Unprocessing My Diet and Whole Wheat Waffles

So I will say first things first: I don't believe actual "diets" work.  As stated in my About Me page, people who lose substantial weight on popular diets (think Atkins, HCG, etc) almost always regain the weight within 5 years.  What works is a healthy lifestyle.  I DO believe in changing the way you eat to include more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These 3 things are the 3 categories of food that most people need to work on eating more of.

I've recently come upon the blog, 100 Days of Real Food.  Um wow, I can't stop reading through all of the posts.  A wife and mom of 2 kids decided to completely eliminate all processed foods from her family's diet.  At first it was a 100-day goal, but now they have continued this way of eating.  I've always known that it's best to limit processed food intake, but the more I read and the more I think of it, it really makes sense to eat hardly ANY of it.  The "American" diet is saturated with processed junk food like Cheez-its, donut holes, Oreos, Reeses'... and is made with unnatural and even harmful ingredients such as artificial coloring dyes, artificial flavorings, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and genetically-modified organisms.  The saying is true that says if you wouldn't find the ingredient in your pantry, then why should you be eating it?

Now that I have a daughter (she's 3 months old), I've really been re-thinking my approach toward nutrition.  I ate pretty healthy before, buying low-fat products and whole-wheat bread, rice and tortillas, while trying to include lots of fruits and vegetables.  But I don't think that's enough anymore.  There is a definite link between nutrition and diseases of the body; you truly are what you eat.  I have a healthy body, but what I eat now will determine my health in 30, 40, 50 years from now, and I want my daughter and other future children to grow up eating the most healthy foods possible with a love of nutrition like mine.  I want their risk of getting illnesses and nutrition-related diseases to be as low as possible, and I know that I can minimize that risk in my own home.

Now I'm not going ever going to be perfect.  I can't say I will never bake with all-purpose flour again (a true "real food" diet does not include any enriched flour) or that I will never eat an Oreo again. That is simply unrealistic.  However, I am going to do my best.  These are the things I am going to work on improving in mine and my family's diet:

1. I'm not going to buy any products with high-fructose corn syrup in it
2. The products I buy will have as few ingredients as possible (the more ingredients it has, the more processed it is)
3. I will bake with whole-grain flour and unrefined sweeteners such as honey, pure maple syrup and sucanat
4. I will try to purchase as many organic products as I can afford
5. I will try to make homemade versions of store-bought items (like BBQ sauce, chicken broth, granola, bread, etc.)
6. I will stop buying low-fat and fat-free products (this post and this post were both an eye-opener to me but after additional research it makes sense that low-fat products are not healthier and they add in extra preservatives and other chemicals that make the product unsafe and unhealthy!)
This will be an on-going journey that will take time to completely adjust to, but I'm feeling committed.  I want the best for my family.  I feel SO amazing when I feed my body healthy, whole, REAL foods.  I constantly think back to the diet of our ancestors- processed junk food did not exist and they ate REAL food! It is the food that God intended us to eat, I think! (I'm definitely NOT saying it is a sin to eat processed foods at all, just that unprocessed food is in or is as close to its God-given natural state).

Here are some additional posts from the 100 Days blog that were interesting and helpful in eating less processed food:
Why you should cut processed food
What exactly is "real food?"
10 common misconceptions about real food
Real food meal plan ideas
85 snack ideas

I am definitely going to make a serious effort in eating "real" food and cooking and baking with real ingredients.  I'm excited to start this lifelong journey.  On a final note for today, I have a real food recipe that I got from the same blog... 100 Days of Real Food: waffles.  These are 100% whole wheat, using white whole wheat flour.  It is a little lighter in texture than normal whole wheat flour but yet has the same nutritional benefits.  These waffles are husband approved! My husband loved them, although he did not love the pure maple syrup that I put on top of my own waffle; he opted for regular pancake syrup (the processed, high-fructose corn syrup kind!). I personally enjoy the fresh taste of 100% real maple syrup and even though it is much runnier than pancake syrup, it is still very sweet and yummy.

Whole Wheat Waffles
Makes 4-5 waffles

2 large eggs
1 ¾ cups milk (anything from skim milk to thick buttermilk should work)
¼ cup oil (I used coconut oil)
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour (organic white whole-wheat flour works great)
2 teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
Warmed 100% pure maple syrup for serving
Fresh fruit for serving

1. Preheat your waffle iron.
2. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, honey, cinnamon, and baking soda until well combined.
3. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk together just until the large lumps disappear.
4. When the waffle iron is hot, dab it with a little butter and then ladle some batter onto the center of the iron. Follow the instructions that came with your waffle maker to know how long it should be cooked (mine takes about 3 – 4 minutes each).
5. Keep waffles warm until you finish cooking all of them. Top with pure maple syrup and fruit. Enjoy!

