Sharon's Journal

OH NO!! MY MAILING LIST DIED!
I sent this out last week, and only 50 of the 500 students on my mailing list received it due to an error which erased the majority of my student mailing list. I am devastated, but trying to re-create as much of my student list as I can from a 2008 backup. So if you requested to be removed from the list previously and received this, please let me know so I can remove you again. I am so sorry for the late notice, and I hope this is in time for you to attend tonight!

PLEASE NOTE: DISCOUNT CONTINUED! I will be honoring the pre-registration price AT THE DOOR, due to the technical difficulties with the mail, and many of you not getting the message until today.

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JOIN US TONIGHT! I
Fun and challenging!!

http://mandalatribal.com/workshops/upcoming

ATS Boot Camp and Dance Jam
Monday, January 11, 2010
Phinney Neighborhood Center
6532 Phinney Ave N, Room 7

7pm-8:30pm Foundations Boot Camp - $15
Get back to basics with this wham-bam THANK YOU MA'AM! refresher course. After a brief warm-up, we will review all the foundation skills from the ground up, rockin' through the entire Level 1 course material to get the new year off on the right foot.

8:30-10pm Dance Jam - $10
This workshop is ideal for Level 2 and up dancers, but is open to all level dancers who are interested in the challenge of trying new things. We will be focused on different formations and collaborative relationships within the dance, including duets, trios, one-two-triplet, and open chorus.

or pre-register for BOTH ONLINE for only $20!
$25 for both at the door.

All the details available at the link!
http://mandalatribal.com/workshops/upcoming

Baby carrots on bottom
2lb free range whole fryer
Cavity filled with sliced green onions (we're out of white) and 2 cloves garlic, cut in half

Baste chicken with melted butter, squeeze fresh lemon juice on it, then dust with onion and garlic powder, rosemary, and basil.

Will whip up some herbed pasta shells as a side tonight since we're outta potatoes until tomorrow when the AmazonFresh order comes!

Bought all the ingredients for this, then Chris got sick and now I'm sick. The mushrooms will likely go bad before we can use them. :(

3 lbs. boneless skinless thin cut chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tbsp. olive oil
a bunch rosemary
1lb. chanterelle mushrooms sliced
6oz. baby portabella mushrooms sliced
½ white onion sliced thin
3 oz. fresh soft goat cheese
3/4 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper

Heat cast iron skillet with 2 tbsp. olive oil Add 1 clove garlic and rosemary and cook until garlic is golden Remove garlic and rosemary salt and pepper chicken breasts add chicken to pan and cook until browned remove chicken and cover add mushrooms, onion and remaining garlic clove saute until mushrooms start to loose their liquid and some begin to caramelize add chicken and cook until chicken is nearly done (timing depends on thickness of chicken) just before chicken is done add cream and crumble goat cheese.
cook until goat cheese is melted and combined

serve chicken breast with mushroom cream sauce on top

garnish with rosemary sprig.

This is a letter my Mom wrote home to my Dad and eldest siblings, but obviously never ended up sending, while on a trip to New Zealand with my brother Brian and I back in October of 1981--I was just 7 and my brother 8. It in her beautiful flowing script I have always admired, and is still in the spiral bound notebook she brought along to journal in. It has brought back very fond memories... This portion of our trip, we were in Auckland staying at the home of some family friends.

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Dear Ken, Kenny, and Evie,

We're all sitting here on a quiet Sunday morning reflecting on the wonderful things we've seen and done. Vic and Karyn are still asleep and Brian and Sharon are working on school assignments (with great joy).
( Collapse )

It was Memorial Day last year when we went to the big no-tax sale at Ikea to pick up all our kitchen-makin' supplies. It seems like longer ago, honestly, but I think it's because our kitchen has slipped so beautifully into our lives, it's like it has always been there. And yet, honestly, I still frequently feel a wave of "wow I love my kitchen" wash over me when I walk in; a feeling swiftly followed by a wash of deep pride that we designed it, we created it, we made it happen with our own hands!

It amazes me what we were able to accomplish with little to no help. Basically the granite counters were the only thing we didn't do ourselves. We did all the measuring, planning/design work, demo and haul away, the plumbing, the flooring, painting, the electrical, and the entire installation (save for the counter) from building the boxes then installing them and the appliances to choosing and installing hardware and fixtures. I am just plain proud of what we did!

But the harsh reality I knew to be true has come to pass. The dreaded "it's been X months/years since our initial install, and it's still not done." Oh yeah. One can lose a lot of steam when every weekend for a couple months is all about the kitchen. So when you get it to a working state, it's easy to stay there. The little cosmetic details fall to the wayside, and before you know it, it's a year later and you don't have a backsplash, electrical wires are still jutting out of the wall where the "as soon as we find the perfect counter-lighting" will be installed, the Lee Valley corner unit still doesn't have a door on it, the trim is still uncut and sitting in the corner of the dining room, and don't even talk to me about plinths! Do I even remember what a plinth is at this point? (okay, I do, but seriously folks...do I need it?)

