Eeeeeewwwww!

Just in time for Freaky Food Friday! A batch of disgu--eeewww--sting concoctions from yours truly. Well, not that I actually think they're that gross--but I think my husband would beg to differ! :)

But, as we food bloggers know, the food that looks the strangest can often times taste the best--and be good for you too! Number One:

The Smeeeeewwwwthie!

Spinach, blueberries, stevia, cocoa powder, cinnamon and a few chunks of banana. Looks disgusting, tastes delicious! The chocolate flavor was pretty faint, but just added a nice hint of flavor while masking the gritty taste of the spinach. I love getting 2 full servings of veggies before lunch time!

Second: Neeeeewwwwdles!

Not that I have anything AT ALL against normal noodles, but finding a worthy pasta swap is kind of a fun little experimentation for me. I tired kelp noodles not too long ago, and couldn't resist these yam noodles when I spotted them in our Asian grocery.

These shiritaki noodles are almost identical to the famous Tofu Shiritaki, minus the tofu. I used to love the Tofu Shiritaki, but obviously the soy factor is a problem for me, so I was super excited to see the soy-free original version.

These noodles so require a bit of extra attention. After rinsing and draining extremely well ( warning! DO NOT smell them right as you open the bag--bad news bears fer real), I steamed them in the microwave for about 3-4 minutes and patted them dry with a clean dishtowel. I think cooking them for a little bit removes any of the briny taste and leaves them actually smelling like yams (instead of sewage).

Served with homemade turkey meatballs and spicy marinara. Yum Yum. :)

I did like these better than the kelp noodles. The shiritaki are much more like regular pasta, albeit finer and a little more chewy. But I do think they provide a great lighter base for more sturdy meal components such as protein, sauce, veggies and cheese.

There are basically no nutrition facts for these noodles--There are 2.5 servings per package, but each serving clocks 0 calories, fat, protein--nothing! While I am sure there is a minimal amount of calories and nutrients, the only ingredients are purified water, yam flour and hydrated lime. Now that's kind of freaky!

I know I have been kind of a bad blogger lately, and I really do miss everyone! My sister just announced a wedding date--in 8 weeks--so we are scrambling around trying to get that business under control. Plus work is very energy-consuming at the moment. Yeesh.

But also to be totally honest, sometimes I really enjoy not focusing so much on food in the day to day affairs. When I was locked into my ED, food was all I thought about, and now it's kind of refreshing to remove that fixation from some of my activities. Not that I am going anywhere though! This blog has served as an invaluable tool for me throughout the worst of my disorder and my continuing recovery. I know you all understand :)

Have a glorious weekend. And tell me--what freaky food do you love that looks disgusting, but tastes amazing? Love you lots! xoxo

Rainbows and Puppies

You guys are the best. I love you for reals. THANK YOU all so much for the love and support shown to me on my last post. I was so scared to post something that personal, but I truly believe that it may help others learn from my experience. Seriously, if you have not read it, please do so! I will probably be linking back to it on my next couple of posts just to help get the word out a little more.

Anyway, since my last post was slightly dismal, I promise this one will be nothing but rainbows and puppies! I've had quite the run of good eats lately, and successful experiments, which is supremely conducive for blogging purposes.

My first score was a tasty little thing, organic, raw, stinky, and you guessed it! KOMBUCHA! Now, I had tried this before a couple of years ago and had not been impressed. But after seeing it on Janetha's and then another Emily's blog, I had a hankering to give it a shot once again. I think I picked a better flavor this time which definitely helped, and now I am addicted! At first sip, it honestly just tasted like fizzy vinegar. But hey, you know I love me some vinegar, so this was right up my alley. The second swig tasted a lot more like cranberry and the following guzzles were just good! D thinks I'm crazy. This is one thing he refuses to try.

Another stinky, smelly thing that Dustin doesn't like (oh goody, more fore ME!): blue cheese. I have been obsessed lately. This idea is semi-stolen from sweet little Lauren's blog because it was absolutely perfect for Sammie Saturday, but here is my version with her inspiration!

