Super Duper NON-Meat-Filled

After that smokey, super-duper meat-filled post this weekend, this one will be a wee bit of a contrast! Here is my second go around of Meatless Monday, documented this time because I am smart(ass).

I have been looking forward to making this for a looooong time, ever since I saw it on Janetha's blog back in December! Of course I modified the recipe a little, like any good experimentarian. I almost used my leftover kelp noodles, but decided to keep the carbs up in this one :)

Sun dried Tomato and White Bean Pasta with Pesto

A while ago, Ronzoni sent me some of their pasta to try, and I have been hooked ever since. I know that some people find the taste of whole wheat pasta a little bitter, but I love the nuttiness and grainier texture.

This dinner came together super quickly. As the pasta was boiling, I sauteed up about 1/4 of an onion. I am cutting back. Um, just kidding. Then I added a few sliced mushrooms and some fresh spinach.

Janetha's original version had chicken in it, but since it was Meatless Monday, I went with some rinsed and drained white beans for protein instead.

Of course, I couldn't go without the sun dried tomatoes--they were totally the reason I was after this recipe in the first place!

I chopped about 5 or 6 of them, and then mixed them with the cooked pasta, sauteed veggies and the other star ingredients:

Delicious basil pesto and laughing cow. Yummy. It's basilicious. That's what it says on the package! Ha ha!

Rocks my socks. Anyhow, since Dustin is out of towners this week, I decided to take advantage of my alone time and do some healthified, also meat-free baking that I knew would be non-husband approved. BUT, definitely Emily-approved! And more importantly, April-invented!
I baked up a mini loaf of April's Low Carb Sweet Bread, with just a couple of modifications, using 3 egg whites in place of egg substitute, and halving all ingredients. I also subbed in 1/4 c. quick oats for some of the ground flax seed.

Sadly, my attempt turned out a little bitter--I should have added more stevia. April's original recipe calls for 2 tsp of pure stevia extract and I just threw in two packets of NuNaturals because it was all I had. However I remedied it in a hurry by creating what else? A cottage cheese concoction!

1/2 c. lowfat cottage cheese, suncrystals, powdered peanut butter and banana slices. Dang, should have made more than half a batch!

Oh jeez, I just realized I didn't really have one original idea in this whole post--just a copy cat! Oh well. That is one thing I love about blogging is gleaning new tips and tricks from all my friends and their fantastic minds! Luckily, I have the whole rest of the week to think up some crazy kitchen experiments with D gone. Truly, I miss him terribly, but it is really fun for me to come up with things to suit my taste alone. We'll see if any of them are decent enough to make it onto the blog :) What are your favorite ways to spend your alone time?

For me, reading, calling old friends to catch up, making up exercises and watching crappy TV top the list. I even got to catch Biggest Loser tonight, which D hates! I have such a girlie crush on Jillian! She is fabulous. And Bob has nice teeth. And I think the drama is hilarious. You can tell they totally play to the camera, big time! Ok, enough now. Hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing evening. Happy Humpday tomorrow! xoxo

A little bizznasss

Oh my gosh! Thank you all so much for your comments on my last post! I have actually been feeling pretty down about the way I look lately, and your super sweet compliments seriously almost brought me to tears! Body image is a bitch, eh? But you guys are the best, the best! Thank you!!!

A little bizznasss...a lot of you really liked my dress, and a few wanted to know where I got it. I don't think it's for sale anymore, but I scored it at a great store called Shade. They make all sorts of very cute and modest items, plus it is very reasonably priced, so I would definitely encourage you to check it out!

Second, as a joke, I asked my boss if I could borrow his Power 90 X dvds since he wasn't using them (I don't even know why he bought them, he is so funny), and he actually brought them for me.!All like 62 dvds and the meal plan and exercise guide and everything. I believe that I am too much of a creature of habit to launch full on into the program, but I do think it looks pretty interesting. Have any of you done the P90X moves before? Tell me about the plan and how it worked for you!

