Hi there!
I've moved on to http://lightly-sweetened.blogspot.com/ Come on over!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
On the wagon (no not that wagon.)
I don't know if you know this, but I like to eat. Preferably things that have the following words in their title: battered, fried, breaded, cheesy...you get the idea.
So this weekend, inspired by two great friends, I decided to re-re-re-re-re join the Weight Watchers party.
I successfully lost over 20 lbs. the last time I successfully worked the WW program. I didn't like that I was eating a lot of processed food in order to do it, though. This was also about 5 years ago, so things have changed with me, and the WW program.
This time, I am aiming to lose the weight, but in a way that appeals to me- fresh, local ingredients. Unfortunately, that means lots of salads (I really have a disdain for lettuce.)
Tonight, Eric made a great salad that even I liked! Here's the recipe:
1/4 c chopped kalamata olives
1/2 c chopped scallions
1/2 c chopped parsley
1 can petite diced tomatoes (much better with fresh...but it's April.)
1 seedless cucumber, chopped (holy cow, $2.50 for a cuke. Not pleased. Any suggestions for this frugal blogger?)
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste, we also added garlic salt (Isn't it cute how I say 'we?' I didn't do any of this)
EDIT: Also, white wine vinegar, oregano, and olive oil to taste.
So basically you chop everything up, mix it, let it marinate, squeeze on some lemon. We let it sit for about 20 minutes
Then we added grilled tofu. Hear me out- tofu is low fat, and full of protein. AKA low points.
Eric marinates his tofu slices (extra firm) in lemon juice and olive oil, salt & pepper. Throw it on the grill and flip after 5 or so minutes. Zest a little lemon on it, and serve.
Here's some crappy phone photos! Right after this I shattered my phone screen. Maybe it was mad at me for mocking it's 3.2 mp camera.
Yum, yum, yum.
Total points? About 4 for the tofu, and 3 or so for the salad. Not too shabby- hello leftover lunch!
Other fun facts include: my Stonyfield Farms smoothie is now 4 points. I may need to try my hand at homemade smoothies in my Magic Bullet. Any recipes out there? I'm really not a yogurt fan so concocting this may be tough!
So this weekend, inspired by two great friends, I decided to re-re-re-re-re join the Weight Watchers party.
I successfully lost over 20 lbs. the last time I successfully worked the WW program. I didn't like that I was eating a lot of processed food in order to do it, though. This was also about 5 years ago, so things have changed with me, and the WW program.
This time, I am aiming to lose the weight, but in a way that appeals to me- fresh, local ingredients. Unfortunately, that means lots of salads (I really have a disdain for lettuce.)
Tonight, Eric made a great salad that even I liked! Here's the recipe:
1/4 c chopped kalamata olives
1/2 c chopped scallions
1/2 c chopped parsley
1 can petite diced tomatoes (much better with fresh...but it's April.)
1 seedless cucumber, chopped (holy cow, $2.50 for a cuke. Not pleased. Any suggestions for this frugal blogger?)
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste, we also added garlic salt (Isn't it cute how I say 'we?' I didn't do any of this)
EDIT: Also, white wine vinegar, oregano, and olive oil to taste.
So basically you chop everything up, mix it, let it marinate, squeeze on some lemon. We let it sit for about 20 minutes
Then we added grilled tofu. Hear me out- tofu is low fat, and full of protein. AKA low points.
Eric marinates his tofu slices (extra firm) in lemon juice and olive oil, salt & pepper. Throw it on the grill and flip after 5 or so minutes. Zest a little lemon on it, and serve.
Here's some crappy phone photos! Right after this I shattered my phone screen. Maybe it was mad at me for mocking it's 3.2 mp camera.
Yum, yum, yum.
Total points? About 4 for the tofu, and 3 or so for the salad. Not too shabby- hello leftover lunch!
Other fun facts include: my Stonyfield Farms smoothie is now 4 points. I may need to try my hand at homemade smoothies in my Magic Bullet. Any recipes out there? I'm really not a yogurt fan so concocting this may be tough!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Chicken Soup for the...body
I have been so. sick. lately. It sucks! I can't even enjoy being out of work, I'm going stir crazy!
Anyway, I thought I'd take this opportunity to write about a theory many share. Food can heal. I started off taking lots of OTC medicines to mask my varying symptoms. But nothing really worked.
Finally, I took some time off to rest (the best medicine) and had some of nature's own medicine: Chicken soup. Made with love from my hubby (as I laid on the couch and watched Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, again.)
