True-ing up...vol. 1.2 & an awesome RECIPE!

Soooooo..... I'm down 15 lbs. now! Almost halfway!!!!! And it has been a bitching struggle the whole way, I tell ya.

I love food and the hardest part has been watching my carbs and moderating my portions because I love me some SECONDS and THIRDS! (I can forgo the dessert any day for some extra mashed taters!)

So, my guilty pleasure of each week has been PIZZA NIGHT! I have the blessing of having an actual ex-pizza man in my life. Mike actually can do the twirly dough bit if he wants! So, I get the job of making the perfect dough and I have finally perfected the perfect recipe. I mix the dough, he does the kneading and stretching, and we're all good.

I do the mixing in a bread machine on the dough cycle, because I'm baking deficient. I imagine you could use the same recipe in a Kitchenaid or do it by hand and it would turn out, but don't quote me. I adapted this recipe from Google-ing the term "best pizza dough ever". People who make pizza at home are a cult. And I belong to it.

*I make this dough a wee bit healthier by sub-ing in part whole wheat flour. On my current diet, I use 3 cups whole wheat flour to one cup whole white bread flour. I have also used all variations/mixations of flours and it always turns out...but you may have to add more water as the dough progresses. Add warm water by the tablespoon until you reach the desired consistency. If you use my 3:1 whole wheat method, you will probably end up adding as much as 1/8 c. more warm water to your mix because of the whole wheat flour. If you only use white flour, the recipe should stand.

**or buy store bought dough. not as healthy, but also tasty.

**or order pizza. DEFINITELY not as healthy but also DELICIOUS.

PERFECT PIZZA DOUGH

Add in order to a bread machine:

1 3/8 c. warm water
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. honey
3/4 t. sea salt
4 c. flour
2 T. yeast

Makes 2- 12" pizzas. Great for families or couples who don't like to share toppings (with leftovers if you're on a diet or eat the whole damn thing if you're not, cause you'll want to!)

And you will get THIS!

the mister is a purist so his pizza has tomatoes and peppers and whatever meat we have around the house which in this case is NONE.

and my pizza....

mine has copious amounts of veggies, since i'm watching my weight. this one has grilled eggplant (from the night before) tomatoes, peppers, kalamata olives, spinach, low fat feta, and mushrooms.

Because, in my infinite wisdom, I figure the more toppings I pour on, the less slices I'll eat....and I'm fancy like that. And I feed the border collie the crusts because he enjoys them more than a dog treat and who can resist this face?

I LOVE PIZZA CRUSTS!!!!!!

True-ing up...vol. 1.1

Pan-roasted balsamic veggies from one of my dinners this week

So....I'm using the blog to help me stay true to my healthy eating, weight-loss plan. If it gets to aggravating you, feel free to skip these posts.

I did good for the most part this past week. (read a side track to southern-style dinner and another dinner at Carrabba's sprinkled in there) My weight loss has slowed way down, due to the fact, I think, that the first 12 lbs. has something to do with the whole holiday overconsumption plus the kidney stone affair. So I've dropped another 2-ish lbs. since I told you about the 12 but that seems to fluctuate on the day.

My Jillian Michaels DVD came in the mail this week. and I already hate that freakin' bitch. My thighs are screaming for mercy and I only got through the first 15 minutes. once. But I'm back on the horse tomorrow. Insert giant cuss stream here (&(&*((%(%(^($(#(@(!!@(#($(%((FFFFFFF%^&K!

But let me freaking tell you, I'm sick to death of eating vegetables.

sick.
to.
death.

I haven't found enough ways to prepare them that they end up tasting too vastly different. I mean, seriously, there ends up being only so many ways that you can prepare veggies in a low fat manner that varies the taste. Last night, I made veggie enchiladas that were amazing, but the mister was only so-so about them so that factors in as well.

That would bring me to a whole other topic about feeding a finicky man while you are on a health binge but I digress....

