A Breakfast Treat

I am not a breakfast person. Are you?

Well, this little treat has changed me perhaps for life. It's like a dessert but quite healthy.

In fact, if I eat this from now on, I may become a breakfast person.

In a bowl, layer the following:

• Bananas, sliced
• A couple spoonfuls of vanilla Greek yogurt (spread evenly across bananas)
• Favorite frozen fruit (cherries, blueberries, strawberries, etc.)
• Another layer of Greek yogurt
• More bananas
• Dot the top with agave or honey
• Add some dark chocolate chips

It's easy. It's delicious and it's healthy.

And it's getting warm. I was so excited about this dish that I set it aside to write this blogpost. Happy eating.

Homemade South-of-the-Border Hash Browns

I've had a bad day already. It's 9:30 a.m. and after being awake from 3:30-5:30 a.m., I was woken by loud pounding, banging, and smashing on my roof at 7:30. Our apartment roof is being redone, which will be nice when it's finished, but right now, it's just not making me happy.

To top it all off, I'm starving. Starving like I'm going to be sick if I don't eat and nothing sounds good except potatoes. Hot, buttery, cheesy, potatoes.

That's what I'm gonna have.

It's amazing what cooking can do for a stressful life. Seriously. I wish I would cook more because it is truly relaxing. I think I probably will.

Here's the recipe for my husband's awesome hash browns. I made it just for myself, so if you are making it for more than two, you'll want to double or triple the recipe.

{ingredients}

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 small potatoes, shredded
• 1/2 cup colby jack cheese

Melt butter and olive oil in a frying pan. Sautee the onion for a minute or two on medium high and then turn the heat to medium low and let it caramelize.

Meanwhile, shred the potatoes and squeeze out excess moisture using a few paper towels or regular towel.

Once the onion has caramelized to your liking, add the potatoes and stir to incorporate the butter, oil, and onions. After they've cooked slightly, pat them down flat in the pan and let them cook. This creates a crunchy texture on the outside that is delish.

When the bottom side of the potatoes have turned golden brown, flip them over to brown the other side.

When the hash browns have cooked through, add shredded cheese on top and let it melt. We like to let it melt quite a bit and then just cut it out of the frying pan like a piece of pie.

Top with salsa and sour cream.

It's addicting. I love it. It's perfect for a dreary morning.

What is your comfort food go-to?

healthy avocado salad

This is truly delicious and truly healthy.

• 1 avocado
• 1 roma tomato
• 3-4 Tbsp slivered almonds
• salt and pepper

Dice the avocado and tomato. Combine all ingredients and devour. It is my new snack go-to.

Chickpea Lemon Soup

• Sautee half an onion with two garlic cloves in some olive oil
• When the onion and cloves are softened, add 1 carton of chicken stock (approximately 4 cups)
• Bring to a boil
• Add 1/4 box of angel hair pasta
• Add salt and pepper
• Once the angel hair is nearly cooked, add 1 can of chickpeas
• Sprinkle in dried basil and dried oregano (1/2 tsp each)
• Add the juice of half a lemon
• Simmer

Enjoy the heartwarming, comforting wonder. Yum!

Asparagus Soup

Asparagus Soup

• Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a stock pot
• Sautee 1/2 cup diced onions until soft
• Add 1 can vegetable broth (2 cups) and 1/2 cup water
• Bring it to a simmer
• Remove bottom of the asparagus (1 lb)
• Break asparagus into 1 inch pieces
• Add asparagus to simmering broth
• Cook for 2-5 minutes until asparagus is bright green and tender
• Add 2 Tbsp cream cheese
• Blend with immersion blender or in a food processor

First Step

{image}

Eating real food is hard.

Really hard.

It takes time

and focus

and planning,

a lot of planning.

After posting yesterday, I got very discouraged.

How is this possible.

It costs money (but hopefully not the way I do it) and time and concentration.

I literally spent all day yesterday researching online,

so now you know I will become an expert.

Despite the little discouragement, I am moving slowly

And you can too.

Here's how:

One step at a time.

It cannot all be done at once.

So take a deep breath.

