I’ve been a fan of Tupperware® for decades. I especially love their big bowls (like the Thatsa™ Mega Bowl). That being said, I have found a new love: Lock&Lock.

What makes Lock&Lock different is that they quick and easy to seal – you just press down two of the four tabs at a time and just like the name, you lock and lock. There has been many a time when I thought I’d properly sealed a container from other food storage systems only to find salad dressing all over the inside of my bag at the end of the day.

Lock&Lock has been on QVC since 2001 (and is now available at my favorite brick and mortar retailer Target) but I didn’t buy any pieces until just a couple of months ago when I bought the 4-piece pitcher & mixer set. Now that I’m addicted to Arbonne’s Go Easy! Protein Shakes, I constantly use the mixers. They have a little insert that looks like a wagon wheel that breaks up any lumps. I just put in some water, add some ice cubes (I like my shakes cold), and add the shake mix. I lock down the lid, shake the mixer and voilà – I have a tasty, smooth, healthy shake.

Now, I wasn’t sealing my mixers correctly, pressing only one tab at a time and over time I tore off one of the locking tabs. I called the U.S. office of Lock&Lock and they are sending me a new lid (free of charge, I must add). A great product AND customer service? I guess it can still happen outside of Nordstrom.

I think my next Lock&Lock purchase will be the divided container which is like a little bento box. As a child, there was a period when I wanted all of my food separated onto different saucers so nothing would touch. Now there is a modern, more convenient way to keep my foods’ flavors from getting all mixed up. Okay, maybe it’s not good to feed these OCD tendencies but bento sure is tidy and pretty as well.

Yeah. I know. Where have I been for the last few months? Well, I started working more hours and it seems to have wreaked havoc with my life’s rhythm. It feels like I’ve blinked my eyes and suddenly went from Christmas to almost St. Patrick’s Day.

I did manage to make a trip out to Seattle to see my family a couple of weeks ago. My sister flew in from Arizona so it was a nice mini-reunion. As I get older, seeing family has become more important, more valued, and more bittersweet. Now that I’m an adult and can really appreciate my family, it’s sad that we all live so far away from each other.

Amazingly enough, I didn’t gain any weight on this trip. It’s a miracle. I discovered The Confectional, a bakery specializing in mini-cheesecakes located in the Pike Place Market. They sell this hot chocolate, I think it was Colombian hot chocolate, which was unbelievable. I only bought a shot of it (yes, it’s that rich), but now I wish I’d indulged more. The cheesecakes are fabulous too.

I’ve posted some pictures on our flickr.com photostream. I didn’t take any pictures of the cheesecakes, but there are some food pictures, some family pictures and a zillion shots of Kes (naturally).

I’ve read that the two biggest things that couple argue about are money and the division of household duties (sex comes in at #3). That’s not so for Randy and me. I think the biggest source of contention is the difficulty we have deciding what to eat for dinner and/or where to go if we’re going to eat out. It’s ridiculous. We’ve been struggling/arguing about this for over eleven years now. How hard can it be?

I think though that figuring out meals and menus must be a problem for more than just us. If it weren’t, there wouldn’t be places like Super Suppers or Dream Dinners where one can go and assemble meals from prepared menus to pop into the freezer. There are other resources as well. Saving Dinner will email weekly menus, grocery lists and recipes. The magazine Taste of Home offers a weekly Menu$aver newsletter with a week’s worth of recipes. Kraft Foods offers online meal plans and a free cooking magazine.

I’m making the effort again to plan our meals ahead of time instead of daily opening the fridge hoping that inspiration will magically strike. My plan is to make the dishes that we like from the dozens of cookbooks I own. As I prepare a recipe, I’ll make a copy of it, put the copy in a sheet protector and add it to my two 3-inch binders of recipes I’ve saved over the years. The binder is organized by categories (e.g., quick breads, cakes, appetizers, etc.) which I adapted from the my favorite reference cookbook The Joy of Cooking (why reinvent the wheel, right?). As I add the recipes I use regularly to the binders, I’ll remove the recipes I’ve never made. Eventually, I’ll be able to use my cookbooks for ideas but for my day-to-day cooking, my binders will be what I utilize. There will be no more searching for that one recipe that we liked but don’t know which cookbook or magazine I pulled it from.

I figure if I can also make a list of the entrees/meals that we like, I can pretty much just rotate through it over several months so we’re not eating the same thing week in and week out. I keep my pantry stocked with staples so it’ll just be a matter of referring to my “menu” and buying the necessary perishable items each week.

My hope is that we won’t waste precious time going back and forth about what to eat, we’ll be able to save some money as we won’t have to resort to take-out or fast food out of desperation, we’ll be able to eat at a reasonable hour because the decision-making process will have been done ahead of time, and when we do dine out, it will be “on purpose” and actually be pleasurable. Plus, our eating-out budget won’t be used up by nights of meal indecisiveness.

If this all works as planned, I wonder what Randy and I will argue about.

