Turkey Yumbo ( I mean gumbo)

I'm trying this gumbo Saturday. I'm going to not use the corn and will probably use ground up cauliflower in lieu of the rice. Sounds delish.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 (16-ounce) package frozen bell pepper strips
1 (6-ounce) package frozen cut okra
1 cup frozen corn
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
1 turkey leg (about 1 pound), skin removed
1 cup cooked brown rice
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste

Method

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add peppers, okra, corn and tomatoes and stir well. Nestle turkey leg in pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until turkey falls easily off of the bone, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove turkey leg, discard bone and then shred meat and return to pot. Stir in rice, salt, pepper and hot sauce and cook about 10 minutes more.

Sign of our times

My friend Lisa emailed this to me this morning, I couldn't agree more! The ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER This one is a little different.... Two Different Versions ... Two Different Morals OLD VERSION The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold. MORAL OF THE OLD STORY: Be responsible for yourself! -------------------------------------------------------------- MODERN VERSION The ant works hard in the withering heat and the rain all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving. CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. America is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and everybody cries when they sing, 'It's Not Easy Being Green...' Occupy the Anthill stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the SEIU group singing, We shall overcome. Then Rev. Jeremiah Wright has the group kneel down to pray for the grasshopper's sake,

while he damns the ants.

President Obama condemns the ant
and blames
President Bush 43, President Bush 41, President Reagan, Christopher Columbus, and the
Pope
for the grasshopper's
plight.

Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid
exclaim in an interview with Larry
King that the ant has
gotten rich off the back of the
grasshopper,
and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.

Finally, the EEOC drafts
the Economic Equity &
Anti-Grasshopper Act
retroactive to the beginning of
the summer.

The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number
of green bugs and,
having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government Green Czar
and given to the grasshopper.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper
and his free-loading friends finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which, as you recall,

just happens to be the ant's old house,
crumbles around them because the grasshopper doesn't maintain it.

The ant has disappeared in the snow, never to be seen again.

The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident, and the house, now abandoned, is taken
over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the ramshackle, once prosperous and peaceful, neighborhood.

The entire Nation collapses
bringing the rest
of the free world with it.


MORAL OF THE STORY:


Be careful how you vote in 2012.

Happy Anniversary Danny Mac

Danny and Amy....22 years ago

I feel so lucky to have married such an awesome husband.  He's so handsome inside and out and by far the most generous person I've ever met.  He's totally supportive of me in all aspects of my life, but he will be the first to tell me when  I  need to slow down.  And the  most important thing  is he gets me and my silly sense of humor.  He is almost as funny as me, and has a way of making  me laugh at the weirdest things.

We have a rare unconditional sort of love, that I adore.  We fight over the couch and frustrate one another on occasion, but I honestly can't think of the last time we went to bed angry.  I'm so glad we have each other to share wonderful children and life's great experiences.

I love you, Danny.

Maybe I *AM* a sailor

Well, it's barely 1 PM and I've already deposited 5 dollars in the cursing jar. This is going to be a very long 40 days of lent. It's just so subconscious at this point, It has to get better .....I hope. That or I'm going to be able to pay for our entire vacation with my contents of my cursing jar.  :)

Paleo Beef Stew

Beef stew was what was for supper last night.  I cooked it in a crock pot on low for 6 hours and served it on a bed of steamed broccoli.  Huge hit at the McEver house.

2 pounds of cubed stew meat
3 diced carrots
2 celery stalks
1/2 sliced onion ( I used spring onions)
2 TBSP tapioca
1 can beef broth
Salt
Pepper

 Use any deep, oven-safe dish with a lid (dutch oven, casserole, etc.). Put 1 pound of cubed stew meat, 3 diced carrots, 2 sliced celery stalks, 1/2 sliced onion, 2 TBSP tapioca and 1 can of beef broth and salt/pepper in the dish together and mix well. Cover. Put in a 250 degree oven for five hours.  ENJOY!

Fat Tuesday

 

It's Fat Tuesday already?  Where does time go?  I've always loved this day, I generally treat it as my day of excess.  Yummy food, maybe a drink or two and some revelry!  In the past, I've given up chocolate, cheese, bread, and other of my favorite foods.

This year however, since we have already changed our food habit so dramatically there is really nothing "naughty" to give up.  I am going to try to give up the only thing I find to be a luxury these days....Peanut butter.  I'll stick with almond butter throughout the Lent season, it isn't quite as good and a little more $$ but I think it will take care of the craving.