Here's what I am going to do this week.

1. Dry 3 lbs of pears--they were on sale. (post coming soon)
   
   
2. Made four ingredient tomato sauce. Freeze it in one cup increments because that's all we eat at a time anyway. Look at us, saving money.

Let me comment on this four ingredient tomato sauce. It's amazing! I could drink it. Seriously.

I did things a little differently than the recipe above.

• Puree six 14-oz cans of whole tomatoes (They are 10/10 at Albertson's.)
• Heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil in a large pot
• Sautee 5 minced garlic cloves in the hot olive oil, soften for two minutes (do not let them brown--i.e. stir frequently)
• Add 1/2 cup pureed tomatoes, let it warm and become a golden color
• Add the rest of tomatoes
• Bring to a boil and simmer for four hours
• Let it cool, then measure into freezer safe bags or containers and freeze

So despite the little setback yesterday, I'm feeling pretty good about this movement. There's nothing like using a little of that marinara that I made from scratch and feeling accomplished. It's the little things, right?

Try it. You won't want to go back to $3 jars of marinara. I don't.

Real Food

I am changing the way my little family eats. I have heard over and over again about the importance of eating real, unprocessed foods, but recently, I've been discouraged by how much it costs. It is expensive sometimes, especially in a community where organic foods are not well-supported and can be outrageously priced. Even our farmer's market is more of a craft fair than a place to get fresh veggies and fruit. It extremely disappointing.

Well, after watching this video, I am back on the road to eating healthy, unprocessed foods. Watch it. You will be inspired too. I had no idea that the food industry had changed so much since the 90s and that there is a reason some people are focusing on returning to the way our grandmothers cooked. I plan to do that and soon.

The problem still is the budget. I just found this amazing e-book called Real Food on a Real Budget. I am about 45 pages in and drinking it up. Eating well on a budget does seem possible and I'm going to try some things out and let you know how it goes. So stay posted.

I'm interested in your thoughts. What do you think about the video?

A new way to eat an apple.

{image}

Speaking of healthy, quick snacks, I was just in the mood for one of the huge Granny Smith apples I found at the store yesterday (I literally just made this). This sounds different, but it's actually really good.

• Chop up the apple
• Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on it
• Sprinkle salt* all over it

I know, sounds weird, right? But so delish. Yum.

*I used kosher salt which supposedly has half the amount of sodium as table salt.

Quick, Healthy Snack

I've decided to update this blog more often, so stay posted because I've already got at least five recipes ready to post after this one.

This healthy little snack is perfect for days when I just need something fresh and tasty. You get your protein and vitamins and a little crunch. Enjoy.

• 2 parts cottage cheese
• 1 part your favorite salsa
• Add some salt and pepper
• Scoop up with celery sticks
  
  

See how easy? This is also delicious with corn chips. Here's another variation:

• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1-2 tsp lemon pepper (garlic salt is also delish, but has a ton of sodium)
• Scoop up with celery sticks

Do you have any go-to snacks that are quick and easy?

Savory Sundae of Garlic Potatoes, Peas, Chicken, and Lemon-Butter Cream Sauce

Missed me?

I'll try to update more often, but I really only want to update when I developed a new recipe because there are so many recipes out there, I'd like to create some that are unique. If you want to see which recipes I'm trying, just follow me on Pinterest.

Since before my mission, I've been creating a simple dish. Garlic potatoes and peas.

I made it for Jeff a while back and realized it's missing a few elements--namely, some freshness, a bite, something to make the flavors more interesting. After a couple weeks of mulling it over, this is what I came up with.

The best compliment I've received on my cooking came after this recipe:

"It looks and tastes like it came from a nice restaurant." ---The husband

Can't ask for anything better than that!

Lemon Chicken

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 6 chicken tenders (I actually found organic at a local store, which isn't common here)
• 1/4 flour
• 2 Tbsp lemon pepper
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• salt and pepper

Mix flour, lemon pepper, and salt and pepper together on a plate. Dredge the chicken tenders in the flour.

