Monday, January 31, 2011

The healthier Chocolate Chip Cookie

My family spent the evening in the kitchen making chocolate chip cookies. They are so good! Although, I'm not sure if they are really that good, or the fact that I haven't had a chocolate chip cookie in 6 months that anything resembling a chocolate chip cookie would taste good to me. Since they pass the kid test, I'm gonna go with they really are that good! This recipe makes a TON and I mean a TON of cookies. Six and a half dozen to be exact!!! We plan on giving some to a new momma and freezing most of them for our road trip!

3/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cup raw honey
1 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups almond flour
3 cups whole wheat flour (I use sprouted for added health benefits.)
2 Tablespoons flax meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups 60% chocolate-bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream oil, butter, honey and applesauce (mixture will probably not be smooth). Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients. Add small amounts at a time to wet ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake 15-16 minutes until golden brown. Allow cookies to cool for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire baking rack.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Pop Quiz

What single food has a serving size of 3 cups and is 20 calories, 0 fat, 1 net carb, and 2 grams of protein??? Oh and 110% daily value of vitamin A, 40% vitamin C, 15% iron and 8% calcium? My bedtime snack that's what!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Three things I have learned

1. Cauliflower is considered a green leafy veggie
2. Mashed cauliflower does NOT taste like mashed potatoes but it is pretty good. (After I tried it about 5 times!!! It not only grew on me, I actually crave it!)-recipe below
3. I really CAN eat three non-starchy veggies in a meal and feel completely satisfied.

I admit number three was the hardest. I'm not a "good for you" veggie type of person. Sure, I have always enjoyed my potatoes, peas and corn, but none of those are high on the "eat as much as you want" list of vegetables! I never thought I'd be able to eat cauliflower, broccoli and lettuce in one meal AND take seconds on them! I have learned that reexposer really does help you learn to like things you thought you didn't. (I guess that would be number 4.)

Tonight's dinner:

Beef roast in the crockpot (sans the typical potatoes, carrots and onions I used to include in the crockpot), broccoli sauteed in coconut oil, mashed cauliflower and salad (I have mine plain-yep just good old naked romaine lettuce!). It was quite a tasty meal!

Mashed Cauliflower

Cook Cauliflower until soft and drain it well. Mix cauliflower, four ounces cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, garlic seasoning of your choice, salt and pepper in a food processor and chop until you get a mashed potato consistency. Pour mixture in an oven proof dish and mix in cheddar cheese until your heart's content! Pop it in the oven on 425 until the cheese is melted and the edges of the cauliflower are browned and crispy. Sooooooooooo good!!!!

Nope, not low fat, but it doesn't matter and THAT is an entirely different post! :)

Friday, January 21, 2011

So what is a champion's breakfast anyways?

Do you remember it? There used to be a commercial for a cereal claiming to be the breakfast for champions. I can't for the life of me remember what actually was the breakfast that would make me a champion. Well, champion or not I am enjoying a delicious breakfast on this o-so-cold Friday morning.

It's not fancy and doesn't have some super-hero on the box or a fabulous secret decoder ring inside. In fact it didn't even come in a box. It's good ol' oatmeal. Yep, I'm old. I am now eating "7-Grain Mix Rolled/Flaked Certified Chemical Free" bulk food "hot cereal". This stuff HAS to be some champion's breakfast somewhere! Just listen to what's in this stuff: Hard Red Wheat, Spelt, Soft White Wheat, Oats, Rye, and Barley. If that doesn't scream super colon cleaning ability, I'm not sure what does! Obviously it's not for champions though, because I am certain that champions would not use the word c*%$n in a public blog.

I'm not sure exactly what benefit it will have "in that area", but I think Oprah's Dr. Oz recommends it. As all the world knows, if Oprah recommends it, and I do it, I MUST be a champion? Speaking of Oprah, is she still around? I thought I saw in the paper that she created her own planet and set up a private galaxy for herself, Steadman, Dr. Oz and of course Gail. Or maybe that was on the cover of a tabloid and it is actually her own network. Didn't she already do that once? I wonder if in her galaxy she puts natural peanut-butter, agave nectar and milk on her breakfast of champions? I did and it was Grrrrrrrrrrrreat.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

The journey

So, I've had a request to start blogging about food. Yep, me. Food. Something I have had a love/hate relationship with my entire life. At this point in my life, I think I am controlling it, instead of it controlling me! I don't claim it to be a permanent stage in life, or even that I have arrived. I AM able to say I am on the right road of the journey. It's not the main road and smooth traveling, but more of a back roads, bumpy approach. But I KNOW I am at least going in the right direction. I hope you enjoy the ride with me. Do me a favor? WHEN I get off on a detour or take a wrong turn, point me in the right direction! Thanks!

Broccoli Cheese Soup-it's what's for dinner

1 Box Vegetable Soup
4 Cups Water
32 ounces Broccoli
2 Cups Whole Milk
16 ounces Velveeta
8 ounces Yellow Cheese
Pepper to taste

Boil the broccoli in stock and water for 10 minutes. Turn down to low-med and add in milk and cheese and stir until melted. You may put soup in a crock-pot and simmer until ready to serve.

We will have salad, and bread made of sprouted whole wheat and almond flours to round out our dinner tonight!