I have been reading Runners World Magazine for years...love the articles about the latest running shoes, how to train and amazing athletes. I find the magazine to be inspirational and it always gives me good ideas on ways to change my training and how to stay motivated especially in those last few weeks before a 1/2 marathon when you feel like you spend every waking moment running and the sight of your running shoes makes you want to cry. I love to read the stories about the athletes as they are a constant reminder to me that even though I am pretty decent shape there are people out there who are in way better shape...cut and defined legs, abs of steel and drive of titanium.

However, during the last week I have also discovered that this magazine has some great recipes. I am the queen of cutting out recipes and I hide them all over the house...not in a creepy hoarders way just in a I have a file folder in the hall closet, drawer in the kitchen and box in the office kind of way. So this week I came across 2 recipes from Runners World that I decided to try...Tortilla Soup with Avocado and Naan Pizza with Asparagus.

The tortilla soup recipe was made for me after a long day at work and not only was I impressed to have dinner on the table when I came home...complete with a glass of chardonnay...I was also impressed by how flavorful it was. It was filling but not overwhelming like some soups can be so it was perfect for a summer soup.

Tortilla Soup with Avocado

1 1/2 corn tortillas
2/3 cup low fat low sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned diced fire roasted tomatoes
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped fine (since there weren't any in the cupboard we used chopped chiles and they worked great)
2/3 cup store bough hot fresh salsa
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup cooked skinless chicken breast
salt and pepper
1/3 ripe hass avocado, sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the tortillas into 1/4 inch wide strips. Place in a single layer on the baking sheet; bake until golden and crisp, about 9 minutes. Combine the chicken broth, tomatoes, chiles, salsa and corn in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn to heat to medium low and simmer for 8 minutes. Shred the chicken and stir into the soup. Season with salt and pepper. Top with avocado slices, cilantro and tortilla strips. Serves 4. The recipe also says that it can be served cold but we had it hot. Calories 142

The second recipe I tried from Runners World was like individual pizzas. The recipe calls for canadian bacon however I couldn't find it at Fresh and Easy so I bought some chicken sausage and used that instead and worked well but I think the canadian bacon probably would have been a little bit better to be honest. But it was still really good and it was great leftover for lunch throughout the week.

I remember back in the day when being a chef was not cool and it definitely was not going to get you celebrity status. I also remember a time when a lot of the cookbook authors and well known chefs were women...modeled after Julia Childs. Well times have changed and so has the perception of being a chef. Today the Food Network, cookbooks and food industry are ripe with male chefs who are young, handsome and talented. And I have officially jumped on the celebrity chef bandwagon...complete with searching out their restaurants, reading their cookbooks and having some celebrity crushes.


Crush #1 Fabio Viviani













Ok so sure it helps that he is a local celebrity and he has a restaurant in Moorpark. However, it also helps that he has an adorable Italian accent and that he is very charming in that Eurpoean way. I have attended a cooking class of his and also been a guest at his restaurant and he is charismatic and funny. I also love the fact that his restaurant has a great atmosphere, consistently good food and an amazing staff. I also purchased his cookbook...I know big surprise...actually it was a gift...and the recipes are easy to follow and realistic to make. Sure they aren not cooking light but sometimes the taste of butter makes the calories well worth the extra time on the treadmill.

Crush #2 Curtis Stone













Here is my confession for the day...this celebrity chef reminds me of my ex-husband. He just looks like a happy guy.  His recipes are easy to follow and they just aren't SO gourmet that they are overwhelming.

Crush #3 Rick Bayless

So as many of you know my best friend cooks EVERYTHING in the toaster oven! When she first started inviting me over for dinner I was extremely judgmental of this wacky cooking obsession. I have never owned a toaster oven and I still do not for that matter. And I figure if the device has the word toast in its name it is probably good for hmmm I don't know maybe toast. But she quickly made me a believer as she whipped up salmon and then rib eye in her trusty toaster oven.

Last weekend we were at Kohls (aka my best friends favorite store) and she said that she will need a new toaster oven soon. So we went over to look at them and wow have they changed! They are pretty wazoo now and they truly look like mini ovens and not over grown toasters. Some of them even had 2 racks and I had visions of surf and turf dancing through my head. However, she wasn't sold as she is still fairly attached to old faithful....which is a Rival Countertop TO600 6 slice for those of you who wanted to know.