Bacon Cheddar Florentine Quiche

KAY so I'm just gonna get right down to it.  Never made quiche before today (yes I actually made this recipe today!) and I was pleasantly surprised at the easiness and deliciousness! I'm thinkin' this recipe might be on the repeat for this Sunday's morning brunch..

Bacon Cheddar Florentine Quiche
recipe adapted from the Picky Palate cookbook
serves ~4 main dish servings

2 cups spinach
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
1/2 pound bacon, chopped
8 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup cheese- cheddar or monterey jack
1 refrigerated pie crust (or frozen pie crust- I used this, or homemade pie crust)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unroll the pie crust and put in a 9-inch pie plate.  Poke the bottom of crust with a fork several times.  Put chopped bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until it is cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Place bacon on a paper-towel lined plate.  Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease. Add spinach and onion to the reserved grease over medium-high heat and cook until onions are tender and spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.
When oven temperature is ready, bake pie crust for about 10 minutes to pre-bake it (do not need this step if using a frozen pie crust).  In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper.  When crust is done baking, take out of the oven and spread the spinach and onion mixture over the pre-baked crust, and top with the bacon. Pour egg mixture over, and then top with parsley and cheese.  Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until eggs are set.  Let cool for about 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Amazing Coconut Granola

Here's the deal. In my experience, homemade granola recipes just don't tend to be as crunchy and "cluster-y" as store-bought granola.  Am I right? Or is that just me?  I've tried several granola recipes before this one and none of them were up to par with my crunchy granola standards.  Except this one.  Holy wonderful it is the best darn granola I think I've ever eaten. Can't really tell in the picture, sorry I'm definitely no photographer.  But don't let the pic deter you from making this granola.  It's super easy, very healthy and amazingly delicious.


Coconut Granola
from Two Peas and Their Pod

2 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped or sliced almonds
1/3 cup pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Slipat or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut, almonds, pepitas, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and coconut extract. Pour liquid mixture over dry ingredients. Stir until dry ingredients are well-coated.
3. Pour the granola mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread granola into an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes or until granola is golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes. Let granola cool completely. Store in an air-tight container for up to 1 month.
The only advice I'll give you is to not turn the oven temperature hotter than the recipe calls for, and don't increase the time it's in the oven because you think it's nowhere near done yet.  This was my case making batch #1.  It turned out black and unedible.  I was very upset because it was smelling INCREDIBLE! Well I made another batch a week or so later (had to re-stock my coconut and pepitas) and actually followed the directions.. it came out perfect! :)

Healthy Whole-Wheat Blueberry Muffins

I am totally on a muffin kick lately.  Yeah of course I love the buttery, streusel-y cinnamon-y muffins such as one would get at Costco or Starbucks or someplace like that... but these are NOT those muffins!  They are healthy with hardly any added sugar and are full of fiber.  Don't be turned away from the saturated fat in the nutrition facts.  It is from the coconut oil, however the saturated fat in coconut oil has been shown in studies to have no adverse effects in the body.  However, these are still pretty dang tasty! Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.  I am loving making muffins lately to freeze and put in my husband's lunch to take to work.
These are 100% whole-wheat.  The recipe calls for only whole-wheat flour, but I used half whole-wheat, and half whole-wheat pastry flour.  The pastry flour adds a lighter texture since the whole-wheat tends to produce a heavier, denser baked good.  The original recipe, from the blog 100 Days of Real Food (all about eating zero processed foods- read it, it's great!), also has zero added sugar.  However I did sprinkle some brown sugar on top of each muffin before baking to add a little added sweetness.  I am glad I did! If you want even more sweetness, you could add maybe 1/4-1/2 cup of additional browns sugar to the batter.


Whole-Wheat Blueberry Muffins
adapted from 100 Days of Real Food
Yield: 12 muffins

3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1/4-1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil (or other oil)
3/4 cup apple juice or orange juice
1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries (or other fruit or nuts)

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  In a large bowl with a fork or whisk, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Make a well (hole) in the center of the flour mixture and pour in eggs, honey, vanilla, oil and juice.  Mix the dry and wet ingredients together- do not overmix.  Add blueberries or other fruit.
Line muffin pan with liners or spray muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray and then fill 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full with batter.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Serve warm or at room temperature or freeze some to eat later!

Nutrition Facts: (per muffin) 136 calories, 5.7g fat (4.3 sat. fat), 31mg cholesterol, 208mg sodium, 2.2g fiber, 8.5g sugar, 3.1g protein

Banana Nut Oatmeal Smoothie

 

I haven't really tried many smoothie recipes as I usually just rely on Jamba Juice when I get a smoothie craving.  HOWEVER, this smoothie was really impressive, super easy and healthy too.

I added about 1/2 tablespoons of chunky peanut butter to the original recipe, which I think added a bit more nuttiness and creaminess.  Delicious!

