Meat and Potatoes Rule!

Because I doubt many would read a title like "My New Vegan Diet." Because Vegan is a scary concept.
No animal products. I allow honey. Honey is amazing.


I've switched to a mainly vegan diet. I say "mainly," because cold turkey is just to rough for me. I love cheese and fish too much to say "no" all the time. But in this period of transition I've been learning much about myself and that vegan lifestyle. Just to name a few...

1. It's easier to say "no" when you have the option of saying "yes." 

2. Don't substitute, go without, or indulge. Otherwise you (I, at least) have strong cravings and tend to screw up healthy eating anyways.

3. Vegan does not mean healthy! See breakfast below :)

4. Raw, organic, vegan protein shakes expand, both in your stomach and in the shake glass, turning into a revolting, vile, polly-juice-potion-like glop if you do not chug them. Fast. They're also a pain to clean up when you spill them all over the kitchen.

5. The body feels lighter and more energetic when adopting a vegan diet.

6. The need to be mindful of each thing you put in your body cultivates a mind that is focused on mindful living. In other words, what we do in one aspect of our lives transfers to broader areas of our lives.

7. Once you start setting those boundaries, it gets easier and easier to make the right decision, and even when you get off track, it's no biggie to hop back on without feeling guilt. (Not feeling guilt? Weird concept.)

8. Breakfast, my favorite meal of the day, has been improved. And since one of my dearest friends who is also vegan is sleeping in my living room right now...what a fantastic excuse to indulge in a yummy breakfast! Easy too!

Quinoa and Peaches for a Sunday Morning Sleepover

2 generous servings

Step One:

1/2 cup Quinoa

1 cup water

pinch of salt

Rinse Quinoa, because it can have sand in it, and place in sauce pan with water and salt. Cook over medium heat until most of the water is cooked in. Then turn off the heat, lid the pan, and let the residual heat and resting help the grain to absorb the remaining water. Set aside.

Step 2:

1/2 cup vanilla soy milk

1/4 peach, chopped

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

Combine ingredients in small saucepan and slowly bring to a simmer, allowing the peaches to cook a bit. 

Turn off heat, lid pan, but leave on the burner to rest.

Step 3:

2 Tb margarine

2 tb brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 peach cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

Melt margarine, add brown sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer over medium heat for about 2 minutes until it starts to get really caramel-ee and then add the peaches. Sauté in caramel mixture until peaches are cooked through. Be careful not to burn the sugar or be burned by the sugar. Both are not good! 

Serve the quinoa in a bowl, top with soy milk/peach mixture, and garnish with glazed peaches. Omg. 

Farmer's Market Joy

The Farmer's Market in town is a delightful Saturday morning tradition. We go and order pizza from a man who bakes them in wood-fired oven in the back of a truck, and while we wait for brunch, wander the market. Since it's still rather early in the season, pickings have been limited to greens, onions, beets and peas...but this week, strawberries and rhubarb joined the mix. I'm sure you can figure out what this post is about.
We bought three pounds of rhubarb from a man who ganged up on me with Jayson, and gave me a hard time for not wanting to make a rhubarb pie. (We also bought peas, farm fresh eggs, and some amazing cookies from a baker from Lake Mills.) So I knew I had to find some good desserts to make up for my lack of pie-nthusiasm.
Here is a recipe have tweaked a fair amount, but it tastes wonderful and will probably accompany us to the Brewer's game tomorrow.

Julie's Rhubarb Crackle

1 lb fresh rhubarb, washed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces- Set aside

1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar

Mix together flours and cut in the butter until mixture resembles crumbs. Work in the confectioner's sugar. Press into buttered 8-inch square pan, and bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. This is very important! Ignore the timer, use your senses. If the crust isn't truly golden (don't let whole wheat flour fool you) then leave it in a few minutes longer. Otherwise your dessert will be mushy. While your crust is baking...

3 eggs
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Whisk eggs and sugar in blender on high until forms light cloud-like happiness. Slowly add in flour mixture comprised of...

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Also stir in 1 tsp vanilla (or 2 tsp if you're like me).

Using a spatula, fold in the rhubarb. Once the crust is done baking, top it with the egg-rhubarb mixture, and pop into the oven again. Bake for 40 minutes to an hour (my oven is off, so I'm not positive exactly how long it SHOULD bake for, mine having needed the extra 20 minutes.)

Makes a really yummy dessert. Could serve it with whipped cream and strawberries, but I prefer to eat it out of the pan with a fork while it is still warm. :)

Call me crazy...many would agree ;)

I'm going to eliminate gluten, sugar, dairy and alcohol from my diet for a month. Which sounds extreme, but should be fairly easy. Just say "no!"