And since I have had a few requests for Erin's toaster oven recipes here they are:

Toaster Oven Rib Eye
Sprinkle the rib eye with Lawry's seasoning and steak seasoning. Put the rib eye in the toaster oven on broil for 10-15 min and flip over. Cook on the other side 5-8 more min. Super Easy!

Toaster Oven Salmon
Take the salmon and cut small cuts on the top of the fish. Put a small amount of butter in the slits (can be low fat butter). Add Lawry's seasoning and put in the toaster oven on broil for 7-8 min depending on the size of the fish. Again Super Easy!

"I LOVE cooking with the toaster oven because it doesn't heat up the house like a regular oven would do," said BFF (AKA Erin).

And although I haven't crossed over to the toaster oven dark side yet I do love coming to her house on warm summer evenings and enjoying salmon or rib eye and a house that is not sweltering hot. Oh and I usually also enjoy a glass of wine which makes for a truly enjoyable evening. Thanks E and Cheers!

I remember as a child dreading grocery shopping. I thought there was no chore more boring than roaming the aisles of a grocery store with my Mom. Sure it had some redeeming qualities once in awhile...like sitting in the shopping cart was pretty cool and once in awhile I would get treats...however since we shopped at the Co-op (aka.health food store) treats would consist of frozen yogurt pops or keifer. Things that today I think are great but at the time I found only to be mildly exciting. I did also like the bulk bins with the array of random stuff...nothing better than bulgar in bulk, right? And I did enjoy picking out things that I liked like oatmeal soap or picking the color of cheese I wanted.

However, my attitude towards grocery shopping has evolved greatly. Now I love it and live for it! I alternate grocery stores and I plan my trips as if I am going on an adventure. I often look forward to my grocery store trips days in advance...relishing in the joy that each store can bring....salsa at Trader Joe's, fish counter at Albertsons, English muffins at Fresh and Easy...you get the idea...and yes I am very easily amused and it doesn't take much to make me happy. I always go shopping with a list which usually includes the ingredients for what I plan on making that week. However, I never stick to the list as I grocery shop like I live my life with a tad bit of A.D.D. (yes that is attention deficit disorder). So I see a shiny object and I am off to the next aisle and excited by the random find...whether its homemade tortillas, a new variety of cheese, a cut of meat or a wine label I haven't seen before.

Oh and to all of you who cut coupons I think you are amazing! I have tried the coupon thing time and time again and I am not too bad at cutting them out but remembering to bring them and to buy the items on them totally different story. I relish the idea of the money that can be saved by their use but it just isn't happening and I have given up hope.

Anyway I digress I truly do enjoy grocery shopping and I feel like a kid in a candy store as I roam the aisle looking for my next food addiction, trying to locate the random ingredients on my list that will make up my next food adventure. However, have you ever noticed that there is always 1-2 items on your list that can't be found at the store of choice. It never fails for me that something that I need is not at the store...and it so defeats the purpose of shopping for ingredients for the weeks meals...as sometime during that week you have to track down that allusive item that is always a key ingredient to the meal. Blah!

Although I had a short weekend this week consisting of 1 day (aka today) I do have to say I made the best of it as I had a fun filled dinner last night with close girlfriends, followed by a campfire in a backyard (yes there were smores but I ate chocolate chip cookies instead). And today a great day of wine tasting in Santa Barbara.


Here are the wine tasting rooms that were visited:

Jaffurs http://www.jaffurswine.com/
Very good wines and quaint tasting room. I especially liked the grenache blanc and the petite syrah but all of their wines were a very high quality.

Oreana http://www.oreanawinery.com/
This was actually a groupon that I purchased for wine tasting so I had to try it before it expired. I wasn't thrilled with the wines however the atmosphere in the tasting room was awesome. They had live music, a great patio where you could sit enjoy the weather and have a glass of wine. They also had great marketing as their labels, merchandise and tasting room was fun.

Santa Barbara Winery http://www.sbwinery.com/
My favorite wine here was the chardonnay. It was oakey and buttery just the way I like it. This tasting room was packed but they had good every day wines. Nothing that amazed me but everything was drinkable.

