So here goes… Here are some pictures that I took of the kitchen over the summer.  The only real difference is that we have the cover for the hood in place now, and there are a few things on the counter – coffee maker, toaster, knife block, etc.  We still need to install the light above the sink and dining room table, but that’s not pictured below.  Take a look…

So there you have it.  Our updated kitchen, complete with a wall removed, new floors, new appliances, new cabinets… you get the idea.  And I have actually been doing a lot of cooking and baking, but I’ve been too lazy to get my butt moving and post about all the great recipes I’ve tried yesterday.  Who knows, maybe 2009 will bring new inspiration.

Happy New Year!

After the fun overload, we headed back home to prime and paint the kitchen.  It’s hard to see the color in the pictures, but it’s called “Light French Gray,” and it’s a light bluish gray color.  For now we just did one quick coat, and we didn’t worry about getting close to the ceiling, because the cabinets will go all the way up to the ceiling with crown molding.  The second coat of paint will come after the cabinets are installed.

We needed to hurry up with the paint job, because the cabinets were delivered today.  Woo!  It feels like Christmas in July.  Check it out:

The contractor is coming tomorrow or Wednesday to start the installation.  I’m beyond excited, as you can imagine.  After the cabinets are installed, we’ll paint again – a second coat for the walls and the dreaded trim work.  We’re also going to paint the built-in cabinet white and change the hardware on it to match the cabinets.

We’re a little tired after doing so many home improvements, but Mia might be the most tuckered out.  Poor puppy… napping on the air conditioning vent is exhausting!

Stay tuned for another update in a few days!

Do you want to see how we’ve been living since we moved in?  Actually, let me correct myself.  The kitchen is currently an improvement to what it had been for weeks, because now we actually have walls and can get a feel for the space.

Check out those walls!  The window is new and is larger than what was there previously.

I know it’s hard to see, but this picture sort of shows you the opened space now that the wall is gone. 

Don’t worry!  We still have that built-in.  This picture shows you the room from the other side.

For reasons too complicated for me to discuss (translation: I’m too lazy to type it all), the contractor had to drop the ceiling a bit in the previous existing kitchen area.  That means that the ceiling isn’t the same in the former dining room, but Contractor Don has a remedy for that.  See the dropped-just-a-bit ceiling?

We’ll add some crown molding to that dropped area (or whatever the heck it’s called) to match the crown molding in the previous dining room.  I think it’s going to look great. 

And finally, a little note about dust.  When you drywall and sand, dust is everywhere.  And when you have a new puppy, she gets in the dust and drags it throughout the house.  Want proof?

Dust:

Puppy:

Puppy = super cute

Dust = not cute

Note to self: Do not renovate and bring home a puppy at the same time.

Stay tuned for updates!

Until then, here’s what the kitchen looks like:

The hardwood floors will be stained a dark oak color, that ugly chandelier will be replaced, and this whole space will start looking more like a kitchen in the coming weeks.  I am ridiculously excited and am having a difficult time being patient! 

Oh, and here’s a picture of the dining room as it currently looks, separate from the kitchen:

I’ll keep updating as changes are being made…

And this is all very exciting, but I’m tired, and I’ve been too tired to cook all week because I get to work at 7am and then leave around 4pm, squeeze in a quick workout, and then head to the house to dig into whatever needs to be done that day, only to return home at 10pm and crawl into bed.  And then the vicious cycle continues!  But this won’t last much longer, right??

Anyway, some visuals…

Here’s what the kitchen looked like when we closed on the house:

And the other side:

And we decided that the kitchen was too outdated and too small for our taste, so my wonderful husband and father-in-law got to work and started the kitchen demolition.  Do you see that wall that separates the kitchen and the dining room?  It’s already gone!  Do you see the dated parquet floor?  That’s gone, too. 

So… I probably won’t be cooking much lately and instead will post about the kitchen transformation, because that’s cooking related, too, right?  More soon!

Yup – there’s the rosemary garlic chicken with roasted sweet potato slices and slices of cucumber.  I was even too lazy to steam a vegetable or make a salad, so sliced cucumbers it was.  I’ll tell you the recipe, but it will be in my words, because I already packed the cookbook in one of the many boxes ready for the moving truck.  Just dig out your slow cooker, and keep reading…

Here’s the general idea:

Rosemary Garlic Chicken
Healthy Crockery Cooking by Mable Hoffman (or something like that)

DISCLAIMER: This is not the exact directions.  It’s just what I remember doing… (But honestly – this would be tough to mess up.)

