tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39272060872126973672024-03-05T22:49:57.584-05:00Kitchen of a Lazy GirlA blog about food, health, fitness, and trial-and-error in the kitchen.Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-62493196536740313272010-07-26T21:59:00.001-04:002010-07-26T22:03:40.750-04:00K.I.S.S.!I tried baking a cake last night to bring to my coworkers. It called for 1 cup of oil. I used 1 cup of coconut oil instead of vegetable oil because I wanted it to have coconut flavor.<br />
<br />
But I think the recipe is totally flawed! It ended up being such a greasy mess of a cake! Yuck! I realized I need to take a step back and go to the basics: simple, effective, delicious recipes. I have to remember: "K.I.S.S."<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">K</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">eep</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">t</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">S</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">imple</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">S</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">tupid!!!</span></div><br />
So, tonight I decided to make up for it and bake muffins... for the first time ever I actually created a recipe from scratch! My very own! I just threw together stuff I had in my apartment, but it was triggered by the two over-ripe bananas that had been sitting around.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TE40H3kdQgI/AAAAAAAAAts/JNj352GV43M/s1600/IMG_1668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TE40H3kdQgI/AAAAAAAAAts/JNj352GV43M/s320/IMG_1668.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Black-Eye Banana Muffins</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Makes 12 muffins.</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Nutrition and recipe <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1174011">here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TE40v4xrwJI/AAAAAAAAAt8/9PN_Uk5uOSc/s1600/IMG_1654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TE40v4xrwJI/AAAAAAAAAt8/9PN_Uk5uOSc/s200/IMG_1654.JPG" width="150" /></a>1 cup rolled oats</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup whole wheat flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 bananas, mashed</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup raw agave nectar</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 fat free yogurt</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 egg whites</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tablespoon baking powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon</div><div style="text-align: left;">12 blackberries</div><div style="text-align: left;">3/4 cup slivered almonds</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TE40dqtXXaI/AAAAAAAAAt0/algQdBQeC-E/s1600/IMG_1649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TE40dqtXXaI/AAAAAAAAAt0/algQdBQeC-E/s200/IMG_1649.JPG" width="200" /></a>Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin pan with non-stick spray.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Combine flour, oats, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl and set aside.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TE40_jL3N5I/AAAAAAAAAuE/XL6IV-94oEM/s1600/IMG_1653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TE40_jL3N5I/AAAAAAAAAuE/XL6IV-94oEM/s200/IMG_1653.JPG" width="150" /></a>Mix remaining ingredients <b>except</b> blackberries and almonds until smooth. Gently incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Spoon batter into each muffin well no more than 1/4 of the way full. Top with a blackberry, followed by remaining batter.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Bake at 350 degrees F until edges are golden, about 18 minutes. <u>NOTE: The toothpick test isn't recommended because the blackberry will mess with the "clean" result!</u> :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Remove from the oven and keep in the pan for a few minutes before letting them cool on a wire rack.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">After making these muffins, I felt really confident. I went for a bike ride and was so motivated and energetic that I decided to attempt making granola yet again! I've tried making granola not once, not twice, but <b>three times</b> in the recent past. Every time... I burned it. :(</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">But tonight was a success!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I didn't take any photos... maybe I will tomorrow while I enjoy a serving with my breakfast at work. It'll be low-quality (as my camera will be my iPhone!) but we'll see. Anyway, <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1174373"><b>here is the recipe</b></a> if you want to check it out!</div>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-73209043191421470642010-07-20T20:33:00.000-04:002010-07-20T20:33:30.237-04:00Raw ShoppingI'm very open to new dietary styles, choices, and options. In <a href="http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=1923097">April 2009</a> I decided to eat a vegetarian diet for a month, just to challenge myself and learn how to cook in a different way than I'm used to. I found it surprisingly easy to do, so <a href="http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=2849230">about a year later</a> I decided to eat a vegan diet for the same reason that I did the vegetarian thing the year before.<br />
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Although I'm not at the point of wanting to do another culinary challenge just yet, I'm continuing to experiment with things I eat. I definitely consider myself a flexitarian, as I eat meat rarely; for example, I had some tuna for lunch, but before that I think the last time I had meat was... um... sometime last week? I'd say out of the protein I eat, 10% of it is meat/poultry/seafood. About 25% of it is animal by-products (dairy & eggs) and the rest is from grains, cereals, soy, legumes, beans, nuts, etc.<br />
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Since starting this blog and getting more well-versed in cooking, baking, and food in general, I started utilizing <a href="http://reader.google.com/">Google Reader</a> to follow lots of foodie, gardening, fitness, health, and local Cincinnati blogs. One of the foodie/health blogs I recently began following is <a href="http://rawreform.blogspot.com/">Raw Reform</a>. Through the blog, I discovered their store: <a href="http://www.therawfoodworld.com/">The Raw Food World</a><br />
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When I discover new things involving my passions (technology, gadgets, and <i>of course </i><b>food!</b>) I want to buy buy buy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TEY-fago5qI/AAAAAAAAAtk/iY6PUHAZ4wY/s1600/IMG_1459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TEY-fago5qI/AAAAAAAAAtk/iY6PUHAZ4wY/s320/IMG_1459.JPG" /></a></div><br />
So, I bought bought bought...<br />
<br />
<ul><li>cacao nibs</li>
<li>coconut oil</li>
<li>chia seeds</li>
<li>medjool dates</li>
<li>shredded coconut</li>
<li>goji berries</li>
</ul><div>Obviously all of it is raw. The package came with free samples of some vegan protein powder and a couple of supplements, though I'm not sure if/when I'll try either of them. Except for the dates and goji berries, I've never eaten or cooked with any of the other items.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I've since tried the cacao nibs, which kind of remind me of espresso beans (yum)! Once I get the rest of my kitchen tools and gadgets out of boxes, I plan on experimenting with the rest of the stuff. Nom nom nom!</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Have you ever looked into raw foodism? What are your opinions about it?</b></div>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-81715391925128807512010-07-18T15:16:00.000-04:002010-07-18T15:16:47.641-04:00Welcome to My New Kitchen<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">As I said in a previous blog posts, I moved into a new apartment on the 4th of July weekend. My kitchen is <strike>a bit</strike> </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">much</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> smaller than my last apartment, but there are benefits: gas range, stainless steel counter top, and more windows (which means better lighting for photos).</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So, without further ado...</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TENOSn3bEdI/AAAAAAAAAtU/8nb1DJbrMXA/s1600/IMG_1496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TENOSn3bEdI/AAAAAAAAAtU/8nb1DJbrMXA/s320/IMG_1496.JPG" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Welcome!</span></b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TENOgkZEofI/AAAAAAAAAtc/1RYq1JXelZY/s1600/IMG_1502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TENOgkZEofI/AAAAAAAAAtc/1RYq1JXelZY/s320/IMG_1502.JPG" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">My workspace!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TENM_HJTDjI/AAAAAAAAAsk/UjnKWWzN2QU/s1600/IMG_1602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TENM_HJTDjI/AAAAAAAAAsk/UjnKWWzN2QU/s200/IMG_1602.JPG" width="150" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Yup, it's small. Also, since taking the photo above, I put my microwave to the right of my range... temporarily. I have most of the cabinets full, but I'm waiting on my boyfriend to arrive for me to put most of it away.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">See all of my appliances still in boxes? That's because my boyfriend is bringing a 3-tier shelf/cart that I will be using to hold my appliances (including my microwave), as well as other kitchen things.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This will help free up my counter space, which is very little as is! So, until then I will be using hard work (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">not</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> my Kithchen Aid mxier!) to do my baking, cooking, etc.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I haven't baked anything and haven't even cooked very much at all in the 2 weeks I've lived here. With all of my appliances (except my microwave) and some of my cookware still in boxes, I've been unmotivated to make do with what I have at my disposal thus far. That is... until this afternoon!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TENNQEvZj-I/AAAAAAAAAss/rX5EdGhj434/s1600/IMG_1603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TENNQEvZj-I/AAAAAAAAAss/rX5EdGhj434/s200/IMG_1603.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TENNgdTqyGI/AAAAAAAAAs0/luhqfTqWn3M/s1600/IMG_1604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TENNgdTqyGI/AAAAAAAAAs0/luhqfTqWn3M/s200/IMG_1604.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">First, I had to hunt through my two remaining kitchen boxes to find my mixing bowls, as well as hope when I found them that they were all still in one piece! Luckily they were! Now, it's time to bake!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TENN7nIahoI/AAAAAAAAAtE/ot49QPfwiGQ/s1600/IMG_1617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TENN7nIahoI/AAAAAAAAAtE/ot49QPfwiGQ/s320/IMG_1617.JPG" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Mocha Oat Mini-Muffins</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>Makes approx. 44 mini-muffins.</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Nutrition and recipe <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1162179&ff=1">here</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>1.25 cups whole wheat flour</li>
