commenting

I have had a few people tell me that they have been unable to comment on the posts I have been making.  I believe that I have fixed it now.

What's on the Menu? Pan-Seared Sea Scallops over Spicy Thai Noodles

This is the perfect meal to make on days where your evenings are going to be hectic!  The noodles can be made ahead of time and set in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve and the scallops cook up in just a few minutes.

Before I get into the recipe, I wanted to talk about the scallops for a moment.  The only experience I’d had with scallops before last night was watching Hell’s Kitchen where Ramsey screams that they are burnt/rubbery/still finding Nemo.  If a professional chef can mess up scallops so often, what hope did I have? 

I knew from being a food-info reading junkie that there are three sizes and two types of scallops….sea, bay, and calico and dry or wet. Sea scallops are 2 inches in diameter or bigger while the bay scallops are much smaller.  Calico scallops are similar to the bay scallop in size and color but they are less sweet. Dry refers to a natural scallop, while wet refers to a scallop that has been injected with solution of sodium tripolyphosphate or STP.  STP is a preservative that causes the scallop to soak up excess water.  Why is this important?

Besides the whole “eating chemical solutions” agreement, dry scallops weight less so when you are buying them you will be paying for just the seafood instead of the water weight inside of them.  A dry scallop also browns better then a wet scallop since it does not have excess water that will be released during the cooking process.  Oh and let’s not forget that wet scallops shrink…we’re talking almost 40% smaller once they are cooked!!

When you are purchasing your scallops and want dry, look for ivory to beige coloring.  Scallops treated with STP will be bright white and are very wet to the touch.  Now if you decide to purchase frozen scallops, look at the list of ingredients.  Any scallop that has been injected will have it listed.  Also if you are buying fresh, make sure to smell the scallops if at all possible!  They should smell clean and sweet!  If it has an overly-fishy smell, don’t buy them.

Now, if you are like me and live in a land-locked area with a very limited or non-existent access to fresh seafood, your only option is to cook with frozen wet scallops.  To combat the STP, I thaw the scallops in cool running water.  Once they are thawed and drained, I lay them out on paper towels to absorb as much of the water as possible (you may have to change out the paper towels if they get too soaked) before I cook them.

*Lecture is over*

OK, now to the good stuff!

Pan-Seared Scallops with Thai Spicy Noodles

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 (1 lb) box  linguine fini, cooked and drained

1 tbsp crushed red pepper

3/4 c sesame oil

6 tbsp honey

6 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 c chopped green onions

2 carrots, shredded

1/2 c chopped cilantro

3/4 c honey roasted peanuts, chopped

24 sea scallops, if frozen – thawed

Salt and pepper (optional)

1/2 c olive oil – for cooking

Directions:

Turn oven to 250° and place oven-safe plate inside.

Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper (optional)

Combined the crushed red pepper and the sesame oil in a sauce pan over med heat; strain the oil (discard the crushed rep pepper).

Combined the red pepper-sesame oil with the honey and soy sauce, whisking until blended.

Pour the oil mixture over the cooked pasta, tossing for even coating, and store in fridge until chilled. *If you prefer the noodles hot you can skip the chilling part, but the flavors will not be as pronounced*

While the noodles chill, heat the olive oil in a medium to large skillet *I prefer to use cast iron* on med-high heat.  When the oil starts to shimmer, lower the heat to med-low and sear scallops in batches. *Depending on the size of the skillet, doing more then 4-5 scallops at a time will cause them to steam rather than caramelize* 

Once the scallops are in the pan, let them cook for 2-3 minutes without interruption before turning them over.  This will create the caramelized yumminess you’re looking for!  Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

When the first batch is done, remove them from the pan and place on the plate inside the oven.  Repeat with the remaining scallops  *I place a paper towel on the plate to soak up any remaining liquid, but be careful doing so since it is paper in a hot oven*

 To serve 8:

1 cup of the noodles

3 scallops

 2 tbsp grated carrot

 1 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 ½ tbsp chopped peanuts

For my family, since there are only 3 of us, I only cook 9 scallops at meal time.  The remaining noodles, veggies, and nuts get tossed together and placed in the fridge for lunch over the next few days. 

This is one of my favorite “easy” meals! I hope that you and your family enjoy it as much as mine does!!

<3 - Cat

Who Do You See?

When you look at pictures of yourself, what do you see? How about in the mirror? What about in the eyes of your family and friends?  Self-perception has such a big affect on how we live our lives, what we think we deserve, and the way we love ourselves.

I've been giving my self-perception a lot of thought over the last few days, and have come to the conclusion that I have let the words of others influence the way I see myself for far too long.  As an adult, I am still letting the horrible words said to me as a child color my thoughts…despite the fact that I now know they were said to hide their own insecurities and pain.

