Dear Me Letter Revisited and Goals for the New Year

Last year, about this time, I wrote a "Dear Me"letter positively forecasting my goals  for 2012 that I would have reached by the end of 2013.  I met some of my goals ...and others not so much. Still, I don't view the things I didn't get done as failures, just things I still need to keep on my to do list. I may not have done everything in the time frame I wanted, but I didn't fail.

This year, I'm not writing a letter to myself. Instead, I'm going to make a few  larger goals for myself  and make monthly goals as I see fit. One thing I want to be sure to do is to write down my successes and things I accomplish throughout 2013 so that at the year's end, I can actually see my progress by rereading my highlights. I saw that idea on Pinterest and think it's a good idea.

What do I want to accomplish this year? I want to continue to work on my health and the health of my family, including exercise. I also want to find a local walk to participate in. And I want to try something new...not sure what it will be yet, but I want to try something. And I want to read a non food related book...at least one...even if it takes me all year to do it.

I didn't always like New Year's, though I'm not really sure why. Now I do.  The good thing about New Year's is that its a brand new, clean slate for me to fill.  Like a new Etch a Sketch, I control the nobs and I can create whatever picture, whatever future I choose to. It's really a new beginning for all of us to make goals and strive to be better than we were this past year (at least in our own eyes), The new year holds promise and hope and it's that positivity that I love. I heard someone else say that the new year is like a 365 page blank book just waiting to be filled by us. Its a choose your own adventure book and we are in charge. That's a neat way to look at it too, I think.

I also saw this on Pinterest, and I think it's a pretty good guide ... at least for me.

 

 

 

 

 

However you choose to look at New Year's Eve, my wish for all of you is good health and happiness and  a few great adventures along the way.

 

 

 

 



Halloween Cake Pops

My version of Halloween Cake Pops

Every year, my good friend has a Halloween party for her son and daughter and their friends, and every year, I make a special Halloweenie treat to send over. This year, after seeing these photos on Pinterest, I decided to make my own.



Eyeball Cake Pops



Evil Eye Cake Pops



I read a lot about making cake pops because even though I like to bake and I think, are more adept at cooking than a regular Joe or Jane, I didn't want to mess these unique little treats up...and they can be messed up. Online horror stories abound. Talk about scary stories...lol! Below are my treats and what I did to make them. I may change the method a little next time, or I may not. They were pretty good the way they were...just very sweet. Just what kids love!

First, I bought a box mix of red velvet cake and prepared it as directed. Any cake will do, but I wanted the middle of my pops to look like blood so I chose  red velvet cake mix. Some people had said that sometimes the red will show through the white candy coating, but I thought that if it did, it would only make it look spookier. I didn't find it to be a big problem either way. After the cake cooled completely, I broke it into pieces and pulsed it to crumbs in my food processor. Then I transferred the crumbs to a deep mixing bowl.

Next I used a can of frosting from the grocery store, adding a big spatula full at a time, so as not to add to much. After each spatula full, I would  mix it up with the spatula. I used 1 scant frosting can to hold mine together. The trick is getting it well mixed enough to stick together so you can roll it easily into balls without making it so sticky that it's too sticky and won't roll into anything. This is trial and error from what I have read, that is why I did it a spatula full at a time so as not to over do the icing, and this plan worked well.  I rolled the mixture into golf ball size balls and set them on a tray covered with wax paper.

While the balls rested, I melted a small amount of white chocolate candy melts in the microwave (follow pkg directions on this). Then I dipped the tines of a plastic fork halfway into the chocolate and pierced each ball. As I put the forks in, I reshaped some of the balls to make sure they stayed roundish. I put all forked balls into the fridge to set overnight.

The next day, I melted 1 1/2 bags candy melts in the microwave and transferred the balls to the freezer for a little bit. When I was ready to dip the balls, I  only took them out a few at a time. After dipping, I used a spoon to run along the bottom of the balls to get off the excess icing. I then set each ball upright on a cookie sheet covered with parchment or wax paper. I had to hold each for just a second so they wouldn't fall over. I pressed a green candy met onto each chocolate covered ball for the iris, holding each for a second so it would stick in place.  I did this until most of the balls were dipped.

Then, I melted some -green candy melts and dipped a few of the balls in that so I could make the googly eyed monster balls. Once those were covered in green chocolate, I gently placed candy googly eyes all over the balls.

  Lastly, I set these dipped balls into the fridge for about 15 minutes while the chocolate set.

Next I used a toothpick to put some melted chocolate on a googly candy eye and pressed it gently onto the green iris, holding it for  a few seconds till it set. Finally, I took some red icing and made squiggly lines on the white balls radiating around the iris so the eyeballs would look bloodshot.

These were a huge hit at the party and for my first fore into the world of cake pops, I thought I did a pretty good job. They were super cute, but time consuming...not a quick treat, but well worth the effort for a party.





Tortilla "Chips"

I love tortilla chips, but unfortunately making my own out of corn tortillas has never worked because quite frankly, I'm not wild about homemade corn tortillas. I love corn and I love tortillas, but never the twain shall meet in my kitchen, at least not ones that are homemade. Instead, I have always used whole wheat flour tortillas to make wraps,  Mexican dishes, and my beloved tortilla chips, and they were...just okay.

