Going for some vitamin D

by Stephanie
So I am going on vacation!  Whoot whoot!  Going to be in 5 states in 5 days.   Hopefully they have record heat once we get to Utah (where we will be the majority of the time). 
So if there are few posts…don’t worry.  I am just collecting more recipes and ideas to post. 
I am working on helping a friend with some window treatments….SO excited to go fabric shopping!! 

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

by Stephanie

This is an easy, light and refreshing salad for summer.  I got this years ago from my sister-in-law Jessica.  I have taken it to a many pot lucks and it is always a huge hit.  It is more girl food, but that is okay, more for me.  And you CAN buy peppers already roasted, but really it is easy and WAY cheaper to do yourself.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Salad

serves 10-12

1 box penne pasta

1 red pepper-roasted and chopped into 1/2” pieces

1/4 cup fresh basil-sliced thin

1/2 cup feta cheese

salt and pepper

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

In large pot put on water to boil for pasta.  Cook according to directions (make sure you add in salt).  While pasta is cooking put red pepper and basil in large bowl.  When pasta is done cooking drain and put directly into bowl with pepper and basil.  Toss.   Drizzle with oil until it is lightly coated.  .  Let cool to room temperature.  Add in cheese and taste for seasoning.   Add salt and pepper as needed. 

It should look like this when you are done.

To roast a  red pepper:

If you are lucky enough to have a gas stove, I turn the burner on medium and sit the pepper on the top of the flame.  Turn when that side is black and charred.  If you don’t have a gas stove (like me) you can put it in your oven with the rack on the broiler setting and turn every two to three minutes when black turn.  Do this two or three times until all sides are charred.  I actually do this in my toaster oven on the toast setting.

Then set aside and let cool.  When cool enough to handle, peel off outside.  Rinse if needed. 

Easy Chocolate Sauce

By Stephanie

This is SO simple.  And it isn’t your typical chocolate sauce.  It is a fudgy sauce, so I would say hot fudge sauce rather than chocolate sauce.  Once it hits the ice cream it gets that great fudge like quality.  Great as a gift too.  Or something your kids can make for you!

Hot Fudge Sauce

Makes about 2 cups

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 bag chocolate chips (I prefer semi-sweet but really any will work)

3 Tbsp light corn syrup

1 Tbsp butter

Put everything into large microwave proof bowl.  Put in microwave for one minute.  Stir.  Repeat until chocolate chips are melted.  Serve immediately or keep in fridge and reheat for one minute to serve. 

Correction

by Stephanie
Ok.  I guess my hubby heard it wrong.  It is 72 hours of summer that we have had, not 72 minutes.  But still…..

72 Minutes

by Stephanie

So if you are MELTING with heat…I am SO jealous.  Seriously.  Since March I have been missing Vegas and that wonderful heat.  I LOVE it when you come out of a movie theater or restaurant that has been blasting the air conditioning into the outdoors at 11 pm at night and you get that wave of heat.  You know that heat that has absorbed into the black top?  I LOVE that.  And half the county is having record heat waves.  Not us.  In fact we haven’t really had a summer. 

My husband came home and asked how much summer we have had this year.  I said “none”.  He gave me that look, no really, how much?  Okay, what do you consider summer I asked.  Above 80 degrees and sunny.  Okay.  One day I said…nope, 72 minutes.  We have had 72 minutes of summer this year.  No wonder I still have seasonal depression.  It’s hard to get over with 72 minutes of summer. 

And yes, it is raining again today.  And yes it probably won’t hit 70 degrees.  And yes, while I can still bake, that only means I will eat more and get more depressed because I am not loosing weight.  And yes, I do have a vacation planned.  And yes, if it rains there, I will drop the kids at my moms and go straight to Vegas.  At least for a few days of sunshine.  These pasty legs have got to go! 

We are not all created equal!

As I am training for my first 10k I have learned a lot more than just to run. The biggest thing I have learned is that we are not all created equal.  Let me give you a little history, I am the 4th sister of 5 with a brother thrown there in the middle. All of my family is pretty athletic and myself included so I thought I was in ok condition but I have, in the last few years, started to struggle with my weight. So I decided (after many failed attempts at dieting) to finally do it right. I was going to cut my calories and start really working out. I was so excited, I downloaded the my fitness pal app on my phone and started running each morning and, guess what, the first week I GAINED 4 pounds! I was livid, so I cut my calories more and started running more  thinking that’s what I needed and the next week I lost 1.5 of those pounds I had gained which was a start but still was not what I thought I would see. This pattern continued for the next 3 weeks. Then I found a friend who was willing to run with me and diet so I had a partner I could stick to this new lifestyle with and have someone to answer to and that helped a lot because it became more fun. but the weight issue still was a big problem. For the next several weeks I rode the same roller coaster every day I would lose a little and gain it back and then lose a little more then gain it all back. By the end of 13 weeks I had lost a total of 5 pounds and the worst part was my friend I was running with had lost 8 and she had only been running with me for less than 1/2 that time!

So frustrated and pissed off I called my sister in law who has done weight watchers for many years and is also a runner and just let her have all my frustrations out on a platter. Being the great sister in law she is she just listened as I complained and whined about how hard I had been training and dieting and not seeing any progress. when I was finished she told me the biggest problem I had was my self image, not the scale. she told me that I had to stop beating myself up and look at what I was doing and how far I had come athletically and the biggest advice she had was I needed to start measuring my body and not only the scale. I luckily had measured at the beginning  of my journey so I took a tape and went right in to measure my self and I had lost a total of 8.5 inches! That was huge! So if you are on a journey like my own and find yourself struggling with the scale or your progress being slow, stop and tell yourself its ok. We are all built different and you will never be someone else's size because your body is different and that’s ok.    

Banana Bread-two ways

By Stephanie

I have been making this banana bread since my first kido was a baby.  It was one of his favorite things growing up.  Still is. 

My friend Jami had some banana bread on a picnic with chocolate chips in it.  She asked “doesn’t everyone put chocolate chips in banana bread?”  Uhmmm…..no.  Not yet.  So I did and it was a hit.  Of course. 

The second loaf I made had almonds and coconut  added in.  My one kido has nut allergies so she couldn't have any.  Too bad, just more for me. 

Banana Bread Recipe

makes 2 loaves

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 butter, softened

2 eggs

3-4 medium bananas mashed (don’t wait until too brown, just tuning is perfect)

1/2 cup buttermilk (or milk with 1/2 tsp vinegar added and let sit)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Optional: 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup chopped nuts, 1 cup coconut.

In medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt, set aside.  In small bowl mash bananas with fork until no large clumps remain.  Mix eggs in with buttermilk and beat to combine.  In large mixing bowl mix sugar and butter with wooden spoon.  Add in eggs and milk mixture along with vanilla.  Stir till completely combined.  Add in everything else and mix just until flour is mixed in.  Pour into two greased bread pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.  Just until top cracks or is golden brown.  Let cool.  Slice and serve.