Update on Life & Why I have been MIA + Kale & Feta Egg Bake

     Maybe you have noticed that I haven't been posting as often as I used to around here.  Maybe you haven't noticed!  My life has changed over the past 4 1/2 months.  My younger brother got engaged and I decided that it was time to get serious about getting healthy because I wanted to feel great at his wedding and enjoy having my picture taken.  I joined Wow! Boot Camp, which is an awesome workout that  combines cardio, strength training, intervals, etc. and starting training for a half marathon with other Boot Campers. I became a part of a great support system.  I also got serious about my nutrition.  I started keeping a food diary and writing down every single thing that I ate.  Every little bite.  Now I use Lose It! as a way to track my calories and exercise. 

  It hasn't been easy.  I have had to change my lifestyle.  I thought I was eating healthy before, but keeping a food diary has helped me realize exactly what I was consuming and also helped me realize that I was consuming too much.  I have reduced the refined sugar and flour that I eat.  I have increased the lean protein that I consume.  I have changed my ways.

  I'm not here to preach about what you should eat or how you should exercise, but I am here to tell you that in the past four months I have lost 20.5 pounds.  I have shed 16.5 inches off my body.  I have reduced my BMI  and reduced my body fat % by 5.6 %    I have worked hard and I feel happier than I have in years.  I have more energy.  I don't need naps during the day and I wake up excited about exercising and starting my day off right.  I am proof that if you want to accomplish something bad enough and you combine hard work and determination- it is possible.

  Through this process, I haven't felt like blogging much.  I haven't been baking very often and if I have been baking, I haven't been eating the things I bake.  When I started this blog, it filled a void in my life and I feel like I don't need to blog anymore.  I feel excited about other things.  I still love to cook and bake, but for some reason, documenting it just isn't the same for me.  I don't know what that means exactly.  Maybe I will get back to blogging often.  Maybe not. 

   My husband and I ran the half marathon on our 11th anniversary and had a great time.  I missed my goal time (1:48)by a couple of minutes (1:54:31), but considering the pouring rain and tornado sirens, I will have to get over it.  I can't believe I am saying this, but it was fun!

My brother got married last weekend and I couldn't have enjoyed myself more.  I fit into a lovely dress and felt great about being in a million pictures.  I am truly happy and loved our time with family.  I was able to cook and bake for my family while we were in Utah visiting and will share some of the recipes below.

 I made this Kale and Feta Egg Bake before we went to Utah in 2 single servings, but also made it in Utah to serve 15 people.  It will take longer to bake if you make it in a 9*13-inch dish, but it still works.  I reduced the amount of cheese and oil, just to keep the calories in check.  When I made it for myself, I used 1 egg and 1 egg white, instead of 2 eggs.  I love this dish and plan to keep in rotation for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  You can reduce the feta even more and just do a little sprinkle on the top for a hit of flavor.  You can follow me on Pinterest, if you are interested in the recipes and things that have caught my eye.

Here is the original recipe for Kale and Feta Egg Bake
* I doubled the amount of marinara and kale
* I used half the amount of oil and feta
* I used 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites
* I served Sweet Potato Biscuits on the side


Other recipes I made and shared with a crowd last week in Utah-
Greek Salad with Orzo and Black-Eyed Peas

Savory Cornmeal and Chive Waffles with salsa and eggs 
* I used half whole wheat flour
* I did not use melted butter in these waffles.  I used 1/4 cup of canola oil and a couple extra Tablespoons of low fat buttermilk.
* I also used this recipe as a base for a sweet waffle- omitted the herbs and added 2 tsps of sugar.


Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Black Beans
* I didn't puree the dressing, I just added the jalapenos, lime juice and other ingredients
the the roasted veggies & beans
* I used less olive oil than called for, both when roasted the sweet potatoes and when dressing the salad
Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders and Salad with Tangy Maple Dressing
* I have made this multiple times and never fry the tenders in as much oil as it calls for.  I use about 2 Tablespoons of canola oil and cooking spray.