Confession Time: I have never been comfortable cooking chicken. Not to mention, it always turns out much too dry. Perhaps this is why I was relieved when my husband turned out to be a vegetarian. Well, now he's not, and I'm "eating for two"--one of which makes me crave protein quite often, so chicken was a must.

Now that you understand my feelings about chicken, let me say my mind has changed thanks to these wonderful directions to get perfect, tender, moist chicken. It really works. Try it. You'll be so happy you did. Just add the lemon juice, olive oil, and butter to the pan to add some citrus.

Garlic Potatoes

• 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 or 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• salt and pepper
• garlic salt, to taste

Place the diced potatoes in a pot of cold water with the cloves of garlic. Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook until tender. Drain. Remove the cloves, mince in a garlic press, add to the butter and milk. Melt over a stove or in a microwave. *I've learned that the best mashed potatoes come when the ingredients you add to it are not cold.

Place the cooked potatoes in a bowl. Mix with handmixers or potato masher. Sparingly add the buttery, milky garlic mixture until the consistency is right for you.

Lemon-Butter Cream Sauce

• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• zest of one lemon
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup cream (or skim milk)
• 3 tbsp parmesan or romano cheese, grated

Melt butter in a pan. Add lemon juice and zest. Bring to a boil and let it reduce. I let it reduce until it was very thin. Slowly whisk in cream and let it thicken. Add cheese at the end.

Peas

• 1/2 bag of frozen peas

Bring small pot of water to a boil. Add peas, but only for a few minutes. Overcooked peas are the worst!

Pile them beautifully on top of each other and enjoy!

just freeze it

Life has been a bit hectic lately, which explains the lack of posts. I'm not planning to stop this blog any time, but I am just going to update at my own pace for a while. Anyway, I discovered something awesome today that I had to share.

Because life has been a little hectic, I've been looking for ways to simplify meals. The last month has consisted of either eating out or eating a (gasp!) frozen dinner. Those little throw-on-the-skillet meals are great for busy life styles.

Anyway, I'm learning how to utilize the freezer to make my meals quick and easy when I just don't feel like spending a half an hour to an hour in front of a hot stove. I'll update as I think of new meals. I've seen a few blogs say you can freeze meals, but they rarely give details. Even Martha skimps on the details of how to freeze something well, so I'm going to try to help you out as I learn.

Tonight I froze my stuffed shells recipe. Here's how:

• Cook the shells
• Stuff the shells with cottage cheese mixture
• Place each one on a cookie sheet lined with freezer paper
• Flash freeze (place in the freezer, uncovered for at least thirty minutes)
• Once frozen, place in a freezer bag, label and date (it will last for two months)
• The day before cooking, remove from freezer and let it thaw in the fridge

For the sauce, you may either:

• Just open a new jar when it comes time to cook it
  {or}
• (if you already opened a jar) Spoon the marinara sauce into ice cube trays and freeze. When sufficiently frozen, place in a freezer bag, label and date

Pretty easy, huh? Who knew? I think this will be one of my answers when I'm preparing for a particularly difficult week.

Meal Planning

My first attempt at smart food shopping and budgeting... It's very, very difficult for me. I like quality ingredients and will usually pay for them, but when I start noticing the decline in my bank account, I realize something must change. Well, I did it tonight. I have planned and shopped for four meals for $24. Some of the ingredients are already on-hand, but here you go:

Meals

Carrot soup and salad

Baked Lemon Pasta

Cucumber sandwiches

Balsamic Brown Butter Veggies with Spaghetti Squash
(recipe to come this week--my own delicious creation)

Totals

carrot soup and salad ... $3.21 (many ingredients already on-hand)

1 lb carrots ... 1.69

3 red potatoes ... 1.00

1 onion ... .77

arugula ... 1.75 (halved the cost because we won't eat all of it in one sitting)

1 roma tomato ... .82

baked lemon pasta ... $2.64

sour cream ... 1.79

lemon ... .50

parsley ... .35 (halved the cost because half will be used for cucumber sandwiches)

cucumber sandwiches ... $3.66

english cucumber ... 2.49

parsley ... .35 (other half)

1 roma tomato ... .82

balsamic brown butter veggies with spaghetti squash ... $7.62

orange bell pepper ... 2.49

1 roma tomato ... .82

red onion ... .52

spaghetti squash ... 3.79

I don't know about you, but I've enjoyed this quick little exercise. It's kind of liberating to see how much I can save when I actually think about the meals I am preparing.

