A Third Try at a Whole30: Week 1

Ugh.  So fat.  So tired.  So uncomfortable. Time for a reset.
Also, I'm constantly dehydrated, so I'm making a concerted effort to drink a gallon of water a day.

Official weigh-in: 162.  HO-LY CRAP.
Day 1: The Eagles just won the SuperBowl
   Breakfast--Tea, water, coffee with coconut milk
   Lunch--Chicken cilantro burger with arugula and avocado
   Dinner--Lemon roasted chicken and baby roasted potatoes
   I actually did a pretty good job getting in those mythical 64 oz. of water.

Day 2:
   Breakfast--Smoothie (banana, coconut milk, chia, cherries and blueberries), tea
   Lunch--Chicken cilantro burger with arugula and avocado
   Dinner--Chicken stock with hot italian sausage and kale
   Again, I came close to, if I didn't surpass, the 64 oz. water goal.

Day 3:  Already waking up with a spring to my step.  Which is surprising because with all of this water I'm waking up to go pee at least once during the night.
   Breakfast--Smoothie (banana, coconut milk, chia, cherries and blueberries), tea
   Lunch---Chicken stock with hot italian sausage and kale
   Dinner---Popper chili with avocado
   I drank way more than 64 oz.

Day 4:
   Breakfast--Smoothie (banana, coconut milk, chia, cherries and blueberries), tea
   Lunch---Chicken and steak on lettuce with green salsa, tomatoes, guac and cilantro
   Snack: half an apple
   Dinner---B-nut squash burrito bowl w/ arugula, salsa, avocado, cilantro and a beautifully poached egg
   I drank way more than 64 oz., thanks to a 2-hour online class in which I need to do something with my body to keep my mind engaged.

Day 5:
   Breakfast--Smoothie (banana, coconut milk, chia, cherries and blueberries), tea
   Lunch---B-nut squash burrito bowl w/ arugula, salsa, avocado, cilantro and a beautifully poached egg
   Dinner---Can't remember...
   So dehydrated.

Day 6:
   Breakfast--Sweet potato hash, bacon, and a fried egg; tea
   Snack--Smoothie (banana, coconut milk, chia, cherries and blueberries)
   Lunch--Popper chili with avocado
   Dinner--Burger with caramelized onions and dijon mustard

Day 7:
   Breakfast--Veggie omelet (spinach, tomato, onion, mushrooms), homefries with onions, tea
   Lunch--
   Dinner--Stuffed peppers (chorizo and cauliflower rice
   Snack--a spoonful of almond butter with sea salt

All-in-all I felt pretty good all week, save Day 7, when I was raging from an accidental double-dose of steroids to treat a sinus issue that reared its head (also the reason I double-dosed).  I've been sleeping better, feeling more stable with energy levels, and my skin is already starting to clear up a bit.

Total spent on groceries: $185 (includes ancillary house items) to make 35 breakfasts, 29 lunches, 35 dinners for a family of five.

Whole30 #2: Week 4

I'm feeling like the worst Whole30-er this time around, but I actually don't really care enough to start the 30 days over again.  I'm sticking to the plan when I can, not stressing about it when I can't (damn work meals), and having ONE drink or a small treat when I really want it.

Day 22: Feeling fine.  Still got a cold, and I'm hanging out with a sick Little Lady at home.

• Breakfast: Coffee
• Lunch: Italian sausage in chicken broth with arugula.
• Dinner: Leftover spaghetti squash and marinara (no more meatballs) 

Day 23: More work meetings involving food, but I made it work...

• Breakfast:  Coffee, and then a plain tea.  Stayed strong against the free pastries at my 9am meeting.
• Lunch: Spaghetti squash and marinara
• Dinner: Cilantro chicken burgers with avocado, caramelized onions and peppers, and roasted spicy cauliflower over arugula.

Day 24: Lots of personal errands to run

• Breakfast: Coffee
• Lunch: Left-over cilantro chicken burger
• Dinner: Italian sausage in chicken broth with arugula.

Day 25: Cancelled business meetings, Nana(Claus) is coming to town.

• Breakfast: Coffee and a smoothie.
• Lunch: I FINALLY KILLED THAT MARINARA & SPAGHETTI SQUASH!!!
• Dinner: [Carb-cation commences] Meatball parm grinder from Lil' Rizzo's.  So worth it.

Day 26: Our 5th anniversary and a quick trip to the Poconos.

• Breakfast: Coffee.  And a smoothie. And then more coffee.
• Lunch:  Italian sausage in chicken broth with arugula and an apple with almond butter.
• Dinner: [Carb-cation continues at an all-inclusive buffet] Broccolini, chicken from this stirfry thingy that was really good, a little bit of pasta, a huge piece of cake.
• Extras: Some chocolates from my honey, like 5 glasses of wine, 2 glasses of champagne, 2 cups of beer, and god knows what else because I don't believe I remember the whole episode.

Day 27: Still Carb-cationing, and I have the worst headache existing in Luzerne County, PA.

