DEBBIE'S CHICKEN RIGGIES AND MY PERSONAL (now clean!) SANCTUARY.....

So, B.A. and I have been getting up at 5:00, AYEM, 3 days a week, in the brutal New York cold, to go to our town's little school and workout in their spiffy Nautilus equipped gym. We do the eliptical for about 45 minutes, then some weights (boosts the metabolism, so I'm told!), and maybe a little bit of time on the treadmills. I think it's really starting to pay off...B.A. is losing weight and building up his muscles (he looks just like Popeye, girls!) and me, well, I've lost so much muscle due to the strange weight loss journey I've been on, so this weight lifting is all good....Hey, I think I'm looking damned swell for almost 50! (please note how far away the photo was taken from my crow's feet and laugh lines)...........

Well, after all of this early morning working out a.k.a. torture, I'm usually pretty wiped out, and sometimes need an afternoon nap. BUT, the other day I decided to take a Jacuzzi soak instead, just to soothe me aching bones....BIG mistake. Why? Because, as I was trying to lie there in that hot, lavender scented water and let the jets do their magic, I started looking around my master bathroom and one thought popped into my head.....OH MY GAWD THIS BATHROOM IS DISGUSTING! Maybe it's because I had my new spectacles on (note to self : blindness is a blessing), but all I saw was grime...you know, bathroom grime. The worst kind (even worse than the dreaded kitchen grease grime, in my book).....created by months and months of hairspray and perfume buildup.  B. A. is quite the metro-sexual these days. Oh, and also created by months and months of sheer, blissful laziness....let's be truthful here! Sure, I clean up the heavily trafficked areas daily and weekly , like the countertop by the sinks and of course the toilet and shower. But I also have a lot of stuff ( a.k.a. "crap") in our bathroom, like an old Victrola cabinet--an antique! And a magazine rack, and pretty dishes that I've collected for years, decorating the walls. All of this stuff gathers dust, and most of the time I just don't see it. Or choose NOT to see it....

So do you want to know what I spent the whole morning doing today, AFTER the gym? Gutting my bathroom--that's what. It had to be done. I took every single thing out of the space, started scouring at the top (stainless light fixtures), and scrubbed, with bleach, all the way to the floors. Then, I washed every single decorative and functional thing, by hand, washed every single towel and rug, by machine, and then put it all back, in its proper place. And the end result? I've got my spa-like garden retreat back, so now I can properly relax, stress free. Here are some "after" photos--note the lack of grime!.....

Lots of towels and oils and lotions and perfumes at the ready, because I believe in pampering my fine self!.......

Oh MY, I've had these plates for 100,000 years.....

My famous antique Victrola cabinet that I've hauled from coast to coast, and always find a spot for , somewhere!...........

I love apothocary jars and terra cotta pots for everyday toiletries like cotton balls and soaps and such....

My old garden rake--the perfect earring rack!....

I know it's all sorta girlie, but B.A. doesn't seem to mind (or, maybe he's just given up?)........

I like to decorate with things that make me smile, and vintage platters and bird's nests make me smile.....

I kid you not when I tell you this random fact : Sammy Hagar's son gave me this framed picture....one of my favorite things!....

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Cut and color day tomorrow, and I've e-mailed my stylist this photo and told her I want to leave the salon looking JUST like this, color and all! Boy doesn't she have a lot of work to do, including witchcraft? SICK to death of being a "ginger". Waddya think?......A girl can dream, right?.......

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One of the very best thing about blogging is meeting other bloggers out there in the blogisphere. So inspirational! One blog that I like to follow is called Mountain Breaths, and its creator is a darling woman named Debbie who actually lives in nearby Utica, and owns a camp not far from here.........

I tell you what....if you love GORGEOUS tablescapes, beautiful photography and delicious home cooking, well then do yourself a favor and check out Debbie's blog~HERE~............        

Recently Debbie thought I should have her famous Chicken Riggies recipe, because no self-respecting upstate NY girl can go through life without a good Riggie recipe! Truth be told, I didn't even know what a "Riggie" was when we moved here, but soon figured out that basically Riggies are just Rigatoni, which I've always cooked with, complete with fantastic sauces, like the famous Vodka Riggie, B.A.'s favorite.......

Debbie's recipe instructed me to go out and buy Cora Brand (a Utica company) sweet cherry peppers, and so I did......

Aren't they pretty?.......

Boil water for pasta...cook and set aside. Just so you know, I cheated and used Penne pasta, because we like it better.......

Melt a stick of butter (oh, Debbie!!) in a large pan (I used my jumbo chicken fryer for this recipe)--add 2 cloves of garlic and saute..........then, add a chopped yellow onion, the sliced sweet cherry peppers and one sliced green bell pepper..... saute the whole hot mess for about 30 minutes.......

