Dave’s clean Lobster Mac and Cheese is delicious! So. in Dave’s words – here’s his recipe …. ENJOY!

Lobster Mac & Cheese

This is another adaptation from a clean eating magazine, and again, I didn’t care for all their preparation so did my own adaptation.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil – 1 or 2 tablespoons (twice, for two different processes) – The original recipe called for butter for the second sauté, but I like olive oil better.

• Two lobster tails (or one whole 1 ½ pound lobster), steamed and removed from the shell, cut into small pieces, but save the shells.

• 3 or 4 cups of brown rice macaroni, or whole wheat macaroni (I used the entire box of Dreamfields whole wheat elbow macaroni)

• 1 ½ cups of low-sodium chicken stock (I like Pacific best)

• 2 shallots, cut up as small as you can (however any similar type of onion will work

• 1 tbsp brown-rice flour or whole wheat flour (I’ve never used rice flour and it may take double the amount of wheat flour for thickening)

• Penzey’s 4/S seasoned sea salt (from www.penzeys.com/) and Lawrys’ seasoned pepper (or whatever sea salt and pepper you have handy)

• 1 cup 1% milk

• 2 Roma tomatoes (any tomato will work fine, but the Roma tomato seems to hold up better), cut into ½ inch pieces

• 2 cups shredded cheese (low fat and shred it yourself, packaged is not as good) and by the way, have some extra handy just in case you would like to add more to the final mix. Use a combination if possible: White Sharp Cheddar (the sharper the better) – Two portions, Gruyere – One portion,  Gouda – One portion, or any other favorite white low-fat cheese.

Heat oven to 375 F and select your baking pan.  A rectangular glass dish is a good choice and spray with olive oil spray. Boil macaroni according to directions, drain and keep warm on stove (do not overcook).

Using a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil on medium-high.  Add lobster SHELL and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. This may seem weird, but it does what it’s supposed to. Add chicken stock and bring to a light boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes stirring often.  Use a strainer or mesh and pour off the stock to a waiting container.  Discard the shells.

Rinse out saucepan and put on medium heat.  Add 1 (or 2) tbsp of olive oil (this is the second use of olive oil) and sauté the shallots for roughly 2 minutes.  Add flour, salt and pepper and stir for 1 minute.  Add the stock and stir constantly until thickened.  Note – I had trouble getting the mixture to thicken and adding a little extra flour works (don’t over do it though – one tbsp or two at most).  Add the milk and stir until heated through for 1 to 2 minutes, but make sure it’s really heated.  Remove from the heat and add lobster and the cheese mixture (note, you can save a small portion of the cheese to sprinkle on top if you wish).  Stir until cheese is melted. (NOTE – this is where you may need additional cheese available to mix in if there is too much liquid or it’s not thick enough, but some of the liquidity will also evaporate in the oven.)

Add this mixture to the macaroni, add tomatoes and mix gently and thoroughly.

The recipe I used as the initial basis also called for bread crumbs to be sprinkled on top when the mixture is placed in the baking dish.  I’m not a fan of bread crumbs and opted not to go that way, so I put some shredded cheese on top instead.

After mixture is properly smoothed and well mixed, place in the baking dish and bake until cheese is melted completely and/or top shows some browning, roughly 10 minutes (but I extended to 15 minutes).

Prep time is a bit lengthy, but you can actually do several things at once and after you’re past the lobster and macaroni boil, things go pretty quickly.

Cost is high due to the lobster, but you have to splurge sometime…right?  I’d try to avoid much being left over.  The lobster addition tends to not age so well in the refrigerator after a day or two.  This recipe is pretty much taken from Clean Eating Magazine, Classic Comfort Foods. (http://cleaneatingmag.com/preview/ComfortFoods2011/)

It deals with death through a powerful, candid, raw and inspirational look inside the end of life conversations of two relative strangers, Michelle and Hope. Michelle, a 36-year-old mother of two in Ohio connects through an unexpected email request to Hope, a 29-year-old mother of two in Utah. Michelle receives a mysterious email from Hope’s mother stating her daughter has end-stage ovarian cancer and has a letter she wants Michelle to receive before she passes.