The filling was fantastic! I sauteed onions, garlic, mushrooms, 1/2 a red pepper, and one jalapeno. Then I stirred in a rinsed can of black beans, one sweet and one red potato that I slightly par-cooked in the micro (skin on) and stirred in some torn spinach at the end. Plus I added cumin, chili powder, and some other various seasoning to taste. I think I added a little water in there while it was cooking up because it got a little dry.

Then I filled the tortillas. I used half plain old white tortillas (for the mister) and half high fiber/ low carb tortillas for me.

I made a homemade enchilada sauce with tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, garlic, etc. I would've preferred to use a green sauce but this came together on the fly so I was using what I had in the pantry. I topped it off with a low fat mexican cheese blend and baked in the oven at 375 until golden brown and toasty-licious.

It was a great alternative to my normal chicken enchilada recipe and I think next time I try it, I'll go for the verde green sauce and maybe spot some 0% greek yogurt in for some of the creaminess that the above was lacking that I missed....because low fat sour cream sucks! but 0% greek yogurt is orgasmic when you're on a diet....just sayin'...

But all in all, I'm staying tough and strong! Bitchin' and moaning the whole way! Tonight the mister needed a break from all the healthful eating so he got a Totino's pizza and as damn delicious as it smelled in the oven (yeah, now you know I'm in full food-addict withdrawal) I ate my vegan veggie burger on high fiber bun with spinach along with some roasted veggies and choked it down while suppressing the urge not to go cook a Totino's for myself.

Keepin' my eye on the prize (a.k.a. those jeans in my drawer that my ass won't fit into)

But all bitching and moaning aside, I feel great and my body is TRES happy eating all these veggies and fiber....so that helps :)

The lowly bean (or legume)....vol. 1

So I haven't blogged much about food lately.

So today is the day!

Me & the mister have been practicing more vegetarian meals. Mostly for our meager budget. And also because since I would like to eat more veggies & encourage the mister to do so as well. We can afford some meat but I would prefer to avoid the overly processed factory farmed meats that are available at our local grocer within our budget. And I don't do processed meat (i.e. lunch meat, hotdogs, most sausages, etc. The nitrates that they use as a preservative bother my digestion.

There are some nice local farms that offer lovely meats (both a chicken and pork farm locally make awesome all natural meats) but they are outside of our budget on a regular basis.


So...

Today I offer up for your consideration....

The lovely, lowly bean.



Now, I'm not talking about 'dem beans in the can. Not the same. If we're talking budget friendly beans, you absolutely must go with the dried ones...

And I know what you're saying already....

How do I cook them?

What do I use them in?

Ughhhh. Isn't that more work?

And the very short answer is YES. It is a bit more work.

BUT NOT MUCH. And it can fit into any schedule. Busy person, stay-at-home, work all day, single person, etc....

But the benefits are awesome. You control the ingredients. Less sodium, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup. (YEP, that's in some canned beans, check out your local labels!)

And budget friendly is beyond the word. You can buy 1 pound of dried beans locally depending on the said variety for between $1-$2. That will cook you up AT LEAST 5-6 CANS of beans.

For example, today, I let soak overnight, 1lb. of dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas). After a healthy soaking overnight, I followed the directions on the package and cooked them on the stove until done. I threw about a cup into a curry recipe similar to this. The rest I will portion out into freezer bags or refrigerator containers (if I plan on using them in the next day or so) for other recipes.



These can be made into hummus for snacking or an impromptu gathering. Thrown into chili or another curry dish or on top of a salad.

Your saying now, I hear you, but I work all day! How do I cook them?

In the crockpot, of course.

duh, right?

Nope, I'm a dummy too. I didn't try it until a month ago...and it's BRILLIANT!

Soak overnight. After you put the kiddos (or before yourself, if you are childless, like me) to bed, put 'dem beans in the pot and soak 'em overnight. When you wake up to make the coffee in the morning, dump into a colander, rinse, and throw them into the crockpot with plenty of water to cover (at least 6 cups for a lb.) and set on low and leave them all day while you are away.

When you get home there will be more beans than you know what do with.

Literally.

So go now, if you want.... and google bean recipes. Figure out your tastes and give it a try.

