Dessert/ Dinner

Cooking with Mom

Hi, everyone!

Well, I made it through my workday and got home pretty early to Tampa, around 5:30. Ryan is with his sister at a baseball game and that gave me time to come home and catch up with my mom. We made dinner tonight tonight and observed Dexter and Mikan (my parent’s dog) playing together because she is cat-sitting for the week. So far, so good. Dexter just likes to sit and look outside the window and the biggest struggle is keeping Mikan out of his food!

The soup was a GREAT snack today! I’m going to stock up next time I go to the store. It filled me up and warmed me up as well since I sit under the cold ac all day. When I got into Tampa, however, I did snack on a couple almonds and about three or four kashi crackers while I was helping my mom cook.

We made a recipe from one of our favorite cookbooks—Blanchard’s Table. It was spaghetti with mushrooms, chicken and lemon. Very good! We used whole wheat angel hair pasta (my fav!) and the sauce was simple with organic rotisserie chicken breast, lemon juice and zest, organic mushrooms, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and red pepper flakes. Simple ingredients that made up an elegant meal. We also had this amazing olive bread from The Fresh Market and red wine (I had one glass).

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But….at my house there is always dessert and tonight my mom made me a coconut sorbet parfait with fresh berries and a dollop of whipped cream on top. Divine!

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  • nicole r.
    July 2, 2008 at 1:18 am

    jenna–
    fun fact: i recently discovered the blog Cupcakes & Yoga (cupcakesyoga.blogspot.com). Check it out, this is SO up your alley!!

  • mags
    July 2, 2008 at 1:22 am

    hi jenna! love your blog and that dinner looks soooo good!! i love cookin with my mama 🙂 anyways, just wondering, did you eat the chicken in the pasta? are you going back to eating whatever sounds good to you at the time? you might have answered this already, but just wondering! i enjoy every kind of food….in moderation of course….and have found this is what works best for me!

  • jenna
    July 2, 2008 at 1:32 am

    mags,

    Haha yes I did eat the chicken so I suppose I am going back to eating whatever sounds good to me in moderation. Honestly, I’ve found that eating this way makes me the happiest. I’ve made my life to be about food—going to culinary school and now looking at jobs in kitchens. I don’t think I’;ll be hitting the wendy’s counter anytime soon because that kind of food does not sound good to me at all, but I’ve always tried everything…the only thing I can really say that I hate is foi gras, which I tried at a paris farmer’s market and was disgusting. haha 🙂

  • Michelle
    July 2, 2008 at 1:41 am

    Hi Jenna, i just found your blog and absolutely love it! Your photos are so wonderful i get hungry every time i look at them!! I like your food philosophy! I’ve been dabbling in the raw food world and somehow, i always seem to fall off the wagon so to speak!!! Any advice? Please stop by my blog if you have a moment!!!
    Michelle

  • Kelly
    July 2, 2008 at 2:18 am

    Do you find it’s easy to switch back from eating mostly vegan to having animal products, in terms of the way you feel? I have a friend who has been vegetarian for over 20 years and she can tell when there is accidently meat in something because she feels extremely ill. Just curious. I only eat meat a few times a month and haven’t noticed anything but wasn’t sure if others did. Unfortunately I have to disagree on the foie gras. I know I shouldn’t like it (or sweetbreads either for that matter) but I find it really luscious to eat.

  • jenna
    July 2, 2008 at 2:22 am

    Kelly,

    I have found no problem in the way I feel when I switched back to eating meat…but then again, I only didn’t eat it for a couple months. I’m sure that someone who has gone without meat for years can definitely tell when there is meat around, but for me it wasn’t a big deal since for the majority of my life i had eaten meat anyways. That’s funny about foi gras..I’ve never cared for it…or veal for that matter. Even though I eat whatever, I can promise everyone that they will NEVER see me eat foi gras, veal or lamb. nope !!

  • Cara
    July 2, 2008 at 3:26 am

    I am so glad you are done with the hell week! I hope you are already enjoying your vacation! It sure looks like it!

