Cheezy Wiggle Casserole!!

Again, I have too much zucchini.  I also have some ground beef that I need to use up asap!  So this casserole is one of those things you can make with whatever is in the fridge!  I'll definitely make this one again if the fridge gods will it to be so!

When you're at the store and you're browsing the different types of ground beef, the numbers and prices can get confusing.  The fattiest grounds are always the cheapest.  It's usually best to get those because you can cook it up and drain away all that fat.  It's a better deal, you'll pay much less, and end up with only slightly less meat than a leaner ground.  

Preheat oven to 350.


You will need,
1 pound ground beef
2 zucchinis, grated
1-2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 pound cooked spaghetti, cut up into bite sized pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 an onion, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
salt
pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups grated cheese
1 separate cup grated cheese


In a skillet over medium heat, cook the onions and garlic in the butter until caramely, then add the zucchini and spinach, cooking for another 3-5 minutes.  While all that is cooking, brown the beef in another skillet and drain away all the fat when it's finished.  
Into the veggie skillet, add the cream, milk, salt, pepper, cayenne and cheese and whisk until the cheese melts.  

In a bowl, combine everything, the sauce, the egg, the veggies, and the pasta (I used NOoodles!! No calories or carbs!!) and stir it up.  Pat it all down into a casserole dish and sprinkle more cheese on the top.  

You can freeze it for later or cook for 35 minutes until the cheese on the top and sides is nice and bubbly!  
Cheers!!

Chipotle Aioli!!

I luuuuuurve chipotles.  I use them all the time.  It's one of those ingredients I always keep in my pantry.  They are the front ingredient in this sauce and they make it amazing.  You can really put it on anything, baked potatoes, egg salad, and my favorite way to use it, is as a dip for artichokes.


You will need,
1 can chipotles in adobo sauce
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon powdered onion
salt
the juice of a quarter lemon


On a PLASTIC cutting board, thoroughly mince two or three of the chipotles from the can.  Get them nice and tiny.
Combine the chopped chipotles and all the other ingredients and mix well.  Spoon in additional adobo sauce from the can.  Enjoy it with chips, artichokes, crabcakes, even toss it with veggies!
Also, the longer it sits in the fridge, the tastier it gets
Cheers!

Gooey Zucchini 'n Cheese!!

Sometimes it can be hard to eat the proper amount of veggies.  It can be especially tricky to get tiny humans to eat the green ones!  This quick and easy recipe is simple and delicious!!


You will need,
2 zucchinis
1/2 cup cheese
1 teaspoon ranch dressing powder
pinch of salt
dash of pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil


Chop off the ends of the zucchini and grate it, skin and all.  

In a skillet, heat up the olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the zucchini and saute for 3-5 minutes.  Add in the salt, pepper, dressing mix, and cheese.  Take it off the heat and thoroughly combine all the ingredients.  The cheese will get all melty and gooey, and the entire thing will have a mac n cheese like consistency.  It will look super appetizing and will taste even better than it looks!  Getting your veggie servings was never this easy!

Cheers!

Lethal Circuit!

5 minute run at 8.0 with a 4 incline
5 minute row at 10


60 second rest


16 kettlebell swings (25lbs)
16 inverted squeeze-up rows
16 squats with overhead press (25)
10 lateral touches each leg (25)
50 calf raises
1 min wall sit AND bicep curl and overhead press (10lb kettlebells in each hand)
60 second rest


REPEAT once


10 crunches, 20 bicycles, 10 toe crunches, 10 reverse crunches, 10 toe, 20 bicycle, 10 crunches
10 regular pushups
10 chataranga pushups (elbows glued to your sides)
30 second plank
10 buttlifts (bridge) with one leg raised each side
60 second rest


REPEAT once


This circuit should take you around 30 minutes.  You will be dripping sweat, I guarantee it.  

Lunch!! Polenta with Spinach!!

