Courtney Likes to Cook

2010-11-28T18:25:00.001-08:00

My meal planning has reached a whole new level of OCD.

Mom's Gourmet Hot Chocolate (and a great project)

2009-11-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Creative Cuts and More Recipe Blog hop. If you came here from Kayla's blog, welcome!! Did you see the super cute picture of her baby in Beavers gear? So cute!! If you did not arrive via Kayla's blog, you might want to start your journey here.

When Terry from Creative Cuts and More approached me about this project, I knew I had to do it (not to mention the fact that my mom was also doing it). You see, I have been bugging my mom and grandma for the last two years about making me a recipe book for Christmas with family recipes in it. Since I cook and scrapbook and believe in preserving family memories, I think passing on family recipes and traditions is very important.
After I recieved the kit, I decided that it will make the perfect gift for my little 18 year old sister who just moved out of our parents house into her own place. Needless to say, she's been calling me a couple of times a month to ask me cooking questions. The recipes I included in this book were relatively easy and inexpensive. I think when you decide on giving someone a recipe book, you should keep these things in mind. This kit from Creative Cuts and More is perfect for a Christmas recipe book. It includes everything you need. Seriously, I only added three brads and used a hole punch and a corner rounder (well a corner chomper and a crop a dile), some adhesive, a paper cutter and a printer. Anyone can do this!I included my recipe for pizza crust (with easy to follow and through instructions). I also included a dinner recipe from my mother and grandmother. The kit from Creative Cuts and More includes the words "Family", "Recipes", "Sweets" and "Dishes". When I started on this project, I knew I had to include my mom's amazing gourmet hot chocolate. It is the perfect treat for a cold rainy day.

Ingrediants
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of cheyenne pepper
cold milk
marshmellows (yes they are vital)

In a microwave safe bowl, mix the chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of milk. Heat in the microwave on high for 30 second increments until the chocolate is melted. Add the cinnamon and pepper and stir. Strain the melted chocolate through a fine mesh screen into a microwave safe cup. Top with cold milk while stirring. Heat in the microwave until nice and warm and top with marshmellows.

I knew I had to find some way to incorportate this little toast guy into my book so I added him to the back. I know that Carly is going to love and appreciate this book, even after she has memorized all the recipes.I would really encourage you to think about making a recipe book for one of your loved ones this year for Christmas. Terry at Creative Cuts and More has two different kits available to purchase here and here. The first one is the kit that I used. Again, these kits come fully packed with everything you will need to make your own recipe book. As a celebration for the two day blog hop, Creative Cuts and More is offering 20% the entire store. Just enter recipebloghop2009 during check out.

As a continuing part of the celebration CC&M will of course give away great gifts. Each day Terry is giving away one kit. Here is the twist – go through the blog hop, leave wonderful comments for the great designers. After you have finished the blog hop, return to Diecut Diva and instead of leaving a comment, you need to share a recipe to have a chance at winning the kit. Share the recipe on your blog and link it back and get another chance to win the kit. Help us also make this a great recipe swap. Also, make sure to check out the Diecut Diva blog tomorrow for the Apron Holiday Treats Recipe Book and blog hop!

To continue on the Treasured Family Recipes blog hop, go to Sharon Harnist's blog next. And yes, that is THE SHARON HARNIST. Holy moly when I saw I was linking to her I knew the pressure was on. She is amazing!!

Psst...

2009-11-08T11:31:00.000-08:00

I'm still alive. I'll be posting something pretty cool tomorrow that involves this:and this:My two favorite hobbies in one happy place.

Meal Planning 7/26-8/6

2009-07-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

Sunday 7/26
Trout with watermelon and salad

Monday 7/27
Orzo pasta salad

Tuesday 7/28
Portland for Clutch Concert

Wednesday 7/29
Grilled Ahi Tuna

Thursday 7/30
Burgers and hot dogs (veggie for me, family in town)

Friday 7/31
Grilled Pizza (family in town still)

Saturday 8/1
Greek Salad

Sunday 8/2
Spaghetti

Monday 8/3
Tuna Melts

Tuesday 8/4
Falafels

Wednesday 8/5
Grilled veggies and salad

Thursday 8/6
Grilled Salmon

Garden Update 7/26/2009

2009-07-26T16:10:00.000-07:00

Holy hell it's hot here in Eugene. The only positive that I can think of is that this heat wave should turn a bunch of my tomatoes by the end of the week. It's still not comforting. Anyway, here are the pictures.

Pesto Salmon

2009-07-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

This is easy, way too easy and yet it tastes SO very good.

Ingredients
Salmon fillet (We love Trader Joe's frozen salmon)
Pesto
Tomatoes

Place a salmon fillet skin side down (if there is skin) on an oiled cookie sheet. Spread a layer of pesto over the salmon and top with fresh sliced tomatoes. Cook in an oven preheated to 375* until the salmon flakes, about 25-30 minutes.

Cold Orzo Pasta Salad

2009-07-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

What a great and healthy pasta salad! This is such a yummy alternative to a mayonnaise laden potato or macaroni salad. You can really adjust whatever mix ins you like. I wanted a Mediterranean feel, so I based the ingredients I added on that.Ingredients
Orzo pasta
Feta cheese
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Fresh herbs such as dill and oregano
Mix in veggies (I used cucumbers, tomatoes and canned artichokes in water)

Cook the orzo pasta until tender and drain. While the pasta is still warm mix in the feta cheese to let it slightly cream. Add the remaining ingredients mixing as you go. I try for a 1:1 vinegar to oil ratio and start with around two tablespoons each. The first time I made this salad, the pasta definitely dominated, the second time I really added a bunch more veggies! I think I liked it better with the additional vegetables.

I'll have a recipe for salmon tomorrow. Promise!

Baba Ganoush

2009-07-16T20:45:00.000-07:00

Prior to this, I had never really tried eggplant. I always considered it mushy and bland. Turns out those qualities are perfect for this blended dip.

Ingredients
2 large eggplants
1/2 cup tahini
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 large lemon, juiced
4-6 cloves of garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
half bunch of parsley or cilantro
couple fresh basil leaves

Begin by roasting the eggplants in the oven. Turn the oven onto broil and let preheat. Prick the eggplant with a fork and then place on a cookie sheet. Put in the oven with the eggplants 2 inches from the top of the oven (where the heat from the broiler comes). Let broil for 15 minutes and turn and cook for about 10 more minutes. Allow the eggplants to cool.

After roasting the eggplants in the oven and cooling, they are relatively easy to skin. Cut them in half and scoop out the flesh with a large spoon, placing directly in a bender (or food processor). From there add all of the other ingredients. Blend until semi-smooth. Serve with cucumbers, peppers and pita slices.

Meal Planning 7/12-7/23

2009-07-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

Sunday 7/12
Grilled Vegetables and Orzo Salad

Monday 7/13
Ahi Tuna

Tuesday 7/14
Feta and Chickpea Salad

Wednesday 7/15
Grilled Veggies and Salad

Thursday 7/16
Bean and Rice Burritos

Friday 7/17
Homemade Grill Pizza

Saturday 7/18
Wedding in Portland

Sunday 7/19
Grilled Shrimp and Salad

Monday 7/20
Spaghetti

Tuesday 7/21
Tuna Melts

Wednesday 7/22
Orzo Pasta Salad

Thursday 7/23
Greek Salad

Palak Paneer Kofta Curry (Indian Spinach Balls with Curry)

2009-07-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

Another great Indian recipe under my belt. This one turned out really good. It was different, something I've never tried before, but it was fantastic.

Ingredients
Paneer
2 handfuls chopped spinach
1/2 bunch of parsley
3/4 cups bread crumbs
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
Tomato curry sauce

Wilt the spinach in a sauce pan with a little bit of olive oil over medium high heat. Once it is nice and soft, combine half of it with the paneer, bread crumbs, cumin, salt, egg, and parsley in either a blender or food processor. Blend until all off the ingredients are roughly combined and holding their shape.
Form the mixture into balls. It will be very sticky.
In a saute pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Fry the balls on each side until they are nice and brown. Drain on either paper towels or paper bags.

