Being Superwoman.

So, it’s no secret that I dropped my entire life and moved to Dallas four months ago. I left my friends, my family, my job, my hometown, and most importantly, my comfort zone. Don’t get me wrong – I wanted this for myself and am super happy with the decision I made. But it’s still interesting how transitions….even good ones…can disrupt our inner selves.

Lately I’ve been struggling with being “tired.” Which is mainly why I haven’t posted anything in nearly two weeks. I’m not sleepy-tired, but emotionally drained. I”m skipping Pure Barre workouts, I’m lacking on my housework, I’m uninterested in coming up with meal ideas….and I’m cutting out portions of my morning routine to get another 15 minutes of sleep. One of the worst things that happens to me when I get tired is that I start getting really down on myself. I feel bad that I’m not interested in doing these things, I put myself down and compare myself to others….never measuring up.

After a particularly low morning, I had a lunchtime conversation with a dear friend. I was whining about all my problems and how much I sucked…and she asked me a simple question: “What do you love about yourself?” I laughed and proclaimed, “This is stupid!” but she proceeded to share with me what she loved about herself. It was very humbling, and it opened my eyes to another important question.

Why am I so hard on myself? As modern women, we are raised with this ideal of Superwoman: to be and do it all. We must be a loving wife, a gracious mother, and have a kick ass career being loved and respected by our colleagues. We must be good cooks, better housekeepers, and be involved in our communities. And while we’re doing all these things, we must wear the right clothes, drive the right car, and have perfect the body.  I often pressure myself to “do and be it all.” but while I’m killing myself to acheive Superwoman status, I forget about me.

What I do realize is this: I must be gentle with myself. I must always remember what I love about myself; forgive myself for mistakes and find my inner strength in all circumstances. Even today, I looked to a friend to support me and make me feel better about myself, forgetting that my biggest supporter is staring back at me in the mirror.

So, dear friend, here are some thing that I love about myself…

1. I am an excellent cook
2. I am a good gift giver.
3. I am funny.
4. I can sing.
5. I have good rythm.
6. I am creative and resourceful.
7. I have pretty eyes.

So, I may not have it all….and I probably won’t ever be it all either. But, I am me. And God only made one Claudia. So, that’s pretty darn special….and in my opinion, way better than being Superwoman anways.

And just so you know, Superwoman doesn’t exist, and she never will.

A Southern Girl.

So, I want to talk about something I’ve recently experienced upon my move to Dallas and my job with The Richards Group.

I’ve never really considered myself as a stereotypical “southern girl.” I HATE country music, I don’t drink sweet tea, and when I wear a t-shirt, I’m never in full hair and makeup. And besides that, other southern people have always told me that I didn’t have much of a southern drawl. However, after moving to Texas…I am constantly being called out for my southern accent. Apparently, the way I say “oats” and “Nashville” and even “hey” are so so incredibly southern and endearing that it must be drawn to my attention on a daily basis. I always thought there was a bit of a southern vibe in Texas, but I want to squash that notion now. Texans are not southern, they’re Texan. Got it?

I was bothered by folks constantly calling out my “southernness” at first, but now I rather enjoy it. Moving so very far from the deep South has made me realize something; how proud I am of where I came from and how much I enjoy all the little things I say and do that make me a southern woman. I love to say “y’all” and “pretty good.” I love to cook and bake and I love to put butter in and on my food. I love football and yell for my team as as hard as the men do. I love the beach; the sugary sands in the Gulf. And I do enjoy a good shot of bourbon…from time to time. 🙂

So yes, I am a southern girl…and quite proud! I mean, I did go to Ole Miss, after all. What more is there to say?

Some of my favorite Ole Miss ladies with me in the Grove. All of them are proud, beautiful southern women. (Left to Right) Carley, Me, Anna, and Meg. Hotty Toddy!

Speaking of southern, I made an incredible dish tonight that I MUST share with you. Cajun Chicken Pasta: blackened chicken with fresh pepper, onions, garlic, tomatoes and fettuccine in a creamy wine sauce, topped with parsley and served with a buttered ciabatta roll. Incredible, and I made enough for dinner tomorrow night. Score!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Here’s the recipe! Nom, nom, nom…

Ingredients

• 3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Cubes
• 3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste
• 1 pound Fettuccine
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
• 1/2 whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1/2 cup White Wine
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Cayenne Pepper To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Salt To Taste
• Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should have a kick!

Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Top with chopped fresh parsley and chow down!

Turkey Day 2012 Prep

OK….so I got lazy last week and didn’t post. Actually, I didn’t post because I got too busy! But, I have a lot of things to recap and will get to them at some point this week.

On to the main topic…Thanksgiving 2012.

