Granola!

This weekend has been full of baking, shopping,cleaning and ending with my brothers graduation.  I'm pooped, but excited for a fun filled week.  I came across a recipe for granola in the December Issue of the Rachael Ray magazine for Berry Christmas Granola a few weeks ago and it peeked my interest.  I normally make my Mom's fabulous caramel corn recipe for folks at work but decided to try something new.  So off I went to my favorite Amish bulk food store to gather the yummy ingredients.  Only in Amish country will you hear the cashier ask to the man in front of you if he will be "butchering the hog today".  To her disappointment he will not, just making ring bologna.
After making a double batch of this and being pleased with it I had plenty of ingredients to make another double batch.  Here's the recipe;

Berry Christmas Granola
Rachael Ray
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
2 T sesame seeds
1/4t salt
6T unsalted butter
1/4 cup honey
1 cup salted, roasted pistachios shelled and coarsly chopped.
3/4 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup dried blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 275 F.  On a large baking sheet, toss together the oats, almonds, sesame seeds and salt.   In a glass measuring cup, combine the butter ad honey, pour over the oat mixture and stir with a rubber spatula to blend.  Spread evenly and bake for 30 minutes, stirring and spreading once with the spatula during cooking.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
2.  In a large bowl, combine the pistachios, cherries and blueberries with the cooled oat mixture and toss to combine.

Since I'm using this recipe as a gift I packaged it in mason jars with a lovely festive ribbon.  Tada!  If you are looking for an easy fast homemade gift, here ya go!

As I said I ended my weekend with my brothers graduation from LCCC.  Great Job Dave! We are all so proud!

Gingersnap Cupcakes

As I searched to find something yummy to take to my work's holiday luncheon I came across these bad boys, Gingersnap Cupcakes.  It appealed to me in a number of ways #1 I had all ingredients on hand and didn't have to run to the store, #2 these are Gingersnap Cupcakes, and #3 well it's clear that I am a Ginger so I tend to gravitate to all things gingery.
Ginger kids!
I love Picky Palate's recipes, I have made several items from her lovely site.  She just posted a hot chocolate cupcake recipe that I'm tempted to give a whirl!
My Mom's theory on never making a single batch of anything, just in case, was instilled in me.  So I made a double batch, some for my work and some for the hubby's.

Dark Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

This past weekend we had a family Christmas party, and while the cheesey Bingo game and prizes were a definate hit, I have to say I made some bangin' coconut macaroons. 

Of course I had help from my friend Ina Garten.  By the way, does her name bother anyone else as much as it does me?  So this recipe is below, I kicked it up a notch and melted dark chocolate chips and dipped them half way.  As an afterthought I think it would have been better to drizzle these since the chocolate is almost too overpowering.  I guess I should have just listened to Ina in the first place.  Mad props Ina, these are awesome.

Coconut Macaroons
Ina Garten
14oz sweetened flaked coconut
1 can 14oz sweetened condensed milk
1t vanilla
2 xlarge egg whites at room temp.
1/4 t kosher salt
1. Preheat to 325F.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In large bowl, mix coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla till combined
3. In medium bowl, with mixer fitted to whisk attachment on high speed, whip egg whites andsalt until medium-firm peaks form.  Carefully fold egg whits into coconut mixture.
4. Drop two rounded teaspoonful portions onto prepared cookie sheets.  Bake 25-30 min. or until golden brown.
5. Jen's step- wait till cookies have cooled, in double boiler/make shift double boiler melt chocolate chips.  once melted dip your cookies and place onto wax paper til they have set.