Banana Nut Oatmeal Smoothie

• 2 whole ripe bananas (best with brown flecks on peel)
• 2 cups Ice
• 1/3 cup Yogurt - preferably Greek yogurt flavored with honey
• 1/2 cup Cooked oatmeal  (I just cooked up a packet of plain Quaker oatmeal)
• 1/3 cup Almonds 
• 1/2 tablespoon peanut butter

Pour all ingredients in the blender, pouring in ice last.  Blend for about 30 seconds or until it is smooth.   Serves 2.

Cranberry-Orange Bread

 

This may well qualify as the WORST picture I have on this blog.  Oh my goodness I should just take it off.  You see, this bread gave me a little bit of trouble last week.  First time making this recipe of my grandmother's.  Instead of putting the bread in a large loaf pan, I poured it into two small loaf pans.  The batter was JUST about gone when the two pans were about full.  I knew I shouldn't pour any more batter into them, but it just didn't seem like I had enough to fill a third pan!!

Silly me.  They definitely over-flowed.  All over the oven racks and oven floor.  Luckily I noticed it before any real damage was done and put a baking sheet on the bottom rack to catch any remaining drippings.  Hence, the lack of this bread's beauty.  

BUT, it did not matter.  This is my new favorite bread.  Ever. It is SO good.  So incredibly moist and flavorful.  The orange juice and cranberries compliment each other so well! My family and hubby also raved about it.  Wow.  I want to make it again right now.  New. Favorite. Recipe.  Just make sure you don't over-fill the pans.  Yup.

Cranberry-Orange Bread

 recipe courtesy of my grandmother

2 cups flour

1 3/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup oil (I used vegetable)

1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1 tsp. grated orange peel

Preheat oven to 350.  Sift or finely mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.  Set aside.  In separate bowl, combine beaten egg, orange juice and oil.  Add to dry ingredients, stirring until moistened.  Stir in cranberries, walnuts and orange peel.  Bake in greased 9x5x3 pan for 50 minutes or until done.

Pioneer Woman's Breakfast Burritos

Here's my picture:

 

Here's her picture:

Umm. Let's just pretend I took both, okay? But for real, this is PIONEER WOMAN we are talking about here.  The first here recipe of hers that I've tried and LOVED!

If you are unfamiliar with Pioneer Woman, just google her.  Or turn on the Food Network because she and her ranch family have made their debut on the small screen now, too.  She is known for her love affair with butter and more butter and/or cheese but her recipes just all seem like true comfort food at its finest.  And these were the very best breakfast burritos I have ever had.  My husband, who adores anything with eggs and/or burritos also agreed.

This recipe is in Pioneer Woman's, otherwise known as Ree Drummond's, cookbook that I got at my wedding.  When I am bored I will pull out that cookbook and just drool over the pictures and recipes.  If only food that food had zero calories, right?  Sigh...

Her recipe calls for her breakfast potatoes, which recipe I included.  However, I didn't have time to cook potatoes so I just used about 1 1/2 cups or so of frozen hash browns.  They were even shredded.  But it still turned out fabulous!

 Breakfast Burritos  

(can easily half this recipe- calls for making 12 servings but I halved and it made about 5 burritos,) from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 1 whole Recipe Of Ree's Basic Breakfast Potatoes* or 1 1/2 cups frozen hashbrowns
• 1 pound Breakfast Sausage
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
• 10 whole Eggs
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, such as Lawry's
• black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup half-and-half (I used 2% milk)
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
• 2 cups grated Monterey Jack Cheese
• Flour Tortillas
• picante sauce

Preparation Instructions

1. Begin by browning the breakfast sausage over medium heat. Drain off grease and reduce the heat to low.  Next, add the Basic Breakfast Potatoes and red bell peppers and stir to combine.  Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Crack the eggs into a bowl.  Add the seasoned salt, pepper, half-and-half and whisk to beat the eggs lightly.  

3. Add the chives and Monterey Jack and stir to combine.

4. With the heat still on low, pour the egg mixture over the sausage/potato mixture.

5. Now, with a spoon or spatula, very gently stir the mixture.  The potatoes will break apart if you stir too much, so go easy.

6. Continue lightly cooking over low heat until eggs are set.

7. Now taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more seasoned salt, pepper or cheese if desired.

8. To assemble, warm the stack of tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds.  Place a heaping spoonful of egg mixture into the middle of a warm tortilla.  Add more cheese if desired.

9. Tuck in the sides, then roll the tortilla until closed.  

10.  Wrap in foil sheets and keep warm until ready to serve.  Serve with picante sauce.

Basic Breakfast Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 whole (to 5) Large Red Potatoes
• 1 whole Onion
• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Or Canola Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Bacon Fat (optional)
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Red And Green Bell Peppers, Diced (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover entirely with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender. (Or place potatoes on a baking sheet in a 375 degree F oven for 34 minutes or until fork tender.) When they are ready, place the potatoes on a cutting board and dice them into 1-inch pieces.
Next cut up an onion into a large, rough dice.
In a large skillet heat oil and bacon fat over medium-low heat. Put the onions in the skillet and sauté until they start to turn brown. (You can also use red and green bell peppers diced up. If you do, throw them in at this point).
Next, throw in the diced potatoes. Stir well and then slightly press/pack then. Now you will cook them without stirring for several minutes. You want the pan to be hot enough to crisp the potatoes but not hot enough to char them. (Optional step: sprinkle a bit of flour over potatoes as they cook). Cook for several minutes and then flip them with a spatula. Salt and Pepper them as they cook. Cook until desired brownness.

Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Wow... I have become quite lazy with posting regularly! It's just been crazy around here with trying to keep up school work and working 3 part-time jobs... man it's just a little hectic to say the least.  But that definitely has not stopped me from cooking/baking at every opportunity that I've had!

 

I thought I would share one last "summer" recipe before the weather starts dropping. It's dropped 10 degrees here already! Oh wait- I live in AZ and it's still in the high 90's.... Anyway there is still an abundance of zucchini out there and this is a great, yummy zucchini bread recipe to try. 

It is a lighter recipe from Gina's Weight Watcher recipes but it is fabulous! Everyone that tried it agreed.  :)

Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
from Skinny Taste

Servings: 16 • Serving Size: 1 slice • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 147.5 • Fat: 4.1 g • Protein: 2.2 g • Carb: 29.9 g • Fiber: 1.7 g  Sugar: 17 g Sodium: 186.5 mg

• 1 cup all purpose flour 
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour (regular whole wheat flour would work)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (not packed)
• 1-1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup apple sauce
• 1-1/2 cups shredded zucchini (not packed)

Preheat oven to 325°.
Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.
Add chocolate chips and gently mix to combine.
In a medium bowl, mix egg, vanilla, melted butter, apple sauce and zucchini. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just blended. 
Pour batter into a large 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Bake at 325° for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and let it cool before slicing.

Banana Pecan Oatmeal Pancakes

These pancakes are a great staple breakfast to have in your home- low-fat, full of whole grain oats, high in fiber, and delicious!

I altered the recipe a little bit by mashing the banana instead of dicing it, and I did not serve banana slices on top.  I bet it would be awesome though.  YUM!

Recipe For Banana Almond Oatmeal Pancakes
Modified from an old family recipe

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup quick or rolled oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
1 to 1 1/2 cups vanilla soy milk (or skim milk) (depending on whether you like thin or thick pancakes)
1 banana, diced or mashed
Cooking spray for pan
1/4 cup almonds or pecans
1 banana, sliced
Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, egg, cinnamon, and honey. Stir in the soy milk to the desired consistency. I like my pancakes to be neither too thin nor too thick, so I added 1 1/4 cups of soy milk. Stir in the bananas.
2. Place a skillet on medium heat (I use a square-shaped griddle). After spraying the pan, pour batter into 4-inch diameter circles (using about 1/4 cup of batter).
3. While the pancakes are cooking, hand chop the almonds on a cutting board with a sharp knife.
4. Once the pancakes begin to bubble, flip them and cook for another minute or so on the other side until golden brown.
5. Serve three pancakes with sliced bananas and chopped almonds. They're delicious like this, or for a sweeter breakfast, pour on two tablespoons of real maple syrup.

Makes 12 pancakes (four servings).

Strawberry Cream Cheese Waffles

Alright so I'm not so sure how this "vegetarian" thing is working out.  Even though I can honestly say that for a few days I was seriously considering refraining from meat altogether.....

I'm pretty sure it was just a phase.  Like I predicted.
You see, I made and ate homemade pepperoni pizza for dinner tonight (recipe coming soon)... the same pepperonis that I tried a few days ago and had to spit out.  Still, I'm only PRETTY sure.  I still am very interested in the "Meat-less May" and am definitely going to be cooking a lot more meatless meals.  At LEAST one or two a week.

Until I figure it out though, I can always just live off of yummy breakfast foods, like these FABULOUS strawberry cream cheese waffles that I made for my hubby and I for Easter breakfast.  They were honestly some of the best, if not the best waffles I have ever had.  You must try them!

 

I'll admit I forgot to serve these with the whipped cream/cool whip that the recipe calls for! My husband mentioned "these would be good with cool whip" and I then felt like a complete idiot!  Good thing we made seconds and were able to smother it with Lite Cool Whip... SO good! Tasted like Strawberry Shortcake in waffle form.  And P.S. the strawberry sauce is a must if you're going to make this recipe!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Waffles

from Real Mom Kitchen

• 2 ½ c all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 ½ cups whole milk
• ½ cup canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 oz cream cheese, NOT softened
• 1 c chopped strawberries

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the  flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla.
3. Cut the cream cheese into slices and then cut each slice into little cubes of cream cheese.  Keep them all separated on a plate. Set aside.
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Let the batter rest for 2 minutes and then fold in the strawberries. Do not over beat.
5. Pour the batter into a preheated waffle iron. The amount of batter will depend on the size of your waffle iron. I used my regular Belgian waffle iron.  Then drop a few cubes of the cream cheese into each waffle.  I put about 5-6 per waffle.  Bake until lightly browned.
6. Serve with strawberry sauce and sweetened whipped cream. I was able to get 16 waffles from this recipe in my waffle iron.

