Lo-Carb Lunch!!

Today's lunch was leftovers from earlier in the week.  
I had cooked up a roll of Jimmy-Dean Italian sausage and I had also made some Pomodoro Sauce for some spaghetti squash.  I figured, why not mix the two for a mega-delish lunch!
Bringing your own lunch to work is great!  It keeps your spending down and you have total control over what you eat! A win-win. 
So I mixed the two together and added 1/2 a cup of frozen spinach.  I ended up with an amazingly tasty meal that was high in protein with a lot of veggies.  Give it a try!
Cheers!  

Avocado Vinagrette!!

Ohhh Avocado!  I've waxed poetic on the subject before.  
Well, I wanted to have a salad last night, and I wanted avocado in it.  But one of the things that kind of annoys me, is that if you cut it up, you'll only get some avo every few bites.  I wanted ALL avo ALL the time.  So I made it into a dressing for a a BLT salad!  The creaminess of the avocado really compliments the saltiness of the bacon and astringency of the greens. 

In a bowl I combined
1/2 and avocado
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon greek yogurt or sour cream
A few chopped up basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
kosher salt, black pepper
A squeeze of citrus (totes optional)

I then cooked and crumbled 3 strips of bacon (saving the drippings of course!!)

I mashed up the ripened avocado with a fork and mixed in all the other ingredients.  I let it sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavors blend, and then mixed it up again.  It was a pale green and uber creamy dressing!!

I took a bag of greens and chopped it all up with my kitchen shears.  (It's incredible, an entire bag of spring mix can be reduced to half its size with a little snipping)  I tossed in a few chopped cherry tomatoes, the crumbled bacon, a small handfull of shredded cheese and mixed it all together with some of the dressing!  It was a delicious salad that completely hit the spot!  Avocado in every bite!!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Cheers!! xo

Rice Pudding, South American Style!!

I'm a sucker for rice pudding.  No, I'm not talking about the stuff that comes in plastic tubs at the grocery store.  I'm talking about the kind that takes you back in time, the one that gives you cozy feelings like you used to have when you were a little kid eating grandma's pudding at christmas.    

This is a classic recipe.  It takes a decent about of time to make and it needs some lovin', but trust me when I say it's totally worth it.  

You will need, 
1/2 c rasins
1/2 c pisco or dark rum
1 cup rice
2 1/2 c whole milk
1 c water
2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 c sugar
1 small can condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

The night before, combine the raisins and booze in an airtight container.  Let sit at room temp until the next day.  
To make the pudding, combine the rice, milk, water, cinnamon, salt, and cloves in a heavy sauce pot.  Bring to a boil and let cook over medium heat until the rice is done (15-20 min).  Stir enough to keep the milk from scalding.
Remove the cloves and cinnamon sticks.  Add the sugar and condensed milk.  Cook for another 25 minutes, stirring regularly, until it thickens.  Drain the raisins and add them to the rice.  Let cook another 5 minutes or so.  Remove from heat, add the vanilla, and let cool.  Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon and enjoy at hot, cold, or room temp!  
Cheers!

*I saved the raisiny rum for french toast the next day!!

Melting My Heart Update!!

Walker is an uhmazing pup.  He has some weird quirks, no lie.  But he's also heart-meltingly adorable.  
He HATES suitcases.  He hates them with unrivaled passion.  If he sees someone rolling one down the street, he gets rabid with intensity known only to a shark sniffing blood.  So when it comes a time for me to pack for a trip, he gets pretty worked up.  
But after the ferocity cools down, he gets incredibly sad.  He knows I'm packing to go away, and he tries everything to keep that from happening.  
The other day I had half-packed my suitcase.  I come back in from the other room to see that he had pulled everything out and had packed himself!

I tried to get him to get out, I even closed the top!  No go.  

So as you can tell, he's insanely cute and I always have the hardest time saying bye-bye for a weekend.  

Pumpkin Risotto!!

