My life in food

Creamy Avocado and White Bean Wrap

2012-02-15T08:40:00.001-07:00

Hi friends. Let me introduce you to your new favorite lunch, the avocado white bean wrap. For being so simple this is nothing short of delicious. I whipped this up one afternoon after discovering that the stars had aligned and I happened to have every single ingredient necessary in my fridge to make this. Oh, happy day! Don't you just love that?

I expected this to taste good but I was rather surprised at how much I liked it. I crave these babies on a regular basis now. That's the other thing...I use Ezekiel tortillas (wrapped in a damp paper towel and heated in the microwave for 30 seconds to make them soft) for these which are smaller than normal so I end up with the cutest little wrap and get to eat two. Then, because of the size, I resort to calling it dumb names like "cutest baby wrap" or "leetle snack wrap", except then I stop myself because it reminds me of McDonalds. Eeeww.

I actually do this with my poor dog too. He's a little (about 10 pounds) chihuahua mix named Ham. He has his regular nicknames that everyone uses like "Hammy", "Hamilton", "Ham-hock", or "Hampton", but then you have me who calls him the most random crap throughout any given day. I've been known to squeal "ooooooh, Hammy, Hammy, Hamptons, my tiny baby dog". With the frequency in which it's used, it would seem that "baby dog" is my favorite (he's 3). But there is the occasional time when I call him "Robert" just because. Another in rotation is,"Hampster, my fawn colored love" And just last night he was "Ham, my St. Patrick's Day dog". No one knows what's wrong with me.

And right about now "leetle snack wrap" is not sounding so bad.

Creamy Avocado and White Bean Wrap

adapted from Living Well

serves 4

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (I just use the sauce)

Kosher salt

2 cups shredded red cabbage

1 medium carrot, shredded (or 1/2 cup shredded carrot)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1-15oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 ripe avocado

4 8-10 inch whole wheat wraps or tortillas (I wrap ezekiel tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds so they are easy to roll)

Whisk vinegar, oil, chipotle chile and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl. Add cabbage, carrot and cilantro; toss to combine.

Mash beans and avocado together with a fork. Add a generous pinch of salt and stir to combine.

Spread the avocado white bean mixture evenly over the wraps and add about 2/3 cup cabbage mixture down the center of each. Roll up and eat.

The chipotle chile in adobo really makes this wrap pop. I usually use a little more than called for because I love the flavor and like to be able to really taste it.

The Ultimate Lasagna Bolognese

2012-02-13T07:53:00.002-07:00

I stole this recipe from Tyler Florence, then went to town and changed a bunch of things. I really liked his method but not his choice of meats (ground beef and pork accented with cinnamon) so I decided to use both spicy and sweet sausage instead. I also think he used way too much liquid in his sauce and it took forever to reduce, so I used less and it still took longer than he said, so I'll note that in the recipe below. We also decided to dress this up even more and slow roast some tomatoes to nestle on top. Good choice because they surprisingly added a lot to the final product. Well worth the extra step.

Bolognese is a meat sauce traditionally served over pasta. Normally to make a lasagna, you would just brown some sausage in a skillet and spread it evenly over the layers. In this version you make a bolognese sauce and use it with bechamel (a creamy white sauce) to create your layers with fresh buffalo mozzarella, basil and parmesan. As the meat simmers in the sauce of red wine and tomatoes it gets ultra soft and makes a gravy almost. I point this out because My friend Danielle was expecting bitey pieces of sausage and was very surprised with the outcome and how soft it was. There is a tiny bit of milk added to the sausage sauce, which may sound strange, but it actually helps break down the meat to get that soft texture you want here. I'm not gonna lie- Danielle was worried at first. She did not like the way the sauce looked or how soupy it was. However, she shut right up when she had a bite of the finished product, so...

I'm so sorry the picture is dark

Danielle and I spent the whole day cooking at her house the other day. We made one larger lasagna for a Young Life Leader dinner she was catering (along with an Italian salad, garlic bread and ahem, cream puffs...again) and a smaller one for us. We made ourselves a very petite lasagna since our husbands do not eat it very often, or ever for that matter, especially with meat in it. We were certain it would just be us and the kids digging in for a little indulgence.

Let's just say, we were wrong. :)

It was off the hook delicious and I highly recommend this recipe. Just in case you are skiddish like Danielle about the sauce, here a are few pictures to bolster your confidence. When it first begins to cook it will look more like soup:

Never fear. As it reduces and simmers (it will take anywhere between 1 1/2 hours to 3 hours) it will transform into a chunky, loose sauce. When it looks like this, it's done:

The bechamel is easier to trouble shoot. The recipe is a guideline, but I found I need about 1 cup more milk to get it to a sauce consistency. If you like yours thick, the recipe as written will be great for you. Don't be afraid to add more milk to it to thin, though. It should look like this:

We had a great night lingering over this lasagna with wine and friends and laughs the whole time. Then, the next day Danielle received a call that this was hands down the best lasagna those Young Life Leaders had ever tasted. Worth every second. I swear.

Like I said, I highly recommend slow roasting tomatoes to put on top before baking. Plan ahead though as they do take 3 hours to cook. You can do this step the day before if you like. Same goes for the bolognese meat sauce. Better to make the bechamel day of.

The Ultimate Lasagna Bolognese

adapted wildly from Dinner At My Place, by Tyler Florence

makes 1 large lasagna

For the Lasagna:

Fresh lasagna dough (or 1 package lasagna noodles)

1 pound buffalo mozzarella, cut into thin slices with a serrated knife

1/2 cup grated parmesan (the plastic jar stuff is fine for this)

1 package fresh basil leaves, torn

1 recipe slow roasted tomatoes (not the soup, just the tomatoes)

1 recipe bolognese

1 recipe bechamel

Bolognese

2 carrots, cut into large pieces

1 large onion, cut into large pieces

3 ribs celery, cut into large pieces

4 garlic cloves, peeled

3 fresh sage leaves

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound hot Italian sausage

1 pound sweet basil Italian sausage

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups dry red wine (or 3/4 of 1 bottle)

1 28-oz can of whole tomatoes

1 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 cup whole milk

Put carrot, onion, celery, garlic, and sage in a food processor and process until you have a smooth vegetable pulp. Coat a large, heavy based pot with olive oil and set over medium heat. Add the vegetable pulp and saute until fragrant and some of the moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Empty the vegetable pulp into another bowl and set aside. Without washing the heavy pot, add a bit more olive oil and add both sausages and cook over medium heat while stirring to break up the meat until it's brown. Drain out excess sausage grease and discard. Next, dust the sausage with 2 tablespoons flour before adding wine, tomatoes, reserved vegetable pulp, and milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer about 1 1/2 to 3 hours, uncovered, until sauce is thick. Add Parmesan. Set aside while you prepare the bechamel.

Bechamel

2 cups whole milk (add up to 1 more cup to thin if desired)

3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 bay leaf

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Set a large saucepan over medium heat. Add milk, garlic, and bay leaf and bring to a simmer to infuse milk with the herb flavors. Set a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add butter and melt, then sprinkle in flour while you stir with a wooden spoon. Once all of the flour has been combined with the butter, grab a whisk and gradually pour the herb-infused milk, passing it through a sieve as you go to strain out the aromatics. As the sauce thickens, continue to whisk over low heat, then add nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper and taste. You'll probably need more salt. If sauce is too thick, add more milk and whisk until desired consistency is reached. Set aside to cool slightly.

To assemble:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If using fresh pasta, there is no need to cook the noodles first. If using store bought dry lasagna noodles, place them in a 9x13 pyrex dish and pour boiling water over to cover them. Cover the whole dish with foil and let sit for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, the noodles will not be fully cooked but they will be ready to use in the lasagna.

To assemble the lasagna, coat the bottom of the lasagna pan with a thin layer of the bechamel. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles, cutting them to fit as necessary. Top the noodle layer with a layer each of bechamel, bolognese, mozzarella, fresh basil and Parmesan. Continue with layers of lasagna noodles, bechamel, bolognese, mozzarella, fresh basil and Parmesan until you have three complete layers. Make sure you don't finish with noodles. The top should be the same as the rest with both sauces, mozarella, fresh basil and a dusting on parmesan. Next, nestle the slow roasted tomatoes to cover the top. Bake, uncovered, on a tray (to catch the drippings) in the center of the preheated oven for 1 hour. If the top starts to brown, tent with foil. Let the lasagna stand for 20 minutes at room temperature to cool before cutting. By not cutting into a ripping hot lasagna, you will get clean slices.

Try not to eat with a sappy smile plastered across your face. I dare you.

Cream Puffs

2012-02-08T10:05:00.002-07:00

It's weird because every year for Valentines Day I want to go out to eat. This year I actually want to stay home. If I could do anything I would turn the music up and have cocktail hour with the family. Champagne and strawberries for me and the husband and pellegrino-cranberry for the kids. At 7:30, the littlest would go down for bed and I would put a special movie on upstairs for the older ones. Then, Jeremy and I would sit down to a late dinner. I would serve something sexy but not pretentious, like an upscale herby, cheesy pasta or a beef bourgiugnon. Or better yet, we would do it up picnic style on the living room floor with homemade pizzas with hot red pepper flakes, Parmesan and wine while listening to Adele, Dave Matthews, and Nora Jones. Then, we'd start a movie, pop some popcorn, share a blanket, and eat the most perfect cream puffs filled with the most indulgent vanilla pastry cream and topped with creamy chocolate ganache for me and a simple dusting of powdered sugar for him. The kids would put themselves to bed, and then so would we, and then proceed to sleep all night long with no crying/bad dreams/sleep walking/crib bashing to disturb us. I would sleep a full nine hours-undisturbed. And that would be the greatest Valentines Day for me this year.

It won't happen. For several reasons. First off, Jeremy can never wait to eat dinner past 6:00pm. He starts to raid the fridge, then inevitably eats all the salsa that I am always saving for tostadas. This always happens. Second, we don't eat meat so beef bourguignon is out. Pasta and pizza are negotiable. Third, we live with other people in the house right now so romantic picnic's with just the two of us is definitely not going to happen. Plus, my husband is the furthest thing from cheesy so I'm not sure it would go down anyway. Maybe- because he loves me. Fourthly, The kids won't put themselves to bed. And lastly, the last time I made these cream puffs (two days ago) my husband walked through the door, saw them and said, and I quote "Oh, no. Am I supposed to eat those again?"

Well, to be fair I have made either cream puffs or eclairs 4 out of the last 5 days because I am completely obsessed with making the most perfect pastry cream on planet Earth. You can quote me here when I say, this is the best, most luxurious, smooth, vanilla pastry cream imaginable. Yep, I just said that. The actual puff part is awesome too, and you can make small or large ones to suit your tastes. Surprisingly, cooking time is almost the same for both.

I don't care for cream puffs filled with whipped cream because I find them boring. I don't like cream puffs filled with eggy vanilla pudding either. I like a cross between the two (and just folding them together sounds simple enough, but with the wrong recipe to start with, it's not good, or smooth.) I like my pastry cream rich, and not too sweet. I like it fluffy, yet dense. In short, I am absolutely head over heels for this pastry cream. And you will be to.

The first secret is in the recipe for the actual pastry cream itself which came from this website and originally from the Laduree cookbook in Paris. The recipe is easy and doesn't ask you to watch a candy thermometer so the eggs won't curdle. It's also not heavy with egg but thickened with cornstarch, so it's almost lighter and it couldn't be easier. Just whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together in a bowl.

Then in a saucepan bring the milk and vanilla to a simmer. Then slowly or gradually pour the milk mixture into the egg mixture whisking like mad the whole time. If you don't whisk madly, or pour too much of the hot milk into the eggs they will curdle. I've never had it happen, but just take caution. Pour everything back into the saucepan and bring to boil while whisking. It will thicken up beautifully in just a few minutes. When it looks like vanilla pudding, you are done.

Let it cool for a couple minutes, then whisk in the cold butter until smooth and shiny. Now let it cool to room temperature before folding into your whipped cream:

The vanilla taste and sweetness is spot on. Since the pastry cream has not cooled in the refrigerator it doesn't set up too firm, so it's easy to fold into the cream without lumps. If it's just straight pastry cream you are looking for (like in a fruit tart, don't fold the whipped cream in. Traditionally it's supposed to be thick and generally keep it's shape). For pastries though, folding whipped cream in is the way to go. The result will make you swoon. Refrain from eating right out of the bowl. Now you can refrigerate until ready to use.

Choux pastry (pronounced "shoe") is stupid easy and fast. This is the actual cream puff. Once you make it you'll wonder why you don't everyday.

Step 1: Heat water and butter in a saucepan

Step 2: Measure out flour, sugar and salt

Step 3: Once water and butter is simmering, add all the dry ingredients at once and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes away from the edges and forms a ball

Step 4: place the dough in your electric mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for one minute to cool it off. Next, add your eggs a little at a time until you have shiny dough.

Alternately you can manually mix the eggs with the dough with a wooden spoon. The dough should look like this when done:

You are now ready to pipe your puffs

Press down spiky parts with a wet finger and bake

Voila! Perfection! These are the smaller sized cream puffs

No, wait. Top with ganache, fill with cream and then...Voila! Perfection! Large Cream Puffs

smaller cream puffs

And just to set the record straight, Jeremy was not complaining about having to eat these cream puffs again. He was lamenting that they were in the house, yet again, and he knew (because they are so good) that he would not have as much self control and he would wish, and he would gobble them down. I know most men don't lament like this.

And don't let this lengthy post fool you. Cream puffs are easy, especially when the recipe is explained throughly and there are lots of pictures, which makes the post long and seem complicated. Read through the lines.

Vanilla Pastry Cream

adapted from the Laduree Cookbook

makes enough for one recipe cream puffs

4 eggs yolks

2 cups whole milk

2/3 cup granulated sugar (I just use the 1/3 measurement twice)

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter

1 vanilla bean, cut open, seeds scraped or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup heavy whipping cream

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together thoroughly. Add the cornstarch and whisk until combined and thickened.

Heat the milk and vanilla together until simmering. Slowly stream the hot milk into the egg mixture whisking like mad the whole time. Or, add small amounts of the milk mixture from a ladle, a little at a time and whisk like mad (this approach works better if you have weaker wrists, like me).

Once everything is combined, add it all back to the sauce pan and bring to boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. It won't take long, and it is important to whisk so you don't get lumps. You want a smooth cream.

Once mixture has thickened to pudding like consistency, remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Next, whisk in the butter a tablespoon at a time until pastry cream is shiny. Transfer the pastry cream to a non-reactive bowl and let sit until it comes to room temperature.

Beat the whipping cream on high until stiff peaks form. Once the pastry cream is cool, add it to the bowl of whipped cream and gently fold the two together. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Choux Pastry

makes 9 large, or 18 smaller cream puffs

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

1 cup water

4 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (wax paper works too). Measure out the flour, sugar and salt together and set aside.

Place the butter and water in a sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and with a wooden spoon quickly add the flour mixture. Put back on the heat and stir together until the dough forms a smooth ball (about 30 seconds to a minute).

Place dough ball in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed for one minute to let some of the heat escape. Next, add your eggs slowly, letting some combine into the dough before adding more and mix until you have a smooth, thick paste.

Spoon or pipe (a zip lock back with the tip cut off works) nine large mounds, or 18 smaller mounds of dough onto the parchment paper, spacing them a few inches apart. With a wet finger, push down any spots that are sticking up.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. bake for 30 to 40 minutes further (My large ones took 35 minutes, and smaller 30 minutes) until shells are a nice amber color and when split, are dry inside. Let the shells cool to room temperature on a rack.

Chocolate Ganache

1/3 cup heavy cream

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate

break chocolate into small chunks and place in a small bowl. Heat the milk in a small saucepan to simmering. Pour hot milk over chocolate and allow to sit for 1 minute, then whisk into a thick ganache. use right away to top your cream puffs.

To Assemble The Cream Puffs

Split each cream puff in half horizontally. Fill or pipe with chilled pastry cream. Spoon the chocolate ganache over the top of each and spread slightly to cover. Or sprinkle powdered sugar over instead of the chocolate, if you prefer true vanilla cream puffs.

Store at room temperature if eating the same day, or stick in the refrigerator for a few hours. These are best eaten the same day they are made, otherwise they will get soggy.

My Grandpas Margaritas

2012-02-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

Today I'm feeling like a gangsta. My In-laws had been gone for 2 weeks and were set to return the night I started writing this post. So we have had the house to ourselves all this time. In case you missed the post where I talked about this, yes, we have been living with my husbands parents while we build our new house. We were lucky enough to sell our old house and decided that throwing money at our new house versus rent a better option. Especially because I like my in-laws and they offered.

The last weekend started out fine. I woke up to find my son and husband watching "Planet Earth" the "great plains" chapter followed by "the mountains" chapter, and after the snow leopard had it's kill and fed the young, I decided it was high time for a cup of coffee. We watched a little more and then proceeded to clean the house. Next, we sat out in the sun even though it was very cold out, for the sake of soaking up a little vitamin D. No, really, we sat out there for the sake of vitamin D. That's how my family rolls. Nap time came around and I found myself with nothing to do. Normally I would read (which didn't appeal to me this afternoon) or bake something, but since I am trying to watch my sugar intake that option was out. So, after thinking it through long and hard, I settled upon making margaritas and sitting out on the deck longer, for you know, for more vitamin D.

Yes, margaritas are sugary by nature and definitely not on my cleanse, but I'm sick of the cold and snow and wanted (if only for 10 minutes) to pretend like it was summer, so off to the kitchen I went. In hindsight, totally worth it. I sent my husband to the liquor store for some "top of the shelf" tequila. He came home with Jose Cuervo. I was thinking more along the lines of Patron Silver (I have no idea why, maybe because it is clear?) but I don't think we have ever deviated from Jose in the past, so I shouldn't have been surprised. I made my Grandpa Grillo's margaritas with a few tweaks to fit my taste, a favorite within our family since they are on the sour side and made with fresh citrus juice- lime, lemon and orange for sweetness. It's pleasantly tart, and the first sip taken makes you pucker up a bit, but every consequent sip from there on out is fantastically fresh and delicious. Trust me, with his ratios of tequila to juice, you'll have no trouble getting it down. :) Relaxation station.

The margarita on the snowy deck. If you could see my husband his shirt was off for maximum vitamin D absorption-told you.

And I'm not really feeling like a gangsta. I don't even know what that means. It's just the tequila talking...

