… Yes, yes. I am blessed with a fabulous fiancé.
But I thought him even more fabulous when I arrived home tonight from an especially difficult Pilates session, and found this:
It was oh-so-fabulous.
I am so very happy that Dan just loves to cook. It keeps my tummy smiling. And look at the presentation! Beautiful, huh?
P.S. Stay tuned for the recipe — tomorrow!
Filed under December 2008, Eat, Pray, Run
Here is a yum-yummy recipe for you to try from Rachael Ray. I whipped up this baby for dinner last night and, boy, was it tasty!
I made one change: I could not find a pumpkin at the store, so I substituted one can of pumpkin. I would love to try it with the real pumpkin — plus I want those roasted seeds!! — but I had to make a decision on the fly. Maybe next time! I also sprinkled a bit of the cinnamon on top of the casserole. My kitchen smelled like heaven!
It really was quite simple, especially, because I eliminated the pumpkin process.
ENJOY!!!!
Before popping it in the oven.
Yields: 4 servings
Preheat oven to 400°F and a broiler.
Scatter pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar, chili powder and cinnamon. Roast for about 30 minutes, until golden brown, and set aside.
Place pumpkin quarters on a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, until tender. Once cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh out of the quarters and transfer it to a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
Place a large pot of salted water over high heat to boil. When water is boiling, drop tortellini and cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain cooked tortellini and reserve.
While the pasta water is heating up, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, until the onions soften.
Sprinkle in the flour and cook about a minute. Whisk in the milk and cook until the liquid comes up to a bubble and the sauce thickens, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the nutmeg and reserved pumpkin puree. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until thickened, about 1 minute.
When everything is ready, toss the tortellini with the pumpkin sauce and transfer to a casserole dish. Cover with the cheese and pop under the broiler until brown and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Serve roasted pumpkin seeds alongside the tortellini lasagna.
Mmmmm..........
Filed under Eat, November 2008, Pray, Run
Yesterday, Dan and I celebrated Rosh Hashanah with a very yummy Jewish Apple Cake. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashanah is, in its simplest terms, the Jewish New Year. The holiday is a celebration of a new beginning, and certain foods, such as apples and honey, are consumed for good luck.
Since I have been with Dan, I have been making him this cake to mark the commencement of the new year. The bonus? It’s healthy, too! And it makes your kitchen smell absolutely delish. So, here it is — it’s as tasty as it is pretty! And, hey, you don’t have to be Jewish to fall in love with this cake. (;
Jewish Apple Cake
Pre-baking ... beautiful, huh?
Makes 16 servings
Ingredients
* Cooking spray
* 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup sweetened applesauce
* 1/2 cup orange juice
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
* 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 3 large egg whites
* 2 large eggs
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 1/2 cups sliced peeled apple (about 1 pound)
* 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
* 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Coat a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray, and dust with 2 teaspoons flour. Set prepared pan aside. Beat granulated sugar and next 8 ingredients (sugar through eggs) at medium speed of a mixer until blended. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Combine apple and remaining ingredients. Spoon half of batter into prepared pan. Top with half of apple mixture. Repeat with remaining batter and apple mixture. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
Nutritional Information
Voila!
Calories:287 (21% from fat)
Fat:6.6g (sat 1.4g,mono 1.9g,poly 2.8g)
Protein:4.4g
Carbohydrate:53.6g
Fiber:1.5g
Cholesterol:29mg
Iron:2mg
Sodium:196mg
Calcium:84mg
©Cooking Light, APRIL 2000
Filed under Eat, Pray, Run, September 2008
As promised … the Energy Bars! These are a yummy treat, too, and I feel like it is a recipe you can really play around with. For example, I added a 1/2 cup of oat bran to my batch for a little extra fiber. And Dan made ones that were flavored with peanut butter instead of the raisins and apricots that are used in this recipe. Another thing I am going to try is substituting the eggs with bananas. By the way, this is another one from Ellie Krieger. I love this book!
Have fun, and create your own. They are tasty!
Energy Bars
Makes about 20 servings
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pitted dried dates
1/2 cup powdered nonfat dry milk (I used about 1/3 cup soy milk instead.)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 large eggs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place all ingredients except the syrup and eggs in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. Add the syrup and eggs and pulse until the mixture is well combined. It will resemble a coarse paste.
Transfer to the baking pan and spread evenly. Bake until just done, about 20 minutes. Cut into 20 squares.
Nutritional Analysis (per serving):
Calories: 133
Total Fat: 5 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.6 grams
Protein 5 grams
Carbohydrates 20 grams
Fiber 2.5 grams
Filed under Eat, Pray, Run, September 2008
And the 30-Day Challenge is coming to a close! . . .
