At Home with Gina C.

Book Review: What Alice Forgot, By Liane Moriarty - ★★★★

2012-03-04T09:06:00.004-06:00

Because it's so hard to find book recommendations, I have begun to seek out websites that book club members visit for their next book selection like Book Movement.

The site basically just lists the most popular books clubs are reading right now. This is how I found What Alice Forgot, by Liane Moriarty. It was weird because after I read the summary, I thought: Ok, this sounds interesting and added it to my list for the library. I happened to be picking up some audio books from the library (which are all racking up fines as we speak) for my mom too and on her list was What Alice Forgot.

Weird. Yes.

So I took it as a sign that I should definitely read this book. I was worried I would have to join some huge long waiting list, but there it was waiting for me on the shelf. Lucky, lucky me. Unlucky mom, though, because the audio book was checked out.

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Summary

The book begins with Alice believing she is twenty-nine years-old, married to her soulmate, pregnant with her first child and just having bought her first home.

Then she wakes up.

Instead she finds a thirty-nine year-old with three kids, a gorgeous house and smack dab in the middle of a divorce.

She wakes up in gym having fallen off her spin bike and hit her head. For some strange reason, hitting her head has caused her to go back in time -- ten years to be exact. She doesn't understand why she was exercising in a gym; she doesn't understand why all of these strange people are talking to her as if they are friends with her; and she really doesn't understand why her beloved husband starts swearing at her on the phone when she calls him from the hospital. We follow Alice through an extraordinary story that shows just how important it is in life to take a step back and look at it through different eyes.

Review

I loved this book. It was so refreshing -- so new and such an interesting concept. Could you imagine what it would be like to not remember the birth of your children? In fact, you don't even know who these children are who are calling you mommy? A lot can change in ten years.

As Alice learns who she has become in ten years, we take every step with her. I found myself rooting for her husband the entire book, rooting for their old life. The characters are so well developed, each complex in their own way. And there are multiple underlying story lines that all lead back to Alice.

When I was finished with the book, it made me think: Where will I be in ten years? How will I look back onto my life now? How will things change or not change? If I wake up tomorrow with my memories of today in a whole new life what would I do? Does this newfound perspective change anything? I tried to look at my life and at my relationships from an outside perspective so I didn't feel so much; I tried to pull myself out and objectively look at the facts. It made me think: Are we all to some degree blinded by emotion?

And then it occurred to me. Liane Moriarty created two very distinct characters in her one main character -- the new Alice and the old Alice and then she pitted them against each together to see just what would happen. She successfully explored the idea (through a wonderful narrative and story) of what occurs when your older, and supposed wiser self comes face-to-face with your younger more idealistic self.

Verdict: Absolutely Recommend
Rating: ★★★★

DIY Princess Crowns

2012-02-25T14:35:00.008-06:00

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I caved and bought Disney on Ice tickets -- again. Everyone seemed to like our first Disney on Ice adventure so much that we decided to do it again! This time, though, it was Disney Princess on Ice and I've got a four-year-old who is currently loving the whole princess thing.

I, on the other hand, am not so sure about the whole princess-some-day-my-prince-will-come message because let's face it: These days a lot of other great and wonderful things may come before your prince -- an education, rewarding career, your own house. And perhaps it's not until then that your prince may waltz into your life:

Ahem. Yes. Well. Righty-o.

But instead of denying all things princesses to my little girls, I believe moderation is key for a happy and healthy life. (If I forbade all princess things, all princess things is what they would want.) And anyhow, 10 minutes ago, both girls were knee-deep in Thomas the train.

So, yes, moderation fits us well. My niece was staying with us for the weekend and going with us to Disney on Ice, so I thought a nice Saturday afternoon project would be making princess crowns we could wear the next day. I had thought about actually making the crowns themselves, but after doing a quick Internet search and figuring it was harder (and more expensive) to make them yourself, I decided to take a trip to the craft store Michaels.

I found these awesome pink glitter crowns (six in the package) for $4.99 to which I used a 50% off coupon with bringing their price down to $2.49.

I then scoured the store for clearanced goodies we could use to decorate them: gems, stickers, brads -- anything that would be fit for a princess. (Okay, well, maybe real princesses wouldn't be caught dead in these crowns, but to a seven-, four-, two- and thirty-ahem-something-year-old pretending to be princesses, they were perfect.)

Before we started, I cut out all of our initials on white card stock using my Cricut machine. I glued the letters on using a regular old glue stick. Then we pretty much had at it -- no limits, all creativity!

Even the little one got in on the action.

I gave the older girls their pick of the goodies.

And then I proceeded to decorate mine and the baby's. While most of the decorations were self-adhesive, some needed extra reinforcement from the glue stick to stay on.

When asked about making Daddy's (and Uncle Mike's) crown, I said that this time I don't think Daddy would want to take part in wearing our craft. Even though he totally has been a trooper in the past...

Wearing the My Friends Tigger and Pooh t-shirt:

And then the Mickey Mouse t-shirts (multiple times):

And of course the Chuggington pins:

...I didn't think he would really like this one so much.

The show was pretty awesome, by far the best one yet.

And the crowns were really a big hit.

The total cost for all four crowns was around $16 which was about $4 per crown. It was a great, inexpensive way to spend a Saturday afternoon in preparation for our exciting Sunday show!

Roasted Beets and Sweet Potatoes

2012-02-22T21:05:00.003-06:00

Growing up, whenever we had beets as part of our dinner, there was always a standoff. I couldn't stand their sweet, almost tangy flavor. In my mind, this was not a vegetable. And as a kid, I really liked vegetables. I still do. As a matter of fact, I ate an entire bag of baby spinach for lunch yesterday (wilted with a little extra virgin olive oil, salt and garlic). After eating the while bag of spinach, I looked at the back and discovered the whole entire bag was only 60 calories. Wow, I really love spinach.

Back to the beets though. Beets were on sale for 3 pounds for a mere $1 a few weeks ago and after hearing my mom go on and on and on and on about how delicious beets are I decided to give them a try again, hoping my relationship with them could change much like my relationship has changed with brussel sprouts. (Love those little sprouts now.) I came across a recipe in a magazine that paired beets with sweet potatoes, onions and a little garlic and oil. Not even having the faintest clue where I saw this recipe, I decided to wing it.

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Mmmmmm. Wow. This dish is sweet and savory and oh so good for you. The significant amount of vitamin C found in beets paired with the beta carotene and fiber found in sweet potatoes makes this combo a nutritional powerhouse that won't spike your blood sugar and will keep you feeling full. If you're on a low carb diet, this is not the recipe for you. But if you like to eat a balanced diet with a good mix of protein and carbs, add a little protein to this for a beautifully balanced meal.

Roasted Beets and Sweets Potatoes

Makes 4 Large Servings

Ingredients:

2 - 3 large beets, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 - 2-inch chunks
2 - 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 - 2-inch chunks
1 large sweet onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the chopped beets on the baking sheet and toss with one tablespoon of oil and sprinkling of salt. Spread the beets out evenly on the baking sheet.

Bake the beets for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.

Add the sweet potatoes, onion wedges and garlic to the beets. Add the remaining two tablespoons of oil and another sprinkling of salt. Mix together with your hands and smooth out to as much of a single layer as possible on the baking sheet.

Bake for 1 hour, stirring a few times, until tender and roasted. Serve immediately.

Try it cold too; my mom claims it's da bomb. Of course, she didn't say it's da bomb, but I'm laughing right now for two reasons. 1. I don't think she's ever said da bomb in her life (I think this is a first for me as well) and 2. What a stupid saying that is. I mean, bombs are bad and da is not a word.

One thing is for certain: I think I've rekindled my relationship with beets. They are like the jealous boyfriend type though -- they leave their mark everywhere.

Nutrition Information: Calories 268; Total Fat 11g; Total Carb 39g; Fiber 7g; Sugars 10g; Protein 4g
*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool.
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Minnie Mouse Thank You Notes

2012-02-20T19:46:00.002-06:00

Even though our Minnie Mouse birthday party ended over a month ago, I still had one more Minnie Mouse task to tackle -- the thank you notes. I used large envelopes (5.25 x 7.25") because I always seem to run out of room for my message on anything smaller. I also used a cropped version of a picture taken from the actual party.

Since I didn't use my Mickey/Minnie Mouse mini punch for anything thus far, I decided to break it out for the thank you notes.

I purchased mine at Michaels last year for our Mickey Mouse first birthday party.

Here's what you need to make these quick and cute Minnie Mouse-themed thank you notes:

Black card stock
Yellow card stock
Red card stock
White card stock
Mickey Mouse mini punch
1/8-inch black ribbon
1/8-inch red ribbon
Double-sided tape

I started by cutting my 5 x 7" base out of black card stock. I then cut my second layer using the yellow card stock. I cut the yellow layer so it measured 4.5 x 6.5". Then in the the lower left-hand corner, I punched out my Minnie Mouse ears silhouette.

Using my double-sided tape, I attached the yellow layer to the black layer.

Then I created another layer using the red card stock. I cut this layer 4 x 5". I cut a white piece of card stock (this area is where I wrote my message) at 3.5 x 4.5". I attached the white layer to the red layer.

Next I attached the red layer to the yellow layer.

Then I taped the yellow Mickey Mouse silhouette I punched out of the yellow card stock to the top right-hand corner of the thank you note.

I cropped my picture and cut out a black background .25" bigger on all sides and then taped them together. I attached the picture to the lower right-hand corner.

The last step in this project is turning the Mickey silhouettes into Minnie silhouettes by adding a black bow and red bow to the ears using zots.

This was the perfect ending to our Minnie Mouse birthday festivities!

I completed the thank you notes by writing a personal message on each card and of course, popping them in the mail!

168-Calorie Strawberry Cranberry Smoothie

2012-02-14T08:43:00.010-06:00

I've been having problems getting in the zone with eating; I haven't been able to find a natural rhythm. It's been sort of spiraling downward since autumn and it all seemed to fall apart when Christmas hit. I felt like I was craving so much sugar. Every night I would get this huge sugar rush and I would search the house for anything with even a trace amount of sugar to devour.

Needless to say, I'm puffy and I feel a sort of general malaise. Through all of this though, I've been running and strength training and regardless of all of the hard work, I haven't been seeing any results. Quite honestly, I've gained weight. So two weeks ago, I decided to change my workout schedule. Instead of working out in the morning and rushing around all stress-filled, I decided to workout at night, right after everyone ate dinner and then jump straight in the shower. In addition to decreasing the stress in the morning, I was hoping this would stop my night time cravings.

It took a little getting used to, such as getting the energy to workout after putting in a full day with the kids, but I slowly figured out how much I need to eat so I won't be cramped or sluggish when running and what I need in terms of energy to actually fuel my runs. Coffee, I have found, drank about a half an hour before I run, is essential for me.

Even though I successfully moved my workout regimen from the morning to the night, I still was in a funk with food, so I decided to try eating six small meals a day in an effort to curb what has become my nocturnal eating habit. Guess what? I don't feel famished anymore, which of course, means I am not starving so much that I will shove whatever is closest to me into my mouth. Healthy eating habits seem to disappear when I'm starving, so the key for me seems to be eating six small meals a day. I'm not even hungry come 8:00 pm. It's great!

In essence, I am eating two small breakfast meals. So after I feed the kids, I have a Van's waffle with a bit of peanut butter and jelly and cottage cheese (I bought some Kalona SuperNatural cottage cheese because it was on sale and it is the best damn cottage cheese I have ever tasted. Ever.) with some chopped berries or fruit. Then roughly two hours later, I have a smoothie.

Ever since I got a Vitamix for my birthday last year, I have been experimenting with all sorts of smoothies. It just so happened I got it when cranberries were on sale because of the holidays, so I stocked up on bags and bags of cranberries and just threw them in the freezer. I also stocked up on strawberries during the summer when they are so sweet and so inexpensive and froze them on a baking sheet and then piled them into a freezer bag.

So that's how I became absolutely addicted to this 168-calorie strawberry cranberry smoothie. It is so naturally sweet and tart; I sometimes eat it with a spoon from a bowl because it is reminiscent of a thick sherbert.

Strawberry Cranberry Smoothie

Makes 1 Large Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen cranberries
1 scoop Tera'swhey Pomegranate Cranberry Goat Whey Protein Powder
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon NuNaturals Stevia

Put 3/4 of the almond milk, plus the rest of the ingredients in the bowl of your blender and pulverize.

My Vitamix usually gets a little clogged, which is why I save a splash of almond milk to get it going again.