I find the power of food to heal and comfort compelling. After all, herbs and spices were the first medicines we used, and many are still used today. Here are some of the food remedies I've employed this week (or were recommended to me:)
1. Chicken Noodle soup
2. Ginger Ale
3. Gatorade (OK so not exactly new-agey, but my doctor DID recommend it)
4. Hot tea
5. Peppermint tea or peppermint oil rubbed on the gums
6. A mixture of hot water, tea, and vinegar (I couldn't bring myself to try this but I'm told it's a miracle cure)
Clearly we all have comforting remedies that make us feel better in times of need.
What are some of yours?
I promise, my posts will involve some actual recipes soon...once I'm feeling better and I can find my camera!
<3
Friday, April 1, 2011
Punjab Paddy
Anyone know that song by Gaelic Storm? Google it, it's hilarious.
Saturday Eric and I had some dear friends over for an adventuresome little meal. We decided to make Indian food. I have a real love of Indian food (my few months as a vegetarian introduced me to this amazing cuisine) but I know it's not for everyone, so we were a little nervous.
El and Mark jumped in with both feet, supplying a great chickpea salad (Recipe, El?)
Eric did not disappoint, making an amazing fried fish with curried red lentils. YUM. I declared it my favorite dish he has ever made (and that is saying something.)
We served it with basmati rice and Naan. I wanted to make the naan but didn't have time. The store bought was delicious anyway.
If you want to get all crazy and make your own Naan, here's a great recipe: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/naan/Detail.aspx
The curried lentils were another AllRecipes recipe, found here: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/red-lentil-curry/Detail.aspx
Next time we'll make the lentils in the Crock Pot to save on time.
Since I don't know where the camera is, here's a stock image of our dish:
Ours looked just that good, I promise.
Now for a fun extra, the lyrics to Punjab Paddy. The story of an Irishman who makes his way to India. Seriously google this song, it's so cute!
I said farewell to Erin, only seven years ago,
When asked where I was headed, I said: “Jaysus, I dunno!?”
I stepped ashore near Bangalore, not a tosser in me hand,
By the time I hit Darjeeling, I was feeling mighty grand!
Refrão:
You can keep your forty shades of green, they only make me blue,
You can stick your eggs and bacon, boys, I’ll have a Vindaloo,
I found a place in India, so far across the foam,
You can call me Punjab Paddy, boys, I’m never comin’ home.
I dreamed I got a letter from me darling Josephine,
She asked me would I marry her, back home in Skibbereen,
But the girls out here have almond eyes and jasmine-scented hair,
And there’s things in the Kama Sutra that they never do in Clare!
So I’ll spend me days relaxing in me Punjab paradise,
No more I’ll dig the praties, I’ll stick to tea and rice.
I’ll be sippin’ mango lassi with the lassies in the shade,
While yer man called Ravi Shankar plays “The Boys of the Oul’ Brigade!”
Refrão:
You can keep your Miltown Malbay, you can chuck yer Galway Bay,
You’ll never see the sun go down on Delhi or Bombay,
I found a place in India, so far across the foam,
You can call me Punjab Paddy, boys, I’m never comin’ home.
From Bohola to Benares, Inchigeela to Lahore
Kamakura, Siliguri, Peshawar, Sahrunapore
Amritsar to Sanawar, Simla, and Pinjore
I got trolleyed on Dewali, and I'm going back for more!
Someday I’ll be a holy man with saffron on me nose,
I’ll shave my head like Gandhi and I’ll never wear no clothes,
To see the Irish Guru, they’ll come from near and far,
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Whiskey in the Jar!
Refrão:
You can keep your Michael Flatley with his tattoos on his chest,
Fare thee well, Sweet Anna Liffey, it’s the Ganges I love best,
I found a place in India so far across the foam,
You can call me Punjab Paddy, boys, I’m never comin’ home,
I’m never comin’ home!
I’m never comin’ home!
Saturday Eric and I had some dear friends over for an adventuresome little meal. We decided to make Indian food. I have a real love of Indian food (my few months as a vegetarian introduced me to this amazing cuisine) but I know it's not for everyone, so we were a little nervous.
El and Mark jumped in with both feet, supplying a great chickpea salad (Recipe, El?)
Eric did not disappoint, making an amazing fried fish with curried red lentils. YUM. I declared it my favorite dish he has ever made (and that is saying something.)
We served it with basmati rice and Naan. I wanted to make the naan but didn't have time. The store bought was delicious anyway.
If you want to get all crazy and make your own Naan, here's a great recipe: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/naan/Detail.aspx
The curried lentils were another AllRecipes recipe, found here: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/red-lentil-curry/Detail.aspx
Next time we'll make the lentils in the Crock Pot to save on time.
Since I don't know where the camera is, here's a stock image of our dish:
Ours looked just that good, I promise.
Now for a fun extra, the lyrics to Punjab Paddy. The story of an Irishman who makes his way to India. Seriously google this song, it's so cute!