Try it; I dare you. Let me know how it works out for you.

browned butter spaghetti squash

Yum. This was fantastic and with low carbs, who can complain. The only semi-unhealthy thing in this dish is the butter. The rest is just veggies.

It looks long and difficult, but really the hardest thing is cutting the squash. Then besides dicing up a few vegetables and sautéing them, the oven does all the work. There's nothing better than curling up with a good book, knowing dinner will be done soon without me having to slave away. I plan to try this recipe again, but placing it in the oven so that it forms a crust--maybe even adding some parmesan cheese.

{ingredients}

• 1/2 stick butter
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 orange bell pepper (or red or green or yellow)
• 1/2 red onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 Roma tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• 1 5 lb. spaghetti squash

Cut the spaghetti squash in half (carefully. it may help to cut off a small section on one side so that it sits flat). Chop off the ends. Remove the seeds. Cover in olive oil. Add salt and pepper.

Place on a foil-covered cookie sheet, cut side down. Roast in 400 degree F oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Flip over over the squash, cover with foil (to stop it from burning). Cook for another 15 minutes or until very tender.

While that's cooking, dice the vegetables into small pieces. I removed the insides from the tomato because I didn't want the sauce to be to liquidy (I know that isn't a word). Mince the garlic.

When the squash has about five minutes left, place the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat and let it brown. Wait until it begins to smell nutty and little flecks of brown appear. Toss in the onions and bell pepper. Let it soften slightly. Add the garlic and let it cook until fragrant (30-45 seconds). Add the tomato and let the vegetables soften and cook into the butter over low heat while you prepare the squash.

Remove the squash and using a fork, scrape out the "spaghetti" strands into a large bowl. Once all the squash is removed, add all the strands to the large sauté pan. Stir. Let the flavors blend together. Plate and serve. It really is amazingly delightful and almost guilt free (you know, without the butter).

cucumber tomato sandwich

This recipe is a revamp of my previous cucumber sandwich which I felt needed to taste fresher.

These taste like spring.

{ingredients}

• 4 pieces whole wheat bread
• 1/2 pkg cream cheese (low-fat), room temperature
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• kosher salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnishing
• 1 Roma tomato, sliced
• 1 English cucumber, sliced

{directions}

Combine the cream cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix it well until the cream cheese becomes a delicious paste.

Smear the cream cheese on the bread. Add tomato and cucumber slices. Top with a little extra salt, pepper, and parsley, if desired. Add a second slice of bread and enjoy!

eat like giada and look like her too

{image}

2 Thin Chefs

Staying at my in-laws to house sit is always a relaxing time, especially because we get a nice comfortable bed and I can watch all the Food Network I want (I don't have cable at my apartment).

As mentioned before, I adore Giada's food, her style, her everything. As I was watching her show this morning I marveled at how thin she is with all the cheese, pasta, chocolate, and sugar she devours. I started doing some research and this is what I found. Read the article. It is fascinating. I would love to not be on a diet, but to live in such a way that I didn't need one.

I plan to change my eating habits. I'm not going to give details just yet because who knows if I'll be successful or not and I think that giving all the details right away will actually delay my progress. Suffice it to say I will be following some of Giada's methods. I found it fascinating. I think food is to be enjoyed, but just in smaller portions.

I know I just said I wouldn't give away the details until I was doing it for a little while, but I will say this one thing: I want to become a food snob. In the last page of the article above, the columnist marvels at how instead of picking up those dry donuts from the vending machine, just wait until you get home to have a satisfying, delicious Giada recipe (in a small portion, of course).

I'm excited to reveal the results.

I'll let you know, so stay posted.