You'll like it, I promise. Unless, you're mortally opposed to legumes and fiber, then I can't help you....

Like, I'm sorry. because everybody poops. and it's the magical fruit.

yep. I went there. I know you were thinking it already...dirty minds.

{photos above from Flickr, click on the photo to take you to the source.}

and FTW...this salad rocks...

OK, it has been so HOT here... we are eating late here every night here because of the heat outside and my cooking area is not air conditioned. So, I have been looking for ways to use up grains on hand mixed with the pre-abundance of garden fare. My herb garden is over flowing but my veggies aren't quite ready yet so I'm looking for suitable recipes.

So....I came up with an orzo salad. I had some salad greens in the fridge and some vine ripe tomatoes and tons of herbs. A google search brought me to Giada's Orzo salad so with some quick adaptations, I had a delicious dinner.

Here is her recipe, which is the photo above. Here is my adaptation/substitution:

I had no garbanzo beans, so I substituted black eyed peas.
I subbed 2 seeded chopped vine ripe tomatoes for the cherry/mini tomatoes.
No mintl but used a bit of extra basil.
I used a mixture of homemade balsamic vinaigrette, which i keep in the fridge at all times, plus the juice of 1 lemon.
I don't like the flavor of too much raw onion, so I subbed some fresh garlic chives instead.
I also had some leftover roasted garlic in the fridge which I added, about 1-2 T.
I added some freshly grated parmesan cheese, which, in my infinite reasoning, thought would make up for the lack of creaminess of the garbanzos.

Yeah, not too much like the original recipe. But,it was so good, anyhow, and I thought you might like to hear about delicious adaptation.

got just a few?

So I came up with this recipe after cruising the internet looking for a new squash recipe. We had squash in our garden this year. Why we planted it, I'm not sure. I prefer zucchini squash to the yellow ones because of the taste and they're a bit more versatile.

It seems like all of the yellow squash recipes on the internet have to do with frying or baking them into a casserole. The ones that don't call for a saute but that gets a little old if you've got a garden full.

I took it from a recipe with corn and squash, but since we had corn on the cob for dinner, i opted for chicken. (Which I actually used morningstar chix strips, and they were good)Thinking a can of black beans, rinsed and drained would also make a good substitute, or sauteed mushrooms.

Squash & Chicken Quesadillas


* 3 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise
* 1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
* 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
* 1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 6 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
* 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
Salt & Pepper chicken and place on grill. Cook for 8-10 minutes per side or until cooked through. Half way through, place squash, onion and jalapenos on grill; cover and cook for 10 minutes, turning once. Remove all from grill. When vegetables and chicken are cool enough to handle, chop the squash and onion, and seed and chop the jalapenos. Place in a large bowl.
Stir in the basil, oregano, garlic, salt and cumin. Brush one side of tortilla with oil and place on grill. Place 1/2 cup filling on 1/2 of each tortilla; sprinkle with cheese. Fold tortillas over filling. Grill quesadillas over medium low for 1-2 minutes on each side or until heated through and golden brown. Cut into wedges. Serve with salsa and sour cream!

Cucumbers, Cucumbers, and parties with Cucumbers...

the cucumber salad....yum.
Sorry for my lack of posting. It’s been a busy week here. There’s been a lovely party for Mama Jack’s 70th birthday, Mike’s brother and his adorable family visiting, a family reunion, and prepping my craft fair display just to name a few activities…

As in the South, no party gets done without some yummy home-cooked tureens and with the wealth of cucumbers in my garden, I had no shortage of fresh produce with which to create some good ol’ homemade foods. For the birthday party, I made cucumber sandwiches (oops, forgot pics!), the reunion, cucumber salad. Here are my two lovely cucumber recipes to share that are delicious…