• Breakfast: Tea, an egg burrito thingy, some fruit and about 8 french toast sticks.
• Lunch: A rest stop whopper junior and some advil.  
• Dinner: Some crab-stuffed talapia thingy from Outback (yay for gift cards), some chocolate thunder dessert thingy, and 2 beers.

Day 28: Toddler birthday party!  p.s. I got to meet Michael Angelo, the TMNT. 

• Breakfast: Coffee, and scrambled eggs on a whole wheat english muffin.
• Lunch: Half a grilled chicken wrap, half a grilled veggie chicken wrap, about 5 mimosas, and the best freaking Ninja Turtle cake pop ever.
• Dinner: Bourbon pork tenderloin, sweet potato, and roasted asparagus.  I later ate my truck stop cookie purchased on Day 27 and washed it down with a beer. 

[Carb-cation concludes.]

Whole30 #2: Week 3

Began the week on the cusp of a slip-up (a yummy delicious and worth it slip-up), but I'm back on the wagon!

Day 15: Feeling the sugar hang-over.  Tired, stuffy, dragging.

• Breakfast: Coffee.  I think I had 3 cups!
• Lunch: Work lunch steak salad: grilled steak, romaine, pico de gallo, lots of guac.  I also cheated a little with 2 corn chips as I stared at them longingly for almost 4 hours...
• Dinner: Peer pressure is the worst, and I'm such a sucker.  Definitely had a glass of home-brewed cider from a friend, got wasted off one glass, and then made dinner.

Day 16: Obviously dragging and tired.  Nose still stuffy.

• Breakfast: Coffee.  Again, multiple cups.
• Lunch: Leftover steak salad with avocado (since I ate all the guac at the meeting...)
• Dinner: Spaghetti squash and meatballs (no bread crumbs) with homemade marinara.

Day 17: Feeling better again, but still a little tired.

• Breakfast: Coffee.  I'm really just not hungry in the morning...
• Lunch: Leftover spaghetti squash and meatballs and an apple with almond butter.
• Dinner: Butternut squash burrito bowl.

Day 18: Energy's back. Still tough getting up, but it's not tragic.  Woke up hungry for the first time in about a week. 

• Breakfast: Coffee and a smoothie.
• Lunch: Leftover spaghetti squash and meatballs, and an apple lent to me by a friend.
• Dinner: More squash burrito bowl, with the last of the chipotle chicken, a poached egg, salsa, avocado, cilantro.  A spoon of almond butter as a snack.

Day 19:  Feeling great, except for this cold that came upon me...I also weighed myself and I'm down 7 lbs!

• Breakfast: Coffee.
• Lunch: The last of the squash burrito bowl, with a poached egg, salsa, avocado, and cilantro.
• Dinner:

And then there was a blizzard.

Day 20: Lots of shoveling, some "I earned this" beers, lots of warm things to thaw us.

• Breakfast: Coffee
• Lunch:  6 pepper chili (jalapeno, bell, chipolte, chili, ancho, and cayenne) with ground beef (no beans).
• Dinner:  

Day 21:  I'll be honest, I can't remember...there was more shoveling, and more chili to be sure.

Whole30 #2: Week 2

Better published late than never!

Other than the persistent feeling of exhaustion and the late week crankiness, we're doing good.  Looking for recipe ideas, so please help!

Day 8: Still tired, cranky, but this may be due more to life than diet...WORST. MONDAY. EVER.

• Breakfast:  Coffee and 1/2 a smoothie (the other half ended up in my purse.  See above note regarding temperament).
• Lunch: Work restaurant lunch--salad with grilled chicken, romaine, hard boiled egg, pico, avocado, vinegar (not vinagrette).
• Dinner: Chicken roasted with carrots and parsnips.  A big old spoonful of almond butter
  sprinkled with sea salt.

Day 9: The cranky is finally subsiding.  I was originally up at 5am for no good reason--just done sleeping I guess!

• Breakfast: Coffee.  Lots of coffee.
• Lunch: Leftover chicken, carrots, and parsnips with some arugula; an orange; and a not very ripe at all mango.
• Dinner: Thai red curry with veggies, cod, and avocado.

Day 10:

• Breakfast:  Coffee.
• Lunch: Chicken soup, an apple and some almond butter.
• Dinner: Chicken soup and a skinny taste inspired butternut squash burrito bowl with a poached egg and avocado.

Day 11: Feeling pretty good.  Getting out of bed easily.

• Breakfast: Coffee.
• Lunch: Leftover squash burrito bowl and a grapefruit.  I even poached an egg at work using the microwave!
• Dinner: Chicken soup.

Day 12: Feeling really good, but there's a strong need for coffee.

• Breakfast:  Lots of coffee. 
• Lunch: A weird amalgam of leftovers that I can't really describe.  And an apple with almond butter.
• Dinner: Date night!: King crab legs with strained butter, green beans, and some baked potato with strained butter.

Day 13:  Ski day!

• Breakfast: Coffee 
• Lunch:  Chicken taco salad and a grapefruit.  And a coffee.  I was just feeling the coffee.
• Dinner:

Day 14: Little Man's Birthday!  I was up 645am (everyone else was dead to the world) and got to read quietly for 45 minutes before the little lady got up.  It was awesome!

