Book #4: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

This has actually taken me a while to blog about because, honestly, I haven't had a book affect me this way in a long time. I should have known, as an adult who lost a parent at age 7, that reading this book about a parent facing terminal cancer would be emotional for me. I think that after all the press this book had gotten, I had made myself believe that this would be more of an advice book written by someone with a unique perspective on the fragility of life. The book has great advice written with humor and humility, but when it is all said and done, this is a goodbye story from a father to his young children, and I wasn't quite prepared for that. I kept reading it as though my mother was speaking to me and my siblings, so needless to say, I was actually crying (not tearing up, but crying) when I was reading the last chapters. Randy Pausch was a well spoken, highly intelligent man who found a way to speak in a special way to all of us in the special club of children who lost parents too soon. I volunteer to help children like this now, and I hope that others who read it may hear the voices of their own parents, saying the things that were never spoken. This has made it to my "Always Keep" bookshelf. Great, great book.

Oh My God I Made Tofu!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have conquered my fears. Tofu has always been the scariest food out there for me. Even as a foodie, the first time I have ever tried tofu was only a few weeks ago at a Thai restaurant, and even then, I wasn't so sure about it (I only had a bite). So talk about risk when today, after 9 days of houseguests, looking for something simple for just the hubby and me, I decided to run to the store and grab something for dinner and decided I would try to cook tofu in honor of the Catholic part of my "mutt" religious upbringing. Folks, this is the 1st time I have ever eaten an entire meal of tofu, and this was really good. I had some tips from some nest posts I had seen, plus I did as much internet research as I could to get the best texture (I fear weird textures). The results are below and even my husband, who does not fear tofu and so has tried many dishes enjoyed this dish. Aside from the process of getting the tofu really dry, the recipe itself is simple and quick.
Teriyaki Tofu (My recipe, which is more technique than recipe)

1/2 of a 12 oz tub of Extra Firm Tofu, sliced very thin (1/4 inch) and then into diagonal triangles

4 Tbs Teriyaki Sauce (we used a Spicy & Sweet style)

1/2 bag frozen mixed veggies (we used California Style, pick your favorite mix)

1 1/4 cups hot cooked rice

Place tofu triangles between 2 cutting boards layered with towels (lots of paper towels or a couple dish cloths). If you are using lighter cutting boards, add a couple of cans to the top of the boards to weigh everything down into a good press (but not too heavy). Allow to press for about 20 minutes. Heat a nonstick pan over medium high heat (no oil or cooking spray). Add tofu and cook until as dry as possible (press down periodically with a spatula to remove as much water as possible). Tofu will be golden (not browned) when done. Allow to cool and then add to a bag with Teriyaki Sauce to marinate for about 30 minutes. Steam veggies until cooked but still firm. Stir fry tofu triangles over medium high heat (no oil) until sauce begins to carmelize on the tofu, about 5-7 minutes. Add remaining marinade (or more from the bottle if desired) and bring to a boil. Add steamed veggies and mix well. Serve over hot rice. Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Info for Rice & Tofu mixture: Calories: 335.8, Fat: 7.7g (1.2 Sat, 4.2 Poly, 1.6 Mono), Carbs: 49.2g, Fiber: 3.3g

Tour of California 2009

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, we have been entertaining houseguests and (more importantly) enjoying the Amgen Tour of California. As many of you know, we are a cycling family and have been thrilled to have had 4 years now of the world's top professional cyclists in our home state and here in Santa Barbara. This year was more crowded than usual, but with my new camera and very new lens, I was able to take the best pictures I've ever taken of my heroic riders. My sister in law and I always stalk nearly every team bus and by choosing to avoid the Astana bus this year (where Lance and Levi are), we were able to get great pictures of nearly every other rider. I also got great action shots of Lance & Levi during the time trial anyway, so there was no need to be trampled at their bus before hand. Keep in mind, these guys were going ridiculously fast at this point and I took the pictures from decently far away with my zoom:

Lance & Levi

Here are some of my favorite pics of the other random stalked riders:

Jens Voigt and George Hincapie warming up before the TT

The two best sprinters in the world, Mark Cavendish and Tom "The Hottie" Boonen

My sister in law posing with Tyler Hamilton and me with Mark Cavendish
The amazing thing was what a zoo it was out there. When we went to the start in Santa Clarita on Saturday, here is what it looked like:

All in all, it was a fabulous weekend. We're hoping that Lance retires again after this year so that some of the insanity dies down. They estimate that the viewers in Solvang doubled due to Lance's appearance at this race. I'm still glad I got a few pictures of him, though!

2009 Book #3: "Suite Francaise" - Irene Nemirovsky

I like most books, but a pet peeve of mine is when a book ends without a real ending or resolution. I avoided this book for a while just due to the fact that I knew it would not be resolved as the author originally intended. Quite unfortunately, the author was taken by the Germans in the middle of writing this novel in WWII and was killed due to her Jewish heritage. Her daughters were hidden and survived, but throughout their underground existence, carried their mother's last, unfinished manuscript and only just recently published it. The author finished 2 of the 5 planned mini-books that were to make up the final novel, but I didn't mind the abrupt ending too much (although I wish she could have finished what would have been a fabulous tying together of all the pieces). What was great about this novel is that it is historical fiction that was written at the time that history was taking place. The honesty that the author uses to describe a horrible time in France's history was profound to me. It offered a different perspective than the one we are taught in school, truly showing the reality of how people will act when faced with the true horrors of war. This was a bit of a departure from the types of books I usually read, but I was glad I took the chance on this one.

