Healthy Weeknight Dinner: Skillet Citrus Chicken Tenders

By now, you are probably aware of my continuing quest to discover recipes that meet the Maggie cooking light trifecta:

1) Delicious

2) Low calorie

3) Will actually make me feel full.

And if it's an easy recipe that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, than hallelujah! Life doesn't get much better. Because when I get home from a long day at the office (or walk into the kitchen from a long day working at the dining room table), the last thing I want to do is cook something that takes an hour. Mostly because by dinnertime I am starving and can't wait that long to eat without munching on chips or some other kind of thing that is really bad for me.

Fortunately, I found a new recipe that meets all FOUR criteria! It's from the Cook's Country magazine, issued by America's Test Kitchen (ATK), which you might be familiar with from their PBS cooking show. The great thing about ATK is they constantly experiment to find the best version of a dish and include a full description of the what, why, and how they arrived at the final recipe. They issue a magazine every two months chock full of gems. Unfortunately, most of them don't need the "low calorie" criteria of the cooking light trifecta, but there's always one or two that make the cut.

And tonight's winner was Cook's Country Skillet Citrus Chicken Tenders. It doesn't require too many ingredients, cooks up in about 20 minutes total, and is really yummy. The flavor is similar to a chicken piccata, but way less salty (no capers) and a little less bright since it uses orange and lemon instead of just lemon. It has 370 calories per serving, and here's the best part, a serving is pretty large at 4 tenders.

I served it with green beans and a romaine and spinach salad.

As pictured, the total meal is only 460 calories. That includes the chicken, green beans, and a salad with a tablespoon of light balsamic dressing and a serving of Safeway's nuts and cranberries salad topper (located in the produce section next to the bagged lettuce--it really makes salads more interesting). 

This one is definitely a keeper, and the chicken is also going to reheat really well for lunches.  If you aren't as calorie conscious as me, it would also be excellent over rice. Enjoy!

Skillet Citrus Chicken Tenders

From Cook's Country

April/May 2013

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

Sautéing the chicken in two batches ensures that it will brown, not steam.

Serves 4

If you can’t find chicken tenderloins, slice boneless, skinless chicken breasts lengthwise into ¾-inch-thick strips.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds chicken tenderloins, trimmed
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest plus 1/4 cup juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons juice
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  
  

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook half of chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and tent with aluminum foil. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining chicken.
  
  
• 2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in now-empty skillet. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in broth, orange juice, and lemon juice and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Off heat, whisk in parsley, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, orange zest, and lemon zest. Stir in browned chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Cooking notes from Maggie: I wasn't able to find a 2 lb. package of chicken tenderloins, so I used a 1.5 lb. package and fudged the recipe using smaller amounts. It still turned out amazing, and it just made three servings instead of four and I didn't have to cook the chicken in two batches. I also saved some time by using bottled minced garlic and dried parsley. I'm a working girl, I don't have time for all those fresh ingredients! Oh, and it also took me about twice as long to cook the chicken as the recipe calls for, about 4 minutes per side. Still from start to finish, the recipe only took about 20 minutes!

No pictures of grass skirts, I promise.

I'm back! Did you miss me? My extended vacation to Hawaii and Southern California is over, but I had some amazing experiences that are going to last forever. Helicopters, snorkeling, rain forests, new friends, old friends...I have tons of stories to share with you all. So many, in fact, that I'm not even sure where to start.

How about at the beginning? I left bright and early on a Saturday and began my trip with a weekend in Los Angeles visiting my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. I was only there for two days, but we packed so much into my time there, it felt like it's own trip all on it's own. We hit the ground running on Saturday afternoon, heading to the LA Book Festival and the Children's Stage to see James' (and let's be honest, mine too) favorite children's music singer perform, Justin Roberts. I like to think of him as the Jonathan Coulton of kid's music--his songs are catchy, clever, and funny.

James at the Book Festival. He has on a crown and a Star Trek onesie. This kid is definitely related to me.

We also had a bit of a party Saturday night with two of my friends from LA, Patrick and Brian, and one of Bill's friends from work. Delicious Thai food was consumed, movies were watched, it was all very fun. Sunday I got to spend some quality time hanging out with Bill and James, and we went for a walk with James' new tricycle. His feet don't quite touch the pedals yet, but the bike has a handle on the back for Dad-assisted propulsion and steering. What will they think of next??

I had to make Sunday an early night since my flight to Honolulu was scheduled to leave LAX at 6 the next morning. Please note that I said scheduled. Because let's just say that actually getting to Hawaii was a bit of an...issue.

Long story short (too late), I got a call at midnight from my airline telling me that there had been a change to my flight due to the sequester and the lack of air traffic controllers. I was put on a bus at LAX (at 5:30 in the morning) and driven an hour to the airport at Ontatio, California where my flight had been rerouted. We ended up getting into the air about two hours late and I missed my connecting flight in Seattle. I was rebooked on a later flight...but that meant I had 6 hours to spend hanging out at Sea-Tac Airport. Awesome.
By this point I was exhausted and utterly spent, so I used some miles and upgraded myself to first class for my new flight to Honolulu. I deserve it and it was awesome. I finally got to Hawaii there, had some trouble with the car service I had arranged (of course), but finally made it to the hotel where Kent greeted me with a smile and a lei. I fell into bed for some well-deserved rest, and we began our Hawaii adventure the next morning!