Take the other half of the wilted spinach and blend with the tomato curry sauce. Heat either in the microwave or over the stove top and add in the spinach paneer balls and stir gently.

Serve with or without rice and a small spoonful of Greek yogurt.

Paneer aka Indian Cottage Cheese

2009-07-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

I made cheese. Like on my stove in my house. I never really thought that I would make my own cheese, but when I found a new Indian recipe that called for paneer and I knew it wouldn't be easy to find, I decided to give it a try.

This entire process is actually really easy. It needs to be refrigerated for 2 hours, so plan your meals accordingly.
Ingredients
4 cups whole milk
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon

In a medium sauce pan heat whole milk over medium high heat until the barely begins to simmer. Turn the heat to medium low and add in the lemon juice 1/4 tablespoon at a time while constantly stirring. When the milk fully curdles, remove from heat and cover for 3-4 minutes. Drain in a colander lined with cheese cloth. Wring out the cheese while running cold water over the ball.

Once the cheese has been all wrung out, press the cheese into a shallow dish and weight it down. I pressed it into a pie dish and weighed it down with a metal pie dish and beans. I was a little worried about the metal reacting with the cheese so I lined it with plastic wrap.

Refridgerate the cheese and then use as a recipe calls.

I will be sharing a great recipe tomorrow using the homemade paneer!!

Preservation: Cherries

2009-07-05T15:19:00.001-07:00

I called my grandma yesterday, which is something I do pretty rarely. I was asking her a question about drying cherries and she was shocked that I was doing something so "homemakery". It always makes me laugh to myself when she says something like that, because my motivations behind preserving food are much different then hers ever were. Basically, it comes down to the fact that I like to know where my food came from and want went into making it. The fact that it's less expensive is just a perk.

Last week, I went to the home of a nurse that I work with because she had two big cherry trees (Bing and Queen Anne) that were loaded with cherries. I took a five gallon bucket and filled it half way. Afterward, Jon and I pitted them all (yes Renee I got a cherry pitter) and froze them. I knew that I wanted to dehydrate them for granola bars, but at the time I didn't have a dehydrator. I have been stalking Craigslist for a couple of days waiting for one to pop up. Finally one did. This food dehydrator was listed for $15, when I got to the women's house, she explained to me that it was her mother in laws, who had passed away. Much of it was still in plastic. Unfortunately, there were two small chips in two of the trays. I pointed them out to the lady, so she asked if I would take it for $10. I was more then willing because three of the five trays could still be used. After getting it put together, I realized that the chips really didn't make a difference in the functionality of the machine.
Last night I immediately started one of my bags of cherries that were in the freezer. We let them dehydrate for around 10 hours.
These little dried cherries were so good and they don't have any added sugar. I can't wait to dehydrate more of the fruits of the season.

Benefits of dehydration include:

No chemicals necessary
No addition of more sugar necessary
It's an easy preservation method. No canning involved!
The end product takes up very little space and has a long shelf life (although I don't think they are going to last very long around here!)
You can buy in season, saving money and being more environmentally conscious.

Curried Eggs

2009-07-01T21:10:00.001-07:00

The always inevitable question asked to non-meat eaters is where do you get the protein in your diet. It seems that when talking about what I eat, I am continuously getting asked that question. My usual reply when I'm feeling catty, is who told you how much protein you should be eating and who pays them? If I'm not feeling catty, I usually reply, eggs, beans and lentils.

The protein found in eggs is biologically empirical to that found in any other natural food. Eggs are low in calories and packed with vitamins that non-meat eaters are missing in their diets.

I am very fortunate that I am able to purchase eggs from a coworker of mine that has laying hens. The eggs that I get from her are SO amazingly wonderful. They are perfect on their own, poached with a slice of toast. They make a perfect accompaniment to this dish.
Take the basic tomato curry sauce and if you are reheating it, bring it to a simmer over medium high heat. Add in the eggs one at a time. Tip: When trying to maintain a solid yoke, crack into a small bowl and then slide into whatever you are making. Cover and let poach in the sauce for 2-4 minutes or until the yokes have reached the desired consistency. Serve the egg with a little sauce over a bed of brown Basmati rice.Another option for the recipe is to add hard boiled eggs to the curry sauce and let simmer gently until the eggs are heated through. Serve sliced eggs and sauce over brown rice.

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Website Share

2009-06-30T11:11:00.001-07:00

Jon and I are headed up to Portland after work today for a concert. Here is a website to keep you occupied until tomorrow!

What's On My Food?

Basic Tomato Curry

2009-06-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

This weeks set up is going to be a little different. Today I'm going to show you a basic tomato curry sauce and then on Wednesday and Friday I will show you two different dishes you can make with the sauce. Hope you enjoy!

Up until about two years ago I always said that I didn't like curry. I remember going to a restraurant in Boise called Mai Tai and I would always ask the waiter tons of questions because I didn't want a dish with curry in it. Now if I had to guess, I would probably estimate that I make at least one Indian dish a week that has curry spices incorporated.

I think prior to starting to cook dishes with Asian/Indian influences I would always equate curry with hot spices. In fact, curry can be interpreted many different ways. Typically curried dishes are really just heavily spiced dishes. I hardly ever use actual curry powder in my cooking because all of the other seasonings that I add to my dish make up the "curry".

Typical spices used in a standard curry can vary but usually include: cumin, turmeric, garlic, ginger, coriander and chili powder. It can be a wide range of these spices (it can also eliminate some of these spices) and may also include other spices. It all depends on the curry recipe you are referring to.

This tomato curry recipe is so very good. It's a great standard dish because it's a little bit spicy but you can easily mellow it out with the items you pair it with and the amount of coconut milk that you add in at the end. I imagine this sauce freezes pretty well.

Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, separated
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
Medium onion, diced
2 cans diced tomatoes (I used some from Trader Joe's with the green chilies)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup lite coconut milk

In a large sauce pan heat a generous drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add one teaspoon of the cumin and stir into the olive oil. Once the cumin starts to smell, add in the onion and garlic and cook until they become fragrant. Then add in the two cans of diced tomatoes and turn the heat down to medium. Cook the tomatoes until the soften and add in the remaining cumin and the chili powder. Stir to combine. After the tomatoes are cooked and the sauce has simmered down, turn the heat to medium low and add in the coconut milk. Bring to a slight simmer and then turn off the heat.

If you want to serve your tomato curry without any add ins it's great over rice. On Wednesday I will show you a very quick alternative that provides lots of protein and on Friday I'll show you a green twist.

Meal Planning 6/28 - 7/9

2009-06-28T12:24:00.000-07:00

Sunday 6/28
Gnocchi with Spinach and Beans

Monday 6/29
Ahi Tuna

Tuesday 6/30
Portland for a concert

Wednesday 7/1
Spaghetti

Thursday 7/2
Falafels with Tzatziki

Friday 7/3
Pizza

Saturday 7/4
Happy Independence Day! BBQ with friends

Sunday 7/5
Baba Ganoush and Hummus with cucumbers and pitas

Monday 7/6
Palak Paneer Kofta Curry

Tuesday 7/7
Pesto Pasta

Wednesday 7/8
Salmon with pesto

Thursday 7/9
Tuna Melts

Homemade Pretzels

2009-06-27T21:41:00.000-07:00

It's been a rough week. Today I found the solution to the depression that has been with me all this last week. It comes in the form of homemade pretzels.Actually I think it's an entire day worth of enjoyable activities. First was the farmers market, then it was cleaning kitchen while listening to Mr. Ben Folds and then a couple of episodes of Weeds. The pretzels were just the largest climax of the day.These pretzels are so good and easy. They would be great to make with kids, at least the rolling part. You can top then with a wide variety of toppings and you could have many different dipping sauces for them too.

Ingredients
2 cups flour (I used about 1 1/3 cups all purpose white and 2/3 cup whole wheat)
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
Salt or other toppings for sprinkling

In your mixer bowl, add the warm water, yeast and honey. Stir until the honey has dissolved and let proof for 10 minutes or until the yeast has become activated (you can tell because the water/yeast will be foamy). In a separate bowl, combine the flours and salt. Slowly add it to the water and yeast mixture and mix with the paddle attachment on your mixer.

