Friday, March 27, 2009

Our Anniversary 3/17/09

We began our anniversary celebration in the airport (this seems to be a tradition for us as we spent our 1st anniversary in an airport as well enroute to Italy.....) This time we were flying back from lovely Spokane where we were visiting our good friends Jason and Earecka. After arriving home shortly after lunch, we headed our for a couples massage (Graham's gift to me!) It was Graham's first time ever getting a massage and I think it was much-needed due to all the heavy lifting he does at work turning patients.

After our massage, Graham took me out for my dream dinner: a night at the Barking Frog in Woodinville (on the property of the Willows Lodge). What an AMAZING meal! They are doing this special "Dine Around Seattle" thing right now where you can get a 3 course meal for $30.

Here is what I had:
Yukon Potato Soup w/ Black Truffle Gremolata
American Kobe Shoulder Tender w/ Lobster Ravioli in a Truffled Bearnaise Sauce
Ice Cream Sandwich Sample (Butter Pecan, Strawberry and Chocolate)


Graham picked:
Grand Marnier Prawns w/ Micro Greens and Orange Segments
Smoked and Braised Kurabuta Pork Shank w/ Controne Beans, Braising Greens, Pancetta & Olive Viniagrette
Chocolate Cream w/ Strawberries

Graham of course also ordered the wine pairing which included a different wine for each course. He was being super sweet and was going to skip it for my sake but I could tell he really wanted the wine....I guess I've really gotten the boy into the finer things in life--wine and gourmet food! I of course enjoying SMELLING the wines, but that's as far as I went.

The Yukon Soup was probably the highlight for us although my beef and lobster ravioli and Graham's shrimp were pretty amazing as well. We tried to replicate the Yukon Soup at home this week but it wasn't quite as rich....probably the dietitian in me reducing the amount of cream.
Anyway, all in all, it was a great night!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Maternity Clothes


I need your help! For all you moms and moms-to-be out there, I'm looking for recommendations on where to buy cute, cheap maternity clothes. Any favorites? People keep telling me to check out kids consignment stores but I don't know of any off the top of my head. Of course I like new things too. :o) Either way, I'd appreciate input as the shopping begins on Saturday!

Saturday, March 21, 2009

My latest cravings

GARLIC BREAD!!! -I think I've had it three times already this week (one time for breakfast) and I'll be having it again tonight. I just can't seem to get enough.




Strawberry "milk" -This is a new invention I created this week which is the more healthy of my two cravings. I bought a big bunch of strawberries from Costco and have been blending them with cold vanilla soymilk and serving it over ice. It's almost like a milkshake and makes for a great calcium and vitamin C-filled treat!

Friday, March 20, 2009

It's a good day

I checked our bank account this morning to discover our tax refund was deposited last night while we were sleeping---woohoo! A little extra cash is very much appreciated right about now as my clothes are starting to fit a little more snugly.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

National Registered Dietitian Day

If you didn't realize that today is a very special holiday, don't be alarmed--you aren't alone! Graham didn't remember either....I asked him excitedly last night "Do you remember what tomorrow is!!??" The poor guy was racking his brain, trying to figure out if he'd forgotten about an anniversary, monthiversary, birthday or something else but couldn't recall any special events between us that occurred on March 11th...

Anyway, for those of you who don't know, today is the 2nd ever National Registered Dietitian Day (we finally got our own day!) I wanted to take a brief moment to recognize and celebrate all of my collegues in the nutrition field who are working hard to keep America healthy. What a valuable role we play in teaching the nation to "Eat Right" (as is the theme for March which is National Nutrition Month).

In honor of these special day, I figured I should post a tasty, healthy recipe for your enjoyment-I'm making this dish tonight! It takes a little work but is a delightful treat for company or for a romantic dinner. Remember that although it is high in total fat, the majority of it comes from the "good kind" of fat (mono and polyunsaturated).

Crispy Salmon with Risotto and Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Roasted Tomatoes:
Cooking spray
9 plum tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced

Risotto:
4 1/2 cups fat free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/4 cups (1/2-inch-thick) sliced leek
1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
6 cups torn arugula or spinach
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salmon:
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 (5-ounce) salmon fillets, skinned
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Garnish:
Thyme sprigs (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. To prepare tomatoes, coat a foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray. Place tomatoes, cut sides up, on baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and garlic. Bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until very soft and slightly shriveled, turning occasionally.
To prepare risotto, bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add rice; cook 1 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 30 seconds or until liquid is nearly absorbed. Stir in 1 cup broth; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring frequently.
Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes). Stir in arugula, half-and-half, cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
To prepare salmon, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salmon with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place fillets, skin sides up, in pan; cook 5 minutes. Turn fillets over, and cook an additional 2 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Arrange 3 tomato halves, cut sides up, in a spoke-like pattern in center of each of 6 plates. Mound 2/3 cup risotto in center of each plate (leaving about a 1 1/2-inch edge of tomatoes uncovered). Arrange fillets on risotto. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 569 (30% from fat)
Fat: 18.8g (sat 5.2g,mono 9.4g,poly 2.9g)
Protein: 36.9g
Carbohydrate: 58.1g
Fiber: 3.1g
Cholesterol: 81mg
Sodium: 992mg
Calcium: 186mg

Monday, March 9, 2009

In 26 weeks....

......BABY CROZIER is due!!!!

This post has been a long time coming--we have been trying very hard to share the news of our pregnancy with friends and family in a more personal way before "going public" on my blog. Hopefully we were able to reach most all of you readers, but my apologies for those of you who we may have not had a chance to get in touch with yet.

Our due date is September 6ish (although a 10 week ultrasound bumped the due date up by 2 days)--anyway, sometime around Labor Day is when our little blessing is due to arrive. Graham and I are incredibly excited to be parents and are feeling overwhelmed with thankfulness that God is blessing us in this way. We feel that His timing has really been perfect and we're looking forward to seeing how He provides for us in the coming year, especially with the possibility of grad school for Graham--eek!

We would appreciate all of your prayers for the remainder of the pregnancy. So far things have gone quite smoothly with only a few hiccups. Expect many more details and updates in the days and weeks to come!