It's MY Kitchen! I'll do what I want...

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2011

2011-12-11T21:45:00.000-08:00

This year I participated in a nationwide cookie swap (The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2011) that was hosted by Lindsay at Love and Olive Oil and Julie from The Little Kitchen and I have to say that it was a wonderful experience for me! Thank you ladies for hosting this cookie swap!!

I've been blogging about food/recipes for a couple of years now. Not very consistently but nonetheless blogging. This opportunity this got me really excited about connecting with other food bloggers and and the food blogging community and maybe even blogging more consistently!
I live in South Texas and all my cookie swap matches got sent to the East Coast: New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. I really can't wait to participate in this again next year.
I received Cranberry Almond White Chocolate Chip cookies from Tara at ChipChipHooray, I received Chunky Chocolate Gobs from Beth at Eat.Drink.Smile and Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino Cookies from Lauren at Keep It Sweet. All three cookies were DELICIOUS! I am excited to be able to get the recipes for all three!
The cookies that I sent were called Dark Chocolate Cafenela Cookies. They are a recipe adapted from your basic chocolate chip cookie. I changed things up a bit and used dark chocolate chips, cinnamon and instant coffee granules.
Here is the recipe:

Dark Chocolate Cafenéla Cookies

Non-stick vegetable oil or Canola oil spray
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste
2 cups of Dark Chocolate Chips
1 cup of pecans, toasted
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray 2 large baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray or prepare 2 silicone baking mats for your cookies and set them aside. Whisk flour, baking soda, and Kosher salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until it is smooth. Add both the brown and granulated sugar and beat to blend. Add the eggs and vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, coffee granules and beat to blend as well. Add the flour mixture and beat at low speed until it is blended in. Stir in the dark chocolate chips and nuts.

Drop the cookie dough by 2 level tablespoonfuls onto your prepared baking sheets, mounding one on top of the other. Space your cookies like 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are browned and the tops are golden brown, 11-12 minutes. Transfer the cookies to cool. This recipe made 3 dozen cookies.

I was just gonna send these cookies in a ziploc with some tissue paper but then I thought, "how fun would it be to doll up the presentation?" So, I headed to Target to get me some cute packaging.

This is what I found and how I packaged my sweet goodies!

As I said earlier, I really can't wait to do this again next year!

The cookies I received are from the following lovely ladies:

Tara at ChipchipHooray

Beth at Eat.Drink.Smile

Lauren from Keep it Sweet

Tara, Beth and Lauren, thank you so much for your wonderful cookies!!

Dream Come True!

2011-11-29T17:29:00.000-08:00

Shortly after I got married and realized my love for cooking, my love for baking caught up to me rather quickly. At first I wasn't very good at baking but as I learned that baking is kind of a science, I got better and better. There is still so much to learn and I love learning!
Three days ago, my hubby told me that for Christmas he and my little sister, Amanda, wanted to get me a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer and I almost cried. This of course was after many months of telling him that I REALLY wanted one:) He gets props for deciding that I needed to have this gift BEFORE Christmas! YAY!
I have been wanting a Kitchen Aid Mixer for three years now and as expensive as they are I honestly didn't think that I would ever get a "BRAND NEW" one, much less one at all. So, my dream come true news is that I got to order my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer of choice yesterday (Cyber Monday- because of all the great deals on-line) and am patiently waiting for it to arrive!

Here is a picture of the one I ordered, in Boysenberry. It should be here in the next few days. Hopefully before Friday:)

I just had to share this news with you! YAY!

~Mrs Galvan~

Leopard Pie (aka Leftover Pie)

2011-11-26T20:46:00.001-08:00

After our Thanksgiving Eve shindig we had garlic mash potatoes and cranberry pear stuffing left over. I made lots of both of those because I knew they were the one things that I would not be able to get enough leftovers of. Our 14 pound AMAZING turkey was ALL gone after everyone left. It was amazingly juicy and flavorful. My husband did an amazing JOB!
SO, you're probably asking, what in the world is Leopard Pie...Well, it is a leftover sort of "Shepherd's Pie." It's so simple to make and it's filling and wonderful!
Basically all you do is heat your oven to 400 degrees. Take a casserole dish and layer your leftovers. I sprayed my casserole dish with some canola oil and then layered leftover cranberry pear stuffing, some rotisserie chicken (because we didn't have any leftover turkey), poured some brown gravy over that and then spread a nice layer of garlic mashed potatoes over all that. I then sprinkled just a little bit of cheddar cheese on top. I only used a little because I wasn't sure that I was gonna like cheese mixed in with the stuffing and gravy but I would recommend putting as much cheese on the top of the mash potatoes as possible because it tasted soooooo good! Then I put it in the oven for 20 minutes. You only really need to heat everything through so it doesn't take very long. Then I turned the broiler on for the last 5 minutes.

It was DELICIOSO!

Thanksgiving Eve

2011-11-26T20:45:00.001-08:00

In my home we celebrate Thanksgiving Eve. We do this so that we can make a Thanksgiving dinner of our own. Thanksgiving Day is spent split between my family and the hubby's family.
The first year of our marriage we did Thanksgiving Eve alone, just my husband and I. It was fun! We made our first turkey together and spent our first holiday together as a married couple. The second year of our marriage we added my mom to the mix. We did that because that year she moved in with us after she had her stroke. This year, we are adding some very close friends to the mix and I'm excited about this!
I'm excited about having people over for this holiday because I've never been more grateful for the people that God has placed in our lives.
Our menu tonight will consist of:
Roasted Turkey
Cranberry Pear Stuffing
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans with Bacon and Fire Roasted Tomatoes

My cousin Patti is bringing dessert and I'm excited about that too!
So, right now, I am waiting to start the turkey. My hubby brined the turkey overnight and got it ready to put in the oven. I just have to insert all the aromatics into the cavity and start our "Gobble, Gobble" roasting.
The house already smells like roasted garlic and onions, pears and cranberries.
I'll post some pictures later this evening hopefully. If not, later this weekend. Thanksgiving Eve, HERE WE COME!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

His faithful love endures forever. (Psalm 107:1 NLT)

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2011

2011-11-17T21:54:00.001-08:00

Hello Blog World! I have decided to move over to Wordpress from Blogger. Wordpress seems a little more complicated but I'm a pretty smart cookie so I am sure that I will figure it out! I'll be trying to import my other blog posts from Blogger over to this blog, we will see how that goes. I am going to be honest UP FRONT! I'm not great with keeping up with my blogs, usually. I have however in the past almost two years acquired an IPad which helps some. Life is usually pretty busy here at my house, in my kitchen, in my life. My husband and I are in full-time ministry at our church and that is where a lot of our time goes, to the Lord but I LOVE to bake, cook and craft. SO, I work hard to make time for those things as well. Those three things really keep me sane on my days off. (Which is not very often, lol) If I don't have something to do when life dies down, I can get pretty buggy. I hope that as I begin posting here, that people will actually read this blog.

IN RECENT NEWS: I am joining hundreds of other food bloggers in the Great American Food Blogger Cookie Swap that is being hosted by Lindsay at Love & Olive Oil and Julie at The Little Kitchen. I got my list of bloggers to send my cookies to and have been working on a recipe since last week. I am excited to say that my cookies turned out well and that my "guinea pigs" all loved them. So, needless to say, I have chosen my recipe for the swap. I promise to keep you updated with pictures and such as I start with this little project. Last night, the husband and I took out all the Christmas decorations. YAY! We decided that we would be changing the colors of the tree this year. We had been using the ornaments I had before we got married (which were peacock feather colors) and decided that we had gotten our monies worth already. So this year we are going with red, gold and bronze (brown) It is also the year that we put up our angel tree topper. We rotate between a star and an angel to keep us both happy from year to year. We had been looking for an angel since last year and found the one my husband wanted THIS year and she is definitely a keeper. I'll post a picture when I can get into the other room to take one. My kitchen is OPEN and this week we are hosting "Thanksgiving Eve" at our home with some close friends. I am very excited about it and so is my husband. He is making the turkey again this year. We decided last year, that brining the turkey is the way to go. My husband decided that after watching Alton Brown's "Romancing the Bird: A Good Eats Thanksgiving". If you haven't seen this episode, it is awesome! Gotta love Alton Brown.

~Mrs Galvan~

The Chocolate Diaries by Karen Linamen - Book Review

2011-09-13T07:14:00.001-07:00

"The Chocolate Diaries" by Karen Scalf Linamen was a refreshing and inspiring book. I really enjoyed getting to know Karen through this book. I will definitely be picking up other books that she has written.

This book came at a great time in my life. I had battling the blues and this book was uplifting and encouraging in so many ways. I love that I was able to really relate to the personal reflections that Karen shared.

I am a foodie at heart and that is really what drew me to this book. Mod-way through each chapter were little excerpts about how to make life sweeter. I loved these little parts because they were anecdotes from others who Karen is connected to.

It is a GREAT READ!! It's funny and honest and I completely and totally recommend it!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Love at Last Sight by Kerry & Chris Shook- Book Review

2011-07-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY finished Love at Last Sight subtitled 30 days to grow and deepen your closest relationships by Kerry & Chris Shook. When I saw that this book was on the list for review I got a bit excited. I've been at a point in my personal life where I felt like this book could do me some good and I was looking to be enlightened some. When I received the book, I sat down immediately to read it and was ready to put it down after the first 5 or so pages.
It's a cool book because you go through this 30 day "program" where you even have daily homework. I think that's why I was so excited about it, I like homework:)

However, this book didn't teach me anything I didn't already know and there was nothing refreshing about it for me personally. I do however, know that others will more than likely benefit from this book.

THE ONE THING THIS BOOK DID DO FOR ME:

It reminded me that we really must love others as though we may not see them again tomorrow.

I work hard to live my life that way already and I guess that's why this book was hard to get through for me. For someone who does not know how to live this way, this book will be great for them. it will enlighten them and it will most likely change their lives and relationships.

