tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89526925702563235762024-02-21T13:37:56.613-05:00What's cooking?We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are. —-Adelle DavisKarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-64912478764646167872013-06-05T19:35:00.002-04:002013-06-06T12:38:58.710-04:00Day 4....<span style="color: #999999;">Well I have a confession to make....last night I ate graham crackers. I was so hungry I didn't know what to do. I have very few food items in my house at the moment because my fridge is full of fruits and vegetables. I couldn't imagine eating another fruit or veggie so I ate graham crackers! WAHH!! People...I am not going to make it to day 30. It's just not going to happen. I need to accept this and adapt this plan now so I don't completely fail. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999;">My second confession is that this happened for dinner tonight.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999;">Yep, I had popcorn for dinner. Not the squash that I was supposed to have. I ALWAYS do this. Every time I try something like this! When will I learn? I mean honestly. I am queen of yo yo dieting. You would think I would have this all figured out now. You would think I have the motivation, will power and self control to stop this. Nope! I don't! Not even close! The moment I start to doubt myself everything goes down hill from there. I at least know this about myself. That is why I am saying that I am not going to give up but I am going to adapt. I know I can't continue down this path so I am going to change it. And if that doesn't work then I will change it again. This has to work! <span style="color: black;"><b>My life depends on it! </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999;"><br />Ok so let's back up and talk about what I did <span style="color: magenta;"><i><b>GOOD </b></i></span>today. I woke up this morning feeling great! I slept like a rock. I only woke up one time to pee. People..PEOPLE this is unheard of for me. I generally wake up at least 3-5 times. I never get a good night of sleep. I wake up exhausted every single day. I felt great this morning! I honestly can say that I do feel good doing this. So before I left for work I started my smoothie and juicing for the day.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999;">This smoothie was YUMMY! It had blueberries, spinach & banana. It was supposed to have avocado but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999;">Next I worked on my juice for the day.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999;">Oh yea oh yea oh yea this is going to be a good one. Apples, carrots and lemons! And then this happened.....</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2C3Zo5UPel4jRSf3TCSRvjhnq3ec9R8MGW0G3K_1FfzQMCJE0ttm2m_LIWEjFFwYKHPnksCH__J7u0IJZodgWhQQSC3qm4WB2kP1FvxEEU9oMhmzKab0kjyxF2VnPp7cDcw7WkAgJC3vV/s1600/oops.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2C3Zo5UPel4jRSf3TCSRvjhnq3ec9R8MGW0G3K_1FfzQMCJE0ttm2m_LIWEjFFwYKHPnksCH__J7u0IJZodgWhQQSC3qm4WB2kP1FvxEEU9oMhmzKab0kjyxF2VnPp7cDcw7WkAgJC3vV/s1600/oops.jpeg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999;">Oops! This picture doesn't look bad but let me tell you that most of it is on the floor and under the microwave. Oh and not to mention my phone was sitting the left of those cut up apples. So yea...sticky floor, feet and counter. Oh and wasted juice! WAH! Lucky It was only one lemon and 1/4 of an apple. I thought I was awake, apparently not. There is supposed to be a pitcher there! OYE. So I regrouped, cleaned up and got to juicing again.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999;">YUM! This was a really yummy juice! An absolute keeper! YAY! For lunch I had leftover broccoli and kale soup. Well and we all know what happened with dinner!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999;">So listen, I am not counting this as I am failing. Yes I am failing at what I said I was going to do. But I really do like the juicing. It is fun and I get more veggies in than I normally do. I am going to try and juice twice a day. I am going to find juices I like and stick with them. I am going to try and stick to healthy meals. I am going to allow myself 1 cheat meal a week. Listen...i know i know! But what will happen is that I will binge. I <i>know </i>it. So I am going to allow myself to have one meal. I will <i>try </i>not to go overboard and ruin what I have made progress with. I am going to try and stick with the blogging and see if that helps. I realize I have about 4 readers. But I feel like I owe it to you 4 to work it! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999;">xoxox </span>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-33299413146868299362013-06-04T20:05:00.001-04:002013-06-04T20:05:47.079-04:00Day 3....I am HUNGRYToday has been a rough day, I am not going to lie. I woke up this morning to several texts messages and even more emails about work. We found out today that our company has been purchased by another company. My first immediate feeling was fear. Am I going to loss my job? What is going to happen to amazing culture my company has worked 13 years to master. Well unfortunately I do not have any answers. I was in meetings all day and it was overall a very stressful day. Then to mention it is my first day not at home juicing. Today has been rough!<br />
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This morning I woke up 30 minutes earlier than I normally do so that I could make a smoothie and my juice for the day. It ended up taking a little longer than I planned and I got to work a little later than I had wanted but I got everything done. It took a little longer to clean all the equipment then I thought it would. OYE! So the first hour of my day was stressful to say the least and proceeded to just get worse. <br />
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My thickass smoothie I had to make this morning. I was literally gagging most of the way to work. I was able to choke down most of the drink but it was terrible. There was romaine lettuce (uh gross....drinking liquid romaine gross), avocado, lemon, coconut water, banana & cucumber! Yea not so appetizing Eh!<br />
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Morning and afternoon snack consisted of more green juice. It contained kale, spinach, apple, cucumber, celery and lemon. It was ok. It tasted like grassy lemonade. So yea...i drank grass two times today. YUMMY! Lunch I went out with a friend and grabbed a salad. I was supposed to have a kale salad (you all know my feelings about that leafy green) so I opted for a salad. I got all the good stuff taken off and only had veggies and balsamic vinaigrette. It was not fulfilling at all. <br />
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Dinner was leftover acorn squash (YUM) and broccoli soup. It was good....but lord I have been starving all day. I was so tempted to walk into our snack room at work and grab a bag of chips. I didn't but oh did I want to. I am still starving and I have eaten everything I should have today. So yea...I am feeling cranky and I am tired. I slept really well last night so I am thinking I'm exhausted from the lack of food! HA <br />
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What was I thinking in doing this challenge? How am I possibly going to make it 30 days?!?!?! It will be a miracle if I make it all the way to the end. I don't want to fail. I said I was going to do this and I really want to. But can I honestly maintain this? Only time will tell. That's all from me tonight folks! Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-78536258001383833832013-06-03T21:19:00.003-04:002013-06-05T09:04:49.727-04:00Juicing: Day 2Day 2!<br />
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Well, I made it through day 2. What was I thinking in doing this challenge? I am only on day 2 and I am already thinking "How the hell am I going to make it through 30 days". OYE! I am going to try to power through, that is how.....<i>I think</i>.<br />
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My morning started out with the lemon, ginger water while I caught up on work email and started my day. I threw in my leftover berry "crisp" from yesterday morning into oven and enjoyed it while I worked. I later made the celery, kale and apple juice. Now this was supposed to have pear instead of apple but I didn't buy any pears. I followed the grocery list that came with the plan and it didn't have pears listed. WTF! I bought more than enough apples so I knew I just needed to replace the pear with something sweet. Now if you remember my kale saute from last night you can imagine my excitement to try this.<br />
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So pretty right! I was tempted to hold my nose and take the first drink. If it tasted anything like last nights debacle I knew I would be throwing it down the drain. Surprisingly the first taste was pretty decent. Now is this going to be my favorite juice, probably not. But I could drink it and I didn't have to chug it or worse yet throw it away. You can see at the bottom that it is a tad clearer. This juice separated very quickly. I had to keep swirling to keep it all mixed up.<br />
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Lunch...oh dear lord lunch. Again I was supposed to have a kale salad but I honestly just couldn't do it. I am on day 2 and so over kale. I don't think I am going to be able to do kale any other way except for juicing. The other half of lunch was a raw carrot soup. I was excited for this soup. I was thinking oh yay it will taste like the juice from yesterday. That couldn't have been farther from the truth.<br />
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If you can't tell from the picture it is pretty thick. This was basically a smoothie that I made in the blender. It has carrots (ummm like 30 juiced), avocado, honey, S&P, honey, ginger & cayenne. Sounds good right? <b>WRONG</b>! I took a big ole' sip since I was so excited and about spit it out all over my beige floor. PUKE! It was way to sweet and oh man....it was <b>THICK</b>! The below progress took me over an hour to get through. I was trying so hard to like it and drink it. I really knew I needed to "eat" this since I wasn't going to make the kale salad. I just couldn't do it. </div>
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Since I only drank half of my "soup" and didn't make the kale salad, I was definitely hungry when it was early afternoon. Afternoon snack was the other half of my green juice and it was still decent. It was very separated in the fridge but with a little shake it was good to go. For dinner Acorn squash stuffed with mushrooms & sage and a green detox soup. </div>
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I <b><span style="color: red;">LOVED </span></b>this dinner! I am huge fan of spaghetti squash and this was exactly like that. The filling is simply mushrooms, EVOO, onion, garlic and fresh sage. Sage is up there in my top 3 favorite herbs. And then the fact that I was using fresh sage, forget it. I knew I was going to at least like the filling. This is easily a substitute for a fatty thanksgiving dinner. It embodied the flavors you crave around that time of year. I will have to try and remember this! The second half of my dinner was a green detox soup.</div>
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Can you see all that <u><i>KALE </i></u>in there? Seriously with the damn kale? When I read this recipe I was so sad. Kale...again. BOO! The soup also has leeks, garlic, zucchini, broccoli and veggie stock. I boiled it till the zucchini was tender and then buzzed it up with my immersion blender. Again, I was terrified. There was about 6 stalks of kale in there and I really didn't think the rest of it was enough to cover up that nasty bitter taste. Well, I was wrong. I could barely taste the kale and the soup just reminded me of broccoli soup. I realize it looks like snot and it is not appetizing but I will be able to eat this again.<br />
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Overall, my day was good. I was not starving all day like I have thought I would be. I mean of course I got hungry every couple of hours when it was time for my next meal. But I am not overwhelmingly hungry. I don't feel tired and I find that my energy level is about normal. I read that others that have done this challenge have slept great. BRING IT ON. If I don't benefit from anything but sleeping better this will be worth it to me.<br />
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Tomorrow is going to be difficult. I need to go into the office *gasp* and I am worried about how I am going to handle making everything in the morning. If you juice to early, nutrients are lost. So the night before is out. I am going to need to prep every morning. Which means I need to wake up earlier......DISLIKE. Since I don't sleep well most nights it is very difficult for me to get up any earlier than I have to. I think I am going to re-arrange the meal plan a little for tomorrow to make it a tad easier on myself. Well time to drink my herbal tea and call it a night soon.<br />
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Thanks for listening :)<br />
<br />
Karin<br />
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<br />Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-88482165000145100672013-06-02T21:12:00.000-04:002013-06-02T21:25:58.642-04:00Jucing: Day 1Welcome back friends!<br />
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As I stated in my last blog post, I have presented myself with a 30 day challenge. 30 days of juicing! I watched a documentary called <a href="http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/" target="_blank">Fat sick and nearly dead</a> and decided to follow in Joe's (the author's) footsteps. I have decided to blog my journey to keep me accountable. I don't know how many people will read this but in putting my journey in writing it helps me feel as though others are going through the process with me.<br />
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Ok so lets get to the goods. DAY 1! I was actually really excited to start and couldn't wait to get my new juicer started up and juicing. I am following <a href="http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/15-Day-Plan_Updated.pdf" target="_blank">the plan</a> off of Joe's website and have extended it to 30 days. In his 15 day plan you do 5 days of juicing and eating following by just juice and finally ended with 5 days of juicing and eating. I did a lot of research and found someone who had purchased the 30 day plan. For the 30 day plan you simply extend the middle phase and continue just juicing. Now in the documentary Joe did this challenge for 60 days. I am committing to 30 days at this point and will access at the end of my journey. <br />
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I have finished day 1 and I feel ok. I have tried to follow the plan exactly but have already noticed that it is going to be difficult. Now the difficult part is not the juicing as I would think, it is actually the food he wants you to eat. I will elaborate a little later when I get to that portion of my day.<br />
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Saturday I did my grocery shopping and purchased my juicer so that I was all ready to get started today. Below is a picture of my produce haul. I did have a couple items already on hand that are not pictured. But not many. As you can see.....ITS A LOT. My whole fridge is totally full. Now lets talk about the price of this new crazy obsession of mine. It's going to cost a lot. I picked a juicer that was low to mid range in price. With my bed bath and beyond coupon my Breville juicer was about $130. All of the produce below was close to $90. Now that is a lot yes, however I went through my bank statements for the past 3 months and honestly....I spent a shit ton on food. I spend a lot at the grocery store and even more going out to eat with friends and drive thru. I have promised myself that I am going to give this a try 100%. What that means is that I will not be going out to eat this entire month.<br />
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Every morning Joe has you start with warm water with a slice of lemon and a knob of ginger. It was nothing spectacular but it was sort of refreshing. The ginger really gives the drink a spicy undertone and I kinda like it. We will see what my feelings are after drinking it for 30 days. While I sipped my tea I put this beauty in the oven.<br />
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This "crisp" was simply 1 cup of blueberries, 2 apples, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 3 TBSP raisins, and coconut oil to coat dish. <br />
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This breakfast was just ok. The cinnamon I have is the good stuff from Penzey's and it is pretty powerful. So it was a tad to much for me but the flavor overall was pretty decent. Morning and afternoon snack consisted of juice containing carrots, apples and ginger.<br />
