New Year - New blog!

So my friends, family & loved ones :) This is going to be an all new blog. I am sure I will still talk about my running and getting into better shape however life is taking me into a 2nd direction!

I've caught the cooking bug! My poor Mom, while I'm sure is very proud of me now, she has been waiting for the moment where the cooking bug would bite me. In my lineage, there are a bunch of Southern women who live to cook. It's in my DNA! I only wish I had taken the time to pay attention when my beautiful Mom was trying to teach me in my younger days that cooking is an art!

I was waaaay too busy doing everything thing else teenage/high school appropriate to even consider cooking. Even as I got older, had a child, lived on my own as a single Mom, I cooked to get by or survive. Spaghetti noodles & jar sauce. Box Mac n Cheese. You get the picture right?? :)

About a month or two ago, the cooking bug rushed up on me like a fever that I can't cure with Tylenol! I just want to cook. A L L T H E T I M E!

I know not every cooking adventure will turn out well or the way I want them to. I know that I'm very hard on myself when things don't go my way in the kitchen. Guess I better get over that or I may never learn anything.

While I don't know jack about what knife to use with what task in the kitchen or how to pronounce everything correctly but I do promise to keep at it and keep you informed. If you're reading or not :) (I know you're reading Meghan! I <3 U!) *at least I'll have one reader!*

Matt got B&N gift cards for Christmas and he told me to use them. CRAZY I KNOW! The man who can't sleep without new books, let me use his "gotta have new book smell" cards! :) LOL

My purchases were:

The New Basics Cookbook - by Julee Rosso & Shelia Lukins
The Good Housekeeping Step by Step Cook book

Not to mention I've borrowed 4 from my brother in law Nick - THANK YOU!

Tonight's cooking adventure wasn't from any of those cookbooks -it was from my own imagination and my Mom's cookbook.

Portobello Mushroom with Steak and Crab Imperial -

I watched a youtube video on how to prep the mushroom - MAN you have to be much easier removing the gills of the mushroom then I thought you would have to be... hence the rough looking mushroom. It didn't turn out the way I wanted it to when I cooked it. Oh well! Try, try again! I am however getting really good at timing a steak under the broiler! :) The steak turned out fantastic and seasoned very well - just a light Montreal Steak seasoning. (I'm sure the professional cooking world hates that stuff, but I love it) The Crab Imperial is a dish that I've made before, but couldn't remember what I needed so I had to call Mom.

We had a communication issue (my ADHD kicked in) and I messed it up! I had whipped this poor little egg white into serious submission with stiff peaks. LOL. (that is laugh out loud Moma! I <3 U too!) I folded it into the dressing that is used on top of the crab and around the plate that you see. Mom wanted me to put it into the crab mixture. OOOPS! (I so must not have been paying attention) SO she says " just pour it in the crab mix". I kept thinking how wet it would be and that it would take forever to bake. Sure enough - the mixture was too moist and I had to bake it an additional 15 minutes then threw it under the broiler to dry it out more. You live, you learn, you keep cooking!

Needless to say - the flavors worked very well together despite the contradictions that kept singing in my head over and over.

Next I think will be Shrimp Scampi :)

While I'm most positive that none of these dishes will assist my smaller figure goals - Portion control is everything AND I will keep at it in the gym. The holidays were a wee bit stressful so I've put back on a few pounds. Nothing 5 nights a week doing cardio and at least 3-4 mornings a week lifting weights can't fix!

I think I will look for another 5k around March. Anyone wanna join? Meghan? Lauren? Anyone? :)

Well my fabulous friends! I'm heading to bed with an amazingly tolerant hubby who doesn't mind eating my ... (he, he) screw up's in the kitchen. :)

Love U!