Add some chunks of chicken breasts to the mixture, then stir in a can of chicken broth and a can of tomato sauce....add a cup of Parmigiano cheese and simmer all for about another 40 minutes.....

Pour the mixture over cooked rigatoni, serve with perhaps some garlic bread, and enjoy!.......

Oh my goodness did we ever enjoy this dinner...thank you so very much, Debbie from Mountain Breaths!

Here's the recipe.....

DEBBIE'S CHICKEN RIGGIES

Serves 6

1 and 1 / 2 lb. box Rigatoni Pasta

1 stick of butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, chopped

About 6 Cora brand sweet cherry peppers, seeded and sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 and 1 / 2 lb. chicken breast chunks

1 15oz. can chicken broth

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 cup Parmigiano cheese

Boil water for pasta. Add rigatoni and cook until al dente. Set aside. Melt butter in large frying pan. Add garlic and saute for one minute. Add yellow onion, sweet cherry peppers and green bell pepper; saute for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken breast chunks to butter mixture. Saute for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and tomato sauce ; stir and cook for 4 mintues. Add Parmigiano cheese and simmer mixture for 40 minutes. Pour mixture over rigatoni and serve.

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR......

***My spooky evening tonite with guy friends Marc J., Jimmy O.  and Stuart D. , ghost hunting! I'll be sure to share all if the "boys" and I see or hear any ghostly activities!

***The psychic night coming up this weekend--always fascinating, and always a fun time with friends.

***Thanks to my rheumatologist and a reduction in medications, my horrid nausea has subsided, for now anyways! I am truly learning to appreciate every moment of actually feeling good!

MOM'S SHRIMP LINGUINE AND A LITTLE GIRL CHAT ABOUT MISE EN PLACE.........

Crazy, crazy busy around here this week ; in fact, I didn't think I'd have time to blog at all until maybe Sunday, but here I am, typical Leslie (and really, typical WOMAN, right?), squeeking one more thing into my already jam-packed day. To be truthful, I'd much rather be working on this blog, anyways, instead of  soooo many other boring things on my To-Do list, like vacuuming, buying stamps, washing the car, picking up prescriptions--this is just so much more fun!

The next two days are pretty tied up for me, because I'm helping my friend Jimmy O., a well known local florist, with a big outdoor Autumn wedding! Pretty excited....Jimmy is super talented, and so I'm sure he'll be teaching me a thing or two (or eight!) about wedding flowers and decorations. I just hope my energy level can keep up with his!


My mom, Carol, sent me this recipe a while back, and she said she prepared it when my in-laws were visiting her and my Dad and that everyone just LOOOVVVEEEDDD it. She thinks she found it in Prevention magazine or Health magazine or one of those publications that old people read (hee hee) religiously, like the Bible. My parents also watch Dateline and Wheel Of Fortune...nuff said!


Before I give you her recipe, I want to chat a bit about a subject that is near and dear by my heart--"Mise En Place". Don't know what that is?  Well, the literal French translation is "Putting in Place"...which can also be read as "Everything in Place".  All restaurant kitchens use Mise En Place....all foods are always prepped and ready to go by prep cooks. This is a photo of my version of Mis En Place....everything is super RTG (ready to go!)..................

If you watch cooking shows on television, you know that most ingredients that need chopping or measuring are already prepared and neatly contained in little glass dishes or bowls for the super star chef. Wouldn't it be nice if we ALL had a sweet little prep person in our kitchen, doing such things (and the dishes, too?)? Well, in the real world, I've learned that when I prepare and measure all of my ingredients for a recipe in advance (whenever possible), it just makes cooking so much easier, and so much more pleasant! Nothing worse than following a recipe to the minute, and having the recipe say, "Now add chopped garlic and saute for 1 minute",...........

.......... And then realizing, gasp, to your utter horror that you haven't even chopped your garlic yet, or anything else for that matter, and the pan is hot and all ready to go! That would just make me feel totally frazzled and unprepared, two emotions I absolutely loathe.....just sayin'! Anyways, if you haven't already, give Mise En Place a chance....it'll change the way you cook.

To begin today's recipe, cook linguine (whole grain, doncha know) per package directions...drain and set aside. I purchased frozen medium shrimp with the skins and tails still on, and de-skinned and de-tailed them myself. Heat oil in a large pan and add shrimp, garlic and red chili pepper flakes (adds a wonderful heat!) and cook for about 2 minutes...........

Add tomatoes, white wine, lemon juice and salt--cook until tomatoes start to soften, about a minute longer................

Add spinach and parsley (is this meal healthy, or WHAT?) and cook until spinach starts to wilt...............