Risotto!!  One of the coziest meals in my repertoire!
It is such a versatile recipe, you can make so many different kinds.  Since it's pumpkin season, it stands to reason that I would make a pumpkin one.  It's one of those things anyone can make!!

You will need,
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups arborio rice
5 cups broth, room-temperature
1/2 cup dry white wine (If you won't drink it, don't cook with it)
Kosher salt
Ground pepper

1 can pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons dried tarragon

Dash of cayenne 

1/2 c parmesan cheese
1/2 c cream cheese

The first eight ingredients are in every risotto.  You really make it with anything! Seafood, veggies, mushrooms, even truffles (My personal favorite)!!

In a heavy-bottomed dutch oven, or similar large pot, melt the butter over med-high heat and add the garlic and onions.  Cook until translucent.
While the onions are cooking, combine the broth, pumpkin, and spices in a bowl and set aside.
When the onions are ready, reduce the heat to medium and add the rice to the pot and lightly toast it along with the onions for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.  You will see the edges of the grains of rice lighten and it will look like each grain has a white dot in it.   When that happens and it starts to smell like popcorn, pour in the wine.  It will steam, so don't worry.

Add one ladle-full of the broth/pumpkin mixture and stir.  It will barely coat the rice.  Stir until the liquid reduces, about 5 minutes, and then add another ladle-full.  Continue this until the risotto no longer thickens, about 6 times.  You'll know it's time to add more liquid when you can scrape the bottom and the risotto takes more than a second to flow back.  Stir continuously, you don't want it to burn.  (You may not use all the liquid)
When that part is done, turn off the heat and add in the cheeses.  If you need to, add some more salt to taste.  Serve hot!!

CHEERS!!

Do it!!

Exercise, by its very nature, is inefficient.  You move around, often in circles or just going nowhere on a machine.  You lift weights in the gym.  Like algebra where you never thought you'd need to find x, y, and z in real life, you find yourself wondering if you will ever actually need to repeatedly curl a 20 lb bag of something!  It's what keeps us fit and flexible just in case we need to lift something, escape from a zombie, or survive the Hunger Games.
I'm determined to keep it that way.  Even when the gym is part of my routine, I still take the stairs everytime they're an option.  I walk up the escalator, even when it's moving.  I go to the last stall in the work restroom.  I replace my office chair with an exercise ball for 10 minutes a day.  I make it a point to get up from my desk and go to a coworker's office rather than just sending an e-mail or calling their phone.  Even when I'm on my cell at home, I stand up and pace back and forth.  
Activity.  It keeps us young, flexible, and ready for anything.  Inconvenient you say?  Pshhht, being unfit and out of shape is inconvenient.
Alright everyone, get up off your a$$.  Take the long route.  Take the hills and the stairs.  Easy is for the weak; respect yourself enough to stay strong!!

Apple Crisp!!

Oh goodness.  I STILL have apple bits leftover from that orchard visit, and I'm running out of ways to use them!!
Luckily, Everyone loves an apple crisp.  It's the perfect dessert!  Hehehhe, it's my favorite breakfast!!  And it's incredibly easy to make.  Preheat the over to 350.

Crisp Topping,
1 c flour
1/2 c oats (I used quick cook steel cut)
1/2 c brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick cold cubed butter
1-2 tablespoons cold water

The crisp topping is simple and useful for any kind of fruit crumble.  Throw the dry ingredients into a food processor and when the oats go all powdery, toss in the vanilla and butter.  Pulse.  Add a tablespoon of water at a time.  Pulse until you get pea sized crumbles on top.  It should look like damp soil.  Add more water if you need to. 

In a baking dish, layer the apple bits about an inch or more thick.  Spread the crumble topping over it all.  Put in the oven and bake for 30 minutes on a baking sheet.  Let cool for about 5 minutes and then enjoy!!  Top with some fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  If you're feeling adventurous, shred a little sharp cheddar on top!!
Cheers!

Pumpkin Syrup!