So I've come to a decision!  The words of the past will not affect how I see myself any longer!  I'm better than that and deserve better.  We all do!

From now on I will remember and believe that I am and have always been

…a good daughter

…sassy

…a dork

...cute

… goofy

…a great wife

…smart

…a valued friend 

...a loving mom

...an artist

…and one hell of a cook!

I get that others might not see me the way I see myself...and thats ok!  They can see what they want to see, but isn't it time that we all start seeing for ourselves who we are?

<3 -Cat

Monday weigh in

This last week did not have me at my best.  I would love to use all the glorious food from my husband's birthday party as an excuse but I'm not going to. The real reasons my week wasn't what it could have been. I snacked late at night a few times and I skipped breakfast then over compensated later in the day.

Yes I messed up a few times over the last 7 days but I also did a lot right.  I didn't give up for the rest of the day when I had something unhealthy.  I didn't doubt myself or what I was capable of.  I sweated my butt off dancing around the house...I mean cleaning the house.  I didn't make a single joke at my own expense.  I didn't roll my eyes when my husband said I was beautiful.  They aren't huge victories, but a win is a win, right?!

On to the scale....

I'm a bit shocked over the inches lost since I started all of this.  I'm happy to report that I've worn a few shirts I haven't fit into in years, and my normal clothes have been feeling looser which is a big boost to my self esteem.  I do dread the measuring process, but its nice to have the numbers show "something" is happening when I don't feel like I can see a difference.

<3 - Cat

Dinner time: Poblano-Shrimp Enchiladas and a Marinated Veggie Salad

My dad was by far the biggest fan of Mexican food I have ever met.  He liked it all...and the spicier it was the better.  I, however, am a complete wimp when it comes to spicy.  I think that it has its place but I don't get excited for "blow the top of your head off" level of hot!

Tonight I made poblano-shrimp enchiladas and a marinated veggie salad, and I would like to think that even without the intense heat my dad favored, he would have asked for seconds on this.  Oh and the best part...it was only 450 calories for the ENTIRE PLATE!! 

I will say this…If I had lacked the proper motivation to cook; I more than likely would have gone through the Wendy’s drive thru.  I would have probably ordered a pretzel burger, large fry, and strawberry lemonade from Wendy’s for 1610 calories in a single meal.  That is a 1160 calorie difference between the two meals!!  It blows my mind how easily if would have been to wreck my diet for the day with a single visit to a fast food joint!

Now on to the recipes!

*the photos look anemic due to my lack of planning and the storm that kept me from photographing outside.  Don't let it scare you away from trying this yummy meal at home!!* 

Poblano-Shrimp Enchiladas

3/4 pound unpeeled, medium-size fresh shrimp 

1 tablespoon olive oil

Cooking spray

1 large poblano pepper, halved and seeded

1 large onion, chopped 

1 tomato, chopped 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream 

8 corn tortillas

1 (10-ounce) can green enchilada sauce

3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Peel shrimp, and devein, if desired. Coarsely chop shrimp, and set aside.

Spray an 11- x- 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Sauté the pepper in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until skin looks blistered. Remove from skillet, and chop.

Return the chopped pepper to skillet. Add the onion and next the 5 ingredients – sautéing 4 s the chopped shrimp and sauté 1 minute; remove from heat, and cool 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream.

Heat the tortillas according to package directions. Spoon the shrimp mixture evenly down center of each tortilla and roll up. Arrange, seam side down, in prepared pan. Top with sauce, and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

 

Marinated Vegetable Salad

1 cup diced tomatoes 

1 cup diced zucchini 

1 cup diced mango

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 tablespoons minced jalapeños

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup bottled salsa 

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl.

Combine salsa, juice, and oil, stirring with a whisk. Pour dressing over tomato mixture

Cover and chill 1 hour.

What’s your kryptonite?

*warning* you can see my geek showing a bit in this post!

What do Superman, Wonder Woman, and Daredevil have in common?

Well, Superman has a weakness to the powerful green rock.  Wonder Woman was rendered weak by having her hands tied together...by a man.  Daredevil was crippled by too much noise. 

Every superhero has a weak spot that keeps them from being at their best, and while I’m no superhero…I too have an Achilles' heel.

Monday + Weight In = ready take on the week

So I stepped on the scale this morning and while I didn't tell it to shut up like last week I was happy with the number.

I only lost -1 this week and I'm ok with that!  Its still a loss which means I weigh less than I did last time.  Losing weight is so hard on its own and I'm not going to make it even harder by not accepting the smallest of victories.

Hopefully I'll see bigger losses next week!  

Now I get to go sweat like mad....doing housework :D

<3 - Cat

No post (this) sunday

I have been up for almost 31 hours at this point and I'm slightly delierious. All attempts at a video are not working.  I'm off to make dinner then to bed for a very long time.