Strawberry Sauce

• 1 1/2 lbs. strawberries, diced
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp almond extract **

1. In a large sauce pan, combine the strawberries, sugar, and extract.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Simmer for 1 minute and remove from heat.
2. Allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes so it is just warm.  Place 1 1/2 cups of the mixture from the sauce pan in a blender.  This is where you need to be careful.  Don’t put the lid on the top all the way.  Leave it cracked or the steam from the strawberries could cause an explosion.  If you have an immersion blender, feel free to use that and no chance of an explosion.  Blend until smooth and stir back into the remaining strawberry mixture in the pan. Serve warm over the Strawberry Cream Cheese Waffles

**This mixture can all be blended if you prefer a smooth sauce.  Vanilla extract can also be used in place of the almond extract.

Mini Caramel Monkey Bread

Okay so I'll admit it.  I am on a bread/carb craze right now.  I made banana bread last week.  Made these monkey breads on Saturday.  Then on Sunday I devoured orange rolls made by my mom and amazing cinnamon rolls made by my mother-in-law.


And these monkey bread rolls..... they were AMAZING.

 

The "caramel" sauce of brown sugar and butter that you put at the bottom of the muffin pan (then is inverted onto the top of the roll- mine dried a little bit because I didn't take them out soon enough) is SO good!  These will definitely become a tradition in our new home for Saturday breakfasts.  My husband and I ate all of them throughout the day.  

Okay, so it actually only took a few hours.... I'll just blame it on my recent carb craze...

Mini Caramel Monkey Bread

from Pillsbury

 1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 7.5 cans Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits

Grease or spray 12 regular-size muffin cups.  Mix melted butter and brown sugar; spoon 1 tablespoon into each muffin cup.

Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in a 1-gallon bag.  Separate dough into 20 biscuits; cut each into 6 pieces.  Shake pieces in bag to coat.  Place 10 pieces in each muffin cup.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool 1 minute; turn upside down.  Serve warm.

Not-Yo-Average Banana Bread

ALAS- my first recipe post in a while!  And to be continuously repeated.
To start, there are a few things I grew up eating that I don't think I could ever part with.  These recipes were courtesy of my lovely mother who can cook well and has her share of prized recipes that our family loves and requests.

1. My mom's apple crisp.  Seriously, NOTHING else compares.  It has the most amazing crumb topping that is to die for.  In fact, you can find that very crumb topping here- my blackberry-peach crisp is almost equally amazing.
2. Christmas morning breakfast casserole. 
3. Mom's delicious spaghetti- sooo meaty and good! I should post the recipe sometime...
4. Chocolate chip cookies. 'Nuff said.
5. My mom's BANANA bread!

I had forgotten how incredible this bread smells while baking in the oven.  It seemed just surreal that I was baking in my own, very kitchen in my own, very house!  And, with only my husband and I living here.... to eat two whole giant loaves of banana bread?!?

Luckily I visited my family that evening so I brought them a loaf... it was a huge hit, like always!

And my husband loved it too.  But then again, he loves anything that's put in front of him.

Banana Bread

Makes 3 large loaves

Combine in order:

6 ripe bananas mashed (the riper the better- I like them black), 4 eggs, 1 1/3 cup oil, 3 cups sugar, 2/3 cup sour cream.

Add:  4 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 1/2 tsp. soda, 2 tsp. vanilla, 2 cups chopped nuts (optional- I leave them out).

Pour into 3 greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake at 325 for 45 minutes- 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.  

 

OIAJ

Have you heard of the new blogging-world craze??  Well... let me tell you about it.  

OIAJ= Oatmeal in a Jar.  I've recently seen a lot of other bloggers raving about how amazing it is to cook your oats, pour them into an ALMOST-empty peanut butter, stir it around, maybe add some extra fix-ins, and then eat.  Frankly, I didn't see what was so fabulous about it.  I mean why not just put your peanut butter INTO your oatmeal?

Well about a week ago I had an almost-empty Skippy jar.  And since I love to eat oatmeal for breakfast, I thought I'd give it a whirl- I mean, peanut butter is, in fact, one of my favorite foods.  

I cooked 1/4 cup regular quick-oats with 1/2 cup water in the microwave, added a packet of Truvia sweetener, then added it to my jar that had about 1 1/2 tablespoons of peanut butter left in it.  OH. MY. GOSH.  This almost the best thing I have ever eaten!! It was the creamiest concoction my tongue has tasted and I could not get enough of it.

And regarding the part about just adding it to your bowl instead- well, a few days later I tried the same oatmeal base with a tablespoon of peanut butter stirred in, and it was NOT the same!  There's just something about the jar, using up every last bit of the peanut butter and eating it out of the jar... dreamy.  