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Isn't it pretty?!?! This juice was delish! I really enjoyed it and it was so refreshing. I put the other half in the fridge and was a little concerned on the how it was going to taste and what the consistency was going to be. When I grabbed it from the fridge this afternoon it looked NASTY! It was separated and did not look appetizing at all. I gave the bottle a shake and hoped for the best. To my surprise it tasted just as great as it did this morning.<br />
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So remember when I said I wasn't going to eat out for the entire month. Well day 1 I was presented with a challenge. Today is my friend Glenda's birthday and I wanted to see her. She wanted to grab lunch. We made these plans before I decided to start this juice and after I had done my produce overhaul. I decided that I couldn't fail on day 1 and that I would still meet up with her for lunch but would only go and be social. Shockingly I did not order anything. I sipped my water while we caught up and Glenda enjoyed a yummy looking salad. Now I could have ordered a salad and tried to mimic what Joe wanted me to eat for lunch but I didn't want to. It was the principle of the fact that I would feel like I am failing day 1. And I am not ok with that right now. So I came home and made this yummy salad. Greens, cucs, toms, avocado, carrots, S&P, EVOO and balsamic vinegar. The salad was good however sadly my avocado was not ripe. I cut it up anyway and threw it in the bowl. It was virtually inedible. So I picked around that. But it was a satisfying salad. I also made sweet potato and carrot "fries". <br />
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So after I drank my afternoon juice I honestly just wasn't hungry. I can actually honestly say that I have not felt all that hungry today. I literally can't believe it. How is it that I have barely eaten anything but yet don't really feel hungry? No clue but this never happens to me. I can eat at all times. When dinnertime rolled around Joe's menu states to eat the leftover "fries", another salad and sauteed greens. I literally could not fathom eating that much greens. Especially when I was not even hungry. So I threw the leftover "fries" in the oven and sauteed some kale up with garlic and EVOO. The "fries" were as tasty as they were at lunch. The greens on the other hand.....PUKE. I ate one bite and almost spit it out. I am not a fan of bitter greens. AT ALL! I have made one salad with kale that was tolerable but every other way I have tried it, I have hated. I have never tried sauteed greens so I thought I would give it a try. UHH NEGATIVE, NOT HAPPENING. I don't care how good they are for you, I can't do it. I just can't. Tomorrow I know I need to juice some kale. Dear lord help me because I can't imagine that will be tasty!<br />
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All in all day 1 has been a success. I feel good, have plenty of energy and am happy that I completed the first day. I am happy I decided to start on a Sunday to get my bearings. I am thankfully working from home tomorrow and will be able to plan ahead for the rest of the week. It is going to be really interesting to juice in the morning and bring them all to work. In the meantime I will plan as much as I can in advance and go with the flow for the rest. I am trying not to put a ton of pressure on myself, however I really want to complete this. I was to prove to myself that I CAN do this. How is it that everyone else seems to believe in me but I don't? I have failed so many times and know that a weight loss journey no matter what you are doing is difficult. SO DIFFICULT. If you have never been overweight, you will never understand. This is literally the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I would love to battle this for the last time and just maintain. I also realistically know that I will battle this the rest of my life. I will have to monitor every damn morsel I put into my body. I just hope when I get to that point it will be a little easier. Welp, enough for today. I will check in again soon to let y'all know how I am doing!<br />
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Peace, KCKarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-51077564652317534092013-06-02T11:30:00.000-04:002013-06-02T11:35:42.841-04:00Changing my life....once and for all! Long time no blog! I have fallen off the face of the blogging world for over a year now and I realized recently that I missed it. I may not have a ton of followers but I enjoy having a place where I can share my life. So here goes something very personal and private. <br />
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If you know me personally you know that I have struggled with my weight for most of my life. My first realization that I was overweight was in middle school. While I wasn't the largest kid, I knew I was different. It wasn't until later in my life that it has really become a serious issue. I have spiraled out of control. I fear that my life is in danger and that if I do not do something soon and stick with it I will throw my life away. I have literally tried to lose weight so many times that I am can not even count. I have also tried so many different diets and eating plans that I can legit call myself an expert on most of them. I have done Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, Cabbage soup diet, counting calories, abs diet......and the list goes on. I have had success on each and every one of the plans that I have tried. I feel like those closest to me have heard me talk about different plans so many times that they themselves are probably experts. It really is something new with me every time. I am searching for the plan that works for me. The plan that I can live with for the rest of my life. I don't want to diet. I don't want how I eat to rule my life and determine my every move. I don't want to have to meet up with friends and tell them how I am eating this week. I want to live. <br />
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So you ask, what is my problem? Self <b>sabbatoge</b>! Something always comes up and happens to derail me. I let little things bother me and completely knock me off my game. May it be stress, a friends wedding, a trip, a shower....whatever it is I let it ruin all my progress and everything I have worked so hard for. I have no self control and struggle with lack of motivation. My level of motivation is solely dependent on the progress I am making. If I am losing weight I am highly motivated, if I am not doing so well I get upset, down on my self and then eventually quit. It is all mental with me!<br />
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This weekend I watched a documentary called "Fat sick and nearly dead" by Joe Cross. Joe was overweight and very sick. He decided to do something drastic to save his life. He challenged himself to only juice for 60 days. <b><span style="color: red;">NO FOOD</span></b>! Now wait just one minute....I love food. That is clear, I legit thought he was crazy. Who willingly gives up food? Someone who is desperate to change their lives and someone who needs to. Joe had great success. He lost a lot of weight and exercised to change his body and life. As I watched this documentary it got me thinking that I need to do something drastic as well. I hate the way I look, feel and act. I am so uncomfortable in my own skin. I hate the person I have become and I can't imagine that the people around me like it either. I am so unhappy and miserable. I am sad most of the time and have learned how to put on a overly happy face to cover up how unhappy I am. I mask the fact that my life is not what I thought it was going to be. I am 31, single, unhappy and killing myself slowly. It is time to change my life for the good and make it happen.<br />
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I realize I have said this before and that many of you who will read this have been my support system in that journey and I ask for you to do it one more time. I have decided to follow in Joe's footsteps and complete a 30 day challenge to help jump start my weight loss. I know that juicing is not sustainable long term, but I believe that it will give me the wake up call and start that I need. What is going to happen after the 30 days? Well I am not sure yet. I want to see where this takes me and how I feel at the end of the 30 days. In the documentary Joe slowly brought food back in and continued to eat a healthy well balanced diet. This will be my space to keep me accountable and share my experience through these next 30 days.<br />
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Today marks day 1 of the juicing. I will blog after I have completed the day and share more about how the juicing will work!<br />
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Thank-you for the continued support through my journey!<br />
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xoxo<br />
<br />
Karin<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5074391/?claim=v3aheg277pe">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a> Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-83015749465084625242012-01-08T21:00:00.001-05:002012-01-08T21:00:53.373-05:00Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins!Wow...I have not blogged in over a month. The holidays are always so busy and they got the best of me. I have been cooking a lot of new recipes but have not taken time to take pictures or write about them. During the fall I stocked up on canned pumpkin. It is so hard to find throughout any other time of the year. I had used about half of a can for smoothies and freezed the other half. Once pumpkin is frozen and then thawed it does not come out the same consistency. My solution, these delicious <a href="http://annies-eats.com/2010/10/08/pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins/">Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins</a>. I found this recipe on pinterest and one of my favorite blogs. I just could not pass them up. Pumpkin and cream cheese...oh my. I created quite the mess of my kitchen while making these but they are totally worth it. It made 24 muffins and I can not wait to devour these on my drive into work this week. I didn't freeze the cream cheese mixture and don't think it had any affect on how these turned out. I did put the mixture in the freeze while making the batter to get a little more solid. <br />
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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins</div>
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Yield: 24 muffins</div>
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Ingredients</h3>
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For the filling:<br />
8 oz. cream cheese, softened<br />
1 cup confectioners’ sugar<br />
For the muffins:<br />
3 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 tsp. ground cinnamon<br />
1 tsp. ground nutmeg<br />
1 tsp. ground cloves<br />
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
1 tsp. baking soda<br />
4 large eggs<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
2 cups pumpkin puree<br />
1¼ cups vegetable oil<br />
For the topping:<br />
½ cup sugar<br />
5 tbsp. flour<br />
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon<br />
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces</div>
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Directions</h3>
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<li>To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.</li>
<li>To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.</li>
<li>To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.</li>
<li>To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.</li>
<li>Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. (It may be hard to resist immediate consumption, but the cream cheese filling gets very hot!)</li>
</ul>
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Enjoy my friends!Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-31897003174752815892011-11-28T10:33:00.001-05:002011-12-04T10:34:07.313-05:00Mashed Taters heaven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi friends!!<br />
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So I wrote this post about a week ago and forgot to post it! Opps. How was your thanksgiving? I hope well. Mine was wonderful. I spent most of my time at my sisters relaxing and being lazy. It was so nice to not do anything. I ate myself silly and let myself just relax. Back to reality of work, eating healthy and getting my booty back to the gym. This post is from a recipe a couple weeks back but it fits in perfectly for all those leftovers you probably have from thanksgiving. I give you <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/easy-pierogi-casserole-126172.aspx">mashed potato lasagna</a>. I get the Kraft email each week and this one caught my eye right away. It was so easy to make and is delicious. I froze half of it and can't wait to enjoy it again.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Easy Pierogi Casserole</b><span class="ingredientNodeIndent" rel="v:ingredient"><span class="ingredientNode"><span class="ingredientNodeInner"> </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="ingredientNodeInner">lasagna noodles</span>, uncooked</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="ingredientNodeIndent" rel="v:ingredient"><span class="ingredientNode"><span class="ingredientNodeInner"><br />4 cups</span>
hot <span class="ingredientNodeInner">mashed potatoes</span></span></span></span><span class="ingredientNodeIndent" rel="v:ingredient"><span class="ingredientNode"><span class="ingredientNodeInner"><span style="font-size: small;"> <br />1/2 cup</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">
(1/2 of 8-oz. tub) <span class="ingredientNodeInner">PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread</span></span></span></span>
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<span class="ingredientNodeInner">green onions</span>, thinly sliced</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="ingredientNodeIndent" rel="v:ingredient"><span class="ingredientNode"><span class="ingredientNodeInner">1 pkg.</span>
(3 oz.) <span class="ingredientNodeInner">OSCAR MAYER Real Bacon Bits</span>, divided</span></span></span>
<span class="ingredientNodeIndent" rel="v:ingredient"><span class="ingredientNode"><span class="ingredientNodeInner"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">2 cups</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">
<span class="ingredientNodeInner">KRAFT Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese with a TOUCH OF PHILADELPHIA</span>, divided</span></span></span></h1>
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<span rel="v:instructions">
<b>HEAT </b>oven to 375°F.<br />
<b>COOK </b>noodles as directed on package, omitting
salt. Meanwhile, combine potatoes, cream cheese spread, onions, 1/2 cup
bacon and 1 cup Cheddar. </span><br />
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<span rel="v:instructions">
<br />
<b>PLACE </b>3 noodles in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed
with cooking spray; cover with 1/3 of the potato mixture. Repeat layers
twice. Top with remaining bacon and Cheddar; cover. </span><br />
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<span rel="v:instructions"><br />
<b>BAKE </b>30 min. or until heated through. Uncover;
bake 3 to 5 min. or until cheese is lightly browned. Let stand 10 min.
before cutting to serve. </span><br />
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<br />Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-65870555544198634862011-11-14T08:47:00.001-05:002011-11-16T12:32:30.665-05:00Risotto - A labor of love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Comfort food....it is so yummy!!! There is one dish that I have come to love over the past couple of years and I just can't seem to get enough of it. I almost always will order it when I go out to eat and its on special or on the menu. And that yummy dish is risotto. It is always so creamy, and cheesy and just the perfect bowl of food. One of my friends <a href="http://lettuceeatcake.com/">Lauren</a> introduced me to this recipe, <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/wolfgang-puck/pumpkin-risotto-recipe/index.html">Pumpkin Risotto</a> last year some time and since then I have made it several times. The recipe title is a little deceiving as its not really pumpkin that is in the recipe rather it is butternut squash. I am sure roasted pumpkin would be just as delicious though. This is a Wolfgang Puck recipe and sometimes he refers to butternut squash in the recipe and sometimes he refers to pumpkin. I was confused the first time I read over the recipe and decided to go with butternut squash as it is what is listed in the ingredients list. <br />