Coming up next: Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, and hiking up Diamond Head crater. Fun times!

Aunt Maggie will hug you. WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.

Pancake Breakfast

I love pancakes for breakfast. I mean, they're full of delicious things like flour, eggs, and oil...and are topped with sticky sweet syrup. What's not to like? Well, now that I'm seriously counting calories and trying to eat healthier, pancakes have become a no no. But I don't really like taking no for an answer so I've been scouring the web for diet-friendly pancake recipes.

This morning I found a real winner from the blog, Skinny Taste. In the words of the author, these pancakes are "healthy, low fat, whole wheat pancakes that are light and fluffy." They're a cinch to make, and I had all the ingredients in my kitchen so it didn't require any special trips to the store. And best of all, they have more protein and fiber than your average pancake so left me feeling full. 

Feeling full is like the Holy Grail of dieting. I don't even really care if things taste all that great anymore--I just want to feel full! Luckily, these pancakes had a great rich flavor thanks to the cinnamon, vanilla, and wheat flour. 

As pictured, this entire breakfast was only 337 calories! 3 pancakes, a cup of sliced strawberries, and 1/4 cup of sugar free pancake syrup (I like Maple Grove Farms--available at Safeway). 

Here's the recipe; the author's serving size is 2 pancakes (171 calories), but see above re: feeling full. I just have to have a little more. Thank goodness these pancakes are low calorie enough for me to splurge on an extra pancake

Happy breakfast!

Whole Wheat Pancakes from Skinny Taste 

Servings: 7 (14 pancakes total)  Size: 2 pancakes  • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 171.7 • Fat: 2.1 g • Carbs: 31.5 g • Fiber: 4.9 g • Protein: 8.9 g • Sugar:2.5 g
Sodium: 561.4 g 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups + 2 tbsp fat free milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• cooking spray

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add wet ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix well with a spoon until there are no more dry spots; don't over-mix.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Lightly spray oil to coat and pour 1/4 cup of pancake batter. When the pancake starts to bubble, you may add fruit if you wish. When the bubbles settle and the edges begin to set, flip the pancakes. Repeat with the remainder of the batter. 

Note from Maggie: I cooked the pancakes on each side for about a minute--but I like them brown and crispy. You would be fine with cooking them 45-50 seconds per side. 

Aloha, bitches!

It's no secret that I am embarking on a fairly epic Hawaii vacation tomorrow...but a lot of people have been asking exactly where I am going. Ask no more, gentle readers, because here will you find my full itinerary. Now YOU can follow along with my adventures or just be really really jealous. In any event, you'll know where I am supposed to be in the event of disaster. So here's the full rundown:

April 20-April 22: quick weekend visit in LA to visit my brother, sister-in-law and nephew, including a stop at the LA bookfestival. 

April 22-April 26: hanging out in Honolulu (Waikiki) with Chris and Kent.

April 26-May 6: On board the Celebrity Solstice for our 11 night cruise! 

Date	Port/City	Activity	Arrival	Departure
Day 1	Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
Day 2	Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii	Docked		11:59 PM
Day 3	Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii	Tendered	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Day 4	Hilo, Hawaii	Docked	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Day 4	Mount Kilauea - Evening Sail	Cruising	11:59 PM
Day 5	Kailua Kona, Hawaii	Tendered	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Day 6	Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii	Tendered	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Day 7	At Sea
Day 8	At Sea
Day 9	At Sea
Day 10	At Sea
Day 11	At Sea
Day 12	Ensenada, Mexico		12:00 AM

Not bad, eh? 

After the boat drops us off in Mexico, we're having a car drive us right up to San Diego to visit Carly from May 6-May 10. And then after that, it's time to head home. 

I'll do my best to check in on Facebook from time to time to post pictures and let people know that I am still alive. I'll make sure to avoid pirates, falling coconuts, acid burns from pineapples, and all other manner of hazards. But most importantly, I'll make sure to have fun!

Lemon-Lime Cupcakes or....Maggie's 7 Up Yours Cupcakes

What to do with a bag of left over limes? A few weeks ago, I hosted an epic Game of Thrones Season 2 rewatch featuring a signature cocktail with lime garnish. Silly me, but it turns out most people aren't interested in drinking cocktails at 11 o'clock in the morning (losers). Which means I ended up with a bag full of limes and no immediate use for them.

What's a girl to do? Make cupcakes, duh.

So I thought, it's Spring, what could be more refreshing than some lime-flavored cupcakes? A quick google search revealed the perfect recipe--usually I make cupcakes from scratch but with a three week vacation on the horizon my time is really limited, so I decided to use a box mix as a base.

The recipe calls for a box of white cake mix, but that's too boring. Also, I had a box of lemon cake mix on hand so my lime cupcakes turned into lemon-lime cupcakes. Yum!