When the dough has pulled away from the sides of the mixer and is all mixed in, switch to the hook attachment and knead for 4 minutes. Once it is kneaded, place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a hot damp wash cloth or towel. Let stand and rise for 90 minutes, punching the dough down once after 45 minutes.

After the second rise comes the rolling. Place the dough on a well floured surface. Using either a sharp kitchen knife, cut off a small chunk of dough and start rolling into a snake like shape until it's about a quarter of an inch in diameter. Then form them into pretzels. Jon did this part and he made them about the size of a fifty cent piece and they didn't have holes. I made one that was much larger and it wasn't nearly as good. The smaller ones were the best.

Fill a large stock pot with water and the baking soda and bring to a rapid bowl. Add the shaped pretzels and boil for 30 seconds each. When they are finished boiling, place on an oiled cookie sheet or Pyrex baker. Sprinkle with whatever topping you want. We used sea salt on half and cinnamon and sugar on the other half.

Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 425* for 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Homemade Falafel

2009-06-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago Jon and I were sitting in the living room watching Sandra Lee on the cooking network. She was making falafels and Jon said that I should really try making them at some point in time. I think I look at him like he was crazy. I had never even tasted falafels before, how the heck did he think I was going to be able to make them?

This is the strange thing about Jon though, he has this unquivering faith in my cooking. Such a strong faith, that I'm always almost tempted to make something horrible and feed it to him just to mix things up a little bit. With Jon's urging I decided to give falafels a go. I found a recipe online and did some adjusting according to my taste.

I'll be honest with you all, half way through this recipe I said to myself, I'm sure as hell not making these things again. They can't be that good. Oh but I was wrong. After the first bite I was trying to decide if it would be uncool to have them for dinner again the next night. They are that good. I would definately try to make these a weekend recipe or on a night when you know that you are going to have some extra time.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon Cheyenne pepper (adjust to heat)
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
6-8 tablespoons flour
Soybean or vegetable oil for frying

Add the cooked chickpeas*, onion, parsley, salt, Cheyenne pepper, garlic, cumin and baking powder to either a blender or a food processor. If you are using a blender you will probably have to blend in batches (this is probably what frusterated me so much about this recipe, about the same time I was swearing I was never going to make falafels again, I told Jon I needed a food processor). Blend or process until it is about the consistancy of hamburger. If you are using a blender you will probably need to add a little bit of water to each batch to help the processing.

Once everything is blended, mix in the flour. I used whole wheat flour. You will need enough flour to keep the dough from falling apart. The first ball I attempted didn't have enough flour so I added more. The original recipe called for 4-6 tablespoons and I easily added 8 to mine. After stirring in the flour, form the dough into golf ball sized balls and mush to resemble a patty.

In either a skillet with high sides or a wok, heat your oil to medium high for frying. You want about a half an inch of oil. Gently lower your first falafel into the oil and fry for about 1.5 minutes and flip to the other side and do the same. After each side is cooked to a nice golden brown remove from the oil and drain on either paper towels or paper bags.

Serve on a pita with tzatziki sauce and your choice of veggies.

*I cook up a large amount of chickpeas in advance and then freezing them in two cup servings. I actually do this will black beans too.

Product Review: Nike + Sport Kit

2009-06-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

I've been having a really hard time trying to find the motivation to work out lately. Jon and I have a gym membership and bikes and the weather has been beautiful lately, but it's just so difficult once I get home to get moving again. Last week I read a couple of reviews of the Nike + Sport Kit and decided to check it out.

This product retails for $29 (at the Nike store) and is compatible with iPod Nanos and iPod Touches. Make sure to check with the retailer to make sure you are getting the one that is compatible with your equipment. Nike sells special shoes that have an insert for the sensor, but I just tuck it securely into my shoelaces and swing my leg around a couple of times to make sure it's nice and snug. There are also devices available to attach to your shoelaces to hold the sensor in place. Since I'm not a runner and use the device to track my walking, I think tucking it into my shoelaces is adequate.

Once you have it in place and have the transmitter plugged into your iPod you are good to go. You can do a timed work out, distance based work out, calorie burner or just basic work out. If you plug in your weight it will calculate the amount of calories that you burn (this doesn't take into consideration hill climbing, etc.). You are able to listen to music or you can set it to give you reminders throughout your workout.

After your walk and/or run, you can upload all your information to Nike's website and it will track all your workouts for you. You can see over on the right I have added a widget to show how much I've been walking.

I think this is a great motivational tool. I originally set a goal to walk 10 additional miles a week (separate from what I walk everyday) and quickly realized that I would be able to clear that goal too easily so I have upped it to 15 additional miles per week. This little product makes tracking and goal making much easier!

Quicky: Tzatziki Sauce

2009-06-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I procrastinated making homemade tzatziki and falafels for so long. This was one of the best dinners Jon and I have had in a long time. I'll show you the falafel ball recipe on Wednesday, but here is a quick and yummy tzatziki sauce. This goes great with toasted pitas too if you don't have time to make the falafel balls.

Ingrediants
Lowfat Greek Style Yogurt
Lemon Juice
Garlic
Mint
Dill (some people use one or the other, I have both in my garden so I used both)
Finely Diced Cucumber
Salt and Pepper

Place about two cups of Greek yogurt into a small bowl. Add the juice of half a large lemon, 2 garlic cloves (less if you don't love garlic) that have been either finely minced or ran through a garlic press, one small bunch of mint sliced into ribbons and one small bunch of dill chopped. Peel and finely slice a cucumber, you can also seed and grate if you don't want the chunky texture. Add to the yogurt and stir to combine. Taste from here and salt and pepper to your preferences. Sauce is best after about an hour in the refridgerator.

Cooking with the Senses: Thai Inspired Pasta

2009-06-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is a super easy and customizable dish. Perfect for a weeknight meal when you are craving something different then regular spaghetti.
Heat water in a large pan for fettuccine noodles and cook those until they are barely cooked. They will finish cooking in the sauce.

In a large saute pan, heat a good drizzle of olive oil over medium high heat. Add in a chopped up onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. The amounts of these items are to taste. I used one small spring onion, two large garlic cloves (next time I will use more garlic) and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (next time I will use more). Heat until these items become fragrant.

Once heated through, add in a large can of diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes that have been slightly pureed. After the tomatoes add your herbs. I used fresh basil and oregano. Remember when using fresh herbs you will want to use more then if you are using dried herbs.

When the sauce starts to simmer, add in a can of lite coconut milk and stir to combine. Add in the very al dante noodles and coat with the sauce. Allow the noodles to finish cooking in the sauce and serve.

I'll be honest, this recipe was a little bland, but the flavors were good. I think that next time once I add more garlic and red pepper in the beginning it will be really good.

Garden Update 6/18

2009-06-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

Did I mention I will have a ton of tomatoes?? You can also see our currently empty 4x4 bed. This will have cantelope, onions and probably some more basil in it.
Here is our new 18"x6' bed. It is home to cucumbers, nasturtiums and dill.
I love baby tomatoes! I'm hoping for a couple of hot days in a row because I know they are just so ready to turn!
Squash.Peppers.A view from the back.

Cherry Dark Chocolate Breakfast Bars

2009-06-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

This recipe is loosely adapted from here.

Because of the soy protein isolate in Luna bars I have really felt guilty about eating them in the mornings for breakfast. I'm so happy I tried this recipe for healthy and natural granola bars. They are fantastic and very easy to customize the ingredients for your family.These are also relatively inexpensive to make and I doubled the recipe so that I would have enough to eat for breakfast throughout the week. Check at health food stores to see if you can get the majority of the ingredients in the bulk section.

Wet Ingredients
4 tablespoons natural chunky peanut butter
3 tablespoons honey
3 1/2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Dry Ingredients
1 1/2 cups puffed wheat/rice/kamut cereal
1/2 cup bran buds/grape nuts
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup salted sunflower seeds
Cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 325*. If you aren't doubling the recipe, use a 8x8 or 9x9 pan and spray it with cooking spray. I lined the bottom and sides with wax paper, but it stuck to the bars really bad, so next time I will just spray it all really good. If you are doubling the recipe, use a large jelly roll pan.