The other bad habit I have in my life is cursing. Driving to and from Atlanta has given me quite a sailor's vocabulary.  I'm not proud of it, and if I don't watch it, Coops is going to be cursing up a storm by the time he's 8.  So Danny and I are both giving up our foul language for Lent and hopefully forever.  We are doing a dollar jar for incentive.  I told Danny to curse like mad today, I may join in with him!

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Shrimp and Bacon Slaw Recipe

Made this last night supper. Danny and I both enjoyed it, though I might go a little easier on the garlic next go around. Perfect to take to a get together or paired with some yummy veggies.


Ingredients for Shrimp:

• 1-2 Pounds of wild caught uncooked peeled shrimp
• 4 pieces of uncooked bacon
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 tsp smoked paprika, add according to taste
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Slaw Ingredients:

• 1/2 head green cabbage shredded
• 1/4 cup shredded carrots
• 2/3 cup of chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
• 1 lime

Place all the slaw ingredients except the lime in a large bowl (if you are taking this somewhere, be sure to put your slaw ingredients in the bowl you plan to use) and mix ingredients well. Set aside. Then in another bowl, toss the shrimp in the olive oil, paprika, garlic, and salt & pepper. Preheat a large nonstick pan on medium heat. Saute shrimp till they are cooked (pink) and place on top of slaw along with the remaining olive oil mixture that is left in the pan. Then cook the bacon in the same pan (add a little more olive oil if necessary) until crispy. Once bacon is cooked, remove from pan and chop up. Place the bacon with the shrimp on the slaw and mix well. Squeeze lime on top, mix, squeeze, and mix well. Enjoy!

Circus with my favorite clown!

The Lindhs invited Cooper and I to the Ringling brother's circus on Saturday night.  Although it was pouring rain, we had so much fun once we got "under the tent".  The show is such a spectacle and there is never a dull moment, it didn't hurt either that we had pretty awesome seats!

The elephants were my favorite, ever since I read "Water for Elephants" I  have had a soft spot for the big fellas.  Cooper loved the flaming guy they shot with a crossbow across the arena the best of all.  Even in the age of technology, Ringling still knows how to do it up right...Old School!

Running on Empty

Berry Half Marathon was Saturday.  My first and hopefully worst of the season.  It was long, hilly and honestly I just wasn't feeling it at all.  Thank goodness the rain stayed away or I probably would have quit mid-course.

I think my main problem was that I hadn't eaten correctly before the race. I was trying to go all Paleo, and even talked to my crossfit guy about what I should eat. He said coconut water, sweet potatoes and protein.  I ate the potatoes and drank my fair share of coconut water but somehow forgot about the protein.  Saturday morning I got up and had half a banana. THAT was it.  Around mile 4, the nerves wore off and the energy levels dropped. Luckily I had brought Gu and they were also giving the stuff away on the course.  This is the only reason I was able to finish.  Worst half marathon to date!!! My feet hurt like crazy and I had no real energy the entire 13.1 miles.  At least I have 2 more races to improve it.

What I can take from this is two things. 1) my shoes suck!  No worries, I've already replaced them and will be able to test them out tomorrow. I went back to Nike.  2) maybe I do need REAL carbs before the race.  I am dedicated to Paleo but my body needs fuel in order to function.  I need to listen to it and stop being so stubborn.

All in all, my favorite part was spending time with Suzy.  I love that kid so much!!! AND she totally rocked the course and set a new personal record .  I'm so proud of her!

Mr. T Rocks

Bullying?

Cooper is having a hard time at school lately, well in particular it's just his Gym class.  He has asked me several times to pick him  up before PE starts.  That is so unlike the little guy.  He usually loves sports and being active, so I am trying to get to the root of what is going on.  He says there is one kid in particular that has been pushing him around  A LOT in gym.  I know of this kid, and have noticed the couple of times I have volunteered for activities that he is much rougher than the other kids.  Supposedly on Tuesday, he pushed  Cooper to get his spot and caused Coops to hit his lip against another's head, he ended up with a bloody lip.  For the entire PE class, Cooper was benched while this kid continued to create havoc.

This is the thing I can't seem to understand about little boys. What is horseplay and what is bullying?  Danny and I have talked about this several times.  You don't want your kid to be pushed around but you want him to be a gentlemen.  What is the line that you draw?  I know Cooper is very laid back and shy in certain situations, which I'm sure is the perfect situation for a bully to exploit.  Danny told him last night if someone pushes you, you push back and then Mom and Dad will take care of repercussions. (Unless it's a girl, of course).  I hope we can figure out exactly what is going on in school.  I don't want to be a helicopter mommy but I do want to make sure my child is getting the best of his education, we are paying enough $$ for it.