• Breakfast: Coffee and a smoothie (coconut milk, blueberries, cherries, chia seed, and a Tbsp of almond butter.
• Lunch: Salad and buffalo wings.  It probably had vegetable oil in both, but whatever...I didn't eat pizza.  Or the really awesome Ninja Turtle head cake pops my best friend made.  Or drink wine!  But I did eat chocolate cake...and it was amazing.
• Dinner: Chicken soup--finally killed that batch!

Whole30 #2: Week One

I decided to do another Whole30--luckily I've got a bunch of friends and co-workers to back me up this time.  Pretty much all of us are just trying to eat REALLY well for January since we all ate REALLY poorly during December.

I'm looking forward to feeling a lot better and sleeping better like I did the first time I did it in June 2015.  This time, I'm going to attempt to fully document it, mostly to keep myself accountable and not cheat...

Start date was Jan. 4th.

Day 1: 147 lbs. (Really?  That's 10 pounds heavier than September, the last time I weighed myself and payed it any mind), bloated, probably the worst complexion I've seen since 16, TIRED.  We all joked at lunch at how swollen our fingers were, too, thinking we're probably all OD'd on salt. Mentally feeling pretty okay.

• Breakfast: Coffee with coconut milk. (I found this boxed one which is great for storing in the fridge.  I water it down a little for cooking/smoothies.)
• Lunch: Chicken soup (homemade with mushrooms, carrots, onions, celery), a grapefruit, and 3 slices of apple with almond butter (maybe a teaspoon).
• Dinner:  Sockeye Salmon (ala Alton Brown using olive oil) served on a bed of arugula with a slice of meyer lemon, half an avocado, and roasted asparagus.

Day 2: Tired, but fine.  Wanting wine and chocolate after dinner.

• Breakfast: Coffee again, because I haven't been hungry for breakfast.
• Lunch: Left-overs from dinner the night before without the asparagus, because I ate it all.
• Dinner: Rainbow trout in a coconut red thai curry sauce with sliced bell peppers and mushrooms, avocado, and cilantro.

Day 3:  Woke up HUNGRY, but still feeling okay.

• Breakfast: Coffee and a slice of tortilla espanola, again, made with coconut and olive oils.

• Lunch: Fruit salad at a lunch meeting, because I couldn't eat anything else that was served...
• Dinner: Rib roast with roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes with ghee/clarified butter.

Day 4: Fine.  Weird dreams last night.

• Breakfast: Coffee and a smoothie of a banana, coconut milk, chia seeds, cherries and blueberries (with a little water to make it drinkable).
• Lunch: Leftover rib roast, sweet potato, half a grapefruit, and some apple slices with almond butter.
• Dinner: Chicken-cilantro burger on a bed of arugula with avocado and caramelized onions and mushrooms.

Day 5: Still slow in the mornings, but my energy level is definitely evening out during the day (vs. the peaks and pits of last week on sugar).

• Breakfast: Coffee.
• Lunch: Chicken-cilantro burger on a bed of arugula with avocado and caramelized onions and mushrooms, grapefruit, and some apple slices with almond butter.
• Dinner: Mexican chicken lettuce "tacos" with avocado and cilantro.

Day 6: Slow to get up, but feeling good.  Skied all day and was more stiff than sore that night.

• Breakfast: Coffee, smoothie.
• Lunch: Leftover Mexican chicken lettuce "tacos" with avocado and cilantro.
• Dinner: Stuffed pepper (canned tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, garlic, ground pork and beef mix, topped with basil.

Day 7: Cranky.  So unbelievably cranky. And tired.

• Breakfast: Coffee, smoothie.
• Lunch: Shake Shack double patty no-bun burger with lettuce, tomato, onion and mustard.
• Dinner:  Leftover stuffed pepper.
• Dessert: Sliced banana with almond butter.

Who else is doing a Whole30?  What are you feeling?  What are you eating?

5 Reasons to Love Your Crockpot This Month

Although the past week or so has been hiding this fact, it's November and the colder weather is coming.

Here are 5 easy ways to show your crockpot (and wallet and sanity) some love this month:
1. Roasted Squash.  I was totally afraid of this one at first.  But seriously, wash a butternut squash, cut it in half, and just throw it in and put the lid on.  No seeding, no peeling, nada.  High for ~4 hours or low for ~6.  Then just scoop out the roasted yummy goodness (after scooping the seeds out if you don't want to eat them).
2. Roasted Chicken and Vegetables.  3 whole peeled carrots, 3 trimmed stalks of celery on the bottom, a seasoned (salt, pepper, paprika to keep it simple) whole fryer chicken stuffed with a bay leaf, a clove of garlic and a small onion on top.  Put the lid on, turn it on low for ~8 hours.  Eat the breasts and then get onto...
3. Chicken soup.  Leave everything in the crockpot but the whole chicken from #2, add back in the meat you picked off of that chicken after your meal for #2, add about 4 cups of water and voila!  Soup.  You don't even have to turn the crockpot on for this one.
4. Chili.  After browning about a pound of ground beef (or turkey), add it to the crock pot with two big cans of whole tomatoes, a small can of tomato paste, a chopped onion, a chopped green pepper, a chopped (and seeded if you like) jalapeno, a can of black beans, a clove of garlic, and 4 diced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (1/2 a small can).  ~2 hours on high; ~4 hours on low.
5. Coq au Vin.  Whether you prefer it red (I recommend cote du rhone) or white (Nigella and I say Riesling), just get some skinless chicken thighs (4-5), coarsely chopped onion, carrot, celery, 2 bay leaves, and 2 cloves of garlic into that crockpot!  Serve it over some buttered egg noodles or just with some crusty bread.  ~4 hours on high or ~6 on low.

