Mahi-Maji and Beef Fajitas

Bob picked out and prepared some wonderful dinners this past week. One I especially liked was the
Potato-Horseradish-Crusted Mahi-Mahi. His looked much better than the picture online but I didn't get a picture.
Tonight he fixed Fajitas - also a healthy dish and very flavorful.

The onions and green bell peppers, one of my favorite parts of the fajita.

I took this out of the kitchen window. He doesn't like to have his picture taken .  He's basting the flank steak.

It's almost done!

Heidi gets a whiff of something good, but knows better than to go outside. See the ears?

Ready for the tortillas!

READY TO ROLL  and EAT.

Winter Sunrise

We've been having some beautiful sunrises this past week. Here's a couple of pictures looking across the street from my front porch.

 

Snow Day

It has been snowing off and on since last night and appears to be getting heavier instead of lighter, which is what it looked like on the Weather Channel this morning.
NOW I look at the weather map and it seems there is more area covered. It's coming down pretty steadily now at noon and Bob just took off for Kroger's in his truck. I took Amber to work this morning at 9:30 and although I-65 was pretty clear, the side roads were not all plowed and slippery on the turns.
The kids across the street are playing in the snow even though it's really coming down.
I guess I'd better get ready for work. I'm a little nervous.
Edit: I didn't go to work and Bob made it home from Kroger's with lots of fish (tilapia, mahi mahi and red snapper) and a big bag of oranges.

Here's our front yard - Christmas decorations still standing.

I kind of like it this way :)

Here's Heidi trying to get her toy out of the snow.

It was actually snowing pretty heavily.

She gave up and headed back inside.

I made her stop at the door.

Heidi is very obedient when it comes to stopping and staying.

Movie and Dinner night

We got our tv back! It was nice to to be able to finally watch Julie and Julia our latest Netflix choice. We've been watching our small tv and it is quite a bit less fun. I liked the movie, it was fun watching it - I'd give it a 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. It's basically a biography of Julia Child creating the first French cookbook for American women told alongside the story of a young woman who decided to take a year to cook all the recipes in Julia's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking and blogged about her experiences (which were later made into this movie). I guess I was expecting something a little more exciting or more of a plot - there was very little conflict in the story. Conflict is important to me to make the story zing.
Bob grilled a small pork tenderloin on the BBQ (in the 20 degree temps) and it was very tasty. He used another recipe from the Cook's Country cook booklet. I wish I was home to take a picture of him out on the patio with jacket and gloves turning it over. The interesting thing about Bob's cooking is that he likes to try new things. Besides new recipes, he also tries out techniques I've never tried. and many new ingredients.  This time he bought some string to tie the roast after he had laid rosemary and I forget what else in the center. The mustard glaze was wonderful - first time using coarse-grain mustard or apple jelly.

Mustard Glaze*

1/2 c. coarse-grain mustard

6 tb. apple jelly

2 tb. dark brown sugar

2 tb. extra-virgin olive oil

2 lg garlic clove, minced

2 t. minced fresh thyme

1/2 t. salt

3/4 t. pepper

Alongside he made the potatoes with onion soup mix and oil I wrote about here. Only I've talked him into removing the potato skins - I like them better without. Very tasty with the sweet-spicy pork.

The weather channel is predicting snow for us on Thursday - 70% chance. I'm kind of looking forward to it. Not the ice of course. They just said it may be the worst winter in 25 years.

Blueberry Grunt

Today stayed below freezing again, but I seem to be getting used to it (of course I'm indoors 99% of the time).
I managed to get the Christmas tree down and vacuumed a bit. I'm starting the Flylady routine again, baby steps. I don't like the website - it's very confusing - but she has a new home on Big Tent, a group organization site which is much more user-friendly.   It's funny how quickly you like this feeling of less clutter and a cleaner house. Like everything else, it's sticking with it that counts.

Bob make this  Blueberry Grunt today, from the Cook's Country cook booklet that came with the DVD's I gave him for Christmas. He did a great job cutting the recipe in half and fitting into the 3-quart saucepan instead of the dutch oven like the recipe called for . I was surprised how good the "dumplings" tasted considering they don't really get browned (that's cinnamon and sugar you see on top).
Here's the picture I took - kinda messy, but delicious.

Reading the Classics

It's been years since I've read a "classic" book, but I find that whenever I'm at the library looking for something on my TBR list, my eyes gravitate towards those humble books without the flashy dust jackets . I pick one up now and then and wonder what I might be missing.
So I've decided to join the NEW Classics Bookclub on 5 Minutes for Books. It's a read, review and comment club for classic books. I've never done anything like this before, so I'll see how it works. It seems to give a lot of leeway for participation.