I said farewell to Erin, only seven years ago,
When asked where I was headed, I said: “Jaysus, I dunno!?”
I stepped ashore near Bangalore, not a tosser in me hand,
By the time I hit Darjeeling, I was feeling mighty grand!
Refrão:
You can keep your forty shades of green, they only make me blue,
You can stick your eggs and bacon, boys, I’ll have a Vindaloo,
I found a place in India, so far across the foam,
You can call me Punjab Paddy, boys, I’m never comin’ home.
I dreamed I got a letter from me darling Josephine,
She asked me would I marry her, back home in Skibbereen,
But the girls out here have almond eyes and jasmine-scented hair,
And there’s things in the Kama Sutra that they never do in Clare!
So I’ll spend me days relaxing in me Punjab paradise,
No more I’ll dig the praties, I’ll stick to tea and rice.
I’ll be sippin’ mango lassi with the lassies in the shade,
While yer man called Ravi Shankar plays “The Boys of the Oul’ Brigade!”
Refrão:
You can keep your Miltown Malbay, you can chuck yer Galway Bay,
You’ll never see the sun go down on Delhi or Bombay,
I found a place in India, so far across the foam,
You can call me Punjab Paddy, boys, I’m never comin’ home.
From Bohola to Benares, Inchigeela to Lahore
Kamakura, Siliguri, Peshawar, Sahrunapore
Amritsar to Sanawar, Simla, and Pinjore
I got trolleyed on Dewali, and I'm going back for more!
Someday I’ll be a holy man with saffron on me nose,
I’ll shave my head like Gandhi and I’ll never wear no clothes,
To see the Irish Guru, they’ll come from near and far,
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Whiskey in the Jar!
Refrão:
You can keep your Michael Flatley with his tattoos on his chest,
Fare thee well, Sweet Anna Liffey, it’s the Ganges I love best,
I found a place in India so far across the foam,
You can call me Punjab Paddy, boys, I’m never comin’ home,
I’m never comin’ home!
I’m never comin’ home!
Monday, March 28, 2011
What we've been eating
Oh, hi there. I've missed you!
Tonight we had the most delicious, simple meal that inspired me to jump back on the blogging bandwagon. It was just a simple, wholesome, delish meal:
Homemade bread (from my bread maker- bday gift!)
B, L, and T (and a little mayo)
Plus a bonus Caesar salad to boot with legit Caesar dressing from the hub. I'm always amazed at his ability to make a recipe the first time, and really make it his own. Very lucky girl.
Eric's Caesar Dressing
3-4 roasted garlic cloves
2 egg yolks
1/3 c olive oil
dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
The only weird thing is, the bread maker bread is huge. Like, huge. Almost too big for a sandwich. Almost. Luckily, this girl has a healthy appetite, especially when it comes to a BLT.
Hopefully pics to come- can't find my camera AND my phone is broken.
See ya!
Tonight we had the most delicious, simple meal that inspired me to jump back on the blogging bandwagon. It was just a simple, wholesome, delish meal:
Homemade bread (from my bread maker- bday gift!)
B, L, and T (and a little mayo)
Plus a bonus Caesar salad to boot with legit Caesar dressing from the hub. I'm always amazed at his ability to make a recipe the first time, and really make it his own. Very lucky girl.
Eric's Caesar Dressing
3-4 roasted garlic cloves
2 egg yolks
1/3 c olive oil
dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
The only weird thing is, the bread maker bread is huge. Like, huge. Almost too big for a sandwich. Almost. Luckily, this girl has a healthy appetite, especially when it comes to a BLT.
Hopefully pics to come- can't find my camera AND my phone is broken.
See ya!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Hello again!
Well, I've learned that you can burn out on blogging! From now on, I'll be posting on a variety of food-related topics as I fnd the time. I hope I'll find some readers out there to stick with me!
I've been exploring a lot on where my food comes from lately. It is something I often have thought about, and I go through phases of focusing on it a lot. The last time I chose to live on a vegetarian diet for about 5 months. This time, I'm focusing on finding locally grown meat, and dairy that I feel is raised in the best way possible.
Eric and I are not big meat eaters anyway, but I'm consciously looking at reducing the amount of meat I eat in order to buy better quality meat on our budget.
First attempt: Milk and eggs.
Went to a local ice cream store that is known for raising their own dairy. My mom grew up near there, and I had been before. They have a small dairy store on site so I figured I could get milk there. To my surprise I also was able to eggs from a farm down the street. The prices were about 20% more than the grocery store, so again, I was pleasantly surprised.
I went home, fried up an egg, enjoyed a glass of milk. and generally patted myself on the back for being so socially conscious.
