"Recipes are for inspiration only!!"

The title of this entry is a quote from my mom...and it's an accurate one at that.  The other day, she told me my baby sister called her to ask for her waffle recipe...my mom's response was laughter.  Why, you ask??  Although my mom has been making us the same waffles since childhood, she can only tell you her "inspirational recipe" and then try to give you an estimation of what she "probably" does when she makes it.  I know I've written before about never being able to make the same thing twice because I rarely follow recipes...which, I obviously come by naturally!!!  Part of starting this blog was so that I could write down what I've made...and hopefully be able to make it again!

When I look at a recipe...I see the good in it...and get rid of the bad.  Whether I replace that bad with things I like..or just leave it out all together...I make recipes my own.  I can pick up any magazine or cookbook and find a recipe I can make into something I like...which is what I encourage you to do with what I post here.  When I write here about what I've made....it's usually an approximation for the amounts I used.  I rarely measure (unless I'm baking...which is why I don't like it much!!)...I've learned pretty quickly about how many handfuls is a cup and what a teaspoon of salt looks like in my palm...it's how my grandma cooks and how my mom cooks, so it's the way I learned to cook too.  So take liberties with the recipes here...if it's not salty enough, add more...need more sauce...add more tomatoes...you get the point.  Part of the fun with cooking is creating...so don't feel like you are stuck to the confines of a recipe!! 

That brings me to today's recipe.  My "inspiration" for this recipe came from an article I read about quick breads.  It had a very simple beginning ingredient list, followed by optional wet and dry mix ins...here's what I made..I'll elaborate more at the end!!


Chocolate Chip Banana Bread with Chocolate Glaze

1 1/4 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c sugar
1 t baking powder
2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t cinnamon
1 c rolled oats
3/4 c chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2 c melted, cooled butter
1/2 c fat free plain Greek yogurt
1 t vanilla extract
3 bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease one 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.  Mix dry ingredients, including chocolate chips in a medium bowl, set aside.   In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, yogurt, vanilla and bananas.  Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just mixed.  Pour into loaf pan, bake about 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from pan and cool completely.

Chocolate Glaze

1 c powdered sugar
2 T cocoa powder
2 T milk
1/4 t vanilla
pinch of salt

Whisk all together and pour over cooled bread.  Let set 15 minutes before cutting. 

Glaze just poured on

I can assure you that it is delicious!!!!  In fact, I'm eating a large slice while I type this entry and it is good enough to replace any cake you've eaten!!  I bet if you double the recipe and shorten the cooking time, you could make this into a delicious cake for your next family get together!! 

The way this article was written was quite interesting.  It gave you five "flavor choices" pear, apple, zucchini (all shredded and squeezed dry), bananas, shredded carrots.  You add one cup of your choice of the flavor options.  Then you pick your dry mix ins....up to 1 3/4 cups of your choice of dried fruits, nuts, rolled oats, chocolate chips or coconut.  They recommended not using more than 3/4 cup of nuts.  They also had options for the glazes all using one cup of the powdered sugar, making a vanilla been by leaving out the cocoa, using one tablespoon of milk and the seeds from a vanilla bean.  A citrus glaze using 1 tablespoon each of milk and citrus juice and a teaspoon of citrus zest and a cream cheese glaze using 3 tablespoons of softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract. 

It goes to show you, that with a simple starting point with a recipe...your possibilities are endless!!!  I'm sure there are many more options for this recipe...like replacing the sugar with stevia or granulated honey.  Maybe using toffee bits, rolled oats and carrots with a cream cheese glaze for your Easter brunch...or caramel bits, rolled oats and apples with vanilla glaze for a caramel apple bread...or pear with dried cranberries, rolled oats and white chocolate. The possibilities appear to be endless...so experiment, try different things and find what you like best...oh yeah...and let me know what it is!!!  Enjoy!

Back to basics

There has never been a time in our nations history, that food and nutrition were such hot topics amongst almost all Americans...yet ironically, never in our nations history have we been so overweight and suffering from so many diseases related to obesity.  We are a nation filled with fad diets...the most recent I saw reported on the news last night...it was a diet where you ate only lean protein and oat bran during the "first phase"...followed by a second phase where you reintroduced vegetables...a third phase where you added back in fruit and a final phase where you basically returned back to your normal eating habits, as long as you had one day a week where you only at oat bran and protein.  I found it funny that this was a top new story...but then again, Americans do spend about 40 billion dollars a year on diet and weight loss information and products...so I guess the information is in high demand.  You would think as a society, we would eventually figure out that what we've been doing isn't working...no matter how many infomercials filled with people swearing that the latest fad is THE one...the one that's going to change it all...it never seems to work out.  I remember 10 years ago...everybody was amazed and happy that they could eat all the bacon and cheese they wanted on the Atkins diet and there were hundreds of people who were willing to endorse it as an easy and successful lifestyle change...I wonder how many of them are still on it today.  I've always had a problem with diets that make us believe that fruits and vegetables are bad for us...would you feed your children only bacon and cheese??  How about only lean protein and oat bran??  If it's not good enough for your children...then why is it good enough for you???

All these things helped me decide my path.  The scientific research is out there...the fact that getting away from processed foods and getting back to whole foods has great health benefits.  And for those of you looking to lose weight...it only makes sense to get rid of things that have been scientifically proven to cause weight gain, right??  Getting back to the basics...eating food that looks (and tastes) like it does in nature...I've never seen a chicken's nuggets while it's walking around in a chicken coop!! 

So...that leads me to my recipes today...I made a simple roasted radish and radish green salad, baked ham and whole wheat bread. 