It's a good read. I like the perspective that it's written from and I like that you kind of feel like you're having a conversation with the authors. If you have the time and could use some advice on how to love your loved ones better, I recommend reading it.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

New Cookbook: Hungry Girl's 300 under 300

2011-05-03T10:51:00.001-07:00

So, just bought this book last weekend and this morning I made my first "egg mug". I had honestly NEVER thought to make eggs in the microwave, LOL! It came out really good!

I'm really excited to try lots more of the recipes in this book. There are recipes from breakfast all the way through dinner and including desserts that are all under 300 calories. Plus, there are still ways to make them with even less calories, is what I'm finding.

My "egg mug" this morning was a whopping 70 calories!

So, if you are watching what you eat and are looking for everyday meals that have healthy swaps, this is a great book! I totally recommend it!

~Mrs Galvan

Digiorno Pizza & Hoops Houseparty!

2011-03-29T13:51:00.000-07:00

Houseparty.com ever so graciously chose me to host a Digiorno Pizza & Hoops party a few weeks ago and it was soooo much fun! I received an awesome party pack!

It included a spatula, an oven mit, a cooking timer that looked like a basketball, the most AMAZING pizza cutter ever, a mini-basketball and hoop set, these really cool boomwhacker inflatable noisemakers (that all the kids loved) and great coupons so my guests could go out and try the pizza on their own.

My favorite was the pizza and breadsticks. I had never had Digiorno Pizza and I was pretty impressed! The cheese on everything was awesome! (I am a cheese lover so this really matters) I usually have to ask for double cheese on my delivery pizzas and this was awesome.

I was however VERY disappointed in the boneless wings. To me, they were a lot of trouble to make and only 7-8 wings come per pizza. I thought the serving size was ridiculous. I mean understand that the company can't put a dozen wings in a box but at least 10, geez! They didn't taste bad, but I've had better for all the trouble.

I also made some fun goodie bags that had the coupons for $4 off any Digiorno Pizza, the inflateable noisemakers and I found the cutest Easter eggs that looked like basketballs so, I had to buy those and fill them with chocolate! Yum-O!

My hubby made his famous banana pudding for us all. It was sooooooo good! It looked beautiful too so I had to snap a picture of that for here as well. It's all sugar free/fat free except the cookies:) they have real sugar...lol!

At the end of it all, we were sooo tired but the food and company were well worth it all. Thank you Houseparty for another great party and thanks Digiorno for making some great stuff!

P.S. My momma had a great time too:)

~Mrs Galvan~

The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner (book review)

2011-03-23T13:28:00.001-07:00

The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner is a definite read! Once I sat down to read this book, I had a hard time putting it down.

Lauren Durough, is a single young woman from a prestigious family. She has grown up with all the things money can bring her while growing up but she doesn't really like living that way. She decides that she wants to earn some money on her own and lands a job transcribing an ancestral journal, for an 83 year old librarian, that belonged to Mercy Hayworth. Mercy Haworth's story is set in the 1600's during the Salem witch trials. Lauren finds herself deeply connected to Mercy's life and secrets. Mercy's life makes Lauren take a deeper look at her own life.

Throughout the transcription of the journal, Lauren learns what mercy really means and is able to see and find her true self in it. She learns that about society's stigmas and stereotypes on those who are not as wealthy as she has been. She finds love in an unexpected young man and she learns truth about who she really is and not who others believe her to be.

I will read this book again, that is how much I liked it and I will definitely be passing this one on.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Athenos Greek Yogurt Toga party

2010-12-12T20:59:00.000-08:00

So, this past Saturday I hosted a toga party for Athenos Greek Yogurt! Thank you Houseparty for choosing me to host this shindig, it was so fun!

I got to make fun food and even expanded some of my friends palette choices. One friend had never tried pitas and a few others had never had hummus. I love when people get to experience new foods that they normally would never have tried.

The menu included :

Raspberry Chipotle meatballs
Pita sandwiches with turkey pastrami, chicken, tomato, cucumber and a choice of either creamy cilantro sauce or creamy chipotle sauce (both made with Athenos Greek strained yogurt)
Greek Pizza with spinach, black olives, red onion and cheese
Spinach dip (made with Athenos)
Hummus

I also made lots of fun Christmas desserts as this toga party was a great excuse to to have a Christmas party!

I also gave out party favor bags with the party favors that Athenos sent. It included a coupon for $1 off of two yogurts, an Athenos stress ball, writing pad, pen and a free yogurt!

The yogurt is really good! I love that you can decide how much of the fruit to add to your yogurt or decide not to add it altogether. My favorite is the peach one. It's definitely also a great breakfast on the run because you don't have to stop and slice up the fruit of your choice, it's already done for you. I LOVE IT!

My Wal-Mart only had 14 yogurts so I bought them out with my complimentary coupons and even had a few coupons left to give as game prizes. We played this cookie game: Face the Cookie! It was so fun!

THANK YOU Athenos AND Houseparty for a great time!!!

~Mrs Galvan~

Been Awhile--Spinach Meatballs

2010-11-09T15:23:00.000-08:00

So, for those of you who follow me...It's been awhile, I know. I'm sorry. Life has just been crazy!

In the past month and a half, I have gotten the flu twice. YUCK!
Anyway, I'm back for a little while, I hope:)I have LOTS to tell BUT it's gonna take some time to tell you:)

Here's a recipe I made for dinner tonight:

Spinach Meatballs

Makes 12-14 3.5oz meatballs
Serving size: 1

2lbs ground turkey
1/3 onion chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 cups of spinach
1/4 cup matchstick carrots
Kosher salt
Ground pepper
1 egg (or 1 serving egg beaters)
2/3 cup bread crumbs (or 15 multiple-grain crackers ground in food processor)
2 Tbsp EVOO
1/3 cup shredded low fat mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat oven 400 degrees.

In a skillet heat EVOO. Take your onion, garlic, carrots and chop them in a food processor. Pour into skillet, add spinach and sauté for about 3 minutes, until spinach is wilted down. Set aside to cool.

Take crackers and grind in food processor.

In a large bowl mix your veggies in with the ground turkey. Make sure your veggies have cooled down before you do this. Add egg and mix well. Then add bread/cracker crumbs and mozzarella. Salt and pepper.

Take about a 1/4 cup of meat and roll into a balls and fill a cupcake/muffin pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Serve with spaghetti sauce (a healthy one of course--I like Francesco Rinaldi Sauces ) poured over or in your spaghetti or in meatball sandwiches. You can do a few things with these.

I'll personally have two meatballs with two cups of veggies or a salad.

I REALLY hope you get to try these. DInner is served and the Mr. just walked in the door! Gotta go serve up dinner!

~Mrs Galvan~

Summer Potato Salad

2010-07-02T14:32:00.000-07:00

Summer Potato Salad

1.5 pounds Baby Dutch Yellow potatoes
1 tsp kosher salt
½ white onion
1 stalk of celery
2 baby kosher pickles
2 Tbsp mustard
½ cup mayonnaise
½ tsp dill weed
1 Tbsp of minced garlic (one garlic clove minced)

Baby Dutch yellow potatoes are so buttery and perfect for potato salad in my opinion.

Take your potatoes and make sure they are all around the same size. I took them all and cut them in half, some of them in quarters if they were bigger to make sure they were all about the same size.

Why should we do this? It’s so the potatoes will all cook evenly and at the same time.

Put all your potatoes in a pot to boil—with just enough water to cover the potatoes. Then salt the potatoes and water with the salt. Boil for 10-12 minutes.

Don’t start the water boiling until AFTER the potatoes are in the pan. This will cook them all evenly as well.

While your potatoes are cooking it’s time to prepare the rest of the potato salad. In a food processor, chop your onion, celery, pickles and garlic. Set aside.

Drain your potatoes and pour into a medium size bowl. Add your veggie mixture, mustard and mayonnaise and serve up.

This can be served warm or cold. I like it both ways.

Although, I will tell you that letting the potato salad cool and then letting it sit in the refrigerator overnight really brings out all the flavors of the veggies and dill.

Serve with your favorite barbecue or even your favorite sandwich.
~Mrs Galvan~

Mexican Hotdogs

2010-07-01T22:16:00.000-07:00

For lunch today I decided to make Mexican hotdogs. This has quickly become one of my favorite quick meals to make. They are just sooooo good! I've made them as healthy as possible without taking away flavor. The only thing that could have made them better is beans ala charra from scratch and then refried.

**Refried for me just means mashed and with a tablespoon or so of bacon drippings. Mm...how can anyone resist.**

I originally made these because of a blog that I read, Homesick Texan, and then have sort of run with the idea by doing some research on the "Mexican" hotdog. So, here you go. Hope you'll try it! It's totally worth it!

Mexican Hotdogs

Makes 4 servings (2 per person)

8 hotdog wieners (turkey, beef, whatever you like)
8 hotdog buns (I used whole wheat buns)
8 slices of center cut bacon (uncooked)

1 cup Refried Beans (canned or from scratch)—I actually only had a can of pinto beans so I mashed and doctored them up with some bacon drippings, onion powder (not onion salt), garlic powder (not garlic salt)*If you own onion salt, or garlic salt—throw them out—they have so much extra sodium* and about ½ tsp of kosher salt.

Pineapple Salsa:

1 can of pineapple tidbits (I bought the one sweetened with SPLENDA rather than sugar)
2 tomatoes, diced & seeded
½ red onion, chopped
3 Tbsp of lime juice
½ tsp of kosher salt
3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

Extra toppings: (optional)
Sliced jalapeños
Regular or Chipotle mayonnaise
Mustard
Mashed avocado

Take your hotdogs and wrap one slice of bacon around each one tightly. Try to get the two ends on the same side of the dog and place that side down in a cold sauté pan. Then turn the heat to medium. (By starting in a cold pan you keep the bacon from curling up) Cook until your bacon is nice and crispy and cooked well. Then place on a paper towel to catch any bacon drippings.