Maggie's 7 Up Yours Cupcakes 

1 box (18.25 oz) lemon cake mix

3/4 cup key lime juice (about 5 limes)

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil

3 whole eggs

1 tsp. lime zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, blend all the ingredients until the cake mix is moistened. Then beat the mixture for two minutes with a mixer on low speed or with a wire whisk. Evenly divide the cake batter among paper baking liners (about 2/3 full). Bake in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes. Frost with your favorite icing--I would recommend something light (like a whipped frosting) since these come out very citrusy. Not overwhelming, but it makes for a really tart cupcake.

Camping!

I tend toward the more high maintenance side of the spectrum. I like heating, air conditioning, real bathrooms, hot water, elevators, television, good food....basically, I'm your typical American in that I often get a bit entitled. But that doesn't mean I'm not willing to rough it when the situation calls for it. Though I bet many of you would find that surprising.

In fact, when I was younger, my Dad, brother and I were quite the campers. We would drive to Michigan and Minnesota several times a year to visit my Grandmother, Grandfather, and Aunt, and stop at campsites along the way.  In Minnesota we would also stay at Grandma's cabin, which had no electricity and no running water (hellooooooooo, outhouse!). We had one of those pop-up campers, and while it wasn't the roomiest or most comfortable place to stay, it kept us off the ground and provided some modicum of protection from the swarms of bloodthirsty mosquitoes.

Home, sweet pop-up camper, home.

But with age comes laziness, and it's been probably 20 years or so since I went camping. It's not like I was turning down offers to go camping, it just never seemed to come up. I guess most of my friends aren't exactly the roughing it types either. So when my friends, Scott and Lis (also known as the parents of Max the beagle) invited me to go camping down at the site owned by Scott's Mom and Stepdad, I was excited to get back to nature.

My only hesitation was when I learned that we would be sleeping in tents. And using a port-a-potty. "Whatever," I thought. "I'll be fine! I'm a grown ass woman and the fun will more than make up for any discomfort." I borrowed a large tent from Chris, put my air mattress in the car, and loaded myself up with blankets and my sleeping bag (more than 20 years old) since it would be cold at night, and thought I was prepared.


I was not prepared.

Because when I say it was cold at night, I mean it was cold. Frigid. Below freezing. Probably 30 degrees or so. I thought I would be ok since I wasn't actually sleeping on the ground....but I didn't have the fancy wool camping socks that other people seemed to have. Or the actual nice sleeping bag that traps in the heat. What I did have was frozen toes and the three hours of sleep I managed to snatch in between shivering bouts. Thank god I remembered to take my fuzzy hat or I would have been super screwed.

But the cold night was just a blip on the otherwise awesome weekend. I could only spend one night down at the campsite due to obligations on Saturday night, but we still managed to pack a whole lot of fun into that trip. I drove down with Jon and Lis on Friday afternoon to Nelson County (about an hour south of Charlottesville) and despite the traffic, we had a fun time on the road. We stopped at a brewery to fill up some growlers, and arrived around 6 in the evening. Just enough time to set up our tents, meet some new friends, and head out to dinner at the excellent Wild Wolf Brewing Company restaurant. Pork BBQ for all! (drool).

And there's a beirgarten in the back!

The rest of the night was spent gathered around the campfire chatting, exchanging jokes, telling scary stories, gazing at the stars, and in general connecting with one another in that special way that can only be done around the fire. The next morning we did more of the same around the coffeepot and decided to go for a hike up in the hills. Despite some drama involving Scott's Stepdad's dogs (who decided to wander off for a spell), we enjoyed the sunshine and the exercise.

Sadly, after lunch it was time for me to get back on the road and head up to NOVA, but just in that short time I made a bunch of new friends (of the human and dog variety) and gained affection for an area of Virginia I had never visited.

It turns out camping is just like falling off a log--and I'll probably get around to doing that next time we go. But next time I think I will wait until the temperature gets above 40 degrees or so at night. If nothing else, just for the sake of my poor little toes.

 Lunchtime at the campsite!

 Crossing the suspension bridge with Scott, Lis, and Jon and heading for the hiking trail.

And of course, Max the beagle came along.

Dutch Oven Green Chili

Last year for my birthday my Mom got me a Le Creuset dutch oven. If you know anything about cookware, you know this is top-of-the-line stuff: cast iron with beautiful coloring, it's a French brand that is pricey but also awesome. And then sadly, I never used it. It's hard when you are cooking for one person as dutch oven recipes typically make many portions. But basically that's an excuse. I just never got around to using it.

My Mom finally shamed me into making more of an effort when she asked me point blank, "do you ever use your dutch oven?" I tried to change the topic, but she knows my tricks. So I resolved then and there to make more dutch oven recipes.

I made my first recipe a few weeks ago when I was hosting one of my D&D groups: it was an Iberian Chicken Stew that turned out pretty well, but since I forgot to take pictures I didn't put the recipe up on the blog (we all know recipes are better than pictures). But earlier today my Mom came over for lunch so I decided to surprise her with something I would cook in the dutch oven. This recipe I found just be scouring the internet for "low calorie dutch oven recipes" and someone had posted it on some cooking forum or another.