Garlic Roasted Potatoes

I am sorry to admit it, but I have issues with baked potatoes. I went through a 4 year period of not eating them at all because of a bad science experiment in Jr. High that involved potatoes and I just couldn't bear to eat them after that. I got over it soon after leaving my parents home when I realized that they are a really cheap side dish. Unfortunately, I still haven't been able to master the baked potato. My husband likes russets and I like white rose potatoes. I can't cook either one to the right consistency to appease both of us (I like a creamy baked potato, he likes a flaky baked potato). I tried this recipe this weekend because I was grilling some steaks and wanted to serve potatoes, but didn't want our potato differences to get in the way of a great meal. I made this up based on our preference for some garlic flavor without being overwhelming, and we don't really like rosemary, although most people would probably use that instead of oregano.

Roasted Garlic Baby Potatoes
1 lb baby potatoes, sliced in 1/2

1 Tbs olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt & pepper to taste

Combine oil and garlic in a gallon size ziploc bag. Add potatoes and shake until all pieces are lightly coated in the oil/garlic mixture. Pour onto a shallow baking dish or sheet pan. Season with oregano, salt & pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until just golden. Makes 4 side dish servings.

Nutrition info: Calories: 137.4, Fat: 3.5g (.5 sat, .3 poly, 2.5 mono), Carbs: 24.9g, Fiber: 1.7g

Valentine's Day 2009

For about 2 years of our relationship, my husband and I have done the whole "going out somewhere special" for Valentine's day. The remaining 10 Valentine's Days have been me cooking for him, usually something comparable to what we would order if we were going out. Tonight, I made the same Sauteed Halibut as I did last year because it was just so good. I also made whole wheat couscous with sauteed vegetables, which was new to my husband, and I made it with all red veggies in honor of the holiday. Finally, I found some adorable baby artichokes to serve as my veggie. My parents used to get these for my family in bags when they went up to the Monterey bay area, and we would eat them almost daily. They are so easy to eat in comparison to regular artichokes, and I have been raised to love artichokes since I was very young. Even better, my husband doesn't like the heart part, so I get to eat extra hearts! He is my perfect match! On a separate note, my husband had a seriously horrible day on Valentine's Day (busy at work and a completely broken down car) and almost missed dinner entirely, so it was really neat for him to come home to a relaxing candle-lit dinner and a bottle of wine. That is how we do Valentine's day, it is enjoyable time together with no pressure on either of us to come up with the perfect gift, reservation, etc.

Recipe for Sauteed Halibut is here.

Whole Wheat Couscous with Carmelized Veggies

1 cup Whole Wheat Couscous

1 cup Chicken Stock (or Broth) - Sub Veggie Stock for Vegetarian Meal

3 Large Shallots, sliced into very thin rings

1 Bell Pepper, diced into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1 Tbs Chopped fresh Basil or Parsley

2 tsp. Olive Oil

Bring Stock to a boil with Basil mixed in. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat. Add Shallots. Cook until carmelized (when they start to get really golden brown). Add Bell Peppers, cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add Tomatoes, cook & stir for 1 minute. If Stock is at a full boil, add Couscous and veggies. Stir, cover and remove from heat. Allow couscous to steam for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve immediately.Makes 6 1 cup servings.

Nutrition Info for 1 serving: Calories: 161.8, Fat: 2.6g (.3 Sat, .2 Poly, 1.3 Mono), Carbs: 28.6g, Fiber: 4.2g

Saucy Creole Chicken

I tried this recipe for Saucy Creole Pork Chops a few weeks ago, but we both knew that it could be improved. I really thought the concept would work a lot better with chicken, which is healthier and has a better texture to work with the sauce. We both enjoyed this version much better and liked that with the chicken, it was a lot lower in fat. I also used more of the cajun seasoning than the recipe calls for. That seasoning is just really good!

Saucy Creole Chicken

(Adapted From Campbell's Kitchen pork recipe)
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts, pounded thin
1 1/2 tsp Creole or Cajun Seasoning (I used about 3)
2 Tbs Olive Oil (separated)
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic gloves, minced
1 can condensed lowfat cream of celery soup
1/3 a cup of water1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (I used petite diced)

Season Chicken breast with Cajun seasoning. Saute in 1 Tbs oil over medium high heat until cooked through. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add remaining Tbs oil and saute onion and garlic for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, soup, water and parsley and stir well to combine. Place chicken breasts back in sauce, cover and simmer until warm & bubbly, about 5 minutes.Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Info: Calories: 311.2, Fat: 10.3g (2.1 Sat, 1.4 Poly, 5.8 Mono), Carbs: 12g, Fiber: .9