One quote from Giada (from Shape magazine): Food is not the enemy!” De Laurentiis says. “It’s not food; it’s how much you eat. I eat pasta, but a small portion, not a giant one, and I eat more greens than carbs.” Though she watches portions, she doesn’t bother with exact measurements. “A good gauge is to think in terms of an appetizer-sized plate rather than dinner-sized. Then tell yourself that you’ll savor every bite.”

“Morning workouts, every day, are the best thing for me. I do yoga, which I got into while I was pregnant, or a half hour on the elliptical and 20 minutes on the treadmill. Getting up and getting my blood going gives me energy for the whole day.”

fried rice and orange zucchini

I am obsessed with Panda Express's orange chicken, but I rarely get to eat there because it's a half hour away. Jeff loves it, but due to his recent vegetarian ways, he hasn't been able to eat there either. We found the perfect substitute. I told you about this awesome Panda Express product sold at most grocery stores. I love it. I know it's processed and probably not the healthiest, but it's quick, easy, and so delicious I think I could drink it from the bottle.

One of our new favorite meals is fried rice and orange zucchini. Here's how you do it:

Fried Rice

(adapted from here)

{ingredients}

• 3 cups cooked rice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 3/4 cups diced carrots--very small so they cook faster
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 eggs
• olive oil
• cayenne, to taste
• thyme, 1/2 teaspoon
• Fresh cracked pepper
• 4 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water

{directions}

Warm up 1 Tbsp olive oil on a skillet. Add the onions and carrots. Sautee until the onions begin to soften. Add the garlic. Sautee until fragrant. Add 2 Tbsp soy sauce. Mix and let it cook for 4-5 minutes. If the carrots haven't softened up much yet, continue cooking until they do. Unless, of course, you don't mind a little crunch. My husband likes them very soft.

Next, move the vegetables to one side of the skillet. Crack two eggs and cook them on the other side of the pan. Scramble them slightly and let them cook until almost cooked through (2-3 minutes).

Mix the vegetables in with the scrambled eggs and then move to one side of the skillet.

Add the rice with 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Flatten out the rice and let it fry. If it looks a little dry, add a little more soy sauce or olive oil, or both.

After three minutes, add the spices (pepper, cayenne, thyme). Turn the rice and vegetables occasionally to keep from burning. Add water if it becomes too dry.

Combine the rice and vegetables. Add the peas and 1/4 cup of water and a little more soy sauce if desired. Continue cooking until the water is absorbed.

It's so good!

Orange Zucchini

{ingredients}

• 2 zucchini, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp Panda Express orange sauce

{directions}

While the fried rice is cooking, throw the above ingredients into a sautee pan. Let it cook down. It will take between ten and twelve minutes for the zucchini to become really soft and soak in the orange sauce. At first it seems like it won't. Just be patient because it takes time.

If you can't help yourself (I usually can't), add a little more orange sauce. I always have to remind myself that I can add more on top when the dish is finished cooking (I always do).

Finished

When both dishes are completed, you have a couple options.

1. Divide it on your plate and eat separately. (I don't recommend this, but to each his or her own.)
2. Pile the orange zucchini on top of the fried rice, add more orange sauce, and devour. (I highly recommend this option.)

tangy blt

I suppose the best acronym is a BST--Bacon Spinach and Tomato-- but it all depends on what you have. That's what's so great about this recipe. Easy and it's always a winner even when the pantry is running a bit low. The recipe below is for one person, but it can easily be multiplied.

{ingredients}

• 2 strips of precooked bacon
• 2 slices of Roma tomato
• 1 handful of baby spinach
• Pepperjack cheese
• Onion and chive cream cheese (mayo/miracle whip works too)
• 1 spoonful of white wine vinegar
• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• Dijon mustard to taste
• A few sprinkles of kosher salt (it has half the sodium of table salt! Did you know that? I just found that out and as a girl who is obsessed with salt--was thrilled!)
• A couple cracks from your pepper grinder

{directions}

Rip the precooked bacon in half and toss it in a pan to heat up. You may also use your microwave, but I like the way the bacon crisps on the stove.

Toast your bread. The best way for this is to use a toaster oven (Jeff and I opted for that instead of a toaster when we got married and haven't regretted it yet). When the bread is close to golden brown, place one slice of pepper jack cheese on top to melt it.