Bring a medium sauce pan to heat over medium high. Add the wet ingredients and cook until they are all melted.

In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients and sprinkle with cinnamon. Stir together. Once all the wet ingredients have melted and combined pour them over the dry ingredients and mix, trying to incorporate all the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Once everything is combined, dump it into the pan and press down using wax paper so that it doesn't stick to your hands. Place it into the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the top starts to brown.

These really are great homemade all natural granola bars. I think they will be perfect for breakfast with a banana every morning.

Treating the Problems

2009-06-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

Since the diagnoses of PCOS and dealing with irregular menstral cycles as well as PMDD, I have done quite a bit of research concerning ways to treat these problems without the use of synthetic hormones like birth control. With the help of two different nurse practioners I have learned so much and I'm finally excited to be taking control of my health in as natural of a way as possible.

I have decided to share the treatment plan that I have taken in hopes that maybe it will help someone else in their search for homeopathic treatment of both PCOS and PMDD. Please know that I'm not a health care professional, I just know what I have done and that I feel so much better when I am actively taking these steps. Also, natural medicine works better for me, I know that it's not for everyone.

Diet

I try and eat lots of whole grains, fruits and vegetables as well as healthy proteins. Also, I have chosen to stop eating meat because of the hormones found in beef, poultry and pork. I made this decision at the same time that I got my lab results and was also reading The Omnivore's Dilemma. I haven't eaten meat since the beginning of March, and frankly, I don't miss it (well except bacon, sometimes I miss bacon). I eat fish about 2-3 times a week. I also avoid soy products because research has shown that soy products increase the levels of estrogen. This includes synthetic meats since most of them have soy products. I try to drink lots of water everyday as well.

Jon and I both make a strong effort to try to eat as organically as possible. It's not always easy (or cheap) but by attempting to shop local and in season, we have been able to eat approximently 70% organically.

Changing my eating habits has been the most drastic change in my health treatment plan. I think it is also the most challenged by the general public (friends and family) as well. Fortunately, I live in a town that is really progressive in the food revolution.

Excersize

To be honest, I'm not very good at this one. I have been making an effort to take walks at work during my breaks and at lunch. I also try and go bike riding or on walks with Jon in the evenings too. I know that this is important, but it's just so hard sometimes! My goal on my health plan is to excersize for 30 minutes a day.

Mindfulness

Yoga as much as possible. Again, this is another one that I'm not the greatest at. I try and do yoga every night, but haven't been maintaining that lately. What is silly is that I absolutely love yoga so it shouldn't be a chore to do it.

Deep breathing daily before and after bed and anytime I catch myself holding my breath.

I also do a 30 second sensory check in where I take a brief break and check in with all my senses.

Supplements

This one is long! I bought a multi pack from Costco and add in a couple of vitamins to that multipack. These are the vitamins that I make a point to take every night.

Vitamin D3 5000 IU's- There has been an abundance of research in the last couple of months about the benefits of vitamin D. Since I live in the pacific northwest the sun isn't always shinning and my last bloodwork indicated a vitamin D deficiancy. Vitamin D is an accumulative vitamin so it's important to have your levels checked often.

Calcium 1000 mg

Magnesium 500 mg

Complex B Vitamin- Vitamins B6 and B12 have been shown to increase energy levels and help in weight loss.

Daily Multi Vitamin

Omega 3 Complex (fish oil)- Has been shown to help elevate mood levels and maintain a healthy heart.

Vitamin E

Primrose Oil- I take Primrose oil three times a day, starting two days before my menstral cycle and I use it up to two days after starting my menstral cycle. Of all the supplements that I take, this is the one that I physically think helps the most. It has really helped both my phsyical and mental health during my period.

Hormone Balance

Used to specifically balence my hormones, I use a prescription ointment called Procheive that is a bio-identical form of progestrone. I also drink 2-4 cups of spearmint tea, which has been shown to significantly reduce testostrone levels (Google it, the studies are actually really interesting!!).

I try and avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, drugs and convenience foods.

I hope this helps someone in the future and I also hope that it has explained some of my unconventional decisions that I have made regarding my health. If you have questions please feel free to e-mail me or post a comment here!

Meal Planning 101

2009-06-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

Quite a few of my friends have been commenting on my love for meal planning. I always tell them that it really is easy, and just a little work on the weekends (or whenever you have time) will save you so much heartache and headache during the week. Also, meal planning will ensure that you are saving money by not taking last minute trips to the grocery store and your family will also be eating healthier because having a plan will eliminate and/or reduce your trips out to eat.

Jon and I have a very comfortable routine. We always do one big grocery trip on pay day weekends. Both of us have also made a commitment to only eat out once a pay period (we do make some exceptions) so we usually eat out someplace nice on pay day. By doing this, it really makes us look forward to eating out, and it's treated like a special occasion and gives us something to really look forward to. Because we only really grocery shop once every two weeks, I meal plan two weeks at a time. This way, I can purchase all the non perishable items in one big grocery trip. We usually do a "booster" trip to the store on our off weekends and I also go to the farmers market pretty much every week.

Now that I have explained our routine, I'll give you some beginner meal planning tips.

Meal Planning For Beginners

Make a list of recipes that you know that your family enjoys that you know how to cook. Think of as many of them as you can and then rate them 1 - 3. 1 being difficult and 3 being easy. Keep in mind these don't all have to be full on meals that you cook from scratch. You can incorporate easy meals that you know your family will eat. Here are some examples: Poor Mans Spaghetti (bottled sauce, hamburger meat and pasta) 3, Tuna Melts 3, Fajitas 2, Tacos 2, Enchiladas 1.
Make a list of recipes that you don't know how to cook, but that your family enjoys eating at restaurants or other people's homes. Find recipes for these items online using Google. Check the reviews of the recipes to see if they are good. That's a really good way to see if the recipe is good. Rate these recipes the same way you did above.
Map out your week. Write down days Sunday through Saturday (or however long you want to meal plan at once). If you have anything going on during these days, make sure you note it on your meal planning calendar.
Now plot out your meals. When planning out the meals I try to keep two things in mind. I want easier meals on nights when I know that I don't feel like cooking. I also plot out meals that Jon can cook on these nights. My I don't feel like cooking nights are typically Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I'm sure everyone is different. You will see on my meal plans that I usually have easier meals on these nights. Next, and this one is kinda dorky, I try and make my meal plan "flow." So I try and make sure that we don't have pasta two nights in a row. I also try to incorporate recipes we don't eat very often with recipes we do. It's always tempting to make the first week really good and then leave all my go to recipes for the next week. Even though I say that I try and do this, you will probably notice in my meal planning that spaghetti and tuna melts are always somewhere on the second week.
Once you have all your meals planned out make your grocery list according to your meal plan. If you are meal planning for two weeks at a time, make sure you remember that most perishable items are not going to last for a week and a half.

Here are a couple suggestions regarding cooking and meal planning throughout the week:

Make more! If you are making something you know your family likes, make extra and freeze it for later. Also, if you make a big pan of something and know that your family isnt' going to eat it all, freeze it! Since it's just me and Jon, I will divide something like lasagna up into a couple days of lunches worth and then portion and freeze the rest. This works well with pizza dough, spaghetti sauce, pesto, lasagna, pasta sauce, enchiladas and soups. Most things freeze well and that way everything is done for the next time you want to have it. This will cut down on prep time significantly. When freezing just make sure that everything is clearly labeled with what it is and when you put it in the freezer. To save on space I use small ziploc sandwich bags for liquid items and lay them down flat in the freezer.
If you have energy one night, use it to prep items for the next night. I always find one night during the week that I can make pizza dough. It stays good in the fridge for three days, so as long as I get it done sometime during the week I'm good to go. Anytime you can do this, it will make it easier the next night when you might be tired.
Don't get down on yourself if you don't follow your meal plan exactly. Sometimes I get cravings for something else, so I just switch around the days. Other times I'm lazy and will just eat leftovers or something from the freezer. The meal plan is a guideline, not a law to follow.
Schedule leftover nights. If you are cooking on a regular basis, you will have leftovers for lunchs and dinners. The other option is don't schedule leftover nights and then you know that you have leftovers to fall back on if you don't feel like cooking.

