lily's first nap of the day and that has really made me feel like a new person.
I have realized that I can't just sit on the couch when she naps or while she plays. As long as I stay busy for the most part, then I feel useful and content. So I started with a yoga DVD I have had for years, then added some Teabo and Pilates. I recently stepped it up and added in a short Insanity workout. If you haven't heard of Insanity then just know that it is called Insanity for a reason. I literally had to take a break after the first two minutes of the workout. Nick was working on his computer and watched me struggle through this thing and we both laughed from time to time when I would just stop and say; "oh I am NOT doing that". I pushed through and made it to the end of the workout and actually felt great.  So I have kept at it and also added in a power yoga DVD. I have never done yoga like this because I am just a novice but I have begun balancing and twisting in crazy poses and I have been so proud of what I have been able to do. I know people who do yoga really advocate for how amazing it makes you feel and how great it is for stress and the benefits just go on and on and I am here to say, it's true. Since I started yoga again I feel great! It has been just a couple weeks but I see and feel my muscles toning, my energy level has increased, my state of mind is calm and centered, and my back is getting stronger everyday. I might have found yet another hobby and I am really excited about it.
I am on a brand new journey and so much has changed in the past 9 mos. There were moments in the beginning where I was so tired and exhausted and I wondered if I could handle this new life. I wondered if I could give up my selfish, fun loving, and at times a little immature ways. I knew I was ready for a baby and a life change but there is nothing in the world that can prepare you for what it is really like. Since losing my mother I look at the world very differently and it changed me in many ways. I grew up a lot in those weeks while she was sick. Even though I already thought I was responsible adult, I had further to go and I felt this new sense of responsibility to be the woman she wanted me to be and to help take care of my family. Now that Lily is in my life I have found an even deeper maturity and have grown so much more. I think I finally really feel like a grown up and that feels really funny to say that at 32. Its the hardest job I have ever had but the most fulfilling. I never ever thought I would be the stay at home Mom type, but maybe I am. Maybe I am good at this and maybe it is enough. There are always going to be tough days but then there are days like today where Lily is being so cuddly, my home is neat and tidy, I am finally seeing weight lose results, and I made an awesome kick ass dinner!
So tonight I made the best turkey burgers I have ever had so I really hope you like this one. Its another one of my Mom's magazine recipes but I do a few things my way of course.

French Onion Soup Turkey Burgers

1 Pound Ground Turkey (or beef)
1 Can Campbell's French Onion Soup
Sliced Swiss
Buns

Seasoning for Turkey Meat:
3 T Worcestershire sauce
several dashes garlic powder
2 T Italian dressing
several shakes of grated Parmesan cheese from one of those cans
salt and pepper
bread crumbs

Mix together all seasoning ingredients except bread crumbs. Add turkey meat and mix. Add in bread crumbs until the mixture thickens up a bit. Once you get the meat to the point where you think it will make some decent patties, then form meat into four equal patties.
Place burgers in a large skillet and brown on both sides. Once browned, remove burgers and set aside. Add 1 can of french onion soup to the skillet and bring to a boil. Stir often to get up any bits left in the skillet from the burgers. Once the soup reaches a boil, add the burgers back to the skillet. Reduce heat and cook on low, covered. Cook 5 more mins or until burgers are done. Add cheese to burgers and once melted, remove from skillet.

Place burgers on a nice toasted bun. Pour remaining soup into a bowl use for dipping.

We didn't add ketchup, mayo, or any condiments to the burger because it was so packed with flavor that it didn't need it. I also made some sweet potato fries on the side. I just peeled and chopped a sweet potato and cooked the fries in a cast iron skillet with very hot vegetable oil and seasoned with sea salt. They were a little soggy so I am going to do a little research and figure out how to make them crispier.

Enjoy! This is one of my favorites. 

Holiday Edition: You did What in your Snow Suit?!

