tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2858525434955563272024-03-27T14:41:59.428-04:00Lauren Eats CleanLaurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-19876986143875076592011-09-06T12:31:00.003-04:002011-09-06T12:31:47.934-04:00We've been knee deep in peaches here. They're so sweet and juicy this year, so we went to the market and bought 40lbs worth of peaches. Yes, 40lbs. So what do you do with 40lbs of peaches? You make jam of course! So it was certainly an interesting task to make a cleaned up version of Peach Jam, but it turned out to be a very successful venture.<br />
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I stumbled up a great book by Liana Krisoff called <i>Canning for a New Generation</i>. She uses green apples and citrus to help the jam set rather than using pre-packaged pectin that contains chemicals. I liked this. I also like that she uses honey rather that sugar when it compliments the flavors of the fruit. The peach jam calls for sugar, so I used evaporated cane juice instead and it turned out perfectly fine.<br />
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<i><u>Classic Peach Jam</u></i> adapted from <i><u>Canning for a New Generation</u></i> by <i><u>Liana Krisoff</u></i></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PAX3QFexmkk/TmOgqSwx8PI/AAAAAAAAfmA/3WoTsWmwI2c/s720/DSC03570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PAX3QFexmkk/TmOgqSwx8PI/AAAAAAAAfmA/3WoTsWmwI2c/s320/DSC03570.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Makes 5 - 250ml jars</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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<ul>
<li>2 large granny smith apples</li>
<li>4 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted and diced (about 6 cups)</li>
<li>2 cups evaporated cane juice</li>
<li>3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice</li>
</ul>
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<u>ONE</u>: Prepare for water bath canning. Have a large pot with enough water to cover the jars by 1" ready and heated up so you don't have to wait when it's time to process the jam. Sterilize the jars - I do mine in the oven. Set it to 225* and leave the jars and lids in for 10 minutes then turn the heat off. The jars are sterile when you need them.</div>
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<u>TWO</u>: Peel the peaches. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. Drop 3-4 peaches into the boiling water and leave in for 1 minute. Transfer to the ice water. When they are cool enough to handle, peel the peaches, remove pits and dice.</div>
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<u>THREE</u>: Core the apples and cut into quarters. Tie up the cores in a cheesecloth bag and set aside.</div>
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<u>FOUR</u>: Put the peaches and evaporated cane juice in a pot (I use an enameled cast iron). Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently and cooking until the juices just cover the peaches. Pour into a colander set over a large bowl and stir the peaches to drain off the juice. Return the juice to the pan along with the apples and cheesecloth bag and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally until the syrup is thick and reduced, about 15 minutes.</div>
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<u>FIVE</u>: Return the peaches and any accumulated juice to the pan along with the lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Stir frequently until the peaches are very tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove apples and bag. Stir to distribute fruit.</div>
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<u>SIX</u>: Ladle the hot jam into the jars, leaving 1/4" head space at the top. Put a flat lid and ring on each jar and adjust until finger-tight. Put the jars in the canning pot, making sure that the jars are covered by at least 1" of water. Remove the jars to a folded towel and do not disturb for 12 hours. After 1 hour, make sure that the lids have sealed by pressing down on the center of each. If it can be pushed down, it hasn't sealed and should be refrigerated.</div>
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Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-51940243122427178422011-09-05T14:07:00.000-04:002011-09-05T18:33:18.225-04:00Okay. Hiatus over. I promise. Back to healthy and hearty meals!<br />
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Made a delicious breakfast for my little fam jam this morning. A dutch pancake with peaches. Oh so yum!<br />
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<u style="font-style: italic;">Peachy Dutch Pancake</u> adapted from <i><u>Clean Eating Magazine</u></i></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0IyLPF4fxC8/TmTL4Wj1loI/AAAAAAAAfnE/Eo5zzlHR_V8/s720/DSC03574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0IyLPF4fxC8/TmTL4Wj1loI/AAAAAAAAfnE/Eo5zzlHR_V8/s320/DSC03574.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ingredients:<br />
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<ul>
<li>3 large Eggs</li>
<li>3/4 c unsweetened Almond Milk</li>
<li>2 tbsp evaporated cane juice</li>
<li>1/2 tsp vanilla</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/2 tsp nutmeg</li>
<li>2 Tbsp ground flax meal</li>
<li>1/2 cup whole wheat flour</li>
<li>2 Tbsp butter</li>
<li>1 cup sliced peaches (I used nectarines)</li>
</ul>
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<u>ONE</u>: Place a heavy, 12 inch cast iron skillet in the oven and heat to 425*F.<br />
<u>TWO</u>: In large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, cane juice, vanilla, salt, nutmeg and flax; whisk to combine. Add flour and whisk until just blended. Open oven door and carefully add butter to skillet. Close oven while butter melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove skillet from oven and pour melted butter into batter; whisk until just blended.<br />