<li>.75 cups rolled oats</li>
<li>1/3 cup dutch process cocoa</li>
<li>1 tbsp baking powder</li>
<li>1 packet <a href="http://www.starbucks.com/coffee/starbucks-via-instant-coffee">Starbucks Via</a> coffee granules</li>
<li>.5 cup coconut oil</li>
<li>3 egg whites</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla extract</li>
<li>1 cup light soy milk</li>
</ul>Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix all wet ingredients ins a small bowl and add to dry mix.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When combined, fill greased mini-muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake for 10 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove muffins and let them cool on a wire rack.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you want to make large muffins, bake for about 15 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.</div>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-63092874257240530752010-07-12T21:19:00.000-04:002010-07-12T21:19:01.516-04:00A [Belated] Patriotic Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made this for my coworkers the day before my vacation began. All of my bakeware was in boxes in preparation of my move. I didn't want to buy tons of stuff to bake with, or to use my cleaned oven, so a no-bake cake or pie was the only option!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDu2noBYtBI/AAAAAAAAAsc/ly8caN3kaCg/s1600/IMG_1228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDu2noBYtBI/AAAAAAAAAsc/ly8caN3kaCg/s320/IMG_1228.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Patriotic Creme Pie</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Serves 8 to 12.</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">8 oz cream cheese</div><div style="text-align: left;">12 packets Truvia (or other stevia sweetener)</div><div style="text-align: left;">8 oz Sugar Free Cool Whip</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup raspberries + some for topping</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup blueberries (more or less...)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 graham cracker pie crust</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Blend cream cheese and Truvia until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip until completely combined. Take half of the mixture and put it in a separate bowl.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Take 1/2 cup raspberries and mash them up until juicy. Pour the smashed raspberries into one of the cool whip mixtures and stir to combine. Pour into the crust and smooth into an even layer. Top with the plain cool whip mixture and spread until it covers the raspberry mixture completely and is flat on top.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Arrange blueberries and remaining raspberries on top in any way you'd like... get creative! :) Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is best).</div>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-43941573581900632312010-07-09T18:55:00.001-04:002010-07-09T18:57:07.361-04:00I'm Back! - My Absence in Photos, Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've been M.I.A. for over a week - I'm sorry! But, I have an excuse...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeeu-UsqHI/AAAAAAAAAsM/BpxEhprFB5Y/s1600/IMG_1451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeeu-UsqHI/AAAAAAAAAsM/BpxEhprFB5Y/s320/IMG_1451.JPG" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was moving! I only moved 8 miles, but I needed all the help I could get, so my parents also visited. One of the first things I did was take my mom to <a href="http://www.junglejims.com/">Jungle Jim's</a>: an incredible, unique, gigantic international food market north of Cincinnati.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeU9i6vwaI/AAAAAAAAAqc/v6wtN4dVJBo/s1600/IMG_1314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeU9i6vwaI/AAAAAAAAAqc/v6wtN4dVJBo/s320/IMG_1314.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Even on the outside, it's an eclectic-looking place! It's... uh... jungle-themed, obviously! Words can't really describe the ginormousness (hell, even "ginormousness" isn't a word and it's the only way I can explain this place!) of Jungle Jim's, so I'll show you [mostly] in photos I took during our visit:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeVa8i42TI/AAAAAAAAAqs/WBTxDV2W0PM/s1600/IMG_1324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeVa8i42TI/AAAAAAAAAqs/WBTxDV2W0PM/s200/IMG_1324.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeVlUmzY6I/AAAAAAAAAq0/j373Kt6uOEI/s1600/IMG_1329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeVlUmzY6I/AAAAAAAAAq0/j373Kt6uOEI/s200/IMG_1329.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Booze.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeVlUmzY6I/AAAAAAAAAq0/j373Kt6uOEI/s1600/IMG_1329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeWA5ogz7I/AAAAAAAAArE/pg6kdrLn4R4/s1600/IMG_1337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeWA5ogz7I/AAAAAAAAArE/pg6kdrLn4R4/s200/IMG_1337.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeh4GEhm1I/AAAAAAAAAsU/8ITfrfkWxqo/s1600/IMG_1334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeh4GEhm1I/AAAAAAAAAsU/8ITfrfkWxqo/s200/IMG_1334.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A hybrid banana-pineapple (seriously), and a giant turkey leg.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeVylu1DII/AAAAAAAAAq8/0LEKQ1_kTMw/s1600/IMG_1335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeVylu1DII/AAAAAAAAAq8/0LEKQ1_kTMw/s200/IMG_1335.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeWczJnUSI/AAAAAAAAArU/kytUJFawQq4/s1600/IMG_1338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeWczJnUSI/AAAAAAAAArU/kytUJFawQq4/s200/IMG_1338.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some kind of weird fruit, and ghost chiles - the hottest pepper in the world!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeVNvgJk4I/AAAAAAAAAqk/JN8egIj-nrQ/s1600/IMG_1319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeVNvgJk4I/AAAAAAAAAqk/JN8egIj-nrQ/s200/IMG_1319.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeWPlC8RYI/AAAAAAAAArM/HI1pj2FfEBQ/s1600/IMG_1333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeWPlC8RYI/AAAAAAAAArM/HI1pj2FfEBQ/s200/IMG_1333.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Delicious sushi we bought and ate for lunch, and an 8-pack of duck heads (for under $2.50... what a deal!).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeZCFFK13I/AAAAAAAAArk/7p7W5LZOSRA/s1600/IMG_1341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeZCFFK13I/AAAAAAAAArk/7p7W5LZOSRA/s200/IMG_1341.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeZb4SJzTI/AAAAAAAAAr0/NNzOR16bKG8/s1600/IMG_1343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeZb4SJzTI/AAAAAAAAAr0/NNzOR16bKG8/s200/IMG_1343.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Um... instant spring rolls (??!!) and a can of "white gourd drink".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeZMH-WMQI/AAAAAAAAArs/6UKMtLkxaIk/s1600/IMG_1342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeZtYlIcjI/AAAAAAAAAr8/-yyNjdGFSXk/s1600/IMG_1345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeZtYlIcjI/AAAAAAAAAr8/-yyNjdGFSXk/s320/IMG_1345.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The <b>biggest</b> marshmallows <b><i>EVER!!!</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeZ6pw6p5I/AAAAAAAAAsE/2T5BM5xZZjc/s1600/IMG_1346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TDeZ6pw6p5I/AAAAAAAAAsE/2T5BM5xZZjc/s320/IMG_1346.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our cart of goodies. Nom.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is just a small, miniscule glimpse into Jungle Jim's; every time I'm there, I discover at least 10 new things! If you're in the Cincinnati, Dayton, eastern Indiana, or northern Kentucky area, definitely take a weekend afternoon trip there!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">During my parents' trip here, a lot of food-related things happened: dinner, shopping, cooking, etc. I'll blog all about it... but right now I need to get back to unpacking!</div>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-709089905125304152010-06-28T19:28:00.001-04:002010-06-28T20:33:14.891-04:00Simple Frozen DecadenceSince the beginning of my weight-loss journey over two years ago, I became a huge fan of smoothies. I had my basic recipe:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>1/4 cup frozen fruit/berries</li>
<li>1/4 cup Greek yogurt</li>
<li>1/2 cup liquid (soy milk, almond milk, or some kind of fruit juice)</li>
</ul>Easy peasy, but sometimes I'd add "eyeball" the amounts incorrectly and end up with a smoothie that was <i>way</i> too thick. It would sometimes just get stuck around the edges of my blender and I'd have to add more liquid to it just to make it pour-able!<br />
<br />
Little did I know, what I was actually doing was making a frozen yogurt-like dessert! I've read on many blogs and websites of dairy-free "frozen yogurt" that uses frozen bananas, however I never tried it until Saturday. In the past three days I've made two versions of it (each amazing in their own way) and plan on making more!<br />
<br />
The base of the recipe is simple:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>1 frozen banana</li>
<li>a splash (approx. 2 tablespoons) of liquid, such as soy milk, almond milk, or juice</li>
</ul><div>To make it into your own custom creation, just add some mix-ins!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Here's my <b>Tropical Freeze</b> version:</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TCkttzWpU-I/AAAAAAAAAo0/bADPzXVOI8I/s1600/IMG_1196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TCkttzWpU-I/AAAAAAAAAo0/bADPzXVOI8I/s200/IMG_1196.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TCkty1dNAUI/AAAAAAAAAo8/BVeIC78WQq8/s1600/IMG_1198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TCkty1dNAUI/AAAAAAAAAo8/BVeIC78WQq8/s200/IMG_1198.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div><ul><li>1 frozen banana</li>
<li>8 pieces Trader Joe's Frozen Mango Chunks (approx. 1 cup)</li>
<li>1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes</li>
<li>a splash Trader Joe's Unsweetened Soy Milk</li>
</ul>Blend it all together until it's nice and smooth!</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TCkt2D8fUNI/AAAAAAAAApE/RDwvtMztdQ8/s1600/IMG_1201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TCkt2D8fUNI/AAAAAAAAApE/RDwvtMztdQ8/s320/IMG_1201.JPG" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>For something a bit more decadent, I also made an <b>Almond Cocoa Freeze</b>:</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TCktpJRBMTI/AAAAAAAAAos/9QFaTyfliaE/s1600/IMG_1190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TCktpJRBMTI/AAAAAAAAAos/9QFaTyfliaE/s320/IMG_1190.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><li style="text-align: left;">1 frozen banana</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">a splash of Trader Joe's Unsweetened Soy Milk</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">1 heaping teaspoon almond butter</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">slivered almonds, optional (as a topping)</li>
</ul><br />
