One Dough, Endless Cookies by Mark Bittman
I'm looking forward to baking! I'd love to hear what you do with this recipe.
Showing posts with label Old Posts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Old Posts. Show all posts
Friday, December 16, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Mexican Pizza
Tonight we had Mexican Pizza for dinner. This has become a very popular meal at our house and it's very adaptable to what is on hand. We did them with refried beans, cheese, and salsa on toasted corn tortillas. You can use soft taco tortillas, burrito tortillas (for a larger pizza), and any number of toppings. I make them on the stove top on my griddle, but they can also be done on a stone in the oven or, for a softer "crust", in the microwave.
Getting started: warming griddle, cooking refried beans, shredded Monterey Jack, and fresh salsa.
Toasting corn tortillas.
Flipped corn tortillas topped with refried beans.
Add cheese.
Finished off with salsa.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
This Week's Menu
As I watch the Buckeyes playing Penn State in the Big Ten Ten Tournament Championship, I am working on our menu for the upcoming week and a half. I usually go to the grocery stores on Wednesdays, but we were out of town this past week, so I'm making this week's trip a bit early and stretching the menu an extra couple of days. Putting together a menu takes some effort, but there are many advantages to doing this: 1) I don't have to wonder each night what we'll be eating, 2) it saves time because I'm not stopping at the store every day or so to pick up what we need as I plan on the fly, 3) I save money because I know what we need and it's easier to keep track of what I've spent so that we stay on budget, and 4) we eat a much more balanced and healthier diet. So, here's what we'll be having this week:
Monday
Mac & Cheese
Purple Hull Peas
Carrots
Tuesday
Fish (whatever I get at the store tomorrow)
Quinoa
Broccoli
Wednesday
Mexican Pizza (corn tortillas grilled on griddle and topped with refried beans, cheese, and salsa)
Thursday
Pasta with Meat Sauce (see the Power Cooking Tip, I add this meat mix to homemade pasta sauce)
Salad
Bread
Angel Food Cake, tinted green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day
Friday
Pizza (cheese and veggie)
Saturday
Smoked Polish Sausage
Mashed Potatoes
Sauerkraut
Sunday
Lentil Soup
Rice
Monday
Breakfast (from whatever is on-hand)
Tuesday
Greek Chicken
Potatoes
Veggie (TBD)
Monday
Mac & Cheese
Purple Hull Peas
Carrots
Tuesday
Fish (whatever I get at the store tomorrow)
Quinoa
Broccoli
Wednesday
Mexican Pizza (corn tortillas grilled on griddle and topped with refried beans, cheese, and salsa)
Thursday
Pasta with Meat Sauce (see the Power Cooking Tip, I add this meat mix to homemade pasta sauce)
Salad
Bread
Angel Food Cake, tinted green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day
Friday
Pizza (cheese and veggie)
Saturday
Smoked Polish Sausage
Mashed Potatoes
Sauerkraut
Sunday
Lentil Soup
Rice
Monday
Breakfast (from whatever is on-hand)
Tuesday
Greek Chicken
Potatoes
Veggie (TBD)
Friday, January 28, 2011
New Cookie Recipe
I'm looking forward to trying this cookie recipe:
Oatmeal Bittersweet Chocolate and Cocoa Nib Cookies
I just need to figure out where I can buy cocoa nibs. We also have the same problem she has, how to make cookie dough last until baking time!
Oatmeal Bittersweet Chocolate and Cocoa Nib Cookies
I just need to figure out where I can buy cocoa nibs. We also have the same problem she has, how to make cookie dough last until baking time!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Corn Dog Muffins
I have been making these muffins for lunches lately. They are a huge hit! The recipe/concept came from my friend Monica (thanks!). I mentioned making these in an e-mail to my mom and sister and now my sister is making them as well. I hope they are a hit in your home. You can use any corn muffin mix/recipe. The following recipe uses Hodgson Mill Corn Meal Muffin recipe as the base.