Last, but probably most important, today is my #3 wedding anniversary to the most amazing, supportive, hilarious, handsome and studly husband EVER!!!! Congratulations to us. I have uploaded some wedding pics, and I'll be posting those on Friday for a special round of flashback, so please check it out! Love you baby . You're the bomb, bomb-a-bomb. Dot com(b).

Ok, now finally, I have another super fabulous post to share with you, thanks to the lovely Ellie, holding it down in the UK!!

Just when I had all but given up hope of a Bloggie Secret Santa package coming my way, I found this on my doorstep a few days before Christmas:

Dustin had actually called me at work and told me to hurry home because I had some strange "packet" waiting for me and he didn't want it to explode on him.

I could not have been more stoked that Ellie was my Secret Santa! She did such an awesome job picking out fun stuff for me to try. I was literally squealing with delight with each package I opened.

I was majorly excited to try everything, but I knew my family would get a big kick out of the goodies, so I packed everything up and took it home with me to Wyoming (you will be seeing more of that stuffing!).

We celebrated our Christmas like true Brits with the crackers, cookies and crowns.

Ha Ha!

And then, that night, we tried the Christmas pudding. We couldn't get it to light on fire, but it was fabulous all the same! Thank you so much Ellie! Everyone in my family loved your goodies and thought it was so cool that you sent them to me--I do too!

Inspired by Miss Ellie, my dad decided to make his own version of Christmas pudding the next day. He has actually made this a few times before, but I think the little bite he shared with us really put him in the mood for a bigger taste :)

This pudding is actually made with suet a.k.a. solid animal fat (gross, I know, but it really serves the same purpose as shortening, and is probably the most pure source of oil you can find!). He got everything all mixed together before I could take a picture, but you're all probably ok with that :)

Mmm. A little cake made with a lot of fat. That's just how we do in the cowboy state I guess. Or rather, how my dad does in his cowboy boots :)

Anyway, I'll leave you for today with this last pic:

A little bit of sunshine courtesy of my baby--hope they send some happiness your way too! xoxo

I Like it Spicy Part 1

I really don't like not blogging for long periods at a time. I always miss you guys! I am SO behind on my reader right now, but I promise I will catch up soon--after I wrap all my presents, mail all my cards, work an extra day this week, celebrate Christmas early with my in-laws on Friday and hit up my work holiday brunch Saturday a.m. Yikes. But I know you all know how it is this time of year...

Anyway, it seems the consensus from my last post is that Chex mix totally rocks and that most of you call that choco/peanut butter/chex combo "puppy chow" instead of "muddy buddies." Word up.

Well, inspired by all the holiday goodies of the last couple weekends in a row, I endeavored to take on some more baking as I was busy being a work widow on Saturday.

Luckily, on Friday, I received an awesome package from Rachel who represents some fun products like Mrs. Dash Seasonings, Ronzoni pasta and my all time favorite sweetener, Sun Crystals!

She was kind enough to send me all this cools stuff to review and I couldn't wait to try out a new product--Sun Crystals baking blend!

One of the reasons I love Sun Crystals so much is that it is all natural, with only two ingredients on the label list, as opposed to most sweeteners with chemical-laden lists a mile long. The Sun Crystals baking blend is no exception and still contains only cane sugar and stevia. The only difference is that the ratio of sugar to stevia is slightly higher to maintain the delicate balance required in baking.

Nutritionally, the Sun Crystals baking blend carries the same calorie count as sugar, but is twice as sweet, so only half as much is required. Unlike using liquid stevia or agave, this is in crystallized form, so it doesn't require any extra calculation or run the risk of a change in baking chemistry or texture.

I was so excited to try this new product with a version of an old favorite--gingerbread cookies! These have always been some of my favorite cookies around the holidays. I absolutely love to cut them out into different shapes and decorate them with all kinds of sprinkles and colored icings!

I have a recipe that I prefer to use from my parents' old battered (and I mean that literally--there are lots of dough and flour covered fingerprints on those pages!) Betty Crocker cookbook. I had to actually call my mom on Saturday and get the recipe from her. I have modified it just a little over the years to reduce the fat and arrange the spices more to my liking. Here it is!

