Mmmm...Paleo Cookies

Just recently, I told you all that I had adopted more of a Paleo way of eating (read more here). Like I said, it isn't a full-blown Paleo diet, but I've cut out a lot of grains (pasta, bread, rice, etc.) from my daily meals.

Enter the Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

 
 I followed the recipe exactly, as this was my 1st time making them and I didn't want to screw them up. Honestly, they don't taste like your everyday chocolate chip cookies...but come on, they're grain free. You can't expect them to taste exactly like normal cookies. But I thought they were super yummy! They became my dessert for about a week and allowed me a little treat that didn't mess up my daily meals/goals :)

Ingredients I used: Trader Joe's raw honey, Bob's almond meal/flour, A&H baking soda, Organic coconut oil, Trader Joe's sea salt, Vanilla Extract, & Enjoy Life's mini chocolate chips (dairy, nut and soy free chips)

*these products were the toughest to find

Unfortunately, I had to go to 3 different grocery stores to get everything that I needed (a local Harris Teeter, Trader Joe's & Earth Fare)...it just happened that none of the stores had everything I needed - but sometimes you gotta work for eating healthy, right?! :)

Have you ever made these grain free chocolate chip cookies? Do you have any other grain free recipes to share with me? I'm definitely looking for more!

Another Easy Peasy Dinner

Well, I'm back with another SUPER easy dinner that I threw together the other night. Again, it's nothing fancy and I'm sure nothing new & inventive in the cooking world. But it was quick, pretty healthy and tasted SO good!!!

Shrimp & Broccoli with Rice:

Sauteed about 20 small shrimp (I love shrimp) in EVOO, minced garlic and some crushed red pepper
Boiled broccoli (like the bag said), but then baked it in the oven (10 min) with some s/p/Parmesan cheese
Microwaved some white rice
Tossed all together with s/p

You could make this dinner with steak, chicken, tofu or just some other vegetables. I've been buying those little cups of rice (white & brown) that you can just pop in the microwave for about a minute. They are the perfect serving size and super easy. Plus, there's a coupon in each package! :) Also, I tossed the leftover EVOO mixture together with the shrimp/broccoli/rice...and it gave it so much flavor! You could also substitute the white rice for brown rice - I was out of brown rice, unfortunately, but I try to mix it up from meal-to-meal. All in all, quick & delicious!!

So I don't know if can you tell, but I'm on a health(ier) kick lately:

 

Mango-flavored coconut water; taco salad; my "easy peasy pasta"; salad with chicken, cheese & Italian dressing

Apple; edamame; baked potato with cheese

 Panera's Thai chopped chicken salad, apple & iced green tea; Panera's grilled chicken Caesar salad, chicken noodle soup, apple & iced green tea

You know I'm serious when I'm even eating healthier at Panera...it's one of my go-to places on a weekly or biweekly basis, but I'm usually ordering their broccoli-cheese soup, a panini, bread bowl, bagel...not as healthy, but SO yummy! I will say, if you haven't tried their iced green tea, go for it! It's AWESOME!

Hopefully I can stay on this kick, because I'm finding that it's easier to make healthier choices when I plan out meals, use things I already have in my pantry, and look at restaurant menus ahead of time.

I found this on Pinterest, and I'm trying really hard to listen to it, because I think it says a lot:

Pinned here (Fitness Board)

I don't know about you, but that just makes me really STOP and THINK about what I'm putting in my body!! I'm not perfect though...and I'm still learning - I have cheat days, I may not be eating something that is as healthy as I think it is...but I'm trying. It's a work-in-progress!

