You're hot then you're cold...or cold and then hot in my case

Hi friends.

Happy to report that I am finally back on track with the weight loss/healthy lifestyle remodeling.  I just finished a 5-day raw food cleanse.  My intentions for the cleanse were not at all weight-related.  I needed to prove to myself that I am capable of willpower and am able to say no to things that I shouldn't be eating (or that I am eating in portions above what is normal).  I also desperately needed to break my physical/psychological/emotional dependencies on caffeine and sugar.  So far, I can say that I am 7 days off coffee and have not craved candy at all.  Now I am not in any way saying that I will not be drinking coffee or eating candy anymore, because, lets be honest, who can actually do that?  I just wanted to get myself to a point where I can have these things when I want them, and also not have them and still be okay.  I'll let you all know how it goes.

The cleanse itself was not that bad.  It consisted of only raw fruits and vegetables (and some raw almonds thrown in for the last 2 days because my body was screaming for protein).  So obviously, my diet consisted of 2-3 green smoothies per day, lots of salad, and lots and lots of fruit.

I created a new green smoothie recipe that is now my staple and it's just delicious every time:  kale, spinach, cucumber, broccoli, celery, banana, green pear, green grapes, mango and pineapple chunks.  I know this probably sounds like a disgusting combo, but it truly is epic (just ask my co-workers).

 

Now that the cleanse is over, my only regret is that I chose to do it in the midst of a very cold and snowy winter season when all I wanted was something hot.  So today, to quiet my craving for hot food, I decided to make a vegetable soup in the crock pot.  You'd think by now I would be sick of vegetables, but my taste and desire for them has only grown stronger after this week.  I didn't follow a recipe for this soup, so bear with me on quantities as I literally just threw a bunch of stuff in the crock pot, added water and hoped for the best.  It did turn out quite delicious though!

• Baby Carrots - about 2 handfuls, sliced into chunks
• Grape Tomatoes - about 2 handfuls, sliced in half
• Baby Spinach Leaves - 3 handfuls
• Celery - about 10 stalks, diced
• Sugar Snap Peas - 3 handfuls, cut in half
• Broccoli - 5 florets broken into pieces (this was all I had left, or I would have used more)
• Green Pepper - 1 whole, diced
• Zucchini - 1 large, sliced and cut into chunks
• Yellow Squash - 1 medium, sliced and cut into chunks
• Parsley - a handful, shredded
• Russet Potatoes - 2 large, sliced and cut into chunks
• Vidalia Onion - 1 large, diced
• Fresh Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
• Quinoa - 1/2 cup
• Olive Oil - 1 tsp.
• Black pepper - to taste
• Celtic sea salt - to taste
• Garlic powder - to taste

In a frying pan, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 5-6 minutes to release the flavors.  Throw all prepped vegetables and quinoa into the crock pot along with the sauteed onions and garlic.  Fill the crock pot with water and add seasonings to taste.  Cook on high for 4 hours making sure to achieve a full boil.  Switch to low setting and cook for another 1-2 hours so that vegetables fully soften.

Hoping for another good week!!

Well Hello There...

Clearly I have been a blog-failure lately.  I will blame it on being super super busy and also on being a slacker in the kitchen at times over the last few months.  However, I do have some lovely recipes and photos to share with any of you who still read this blog (and I hope there are at least a few of you).

Over the last few months a lot has happened...I got a little off track with the weight loss, but I'm finding my way back now, I hosted Thanksgiving, and I got ENGAGED!  Overall, 2010 was a pretty amazing year.

And now for the reason any of you visit this site to begin with - The food!

Lets start with a CROCK POT TOMATO SAUCE I made a few months ago.  I got the recipe from cooks.com

2 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
2 (28 oz.) cans tomato puree
1 (18 oz.) can tomato paste
1/4 c. extra virginia olive oil
1 med. onion, chopped
4 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tbsp. dry basil
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1-2 lg. carrots, shredded

18 0z. dry red wine

Heat oil in crock pot then add onion and carrot and garlic. Saute on high until transparent. Add tomatoes and seasonings (basil and seasoned salt) and add 18oz. dry red wine.  Cook on low all day.

The finished product

The wine I used :)

Now, onto a recipe I sort of made up by accident and don't know what to call...It's a mixture of Israeli Couscous cooked in vegetable broth, mixed with sauteed spinach and broccoli and seasoned with garlic powder, red pepper, and hot sauce.  I then topped it with a crumbled up Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burger and more hot sauce...sounds kind of gross, but it was DELISH

Now, here's something I made for Brad...Cream of Chicken with Wild Rice Soup (I can't stand creamy soups, so I didn't even taste it.  But he said it was pretty decent).  I adapted a recipe I found online, which incidentally I now can't find.  I think if I were to make this soup again, I would use a different recipe and not used canned cream of chicken soup.