  • sarah
    July 2, 2008 at 10:42 am

    i was a semi-vegetarian (not really vegetarian b/c i did eat seafood — shrimp & scallops) for about 4-5 years. when i decided to switch back to eating meat, i had no GI/digestive problems whatsoever. i remember eating this turkey salad w/ grapes and apples that my mom made and thinking, ‘oh YEAH, i missed this!’ with respect to the turkey.

    jenna, enjoy the vacation! i hope there is lots of relaxation and beach time in your future!

  • ibex hk
    July 2, 2008 at 12:15 pm

    Enjoy! So glad you’re done with all the craziness of the work week 🙂

  • katieb
    July 2, 2008 at 1:14 pm

    I was a vegetarian for 13 years and 2 years of those being vegan. I now eat meat, because I just was craving it while I was pregnant with my second child. I ate it a few times pregnant, then did not have it until the baby was eating real food. Both my kids and husband eat meat, and I just really wanted to eat it, so I did. I never got sick. I am soooo glad that I was a vegan and a vegetarian, but now I am glad I eat meat. You just have to listen to your body and see what it is telling you. Jenna, you are a good role model for eating and working out, as is Cristin on eatlikeme. You guys have such a healthy approach to a healthy lifestyle. Other bloggers seem to be so consumed with eating healthy food all the time and worry if they are not working out long enough or worry if they miss a day of exercise. Thanks for being a great role model for healthy eating!

  • Littleblackdress
    July 2, 2008 at 1:30 pm

    Jenna, thanks so much for continuing to post oeven though you are on vacay- you totally deserve it! And good for you for listening to your body- that is the most important things any of us can do and you are setting a rally good example for all of us, especially me.

    Thank you!

    And cooking with Mom is ALWAYS the best.

  • Anne P
    July 2, 2008 at 2:28 pm

    yay i LOVE that you are eating what you want again 🙂 variety is i’m sure more fun for you, and of course for us to read about!

  • tfh
    July 2, 2008 at 3:04 pm

    Hooray for quality time with your mom! I find that I have the most fun cooking (and eating) with my mom. What a beautiful dessert presentation. That angel hair pasta looks very light in the picture compared to some whole wheats I’ve tried– what brand is it?

  • JennC
    July 2, 2008 at 3:09 pm

    hey jenna, fyi.. did you know its bad luck to wear a ring on your left ring finger if you’re expecting to get engaged? 🙂

  • Heather
    July 2, 2008 at 3:52 pm

    That pasta looks SO GOOD- are there capers in it? I see something green…

    Cute dress, too!

  • Andrea
    July 2, 2008 at 6:08 pm

    i LOVE your dress! so pretty 🙂

  • Kristin
    July 2, 2008 at 6:51 pm

    I hope you, or some reader, can give me a response to this question. I feel like no matter how much I eat at lunch, or how fattening, I could ALWAYS eat more. Same thing with breakfast. I am always just waiting until it is time to eat again. I finish lunch and then I am watching the clock for a snack time and then I am just waiting for dinner. I dont work out a whole lot so I have no idea why this happens. I am jealous of people who feel “full.” Can anyone tell me what is going on with me?? Oh, and I LOVE your blog Jenna. I think you seem very genuine and like a nice person!

  • Sarah
    July 2, 2008 at 8:07 pm

    Kristin—I guess it depends on what it is you’re eating…could you give a “typical day” rundown for breakfast, snacks, lunch, and afternoon snack?

    Be sure you’re getting in adequate amounts of proteins and healthy fats to help hold you over! 🙂 Also, portions may need to increase depending on what it is that you’re currently eating.

  • Sarah
    July 2, 2008 at 8:09 pm

    p.s. Jenna, I wanted to second the “THANKS” for the blog! 🙂 You’re a great role model for healthy eating because you’re not afraid to take a day off from exercise without freaking out and you can enjoy all foods in moderation. Bravo on that! 🙂

    I’m going to school to be an RD, and I love that there are blogs out there that actually represent a nice balanced lifestyle. Thanks so much! 🙂