Ingredients:

1 roasting chicken (4 1/2 – 5 lbs.)
rosemary
garlic
salt
pepper

Directions:

1. Remove the bag of jibblets/organs (what are those called?!) from the inside of the chicken.  Remove excess fat.  I cut off the neck, too.

2. Carefully push your fingers between the skin and the meat.  Stick some rosemary sprigs and peeled garlic cloves underneath the skin.

3. Make a slit in each wing, and push a rosemary spring and garlic clove into each.  Put some rosemary and garlic in the body cavity, too.

4. You’re supposed to tie the legs and wings closely to the breast at this point, but I just stuck it in the slow cooker breast side down, as the recipe suggested.

5. Cook on LOW for 6 or 7 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut into the breast.

6. At this point, the meat will just fall off the bones.  I used tongs to remove the meat and left the rosemary and garlic behind. 

If you want the real recipe, send me an email (go to the Contacts link at the top of the page), and I’ll locate the box that the cookbook is in.  Don’t worry – it’ll be easy to find, because I’m anal and like to label each moving box with exactly what’s in there. 

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Skewers
Cooking Light

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 to 2 1/2 pounds peeled, deveined shrimp (12 to 15 per lb.), rinsed and drained
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
2 or 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper
Lemon wedges

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix salt and sugar. Add shrimp and stir gently to coat. Cover and chill 45 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse shrimp well and drain; also rinse and dry bowl.

2. Return shrimp to bowl. Add olive oil, parsley, lemon peel, garlic, and pepper. Mix to coat. Thread shrimp on metal or soaked wooden skewers, running skewer through the body once near the tail and once near the head end of each shrimp so it looks like the letter C.

3. Lay shrimp skewers on an oiled barbecue grill over hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning once, until shrimp are bright pink and opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), 5 to 6 minutes total. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over shrimp.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Nutritional information: CALORIES 161(47% from fat); FAT 8.3g (sat 1.2g); PROTEIN 19g; CHOLESTEROL 140mg; SODIUM 259mg; FIBER 0.2g; CARBOHYDRATE 1.6g

Anyway, I digress… Back to the food!  Here’s what I made last night:

Those are chicken, spinach, and mushroom crepes from Cooking Light.  We both thought they were good, and I thought they were very comfort food-ish without all the calories.  I didn’t realize how easy it was to make crepes, but now I’m ready to make breakfast or dessert with them.  They’re so easy!

Overall, the whole recipe was very easy to make, and I’m sure I’ll make these again sometime.

Chicken, spinach, and mushroom crepes
Cooking Light

Ingredients:

 Cooking spray
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup sliced green onions
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 Basic Crepes (see following recipe)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers

Directions:

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sliced onion and mushrooms to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until mushrooms release their moisture and darken. Stir in chicken, green onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and spinach.

2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour to pan; stir with a whisk until blended. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk; cook 5 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Pour milk mixture over chicken mixture; stir to combine.

3. Preheat broiler.

4. Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture in the center of each crepe; fold ends and sides over. Place, seam side down, in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle crepes evenly with cheese. Broil 2 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield – 5 servings (serving size: 2 crepes)

Nutritional Information:

*Things have not quieted down.  Things are busier than ever, but I want/need/am craving the relaxation that comes along with cooking.  So even though we’re busy packing, making home improvements, and working, our bellies will be filled with some healthy home cooked meals. 

Here’s the plan for the week:

Sunday – chicken, spinach, and mushroom crepes
Monday – lemon garlic shrimp skewers
Tuesday – rosemary garlic chicken and roasted potatoes
Wednesday – macaroni and cheese (a great lower calorie recipe)
Thursday – tilapia parmesan
Friday – leftovers

Life is BUSY.  Here’s what my week looks like:

Monday – birthday (yay, yay, yay!)
Tuesday – helping my sister-in-law and her boyfriend move into their new apartment
Wednesday – doing a final walk through of our (almost) house and meeting with our lawyer, aka mother-in-law
Thursday – CLOSING!
Friday – retirement party

…and the weekend is already filling up.  So, as you can see, I don’t have time to cook and blog this week.  Boo.  It makes me grumpy.  But I promise to cook my little heart out very soon, so stay tuned for something yummy to appear on your screen soon. 