My Grandpas Margaritas

My Grandpa likes his margaritas really strong, and he also adds triple sec to sweeten them up a bit and let me tell you, they are delicious but one is my limit. I opt out of the triple sec most times choosing instead to add a touch of honey if they are too tart. I also keep my margaritas pretty strong, but not as much as my grandpas (I prefer to have two). For his exact recipe make them like this- you're guaranteed a good time: 1 part triple sec, 2 parts citrus juice, 3 parts tequila.

FOR THE JUICE:

1 part fresh squeezed lime juice

1 part fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 part fresh squeezed orange juice (for sweetness)

Mix juices together to use for the margaritas

FOR THE MARGARITAS:

1 part mixed juice

1 part tequila

1/2 part triple sec (optional) or a drizzle of honey (optional)

Ice

Put all your ingredients in a blender with plenty of ice (about a handful per serving) and blend until incorporated. This should only be enough ice to make everything cold, not to be a blended drink. Taste and add more tequila or honey as needed. Alternately, you can mix everything with a wooden spoon in a pitcher and serve over ice in a margarita glass.

One "part" could be any volume you wish. A cup, a shot, a coffee mug full. You be the judge knowing how many people you are going to serve. I've written the juice recipe and the margarita recipe using "parts" but it's just to keep ratios even. Basically, you are looking for half juice and half tequila with plenty of ice blended in or allowed to melt a bit to water everything down. If you are just making two drinks use a measuring cup and squeeze out 8 oz juice, then add 8oz tequila and plenty of ice to your blender. It'll be enough for two. Also, feel free to blend this up in a vita-mix or another powerful blender with even more ice for a slushier texture.

Thin Mint Cookie Shake

2012-02-01T07:58:00.002-07:00

It's girl scout cookie time again, and we just got our boxes from our adorable neighbor, Kaisa. Of course we all know that no girl scout cookie buying is complete without at least 1 box of thin mints (or 10). Normally, I chuck my cookie boxes in the freezer and enjoy them ice cold and often. There has long been an understanding that the freezer provides the most delicious method for storing thin mints. Only the thin mints, though. It would be weird to eat a frozen samoa. My daughter apparently didn't get the memo because I found a box of trefoils in there too. It wasn't so much the fact that they were in the freezer that bothered me but, I have to wonder about anyone who chooses trefoils as their girl scout cookie of choice. I just don't think she knows any better. There comes a time in everyones life for learning such important matters.

The other day I pinned a recipe for a cookies and cream shake. I was really surprised to see that it had been repinned several times in just a few minutes since shake recipes are pretty simple. Throw some ice cream, Oreos and milk in a blender and your set to go. I only pinned it in the first place because this particular recipe called for 1/8 tsp of mint extract and I wanted to remember it for later. Anyone ever had Ben and Jerry's mint chocolate cookie ice cream? It's basically the same thing and, it's delicious. However, I had this box of thin mints glaring me down every time I opened the freezer, and wouldn't you know it, sitting right next to the vanilla ice cream. Mint cookies, vanilla ice cream, a bit of mint extract to help it along and creamy coconut milk to tie it all together? Um, yes please!

He likes it

Now, the best thing about this recipe is you can customize it to fit your own diets using the same quantities. Use either vanilla ice cream, vanilla frozen yogurt, soy or coconut ice cream for your base. Regular milk, non-fat, soy, coconut, or almond milk can be used to thin. You can leave the mint extract in or take it out completely. Obviously, the point of the recipe is to use thin mints, but if you have already devoured your boxes for the season, Oreos will always work, but use four instead of eight.

Thin Mint Cookie Shake

makes 1 shake (or two small)

2 cups vanilla ice cream, or vanilla frozen yogurt

1/2 cup milk (I used unsweetened coconut milk, but any will do)

8 thin mint cookies

1/8 teaspoon mint extract

Blend everything in a blender on medium speed until throughly combined. Pour out, stick in a big straw and smile.

the 1/8 teaspoon of mint extract is very faint and just helps to bring the mint from the cookies forward, and I think it makes the drink extra yummy.

Overnight Greek Salad and Dave Matthews

2012-01-30T08:21:00.001-07:00

From the ages of 16-20 years old, I went to four concerts. Three were for Dave Matthews. See, my best friend Cristina was absolutely, legitimately and completely obsessed with Dave Matthews. She owned like fifteen CD's for her car. They were all Dave Matthews. I don't think it ever occurred to her to listen to anything else. Naturally, being the best friend, I got dragged into the whole thing. Cristina got her mom to buy us tickets to every concert Dave Matthews performed within the greater Los Angeles area for a few years. I saw him at Dodger Stadium. I saw him outdoors at Glen Helen Pavilion where we sat in the back on blankets and couldn't get over the amount of marijuana smoke around us. And now that I think about it, I can't even remember the other venue. That's a bad sign, isn't it? I do remember meeting Ryan Seacrest after the Dodger Stadium concert. He wasn't big time like he is now. Back then he was just our local radio deejay for Star 98.7, my favorite station. He was short. That's all I remember.

Suffice it to say I listened to Dave Matthews a lot as a teenager. Have you ever listened to him? He can be a bit odd. Examples 1, 2 and 3, are excerpts from some of his most famous songs.

Crash Into Me-

I watch you there, through the window and I stare at you, you wear nothing but you wear it so well, tied up and twisted the way I like to be, for you, for me, come and crash into me, baby. Craaaash into me. Crash into me. Crash into me. Ooooh, you know, I'm the king of the castle, your the dirty rascal, crash into me. Yes, I see the wave come and crash into me.

Crush-

Crazy, how it feels tonight. Crazy how you, make it alright, love. Crush me, with the things you do. And I'll do for you, anything too. Oh, sitting, smoking, feeling high..and in this moment, oooh, it feels so right. Lovely lady, I am at your feet, oh God I want you so badly, and I wonder this: Could tomorrow be so wondrous as you there sleeping? Lets go drive till the morning comes. Watch the sunrise and fill our souls up. Drink some wine till we get drunk. Yeah, crazy I'm thinking just knowing that the world is round, and here I am dancing on the ground, am I right side up or upside down? And is this real? or am I dreaming? lovely lady let me drink you, pleeeease.

Satellite-

Satellite. In my eyes, like a diamond in the sky, how I wonder. Satellite, strung from the moon and the world your balloon, peeping tom from the mother station. Who's the king of your satellite castle?

Dave Matthews has to be on drugs...right? And he is a little perverted, no? What do these lyrics even mean? Alright, so I get the whole beautiful artistic side, but as an outsider he really does seem to be pretty warped. I like him still, and the more I listen, the more I remember how much ("#41" live at Radio City Music Hall and "Say Goodbye" are absolute perfection and both get stuck in my head like no other) but am not the biggest everyday fan despite my three concert visits. Or am I? I did go see the movie "Black Hawk Down" ONLY because they used Dave's song "The Space Between" in the previews. Well, that and for Josh Hartnett. Anyone remember him? He was Danny in "Pearl Harbor". Remember Pearl Harbor? I loved that movie! But I loved both Josh Hartnett and Ben Affleck so maybe it had something to do with that. No, it couldn't be because it was an awesome movie, too. And I think about and quote it quite a bit, so there, take that Rodger Ebert. To this day, Ben Affleck is still my number one. Go ahead, make fun of me- I know you guys are all nuts for Brad, Ryan (Reynolds and Gosling), George and Colin, but I only have eyes for Ben. Don't tell me you didn't fall head over heels in "Armageddon". You did. Don't even try and lie.

Whoooo-wee, where were we? Ben gets me all flustered (sorry, honey). Oh yes, Dave Matthews. So many of my memories are tied up in his songs. One night Cristina and I were giving ourselves pedicures when we thought we should partake in some red wine. Now, we were only about seventeen, and I have no idea where we got ourselves a bottle, but Cristina had just gotten back from Costa Rica (where part of her family lives) and they allowed her to drink some while she was there. We figured, what was the difference? Cristina was mad for red wine and it had been all she would talk about since she got back. It was inevitable. It was also the first time I remember ever drinking before I was supposed to. My mom would allow me to have a half a beer or to take a few sips of something before, but this was the first time I actually drank unsupervised. We were semi-responsible and didn't get crazy with it, but I remember feeling tipsy. This whole evening, and I mean the WHOLE evening, we listened to Dave Matthew's "Crush" on repeat. I went into that evening knowing nothing. I came out of it with every single lyric of that song forever burned into my memory, nice nails, and a taste for good red wine. I guess you could say a have a confusing sort of love for Dave.

This overnight Greek salad has nothing to do with The Dave Matthews Band, but I'll try and tie it all together by the end. We will see how that goes. I first made this salad one night last summer after I discovered that raw onions were so much better after they had pickled and soaked in a vinegar mixture for a while before adding it to food. Likewise, I thought a salad would have a lot more flavor if the vegetables could soak and marinate in the dressing for a while before adding it to the lettuce. So I tried it. Success. Not only does it cut your prep time to nothing, since chopping is done the night before, but it tastes better having set. There is also no real recipe or ratios since it is so downright simple and very customizable. Swap out the garbanzo beans for cannelini, feta for mozzarella, then add some chopped salami and you have yourself an overnight Italian salad. Options are limitless and this one will fix what ale's you, even if you are being moody like Dave Matthews. Oh, he's moody, let me tell you. You think a woman who's seen him perform three times wouldn't know this? He got so mad at the audience one time because they were not listening to him attentively enough (I think they were smoking too much pot) and we are pretty sure he cut his concert short and ended with the song "Ant's Marching" on purpose with no encore. The last words in the song? "Lights down, you up and die." Coincidence? I think not.

Overnight Greek Salad

serves 4

1 -2 heads Romaine lettuce or a mixture of romaine and arugula, chopped

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

1/2 cup roasted red pepper strips (from a jar)

1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives

1 small English cucumber, sliced into bite sized pieces

1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

bottled balsamic vinaigrette, greek dressing, red wine vinaigrette or Italian

salt and pepper

Optional additional mix in's or toppers: Grilled shrimp or chicken, salmon, salami or prosciutto.

The night before you want to eat this salad, place cucumber, feta, olives, red pepper strips, artichoke hearts and garbanzo beans in a ziplock bag. Pour as much salad dressing as you would guess you need for the salad over everything. When in doubt, go with about 1/2 cup or more. Chuck the bag in the refrigerator.

The next day, chop your lettuce and place in a large salad bowl. Empty the vegetables in the dressing over the lettuce (if there is a lot of watery liquid in the bottom of the bag, try and keep it out of the salad and discard because it's most likely water the vegetables gave off.) Season with salt and pepper, add a splash more salad dressing to freshen everything up, and toss. Serve plain or with protein of your choice. For a hearty vegetarian option, try tossing in cooked quinoa or couscous.

Homemade Almond Milk (vanilla, chocolate, and coconut)

2012-01-25T08:34:00.002-07:00

Almond milk is the absolute easiest thing you are currently not making. For the past few weeks I have been making batches and keeping them in mason jars in the refrigerator. My favorite thing to do is combine a cup of the chocolate almond milk, which can be a bit strong, with some coconut milk for a nighttime treat. It's creamy, delicious, and the coconut milk is just sweet enough to make that chocolate sing. My kids think it's chocolate milk. Shhhh, don't tell them.

I started to make my own almond milk after a friend (hi, Susan!) asked me about carageenan, a controversial ingredient in most store bought plant milks. After lots of research and talks with my husband, we decided we didn't drink enough store bought almond milk to really harm us in a big way, but still, I hate knowing an ingredient in something I buy is anything less than good for me. I'm no expert but there are rumors abound that carageenan can help cause cancer. Not true from what we understand. It can help promote tumor growth if you already have one, but not cause one to start. Like I said, I'm no expert and I encourage you to do your own research if this is something you are interested in. Still, I started to make my own milk. We still buy store bought almond milk because we need the fortified vitamins and minerals like iron, vitamin A, calcium, riboflavin, magnesium, copper and zinc, but now I supplement some with homemade. Homemade is still super nutritious for you boasting calcium, phosperous, protein, good fat, and fiber.

So, how do you make it? First you must soak your almonds in a mason jar or other container overnight (this is only so the almonds can get soft so they will be easier to blend). When morning comes, drain your soaking water out because it will be cloudy with almond residue and slightly bitter.

Next, blend your almonds with fresh water thoroughly and voila! You have almond milk!

Now, all thats left to do is strain the almond meal out using a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth or even a coffee strainer in a pinch, and then add your flavorings. Make the almond milk as sweet as you would like. Store almond milk in the refrigerator until ready to use. Don't throw away that almond meal! It can be used in smoothies or muffins and pancake batters!

Easy peisy, right? And so many options. Make the almond milk, choose your flavorings (included here are recipes for chocolate, coconut, vanilla, and cinnamon). Savor and enjoy.

Homemade Vanilla Almond Milk - And Three Variations

adapted from www.simplespoonful.com

makes 4-5 cups almond milk

1 1/2 cups raw almonds, soaked overnight in water and rinsed off

4-5 cups fresh water ( I prefer 4 c. but some people like theirs watery)

1-1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons agave nectar or honey, or 1/2 packet of stevia

a pinch of sea salt (you must use salt, it brings out the flavor)

Blend almonds and fresh water together until well blended. Strain out almond milk with a fine mesh sieve, cheesecloth or coffee filter into a clean container. Pack up leftover almond meal for another use. Pour almond milk back into the blender and add the vanilla, sweetener and seas salt. Blend to combine and pour back into clean container. Store in the refrigerator for 1 week, or longer. If the almond milk smells sour, it's time to go.

For Chocolate Almond Milk: Add 4 tablespoons of good quality cocoa powder and increase the agave nectar or honey to 4 tablespoons total (or stevia to 1 1/2 packets-about 2 teaspoons), and increase the vanilla by a 1/2 teaspoon.

For Coconut Almond Milk: Add 1/2 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut to the almonds and fresh water at the beginning of blending and blend together. Strain as directed and add in the same flavorings as you would for vanilla almond milk. You could also use sweetened coconut for this since most people sweeten their milk anyway. Just taste first before adding more sweetener to it.

For Cinnamon Almond Milk: Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to vanilla almond milk, and more to taste.

For Unsweetened Almond Milk: Leave out the sweeteners.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

2012-01-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

I really want to change the name of this to "broccoli, arugula and Romano cheese soup" because really that's what it is. But Gwyneth Paltrow calls this simply "broccoli and cheese soup" so we will just go with that. Things you should know about it:

A) It is really good

B) It is really good for you

C) My husband says we should eat a bowl once a week for the rest of our lives.

This one is easy and one might argue that you don't even need a recipe. Unless you are me. I (usually) always follow a recipe as written and then make the necessary changes to suit my tastes for the next time. That's not true. Well, it sort of is. See, I have a gift. I am a "recipe reader" by nature. Listen to this: I read recipes thoroughly and when I am done I know exactly what they will taste like in my head before I even start cooking. You might not think this is really a gift. Everyone can do this to some degree. We all know what tomatoes and garlic and olive oil tastes like. Ah, but I am being sincere when I say that after I read a recipe, I will know it quite...how shall I put this?...intimately.

I will know the texture

I will know how thick or thin something will be

How silky or soft, tender or chewy

I will know which spices could make it better, and how I could take it up a notch

I will know what is an unnecessary step or how I could take a shortcut the next time

I could go on here, but this is not a haiku and so I'll stop. My point is not merely that I have superstar awesome skills, but rather, I'm trying to tell you that this is my specialty. Listen, I am not the only one in the world who has this ability. If you are reading this and thinking "Hey, I can do that!", then you, my dear friend, are a "recipe reader" too. Some people can Irish dance. Some people can do perfect swan dives. Some people can add huge numbers in their head and multiply it by 16.3% and then divide it by 5 to the 3rd power.

I am not one of those people. Especially the last one.

But when I tell you a recipe is good you can trust me. Why? Because I am a "recipe reader"- which is not actually a real thing, but that's besides the point.

Okay, like I was saying, you might not even need a recipe for this one. The recipe consists of sautéing an onion and garlic in olive oil, then adding broccoli florets to cook a few minutes. Next you'll add vegetable stock and simmer everything together until the broccoli is tender. Then you transfer it all to a blender, add a handful of arugula (or more), salt and pepper and blend baby blend. Then you pour it all back into your pot and add the Romano cheese until melted. Done.

Most broccoli and cheese soups are heavy and creamy and, not that there is anything wrong with that since I happen to love heavy and creamy, but it's also nice to know I can get a nice healthy bowl of soup with the same flavor of the other.

You can use different cheese for this like sharp cheddar or even Stilton, but the flavor will be milder and you'll need more cheese to make up for it so plan for that. I like the idea of less cheese so I stick to Romano.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

serves 4-6

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

2 yellow onions, peeled and roughly diced

4 large stalks of broccoli (about 2-2 1/2 lbs) cut into small florets

2 quarts vegetable stock (8 cups)

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

2 cups of arugula (watercress would be good too) or more to taste

1/4-1/2c up of Romano or another strong, assertive cheese

Your best, highest-quality olive oil, for serving

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute for just a minute, or until fragrant. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 4 minutes, or until bright green. Add the stock, salt, and pepper, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the broccoli is just ender. Pour the soup into a blender and puree with the arugula until quite smooth. Be very careful when blending hot liquids. Start slowly and work in batches if necessary. Pour the soup back into the pot, stir in 1/4 cup of the cheese, taste, and add more if you'd like. Serve with extra black pepper and a drizzle of your best olive oil.

Frozen Chocolate and Peanut Butter Banana Bites

2012-01-19T14:16:00.000-07:00

When I was younger my Grandma Grillo used to take me to Knott's Berry Farm. For all you non-Southern Californian's out there, Knott's is a theme park, like Disneyland, but on a slightly smaller scale. There were rides, roller coasters and my favorites included the soap box car races and the log jammer. I also remember having dinner at Ms. Knott's restaurant quite a few times (I think that was the name) where we ate things like fried chicken, biscuits, salad, where I noticed red cabbage for the first time, pie or cobbler, and a berry drink which was always my favorite. Knott's berry farm is known for boysenberries and products made with them (jams, syrups, etc). What they are not known for-at least not that I know of- are chocolate covered frozen bananas. However, it is forever burned in my mind that whenever we would pass those people selling food in carts around the park, I would get a chocolate frozen banana covered in finely chopped peanuts. Maybe, it was just once. I have no idea. But my little mind likes to think it was every time. Those things have stayed with me as a fond memory ever since, probably because when bananas are frozen they taste a lot like vanilla ice cream, and who doesn't love vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and peanuts?