While they are cooking get started on your pineapple salsa. Just mix all the ingredients together and store in the fridge until ready to serve your hotdogs. We all should know that any kind of pico de gallo type of salsa is BEST cold.

Then work on heating up your beans. That takes hardly any time at all. I poured a little of the bacon drippings from my hotdogs into the beans since they were canned beans to doctor them up and spice’em up good.

To Assemble:

Take your hotdog bun and spread a nice amount of refried beans into it, place a hotdog in it, add mayo of your choice (or mustard—that’s the way my momma eats them), avocado, the pineapple salsa and top with jalapeños.

(This is a picture from the last time I made them--for some reason the picture of the ones I made today didn't make it into the camera--these dogs are missing the tomato in the salsa.)

Now eat up!

~Mrs Galvan~

Febreze Party was FUN!

2010-06-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

So, the FEBREZE party was a ton of fun! We had ice cream, played a few games and enjoyed each others company! Guests got some great goodies too! Here are a few pics to relive the night:)

I hope that Houseparty will choose me to do another party soon! This was a really fun experience and I'd love to do it again!

Febreze Fresh Summer Party!

2010-06-21T13:34:00.001-07:00

So I am completely and totally excited that houseparty.com chose me to host a Febreze Fresh Summer Entertaining House Party™ !! I don't even remember how I found the houseparty website but when I did I got all excited because hosting a party like this is something I have been wanting to do!

How did I get chosen?

Well, I went the website and looked through the list of parties that they needed hosts for and then I did a survey so that they could determine whether or not they wanted me to host. Once I was selected they give you just about every resource to help make your party a success! The website gives you access to make e-vites and even keeps track of your RSVP's. It's awesome! This is my first time doing anything like this so my guest list was about 22 people and about 14 are showing up. I'm okay with that since our apartment is not really big.

Last week I received my Febreze party pack in the mail and WOWSERS! My guests will get some nice little goodies. It had everything from free products to coupons and even an apron for me!

The whole point to this party is to get a new product in people's hands before it actually comes out. The product is called "Set & Fresh". It's like those cones people put in their bathrooms but way better.

It's gonna be an ice cream party! YAY! I found these awesome waffle cone cups at the dollar store, gonna buy a couple gallons of ice cream and a bunch of different toppings so everyone can make their own sundaes essentially. Also, gonna have sugar-free options for those of us who can't really put all that sugar in our bodies. Got some other plans for games and such as well.

I don't want to post any pictures of anything yet because I don't want to give it all away today but I will after next Saturday.

This coming weekend is gonna be crazy! We have all our regular responsibilities to take care of at church and then I have this party and we also have a wedding on Sunday.

I'm looking forward to date night tomorrow night with some good friends so that we can relax and enjoy each other a bit before we dive into the rest of the week.

As for home life: things are pretty good. My momma finally qualified for a home health provider which will take some of the stress off of me and the Mr. She's been a bit under the weather but other than that she's doing pretty good. After her stroke her immune system has been a wreck! We had an appointment with her kidney specialist last week and he said everything looks "okay". He said that at this point as long as her kidney function doesn't get worse that she is gonna be alright. My mom has so many things wrong with her and I feel bad because she can't really eat all the things she loves and wants but as we tell her when she gets upset because I won't let her have a second helping of something bad for her (I don't totally deprive of her of stuff), "I want you here to see your grandbabies." She usually agrees and we laugh.

As for babies, well we're trying. Doctor put me on Clomid because my period isn't regular and this is the second month I've been on it so, we shall see. I know it's all in God's hands and He has the perfect time for us to get pregnant but I want a baby already! Please keep us in your prayers.

Well, until another day friends. Love ya'll!

~Mrs Galvan~

“Trashionista” 2010

2010-04-22T14:40:00.001-07:00

This afternoon I went to Incarnate Word's "Trashionista 2010" to see the dress I made with my cousin out of Victoria's Secret bags. Apparently, every year on "Earth Day"this school puts on a fashion show where the students make clothing out of recyclable materials. There were some really cute outfits. I was surprised when my cousin came out modeling the dress and it was introduced as a "Leslie Galvan original". Totally made me laugh and smile!

My grandma taught me how to sew when I lived with her. She taught me how to do a lot of things actually—like keep a clean house, cook and do yard work. One thing I learned while living with her was that if I was bored, I shouldn't voice it because then she'd give me something to do…LOL! No but really, I'm really grateful for everything she taught me. She passed away in 1995 right before I graduated from high school.

For those of you who don't know, I do LOVE to sew. I made my very first formal dress for my senior homecoming dance. I found this picture and had to scan it and put it up. It's not the most extravagant dress but it got the job done in 1995…LOL!

My sewing skills also came in handy while in college. One semester as a part of the UTB/TSC Opera company a friend and I spent our entire spring break making costumes for our Spring show. THAT was fun and challenging and if I'm not mistaken some of those costumes are still being used.

These days my desire is to sew some more but well, time doesn't really allow for it. Maybe someday soon, who knows.

I was excited when my cousin asked for my help for her fashion show and I really had a good time making this little party dress to honor Earth Day.

What are you doing to help conserve the earth?

Migas for breakfast

2010-04-20T14:15:00.001-07:00

Migas! Oh how I love MIGAS! I haven't had eggs for breakfast in awhile but on Sunday night I made fish tacos for dinner which left me with about 7 fresh corn tortillas that needed to be eaten up. After dinner, the Mr said, "I want migas for breakfast" because he saw the leftover tortillas. I had already thought of it and told him and we both laughed. Those aresome of my favorite moments!

For those of you who don't know what migas are let me explain. It is sautéed corn tortillas with scrambled eggs. Everyone makes them different so as for what else to add to them, I'll tell you what I put in them.

6 corn tortillas (sliced up however you want)

1 ½ cups of egg substitute

1 roma tomato (seeded & diced)

1/4 red onion diced

2 Tbsp of Smart Balance butter

EVOO

In a sauté pan, heat enough EVOO to cover the bottom of the pan on medium heat. Toss in the tortillas and cook until every piece of tortillas is covered in a little EVOO. Then add the butter and onions and cook until onions are translucent. Add the tomato and stir, then pour in the egg substitute and cook theggs completely. Careful not to fry them.

Serv'em up!

Sorry about the paper plate, it's just easier these days! :)

~Mrs Galvan~

In the mood…to cook!

2010-04-15T15:38:00.001-07:00

Today I woke up and all I wanted to do was COOK! Suffice to say, it's been an awesome day! I guess I just woke up in the mood to cook:)

For lunch I made a pork asado of sorts with summer squash and zucchini served over rice. It was easy, fast and a one pot meal!

Here it is:

-2 summer squash sliced
-2 zucchini squash sliced
-1/3 of an onion
-1/4 cup julienned carrots
-2 Roma tomatoes (seeded and chopped)
-2 cups chicken broth
-3 pork loin filets (cubed)
-1 Tbsp flour (to thicken)
-1 Tbsp ground cumin
-Salt/pepper to taste
-EVOO

1.In a large pot pour EVOO around like 4 times and allow to heat over medium heat then toss in the cubed pork and allow to get seared on one side.

2.Add ground cumin, salt and pepper and stir.

3.Toss in the onion and cook until translucent. Then add both the summer squash, zucchini and tomato. Cook for 5 minutes.

4.Add chicken broth, sprinkle flour, mix well and cover. Continue to cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes. This will soften up the pork so that when you take your first bite it will be soft almost melt in your mouth.

I served it over Ready to Serve Yellow Rice . It was a hit and the Mr. loved it. Sorry, no pictures because I was kind of hungry and forgot to take some. Next time!

The snack I made today came to mind because I was trying to figure out how to use up the 3 bananas and couple of strawberries I had in the kitchen. Tomorrow is grocery day so I need to use up all the fresh stuff so I can get some new stuff.

I did add some flaxseed meal to this recipe as it's a great source of fiber and I've been trying to add it to most things that I bake. It gives baked goods a nutty flavor and is also great in your pancake mixes!

Here's what I made:

Mini-Banana Bundts with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

-1 cup Whole wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
-1/2 cup all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
-1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp of Splenda Sugar Blend (or 3/4 cup of regular sugar)
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 cup (1 stick) I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
-3 to 4 mashed bananas
-1/2 cup egg substitute (or 2 eggs)
-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-1/4 cup Bob's Redmill Ground Flaxseed Meal

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.Spray 12-cup mini bundt pan lightly with Pam.

3.In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and flax meal.

4.Make a well in center of flour mixture.

5. In well, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs, andvanilla. Stir to incorporate flour mixture (do not overmix). Dividing evenly, spoon batter into bundt cups.

6.Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

7.Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. About 20 minutes.

8.Drizzle tops with frosting .

9.Garnish with fresh sliced strawberries and/or fresh banana slices (I didn't because I used all my fruit for the recipe)

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

-1/4 C butter (room temperature)
-4 oz package cream cheese (room temperature)
-4 oz Light & Fit Carb & Sugar Control Vanilla Cream yogurt
-1/2 C strawberries, mashed up in a food processor
-1/4 cup Splenda Sugar Blend (or 1/2 cup of regular sugar)

1.Cream butter and cream cheese.

2.Mix in the yogurt and strawberries

3.Add 1/4 cup Splenda

This is an easy snack to make so, get to it and let me know how it goes!

~Mrs. Galvan~

Sandwichon & Love

2010-04-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

I know I said awhile back that I would post my recipe for SANDWICHON and here it finally is!

The Mr and I LLLLOOOOOVVVVEEEE sandwichon!

For those of you who don’t know what a SANDWICHON is, it’s basically a sandwich cake.The final product looks like an iced cake with fruit and nuts on top but the inside is bread and chicken salad. Most of the time you will see it with pineapple and cherries on top. It really looks like a cake! I don't do pineapple because my taste buds get all swollen so we used mango. Just as awesome!