Roasted Radish and Radish Green Salad

2 bunches radishes with greens attached
2 T olive oil
2 t balsamic vinegar
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place baking sheet in the oven to preheat also.  Rinse and trim greens and root end from radishes, cut larger radishes in half.  In a large bowl, whisk together oil. vinegar salt and pepper.  Toss radishes and greens in oil mixture until coated.   Place on preheated baking sheet, making sure they are in a single layer. (Depending on the size of your baking sheet, you may need two)  Bake for 10 minutes, until greens are crispy.  Remove greens and cook radishes an additional 5 minutes.  Remove radishes and serve together with greens. 

Cooked greens, just removed from oven

Food Processor Whole Wheat Bread

3 c whole wheat flour
1 pkg (2 1/4 t) active dry yeast
3/4 c plus 3 T warm water (105-115 degrees)
1 T olive oil
2 T molasses
1 large egg
3 t salt
2 T ground flax seed
Add 1 cup flour and yeast to food processor fitted with metal blade.  With the motor running, quickly pour in the water and process for 15 seconds.  Stop to scrape the bowl and then process for another 15 seconds.  Scrape bowl again, cover with the lid and let stand until the mixture has doubled in volume.  (30 minutes to 1 hour)  Add the oil, molasses, egg and salt and process for 15 seconds.  Carefully remove the metal blade and insert the plastic dough blade.  Sprinkle remaining 2 cups of flour and flax seed around the bowl.  Process for 1 minute, then scrape the sides of the bowl.  Let mixture stand for 3 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquid.  Process for another 1 1/2 minutes, or until the dough gathers into a ball and cleans the sides of the bowl.  The dough will be very moist, stick and elastic.  If necessary, add a bit more water or flour.  Lightly oil a large bowl.  Scrape the dough into the bowl, turn to coat all surfaces.  Form the dough into a ball.  Return to the bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until the dough has tripled in volume (1-1 1/2 hours).  Butter a loaf pan, set aside.  Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and pat it gently to remove any air bubbles.  Shape into a loaf.  Place the loaf into the loaf pan.  Lightly cover with oiled plastic wrap and let raise at room temperature until the center of the loaf is about 1 inch above the rim of the pan (about 1 hour).  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Remove the plastic wrap and place in oven.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until the loaf is well browned. 

Although this recipe seems long and it has a lot of steps, let me assure you it is quite simple.  I am not a baker...not a fan of baking...and I'm only doing it now because I know that the whole grain bread I make at home will be better for my family.  My mom has always made bread and insists her recipes are easy...which they may be...I'll have to get a couple from her an try them...but I've always hated the kneading and rising..."exact measurements required" part of bread making, but this is a recipe I'd happily make a couple times a week!!! 

I like my ham without any glazes or sweeteners...I prefer the salty taste of ham...so we just bake ours at 375 for about an hour, then slice it.  If you are the type of person who likes glazes, I'm sure you can create some with some fresh pineapple and brown sugar. 

I've found that I'm enjoying my food a lot more the past couple of weeks...I've also found that I'm actually tasting food...not all the stuff that someone has added to it.  I feel great...I'm losing weight...and I know I'm doing what's best for my boys...who could ask for anything more!!!  Hope you enjoy the recipes!!

How sweet it is...

So, I've talked a little here and there about what I'm trying to change...and I've talked a little about how I drew conclusions on what to change, but I realize that I've shared very little of the information that brought me to this conclusion...I'm going to attempt to do that today!!

I'm sure you've all heard the ads,
Lady A: "You're giving your son that popsicle?"
Lady B: "Yeah, why?"
Lady A: "Doesn't it contain high fructose corn syrup?"
Lady B: "Yeah, so?"
Lady A: "Well, you've heard what they say about high fructose corn syrup?"
Lady B: "What, that it's made from corn and is just like sugar?"....
And it goes on...but really this statement is where the commercial can stop.  It's a marketing ploy by manufacturers to make us believe that all the scientific studies that have been published over the past couple of years should be disregarded.  And when you do a google search on "harmful effects of high fructose corn syrup", the link that shows up on the top of the list is from the Corn Refiners Association.  The main page of this website has a quick fact sheet about how high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is "safe in moderation"...although it goes on to say that there really is no way for consumers to know exactly how much is in a serving of processed foods.  I imagine the Corn Refiners Association have quite a deal with Google to appear as the first result of a search looking for the ill effects of their product.  Luckily, the second link is to a Princeton Study that was done in 2010 on rats.  Here's an excerpt from their findings:
The first experiment — male rats given water sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup in addition to a standard diet of rat chow gained much more weight than male rats that received water sweetened with table sugar, or sucrose, in conjunction with the standard diet. The concentration of sugar in the sucrose solution was the same as is found in some commercial soft drinks, while the high-fructose corn syrup solution was half as concentrated as most sodas.
The second experiment — the first long-term study of the effects of high-fructose corn syrup consumption on obesity in lab animals — monitored weight gain, body fat and triglyceride levels in rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup over a period of six months. Compared to animals eating only rat chow, rats on a diet rich in high-fructose corn syrup showed characteristic signs of a dangerous condition known in humans as the metabolic syndrome, including abnormal weight gain, significant increases in circulating triglycerides and augmented fat deposition, especially visceral fat around the belly. Male rats in particular ballooned in size: Animals with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained 48 percent more weight than those eating a normal diet. In humans, this would be equivalent to a 200-pound man gaining 96 pounds.

