Chicken + a cast iron grill pan = a fabulous dinner

I am trying to change the way I eat because I know it's what I need to do to be healthy. I have a sweet tooth but I don't indulge it every day. I don't snack between meals and I don't eat a bag of potato chips in one sitting. But I do have a problem with carbs.

So I've been looking for meals that are healthy, interesting and delicious. Watching "The Kitchen" on Food Network this weekend, I saw the hosts giving tips for grilling chicken breasts. That's what we did for dinner tonight. I didn't look at a recipe, but just cooked it like they suggested.

We pounded out the chicken breasts. I did two and the boy did two. He said it would be great therapy for anyone who had a bad day. And I'll be honest. He did a much better job on pounding them out than I did. They really did cook more evenly since we made them flat. All we used was Kosher salt, fresh cracked black pepper and garlic powder. A little Canola oil brushed on the grill and that was it.

There are chives and parsley in the yard that survived the winter, so we chopped some of them to add to some spring mix greens. All we added was a little olive oil and balsamic for a quick and light dressing. I topped the chicken breasts with the salad and a pinch of salt. I also made some roasted purple potatoes -- just a few pieces for everyone. That's a much better choice than making enough mashed potatoes for six people when we are only three, right?

I thought it looked great, and the proof was in the pudding. Or actually, the empty plates. Everyone loved it. You're probably wondering if my plate really has snowflakes on it. Yes, it does. Don't judge. I forgot to run the dishwasher and this is what was clean. I think Jeffrey got the random flower plate.

On a side note, we did have one small mishap. Jeffrey somehow flung balsamic vinegar into his eye. Naturally, the boy and I laughed. And then I got Jeff a damp towel. Apparently healthy food can be dangerous for some people, but we'll keep trying meals that are good for us anyway.

What I got for Christmas - Part 1

I love food, cooking and books. So of course I love cookbooks. I especially love getting new ones. I think about all the possibilities and all the delicious food I'll be making.

This Christmas, I got two new cookbooks -- one from the awesome Jeffrey and one from his awesome parents.

Jeff got me Alton Brown's Good Eats -- The Early Years (more on the second cookbook gift in a future post). What a good choice! If you've never seen his television show on Food Network, I highly recommend catching an episode or 12. This is a chef who really understands how recipes work. He knows and is able to explain the science behind why ingredients go together or why cooking methods work the way they do.

This book (the first of three) is more than just a collection of recipes. It's also a collection of sometimes seemingly random trivia. He doesn't just give you his recommendations for how to build a great burger, for example. He talks about the kind of beef to use, gives tips about buns and explains why the only way to cook a burger is medium-rare (Amen to that).

This book has even more though. It has stories, and how I love a good story. The into is a Q&A with Alton asking and answering the questions. So from the first page, I was already doing what we call "dramatic readings" of the book as Jeffrey played his new video game. I haven't made it through very much yet, because I want to take my time with this one. I haven't even decided what I'll make first. I am leaning toward pimento cheese though. It may sound like an odd choice for a former Yankee/Southern girl transplant, but I have to make something for a baby shower luncheon, and I am thinking that might be just the thing.

Writing and food....what more could I want?

I love food. I love cooking it and eating it. I love reading cookbooks and watching cooking shows.

When I am stressed, I cook to relax. There is something soothing and extremely satisfying about making a dish come together perfectly and then watching it being devoured and enjoyed. When I am happy, I cook to celebrate. When it rains, I cook a hot meal for comfort…you get the idea. I would say that I am a foodie, but I’m afraid I’m just not that hip. I’ll still be enjoying food after that word is forgotten. 

I also love to write. I've been making up stories as long as I can remember, and I begged my Mom to teach me to write before I started school so I could be just like the big kids. I studied journalism in college and took literature classes for fun. I worked for six years as a newspaper reporter for a weekly community newspaper and I loved it. It took me a while to gain confidence about writing columns, but I knew I was actually reaching people when friends and neighbors stopped me in the grocery store to share their own holiday disaster stories after I wrote about mine.

This blog is where I’ll combine all my favorite things. I’ll get to write and it will be about food and my family. I’ll share stories of what we’re cooking, new recipes I have found, reviews of meals I've had in restaurants and anything else food related.

One last note about the blog name. My son can’t stand the way some people, even Food Network chefs, pronounce Parmesan, with a soft “s.” He’s used to hearing it said with an almost “z” sound and the other way grates on his nerves. I’m happy he thinks his Mom’s way is best, and I think it’s funny that he even notices something like that. So Parmesan it is. Please enjoy!