SWAMPED!

Yes, I am still here. I have just been uber-swamped with projects, cold bugs and planning my daughter's birthday party which is today.  I'll have pics and recipes of the event up soon!  :)

Antipasto Pasta Salad

Wow!  The weekend is only half over and I feel like I've accomplished so much! Don't you just love days like that?  I feel especially awesome because my husband was gone all morning at an archery competition so I was on kid-duty as well.  Luckily Big Sister played at the next door neighbors all day and Little Brother was kept busy with the garden hose for a looooong time, allowing me to work my butt off. Here's a little rundown of my day:

1. Ate breakfast with the kids, read our new library books again, then they watched cartoons while I drank some coffee and read my magazine, and had a nice chat with my mom ♥
2.  Did 2 loads of laundry and it's all put away!
3.  Cleaned all of the floors in the house
4.  Cleaned the laundry room that looked like it was right out of an episode of Hoarders.  Seriously, I should have taken before and afters.  While I did that I also got all of my sewing supplies and fabric stash organized- something I've needed to do for a loooooong time.
5.  I prepped and put 2 coats of paint on a furniture project I'm working on.  Did you know I also custom paint furniture?  You can see my work at Pierce Street Furnishings. I'm really excited about this because it's my last project to wrap up for my first booth at the local consignment and antique mall.  They are having an outdoor sale and I rented a booth for the weekend.  If the sale goes well I might consider renting a booth inside their shop to sell my wares :)

It feels great to have all of this accomplished and know that a lot of my not-fun things are crossed off of my list so tomorrow I'm free to do lots of REALLY fun things! Like grilling out and eating this delicious pasta salad :)

source

1 pound corkscrew pasta
1/4 pound Genoa salami, chopped
1/4 pound pepperoni sausage, chopped
1/2 pound Asiago cheese, diced
1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained and chopped or fresh pitted kalamata olives
1 jar artichoke hearts
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix- look for a low sodium one
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, and cool under cold water.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta, salami, pepperoni, Asiago cheese, black olives, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and tomatoes. Stir in the envelope of dressing mix. Cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour.

To prepare the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Just before serving, pour dressing over the salad, and mix well.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Brownies

I know you can't tell by the title of this post, but I've been really kicking up my healthy habits lately.  I've cut caffeine almost entirely out of my diet, along with the cream and sugar that goes with it.  I've been devouring fruit and whole grains, cutting more meat out of my diet and trying to stay away from sweets.  I'm also back into a regular exercise habit, working out about 5 days a week, either running or yoga.  I'm feeling great, sleeping wonderfuly and feeling much more even-keel emotionally since I said bye bye, caffeine.  

So, you can imagine my surprise when I stepped on the scale the other day and had GAINED 3 lbs.  Now of course, I'd like to think that I gained 3 lbs of muscle in the past few weeks, but I just don't know if I believe that.  I thought, maybe I'm just bloated...

2 days later, the number when up another half a pound.  What the hey!?  Now, I know a 3 lb. gain is not that big of a deal, and I don't want to come across as one of those women that obsesses about their weight, because I really don't.  If I feel good, work out and eat well I figure my body will find the place it needs to be to work optimally.  It is a bit of a bummer though to see those numbers creep up when you expect them to go down.  So, what's a girl to do?  Make brownies, of course!  Now I know this doesn't make any sense at all, but I've learned in the past that if I gain a bit and then OBSESS trying to lose it I am miserable and don't lose an ounce.  If I just say, oh well, and continue my healthy habits I always end up back where I need to be without all the stress and guilt.  So, yes.  I want to lose weight.  I am eating brownies. :)

source

This particular recipe comes from Baking Obsession and I like it not only because it is delicious, but also as far as desserts go it's got a lot going for it health wise.  Walnuts are a terrific source of heart-healthy fats and dark chocolate and cherries are both high in antioxidants.  Add that to the mood boost you get from eating delicious food that you made yourself, and what could be better?

6 tbsp (3/4 stick) butter, salted or unsalted
8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
¼ cup flour
¼ tsp salt
1 cup toasted and chopped walnuts (or other nuts)
1/3 cup dry cherries, chopped
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan. Add the chocolate to the butter, stir over low heat until melted.Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Add the flour, and salt and stir energetically for 1 minute, until the batter loses its graininess and becomes smooth and glossy.  (*This is an important step, unlike most brownies you need to really incorporate these ingredients.)

Stir in the chopped nuts, cherries, and the chocolate chips. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely before removing the brownies from the pan.

The brownies will keep well for up to 4 days (though  I'd never know....) at room temperature.