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Have you ever made risotto? It really is a labor of love and requires a lot of babysitting and time. But trust me...it is totally worth it. I have made several different types of flavors and each time it is no disappointment. I was introduced to risotto in college and have been in love ever since. It is not the healthiest of dishes but you can absolutely make it a little more better for the waistline. I made a couple changes this time when I made this recipe and while it was still yummy I could tell there was less butter and cheese in it. Oh how I love cheese and butter but my thighs and butt do not ;)<br />
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As I stated in my <a href="http://lip-smackingeats.blogspot.com/2011/11/zest-review.html">post</a> from this weekend, my dad was here to visit. We went out to a nice dinner on Friday so I wanted to make a nice meal for us on Saturday. I picked up half my ingredients at the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning and the remaining at Fresh Market. I decided to throw some grilled shrimp on top of the risotto for some protein.<br />
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One of the main ingredients in my marinade for my shrimp was paprika. <br />
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My dad recently just got back from a cruise he took around Europe. One of the gifts he brought back for me was some paprika from Budapest. Obviously I had to use it while we here. This paprika doesn't taste like the jarred stuff you get from the grocery store. It was a taste between sweet and smokey. I like!!!<br />
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I marinaded my shrimpy's for about 5 hours before cooking them but really they don't need much time. They take on flavor very quickly. I simply marinaded mine in:<br />
<br />
Paprika<br />
EVOO<br />
S & P<br />
Garlic<br />
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I then cooked them in my grill pan. <br />
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These bad boys cook QUICK. So don't walk away (plus you will need to be stirring you risotto anyways :)). These little guys will be done in about 5 mins so do them at the last minute after you have added the cheese and butternut squash to the finished risotto. Here is how I made the yummy risotto:<br />
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<h2 class="kv-ingred">
Ingredients</h2>
<ul class="kv-ingred-list1">
<li class="ingredient">1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil <span style="color: red;">(I used about half of this to cut calories)</span></li>
<li class="ingredient">1 cup finely chopped onion</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 tablespoon chopped garlic</li>
<li class="ingredient">2 cups arborio rice</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 cup dry white wine <span style="color: red;">(really any white wine will work. Be sure to use one that you like though. You can really taste the wine flavor in the finished product)</span></li>
<li class="ingredient">About 6 cups of hot chicken stock or vegetable stock</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 butternut squash,
one half baked in the oven and then pureed; the other half, peeled, cut
into small dice, and Sauteed in a little oil and butter until tender </li>
</ul>
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<ul class="kv-ingred-list1">
<li class="ingredient">1/2 cup grated Parmesan <span style="color: red;">(I used about half)</span></li>
<li class="ingredient">4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces <span style="color: red;">(again used about half)</span></li>
</ul>
<h2>
Directions</h2>
In a medium-size heavy saucepan,
heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and
saute, stirring continuously, just until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add
the rice and continue to stir, using a wooden spoon, to coat the rice
with the oil.<br />
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Add the white wine and continue cooking, stirring often, until it has been absorbed by the rice. Pour in enough chicken stock to cover the rice completely, about 3 cups, and continue to cook, stirring often, until all the liquid is absorbed.<br />
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Pour in 1 cup more of the remaining stock and stir and cook until
it has been absorbed. Repeat with 1 more cup. Add the remaining cup and
cook, stirring, until the rice is al dente, tender but still very chewy,
and most of the liquid has been absorbed.<br />
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Stir in the pumpkin puree and the diced pumpkin and reduce the heat
to very low so that the risotto doesn't simmer anymore. Stir in the Parmesan and butter to give the risotto a nice, creamy finish. Spoon it immediately into heated shallow serving bowls.<br />
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I know this recipe is a lot of work with all the stirring and babysitting, but I assure you. It is WELL worth it. It is delicious. I think my dad really enjoyed it and I am excited to eat it with my meals for the rest of the week. This makes A TON! Wolfgang says four servings, I say 8-10. While I would love to have an entire bowl of this as a meal it really isn't practical for me. I need some protein with it, so instead I eat it more as a rice side. You won't be sorry you made this :)<br />
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Enjoy my friends! Until next time :)<br />
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Cheers!<br />
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xoxoxKarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-9713412924769991422011-11-13T13:50:00.001-05:002011-11-13T14:31:09.897-05:00Zest! - A review<div style="color: #666666;">
Happy Sunday friends!</div>
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My weekend was wonderful. My dad came to visit!! The past few times I have gone to Valpo he has been out of town so I have been unable to see him for a couple months. I have been missing him a lot so I was really looking forward to him coming to visit. He is the best dad in the world. I may be a little biased but he is always there for me good or bad. He is so kind, loving and understanding. He was just want I needed this weekend. </div>
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Friday night when he got into town I took him to a restaurant near my apartment in Broadripple called <a href="http://www.zestexcitingfood.com/">Zest! Exciting Food Creations</a>. It was AMAZING! It is a little pricey so bring mom or dad when they come into town ;) But it was very tasty and I will absolutely be going back. </div>
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The story behind the restaurant "is a unique locally-owned restaurant
and caterer. The imaginative concept of 'Downhome Goes Uptown' gives
lovers of unique food and warm service memorable dining experience". Guy Fieri visited the restaurant on his show Diners, Diners, and Drives and you know my love for that show. When walking into the place it is small but cute and inviting. We had reservations at 6 but did not need them. The place was practically empty but started to fill up once we were leaving. The service was friendly and fairly quick. Our waiter provided a couple suggestions and visited often. The menu is limited but imaginative. There were 7 main entrees to choose from with 3 or 4 specials. I of course couldn't choose between 3 different entrees. </div>
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I ended up picked the</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Chick Pea Cakes</b></span><br />pan-seared shiitakes, lemon-pistachio<br />couscous, fresh herb pesto, crispy spiced<br />chick peas, grilled asparagus </div>
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Dad (with a mouthful) chose the</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>5-Hour Braised Short Ribs</b></span><br />rosemary-gorgonzola polenta,<br />roasted brussels sprouts</div>
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Check out the size of that bone!!!</div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">We both thought our meals were absolutely fantastic!! After we finished our meals we headed to Morty's comedy club where we met up with some of my co-workers. We were there for the semi-finals of some contest and Comcast was there to film it. A total of 6 comedians performed and we picked 2 of the best. Morty's closed down for a bit and then re-opened a couple of months ago. I was happy to see that it is now non smoking and still funny. We had a great time. Every comedy show I have ever been to I for some reason get picked on. This comedy show was no exception. We were seated right next to the stage and I just knew I was in trouble. I got through the first 4 comedians with flying colors. Then when the fifth stepped on stage I was a goner. He kept looking in my direction and I just knew he was going to call me out on something. Sure enough near the end of his skit he did. Something about Bart Simpson and Barney. I don't really remember as I was totally embarrassed and couldn't hear anything! Saturday morning Dad and I headed to the Broadripple Farmer's Market to pick up some items for dinner. The Farmer's Market in Valpo is a tad small so I wanted my dad to see a larger one. Sadly we are nearing the end of the season and so there weren't as many vendors as normal. Despite that dad still enjoyed it. We also visited Fresh Market for the remainder of my ingredients for dinner (blog post to come) and dad was OBSESSED with this place. I have a strong love for this place as well and knew dad would enjoy. The moment we walked in he was excited. He left me in the produce section and I didn't see him again for 15 minutes. They don't have markets like this in Valpo so he enjoyed himself. We had lunch at <a href="http://www.tastecafeandmarketplace.com/">Taste</a> and then spent the rest of the day napping, watching college football and watching a slide show of 800 pictures from his recent cruise in Europe. It was a great relaxing weekend and just what I needed to feel recharged ready for the week. Hope ya'all enjoyed your weekend.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">Cheers!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">xoxox</span><br />
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<br />Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-88390236584977978062011-11-06T19:20:00.002-05:002011-11-06T19:20:31.542-05:00I like it saucy!!Hi friends!!!<br />
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Today was a beautiful day in Indy. It was prefect weather and the leaves have all turned. While driving to my friend Amber's house I drove with the windows down, sunroof open and music blaring. Sad to say that might have been my last time to do it this year. But this is my favorite season so I am ok with it. Sad day in football for the Colts once again but I still believe in them and will continue to! <br />
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While hanging out with Amber and her sweet little girl McElla we switched between the game and Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on food network. Dinner tonight was inspired by a pizza we saw made today. I knew I was running to the store after I left her house and just couldn't resist getting all the ingredients for this delish meal. It honestly did not cross my mind that I was going to blog about this but I was talking my dad right before I started dinner and he told me he had just caught up on my recent (or not so recent posts lol). I then realized that I had taken photos of my last few meals but never posted. Unbelievable! I am clearly so unreliable! ;) <br />
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Tonight's Dinner = artichoke, feta, pesto pizza! Um yes you read that correctly....and had me artichoke! I love them so much. I put them in anything I can. Pasta, salads, burgers you name it I will try and make it work. I just love the tangy taste of this glorious veggie.<br />
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Are you ready to drool all over your computer? This recipe is perfect for a night when you just don't have the energy to cook something. Enjoy<br />
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Boboli pizza crust. I put it in the oven for about 10 mins to warm it up before putting the toppings on</div>
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Slather with pizza sauce! </div>
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And PESTO! Wipe the drool off your face! </div>
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Artichoke hearts</div>
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Feta....oh yes I went there!</div>
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And mozzarella....oh baby! </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHVl1yDt2M3A_ubRK6bsRhcinxLOB_hj2YjNZUinDNhL8sadc5Ydot_8Nk8iPBzy_52iDtJ11Sbv6evJnfXOyJ8gnL7Xny4Zy6Ix9TIL_hlvknaJVAv67fbLh-zhdL3HQcaNq88fvDSVA/s1600/Blog+Pics+076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHVl1yDt2M3A_ubRK6bsRhcinxLOB_hj2YjNZUinDNhL8sadc5Ydot_8Nk8iPBzy_52iDtJ11Sbv6evJnfXOyJ8gnL7Xny4Zy6Ix9TIL_hlvknaJVAv67fbLh-zhdL3HQcaNq88fvDSVA/s320/Blog+Pics+076.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bake at 450 for about 10 mins</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Get in my mouth...NOW!</div>
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The recipe that this diner made had spinach on it too but I forgot to pick that up at the store. Really you can through anything on a boboli and it will be yummy. I hope I have inspired you to think up your favorite pizza and not spend money on that delivery crap :) <br />
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<br />Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-10684485476017345892011-10-16T20:28:00.002-04:002011-10-16T20:34:12.775-04:00Fall Flavors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Greetings friends!<br />
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Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I was home in Valpo this weekend. It was my best friend Erin's birthday and I wanted to spend some time with her. We got to spend a lot of quality time together even though little Cayden boy had the chicken pox.<br />
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I also got to spend a lot of quality time with my sister Rachel and her hubby David. They two of my most favorite people in the world and I love being able to just hang out with them. I am sad when I have to leave all the people I love in Valpo but my home is Indy and love living here.<br />
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Once back in Indy it was time to prepare for the week. I ran to the store and got all the fixins for <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-black-bean-soup-10000001173768/">Pumpkin-Black Bean Soup</a> . As you know from previous blog posts I am obsessed with pumpkin this time of year. The last time I went to the store they did not have my favorite brand, Libbys. This time.....<b>JACKPOT</b>....I found a whole shelf. I swear there was a light shining above the shelves and there was music playing. I stocked up naturally :) HOORAY. There may be a piece of pie on this can but its pure pumpkin. The sweet pumpkin is delicious but has SO much added sugar so I would rather buy the pure stuff. <br />
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Ok now back to my recipe. I heart pumpkin and I heart black beans. The recipe sounded a little strange but I just had to try this.<br />
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<h3 style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ingredients</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<ul style="font-family: inherit;">
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="amount">1 1/2 cups</span>
<span itemprop="name"> drained diced canned tomatoes</span>
<span itemprop="preparation"> </span></span>
</li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="amount">2 </span><span itemprop="name"> (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">
<span itemprop="preparation"> </span></span>
</li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="amount">1 teaspoon</span>
<span itemprop="name"> olive oil</span>
<span itemprop="preparation"> </span></span>
</li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="amount"> </span><span itemprop="name"> Cooking spray</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">
<span itemprop="preparation"> </span></span>
</li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="amount">1 1/2 cups</span>
<span itemprop="name"> finely chopped onion</span>
<span itemprop="preparation"> </span></span>
</li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="amount">1 teaspoon</span>
<span itemprop="name"> ground cumin</span>
<span itemprop="preparation"> </span></span>
</li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="amount">3 </span><span itemprop="name"> garlic cloves, minced</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">
<span itemprop="preparation"> </span></span>
</li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="amount">3 cups</span>
<span itemprop="name"> fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth</span>
<span itemprop="preparation"> </span></span>