Extra Spicy n' Sweet Sun Crystals Gingerbread Cookies

• 1/3 c. shortening
• 1/4 c. Sun Crystals Baking Blend
• 1/3 c. molasses
• 1/4 c. water
• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. ginger
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/ tsp. cloves

Cream shortening and Sun Crystals together in a large bowl. Stir in molasses and water. Add dry ingredients and all spices and mix until thoroughly combined. Dough will appear crumbly.

But all you have to do is get in there with your hands and smoosh everything together until you get a tidy little ball like so:

Wrap you little dough baby in plastic wrap and pop into the fridge for at least 1 hour to firm up.

After dough has chilled, roll out on a floured surface and cut into shapes (or non gender specific people) using a four inch cutter.

Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.

**Hint** If you want to remove the fat completely from these cookies and add an extra delicious element, try subbing pumpkin puree for the entire amount of shortening. You can still roll and cut out the cookies as directed, but they turn out softer. Yum!

Since I teach Sunday school for a class of 6 -7 year olds each week, I decided to make this batch especially for them (please ignore the ugly on on the bottom--he was an extra and I didn't feel like frosting his face).

And because we're all kids at heart, I made some for all Dustin's and my siblings who came over on Sunday for dinner...

The cookies turned out beautifully with the addition of the Sun Crystals baking blend. They weren't dry or crumbly like baked goods sometimes turn out with other granulated sweeteners (I'm looking at you Splenda!!!). Plus, I felt much better about feeding this healthier, chemical-free cookie to my little class and family.

In addition to my cookie baking and funny face decorating on Saturday, D finally made it out of work in time for us to take a culinary dinner adventure.

To India! There is a place I have been dying to try for a while now called the Bombay House.

I was super pumped when Dustin agreed to go there, but a little perplexed when he kept insisting that we weren't trying it for the first time--we'd actually eaten there before.

Of course I kept insisting right back that he was crazy and I'd never been there before in my life...that is, until I stepped in the door and remembered that I had. Whoops. But I also remembered that I hadn't liked my food, the service had been terribly neglectful and slow and that I'd vowed to never return.

Well, it's a good thing I'd forgotten all that junk because we had a completely pleasant experience and I loved my food. Our order still took a little longer than my hungry little belly would have liked, but I believe it's because they actually cook everything fresh and to order. My belly can definitely wait for that!

Dustin wanted naan, and I usually don't turn down any chewy, doughy goodness myself, so I was thrilled to see a caramelized onion version on the menu. Yes, please!!

For my entree, I ordered the aloo gobi with extra veggies. Apparently that is not a common request because the server looked at me very quizzically and asked "Like potatoes?" Um no. Like carrots and stuff. Sweet. That's what I got.

I also ordered mine medium spicy, which was just about perfect. I contemplated going with the medium plus, but you have to be careful with those kinds of things or else you end up with fire coming out of your ears. So yummy I'm thinking of recreating it at home this week. Given my success with the last Indian dish I cooked, I'm really becoming a big fan--plus at home I can make it my own kind of medium (plus) spicy!

How about you guys--what type of ethnic food is your favorite to prepare or eat out? Are you a mild, medium or hot kind of gal?

You'll notice that this is Part 1, so never fear my friends! There is more nice n spicy goodness coming your way later on. Love and kisses for now! xoxo

I need Depends

Ahhh...holiday baking! Well, I scratched some of the things off my To DO list this weekend, but the one thing that I knew I would get done for sure was getting into the kitchen! As if any of you are surprised :) I know I've said it before, but I will say it again--if I could do any job, I would be a baker. I just love it THAT much!

Anyway my sister and two of my sister in laws came over to help me with my holiday cookie creations on Sunday afternoon. I am so mad at myself for not taking pictures of us in action! It was so much fun, and I wish I could have documented us going to town in our "Santa's workshop," but I guess we were just too busy getting down with our bad sugar cookie selves. At least I remembered to take pictures of the final product!