It's time to hit the market again, I'm running out of fresh food!  It's not a huge deal though, because I am the most avid fan of frozen veggies (especially Birdseye brand).  From what I've heard, they're sometimes even better for you than fresh!  The reason being that most frozen veggies are frozen within a few hours of harvesting, which in turn preserves their vitamin and mineral content.  Whereas fresh veggies actually lose nutrition every hour after they've been cut.  Not only that, but you can totally stock up on the frozen ones and literally fill your freezer every time the grocer's is having a sale!  And they are definitely more affordable than the fresh.  I sometimes get mine at Safeway, 2 bags for $6!  A STEAL!!  And they're always ready when you need them!  Add them to soups or sauces, put them directly on a pizza, or even just microwave a bowl-ful!   I'm shamelessly advocating for frozen veggies I suppose, but they're just so amazing!

Ok, enough proselytizing, and on to the good stuff.  My lunch!!  I haven't made this tasty dish in MONTHS, but like I said in a previous post, I'm trying my best to return to my days of healthier eating.  

It is actually pretty basic.  Just a combination of polenta, minced carrots (just chop up some shredded ones), frozen spinach, salt, pepper, powdered garlic, and powdered onion!  I actually make my own polenta, that way I have more control over what goes into it.  But if you're strapped for time, or not totally confident of your stovetop abilities, the ready-made rolls will do just fine!
If you want to make your own, like me, you will need, 


3 cups water
3/4 cups yellow cornmeal (NOT cornbread mix)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1/3 cup parmesan (optional)


Bring the water and salt to a boil and then carefully whisk in the cornmeal.  Reduce the heat to low and cook until it thickens, anywhere from 5-15 minutes, whisking often.  When the cornmeal is soft, take it off the heat and stir in the butter and after that, the cheese.
Voila.  Polenta!  Sometimes, if I want it extra rich, I stir in a few tablespoons of cream cheese.  YUM!


Whichever polenta you decide to use, be it ready-made or fresh, combine it with the carrots, spinach, salt, pepper, and powdered garlic and onion!  (you can adjust the amount of veggies based on your preferences)  If you're going to eat it right away, make sure you microwave the spinach first.  Otherwise you can make a big ol' batch and put it in containers to heat up later.  It keeps well, and even gets tastier with time.  Enjoy!
Cheers! xoxo

Super Dinner Salad!!

We all have them... Those moments when we just want to stuff our faces.  Be it mashed potatoes, or mac 'n cheese, or enchiladas; we want the satisfaction only a loaded fork and a full mouth can give.  In a word--gluttony.  We allllll get like that sometimes.  And it isn't always good for you, especially if what you grab to eat is loaded with the naughty stuff like, grease, processed meats and carbs, and saturated fat.  
When that craving, that desire, that NEED arrives, you will be prepared.  Like I was, last night.  
I looked in my fridge to find out what I could slap together.  Well, I had cheese, and I had bacon, and I had chips in the pantry.  Nachos would have been soooo easy!  So satisfying!  But no.  I kept my focus and eventually withdrew from that glorious icebox,


a bag of spring mix
shredded carrots
some hardboiled eggs
a cucumber
some leftover grilled chicken
a slice of mozzarella 
some cherry tomatoes
an onion



I decided to make a chopped salad!!  Salads can be tricky too.  We are oft faced with the temptation to add lots of deliciousness that really takes away from the health benefits inherent in a bowl of greens.  Tons of cheese, and ham, and bacon and GOBS of dressing all over a few lettuce bits DO NOT count as a proper green salad.  A salad (in my humble opinion) should be two to three times as many greens as toppings.  Otherwise it's truly worse for you in the end.
In a giant bowl, I dumped the entire bag of spring mix and cut it up into bits with my kitchen shears (it halved in size!!).  I added a handfull of shredded carrots, 5 or 6 cherry tomatoes that I had quartered and squeezed. about a third of a chopped cucumber, a few bits of onion for some ZING, and then I cut up the chicken, egg white, and the mozzarella into smallish bits and tossed those in also. (ooooooOOoOoooo, I so wish I had an avocado!!)
Over all of it I poured a little olive oil and balsamic, sprinkled a little salt, and ground a bit of pepper.  I tossed it up, and WHOA.  
I grabbed the biggest fork I had and just started shoveling mouthfuls.  The satisfaction was enormous.  In fact, it was difficult to eat it all, I had to slowly polish it off near the end.  Finger licking good!  Just look at that poor, lonely fork!

