The Scientist

One of my favorite things about music is when I hear a song and I have a memory connected with it.  Sometimes these memories are happy and uplifting, while other times I remember a time when I felt pain and sorrow.  Regardless, I love these connections.  Remembering pain may not seem like a fun thing to do, but it often leaves me feeling appreciative and positive.

I am not a huge Coldplay fan, but I have always really liked the song, The Scientist.  The melody is very pretty and it is a very "real" love song to me.  When I was preparing for my first childbirth experience, I put together a playlist of songs that were meant to help me relax and remember how to breathe and I included this song.  I'm not going to go into my whole labor story at this time, but just share a snippet.

When I was told I could stay at the hospital, my labor was progressing slowly and I felt very calm, not much pain, just trying to stay relaxed and wrap my head around the fact that I was actually in labor.  At one point when I was checked I was told I was dilated to a 4.  I was feeling good and thinking about how I had several hours before anything exciting would happen.  Shortly after, it hit.  I was basically having constant contractions and could not breathe and relax the way I was wanting to.  I thought to myself, "If this is what a 4 feels like, there is no way I am going to make it."

It hurt.

A lot.

It is hard to remember all the details of what was going on because everything was happening so quickly.  But the one thing I distinctly remember was hearing these words from The Scientist playing from my iPod.  

Nobody said it was easy
Nobody said it would be this hard

I can't say it gave me the strength I needed, but I felt comforted.

Fast forward to my first day at home with my beautiful baby.  I was sitting on the couch with my baby girl laying on my chest.  This time, I was again trying to relax, wrap my head around that fact that I was actually a mom, and feeling a bit overwhelmed.  The Scientist came on once again. It was the first time I had remembered that I heard the song while in labor and I broke down crying.

I realize that having a song remind you of childbirth is not something you would think you would want.  Childbirth was not easy.  Being a new mom was not easy (it still isn't). But I have a perfectly sweet little baby girl and I'm glad I have a way to remember these tender moments.

 

Chicken Cacciatore

Or as I like to call it, "Kitchen Checkatory."  This is a delicious chicken recipe and is fairly easy to make.  I used white grape juice instead of wine and it gives it a nice sweet taste.  If you don't want as sweet of a taste, dilute the white grape juice or just use chicken broth.  Once I accidentally used a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies.... oops!  It was actually still tasty, it just had an extra zip! Here's the recipe. 

Chicken Cacciatore
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
½ cup all purpose flour
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¾ cup white grape juice
1 ( 28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
¾ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1½ tsp. dried oregano leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves

View full recipeSprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.
In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil on medium-high. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the white grape juice and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, and oregano.
Return the chicken pieces to the pan and coat them in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Serve chicken over pasta. Top chicken with sauce and a sprinkle of fresh basil.

Every Step Counts

This weekend I attended the Obesity Society's conference in San Diego and displayed a poster with an abstract from my study as a masters student.  It was my first time doing anything like this and it was a fun experience.  I was also able to attend a few of the lectures that were presented by the big shots.  They presented a lot of data on exercise and physical activity and its effects on different things.  It was interesting to look at the details of the findings, however, many of the presenters share my simple philosophy.

Doing something is better than doing nothing.

Here is one way you can do this.
 
Wear a pedometer.

A pedometer is a little device you wear on your hip that tracks the number of steps you take in a day.  Most health professionals recommend accumulating at least 10,000 steps throughout the day.  Many people like to wear pedometers because it is like a game you can play with yourself.  It encourages you to think of ways you can increase your steps to reach 10,000.      

Try it out.  You can get a decent one for about $20 like this one.

Accent Pillow

When I made my bed the other day I was thinking, "I ought to find or make an accent pillow for this bed."  Maybe someday I will, but for now I think this will do.

 

Lemon Ginger Hummus with Homemade Pita Chips

I am a hummus lover.  I will try any kind you can throw at my and I generally like all types.  This recipe is one of my favorites that I have made.  I originally made it for a staff meeting where I used to work and it was a big hit.  I paired it with these homemade pita chips that I came up with by simply combining some of my favorite spices.  Let me tell you, the marriage of the two is fabulous.  The lemon and ginger really mesh well with the spices in the pita chips.  Here are the recipes!  Enjoy!

Lemon Ginger Hummus

2 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 medium lemons, juiced and zested (or 7 Tbs. lemon juice)

½ tsp salt

1" piece of ginger, peeled and minced finely (I use my zester to grate the ginger)

pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in food processor until desired texture is achieved. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour or so before serving.

Pita Chips 

4 Whole-Wheat pitas, cut into triangle pieces

2 Tbs. olive oil

½ tsp. cumin

½ tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. ground coriander

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp. garlic salt

View full reci Place pita triangles on a baking sheet. Mix oil and spices together in a bowl.  Use a basting brush to coat oil mixture on both sides of the pita triangles. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden and slightly crisp.

Changing the table setting

Eating too large of portion sizes is a common problem for all of us at one time or another.  One fun way to try and combat this is to use smaller plates, bowls, and glasses when eating.  If you put the same amount of food on a large plate and a small plate, you will likely think the amount on the smaller plates looks more satisfying.  Try eating dinner on a salad plate and don't go for seconds.  We often do this at our house.  I also have special ice cream bowls.  They are very cute and small and I really do eat less ice cream because of them. 
Try it for yourself to see if it makes a difference! 

When Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him

Have you read this book?  I have intended on reading it for the past couple of years, and I have finally had the chance to do it.  I really did enjoy it.
It is a memoir of a Cambodian girl who grows up under the Khmer Rouge, a communist organization in Cambodia in the 1970s that resulted in genocide.  It is of course, a sad book, but very humbling.  The whole time I had to remind myself that this was going on only 30ish years ago.  The lack of technology made me think it happened so long ago.  A common subject in the book is food, or rather, the lack of food.  I found myself feeling hungry whenever I read about the poor rice rations they would receive.  Yearning for food was a guiding emotion throughout the whole book, however, longing to be with family and loved ones was even stronger.
I would definitely recommend it.  I learned a lot and like many books with similar themes, it made me appreciate what I have and where I live.