</li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="amount">2 tablespoons</span>
<span itemprop="name"> sherry vinegar</span>
<span itemprop="preparation"> </span></span>
</li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="amount">1/2 teaspoon</span>
<span itemprop="name"> freshly ground black pepper</span>
<span itemprop="preparation"> </span></span>
</li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="amount">1 </span><span itemprop="name"> (15-ounce) can pumpkin</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">
<span itemprop="preparation"> </span></span>
</li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="amount">2 tablespoons</span>
<span itemprop="name"> dry sherry</span>
<span itemprop="preparation"> </span></span>
</li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="amount">1 cup</span>
<span itemprop="name"> (4 ounces) crumbled queso fresco</span>
<span itemprop="preparation"> </span></span>
</li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="amount">1/2 cup</span>
<span itemprop="name"> sliced green onions</span>
<span itemprop="preparation"> </span></span>
</li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="amount"> </span><span itemprop="name"> Pumpkin seed kernels (optional)</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">
<span itemprop="preparation"> </span></span>
</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<h3 style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Preparation</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<ul itemprop="instructions" style="font-family: inherit;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Place tomatoes and beans in a food processor; process until about half the beans are smooth. Set aside.</span> </li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
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<ul itemprop="instructions" style="font-family: inherit;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Heat oil in a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high
heat. Add onion to pan; saute 5 minutes or until lightly browned.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Add
cumin and garlic; saute 1 minute. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkutSqwaxTW-CB_3gGbA6J1zIIbyd9nxG6KUHNqdRIKD4faHF91ncn6oP0mO-_b6mShyphenhyphenBqMU4MpqTqe_Q8bmoQiAKfhP-Pp0VwMC3jhb2qhlGk_-yHFg0bn4nodlEsRuZvR351hmh9MCC/s1600/Blog+Pics+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkutSqwaxTW-CB_3gGbA6J1zIIbyd9nxG6KUHNqdRIKD4faHF91ncn6oP0mO-_b6mShyphenhyphenBqMU4MpqTqe_Q8bmoQiAKfhP-Pp0VwMC3jhb2qhlGk_-yHFg0bn4nodlEsRuZvR351hmh9MCC/s320/Blog+Pics+016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul itemprop="instructions" style="font-family: inherit;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Add bean mixture, broth, and next 3
ingredients (through pumpkin); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and
simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in sherry. </span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iWTk_cJCVhRTbkRNi06XpI3jSab6sxPsQVHOMphowBlU-dm1mLiyfFDGw5fSgNKgDDst3QYZ5sHeIiyxYlCQ1fCoAJfpv6Uo2cdqaA8EsD4-XWmtgK3MP2y_HzB5I0o55AsCNKme_2SN/s1600/Blog+Pics+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iWTk_cJCVhRTbkRNi06XpI3jSab6sxPsQVHOMphowBlU-dm1mLiyfFDGw5fSgNKgDDst3QYZ5sHeIiyxYlCQ1fCoAJfpv6Uo2cdqaA8EsD4-XWmtgK3MP2y_HzB5I0o55AsCNKme_2SN/s320/Blog+Pics+017.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sfD3VdK0cWucSilBmWNN1xHHDavKAA4u0760uURx5jz4NwmXzMOp7S9CHLfLJRGTXxadCvIdl_8-xhemQn9qwObn6BedCVkLlbplRy3tzG3ysEb4Lkw2CPzIFlamw8rL_n0F50259cjG/s1600/Blog+Pics+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sfD3VdK0cWucSilBmWNN1xHHDavKAA4u0760uURx5jz4NwmXzMOp7S9CHLfLJRGTXxadCvIdl_8-xhemQn9qwObn6BedCVkLlbplRy3tzG3ysEb4Lkw2CPzIFlamw8rL_n0F50259cjG/s320/Blog+Pics+018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<ul itemprop="instructions" style="font-family: inherit;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Ladle about 1 cup soup into each
of 6 bowls; sprinkle each serving with about 2 tablespoons queso fresco
and about 1 tablespoon green onions. Garnish with pumpkin seed kernels,
if desired.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
And wha-la (how the h*ll do you spell that??) lunch for the entire week and dinner tonight! <br />
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And here is the pretty finished product. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6ZwVD_r3-0cyvRBS6wkOEd-2m_I4bgdi9Nl1ndifed0A7bRsh04I-FfR8QVx5mMDxGr59s_F0mx3g8weO-CQMI7ufuGV7tuxPhsrfqytcxs3yagrxzEqPtqJcwVJd3P0tlJ5j8zGpYW2/s1600/Blog+Pics+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6ZwVD_r3-0cyvRBS6wkOEd-2m_I4bgdi9Nl1ndifed0A7bRsh04I-FfR8QVx5mMDxGr59s_F0mx3g8weO-CQMI7ufuGV7tuxPhsrfqytcxs3yagrxzEqPtqJcwVJd3P0tlJ5j8zGpYW2/s320/Blog+Pics+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I went to Marsh to pick up my ingredients and they do not carry queso fresco. So I substituted feta. I am sure the queso would have been oh so yummy but the feta did the trick too. It added a nice tang to the soup. Now this might not be the prettiest soup in the world but it really was pretty good. The pumpkin flavor is very subtle. Two of my favorite things combined into one....it doesn't get much better then that. I would say a great way to end my weekend. Laundry, unpacking, packing my lunch & snacks for tomorrow and packing my gym bag are calling my name. Oye still lots to do tonight and its already 8:30! Check ya later kids!</div>
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xoxoxo<br />
<br />
<h4>
Nutritional Information</h4>
<div class="inner">
<strong>Amount per serving</strong>
<ul itemprop="nutrition" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Nutrition">
<li>
Calories:
<span itemprop="calories">
175
</span>
</li>
<li>
Calories from fat:
<span itemprop="caloriesFromFat">
16%
</span>
</li>
<li>
Fat:
<span itemprop="fat">
3.1g
</span>
</li>
<li>
Saturated fat:
<span itemprop="saturatedFat">
1.2g
</span>
</li>
<li>
Monounsaturated fat:
<span itemprop="monounsaturatedFat">
1.1g
</span>
</li>
<li>
Polyunsaturated fat:
<span itemprop="polyunsaturatedFat">
0.2g
</span>
</li>
<li>
Protein:
<span itemprop="protein">
10g
</span>
</li>
<li>
Carbohydrate:
<span itemprop="carbohydrate">
29.2g
</span>
</li>
<li>
Fiber:
<span itemprop="fiber">
9.3g
</span>
</li>
<li>
Cholesterol:
<span itemprop="cholesterol">
6mg
</span>
</li>
<li>
Iron:
<span itemprop="iron">
3mg
</span>
</li>
<li>
Sodium:
<span itemprop="sodium">
785mg
</span>
</li>
<li>
Calcium:
<span itemprop="calcium">
139mg
</span>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-6270651881331909772011-10-02T14:31:00.001-04:002011-10-02T14:32:01.899-04:00Cake pop obsessedCake pops are all the rave right now and me being obsessed with trying new things I couldn't wait to try these. If you recall from an earlier post a couple months ago I made cheesecake red velvet cake pops and they were delicious. They were a huge hit but were complicated to make. I made 2 different kinds this time and they were equally delicious and much easier. Today's agenda, brownie pops and red velvet pops. YUM!!!!<br />
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Brownie Pops</div>
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1 box of your favorite brownie mix </div>
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1 bag of milk chocolate</div>
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1/2 cup of Peanut Butter</div>
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Mix and make the brownies the brownies according to the directions on the box. If there are directions on how to make the brownies more cake like follow those directions. Bake according to the directions on the box and let cool.</div>
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Once the brownies have cooled take a fork and shred/crumb up the brownies. I just did the middle part and the edges are crunchy and I didn't want the pops to be hard. <br />
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Mix together the crumbled brownies and the peanut butter until the the mixture is creamy and all mixed together. <br />
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I used a 1/2 tablespoon to make mine but you can make these as small or big as your would like. Measure out the size you would like and roll into a ball. </div>
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Once you have rolled all of the mixture place the balls in the fridge or freezer. It works best when rolling them in chocolate for them to be cold so the mixture doesn't crumble into the melted chocolate. <br />
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Melt one bag of chocolate over a double boiler and stir frequently so the mixture melts evenly and doesn't burn. <br />
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Once you have rolled all of the balls in the melted chocolate place them back in the fridge until the outer shell has hardened. <br />
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I didn't take pictures of the red velvet pops as it is the exact same process but instead you use red velvet cake mix, 1/2 cup of cream cheese frosting and a bag of white chocolate chips. These are absolutely my favorite flavor combo yet, but they are a little more stingy to make. The below picture is my first ball that I dipped in the chocolate and the last! WOWZA. The cake mixture start crumbling into the chocolate and by the end the chocolate was dyed pink and hardening. The next time I make these I will only take a few out of the fridge at a time to ensure there is less crumbling. I will also melt the chocolate in batches to help with the mixture turning pink. These bad boys were all the rage at work when I brought them in. A huge hit! These are so easy to make and are always a nice little treat!<br />
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Enjoy my friends! xoxoxKarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-85853135768537250672011-10-01T12:34:00.000-04:002011-10-01T12:34:11.343-04:00something differentThis weather is seriously unbelievable! When I woke up this morning I had a frost alert on my phone and it was 41 degrees. Wasn't it just 80 last week? This is by far my favorite season but I just had to turn on the heat and that I dislike!<br />
<br />
How was everyone's week? Mine was long and sleepless. I have been sleeping somewhat decent the past couple of weeks and then this week....BAM no sleep. I am right back to getting max 5 hours of sleep a night. What is the deal? I am exhausted when I actually decide to lay down but toss and turn for hours. After a couple days of this I inevitably become so exhausted that I crash. It is a vicious cycle. UGH!<br />
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Now onto a foot update. I went back to the doctor this week and no progress :( I have been wearing this darn brace for 3 weeks and it is just as painful as it was day 1. Doc says that I will need to wear the brace for at least another 6 weeks. Yikes....the thought of wearing this stupid thing for another 6 weeks makes me cringe. I am supposed to only be wearing gym shoes and can't walk more than a block. Good thing we are leaving flip flop weather and moving into closed toe shoe weather. <br />
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What's for dinner this week?<br />
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Marsala laced mushrooms courtesy of my friend Robin.<br />
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This recipe was quick, delicious and pretty healthy. Robin ate her's on a baked potato and I thought that was a great idea. The night I made these I was craving some mashed taters! <br />
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<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Marsala-laced mushrooms</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Serves 4-6 </span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">
<br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;">2 Tbls butter, divided<br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;">1/3 C Marsala cooking wine<br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;">1 Tbls soy sauce<br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;">1 lb thickly sliced mushrooms<br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;">1/3 C plain dry breadcrumbs<br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;">2 Tbls parm<br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;">1/4 tsp dried sage<br />
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</span><span style="font-size: small;">oven- 425 melt 1 Tbls butter. combine cooking wine and
soy sauce, stir in butter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Pour mixture over mushrooms in a large bowl.
Let stand 10 min., stirring frequently.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Meanwhile, in a small bowl
stir breadcrumbs, cheese and sage. Melt remaining butter and stir into
breadcrumb mixture. Set aside. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Put mushrooms in an 8 or 9 ' pie plate
or square baking dish. Bake on upper rack 15 min. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Remove and pour off
half the juice. Sprinkle w/ breadcrumb mixture and bake 10 more min. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Robin has suggested rolling the shrooms in the breadcrumb mixture and I couldn't agree more. They turn out extra crunchy and yummy. Reheating these bad boys wasn't as pleasant. They were ok but the first time around was best. Throwing them back in the oven for 10 mins or in a skillet with a little evoo worked ok. Experiment and see what way you like best. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Enjoy!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">xoxox</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span> </div>
<br /> Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-31791498100916821252011-09-25T21:52:00.000-04:002011-09-25T21:52:19.080-04:00It's finally fall<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Hello friends!!</span></div>
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<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I am sorry I have not been a very active blogger. I have had a hard time making time for it. But here I am :) The Colts are not playing so hot so I need a distraction anyways! Fall is by far my most favorite season. I love the chilly weather and I get to eat lots of soup/stew/chili! HOORAY! I could eat soup every day...I really could. This week I made my friend Sara's chicken chili. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY85RR3qlWhvi1gepvLciMozy4ENxsAgjdfWc0xJgxqQV2kjX2Je5viCmI8idiVGJ1QbHHCaSBYSO5XI6OvoCKB7mrCYi8jB994rL2SJ6DXUPhtZfpHv_cwVRxh8vJv6fdqsB4dIGpNqgg/s1600/Vegas+Part+2%2521%2521+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY85RR3qlWhvi1gepvLciMozy4ENxsAgjdfWc0xJgxqQV2kjX2Je5viCmI8idiVGJ1QbHHCaSBYSO5XI6OvoCKB7mrCYi8jB994rL2SJ6DXUPhtZfpHv_cwVRxh8vJv6fdqsB4dIGpNqgg/s320/Vegas+Part+2%2521%2521+034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This is a great recipe that she shared with me and I love it. It is super simple and quick! Me likey!</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chicken Chili</b></span> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILziX8t725R6voqrW_W9xKQvsORgTiq2zRd1vpFZF_vUVjdWjyceYERQDIUXXWEiunNgF30y0UtSilMif3vMsiXI6u5NiVV7OotJFUye18j6ZX0ZaTMxvB9EForTP2EUX8Z1LcR5yTd0E/s1600/Vegas+Part+2%2521%2521+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILziX8t725R6voqrW_W9xKQvsORgTiq2zRd1vpFZF_vUVjdWjyceYERQDIUXXWEiunNgF30y0UtSilMif3vMsiXI6u5NiVV7OotJFUye18j6ZX0ZaTMxvB9EForTP2EUX8Z1LcR5yTd0E/s320/Vegas+Part+2%2521%2521+029.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Put 3-4 Chicken breasts in the crock pot<br />
Salt and Pepper per your taste<br />1/3 a packet of taco seasoning </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">1 can of Rotell </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Cook on High for 3-4 hours<br />
* *about 1/2 - 3/4 of the way through, I take a fork and half the chicken breasts just to ensure thorough cooking.<br />
<br />Once cooked all the way through, Remove chicken and shred. I then layering the following:<br />
Shredded chicken<br />
2 cans of Northern Beans (drained)<br />
1 (additional) can of Rotell (or desired type of tomatoes)<br />
1 small can corn/peppers (mexi-mix)<br />
2 handfuls of shredded cheese<br />
<br />Mix it all together, cover, and cook ingredients on Low for another 30 minutes or so....<br />
**Once everything is warmed up, I like to
take a big spoon and smoosh some of the beans against the side of the
crock pot, mashing them....it creates a nicer/thicker/more tasty base.
:)<br />
<br />Salt/pepper/more cheese as you like when eating!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Enjoy!</span></span><tt><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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I have eaten this chili all week and am still not sick of it. It makes about 5 servings. I added about 1 can of water to the end product just to make it a little more soupy but it is delish as is...thick and hearty. <br />