I’ve found that most people don’t know what it is and it’s really only known in Mexico and areas near Mexico. There are so many different ways to make it too. Some people put pimento spread in it and others use potted meat.

I use chicken salad and it’s my version of chicken salad. Everyone has their own!

FYI: This recipe will make a 1/3 of a cake.

My Chicken Salad

-1/3 white onion
-1/4 cup of shredded carrots
-1 rib of celery
-4 - 5 chicken breasts (boiled)
-1 tsp kosher salt
-Ground pepper
-1/2 to 1 cup of light miracle whip
-1 jar of Del Monte Mango slices in juice

Cream Cheese frosting

-1 8oz package of light cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
-1 8oz container of light sour cream
-1/4 cup of mango juice

1 loaf of whole wheat bread
1/4 cup chopped pecans

First things first: Boil your chicken on medium heat for about hour so that it will easily fall apart when it’s done. Then let it cool and get to work on the rest.

In a food processor add onion, carrots, celery and chop finely. Transfer to a medium size bowl.
By now the chicken has cooled so you can put it in the food processor as well and chop it pretty finely as well. Then add to the bowl with the vegetable mixture and mix together.

Now add the miracle whip and 1/4 cup of mango juice. The chicken mixture should be moist and not dry so if you need to add more miracle whip do so.

Now take your bread and slice the crusts off.

I know, what a waste but you can give them to some ducks or birds or turn them into bread crumbs for later use.

Now will come the cake part: Place 4 bread slices side by side, spoon over and spread around a 1/4 cup of the chicken salad on top, then another layer of bread, and then more chicken salad until the bread and chicken salad are all done. It should have at least 4 layers.

To make the cream cheese frosting: In a small bowl whip cream cheese until creamy and then fold in the sour cream and mango juice. Frosting should NOT be runny.

Frost the SANDWICHON as if frosting a cake with the cream cheese frosting and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Overnight is best.

When you are ready to serve it place mango slices on the top of the cake and sprinkle pecans. Slice up like a cake and enjoy!

This is a picture of a finished one that I found because I didn't get a finished picture of ours due to it being eaten up so quickly! Maybe next time.

I think my favorite part about making this was that the Mr and I made it together. It was his idea to try to make it and so we did. We don't usually work well in the kitchen because I'm so OCD about the way things are done. When we made this the only thing we argued about was the making of the frosting...lol!

Mr Galvan, I love you very much and am grateful for you and the way you take care of and love me. Not only are you my husband but you are my best friend. Thank you for all that you do to take care of our family. YOU are amazing! God truly blessed me!

~Mrs Galvan~

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

2010-04-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

As a foodie this is something I am very excited about!

Click here to sign the petition

The Mr and I have been watching Jamie’s show and have gotten so excited about his desire to help America change the way we eat!

As I’ve struggled with my own weight issues, diabetes and high blood pressure, food and knowing what goes into it has become very important to me. I’ve learned how to read the nutritional information and know what’s important and also know what my personal nutrition allows and doesn’t allow. It’s why we cook at home now and spend way less money eating out.

Before the Mr and I got married we figured that we spent about $800 a month on eating out. Yea, talk about expensive. We are down to half of that, and it’s all on groceries now. Even our date nights for awhile were spent making a special meal and THEN heading out to a movie or fun event.So, not only do we save some money, we eat better!

Of course, now that we are taking care of my mom, date night requires us to go out to eat so we can get out of the house.So, we're spending a little now.

With the thoughts and prayers of a family soon, the Mr and I have been talking about how we will raise our children in food. We both love food and love trying new foods. We’re hoping our children will be too. I’ve been reading, Raising Foodie Kids, for awhile now and am excited for when our opportunity to raise children comes along.

Well, no cooking today as our tile in the living room is being replaced and they don’t think it will be done until tomorrow. We live in an apartment and so we are hole up in our rooms today. It’s not a bad thing just keeps me out of the living room kitchen area due to the dusty mess the people are making.

Thanks to La Fuji Mama for her blog. It encouraged me to blog about this. I have been wanting to, I just hadn't had the chance and her giveaway definitely encouraged me! :)

More blogging later!

~Mrs Galvan

Focaccia Bread

2010-03-11T12:57:00.001-08:00

I made Focaccia bread for the first time yesterday and I was really happy with how it turned out.After the bread was done, I sliced it half and made Italian inspired sandwiches:

A layer of basil parmesan pesto on the inside of each piece of bread
bacon pieces
provolone
smoked turkey deli slices

Then I sliced the large sandwiches into smaller ones. Their weren't too many left at the end of the night and the leftovers were better:)

As for the Focaccia:

1/2 teaspoon honey
1 package active dry yeast or 2 1/4 tsp
2/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
(optional- 1 Tbsp of crushed Italian seasoning)

In a large bowl, dissolve honey and yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Add 1 cup flour, salt, and 3 tablespoons olive oil to the yeast mixture. (This is where if you want you can add the Italian seasoning) Stir until combined and then work in the last cup of flour. Knead the dough until smooth, elastic, and soft, about 7 minutes. Add only enough flour to keep the dough from being sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough into a rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Place in greased 9x13 inch pan or baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Poke dimples in the bread and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

It's really pretty simple to make...a bit time consuming but well worth it. Hope you'll get to try this!

Coming soon: Sandwichon!

COMFORT FOOD: Chicken Pot Pie

2010-03-02T11:21:00.000-08:00

So, I decided one day that after watching Food Network for long enough that I was going to make individual chicken pot pies for dinner one night.

So, I had all the ingredients and as I was making the filling, I realized that my ramekins were, well, ramekins and not big enough to make individual pot pies in. I need some larger ramekins or French Onion Soup Bowls. (hint...hint...anyone...someone...)

I adapted my recipe from The Neeley's. I followed the filling part of the recipe pretty much but didn't bake any part of that in the oven. Here's my version:

4 cups chicken broth (I boiled my chicken breasts and used that broth with some other chicken broth I already had)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 large carrots cut in 1/2-inch rounds
1 rib celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 fully cooked/shredded chicken breasts
1 (9-ounce) box frozen peas
1 package puff pastry dough
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large saucepan heat chicken broth over medium heat until hot.

In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, and saute until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add the flour and stir together until it becomes pasty and lump-free, about 2 minutes. Stir in the hot broth, heavy cream, chicken and frozen peas. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.

Sprinkle flour on countertop. I bought some Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry dough. It comes with 2 sheets. Unfold dough and cut into 9 squares. Spray baking sheet lightly with cooking spray and place 9 sqares on baking sheet. Brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool til they can be handled.

Ladle chicken mixture into bowl and place one of the puff squares on top of the bowl of chicken filling and served it hot.

You can still hear the "crunch" of the pastry which makes it feel like you're breaking through the pie crust of the original chicken pot pie. Eat up! YUM!

Mmm...COMFORT FOOD!
I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I was so excited, I served it as soon as the Mr. walked in the door from work AFTER I begged him to HURRY UP and get home because I couldn't wait any longer to eat. LOL!

~Mrs. Galvan~

Poor Man's Crab Cakes

2010-01-22T10:33:00.000-08:00

So, I was watching a re-run of PSYCH the other night and Sean made Crab cakes with Coriander and Dill and I got to thinking...Mmm...this sounds good but I can't afford lump crab meat today so what can I do???

So, I made TUNA CAKES with Dill and Cilantro!
Here's the recipe:

Tuna Cakes with Dill and Cilantro

(Makes 6 cakes)

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs(for a healthier version 1/2 cup of egg beaters)
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use fat-free mayo)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound canned tuna (in water) drained and flaked =2 (12 oz cans)
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs, more as needed
Panko breads crumbs for dredging
canola oil

Beat the eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Add the parsley, mustard, Worcestershire, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper; mix well to combine. Gently fold in the crab meat and fresh crumbs until well combined. (The mixture will be very moist. If it is wet, add a few more fresh breadcrumbs.) Divide the mixture into 6 to 8 portions; flatten gently into thick patties. (Packing the mixture into 1/3-cup measure for each cake will ensure even portions and yield seven cakes. For more or less cakes, use a slightly smaller or larger cup.) Lightly coat the top and bottom of each patty with panko crumbs. If possible, refrigerate for 30 minutes before sautéeing to help the cakes hold together. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Pour canola oil to generously cover the bottom. Add the crab cakes, in batches if necessary, and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and drain on a baking rack set on a baking sheet: paper towels work too:)

Here's the picture I got of it. It's not very good but you get the idea:)

Love ya'll!

~Mrs Galvan~

A Happy New Year!

2010-01-06T20:12:00.000-08:00

So, I haven't blogged since September...geez...funny thing is I haven't really made anything fantastic since then either. It has been a rough 4 months.

My mom had a stroke on Sept 25th and the Mr and I spent a week with her in Corpus Christi and then had her transferred here so we could take care of her. She was in the hospital til November 25th. Her entire right side is "weakened due to stroke" as the doctor's say. What does that mean? She can't do anything for herself.
My mom moved in with the Mr and I.
November 30th was my last day of work. I had already planned to NOT work starting in January but my resignation came early. So, now I'm my momma's caregiver. It's a lot of work but I love the time I get with her.
December 24th mom went back into the hospital so, she didn't get to spend Christmas with the family. She spent it in the hospital. They found that she was severely anemic and she also has Divirticulitus.
My family celebrated New Year's Eve together for the first time in OVER 10 years. It was awesome! AND mom got out of the hospital on December 31st so even more awesome!

I feel like I've been missing in action for over a month. I miss my job, my co-workers and just the way life WAS--->although I already knew some kind of change was coming. I guess I just wasn't prepared for it. So, it's been rough. Today though, I feel like I'm seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.

I cooked tonight:) Not just boring food but PIZZA! The best part is I re-evaluated my old recipe and made it BETTER! Oh yea, it was the best pizza I've made yet! YUMMO!