<div>This one was so rich and chocolatey, I could barely taste the banana flavor.</div><div><br />
</div><div>My boyfriend absolutely despises bananas (and, believe it or not, he doesn't like <b>any fruit</b> *gasp!*) to the point that he can't even see them without thinking the room smells foul. I've read many places that this banana frozen treat doesn't taste much like bananas, but I definitely can taste it. I hope to find a way to camouflage the flavor so my boyfriend can enjoy this healthy alternative to ice cream! I'm also hoping to make ice pops out of this stuff, and maybe even swirl some kind of syrup, jam, jelly, or honey in it to make it more like the confections in shoppes and supermarkets!</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>What combinations or varieties would you like to see? I will try to make some of them and feature the recipe in future blog posts!</b></div>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-54307603175068888942010-06-27T13:52:00.002-04:002010-06-27T13:57:31.151-04:00Cleaning the Pantry<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I'm moving to a new apartment in less than two weeks. Despite it only being 8 miles away, I still want to consume the foods that I have on hand so I don't have to rush perishables and frozen goods from here to there and worry about it going bad! (Maybe that's just an excuse to eat my kitchen clean, haha.)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So, for the past few weeks I've been food shopping very very little, only getting things like spinach or soy milk - things I go through quickly and eat regularly. Some stuff I still have yet to consume that I really need to are:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Frozen veggies</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Trader Joe's Chili Lime Chicken Burgers (frozen, though I may try to pack those in a cooler because I doubt I can eat all 6 in the next week!)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Tofu</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Carrots</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Eggs</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Carton of egg whites</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Soy milk</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Orange juice</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Tofurky sausages</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Greek yogurt</span></li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">...and probably other stuff that I can't think of right now that's been sitting in my fridge/freezer for a while.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In an attempt to begin the pantry-purging, I made some vegetarian pot-pies earlier this week using some of the things from the aforementioned list (frozen veggies, tofu, soy milk).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TCeKYANnVDI/AAAAAAAAAok/GE9njDDt9zQ/s1600/IMG_1122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TCeKYANnVDI/AAAAAAAAAok/GE9njDDt9zQ/s320/IMG_1122.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Vegetarian Pot Pie</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Makes 4 servings.</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Nutrition info </span><a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1135037"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 sheet puff pastry, </span>thawed</li>
<li>2/5 block of extra firm tofu</li>
<li>1 tsp paprika</li>
<li>1 tbsp minced garlic</li>
<li>2 tsp worcestershire sauce</li>
<li>2 tbsp low sodium chicken broth</li>
<li>2 tbsp unsweetened soy milk</li>
<li>1 package Bird's Eye Steamfresh Mixed Vegetables</li>
</ul></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 4 ramekins with non-stick spray and set aside.<br />
<br />
Cook Bird's Eye vegetables according to instructions. Cut tofu into small cubes and toss with paprika until coated. Add remaining veggies and remaining ingredients (except puff pastry) and mix until combined.<br />
<br />
Evenly distribute the mixture into the ramekins. Cut puff pastry into quarters (4 squares) and top each ramekin with one square. Cut a few slits (be creative how they look!) into the top of each puff pastry. Brush some egg white on top of each puff pastry (this isn't shown in the nutrition info).<br />
<br />
Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.</span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Now, I think I need to get back to cleaning and packing. Luckily my mom is arriving on Tuesday (my dad arrives on Saturday) to help me finish up my packing and cleaning and to provide much-needed assistance with the move itself! Maybe they'll help me eat my food, too...!</span></div>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-37729510205403413522010-06-20T20:28:00.001-04:002010-06-20T20:29:37.620-04:00An Exchange of GoodsA coworker of mine has a fun little agreement with me that began in April. <a href="http://lazygirlkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/04/busy-baking-weekend.html">I made a butterscotch cake</a> for the Keeneland horse race for a group of people I barely knew (as I was invited by a friend, yet knew nobody else!). One guy in particular was commenting on how great the cake was and told me that his mother makes her own apple sauce and has been doing so for years.<br />
<br />
Since then he has brought me a jar of his mom's apple sauce with one catch: I have to make something with it, and as payment I get to keep the rest of the jar of apple sauce for my own enjoyment. I happily agreed!<br />
<br />
I've baked <a href="http://lazygirlkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/04/flavor-full-photo-full-and-recipe-full.html">muffins</a> for him the first time around but because of our schedules never really working out with one another, it wasn't until last week that he could get another batch for me. The muffins I made last time weren't that great, so I decided to take a different route: bars.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TB6vyywZC2I/AAAAAAAAAoc/3LTxpY2IQWA/s1600/IMG_1000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TB6vyywZC2I/AAAAAAAAAoc/3LTxpY2IQWA/s320/IMG_1000.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Apple Oat Bars</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Makes 20 bite-sized bars.</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Based on <a href="http://www.mykitchensnippets.com/2010/06/cranberry-oatmeal-bars.html">this recipe</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Filling</u>:</div><div style="text-align: left;">3/4 cup apple sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup dried apple rings, chopped roughly</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Base/Topping</u>:</div><div style="text-align: left;">1.5 cups whole wheat flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup rolled oats</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup brown sugar Splenda blend</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp cinnamon</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 tsp baking soda</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup chopped walnuts</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp vanilla</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 egg whites</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup melted margarine</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup apple sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 baking dish.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mix together filling ingredients and set aside.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In a separate bowl, mix remaining dry ingredients. Add melted butter, followed by all remaining wet ingredients.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Press half of the oat mixture into the bottom of the pan, as evenly as possible. Spread filling over crust. Top with remaining oat mixture, pressing evenly so it covers all of the filling.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden. Cool before cutting.</div>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-53932211740220970252010-06-06T20:36:00.000-04:002010-06-06T20:36:33.321-04:00Fill-You-Up BreakfastsI've been trying to broaden my breakfast horizons lately. I want to try to stay away from boxed cereals, frozen waffles, and other foods that my lazy self normally enjoys and stick with whole foods. I'm no hippie (or maybe I'm in denial...) but I like cooking from scratch, so why engorge in boxed foods? I need to embrace my creativity... with minimal work, haha! Anyway...<br />
<br />
Usually I use my over-ripe bananas to make banana bread; but, honestly, after a while it gets pretty mundane to just make banana bread all the time!<br />
<br />
I decided to come up with a random breakfast food a couple of weeks ago using some bananas that were nearing their end.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAw7MWvp6FI/AAAAAAAAAoM/Ipo16x0qZNo/s1600/IMG_0743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAw7MWvp6FI/AAAAAAAAAoM/Ipo16x0qZNo/s320/IMG_0743.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Banana Pan-Cakes</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Makes 6 Cakes</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup rolled oats</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup ground flax meal</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 ripe bananas</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 tsp cinnamon</div><div style="text-align: left;">a spash of soy milk</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAw60rPR7oI/AAAAAAAAAns/y0R2jOyTwn8/s1600/IMG_0733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAw60rPR7oI/AAAAAAAAAns/y0R2jOyTwn8/s200/IMG_0733.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAw67Te-4TI/AAAAAAAAAn0/pPoSZy9TyCs/s1600/IMG_0734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAw67Te-4TI/AAAAAAAAAn0/pPoSZy9TyCs/s200/IMG_0734.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I mashed up all the ingredients together. It kind of looked like sticky oatmeal cookie batter while tasting like banana bread!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAw7AwSnnVI/AAAAAAAAAn8/y_ZN2yaXSQ4/s1600/IMG_0735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAw7AwSnnVI/AAAAAAAAAn8/y_ZN2yaXSQ4/s200/IMG_0735.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAw7IAhsBWI/AAAAAAAAAoE/QhwbR7UJcHg/s1600/IMG_0738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAw7IAhsBWI/AAAAAAAAAoE/QhwbR7UJcHg/s200/IMG_0738.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Form them into 6 patties (or however many you want) and brown them in a skillet. For me this was about 5 minutes on each side. Yum!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Next up, I really enjoy the idea of things cooking themselves while I sleep. A while ago <a href="http://lazygirlkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/04/overnight-failure.html">I tried to make crock-pot oatmeal</a> and failed miserably. This time I decided to stay away from the heat as to avoid further disappointment.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Maybe this isn't <i>traditional</i> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muesli">muesli</a> but it tastes good (and is good for you!) and I don't know what else to call it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAw7PUUlkZI/AAAAAAAAAoU/E1GKfpAsSTU/s1600/IMG_0752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAw7PUUlkZI/AAAAAAAAAoU/E1GKfpAsSTU/s320/IMG_0752.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Lazy Girl Tropical Muesli</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Makes 2 servings.</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Nutrition information is <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1094215">here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup rolled oats</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt</div><div style="text-align: left;">16 pieces frozen mango chunks</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 packets Truvia sweetener</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup coconut flakes</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/3 cup unsweetened light soy milk</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until thoroughly combined. It'll be <b>really</b> thick. Cover with a lid and refrigerate overnight.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I've made this a couple of more times with fresh diced up strawberries and kiwi, coconut, and sunflower seeds. It's very versatile, so use whatever you have on hand!</div>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-41580252639744175092010-06-06T11:28:00.000-04:002010-06-06T11:28:29.155-04:00Memorial Day Weekend (And Bad News)I lost my camera, which makes me really sad. I have a bad habit of losing things that I like, and this is one of those moments. I took it with me to Texas last weekend while I was visiting my brother, sister-in-law, nieces, and nephew. I have a lot of photos of a great weekend, as well as photos of the amazing food that we ate that I was hoping to share with you, my readers!<br />
