small bites

Week 5: Pumpkin (pie) Enchiladas

Totally not my picture (I was sans camera!) but this is somewhat close to what the Enchiladas looked like.  Quick back story:  My friend Ellie made this recipe for a girls night dinner.  It looked easy enough (which it was) and I needed a good casserole recipe to feed 12+ kids in VT.  Fast forward:  Price Chopper, although cheap, does not create the best shopping experiences.  No pumpkin pie puree? Grab pumpkin pie mix.  You get the idea.

The recipe wasn’t ruined with the pumpkin pie mix but I wouldn’t recommend it if you can get your hands on pumpkin puree (it was pretty sweet).  I would recommend adding hot sauce (Cholula!) to make it spicy because the jalapenos don’t quite cut it. 

Even those who don’t like pumpkin really liked the recipe - so I guess that says something.

Spicy Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce
(adapted from Martha Stewart)
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 roasted chicken (with skin removed) 
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
• hot sauce (to taste)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 jalapeno chile, quartered (remove ribs and seeds for less heat, if desired)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
• 1 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (6 ounces)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine chicken and scallions. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.
   
2. In a blender, puree pumpkin, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, 2 1/2 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth (this is where I would add hot sauce to taste) (hold top firmly as blender will be quite full). Pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quart) baking dish.
3. Lay tortillas on work surface; mound chicken mixture on half of each tortilla, dividing evenly. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in baking dis
4. Pour remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with cheese. Place dish on a baking sheet; bake until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with a side salad and wild rice.  Enjoy!

Photo credits: Cheeky Kitchen

Week 4: Sundance U.S.A. Screening

Eh, I’m falling behind (and running out of ideas… already) with all my NYResolutions but I’m getting there. 

Week 4 is dedicated to Sundance U.S.A.: On January 27th, Sundance sends filmakers from Park City to screen their films in 9 cities around the US.  Lucky us, My Idiot Brother was being shown at the Coolidge in Brookline.  Not only does it have a impressive cast (Paul Rudd, Zooey Deschanel, Rashida Jones) it’s extremely comical. 

The abridged version: Ned, being a “friend of everyone” hippie, is put in jail for selling drugs to a uniformed police officer.  When released from jail he finds out his girlfriend has thrown him out and refuses to hand over his dog, Willy Nelson.  Without a job, or a place to stay, Ned moves back home.  Living at home gets old quickly so Ned looks for bed hops from one sister to another sister’s place, while getting tangled in their lives.    After numerous wrong place, wrong time confessions, Ned’s family begins to realize that his actions might be for good, and that he “isn’t such an idiot after all”.

After the movie there was a Q&A with the producer.  My memory fails me but all I can remember: lots of improv, producer wrote the script w/ Rudd in mind (and loved working with him), and the little boy in movie was a pain. 

Just see it (whenever it comes out in theaters!)

PS: I also “won” a fantastic pair of Sundance Film Festival ‘11 gloves.  Whoot!

Photo credits: My Idiot Brother

Week 3: Dinner @ The Hungry Mother

I feel like I’ve been going out to dinner somewhere new every week but thinking back I can’t name one restaurant.  I’m thinking I wont have this problem with  The Hungry Mother.

Brian brought me here Saturday night after my 2nd all weekend course.  It’s not that I hate weekend courses - they’re actually great since 3 credits are knocked out of the way over two weekends - but they’re so tiring!  What a perfect restaurant!  Not only is it one block away from the movies (we saw 127 Hours aftewards!  It’s a must see!) but it is so quaint inside.  We sat at the bar (shown in the picture above) because we couldn’t get a reservation.  It’s a dimly lit area that includes creative touches such as a wall that lists a bunch of names we couldn’t seem to match together, a porcelain beer tap, and the friendliest bartender with a neat little bow tie. 

Unfortunately, since it’s still health month, I didn’t get a drink.  However, word on the street is that these bartenders make one of the best old fashioneds around.  Instead, I ordered a Ginger Ale which was served in a jam jar.  Love it.   Brian chose Ballast Point - a beer from San Diego that he has never had before.  He made the pick from a long list of beers and mixed drinks that were unfamiliar to him - and was it a good choice!  At least it smelled delicious to me. 