Corn Dog Muffins
Combine:
1 1/2 cups Yellow Corn Meal
1 cup Unbleached All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
Blend together:
1 cup Buttermilk
1 beaten Egg
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
Add-ins:
2 hotdogs, sliced length-wise into half-moons and then length-wise again. The slice across into 1/8" pieces (we use the Oscar Meyer Premium hotdogs, which are nitrate and nitrite free)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (we usually use cheddar)
Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare muffin tins by lining with muffin papers or spraying with no-stick cooking spray.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix just until moistened. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes. Fold hotdog pieces and cheese into batter.
Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling them 3/4 full. Bake for 15 minutes or until tops of muffins are golden brown. Remove from pans and serve immediately or cool on racks. Makes one dozen.
Notes:
1. Monica makes these into mini-muffins.
2. I usually don't have buttermilk on hand, so I add a teaspoon of vinegar to a cup of milk instead.
3. This is another recipe that I double and freeze to make packing lunches easier. They thaw over the course of the morning and are ready come lunchtime.
Corn Dog Muffins
Combine:
1 1/2 cups Yellow Corn Meal
1 cup Unbleached All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
Blend together:
1 cup Buttermilk
1 beaten Egg
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
Add-ins:
2 hotdogs, sliced length-wise into half-moons and then length-wise again. The slice across into 1/8" pieces (we use the Oscar Meyer Premium hotdogs, which are nitrate and nitrite free)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (we usually use cheddar)
Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare muffin tins by lining with muffin papers or spraying with no-stick cooking spray.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix just until moistened. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes. Fold hotdog pieces and cheese into batter.
Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling them 3/4 full. Bake for 15 minutes or until tops of muffins are golden brown. Remove from pans and serve immediately or cool on racks. Makes one dozen.
Notes:
1. Monica makes these into mini-muffins.
2. I usually don't have buttermilk on hand, so I add a teaspoon of vinegar to a cup of milk instead.
3. This is another recipe that I double and freeze to make packing lunches easier. They thaw over the course of the morning and are ready come lunchtime.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Oatmeal Spice Muffins
As I mentioned before, muffins are a standard breakfast item around here. I have started making double batches of muffins and putting them in the freezer. This will get us through at least 2 weeks before I have to bake more, thus saving time. My go-to muffin recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. It has a basic muffin recipe with several variations, but I combine a couple of those for my basic muffin. Here it is:
Oatmeal Spice Muffins
Combine:
2/3 cups Whole Wheat Flour
2/3 cups All Purpose Flour
3/4 cups Rolled Oats
1/3 cup Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
1/4 - 1/2 cup Chopped Nuts
In a separate bowl, mix:
1 Beaten Egg
3/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup Cooking Oil
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Lightly grease muffin cups or use paper baking cups. Fill 2/3 full and bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans. Makes about a dozen.
Banana Muffins: Add 3/4 cup mashed banana to wet ingredients and reduce milk to 1/2 cup. Don't use paper liners.
Pumpkin Muffins: Add 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin to wet ingredients. Don't use paper liners.
Berry Muffins: Fold in 3/4 cup fresh or frozen berries after mixing wet and dry ingredients.
Note: These are old fashioned bread-like muffins, as opposed to the cake-like muffins usually found commercially.
Oatmeal Spice Muffins
Combine:
2/3 cups Whole Wheat Flour
2/3 cups All Purpose Flour
3/4 cups Rolled Oats
1/3 cup Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
1/4 - 1/2 cup Chopped Nuts
In a separate bowl, mix:
1 Beaten Egg
3/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup Cooking Oil
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Lightly grease muffin cups or use paper baking cups. Fill 2/3 full and bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans. Makes about a dozen.
Banana Muffins: Add 3/4 cup mashed banana to wet ingredients and reduce milk to 1/2 cup. Don't use paper liners.
Pumpkin Muffins: Add 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin to wet ingredients. Don't use paper liners.
Berry Muffins: Fold in 3/4 cup fresh or frozen berries after mixing wet and dry ingredients.