I saw a recipe for these banana bites on pinterest and knew instantly I had to try them. They are a little different because you cover chunks of the fruit with a melted mixture of both chocolate and peanut butter, and then cover them in shredded coconut. You could just as easily cover them with peanuts, rainbow sprinkles or almonds. I love that you can eat them like a bon bon, are rich so you only need one or two, and are a snap to make.

My kids wolfed these down for dessert and my daughter actually requested that I make them for her birthday. The best part is that I felt good about what they were eating. And I won't feel too guilty if after those kids are in bed, I sneak off to the freezer to grab a couple more...

Thank you Grandma, for taking me to do such special things when I was little. I remember each and every time.

Frozen Chocolate and Peanut Butter Banana Bites

serves 4

2 ripe bananas

1/3 cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chips

1/3 cup smooth peanut butter or almond butter

2 tablespoons shredded sweetened coconut for sprinkling

wax paper

Peel and chop bananas into 5-6 equal pieces each. Melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter together in a saucepan over very low heat and stir until just combined and chocolate has melted. Dip each banana chunk in the chocolate and peanut butter mixture and place on a wax paper lined sheet pan. Sprinkle the coconut over top and freeze for 2 hours or until hard.

Are You Healthy?

2012-01-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

So, I conducted a social experiment. I asked a bunch of people to keep track of what they ate for three days if they thought they ate "healthy" most of the time. Healthy is relative and I did not define what I meant by it. I was clear that these people should not alter what they normally ate and they had to be honest about every single thing they put in their mouth. Some of the people confessed that they wouldn't consider themselves "uber health conscious" but they also didn't, in their opinion, eat a lot of crap. Which is exactly what I was looking for. I wanted an idea of the average American diet through the eyes of people who ate pretty well most of the time. These are the results. Where do you fit in?

Person 1

Day 1
2 Cups coffee with cream and Kahlua
2 bites Honey Baked ham
1 bowl Chicken Chili with a Tablespoon of sour cream
a handful of roasted cashews
1 chocolate truffle
1 slice turkey pot pie. (used refrigerated Pillsbury crust )
1 bite of a cookie
1 ½ cup roasted Brussels Sprouts (grapeseed oil)
45oz water from tap

Day 2
Smoothie (Mixed berries, ½ scoop,Jay Rob whey, Amazing grass Green superfood, Coconut milk.)
Two bites of the kid's scrambled eggs. (no cheese)
About ½ cup mixed nuts throughout the day
3 baby carrots, 1 cup brussels sprouts, 2 sliced green apple
1small wedge of a quesadilla with cheese and black beans
Many bean soup with cabbage and lots more veggies. This time made with leftover ham from Christmas. I don't usually use meat in it.)
1 See's chocolate bar (Christmas is still seeping into my diet. It is unusual to have chocolate and ham and Kahlua. But not this week!)
Approx. 50 oz. water

Day 3
Smoothie (Same as yesterday)
¼ cup of raw almonds, 1 green apple, red pepper slices (Snack throughout the day)
2 slices of pizza from Ceaser's. (I know. Gross.)
Approx. 40 oz. water

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Person 2- Okay - Here is my Three-Day Food List. This was a great challenge because it made me very aware of what I was eating and last night when I wanted to have another chocolate - I though of this list and refrained! I think this is pretty healthy but I am not vegan/vegetarian, dairy or gluten-free. I believe in a balanced diet with lots of fruits and veggies and my body needs lots of protein. Also keep in mind that my boss's private chef cooks lunch for us three days a week and is very health-conscious. They fly in fresh greens from California, meat from small organic farms around the country and makes everything from scratch with all fresh and organic ingredients. All of the chef's baking ingredients and spices are also special-ordered. So that makes lunches during the week very healthy and easy!

Tuesday 1/3
Breakfast: 1 container of Chobani Greek yogurt with a handful of Udi's granola mixed in and a cup of green tea

Snack: Luna Protein Bar

Lunch: Penne pasta with grilled chicken, toasted pine nuts, yellow and orange peppers and pesto and a cup of fresh pineapple and kiwi

Dinner:
Cup of white bean and ham soup, mixed green salad with shredded carrots and Marzetti's Simply Dressed balsamic vinaigrette with two small slices of asiago cheese baquette dipped in balsamic vinegar and a touch of olive oil

Evening treat: 1 Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate peppermint bark square

64 ounces of water (daily amount)

Wednesday 1/4
Breakfast: One bowl of Special K Cinnamon Pecan cereal with skim milk and one clementine. Cup of green tea.

Snack: Luna Protein Bar

Lunch: White bean and vegetable cassoulet (green beans, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, potatoes, etc.) Mixed green salad with sun-dried tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow peppers, shredded cheddar cheese and red wine vinaigrette. Cup of fresh blackberries and strawberries

Dinner: Jungle Curry (homemade green curry that a friend made us for xmas, chicken, red and orange peppers, carrots and broccoli, lite coconut milk and fish sauce) over brown rice.

Evening treat: 2 Ghiradelli dark chocolate peppermint bark squares
64 ounces of water

Thursday 1/5
Breakfast: One Chobani greek yogurt with a handful of Udi's granola mixed in.
granola mixed in. Cup of green tea

Snack: 1/2 cup of red grapes, one Horizon's organic string cheese, 10 Back to Nature whole wheat crackers. Two cups of black coffee.

Lunch: One bowl of Butternut Squash soup, a few bites of roasted chicken thigh (I don't like thighs but ate a few bites to be polite!), roasted carrots. Both the carrots and chicken had a light herb sauce on them, as well. One cup of ruby red grapefruit and dried cherries that were tossed with fresh grapefruit juice.

Snack: Luna Protein Bar

Dinner: Spinach, mushroom and pesto lasagna. Two small slices of roasted garlic baquette with butter.

Evening treat: Cup of chamomile tea and one Ghiradelli dark chocolate and peppermint square

64 ounces of water
______________________________________________________________

Person 3 -
Tuesday
B: Juice Plus (JP) capsules, 1/2 piece of whole wheat toast with earth balance on it.

L: Huevos Rancheros with tofu not eggs and no sour cream (from freshies)
Snack: handful of almonds and a half of clementine

D: Shrimp and spinach soup

Wednesday
B: JP caps, 1/2 a bowl of oatmeal with bananas and blueberries and a slice of WW toast with earth balance

L: refried bean burrito with corn and salsa on a corn tort

D: arugula salad with carrots, celery, apple, onion and walnuts with balsalmic vin.

Thursday:
B: JP caps, JP shake made with coconut milk and frozen berries/banana (Flax seeds and brewers yeast in it too)

L: White bean and mushroom stew ( mushrooms, carrot, celery, onion and tomatoes)

D: Vegan mac and cheese ("Cheese" is brewers yeast, dijon, miso, and lemon juice, on spinach pasta)

For desert vanilla soy ice cream with nutmeg.

I drink at least 60 oz of water a day and a can of sparkling water sometime in the day.
_______________________________________________________________

Person 4- What I ate for 3 days:

It varies so much! I noticed I ate a little more these three days due to appetite... not so much the past 2-3 days.

Day 1 1-3-2012

• 12+ oz peanut butter/banana smoothie (peanut butter, almond milk, greek yougert)
• 1 cup of coffee with regular half and half

• 1 bite of stinky cheese dip with 1/2 trisket

• 1/2 veggie/avocado sandwich from Bamboo
• 1/2 superfood ball from Bamboo

• 2 squares of dark chocolate with almonds and sea salt
• 1/2 cup of coffee with regular half and half

• Small container of chicken salad with grapes, almonds, red onion
• 1/2 San Pellegrino mineral water
• Large bowl of honey nut cheerios with almond milk (Uh! My go-to. Weakness)

Day 2 1-4-2012

• Med (grande) Carmel Macchiato from Starbucks

• 1/2 roasted turkey/pepper sandwich from Paramount
• Small amount of hand-cut fries with catsup

• Hand full of Honey Nut Cheerios
• Full stem of roasted broccoli with olive oil and kosher salt
• Bowl of chili brought home from Diva (beans, ground elk/bison tomato base)

Day 3 1-5-2012

• 1/2 breakfast burrito from Azteca (eggs, salsa, beans some potatoes)

• 1/2 of a latte

• 1 1/2 Rum and Coke (Sailor Jerry's)
• 2 slices of gruyere from Switzerland (yum! un-pasturized! Wehoo!)

• Salad with greens/romaine, avocado, apple, almonds in vinaigrette dressing
• 1/2 breast Cranberry chicken
• Roasted broccoli and zucchini in olive oil and kosher salt
_______________________________________________________________

Person 5- Tuesday January 3.
I am trying to learn how to eat healthy so I will comment on if I think it's healthy:
Breakfast - left over breakfast casserole (bread, breakfast sausage, cheese and eggs) with a piece of White toast and no I don't consider this healthy but I did think that the next time I will make it with english muffin, elk breakfast sausage, and less fat cheese and have it with dark Rye toast - I do think that would be healthier.

Lunch- Big House Burger; had two sliders without cheese, didn't eat the larger top bun, had it with sauteed onions and mushrooms and she said they sauté them in water and broth not butter so I did ask and instead of fries I had a side salad with a vinaigrette dressing.

Dinner I made stew, with all fresh veggies and a roast I had cooked last week and froze but it was cooked in just a can of tomatoes and the crock pot. I didn't use flour to thicken, I ate it over a half a cup of plain Couscous and that was the only carbs in the dish with a side salad with Braggs Vinaigrette dressing.

Dessert - I had one piece of miniature chocolate - Mr. Goodbar. Oh and a glass of red wine.

Day2
Breakfast: Kashi Oatmeal

Lunch - left over dinner so the same stew with Couscous

Dinner - Subway sandwich 6 inch Italian bread turkey with ham, toasted with Mozzarella cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion,spinach, green peppers, olives, and topped with oil and vinegar.

I also had blue chips and hummus with my two glasses of red wine and for Dessert two pieces of miniature chocolate; Mr. Goodbar.

Day3

Breakfast: Kashi Oatmeal and coffee with Stevia and Coconut milk.

Lunch - 1/2 of a sandwich from Cruiser's. Turkey, cheese on White with lots of veggies.

Dinner - I made a ham (I know it's not the greatest of meats but I got it on sale) I made Au Gratin Potatoes by Healthland foods (100% natural) Read these ingredients: Potatoes, Cornstarch, Cheddar Cheese Powder, Salt, Onion Powder, and Annatto Powder! I can read everyone of those!!!!! My family loves them!! For the veggie I made Sauteed Zucchini, Squash, onions and mushrooms in Marcella wine (I read the ingredients on the Marcella wine, not so great.

For dessert - this is where I got into major trouble. I ate THREE cookies. The ones that the Girl's basket ball team sold - YUMMMY. It's cookie dough that you just pop in the oven - so yummy. The Ingredient list wasn't WAY bad, just a bit bad. But here is the kicker that I am super excited about. I just bought shares of a cow so I am getting WHOLE REAL MILK, YUMMMMYYYY. Very fattening but sooooo goooood for you.
_______________________________________________________________

Person 6- Day1:
apple and banana
carrots
Amy's organic burrito (beans and vegetable - non dairy)
Pop chips - 1 serving
Sweet potato
green beans
Morning Star black bean burger (no bun)
2 Hershey kisses

Day2:
banana and apple
FAGE Greek yogurt (1 cup) and Kashi Go lean crunch (1 cup)
Green Giant box of vegetables (healthy weight kind)
Chobani yogurt cup
Clif Kids Z bar
2 baked bean taquitos
spinach salad with italian dressing

Day3:
Whole wheat english muffin with peanut butter and banana on top
apple
cucumbers (handful)
Wendy's apple pecan chicken salad (no chicken)
Larabar
Tilapia
Orzo (1 cup)
spinach salad with italian dressing
__________________________________________________

And, to be fair, this was my food diary for the three days. Keep in mind I was on a sugar detox cleanse (no fruit) but this, for the most part, is an accurate representation of how I eat on a normal basis along with a fruit smoothie in the morning, a piece of fruit for snack, a few bites of dessert one of the nights and probably, 2 glasses of red wine (or a margarita :)

Day1-

Breakfast: 1 Ezekiel english muffin with 1/2 avocado spread on with garlic and sea salt and 1 cup of black coffee.

Lunch: Ezekiel english muffin with tuna salad (parsley, apples, lemon, vegenaise, celery and jalapenos)

Snack- A handful of twigs and sticks (made with chia seeds and brown rice)

Dinner- a huge serving of cabbage salad with snap peas, radishes, cilantro and sesame seeds with homemade miso dressing and roasted sweet potato wedges.

Drinks: 3 tall glasses of water and 1 glass of pellegrino (mineral water) with lemon.

Day 2-

Breakfast- 1 cup black coffee and 1/4 cup ezekiel cereal with homemade almond milk

Lunch: Pea and basil soup (vegan) with 1/2 and ezekiel english muffin with tuna salad (same as above)

Snack: 1 large carrot and smoked tomato and basil hummus

Dinner: Roasted wild salmon with mustard herb sauce, lemon broccoli, arugula salad with veggies and brown rice

Drinks: 4 tall glasses of water and 1 tall glass of pellegrino (mineral water) with lemon.

Day 3-

Breakfast: Hot water with lemon and 1 cup coffee with 1 tablespoon coconut milk (no real breakfast-oops! Bad, Krysta, bad!)

Lunch: 2 Ezekiel tortilla tostadas with vegetarian refried beans, green salsa, red onion, baby greens and cholula.

Snack: 2 cups herbal hot tea and a small bowl of vegetarian lentil chili

Dinner: Carrot and miso soup with a large serving of collard greens on the side

Drinks: 4 tall glasses of water and 1 glass of Pellegrino with lemon.
__________________________________________________

What do you think? Interesting? Or just what you would expect? About half of the people I asked didn't actually turn their lists in to me. Some confessed they were too embarrassed of what they ate and others either forgot or didn't complete the three days and get it to me.

Chicken Stock

2012-01-16T08:12:00.001-07:00

I took Isabella to the dentist last week for a cleaning. Poor kid ended up having four cavities, with one so bad it had to be pulled that day. She obviously did not get my good dental genes. Although if you asked her little brother, it was getting "ripped out." Boys. She was so brave and didn't flinch almost the whole procedure. She was all smiles as we left the office and only complained once of it being sore. Then, when we got to the car, she looked in the mirror at the gauze they gave her to bite down on. Mistake numero uno. She saw that is was red and, seriously guys, proceeded to FREAK THE HECK OUT. Wailing, crying, tears, gnashing around, you name it. It wasn't until the ibuprofen kicked in a little later that she finally relaxed. The upside? Getting a filling compared to an extraction is nothing, so our next two trips to the dentist should be easier.

With all this dental work in our future, I got to thinking about comfort food. There are definitely a lot of foods you can't eat when your mouth is sore. Soup, of course, is always the answer. Me? I'm sort of a soup snob. I much prefer homemade stock to build my soups upon. It always surprises me what a difference it makes in flavor. If you swapped out homemade chicken stock for the store bought variety, and that was the only change you made, your soup would taste more superior by ten fold. Girl Scout promise. And yes, I was a legit girl scout. Troop 538, we are great, 538 the best in the state!

I have tried quite a few recipes for chicken stock and while they were all good, nothing blew my socks off until I tried Ina Gartens. And are you really surprised? That woman is a genius. She jam packs her pot with vegetables and herbs which gives off more flavor. The first time I made this, it looked as if I was going to only be left with the tiniest bit of stock since most of the pot space was already taken up, but the recipe actually yields, on average, enough for two different meals. The second thing is she leaves all her vegetables un-peeled. The onion husk stays on, and same with the garlic which gets one vertical cut to expose the cloves to the water, and no need to peel the carrots or parsnips either which makes prep that much easier. The third difference is she uses fresh dill along with her other herbs. I have never seen that before and I can tell you it might be what single handedly won me over. Dill is absolutely divine in chicken stock-who knew? I would never make it again without using it. It's flavor is light and you might not be able to quite put your finger on what it is, but you know it's awesome.

The only place you can possibly go wrong with chicken stock is if you don't use enough salt. Stock can taste like dirty dishwater without the proper amount of salt, so keep adding as necessary. Ina does provide a near perfect amount in her recipe, but I always taste at the end and see if it could use more. Sometimes it does. Make sure you pick up all the ingredients and don't skimp. It's worth it in the end for maximum flavor. Chicken stock takes a while to simmer, but only takes a couple of minutes to prep and get it going. Then, all thats left is to strain it, chill overnight, and use it all right away, or chances are you'll want to store half in the freezer for another time. You must chill it overnight so that you can remove the fat the next day. When the stock gets cold, the fat rises tot he top making it easy to remove.

You'll need a really large pot for this (a big spaghetti pot will work, but keep in mind, some are bigger than others.) If you don't have one, can't borrow one, and don't want to buy one, you can cut the recipe in half, using half a chicken or a smaller one and using the biggest pot you own, providing it all fits. You won't end up with enough stock for two recipes, but you'll get enough for one.

There we go. Chicken soup for the soul and hopefully teeth as well.

Chicken Stock

adapted from Barefoot Contessa, Family Style, by Ina Garten

Makes about 10 cups

1 5-pound roasting chicken

2 large yellow onions, unpeeled, quartered

2 carrots, unpeeled, halved

2 celery stalks with leaves, cut in thirds

2 parsnips (or sub more carrots) unpeeled, cut in half

12 sprigs fresh parsley

10 sprigs fresh dill

10 sprigs fresh thyme

1 head garlic, unpeeled, cut in half crosswise

1 tablespoon kosher salt (more to taste)

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Place the chicken, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, and seasonings in a large stockpot. Add 12 cups of fresh water (or more if needed, to cover all the ingredients) and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 4 hours. While cooking, add more water (up to 3 cups total) to the stock after 2 hours, to replace what is evaporated during the cooking process. The chicken and ingredients will rise to the top while cooking. It's okay. I just push everything down once and a while with my spoon. Taste stock for salt and add more if needed.

Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander and discard the solids. Chill the stock overnight. The next day, remove the surface fat. Use immediately or pack in containers and freeze for up to 3 months.

Tuna Salad with Apples, Parsley, Vegenaise, Celery and Jalapeno

2012-01-12T07:45:00.002-07:00

I'm pretty sure I could eat this tuna salad everyday for lunch. Seriously, this stuff is so refreshing and has great flavor with wonderful crunch. I like to pile mine high on top of a toasted Ezekiel (sprouted grain) english muffin half and I am one happy girl. The combo of apple, parsley, celery, and jalapeno is a lot like my old standby and favorite tuna salad of years past, which calls for apples, red onion and pepper jack cheese, but this version is a lot healthier which is a huge plus. How is it healthier? Let me splain...