So the other day when I went to Trader Joe's and saw these Whole Grain Flour Tortillas with rolled oats and flax seeds, I knew I had to try them. 





I had also bought some hummus from TJ's and wanted to make chips to eat with it, so I used these speckled tortillas to do just that. I assembled  the tortillas, my Misto filled with olive oil, sea salt, and my pizza cutter. I set the oven to 350 to preheat while I prepared the "chips."  I spritzed each tortilla (both sides) with olive oil and sprinkled each with a little sea salt.  I really like using the Misto because it  sprays a fine, wide misting of olive oil that helps me to coat the tortilla without saturating it. The Misto is also non aerosol, unlike other nonstick oil sprays you find at the grocery store. Both types of sprays will work, I just prefer my Misto.  I used only a  little sea salt because while we rarely eat added salt in anything anymore, to me, chips should be salty...at least a little bit. Then I cut each tortilla into 4 large  triangular pieces and put them on a cookie sheet to bake. Until you know how long your oven will take to cook these "chips," I would watch them carefully. After about 4-5 minutes, the bottom of my tortilla pieces were getting brown so I flipped them and baked about 2 minutes longer to brown the other side.  Then I removed them from the oven and cooled them for just a few minutes before putting the next filled cookie sheet in. This is how they looked when they were finished. They were great and everyone like them. They were perfect with hummus and as a compliment to a big ole delicious chock full of veggies salad.





Finished "chips"

I saved one tortilla for DH to use to make a wrap. Let me just say: best. wrap. ever! These were inexpensive, easy to work with, and totally tasty. These tortillas are my new favorite Trader Joe's find. If you try them, I don't think you'll be disappointed.



Red Beans and Rice.

Dh really enjoyed this dish. I have been making it for awhile now, but usually I make it vegetarian. This week I happened to have some Jennie-o turkey kielbasa so I decided to use it. Either way, it's a great dish.

It's unfortunate for me that because of the green peppers, I cannot enjoy this dish. Leave them out you say?  It wouldn't be the same. I do love to smell it though because the aroma is to die for. And, I think it's one of those dishes that is even better the next day. It does make a lot though so scale it down if  need be. I hope you enjoy it.




Red Beans and Rice

•  1/2 of a Jennie-O turkey kielbasa, sliced and cut in halves (optional)
• 1/2 c heaping diced onion
• 1 stalk chopped celery
• 1 small green pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 small bay leaf
• 4 c low sodium vegetable broth
• 3 cans no or low sodium red beans, drained
• 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Tony Chachere's
• 1 tsp oregano
• a generous sprinkle of thyme
• a pinch of cayenne

Prepare all your veggies and the kielbasa if using. Put in a pot  with minced garlic and bay leaf and water saute all till veggies are tender. Add 4 c  low sodium vegetable broth, beans, and spices.  Bring everything to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or so. Add tomatoes and simmer 10-15 minutes more.

Remove bay leaf. put some of the veggies and beans mixture in a blender with a little of the juice. I put about 1 1/2 cups in my blender. Blend till smooth, and then gently pour back into pot.Stir to incorporate all and taste so you can re-season as needed.

Serve over a bed of rice and garnish with diced green onions. Add hot sauce to taste if need for heat. Dh likes to add extra Tony Chachere's as well.

 

Vegan Kickstart, Day 1

I had overnight oatmeal today for breakfast. Basically, I added  1/2 c oatmeal and 1 c almond milk, 1 tsp chia seeds, and 1 Tbsp  ground flax in a bowl. Then I put it in the fridge overnight. In the morning I simply added 1 spoonful of the apple butter I made yesterday for flavor and sweetness. Lastly, I warmed it up on the microwave because I cannot eat cold oatmeal. I'm not sure  I liked the "raw" oats. They were chalky, like oat flour.  They did fill me up quicker than cooked oats, probably because they had swelled overnight soaking up all the almond milk. The chia and flax seed meal also added more bulk sitting overnight. I have been researching the nutritional value of cooked v. raw oats, and have found nothing substantial to support one way over the other. In my mind, I would think raw would be better, much the same way that boiled vegetables lose some of their nutrients when boiled too long, while raw veggies maintain their nutritional integrity. One small spoonful of the apple butter I made yesterday was the perfect sweetener. I think I will have to try other butters and homemade jams, perhaps pumpkin and blueberry to sweeten future bowls.

 

My lunch consisted of a mixed green baby kale and spring mix salad with carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, and 3 green olives with a cup of canned tomato soup made with water and sprinkled with nutritional yeast. Some delicious red seedless grapes finished off the meal.  I used canned soup because I have yet to find a really good tomato soup recipe that I like. I'm still on the hunt though. The baby kale came from Sprouts and it is sooo good

 

 

 

 I had a banana snack with a little Nutella between lunch and dinner. Then I realized Nutella had  milk in it...damn it!  I L-O-V-E Nutella!  : (

Dinner was whole wheat linguine with my spaghetti sauce, a small salad, and a half a glass of wine.