I have kind of love/hate relationship with chili. On one hand, I think it's delicious with the beef, and the tomato-based sauce, and the heat. On the other, I really really REALLY hate beans. Loathe. So with most chili, I end up picking out all the beans which is quite labor intensive and means you end up with a half-serving, at best. This chili recipe seemed perfect as it was easy, had no beans, and looked yummy.

In all honesty though, I don't think this is technically chili. Shouldn't chili have chili pepper in it? This doesn't. I ended up using green chilis in my version, though the original recipe called for roasted peppers, but is that enough to make it chili? At this point, I don't really care since it turned out delicious. Perhaps a more accurate moniker for this recipe is beef stew. I leave that to you, gentle reader, to puzzle through.

Dutch Oven Green Chili

1 16oz. package Trader Joe's "Traditional Pot Roast" (fully cooked and seasoned pot roast)
1 half white onion
1 can canned diced tomatoes
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup sliced green chilis (I used two cans of the Trader Joe's brand and that worked out perfectly)
2 splashes hot sauce
1 cup salsa (the fresh type works better)

Chop the onion and then cut the pot roast into small cubes. Coat the dutch oven with cooking spray and cook the onions over medium heat until translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients to the dutch oven. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The wet ingredients will reduce by about half. Salt and pepper to taste and voila! Yummy (faux) chili!

Serves 6, Calories per serving: 210, Fat: 4.6g, Carbs: 30, Protein: 13

I served mine with some corn bread muffin tops (a recipe that was just ok honestly--it needs actual corn in it) and a spinach salad. The entire lunch was under 400 calories!

If you want to continue to cook down the moisture, this would make an excellent tortilla filling. Also, if you don't have a dutch oven, I think you could use a slow cooker in a pinch--thought the cooking time might be longer.

Shamrock Fest and St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

Ah, St. Patrick's Day. The one day of the year my red hair is hailed as a gift instead of a curse. Also, everyone pretends to be as Irish and cool as me and there's also lots of drinking. Basically there is nothing not to love about this holiday.

Every year in DC there is a huge party called Shamrock Fest with great food, music, and beer (of course). I've never really been one for music fests (so crowded and porta potties are not my thing), but some of my friends were organizing a big group and I figured, "why not?" Especially when the headlining performers are my favorite band, Carbon Leaf.

So on Saturday, March 16 (the day before actual St. Patrick's Day) we all put on our best green and Irish duds and headed out on the metro to RFK Stadium. We met up early for some pre-partying and I might have been a wee bit tipsy by 10:30 in the morning, but that's all part of the fun, right?

Things didn't end up as crowded as I had feared (probably because of the threat of rain) and we had a grand time wandering around the festival grounds, dancing in the DJ tent, getting beer and cider, and waiting for Carbon Leaf. When the band took the stage at 4:30 there was a brief rain shower, but their one hour set was fantastic, with a great mix of old and new songs. Carbon Leaf has always had a bit of a Celtic rock flair and I was able to score a spot in the front row--for the first time!

By 6:00 I was wiped from being on my feet, drunk, and out in the elements all day, so I called it an early night. But Shamrock Fest proved more fun than expected and I look forward to going back next year.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I also decided to try a new homemade Guinness Chocolate cupcake recipe! I know many of you hear "homemade" and "cupcakes" in the same sentence and panic, but trust me that these are super easy. There is also a certain amount of pride that comes from making something from scratch rather than out of a box. These got rave reviews from my friends--they bake up to a dense, chocolatey cake that isn't too heavy. And the beer doesn't really influence the flavor, it just adds a certain depth and keeps the cake moist. Top off the cupcakes with the Bailey's Irish Cream frosting and you are good to go for all your St. Patty's Day needs!

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup stout beer (Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk (I used a buttermilk substitute--2/3 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice that you let sit for 5 minutes)

• Prepare muffin tins with liners.
• Simmer together beer and butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
• Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend.
• In bowl of mixer fitted with beater, beat eggs and buttermilk to blend.
• Add cooled stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine.
• Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Batter will be very dark brown and thin.
• Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, about 18 minutes.

 Baileys Irish Cream Frosting 

1 lb (4 cups) confectioner's sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (soft but still cool)
3 ounces (6 TBL) Baileys Irish Cream*
(I also recommend dying the icing green for that perfect Irish touch)

• Beat butter on medium-high until smooth, and fluffy.
• On lowest mixer speed, add confectioner's sugar one cup at a time, incorporating fully before adding more.  • Once all sugar is added, beat about one minute. Incorporate Baileys Irish Cream one tablespoon at a time. Beat until light and fluffy. If too stiff or dry, add more Baileys as necessary.

Rockin out in the DJ tent

 Me and some random dude in a kilt.

Fancy and Shmancy in NYC

"Hey Upper East Siders, Gossip Girl here, you're one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite. What's making the headlines on my homepage? Spotted: Margaret Riley walking the streets of New York and staying at the Waldorf Astoria. Looks like there's a new player in town."