Mix until everything is smooth, including the chia seeds. Serve immediately.

Because I have a high-powered blender, my chia seeds get totally smashed and there is nothing crunchy at all in this smoothie. If you don't have a high-powered blender, you might want to grind the chia seeds in a coffee grinder before adding them so you're not chewing your smoothie. Because then I guess it would not be called a smoothie and instead maybe a chewy? I don't know.

Happy smoothie-making!

Nutrition Information: Calories 168; Total Fat 4g; Total Carb 22g; Fiber 8g; Sugars 7g; Protein 14g

*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool
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BlogHer Book Club Review: The Weird Sisters, By Eleanor Brown -- ★★★

2012-02-09T07:57:00.001-06:00

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I always wanted a sister. But, alas, it wasn't in the cards. So you can imagine how pleased I was when I found out my second (and last) child was going to be a girl. Sisters! I could not have been happier. I spent those nine months singing: Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters.

When I told people I was having another girl, I would say, I always wanted a sister; I am elated I am going to have two girls! They'll have each other. But watch (here I would snort) instead of being best friends, they'll end up hating each other's guts.

People would chuckle and then get a far-off look in their eye. I always figured they were musing about their own relationship with their siblings. I mean, c'mon, not everyone loves their sibling. In fact, just because you happen to come from the same two people doesn't necessarily mean you're going to like the other person. You might end up hating them.

See, we love each other. We just don't like each other very much. ~ The Weird Sisters

Summary

The Weird Sisters is a funny, poignant book depicting the trials of the Andreas family, most notably, its three sisters, Rose, Bean and Cordy. All three adult sisters are very different, yet possess one similarity -- their mother and father. Each heads home upon hearing their mother has breast cancer.

Rose, the oldest and controlling sister moves in with her parents to help take care of her mother who must face chemotherapy, radiation and a mastectomy. She has recently reluctantly seen her fiance off to London for a term.

Bean, the middle daughter, the "pretty one" hightails it out of New York after her supervisor discovered she's been embezzling money each pay period.

Cordy, the wanderer, the immature daughter, the father's favorite, heads home from really nowhere after spending a decade crashing in other people's places and after finding out she's pregnant.

What binds them together is not only their parents, but their love to read. Books are strewn about the house, flipped open to various pages. If someone is walking through the family room, they may stumble upon an open book in their path, pick it up and begin to read it -- stopping whatever it was they were about to do. They don't discriminate either -- fiction, non-fiction, self-help. If it has words, the Andreas family will read it.

Their father is a professor of Shakespeare and he communicates with his family via verse -- that is Shakespearean verse. They all communicate important messages to each other this way: What ugly sights of death within mine eyes! No one in the Andreas family is saved from Shakespearean verse.

All three have failed in their own way and have headed home under the guise of their sick mother. They embark on a road filled with personal discovery, observations about their family and what it ultimately means to be sisters when each reluctantly steps out of her role.

Review

Throughout this book, I found myself trying to identify with one sister. This was difficult though, because Brown created complex characters who all possessed many different layers. I don't know much about the nature of the relationship between sisters, but Brown sketched instances of immense love, jealousy, judgment, sympathy, anger, sadness and regret throughout the pages of this novel.

As readers, we quietly observe a family as they navigate their way through a difficult time as a whole -- their mother's breast cancer -- and as each of them battles her own demons.

What is astonishing about the way Brown wrote this book is that it uses third person pronouns, with a first person perspective. Thoughts are reflected upon as a whole, using the pronoun we, as all of the sisters instead of just Rose, just Bean or just Cordy. They are together. And they are sisters.

I particularly love the use of Shakespeare in this book. Each time I read a verse as it related to what was going on in the book, I shook my head and wondered how Brown came up with the absolute perfect line to depict what was going on. I wished I had that talent -- to just break into verse as a way to sum up the meaning of an event. This was pure genius.

I also loved how Brown weaved in their love of reading. They were never without something to read. The library was like their home. So not only did we get a touching story of three very different sisters, we also got a glimpse into the not-so-ordinary life of the Andreas family.

To find out more about The Weird Sisters and to join the BlogHer book club discussions about The Weird Sisters, check out the BlogHer Book Club.

Verdict: Definitely Recommend
Rating: ✭✭✭

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club, but the opinions expressed are my own.

Toy Story's Jessie Valentine's Day Cards

2012-02-08T14:45:00.016-06:00

Ah, yes, Jessie: One of the few female Disney characters who stands by herself; she doesn't need a man to make her dreams come true. Sweet, lovable Jessie. For the past few months, my oldest daughter has gotten herself wrapped up in the Disney princess world which really came as a surprise to my husband and I because right before this newest phase of crowns and dancing princes, she was up-to-her-knees in Thomas the Train and Chuggington.

Lucky for us, though, my oldest daughter also has struck an interest in Toy Story. So this year instead of Thomas the Train valentines, she decided she wanted Jessie valentines. So yee-haw, yippe ki-yay -- Jessie it was!

These valentines are super easy to put together. We found a picture on the internet of the perfect Jessie. I cropped it in Photoshop and dropped it into a 5 x 7" Quark document. I added a few design elements like a vertical line and a message. I also added some cow spots to mimic Jessie's pants.

But then I had this fantastic idea that instead of using printed cow spots, I should tear some scrap black paper up and tape it on to give the card some texture.

It added so much, we decided to do the extra work (which wasn't really much when you have a four year old helping you rip paper!). Feel free to download a free PDF of the Jessie with the spots or a Jessie without the spots for your little one's valentines!

Here's what you need to make these valentines:

Yellow paper
White card stock
Black scrap paper (optional)
Double-sided tape
5.25 x 7.25" envelope

Trim the yellow paper to 5 x 7". Set aside. Print out one of the Jessie pdfs on the white card stock and trim to 4.75 x 6.75". Using the double-sided tape, tape the Jessie printout to the yellow card stock.

Tear some of the black paper to create ragged pieces that resemble cow spots (if you're using the one without the printed spots). Tape a few on the white portion of the card, taking care to leave space where your child will sign his or her name.

That is it! These valentines just need a signature and they'll be all set to go!

Book Review: The Maze Runner By James Dashner -- ✭✭✭½

2012-02-04T11:26:00.004-06:00

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First The Hunger Games trilogy and now The Maze Runner series.

I've been sucked into another round of dystopian young adult fiction.

It's not clear to me why I find these particular young adult books so fascinating. I think my sister-in-law summed it best when she said: I am starting to seriously question my reading level.

But it can't have anything to do with reading level. Sure, these books are relatively easy reads that allow you to fly through them. Ironically, though, if they were just the opposite -- if they weren't easy reads (Faulkner comes to mind) -- the stories would obviously lose their appeal and interest would inherently be lost. A book that makes you think too much isn't fodder for entertainment; it's fodder for a headache.

These days, I read for entertainment. And for some odd reason lately I enjoy reading books about teenagers stuck in impossible, science-fiction-like, life-threatening situations where they eventually emerge the victor. Most of the time.

Okay, that's kind of weird. But at least it doesn't include vampires.

All of these young adult novels have one thing in common: dystopian societies, which is slightly odd because I'm not exactly a science fiction type of girl. But at least I'm not alone, considering The Hunger Games has sold like a bazillion copies. (And because I thoroughly enjoyed The Hunger Games, someone recommended I read The Maze Runner Series. I am so glad I did.)

Summary

The Maze Runner begins with the main character, Thomas, trapped in a box with no memory of anything other than I know my name is Thomas. He emerges from the box in a vast green landscape filled with teenage boys -- dirty and tired. In this vast landscape, The Glade, the boys have created a makeshift life filled with farming, cooking, cleaning; they're basically trying to survive. None of them have any memories.

The Glade is enclosed by huge stone walls. On the outside of these walls lies the maze. The boys believe this maze holds the answers to why they are there and more importantly how they can get out. The smartest, strongest boys spend their days as runners in the maze, memorizing the slightest configuration changes in hopes of a creating a pattern that will eventually somehow free them.

Every night the stone walls close and keep the boys safe from the Grievers -- the fleshy, slimy robotic monsters let loose in the maze each night. If allowed, the Grievers will sting and kill anyone they come in contact with. The Grievers are the Gladers' biggest enemy and worst fear.

Thomas arrives and everything around him feels vaguely familiar. He feels he must become a maze runner. Shortly thereafter, a beautiful girl,Teresa, arrives with a haunting message: This is the end. And that's when the end somehow turns into the beginning.

Review

James Dashner has the unique ability to create mystery and suspense in a completely natural way. You're left wanting to know more. You can't put the book down because maybe, just maybe, in these next few pages, all of the questions Mr. Dashner so carefully planted in the story will be answered.

The characters in The Maze Runner are well-developed and Dashner is able to dissect them in such a way that the reader makes an instant connection -- whether good or bad. Thomas is everything you want in a main character -- smart, strong and trustworthy. His inner thoughts somehow mimic that of your own as you are reading. He is not in on the secret. Most importantly, he asks the same questions you find yourself asking. His instinct is strong and Dashner does a great job allowing you to trust Thomas, when everything else going on around him seems so untrustworthy.

This isn't one of those frustrating-this-is-so-unbelievable-why-can't-he-just-tell-me-what-is-going-on books. Dashner reveals just enough at the absolute right times, but more often than not, those answers create an even bigger question.

I highly recommend The Maze Runner for its originality (it's not The Hunger Games knockoff at all), character development and the uncanny way Dashner keeps us intrigued right up until the very end.

Verdict: Absolutely Recommend
Rating: ✭✭✭½

Skinny Touchdown: Chicken Enchilada Lasagna

2012-01-30T20:35:00.004-06:00

I could give a rat's you-know-what about football. You could tell me Mars is playing Venus and that would sound legitimate. It's just not my thing. I'd rather watch Coolio make spoon steaks on the Food Network, but hey, that's just me.

I do, however, like game day food fare and since the football finale is approaching, I'd thought I take part in all of the food festivity even though I don't know a touchdown from a field goal. It all started last week when a whole chicken was on sale at the market. I needed some more chicken stock, having used all of mine making the Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup from the new Everyday Food Light cooking book. (I've made three recipes so far from this book and they have all been winners. This does not happen very often.)

So I decided to cook the chicken my new favorite way which is simply by chopping up an onion, throwing it in the bottom of the slow cooker, putting the whole chicken on top and sprinkling it with salt.

I let 'er rip on low for about 3.5 hours. The juiciest chicken emerges without the slightest bit of hesitation. Do not plan on eating the skin though because it turns into this rubbery piece of slop whose only future involves making friends with the garbage can. But who cares about the skin? Word on the street is that the skin is the worst part of the chicken to eat -- so to the garbage can it goes! Lo and behold: I had all of this delicious juicy chicken meat on my hands and of course, I knew immediately that I wanted to make chicken enchiladas.

But then I started thinking. All of that cheese and sour cream and cream cheese isn't going to help what has become my upward spiral on the scale. I crossed my fingers, closed my eyes and decided to make over my original chicken enchilada recipe, a lighter more better-for-your-waistline chicken enchiladas. And then I just got lazy and didn't feel like rolling up all of those enchiladas (actually, I really couldn't figure out a way to keep the corn tortillas soft during the baking process without frying them in oil, so I decided to use the tortillas the same way one would use lasagna noodles -- as roofs to each little layer.)

I also didn't feel like using a ton of flour to make an enchilada sauce. Seemed like a waste of calories and only a minor problem that a little tomato and tomato paste could solve.

Turned out great.

And it's only 258 calories per serving. This is the perfect bite for a Superbowl buffet table. People who don't care about saving calories won't detect a thing. It's rich without being rich. How's that for a mouthful? Perfect I say!

Chicken Enchilada Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup diced tomato
2 garlic cloves, minced
Shredded meat from a whole chicken (about 3 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 can black beans, rinsed
3/8 cup chicken stock (or 6 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups 1% milkfat cottage cheese
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 corn tortillas, cut in half
1 cup 2% mexican cheese blend

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add onion and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook until softened, about four minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes. I used fresh tomatoes because it's what I had on-hand.

Add the tomatoes to the onions and cook for a few minutes, until soft.

Add the garlic cloves and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the shredded chicken.

Add all of the spices and mix well. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste and black beans and cook until the flavors start to meld about eight minutes. Remove from heat. This is your meat mixture.

In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese and sour cream. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and mix well.

Line the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with 4 of the tortillas (which will be 8 tortilla halves), by placing the flat edges around each side.

Spread 1/3 of the meat mixture on top, 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture on that and sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat the layer twice.

