Fantasy Football Draft 2012

The much anticipated football season is finally here, and this past weekend I got to participate in the Gridiron Gingerman Gang's live draft in Houston. I missed it last year due to delayed planning and it just wasn't the same, so I was glad we got on the ball early and got a date on the calendar. My brother and sister in law hosted the group at their house, along with ample snacks (check out the Beer and Pretzel Cupcakes I made), refreshments, and even a little entertainment from their hilarious cats. It was a fun little weekend trip for sure!

I'm the defending champion, after spending two years in last place, so there is lots of pressure this season. I didn't feel as prepared as I usually am, but it's really hard to work out a strategy until you know what your draft pick is. I made a few lists, and was sure to highlight the players I did NOT want one my team, just to ensure I didn't grab them in a state of panic.

Overall I give my team a B-. I have a stellar receiving corps, dependable Quarterbacks (I hope), but am really struggling with my running backs. I was really disappointed that I was not able to draft Drew Brees again for my QB (he was snagged the pick ahead of me), but I'll still be wearing my Ms. Breesy jersey this year. I'm working on a few adjustments to my roster, but I can't wait for the first official game. I'm paired up against my brother, and I can't think of a better way to start the season.

After a tense draft, most of the league made their way to Petrol Station, a neighborhood bar that we had been dying to check out. Service was meh- it took a long time to get our food. But the beer selection was perfect and it was nice to sit out on the patio- even if the fan they had was just for decoration. A good friend from grade school, who recently moved to Houston, came to join us. It was a fun way to spend a Saturday evening, and it was fun to catch up with her as well!

All good things must come to an end though, and Hunk and I had to leave mid-Sunday morning. A neighbor was kind enough to feed the animals, but we left them unattended for the night. A short drive back home, and we found that all was well. We left Marley (the Beagle) in charge, and we were glad she followed all directions.

The draft in pictures:

Hunk and I in front of a cool print at B + M's house (thanks for the cute pic Mere!)

Banksy the cat decides he wants in on the action.

Beer and Pretzel cupcakes- my contribution to snacks.

Lists, Magazine and Computer....check! It takes serious coordination to handle the draft. 

Dan and Chidi getting settled and ready.

Blake and Meredith- the hosts. Blake outdid everyone this year with a custom shirt with his team name- Funky Homosapiens. We were all jealous.

Short photo opp, then back to business!

Lunch in a Box: Teriyaki Chickpeas with Mango Pineapple Salsa

I had a super short, but really fun weekend that included a 24 hour trip to Houston for my Fantasy Football draft. I'm waiting for my sister in law to send pics so I can brag blog about my awesome team, so stay tuned.

I did manage to find time to do a little bit of cooking when we got home yesterday, and have this yummy lunch to show for it. It's another (easy) recipe from Happy Herbivore, and it tastes delicious. I paired it with a somewhat spicy Asian Cucumber Salad from Savory Sweet Life, and grapes for dessert. It was a filling, healthy and tasty lunch.

Teriyaki Chickpeas
(2 servings)

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce
1T Szechuan sauce
1 T raw sugar (optional- I left it out)
2 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup pineapple/mango salsa (see recipe below)


Combine chickpeas and sauces in a saute pan, and let marinate for 5-10 minutes (I made the salsa during this time). Turn heat to medium and cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed. **It took me closer to 20 minutes, but that's because I may or may not have read the instructions wrong and put too much liquid in there.**

Spoon chickpeas over rice and top with salsa. That's it!


Pineapple/Mango Salsa

equal parts diced pineapple and mango
1/4 diced red onion
fresh chopped cilantro
1-2 limes, squeezed

I make things like this to taste- so cut up your fruit, and add the rest in small quantities until you reach your desired taste. I also added a teeny bit of salt to mine to balance the sweet fruit.

