We have had a full weekend. Yesterday afternoon we drove down to the temple to do sealings,
As regarding our most recent recipe let me just say... in all humility...Fabulous!!!
Chicken Chili Lime Soup (6 servings, 160 calories per serving)
***This is fairly spicy. All Ro-Tel products have chilies in the tomatoes, but there is a mild version you can use if you don't like this much heat. But I loved it and I'm usually a bland food kind of gal.
Bill and I (perhaps in a dress rehearsal for our retirement years) have taken up a new hobby; we make soup. We shop the produce section together, discuss flavor profiles, and invent new recipes for soup. (Is that the "Twilight Zone" theme song I hear?) I can understand your surprise...a year ago, if you sent Bill into the kitchen to fetch something you had to equip him with a map and a GPS. Now he casually throws out terms like "sweating the onions" and "caramelizing the squash." So far, we have invented two soups, both under 200 calories for a large bowl, and we have been working on the recipe for our next endeavor; we want to try and duplicate the new chicken, lime and chili soup at Chili's. We are very pleased with our efforts thus far and want to share our results:
Zesty Butternut Squash Soup
First, we sautéed (in one Tbsp. olive oil) the following: one half onion, chopped, one bell pepper, chopped, and two cloves of garlic, minced. Once the onions had started to soften, we added four Cups of peeled and diced butternut squash and let that caramelize a little. We added two small Yukon gold potatoes (quartered) which we had oven-roasted the day before. We then added two cans of low sodium chicken broth, one can of diced tomatoes and one half Cup of salsa. We seasoned with lots of ground pepper, a little salt and chopped cilantro. We brought it to a boil, then lowered the heat and simmered for forty-five minutes. Finally, we used our immersion blender (Love it!!) to blend it until smooth and creamy. (Six large servings) Delicious AND nutritious!
Our second recipe was born out of a need to use up some leftover pork tenderloin. I think we liked the leftovers better than the original meal!
Warm and Wonderful Pork Stew
Again, we started with one Tbsp. olive oil and sautéed one whole onion, chopped, one bell pepper, chopped and two tsp. minced garlic. We added two small Yukon gold potatoes (quartered) which we had previously oven-roasted. When the onions were starting to soften we added two cans of chicken broth and one can of Original Rotelle tomatoes with green chilies. We simmered this for about fifteen minutes, then blended until smooth with the immersion blender. We then added two gala apples, chopped, but not peeled and about two cups of cooked pork tenderloin, cubed. We seasoned everything with salt, pepper, curry powder and nutmeg. We simmered for another thirty minutes, then added one half a head of green cabbage, chopped, and cooked for ten more minutes. (Six large servings) This is the perfect meal for a chilly winter evening. Very filling and satisfying!
We really like using the immersion blender. It gives the illusion of a cream-based soup without adding calories and turns a soup into a stew without the need to thicken with flour or butter. Plus, I admit that I eat like a four year old. I like the flavors of tomatoes, onions, peppers and chilies but I don't like to see them. Yes, I actually pick them out of my food. With the hand blender, I can make all the yucky stuff disappear and still enjoy the flavor and nutritional benefits.
Bon appétit!
Carl, Spencer and Aubrey went to the cabin on Saturday to play in the snow. It looks like they had a lot of fun!!! (This is one of many differences between old people and young people--It actually just looks cold to me...)
They enjoyed the snow so much they took some home for Heather and Will to enjoy!
The list of things that Jake can do well just gets longer and longer. He can solve a Rubik's cube in record time...he can juggle and do magic...and (drum roll, please) he is a pinewood derby champion!!!! Yesterday, he took first place from among 35 cars AND set a new track record! He and Jeremy discovered some pretty cool tricks for making their car lighter and faster. And his timing is good, too, since this was his last pinewood derby. (Jake leaves cub scouts in May when he turns eleven.) A well-deserved recognition for lots of hard work. Congratulations, Jake!
Is it just me or is Jake suddenly looking A LOT older???
Check out Jake's cheerleading squad:
Yesterday, while getting ready for church, I took a good look in the mirror and realized that I am developing "puppet face." "Puppet face" is when the creases that run from your nose to the corner of your mouth start spreading past the corner of your mouth, all the way to your chin. Like a windshield crack that spreads a little more each time you hit a bump. I think I must be hitting a lot of bumps lately. "Puppet face" is the natural result of a fifty-six year long battle between elasticity and gravity. Gravity, it appears, is gaining the upper hand.
I am in good company:
Most of you know that I am (was) a big fan of the USA network show, "Monk." I was sad to see it end, but it lives on in memory...Actually, it lives on in real life, too. You see, in many ways, I am married to Adrian Monk. Okay, he goes by "Bill Reed," but he's the same guy.