Line the remaining tortillas on top and sprinkle with the remainder of the cheese.

Place in the oven for 30 - 35 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes to cool. Slice into twelve servings and serve.

I like it with some chopped scallions on top, while my husband prefers it with salsa verde. Either way, it's fabulous!

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 258; Total Fat 7g; Total Carb 26g; Fiber 5g; Sugars 3g; Protein 22g

*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool.

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Minnie Mouse Birthday Party Desserts and Chicken Wraps with Avocado Garlic Sauce

2012-01-23T16:47:00.009-06:00

Our Minnie Mouse party has come and gone.

In my estimation, we've exploited Minnie Mouse as much as humanly possible. We created invites, decorated the house and eaten in Minnie Mouse style. But we had a good time doing it.

The menu was:

Chili (except I made it on the stovetop instead of the slow cooker)
Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Corn Bread Mix

Chicken Wraps with Avocado Garlic Sauce
Barefoot Contessa's Mac and Cheese
Dark Cherry Jello-Mold
Salad with Oil and Salt

Dessert consisted of:

Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Frosting (from Cybele Pascal's book Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook) -- wowsers!

Minnie Mouse Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats Covered in Chocolate

Minnie Mouse Chocolate Chips Bars (Tollhouse Cookie Recipe)

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting (Same recipe as cake.)

As I mentioned above, the chocolate cake recipe is from Cybele Pascal's Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook. It is fantastic. I made it on Christmas as a dry run for the party and no one knew the difference until they saw me and the baby eating it. Then they knew it had to be gluten- and dairy-free. It was simply delicious. Seriously, buy this book for this cake alone.

Instead of doing a Minnie Mouse cake like the Mickey Mouse cake I did last year, I decided to use the number 2 cake mold I had from my oldest daughter's birthday. I decided to decorate it based on the polka dot theme. I dyed the frosting using India Tree Natural Decorating Colors food dye and chose pink and white.

I forgot to get a picture of it finished (and not eaten), but I was busy and forgot so many things. I just wrapped a Wilton cake board with Wilton metallic wrapping and taped the back. I frosted first with a crumb coat, put it in the refrigerator and then frosted it again. I piped the dots with Wilton tip 12 and for the bigger ones, I just lightly wet my finger and smushed the dot down.

I made cupcakes simply because I had extra batter from the cake.

I used Wilton tip 1M to frost the with the same frosting as the cake. I used Wilton White Sugar Pearls as sprinkles. (I'm not sure what's in those, so if you have allergies, check it out first.)

I purchased these Mickey Mouse cookie cutters and decided to make the Tollhouse cookie recipe in bar form. I just lined the pan with parchment paper and when they were cool, I lifted them out and cut out the cookies using the ear cutter.

I was going to add some sort of a bow, but I simply ran out of time! I also made peanut butter Rice Krispie treats. I made them the same way as you normally would, except when they were warm, I rolled them into balls.

And then when I was ready, I dipped them in chocolate and attached the ears on with peanut butter. I used red hots for the bow and put those on with peanut butter too. Then I put them on lollipop sticks.

Everyone loved these. And they tasted really good too!

My mom had some extra Minnie Mouse fabric that she bought around Halloween that I used as table runner. And I snagged some red and white polka dot wrapping paper on Christmas clearance at Walmart for 39 cents. So I wrapped four pieces of floral foam with the paper to use as the lollipop display.

Then I lined three cupcake pedestals with red and white polka dot ribbon and taped three bows to the front. I stacked them on top of each other.

I filled the pedestals with the cupcakes and the cookies.

I pushed the lollipops through the foam so they stood up straight.

I flanked the pedestals with two pieces of the wrapped foam and that completed the Minnie Mouse dessert table!

Since I was serving chili, I wanted another hearty course that did not include red meat, but instead chicken. It took a while and a lot of tests, but this wrap finally passed. I wanted a sauce that tasted like the avocado sauce they use on the Jimmy John veggie sandwiches. I think I came pretty close.

I wrapped these using regular wheat sandwich wraps, but I also made a few on some gluten-free buns for myself and anyone else who wasn't eating gluten.

Chicken Wraps with Avocado Garlic Sauce

Makes 24 Sandwiches

Ingredients:

8 lbs bone-in split chicken breasts, skin on
4 cups avocado garlic sauce (recipe below)
16 ounces shredded iceburg lettuce
1 1/2 lb Boar's Head havarti cheese (optional, exclude for no dairy option)
12 sandwich wraps
Mayonnaise
Salt
Toothpicks (optional)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the chicken breasts on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Once cool remove skin and shred chicken. Refrigerate overnight. Make the avocado garlic sauce.

Avocado Garlic Sauce

Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients:

2 medium onions
3 - 4 garlic cloves
2 tomatoes, peeled
6 avocados
The juice from two lemons
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions:

Chop the onions, garlic, tomatoes into large chunks and place in a food processor. Cut the avocados into halves, remove the pit and take the flesh out. Add it along with the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator

To Finish the Wraps

Lay out the wrap and place approximately 2 tablespoons of the avocado garlic sauce and mayo on the wrap. Using a knife, spread the dressing around the circumference of the wrap. Place the cheese down(if using), then a handful of chicken and lettuce. Sprinkle with salt. Roll it up. Here's how I found the best way to to do it:

Fold the left side in.
Fold the right side in.
Using your thumbs, roll up from the bottom.
Cut on a diagonal.

At this point, you can leave them alone or you can stick toothpicks in to secure them even more. I opted for toothpicks because they were not staying together on the platter. I probably loaded them up with too much on the inside, but who wants a skimpy sandwich?

Right before dinner was served, my oldest daughter, niece, husband and dad went outside to take advantage of the freshly fallen snow.

They worked up quite the appetite -- more for dessert than anything though. We gathered everyone in the living room.

Lit the candles.

I decided it was the perfect time to pick things off of the baby's face.

Sang Happy Birthday!

And blew the candles out!

It's a good thing I've been running all of those miles lately.

Nutrition Information Per Two Sandwiches: Calories 536; Total Fat 40g; Total Carb 21g; Fiber 14g; Sugars 1g; Protein 35g

*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool.

Book Review: The Violets of March By Sarah Jio -- ★★½

2012-01-21T14:01:00.003-06:00

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The Violets of March, by Sarah Jio was a good read. It wasn't great; it wasn't one of those had-me-thinking-about-it-for-days-after, but it was a page-turner and kept me up way past my bedtime one night.

Sarah Jio excels at creating suspense and mystery, turning the plot just inches so you are left wondering what could possibly be coming next. If you're looking for a light read that is almost impossible to put down because of the sheer suspense, this is the one for you! But if you're looking for characters with depth and a meaty story line, you might want to skip this one.

The story begins with a heartbreak -- a one-time best-selling author living in New York battling the end of her marriage. In the midst of its finality, she decides to visit her great aunt Bee on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, where she spent many summers as a child.

When she gets there, the people around her are acting mysterious and quite secretive. When she finds a red velvet diary written in 1943 in her night table, she is pulled into a world where her past and present collide. As she tries to piece everything together, it becomes clear that everyone is hiding something, including her own mother.

Details start emerging about her great aunt Bee's connection to the diary's author until we are finally faced with the truth about Emily's family history and her eerie connection to the diary.

SPOILER ALERT ** SPOILER ALERT ** SPOILER ALERT

From the beginning some of the details of the plot are questionable, but those instances are not pertinent to the story and can be easily overlooked because you really want to know what is going to happen next.

And as I said earlier, this is quite the page turner, but things got confusing: wait, who's Emily's mom and how is she related to Bee? The duality of names was sort of confusing, but I guess in a story set up like this, how else would the author address it?

I read other reviews where people were annoyed at the ending -- Esther faking her death and coming back on Elliot's deathbed with their illegitimate child to see him one last time. But that didn't bother me; here's what really bothered me:

Esther and Bobby have a child together. After learning of her brief affair with Elliot, Bobby kicks Esther out -- without her daughter.

Rewind. Say what?

And Esther drives away all torn up about Elliot. She doesn't mention much about her daughter, but if I were in that situation, I would sure as hell first and foremost get my daughter and then get the hell out of dodge. In fact, all of the passages in which Esther is with her daughter seem selfish and one-sided. She was always worried about herself and never her daughter (who ends up being Emily's mother).

And to make matters worse, she ends up getting pregnant with Elliot's child and then whisks herself away to raise her. How's that for a slap in the face for Emily's mother? As a heroine, Esther failed me.

The other problem I took issue with was that Emily was supposed to look identical to Esther, but Emily failed to see a resemblance to this woman when staring at the pictures time and again?

All, in all, this was a quick read and suspenseful as each page delivered a portion of an answer to all of the questions the author created throughout the story.

Verdict: Quick Read, Recommend If Looking for a Light and Enjoying Read
Rating: ✭✭½

Minnie Mouse Birthday Party Decorations

2012-01-17T20:23:00.000-06:00

One week before our Minnie Mouse birthday party, I decided to fire up the Cricut and make some Minnie Mouse decorations to hang all over the house.

And then I had this crazy idea to make a banner. I just love banners. Wouldn't a Minnie Mouse-themed birthday banner be so cute, I thought wildly to myself.

Oh, and we need another banner over the drink table with some floating Minnie Mouse heads, I thought.

And some Minnie Mouse tree ornaments too.

It's a good thing I bought all of those packages of card stock on sale at Michaels a few weeks ago. I wish I would have started sooner, though, because I really could have used a few more...

Minnie Mouse-Themed Birthday Banner

In my mind, what makes this a Minnie Mouse-themed banner are the colors. I pulled the exact same colors from the Minnie Mouse invitations I created a few weeks back and used them in this banner. I didn't want to string mouse-eared heads together because I thought that might be overkill with all of the other mouse-eared food and decorations already planned. So I used black, red, white and yellow as the colors and literally tied the whole thing together with some red and white polka dot ribbon.

It was really simple, but because I used the Cricut to cut everything out, it was a teeny weeny time consuming. But lesson learned -- I'll just start earlier next time! This also eats up a lot of paper, so buy up those big 50 packs of card stock when they are on sale. They work perfectly for a project like this!

Supplies:

A Cricut machine or something else that creates large shapes
If using the Cricut, cartridges Celebrations for the shapes and Cuttin' UP for the letters
Black, red, white and yellow card stock
Red and white polka dot ribbon, black ribbon and yellow ribbon
Circle punches
Hole punch
Double-sided tape

I decided to start my banner using a scalloped square measuring 8" (using the blackout option).

I then cut a smaller smooth-sided square at 9" (no options) to place inside. I adhered it using double-sided tape.

I cut out all of my letters 7" using the Cuttin' UP cartridge.

Yikes! I sure do need a new mat, don't I? I actually went out at night (which I never do because I am the antithesis of a vampire) to buy one from JoAnns and they did not have any left in stock. Of course. The one time in practically five years I venture out past 7:00 pm and it's completely unsuccessful and useless.

I centered the letters and stuck them on using double-sided tape.

I decided I wanted the first and last letter to be on squares and to have all of the middle letters on circles, alternating the colors of the scalloped and regular shape. So I set out cutting my shapes and taping them together.

I lined them up to make sure my brain was working properly.

I added all of the letters.

And I stacked them up.

The next step was to join them using ribbon. I used three strands of ribbon, red and white polka dot, black and yellow. I cut the ribbon about 8" in length and set it aside.

I lined up two letters at a time, figured out where I wanted them joined (while they were stacked) and punched a hole.

I pulled the ribbon through from the bottom up of one letter.

And then placed the second letter on top and pulled the ribbon through the top.

I tied a knot, pulling snugly to secure.

I repeated this process on the remaining letters of the word. Then I noticed that some of my red and white polka dot ribbon was flipping to the wrong side after I tied it.

So I trimmed the ribbon with scissors, flipped it over and secured it using a zot. This way it would stay put and not mock me from across the room during the party...

After stringing them all together, I felt it still needed something, like a pop of color. So I decided to add different sized small circles to each letter out of yellow card stock.

I only put them on every other letter.

I loved the way it turned out. So I decided that one banner for a two-year old's birthday was simply not enough and made another one.

For this one, I used two shades of pink, white and sage green card stock. I used the exact same measurements and process to create the second banner.

The only real Minnie Mouse tie was the pink and white polka dot ribbon I used to string them together. I did, however, flank this banner with some Minnie Mouse heads that were so easy to make.

Minnie Mouse Ornaments

I used the same process to create three different kinds of Minnie Mouse head decorations -- the hanging Minnie heads you see above (in a multitude of colors), the Minnie heads I taped around the pink and white banner;

and these Minnie tree ornaments.

