@MeatlessMondays - a year later

This week marks my anniversary following the Meatless Monday movement!

All in all, it's been a neat endeavor that has greatly opened my palate. I can see a difference in my grocery bill and have often found myself going meatless on other days of the week just because I'm craving the dish.

My boyfriend has joined the movement too, much to my excitement. This semester has us apart on Monday nights and last week he grabbed his dinner at a fast food place. When I asked what he ordered - out of idle curiosity - and discovered it was vegetarian, it brought a huge smile to my face. It was proof that he believes in the movement too and isn't just doing it because someone else is cooking the food and giving it to him.

Here are some meals that have come into our world thanks to Meatless Monday:

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burritos

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito

2 medium sweet potatoes
1 cup refried black beans, with lime
1 tbsp olive oil
1 c onions
1 poblano pepper
1 whole roasted, peeled chile
2 sticks string cheese
4 multi-grain wraps

Baked sweet potato at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until soft
Let cool. While potatoes cool, saute onions and peppers in olive oil until onions are caramelized and soft.
Peel sweet potatoes and mix with refried black beans. 
Put sweet potato mix on wrap, add onion mix and top with string cheese. Roll wrap unto burrito, place on pan and heat in over for 15 minutes, or grill in panini maker (as pictured). 
Number of Servings: 4
295 calories, 13 g fiber, 18g protein

Pumpkin and Black Bean Chili

Pumpkin and Black Bean Chili

1 medium onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 c. fire roasted red peppers, chopped
4 c vegetable broth
4 c black beans, cooked and drained
1 can pumpkin, no salt
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp parsley

Saute onions and yellow pepper.
In crockpot combine all ingredients.
Cook on low for 4-5 hours, until heated throughout. Enjoy!
Makes 10 servings.

128 calories, 8 g fiber, 7 g protein

Grilled Eggplant

Grilled Eggplant
1 Eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
Spray with cooking spray, lightly salt and let sit while prepping the grill. Place on grill for 5-8 minutes each side until soft and amazing. Top with chopped peppers or your salsa of choice.

PB&J Grahamwiches
1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
1 Tsp jam/jelly
2 sheets graham cracker
Make like peanut better jelly sandwich. Tastes better after sitting a few hours because the jelly side gets a bit soggy and it melts in your mouth.

I've also learned a lot about eating out on Mondays and ways to avoid meat at restaurants. I particularly love sushi for Meatless Mondays, but when in a bind you might find me at Taco Bell because of their myriad of veggie-friendly dishes.

If I had to criticize the Meatless Monday movement about anything, I have two things to say.

First, the recipes offered on the official Meatless Monday site tend to be amazingly complicated and expensive. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if that turns people off when they first think about going meatless one day a week.

Second, they don't talk enough about ways to meet protein needs sans meat. Someone like me needs at least 60 grams of protein a day - even on days I go meatless. There are a lot of ways to do it, I just wish the Meatless Monday organizers would talk more about it. Sure, you can miss it one day a week and make up for your protein needs later, but doesn't that defeat the purpose? Also, if someone chooses to go meatless more than once a week they need to know how to do it safely.

Lunch today is mashed avocado with chopped peanuts spread on a tortilla and cooked quesadilla style. It's another fave lunch I've discovered thanks to Meatless Monday and writing about it has my mouth watering!

Click here to read my first post about this awesome movement! I don't celebrate the end of August as my anniversary date because I fumbled a bit at the start. But since Sept. 20, 2010, I've consistently NOT eaten meat on Mondays.

Lavash lifestyle

Will the Hungry Girl inspiration never end???

Today's Hungry Girl email included a link to a "recipe" for Lisa's Crispy Lavash Squares with HG Hot Couple Dip. 
 

The link then directed readers to a website that sells the lavash - a 50-calorie flat bread that when baked longer turns chip or cracker-like. (Note: Mine looks nothing like hers. But I am fascinated by the idea of using it as a lasagna noodle substitute so I have to figure it out)

Of course, when I saw it was $3.50 a package, I decided to go on a recipe hunt. So. Super. Easy. I tweaked the recipe a smidge and created this lovely little gem. I need to point out that I have never actually had lavash so I have no idea if I made it "right." But I have had chips and pita crisps and this is an awesome way to substitute those snack foods.

The recipe make fifteen 100-calorie servings. I broke mine into pieces and sealed them in Ziploc baggies. Voila! My very own 100-calorie snack packs.

Also, I tried a few "flavors" by using cinnamon and sugar on a few and poppy seeds on others. I forgot about the sesame seeds in the freezer or I would have used them too. Next time. Sadly, I also have a powdered nacho cheese popcorn flavoring that I'm tempted to use too! I might even try to make then into itty-bitty crackers next time. Fun!

I only used 2/3 of the dough and froze the rest. Too bad I didn't know about this before the Stupor Bowl. That would have mitigate a couple of damages.

Tips and tricks straight from Hungry Girl

Food, fun and faux-frying: Just another Girls Night In
Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien is the first to tell you she isn't a nutritionist or a dietician. She holds no degrees in foodology and she doesn't pretend to be an expert. She is just a girl, like you and me.

"I am just hungry," she said. "But that doesn't make the information that I have to give any less important." And she's right.