Toasted cinnamon raisin bread spread with Garlic and Herb Laughing Cow and blue cheese crumbles, thinly sliced pear, smoked turkey, dijon mustard and spinach.
Om yum ghee. that is me with my mouth full because you know I could NOT stop eating this heavenly combo of deliciosuness.
Speaking of delightful sammies, check out another delightful pear and turkey combo whipped up by Haleigh, and a superstar created by Susan from Tangerine Trees and Marmalade Skies as she guested for K. That one is on my list for sure!

Just a little more fun--last night Dustin and I got to have a date and go to the Jazz game. Whoo hoo! I have been waiting for this moment for like 5 years! No, not for the Jazz to play a good game, although that finally happened, too. For Dippin Dots! Now, you guys have probably had these before, but I had NOT. I saw them once when we were in Cali and I didn't get them. I have wanted them EVER SINCE! We went to the zoo a while back and they had them there, but I just wasn't in the mood and I knew they wouldn't be as epic--does that ever happen to you? Ugh. But anyway I finally got some. Banana Split style and they were pretty yummy. Almost like eating frozen, flavored air because once second they're on your tongue and the next, they are completely gone. Entertaining eats, that's for sure. Sorry for the craptastic picture. I was trying not to piss off everyone around me by taking obnoxious food photos.

See? Kittens and sunshine just like I promised! Anyhoo, I hope your weekend has been full of the same, and once again I really do thank you all so much for being so nice to me and your support in speaking out against the consequences of eating disorders. Gros bisous. xoxo

Smokin'

When we were up in Wyoming forever ago for the holidays, one thing my dad and Dustin really wanted to do was some smoking. No, no not like that! My mom just about had a conniption when I told her that the boys were going to go smoke some stuff. Ha! That was pretty funny.

Obviously, considering how much we love barbecue, we love almost any smokey, salty meat production. And trust me, it is quite the production. Although my dad did most of the work, I can proudly say that I helped the most by doing what I do best--going shopping with my mom and staying the hell out of the way.

Love this little Wyoming gem.

Note: being a cowboy is expensive. There is no wardrobe addition I desire more than a z-exay pair of cowboy booots. On sale, they are $139. Ouch. Sorry Boot Barn, I haven't won enough rodeos for you yet.

Anyway, I digress.

My dad brined the turkey first in a bath of salt, garlic and water. The garlic was kind of our own special touch since I love em some garlic, but also because the only non-iodized salt we had happened to be a sea salt and roasted garlic grinder. Apparently non-iodized salt is very important to the smoking process, and I never figured out exactly why.

The turkey brined overnight and almost killed us when we opened the fridge in the morning with eau de garlique. Holy moly. Oh well. It was like perfume to me :)

My dad and D smoked the turkey over two hours using a series of hickory chips.


This is the before shot, right as the turkey went in with the first batch of chips:



And as it went along, smokin away:

This was done in my dad's little workshop up at his job where he does lots of amazing projects, including roasting his own coffee beans, and now, smoking a variety of meats. It smells incredible.

And the finished product! Keep in mind that the smoking procedure in this case was only to impart flavor to the meat and not to fully cook it. After two hours of absorbing scrumptious hickory scent, we still needed to bring it home and cook it in the oven.


Served along side some of Ellie's stuffing from my Blogger Secret Santa package!

This delectable mixture was full of apples, cranberries and CHESTNUTS! Now what could be more quintessentially holiday than that? So delicious and so interesting to try. I was surprised at the texture of the chestnuts--almost like those water chestnuts you get in Chinese mixes. But my favorite was the chunks of cranberry. Thanks again Ellie! you are wonderful :)

Of course, with having turkey for Christmas dinner the day before, AND having smoked turkey the next day, we had tons leftover, which in my opinion, is the best part anyway because it totally calls for only one thing--SAMMIES!!



This delight was sprouted wheat bread stuffed with shredded smoked turkey, cranberry sauce and aged super sharp white cheddar cheese. Oh Em Gee. Perfect for Sammie Saturday--which was yesterday by the way--I am a day behind, but this post is like a month behind :)

Hope you all had a good weekend! I will see ya on Tuesday fer sure with a recap of our second Meatless Monday! xoxo

Lots of R's

First of all--HOLLA!! I have missed you guys so much! Also, I have noticed a few new readers in my last posts, and I just wanted to say welcome! Hope you stick around and that I don't scare you off with this huuuuuugee post that I'm about to proffer.