I basically took the pattern from the head I made for the birthday invites and changed the size for these three different elements. This was a breeze too.

Supplies:

Card stock

Ribbon

Double-sided tape

I cut out the four smaller circles and two larger circles using my Cricut machine and Celebrations cartridge (the circles could also be cut out by hand). Because these were going to be seen from both sides, I wanted it clean on each side. so that's why I doubled the amount of circles.

I taped the small circles together first.

Then I positioned the ears just right on the head (this may drive you a bit crazy) and taped them on.

For the smaller tree ornaments, I cut out a piece of ribbon about 6" in length.

I created a loop with the ribbon in the middle of Minnie's head.

And then, using double-sided tape, I adhered the final circle on top of the this one.

I created a few in different colors using the same process and same dimensions. The ears or smaller circles were cut at 2.25" and the head or bigger circles were 3.5 inches.

I cut some more ribbon and created some bows to glue on.

Using craft glue, I adhered them on the ornaments and allowed them to dry with heavy objects placed on top of them.

You might be wondering why I have a tree hanging out in my living room. My mom bought me this tree from Pottery Barn Kids for Easter that had Easter egg ornaments to hang on it. After a little trial and error, I found the perfect spot in my living room for it and the tree looked so good, I didn't want to take it down last Easter. I kept saying I was going to make ornaments for each holiday and hang them on there. Well, it's been almost a year and I finally got around to it with my very first Minnie Mouse ornaments!

For the other heads I created, I added the letter 2 from my Celebrations cartridge.

I just used zots to adhere the two to the center of the head.

Here are a few more dimensions for different sizes:

Large Minnie -- the head is 16", the ears are 9" and the number 2 is 7"

Medium Minnie -- the head is 9", the ears are 6"and the number 2 is 4"

Small Minnie -- the head is 7", the ears are 4.5" and the number 2 is 2.75"

I created all different sizes and colors and hung them around the house with different colored ribbon to match! I used a whole punch and some DMC floss to hang these from the ceiling.

We loved this template so much, that my mom took it, made a sweet little dress for my sweet little girl and used it as an applique on the bottom.

One thing is for sure: We love Minnie Mouse!

Black-Eyed Peas and Bacon

2012-01-11T20:21:00.007-06:00

For the past few years, I always wanted to make some sort of black-eyed pea dish on New Year's Day because I've always read what great luck it brings in the new year to all who consume it. And being the superstitious girl that I am (thanks Dad), I decided I wanted to step up my superstitious acts a bit -- throwing salt over my shoulder and screaming at anyone who put shoes on the bed or a hat on a couch had started feeling amateur.

I made certain I would make it this year and that each of us would consume at least one black-eyed pea on New Year's day. (Who is going to discern between one black-eyed pea and a whole belly full?) Well, I've made it twice since. Yep, it's that good. And hearty. My husband kept saying how filling and hearty it was as he gobbled it up for lunch this past New Year's.

Of course, he is the least superstitious person I know, so he was annoyingly debating its roots and legitimateness in between heaping spoonfuls. But all of my talk of folklore and not eating any animals that can look behind them didn't stop him from inhaling this lunch and then dinner and then dinner again.

This is a surefire winner on any day of the year.

Black-Eyed Peas and Bacon

Makes 4 Large Servings

Ingredients:

1 1b dry black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked over
6 slices of bacon
7 oz cubed ham
1 green pepper, diced
1 onion diced
2 garlic cloves
1 tomato diced
Water

Directions:

Start by putting the black-eyed peas in a dutch oven and just cover them water. Turn the burner to medium-high heat and simmer while you cook the other veggies.

In a medium-sized pan over medium heat, sauté the bacon, ham green pepper, onion and garlic cloves until soft. Season with salt.

Drain the peas from the pot and rinse them with water. Add them back to the dutch oven, along with the cooked veggies and the diced tomato. Cover with water, bring to a boil and then simmer for about 45 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Because of the nature of this dish, the flavors deepen even more in the refrigerator. We ate it as the main dish because did I mention how hearty this is? But I bet, you could even serve this as a side dish too.

Nutrition Information Per 1/4 of Recipe: Calories 218; Total Fat 7g; Total Carb 25g; Fiber 6g; Sugars 5g; Protein 15g

*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool.

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Quick and Easy Holiday Thank You Note Cards

2012-01-06T20:58:00.000-06:00

I love sending thank you cards. I think a gift or kind word or nice intention deserves a thank you. It such a nice sentiment to receive one and no, I am not one of those people who whisper behind the backs of others: She didn't even send a thank-you card for the baby shower gift. I just get sad that thanking people is becoming passé. How can a kind sentiment be old-fashioned? I just don't get it. I digress.

Normally, I have a stack of preprinted Christmas thank you cards in a drawer, but when I went to look for them a few days after Christmas, they weren't there. I quickly remembered that I used them all last year. After silently berating myself for not getting some at Hobby Lobby earlier (knowing they were most likely all wiped out of everything Christmas-related), I looked at Walmart the Tuesday after Christmas. Even though I totally scored on 33 cent wrapping paper (by the roll, I might add), there were no holiday-oriented thank you cards, so I decided to make my own.

Holiday Thank You Note Cards

Supplies:

Scrap paper
Envelopes
White card stock
Double-sided tape
Holiday-oriented doo dads or stamp for corner

I had some leftover green and red sparkly foam stickers that came with the gingerbread men I used on the Sugar and Spice Holiday Cards.

Actually, I sort of remember looking at them thinking they looked a lot like the candy DOTs and wondering what in the world I might use them for. Now was my perfect opportunity.

I had some precut brown craft paper note cards and matching envelopes from a different project and after many attempts at using it folded (as it came), I decided these were going to be simple note cards, so I cut them in half to create a 5.5" x 4" base for the note card.

Ah, much better. I knew I wanted an area to write a nice message, so I wanted to keep it simple. I cut a dark brown base using scrap paper at 4.5" x 3" and attached it to the note card using double-sided tape.

I then cut a 4" x 2.5" rectangle out of white card stock to attach to the dark brown base.

Now I had a nice area to write my thank you message, but geez this seemed a bit boring and drab. Then I remembered my sparkly blingy gumdrop DOTs thingys.

I separate out the greens from the reds and figured out I had just enough to make something that resembled holly. I placed the three green ones so all of the edges touched.

And then I placed the red one right smack dab in the middle.

That was it. Just enough sparkle to say thank you appropriately. I wrote my message for each gift received and sent them on their merry way!

With these being sent and all of the Christmas decorations coming down a few days ago, it really puts an end to this holiday season. But in the words of Dr. Seuss: I'm not going to cry because it's over. I'm going to smile because it happened.

Book Review: The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls -- ★★★

2012-01-04T20:01:00.004-06:00

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The reason I only gave The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls three stars is because I'm not so sure I feel comfortable giving a book so disturbing -- where every single page for the first three parts of the book (that's 241 pages) is filled with one absolutely horrific story of extreme child neglect after the other -- high praise.

But this book is so good. It's like when my husband opens up the outdoor garbage can, puts his hand over his nose in apparent repulsive disgust and waves me over and tells me to take a whiff.

Why would I want to smell something that is making you practically retch on the grass? I ask.

Because I want you to see how bad it smells, he says.

The same can be said for this autobiographical account of writer Jeannette Walls' childhood. She writes the facts of her life growing up with an alcoholic father and mentally ill mother who fail to hold down jobs and provide even the bare necessities for their four children. While reading it, you momentarily forget it's not fiction. There were times I had to close the book and walk away because I felt so bad. But I always went back -- and finished this book in record time.

Food? The poor Walls' kids were starving, forced to dig in garbage cans during lunch hour at school because they had no lunch. If they did have food at home, their mother told them to cut around the maggots.

See what I mean?

Clothes? The family was outfitted in a few things purchased from a thrift store and at one point it was mentioned they hadn't washed their clothes or underwear since November. It was January.

Shelter? They ended up living in a tiny house in Welch, West Virginia that had no bathroom (I repeat: had no bathroom) and barely a roof. The poor brother had to sleep under a tarp on the nights in rained. The went to the bathroom in a yellow bucket in the kitchen. When it was full, the last person to go emptied it. Sometimes they had electricity and coal for heat, but most times not at all. They had to dig a hole in their bag yard to dump their garbage in. Rats infested their house.

It's so horrific, you think, why would anyone want to read something like this?

It's so well-written. Not once does Ms. Wells' project any sort of psychoanalysis on her parents. She never delves into why her parents behave this way; she simply tells the story. Her emotions -- for the most part -- are kept out of the narrative. It makes for a captivating story.

Ironically enough, three out of the four children move on to have completely successful and happy lives. The youngest daughter has some trouble it seems and I read somewhere she is currently in a mental hospital.

The best part of the book is towards the end, when the author is trying to come up with options for her mother, so she did not have to live on the street. And her mother says, "I've spent my life taking care of other people. Now it's time to take care of me."

Oh my God, the irony is almost hard to believe: Her whole life was spent taking care of just herself.

Verdict: Definitely Recommend
Rating: ✭✭✭

Tasty Turkey Muffins

2011-12-31T09:59:00.002-06:00

My body needs a break -- a break from chocolate-covered almonds, pecan pie and brussels sprouts with bacon. I have finally rid my kitchen of all of the wonderfully tasting, butt fattening foods that quietly intruded one week ago.

In its place, we've been eating slow cooker chicken caesar sandwiches (a recipe I have been testing for my daughter's 2nd birthday party in a few weeks), salads, sautéed garlicky broccoli, and roasted potatoes -- oh and these delicious turkey muffins. When I was trying on a low carb diet a year ago, I came across the recipe for these muffins in a forum and since have tweaked it so it fits our lifestyle and taste buds.

We know that ground turkey has less fat than its ground beef counterpart, but we also know with that comes dry and sometimes sandpaper tasting foods. These muffins use dark meat ground turkey and are infused with flavor from carrots, onions and eggs. The original recipe calls for heavy cream and cheese, both of which I have substituted with light coconut milk (adds absolutely no coconut flavor and instead just a touch of richness) and Daiya shredded cheddar cheese for a dairy-free dinner.

These little guys are delicious right out of the muffins cups or poured out into a bowl and enjoyed with a fork.

They can be made in muffins tins, but they need to be greased and cleanup is really a pain in the rear. I specifically bought some silicone muffins cups for this recipe so I didn't have to add any additional fat and so I didn't have to use a whole box of steel wool pads to clean the muffin pan. It worked perfectly. They slid right out of the silicone cups and required minimal cleaning. These are wonderful served with a crisp green salad dressed with salt and canola oil.

Turkey Muffins

Makes 10 Turkey Muffins

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb ground turkey, dark meat
2 carrots, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 eggs
1/4 cup light coconut milk or heavy cream
1/4 cup plus 1/8 cup (divided) shredded cheddar Daiya cheese or regular shredded cheddar cheese
Salt, to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin with oil or line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and line up 10 silicone muffin cups.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and season with salt. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until softened.

Add the ground turkey and cook until no longer pink.

Meanwhile, in a glass measuring cup, mix together the eggs and coconut milk. Season with salt.

Place the ground turkey mixture in a bowl and add the egg mixture and the 1/4 cup shredded cheese to it. Mix well.

Divide equally among 10 muffin cups (pouring some of the excess liquid over each muffin nf necessary) and top with remaining 1/8 cup cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until egg is set and cheese is melted. Eat straight from the muffin cup with a fork or empty into a bowl.

I am about ready to break in my new Garmin watch for the third time (if the fog around here lifts) and I am also getting ready to kiss my dried, cracked and bleeding dish washing hands goodbye because there's a brand new dishwasher getting installed today!

In midst of our New Year's celebrating (which probably includes my husband and I watching the Toy Story 3 dvd I picked up at the library yesterday and my husband waking me up at midnight to tell me it's a new year) I cannot forget to soak my black-eyed peas for our good luck New Year's lunch tomorrow!

See ya in 2012,

Nutrition Information Per 2 Muffins: Calories 146; Total Fat 8g; Total Carb 10g; Fiber 2g;
Sugars 4g; Protein 8g

*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool.
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Holiday Cards and A Very Merry Christmas

2011-12-27T20:44:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure about you, but my family really created a complete and total mess celebrating what turned out to be a very merry Christmas this year. It all started with the holiday cards. I was up late a few nights creating these guys because everything came to head all at once it seemed -- preschool nativity game, christmas truffles and Christmas Eve prep.

