stocking stuffers

Hi gang!  It’s just a little over a week before Christmas and there is still plenty of time to shop!  I know this because I’m still considering shopping. :p  Last year I did a gift and stocking stuffer ideas for the Geek and the Athlete and it turned out to be a huge hit.  It’s one of my top viewed posts!  So I decided to kick it into gear and do another one for this year.

Let’s get this party started!  I’m starting with Athletes because well, I just feel like it. ;)

Gift and Stocking Stuffer Ideas for the Athlete:

When you’re a non-athlete and you have athletes in your life, sometimes it can be hard to find gifts for them.  While gift cards to Dick’s are always appreciated, sometimes your athlete would like something a little more personal.  A little more from the heart showing that you care and pay attention to their talks of strength moves and time splits.  Here are a few things for the female athlete in your life.

Read more on Tuesday Tip: Gifts and stocking stuffers 2009…

Hi gang!  Guess what?  It’s December!  And not only is it December 1st, but it also just happens to fall on a Tuesday, which means I can do an official Holiday Tuesday Tip!

Tis the season for some spiked nog, mistletoe, naughty elves, and holiday gatherings.  Not necessarily in that order but feel free to use that list for some of your holiday plans if you wish.

Holiday gatherings can be fun, festive times!  But when you’re eating healthy and clean, sometimes holiday parties can turn a bit stressful.  I am here to tell you that they don’t have to be!  There is no reason to stress over a holiday party, its platters of food, and tables of indulgences.  Honestly, parties are easy peasy and you can beat the stress!

The biggest mistake we make when attending a party is that we show up hungry.  We expect to be fed and we arrive at the party hungry ready to grab a plate and glide down the buffet.  This is exactly what gets us in trouble.  Not the food at the party, but ourselves.  Showing up hungry is not in our best option nor in our best interest.  Sort of like how one should never do grocery shopping on an empty stomach or during a red alert PMS situation?  Same rules apply for holiday parties.  And this includes sit down dinners!

Read more on Tuesday Tip: Don’t Go To Holiday Parties Hungry…

One of the situations that pops up around the holidays when we’re navigating parties and functions that involve food, is encountering items we don’t want to eat.  I’m not talking about coming across a food item that you’re allergic to and therefore can’t eat.  I’m talking about food items we don’t like or have no desire to eat.

Auntie Andie is here to tell you that if you don’t want to eat it, don’t eat it.  Period. Full stop.  Sometimes we worry about how the person who made the dish is going to react and are they going to be offended if we don’t eat something.

I’ve been defending my eating habits my entire life.  No, seriously.  There are lots of things I don’t eat, but one thing that seems to baffle people the most is my dislike of sweets.  For instance, I don’t eat cake.  If you want me to be completely honest, I hate cake.  I think it’s gross.  It’s dry and then to cover up that dryness, an overly sugary thick layer of icing is put on top and sometimes in the middle for layer cakes.  I may have just gagged a little bit even typing that out.  My entire life I have never liked cake.  I will eat a cupcake because they tend to be a little bit more moist and it’s easier for me to scrape off the icing.  Growing up my mom made me cupcakes for my birthday.  At other kids’ parties, I just ate some ice cream.  The day the ice cream cake was invented and became common at Dairy Queen there was much rejoicing on my end.  A cake that is all ice cream?  I am totally all over that!  But my point, try explaining to someone you don’t like cake.

Read more on Tuesday Tip Thanksgiving Edition : If you don’t want it, don’t eat it…

Due to still being stuck in bed, I did not get a chance to post this week’s Tuesday Tip!  So here it is in all its glory a day late.

When I first started making Thanksgiving dinner for Scott and I, I had the silly notion that everything must be made that day.

It would be fresher tasting!

That’s what everyone else does!

Isn’t that how Thanksgiving is done?!

Eventually I came to my senses and realized that most of the side dishes could be prepped the day before.  Saving me lots of time in the kitchen the day of and also my sanity.  We discussed last year how veggies can be chopped ahead of time.  Now let’s talk side dishes.

Green bean casserole, whether retro Campbell’s Soup style or all out homemade style, can be made the day before.  Then all you have to do is store it in the dish you will bake it in, covered of course.  When it comes time to heat it up, remove from the fridge a few minutes before so you are not putting a very cold dish into a very hot oven.  When the dish isn’t quite so cold, heat it and serve.