Salmon + pasta + snap peas + garlic + extra virgin olive oil  + a very tired kindergarten teacher = a quick, easy dinner that was just delightful to my waiting belly*

* Belly is a kindergarten term, of course. 

Well, first – the recipe called for a lot more chocolate chips than what I’m used to (not a bad thing!).  Second, I usually make much smaller cookies, and third, I’m surprised at how these turned out.  They were a little crispy on the outside but chewy and soft on the inside.  I’m not a fan of the crispiness, and I’m thinking that I might have left them in for a bit too long, even though I watched them like a hawk. 

I think I need to try these again sometime.  I used salted butter instead of unsalted – will that make much of a difference? – and I skipped the salt that the recipe called for because of this.  Hmm.  I’m not complaining, because these cookies were great, but I didn’t like them as much as my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe, which, I have to admit, is the recipe on the back of the Tollhouse semisweet chocolate chips.  Hey, why change a good thing, right?  I’ll try these again sometime and report back…

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
America’s Test Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
12 T. (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Adjust oven racks to upper and lower middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees.  Line cookies sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine dry ingredients; set aside.

3. With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. 

4. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined.

5. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined.  Stir in chips. 

6. Roll scant 1/2 cup dough into ball.  Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves.  Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball.

7. Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are soft and puffy (15-18 minutes). 

8. Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking and place on wire rack to cool. 

They came out great!  Nice and light and perfect for breakfast.  There’s nothing really special about them, I suppose, but they took me all of 10 minutes to make, which is pretty special all in itself.   

Oatmeal Apple Cinnamon Muffins
adapated from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook 

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 medium apple, peeled and cored, then diced – I used an Empire apple.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Grease twelve 2-1/2 inch muffin cups or line with paper bake cups; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and oatmeal.  Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

4. In another bowl, combine egg, milk, and oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture.  Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).

5. Fold in the diced apple.

6. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.  Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Remove from muffin cups; serve warm.

I had been eyeing the blueberry scones in Katie’s blog (another food blogger) for awhile now (www.goodthingscatered.blogspot.com), and I thought today would be the perfect day to make them.  I didn’t have any blueberries in the freezer, but I did have blackberries.  Why not, right?  I’ve never baked with blackberries before, and oh my goodness!  They turned the dough a very bright purple/red color.  They taste good though, so no complaints here. 

My pictures aren’t the greatest, but it’s about the taste of the scones, not my photographic abilities!

I recommend you slather on some butter while you’re eating these. 

…but not THAT much!  I scraped some off before I ate that bite.  Don’t worry.

I also recommend that you sweeten them up a bit by dusting on some powdered sugar.

Or just eat them plain with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk.  Heck, or even a glass of wine.  Everyone needs wine!

Here’s the original recipe for blueberry scones:

Oh – and a couple notes…

a) I used whole wheat flour because I was all out of regular flour.

b) I didn’t have half-and-half, so I used 1/2 c. milk and 1/2 c. heavy cream.  I’m not sure how much that affected the recipe.

c) I had to actually post a message asking Katie if the blueberries (blackberries in my case) needed to be frozen or thawed.  She assured me that they needed to be frozen.  So glad I asked.  I was about ready to defrost the whole darn bag before using the blackberries.  (Thanks, Katie!)

d) Click on the link to take you to Katie’s blog and check our her scones.  They look much more delicious than mine do! 

Blueberry Scones
from www.goodthingscatered.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

2 c. flour plus 2 Tbsp, plus 1 Tbsp
1 Tbsp baking powder
3 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
6 Tbsp butter, plus 1/2 Tbsp, chilled
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 c. half and half, chilled
2/3 c. frozen Maine wild blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.

2. In small bowl combine frozen blueberries and 1 Tbsp flour and toss to combine.  Place blueberry mixture back into freezer.

3. In large bowl, combine flour (2 cups plus 2 T.), baking powder, sugar and salt.

4. Take butter out of fridge, cut into chunks and add to flour mixture.  Cut butter into flour until pea sized or smaller.