I know that I have mentioned to quite a few of my friends that meal planning has seriously elliminated so much stress from my life. Before, Jon and I would never know what to eat, and I would get frusterated with him and he with me, and we would end up eating something not great for you. I can not imagine not meal planning if I had kids. I post our hand written meal plan on the fridge so we always know what we are having for dinner that night.

I hope this post has helped some of you "get" meal planning. If you have any questions post them in the comments section and I will try to get them answered.

Meal Planning 6/14-6/25

2009-06-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

Sunday 6/12
Falafel with Tzatziki Sauce

Monday 6/13
Seared Ahi Tuna

Tuesday 6/14
Salad

Wednesday 6/15
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Thursday 6/18
Shrimp Fajitas

Friday 6/19
Homemade Pizza

Saturday 6/20
Dal Makhani

Sunday 6/21
Stuffed Peppers

Monday 6/22
Tuna Melts

Tuesday 6/23
Spaghetti

Wednesday 6/24
Pesto Pasta

Thursday 6/25
Salmon with Pesto and Tomatoes

Cooking With The Senses: Red Pepper and Garlic Hummus

2009-06-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

Cooking With The Senses is a Friday feature that encourages you to make a dish yours by adjusting the ingrediants and amounts to meet your tastes. These recipes are more like guidlines to whatever it is that you are making. By changing and/or adding different things that you think taste good or would compliment the basic recipe you are making it yours. I try to encourage people to do this, because by cooking with your senses you get a strong understanding of what sort of flavors compliment eachother and what kind of spices and ingrediants your family enjoys. If you use any of these recipes, please share them in the comments. I'm still learning right along with you!
There is absolutely nothing like homemade hummus fresh from the blender. This recipe is loosely adapted from this recipe from Food Network. Throughout the recipe I will suggest areas where adjustments to the recipe can be changed to better suit your tastes.

The night before you want to make the hummus, soak dried garbanzo beans over night in a large pot. Fill the pan with water until the beans are covered with 2 inches of water. The next day, drain the beans and rinse them, removing any odd looking beans or little pebbles you might find. Place them back in the pot and cover with about 1/2 inch of water. Bring to a rapid boil on the stove and then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook the beans for approximately 45 minutes to an hour or until the beans are tender. Drain any remaining water from the beans.

In a medium saute pan, heat a swirl of olive oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add in coarsely chopped red peppers. I used 1 medium size red pepper, feel free to adjust by adding more or less red pepper. Also add in garlic to the saute pan. I used six large garlic cloves because I really like garlic. If you like less garlic or more garlic, adjust to taste. Remember make this your hummus. Saute the red pepper and the garlic until they both become fragrant.

In a food processor or blender, add the red peppers and garlic. From there add 1/4 a cup of tahini (ground sesame found in the peanut butter isle of the store) and lemon juice. I used the juice from two small lemons, adjust to taste. Blend together thoroughly. Begin adding in the cooked garbanzo beans 1/2 cup at a time while the blender is going. Keep adding garbanzo beans until the hummus reaches the desired consistancy. At the very end, salt to taste.

This was a really easy and protein rich dish to make. Before blending, add in any sort of additions you think you would like. Think of different combinations that you can create. Spinach feta hummus and roasted garlic hummus are both on my list of things to try.

Ricotta Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil Al Forno

2009-06-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is such a fantastic and really easy dish. It can be made in advance and cooked the day of serving. It can also be cooked and frozen for easy lunches. It keeps well in the fridge and reheats beautifully! This dish is also a great alternative to lasagna and is much easier then the traditional recipe. I really hope that you try it.

Ingredients
1 pound whole wheat penne, spiral or ziti pasta
1 cup ricotta cheese (Tip: check calories between regular and low fat, many times they are nearly the same and the fat in milk products helps greatly with vitamin absorption)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
5 garlic cloves
1 shallot
1 14-ounce can of stewed tomatoes with basil
1/4 cup fresh basil (more if the tomatoes do not have basil)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (if you are using dried herbs adjust amounts)
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella
Olive oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until barely tender and drain.

While cooking the pasta, heat a large skillet over a high heat and two swirls of olive oil around the bottom of the pan. After the oil has heated, turn the heat to medium high and add the shallot finely diced and garlic cloves that have been ran through a garlic press. Saute until the shallots are translucent. Add the stewed tomatoes. Cook tomatoes and break up with the tip of a wooden spoon. Add in the oregano and thyme. If your stewed tomatoes don't have basil, add basil to the sauce as well. Cook until the moisture from the tomatoes has significantly reduced and the tomatoes have been broken into small pieces.

In the empty pot that was used to cook the pasta, add in the butter, half the Parmesan cheese, ricotta, and shredded mozzarella cheese, stir to combine. Add in the cooked pasta and toss with the cheese.

Coat a 10x12 glass casserole dish with cooking spray. Add in the pasta coated with the cheese, then the tomato sauce. Place basil that has been coarsely chopped on top of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top, and add the balls of mozzarella.

Place into a 375* oven and cook until the cheese has melted and slightly browned (25-30 minutes).

Diagnosis: PCOS

2009-06-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

When I went to Boise to visit my family and see my little sister graduate from high school, I heard lots of comments about my lifestyle that I have been eating. After I started this blog, I really wanted to get my "health" story out there and the comments from my family questioning my diet presented the perfect reason to explain my decisions. Since I don't want to seem like I'm on a high horse, I feel that my blog is the perfect sound board for these explanations. Here is my story.

Several years ago I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Overy Syndrome). At that point in time I was treated with Advandament, which is a prescription drug meant to level out your insulin levels. I wasn't given that much information concerning PCOS when I was first diagnosed, and eventually I got bored with dealing with it and stopped taking the medication.

Fast forward over two years later. I started seeing a Nurse Practioner for some psychiatric issues. I had been diagnosed with a variety of problems prior to meeting with Tayna. We worked on my problems and tried a couple of different routes when Tayna decided to have me start tracking my moods in accordance with my menstral cycles. It was almost immediately apparent that my depression were completely in sync with my menstral cycles. What had once been diagnosed as bi-polar disorder is now diagnosed as Premenstral Disphoric Disorder.

From this diagnosis, Tayna encouraged me to further explore the physical problems that I had in relation to a possible hormone embalance. Through testing, it was once again determined that I have PCOS and also have increased levels of Testostrone.

Because of these diagnoses' I have made small steps and some large steps to change my lifestyle. I will talk about those next week.

Quicky: Roasted Cauliflower

2009-06-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Mondays will be for quick and easy recipes. Typically there won't be an exact recipe with measurements and everything, but more of easy guidelines to follow.

Have I mentioned that I will eat pretty much any veggie that has been roasted? I've always been a fan of cauliflower, but this is the best way I've had it so far! Crisp and tasty!!

Ingredients
Cauliflower
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Chop up or snap the cauliflower into tiny pieces. Place on a cookie sheet and toss with a light drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until edges begin to brown in a 425* oven.

Technacalities

2009-06-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

While Jon and I were on vacation I did some thinking about how to better organize this little blog of mine. So far I've really enjoyed having it but I want to create a better focus and also write a little about why I make the health decisions that I do.

I've decided to run the blog on a loose schedule. Some of the information will be irrelevant to many readers, but I feel that the things that I want to share might help people with the same problems that I have had. Here is the schedule.

Mondays: Quicky Recipe
Tuesdays: Book Review and/or Health Check/Information
Wednesdays: Traditional Recipe
Thursdays: Garden Update
Fridays: Cooking With the Senses
Every other Sunday: Meal Planning

This week I will be going further into each category on the corresponding days. I'm really excited to start sharing some of these features and I hope that if you have any questions you post them in the comments!! Here's to a new week!