About 900 women (and a few men) gathered in Crown Center last night to enjoy waist-friendly food and heart-friendly sisterhood at the 6th annual "Girls Night In" fundraiser for the University of Kansas Hospital's Change of Heart program. Hungry Girl was the main speaker for the event.

Lillien's big schtick is the idea of swaps. She takes normal foods and figures out ways to make them healthy. Take her "faux-frying" method, for example.

Craving onions rings or mozzarella sticks? Well, Lillien has your solution. Take Fiber One cereal and grind it in the blender. Roll your onion rings (or low-fat mozzarella sticks) in egg substitute, then in the Fiber One crumbs, then back in the egg sub and once again in the cereal. Bake. And enjoy. It's that simple. And filling.

At last night's dinner she told the 900 women gathered about her life living with a yoyo dieting mother and what spurred her into creating Hungry Girl. Then, she handed out a few tips for everyone. It was apparent there were many in the audience who had never heard her message, but by the night's end, her books were selling like full-fat hot cakes!


Tips from Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien:
1. Avoid Trigger Foods
For Lillien this means potato chips. She knows she can't stop eating them, so she stopped buying them.

"I cannot be trusted around crunchy salted snacks," she said. "If they are in my house, I eat the entire bag. So what do I do? I don't keep the chips in my house."

2. Set Attainable Goals.
"You need to set yourself up for success," Lillien said. "Who likes to fail? Anybody? You want to set goals that are totally achievable."
This includes setting goals involving losing weigh too quickly or not wanting to do the work needed to reach your goals.
"You've got to do the work," she said.

3. Don't Make Excuses.
It's about planning ahead and holding yourself accountable. When you know you're going out to dinner, Lillien suggests looking at the restaurant's menu online before you get there. That way you can make an informed decision.

Lillien also cautioned about punishing yourself for bad decisions.

"You're only as guilty as the last meal you ate," Lillien said before explaining that one bad meal shouldn't throw you off your plan. Just fix it next time.

4. Move. Yes, Move!
Lillien suggests finding enjoyable activities in your area, such as hiking with friends becase small changes can make big differences.

5. Write it Down.
"This is not an excuse to buy a cute little journal," Lillien said. It's about not lying to yourself. She stressed the importance of writing down everything saying it can be a shock to see just how much you eat in a day. Little bites here and there add up, she said. By writing everything down you are more aware of what you are doing.

6. Avoid Fad Diets.
Lillien said fad diets are not helpful for the long haul because they don't teach good habits. Weight Watchers, however, is not a fad diet, according to Lillien and does teach good habits.


7. Don't Beat Yourself Up.
"Don't feel bad about bad choices. Just change," Lillien said. This message, in fact, we repeated several time throughout her speech.

Lillien talked about living by the 80/20 rule because it allows you to enjoy life without beating yourself up.

"Food should be celebrated and enjoyed - 20 percent of the time," she said. She used the example of her stay in Kansas City. Since it was her first, she of course went for barbecue within an hour of her flight landing. She ate ribs, cheesey bread and carrot cake (which she said should be illegal, it was so good) at Jack Stack. And didn't feel guilty about it. Though she went back to her hotel and hopped right on the treadmill in snow boots because she'd forgotten sneakers.

Lillien also passed on a few small tricks to the audience.

"I'm a total volume eater," she said while explaining a tip for oatmeal.

One cup servings made her "sad" so she figured out that doubling the liquid requested and cooking the oats for twice as long will yield twice as much - for the same calories. She uses a mix of water and almond milk in her oatmeal.

What about breakfasts on the go? Put egg substitute and a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese in a mug, pop it int he microwave and voila! A very protein-full breakfast.

Finally, Lillien introduced "Ate" of her favorite food staples.

1. House Foods Tofu Shirataki Noodle Substitute
"A gluten-free, all-natural swap that's great in pasta recipes, soups and stir-frys."
2. Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss Cheese Wedges
"Super-creamy, delicious, and low in fat. Use it as a cream cheese swap in recipes, to make cheese sauces, in sandwiches, etc."
3. Blue Diamond Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze
"Great in cereal (hot or cold), smoothies, lattes, recipes, etc."
4. Canned Pure Pumpkin
"With 40 calories per half cup, it's low in fat and high in fiber. Use it in ways you never though possible! ... Don't confuse it with pumpkin pie filling."
5. Vitalicious VitaTops
"The BEST chocolate-craving killer EVER."
6. Fat-Free Greek Yogurt
"Super-creamy and packed with protein, a 6-oz. container has just 90 calories. Great in recipes and as a snack."
7. Fiber One Original Bran Cereal
"Secret weapon for 'faux-frying' ANYTHING."
8. Butternut Squash
"America's best kept secret. Why? It's a GREAT potato swap with half the calories of potatoes."

Natalie Notes: I have tried everything on her list but the VitaTops. The noodles were ok, but I couldn't get past their smell or the fact that they were floating in weird liquid (sure you drain it, but they are slimy). I prefer to just use spaghetti squash. I love Laughing Cow so much it makes me sick. Sad face. I am a HUGE Almond Breeze fan. And we know my love of pureed pumpkin. VitaTops are available at Target so I'll check them out soon. I think they are muffin tops loaded with fiber. I can't handle the thick texture of Greek yogurt straight - it sets my gag reflex off, but I plan to try it in baking soon. Fiber One is expensive, but it works well for faux-frying, it's true. And butternut squash is super tasty. I don't use it as a swap though, I enjoy it for the flavors it means to bring to my dishes.