I'd love to hear about any quick & easy dinners you've been throwing together...or things you're eating that are on the healthier side - leave them in the comments!! :)

Easy Peasy Pasta

So over the years, I've definitely struggled to cook for 1 (since the hubby and I have spent lots of time a part). Heck, what am I saying, it's even hard cooking for 2 sometimes!! Am I right?! But so I've definitely stumbled upon a few favorites that I try to cook if I'm trying to stay at home for a meal. Recently I came across an awesome, quick pasta concoction and thought I'd share it! It's nothing fancy, and I'm sure others out there have made it or something similar, but I literally just created this by throwing some things that I had in my pantry/cabinets together:

• Cooked & drained about 1 cup of twi-colored bowtie pasta (you can use any kind of pasta)
• Mixed with a splash of EVOO, parmesean cheese, garlic powder, s/p, sprinkle of red pepper flakes

That's it! It was easy, flavorful and a perfect serving size for one (obviously, you could fix it for a whole family though). I chose to use EVOO instead of butter, but that's an option too. Depending on your spicy preference, you could also add more of the red pepper flakes or opt to not use them at all. And I'm sure other spices would be great too (oregano, Italian seasoning, etc.).

Any other readers have any go-to meals that are quick & easy, and perfect for just 1-2 people? If so, please share...I'd love to hear them! 

Pocket Pies

This is one of my newest kitchen gadgets...and I've gotta say, I'm pretty impressed so far after just using it once.

It's one of the pocket pie molds from Williams Sonoma - have you seen these? They are just adorable! I actually bought two - the apple one and a heart one. Basically, they are small plastic molds that allow you to use one side to cut out your pie crust and then by flipping it over, you can fill your pocket pie and seal it.

It's genius!

So I decided last weekend to make some cherry and apple pies - pocket pies that is! Now don't go thinking I'm some Betty Crocker that makes her own dough or pie filling...haha, I'd love to be that gal, but yeah...here's what I worked with:

The pocket pie press, some apple pie filling & refrigerated pie crust.

Have you ever used this pie crust? Super easy...you just unroll it and voila! And it tasted great :) Each box came with 2 rolls - I had bought 2 boxes and ended up making 4 cherry & 4 apple pocket pies.

I forgot to take more photos of the actual process, but I used the pocket press to cut out the 2 crusts, placed one into the mold, filled it with apple/cherry filling, use some egg wash to brush onto the edges, placed the other crust on top while I closed the mold to seal the edges, and finished it off by brushing some more egg wash all over the top & sprinkling it with sugar. *There's also a link to a video at the bottom of the page on the WS website for the apple mold, that shows you exactly how they can be best cooked.

All pressed and ready to be baked (see the cute leaf-shaped vent in the top):

And the final product:

They turned out great! A few of the slits broke a little, as the filling expanded...so next time I might go a little lighter on the filling. But all in all, they were a success! I saved 2 for myself and took the rest to work the next morning - they were a hit! :) I had people asking when I was going to make more, hehe. There's all kinds of suggestions as to what other kinds of pies you can make with these...I'm really wanting to try some savory pies - like a mini-chicken pot pit or one filled with egg/cheese mix for breakfast.

National Spaghetti Day

My yummy plate of spaghetti to celebrate National Spaghetti Day

Did anybody else partake in eating spaghetti for dinner tonight? :)

A Great Thanksgiving

Well, the hubby and I didn't end up heading home to family for Thanksgiving...but that doesn't mean we didn't have a feast for ourselves! We ate lots of Thanksgiving deliciousness...which lasted us a few days, needless to say. Here were some of the highlights:

 We snacked on a cheese ball and some veggies/dip

Sipped on some lovely vino

And turned this:

Into yummy green bean casserole:

And this (don't judge, I love boxed stuffing):

Into delicious stuffing:

There was also sweet potato casserole (sorry, no before picture...I got into a cooking rhythm and forgot) :)

And...

Ham, all the way from a butcher in Hagerstown, MD. A friend of ours' parent's sent us this ham last year and loved it so much that we ordered one for ourselves this year. It was well worth it!

I left the carving to the hubby

And, finally...my Thanksgiving plate:

For some of you that have been a follower from the beginning, you'll notice that I have meat on my plate, yet I've been a vegetarian since January 2010...I recently made the decision to go back to eating meat (definitely in moderation...especially red meat). It was just something that I had been thinking about for awhile now. And plus, I just couldn't pass up this ham!! ;) 

Needless to say, we had a great holiday spent together! Now that Thanksgiving is over, we say goodbye to this little fella:

And hello to...