That's what ran through my head last weekend as I walked around New York. My friend Caroline from law school and work moved to Manhattan last month so me, Chris, Kent, and Monique decided to spend the weekend visiting her and my other friend from undergrad, Sarah. Monique happened upon an advertisement for the Waldorf Astoria where they mentioned taking the government rate....and well, our fancy New York weekend adventure began!

Of course, the glamour kind of wears thin when you take the Bolt bus up, but hey, we save money where we can, right? After arriving in town and arriving at the hotel (I did a little dance when I told the cab driver to take me to the "Waldorf Astoria on Park Avenue, please"), we changed into some fancy duds and grabbed food and drinks at several of the hotel bars. Now, these are nice places so the drinks were kind of expensive (about $20), but they were also really delicious. And you can't beat the ambiance. Plus, I'm going through this phase now where my absolute favorite thing is to get all dolled up and go to fancy restaurants and bars. It's just a thing.

The Waldorf's main lobby

Exploring the hotel and striking a pose. Two of my favorite things.

The next day we also had big plans. After a buffet breakfast at the hotel, we met up with Sarah and Caroline for the matinee of the Broadway show, Kinky Boots. It's still in previews, so we felt extra special getting a chance to see it....and if you haven't heard of it, I suggest you get your butt up to Broadway IMMEDIATELY because it's going to be a hit and win all the Tony's. Just you wait. It had a kind of Hairspray feel to it with the fun and the dancing and the brightness and the lesson that it's ok to just be yourself, but it also felt very real to me in terms of the characters and the decisions they made. None of that typical Broadway bullshit plot stuff that sometimes jerks you out of a story.

Did I mention the songs were by Cyndi Lauper? Gayest and greatest show ever!

If you haven't heard of the show before, here's a brief run-down: "Charlie Price (Tony nominee Stark Sands) has suddenly inherited his father’s shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Trying to live up to his father’s legacy and save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of drag queen Lola (Billy Porter). A fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos, Lola turns out to be the one person who can help Charlie become the man he’s meant to be. As they work to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible… and discovers that when you change your mind about someone, you can change your whole world."

After the show we checked out Caroline and her husband's Joe's fabulous apartment (basically across the street from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden) and their AMAZING view. I was jealous, not gonna lie. And then it was down to the Lower East Side for dinner, mini cupcakes, and a burlesque show at The Slipper Room, one of NYC's first neo-burlesque cabarets. You might recall that I am going through something of a burlesque phase right now, but this show was racy even by my standards. Typically, burlesque doesn't involve full nudity....so I was a bit shocked when there was full on vagina on the stage. But it was still all in good fun and what's a little naughtiness among strangers?

Group shot on the rooftop of Caroline and Joe's apartment building!

After a full day of planned fun on Saturday, I had purposefully reserved all of Sunday for just wandering around. I started at MOMA (the Museum of Modern Art) and downloaded their free Droid app with all the audio tour info. There was also a special exhibition of Edward Munch's work, including The Scream, and the museum's regular collection was impressive including works by Van Gogh, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, etc.

AHHHHHHHH!

I then walked over to Central Park, through the zoo, and back along 5th Avenue (ooo la la) to do some couture window shopping and then over the Rockefeller Center, a sandwich shop, and Magnolia Bakery. Hey, when in Rome....And then it was time to head for the bus and ride back to reality. I think I might be spoiled for all other hotels though.

Next time: THE PLAZA! At least in my dreams.

Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinner

Another day, another recipe! I told you I got inspired by my recent trip to California to try doing more actual (healthy) cooking and baking. While flying back to DC and reading through my Real Simple magazine (one of my favorites with tips that are actually helpful for life), I found a great quick, easy, and most importantly, delicious, recipe that is also low in calories. Win!

Sirloin Steak with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

The recipe as written feeds four. Well, that just won't do for a single free-lovin gal who lives on her own. It was super easy to divide though; I bought a pack of multiple steaks and just cooked up one (approximately 6 oz.) and divided all the cherry tomatoes and mozzarella (which came in a pack of four balls) into quarters. If you want to half it or make the full recipe, it will be just as easy.

1.5 lbs. sirloin steak
1 pint cherry tomatoes
4 balls mozzarella (bocconcini)
Bay leaves (fresh or dried)
Salt and pepper to taste

Salt and pepper both sides of the steak; cut into strips. Slice tomatoes and mozzarella balls into halves or quarters.

Cook the steak strips in a skillet over medium heat in olive oil (approximately 2 minutes per side). Remove and place on plate. Reduce heat to low; put tomatoes into skillet and cook until soft (approximately 1-2 minutes). Add mozzarella and bay leaves, if desired, to pan with tomatoes and cook until just beginning to melt. Place on top of steak.

Voila! The original recipe called for cooking the steak and then slicing, but I found the raw meat much easier to cut. Also, it speeds up the cooking time by about 10 minutes since the sliced meat cooks much faster. But if you prefer your steak on the medium or rare side, you might want to stick with cutting the meat after its cooked.