<u>THREE</u>: Pour batter back into hot skillet and arrange peach slices over top. Carefully return skillet to oven and bake until edges are puffed and golden brown. Serve with maple syrup or lemon juice and toasted almonds!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-20816639460911709842011-06-24T19:43:00.000-04:002011-06-24T19:43:49.711-04:00I've made chicken nuggets at home before, but ended up having to use the food processor to make them and today, out of sheer laziness, I really didn't want to take it out and have to wash it, so I decided to devise another way of doing things. Okay, I didn't really devise it but it was a pretty good dinner and wee man loved it, so all in all it was a win.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><u><i>Chicken Nuggets with Corn, Black Bean and Avocado Salad</i></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><i><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>2 Chicken Breasts</li>
<li>1/2 cup Egg Whites</li>
<li>1.5 cup Whole Wheat Panko Crumbs</li>
<li>Salt & Pepper </li>
<li>1 cup Frozen Corn Kernels, thawed and drained</li>
<li>1 can Black Beans</li>
<li>1 Avocado, diced</li>
<li>Olive Oil</li>
</ul><u style="font-weight: bold;">ONE:</u> Preheat Oven to 375*. Cut up chicken breasts into chunks. I'm not picky, or precise - whatever works for you and your family is fine!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">TWO:</u> Set up your breading station. Egg Whites in a bowl and panko crumbs on a plate. Season panko with salt and pepper.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">THREE:</u> Put your chicken chunks in the egg whites and then bread with panko crumbs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">FOUR:</u> Heat up olive oil in a large, ovenproof pan (I used cast iron and about 2 Tbsp of oil).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">FIVE:</u> When oil is shimmering, add chicken and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, then cook on the other side for the same amount of time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">SIX:</u> When nuggets are brown, put the pan in the heated oven for about 7-8 minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">SEVEN:</u> While nuggets are in the oven, add your corn kernels to a warm pan. Saute until golden brown. Add the black beans and cook until warm. Stir in the diced avocado.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Enjoy! He sure did!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0FwoMyxbcUM/TgUDrC4tKqI/AAAAAAAAcfg/kv3rwST9TDI/s720/DSC02970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0FwoMyxbcUM/TgUDrC4tKqI/AAAAAAAAcfg/kv3rwST9TDI/s320/DSC02970.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</u></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-32788228416780763022011-06-23T08:06:00.003-04:002011-06-24T19:49:07.758-04:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Okay, we're back from vacation, so no more slacking on blogging or clean eating. I have to admit, I did indulge in a Philly Cheese Steak while we were away.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">On Tuesday night I decided I wanted to do a meatless meal since I had taken the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Cookbook-Katzens-Classic-Cooking/dp/1580081304/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308830067&sr=8-1">The New Moosewood Cookbook</a> out from the library.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I decided on <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;">Scheherazade Casserole</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;"> and was not disappointed!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 25px;">Here's my version of the casserole</span><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 cup bulgur wheat </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 cup boiling water</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 tbsp olive oil</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 cups onion, diced</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3 garlic cloves, minced</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 tsp salt</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 tsp cumin</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 1/2 tsp basil</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">black pepper (to taste)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">cayenne pepper (to taste)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 large bell pepper, diced</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 (28oz) can whole tomatoes, drained</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3 tbsp tomato paste</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1/2 cup packed fresh parsley, minced</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1.5 cups Feta Cheese (I only used 1/2cup since that's all I had on hand)</span></li>
