Musings of Fisherette: Winter Bounty Squash & Stewed Beef

Musings of Fisherette: Winter Bounty Squash & Stewed Beef

Winter Bounty Squash & Stewed Beef

Winter Bounty Squash & Stewed Beef is a simple, budget conscious, cold weather clean eating recipe with only 348 calories per serving according to myFitnessPal recipe tally of ingredients)

Step 1 - Gather ingredients:

WINTER BOUNTY - (157 calories)

· 2 cups Symphony Tomato Ensemble (mini heirloom tomato ensemble works too)
· 2 Delicata Squash
· 1 bunch Kale
· 1 bunch Rainbow Chard
· 1 small onion
· 6 cloves garlic
· 2 tbsp light Olive oil
· *Salt
· *Pepper
· *Garlic Salt

STEWED BEEF - (191 Calories)

· 3 oz. Stewed Beef
· *Lemon Pepper
· *Smoked Paprika
· 1 cap Liquid Smoke
· 1/4 cup Red Wine
· 2 cups Water
· 1/4 cup Italian parsley
· 4 sprigs Oregano

* Season to taste
· Salt
· Pepper
· Garlic Salt
· Lemon Pepper
· Smoked Paprika

Step 2 - Wash Ingredients

Wash kale, rainbow chard, tomatoes, except onion and garlic, including squash (skin is edible).

Step 3 - Prepare & Bake Squash

· Cut squash length-wise and scoop out seeds with spoon.
·Drizzle/brush 1 tbsp Olive oil over squash
·Season with salt & pepper.
·Place on aluminum lined cookie sheet and cover with foil.
·Bake at 425° for 1.5 hours or until soft (able to pierce easily with fork).

Step 4 - Sauté Vegetable Mix

·Add to large skillet 1 tbsp. Olive oil with chopped onion, garlic, kale, and rainbow chard and sauté until soft,

Step 5 - Cook Stewed Beef

·At medium temp slowly stew the Stewed Beef ingredients in oven-safe pan, adding water if necessary, until beef is tender.
·Place oven-safe pan in oven at 425° until browned.

Step 6 - Plating

WINTER BOUNTY

·Add 1 cup Sautéed Vegetables Mix over 1/2 Delicata Squash

STEWED BEEF

·Place Stewed Beef trailing out squash half.

Enjoy!

The Cuddle Factor

Some things have to take place in the privacy of your home...things like cuddling with a really good friend.  It's a shame that as you grow older and have to leave behind the group pleasure of public cuddling to fond memories of ecstasy fueled raves, that cuddling is something you only get to do with a partner!  Having been single for the past few years out of choice (and yes I still date!) I've found sometimes that platonic cuddling with a friend can be better intimacy than random sex with a stranger!

Maybe it's the fact that there's no other agenda other than wanting and enjoying the feeling of two kindred spirits coming together.  No demands or conjoling for more than the offer to hold someone close and enjoy the energy of their presence.  I'm sure some would say that was "gay" both as a derogatory slur and meaning "that's just a little too happy for my tastes"...but oh well I like it!

It could be the slight chill of Fall that I preceive in the air or early preparation for National Cuddle Day (yes-it's a real thing!) but I want to share with the world my newfound love of cuddling with friends! I challenge you to your own platonic cuddle fest to discover if your life isn't just a little bit better!

Poverty Stew

Poverty Stew

Don't let proverty get you down.  You can still have a filling healthy meal that you can feed the family and still have some leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day!

Ingredients:

Add the following to a large pot:

-2 cups lentils
-1 red onion diced
-5 cloves of garlic
-4 large carrots
-3 large potatoes
-1 can of diced stewed tomatoes
-1 tablespoon "Better Than Bouillon"
(doesn't matter which one)
-add enough water to have the ingredients in a nice soupy mix

Cover the pot and bring to a boil at a medium temperature for 1.5 - 2 hours

15 minutes before being done add:

-2 cups chopped kale
-3 strips Bacon (veggie bacon, turkey, or real bacon all works in this recipe I used veggie bacon by Morning Star)
-4 drops Worcestershire Sauce
-Season to taste (just be aware the Bouillon has salt added)

Pair with homemade cornbread for a filling meal that won't break the bank!

