Avocado and Tomato Salad

 

I just have a quick and easy recipe today. There's a bit more calories than I would like, because of the avocado. But it makes a great lunch.

Just peel and cube up an avocado. Chop 2 or 3 small tomatoes, and seed them. (I've learned that I like tomatoes so much more without the slimy seeds!) Add half a chopped Valencia onion. Sprinkle with a little seasoning salt. (I actually use a salt substitute - just whatever flavors you like) and add a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. 

I make this up the night before so that it's all ready to take with me to work for lunch the next day.  Easy, delicious, plus it's good for you!

Roasted Eggplant

 

I have decided that I love roasted eggplant. Right now, it's one of my favorite things to eat. (This picture does not really show off all the yummy goodness. I think I put a little too much balsamic vinegar on this serving.)

The recipe for my new obsession is in the app, How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. There is also a cookbook by this title, but of course I use the app - it was free and well worth the cost! (I've used it enough that I will probably go ahead and buy the cookbook.) 

I've been making the Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Salad. Thanks to How to Cook Everything, I know to salt the sliced eggplant to prevent any bitterness. Then I roast the thoroughly rinsed and dried (trust me -- rinse ALL the salt off the eggplant before cooking it!) on a tray with pieces of tomato (which I prefer to seed first) until the eggplant is tender and browned and the tomatoes are shriveled up. The salad is served warm with a little balsamic vinegar. I've also saved the roasted eggplant to use in a curry. 

I think I'll stop off at the farmer's market tomorrow and pick up a couple more eggplants...

Cookbook Review

I found a cookbook at the library that I really like. It's Allergy-Friendly Food for Families from the editors of Kiwi.magazine. Each recipe has very clear labels (colored tabs along the sides of the page) indicating if it is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and/or soy-free. I can immediately see if it's worth looking closer at recipe, or if I should skip it because of it's gluten or dairy content. More importantly, the recipes are "real-life" friendly. Most of the ingredients are things I can actually find in the local grocery stores.

I'm looking forward to making zucchini boats (filled with homemade hummus), black bean burgers, and no-cream coconut pie. I may even try the tofu-stuffed pasta.

If you ever need to go on a restrictive diet due to food allergies or sensitivities, this cookbook is definitely worth looking at.

Yum! Curry!

Red Tofu-Veggie Curry

Since April 1st, I've been on a gluten-free/casein-free and meat-free diet in an effort to get a little bit of control over the fibromyalgia. It's difficult to know what 'research' to believe in. Some studies show that the gluten and/or dairy are causing the inflammation and pain associated with auto-immune disorders such as fibromyalgia; other studies say that once-again Americans are getting caught up in a health-frenzy - and embracing the gluten-free lifestyle - with no real evidence to support it. My personal opinion is that there was enough evidence to make it worth trying. I'm at the point I would walk around on my hands all day if it would make me feel better for even a little while. (Thinking about it, that would probably give me a whole new outlook on life.) Now that I've spent two months avoiding gluten, dairy and meat protein, my opinion is that this diet is limiting, difficult to stick with, and definitely worthwhile. I've been more active and happier lately. The times I have given in and had a brownie or something with cheese, I've been miserable (and miserable to be around). One of the things that I find funny is that when I was growing up, my grandmother always insisted that I needed to give up bread because I was allergic to wheat. Who knew that she would be as right about that as she was about iced coffee?

As I learn more things I can eat, it's easier to do without the things I'm not allowed. One of my favorite meals has become coconut curry. It's so easy to make, and you can vary the vegetables depending on what's available at the farmer's market that week.

Coconut Curry

1 Tbs. red curry paste
1 can coconut milk
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbs brown sugar
Vegetables, chopped (onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, peppers, etc)
Firm Tofu, sliced and well-drained (press the liquid out of it -- trust me on this!)
1 Tbs. fish sauce

Empty can of coconut milk into a large saucepan, and heat to simmer. Mix in 1 tablespoon of red curry paste (use more or less, depending on how spicy you like your curry). Add in the basil and brown sugar, and simmer about 10 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, I like to stir-fry the veggies in a little olive oil. Add the vegetables, tofu, and fish sauce to the sauce and continue to simmer about 15-20 minutes. Serve with rice.

Instead of tofu, sometimes I throw in peeled shrimp since I can still eat seafood.

Smoothies!

My latest obsession is smoothies. I blame my oldest daughter, since she's the one that introduced me to these wonderful fruity concoctions. There isn't a lot that I can eat right now. so I've been using smoothies as both my go-to breakfast in the morning and my dessert-treat in the evenings.