Why? Well, all four of those things are technically bad for the body, unnatural for our systems to process. So I want to know what would happen if I eliminated them for a month. I'll be able to eat fruits, vegetables, meats, legumes, nuts, wild rice, sweet potatoes (they're not quite a vegetable or starch in my mind), quinoa, eggs, oatmeal...I think that's actually about it. In the past I've gone a week or so without one of those things, but never for as long as a month. But it'll only be hard if I look at the negatives. The positives are awesome: I should have more energy, be more focused, sleep better, might even lose weight? Woot! (And for those who think this is a ploy to lose weight or something...it's not. Avocados are fairly high calorie ;) I just want to see what my body does!

So I'll be trying to fill this blog with recipes of fun things to try that fit the guidelines. It starts tomorrow and runs through the month of May. My goal is 35 days of self-discipline. I'm strong, I can do it ;) Cheer me on!

Extreme Bag Lunches

Watch out, it'll be the next great TV series. Because I'm pretty sure "Extreme Couponing" will fail. Don't believe me? Check your TV guide!

I grew up with fantastic parents who make me bag lunches that were envy-inspiring. Even on field trips, when we had to use brown paper bags instead of my usual insulated lunchbox, my dad would decorate the bag with Sharpies, drawing comics or turning it into a puppet or just doodling all over. It made meal time a family event, even though I wasn't with them. *warm fuzzies*

Today is my half-day off, so instead of being responsible and doing laundry and cleaning, I decided to make lunches for some people I care about and wanted to show love. Let's face it, making people smile and feel good is the greatest thing you can do to make yourself feel good. And I do not feel good about myself right now, for more reasons than one. So cooking is my therapy :)


Here is what I put together!

- Black bean, yam and avocado salad

- Shredded Chicken

- Quinoa with Red Peppers

- Blackberries

- Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

- Love :)

Black Bean Salad
 I discovered this combination yesterday when I threw a desperate lunch together of yams, avocados and black beans.
Smaller yams bake up a bit easier. Pierce 2 of them with a fork, and pop them in a 350 degree oven for about 90 minutes. When they are soft and juicy, pull them out. When cool, remove the skins and cube them.
In a bowl, combine a can of rinsed black beans, the yams, and diced red pepper. Squeeze the juice from one half of a lime over the top. Garnish liberally with avocado, and a slice of lime.


Shredded Chicken
Coat chicken breasts in olive oil, sear in oven-safe pan. Once both sides are golden, transfer to 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, checking them occasionally till done. Let cool a bit in the pan, and then use two forks to shred. This is labor intensive!
Grind up in a mortar and pedestal the following:
-1 tsp cumin
- Some dried poblano pepper
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes

Sprinkle over the chicken. Add about 1/2 cup chicken broth, and one large tomato that has been thoroughly minced. Let everything simmer for about 15 minutes until the juices start to thicken and the chicken tastes the way you like it. Add more of the spices as you see fit. Salt (judiciously) with Adobe Garlic Salt. When it's done, turn off the heat and sprinkle with cilantro.

Quinoa with Red Peppers

Mince half a red pepper and a large clove of garlic.
Add to sauce pan with 4 TB olive oil. Turn the heat on medium high and bring to a sizzle, when the peppers start to brighten in color, add 2 cups water and 1 cup quinoa. Let simmer for about 20 minutes until all water is absorbed. Salt carefully.

Serve the Shredded Chicken over the Quinoa, and garnish with lime and cilantro.

Dessert!! Those delicious cookies I made the other day, and black berries :) Such fun!

This is a wonderfully flavorful, filling and nutrient rich meal. I highly recommend you give it a shot.

Qua? Quinoa!

You heard me. It's pronounced Keen-wa. This silly grain is seriously high on the nutrient list. Check this out: Nutrition Data, Quinoa!
ALL amino acids are accounted for! Woot! Not only that, but it's simple to make, and cheap.

Two parts water to one part quinoa, put in sauce pan, bring to a simmer, simmer for 15 minutes, and you're done. 

So if you're looking for an alternative to rice, pasta or oatmeal, this is your grain, and I intend to be using lots of it in the next few weeks. I made this stupid-easy salad today, using basic fridge stuff. It's not even a recipe.

- 2 cups cooked quinoa (see above!) but add a couple cloves of chopped garlic and pinch of sea salt
- Can kidney beans
- Chopped red pepper
- Chopped celery
- Season with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, cumin, red pepper flakes, oregano, and olive oil.

To be honest, it wasn't perfect. But I wanted to introduce this awesome grain, and include a pretty picture. :)

So here is an informative link: Informative Link

Goodbye Gluten, Hello Cookies!

