Three Thing Thursday

I realize I could hold off on these for the Try It Tuesday posts, but I just gotta share three things in the food-ish category that are making me smile these days...

1. I'm late to the game once again, but after seeing a recipe for a "green monster," a healthy smoothie credited to Angela of Oh, She Glows, on Skinny Taste, my new favorite place to find ideas and recipes, I figured I should try one as a way to beat my afternoon munchies. The idea was that if I had a healthy snack planned, I could avoid all the junk I have been eating here lately. So, yesterday after school, I planned to make me one of these green monsters, but by the time I got home I really didn't want to mess with making it. However, my daughter, without her knowing I had planned it, asked for a smoothie for a snack. I made her a banana/blueberry one with almond milk, and I made Ryan one with regular milk, bananas and chocolate. Then, I gave the Green Monster a try. I have to say, I was a little leery. But I threw in a half of a frozen banana (the other half of the one I used in yesterday's overnight oats that I stuck in the freezer with this in mind), about a half cup of blueberries, a half tablespoon of chia seeds, a big handful of fresh spinach, a squeeze of honey, a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and a couple of ice cubes in my Magic Bullet and blended away. It turned out a dark purple, almost black, color...and it was delicious! You couldn't even taste the spinach. I'm convinced.

2. Yesterday I mentioned that I had another idea for overnight oats, and I tried it this morning. I made Vanilla Spiced Chai Overnight Oats with apple. Last night I put a half cup of rolled oats, a quarter cup of chai mix (the liquid stuff), a quarter cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, a half tablespoon of chia seeds and a half of an apple chopped up into the fridge. This morning, I had to add a little water to thin it out a little, but after a minute in the microwave, breakfast was quick, easy, delicious and filling.

3. And then there's this...

Iced coffee without any work on my part. Once summer rolls around and I have a little extra time, I'll make Pioneer Woman's Iced Coffee because it's cheap and sooooo good (especially if you add a little sweetened condensed milk to it...and yes, I know that it isn't healthy). But right now, when things are this hectic, it's nice to know this is waiting for me in the fridge. I have the vanilla flavor and add a little milk because it's pretty sweet. It's a treat, I know, but it puts a smile on my face.

Trying new things 2

Yesterday it was brussel sprouts...today, it's endamame. I'm hooked! I keep meaning to try it, and in fact, have 3 bags of it the freezer because, apparently, I remember that I want to try it every time I go to the store only to forget about it once I get home. I just boiled it in some salted water and tossed it with some kosher salt after I draiend it. It is so yummy! I've already bagged it up for snacks later in the week. Or day. It's a "snow day" so snacking is invetable. At least this one's healthy.

So, I'm thinking I'll try the polenta tomorrow. After I get to the store again, I'm going to try beets. I am not sure if I've ever eaten them, to be honest. I saw a beet slider on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives last night, and I read an article about them somewhere. Once again, I no idea what magazine or web site I'm thinking of...and honestly, I'm not even sure what the article said.

Trying new things

Tonight's new thing? Brussel sprouts. Or is it Brussels sprouts? Whatever. It's the same thing when you're eating it. And no, technically, brussel sprouts aren't new, even to me. I distinctly remember hating them as a child. But I saw a recipe for some roasted brussel sprouts the other day in some magazine or on some website...helpful, I know. I can never remember where I see these things. Then I spend ages looking for them again. And end up making something I hope comes close to what I originally saw.

So tonight, I partially thawed some frozen brussel sprouts in the microwave so I could cut them in half. I put them in a glass 9x13 pan and tossed them with some oil, squeezable garlic (love this stuff), and kosher salt. I put them in the oven at 375 and stirred them every 5 minutes or so. I really liked them! I'm impressed with myself! Diva Daughter even ate one half of one!

I bought some polenta at the store today too. That will be a new recipe for later this week. I haven't quite decided what to do with it though. I'm thinking slice it up and pan fry it for something...if the tomatoes had looked decent at the store, I would have made some of my yummy sauteed tomatoes for it. Instead, I'm thinking either melted cheese with marinara or a fried egg and salsa.

And we've got some cooooooollldd weather moving in...it's super windy right now, and I'm pretty sure it's sleeting. We don't get weather like this often. Everyone was going crazy this afternoon at all the grocery stores stocking up on food and gas. I did go to the store, but only for stuff to make chicken noodle soup in the crockpot tomorrow and to have stuff for breakfast and lunch if we do end up not going to school tomorrow.

That hit the spot!

The rice pudding was yummy! Here's what I did (after looking at tons of recipes):

I made brown rice last night.