The Blizzard of Oz

Snow-M-G, people. I have officially survived my first blizzard!

Kevin had to go to work but got off early and all was fine until he got to my 'hood. Then he got stuck and there was a lot of pushing and digging and crying and screaming and losing of cell phone and pushing other people's cars and it was NOT a relaxing snow day at all.

Once it all settled, Wednesday dawned into the digging-out day. Since Tuesday saw us get an official 10 inches of crazy blowing snow - that developed into drifts more than 2-feet high. I shoveled sidewalks (helping neighbors and my weight loss at the same time!) for an hour and a half. Add in the cars I pushed up and down streets and the mile-long snow hike we had to take to get something for Kevin's broken car and you have quite a day of working out!

According to Sparkpeople.com, I burned 850 calories by shoveling 75 minutes and walking in the snow for 45 mins. That doesn't even take into account the car-pushing!

We ended the day by snuggling on the couch with a dvd of How I Met Your Mother and Chinese food. I ordered Kung Pao Shrimp - which is 350 calories for a one-cup serving. Then, I finished dinner with a hearty helping of Banana Snow Cream - made from the very snow outside.

Banana Snow Cream

1/2 banana
1/2 gallon fresh snow
1 cup Almond Milk
1/2 cup baking Splenda

Mash the banana in a big metal mixing bowl. Add in snow and Splenda. Pour Almond milk over snow and mix it all together. It may take a few minutes, but you want to stir it until everything is incorporated and you reach a consistency you like.

If it's melted a bit, just stick the bowl outside for a bit. Then, give it one more stir and enjoy!

You can edit this recipe by using any fruit. Or half a tablespoon of vanilla (I used rum the first time!). Top it with chocolate and it's even yummier. Oh the possibilities ...

Serves 2. Calories: 47.1; Total Fat: 1.7 g; Cholesterol: 0.0 mg; Sodium: 90.3 mg; Total Carbs: 15.1 g; Dietary Fiber: 1.2 g; Protein: 0.8 g

Because it's Monday ... and you know what that means!

Have you checked out Meatless Monday yet? I blogged about it awhile back, but I thought it was time for a reminder.

I've been following the Meatless Monday Movement for a few months now and I LOVE the creativity it has brought to my meal plans, the varied foods I've eaten because of it, and the dent it's made in my pocketbook (did I just say pocketbook?). Some of the recipes I got from Meatless Monday are now a regular on my meal plans (hello Sweet Potato Burritos - minus all that cheese, of course!)

I don't just go meatless on Mondays, I've found protein-happy, meatless meals creeping into other days each week as well. This week for instance, sees me making Sweet Potato Pierogies for dinner tonight (so excited!), Eggs and Lentils for dinner tomorrow, and Mushroom Fajitas for dinner Thursday. Seriously, my grocery bill for this week was $15 LESS than usual. Just sayin'

Here is an easy recipe to kickstart your Meatless Monday Meal plan:

Avocadillas
1 medium whole wheat tortilla
1/2 avocado
1 Tbsp chopped peanuts

Scoop avocado from skin and mash in bowl. Mix in peanuts.
Spread avocado mash on one half tortilla and fold other half to close.

Spray frying pan with non-stick spray and lightly toast the tortilla, flipping as needed. Enjoy!

Servings Per Recipe:1; Calories: 297.0; Total Fat: 18.1 g; Cholesterol: 0.0 mg; Sodium: 405.9 mg; Total Carbs: 32.5 g; Dietary Fiber: 10.4 g; Protein: 6.7 g


This recipe has been an evolving creation for me. The first time I made it, I used cheese and called it a quesadilla. Sure, it was tasty, but I decided the cheese wasn't necessary and just added more fat. Sometimes, however, I add a tablespoon of bacon bits (you can find vegetarian options) and they add a nice little flavor zap.

Lettuce rejoice this winter

During the summer, salads can be super exciting. Those fresh greens you lovingly choose at the local farmer's market. The light dressing you sparingly spray to enhance the crisp crunch of each type of lettuce. The peppers you chop to add a little bite. The coolness in our mouth and the droplets of water that still cling to the leaves, cooling you from a steamy, humid summer's day. I love it.

But then comes winter - and what is a delectable pleasure in dogs days of summer becomes a bland, punishment during the dark, cold days of winter. I crave warm foods when it's cold and cold foods when it's warm. So salads become a necessary evil for me in winter. Sure, I still love the crunch and the variety of flavors, but I want food that warms me and salad just doesn't do that.

Until today.

I don't know why I never thought of it before: Warm salad. It's so simple it's stupid (or at least I am). I'm not talking about the usual warm (carb-filled) salads like potato or pasta salad. I'm talking about taking a base of greens and topping them with warm salad fixins! It's total brilliance that came to me via an AMAZING recipe in Women's Health. 

Seriously, this has blown my mind and may have just started a new obsession for me! 

The salad (recipe also posted below) involved cooking shrimp, onions and mushrooms in the bacon dressing. All I could think was, "Why have I never thought to heat up vinaigrette before?" When I put the plate in front of Kevin - covered in fresh spinach and wafting with the smell of cooked bacon I said something about wanting to take a picture. "I totally support that idea" said the man whose big joy in life comes from laughing at me each time I photograph a plate. He ooohed and ahhhed through the whole meal and nodded vigorously as I talked about the apparently brilliance of warm salads.