Calorie count = 294 per serving (1/4 of the recipe).

Healty(-ier) Muffins

Last week I went to LA to visit my brother, sister-in-law, and baby (technically now toddler) nephew, James. One of the reasons I love heading out there is my SIL, Amanda, is a fantastic cook. She loves scouring cook books and food website for new recipes and focuses on things that are low in calories and chock full of good stuff like fiber, protein, and fruits and veggies. This is especially true when it comes to cooking and baking for 14 month old James, after all, little kids have a lot of nutritional needs than your average adult.

During our visit, Amanda made a recipe from her Cooking Light Baby Food cookbook, Mini Whole-Wheat Apricot Muffins. Turns out muffins are great for toddlers (especially mini ones) since they are easily freezeable, portable, and a perfect size and texture for little chubby kid fingers. And just because the recipe came from a kid's cookbook doesn't mean it isn't good for adults as well. These were yummy muffins and you got three per serving at only 133 calories. This means even I was able to indulge in a few as a snack (since I have started getting serious about counting calories).

Now that I'm home from sunny California, I am inspired by Amanda's baking and cooking, and I've decided to try to find my own healthier but delicious recipes. I tried my first go-round last night, working with another Cooking Light muffin recipe but making my own changes to make it even more healthy. So I proudly present to you--Maggie's Whole Wheat Raisin Banana Muffins!

I'm going to call this recipe makeover a success--the original recipe was for a white flour based cranberry and orange muffin. It clocked in at 174 calories, which is certainly nothing to scoff at, but I thought I could do a little better. Even if I couldn't cut back a lot of the calories, at least I could pack the muffins with some more hearty ingredients.

I started by replacing all the white flour with whole wheat flour. However, wheat flour is a lot dryer than regular flour, so that means we needed some more liquid in the batter. I decided to throw in two and a half bananas (that had been sitting in the freezer for a few months). When you defrost the bananas, they end up a lot juicier so this added some more wetness. I also subbed in raisins for the cranberries--I figured they have less sugar and would pair better with the bananas. Following that logic, the orange rind had to go, so I used allspice instead. The final substitution was 1% milk for 2%--mostly because that's what I had on hand.

I was a little worried after I finished mixing up the batter, it was a good deal thicker than most muffin mix and had a consistency more like a cookie. But the muffins ended up baking beautifully, fluffing up a bit but staying within the confines of the muffin cup. It makes a dense muffin which I like; what's the point of eating those calories if it doesn't help fill you up? They have a great wheaty, nutty flavor (even though there's no nuts). The banana and spice is very subtle (I'll probably throw in an extra banana next time), and the raisins added a little touch of sweetness. If you aren't a big fan of wheat these probably aren't the muffins for you, but if you like quick and easy recipes with a hearty flavor than give them a try. You don't even need a mixer, I easily combined all the ingredients by hand with a spatula.

Maggie's Whole Wheat Raisin Banana Muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
2/3 cup 1% milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, beaten
3 bananas

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in raisins; make a well in the center of the mixture. Combine milk, butter, allspice, vanilla, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring until just moist. Spoon batter into 12 (my recipe made 16) muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes until muffins are brown on top. Remove from the muffin pan immediately and cool.

Note: these muffins freeze well stored in freezer bags. I also like them warmed up a bit, either in the microwave (20-30 seconds per muffin) or heated in the oven on foil for 10-15 minutes at 300 degrees.

If you are keeping track of calories, I would estimate that these end up between 130-150 calories depending on the size of your muffins. Not too shabby!

Hola, Lovers!

Continuing the tradition from last year of a warm weather winter vacation...me and 8 of me peeps headed to beautiful sunny MEXICO!

It was beautiful and it was sunny (at least in the morning) but the water was fucking FREEZING. We still had an amazing time, but I didn't do more than dip a toe in the ocean because my Mama taught me that hypothermia is bad news bears. Even the pool was almost too cold to stand. But I was perfectly content spending the days on our ocean-view beach beds.

Beach beds by day...

And beach beds by night!

My days consisted of workouts in the morning (sure, it's a vacation, but that buffet was dangerous), followed by yoga by the beach, and then lots and lots of lounging. Books were read, playlists listened to....actually, that's pretty much all I did. Until nightime, and then we had had some yummy food in the on-site restaurants and danced for hours to various house bands at the Saturday evening night club on the resort.

Chilling on the beach.

The beach at sunset.

In the nightclub (with the glow body paint).

There was only one day when I left the resort--I'm sure to some people that's considered lame, but I was perfectly happy to just spend my days chilling out, maxing, relaxing all cool.  But there was one thing in the Yucatan that I couldn't miss....

On our last full day in Mexico, we took a day long trip that included stops at a giant sinkhole and the ancient Mayan city, Chichen Itza.

Chichen Itza was a large pre-Columbian city built by the Maya civilization. It is located in the Yucatan and was a major focal point in the Mayan civilization from 600–1200 AD. Chichen Itza was one of the largest Maya cities and it was likely to have been one of the mythical great cities, or Tollans, referred to in later Mesoamerican literature. The land under the monuments was privately owned until 29 March 2010, when it was purchased by the state of Yucatán.

