20SB Cooking Challenge: Pumpkin ALL The Things

Time for the latest 20SB Cooking Challenge. As of now (a week before this post is scheduled to appear) I'm submitting uncontested, so hooray.


Pumpkin ALL the Things Challenge:
Create a savory pumpkin item that is delicious and easy!
Rules:
1) Must be a savory (aka not dessert-y) food item but can be an appetizer, soup, entree, etc.
2) Must contain actual pumpkin (canned is completely acceptable) and not just “pumpkin spice” ala the Pumpkin Spice Latte (did anyone actually care that it doesn’t have pumpkin in it!?)
3) Must contain 10 or fewer total ingredients, includes spices/basics.
4) Submission is due Monday, October 6th at 11am.
5) Post recipe and photos to your blog and submit entry by replying to this post with the link.

I present my recipe for Pumpkin Soup that accidentally has 2 extra ingredients because I forgot to review the rules before starting to cook.

Like a Tablespoon or whatever of butter

1 Shallot, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 medium Carrot, chopped

~1 1/2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth

2-3 Tablespoons Hummus (it adds a nice earthy flavor as well as contributing to the overall pleasantly thick texture)

1-2 Tablespoons Applesauce

1 teaspoon Herbes de Province

1/2 teaspoon Sage

1/2 teaspon Parsley
1/2 can Pumpkin Puree

2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
(If I had to omit 2 ingredients to comply to the rules of the competition, I'd take out the applesauce and sage. The applesauce gives it just teensy bit of sweetness to round out the flavors, and extra sage deepens the HdP, but probably wouldn't be missed had I not thrown them in to begin with)

1. Melt butter. Add shallot, garlic, and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion and garlic are translucent and starting to brown.

2. Stir in broth, hummus, and herbs. Let it bubble away for a while. Do 2 or 3 household activities before coming back to the stove (I got the mail, printed out October's dinner menu, and considered cleaning the counters but decided against it)

3. Stir in pumpkin, bring to a bubble (it's so thick it won't actually simmer, but it does get a very satisfying thumping bubblyness to it when heated up.) Turn off heat, stir in cheese until melty.

4. Plop it all into a bowl.

If I had some shredded chicken or pork on hand, I would have thrown it in and further removed myself from the confines of the ruels. If you wanted to wash more kitchen tools, you could add another cup-ish of broth and puree the whole party. I liked the slightly chunky texture of the carrots and aromatics so left it as is. A Rachel Ray type would call this a "stoup" (ie half stew half soup) but I don't feel the need to twee up my recipes with stupid made up words, so I call it a super thick soup.

There you have it.

Snapshot September

If you don't follow me on twitter, you've been missing out on my Snapshot September pictures as well as a general overview of my pathetic, disgusting lifestyle. Here they are in collage format, not in any particular order (they were uploaded randomly to the collage app and I had never used it before so it took me a million years to even get them stuck together like this).

I think I'm the only one who used the #SnapshotSeptember hashtag so if you'd like to get a little context for each picture search that on twitter.

Sage

I saged my house for the first time ever on Tuesday.
Basically you get a bundle of dried white sage and burn it like incense, just smoking, not an open flame. You walk around your home and spread the smoke, then open the windows to wash it away. It supposedly helps clear out negative energies and settle anything wonky in a home's atmosphere, particularly when done around the change of seasons.
It was suggested to me to focus first on doorways and windows, and then just let the smudge stick guide you. We have long, diaphanous curtains on most of the windows (they're a little tacky, but they were here when we moved in) so I was worried about accidentally dropping a spark and burning the whole carnival to the ground, but once I came up with a good method of keeping the curtains away from the smoke it went smoothly. I was drawn towards the mirrors and closets in particular, as well the spaces behind the doors that we typically keep opened. I can't lie- I spend a while carefully wafting smoke underneath my bed, too!
Immediately afterwards I felt calm and satisfied, and have felt better about a few things that have been really bugging me lately. The ritual/meditative nature can probably be credited with that, plus the physical comfort of having a nice smooth breeze in the house for most of the afternoon.
As the energy settles, I've noticed one or two strange things. Most immediately was that our wifi blinked out for about 20 minutes after I had extinguished the stick. I've heard a few curious noises in the last two days, but nothing frightening or startling, mostly stuff like the printer ink cartridge adjusting when I thought it was turned off. Overall it was a positive experience, and I'd definitely do it again at the start of spring. I'm trying to dry out the stick I used this time (the only way I found to completely extinguish it was to run it under the faucet) but it was relatively inexpensive so I'm not averse to getting a new one when the time comes.