So, I kicked off yesterday morning with a bowl of All Bran Strawberry Fields cereal and about 1 cup soy milk. The All Bran cereals are another one of my favorite cereals, and I think this one currently takes the cake. It’s yummy!
I had an appointment around lunchtime, so I grabbed a Special K Protein bar and a bottle of water for the car.
When I got home, I was still hungry, so I had a small bowl of whole wheat noodles with a bit of onion salt and 1 Tbsp. of Smart Balance Omega Olive Oil “butter” spread.
Dinner was a special treat — Thai Chicken Pizza! It is one of our favorite’s and Dan made a special request, so I whipped it up for him (and me, too!).
This is one of the best pizzas/recipes I have ever tried, so I, of course, have to share it with you. It’s from Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals, and it totally rocks:
Ingredients
* 1 lb pizza dough
* 1/2 cup Chinese duck sauce or plum sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 10 ounces provolone cheese (2 cups) or Monterey jack cheese
* 1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 2 tablespoons tamari
* 1 tablespoon peanut butter
* 2 teaspoons hot sauce
* 2 teaspoons grill seasoning, such as McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning
* 2 tablespoons honey
* 1/2 lb chicken breast, cutlets (about 4)
* 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
* 1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
* 4 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
* 1 cup bean sprouts, a couple of handfuls
* Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
* 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F Form the pizza crust on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top it with duck or plum sauce, spreading it around like you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle the pizza with some red pepper flakes, then top it with the cheese and bell peppers. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15 to 17 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine the vegetable oil, tamari, and peanut butter with the hot sauce and grill seasoning. Use the microwave to loosen up the peanut butter if it is too cold to blend into sauce; 10 seconds ought to do it. Coat the chicken evenly with the mixture and let it stand for 10 minutes. Preheat a grill pan or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken cutlets for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until firm. Slice the chicken into very thin strips.
3. While the chicken cooks, mix the honey and vinegar in a medium bowl. Add the cucumber and turn to coat in the dressing.
4. When the pizza comes out of the oven, top it with the chicken, scallions, sprouts, and cilantro. Drain the cucumbers and scatter them over the pizza. Garnish the pizza with peanuts, cut it into 8 wedges, and serve.
A few things I do differently: I use plum sauce instead of duck; I have tried the duck sauce before and, it wasn’t bad, but the plum sauce is our favorite. I also nix the cilantro (Dan does not really care for it), and take the pizza out half way through the cook time to add all of the remaining garnishes before baking for the remainder of the time. It tastes better when they have a few minutes to bake in there.
I had two medium slices and was totally stuffed. This pizza is yummy, yummy, but I only have so much room in there!
Dan and I went for a walk after dinner, — it was a perfect summer evening — and then called it a night.
Anyway, I was going to combine yesterday’s and today’s challenge meals in one big post, but this is turning into a rather long one! So, I think I will talk about today’s meals tomorrow (Wednesday), and we will also chat then about my experiences during the last 30 days.
Sound good? I am looking forward to it!
Dinner was something new tonight. I tried soba noodles which are an Asian pasta made from buckwheat and wheat, and they are smaller than spaghetti noodles. I found these babies at Whole Foods. As it boiled, I threw in some Soycutash, a Trader Joe’s blend of edamame, corn and red peppers. Creative, huh?
I served up a bowl of the noodles cold, and I tossed it in a mix of rice vinegar, sesame oil and sesame seeds. The dressing was yummy and light! All I did was mix one part oil for every two parts vinegar (i.e. 2 Tbsps vinegar, 1 Tbsp. oil), and then added the sesame seeds at the end.
I am not too freakish about measuring exact portion sizes, so I am not sure how much of the soba noodles I ate. I would say it was about 1 1/2 cups or so.
I definitely need to do a better job at eating my veggies tomorrow. Like I said, I am avoiding grocery shopping before leaving on Friday, so I am using what we have in the pantry, refrigerator and freezer. But I do have some greens to eat, so you will be seeing those tomorrow.
I didn’t get to go for a walk which was a bummer — I love summer night walks. But tomorrow is a new day!
All in all, however, I feel great and I am looking forward to a good night’s sleep. But before I hit the sack, I think I will have a treat. After all, there is some vanilla ice cream in the freezer that needs to be finished … (:
Good night!
So, here is a run-down of what I have eaten so far today. I probably will not always put together one big post
like this, but because today was introduction day this is the format that best fits.
Breakfast was three egg whites and one whole egg, a slice of whole grain bread and about 3/4 cup fresh raspberries.