Add drained pasta back to pan--toss to coat, and serve with grated parmesan cheese. A delicious and nutritious dinner----thanks, Mom!

Here's the recipe.........

MOM'S SHRIMP LINGUINE

Serves 4

1 pound whole wheat linguine

2 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. medium peeled shrimp, tails off

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 / 2 or 1 tsp. red pepper flakes, to taste

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 / 2 cup dry white wine

juice of 1 lemon

1 / 2 tsp. salt

3 cups packed baby spinach leaves, washed if necessary

1 / 4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 / 2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Prepare pasta per package directions; drain and set aside. Heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat while pasta cooks. Add shrimp, garlic and red pepper flakes; cook until shrimp starts to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, wine, lemon juice and salt. Cook until tomatoes start to soften, about 1 minute. Add spinach and parsley ; cook until spinach wilts, about 1 minute. Add drained pasta to pan, toss to coat and serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

TODAY I'M SO THANKFUL FOR......

***The brisk fall air (well, more like frigid 28 degree fall air this a.m.) for Willie's and my early morning jaunt--invigorating!

***Warm flannel sheets!

***My conversations with dear old BFF Marty on the phone this past week. I have known Marty for over 30 years now--he is such a delightful and naughty little stinker!

MY B.S. MEDICAL SITUATION AND A SPINACH ORZO SALAD FIT FOR A KING!

  Okay, just because I've had so many friends kindly ask lately, I'm gonna fill you all in on what the FAT is going on with me, healthwise. Of course, you can skip this part if you find it boring (like I do, really!), or you are squeemish (I'm that, too).

So I think I mentioned a few posts back about starting a immunosuppressant/chemotherapy drug for my stupid autoimmune thing (Sjogren's Syndrome and Lupus and Vasculitis, to be exact), because the Prednisone just wasn't fitting into my lifestyle (as it wouldn't fit into anybody's lifestyle, I am sure!). I was on my new medicine for about 3 weeks, with none of the dreaded side-effects that can come with it, like hair loss (noooooo!!) and nausea and up-chucking. So I was being pretty smug, saying to everyone I knew how freaking awesome I was feeling, and how this drug wasn't gonna kick MY butt, ho no! Well, pride goeth before a fall, I've been told, and I am here to tell you that week 4 on the drug really kicked my arse. Like, violent barfing sessions (sorry for the visual), severe 24 hour nausea and unintended weight loss. Which, to some might seem like an up-side of the Azathioprine, but not to me--believe me when I tell you that is NOT the way I wanna lose pounds.

To make a long story short, after calling my most excellent doctah, I was ordered to go into our convenient little lab IMMEDIATELY for blood work, which I did, good patient that I am. Next day, phone call from my most excellent doctah (and believe me when I tell you that a call from your M.D., him or herself, is never, ever a good thing, at least in my experience) telling me to STOP the drug, a.s.a.p., because I have suffered some serious liver damage, and will have to be tested weekly to see if what I've done to my liver has been reversed. Kinda scary. So now I'm babying my poor sickly self in what I'm calling a "Detox", which is kind of ironic, because except for the occasional glass or two or wine, I am about the most devoutly healthy eater I know. I follow all the rules--limited sugar (believe it or not, I give 95% of the desserts you see here away) and NO processed foods, lots and lots of fruits and vegetables and whole grains and lean proteins, and lots and lots of exercise, even when I feel like S*#t.

In a nutshell, I (and my family) am worried and a little tired of all of this monkey business, but hey, waddya gonna do? Carry on, and move onto the next promising med when I'm able. But for now, all I want to do is focus on the good--like my sweet in-laws coming tomorrow (Big Daddy's family has a camp in Sebago Lake, Maine, and they like to stop here on the way from CA), my dearest girlfriend Lisa next week, and my fun Willow House party in a few days. And the good-est thing of all....cooking and this blog. Because I love to cook good food for everyone I love.....like this Spinach and Orzo Salad!

Can I just tell you that I have made this recipe for about 7 years now, and I always, always get asked for the recipe. I also always double it because we like to eat it for days--I think it just gets better the longer it sits in da fridge. Have a graduation party or BBQ to attend? This is a great dish to bring, because it feeds a crowd, and can sit out all day long (no mayo!). So here's what you do....Cook the orzo pasta (looks like rice) in salted water, then drain..........

Set aside. Toast some pine nuts (I know these are pricey, but they are soooo worth it in this recipe, adding a nice piney taste) over medium heat. Keep an eye on them; they burn quickly!.............

Take half of your spinach and puree it in a food processor or blender, adding one tablespoon of olive oil, until a paste like consistency appears (hot tip--use the oil from your sundried tomatoes here--the flavor from this oil is PRICELESS!)......