Pumpkin Apple Muffins- UF style

I love to read recipe books, well mostly I like looking at the pictures.  If a recipe book doesn't have pictures, forget it.  The seasons are changing here in eastern PA and the comfort food is calling.   As I'm trying my hardest to continue my UF challenge, it has been just that...a challenge.  I love fall food, it's just so warm and tasty and cinnamony. yum.
While looking through my weight watchers recipe book I came across pumpkin apple bread.  Since there are only two of us in the house, a loaf of pumpkin apple bread could be deadly or go to waste, so I opted to make these into muffins.  And instead of using grated apple as the recipe ordered, I used some diced dehydrated apple bits that I got from the local dry goods Amish store.
Unfortunately I don't have pictures, but you can imagine and fluffy pumpkin apple muffin.  These muffins come in at around 80 calories a peice.
Pumpkin Apple Muffins
Adapted from WW
2 cups AP Flour
1/4 cup sugar
1t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t pumpkin pie spice
1 large egg
1 cup low-fat buttermilk skim milk
1 apple, peeled, cored, grated 1 cup dehydrated diced apples
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 t confectioner's sugar

1.Preheat oven to 350; line muffin pan.
2. In large bowl, compine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.  In a small bowl, beat the egg; add milk, apple, and pumpkin.  Pour over the flour mixture; stir until just blended.
3. Fill muffin tins approx. 3/4 full, bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Dust with confectioners sugar.
I made a double batch and had about 36 muffins to munch on and share.  Enjoy!

U to the F

Greetings from the Ark! Here in good ole' PA we are getting some crazy rain.  What is it about rain that makes us want to hibernate and be unproductive.  Well I have been trying to ignore the fact that it is rainy and windy and just plain miserable outside so I can get some much needed cleaning done.  Apparently my washer is taking note to the weather as it keeps stopping and needs me to coax it through it's cycle. oy vey.
I have good news though!  I'm still UFing...today I hit a milestone! 10lbs down! Woo hoo!  I'm pretty darn proud.

Last night for dinner I made this yummy dish, some eggplant parm, give it a whirl you won't be disappointed! Even the mister couldn't get enough.
Happy almost Friday!

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

Today was one of those days when I just kept having conversations over and over in my head...possibly just talking to myself, and possibly reinventing 'what I should have said'.  Most of of the phrases that kept ruminating(aren't  you proud SCL, apparently I have some smart friends too ;-)) around were "Are you kidding me?" and "What?! Do I look like an idiot".  What made these thoughts and conversations to myself exist today is no longer important, as I am Over it.  So I will turn to the positives of the day.
1. Still sticking to my healthy living plan, or operation UF.
2. Had a lovely 2.5 mile walk at lunch with a friend eventhough its a decent 95 degrees out.
3. Made another batch of yummy SpiCAY hummus.
4. I made weight watchers Turkey Meatloaf for dinner, and it smells delish. Recipe at the bottom.
5. I came home to this on top of my laptop.

Oh yes that's baby Josh

How can I not have a good day now?  I seriously busted out laughing, made my night.






WW Parmesan-Turkey Meatloaf
Makes 8 Servings
1T olive oil
1onion, chopped
1 1/4 lb ground skinless turkey
4 slices whole-wheat bread, made into fine crumbs
1/2 cup ff milk
1 egg lightly beaten
3T ketchup
2T grated parm cheese
1t minced garlic
1/2 t dried basil
1/4 t dried thyme
1/4 t ground pepper

1.Preheat oven to 350F; spray 8x5 loaf pan with nonstick spray. In small skillet, heat oil. Saute the onion until tender.
2. In med. bowl, combine the onion, turkey,bread crumbs, milk, egg, ketchup, cheese, garlic, basil, thyme, and pepper; blend well.  Transfer to pan. Bake until browned and cooked through, 50-60 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes, then cut into 8 slices.
Per serving; Cal 181, F 9g, Carb 10g, Fib 1g

