Laughing Ladybug Yoga

Friday night is our pizza night. We make it at home. It’s a lot less expensive and you know exactly what you’re getting since you have control over the ingredients. We’ve come up with some really great stuff, too. I’ve made spinach, pine nut, and gorgonzola pizza, for instance, that’s fabulous! I also have learned to make my own sauce. It’s easy and delicious.

Last week, we got an eggplant from our co-op and we weren’t entirely sure what to do with it. Thursday night as I was going to bed, Weldon suggested that we substitute Eggplant Night for Pizza Night. I suggested Eggplant Pizza. He’s up for anything, so he agreed that was a good solution. Friday, I found a great recipe for Eggplant Garden Pizza.

In addition to eggplant, it has zucchini, tomato, onion, and red bell pepper. These ingredients are diced coarsely and sauteed until tender. Then the vegetable ingredients are spread lovingly atop a pre-baked crust of your choice (for us, two small Udi’s Gluten Free frozen pizza crusts; more on why GF in a later post) with a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese. That’s right, this is a sauceless pizza and you won’t miss it a bit!

Finally,  sprinkle with dried thyme, oregano, and basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and slide into a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. The result is fine, fine pizza.

One of my favorite dinners is pizza and wine. My choice for this meal was a $6.95 bottle of Delicato Chardonnay. Vanilla-y and buttery and good. Not a traditional choice for pizza, chardonnay, but since it wasn’t competing with a spicy tomato sauce, it was just perfect.

See photos of the process on Laughing Ladybug’s Facebook fanpage.

Reata's Trio Platter

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a business lunch today at Reata Restaurant in Fort Worth. They are famous for their Texas cuisine, which includes things like Jalapeno Cilantro Soup, Smoked Quail with Jalapeno Cheese Grits with Molasses BBQ Glaze, and Chicken Chile Rellenos with Roasted Corn Chowder. So what did I choose to eat, a person who gains weight easily and prefers to eat somewhat lightly? The Trio Platter! It includes chicken breast, a choice of salad, and fruit!

It was perfect! Two small chicken breasts that were grilled and smoky and flavorful, a huge wedge salad with a vinaigrette dressing of pico de gallo, lime, and blue cheese crumbles, and TONS of beautiful, fresh cut fruit, including raspberries! I was so excited, I wanted to hug my plate!

I remembered to take a photo to share with you, my friends, I expressed my gratitude for the countless being that gave their lives and labors so I could eat, and I ate joyfully and was nourished much.

Starbucks was giving away free pastries today with the purchase of a beverage. The team I work with in the office, mostly made up of Starbucks fans, decided to take a trip to Starbucks as a group outing. Our building is on the southwest end of downtown Fort Worth, so the closest Starbucks is only a short walk away. 

About 9:30, we stepped out into the sunshine, our eyes squinting against the welcome brightness. The strong breeze ruffled our jackets and shirtsleeves, and it was a cool breeze, but paired with the warm sunshine, it made for lovely walking weather. What a perfect moment. 

I got my tall decaf Americano with steamed soy milk and a petite vanilla scone. While I waited for the rest of the team to finish up their ordering, sugaring, and half-and-halfing, I held my coffee under my nose and inhaled the deep, earthy fragrance.  I thought about how much I love working with these people, and how much I love that they’re willing to have a spontaneous field trip in the middle of the morning for free pastries and coffee. Another perfect moment. 

On our way back to the office, the church bells at one of the downtown churches were ringing. Not just ringing, but playing a song. A long song! They were the most beautiful church bells I’ve ever heard! So there I was, walking through a downtown cityscape that I love, in the cool breeziness of early spring, warmed ever so slightly by a sun that’s just bringing its attention back toward our hemisphere, hot coffee in hand, listening to what seemed to me to be spontaneous church bells. ANOTHER perfect moment!

You know, the truth is, every day is full of perfect moments like this. The trick (is it really a trick?) is to be conscious of them.

My only regret about this supper is that I didn’t take a photo for you. I was so busy enjoying it that the picture-taking slipped my mind.

1. Poach one or two eggs per person, using your favorite, most reliable poaching method. Poaching is a new thing for me. I’ve been doing it the old-fashioned way of slipping the whole eggs gently into salted just-below-boiling water. This is still in the experimental stages. It sometimes does weird stuff. If you have a favorite way, whether it’s stovetop or microwave, do what works best for you.

2. Place gently over a few spears of steamed or boiled asaparagus. The point here is to have it be tender, yet crisp. Season it to taste. I used salt and pepper and a sprinkle of herbal salt.

3. Serve alongside a small mix of your favorite mild greens. I like spinach mixed with a little romaine lettuce. Dress lightly, with maybe a little olive oil, black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. While you’re at it, squeeze some of that lemon over the asparagus for grins.

4. Have a piece of garlic-rubbed toast on the side. Toast your favorite whole grain gread, then rub it with a clove of raw garlic until you just can’t see straight. Add a smudge of butter if you like.

5. Enjoy with an affordable glass of buttery chardonnay. Or your favorite wine, or iced tea or whatever. Just be sure to raise that glass of whatever and clink it with the glass of your dining partner and declare, “I had a wonderful life today.” Do this part as many times as you’re inspired to.