I was shouting the other day that this was basically a vegan tuna salad. Now, I am an educated person and I understand that the notion of a "vegan" tuna anything, is impossible. But it was still rude when my husband yelled back "Krysta, stop saying that! Its like me saying "she is pregnant with a boy girl"... Rude, I tell you but also true. I was assuming he would know that I meant there was no pepper jack cheese like in my usual version, and also the base for the tuna salad was vegan since I used vegenaise instead of the usual mayonnaise.

Psst. Tuna salad is not the most gorgeous of subjects to photograph.

Vegenaise is not just for vegans. In fact, I would choose vegenaise over mayonnaise any day just based on flavor. You should try it-you'll like it. I know the name is a little strange, but vegenaise isn't made up of anything weird. The ingredients are non-GMO expeller-pressed canola oil (you can get versions made with grape seed oil and soy bean oil as well), water, apple cider vinegar, brown rice syrup, non-GMO soy protein, sea salt, mustard flour and lemon juice. It's tasty, egg free, gluten free, low in saturated fat and high in the all important omega-3's. You can use it anywhere you would use mayonnaise.

The quantities of ingredients used in this recipe are based on how I like my tuna, but you can change it up to suit your taste, since tuna salad can be highly personal. Mine is seasoned well with quite a bit of garlic salt, heavier on the lemon, loaded with crunchy bites and just slightly hot. I always end up putting more jalapeno on top, so don't be afraid of it being too spicy.

I like to double this recipe so I have lots of leftovers. I also find that the tuna is better the second day. Another plus!

Make sure to buy solid white albacore when choosing tuna. Anything else will taste pretty fishy. Also, you can make this even better by buying tuna that is organic, dolphin-safe and contains low mercury. Vital Choice or Wild Planet brands are good choices.

Tuna Salad with Apples, Parsley, Vegenaise, Celery and Jalapeno

serves 3-4

1 12-oz can solid white albacore tuna, drained

1/2 a medium granny smith apple, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

2 tablespoons minced parsley

1 tablespoon jarred, chopped jalapenos (fresh jalapenos would be too spicy)

juice from 1/2 a lemon

2 tablespoons Vegenaise

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, plus more if desired

freshly ground pepper ( a few dashes)

Mix everything together in a large bowl with a fork, breaking up the tuna as you go along until incorporated. Taste and add more garlic salt or jalapeno if needed. Pile high on a crunchy cracker on on top of toasted ezekiel english muffins and enjoy...every. single. day. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, tightly covered with plastic wrap.

Take care to not over mix the tuna. You want it to stay in chunks similar in size to the apples and celery. Mushed tuna can get mealy, which is a total turn off.

Blythes Blueberry Muffins

2012-01-10T09:10:00.001-07:00

Good morning to you all! Or as I like to say, guten trog! I think it's German, but now that I think it through, it might be "guten morgan" which I say all the time. Either way, you know what I mean. The sun is shining and it has snowed one and a half times in the past 3-4 weeks. Not good for skiing but it's great weather for trips to friends houses and grocery shopping. There is nothing worse than pushing a full cart through the snow banks and ice, in a blizzard, through the parking lot and then unloading the bags. People fall all the time doing this. Its kind of funny, except when it's you. Oh, and I bit it big time about 2 years ago. So embarrassing.

Along with the favorable weather, blueberries were on sale at the store as if it were full-on spring. I'm not getting my hopes up that the weather stays like this. I have lived here long enough to know that inevitably it will dump buckets, and we will have storm after storm move in with a few sunny days in between, skiers will rejoice, and I will fall on my butt in parking lots. It is so in my future. But for right now, I think I'll eat blueberry muffins, pretend it's warm (it's not) and enjoy the sun...and The Bachelor.

These little darlings are studded with blueberries. I think the ratio of blueberries to batter has to be 50/50 which makes these, in my opinion, nothing short of awesome. The recipe is easy, can be mixed by hand, and the muffins once baked, are tender and fluffy and only slightly sweet. This is not a sugary muffin, which is a plus in my book is a plus because it lets the taste of the blueberries shine (you can probably add up to 1/4 cup of additional sugar to this recipe if you like your muffins on the sweeter side.) By the way, in case you were thinking of tweaking this recipe to make it healthier, you know, because of the new year and the resolutions and all, think again. I made them the first time using 1/2 whole wheat flour and almond milk and while they were still good, they were also heavy and not as tender. I think you would have better results using coconut milk, for the higher fat content and only subbing out about 1/2 cup total of whole wheat flour.

I should mention these are named after Gwyneth Paltrow's mom, Blythe Danner, who I love. She's the mom in "Meet The Parents" and "Meet The Fockers" movies, among many other roles. I love her even more now that I know she makes a mean muffin.

Blythe's Blueberry Muffins

adapted from My Fathers Daughter, by Gwyneth Paltrow

Makes 12

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen berries will bleed purple dye through your batter)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with papers. Whisk the butter, eggs, and milk together in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, the 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold in the blueberries. Divide among the muffin cups and sprinkle the muffins with the remaining teaspoon of sugar. bake until a toothpick tests clean and the muffins are golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Best to eat these warm.

Raw Vegan Chocolate Mousse

2012-01-04T08:41:00.001-07:00

Some things get better with age like fine wine, George Clooney, and this insanely decadent dessert. I whipped this up last night within minutes, then let it chill for an hour in the fridge like I was supposed to. When I finally sampled it, I was pleased but not wowed at first. It was strong and really rich so a little went a long way. When I dug into it again today though, things had changed some. It had thickened to a gloriously creamy and firm velvety texture and had mellowed and sweetened significantly. The night before, although it was getting really good by about the third bite, I could still detect strong flavors like the almond extract and avocado. But today everything tasted blended and in unison, sweeter, more wonderful. Yes! I am excited. Really guys, what other dessert do you know of that is as healthy for you as a handful of vegetables?

I used organic raw cacao powder for the chocolate in this recipe. It might seem like the same same thing as cocoa powder, but it's not. Hark! I got a lesson in raw cacao from Sarah B over at My New Roots, who has an equally delicious recipe for vegan chocolate mousse tarts, a while ago and it changed my world. Raw cacao is considered a superfood because it contains a naturally rich supply of antioxidants and is also a good source of dietary fiber. It's also known to be one of the highest sources of magnesium, flavanols and polyphenols that will increase energy and enhance health. It also contains more antioxidants per gram than goji berries, blueberries, red wine and even green tea. Yes, it's quite amazing what a little raw cacao can do for your health, but it doesn't mean you should read this and use it as a pass to start eating chocolate mousse everyday. This is dessert after all, and should be treated like it. Regular cocoa powder that can be bought at the grocery store is not good for you and is highly processed thus killing any and all of the nutritious enzymes that were once present, but (and I say this reluctantly) you can use it as a substitute if you don't have the real thing- I'd go out and buy some at your local health food store if I were you, though. Make sure it is organic and raw before making the purchase. I like the Navitas Naturals brand. It will cost you a few extra dollars than the Hershey's stuff, but it's well worth it and not that expensive. Think $10 vs. $4.50.

The other ingredients in this recipe are great for you too. I'm sure you knew avocados were good for you, but do you know just how great they are? If you are one of those people who sees the word avocado and thinks "fat", please, please, go google the benefits. Avocados are a good fat, which is good for your body. I know you have heard that before, but they can also help lower your cholesterol, not to mention providing good amounts of vitamin K, vitamin C and calcium. Plus, they are delicious. Can I get an amen?

This mousse is sweetened with agave or maple syrup and flavored with vanilla and almond extracts (you can leave out the almond and sub vanilla if you are not a fan). You just put all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz away. That's it! This will keep covered in the refrigerator for a few days just fine. I'd serve it in little shot glasses if I were you because it's cute and seems to be the perfect serving size for me.

Raw Vegan Chocolate Mousse

adapted from "If It Makes You Healthy" by Chuck White and Sheryl Crow (chocolate-avocado mousse martinis)

serves 4-6

2 large ripe avocados

1/2 cup raw organic cacao powder (or cocoa powder with a minimum of 70 % cocoa)

1/2 cup agave nectar, or maple syrup, or more to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

1/2 pint fresh raspberries for garnish

Halve and pit the avocados and scoop out the flesh. Transfer the avocado flesh to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the cacao powder, agave nectar, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the bowl and process for 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and process again until the mousse is very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Taste the mousse and if not sweet enough add more agave, 1 teaspoon at a time.

Transfer the mousse to a clean container and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour (taste is better and more developed if it sits overnight). Serve chilled in tiny bowls or shot glasses and garnished with raspberries.

By the way, I don't have a thing for George Clooney. I don't even know why I said that in the beginning of this post, but you have to agree that he looked better in "Oceans Eleven", when he was older, than in "ER".

Arugula and Tomato Pasta

2012-01-02T08:19:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year everyone! I got a few new cookbooks this holiday season and have been so excited about sharing some of my new favorite recipes with you all. Back in November my mother got me Gwyneth Paltrow's "My Fathers Daughter" for my birthday and I have been cooking through it ever since. I highly recommend this book with its beautiful pictures, interesting narratives, and simple yet delicious recipes like broiled salmon with homemade teriyaki sauce, Asian portabello burgers, broccoli and cheese soup (which is healthy and so, so good-I'll be blogging about that one!) artichoke and parmesan frittata, and of course this easy arugula and tomato pasta.

The arugula that gets thrown in at the end wilts and becomes a welcome, bright green and healthy addition to the dish. It's like having a salad right in the pasta instead of on the side, which I love. I really like that it's done with arugula instead of spinach since it can make your teeth gritty. I can't stand that!

I have already made this twice, which is big for me, and it was love at first bite for the whole family. Everything about the sauce is simple, but after you let it simmer for an hour it gets really silky and decadent and really, really tasty! I really like how she uses whole tomatoes for this recipe because they cook down and while you do break them apart with a wooden spoon, you are still left with hefty chunks which are delicious with the bite of the pasta and arugula. The Parmesan cheese on top is the perfect salty compliment.

Plan to use the whole box of arugula. It wilts down quite a bit and you could even stand to put more in. We love arugula in this house. Originally this recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds to be crushed and added to the sauce for a subtle sweetness, but it's really not something I'm into. If that sort of thing excites you, by all means, add it in with the chile flakes.

Plan ahead. This one is super easy, but you need to let the sauce simmer for 1 hour.

Arugula and Tomato Pasta

adapted from My Fathers Daughter, by Gwyneth Paltrow

serves 6

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes

2 28-oz cans whole tomatoes with their juice

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

Black pepper

1 lb box spaghetti (I used whole wheat)

1 5-oz box of fresh arugula (about 4 large handfuls)

Grated Parmesan Cheese, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic and chile flakes and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until very fragrant. Add the tomatoes and their juice, season with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and pepper to taste, turn the heat to high, and bring the sauce to a boil. Turn the heat to medium low and let the sauce cook on a low boil for 1 hour. Crush the tomatoes in half with a wooden spoon just before serving.

About 10 minutes before you're ready to eat, boil the spaghetti in salted boiling water. A minute before it's al dente, add the arugula to the pasta pot. Drain the pasta and arugula and toss them with the tomato sauce. Serve each portion with plenty of grated Parmesan.

By the way, if any of you missed my post on the three detoxifying juices and smoothies and are looking to become healthier in the new year, go check it out and see if any are for you. I personally like the beet+carrot+apple+mint juice the best.

Detoxifying Juices and Smoothies

2011-12-28T07:35:00.006-07:00

via

New year. New you. Change your life. Starting now. That's the title of the 21-day detox plan in my Whole Living magazine this month (by Martha Stewart). I was intrigued by most of the recipes on the plan but the juices and smoothies definitely caught my eye first. Grapefruit + carrot and ginger juice, anyone? How about beet + apple + carrots and mint? And aren't we all wondering about those green machine smoothies that are all over the Internet? I like this magazine, but I like one of the recipe contributors for this article even better. Her name is Sarah Britton and she writes an incredibly healthy blog called My New Roots and I trust her recipes and health knowledge. I know you want to get healthy, fit and lose a couple pounds that inevitably came along with the holidays. I know I do. Whether it's your New years resolution or not, eating better, cleaner and healthier is always important and I have just the trick to help get you started on the right foot while you are still good and motivated. Incorporate these powerhouse drinks into a cleanse, detox, diet, and/or healthy eating regimen of your choice and get ready for healing, energy, better sleep, clearer skin, healthy hair and nails, and a couple pounds lost. Sound good?

Even if you are in no hurry to do a full out detox, just ditch the alcohol for a few weeks and break out your Vita-mix, blender or juicer and take the first step. Better decisions will follow. Who knows? You might make a few vegetarian meals throughout the week instead of your usual pizza or steak (I have a long list of choices under my recipes section). You might say no to ice cream and yes to sliced strawberries instead. Heck, maybe you'll get crazy with it and walk the neighborhood block in the evenings. Changing your life starts somewhere, and if for you, all that means is incorporating more fruits, vegetables and antioxidant rich foods into your diet, that's a fantastic start...and these elixirs will do more than your body good.

So, I made all three of the drinks on the 21-day detox plan (there are also more than 50 recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, that will supercharge your health by clearing your body of impurities on the website) and will tell you exactly what I thought of them below. Two of these drinks are supposed to be made in a juicer, but alas, I gave mine away *boo*. I do have a Vita-Mix though, and so I set out to make them like a smoothie instead. I knew it would be thicker, but I also like the idea of getting the whole of the vegetables and fruit in my glass along with all the roughage and fiber, and I'll tell you how they turned out below as well.

Bottom line? Except for the green machine, definitely use a juicer as your first choice!

Grapefruit, Carrot, and Ginger Juice

1 serving

2 chopped grapefruits (peel and pith removed)

5 chopped carrots (I used smaller organic carrots)

1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

Press all ingredients through a juice extractor. Stir and serve immediately. You can also blend on high in a Vita-Mix or other powerful blender until smooth, just make sure to add 1 cup of water and 6 ice cubes to the mix. (see my note below). Add more fresh water if needed to thin.

PER SERVING: 321 calories, 1 g fat, (1 g sat fat); 7 g protein; 16 g fiber

The magazine says: Liquids in the morning are easier on your digestive system than solid foods. The carrots in this zesty tonic deliver a blast of immunity boosting vitamin C and enough fiber to sustain you until your first snack.

Taste test result: This was a little thick made in my Vita-Mix, though I didn't really mind. I'd make it again in my blender and not think much about it, but if you have a juice extractor, use that as a first choice. The drink is bright and vibrant, and reminds me of a true juice, making it a perfect choice either alongside, or for breakfast. The coral color isn't bad either.

Beet, Apple and Mint Juice

serves 1

1 chopped, small raw beet (peeled)

5 chopped carrots

1 cored and chopped organic apple (I used Honeycrisp)

1/4 cup fresh mint sprigs, lightly packed

Press everything through a juice extractor. Stir and serve immediately. You can blend this in a Vita-Mix as well- but make sure to add 1 1/2 cups of water and 6 ice cubes to the mix, and blend on high until smooth. This particular drink is tastier done in the juice extractor rather than blending (see my note below).

PER SERVING: 249 cals; 1 g fat )0 g sat fat); 5 g protein; 15 g fiber

The magazine says: Antioxidant superstars, red beets contain betalains, compounds that fight inflammation and support your detox by neutralizing toxins and making them water soluble and easily flushed from the body. In one study, beet fiber increased the production of detoxifying enzymes in the liver.

Taste test result: I made this one two days in a row and it varied in taste depending on how big my beets were. This is really mild and sweet going in, and then at the finish you can detect the mint and your mouth feels incredibly clean afterwards. Raw beets are not as potent as cooked so it definitely passes as a drink friendly food in my book. Taste wise, this was actually my favorite drink and I will surely be making it again. However, I really recommend you make this one in a juice extractor. The solids want to separate something awful and unless you chug this down quickly straight from the blender, you'll end up chewing through some of it, which is not completely pleasant. Your call.

Green Machine Smoothie

serves 2

6 chopped organic romaine leaves

4 chopped organic kale leaves

1/2 cup fresh parsley sprigs

1/2 cup chopped mango

1/2 cup chopped pineapple

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 cups water

6 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a powerful blender such as the Vita-Mix and blend until smooth. PER SERVING: 145 cals; 2 g fat; (0 g sat fat);7 g protein; 6 g fiber

The magazine says: Starting the day with this nutrient-dense elixir is a delicious way to charge your system with nutrients. Dark leafy greens are extremely alkalizing, meaning they foster a more neutral body environment for better functioning enzymes, compared with acid-forming foods like meats and dairy.

Taste test result: I only had pineapple on hand so I did a whole cup of that instead of 1/2 cup mango and 1/2 cup pineapple. This is a powerhouse green smoothie and it's not like you can't taste the greens...you can, but I don't know that you'll mind that much. The greens are balanced by the sweet fruits and both the spiciness of the fresh ginger and pop of parsley. It's really quite nice. I was originally going to suggest that this smoothie was for adult palates rather than kids, but this was actually my 9 year old daughter's favorite of the three drinks! Although, my 5 year old son hated it. :) If you like the idea of a green smoothie but are not wild about the flavor, check out this spinach-berry smoothie. You can't taste the greens at all. The taste of this one will depend on how much ginger you put in. The first time I made this, my inch of ginger was on the skinnier side and the drink was sweeter but earthier. The second time my ginger was fat, so much more went in, which covered the earthiness, but was not very sweet.

None of these drinks are incredibly delicious (maybe the beet, mint, apple - juiced, not blended) but considering how nutritionally good for you they are, it's a wonder they taste this good. I was really pleasantly surprised. The fact that I made them two days in a row says something. And I don't know about you, but when I know I'm putting wonderfully healthy foods into my body, each sip tastes better and better. Really.

Hot Chocolate Mix

2011-12-21T07:45:00.001-07:00

This year my family is packaging up this hot chocolate mix in big Mason jars and giving them to my little cousins for Christmas. Throw in a bag of marshmallows or make your own and I'd say you've got a great little gift.

We taste tested this cocoa to make sure it was as good as it sounded (chocolate pudding is in the mix!) and it got the thumbs up all around. This recipe makes one batch, which is a lot of mix but you sort of need a lot to make a cup so it all worked out.

Have yourselves a Merry Little Christmas! Our Christmas Card this year: If you thought I'd be savvy enough to upload a good picture from Shutterfly where I purchased this card, you'd be very wrong.

