Do I walk my dog, does my dog walk me or do we walk together?

Thank you to Jeff Boodman who has once again allowed me to post his photographs on my blog today. He is incredibly talented and can be found on Facebook at Jeffrey Boodman Photography.

Chappy and I have been walking most days together for several weeks now. We have a little routine and I really look forward to both the walk and our time together. He walks amazingly well on a leash. If I stop, he stops, If I slow down, he slows down. Sometimes a friend is with us and sometimes it is just us. I was actually talking to my friend about this the other day but I have realized that Chappy's walking experience and my experience are completely different and yet I think we both enjoy it equally. Of course he can't tell me that he likes it but his tail is up and curled and he certainly trots around in a happy manner! For him, he is taking in the smells, tracking other animals that have walked the path before him, looking at other animals and humans walking as well, following a map on the ground that is foreign to me. (Of course there is the peeing and pooping part too....)

For me, I am gaining perspective, looking at my surroundings, observing nature like Chappy but in a different way, creating space around and within me, re-balancing, breathing fresh air and getting some plain old exercise.

So, we are independent but also walking together, sharing the time. I have said this story before but one time the kids and I went for a walk to a nearby park when they were very little. I was very set on getting to the park so we could play but they kept stopping and looking at what seemed like every little thing! I started to get very frustrated until I realized that the park is an unknown destination right now to them. They are all about being in the present, enjoying the journey, exploring what is along the way. I try to keep that in mind now. A nice reminder.

Now put on In a Black Out by Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam and let's get cooking.

I have made this dish a couple of times. It is very easy and delicious, especially with really good cheese on top, along with fresh bread and a nice salad. I like it as well because it is a crockpot recipe. There is some prep time with this but I promise it is worth it.  My pictures aren't the best this week, especially compared to Jeff's but you certainly get the idea. When you look this up you will see that there are many options on how to cook. I used a crockpot, as I stated above.

Beef, Tomato and Acini di Pepe Soup, Skinnytaste, January 24, 2016
1 lb 90% lean ground beef
1-1/2 tsp kosher salt (I omitted)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery (I used slightly more)
1/2 cup diced carrot (I used slightly more)
28 oz can diced tomatoes
32 oz beef stock (I use unsalted or lower sodium)
2 bay leaves (I threw in 3)
4 oz small pasta such as Acini di pepei
grated parmesan cheese, optional (For me it is NOT optional!!!)

In a large nonstick skillet, saute the beef and salt on high heat until browned, breaking the meat into small bits.

Add the onion, celery and carrots and saute 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer to a slow cooker along with tomatoes, stock and bay leaf, cover and cook low for 8 hours.

Just before it's ready cook the pasta on the stove according to package directions. Add the pasta, stir and serve!!

Enjoy and have a happy day everyone!!!!

Lessons Learned From Soccer and Chimichurri Too

 

I took a moment after a long weekend to lay back and look at the sky off my deck. It helps me gain perspective and it grounds me at the same time.

 

This weekend I was in Atlanta with Sage for the Atlanta Cup, a soccer tournament. It made me appreciate again why it is so important to me that my kids play sports. Aside from the usual exercise and healthy lifestyle aspects which are obviously very key for people of all ages, there are some subtle (and not so subtle) life lessons to be gained.  

 

Sage and Sosie have been playing soccer since they were 3 or 4 through the Y in Needham. Hundreds of kids would gather on a weekend morning on a field that was almost all dirt because of the years of playing and they would follow the ball around the tiny field as a clump. Some would pick daisies, some would want the ball the whole time and some would have an early sense of position and where to go on the field. But they were out there, learning, taking it in and being a team.

 

This year the rules have changed so that instead of playing with your grade, you are playing with teammates in the same birth year.  Some teams have changed greatly and some teams haven't changed all that much. I would say that Sage's team has changed fairly significantly. Almost half the team is new. Their old team called themselves the Dream Team. They moved from C Division to A Division. They grew pretty significantly, in size and skill but mostly in their ability to be a team. Under some difficult circumstances at times, they were able to pull together and play really hard, with a ton of heart. They left problems on the sidelines and rallied together to play some amazing soccer. That is tough to change. That is tough to leave behind. That is tough to grow past.

 

Their first tournament was a pre-season one. It was the first one as a new team and it was very difficult, for everyone. Not seeing the same parents you have seen for three years. Changing routines, changing positions, changing players. Change. Let's face it. Change is hard. The players weren't in shape yet and not used to each other or used to being on the field together. They absolutely tried but they played as individuals, not yet as a team. There were moments but they weren't a team yet. There were frustrations all around and for the first time in a very long time, they lost all their games and came in last place.

 

The first practice after that tournament they tried harder, together. The first Saturday a group text went out to see if kids wanted to meet and play at a nearby field. They didn't like where they were and wanted to improve. Coach pushed them. Hard. They wanted to use the change to their advantage. They ended up practicing 4 times the week of the next tournament, the Atlanta Cup. And you know what? My daughter told me on the way home that she wished there were more games. She wanted to play more.

 

Who knows how they will do this season? They sure started to look more like a team out there. They sure started to have that fire in the belly that drives you to success. They sure are working out the growing pains and working with the change, instead of against it. They sure were real happy when they played 5 games and won the tournament.  It was a great moment. A simple moment.

 

Put on Curbside Prophet by Jason Mraz and let's get cooking.

 

This summer I rediscovered Chimichurri Sauce and I am so glad I did. First, it has so many lovely memories. We went to our friends' house for dinner one beautiful summer night a few years ago and they made this and it was so delicious I kept eating more steak just so I could spoon the sauce on it. It was a memorable night with my friends. One I won't forget.

 

It was so good I had to have the recipe so that I could make it. I made chimichurri for my friends who hosted me, Sosie and Sage later on in Maine. I passed the yumminess to them. I made it several more times and then I kinda lost track of it. Till this summer!!

 

A friend gave me a plate recently that was given to her and it is meant to be passed along with delicious food on it. Sharing. Sometimes I think recipes are like that. Sharing recipes, sharing food, sharing memories. 

 

So, I thank my friends for making it for me and here I give it to you. It is so versatile. You can use it on chicken, shrimp, fish, steak. As Heidi reminded me, you can use any greens you want-including, mint, arugula, parsely, basil, cilantro, etc......

 

Chimichurri Sauce, Bon Appetit, July 2011

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp kosher salt plus more

3-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 Fresno chile or red jalapeno, finely chopped

1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2T finely chopped fresh oregano

3/4 cup EVOO

 

Combine vinegar, 1 tsp salt, garlic, shallot, and chile in a medium bowl and let stand for 10 minutes.

 

 

Stir in cilantro, parsley, and oregano. Using a fork, whisk in oil. Remove 1/2 cup chimichurri to a small bowl, season with salt to taste, and reserve as sauce.

 

 

Put meat in a glass, stainless steel, or ceramic dish. Toss with remaining marinade. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.

 

 

Remove meat from marinade, pat dry, and grill.  Spoon reserved sauce over grilled meat.

 

 

 

I served with corn on the cob and tomatoes, mozzarella and leftover pesto. YUM

 

Enjoy and have a great day!