I have been super busy with the holidays and family, but also thinking a lot about the past year and all it has brought for me. I have also been thinking a lot about the blog...

...and pondering if I should keep it going in the new year. There are several reasons for this thought process. First of all, I started this blog back in May, when I was in quite a different frame of mind. I was embattled in my eating disorder, and this blog served as an excellent tool to aide me in my recovery ( you can read more about that here). I have made significant strides since than and have forsaken some of the things that "kept" me sick, were no longer serving their positive purpose in my life, or were otherwise keeping me tied to the identity of someone suffering with anorexia.

I was worried that blogging was only serving to make me "accountable" for the food I was eating, instead of the fun I was supposed to be having with it. Hope that makes sense. However, I have come to the conclusion that this blog has been far more helpful than hurtful for me as I move forward in recovery. Because I have a forum to vent my frustrations and fears, as well as my accomplishments, I know that I have been able to move farther ahead. Mostly thanks to so many of the awesome readers I have and friends that I have made. It is so incredible to know that I have people who "get" me, and my food!

You have stood by me this year as I have tried many new things, from avocados, to hamburgers, to some very Freaky Foods; and you all have helped me learn so much, too! Thank you and Happy New Year!!

Anyway, I am grateful for my little bitty blog and for the job it does in helping me keep track of the bigger picture. I am working on letting go of a lot of things, and that includes my all or nothing mentality. Here are some thoughts that I think will help me align my blogging priorities with the rest of my LIFE--

Realizations/revelations:

• Freaky Food Friday does not have to be EVERY Friday
• Sammie Saturday does not have to occur EVERY Saturday
• If I do not post for a few days, or a week or even two weeks, no one is going to miss me THAT BAD.
• I do not have to read every blog post or be fantastically witty and/or snarky in every single post of my own. Sometimes I don't have anything interesting to post, but sometimes that can be just as interesting--it will be up up me to make that call.

In addition to realizations and revelations, I have also been pondering another "R." Resolutions. Now, I am not typically a person who makes New Years Resolutions. I have never seen the need for it because I usually just decide to do things and then do them. I don't always appreciate the idea of working up to a goal because it often seems it takes more effort to get there than to just get going! However, because so much has occurred in 2009 (both personally and food-related), the start of 2010 seems like a good time to work in some modified lifestyle aspects.

Meatless Mondays: This idea came about for a variety of reasons. First, we spend an atrocious amount of money on food. Most of this is my problem. D would be content eating peanut butter (an Nutella) sandwiches, tuna fish and $.25 burritos. I, on the other hand, prefer 5 dollar jars of nut butters, copious amounts of FRESH fruit and vegetables (2 lb bag of baby carrots, you ain't got nuthin on me!), and any type of new, cool, healthy, heard-about food product.

Also, honestly, I am at a point in my recovery where I find it extraordinarily difficult to both buy and deny myself foods that were once restricted. Often times I find myself standing in the grocery aisle having a five minute debate over which type of bagels or crackers to buy (regular or "lite," whole grain or whole wheat, wheat or white, cheese or herb, this kind or that kind). It's exhausting and much too emotionally investing, so there are instances where I just throw both things in the cart so I come stop being a schizo in public. Not that I do this all the time. I really try not to make it a habit,and on the occasion where we find ourselves with 6 different types of cereal or 4 boxes of crackers in the cupboard, I will usually just scratch those items off my list for a week or so until our supply has calmed down.

On the other hand, as much as I would be content with a plate full of broccoli for dinner, I try to appease Dustin every once in a while with things like hamburgers, chili, shredded pork and the like. Who am I kidding--I like my animal proteins, too. But I found that the amount we use in cooking can sometimes be a little excessive. For example, I think I can make chili with 1/4 lb of ground beef as opposed to a half or a whole pound. The rest of the dish can be rounded out with things like beans or cooked veggies. I think it will be beneficial in terms of our health, money and cooking repertoire to find ways to stretch not only our food budget as a whole, but also our meat budget specifically.

Thus the idea of a Meatless Monday was born. I really love the idea of challenging myself to come up with new recipes that Dustin and I will both appreciate, all the while broadening our culinary palettes. If you have any meat-free meal suggestions, I would love to hear them!