My sister and I grew up in a pretty yellow house off a dirt road in Prince William County VA when that part of VA was all farmland still. Before the malls were expanded, bypasses were built, and shopping centers were erected on every corner, almost anywhere southwest of Fairfax county was still dotted with fields and farms.
After passing the small local golf course on what used to be Davis Ford Road, you would turn right on to our road; Moore Drive. On your left was a small white country church with blue and yellow stained glass windows and a simple cemetery in back. Around your first bend was the Buckhall General Store where my sister and I would ride our bikes in the summer to buy yoohoos and ice cream bars. As you drove deeper down Moore on the bumpy, dusty, dirt road, you would see cows grazing on the fields of Kemper farm and then the trees would begin to thicken as you entered the woods on the way to our home.
In the winter these woods became a wonderland. Icicles hanging from 100 year old trees and snow drifts so deep you could lose a boot and never find it again (which did happen to my friend Rodey growing up...we dug and dug for an hour and never found that boot and it never turned up after the snow melted). Living off this narrow, hilly, winding road in the winter also meant you could get snowed in for several days or more. For my sister and I that meant several days off school to play in the snow and we were in heaven.
We had just over an acre of land surrounded my trees, a deep gully in the front yard, and some terrific hills in the back yard. This meant hours of sledding, building forts, and piling up huge snowmen. My Mom could barely get my sister and I to sit down and eat breakfast on snowy days. We would wake up and look out our window to a huge blanket of white covering our front yard and then it would drop off into the gully where sledding and hide and seek waited...how could we be asked to sit down and eat breakfast when so much fun was calling?
Lindsay and I would shovel some fruit loops in our mouths and then run to our rooms to dig out our thermal underwear, several pairs of socks, boots, hats, gloves, and to top it all off, our pink snow suits. We didn't plan on coming in for a very long time so we used to wear a couple pairs of underwear,  two layers of thermals, a sweatshirt and jeans over that, 3 pairs of socks, and then the snow suit. It was literally hard to walk and move around but we surely managed. It took so long to put all of that on and then take it off again that we would wait as long as we could to go back inside to eat or use the bathroom.

At some point my sister and I just decided it was too much work to go inside to use the bathroom and that is when we began what we called; "Yellow Snow". Yes, when we were young playing in the snow, we used to pee in the snow instead of going inside to the bathroom. I remember running up and down the hills in the backyard sledding over and over and then plopping down at the top of the hill to make some yellow snow before hoping up again for another run.
At the end of the day we would head back into the house and begin peeling off all of our damp layers. Feet numb, noses red, lips blue, and well... covered in pee. Our Mom figured out what we were doing and was in disbelief. She begged us to knock it off and would say; "what is wrong with you crazy kids!" but once we figured this little trick out, we weren't coming back inside for nothing... no way, no how! We were already soaked from the snow anyway, so we just didn't see what the big deal was. Looking back, I really can't believe we did this.
Then one day, the worst happened and it was something I definitely didn't plan....
I must have been 8 or 9 years old and had been playing in the snow all day long. As usual I waited as long as I could before deciding to go inside to use the restroom and this time there was something more than yellow snow sending me inside. My tummy began to rumble and ache and I needed a bathroom fast.
I gathered my strength and carried my heavy, soaking wet self to the front door. I was in such a hurry that I didn't notice our little black Daschund; Boston, sitting in the foyer just waiting for an opportunity like this.
I grabbed the handle on the glass door and pulled and before I knew it, Boston was speeding past me. I whirled around and saw him hauling it up the driveway as fast as he could as my Mother was screaming behind me to "Go get that DOG!!!". At this moment I was in a mental and physical battle...I knew if I turned and ran after that dog, something very very bad could happen but there was no one else who could go get him. I had no choice and I took off after the little black dot speeding up the road. My tummy ached even more and I struggled with all my might to hold back the horrible thing brewing below. I was sweating and doing this crazy hobble of a run as I clenched my muscles as hard as I could but still ran as fast as I could. Halfway up the driveway I lost this battle and I pooped in my pink snow suit. I screamed out; "OOOOH NOOOO!" but I just had to keep running. I reached Boston just before he darted into the street and I grabbed him and slowly waddled back down to the house. As I got closer to the house I began to cry.
Mom was waiting for me and she was so confused at my tears.

"Karissa, Karissa, what is wrong??"

"Mom, I pooped in my snow suit!!" I sobbed

"OOOOOH NOOO!!!" She blurted out and then she began to laugh.

 Her face got beet red and she was cracking up as she grabbed the dog from me and hurried me inside. "Oh no." she said again.

From that day on the only ones making yellow snow were our dogs Cookey and Boston. We learned our lesson and along with a little threatening from our Mother, my sister and I made sure to come inside to use the restroom during the day.
My childhood memories growing up in that house with my family on Moore Drive are magical and the holidays were even more magnificent. The snow, the smell of the wood stove, hanging home-made ornaments on the tree, and a big bowl of potato soup after a day of sledding are memories I will cherish forever and hope to pass down to my baby girl.

My sister on Christmas Day showing off some awesome new Looney Tunes gear

 I will tell her about the yellow snow and warn her that yellow snow is all fun and games until someone poops in their snow suit and that's not fun! I will also invest in extra laundry detergent in case she takes after her silly Mommy and gets some bright idea to avoid cutting her snow time short.

Connie's Kitchen: Holiday Edition-The Christmas Lamp

 This year is our first Christmas with Little Lily. She is almost 9 mos old and growing faster everyday. It has been so fun showing her our Christmas tree, walking around the neighborhood and pointing out decorations and lights, and trying to keep her from destroying all the gifts I have wrapped under the tree.

We just picked out her first Christmas gifts and it's so hard not to buy her everything I see. I mean look at that face!