Garden Update 6/4/09

2009-06-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

I was so stressed out on our trip to Boise that I was going to come home to dead plants. Luckily my neighbor totally rocks. We came home to HUGE plants. Here are the most recent pictures.
Yes I still don't have my cucumbers in the ground. Hopefully they will get their this weekend after we are back from the coast.

Funny story, I kinda started panicking last night when I was out hanging with the tomatoes. I thought to myself, holy shit, we are going to have a ton of tomatoes. I'm really trying to plan ahead so that I'm not overwhelmed by the volume that I know we are going to get.

Our tomatillos really took off in the hot weather we had while we were gone. I need to go through and thin them out, but they all look pretty healthy right now.
And this, this was just wonderful. Our first harvest of broccoli and it was SO extremely good. I just barely steamed it and added some pepper and it was seriously the most tender broccoli I have ever had. So yummy.

Garden Update 5/25/2009

2009-05-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

My garden is getting so big! We have been harvesting salads from it for a while now, and two weeks ago I got my first strawberries. I'm really hoping to have broccoli in the next couple of weeks. Here are the pictures!

Here are the broccoli and cauliflower. It's now to the point that you can tell which is which! The broccoli plants all have little baby broccoli heads on them.
This is our salad bowl. Our salad is quite large right now because I'm waiting to harvest it right before we leave to my parents house in Idaho. I'm pretty excited to take them a home grown salad. There is also the little basil plants because I ran out of room around the tomatoes and we have bok choy as well that is the two larger plants right in the middle.
These are the eight tomato plants that we have and you can't really see it but we also have our basil in there. I really hope that it's getting enough sunlight in between the tomato plants.
LOOK!! Five little baby tomatoes. I'm so excited!Our basil plants. These started from seed. I'm hoping they get bigger soon because they are still pretty small. I should probably go through and thin them out a little bit.

Ok this barrel has strawberries that out grew their container, three pepper plants and six tomatillos. The tomatillos we started from seed and they are doing pretty darn good!
This is our most established strawberry plant in a container and all the little baby strawberries on it. YUM!!
This is our row of cucumbers that haven't been planted yet. We have English cukes, lemon cukes and some pickling cukes.This is the grand scheme of things. Anyone who ever says they have a small backyard has NO excuse for not gardening. I'm pretty sure we have the tinest backyard ever and I'm expecting a pretty big yield this summer.

Stuff to do while we are on vacation from work:

Stake and/or cage all the tomatoes
Build at least one 4x4 bed for cabbage and bok choy and possibly squash (don't tell Jon!!)
Build a 1x10ish bed for the cucumbers
Transplant cucumbers
Fill beds with dirt
Find a trellis for the cucumbers
Possibly build one more 4x4 bed if we have the space and Jon has the patience

Quicky: Caprese Salad

2009-05-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Mmmm... one of my favorite summer salads.
Toss together mozzarella balls, grape tomatoes, and basil ribbons together. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Farmer's Market/Clean Out The Fridge Frittata

2009-05-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is one of my go to recipes. It is SO adjustable and inexpensive and that is why I love it. You can use so many different vegetables. Look at the bottom of the post for variations.
Ingredients
2 medium baked potatoes (I microwaved mine for about 4 minutes and used Yukon Golds in this recipe. Anything you can find at the Farmers Market will work)
1 pint oyster Mushrooms
1 medium green pepper
1 shallot
2-3 green onion stalks
4-5 Sun dried tomatoes in oil
5 eggs
3 egg whites (if you aren't counting calories use 7 eggs)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons skim milk
Sliced Pepperjack cheese to put on top
Slice the green pepper, mushrooms, onions and potatoes into bite sized chunks. In a large sauce pan heat butter or Smart Balance over medium high heat until melted. Add in the chopped up veggies and toss to coat in the butter. Add salt and pepper to taste and saute until slightly cooked.

When slightly cooked and brown at the edges, pour into a large greased (sprayed with cooking spray) baking pan (Pyrex) and add in the diced tomatoes.

In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, egg whites, sour cream, Parmesan cheese and milk. Whisk until mixed. Pour over the vegetables. Lay the sliced pepper jack cheese over the top.

Place into a 375* oven and cook for 30 minutes or until the eggs are set. Serve with salsa or plain.

Variations
Spinach, asparagus, mushrooms and tomatoes
Sausage, spinach and mushrooms
Bacon, spinach and tomatoes

Seared Ahi Tuna

2009-05-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think certain recipes seem really intimidating to make, Ahi Tuna being one of them. Yet it turns out that it is actually a really simple recipe and relatively fool proof to cook. We bought the Ahi tuna from Trader Joes. I really like their seafood selection and think it comes out tasting great!

Marinade
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes/cayenne pepper
1 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Stir the marinade together and coat the tuna. Let rest in the marinade for 10-15 minutes. In a large saute pan heat a drizzle of olive oil mixed with sesame oil (if you have it) over medium to high heat.

Add the tuna to the saute pan and sear on each side for about 4-6 minutes. I also flip it up onto it's sides if possible and sear those too. You will see that the ends are starting to look cooked through, that means the fish is done. Remove from heat and slice. Don't freak out because the tuna will not be cooked all the way through. That's ok! That is what makes it the seared Ahi tuna.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce

2009-05-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

A tried and true favorite. I hadn't made this since Jon and I started dating but it is such a quick and easy recipe I'm happy I remembered it.
Ingrediants
2 large cans whole tomatoes
2 red bell peppers in chunks
Fresh or dried thyme
Fresh or dried oregano
Fresh or dried rosemary
Fresh or dried basil
10 or so garlic cloves
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese

Combine tomatoes, peppers, herbs and garlic into a large baking pan (like a Pyrex). Drizzle olive oil over everything and toss to coat. Place into a 425* oven and let roast for about an hour. In batches, blend the roasted tomatoes and peppers in either a food processor or a blender. Be careful to do small batches so that your blender doesn't explode!

After blending each batch, transfer to a saucepan on the stove. When everything is blended, add in about a 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Stir and heat until it is all thoroughly combined. Serve over whole wheat penne or spaghetti pasta.

This sauce is also great on pizza and freezes well!

Meal Planning 5/17 - 5/27

2009-05-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

Only 7 working days until vacation! Jon and I are also starting our CSA subscription this week, so look forward to lots of new recipes.

Sunday 5/17
Creamed Mushroom Saute (Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats) with Roasted Asparagus

Monday 5/18
Red pepper hummus with Pitas and a Salad

Tuesday 5/19
Sicilian Style Cauliflower with Whole Wheat Penne Pasta

Wednesday 5/20
Shrimp Fajitas

Thursday 5/21
Pesto Pasta

Friday 5/22
Homemade Pizza

Saturday 5/23
Ricotta Pasta with Tomatoes al Forno (Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats)

Sunday 5/24
Thai Stir Fry

Monday 5/25
Sole with Tomatoes Over Rice

Tuesday 5/26
Breakfast- Buckwheat Pancakes with Eggs

Wednesday 5/27
Tuna Melts

The Garden

2009-05-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

I am totally loving having a garden for the first time. Since Jon and I live in a duplex, our backyard is pretty minimal, but we have really done the most to maximize the space that we have.

These are our basil and tomateos that we started from seed. We are planning on transplanting them on the 15th, hopefully they will be big and strong enough by then.
This is our herb garden with cilantro, garlic chives, oregano, and thyme. We also have our strawberry pots, peppermint and rosemary.Here are our seeds and tomatoes. We have six tomato plants so far, two cherry tomatoes, one roma tomato and three full size tomatoes. All of them are some type of heirloom. I'm so excited for them! They will be going in the 4x6 raised bed with the basil on the 15th.

Here is our kinda empty raised bed. It's waiting patiently for the tomatoes. On the right hand side it has broccoli and cauliflower plants that were transplanted from the middle of the two whiskey barrels on either side. In the whiskey barrels we have lettace, greens mixes, lots of spinach and we also just added cabbage and bok choy. We have another whiskey barrel that is cut vertically so that it looks like a boat, and we have another strawberry plant in it and are planning on adding some peppers and cucumbers.

Quicky: Roasted Zucchini

2009-05-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

I love roasted veggies! Back in the day, there were a lot of vegetables that I didn't like to eat, but since I've grown and matured, I'll pretty much eat any vegetable roasted with garlic.