Grilled Chicken with bacon, red onion and roma tomato on white sauce. There's also a secret ingredient that just made it all POP! It was so great! Oh and of course cheese! I'm proud of this one!

So, it's a new year with many new things on the horizon! I'm ready or it! (I think)
LOL! We'll see.

me.

2009-09-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

I’ve been worrying A LOT the past few days about A LOT of things,

yes, AGAIN!

For so many years after I gave my life to Jesus, I stopped being a worry-wart but in the past 3 years it has slowly gotten BAD again.

The things I’m worrying about are normal, I guess. It’s just, I KNOW that I can’t control the outcome of anything but I WANT to!

:sigh:

The Mr. and I have been talking about starting a family lately and we finally came to the decision that it’s time. No more BCP. Funny thing is even though I’m worried about how quickly we’ll be able to get pregnant, I’m more worried about what we’re gonna do once we ARE pregnant. LOL! I mean, no one is ever READY to have a child (so I’ve been told) and there apparently is never a GREAT time to have a child and you’ll never have ENOUGH money either. I mean we’re stepping out in faith and knowing that if God is ready for us to be parents that we will be parents soon, right?

Yea, for some reason,

I struggle with that word, FAITH and I ask myself WHY all the time. There’s no reason. I mean God has provided and shown me His love so often I should be an expert at NOT worrying by now, ya know?

As I’ve sat and prayed and LISTENED lately, I’ve come to the conclusion that
it’s FEAR that grips me.
FEAR of failure...period.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity,

but of power, love, and self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7

The truth of the matter is that fear isn’t even from God.
He doesn’t want me to be AFRAID. He already has a BIG PLAN!

“Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses—is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock—not one!” Isaiah 44:8

He’s had a BIG PLAN before I was even born.
I, of course, blog and light bulbs go off for me.
Venting, ranting, sharing, putting it all down here, in a notebook.
It’s where I slowly begin to understand myself, God and others around me.

This was the verse of the day that I received in my e-mail today and it was just what I needed.

"…For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you about it.” Habakkuk 1:5

And even as I click the “publish” button, I am scared.

Marvelous Monday : Baby Back Ribs, Seasoned corn & Coleslaw

2009-09-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

Baby Back Ribs, Seasoned corn & Coleslaw

I made two different flavored racks of ribs. The Pork Loin Back Ribs were on sale so I decided that it wasn’t going to hurt anyone…definitely not our stomachs anyway…LOL! I made a regular flavored BBQ rack and a spicy, sweet apricot BBQ glaze rack that I made myself.

Spicy, Sweet Apricot BBQ Glaze

¼ cup Polander Sugar-Free Apricot preserves
¼ cup KC Masterpiece original BBQ sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp Cumin powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp garlic red pepper sauce (found in the international aisle)
Salt & pepper

Mix spices with the apricot preserves. Then add the BBQ sauce. Mix well.
Set aside at room temperature so that the flavors have some time to meld until your ribs are ready.

So, I started the ribs this afternoon when I got home from work. I unwrapped them, removed the membrane from the back and rubbed them down with a porkrub by McCormick, wrapped them in foil and put them in the fridge for 4 ½ hours. (We had an appointment with the Chiropractor so the time was perfect)

Got home and put an empty baking sheet in the oven and heated to 400 degrees.

Then, I placed the foil covered ribs on the HOT baking sheet in the oven concave side up for 1 hour.

I flipped the foil packets over for the 2nd hour. After the second hour I pulled the baking sheet out of the oven and cut open the foil and spread it open so that I could see the meaty part of the ribs all the way across.

Rack of Ribs 1—poured BBQ sauce on and spread evenly across the entire rack
Rack of Ribs 2—spooned over the Spicy, Sweet Apricot BBQ glaze and spread evenly

Then I placed the baking sheet back in the oven.
BROIL for 8-10 minutes.

The rest of the meal was easy and I set-up to get all of it started when I put the ribs into BROIL.
I opened a can of corn heated and seasoned with paprika, 1 Tbsp of "I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter", salt and pepper and a Garlic Onion medley.

The coleslaw was even easier!

I opened a bag of already washed and ready to serve coleslaw. I added 15 cherry tomatoes sliced in half and some salt and pepper.

Then in a small bowl I mixed 3 Tbsp of EVOO with 3 Tbsp of Lemon Juice, salt and pepper. Then I poured this over the coleslaw and tossed. (Don’t add the vinaigrette until you are ready to eat or it will start to cook the coleslaw pretty bad because of the lemon.

Voila!

Labor Day Weekend!

2009-09-08T13:27:00.000-07:00

It was a VERY nice weekend. We didn’t go far, just an hour away and that was Friday night into Saturday. On Friday night we got dressed up and ate at P.F. Chang’s. It was soooo good. I had Chang’s Spare Ribs and shared Wonton soup with the Mr. We also had some lettuce wraps which were AMAZING! They tasted too good to be good FOR you though. There was no way I could deny THAT!

Saturday we spent in the shopping mall where P.F. Chang’s was and did a little shopping. Like, we went to Vitamin World . Ever since I started this low glycemic, low carb, low fat thing, my stomach has been a MESS! I’ll just say it, I have trouble “going!” It’s NOT fun and it makes for miserable moments. If you have any suggestions, let me know, PLEASE! We also went to DSW Shoes where I got a pair of Naturalizer shoes for $16. GREAT DEAL! Oh and of course we went to Barne’s & Noble where we bookworms got a few books.

Oooh, we had lunch at McAlister’s Deli. The first time I had McAlister’s was in San Antonio and I was sad that we didn’t have one in the valley. (The Mr. Had never been)Well, apparently we have one now! They have GREAT sweet tea. I personally like it better than Rudy’s sweet tea.

Saturday evening we went to the Outlet Mall. I really love that place! We did a little damage but mostly only got what was needed. Unfortunately, shoes for the Mr. can be pretty pricey because he mostly goes for comfort rather than style but it’s not like we buy them ALL the time. I got a few new T-Shirts and a belt. Ah, I needed a new one. We had to make holes in the other one because it was too big so now, my belt fits! YAY!

Sunday we spent at home doing absolutely NOTHING demanding. The Mr. played video games and I played MY video game, The Sims 3. That game is addictive! It’s really kind of weird when you think about that game too. I mean basically you are controlling this little person’s life. You make it eat, go to bathroom, take a shower, get a job, get married, have babies. It’s crazy! LOL, but kinda fun.

Yesterday we went to the in-laws house and I made Baby Back Ribs. Great food, and happy in-laws. Who could ask for more?

So, Marvelous Monday’s food was Baby Back Ribs but I didn’t take any pictures so, I guess I’ll have to make them again next week. I’m sure the Mr. won’t mind AT ALL!

Hope ya’ll had a great Labor Day weekend!

~Mrs. Galvan~

Some real stuff

2009-09-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

So, we’re getting some much needed time off this weekend.

I’m looking forward to spending a few days, ALONE with the Mr.
The great thing about our relationship is that we can sit in silence together, doing nothing, reading, writing, thinking, dreaming, planning. Not many people can do that.

SO, as we “disconnect” this weekend, please pray for us. Pray for REAL rest.

--cut to silent thoughts--

I just finished reading Mossy Lou’s blog and have been sitting here in tears at my desk. The tears have been coming for some days now.

This world is so sad without Jesus. Every single day we experience people who have no idea who He is, or what he’s done for us AND even WE take Him for granted.

I’ve taken Him for granted lately. The worst part is I KNOW that I've been taking Him for granted.

Like someone at small group said last night, “I feel as though I’ve started to turn my back on Him.” I don't want that though, that's the LAST thing I want.

With my job comes much burden and so I never stop praying BUT I feel like I haven’t been listening lately.

I have no excuses but I do KNOW that I won’t give up, I’m hanging on.

I’m grateful that His mercies are new EVERY morning and that I can start over today.

Please pray for me.

Marvelous Monday: Turkey Zucchini Meatloaf & Cauliflower Mash

2009-09-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

So, the Mr. wanted meatloaf. I LOVE meatloaf but I knew that if I was gonna make meatloaf it was gonna be TURKEY meatloaf. (We’re trying to cut back on the beef!) The Mr. was okay with turkey meatloaf. Then I was thinking, “But I don’t want it to be BORING meatloaf” so I started looking online for something that wasn’t so boring and decided on Turkey Zucchini Meatloaf. I used THIS RECIPE from epicurious.com and pretty much followed it except no parsley and I subbed Panko bread crumbs for seasoned bread crumbs. (less sodium) The last 20 minutes in the oven I topped it with Tomato & Basil Marinara sauce.

I once again tried to get the Mr. to eat cauliflower…he ate what I put on his plate but he wasn’t gonna have another serving. Oh well! I tried :)

Cauliflower Mash

1 head of cauliflower
4oz low fat cream cheese
4 slices of center-cut bacon (cooked & crumbled)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup Panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp butter (I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
1 tsp salt
Ground pepper to taste
½ tsp of Dill weed

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove the outer leaves of the cauliflower and steam in about a ½ cup of water for 15 minutes on medium-high.

Then mash the cauliflower and mix in the butter, the cream cheese, panko bread crumbs, bacon crumbles, cheddar cheese, salt and some ground pepper (to taste). Then pour into the blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into a pie pan. Sprinkle with Dill weed and a light sprinkle of bread crumbs to give some golden color.

Bake for 15 minutes , then broil for 1 minute to toast the top up.

Mm…I was VERY happy with this meal! My brother in-law came over for dinner too and well, he ate what would have been leftovers so, I’d say it was a hit!

I hope you get the chance to make one of these. Delish!

~Mrs. Galvan~

Marvelous Monday: Pork & Apples

2009-08-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

So, the Mr. and I both have heard about how good apples and pork go together but neither of us had ever experienced the combination until this evening.