Thanks to the show “Unwrapped” on the Food Network, I have discovered a new addiction: Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream Cupcakes. They look like Hostess Cupcakes (which are decent but nothing super-exciting) except the Maggie Moo Cupcakes are fabulous. The bottom is a thin slice of chocolate cake topped by dark chocolate ice cream. They inject a small bit of marshmallow filling in the middle and then top it all off with chocolate ganache. Let me tell you, these cupcakes are to-die-for. You just pull one out of the freezer, let it sit for a few minutes to soften (my freezer is usually about -8ºF so everything is frozen solid) and then using a teaspoon, slowly enjoy every morsel. Last week, I went through 1/2 dozen of these.
Now I am anticipating the visit of my sister and her family from Arizona as they love chocolate and their visit will be a worthwhile excuse to stock up on the cupcakes. Although labor intensive, I could try to replicate the cupcakes at home. Maybe that could be one of our fun activities while they’re here. . . Yum!!

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to making dinner, oftentimes I find myself standing in front of our refrigerator or pantry drawing a blank. I have a zillion cookbooks and access to a zillion more recipes on the internet but coming up with a meal seems like a trip to the dentist for a root canal.
For a while I was using recipes from Kraft Foods and their free magazine “Food and Family.” If you sign up on the website and make an online “recipe box” the site will put together a shopping list for you. The recipes are pretty good and because they use many pre-packaged ingredients (e.g., Stove Top Stuffing), they are usually quick to make.
I’m trying a new approach to meals this month. I’m a big fan of FlyLady.net and one of her “sister sites” is SavingDinner.com. There are several services available at SavingDinner.com including receiving a weekly menu and shopping list. I decided to try one of the new Mega-Meal Menus from which I pre-assembled 22 meals (the ingredients are not pre-cooked) and froze them. Each week, I’m choosing which ones we will eat that week and there may be a few fresh ingredients to buy to complete the meals (e.g., fresh fruit).
Shopping for the meals wasn’t hard as there are shopping lists included and I was able to cross of the things already in my cupboard (e.g., spices, condiments, etc.) For the 22 meals which can serve 4 people my grocery bill was about $165. Granted, I’ve had to buy some side dishes and fresh ingredients each week as well but I believe we’ll be coming in at around our normal food budget if not less. We’ll have to see how it works out over the next few weeks.
According to a survey conducted for the Pork Information Bureau by Impulse Research Corporation, Americans make the same meal 3.4 times per month. I know I’ve fallen into that rut myself. (I think even Randy is tiring of my homemade macaroni and cheese) Just having these frozen meals at hand has significantly decreased the level of stress at dinner time as well as given us something interesting to eat for once. Instead of making a 13”x9” pan of something which we’d have to eat for a week, we get a couple of meals (we eat lunch at home as well) out of the recipes and if we don’t care for that recipe as much, we don’t have to suffer through polishing it off. Last night we had Ginger Chicken Breasts with Chinese Coleslaw which was wonderful. Tonight’s dinner is Crock Pot Beef and Peppers which we’ll have with baked potatoes and a vegetable.
There is a new “Super Suppers” going in to a strip mall in the northern part of Charlottesville where you can basically do the same thing of pre-assembling your meals except that they provide all the ingredients and chop everything for you. I’ve had friends who have been to similar places and have really liked the convenience and the fun of it since most would go in groups and make it a social event as well. When Super Suppers opens, I’ll have to check it out.
Bon appétit!

People who have touched my pregnant belly without permission:
Friends: 10
Strangers: 5

Ah, Valentine’s Day is here. Love is in the air. I think that with as big a Christmas as we had, we’ll be keeping our Valentine’s Day celebration pretty low key.
The Food Network has had a zillion shows all about chocolate. It’s been wonderful (if you love chocolate). So far the recipe I’m dying to try is Giada De Laurentiis’ Chocolate-Hazelnut Ravioli which are super easy to make and will be fabulous because they are fried and as I’ve learned from living in the south, everything tastes good when it’s fried.
Although I enjoy romance and snuggling on the couch, I do have to say love is a lot of work. When I was young, my dad often told me that love wasn’t just the nice things — one was bound to be disappointed or hurt by the beloved as he/she was less than perfect and that was to be expected. He told me that laughing together and holding hands were more important than all the lovey dovey words put together. Randy and I have had our rocky times but they are outweighed by our friendship and I am so thankful for that.
I have a doctor’s appointment today which seems appropriate for Valentine’s Day as I’ll get to hear the baby’s heartbeat again. Although I feel her moving around, there’s something about hearing that quick “whoosh whoosh” sound that is so reassuring.

Perhaps it’s just because I grew up in Washington state, but I love apples and with autumn blowing in this weekend, apple season is definitely upon us. According to the Washington Apple Commission, more than half of all apples grown in the United States for fresh eating come from orchards in Washington state. There’s nothing like the crunch of a cold Granny Smith apple. Yum.
When we lived in the East Bay area of northern California, we would trek up to the Sierra foothills outside of Sacramento to Apple Hill. Local growers there would have not only apples for sale, but everything apple one could want: apple pies, apple tarts, apple sauce, apple themed tchotchkes, etc. There were lots of activities for kids like petting zoos and pumpkin carving as well as shopping opportunities from small vendors for arts and crafts. We would spend the day there, but one could easily spend a week exploring and eating their way across Apple Hill.
One year, we came upon a catapult built and manned by a local Boy Scout troop. We could pay a few dollars for some pumpkins and launch them from the catapult and try to get them into several horribly battered trashcans we could move around across a field. Randy loved this. I think the only thing that could have made the experience more fun would have been if the catapult were a trebuchet instead.
In honor of apple season, here is one of my favorite apple recipes which is also easy to prepare. It’s delicious especially à la mode.