 I really love buying gifts for my friends and family and I really really love finding the perfect gift for someone.
My Mom could be really easy to shop for on one hand because she made it known when she really loved something, like her Yankee Candles, Bath and Body Works lotion, the color RED, or a cute pair of flats.  On the other hand,  it was always really tough finding her that one perfect gift because she already had a ton of candles, lotions, and shoes. If you got her something she loved, she would go crazy like a little kid or scold you for spending too much even though you could tell she loved it. If you got her something she didn't really like, she had a really hard time hiding it. It was almost like she would take it personally because she hated having to pretend she liked something or explain that she didn't like something. So buying her something different and special could be really nerve wracking but when you found that perfect gift for Mom, it was so worth it! A few years ago I thought I came up with the perfect gift and I was so excited.

 My parents were in the process of remodeling their kitchen from a pretty outdated, 1970's look (dark cabinets, yellow appliances, dark wood floor). They had slowly been making updates for a long time but they were finally redoing everything from the cabinets, to the floors, to adding an island. All this time, while Mom had been making changes to update the kitchen, there was this huge hanging lamp over the sink. It was in a Tiffany style but very 1970's, yellow and brown, and out of style. I thought the perfect most amazing gift would be to replace that lamp with a beautiful new Tiffany style hanging lamp that matched the new kitchen colors.
I was nervous about getting this for my Mom because it was a big purchase, so I started to feel her out about what she would want in a new lamp. She immediately got a little weird about it when I started asking. I don't know if she hadn't decided what she wanted to do about a new lamp yet, or if she was just scared I wouldn't get her exactly what she wanted but she made it very clear that she DID NOT want me to get her a new hanging lamp for the kitchen.
Back to the drawing board....
I was still stuck on this idea of a Tiffany style lamp because I thought she would actually really like one so I thought of a table lamp instead. My parents had just added on a sun room and she was still decorating it so I thought a pretty lamp would be perfect in there.
I found a beautiful, simple, small lamp with lilies on the shade, which were my Mom's favorite flower. It was similar to the one below but the design on the shade was even more simple and I thought for sure she would love it.

I checked with my sister and she agreed that the lamp was perfect! So I ordered it and when it came I wrapped with it up with so much care and so much pride. I topped it off with a big bow and then attached the tag that said "TO: Mom-From: Karissa and Lindsay" and smiled.
I put it under the tree at my family's home on Christmas morning and was thrilled at how the wrapping looked and how large the box was. My Mom was there and watched me lay the big beautifully wrapped box on the carpet and she frowned. I could tell what she was thinking and I looked at her and said; "Don't worry Mom, I didn't get you the hanging lamp". She wasn't convinced. She starred at me with a look that said; "hmm I don't trust you Missy" and we both giggled and went on with the opening of gifts.
We had a wonderful morning unwrapping perfumes and sweaters, tossing crinkled up paper at each other and giving big hugs of appreciation.
Finally, we came to the end and Mom's big gift was the only one left under the tree. It sat there shining under the tree lights just waiting for the perfect moment when Mom would open it and delight in her new lovely piece of home decor.
I go grab the box and put it in the center of floor and call Mom over. She is hesitant and we all keep nervously laughing because she is still just 100% sure we got her some awful hanging lamp that she doesn't want.  Mom walks over to the gift and kneels down in front of it and looks up at us one more time with that same distrusting but playful look. We all hold our breath as she starts removing the green and red paper from the box. She gets down to the box and opens it to see a lamp shade and she looks up at us confused and a little angry. I will never forget her face. It was priceless! She was feeling so many things and not hiding any emotion well but mostly she was annoyed. I burst into laughter and keep assuring her that this gift is not a hanging lamp. The whole family descends on the box to get this little lamp put together as quickly as possible so Mom can see what it really is. We take out bubble wrap and Styrofoam all while she is frowning with mild hatred at this unwanted gift. I take out the lamp stand and say "See, See Mom, its not a hanging lamp, it has a stand". She doesn't believe me. My sister, Dad, and I are all laughing as Mom is getting more and more annoyed because at this point she thinks we are making fun of her.
We finally get the whole thing put together and let her look at it. Her face changes from annoyed, to confused again, to surprised, to happy and embarrassed. We all erupt in laughter and she is sheepishly smiling and promising she likes it.
The whole family walked upstairs together to the sun room to plug in the lamp and check it out in all its glory.
Mom was really pleased and I will never forget that day. She actually called me that next week to ask where I got the lamp so she could get a matching one to make it a set. I almost fell out of my chair laughing as I told her not to worry, I would order it for her.
Tell the ones you love this season how important they are to you and remember that it doesn't matter what you give them as long as its from the heart. We still have those lamps sitting in Mom's sun room and I bet she is up in heaven still so happy we didn't get her a hanging lamp.