There isn't anything to making one. Just combine a couple of pieces of fruit (I'm partial to bananas and mangos mixed with either an apple, an orange, or some strawberries) in the Magic Bullet, throw in some ice cubes, and add a little almond milk or coconut milk (since I can't have dairy) and whip it up. It couldn't be any easier, or any tastier!

Home-Grown Dinner

 Do you remember my garden? The plants are doing really well, and I've managed to harvest my basil quite a few times now. (The mint, too!) After cleaning and drying off the basil, I stuff it into my Magic Bullet with some olive oil, walnuts (which are much cheaper than the traditional pine nuts), a little Parmesan cheese, and just a quick squeeze of lemon. This gets chopped up, and then mixed with hot pasta.

You would not believe how good the fresh pesto tastes. And it is so easy and quick to make. I have a difficult time waiting for the basil plants to re-grow -- I think I need a couple more pots of it for my garden!

Weekend Brunch

There's something about the weekend that has come to mean quiche to me. It's so easy to make, and so very yummy. I like to have one ready just in case company comes by. (Oh, how nice of you to stop in unexpectedly. I'm afraid all I have to offer you for lunch is a broccoli-and-ham quiche and maybe some chocolate chip scones for dessert.) Okay, I don't usually get unexpected company dropping in at lunch time. But maybe if people knew I had quiche, they would come over to see me.

Just in case you want the quiche, but it isn't enough of a bribe to come visit me, you can find the recipe on our Family Cooking blog.

Pinned to the Internet

It might seem like it, but I'm not spending all of my time on Pinterest. I had a mini Glee marathon this afternoon. And I uploaded a bunch of podcasts to listen to on my commute to and from work this week.

I also knit this adorable bunny rabbit, using a pattern I found online -- thanks to Pinterest! I couldn't believe how quickly it knit up. I spent less than an hour on it, using some Caron Dazzleaire yarn I had in my stash, and that includes the finishing. Of course, I did modify the pattern to knit the body in the round (eliminating the seaming up the back) and I knit i-cords for the arms and legs (again, eliminating the seaming). I love how easily this pattern can be adapted to make different animals and people.


The pan behind my bunny is a Sopapilla Cheesecake. I found the recipe on Pinterest, and decided it would be perfect for Easter brunch. Although when I'll have time for brunch, I'm not sure. There's 6:30 am service at my church, followed by a trip south to Boca for 9:00 am bell rehearsal and 10 am service. After that I'm heading north to mom's for Easter dinner. I think I'll have to take a slice with me to eat in the car.

That is, if I don't eat it as a late night snack.

I could be a bit obsessed. Again.

I was so excited to have the internet readily available again. I would be able to do research, keep in touch with friends and family, post regularly, and generally live my life for the good once again. Or so I told myself. The truth was, I knew I would quickly find myself obsessively logged on. I thought it would be facebook, where I would post frequent status updates, each one more annoyingly stupid than the previous one. (I can't help it. I really like clever status statements, but I am really bad at coming up with something original.) Perhaps instead I would become a chatty-cathy on the Ravelry boards.

Instead, I found pinterest. I really love pinterest. It's the best (prettiest, funniest, weirdest) of the web, pictured in one location. I can, and already have, spend hours looking at all the great stuff people have found online. And anything that takes my fancy can be claimed and pinned to my own boards for others to admire.

It's not a total waste of  time. I did find a really amazing recipe for broccoli.

 

I've already made it, and it is "The Best Broccoli of Your Life." It was so simple. Just toss fresh broccoli with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, and spread it out on a cookie sheet. Toss some sliced garlic on top, and stick it in the oven at 450 for about 20 minutes. When the broccoli is cooked, season with lemon and grated Parmesan cheese (I didn't have a lemon, so I just sprinkled a  little lemon juice) and eat. All I can say is, YUM!

By the way, I think I undid any healthy effects of the broccoli by pairing it with this:

Pigs in a Blanket!

Yummy!

I made a peach cobbler for mom yesterday. It's so good. The recipe in the Family Cooking blog, if you want some.

I made ice cream! Yummy, yummy ice cream!

I followed the recipe I found on the Brown-Eyed Baker's blog. It was very easy. Just mix whatever flavorings you want into 1 can of sweetened condensed milk. (Anything with sweetened condensed milk has to bee good.) For my ice cream, I mixed in some chocolate chips. Then whip 2 cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk. Cover it with an airtight lid, and put it in the freezer. According to Michelle, it will take about 6 hours to completely freeze. But if you can't wait, go ahead and sneak a taste after just half an hour. It's very good "soft serve."

The spicier, the better!