</ul></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><u>ONE:</u></b> Preheat oven to 375 degrees.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><u>TWO:</u></b> Lightly oil a 9×13 baking pan. Set aside.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><u>THREE:</u></b> Place bulgur in a small bowl with the boiling water. Cover and let stand for at least 15 minutes.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><u>FOUR:</u></b> Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Saute the onion, garlic, salt and seasonings over medium heat for 5-8 minutes. Add pepper and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><u>FIVE:</u></b> Place beans in a blender with 1 cup of fresh water. Grind until it resembles a coarse batter. I would start with 1/2 cup of water and add more gradually, since mine was so watery from adding the entire cup first.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><u>SIX:</u></b> In a large bowl, combine bean puree with the soaked bulgur and sauteed veggies. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley and 1 cup of feta. Mix well.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><u>SEVEN:</u></b> Spread the mixture into the baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><u>EIGHT:</u></b> Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes, uncovered, at 350 degrees. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This isn't my photo - I found it elsewhere on the WWW, since the casserole was so delish that we ate it all before photos! oops!!!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i2.yummly.com/Scheherazade-Casserole-Recipezaar-1.l.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i2.yummly.com/Scheherazade-Casserole-Recipezaar-1.l.png" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-2165840261632013862011-06-05T15:13:00.001-04:002011-06-05T15:13:26.917-04:00I really strive to eat well when I'm working. It's hard because it's such a high stress environment and there's always junk laying around. The other night there were two bags of chips, two boxes of danishes and a box of timbits. I did break down and have one or two plain timbits, but at least they were plain and not sugar coated.<br />
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This morning I was trying to meal plan for tomorrow at work and realized that I don't have a ton of stuff, so was trying to figure out what I could possibly pull together with what we had laying around. What I came up with was so incredibly delicious. I was pleasantly surprised.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Crustless Quiche</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
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<ul><li>1 Tbsp Olive Oil</li>
<li>1 Onion, thinly sliced</li>
<li>1 cup of Sunflower Greens (this is just what I had, you could easily sub spinach, kale, chard or even broccoli)</li>
<li>3 Artichoke Hearts, quartered</li>
<li>1/4c. Feta Cheese</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>2 egg whites</li>
<li>1c. Skim Milk</li>
<li>1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper</li>
</ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">ONE</u>: Preheat oven to 400*. In a heavy pan (I used cast iron), heat the olive oil on medium until shimmering. Add onions and cook for 3-4 minutes and then decrease heat to low. Cook onions for approx 20 minutes or until golden brown. Add in the artichoke hearts and greens. Saute until the greens are wilted, about 5 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">TWO</u>: In a bowl, whisk together the egg, egg whites, cayenne and salt and pepper.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">THREE</u>: Spray pie plate with cooking spray. Add the cooked veggies and feta to the sprayed plate. Pour in the egg mixture. Try to make sure that everything is covered by the eggs so it doesn't burn.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fqhrauk3bxc/TevSQgEoEqI/AAAAAAAAbQc/iY4IBetjfKc/s720/DSC02720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fqhrauk3bxc/TevSQgEoEqI/AAAAAAAAbQc/iY4IBetjfKc/s400/DSC02720.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-71047600231491662462011-06-03T08:44:00.000-04:002011-06-03T08:44:27.468-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PuXjxKz7vNo/TejRkCMGmJI/AAAAAAAAbNI/jqXKh47Njgg/s720/DSC02712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PuXjxKz7vNo/TejRkCMGmJI/AAAAAAAAbNI/jqXKh47Njgg/s400/DSC02712.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I made these Oatmeal Pancakes this morning from the first Eat Clean Diet cookbook. yum. They had the right amount of sweet in them, and rather than use syrup I topped them with Applesauce. I did enjoy that unlike most Oatmeal pancakes there weren't giant chunks of oatmeal all the way through.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i>Oatmeal Pancakes</i> from <i>The Eat-Clean Diet</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"></span></span></div><div class="subTitle" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Ingredients</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 18px;">2 1/2 cups dry rolled oats</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 18px;">6 egg whites (just over 1/2 cup if you're using liquid whites)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1 cup milk of your choice (I used Unsweetened Almond Milk)</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 18px;">1 Tbsp ground flaxseed </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 18px;">1 Tbsp safflower oil (I used Sunflower)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1 tsp baking powder</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1 tsp vanilla</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1 tsp cinnamon </span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 18px;">Cooking spray</span></li>
</ul><br />
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</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><div class="subTitle" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Instructions:</span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">ONE:</u> Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend the mixture for 20 seconds. The resulting mixture should be smooth. Spray a griddle or skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup of pancake mixture on the hot surface. Cook until the panckes are dry and bubbly on the edges. Bubbles should appear on top, as well. Turn and brown the other side.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><div class="subTitle" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="subTitle" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">Even the cat wanted in on the delicious action:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-98LjensA6I8/TejQyZBu0rI/AAAAAAAAbME/BxExOI0uycg/s720/DSC02710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-98LjensA6I8/TejQyZBu0rI/AAAAAAAAbME/BxExOI0uycg/s320/DSC02710.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="subTitle" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><div class="subTitle" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"> </div></span></span><br />