Let's hope we can get Cooper back on track.

Amy at 4 weeks Paleo

Valentines chocolate

You can't have Valentines without chocolate, right?  I found a recipe for a Paleo chocolate cake in my Paleo comfort foods cookbook.  It looked easy enough, but who knew finding coconut flour was going to be like searching for the holy grail!  Finally after 2 weeks of searching I posted my quest on facebook and found the elusive flour.  The cake contains eggs, butter, coconut flour, 75% caco dark chocolate, chili and chipolte powder.  I even got a introduction to cooking with a spring-form pan with a water bath. I feel so Gourmet at the moment!  It turned out to be decadent and heavenly!  Very, very satisfying since neither Dan nor I have touched anything semi-sweet in over 6 weeks.  I cut up slices of the cake and have frozen them for whenever we feel like indulging again.  YUM!

Berry Half Marathon is Saturday

This will be the third year Suzy and I have done the Berry Half Marathon.  I know the course, but still it always makes me nervous. I'm just afraid of how my feet are going to do.  The B12 shot is working but it hasn't numbed it as much as last time, I hope I can get through this race Saturday. 
Good news is, it looks like it's going to be clear with just a hint of chill in the air. Earlier it was predicted to rain but they have put that off until the evening. Here's hoping I can kick major butt!

1st Loose tooth

Guess who has a loose tooth?  Pretty easy guess but still a very important feat for the little guy.  He noticed it on Saturday and has been wiggling it ever since.  How much does the tooth fairy dole out these days?  We are headed to the dentist on Friday, I hope they don't decide to extract it early. There is nothing more fun than the anticipation of losing your first tooth.

Crock pot Jambalaya

Made this Paleo version of Jambalaya last night for dinner.  Yummy!  Danny went back for seconds which is unusual for him since we have started this diet.  This is especially good on a cold and blustery day. Enjoy!

Crock pot Jambalaya:

• 5 c. chicken stock.
• 4 peppers – any color you want, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large can of organic diced tomatoes (leave the juice)
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 bay leafs
• 1 lb large shrimp, raw and de-veined.
• 4 oz. chicken, diced
• 1 pkg spicy Andouille sausage
• 1/2-1 head of cauliflower
• 2 c. okra (optional)
• 3 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
• 1/4 c. Frank’s Red Hot (or hot sauce of your choice)

1) Put the chopped peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, chicken, cajun seasoning, Red Hot, and bay leafs in the crockpot with the chicken stock.  Set on low for 6 hours.
2) About 30 minutes before it’s finished, toss in the cut up sausages.
3) While this is cooking quickly make cauliflower rice by pulsing raw cauliflower in the food processor until it resembles rice.
4) For the last 20 minutes, add in the cauliflower rice and the raw shrimp. Note: You can choose to quickly steam the cauliflower rice in the microwave and serve the jambalaya OVER it as well.
5) Enjoy clear sinuses!!

Defeet

My Morton's neuroma is killing me again.  The same old thing, I get about 4 miles into a run and then I have shooting pain each time my toes on my left foot hit the ground. The problem usually goes away the moment I stop running, if it's a very long run I will ice it as well.  Physically I can endure it but mentally it's really rough.  I just don't want to go running, I don't want to have to power through that pain each time. The B12 shot before the marathon worked like magic so I made an appointment with Dr. Peebles, swearing to the receptionist I was not a B12 junkie!

Went in today and discussed options with him. He thinks we should continue with shots as long as they are working. If the problem gets worse, he highly suggests just deadening the nerve, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

I'm glad B12 is a viable option, because frankly I don't know what I'd do if he told me not to run any more.  I figure it would involve pizzas and lots of Jerry Springer, but lets not go there.
Happy Wednesday everyone!  I can't wait to get back to running tomorrow.

Green Tea doesn't solve every problem

Well, I did it.  I've complained a billion times about Danny and Suzy being irresponsible with their telephones, and today I dunked my iphone into a glass of green tea.  I was trying to leave for work, was carrying way too much as usually and unfortunately in the process of getting into the driver's seat my phone took the big ole nestea plunge!

It's weird not having it beeping and tweeting at me every few minutes, I don't know what I'm going to do without it on the commute home. SIGHS.

Oh well, c'est la vie! Everything happens for a reason, and if my reason is just remind me that I need to slow down a little bit. Then so be it!

