Ten on Tuesday

I am combining my two lists this week. Ten things I'm making this week, posted on a (almost) Tuesday haha. It is actually because I'm not sure if I'll finish this tonight- Monday- or tomorrow...so I can't decide what to call it. Anyway, here are my 10 things to make:

1. The roasted cabbage recipe I had listed for last week. I never made it because on that night I hadn't read ahead to know it takes awhile to cook. It was a getting off work, cooking, hungering, timing issue. So I'm making it tonight with roasted turkey (no not a whole one).

2. Roasted spaghetti squash on Tuesday. Inspired by my mama and the delicious dinner I took on the plane with me. It will go with...

3. Garlicky scallops and shrimp from the previously mentioned seafood market. It was a great success! Cheap but quality stuff all brought in from the NC coast. The men working there were so nice and helpful.

4. I am repeating the socca bread/chickpea crepes on Wednesday because they were the best thing I've eaten in weeks. This time instead of pizza style I'm going to have them as a scooper/side with...

5. Indian spinach. One of the best things that's ever happened to my kitchen repertoire was finally venturing into the world of Indian food at home. I highly recommend it. The spice names can be daunting but the flavors are so worth the 10 extra minutes hunting them down.

6. Sweet potato and carrot soup on Thursday.

7. This bread for Kevin to dunk in the soup and have throughout the week. I'm on the hunt for the perfect bread recipe that is a little bit healthy, a little bit sandwichy, but good enough to eat on its own. The Eat Live Run recipe was a success but the loaf wasn't that big. The second recipe I made last week was a loaf shaped hockey puck. It could be on one of those "pinterest fail" blogs!

8. Homemade chicken stock to use in the soup and have on hand. I froze the bones and such from that chicken I made not too long ago. I have finally made time to turn it into stock!

9. I am going to attempt to make my own coconut milk. Remember my $2 project from a few weeks ago? Well I still have the meat from half the coconut. Supposedly it's easy, we shall see.

10. These muffins because we have some comedians staying with us tonight and tomorrow night (no really) and I wanted to offer a breakfast treat. I googled "oatmeal muffins" because I have oatmeal. I may add some blueberries or strawberries, we'll see. The comedians are these guys and some good friends of John's. We will be going to their Carrboro show tomorrow night, featuring special guest John Thornton! How did it come to this, that I'm making muffins for a bunch of stand up comedians? I have no idea.

And since posts without pictures are ugly, here's what I did this weekend:

The beautiful birthday girl blowing out her candle

Love to snuggle this guy! (Even when he really wants down)

So that's my list and meal plan for this week! Are you trying any new recipes? Is there a food genre that you shy away from, like I used to Indian?

Reader Request: Quick Core Killer

Really this should be called Sister Request but Reader sounds more bloggish. I am a firm believer that to build a strong core we need a well rounded exercise routine rather than just 1000 crunches. Crunches have their place, sure, but in order to support long distance running, headstands, baby carrying, or any other day to day movement it is important to work the WHOLE core (everything from the hips to the armpits). Not just the crunch muscles. Sister agrees so she gets a slideshow of moves in her honor. I did not find my camera so these pictures look like security camera footage on the news. My apologies. Also, I took them between running and showering so I myself look like I could be on COPS. Just be glad you can't smell blogs!

The slideshow is to give a demonstration of the basic moves. See below for more descriptive instructions.

Quick Core Killer

1. Hold plank 30 seconds

2. 3 legged dog to sunbird flow- in downward dog kick one leg into the air (3 legged dog pose), lower the hips till you're almost in plank pose, pulling the knee in to touch (or point towards) the nose (sunbird 1). Kick the leg back up, lower down with the knee to opposite side elbow, kick it up, lower down with knee to same side elbow. Make sense? So it's three 3 legged dog poses, 3 different sunbird variations. Do this on the other side for one set. Do 4 sets (12 reps each side) total. 

3. Side Plank Twists- In side plank on an elbow, place the fingers of your top hand behind your ear. Crunch towards the floor, bringing the elbow to almost touch but staying about an inch above the floor. Lift back up, that's one. Do 12 each side.

4. Side Plank Crunches- In side plank on an elbow, bend top knee and crunch to touch elbow and knee. Try to do it without dropping the hips to the floor. 12 each side.

5. Walking Plank- Start in plank pose, bend one elbow at a time and place the forearm on the mat so you end up in elbow plank. Push back up one hand at a time to full plank. That's one, repeat for 12. Try to keep hips and shoulders level so you're not rocking all over the place. 

