Obsessed with Martha Stewart

January Overview...28 recipes!

As January comes to an end, I’ve compiled a list of all the recipes I’ve completed this month. I’m really proud of myself, because I cooked/baked/stir-fried/blended/juiced 28 recipes….I’m going to try to top this number in February, so keep checking in on a regular basis. I also participated in a Body + Soul Challenge (which I'm still doing) and a 4 day detox.

 

Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook (5 recipes):

 

Baking Powder Biscuits

Pumpkin Bread

Classic Crumb Cake

Spicy Cheese Biscuits

Blueberry Muffins

 

Everyday Food (14 recipes):

 

Spicy Sausage, Bean, and Cheese Nachos

Pasta with Roasted Vegetable and Spinach

Turkey Sausage Sandwiches

Chicken and Rice Soup with Lemon

Pork Tenderloin with Swiss Chard and Polenta

Beef Rolls with Spring Salad

Polenta Wedges with Asparagus and Mushrooms

Healthy Morning Muffins

Fresh Orange Yogurt Tart (Attempt 1 and Attempt 2)

Black-Bean and Brown-Rice Cakes

Cauliflower Gratin

Portobello, Broccoli, and Red Pepper Melts

Salmon with Green Beans and Lemon Zest

Stir-Fried Honey-Ginger Chicken with Peppers

 

Body + Soul/Whole Living (7 recipes):

 

Mango Smoothie

Green Juice

Carrot, Beet, Cabbage, and Watercress Juice

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Fennel/Apple Juice

Energy Smoothie

Stir-Fried Vegetables and Chicken with Buckwheat Noodles

Steamed Salmon with Fresh Herbs and Fennel

 

Martha Stewart Website (1 recipe):

 

John Legend’s Macaroni and Cheese

 

Martha Stewart’s Cookies (1 recipe):

Ginger Cheesecake Bars
 

$160 + $100 + $20.....

= how much it’s costing my husband and I to do the 4 day Martha Stewart Body and Soul detox for week 1 of the Body and Soul challenge.

 

$160 (groceries)

$100 (juicer)

$20 (blender)

________________

$280 (total)

 

Sorry AEP, we can’t pay our electric bill this month, because Martha says that I need to detox in order to be healthy. Martha seriously said that everyone MUST have a juicer on her show this past week. She said, “If you don’t have a juicer, you need to buy one immediately.” This got me wondering – What’s her demographic? Rich, white women. Sadly, I only fit half this category.

 

I debated whether or not I was going to participate in the Body and Soul challenge. I didn’t receive my magazine in the mail even though I’m a subscriber, so I have a bone to pick with Martha. I got my husband to pick up a copy of the magazine for $4.99 after I saw two Martha shows devoted to this challenge. Even though I make fun of people who do these ridiculous juice diets, I knew that I had to do it if I was taking this project seriously.

 

Unfortunately for my husband, he’s along for the ride, so he’ll also be participating in the challenge. I would curse him out if he was eating a juicy cheeseburger as I choked down carrot, beet, cabbage, and watercress juice (Ewww - even Martha said this was gross). Of course, he’s not doing it without complaining. He probably said, “Tell Martha I hate her,” at least five times while we shopped for groceries today. (Don’t worry Martha – he’ll come around when I start making cupcakes and pies again.)

 

Our one month Body and Soul challenge starts tomorrow with a 4 day detox diet which includes liquid breakfasts and dinners and plain salmon, buckwheat noodles and veggie lunches. We’re only allowed to have berries and raw veggies as snacks during the day. How yummy does that sound? I already have a headache thinking about it and my husband downed a shot of bourbon when we got home from the store. This challenge is supposed to make us less stressed – it’s failing so far.

 

The only other thing week 1 calls for is 30 minutes of gentle exercise such as yoga, stretching or leisurely walking. I can do that part. But I’m pretty sure I’m going to be on my hands and needs begging for a Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich with mayo and fries by day two.

 

Before the challenge we were supposed to test our fitness, but after that stressful shopping trip we both decided that we would fall into the poor category anyway. So what’s the point of getting hot and sweaty and having to take another shower? I blew out my hair today – it’s so not happening. According to the fitness assessment, someone in my age category (by the way, I’m no longer in the first age category from 18-25 which makes me depressed) should be able to do more than 36 push-ups before her muscles become exhausted to be in the good category. Is that a misprint? Who the heck can do that many push-ups? I want to see Martha do that many push-ups in a row.

 

Day in the Kitchen

The day after we returned from our honeymoon, I spent most of the day in one of my favorite places, the kitchen. My fiance and I made scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast, chicken burritos for lunch, banana walnut cupcakes, and spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Over the honeymoon, I read Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels (because she has become my favorite health guru - I love her workout DVDs). She talks a lot about hormones, whole foods, and artificial foods in the book and I learned a lot about the food I've been putting into my body.