When the bread is toasted and the cheese melted, top the cheese with the strips of bacon. Add the handful of baby spinach--here's the essential, mouthwatering part: Pour a little bit of your vinegar in a small spoon and sprinkle it over the baby spinach. Let it sit for a moment to soak into the spinach.

Top the spinach with your tomato slices. Spread some onion and chive cream cheese on the other piece of toast (or mayo if you don't have that). Squirt some dijon mustard and top of that, and then press that piece on top of the baby spinach-covered toast. Smash it slightly so that your sandwich doesn't fall apart. Cut diagonally and enjoy.

Enjoy the white wine vinegar and the dijon and onion and chives and the tomato and bacon and pepper jack cheese.

This sandwich really wakes up your taste buds and makes them sing.

Literally.

Don't believe me?

Give it a try.

Dining Delights

I have a thing for white ceramic.

I still don't have a gravy boat. I think this one might be up my alley.

Unique teacups

A teapot with its own warmer

Serving bowls that stack to become a palace

valentine's curry

Another Valentine's Day meal which may soon become our yearly treat. We're two for two right now, so we'll see.

The best way to describe this delicious curry is "delicately sweet." Yes, I coined that phrase while cutting up the vegetables. It tastes almost like a dessert. You can put as much or as little heat as you'd like, and the best part is that it's very easy to make. Once the vegetables are cut, the hard part is over. You could even throw this in the crock pot in the morning and have it ready by dinner time.

{ingredients}

• Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk (1.5 cans--save the other 0.5 for the rice)
• Thai Kitchen Red (or green) Curry Paste
• 1 sweet potato or yam or regular potato, diced
• 1/2 butternut squash, diced
• 1/2 cup carrots, diced very fine
• 1 zucchini, quartered and halved
• 1 yellow squash, quartered and halved
• 1/2 sweet onion, diced
• 1/2 orange or red bell pepper, diced

{directions}

Like I said, this is super easy. Once your vegetables are diced finely (you can cut them larger, but it will just take longer to cook), pour 1.5 cans of coconut milk into a large pot. Add two or three teaspoons of the curry paste. You can add more or less depending on your spice tolerance. Stir it once. Add all the vegetables. Cover and bring to a boil. Let it simmer until the vegetables are nice and tender.

Really so easy, and all the ingredients, even the Thai Kitchen ingredients, are sold in the Asian section of your grocery store. They aren't very expensive either, and the curry paste lasts forever because you don't need a lot to make it super spicy.

Now all you need is some rice:

Sweet Coconut Rice

(adapted from The Food and Cooking of Thailand)

{ingredients}

• 1.5 cups water
• .5 can of coconut milk (see above)
• 1 cup Jasmine rice
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt

{directions}

Combine the above in a rice cooker, stir, and cook for twenty minutes.

Do you see what I mean by easy? I was even able to throw together this amazing chocolate souffle while the curry and rice simmered away. Enjoy!

valentine's french toast

Really easy. Like realize when you wake up and want to make your hubby breakfast in bed easy.

Here it goes:

• Whole wheat bread
• 2 eggs
• Yoplait Greek yogurt (honey flavor)
• cinnamon
• maple syrup or homemade jam

You can add milk too, but my milk had gone sour and when I improvised with yogurt, I was so pleasantly surprised. It made the french toast even sweeter.

Begin warming up a non-stick skillet or pan on the stovetop (I also sprayed mine with Pam, just in case). Whisk together the eggs, add the yogurt, and a dash of cinnamon. You may also add milk, honey, sugar, whatever you'd like to the mixture. Dip your bread into the mixture. Cover it completely. Lift it out carefully with a fork. Make as many as your skillet/pan will hold. Mine will hold three, so that's how many I made.

Let it cook until it's nice and golden brown. Yum! You'll smell the sweet yogurt, which will make your stomach growl.

Pile on some homemade jam or syrup and serve.

