I'm Back!

I know it has been forever since I have posted, but I am going to try to get back on track! Here is a summary of what has been going on:

1) New Job! In January I started a new job as an Oncology Dietitian. I have absolutely loved every minute of working with cancer patients. Yes, it is difficult sometimes, but mostly the job is extremely rewarding. I have the opportunity to see my patients everyday and contribute to their treatment outcomes. I work most closely with patients that have head and neck cancers, but I also see people with breast cancer, colorectal cancers, prostate cancers, etc. I have learned so much, and I look forward to continuing to learn more.

2) More jobs... When I accepted my job as an Oncology Dietitian I was in the middle of working with a few clients at the Campus Recreation Center, so I continued working with them for the next few months. Additionally, I had already committed to teaching a class at UAB. Having 3 jobs at once was incredibly challenging, but I completed both obligations and while I am enjoying some extra time, I will miss the extra pay check!

3) Honeymoon Trip to the British Virgin Islands. William and I delayed our honeymoon trip because we just had to much to going on at the time. Instead, we took a beautiful 3 day trip to the mountains after the wedding. This was such a great decision! In March, we took a break from reality and finally made it paradise for one of the best weeks of our lives. We went to a small island called Jost Van Dyke which is part of the BVI. We discovered White Bay Villas through Living Social and it was amazing! I would definitely recommend this trip.

4) Baby Porter. William and I have always wanted a chocolate lab and we always said that we would get one once we had a fenced in backyard. We always had reasons to put this off, but after a nudge from William's cousin Brennan we found Porter. He was the runt of the litter and I was immediately in love. [Hint: Do not go look at puppies, you will leave with one!] Porter is now 15 weeks and has completely won us over. We think he is extremely smart although we may be slightly biased. We have even enrolled him in puppy school at Pet Smart.

5) Everyday is a new adventure. We have had many exciting events to celebrate this spring. For Easter, our friend Lauren was confirmed in the Catholic church and we loved having William's family in town to celebrate. We celebrated my brother Andrew's graduation in Asheville in May. We had a wonderful time visiting with family and friends and wished the weekend would have lasted longer. In April, we traveled to Atlanta to celebrate my friend Shalini's wedding. Shalini was a friend from graduate school and it was wonderful to reunite with the graduate cohort. Recently, we traveled to William's home in Silverhill for Memorial Day. We enjoyed dinners on Mobile Bay, taking Porter swimming on Fish River, and spending time with family. Also, Brennan, William's cousin and best friend, finally popped the question to his girlfriend Lauren.  We could not be happier for these two wonderful people!

Thanks for reading!

Elizabeth

Happy New Year!

Today is the last day of 2012 and I cannot help but to be a little sentimental when it comes to saying goodbye to the best year of my life [so far]. I am usually quite ready to start on the next year and newest journey in my life, but this one is different. Let me explain:

In 2012....

I graduated from Georgia State with my Master's Degree in Health Sciences  

I completed my dietetic internship- 1200 hours of supervised practice

Completed a Master's Thesis- "Point-of-Selection Intervention Using a Digital Menu at a Dining Hall for Southeaster College Freshmen"

Presenting our research:

Moved to the Birmingham, Alabama for my husband's awesome job opportunity!

Our new house in Homewood:

Passed my RD Exam!

Got married to the love of my life, William, and became Mrs. Milne!

With the support of the most wonderful family!

I can't wait for another year of exciting opportunities and adventures. I am so grateful for the amazing friends and family members that continue to support me, and are always there for me through the ups and downs. And for the love of God let's hope that 2013 is a better year for AUBURN FOOTBALL!!! 

When Life Gives You Oranges...

....Make Marmalade

We left Silverhill, William's home, with bags full of oranges, satsumas, and grapefruits.  With that much citrus fruit we had to get creative before they went bad.  And so we made preserves.  This was relatively easy to do, but I will make one suggestion- Make sure you have all necessary equipment.

We bought this mandoline from William-Sonoma with a gift certificate we had from the wedding. I am OBSESSED!  You can slice anything with it!

After slicing the oranges/satsumas, we quartered them.

And then we cooked them adding sugar and lemon zest.  

After cooking them for an hour we put them in jars. Very important to have a jar funnel, jar tongs, and a deep pot.  You boil these jars so that a seal is created and your marmalade stays fresh. We made the mistake of thinking our pots were deep enough and we had to run back to the store to buy a bigger stock pot. 

It such a fun project and we are excited to be able to give some of the marmalade as Christmas gifts.  

We followed Alton Brown's Orange Marmalade recipe.  It was simple, easy, and it turned out DELICIOUS!

Enjoy!