My fiance I made a pact to stop eating foods with High Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated anything, and artificial foods - which by way means no more Hungry Girl Recipes - and we started this yesterday. We looked up restaurants that use hormone free, organic meats and read every label on the food that we purchased in the grocery store. We're making every effort to eat foods that will promote health and give us energy instead of foods that slow our metabolism, make us tired and sick and increase our risk for cancer. But it's a lot of work. You can't buy processed foods or convenient foods such as microwavable dinners.

We made a batch of chicken burritos yesterday, and they were delicious and healthy. So I thought I would share our recipe with you:

1 to 2 Whole Wheat Tortillas

Hormone Free, Organic Chicken Breast

1 Organic, Large Green Pepper

1 Organic Onion

2 Tablespoons of Organic Salsa

1 Tablespoon of Sour Cream

2 Tablespoons of 2%, Organic Cheddar Cheese

2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the extra virgin olive oil. Let the oil heat up and add the chicken breast. Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides for two minutes then reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking chicken until it's completely cooked (white and juices run clear). Take the chicken out of the skillet and cut into strips - set aside. Cut up the green pepper and onion into strips, add to the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until tender (but not limp - you still want them to have a bite). Add the chicken back into the skillet to heat through.

Assemble your burrito by placing a mound of the chicken, green pepper, and onion in the middle. Then add the sour cream, salsa, and cheddar cheese to the top. Roll up and enjoy!

Stress Relief Needed

My pre-wedding honeymoon was everything I thought it would be and more. We were lucky enough to spend almost 3 weeks together in romantic places, relax, and set aside "real world" worries. But now we're back and I need some major stress relief. We're two months away from our wedding (wow! I'm so excited) which means I have a billion wedding planning items to take care of, we're moving in less than a week to live with my fiance's mom until we find our own place, and then we're moving again (to our own place) hopefully by October 1st. Also, my fiance starts his job (so proud) on September 6th. Ahhhh!

And you know when you come home from vacation and a pile of bills and mail is waiting for you - that sucks. And to top it all off, I don't have my own things and places for my own things. We've been living with my parents for the past couple months, so my fiance could take bar classes in Richmond - and it's been fun but cramped. Now, we're moving in with his mom (who I love) and it's gonna be fun but cramped. I need my own space, especially since I need to be able to access my craft supplies to complete the 500 (maybe that's an exaggeration) DIY wedding projects I have planned. Okay, enough complaining. Time for action. Martha suggests walking for stress relief which is great for me, because I love to walk around the neighborhood and chat with my fiance. We usually take long walks for exercise and to catch up with each other at the end of the day.

And it's my stepfather's birthday - YAY - Happy Birthday! So, I'll be spending some time in the kitchen making cupcakes today (which is also a stress reliever for me - I love baking).

Tip of the Day - Beach Spa Day

We left Naples, Florida yesterday and traveled to Orlando, Florida where we will stay the week. Naples was gorgeous and the beautiful beaches were exactly what I needed. After we leave Orlando, we'll be heading back to the beach, Hilton Head. I found these beach spa ideas on the Martha Stewart website and thought about trying some while in Hilton Head.

Image from Martha Stewart

Monthly Goals Update

Here is how I stand with my monthly goals, and even though I have a couple more days, I'm not going to be able to complete anymore. I'm out of town with my fiance while he takes the bar and then to wrap up some wedding details. Overall I give myself a B+.

Cupcakes (YAY for me for baking all of my July cupcakes!)

 

4^thof July Cupcakes

Coconut Cupcakes

Tiramisu Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes

 

Cookies (I don’t know how I didn’t gain weight in July)

 

Amoretti Crisps (not happening, because I really need my food processor for these)

Chocolate Meringues

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Buttery Pecan Rounds

Coconut Macaroons

CashewCaramel Cookies

Iced Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies

 

OtherFood and Drink (Not bad)

 

Shrimp with Scallions and Crispy Potatoes

Lighter Sesame Chicken

Spice-Rubbed Grilled Salmon with Spicy Cucumber Salsa

PulledPork Sandwiches

Pasta Salad with Feta and Snow Peas

Turkey Burgers

EasiestSpaghetti and Meatballs

Blackberry Mint Julep

BlackberryYogurt Smoothies

Blueberry Crisp

Strawberry Milkshakes

Brown Sugar Walnut Pound Cake

 

Crafts

 

Gift Purse

Crepe Paper Carnations (whoops)

Heat Embossing (I did this for my wedding invitations, but didn’t post it because I haven’t mailed them yet.)

 

Whole Living (I really suck at this category)

 

Protective HairTreatment

DIY Skin Brightening Mask

Tip of the Day - Get Focused

If you're like me, you have a little trouble getting focused on Monday morning. After a fun weekend, I have a hard time trying to get back into work mode. Here is a simple technique you can use anywhere to get focused. It's takes less than a minute and can really help you clear your mind. Try it out!