Hot Cocoa Mix

adapted from "momadvice.com"

4 cups nonfat dry milk powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup non-dairy coffee creamer
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 (4 ounce) package instant chocolate fudge pudding

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. If a finer consistency is desired, you can pour the mix into a blender or food processor and run it through that. Store in an airtight container. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup (depending on your cocoa preference) of the mix to an 8 ounce mug of boiling water.

“‘And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.’” (Luke, chapter 2 and Linus)

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Peace and goodwill to you this holiday season, my friends.

Healthy Gingered Muffins (in a snap)

2011-12-19T07:30:00.002-07:00

Super healthy, flavorful muffins for breakfast anyone? These are a snap to make and smell like Christmas morning with all the fresh ginger, cinnamon and cloves wafting up from the batter. Grab a cup of coffee and you are all set to snuggle up and read the Sunday paper. For this recipe you will blend the wet ingredients in a vita-mix or regular blender, and pour that into the dry ingredients before mixing and scooping into small muffin tins and baking. The original recipe says to bake this is an 8x8 pyrex dish and cutting them into bars. You can do that too, but it would be "gingered bread" instead of muffins. Either way, they are delicious.

My friend Danielle made these for me one morning last week. The smell hit me smack dab when I walked in the door. It smelled like it was going to be a very good morning. When she told me what was in them, I couldn't believe how good they are for you, although, she cheated a bit and admittedly added chocolate chips and walnuts to hers. This is a great base recipe because like Danielle you can go crazy with any add in's you desire. Dried cranberries and orange zest would be lovely too.

If you have a mini muffin tin, use that and bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of a muffin. If you want to make regular muffins, double the recipe to make 12 and keep an eye on them for cooking time. Directions below are for an 8x8 pyrex dish to make bars.

Healthy Gingered Muffins

adapted from the Vita-mix cookbook

makes one 8x8 pan

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/2 cup water

2 egg whites

1/4 cup molasses or honey

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 apple, quartered

1/2-inch thick slice of fresh ginger, roughly chopped, unpeeled

add in's- walnuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch x 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Stir together first six ingredients in a large -sized mixing bowl. Set aside.

Place water, egg whites, molasses, sugar, apple and ginger into vitamix or blender and secure lid. Blend on high (or puree) until everything is smooth (or almost smooth, if using a regular blender).

Pour wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold gently. Add any add in's and fold in. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Vanilla Bean and Cacao Nib Bourbon (X-Mas gift idea) and Seattle

2011-12-15T08:59:00.004-07:00

Bottles of infused bourbon make the perfect gift for the distinguished gentlemen in your life (or for Southern men, or anyone who enjoy's spirits for that matter). The best part is it only takes a couple ingredients and two weeks to sit, and my goodness, doesn't vanilla bean and cacao nib bourbon sound downright delicious? The process is super simple. Just combine your favorite bourbon with two slit open vanilla beans and the cacao nibs and let it sit for two weeks before straining and pouring it back into its original container. You lose a little bourbon in the process, I think because the cacao nibs seem to soak it up, but nobody is going to complain.

You can drink this straight up as an after dinner cocktail with a cigar or mix it with Coke or even the eggnog I posted yesterday. Another sweet suggestion is to write down any number of different cocktails that one can make with bourbon to go with your gift. One thing to note is cacao nib is really pure so it's not chocolatey but more smokey. This might catch you off guard if you don't expect that, but the vanilla bean is lovely with it. This is a subtle infusion and only hints at the notes put into it which I would assume most men would like - after all, they probably want to taste the bourbon - but you could always try adding in more vanilla beans if you wanted.

Here is the recipe. Scroll down and keep reading if you want to hear about the second part of our trip to Seattle and visit with my sister!

Cacao-Nib and Vanilla Bean-Infused Bourbon

adapted from Traditional Home Magazine, October 2011

In a clean, 2-quart glass jar, place 1/2 cup cocoa nibs and 2 vanilla beans sliced open but not scraped. Add one 750-ml bottle good-quality bourbon; seal jar. Store in a cool, dark place 2 weeks. To serve, strain bourbon through cheesecloth into a clean bottle. Store tightly sealed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I left you last, I was a wee bit tipsy on the plane ride to Seattle. By the time my trip was over and I had left and was in the middle of my third "scary" flight back home I had learned the following:

A) I still didn't enjoy flying

B) United airlines serves Absolute Vodka while Frontier prefers Skyy brand. I prefer Absolute and Frontier, so basically you could say I am screwed either way.

C) I would need to learn how to remove red, Mr. and Mrs. T Bloody Mary Mix from a white Kenneth Cole pea coat. The gentleman in the seat next to me reminds me that Club Soda should do the job. Riiiiight.

D) I need to eat at Canlis again before I die.

More about Canlis later, but for now let me show you where we stayed. This is Pike Market and it's considered "The Soul Of Seattle". We stayed at The Inn At The Market and I would suggest it highly.

The first Starbucks store! This was totally exciting for me. I didn't even know Starbucks originated in Seattle when my sister pointed it out, but you bet your bottom dollar I made my way back over there (it was maybe one block from our hotel) in the morning for a cup of coffee when the line wasn't so long. A skinny peppermint mocha to be exact. It tasted just like any other Starbucks would make.

There's this place called Post Alley that runs through the market area and it's home to the famous "gum wall". It is absolutely disgusting! There must have been millions of pieces of chewed gum stuck all over this brick wall. Of course, we had to contribute.

Here is the view of the Seattle skyline from Kerry Park. We got lost on our way to find it and ended up at the public library downtown. Eventually Kaylee, my sister, found it.

One morning for breakfast we at at this cute little place named "Tilth". The chef who opened the restaurant was on Iron Chef and won against Morimoto! That's serious stuff. Morimoto doesn't mess around. Then, the next day we ate at a Thai restaurant for lunch and had a great green papaya salad but then, seriously...the absolute nastiest Pad Thai imaginable. It made for great memories as I tried to divide up the noodles and hide them under everyone else's so it looked like I ate it. I'm not kidding. Everyone tried it, and everyone said it was utterly disgusting. Actually my husband said exactly what it tasted like, but I decline to write it here. It came with these little thai bananas for garnish and when you took even the tiniest bite, all the saliva in your mouth dried up. It was so strange. Everything about the experience was strange and funny and gross and memorable.

Pat, my sisters boyfriend and Kaylee and me in front of Tilth-

After the horrible Thai fail, we decided we would go see a movie. But when we got to the theatre we had an hour to kill. Luckily the theatre was part of a mall and we walked around until we happened upon a wine bar/store. It was there we had a spontaneous fun filled hour of wine flights and cheese.

After that we decided we were having way too much fun to go to the movies so instead we ran, literally ran, although I'm not sure why, to another wine bar named "Purple". Seemed like a good idea at the time. We tasted a wine here that tasted and smelled like a florist shop. Straight up. It was very intriguing.

Me, Pat and Kaylee at Purple. This was the best day ever.

Kaylee and me stopping for a picture between running the streets of Seattle

Another day, my sister and I went red lipstick shopping with my patient husband who told us what looked nice. We ended up making the lipstick purchase at Chanel, of course ;)

I told you before I left that I was going to have to stop by Delancey. It's the food blogger, Molly Weizenberg's and her husbands restaurant. It didn't disappoint. If you are looking for a great wood fired pizza and wine with homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert, hit up Delancey.

Then there was Canlis. If you don't know already, Canlis is a very, very nice restaurant and their valets are famous. Seriously, they know your name when you pull up and when you are done and walking out the door your car is already being pulled up front for you-no ticket. It's super cool.

Canlis front entry

I should mention Patrick, my sisters beau since high school, is executive sous chef at Canlis (which means he is second only to "chef" and second in charge of the whole kitchen, which in a restaurant like that is a huge accomplishment) so we got the VIP treatment which was a lot of fun. Although we happened to be with Pat, it was pretty clear that everyone who walked into Canlis' doors got the same treatment.

The tables and view. Our spot was pretty much identical to this. The Sleepless in Seattle house is on that lake (Lake Union)

To start, we sat in the gorgeous lounge with the genius 19 year old piano player who played classical renditions of Coldplay’s covers to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”. I ordered the Canlis cocktail, which was created for a party for "The Black Swan" movie. It was called The Nonesuch of Von Rothbart and was made with apple-infused Bols Genever (gin), arrack punch, Charles Heidsieck Brut Champagne, and a quail egg preserved in a white truffle vinaigrette. Oddest $24 dollar cocktail in the world, yet addictive as I’ll get out. The creator of the cocktail was "looking to explore the powerful duality brought to Nina by the sorcerer Von Rothbart in a dream. Even as top dancer in the ballet, dark ambition pushes her past her earthly limits; it's magical, dank, and poetic all in one." That's pretty much what it tasted like too. My sister stuck to classic glass of champagne, while my husband ordered red wine and Pat (being the most seasoned one in the pack) left it to the incredible bar tender “Pepe” to create for him the perfect concoction. Pat is manly, tall, handsome and funny. His cocktail was pink…served with a lemon twist…in a martini glass…I had to snicker, but as he told us, it was delicious. Fair enough.

My Canlis Cocktail:

At the table after we asked, Pat told us that Bill Gates was a regular. My sister and I gave the obligatory “ooh’s and aww’s” as we imagined him and his wife, Melinda, at the table next to us. However upon hearing the Nordstroms (as in the department store) were in “all the time…in fact they were just here Friday and Saturday night” my sister and I straight up squealed like school girls. They probably get a lot of famous people dining with them, but that's all we got. I don't think Pat's a name dropper or thinks much of it, which I like.

We also got to tour the kitchen. Seriously? The cleanest room I have ever seen. It’s a live production happening in there every night and they are all the masters. Everything was white and labeled, bright and sanitized. I knew then that this dinner we were about to have was no joke. Canlis was nominated for best restaurant in the US last year and lost only to Thomas Kellers NY restaurant, Per Se. It is apparent why.

The food at Canlis all looks like this. I'm not the hugest fan of plates that are too fancy shmancey because they look sterile to me, like they lack flavor and are sort of boring. I stand corrected. The chef's here are genius'. Everything was complex and developed and seasoned to perfection.

We all ordered the chefs tasting menu for dinner which consisted of a dizzing array of seven courses with wine pairings for good measure. My sister was annoyed by the amount of white wines on her pairing list but she also ordered all vegetarian fare, so you could say it was her own fault. I, on the other hand, opted for the traditional tasting menu that consisted of a fruity shrimp bite with a shooter of delicious soup to start, then the most memorable course for me personally, which was lemon and truffle scented tapicoa with sous vide egg and fresh truffle topping. There was an interesting and complex beet salad with goat cheese sherbet (as in frozen and delicious!)and also a salmon course in which Pat told us the roe garnish was right out of Lake Union which was the very lake we were looking at from our view. Awesome. Then we had a delectable chicken which was especially memorable, then New York beef, and finally a passion fruit palate cleanser and an onslaught of desserts. Decunstructed pumpkin pie, banana, peanut butter and chocolate touille, then there was a chocolate on chocolate dessert accompanied by a salted caramel ice cream and finally a grand marnier souffle. There was another dessert on the table as well, but alas, I have forgotten what it was and in doing so epically failed you-but I trust you will forgive me.

We finished with a decaf coffee for me and super delicious vanilla bean scented red tea for Jeremy which smelled fantastically of my great-grandfathers pipe. You could say it was pretty much perfect.

After Jeremy and I left the restaurant, Kaylee and Pat stayed for the Canlis Christmas party. I think they had a very good time and were out pretty late as evidenced by these pictures taken at the photo booth at the party.

She was trying to be a "reindeer"...(obviously) We don't know what look Pat was going for!

And as evidenced by this photo showing what my sister wore when she came to pick us up to take us to the airport the next morning: :)

By the way, in creating this post I realized that my sister makes that kissy face quite a lot. See what I mean?

So busted! She doesn't make that face all the time though. Sometimes she prefers to dress up like Rudolph the red nosed reindeer for Christmas parties.

One more before I bid you adieu, because how often do you see a sign to British Columbia while driving to the airport?

Okay, I'm done. Next post will focus solely on food. Promise. ;)

Vegan Egg Nog (and our trip!)

2011-12-12T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm back from my birthday trip and ready to be blogging again! In case you missed the previous posts, I've been on a trip with my husband to San Francisco and then Seattle to visit my sister for my 30th birthday. That's three flights in one week. Let me say that again so it can really sink in. That's three flights in one week. This girl hates, hates, hates to fly so this is really saying something.

While we were in San Francisco we ate at a vegan restaurant named Millennium twice. Don't roll your eyes. This place was so, so good. Everything they made was incredibly gourmet and I would have never known anything was vegan if we hadn't asked. One of the dishes we ordered were the crispy oven fries with herb aioli that tasted like it was from the heavens. We asked the bartender about them and she let us know they used silken tofu as the aioli base and everything on the menu was completely vegan. We were both shocked. It was the best aioli I've ever eaten. The restaurant only advertises itself as "vegetarian" so they don't scare people off since their food is so delicious no matter what your diet usually consists of. We were so impressed by everything we ate that we ended up buying the restaurants cookbook and I cracked that baby open right after we got home and whipped up their egg nog.

Again, I was really impressed. I don't love traditional egg nog to begin with but I have always wanted to. I 'm not too crazy about the richness or that funky noggy taste. The elements I love are many: the cinnamon, the creaminess, the nutmeg and froth, (the bourbon *wink*) and then inevitably, you remember the main thing in egg nog...the calories! This version is much lighter than the regular, yet still thick with all the great flavor and froth with a fraction of the guilt. A whole cup is only 159 calories with 6 grams of protein to boot. Get ready for a tall, creamy glass. You know your going to make it. :) But first...

Let me show you around San Francisco! Seattle needs it's own post entirely, so we'll just start here with the first leg of our trip.

Our hotel, the Westin St. Francis in Union Square

View from our room

Me downtown

In front of the tree in Union Square

True story: We ate fresh dungeness crab for 2 1/2 hours straight one day at Fisherman's Wharf. Here's Jeremy with one of our plates. He's laughing because a sea gull had just crapped on the forehead of the guy behind us who was on the phone and seemed to not really care. I don't think he knew how bad it was.

Around The Wharf

Alcatraz is in the background behind the boat

We went to this cute place named Cafe De La Presse three out of the four mornings while in SF. They had the best chocolate croissants I have ever had. Delicious!

We drove up to Napa one day to eat at Thomas Keller's Bouchon and Ad Hoc. We were hoping someone would cancel their reservation at The French Laundry that night because we were first on the wait list for a reservation, but as our Hertz rent-a-car guy told us "no one cancels at The French Laundry. If people's flights get canceled they rent cars and drive to their reservations". Probably kind of true. We didn't get in. But we did get a picture in front of it!

In Napa

Ad Hoc- It was just good. Not great.

I know this is along post for one day, but stick with me just a wee bit more. I wrote the following on the plane ride from San Francisco to Seattle:

______________________________________________________________________

Two-scary ass plane flights later and totally worth it. I am flying right now, actually. I'm blogging in an effort to take my mind off of free falling out of the sky. Up till now, every time the jets would slow and become more quiet; every time my stomach would sense the slightest sea-sicky movement, I was fully alert and conscious and sure we were going down. However, thanks to my blessed friend Mary, (first name: bloody) it is easier to get through. My first flight from Denver to San Francisco I was a nervous wreck. I refused to drink as it was a morning-ish flight and I was afraid I'd be too tired for all the "partying" I was sure was ahead of me that night. Turns out we went to a vegan restaurant, I had one glass of wine, watched a half an episode of "Last Man Standing" and was in bed by 8:15pm. Sadly, I'm not kidding.

Crap. The jets just slowed, my stomach dropped and I am certain death is imminent. I am such a pansy. Anyway, this flight I am taking a much better approach to coping with my fear. I am armed with Ann Voskamp's book "One Thousand Gifts" as my guide for truth, and hard alcohol for my nerves.

I am excited that when we land in twenty minutes my sister will be there, smiling with that beautiful face of hers, and when the first words out of my mouth are "Kaylee, I'm drunk" there will be no judgement.

We are gearing up for landing now and I just opened up my window (no thanks to my pilot who forgot to mention we were flying by it) and saw this!

Mount Ranier in all it's glory! WOW! I read somewhere that this volcano would explode someday and kill everyone in Seattle. Of course I read that. Majestic non-the-less huh? Well, this is it. This leg of my journey had come to an end. Here's to alcohol and conquered fear!

_____________________________________________________________________

Speaking of alcohol, this egg nog would be fantastic spiked. Just sayin'.

Vegan Egg Nog

adapted from The Artful Vegan by Eric Tucker with Bruce Enloe

Makes 4 cups

12 ounces silken tofu

1 very ripe banana

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more for garnish

1 cup almond milk, or soy milk, or rice milk (for nut-free)

1 cup rice milk

1 1/2 cups soy milk

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth and frothy. Ladle into cups and sprinkle nutmeg over each serving. Store refrigerated for up to 2 days.

I used half unsweetened vanilla almond milk and half soy milk for this recipe because I didn't have rice milk around. I'm sure the different milks give a more complex flavor. I don't recommend using just one. If you used all soy milk for example, it would taste pretty soy forward- which is not bad, but not optimal.

Stay tuned for part two of my trip. Seattle!

Overnight Homemade Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

2011-12-05T07:45:00.001-07:00

I got the pictures back from our family photo shoot and I am thrilled with the results! Kel Elwood Photography is ah-mazing. Not only can she compose a photo but her editing is superb. I'm gonna share some of my favorite photos from the shoot below, but first let us talk about cinnamon rolls. But not just any old cinnamon rolls. Come hither, and let me tell you a tale about dough you make and let rise the night before so all you have to do it pop them in the oven the next morning when you are ready and voila, you have gooey, chewy, cinnamon rolls that taste exactly like Cinnabon. Exactly. I don't even think this recipe is a copycat. I think it's the real one. Like, for reals, reals.

Before they rise:

After they rise:

And the icing! The icing is to die for and tastes like sweet butter and cream. I really enjoy baking at night so preparing these is no problem for me. After the dinner mess is cleaned, the dishwasher is humming and my family is on the couch watching some TV before bed, I go to work-happily. The dough comes together in 5 minutes and then it's just a matter of kneading, filling and rising. I turn my oven on for a few minutes so my dough will have a warm place to rise. If you do it this way it cuts the rising time by a third or so. The temperature should be warm but not hot enough to cook anything. I usually turn the oven on at 350 for 2 minutes then turn it off again but keep the oven door shut. It never heats up past 200 degrees and stays nice and warm when I put the dough in. This dough rolls out easily making everything rather effortless. After you have rolled the filling in the dough and cut your cinnamon rolls, let it rise again in your warm oven. After they have risen, cover in plastic wrap and stick in the fridge. All that's left to do is bake the next morning.