Friday Blog Reads

I love finding new blog reads. A few days ago I had some new visitors who were kind enough to leave a message and a link to their blogs. Since I follow mostly food blogs, it's always nice to find some new "style and fashion" ones to check out. Both of these girls are adorable and I love their great sense of fashion. Feel free to check them out when you have a chance!

The Queen City Style is a mother of two who has a fun and playful style, and I absolutely love her hair.
She takes risks that I could never pull off, and has the most enviable work-out clothes. Really fun blog!

Pearls & Paws is the second blog. Hello, classic style AND dogs- a perfect combination. Heather has an easy, accessible style with a few fun twists (like how she wears that gorgeous purple scarf.) I also envy her mile long legs...must be nice! Would trade closets with her any day.

Song of the Day: Youth Lagoon- Cannons

While browsing my Google reader late yesterday, I came across the cutest Austin hipster couple and their very original wedding featured on Style Me Pretty. It's always fun to see my city featured on the site, and all the different ways that people interpret their weddings in Austin. There really is something for everyone.

This cute couple got married on Cinco de Mayo at the top of a parking garage. So unique! And all the details just seemed to be so perfectly matched to their personalities. Most of all though was their wedding website. The groom is a graphics designer, and he created the whole thing. It's awesome and you have to check it out.

You're probably wondering what this has to do with the song of the day....I'm getting there, I promise! While peeking through their site, I landed on the proposal page and launched the video he created of the actual proposal. It's kind of a two part video. It's of the actual proposal happening, but the second half plays the video he made (of their entire first date) that he showed her during the proposal. It was so creative!!! But most importantly, it seemed to just scream the two of them. While he made a big production about it, I could tell that it was still very intimate and sentimental- and that's really all that matters. Plus, he played not one, but two cool songs from an artist I've never heard before. And that's how I get back to my point. Enjoy- it totally made me smile!

http://vimeo.com/brittanpittman/btown-cc-engaged

PS- It drives me nuts that Blogger is a big pain about embedding videos. If anyone knows a way around it, please let me know.

Lunch in a Box: Chili-Lime Tofu and Veggie Spring Rolls

This was my second attempt at spring rolls recently, and it was definitely easier. Not sure what happened though because they came out a little dry this go around. Next time, I think I will add a little of the peanut sauce to the noodles so they stay moist. The good news is that I have mastered the assembly process, added a tasty tofu to beef them up a little, and found a Peanut Dipping Sauce that I really really love! These are still one of my favorite lunchbox treats.

Veggie Spring Rolls, Chickpea and Quinoa Salad, Fresh Berries

You can check out my original blog post from when I made these a few months ago. The only tweaks I made were not using romaine lettuce (though I wish I had), and using sliced cucumber in place of zucchini. The chili-lime tofu is not to be missed though. I felt like these were originally a little too low on calories and protein, and this was just the thing to make it right. The recipe comes from my Appetite for Reduction cookbook that has been a great staple to my library. It's all easy and filling low-fat vegan recipes, and I've loved everything I've made from this book. This particular recipe will join the regular rotation for sure.

If you're interested in making the spring rolls, I suggest setting aside about 1.5 hours, and maybe even getting the help of an assistant. Kids should be able to help add veggies to the rolls, and if you aren't totally OCD, they could likely roll their own too. What a fun way to get their help in making lunches. They don't have to be vegan- if you have picky kids (and/or significant other), chili-lime chicken would be just as good.


Cilantro-Lime Tofu

1 package of extra-firm tofu, pressed to remove some liquid and poked with a fork
2 T chili powder
1 tsp salt
zest of 1 lime
juice of 2 limes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp oil (I used vegetable)
1 T tamari

1- Mix chili powder and salt in a small ramekin and set aside.
2- Add other ingredients (minus the tofu) in a shallow baking dish.
3- Slice tofu into thin slices (about 1/2 inch thick) and add to marinade, flipping over so that both sides are damp.
4- Rub both sides of tofu with the chili/salt mix, and leave in the baking dish.
5- Bake at 350 for 10 minutes on each side. Cool before adding to spring rolls.