<br />
Unfortunately all I have are these photos that I took with my iPhone, but if I find my regular camera I will post the better photos as well. (Here's to hoping...)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAu8pN_xSVI/AAAAAAAAAnE/pN27fv4bLF8/s1600/IMG_1633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAu8pN_xSVI/AAAAAAAAAnE/pN27fv4bLF8/s320/IMG_1633.JPG" /></a></div><br />
My sister-in-law is Vietnamese and cooks the greatest Asian food I've ever had. This was my lunch the first day I was there: Vietnamese soup of some kind. It wasn't pho... but I forget the name. Broth, sprouts, cilantro, beef, noodles, and hot sauce on top.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAu8rHXlKNI/AAAAAAAAAnM/nC7ftV-7cVc/s1600/IMG_1637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAu8rHXlKNI/AAAAAAAAAnM/nC7ftV-7cVc/s320/IMG_1637.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAu8uXQSbtI/AAAAAAAAAnU/r4nvsFDiDFg/s1600/IMG_1641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAu8uXQSbtI/AAAAAAAAAnU/r4nvsFDiDFg/s320/IMG_1641.JPG" /></a></div><br />
My two nieces preparing some chicken dumplings, and the finished product (that I actually cooked!) which ended up pretty good. I was really flustered because, well, my sister-in-law sets the bar high with her cooking and I didn't want to disappoint!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAu8y6TmdTI/AAAAAAAAAnc/m5GLi0OFTOQ/s1600/IMG_1639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAu8y6TmdTI/AAAAAAAAAnc/m5GLi0OFTOQ/s320/IMG_1639.JPG" /></a></div><br />
For our first dinner there, and our next day's lunch, we had a crawfish bake!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAu81ZM6SCI/AAAAAAAAAnk/dcl3ESsSzAg/s1600/IMG_1642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAu81ZM6SCI/AAAAAAAAAnk/dcl3ESsSzAg/s320/IMG_1642.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Corn, potatoes, crawfish, dumplings... all of it <b><i>spicyyyy<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">because that's how we roll in our family! My lips were on fire, but it was totally worth it.</span></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">I really really hope I find my camera, not just because of the photos on it but also because I really don't want to be spending more money on things! I have a back-up camera but it's very unreliable and the quality isn't as good as my other one.</span></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">I have some other recipes, photos, and things to post here that I've been procrastinating doing, so hopefully that'll buy me time to find my camera!</span></span></i></b>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-24585678675571761002010-06-02T20:36:00.000-04:002010-06-02T20:36:54.189-04:00LOST (...in baking)The series finale of <a href="http://abc.go.com/shows/lost">LOST</a> was just over one week ago. It was my favorite show on TV and the finale was awesome (at least in my opinion; others definitely feel differently!). In the past, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mybohemianlife/3217353884/">I've baked some stuff</a> for LOST, but definitely nothing compared to what I brought to my friend's finale party!<br />
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The best thing about this cake is a combination of two things: it looks complicated, but it's really a very basic technique!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4633591304_5951b9f258_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4633591304_5951b9f258_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>LOST Finale Cake</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">1 box white cake mix (I used Reduced Sugar Pillsbury)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 box dark chocolate cake mix (I used Reduced Sugar Pillsbury)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 batch <a href="http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/creamy-vanilla-almond-icing-recipe/1/">Creamy Vanilla Almond Icing</a> + 1/4 cup Hershey's Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tub creamy vanilla frosting (I used Reduced Sugar Pillsbury)</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 ounces Semisweet Baker's Chocolate</div><div style="text-align: left;">blue food coloring</div><div style="text-align: left;">green food coloring</div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Follow directions for cake using two 8" round cake pans (for each flavor of cake). I made the following substitutions:</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>Margarine for the butter</li>
<li>Unsweetened apple sauce for the oil</li>
</ul><div>Let cakes cool completely before frosting. In the meantime, make the frosting (link above) by adding the cocoa powder before you add the powdered sugar. Set aside.<br />
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Also, make yourself the numbers... not just <i>any </i>numbers... but<b><i> the</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> numbers! ;) Melt the chocolate, put it in a piping bag (I used a Ziploc bag and cut the tip off of it), write the numbers on a piece of parchment or wax paper, and put in the fridge until hardened.</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAb3HQYBMgI/AAAAAAAAAmk/4UDG_K67Rxc/s1600/IMG_0709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAb3HQYBMgI/AAAAAAAAAmk/4UDG_K67Rxc/s320/IMG_0709.JPG" /></a></div><br />
When cakes are cooled, stack them on top of each other.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAbY_OcpNKI/AAAAAAAAAlk/6pu_lzxi7Ic/s1600/IMG_0682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAbY_OcpNKI/AAAAAAAAAlk/6pu_lzxi7Ic/s320/IMG_0682.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made 2 round chocolate pieces, one round white cake piece, and one square white cake piece (which will come into play later). My white layer was a bit wider than the chocolate so I trimmed it to fit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next, find something round to trace that's about half the diameter of the cake rounds. Mine was a cookie jar lid.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAbxC5DPjqI/AAAAAAAAAls/4YjHHuCamoE/s1600/IMG_0688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAbxC5DPjqI/AAAAAAAAAls/4YjHHuCamoE/s320/IMG_0688.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAbxIh34w4I/AAAAAAAAAl0/zRBzfZZeN3c/s1600/IMG_0693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAbxIh34w4I/AAAAAAAAAl0/zRBzfZZeN3c/s320/IMG_0693.JPG" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Using a knife with small serrations, I cut through all the layers of the cake at the same time. I repeated this through the one layer of square white cake. (You can use another round, but I only had 3 round cake pans, haha!) Then you'll have a core.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAbzq1icb6I/AAAAAAAAAmE/OPGp1tGebNA/s1600/IMG_0696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAbzq1icb6I/AAAAAAAAAmE/OPGp1tGebNA/s200/IMG_0696.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAbxNmhQBGI/AAAAAAAAAl8/1oVZDbTeTqY/s1600/IMG_0698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAbxNmhQBGI/AAAAAAAAAl8/1oVZDbTeTqY/s200/IMG_0698.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Rearranged the core to be the opposite of the outer ring. So, the outer ring is black-white-black and the inner ring is white-black-white. I used the black cake to make the dome on top, carving it as best I could. In between each layer I put the previously-made chocolate frosting to hold it all together.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">I dyed 3/4 of the white store-bought tub of frosting blue (for the water) and the other 1/4 I dyed green (for the island's jungle).</div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAb1b8uSu5I/AAAAAAAAAmU/VbWoSK9g4pQ/s1600/IMG_0705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAb1b8uSu5I/AAAAAAAAAmU/VbWoSK9g4pQ/s320/IMG_0705.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">First thing's first: let me explain why I'm not using home-made frosting. I didn't have the stuff, and I always keep an emergency stash of boxed cake mix and pre-made frosting for emergencies! If you want to make your own frosting, I always say <b><i>go for it!</i></b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Now, it's time for the "crumb layer" of frosting. When frosting most cakes (<b>especially</b> when they've been cut into, like the dome "island") you'll get tons of crumbs in the frosting. So, I used about 1/4 of each frosting and did a thin layer, then let it sit for a little while (about 10 minutes) so the crumbs would stick more to the cake.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAb1faac_uI/AAAAAAAAAmc/_qV3HqcBo8c/s1600/IMG_0708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAb1faac_uI/AAAAAAAAAmc/_qV3HqcBo8c/s320/IMG_0708.JPG" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">See the difference? :) All you need to do now is grab the numbers, and put them on the outside!</div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAb3r-CCaOI/AAAAAAAAAms/avBvSJQ5duY/s1600/IMG_0711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAb3r-CCaOI/AAAAAAAAAms/avBvSJQ5duY/s320/IMG_0711.JPG" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Now, what's with all of those cores and layers and stuff on the inside? Well, check it out!</div><div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAb4CsAGW8I/AAAAAAAAAm8/Jn9Mx5wnlag/s1600/IMG_0727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/TAb4CsAGW8I/AAAAAAAAAm8/Jn9Mx5wnlag/s400/IMG_0727.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For all of you LOST fans out there, I used three main themes from the series in this cake:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ol><li>Black vs. White (the two kinds of cake)</li>
<li>The Island (the colored frosting)</li>
<li>The Numbers (the chocolate on the outside)</li>