Dominating Chichen Itza is the Temple of Kukulkan (a Maya feathered serpent deity similar to the Aztec Quetzalcoatl), usually referred to as El Castillo ("the castle"). This step pyramid stands about 98 ft high and consists of a series of nine square terraces, each approximately 8 ft high, with a 20 ft high temple upon the summit (called the Temple of the Red Jagquar--seriously). Each side has 90 steps, but begin with the number 0--which the Mayans invented. Cool, right?

Sinkhole!

Group shot in front of El Castillo!

Burlesque, baby

Burlesque: a literary, dramatic, or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of the subject.

Apparently, that is the textbook definition of burlesque. But if you ask the average person on the street what burlesque means, they will likely respond "chicks taking their clothes off." Of course, the routines need to include feathers, sequins, pasties, teasing, and boas...at least in my opinion.

I'm a fan of burlesque. Not because I particularly enjoy looking at women taking off their clothes; let's be honest, if I want to see that, I can look in the mirror. But for me it's about women empowering themselves. A lot of burlesque dancers aren't model-perfect, but when they perform they bring you along into their world where they are the hottest thing since sliced bread. It's all about loving your body and self-confidence and holding every person in that audience in the palm of your hand. So essentially, it's about power.

And I like power. I also like feeling attractive.

So when my friend Jennifer emailed me about Living Social's Bourbon and Burlesque classes (intro lesson to burlesque with three bourbon-based drinks), I was all about it. They're offered every Thursday and are run by two of the DC Gurly Show ladies, Velvet Kensington and Private Tails.

Me, Jennifer, and Bridgid. Suggestions for our burlesque group name: Chitty Titty Glam Bang and The Boa Constrictors. Also, since we're all lawyers, we could be Legally Busty. 

The class started with a brief introduction into the history of burlesque, and then we learned about several types of dancing.

Neo-burlesque: revival burlesque, in the classic style but with a modern twist.

Nerd-lesque: like neo-burlesque, but with a nerd theme to the shows and costumes.

Boy-lesque: when men dress as men and dance and take off their clothes.

Boi-lesque: when women dress as men and dance and take off their clothes.

Drag-lesque: when Drag Queens (men dressed as women) dance and take off their clothes.

Plus lots more that I can't remember. If you want to learn more, google it. Seriously, burlesque is awesome.

After the history less, the ladies demonstrated their moves, and it was time for us to get down to business! We learned some basic moves--how to remove our gloves in three different ways and different ways to work the boa. We also learned ways to work the booty, like the Betty Boop where you shake it and then stick it out. Work that money maker, ladies! We were then divided into groups and had to choreograph a number.

Sure, our number ended up a hot mess. But as I looked at the other group's performing, I couldn't help but marvel. I could tell that a lot those ladies had never done anything like this before. Some others weren't the best dancers and some forgot the steps...but you know what? Everyone looked beautiful because they felt beautiful. It was a room full of women rejoicing in themselves as they were and not worrying about whether their thighs were too big, or their stomach too poochy, or all the other horrible things that women tell themselves every single day. Everyone in that room felt beautiful. And it was beautiful! 

My good girl burlesque name: Ginger Snap. My naughty girl burlesque name: Ginger Snatch.

Notes From the Recording Studio

I have found my one true calling!

I was meant to be a children's music recording artist! I can see it now: the accolades, the awards (watch out Adele, I am gunning for your Grammys), the platinum albums...the future stretches out in front of me as clear as the eye can see and it is glorious.

Ok, so maybe I am getting a bit carried away, but I did spent a weekend recording some songs for my nephew James and it was SO MUCH FUN. I first got the idea back in October. After all, James loves listening to music and I love singing music, so I figured what better Christmas gift than a couple songs from his Aunt Maggie? Luckily, my friend Andrew from college (a fellow ginger and overall musical genius) has a recording studio set up in his house and was kind enough to help me with the songs. Not luckily, we weren't able to get together in Williamsburg until just a few weeks ago, so the songs had to wait until after Christmas.

But the important thing is, Andrew and I were finally able to meet up and lay down some sweet tracks. The whole experience was so cool--I can't really think of another way to describe it. It wasn't easy--sometimes I had to sing the same part over and over to get it right, and Andrew had to learn two songs for the piano (just by listening!) and orchestrate a whole other song...but through the whole thing we had a great time. It was just like you see on tv: you wear headphones to hear what is being recorded and sing into a microphone...just so neat. And Andrew displayed infinite patience for dealing with me and my (what I think of as occasional) pitch problems and I was just blown away by his abilities.

I haven't quite figured out how to put the sound files here on blogger, which is a shame because I would love for you all to hear the three songs we recorded. The first song is actually one that I used to sing with my Mom all the time as a kid.  It's an old bluegrass number called Stealin' and it's sung in three part harmony. Which meant I had to sing all three parts myself and sing along with myself to record them! We got off to a great start--it's a capella so Andrew got to play producer through the entire process--and we got the alto and soprano parts recorded fairly quickly. The bass line was a little trickier (since I had never sung it before!) but we got the entire song recorded in about an hour.