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

2 bars Neufchatel cream cheese at room temperature (it’s the 1/3 less fat kind)
2-3 T. fresh dill chopped or
1 T. dried dill weed
1-2 T. grated onion (depending on taste)
2 dashes cayenne pepper hot sauce (texas pete's, tabasco or the like)
Several T. of light mayo if spread seems stiff (optional)
Several turns of fresh ground black pepper
Salt
2-3 large cucumbers, washed, and thinly sliced (as thin as you can slice them)
2 loaves white bread, pumpernickel, party bread, or bread of choosing

REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT: It’s a pain but after you slice your cucumbers, you should always layer them in a colander and salt each layer. Cover with a clean tea towel and set colander in a larger bowl and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or overnight. Salting the cucumbers and letting them drain allows them to release their water content and enables them to be more crispy and crunchy. After removing from the fridge, press the cucumbers with a clean tea towel or several layers of paper towel through the colander, letting the water drip into the bowl. Toss and press and drain again. Repeat until cucumbers seem much drier and most water seems to be removed.

Fold cream cheese, dill, grated onion, hot sauce, and pepper together. Do not salt spread as cucumbers have already been salted. Add several tablespoons of light mayo if spread seems thick.

For sandwiches, spread both sides of bread lightly with cream cheese spread, layer some cucumbers , sandwich together and cut off crusts and cut diagonally. For party breads, spread cream cheese mixture on one side, place 1-2 cucumbers and serve open-faced. Garnish open-faced sandwiches with a bit more fresh dill or thin-sliced roma tomatoes.

Delicious Fresh Cucumber Salad

2 cucumbers, washed and thinly sliced
½ large onion, thinly sliced
2/3 c. light sour cream
2-3 T. fresh dill, chopped, plus sprigs for garnish
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
2-3 T. apple cider vinegar or juice of 1 lemon (I prefer the vinegar taste but lemon will do as well)
1 ripe tomato, halved and sliced

Salt and drain cucumbers as mentioned in above recipe. Salad will be runny and watery if this step is omitted.

Mix sour cream, onion, dill, pepper, and vinegar. Refrigerate while cucumbers are working. Press and drain cucumbers. Fold together with dressing. Garnish with fresh tomato and dill sprigs. Some tomato may also be folded into salad for variation.

As for my sun pickles? They were okay. The recipe worked but I didn’t really care for it. It seemed a bit salty (this from a girl who likes her salt) and they weren’t very crisp. This could have to do with the size of my cucumbers. I added alum, which the recipe noted would keep them crispier, but they were still a bit mushy. I don’t think I will be pickling any cucumbers as mine seemed to grow 4 times overnight, I think it’s due to all our rain. I am go to try my hand at dehydrating some. I’ve heard that they make great chips for dip and are great in soup this way. I’m thinking you could grind them after and the powder to a cream cheese dip for veggies. Hmmmm. I’ll let you know.

Since I planted all heirloom organic cucumbers, I’m going to try my hand at saving the seeds as well. Wish me luck!

wishing you a lazy weekend...

Took a bit of a hiatus today and gathered some cucumbers from the garden. Found this recipes for sun pickles. With luck, I will be enjoying them by Monday. Have a great weekend! Recipe on Monday if they're good!

amazing!

 

I grew these from tiny seeds! This is the first bounty besides some herbs that I have from my tiny garden. There are tons more on the way! Anyone got any good pickle recipes??

so good it's stupid.

THIS was my dinner last night. Totally reveling in the fresh ingredients of summer now. We could literally eat fresh tomatoes and mozzarella every day. and have, as of late. Today, I made a delicious dressing of fresh dill, chives, and cucumber for some chilled shrimp. I then made a standard balsamic vinaigrette which i garnished a plate of fresh Roma tomatoes and mozzarella. Paired this with some delicious rosemary focaccia that I bought at the farmer's market.....heaven. So fresh. So good. Rested the tomato salad on top of some spinach. It's a carnal sin to love food this good....