So I guess those are my two big goals for the next few months--relax and ENJOY my blogging a little more without being so rigid in my posting/reading behaviors and save more money, especially on food by instituting Meatless Monday and eating less meat over all. Please don't mis-interpret this. I love meat. I am eating BBQ tonight. But I still recognize the benefit of working against my black and white thinking in this department too.

I think this year, I would also like to attend more live concerts, find ways to see my friends more and nourish those relationships, create more constructive hobbies for myself. I think the other, more deeper desires of my heart will follow :)

Well now that I've babbled on and on, let's actually get to some pictures shall we? Revelations, realizations, resolutions and now, RECAP! We were in dust-kickin' Wyoming for Christmas with my family and I loved every minute of it. Except the drive. There is nothing. Oh wait. There are windmills. We made it in time for church on Christmas Eve which is a big tradition for us. All dressed up. D and I got spoiled rotten on Christmas. Every year my mom says she is "cutting back," and every year we laugh at her because she never does. We got lots of amazing things including some new board games (love!!). Actually the best gift was spending time with my family.
Here is a little foodie flashback:



We had two different types of fruit cake, which of course, I was a little weary of. But since my sis made one, I knew it couldn't be bad. Hers is the second photo. I actually loved her recipe. It was rich and spicy, if a little crumbly. But I think that's because she didn't soak it in brandy ;) The first one was more dense and sticky, delightful over Greek yogurt.

Layered sweet potato and apple casserole, semi-stolen from my sister in law, Liz. Hers was better. Mine was slightly under baked, but better second day. Perfect golden turkey with stuffing (my FAVORITE!!)...peppermint pop rocks in my stocking.

No family dinner is complete without a plate of pickles (and you thought I was the only one). Finally, my mom's special fruit salad. Usually we just have it at Thanksgiving, but she is nice and made it per my special request since I wasn't there the first time around.

Well, if you have made it this far through my EPIC post, you deserve a prize for sure! Again, Happy New Year to everyone--I am wishing you all the best.

I have decided it's time for some more R's now, including rest, relaxation and a REMATCH!! If you peeps have never played Blokus, you need to! It's great! What's your favorite board game?? Mine will always and forever be Scrabble, but there is always room for some new loves! Love you! xoxo

Oh, P.S. Had to leave you with one last picture! This is my mom's favorite ornament of me. I made it in preschool and she puts it on the tree every year. Look at what a little shi*, I mean cutie pie, I was! Lol. Do your parents still have these of you?

Turkey Tantrums

Holy moly guacamole! My reader is at zero as of 7:40 this a.m.! Whoo hoo! Now that is what I call a productive start to the day! Hopefully I can launch that into more productivity throughout the weekend--here's what I've got planned:

• 3rd yoga sesh of the week--I am a rockstar (hey, if this counts as strength training, I am at FOUR for the week--right on!)
• Hit up grocery store (also number four in the last day) to hunt down some Minute Maid light lemonade in a liter bottle and Hershey's Hugs. Who knew they were such a disaster to find??
• Produce copious amounts of Christmas goodies, using afore mentioned Hugs (check out Abby's sweet recipe here) and other yummy tummy things.
  
• Hit up a baby shower for my co-worker's son's girlfriend. Yeah...I am going and I even bought a present in spite of the fact that I have never met this chick before. I am nice. And I'm hoping there's cake ;) JK. She deserves some support and fun baby things, so I am happy to go.
  
• Wrap some presents and stick 'em under the treeeeee! We never put presents under the tree when I was growing up, but I kind of like it. I mean, obviously putting your kids' presents in plain view is just asking for trouble, but D is pretty good about keeping his hands off. Plus I already know what I'm getting and it doesn't fit under the tree, so I will be safe too. Any guesses?
  

Yeah, so we'll see what I get tackled.

In the meantime, here are a couple of luscious sammies for your viewing (and hopefully eating) pleasure:

First up is my own creation. I have to do this one first because it kind of pales in comparison to the masterpiece my super sis-in-law created.

Anyhoo, I give you my first turkey creation.