Next I have quite possibly the easiest dessert I have ever made.  It consisted of 2 packages of reduced fat brownie mix and 1 large can of pumpkin puree.  This recipe is from HungryGirl and it's really delicious.  You just mix the brownie mix with the pumpkin, put it in a greased pan and bake.  I used mini-muffin tins for mine.

 Moving on, I made a delicious weight watchers recipe for Vegetarian Chili 

1 tsp canola oil   

1 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced (medium)

14 1/2 oz stewed tomatoes

15 oz canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained

15 1/4 oz canned yellow corn, drained

15 oz canned tomato sauce

1 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup(s) dehydrated onion flakes

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 Tbsp low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, sharp-variety   

Heat oil in a large, nonstick, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, corn, tomato sauce, chili powder, oregano, red pepper flakes, onion and pepper; stir well.  Increase heat to high and bring chili to a boil; cook, stirring frequently, until chili is thick and flavors are concentrated, about 5 minutes. Spoon into serving bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Yields about 1 1/4 cups chili and 1 tablespoon cheese per serving. 

I forgot to take a picture, so here's one from WW.com

  

And now for some Thanksgiving dishes:

For the first course, I made a delicious BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND ACORN SQUASH SOUP

2 butternut squash, halved and seeded 

2 acorn squash, halved and seeded

2 tbsp. butter

1/3 cup and 2 tablespoons chopped sweet onion

7-1/2 cups chicken broth  

1/3 packed brown sugar 

 1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the squash halves cut side down in a baking dish. Bake 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Scoop the pulp from the skins. Discard skins.

2.     Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion until tender.

3.     In a blender or food processor, blend the squash pulp, onion, broth, brown sugar, cream cheese, pepper, and cinnamon until smooth. This may be done in several batches.

4.     Transfer the soup to a pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Garnish with parsley, and serve warm.

 

I found this TURKEY recipe on a website and I immediately knew that it was "the one."  It turned out juicy and delicious.

2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons ground dried rosemary
2 tablespoons rubbed dried sage
2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 (15 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 orange, cut into wedges
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (750 milliliter) bottle champagne

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a turkey roaster with long sheets of aluminum foil that will be long enough to wrap over the turkey.
2. Stir together the parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, lemon pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Rub the herb mixture into the cavity of the turkey, then stuff with the celery, orange, onion, and carrot. Truss if desired, and place the turkey into the roasting pan. Pour the chicken broth and champagne over the turkey, making sure to get some champagne in the cavity. Bring the aluminum foil over the top of the turkey, and seal. Try to keep the foil from touching the skin of the turkey breast or legs.
3. Bake the turkey in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear. Uncover the turkey, and continue baking until the skin turns golden brown, 30 minutes to 1 hour longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

I sort of made up this recipe for ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES

8 to 12 carrots, peeled and trimmed 

2 turnips, peeled
6 to 8 small potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters
1 or 2 parsnips, peeled, trimmed, and cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices
1 or 2 medium onions, trimmed, peeled and halved, each 1/2 cut into quarters
1 or 2 large beets, peeled and cut into thick wedges
1 celery root, trimmed and halved, halves cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices
1 whole head garlic, separated into cloves, unpeeled
2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary  

Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Put all the vegetables and the herb sprigs in a large baking dish. Season well with salt and black pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and toss them with your hands to coat them evenly.
Put the baking dish in the preheated oven and cook, stirring the vegetables occasionally, until they are tender and golden brown, about 45 minutes

 

I found this recipe for SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE online as well and it was sooo delicious! 

 Casserole:

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (3 medium), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup 1% milk
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Topping:

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans (1 3/4 ounces)

Directions

Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well and return to the pan. Mash with a potato masher. Measure out 3 cups. (Reserve any extra for another use.)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch-square (or similar 2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
Whisk eggs, oil and honey in a medium bowl. Add mashed sweet potato and mix well. Stir in milk, orange zest, vanilla and salt. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish.
To prepare topping: Mix flour, brown sugar, orange juice concentrate, oil and butter in a small bowl. Blend with a fork or your fingertips until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.
Bake the casserole until heated through and the top is lightly browned, 35 to 45 minutes.

 

 For one of the many desserts I made for Thanksgiving, my favorite was a CRUSTLESS PUMPKIN PIE.  I got the recipe at a Weight Watchers meeting.