So after yoga you feel so pure, relaxed and euphoric. All I could think of was going home and relaxing...and maybe drinking a glass of wine...oh and cooking...and oh wait don't forget to check your email to make sure that work doesn't need you. Don't know why I need to relax, do yoga and find way to de-stress...don't think I am high strung at all, do you? HAHAHA

Ok so tonight was yoga night and what was supposed to be 60 minutes stretched into a blissful 90 minutes..ahh but wait reality is still right around the corner. So I had an amazing night  of yoga, meditation and deep relaxing breathing. I do get home and I am CALM...or as calm as I can ever be...lets be realistic here. I pour myself a glass of Seghesio Zinfandel and it is heaven when it hits the palette...relaxation increasing...good for me.

And when you are feeling all high and mighty on the relaxation, body is a temple band wagon you obviously can't eat Kraft Mac n Cheese for dinner, right? So I decide to make tofu, poblano and mushroom enchiladas. The recipe says easy and they just sound invigorating and healthy. So I look at the picture from the recipe book (see below)
Damn that looks beautiful, healthy and fresh. It is perfect for my mood, right? So I start cooking and the recipe says easy and it pretty much is as I sautee the mushrooms, tofu and poblano peppers in a pan. I continue to drink my wine and I am calm. It says to add sour cream and shredded cheese...hmmm I can totally do that. Microwave the tortillas for 30 seconds-check. I am seriously on a roll...recipe eat your heart out. I am feeling good now and no one can break my post yoga, glass of zin high, right? WRONG!!!

So I take the tortillas out of the microwave and they feel supple in my hand. I start putting the filling in them and rolling them up to put in the pan prior to throwing them in the broiler for a few minutes. And that is when all hell breaks loose. The tortillas start to crack when I roll them....grrrr. Maybe I didn't let them get warm enough in the microwave or maybe I didn't moisten the towels they were in enough. So when I pull them out of the oven my picture does not quite duplicate the one above (see below)

For all of you who think I tore up the middle enchilada to display the filling and to be artistic with my photo skills....I love you!!! However, the truth is a few of the enchiladas exploded while in the broiler...lending themselves to a not so aesthetic plating experience. So if you look at the picture from the cookbook and compare it to my photo...comical...hence ending the calm...but oh wait I still had my glass and a half of wine so kind of comical. I do have to say though for all of my vegetarian readers these enchiladas were good...they have a great flavor with the cumin and poblano peppers and the cheese/sour cream mixture provides a great creamy texture. I highly recommend the recipe and it is way easy and can be made in 20-30 minutes. Here is the link if anyone wants to try and make them and if your enchiladas don't explode please send pics. http://www.bhg.com/recipe/vegetables/mushroom-and-poblano-vegetarian-enchiladas/

So last night I decide to impress my husband with a home cooked meal....shrimp and pea risotto, romaine salad and a chocolate orange loaf cake. Damn I am thinking I am for sure back in the running for wife of the year. Ever since we went to Belini Osteria a few weeks ago I have had visions of creamy risotto dancing through my head and my husband is a huge dessert fan so how could I go wrong with chocolate, right? I bought a good bottle of white wine...which of course as I sit down to write this I can't think of the name of it to save my life...and its already outside in the trash...way too much trouble to fish it out for the label...yes that is correct I am the lazy blogger.

I start cooking after I pour myself a glass of wine of course. And he is helping me in the kitchen...chopping up vegetables for the salad...I only delegate certain tasks. So I say to him all excited,"guess what I made for dessert?" And he says with equal excitement,"what?" Drum roll please...."chocolate orange cake"....tada! I feel like twirling around in the kitchen and taking a bow as I am confident that my wife of the year trophy is forth coming in the mail. And he says to me,"I hate orange and chocolate." Huh? I am confused because A. Who hates orange and chocolate? B. How did I not know that? C. No trophy? So I stare at him dumbfounded and I try to argue with him about it by saying,"what about those orange chocolate things at Xmas?" And he says,"I hate those." Hmmm....foiled again. He then goes on to tell me that he doesn't like banana bread and I am even more confused since earlier in the week I saw the bananas in the fruit basket and I offered to make banana bread. He didn't say to me at that time,"I hate banana bread." No, he just said,"how about zucchini bread instead?" So I revisited that conversation with him and he was like well I told you to make zucchini bread instead...like by him volunteering zucchini bread I should know he hates banana bread. Really, why don't men communicate like humans?