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</span></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-19099373262404099312011-05-26T20:17:00.000-04:002011-05-26T20:17:44.927-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I decided to pull out the dehydrator that hubby used to make his beef jerky in and try my hand and dehydrating fruit. I have some apples decided to cut up some kiwis that we had laying around. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z2P1W0TcFRU/Td7l67rQEMI/AAAAAAAAafk/5n7-m-j1Ooo/s720/DSC02568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z2P1W0TcFRU/Td7l67rQEMI/AAAAAAAAafk/5n7-m-j1Ooo/s400/DSC02568.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Wish me luck!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-33437914959865336012011-05-25T13:52:00.000-04:002011-05-25T13:52:24.721-04:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Little Man and I have a playdate to go to tomorrow and I've been wanting to do some baking lately, so I pulled out my copy of <i>The Best of Clean Eating Magazine </i>and decided that today would be the day I make Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. Holy Moly. They are i.n.c.r.e.d.i.b.l.e. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i>Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies </i>from <i>The Best of Clean Eating Magazine</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"></span></span></div><h3 style="margin-bottom: 5px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Ingredients:</span></span></h3><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 cup unsalted almond butter, stirred well</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3/4 cup Sucanat</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 large egg</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1/2 tsp baking soda</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1/4 tsp sea salt</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa or greater), broken into small pieces</span></li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Instructions:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><b><u>ONE:</u> </b>Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, stir together first 5 ingredients until blended. Stir in chocolate.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><u>TWO:</u> </b>Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool for 15 more minutes.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Another photo to tempt you...</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/Td090v--2EI/AAAAAAAAabQ/LI8iWI04BdM/s720/DSC02551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/Td090v--2EI/AAAAAAAAabQ/LI8iWI04BdM/s320/DSC02551.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Try these!!! I think I like them more than regular Chocolate Chip Cookies.</span></span></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-58603104372544129872011-05-25T09:57:00.000-04:002011-05-25T09:57:11.996-04:00Sooooooo - After taking the winter off of running, I finally got my butt up off of the sofa and started going again.<br />
<br />
Just finished week 1 of Couch to 5K and today was able to do 9 of 9 runs for a total of 9 minutes of running!<br />
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I've fallen off of the clean eating wagon for the past couple of days. Hubby brought home some ice cream and if anything is my weakness, it's ice cream. Especially Chocolate Peanut Butter flavored ice cream.<br />
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Okay - Need to stay on track this week.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-42965693397707715092011-05-17T13:43:00.000-04:002011-05-17T13:43:31.659-04:00I did it. After one lazy-ass winter, I have started to do Couch to 5K again.<br />
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It gave me a reality check on how incredibly unfit I am. I was able to do four of of the nine 1 minute runs. I have a lot of work to do if I want to do some 5K's or my ultimate goal of a Half Marathon.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-78330006761930855762011-05-10T17:07:00.003-04:002011-05-10T17:32:51.244-04:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I've been craving sweets lately. I'd do anything for an endless supply of Salted Caramel Budino from Mercatto:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://myweekendpassport.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/mozza_budino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://myweekendpassport.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/mozza_budino.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">but I know deep down inside that it would truly botch all of the hard work I've done in the past 9 months.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So, rather than destroy all of my efforts, I pulled out my <i>Best of Clean Eating</i> Cookbook and decided to try my hand at Black Bean Fudge Cakes. I love a really good fudge brownie. These are definitely fudgey. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I didn't follow the directions to a T. I did it in a 13x9" pan (I just got a new Le Creuset pan this morning) - this resulted in really thin brownies, and I would absolutely make them in a smaller pan next time to ensure optimal fudgeiness. I also opted to not add walnuts. I prefer a nut-free brownie, I don't love chunks in my food, and wanted to cut down on the fat in the brownies as well.