Let's be honest.  It's mid-fall.  We are not yet sick of pumpkin flavored everything.  If anything, we want more of it!  Starbeezy got everyone addicted to their pumpkin lattes, and I'm going to help you make them at home!!  It's getting cold, winter is coming, and no one wants to go out into the Great White Chilly Nothing for a latte, amiright!?
Unfortunately, most of the available ready-made pumpkin syrups taste like a candle.  Eww.
I'll show you how to make a pumpkin syrup that you can put in your coffee, use as a topping for ice cream, or as an ingredient in yummy autumny cocktails, or you can even use it to make pumpkin soda!!

You will need, 
1 c white sugar
1 1/4 c water 
3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon EACH ground cinnamon, ground clove, ground allspice, and ground nutmeg

In a saucepan over med heat combine all the ingredients, heat it up and then lower the temp and barely simmer for 15-20 minutes.  
Through a very fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth in it, strain the finished syrup.  There will be gloppy pumpkin and spice residue left in the cheesecloth.  Discard it, you don't want it in your syrup.  It makes it muddy and causes it to spoil quickly.  Cool it completely, bottle it up, and put it in the fridge to enjoy for the rest of the season!

*This recipe is easily doubled or tripled, and with some adorable hermetic bottles, it would make a phenomenal gift!!

* To make pumpkin soda add the desired amount of pumpkin syrup to club soda.  Stir and serve cold!  If you want to kick it up another notch, add a dollop of vanilla ice cream, and VOILA!!   You have a PUMPKIN FLOAT!!

Pumpkin Butter!!

It's Pumpkin Season, aka autumn.  That means we have to make pumpkin flavored everything!!
I've previously made apple butter, which is easy, but takes a long time, but now I'll show you how to make Pumpkin butter!!  It doesn't take nearly as long.

You will need,
2 cans pureed pumpkin
3/4 c water
1 c brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground clove, nutmeg, allspice
dash of kosher salt

In a saucepan over med heat combine all the ingredients.  Bring to a barely-boil and reduce the heat to low low lowwww.  Let cook for about 2 hours.  You want all the water to evaporate and everything else to thicken.  Stir it every 10-20 minutes (even more often near the end), you don't want it to scald.  The bubbles can be like magma, so be careful.
Let cool, and refrigerate for up to a month!
You can put it in yogurt, in oatmeal, in overnight oats, on toast, a sammich, or maybe even spread it on an english muffin!!
Cheers!

Overnight Oats!!

Overnight oats are a phenomenal breakfast.  So easy, so versatile, you can make them in a snap.  No cooking necessary!  You can make a week's worth of grab-and-go breakfast in 5 minutes.

You will need,

Rolled oats

Milk (rice, soy, cow, coconut)

Tasty and delicious add-ins

In a sealable container combine 1 part oats with 1 to 2 parts milk (depending on how thick you like it.  Definitely experiment!).  Add the tasty and delicious add-ins, seal, and refrigerate overnight!.  

Tasty and delicious add-ins.  Add one or more!

- apple bits

- apple butter

- pumpkin butter

- peanut butter

- 1 or 2 tablespoons of flavored protein powder

- bananas

- chia seeds (I honestly add them to almost every batch)*

- chocolate milk or cocoa powder or nesquik

- yogurt, plain or flavored 

- cinnamon

- maple syrup

- berries

- peaches, pears, or nectarines
- honey

- jam or preserves

*The chia seeds add a huge punch of healthy omega-3s as well as fiber and a wee bit of protein. I like to add them simply because they have a glutinous effect.  They ooey-gooefy the oats, and I just love that texture.  You can put them in the night before or the morning of! 

They're teensy tiny, but they absorb the liquid until their little shells burst and make the oatmeal even better!

Mushroom Tapenade!!