5. Add vanilla and half and half and mix in with a spoon until just barely incorporated.

6. Take blueberries out of fridge and knead into mixture until mixture forms a ball of sticky dough.

7. Turn dough out onto floured surface and pat down into rough 9-10 inch circle.  Cut into 8 triangles and place triangles onto prepared baking sheet at least an inch apart.

8. Take 1/2 Tbsp butter and cut into 8 small pieces.  Place one small piece of butter on top of each scone.  Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.

And THEN I decided to just sort of wing it.  I used the cooks.com recipe as the base, but I added what I thought would make the recipe even better – Splenda brown sugar blend to sweeten it up a bit (is 1 T. of honey really enough to sweeten an entire batch of cookies?), some Granny Smith apple pieces, and some chocolate chips. 

MIraculously, the cookies came out amazingly good!  They’re soft with just the right amount of sweetness, and the combination of the semisweet chocolate chips with the tart apples is heavenly. 

I didn’t want to take a picture of the outside of this ordinary-looking cookie, so I broke one open and photographed that instead.  DELICIOUS.

Confession: These cookies were so good that I literally couldn’t control myself while I was taking the pictures.  I snuck a bite and decided to just take a picture with my hand in it.  And I am not ashamed, because that bite of cookie was absolutely worth it. 

Oatmeal Cookies with Apple and Chocolate Chips
Adapated from a cooks.com recipe

1-1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal - I used regular oats.
2/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs beaten
1 T. honey
1-1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup lowfat milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 cup Splenda brown sugar mix
1/2 cup diced apples – I used Granny Smith.
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Measure oatmeal into mixing bowl.  Stir in melted butter, mixing well.  Blend in combined eggs and honey. 

2. Add sifted dry ingredients.  Add milk and vanilla. 

3. Stir in Splenda brown sugar blend.  Mix in apple pieces and chocolate chips. 

4. Drop the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

5. Pour yourself a glass of milk and DIG IN. 

One of my students, we’ll call her “A”, was having trouble pumping her legs on the swings.  The other girls were all soaring, and she jumped off the swing and started wimpering because she felt so defeated.  “A” is incredibly bright, and this is truly the first thing that has been difficult for her all year. 

I went over to her and then encouraged her to get back on the swing so that I could do a little coaching.  She started to get the hang of it a bit, and she was giggling and laughing with glee at her success.  She then said to me, and I quote, “If it’s Sunday or Saturday or even Monday, it doesn’t matter!  Call my mom if you hear that there’s going to be swinging lessons, because I REALLY need them.”  Hahahahahaha!  I sure do love kindergarteners.

I just had to tell this story so that you could get a feel for my day.  It was a fun, happy day at school, and that continued when I got home, went for a run, and then got ready to make salmon.  Remember how I mentioned that we love salmon?  (Check out the salmon cakes recipe.)

I wanted to try something new tonight, so I went to the WC message board (on thenest.com) and asked my fellow food bloggers to post their best recipes.  A few girls came through for me (thank you!), and I decided to make the recipe from the creator of www.bellalately.blogspot.com. 

It was a great recipe, and I loved the sauce.  So much so that I poured it on my rice, too.  So good. 

Salmon with White Wine Mustard Sauce
from previously mentioned blog

1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
4 (6 oz.) salmon fillets
1 T. butter
3 T. minced shallots
2 T. dry white wine
3/4 c. low sodium chicken broth
1 T. dijon mustard
3/4 tsp. corn starch
4 tsp. fresh minced tarragon – I used dried tarragon.

Directions:

1. Season fish with salt and pepper.  Melt 1-1/2 tsp. butter in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add fish and cook for 7 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily with fork.  Remove from skillet.  Keep warm.

2. Melt 1-1/2 tsp. remaining butter in skillet over medium heat.  Add shallots and saute for 1 minute.  Add wine.  Cook for 30 seconds. 

3. Combine 1/8 tsp. salt, broth, mustard, and corn starch with whisk.  Add to skillet, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer until reduced to 3/4 cup (approx. 1 minute). 