Happy slow cooking!

I did a Whole30, and it wasn't awful

A typical breakfast

During the month of June, I went on my first "diet".  For me, it wasn't about losing weight, getting skinny, etc., though those are nice side effects.  Since my Little Lady joined the family, I've just been eating terribly and been feeling pretty strung out.

"But you've got a 10-month old baby!" is what a lot people have said.

But that doesn't mean I should be sustaining myself on caffeine and sugar just to get through the day, I say.  I needed to make a change, just didn't know what it should be.  Luckily, I had two friends who were feeling the same way, and we made a pact to support each other in our quest to just start eating better.  Problem was, we didn't really have a plan on how to eat better yet.

Just after Memorial Day, I read about this thing called the Whole30 on some blog or other.  It seemed trendy (it's all over the interwebs right now) so I was automatically turned off by it.  But, I googled it, checked out their website, and after numerous conversations with a friend who eats in the style of paleo but drinks beer and doesn't completely hate life, I called my ladies and said, "this ish is on!"

The nice thing about June for me was that this is a 30 day program, June has 30 days, and June began on a Monday.  Plus, since we were moving, we weren't traveling to see any family and friends so we'd be home to make dinners and lunches and not relying on take out or road food.

Fish Tacos with Mango Jalapeno Salsa
and Lettuce Wraps

The simple explanation of this way of eating--just eat meat and veggies.  No grains, no dairy, no sweeteners, no beans (including peanuts).

Things learned (or re-affirmed):
-Eggs are pretty much amazing on anything.  Seriously.  On sauteed kale for breakfast, on salads, on burgers, on sausage and greens, whatever.  And poached eggs--holy crap.  Amazing.
-That super full feeling that I relied on to tell me I was done eating isn't necessary.  It was bloat, not being full.  And it was from far too much bread and pasta.
-Having someone to vent to/celebrate with when doing something different like this is key.  I'm not sure if I would have been as successful if I didn't have my two friends doing it with me, sharing our frustrations, fun food finds to keep us "Whole30 compliant", and texting skinny pics back and forth.  Plus, having a really deep bench of supportive co-workers made lunchtime a lot easier.
-I eat pretty well already.  Aside from relying too heavily on grain-based foods to round out my meals before this, I was already making most of my food from scratch, and eating a ton of nuts and fruits and veggies.  Just needed to add some more of that...
-I love butter.  This restricts dairy, but allows clarified butters and ghee.  I have to admit though, butter without its dairy solids is just not as amazing.  Plus, I think I wasted a lot of butter parts, clarifying that ish.



The results?

Work version of breakfast.

- I lost 6 pounds during the month of June (and I had pizza and beer the day we moved on the 24th, so according to the Whole30, I didn't actually do a Whole30).  I've lost another two in the last 10 days by mostly sticking with the plan.
- I'm fitting into clothes I just started fitting back into when I got pregnant with #2 and hadn't really worn since before I got pregnant with #1 4+ years ago.  I'm also not fitting into a lot of things, since they're too big.
- My energy level is MUCH more consistent during the day now that I'm not having bread (read bagels, croissants) for breakfast and eating eggs on greens most days.
- I've stopped using moisturizer.  I think because I'm eating more fats and oils, my skin is as dry as it was.  And it's just as clear if not clearer as before.
- My teeth are whiter.  I had some staining kind of in between some of the teeth, and that's pretty much gone away.
- I've lost the hanger.  Amazing, I know.  After a hard first week on my body (and my mind) adjusting to life without all that sugar, and figuring out how much and when to eat, I'm not having those energy crashes that result in pure, unadulterated, ravenously, angry hunger acts.
- My husband has lost weight.  He wasn't completely on board with the plan ("I'll eat what gets put in front of me."), but I've noticed his belly is smaller and his pants are looser on him.

We're continuing this lack of grains in our daily lives, but I must say, I'm glad to be able to drink beer again.

I'm curious to hear about how others have found ways to eat a bit healthier.  Let me know 

Portobello Mushroom "Burger" with Peppers and Fresh Mozz!

Served with a baked sweet potato

Meatless Mondays.  It's a thing.  And for a gal who would rather eat veggies, it's a great excuse to have some fun with vegetable main dishes.

This is what we had for dinner last night, and I'm so glad I saw those mushroom caps at the grocery store on Sunday!  All said, this took about 30 minutes to make, and most of that was waiting for the peppers and onions to cook down and caramelize.