We had a busy day today. I took Becca over to take the last of her placement tests, and then she was able to register for classes. Let me tell you, they really don't make it easy. When I registered at Keiser, it was a very easy process. I was able to talk with my counselor and she was able to help me through the process. I'm even able to chit-chat with my financial aid officer. Like I said, it's an easy process. But at PBSC, it's almost impossible to speak to anyone higher than a receptionist. Everything is online, and you're expected to use your homepage to figure things out. It got very frustrating. We finally got lucky, and Becca has her classes all set for the fall semester. Best of all, they're all paid for!

When we came home, I felt like cooking. I don't know why. So I made a pot of chili. Spicy, of course, because that's the way I like it. And then I decided to make tortillas to go with it. Coggie had talked about homemade tortillas on her podcast, and that reminded me how much I liked homemade tortillas. I haven't made them in years, though.

They're very easy to make. You will need to buy masa harina. I found it on the baking aisle, near the flours. You just mix 2 cups of the masa harina with 1 1/2 cups of water and a little salt. I needed to add a little extra water. But be careful, because it doesn't take much. You just want the dough to form. It helps to mix it with your hands. Once you have a soft dough, divide it into 16 pieces.

Form each of the pieces into a ball, and then flatten. It's best if you have a tortilla press. Coggie suggested just flattening them between your palms, since she doesn't have a press. I found that putting the ball between two pieces of wax paper and using a plate to flatten it worked really well. I got nice, evenly thin tortillas.

Then you just cook the tortilla on a hot griddle, for about 50 seconds per side. I kept them warm (and flexible) by putting a kitchen towel over the plate of finished tortillas.

I was impressed by how well they turned out. And how quick it was to make them myself.

Food is the most primitive form of comfort. (Sheila Graham)

It was a long day at work today, made longer because I didn't eat lunch. (Why is it staff always orders lunch delivered, except on the day that I don't have anything with me to eat?) So when I got home, I decided to indulge in a childhood favorite.

I love Pigs in a Blanket. They're wonderful hot from the oven, when the roll is soft and the cheese is melted and gooey. And they are just as good the next day, cold from the refrigerator and easily grabbed as a quick snack.

There really isn't a recipe the way we make them. Just take a package of hot dogs (I prefer the all beef type) and cut a length-wise slit down each. Stuff the slit with a small wedge of Velveeta. (Yes, it has to be Velveeta in order to be authentic.) Cover with refrigerator biscuits (I like the flaky Grands, but crescent rolls are also very good) and bake until the biscuits are done. (If you aren't sure how long or how hot, just follow the baking directions on the biscuit package.)

Traditionally, Pigs in the Blanket should be served either with potato salad (homemade, naturally) or baked beans & cheese macaroni. And if you're really hungry and home alone, potato chips. Just hide the empty bag before your children get home.

When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste. (Laiko Bahrs)

I made Slop for dinner tonight. It was really good. Okay, I think I just really hungry, because it wasn't until just now that I realized I forgot the peas. But for the record, Slop is really yummy and it's one of my family's favorite meals. I've posted the recipe on Family Cooking, if anyone would like to try it.

When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste. ~Laiko Bahrs

Food is the most primitive form of comfort. (Sheila Graham)

Hot Cocoa

Mix 2 tablespoons sugar with 2 teaspoons cocoa. Add a little milk, and stir until smooth. Continue adding milk a little at a time until the mug is 3/4 full. Heat in microwave about 1 minute (maybe 1 1/2 minutes). Top with whipped cream.

When I'm not feeling well, or when it's chilly outside, I love homemade cocoa. I've had a lot of cocoa today -- I'm still sick AND it's cold outside. (Isn't Florida supposed to be warm year round?) My other big comfort food is a peanut butter and bacon sandwich, but I'm trying not to think of having one of those...

Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again. (Franklin P. Jones )

I have cookies to eat. Lots of yummy cookies, thanks to the Cookie Exchange with my knitting group last night. I made my Nana's Magic Cookie Bars to share. I got to bring home snickerdoodles (all gone already), oatmeal raisin (hmmm), gingerbread (awesome!), cranberry bread (wonderful!), Scotch Shortbread (a favorite!), and (totally)Heavenly Cookies. The kids are asking for dinner, but I'm full from snacking on cookies all day.

The cookies have been my consolation for the sweater knitting this afternoon. I finished the front, and seamed the shoulders today. I just have to do an easy ribbed collar, seam the sides, and a quick border on the armholes. I figured I would get to cast on a new project after dinner.

It turns out that the ribbed collar wasn't as easy as it sounded. It took me four tries to pick up the right amount of stitches around the neck. Actually, the fourth time I was still three stitches off, so I just did a few evenly spaced decreases when I knit the first row. After all, who was going to ever know? After knitting six rows, I stopped to admire my work. The collar was looking really big. It turns out that I should have used the smaller-sized needles. So I pulled the collar out and tried again.

This time it only took three attempts to get the count right. And after knitting four rows, the collar is starting to look really nice.