4. Spoon sauce over fish and sprinkle with tarragon.

Anyway… I saw this granola bar recipe in Every Day With Rachael Ray awhile ago, and I thought they looked quick and easy.  Quick and easy recipes are perfect for procrastinating, don’t you think?  So I threw all the ingredients together and decided that making these granola bars is even easier than making Rice Krispie treats.  Not that I’ve made Rice Krispie treats in the past ten years or so, but I vaguely remember the process. 

And here they are:

They taste good and are a great combination of salty and sweet, but they were a bit crunchier than the recipe suggested.  Also, they were tough to cut into granola bar shapes.  Most of them broke in the pan, but I did get a few decent ones (see picture), although even the granola bars in the picture look like I nimbled them before lining them up.  Oh well.  They’re still tasty and will be a great post-run snack.  Instead of calling them granola bars, I may have to refer to them as granola chunks.  Things could be worse.

No Bake Chewy Granola Bars
Every Day with Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

4 T. (half stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 cups granola
1 cup rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup thin pretzels (I broke mine into smaller pieces)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar with the butter and the honey.  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.  Remove the saucepan from the heat.

2. Add the granola, rice cereal, raisins, and pretzels to the saucepan and fold the ingredients to evenly coat with the sauce.  Transfer the granola mixture to a 9-by-13 inch ungreased baking pan and press firmly to evenly fill.  Gently press the chocolate chips onto the top of the granola.  Let the granola mixture set in the refrigerator until firm, about 15 minutes, then cut into bars.

To top off my productive afternoon/evening, I decided to cook one of my favorite things tonight.  CLAMS!  I’m not even sure why I love clams so much, but I do.  And I had been thinking about clams all day.  During my lunch break, I searched Cooking Light’s website to find a healthy and delicious meal, and I found this:

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1072155

And then I just decided to wing it.  YUM.

This is not a pretentious, difficult meal to make.  This is a throw-stuff-together-and-love-it kind of meal. 

The super easy directions? 

1. Throw your favorite spaghetti in a pot.  I used Barilla Plus.

2. In a large pot, bring 1 cup of water to a boil.  Throw in some clams (but be sure you’ve scrubbed them first). 

3. In a small saucepan, sautee 1 clove of garlic and 1 small tomato (seeds removed). 

4. When everything is finished, toss it all together in the same large pot and add some salt and olive oil.

5. Serve the meal in bowls, topped with parsley. 

Yummity yum yum. 

 I ended up being pretty disappointed with this recipe.  The corn bread came out dense and not very flavorful.  I’m surprised it’s the featured recipe on the package.  I definitely won’t make it again, but I’ll be on the hunt for a tastier recipe.

With a review like that, I’m not sure why you would want the recipe, but I’ll include it anyway.  Stay tuned for my second attempt at delicious corn bread!

Easy Corn Bread
Quaker

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup Quaker Enriched Corn Meal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs whites or 1 egg, beaten

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease 8 or 9-inch pan.  Combine dry ingredients.  Stir in milk, oil and egg, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Serve warm. 

9 servings

I began by making the dough, which was way too flour-y to form into a ball.  I added an extra egg white, and it was perfect.  Then, I rolled the dough into two logs.  Here’s a shot of one of the logs:

Next, I baked the logs for 25 minutes, and they came out of the oven looking like perfect little loaves of raisin bread!

After letting them cool for 10 minutes, I cut the “loaves” into slices and baked them again, this time for 20 minutes.  The result:

Yum!

Low-Fat Almond Date Biscotti
The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
4 T. Olivina or reduced-fat margarine
3 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1/4 cup finely chopped almonds
1/4 cup finely chopped dates or other dried fruit
Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine dry ingredients.  Stir to mix well.  Use a pastry-cutter to cut in the margarine until the mixture has the texture of coarse oatmeal.  Stir in the egg whites and extracts.  Fold in almonds and dates.

2. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into two 9″ x 2″ logs.  Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.  Place the logs on the sheet.  Allow four inches of space between each log for spreading.  Bake for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

3. Cool the logs at room temperature for 10 minutes.  Using a serrated knife, slice the logs diagonally into half-inch-thick slices. 

4. Place the slices on an ungreased baking sheet in single layer, cut side down.  Return to 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes, or until dry and crisp.  Turn the slices over after 10 minutes.  Let cool completely.  Serve or store.