The night before Christmas Eve, I finished getting the house cleaned and the table set.

We finally put up window cling nativity scene we received as a gift from preschool.

The house was all set. The next day, complete and total destruction began with two simple books and a pink car.

It continued through the night.

And of course, began again in the wee hours of Christmas morning.

After the destruction was complete, I was finally able to break in both of the best gifts I got this Christmas. First with my new Garmin (this thing is SO cool). And it was a pretty awesome run on Christmas morning I might add.

And then with my brand-new Hello Kitty toaster.

As I mentioned in a Facebook status update, it looked like Al's Toy Barn blew up inside our house on Monday. It was not a pretty sight. But my husband and I banded together, purging the old to make way for the new.

I was just so happy I was able to finish our holiday greeting cards through it all!

Sugar and Spice Holiday Cards

The first thing I did was get our holiday Christmas pictures taken and had a bunch of wallet-sized pictures printed. The next thing I did was scavenge through my envelope bin to see if I had a surplus of any envelopes I could use for this project. And I did. I had more than enough red #10 envelopes (it's a total time and wallet saver to pick up envelopes in the masses when clearanced or on sale).

I went to Hobby Lobby during a 50% off scrapbook paper sale and picked out some colors that I thought would look nice. And since practically all of the scrapbook merchandise was on sale, I bought anything that I though was cute that might work later -- ribbon, gingerbread men, buttons. I return whatever I don't use or keep it if I got an exceptionally good price.

Supplies:

Brown textured card stock

Patterned holiday paper

Green textured card stock

Picture

Red heart buttons

Brown floss

Needle

White card stock

Printer

Foam gingerbread men

Red envelopes

I ended up reusing patterned paper I used about 5 years ago for our Christmas cards -- I had just the perfect amount left -- and some green textured card stock I used on that same Christmas card. I also picked some red buttons from Hobby Lobby and gingerbread foam sticky men I got on sale at Michaels.

I started by cutting the base to my card in brown. Since my envelope was 9 1/4" x 4 1/4" I cut the base of the card at 9" x 4". I proceeded to cut my second layer (patterned paper) at 8 1/2" x 3 1/2" and adhere it to the base using double-sided tape.

I cut the base for my picture on green textured card stock at 4 x 3" and attached the two together using double-sided tape.

I could have very easily attached the buttons to each corner using glue, but I thought the button holes would have looked kind of lonely with no thread in them. So I took on the time-consuming task of sewing two buttons to each picture. I started by holding the button over the area where I wanted it to lay. I poked the needle through each hole to create pre-existing holes.

I cut two strands (of six strands each) of brown floss about 3 to 4" in length. Then I threaded the needle with one set of six strands.

Coming up from the bottom, I pulled the needle through the first hole.

I looped the needle over the top of the button and pulled it down through the second hole.

I flipped over the card and tied a knot on the back.

I sewed the buttons on an a bit of an angle.

Then, using double-sided tape, I adhered the picture to the base of the card.

Next, I created a message in Microsoft Word and printed it out on white smooth card stock and cut it 4" x 3".

I taped it on the bottom and added a little gingerbread man in the bottom corner to keep the sugar and spice theme going.

The card was finished!

The hardest (or most time-consuming part) of this particular project was sewing on the buttons. I did them all on a Sunday night while watching the finale to Next Iron Chef. My fingers were pretty sore the next day (I really could have used a thimble), but the result was so worth it!

Christmas Truffle Pops

2011-12-21T19:16:00.004-06:00

Truffle pops broke my resolve. But I do believe they have the power to break even the toughest of resolve.

I had been counting calories, trying to really zap these ten pounds that have been plaguing me and my closet for the last year. Even with running 10 miles a week (which I know is nothing to seasoned runners, but I am slowly increasing 1 mile a week), I still have not lost one pound. I just eat too much. It's that simple. So, I decided to start tracking my calories by writing everything down in a dreaded food journal. And guess what? I was feeling fantastic. I didn't feel sluggish or tired. I felt great and actually a little lighter and then exit stage left: The truffle pop.

I decided to make truffles as my "treat of the season" a few weeks back, wanting to make both a dairy and non-dairy version and yesterday, I finally made them. Fast forward to this morning: I finished the truffle mixture straight out of the bowl with the spoon.

I guess the silver lining is yes, they are that good.

But the heavy, downpour of rain is that my calorie counting is washed right down the drain. I keep telling myself it's simply unrealistic to count calories in the days leading up to Christmas. Yes, it's clearly an excuse, but I sticking by it.

Both versions (dairy and non-dairy) are gluten-free, loaded with sugar and absolutely delicious. They make super cute hostess gifts, teacher gifts and sweet treat gifts. They take a little time to put together, but the outcome is totally worth it.

NOTE: The dairy truffles are firm enough to store in the refrigerator, but the dairy-free truffles tend to soften up quite a bit in the refrigerator and lose their shape, so I suggest storing them in the freezer. Another option might be to increase the amount of chips to 4 cups, but keep the creamer at 1 cup and then perhaps they will become more solid in the refrigerator. I haven't tested this, but it's just an option! Happy Holidays!

Truffle Pops

Ingredients (Non-Dairy Version):

3 cups Enjoy Life Mega Chocolate Chunks
1 cup So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Place the chips in a bowl. Scald the creamer over low heat. Pour the hot cream over the chips.

Stir to melt. Add vanilla and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer until solid.

Ingredients (Dairy Version):

3 cups of semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Place the chips and milk in a double boiler (or a bowl set over a pot of boiling water) and stir to melt.

Remove from top of pot and add vanilla. Stir well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to cool.

To assemble the truffles (both versions):

Supplies

Styrofoam
Bowls
Tissue paper
Lollipop sticks
Sprinkles, chopped nuts, etc.
Ribbon

Place all of your sprinkles into little bowls for rolling.

Using a melon baller (or something similar), scrape out about 1 1/2 tablespoons worth of chocolate and roll it in your hands to create a ball.

Roll them in the sprinkles to cover completely.

Stick lollipop into center of the truffle.

Place tissue paper in the bowl and put a piece of styrofoam over the tissue.

Stick the lollipops into the styrofoam. To create different heights, using different sized lollipop sticks and toothpicks. Roll in different colored sprinkles and sugars and arrange in styrofoam. I placed bows I made from ribbon to fill in some spots and placed a larger bow on a tall lollipop stick in the center.

They turned out so cute. I ended up wrapping them in clear wrap and tying them with some curling ribbon.

I typeset the recipe, printed it out and placed it in the card. Hopefully, I'll have some time tomorrow to knock a few more out! If anything, these will make a cute addition to your holiday sweet table.

NOTE: The dairy truffles are firm enough to store in the refrigerator, but the dairy-free truffles tend to soften up quite a bit in the refrigerator and lose their shape, so I suggest storing them in the freezer. Another option might be to increase the amount of chips to 4 cups and then perhaps they will become more solid in the refrigerator. I haven't tested this, but it's just an option! Happy Holidays!

Non-Dairy Nutrition Information Per 1 Truffle: Calories 77; Total Fat 5g; Total Carb 10g; Fiber 1g;
Sugars 9g; Protein 1g

Nutrition Information Per 1 Truffle: Calories 97; Total Fat 5g; Total Carb 14g; Fiber 1g;
Sugars 14g; Protein 2g

*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool.

Nativity Scene Pre-K Christmas Game and Goody Bags!

2011-12-20T20:53:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow is our pre-k Christmas party and as usual, I am in charge of the game. Last year I was in charge of the game too.

In fact, I was in charge of every party game last year. This year is no exception. Ohhhhh, it's not because I am some awesome and creative game creator. It's because no one else wants to do the game. And because I am late with everything in my life, I am always the last to get to the sign-up sheet. The snack and craft are the first to go, leaving the game slot blank -- lonely and cold. I reluctantly sign my name in its place every year for every single party, cursing my damn tardiness.

Because I have been forced into it, I have sort of warmed up to games. It's such a challenge coming up with games for four-year olds because it's such an in-between age. But I used this game last year for preschool and my daughter's teacher liked it so much that she asked to keep it for her afternoon pre-k class. So there's no point in reinventing the wheel (I'm harkening back to my corporate lingo days); I'm gonna use it again this year!

We have to keep everything anti-Santa and focus on the true meaning of Christmas -- presents. Just joking! Of course, that means Jesus's birthday. I wanted to do something with the nativity scene and I found a black and white drawing at the thecoloringspot.com and decided to add some shape, color and number recognition to it. I added stars, and circles and squares with numbers in them and then I created a corresponding sheet that had the same exact shapes with the different colors.

The kids need to identify the shape and number, find it on the second page and then color the shape on the nativity scene page the same color of the shape found on the second page. Huh? Ok, it's really simply when you see it in front of you.

It worked out pretty well last year, so I am hoping for the same response this year. Download the game here and the corresponding shape sheet here and use it for your classroom game or just as great daytime activity!

I also created goody bags for the kids.

I got some puzzles from JoAnn Fabrics that were a dollar and some pencils and erasers and candy from The Dollar Store. What's Christmas without a teeny weeny gift?

I balled up some tissue paper and put it in the bottom of a standard brown lunch bag and put one of each item in it.

I used some extra tags I had leftover from last year (eight exactly woo hoo!) and using a punch holder, created a hole in the flap at the top that I folded. I then threaded some white ribbon through the hole and looped the tag around the ribbon so it would hang.

I added some extra ribbon that matched for some decorative flair.

And just like that, I created cute Christmas bags, lined up and ready to go!

Until tomorrow when I'll have more holiday goodies!

Minnie Mouse Birthday Invitations

2011-12-14T19:55:00.002-06:00

Along with all of the holiday preparations and activities last week, I also had to carve out a little time to make and send my youngest daughter's birthday invitations. Her birthday party will be in January and I wanted to give guests enough time to plan ahead and the reserve the day.

Last year, we celebrated her birthday in complete Mickey Mouse style and because her love for everything Mickey Mouse has not wavered at all and in fact has only strengthened over the past year, I decided to make this year's birthday a Minnie Mouse celebration.

First order of business were the invitations. And they came out as cute as ever! I happened to have leftover black envelopes from last year's invites, so that dictated the size I would make them this year. To make these super cute BOWtiful invites, here's how to do it:

Supplies:

Cardstock -- red, black, yellow, white
Scissors
Double-sided tape
Zots
Pop dots
Black envelopes (5.5 x 5.5")
Mickey Mouse paper for Minnie cutout on inside (I got mine from Michaels)
Red and white polka dot ribbon (I got mine from Hobby Lobby)
Bone folder
Computer and printer

Since my envelopes were 5.5 x 5.5", I made the red base of my invitation 10.5 x 5.25". I folded them in half using a bone folder.

I was originally going to use a template similar to the Mickey Mouse shirts for the black silhouette, but I could not get a clean enough cut around the circles and it looked so messy. Then I had the bright idea that I should use my Cricut machine to cut different sized circles out (see note). I used my Celebrations cartridge and cut the smaller circles at 2" and the larger ones at 3.5". Then I just stuck them together using double-sided tape.

Since I wanted bows for the silhouette, I cut out about 10" of ribbon per bow and made little bows for the ears. I trimmed the edges as necessary.

I originally used some zots to adhere the bows, but at the end, I decided to use regular craft glue on the bows for a stronger bond to the paper. I didn't want the bows falling off as people pulled the invite from the envelope.

I created the base for the ears out of yellow card stock and sized it 4 x4". I attached the black ears to the yellow base with double-sided tape and then, using my Cricut cartridge Celebrations, I cut out the number 2 on white card stock. I used zots I cut in half to attach it to the black ears.

I then attached the yellow base to the red card using double-sided tape.

The front is now finished! On to the inside. I cut a black square, 4.5 x 4.5" and placed it on the bottom half of the card.

I created a message in Quark and printed it. (If you don't have access to a layout program, you could use Microsoft Word.) My message, printed on white card stock, was 4 x 4". I bought some scrapbook paper that had all of the characters in little boxes and I cut out all of the Minnie Mouse pictures. I then created a yellow border that measured 1.875 x 1.875" (which is 1 7/8 on the ruler). I attached the Minnie Mouse picture using a pop dot.

I placed it where it would fit, which happened to be to the right of the message.

As I mentioned earlier, I ended up regluing the bows using craft glue. I place a heavy object on the bow as it was drying in order to achieve a good bond to the paper. It worked perfectly. I don't think those bows are going anywhere.

I lined them up to dry overnight.

And they were mailed the next day!