Rough chop the rest of the spinach. Mix the puree in with the cooked orzo until pasta is well coated.......

. Gently mix in the chopped spinach, red onion, pine nuts, feta cheese and sundried tomatoes.....

In a jar, combine remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, mustard, basil and tarragon. Pour over orzo and gently mix until well incorporated. Just look at this bowl of goodness!...................

 Chill for at least one hour, then serve. I like to serve mine on a bed of red leaf lettuce, and sometimes, when little Miss Thing (vegetarian) isn't around, we'll go nuts and add cooked chicken.

Here's the recipe:

SPINACH AND ORZO SALAD

Serves 4

8 oz. orzo pasta

salt

1 / 4 cup pine nuts

6 oz. feta cheese, roughly crumbled

3 / 4 cup sundried tomatoes, packed in oil, chopped

4 oz. baby spinach

1 / 2 of 1 red onion, chopped

3 tblsp. olive oil

1 tblsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tblsp. red wine vinegar (you can also use lemon juice)

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

pinch dried basil

pinch dried tarragon

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cook the orzo in salted boiling water as per package directions. Drain and set aside. Toast pine nuts in a small skillet on medium heat, stirring occasionally until pine nuts are lightly browned. Careful---these burn easily! Take half of the spinach and puree it in a food processor or blender, adding one tablespoon of the olive oil. Roughly chop the other half of the spinach. In a large serving bowl mix the spinach puree  in with cooked orzo until the pasta is well coated. Then gently mix in the remaining spinach, the red onion, feta cheese, pine nuts and sundried tomatoes. In a small jar, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and all remaining ingredients. Shake well to combine. Pour over orzo spinach and gently mix until well incorporated. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

TODAY I'M MOST THANKFUL FOR......

*Our beautiful daughter, who makes me laugh and smile every single day.

*Our funny mutt Wee Willy Willard, who makes me laugh and smile every single day.

*My handsome husband, who makes me laugh and smile every single day, and is my biggest cheerleader in life AND my best friend.

I am so blessed!

LEMONY CHICKEN TORTELLINI AND OFF TO THE MIDWEST I GO!

That's right--I'm taking off again.  To a place our family lived for three wonderful years--Omaha, Nebraska. Don't you worry, my friends, I'm bringing my camera--that way, I can show you that Omaha is soooo much more than cows and pigs and corn! The reason for this trip? Well, one of my fellow students from a 5th grade class I worked in is graduating from high school, and I promised her that IF she graduated (she's from the Sudan, and has had her challenges making it through the U.S. educational system), I'd be there. I also have three friends there who are very dear to my heart, so Nyapuot, Lynn, Mona and Martina, here I come. Can't wait for our coffee and dinner dates!

I won't be posting again until I return next week, but for now I have this fabulous Lemony Chicken Tortellini recipe to share with you. It's very, very good! First, you need to cook some store-bought frozen cheese tortellini as per package directions, then drain and set aside......

Cut about a pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts into 1 inch pieces......

Saute in butter until no longer pink. Remove, and in the same pan, cook red bell pepper until crisp-tender. Add garlic and cook another minute......

Add broth and bring to a boil. Combine flour, seasonings and another cup of broth; stir into the pan. Bring to a boil and stir another two minutes or until thickened.....

Stir in chicken and lemon peel. Add spinach (it looks like a lot of spinach here, but it cooks waaaaaaay down) and cook until just wilted:

Toss cooked tortellini into sauce / spinach mixture, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Yummm...................

You and your family will LOVE this.....here's the recipe:

LEMONY CHICKEN TORTELLINI

Serves 6

2 packages (13oz.) frozen cheese tortellini

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tblsp. butter

1 red bell pepper, julienned

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups chicken stock, divided

1 / 3 cup all purpose flour

1 / 2 tsp. salt

freshly ground black pepper

zest of 1 lemon

1 6oz. package baby spinach

1 / 2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute chicken in butter until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. In the same pan, cook red bell pepper until crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add 2 cups broth; bring to a boil. Combine flour, salt, pepper and remaining broth until smooth; gradually stir into the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chicken and lemon peel. Add spinach; cook until just wilted. Drain pasta; toss into sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.

TODAY I'M MOST GRATEFUL FOR:

* The energy I found somewhere, somehow,  to get me through the past 3 days of hard core gardening, both for pay and for pleasure. I am still finding mulch in the strangest of places, like in my socks, bra and even in my sofa cushions!

*That my daughter comes to me when she's having a very hard day (after breaking up with her boyfriend of over 1 year, right before finals!), to cry on my shoulder. I'm so glad I can be there for her.

* I'm so grateful for my husband, who does so many things for us without me even having to ask, like washing my car, unloading the dishwasher and staining the decks. I think I'll keep him!