Increasing abdominal fat and circulating triglycerides are risk factors for high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary artery disease and cancer in humans.  It's should be no surprise that in the 40 years since high fructose corn syrup became a cost effective sweetener in the United States, that obesity levels have skyrocketed.  It's now reported that over 1/3 of Americans are obese and the numbers just keep growing.  It's also reported that the average American consumes 60 pounds of high fructose corn syrup per year!!  Oh, and by the way...there's also information out there about how the fructose contained in HFCS is the same as that found in fruits...what they fail to mention is that the fiber found in fruits inhibits much of the absorption of fructose in your digestive system. 

Another issue is how your body metabolizes HFCS, studies show that it does not cause the insulin response in our bodies.  Usually insulin is triggered to transport sugars to your cells for energy, but HFCS doesn't trigger this response...this is why you can drink a two liter bottle of pop and not feel full.  Another hormone called leptin, which helps regulate fat storage is also not effected by HFCS.  So what does this mean???  Fructose is the easiest sugar for the body to convert to fat...if it's not triggering your feelings of fullness and satisfaction...you eat more...more fructose is floating around in your body...and your body produces more fat. And to top it all off...there are studies showing that HFCS effects the brain in similarly to narcotics...so not only does it make you fat...you become addicted to it.   

You don't have to look far in your fridge to find HFCS, open the door and look on the shelves.  When I did this, I was shocked to see that almost every condiment I had in my refrigerator door contained HFCS...ketchup, steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salad dressings...almost everything.  Once I started digging deeper...I found it in things I never thought it would be in...sausage, lunch meat, pizza crust, yogurt, margarine...the list goes on.  Don't even get me started on the pantry! 

My recipes today have to do with cutting out two of those fridge door staples...barbecue sauce and salad dressing. 

Barbecue Sauce

1 T olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1/3 c of beer (preferably pilsner or lager)
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c cider vinegar
2 T lemon juice
2 T yellow mustard
1 t hot pepper sauce

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil.  Add onions and garlic; cook until onion is tender.  Stir in tomato sauce, beer, brown sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and hot pepper sauce.  Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes or until sauce is desired consistency, stirring occasionally. 

We grilled chicken legs and thighs and basted them with this sauce while it was cooking.  I marinated the chicken for about 2 hours in the following mixture:

1 c water
1/4 c hot sauce
2 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 T salt
1 T pepper
1 garlic clove, sliced

We brown the chicken on both sides, then began to baste them with the sauce as we continued to flip the chicken. 


Grilled Corn on the Cob

6 ears of sweet corn
butter
salt and pepper

Place each ear of corn in a piece of aluminum foil large enough to completely cover the corn.  Sprinkle each ear with salt and pepper, and a dollop of butter to each corn foil package.  Place foil packages on grill, cook for 5-7 minutes. 

Creamy Coleslaw

1 bag shredded coleslaw
3/4 c real mayonnaise
1/2 c fat free plain Greek yogurt
2 T sugar
1 T cider vinegar
1 T brown mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Mix mayo, yogurt, sugar, vinegar and brown mustard together.  Add coleslaw mixture.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

You could shred your own cabbage for this recipe...but I found the bagged coleslaw mix on sale, so I took the help from the store!  This recipe would make enough dressing for 1 head green cabbage, 1/2 head red cabbage and about 1 cup of shredded carrots.

In the past couple of days, I've seen recipes for steak sauce, ketchup and even chocolate syrup....they are all very simplistic recipes, that could easily be adjusted for your personal taste preferences.  There are several brands of condiments sold in most stores that do not contain HFCS, so if you don't have the time to make your own...read those labels and make informed decisions!  These two recipes were delicious...much better than anything I've ever bought in a bottle...and they were simple.  If preparing and eating the most delicious food I've ever had is going to make me and my family more healthy...I'd say that's a sacrifice I can make!!  Hope you prepare and enjoy these recipes!! 

To buy organic or not...

So...as I continue to make changes in my diet, I am constantly making decisions about what I should or shouldn't be putting in my body and my children's body.  One of those decisions I make every time I go to the grocery store is, "Do I buy it organic???"  Of course, if money were no considerations, I'm sure we'd all buy everything organically grown...but unfortunately, money is a big factor in my decisions.  Unfortunately, the most unhealthy food is often the cheapest...those uber processed foods are so inexpensive because they use sub par, inexpensive ingredients, fillers and flavorings.  One of the most memorable patients I had during nursing school was a gentleman who was close to 400 pounds, but his lab work showed all the signs of malnourishment.  He was a poor man who was living in his car and had been for sometime.  He was buying processed, high calorie, low nutritional value food that made him quite obese, but provided his body with very little of what it needed.  I remember being very struck by him and in awe of his situation...and I remember thinking "How can someone be so overweight, yet be starving??"  I remember thinking how sad it was that he was spending the little money he had on the food he could afford, yet really getting little benefit from it...in fact, it was harming him.  Not only was he suffering from all the harm that comes to a person when they are obese, but he was also suffering from all the harm that comes from malnourishment.   