Yes, it was mostly veggies, yes it was a "real" dressing, and yes it was delicious.  I urge you to try something like this one day.  It really fills you up to the brim, and keeps you full for a while!  Enjoy!
Cheers! xoxo

Seasonal Fruit and Veggies!!

Hey all,

I luuuuurve fruits and veggies.  Sometimes though, it seems like they're not as tasty as I remember them to be.  They're flavorless, or hard, or the color is off.  It's probably because they're not in season!!  Well, down below is a marvelous chart for all sorts of produce, for the months that they will be the most in season!  That means packed with flavor, nutrients, and that probably fewer chemicals were needed to ripen them.    
This also means you'll know what to look for in the store during different times of the year!  Chances are, when a fruit or veggie is in season, it may be coming from a more local farm, rather than from across the country.  Sometimes.  Regardless, it's a good way to get to know your produce, to know what works, to know what you really like (when it's properly ready to eat), and to try to support your local farms!
Hehehehe, what happens with me, is that when something is in season, for example, peaches, I will eat gazillions of them.  I will gobble up every juicy, delicious peach in sight.  Within a month or so, I can't stand the sight or smell of another damn peach.  Thank goodness they won't be ready again for another 11 months!  It makes it perfectly acceptable to overindulge in fruit and veggies, because by the next season, you will be craving them again and you'll know that you will be getting the best produce you can!  Enjoy the chart folks!

Zeo Sleep Manager!!

Hey all,

So I have the weirdest sleeps ever.  For the most part, I'm in bed by 10pm every night and absolutely must be up for work by 7.  Most afternoons have a nice little siesta in there somewhere, otherwise I'm useless come evening.  Oh, and I have this nasty habit of sleeping until I'm woken up by someone or something!  Weekends?!  Oh lordy, it's a minimum of 10 hours per night.  I want to change that.  I'm insanely jealous of all those people who can properly function with 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night.  They have so much more time than I do! Like 4 extra hours a day!  That's an extra day a week, an extra 8.6 weeks a year!!  I'm def missing out on all that time.  So, I've decided to make a valiant effort to fix it.  Or at least try to develop better sleeping habits.

Enter, the Zeo Sleep Manager!

I have heard great things about it, so I ordered it online and tried it out for the first time last night.  I'm so intrigued by the fact that it tracks your sleep cycles!  Your REM, your light sleep, your deep sleep, and the time it takes for you to actually fall into dreamland.  Once it gets a handle on your habits, you can even set it to wake you up at an optimal time in your cycle.  A time that will have you feeling refreshed and rejuvinated, as opposed to groggy and cranky.  It connects via bluetooth to your smartphone and all your sleep info is compiled and saved for easy reference.
The only annoying bit is that you have to wear it on a headband.  I really thought that would be a total sleepkiller, but it really wasn't half as bad as I had imagined it to be, and not nearly as heinous as sleeping in headgear during my teenage years *shudder.*  
What I found out about last night was that I was really only truly asleep for about 5 hours.  5 hours out of the 9 I was in bed!  What awful time management.  How disappointing.  Well, I'll try it again tonight and every night for the rest of the week, track my patterns, and then next week I'll work on managing those patterns properly!  There is a wealth of information on myzeo.com, and I plan to take full advantage of it!


I'll keep you updated!
Cheers!

If It Doesn't Challenge You, It Won't Change You!! Tuesday Circuit!!

I am soooo psyched for today's circuit!  I'll be doing it with a co-worker during my lunch break and I'm sure we will both be puddles of jello when it's over.
There will be two sets of exercises, BOX and ABS.  They will each be done twice and alternated, so you'll have 4 sets altogether.  You get a one minute rest between each set.  