Lots of water and tea today...all in all, a pretty successful start.

Just Checking In....and Apple Butter

After reintroducing some meat back into my diet, I have ditched it once again. 

Originally, my doctor thought it might be good for me to add a little meat for the extra protein. I ditched that advice, however, because I didn't feel any better eating more meat, and I gained 7 pounds.  I don't blame that only on eating more meat, but it didn't help. I only added chicken and a little fish, and I never really enjoyed it. Still, eating a little meat did make me want more meat. It was a vicious cycle. So once again, I am meat free.

I also gave up most dairy products since my doctor said that the sugar in milk and yogurt was not good for me, and egg yolks since they were a carrier of oodles of cholesterol. I had actually been eating eggs frequently before that,  probably 4-5 times a week, which, I admit, was way too much. So I went to eating eggs once a week, mixing the whole egg with an egg white, and then, just the egg whites. Now, no eggs. I have not had yogurt or skim milk in months. My last dairy holdouts were cheese and cottage cheese (mainly for the protein), butter, half and half in my coffee, and sour cream, just because I love it (I don't eat it very often, though). Now, only half and half remains  as a regular staple for me. I still eat sour cream and butter occasionally but not very often.

Last week, I started back to being vegetarian. I felt a ton better.This week, I'm going mostly vegan. I had 2 slices of cheese last week and for me that is amazing. I would be completely happy living my life on cheese and bread, but I'd be bigger than a house if I did. So tomorrow, I will be redoing the 21 Day Vegan Kickstart . I just feel the need to get back to basics (mostly). My biggest challenge is to find a vegan protein powder that I like. I am a little concerned since I don't like tofu, and since I don't eat soy everyday, that  I may not be getting enough protein, but I'm going to go with it for now. I am also investigating acceptable ways to eat quinoa (which I do not care for) that will not make me want to hurl.

I am also trying desperately to get off artificial sweeteners. I'm doing better, but that is still a work in progress.



Currently, I am reading  Dr Neal Barnard's 21 Day Weight Loss Kickstart.
I find it helpful to read about health, healthy eating, and making healthy choices when I am trying to change my eating patterns because I feel like it helps to keep me grounded and focused.  I also have been using this almond milk in my oatmeal. I can't go drink almond milk because it still doesn't satisfy me the way a glass of ice cold skim milk always did, but I can sometimes bake with it or use it in oatmeal with no problems. At least it's progress.

I am trying to refocus my health quest by not actually focusing on my weight, but more on just what I am eating and putting into my body. that way even if the scale doesn't move, I'll still feel successful by just eating real foods and putting  good things into my body.


Today, I made a crockpot apple butter recipe that my beautiful sister, Tricia, sent me. You can find the recipe here. Basically the ingredients are apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and brown sugar. Excellent flavor and consistency, but way too sweet for me. We will still eat it, but next time I make it, I will use even less brown sugar than I did this time. I cut the recipe in half including the brown sugar, but it's still too sweet. I think if I had used a tart apple like Granny Smith, it might be okay, but I used a mixture of Golden Delicious, Jongold, Honey Crisp, Braeburn, and Jonathon. The apples had so much natural sweetness already that a lot of extra sugar was not needed except to make the butter truly brown maybe. Since I want to try to cut out as much unnatural sugar as I can, I think I'll still used a mixture of apples, just less brown sugar. I'd rather have the natural sweetness anyway, even if the apple butter is lighter than normal apple butter. Anyway, the flavor is great, and I will definitely make it again with modifications.  Here is a picture of how it looked this time. Consistency is spot on. Tomorrow morning it will be swirled in my overnight oatmeal.

It's not my own recipe, but it get 5 spoons.

What I've Been Up To Lately

Life has been crazy lately, and so my blog has taken a backseat.

Due to some health issues (nothing serious), I have reintroduced  a little lean meat and fish back into my diet. I am eating more Nutritarian like I was in the very beginning, but still plant strong. I also have been collecting some new food ideas and recipes to try since I've really been in a food rut lately. I am avoiding egg yolks and not drinking milk or eating cereal with milk. In my oatmeal, I am embracing almond milk. It is still not a favorite of mine, but I'm working on it. I also am decreasing  everyday my dependency on sugar and sugar substitutes...and yes, Tab and other diet sodas. My diet is definitely a work in progress right now and it may be changing some more.

Another thing I am doing is investigating more gluten free recipes and products. We had this cornbread mix with homemade bean soup the other night and it was delicious. I have tried so many cornbread recipes and this mix is the best I've had. Everyone really liked it. I made mine into cornbread muffins rather than in a flat pan.

I am also working on expanding my football food list. This was last year's football food blog post.  August is a struggle for my family food wise, so I'm trying to stay on top of things. Look for this year's football food post in the coming weeks. 

Besides football food, I also have taken each child's likes and requests into consideration and made my school lunches food list. I do this every year as well since likes and dislike change from time to time. This list goes in the front of my recipe binder for easy reference. It  is really helpful so I can keep up the variety in the kids' lunches.