6. Boat pose- Balance on your bum and suck your belly in, push your chest up to make a straight back. I show two variations depending on how much you want to feel the burn. Knees bent, barely leaning or kick it up to straight legs, leaning back more. Hold for 30 seconds. 

7. Oblique Twists- In kids' yoga we call this windshield wiper legs, you choose your title. Lay on your back with legs at a 90 degree angle. The knees are directly over the hips. Reach your hands out to the sides for balance and lower both legs to one side, hovering about an inch off the mat. Lift and go to the other side. That's 1, repeat for 12. Move carefully with your focus on the obliques, rather than just swinging your legs all willy nilly. 

You can change it up by adding more repetitions OR completing the whole set and then starting over at the beginning, circuit style. Let me know what YOU think. What's your favorite core exercise, if any? Do you loathe crunches like I do? 

Meal Planning Mondays

I am going to loosely say that I may try to blog about my meal plans. I make them every week but I hate to over commit myself by promising to blog them. Realistically I'll probably do a meal plan OR Ten on Tuesday blog each week. And someday I will find my camera and do another yoga post. Also, if posting my weekly meal plans starts to make me look really boring and uncreative, I'll quit immediately.

So here's what we're having:

Monday: This recipe for roasted chicken and veggies is so simple and sounds bland but somehow the oven works magic and it is delicious! I made it a few weeks ago and this time I'm adapting it for a whole chicken because I want to make broth from the bones.

Tuesday: I am going to make this crepe recipe and attempt to crisp it up in the oven and turn it into pizza crust. If it fails then we're having savory crepes filled with tomato sauce, mushrooms and artichoke hearts (cheese for Kev). Oh oh, or maybe crepe-adillas. I just made up that word when the idea hit me. Like a quesadilla but with crepes instead of tortillas? That would make a fun food truck. DIBS on the idea.

Wednesday: Our 1.5 year anniversary! Our new friend Russ told us about an awesome fish market he found so I am going to go scout it out and determine if we are having lobster/crab made at home (something fancy) or going out to this oyster bar we've been wanting to try. Either way it will be followed by a drink at this whiskey bar that Kevin has been drooling over since we got here!

Thursday: Two first time recipes; Chickpea Sweet Potato Burgers and Roasted Cabbage. I love cabbage and I get on kicks with it. I am currently in the throws of one of those kicks. It's intense.

Friday: Roasted Beet and Kale Salad from a magazine Hayley gets. Thankfully she knows I am a big fan of beets and sent me a pic of the page. It took some digging to find that recipe online. Apparently gluten free does not equal google-able. I will probably add roasted chickpeas to bulk up the salad and because roasted chickpeas are the BOMB. Seriously. Make them today.

Saturday/Sunday: I only plan one meal for the weekend to allow for leftovers, decisions to go out with friends, etc. This weekend it is Collard Greens and White Bean soup that I have in the freezer from when I made a huge batch a few weeks ago. I can't find the recipe anymore, what the heck interwebs, why you removing all my favorite things?

So that's our week of dinners. For breakfast we are so boring. I have a smoothie ev.ery.day. and Kevin has oatmeal, eggs, or the bagel I brought home for him from work the night before. For lunch we have leftovers.

What are you having this week? Is this interesting to anyone?

Ten on Tuesday

Kristin and Grace had the idea to make a list of ten things on Tuesdays. It is a fun alliteration and a good way to blog at least once a week. I am joining in this week!

10 Things An Unemployed Girl Does On Monday

Okay actually this is just 10 things THIS semi-employed girl did yesterday. I work at the coffee shop on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Sometimes Monday can feel a little anti-climactic because Sunday is all "oh get ready for the week, so busy, must prepare, soak up the time" out of habit and then Monday comes and "oh, I have nothing to do." So here we go!

1) Went to yoga at my new favorite studio. Murn's go-to teacher told me about it because she used to teach there and I love it because it is donation based. Plus, this week is the first week of the new schedule so all the classes are free! Not only is the cost (or lack of) something to love, I also enjoy the teachers and feel of the place. No mirrors, very genuine teachers, so nice. 

2) This could really be 1a but I'm making it number 2. I achieved a forearm stand! I have been practicing this for a few months now but have been nervous to work on it in our new, smaller living room. During class she said to pick an inversion and go for it. I felt comfortable enough to try it and while I did flop around some, I definitely gained control and held it for a breath. Doing it in class empowered me to try it at home and it went even better! It's the little things that make your day when your under-employed. 