There's more Minnie Mouse fun in store. (Of course, I'm not sure what it is just yet, but we've got a whole Minnie Mouse party to plan!) If you have a Minnie Mouse party and are looking for invitations, these are easy to make, absolutely inexpensive and BOWriffic!

Note about circle sizes: The circle measurements are not equal to the diameters of the circles. If using the Cricut machine with the Celebrations cartridge, I used the shadow function at the sized specified. If you are simply cutting out circles by hand and measuring out by diameter, the circle diameter sizes are 2 1/4" for the larger one and 1 1/4" for the smaller ones!

Slow Cooker Turkey Drumsticks, Veggies and Rice with Creamy Gravy and Christmas!

2011-12-10T11:43:00.004-06:00

It's been a week since my last blog entry and I have just one word to explain my absence: Christmas. I have spent the week hunting down presents for everyone on my list (and Santa's list), as well as for three December birthdays. When I wasn't shopping, I was wrapping presents, decorating trees and doing laundry. Needless to say, this house desperately needs a deep cleaning, but that's just going to have to wait until Monday because there's also a major construction project going on in what was previously called the office.

My husband is tearing down shelves and building a media center on one wall, complete with tons of storage for toys. For the last four years, our family room has been overrun with toys, but as soon as our youngest stops shoving everything in her mouth, all toys will be banished to the new playroom and my husband and I will get our family room back -- with many changes, including the addition of a coffee table.

Oh how I greatly digressed from the nightmare of a dirty house to the daydream of a family room with a table and no gates. The good news, though, is that I finally finished shopping, so I can get moving on all of the other holiday projects planned, most importantly the holiday cards!

I also spent the week putting up both Christmas trees. One of the trees is prelit which, by the way, is one of the best inventions to date, but sadly the other tree we own, which also happens to be the two-story tree is not prelit, so I spent a good many days detangling non-working lights, and restringing new working lights. I've employed a highly sophisticated tape system to help avoid this problem next year. If there's no tape on the end, throw out the string of lights and get new ones. Like I said, highly sophisticated.

Before I could do anything, Christmas music was a must.

Then the decorating began!

The tree just could not be complete without Hello Kitty!

After I had finished "my tree," I had to turn my attention to the other tree in the family room. Thank heavens, this tree is prelit and that in and of itself, made it a breeze (and complete joy) to put up.

This tree is totally traditional complete with homemade decorations, candy canes and bubble lights (I love those things!).

And Mickey Mouse is simply a requirement on this tree.

Phew! Now I just need to finish wrapping presents, so I can truly cross this off the list.

Since this week was so busy, I used the slow cooker a lot. Turkey drumsticks were on sale for $1.99 a pound, so I decided to make an old time favorite around this house -- Turkey Drumsticks, Veggies and Rice with Creamy Gravy.

Drumsticks are huge, so this makes a pretty big batch that fed us comfortably for two nights. The first night I topped it with the gravy made from the liquid left in the slow cooker, but since I didn't have any gravy for the second night, I just reheated it with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. This is really an amazing meal that skimps on money, but definitely not on taste.

Turkey Drumsticks, Veggies and Rice with Creamy Gravy

Ingredients:

4 medium yukon gold potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks
4 medium to large carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 medium onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 turkey drumsticks
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Salt
2 cups cooked brown rice

Sauce:

2 tablespoons lite coconut milk
1 tablespoon arrowroot starch or corn starch
Salt

Directions:

Place all of the veggies and garlic in the slow cooker. Season with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Add the broth. When I make chicken stock, I freeze some in ice cube trays and then store it in a freezer bags for instances where I don't need a full cup or 2.

Place the turkey legs on top and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and dried parsley.

Cover and cook on low for 5 1/2 hours. Remove from the slow cooker, shred the meat from the drumsticks and place in a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.

Meanwhile, strain the sauce into a small pan and bring to boil over medium heat. Add the arrowroot or corn starch, while whisking constantly until the sauce begins to thicken. Add the coconut milk for a little creaminess. Taste and salt appropriately.

Place some of the rice on a plate, top with veggies and some turkey and drizzle a bit of sauce over the entire dish.

Mmmm, mmmmm, seriously good! I honestly wish there was some left right now for lunch.

If you're wrapped up with holiday errands today, good luck! It's 10 degrees here, so we're just staying in, wrapping presents and cranking some holiday music!

Nutrition Information Per 1/4 Serving (Including Rice): Calories 483; Total Fat 12g; Total Carb 61g; Fiber 8g; Sugars 11g; Protein 37g
*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool.

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Favorite Roasted Potatoes

2011-12-03T14:28:00.003-06:00

Potatoes are a staple in this house. Here's how I see it: Every meal needs to be balanced, which means every meal needs a protein, a veggie and a starch. I know a lot of people say eating potatoes will make you fat, but c'mon people -- everything in moderation, right? If you exercise and watch your portion control, you'll be fit and happy. (My experience is that no one really flourishes under deprivation.)

Speaking of fit, I just completed my 5k training. Woot woot! And while I don't have a specific 5k to train for (uh, it's like winter here), I wanted to be able to run 5k with the hopes of maybe running a half-marathon in the spring or summer. We'll see...

I started running in early July, but mid-August I suffered a stress fracture of my tibia, so I had to lay off and let it heal for about 6 weeks. The reason I developed the stress fracture was because I was running every day; I loved it that much and I was increasing my mileage at whim -- not at all adhering to the 10% rule. So this time around, I wanted to do it the right way. So 9 weeks ago, I began this couch to 5k program and finished my last day on Thursday. I ran 3 miles this morning and plan to continue running three miles every morning and adding an additional day with 1 mile a week, so I can end up running 3 miles, five days a week.

I love to run. It is a major stress reliever. How? I have no idea, but when I get done running, I feel like I am on top of the world and as if I can squash problems with two fingers as they come my way. I always used to look cockeyed at those people whose faces lit up when they started talking about running and their love for it. I didn't get it. I used to think, who -- in their right and sane mind -- would willingly run and like it? I totally get it now.

The only downside is now I get really crabby when I can't run.

But that is usually solved with food (no food is NOT an answer to your problems), but let's admit it, sometimes food does make you feel better. But (deep, heavy sigh) a moment on the lips is a lifetime on the hips. And so the story goes.

Back to starches though, good for you, energy-boosting starches.

Sweet potatoes often take the starring role as our starch, but when she's sung one too many dinner tunes, I whip up a batch of these super simple and absolutely tasty roasted potatoes. I use Yukon gold potatoes that contain about 3 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein in one medium-sized potato and here's the bonus: the skin provides tons of potassium which makes our bones strong and yukon gold potatoes contain iron for healthy blood, plus vitamin C for the immune system and vitamins B-6 and niacin for a strong nervous system. And guess what? Our bodies require protein and complex carbohydrates for energy and brain function. So eat away, I say.

This takes minutes to prep and thirty minutes later, you're pulling one of the best sides out of the oven.

Favorite Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:

Yukon gold potatoes, 8 or 9 medium

1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus a tablespoon for greasing the pan

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the sheet and spread it around with your hands. If you don't do this step, you won't be eating any potatoes because they will all be stuck to the baking sheet.

Dice the potatoes in a 2-inch dice.

(It gets dark around dinner time these days!)

Place them on the baking sheet and pour the olive oil onto the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and the using your hands mix well. When the oil and salt is covering the potatoes, separate each potato onto the baking sheet skin side down. If you don't touch the potatoes at all during their cooking time, you'll get one side that's really, really crunchy and delicious.

Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and scrape off and pour into a serving bowl. Serve immediately!

If there are any leftovers, which is seriously rare, I cut them up even smaller and use them for an egg hash the next morning.

Now back to decorating the Christmas tree!

Nutrition Information Per One Cup Serving: Calories 244; Total Fat 9g; Total Carb 35g; Fiber 8g; Sugars 0g; Protein 6g

*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool.
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

2011-11-29T14:58:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving was a blur as was the rest of the week. If we weren't going one place, we were headed out to another -- haircuts, yoga classes, ice skating and gymmastics (not too mention my husband started demolition on our office which will now become a playroom for the kids; hopefully we can claim our family room back from the army of toys). And on top of it all, every Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I make a miniature Thanksgiving dinner with a stuffed turkey breast, cornbread stuffing, roasted brussell sprouts and pumpkin pie for dessert. It was so good. I seriously love Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Cornbread Mix. So good.

If you follow this blog, you know that I have a minor obsession with peanut butter and chocolate. Everything I seem to make somehow incorporates peanut butter and chocolate...ok, maybe not everything, but it sure comes close.

After making my almond butter cookies the other day, I wanted to see if I could turn them into a successful bar, making the recipe more time-friendly because let's face it: We just don't have enough time. I always switched back and forth between almond butter and peanut butter for the cookies, but for these bars, I wanted a clear peanut butter and chocolate flavor.

It totally worked! I was so excited to discover a bar alternative to the flourless almond butter cookies. These are so good popped in a lunch or for an afternoon snack and they freeze well too!

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bars

Ingredients:

1 16 ounce jar peanut butter (I used natural, chunky)
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate chunks (I used Enjoy Life)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix the peanut butter until smooth and creamy. (I used my Kitchen Aid Mixer for this.) Add the honey, vanilla and eggs.

Add the baking soda and the salt and mix well. Add the chocolate chunks and stir to combine.

Press into a 9 x 13 baking dish until smooth and level on top.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cut into 16 squares and enjoy!

One other thing I discovered is that I really don't like cranberry sauce. I tried making some in the slow cooker over the weekend and it was a complete and total disaster -- too tart for me and the skins are so weird. Oh well.

I've also decided to put Slow Cookin' Sundays on a hiatus because there are a lot of other recipes and projects I would like to share that just don't use the slow cooker. (Some do, though, so I am not completely giving up the slow cooker!). After the holidays are over, I am going to decided whether or not to bring it back...we'll see!

Till Next Time!

Nutrition Information Per One Bar: Calories 281; Total Fat 18.2g; Total Carb 21g; Fiber 3g; Sugars 15g; Protein 9g
*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool.
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Book Review: Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen -- ★

2011-11-24T09:21:00.003-06:00

Source

Don't waste your time reading Water for Elephants. Seriously. This book is the most far-fetched, unorganized and just plain silly book I have read in quite some time. I really wanted to like it, but the whole book just began unraveling. I was more than two-thirds through the book when my mom asked me what it was about and I opened my mouth and no words came out. I couldn't really verbalize what is was about because nothing was really happening.

SPOILER ALERT ** SPOILER ALERT ** SPOILER ALERT

If you plan on reading it still, stop here because I have no option but to go into detail about its many faults.

The author included a prologue (for what purpose, I am unsure) that drew the reader in, making her think that this book was filled with action and suspense. But when you finish the book, you realize the prologue served absolutely no role and makes you think that an editor somewhere pulled out the most exciting part of the book and threw it in a prologue to generate interest and book sales. Seriously, this is the most action this book sees and it doesn't come to the very end. And it comes in a way that is so unrealistic and absurd that you think the author must have been under a deadline and had to wrap things up quickly.

The book story is framed with the recollections of a very old man, in his nineties and chapter one actually begins with him speaking about his age and how once you hit ninety you can't exactly recall your age. (Okay, I feel like that in my thirties, but whatever.)

So the story is divided between his life now in a nursing home and his recollections from his early twenties when he joins a circus when his parents die in a car crash (I kid you not; I can't make this stuff up.)

He somehow becomes the circus veterinarian in a period of a night and makes friends with the stars of the show (equestrian director and female star). In between this, there are weird sexually explicit and random scenes that don't quite fit within the book (again, makes you think an editor had a heavy hand in the book) and then the circus acquires an elephant (I won't bore you with the details).

It turns out the equestrian director is crazy and beats the elephant because the elephant does not move on command. And it "pains" the narrator so much that he just sits on his rear end doing nothing to help the elephant as he gets beat over and over. (Huh? I don't get it. Why make such a mundane character? Who wants to read about a wimp main character who can't even stand up for an elephant who is physically abused? Weird.)

Meanwhile, some strange relationship is growing between the main character and the female star of the show. The main character unlocks the mystery as to why the elephant won't move (only speaks Polish) and then the equestrian director has a major freak out and the female star leaves him and professes her undying love for the main character. But now they are being "hunted" by the ringmaster and need a quick out of the circus and wouldn't you know there's a stampede in the circus and everyone dies but the two main characters. SO STUPID.

In between all of this complete chaos, the main character is telling us his woes about nursing home life and how his kids don't care about him and how he thinks he's getting Alzheimer's because he can't recognize anyone. As luck would have it, there's a circus in town right across the street from his nursing home, so he sneaks out and literally joins the circus again.