UF

Well...I finally cut my hair, nothing crazy, just to my shoulders.  And for some reason I thought that was where I gained all that weight from.  I was hoping to hop on that scale and to drop a good 20lbs. Darn it.   I mean my hair is thick...it had to atleast weighed like 5lbs. 
Why is it so easy to pack it on and it takes fooooorrrr eva to make it go away?  Well I'm on a mission, Operation Surprise Getting Married Makes You Fat Now Get Unfat.  Or UF for short (unfat) or atleast UF un poco (unfat a little).
It's crazy when it just hits ya, like dang what did you do? yikes!  Well it's been a constant battle no doubt.  And if you are blessed with the ability to not eat your entire plate of food or are naturally skinny well just please be thankful and await a post on my thriftiness as this does not concern you.
What's my game plan?  Well, consuming as many whole foods as possible, as the processed kind are not exactly anyones friends (although very tasty at times), and increasing my exercise.  With the weather getting nicer it should be a little more enticing to get some walking and running in.  Wish me luck!
Have any good recipes or tips? Share SHARE!

Hooray for Pizza Day!

I made an awesome pizza the other day and just have to share with you.  The crust is Weight Watchers and super simple.  Am I the only one who didn't know you could freeze pizza dough?!?!  I was going to halve this recipe so if would make just one pie.  But there is a note in my recipe book that says you can freeze it! Just put it in a floured freezer bag and you are good to go.  To thaw just stick in the fridge overnight, or on the counter for and hour 1/2.
Basic Pizza Dough
(Makes 2 12-inch pizza crusts)
1 1/2 cups warm water
1t sugar
1package active dry yeast
1 T olive oil
4 1/4 cups AP flour
1 1/2 t salt
1. Combine water and sugar.  Sprinkle in yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 min.
2. In food processor, combine flour and salt.  While machine running, scrape yeast mixture through the feed tube; pulse until dough forms a ball.  If necessary, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth and elastic.
3. Spray large bowl with nonstick spray; put dough in bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size.  About 1 hour.
4. Punch down the dough, then cut in half.

This was my first time making the dough in a food processor.  Genius!  It was super easy!
So obviously after punching the dough...which has always been my favorite part of pizza dough...roll out, or if you are a pro hand toss.

For my pizza I drizzled the dough with olive oil, then sprinkled with Garlic Garlic and Seasoned Salt.  Then topped with our garden tomatos and the left over mozzarella from our tomato mozz salad the other night.  Then drizzled more oil on top, salt and pepper and shredded parm and into the oven it went at 500 F for about 12 minutes.

This was the bomb diggity no doubt.  I love how something so simple can be so Delicious!




Calorie count for dough...
Per serving; 1/12th of the dough
Cal-174
Fat-2g
No Sat or Trans Fat
Sodium-292g
Carb-34g
Fib-1g
Prot-5g

Yum

I normally am a Fall kinda gal but one thing I love LOVE about summer is the produce.  Yum!  Me and the hubs were having some friends over for dinner. 

Actually our first dinner with company other than our families. 
Time to break out the Ina Garten in me!

I decided to make this blueberry buckle. 
Since blueberries are in prime season right now I thought it was the perfect dessert on a summery day, with a side of vanilla ice cream of course.

yum

This was absolutely delicious! Yum! Super YUM!  Give it a try peeps you will not be disappointed.!

There is Hummus Among Us

Like Hummus?  
Mmmmm me too. 
I hope you aren't buying it in the store... 
Oh you are? 
Yea I've bought my fair share too.  Get's pricey doesn't it?
Well guess what?! 
It is too easy not to make this and sooo much cheaper!
Oh you want the recipe?
Well of course silly, I wasn't going to just tempt you with words!

Hummus
2 cups chick peas (drained and rinsed)
2/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup lime juice
2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
pinch salt
Drizzle of EVOO

Combine all but the salt and EVOO in the food processor, puree.  If it's too thick add some oil or water.  Add a pinch of salt.  Place in container for enjoying and drizzle with your fav oil.