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

Blackberry, Lemon and Thyme Muffins
* I used half whole wheat flour in this recipe

Thick and Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Pumpkin Brownie Waffles

My son celebrated his 10th birthday last week and our celebrations include allowing the birthday child to choose a fun birthday breakfast. A friend had told me about a recipe she saw for Brownie Waffles and since my son looovveeesss brownies, I figured they would be the perfect way to start his birthday. I searched for a recipe and saw quite a few that were simply made from a brownie mix, but I wanted a recipe that was a little bit more breakfast and less dessert. I also wanted it to be from scratch.

I made these Mint Filled Brownie Cupcakes (per my son's request) for him to share as the special friday snack at school, so I didn't really want to serve him a completely sugar-filled crazy breakfast. I saw a recipe for Banana Brownie Waffles and decided to swap pumpkin puree for the mashed banana since my son doesn't really care for the taste of bananas in baked goods. I also added some mini chocolate chips to the batter.

I didn't really think about the fact that bananas are much sweeter than pumpkin puree, so these waffles were not very sweet by themselves, but very chocolate-y. I guess you could add a little bit more sugar to the batter if you wanted to. The kids enjoyed these topped with syrup, strawberries and whipped cream. I spread a little bit of peanut butter on one and topped it with sliced strawberries. It was a delicious splurge of a breakfast and we had a very happy birthday boy.

Pumpkin Brownie Waffles adapted from these Banana Brownie Waffles
1 1/2 cups white wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifter
1/4 cup wheat germ
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups lowfat buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat your waffle iron.
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
(I did this the night before, covered it and put it in the fridge.)
3. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, pumpkin puree, eggs, canola oil and vanilla extract until well blended. Gently stir in mini chocolate chips.
Pour over the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
4. Spray waffle iron with cooking spray. Pour batter in the center of waffle iron and cook until done. Repeat with remaining batter and serve with syrup, whipped cream, strawberries or peanut butter.

Here is the original recipe for Pumpkin Brownie Waffles

Strawberry Lemonade Bars

Strawberries are in season down in our neighboring state and they have been absolutely perfect and delicious the past couple weeks. We had some friends over for dinner and I decided a dessert with some sort of strawberry twist would be appropriate. I had 6 lemons that looked like they wouldn't last much longer, so I decided on these bars. They are a combination of a classic lemon bar with the added flavor of pureed strawberries.

My kids and our guests really liked these bars. I tried a small slice and thought they were very good. Not too sweet, lemony and the perfect way to end fun dinner.

Here is the recipe for Strawberry Lemonade Bars

Black-eyed Pea Hummus

I have a thing for making different kinds of hummus at home. I've come to realize that you can make any kind of hummus you want. I saw a recipe for Black-eyed Pea Hummus and it sounded really great. Over the past few summers, I have been able to try fresh pink-eyed peas and purple-eyed peas and have acquired a new love for any color of eyed peas. They are delicious fresh and cooked and I knew this hummus would be delicious.

I found a few containers of fresh black-eyed peas and cooked them to make this hummus. I just served it with fresh cut up veggies and it was delightful. When I tried it I thought that it might be my new favorite hummus. Try it and see what you think.

Here is the recipe for Black-eyed Pea Hummus

Whole Wheat Cornbread Muffins

I have fond memories of my mom making cornbread in a cast iron skillet when I was a kid. My siblings and I would enjoy a warm piece drizzled with honey. It was a special treat.
I don't get to eat cornbread very often now, simply because no one in my family really likes it and I don't want to eat an entire pan of it. And, it can be a very unhealthy food.

Because of all this, I was very excited when I spotted a recipe for Whole Wheat Cornbread in a recent issue of Food Network Magazine. It used whole wheat flour, a small amount of honey as a sweetener, and buttermilk. I made it a little bit healthier by swapping canola oil for the melted butter and I used nonfat buttermilk.