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What is your favorite fall soup/stew/chili?<br />
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<br />Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-79342207986004571922011-09-01T13:21:00.002-04:002011-09-01T14:21:18.148-04:00Hello there punkinFall is in the air and I am excited. It is by far my most favorite season. I love the smell of burning leaves, sweatshirts, tailgating (duh), and the cool weather. I dislike being extremely hot or cold. So this weather is my heaven. My favorite flavor in the fall is pumpkin! Mmmm!! I can not get enough of this stuff. I put it in pastas, smoothies, pastries, drinks...you name it...I will try it. This week I made a smoothie and pumpkin fettuccine. I get bored really quick when it comes to breakfast. I need to switch it up a lot. I can only eat so many eggs, or so many bowls of oatmeal. I like change! My solution when I get in this rut....SMOOTHIES. I <3 them. You can make so many different flavors that it never really gets old. I am a planner. I always have been. I get anxiety if I do not have a plan. Its my nature and I like it. It keeps me organized and knowing what is going on at most moments in my life. Grocery shopping is another one of the things that I must be organized about or I will stress. I know I know....you are probably thinking I need to lighten up. But I enjoy it. I really do. If I could go grocery shopping and plan meals as a full time j.o.b. I would.....in a heart beat. It's fun and challenging to me. I enjoy sitting down and planing my meals and then organizing what I will be getting. And yes my lists are organized. I organize them however the store I am going to is laid out. I don't want to have to back track and be wandering all over the store.<br />
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So I plan out which store or stores (yes sometimes I go to several) I am going to and then write my list accordingly. The reason for many stores is that I love Trader Joes, Whole Food and Fresh Market however some things are just cheaper at Marsh or Kroger. And I also go according to sales. I want to get the best deal on my food as possible. Yes it is a process, but to me it is worth it. <br />
<br />
The past couple of days I have made a "pumpkin pie" smoothie for breakfast. Um hello....can you say yummy! I do not mind sipping on this my entire way to work. It makes me in such a good mood and its healthy. I put protein powder in all my smoothies since I don't get enough through out the day. You can absolutely leave it out. I made mine with half milk and half plain yogurt but you can do whatever you want. My protein powder is a tad sweet so I don't use any sweetener and use plain yogurt for that reason too. If you don't use any protein powder I would suggest vanilla yogurt/greek yogurt or honey flavored. I ran out of pumpkin pie spice so I just used cinnamon and nutmeg. Equally delish as pumpkin pie spice! <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie</b></div>
1/3 c canned pumpkin<br />
<span style="font-family: "MS Gothic";"> </span>1 frozen banana<br />
<span style="font-family: "MS Gothic";"> </span>1 scoop vanilla protein powder<br />
<span style="font-family: "MS Gothic";"> </span>5 ice cubes<br />
<span style="font-family: "MS Gothic";"> </span>¾ c. milk<br />
<span style="font-family: "MS Gothic";"> </span>1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice<span style="font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">For dinner pumpkin </span></span></span>fettuccine. I bought several cans of pumpkin at the store and just could not get enough of the flavor. So behold yummy fettuccine. Now the easy way to make this and not so healthy is to buy a jar of alfredo or make your own and stir in some pumpkin puree. I wanted to lighten it up a little bit. The way I made mine was<br />
<br />
Cook about 3 servings of fettuccine<br />
<br />
3/4 cup of chicken broth<br />
1/4 cup of finely chopped onion ( i used red cuz i had it on hand but you can use any kind)<br />
1 clove of finely minced garlic<br />
S&P<br />
2 wedges of garlic and herb laughing cow cheese<br />
<br />
Boil all the above ingredients until the chicken broth evaporates. Let the onion and garlic brown. While the broth simmers mix together the below ingredients in a separate bowl.<br />
<br />
3/4 cup of pumpkin puree<br />
3/4 cup of milk<br />
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder<br />
S&P<br />
<br />
Once the chicken broth mixture is browned pour in the pumpkin mixture and heat through. Once its warm pour all over your pasta and enjoy! Healthy and delcious!<br />
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Hope you guys enjoy! Have a great long weekend and be safe this labor day!<br />
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xoxox<br />
<br />
Karin<br />
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<br />Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-91914153342728125242011-08-15T09:47:00.000-04:002011-08-15T09:47:41.153-04:00Beef Brisket...enough said!Happy Monday friends! Or not. What is it about Mondays that just plain suck? I am always exhausted and feel I need another day to just relax from my weekend. OYE!<br />
<br />
I am obsessed with the food network and the cooking channel. I watch them all the time and record a ridiculous amount of shows. I love to learn new techniques and get inspired by new foods ideas. One of my favorite shows is <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/claire-robinson/index.html">Claire Robinson's Five ingredient fix</a>. The premise of the show is that she can make any disk great in five ingredients or less. Pretty great huh? When a recipe contains 10+ ingredients I am immediately turned off. That is to much work and money. One of Claire's shows a couple of weeks ago featured a slow roasted <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/braised-beef-brisket-recipe/index.html">brisket</a>. It looked amazing and I knew it would be in my near future. I have cooked a lot of beef in my day but BBQ....not so much. I have already wanted to try it but was intimidated by it. This <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/braised-beef-brisket-recipe/index.html">recipe</a> is so easy and requires little knowledge about BBQing. The only downfall is that brisket is expensive. I bought a 3 lb slab and it cost me $21!!!!! WHAT! That is insane. I figured I would go ahead and use what she made but next time I may use a less expensive cut of beef such as london broil, flank steak, boneless chuck roast or sirloin tip. There are plenty of other options that would be just as great. Anywho, I only cooked about 1.5 pounds this go around. I am so excited that I have another 1.5 pounds in the freezer to make this recipe all over again soon. The meat was so tender and falling apart when I brought it out of the oven. My mouth was watering the whole time. Oh my you have to try this pronto!! A couple things I did differently. The recipe states to trim the fast, I did not :) The fat bastes the meat while in the oven and in my opinion keeps it moist and adds a ton of flavor. Instead of using 6 lbs, I used 1.5. Which means the cooking time was drastically reduced. I cooked mine for almost 3 hours and it was to long. The meat was still delicious but a tad dry. The internal temperature only needs to reach 185. Next time I will cook for closer to 2 hours. And that's about all I changed. Claire's idea of dipping the rolls in the juice is genius!!!! It almost turns the sandwich into an Italian beef of sorts. So messy but OH SO GOOD!<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Braised Beef Brisket</span></strong><br />
<h2 class="kv-ingred">Ingredients</h2><!--concordance-begin--><ul class="kv-ingred-list1"><li class="ingredient">1 (6-pound) beef brisket, trimmed of fat </li>
<li class="ingredient">1/2 cup BBQ spice blend, be sure and check sodium levels </li>
<li class="ingredient">4 cups water (1 cup cold, 3 cups hot)</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 tablespoon very finely ground coffee</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/4 cup dark brown sugar</li>
<li class="ingredient">Freshly cracked black pepper</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/4 cup cider vinegar, preferably unfiltered</li>
<li class="ingredient">6 potato or dinner rolls, split</li>
</ul><!--concordance-end--><h2>Directions</h2><div class="instructions"><ul><li><div class="instruction">Rub the brisket generously with spice blend, cover with plastic wrap and let marinate overnight in refrigerator. </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="instruction"><br />
</div><ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzyAxpy6iKaAtJoIJq7daQj2wYiAis9KnRH6mev4AmvZldjOMTJs_nfcTTkpwXKJ94pY34vtn-MGLuIgsjVXDpLCvtPbVvZ_6bk8DGqUGMpgQeZTweoRjbu3PX8pVN2YDABoCzHb2L8GtA/s1600/2011-08-14_13-32-45_637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzyAxpy6iKaAtJoIJq7daQj2wYiAis9KnRH6mev4AmvZldjOMTJs_nfcTTkpwXKJ94pY34vtn-MGLuIgsjVXDpLCvtPbVvZ_6bk8DGqUGMpgQeZTweoRjbu3PX8pVN2YDABoCzHb2L8GtA/s320/2011-08-14_13-32-45_637.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div><li>Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.</li>
<li>Put the roast, fat cap up, in a roasting pan. Add 1 cup water to the pan and roast the brisket uncovered for 1 hour.</li>
</ul><br />
<ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6z5vs5zI1mH8mz3wL5qPlzpYM8ejv_tzw5JMBr16L7WrgWgPGaLiW6ldM4G8MYHyjW0rpJzXdZnH7YMpSHT8xidZLAk_o9TnNquy_pA2w6OirwwhnZwwRltApGqOL9sFDvTrRkLufs8gb/s1600/2011-08-14_15-18-36_849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6z5vs5zI1mH8mz3wL5qPlzpYM8ejv_tzw5JMBr16L7WrgWgPGaLiW6ldM4G8MYHyjW0rpJzXdZnH7YMpSHT8xidZLAk_o9TnNquy_pA2w6OirwwhnZwwRltApGqOL9sFDvTrRkLufs8gb/s320/2011-08-14_15-18-36_849.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div><li>In a medium bowl, combine the coffee, brown sugar, pepper, to taste, 3 cups hot water and cider vinegar.</li>
</ul><br />
<ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfMDM-RWlvpa1-jOi7Mg6zgf3kR95WIERQfbnH2xCWIK0wilx2T0xKOQczAzPGwJ1D4Mkxr963HJho-TQ7P0KQX9ZcO_6RB2aiFvc1yNB_l0b6nWWPsk9GSmzzGUlOrOBqLmXqkkhyTbT/s1600/2011-08-14_16-08-53_464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfMDM-RWlvpa1-jOi7Mg6zgf3kR95WIERQfbnH2xCWIK0wilx2T0xKOQczAzPGwJ1D4Mkxr963HJho-TQ7P0KQX9ZcO_6RB2aiFvc1yNB_l0b6nWWPsk9GSmzzGUlOrOBqLmXqkkhyTbT/s320/2011-08-14_16-08-53_464.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sGbHvEcYYoy_fJPvPvFUYsMJamXwPwkG4dAowNFfMVvDMt4FC-umKpv8owU6IN-JWXb1HdR7vjkM-3pzor3STPC4H2uKtT_bwMXyLvfgc-JCIdIw3LQa3noCLFfu1nHr-UsVRKHJy4UU/s1600/2011-08-14_16-14-18_990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sGbHvEcYYoy_fJPvPvFUYsMJamXwPwkG4dAowNFfMVvDMt4FC-umKpv8owU6IN-JWXb1HdR7vjkM-3pzor3STPC4H2uKtT_bwMXyLvfgc-JCIdIw3LQa3noCLFfu1nHr-UsVRKHJy4UU/s320/2011-08-14_16-14-18_990.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><li>Remove the brisket from the oven, pour the coffee mixture over the brisket, cover with foil and braise until brisket reaches an internal temperature of 185 and is fork tender, about 3 hours. Remove to a carving board to let rest.</li>
</ul><br />
<ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQBxoYT8qMl1J10Jq0cMaTcXGo-_wCeqrTCaAzH4P0DlW-4gRe3KuJ357NkIdjF4NtZJg-fNlvD6YuUv62RqZO7mE5tJypl-BDw17t-Eznk7qu_SpRD8cJFQFjKxE3_pe11cCcbKjdc1n/s1600/2011-08-14_19-05-43_334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQBxoYT8qMl1J10Jq0cMaTcXGo-_wCeqrTCaAzH4P0DlW-4gRe3KuJ357NkIdjF4NtZJg-fNlvD6YuUv62RqZO7mE5tJypl-BDw17t-Eznk7qu_SpRD8cJFQFjKxE3_pe11cCcbKjdc1n/s320/2011-08-14_19-05-43_334.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><li>Simmer the braising liquid in the roasting pan on the stovetop, skimming fat and allow to reduce just slightly or to desired consistency.</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><li>Thinly slice beef across the grain. Dip the meat slices or the cut sides of the rolls in the reduced sauce. Make sandwiches with the meat and serve. Pour the remaining sauce into a small bowl and serve it with the sandwiches. </li>
</ul><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made a simple tomato salad on the side. I received some garden tomatoes from a friends mom this weekend and could not wait to eat them. I think garden tomatoes taste SO much better then store bought tomatoes. They are so juicy and delish. I simply cute them into wedges and then in thirds. I then marinated then in a tad of olive oil, S & P, a touch of vinegar, basil and oregano. I didn't have fresh herbs but you can absolutely use either. I let it sit in the fridge for about an hour and then dinner was ready. I loved this meal and think you will too. Enjoy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cheers :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-29619431018477433662011-08-08T15:50:00.000-04:002011-08-08T15:50:38.760-04:00Some like it sweet, some like it sour....i like bothChinese food....I have a love/hate relationship with it. I get extremely grossed out by ordering it from those little hole in the wall places. I don't know the quality of the meat they are using, the amount of sodium they are adding to their food and most importantly the cleanliness of the establishment. Yes this holds true for all restaurants however it seems to bother me the most with Chinese places. I don't know why.....I am strange. Most of you know about my chicken phobia. One to many bad experiences and I am not a chicken snob. I pretty much will only eat it if I cook it. I get so grossed out by the fat and veins. Enough to make me not eat it and eat vegetarian half of the time. It has been years that I have been like this I honestly don't think it will change. I have come to terms with it and most of my friends are aware of this issue and accept it! :) I try not to be obvious when I am a dinner guest but sometimes it is to much for me to bare.<br />
<br />
Ok enough about my wierdness! :) I read about this <a href="http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2009/06/10/sweet-and-sour-chicken/">recipe</a> on one of my favorite <a href="http://www.browneyedbaker.com/">blogs</a>. According to her it is the best Chinese food recipe she has found to make at home. While I love it i do not get it often therefore I was chomping at the bit to try this one. This is now the second time I have made this recipe and it is a keeper for sure. This recipe also heats up great! I made some brown rice and served it on the side. The sauce does dry up a little bit after the dish cools down so if you are a sauce lover I would suggest making extra :)<br />
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</div><strong>Sweet and Sour Chicken</strong><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Yield</span>: 4 servings<br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Prep Time</span>: 30 minutes | <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Bake Time</span>: 1 hour<br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;">For the Chicken</span>:<br />
3-4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks<br />
Salt and pepper, to taste<br />
1 cup cornstarch<br />
2 eggs, slightly beaten<br />
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil<br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;">For the Sauce</span>:<br />
¾ cup sugar<br />
4 tablespoons ketchup<br />
½ cup vinegar (preferably rice or white)<br />
1 tablespoon soy sauce<br />
1 teaspoon garlic powder<br />
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1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.<br />
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2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.<br />
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3. Working in two batches, toss the chicken pieces in cornstarch and then coat with the egg. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and again in two batches, brown the chicken, turning it so that all sides are browned.<br />
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4. Place the chicken in a single layer in a 9×13 baking dish.<br />
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5. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour evenly over the chicken. Turn the chicken to ensure each piece is coated.<br />
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6. Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy my friends!!</span></strong></div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-63058191883708367722011-07-28T13:00:00.000-04:002011-07-28T13:00:08.458-04:00I'm baaaaaaaackI know some of you have been bugging me to post something. I am so sorry I have been out of the loop. Honestly....life got in the way and I have been busy and when I am not busy I want to be lazy. I moved.....a MONTH ago. Holy h*ll. I didn't realize it had been that long until just now. Wow I really have been away for a while. This post is not going to have any food tips, tricks, or recipes in it. It's more of a hellllo I am still here and this is what is going on! :)<br />
