I am behind on TT. I know, but I will delight you with the best soup EVER... I love soup! Ususally not in April, but considering the freakin cold weather- eat this to warm you up.. 

This is my favorite soup- I love love love Indian food and this I get every time I eat at Bombay house (a little different of course)

Enjoy!

Mulligatawny Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2 small yellow onion, peeled and minced
• 1 medium-sized carrot, peeled and diced fine
• 1 stalk celery, diced fine
• 1/2 green pepper, cored, seeded, and minced
• 1/4 cup unsilfted flour
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 cloves
• 2 sprigs parsley
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup diced cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup boiled rice

Preparation:

Melt butter in a large saucepan, add onion, carrot, celery, and green pepper, and stir-fry 8 to 10 minutes until onion is golden. Blend in flour, curry powder, and nutmeg. Add cloves, parsley, broth, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, cover, and simmer 1 hour. 

Strain broth; pick out and discard cloves and parsley, puree vegetables with about 1 cup soup liquid by buzzing 20 to 30 seconds in an electric blender at low speed or 15 to 20 seconds in a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade. 

Smooth puree into broth, return to heat, add chicken and cream, and heat, stirring, 5 to 10 minutes to blend flavors. Add rice, heat and stir 2 to 3 minutes longer, then serve. 

I love this with Flat bread- Pitas or even corn bread would work. 

The Adventure

The Race Was really nice! For one, I love Moab, it has got to be my favorite place to visit and two, we ran along the river and it was beautiful scenery!

The weather was warm (almost too hot during the marathon- 80 degrees) and there was good Company..

We got to see a lot of people! Boonie and Carl, Cea and Kev and their beautiful Kani and also Desiree and Marc came to watch. It was a lot of fun. 

Carl is so great,

goofy and fun 

Boonie is as always wonderful to be around. 

Here we are, Before the Race- it was kinda cold before we started...  Not to be fooled!

During the race

After the race

I am so glad that we got to do a lot in the desert. 

After the race, we were lazy by the pool in the nice weather.

Then we went climbing on wall street - That was fun!

And then we ventured to Goblin Valley State Park. If you have never been here you really must go. We hiked a 9 miles loop from Little Wild Horse Canyon down into Bell Canyon. These were amazing slot canyons, they were really just incredible. 

Lyle and I kept talking about how vulnerable and insignificant you feel when in the desert, but at the same time how serene and at peace you feel.

 I am so glad that we did the whole 9 miles, It was a nice hike. But don't worry, you can still visit the slots if you have children because you don't have to do the loop.

Camping was nice although the weather turned a bit cold, and windy. hehe, we would wake up- all covered in sand from the windy nights... It was funny. 

Goblin Valley was interesting, and it made Lyle turn into a little kid again. He kept talking about wars and battles that could be had and what goblins were in charge and where they all lived. It was pretty cute.

Here are more desert pics. 

These trees were incredible, I have never seen bark so thick and aged and resonant. 

Tasty Tuesdays!

Spring is officially here on Friday! I have Spring fever! The recipes are a confirmation of that :) !!

Today for "TT" we have

Spring Salad with Artichoke Stuffed Chicken

I love salads, and I think due to the warm weather I cannot get enough of them! This salad is so simple and fresh. The dressing can be used for many different salads.

For the Salad You will need:

• Spring lettuce mix

• Cut up pears (I prefer pears but because they are not in season yet you can also use apples)

• Mandarin Oranges (optional, I don't have kids yet but maybe it will trick them into eating it)
• Slivered purple onion (optional)
  

• Crumbled feta cheese (or blue cheese is good too)
  

• Sugar-toasted pecans (Two Tbs. sugar (brown sugar can be used as well) with a cup of pecans, stir constantly and heat on medium until sugar melts , then immediately remove and cool on plate)

For the Dressing you will need:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 dry mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced

I like to serve this with something light so here is a good recipe for chicken that I got from a friends blog. I like to grill it, but you can bake it or always cook it in the George Foreman- I am telling you- if you don't have one.... get one!!!

Artichoke Stuffed Chicken

There are a lot of ingredients but once you have them you can make this all the time.

You will need:

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 jar (7 oz) artichoke hearts (or canned)
2 tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp coarse ground black pepper
3 oz feta cheese, crumbled
3 Tbsp minced sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed)
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
4 large boneless chicken breasts
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Coarse ground black pepper


Stuffing: In a medium sauté pan, combine olive oil, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Set the pan over medium-high heat to warm the mixture of 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, rinse and coarsely chop the artichokes and add along with the garlic, salt and pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add goat cheese (or feta), sun-dried tomatoes, and basil. Mix to evenly distribute the ingredients and allow to cool.