Oh - and the brilliance of bacon dressing shouldn't go un-noted either.

Check out this life-changing, protein-filled salad recipe (and yes, it takes BACON!!!):

Shrimp And Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing

8 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
6 oz baby spinach
1 cup sliced mushrooms
6 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
1 red onion, sliced
2 Tbsp pine nuts
3 Tbsp red-wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Olive oil (optional)

How to make it:
1/ Set a large skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon pieces until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel.

2/ Add onion and mushrooms to the hot skillet and cook until onion begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Season shrimp with salt and pepper to taste and add them to the skillet, along with pine nuts. When shrimp are pink and firm (2 to 4 minutes), stir in vinegar and mustard, and season again with salt and pepper to taste. If the skillet looks dry, add a splash of olive oil.

3/ Divide spinach and eggs among 4 plates and top with the hot shrimp mixture, some of the dressing from the skillet, and bacon.

Makes 4 servings
Per serving: 316 calories, 20 g fat, 12 g carbs, 572 mg sodium, 5 g fiber, 21 g protein

NCKAA: 3 Days Until Christmas!

Self Magazine Sugar Cookies

3/4 c flour
3/4 c whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
4 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 c Sugar substitute
1/4 c Sugar
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in bowl.

In another bowl, beat butter and sugars with hand mixer until light and fluffy - add egg whites and vanilla. Beat until just combined.

Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture until formed.

Roll dough into log and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

Cut into shapes and bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes.

Makes 40 two-inch cookies.

Nutritional Information Per Cookie: Calories: 38, Fat: 1g; Carbs: 6g, Fiber: 0g; Protein:1g
NOTE: The cookies in the photo were dipped in the glaze used for the doughnuts below.

Minty Mini-Doughnuts

Sugar cookie dough
Cooking SPray
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tbsp skim milk
2 medium candy canes, crushed

Heat oven to 350. Coat 2 cookie sheets with spray. Take sugar cookie dough above, cut into 4 equals pieces. Then cut each of those pieces into 16 pieces. Roll each piece between your fingers to form a 1.5 to 2-inch log. Pinch together ends of each log to form rings and place doughnuts 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake 1 batch at a time until dough puffs, 5-6 minutes.

Which sugar and milk in a bowl until smooth. Dip top of each warm cookie into sugar glaze; press into candy. Let cool on wire racks.

Makes 64 doughnuts

Nutritional Information Per Doughnut: 28 calorie; 1 g fat; 5g carbs; 0g fiber; 0g protein

Finally! The search for the perfect sugar cookie recipe for the holidays is over. Self Magazine to the rescue. The doughnuts are super cute and tasty, too.

NCKAA: 5 Days Until Christmas

Snow Chili

8 oz cubed chicken breast
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans Navy beans (or 3-4 cups homemade)
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup uncooked white rice
5-6 slices of jalapeno
1 tsp white pepper
2 tsp cumin
Optional: 1 cup white corn (If you've got it handy, but don't use yellow corn ... you know what they say about the yellow snow!)

Saute onions and cook chicken breast in frying pan. Combine all ingredients in crock pot, cook on high 2-3 hours, until rice is done. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information: Calories: 253.5; Total Fat: 1.2 g; Cholesterol: 18.9 mg; Sodium: 710.5 mg; Total Carbs: 44.1 g; Dietary Fiber: 7.1 g; Protein: 16.7 g

I can hardly believe I forgot to post this recipe when we had our first snow day last week! It's officially tradition for me to make Snow Chili on the day of the first snow.

I know a lot of white chilis cal for ground turkey, but  the chicken is SOOOOO much better - juicier and moister and I highly recommend it in any turkey chili recipe. For reals.

The point of Snow Chili, of course, is to have something warm and festive to eat after hours of snow ball fights and snow man building. I love living where it snows!!! We are heading to Texas for Christmas, so I'm not likely to have a white one this year (though we did last Christmas!!!!). But there has been snow on the ground for the past week up in Kansas City and it's been a lovely winter wonderland. This was a great way to celebrate the first flakes too.

NCKAA: 7 Days Until Christmas

Orange Smiles

1 orange

Cut orange into 8-10 segments. Enjoy!

Note: Save the orange peel to make Crandied Orange Peel :-)

Nutritional Information:  Calories: 87; Fiber: 4.4g; Carbs: 21.7g; Protein: 1.7g

Sometimes, it's the simple things that can make you smile. For me, oranges make me think of Christmas and that makes me smile.

I've got several more recipes on my list for Natalie's Christmas Kitchen Advent Adventure, but for some reason, Orange Smiles were calling out to me today.

I also have another batch of craisins in the dehydrator. This time, I cut each cranberry in half (tedious, but no big deal if you use cooking shears and have a favorite tv show in the background), dissolved 1/2 cup Splenda in 1 cup water (boiled to dissolve) and soaked the berries in the sugar water for 30 minutes (save the berry water for Crandied Orange Peels!). Then I spread them on the dehydrator and have had it going all day. These look a lot prettier than the batch I made a few weeks ago. I've got baking plans for some and breakfast plans for the rest (we love them in oatmeal and cream of wheat!).

NCKAA: 10 Days Until Christmas

Hot Dr. Pepper

12 oz. Dr. Pepper (1 can)
2 slices lemon

Heat Dr. Pepper until just boiling.