Cucumber Dill Dressing:

1 small salad cucumber (this was a white icicle cucumber from the farmer's market)if using a standard large cucumber or a hothouse cucumber, I recommend using just 1/4 of it, and peeling it first.
1 T. of fresh chopped chives. (several large sprigs)
2 t. of fresh chopped dill (several leafy shoots)
1 t. of Dijon mustard.
splash of white vinegar
mayo to consistency
salt and pepper, fresh ground.

chop herbs and cucumber, as fine as possible. use a food processor for fine consistency but not necessary. add mustard, vinegar, and salt and pepper and stir. whisk in mayo. start with several tablespoons of mayo. if dressing seems runny, add a little more mayo till desired thickness. could also use plain yogurt in lieu of mayo. chill for 1 hour or more.

Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette:

3-4 T. balsamic vinegar
1-2 T. Dijon or stone ground mustard
1 T. lemon juice (if desired, may want to decrease vinegar slightly)
salt, fresh ground pepper, to taste.
3-4 T. extra virgin olive oil

whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper, and lemon juice if desired. while whisking, add in olive oil in a stream until dressing becomes thick and emulsified. taste. add more ingredients to taste and whisk again.

lazy sunday....

a lazy sunday here. woke up late and not terribly motivated today. the weather is hot and makes one lethargic. inspired to make some homemade lemonade by these posts by artsy mama and lobster & swan. enjoy!

photos courtesy of artsymama and lobster & swan respectively. please visit their wonderful blogs as i do each day for your daily dose of inspiration.

my fun weekend....

As of late, I've been enjoying my title as country bumpkin again. However, it is so nice to get out and enjoy good food and good friends in a more sophisticated atmosphere of the city. Charlotte and surrounding suburbs are so close to where we're at but travel 45 minutes away and it is like you are in a different world. This weekend, we were treated to a gallery crawl in Historic South End and despite the drizzly weather, James showed us an amazing spot at The Common Market, which is sort of a hipster convenience store with all the necessities and an amazing beer and wine selection. The best part of a Friday evening? You are invited to buy an adult beverage and enjoy it on their patio. Too cool. Live music to boot! They also have an amazing sandwich counter which includes your choice of breads and great meats, cheeses and spreads. I had an amazing Reuben and Mike & James got the Pimento Deluxe. Normally, it comes with bacon, made on site with local pork from Grateful Growers Farms. Apparently this bacon is so amazing, they were clean out of it, so the boys subbed in some ham. I can't wait to go back and try the bacon!

ohhhh man.....

Chicken Tikka Masala
I've been craving some good curry lately and James & Ewa have promised us the be all and end all of Indian Restaurants, but I really started drooling when I saw this recipe.

a little update...

what I hope my mei fun will look like!
okay, I have been a little absent on the blog lately. I've been working on some new posts and have been well....just sort of internet lazy lately. I haven't updated my etsy shops lately and I haven't been blogging. I've been investigating Twitter but I've even slacked off that. Part of it is due to the impending move northward to North Carolina for the summer. There is still an ambiguous nature of what I will be able to fit art supply and art inventory wise and I hesitate to make a bunch of new work that I won't be able to take.

So....over the weekend, we had a garage sale, just a general hoe-ing out of junk and trying to purge a bit. It went well, despite the randomness of it all and for just a several hours work, we yielded a nice bit of cash & carried the rest to the goodwill for the cycle of recycling. I still have several more garage sales worth of junk and carloads to carry to the 'will but anyway....

We live at the very back of a neighborhood, and it's not easy for an unseasoned "sailor" to find us, even with well placed signs and such, but with a little advertising on craigslist, we ended up seeing many of the folks we regularly spot on our own garage sale expeditions and as seasoned "sailors" ourselves, we had a nice selection of used appliances, dishes, records, nice junk, and art supplies. I'm STILL purging art school supplies from 5+ years ago!!!! Quality stuff that I haven't been able to part with, spent a LOT of cash on in the day and doesn't fit into my creative regime of late.