The great Food Network chefs agree that leaving out the bread overnight to get a little stale makes better french toast because then the bread soaks up your mixture even better. Of course, if you decide to make it that morning, that won't work.

salt and vinegar popcorn

I've been dying to try this. A little while ago I made homemade popcorn and wondered how I could change up the traditional taste of plain old butter and salt. I think I found it.

This is awesome and a healthy alternative to salt and vinegar chips--one of my favorite snacks.

To do this:

• Pop your popcorn.
• Melt butter over medium heat. Let it brown.
• Add about 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar.
• Let it reduce slightly.
• When the popcorn is still hot, mix your balsamic brown butter mixture into the popcorn.
• Add a little salt... and pepper to taste. Kind of strange to add pepper to popcorn, but it actually makes the vinegar pop.

The best part about it is that the vinegar caramelizes on pieces of popcorn.

My mouth is watering. I think I'm going to make it again right now. I may even add some parmesan...

drink to your health

My name is Lindsay and I have a problem.

I don't drink water. I rarely drink anything, actually. I prefer to chew. I drink a few sips at meals and a few during the day if I get parched, but rarely at all.

Yes, I have a problem. I need water. Our bodies need water. As an article I just read points out, water is one of the basic elements of life. Our survival depends on it. Not just survival, but having a quality, healthy life is dependent on water.

I'm not the healthiest person around. I admit it. I try, but it seems I'm quite often knocked backward by some ailment or another. As I was thinking about this today, I realized that water could have a lot to do with it.

So, here's my goal. According to the MayoClinic, women should drink 2.2 liters of water per day, which is around nine cups. I plan to reach this goal every day for the rest of the week.

The huge problem is that I don't like the stale flavor of water. Not to mention the metallic taste of water at my work. I've been trying to drink more but I have to choke it down more often than usual.

As I was thinking about this, I realized that when I go to a restaurant I always order water with lemon. I have to have a lemon in my water to drink it at a restaurant, so why not have a lemon in my water at home/work too?

So, here's my plan (goals must have plans).

• Always have a pitcher of fresh, filtered lemon water waiting for me in the fridge
• Take a Nalgene bottle to work--don't drink the nasty metal water anymore
• Drink one pitcher every day (each pitcher is 2 quarts, which equals 8 cups), plus one more glass before bed

There you have it. I'm planning to give small, health tips every so often as I move forward on my little journey toward healthy eating and drinking. (I'll soon be posting fast lunches for every day.)

This whole water epiphany occurred thanks to the Happy Little Vegans and her inspiring Holiday Detox.

Anyone else have suggestions for a good detox?

inspired: caramelized onion and sweet potato tart

Every now and then, I will post recipes from other blogs that I try and love. I won't take the time to paste the recipes here because I feel that the blogger who developed such delectable goodness ought to get the well-deserved traffic.

I have been drooling over this recipe for months wondering if I had the courage to make it. It looked so pretty and I didn't think I could do it justice. Today, I took the plunge.

It is amazing. Thanks to this new recipe, I have a new obsession with caramelized onions. Seriously. Completely obsessed. It was all I could do not to eat the whole pan.  

Does anyone have any caramelized onion recipes? Please, help me. Otherwise, I may just eat a pan of plain caramelized onions without thinking about it. I need more caramelized onion recipes. Please share yours.

Romantic Additions

DO: Give the sweet potatoes plenty of time to soften. It took a lot longer than the 8 minutes detailed in the recipe, but I'm glad I waited. Otherwise, the gooey, sweet potatoes would have just been hard and starchy.

DON'T: Use pizza crust instead of the puff pastry. I couldn't find it at the store and had frozen pizza crust at home, so I tried it. It wasn't bad, but I picture it better with a flaky crust.

FOR ME: I adore feta cheese on pizza. ADD IT to yours.

What are you waiting for?  
Head over to Fresh365 and give it a try!

rejuvenating leftovers: spicy black bean cakes

 

First, I made these Spicy Black Bean Cakes (thank you, Martha). It was amazing and delicious, and you should make it too. It's so healthy and filling for a vegetarian dish.