*All the above ingredients can be all added to a crockpot, so you can come home to a nice meal

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/364439794818301315/

Are You Getting In The Way?

This past weekend I got my hands on Tyrese Gibson's new book "How to Get Out of Your Own Way", and couldn't help but to recognize numerous ways in which I have indulged in self-sabotage, laziness and apathy towards reaching some goals that I would like to achieve in my lifetime. I know that if I was on my death bed today I would have some serious regrets.

Why is it I'm able to achieve some goals but flounder when it comes to the goals that would enrich my life, others, and overall make me a better person? For instance, I've always wanted to be athletic. Even though, I actually enjoy working out for the most part and as I get older I recognize how moving more can help - to well move more - I don't do much to recognize my athletic dreams ! How do I get out of my way? How do I stop the cycle of starting and stopping achieving a dream that I solely have the power to make come true?

I see the runners, cyclists, snowboarders, even weekend tennis players and I want in! So I'm giving myself permission to live the way I want for one year. In this year, I'm going to get out my way to embark on living the life I've always wanted, I'm going to train so that I can hit the slopes next winter without being a sore mess! It's going to be a uphill battle but I hope to see you at the top!

Gardening - A Wish List Item Come True!

Last year, I wrote a wish list of items that I would like to see happen or achieve in my life. Today one of my wishes is coming true - I'm starting a garden!

I got an all in one kit from Eldorado Heirloom Seeds to start my garden. At $109.95 it's a bit pricey, but I thought it would be a nice start for a newbie like myself to gardening, since it includes 67 varieties of Non-GMO/Hybrid seeds, DVD/CD instructions, as well as a free bottle of their 100% Organic Vegetable Thrive.

Using heirloom seeds there will be a difference in the produce from which I am used to and something new for my palate, as well as the potential to use the seeds for the next year's planting.

I'm excited to have fresh produce that I helped to grow - to create new recipes, can my own tomato sauce, save some money, as well as helping to tamper down my paranoia of being as self sufficient as possible in these economic times.

If all goes well - I hope to expand my gardening to raising some livestock so I can get a little closer to my "Little House On The Prairie" dreams. Wish me luck!

Writing My Wish List

Recently, I've been feeling out of touch with myself. I used to dream of wonderful things, feeling that with enough hard work I could achieve anything I set my mind to. Yet, something happened along the way...but now with a sliver of hope, I don't want to wander in the blistering desert of forgotten dreams any more. I want to be awake. I know if I don't do something to hang on, to reach, and strive for more, I'll become paralyzed.

I know before too long, I'll end up a scared, fearful old lady wallowing in my bed in an old folks home...waiting for my time to die, haunted by the things I never did.

Nine years ago, I moved to New York a week before 9-11 (just my luck) and feeling angst about inner/outer turmoil, I took to writing in my journal. Through my writing, I discovered a curious thing - I would write down things that I wanted to for that day, and lo and behold it would happen! I'm not talking about tasks, but things I wanted...like wanting a certain friend to call, getting a interview, etc. It felt like magic!

I don't know how I forgot about this, but in the routine of my life I lost the ability to dream of things that I wanted to achieve this life. Luckily for me, when perusing through a bookstore (one of my favorite things to do) I came upon the book "Write It Down, Make It Happen" by Henriette Anne Klauser and was reminded about the magic of writing down the things you wanted to achieve.

For me, this was eye opening and at the same time invigorating. Before bed, I wrote down the things I wanted and realized that through some effort, most if not all were things that I could really achieve in this lifetime. This morning I woke up excited to get started living the life I want!