Ever since I received the December issue, I have been peeing my pants over these sugar cookies from Real Simple Magazine. Easy pee-sy (ha ha), and look how pretty they turned out! Since the whole idea from the mag was 1 batter, 10 ways, I couldn't resist making another batch...
This time with a peppermint twist. Yummers. Are you a thick or thin sugar cookie person? I definitely love the THICK (TWSS)! That's just the way to go for me--plus more surface area for things like sprinkles and chocolate :)

I have also been experiencing an embarrassing display of incontinence over Abby's delightful recipe, so of course I had to hug it out with tray after tray of these babies:
Just a word to the wise--1 bag of Hugs is not enough and a medium sized bag of pretzels is deceivingly large.
You will need to go back to the store multiple times to purchase more candy, and inevitably other items that you need/want/that were on sale and more candy. Sorry babe!

Also, since I had quite the plethora of pretzels, I tried another variation on the theme--Turtle Doves (get it? Turtle Doves for Christmas? Oh never mind). Perhaps you have seen these before, but I have not and I thought they were pretty rad.

Changes--sub Rolos for Hugs
and add pecans. I can't take complete credit for these, though. Remember the church shindig I went to as part of my old-lady in training last week? Some of the ladies there were talking about making these, and since I was already making Abby's little pretzel pieces of goodness and light, I thought these would fit right in.

I actually thought the Rolos melted a little more easily in the oven without getting too runny. And now my mind has been in constant creation mode, thinking of more variations on the theme. Maybe (probably) I will make some more.

And last, but not least, I made what I had actually set out to make all along! My cinnamon apple trail mix, crafted from only the finest apples courtesy of my hugeormous apple tree. When we "suffered" through our apple madness this fall, we ended up dehydrating a BUNCH of apple slices, and it was probably the most efficient use ever. We managed to condense about 10 stuffed grocery sacks of apples into 1 large gallon bag (also stuffed).

I love trail mix, and it's a good thing this is all going to our neighbors (and my mom. Don't panic Mom, I saved some for you!), or I would be in big trouble!
In the mix: cinnamon dried apples, dried cranberries, white and dark chocolate chips, almonds and sunflower seeds.


My sister made fruitcake, too. but alas, no pics. It smelled amazing and came out almost more like a spice cake with dried fruit than a traditional (much maligned) fruitcake. She made it gluten free (for her bf) and used dates, dried apricots, cranberries and mucho nuts. I *think* she is saving some for when we're all home at Christmas, though, so maybe I'll get the chance to put it up later.

Have you ever tried fruitcake? I have once and I don't remember feeling one way or the other about it, really.

Happy humpday to everyone--is your week/month just FLYING by?? Good grief. It will be Christmas and the New Year before we know it! Gotta start thinking of some resolutions...but for now I resolve to stop talking, tell you I love you, and peace out! xoxo

Fall Things

Well, even though it snowed yesterday (grrr!) and I've been sipping my holiday themed gingerbread tea, I am still in the mood to savor the things of fall.

Some good ones I've been enjoying:

Raking leaves. I actually love seasonal chores like this. Plus it is a FANTASTIC upper body workout. I feel ripped after raking both my front and back yard. I had no idea how big they are, or how many leaves would fall! See all those piles??

Football. I have never been to a live football game in my life, but somehow I got talked into going to my first one last weekend. My hubby's college roommate is way into the University of Utah's football and they were playing Airforce, so we couldn't miss it :) It RAINED on us for about an hour, it was freezing and they went into overtime. Ugh. Evidently I am a super fan now, too, because I tolerated and sat through the WHOLE game and I didn't even complain once. What a good wife. (jk babe) Of course, I've been getting some great fall time eats in, too! Still sitting in bazillions of apples, so what's a girl to do?

Get cookin!

Inspired my Susan's homemade applesauce the other day and Lauren's instruction, I whipped up a batch of the sauce myself.

Before

After Easiest thing ever. Apples, water, cinnamon and vanilla. Delicious. My only mistake? Not making enough! Luckily it's so simple, I can do it any time I've got an extra hour or so for the apples to simmer on the stove.