We started off dinner with ordering (the last!) fried chicken and biscuit appetizer without knowing that their specialty is comfort food.  It was fabulous - two fried dummies serviced of a cream sauce and biscuit.  Yummmm.   We split our main entrees - Chicken and Dumplings + Rainbow Trout.  I don’t normally order chicken at a restaurant but it was served with homemade gnocchi so I couldn’t resist.  The Rainbow Trout was served with the head and tail attached - which honestly freaked me out when I first saw it - but I quickly saw past that as the fish melted in my mouth.  AND I have to mention the white sweet potatoes that were perfectly cooked.  Sadly, we ran out of time before we could dive into dessert but our check came with mini peanut butter, chocolate, and oat cookies.  Just what I needed to tame my sweets craving. 

The Hungry Mother = highly recommended.  Just make sure you make a reseravation in advance!

233 Cardinal Medeiros Ave. Kendall Square, Cambridge.
(617) 499-0090

2/1: Old Fashioneds!  It’s a date. (The bow tied bartender promised to be there!)

Other things I did this week:

Spin class in Healthworks’ brand new (gorgeous) spin studio
Visited the West Elm store in Kenmore.  Amazing (purchased some curtains for Brian)
Finished up my 1st weekend course (which allows me to apply for my teaching license - once I get my grade!)

(Image: http://www.hungrymothercambridge.com/main.html)

Week 2: Going to a bar sober

Health month is hard enough.  Working out + eating right + no drinking = no fun.  Actually it’s not that bad… and I’m already half way through.  The hardest parts are: really wanting a glass of wine with dinner, not wanting to run in 20 degree weather, and going to a bar sober.. which leads me to this weeks New Thing for 2k11.

Yes, it was my first time begin at a bar without having one drink - honestly, what is the point of being at a bar if you’re not going to drink?  My boyfriend Brian had a good friend visiting from Chicago so I met up with them around 10p at the Beacon Hill Pub.  If you’re from Boston you know that the BHP is usually you’re last stop of the night.  Only after midnight is one in a state to tolerate the early 20s crowd, vomit in the bathroom, and reused bottles of brewbaker. It’s a true dive.

The night wasn’t awful.  The worst part was trying to “trick” people into thinking I was drinking.  That wasn’t so easy when the bartender kept giving me pint sized glasses of Ginger Ale (It’s just a double gin and ginger.  No, you cannot have a sip).  Lame, I know.  I feel like I’m 12 but in my defense it was easier than getting ripped on all night.

Also, time moves REALLY slow when you’re sober in a bar. It felt like a true accomplishment when the clock hit midnight.  Wow, this sounds depressing.  I played about 10 games of pop-a-shot (btw- the buck hunter machine is gone!) with only a high score of 28.  Now that’s depressing. 

Everyone seemed to die off around 1:15-1:30 (to my advantage) and without any late night food, I made my way home. That’s the glory of health month - I never feel guilty about those 3 slices of pizza or that bowl of mac and cheese I ate at 2a.  Oh, AND I never have that “oh man, I did what?!?”  kind of mornings.  Those usually come when I realized the night before I attempted to pull a tablecloth off a table full of plates and candles.  It’s not impossible.

Oh, one last thing.  I have the BHP to thank for my “hangover” this morning.  That bar is notorious for day long headaches since they never clear their lines.  I’m guessing the same goes for their soda guns.

Other things I did this week:
Bowled 100 during my Tuesday night candle pin league!
Saw Inception, The Towne, and True Grit (all recommended - in that order)
Grabbed a bit to eat at Church and Cafeteria Boston.  Get the sliders at both!

(Image: Boston Pozivivor Flickr account)

Week 1: Kickboxing @ Healthworks

I was hoping for something big to kick off my first new thing of 2011 but what I realized is how unprepared I am for this task :)

It’s a good thing the new Healthworks in Coolidge Corner opened on Jan 3rd.  I planned on going to a kickboxing class (Kick I.T.) that night based purely on the idea that I’ve never been to a brand new gym (and not the “I should workout to be healthy”).  I guess the other 1,000+ members in Brookline (who made a New Year’s resolution to go to the gym) had the same idea.  It’s only a matter of time till these people fade off.  Gyms should sell a NYR package where memberships end mid-February. 
On a side note: the gym in gorgeous.  If you’re a Healthworks member it’s worth the haul to Brookline to check it out.