Okay, The cinnamon roll recipe is coming, but now let me share some highlights from our photo session!

The sun was crazy bright:

I posted a lot of pictures but I had a hard time narrowing them down. Alright, now patience can be rewarded. Here is the cinnamon roll recipe:

Overnight Homemade Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

adapted from Food Network magazine, Nov. 2009

makes 6 big rolls

FOR THE DOUGH

1 cup whole milk

1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast

1/4 cup plus 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the bowl

1 large egg yolk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

FOR THE FILLING:

All-purpose flour, for dusting

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

FOR THE GLAZE

2 cups confectioners sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Make the dough: warm the milk in a medium saucepan over low heat until it reaches about 110 degrees (or is warm to the touch, but not hot). Remove from the heat and sprinkle in the yeast and 1/4 teaspoon sugar (don't stir). Set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the melted butter, egg yolk and vanilla.

Whisk the flour, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the salt and nutmeg in the bowl of a stand mixer. make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed with a dough hook until thick and slightly sticky. Knead on medium speed until the dough gathers around the hook, 6 minutes. (add up to 2 more tablespoons flour if necessary.)

Remove the dough and shape into a ball. Butter the mixer bowl and return the dough to the bowl, turning to coat with butter. Cover with a cloth hand towel and let rise until doubled, 1 hour 15 minutes. Or about 40 minutes if you use my warm oven method mentioned above.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-by-14-inch rectangle with the loner side facing you. Spread with the softened butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the far long edge. Mix the sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the butter. Brush the un-buttered far edge with water. Roll the dough away from you in a tight cylinder and press on the long edge to seal. Cut the cylinder with a sharp knife to make 6 equal-size buns.

Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan; place the buns cut side down in the pan, leaving space between each. Cover with the towel and let rise until doubled, 40 minutes. Or about 25 minutes if using my warm oven method. Cover risen buns with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for the next morning. You can also bake these right away if desired.

The next morning, take the buns out of the fridge, take the plastic wrap off and let them set at room temperature for about 20 minutes to take the chill off. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake buns until golden, about 35 minutes (check them at 30-you don't want them to overcook). Cool in the pan 15 minutes. meanwhile, make the glaze: Sift the confectioners sugar into a bowl, then whisk in the cream and melted butter. Transfer the buns to a rack and spoon the glaze on top while still warm. (I just glazed them in the pan).

I'm still on vacation until tomorrow. Wahoo!

From My Hometown To Yours

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys- Today I'm doing something a little different. I'm heading over to Henning In Love for a special guest post about the town I live in. If you ever wondered what it would be like to visit me in Steamboat, come by and check it out.

I was only supposed to blog about one day in Steamboat but there are plenty of other places we love and frequent weekly.

If you ever make it to Steamboat, here are my restaurant recommendations:

Breakfast:

Freshies

Creekside

Lunch:

Freshies

Winonas

Ciao Gelato

Sweet Pea (in the sumer)

Dinner:

Mambo Italiano

Rio Grande

Cafe Diva

Bistro C.V

Sweetwater Grille (in the summer)

Drinks:

Bellas Wine Bar

Slopeside (for an apres ski beer from their outside ice bar)

Butternut Squash Soup with Cinnamon Whipped Cream and Fried Shallots

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

One word: delicious. This might be the most delicious soup I have ever tasted. Why? Oh, where to start. For one, it doesn't really taste like squash. Don't let that deter you if your a squash lovin' person though. This soup is a brilliant combination of squash, herbs and wine with the slightest hint of orange for sweetness. The cinnamon whipped cream on top is unsweetened, and a fun twist rather than adding cream directly to the soup, and coupled with salty fried shallots?! Good gracious, this is a must make.

In other news-

By the time you read this I will be on a plane to San Francisco on a super sexy trip with my wonderful husband, Jeremy, who planned it for my 30th birthday, which was Nov. 28th. Re-cap to come. We will live it up in San Fran for a few days, which is one of our favorite cities, then get back on a plane (nervously...I hate flying! But I love traveling, so what's a girl to do?) and head up to Seattle to visit my sister. I love that he surprised me with that in our itinerary. I miss my sis so much and I'll be super happy to see her and Seattle (finally). Don't know what were doing yet, but I know a trip to Molly Wizenberg's brick oven pizzeria, Delancey is in the cards. Stay tuned for all the juicy details, but for now, enjoy this ridiculously tasty soup!

Butternut Squash Soup with Cinnamon Whipped Cream and Fried Shallots

adapted from Anne Burell

Serves 4-6

Olive Oil

1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice

2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped

Kosher salt

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1- inch cubes

2 cups white wine

2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock

1 bundle thyme

2 bay leaves

1 orange, cut in 1/2

Peanut or other neutrally flavored oil, for frying

2 large shallots

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Coat a large pot over medium-high heat with olive oil. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Season with salt, to taste, and sweat the veggies until they start to soften and are very aromatic, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the squash and potatoes and season with salt, to taste. Stir to coat the mixture with the oil and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Add the wine and reduce by half.

Add the stock, thyme and bay leaves. Squeeze the orange into the soup and add both halves. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if needed. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and simmer until the squash is falling apart, about 35 to 40 minutes. * If the liquid level starts to get too low, water can be used to replace it.

Remove and discard the orange halves, thyme bundle and bay leaves and puree the soup with an immersion blender or a blender. If using a blender, cool the mixture for about 5 minutes and carefully add it to the blender. It should be very smooth and velvety. Check the consistency. If it is too thick add water to thin it.

In a saucepan heat about 1-inch of the oil over medium heat. Slice the shallots into thin rings. Just before frying, toss the shallots in the flour. Fry the shallots until they are crispy and brown. Remove to a paper towel and sprinkle immediately with salt.

Whip the cream in a large bowl until it holds its shape in soft peaks, then whip in the cinnamon.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with a dollop of the cinnamon whipped cream and fried shallots.

I got my family pictures back, so I'll be posting those very soon! Oh, and watch out for Thursday. I'm guest blogging over on Meg's blog for a segment called "From My Hometown To Yours" Where I'll show you all around my ski town.

Favorite Things Big Christmas Giveaway Winner!

2011-11-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday everyone, which mean I am announcing the winner of my Big Christmas Giveaway! It has been so much fun to host this giveaway and I just might have to make it an annual thing :) A few things before I begin.

1) I chose the winner via random.org. I typed in the number of comment received and it spit out a random number for the winner.

2) I immediately went to the blog to see who the lucky winner was. Only problem? When I hit the back button to the site to snap a photo of the winning number (to prove I'm no cheater) the result number was no longer there! So sorry about that. I'll take a picture BEFORE I check to see who the winner is next time. :)

Without further ado, the winner is: Hillary Baldwin

_______________________________________________________________________

"Hilary Baldwin said...

I also shared it on fb my profile is Baking Bad:) hbaldwin425@gmail.com"

Congratulations Hillary! I'll be emailing you for your address and your goodies will be arriving soon!

________________________________________________________________________

Have a happy Thanksgiving everybody, and thanks for participating. I am especially Thankful this year as this package arrived yesterday:

Thanksgiving traditions come about in various ways. About five years ago my Grandpa invited a single fishing friend over to join our family for Thanksgiving. He also brought Sancerre (a bright and crisp white French wine, with a lot of green apple and grapefruit notes). I loved it so much and it complimented the meal so well that now it's a tradition and I only drink Sancerre on Thanksgiving. Everyone knows and it's a lot of fun. I look forward to it all year.

Perfect Pie Crust and "The Worm"

2011-11-22T10:30:00.002-07:00

Most people find pie crust daunting but as my main gal Ina suggests, there are a few secrets that will change all that. First the butter, shortening, and water must all be very cold. Second, let the dough sit in the refrigerator (bakers call it "relaxing" the dough) for 30 minutes before rolling, and finally, don't stretch the dough when you're placing in into the pan. Follow these tips and you'll have delicious, flaky pie crust every time. I have pictures and step by step instructions so you can follow easily.

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture

Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix.

Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas.

With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball.

Dump out onto a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. Then you are ready to roll each piece into a circle for your pie!

Perfect Pie Crust

adapted from Barefoot Contessa, Family Style, Ina Garten

makes two 10-inch crusts

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening

6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out onto a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well floured board into a circle, rolling from the center of the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

You can also make this dough ahead of time. Wrap your dough tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to three days. Now what happens if you only need one of the pie crusts, instead of the two this recipe makes? Don't halve the recipe. Make the worm!! Not the most fetching name, but I promise, it's delicious. This is what I make anytime I have left over pie crust and it's my husband favorite. My Father-in-law's mother is famous for them.

The worm is a rolled out pie crust that has been smeared with a thin layer (about 2 tablespoons for a whole crusts worth) of softened butter, then sprinkled with a thin layer of brown sugar and cinnamon. See?

Next you roll it up and seal the ends

Then bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes and let cool. It's not the prettiest thing in the world.

Next, gently cut into rounds with a serrated knife (the worm will be doughy and soft in the center. This is what you want) serve on a plate still warm or at room temperature (cover to keep them soft). What a treat!

Make sure to tune in tomorrow for the winner of my Big Christmas Giveaway!

Taco Soup and Food Exchange

2011-11-21T08:09:00.004-07:00

Don't forget to enter my Big Christmas Giveaway on my last post if you haven't already! A winner will be picked Wednesday morning! Now on to today's post...

Here is the breakdown:

Step 1: You recruit three friends to participate

Step 2: You each pick a meal to make and triple the recipe

Step 3: Divvy up into three portions and place in Ziplock Freezer bags

Step 4: Freeze

Step 5: Meet up with your friends, bring your bags and swap meals

Step 6: You have three different meals ready to go when you are. Just defrost, heat and serve!

Genius, right? I thought I made this up over a year ago but I have seen Martha Stewart advertising something similar to this on her website, so boo to that. Not boo to the idea, just the fact that she stole it from me. Yeah, I'm sure of it. ;) All kidding aside, this really is a good idea. It doesn't take much longer to make and triple a recipe than it does to make enough for your family. It takes way less time than making three separate meals, that's for sure!

For the past two fall/winter seasons I have recruited my friends Melissa and Danielle to swap with each other. Most things can freeze well and you are only limited by your imagination. The usual suspects would be soup and chili. Those are always easy. There are lots of other options though, from homemade spaghetti sauce to sausage lasagna frozen in disposable bakers and wrapped well, to chowders and savory quiche. I happen to know you can freeze already baked quiche. My friend Luanne did it one year. Google it for proper storage, thawing and re-heating instructions.

The happy food swappers: Me, Danielle, Melissa

This year for the swap Melissa made a yummy and thick vegetarian chili for homemade chili-cheese fries. All you needed to do come diner time is oven roast some potatoes for fries and heat up the chili.

Danielle made a beautiful vegetable pot pie filling. Now, all I need to do is defrost and warm the filling then transfer the contents into a Pyrex dish or pie plate, top with some puff pastry and bake until done. Add a salad and I have one decadent dinner that took me 5 minutes to assemble.

As for my part, I took the really easy road this year and made a big batch of taco soup (it's okay because I'm pretty sure I made a much more labor intensive French onion soup for everyone last year). This is the easiest because all you need to do is heat it through and you have dinner.

We usually write the name of our dish and date on the Ziplock bags were trading and re-heating instructions if needed. I can't tell you how accomplished you'll feel for having three wholesome and homemade ready to go dinners in your freezer.

Today, I'll write about my taco soup, but I'll also be sharing Danielle's pot pie filling as soon as I eat it and snap some pictures. Melissa's vegetarian chili-cheese fry chili can be found here if you missed it.

I love this recipe because it's a super hearty one pot meal, but not chili. I like a change every once and a while. Its Mexico in a bowl, with all the flavored tomatoes, beans, corn and olives going on here. The Ranch Dressing mix along with the taco seasoning is what really makes it. I normally don't use pre-made seasoning blends from the grocery store but in this recipe it's highly appropriate. It's casual food that's still fit for company because of how delicious it is. Make sure to serve with corn chips for scooping, green onion and plenty of sour cream or cheese, or both! The original recipe calls for meat, but of course I made it vegetarian. To do the same, substitute 3 more cans of beans total, one of each called for and omit the meat.

Taco Soup

adapted from Paula Deen

serves 6 (vegetarian version serves slightly more, about 6-8 because of the extra beans)

2 pounds ground beef, ground turkey, or a mixture of both
1 yellow onion, diced
1 -15 oz can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 - 15 oz can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 - 15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 - 15 oz can whole kernel corn, drained or 2 cups frozen corn
1 - 14.5 oz can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 - 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
1 - 14.5 oz can mild rotel (tomatoes with chile's)
1 cup water
1 - 4.6 oz can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 cup green olives, sliced (optional)
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 -1 oz package ranch salad dressing mix (I'm sure I used a slightly larger envelope)

Garnish
corn chips, sour cream, cheddar cheese,

green onions, and pickled jalapenos

Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large pot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, rotel, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, water and ranch dressing mix. Bring everything to a simmer and cook together for 20 minutes. The added water will work with the seasoning mixes to thicken the soup. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Serve!

You can also make this in a crock pot. If you plan on freezing this soup for a swap or even just leftovers- freeze your bags as flat as possible for the best storage, like pictured.

"Favorite Things" Big Christmas Giveaway

2011-11-16T07:35:00.003-07:00

Jingle...Jingle...Jingle

Can you hear those sleigh bells ring?

It's

Krysta’s Favorite Things

BIG Christmas

Giveaway!

I miss Oprah. And I know I'm not the only one. So, in the spirit of the Holiday season, I am hosting my own mini version of the "favorite things" giveaway and giving my readers a chance to win four different prizes! Here's how it works:

Prizes are broken up into four different categories. The lucky winner will get to pick ONE prize from each category. All you need to do is :

1) Follow or be a follower of my blog

2) leave me a comment telling me which items from each category you would like if you win. Choose wisely because this is what I will use to determine what to send you. One comment per person, please.

* If you blog about this giveaway or mention it on facebook or twitter, leave me an additional comment telling me so and I will enter you again for each.

I will pick the winner on Wednesday, November 23rd, hopefully using the random computer generated thingy if I can ever figure it out. Otherwise it will be done the old fashioned way-names in a hat. I'm sorry you have to click on a link to see some of these items but Sur La Table does not allow me to upload their pictures. Boo!

Oprah usually aired her Favorite Things show around Nov. 20th, so I'm a bit early, but I'm sure you don't mind.

*I can only ship to USA, so please only enter if you have a valid US address.

I am SO excited for this! Good luck everyone!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Catagory 1-

1) Pepperberry Wreath and Garland- Handmade with fresh salal, cedar spiral eucalyptus, pepperberries, cinnamon sticks, pine cones and a festive red ribbon.

Click here to see

2) Breville Electric Milk Frother- Perfect for Hot Chocolate- This machine quickly and precisely heats up to 25 oz. of milk to your ideal temperature, and froths it into perfect microbubbles with a uniformly silken texture. If you like it extra hot or on the cooler side, select your preference using the temperature control. Put this compact appliance to work making rich hot chocolate, steaming milk for lattes or creating airy foam for cappuccinos. Two removable frothing discs are included-one for lattes, the other for cappuccinos

3)European Cheese Hamper-Includes:-Robolio Rustica- A washed rind cow’s milk cheese that’s nutty and aromatic with a soft, supple interior 14 oz. -Scharfe Maxx- An artisian Swiss cheese from master cheesemakers Kaserei Studer that combines rich nutty flavors with delicate hints of mushroom. 8 oz. -Chaource- A bloomy –rinfdcow’s milk cheese with rich, buttery flavor and hints of toasted nuts. 8.8 oz. -Carbonocio- A creamy Italian cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk cheese by Caseificio dell’Alta Langa prized for it’s velvety texture and buttery flavor. 5 oz. -Thin crackers from Sardinia and Panpepato- A chewy dried-fruit and nut cake from Siena. All packaged in a beautiful wicker basket hamper.

4) Etched Wine Decanter and Set of 4 Tumblers- These are my favorite go-to everyday wine glass. I use mine all the time. The flat glasses-not stemmed.

5) Breville Panini Press- I use mine weekly for grilled cheese.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Catagory 2-

1)Large Double Handled Soup Bowls- set of 4. These durable bowls can be used for soup or chili, and are oven safe for pot pies.

2) Cuisinart Smart Power Compact Blender- A slim powerhouse that does it all. Four to-go cups. Great for individual smoothies or salad dressings, baby food and more. Pick your color: Plum, Blueberry, Pomegranate, Parsley or Lemon.

Click here to see

3) Winter Forrest Hand Soap, Lotion and Dish Soap Set- Williams Sonoma’s Essential Oils collection is biodegradabale earth-friendly formulations that contain no parabens, ammonia, chlorine or lauramide DEA, and are made in the USA without nimal testing. Gift sets come in a stainless stell wire caddy. Winter Forrest scent.

4) Chocolate-Chocolate Croissants- This offering from Jean-Yves Charon is a chocolate lover’s dream. To create the decadent flavor, he adds rich European cocoa powder to his traditional buttery puff pastry dough and a filling of the finest Belgian chocolate. To enjoy them fresh from the oven, simply let the frozen croissants rise overnight then bake. The delicate flaky pastries emerge with richly browned chocolate colored exteriors and velvety melted-chocolate interiors. Set of 15. Perfect for all that family you have coming to town.

5) 12 Piece All Purpose Glass Wine Set-

Generously sized, ideal for red or white wines, conveniently boxd and perfect for holiday giftgiving-to yourself or someone else-Dishwasher safe. Set of 12.

Click here to see

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Catagory 3

1)Vintage Style Rose Wine Stopper- Cabbage Rose Knobs resemble old iron ornamentation. Handmade in the USA. Approx. 2" diam., 3" h. Pick your color: red, green or gold.

2) The Barefoot Contessa-Family Style Cookbook- By Ina Garten. The cookbook that taught me to cook. Beautiful photo’s of every recipe such as: Parmesan Chicken, Penne with Five Cheeses, Roasted Vegetable Soup, Provencal Stuffed Tomatoes, Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins, Summer Pudding with Rum Whipped Cream, and many, many more. Her recipes turn out perfectly every single time.

3) Cuisinart Smart Stick Immersion Blende
This ultra versatile kitchen helper blends and chops in bowls, pots and more with simple one touch continuous or pulse control. Pick your color.