Ingredients
Zucchini
3 Garlic Cloves
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Chop zucchini into medium sized chunks. Toss on cookie sheet with garlic that has been pressed through a garlic pressed or finely diced, salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Place in an oven pre-heated to 425*. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the edges have started to brown.

Grilled Halibut

2009-05-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is SO good. The halibut was on a great sale at Costco and it turned out wonderful!

Marinade
Equal parts Olive Oil and Fresh Lemon juice
Pepper
Salt
2 Garlic Cloves
Onion Powder

Pour marinade over halibut on a plate. Lift the halibut up to make sure it gets all over it and under it. Let rest with marinade for about 10-15 minutes.

Heat up a table top grill or barbecue to medium heat and brush with oil if you are worried about it sticking. Cook for 5-7 minutes on one side and flip over to other side. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the fish starts flaking apart.

Meal Planning 5/3 - 5/14

2009-05-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

I know it seems like we have some of the same things every week, but many times I don't actually get to making what is on the list. For example, I haven't actually made my Ahi Tuna that is in the freezer yet, even though it's been on my planning list for six weeks. I'm determined to get it made this week! That being said, we do eat spaghetti, tuna melts and homemade pizza every two weeks. The spaghetti sauce I make up a big batch (one with ground turkey for Jon and one without for me) and freeze it into individual portions. Homemade pizza I don't really find repetitive because you can customize the toppings and this week we are having it with leftover sauce from tonight.

Sunday 5/3
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Pasta, homemade French Bread and Roasted Califlower

Monday 5/4
Ahi Tuna and Rice

Tuesday 5/5
Cheese Stuffed Potatoes and a fresh garden salad

Wednesday 5/6
Thai Style Stir Fry

Thursday 5/7
Shrimp Fajitas

Friday 5/8
Homemade Pizza with Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce

Saturday 5/9
Dal Palek (frozen)

Sunday 5/10
Mac and Cheese

Monday 5/11
Bean and Rice Burritos (frozen black beans)

Tuesday 5/12
Basil and Parmesan Orzo

Wednesday 5/13
Spaghetti

Thursday 5/14
Tuna Melts

Where does food come from?

2009-04-30T20:12:00.001-07:00

Over at Nourishing Days they presented the question today of where does your food come from? This question has been weighing heavily on my mind since reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Micheal Pollan and even more so since finishing Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

The thing about eating locally and knowing where your food comes from is that it isn't hard to find out, at least not for Jon and me. We shop at places that identify local foods and like to go to the Farmer's Market. We shop at Market of Choice, even though it's more expensive because they clearly label all their produce with the location that it came from. That part isnt' hard.

The part that is difficult is making the effort to eat locally and trying cut ties with things that aren't and will never be local. Between the two of us, we probably eat close to four pounds of bananas every two weeks. Each one of us has one for breakfast, obviously if we are eating locally then bananas would no longer be a possibility. That future is hard to think of! While being bananaless for the rest of our lives is difficult, I can't help feeling a little pang of guilt every morning over the fact that my banana was picked totally unripe and shipped all the way from Ecuador.

I know that it's easier to eat locally when the food is abundant. I do plan on roasting some tomatoes from our garden this year and freezing them to eat throughout the winter, we are also planning on doing the same with homemade pesto with basil from the garden. Currently, we are also eating fresh salads from our little container garden almost every night. It's so satisfying to go into the backyard and pick our dinner.

I feel that as long as we make little efforts and little steps in the right direction we are contributing more then if/when we were just ignorant or apathetic to our food system. I know that we both feel better both physically and mentally when we are eating healthy and we know where our food has been.

It's all about baby steps...

Dal Palak

2009-04-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

This combined with the naan from Wednesday was a FABULOUS dinner. The Dal does take some work, but it freezes well and makes great lunches throughout the week! A perfect vegetarian Indian dish.
Ingrediants
1 large onion, diced
1 pound mushrooms, chopped
2 medium-sized potatoes (I used some great potatoes from the farmers market), cubed
1 inch fresh ginger, minced
6 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or spice
2 teaspoons coriander
1 tablespoon garam masala (you can get this in the bulk food section at specialty markets or at Cost Plus World Market)
2 teaspoons red chili powder
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
10 ounce bunch of spinach (or more if desired!), roughly chopped
1 cup red lentils
3 cups of water or broth
1-2 Tablespoons salt
3-4 scallions, chopped (these aren't completely necessary)

Start by prepping all your vegetables. This is what takes the longest. In a large soup pan, heat a heavy drizzle of olive oil over the bottom of your pan. Once it is hot, add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to brown and the onions become translucent. Add the potatoes and cook until they are brown around the edges.

In an empty spot in the pan add in the spices, garlic and ginger. Heat until the garlic becomes fragrant. You can adjust the amount of red pepper to this dish according to the level of heat you want. 1/4 of a teaspoon was perfect for me, Jon added hot sauce.

Add in the tomatoes, broth/water and lentils. Heat until there is a small simmer. Then add the spinach and allow to wilt down into the Dal. Simmer on medium heat for about 45 minutes until the Dal becomes nice and thick. If you want it thinner, you can add more water or broth for a more soup like dish.

We had this over brown basmati rice and I really think it's the best at home Indian dish I have made. It was fantastic and just as good today for lunch! The naan can also be reheated in the microwave for about 45 seconds.

Whole Wheat Naan

2009-04-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is SO good. It's the perfect naan. It will take a while to make though so plan ahead!

Ingredients
1 .25 ounce package of instant yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
4 cups flour (1 1/2 cups whole wheat 2 1/2 cups white)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons minced garlic
Butter or Smart Balance

In your mixer bowl, add the warm water and yeast along with one tablespoon of the sugar. Mix with a fork and let stand until the yeast has proofed (it will be foamy). Start the mixer going and add in the sugar, milk, egg and baking powder. Then start adding the flour in 1/2 cup at a time. Once the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl, switch to your dough hook and knead for five minutes. Put in a well oiled bowl and let rise.

When the dough has doubled in size (or so) punch the dough down and add the garlic. Then begin to knead the dough for a second time for another five minutes. After the second kneading, pinch the dough into balls (2 inches) and place on an oiled cookie sheet. Let rise again until they have doubled in size. As a disclaimer, I didn't let them double in size because I'm impatient. The first rise was about 1.5 hours and the second rise was a force rise in the oven and was about 45 minutes.

Next, roll the balls of dough out onto a well floured surface into thin layers. The thinner the better! To cook the dough you can do a couple of things. I "fry" mine on a cast iron skillet that I have heated to medium. You can also cook them on the grill or in the oven. If you are cooking on the skillet or grill, oil the surface slightly first, then spread on a little bit of butter on the side facing up before flipping over. Toast until the naan has turned a light brown color then turn.

This makes a lot of naan and you can also refrigerate for up to three days. Jon and I both think this is the most authentic recipe we have tried!

Meal Planning 4/19-4/30

2009-04-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

Just for clarification, my meal planning is more of a rough draft of what to have for dinner. If things change throughout the week I'll totally adjust my meal plan. I'm not that anal!

Sunday 4/19
Dal Palek
So good, my version with variations will be coming soon!

Monday 4/20
Potato and Pepper Frittata

Tuesday 4/21
Pesto Pasta and Salad

Wednesday 4/22
Ahi Tuna and Rice

Thursday 4/23
Black beans and rice burritos

Friday 4/24
Homemade Pizza

Saturday 4/25
Tuscan Bean Bake

Sunday 4/26
Mac and cheese

Monday 4/27
Cheesy Basil Orzo and fresh salad

Tuesday 4/28
Spaghetti

Wednesday 4/29
Tuna Melts

Thursday 4/30
Left overs!