Background Info 1: Mi Madre is going gluten free, and frankly, it seems like most of us should. Gluten is linked to more than one digestive disorder, not to mention sluggishness, headaches, and other "chronic" issues that can be resolved simply through avoiding it. This can be difficult and expensive, because anything containing wheat, barley or rye or made with wheat, barley or rye, is off limits. No Oreos or bread, certain sauces are off limits, pasta is often a no-no, goodbye crackers and munchies, and don't even think about dining out unless you've check ahead of time! Gluten is also found in body products like lotions and oils! So it's work to make the dietary/lifestyle change. But the rewards are worth it, as many have discovered. 

Cooking for my family, being an important part of showing love, now means making sure I'm cooking gluten free as well. I have no problems with this. Although it has given me problems. Some gluten-free flours are nasty. I tried making Chicken Pot Pie with a garbanzo bean flour (Bob's Red Mill), that tasted so strongly of the beans I couldn't eat it. And I'll eat most anything. It was vile. BUT! I have discovered Pamela's Baking Mix! Delicious and easy to use.

Background Info 2: Dropping off Kiefer at a friends house resulted in a happy encounter with freshly baked cookies. She had made the recipe for White Chocolate Oatmeal Crasins cookies on the back of the bag. So good. So tonight after work, I decided to make some myself. But, since I'm planning on surprising my mum with lunch on Friday, I knew I had to use Pamela's Baking Mix.

My spin on the recipe:

(This is a half-batch, because my waistline knows better than to unleash a full batch of cookies into my home. They will consume you.)

Oven to 375 degrees F!

3/4 cup oats

3/4 cup Pamela's Baking Mix

1/3 cup Crasins

- Measure into a bowl, and set aside.

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup softened unsalted butter

-Beat in mixer until fluffy

One egg

-Add egg and beat some more

Stir in the oat mixture. Spoon onto cookie sheet. Use wet fingers to shape the cookies into nice round pats. Flatten them a bit, because the high oat content means that they don't change shape very much, and you don't want a cookie that's unevenly baked. At least not these cookies ;)

Bake 375 for about 15 minutes, possibly more. Check them for golden brown tops! Remove from oven (turn off oven) and using a spatula, transfer to cooling rack. I let mine cool for about 15 minutes on the counter, and then transferred them to the freezer.

While cookies are getting chilly, melt 1/2 white chocolate chips over a double boiler. Add about 3 TB water, some cinnamon, and some vanilla. If the chocolate seems really dry, add a bit more water and/or a drizzle of vegetable oil. Sounds weird, but it worked for me. When all is melted into a delicious sticky mixture, pull those cookies from the freezer and dunk each one in the chocolate, coating the top. Allow to cool/dry on the cooling rack. 

Enjoy. They are so good, I could hardly keep my hubby from snitching them all!

Portabello Burgers!

These burgers are anything but portable. (Ba-dum-ksh!) Seriously, bad puns aside, these delicious mounds of yum make a mess that you're only too happy to lick off the plate and your fingers. I made these weeks ago when a dear friend came for a visit! We picked up freshly baked rolls from the grocery store, sought out the juiciest mushroom caps we could find, and whipped up this amazingly filling lunch!
These burgers are made in several parts, and then it all comes together in the end. So bear with me, and it'll all make sense! You'll need:
-Portabello Caps
-Rolls
-Tomatoes
-Spinach
-Avacado
-Feta Cheese
-Garlic
-Yellow Onion
-Red Pepper
-Olive Oil


FIRST: To make the feta cheese spread: Put cheese, couple handfuls of spinach, a couple of cloves of garlic, and a good swoosh or two of olive oil into a food processor. Blend. Keep adding spinach and olive oil until the green stuff inside has reached a color and texture and taste to your liking. If you feel motivated, throw in some cracked black pepper, basil, and maybe even a splash of balsamic vinegar. Taste liberally and have fun; you can't mess it up. 


SECOND: To make the peppers and onions: Slice the peppers and onions into long strips and thin half-moons respectively. Over medium-high heat, warm up some olive oil, and then throw in the peppers. About the time they start looking transparent, add the peppers. Sauté the peppers and onions until the onions are caramelized and brown, and the peppers are soft. Turn off the heat and put a lid on the pan to hold them until you're ready to eat. 


THIRD: To cook the shrooms: Make sure most of the dirt is brushed off and place portabellos on baking sheet so they make little domes. Then imagine yourself as an itty-bitty ant climbing those massive domes, and how crazy that would be. Next, drizzle the domes with olive oil and try not to imagine how awful it would be to be that little ant getting clobbered by a torrent of olive oil. Put them under the broiler until the domes begin to sizzle and brown. Then pull them out and flip them over, belly up, and drizzle with a teensy bit more olive oil. Broil them until the mushrooms become soft, and bubbly (the juices kinda well up and get happy). Pull 'em out and let them sit on the stove top while you....


LAST STEP: Broil the buns! That's just fun to say. Halve the rolls, and toast them under the broiler. Don't turn away for a second. 