Really it's that easy.  And you were paying $3.99 or 8 oz? ouch.
I'm glad we had this talk

Cilantro smells like stink bugs

I love to recipe hunt and I love pictures of food...and if a recipe doesn't have a picture with it I will most-def pass it up.  That's why I love food blogs.  I LOVE this blog...SkinnyTaste.  The Mr. grilled up some yummy chicken legs before  he went to work, so I made some Cilantro Lime Rice to accompany it.  Is it me or does cilantro kinda smell like stink bugs?  I never realized it till today.  I hate stink bugs, gross.  That may have set to mood for the dish.  Not a huge fan, but not bad either. And to go with that I thought a margarita was necessary.  I chose this one since it was a whopping 100 calories. Skinnygirl margarita

Skinnygirl

2 oz of Tequila
tiny splash of orange liqueur
juice of 4 fresh lime wedges
Pour that on top of ice and voila viva Mexico!  With my addiction to the Housewives of New York, I've been dying to try Bethanny's Margarita. Yum! I'll be having another one of those soon!

Stop!

I can't stop, there is no stop button on me, for some reason I feel the need to constantly go go go.  Tonight I had a free night, nothing planned. Wow, doesn't happen often these days.  The man of the house (as he so humbly announced when he stopped home for lunch)  works nights so unfortunately he was not around.  I can't relax, do nothing, veg.  I can't say I didn't try, but soon I got up to sweep the floors and started going through my closet, and then thought hmm I could make something for tomorrow.  Tomorrow we are going to do a final cleaning at my sisters Cafe before the health inspector comes on Monday, but more on that 'adventure' another time.  Since they have been working so hard lately at getting their business up and running i thought it would be nice to make a snack for the busy bees.

I thought granola, and typed it into one of my fav recipe blogs Smitten Kitchen.  I found the recipe there and tweaked it a little, I couldn't put 6 T of butter in it, or corn syrup.  You must know that I'm known for not following directions and screwing recipes up, my family is usually very surprised when I make something...good.  My sister is a pastry chef, so after eating any of her treats, mine seem so elementary.  I'm working at it though.

1-12 oz bag of premixed dried fruit/nuts (the choice is yours! there are some good mixes out there, it seemed cheaper to do it this way than to buy individual bags, I'm thrifty* if you haven't caught on to that)
1 2/3 rolled oats
1/3 cup oat flour (throw rolled oats in the food processor and boom oat flour)
1/2 cup sugar (would go less next time)
1/2t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
1/3 cup peanut butter (I used the naked kind, you know no sugar, just peanuts and salt)
1t vanilla
4 T butter
3 T applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1 T water
Combine all dry ingredients, (I pulsed my fruit/nut mixture because it was super chunky)
Melt butter and whisk together wet ingredients
Combine dry with the wet ingredients.
Bake in 8x8 pan lined with foil and lightly sprayed in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes.  Let cool completely and cut into bars.  Voila!

In other news, I was at Weis and used 6 Puffs Plus Tissue coupons that I got from Vocalpoint.  They were $1.29 each= $7.74
-6-.50 cent coupons doubled = $6.00
Total : $1.74 for 6 boxes of tissues! word!  How's that for the DOTW?

*Shirley Chicken Legs and I decided a long time ago that we are Thrifty not Cheap ;-)

Oil and Water

Adventure 1 of this weekend is making lotion. A few weeks back at our family Christmas party my Aunt Kathy introduced me to some of her homemade hand lotion. So of course I needed the recipe!

Here it is:

Waters:

2/3 C Distilled Water or Rose Water ( I used Distilled)

1/3 C Aloe Vera Gel

1-2 Drops of Essential Oil. ( I used Lavender)

Vitamins A or E ( I used E)

Oils:

2/3 C Sweet Almond Oil

1/3 C Coconut Oil

1/2 to 1 oz Beeswax

Put 'waters' in the blender on high.

In small saucepan, melt 'oils' together to soften and melt beeswax.

Add 'oils' to 'waters' and blend blend blend and the mixture will thicken.

Presto you have lotion.

End result...interesting. I'm not sure if I like it. It doesn't smell like lavender it smells like coconut and beeswax, which I'm okay with, maybe next time I'll put more of the lavender in. It does however have super mosturizing properties.

Adventure 2 laundry soap...yes these are my kind of adventures...I'll take this over skydiving any day.