So okay…I am catching up on tons of stuff. Spending time with loved ones, missing my family A LOT this Christmas (both blood and family of choice), and feeling the need to write. It’s been a good week and there has been tons happening. Got my Proverbs and Buffy Blog insights done. Duh…you see them. I mean, I guess you see them. If you read this…anyone out there reading this?? I am excited-ish about Christmas. I was thinking today while everyone was rushing around that I will be separated from family this holiday season. And Mo is in Ohio (great for her, sucks for her loved ones here…sniff). On a bitchier note, I am glad that it is almost over. Yes, the Christmas music. I heard “Blue Christmas” with cats meowing. Yes, you read that correctly. Cats. Meowing.

On a more sweet note, I loved…LOVED…Christmas when I was little. My mom and dad used to make it very magical. I remember how we would travel to my grandparents’ houses. And we would spend Christmas eve with my maternal grandparents and Christmas Day with my paternal grandparents. One that I definitely remember was when I was so small…I went to bed and my mom woke me up to let me know Santa had come, open a present and then go back to bed. Awesomeness. Good times. Who knows, maybe I’ll get a Christmas wish and get to see some family this Christmas, too!

I have been cooking a lot lately…and I was super excited to try this recipe. Well, I liked the recipe on paper. And, let me say…the recipe was good…and it was delicious. De-lic-ious. But it’s…uh…sweeter than I wanted. So, I am working on revising it. It requires tweaking. Here is the one I did.

Stuffed Acorn Squash
-2 acorn squash
-2 scraped carrots, grated (just regular organic carrots and grate them on a normal cheese grater. You can dice them too….but texture-wise, I prefer the grated.)
-8oz crushed pinapple (if canned, use water packed OR preferably in UNsweetened pineapple juice. Now, I am not a total foodie-snob, but I think it’s cool too if you have access to a pineapple and can cut up 1 cup and crush it in a mortar and pestle. It’s fresh. Amazing.)
-2 tablespoons dried white raisins (if you can’t find them-because they are hard to find-use raisins.)
-¼ teaspoon ground ginger (fresh, ground or crushed in a M&P, or you can “zest” them. I like the zest because it gives a more solid ginger flavor)

Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place the squash halves in a baking pan.
Combine the grated carrots, pineapple, raisins, and ginger. Mix and fold together and spoon the mixture into the squash cavities.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until squash are tender.

I want a heartier mix for my next try with this…or maybe a diff squash. I am thinking a starch like a rice or quinoa and some protein with like a rice/beans/meat filling to offset the squash. We’ll see. More on that later…

Yawn…why am I getting so sleepy??? Anyway, I had a good day at work. It was funny in some parts, and they DID change the router connection while I was trying to count down and close; but that is a mistake I don’t think will be made again. Duh…router and connectivity change, it WILL make my connection to the server database go down. D. U. H. Now, I was gonna cover the Thursday shift at DnJ for Holly, but I got X-mas blindsided and am spending some xmas cheer time with loved ones! Good times.

I am also getting pretty excited/nervous about the new year! Boot camp is looming…gonna be SICK! Totally organic, but also the workouts…the food and the detox/supplements are gonna be super good. For people that followed me getting healthy and working out on the first one…this is gonna make that look like child’s play. Back to no caffiene, sugar, salt, alcohol, cigs...Ugh…Excited...but I am getting nervous about it!

Buffy-ism of the Day: Merry Christmas

BTVS 3.10, Amends:

Xander: "Yeah, I like to look at the stars, you know? Feel the whole nature vibe."
Cordelia: "I thought you slept outside to avoid your family's drunken Christmas fights."
Xander: "Yes, and that was a confidence I was hoping you would share with everyone."
Cordelia: "Well, I'll be in Aspen. Skiing. With actual snow."
Buffy: "I hear that helps."

Hahaha...It makes me laugh. Because it's so true. Hope everyone's Christmas is good. And that you don't have to sleep outside due to drunken family fights.

Peace ya'll.

