After Leemore we head to Hanford to Superior Dairy for sandwiches and ice cream!
Wow! That is a big ice cream sundae! Little man said his tummy hurt afterwards from eating too much ice cream!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Memorial Day
This is our 2nd Memorial Day that we have taken the kids to Leemore to my husband's grandpa and grandma's gravesite. His grandpa was a career Navy man serving in 3 wars. We take flags so the kids can put them around his grave stone so they know who he was and what Memorial Day is about.
After Leemore we head to Hanford to Superior Dairy for sandwiches and ice cream!
Wow! That is a big ice cream sundae! Little man said his tummy hurt afterwards from eating too much ice cream!
After Leemore we head to Hanford to Superior Dairy for sandwiches and ice cream!
Wow! That is a big ice cream sundae! Little man said his tummy hurt afterwards from eating too much ice cream!
Meal Plan Monday
Monday- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Tuesday- Leftovers (have school)
Wednesday- Carne Asada Tacos with black bean salad
Thursday- Buttermilk pancakes, bacon and fruit (school again)
Friday- Out to dinner
Saturday- BBQ Chicken w/homemade BBQ sauce, herb-vinaigrette potato salad and homemade rolls
Friday, May 28, 2010
High Fructose Corn Syrup
The past 10 days or so I have not made myself anything with refined sugar and have been careful in reading food labels to try and avoid as much sugar as I can. There is one food label that I really ever read because I really never thought that the 3rd ingredient in Yoplait vanilla yogurt is high fructose corn syrup! What? I eat it everyday for breakfast! Change of plans for breakfast now. I have looked into making my own yogurt and it looks pretty easy, so I will be trying it out next week when I have time to watch it.
I have decided to really watch my refined sugar intake since I feel sooooo much better when I do not eat it. I think that is one of the foods that really affects me since I have had hypothyroidism and I have been trying different substitutes like Blue Agave. That does not mean that I will not have ice cream at Superior Dairy on Monday, but if I can live 90% of the week like this I know I will feel a lot better and my tummy will look better too!
Note to self: Always read food labels even if you think it is good for you. Also, I was reading a label for a hot tea I was drinking while I was sick and that had soy in it.....really....soy? Also, one other thing I should not have too much of. It seems everything has soy in it. If you have a thyroid issue or it runs in the family you should avoid soy. Soy is not your thyroids friend.
Just had to vent a little about the stuff they put in foods. Have a great Memorial weekend!
I have decided to really watch my refined sugar intake since I feel sooooo much better when I do not eat it. I think that is one of the foods that really affects me since I have had hypothyroidism and I have been trying different substitutes like Blue Agave. That does not mean that I will not have ice cream at Superior Dairy on Monday, but if I can live 90% of the week like this I know I will feel a lot better and my tummy will look better too!
Note to self: Always read food labels even if you think it is good for you. Also, I was reading a label for a hot tea I was drinking while I was sick and that had soy in it.....really....soy? Also, one other thing I should not have too much of. It seems everything has soy in it. If you have a thyroid issue or it runs in the family you should avoid soy. Soy is not your thyroids friend.
Just had to vent a little about the stuff they put in foods. Have a great Memorial weekend!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Huevos "Ranch"eros
It was really good. I put the chips on the bottom of the plate and placed cheese on top of the chips and covered them with the ranchero sauce. The sauce melted the cheese and the chips got a little soft with the sauce so you could eat them with a fork. I made my eggs scrambled and hubbies over medium. I really enjoy my Food Network Magazine because it has tons of different recipes like this one.
I sprinkled the eggs with Chipotle hot sauce (my in-laws bought me this sauce in Arizona and I love it).
This is what the sauce looks like after you puree it.
The homemade tortilla chips with ranch mix sprinkled over them was very good, different but tasty.
Ingredients
For the Chips:
Vegetable oil, for frying
8 corn tortillas, each cut into 8 wedges
1 1-ounce packet ranch dressing mix
For the Sauce:
5 plum tomatoes
1/2 medium white onion
5 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 to 2 chipotles in adobo sauce
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the Eggs:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
8 large eggs
1 avocado, halved, pitted and sliced
Fresh cilantro and crumbled cotija cheese, for topping (optional)
Directions
Make the chips: Heat 3/4 inch vegetable oil in a pot over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Fry the tortillas in batches until golden, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon dressing mix.