Nutritional Value Per Serving:
Calories: 47 – Calories from fat: 18 – Protein: 1g – Carbs: 6g – Dietary fiber: 0.3g – Sugars: 3g – Fat: 2g – Sodium: 6mg

(My changes: I used 1 extra egg white and butter instead of Olivina/reduced fat margarine.  I also used raisins instead of dates.  Delicious!)

(FYI: I had no picture taking patience since Sunday was also the day that the flu crept up on me and then smacked me in the face.  I’m sloooowly recovering.)

Old-World Minestrone with Shell Pasta
Complete Slow Cooker Cookbook by Carol Heding Munson

 Ingredients:

1 carrot, shredded
1 celery stalk, sliced
1/4 cup frozen peas
1 medium potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2/3 sliced scallions
2 cans (14 oz. each) fat free chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp. Italian herb seasoning or marjoram
1 can (28 oz.) Italian plum tomatoes, cut up
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 cup chopped escarole
1/2 cup shell pasta
1/2 cup snipped fresh parsley
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine the carrots, celery, peas, potatoes, scallions, broth, seasoning, tomatoes, pepper, and vinegar in the crockery pot.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.

2. During the last 20 minutes of cooking, stir in the escarole and pasta.  Divide the soup among four bowls and top each serving with the parsley and cheese, if you wish.

*** My take: Honestly, I didn’t measure things very carefully when I made this.  I just added what felt right to me, and I used what we had in the pantry already.  It came out perfectly. Gotta love foolproof recipes. ***

My plan was to research recipes and expertly (ha!) put together the perfect spread of delicious brunch food.  Well… this week was a brutal one, because I squeezed in 38 parent teacher conferences in 4 days, and all that planning time that I thought I had went right out the window.  And then I had to fit in a 12 mile run this morning before everyone came over at 11am.  I should mention that I got back from the run at 10am, leaving me 1 hour to shower, throw on my green shirt, and get my butt in gear in the kitchen. 

Instead of having a lovely array of delicious food ready when everyone arrived, I had a few St. Patrick’s Day plates and napkins out, a husband still in the shower, and French toast casserole just making it into the oven.  Forget about the quiche that I thought I’d have time for, too.  Once the first champagne bottle was opened, I prioritized.  Friends and mimosas beat out slaving in the kitchen any day! 

The moral of the story?  I’m not sure, but I have a few ideas:

1. When you’re entertaining, make sure you have more time to plan things out rather than thinking things will magically all come together in the morning.

2. Don’t plan to get back from a 12 mile run one hour before guests arrive.  Showering and cooking and doing last minute cleaning do not fit into a mere 60 minutes!

3. Know when to give up on the quiche and grab a mimosa with friends instead!

 What about the French toast casserole, you ask?  (If you managed to read this far, that is!)  It turned out fabulously, and it received a hearty thumbs-up from everyone… which could have been a result of the mimosas and Guinness, but I prefer to think that it really was that tasty!  I didn’t take a picture while everyone was here, but I did manage to snap a shot of some cold leftovers from the fridge.  Better than nothing, I guess! 

(P.S. Don’t you just want to reach into the picture and grab that stray pecan?!)

Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup
foodnetwork.com

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 T. granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline topping
Maple syrupDirections:

1. Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each.  Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 x 13 inch flat baking dish in two rows, overlapping the slices. 

2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, and beat with a rotary beater or whisk into blended but not bubbly. 

3. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered with the egg-milk mixture.  Spoon some of the mixture between the slices.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. 

The next day, preheat the over to 350 degrees.  Spread the praline topping over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.  Serve with maple syrup.

 Praline Topping

1/2 lb. (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 T. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. 

*** My changes: I used a sliced baguette instead of larger pieces of French bread, because I told Brett to get the wrong kind of bread at the store!  It worked out perfectly though.  I just didn’t use all of the egg mixture since there was less bread involved.  Same goes for the praline mixture.  ***

I made mine into muffins, and they came out pretty tasty.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Source unknown (my apologies!)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup peanut butter
2 bananas, mashed
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking sodaDirections:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly grease a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs; beat well.  Stir in peanut butter, bananas, flour and baking soda until blended.  Pour into prepared pan.

3. Bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes.  Cover with foil (to avoid overbrowning) and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.