Place lemon slice in bottom of mug and pour hot Dr. Pepper over it.

Let cool until drinkable. Enjoy!

Serves 2. 

Nutritional Information: Calories: 75; Carbs: 28; Protein: 0g; Sodium: 40 mg

Hot Dr. Pepper is a Texan delicacy. My mother told me it was the first thing my parents made when they bought their first microwave. Our generation doesn't make it much (well, except me), but you can still get it at the Dr. Pepper Museum soda fountain in Waco.

There is just something soothing about the bubbly, thick, sweet caramelly goodness of hot Dr. Pepper on a cold day. Tonight, I'm drinking it to inspire me for my final final exam. I have 11 hours to write ten pages ... and I'm not even confident enough in the subject to bs a single page, must less 10. Wish me luck!

NCKAA: 12 Days Until Christmas

Don't judge me. It's finals week!

Finals Frozen Pizza

1 Supreme frozen pizza

Follow directions on back of packaging.

Nutritional Information: 1/3 of pizza: 330 calories ... I'm in!

When we last visited the grocery store, I had several challenges before me. 1) We are both broke so I didn't have a big budget to use for my weekly groceries 2) I'm in the midst of finals week and that means the study munchies have set in hardcore.

Imagine my surprise when, looking at low-cost dinner choices, I found a pleasant surprise in the information on the back of Tony's Supreme Pizza! I conveniently failed to look past the calorie count ... so you know, don't ask me about the fat, protein or sodium. At least I got a kind with vegetables on it!

Oh and it was a nice little holiday splurge, thank you very much. Plus, the crust was thin and I figure limited in the carbs. It's definitely got better fat and calorie stats than delivered pizza. At $1.98 a pizza, it was a lot cheaper than delivery, too!!!

NCKAA: 16 Days Until Christmas

Grilled Grinch Hands
(aka grilled cactus)
(aka grilled nopales)

Any number of nopales paddles (1 per serving)
olive oil spray

Carefully hold prickly paddles from the thick end. Using a sharp knife, scrape down the paddle to remove the prickles. Rinse.

Lightly spray olive oil on each side of every paddle and grill 5 minutes each side.

If you really want it to look like the Grinch's hands, cut down each paddle 4 times, to create fingers.

Don't these look like Grinch hands????

Nutritional information: 10 calories a paddle, plus stats from your oil; Protein: 2g; Carbs: 2 g; Fat: 0g

Cuddly as a Cactus Grinch Fingers

4 nopales paddles
1/2 medium onion, cut into strips
3 cloves garlic, minced

Prepare paddles as above. Cut into bite-size strips. Rinse again.

Sautee onions and garlic in large pot. Add nopales and enough water to cover. Bring to boil, let simmer 20 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Great for stews, salads, salsas or as a vegetable side dish.

Nutritional information: 10 calories a cup; Protein: 2g; Fat: 0g

Nopales con Huevos

4 oz. cooked nopales
1 egg
1/4 c egg substitute
1/4 c red pepper, chopped and sauteed

Mix all ingredients in frying pan and scramble together. Top with pepper jack cheese if you're feeling brave. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information: Calories: 135.0; Total Fat: 5.2 g; Total Carbs: 7.8 g; Dietary Fiber: 3.6 g; Protein: 14.6 g


So, this is officially a new holiday tradition for me! Though, technically, cactus season is in the late spring and early summer. I just love the idea of playing off the Grinch song and making it festive. And the left overs are delicious for breakfast!

Since last night was my first time to cook cactus myself, I decided to try grilled and boiled and decide which I like best: Grilled won. MMmmm.

The paddles were a lot easier to work with than I thought they'd be, which was nice. I only got poked by a needle once and that was at the grocery store when I was bagging them. If you buy your own, avoid the limp paddles, by the way. You want them to be sturdy, not slumpy.

Here's more on the awesomeness that is edible cactus.

NCKAA: 17 Days Until Christmas

"Egg in the Middle of Toast"

1 slice bread*
1 egg
Spray butter
Cooking spray

1. Remove middle of toast. I usually make a smaller hole than this, but since this is part of my advent, I chose to go festive!

2. Spray both sides with butter, spray frying pan with cooking spray and put on medium heat.

3. Crack egg into hole.

4. When the egg is cooked enough (you should be able to slide the toast around the pan easily), flip! Cook until other side is done. If the bread isn't toasty, keep flipping, but don't cook it so long that the yolk cooks.

5. "Pop" the yolk and smear over the toast. Since you can't see the gingerbread man anymore (though deep inside we know he's there), I decided to serve his cut out as toast.

*I use Wonder Smart White Bread because it's 50 calories a slice and has the same amount of fiber as whole wheat bread. Adjust the nutritional information based on your bread. 

Nutritional Information: Calories: 125; Total Fat: 5.5g; Protein 8.2 grams; Carbs 11.6 g.

Growing up, "Egg in the Middle of Toast" was a household staple. Some people call it Toad in the Hole and other such things, but my family is pretty pragmatic and says it like it is.

This was a favorite breakfast for us all and I was bound and determined to make it healthy. It's not like it was hard, after all. I just swapped real butter for spray butter and went with a low-calorie bread. Lately, I've been missing home so having this for breakfast really hits the spot in many ways. 