</ol><div>Dorky? Yes. Yummy? For sure! You can make boxed mixes into fabulous baked goods by just using simple techniques!</div><br />
</div>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-87969474686293142292010-05-24T22:05:00.001-04:002010-05-24T22:06:41.579-04:00Subway Series Super-Simple Cupcakes!All you need to make a delicious, easy, not-<i>too</i>-bad-for-you cake (or cupcakes) are two ingredients:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_spP6gGVUI/AAAAAAAAAj8/9QCu4JWURMs/s1600/IMG_0616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_spP6gGVUI/AAAAAAAAAj8/9QCu4JWURMs/s320/IMG_0616.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">12 ounces diet cola</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 box cake mix</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">That's it. If you've never heard of this or tried it, I bet it sounds weird. The first time I did this was about a year ago and I was really doubtful. At the time I used Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper and devil's food cake mix. (This time I used Diet Cherry-Vanilla Pepsi and devil's food cake, as you can see above.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_spXSs-HCI/AAAAAAAAAkE/IlqAUH1Ruso/s1600/IMG_0619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_spXSs-HCI/AAAAAAAAAkE/IlqAUH1Ruso/s200/IMG_0619.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_spevUuarI/AAAAAAAAAkM/alB1wbC1ryo/s1600/IMG_0620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_spevUuarI/AAAAAAAAAkM/alB1wbC1ryo/s200/IMG_0620.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"> I mean... look at that! It looks <b><i>so</i></b> <b>weird</b>! But, when you mix it up a little and the carbonation dies down...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_spsQcU6PI/AAAAAAAAAkU/RrShaUlWp8E/s1600/IMG_0622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_spsQcU6PI/AAAAAAAAAkU/RrShaUlWp8E/s320/IMG_0622.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">...it looks like regular [cup]cake batter. Go figure! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_sp2Qs89MI/AAAAAAAAAkc/vFxmAZnzTlI/s1600/IMG_0634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_sp2Qs89MI/AAAAAAAAAkc/vFxmAZnzTlI/s320/IMG_0634.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Give it a try and be creative with it! I've heard using diet cream soda with french vanilla cake mix tastes delicious. And that diet orange soda with vanilla cake mix tastes like a Creamsicle. Just beware of any potential color changes - don't use dark cola with a white cake mix unless you want a confusingly brown cake!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The full nutrition information for a 16-serving batch of this wonderful recipe can be found <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=627620">here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_stGwbqUCI/AAAAAAAAAlM/TF2Q-SAWZJY/s1600/IMG_0665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_stGwbqUCI/AAAAAAAAAlM/TF2Q-SAWZJY/s320/IMG_0665.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Subway Series Cupcakes</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Makes 16 Cupcakes</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">12 oz diet cola</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 box devil's food cake mix</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 batch <a href="http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/creamy-vanilla-almond-icing-recipe/1/">Creamy Vanilla Almond Icing</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with 16 paper liners.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Combine both ingredients until combined. Distribute batter evenly into liners (about 3/4 full) and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center. Let cool completely before frosting.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_ssPBvPj0I/AAAAAAAAAkk/F9gBeyDlo4k/s1600/IMG_0650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_ssPBvPj0I/AAAAAAAAAkk/F9gBeyDlo4k/s200/IMG_0650.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_ssbo_SRvI/AAAAAAAAAk0/kPRHYX7pnEA/s1600/IMG_0659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_ssbo_SRvI/AAAAAAAAAk0/kPRHYX7pnEA/s200/IMG_0659.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_ssVf43u0I/AAAAAAAAAks/sXq08JDolV4/s1600/IMG_0658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_ssVf43u0I/AAAAAAAAAks/sXq08JDolV4/s200/IMG_0658.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_ssl5rqjlI/AAAAAAAAAlE/r-B6CFYxm-A/s1600/IMG_0668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_ssl5rqjlI/AAAAAAAAAlE/r-B6CFYxm-A/s200/IMG_0668.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I used the above mentioned Almond Icing recipe but colored 1/4 of it orange (for the Amazin' Mets), left 1/4 of it white (for the stupid Yankees), and the remaining half was dyed blue (because both teams have blue as their color). Because I used liquid food coloring, it needed a bit more powdered sugar to hold the shape when the stars were piped on them; otherwise, the frosting recipe was followed completely and yielded great results! I've had horrible luck with frostings, but I think this will be my go-to recipe as it is easy to remember (equal parts cream cheese and butter, then powdered sugar until desired consistency... so simple!) and tastes great.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_swJddmq6I/AAAAAAAAAlU/i3G_LkfUEFE/s1600/IMG_0672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_swJddmq6I/AAAAAAAAAlU/i3G_LkfUEFE/s320/IMG_0672.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Oh, by the way: the Mets won the series 2-1. I'd like to think my cupcakes helped. :)</div>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-33311297219886069662010-05-23T18:19:00.000-04:002010-05-23T18:19:48.173-04:00Hello Dolly!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_morXfauLI/AAAAAAAAAj0/MN4f2_R2q2E/s1600/IMG_0538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_morXfauLI/AAAAAAAAAj0/MN4f2_R2q2E/s200/IMG_0538.JPG" width="200" /></a>I've seen so many recipes for Hello Dolly bars, so I created my own version for a party last weekend. It ended up being more like a chewy candy bar because I used what I had on hand.<br />
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The recipes I'd seen call for coconut, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips; I used coconut, M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, and Heath Bar crumbles. Sugar, sugar, sugar, and more sugar! I also drizzled some dark chocolate on top of them to make them look prettier.<br />
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(Oh, don't forget that the whole mess is covered in condensed milk, which turns to dulce de leche when baked!)<br />
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Here's the basic recipe from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/10/lookin-swell-dolly/">Smitten Kitchen</a> - I definitely recommend giving these a try! Even my ooey gooey horribly unhealthy version was awesome enough to quickly disappear at my friend's party! They were surprised, however, because I generally bake/cook healthy things... and these bars were anything but! I didn't bother calculating the nutrition information until a couple of days later because I knew I wouldn't be able to enjoy them knowing how bad they were!<br />
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But, you only live once, and it isn't like I ate the whole batch myself!<br />
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My tip for you tonight: when baking something decadent, overly sweet, or generally unhealthy -- it's a treat! Enjoy it... with friends!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_molUe9QMI/AAAAAAAAAjs/P1hSh5pgVA8/s1600/IMG_0537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_molUe9QMI/AAAAAAAAAjs/P1hSh5pgVA8/s320/IMG_0537.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In other news, I created <a href="http://www.twitter.com/lazygirlkitchen">a Twitter account</a> for this blog, so please follow me!</div>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-27326488387817522272010-05-17T21:10:00.001-04:002010-05-17T21:12:37.561-04:00Feelin' Fancy?I decided to try creating a fancy version of something basic: cornbread! I took a spin on the more common jalapeno-cheddar cornbread and made it with feta, basil, and a little bit of jalapeno instead. I also omitted all added oil and used grated zucchini instead. It was still incredibly moist, so you won't miss the oil at all, believe me!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_HQlF9h48I/AAAAAAAAAjc/uuYW3K5XXak/s1600/IMG_0613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_HQlF9h48I/AAAAAAAAAjc/uuYW3K5XXak/s320/IMG_0613.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Fancy Pants Cornbread</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>Makes 12 Muffins</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Nutrition information is <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1081629">here</a>.</div><br />
1 cup whole wheat flour<br />
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal<br />
1 cup unsweetened soy milk<br />
3/4 cup grated zucchini (approx. 1 zucchini)<br />
2 egg whites<br />
4 basil leaves, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried)<br />
1.5 jalapeno peppers, diced<br />
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese<br />
2 tsp baking powder<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_HpS5vK4sI/AAAAAAAAAjk/tQtY6OyatPk/s1600/IMG_0602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S_HpS5vK4sI/AAAAAAAAAjk/tQtY6OyatPk/s200/IMG_0602.JPG" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and lightly coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick spray.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
Mix dry ingredients until combined. Add wet ingredients and mix. Pour equally into 12 muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until crowns are golden.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">These were best served immediately. The next day they were good, but the feta when at room-temperature was kind of weird. Next time I think I'll omit the feta and stick with a more melt-able cheese! Otherwise, it was a great success... even my coworkers liked them!</span>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-33773538787359214602010-05-14T18:37:00.001-04:002010-05-14T18:38:47.672-04:00Breakin' In The Mixer: Multigrain Pizza CrustsI mentioned in my last post that I'd be making <a href="http://www.cheekykitchen.com/2010/04/i-sometimes-wonder-how-it-is-that-ive.html">these pizza crusts</a> when my Kitchenaid mixer arrives. Well, yesterday when I came home from work, I had a pleasant surprise at my front door!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-3NxiuiBFI/AAAAAAAAAic/kYeMBtoWypY/s1600/IMG_0386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-3NxiuiBFI/AAAAAAAAAic/kYeMBtoWypY/s320/IMG_0386.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Needless to say, everything I originally planned on doing (cleaning, calling my parents, etc.) was thrown out the window and I got to work on those pizza crusts!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-3N2R0zWOI/AAAAAAAAAik/wsOi6qtWgik/s1600/IMG_0387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-3N2R0zWOI/AAAAAAAAAik/wsOi6qtWgik/s200/IMG_0387.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-3N7kFcHhI/AAAAAAAAAis/CrosqT8k59w/s1600/IMG_0398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-3N7kFcHhI/AAAAAAAAAis/CrosqT8k59w/s200/IMG_0398.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-3N7kFcHhI/AAAAAAAAAis/CrosqT8k59w/s1600/IMG_0398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-3ONrlvChI/AAAAAAAAAjE/sNcUl06X8Dw/s1600/IMG_0402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-3ONrlvChI/AAAAAAAAAjE/sNcUl06X8Dw/s320/IMG_0402.JPG" /></a></div><br />