Need proof? I'm sure many of you remember the great shaving soap adventure. Here is the link to refresh your memory:
http://billlindasworld.blogspot.com/2007/10/crisis-averted.html
Or, if you need photographic evidence of Bill's special "Monkness":
http://billlindasworld.blogspot.com/2007/11/crisis-averted-part-2.html
Not long ago, I caught Bill trying to throw away a perfectly good shirt. Why, you ask? Because he had an uneven number of solid and stripes. Unlike Sharona and Natalie, though, I'm not paid to put up with his nonsense. The shirt stayed.
But there's news...Bill is evolving! He has switched from ankle-high black athletic socks to regular black athletic socks! Of course, he wouldn't commit to the changeover until he had "auditioned" the new socks for a day, but he's now fully onboard with the change. (Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?) Wait! There's more! Last Sunday, he wore a different tie for the first time in eight years. Yes...you read that right... he has worn the same tie every Sunday (and various dress-up days in between) for eight years. It wasn't that I wouldn't let him change ties, and it certainly wasn't that his tie was so fabulous-looking that no one in their right mind would replace it. Oh, no...it was because although it was getting exceedingly ratty-looking, it was the only tie we could find that fit his very rigid "tie rules."
Prior to last Sunday, these were the rules:
The first two rules were easy. Waiters and Blues Brothers impersonators also follow those rules. Number three was the tricky one--there aren't many ties on the market made of burlap.
So, what changed? He discovered hand lotion!!!
The reason for rule #3 was that he refused to wear any of the hand lotion that I bought for him over the years and his hands, being very rough, snagged on slippery ties. But then one crazy day he tried some of the hotel lotion that the Marriott kindly provides. He LIKED it! He said that unlike every other lotion in the known world, it wasn't "greasy." What was this wondrous elixir? Orange-Ginger lotion from Bath and Body Works. After a trip to the mall to stock up, he now keeps that exact lotion in every bathroom, in his car and at both of his offices. And, thus, he was able to wear an all black, not too wide, somewhat slippery new tie on Sunday.
I am leading up to today's adventure.
Earlier this month we registered for the Disney "Give a Day, Get a Day" program. When you go on
We chose to work in the local history section. Our assignment is to clean up the vertical files. These are folders filled with newspaper clippings, maps, chamber of commerce leaflets, board of trade reports, and endless other ephemera. Our job is to sort them by subject matter and arrange them in chronological order. So...imagine Adrian Monk doing this job. Can you picture it? Here's an actual picture:
I finished eight folders for every one of his. My approach was kind of like my approach to most things. There's no date on one of a thousand clippings I need to file? Okay, let's make an educated guess...Let's get it done! Bill's approach was different. I wish I could have recorded the conversation between him and Christopher, the local history librarian where Bill explained to him that the date someone else had written at the top of a clipping couldn't possibly be correct because the article referenced a man who, as another article clearly stated, wasn't born until much later...And this grouping needs to be kept separate from the rest of the file because the individual named on the file cover is really only a bit player in these other articles...And I need paper clips and rubber bands, right now! You get the idea? Christopher, his eyes glazing over, admitted that Bill was correct and, in the end, let him re-design their filing system.
It was really kind of fun. In sorting a collection of very old (1905-1954) promotional material for the Kern County Board of Trade I learned that in the early days, they marketed Kern County as "A Magical Place With a Magical Climate." Hmmmm...Wonder how that worked out for them?
So...a lot of rambling, but I've given you three good birthday ideas for someone's upcoming 60th birthday.
Apparently, I have been elected the official Reed ghost blogger. But I am drawing a line in the sand...I will not do your "tweeting" for you!
At three weeks of age, Simi is growing fast and getting cuter every day. Clare emailed me new baby pics tonight and hinted that perhaps I would like to take over her blogging, as well.
Do I have cute grandkids, or what?
On an entirely different note, I think it's time for a weight-loss update. Since we started keeping track on August 1, Bill has lost just over 60 lbs. He refuses to get new pants yet, although he has tightened his belt by four holes. He could smuggle a small child in the seat of his jeans, I think. Although that wouldn't be very pleasant for the small child.
As for me, I have lost 50 lbs. now. People ask us what our weight loss goals are. We think it is important that we don't think of this as a "diet" with specific end goals in mind. It's our new lifestyle...a healthy way of living...that we intend to stick to for the rest of our lives. The goal is better health. The weight loss is a means to that goal, not an end. For 55+ years we lived to eat. Now we eat to live.
Finally, who watched the premier episode of this season's "Last Restaurant Standing?" Any comments? Bill and I were stunned at the level of incompetence in this group of people who want to open their own restaurants. I think that most of us, at some point, have said "Wouldn't it be fun to open a restaurant?" And then reality slaps you in the face and you remember that you can't really cook well and you know nothing about running a business. Some of these people need a reality slap, I think. Saying the words is not enough. Perhaps you should learn a skill or two first. Like how to use a can opener...