Note: These are old fashioned bread-like muffins, as opposed to the cake-like muffins usually found commercially.
Making Breakfast Easy
I have been working on streamlining breakfast for the past couple of months. Mornings are an early rush for us, so having things ready when we get up is essential for a smooth start to the day. It also makes weekly grocery shopping fairly easy. Favorite quick breakfast foods are smoothies (prepped the night before and blended in the morning), muffins, toast, hard boiled eggs, and oatmeal. Boxed cereal is pretty much an act of true desperation around here. I prep as much ahead of time as I can. Muffins are made in 2-week batches, then frozen. Smoothies, ideally, are measured out in individual cups the night before and then blended in the morning. Hard boiled eggs are cooked in advance and kept in the refrigerator. Here's our basic breakfast schedule:
Monday/Wednesday/Friday: Smoothies and muffins
Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday: Oatmeal/Toast, fruit (ideally) and hot chocolate
The hard boiled eggs are for those who are still hungry after the initial breakfast offering.
On Saturdays we do whatever time allows, but usually it's a bigger, hot breakfast such as pancakes and sausage or eggs, sausage, and potatoes, or (our new addition) kartoffelpuffers (potato pancakes) with applesauce. We're still experimenting with the kartoffelpuffers, but as soon as we get them to a point were I can post the recipe, I will. I say "we", but this is actually my husband's project. I'm just the buyer and taster. Regardless of who is cooking though, this is one of those times when I feel like I'm living in a test kitchen (smile).
Monday/Wednesday/Friday: Smoothies and muffins
Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday: Oatmeal/Toast, fruit (ideally) and hot chocolate
The hard boiled eggs are for those who are still hungry after the initial breakfast offering.
On Saturdays we do whatever time allows, but usually it's a bigger, hot breakfast such as pancakes and sausage or eggs, sausage, and potatoes, or (our new addition) kartoffelpuffers (potato pancakes) with applesauce. We're still experimenting with the kartoffelpuffers, but as soon as we get them to a point were I can post the recipe, I will. I say "we", but this is actually my husband's project. I'm just the buyer and taster. Regardless of who is cooking though, this is one of those times when I feel like I'm living in a test kitchen (smile).
Friday, December 3, 2010
New Links
I added two new links to the Food Links list on the left. The first is jacksonholefoodie. Annie writes about cooking and gardening in the high altitude environment of Jackson Hole, WY. Many thanks to Karen for the link! The second one is Large Family Recipes. Laura is a mother of six (soon to be seven) and has many wonderful recipes to share. They are great for feeding many or for power cooking (freezing multiple meals for later use).
Friday, October 29, 2010
Halloween at Chipotle
I love this! Chipotle is celebrating Halloween with an unusual costume contest. If you go to Chipotle restaurant after 6pm on Halloween dressed as a Horrifying Processed Food Product, they will give you a burrito, bowl, salad, or order of tacos for $2! Details can be found at Boorito 2010.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
New Food Link
The other day I was reading some of the discussions on the Simpleliving.net discussion boards and someone mentioned this site: Cook for Good. I have heard several stories of individuals trying to eat a healthy diet on a food stamp allowance. However, I was surprised to hear of a food stamp allowance of $1.99 per meal per person (for a family of four). I don't know how that varies across the country, but I am impressed to see her presentation of eating well on an even smaller budget.
The more we read and learn, the more our household has moved towards a more local and organic diet. Based on a presentation I saw by a financial manager, we have a grocery budget of $150 per person per 4 weeks. That's just $1.79/meal. (disclaimer: we do eat out occasionally, but I also end up throwing away more food than I care to admit.) I hear all the time how expensive it is to eat locally and organically. However, as we have made this adjustment, we have not altered our budget. Not only that, but our grocery budget includes cleaning supplies and any over the counter medications we use (ibuprofen, loratidine, etc.) What surprised me the most this summer was when we provided dinner for 12 at church one evening, we didn't go over budget at all that week.