Then, this morning, I peeled and chopped some apples and cooked them in a couple tablespoons of butter with a dash of cinnamon and a dash of pumpkin pie spice.

Once they were tender, I added 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 2 cups of milk, a large box of raisins (as opposed to the mini boxes) and 2 cups of the cooked brown rice. I brought this to a boil, reduced it to a simmer and let it cook for 15 minutes. I loved it! Ryan was sick this morning so he didn't even try it. Sarah Beth ate some of hers, but not as much as I'd hoped.

The only thing I'd do differently is add a little vanilla when I add the milk. I wish I'd thought of that sooner.

Estimated nutritional value- For 1/6 of the recipe: 190 calories, 5g of fat, 2g of fiber, 4g of protein.

Picnic in a Jar

I'm trying something new today...I stole the idea from Melissa D'Arabian, but I didn't like the flavors she used. However, I loved the idea of a layered picnic in a jar, so I'm stealing the idea and making it my own. I'll be layering the following things in a jar...whether or not we actually picnic with it will be determined later:
1. veggie pasta spirals with Italian dressing
2. chickpeas, seasoned with garlic and onions
3. shrimp
4. veggies (zucchini, squash, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach)

I'm making this for us as well as Chad and Kayla. I think there's a concert in a park somewhere we could go to with this, but I don't know if we will. I'll give the verdict later on how this turns out.

***The Verdict: While I liked it, the rest of the family did not...so I won't try it again, at least not this way. I'm thinking maybe a chicken/tomato sauce/veggie combo might be better...or maybe a bbq pulled pork/coleslaw/beans one?

Crazy Me

What possessed me to plan two birthday parties, on the same day, back-to-back, in my house?! We are having a rock star party for SB...it will be her first "kid party." They are decorating some white, cardboard guitars to get things started, followed by karaoke (yes, I realize that 5-year-olds can't read and therefore karaoke is really pointless). Then we'll have cake (store-bought, thank goodness) and open presents and end with a guitar-shaped pinata.

Then, right after that, we've invited our families as well as a couple of our friends with boys R's age to stay for hotdogs and an all-star party as a way of celebrating his birthday. We're switching decorations to sports themed centerpieces, and to top it all off, I'm making baseball and football cake balls. The baseballs are funfetti cake with vanilla frosting. The footballs are devil's food cake with chocolate frosting. I've yet to dip or decorate them and I'm already regretting this idea. Why didn't I just book Jump for Joy or Chuck E. Cheese or Gymnastics Sport Center?!

But, for those that have never tried making cake balls, here are the steps. I had the passing thought to take pictures while I made them, but like I said, it was a passing thought, one that didn't even hang around long enough for me to find the camera. But...I will try to post pictures of the finished product.

Ok, back to the steps. Boy, these thoughts are passing like crazy.

1. Bake a cake, any flavor, according to the directions on the box. Yes, you can bake a cake from scratch. But why would you?
2. Let the cake cool for a few minutes and then crumble into a big mixing bowl.
3. Add 1/2 to 3/4 a can of frosting. Your choice in flavors. Make sure it goes with the cake though. I'm not to blame for your choices. It will be hard to mix. Use your hands if you want. A spatula will work though.
4. Let this chill for a while. Actually, don't. I tried cooling it today. It didn't work as well.
5. Form into balls, or in the case of the above-metioned footballs, weird pointy oval shapes. I use a cookie dough scoop, but you'll want to roll them a little to smooth them out. Place these on waxed paper and chill. This time, you really want to chill them.
6. Melt some almond bark or other coating, if you prefer, and then dip the balls to coat. I use two forks. It's messy no matter what you use. Put them back on the waxed paper. You can decorate with another color coating or sprinkles or icing. I'll be using icing to make the laces on the balls.
7. Enjoy. You'll want to hide at least half of them, or they'll be gone before you really meant to serve them.

World's Worst Blogger

I must be the world's worst blogger...I have ideas I want to share...pictures to post...but I forget to take the pictures...and then forget to blog.

I made zucchini bread again using my healthier recipe. Why didn't I take pictures? I have no idea. Maybe it's because the kids woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and I was just thrilled they were playing nicely at the table with Play-Doh that I didn't want to risk it by stopping to take pictures.

I'm making kebabs later to take to my brother, his wife and their new baby...well, obvioulsy, the new baby won't be eating any (at least not directly)...but it's because of the little Princess that I'm taking the meal in the first place. She's absolutely beautiful, and I am so excited and happy for the new family! I've somehow become Meal Coordinator for them...and I love it! I'm so amazed that people are so generous and thoughtful and want to help them out during this time of adjustment!