BOX
5 burpees
10 box step ups each leg*
10 pushups
8 box jumps**
10 pushups
60 second wall sit, hands above your head
30 second reverse plank with tricep dips***
5 burpees


ABS
25 crunches
20 reverse crunches
10 wall ab lifts****
40 bicycles
30 russian twists (with or without a medicine ball)
60 second plank w/side reaches (knee to elbow/shoulder)


REPEAT


I'm petrified, psyched, and totally prepared to sweat.  I hope you all do it too!! I promise you will feel phenomenal afterwards.  Remember, if it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you!!


Challenge yourself, and you'll be blown away by the results. 


Good luck today!!

UPDATE!!
It took me 20 minutes today.  I only repeated it once, but if I had more time I would have done it once more.  So try three times!  It will take 30 minutes and your body will thank you!


* Pick a box at least knee high.  Stand behind it and place one foot flat up on it, 2 or 3 inches away from the edge.  Using that raised leg, push the rest of your body up and keep your free leg pointed.  Lock your knee.  Release back down.  Try not to let more than your toe touch the ground, it would be cheating if you used it as a spring to go back up...You want to isolate that one leg.  


**  Begin on the ground and jump with both feet onto the box.  Land as light as you can on the balls of your feet, try to make as little noise as possible.  You want to land near the center of the box, far away from the edge.

***  Straight, strong arms and back. Chest out, pelvis tucked in, and squeezed, tight glutes.  Keep just your heels on the floor.

****  Straight back, tight core, fingertips on the floor.  Raise your feet off the ground, hold for a second and lower back down with control.  Lower just until your heels touch and then repeat.

Tom Kha Madness!!

Tom Kha Ga. 

 It's my favorite soup in the world.  Rich, smooth, aromatic.  Deeeeeeep flavors.  This soup always hits the spot, and when I'm feeling low, it can always fix me.  FACT.
This soup is actually really easy.   I'll give you the recipe for a single meal, but you can easily double or triple it without screwing it up.
If you are vegetarian omit the shrimpies and use mushrooms!!


You will need:
1 14 ounce can of light coconut milk
2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1 inch of ginger sliced, skin on (that's where a lot of the flavor is)
Lemongrass (I filled my tea ball up with dried lemongrass) (Or you can cut fresh lemongrass into 1-inch pieces)
The juice of one lime
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon chili paste
2 teaspoons chili oil
Half a cabbage, shredded
1 lb raw, uncooked, tail-off shrimpies
1 package shirataki noodles, cut up (optional)


In a large saucepan combine coconut milk, broth, lemongrass and ginger.  Slowly bring to a boil. It should take over 10 minutes. 

While that is cooking, combine the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, chili, chili oil, and basil.
Also while the milk/broth mixture is going, in another pan cook the cabbage in a little bit of olive oil.  Add a few spoonfuls of water, cover and let go over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Once the soup has come to a boil, add the sauce combination and let simmer for another 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and add the cabbage, shrimpies, and optional noodles.  
Remove the lemongrass and ginger and serve piping hot!


The shrimpies will be cooked in a moment by the hot soup.  You don't want to overcook them, they can get tough, and no one likes tough shrimpies.


Enjoy!!


It seems like a drawn out, complicated ordeal, but it really only takes 20 minutes!  And it's incredibly delicious, rich, and filling!

* If you prefer chicken instead of shrimp, cut a raw chicken breast into 1/2 inch cubes and add it at the same time as the sauce combination.  
**As a vegan option, you can use vegetable stock, tofu, and mushrooms!!

Killer Circuit Today!!

Hey all,
So, I just got back from the gym, and let me tell you, it was gnarly.  I barely finished.  I love movement sets that work several areas of the body at once.  You just have to make sure that you are completely stable, you don't want to hurt yourself.
Think of the following workout as a song.  There are 3 verses and a chorus.