Here I am after 6 years together learning that my husband hates chocolate and oranges and banana bread. I feel as if we have been living a lie and I don't know him at all. Ok a little drama there, but you get the picture. So the rest of the dinner was fine...risotto was pretty good...nothing blog worthy. We did learn however that shrimp risotto is not good with wine. For some reason I put the risotto in my mouth and then grabbed my glass of wine ready for a crisp refreshing sip and it was horrible...something in the risotto made the wine taste acidic. I don't know if it was the shrimp or the lemon peel or something else but it was truly yuck.

So for those of you who do like orange and chocolate here is the link for an easy loaf cake...would be really good with vanilla ice cream in my opinion. http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chocolate-cakes/chocolate-orange-loaf-cake/

Guess I should probably finish writing this so I can go find out more about the love of my life...tomorrow night I am making tofu enchiladas wish me luck.

As many of you know I have committed to walking 39.3 miles on September 17th and 18th for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. Yesterday I had the honor of going to Santa Barbara and walking in a "mock walk" which is basically like a practice walk. Ok sure I got plenty of crap for driving the hour to walk and what the hell is a mock walk anyway, right? Either you walk or you don't...walking is not something that you can half ass. So the plan was to meet at 0740 at the Fess Parker Hotel and walk throughout Santa Barbara with a group of people who also plan on participating in the breast cancer walk. So as we start down Cabrillo....paralleling the ocean...beautiful views and beautiful day...feeling like I am a contestant on Amazing Race...oh wait no not really as there is no prize, no million dollars, no obstacles and no challenges...just walking. We then head down State Street...talk about a fucking tease as we walk past bar, restaurant, store, bar, restaurant, store...you get the idea...painful. What do you mean I am in in Santa Barbara and I can't taste wine, eat good food and shop? Oh thats right lets focus on the cause.

So after mile 4 I am tired, sweaty, bitter and ready for a bloody mary...almost to the stage of desperation. When I start talking to a young woman who is wearing a pink shirt and a pink sticker that says "survivor." No she isn't talking about the reality tv show she is referring to the fact that at the age of 23 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was the most inspirational and amazing woman I have met...and although I talked to her for all of 15-20 minutes her story, her honesty, her bravery touched my life in a way I will never forget. She said that she was in Santa Barbara 2 years ago visiting her Grandparents over Memorial Weekend. She noticed that she had nipple discharge and since her Mother had also had breast cancer when she was 28 she was very well aware of the warning signs and areas of concern. She got into her doctors office 2 weeks later and was diagnosed with breast cancer within weeks. She said that the doctors office didn't want to do a mammogram due to her age and they were hesitant to do tests just because they were pretty sure she didn't have the illness. I truly couldn't imagine hearing a doctor say those words to me,"you have cancer." I can only guess at the fear, terror, sadness, and emotional turmoil one must feel. Within weeks she had a double mastectomy as she made the choice to rid herself of the cancer before it had a chance to spread or advance. She was so brutally honest about her experience and she told us that she feels fine but that she will take estrogen blockers for the rest of her life so that the cancer does not return. She was proud of the fact that she had been cancer free for 2 years, which means that at 25 she is celebrating the fact she is still alive...a realization that at 35 hadn't ever crossed my mind or consciousness. She had the most amazing attitude and she basically said it was something that happened in her life and although she thinks of it whenever she looks at the scars on her chest she has moved on with her life. So I just have to say to the woman in the pink shirt...you are an inspiration and you touched my life. I hope I never hear those words

Now onto the amazing food moments of my weekend

1. Saturday afternoon 1400 taking a break from errands to share a bottle of chardonnay with my best friend at Cafe Firenze

2. Roasted asparagus with parmesan cheese...holy heck the nutty flavor of the parmesan and the roasted asparagus....yum! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/asparagus-with-parmesan-crust/detail.aspx

3. My husband learning a valuable cooking lesson while trying to make chili. If the recipe calls for 3 lbs of ground beef...its going to make a hell of a lot of chili. Oh yes the entire fridge is now filled with chili and we even gave some away. And he says to me when he was asked why he didn't cut the recipe in half or thirds "hmm I never looked at how many servings it made."