4) Gwyneth Paltrow’s My Fathers Daughter Cookbook-

5) Naturally Flavored Gray Salt Collection-

Roasted Garlic, Sundried tomato and Citrus rosemary

___________________________________________________________________________
Catagory 4-

And last but certainly not least:

A one-year subscription to any of the following magazines:
-EVERYDAY FOOD-MARTHA STEWART
-SOUTHERN LIVING
-FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE

____________________________________________________________________________

Ready? GO!

Brie and Raspberry Panini

2011-11-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

Kel made me this sandwich for the first time about 2 months ago. Guess what Kel has eaten almost everyday for lunch the past 2 months? Healthy, right? She drizzles hers with organic honey and insists it is somehow good for you because of that. I mean, it's organic. Let's get this straight Kel. You drizzled added sugar onto white crusty bread with melted cheese in the middle and yet somehow, that's healthy in Kel-land. Yep, that just happened. I just called you out.

Good thing something doesn't have to be healthy to be absolutely slap-yo-face-stupid-delicious. Which is why I reserve eating this sandwich to about every two months or so. Any more than that and I'm scared I'd get addicted and eat it everyday...like Kel. Oh, don't go and get all mad now. You know I'm kidding you in the most honest but lovingly sincere way. People, think of baked brie on toasted baguette with raspberry. That is basically what this is. Ridiculous. I rest my case.

Jingle...Jingle...Watch for tomorrow :)

Brie and Raspberry Panini

Crusty white, sourdough or Italian bread

Brie cheese, sliced in 1/4" thick slices

raspberries, halved vertically

butter

Lightly spread butter on the outsides of the bread. Fill sandwich with slices of brie and raspberry halves and press butter sides up and down in a preheat panini press until melted and golden. Or you can do this the old school way in a non-stick skillet over medium heat a la grilled cheese.

Orzo with Feta, Arugula and Cranberries

2011-11-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

In the month of November we all know and look forward to having Thanksgiving. But if you are looking for inspiration for the other 29 meals that also happen this month, look no further. This time of year, it's easy to eat rather heavily, isn't it? What with all the potatoes and bacon being in season and all. What? Bacon is always in season. But if you are looking for fall flavors without the guilt may I suggest this orzo? It's earthy, easy, and tart-sweet and savory. It can be a lunch, a side dish or a main for dinner, like we ate it. You can even go crazy and add some chicken if you are the poultry eating type.

Or turkey (leftovers?) But we weren't going to Thanksgiving on this post, were we? Dang.

You can also make this with whole wheat orzo if you can find it. The nuttiness would be really great here. Eating a big bowl of orzo for dinner alone sound weird to you? It shouldn't. It's no different than a big bowl of pasta, only healthier because of the ingredients therein. So pop in a movie, snuggle in on the couch with your sweetie, or friend and enjoy your orzo straight up. Stuff is addicting.

Orzo with Feta, Arugula and Cranberries

adapted from a recipe by Giada de Laurentiis via Week of Menus
Serves 6-8 as a side

Serves 4 for a main meal

1 pound orzo pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for tossing the pasta
2 cups fresh arugula (about 3 ounces)
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2/3 cup dried cranberries
12 fresh basil leaves, torn
13 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta. Toss with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and let cool slightly.

Mix together in a bowl, 1/3 cup olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside.

While the orzo is still slightly warm, transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, including dressing and toss gently to combine. Serve. The arugula will wilt slightly from the heat of the orzo, which is exactly what you want.

Jingle...Jingle- Stay tuned. I have a rather big giveaway coming...

Oh, How Pinteresting-Food Edition

2011-11-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

Here's this week's pins. Can't wait to try some of these out.

Vegetarian Taco Salad

Lighter Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

Mushroom, Apple and Goat Cheese Salad

Avocado Chicken Parmigiana

Healthy Chocolate Banana "Ice Cream"- frozen banana plus cocoa

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Vegetarian Chili

2011-11-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

I'm over at Katie's blog today: Keep Calm and Carry On, talking about vegetarian chili. And yes, I also provided instructions for good ole fashioned meat chili too. The recipe has won three chili cook off's to date. Get thee over there and check it out. :) xoxo Krysta.

You know when you type out your name and it looks strange, like so familiar that it's foreign? Yeah, I just did that.

Stress Free Thanksgiving Guide

2011-11-03T08:00:00.003-06:00

There are certain holidays that call for a fair amount of planning and organizing to pull off easily. Thanksgiving is certainly one of them. Whether you are hosting a pot luck or doing all the work yourself, these tips and tricks from my own experience and Martha Stewart (who else?) are sure to help you relax and enjoy the big day.

1) Get organized- a few days before Thanksgiving go through your fridge and pitch everything you don't need (old leftovers, that cocktail sauce you used once, etc). If you are lucky enough to have an extra fridge in the garage, clean that out as well or move items from your main fridge into it to create more space. An organized fridge is a huge stress reliever.

2) A few weeks ahead plan your menu. Gather your recipes and give them the once over, noting temperatures and times and think about how you will strategize cooking. Make sure a few things get cooked in the oven and a few things on the stove. If you are hosting a pot luck, designate who should bring what so you don't wind up with duplicates of the same dish. Tell people what you will be handling, and ask what they would like to bring. Also, it is not rude to mention that you could use another green vegetable for the table, and so fourth. If you are terrified of the turkey, it's fine to ask someone else to bring it. It can rest on the car ride over! Make your pie dough. The dough can be made and frozen up to three months in advance and thawed just before baking. You can also make it and keep in the fridge a few days before Thanksgiving if you are like me and like things fresh.

3) A few days before- buy the wine and chill the white and champagne. Buy something simple like cheese and grapes to put out for an appetizer while you cook away. You'll be glad you have something to munch on, especially if you have help in the kitchen. Buy and table decorations needed as well. Thaw the turkey (a turkey can take anywhere from one to six days to thaw in a regrigerator. I would bet on three days as long as you don't have a massive turkey. The rule of thumb is one day in the fridge for every four or five pounds.) Prep all of your vegetables and store in containers or ziplock bags. Label, so you don't get confused. This puts you one step ahead when you begin cooking. Chopping vegetables can be sort of a time hog!

4) Day before- Prepare cranberry sauce and casseroles. Cover and store in the refrigerator. I take a sharpie and write on the plastic wrap covering casseroles how long they need to bake and at what temperature so I don't need to look again. Most likely they will just need warming through. The day of, you can take the casseroles out of the fridge and allow to set out at room temperature for an hour or two to take the chill off. You can warm these up in the oven after your turkey is cooked and resting. Thaw pie crust in the fridge if you have them made ahead and stored in the freezer. My favorite no-fail pie crust is Ina Gartens. Make mashed potatoes. They can be made the day before and warmed up very slowly over low heat when needed. Add milk to moisten as needed.

5) Day of- Turn music on to get with the festive mood.

Set the table and arrange centerpieces first thing. The only items I make from scratch the day of Thanksgiving are the turkey, the stuffing and the pies. I make the pies in the morning (usually an apple, pumpkin and pecan) and store the pumpkin in the fridge and pecan and apple are fine at room temperature. Next, I make and bake the stuffing so it is cooked through and only needs warming before sitting down. Then I tackle the turkey. I make sure I know exactly what time I need to put that sucker in the oven so it is ready when I need it. Remember to calculate resting time into that equation. You can warm all the sides in the oven after the turkey comes out. You will most likely have a good 30-35 minutes needed for the turkey to rest and then you'll have to carve it before sitting, so there is plenty of time for the sides to warm up. Use that time to warm the cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes (and collard greens if you are at my house) on the stove top. Then, whip your cream for pies and store in the refrigerator until you are ready for it. You'll be glad you did that before the meal and whipped cream will store fine for a couple hours after beaten.

6) Give props- To give all potluck cooks their due, write the menu-along with each cook's name beside his or her dish to post on a chalkboard or side board.

7) After the meal have dry dish towels ready for anyone who asks. Don't be crazy. Let people help you clean if they offer. You don't need to direct people on where the gravy boat goes and so fourth (that drives me mad because I cannot mulitask). Just clear a space on a countertop and have people dry the dishes and leave them there for you to put away later.

8) Don't waste that turkey carcass! After you take the meat off the bones, store it in the fridge and make turkey stock with it the next day. Just place the carcass in a large stockpot, fill with water, herbs (I like thyme, parsley and dill), raw onions, carrots and celery and garlic (which you will probably have left over anyway, plenty of salt and pepper and let it simmer together for 1 1/2 hours. Not up for cooking so soon after the big meal? You can also wrap the carcass up well and freeze until you can face it again. :)

The ghost of my family's Thanksgiving's past:

My sister, me and mom

Ready to eat!

The table

My son helping me get the desserts ready (Thanksgiving 2008)

I wish everyone a happy, organized and stress free Thanksgiving this year!

Muffin Pan Tacos (vegetarian) and A Halloween Sneak Peak

2011-10-31T08:25:00.002-06:00

Hey all, I told you I'd try the muffin pan tacos and if they were a success, I'd blog about them. I think you can figure out what happened. I made a few changes from the original recipe. First, I swapped the regular tortillas for Ezekiel ones. Ezekiel tortillas are really, really good if you fry until crisp, or in this case, bake them. In fact, we have several friends who eat them over regular tortillas because they think they taste better. We agree. They can take the place of anything but a soft taco. Truth be told, they are only great when prepared crunchy. They are also way healthier for you because they're made from sprouted grains which means when eaten, the body can assimilate the nutrients easily and the fiber-rich carbohydrates are converted more slowly, which means a lesser spike in blood sugar requiring less insulin to balance and therefore less fat storage of excess sugars. Or in other words, they are better for your waistline. Find them at any health food store or in the freezer section of some grocery stores.

excuse the grease stained muffin pan

The other changes included getting rid of the meat and replacing it with a well seasoned black bean filling (I actually stole the recipe from a black bean taquito) and omitting the cheese. So actually these are vegan. I love cheese as much as the next girl but there is so much flavor going on in this dish you don't really need it and I'd rather save my calories (and...I'm still on my cleanse). However, if you can't imagine a taco without cheese by all means, just top the black bean filling with a pinch or two of cheddar and bake as directed.

You can pick these up and eat them with your hand, but after I snapped the glamour shot above, I assaulted that taco with an onslaught of shredded lettuce, guacamole, black olives, cilantro, more salsa and hot sauce. I was kind of like a salad, but not really. It was much too delicious to be a salad. More like cheese-less nachos with tons of fresh crisp ingredients on each bite. Yummy, yummy in your tummy.

A mango salsa would be great with these as well. Mangos and black beans are perfect together even with all the other toppings.

Also, here's a sneak peak of Halloween tonight. Our neighborhood had a trick or treat on Saturday and all the kids dressed up and went door to door. This is different for them because our town celebrates Halloween down town. All the businesses hand out candy and that's where everyone gathers. It's really fun and a mad house down there!

Isabella as Elizabeth Swan from "Pirates Of The Caribbean" and Olivia as a flower fairy

Jeremiah as a dinosaur and his friend Will as Spider man

We are not dressing up this year :( we didn't have a party to go to or anything so it's all about the kids. But I'll leave you with pic's from two of my favorite Halloweens:

What's a 7 months pregnant woman supposed to be? Juno!! I loved this.

This was a huge Halloween party we had at Mambo Italiano after we bought the restaurant. So much fun! I was Sleeping Beauty and Jeremy was the Prince.

Muffin Pan Tacos

adapted from naturallyella.com and doyouknowthemuffinpan.com

makes 12 muffin cups- serves 3-4

FOR THE MUFFIN PAN TACOS:

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 to 1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced (1/2 will not be spicy)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cans black beans, drained

a big handful of chopped cilantro (about 1/4 cup chopped)

12 Ezekiel tortillas or flour tortillas

Herdez mild tomato salsa

FOR ASSEMBLY AND TOPPING:

Shredded Iceburg lettuce, for topping (about 3 cups)

Cholula hot sauce

2 handfuls cilantro, chopped

sour cream (optional: for non-vegan only)

Pam spray, for muffin tins

Guacamole (recipe follows- or store bought)

FOR QUICK GUACAMOLE:

6 ripe avocados

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 a lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion and jalapeno pepper until onion becomes translucent and starts to brown. Stir in garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, and continue to cook for 1-2 more minutes. Add in black beans and cilantro, cooking until beans are heated through-two to three minutes more. Turn off heat and set aside until ready to use.

Cut 4-inch diameter circles out of the tortillas. The easiest way is to use a standard margarita glass as your guide and cut around with either kitchen shears or a pizza cutter. Save leftovers to make chips some other time. Wrap tortilla circles 3 or 4 at a time in a barely damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds to soften. mold the circles into a lightly greased muffin tin. Spoon the black bean mixture evenly between the cups, then top with 1 teaspoon of salsa each. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the bean cups are baking, shred your lettuce, then chop avocados and ix with the lemon and garlic salt to make a quick guacamole. Taste and add more salt or lemon if needed.

When muffin cups are done just pop them out and top with your favorite toppings.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Calming Fresh Ginger-Mint Tea

2011-10-27T07:50:00.002-06:00

Sometime ago I was watching "The Doctor Oz" show with Jeremy (I had taped it for some reason?) It was all about antioxidants and overall health (oh, that's why we taped it). There was one segment where he was talking about ginger tea being really great for you. Fresh ginger aids nausea, digestive problems, circulation and arthritis. It also has been known to calm an upset stomach as well as stomach cramps. It also supports a healthy cardiovascular system. However, I think Dr. Oz was focused on the antioxidants in ginger. It's a little known fact that spices such as ginger have far greater concentrations of antioxidants that any common fruit or vegetable source. Spices also contain an especially wide variety of antioxidants (did you know some antioxidants help protect the body from things like cancer, while others help more once it's already developed? That why its good to eat a wide variety of foods) making ginger one of the top antioxidants foods around. Sold!

Now, Jeremy and I regularly sit together after the kids are in bed and enjoy this tea. I had never thought about using the actual root to brew tea, but what the hay? I'm glad this is a thing for us now. Sometimes we peel the root and chop it up to add to our water. But most times we slice thin rounds (a serrated knife gets the cleanest and most precise cut) and leave the skin on. Sometimes the ginger sinks to the bottom of the cups and other times it floats. I don't really mind this, but if you do, I recommend the peel and chop method because it seems like peeled, chunkier pieces are more likely to sink. But sliced thinly is prettier so you decide. Sometimes we add mint (like in this recipe) but some of the time we like ours straight up. To make it that way, just omit the mint.

You only need about an inch of ginger root for each mug. If you know you have big coffee cups, use 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Let it brew in the hot water for a good 5 minutes before tasting. The tea will be light at first, and get stronger as you sip it. You will feel a good and spicy warm burn down your throat as the ginger gets stronger. We love this actually, and it's not uncomfortable at all just so long as you expect it. Ginger root varies in potency so play around with the measurements. If it was too light using 1 inch, add more the second time around, and so on.

If you have a cold, I image a squeeze of lemon and teaspoon of honey would be good editions.

Fresh Ginger-Mint Tea

adapted from The Doctor Oz Show

makes 1

Boiling water

1-inch un-peeled thinly sliced ginger root (serrated knife works best) or peeled and chopped

5 fresh mint leaves

Place the ginger in the bottom of your mug. Add boiling water and mint and let sit for 5 minutes. Sip and enjoy.

Hello, antioxidants!

Sky High Classic Banana Cream Pie

2011-10-25T08:29:00.001-06:00

Some things are better left as classics. I consider Banana Cream Pie one of them. I do have a few requirements though.

1) I like lots of bananas

2) I like a lot of filling. I want it to fill almost the entire pie shell and be creamy but also stiff enough to cut clean slices

3) I like a huge dome of whipped cream on top.

You might say, I like my banana cream pie nice and fittingly, indulgent. The picture below was snapped in haste (because I wanted to eat it) does not do the pie justice. It looks like the whipped cream is overtaking the pie leaving a bit of filling at the bottom. I did whip a lot of cream. This is true. But I whipped it very, very softly so when I went to cut a slice, it weeped down into the side of the filling and covered it up. I will suggest whipping your cream until it can hold soft peaks for yours. I didn't really care what it looked like at that point because as soon as I took a bite and my mouth filled with cold, sweet cream and vanilla, butter crust and pudding, I was done for. This is perfect pie. I'll say it. Perfect classic pie.

The instructions are lengthy but it's because it includes homemade pie crust. . You can always use a store bought crust and skip it. Just make sure to follow the instructions on the package for baking it before filling.

Sky High Classic Banana Cream Pie

FOR THE PIE CRUST: makes 2 crusts (you only need one for this recipe)

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening

8-10 tablespoons ice water

FOR THE FILLING:

3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

2 1/4 cups whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

6 tablespoons corn starch

3 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups heavy whipping cream, for topping

5-6 tablespoons powdered sugar, for whipped cream

For the pie crust: dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan (this is so you can transfer the dough without ripping it). Wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap and shape into a disk. Refrigerate or freeze for future use.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Crimp the edges of the pie dough to create a nice crust. Line the pie crust with foil and ad pie weights (or dried beans or rice) to weight it down. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and weight and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Cover edge with a pie shield if it starts to brown. Remove pie crust from oven and set aside to cool.

FOR THE FILLING: Layer banana slices evenly in the bottom of the crust. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, cornstarch, eggs, and salt. Whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to simmer and thicken.

Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla. Stir until melted. Pour the filling into the baked crust. Place a layer of plastic wrap over the crust, and press down so it touches the surface of the filling. Chill overnight.

Beat the cream on high in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. After one minute, add the powdered sugar and continue beating until the cream holds soft to medium soft peaks. Taste for sweetness and add more sugar if desired. Top the pie with the cream and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Toasted sliced almonds would be a nice touch on top. Just sayin'.

Copycat Olive Garden Salad and Bread Sticks

2011-10-20T13:23:00.005-06:00

"About 150 million people will sit down for dinner at an Olive Garden this year, and here's guessing that 149.9 million of them will gorge on all-you-can-eat-salad and bread sticks before any of the food they ordered actually shows up. The stuff is addictive."-Food Network Magazine

My friend Melissa absolutely loves The Olivia Garden. I used to make fun of her because she would plan her trips to Denver around the restaurant. Her birthday? She wanted to go to The Olive Garden. Anniversary? Olive Garden. Driving to Arizona? We have to time it so we can have dinner in Grand Junction at The Olive Garden. Not that anything is wrong with this obsession, it's just that for a while I didn't quite understand. It's a chain for crying out loud. I shouldn't be surprised. Her husband's ultimate favorite restaurant? Chili's. Did you know I used to work at a Chili's? "Hello, thank you for calling Chili's, great food to go, this is Krysta how can I help you?" Oh, am I off topic again? That happens to me sometimes. My friends used to yell "Hey, look a chicken!" when I did that. Anyway, I think you can understand. I'm a foodie. I can appreciate a chain, sure, but I'm not scheduling my life around it. Then I went there.