Christmas time!! My favorite time of year!

"A Homemade Life" Indeed

After posting about my book purchase at Borders the other day, I told you that I would come back and give a review. Let's just say...I couldn't put this book down!! A Homemade Life was such a lovely read, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves to cook/bake.

Molly, from Orangette, begins each chapter with wonderful life stories that can make you laugh out loud...make you shed a few tears, and definitely make you feel very "at home". You can tell that she really enjoys sharing with readers a little piece of her world. Her writing is incredibly inviting and each story flows nicely into the next one. One of my favorite quotes I took away from the book was a chapter entitled: "Whatever you love, you are". I mean, it makes so much sense (to me)...everything and everyone we love are pieces that make up who we are or who we have become.

And another thing I really enjoyed from her book was her take on sharing vs. not sharing recipes. She genuinely believes that cooking and recipes are meant to be shared (I agree!). How else do new recipes get created?? And recipes can always be tweaked or changed in just a little way to make it taste completely different...it's all about experimentation. I'm not quite there yet...I feel more comfortable following a recipe, but hopefully one day I will be able to look in my fridge and take whatever random ingredients that I have and make something magnificent.

Hopefully some of you will check Molly's book out...if nothing, at least get it for the recipes. I haven't tried any yet, but they all sound amazing!

Good Eats

Yesterday, the hubby and I decided it was a lazy Saturday...I didn't do much, other than watch TV, knit a little and do some laundry. I did force myself to get out and run, although I didn't make it very far. This Omaha wind is INSANE...I couldn't take it. Here's my breakdown:

Mile 1: 13:03
Mile 2: 26.08
Mile 3: 39.25
Mile 4/Total: 53.08
Avg min/mil: 13.24

So, although my run felt miserable, I definitely improved my mile time, go figure! :)

                                                                                                                                                                 

Well, I have been a cooking/baking-machine lately...and I've been trying to cook at least 1 meal each week. It's really hard with just two people, I've always said that (and been told that). After making a big meal, we end up with all of these left overs, and I am just not a left-over type person. But, I've been trying to cook some things out of my cook books and since it's been getting cooler, soups and chili have definitely sounded yummy. So, here are some eats out of our kitchen:

Okay, so this is the making of Trader Joes beer bread...now, this stuff couldn't be easier to make! And if you haven't tried it yet...you are missing out BIG time. Basically, all you do is combine the mix and 1 bottle/can of beer...SO easy. I have tried a few different types of beer over the years and Heineken is our favorite. Oh, and the baking of it makes your house/apt. smell incredible.

And...before I realized that I didn't have a picture of the result, we had eaten half of it. Haha, you get the idea!

[Disclaimer: ignore the messiness of the pan!] These are my stuffed mushrooms...I could eat them all day long, I swear. So easy...mushrooms stuffed with stuffing (that has been combined with the chopped up mushroom stems) and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Great combination of ingredients! I made these at Thanksgiving last year, as an appetizer, and they were gone in about 5 minutes...I learned that I should always make more!!

 This is homemade corn chowder that I attempted...but don't go being all amazed, I used a recipe out of a vegetarian cookbook I got a few months ago. But, I was very pleased with how this turned out. It is such a perfect soup for a cold, fall/winter day! I added yukon potatoes, broccoli, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onions and CORN, of course...lovely!

And, of course, you have to top it with cheddar cheese! :)

Okay, so I did NOT make this one...but I had to feature it. It's 'beer-cheese' lasagna from a local Italian place called Lanskys. This dish was SOOOO good...lasagna noodles, beer-cheesy goodness!! Mmmmm, I'd like to see if I can replicate a similar recipe!

And this week, it was chili. This is a pic of the pre-cooking...black/kidney/pinto beans, tomatoes, red onions, red & yellow peppers, zucchini and Mornning Star's meatless meat crumbles. It cooked on low all day and I came home to a great smelling apt. 

And, don't think that I forgot to enjoy a glass of wine with all of my good eats! :) This is a local sweet red wine we picked up, very nice!