Panini style whole grainy bread with turkey, laughing cow and sliced pears. Yes , that's a side of pickles. Of course. Perfection. Melty.
My mom says she doesn't quite "get" the whole cheese and fruit thing. Trust me, Ma, if you had this sammie, you totally would.

Next up, the true superstar of this post, my sister in law Jessie's super sammie. She made this hunka hunka burnin love for out knitting club a couple weeks ago and seriously, everyone could NOT stop raving about how delicous it was! She made it for our family again while we were up for Thanksgiving andn I convinced her to let me put it up on the blog.

Accoridng to Jessie, this is a Giada de Laurentiis inspired mashup from a couple of recipes. Jess totally owns this version.

Thick loaf of bread cut in half and spread with garlicky pesto, topped with an ultra think layer of eggs and turkey breast on one side and provelone on the other.
But, wait! There's more! The love of my (food) life--onions! Jsut look at how happy that spoon is, surfing in that oniony gloriousness :)
Crowned with a luscious layer of sweet carmelly onions and finally assembled...


Beautiful.
Love ya Jessie! You are quite the little chef, and you can make sammies for me any day of the week!

Oh yeah! One more thing I have to do this weekend--announce my super duper giveaway winner! I was so psyched to see how many people entered in such a short amount of time, and I LOVED everyone's staples. I mean, it's no Chobani giveaway, but ya'll made me feel like I'm not so lame after all :) Love you for that!

So gettin to bizznass......the winner is.....
Elizabeth aka peanutbutterlover!! Whoo hoo girl! Just send me your info and I'll ship your package out as soon as I can get my a** to the post office.

Whew! Well, what are your cookie/treat making plans for the holidays? Anything special you're excited to make for you friends and negihbors (and let's be honest, yourselves!)? Also, do you guys put presents under the tree or save them for later? xoxo

Pass/Fail and Sammie Saturday Round 4

As I was drifting off to sleep last night, I though of a devastatingly clever and hilarious opening line for my post today. As you can tell, this was not it. Obviously I should not think and/or expect to remember things I think of after 9:00 at night. I am old. Fail.

But I am actually posting anyway. Pass.

It would not be Saturday without a recap of my weekly sammies...

This one was definitely delicious--I bought a jar of sauerkraut specifically for this purpose. I know a lot of peeps think sauerkraut is gross, but I like to support my heritage (Slovak) and EAT UP. It's cabbage. It's pickled. What's not to love?

Turkey Rueben on toasted multi grain bread with laughing cow and a sprinkle of feta. Pass.


There is a new restaurant down the street that I have been dying to try--like I talk about it every day, and have been planning to go there for weeks. Their thing is Philly cheese steaks, and I don't know why, but the sound of that sammie siren was calling my name. Or yelling. Whatevs. I WANTED one in the worst way.

D and I had finally settled that we were going no matter what yesterday night. We got ourselves all stoked up and rolled into the restaurant around 6:30. THEY WERE CLOSED!!!! What in the Fraggle Rock???? Who in their right mind, or even their left mind is CLOSED at 6;30 on a Friday night? Good grief. No one who wants my business, that's for sure. Fail.

I was willing to let it go. In fact, I was almost over it. Pass.

However, my hardworking hubby was in the office today (sad face) and he informed me that they were ordering in....cheese steaks. Gah!!! Fail!

Of course, I wasn't invited to the work-a-holic lunch party, so I was forced to improvise, lest my craving force me to hop on the nearest plane and have my own party in PA. ( I know two lovely ladies who might join me, but only if it was veggie and ethical!

Substitute:

LOTS of onions, sauteed up with mushrooooooms

Lavash wrap spread with laughing cow, sliced buffalo chicken breast and a sprinkling of Frank's
Pretty yummy for a buffalo chicken mushroom wrap. Pass.
Piss poor substitute for a Philly cheese steak sandwich. Fail.

Oh well. Never fear. I am devising a way to get my hands on the sammie for next week. Or else!

Anyways, one thing that never fails me is the outstanding show of support and encouragement from all of you! I am always amazed by your so sweet comments, and I can't tell you how much it means to me! Or maybe I can--it means the world! I am so lucky to have you guys as my readers, and I truly regard every one of you as my friends. Pass!

Hope you're all having a great weekend! Have any pass/fails of your own? xoxo