So, there's my little update for today. I'm off to cook a little MYOTO! (that's Rachael Ray for Make Your Own TakeOut!) It's a first recipe for me so if it turns out well, you will see the recipe here soon. It's a vegetarian (I'm seriously contemplating becoming a vegetarian) version for Singapore Chow Mei Fun, which is our favorite from the local chinese takeout. Basically, it's like a curried rice vermicelli with shrimp, pork, and chicken with veggies, but I will be making it sans meat. Yumm-o!

a yummy curry recipe.....

onions, carrots, celery and garlic
taters, white & sweet, and red lentils
i substituted water & vegan bouillon for the broth. also shown are salt and madras curry seasoning
the curry seasoning, onions, carrots, and celery in their golden bubbly stage
yummy curry over basmati rice, i added coconut milk and peas to this one.

I’m very proud of this curry recipe I came up with. It doesn’t photograph well, as is the case with most curry, no doubt, but is very tasty if you like a nice thick curry gravy


Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
2 small stalks, or 1 large stalk celery with leaves, diced
1 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 med. Sweet potaotes, large chunked
2 medium white or russet potatoes, large chunked
3 T. olive or canola oil
32 oz. (one large carton) Vegetable broth (or chicken if you have it and are not opposed)
1 lb.organic red lentils
(*side note: I cook my red lentils for a longer period than the instructions on the package allow and this enables them to break down and contribute to the heartiness of the gravy. I like red lentils because of this reason. They cook faster than green lentils and as such are less lentil-ly in their final result.) if you want a more stable firm lentil then follow the instructions for a more viscous soup like result.
1 t. salt
2 T. madras curry seasoning (or curry seasoning of your choice involving turmeric, curry, cumin, garlic, etc.)

Add oil of your choice to a heated stockpot. Add carrots, celery, onions and saute for 4-6 min or until they star to lose color. Add garlic and curry seasoning and continue to simmer and saute until the mixture becomes golden and bubbly. Add potatoes, broth, and lentils and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, uncovered for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to add a bit more broth, depending on the consistency

Serve over basmati rice (I season mine with saffron & cardamom pods) and enjoy.

Variations:
*add a 14 oz. can of coconut milk at the end & bring back to heat.
*add ½ c. frozen peas
* add a little chunked chicken if you don’t want to do the veggie thing.

Yum. Yum. Yum. Even if you like meat, this is a super cheap, super friendly, hearty meal that will please vegetarians and omnivores alike. Great for entertaining. Grill up some garlic toasted naan bread, sit on the floor and feast out!

Imagine my horror......

I Heart Coffee...5x7 Reproduction Print by michelemaule
French Press Coffee Cozy - Scooter Style by pinkdixie
FRENCH PRESS MONKEY - Ragamuffin by MonkeyTravelClub
......to wake up this morning to a dead coffee maker. I just can't seem to understand why the lifespan of all my coffeemakers seems to be about 3 years. It doesn't seem to discriminate about price because I distinctly remember shelling out the current dud after I convinced myself that the last one died because it too was cheap. urghhhh.....I get aggravated with technology because of this reason. I'm about ready to give up on electric coffeemakers altogether and get a giant french press. Mike & I both drink copious amounts of very strong coffee so i guess it got a good workout.

Anyway, I found these cute french press accessories this morning on Etsy. Enjoy your morning!

I baked this!!!!

Okay, I am not a baker. I love to cook but I hate to bake but I was inspired by the kumquat upside down cake over at Beauty Everyday and it sparked a node in my brain about a loaded kumquat tree I saw one saturday morning when we and mr. mike were out sale'n. I tried to get Mike remember where the kumquat tree was so I could go back in the dark of night and assault it's heavy branches (which would be much easier than just knocking on their door and asking if i could pick a few.) But our Saturday morning travels are often quite extensive and we couldn't quite remember. So I settled for the ripe pineapple that needed used anyway. And it turned out so pretty!!!! I should've probably cored the pineapple to make the slices round and pretty but everytime I try to core something, I end up butchering it so I settled for wedges.
p.s. the dark bits are dried cranberries.

growing tall and green....

off for coffee in cocoa village this morning and then to stroll by the farmer's market they have here on wednesdays. i've been growing some garden goodness of my own on the patio. my tomatoes are growing tall and i will soon have to pick the first round of hungarian was peppers. yum!