It's not like I haven't been to The Olive Garden before. I have, and it was good. But it had been quite a long time. This time, I left with a new perspective of this chain restaurant I had deemed not good enough. That salad and bread sticks were...damn, Gina. They were GOOD. Really, really, good. I now try to hit the Olive Garden up when passing through Grand Junction. I now make copycat recipes in my own kitchen when I can't go to the actual restaurant for the salad and bread sticks. Soft, garlicky, mildly herby, hot from the oven bread sticks which are so easy since they only require one quick rise. Easy enough to make after a days work, as well. And salad that is so crisp and tastes exactly like the real thing. Really, I wouldn't lie to you. The dressing is pretty spot on. Thanks to Food Network magazine for coming up with this winner. The salad isn't the only thing I feel in love with at the OG. I also happen to have a copycat recipe for their delicious minestrone soup as well. Oh, friends. You. Are. Welcome.

after the rise, before baking. Sorry about the totally sucky lighting

The happy campers who got to partake in the Olive Garden Feast. Father-in-law, Jeremy and me, Shawn and Melissa

If you make this salad for the main course, I suggest you double (or tripple) the recipe so it can be "unlimited" just like Olive Garden.

Olive Garden Salad and Breadsticks

adapted from Food Network Magazine, Copy That! Column

Garden Salad: serves 4

FOR THE DRESSING:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons miracle whip

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1-2 tablespoons water

FOR THE SALAD

1 10-ounce bag American salad blend

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

4 small pickled peppers, such as pepperoncini

1 small vine-ripened tomato, quartered

2 tablespoons sliced black olives

1/2 cup large croutons

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Combine all the dressing ingredients and 1 to 2 tablespoons water in a blender or food processor; puree until smooth. Place the salad blend in a large bowl and top with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with the dressing and toss.

Olive Garden Bread sticks

makes 12-16 bread sticks

FOR THE DOUGH

1 package active dry yeast

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon fine salt

FOR THE TOPPING

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Pinch of dried oregano

Make the dough: Place 1/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a mixer; sprinkle in the yeast and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, butter, sugar, fine salt and 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons warm water; mix with the paddle attachment until a slightly sticky dough forms, 5 minutes.

Knead the dough by hand on a floured surface until very smooth and soft, 3 minutes. Roll into a 2-foot-long log (measure). Cut into 16, 1 1/2-inch-long pieces. Knead each piece slightly and shape into a 7-inch-long bread stick; arrange 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a cloth; let rise in a warm spot until almost doubled, about 45 minutes. I set my oven temperature to 250 degrees and let it warm up for 1-2 minutes before I shut it off so that my bread sticks have a warm place to rise. The warmer the environment (but not hot) the quicker it will rise)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make the topping: Brush the bread sticks with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Mine were done after 12 minutes. Check them and make sure they don't brown or turn golden. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt with the garlic powder and oregano. Brush the warm bread sticks with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with the flavored salt.

Oh How Pinteresting- Food Edition

2011-10-19T07:59:00.001-06:00

Like most of you, I have become completely obsessed with Pinterest. If you don't know what it is you really need to. Pinterest is a visual organized folder. Anytime you see something on the Internet that you want to remember, or print off, or make a mental note about, just pin the picture (it's easy once you sign up) and put it in whatever folder is appropriate.

The food below comes from my Food folder on Pinterest. Follow me if ya want (the button is in the corner). I'm always pinning food things (as well as everything else under the sun) This is what I'm most excited about this week:

Crock Pot Taco Soup- This looks delicious

Muffin Pan Tacos - I'm going to attempt to do these with Ezekiel tortillas and a black bean filling. If it's a success, I'll be blogging about it!

Baked Lemon Chicken- If I ate chicken this is what I'd be making this week!

Roasted Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal- Yes, please!

CInnamon Apple Oatmeal">

Spiced Apple Cider with Rum Whipped Cream- Definite. Make.

Pumpkin Sherbet- I (heart) this one.

Happy Wednesday everybody!

Roasted Figs and Prosciutto and The Best Sunday

2011-10-17T08:30:00.001-06:00

The other weekend my husband and I were sitting out on the back deck one afternoon when he asked what I would do that day if I could do anything. I had to think on it. It was a gorgeous fall day. Bright sun, warm, and magazine in hand, I felt relaxed and content to sit, read, watch the kids play and...eat. Hmmm. That was a problem. No grocery shopping had been done and there was slim pickings in the pantry department. I finally answered. "If I could do anything today, I think I would stay right here but I would have a huge platter of assorted cured meats, cheese, hearty warm bread, fruit and red wine to feast on all afternoon long." Done and done.

We headed out to our local meat and seafood house to shop. We picked out a nice spiced salami and prosciutto for the meats. Of course I picked prosciutto - If you don't know already, I am kind of obsessed with it. A nice roasted garlic baguette, Stilton blue cheese and a salty but carmely Piave (my most favorite cheese in the world, followed closely by truffle Pecorino) and we were on our way to my favorite Sunday afternoon in a long time. I already had the most perfect peaches and figs at the house just waiting for a time such as this.

I came home and got to work. I sliced peaches and mounded them high on a plate. I wrapped the baguette in foil and warmed it in the oven. I sliced hard salami, and instinctively wrapped some of the prosciutto around halved figs. In the back of my mind I remembered Ina Garten also my favorite roasting figs just like this. I looked up the instructions. I brushed the wrapped figs in olive oil and roasted them at a high temperature. They came out hot, salty, sweet, crunchy and juicy. They were the perfect figs for my perfect Sunday. Next, the wine was poured, cheese was arranged and we were outside ready to partake. I had made a separate plate for the kids to share so they wouldn't be reaching over the wine glasses to get to ours. Jeremy and I invited his parents to join us and we had the best time just enjoying and talking. Jeremy had also made some roasted cauliflower to go along with everything so we would have a healthy element on the table. Behold...

Jeremy and his Mom

The kids with their plate and "wine"

The Perfect Sunday. Period.

In other news my friend Kel took our pictures this past weekend. This is the sneak peak she sent me.

I can't wait to see the rest! Stay tuned for that.

Roasted Figs and Prosciutto

adapted from Barefoot Contessa, How Easy Is That?

serves 10

20 large fresh ripe figs

20 thin slices Italian prosciutto (about 8 ounces)

Good olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Snip the hard stems off the figs and cut the figs into half lengthwise through the stem. With a small sharp knife, cut the prosciutto lengthwise into inch-wide strips. Wrap a strip of prosciutto around the center of each fig half, with the ends overlapping. Brush with olive oil and arrange cut side up on a sheet pan.

Roast figs for 10 minutes, until prosciutto is a little crisp and the figs are warmed through. Serve warm.

I feel the need to explain the meat. Not that I need to, but I have told you many times that I don't often eat it. And that's true. But cured meat with wine and cheese is quite possibly the best thing in the world. This is when I choose to cheat. This sort of happiness on a plate is perfection to me. I am a much happier (not to be confused with healthier) person because of it.

Skinny Girl Stuffed Peppers

2011-10-12T07:58:00.000-06:00

I love stuffed peppers but hate all the saturated fat that comes with the traditional ground beef and cheddar cheese version. Not to mention that we don't really eat a whole lot of meat around here. I had to come up with something or else no stuffed peppers at the dinner table for our family. That's a sad realization, especially heading into the winter season.

My mother-in-law, Cindy, had just mentioned last week how much she loves stuffed peppers but couldn't imagine eating them without the ground beef. I told her of this version and she was hopeful but skeptical. She is from Nebraska and is a true mid-westerner at heart, but like us, she tries not to eat meat very often.

I had made these once before and knew how good they were. It was apparent when every morsel was eaten at the table that night and my daughter Isabella, requested that I make the meal for her birthday (which was months away).

It went over very well with the in-laws too. I make mine with Morning Star Grillers Veggie Crumbles for the "meat", which you can find in the frozen section of the grocery store. But you can also use turkey. The peppers retain just a slight crunch after baking which work really well with the highly seasoned filling. And filling it is! Just what the doctor ordered on a snowy or rainy day when nothing but comfort food will do.

Skinny Girl Stuffed Peppers

adapted from Bethenny Frankel

makes 6-8 peppers

6-8 bell peppers (colors of your choice)

1 pound turkey meat OR 1-12oz pkg. Morning Star Grillers Veggie Crumbles

1 cup quinoa

1/2 large onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 2 1/2 cups jarred tomato sauce (I use organic)

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt

2 1/2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/3 cup feta cheese

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the tops off of the bell peppers and remove seeds and core from the inside. Cut the bottom of the pepper flat only if it can't stand level. I usually can skip this step.

Add 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups boiling water in a medium sized saucepan. Bring back up to a boil, then turn the heat down and let simmer with the lid on until the water is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork, then re-cover and let stand off the heat for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute the onion and turkey over medium heat until turkey is cooked through and onions are translucent. Alternately, if using Morning Star Veggie Crumbles, saute the onion first until translucent, about 7 minutes then add the crumbles straight from the freezer and stir and let cook for about 1 minute before adding other ingredients. Add cooked quinoa (which should be about 4 cups) Add the tomato sauce, Worcestershire, and all the spices. Stir to combine and let everything simmer for 5 minutes.

Fill the peppers with the turkey/quinoa mixture to the top and set in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Sprinkle the feta cheese evenly over the tops of the peppers and bake for 30 minutes. Take a piece of foil and cover the peppers so the cheese doesn't burn and continue baking for 10-15 more minutes. When peppers are done, sprinkle the tops with toasted pine nuts and serve.

Chocolate Bundt Cake

2011-10-10T08:36:00.000-06:00

Okay friends, so I need to talk with you for a second. I decided that I would participate in a online bake sale for another food blogger over at Foodness Gracious because his daughter Miranda has type 1 diabetes, and they are raising money to walk for a cure. He asked different food bloggers to participate and donate a baked good to sell. He posted pictures of these items on his website and anyone can get on a place a bid for their favorite food item. The food blogger who donates has to bake the item and send it to the highest bidder. I am happy to say I am donating this cake and will be sending it next day, Fed Ex so it cannot go bad. So, I am asking you, my lovely friends, to visit the Foodness Gracious website and if you'd like, bid on one of the baked goods (mine! mine!) ha ha.

I do have a confession though. This isn't the exact cake I will be donating. See, the cake pictured is a really yummy doctored up devils food cake mix. The best recipe I have tried for such a thing, I might add. Sour cream, pudding mix and chocolate chips make the cake really special. But I just couldn't bring myself to have someone bid on a boxed cake mix recipe, even if it is super good. So, I will be making a version of the same cake that will be exactly like it. It's a homemade high quality chocolate loaf cake made from dark Dutch process cocoa with the same chocolate chips mixed in for good measure. It's delicious served with a dollop of whipped cream. I will share that recipe soon, (after I have a picture of it) just in case anyone wants to make that version, that is, if you don't buy it yourself online!

I originally blogged about this cake last year (and forgot) before I wrote this post- So I am attaching what I wrote the last year about this:

"I hadn't planned on blogging about this cake. You see, I made 3 different bundt cakes the other day with intentions on writing about one of them, just not this one. The others I made were from scratch, but this one starts with a...gulp, boxed cake mix. Don't judge! We all need some help once and a while and I am not above taking it. Especially when cooking three cakes in a row. When it came time to taste the cakes I literally could not stop eating this one. I tried really, really hard to love the Caribbean Christmas Ring that I originally wanted to blog about, but, *sigh* it just wasn't all that great. On the contrary, I tried really, really hard not to love this cake because I am sort of a baking snob and this cake is just a doctored up mix. So, with that being said, snob or not, I am also a lover of good food and dude, this is some GOOD food. So, what the hay? I'm blogging about it. This cake does not taste boxed, but it has the desirable texture you want with a boxed mix, only better because it's denser (thankyouverymuch, 4 eggs) and richer (thankyouverymuch chocolate chips) moister (thankyouverymuch sour cream and pudding) and just a touch more sophisticated. A simple dusting of powdered sugar is all it needs. Nothing more, as anything else would be overboard. What are you waiting for? Go make this to take to your next holiday party!"

Chocolate Bundt Cake

adapted from George Morris

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup oil

1 box chocolate cake mix (I like devils food)

1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Powdered sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat eggs, sour cream, water and oil together in a large bowl until throughly mixed. Add chocolate cake mix and instant chocolate pudding mix. beat until smooth. Stir in semisweet chocolate chips. pour batter into a bundt pan, and bake for one hour. When cool, sift powdered sugar on top.

This recipe actually came from a man who entered it into last year's "Holiday Bake Off" in Steamboat, under the name "death by chocolate". Let's be honest, shall we? This is not a "death by chocolate" cake. It's a good cake, but something called death by chocolate should call for mass amounts of ganache. And devils food cake. And brownie layers. And chocolate mousse. The guy looked like a burned out motorcycle rider though, so I'm wondering what in the world he was doing entering a bake-off in the first place, all the while scrutinizing the name of his dessert. What can I say? It was good. Sixty year old men in leather jackets with long white beards can bake too, I guess.

Roasted Winter Vegetables

2011-10-07T09:18:00.000-06:00

We had out first snow of the season yesterday. More expected today and tomorrow and

before all is said and done, 12-18 inches is predicted. It's okay because the first snow is usually followed by a week or two of sunshine and it all melts away...until Halloween anyway. I welcomed the snow yesterday by sitting on the couch in my red sweatpants, sipping hot tea and fighting off the worst headache in the world! I didn't win. I still have the headache. Ouch.

You needn't feel too badly for me. I am bringing it on myself. I am doing a sugar/candida cleanse and the detox from not eating sugar and bread is seriously nasty! My friend joked that it was like a drug addict, who just needs a little fix to get by. One cup of hot chocolate and my headache would go away-only to delay the withdrawal until the following day. Thinking about my body actually being addicted to sugar like a drug is scary to me. So scary that the headache is worth it. Not really, but I'll just pretend to get through it.

Something that I am allowed to have on my detox are these roasted winter vegetables. Nothing fancy here. Carrots, parsnips, butternut squash and sweet potatoes tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted at a high temperature so the veggies caramelize in spots. It's divine and my preferred go-to cold weather side dish to fish, chicken, pork or to toss in you favorite vegetable pot pie filling-whatever your favorite main is. This has been a staple in my house for a few years now and I don't see it changing any time soon. Make it and see why I love it so! Have a happy weekend, all!

Roasted Winter Vegetables

adapted from Barefoot Contessa, Family Style

Serves 6

3 medium sized carrots, peeled

3 medium sized parsnips, peeled

1 large sweet potato, peeled

1 small butternut squash (about 2 lbs), peeled and seeded

3 tablespoon good olive oil

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Cut the carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and butternut squash in 1-to 1 1/4-inch cubes. All the vegetables will shrink while baking so don't cut them too small.

Place all the cut vegetables in a single layer on a large sheet pan. If vegetables don't fit in a single layer, use two sheet pans. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss well. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender, turning once with a metal spatula.

Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot.

Pumpkin Roll Cake

2011-10-04T19:14:00.006-06:00

This was my first attempt at a roll cake and I have to say it was much easier than I thought it would be. In fact, the whole thing was surprisingly simple and the cake was delicious. The cake is assembled, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and chilled in the refrigerator until it is cut in slices at serving time. By then it is firm and compact and cuts cleanly. Swirls of pumpkin and spice and creamy cream cheese? Yes please.

Thanks to Molly from Stiletto's And Diapers for tipping me off to the recipe. Molly is 30-something weeks pregnant with her second child and knows a little something about a good eat when she comes across it. She encourages everyone to go ahead a cut your guests (and yourself) a couple slices because you are definitely going to want it. And how.

Jelly roll pans vary greatly in size. This recipe will accommodate a 15 x 10.5 or slightly smaller sized pan. If using a large jelly roll pan, double the recipe and watch baking time. You might have to bake a few minutes longer. My cake cracked a tiny bit on the first roll once it was filled. If this happens to you, don't fret. I couldn't tell when I cut slices.

Pumpkin Roll Cake

Serves 6-8

3/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 cup pumpkin

3 eggs

1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the filling:

1 8oz package cream cheese

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all the cake ingredients and pour into a greased jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with sides. Spread the batter into all the corners (it will be thin). Bake for 15 minutes. While baking, get hand towel, piece of linen or other cloth and dampen it, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. When the cake is finished baking, you are going to let it cool a couple minutes, then flip it onto that towel. Roll up the cake and the towel from the short end and allow to cool for 30 minutes. This will help it keep that rolled shape once you fill it).

While its cooling, beat the cream cheese and butter together, then add in vanilla and powdered sugar. Unroll the cake and towel and spread the filling evenly across the cake. Roll back up, this time without the towel and wrap tightly in saran wrap before refrigerating. Serve chilled, cut into 1/4" slices with more powdered sugar sprinkled on top, if desired.

I coated the outside of my cake with powdered sugar because the outside gets rather moist. Don't worry because it all works together in the end.

Homemade Limoncello- DIY Christmas Gift

2011-10-03T08:23:00.005-06:00

Happy Monday to you! I was excited to participate in The Saturday Evening Pot's "Countdown To Christmas" this past week. She asked different bloggers to submit homemade gift ideas or holiday recipes for their event, which runs for 100 days before Christmas. Christmas is not necessarily on my radar yet. I'll take Halloween and Thanksgiving first, thank you. But when thinking about what homemade Christmas presents make my favorite gifts, I thought of homemade Limoncello right away. Limoncello is bright and appropriately citrus-y for Christmas time and makes a popular and handsome homemade present for friends, neighbors and family. Limoncello also takes a cool month and a half to make because it needs to sit and develop. So, best to get started now.

Limoncello is a lemon liquor and when you make it from scratch you can control the sweetness. A bottle of this liquid gold will not go bad anytime soon. It can sit in your freezer ready to be sipped from a shot glass or a fancy limoncello glass, like this set that I'm in love with from Napa Style-

It's best sipped after dinner or with dessert but also can be drizzled straight from the bottle on sponge cakes or angel food cakes. Add some whipped cream and fresh strawberries and you have dessert.

Consider yourself warned though-If you make this once, you might find yourself needing to make it every year.

Follow the link to Saturday Evening Pot for the recipe and to read my post!