I'm not a huge fan of mushrooms.  It's mostly the texture that bothers me, but I just adore the rich, meaty taste  you can get when you cook the $h!t out of them.  Previously I made stuffed mushrooms and I also put them in my Green Soup, but in both of those, the shroomsies were overshadowed by other flavors.  
I do however LOVE mushroom tapenade.  I cook it for hours until the texture totally breaks down and caramelizes and you're left with an incredible condiment.  You can put it in omelettes, in salads, on flatbreads, or on toast with a little swiss melted on top.  The possibilities are myriad.  
You will need,
4 portabello mushrooms (you can you button mushrooms too, they're just not as meaty)
2 onions
1 clove garlic
1-2 tablespoons bacon drippings
White or Red wine
Kosher salt, ground pepper

Dice the mushrooms very finely and do the same to the onions.  

Mince the garlic.  
Heat a heavy skillet to med-high and add the dripping.  Saute the garlic and onion until translucent.  Then turn the heat to mega low and let them caramelize for an hour.  They will reduce by half.

Add the mushrooms, some salt, and a splash of wine.  Cook for another 1-2.5 hours, stirring occasionally.  The mushrooms will release A LOT of liquid, we want that liquid to burn off, and we want it to cook off SLOWLY.  If it starts to stick to the pan, add another dash of wine.  You want the onions to caramelize and the mushrooms to be unrecognizable and reduced by more than half the original volume.  Taste as you go, depending on your preferences you can cook it more or less and add as much salt and you think you need.  If you want some extra richness, add a tablespoon of butter at the very end. 
Cool and refridgerate!
Cheers!!

Green Soup!!

As the weather turns chilly, soups are a perfect meal to make.  They're inexpensive, simple to make, and the leftovers taste even better! 
I felt like making something healthy so I figured Green Soup would be perfect.  It's essentially a bunch of green veggies.  Duh.  It's vegetarian and can even be vegan!!
You will need,
6 cups broth (chicken, beef, or veggie)
1/2 c white wine
2 bags spinach
2 bags kale
1 package mushrooms (any kind)
1 large-ish tomato
1 bell pepper
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
kosher salt, ground pepper
red pepper flake
1 tablespoon butter or oil
4 oz goat cheese

In a stockpot saute the onions and garlic until translucent.  Chop the kale, tomatoes, pepper, and mushrooms.  When the onions are done, pour the broth and wine into the pot and add all the veggies.  

Let it come to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add salt, pepper, and spiciness to taste.  You can eat it chunky, just as it is.  

Rather, I use my stick blender and immersion blend it for a few minutes until it gets pretty smooth.  If you blend it, you can add the goat cheese to give it a little more zing!  Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and serve!
You can also add, meat.  Once I did it with italian sausage!! So delish!
Cheers!

Stuffed Bell Peppers!!

Meaty, cheesy, rich and filling stuffed peppers are uhhhhmazing on a chilly night.  I have some leftover red peppers and I figured I might as well make some!
*Peppers with 3 bumps are sweet and better for eating raw, whereas bell peppers with 4 bumps have firmer flesh that can hold up to roasting and baking. 
You will need,
4-6 red bell peppers (They have more than twice the Vitamin C as green ones!!)
1 lb lean ground beef
 kosher salt, ground pepper
2 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
A pinch of nutmeg
1 package defrosted rice medley from Trader Joe's (or 1.5 cups cooked rice)
1 c shredded medium or sharp cheddar

In a skillet brown the beef.  While that is going, cut the tops off the peppers and discard only the seeds and stems.  Also cut the teensiest bit off the bottom (that way, they won't tip over!!) and place them in a baking dish and sprinkle a little salt into them Chop up the tops and bottoms. 

When the beef is done, remove it and in the remaining fat, saute the chopped peppers, onions, and garlic.  Add the oregano, salt and pepper to taste. 

In a bowl combine the veggies, rice and beef.  

Spoon the mixture into the peppers.  At about half way full, put a layer of cheese and then finish filling them up to the top.  Pack down the filling (not too hard, you don't want to break the shell) because it will sink a little during baking.  Sprinkle and smoosh the rest of the cheese on top and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes!