What follows is my wish list (in no order of importance):

• Write a book and screenplay


• Learn to play the guitar


• Learn to speak Spanish fluently


• Have a nice comfortably home with a vegetable/flower garden


• Be able to support a charity


• Travel the world


• Be a board member for something


• Be a good parent


• Act in a movie (Big Budget)


• Get to a healthy weight


• Go to the Oscars (with a date) and the after party!


• Love God, myself and others


• Die a peaceful or unfearful death


• Have a loving, romantic relationship with a man (dreaming of Zachary Levi)


• Run a marathon


• Dress in a feminine style (accessories and high heels)


• Be a Lady


• Have a monthly income of $20,000+


• Be able to support my Mom and Aunt in old age


• Have good fulfilling friendships


• Go on a medical mission trip


• Live in a foreign country for a few years


• Feel successful


• Start a family trust


• Have nice feet (I hate to show them - rather go naked)


• Dance


• Have a production company


• Have my own network channel


• Tone my body


• Provide for my child so that my child can start working on dreams early


• Get involved in positive activities that increase my knowledge


• Meet Oprah, President Obama, Zachary Levi (ah...to dream!)


• Have a pirate chic themed wedding of my dreams


• Go to a movie premiere


• Have a spot at the table with Chelsea Handler


• Guest star on SNL


• Do stand-up comedy


• Be pain free


• Stop fighting with my family (love but sometimes...)


• Win the lottery (huge jackpot)


• Own some real estate (apartment complex, offices, homes, etc.)


• Start a non-profit organization


• Swim in the Caribbean Ocean


• Take a big family trip to Alaska (see the northern lights)


• Start a clothing line


• Get a weave


• Have a son named Noah


• Be happy and free from depression


• Have custom made clothes and shoes


• Make someone happy


• Have a room in my house for painting


• Make a music video


• Stop living in poverty


• Help under privileged youth gain knowledge of the world


• Record a song


• Ride a horse in period costume on the beach


• Have a dog, goat, sheep and horses


• Live a simple Green lifestyle

Diving into the Unknown

Why do I let myself doubt my potential all the time? When I was a kid it seemed as if anything was possible - that I could do or be anything that I wanted to be but as I get older, it feels as if my options are running out.

Have my options really run out or is there time to change to get back on course? Do I have to lead this half life forever or can I break free and grab hold of the ideas that can make it better my life complete. I know in my heart that my ideal life can only be led, if I can break free from the prison of self doubt. I need to recapture and foster the tiny kernel left of the spontaneity, joy of living and the ability to play that I had as a child. I must pay attention to what my heart is telling me is true.

I don't want to be eighty and look back and find no purpose to my life! So starting here and starting now, I'm going to step out on faith and take that leap into creativity that beckons my soul - I'll let you know how it goes!

Ocean of Lost Dreams

I have spent the better part of my life struggling to achieve my dreams. I have felt in my soul the need to present to the world my innermost being through creativity but lately have found myself cast adrift on an ocean of lost dreams.

I've dropped anchor and have given up my quest and it is eating up my soul. There is an indescribable pain in feeling as if your dreams will not come true. I can't find the meaning in going to work at a job I have no passion for, being in relationships that don't capture my heart, and feeling powerless because I can't or won't buy into the concept of money.

I don't want to just buy stuff to stuff down my dreams! I'm here on this plain for a limited time and all I want to do is experience the meaning of why am I here. I used to have faith that one day this would be understood but I feel that everyday I am closer to death without knowing my purpose.

I don't need fame or riches (although they would allow me to realize my dreams), all I need to know is that when all is said and done - is that I mattered.

Drag Me to Heaven

Sick and delirious in bed I stumbled upon a gem of a show that made my inner gay man want to get up and shout "I feel good".

Logo's Rupaul's Drag Race is a reality show that has combined several of my guilty pleasures of reality programming like Top Model and Project Runway into a drag-licious delight.