Bewildered and afraid, Michelle responds and receives the letter that begins … “Dear Michelle, The raindrops are falling down my window like molten jewels. The car lights flicker and sparkle as the tires write melodies splashing water against the curb. And you are lying so heavy on my heart. It’s night. That’s the worst time. I can’t keep my mind from circling around dark thoughts. My anger, humiliation and despair fight to come again into my mind to take control and force me through sorrows I have gained power over. My mind continually snaps back to the fears and doubts the hope that I will live. My pain medicine wears off at about six in the morning. I lie awake watching the early grey of dawn creep across the smooth, white, hospital walls, touching first the ceiling then creeping down like a fugitive not wanting to be seen. My body aches. My mind is full of empty questions no one can answer. My name is Hope I am 29. I am a daughter, a wife, the mother of two beautiful children and I am going to die of cancer very soon.” In less than 30 hours, these two mothers whose paths had never and would never cross in person connect, giving one what she needs to live and the other what she needs to die. It’s a beautiful, inspirational miracle of a love story that challenges readers to fully engage in life because it is finite.

It’s a beautiful, true story. I hope you’ll consider reading it.

People always ask me if I starve to stay thin past 40. The answer is NO WAY! I eat … great food for every meal. I’m a clean eater http://www.eatcleandiet.com/ so that means no unhealthy oils, processed food or hormone laden food. And, I try to shop for food as close to the way God made them as possible.

I luck out in that my husband has completely embraced clean eating AND he’s an amazing cook. People who eat dinner at our house always want to know how they can recreate his kitchen magic, so I thought it might be nice to share his recipes.

So, from my hubby Dave and in his words … healthy, hearty chicken stew

My healthy, hearty chicken stew uses the terrific slow cook benefits of a ceramic crock pot.  I love it because truly, you could put it on in the morning before work and come home to delicious! But, since I started late, it was necessary to use the four hour (hottest) setting and I re-set it during the cooking process for an additional hour and that allowed me to go on a 2 1/2 hour bike ride with my 16-year-old son who is training for a major bike trip this summer from San Francisco to Bloomington.

Here are the Ingredients (and my preferences):

• Two medium chickens (not broth infused as so many “cheap” brands offer today).  These came in a package of two from Costco.  Since the volume of the pot is limited, cut the chickens in half and then remove and discard the wings and back and as much rib bones as can be easily cut off.  There is very little meat on these areas anyway and the back especially tends to cause a lot of unwanted bones to stay in the mixture after completion.  Also trim off all excess skin and fat areas.  Because, well, who needs it?!
• One medium to large onion cut as desired.  I cut into eights, but it can be chopped or slivered.
• Several sticks of celery cut into quarter or half inch pieces.
• An equal amount of carrots also cut into small pieces.
• I didn’t have any for this particular dinner, but when I remember to buy them, I throw in a few cut up redskin potatoes.
• One box of low sodium chicken stock (could also use water or a half and half mixture) – pick a good brand and really read the sodium contents.
• Season with small amount of salt.  I used a combination of a seasoned sea salt and shallot sea salt.  A few, but decent sprinkles of Herbs de Province, Muriel of Flavor (from www.penzeys.com/), Lawry’s seasoned pepper and a few cranks of Pirate Bite(http://www.spiceandtea.com), a somewhat spicy pepper blend that just seems to add spark to lots of dishes.

I stirred the mixture twice during the cooking cycle (despite manufacturer admonishments to the contrary) and when the cooking was complete, began the process of removing the chicken meat from the bones.