What we have changed is that we eat more grains (barley, quinoa, brown rice, etc.) and we use a lot of dried beans. I also frequent the bulk foods section of our local Whole Foods. We've always eaten a lot of legumes, but we've switched to dried beans instead of canned. I usually make up a two pound batch of beans in the crockpot and freeze the leftovers in three-cup containers (it's the size we happen to have). We are also substituting ground beef for lentils in meals. A couple of favorite recipes are Taco Style Lentils and Rice and Cincinnati Chili with Lentils. We're also eating more in-season produce, which, pound for pound, is healthier and cheaper than meat. Through our CSA subscription, we have really enjoyed relearning when produce is "in season". At the grocery store, most produce appears to be "in season" all year because it is shipped from all over the world. When you get your produce locally, you find out when foods are naturally available in your area. For example, in the Spring we enjoyed a variety of lettuces and other greens. Now it is too hot for those, so we've moved on to corn, cream and purple hull peas (new items for us), and peppers. The zucchini, yellow squash, and cucumbers have been available most of the summer. This isn't produce, but I've also learned that, like us, the chickens aren't very fond of the heat either and they seem to have gone on strike when it comes to laying eggs.
We do still eat meat. We just stretch it. For example, we love what we call Mexican Chicken. I'll post the recipe later, but in essence, you put two chicken breasts, a chopped onion, two diced bell peppers (be colorful!), and a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes into a crockpot and let it cook on low 8-10 hrs. When it is done, shred the chicken and serve it with rice, pintos, salsa and shredded cheese in burritos, tacos, or as a burrito bowl (burrito without the tortilla). The leftovers from this last for days in our house. Add some Italian Seasoning, serve over pasta and you have Chicken Cacciatore. Today I boiled a couple of chicken breasts, chopped them up and added them to some orzo with pesto. Yummy! Last weekend, I grilled some fish and shrimp flavored with Southwest Seasoning and served it in tacos. Anyway, aside from our love of Southwestern foods, you should get the idea.
I hope you will find that you can eat locally and organic without breaking the bank. I have added the Cook for Good site to the Food Links list. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am!
The more we read and learn, the more our household has moved towards a more local and organic diet. Based on a presentation I saw by a financial manager, we have a grocery budget of $150 per person per 4 weeks. That's just $1.79/meal. (disclaimer: we do eat out occasionally, but I also end up throwing away more food than I care to admit.) I hear all the time how expensive it is to eat locally and organically. However, as we have made this adjustment, we have not altered our budget. Not only that, but our grocery budget includes cleaning supplies and any over the counter medications we use (ibuprofen, loratidine, etc.) What surprised me the most this summer was when we provided dinner for 12 at church one evening, we didn't go over budget at all that week.
What we have changed is that we eat more grains (barley, quinoa, brown rice, etc.) and we use a lot of dried beans. I also frequent the bulk foods section of our local Whole Foods. We've always eaten a lot of legumes, but we've switched to dried beans instead of canned. I usually make up a two pound batch of beans in the crockpot and freeze the leftovers in three-cup containers (it's the size we happen to have). We are also substituting ground beef for lentils in meals. A couple of favorite recipes are Taco Style Lentils and Rice and Cincinnati Chili with Lentils. We're also eating more in-season produce, which, pound for pound, is healthier and cheaper than meat. Through our CSA subscription, we have really enjoyed relearning when produce is "in season". At the grocery store, most produce appears to be "in season" all year because it is shipped from all over the world. When you get your produce locally, you find out when foods are naturally available in your area. For example, in the Spring we enjoyed a variety of lettuces and other greens. Now it is too hot for those, so we've moved on to corn, cream and purple hull peas (new items for us), and peppers. The zucchini, yellow squash, and cucumbers have been available most of the summer. This isn't produce, but I've also learned that, like us, the chickens aren't very fond of the heat either and they seem to have gone on strike when it comes to laying eggs.