I decided to make these into muffins since those are easy to freeze and enjoy as a single serving. Much to my surprise my 5 year old really liked these. One by one, maybe I can get my family to like cornbread. This recipe is a great way to start that trend.

Here is the recipe for Whole Wheat Cornbread
* I used whole wheat pastry flour
* I subbed canola oil for the melted butter
* I used nonfat buttermilk
* I reduced the baking time by a few minutes

Hummus Slaw

I am not a big fan of most coleslaw recipes. I don't like mayo, so any recipe that uses that as a base is a definite no-go, and I don't really care for sugar-y/vinegar based dressing that accompany lots of other coleslaw recipes. When I saw this simple version of slaw, that is dressed with hummus and lemon juice, I knew it would be something I liked. I ended up just making the slaw part of the recipe and not the chicken part, but I think that the full recipe would probably be really good. This was a great side dish and also made a delicious lunch.

Here is the recipe I took the Hummus Slaw from

I also made this recipe for Roasted Pork with Lentils.
from the same issue of Food Network Magazine, but the picture I took was too hideous to share. It was a great dinner. We had collard greens on the side.

Date Chocolate Nut Balls

For the past couple months, I haven't been consuming refined sugars. I will admit that I had a slice of this pie (sans the coconut) that I made on Thanksgiving and tasted a cookie or two over the Christmas Holidays, but for the most part, I haven't been eating it. I haven't been baking very much. I still make my kids cookies or muffins occasionally, but I don't always consume what I make. I also have been experimenting with other ways to enjoy sweet treats.

We are big LARABAR fans in this house. If you are familiar with those, you know that they can be a little bit pricey. Especially when a certain 9 year old wants to eat one- every. single. day. *sidenote- his favorite flavors are - Coconut Cream Pie, Cashew Cookie, and Chocolate Coconut Chew :D

I have seen multiple recipes for Homemade LaraBars and so, I bought a huge bag of dates a few weeks ago.

Long story short- These little Date Chocolate Nut Balls were the first thing that I made with my dates. They are kinda like little nuggets of a LaraBar.

These little treats are so good. They are just sweet enough to qualify as a treat and the perfect way to top off a meal. I made them when I was taking dinner to someone and kept quite a few for us. We have been enjoying them as snacks straight from the freezer. I worked out the calorie info and each one has about 40 calories. I will be making these over and over again.

Here is the recipe for Date Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
* I used a mixture of cashews, pecans, almonds, and hazelnuts instead of peanuts
* I used unsweetened coconut milk instead of water, just because I had it in the fridge

Chicken and Broccolini Stir-Fry

Stir- Fry is always a great option for weeknight dinners around here. I love how quick they are to prepare and also the versatile number of veggies that you can use in them. I saw this fun take on stir-fry in a recent issue of The Food Network Magazine and thought it looked delicious.

My kids have been snacking on sweet mini peppers lately, so I had no problem slicing up a few of them for this stir-fry. My family really enjoyed this meal and I hope you do too.

Here is the recipe for Chicken and Broccolini Stir-Fry
* I used rice wine vinegar instead of mirin

Brussels Sprout-Sweet Potato Hash

I saw this recipe on facebook and loved the idea of a savory, veggie-filled breakfast. Since now I like sweet potatoes, I was really excited to try this dish. I also love brussel sprouts, so I knew this had to be good.

This quick breakfast was delightful. It took a few minutes to prep the vegetables, but once they were ready, the whole thing came together really fast. Because the sweet potatoes are finely shredded/grated, they really don't take that long to cook. I added a fried egg on the side and decided to add this to my weekly breakfast menu. It's fast, nutritious and soo good!