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The finished product with, um, a row missing... I blame the toddler. He loved them!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/Tcmn0PNco7I/AAAAAAAAZi4/G5bdXZQNCPE/s720/DSC02425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/Tcmn0PNco7I/AAAAAAAAZi4/G5bdXZQNCPE/s320/DSC02425.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">They had a sort of springy texture... once you get past this, they're really quite delicious. And I wonder if doing them in a smaller pan would change this at all.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/TcmoPxy7waI/AAAAAAAAZi4/kDkS7C8AxsE/s720/DSC02428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/TcmoPxy7waI/AAAAAAAAZi4/kDkS7C8AxsE/s320/DSC02428.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Up close:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/TcmoiGP0x7I/AAAAAAAAZjI/rBHNH2rtzWY/s720/DSC02429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/TcmoiGP0x7I/AAAAAAAAZjI/rBHNH2rtzWY/s320/DSC02429.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><u><i><b>Black Bean Fudge Cakes from The Best of Clean Eating Magazine</b></i></u> </span></div><h3 style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 5px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-weight: normal;">Ingredients:</span></h3><ul style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Olive oil cooking spray</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 oz dark organic chocolate (70% cocoa or greater)</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 1/2 cups soft-cooked black beans, rinsed and drained</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 eggs</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 egg white</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 tbsp olive oil</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1/4 heaped cup unsweetened cocoa powder</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 tsp baking powder</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 tsp pure vanilla extract</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1/2 cup raw organic honey</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1/4 to 1/2 cup unsalted walnuts, chopped</span></li>
</ul><h3 style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 5px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-weight: normal;">Instructions:</span></h3><h3 style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 5px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><u>ONE:</u> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Preheat oven to 350°F. Mist 8 individual ramekins or 1 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.</span></span></h3><h3 style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 5px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><u>TWO:</u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> Melt dark chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat with 1 tbsp water mixed in.</span></span></h3><h3 style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 5px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><u>THREE:</u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> Combine melted chocolate, beans, eggs, egg white, oil, cocoa powder, baking powder, vanilla, applesauce and honey in a food processor; process until smooth. Stir in walnuts and pour mixture into prepared ramekins or baking dish.</span></span></h3><h3 style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 5px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><u>FOUR:</u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> Bake in preheated oven until the tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides, about 20 minutes for ramekins and 30 minutes for baking dish.</span></span></h3>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-54659854047669301492011-04-27T13:47:00.000-04:002011-04-27T13:47:46.839-04:00Today I took the little man with me for a visit to Planet Organic in search of Vegenaise. We found some Vegenaise, some Annie's Bunny Grahams and grabbed a bunch of kale.<div><br />
</div><div>I'm pretty sure that Kale chips are one of my current favorite things. So crispy, salty and oh so good for you!</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/TbhUEJg32SI/AAAAAAAAY70/iYbG2WzrwZM/s720/DSC02310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/TbhUEJg32SI/AAAAAAAAY70/iYbG2WzrwZM/s320/DSC02310.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>My recipe for Kale Chips is pretty simple:</div><div><br />
</div><div>Preheat your oven to 375*F</div><div><br />
</div><div>Pull off of the stalks - I find the easiest way to do this is to face the leaves up (or down, really doesn't matter), and run your fingers up the sides of the stalk. The leaves will come off when you do this and when it gets far enough it'll break where it's tender enough to eat. Voila!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Wash the leaves and spin in a salad spinner.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Spread the leaves out fairly evenly on a baking sheet.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Drizzle with 1 Tbsp Olive Oil (use more if you're using more than one bunch of kale)</div><div><br />
