Serving Up Soft Serve and Dishing On Blogging Balance!

Posted by Tami on 3 September 2010

Thanks to everyone who shared food items you like to have on hand for quick meals. I have a new list of things to look for and try. Variety is the spice of life when it comes to food!

For lunch yesterday I had one of my favorite lunches a Boca in between two slices of Ezekiel bread with lots of toppings. This is filling for few calories. What a huge sandwich it makes!

I usually have some fresh fruit with yogurt at lunch but I was down to just some apples. Since my teeth are a little sore from my braces a crunchy apple was not an option.

Then I remembered seeing chocolate banana soft server on Marisa’s blog Loser for Life. I keep frozen bananas on hand for smoothies and strawberry – banana soft serve but I hadn’t tried making chocolate. I made the soft serve and it was so good that I made it again after dinner. Uh oh this could be a problem!

After  my filling lunch I did some major grocery shopping at Sam’s Club, Trader Joes and two grocery stores. I have plenty of fresh fruit and veggies to get us through the weekend. Here is my Sam’s club shopping spree. Not shown are a box of pretzels for David and two cases of water! The big warehouse stores are starting to carry some organic produce at a good price too!

After dinner I decided to make the chocolate banana soft serve again, in the interest of documenting it for the blog of course! This incredible concoction originated in the raw foods world. Those are the folks who don’t eat anything cooked. I wouldn’t go that direction myself but I have tried some amazing recipes using all raw ingredients.

Marisa added a little cocoa to create chocolate banana soft serve! I assembled my ingredients, a large frozen banana,  1/3 cup Greek yogurt, a drop or two of Stevia and fresh raspberries for garnish. For this small amount I used my mini Braun food processor.  This time I had some fresh berries to top it with.

Process until smooth and creamy using a pulse action to begin with. Scraping down the sides if needed.

The results are smooth, creamy, chocolate soft serve!

I tried to snap my photos quickly as it melts fast!

A few more raspberries.

This was an amazing flavor combination! I loved it! It will be made again this weekend for sure. Thank you Marisa!

CHOCOLATE BANANA SOFT SERVE

1 large frozen banana

1/3 cup Greek Yogurt fat free (Marisa used 1/4 cup) Use any fat free yogurt you have on hand

1 -2 drops Nu Naturals Stevia drops or your favorite sweetener

2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Berries for garnish

Slice the frozen banana and add it to processor with yogurt, cocoa and Stevia. Process until smooth and creamy using a pulse action to begin with. Scraping down the sides if needed. Garnish with berries.

Random Thoughts About Blogging

Like many other bloggers I am thinking about cutting back on my posts. I spend a great deal of time trying new recipes, typing up recipes, taking food photos and creating posts. The creative outlet is wonderful. When I find an awesome product or make an amazing recipe it gives me immense pleasure to share it.

I am so happy when you take the time to leave me a comment. Getting some feed back  on the blog is so important. It is like getting a grade for a paper you have written and it lets me know you are out there! I enjoy reading your thoughts and ideas. Keep them coming!

I am trying to manage my blogging time better. It does take a great deal of time to follow other blogs. When bloggers take the time to post a comment here I want to show them the same support on their blog. It has become too time consuming and something has to go. Finding balance in all areas of life is important. I am working on finding that balance with the blog as well.

Google Analytics has become an awesome tool to see how the blog is doing. It looks like I have the most blog visits Monday –  Wednesday and sometimes Thursday. So maybe I should only post those days. I have mostly cut back from weekends as there is little blog traffic then and I welcome the  couple days break from posting. I want to maximize my efforts and still have an interesting format for readers to enjoy.

I am trying to reply to everyone’s comments again now that life is slowing down a bit. Do you come back to see if there is a reply after you have commented? There is a plug in for blogs that allows a reply from me to go to your email. Would you welcome that or not? I would like to make the blog more interactive and would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for reading and leaving comments!

Looking for more balance.

Tami

Product Reviews of My Favorite Meatless Meals!

Posted by Tami on 2 September 2010

I think this semester with daughter Katy in spain, son David’s busy college schedule and hubby Tom’s work travel there are going to be plenty of nights where I don’t have anyone to cook for.  I do love to cook but I welcome the break! With that in mind I will keep some easy, healthy, yet delicious quick meals on hand in case I don’t have the desire to cook for myself.