It's an overcast summer day, and while I should be taking advantage of it by getting outside with the little munchkins, I'd really like to be in the kitchen trying something new...like PW's coffee bread recipe or baked French toast casserole. Of course, neither of those things are helping me get back on track with my healthy eating. I've got to get back to making healthy choices, both when it comes to food and exercise. I haven't run in a week, so I'm going to do that again starting tomorrow...just jumping right back into my training plan. And yes, I am training. For a 10K. Again. This one is Sept. 25, so I know I have to get started. And part of that is running...duh. But part of that is eating healthy foods. We have lots of fruit and veggies now, so it's just a matter of choices.

Isn't that really what everything is about...making choices? Making the choice to be happy. To not yell. To model good behavior instead of doing the whole "do as I say and not as I do" thing. To smile. To laugh. To find joy in the little things. To be generous. To help others. To love. Those are my choices today.

Hello again

It's been a while since I've been on here...life does that.

I'm in a happy homemaking kind of mood today...I want to cook yummy things, like Pioneer Woman's Berries and Sweet Cream or her Lazy Chile Rellenos (with added ground beef for a meal). I want to make healthy snacks for the kids...one has already eaten homemade banana bread, carrots, string cheese and fruit snacks...the other has had fruit snacks, shredded cheese and a granola bar. I want to have a clean house. Please note: I did not say I wanted to clean house...just that I want one. I want to spend time outside...but it is so blessed hot out there! But I might not mind a little sweat if I was swaying in a hammock in the shade.

So, the snacks I have in mind for the next few weeks:
Tortilla wraps (ham and cheese, cream cheese and fruit, peanut butter and apples)
Quesadillas (same as above)
Smoothies
Yogurt parfaits
Trail mix
Dippers or skewers (meat, cheese, veggies, bread)
Pita pockets
Wonton chips (both sweet and savory)
Mini pizzas
Veggies and fruit with dips

We're headed to the Farmers Market tomorrow and I can't wait! I want some zucchinni and squash and anything else that looks good...tomatoes, beans, fruit. I have to be careful not to get too much since I will be out of town next week, and I know it will just go to waste if I'm not here to fix it.

What is it about summer that makes me want to eat healthy and light? Is it the heat, the lazy days, or the swimsuit I have to wear? I'm in the mood for some lemons to add to my water as well...just light and refreshing.

Rain, rain, go away!

The rain has now caused me to miss two workouts this week, and I'm getting frustrated! I'm also feeling seriously claustrophobic since I haven't seen the sun in days! Is that possible...to feel claustrophobic due to weather? I think I would really drive for hours if I could get to someplace with sunshine.

It doesn't help that this kind of weather puts me in an eating mood. Granted, we are eating really well these days: braised pork, pumpkin bread pudding, soups, enchiladas, pulled pork, etc. I have a feeling that's not good for my weight though...

Speaking of weight, I've now hit the 20 pound mark in my weight loss adventure...just five to go. I'm already down three sizes since this time last year. I'm actually in single-digit sizes some of the time :) I don't know when the last time that was. Makes me wish I hadn't gotten rid of my "skinny" clothes so long ago; I could really use them now!

Yum!

I was in a cooking mood yesterday...actually, I'd been wanting to try one of the recipes for weeks. The other was inspired after watching Paula Deen. The first was a braised pork recipe I saw on the new Food Network star's show (Melissa D'Arabian). It took three hours to cook, so I knew I had to wait for a Saturday night when we didn't have something going on...hence the wait. I, of course, bought more meat than needed, so we had double the recipe...invited my parents over, which was nice. This pork turned out so good! However, the real star of the dinner was the sauce/gravy that it made...oh, wow! You need plenty of bread to mop the sauce up with!

The second recipe was inspired by watching Paula Deen make a chocolate bread pudding. I went in search of a bread pudding recipe that used egg substitute and was maybe a tad healthier and found a pumpkin bread pudding that used whole wheat bread and egg substitute along with the ever-so-healthy pumpkin...and can I just say double wow! This stuff was soooooo good! All we needed was a little Cool Whip or some sort of cream sauce, which will be my next recipe search.

It was really a great dinner for the cooler, damper weather we're having...and it was really nice to have dinner with my parents. We see them once a week on date night, but then it's just sort of in passing.

More than anything though, yesterday reminded me how much I love to cook and try new things in the kitchen. I really enjoyed the feeling of nurturing my family with good food made by me, especially on the fall day we were having and even more so after the kids have been sick all week. Nice to feel like I can take care of everyone, including myself.