Assembly (bottom to top):
 Bun, Cheese Spread, Mushroom, Slice of tomato, Onions and Peppers, Slices of Avocado, Cheese Spread, Bun.
TO die for. (This blog is not responsible for any deaths, please enjoy responsibly.)

Beans and Rice

With catastrophes occurring around the world, like the tsunami in Japan, I find it almost depressing to have a food blog. It's a symbol of luxury for me, for while I have the ability to pick and choose what I eat and experiment, photograph and blog about it...that's not the case with many around the world. So while I write this blog, I'm still thinking about those who are not so fortunate.

It's the simplest foods that sustain us the best. Fresh vegetables, meats, whole grains, legumes, nuts...such wonderful, nutrient rich foods. For today, and maybe tomorrow, I have decided to cut gluten, dairy and sugar from my diet. Just to see if I actually can do it. This means two things: 1. I have to do more food prep. 2. I have to be self-disciplined. :D

Here's the salad I made this morning!

Wild Rice and Kidney Bean Salad

2/3 cup wild rice prepared with 2 cups water (simmer 45 min)
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 stalks green onion, chopped
1/4 sliced almonds (unsalted)
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Season with red wine vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and chinese five spice- all to taste!

The dried cranberries are my one downfall for today, because they are indeed, sweetened. Darn! However, a very small amount won't do much harm, right?

Speaking of simple foods: I've got a container garden in it's planning stages! I've never had a vegetable garden before, but I'm going to give it a shot. I just hope my landlord doesn't mind a crowd of white 5-gallon pails following the sun around our pathetic lawn!

(Vegetarian) Chili and Scone-Biscuit-Bread-Rolls

Yesterday morning I went for a five-mile run and came home ravenous! So I made chili to take to work for lunch, because my body was just craving that warm comfort. T'was wonderful!

Julie's Vegetarian Chili

1 can Hunt's Fire Roasted Diced tomatoes

1 can Black Beans

2 cloves garlic

1 medium onion, chopped

5 mushrooms, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

2 vine tomatoes, finely chopped

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cocoa powder

1 Tb cumin

2 tsp mexican oregano

couple shakes red pepper flakes

salt to taste

Over medium-high heat, throw the garlic and onion in a quart saucepan with some olive oil. Sautee until translucent, then add mushrooms and peppers. Sauté until the veggies start to brown a little- it adds richness. Add tomatoes, should sizzle nicely. I stirred those around until the pan settled, and began to simmer. Then add the cans of tomatoes and beans, and all of the spices. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, then slap a lid on. Done! Best if sits for a while, and the flavors have a chance to "get happy." But we ate ours within the day, because it was so delicious :) Enjoy!

Now this morning, I was craving something delicious and baked. Scones or rolls or biscuits...wasn't sure which. So I combined my knowledge of those recipes to create this one. The result is like a drop biscuit, but with a bit more crunch to it. Perfect actually, for dipping in that Chili!

Scone-Biscuit-Bread-Rolls

2/3 cup whole wheat flout

2/3 cup white flout

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 Tb sugar

1/4 stick of butter

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

I recommend using King Arthur Flour. Whisk dry ingredients, cut in butter. Whisk the egg and milk together, add to dry ingredients. Stir together to form a dough that is too wet to roll out, but holds it's shape. Will be lumpy! Drop into six bigger than golf-ball but smaller than tennis-ball sized biscuits. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Possibly longer. Our oven is temperamental, so I'm never sure how long things are supposed to take!  Joys of apartment living.

Enjoy :-)

Scone and Muffin Joy

Chocolate Orange Scones with Orange Glaze

My dearest bro is in The Importance of Being Earnest. The high school is putting it on, and naturally, refreshments are needed for intermission. So my mother commissioned me to make some scones. WOOT! Today I made Chocolate Orange Scones, that have a yummy light glaze, and Raspberry Scones, that have a cracked sugar crust.

Raspberry Scones with Sugar Crust

Also, a friend, Sarah, came over and helped make more muffins to take to Jacob's school. She was in charge of re-inventing the recipe to accommodate oatmeal and raspberries. T'was a job well done, and I'm sure the tots will appreciate the deliciousness.

Blueberry muffins were supposed to be made for Jacob's class as well, but I forgot to get the muffin tin ready and forgot to add the sugar. So I added sugar, subsequently over-mixing them, and just put them in the jumbo muffin cups I had in the cupboard, making six jumbo muffins instead of 24 mini ones. Guess I'll be baking a bit more tonight!