Portobello Mushroom "Burger" 
Serves 3

3 portobello Mushroom Caps
1 red pepper (med/large), finely chopped
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1 cup baby arugula
3 English muffins, toasted
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 slices fresh mozzarella (1/4 thick)
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Lay mushrooms stem side up on a plate.  Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Heat pan over medium heat.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil, peppers, and onions when pan is hot.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover.  Cook for 10-15 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize.  Move from pan into bowl; set aside.

Put mushrooms in pan, stem side down, with balsamic vinegar over medium heat.  Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes.  Flip mushrooms, cover, and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until tender.

In the pan, spoon peppers and onions on the stem side of mushroom.  Top with cheese, and cover until cheese melts slightly.

Serve on a toasted bun (or English muffin) with 1/3 cup of baby arugula.

Breakfast Cookies

Coming back from vacation, I realized that I had gained 8 lbs.  In one week, I gained 8 lbs.  The same week I had a crazy stomach bug during which I purged an entire day's worth of food. 8 lbs!

Since I'm not a diet/salad/deprive myself kind of girl, I was super excited to see breakfast cookies in my Bloglovin' feed last week from Ambitious Kitchen.  And not because I ever planned on eating these for breakfast (though it's a pretty awesome idea), but because I need to take the ravenous 545pm beast that tries to wrangle ninos, start dinner, and pick up the morning's mayhem while keeping the hanger at bay. 

Yes, I get hangry.  If I'm cranky, please offer me food.  I'll be much nicer to you.

Back to the cookies...


Here's the link to the recipe.

Before Baking

Some notes for making the cookies:
- Cool down the nuts before incorporating the other ingredients (my chocolate chips melted)
- The "batter" doesn't really hold together too well when forming the cookies
- They look super ugly on the cookie sheet out of the oven.  Don't be scared
- Cherries are a better idea than cranberries.  It's just better.

Right Out of the Oven

Some notes on eating:
- Crumbly.  Messy.  Don't eat this in front of people you're trying to impress or in bed.
- Let them sit for a couple days in a ziplock bag or container.  It helps with the messy factor a bit.

You could probably make these vegan by using a banana in lieu of an egg.

I will be making these again.  It's a, easy to make, great recipe and mostly guilt-free. 

And they're delicious.

Yum

Chia Seed Pudding

Chia seeds.  I just realized that these were the same seeds that you put on a chia pet.  Which is probably a good thing or I doubt I would have started eating them...or maybe I would have because then I could say I ate a chia pet.

Chia are some good stuff.  They're pretty amazing little buggers nutritionally, are great thickeners, really don't taste like much, and are so easy to add to pretty much anything (salads, smoothies, soups, etc.).  And they're pretty cheap (I bought a bag of Bob's Red Mill at Giant for $8 last week which will last me a solid 2 months).

Whilst pregnant during the dog days of summer, all I wanted was something refreshing to eat that was also healthy and easy to make.  Since a girl can only cut up so much watermelon, I went hunting and found that chia seed puddings are kind of thing and ridiculously easy to make.  And the texture is similar to tapioca, which I adore.

Here's what I came up with after doing some internet and taste-testing research:
1. Use coconut milk:  It's easy, you don't have to add sugar to make it awesome, and I always have a can in the pantry (ironically sitting next to the jar of chia seeds) so I have an instant desert now.
2. Top with fresh fruit:  In addition to making it look prettier, it was a great way to use up that bumper crop of raspberries I had this summer.  I used blueberries, peaches, and grapes (I don't really recommend the grapes), but I'd imagine most anything would be good.
3. Use mini chocolate chips:  normal size are just too big. Dark chocolate is awesome.
4. Anything that doesn't require preparations with heat in the summer are awesome.
5. Maple syrup is a good sweetener if you decide you need it.
6. This is one of the few desserts that should satisfy all of your friends' weird dietary habits (vegan, paleo, low carb, etc.)

Chia Seed Pudding
makes 4 servings
1 12oz. can coconut milk (full or low-fat)
1 1/2 tablespoons chia seed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup fresh fruit for garnish

Mix coconut milk, chia seeds and chocolate in a bowl.  Cover and let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes up to an hour.  Scoop into serving cups and top with fresh fruit.

Remaining pudding can be stored for up to a week in the fridge.  FYI: it might separate, but will stir back into prettiness easily.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Blueberry Buckle

Photo borrowed from thespicedlife.com

I think berry season is my favorite part of the summer--strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries (try them, they're AMAZING), blackberries, whatever.  I'm there, I'm stained red and blue and I'm happy.

So, I'm thrilled that blueberries were on sale a few weeks ago (from CA, but I couldn't help myself) so I could make a blueberry buckle for my co-worker's office wedding shower.

Blueberry buckle is one of those desserts/breakfasts/snacks that reminds me of childhood.  My grandparents had blueberry bushes which my sister, cousins and I spent a lot of time picking, and someone was always making something with berries.  My mother makes a mean buckle, but I did modify her recipe a little bit to suit the lack of Crisco in my pantry (mmm, butter).