Cheesy Basil Orzo

2009-04-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

This is such a great and easy recipe! It's one of our favorite side dishes. Paired above with a fresh garden salad and steamed broccoli and cauliflower.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter or Smart Balance
1 cup uncooked orzo
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup cubed or shredded pepperjack cheese (can be subbed with mozzarella)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

(all ingredients can be adjusted slightly for taste, vegetable broth could be used in place of chicken broth)

In a medium size pan heat up the butter or Smart Balance on medium high heat. Saute the uncooked orzo in the butter until it starts to get toasty (you will be able to smell it). Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the temperature to medium low and let simmer until all the broth is almost gone. Then, add both the cheeses and the basil and stir until the cheese is melted. Salt and pepper to taste (it is already pretty salty because of the chicken broth and cheese).

This is really good, but as a warning, it's not the greatest reheated. It kinda turns into a brick. It's not bad reheated but don't make extra planning on leftovers.

Pesto Pizza

2009-04-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

The recipe for dough is slightly adapted from this recipe at Smitten Kitchen. I tried to make the pitas and they refused to puff, but they were still good and make a great, crispy pizza crust. I recommend refrigerating the dough overnight before using.

Ingredients
3 cups flour plus more for dusting (I use half whole wheat and half regular)
2 teaspoon salt
1 packet of yeast (.25 oz)
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for bowl
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 tablespoon of rosemary

Add warm water (just under the point of hot tingly water) and yeast your mixing bowl. Let stand for about 10 minutes until it becomes creamy. This is proofing the yeast. I always warm up my bowl first under hot water to help this process along. After the yeast has proofed add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the teaspoon of salt and turn the mixer on. Slowly begin adding in your flour. I usually add a half a cup at a time. It will look like it's lumpy, but don't worry, it will all work out. You will notice that around the last half a cup, the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. This is the sign that you have enough flour. If your dough doesn't do this, add a little more flour until it does. You can see the consistency that it should be above. Change over to your dough hook, or start kneading by hand.When the dough is finished in the mixer you will want to transfer it to a rather large bowl. Start with drizzling olive oil in the bowl and then add your dough. I also drizzle a little olive oil on top of the dough. This will prevent sticking. Put the dough someplace warm (on top of the stove or dryer) and let rise for about an hour. It will double in size. Dust your counter space with flour and lay out your dough. Add the rosemary and knead. My kneading process is very simple, fold in half, press, and turn a quarter and do it again. Knead for about 10 minutes adding flour when it starts to stick to the counter or to your hands. When it is finished kneading add back to the bowl. Let rise again for an hour, or until it doubles in size. After the final rise I really suggest refrigerating the dough for 24 hours or up to three days. That really helps the consistency of the dough when you make your pizza. If you don't it's still good, but it's much better with the refrigeration period.
After refrigerating, roll out the dough on your counter using a little flour. Transfer the dough onto a cookie sheet (here I am using a Pampered Chef bar pan that cracked in half while I was cooking the pizza). It doesn't have to be a perfect circle, mine never is! Add your sauce. For this pizza I used pesto, but I also like to use red sauce or just garlic and olive oil. Add your toppings. One of the reasons that I love homemade pizza is because Jon can have a half and I can have a half. Mine has tomatoes and artichokes and his is Canadian bacon and pineapple. Add the cheese, mozzarella and cheddar, notice I was lazy and sliced the cheddar.

Cook the pizza in a preheated 425* oven until the cheese has browned and the crust is crispy and done to the touch.

This is one of our favorite dinners and pretty much make it once every two weeks. You can make the dough on a night that you have extra time and leave it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Homemade Pesto

2009-04-11T21:53:00.001-07:00

Homemade pesto is so much better then store bought and really it's impossible to screw up!

Ingredients

Fresh Basil
Garlic
Parmesan Cheese
Toasted Pine Nuts
Olive Oil

In a small saute pan, start toasting the pine nuts over medium heat. Make sure to move them around frequently to ensure they don't burn.

Remove the basil from the stems and add to the blender. Use about 2 loose cups. Throw in 1 cup or so of Parmesan cheese (this isn't a science, you really can't screw up with these ingredients combined). Add in the pine nuts, usually I use a little more then what is pictured above, but that was the rest that I had. Press the garlic cloves through a garlic press (you don't want chunks in your pesto). Once you have everything except the olive oil in the blender, put the lid on and start streaming the oil in. Turn the blender on and keep adding olive oil until it smoothly blends. You might have to shake it around and stop and stir the pesto a couple of times.

When everything is nice and combined the pesto is done! It will keep in the fridge for a while, and you can use it on top of pizza (coming tomorrow) or over pretty much any kind of pasta. Just remember, a little pesto goes a long way!

Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

2009-04-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

Loosely adapted from 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes by Sue Spitler

Ingredients

Olive Oil
1 1/2 c Shiitake Mushrooms (I used .5 lbs)
1 1/2 c Onions (I used one medium size)
1 c Red Bell Pepper (I used one red and one green)
2 t Minced Garlic (I used four small cloves)
8 c Spinach (I have a picture)
2 packages Frozen Artichokes 9 oz each (I used a 12 oz bag and a can)
3 c Skim Milk divided
1/4 c plus 2 T Flour
1 c Parmesan Cheese (I used low fat)
1/2 package Cream Cheese (I used low fat)
1 t Lemon Juice (I used 1/2 a small lemon)
1 T Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute (Italian seasoning would work fine here)
12 Lasagna Noodles (I used whole wheat)
1 c Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Start this dish by chopping up the mushrooms, onion and peppers. In a pretty big pan, heat up your olive oil and add the chopped veggies. Peal your garlic cloves and add into the mixture by using a garlic press to mince them. If you don't have a garlic press, you can mince them yourself or you could use jarred garlic.

Saute the mixture over a medium high heat for 3-5 minutes until things start to look translucent (see second picture). Then add the spinach, torn into small pieces and the artichokes chopped into bite size pieces. Cover and wilt the spinach for 5-8 minutes (see first picture, bottom row). After the spinach is wilted, uncover the pan and heat over a medium heat until all the juice is gone. It's about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

If you are good at cooking, you will start the roux/cheese mixture when you begin to wilt the spinach in the directions above. I actually suck at making a roux so I made Jon make it. Start by heating two cups of the skim milk in a sauce pan. While that is going, mix the remaining cup of milk and the flour in a separate bowl. Whisk well to avoid any lumps! When the milk starts simmering add in the flour and milk and keep whisking. The mixture will get thick fairly quickly (about one minute). Remove from the heat and add in the grated Parmesan cheese, cubed cream cheese, seasoning and the lemon juice (did I mention I made Jon make the roux, he *loves* pictures). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

If you are good at cooking, you will start a pan of water to boil about when you start making the roux, I kinda forgot. Once the water starts boiling add in your noodles. I used whole wheat and they were great. I thought there would be more of a difference, but since Jon and I use primarily whole wheat noodles when cooking, we are used to the change.

Once the noodles are cooked very ale dante it's time to layer. Yes I am layering over my kitchen sink. Start with a small amount of the cheese sauce just to make sure the noodles don't stick. Then add noodles, veggies, cheese sauce, noodles, veggies, cheese sauce, then noodles and any cheese sauce you have left. After you are finished building your layers add lots of shredded mozerella cheese.

Cook slightly covered in a 350* oven for 30 minutes then remove the covering, cook an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is brown and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

Verdict
Jon and I both thought this was really good. He had two helpings and didn't seem to miss the meat at all! Make sure to salt your layers as you go, because you aren't using processed foods that have lots of salt (like cottage/ricotta cheeses). This is definately one that we will make again. We had it with roasted asparagus and it was the perfect end to a nice spring day.

Bi-Montly Meal Planning 4/5-4/16

2009-04-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

Sunday- Artichoke Lasagna (1,001 Low Fat Vegetarian Recipes)
Monday- Pesto Pasta
Tuesday- Salmon with Broccoli Rabe
Wednesday- Orzo Pasta with Salad
Thursday- Bean and Rice Burritos
Friday- Homemade Pizza
Saturday- Happy Anniversary to me and Jon!! Dinner out.
Sunday- Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes (1,001 Low Fat Vegetarian Recipes)
Monday- Seared Ahi Tuna with Salad
Tuesday- Tuscan Bean Bake (1,001 Low Fat Vegetarian Recipes)
Wednesday- Tuna Melts
Thursday- Dal Palak