ALL DELICIOUS though. In case you were wondering. ;) Also delicious was my lunch. Considering I spent the morning snacking on sweet treats and being quality-control, I decided on roasting brussel sprouts and some butternut squash with a drizzle of olive oil, a splash (or three) of white wine, some thyme and pepper, and baking it at 450 for about an hour. Oh, I also threw some onions in there. Good and filling. Go fiber!
Enough for now, more baking tonight ;)

 So here is a picture of my not-so healthy but yummy lunch! The only bummer is it made for lots of gas. Normally I'm not bothered, but as a massage therapist...T.M.I. I know. :)

Now I'm off to go to some 'oga! Today was not a good day, but baking sure made it warmer and full of good smells, not to mention fun conversation. Hopefully ending with some yoga and maybe some picking up around the house will put it all right.

Om :) Namaste!

Om...Om Nom Nom....see there is a connection between meditation and food. Sorry... ;)

How'bout Cornbread?

This photo has nothing to do with my post.
I just want to say, sometimes I hate my cat.

Remember when you used to say, "how'bout I'm the mom and you're the daughter, and..." and your world of make-believe would include really short days, yummy snacks and lots more "how'bouts?" Well, I do. I have always lived one foot in the land of "how'bouts," and have always used that make-believe to make life more fun.
Now that I'm a stepmom, I get to pretend I'm a mom again. Like today, for instance, I put together round one (of four) snacks for Jacob's class. Having seen the abominable snacks parents have been brining in, including teddy grahams, fruit snacks, and those cheese-cracker sandwiches, I immediately began brainstorming snacks that were healthy, but yummy. Here's the line-up:

• Tuesday: Mini Cornbread Muffins with Cherry Tomatoes
• Wednesday: Mini Yogurt Cup with Pineapple Chunks
• Thursday: Slices of Apples, String Cheese
• Friday: Oatmeal Raspberry Muffins, Carrot Sticks

It's not brilliant, but if it were my kid, I'd be happier they were eating stuff that has more nutrition and less sugar. So...those kids are getting a secret dose of flax seed, fiber, and love. Aren't I an evil stepmom?

Anyway, the point of this post was to share the self-declared awesome recipe I created tonight, using the cornbread recipe on the container of cornmeal as a template.

Muffins

Yummy Cornbread Mini Muffins

1 1/4 cups flour

1 cup cornmeal (yellow)

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup minced green pepper

11/2 cups whole milk

several dashes of tabasco (to taste!)

Oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk dry ingredients. Whisk wet ingredients. Blend everything together. Spoon into mini, greased, muffin tin. (The tin isn't mini, the size of the muffins are mini. Just to clarify ;)

Bake until done....I'm sorry, I didn't watch the clock too closely. Check after 10 minutes. They are done when they have ceased to rise, the edges begin to brown, and a knife comes out clean. Enjoy!

Cheating Lunch

I didn't have much time for lunch, nor much inclination to cook....I threw this together and it worked!

Sauteed onions, carrots, brussel sprouts (quartered) with some olive oil and a healthy dose of curry.
Throw in a good 1/2 cup of white wine. Take a few sips for the cook's health ;)
Let simmer covered while boiling up some whole wheat pasta.
Add red peppers and tomatoes to the veggies, stir around. Season with a dash of soy sauce (low sodium, please) and some more curry to taste, maybe some more white wine? What do you think?
Drain the pasta, add to the veggies, and stir.
Here comes the weird part: stir in about 3 Tb of canned pumpkin. Makes a nice sauce and adds some richness to the dish.
Sprinkle with some grated asiago.

ODDEST combination of things. BUT the curry, pumpkin, and brussels sprouts are earthy, and the asiago is this neat contrast of flavor, but still possess this earthiness that is delicious. And then the peppers and tomatoes add this little pop of brightness...Try it, see what you think. ;) Jacob and I loved it.

Enjoy dinner!

Lessons in Dinner

Jacob asked about the red pepper flakes I had sitting next to me. To Jayson's horror, I had added them to the shrimp, cherry tomato, basil, parmesan pasta dinner he served us. It was delicious, regardless of the additional spice :) But this simple question inspired me to ask him what he smelled. What was the difference in smell between the red pepper flakes and the cracked black pepper?

"It smells like the ashes of a cigarette after it's been put out," he said of the red pepper flakes. As sad as I was that he knows that the ashes of a cigarette smell like well enough to identify that "flavor" in other scents, it pleased me, tickled me, that a five-year old boy would be mature enough to identify that! It was a fun lesson about spices, and it reminded me of how very smart that little boy is. 

Food is blissfully stable.

 Things are crazy in Wisconsin right now. Regardless of where you stand politically, it is a intense situation. And so, naturally, I am drawn even more the simple joy of food.
I picked up Jacob from his mother's parent's house on Friday because his mom kept him home from school, and given the warning that he had a fever and was alternating between total lethargy and having some energy. When I picked him up, the minute we got in the car he was non-stop energy! Talking a mile a minute, being silly. Kept talking about how happy he was...and I decided it was time for some light-hearted fare. The weather, having turned to the 50's and sunny, inspired some subs and strawberries! I have to say, the subs were the best I had in my life. Try this:

1.  Slice a Sub Roll in half. Sprinkle both sides with red wine vinegar and Penzeys Pasta Sprinkle. 
2.  One side gets a deli slice of provolone, and the other some salami. Broil till cheese melts and salami is crispy.
3.  Add tomatoes, lettuce, and turkey. 