Also, if you're wondering exactly what a buckle is, it's like a coffee cake, but with a band or "belt" of berries going through the middle.  I simplified for this recipe and just put all of the topping on top, but it's definitely prettier if you have the patience to split the cake batter into two layers.

Blueberry Buckle--makes 16 servings

Oven: 350F

Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake time: 45 minutes

Creamed sugar, butter, and egg

Cake

1/2 cup butter (softened)

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

Thoroughly cream shortening and cup sugar - add egg and beat till light and fluffy.  Sift together flour, baking power and salt- add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.  Spread in well-greased tube pan.

Topping

Batter before topping

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup butter (cold)

Mix together sugar, flour and cinnamon in medium bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  Gently mix in berries and sprinkle over top of cake  Bake at 350F for 45 minutes.

Let the cake cool for at least 20 minutes before trying to remove from the pan.  When mostly cool, slip a knife around the outside edge of the pan.  Place a small bowl or short glass inverted on the counter and use that to help you remove the cake from the outer ring. Then run your knife along the inside edge and under the cake to loosen.  It should lift off the tube easily--if not, run the knife around again.

Pre-baking

Cut into 16 wedges and serve.

You can wrap and freeze whole cakes and portions as well--keeps for about 3 months without issues.  To defrost, just let sit on your counter for a few hours.

*Please note: the title image on this post has been borrowed from http://www.thespicedlife.com/2008/07/blueberry-buckle.html.  This is because I didn't have time to take a photo before all sixteen pieces were eaten!

I miss making things!

Man, I never thought I'd be so out of touch with my own blog.  I've never been a super-regular journaling kind of gal (even when I had an actual diary with a lock and key that I really just drew on--not in), but the last few months (roughly 7, actually) have probably been the most unproductive of my life externally.

Since January, I've stopped my personal chef-ery business, haven't sewn a darn thing (except a rogue bra strap and hook & eye clasp repair on said bra), haven't brewed a single beer, have knitted or crocheted exactly nothing, and barely have the energy to make dinner most nights.  I've planted exactly 4 tomato plants in my garden, and put together a really cute herb garden in a strawberry pot--that's it.

Internally, I'm sustaining an expectant life.  "#2" as we affectionately call him or her is due, ironically, Labor Day weekend.  As he/she/it is literally sucking the energy right out of me, I do a lot of "supervising".  I'm lucky to have an actually helpful 2 1/2 year old and an understanding husband...

But even though I spend most of my days dreaming about making things and plotting what I might be able to make while on maternity leave, I am lucky enough to be reading a ton lately.  In addition to voraciously reading my National Geographics each month, finally catching up on my SKI and 32 degrees magazines (ironic since there's no snow and I'm really not fit to ski), I've re-discovered the awesomeness that "Leisure Reading" section at Temple University's library which is awesomely situated across the street from my office.

If you're interested in keeping up with what I'm reading or suggesting a new book, please link up!  I hate walking blindly into a book without a recommendation and I'm game to read anything.  I'm 99% sure this is my profile.

Until I'm game for making again, here are my current craft-crushes:
The Cutest Darn Thing to entertain your toddler on Two-Many
I need to have this skirt but am too lazy to make it, but I still really want to buy the pattern
Signs I may miss drinking a bit too much

I hope to have more fodder to share with you all soon, but it may just be musings on what I plan to brew for my post-baby hospital bed celebration...I'm excited about that!

Pretzel Bread Bowls & Butternut Squash Soup

Fall means a few things to me, and two of them are baking and soup!  And (as long as you have strong arms or a stand mixer), these two easy recipes will keep you ready to fight the impending frost.

First, I made these pretzel bread bowls.  And luckily, my trusty helper Little Man was there to help dump in the flour and make a mess.  Though the entire process took some time (20 minutes of mixing and kneading, an hour of rising, 25 minutes to punch down/separate/rest, 10 minutes of baking soda bath, 20 minutes of baking), it really couldn't have been easier.  And we fought over the left-over bread bowls...because apparently having 6 left over wasn't enough to make us all happy.

While they cooled, I made the butternut squash soup.  Very easy to do from scratch and it takes maybe 30 minutes and will feed 4 people LARGE soup portions.  Can be made vegan or vegetarian by using oils and water or veggie stock.

Butternut Squash Soup
1 large Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 small onion, diced
1 quart of chicken stock (box or home made)
1 tsp of sage
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup cream or half and half
salt and pepper to taste

Put a stock pot over high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil or butter.  Once it starts to glisten, add in the onions, sage and bay leaf and pinch of salt.  When the onion is slightly translucent add in the squash.  Saute about a minute until the squash starts to turn a bit darker.  Add in enough stock to just cover the squash and bring to a bowl.  Put the lid on, turn the heat to medium, and cook until the squash is soft.

Take off the heat, remove the bay leaf. Using a stick blender, blend away until all the soup is smooth (can be done in a traditional blender as well in stages).  Add the half and half, stir and return to the heat for a few minutes until it's nice and hot again. 

Serve with a sprinkling of sage or a dusting of nutmeg.

Can be made vegan or vegetarian by using oils and water or veggie stock.
Freezes REALLY well.