Of course organic food isn't the only food that provides complete nutrition.  To buy not to buy organic is a hotly debated subject.  Unfortunately, there's little regulation or enforcement as to what can be sold labeled "organic".  And even if things are made with organic ingredients, something filled with "organic cane juice" (a.k.a. sugar water) is not really the best choice.  There's lots of junk food showing up in the "health food" section of the grocery store...manufactures have just become creative with their labeling.  There have been several studies in the level of chemicals and pesticide residue found in different foods.  For instance, studies show very little difference in the amount of chemicals found in the meat of livestock who have been raised "organically" as compared to those who have been raised conventionally.  Even advocates of organic food will admit that there are several fruits and vegetables that aren't necessarily worth spending the extra money on.  Some of the produce that's largely agreed upon as okay to buy conventionally grown are: asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cabbage, corn, kiwi, mangoes, onions, pineapple and peas.  The produce that is widely agreed upon are worth the extra investment in organic: celery, apples, grapes, lettuce, cherries, pears, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, spinach, peppers and strawberries.  It's believed that the skin on these fruits and vegetables leaves them more susceptible to absorption of the pesticides.  The other thing to consider is that most "organic" produce is flown in from other countries, and although the regulations are on paper, enforcing those regulations is nearly impossible. 
So what do you do??  Do you pay the extra money for organic produce with the hopes that a farm in South America is truly dedicated to the cause??  I guess it's a toss up for me!  I try to focus more on what's in the food I'm buying...I keep in mind the list of produce above and do my best to buy the recommended organic foods organically and leave the rest conventionally grown.  I don't buy organic canned tomatoes for $3.00 a can, I buy a brand that's lists "natural" on the label, and who's ingredients list contains tomatoes, salt and water for $1.49 a can.  I've cut out high fructose corn syrup, trans fats and artificial sweeteners...and sometimes you have to go to an organic product to find it without those highly processed ingredients...but like I said earlier in the post, there's junk food in the health food section...so keep your eyes peeled and read the ingredients!  I also think it's vitally important to purchase foods grown locally.  Get out to your farmer's market and buy foods grown in your area, you'll be more likely to buy foods grown by someone who cares about the land and about their product, not to mention the happiness of their customers.  In this economy, buying locally may also help your pocketbook, as gas prices continue to increase...food prices will increase...it cost more to get foods from China to the US than it does to get them from your local farm to farm stand. 

My recipes today are for an oven fried chicken breast and roasted turnips and carrots.  Here they are:

Oven Fried Chicken

1/2 c buttermilk
1 T brown mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t hot sauce
salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 t paprika
1 t dried thyme
1 t baking powder
2 t salt
1 t pepper
Olive oil cooking spray

Preheat over to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place a wire cooling rack on top of the baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. 
Mix buttermilk, mustard, garlic, hot sauce and salt and pepper together.  Add chicken breast and marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight. 
In a paper bag or large ziploc mix together flour, paprika, thyme, baking powder, salt and pepper. 
Shake extra marinade off chicken and place in flour mixture one at a time.  Shake around until coated, shake off extra flour mixture and place on cooling rack. 
Bake chicken until golden brown, about 40-50 minutes. 

Roasted parsnips

4 large parsnips, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
4 carrots, cut into 1/2 chunks
salt and pepper
2 T butter
1/4 tsp dried thyme

Preheat oven to 425.  Place all ingredients in a deep baking dish, toss to coat.  Cook covered for 20-30 minutes, uncover and cook for additional 10 minutes until parsnips and carrots are desired doneness.

Think about your food before you eat it...that's the most important message!!  Read the fine print, both on labels and on the signs in the grocery store.  Whatever you decide is most important for you and your family, is what's most important.  Read labels, shop locally and do your research!  In this day and age...when it comes to your food...trust no one but yourself!!  :-)  Hope you enjoy tonight's recipes! 

Ah, the memories....

It's amazing how sometimes I can be going about my business, on an ordinary day and then BAM, I'm transported back to a moment in my childhood.  Now, I don't know anybody named Doc, and I don't own a DeLorean, so my transportation is not of the literal sense...although sometimes it seems as though you can almost reach out and touch it, or in this case, taste it. 

I'm talking about food memories...we all have them.  Those special comfort foods that transport our memories back to a place where life was good...easy even.  When we occupied our day by climbing trees and playing tag....back when Mom and Grandma could make everything go away with a cup of milk and a cookie.  Sometimes food memories are ao strong...a food memory of mine is what brought me to this topic today. 

It really only takes seconds after I start cooking a fresh tomato to be brought back to my childhood.  We always had a garden growing up, I suppose it was economical to grow some of our own food, plus there was plenty of child labor available!!!  We spent a good portion of our summer in my grandma's hot and steamy kitchen canning tomatoes.  I remember being quite little and peeling the skin off a freshly blanched tomato, and stuffing jar after jar full of warm, fresh cut, juicy tomatoes.  I can still feel the sticky juice running down my arm!!  Every time I smell a fresh tomato begin to cook, I can't help but see a picture of my grandma's kitchen...my family all around the table, buckets full of tomatoes and dozens of canning jars, both full and empty stacked around.  It's a good memory...it reminds me of being carefree!

Food memories can trigger good or bad feelings...the can affect how we eat, when we eat and what we eat.  I know the exact moment that I stopped eating seafood...it's due to an unfortunate craw daddy experience that occurred around the age of 10...yuck, still can taste and feel exactly how I did that day!!  I don't think my dislike of seafood comes from truly disliking the flavor of seafood...but I have such a negative food memory related to it, it's awfully hard to get past it.  Just like it's awfully hard to not feel good and comforted by some of those staples that were served to us by our mothers, grandmothers, aunts...whomever it may be. 