This will be Jon and my first Thanksgiving with just the two of us. We have spent every past Thanksgiving with our families, so it will be different. I’ve decided to cook everything except the meat, which will be a Honey Baked Ham because Jon isn’t a huge fan of turkey and it’s been a part of our T-Day traditions. I started researching and planning the menu almost two weeks ago…I quickly found that most recipes are for 10-12 people, so it was a challenge figuring out which ones to use and how to cut them in half. The menu I came up with is far, far, far away from being healthy…but, whatever. It’s Thanksgiving!

Menu:

Appetizers
Rosemary Roasted Cashews
Southern Deviled Eggs

Lunch
Honey Baked Ham
Parker House Rolls
Hash Brown Casserole (per Jon’s momma)
Caramelized Butternut Squash
Corn Pudding (a secret recipe per Abby)
Sautéed Green Beans and Mushrooms

Dessert
Pecan Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

We decided to make our trip to the store this morning…early…to make sure all the good stuff wasn’t picked over and to avoid the “drama” of the grocery store. We went for a run and then hit up the local Kroger. I was very pleased with the trip; the store wasn’t overly crowded, there was a lot of selection, and I was $40 under my initial budget with $10 in saving from using my Kroger Card. My purchases today even included our usual weekly items and fresh veggies for a dish I’m making Monday night. Stay tuned for that.

Jon in his running attire and our cart full of Turkey Day items.

I’m really looking forward to preparing this meal. Not only am I going to get to cook all morning, but I’m starting a new tradition with Jon. I’m also looking forward to using the brand new measuring cups that I bought yesterday at West Elm. They just launched their “Market” line and it’s like a little slice of heaven to me. I have been using green plastic cups for a long time and as much as I cook – I really wanted something that was better quality. I landed on the copper measuring cups and couldn’t be happier.

West Elm “Market” Copper Measuring Cups and Spoons

I also got a few more mixing bowls and baking sheets from World Market because, you can never have too many of those. So…hopefully I have everything I need! Now I just have to get my time management sorted and I’ll be ready to get cooking. Can’t wait.

Long Day…and Dramatic Night.

I’m not complaining about my Monday, it was very productive and pleasant ..but days like I had yesterday are the kind that really make you feel the weight of responsibility that comes with adulthood…make you wish you were a kid again.

I was restless in my sleep Sunday night – so restless that I decided to throw in towel at 5:20 AM for an early morning Crossfit workout. For those of you who aren’t aware…I despise “waking up” so this is a rare occasion for me. I got home around 6:45 AM, made breakfast  took the dog out, got dressed, and headed to work early for a change. I then proceeded to be extremely productive and knocked out a huge pile of papers that needed to be inputted. After work, I went home, prepared dinner, and watched some Deadwood on HBOGo. I called it a night at 9:00 PM and crawled into bed, exhausted, and so ready to get the sleep I had missed the night before. However, the dog had other plans…

At 1:00 AM I awoke to her frantically scratching on her crate door (she wanders at night if I don’t close it.) I went down to see what the problem was….she had thrown up in her crate. I opened the door, she bolted into the kitchen for a heaping of water, and I cleaned out the crate and bed linens. She seemed fine, so I put her in the bed and went back to sleep. Well, I guess all the water-drinking she did post-puke got to her, because at 3:30 AM she woke us up again wanting to go out. Jon bundled up (30 degree temps last night) and took her out for a pee and got back into bed. At this point – I’m done. The 1:00 AM wake up was enough because it had jarred both of us out of a deep sleep and by 3:45 AM I could not go back to sleep and ended up sleeping in the extra bedroom. I haven’t had a night like this in a long time with Maddie, this kind of drama I’d like to keep in the “puppy era.”

But the worst part – I had to wake up and be productive again today when all I wanted to do was crawl under the covers. Why? Because I’m an adult and I have responsibilities. I also have creatures who depend on me to take care of them. This is why I have so much respect for parents; because it doesn’t matter what kind of drama happened the night before….you still have to get up and do it all over the next day…day after day after day.

I salute all who have children and am a little thankful I don’t have any (yet.) The dog is enough for now. 🙂 And here’s a pic of my favorite children, my bestie Abby’s two girls Bailey and Avery.

Me (Carmen Sandiego) with Avery (Glamour Witch) and Bailey (Detective), Halloween 2011.

A Long Saturday…

Ordinarily a Saturday feeling “long” is a good thing…right? Well, today has dragged on and frankly, I’m ready to wrap it up. I went to my Pure Barre class this morning, which was good, but had an appointment after class with East Dallas Cross Fit for a skills test to see if I was ready to join regular classes. I’m trying to get back to my “peak performance level” and I’m convinced that Cross Fit will help me get there. I was practicing a clean and dropped the bar on my leg; it hurt really bad and i’m pretty sure i’ll have a giant bruise on my ankle; no pain, no gain I guess. I went home and whipped up a lunch that I am pretty proud of…(I LOVE saying that!)

Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes and a Lemon Basil Mayo that I mixed together with a Gala Apple on the side.

Jon and I took Maddie for a quick walk and then I started feeling exhausted. I’m cutting out soda/caffeine and I know the lack of it was wearing me out. I decided to take a nap…which ended up being two hours, but I felt like I needed it. I awoke to Bama losing against Texas A&M, so I showered, got dressed…and then proceeded to be stressed for the next two hours while watching the 2nd half of the game. Alabama lost, but frankly I’m just glad the game is over. I’m not sure how much more my heart could take.

I thought I’d ease the pain of the loss by making a delicious home-cooked dinner for Jon and myself; so I decided on Creamy Shrimp, Spinach, and Mushroom Pasta recipe that I got from one of my favorite bloggers, Jen from Peanut Butter Runner. it was delicious, light, yet satisfying. It was incredibly easy and I recommend it to anyone who is or isn’t trying to eat healthy. You can find the recipe here.

S

So now I’m watching my Ole Miss Rebels, who are barely beating Vandy at the moment…hopefully one of my SEC teams can pull out a win. Have a great weekend and GO REBS!

Christmas Comes Early!

Tonight I got an incredible surprise in my Pure Barre class. A local Dallas radio station came by and handed out tickets to the Moscow Ballet’s performance of the Nutcracker, which is touring across the country during the holiday(ish) season. It was a little awkward at first because they were filming the “surprise” and most of the women were trying to get into “Barre mode,” but once we figured out how awesome it was…we got excited. I also loved the fact that they related the Russian Ballet to us, because we are in a sense, dancers ourselves. It makes me long for the days of dance class so deeply…(sigh.) The tickets are for next Saturday, which may seem early to some, but to me, it just means i’ll be getting into the spirit of Christmas even earlier! I got two tickets, so Jon has agreed to be my date….yay!

Wonderful surprises just keep coming my way – I can’t help but feel blessed in Dallas! And so I leave you with a clip from the Moscow Ballet’s Russian Nutcracker, enjoy.

5:30 to 8:30…. A Delightful Three Hours

Tonight I left work just a few minutes early and headed down the street to my local Pure Barre class. It was a great class; I decided to really focus and push my body a little more than usual tonight and I felt great when I left. The class had a great energy and the instructor was awesome. After class, I headed home to make the dinner I planned for Jon and me. I have to brag on myself a little tonight. I made the most delectable risotto I’ve ever put in my mouth as a side dish to some very fresh (and on sale) grouper from Central Market. I seasoned the grouper with salt, pepper, and herbs de provence and sauteed the fillets in olive oil. To finish, I squeezed fresh lemon juice over them and done! I found the risotto recipe here and it will be added to the recipe box as soon as I get the energy to get off the couch. The risotto was a little time consuming, but worth it. I’m looking forward to eating the leftovers tomorrow, which for me, always means cooking success. After dinner, I headed to the couch to watch the election coverage and get in some much-needed snuggle time with my pup. She seems tired…I guess the hard work of being this cute could wear anyone out.

Anyways…time to get myself ready to do it all again tomorrow. Good night!

Conquering the Kitchen

One thing that happens when you decide to move 10 hours from everything…you have no friends! With just the two of us, Jon and I have not only become closer, we have discovered that we now have extra free time that was once spent on friends and family. To fill this hole, I’ve become obsessed with cooking.

I’ve always considered myself an excellent baker. Growing up in the south…you have to be! Baking is the way southern women say “I’m sorry” or “thank you” or “congratulations” or “he’s a loser and you can do way better.” However, I’ve always been frightened by the idea of creating actual meals. My bestie Abby is an excellent cook and always told me to just get in there and go for it. So…when we moved to Dallas, that’s exactly what I did. Maybe it was the free time, maybe it was my urge to nest, but whatever the reason…I got over my fears and never looked back. I found several important things to always remember when cooking:

1. Cook what you like to eat! I love chicken and shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes, vegetables, and cheese – so I typically work those ingredients into meals whenever possible. I always have those items stocked so they’re on-hand whenever I need them.

2. Build a great collection of dried herbs and spices. I have slowly gotten good at knowing how to use spices in recipes to add flavor. Unfortunately, when I moved I carelessly forgot to pack my cabinet that contained all of my spices, so I’m slowly having to re-build it. But, it’s worth the money because it makes a huge difference in the way your recipes taste.