Now, I am not a vegetarian but I enjoy many vegetarian products. They are often low calorie, low fat but filled with fiber. This Amy’s frozen entree is delicious, healthy and filling and it tastes like comfort food. It can be purchased at the regular grocery store in the frozen foods health food aisle. The cheapest store I have found it at, is Super Walmart for $2.99. It is closer to $4.99 at most other stores.

Check out the fiber content!

This is another vegetarian option. Taco filling mix, just add water and cook for 5-6 minutes. The instructions call for adding 2 teaspoons oil but I skip that and just add a little extra water instead. The taco filling is so flavorful with just the right amount of seasonings. I use it for taco salads, crunchy tacos and burritos. Layer it in a casserole dish with re-fried beans, salsa and some light cheese, bake until bubbly and serve with baked tortilla chips. This can be found in the health food section at most grocery stores, Whole Foods or a health food store.

Low calorie, low fat and high fiber.

Do you like lentils? They are tasty, filling and full of fiber. I buy these at Costco and they come 4 pouches in a box. Easy and quick, just heat in the microwave. I like to eat them in a bowl with a few corn tortilla chips or a piece of corn bread. Daughter Katy loves these and she likes to add cheese and sour cream. Hopefully she can find something like them in Spain!

It says Spicy but in my opinion they are pretty mild.

I have been buying these cheese blintzes for years. We usually have a box of them in our freezer. They are so good and they will make you happy at breakfast or served as a light lunch. Top them with some fresh berries and a sprinkle of powdered sugar and you have a quick and easy dessert.

I have always bought the plain ones but they are available in a variety of choices.

I like to peruse the health food section at the grocery store and find low fat, high protein foods to add to my menu choices.  Having plenty of variety is important from a nutritional stand point. It also keeps me interested in healthy eating!  There is nothing like made from scratch, healthy wholesome meals but these things do come in handy from time to time.

Heat, eat and enjoy!

Tami

Do you have any favorite convenience items you keep on hand?

Cornmeal Muffin Recipe & Invisalign Update

Posted by Tami on 31 August 2010

It was cool here this weekend and with that came a desire for chili. What goes better with chili than cornmeal muffins? I decided to take my favorite cornbread recipe and adapt it to muffins. It worked beautifully! This recipes uses a can of creamed corn and that makes the muffins nice and moist with little bits of corn through out. They don’t need any butter but if you wish, use just a dab of butter on a hot muffin, eat it slowly and savor every crumb.

I found this plate at the Harry and David store in Oregon, I love the dragon fly!

Oh, I can’t forget the cute little lady bug!

Corn Meal Muffins

1 cup uncooked cornmeal, yellow
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
14 3/4 oz cream-style corn, canned
1/2 cup buttermilk *
2 large egg whites
2 tsp corn oil
Preheat oven to 400ºF.  Place foil cupcake liners in a muffin pan and spray with nonstick cooking spray.I like foil cupcake liners the best because they are sturdy and they don’t stick to the muffin unlike paper liners.
Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Mix well with a fork, then make a well in the center; set aside.
Combine creamed corn, buttermilk, egg whites and oil in a medium bowl; mix until blended. Fold mixture into dry ingredients; mix until blended. Pour batter into prepared muffin pan and smooth the top.
Bake until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 15 – 17  minutes. Allow to cool in pan on a wire rack for  5 – 10 minutes.

* I keep Saco  Cultured buttermilk blend for baking in my refrigerator for recipes like this. It can be found in the baking aisle at the grocery store.

*Or you can substitute  1/2 cup skim milk mixed with 1/2 tablespoon vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes, stir and continue with recipe.

If you want, add some chopped green chiles, a teaspoon or so of diced jalapeño pepper for a little kick!

Servings: 12 muffins        WWPs 2

Adapted from a Weight Watchers Recipe

You just mix the dry powder in with the other dry ingredients in your recipe and then add water in place of the buttermilk. It works perfectly and you don’t have to worry about what to do with a whole quart of buttermilk. It’s brilliant!

This week is going by fast already, it has been a busy one so far for us. Son David started back to College yesterday. I was busy making him sandwiches to carry with him. He works the 5:00AM – 9:00AM shift as a UPS package loader prior to attending classes during the day. One great thing about it is that it requires him to go to bed at about 8:30 on work nights! Not that we have anything to worry about it, he is an awesome young man who works hard both at work and college. His job is very physical and he comes home famished ready for a lunch type meal at 9:15 in the morning. I have been making him Subway style sandwiches and his friends didn’t believe him that his mom makes them, they said home made sandwiches don’t look like this! At our house they do! I made several sandwiches ahead for Hubby Tom and Son David to grab and go!