I made pork loin steaks with an apple & onion gravy and a fresh veggie mix.

Mmm…WOW! (Not to be confused with SHAM-WOW!)
It was soooo good!

My Apple and Onion gravy recipe:

1 Braeburn apple(cored & sliced)
1 medium white onion sliced
½ cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp cold water
½ tsp corn starch
1 tsp EVOO

In a medium size skillet sauté onion with EVOO until almost soft and then add the apple. Saute together for about 3 minutes on medium heat.

In another small bowl combine corn starch and cold water until the consistency looks like milk, no lumps.

Pour chicken broth into the skillet with onion and apple mixture, allow to simmer then mix in the cornstarch. Keep warm while you make the pork loin steaks.

I used two 6 oz pork loin steaks.

Heat pan with 1-2 tablespoons of EVOO on medium high. You want the pan to be hot because you want to get a nice sear on the steaks. Season one side of the pork loin steaks with salt and pepper and place that side down in the hot pan. Let sit for 6 minutes. Season the the other side and then after 6 minutes flip. Then flip one more time and let them sit for 3 minutes before turning the heat off. The steaks will continue to cook.

Pour apple & onion gravy over the top and serve with fresh vegetables.

I sautéed summer squash, zucchini, onion, carrots and mushrooms with some EVOO and a little salt and pepper. It was delish!

For dessert I made Linda’s 35 second Chocolate cake with a few adaptations. After the batter was ready in the ramekin I placed a small dollop of sugar free raspberry preserves in the middle and THEN stuck it in the microwave to cook. Then served it with a dollop of sugar free cool whip and drizzled it with sugar free hot fudge.

The Mr. wanted caramel and hot fudge on his and no preserves so I just made it the way Linda said to and added a dollop of cool whip and drizzled with sugar free caramel and hot fudge.

This was one of the fastest and most satisfying desserts I have had in a long time. Thanks Linda!

Hope you can try these recipes out. They are absolutely wonderful!

~Mrs. Galvan~

Beef Bourguignon!

2009-08-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening I realized that I didn’t post anything about Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon that I made last Saturday. So here you go!

The Mr. loved it! And immediately asked when I would make it again… I HAVE decided that this meal will be a special occasion meal because it took FOREVER to make.

I mean, I had to dry each piece of meat individually so that it would brown and even while it was in the oven I didn’t even get a chance to rest and sit down because I needed to make the mushrooms and pearl onions.

Then at the end of it all I had to pour the stew through a sieve and wash out the Dutch Oven, put the meat back and boil down the broth to make it thicker.

Believe me, I’m not complaining, it was all totally worth it!

The meat was soooooo tender and the flavors, Mmm… WONDERFUL!

The next day, Sunday, we had left overs and it was EVEN BETTER!

So, if you've seen Julie & Julia and are curious about the meal--try making it! It will definitely change your life!

Bon Apetit! (LOL!)

An Amazing Evening with the hubby and dinner!

2009-08-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

The Mr. and I had a fun night last night. We originally had planned to have some friends over but that didn't work out so we got to spend an evening alone. We even spent a few hours writing music. I hadn't done that in so long. I know he hadn't either. It was nice to have someone to collaborate with, and someone who plays the guitar 10 million times better than I do. Still a work in progress but so far, not so bad. *smile*

Last night’s dinner was good! It’s very rare that I don’t rip apart the meals I’ve made with “It’s too salty” or “It’s not cooked all the way” or “I don’t like it, do you?” but I was pretty happy with last night’s meal. We had Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Roasted Tomatoes, Bacon & Green Beans.

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia, have you ever had it? Mm…I had it once at Olive Garden and was very impressed with the thought. So, of course I HAD to make it!

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

Makes 4 filets

Parmesan Crust Mix:

¼ cup panko bread crumbs
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp White Truffle Oil (or substitute EVOO) Mix all three ingredients well in a bowl.
4 Tilapia Filets
¼ cup of Alfredo sauce

Heat oven to 450°

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Then place your filets down and lightly salt and pepper them. Drizzle 1 Tbsp of alfredo sauce over each filet and then use ¼ of your crusting mix on each filet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Roasted Tomatoes, Bacon & Green Beans

First, buying the fresh green beans… I buy a handful for each person I’m gonna feed.

So I bought 2 handfuls of green beans. It’s a nice serving amount.

Fresh Green Beans
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
1 Tbsp EVOO
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black pepper
6 slices of cooked bacon (chopped)

Heat oven to 400°

For an easy clean up line your baking sheet with foil paper and then spray with cooking spray. Place the cherry tomatoes in one layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle about a Tablespoon of EVOO over the tomatoes, salt and pepper and then place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Q: How can you tell they are done?
A: They start to kind of shrivel and open up a little and they get really soft.

While the tomatoes are in the oven you can cook up the bacon. (Save about a Tablespoon of the bacon drippings)Don’t forget to clean your green beans. You can either tear the stems off or take some cooking shears to the ends of them.

During the last 10 minutes of the tomatoes in the oven, place the green beans in a skillet with ½ cup of water and 1 Tablespoon of “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” or something similar on med-high heat. Let the green beans simmer until the water disappears (about 8 minutes) and then turn the heat down to medium. Add the reserved bacon drippings.

When the tomatoes are done add the chopped bacon to them and then pour over the green beans. Mix together with tongs.

My hubby was happy! After we finished eating he was looking for more green beans. He LOVES bacon and so I know this part of the meal was heaven for him!

I've been thinking a lot about this desire and love I have for cooking lately. It makes me happy to cook for people and see my husband's face light up on the first bite.

Thank you God for the ability to cook, for the resources to make the things I want and for providing for my every need--electricity, water, food...I'm grateful for your provision Lord.
~Amen~

We also had a low-fat, sugar free custard with sliced figs for dessert last night. The Mr. licked the plate! I tried to get a picture but the camera was in the kitchen! LOL!

Low-Fat/Sugar Free Ricotta Custard
Makes 2 servings

1/2 cup low fat ricotta
2 Tbsp Sugar Free Coolwhip
4 figs
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the ricotta, coolwhip and cinnamon together. Spoon half the mixture onto a small plate or in a small bowl. Cut the stem off the figs and slice length -wise and place over the custard however you like. This is how I did it. P.S. This one is my own so please link back:)

Not the greatest picture. It tastes a lot better than it looks.

It's Thursday! Just one more day and then I get to sleep in for a few hours. I can't wait! Have a great day!!

~Mrs. Galvan~

Where God met me

2009-08-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

I realized I haven't shared my story in awhile so I thought I'd repost it:

In October this year it will be 7 years to the day I turned my life over to the Lord. My life then was a mess! Let met tell you how I got here...

I grew up being a good girl...born and raised Catholic...as a child we went to church on the major holidays like Easter and Christmas and we also went on the not so major holidays like Mother's Day and Father's day. I spent most Sunday's on my daddy's lap watching whatever sport was big that season...I was definitely a "daddy's girl." We had family vacations and family night and we were a happy little family.

At the age of 8 my parents got seperated and all that stopped.
My dad kinda fell off the face of the earth. He didn't help us financially either so, my mom got two jobs and was never at home. So, of course we didn't go to church. I grew up fast and raised my little sister.

At the age of 13 my parents officially got divorced. My sister and I moved in with my grandparents because my mom was too big a mess to take care of us. I got back into to church and did all the stuff I was supposed to do as a good little Catholic girl. My grandma passed away my senior year in high school and life just sort of fell apart. I started college and fell into the music major party crowd. I had a ton of "friends". I was drunk a lot mostly and in some unhealthy relationships. Then I got sucked into paganism--worshipping multiple gods and found myself a part of a coven just thirty miles north of home. It was a place I felt accepted, wanted and important. By the age of 23, I was drinking, drugging, looking for "love" in all the wrong places and not real sure what I was doing with my life. (When I look back now, it's amazing that I didn't flunk out of college)

At the age of 25, I found myself bored with where I was, unloved, unhappy, wanting to die and unsuccessful. My life had become a routine. Some friends from college kept inviting me to a college group that met on Friday nights at their church and although at this time I was really beginning to wonder if there was a God, I couldn't go even if I wanted to because I worked the night shift at my job...so, i would just say no. One of those friends happened to need a ride home from school one day and as I was driving him home he asked me, "Leslie, do you think when you die you'll go to heaven?" I said, "Yea, I think so." He said, "Why do you think so?" I said, "Because I'm a good person." He told me that just because I'm good doesn't mean that I am gonna go to heaven and that the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ. That was all he said. After I dropped him off I was livid! Why would he ask me a question like that?!?! He had hurt my feelings...

The next day he once again invited me to church that Friday. He said, "Come once, If you don't like it, you don't ever have to come again." I told him I would see what I could do. At my job they didn't like to give you time off and if I really wanted it off I was gonna have to used (PTO) Paid time off. I was working for a call center at the time and when I got to work that evening they told us that we would have Friday's off for the next month due to low call volume. I sat at my cubicle in aw for a moment and then went and called my friend and told him I'd go to his college group thing.

Friday came and I went to the church. There were people from school there that I knew, which I thought was cool. It was a comfortable atmosphere and the Christians that I thought in my mind would be fakes and rude and stupid were the nicest people I'd ever met. I left there that night knowing that I would visit again. I didn't go to church that Sunday even thought I wanted to because I got scared last minute. The following Friday I went back and my new friends encouraged me to go on Sunday. They offered to sit with me so I didn't feel so alone.

Sunday came and church was unreal...

The pastor said that God knew I would be there that day and that he wanted me to know that it didn't matter what I'd done, or what I'd seen that God loved me! He explained that God had sent His son Jesus to die for MY sins so that I could one day be with God in heaven. (I remembered the conversation I had with my friend) I couldn't quite understand that...in Catholic church we always were told if you're bad then you weren't going to heaven. I gave my life to the Lord that day and my life changed almost immediately. God has apparently begun to prepare me for that morning. I stopped drinking, doing drugs, renounced the witchcraft stuff and stopped sleeping around. The cussing even stopped. When you're ready, you're ready.