Verse 1:
10 minute run at 6.3 with a 2.5% incline


Chorus:
15 kettlebell swings (25lbs)
10 kettle squats with a lift (25lbs)*
10 kettle inverted squeeze up rows on your toes (25lbs)**
10 bridge raises on each leg
10 crunches, 20 bicycles, 10 toe-crunches, 20 bicycles, 10 crunches
10 pushups


Verse 2:
5 minutes rowing with a 10 difficulty


Chorus:
15 kettlebell swings (25lbs)
10 kettle squats with a lift(25lbs)
10 kettle inverted squeeze up rows on your toes (25lbs)
10 bridge raises on each leg
10 crunches, 20 bicycles, 10 toe-crunches, 20 bicycles, 10 crunches
10 pushups


Verse 3:
5 minutes jumprope


DONE.  
Your body will be crying and you will be happy


*Squats with a lift
Find your center and with a strong core, lower the kettlebell as far to the ground as you can using only your legs.  Like you are sitting in a chair, stick your butt out.  You ALWAYS want to be able to see your toes.  Raise up with your legs and straighten your back, squeezing your ass muscles, and then pull the kettlebell to your chin using your shoulders and arms.  DO NOT arch your back.  keep your core strong.

**Inverted squeeze-up rows
Bend your knees and get a strong back and core at a 45 degree angle, both hands holding a kettlebell and extended straight downwards.  
Squeeze your arms up, elbows bending, shoulder blades squeezing together until your hands are just below your chest.  Control the movement back down and repeat.  You will be engaging your chest, upper back, lower back, triceps, and abs.  
If you can do this and you feel stable, raise your heels off the ground.  If you do this movement with your heels slightly raised, your entire leg will be engaged as well.  
If you cannot find stability, then DO NOT go up on your toes.  You could seriously hurt yourself.

Pasta Alla Carbonara!!

So all, I've still got about 30 bags of NOoodles left to use up!  Good thing I like them!

I figured tonight I'd make some pasta alla Carbonara!  The sad thing about carbonara is that even though it tastes like creamy, cheesy, baconey heaven, it has approximately 650 calories per serving.  Since I have these divine NOoodles I can have my cake and eat it too!!  No pasta carbs or cals!!
Carbonara is a pretty basic sauce.  It just needs to be made in degrees, otherwise you'll end up with scrambled eggs.  

You will need, 
3 strips bacon or pancetta cut into bits
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup parmesan
PASTAAAA

In a skillet, over med-high heat, cook the swine.  
While that is frying, in another bowl thoroughly combine the yolks, cheese, and cream.

When the bacon is done, remove it, and in the remaining grease sauté the shallot and the garlic.

Add the bacon back in and as much salt and pepper as you feel you need.  Add your drained pasta or noodles and get them piping hot.  

Finally, combine everything in a bowl and toss it all up!  It will look delicious!  The hot noodles will goo-ify the cheese and cook the yolks ever so slightly.  If you're using the NOoodles like I did, then you'll be having something amazing without all the agonizing calories and carbs!  
Enjoy! xoox

Shrimpy Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce!!

Heyya, 
So I got a bunch of NOoodles last week and I'm desperately trying to figure out what to do with 36 bags.  I'm excited to cook with them though... They are shirataki noodles, made from yam flour.  They are carb free, sugar free, calorie free, soy free, and gluten free!!  My friend has an amazing write up on her blog.  You should definitely check it out.  Pretty crazy, but they're also mega-delicious and go really well with a bunch of different sauces.  You just have to make sure you rinse the living hell out of them, if you don't they will stink to high heaven.  So rinse, Rinse, RINSE!!


So I decided on SPRING ROLLS!! yaaaay!  They're so much fun to make.  They're easy, they're tasty, and they're healthy!