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Since the move I feel like my life has been non-stop. I have plans generally 3-4 nights during the week and at least 1.5 days during the weekend. I have enjoyed a couple lazy nights or day on the weekend but for the most part I am constantly doing something. This has the obvious pros and cons. I have a social life. This is not a bad thing at all, but sometimes its nice not to. Does that even make sense? I love and adore my friends and don't know where I would be without them but sometimes I just need some me time. I feel like I have not taken any in a long time. It's one of those things that I know I need some alone me time but when it comes down to it I get bored and feel like I am missing out. What is wrong with me? Why must I constantly need to be involved and knowing what is going on? I don't! <br />
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The past couple of weeks I have been struggling with quite a few things. Some are known to some of you, some are not. I came to realization this week that I NEED me time to get some of this figured out. Life is about challenges, fun, excitement, hurt.....and so many other things. No one has a perfect life..and mine is far from it. I have flaws that I desperately want to rid myself of or at least improve. The one that always ranks high on my list is always a constant struggle for me. I haven't been vocal to anyone but really close friends regarding this but if you know me you can assume what it is. Controlling my weight. It is constantly a daily battle. Everything I put in my mouth I am analyzing, criticizing and beating myself up about. I count every single morsel one day and then the next I "don't give a f*ck" and then go back to beating myself up. Will it ever end? Nope. It is something I will need to deal with and learn out to deal with. Some people will never have to worry about this in their lives...consider yourself lucky. This is miserable! For the first time in years I do not have a gym membership. Well ok that is a lie....i have one but it is currently paused. I wasn't going. I haven't gone. And I don't want to go. I was paying $41 dollars a month for something I wasn't using. Yes my company pays for a majority of it but I still couldn't justify it. I can use the company money towards something else like a massage. I paused it in the hopes that I will un-pause it soon. We will see if that happens. I talk about losing weight ALL the time. I am educated in it and could probably blow some of your minds with all the knowledge I have. I am constantly reading blogs, magazine and articles about it. I have all the tools but no motivation. Where is it? Will I ever get it back? I have done it before and it's not easy. It takes a lot of work and time. I know I am the only person that can do this. No one can do it for me. PERIOD! Ugh! <br />
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Thank-you for listening. That is all for now :) I have been cooking more recently now that I am all moved in and back into a routine I will hopefully be posting at least once a week. Stayed tuned and keep the comments coming. I love hearing from everyone out there and it helps to know that someone is listening sometimes!<br />
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Cheers!<br />
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xoxo<br />
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KarinKarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-4943313131519874992011-06-12T21:04:00.000-04:002011-06-12T21:04:58.861-04:00Sunday funday = cooking and packing for me! :)I am moving one week from day....technically at this time next Sunday (fingers crossed) I will be completely moved. I sure hope so!<br />
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This morning I woke up feeling refreshed and awake after a night out to dinner and the movies with girlfriends. We went to Kona Grill and saw bridesmaids. If you have not seen this movie you have GOT to see it. It is hilarious!!! I met my friend Katie and her daughter Ella for breakfast at Scottys Lakehouse and had a yummy skillet for breakfast. My next stops were Whole Foods and Kroger. Once I got home my cook-a-thon began. This week is going to be pure madness and my apartment is going to be in shambles. I am a planner. The thought of all my stuff being all over the place and between two places makes me feel anxious and annoyed at the same time. The one thing I can control this whole week are my meals! I have been on a weight watchers kick recently and found all of these recipes on their websites. So not only are these recipes yummy but they are healthy too :) <br />
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Once I got home and unpacked all my groceries I dug right in and started to make a slow cooker barbecue glazed turkey meatloaf. Yes you are reading correctly....slow cooker meatloaf. I thought the same thing, that can't be good. But WRONG. It turned out great and was SO EASY. The slow cooker is seriously my best friend. You throw everything in and in a couple hours you have a meal. Its unbelievable!<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span class="recipetitle1"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 19.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #333333;">Barbecue-Glazed Turkey Meatloaf</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6 servings, 4 WW points</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 ¼ pounds(s) uncooked ground turkey breast</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1/3 cup dried bread crumbs, seasoned </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">ß</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> I used panko as I had that on had</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">¼ cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">¼ cup onion, minced</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 large egg, lightly beaten</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 tsp dried oregano</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">¼ tsp table salt</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">¼ tsp black pepper</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 Tbsp ketchup</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 tsp packed light brown sugar</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 tsp Worcestershire sauce</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 tsp spicy brown mustard</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>Directions</u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt 10.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fold a 24-inch length of foil in half lengthwise. Fit into the bottom and up the sides of a 5–6-quart slow cooker insert. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt 10.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Put the turkey, bread crumbs, cheese, onion, egg, oregano, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl; mix with hands until well combined. Shape the mixture into a loaf and place on the foil in the slow cooker. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt 10.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cover the slow cooker and cook until the meatloaf juices run clear or an instant read thermometer inserted in the center of the meatloaf registers 165°F, 3–4 hours on high or 6–8 hours on low. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 10.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Combine the ketchup, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard in a small bowl. Spoon the mixture over the meatloaf, spreading it smooth. Cover the slow cooker and cook until the glaze is heated through, about 30 minutes longer. With the help of the foil, lift the meatloaf from the slow cooker and transfer to a platter. Discard foil and cut the meatloaf into 6 slices. Yields 1 slice meatloaf per serving. </span> </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7kjhp555jZ3Kj2nOOav7imaYfMBrP3GBeTDFO73Y82gx0vFhyphenhyphenki9h1OltR7O-9WwRq-LViirdBhdAMMLUnuYGjPVtNHh7Ub9LJRJ9KNIYvxZK5cZsZsLv231b4_aLnJTVI0Yj0KzOu4s/s1600/2011-06-12_18-36-03_664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7kjhp555jZ3Kj2nOOav7imaYfMBrP3GBeTDFO73Y82gx0vFhyphenhyphenki9h1OltR7O-9WwRq-LViirdBhdAMMLUnuYGjPVtNHh7Ub9LJRJ9KNIYvxZK5cZsZsLv231b4_aLnJTVI0Yj0KzOu4s/s320/2011-06-12_18-36-03_664.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3i5bMFoOSg9sBtwbMuahueYt44SLdOCCDL0tEtMrrzG-SG6xYl769iBff5iuqnxshaPa9069IaxE6dx8Ip29eg3rUPVGX1saFeDcx_jPQo3lLhSy3y5k778fyJT3pS9F-vykxYJ35KkBS/s1600/2011-06-12_19-36-51_613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3i5bMFoOSg9sBtwbMuahueYt44SLdOCCDL0tEtMrrzG-SG6xYl769iBff5iuqnxshaPa9069IaxE6dx8Ip29eg3rUPVGX1saFeDcx_jPQo3lLhSy3y5k778fyJT3pS9F-vykxYJ35KkBS/s320/2011-06-12_19-36-51_613.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a>I separated my meatloaf into 6 portions and put them in Tupperware to eat throughout the week. To the left is my lunch for tomorrow :) A simple salad of spinach, pea sprouts and arugula. My salad dressing is spicy mustard (from the farmers market a couple weekends ago), olive oil, S&P and a tad of honey. Topping for my salad as I love a little crunch is croutons and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and of course my favorite dried cherries. I also threw an apple in my lunch bag too. I am so excited to eat this for lunch tomorrow.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">While my meatloaf was cooking away, I made some quinoa and apple breakfast cereal. I don't know about you but I get so sick of my breakfast choices. I have to come of up with new items to keep me on track and wanting to actually eat breakfast. I am typically not that hungry when I wake up and could just drink coffee if I didn't know that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. I have so much more energy throughout the day when I eat breakfast and often times snack a lot less too.</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I read a lot of articles about nutrition and cooking in general. I have read a lot of articles about quinoa and have yet to try it. Quinoa is an amino acid-rich (protein) seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked. Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is <i>complete protein</i>, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. I saw this recipe on the WW website and I just had to try it. The reviews were great and it sounded like something I would really enjoy in the morning. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span class="recipetitle1"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 19.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #333333;">Quinoa and Apple Breakfast Cereal</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6 servings, 5 WW points</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 cup uncooked quinoa</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 sprays cooking spray</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 Tbsp butter, divided</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 medium apples, chopped or dices</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 cups water, cold</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">½ tsp ground cinnamon</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3 Tbsp packed brown sugar</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">¼ cup fat-free skim milk<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Directions</span></u></b></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Soak quinoa in a bowl of water for 5 minutes. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u></u></b></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Meanwhile, coat a large skillet with cooking spray; set over medium heat. When skillet is hot, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter until it just starts to sizzle. Add apples and cook, turning occasionally, until apples are soft and begin to caramelize, about 5 to 10 minutes depending on personal taste; set aside</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rinse and drain quinoa. Add quinoa and 2 cups of cold water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, cover pan tightly and allow quinoa to simmer for 10 minutes. When quinoa is cooked (a little tail will appear on each grain), remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter, cinnamon, sugar and milk; stir to combine and fold in apples. Yields about 2/3 cup per serving. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJqwXjG2S3_GI2mcbuEusUlTEd9GtebR04dyTPgGZUN4A2B8PuTcIL-iykHBvhDXOZcyWLOEWvMMhLFYG6cnexYGfJ1dCBEmjHwv3nTj7BCTWv8k4JmiCMv7kaf5SLAz5G54mGa2ynPUv/s1600/2011-06-12_13-56-29_205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJqwXjG2S3_GI2mcbuEusUlTEd9GtebR04dyTPgGZUN4A2B8PuTcIL-iykHBvhDXOZcyWLOEWvMMhLFYG6cnexYGfJ1dCBEmjHwv3nTj7BCTWv8k4JmiCMv7kaf5SLAz5G54mGa2ynPUv/s320/2011-06-12_13-56-29_205.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5c-FU6mGlHPWzWlfUA3A1PL4zPzylOHBw9PHh1y4e9swqdOD2lpXZjXghtfZj6-0o4TNo-3GQ3LU41LVqYKgFyJYx8XZkZaPmitX_0hPlngJZwrQVKLGbob7N9Jm3lSM-NTiZJ2HKiCDs/s1600/2011-06-12_14-36-36_282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5c-FU6mGlHPWzWlfUA3A1PL4zPzylOHBw9PHh1y4e9swqdOD2lpXZjXghtfZj6-0o4TNo-3GQ3LU41LVqYKgFyJYx8XZkZaPmitX_0hPlngJZwrQVKLGbob7N9Jm3lSM-NTiZJ2HKiCDs/s320/2011-06-12_14-36-36_282.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div>And once again my phone did not save all the pictures I took. Sadface. Its time that I get my real camera fixed and stop all this phone non-sense. There were some great shots of step by step directions of this recipe. The image to the left is what the quinoa should look like once it is cooked. Do you see the little tail? So strange but a good indication that this grain is cooked. Below is the picture of this recipe all portioned out ready for breakfast this week. I tried a little nibble before separating these and I think I am going to enjoy this very much :)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74M1Nu5swCI17-d-UuzO4BFRs86F24B_MfuuoQnrG85_hSgILwXTrFdks9V3fmjpRu1IZMKd4VSjTabsNmncoFLHvFP3GQpl7hDQvaDxu5MuAi_orbp2_VkPM7we_9qs-79zxZqjCFzbv/s1600/2011-06-12_14-48-25_760.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74M1Nu5swCI17-d-UuzO4BFRs86F24B_MfuuoQnrG85_hSgILwXTrFdks9V3fmjpRu1IZMKd4VSjTabsNmncoFLHvFP3GQpl7hDQvaDxu5MuAi_orbp2_VkPM7we_9qs-79zxZqjCFzbv/s320/2011-06-12_14-48-25_760.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The last item I cooked today was what WW calls butterscotch cake but I call a white chocolate blondie. I have a HUGE sweet tooth and feel the need to have a little something after dinner each night. Even when I am watching every calorie that I put in my mouth it is nice to end my day on a sweet note. I figured with all the packing that I will be doing this week and next weekend that I would enjoy this even more. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span class="recipetitle1"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 19.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #333333;">Butterscotch Cake</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">24 servings, 4 WW points</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 spray cooking spray</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 ¼ cup packed light brown sugar</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1/3 cup regular butter, softened</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 tsp vanilla extract</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 large eggs</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 cup whole wheat flour</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 cup A/P flour</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 tsp baking soda</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">¾ tsp table salt</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">½ cup white chocolate chips, finely chopped</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">24 halves pecan halves </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">ß</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had chopped walnuts on hand so I used them instead</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Directions</span></span></u></b></div><ol type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9- X 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream sugar, butter and vanilla extract. Add eggs and blend thoroughly. Add applesauce and blend. Add both flours, baking soda and salt; blend until just incorporated. Mix in chips with a wooden spoon. </span></li>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