This thing:

In all my leaf raking and yard prep the other day, D and I discovered these watermelon radishes that we planted in some pots this summer. So pretty! Pink and green is one of my favorite color combos, so I was all about this. They tasted just like regular radishes, except perhaps not as spicy. Great with hummus!

More apples. This time in the form of some struessal-topped Dutch Apple bread from Eating Well.
This recipe was suggested by a couple of you readers during my apple giveaway. Thanks guys! I seriously loved those suggestions--so creative! I'm still going back and checking them for more ways to use up my apples.
The streussal was the best part of this bread. It turned out kind of dry which was disappointing, but is definitely better second or third day.

Also, I don't know if you guys can see, but the weirdest thing is happening to my apples when I put them into baked goods with the peel on! There is some sort of strange oxidation or something occurring during the baking process because the RED peels are turning slightly purple and then bright GREEN! It kind of makes the apple chunks look like onions--weird! Anyone know what's up with that?

Oh, and a lot of you were anxious to know where I'd picked up that Gingerbread Chai mentioned in my last post, and above. I understand your excitement for sure! I almost peed my pants when I saw it :) I just got it at my local Smith's store. It's a Kroger brand chain, so hopefully you all can find it in your neck of the woods(s).

Have a great Wednesday everyone! Almost to the weekend again! xoxo

Doughy Delight aka Apple Cheddar Scones

Well, you guys are probably sick of all the apples by now, but I've still gotta eat 'em, so I guess you'll still have to look at 'em :) I am kind of on overload, but it's not so bad--particularly when I get to make things like this: Apple Cheddar Scones!

This creation was inspired by a lovely suggestion on the giveaway post by Ellie of Inside I'm Still Dancing. Great idea sister! She suggested a couple of recipes, but I ended up using a hybrid of this one and another one that has now mysteriously disappeared from Cooking Light. With alterations, of course. Really, recipes are just guidelines, right?

So, modifications included, here is MY scone recipe and a bazillion pictures.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 packet SunCrystals/Stevia
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• dash of salt
• 1 tsp herbs de Provence
• 2 tablespoons BUTTER, chilled
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (see substitute below)
  
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 c. shredded reduced fat cheddar
• 1 medium apple, chopped

First of all, chop up your apple because other wise it will be in your way, all rolling around everywhere and set aside.

Spoon flour into measuring cups and mix with sweetener, baking powder, baking soda, salt and herbs de Provence.

Next, dice butter into smaller pieces and cut into the flour mixture using a fork, or your hands. I find that fingers work best for mixing most things. From hours of Food Network knowledge, I have learned that it is very important that the butter be CHILLED. Just ask Ina Garten. I have also learned that after cutting the butter in, the finished product should look like little pea-sized clumps. Comme ca:

Then combine your wet ingredients. Most recipes I saw called for buttermilk. But if you're like me, it's just not the type of dairy you have hanging around the house. I bet you could make an amazing swap with plain yogurt, but I was being cheap (ahem I mean frugal) and hoarding mine. If that's the case, it's super easy to create a sub using regular milk and a couple of drops of vinegar. Make sure to let it sit for about five minutes, and then it's ready to use.

Mix buttermilk/buttermilk backup with egg whites and stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in most of your cheese, reserving some for garnish, and then add diced apples.

The dough will be very sticky, but don't worry, it will work up as you knead it. Turn sticky dough onto a floured surface and knead about 4 times.

Pat dough into a circle and transfer to a cooking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and score into 12 wedges.

Bake at 400 degrees for approx. 18 minutes or until it starts to brown.

I served these along side a deliciously velvety bowl of butternut squash soup for the most delightfully autumnal meal. So good. I am remembering my love for soup-especially when there is some sort of doughy carb-goodness to dunk in it :)

I can picture so many yummy variations on this recipe. If I hadn't had cheddar in the fridge, I would have used feta and combined that with walnuts and the apples. Miss Ellie also suggested roasted red pepper and Parmesan or spinach and feta as well. Fantastic!

What kind of scones would you make?

Have a great day everyone!