Here is the recipe for Brussels Sprout-Sweet Potato Hash

Herbed Salmon Croquettes

My in-laws gave me a gift certificate for my birthday and so over the Holiday break, I took the kids to Barnes & Noble to look at books. I picked up a giant stack of cookbooks, novels, and magazines and parked it in the kids section. Luckily for me, my kids like to look at books as much as I do. We spent a few hours there, but I waited to use my gift certificate, so I could think about what I wanted to get.

Before we went to the bookstore I was thinking about dinner and what I could make. I really needed to go get groceries, but decided to use what I had on hand to make dinner instead. I was thinking about making some sort of salmon patty because I had 2 pouches of salmon in my pantry. While at the bookstore I saw this recipe for Herbed Salmon Croquettes. My past experiences with Ellie Krieger's recipes gave me confidence and I knew they would be fabulous. I have her 2 other books and love them. I had everything on hand and I felt confident that I would be able to find the recipe online. Thankfully, I was able to look inside this book on Amazon and get the recipe.

These Salmon Croquettes were fabulous. My kids loved them. I just served them over a big salad of mixed greens and we devoured them. I wanted to try one of the sauces that Ellie recommend in her book to go with them, but didn't have the ingredients on hand. To my satisfaction the croquettes were flavorful enough to not need any sauce. I was so happy with this recipe and how it turned out, that I went back to the bookstore and used my gift certificate to get this cookbook (and maybe a Lego StarWars book for my son, since we were on a date :D )

Herbed Salmon Croquettes adapted from Comfort Food Fix by Ellie Krieger
2 slices whole wheat bread
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 5-ounce pouches skinless, boneless salmon, drained of any excess water
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 celery stalk, very finely diced
2 large egg whites
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
olive oil cooking spray

Put the bread in a food processor and process until fine crumbs are formed. There should be about 1 3/4 cups of crumbs.

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl combine 1 cup of the bread crumbs, the onion mixture, salmon, mustard, celery, egg whites, parsley, dill, salt and pepper, mixing well to combine. Form into eight 2 1/2-inch patties and gently press each patty in the remaining 3/4 cup bread crumbs.

Heat the remaining 4 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the croquettes until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Spray the tops with oil spray, flip.. and cook 3 minutes more, or until browned and warmed through.

Peach Almond Green Smoothie (with Swiss Chard) & other Green Smoothie recipes

Back in October my sister came to visit. She was reading a book about Beauty Detox when she came and although we didn't agree with everything in the book, we both decided that we would incorporate green smoothies into our diet. I had had them before, but not consistently, because I always felt that I was getting enough greens in my normal diet. Swiss Chard is my all-time favorite food. We eat tons of kale, spinach, swiss chard, beet greens, turnip greens, collards, etc., and even had a very successful first summer/fall of growing swiss chard in the garden. (I still have some sprouting up out there!)

Taking all of this into account, my sister and I started having a green smoothie almost daily. She went back to Utah and we would email or text our different recipes and ideas. I experimented with some of my own concoctions, some were delicious, some not so good-(which I still got drank, somehow). I also tried a bunch of different recipes that used different greens besides spinach, which I am going to share. I haven't taken a picture of every single one of these recipes, but I have enjoyed each of them 5+ times in the past few months. My go-to, on hand, I-don't-want-to-think green smoothie is banana, frozen mixed berries, spinach and cold water. I don't like using yogurt/milk or juice because it adds unnecessary calories, in my opinion.

Now I have some sort of green smoothie 3-4 days a week. I find they are very refreshing as an after workout snack/meal, but also are great as a breakfast or snack anytime of day. I don't add any honey/agave/sweetener because I think the fruit makes them sweet enough. My kids drink them with me and really like them. I know many people try to eat healthier as the New Year rolls around and green smoothies are a great and easy way to up the number of veggies/fruits you consume.

I have made and enjoyed each of the following Green Smoothie recipes at least 5 or more times. My kids love them too.