Elizabeth Milne

Leftover Turkey Anyone?

Thanksgiving ended and the turkey remained.  In a desperate attempt to use it all up I did two things this week.

1) My favorite part about Thankgiving is the leftover turkey sandwiches. Nothing tastes better than a sandwich with a thin spread of mayo, chunks of white turkey meat, and a little cranberry on top! In an effort to save time with sandwich prep, I made a turkey salad that could easily be spread on a few whole grain crackers.  Here is the recipe:

• 2 cups shredded leftover turkey meat
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1/4 cup of dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon of mustard Creole mustard 
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium bowl, toss turkey, celery, cranberries, mayo, mustard together.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve on whole grain bread or crackers.  

2)  I also try to make a casserole or soup every week.  Some sort of dish that will last us throughout the week.. This week I made Turkey Tetrazzini.  William LOVED it and it was gone quite quickly! I got the recipe from Rachel Ray, but adapted it a little bit.  Here is my version: 

12 ounces of egg noodles 
Salt and pepper 
5 tablespoons butter 
12 ounces of pre-sliced white mushrooms 
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning 
2 cups of leftover turkey meat 
3 tablespoons flour 
2 cups milk 1 cup chicken broth 
1 cup grated parmesan cheese 
1 cup frozen peas and carrots

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cook the pasta according to package directions until just barely al dente; drain.

Add 2 tbsp. butter to the skillet. Add the mushrooms and Italian Seasoning; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms start to soften, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and add the leftover turkey. 

Melt the remaining 3 tbsp. butter in the skillet. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and broth and bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken. Stir in 1/2 cup parmesan and the peas and carrots. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the pasta and turkey-mushroom mixture to the sauce and toss well to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan. Bake until the top is golden-brown and the sauce is bubbling, 12 to 15 minutes (shorten the baking time by at least 5 minutes if youre planning on freezing this for later).

I hope this helps answer the question, "What the heck am I going to do with all of this turkey!?"

Elizabeth Milne, MS, RD, LD

Five Favorite Fall Food Trends: Stuffed Shells

And I am back! William and I celebrated Thanksgiving with his family in Silverhill, Alabama.  We enjoyed visiting with family and friends, and we are looking forward to our next visit!

Now for my last "Favorite Fall Food Trend," stuffed shells! As we transition from fall to winter we put away our grills and fire up those ovens. I have found stuffed shells to be a creative and fun way to serve dinner.  A few of my favorite recipes are Taco Stuffed Shells from Budget Bytes, and Spinach and Tuna Stuffed Shells by Martha Stewart. (see pictures below)

With the taco stuffed shells, you could substitute the ground beef for ground turkey, or just double up on the beans for a vegetarian dish.

I also cannot wait to try this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells by Inspired Taste. Holy yummmm!

If you are like me and get tired of a dish after a few rounds of leftovers, I recommend using two smaller casserole dishes. Place one dish in the over and the other in the freezer for later.

Enjoy!

Elizabeth Milne, MS, RD, LD

Friday Finds: Christmas Gifts

Need Christmas gift ideas? Check out Southern Living's List of Gift Ideas! Which includes gifts for her, gifts for him, gifts for $50 or less, gifts for $25 or less, and stocking stuffer ideas.  Some of my favorites:

FOR HER
Anything from Haymarket Designs- crazy cute monogrammed items, including these fabulous wine totes!

Source: haymarketdesigns.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

FOR HIM
Wooden Six-Pack Carrier- This is the perfect gift for a beer lover, especially if its filled with local, craft beers- So handsome!

$50 OR LESS
How beautiful are these Monogrammed Antique Plates?

$25 OR LESS
1,0001 Ways to Cook Southern- Yes ma'am! Please and thank you :)

STOCKING STUFFER
Hand Crafted Stirring Paddles- These are beautiful, practical, and would fit inside a stocking perfectly [and they're from Alabama!]

I hope this made your Christmas gift list a bit easier, Merry Christmas y'all!

Elizabeth Milne

Christmas Ornament Wreath

I am so excited to be able to decorate our house for Christmas this year. So excited that I decided to get a little crafty despite the fact I am not a crafty person.  I found this pin on pinterest and thought I may be able to handle this project...

Source: eddieross.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

I bought the glass balls from Dollar Tree, and the whole wreath probably cost me about $8.00.  [And now I have one less wire hanger in my house!]  I bought all silver and gold balls, but I bought them in different sizes and finishes- glitter, matte, shiny, etc.  I also skipped the step with the hot glue gun, and none of the balls have fallen off just yet.  And here is the finished product...

Just need to add the stockings... 

Happy (early) Holidays!

Elizabeth Milne