You may think I am bragging. You would be correct. Gimme a break, I'm unemployed!

3) Subjected myself to the weekly torture of grocery shopping. I usually love this but without HEB it doesn't have the same appeal. In order to get everything and at a price comparable to HEB I would have to go to Walmart, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Yes, I shouldn't gripe b/c we have a Whole Foods and Trader Joe's but the principle of it just slays me. So mostly I just shop at Walmart and go to Trader Joe's for a few things every couple of weeks. Whole Foods' bulk section isn't as great as they want you to think it is anyway so I just stick it to the environment on that one and get it at Walmart, sue me. 

4) Bought a whole coconut. Just because every girl needs a $2 project.  

5) Applied for two new jobs that were posted for County Social Services. Another one in Foster Care and one to work at the juvenile detention center, hullo, perfect for me. 

6) Checked my online account for jobs in the neighboring County Social Services. I have applied for 5 so far and under the "status" section two of them say Eligible. I'll take that as good news and probably start harassing them for an interview. 

7) Made this bread for Kev

8) Made this soup for dinner with a few adjustments. It was amazing. Red lentils are the jam, way better than the brown kind. 

9) Caught up on Becky's blog and you should too. She's writing a book!

10) Finished the day the way I always do. Hula hooping in front of Parks and Rec. Season 4 may be one of the best seasons of television ever created. My current favorite line= "Clear alcohols are for rich women on diets." If you're not watching it, you should be! 

And that's Monday! (Friends, anyone?) What'd you do yesterday? Do you know anybody hiring in the triangle area?

*I had written in the names of the counties I've applied for but then I thought WHAT IF someone googles that or something. So just in case...number 5 is the county I live in and number 6 is the county where the best basketball program in the history of college basketball is.*

The Trendiest Birthday Cake Around

Smores are so trendy right now. Don't you think? Well since I am THE go to girl for all things trend this is what I landed on when brainstorming for a friend's birthday who said he is "a big fan of cake" (jackpot, otherwise we probably would've had a friend break-up on our hands).

Smores Cake

What you need: 

• two layers of chocolate cake, any recipe or box mix
• 3-4 graham crackers, crushed
• half a bag of marshmallows, any size (i tore big ones in half so a smarter person could've just used the little ones)
• bag of chocolate chips
• a pint of heavy whipping cream
• a kitchen torch (or use the broiler if you're not a pyro)

You may know that I love any excuse to use my kitchen blow torch, but one of the most fun ways is to burn marshmallows. It is science right in front of your eyes! My idea was really the filling/frosting combination. I'm not going to pretend I made up a chocolate cake recipe. I turned to my dear friend Ree for that part. So I started by making this recipe, which I halved b/c I did not want it four layers (whoa). I baked the cakes the night before so they would be really cool and ready to fill. 

Step 1: Position the mallows

This picture is early in the process. I ended up tearing the big size mallows in half and laying one layer across the whole cake. 

Step 2: Torch the mallows

Totally gratuitous picture of fire, you're welcome. Burn them until they are melty and charred to your liking. You could do this under the broiler but you won't get to witness as much science happening. Sprinkle crushed up graham crackers on top of the melty mallows. Gently press them down so they'll become one with the gooeyness. 

Step 3: The Ganache Glue

I thought the top layer of cake might need something a little bit stickier to be convinced to stay in place. On medium heat bring some heavy whipping cream to a boil (about a cup to a cup and a half, I eyeballed it and had too much). The medium heat is crucial, take it from someone who has scrubbed scorched cream out of the bottom of a pan more than once in her life. Once the cream is very hot, pour it over a bowl of chocolate chips. I had half a bag in a small mixing bowl. Pour until the cream is just covering the chips. Whisk until the chips are completely melted and you have a beautiful ganache. Drizzle it on top of the graham crackers and gently spread it as best you can without messing up your mallow masterpiece. Plop the second layer on top and press it into the filling. At this point I put the cake in the fridge for a few hours. That's optional. 

Step 4: The Final Touch

Drizzle more ganache over the top and put just enough so it runs down the sides looking oh so professional (HA). I made more ganache for this step because I did it later in the day. If you don't think you have enough, make more using the other half of the bag of chocolate chips.  

At serving time I put one big marshmallow on top and lit it on fire instead of a candle! It was one of those small things that made me so happy I did a jig in the kitchen.

So there you have it. My latest kitchen project. What have you made lately? What makes you so happy you can't resist doing a jig?