Can't wait until I run out of peanut butter again.  *Sigh*

Healthy Meal/Snack Ideas

Well, it has been a while since I last posted.  My time was well-spent, however, in beautiful Utah, sunny Las Vegas, and then rainy Flagstaff, Arizona over the past week and a half.

I met my cheer team in Utah on the 23rd for practice, and then we left that next Monday to leave for cheer camp in Vegas.  Practices were very long and camp was pretty strenuous, but we came out alright; we won a gold bid to the NCA cheerleading Nationals competition next April- basically they will PAY US ($25,000) to go to Nationals and compete!

After I got back, I left the very next day to go to the cinders by Sunset Crater, just outside of Flagstaff, Arizona to camp out and ride quads/motor vehicles with the family.  It was a blast!

But, back to more serious matters; my new goal is to eat REALLY well these next couple of weeks before I go back to Utah for yet more cheer practice.  I have to.  I will.  This blog could even possibly become my food journal, just to keep me on track.  Just saying.

I ate pretty well today; here are the things I ate that I would recommend as healthy meals/snacks.

BREAKFAST:

I had a bowl of the new Banana Walnut "Hearty Medleys" oatmeal from Quaker with a packet of Splenda sweetener and half of a banana's worth of slices.  

It was really delicious, but my only complaint is that these oatmeal packets are extremely small!  You only use 1/3 cup of water to make it, as opposed to 2/3 cup for most Quaker oatmeal packets, yet both have about the same calories.  Hence, I was a little disappointed.

LUNCH:

I love eating eggs for lunch!  This was an Egg Beaters scramble I came up with that was super easy and really good.

Turkey & Tomato Egg-Beaters Scramble 

1/2 c. liquid egg substitute, such as Egg-Beaters

1/2 medium tomato, chopped

4-5 slices turkey breast, chopped

1/4 c. fat-free cheddar cheese, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

Spray a medium skillet with nonstick cooking spray.  Heat to medium heat.  Add egg substitute and let set for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add tomato and turkey, and scramble until mostly cooked.  Add cheese, salt, and pepper, and continue to scramble until fully cooked.

Makes 1 serving

Nutrition:  approx. 165 calories 

SNACK:

PRETZELS & PEANUT BUTTER!

This is so delicious, and healthy too, if portions are kept under control.

STRAWBERRIES & VANILLA ALMOND BREEZE

I love this brand of Almond milk; it's really tasty and only 40 calories per cup! It makes a great substitution for milk for those who are lactose-intolerant.  It is not soy milk, either, although the taste is similar.  I prefer Almond Breeze to soy milk though!

This was the first time I tried strawberries & "milk" (I had heard it done before!) and I really loved it!!

Blueberry-Coconut Macadamia Muffins

I personally really like this picture.  I think it is very pretty, and I'm kinda, semi-proud of myself, considering my lack of photography experience/skills.  I've still got a ways to go, but I'll get there one way or another.  Eventually.

I also personally really liked these muffins.  They are healthy-for-you muffins that don't sacrifice any of the dense, cake-y, blueberry muffin goodness!  

The ingredients are wholesome- whole wheat flour, blueberries, honey, nuts- you definitely don't feel guilty after one... or two... of these! :)

The only thing that needs to be said is... these are naturally sweetened, unlike store-bought versions that have sugar listed as the first ingredient, and therefore I think they definitely need the honey drizzled on the top, like the recipe suggests.  Mmm mmmmm!!

Blueberry-Coconut Macadamia Muffins

• 1/4 cup coconut
• 2 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup brown sugar, divided
• 5 tablespoons chopped macadamia nuts, divided
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Source) or whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut or vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine coconut, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons macadamia nuts in a small bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; stir to combine. Set aside.
3. Whisk the remaining 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, egg, egg white, buttermilk, butter and coconut (or vanilla) extract in a medium bowl until well combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients; stir until just combined. Add blueberries and the remaining 3 tablespoons nuts; stir just to combine. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with the reserved coconut topping and gently press into the batter.
4. Bake the muffins until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack at least 5 minutes more before serving.

Nutrition:  202 calories (each), 9g fat (3g saturated), 23 mg cholesterol, 28g carbs, 4g protein, 2g fiber, 122 mg sodium, 55 mg potassium

We All Scream for Oatmeal!

Gotta be honest... I think I could eat breakfast foods every meal for the rest of my life.. Cereal, yogurt, bagels, eggs, french toast, fruit, pancakes, bacon, maple syrup, even poptarts- how can you go wrong?!  

Oh yeah and oatmeal- one of the healthiest breakfasts... seems to be overshadowed by some of its more sugary and fattening competitors, yeah? 

Well, these recipes are no-fail, very healthy and DELICIOUS versions of your plain jane oats.

These recipes are courtesy of Hungry Girl's guilt-free "200 under 200" recipe book.