It definitely tested my patience with this recipe. I'm not use to working with yeast... and it requires a <b>lot</b> more waiting than I'm used to! I followed the recipe almost exactly, save these minor changes:<br />
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<ul><li>I didn't have any sesame, poppy, or other seeds on hand, so I omitted them.</li>
<li>I didn't have dried onion, so I used 2 heaping tablespoons of Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb.</li>
<li>I used ground flax meal instead of flax seeds.</li>
<li>I only had 1/4 cup of oil (not 1/3).</li>
<li>I brushed the top of the crusts with vegetable oil and sprinkled dried oregano on top before baking.</li>
</ul><div>Regardless, they were yummy! The recipe yielded 16 individual-sized crusts. I saved 4 in some parchment paper, 1 in the fridge, 6 in the freezer, and 4 I brought to work for a friend of mine. Yes, that only adds to 15... so what did I do with the 16th one?</div><div><br />
</div><div>I made a pizza, of course!</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-3OEaVTLtI/AAAAAAAAAi0/VS9dtZ-qkh8/s1600/IMG_0413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-3OEaVTLtI/AAAAAAAAAi0/VS9dtZ-qkh8/s200/IMG_0413.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-3OJhw4Y6I/AAAAAAAAAi8/8j8ZBt65MWw/s1600/IMG_0415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-3OJhw4Y6I/AAAAAAAAAi8/8j8ZBt65MWw/s200/IMG_0415.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Green Monster Personal Pizza</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>Serves One</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 Multigrain Pizza Crust</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 haas avocado</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 tsp minced garlic</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5 asparagus spears</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">8 leaves of baby spinach</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 oz. feta cheese</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Top the crust with garlic, followed by spinach and asparagus. Crumble feta cheese on top as evenly as possible. Bake at 400 degrees F for 5-7 minutes or until crust gets golden on the edges. Remove from oven and top with avocado.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Yum!</div>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-66125200972122778662010-05-14T11:31:00.002-04:002010-05-14T11:31:58.181-04:00Warning: Under Construction!I am messing around with a new blog template during my lunch break today. Things are going to look weird for a while, but I anticipate some good results! Be patient with me during this change.<br />
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Thank you!Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-23710230323222490652010-05-13T08:29:00.001-04:002010-05-13T08:30:05.581-04:00Stick With What You KnowWhen I first began food blogging, I did so in a healthy way: finding healthy alternatives for ingredients in restaurant cuisine that could be easily made at home. Thus came Fast Food Facelift.<br />
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Now that I've switched to this blog, I've forgotten my roots. I am a health nut at times... more times than not, so it seems! I need to get back to that! I love baking decadent desserts and such, but I do need to re-focus and do what I honestly love even more than caramel, cakes, and cookies: making tasty, healthy dishes that even the most inexperienced cook with the tiniest kitchen can prepare!<br />
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Last night I posted a blog about switching from Blogger to Wordpress. I created my new blog, transferring my posts here to the new one. I really do like the features of Wordpress, but I feel like it has less customization, doesn't allow advertising, and prevents me from using some of the widgets I enjoy and find useful on Blogger. So, again, I'm going to stick to what I know... by staying here on Blogger.<br />
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That being said, I'm trying to figure out what will be the first dish I'm making with my new Kitchenaid mixer! I really want to try something with meringue, but I think I should start with something a little simpler that I already have the ingredients for and something I'm more familiar with: bread.<br />
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I'm terrible at kneading. I get tired, bored, and... well... <i><b>lazy</b><b>!!!</b></i> Now that I'll have my mixer (and a dough hook!) I'll be able to let it do a lot of the work for me! I'd made bread a while ago and although it was extremely tasty, it made WAY too much for just one person! Two loaves! WTF am I supposed to do with two loaves of bread! I offered some to coworkers, but they are more enthused about sweets rather than whole wheat artisan bread. *grumble* I used the bread as long as I could before it went bad, but I'm not doing that again unless I find a smaller recipe, have friends who want to buy my bread, or...<br />
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...make pizza dough!<br />
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I found <a href="http://www.cheekykitchen.com/2010/04/i-sometimes-wonder-how-it-is-that-ive.html">this recipe</a> on Cheeky Kitchen's blog and the whole idea of it! Lots of nutrition, lots of fiber, and it makes a lot BUT it can be frozen for later use!<br />
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It requires waiting for dough to rise (another thing to test my laziness and impatience, ugh) but I hope and think in the end that the results will be worth it! I'm busy Friday and Saturday, so I'll probably make them on Sunday... or if I'm feeling up for it, I'll make it tonight (if my mixer arrives today as planned)... we'll see!Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-80948600052198982162010-05-12T07:19:00.000-04:002010-05-12T07:19:21.816-04:00A Childhood DreamSince I was a child, my mom and I would watch cooking shows together. I've always seen this magical, do-it-all machine on so many of these programs: the beloved Kitchenaid stand mixer.<br />
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Oh, how I wanted one! My parents didn't have one. Our home economics class we took in junior high school didn't have them. My grandparents, aunts and uncles, friend's families.... I swear nobody owned one! I never even used one myself in my 24 years!<br />
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Recently <a href="http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/slideshow.asp?show=42">I won a contest</a> on <a href="http://www.sparkpeople.com/">SparkPeople</a>! My prize: a $250 gift card on Amazon.com!<br />
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Originally I told myself I'd save it for a couple of months until I move into the more bike-able city of Cincinnati and buy a bike. However, my 6-year-old self screamed at me the other day. "Buy the mixer!" she told me. "You can finally buy it! What's stopping you??" I further convinced myself that buying a bicycle should be done in person, not online.<br />
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Next thing I knew...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41-gGN%2BSIOL._AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41-gGN%2BSIOL._AA300_.jpg" /></a></div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I bought it!!!</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></b><br />
I got it in Gloss Cinnamon. It should arrive by Thursday. I'm absolutely enthralled!<br />
<br />
I had some money to spare with my gift card, so I also purchased some <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002UXQ7QQ">reusable produce bags</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000R9KR3O">reusable drinking straws</a>. Goin' green (or at least pretending, haha)!<br />
<br />
Well, I'm going to be late for work. I just had to scream this off the rooftops!Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-82886752604555856522010-05-10T22:18:00.000-04:002010-05-10T22:18:40.476-04:00Spring Roll Tutorial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i4k2r5CRI/AAAAAAAAAhE/yGPDx-sHi-g/s1600/IMG_0330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i4k2r5CRI/AAAAAAAAAhE/yGPDx-sHi-g/s320/IMG_0330.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div></div><div style="text-align: left;">Oh, spring rolls, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...</div><div><ol><li style="text-align: left;">They're so easy to make!</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">They're versatile: you can be creative and put nearly anything in them!</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">They're healthy (if you use the right ingredients and don't fry them, haha)!</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">They're fun to make!</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">And, of course, they're delicious!</li>
</ol><div style="text-align: left;">So, here's how I do my egg-rollin':</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i4x7lzT7I/AAAAAAAAAhU/gUHOw9NzNOE/s1600/IMG_0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i4x7lzT7I/AAAAAAAAAhU/gUHOw9NzNOE/s320/IMG_0318.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Buy some rice paper.</b> I'm pretty sure you can find this in the "international" aisle in your local major supermarket chain (Kroger, Safeway, Stop & Shop, Walmart, etc.) from a number of different brands. I got these at an international supermarket, though.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i4sLfxX7I/AAAAAAAAAhM/q9aWgeCadiQ/s1600/IMG_0317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i4sLfxX7I/AAAAAAAAAhM/q9aWgeCadiQ/s200/IMG_0317.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i43OPVPII/AAAAAAAAAhc/l5VkrEV-R9Q/s1600/IMG_0321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i43OPVPII/AAAAAAAAAhc/l5VkrEV-R9Q/s200/IMG_0321.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Choose some fillings.</b> I'm all about well-balanced meals so I make sure I have some veggies and some protein; in this meal, I chose tofu sprinkled with paprika and chili powder, and some julienned carrots and zucchini. I've also used everything from tuna with spinach and avocado to shrimp with zucchini and arugula, and everything in between. Whatever you have on hand is just fine, believe me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i4755LjqI/AAAAAAAAAhk/lBWcUeiz0Zw/s1600/IMG_0323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i4755LjqI/AAAAAAAAAhk/lBWcUeiz0Zw/s200/IMG_0323.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Add some pizzaz.</b> Soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, hot sauce, mustard... whatever you want. But, I must say this: I am absolutely in love with Trader Joe's Satay Peanut Sauce. Love love love love <u>love</u>! I can't say enough about this stuff. It is <i>godly</i>. I use it with rice noodles, stir fry, and even as a substitute for pizza sauce when making home-made pizzas! Obviously, I use it in spring rolls as well, haha. I also use some crushed red pepper flakes to add a bit more spiciness. :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i8GDWyt-I/AAAAAAAAAiU/z9yvkv7YgQk/s1600/IMG_0319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i8GDWyt-I/AAAAAAAAAiU/z9yvkv7YgQk/s320/IMG_0319.