12.24.09 Daily Proverb - Goodwill towards...

Daily Proverb
Proverbs 24: 17-19
“Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;”

You know, today is Christmas Eve and even tho there wasn’t some amazing verse that signified a virgin birth, wise men, or the baby Jesus…I loved these verses today. It does signify to me the meaning of peace on earth and goodwill towards others. We should strive to hope for the best for people, even people that are not good to us. People that are challenging or trying deserve our well wishes and compassion even more than those that are always good to us. It’s actually easier to be nice to those people. So, in the interest and hopefully something I will follow…be good to people this Christmas. Even the sucky ones that make you wanna not be.

Cheers!

Recipe of the Day: Zesty Tuna Salad

Alright, everyone that knows me knows I like to eat pretty well and work out. Followers of the Boot Camp I did back in the summer should be excited for the New Year [spoiler: I will be devising, following, and documenting a new and improved version beginning January 1st!!!!]

Here is a great recipe for some boring old Tuna Salad that I came across and tweaked. It has options for those with varying tastes.

Zesty Tuna Salad
1 tablespoon dijon mustard (homeade is best)
1 tablespoon hot mustard (Kozlowski's Hot and Sweet works well!)
Black Pepper
Tobasco
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup nonfat sour cream
8oz Tuna (water packed or drained thoroughly)
1 cup minced carrots
1/2 minced green bell pepper (actually for color you can use 1/4 cup of green and red respectively)
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup minced celery
1/4 cup fresh dill or parsley

Add the mustards, pepper (to your taste - I only use a pinch or two), Tobasco (to taste - I use mere drops), and lemon juice to the sour cream. Mix well.

Add the remaining ingredients to this and mix thoroughly.

This should make six servings. Serve as you like, I don't reccomend this particular style of Tuna Salad for sandwhiches...it kind of wastes the texture and some ingredients and tastes.

However, if it is for a nice luncheon, it can be presented nicely on a leaf of Lettuce and garnished.

Cheers and good luck!

Oh, per serving: ONLY 91 calories, 7g protein, 13g carbs (but good kind :))

12.21.09 Daily Proverb - Do The Right Thing...

Read Proverbs 21 today...it's a good one. Overall. Kinda wordy and cryptic, but I liked it.
Verses 2 and 3 stuck out to me.

"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts. To do justice and judgement is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice."

So, basically...we all think we are right. We think we are correct. We think that what we do is okay. And it kinda reminds me of the line from The Talented Mr. Ripley where he says, "Nobody thinks they are a bad person." And it's true. Everyone makes excuses for the things they do, or don't do...what they say, who they hurt, cheat, or offend. I was responding, retaliating, getting them back, etc. We all think we are right. Even me.

3rd Verse mentions just do the right thing because it is better than sacrifice. Which is kinda common sense. If you do the right thing, you don't have to ask for forgiveness. Duh.

It's a good rule of thumb to live by. I've used so many different variations of this in my quirky sayings. But basically, don't do stuff to feel bad about. Don't feel guilty by not doing things to feel guilty about. Don't screw someone over, and you won't have to apologize or get forgiveness.

Peace.

Buffy-ism of the Day: On Death...

Anya was always one of my favorite characters because of the very straightforward way she spoke and interacted with people. When she did encounter death, I loved her reaction.

Since Brittany Murphy is dead today...I kinda thought it was fitting.

Anya: But I don't understand! I don't understand how this all happens. How we go through this. I knew her, and then she's— there's just a body, and I don't understand why she just can't get back in it and not be dead... anymore! It's stupid! It's mortal and stupid! And... and Xander's crying and not talking, and... and I was having fruit punch, and I thought, well, Joyce will never have any more fruit punch, ever, and she'll never have eggs, or yawn, or brush her hair, not ever, and no one will explain to me why! [She begins to cry.]

12.20.09 Recipe of the Day, Veggie Meat Loaf

Veggie Meat Loaf

16 Veggie Burgers (Boca Burgers work well) thawed
1 1/2 16oz can garbanzo beans, drained and chopped
1 cup chopped red peppers
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup egg whites (separated from yolk...no yolk...OR use fake eggs)
1/ cup plus 2 tablespoons salt and sugar free BBQ sauce

Process the veggie burger patties in food processor or chopper with the beans.
In a mixing bowl...combine the remaining ingredients, except 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce. Add the burger/bean mixture and mix well.

Place the burger mixture in a loaf pan and bake at 400 degrees, covered, for 30 minutes.

Top with the additional 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes.

Serves 10 to 12! And it's really good!!!