And then Andrew accidentally erased the alto and soprano parts from the computer. Whoops!

But it wasn't the end of the world; I just had to record them again by singing along with the bass part. This was way harder than the first time we did it, it's always easier to match yourself when you have the actual melody line to work off of. But again, we got it done!

The second song we worked on is another favorite of mine--and another lesser known number. It's called On the Front Porch and it was originally sung by Burl Ives (you know, Mr. Christmas!) in an old Disney live action movie with Haley Mills. It's on my five disc Classic Disney CD collection (what?) and I've always loved it. So I played it for Andrew when we needed a third song and he was on board.

Of course, these things are always easier said then done, and it turns out the song is actually really hard to sing and accompany. It's full of minor chords and other oddities that made it, pardon my French, a bitch to sing. And it turns out I didn't know it as well as I thought and was getting a lot of the notes just plain wrong. But Andrew's genius saved the day again, and he was able to walk me through the rough patches and sort it out.

The last song we recorded was You Are My Sunshine (pause for awwwwwws). If you are familiar with the song then you know that it's actually hella depressing. If you don't know what I am talking about go watch the movie Beaches and then come back. I'll wait. Because of the depression factor, I decided to write some new James-centric lyrics. With a little help from Andrew, here is what we came up with:

You are my sunshine
My only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You’ll never know dear,
how much I love you
Please don’t take my sunshine away.

You are a young lad
And still you’re learning.
You love to run, and jump, and play.
And when you’re older,
you ‘ll go exploring,
But never far from our hearts will you stray.

You’ll have adventures,
And go exploring,
You’ll sail the oceans far and wide,
As for the mountains, you will climb them,
And the rockets you will ride.

Some day you’ll come home,
From all your journeys
To your family’s love and care
You’ll speak of clear days, and some of grey skies
In your songs and stories you’ll share.

You are my sunshine
My only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You’ll never know dear,
how much I love you
Please don’t take my sunshine away.

Ta-da! Not too shabby, huh? And the best news of all is that Bill, Amanda, and baby James love the songs and listen to them every night!

Like I said, new career, right? I'm hoping Andrew and I can do it again sometime this summer and work on getting a whole album recorded. What it could happen!

Christmas 2012

Well, here we are in 2013. And all I have to say is, THANK THE LORD.

Even numbered years are typically not the best ones for the Rileys. In February of last year, I experienced the unexpected loss of my Uncle Tom in February. That was probably the only truly tragic thing to happen during 2012, but I don't know-- by the time December rolled around it was time for a change. And I have a good feeling about 2013.

But before we could make it to the new year, we had to make it through the holidays. It's funny how Christmas is my favorite time of year and yet it still often feels like something you need to "make it through." I think the problem with this year was several members of our family were out for the count (due to health problems or distance) so I volunteered to take on some extra duties. Not that I'm complaining--I'm happy to help--but it just makes for a lot of running around, baking, wrapping (dear god, the wrapping), purchasing, decorating, and all the other kinds of things that are needed to make a successful holidays nowadays.


But we did it! In the past, Christmas has been something of a quiet affair because I usually end up spending the day just with my Mom. This year my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew were in town so we had 9 adults all running around being slaves to the schedule of a 13 month old. And let me tell you, in case you ever have any doubt, having children is EXHAUSTING. We had one kid who wasn't even mine and I was ready to fall over by the end of the day. I feel like it's almost blasphemous to admit (since I'm 33 and *gasp* unmarried), but it made me so thankful that I don't have kids. For reals, you guys. It's just too tiring. I mean, I am sure someday it will happen (hopefully before my eggs all dry up), but for now I like being able to sleep.

Despite the griping, we had a really wonderful holiday and having everyone around for it made it all the more special. Per usual, we had the typical Riley family orgy of consumption with enough food to feed an army and enough presents that we probably single-handedly kick-started the economy. It's starting to embarrass me how much STUFF we give each other, but every time I suggest drawing names or setting money limits I get shot down. Maybe next year?

And now for some precious memories....that will live on forever here on the internets!

 James enjoys his first cinnamon bun on Christmas morning! Cinnamon buns are a tradition at Mom's house--it's been our Christmas morning breakfast for...oh, say 30 years. 

 CHRISTMAS IS SO FUN ALL THE PRESENTS OMG YOU GUYS I AM A BABY!

 Amanda and I model our matching cupcake aprons. Now I can be an OFFICIAL cupcake baker. Before I was just a wannabe.

 My Christmas tree. As Mom put it, "it's the prettiest one you ever had!" Of course, she literally says that every year.

 OMG A LEGO ORGANIZER HOW DID YOU KNOW THANK YOU SO MUCH! (We didn't have the heart to tell him it was for the baby)

I told you it was a lot of food. Next year I vote that we limit the spread to cookies and cocktail weiners. Oh, and booze. 

Bill models his new kilt-towel, one of the gifts I brought back from Scotland. And in his words, "the present of the year."