NCKAA: 19 Days Until Christmas

Everyday Green Bean Casserole

8 oz fresh green beans*
1 tsp. salt
1 can low-fat Cream of Celery soup
1 piece bread
1 pat butter

1. Wash green beans. Snap tips from each and break in half.

2. Bring water to boil, with salt. Preheat over to 350.

3. Boil green beans for 5 minutes. Remove from boiling water and immediately immerse in ice bath for 5 minutes to stop cooking.

4. Drain green beans well, use paper towel to pat dry.

5. Place half the green beans in bottom of small casserole dish. Cover with half the cream of celery soup. Put remaining green beans on next layer and finish with remaining soup.

6. Cook uncovered for 45 minutes. During last 5-10 minutes, butter the bread and toast well.

7. After the green beans have cooked 45 mins, use a knife to scrap crumbs from the toast, both sides. Crumble crusts etc.

8. Return casserole to oven and bake 10 more minutes.

9. Enjoy!

Serves 4.

*If you're in a time-crunch, I suppose you can use frozen green beans ... if you must. Start at step 4.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 70.8; Total Fat: 2.5 g; Cholesterol: 3.1 mg; Sodium: 398.2 mg; Total Carbs: 11.7 g; Dietary Fiber: 3.2 g; Protein: 2.1 g.

Here's the thing about green bean casserole: I love it! I forgot how much I love it until last Thanksgiving when I found a recipe similar to this in Hungry Girl (she uses water chestnuts and soy crisps). It's such a simple dish and so tasty that I can't, for the life of me, figure out why we save it for the holidays only.

Sadly, Kevin isn't a green bean fan so I can only make them when he's not here for dinner - like tonight! I didn't have any this Thanksgiving because it was my job to make it using someone else's ingredients and I wanted to throw up when I saw the calorie count in the 2 CANS of Cream of Mushroom soup that was there. No thanks! It's not like I was going hungry by abstaining anyway.

I added it to my list of holiday goodies to enjoy throughout the season. I feel it is getting much more attention from me because of this.

P.S. Green beans are full of potassium and help ladies deal with pains that come at a certain time of the month.

NCKAA: 20 Days Until Christmas

Gingerbread Oatmeal Casserole

2 eggs (or 1/2 c egg substitute)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup molasses
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
3 cups oatmeal (not instant)

Combine above ingredients, mixing well. Pour into greased pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 175.2; Total Fat: 3.5 g; Cholesterol: 52.3 mg; Sodium: 153.7 mg; Total Carbs: 31.0 g; Dietary Fiber: 3.2 g; Protein: 6.2 g

As part of my gingerbread experiments, I made a tasty oatmeal casserole today. I used a fork to crush up the "slices" in a bowl and covered them with milk (next time I'll warm the milk first). YUM! It could use a bit more fiber for my liking, but as a breakfast "treat" it's a win! I just need a pan like this for next time!

NCKAA: 21 Days Until Christmas

Oh my goodness I've been soooo busy! I'm working a part time job, finishing up classes (and that grand 20-page paper that ended up being a whopping 34 pages), gearing up for finals, entertaining visitors and trying to maintain my sanity.

Unfortunately, writing my Advent posts is getting a little sloppy - but enjoying my Advent treats isn't!Today's entry isn't a recipe - no time to cook this week and it's bringing me down - it's a collection of holiday happiness that can be eaten almost guilt free!

Pizzelle: First, if you haven't met them yet, run to the nearest store and buy a package of Vanilla Pizelles. These Italian-style cookies are a mere 23 calories each and they are bigger than the top of a coffee mug! They aren't super sweet (only 1.3 g of sugar a cookie) and are wonderful with your morning (or, in my case, afternoon and evening) coffee. Reko, the brand I bought, claims to be preservative free and has a list of simple ingredients - all words a 7 year-old could pronounce. A serving size is 6 cookies, but I find 2 to more than satisfy my sweet tooth!

Mini Candy Canes: They might be pure sugar (though according to their ingredients they are also corn syrup, peppermint oil and artificial color), but these little treats are great for satisfying a holiday craving for "traditional" tastes. Three of them is only 35 calories. That's less than 12 calories each! I bought a box of 40 for $.99 so they are also budget-friendly. I read somewhere that peppermint is a good appetite suppressor and munchie-fighter. Sure, we'll go with that since it's a plus, too.

Amaretti Cookies: I just recently (today) discovered these amazing little macaroon-esque cookies. They taste like light, crispy, cherry-flavored air. Kevin wasn't a fan, but at 19 calories a piece (Lazzaroni brand), they have a new place in my heart. A serving size is 7 cookies (130 calories), but 3 works great for a sweet shot with "fine" wine or liquers. Or, you know, as a snack. These are available at gourmet grocery stores and I've found a couple of recipes (Like this one!) that show them to pack some nut power. I haven't tried making my own yet, but you can be sure that I will when I get the time!

Gingerbread Cookies: So, my register at the store has a big can of gingersnap cookies that are free to guests as a sample. And they stare at me all day. Their spicy aroma tickling my nose ... almost as much at their nutrition info tickles my fancy. At a mere 23 calories each, it's hard to keep my hands out of that cookie can! Most gingerbread cookies are a better alternative to other cookie recipes and I've been baking it up like crazy - though I have yet to find a recipe that makes me happy enough to post here. When I do, you'll be the first to know!