This was really one of the dumbest books I have read in a long time. Unrealistic events took place just to make the story; it felt schizophrenic and unorganized. And nothing really happened and when it did, you were left wondering how that happened.

Normally books are better than movies, but in this case anything has to be better, so maybe the movie will be decent.

Verdict: Avoid It If At All Possible
Rating: ✭

Slow Cookin' Sunday: Steak Fajita Bowls

2011-11-20T16:09:00.003-06:00

Last Sunday I think I got salmonella poisoning from peanut butter that I found out later was recalled. It was Smucker's Natural Chunky Peanut Butter. I was making some cookies using the peanut butter and I was the only one who ate the peanut butter raw. Everyone else ate it after it was cooked to above 165 degrees. Within an hour, I was couched by a pounding, almost debilitating headache, extreme nausea and stomach issues, chills and fever. By the next morning, my chills and fever dissipated, leading me to believe that maybe I had accidentally eaten something that had gluten in it.

On Wednesday I saw on the afternoon news that the peanut butter I ate on Sunday was recalled. Ding, ding, ding. I can't be sure of the lot number because the jar was thrown out and long gone, but my symptoms were eerily similar to those listed online. And it was gross, yucky and very flu-like.

It wasn't until Friday that I really started feeling like myself. Needless to say, this house is falling down around me! I am backed up on laundry, cleaning -- just about everything (including blog posts!).

Yesterday we went to our local zoo with my oldest daughter's preschool. They purchase a tree to donate to the zoo and the kids make ornaments in class to decorate the tree with. We call this Trim-a-Tree event. We get there in the morning and they eat donuts and drink hot chocolate, decorate the tree and take pictures.

Then we spent the afternoon looking at the animals. I really love the zoo when it's cooler out versus hot. It was such a nice day!

When we got home, I was so glad I made this steak fajita mixture in the slow cooker the evening before. I got the idea for steak fajita bowls because I saw a few recipes for burritos, but I didn't feel like messing with a wrap. I wondered what would happen if I made a basic fajita blend in the crockpot and added some extras toward the end like cooked rice, black beans and corn and serve it all in a bowl. After it was done cooking, I let it sit in the refrigerator overnight knowing the flavors would most likely marry and be perfect the next day.

It was getting colder as the day wore on yesterday, so by the time we got home, we were seriously hungry. All I can say is with the week I had: Thank goodness for slow cookers. And thank goodness for steak fajita bowls.

Slow Cooker Steak Fajita Bowls

Makes 4, 2-Cup Servings

Ingredients:

1 lb flank steak, sliced thinly against the grain
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tomatoes, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow pepper, julienned
1 red pepper, julienned
1 large onion, sliced thinly
2 teaspoons arrowroot starch or cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
Salt
Guacamole (optional)
Corn chips (optional)

Directions:

Place the sliced steak, spices, salt, tomatoes and garlic in a slow cooker.

Cook on low for 3 - 4 hours.

Add the peppers and onions and mix well.

Season with salt and continuing cooking for another 2 hours.

In a separate bowl, make a slurry by combining the arrowroot or cornstarch and the water. Mix well and pour into the slow cooker. Mix well. Switch to high and cook for another 1/2 an hour. Add the rice, corn and beans and cook until heated through. Taste and salt if needed and serve with crushed up tortilla chips and guacamole.

This is such an easy dinner that packs a powerful punch.

As I was overcoming my sickness, I finished reading Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen. I'm going to post a review of that soon.

Nutrition Information Per A 2-Cup Serving: Calories 372; Total Fat 10g; Total Carb 37g; Fiber 6g; Sugars 5g; Protein 30g
*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool.
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Slow Cookin' Sunday: Pumpkin Custard

2011-11-13T06:00:00.001-06:00

My husband put the holiday lights on the house yesterday. And we also got one Christmas tree up in the front foyer, but the lights are a mess so that's going to a huge project for me today. As an added bonus, a local radio station went all Christmas music a few days ago. (Yes, we are those people who could easily skip Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas.) We love Christmas. It brings such a fuzzy, warm feeling.

This is the first year my oldest daughter really gets what's going on with the whole Santa Claus thing. We were at the mall the other day and Santa Claus was there for pictures (which totally surprised me) and we walked past and she screamed, "Look, look mommy. It's Santa Claus, Santa Claus."

He smiled and waved to her which put a little skip in her step, but for a moment I was stymied and a tad but nervous, thinking: What do I say? Why is he here? How can he be here and every other place in the world? Does she know he's fake?

I soon remembered she doesn't think adult thoughts. She thinks four-year-old thoughts. There is no other place than here for her.

Phew. Crisis swiftly averted. (No thanks to my paranoid thoughts.)

We also finished winterizing the outside yesterday because it was once again an unseasonable 60 degrees out. We finished putting away some flower pots and I pulled out the zinnias, cut down the perennials and flattened out the veggie garden bed. There is so much dirt in there from the digging of the shed.

Since it was so mild, I decided to throw some grass-fed beef ribeyes I got on sale at Whole Foods on the grill for dinner. They were really good with their little partners of garlicky broccoli. Luckily, I was on the ball, and we had dessert to end such a great dinner -- this wonderful thick and luscious dairy-free, gluten-free and refined sugar-free pumpkin custard I made in the crockpot on Friday night.

I used some sugar pumpkins I picked from the farm and roasted in the crockpot a few days ago. Although the weather still feels balmy in Chicago terms, there's no denying autumn with desserts like this -- thick and slightly sweet, but definitely spicy, pumpkin pie in bowl form.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Custard

Makes about 8, 1/3-cup servings

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
12 ounces light coconut milk (from can)
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
2 tablespoons Earth Balance soy-free spread, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Flesh from 2 whole roasted sugar pumpkins or a 15 ounce can of pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour (I used a brown rice flour blend*)
Non-dairy whipped topping
Maple syrup, for drizzling
Chopped pecans

Directions:

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. I use my Misto. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut milk, maple syrup, melted Earth Balance and vanilla extract. Add pumpkin and whisk well.

Add the cinnamon through the salt and whisk well.

Gently fold in flour until all of the lumps are gone. Pour into the slow cooker and cook on low for three to four hours. My oblong slow cooker is hot hot hot, so mine cooked this in three hours. Test using a toothpick. If the center comes out clean, it's done.

Cool in the refrigerator overnight. Serve topped with a dollop of non-dairy whipped topping (optional), a drizzle of maple syrup and some chopped pecans.

To top this off, there are three grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein in each serving -- big-time bonus!

*My brown rice flour blend is as follows: 3 cups of brown rice flour, 1 cup potato starch, 1/2 cup tapioca starch. Mix well and store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Information Per 1/3 cup serving: Calories 165; Total Fat 7g; Total Carb 22g; Fiber 3g; Sugars 11g; Protein 3g
*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool.

Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Card

2011-11-08T13:57:00.001-06:00

Muno! Foofa! Plex! Brobee! Toodee! The only character we're missing is DJ Lance in this cute and easy Yo Gabba Gabba homemade birthday card.

We recently went to a 2nd birthday party and I remembered that the little girl whose birthday it was just went to a Yo Gabba Gabba (or Yo Yo Gabba as we call it) show. I thought it might be nice to make our gift a Yo Yo Gabba-themed gift.

I recall the first time my husband put Yo Gabba Gabba on the tv (quite on accident I think) for my oldest daughter who was probably around two at the time. I was mortified. It was so weird and c'mon, Tone Loc on a children's show? Yuck.

But my daughter was hooked and cried hysterically when I shut it off. I remember not knowing why the she was crying and then I realized, if I put Yo Gabba Gabba on, she'll stop crying. I remember telling my mom on the phone and she said she felt the same about Sesame Street when it first came on. She thought it was so weird. (Which now we think is so funny that Sesame Street could be considered weird, but it's all relative, right?)

But I got used to Yo Gabba Gabba and now I actually find the characters endearing. My youngest daughter only has eyes for Mickey Mouse though. On occasion, she plays with a random Yo Gabba Gabba toy. (If it looks chew-worthy enough.)

Anyhow, it was a Friday night right after dinner and I thought my oldest and I could do a little coloring together, so I quickly googled "free Yo Gabba Gabba coloring pages" and finally settled on this image for a few reasons: It was a large enough size to be scaled down to fit in the red envelope I wanted to use and I liked how they were lined up all in one row.

I scaled it so it would fit nicely into that red envelope I mentioned earlier. Then I printed it on card stock and proceeded to color the image using colored pencils.

Then I cut out the base of the card at 9.5" x 4". I then trimmed the picture to 8 5/8" x 4 1/16" and adhered it with double-sided tape.

Then in the white area to the right, I figured I had a couple inches for a message, so I cut out yellow scrap paper at 2 3/4" x 2" and then I printed a message on white card stock. I cut the white card stock out at 2 1/2" x 1 3/4", then I attached it to the yellow scrap paper using double-sided tape and then attached it the same way to the card itself.

My daughter was so amazed to see the black and white coloring page we printed out from the computer come to life that I think I may do this with other birthday parties!

I tried finding some Yo Gabba Gabba toys to go along with the card, but I couldn't find one thing. Last year there were so many in stores. I seriously could not find one (and I went to a many stores looking). I'm not sure if Yo Gabba Gabba is losing popularity or if I was just caught in between merchandising periods or something. Even if you can't find any Yo Gabba Gabba toys, you can still make this super cute (and totally easy) birthday card!

Slow Cookin' Sunday: Pot Roast and Veggies

2011-11-06T06:43:00.001-06:00

For about a month, I've been dreading turning the clocks back for Daylight Savings Time. Everyone says, "Don't you just love the extra hour?"

No. I don't love the extra hour. Because I don't get an extra hour. I get the same amount of hours with a horrible 4:00 am wake up call. My youngest daughter normally wakes up between 5:30 and 6:15 am -- most often it's around 5:30 am. So when we push the clocks back, she wakes up at 4:30 am. Now I know that it's really still 5:30 am, but the clock says 4:30 am and I always have this horrible feeling that she will never adjust and just keep waking at 4:30 am.

You can see why I have been dreading this time change.

To make matters worse, this whole week has been a pretty crappy sleep week. Starting with last Sunday, either one or both of my kids have been up some portion of the night because of an upper respiratory virus they caught somewhere. I swear, we have not had a break this fall with colds yet. (I am hoping this finally puts an end to a very long battle of one virus and bacterial infection after the other.)

So I am exhausted, sort of moving through each day in a fog, because I just can't get a good night's sleep and with this time change breathing down my neck, I was really dreading Sunday morning.

After I put the kids to sleep last night, I sat down on the couch and slowly fell to a laying position. The last time I saw on the clock was 8:00 pm. My husband woke me up at 9:30 pm to tell me to go upstairs. I dragged myself upstairs, changed and put an extra binky in the baby's crib and covered her up again with a blanket. And went back to sleep.

Guess what happened this morning: The baby slept till the new 5:30 am (which would have been 6:30 am). Phew! Great news! All of the worrying for nothing. Oh wait...

But my oldest, the one who normally sleeps until about 7:00 am, gets up at 4:45 am (the old 5:45 am) rearing to go. Of course, I told her to go back to sleep and to her credit, she laid in bed (albeit making much noise) until she heard her sister loudly start jabbering at 5:30 am.

Murphy's law.

Earlier in the week when my fog wasn't quite so thick, I saw beef chuck roasts on sale at Whole Foods for $3.99 a pound and they just looked so fresh and good. So this week's Slow Cookin' Sunday was a no brainer (thankfully). Putting a beef chuck roast in the slow cooker breaks down the connective tissues and creates a moist and tender cut of meat that melts in your mouth. Serve the veggies alongside with the leftover gravy and you got yourself one heck of an easy and delicious meal.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast and Veggies

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 beef chuck roast (about 2.5 pounds)
4 large carrots (or eight medium) cut into fourths
2 large onions cut into 8 wedges
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
A few sprinkles of onion powder
Salt

Directions:

Start by making a slurry with the cornstarch and water by mixing together in a small bowl until smooth.

Once it is smooth, pour it into the slow cooker. Add the chopped veggies, season with salt and toss in the cornstarch mixture.

Season each side of the roast with salt and lay on top of the veggies. Sprinkle the dried minced onion, garlic powder and onion salt over the roast.

Cook on high for six hours or until fork tender.

Remove the roast and vegetables to a serving platter and strain the remaining liquid through a fine mesh sieve. Serve roast and veggies with the sauce if desired.