I made turkey and roast beef sandwiches for the hungry guys!

INVISALIGN UPDATE

I was at the dentist this morning to have my Invisalign, teeth straightening appointment. My top teeth have graduated to a retainer! It is just like the aligners, clear plastic and initially I have to wear it 24/7 for 3 months. Then I graduate to evenings only for 6 months and after that every other night! For the lower teeth I have about 3 more months of wearing aligners for straightening before I get a lower retainer. The time has flown by and I have been surprised at how quickly my teeth have moved. It is very exciting to have straighter teeth. My dentist and I had another smile photo shoot today and he promised to email the photos  to me.

I will be eating soft foods this evening. The first day with new aligners makes the teeth very sore. It brings back memories of when my kids wore braces and I would have to figure out soft meals for them when they would have an orthodontist appointment for an adjustment. They usually got some ice cream as part of the deal! I will have to see what I have in the freezer in the way of a cold treat for me!

Tami

DID YOU WEAR BRACES AS A KID?

Mexican Chopped Salad Recipe and Whole Foods Shopping

Posted by Tami on 28 August 2010

Whole Foods is an amazing grocery store! I love to go there and look at everything. Everything is displayed so beautifully it is a food lovers paradise. Yes, I know that groceries there can be quite pricey. Therefore, I am selective about what I buy. I have found that their store brand 365 items are quite reasonable. Watch the ads and buy things when they have them on sale. Before we had a Whole Foods in our town I would drive about 22 miles to the nearest one once a month and take my cooler to stock up. Here is what I bought this week.

I bought the vanilla flavored So Delicious coconut creamer and it is very good. I wouldn’t use it everyday but for my decaf dessert coffee it is perfect! The coconut water I use in some of my fruit and kale smoothies. Hubby Tom wanted some flavored yogurts for snacks. Son David loves raspberries and they were on sale so I snagged him a couple containers. They have a garbage can next to the corn on the cob display so you can shuck the corn right there, I love that! The black beans, limes, jicama and radishes went into the salad recipe I am going to share with  you. The dates are for a recipe I want to try but at the moment I can’t remember what it was. Sometimes I have brain fade! The brown rice crisps are like rice krispies but healthier. I like to sprinkle them on yogurt or sometimes I make snack bars with them. The mushrooms and the whole grain wrap were turned into a pizza that TJ from TJ’s Test Kitchen inspired me to make. TJ posts a lot of healthy Weight Watcher friendly recipes, check out her blog. If you don’t already follower her you should! The sprouted buns are perfect for veggie, turkey or Boca burgers.

Have you ever purchased the canned corn from Trader Joe’? It is the best canned corn ever, this stuff tastes like fresh corn on the cob. Perfect for using in recipes, especially when fresh corn is not in season. Or if like me you want to save the fresh stuff to cook on the bar b que.

I print hard copies of recipes that I find on the internet and I have a huge stack of them in my “to try” pile. This Mexican Chopped Salad recipe has been on mind for a while now and with our triple digit weather this week I needed something cool and refreshing for dinner. Hubby Tom and I loved the flavor combination in this dressing. Fresh lime juice, olive oil, fresh cilantro, garlic, honey and my addition of ground cumin made for the perfect salad dressing.

The wonderful crunch provided by all the fresh chopped veggies, black beans and corn, made this salad satisfying and full of natural fiber.  This will be a salad that I will be making again. It would be perfect for a pot luck. Just wait to dress the salad right before serving.

It is such a pretty salad too.

I had some leftover chicken that hubby had cooked on the bar b que grill, so I chopped it up and sprinkled it on top. It took this from being a side salad to an entrée!

Cuisinart Coffee Maker Starbucks Coffee & Creamer Product Reviews

Posted by Tami on 26 August 2010

A Late Bloomer

I did not discover the joy of a cup of a coffee in the morning until I was about 31years old. My parents drank it as I was growing up and I sure thought it smelled good. They drank it black and I sure thought it tasted bad! I was having brunch at someones house and she served Lion’s brand coffee from Hawaii that had a hint of cinnamon and she offered me a cup with a little bit of sugar and cream and I was immediately hooked! I had no idea that coffee could taste so wonderful.  Hubby Tom was delighted when I joined him in his morning ritual of sipping coffee as he started his day. For us, it is a nice way to start our day together. We pour our morning cup and chat about the day ahead, planning out our week and catching up in general. It is my favorite part of the day.