I found it interesting when my husband Terry and I started dating, we both had a similar food memory...it was about popcorn.  Terry talked about his family's Sunday night popcorn tradition.  I remember the first time he told me about it, he was so specific about all the details, I could almost picture myself there with him eating out of the big silver bowl his dad had lovingly prepared for them all.  My family had a similar tradition, so putting myself there wasn't much of a stretch!  Almost every Sunday at the hunting club, after all the hunts were done and the birds were cleaned, it was time for us to wind down...and time for somebody to get popping the popcorn!!  I remember the big shiny silver bowl that sat in the middle of the table, the popcorn got poured directly from the pan into the big bowl, covered in butter and tossed around then everybody jumped in.  It was fun...I remember feeling so happy to be sitting around and enjoying my family....and my husband feels the same.  Sunday nights were fun for both of us...good memories with our families...happy memories, good times...and good popcorn.  Terry has a passion for popcorn...he pops it a lot....serves it in a big silver bowl...and shares it with our boys. 

My recipes today are pretty simple.  They are about tasting and enjoying delicious ingredients, building food memories...here they are:

Whole Wheat Fussili with Roasted Tomato and Portabello Sauce

1/2 lb whole wheat fussili
salt
4-6 ripe tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
olive oil
1 pound lean ground sirloin
1 med onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
salt and pepper
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 c water
1/8-1/4 tsp oregano
4-6 fresh basil leaves
4-6 sun dried tomatoes, rehydrated and diced
4 oz portabello mushrooms, chopped
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Grease a large cookie sheet with olive oil.  Cut tomatoes in to 1/2 inch thick slices.  Arrange is single layer on the cookie sheet.  Drop 3-4 cloves of garlic onto pan with the tomatoes.  Salt and pepper tomatoes.  Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes.  In a large saucepan, season hamburger with salt and pepper and brown.  When the meat is almost fully cooked, add onion and garlic, continue to cook until onions begin to soften.  Add tomato sauce, water, oregano and basil.  Reduce heat to low.  Soak sun dried tomatoes in boiling water to rehydrate.  Dice and add to meat mixture.  Chop roasted tomatoes and garlic into small pieces and add to meat mixtures.  Add portabello mushrooms.  Continue to cook on low, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes.  Add to cooked pasta and stir to combine.  Grate fresh Parmesan over top of each bowl as you serve.

Roasted Purple Cauliflower

1 head purple cauliflower
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 lemon

I couldn't resist taking a picture before I cooked it...just so beautiful!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Remove core of cauliflower and add to baking dish.  Sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Cover.  Roast 15-20 minutes til cauliflower is at your desired doneness.  Remove from oven.  Grate fresh lemon zest over cauliflower and sprinkle with lemon juice.  Serve. 

Both of these recipes are simple and can be changed to suit your needs and tastes.  I had to add ground sirloin to my sauce or my husband would have been quite disappointment...he doesn't think it's right to have a red sauce without meat!!!  I think it would be delicious with just the mushrooms!  I used a local "Parmesan like" cheese that I purchased at the farmer's market and it was wonderful!  Terry said that it was the best pasta he's ever had...so that's saying something!!

My question to you is this, what food memories are you making for your children...grandchildren...nieces and nephews...your partner...and even yourself??  Are they the type of memories you want to make??  I hope my boys look back and think longingly about my roasted purple cauliflower...I also hope they talk to their partners about our popcorn bowl...and how their daddy lovingly popped popcorn and shared it with them.

Inspiration, inspiration everywhere!

So, I must say that one of my biggest complaints when it comes to cooking is figuring out what I'm going to make.  I often find myself staring blankly into the refrigerator or freezer, 30 minutes before the meal should be served wondering what the heck I'm going to make.  It's horrible...I hate it.  What I hate almost as much is preparing and eating the same 7-10 things over and over and over again.  I think one of the reasons I look forward to spring time is because we can finally fire up the grill.  I find it so much easier to gain inspiration when the grill is involved.  Maybe it works on more of my senses....cooking out in nature does bring a sense of calm.  Listening to the birds sing, feeling a gentle breeze blow through your hair...and the smell of delicious meat caramelizing over an open flame...a feel a bit better just thinking about it. 

I know through my journey of changing my lifestyle, this will continue to plague me...so the past few days, I've been thinking about where I can get ideas...what's going to inspire me from day to day to continue on this path??  What's going to keep me reaching for the sweet potatoes and stop me from grabbing the frozen pizza????  I'm like most people...when I find myself searching for answers, I go to the one person in my life who knows everything...my Mom.  I talked to her about it a bit and she said something very simple that made all the sense in the world...she said, "It's all about changing how you think."  At first it was a simple statement that didn't really effect me all that much, but as I processed or conversation, and went back over things in my head...it seemed to continue to play in my mind.  "It's all about CHANGING how YOU think."...changing....how I think...what I think, when I think, where I think and what I think about.  It's about making this a priority in my day...it's about putting my health and my families health above all else...it's about looking at the world through different eyes and seeing the inspiration and motivation in everything around me.  I suppose some of you might be saying "Well, duh.  Of course you have to change how you think."  But think about that for a second...how easy is it to change who we are??  How easy is it to change what you do??  Think about something big in your life that you've changed...was it a permanent change or something you did for a short time to get by and then went back to the way things used to be??  You see as humans, we are creatures of habit...we find some place that we think feels comfortable (even if it's not) and we dig in and hang out there for the long haul.  Change is VERY hard...it requires constant attention...constant inspiration and constant motivation.  I feel strongly that I have the motivation....I'm driven by the health of my children and husband...what could keep you more motivated than the well-being of the people you love the most in the world???  I think as women, we often put ourselves second, or third or fourth...but we always put or families first, but I definitely need to work on the attention and inspiration.  I know I'm not going to have huge "AH HA" life changing moments every day that will inspire my cooking...I know I need to look at my everyday to keep me going.