4. Right now I am making chocolate orange loaf cake...to be determined whether this is a recipe valuable enough to share. However, I learned that if you are using syrup of any variety in a recipe it helps to put cooking spray or oil on your measuring spoons so it comes off the spoons easier. Little trick-love it!

Well good night you all and just as a reminder if you are enjoying my blog and you want it sent to your email just go to the bottom of the page and put your email address in and it will be emailed to you every time I do an update. Have a good night and cheers!

So last night as you all know I decided to make manicotti-new recipe of course because as you all know I never use the same recipe twice. So I have to say in general the manicotti recipe was ok...nothing to celebrate or brag about...although I did like the fact that it had a white and a red sauce...definitely an idea I will remember for next time. However, it also had ground beef in it and I think Italian sausage would have been better to give it more of a kick. It also had ricotta and parmesan cheese and I am a huge mozzarella fan so its absence was definitely missed by me. It did have spinach in it which helped to quell the guilt of the cream sauce and cheese, yet I think I would have traded the spinach for mozzarella and a little extra guilt.

However, the highlight of my evening came in the form of a good glass of wine and a really interesting documentary. I am currently addicted to Netflix and the fact that you can stream the movies/shows on a computer/Xbox/Wii just makes me happy as a clam....I digress briefly to say...that is the weirdest saying ever and who the hell thinks the clam is the happiest animal ever...just saying.

My BFF and I watched The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia http://wildandwonderfulwhites.com/ (thanks Cec for the recommendation). And I truly have to recommend it as it gives us all a glimpse into a world that is not rich with amazing food, wine and friendships. Oh sure the documentary is all about relationships but it shows a world in which desperation, lost dreams and drugs are a lifestyle for generation after generation. The documentary shows a different society however it exists here in our glorious country. It shows us all an existence that is simple but tragic. Too often I have found in my own life that I am driven by goals, accomplishments and success. And this documentary made me think and feel oh so thankful for living a life in which I was allowed to have dreams, that I was allowed to have independent thoughts and actions and for an environment and nurturing which allowed me to grow, develop and flourish. This documentary made us laugh and made us cry (ok that may have partially been due to the wine), but truly it also made us take a moment to think of and thank our families for giving us our childhoods and a life that wasn't doomed from the time of our first breaths.

So I just want to take a moment to feel blessed and thankful. To relish in the fact that I was raised in a positive environment by a Mom who loved me and gave me the world. To cherish the life that I have with amazing friends and family, a stable career and the ability to follow my dreams and live life to the fullest. And finally to be thankful for the love I feel in my life and my health as this morning I attended the opening ceremonies for Relay for Life in Oxnard and as I ran my 4 miles around the track....seeing all the survivors....made my heart fill.

Sorry this blog was not all about food and wine tonight but sometimes we need to remember to stop and reflect and be thankful for what we have. These feelings and traditions are often surrounding food, however in our society we also too often wait for holidays or large events before we gather with those we love or stop and says thanks for what we have. And even during those times sometimes the true meaning of the holidays get lost in commercialism, the stress of planning the event or the chaos of the season. I remember growing up the extreme stress levels of my Mom when my bday or Xmas rolled around and it always seemed like she never got a chance to truly enjoy it because she was so busy trying to make everything perfect for her little girl. And although I appreciated every meal she made, every tradition she created and all of her hard work to make those events special I also cherish those moments even more when it was just her and I hanging out, having "talk parties" and just being mother and daughter. My father was not in the picture growing up and my Mom did an amazing job of being both parents to me, always making sure that I didn't want for anything and that I never forgot how much I was loved. She truly allowed me to experience my childhood to the fullest whether it was wearing my ballet slippers for days on end, turning my room into an airline or having tea parties that tore apart the entire kitchen she let me be carefree, use my imagination and relish in that childhood innocence and happiness that we only get to live through once.