We do still eat meat. We just stretch it. For example, we love what we call Mexican Chicken. I'll post the recipe later, but in essence, you put two chicken breasts, a chopped onion, two diced bell peppers (be colorful!), and a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes into a crockpot and let it cook on low 8-10 hrs. When it is done, shred the chicken and serve it with rice, pintos, salsa and shredded cheese in burritos, tacos, or as a burrito bowl (burrito without the tortilla). The leftovers from this last for days in our house. Add some Italian Seasoning, serve over pasta and you have Chicken Cacciatore. Today I boiled a couple of chicken breasts, chopped them up and added them to some orzo with pesto. Yummy! Last weekend, I grilled some fish and shrimp flavored with Southwest Seasoning and served it in tacos. Anyway, aside from our love of Southwestern foods, you should get the idea.
I hope you will find that you can eat locally and organic without breaking the bank. I have added the Cook for Good site to the Food Links list. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Dinner
I am so excited about dinner tonight. This week we ordered a whole chicken from our CSA. This morning I put it in my crock pot with some onions from my in-laws' garden, red potatoes and celery from our CSA, and baby carrots. I added some salt and pepper, put it on low and walked away. Okay, we really left to go to spend three hours at the pool (rough life, I know. I love my job!). Anyway, dinner smells SO good! I’m looking forward to opening the crock pot to see how it cooked. I’m looking for the differences between our relatively organic CSA chicken and conventional ones I’ve cooked from the store. I already noticed that this one seemed a bit leaner, esp. the skin. It reminds me of bison vs. conventional beef. We’ll see. I also just shucked a bunch of corn from our CSA and I’m debating what else (if anything) to prepare for dinner. I still have some tabbouleh in the fridge from the other day. I also thought of cooking some barley, but we already have a grain with the corn. I also thought of quinoa, but it’s high in protein and we already have protein with the chicken. I may just leave things as is with the crock pot meal and corn.
Speaking of quinoa, I added a link on the side bar to a website about quinoa. I have a friend who cooks it for her family, but I didn't pay much attention until my sister mentioned it a couple of weeks ago. It is now one of my favorite sides and has renewed our interest in other grains, such as barley and kasha. It's very quick and easy to prepare, takes on the flavor of whatever you pair it with, and is very healthy. I'd love to hear about your experiences with it.
Speaking of quinoa, I added a link on the side bar to a website about quinoa. I have a friend who cooks it for her family, but I didn't pay much attention until my sister mentioned it a couple of weeks ago. It is now one of my favorite sides and has renewed our interest in other grains, such as barley and kasha. It's very quick and easy to prepare, takes on the flavor of whatever you pair it with, and is very healthy. I'd love to hear about your experiences with it.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Ohio State Spirit
I love the spirit at Ohio State!
When I was a senior in high school, there were times when I was excused for college visitations. Since attending Ohio State was pretty much a given, I used a couple of visitation days to research my papers at Ohio State. I would ride up with my dad, do my research, and then study at the Ohio (i.e. student) Union while I waited for him to get off work. I used to love sitting in the lounge studying and observing college life.
Since graduation Ohio State has completely redone Ohio Union and it has recently re-opened. In honor of this, a group of students, staff, and faculty have been secretly rehearsing (they even used code words to get into practice!) this dance since February and surprised everyone with it last week. As if the dance itself wasn't cool enough, they enlisted Brutus and Dr. Gee, OSU's President. Dr. Gee's first four years at OSU were the years I was a student. He is a great guy and well loved as the university's president.
I hope you all enjoy this video, although I'll understand if you don't love it as much as we do (it's played on repeat around here right now).
Go Bucks!
Flash Mob at the Ohio Union 5/3/2010 - The Ohio State University
When I was a senior in high school, there were times when I was excused for college visitations. Since attending Ohio State was pretty much a given, I used a couple of visitation days to research my papers at Ohio State. I would ride up with my dad, do my research, and then study at the Ohio (i.e. student) Union while I waited for him to get off work. I used to love sitting in the lounge studying and observing college life.