</div><div>Sprinkle with Salt. I use about 3/4 tsp. It's such a personal preference.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Bake for 5 minutes, rotate pan. Bake for 7 more minutes.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Here are my fresh chips right out of the oven</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/TbhTeBXYzGI/AAAAAAAAY68/Gh8TPcaQ7jE/s720/DSC02308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/TbhTeBXYzGI/AAAAAAAAY68/Gh8TPcaQ7jE/s320/DSC02308.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Every time I make these I really can't believe how honest to goodness good for you they are! </div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-3252317622617207682011-04-25T11:39:00.000-04:002011-04-25T11:39:07.139-04:00I woke up this morning and tossed on some clothes quickly since I could hear the little destroyer making noise in his room and to my surprise a t-shirt that used to be very snug on me is very loose on me now. We're talking hanging so low in the front that my bra shows loose.<br />
<br />
So to celebrate this I decided it would be a good day to spend some money - I did work on good Friday after all, so why not?<br />
<br />
So I headed over to Lululemon's new website and picked up a 50 rep bra in Grapeseed:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.lululemon.com/is/image/lululemon/LW2290S_8420_1?$cat_thumb$" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.lululemon.com/is/image/lululemon/LW2290S_8420_1?$cat_thumb$" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">and a modern racer tank in citron:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lululemon.com/products/_images/products/big/6050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.lululemon.com/products/_images/products/big/6050.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I've been oogling clothes from Lulu for a while now, and I have to admit I'm pretty excited for these to come!</div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-24385256734305989762011-04-24T14:33:00.001-04:002011-04-24T14:35:50.441-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I really find lunch is the hardest meal of the day for me. It's when I usually end up eating poorly and then my day goes to hell in a handbasket from there. Recently I spent a bit of time a Bulk Bark picking out different grains I'd like to try. One of these was wheat berries. They sounded interesting enough. Wheat berries are the whole wheat kernel - completely unprocessed. They have a reasonable amount of protein (7g/cup) and are high in fibre (9g/cup) and relatively low calorie (220 cal/ cup).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">So I boiled some of these bad boys up - takes about 90 minutes to cook them. Joy of Cooking says to cook 1 cup of wheat berries in 3.5 cups water for 90 minutes or until split and chewy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I was working the next day and work can really put a kink in my plans to be healthy, with Hero Burger a 2 minute walk away, so I quickly sauteed up some artichoke hearts, pitted some kalamata olives and broke apart a bit of goat cheese and voila a mediterreanean grain salad that isn't drenched in oil or fats! Oh - and it's delish!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/TbC5QJ3q63I/AAAAAAAAYmA/Wj-CssVc8VE/s720/DSC02244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/TbC5QJ3q63I/AAAAAAAAYmA/Wj-CssVc8VE/s320/DSC02244.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-18298753766538770752011-04-21T19:30:00.000-04:002011-04-21T19:30:42.430-04:00I've been looking forward to this recipe all week. I love lentils - they're so tasty and I love how green lentils kind of pop in your mouth! I'm non-discriminatory though, I do love all kinds of lentils. <br />
<br />
This recipe didn't disappoint at all! It tasted so meaty because of the lentils and I'm sure that you could easily freeze if you want to make a large batch of it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/TbCl2b_sDsI/AAAAAAAAYk4/Adctz_LgPzE/s512/DSC02240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/TbCl2b_sDsI/AAAAAAAAYk4/Adctz_LgPzE/s320/DSC02240.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u>Pasta Lentil Bolognese from <i>Clean Eating Magazine</i> April/May 2011</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: #163c4c; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"></span></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Ingredients:</span></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 tsp olive oil</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 medium carrot, peeled and diced small, 1 cup</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 small celerly stalks, diced small, 1/2 cup</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 small fennel bulb, diced small, 1 1/2 cups</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4 cloves garlic, minced</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 TBSP White Wine Vinegar</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 cup green lentils</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes – 28 oz can</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 tsp dried oregano</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 tsp dried parsley</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 tsp dried basil</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">8 oz wide whole wheat pasta noodles-linguine, fettucini, etc.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1/2 cup low fat milk</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1/4 tsp sea salt</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper</span></li>
</ul><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Instructions:<br />
<u><b>ONE:</b></u> In a large dutch oven or saucepot, heat oil on medium high. Add onion, carrot, celery, fellel and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until released water evaporates and brown bits begin to form on bottom of pot, about 15 minutes. Add vinegar and scrape any brown bits from bottom of pot as liquid evaporates. Stir in broth, 1 cup water, lentils, tomatoes, oregano, parsley and basil. Reduct heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.<br />
<br />