So far, most people don't even notice it's not finished! The raw wall behind the counters looks kinda art-y. We strategically place a pretty vase in front of the octopus-like exposed wiring (don't worry, that fuse is flipped) and appliances cover most of the rest. Who really looks at the trim anyway, and what the heck is a plinth again? What they do notice is the beautiful granite counters, still gleaming because we sealed them so lovingly and clean them regularly with a gentle cleanser to keep them shiny and lovely. Our appliances we chose so carefully still sparkle like new, and our fridge has had people walk up and hug and kiss it is is so beautiful (yes, literally hug and/or kiss it; and yes three completely unrelated people, one man and two women, at different parties did so--one even asked permission before wrapping her leg around it and kissing the ice dispenser readout).

And those are the dramatic moments of love. It is the little daily affirmations of love that are easily overlooked, but I will never take for granted. Drawers sliding so smoothly and quietly. Cupboards open and close effortlessly. Having storage space--things go away logically and even prettily. My husband and I being able to work in the kitchen at the same time (well, mostly--he still prefers to cook alone ;). Having more counter space. Drawer and door fronts which clean up easily but don't scratch easily. So many little things that are easy to forget, but I send a little prayer of thanks when I notice them.

So we still have work to do. When? I dunno. A house is a neverending list of to-dos, and we have a lot. Right now the yard is high on the list, and maybe when fall comes and we are back indoors we will refocus on indoor things. All I know is even unfinished, our Ikea kitchen blows our old kitchen away!

So Chris and I are going to Vegas from the 10th to the 15th, to celebrate our wedding anniversary (early, since I am out of town on our anniversary, like an IDIOT!!), and we are looking at shows we want to get tickets for.

O'Shea's--a divey little place on the strip that we rarely wander into--has not only BEER PONG, but also GUITAR HERO TOURNAMENTS EVERY SATURDAY!

I kinda want to go see...!

I am trying this one as we speak

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
1 beaten egg
Blue cheese crumbles (1/8 cup maybe? I did it by sight)

Mix the meatloaf ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. (It is best to use your hands to mix all of the ingredients together.) Add bread crumbs so that the meatloaf holds together.

Lay out a large piece of foil sprayed with Pam. Pat out the meatloaf so you make a large flat rectangle. Layer blue cheese (and crumbled bacon if ya got it) onto meatloaf from one edge to center. Shape into a loaf, somewhat like a meat jellyroll, closing the ends so no cheese escapes. Close the foil over loaf and seal completely.

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Unfold foil and bake 15 more minutes. At this point if you like, brush ketchup or BBQ sauce on top of the loaf. Slice when cool and serve.

A recipe I have yet to try, but wanted to mark for later...

Pastry Wrapped Spinach Stuffed Meatloaf

Meatloaf:
1 1/4 lbs ground turkey
2 eggs
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
1-2 handfuls shredded mozzarella
aluminum foil
10 oz frozen chopped spinach thawed/drained
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the turkey, eggs, and spaghetti sauce together in a large mixing bowl. Line a cookie sheet with a generous amount of foil. Pat out the meatloaf so that it completely covers the cookie sheet evenly. Layer the spinach and cheese in a line lengthwise in the center of the meatloaf. Use the foil to help fold the edges over the spinach and cheese, shaping tightly into a loaf. Make sure the loaf is smooth and sealed. Bend the foil over loaf and seal tightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Wrap with pastry and continue to bake as directed below.

Take sheets of pre-made dough (like Pilsbury crescent rolls, but instead of separating them out into triangles, press the seams together to make one sheet of dough), and wrap the dough around the loaf. Dampen the edges at the seams so they will seal well.

Place the pastry-wrapped loaf in a greased shallow pan (you may have yet more fat cook out) with the seam down. Bake at 375 degrees F until the crust is golden brown, usually 25 to 30 min. Serve hot or at room temperature. Cut slices across the loaf to show the layers.

* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 pound diced, cooked chicken meat
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
* 1 (18.75 ounce) can tomatillos, drained and chopped
* 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 (15 ounce) can white beans
* 2 ears fresh corn
* salt to taste
* ground black pepper to taste
* 1 lime, sliced



DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil, and cook onion and garlic until soft.
2. Stir in broth, tomatillos, tomatoes, chilies, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add corn, chicken, and beans; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve with these toppings for people to choose from: limes, cilantro, cheese, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

* 4 Frozen, boneless chicken breasts put into crock pot. (I use 2)

* Add 1 can of black beans, drained, 1 jar of salsa (I like Newman's Own Chunky salsa), 1 can of corn drained (or if in season, cut straight from two fresh ears).

* Keep in crock pot on high for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked.

* Add 1 package of light cream cheese (just throw it on top!) and let sit for about 1/2 an hour.

* Stir together, serve over brown rice and/or in a tortilla

Makes great leftovers, too. Much like a good chili, the flavors blend more in a day or so.