Yesterday I went to physical therapy for the first time. I think it went well, but I can never really tell with that kind of thing. I've vented my frustrations with myself here enough that I shouldn't have to explain why I'm putting so much hope on PT to get me kickstarted back to where I'd like to be. I spent half of my assessment appointment yesterday semi-apologizing for not doing anything on my own, and acknowledging that I felt a little silly compared to the other people in the room who were there for real injuries and not mostly laziness. For me, there's also an element of fear when I think about working out on my own or in a gym/class setting- what if I over-exert myself? what if something happens to my heart? PT is located in a hospital, literally in the same building where this whole thing started last year; can't get much more secure than that! Since I've been doing so well, this fear is mostly unfounded, and it's something I need to get over.
With that in mind, I'd like to ask my followers to text, @ message on twitter, tag me in fitspo on IG, or send a facebook message to ask if I've done anything active that day. Being held accountable is a huge motivator for me, so if you happen to be in my social media neighborhood and think of it, bug me please!

Happy List

Here's what I have to smile about:

-My fundraising for the HeartWalk reached over 4 times my original goal! I started out asking for $150 and the final tally was $600.01 (My brother gave $50.01 because he wanted to be at the top of the "honor roll" of donors). Everyone who raised $100 or more gets a t-shirt, and I also got a hat to wear during the walk because I'm a heart disease survivor. There are walks happening all over the country and if any of my followers participated I'd be super thrilled. Fundraising isn't necessary to participate and there isn't even a registration fee. Find your local walk here and let me know if you're going to sign up!

-My steroid dose is down to 2.5mg a day, and if I tolerate it then I get to completely go off it for a month. If I tolerate that, then I'll be completely off Prednisone for good! That's huge, since long term use of steroids isn't great for anyone, but young women in particular. Since I'm 100% compliant with my medications, and have been desperately inching towards getting my insurance to cover some type of physical therapy, I'm feeling cautiously optimistic.

-J and I have some fun family stuff coming up. I'm hosting taco night with his family this Friday and my parents are coming up next weekend. We're going on a whale watch cruise, and I'm also working on a surprise birthday dinner for my mom. I've gotten all but 4 of the RSVP's and so far everyone can make it. I think she'll be really pleased with our little scheme.

-The Lion King is touring and we have tickets to go see it in October! I'm crap-my-pants excited. I saw it on Broadway 10-ish years ago and am seriously beside myself to be able to go again.

-My "job" starts in a few weeks, and I'm looking forward to it. I'll be watching my new baby cousin Mon-Weds. She's so fucking cute, you guys. Not to mention she's a fairly calm baby and seems to like me..She gets a little cranky when she's hungry but, hey, don't we all? Her mom, my "auntie", is only a few years older than me so I'm hoping this will be an opportunity to get closer to her.

-My cousin and I have started making dinner together via Skype and I'm loving it. I send her my monthly dinner plan, she picks what days she's free and likes what's on the menu. I'll send her an email with a grocery list and any special equipment she might need (she's a real kitchen noob, so "special" means any kitchen item I consider basic that she might not have, like a garlic press or a 9" square pan). It's a lot of fun and I love being able to have nice long chats with her while we chop veggies. J's uncle thinks I should be charging people for this service.. In the future, I might develop the idea, but for now I just like helping my cousin feed her husband! What do you think? Would you be willing to let me teach you a dinner via Skype at some point?

3-Day Headache

The last two days weren't bad enough to take my prescription headache stuff, but Tylenol didn't touch it. Today, of course, it's bad enough, but I can't take the prescription stuff because I have to drive to feed J's dad's cat and taking a muscle relaxer then getting into the driver's seat isn't my idea of a good time.

Yesterday I found out that my insurance won't cover my cardiac rehab. When I called a month ago to initially ask, I was told that it was covered. When I called yesterday, I was told that it's only covered if I started within 6 weeks of my "cardiac event" and that I needed to prove "medical necessity" for not starting until now. I guess that first call-center jockey thought I was planning to have an emergency cardiac event in the next 4 months (I'll lose coverage through my parents in December, and I'm just thrilled to see what my gov't insurance won't cover) but she never mentioned a time limit.
Thing is, 6 weeks post-surgery my sternum was healing from being cracked open again and I was told to not be in the general public. I definitely would have been advised against being in a gym. The other thing is, I don't know why rehab was never suggested to me until I started crying in a clinic appointment in August about how I stopped going to yoga because I didn't see the point in attending a class that was too hard for me, and how I just wanted to be able to keep up with J when we're out walking somewhere.

It's definitely not "medically necessary" that I attend the rehab, but I don't know what else I can do to keep from continuing to lose muscle and cardiac ability. I've lost 5 pounds since the start of the summer but I've never felt worse about myself because I know those were 5lbs of muscle that are now just flapping loosely around my bones. I stare at our treadmill literally all day but I don't know what to do in order to get myself to cross the room and walk on it. Being told "just DO it" only serves to make me feel worse about myself.
It's my own damn fault that I don't know how to motivate myself enough to work out by myself, and it's equally my fault for not getting up and getting another job so that I could afford going to a trainer. I need to feel accountable to someone, I need someone to tell me what to do. None of my nearby family or friends work out anywhere I could afford to tag along to, and I don't feel safe jumping into a class after taking so much time off. The guilt I feel about not taking care of myself pushes me down far enough that some days I want to just give up and wish that I hadn't made it. It's not a nice feeling.

