Recipe of the Week

In celebration of Rosh Hashanah, I have posted a delicious recipe that features honey.

Yummy Honey Chicken Kabobs

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cloves garlic
5 small onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
skewers

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Before adding chicken, reserve a small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking. Place the chicken, garlic, onions and peppers in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (the longer the better).
Preheat the grill for high heat.
Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables, and discard marinade. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.

My struggle with sweets

Some of you may know already, but recently I was diagnosed with being pre-diabetic. I was feeling really bad for quite a while and finally went to the doctor and gave him my symptoms. They took extensive tests and found out my high blood sugar levels were the culprit. I have had to switch my eating habits 180° and now I feel 1000 times better. (and look pretty good too). Betty said that I looked 10+ years younger and boy do I feel it. I have even been riding our recumbent bike for a little exercise too. I have gone from 153 to 129 now and have dropped 4 sizes (12 to 5). Who would have thought minimizing your sugar and flour intake could make such a difference? I guess my body craved the foods that hurt me the most. My body just doesn't know what to do with it. I have found myself eating mostly veggies, fruit, fish/seafood, nuts and grilled chicken. I love to snack on guacamole too.
I finally went back to my doctor last week and had my blood work re-done. I have lower blood sugar now, cholesterol looks great, no anemia, no headaches, no acid reflux, and lots of energy.
If anyone wants the miracle diet, just ask.

Visitors for the Weekend

We had some great company over the weekend; Gary, Betty, Jenny, Luke, Josie, Abby, and Harley (that sexy little stud!). Yes, Chuey misses him already. We had an action packed Saturday (girls went shopping and boys played mini golf with the kids), we hit the farmer's market for treats and veggies, some card making action, card playing for the guys, drinks later on at the Great Dane, and lots of fun in between. I think Logan tried to dognap Harley from Jenny even. Thanks for coming down everyone and hopefully the roads were smooth sailing home. I still can't believe how big the kids are getting. Every time I see them they look like they have grown 3-4 inches. I think the kids especially liked the scooter rides with Jeff. I wouldn't be surprised if Gary had one the next time we went up north. I think yellow is his color too.

*** As you can see, Luke was a hard one to catch with my camera. He is very quick and hard to photo. Hopefully he is that quick with the ladies. :) I'll get you someday Luke!

Cork N' Bottle

Jeff and I went down to the UW Union last night to listen to some great music. He has some co-workers at the UW that play in a band and the guys have been playing for years together. Check the The Cork N' Bottle String Band out online. They're something to see. It was a beautiful night outside on the lake. We figured we should take advantage of the weather while we could. It may be one of the last outdoor concerts of the year.

If anyone is interested...

I'm currently reading a book called, The Reading Group, that follows a group of women through a year's reading group. It has a nice list of books that I wouldn't mind duplicating for 2009. I'm not sure if anyone else wants to take on the challenge for 2009, or maybe just a few select months of the year. Here's the list of books and authors (I've done a little revision to the book's monthly selections):

Heartburn by Nora Ephron (January)
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (February)
Atonement by Ian McWan (March)
The Woman who Walked into Doors by Roddy Doyle (April)
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (May)
My Antonia by Willa Cather (June)
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (July)
Eden Close by Anita Shreve (August)
An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears (September)
Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier (October)
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult (November)
Caucasia by Danzy Senna (December)


Let me know if you would like to do an informal "reading group" with me. Starting in January will give us time to prepare.