{Romantic Additions}

DO: Wait to cook the jalapenos and garlic until after the rest of your vegetables are prepped and ready. I didn't wait and the jalapenos and garlic stood getting cold on the stove.

DON'T: Try to just make 8 patties. This recipe created a large batch and if I were to make only 8 patties, they would have been enormous.

FOR ME: I didn't have all the ingredients for the lime sour cream, so I improvised:

• Mix 1/3 cup sour cream (or all that's left in your tiny container) with a couple squeezes of mayo.
• Add lime juice. Stir to combine.
• To spice things up, add a few dashes of paprika. 

Now to the leftovers:

• Place the remaining patties (after being cooked) in a zip-lock bag in the fridge over night.
• Come home from work, hungry (and proud that you didn't eat the remaining bags of Cheez-its under your desk).
• Put rice in the rice cooker (according to package directions) and start cookin'.
• Do some minor cleaning--vacuum, sweep, etc.
• When the rice is done, throw some olive oil in a saute pan.
• Add the leftover patties. Break them apart and let them warm up.
• Toss two and a half heaping spoonfuls of rice.
• Add some soy sauce and this amazing goodness (Panda Express Orange Sauce).
• I've found the amazing orange sauce at both the grocery stores in this small town, so it should be available to most of you.
• Cook until it's piping hot.
• Serve.
• To yourself on a cold winter's day, waiting for your significant other to return.

whole wheat bread

 

{ingredients}

• 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, divided
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 pkg. active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp. yeast)
• 5 to 6 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup powdered milk
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup oil

1. Dissolve 1 tbsp brown sugar in warm water, add yeast, and let it grow.
2. Mix 4 cups flour, powdered milk, 1/3 cup brown sugar, and salt in mixer bowl. Using dough hook in a Kitchen Aid mixer bowl, set speed to 2 and mix for 15 seconds. Continuing to mix while adding yeast mixture and oil. Mix for about 1 1/2 minutes.
3. Continue at speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Mix and knead for about 4 minutes. 
4. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a warm, damp cloth for one hour. Let rise.
5. Knead the dough and divide in half. Shape the loaves and place in greased loaf pans. Cover. Let rise in a warm place for another hour or until doubled in size.
6. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 350° and bake for 30 minutes more. Remove the bread from the pans immediately and let cool on wire racks (or dig in and add a slather of butter and jam--hot goodness!).

<adapted from Instructions and Recipes for Your KitchenAid Stand Mixer>

stuffed shells

I made these for dinner last night. It was one of my favorite meals growing up. I've changed my mom's recipe to give it a little more gourmet taste, but it's still easy and delicious.

{ingredients}

• 1/2 box of shells, cooked according to package directions
• 4 cups cottage cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. garlic salt
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• Your favorite jarred marinara (my recommendation)
• Asiago/Parmesan, or both

Preheat the oven to 350°. While the shells are cooking, prepare the filling. Mix cottage cheese with the other cheeses. You can choose to add different types of cheese if you'd like. Parmesan would be great. Add the eggs, garlic salt, and dried herbs (crush them in your hand first). Mix it thoroughly and set aside.

Drain the shells when al dente. Spread 1/3 of the marinara on the bottom of an 8x8 pan. LineRun a little bit of cold water over them to avoid burning yourself. Stuff the shells with the cottage cheese mixture. People always tell me not to stuff them too much, but I love it--so I stuff it! (Okay, a little too cheesy there--um... that was too. Sorry.)

Line the pan with your pleasantly plump shells, open side up. It's okay to squeeze them together to fit them all. Top with Asiago or parmesan cheese--or both, like I did.

Bake at 350° covered in foil for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for 10 more minutes.

Bonus~A Poor Couple's Garlic Bread

 

When we can't afford gourmet artisan bread or don't want to go to the store (or when dinner is almost ready and your significant other says, "Where's the bread?"), this is what we do:

• Take a few slices of whole wheat, store-bought bread.
• Toast them.
• Undress one garlic clove (a.k.a. Smash it with a can and remove the peel.)
• Rub it on the toast. 

Voila! Instant, cheap, and tasty garlic bread. It literally takes a couple minutes.