Apple Impromptu
4 cups apples – peeled, cored & sliced
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
Preheat oven to 400F. Arrange apples in a 9-inch greased pan. Sprinkle with ¼ cup sugar and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 20 minutes.
In a bowl, cream ¾ cup sugar and butter. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. Stir in flour and baking powder. Spread over baked apples.
Bake 20-25 minutes until brown. Cool 5 -10 minutes before serving.

I watched a little of the “Oprah” show today and it was all about cardiovascular disease. According to the show (for which I’m pretty sure they did their homework), one out of every two women will die of cardiovascular disease.
I’ve heard these statistics like these all my life but there is giant difference between knowledge and wisdom or, as Oprah’s Dr. Oz said, between knowledge and understanding.
Hypertension runs in my family. Kidney disease runs in my family. Although my dad warned all of us kids about the danger of being overweight, eating too much salt and not moving around enough, I didn’t take much of it to heart (no pun intended). Well, as in my twenties when I had the epiphany that my parents actually did know a few things, now in my thirties, I’ve come to an understanding that they were right to warn me about my poor health habits; what I eat and do (or not, as the case may be) actually has consequences. Does this mean I’m losing that last vestige of youth that makes me think I will live forever? Possibly.
Randy and I have made some changes over the last several weeks and we’re both feeling a lot better. We’re doing cardio. exercise 5-6 times a week, lifting weights, eating lots of vegetables, some fruit, some whole grains, fish, and chicken. We cut salt out completely for a week but have put a little low-sodium salt back into our diet although we’re trying to rely on other things to give our food more flavor like citrus marinades and Mrs. Dash®. We’re trying to drink 100 oz. of water per day. Although we love cheese, all we’ve had is a little feta just this last week.
Why am I writing about this? It’s not because I think we’re so fabulous because we’ve made these changes. Really, it has been a lot of effort as I actually have to plan what we eat now. I just know that if I can incorporate these healthier choices into our lives, it must be possible for everyone else as I am far from a super-disciplined person. I love fried food. I love desserts. I’m not completely going to give up these things but it won’t be every week, let alone every day. I think for us, we just had to make a choice that we needed to live differently, to be healthier, to lower my blood pressure before my head popped off. It’s probably the most intentional thing I’ve done in a long time. So far, we’ve both lost some weight, but more importantly, we feel better.
Wow. I’m starting to sound like my parents. Good for me. Thanks, Dad & Mom.

Randy and I have started to eat more healthy foods and in more reasonable quantities. It’s been good but what amazes me is how much more time and effort it takes. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised; anything worthwhile takes effort. I can’t just open a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese when I’ve forgotten to thaw something. It’s been good though as now I have to plan most of the week’s food especially since I can’t just run to the grocery store every day like I used to when I wasn’t working (er. . . not working outside the home. . .yeah).
The trick is trying to figure out how to have a treat once in a while without going overboard. How does one stop at just half of a brownie or one cookie? I was looking around flickr and found this amazing picture of a chocolate cupcake, with its recipe nonetheless. How does one resist? (If you can’t resist either, just click on the picture to take you to the recipe.) If I had the answer, I suppose I’d be selling it in some book, available only in hardcover, and be bzillionaire.
At this particular moment, I will not capitulate. I have a small bowl of Sugar-Free JELL-O® calling my name. I’m sure it’ll hit the spot. . . this time.

Cheese. I love cheese. Although I try to limit the amount of cheese that I buy, somehow we’ve ended up with 18 different cheeses in our fridge right now. That’s just crazy. My current favorite is a Danish Gorgonzola that I’ve been crumbling into salads. The bite of the blue cheese is a nice contrast to a tangy dressing.
I’m not sure when this love for cheese began. We always had mild and sharp cheddars in the house when I was growing up. Cheddar cheese on wedges of red delicious apple was a regular favorite especially while the family gathered around the TV. Even now, I snack on slices of cheese on crackers or a soft cheese spread on a crusty bread. I doubt this is good for cholesterol levels, but I’d give up egg yolks and bacon before I’d give up my beloved fromage.
Perhaps someday I’ll get to tour France and taste a few of the 1000+ types of cheese that they make. Oh, and France has that wonderful bread to go with all of that cheese. . . I better start saving those frequent flyer miles.

Cheese in Our Refrigerator:
Mycella (Danish Gorgonzola)
Extra Sharp Cheddar
Monterey Jack
Asadero
Mozzarella String Cheese
Swiss
American
Camembert
Provolone
Parmesan
Cream Cheese
Reggiano Parmigiano Rind
Brie
White Cheddar
White Stilton
Double Gloucester
Leicester
Boursin (a.k.a. Gournay)