Finally, let me say thank you to all of you who read my blog. The comments warm my heart and make me smile. This past week I had an anonymous individual post on my blog and to know that someone was reading and enjoying the words that I share touched me. This blog is definitely my labor of love and so thank you and cheers!

Do you spend all day thinking about what you are going to eat for dinner? I am one of those people. I woke up this morning so excited because tonight I am making manicotti. And I don't just let it go at that...I start thinking of what wine I want with it, what side dish(es) and counting the hours until I can eat it. Some may call that behavior obsessive or neurotic but I call it reality. Haha.

So last weekend I went to Belini Osteria http://www.belliniosteria.com/ with some dear friends for dinner. I have been there before but not for dinner. The food was amazing! I had spinach risotto with goat cheese. I love risotto but I never would have thought of putting goat cheese in it and it provided such a great contrast in texture and flavor as the risotto was smooth and creamy and the cheese was tangy with a grainier texture. We also split 2 bottles of Toad Hollow 2007 Pinot...great wine...and did you know that the winery is owned by Robin Williams brother?  Look random fact for the day! I do have to say the restaurant is really well decorated in a modern contemporary fashion, however if you are looking for quiet romance this is not the place...it is more of a loud bustling atmosphere but a lot of fun. You will all be happy to know that I took pictures of everyone's meal but this week when I was looking at the pictures on my phone I deleted them thinking to myself...why the hell did I take pictures of all of this food...that is what happens when you take pictures after too many cocktails. So I apologize that I forgot about all of you and my blog briefly and deleted the photos that I took to share with you. Oops

I have to admit I haven't done much cooking this week. I would love to give you some really creative reason why I was a slacker but I just don't have one. I will say thank you to all of you who attended the Avon Breast Cancer Walk Fundraiser that Erin and I did at Wineyard...you all helped to make it a huge success and we so appreciated the support. I would tell you how much money we raised however I don't have the answer to that yet as I told Stacy, the owner, I would get in touch with her later. I did this because after 3 hours of drinking wine and eating popcorn for some reason I was famished and I knew if I didn't get food fast I was either going to A. become a bitch or B. start eating other peoples popcorn and that is a true sign of desperation or C. get popped for a DUI because I would just keep drinking to hold off the hunger. So I opted to leave, get food and find out our proceeds at a later date.

I did however this week make cookies and they were different. I made Rosemary Kissed Orange Thumbprint Cookies Tuscano. http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cookies/rosemary-kissed-orange-thumbprint-cookies-tuscano/ They were good but different as they actually had fresh rosemary in the dough which gave it a herbal spicy contrast with the sweet of the cookies. I thought they were ok nothing to die for and I brought some to work and I never heard anyone comment on them again so I think that might be a bad sign. However, the group was already disappointed as it was Monday and at work Monday is Muffin Monday and I did not bring muffins. Then when I told them they were orange marmalade cookies they wanted to know if they were the orange marmalade cookies that Cheynae makes and when I told them they weren't pretty much everyone was disappointed. So my poor cookies did have a hard act to follow, but they also weren't heaven on earth or anything. I still posted the recipe above in case anyone wants to try them. I also must add a disclaimer as I know that I have been posting a lot of Better Homes and Gardens recipes...just have to say I don't read the magazine but I do have several of their cookbooks.

Well all have a great weekend and I will think of you tonight while I eat my manicotti, Italian salad and red table wine. Cheers!

So tonight for some strange reason I was craving tofu. I know what you all are thinking, seriously who the fuck craves tofu? I know if someone had told me yesterday that they were craving tofu. I would have told them they were a jackass cause no one does that. Well yet again life throws a curve ball at me and I have learned AGAIN never say never (yes that is a Justin Bieber song). So I went to www.allrecipes.com and looked for tofu recipes and I found this one for Honey Mustard Tofu...sounded kind of strange as the tofu is dredged in whole wheat flour and cooked in butter and then you make this honey mustard sauce. But I thought what the heck lets try it. Ok to all my vegetarian friends and family out there I owe you an apology...it was so friggin good. It was a little spicy, a little sweet and it was fried in butter so really how can you go wrong. I was also thinking that tofu is way good for me and low calorie/low fat...however valuable lesson learned when its cooked in several tablespoons of butter nothing is low calorie and low fat...but that is the price you sometimes have to pay for yummy tofu. Here is the link for anyone who wants to try it: Honey Mustard Tofu
The picture shows chunks of tofu but I did slabs probably 3"x2" slabs and they were really good. When I made this I ate it with steamed asparagus but because the sauce is so good I think this would be excellent over rice.