Summer Re-cap

I hate bloggers who apologize for not keeping up with their blogs--because blog readers are just glued to their computers waiting for us all to share what we had for dinner, the cute outfit we spent hours laboring over for our kid who messed it up 2 minutes after the photos were taken, or finding out what fun picture frame we fashioned into a completely useless piece of wall "art".

So, I'm not apologizing for not posting anything for almost 6 months--I have a life.  But, I've missed cataloging what I've been up to, so I thought I would do a bit of a photo montage that explains what I've been up to over the last six months.  Enjoy!

Garden:

We finally had a strawberry this year!  It rained a lot, my tomatoes are coming in like crazy (still), I built a vertical planter for sweet potatoes (that died) that seems very well suited for cucumbers, pesto: the elixir of pasta, a squash plant I started from seed and hydrangea. 

Kiddo:

 

Helping me make cinnamon buns with his friend one morning.

 

And thankfully, we had a lot of beach & lake time this summer.

Cooking:

 

I discovered the olive bar at Wegmans's; Mac n Cheese, grilled lamb leg, avocado pasta, pierogies with chorizo(!), the book that started it all, cold-brewed coffee (a revelation), we made baked beans from scratch, this crazy watermelon rum drink with limes and cilantro, Heizenberg special rock candy (just a touch of chili p yo), and the most beautiful fritatta I've ever made.

Beer/Liquor Drinks:

A small sampling what I've been drinking this summer.  Lots of ales and saisons, now transitioning into festbiers and porters.  I haven't brewed since probably Februrary, but I'm enjoying what others are making immensely!

The chill of fall has also reignited the bourbon (me) vs. scotch (my husband) debate in our house.  Here's a fun maple mint julep I made--it's actually better without the ice cubes to take that chill off your bones.

If you have any questions about what I have up here, just ask!  It may make its way into a full blog post one day!

Rural Revolution: How long will home-canned food last?

I had to share this blog post from a blog I randomly came across months ago. 

Now, I don't have a pressure-canning system so I can't can meat, but this is a great example of how great home canning can be!  And don't forget to read the comments.  Some are great!


Rural Revolution: How long will home-canned food last?: I was cleaning out my pantry a couple days ago when I came across some home-canned jars of meat: beef and ham, as well as lentil soup. No...

Venison Tenderloin Roast

I'm a lucky girl in many ways, but I am definitely lucky to have to step-father who shares the spoils of his hunting expeditions.  And last year, he got two deer, so there was a lot of sharing!

Since deer season is set to begin again in his area, I'm in a mad dash to finish all of the wonderful cuts of meat we got last year and this tenderloin is actually part of a larger roast I made into stew a few weeks back.  It was a small roast--maybe one pound tops--so it was perfect for a quick and yummy weeknight dinner for two.

Plus, once it was defrosted, it only took 10 minutes to prepare--start to finish! 

Pan-seared Venison Tenderloin
1 lb. tenderloin (whole)
2 Tbs. garlic powder
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbs. cracked black pepper
2 Tbs. olive oil

Heat a frying/sautee pan over high heat.  Add olive oil.

Pat dry tenderloin with paper towels, and evenly apply garlic, salt, and pepper.

Once the oil is shimmery and just starting to smoke, add the tenderloin.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side--probably 4 sides--for a rare center and medium rare ends.  It should be dark brown but not burnt.  Turn off heat and remove loin to carving surface and tent with foil to rest for 5-10 minutes before carving and serving.

*You can use a similar preparation for a beef or pork tenderloin as well, if you finish it off in the oven since they are generally much larger than 1 lb.

Raspberry Maple French Toast

I'm lucky enough to have raspberry bushes that produce just as much fruit in the fall as they do in the late spring, and an arsenal of recipes to make sure none of them go to waste.  This is one of my favorites.

Raspberry Maple French Toast
French Toast
8 slices of day-old challah, 1/2 inch thick
4-5 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbs cinnamon

Heat a skillet, griddle or frying pan over medium heat.  Lightly beat eggs, milk, and cinnamon in a shallow dish.  Add a single layer of bread and then flip the bread to coat the other side.  Let it sit in the egg for a minute to soak.
Add a pat of butter or a non-stick spray to the pan and put in a single layer of bread.  Cook 3 minutes on one side until lightly browned and flip.  Cook 3 more minutes until lightly browned and remove to a warm oven until ready to serve.  Repeat with the remainder of your bread. 

Syrup
a pint of raspberries
2 cups of maple syrup
4 Tbs/ 1/2 stick of butter

Add the butter to a pan over high heat. Once melted, add raspberries and cook until berries start to break apart.  Add syrup and cook until heated through.  Poor syrup into a gravy boat or small pitcher (I use a pyrex measuring cup with a spout).

Serve warm over the french toast (or pancakes).

Serves 4-6

*You can use frozen berries with this recipe
*You can also substitute blueberries, blackberries, or even strawberries
*Day-old bread is not necessary, but it makes it that much better
*You can also strain the syrup if you're adverse to pulp or seeds

Pan Roasted Cabbage

I love a cabbage, garlic and cumin combo, so I came up with this recipe one night when I had a random head of leftover cabbage.  After everything is said and done, this dish will cost you about $2 to make, and feeds about 6 people very hefty side servings.  Goes great with chicken, steak, and pork.  It's a little sweet, a teeny bit sour, and perfect for a fall evening.