Too bad I picked up the stitches on the wrong side. Do you think anyone will notice that my collar folds to the inside of the sweater?

I'm going to go eat another cookie...

Food is the most primitive form of comfort. (Sheila Graham)

I decided I had done enough talking about once a month cooking. So I finally took the plunge. Now my freezer has over 20 meals ready to eat...

For quite a while I've been talking about starting a once-a-month-cooking program. There are a lot of great resources on this online. My favorite is 30 Day Gourmet. It takes a little bit of planning, but you buy in bulk and cook in quantity. Since it's just as easy to put together two (or three) pans of lasagna or casserole as it is to do just one, you save time by freezing extra meals. The trick is to sit down and do the planning.

This weekend, I finally took the plunge. I'm tired of picking up fast food almost every day. But a hectic schedule and a demanding job just doesn't leave enough energy at the end of the day to even think about fixing a meal. The sad thing is that I actually enjoy cooking. So Sunday I made out a two week menu, including several freezer meals from Fix, Feeze, Fix (another wonderful resource and my latest "favorite" cookbook) and went shopping. I spent just under $200 and managed to cook up over 20 dinners plus enough planned leftovers for lunches. The savings alone was worth the effort!

Tonight as I was heating up spagetti (one of our favorite recipes, One-Pot) I finished bagging up the last of the meals. My freezer is full, and life is good.

Of course, Taco Bell may be forced to go out of business now...

Friday's Favorite - Ambrosia

Today's favorite thing is ambrosia salad. Last week we held a Luau at work, and I brought a double-batch of ambrosia as my contribution to the potluck luncheon. It was so popular, that I decided to bring another batch to work today for our Independence Day picnic. This time I had to be sure to make a batch for home, too.

Ambrosia really very easy to make. I learned the recipe when I was in 7th grade. My best friend back then was Lori M., and the ambrosia was her mother's recipe. I was at Lori's house for a sleepover party when her mom showed me how to make the salad. (Parties at Lori's were always the best, since she lived right on the water and she had a sailboat -- I love sailing!)

I've been making Ambrosia ever since. It's been my take-along standby for church dinners, picnics, family celebrations, and just about any other special or not-so-special occasion.

Ambrosia

1 large container of cottage cheese (16 oz?)
1 large box (or 2 small boxes) orange flavored Jello mix
1 can (large is better) mandarin oranges, drained
1 large container of Cool Whip (12 oz)

Mix the cottage cheese and jello together. (Note - use the jello powder straight from the box.) Add the drained mandarin oranges. Fold in the Cool Whip. Chill, then serve.

Chocolate and skinny jeans?

There's no picture today. I meant to take a picture. Honestly. But when you put a chocolate cupcake on the table, the camera drops to the floor as the mouth starts to drool.

But I'm ahead of myself.

Today is Tuesday, which is supposed to be Tune-Up Day. Just for the record, I'm doing really well on the diet. It's been 11 weeks, and I've lost a 31 pounds. Which is more than 10% of my starting body weight. I've still got quite a bit to lose, but I'm ridiculously pleased with myself. I'm not ready to put on a bathing suit yet, but I find myself walking around with my tummy pulled in and my chest puffed out to emphasize my new figure. Weight Watchers is totally the best thing I've done for myself in a long time.

I'm finding that staying on plan is not always easy, but it's do-able. There have been a couple of occasions that I start to feel sorry for myself because I can't have this food or that food. (And actually, I can have anything I want as long as I count the points for it.) But finding ways to "treat" myself that don't cost a lot of points (calories, fat grams) helps to keep those times to a minimum.

Diet soda cupcakes are definitely a treat that I have to keep around. When I first heard about this recipe on the Ravelry Weight Watcher forum, I had my doubts. It was too easy, and couldn't possibly work. But just for fun I tried it with my client. I used to bake with him almost weekly, but haven't had him in the kitchen since starting the diet. So it was way past time to let him bake something. If the cupcakes didn't turn out, it wouldn't be the first time I've had to throw out something he tried.

Much to my surprise, the diet soda cupcakes turned out to be delicious. We shared them with staff and students, and there were several people coming back for seconds and thirds.

The recipe is very easy. Take a box of cake mix, and add a can of diet soda. And that's it. Just put the batter into lined cupcake tins, and bake as directed on the box. We used a chocolate cake mix with diet cherry Coke. I've been told that a white cake mix with diet root beer is also very good, and that will probably be the next combination we try. The calorie/fat/fiber count is just whatever the box mix lists. (You do have to do a little math to figure out the per portion numbers, but if you're that interested and need help just let me know.)

I'm going to tackle pumpkin pie next, since Thanksgiving is just around the corner. So stay tuned, there may be another recipe to share.