Seriously delicious. Jacob ate the entire thing. Let me put this in perspective. It was probably about 5 inches in diameter and a few inches high. Contained a fair amount of stuff inside. I ate mine and was stuffed. Methinks someone is growing! Also, he ate all of his red peppers and strawberries. Sick? I don't think so. While Jacob was finishing his food (he is a s-l-o-w eater) I made more cakes for The Pub.

These ones contained port and semi-sweet chocolate. Deliciously rich. I made a chocolate port ganache to serve on top! Super easy- reduce the port, scald the cream, stir in chocolate and cool in a pastry bag.

 And now it's Sunday. Saturday passed in a blurr of jobs. Massaged from 8-3, and then waitressed. I ate crap too, so I don't feel like sharing. BUT this morning, this was a morning of yummies. NOT HEALTHY. But yummy. See, I go into the kitchen to make some of my Yorkshire Tea (best breakfast tea I've found) and spied a package of mint chocolate meringues on the fridge. WOOT delicious. Apparently Jacob made them with my mother-in-law last night. I'm a fan. Fantastic way to wake up.

I was super hungry, and was craving blueberry pancakes, but couldn't bring myself to make them for just me. So I had some blueberries, strawberries, yogurt and oats. One of my favorite snacks is to combined fruit, yogurt and oats. I love the contrast in textures and flavors.

AND THEN JAYSON WOKE UP. Poop. So I skyped with my German sister for a while, and then decided, what the heck, I want pancakes. And made some. WITHOUT eggs. Because we didn't have eggs. So this was the recipe:



Sunday Morning Disgustingly Good and Unhealthy Blueberry Pancakes
1 cup flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup cream (it's all we had for dairy)
1/2+1/3 cup water
1 cup blueberries

Blend swiftly, and cook in frying pan. Serve with butter and syrup. They were really good. And gave me good warm feelings in my tummy.

Also, I'm starting boot camp at the YMCA today, so the good warm feelings don't settle around my tummy. Balance ;)

Best Combo Ever. Until the next one pops up.

There are a million combos out there- chocolate and pretzels, bacon and waffles, apples and peanut butter, cheese and crackers, you get the idea. My new favorite: avocado and caesar dressing. Isn't that terrible?! I'm the girl who proudly dresses most of her salads with just oil and vinegar, or simply a squirt of lime juice and some cilantro (which happens to go excellently with black beans, tomatoes, peppers and spinach.) But seriously. Avocado and caesar dressing is wonderful. Today my delicious salad was romaine topped with smoked salmon, avocado, tomatoes, croutons, and caesar dressing.
And man was it good.
And between that salad and my blueberries I munched on all day...today was a much better day than yesterday :)

G'night!

Full Circle

My goal for tomorrow: to have a pure, unprocessed day.
Also, to feel good about myself.

Life is beautiful. Things happen for a reason. Savor every moment. Laugh at the little stuff. See beyond the now. Breathe.

Right. I know. I preach these things to my clients because that's what massage therapists do. But today I had a dumb day. Dumb day of everything from bad food to political conversations that mean nothing, to coming home to a mess of fishy garbage the dog and cat got into.

Remember how you are what you eat? I ate lots of junk today. While I love to cook with cream, egg yolks, butter, sugar, and bread, consuming these things usually comes with a home-made goodness about them. They are pure, unprocessed, and the creation and consumption thereof is also pure. But today I ate crap from Starbucks, binged when I got home because I didn't eat to fit my blood sugar needs, and finished off with pizza, bread, and tiramisu. Bleah. At least I didn't drink. For all the toxins I put in my body today, I'll be lucky if I can get out of bed in the morning, let alone run.

Why am I venting to cyber space? It's cathartic. And it reminds me of something important: the way we treat ourselves decides how we feel about ourselves. Not the other way around. If my diet is good, and I get out of bed to work out, and accomplish a fair amount in a day, I feel 10 pounds lighter and 10 times more confident. But when I disrespect my body and choose the wrong stuff to put into it, the opposite is true.

The lesson I remembered today was this: What you put in, is what comes out. You are what you eat. Hey, that should be the title of a blog. That'd be awesome! ...hehe. Good night.

Seven Layer Salad.