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Ready... assemble!</b> First, you need two plates: one with water, and one without water. The one with water is used to soak your rice paper. The sheets are very thin and look opaque when you first see them. They need to be thoroughly moistened to be useable.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I never soak more than 2 sheets at a time because they tend to get stuck together if you have too many in the water. I let them sit for about 2 or 3 minutes, or until it is very very flexible... it kind of feels like skin when it's ready to be used. I pick up the sheet and shake it off gently, just a little, to get the excess water off of it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Place the sheet on the empty non-watered plate. I usually let it sit for about 30 seconds before using so that the starch in the paper comes out and allows it all to stick together later. From personal experience, working with wet rice paper makes it really hard to keep your filling contained, and the edges won't stay sealed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Now, here's the fun part:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i5F3CsyBI/AAAAAAAAAhs/8v2D2z3wwZ4/s1600/IMG_0325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i5F3CsyBI/AAAAAAAAAhs/8v2D2z3wwZ4/s320/IMG_0325.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i5F3CsyBI/AAAAAAAAAhs/8v2D2z3wwZ4/s1600/IMG_0325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Add your ingredients (don't forget the sauce!) in the center of the rice paper like this. Fold the bottom of the sheet upwards.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i5Ln22lTI/AAAAAAAAAh0/xMHauJrOxuk/s1600/IMG_0326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i5Ln22lTI/AAAAAAAAAh0/xMHauJrOxuk/s320/IMG_0326.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Fold one side inward...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i5Qoygo6I/AAAAAAAAAh8/sSOJYnFIHbs/s1600/IMG_0327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i5Qoygo6I/AAAAAAAAAh8/sSOJYnFIHbs/s320/IMG_0327.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Fold the top downward...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i5VpVtdyI/AAAAAAAAAiE/DpO-LsCui9g/s1600/IMG_0328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i5VpVtdyI/AAAAAAAAAiE/DpO-LsCui9g/s320/IMG_0328.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then roll!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i5abvfTXI/AAAAAAAAAiM/w1mN5f3Cpvc/s1600/IMG_0332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-i5abvfTXI/AAAAAAAAAiM/w1mN5f3Cpvc/s320/IMG_0332.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I make bento lunches for work and spring rolls are very common in them!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There you go! Now, go forth and make spring rolls!</div>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-17442785206931599322010-05-08T11:50:00.000-04:002010-05-08T11:50:35.280-04:00Carb Addiction? Maybe!I'm realizing more and more as I look at the foods I'm eating on my <a href="http://www.sparkpeople.com/">SparkPeople</a> nutrition tracker that I'm totally enamored with carbohydrates. Not necessarily white sugar (as I tend to use Truvia in my coffee, baking, etc.) or breads, but I eat lots of cereal, oatmeal, fruits, and other things that are high in carbs and naturally-occurring sugars.<br />
<br />
But, since I've been baking and cooking more frequently due to this blog (more so baking than cooking!) I've been completely carb-crazy beyond what I've been previously!<br />
<br />
Anyway, here are some delicious creations that were pretty simple! One is my very own creation, and one is from another blog.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-V7N7a98qI/AAAAAAAAAg8/yIGTMsK0ne4/s1600/IMG_0314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-V7N7a98qI/AAAAAAAAAg8/yIGTMsK0ne4/s320/IMG_0314.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Strawberry-Banana Flax Pancakes</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Makes 6 Pancakes</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup Heart Smart Bisquick mix</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp ground flax meal</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 banana, mashed</div><div style="text-align: left;">3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 strawberries, diced</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 packets Truvia sweetener</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 egg white</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Make pancakes with a 1/4 cup measuring cup and cook until brown on both sides.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I don't think these need any syrup because when you get a bite that has a bit of strawberry in it, you get a punch of sweetness! Man, Bisquick is awesome -- perfect for lazy folks like myself!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-V6_AS2zlI/AAAAAAAAAgk/moGwVAmBnek/s1600/IMG_0359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-V6_AS2zlI/AAAAAAAAAgk/moGwVAmBnek/s320/IMG_0359.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Cocoa Banana Cupcakes</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Makes 12 Cupcakes</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Taken from <a href="http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2010/05/chocolate-banana-cupcakes.html">Love and Olive Oil</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-V7JKyCLrI/AAAAAAAAAg0/cEIkjvmZnrc/s1600/IMG_0363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S-V7JKyCLrI/AAAAAAAAAg0/cEIkjvmZnrc/s320/IMG_0363.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This was really simple to make! Substitute apple sauce for the oil and Truvia for the sugar and it will be not-so-bad for you in the end... <i>right?<b> </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">(Haha.)</span></i></div>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-53278615301236771672010-05-06T22:35:00.000-04:002010-05-06T22:35:17.340-04:00Do You Like/Want/NEED Le Creuset??Go <a href="http://megkat.com/2010/05/le-creuset-giveaway.html">here</a> to enter for a chance to win a 2-Quart Le Creuset batter bowl!<br />
<br />
Plus, follow her blog closely - it's pretty fantastic! Great photos and recipes galore!Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-76343997343469302102010-05-01T17:04:00.000-04:002010-05-01T17:04:02.484-04:00The Best Cookie Ever... Indeed!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A while ago I had stumbled upon <a href="http://lipstickblogspot.blogspot.com/2010/04/my-favorite-cookie-of-all-time.html">this recipe</a>. Obviously with a title of "My Favorite Cookie Of All Time" I had to give it a try!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9yTRPlxLpI/AAAAAAAAAf0/ex1V-yDQ3H8/s1600/IMG_0192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9yTRPlxLpI/AAAAAAAAAf0/ex1V-yDQ3H8/s200/IMG_0192.JPG" width="200" /></a>Now, I love caramel. I've only recently (within the past year) begun enjoying chocolate, but no matter how much chocolate there is in the world, I'll always want the ooey gooey creaminess of caramel. Knowing that the caramel is the special part of this cookie, I went along with the recipe and bought the exact caramels in it from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/ccconfectionary">CC Confectionary</a>.</div><br />
It came with some samples, too: orange dreamsicle, and chocolate truffle. Both are amazing, so I knew I was bound to enjoy the Madagascar vanilla variety.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9yTXEOxtII/AAAAAAAAAf8/uwPA6a1nfVc/s1600/IMG_0289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9yTXEOxtII/AAAAAAAAAf8/uwPA6a1nfVc/s200/IMG_0289.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>I have a party to go to tonight so I figured it'd be a good time to try these cookies. I had all the ingredients... why not?<br />
<br />
I made some teenie changes, though.<br />
<br />
Firstly, I chopped up the 3 ounces of 72% dark chocolate I had leftover from the ganache I made <a href="http://lazygirlkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/04/flavor-full-photo-full-and-recipe-full.html">last time</a> and used it in place of the chocolate chips.<br />
<br />
Also, despite thinking that I had all the ingredients, I'm actually completely out of granulated sugar. Because the recipe only calls for 3 tablespoons of the stuff, I assumed 3 packets of Truvia would suffice (and it did).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9yTuUGBxwI/AAAAAAAAAgU/LH8Iv5T-q7E/s1600/IMG_0296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9yTuUGBxwI/AAAAAAAAAgU/LH8Iv5T-q7E/s200/IMG_0296.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9yTiXqJ3QI/AAAAAAAAAgE/6LjT5quIgxg/s1600/IMG_0298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9yTiXqJ3QI/AAAAAAAAAgE/6LjT5quIgxg/s200/IMG_0298.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
These were <b>so</b> simple to make! (And the dough tasted yummy, too, haha.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9yToDZVVSI/AAAAAAAAAgM/27QNcLGZQ1s/s1600/IMG_0302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9yToDZVVSI/AAAAAAAAAgM/27QNcLGZQ1s/s200/IMG_0302.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9yT0U7pjEI/AAAAAAAAAgc/oRDf45GILv8/s1600/IMG_0308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9yT0U7pjEI/AAAAAAAAAgc/oRDf45GILv8/s200/IMG_0308.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There were a few casualties, though. Next time I make these (and I definitely will make these again!) I will work on my caramel-containing technique. I ate the very very exploded one (in the right-hand photo) because I don't want to bring an empty cookie to the party... and because I wanted a snack... and it was <i>delicious!!!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Definitely make these, all you lazy people! It's so simple and yummy!</div>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-23850799605700080252010-04-29T21:51:00.000-04:002010-04-29T21:51:14.404-04:00Hello, Foodie Blogroll!If you check out my sidebar, you'll see a fantastic new feature: <a href="http://www.foodieblogroll.com/">The Foodie Blogroll</a>!<br />
<br />
I'm pretty happy to be a part of it. Hopefully I'll learn lots of new things from other foodies and food bloggers, and even better -- get more followers!Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-9616720146903397872010-04-28T20:20:00.002-04:002010-04-30T07:01:31.747-04:00Flavor-full, photo-full, and recipe-full!It's been a while since I've posted any recipes, and for that I am so sorry! Despite this, I have been baking like crazy lately, so this post will be full of many delicious recipes!<br />
<br />
But, first...<br />
<br />
My <a href="http://lazygirlkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/04/busy-baking-weekend.html">last recipe</a> that was posted was a layered minty brownie. Despite the components of them tasting very good that night, when I brought them to work it was kind of disastrous. The frosting slowly melted while at work. It only took about 10 minutes out on my desk for it to start getting really messy. My coworkers also gave it mediocre reviews. Edible, but not delicious, so I don't think I'll make these again.<br />
