Back from ASW

Last weekend I was the inpatient nurse for the sports weekend hosted by Shepherd Center in Alabama called Adventure Skills Workshop (ASW). Participants with physical disabilities come to this workshop to do various activities from jet skiing to scuba diving to confidence ropes courses. Shepherd brings inpatients and invites outpatients and community members to this annual event. Each year it is exciting and fun for campers and staff.

For me, part of the excitement was spending time with former patients. In my cabin, I had a few inpatients and a few recent people in Shepherd's day program. I've known some of them for a year, and some for just a few days. It's inspiring to see my adolescents "all grown up" and able to be so independent. They, in turn, are inspirations for the newcomers to the Shepherd community and to ASW.
After 2 nights and 3 days of 24hr nursing, I was very exhausted. Leave it to my darling boyfriend to have dinner on the stove when I stumbled in. He told me there would be chicken, veggies, and a surprise. The surprise was:

Rice Pasta & Cheddar!

It was the Trader Joe's version of Kraft mac & cheese. Boy was it nice. It is for sure about as close to the blue box as it gets. So go get you some and enjoy it!

Lent-a-licious

I gave up chocolate for Lent this year. It's been a healthy sacrifice. What is more meaningful that not eating chocolate this Lenten season is answering the questions I get about Lent once I've turned down a chocolate treat. The questions have been anything related to why I gave up chocolate to what Lent is, exactly. Let's do a rundown of Lent, top ten style.

1. Lent is a Christian tradition celebrated in the 40 (+/-) days leading up to Easter. The purpose behind lent is to prepare yourself for Jesus' sacrifice on the cross (Holy Week) and his resurrection (Easter).

2. The 40 days of Lent correlate to the time Jesus spent in the desert before turning himself over to the authorities for his crucifixion.

3. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. The day before Ash Wednesday is Fat Tuesday- the last big hoorah of Mardi Gras. The idea is that you get all the fun in before the Lenten season of sacrifice and prayer begins. Carnival is also a festival celebrated until Lent.

4. The idea of fasting during Lent has changed over time. Some places in a particular time period gave up meat or dairy, some both, some just fish. Catholics currently abstain from eating mammals (meat and poultry) on Fridays during Lent. (As in, fish are fair game.)

5. Protestants generally have a choice whether or not to observe Lent. For Catholics, this is a mandatory celebration. You have choices on sacrificing something you love (i.e., chocolate, doughnuts, Facebook) or taking on a new venture that brings you closer to God (i.e., devotional, charity work).

6. Palm Sunday is the 6th Sunday in Lent, the beginning of Holy Week. This is when Jesus came back from the desert.
7. The Wednesday during Holy Week is Spy Wednesday, the day when Judas spied on Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemene.

8. The Thursday during Hole Week is Maunday Thusday, the day of the last supper.

9. The Friday during Holy Week is Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified and buried.

10. Easter Sunday is the last day of Lent, the day Jesus rose from the dead. The end.


This year, my major Lenten shrimp creation is below. I think this is a really good one. You can make the pesto and prep the (fresh) shrimp the day before, to make it a faster made meal.


Shrimp Pesto a La Liv
1 pound shrimp peeled, leaving the heads on, and deveined - I like the big ones.
Pesto (see pesto)
GF Rice spaghetti cooked
juice of 1/2 lemon2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon EVOO
salt and pepper to taste

You have two options. The first is to make the pesto ahead of time. The second is below.
1. Combine the shrimp, lemon juice, garlic, and salt/pepper to taste in a pyrex with the shrimps to marinate.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees while you are making your pesto.

3. Start the pasta and stick the shrimp in the oven.

4. Check on the shrimp after 15 minutes to see if they are done. (They are done when they are opaque). It may take up to 30 minutes for them to be fully cooked. 5. When everything is done, plate it like a pro and enjoy.

Thai Noodle Bowl

Atlanta is cooooooooold right now! It was 17 degrees when I work up this morning. Imagine that. I dream about moving back to New England, but I don't think I can survive the cold. Maybe I'll just have to settle for a summer house.

Until then, I'll be looking for a warm lunch. Here is a simple, quick dish to throw together at lunch or as a quick dinner.

Thai Noodle Bowl

2 ounces uncooked white rice pasta
1 tablespoon GF peanut butter
1 tablespoon lime juice (lemon works well, too)
1 garlic clove, grated
1 one inch piece of ginger, grated
2 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables (I chose Bird's Eye broccoli florets, carrots, and water chestnuts)
1 tablespoon chopped peanuts
2 scallions, sliced
1 chicken breast cut into bite-sized morsels
1 tablespoon EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

After prepping your ingredients, start the pasta.

Next, warm the EVOO in a large skillet. Cook the chicken niblets until there is no pink in the center, drain the juice, and set aside on a plate. Wipe the pan out with a paper towel.

Saute the garlic, ginger, lime juice, and peanut butter on medium heat in the same pan as the chicken. Add the veggies and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the veggies are no longer frozen and are tender.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Salt and pepper to taste, top with scallions and peanuts, and enjoy!

GV Does Pasta

I love good pasta. Rice pasta is very hit or miss- sometimes even after washing it with cold water it still seems slimy. Sometimes the texture just is not smooth. Whatever your G-F pasta woes are, I have a few suggestions.

1. For rice pasta, my favorite brand (from Whole Foods) is Tinkyada ("pasta Joy"). This is my pick, because it is affordable no-fail pasta goodness.
2. Try corn pasta. It reminds me of the multi-colored pasta I had as a kid. It doesn't leave you with the gluten-containing pasta bloated feeling, so my non-GF eaters have liked it in the past.

For sauce, I will buy what is G-F and on sale, OR Alessi brand. I love their sauce, and it's not wildly expensive. I have been known to jazz up my sauce with garlic, maybe a few spices, and some cooked chicken or ground beef. It's a good way to recycle those cooked chicken breasts you need to eat before they go bad, or the leftover hamburger you had from over the weekend.