And she is a genius.  Every one of these is AMAZING. 

Berries & Cream Oatmeal Pudding

1/3 c. regular oats (not instant)

1/2 c. frozen mixed berries

1/4 c. light vanilla soymilk (or fat-free milk)

1 Tbsp. sugar-free fat-free vanilla instant pudding mix

1 tsp. Coffee-mate Sugar Free French Vanilla powdered creamer

1 no-calorie sweetener packet

Dash salt

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine powdered creamer with 1/4 c. warm water.  Stir until dissolved.  

Add soymilk and pudding mix, and stir until mixture is thoroughly blended.  Add all of the other ingredients to the bowl and stir.  

Microwave for 3 minutes.  Allow to cool and thicken.  Dig in!

Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition:  190 calories, 2.5g fat, 501mg sodium, 35.5g carbs, 5g fiber, 7g sugars, 5.5g protein

Choco-Banana Oatmeal

1/3 c. regular oats (not instant)

One 25-calorie packet diet hot cocoa mix (Swiss Miss)

One-half medium banana, mashed

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

1 no-calorie sweetener packet

Dash salt

Pour cocoa mix into a glass with cinnamon, sweetener, and salt.  Add 1/4 c. hot water and stir thoroughly.  Once cocoa mix has dissolved, add 1/4 c. cold water and stir.  

In a large microwave-safe cereal bowl, combine cocoa mixture with mashed banana and oats until mixed well.  Microwave for 2 minutes.

Give it a stir, and then allow oatmeal to cool and thicken.  Enjoy!

Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition: 185 calories, 2g fat, 137mg sodium, 37 carbs, 5g fiber, 11g sugar, 6.5g protein

Fro-yo'ed Up Oatmeal Sundae

1/4 c. quick-cooking oatmeal

1/4 c. low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt

1/4 c. fresh blueberries

1/4 c. sliced fresh strawberries

1 Tbsp. strawberry (or any fruit flavor) sugar-free or low-sugar preserves

1/2 Tbsp. All Natural Almond Accents in Original Oven Roasted or Honey Roasted

1 no-calorie sweetener packet

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Dash salt

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine oatmeal with 1/2 c. water.  Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, until desired consistency is reached.

Once bowl of oatmeal is cool enough to handle, mix in preserves, sweetener, cinnamon, and salt.  Top with fruit.

Place frozen yogurt on top of fruit layer, and then sprinkle with almonds.  Serve immediately- the frozen yogurt will melt, but it's delicious as it melts into the oatmeal!

Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition: 198 calories, 4.25g fat, 219mg sodium, 38g carbs, 4g fiber, 11.5g sugar, 5.5g protein

Ready, Set, Eat!

hi. I am a college student. I live in a small apartment, with two other roommates. Our kitchen is not teeny-tiny (you should've seen my kitchen last semester in the dorms!) but of course, there is nothing like cooking/baking in a nice-sized, fully-equipped, stocked-up, CLEAN kitchen like my mother's in my home-sweet-home in Mesa, Arizona.

Oh, and I live in Provo, Utah. Quite the polar opposite in terms of weather. Bahh.

Anyways, ever since I was a little girl, I can remember loving being in the kitchen. Of course, you say, what kid doesn't love stuffing their face with ice cream when no one's looking, and raiding the pantry five minutes after Mom says "Don't eat anything, we're having dinner soon." WELL, I can assure you, that yes, i love to eat. There are some times, if I let myself go, when I could probably eat more than my 17-year-old, weight-lifting little brother. (Although little and small do NOT accurately describe him in the least sense!) Most of the time, however, I try to politely contain myself and eat until I am satisfied. But, in actuality, the main reason I try to eat less is because PORTION-SIZE IS EVERYTHING, PEOPLE!

^^ PRIME example of portion size; who in the WORLD needs to have this much meat, cheese, and SATURATED FAT?!?!?! in one sitting?!? No one, that's who. Over the last half-decade, portion sizes have more than doubled in our society, and obesity is becoming the norm. Please tell me that you look at this picture and think of its disgustingly atrocious amount of artery-clogging cholesterol and fat. Or at least pretend you do. :)

This is a lesson I am still currently learning. Becoming more successful, if I must add. You see, I am embarking on a journey to study dietetics at Brigham Young University; this is the study of nutrition. I think what spurred this interest in nutrition and health was the very fact that i love to eat! Growing up, this was no problem at all, I could eat anything I wanted and still look like a stick figure, but with even bonier, long arms. BUT, alas, I hit puberty: hormones kicked in, growthspurts took place, my maturity blossomed, and I soon realized that I might actually have to consider the word HEALTHY when choosing foods to eat.