Since graduation Ohio State has completely redone Ohio Union and it has recently re-opened. In honor of this, a group of students, staff, and faculty have been secretly rehearsing (they even used code words to get into practice!) this dance since February and surprised everyone with it last week. As if the dance itself wasn't cool enough, they enlisted Brutus and Dr. Gee, OSU's President. Dr. Gee's first four years at OSU were the years I was a student. He is a great guy and well loved as the university's president.
I hope you all enjoy this video, although I'll understand if you don't love it as much as we do (it's played on repeat around here right now).
Go Bucks!
Flash Mob at the Ohio Union 5/3/2010 - The Ohio State University
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Fresh Produce
This year we finally bought a "share" in a local farm. For those of you who are unfamiliar with CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), some local, family-run farms sell shares of their crops. You buy your share seasonally and each week you receive your share of the yield. I was fortunate to find one that lets us choose what goes into our share - I'm not sure we're ready for the "mystery veggie of the week" yet! The farm we subscribe to also offers eggs and meat, so we have a wide selection to choose from. Today we were very excited to pick up our first share! We selected a dozen eggs, green romaine lettuce, green buttercrunch lettuce, lettuce mix, green garlic, spinach, and a pound of mild country breakfast sausage. Yum! Needless to say, we had an excellent salad with our dinner tonight.
Our pick-up location is host to many CSAs (it's a healthy-living program provided by my husband's employer) and many of them offered products beyond their CSA shares, farmers market style. I was hoping this would be the case, but since this is our first season with them, I wasn't sure what to expect. Anyway, the fresh strawberries, that were sweet enough to smell a couple feet away, proved too tempting. So we walked away with two quarts in addition to our share. Now, to just find the space in the fridge! I think I'll solve part of the problem by melting some chocolate chips to dip the strawberries into! Oh, Happy Spring!
To find a farmers market and/or CSA near you, go to Local Harvest (link is to the right under "Food Links").
Our pick-up location is host to many CSAs (it's a healthy-living program provided by my husband's employer) and many of them offered products beyond their CSA shares, farmers market style. I was hoping this would be the case, but since this is our first season with them, I wasn't sure what to expect. Anyway, the fresh strawberries, that were sweet enough to smell a couple feet away, proved too tempting. So we walked away with two quarts in addition to our share. Now, to just find the space in the fridge! I think I'll solve part of the problem by melting some chocolate chips to dip the strawberries into! Oh, Happy Spring!
To find a farmers market and/or CSA near you, go to Local Harvest (link is to the right under "Food Links").
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Mixed Berry Smoothie
I have a new favorite smoothie recipe. This one was inspired by my wonderful husband as well as Alton Brown. I recently saw the "Live and Let Diet" episode of Good Eats. Alton's point is to eat a healthy diet, as opposed to participating in the latest diet craze. Typical of Alton, he weighs his ingredients. So, I have weighed my ingredients here. I say that this was also inspired by my husband. He loves blueberries. I don't. As a result, he tends to point out how he is loading up on "antioxidant goodness" and I am not. However, with the berry mix, I get the berries (also with antioxidants in addition to fiber-filled seeds) that I like with blueberries hidden in the mix. These are so popular in our house right now that I am making them for breakfast three times a week - and I hear about it if I skip a day! I made these for my mom and Aunt Carole this week and they asked for the recipe - so here it is. We also discussed the nutritional information, which I have now calculated (out of curiosity). I must point out that as much as I talk about nutrition and antioxidants and such, if it doesn't taste good, it's off the menu. I just try to keep things good, healthy, and as natural as possible.
Mixed Berry Smoothie
2 oz fresh baby spinach (secret ingredient - shh!, esp. if it's hard to get greens into your family, the color is hidden by the purple of the fruit)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 banana
4 oz mixed berries (blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries - I use Trader Joe's frozen mixed berries or the large bag of mixed berries at Sam's Club)
4 oz plain low-fat yogurt
4 oz Trader Joe's Blackberry Crush
Layer the ingredients into large cup, immersion blender container, or blender in the order listed and blend until smooth. I usually prepare the cups the night before and then blend for breakfast in the morning. It's a great way to start the day.