<b><u>TWO:</u></b> Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and set aside.<br />
<br />
<b><u>THREE:</u></b> Add milk to bolognese and continue to simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta amont 4 bowls and top each with about 1 1/2 cups bolognese.<br />
<br />
Nutirents per serving (4 oz pasta & 1 1/2 cups bolognese)<br />
<br />
Calories: 337, Total Fat: 4 gm, Carbs: 68 g, Fiber: 15g, Sugars:8g, Protein 13 g, Sodium: 484 mg, Cholesterol: 1mg</span></div><br />
<br />
and it got lil' man's stamp of approval - scrunchy face-stuffing mug.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/TbCjjTMCPDI/AAAAAAAAYkQ/ldtom-97AFQ/s512/DSC02243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/TbCjjTMCPDI/AAAAAAAAYkQ/ldtom-97AFQ/s320/DSC02243.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-89059580585983845342011-04-20T19:58:00.002-04:002011-04-21T20:30:27.560-04:00Let's talk about potatoes. I love them. They're creamy, delicious and my kid loves them too. We had a handful of new potatoes, so I was looking for something delicious to do with them and I've been wanting to try Pioneer Woman's <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/">Crash Hot Potatoes</a> for a while now.<br />
<br />
I cleaned them up a bit by spraying the pan with my Misto rather than liberally pouring oil into the pan. I did the same to oil the patates themselves, sprinkled them with some salt and dried thyme - I have some chives in the garden, but I'm holding off on cutting them until the weekend for Easter Dinner - and baked them at 450* for 25 minutes. <br />
<br />
Out of the oven:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/Ta9V3LTEY-I/AAAAAAAAYlo/uAby5lrEvO8/s512/DSC02230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/Ta9V3LTEY-I/AAAAAAAAYlo/uAby5lrEvO8/s320/DSC02230.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<br />
What's that? You want to see them closer up? I do live to please.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/Ta9T_Oe-FUI/AAAAAAAAYlc/Sf-DrBS3AfI/s512/DSC02232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/Ta9T_Oe-FUI/AAAAAAAAYlc/Sf-DrBS3AfI/s320/DSC02232.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Were they good you ask? What does this tell you?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/Ta9S7Am7jAI/AAAAAAAAYfM/3gE5VEanbBA/s720/DSC02228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/Ta9S7Am7jAI/AAAAAAAAYfM/3gE5VEanbBA/s320/DSC02228.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Even the cat wanted in on the crispy action!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-43831305130054633172011-04-20T14:43:00.002-04:002011-04-21T19:32:36.941-04:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">In an attempt to eat clean I've been cooking pretty much solely from Clean Eating Magazine. Luckily my April/May edition came last week and we've been eating well (and clean) since!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Last night was taco night. Cauliflower, Mushroom and Corn tacos. I know what you're thinking. You must be joking, right? It was incredible - and I don't joke about food my friends. Food is very serious business!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And really? I think this tells you just how delicious it truly is:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/Ta38AxQF-5I/AAAAAAAAYUw/QizjSPzTex4/s720/DSC02198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VHgyuRuYHcE/Ta38AxQF-5I/AAAAAAAAYUw/QizjSPzTex4/s320/DSC02198.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Classic Tacos from <i>Clean Eating Magazine April/May 2011</i> (p.60)</span></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">2 tsp olive oil</span></li>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">1 small onion, chopped into small pieces</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">2 large cloves garlic, minced</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">1 lb cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed, roughly chopped into small pieces </li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">1 cup cauliflower florets, roughly chopped into small pieces</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">3 tbsp tomato paste</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">2 tsp chile powder</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">1 tsp ground cumin</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">½ tsp sea salt</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">½ tsp fresh ground black pepper</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">1 cup frozen corn kernels</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">12 small corn tortillas</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">5 large Romaine lettuce leaves, sliced into ¼-inch strips</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">½ avocado, pitted, peeled and cubed</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">½ cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">¼ cup low-fat sour cream</li>