Then Monday came. I called the farm that the eggs were raised on, just to get some info. The eggs weren't organic or anything but they were very local, from a neighboring town. I'm not a big subscriber to the labels that regulate food- certified humane, certified organic, etc. Overall I'd rather make the judgement myself on how the food and animals were treated.
So anyway, I got the farm phone number, and called. The very nice woman who answered the phone informed me that this was a "contract farm" (I have not been able to figure out what that means) and the eggs were raised in Amish Country. Pennsylvania.
So... I thought about driving to the farm, but realized that it wouldn't make sense to bother, and chalked it up to experience.
But now my "local, farm fresh eggs" mock me whenever I look in the fridge.
(from http://www.etsy.com/shop/asherjasper)
Have I ever mentioned that eggs are just about my favorite food? I never get sick of the incredible, edible egg.
So anyway, I'm still working on sourcing local, farm fresh eggs from happy chickens.
Coming up:
Sourcing local ingredients
My foray into the CSA (yes that rhymed)
New recipes we've been working on
Books, blogs and podcasts that inspire my food journey
I've been exploring a lot on where my food comes from lately. It is something I often have thought about, and I go through phases of focusing on it a lot. The last time I chose to live on a vegetarian diet for about 5 months. This time, I'm focusing on finding locally grown meat, and dairy that I feel is raised in the best way possible.
Eric and I are not big meat eaters anyway, but I'm consciously looking at reducing the amount of meat I eat in order to buy better quality meat on our budget.
First attempt: Milk and eggs.
Went to a local ice cream store that is known for raising their own dairy. My mom grew up near there, and I had been before. They have a small dairy store on site so I figured I could get milk there. To my surprise I also was able to eggs from a farm down the street. The prices were about 20% more than the grocery store, so again, I was pleasantly surprised.
I went home, fried up an egg, enjoyed a glass of milk. and generally patted myself on the back for being so socially conscious.
Then Monday came. I called the farm that the eggs were raised on, just to get some info. The eggs weren't organic or anything but they were very local, from a neighboring town. I'm not a big subscriber to the labels that regulate food- certified humane, certified organic, etc. Overall I'd rather make the judgement myself on how the food and animals were treated.
So anyway, I got the farm phone number, and called. The very nice woman who answered the phone informed me that this was a "contract farm" (I have not been able to figure out what that means) and the eggs were raised in Amish Country. Pennsylvania.
So... I thought about driving to the farm, but realized that it wouldn't make sense to bother, and chalked it up to experience.
But now my "local, farm fresh eggs" mock me whenever I look in the fridge.
(from http://www.etsy.com/shop/asherjasper)Have I ever mentioned that eggs are just about my favorite food? I never get sick of the incredible, edible egg.
So anyway, I'm still working on sourcing local, farm fresh eggs from happy chickens.
Coming up:
Sourcing local ingredients
My foray into the CSA (yes that rhymed)
New recipes we've been working on
Books, blogs and podcasts that inspire my food journey
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Best. Cookies. Of. All. Time.
OK, I found it!
The BEST COOKIES EVER! (If you like peanut butter)
I love this recipe for a few reasons.
1. It's gluten free, which is great for some of my friends
2. It's ridiculously easy
3. It tastes amazing!
4. Freezes beautifully ;)
The cookies this recipe makes are golden brown on the bottom, uniform, crispy on the edge and soft in the middle. So pretty much the greatest thing ever.
Here it is:
2 c peanut butter
1 1/2 c white sugar
Combine these until smooth (I stirred for about 5 minutes)
Beat in 2 eggs (one at a time)
Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 1 tsp of baking soda, a pinch of salt
Mix well
Form into 1 inch diameter balls. Do that cute crisscross thing with the fork.
Bake 10 or so min in a 350 degree oven.
Seriously, try this one. I froze the batter for Christmas baking, and I plan on doing plenty as gifts because they are definitely impressive!
The BEST COOKIES EVER! (If you like peanut butter)
I love this recipe for a few reasons.
1. It's gluten free, which is great for some of my friends
2. It's ridiculously easy
3. It tastes amazing!
4. Freezes beautifully ;)
The cookies this recipe makes are golden brown on the bottom, uniform, crispy on the edge and soft in the middle. So pretty much the greatest thing ever.
Here it is:
2 c peanut butter
1 1/2 c white sugar
Combine these until smooth (I stirred for about 5 minutes)
Beat in 2 eggs (one at a time)
Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 1 tsp of baking soda, a pinch of salt
Mix well
Form into 1 inch diameter balls. Do that cute crisscross thing with the fork.
Bake 10 or so min in a 350 degree oven.
Seriously, try this one. I froze the batter for Christmas baking, and I plan on doing plenty as gifts because they are definitely impressive!
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