Peach Almond Green Smoothie (pictured above)

1 cup frozen peaches

1 sliced banana

2 cups chopped (torn) swiss chard

1 T raw almond butter

2 cups water+ a few ice cubes

Optional: 1 T ground flax seed

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth

Blueberry Kale Smoothie

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 1/2 sliced bananas

2 handfuls (1 1/2 cups) chopped kale (I like to use red russian kale, it has a better raw taste)

2 cups water

handful of ice

Optional: 1 T ground flax seed

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth

Grape Fig Cleanser

3 cups grapes (purple or green)

3-4 black mission figs

2 cups chopped spinach

2 cups water

1 cup ice

Optional: 1 T ground flax seed

Oat Berry Green Smoothie

1/4 cup oats (ground up in blender before other ingredients are added)
1 sliced banana
1/2 cup chopped fresh or frozen mango
1 cup frozen blackberries or blueberries (or mixed frozen berries)
2 cups spinach
2 cups ice cold water

Glowing Green Smoothie by Kimberly Snyder

1 1/2 cups water

1 head organic romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 of large bunch of organic spinach (or 3/4 of small bunch)

3-4 stalks organic celery

1 organic apple, cored and chopped

1 organic pear, cored and chopped

1 organic banana

Juice of 1/2 organic lemon

Optional: 1/3 bunch organic cilantro (stems okay), 1/3 bunch organic parsley (stems okay)

Directions:

1. Add the water and chopped head of romaine and spinach to the blender.

2. Starting the blender on a low speed, mix until smooth.

3. Gradually moving to higher speeds, add the celery, apple, and pear.

4. Add the cilantro and parsley if you choose. Fresh herbs, like cilantro and parsley, have cleansing properties that help extract heavy metals and other toxins from the body.

5. Add the banana and lemon juice last.

Here is a link for Green Smoothie Cups that I plan to try really soon since I located coconut water at Trader Joe's last week

Rice Krispy Bundt Cake and looking forward to a great 2012!

My husband's birthday is on December 23rd and mine is the next day, so our birthdays are usually a busy, fun celebration that involve many Christmas festivities thrown in with the birthday stuff. Neither of us mind this at all.

Last year I spent way too much time in the kitchen on Matt's birthday making these totally decadent, divine Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes. This year I wanted to keep it simple and so when I saw Mary post this fun idea for a Rice Krispy Bundt Cake a couple of months ago, I knew it would be the perfect birthday treat for my hubby. One of his fave treats happen to be rice krispy treats, so he was very excited. The preparation was easy. The celebration was simple and there was absolutely nothing fussy about this fun birthday treat. We decorated the top with Christmas shaped marshmallows and each enjoyed a slice after going to a basketball game.

I am excited about 2012. I think it is going to be a great year. I am looking forward to fun, challenges, growth, excitement, laughter, hard work and much more. I'm not sure what exactly that means for my blog, but I have made some changes to my diet over the past 2 1/2 months and I don't know for sure how that is going to translate to what goes on over here.

On another note, I saw this Food Lover's Cleanse on Bon Appetit last year and really wanted to try it. I am thinking about starting it within the next day or two, but I'm pretty sure the only part I will include my family in is the dinner portion. Maybe I will choose the best 7 days of it and do it for only a week. I hope you all had a great holiday and are as excited about the new year as I am!


Here is the post about the Rice Krispy Bundt Cake from the Food Librarian
* I made a double batch of rice krispy treats so they would fill a normal sized bundt pan and
made sure to use lots of baking spray so the cake would come out easily

Gingerbread Ice Cream

I saw this cookbook called Gingerbread a couple of months ago and as I was flipping through it, I started to realize that I wanted to make everything in the book. I had no idea how I would ever narrow it down and choose a recipe to actually make. I thumbed through it again and bookmarked a bunch of things and then, last week I had 6 egg yolks hanging out in the fridge and I knew ice cream was the answer.

I saw Tracey's post about this ice cream last week and that just help verify the fact that I was going to make it.