I love when Rupaul sans drag comes into the workroom a la Tim Gunn to offer his critique to the drag queen hopefuls up against a costuming deadline or when he sashays out in all his drag glory to lead a panel of judges that includes fashion designer Santino Rice.

He gives Tyra a run for her money with a figure to die for, spot on commentary and his feel good ending with the phrase "If you can't love yourself, how the hell are you going to love someone else?"

Just don't be surprised if you fall out of your seat with laughter every time the contestants have to lip sync for their lives. You'll truly be in Drag Heaven!

Bringing Courtesy Back!

I'm ticked off. Lately, a letany of perceived rudeness of epic proportions has left me wondering what has happened to common courtesy? Has the advent of technologies such as cell phones, e-mail, Facebook, Myspace, etc. made courtesy an outdated token?

Guess what - NO - it has not!

Since it appears there is a need to be schooled in common courtesy here is my crash course to getting your courtesy up to par:

• Stop answering your cell phone in the company of friends, family, acquaintances or business colleagues unless absolute necessary - doing so tells those in your company that their presence isn't important.


• Return phone calls within 24 hours and not with a text message - if someone has taken the time to call, they need your response in a timely manner. (I'm still waiting for a call from a friend who lives in a region recently struck by an earthquake and their lack of response has caused me to visualize a number of horrible scenarios, which could be laid to rest by a simple return phone call!)


• Write Thank you Notes to those who attend and bring gifts for your Baby Shower, Wedding, Graduation, Birthday, etc. - doing so shows your appreciation for their time and effort. (With the availability of e-cards you just look doubly thoughtless and lazy when you don't!)


• Return e-mails, Facebook or Myspace messages within 3 days. (Beyond this - know that I think you're an unfeeling jackass!)
  

Granted I am old fashioned but I believe that by adhering to common courtesy, technology can bring us all closer together and foster a caring community. Here's to bringing courtesy back!

No Resolutions!

It's another year and unlike a lot of people, I'm not making any resolutions for the future. Instead I'm focused day by day, moment by moment.

This time last year, I was feeling really depressed and it had begun to weigh me down physically and mentally. I didn't recognize who I was anymore and I didn't like my life or what I saw in the mirror. I remember being in tears and feeling "enough is enough"and it was in that moment that I resolved to live the life that I wanted regardless of my current circumstances.

I stopped waiting for the perfect time to start a diet or exercise, I stopped trying to avoid activities that I wanted to do because I wasn't skinny enough, I stopped putting myself down, stopped eating if I really wasn't hungry or if the food didn't taste as good as the first few bites, stopped allowing people in my life to hurt me and STOPPED trying to be perfect.

I started to pamper myself, tried new things, began doing the physical activities that made me feel good - like dancing, started putting on makeup for no other reason but to look cute for myself (even if I didn't leave the house that day), I started to savor and cook new healthy foods, and most importantly - I started to BELIEVE that it really is possible to live the life of my dreams if I BEGIN with the present moment and leave the past where it belongs!

I know it might seem like a silly concept BUT amazingly - this past year I've lost 51pounds without killing myself in a gym, improved my self-esteem, invested more in my family and friends, accomplished professional and personal achievements and have found a new joy in life.

It's exciting to SEE moment by moment my transformation into the person I've always wanted to be!

Role of a Lifetime!

I wonder if we had to audition for life - if I would I be cast as the principal character of my own life's story?

Sometimes when I lose motivation, doubt my talents, or compare myself to other leading ladies - I KNOW I wouldn't make the cut. Caught up by obstacles, too often I can forget that this life has a role that I was born to play!

Luckily for me, I didn't have to audition for the part - because the director believed enough in my talents, regardless of my shortcomings to give me the lead.

I have to learn to accept this exciting opportunity of life. To delve deeper into my character and experience more than just acting by sharing with my audience the beauty of my humanity and soul, how I discover and explore ways to transcend mediocrity by learning the beauty crystallizing a string of moments together and transforming them into the role of a lifetime!