Please don't think that I'm boasting about making all of this good food...cooking is enjoyable for me, but I really don't cook that often. I'm trying to branch out, try new recipes and makes some things that I can share with you all. And if you want any of the recipes, just let me know! :) Bon Appetit!

Blog Fanatic

I was super excited last weekend when I stumbled upon this book as I was moseying around Borders (I swear, I could get lost in there for hours):

Basically, I picked up the book, read the back and then realized that the author (Molly) is the founder of a blog that I follow, called Orangette. It's been listed on the side of my blog for quite some time now...so needless to say, I had to buy it. I haven't gotten very far yet, but I have really enjoyed her writing so far! The book includes recipes along with stories from her life in the kitchen. I can't wait to read more!

I just think the 'blog world' is so interesting sometimes...it's so welcoming, yet so overwhelming. And sometimes, after you have read a person's blog everyday for the past 2 months, you kind of feel as though you know them or at least know what their day has been like (which is a pretty personal thing to know). I definitely wouldn't go so far as to say that I know Molly, but it was a strange concept, picking up the book and thinking, I read about this girl's life...it's kind of like she is a 'blog celebrity'. Hehe :)

I definitely think it is beyond cool that people's blogs can start as something so small/simple and lead into books, movies, speaking careers, etc. I mean, how awesome is that?! I can only dream! Anyway, check out her blog and pick up her book if you like what you see/read.

Done, Done...and Done

1. Find a place to live in Omaha (moving in the next couple of months)
So we have picked out a place for us to live in Omaha...an apartment close to base and really feels like the whole package. Plus, we'll be able to focus on saving, at least this next year! :) I am so relieved that this task is complete!!

2. Schedule movers from base
This is pretty much done...all the paper work has been filled out. I am just waiting to hear back on final dates for packing and delivering. It is such a wonderful thing that the military will move families for free!!

3. Go through clothes, papers, and anything else...GET RID of stuff we don't need!
Yeah, I am totally proud of myself for doing this one...I went through all of my clothes and had a stack of the hubby's as well. Took them to Plato's Closet first, then the rest went to Goodwill. I have also been a "throwing away" machine...for stuff that seriously needed to be thrown away and have organized the heck out of the place. I mean, it'll continue as the move gets closer, but I'm on my way.

4. Apply for jobs (tired of doing this already)
This will have to be a continuous thing...

5. Start new knitting project for expecting mother/friend
Yeah, I've had NO time between taking my trip to Omaha, catching up on sleep over the weekend, and work...hopefully, I will begin this over the weekend or next week.

6. Keep running (ran Sat. = 1 mile; Sun = ran 1 mile/walked 1 mile)
Yeah, I wish I had better news on this one...I'm not giving up on it yet. But, I've just been super busy and tired the past few days, so maybe tomorrow I'll run again! ;)

7. Start cooking dinner with things I have at home instead of buying more
Yeah, I don't like this one...it's so hard cooking for one person. But, I have cleared a few things out of the cabinets by using them for meals. I may end up having to give some stuff away...especially condiments!

8. Try not to be so stressed and overwhelmed and emotional about the move ;)
So, I feel like this is a tough one...I mean, I'm gonna continue to be stressed and overwhelmed up until the move, I'm sure. BUT, I definitely haven't been as emotional as 2 weeks ago when I wrote this...I was a wreck that week! I just got myself so worked up...but now that things are falling into place, I'm calming down and realizing that things are working out and everything will get done in time (I hope)! :)

Goal-Setting for the Following Week

1. Find a place to live in Omaha (moving in the next couple of months)

2. Schedule movers from base

3. Go through clothes, papers, and anything else...GET RID of stuff we don't need!

4. Apply for jobs (tired of doing this already)

5. Start new knitting project for expecting mother/friend

6. Keep running (ran Sat. = 1 mile; Sun = ran 1 mile/walked 1 mile)

7. Start cooking dinner with things I have at home instead of buying more

8. Try not to be so stressed and overwhelmed and emotional about the move ;)