Nutritional Information (approx 16 oz):
Calories - 240
Protein - 6g
Saturated Fat - 4%
Sugars - 37g
Fiber - 36%
Tonight we discussed adding wheat germ. I've done this with my smoothies before. It adds a great nutritional punch and is invisible, just like the spinach. If you do add a serving (2 tbsp) of wheat germ, you'll be adding 50 calories, 4g protein, 1g sugar, and 6% fiber.
For those of you watching your sugar, here's a comparison: a 6 oz serving of Yoplait yogurt has 27g and no fiber. Also, I'm a big fan of making things from scratch. This way you know exactly what is in your food.
On that note, I'll close with a recommendation of Michael Pollan's latest book: Food Rules. It's a short, easy read and can help guide you in eating a healthy diet.
Mixed Berry Smoothie
2 oz fresh baby spinach (secret ingredient - shh!, esp. if it's hard to get greens into your family, the color is hidden by the purple of the fruit)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 banana
4 oz mixed berries (blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries - I use Trader Joe's frozen mixed berries or the large bag of mixed berries at Sam's Club)
4 oz plain low-fat yogurt
4 oz Trader Joe's Blackberry Crush
Layer the ingredients into large cup, immersion blender container, or blender in the order listed and blend until smooth. I usually prepare the cups the night before and then blend for breakfast in the morning. It's a great way to start the day.
Nutritional Information (approx 16 oz):
Calories - 240
Protein - 6g
Saturated Fat - 4%
Sugars - 37g
Fiber - 36%
Tonight we discussed adding wheat germ. I've done this with my smoothies before. It adds a great nutritional punch and is invisible, just like the spinach. If you do add a serving (2 tbsp) of wheat germ, you'll be adding 50 calories, 4g protein, 1g sugar, and 6% fiber.
For those of you watching your sugar, here's a comparison: a 6 oz serving of Yoplait yogurt has 27g and no fiber. Also, I'm a big fan of making things from scratch. This way you know exactly what is in your food.
On that note, I'll close with a recommendation of Michael Pollan's latest book: Food Rules. It's a short, easy read and can help guide you in eating a healthy diet.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
An Old Irish Blessing
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
found at island Ireland
St. Patrick's Day is a fun day at our house. It starts with a breakfast of scrambled green eggs (add blue and green food coloring until you get the desired color) and ham with toast and ends with green Angel Food cake. My grandmother was part Irish and she actually shared her birthday with St. Patrick's Day. To celebrate her birthday, we always had Angel Food cake, with green food coloring added to the water before mixing. So, now as a way to remember her and celebrate St. Patrick's Day, we have green Angel Food Cake for dessert each year.
Today we had rice and beans for dinner, so I made the rice green. Also, since I made this morning's bread in my bread machine, I made it green as well. It's such a fun and inexpensive way to celebrate. There are so many different color options, you can use these ideas for many celebrations.
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
found at island Ireland
St. Patrick's Day is a fun day at our house. It starts with a breakfast of scrambled green eggs (add blue and green food coloring until you get the desired color) and ham with toast and ends with green Angel Food cake. My grandmother was part Irish and she actually shared her birthday with St. Patrick's Day. To celebrate her birthday, we always had Angel Food cake, with green food coloring added to the water before mixing. So, now as a way to remember her and celebrate St. Patrick's Day, we have green Angel Food Cake for dessert each year.
Today we had rice and beans for dinner, so I made the rice green. Also, since I made this morning's bread in my bread machine, I made it green as well. It's such a fun and inexpensive way to celebrate. There are so many different color options, you can use these ideas for many celebrations.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Winter Storms
Looks like Punxsutawney Phil was right. I hope everyone almost literally buried in snow is able to enjoy some Snow Ice Cream and Hot Cocoa and/or Russian Tea.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Snow Ice Cream
As the Plains recover from a snow storm and the Midwest and East Coast brace for another, it seems like a great time to share one of my favorite snowy day treats - Snow Ice Cream. My husband shared this recipe with me when we were dating and it's been a favorite since. I was excited to see an official recipe published in the More with Less Mennonite cookbook. We usually just "wing it."