This ice cream tastes and smells exactly like gingerbread! It is loaded with spices and molasses. Fresh ginger is steeped in the milk/cream mixture, so it really has a great ginger flavor. This is the perfect ice cream for the holidays. It tastes like the holidays! It also stays nice and creamy, even after spending time in the freezer. If you have a gingerbread fiend in the house, they will love this!

Here is the recipe for Gingerbread Ice Cream

Cranberry Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookies

I always want to incorporate fresh cranberries into my holiday baking somehow. I usually find a bar cookie that contains fresh cranberries and this year I was hoping to find something a little bit different. I saw a link for these Cranberry Cinnamon Pinwheels on Pinterest and I knew that they would be made for the holidays.

First you make a fresh cranberry filling that contains a little sugar and some cinnamon. You have to set that aside and let it cool completely. The filling is spread over a basic cookie dough, flavored with cinnamon and then the dough+filling are rolled up cinnamon roll style. The dough has to be frozen and for good reason. I wouldn't want to try slicing these when the filling is gooey. The freezer time makes these cookies easy to slice and bake.

I haven't been eating sweets for a couple of months, but I tried one of these and thought they were really good. I was surprised that my kids really liked them too. They aren't very sweet, but they have just enough sweetness to be a great cookie. The cranberry filling is tart and delicious and the cinnamon in the dough and filling really brings it all together. Plus, they look festive and are fun to share!

Here is the link for Cranberry Cinnamon Pinwheels

Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprints

I saw these cookies in the latest issue of EveryDay Food Magazine and knew they were the perfect cookie for my holiday treat plates. A quick brownie-like cookie that is filled with a creamy, peppermint-chocolate filling- what could be better? These were received with rave reviews and quite a few requests for the recipe.

Chocolate-Peppermint Thumbprints

Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

5 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (3/4 cup)

1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup each butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat to combine.
2. Place 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll in sugar to coat. Place balls, 1 inch apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 5 minutes. Remove sheets from oven; with the small end of a melon baller or the bottom of a small round measuring spoon make an indentation in center of each cookie.
3. Bake until cookies are just set but still look moist, 4 minutes (do not overbake). Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
4. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips and 1/4 cup butter in 10-second increments until melted; stir in peppermint extract. Let cool until thick enough to pipe, 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large zip-top bag; snip 1/4-inch hole in one corner. Pipe chocolate into cookie indentations. Store in airtight containers, up to 1 week.
   

Cranberry Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits & Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Black Beans

Once again horrible, quick photos. You will have to overlook them please, because these two things are very tasty.

First up, Cranberry Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits. My son chose dinner the other night and he wanted fried eggs, sauteed swiss chard & spinach, and biscuits. I know for a fact that these were not the kind of biscuits he wanted, but I was ready to try them, so I made half of them without the cranberries. This recipe uses whole wheat pastry flour and it makes a very tender, delicious biscuit. My daughters and I thought the ones with cranberries were very good and my son enjoyed those that were cranberry free.

Second, this Sweet Potato & Black Bean Salad. I'm happy to say that I have completely overcome my dislike of sweet potatoes. The key for me is to combine them with savory and/or spicy ingredients. I made this salad for a Christmas party and it was really delicious. Pretty simple too. I didn't follow the directions exactly because I wanted to add the lime juice and olive oil bit by bit, so I could adjust the taste and I also wanted the little bites of jalapeno to be in there, not pureed. I loved this salad. Many people requested the recipe. It is a fun, healthy alternative/salad that can be shared at this time of year.


Here is the recipe for Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Black Beans
* I didn't puree the dressing, I just added the jalapenos, lime juice and other ingredients
the the roasted veggies & beans
* I used less olive oil than called for, both when roasted the sweet potatoes and when dressing the salad


Here is the recipe for Cranberry Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
* I used low-fat buttermilk
* I only added frozen cranberries to half of my biscuits

Dorie's Sugar Topped Molasses Cookies

These cookies are a family favorite that make the holiday treat rotation every single year. The dough is easy to mix together, can be made ahead of time, and they are just the perfect spicy/molasses cookie- crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle. I made them again this year for a Christmas party and they were a hit. If you want an even chewier cookie, you can skip the step that flattens the cookies with a glass dipped in sugar. Merry Baking!

Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies
by Dorie Greenspan

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
a pinch cracked or coarsely ground black pepper
3/4 cup (12 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
1 large egg
1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and pepper. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat for 2 minutes or so to blend, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg and beat for 1 minute more. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing until the flour and spices disappear. If some flour remains in the bottom of the bowl, to avoid over-beating the dough, mix in the last of the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula. You'll have a smooth, very soft dough.

Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Freeze for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The dough can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Put the sugar in a small bowl.

Working with one packet of dough at a time, divide it into 12 pieces, and roll each piece into a smooth ball between your palms. One by one, roll the balls around in the bowl of sugar , then place them on one of the baking sheets. Dip the bottom of a glass into the sugar and use it to press down on the cookies until they are between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the tops feel set to the touch. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, if the cookies have spread and are touching, use the edge of a metal spatula to separate them while they are still hot.

Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to room temperature. Repeat with the second batch of dough.
Yield: about 24 fairly large cookies

Storage: The cookies will keep for at least 1 week in the cookie jar. Wrapped airtight, they can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club- Honey Glazed Almonds

This month's Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club theme was Holiday Hors d'oeuvres, chosen by Sandi.
You can see the full menu by visiting Val's blog here.

I decided to make Honey Glazed Almonds. This recipe is very easy and takes about 10 minutes to throw together. You toast the almonds in a skillet for a few minutes on the stovetop and then mix together the honey & spices. That mixture is warmed in the microwave and then added to the almonds. You just stir and cook for 2 more minutes and then spread the nuts on a piece of parchment to let them set up for 10 minutes. They couldn't be easier!

I didn't have chipotle chili powder, just plain chili powder and I was wishing these nuts had a little bit more spice. Next time I will double the spice. These nuts are slightly sweet and crunchy and they make the perfect finger food. They would make a great addition to any holiday party or table, and would also be great as a gift or snack. Very versatile.

Here is the recipe for Honey Glazed Almonds
* I would add more of the spices to kick up the flavor next time

Hazelnut Blondies

It's that time of year when everyone starts making cookies, candies, and other treats to share with their families and friends. Fun, fun, fun. The hard part is deciding which treats to make!

When my sister was here visiting about 2 months ago, we made these blondies together. I decided to save them until the holidays because I thought they would be a great addition to any party, plate, or whatever else you all might have going on this month. These are a very basic blondie with hazelnuts adding some extra texture and flavor and they are topped with Nutella.
My sister ending up taking them back with her and sharing them with her co-workers and everyone really enjoyed them.

Here is the recipe for Hazelnut Blondies

Fresh Cranberry Salsa with Cilantro, Lime and Jalapeno

I wasn't planning on posting about any of the things I made for Thanksgiving, but everytime I eat some of this Cranberry Salsa that was leftover, I think about how good it is and how I should really share it. The picture is from a few days after I made it, so you can't see the intense green of the cilantro and jalapeno, but the flavor is still there. This salsa was so delicious on turkey and I have been eating it on almost anything since then. It is good with pita chips, on crackers with cheese, with fresh cut-up veggies, on salad greens, sandwiches, etc. It is so good. It has a nice spicy bite, thanks to the jalapenos, but it isn't too strong. Just the way I like it. Plus, right now there are still lots of fresh cranberries available and this would be a great dish to share at any holiday dinner, get-together, or for an ordinary day.

Here is the recipe for Fresh Cranberry Salsa with Cilantro, Lime and Jalapeno
* I used about 2 Tbls less sugar than the recipe called for, but used white granulated sugar and not a sugar substitute