NCKAA: 23 Days Until Christmas

Oatmeal with Pomegranate!

1/2 cup quick cook oats
1 1/2 cup water*
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds, divided

Heat water to almost boiling. Add all but 1 tablespoon of the pomegranate seeds.

When water boils, add oatmeal and cook 3-5 minutes.*

Top with remaining pomegranate seeds, let cool and enjoy!

* The box calls for 1 cup of water. However, I've found that if I add an extra half cup and cook the oatmeal longer than the recommended 1-2 minutes, I get more out of it without adding calories. Kevin thinks it's a bit watery so he sticks to the usual recipe. Feel free to do the same.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 176; Fat: 3.1g; Sodium: 1.2mg; Carbohydrates: 33.6; Protein: 5.4g; Fiber: 4.2g

This may seem like a simple recipe that doesn't have much to do with the holidays, but to me it isn't. My grandmother has an amazing pomegranate tree and every year would send us home with a dozens poms, at least! They are one of my favorite holiday treats. Little did I know until I was old enough to pay attention how expensive they are to buy at the store!

Now that I'm grown and living 500 miles from my grandmother's tree, they aren't free for me. So, when I buy a pomegranate (yes, just one!) I savor it. The particular pom I opened this morning is a good one - perfectly ripe, super juicy and yielded about a cup of seeds!

There are a couple of other recipes I might try, but to be honest, pomegranate seeds are one of my favorite snacks all by themselves. They take a lot of work (I tend to suck the seed then spit it out) so it tricks my body into thinking it's eating more than it is. When the study-time munchies hit, a pom just might be a lifesaver!

NCKAA: 24 Days Until Christmas

No, you didn't miss the 25 Days Until Christmas post ... I didn't write one. Yesterday was a sad day and didn't involve any cooking or culinary creativity. My dog passed away and I ate ice cream from McDonald's instead. Solace in food is bad, I know. But he loved ice cream!

Anyway, I owe you two recipes so I am going to divulge two ways to use Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls for breakfast.

Hungry Girl Monkey Bread

3 tbsp. No Calorie Sweetener (granulated), divided
2 tsp. cinnamon, divided
2 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)
2 tbsp. sugar-free pancake syrup
2 tbsp. brown sugar (not packed)
1 package Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations Seamless Dough Sheet
1/2 tsp. baking powder

*If you don't have the dough sheet, use reduced fat crescent rolls and smoosh the edges together to create a "seamless" sheet. It doesn't matter how perfect it looks.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix 1 tbsp. Sweetener and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a large bowl or container. Set aside. Spray six cups of a muffin pan with nonstick spray, and set pan aside as well.

3. Place a small pot on the stove, but do not heat it. Add butter, syrup, brown sugar, 2 tbsp. sweetener, and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Leave this on the unheated stove, to be melted and mixed later.

4. Roll out the dough on a clean dry surface (smoosh if using rolls), and sprinkle evenly with baking powder. Gently smooth baking powder into the sheet with your fingers.
5. Cut dough sheet widthwise into six strips equal in size. Cut each strip into four squares. Using your hands, roll each square into a ball, for a total of 24 dough balls.

6. Place 12 dough balls in the bowl with the sweetener-cinnamon mixture. Lightly toss to coat, and then place them gently in the muffin pan, with four dough balls in each of three cups. No need to press the dough balls into the pan -- just let them fall naturally. Repeat with remaining dough balls, so that each of the six muffin cups contains four coated dough balls. Set aside.

7. Bring the small pot on the stove to medium heat. Stirring frequently, heat just until butter has melted and contents are mixed well. Evenly spoon the butter mixture over the dough balls.

Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, or until puffy and firm. Allow to cool slightly, and then plate and enjoy! There will be gooeyness in the bottom of the cups - I make sure to scoop that out and drizzle it on top of each "muffin."

Serves 6.
Nutritional Information: Calories: 154; Fat: 7.5g; Sodium: 369mg; Carbs: 21g; Fiber: 0.5g; Sugars: 6.5g; Protein: 2g

It's worth the hassle to make these (I know it looks complicated, but it really isn't!) because they look pretty impressive. But if you just don't wanna go through the steps, here is a similar recipe from my mom that is a Christmas morning tradition for us (The monkey bread, however, will soon be added to the list of traditional eats).


Tiny Cinnamon Rolls

1 8 ounce can refrigerated reduced fat crescent rolls
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Unroll crescent roll dough and put the pieces together to make one rectangle of dough.
Pinch the seams together to seal

Stir together the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the dough rectangle –
leave one edge plain (so the dough will stick together after you roll it)

Roll up, starting with a long side. Go slowly and try to keep the roll from being too
loose. Press the edges to seal.

Cut the log into 12 slices and place in a lightly greased 8” cake pan – or into mini-muffin
pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes

Icing:
1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon milk (or more)
1 drip vanilla extract

Combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla, stirring until smooth; drizzle over warm
cinnamon rolls.


I haven't calculated the nutrition stats for this, but the icing holds a lot of extra sugar, to be honest. It might be yummy to make this with the syrup from the Monkey Bread recipe!

NCKAA: 26 Days Until Christmas

Waste not, want not ... right? Since Thanksgiving is over, Kevin's roommates are clearing their house of fall decorations. This includes the 3 large carving pumpkins they bought. Thinking of my baking, they sent the pumpkins my way and I've been working up a storm.