First thing to know about cabbage is how to cut it. Remove any leaves from the outside that look wilted, damaged, brown, mushy, or otherwise unappealing.  Cut it in half from the core and then cut a little triangle around the core to remove it.  Cabbage can be a tough little ball of leaves, so be careful.  You can also use a food processor to shred the cabbage after removing the core, but I find it to be too much clean-up.

Then, cut the cabbage in about 1/8 inch (smaller if you can manage) slices.  I cut those in half.  The smaller you can make the slices, the quicker it will cook and caramelize.

Pan Roasted Cabbage
1 medium head of green cabbage
2 tablespoons of oil (I used olive)
3 large cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of cumin seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Mince the garlic and add to a large skillet with the oil, cumin and a bit of salt over medium heat.  Once the cumin aroma starts to come out, add the cabbage, stir to combine and cover for 10 minutes or until the cabbage has softened.  Stir again, add the honey and vinegar, and cook uncovered for another 2-3 minutes.  Cabbage should just start to brown.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6-8.

Linguini and hot sausage in a fried sage cream sauce

When I first read about this in a NYTimes column early this week, it sounded gross.  I mean, fried sage?  In a cream sauce?  And then you have hot sausage?  Nothing about this seemed like it would make sense, but I have a sage bush(?) in my garden (that I can't seem to kill and I barely even use the stuff) and those food writers at the Times haven't steered me wrong yet, so I went for it.

This is a modified recipe, as I didn't use theirs and frankly don't remember or care to spend the time finding the link.  I made it for two, and we had two large servings, with just barely enough left over to not save it for a lunch the next day.

1/2 lb of Linguini (not fresh)
1 cup of heavy cream
1/2 lb of hot italian sausage in the casing
2 Tbs Fresh sage chopped finely (or use little leaves)
1 small shallot, sliced thinly
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Start your pasta water boiling, and a large skillet on medium/medium high with a drop of olive oil. 

Cut the sausage into 1/8" slices (think bite-sized).  When the pan is hot, add the sausage and cook for 5 minutes or until both sides are browned.  Remove sausage from pan and set aside.

If you have a fair amount of oils left in the pan, just add the sage and saute until it turns to a dark green, scraping up any bits that may have been left in the bottom of the pan along the way.  You may want to add a small amount of oil if you didn't have a fatty sausage, but be light-handed with the oil.

When the water is boiling, salt it and add the pasta.  Cook to package directions.  Before you drain your pasta, be sure to save a mug of pasta water.

Once the sage is a bit crunchy and the desired shade of dark green, add your thinly sliced shallot.  You can also substitute a bit of onion and minced garlic, but I liked the sweetness of the shallot and think garlic would have been a bit much with the sausage.  Saute until it becomes translucent and starts to brown.

Turn off the heat, and slowly add the cream, about 1/4 cup at a time.  Stir to incorporate, making sure that the cream isn't curdling.  Once you've added the cream, turn the heat back on to medium.  Add the sausage back in as well.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Allow the cream sauce to simmer and thicken to your desired consistency--I'd recommend just a bit thicker than the cream started out.

Add the drained pasta to the sauce skillet and toss to combine.  If you'd like a looser sauce, add the reserved pasta water (less than 1/4 cup at a time) until you get your desired texture.

Serve and enjoy!

On the menu for next week

I realized that even though I've been doing a pretty good job of sticking with my meal-planning, I haven't shared my experiences in this arena lately.

I have not stuck with a meal planning service--I didn't LOVE the recipes, and our fickle tastebuds tend to crave things that weren't in any of the menus I found.  I did, however, find a lot of inspiration of how I should be doing things and continue to use the models of execution from many of the websites I found.

So what exactly am I doing?  I've started bookmarking recipes and (GASP!) making a running grocery list of items we'll need to execute those menu items for the next few weeks.  You'll notice some things are crossed off, and that's because their procurement was delegated to the big guy who drives past a butcher on his way home from work.  Other things missing from the list are things I have in my garden, so no tomatoes, eggplants, herbs, cucumbers or raspberries will show up on here until October.

And what will we be cooking?
-Peach sauce for the little guy
-A shrimp, peach and spinach hot salad thingy (once I make it and figure out what I'm doing I'll post about it)
-Pasta with hot sausage, fried sage, and a cream sauce.
-Grilled flank steaks (probably slightly Mexican-style w/ fresh salsa and tortillas)
-Grilled chicken breasts marinated in a yogurt curry sauce.
-Eggplant (roasted, fried and baked into a "lasagna", possibly into a chutney I saw)
-Pretty much all meals will be accompanied by a tomato salad since it's that time of year.
-Left over corn chowder to eat with hamburgers and hot dogs over Labor Day weekend

It's amazing how just this little bit of conscious planning has really taken away the stress, made me a better grocery shopper in terms of both time and money, and has really made our evenings that much more enjoyable.