God met me right where I was and helped me turn my life around.

So, I started going to church regularly and then started singing on the worship team. My friend from school had told the worship pastor that I could sing and so even though he'd never heard me sing he soon gave me a solo and God has continued to use me as part of that team. Bringing people into God's presence through music is one my passions. *sigh*

Over the past three years God has also brought me to a place in my life where I needed to work through some of the hurts, habits and hang-ups in my life. Our church began a program called "Celebrate Recovery". Through this program I've found emotional healing for a lot of things that caused me hurt in my life. I've found that some of the things I was doing to "medicate" the pain in my life--(like drinking, drugging and men) were only symptoms of other hurts in my life. I went through my 12-steps and am now a part of the leadership for this program at our church. Another one of my passions is to help women find healing through Jesus Christ. I love watching them make decisions for Christ, for their families and for themselves.

Oh and I'm also on full-time staff at my church. Thank God for taking me out of that call center I really could call hell. *Phew*

So, yea...I don't just love to cook...I love Jesus! He saved my life! I really don't know where I'd be or if I'd be in existence if he hadn't met me that Sunday.

God is good :)

~Mrs. Galvan~

Marvelous Monday: Spaghetti Squash

2009-08-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

We had spaghetti squash for lunch yesterday. My plans had been to make it like you would spaghetti, (ya know, with marinara sauce and a couple of meatballs) but as I was stringing out the squash I got another idea: (P.S. This one is my own so please link back)

Spaghetti Squash Bake

1 medium size spaghetti squash
3 Tbsp Pesto (prepared)
½ cup Roasted garlic Alfredo Sauce
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
½ cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
4 slices bacon
2 chicken breasts, cubed

Pre-heat oven to 375° and while you are waiting for the oven to get hot pierce the spaghetti squash many times all over with large fork or knife so that the squash breathes while in the oven.

Then place the squash in a shallow baking dish and bake for 1 hour.

While the squash is baking cook up your bacon and when it’s done place it on a paper towel to catch the bacon grease. Place the two chicken breasts in the same pan and sauté in the bacon grease. (about 6 minutes on each side) Then, cube up the chicken and mix with the bacon.

When the squash is finished cut it open length-wise and scoop out the seeds. In a large bowl
string out the entire squash with a fork. This should leave you with what looks like spaghetti noodles. Mix in the pesto and chicken & bacon mixture. Then spoon out into a glass square 8 x 8 x 1 1/2 inch pan (which is bigger than a brownie pan but smaller than a normal size cake pan). Sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese, spoon over the Alfredo sauce and sprinkle the mozzarella over the entire mixture.

Then place back in the oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through again.

I didn't make it exactly this way because it really was a recipe "on the fly" but then figured out what I needed to do while we were eating it.

It was very yummy regardless and no pasta involved!

I don't take pictures the first time I make a recipe so, next time, which will be soon!

Have a great week!

~Mrs. Galvan~

Crockpot brisket!

2009-08-14T09:19:00.000-07:00

This meal took me a total of 15 minutes to prepare. As I’ve said before, Thursday is the busiest day of the week for us so on Thursday morning, I broke out the crock pot, sprinkled some “Grill Mates: Garlic & Onion Medley” into the bottom, placed almost two pounds of whole uncooked brisket inside, sprinkled some more Grill mates and drizzled about ¼ cup of KC Masterpiece Original BBQ sauce - on top, then popped the lid on and set it on low for 6 hours.

Here's what it looked like after 6 hours:

Then at dinner time I pulled out some frozen stir-fry veggies, (which inlcuded broccoli, red & green pepper, carrots, onions, and water chestnuts) added some frozen green beans and a little frozen corn PLUS some kecap manis. If you’ve never had kecap manis, it is sweet and smoky and soooo good in stir-fry, even as a barbeque sauce. You can get it at your local Asian food market and it’s pretty inexpensive too.

Here was the final result. The brisket was juicy and tender and the veggies were oh-so good!

I hope you'll get to try this. It's great for mom's on the run and for busy, busy people who need to eat on the run:)

Have a great, great, great Friday!!

Tomorow/this weekend: Beef Bourguignon in honor of Julia Child :)

Rice Cake Desserts! (Diabetic-friendly)

2009-08-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

Here’s a new fun dessert recipe that I like to make with Quaker Caramel Corn rice cakes, a banana , Kraft Sugar Free Cool Whip, Smucker's Sugar Free Hot Fudge and Smucker's Sugar Free Caramel sauce.

Thanks to Debbie & Mary K for showing me this one! Mmm....good!

There is a similar recipe on the side of the rice cake package but this is my version:

This will make 2 servings (2 rice cakes)

2 Caramel Corn Rice Cakes
1 medium banana
2 teaspoons of sugar free cool whip
2 teaspoons of sugar free hot fudge
2 teaspoons of sugar free caramel sauce

Spread 1 teaspoon of sugar free cool whip on each rice cake.

Slice the banana into coin slices and use half of the banana for each rice cake.

Drizzle 1 teaspoon of hot fudge and 1 teaspoon of caramel on each rice cake and there you go!

You really only need to eat one of these. Share the other one with a friend. :)

I have been making these for my mom since she got here and she really likes them too.

These are also good without one or the other drizzling. They really don't taste sugar free either. I have made them at my small group and most everyone liked them. One guy even said he thought it was too sweet...LOL!

Hope you get to try these and enjoy!

~Mrs. Galvan~

My mom's dinner tonight

2009-08-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

My mom is visiting this week and so I have someone to try my recipes other than my hubby. For dinner tonight I made portabello pizzas. They were fast and since we were going to the movies to see "Julie & Julia" I didn't want to spend A LOT of time in the kitchen. So, this recipe is I guess what you'd call "semi-homemade". A lot of the ingredients were bought already prepared.

This made 5 portabello pizzas

White Sauce Portabello Pizza

5 Portabello Mushrooms
1 cup Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce (or whatever flavor you like)
2 chicken breasts
5 Tblsp of Basil pesto (Member's Mark from Sam's)
1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup of shredded mozarella cheese

preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Take the portabello mushrooms and remove the stems and then place on a cookie sheet, gill side down. Put in the oven for 5 minutes.

Cook the chicken breasts (however you like them spiced) I use Grill Mates Garlic & Onion Medley and ground black pepper.

Pull the mushrooms out of the oven and set them aside.

After your chicken breast is cooked, chop them up into small cubes.
Flip the mushrooms over on the same cookie sheet. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of alfredo sauce on each mushroom, depending on how big the mushrooms are this will vary. Then, put as much chopped chicken cubes as you like (just make sure you have enough for all of them) on each mushroom.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of prepared pesto on each mushroom, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and then with mozarella cheese.

Bake for 8 minutes and then broil for 2 minutes.

If you leave them in the oven any longer than this they will get a little mushy and watery so be careful. Make sure you set a timer somewhere:)

Here was my finished product and my mom LOVED them. She ate TWO!

The great thing about this recipe is the carb count is way lower than REAL pizza. It really has become a substitute for pizza in my own life. I LOVE pizza but really shouldn't eat the bread part and so this makes me just as happy!

Enjoy!

~Mrs. Galvan~

Marvelous Monday: Baked Stuffed Apples

2009-08-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

So, Monday is the Mr's day off and I only work half the day. I usually make a nice meal on Monday evening so it's definitely a dinner night to look forward to.

We had roasted salmon with a tomato-basil-caper salad. I also made a zucchini and summer squash gratin (which I didn't take a picture of because it was the first time I made it) Then for dessert I made a Baked Stuffed Apple that was AMAZING! I got the recipe from the linked website and tweaked it because I'm a diabetic.

Told some friends I would post the recipe the way I made it so here it is!

Baked Stuffed Apples (Diabetic-friendly)

This makes 4 stuffed apples.

4 medium size apples
1 cup low fat ricotta
zest of 1/2 lemon
5 packets of SPLENDA
2 eggs
1/2 vanilla bean
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Sugar-free caramel sauce (Smucker's)
Cinnamon/Pumpkin Spice

Preparation

Remove the core of the apples. If you don't own an apple corer, OMGoodness, you need to buy one! It made this so much easier. I cored the apple and then used the corer to removve a good amount of the apple flesh easily. Chop the flesh up a little so it will cook up faster

Add 2 tsp of water to the apple flesh, vanilla bean scraped, cinnamon (or pumpkin spice-whichever you have) and 3 packets of SPLENDA. Cook until it gets really soft, soft enough to mash up.

Mash well, it will be a little chunky but that's the best part and let cool.

Once the apple mix is cool, In a container, add apples, ricotta, lemon zest, last 2 packets of SPLENDA, pure vanilla extract and egg yolk (save the egg whites in another bowl). Mix very well until the mixture becomes smooth.

Then, beat the whites into a fluffy consistency and fold into the apple-ricotta mixture. Fill the apples with it and cook in the oven for 20-25 min at 375F.

Drizzle with sugar-free caramel sauce and serve lukewarm.

I only had 3 apples so I had leftover apple-ricotta mixture. I used some "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray to grease two ramekins and then poured the extra mixture into it. I put it in at the same time as the apples. It made a nice, fluffy little cake that I served drizzled with sugar-free caramel sauce and a scoop of Carb-Smart vanilla ice cream.

ENJOY!!

~Mrs. Galvan~

The Day After (dun dun dun!!!)

2009-08-06T12:23:00.000-07:00

Not feeling so bad today. When I thought about what I ate yesterday, I didn’t do TOO bad. I mean, the worst part was really the cake, the one egg roll and the one friend wonton with cream cheese inside that I ate. The rest wasn't so bad.

I did not however even think about checking my blood sugar this morning. I didn't EVEN want to know.