<br />
Determined, I continued on with the baking and came up with many other delicious things to compensate for this semi-failure.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3371/4559035527_a5c3641ce7_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3371/4559035527_a5c3641ce7_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Apple Doughnuffins</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>About 15 Muffins</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Based on <a href="http://www.barbarabakes.com/2010/04/apple-cinnamon-sugar-donut-muffins.html">this recipe</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Full nutrition is <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1044724">here</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><u>For muffins:</u><br />
1.5 cups whole wheat flour<br />
.5 cup sugar<br />
3 packets Truvia sweetener<br />
.25 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
.75 cup light plain soy milk<br />
3 tbsp egg whites<br />
2 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
<br />
<u>For topping:</u><br />
2 tsp cinnamon<br />
3 tbsp brown sugar<br />
1 tbsp Earth Balance spread, melted<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease muffin tray with non-stick spray.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jIYRPR8uI/AAAAAAAAAes/t_pJwZCMnGM/s1600/IMG_0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jIYRPR8uI/AAAAAAAAAes/t_pJwZCMnGM/s200/IMG_0211.JPG" width="200" /></a>Mix all wet ingredients until thoroughly combined, followed by dry ingredients. Distribute evenly in muffin tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until it passes the clean toothpick test.<br />
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For topping, melt the margarine. In a separate bowl mix the cinnamon and sugar. When muffins are done baking, brush tops with melted margarine and dunk in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Serve immediately or let cool.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jH_BQ46lI/AAAAAAAAAek/qX8gn2oxtT0/s1600/IMG_0205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jH_BQ46lI/AAAAAAAAAek/qX8gn2oxtT0/s200/IMG_0205.JPG" width="150" /></a><u>Fun fact:</u> The apple sauce I used was home-made by a friend's mother! It's so so so yummy! I named them "doughnuffins" because they are extremely airy like a doughnut!<br />
<br />
<u>What I learned:</u> These muffins stuck to the paper liners. I never used to use liners, but decided on a whim to try them a few months ago. I loved how little clean-up there was after baking (hell, I'm lazy, so this was great!) but now I know that the less butter there is in something, the more it will stick... and holy crap... these were practically PLASTERED to the liners! Whoops. Now I know.<br />
<br />
So, this was a bit of a failure, too, but what you <i>could</i> separate from the liner was yummy!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jIrtJswRI/AAAAAAAAAfE/-JYBhmm7JcM/s1600/IMG_0219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jIrtJswRI/AAAAAAAAAfE/-JYBhmm7JcM/s320/IMG_0219.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Mocha Brownies</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Makes 32 Squares</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Based on <a href="http://dozenflours.com/2008/07/name-this-brownie-and-win.html">this recipe</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Full nutrition <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1051494">here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jInOXsF1I/AAAAAAAAAe8/t0DqQw5dIwY/s1600/IMG_0216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jInOXsF1I/AAAAAAAAAe8/t0DqQw5dIwY/s200/IMG_0216.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Because I precisely followed the recipe (for probably the first time ever!) I'm not going to post the full recipe here. I even used all of the ingredients... even <b>heavy cream</b>! *shock!* The only thing I did differently was use two 8x8 glass dishes instead of one 13x9 dish. Because I'm a dork, I know that the usable square inches is nearly identical so I figured it wouldn't affect it too much... and I was right!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">These were a complete and utter success!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>What I learned:</u> Firstly, I made <i>ganache </i>for the first time! This taught me patience, yet again.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jIc1qcYQI/AAAAAAAAAe0/8ET7Q3_O_Dc/s1600/IMG_0212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jIc1qcYQI/AAAAAAAAAe0/8ET7Q3_O_Dc/s200/IMG_0212.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jIwIBSsPI/AAAAAAAAAfM/UQmESDbu2UE/s1600/IMG_0213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jIwIBSsPI/AAAAAAAAAfM/UQmESDbu2UE/s200/IMG_0213.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Heating the cream on medium-low heat took a while, especially staring at it waiting for the bubbles to start forming. Letting the hot cream sit on top of the chocolate for 5 minutes was absolutely <i>painstaking</i>! In the end, it was totally worth it and it yielded a creamy, delicious ganache!</div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jL96QP7oI/AAAAAAAAAfU/0ZaHld4Zm0Y/s1600/IMG_0221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jL96QP7oI/AAAAAAAAAfU/0ZaHld4Zm0Y/s200/IMG_0221.JPG" width="150" /></a>I also used a pastry bag for the first time! I only did some simple dots of ganache with a #4 tip, but it was still fun to use!</div><div><br />
</div><div>In the middle of the large dot in the center is not a jelly bean - it's a <a href="http://www.candyblog.net/blog/item/trader_joes_espresso_pillows/">Trader Joe's Espresso Pillow</a>! These things are delicious just as a snack, but they totally worked with this brownie treat!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Finally, I learned that sometimes the full-fat, original recipes can be the best. I was told by many of my friends and coworkers that this is the best recipe I've ever made. A few wanted the recipe, too, and I totally gave credit to the original!</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jOdITUgkI/AAAAAAAAAfk/ZbAJQW4wywE/s1600/IMG_0276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jOdITUgkI/AAAAAAAAAfk/ZbAJQW4wywE/s320/IMG_0276.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Strawberry-Banana Bread</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>Makes 12 Slices</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Loosely based off of <a href="http://une-deuxsenses.blogspot.com/2010/04/strawberry-banana-muffins.html">this recipe</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Nutrition info is <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1053784">here</a>.</div><br />
1.5 cups whole wheat flour<br />
.25 cup unsweetened apple sauce<br />
2 eggs<br />
1/4 cup agave nectar<br />
1.5 cup diced strawberries<br />
2 tbsp ground flax meal<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla<br />
2 bananas, mashed<br />
2 tsp baking soda<br />
2 tbsp light plain soy milk<br />
1 tbsp quick oats<br />
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Spray the bottom and sides of a loaf pan with non-stick spray. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jOXaBr2FI/AAAAAAAAAfc/Q-K5s7kei7k/s1600/IMG_0270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IuBs8swBGIw/S9jOXaBr2FI/AAAAAAAAAfc/Q-K5s7kei7k/s200/IMG_0270.JPG" width="200" /></a>In a small bowl, mix the diced strawberries and agave nectar and set aside.<br />
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Mix together the mashed bananas, vanilla, flax meal, soy milk, apple sauce, and eggs in a large bowl. When combined, add the strawberry-agave mixture and mix.<br />
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Add all remaining ingredients to the mixture <b>except oats</b>. When everything is mixed together, pour into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle oats on top.<br />
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Bake for 20 minutes. Cover with foil and bake for another 25 minutes. Remove bread from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before slicing.<br />
<br />
...isn't strawberry season the <b><i>best</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> season??!! :)</span></b><br />
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<a title="Strawberry on Foodista" href="http://www.foodista.com/food/QSR7NMQZ/strawberry" style="display: block; padding: 5px; border: 5px solid #fff; -moz-border-radius: 2px; -webkit-border-radius: 2px; background-color: #fff; width: 100px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0;"><img alt="Strawberry on Foodista" src="http://cf.foodista.com/static/images/widget_logo_md.png" style="border: none; width: 84px; height: 18px; padding: 0; margin: 0;" /><img src="http://dyn.foodista.com/content/embed/z1.png?foodista_widget_NZN5GDY7" style="display: none;" /></a>Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3927206087212697367.post-44594393785573925082010-04-23T12:47:00.001-04:002010-05-06T22:36:59.922-04:00Blog-Loving!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-xJGSvEaUhRG_5vTsR-0wJCILRuCITwv1zwD6eKY5KdCTUEQEXAN5NaVt6xr7U4CPO3oy4Cu6e0XjWc5cugHRZ4Aqrpdql5uur2TpcthxFr32BrfVJV1jwa0uR_BDy178munE3r-IUQ/s200/ilyblogaward.png" width="200" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://lazarocooks.blogspot.com/">Lazaro Cooks!</a> has nominated me for the "I Love Your Blog" award! Congrats, Lazaro, for having such a yummy and awesome blog and for sharing the award with me!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-size: small;">Rules:</span></u><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />
<strong>*Post the award on your blog*</strong><br />
<strong>*Link the person who has given you the award*</strong><br />
<strong>*Pass the award to 15 other blogs you’ve discovered*</strong><br />
<strong>*Remember to contact the bloggers you’ve nominated*</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In no particular order...</div><ol><li><a href="http://bowlofmush.blogspot.com/">Bowl of Mush</a></li>
<li><a href="http://almostbourdain.blogspot.com/">Almost Bourdain</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.beantownbaker.com/">Beantown Baker</a></li>
<li><a href="http://beckysbaking.blogspot.com/">Becky Bakes</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thesveltegourmet.blogspot.com/">The Svelte Gourmet</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thegirlwhoateeverything.blogspot.com/">The Girl Who Ate Everything</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.thecookingphotographer.com/">The Cooking Photographer</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ericasweettooth.com/">Sweet Tooth</a></li>
<li><a href="http://spachethespatula.blogspot.com/">Spache The Spatula</a></li>
<li><a href="http://radishesandrhubarb.blogspot.com/">Radishes And Rhubarb</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lipstickblogspot.blogspot.com/">Lipstick Blogger</a></li>
<li><a href="http://gonnawantseconds.blogspot.com/">Gonna Want Seconds</a></li>
<li><a href="http://dozenflours.com/">Dozen Flours</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lovintheoven.com/">Lovin' From the Oven</a></li>
<li><a href="http://maresfoodandfun.blogspot.com/">Meet Me In The Kitchen</a></li>
</ol>I love your blogs! Keep it up, and spread the award!Jeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04453716562211953776noreply@blogger.com2