HEALTHY?! This realization was also coupled with the example of my super-fit, beautiful mother who started to count her calorie intake when I was about 15 or so. Let me tell you, I did NOT like it. At all. I feel semi-bad about it now, but at the time it really perturbed me that my skinny mother, who probably weighed the same, if not less, than me, was "counting calories" and trying to lose weight, when I on the other hand, didn't want to care at all!!!!! She could tell I was bothered by this, but instead of reprimand me, she (like the amazing, wonderful mother she is!) taught me a little about nutrition and why our bodies need "good fuel" instead of "bad fuel" to work properly; and that cutting down on calories is not like starving yourself at all- you can still eat really good foods while keeping a certain calorie intake that is healthy for your body. (Working out and being active is also a crucial part of staying healthy and plays a great role in the metabolism of what we eat, so keep this in mind.)

Well, ever since, I've been cursed- I think I was in 10th grade when I started to count calories, and this habit has become quite a bit of a wee obsession with nutrition, health, and just food in general.

But, don't get me wrong. Like I said, I have been known to scarf food like dust particles being sucked into a giant vacuum head. Great analogy, huh? My mom and I, ever since we started noting what we eat, followed a little "routine:" super healthy during the weekdays, and then on the weekends (or just one day if you really want to be good) you can let loose and as we would say, "eat whatever you want!" In moderation, of course. That is, most of the time, the philosophy that I have kept while living as a college student. (Although, I am trying to be a little more disciplined on the weekends, because "eat whatever" sometimes turns into a free-for-all... and I end up sorely regretting it.)

ANYWAY.... back to the little girl in the kitchen. Not only did I love to eat as a kid, but I have always loved to cook and bake. I remember sending my little brothers and sister into the "playroom" while I concocted a "surprise lunch" for them all- usually consisted of toast or macaroni & cheese! I was probably around age 10. I also can remember helping my mother fix dinner. Peeling carrots, making jell-o, toasting bread, browning meats, boiling water, cooking corn, and buttering bread are just off the top of my head. And, might I add, the weekly Sunday treats- chocolate chip cookies and other desserts made (and still make) their weekly round into the Foster family's oven and stomachs.

Yes, I have always loved to eat, cook and bake. Food makes me happy. I am willing to bet my measuring cups that it makes us all of us happy, and it should!!

Paired with my nutrition obsession, I have sought ways to eat healthy without being bored of eating broccoli, apples, salad, and "Healthy Choice" frozen entrees for the rest of my life.

BY NO MEANS DOES HEALTHY EATING HAVE TO BE BORING!!!!!!!!

Therefore, this blog's purpose is to share recipes, ideas, thoughts, and advice on eating pleasurably and healthily. (Although I certainly can NOT guarantee that I will limit my posts to only healthy foods.... you HAVE to give in to your cravings sometimes ;)

To start, I thought I'd share a recipe that I made this morning for breakfast, from a health guru, Lisa Lillien, better known as Hungry-Girl! She has several published cookbooks that are quite entertaining and humorous that make healthy eating seem like a piece of cake! (no pun intended.) Check her out, she's really not something to be missed!! This recipe actually came from her website, and is called

Strawberry Short Stacks.

Don't those look delicious!?

These were very yummy; reminded me of strawberry-shortcake. Mmmm. And the best part is, that the whole "stack" was only 289 calories! As Hungry-Girl would say, Woohoo!! OH and a tip: if you do not have soy milk (which HONESTLY is not as bad as people think at all- I actually enjoy it!!!!) you can use fat-free milk. AND if you are like SOME people I know, and do not "believe" in egg-beaters, then you can substitute in one egg. But just note, this will bump up your calories about 40 calories more.

Ingredients: 1/3 cup whole-wheat flour 2 tbsp. old-fashioned oats 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda) Dash salt 1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original) 1 tbsp. light vanilla soymilk 2 tbsp. sugar-free strawberry preserves 1/2 cup sliced strawberries 1/4 cup Cool Whip Free, thawed Optional: Fat Free Reddi-wip, sugar-free pancake syrup Directions: To make the batter, combine flour, oats, baking powder, sweetener, and salt in a bowl. Add egg substitute, soymilk, and 2 tbsp. water. Mix well and set aside. Place preserves in a microwave-safe bowl and nuke for 20 seconds, until softened and warm. Stir into pancake batter until thoroughly integrated. Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add half the batter to form a large pancake. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, until pancake begins to bubble and is solid enough to flip. Gently flip and cook for an additional 1 - 2 minutes, until both sides are lightly browned and inside is cooked through. Plate your pancake and set aside. Remove skillet from heat, re-spray, and return to medium-high heat. Repeat with remaining batter to make a second pancake, and then set that aside as well. While pancakes cool slightly, combine strawberries with Cool Whip in a bowl and lightly stir. Spoon this mixture evenly over one pancake, and then place the second pancake lightly on top. If you like, add a squirt of Reddi-wip and a drizzle of pancake syrup. Woohoo! MAKES 1 SERVING

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 289 calories, 1.75g fat, 471mg sodium, 60.5g carbs, 7.5g fiber, 7g sugars, 14g protein -- POINTS® value 5*