So that brings us to today's recipes.  My inspiration was a conversation with my sister Andrea.  Any of you who don't know me personally don't realize that I have a lot of sisters...four to be exact...so I imagine I will be giving all of them credit for my inspiration from time to time.  I was talking to Andrea about our everyday lives and our conversation turned to food.  She mentioned that she had made some delicious potato soup and Irish soda bread for supper the night before...it's been pretty chilly here the last couple of days, so soup and fresh bread sounded amazing.  I LOVE potato soup, it was a staple in our household growing up...something fairly inexpensive and quick to make...but I decided to change it up a bit. (New things, different way...you know the drill) I decided to make sweet potato soup with a Greek yogurt creme and a oatmeal quick bread. 

Sweet Potato Soup

2 T butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes (optional)
2 T flour
2 c chicken stock
1 T light brown sugar
3 sweet potatoes, cooked and cubed
1/8 t cinnamon
1 c half & half (may use milk or heavy cream)
Salt and pepper

In a sauce pot melt butter, add onions, garlic, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes.  Cook until onions are soft.

Sprinkle flour over onion mixture and stir.  Cook for a couple minutes while stirring to brown flour.  Add chicken stock to pan while stirring.  Mix in brown sugar.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Add sweet potatoes and cinnamon, bring to a simmer again and cook for 5 more minutes.  Blend the soup with an immersion blender or stand blender (may need to do this in batches), return to pan.  Add half and half & reheat soup.  Salt and pepper to taste, serve.     

For the Greek yogurt cream, I just mixed 3 T plain, fat-free Greek yogurt with 2 t honey and 1/8 t cinnamon.  Serve a spoonful on top of each bowl of soup.

Oatmeal Quick Bread

1 c rolled oats
1 c whole wheat flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 T honey
1 T olive oil
1 c milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder and salt.  In a separate bowl, combine honey and oil, add milk.  Combine both mixtures until a soft dough is formed.  Place in a greased loaf pan.  Bake 22 minutes until golden brown. 

If you want a little less texture in your bread, you can grind the oatmeal in your blender or food processor prior to adding it to the wheat flour. 

Inspiration doesn't always find us...sometimes we need to be looking for it...sometimes we have to be searching for it...looking under ever rock we can see!!  Our willingness to change is just the beginning step in our journey...or ability to change depends greatly on our motivation to do so and the amount of  attention we pay to the process.  I hope you enjoy the recipes!!



The Veggie Nazi...

So...I hope no one takes offense to the title of this entry...it's credited to my family and their sense of humor...let me explain!

My sister Amanda stopped by last night to visit after work...right at dinner time.  I was not preparing a meal, so I offered her left overs...she's family, so that's an okay thing to do!  I ended up giving her our exact lunch, which I'm posting recipes for today, but our discussion led to recipes, eating habits and this blog.  During our discussion she brought up that fact that in our family, she is lovingly called "The Veggie Nazi"...insisting we always include a vegetable side dish (and usually preparing it) at every family dinner.  You see, Amanda is the type of person who is ALWAYS trying new recipes and new foods.  Constantly introducing our family to new types of foods, but especially vegetable preparations.  Now, in most families, a vegetable at each meal wouldn't seem out of the norm, but in ours it was.  The "vegetable" we at most was canned corn, followed by other canned vegetables.  "Why?" you might ask....well, I'm not exactly sure.  My mom and I have discussed this occasionally and I think it comes down to the fact that she was raised eating mostly canned vegetables, and they were never an important part of the meal.  Now, I've eaten many meals prepared by my Grandma...and vegetables have never been celebrated.  Most veggies she does prepare are hidden in a casserole and covered in cream sauce or cheese.  I suppose some of the basis behind it may have to do with cost factors....fresh produce is expensive and it spoils fairly quickly....a can of corn practically lasts forever! 

So back to my original thought, my sister....I wondered, while laying in bed last night, why vegetables are so important to her???  When did she decide to make them a centerpiece to her cooking???  When did she decide to insist on sharing her love for fresh, deliciously prepared vegetables with her family??  I'll need to ask her those questions to find out....but the conclusion I came to had to do with her willingness to be adventurous in her cooking.  She has a "no limits" type attitude when it comes to trying new foods and new recipes...she's constantly searching for cooking inspiration all around her.....her love for cooking has given her a new habit...a healthy eating habit, something she's passed along to her family...including my children.  So I guess what I'm saying is, I reinforced my original thoughts that little changes can make big impacts, changing your thinking about trying new things (or old things in new ways) can change your whole life, and the lives of those around you.  I thank my sister for sharing (and sometimes forcing!!) her love for vegetables on our family....and I also insisted that she work on some recipes that I can share here...how could she say no, right??? 

So that leads to the recipes today.  It was a chilly April day yesterday, so the food that sounded good to me was more "fall food"...strange how that happens, huh??  So I went with an apple glazed pork chop, sweet potato chips and a beautiful fresh herb salad.

Apple Glazed Pork Chop

4-6 pork chops (I used boneless)
salt and pepper
2 T olive oil
1/3 c unsweetened apple sauce
1 c water
1 T honey
1 T soy sauce
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 T olive oil
1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
cinnamon

Season pork chops with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil in skillet, add pork chops to oil and brown on each side.  Add apple sauce, water, honey, soy sauce and vinegar to pork chops.  Simmer at medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until pork chops are cooked through.  Remove chops, set aside.   Remove cooking liquid and set aside.  Add olive oil to skillet and heat.  Add apple, onion and garlic to pan, cook until they begin to soften. 

Apple mixture just before re-adding cooking liquid

Return cooking liquid to apple mixture and reduce head.  Simmer for 5-7 minutes, until apples are at desired softness. 