**** By the way, the AppleCare people are amazing!  I called them up, went to the apple store at Lenox and had a new phone by 5PM.   I usually don't like extended warranties but this is one time I'm glad I got the extra protection :)

Intrigue salon is good for the soul

I had a great morning Friday, as I finally got to schedule an appointment with Intrigue.  There is nothing better than have someone primp and style your hair, it's just the best! I love my stylist too, Lisa is so fun and laid back. Sometimes I wonder if she goes a little too funky with my bright blonde hair, but maybe that's what I need in my life a bit more *flash*.  Not sure what is going on with the vacant stare in my eyes above, I've never been one to take a great photograph!

The weekend was pretty low key.  One of my best friends in the world came over to watch Cooper play basketball, and then I slept for almost 20 hours straight!  I'm not sure how that happened, I wonder if I was a bit sick or maybe I'm just overdoing it exercise-wise.  I do know that the 6 mile run on Sunday was not fun......AND I have a half marathon in 2 weeks.  I've done these less prepared, so I scrap my way to the finish line, nothing I haven't done before.  My morton's neuroma is giving me troubles again!  I have already scheduled an appointment with Dr. Peebles for Wednesday, I plan on begging him for another B12 shot in the foot.  Right now, I gotta be honest with you...the last thing in the world I want to do is run!

Actually got caught up in the superbowl last night, it was a good game and Madonna was incredible.  I've been a material girl since she first started out.  Love her and her style.  It's amazing that she is 53 years old and looks/acts like she is 20.  Speaking of looking your age, I finally broke down and bought wrinkle cream this weekend.  It's called StriVection, I'll report back on how well it works.  I know I should have started this years ago, but I like to live in a state of denial that I'm growing older.


Like I said before, It's been quite subdued the past few weeks.  I'm sure things will pick up soon, but right now I'm enjoying the peace.

All Hail the Groundhog

Happy Groundhog Day!

Groundhogs day, perhaps one of the stranger of our special days.  I'm not sure I'm ready to leave my weather predicting to a rodent, but it's become a quirky little past-time, wondering if we will have 6 more weeks of winter. If winter continues as it has been for the past month, I say bring it on.

Cooper was so adorable this morning. He rolled out of bed and immediately ran to the window. He thought there would be a groundhog in our front yard!  After we misidentified a squirrel as a baby groundhog, he was satisfied and decided that spring was around the corner.

My friend Emily and I always wanted to be outside the box, so through our high school years, we played up groundhog's day as something very special. Silly yeah, but hey there isn't much to do in the small town of Toccoa. As soon as I got to work this morning, I made sure to wish Emily the bestest groundhog day ever. If you can't play around a little, what's life about anyway.

It looks as though Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and we will have 6 more weeks of winter whereas Gen. Beauregard Lee predicts a early spring. I'll go with the General's prediction since I'm quite fond of my southern boys.

Frustrated as hell

Are you there God, it’s me Amy!!!!!

I’m frustrated! I’m not sure what kind of life lesson you are trying to teach me at this point, I feel no epiphanies coming on….. just the overwhelming urge to bang my head up against the wall.  I know I have an awesome life, a great home and the most wonderful family ever.  You’ve been good to me and I’ve tried to show my devotion by giving as much of myself as I could. 

I accept the fact that I’m genetically challenged being of both a German and Dutch background.   BUT I’m working my ass off here.  5 out of 7 days a week, I am doing two-a-days (Crossfit and cardio).  Last month I only took one day completely off from exercise.  I’m eating Paleo and feeling better than I ever have before.  I’ve lost my cravings for luxurious foods realizing eating is for energy and not for pleasure. I’ve given up beer, and we both know how much I love beer. Each time I hop on the scale though, it doesn’t budge.  Why?  I don’t want to look like a potato….I want to be lean and mean and fast!  I work out far more than anyone I know.  What gives? If I didn’t work out, would I be bed-ridden and the subject of one of those ridiculous shows where they use a crane to excise someone from their house?

Am I supposed to be learning patience? Or perhaps Perseverance?  I can’t possibly be a role model when I am nowhere closer to my goal than I was 4 weeks ago. (I know, a 5lb weight loss is good, but it’s not GREAT)

I don’t like feeling discouraged and I don’t like the mood that inhabits my head right now.  I’m better than this. Maybe my goals are too grandiose but I’m going to continue to battle against middle-age, my slow metabolism and lack of energy. I can only hope to one day look in the mirror and be completely satisfied and wiser having learned something about myself along the way.

And if I’m completely off-base on this whole life lesson, please let me know :)