Make the sauce: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic and cook, turning, until the vegetables are charred, 5 to 7 minutes. Squeeze the garlic from its skin and cut the onion and tomatoes into chunks. Transfer to a blender; pulse with remaining dressing mix (about 2 tablespoons), the chipotles and half of the beans until smooth.
Heat the olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the pureed mixture and the remaining beans and cook until thick, about 5 minutes. Keep warm.
Make the eggs: Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the eggs in batches until the whites are set, adding more butter as needed. Divide the sauce among shallow bowls; top each serving with 2 eggs, some ranch chips and avocado. Sprinkle with cilantro and cheese, if desired.
I sprinkled the eggs with Chipotle hot sauce (my in-laws bought me this sauce in Arizona and I love it).
This is what the sauce looks like after you puree it.
The homemade tortilla chips with ranch mix sprinkled over them was very good, different but tasty.
Ingredients
For the Chips:
Vegetable oil, for frying
8 corn tortillas, each cut into 8 wedges
1 1-ounce packet ranch dressing mix
For the Sauce:
5 plum tomatoes
1/2 medium white onion
5 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 to 2 chipotles in adobo sauce
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the Eggs:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
8 large eggs
1 avocado, halved, pitted and sliced
Fresh cilantro and crumbled cotija cheese, for topping (optional)
Directions
Make the chips: Heat 3/4 inch vegetable oil in a pot over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Fry the tortillas in batches until golden, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon dressing mix.
Make the sauce: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic and cook, turning, until the vegetables are charred, 5 to 7 minutes. Squeeze the garlic from its skin and cut the onion and tomatoes into chunks. Transfer to a blender; pulse with remaining dressing mix (about 2 tablespoons), the chipotles and half of the beans until smooth.
Heat the olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the pureed mixture and the remaining beans and cook until thick, about 5 minutes. Keep warm.
Make the eggs: Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the eggs in batches until the whites are set, adding more butter as needed. Divide the sauce among shallow bowls; top each serving with 2 eggs, some ranch chips and avocado. Sprinkle with cilantro and cheese, if desired.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Oatmeal Cake
Recipe:
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp boiling water
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup Blue Agave
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" round cake pan or square cake pan and lightly flour.
2. Pour boiling water over oatmeal and butter and let mixture sit for 20 minutes.
3. Sift dry ingredients together.
4. Right before the 20 minutes is up, beat together the egg, blue agave and vanilla.
5. Add wet mixture to the oatmeal then stir dry ingredients in.
6. Pour into your cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
I served mine as you can see with strawberries and homemade whipped cream. I just added 1 tbsp blue agave and 1/2 tsp of vanilla to heavy whipping cream and put the mixer on high. It was very moist!
2nd Batch of Granola Bars
Are even better!
I made this batch with craisins, coconut, almonds and honey as the sweetner.
I used the recipe I posted below but added the coconut and switched our honey for blue agave. I only used one egg white so they are crumbly, so I know to use 2 eggs whites when I make them. The coconut gave them a little sweeter taste and the craisins were nice and sweet too.
What's Next:
Healthy version of an oatmeal cake. It is in the oven baking right now. I am going to top it tonight with strawberries and I am going to make my own whipped cream using blue agave...yum...yum!
(I get so much done when both kids are asleep)!
I made this batch with craisins, coconut, almonds and honey as the sweetner.
I used the recipe I posted below but added the coconut and switched our honey for blue agave. I only used one egg white so they are crumbly, so I know to use 2 eggs whites when I make them. The coconut gave them a little sweeter taste and the craisins were nice and sweet too.
What's Next:
Healthy version of an oatmeal cake. It is in the oven baking right now. I am going to top it tonight with strawberries and I am going to make my own whipped cream using blue agave...yum...yum!
(I get so much done when both kids are asleep)!
Granola Bars from Scratch
I bought Blue Agave at Costco and you can buy it at Trader Joe's as well.