Take each piece from the pot and remove the skin and then using pinchers or fork or any other convenient device, and carefully remove the meat from the bones.  After doing each piece of chicken, return the meat to the mixture and you’re ready for serving.  I need extra calories (yes, that makes my wife JEALOUS) so I serve mine over whole wheat pasta (http://www.dreamfieldsfoods.com/ ).  The cooking time ended up being perfect and the chicken was easy to remove but remained firm.  Overcooking tends to make chicken too soggy and soft.  Plus the veggies were still a little bit firm which is nice.

Prep time – maybe about 30 minutes to clean and cut the chicken and prepare the veggies for the pot.  Add an additional 15 minutes or so to separate the chicken and bones when cooking is complete.

This dinner, which is very filling and very good for you, is extremely cost effective. It served four adult appetites and there was enough left over for probably three or four servings again the next day.  Total cost – less than $15.00. You can’t even do that at a fast food restaurant and it’s unhealthy besides!

In-laws: most people have them…and sometimes, they can be a whole lot more than a couple bargained for. In the new original, real-life series “Monster In-Laws,”A&E shines a light on couples who are trying to make peace within their families with the help of an unconventional, no-nonsense relationship expert.

Families who appear on the show will have the opportunity to work with a professional relationship expert who will help them to identify their issues and repair their relationships in the privacy of their homes. In addition, families will also receive a $10,000 financial honorarium as a “thank you” for their time and commitment to the show. To apply, please email us with your name, contact information, a brief description of your current in-law situation and a family photo.

Email: INLAWCASTING@GMAIL.COM

Phone: 212.564.2607 x 2365

That I would have ever been a beauty queen was the farthest thing from my mind growing up. I loved to watch Miss America on TV like every little girl, but I never competed. In fact I didn’t come to pageantry until I was a Mrs. So, with zero experience and a goal I became Mrs Ohio America 2002. And through this, I ultimately had an experience that shaped my life more than holding this title, I directed Mrs. Ohio for a decade.

Over the last 10 years, my co-director Krista Yovanno and I put in long, hard hours to make this event one all of the participants would hold special in their hearts. In return, the gift to me that was more precious than gold was the amazing women I met. Every woman whose path I crossed shaped me for the better. Especially, my Mrs. Ohio sisters.

I had the privilege and opportunity to work with each of these women as they went to compete for Mrs. America and through watching their journeys, here’s what I learned:

Mrs Ohio 2003 Katherine Boyd – True winners are invested in others.

Mrs Ohio 2004 Krista Yovanno – The most beautiful women on the outside are often the most beautiful on the inside.

Mrs. Ohio 2005 Rhonda Shappert – There’s a victory around the corner if you hang in there long enough to realize it.

Mrs. Ohio 2006 Lisa Piepsny – Confidence is the most beautiful thing a woman will ever wear.

Mrs. Ohio 2007 Christine Wright – Claim your dreams in a tangible way and they will come true.

Mrs. Ohio 2008 Tonya Stump – If a solution to your dilemma doesn’t exist, create it and you’ll be wildly successful.

Mrs. Ohio 2009 Stephanie White- Walk with God in a way that He is so real to you that you can hear His breath.

Mrs. Ohio 2010 Kimberly Miller – If you have a goal, throw yourself into accomplishing it as soon as you identify it, work every day at it and NEVER look back.

Mrs. Ohio 2011 Melanie Miller – When you are married, the big goals are more achievable if they are the goals of the couple.

And, I had the honor to meet a few Mrs. Ohio’s that came before me and from them I learned:

Mrs. Ohio 2001 Darlene McKinney – A winner looks like a winner. All the time. No matter what.

Mrs. Ohio 19888 Doreen Luke – Women get more beautiful with age

Mrs. Ohio 1986 Elisabeth Bell – The special quality a panel of judges sees in a woman that makes them choose her is apparent to the world lifelong.

I think you learn something valuable from everyone you take the time to get to know. I’m grateful to the many women who have lived the kind of lives that have had a profound impact on me.