</div><li class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: #333333; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Spoon batter into prepared pan and decorate with walnut halves, one for each serving of cake. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for about 15 minutes in pan and then remove to a wire rack to continuing cooling. Cut into 24 squares. Yields 1 square per serving. </span></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: #333333; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaTJ15C547G5Ku-2KrTgImBEBoLt2OI58Qbpomii3OXmNVYpHtRq8q3RvhTId33fWRkwyNfqlmVWCtG6IK0cPGN_1WoLplhRdhHxOsAdZ-nEV6E2eMxGjVcicVzdelCFWERQPznj4hdmV6/s1600/2011-06-12_19-13-45_691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaTJ15C547G5Ku-2KrTgImBEBoLt2OI58Qbpomii3OXmNVYpHtRq8q3RvhTId33fWRkwyNfqlmVWCtG6IK0cPGN_1WoLplhRdhHxOsAdZ-nEV6E2eMxGjVcicVzdelCFWERQPznj4hdmV6/s320/2011-06-12_19-13-45_691.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sVOYGnIZZAcTLZ-VgweKJzMZVxsC-LYuXZHAv5Xi9fcLBr6WgveVSJjl3sQLL7Et_V5Y0tc_GedkP4aiO5haQlALjFKMFafIHz_F7jz6D-WRGDIJwNiFix15DMU9pL38P_-fd-LwM_gp/s1600/2011-06-12_19-15-20_495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sVOYGnIZZAcTLZ-VgweKJzMZVxsC-LYuXZHAv5Xi9fcLBr6WgveVSJjl3sQLL7Et_V5Y0tc_GedkP4aiO5haQlALjFKMFafIHz_F7jz6D-WRGDIJwNiFix15DMU9pL38P_-fd-LwM_gp/s320/2011-06-12_19-15-20_495.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-19495200792647081172011-06-02T13:03:00.017-04:002011-06-03T09:25:06.621-04:00Race day fun and good eats!<div class="separator" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIrcMIuAIFac0m1R2w2S6mjjWXJT5wjvvIjBDrlgWLUibjaRqwBbEolxYWzjX5PdXkhgEvDFOtBnC36e2iAc9-lg8PDd-ekKLF1agDV7tfUEBXEv0f-9oSqw5xvwrz1eBELiFPY5wBRgf/s320/2011-05-29_12-11-37_383.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></div><br />
Good Afternoon all!<br />
<br />
This is my post from Sunday however I am just now getting around to posting it. Sorry...it was a long, wonderful day! <br />
<br />
It's race day which means its gonna be hot, humid, crazy crowded and lots of booze consumed. My morning started by packing up my backpack cooler. This sucker fit 12 beers and 4 frozen water bottles. I was very pleased with how much it could carry and didn't kill my back.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrimxWgb3VJb8TWnsRuAIvfSl3yYING9ZSoKs4aud0j0sSwt6-ay78antoOj93Z5qbWoif5T3iIENzVjg1LDCcVvTVyYCPO4wVbdLCHHD2T4qh633txwhYRiDijI6A01vot-MM2a7s6wJD/s1600/backpack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrimxWgb3VJb8TWnsRuAIvfSl3yYING9ZSoKs4aud0j0sSwt6-ay78antoOj93Z5qbWoif5T3iIENzVjg1LDCcVvTVyYCPO4wVbdLCHHD2T4qh633txwhYRiDijI6A01vot-MM2a7s6wJD/s400/backpack.jpg" t8="true" width="227" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We started our day around 9 am. We figured since we had a ride to the track we didn't need to leave as early. WRONG. Record crowds this year meant traffic was horrendous. Last year I got there at 9 and parked in a lot right across from the track. This year....no where close. Abby's dad drove us so we didn't have to deal with having a car and worrying about driving. The closest he could get us was about 2.5/3 miles away from the track. OYE. It was a long walk. TG the sun was behind clouds most of our walk and it wasn't that humid yet. I was in good company so didn't mind the walk that much but my feet did. I swear my feet hate me. I wore some ballet flat gym shoes. Wrong choice. I figured we would be doing a lot of walking and these would be comfy. Um NO! I had blisters so bad I was limping. Last minute packing my bag I threw some flip flops in. TG! I put those on and had immediate relief. We made it to the track took our seats and the fly over happened. I love when this happens at any event I am at. How can you not get emotional when this happens?? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhSsTr5z-sYxwxNMB6rVo_nq67L2ILxaDrEh4X6nj48PfwYkpWF1xjO3BMi05BQnxgwTgIu_h8qw4M2cH9ufQ1bp_yTDUF_78IHUIB6olEfIOUTAz6hyPbLBQ_86SLK_25ZwwoeT5cfLB/s1600/2011-05-29_11-58-41_94.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhSsTr5z-sYxwxNMB6rVo_nq67L2ILxaDrEh4X6nj48PfwYkpWF1xjO3BMi05BQnxgwTgIu_h8qw4M2cH9ufQ1bp_yTDUF_78IHUIB6olEfIOUTAz6hyPbLBQ_86SLK_25ZwwoeT5cfLB/s320/2011-05-29_11-58-41_94.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvovmEGmUzPoKLHOQY9bxk6hCDe93ZQbgd7xy1AOwrcUalMtRJUrNeu1h0PL2oCU48y6Us0B_g0xDlrkR6doicP_Ue1Nvp4e3yGTTfE-6bb0ZY-96Ud2oLx34Qm7nJp6xM9FqfTZNlTSUQ/s1600/2011-05-29_11-58-33_965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvovmEGmUzPoKLHOQY9bxk6hCDe93ZQbgd7xy1AOwrcUalMtRJUrNeu1h0PL2oCU48y6Us0B_g0xDlrkR6doicP_Ue1Nvp4e3yGTTfE-6bb0ZY-96Ud2oLx34Qm7nJp6xM9FqfTZNlTSUQ/s320/2011-05-29_11-58-33_965.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcONq8xrqpGYJz53kaY2kTJDuP8Git3DMektSu38CQryCXErHgWNrHds4u0YOItwefpF9d3h8lvLvf_D8VPmlJuffNqgxhtMK0nT-VB1xP1Qp0MnO35XG8qIzb2_c7UaYthGDOKvymAeQn/s1600/2011-05-29_12-11-42_803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcONq8xrqpGYJz53kaY2kTJDuP8Git3DMektSu38CQryCXErHgWNrHds4u0YOItwefpF9d3h8lvLvf_D8VPmlJuffNqgxhtMK0nT-VB1xP1Qp0MnO35XG8qIzb2_c7UaYthGDOKvymAeQn/s320/2011-05-29_12-11-42_803.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPAGT_Y3vWzqs9e_KS2WOr8i6zlQFxQ2zAG5feZJ-Dun8ElVS-YPbtSFPniflfMCgzi6M3m1zfJzEXNcxsrJ68ZFhV1dBAWo6r7joIOGVpvIcxEvjMbd6eLdqqb853hK58Dty1lA8zLTn/s1600/2011-05-29_12-09-10_578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPAGT_Y3vWzqs9e_KS2WOr8i6zlQFxQ2zAG5feZJ-Dun8ElVS-YPbtSFPniflfMCgzi6M3m1zfJzEXNcxsrJ68ZFhV1dBAWo6r7joIOGVpvIcxEvjMbd6eLdqqb853hK58Dty1lA8zLTn/s320/2011-05-29_12-09-10_578.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNEgbuUVlE0-yo5UsyKAYzuYQeGBq1fcBU5668mmQupQmRgcbeHOy6daaF49NqH9j7aZnMlxr49Wu807CPKXpwZSY2uW1jNLm0Dc9W0ZYKVo9-YaZwGyvhAq0bIez9S-UspPvAouCoZyo/s1600/track.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNEgbuUVlE0-yo5UsyKAYzuYQeGBq1fcBU5668mmQupQmRgcbeHOy6daaF49NqH9j7aZnMlxr49Wu807CPKXpwZSY2uW1jNLm0Dc9W0ZYKVo9-YaZwGyvhAq0bIez9S-UspPvAouCoZyo/s200/track.jpg" t8="true" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Needless to say we had a blast at the track. We were cabbing it back up to the northside so we left with about 20 laps to go. We figured we would be waiting for a cab for forever if we waited till the end of the race. We walked out of the nearest gate and had a cab within 30 seconds. Hooray!! I was beat by the time I got home. Took a nap and had a slight hangover by the time I woke up. So not cool. I was so hot still and just wanted to go to bed. I knew I needed to eat something before calling it a night. I whipped up this quick salad and it hit the spot. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sjzdaMVKg8aIaMZMmzOPm6m_yWFkHWnDvi2xtDUyAIP1d4sK_zHKbvOpBybVZGBx2ZrBaMZmrTUY_Cf2WUlKDfn2okFSuKO89_pwAhsjxhFPRkeoTg6OgtUM7JdnNKj120G0XI2bNdSg/s1600/2011-05-30_14-14-26_621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sjzdaMVKg8aIaMZMmzOPm6m_yWFkHWnDvi2xtDUyAIP1d4sK_zHKbvOpBybVZGBx2ZrBaMZmrTUY_Cf2WUlKDfn2okFSuKO89_pwAhsjxhFPRkeoTg6OgtUM7JdnNKj120G0XI2bNdSg/s320/2011-05-30_14-14-26_621.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KE0LJtMQ6nmpYodDFU1koBAGunJ7eoxZ6y-GnO3spfh6SchSyVajQNNMwva2Qlf_95KCPA0PNEsdi2jtJeGfuPRVmXp6J_LdCPIlp9tQGyP-C854c_8opYlwcbkU72fkZpkC4io1MRXC/s1600/2011-05-30_14-25-11_489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KE0LJtMQ6nmpYodDFU1koBAGunJ7eoxZ6y-GnO3spfh6SchSyVajQNNMwva2Qlf_95KCPA0PNEsdi2jtJeGfuPRVmXp6J_LdCPIlp9tQGyP-C854c_8opYlwcbkU72fkZpkC4io1MRXC/s320/2011-05-30_14-25-11_489.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gSF30UZmEGra0SX75-Tt5VYCle2ZkWaxMYwZxKM37DSr0mmZfAiYC5K7oV7jB_daTc5MievFZRkiulviWYx8zVHEasMJ4wqCLdhLE_5HCoIwSy2NdcaVsOr0bOmBtxjqJn3FnsXC92Lz/s1600/2011-05-30_14-26-01_273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gSF30UZmEGra0SX75-Tt5VYCle2ZkWaxMYwZxKM37DSr0mmZfAiYC5K7oV7jB_daTc5MievFZRkiulviWYx8zVHEasMJ4wqCLdhLE_5HCoIwSy2NdcaVsOr0bOmBtxjqJn3FnsXC92Lz/s320/2011-05-30_14-26-01_273.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Chickpea and Feta Salad</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 cups chickpeas, rinsed and drained</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 garlic cloves, finely minced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 Tbsp onion, finely minced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 large red pepper, diced <-----i used roasted red pepper cuz I had it on hand</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 Tbsp parsley, finely minced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">9 black olives, chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 Tbsp olive oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 Tbsp lemon juice</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">S & P to taste</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tsp lemon zest</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div></div><ol><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In a medium bowl, combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, red pepper, parsley, olives, and feta; toss to combine.</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In a small bowl, whisk together oil and lemon juice. Pour over chickpea mixture and season to taste. Garnish with lemon zest</div></li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was refreshing, light and yummy. It was just what I needed before going to bed at 9pm. YEP....you read that right. I was asleep by 9 :) All day in the sun drinking and walking miles will do that to ya! Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cheers</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-85534044012709152582011-05-30T15:53:00.000-04:002011-05-30T15:53:32.198-04:00Grillin' & Chillin'It's memorial day weekend which means the grills are firing up and the smell of burgers and hot dogs are in the air. My house was no exception!! My Saturday started off with a nice trip to the broadripple farmers market with Lauren. We found out that a lot of the arugula and turnip crops were damaged due to the rain we have had. That is so upsetting to me. These farmers work so hard all year round and then in just a few days it is ruined. My main reason for going to the market was to get some arugula and pea sprouts. Needless to say no arugula for me. I did walk away with some yummy pea shots, local spicy mustard, fresh strawberries and asparagus.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_aYdr1n8pLuvnne4-sU3K2yiGkYtbrWHoNw46IU_Hgwh3dG30QAd1TCZ1BjDrjAQPlHG7IMy3eLkTXaY5wuhxaq4tCLRy-1py7jFjNejGysfpPCVKKgpVgM4N8imrJJVgS0P3Ssd_UXXC/s1600/FM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_aYdr1n8pLuvnne4-sU3K2yiGkYtbrWHoNw46IU_Hgwh3dG30QAd1TCZ1BjDrjAQPlHG7IMy3eLkTXaY5wuhxaq4tCLRy-1py7jFjNejGysfpPCVKKgpVgM4N8imrJJVgS0P3Ssd_UXXC/s400/FM.jpg" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><br />
All in all I would say a pretty decent trip to the market. Lauren picked up some local pork bratwurst (we wanted the patties but they were out), asparagus, strawberry pie, fresh garlic bread and spinach. The night before Lauren had requested that I make a broccoli puree I had made a couple weeks ago. It was delicious, however I went a little overboard with the pepper flakes and it was just to hot for us. <br />
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Dinner Saturday night dinner consisted of our Farmer's Market pork bratwurst with spicy mustard, broccoli puree and garlic bread. I took pictures of our plates but somehow the picture did not save and we had demolished our plates by the time I realized it had not saved :( <br />
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The broccoli puree I make is as follows:<br />
<ul><li>1 large stalk of broccoli (florets and stem cut into uniform pieces)</li>
<li>3 Tablespoons of pine nuts (toasted)</li>
<li>2 Tablespoons of olive oil</li>
<li>2 garlic cloves smashed and skinned</li>
<li>1 large shallot sliced</li>
<li>1 Tablespoon of red pepper flakes (less if you don’t like spicy)</li>
<li>1 Teaspoon of chopped and grated lemon zest</li>
<li>2 Tablespoons of lemon juice</li>
<li>Salt and pepper</li>
</ul><ol><li>Heat a large pot with olive oil, add the pepper flakes, garlic, shallot, and season with salt and pepper.</li>
<li>Once the garlic and shallot are “soft” add the portioned broccoli. Stir until evenly coated.</li>
<li>Add 1/2 a cup of water and put a lid on the pot.</li>
<li>Cook the broccoli until the water evaporates about 6-8 minutes.</li>
<li>Once water is evaporated add the lemon zest.</li>
<li>Puree mixture with an immersion blender, potato masher or whatever you have on hand</li>
</ol><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZ9jlTsKW9_v1iZBlM7AuQDyQvOJFDHI_LqIRzQu_VK_vGxwj7_YGYAz-emAVb2OoJaxxLBAq8rVNNtgPB444zLJX4NmbiDuBqQzasxqj4Yvwv6i_32E4kZu9O1bCL65I3v2frhoqbyNo/s1600/broc2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZ9jlTsKW9_v1iZBlM7AuQDyQvOJFDHI_LqIRzQu_VK_vGxwj7_YGYAz-emAVb2OoJaxxLBAq8rVNNtgPB444zLJX4NmbiDuBqQzasxqj4Yvwv6i_32E4kZu9O1bCL65I3v2frhoqbyNo/s200/broc2.jpg" t8="true" width="200" /></a></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihlMQkMyY0UG-pae96NsrPxoJNEaHRaGwOnJcyOr8VgQj7KFVv2F-KE5TboVKf9FMzYzpjOAdzvnosp3Ex6gXJZIMDt5LzOgeOEh9p6NoBsT6zrj9S8PkpNGa3ZNyJTAnPzJrZMBpY8T5f/s1600/blender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihlMQkMyY0UG-pae96NsrPxoJNEaHRaGwOnJcyOr8VgQj7KFVv2F-KE5TboVKf9FMzYzpjOAdzvnosp3Ex6gXJZIMDt5LzOgeOEh9p6NoBsT6zrj9S8PkpNGa3ZNyJTAnPzJrZMBpY8T5f/s200/blender.jpg" t8="true" width="112" /></a><br />
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This time around my puree was super thick. I added about 1/2 cup more of water and a couple more Tablespoons of lemon juice to loosen up the mixture a little. This really can be made with any mixture of veggies. The last time I made this I also used carrots and cauliflower. This time I just had broccoli so pure broccoli puree it is. No picture of it pureed as it didn't save. BOO! But I served it with toasted pine nuts. We warmed up the garlic bread on the grill and cooked the pork brats until the skin was nicely charred and crisp. It was the perfect meal to a fun day. <br />
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Dessert was a little slice of the local strawberry pie and grilled pineapple with whipped cream.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Xmc9KivHEyxYn0mPpWahJYR-dCo2swl0Zw61q2flqoO-nIJMn4k-EWkoalDfyQkOINB8kkrS81iZvCjmOmyyFt6qxNPXUoVnNrfydmuMEQofZ3BQs-2RPGJ1DM7nHZwOThyphenhyphenkSpioYSIN/s1600/pineaple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Xmc9KivHEyxYn0mPpWahJYR-dCo2swl0Zw61q2flqoO-nIJMn4k-EWkoalDfyQkOINB8kkrS81iZvCjmOmyyFt6qxNPXUoVnNrfydmuMEQofZ3BQs-2RPGJ1DM7nHZwOThyphenhyphenkSpioYSIN/s200/pineaple.jpg" t8="true" width="112" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHYJ2bhJBNjkcA-Gt02awWpBxKp2kNGv7ZIg4P6kdaBcjxOrqi8diTEaj2GLLsMANUt1nCfgjvMAyYicZWHUn7irDU7vTXFtr9o3flHSgVI0CObabdbFKxQfwGw0V8RdumVcQwt_y_u7F/s1600/pineapple2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHYJ2bhJBNjkcA-Gt02awWpBxKp2kNGv7ZIg4P6kdaBcjxOrqi8diTEaj2GLLsMANUt1nCfgjvMAyYicZWHUn7irDU7vTXFtr9o3flHSgVI0CObabdbFKxQfwGw0V8RdumVcQwt_y_u7F/s200/pineapple2.jpg" t8="true" width="200" /></a><br />
Oh and we officially found a place to live. We will be moving to broadripple June 17th. We are really excited to get that stress done with. Now onto the stress of packing and actually moving. OYE the joys of moving! Hope everyone is enjoying their memorial day weekend! :)Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-75559378818462425732011-05-27T13:34:00.000-04:002011-05-27T13:34:11.565-04:00Peanut Butter and Brownie paradise!!!Happy Friday my friends!!<br />
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I know I know, you have missed me. I promise this post with make up for it :) I have been slacking on the cooking front and if I do cook I haven't taken the time to take pictures or even think about writing about what I cook. I feel like I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off and typically have just been throwing together fast meals. I don't think things will settle down anytime soon and I am going to be moving in about a month.....hopefully. Lauren and I have been roommates for years and typically bunker down to one place until we get sick of it. Well that time has come. Our lease ends in exactly one month from today and we have already told our complex we are not resigning. That being said.....if we don't find a place soon we will be homeless! I am so stressed about this and hope we find something soon. <br />
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I am looking forward to the long weekend as it is Indy 500 time! WOO HOO!! I am typically not a race fan but last year I had the opportunity to go and LOVED IT. I loved the loud cars and the people watching. My oh my.....the people watching. There is such a wide spectrum of people that go to the 500 and it is unbelievable to just watch them. Last year it was over 130 at the track and I felt every degree of that. I HATE to be hot. It is one of my least favorites things in the world. This year they are calling for 90 degrees and near 140 at the track!!! COME ON! So not cool. My friend Christi's mom gave her some tickets at turn one (no clue really what that means lol) so we are heading over there early Sunday morning with 2 of her other girlfriends. I have my insulated backpacks ready and hoping that the cold beer will keep us from dehydrating ;)<br />