This is the granola recipe I posted last week. I really like it over my vanilla yogurt in the morning. I will make this about once a week to have for breakfast.
Granola Bars
Recipe:
Here is a basic recipe for granola and granola bars that you can modify to your taste. If you want more fiber and protein and less sweet, use with more nuts and seeds and little or no fruit. If you want a sweeter granola, add more dried fruits and fewer nuts and even more sweetener to taste. This recipe has no added fat and can be fat-free if nuts are omitted.
Some tips:
If you want loose granola, spread the mixture out on a cookie sheet and stir every 5 minutes or so.
If you want granola bars, pack the mixture into a loaf pan and cut into bars as soon as you remove the pan from the oven.
BE SURE TO LINE THE PAN WITH PARCHMENT PAPER--GRANOLA WILL STICK TO THE PAN.
Dry sweeteners will make a crunchier granola; liquid sweeteners make a softer granola bar.
One egg white gives more crunch but doesn't hold together as well; two egg whites hold together fine, but makes a softer bar.
If you find that the dried fruit burns, make the granola without the fruit and mix it in after the granola is baked.
For my test recipe I used rolled oats, almonds, raisins, blue agave, cinnamon and vanilla, in the proportions given in the recipe, plus two egg white. It was delicious.
1 cup grains
1/2 cup nuts and seeds
1/4 cup dried fruits (or more nuts)
1 tablespoon sweetener
1/4 teaspoon spices
1/4 teaspoon flavoring
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 or 2 egg whites, beaten until foamy
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all of the ingredients together except for the egg whites.
Whisk the egg whites until foamy or even until soft peaks form--the more volume you have the better you will be able to distribute the egg white through the other ingredients.
Mix the beaten egg whites with the dry ingredients until well incorporated.
FOR GRANOLA: Spread the mixture out on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
FOR BARS: Press the mixture into a parchment-lined loaf pan.
Bake for 20-30 minutes. Stir the granola about every 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cut granola bars to desired size and shape.
I found THIS website that has lots of recipes using substitute sweetners.
This is the granola recipe I posted last week. I really like it over my vanilla yogurt in the morning. I will make this about once a week to have for breakfast.
Granola Bars
Recipe:
Here is a basic recipe for granola and granola bars that you can modify to your taste. If you want more fiber and protein and less sweet, use with more nuts and seeds and little or no fruit. If you want a sweeter granola, add more dried fruits and fewer nuts and even more sweetener to taste. This recipe has no added fat and can be fat-free if nuts are omitted.
Some tips:
If you want loose granola, spread the mixture out on a cookie sheet and stir every 5 minutes or so.
If you want granola bars, pack the mixture into a loaf pan and cut into bars as soon as you remove the pan from the oven.
BE SURE TO LINE THE PAN WITH PARCHMENT PAPER--GRANOLA WILL STICK TO THE PAN.
Dry sweeteners will make a crunchier granola; liquid sweeteners make a softer granola bar.
One egg white gives more crunch but doesn't hold together as well; two egg whites hold together fine, but makes a softer bar.
If you find that the dried fruit burns, make the granola without the fruit and mix it in after the granola is baked.
For my test recipe I used rolled oats, almonds, raisins, blue agave, cinnamon and vanilla, in the proportions given in the recipe, plus two egg white. It was delicious.
1 cup grains
1/2 cup nuts and seeds
1/4 cup dried fruits (or more nuts)
1 tablespoon sweetener
1/4 teaspoon spices
1/4 teaspoon flavoring
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 or 2 egg whites, beaten until foamy
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all of the ingredients together except for the egg whites.
Whisk the egg whites until foamy or even until soft peaks form--the more volume you have the better you will be able to distribute the egg white through the other ingredients.
Mix the beaten egg whites with the dry ingredients until well incorporated.
FOR GRANOLA: Spread the mixture out on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
FOR BARS: Press the mixture into a parchment-lined loaf pan.
Bake for 20-30 minutes. Stir the granola about every 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cut granola bars to desired size and shape.
I found THIS website that has lots of recipes using substitute sweetners.
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