Makes me think of summer!
               ....And red and yellow peppers :)

Okay, in complete honesty, the concept of a seven layer salad kind of grosses me out. It takes the usual healthy salad and turns it into something very...not. You know, mayo, cheddar cheese, bacon, olives....all delicious in their own ways, but together? Personally, I'm not attracted to it, though if you are I completely respect your food choices. After all, I'm a fan of bacon waffles, and I know that repulses some. ;)

When I offered to take a vegetable dish to a baby shower for one of my fantastic coworkers, and was asked to bring a seven layered salad, it seemed best to bring one that I'd love to eat. Lately that would mean including feta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. So how about a seven layer, mediterranean salad?! Here were my layers, from top to bottom:

Picture I took in Italy of someone's house we
stayed at! It was incredibly picturesque.

Mediterranean-Inspired Seven-Layer Salad

1. Croutons: Baguette sliced, both sides brushed with olive oil/butter, basil and oregano, paprika and a bit of garlic salt.

2. Feta Dressing: Feta cheese, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, non-fat yogurt, clove of garlic, oregano, all pureed until creamy and dressing like. 

3. Olives: Should have been kalamata, but I just used black pearls

4. Red Pepper: For more color, use yellow and orange!

5. Quartered artichokes: Canned, delicious, yum.

6. Tomatoes: Chopped vine tomatoes and chopped sun-dried tomatoes (in olive oil) tossed together

7. Lettuce: Mixed greens

The goal of this salad was to use fresher, brighter flavors than the typical SLS. I'm not actually convinced it's more healthy. There's a lot of sodium in olives, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, and feta cheese. But hopefully using non-fat yogurt instead of mayo, and omitting bacon helps? NO idea. Frankly, do we care? Nope :) Bottom line, it was a hit, and I was asked for the recipe.

You'll notice there are no proportions for the ingredients. This is because I have no idea what they are. I cook according to the textures and flavors I desire to attain. So when you make your seven-layer mediterranean-inspired salad-dressing (is that enough hyphens?), envision something delicious and start adding ingredients to your food processor. Start with a vision. Taste frequently. Have fun.

True Love

One of the reasons why I love my husband is because he uses meals to communicate love. Obviously, food is one of our "love languages." ;) For example:  for this Valentine's Day, my guy treated me to one of the best meals I have ever had, Bouillabaisse paired with bread and Pernod.

Bouillabaisse is a funny name (sorry French folk, but that's a lot of double letters) for a very simple but delicious fish stew. Jayson's included shrimp, lobster, scallops and mussels, seasoned with orange rind, saffron, fennel and probably a host of other delicious spices he hasn't disclosed. He toasted the bread and scraped it with garlic, and served the meal with delicious Pernod, a pastis that paired wonderfully with the saffron. Basically, I'm in heaven right now :)


Another treat of the evening (so far) has been watching Jacob enjoy dinner. First of all, how many 5-year olds eat scallops, lobster, shrimp, etc, all without complaint? You create picky eaters, and we have endeavored to do the complete opposite. Success! Not only did he eat all, but was wildly entertaining in the process, pretending his mussel shell was a mouth and making it talk, eat and be silly. Here he is with his lobster, and his talking shell!

Ah, what a night! And it has only just begun :) While I'm not sure what Jayson's plans are (although he's pulling out champagne flutes) at least I've contributed by putting our new sheets on the bed (I splurged and got nice creamy sheets that aren't pilled!) and have a wonderful box of chocolates to share. I found this company called Moonstruck that makes some really complex chocolates! I'll let you know how good they are. They certainly do look pretty!

Chocolate Fudge Buttercream, Milk Chocolate with Himalayan Pink Sea Salt and Caramel




Pink Champagne Heart Truffle, Molten Lava Heart Truffle





Mystery Truffle (I can't remember), Champagne Truffle





Well, off for more fun! Happy Valentine's Day!!

You choose to work, or you choose to play.

When it's a chore, you aren't as dedicated to the dish and can become distracted,  resulting in bad experiences. But when creating the dish is a true pleasure, immediately you bring your attention to the important details such as: whether or not the rolls are burning. I know this is true, because I had flaming rolls. 

Some people view cooking as a chore, a tedious task you perform three times a day to make the hunger go away and provide fuel for the next task. But for me, it's a celebration of color, flavor, and texture. It's a CHANCE for me to be creative, discover a new favorite combination of flavors, try a new recipe, or even screw up and learn something new. Seriously, I'm hooked. Even breakfast omelets don't get boring; there is no end to the amount of stuff you can put in an omelet.

One of my favorite random omelets came after a delightful date night at Nanakusa, when we took home some of the green tea sea salt that was served with something delicious. I can't remember what. But I made a plain omelet with unsalted butter, and sprinkled that green tea salt on top. WOW. So simple, but so delicious. The delicate green tea flavor was enhanced by the rich egg yolk...so good.