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Did I mention its Friday and I am so excited. I need an extra day off to just relax. Sunday is my boss's birthday so I made her a treat for today at work. Her favorite is dark chocolate and she loves brownies. So why not make dark chocolate brownies with reese's cup, dark chocolate fudge frosting and reese's pieces?? I know right!! SHUT UP! I didn't go completely better crocker and make the brownies from scratch but they still tasted oh so yummy. I used 1 box of dark chocolate brownie mix, mini reese's, and reese's pieces. Yep.....i know. Are you drooling? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEv1bd3nZMy3zn0FUGNrJbGa3YNOGK-WM8ALiHr__xiEXpFk84g0xJqEJ1z2o_-3PoMzJpDbqV62NXeplPLE74bR26FQ18z3e7zXbCzokXOTrF3HGfvIwQgJBXXbwioxAkpM_cpoNo9re/s1600/brownie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEv1bd3nZMy3zn0FUGNrJbGa3YNOGK-WM8ALiHr__xiEXpFk84g0xJqEJ1z2o_-3PoMzJpDbqV62NXeplPLE74bR26FQ18z3e7zXbCzokXOTrF3HGfvIwQgJBXXbwioxAkpM_cpoNo9re/s320/brownie2.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I spread half of the batter in a 9x13 pan then layered it with the mini reese's cups cut in fours. Next I poured the remaining batter and baked at 350 for about 28 mins. Once the brownies cooled I spread them with dark chocolate frosting and reese's pieces. The edges were crunchy and center was gooey. Something for everyone right!!! :) The batter was pretty thin and barely was enough to cover the entire pan. Realistically 1.5 boxes would have been perfect. But in the end they were delicious and my co-workers seem to be enjoying them. Be safe this weekend and enjoy the sun while it lasts :) </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Cheers</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ehaHPsiYcAj4ugoB5yxBIQjbHfDtS13SbdExp5cK0VQarPDc6VeQOUNj1TAZX3PK1ubT4w-OFovk_9UwlPiVA8u06eLWn-Dq5t6kus0uA5CUO1xFVxn7Rd4m4aaGgOhzGlDNIcvIqoHs/s1600/brownie1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ehaHPsiYcAj4ugoB5yxBIQjbHfDtS13SbdExp5cK0VQarPDc6VeQOUNj1TAZX3PK1ubT4w-OFovk_9UwlPiVA8u06eLWn-Dq5t6kus0uA5CUO1xFVxn7Rd4m4aaGgOhzGlDNIcvIqoHs/s320/brownie1.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-76566327897443375192011-05-02T13:01:00.000-04:002011-05-02T13:01:08.161-04:00long time...no cook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It has been almost a month since my last post. Oye! I have cooked but have been lazy about taking the time to take pictures and actually sit in front of my computer to type. I sit in front of a computer all day at work and sometimes the last thing I want to do when I get home is more sitting in front of the computer. And with the weather finally starting to warm up...forget about it. I figured I would share my lunch today as it is delicious, healthy and different from the boring salad I have. Last night I boiled some artichokes to have this week. These little suckers can be oh so intimidating but they are well worth the work.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVzSB9kOWTFTAtCNhSfV0-L29buzSr2cyEvPSDPr8wvJmjPMdCGv4Yoskx1OCU7qtVoptuIIFyX1WMlXUeUx0STICyCdc0jhNc5Z63GpAEJpf8aH72IRLzZ0cjyOcUP-KKUIfV3Yukn-j/s1600/choke1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVzSB9kOWTFTAtCNhSfV0-L29buzSr2cyEvPSDPr8wvJmjPMdCGv4Yoskx1OCU7qtVoptuIIFyX1WMlXUeUx0STICyCdc0jhNc5Z63GpAEJpf8aH72IRLzZ0cjyOcUP-KKUIfV3Yukn-j/s1600/choke1.bmp" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> Artichokes are spiny and rough. Your first step is to remove the first couple of layers of leaves. These are tough and don't have much "meat" in them. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzC483sGEeQrG_G5LvP2ncxLA785k3njyafqEfiea_1ZuQBEjKIySO8rDmM2G10K26Sds_vpRHZ4Re9loTQL5xOEksg0mGSRshyphenhyphenLHMNsHQD5V5vxN0cz39SUq39z7AcU8fx9ojBna5GUYT/s1600/choke2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzC483sGEeQrG_G5LvP2ncxLA785k3njyafqEfiea_1ZuQBEjKIySO8rDmM2G10K26Sds_vpRHZ4Re9loTQL5xOEksg0mGSRshyphenhyphenLHMNsHQD5V5vxN0cz39SUq39z7AcU8fx9ojBna5GUYT/s200/choke2.bmp" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">You next step is to trim the stem. I typically trim the end and then use a veggie peeler to get rid of some of the stringiness of the stem. Next I chop off the top part with the sharp tips. Throw the whole choke into boiling water. Make sure there is enough water to cover them and then place something heavy on top of them. They like to float. My favorite method is a plate with a canned good on top :) I also add about 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar to the water to give them a little extra flavor. Boil them for for about an hour and let them cool. Once they are cooled chop them in half. In the middle there are purple leaves and a hairy portion at the bottom. THIS IS NOT EDIBLE. Remove all the purple leaves and scrape off the hairy portion. The portion below the hairy portion is what is called the heart. This is edible and in my opinion the most delicious part!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0pEuqHK3rSNWnKqHJd8zDqc7AYYS8DKureaWxnLIfQFHn5iDJhmKF801etJfyKKyArgLOAvh7cKzMdXD8GKdgWvTpW6gTFIUZjewe5rqrmXyYf35c6cdXdtx0KXimgH5v8SmsRRCiE61t/s1600/choke3.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0pEuqHK3rSNWnKqHJd8zDqc7AYYS8DKureaWxnLIfQFHn5iDJhmKF801etJfyKKyArgLOAvh7cKzMdXD8GKdgWvTpW6gTFIUZjewe5rqrmXyYf35c6cdXdtx0KXimgH5v8SmsRRCiE61t/s200/choke3.bmp" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;">I made a little dipping sauce for mine as I like to eat them mostly plain. Today my sauce is simply olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mango on the side and lunch is served :)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"></div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-88918330015923785902011-04-04T21:56:00.000-04:002011-04-04T21:56:00.020-04:00I love my crockpot BBQ Chicken!!!I realize I have been slacking for the past 2 weeks with blogging and some of you have let me know :) I am happy to know that you are looking forward to my posts and trying what I am making. Busy life has seemed to get in the way the past 2 weeks. Its getting nicer out which means less time in front of the computer but I will do my best to keep posting. Today's post is BBQ chicken in the crockpot and couscous salad. My friend Erin came into Indy this past week with her wonderful baby boy Cayden. I wasn't sure what we were going to be doing for the day/night so I wanted to make something easy and delicious. The crockpot is my go to easy dinner maker :) One of my most favorite cookbooks is <em>Fix it and forget it lightly. </em>It made up completely of healthy crockpot meals. How fantastic is that!!! One of my favorites from the book is a simple BBQ chicken. I put it together in less than 5 minutes and I was done. So easy! The recipe was as follows:<br />
<ul><li>8 boneless skinless chicken breasts</li>
<li>8 oz can low sodium tomato sauce - I didn't have this on hard so I used ketchup</li>
<li>8 oz can of water </li>
<li>2 Tbsp brown sugar</li>
<li>2 Tbsp yellow mustard</li>
<li>2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce</li>
<li>1/4 cup cup cider vinegar</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/4 tsp black pepper</li>
<li>dash of garlic powder</li>
<li>dash of oregano</li>
<li>3 Tbsp onion chopped - I had red onion on hand</li>
</ul><ol><li>Place chicken in slow cooker sprayed with non-fat cooking spray. Overlap chicken as little as possible.</li>
<li>Combine remaining ingredients. Poor over chicken</li>
<li>Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.</li>
<li>To thicken the sauce a bit, remove the lid during the last hour of cooking. </li>
</ol>I cooked my chicken on low and can tell you it was falling apart when I checked it around 5 hours. We were not ready to eat yet so I set the crock pot on warm and let the sauce thicken. This is not a great picture however this is the after product before I served it.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Erin, Cayden and I went for a wonderful little walk on the monon this afternoon and turned on the tv when we got back. And of course I flip to the food network right away. <span style="color: black;">Giada De Laurentiis</span> was on so we were on and off watching. She started making a <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/fried-couscous-salad-recipe/index.html">couscous salad</a> that just looked devine. I was happy to soon realize I had everything on hand to give this one a try. This was the perfect accompaniment to the BBQ chicken. The couscous literally takes 5 minutes to cook and all the fixings took maybe 10 minutes to chop. It was so delicious and I could not stop raving about it. In the recipe and on the show Giada "fried" the couscous but that didn't work out so well for me. The second I tried to "fry" it the pasta started sticking to the pan. I was not a fan. Plus in order to get it to not stick it would have required some evoo and didn't want to go there since this was such a healthy meal. The salad turned out great despite the no frying, oh and no Parmesan because I didn't have any. I also used basil and herb feta instead of ricotta salata cheese. I love the food network but sometimes find all the ingredients required ridiculous and expensive. So I often substitute for what I have and like. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35cVWX43t6qLZibvzfd_jqulrjQVJjIzxZ-n88ZA-jSK3bfSMsaCpxGqelFar9LSIF2pSBGNJvrMOK61Lgq9CRAud0QHMiMp8FxRd1P7yBotNzexOTTDmtDJ84NLf5AP8H8dcwxfCgPTx/s1600/IMAG0107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35cVWX43t6qLZibvzfd_jqulrjQVJjIzxZ-n88ZA-jSK3bfSMsaCpxGqelFar9LSIF2pSBGNJvrMOK61Lgq9CRAud0QHMiMp8FxRd1P7yBotNzexOTTDmtDJ84NLf5AP8H8dcwxfCgPTx/s400/IMAG0107.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaZgti5OWgR0ccxc85LCvz6Menc2I1O2leigDap9C9yX_Xja9MQMl-lE0cLTdwnMXG68a7-IjrL_vVD7UE_jJwBG7jbgxknuBEMtY3z6b6akwUuu7IyeINmKbO6un_OuEfrXigU7eos_2/s1600/IMAG0109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaZgti5OWgR0ccxc85LCvz6Menc2I1O2leigDap9C9yX_Xja9MQMl-lE0cLTdwnMXG68a7-IjrL_vVD7UE_jJwBG7jbgxknuBEMtY3z6b6akwUuu7IyeINmKbO6un_OuEfrXigU7eos_2/s400/IMAG0109.jpg" width="238" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The lemon vinaigrette that is mixed in with this is devine. I have always been a fan of this mixture on a spinach salad but have never used it in this form. This is my new favorite thing. Eating healthy can be boring and finding tricks like this can make a world of difference. I imagine this would be yummy with plain brown rice as well. Over all this meal was a huge success and was equally great heated up again for lunch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sU5eCtxdHfJ5w9V0r0ft91P1YFQQ5WFRbzqCPZK0etb2luXWvRLmwiaanbggh-8xIybBAZj-LFz4g8BwesXLCHMkAVBdgTMfv1xrDd6hTZ04bVnu5ZCm86AcUrg_QVkIh83wvcZ9veys/s1600/IMAG0111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sU5eCtxdHfJ5w9V0r0ft91P1YFQQ5WFRbzqCPZK0etb2luXWvRLmwiaanbggh-8xIybBAZj-LFz4g8BwesXLCHMkAVBdgTMfv1xrDd6hTZ04bVnu5ZCm86AcUrg_QVkIh83wvcZ9veys/s400/IMAG0111.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The one criticism I have about these recipes is that they are both high in sodium. Combined this is over half of the daily recommended dose. Obviously the cheese and BBQ are to blame. All in all a yummy meal and one I will definitely be making again. Enjoy friends!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">BBQ Chicken Nutrition facts: 170 calories, 3g fat, 75mg cholesterol, 470g sodium, 7g carbs, 27g protein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Couscous Salad: 181 calories, 6.4g fat, 25.3mg cholesterol, 405 mg sodium, 23g carbs, 8g protein</div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952692570256323576.post-27325724028302789812011-03-21T15:11:00.000-04:002011-03-21T15:11:23.148-04:00Breakfast boredom!I could try different recipes for lunch and dinner and never seem to get bored. Where I get tripped up is breakfast. I want something easy, healthy and quick. I typically eat in the car on my drive to work in the morning. I need something that is safe to eat in the car, not messy and doesn't use up half of my days calorie limit. I am creature of habit when it comes to breakfast for some reason. I eat the same things over and over again and it gets old quick. I work out in the mornings so I need something that has enough protein to help me recover and to keep me full until my morning snack. This week I have tried two different things. One is absolutely more appealing than the other but I wanted to share both. The first is a delicious <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000002001862">blueberry oatmeal muffin</a> and the second was a green smoothie. I will discuss the muffin first. These were pretty yummy and easy to eat in the car on my way to work. I had frozen blueberries that I had purchased over the summer at a local farmers market and just enough oatmeal left to make a full batch of these. The recipe calls for the oatmeal to be ground up which I thought was a little odd. I didn't notice a difference while eating them with the oats ground to almost a powder. These muffins are fairly low in calories and seemed to keep me pretty full throughout the morning. Overall I would say they are a winner. The picture on right is literally straight from the oven. I couldn't resist. I promise if you let them sit they will not be this messy :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XS3j3qdEpyN2ZE1Okmvbj_G-JgILnTn4Pt5iaj3yMANq9fDcws4XDHut5xqOFUGUzphFeietwzJEAT7-Nqr93C9zyYSvM_gM9_c3w_etfOJSg3UJs1J5dhkFZtnSbUTFkD-YmNcffSFX/s1600/IMAG0072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XS3j3qdEpyN2ZE1Okmvbj_G-JgILnTn4Pt5iaj3yMANq9fDcws4XDHut5xqOFUGUzphFeietwzJEAT7-Nqr93C9zyYSvM_gM9_c3w_etfOJSg3UJs1J5dhkFZtnSbUTFkD-YmNcffSFX/s320/IMAG0072.jpg" width="191" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzI41dhgER8Ga928tLNZDD97qrwsTbv0bSa7ugzkDoSh73rK58dJAHFdOlD45N_axqDQE-kNa2AFd8Ouihv7IZaz3PG1P29eWoYKrhfPrNP1JOAmAF9Kdz3dM-o522OWa8SmrPshFtav6/s1600/IMAG0073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzI41dhgER8Ga928tLNZDD97qrwsTbv0bSa7ugzkDoSh73rK58dJAHFdOlD45N_axqDQE-kNa2AFd8Ouihv7IZaz3PG1P29eWoYKrhfPrNP1JOAmAF9Kdz3dM-o522OWa8SmrPshFtav6/s320/IMAG0073.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My second change for the week is trying a green smoothie. I have been wanting to dabble in this new "trend" for a while but was always intimidated with the thought of putting veggies in a smoothie. This does not sound yummy to me. I am a lover of smoothies in the morning. My favorite being oatmeal, chocolate protein powder, banana, powered peanut butter and coconut milk. So yummy. So veggies....yea not so much. I am obsessed with reading about different healthy options and this one keeps coming up. Most recently a friend of mine from college discussed it in her newsletter. My friend Penina is a certified health coach through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners and has a wealth of knowledge about following a healthy lifestyle. <a href="http://www.peninabareket.com/">Follow</a> her blog or subscribe to her newsletters to find out more about her and learn new healthy tricks. I asked her about these green smoothies and learned a couple of her favorite recipes. This morning I tried what she calls her "basic recipe" It consisted of </div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 large kale leaves (stems included)</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 frozen banana </div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup of water</div></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Blend to your desired consistency. I used an immersion blender because its easy to clean up and I don't have to mess with the blade from a blender. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0isn16qFabdcYQQHBAbHG4v5kDzKPtWAApyyZ4WeTsRFdwogm6jL8f37aTs0d4bLX7MdOeqxLXlrokPfnS0G0oYT1S9NI3UHX7Mvbv3n5RgzB8jBslajIoJ_FajvHWePKoIiZnUQVreB/s1600/IMAG0093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0isn16qFabdcYQQHBAbHG4v5kDzKPtWAApyyZ4WeTsRFdwogm6jL8f37aTs0d4bLX7MdOeqxLXlrokPfnS0G0oYT1S9NI3UHX7Mvbv3n5RgzB8jBslajIoJ_FajvHWePKoIiZnUQVreB/s320/IMAG0093.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This blended smoothie did not taste terrible however is not as enjoyable as my normal smoothie I make. I definitely think this is an acquired taste. I will absolutely keep trying to make these though so stayed tuned. Kale is a bitter green and I almost felt like I had to chew this smoothie. Strange, but by 9am I already had 2 servings or fruit in veggies in me. You can't deny the health factors in these smoothies. I think the trick is finding a blend you like and changing up your blends to avoid the breakfast boredom. I will keep everything posted on my journey to find a blend I like :) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Nutrition facts for the blueberry oatmeal muffins:</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><dt><strong>Calories: 190, Fat: 5g (sat 0.6g,mono 2.4g,poly 1.2g), Protein: 4.2g, Carbohydrate: 33.3g, Fiber: 2.4g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Iron: 1.6mg, Sodium: 248mg, Calcium: 74mg</strong></dt><br />
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<strong>Nutrition facts for kale and banana smoothie:</strong><br />
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<dt><strong>Calories: 144.9, Fat: 1.1g (sat 0.4g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.2g), Protein: 3.6g, Carbohydrate: 35g, Fiber: 5.4g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 31.1mg</strong></dt>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00619791063586430525noreply@blogger.com0