I served the apple mixture over the pork chops...but my husband said he'd prefer it on the side...I don't see the difference...but I guess I'll serve it on the side from now on!!

My side dishes were simple:

an herb salad with blue cheese, dried cranberries and almonds and sweet potato chips. 

Here's the sweet potato recipe:

Sweet Potato Chips

2-3 sweet potatoes, thinly sliced
olive oil
salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Clean sweet potatoes, slice thinly.  Brush a baking sheet with olive oil, and arrange sweet potatoes in single layer on the pan, sprinkle with salt.  Bake at 375 for 12-18 minutes (depending on thickness of chip) until edges begin to pull away from the pan and they are lightly browned. (potatoes will crisp as they cool) Cook potatoes in batches.  Place in airtight container to store. 

I cooked my chips at a little higher temp, but I found that they were a little difficult to keep from burning.  I think a lower temp and longer cook time would help produce a more consistent chip. 

So that's that...my fall/spring dish that took items I enjoy, and make them in a new way...trying new recipes.  My request to you...post your new food/new way recipe in the comments...help me get some inspiration!!! 

Grilling pizza

So, my goal in my food transformation is to get rid of as many processed foods as I can, however, I'm a realist.  I'm not going to be eating all raw foods, or cut out things I love like chips and salsa, my husband and I will still want to go out to eat...but I figure if I can make the transition to 90% whole and 10% processed, I'll be pretty good off.  I'm slowly changing life, I figure show changes will more likely become lifelong changes.  I find it much easier to make a lifestyle change stick if you do it one step at a time, so that's my goal...hopefully over time I'll look back in disbelief and have trouble remembering life any other way!

On to today's recipe topic.....

I can't take credit for our love of grilled pizza...or our technique for cooking it.  That credit goes to my friends Greg and Nadene.  The innocently invited us to there home for dinner one warm summer evening, and Greg prepared us some unbelievable grilled pizza...we ate til we couldn't fit one more bite in...stuffed ourselves, and left that night hooked.  We of course made him share his process...and brought that home with us, the rest is history.  We've created an array of pizzas...some of our favorite have been a buffalo chicken and a roast beef with roasted red peppers (inspired by a pizza our friends had prepared for us).  I'm making a couple changes to our old pizza recipe, the first is preparing our own pizza sauce, minus high fructose corn syrup and preservatives, with the base starting with a canned tomato sauce.  I'm hoping that someday this will transform into making our own sauce from our own fresh tomatoes, but for today, I'll settle for the small step of moving to a "whole" canned food...minus all the other stuff.  The tomato sauce I found already has peppers and onions listed on the ingredient list, along with tomatoes and salt, so keep that in mind if you prepare the following recipe! 

Pizza sauce

1 can tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and chill for one hour to let flavors develop.

We like a little spice in our sauce, so we add some red pepper flakes, but it's obviously optional.  I used dried herbs, because it's what I had on hand, but fresh herbs would be amazing!!!

And now on to my other change to our original pizza recipe...making our own crust.  I usually just bought some at the store...but looking at the ingredient list on most of them, I think it's best not to do that any longer!!  Plus...the pizza crust recipes I looked at were all VERY simple!!!  I didn't like any of the one's I found, so I took a little from each and made my own...a trait I come by naturally from my mom!!  We joke, because we rarely can make the same thing twice...we never remember how we change the recipe!!  So here's the pizza crust recipe:

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

1 pkg dry yeast
1 1/4 c lukewarm water
1 tbs honey
2 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 c all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 tbs olive oil
cornmeal for dusting board

Mix honey in water.  Proof yeast in honey and water mix. 
Add flour, salt, olive oil and yeast mixture to food processor and pulse til all ingredients are mixed, then turn on processor until dough forms a ball on the blade.  Transfer ball into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel for about 45 minutes, or until dough doubles in size. 
Punch dough down and transfer to floured board, knead briefly.  Cut dough into four equal sections (to make 4-8 inch pizzas, we cut in half and make two larger pizzas) and roll each into balls.  Cover individually and refrigerate at least two hours, or overnight.  Bring dough to room temperature before you need it. 
Dust your board with cornmeal, the roll and stretch each crust individually. 

Although I have several antique rolling pins, I put them somewhere while

I waited to find something to display them on.  Well, they are VERY safe

somewhere...can't even find em....had to resort back to the glass!

Most recipes I found call for over half the flour to be all purpose flour, so I still made this with some all purpose because I didn't know how it would turn out otherwise.  I think I will slowly play around with decreasing the amount of all purpose flour and see if I can get rid of it all together.  I also plan on adding some ground flax seed to the dough next time to add some good omega's and increase the nutritional value of the dough. 

We sprinkle the dough with a little olive oil before putting it on the grill....depending on your grill, you might need to spray the grill itself to make sure your crust doesn't stick.

Is there really any better smell than grilling bread??  I don't mean processed white bread slathered in margarine and slapped on a griddle...I mean the smell of yeasty, delicious dough sizzling over an open flame...it's just amazing!!!  I think there's a biological reason why something with such easily available energy source (carbs) is so appealing to humans!  Breads are in fact full of complex carbs, which do tons of things to keep our bodies running properly...we just have to make better choices about which ones to eat.

We usually cook one side of the crust and leave the other side without grill marks...it has cooked some since we have it in a closed lid 400 degree grill, but this gives us a little extra time for the toppings to heat through before the bottom is burnt!