Like me, I'm sure the rest of you are sick to death of "Kittens Inspired by Kittens." If that reference is lost on you, then you are not (or I should say WERE not) a follower of Liza's highly entertaining blog. Who can forget her report on borrowing the TV weather guy's tie or going with her girlfriends to a Mexican wrestling event? Or, my personal favorite, her tale of being invited to join the local roller derby team? Sadly, those memories are in the distant past as she abandoned her blog fans on February 14, 2009. Those of us who don't follow her on Facebook have been left to eat her dust.
Fortunately, I still have something of an "in" with her and was able to score some new photos recently. The first three are from her ward's recent nativity project. As activities committee chairman, Liza was in charge of this very successful missionary activity. They gave out hundreds of pass along cards tied to bags of Hershey kisses. Maybe you will recognize a certain young shepherd...
KORN, the heavy-metal band, started in Bakersfield and features boys from here. I don't have much to say about KORN except that I met one of them at Aubrey's dance recital a few years ago. He was polite and heavily tattooed. He has since left the band and become a Bakersfield Born Again Christian. (There's something in the water, I think.)
Two of the biggest names to come out of Bakersfield are both country music legends. Buck Owens wasn't born here, but came here as a child and grew up north of the river in the part of town known as Oildale. Buck stayed here and built several businesses that employ a lot of people. He could be seen regularly at the Seven Oaks golf course and was a big supporter of Cal State Bakersfield. Buck's passing a few years ago was met locally with true sorrow. His mausoleum can be visited at Green Lawn Cemetery not far from Bill's office.
Several years ago, Buck built the Crystal Palace here in town. It's a great restaurant, a country music museum and an entertainment venue. Over the years, we saw Buck and the Buckaroos play there more times than I can count. We saw Dwight Yoakum there several times as well and others that I can't even remember now. In recognition for his many contributions to the city, the street that runs in front of the Crystal Palace was renamed Buck Owens Boulevard.
This is a very long introduction for the topic I am working my way around to...Merle Haggard. The Hag was born and raised in Bakersfield. When he was nine, his father died and Merle started down a path of petty crime. As a young man, he robbed a Bakersfield tavern and was sentenced to three years in San Quentin. Upon release, he returned home to Bakersfield and, along with Buck and many others, developed what came to be known as "The Bakersfield Sound." He developed a large hometown fan base which was willing to overlook his departures from the straight and narrow, but stealing Buck's wife, Bonnie Owens, put him on shaky ground.
As both Merle and Buck became country superstars, their paths diverged. Merle eventually moved to the Lake Tahoe area, while Buck continued to base out of Bakersfield. They didn't speak to each other for decades (that whole Bonnie Owens thing). It took Dwight Yoakum to bring them together on the same stage to kiss and make up, so to speak. (By this time they were both divorced from Bonnie.) We were there for the reunion show...a great moment in country music history.
When Merle found out that Buck had a street named after him, he wrote (from Tahoe) to the editor of the local paper, suggesting that he, too, should have a street named after him. Letters poured into the newspaper with suggestions. The most popular idea was renaming Lerdo Highway, location of the county lockup where Merle had spent a fair amount of time. Ultimately, city fathers renamed a stretched of the highway which runs in front of the airport "Merle Haggard Drive." The local opinion is that it is a subtle dig at the fact that Merle left town and never looked back.
Not being from here, we never carried any "Merle baggage." Bill has always been a big fan, especially of the old songs; "Kern River," "Mama Tried" and "Hungry Eyes" are among his favorites. So, knowing of his admiration for the man, Carl and Heather gave us tickets for Christmas to see Merle Haggard and the Strangers last night at the Crystal Palace (on Buck Owens Blvd.--kind of ironic, huh?) It was a wonderful and generous gift. We had great seats in the row of tables closest to the stage. We were a little apprehensive beforehand. The man IS 73 years old and has been known in the past to tip back a few. Also, he recently had throat surgery (in Bakersfield) to remove some polyps. Could he still sing?
Thank you, Carl and Heather! All of the kids get high marks for creative gift-giving this Christmas. (I know that ONE of us is somewhat difficult to buy for.)
I have news from the vast wasteland that is television viewing currently. "Last Restaurant Standing" is back!!!! The third season of this BBC hit starts up on Tuesday, January 5--check your guide for the start time in your area and set your timers. You will thank me.
The host is Raymond Blanc, a world-renowned French chef. He takes nine couples who have little or no restaurant experience (just a love of cooking) and sets each couple up in a space which they must decorate, staff and open to the eating public each week. Raymond and his two assistants judge them on their working relationship, their menu, the quality of their food and their business sense (or lack thereof).
Raymond is a compassionate but sensible mentor. He gives good advice, never screams or swears, and always seems to genuinely like the people he is mentoring. He speaks English, but often requires sub-titles. It isn't a "rigged for tv" reality show. The winners get to keep their restaurant and get continuing mentoring from Raymond and his assistants who become their chief investors.
This series will appeal to any of you Anglophiles who like reality shows and eating out. It isn't a "chick show." If enough people leave a comment expressing interest, we can blog about each episode and discuss it together.