1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1 can evaporated skim milk (12 oz)
3/4 cup egg substitute (or 3 egg whites)
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 C. Splenda (or sugar) or to taste 

Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. 

 Pour into a 9" sprayed pie pan

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, and then at 325 for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

And lastly, some pretty cupcake pictures from the last few months :)

Hopefully I will be back to posting more regularly in the future.  Until then, my new food of the week is Chayote squash.  Recipe and pictures to follow!

Have I mentioned I LOVE the fall?

Last weekend, Brad and I went to VonThun Farms to do some pumpkin and apple picking.  We wound up picking about 15 lbs. of apples, all different varieties.  I had been craving baked apples for awhile, so naturally, I made a bunch as soon as I got home.  I then stuffed the apples with bulgur wheat and it actually looked pretty presentable.

For the apples:  core 6-8 large apples (McIntosh and Rome varieties are the best for baking); place cored apples in a pyrex dish.  Sprinkle Apple Pie Spice over the apples (this is just a blend of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg).  Fill the pyrex with an inch and a half of Coke Zero or diet Coke.  Bake at 375 for around 30 minutes or until the apples are tender

Bulgur wheat recipe in last post!

And now, an epicly green, green smoothie:  6 oz. unsweetened iced green tea, 3/4 c. chopped broccoli, 1 c. spinach leaves, 1/2 c. frozen peaches and mangoes; Throw it all in the Magic Bullet, and blend until smooth

Can You Handle the Delicious-ness?

As you may have noticed, I have been absent from blog-land for the past couple of weeks.  My work schedule was pure insanity, and I'm currently finishing up what is ever-so-affectionately known as the "Kessler Special Plus One"....which means 13 days of work without a day off.  So, as you can imagine, I am quite exhausted, but I have still managed to make some delicious things over the last couple weeks.

Here are some highlights:

Eat-Clean Egg Salad:

• 1 dozen eggs
• 3 tbsp. Fage Total 0% Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 tbsp. Spicy Brown Mustard
• Garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika to taste

Hard boil 12 eggs, cool completely, and peel.  Break the whites up into pieces and only use 2 of the yolks (yes, wasting 10 yolks, but your cholesterol will thank you).  Mash the egg whites, 2 yolks, yogurt, mustard, and spices together and refrigerate overnight.  

I can't explain to you how delicious this is.  I LOVE egg salad, but I avoid store-bought versions at all costs because of the ungodly amount of calories and fat that can be secretly packed into it

Bulgur Wheat with Diced Nectarine

• 1/2 c. Bob's Red Mill Bulgur Wheat
• 1 c. water
• 1 medium nectarine, diced
• Cinnamon and Truvia to taste

In a saucepan, boil 1c. water.  Add bulgur and diced nectarine, reduce heat and cover.  Simmer for 15 minutes or until all water absorbed and bulgur is soft.  Add cinnamon and Truvia to taste.  This makes 2 servings and can be eaten hot or cold.

 

 Last weekend, I had a couple of my girlfriends from UMD over for a wine and fondue night.  It was sooo delish.  I made the spinach and mango salad I've made before, and we had Italian Cheese Fondue with bread and tofu for dipping, followed by chocolate fondue with fruit, graham crackers, and marshmallows for dipping.  Here are some photos :o)

Last but not least, the insanely delicious and Autumn-themed cupcakes I made for a luncheon with co-workers tomorrow!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting

Cupcakes:

• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 2 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. Allspice
• 1 1/2 cups All Whites Liquid Egg Whites
• 2 cups Pumpkin Puree
• 1 cup Unsweetened Applesauce
• 2 cups Sugar

Preheat oven to 350F.  Place paper liners in 2, 12-cup muffin tins.  In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.  In a separate bowl, mix together egg whites, pumpkin, applesauce, and sugar.  Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (don't over mix!).  Fill the muffin tins 1/2 to 1/3 full and bake for approximately 20 minutes.  Let cool completely before frosting

Pumpkin Buttercream Icing: 

• 2 cups Softened Butter
• 6 cups Confectioner's Sugar
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. Pumpkin Puree
• Red and Yellow food coloring in a 1:5 ratio
• Milk (optional if consistency is too thick)

 Whip the butter with mixer until soft and even.  Add the spices and confectioner's sugar.  When fully combined, turn up speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes.  Add in vanilla and pumpkin.  Add food coloring

I then put the frosting into a pastry bag and piped it out to frost the cupcakes.  FYI, these "cupcakes" are pretty dense and could easily pass as muffins without the icing.  Additionally, the cupcakes themselves are totally fat free :o)

and now, many pictures of said cupcakes...