At this point we take it off the grill, cooked side up and transfer it to a baking sheet.  Our friends also showed us that he easiest way to transfer the dough and pizzas was to use a baking sheet without sides.  You use it as a scoop and spatula, it works quite well.  The beauty of pizza is you can truly put about anything on it!  We've done shrimp alfredo, chicken and broccoli, and even fruit...try different sauces and toppings, you'll be amazed!!  We used what we had on hand, so we didn't do anything real interesting or new. 
Apply the sauce and toppings to the grilled side of the dough, then return it to the grill.  We've also found that at this point, indirect heat works best.  If you are using a charcoal grill, try to keep the coals on only half of the grill, place the pizza on the half without the coals...same concept with a gas grill. 

Keep a close eye on your crust...it can burn quite quickly.  If your crust is done and your toppings aren't...there's no shame in transferring the pizza to your oven to finish cooking!!! 

This is my husband's pizza...he's a meat eater...doesn't care what else is on his pizza,

as long as there's lots of meat!!!

So that's that...grilled pizza...so delicious!!  I'm sure I'll be posting different new recipes for grilled pizza throughout the summer...it's a simple, delicious meal that satisfies the whole family!  Hopefully my recipes will continue to evolve to include more veggies, more nutrition...continue to improve myself, my lifestyle, my health and my families health. 

The surgery that started it all...

So, I had an emergency appendectomy almost two weeks ago now...because of that...I spent some time quietly sitting around without much to do...something I haven't done in over twenty months since I had my twin boys.  I had "started my diet" again that Monday...something I'd been doing about every 3 months since the boys came along...hoping to lose that baby weight....3 months of bed rest had really helped pack it on!!  I had been quite successful at losing and maintaining my weight, using a low calorie diet, for several years so it was natural to resort back to that diet when I was trying to lose the baby weight.  Unfortunately, that diet didn't seem to work as well...whether it be lack of sleep, stress, breastfeeding...I'm not sure, but for whatever reason it's just been sticking around.  I've lost a total of 60 pounds since the boys were born...more than most people have to lose, but for me it was only about half of what I need to lose.  I have 30 pounds I put on before during my attempts to get pregnant...so I started out even further behind than most. 

So back to my recovery...I was quietly sitting in my living room one afternoon and I got thinking to myself.  "If I won't allow my kids to eat all this "diet food", then why do I feel it's what's best for me??"  Diet this, and sugar free that...I wouldn't let my kids touch it...they didn't need all those "toxins" that are found in those foods...so why is it my "go to" for my own health improvement??  Why did I spend 6 years gaining and losing that last 10 pounds when I never really varied from my "healthy diet".  So I did what I always do when I'm searching for answers...I started reading.....googling...researching....getting ahold of books...filling my mind....figuring it out.  My mom calls me the family "researcher"...and she's right...I crave information, facts...I like to make things add up, figure things out. 

So after several days (only equaling a few hours of actual reading...the boys don't like to let me have a lot of "me time") I had my facts...all the sudden it made sense to me...I need to feed myself how I feed my children.  I need to give myself the freshest, least processed, most balanced food I can find throughout the day.  I need to eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full.  I need to get rid of chemicals and processed foods and go back to eating how my great grand parents did.  Now...I'm not going to be out, planting and picking 100 acres of corn by hand, so everything in moderation, of course!  I also vowed to be an "I can" eater...to try things that I have always stayed away from.  Buy new things at the grocery store and make eating fun and interesting.  Enjoying my food and really tasting it is my goal, eating when I'm hungry, stopping when I'm not....and it seems to be working, I lost 7 pounds in the first week...more than I lost in one month the last time I started my "low fat" diet. 

So that leads me to this...I decided to take pictures of my food...talk about it and share recipes that are successful.

So I'm starting with my lunch today...I tried two new things, the first is quinoa.  If you don't know what quinoa is, it's a beautiful, creamy colored seed that is packed full of protein, it's actually considered a "complete protein" because it has all nine essential amino acids.  Although it's referred to as a grain, it's actually a relative to a swiss chard or spinach.  Nutritionally, it's a powerhouse...something I've heard about, but never tried...but I thought it would be pretty easy to make it one of my "new things" I tried this week. 

Quinoa Salad
1 c prepared quinoa
1/4 c diced cucumber
1/4 c black olives, chopped
1/4 c diced tomatoes
2 green onions, diced
olive oil
lemon juice
salt and pepper to seasoning

Cook the quinoa to your preferred doneness, cool.  Add remaining ingredients and chill. 
Just a note, you need to rinse the quinoa before you cook it or it will have a bitter taste.  I rinsed it three times (as suggested in a different recipe) by putting it in a bowl of water, stirring, draining in a metal strainer, and repeating three times.  Quinoa has a waxy, bitter coating on the outside of the seed...I suppose to keep animals from eating it...nature is an amazing thing.


The second is beet greens.  I bought beets to prepare for a lunch with my mom, and after I put the beets into water, I asked her "Have you ever cooked beet greens".  After our conversation, I decided that I'd attempt to cook the beet greens like I would a sauteed spinach. 

Sauteed beet greens with onions and garlic

2 bunches of beet greens

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 lemon, zest and juice

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan.  Add chopped onion, cook for 3-5 minutes, until onion becomes tender.  Roughly chop beet greens and rinse completely.  Add greens to onion and toss with tongs.  Add garlic, lemon zest and juice and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook til greens begin to wilt, serve immediately. 

I rounded the meal out with a sirloin burger, topped with an herb salad and blue cheese...delicious!!

What a beautiful and filling lunch....dinner tonight is homemade pizza with a whole wheat crust...we'll see how that one goes!!