</span></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-weight: normal;"><u><strong>ONE</strong>:</u> In a large, high-sided skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until it begins to soften. Stir in garlic and sauté for 30 more seconds. </span></strong></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><u><strong>TWO</strong>:</u> Add mushrooms and cauliflower and stir constantly for 2 minutes, until vegetables start to release water and shrink. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are about half their original size and cauliflower is fork tender, about 15 minutes. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><u><strong>THREE</strong>:</u> In a small mixing bowl, whisk together tomato paste, ¼ cup water, chile powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add to mushroom mixture along with corn. Stir to combine, then cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><u><strong>FOUR</strong>:</u> Warm tortillas over the flame of a gas stove or in a warm oven <em>(I warm up the oven and heat them in a foil pouch)</em> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b><u>FIVE:</u> </b>To assemble tacos, fill each tortilla with ¼ cup mushroom filling. Top with lettuce, avocado, cheese and sour cream, dividing evenly.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><em>Per serving, 3 tacos each</em> <em>including garnishes </em>- 379 Calories, 12g Total Fat, 3g Saturated Fat, 58g Total Carbohydrates, 10g Dietary Fiber, 8g Sugars, 15g Protein, 394mg Sodium, 11mg Cholesterol, 37% Vitamin C, 45% Riboflavin</span></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-73261689971609748602011-04-17T11:09:00.000-04:002011-04-17T11:09:14.160-04:00I need a goal. Something to work towards. I've been really wanting to get back to running, and I think that if I realllllllly stick with it, I can do this. <br />
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I'm seriously considering registering to do the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February of next year while we're in Florida. It's at the beginning of our vacation, so I can truly train hard for it before we go and not worry so much after it's done, because, well, it'll be done! I really want to do this. It's a half marathon through the Disney Parks - it sounds fairly incredible to be and slightly surreal. <br />
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Every year there's a beneficiary - 2011 it was the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society; 2012 isn't announced yet and registration doesn't even open until June, so I have some time to make up my mind.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-80399070284844855832011-04-15T12:57:00.000-04:002011-04-15T12:57:46.273-04:00I realize completely that I've been slacking in the blogging department. But, in my defense I have been working!<br />
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Now that the weather is starting to get a bit nicer, it's time to get outside and get a bit more active. I fully plan on restarting Couch to 5K. The problem is, none of my workout pants actually fit anymore... they all fall down. So until I can get to Running Room to get some new running tights, I'll be taking nice long walks through the park while pushing a stroller.<br />
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Today I received my first <a href="http://www.wanigan.com/">Wanigan</a> in about 2 years. We used to get them when we first moved to the new house, but found that we were wasting so much food. Now that we're back into eating clean, we decided to jump back on the wagon. We get the Local Harvest Wanigan. So for $25 we get all of this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/laurenbryson/DSC02155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/laurenbryson/DSC02155.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I have to admit, I'm most excited for Crunchy Bean Mix and Beets!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-19556296155982549962011-03-31T10:26:00.001-04:002011-03-31T10:28:55.252-04:00This morning I was getting ready to take the pup out for her morning walk and on a whim decided to try on my old raincoat... and imagine my surprise when it actually fit. Albeit a little snug around the hips, but it zipped!<br />
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I think I needed that little boost after stepping on the scale and seeing that I jumped up 0.5lb. I'm not the best about drinking water, so I know I need to really start with that. If only coffee and tea counted as water. I'd have that beat for sure!<br />
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Here's what my day will look like:<br />
<b><u>B</u></b> - Warm Quinoa Cereal with Skim Milk & Almonds and a pot of coffee (it's french press, so it's only 8c of coffee!)<br />
<b><u>S1 </u></b>- Cottage Cheese and Banana<br />
<b><u>L</u></b> - Egg Whites on Toast with Earth Balance Spread<br />
<b><u>S2</u></b> - Strawberries, Banana, Yogurt, Almond Milk and Flax blended with a scoop of protein powder<br />
<b><u>D</u></b> - Clean Spaghetti and Meatball Casserole (I'm reallllly looking forward to this!)<br />
<b><u>S3</u></b> - Apple with Almond Butter (if needed)<br />
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and on an even happier note in 4 months we'll be out east enjoying Arcade Fire and U2... pretty sure I'm more excited about Arcade Fire right now.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285852543495556327.post-13980986840205149252011-03-28T12:51:00.001-04:002011-03-28T12:53:24.674-04:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Last July I had a moment. A moment when I realized just how much weight I had gained. I had a 1 year old and I need to be here for him. Since then I've lost 43lbs. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Recently I've been stuck in a rut. I've hit a plateau. No real weight loss and no initiative to be active. I need to be accountable to somebody, so here I am. Sadly simply chasing my (almost) 2 year old around the house and going on 'walks' with him just aren't going to cut it, since we usually just end up at the playground.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This morning I did Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown without considering the fact that I work tonight. My legs now feel like Jell-O, but I do feel better.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So wish me luck on this journey - I still have a long way to go and I'm really hoping that amping up my clean eating and activity level will really help.</span>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11911077218118231768noreply@blogger.com1