In other news, I am finishing up my 9th week of Weight Watchers, and I've lost 12.2 lbs!!  Here's to good food, lots of exercise, and a hectic work schedule!

Squashed

The past week has been a whirlwind.  So busy I didn't have much time to make anything pretty or spectacular.  I am up to a full case load at work, I've gotten back into my pre-work workouts at the gym, which is both exhausting and exhilarating, and I've overall just been preparing mostly easy meals because I've been getting home around 7:30 every night.

Here are a couple highlights:

Baked Butternut Squash served with a mixture of sauteed peas, corn, mushrooms, spinach, and brown rice:

And today's breakfast:  egg whites mixed with sauteed spinach, salsa, and a little bit of reduced fat mozzarrella:

Today I also made a delicious protein smoothie with the egg white protein I mentioned before.  I used almond milk, strawberry egg white protein powder, half a banana, and a handful of blueberries.  I then proceeded to spill 90% of it on my coffee table and living room carpet!  :o(   The 10% that I got to drink was delicious!

I hope to make some more interesting things this week.  The challenge food of the week is Kabocha, which is also known as a Japanese pumpkin.  I'll let you all know what I come up with!!

A bit of spice...

As you can probably tell from most of my recipes, I enjoy using a multitude of different spices in my cooking and baking.  Spices are good for more than just flavor.  Most are actually antioxidants, so in cooking and baking, the more you add, the better!


Today's baking adventure was a recipe I got from the lovely Jamie Eason (who loves spices as much as I do) for Carrot Cake Protein Bars.  Ever since I started my new job, I have been having some difficulties keeping my energy up throughout the day.  It's so busy that there is little time to drink anything let alone throw some food in my mouth.  At the end of the day I wind up dehydrated, starving, and often with a headache (which makes workout # 2 of the day all the more unappealing).  I sent an e-mail to Jamie regarding this topic, and she suggested making various kinds of protein bars that would be easy to transport and that I could grab small bites of throughout the day.  Like myself, Jamie also eats clean, so her recipes are both perfect, and easy.  They turned out really delicious, but the main ingredient is baby food carrots, and purchasing them at Shop Rite was an experience in itself.  On my left was a mom who asked me if my baby liked a particular brand of organic food.  I proceeded to turn stutter that I don't have a child, I'm just buying baby food for a recipe.  Then, as I was leaving the aisle, with said jars of baby food in my cart, an older woman remarked on the growing numbers of teen moms in this town.  That being said, I was reallllllly hoping these bars turned out to be worth it.  And they did!

Carrot Cake Protein Bars 

 

• 1 cup Oat Flour (if you buy this in the super market, it's expensive.  I made my own by putting a cup of old fashioned oats in my Magic Bullet and blending it until it was finely ground)
•  2 scoops Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (any type you like it is fine.  I use Elite Whey's Gourmet Vanilla.  I find it to be the least protein-y of all the protein powders I've tried, and it has no sugar, which is a huge bonus)
• 2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. Allspice
• 4 Egg Whites
• 3/4 cup Truvia (I use Truvia because it's one of few truly natural calorie-free sweeteners.  Feel free to use Splenda if you prefer)
• 8 oz. Baby Food Carrots (jars are usually 4 oz. each, so 2 jars.  I use Earth's Best Organic Baby Food Carrots for no particular reason other than that it had less sugar in it than Gerber)
• 4 oz. Water 

 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  
2. Grease an 8x8 Pyrex with non-stick spray
3.  In a large bowl, mix the oat flour, protein powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt
4. In a small bowl, mix the egg whites, Truvia, carrots, and water
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend well with a wire whisk
6. Pour the mixture into the Pyrex and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
7. Once cooled, cut into 16 squares

 

For any WW friends out there, this recipe is just 1 point per square...full of protein, fiber, and antioxidants :o)

 

 

 

Today on my trip to Vitamin World to re-stock my supply of Elite Whey and Brad's supply of Emergen-C, I came across an Egg White Protein powder made by Jay Robb.  I bought a single serve packet of the strawberry flavor, and I'm curious to see how it blends and tastes compared to whey.  I'm hoping it tastes better since it has similar nutritionals and is also sugar free.  

I will conclude this long and rambling post with a photo of my dinner tonight.  Another variation of vegetarian "chili" made with soy crumbles, salsa, spinach, peas, black beans, water chestnuts, and brown rice served in 2 of the Magic Pop rice cakes I mentioned before.  Delish!