20SB Cooking Challenge: Upscale Tailgate

LaurenOfAllTrades has set the newest 20SB Cooking Challenge!
Here are her rules:
Upscale Tailgate
Football season is just around the corner and even if you don’t like football, everyone likes tailgating!
For this challenge choose a classic tailgate food to upscale and pair it with a cocktail either invented or pre-existing.
Rules:
1) Keep per-person price to under $20 (honor system acceptable).
2) Post recipe and photos to your blog.
3) Post link here for judging by me by Thursday 8/28 at 9pm.

I definitely don't like football, but I am absolutely on board when it comes to the hearty, beefy, cheesy, spicy food that goes along with a tailgate party! I have been known to pull a chair up to the buffet table at Super Bowl parties once the game starts, because for me the real action is on the plate, not on the field. And a themed cocktail? Forget about it, I'm there.
My initial thought was to do some kind of fancy sliders, maybe with lamb and feta instead of ground beef and American cheese. Then I realized I had zero of those ingredients on hand. Rather than take a trip to the store, I took stock of my freezer and pantry. After seeing what I had, I made my decision...

I present my Upscale Tailgate version of Chili with Cornbread:
Spicy Shredded Beef with Pan-Fried Cheddar Polenta
and Citrusy Zinfandel Sangria

You have to make the polenta in advance, so I'll start with that:

(Full disclosure, that's dried parsley. I didn't have enough cilantro. It pretty much looks the same though.)
1/2 cup instant polenta
2 cups chicken broth
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, cubed or grated
~2 Tablespoons milk or cream
2 Tablespoons cilantro

-Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add polenta and stir. The quick-cooking type thickens up super-fast, obviously, so you have to get in there and stir right away. Polenta "spits;" use your longest-handled spoon to keep from getting burned.

These picture were taken maybe 5 seconds apart. Instant polenta doesn't fuck around

-Once polenta is very thick, stir in cheese, milk, and cilantro until it reaches a nice creamy consistency, adding a little more milk if it's not cooperating. This is the stage where I spend a lot of time licking the spoon.

-Pour into a storage container, refrigerate overnight. It will...I hate to use the word "congeal," but it will take on the shape of whatever you put it in, so something with a flat bottom is preferable to the bumpy tupperwares I have.

This is only half the recipe; I ate the other half for dinner that night.

The Next Day...

I always fucking forget an ingredient in these pictures.

~1lb stew beef or other somewhat tough cut of beef.
1 Tablespoon each: chili powder, garlic powder, paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 Tablespoon each: hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, molasses
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 dried chile de arbol
2 chipotles in adobo
2-3 cloves garlic, lightly smashed (you want it to be sticky but still in one piece)
1 small onion or 1 large shallot, halved
beef broth

-Combine chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, hot sauce, vinegar, and molasses. Rub onto beef.

Really get in there.

-In a pan with high sides, heat dried chile in vegetable oil until oil is shimmery. Brown beef on all sides.

-Add everything else. Cook, covered, on low for a few hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is falling apart. (Now would be a good time to get the sangria going)

-Remove beef from pan, shred.
-Strain cooking liquid, discard solids. Add half of cooking liquid back into pan, reduce by 75%, until syrupy. Add shredded beef back to pan, tossing to coat. Heat through.

-Slice refrigerated polenta into squares. Pan fry until golden in vegetable oil.

I added too much cream so they were falling apart, oops.

-Top squares of fried polenta with beef. Serve hot.

1/2 bottle cheap white zin (I didn't have enough so I dumped in an equal amount of a cheap white we had in the fridge)
1/2 cup Triple-Sec
3/4 cup club soda or Sprite
1 orange
1 lime
berries

-Rinse berries and put in pitcher. Smush a little to release some juice. Squeeze lime into pitcher.
-Cut orange in half. Slice one half into thin half-moons and add to pitcher. Squeeze other half into pitcher.
-Add wine and Triple-Sec, stirring to combine. Put in fridge for several hours to allow flavors to combine.

You might notice that this is a vase, because I am a belly-itcher and lack a pitcher.

 -Before serving, add club soda and very gently stir.

Final Product:

 

 Overall I'm pleased with how it all came together! The sangria might be a bit "summery" for a tailgate, but I liked how crisp and sweet it was in contrast with the spicy savory food. The polenta ended up being a huge pain in the ass. If I made this again I'd just try to find a pre-made tube of it and add a little slice of cheddar under the beef before serving. I also wish I had some sour cream, but that's just because I love me some sour cream. 

How's it look to you guys?

My First Guest Post

My friend Gloria at That SoCal Life let me write a post for her about my illness and recovery. It includes some tips about how to help others dealing with difficult health issues as well as a link to the American Heart Association Heart Walk so that you can look up how to help fund further research and education.

Coping with Long-Term Hospital Stays