a peek inside the fishbowl

Okay. Who recognizes these lyrics? They’re from a very well known Canadian television show:

There’s a voice that keeps on calling me
Down the road, that’s where I’ll always be.
Every stop I make, I make a new friend,
Can’t stay for long, just turn around and I’m gone again

Maybe tomorrow, I’ll want to settle down,
Until tomorrow, I’ll just keep moving on.

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I picked up the latest copy of our local paper and flipped through to find my little column yesterday. I am so lucky someone is paying me to write about the things that are close to my heart. They printed a few of my photos too. The latest one is about outdoor skating rinks in our community – so important! – and yet these kinds of “small” topics don’t necessarily get much coverage in the major media.

Anyway, this all got me thinking. I should scan my first column! No, really, I mean my FIRST.

Here’s one of a series of columns I wrote for the Brampton Guardian way back in oh, 1989. THAT’S TWENTY YEARS AGO PEOPLE.

Here it is, complete with mugshot and fancy title! (“Youth Pulse” … Ha! Because I was soooo with it back then. My Finger.On the Pulse.Of The Youth.) Embarrassing? Oh yes! But what the heck, right? 

Rereading my words today I can’t help but notice a couple of things:

• I still like to express myself in all-caps for EMPHASIS although Title Case Works Too
• It reads almost like a blog post. Weird!

This column gig …  I keep having to pinch myself. It’s been something I’ve wanted for a long time. And here I am, actually doing it. I’m just glad this one doesn’t require a new mugshot. ;)

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’m trying to Eat Clean. Last night I was a little thrown off by a sudden bowl of oil-popped popcorn, and I refuse to give up my morning cup of coffee (but then again, so does Tosca), but I think I’ve been doing well so far! I’m a woman on a mission.  

As I mentioned in my original post, the two easiest meals for me to “healthify” are breakfast and lunch. But what about dinner?

Answer: lean protein. I bought a big package of chicken breasts and decided to use them in a few new recipes. I tried the chicken kebabs (recipe to follow) last night and couldn’t believe my eyes. EVERYONE ATE IT.

Let me say that again:

Everyone.

Ate.

It.

Reason enough, I say, to make it again.

I have to confess, I did have my doubts. After all, it is MEAT. And cumin? Isn’t that a little crazy? And what if they balked at the green bits? I shrugged it off and made it anyway. I’m glad I did.

So without further delay, here is the recipe:

Spiced Chicken Kabobs

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (4, possibly 5, depending on how big they are)
1 1/3 cups plain yogurt (I used low fat, turned out fine)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (chop it small)
1 tbsp each lemon juice and sesame oil (Gadzooks. Do I ever LOVE THE SMELL OF SESAME OIL!)
1/4 tsp salt (I use sea salt) and freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin

• Cut chicken into 1-inch chunks, set aside (Note: the chicken is much easier to cut if it’s been in the freezer for an hour before slicing.)
• In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, parsley, lemon juice, sesame oil, s & p, and one of the cloves of garlic. Scrape half into small bowl for dipping later.
• Stir chicken, cumin, and remaining garlic into mixture in large bowl, let marinade 20 minutes (I let it sit in the fridge for about an hour)
• Thread chicken onto soaked wooden skewers. Discard marinade. Place on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet; broil; turning once, until no longer pink inside, about 10-12 minutes total. Alternately (and this is what I did), skip the skewers and just put the chicken chunks on the foil-lined sheet and broil as directed. Less fuss!
• Serve with dip.

Ordinarily this is the kind of thing we would have BBQ’d, but it’s currently buried under several feet of snow. Broiling is so quick and easy! The chicken came out incredibly juicy and tender.

I served whole grain couscous on the side, along with cucumber slices and a green salad. Happily for me, there were enough leftovers for my lunch today. Yay!

Let me know if you tried this one out. I’d love to hear your results. Next time I might serve it with brown rice instead of the couscous.