So my Goal for the coming year is to read the following books:

1. Eugenie Grandet by Honore de Balzac
2. Washington Square by Henry James
3. The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
4. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
   

I chose these from various library classic novel lists I found online. It seems most of the classics that I find listed are rather dark. I think these choices are not necessarily upbeat, but I'd like to broaden my reading experience.  I confess it's hard for me to like something without a happy ending.

Today was much colder even than yesterday. It's been in the teens and twenties all day. I've had a good day - relaxing and getting a few small jobs done - laundry, throwing out some old magazines etc, clearing off the kitchen table.
Bob made batter-Fried Fish (flounder) and his curious Cold Oil French Fries again. I say "curious" because of the way he cooks them. He cuts up the fries, about 1/2 inch X 4 inches long and puts them into COLD oil in a deep cast iron skillet. Then the heat is turned on and they fry until they are lightly browned and rise to the top of the oil. These are great fries - not greasy at all and done inside.
I'm back to tracking my meals on Sparkpeople - this is good. I find that just writing down what I've eaten during the day helps me make better choices.
In browsing through the wonderful book blogs, I am tempted to take on a reading challenge. Sci Fi? Classics? Faith Fiction?  They all sound interesting. I'll see.
I have to keep reminding myself to be RESPECTful. Mostly to myself, my family and my home. Now that I think of it, I think I remember hearing Flylady saying something like "respecting your laundry". I need to check her website out again. She is a little eccentric about some things (wearing shoes that tie? heck - I find myself in flip flops even now) but very right-on in others.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Eilleen at Consumption Rebellion: My word for 2010 proposed a Word for the year. I was feeling kind of skeptical about making resolutions this year and this idea really appeals to me. I had to think, pray and read for a while but I've decided the word RESPECT will be my Word of the Year for 2010.
Respect for everything and everyone in my life.
I decided to take Amber to work this morning as a favor - sort of a New Year's Day gift. The temp was around 17 degrees when we left, and her car stays outside while mine is in the garage, so the warmth was a factor as well as the convenience of being let off at the door instead of the far reaches of the shopping mall parking lot (where employees must part). As it was, she made it just in time to clock in at 9:45. I could have mentioned the fact that she should really get there earlier, or that she really should take more time with her appearance and clothing or ....but I didn't. I know she knows all of that since I've repeated it many, many times.  I really want to be more respectful of Amber. I let her choose the music too! (Josh Groban).
Also as I was driving the thought that it was showing respect to drive closer to the speed limit. I won't say I'll drive under the speed limit, because I don't. If I did, I would certainly aggravate a ton of people. Let's just say that driving carefully will be the way I show respect to my fellow drivers.

New Year's Eve

Bob made a fish chowder - Easy Grouper Chowder   for dinner tonight. It was a first. He only added half the fish that the recipe called for. Very good texture and lots of taste. He substituted some flounder that he had in the freezer and added a little pepper - perfect. I've always liked dill weed. I took a picture but it just doesn't do it justice.

We're watching the Burn Notice Marathon so far tonight. As with most New Year's Eve's our family is home relaxing - watching TV. Usually we manage to stay up until midnight to see the new year (and in this case the new decade) in.

Last week of the year

Amber and I made a quick trip to check on my mom and dad in Illinois. It's about a 4-hour drive and very relaxing (until you get to the point where you are sore from sitting) We listened to a selection of CD's from both our CD cases - Vienna Teng' s Inland Territory, Josh Groban's Awake and his first album, Josh Groban, Disney's Superstar Hits, Two Horizons by Moya Brennan, and Loreena McKennitt's Nights from the Alhambra.
My parents were doing okay. My mom is weak from the emotional strain of caring for my father who has moderate dementia. I say moderate because he is still aware most of the time of who we are and what is going on. However, he has lost the ability to do a lot of ordinary things and gets confused, especially in the evening. We had a good but very short time together.
Bob's gotten in contact with some old friends - which I think has made him feel somewhat better. He's had a rough time this Christmas. 
I go back to work tomorrow after these last 5 days off. I also look forward to getting back to work. It's a distraction from some of the more stressfull issues in my life.
I'm also looking forward to the New Year and new decade with 2010. I like saying Twenty Ten instead of Two Thousand Ten. It sound kind of like science fiction :) I'm trying to keep my list of resolutions short this time.
I just finished "Defend and Betray" by Anne Perry. The last third of the book consists of the trial of the main suspect. Oh. My. Gosh.  Last line of book "At the back of the courtroom, Monk moved a little closer to Hester." I could hardly put it down.  I'll start "A Sudden Fearful Death" tonight.
On a different note - here's the latest picture of our little Heidi.