I think we may be starting to put up Christmas decorations today. It's going to be on the warmer side, so I think I was able to convince my husband it would be a great weekend to put up the Christmas lights outside. We also checked out this great Mickey Mouse dvd from the library and my oldest daughter has been really interested in Christmas, so I think we may put try to put up one of the Christmas trees today!

Nutrition Information Per 1/6 of Recipe (no gravy included): Calories 406; Total Fat 22g; Total Carb 17g; Fiber 4g; Sugars 7g; Protein 33g
*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool.
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Harvest Soup and A Tad Bit Obsessed with Laura Ingalls Wilder

2011-11-03T15:12:00.008-05:00

I just finished The First Four Years, by Laura Ingalls Wilder which completes the entire set of Little House books. I was in the middle of The Long Winter when I was making chili a few weeks back. This last book reads quite differently as it was published after both Laura and her daughter Rose died. This book (which really was a draft of a story) was found written in some notebooks.

While I was sad to see the end of these wonderful stories, I still have a little more Laura Ingalls Wilder reading to do because I picked up some biographies from the library and I can't wait to read the "behind-the-scenes." I'm such a nerd.

My husband and I also started watching Little House on the Prairie reruns on the Hallmark channel. The episodes are played during the afternoon, so I DVR them and we watch them at night after the kids go to sleep. Yep, I'm obsessed.

What's really funny though is my husband has a strange fixation on Michael Landon (who plays Pa Ingalls). He's always making strange comments about his, "long flowing curly hair and his broad shoulders." I actually think he might be the slightest bit jealous of Pa Ingalls. (My husband is also probably the only person in the world who thinks Laura Ingalls Wilder was a bully.)

During each show, we like to point how how some aspects of the Hollywoodized version of the stories are not really pioneer-like at all (such as the airplane lines in the sky up above or the two-story modern house in the background.) We have also begun to translate our evening tv watching into our regular lives. For instance, if I am driving and I yell at someone for cutting me off, he tells me that's not very Ingalls-like of me.

Since I have been completely and absolutely engrossed in farming and the pioneer life, it was only natural I name this soup Harvest Soup. I've been making this for a few years. I actually ripped the recipe out of a magazine a few years ago in a doctor's office and it has evolved in our house to this creamy and rich concoction that gets its ooomph from butternut squash and a slight sweetness from a few apples.

I began calling it Harvest Soup because we went apple picking a few weeks back and picked the butternut squash from the fields.

Ironically enough, there were no apples left to pick, so in true Laura Ingalls Wilder fashion, we decided to pick the other vegetables. (Okay, so we sort of had to since we planned the day around the baby's nap and it would have been a wasted trip otherwise.)

This particular farm had a store inside and picking available outside in the back. The storefront was beautifully decorated to welcome Harvest Season, so of course, we stopped for a photo shoot.

Even though you see a water thermometer ducky in the picture, we did not take a bath there.

They had plenty of squashes and mums for sale. But we decided to load up on other veggies that were in season.

As were were digging, I came across a curly-q of a snake. Dead, of course.

My daughter and niece had fun squirreling around in the pumpkin patch.

We spent the afternoon picking vegetables and walking around.

It was a gorgeous day with completely out-of-the-ordinary warm weather. And even though we came home apple-less, we had an awesome time.

Very pioneer of us, wouldn't you say? (Except of course, it wasn't our farm and we drove there in our car.) But nonetheless...

I came home and knew just what I was going to do with that big 'ol butternut squash.

Harvest Soup

Makes about 6 cups

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup carrot, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 medium onion chopped
3 1/2 cups butternut squash, seeded and cubed
2 apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups chicken stock
Salt

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion. Season with salt and allow to cook until soft, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and cut the butternut squash. I lob off the top and bottom so it can stand on its own and then I peel it.

I then cut off the "circle" on the bottom (the part that contains the seeds). This way I have three pieces to work with. I then cut each of those pieces in half.

When the vegetables are soft, add the butternut squash, apples and chicken stock.

Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the apples and squash are tender. Allow to cool slightly and transfer to a blender.

Season with salt and purée soup in blender until smooth. Ladle in bowls and serve. A tasty soup using seasonal ingredients perfect for fall and the Thanksgiving holiday. You can make this ahead and reheat before serving.

Nutrition Information Per 1.5 Cups: Calories 245; Total Fat 7g; Total Carb 42g; Fiber 9g; Sugars 13g; Protein 8g
*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool.
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Slow Cookin' Sunday: Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate PLUS Halloween Bingo

2011-10-30T14:13:00.004-05:00

Halloween makes life so hectic. (And yet you're saying to yourself, um, Halloween, is tomorrow. Hello?) I know, I know, but on Friday our preschool celebrated Halloween which in my world equated to a to-do list double its normal monstrous size. There were costumes, costume accessories, preschool Halloween game, goody bags, plus all of the other stuff that goes along with life. Holy moly!

Thankfully, the first item on the to-do list was handled by my mom (aka the master of all things sewing). Thanks to her and her magic powers, Tinkerbell and Peter Pan were successfully and quite adorably outfitted in their respective costumes:

While her sewing machine was purring away whipping up Neverland's most cherished outfits, I was busy making a Halloween bingo game for the preschool Halloween costume party.

To download these games, click here and then:

1. Print them out and trim them.
2. Print out an extra PDF and cut out the pieces from two boards to use for pulling out of a bag.

I decided not to make markers and instead had each child color the picture of what was drawn from the bag. The game took about 7 minutes to complete with 9 preschoolers. If you need it to last longer, print out as many bingo cards as you need to complete as many games as you wish to play. Recycle the used bingo cards.

They were so excited and kept jumping out of their seats yelling, "Bingo, bingo!!"

I also made some goody bags for them with some Halloween-themed items like bubbles, pencils, spider rings and erasers.

I used candy bags leftover from years passed and just put all of the items in there, tied it shut with some kitchen twine, covered it with ribbon and attached a black and orange tag I made out of scrap paper.

Phew! And then I started thinking about the real Halloween and how in the world I was going to warmly dress these kids without compromising the integrity of their costumes.

(Imagine a vast wide open space of nothingness here. That's what my brain looked like right then.)

That was way too difficult of a thought to ponder, so instead I started thinking about about how wonderful it would be to have some warm hot chocolate when we came in from trick or treating.

And then, once again, I set out to make a Peter Pan-friendly (dairy- and soy-free) and of course, sugar-free hot chocolate because really, isn't there enough sugar slammed into Halloween already? The marshmallows, though, they definitely have white refined sugar in them. Everything in moderation, eh?

Dairy-Free Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

3 cups chocolate almond milk, unsweetened
1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Pour everything in a slow cooker and mix well. Set on low for one and half hours. Stir and serve. Top with marshmallows if you desire!

My older daughter hasn't stopped asking for this since I originally made it. I keep telling her to hold on till Halloween because when we get back from trick or treating, we'll have some piping hot chocolate to slurp while we "organize" each and every piece of candy.

Nutrition Information Per 1 Cup: Calories 98; Total Fat 3g; Total Carb 16g; Fiber 1g; Sugars 12g; Protein 2g
*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool.
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Three-Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites

2011-10-25T13:18:00.002-05:00

I have a love/hate relationship with Halloween.

I love dressing the kids up, making cute costumes and decorations. I love the preschool parties. But I hate all of the candy. (I mean, I love all of the candy, but I hate having all of the candy around.) And now I hate the candy even more because I have a little girl who can't tolerate soy and dairy for the moment. So while everyone else is gobbling down chocolate bar after chocolate bar, she's like, hey, where's mine?

How can you deny this face? Oh, you can't. Which is precisely why I set out to make my favorite candy (yet again) dairy-free, gluten-free and soy-free and with a reduced amount of sugar, so she can gobble her fair share of Halloween candy too.

These are seriously good.

Three-Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites

Makes 24 Pieces

Ingredients:

1 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Mega Chunks
1 cup salted roasted peanuts (I used the 365 brand from Whole Foods, which uses canola oil)
1 cup dates (I've used both Medjool and Deglet Noor)

Directions:

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.

Stir completely to ensure the entire bowl is completely smooth.

I used Wilton Halloween candy molds to make the festive pumpkins and spider webs. You can use anything that will hold a shape, even a mini cupcake pan would work.

Drop a teaspoon or so of chocolate into each mold and spread evenly. I used a lollipop stick for easy spreading.

Place in the freezer for a half an hour. Meanwhile, make the peanut filling by chopping the peanuts in a food processor until they resemble coarse crumbs.

Transfer to a bowl. Chop the dates in the same bowl of the food processor until a ball forms.

Add the peanuts back to the food processor and mix until a thick peanut paste forms. Take the molds out of the freezer and press the peanut mixture on top of the chocolate.

Place back into the freezer for another half an hour, then pop out of the molds and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

My husband and older daughter had just come home from the hardware store when I was popping them out of their molds and they hovered around me in the kitchen with their hands stretched out like I was handing out 100 dollar bills or something.

No tricks in this house. All treats, for sure.

Nutrition Information Per Piece: Calories 104; Total Fat 6g; Total Carb 13g; Fiber 2g; Sugars 10g; Protein 3g
*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool.
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Slow Cookin' Sunday: Chili

2011-10-23T06:00:00.002-05:00

I've been plowing through the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder again and am almost finished with The Long Winter. I forgot how much I loved those books when I was a kid. It's so interesting reading these books as an adult, through adult eyes. It's like a whole new story.

I'm convinced I should have been a frontier woman, living in a cozy little shanty, churning butter, making bread each day and knitting socks. The things I love most about these books are the simplicity of life, the wonderful, strong values and the idea of family unity. I love that Pa played his fiddle every night. I love that even though most Christmas's brought only a meager piece or two of candy or a tin cup, each Ingalls' girl thought it was the most wonderful Christmas ever. They were happy with what they had -- not striving each day to have more, more, more.

I can't wait to read these books together with my daughters and it would be so great if we had the chance to actually see a few of their homesteads.

Food is such a central theme in all of these books and in the middle of Little House in the Big Woods while Laura was describing how her grandpa and grandma tapped maple trees, cooked the syrup and poured it over fresh snow and made little maple cakes for everyone, I thought, oh, I can do this. I want to do this!

Soon after, I stumbled upon the Little House Cookbook and wanted to read it because I was enamored by how they ate what they had around them, drying berries in the summer for winter pies and using honey in place of sugar from honey trees. Pa would go out and hunt when the need for meat arose and cows grazed in grassy pastures instead of being lined up behind fences choking down corn.

I just love these books.

So you can say that I've been inspired by hearty frontier type meals. I've been craving johnnycakes (fried cornbread) and hearty stews and thick hot meals. And it doesn't help that most days have looked like this:

It was a no brainer that chili was in order for this week's Slow Cookin' Sunday. It's just a coincidence this it is a simple, down-home recipe, something like Caroline Ingalls might make.

Slow Cooker Chili

Makes approximately 6, 2-cup servings

Ingredients:

2 lbs 90% lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans chili beans
4 cups tomato soup (I use Trader Joes, but I used to use Campbell's when gluten wasn't an issue.)
Salt

Directions:

Brown the ground beef in a large pan over medium heat.

When the meat is no longer pink, drain the fat. Off of the heat, add the onion and garlic. Season with salt.

Add the tomato soup and put it all in the bowl of a slow cooker.

Cook on low for 4 hours. Taste and season with salt. Transfer to bowls and serve, or refrigerate for later use. I think the flavor of the chili develops even more when it's allowed to sit for a few hours in the refrigerator.

Serve with cornbread. (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Cornbread Mix; it's delicious.) This meal is only gluten-free. There's sugar and milk in the tomato soup; it's hard to find tomato soup that doesn't include all three ingredients, but since I knew our youngest wasn't going to be gnawing on chili, it being gluten-free was most important.

As I was trying to pinpoint just what it is about the Little House books that appeal to me, I realized what it was in an instant: The family has an unselfish loyalty to each other that is rarely seen, especially in popular culture. They all give of themselves to make each other comfortable. They let the youngest have what's left of the milk. They scrounge up their change to buy Pa a pair of suspenders for Christmas. Laura wants to become a teacher (even though she doesn't) so she can send blind Mary to school. They are always giving things up for the betterment of someone else. And that, I think, is just so wonderful in a time where me, me, me seems to be all of the rage.

Nutrition Information per one 2-cup serving: Calories 499; Total Fat 27g; Total Carb 11g; Fiber 6g; Sugars 6g; Protein 37g
*Nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe calculator tool.