Ok and for all the carnivores out there I don't want you to feel all left out of this veggie love fest so let me share this super easy Paella recipe that I found. I recently downloaded the Martha Stewart app onto my iphone and I have found that is has come in handy especially when I realized at the last minute that I have nothing to make for dinner...so I go to my app find a recipe all while in the grocery store and buy the ingredients. And that is exactly what I did yesterday...went to the gym and went to the grocery store in a panic. For the longest time I had a fear of Martha Stewart and I know some of you may think this fear is because she is a hardened criminal who did prison time but believe it or not that is not what my fear is based upon (please read with sarcasm here). It is because when I first started cooking I tried some Martha Stewart recipes and they were long, drawn out, tedious and frustrating. I remember one night when I was married to a fireman one of my good friends and I decided to make one of her soup recipes or something...and it was taking so long that we were all trashed from too many cocktails, the guys had got called out to a fire and returned and the soup still wasn't friggin done. So that is where my fear of Martha began...yet I decided to try again and face my fears just like any good cook should do. So I found this paella recipe and let me tell you it was yum! It truly took under 30 min, did not have any outrageous and hard to find ingredients and it wasnt too spicy. I found this great sausage that I used at the Albertsons in Moorpark it was a chicken sausage with jack cheese...too die for!  Here is the link in case anyone wants to try it: Easy Paella
Oh and I am pretty excited as it photographs pretty well. Hope everyone has a spectacular weekend.
And hope you all enjoy good food and wine like I plan to do.

Starting in law enforcement at the age of 19 you definitely have a different perspective on holidays. Where as the rest of the country celebrates holidays on the actual date being in public safety you often celebrate where and when you can. Today being no exception! For the majority of folks 4th of July is about bbq'ing, spending time with family and friends, refreshing cocktails, horseshoes, swimming, fireworks and outdoor fun. Sure everyone may have a slightly different variation but the idea is all the same...celebrating our nations independence and those that continue to fight for our right to party (Beastie Boys shout out right there).

However, for those of us in public safety it means more...oh so much more. It means we all have to work as it is one of the busiest days of the year. It means way too many calls for service for loud fireworks, shots fired, loud parties and drunk disorderly folks. It means that we are not at home with our families and we definitely do not have an ice cold beer in our hands...for some reason I have found that it is frowned upon to be answering 911 with a cocktail in hand (don't worry I have never done this.) And although everyone in this profession is making a sacrifice it is also what we know and we all find ways to make up for it. For the last nearly 16 years I have been in this industry and I continue to find ways and time to spend with family and friends marking the holidays and I have learned that you just can't be attached to the date. I have also found that my amazing co-workers always find ways to make the best of working. Tonight we are all bringing in food, wearing jeans and we all plan on making the best of the fact that we will all be in a windowless room with lightning bolts on the walls instead of stargazing and watching a fireworks display.

And ya know on Saturday night I was able to celebrate the 4th with good friends, fireworks, amazing music and a beautiful summer night. And to me that was what this holiday is about...its not about it being the 4th of July as we could celebrate on the 2nd and still accomplish the same goal. I felt a sense of pride in our amazing country as the orchestra at Hollywood Bowl played our national anthem and commemorated each of our armed services. I felt like a kid again as I watched the fireworks display above the bowl and I truly enjoyed a cool glass of chardonnay as I listened to Hall and Oates.

So even though I am not bbq'ing tonight and drinking corona like I would like here are a few recipes that are perfect to commemorate the holiday. Great fish taco recipe from Martha Stewart and this one is actually easy...some of her recipes are crazy hard! http://www.marthastewart.com/312934/fish-tacos-with-salsa-verde-and-radish-s
And this is the strawberry pie that is coming to work with me tonight. I have made it once before and it is super easy and very tasty! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-old-boys-strawberry-pie/detail.aspx
Enjoy your family and friends and celebrate our amazing country! Happy 4th of July!