Generally, carving pumpkins aren't meant for baking. However, when you're poor like me, you make it work. A can of pumpkin costs about $1.50. Since a 5-pound gourd can yield the equivalent of 4 cans, I'm pretty excited. I cut into the first pumpkin yesterday and removed the seeds. Then, I peeled it, cut the meat up in small cubes and boiled it for about 30 minutes. The cooked pumpkin then found it's way into my blender. A few zaps in there and voila! Pureed pumpkin!

Here are the recipes I've already made:

Cajun-Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 scant teaspoon Cajun seasoning, or to taste
paprika, for more color, if desired
a little salt, depending on saltiness of the seasoning
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 300°.

Rinse seeds well and get as much of the pumpkin pulp off of them as possible. Some of the small pieces are going to adhere so don't worry about perfection here. Pat dry with paper towels.

Toss pumpkin seeds with seasonings. Combine oil and Worcestershire sauce; stir into seeds until well blended and coated.

Roast, turning from time to time, for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until nicely browned and crunchy.

Egg Noodles with Pumpkin Sauce

1 cup onion, chopped fine
1.5 cup red bell pepper, chopped fine
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons almond milk
6 oz egg noodles, whole wheat
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan as an accompaniment

In a large skillet saute the onion, bell pepper, and garlic over moderate heat (use olive oil spray or water to saute), stirring, until the vegetables are softened, stir in the pumpkin, the broth, the water, the almond milk, and salt and pepper to taste, and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until reduced by a third. While the sauce is simmering, in a kettle of salted boiling water boil the noodles until it is al dente, ladle out the reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, and drain the egg noodles well.

Add the egg noodles to the sauce, cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring and thinning the sauce as desired with some of the reserved cooking water (I rarely have to thin the sauce), for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the pasta is coated well, and stir in the parsley. Top with Parmesan and cover skillet for 1-2 minutes.

Serves 4.
Nutritional Information: Amount Per Serving: Calories: 201.7; Total Fat: 2.9 g; Cholesterol: 4.9 mg; Sodium: 250.7 mg; Total Carbs: 39.6 g; Dietary Fiber: 6.5 g; Protein: 9.9 g

Peeling pumpkins is a HUGE pain, both literally and figuratively. For Pumpkin #2, I am going to try a roasting method instead of a boiling method to cook the pumpkin. All it involves is cutting the pumpkin into chunks and roasting it in the over at 375 or so for a more than hour. When the flesh is cooked, you apparently just scoop it out and puree or mash it. Since I've made roasted pumpkins like this for breakfast a lot this fall (just with tiny pumpkins), I'm pretty sure this will work out. I'll leave comments below to let you know how well it works.

For Pumpkin #3, I plan to make pumpkin flour. I did it once earlier this fall. To do it, you peel the pumpkin (boo!), cut the meat into quarter-inch strips and dehydrate them. Then, you grind the dried pumpkin into a fine powder. Though I haven't tried cooking with it yet, I understand you can replace 1/4 of the flour in most recipes. This is a big calorie saver!

NCKAA: 27 Days Until Christmas

Ok ex-pats ... do you have access to cranberries and ground turkey? If so, then you can totally make a quick and easy Thanksgiving dinner thanks to this recipe! I hope you're enjoying Natalie's Christmas Kitchen Advent Adventure as much as I am!

Thanksgiving Meatloaf

2 pieces low-calorie bread, toasted and cut into 1-inch squares
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1/4 c egg substitute
1 c celery, finely chopped
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries* (13 calories)
3 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary, divided
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce* (~50 calories)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

In a large bowl, combine toast cubes and milk. Let stand for 10 minutes; break up bread cubes with a fork. Stir in the egg substitute, celery, onion, and cranberries. Add half the rosemary. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Pat into an ungreased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan.

Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 25 minutes; drain if necessary. Combine the cranberry sauce, ketchup, pepper sauce and remaining rosemary; spread over meat loaf. Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until no pink remains and a meat thermometer reads 165°.

*My dried cranberries are homemade, using Splenda. I used them in my cranberry sauce as well. If you use store-bought craisins, this will change the nutrition information for both the dried cranberries and the cranberry sauce. I included the calories for these ingredients next to them. That way you can subtract my numbers and enter your own if you use ingredients with more calories.

This recipe is adapted from a Taste of Home recipe.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional Info: Amount Per Serving: Calories: 179.2; Total Fat: 5.6 g; Cholesterol: 53.8 mg; Sodium: 387.8 mg; Total Carbs: 14.5 g; Dietary Fiber: 2.4 g; Protein: 18.2 g.

I served this tonight with baked sweet potatoes and green beans. For dessert, I made a banana pumpkin custard. Since Mom was in town, it was the best Thanksgiving dinner ever!

Making this reminded me of many make-shift holidays meals from my past. My first Thanksgiving in college was spent home alone while all the roommates went to see friends and family so I made a Turkey Pot Pie and watched football. The first Thanksgiving I spent with my ex away from our families - we made turkey drumsticks and boxed stuffing. The first Christmas Kevin and I celebrated together involved him working. An hour before he got done I decided to go ahead and cook something "fancy." The only store open to buy the fixin's was 7-11. Can it be called fancy when dessert is a fried gas station pie and turkey from a Lunchable?