Lunch was 4 oz. of leftover chicken from dinner at my parent’s house last night, 1 cup brown rice and veggies, and a side snack of apples with 1 tbsp of almond butter (it looks like more than it really is because it is so dang hot that it started to melt!). It took me about an hour to eat the apples and almond butter; I just munched on them while working on
the computer.
I also had 1/2 of a Synergy Kombucha Tea. I don’t usually drink my calories, but I love this stuff and 1/2 is only 35 calories. It has a weird vinegar smell at first, but once you get past that it’s quite yummy.
And supposedly pretty, darn healthy for you.
I also had a small treat — a square of Dove Dark Chocolate. I just love this stuff.
I am still hoping to squeeze in a walk tonight, but we will see — I have pretty much work to finish up. I am feeling good so far with the way I have eaten today, and I am looking forward to seeing the long-term benefits.
I will post dinner and a quiz a bit later. Enjoy the evening!
Need something quick and healthy for dinner tonight? Check out this recipe from Ellie Krieger’s The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life.
I cooked it up last night, and I was so jazzed by its cheesy goodness and waist-friendly calorie total. It was so yummy!
Macaroni and Four Cheeses
Makes 8 servings.
Cooking spray
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen pureed winter squash (I substituted 10 oz. of a carton of Imagine Butternut Squash soup)
2 cups 1 percent lowfat milk
4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/3 cups) 
2 ounces Monterrey jack cheese, grated (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but firm, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk into a large saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until it is defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the 
Cheddar, jack cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper. Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.
Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.
| Nutrition Information | |
| Nutritional Analysis per Serving | Calories: 392 |
| Total Fat: 11 grams | Saturated Fat: 2 grams |
| Protein: 18 grams | Carbohydrates: 56 grams |
| Fiber: 3.5 grams | |
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Well, let me correct myself — weekend breakfast is my favorite meal.
Because there is a difference, you see.
The word “breakfast” on a typical day entails for me some whole grain cereal, or eggs and fruit. On a Saturday or Sunday morning, however, that very same word means that I may be eating food items of the glorious kind — pancakes to be exact.
Or french toast, waffles, cheese omelets — take your pick.
The nice thing about weekend breakfasts is that they come once and a while, so it is OK to splurge. But the other fabulous thing is that, in this day and age, you can also very often find a healthy substitute for one of your typically high-calories faves.
This morning, I am going to breakfast with my family, and, — let me be honest — no, I will not be finding a healthy substitution for anything.
But for those of you who would like to choose more wisely than your writer-friend, here is a mmm-mmm-good pancake recipe from Cooking Light. I have had them before, and they really are just to die for. The even better news about these babies? You can make “weekend” breakfast any day of the week!
3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Cooking spray
3/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons butter
Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine buttermilk, oil, egg, and egg white, stirring with a whisk; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.Heat a nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle. Turn pancakes over when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Serve with syrup and butter.
6 servings (serving size: 2 pancakes, 2 tablespoons syrup, and 1 1/2 teaspoons butter)
CALORIES 351(26% from fat); FAT 10g (sat 4.6g,mono 2.8g,poly 1.9g); PROTEIN 7.6g; CHOLESTEROL 55mg; CALCIUM 176mg; SODIUM 570mg; FIBER 2.3g; IRON 2.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 59.7g
As promised, a yummy recipe for bread. I was so excited because my bread actually turned out fabulous! Now, I used a bread machine that I pilfered from my mom, but have no fear because I have also included a recipe for those of you that need to do it by hand. And, let me tell you — next to the smell of a baby’s soft head, there is nothing like the smell of fresh bread!
Sunflower Oatmeal and Flax Whole Wheat Bread
Makes 1 1/2-lb. loaf
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal (rolled oats)
1 cup bread flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1/3 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted and hulled
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
Put all of the contents into the bread machine, and bake!! Lickety-split!
If you do not have a bread machine, that’s OK — you can also make this one by hand . . .
By hand: Knead bread flour, whole wheat flour and yeast for 8 to 10 minutes, and then place in a greased (use butter or cooking spray) bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled (about 1 1/2 hours). Uncover, knead and “punch down” the dough. Cover and let rise for another 30-45 minutes. Then, form loaf and place in a greased bread pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled (approximately 45 minutes). Begin to preheat oven halfway through this last rising stage.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes.
Tip for checking on a loaf: If you tap the top of it and hear a hollow sound, then the bread is properly cooked.
Turn pan over, remove bread, cover with a towel and cool before you slice.
Mmmm . . . ENJOY!
Filed under April 2008, Eat
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Pure Bar Organic Chocolate Brownie Bar
Eat, Pray, Run 