* My changes: I made mine into muffins, and I baked them for ~25 minutes.  I kept checking them in the final minutes, so I can’t remember the exact time that they were in there.*

When I was flipping through my Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook, I came across a yummy sounding turkey meatball recipe.  I premade this for a weeknight meal this week, so we haven’t technically had them as a meal yet, but YUM!  The one that I snagged right out of the oven was fantastic!  The best part?  They’re healthy and low cal.  Fabulous.

The recipe also suggests that you slice them when they’re cold and put them in a pita for lunch.  Sounds good to me!

Meatballs
Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground turkey or chicken
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 T. fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 T. fresh basil, finely chopped
2 T. fresh oregano, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, passed through a garlic press
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, place egg and breadcrumbs or oat bran.  Add spices and mix well.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Using an ice cream scoop make meatballs and place on prepared cookie sheet.  Place in hot oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

Nutritional facts per serving:

Calories: 170 – Calories from fat: 24 – Protein: 30g – Carbs: 11g – Dietary fiber: 2g – Sugars: 0.8g – Fat: 2g – Sodium: 327mg

* My changes: I skipped the onions and used dried oregano instead of fresh, but I reduced it to 1 tablespoon.  Also, I reduced the amount of pepper to 1/2 tsp. *

1. My body/mind function much better when I eat healthy foods.
2. The Vermont City Marathon is rapidly approaching, and I need to fuel my body appropriately - all the time, but for those long runs especially. 
3. I have parent-teacher conferences all week long, and I need all the energy I can get to get through 39 kindergarten conferences in 4 days.  Eek! 

My friend Niki has been following the Eat Clean diet, and I bought The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno a few weeks ago.  I figured this was the perfect time to dig into some of her recipes, and today I tackled two!  The first?  Stew!

This recipe calls for a Dutch Oven, and mine is packed away until we move into the new house.  I decided to turn this into a slow cooker recipe instead.  It’s still cooking away, but it looks great so far.  I’ll pop this in the fridge when it’s done cooking, and we’ll reheat it this week for a quick weeknight meal. 

This isn’t a great picture, but here’s the stew:

(It looks blurry because of the steam rising.)

And on a fun and RIDICULOUS note, here’s a funny story… As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I HATE chopping onions.  Burning, watery eyes are not fun.  I’ve tried all those tricks that people tell you about, like lighting a vanilla scented candle and splashing water under your eyes. Those helpful tips just don’t work for me. 

Well, today I started to dread chopping up the onion for the stew, and then a brilliant idea occurred to me!  I decided that I needed some eye protection, and I remembered that my ski googles were just steps away from the kitchen.  Yup.  I wore my goggles to chop the onions, and my eyes stayed tear-free and burn-free.  Ha! 

Canadian Stew
The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno

Ingredients:

 1 1/2 lbs. lean beef tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 leeks, whites and light green only, cut into chunks and well rinsed
3 or 4 medium sized cooking onions, peeled and cut into chunks
3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
3 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
1 – 10 oz. can whole plum tomatoes
1 – 10 oz. can small potatoes
Several cloves garlic
4 T. olive oil
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
Sea salt and black pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 cup low-sodium, low-fat chicken stock
1 cup light beer

Directions:

1. Cut meat into 1-inch cubes.  Place whole-wheat flour, salt, ground black pepper, oregano, and basil in a large plastic container with a tight-fitting lid.  Shake the contents so they mix.  Now place the cubed meat in the container and shake until coated. 

2. Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven heat the oil and saute the garlic and onions until soft.  Add remaining vegetables, except canned potatoes, and cook 5 minutes longer. 

3. Gently remove cubed and seasoned meat from container and add to the cooking vegetables.  Cook until meat is browed.  You will notice the mixture is getting sticky.  This is caused by the flour seasoning on the meat.  When it gets too sticky, add the chicken stock and the light beer.

4. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.  Stir the stew until the sauce becomes evenly smooth.  Now add canned, drained potatoes.  Cook over low heat for another 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Nutritional Value Per Serving:

Calories: 315 – Calories from fat: 95 – Protein: 20g – Carbs: 35g – Dietary fiber: 6g – Sugars: 8g – Fat: 10g – Sodium: 314mg

*** I used my slow cooker for this recipe and just threw everything in after I browned the meat first. ***