While the tofu is cooking, mix together your peanut sauce (or just use a store bought version) and chop up the veggies you plan on using. Don't overdo it or your rolls will be too thick and will break. Once your tofu is ready, assemble all your spring roll ingredients (including the cooked vermicelli noodles, preferably mixed with a little sauce or lime juice to keep them moist).

Sliced cucumbers and red bell pepper, shredded carrots from a bag, and chopped cilantro.

Get organized, and don't forget a shallow plate with hot water for the wrappers. I saved the hot water from the noodles and it worked great. Soften the next wrapper while you're working on filling one.

Add noodles, veggies and tofu to bottom third of wrapper. I work on a damp towel to prevent sticking.

Fold in sides to cover ingredients.

Roll wrapper towards top, pinching in to make the roll stay tight.

I made a total of 12 rolls and had enough ingredients leftover to make at least 4 more. But this amount is perfect for 2 days of lunches for the both of us. The fresh berries I added for dessert were easy, as was the cold chickpea/quinoa salad (also from Appetite for Reduction) that I'll be using for other lunches as well.

Sunday in the Kitchen- Hippie Loaf (Vegan Not-So-Comfort Food)

One of my mom's favorite meals is meatloaf with mashed potatoes and peas- a near perfect comfort food meal. She loves to mix the peas with the potatoes, and it has always grossed me out. So it would be just my luck that Hunk has the same affinity for this exact meal. While browsing the Happy Herbivore site this morning for my weekly meal plan, we came across a recipe for "Hippie Loaf" that OF COURSE was pictured with mashed potatoes and peas. Hunk was sold!

Since I'm less of a fan, we bargained for roasted new potatoes and green beans. The loaf was really easy to put together. Black beans and quinoa made up the bulk of the loaf. I already had to make quinoa for another dish I was working on, so it was nice to be able to knock that out in one step. All the other ingredients got chopped and dumped in a big bowl, and then into a loaf pan. I cooked it with the roasted potatoes (tossed with veggie broth, garlic, salt and fresh rosemary), and I think that made it take longer to cook. I had the oven set to 375, and even cooking it closer to an hour (plus), the inside was still a little mushy.

The taste was alright, but I don't know that I would make this again. The texture just made it hard to enjoy. I might be able to broil the leftover slices and make something decent with it, but I'm just not sold yet. Fortunately, the bulk of my work in the kitchen today went toward lunch items that hopefully will have a better return on investment. The one redeeming quality of the meal was a delicious bottle of Bordeaux, (and possibly some ice cream for dessert).

Lunch in a Box: Lasagna Rolls

Nothing beats cooking an easy dinner that makes for great leftovers, and that's exactly what this dish was. I found the recipe on the Happy Herbivore site- it's one of 3 that I've made recently, and all were fantastic.

Another thing that I love about this recipe is how adaptable it is. Since I began cooking with Hunk, I've learned to be more flexible with recipes. He loves to just throw a bunch of stuff together, while I prefer to have a clear plan. (OCD much?!) I was able to get a tad bit creative with the spices, but still have a clear cut plan in place.

The base for the recipe is pretty simple: whole wheat lasagna noodles, tofu, spinach and marinara. But putting together the filling allows for creative input. These don't have to be vegan, either. You can add whatever you want for the filling. It's more about making the lasagna rolls, and having a great meal for dinner AND lunch. Just click on the link above for the actual recipe.

One tweak that I made to the cooking process was the final step. Instead of boiling them in sauce, I lined a casserole dish with marinara, placed the lasagna rolls on top, and then topped them with more sauce. Then I just baked them at 325 for about 20 minutes. This seemed much easier (and a lot less messy) to me.

In this particular lunch, I had red grapes, 1% cottage cheese and a few carrot sticks. I'm still trying to stick to a mostly vegan diet, but make exceptions for cottage cheese and greek yogurt. I always seem to crave those two things!