3. Clean out the refrigerator once a week. Every weekend I go through my fridge and see what I have, what I don’t have, what’s about to expire, and plan accordingly. I HATE being wasteful and throwing away unused food – so if I have and item with only a couple of days left, I try to plan it into a meal. Which lead’s to my next tip…

4. Do weekly meal planning. I typically do all my grocery shopping for the week on Sunday, and before I go I have to figure out what I’m going to eat! I do this several ways….I flip through recipes books, browse other people’s blogs and foodnetwork.com, find coupons or see what items are on sale at my local stores, and even ask Jon, “Is there something you’d like to eat?” This has become so crucial to a successful meal week because I’m prepared and can make better use of my money and the food that I buy.

5. Don’t stress. I used to hate cooking because I was constantly stressed while attempting it. I was worried I’d screw up so much that I didn’t just let go and enjoy myself. What’s the worst that could happen? You burn something beyond oblivion, smoke fills the room causing the smoke alarm to go off, the dog starts freaking out…and you end up getting chinese takeout. Ok, so not an ideal night, but still survivable.  Now when I cook, I actually enjoy it, so much that I consider it a hobby, something I love to do. I’m not sure where the threshold is between stress-maker and stress-reliever, but I crossed it and if I can, anyone can. And on that note…

6. Make your kitchen a happy place. If you’re kitchen isn’t a place you want to be, why would you enjoy cooking in it? Fortunately for me, the place Jon and I found has a fantastic kitchen that’s open, has tons of counter space, and has a great gas oven and stove! For anyone who saw my home in Birmingham….this is an upgrade to the Nth degree. But, whatever type of kitchen you have, you can make it practical and useful and a place you love. Find a cute dish towel to bring life to an old stove. If you lack in cabinet space, put your utensils in canisters on the counter. And above all else, I find that no kitchen is complete with out fresh flowers!

Below are two meals I made this weekend. Saturday night I made an arugula and ricotta pizza topped with smoked mozzarella and Roma tomatoes. Sunday, I made an incredible omelet using the leftover tomatoes and mozzarella and added mushrooms I has stocked. I decided to add dried basil and a hint of milk into the eggs before I cooked them – it was absolutely divine! Who says cooking has to be painful?

Hello Dallas, my name is Claudia…

So, as my first entry on my new blog, I feel that I should introduce myself and give a quick(ish) intro to how I found myself in Dallas. Here we go…

As you know, my name is Claudia and I am from Birmingham, AL. Growing up in a Crimson Tide-blooded family…I was very rebellious (no pun intended) and decided to venture across state lines to attend college at Ole Miss. I majored in communications and loved every single minute of my time there. Oxford, MS is a magical place and I cherish the fours years that I was able to call it home. I came back home to Birmingham after graduating and hopped around a bit with my career path. I spent six months in an internship with Southern Living, three years in a tourism nonprofit and finally made my way into advertising. While I was working at Luckie and Company, I met Jon (the guy) and we’ve been inseperable ever since. After nearly two years at Luckie and over five years in Birmingham, I decided that it was time for a change in pace and in scenery. Jon and I both found jobs in Dallas working for the same ad agency (it’s fate) and we made our way over here in mid-July of this year.

So…the highlights and photos from the first three months are below.

1. Attending the Alabama vs. Michigan game at Cowboys Stadium
Both Jon and I are huge Bama fans. I was born into a Bama family and he attended college there, so this opportunity was so exciting! Jon was offered FREE tickets from a coworker to attend and he gladly took them. We had only been in Dallas a little over a month, so it was so nice to not only see such a fantastic stadium, but to be with our fellow Bama fans. We almost felt like we were back in Tuscaloosa. With amazing seats and a 44-14 win, it was a perfect day.

2. Visiting the Grassy Knoll
Jon’s parents came to visit us a few weeks ago so of course the Grassy Knoll was at the top of the to-do list! I was actually really excited about this trip because I love history. We had a blast! It was perfect weather and Jon and I got really into the conspiracy theories and were forming our own conclusions about what really happened. I always find it interesting how some of the most meaningful places in our country’s history seem so incredibly ordinary. There was a part of me that thought, “This is it?” But at the same time, recognizing the exact scene from video footage and photograhy of the assassination and thinking, “President Kennedy was killed right here.” It’s kind of interesting, don’t you think?

3. Seeing the Chihuly Glass Exhibit at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
We went to the Arboretum the same weekend that Jon’s parents were in town. The Chihuly exhibit was Mexican blown glass that was creatively displayed throughout the gardens. I was skeptical at first, but it was quite breath-taking. It was so relaxing; I love the outdoors – it always renews my spirit to be near things that are growing and beautiful.

All in all, these are the highlights of Dallas so far. Of course there have been other amazing things….stay tuned!