Going Involuntarily Green for 30 days

In a story too convoluted to post - I have spent the past month going involuntarily green. I got reacquainted with public transportation and learned surprisingly - it isn't that bad. Once you get the schedule down and accept that any destination will add an extra 1/2 hour to hour of commute time, it's pretty easy to get to and fro and the amount of "undesireables is pretty low. I quite enjoyed having a latte, reading a book and arriving at work stress less from not having to deal with road rage.

Unsurprisingly, some of my destinations where a pain in the caboose to get to, but hearken my trusty bike and I was quickly able to get where I needed to go in a jiff!

Having already chosen a geographic location to live that has MOST of my needs in close vicinity, I was able to reduce my carbon foot print and lose 10 lbs in a month!

Will I completely give up my right to drive? NO, but what I have learned in the past month WILL continue to be a part of my new routine - Hail to my new trusty stead!

The Nose

To me it had always been so much more than a nose. The nose only represented something larger. The nose was a bridge between two points. One representing the past and the other representing the future. The nose was a symbol. The symbol of discontent and the eternal quest for harmony. In it - I saw myself.

To the nose, it had probably seen itself as a metaphor for the change it had been through. It had started off with the fullest of potential but slowly had whittled itself to nothing - a hollow reminder of it's former glory.

The nose was always trying not to be defined by its past. Always attempting to get over the pain of past hurts to find balance, but forever falling short of its natural beauty.

I will always wonder - if the nose had ever learned to accept himself, to acknowledge the pain, to move past it and to forgive? That eventually, it had been able to see itself in the mirror and just love itself for being, no longer caring what others thought, being comfortable in its own skin.

In the end, I'd like to believe that the nose did!

Got "Good Dick"?

Every now and then, skimming through the rentals - you come across a hidden gem of an indie film. "Good Dick" is a film written, directed, produced and even starred in by Marianna Palka whose artistic talent explores the connection of a new relationship. Jason Ritter plays to perfection, a video store clerk who initiates a relationship with the weirdly isolated customer played by Palka by - offering up suggestions on the porn that she rents.

What ensues, is the fine dance of two dis-similar people coming together to provide companionship, love and dysfunction.

Happiness For Happiness Sake!

It seemed like every one's point of view today was to stop taking their life for granted. It's as if the Collective Conscious woke up today and said "stop bitching...your life is OK!" Even the Grocer had some insight to speak of rather than the usual casual banter of the checkout line. Today was different and he was relishing his newfound happiness for his life.

It was exactly what I needed to hear, too often it is easy to bemoan the trials of life and forget that these trials or tests are to prepare, enrich and when looked upon closely - realize it could be a lot worse!

The Last.FM Radio Station You'll Ever Need!

I've checked out a few of the Internet radio sites. So far, Last.FM is my favorite. Containing a fairly extensive database of music with the capability to expand music tastes by recommendation of similar artists based upon the contents of your itunes library. Scrolling through the music, track name or listed artist - check out the artist's bio, photo or videos and...Don't forget the tour dates to have the opportunity to see a favorite or newly discovered artist live!

Unlike Pandora, Last.FM's ability to make different radio stations based on multiple artists, favorite artist, genre, or a particular track offers greater selection. An instant favorite for me is "Stand-up Radio" with artists like Bill Burr, Joe Rogan, Nick Swardson, Ralphie May and Jim Gaffigan the spot on humor has helped long office work hours fly by.

Just a reminder - to those of you in cubicle world KEEP the headsets plugged in and the laughter kept to a minimum, even though inside you will feel the need to roll back and forth on ground giddy from laughter because it's really that good!

Cat Lady With No Cat

Why do I feel like a cat lady with no cat? When did I lose my strut and when am I going to get it back? It going to be hard fulfilling this role without liking cats.

Musings of Fisherette: Leverage

Musings of Fisherette: Leverage