Until tomorrow, world!
<3 - Cat

What's on the menu? Crawfish Étouffée

This is one of my favorites! If you try it let me know what you and your family think of it.  My family adores this one, and mini is already asking when I'm making it again.  

If you are a shy cook, please don't skip over this without considering it first!! It may sound fancy or too advanced for the less adventurous, but in truth the hardest part is browning the flour...and thats really simple. 

I chopped and measured out everything that the recipe called for first so when I finally did start cooking dinner, from start to finish, it only took me about an hour to get the whole meal on the table for us to devour.  

Crawfish Étouffée

4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 bay leaf

1/3 cup butter, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)

Cooking spray

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

2/3 cup diced celery

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided

1 pound crawfish (tail meat) precooked, thawed if frozen

4 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Combine the following ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer.  Cover and remove from heat.

4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 bay leaf

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add the flour to the pan with butter in it & cook 8 minutes or until it’s very brown, stirring constantly with a whisk. *be very careful that it does not burn! Being very brown and burnt are two different things.*

Remove from heat. Add 1 cup of the broth mixture to the pan - stirring with a whisk until its smooth.

Add the remaining 3 cups of the broth mixture - stirring with a whisk until smooth; set aside.

Melt the remaining butter in a large Dutch oven (coated with cooking spray) over medium-high heat.

 Add the following ingredients to the dutch oven and cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

2/3 cup diced celery

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

Stir in 3/4 cup water, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add the tomato paste, Creole seasoning, garlic, black pepper, and red pepper to onion mixture - cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add the broth-flour mixture and Worcestershire sauce to pan, stirring well to combine; bring to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 Add green onions, 1/4 cup parsley, and crawfish; cook 3 minutes or until crawfish is heated thoroughly. Discard bay leaf.

 Serve over rice and sprinkle each serving with the 2 teaspoons of remaining parsley

Makes 6 servings (1 1/2 c etouffee and 2/3 c rice)

*The crawfish that I used for this was bought at Walmart in the frozen seafood section

for pinterest

Let’s Talk about Clothes, Baby!

Let’s talk about you and me!

Clothes suck!!!

Ok, they don’t really suck but I have a love/hate relationship with clothing.  I would love to be that girl that gets excited over fashion, but it has never offered me anything but heartache.  During the annual back-to-school clothing trip that my mom and I would make every year my only options could be found in the woman's section of Sears and JcPenneys.

Having to buy clothes that were meant for a group 30-40 years older then you when you’re a child doesn’t really build a sense of confidence in the fashion department.  Shoulder pads look so amazing on a thirteen year old! *eyeroll* I mean I probably bought and wore the same sweaters as my friends’ grandmas at some point.  Hell, I even had to resort to wearing a boy’s basketball uniform because I didn’t fit into the girls (to be fair I think they were from the 1970’s and they really didn’t fit anyone properly).

There’s no feeling quite like having your coach pull you aside and tell you that they don’t have anything to fit you but they might be able to find something from the guy’s team.  I was mortified, but I learned to adjust and more forward.  Plus guys clothes are super comfortable! 

In the state that I live in, being over-weight and large makes it difficult in the best of times to find something off the rack that is cute/stylish/age-appropriate/decently made.  I’ve lived in different states and big cities where it was easier, but here the only options come from Wal-Mart, Target, and TJ Maxx.

Wal-Mart is a complete hit or miss. Who are their buyers?  Is it really too much to ask for something in a plus size that appeals to someone under the age of 40?  According to their racks, you are overweight only if you are a business woman and/or church-going Amish.  OH and you LOVE LOVE LOVE horizontal stripes. 

Target *shakes head* sees woman’s/plus size as pregnant…nothing more, nothing less.  The last time I was in their store there was not a single rack of clothes in a size larger then a size 10.  According to what they sell, if I want to buy pants from them my only options are pregnancy pants…that can be found in the very back corner of the store.

My dear, dear, dear TJ Maxx-I love you!  You try so hard and succeed more often than other stores, but do you a horrible job in making any woman larger then a 12 feel like a valued customer.  Having one row of clothes 18-28 doesn’t offer much of a selection especially consider the other 100 racks taking up space.

Like I said, I have a love/hate relationship with clothes.  I really do want a good relationship with clothes and fashion, but that becomes pretty difficult when it doesn’t want me back.  I feel as though I’m desperate to love something that doesn’t value me or my body.  I mentioned on Monday I mentioned that when I lose a certain amount of weight I want to reward myself with a bit of clothes shopping.  Maybe if I’m a smaller size I’ll be more accepted in the department stores.

For now, I’ll stick to shopping in the men’s department where the clothes are comfy.  I’ll also keep hoping someone somewhere will finally see there is a need demand for plus-size clothing for the under 40 in stores like Wal-Mart and Target.