(I ate them up before I remembered to take a pic of the finished product.  UHHHHHMAZING THOUGH!!)

*If you'd like more veggies, you can add a chopped tomato or a handful of spinach to the sauteeing pepper mixture.  
*There will be extra filling.  I just baked it along with the peppers, completely smothered with cheese!

Apple Tarts!!

I have a giant bowl of ready-to-go apple pie filling and dough in my fridge!  What to do with it all?!

So I made some apple tarts.

Take a portion of the dough and roll it on a floured surface until it's rather thin...to about 1/8-1/4 of an inch.  Place it in your greased tart pans and press it into the pan niches.  Spoon a single layer of filling into it and using some more rolled dough, make a lovely design on top.  Make an egg wash (1 egg, beaten with 2 Tablespoons water) and brush it onto the crust.  For a final bit of flair, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar all over the tops!  

Place on a foil-lined pan (they will probably bubble over and that makes for a mess if you're not careful) and Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, and then lower the temperature to 350 for another 30 minutes.  

Voila!! xo

Apple Picking!!

It's Autumn!  That means pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING and Apple Picking!
Last weekend a ginormous group of friends organized by my dear friend Tim, trotted all over the Virgina countryside in search of wonderful wines, appetizing apples, and perfect pumpkins!
My friend Mike (who takes uhhhhmazing photos) and I found a particularly peculiar apple and just had to make an apple bottom joke out of it!

The day was an unrivaled success and, satisfied with my choice of apples and wine, I went home and promptly began to bake!
First things first, 
Peel, core, and slice/cube your apples (I used 8 big ones).  Apples are sticky yet remarkably slippery, so be vewwy vewwy careful not to add a piece of yourself.  

After you have cubed all the apples into 1/4 inch pieces, add,
1/2 c white sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons starch (I used potato)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
the zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix it all up and let it sit overnight.  
The next day, you'll have a lovely bowl of syrupy apple bits!
These apple bits can be used as pie filling! Turnovers, tarts, and homey goodness!!  Put it on top of pancakes, put it inside a peanut butter sandwich.  I even put it in my oatmeal and yogurt!!

I also made some pie crust dough using Paula Deen's recipe.  It's uhmazing and I even added a few pinches of cinnamon to the dough!  I put it in the fridge overnight with the apples, but first I made sure it was mega-airtight in some plastic wrap.

In the next few posts, I'll go over some recipes!! Cheers!

*You can change the sugar amount as much as you like

Peanut Butter, Bacon, and Pumpkin Doggie Biscuits!!

Unfortunately, Walker has a sensitive tummy.  That means that the doggie cookies at the front desk give him nasty business that I get to deal with.  I feel so awful every time we walk by and see another dog getting a treat!  This is America and no pup should be without spoils!!  So I made him some fresh-baked munchies!  Super delicious (to a pooch's palate), extraordinarily simple, and nutritious!

3 c whole wheat flour
1 c oats (I used steel cut)
1 c hot water
1/2 c bacon drippings
1/4 c peanut butter

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, and knead until it is a dough.  If it is too dry, add a more water a tablespoon at a time.  Roll it out (using extra flour) on a flat surface to 1/4 inch thick, and cut out your cookies.  Place on a lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.  Cool completely.
If you want to add some pumpkin, just use a spatula to schmear some canned pumpkin on your unbaked cookies before you pop them in the oven!

With the leftover bits of dough, I rolled them into little balls and flattened them a wee bit before baking and making little nibbles!!

I've Been Lazy

Sadly, there are several reasons why I haven't been very good about posting.  

• I whip up a dish and gobble it before remembering to take photos
• I've been sick in the sinuses, so I'm taking it easy at the gymmzy
• When I do remember to take a picture, I use the camera on my phone (kinda makes all the food look a little weird)
• Lighting?  Angles??  Pshhht, whatevz

So yeah, I'll try harder. I must say that today's post by my friend reminded me to be consistent in all aspects of life!   Prepare yourselves for a flurry of awesomeness!!  xo