First things first, you've got to make the peanut sauce.  You will need,
2 Tablespoons coconut oil 
1/3 cup finely minced onion
3 cloves garlic
3 Tablespoons peanut butter
3 Tablespoons hoison sauce
1/2 Tablespoon chopped chilis or chili paste
1 Tablespoon chili oil
1 Teaspoon sesame oil
2 Tablespoons ketchup OR (1 Tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 Tablespoon sugar)


In a saucepan, heat the oil and cook the onions and garlic until translucent.
Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 5 or so minutes. 


You will also need some shrimpies.  You can buy pre-cooked or make your own.  Hehehhe, I made my own.  As usual.  It was pretty simple--defrost some frozen shrimpies, heat a skillet to medium and cook them for about one minute on either side, until just barely pink.  You don't want to overcook them, they'll get too chewy.

To assemble your spring rolls, you will need rice paper (you can get it from Whole Foods (sometimes called rice pancakes)).  You will also need,
Cucumber, julianned
Carrots, shredded
Butter lettuce
Cilantro


The final, ultimate spring roll ingredient is a noodle of some kind.  I used some NOoodles that I have.  Remember, I have TONS to use up.  


Make yourself a nice little buffet of the veggies and shrimpies.

In a bowl of diabolically hot water, soak a sheet of rice paper for 5-8 seconds.  You will know it is ready when you can no longer see the pattern on it and it acts a wee bit like saran wrap.  It'l be mildly sticky and kind of delicate, so be careful not to tear it. 
Spread it open on your work surface and pile on your ingredients!  A few shrimpies, some noodles, a bit of cilantro, so carrots, cucumbers, and lettuce, and roll it up!  It should stick to itself and make a nice little burrito.  

Cut it on the diagonal and dip it into your peanut sauce!! 
It's super delish, super fresh, and mega healthy.  

Enjoy!


I apologize for the last pic.  I gobbled them all up AGAIN and only remembered to take a pic at the very end.  hehehhe only the crummy 1st try rolls were left.  Oh well.  Still delicious! xoxo


**Vegetarian option, use pan fried tofu or eggplant in place of shrimpies!!

Better Dinner, Better Dreams

I'm trying to get back into eating healthy.  I used to eat way more veggies and proper proteins.  I don't know what happened.  I think that it may be due to the fact that I live super close to a CVS now... A 24 hour CVS.  With 24 hour access to cheezeballs.  Dangerous business...


One of these days, I'll post a set of all the pics I took of my past dinners.  It's INSPIRATIONAL!!  But you know what they say about inspiration and motivation.  
To keep your body clean you need to shower every day, the motivation to keep your insides clean is also a daily effort.  Consistency is key.


So.  Back to Operation Healthy Eating.  


Today was tilapia steamed in ramp butter, served over mixed greens in vinaigrette.  

Ramps are a delightfully tasty treat that must be hand gathered and are only available a few weeks out of the year.  Since I want to be able to use them year round, I put what I buy from the farmer's market into a food processor with butter.  I then freeze it and use it whenever I'm ready!!


Put a half a tablespoon of butter into a small skillet just south of medium and when that is hot and just barely beginning to darken, add the salted and peppered tilapia filet.  Add a few tablespoons of water and cover.  cook for about 3 minutes on each side.  When it's ready you should be able to easily stick a fork into it without resistance, just make sure you don't overcook it. 


Toss your greens with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil and serve your fish on top of it!! 

So good.  So healthy.  So filling!  I actually had to struggle to finish it all.  I hope you love it as much as I do! xoxo

Guilt Free Chocolate Mousse!!

Hey all!  
I figured I should share this yummy secret with ya'll!
The most DEEELICIOUS guilt-free mousse you've ever had!
It's pretty basic.  My favorite time of year to make it is actually before Thanksgiving!


I'll give you both recipes.  
The first one is decadent chocolate.  An amazing spoil to curb any sweet cravings you may have after dinner.  


You will need,


1 package sugar-free chocolate pudding
2 cups ice-cold fat-free milk
1 package lite whipped topping

In a bowl combine the milk and pudding mix and whisk until it sets (should take about 5 minutes).  Gently fold in the whipped topping.  

Let it sit for a few more minutes in the fridge, and then DELICIOUSNESS!!!