Today’s breakfast was my serving of fruit, Dannon’s Light & Fit Carb & Sugar Control Yogurt, and a cup of sugar free coffee! Lunch was 2 chicken sausage links (Cilantro & Jack Cheese) and broccoli sprinkled with parmesan cheese. It was delicious and fast. It’s really the best meal for lunch since we only have an hour.

It’s Thursday and today is our busiest of days. We get out of work and then have an hour to eat before we have to be back at church for worship team rehearsal. So, we usually pick something up to eat or eat out somewhere. I’m not sure how that’s gonna work this week though. We’re a little tight financially so it may mean that I will have to cook something, FAST!

Ya know, like a LESS than 30 minute meal.
*sigh*
I’m tired just thinking about it.

Anyway, yesterday was a GREAT day! Having dinner with some of our small group and some close friends was really a treat and I felt really special and loved.

My Birth DAY! :D

2009-08-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

So, here's some of what has happened thus far today:) Actually, these first few pictures are of EARLY birthday presents. I love EARLY birthday presents!!

These two jars are special:) My best friend, Isabelle's dad made me some of his "famous" salsa and a chimichurri sauce. Mmm...can't wait to use them, YUM!

These knives were my gift from my hubby. Oh, and HOW I LOVE THEM! See, my LOVE for cooking only really began last year but I didn't have anyone to cook for until we got married last October. NOW, all I do is cook :D and well, these knives definitely help because the ones I had weren't very good...LOL! I actually used these knives yesterday! YAY!

And here I am eating my first piece of greasy pepperoni pizza from Sam's in two months. It really is the ONE food I miss most since changing the way I eat. I love Portabello Pizza's too but they just aren't the same.

The day isn't over yet, still get to have dinner at an asian buffet place that I like a lot too with friends. I'm excited about that. Mmm...TSO Chicken, here I come:)

Tomorrow: Back to my regularly scheduled eating:D

And at the end of my day...

I got to have cake and eat it too :D

~Mrs Galvan~

Life

2009-08-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

The e-mail I sent out today regarding http://www.futureme.org/

Good morning friends!

I just wanted to share an e-mail that I got from MYSELF this morning...Yes, from MYSELF. LOL! J
There is this website called http://www.futureme.org/ where you can set up an e-mail to send to yourself or to loved ones for the future.
Apparently, in December 2005 I set up an e-mail to be sent to myself TODAY. (I completely forgot that I did this...lol!)

So, this morning is my 32nd birthday and I let me tell you, 32, not such an exciting number:) but when I got this e-mail, it made me realize that the number may not be exciting but the fact that I'm alive and EXACTLY where God wants me to be is a reason to be excited and overjoyed! That's just the beginning of course...Then there's the fact that the desires of my heart then HAVE been fulfilled. I AM in full-time ministry AND married to a worship leader. God is good! :)

So, wherever you are at this morning, remember that you are NOT forgotten by God. He loves you and wants the best for you. Continue running hard after Him and living the way He wants you to. Don't be swayed by the world.

"Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. " Psalm 37:4

It's true!

I love you guys!
Leslie Galvan
http://www.bcflife.org/

-----Original Message-----From: FutureMe.org [mailto:mailer@futureme.org] Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 9:03 AMTo: Leslie Galvan
Subject: Life

The following is an e-mail from the past, composed on Tuesday, December 20, 2005, and sent via FutureMe.org
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Dear FutureMe,

You love God more than anything in the world and you love serving Him! You're dreams include full-time ministry and marrying a worship leader. Now, those dreams may not have been God's will for your life but it was your desire at that time. "Take delight in the Lord and He will give you your heart's desire". You should be 32 which is when you said you'd like to be married...unless of course Jesus has already come back and the only ones reading this have been left behind.

If that's the case...YOU NEED JESUS! It's the only way to have eternal life and escape this hell you're in now.

Lots of love

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
like hearing from your past?
we like donations and gifts! http://www.futureme.org/donations/
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Creativity

2009-08-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

Something that I struggle with is being creative. I tend to think safe with food, even with life. I don't know WHY that is. I mean, well, maybe I do...LOL! (I don't remember being very "day-dreamy" when I was a child. My imaginary friend disappeared at an early age.)

I've come a long way in the past few years with even trying food that I thought was gross because I finally came to realize that the reason I didn't eat a lot of certain vegetables/cheeses/meats was because my mom would tell me that I wouldn't like something. Having never tasted whatever it was I would agree and then just always look at that particular food and say, "I don't like it!"

This is something I'm gonna work real hard on with my own kids. I'll serve them something and if they TASTE it and don't like it, well then they don't like it. Of course that doesn't mean I'm not gonna try the food again served a different way with some different ingredients. For instance, my husband:), he knows that I do this with him OFTEN. For instance, he DOES NOT like cauliflower. So, whenever I've made steamed broccoli, carrots and cauliflower (because it's tedious to sit and pick out the cauliflower) I leave it on his plate. He usually pushes it aside or puts it on my plate. Then once, I bought a bag of frozen veggies with cheese sauce and he ate the cauliflower. He says it's because it had cheese on it, LOL!

Earlier this month I made Fully-Loaded Cauliflower Mash (my substitute for mash potatos) with turkey bacon, cheese and chives. I didn't tell him that it wasn't mashed potatos until he put it in his mouth. After the first bite, he pushed it aside. Secretly, I think it was because of the turkey bacon. I'm thinking I'm gonna try again with center cut bacon.

Anyway, that's what's running through my mind this morning.

As for being more creative with my food, I'm trying! I think that I'm succeeding too! I mean, i sort of don't really have a choice since I can't eat most other things due to my diabetes.

Tomorrow is my birthday and so my goal for the rest of my life is to continue to try to live life outside the box, try to have a little fun in every area. Besides, life IS short.

~Mrs Galvan~

Saturday yumminess!

2009-08-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

So, Saturday evening I made Chicken Pesto Portabello Mushrooms for dinner. They were OH so delicious!
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This is really one of my new favorites. It's the 3rd time I've made some sort of portabello pizza but it came out the best THIS time. YUMMY!

What's for Tonight's Dinner

2009-07-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

Since May 28th I have been eating healthier and trying to get my diabetes under control.
I have lost 12 pounds and have got my sugar down from 360 to 130-140 regularly. I still want that number to change some and with the doctor we're working on it.

So, since then, I've been doing a lot more cooking at home. Sometimes I take a somewhat fattening recipe and make it as low fat as possible and sometimes I take things that are OBVIOUSLY healthy for you and make them taste good.
My doctor said something to me the last time I saw him that I don't agree with. he said, "if it tastes good, it's bad for you." Since then, I have been striving to make that statement false!

Tonight I'm gonna make a stuffed turkey breast... stuffed with?
I'm not sure yet, I have a couple of options.
I'm also going to make stuffed zucchini.

We'll see how it all turns out. I don't usually take picture or post about a first time recipe but maybe I will tonight. If you're reading this today, I hope that you'll come back!

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Here's what we ended up with for dinner:P~~

Pesto stuffed turkey breast with seasoned corn and Prosciutto and Pepperoni stuffed zucchini. It was actually pretty delicious and for the first time making it all I was happy with how everything looked. I do however need a new knife...ugh! The one I currently own is CHEAP and cuts things badly.

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I had never made stuffed zucchini and it was a rather fun procedure :)

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I had also never made just a turkey breast, much less a stuffed one and I had definitely never tied one up with butcher string...LOL!

_________________________________________________________
Dessert was a low fat, low carb, sugar-free peaches and cream. This one is a work in progress. It turned out good but it's so hard to get something low fat, low carb and sugar-free to taste the opposite.

Come back now, ya hear? ;D

Outward Results of an Inward Starvation

2009-07-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

So, I weighed in yesterday. I lost 3 more pounds. That's a total of 12 pounds since the end of May.
Don't worry I'm NOT starving :)

LOTS to do today! The Mr still hasn't gotten out of bed.

It's Friday!

2009-07-24T13:45:00.001-07:00

It's finally Friday! YAY!

Of course, this is the pinnacle of our week. Tonight it's Celebrate Recovery and Saturday and Sunday are church services. Then Monday, the Mr is off but I have to work half day. *sigh* The madness never ends!

Soon, I know God is working things out for me, for us.

Last night I put some steaks in the crockpot and this morning they were scrumdidiliumptious. I thought I had turned the crockpot off but left it on warm so when the Mr went to pick lunch up and bring it back to the office, they were dried out. UGH! I was furious with myself! I was in such a hurry this morning I didn't really pay attention. *sigh* Oh well, we still ate it. It was still good, I guess. I really struggle with getting angry about petty things like that. I mean, I lost my appetite because of it.

So, I'm trying to decide what I'm gonna make for dinner on Saturday. I bought a turkey breast...that's a thought. I'm so sick of chicken already.

Time to get creative! I'll let you know what I did:)

Have a great weekend blogger world!

Sleep...

2009-07-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

My template is still a work in progress. There seems to be something wrong with every one that I actually like. It's a little bit annoying.

Oh well, what do you do.
So, yesterday we got home from work and ate dinner and then 20 minutes later went to bed. It was 6:30! believe me, I had stuff to do but the Mr. convinced me to sleep.

Woke up at 10PM and wanted somthing cold so I had a sugar free popsicle and then didn't wake up until 6:30AM today.
I'm finding this morning that although it was a lot of EXTRA sleep, I certainly needed it.

Look who's back again! (with an accent)

2009-07-22T13:58:00.000-07:00

So, It's been quite a little while since I've blogged. I find that as much as I like to let the world know about the things going on in my life, I run out of time to do so.

I'm back again! Hopefully for a longer period of time though.

Lately, I've really enjoyed reading other people's blogs so I figured why not start writing again so that others can enjoy reading my blog, right? I hope so.

I spent about an hour trying to get the layout right and I don't think it's right yet. Figures. I'll ask the Mr if he can tinker with it later.