Rinse the chicken breasts under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place each breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and, with a meat mallet or the back of a small pan, pound to flatten to a thickness of about ¼ inch. Place the breast skin side down, and spread each one with a quarter of the stuffing. Fold the breast in half over the stuffing and use toothpicks to skewer the sides closed. Brush or spray both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the breasts over direct medium heat until the meat juices run clear and the cheese is melted, 8 to 12 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time. Remove from the grill and carefully remove the toothpicks. Serve warm.

Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!

I am Tagged- now so are you!

I am Tagged- now so are you!

8 Favorite TV Shows

1. 24- Jack Bauer

2. Grey's Anatomy

3. American Idol

4. Private Practice

5. CSI

6.Americas Next Top Model

7.Lost

8.House



8 Things I did Yesterday:

1. Ran 5 Miles

2. Restrained a client at work

3. Went to a Photo Shoot with my friend

4. Taught Yoga

5. Ate way too many Girl Scout Cookies

6. Read an email from Landan

7. Played Tetris

8. Layed with Bosko



8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:

1. Going to Moab to run the 1/2

2. Seeing Erin and the babies

3. Warm Weather

4. Being done with school

5. Greys Next week

6. Redoing my bathroom sink with pinups and appoxy

7. Climbing and biking outside

8. Going to Europe and India (one day)



8 Favorite Restaurants:

1. Bombay House

2. Ichiban

3. Cafe Trio

4. Lone Star Taqueria

5. Hires Big H

6. Cafe Med

7. Ginza

8. Macaroni Grill



8 Things on My Wish List:

1. To do Lotoja

2. Travel to India

3. Cannon Rebel

4. Dansko Clogs

5. To do five pull ups

6. Be a Physical Therapist

7. Pay off debt

8. Go to Europe with Lyle



8 People I Tag:

1. Erin

2. McCall

3. Kami

4. Shelby

5. Mindy

6. Sparkle

7. Jackie Rae

8. Keysha

"TT"

It's kinda like a Monte Cristo...

but- better

I love grilled sandwiches. There's something so delicious about melted cheese, meat, and veggies wrapped in a crisp yet tender crusted bread. Panini's are easy to make and you can be so creative with what you put on them. I always serve them with soup.. It's kinda like the traditional grilled cheese and tomato soup that my mom used to always make (and I still do) but a bit fancier. 

If you don't have a panini grill, you can use a Gorge Foreman (which are amazing) or a waffle iron too. 

Here is what you will need:

Sourdough Bread

Deli ham and turkey

Mayonnaise

swiss cheese

1 lime

Pickles (the ones that are marinated that you can buy in the deli are the best, you also don't have to use pickles, I love them)

Fresh garlic

Eggs/milk

salt/pepper

For the Basting:

In a small bowl mix 2 or 3 Eggs with a touch of milk, salt and pepper. Set aside

For the Spread:

1 cup Mayonnaise

Zest of a Lime

Fresh Garlic Minced

Salt/pepper to taste

Mix these ingredients together.. I use about 1 tbs.. of zest and garlic, but make to your liking. 

The Sandwich:

Spread a small amount of the mayonnaise concoction onto one side of each slice of bread

Layer with:

Ham

Turkey

Swiss Cheese

Pickles

Press the two pieces of bread together (mayonnaise on the inside)

Then baste the outside of the sandwich with the egg mixture (just so the bread is lightly covered)

Then grill until the cheese melts.

The Belated Tasty Tuesday's 

presents

Garlic Lemon Chicken

You will need:

4 large chicken breasts

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil 

4 minced garlic cloves

½ teaspoon ground sage

½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place chicken in a shallow roasting pan, skin side up. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt and sage. Brush mixture on the chicken breasts.

Bake for 35 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Baste the chicken twice with lemon and garlic mixture before serving. (I like o make more juice mixture... juicy is better)

My Dad had already won...

My Dad is a celebrity....

Check it out......

I have always been a daddy's girl!

I love my dad..

I think that he is neat.

He is funny, kind, and lovable.

Humble

He is playful

Spiritual

He is a motivation and an encourager, a teacher!

He is an amazing Man father and Dad.

and I must say- a pretty dang cool Papou too (gramps)

He is a hard worker, and my inspiration. 

the lessons I have learned from him are endless...

Before he ever won a national award.. He had already won...

Best Dad Award!

I am proud of my Daddy, and he is so deserving of this!

Although in the video the fields are all covered in snow... I am amazed at how beautiful and perfect they look in the summer. He is amazing!

I love you.