I ordered that Lion coffee by the case from Hawaii until the company had the nerve to discontinue my favorite flavor. From there we found a store brand that was good for a while but we grew tired of it and went in search of more flavor. We tried Peets, Eight O’Clock, Seattle’s Best and Dunkin Donuts just to mention a few. We finally settled on Starbucks Colombia. At Winco Foods where we live it is sold for just under $8 per bag. Sometimes Target sells it for less. When I see it at a good price I stock up and put it in the freezer. Now that son David (no worries he is after-all almost 21) has started drinking it every day we are going through a lot more!

We use to have this Braun coffee maker that made the best coffee and although it was still working it looked terrible. What was once an all white coffee maker had started to yellow from age and it no longer looked great on my kitchen counter against my white tile back splash. It was also making a lot of sputtering noises during the brewing process! Hubby Tom did his research and discovered that Braun was no longer in the coffee maker business. We settled on a new Cuisinart coffee maker that was highly rated by Consumer Reports and various other on line resources.

The timing was perfect as we had a load of donations to take to charity so I put that Braun coffee maker in the back of my van and gave it away. The next morning we made coffee in our shiny new Cuisinart. It was the worse cup of coffee we had at home, ever! Hubby Tom threatened to go to the thrift shop and buy back our discarded Braun!

For weeks we tried many different ways to make our coffee with the hopes of getting a good cup. Mostly we turned out what would be considered hotel coffee,  you know the kind that you make in that little pot in your hotel room using that little packet they give you. ICK! By the way we no longer use that little coffee maker in hotel rooms, more about that later.

A Good Cup

We finally have our method down, we start with hot water even though we know you aren’t suppose to, we don’t think the coffee maker heats the water up enough to make a good brew. We use more coffee grounds than the instructions say and we pack it down firmly in the filter like you do for making espresso. Lastly we run it on the slower 1-4 cup setting even if we are making a pot full which is usually the case. It actually does taste like good coffee now, thank goodness!

Fat Free Creamers

We have tried a number of creamers. I use to use half and half but that is just too many calories and way to easy to go overboard with what appears to be a simple pour. Fat free milk makes the coffee a strange color and appearance is important you know, after all it is the first thing I drink in the morning! Almond milk was also a no, it made the coffee taste strange. Land O Lakes has a good fat free creamer but I sometimes have a hard time finding it in a larger container.

Trader Joe’s carries this Shamrock Farms fat free half and half that is one of our favorites. The flavor is good, it makes the coffee the right color and it clocks in at just 20 calories for 2 tablespoons. It does contain corn syrup but it does not say high fructose corn syrup so I am still uncertain if Dr Oz would approve! You know that HFCS is on his list of no-no’s.

I recently found So Delicious coconut milk creamer at Whole Foods and gave it a try. This product is soy free, fat free and dairy free.It is made with organic coconut milk and a few other ingredients to make it thicker. It has a great flavor and strangely it does not taste like coconut. It does not have a lot of weird ingredients in it either. I like it enough to buy another container the next time I am in Whole Foods which will most likely be today. So Delicious also makes this incredible frozen dessert bar that I reviewed earlier in the summer. Check out that post here. I like every product of theirs that I have tried so far.

Sometimes a good cup of coffee is hard to find when you are traveling. I found the Starbucks instant microground coffee packets at Costco. We took these on vacation with us and found them to be excellent. Now hubby Tom takes them with him when he travels for business. This is the best instant coffee around. If you don’t have a Costco look at Target or your regular grocery store for these.

I only drink 1 1/2 cups of coffee a day and only in the morning. Caffeine anytime past noon is a no – no  for me as it will surely keep me from sleeping at night! Some studies say coffee drinkers get some health benefits when it is consumed in moderation. Coffee in moderation works for me.

Enjoy A Hot Beverage Instead of Dessert

I sometimes like a cup of decaf coffee after dinner and if we are eating out I find that it can be a nice substitute if others are having dessert but I don’t want to have the extra calories. A cup of herbal tea also works well. It keeps my hands busy and there is something satisfying and filling about a warm beverage.

Which do you choose coffee or tea?

Black or with a little something extra?

What brand of Coffee maker do you use?

older posts »