We don't have the opportunity to enjoy it very often, partially because we're picky about the snow (making sure it's fresh, etc.). Just before our last snow storm, I grabbed my giant stainless steel mixing bowl and placed it outside (out of reach of our precious beagle) just before the snow started. By morning we had 8 quarts of beautiful snow! Since it had been a while, I used the recipe as a guide, but made some adjustments. The published recipe is below, but first I'll tell you what I did most recently. To the 8 quarts of snow, I added 2 cups of skim milk, 2 cups of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla. Then I stirred, and stirred, and stirred... until it became soft and creamy, much like soft-serve ice cream. Even better, I just happened to have made chocolate chip cookies the previous day - yum! Cookies and ice cream. It was quite the treat. I hope you have the opportunity to make some snow ice cream. It's easy and worth every bite!
Snow Ice Cream
Stir together lightly:
2 1/2 quarts clean snow
1/2 cup milk or cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar
Eat right away.
We don't have the opportunity to enjoy it very often, partially because we're picky about the snow (making sure it's fresh, etc.). Just before our last snow storm, I grabbed my giant stainless steel mixing bowl and placed it outside (out of reach of our precious beagle) just before the snow started. By morning we had 8 quarts of beautiful snow! Since it had been a while, I used the recipe as a guide, but made some adjustments. The published recipe is below, but first I'll tell you what I did most recently. To the 8 quarts of snow, I added 2 cups of skim milk, 2 cups of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla. Then I stirred, and stirred, and stirred... until it became soft and creamy, much like soft-serve ice cream. Even better, I just happened to have made chocolate chip cookies the previous day - yum! Cookies and ice cream. It was quite the treat. I hope you have the opportunity to make some snow ice cream. It's easy and worth every bite!
Snow Ice Cream
Stir together lightly:
2 1/2 quarts clean snow
1/2 cup milk or cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar
Eat right away.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Happy New Year!!!!!
I hope that you all have a wonderful time ringing in 2010. It is hard to believe that it has been 10 years since we anxiously experienced Y2K. I'm excited by the potential of the 2010s! There are so many things to look forward to!
We are ringing in the new year very quietly here. We had a light, celebratory dinnner that, in a way, incorportated some of our extended family.
Raspberry pie made with raspberries my grandpa gave us from his raspberry patch. He brought a few bags of frozen berries when he came for Christmas. Thanks Grandpa!
Bison salami (with crackers and cheese) from a gift box my sister sent for Christmas. Thanks Sis!
Last, but not least, virgin Strawberry Daquiris made in the Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker my mom gave us for Christmas. Yummy! We've had this for less than a week and we've already made the daquiris, rootbeer slushies, and mixed berry frozen yogurt. We're looking forward to some wonderful cool, healthy, snacks/desserts as we warm to summer. Thanks Mom!
Once the house is quiet, I'm hoping to pop some popcorn and enjoy a movie. Have a safe and happy night everyone!
We are ringing in the new year very quietly here. We had a light, celebratory dinnner that, in a way, incorportated some of our extended family.
Raspberry pie made with raspberries my grandpa gave us from his raspberry patch. He brought a few bags of frozen berries when he came for Christmas. Thanks Grandpa!
Bison salami (with crackers and cheese) from a gift box my sister sent for Christmas. Thanks Sis!
Last, but not least, virgin Strawberry Daquiris made in the Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker my mom gave us for Christmas. Yummy! We've had this for less than a week and we've already made the daquiris, rootbeer slushies, and mixed berry frozen yogurt. We're looking forward to some wonderful cool, healthy, snacks/desserts as we warm to summer. Thanks Mom!
Once the house is quiet, I'm hoping to pop some popcorn and enjoy a movie. Have a safe and happy night everyone!
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