The 45 minute class w/ Julie includes a combination of drills (push ups, jogging, mountain climbers, weights) and, err, kickboxing.  Julie is one of those high-energy instructors that about 1/2 way though the class you want to punch in the face because the pain is too much and they’re just chatting away.  (Mainly this happens during spin class when I’m dying and the instructor yells, “Turn your resistance up all the way! You’re in a seated climb for the next 7 minutes!  How’s everyone feeling?”  Cue laser eyes). 
I didn’t punch Julie. I actually enjoyed her cheeriness: great selection of music, nice balance of “pick it up“‘s, entertaining commentary.  And could I actually get in trouble for punching someone during a kickboxing class? “I swear, it was just a quick one, two!”  Nah.

The true sign of a good workout?  I couldn’t sit down for two days. 

Pleased with my first week of trying something new:  Kickboxing.  Way better than Deval Patrick’s inauguration.  Who voted for him, anyway?

Check it out: Monday @ 4:30p.  Kick I.T.  Healthworks, Coolidge Corner (325 Harvard St).

(ps: this will be a great workout to get me in shape for the Tough Mudder @ Mount Snow.  May 7th, people.  Sign up!).

Other things I did this week:
Saw Black Swan at Coolidge Corner Theatre (movie = weird.  popcorn = amazing, as usual)
Created and implemented my first science stations for a magnet unit
Sat in a weekend long class (Fri 5p-10p, Sa-Su 8a-5p)

(Image: Healthworks website)

2k11 Resolutions

It’s that time of the year again when I make my list of, err, 8 or so resolutions… which is completely unrealistic as my record this past year stands at 2-5.  It would make sense for my 2k11 resolution to be: not make so many resolutions.  Since that’s not happening here they are for the next 363 days:

1.  Stay on budget
2.  Consume 30 minutes of news every day
3.  See one movie a month (in the theater)
4.  Visit one new restaurant every month
5.  Actually look up words I don’t know in a dictionary (and not skip them while reading)
6.  Try something new once a week

Six resolutions = overly aggressive.

Putting these in writing will hopefully help me stick to it, but, better yet, I’ve decided to use a (currently) lack-luster blog to hold me accountable for #6 (and I’m 100% sure #1-5 will fall under #6). I’m actually just hoping that on December 31, 2011 I can read 52 really entertaining entries and remember all that occurred in a year.

Good luck to you and your (one) resolution.  Here’s to 52 new things…

Peep Show

With Easter right around the corner who doesn’t love a Peep show?!?  The Washington Post had their fourth annual Peeps Diorama contest with over 1,100 enteries.

Check out the photos yourself.  It’s amazing what people can do.

It’s Girl Scout Season (again)!

Don’t you just LOVE the day you walk into work and your boss has the Girl Scout cookie sheet up on his or her office door.  I swear that rainbow striped sheet shines like a beacon of freedom. Anyway, a lovely friend of mine from my old days at Syracuse has let me in on a little secret - the newest 2010 GS cookie: Thank U Berry Munch (how cute of a name, btw).

I am TOTALLY a Samoas (def not Caramel deLites where I come from!), Shorbread, and Peanut Butter Patties kind of girl but these little cookies were a pleasant surprise! They’re crunchy, which I love, sweet (but not too sweet) and full of cranberries + little bits of white chocolate chip.  Oooh, boy were they delish.  Perfect for an afternoon snack.. just to take the sugar craving away.

The box was gone in a few days w/ the help of some co-workers … and just in time for lent (oof, why did I give up sweets).

Thanks, GSs around the US.. you don’t know how many people appreciate these little boxes of sweetness :)

I am a blogger selected by the Girl Scouts of Nassau County to review the newest Girl Scout Cookie®. I have not been compensated for my time commitment or my post about my experience.  My opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.