Weigh In OH YEAH BABY

So I weighed in yesterday and took my measurements...and then all hell broke loose!  At first because I was in disbelief over what the scale said, and then because my son had a sleepover which I have dubbed "the craziest thing I did all summer".  I love my son and his friends are great, but I sit here the day after completely grateful that Caleb is an only child.

So without further ado...here is what the scale and measuring tape said

Yep thats right since I started this whole thing I have lost 

No one is as surprised as I am, and I'm pretty sure that I screamed "Shut up!" I know that I haven't been faithfully going to the gym, but I have been cooking more and more at home.  Seeing this number really is proof that losing weight is fought just as much in the kitchen as it is in the gym.  I'm so happy with what I've lost that my super large measurements can't ruin my day.  Those will get smaller as I lose weight so no need to stress needlessly.

*HAPPY DANCE*
<3 - Cat

Scheduling a schedule

So I wrote down, crossed out, wrote it down again…and I still am not sure if I have all my bases covered.  I started with what rewards I might give to myself when I meet certain milestones, but the idea of actually getting to them feels almost impossible at times.  Any suggestions on what rewards I could do would really help this girl out. 

  

After rewards came my goals.  I mean what do I want?  Just saying that I want to lose weight...or become skinnier seems too broad with a lot of room for interpretation.  I wanted to have smaller goals to reach, and knowing myself I broke it down into 3 month segments.  Each milestone is big in itself but feels more manageable then saying “Lose 200 pounds”.  

Like a lot of other people that struggle with losing weight and becoming healthier, I see only the desired end result without looking at the small stuff that is needed to get there.  I figured that if I gave myself 6 months of goals to meet, I might be wiser in the end and able to reevaluate what I want after that.

In the spirit of getting wiser, I didn’t uber-stress over my exercise schedule.  I tend to over analyze and plan a lot of things only to give up after a while because I put too much pressure on myself.  I don't want to do that this time.  I want to build up gradually to being a gym rat.  Demanding 2 hour sessions every day isn't possible or something that I will likely stick with for more than a few days.  45 minutes isn't a lot of time but it is enough that I can focus on myself before my family needs me.

As for my blog, I truly enjoy it.  It’s nice to have a place for my voice.  I can vent, fess up, work through things…all with a sense of confidence that I normally wouldn’t have.  If I have learned one thing over the last few weeks, it is that a lot of people struggle with the same issues that I have and talking about it really helps.  If talking about my own struggles helps someone else then I can’t think of a better reason to post…more frequently.

So now I’m off to step on the scale to see where I’m at and to take measurements.  Good times right?

<3 - Cat

Day 35 - Square One (Take Two)

Well it has been a bit over a month since I posted my first video and if I'm completely honest I haven't improved much physically....slightly better mentally but not by much.  I had fully intended to go to the gym every day for at least 45 minutes....cook every day....be a different better person EVERY DAY but it didn't work out that way.  

My husband had a health scare and I used that as a "reasonable" excuse to not try as hard.  My son was acting out and getting into trouble so I convinced myself that I should stay at home with him instead to going to the gym.  I was called a "Whale" and "Fatty" while at the pool with my son and I let that destroy my self-confidence to the point I didn't leave the house for a week.  I probably had a hundred plausible excuses that let me not try as hard as I could have over the last month, but in the end I'm still in the same place I was when this whole thing started.  

SQUARE ONE...

Frankly, I'm pissed off at myself for not improving.  It’s so easy to say "Oh I'm going to skip today and get back to it tomorrow!" but the trick is actually getting back to it.  Skipping day after day just turns into a month of doing nothing - of no weight lost, no gains in confidence....just lost time and opportunities.  

I am going forward even if I’m still standing on the starting line.  All of the excuses I have used are still there, but I have realized that whether I’m at home or at the gym worrying - Steven’s health is what it is, Caleb’s behavior is not based off of the fact that I am taking some time for myself, and hiding out in my house isn’t going to change the fact that I’m a big target for jerks with no manners.

Since I’m the type of person that does better with structure I’m creating a schedule of things to do, goals to reach, and rewards to obtain. I figure that if I have something I need to do and be held accountable for, I might be more willing to stick to it in the beginning when it’s the easiest to put off.  Hopefully, the comments and messages that I have been receiving with continue as well.

So far I have

-go to the gym

-weigh in

It’s not much right now and needs more detail but it’s a start…right?!?!  After I get this posted I’m going to finesse it a bit so there is no question about what needs to get done over the next few months. 

Thanks for visiting!

<3 - Cat

OH!  If you made it to the end of all those words...congrats! Now, leave a comment so I know it’s not just my mother visiting the blog over and over again :D