Another one of my other favorite omelets came together when I finally opened a jar of peach salsa that had been in the pantry since our wedding. Not only is it one the most delicious things I've eaten with chips, but if you make an omelet with black beans, green peppers and some sharp cheddar cheese and spoon some peach salsa on top...and you've got yourself an AWESOME breakfast. Total sunshine on a plate.

See what I mean? Cooking is not a chore- it's awesome! Of course sometimes you fail...like the time I tried drizzling black truffle infused oil on an omelet made with tomatoes and spinach...and it ended up inedible. Totally gross. BUT I learned what not to do and also discovered a great way to use black truffle infused oil:

Noodles, chopped up sun-dried tomatoes, cracked black pepper, drizzle of black truffle infused oil. Delicious midnight snack. For a giggle: seriouseats.com

I guess this post was inspired by a co-worker's amazement at my baking. I know I'm not that amazing, because there are a million cooks and chefs and bakers that educated, experienced and thoroughly engaged in the culinary arts. But in my small world, cooking is my one chance to travel, have an adventure, defy odds, and maybe even have an adrenaline rush. Compared to those who dread dinner or baking, maybe I am amazing. But if I am, it's only because I love to have fun.

Life's short. Choose to go have fun.

Feta Cheese Dip

TRUTH: YOU CAN'T HAVE TOO MUCH CHEESE! Unless you're like...constipated...and that's because you weren't pairing your cheese with fruit and veggies and delicious whole grain crackers and breads ;) Anyway. (I'm hyper on sugar and chocolate right now, thanks to baking the chocolate raspberry swirl cakes, so if I'm a tad strange, that's why. Or it's genetic.)

Speaking of cheese...THE PACKERS WON THE SUPERBOWL! I wasn't that huge of a football fan, but having married a true Wisconsin man, I am now undyingly loyal and supportive of the Packers. It was for a Superbowl shindig that I created this dip...spread...whatever you want to call it. Cheddar cheese is very Wisconsin, and I do enjoy it immensely. However, the salty, sweet and colorful flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, red peppers, artichokes and mushrooms called to me, so I paired them with feta cheese for fun.

1 4-oz package feta cheese
4 crimini mushrooms
6 pieces sun-dried tomatoes
3 artichokes
1 large clove garlic
pepper to taste
balsamic vinegar to taste
olive oil to consistency
A few red peppers

Mince everything (except the red pepper) finely. Mix. Season with pepper. Add a few tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Taste, and decide whether or not to add more. Drizzle in olive oil until creamy.

Slice the red pepper into 1"X 1" chunks. Serve the dip on the red peppers for a healthy alternative to chips and crackers. Or eat on baguette, crackers, chips, etc, because it's delicious any way you eat it!

Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Cakes...with a molten center.

So, for the pub where I work, I've been asked to make desserts while the owners are off to Ireland. Could I be more excited, pleased and happy? Probably not. I've been having fun with a recipe the owner gave me for Cabernet Cakes with molten centers. Inspired by a bar full of wonderful booze and the many shades chocolate comes in, I've re-designed the recipe for Valentine's Day.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2 sticks of butter
3/4 cup 60% chocolate
3/4 cup white chocolate
2 cups powdered sugar
6 TB Chambord
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Melt one stick of butter in a sauce pan. Then take off the heat and whisk in 3/4 cup of 60% chocolate chips until all are melted and smooth. Add 3 tablespoons of Chambord and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth. The consistency will change a bit, and should become very rich. Then whisk in 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk. Finally, whisk in 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. The batter might have specks of flour in it, but this is not an issue. Set aside.

In another sauce pan, melt 3/4 stick of butter. Take off the heat and let set for a couple of minutes- this is important! Too high a heat will cause the white chocolate to grain, which is not a huge problem, but is best to be avoided for a smoother consistency. Add 3/4 cups white chocolate and whisk until smooth. Add 3 tablespoons of Chambord and 1 cup powdered sugar. You guessed it, also 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk. Then whisk in 1/2 cup flour (no cinnamon).

Fill jumbo muffin cups (should be 6) with equal portions of the white and dark mixtures. Then stick a clean finger into each one and swirl once in a circle. When all have been swirled, enjoy the batter on your finger, and wash your hands.

Bake for about 15 minutes. The tops should crack and they should puff up. When you stick a knife into them, it should come out goopy. Pull them out, and let them cool for about 30 minutes in the pan or ramekin. Once touchable, carefully remove from the ramekins or muffin cups. If they start to fall apart, wait a bit longer until they are cooler, and try again. Should you fail completely in removing them, this means that you are supposed to enjoy the ooey gooey mess you made, and try again.

Enjoy!

Ooh! And I mixed raspberry preserves, Chambord, some butter and powdered sugar to make a glaze for the plating!  I've NO idea what proportions, but just kept adding till it felt right. Cook with your instinct folks ;)