Read more on Tuesday Tip Thanksgiving Edition: Make ahead dishes…

It’s the second installment of this year’s Thanksgiving Tuesday Tips!  This is one of my favorite tips (do I say this for all my tips? I hope not but I love all my little gems) that I discovered watching the Food Network a few years back.  It was during one of Tyler’s shows which proves that I can find something interesting even on the shows I don’t like.  Just between you and me, I think Tyler comes across as stuck up and pretentious, but don’t tell him I told you.

For those that like to make mashed potatoes with tons ‘O flavah, you can add in some extra punch by also seasoning up the cream that you use.  In the case of vegans/vegetarians, you can do the same with soymilk (or nondairy liquid of your choosing).  When making mashed potatoes I like having the milk at room temperature, but if I am making them extra special, I will slowly heat the milk up in a pan on the stove with some flavorings.

Read more on Tuesday Tip Thanksgiving Edition: Seasoning cream for mashed potatoes…

It’s fall time and if you are anything like me, you’ll use basically any excuse you can find to add pumpkin to something.  Last fall I discovered that my love for pumpkin runs deep.  Pumpkin can be made sweet or it can be made savory.  It really is pretty much a blank canvas waiting for you to decide which direction it’s going to take.

I am constantly experimenting with pumpkin and finding new ways that I can use it in dishes.  I have learned that pumpkin can be pretty much added to anything to change the taste or texture.  Most recipes, even ones where you are baking something, are very forgiving and have plenty of room to play around and experiment.

I have also learned that pumpkin puree is very thick and will cause whatever you are adding it to, to thicken up as a result.

This means that you might have to add a bit more liquid to the mixture to get the consistency you are looking for.  For example, when I make oats in the morning, I normally use 3/4C of soymilk, but when I add pumpkin to create pumpkin oats, I have to bump the liquid up to 1C or just a touch more.

Read more on Tuesday Tip: Cooking with pumpkin…

Hi gang!  I hope you aren’t sick of seeing my shoes on display.  It makes for a nice picture when I’m talking about outdoor activities.

If you are a frequent flier here at OHC then you know that I run.  A lot.  And I walk my dog, all around my neighborhood.  I’m usually out in the morning running my little hiney off as people are heading off to work or just getting up to start their day.

The thing about routines is that you tend to see other people doing their routines as well.  When you do it often, seeing your neighbor walk his mail out and passing that lady who power walks with her dog becomes familiar.  Almost expected.

Then you get to a point where perhaps you acknowledge each other with a wave or “Good Morning!”  I am here to tell you that this is an excellent step in the right direction.

My tip to you is to take that even farther and introduce yourself to those that you see every time you are out doing your routine.  Why?

Read more on Tuesday Tip: These are the people in your neighborhood…

Hi gang!  I apologize in advance for the picture on the left, I thought it would have turned out a lot better than it did!  You can click on it though and see a larger image.

I realize that you probably are going to think I’ve dipped into the eggnog a bit on the early side but I assure you that is not the case.  Yes I am here to tell you that, like it or not, the holidays are upon us.  Once we hit September the rest of the year just flies on by, because of that, it’s time to start holiday planning.

No, I’m serious.  Listen friends, I’m already in the middle of planning a holiday party for November.  The reality is November isn’t that far away and to plan a holiday party means I need to be on it NOW.   Planning takes time and I am not a last-minute let’s-scramble-and-get-it-done kinda gal.

Read more on Tuesday Tip: Time to start your holiday planning…

Green beans happen to be a favorite here at the HQ.  Scott and I love them and feel that fresh green beans are just about a perfect food.

The downside of fresh green beans is that they can turn quickly.  Going from bright green to a mottled color in just a few days.

Yuck.  No one wants to eat that.  Well except for Rocky, he doesn’t care what the green beans look like, he’ll eat ‘em up.

For me, green beans take a lot of prep time.  Going through pounds of beans and trimming them takes a lot of work.  See I trim both ends because I don’t like the stringy pointy parts.  They must be dealt with!  And because processing green beans takes me a good bit of time, I’m not looking to it several times over the course of the week.  Once and I’m done.  Over and out.

I have found that if I blanch my whole pile of green beans after washing and trimming them, they are ready to go for the rest of the week.  I don’t have to worry about them turning on me getting that mottled color.  And if I feel like maybe I’m not going to get to them in a timely fashion once they are blanched, I can just toss them in the freezer for another time.

Read more on Tuesday Tip: Blanching green beans…