Now for the best one EVER.  I totally prefer this next recipe over any other one.  Even the chocolate!
You will need,


1 package sugar-free vanilla pudding
2 cups fat-free milk, ice-cold
1 package lite whipped topping
1.5 tablespoons pumpkin spice blend
1 8-10oz can of pureed pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)


Same process as above, but I bet you'll eat it so fast your head will spin!!
I don't have any pics of the pumpkin mousse, but know that it's absolutely heavenly!!


You can eat either one with a spoon, or, if you're heading to a party, you can chill it and serve it as a dip with graham crackers or gingersnaps!


The second treat will completely fill you with the holiday spirit!

THE BEST WAY TO SPREAD CHRISTMAS CHEER IS EATING PUMPKIN MOUSSE LOUD FOR ALL TO HEAR!!

Apple Butter!!

Again folks, I had too much of a good thing.  My roommate works at a gym in the area and is always coming home with bushels of apples.  I HATE letting good food go to waste, so I had to think of a way to preserve them.  


Enter the APPLE BUTTER!!


So easy, so delicious!


First things first.  You'll need to peel, core, and grate your apples, oh about 5 lbs worth.  This is the most tedious part.   I had to have a friend help.
I used both gala and washington apples since those were all I had.  Granny smiths are also nice, as they have a zingy flavor!  


Once those are all grated, add them to your slow-cooker.

In another bowl, add 
2.5 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons ground clove
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


Mix all that up and dump it in with the grated apples, combining thoroughly.  

Turn the cooker on high for one hour.  

It should boil a little on the sides, and then turn it down to low for another 9-11 hours.  It's a long process, that's why it's the perfect job for a slow-cooker!!  Whisk it as often as you can, you want to break up all those apple bits.  
I did it all at night, right before bed, and when I woke up the next morning, my apartment smelled like Yankee candle company!

Eventually, it will get super dark, rich, and caramely.  If you prefer your apple butter smooth, like me, you can tuck in your immersion blender, otherwise, pack it up into containers for the fridge!  

You can put it on so many things!! 
A spoonful into a bowl of cottage cheese, 
Add it to cream cheese and serve with graham crackers,
Put a dollop in your oatmeal, 
Add it to cookie and cake recipes,
On butter crackers, put a small schmear and a piece of sharp cheddar,
Just serve on toast for a quick and tasty breakfast!

P.S.  I ate it all before I had a chance to take a pic.  Sooooo I had to borrow a finished image.  It looks the same though!

Hot and Sour Eggplant!!

I have a love/hate relationship with eggplant.  Mostly due to the slimy consistency it gets when a dim-witted fool is cooking it.  It is so versatile though!  Parmigiana, fried eggplant sticks, rollatini, grilled, and myriad other ways!
So last night I found a bag of mini eggplants in my crisper.  They needed to be cooked ASAP!
I cut them into 1 inch cubes, put them in a bowl of water and added a few tablespoons of salt.
That needed to sit for about 30 minutes or so. (they say it draws out much of the eggplant's bitter flavor)

While that was sitting,  I combined
2 Tablespoon soy sauce (low sodium, of course)
1 Tablespoon chili oil
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon cracked red pepper flakes
a few grinds of pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
a few basil leaves
1 teaspoon potato starch (or cornstarch)


After the eggplant has soaked, rinse in a colander and drain .  Let it sit on a stack of paper towels to get off the excess moisture.
In a med-high skillet, put two tablespoons of coconut oil (or any oil with a high smoke point) and let get piping hot.
Add the eggplant and cook for about 10 minutes.  You'll want to move it around the pan a lot.  Gradually, it will get very brown and the skins will start to fade to a lighter purple.  The  eggplant may even get a little crispy!


When that's done, add all the cooked eggplant to a bowl and pour the sauce over it.  Mix it all up and Voila!  Deliciousness!!  I ate it with some NoOodles, but you can eat it plain, over any kind of pasta or rice, even toast!.  Enjoy!