Spinach Pesto {or aka Spinach Basil Pesto Nut-Free}

I'm not overly fond of spinach. Especially if it is cooked! (Like my dad in this way, hehe) I do like baby spinach in salads, covertly in berry smoothies, Subway sandwiches, and QuicheSquares, and ummm, that's about it! Yeah, not my very favorite. ;) But don't I know how good green leafy veggies like spinach are for us! :D 

So I had this crazy idea the other day of using up some spinach I was afraid would go bad before the kids could eat it all up in Berry n Spinach smoothies. Was there such a thing as spinach pesto???

Wait a minute?! What am I thinking??? I'm not even sure I like pesto, and spinach pesto??? But hubby was home and he's trying hard to eat more whole foods, greens and such; I really needed to use some of that spinach, and for some unexplainable reason, pesto sounded kind of good and intriguing. ;) 

But, when I looked for recipes, all pesto need at least one very important ingredient. Yep. You know what it is: basil. In fact it seemed a quick Google search didn't even produce many spinach pesto recipes. 

And yes, my kitchen did not have any fresh basil! (I needed to make dinner in 30 minutes so no running to the store! I doubt our small city grocery stores had reasonably priced and decent basil this time of year anyways :) lol) 

So, crazy girl I am, I said, "Ah well! I can be brave and weird and make spinach pesto without the basil. Right???" 

I chose this recipe over at Two Peas and Their Pod blog. It called for a lot of spinach and not that much basil, and so I went for it! Guess what?! It was DELICIOUS! Very different, unique, super healthy, and good! Win, win! :) 

Here's what I made below. By the way, I used a blender stick and although I had to go a bit slow through the four cups of spinach, it did a great job! 

Aren't all the colors so pretty?! :D 

Pesto, a little colored spiral noodles, some yummy Win-co sausage links, and the tiniest bit of Alfredo sauce (that's what the kids had with their pasta and sausage, but they couldn't eat the whole jar right?! Lol) 

Here is the link to Two Peas and Their Pod blog post. They have such a wonderful blog; I'm looking forward to exploring it more! 

And yes. You MUST get some spinach and maybe basil too (wink wink) and make this pesto this week!!!! Seth raved about it for days. I guess I know what I need to fix on his next weekend off ;) 

http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/spinach-basil-pesto/

Do you like pesto? Ever had pesto made with spinach and basil? I'd love to know how else we should try the pesto! Would love to hear from you so leave a comment when you can :) 

                          ~enjoy~ 

{hello again}

Hello! It has been over a year since I've been able to blog. My family had some trying circumstances last year and we had to make several moves around the country and for 9 months I barely had cell service and only Internet when I could get to town or stood in a half window! Lol. So needless to say, blogging was really hard to do, and near impossible! 

We finally have moved (again!) to a lovely new rental house and we have constant internet! And I can blog again! Yay!!!! :) 

And.... My love for cooking and baking has grown again in my heart. Truthfully, this past year has been the hardest, I think, of my life, and it felt like so many things that normally bring me joy lacked luster, spice, and love, including cooking and blogging. However, little seeds fell from those plants and are sprouting again ;) 

So! 

First up are a few things I've discovered and enjoyed this past week..... Check out their separate posts on the main page :) And always...  Enjoy your kitchens, enjoy cooking for your family! Because when you cook and bake with love it doesn't have to gourmet or fancy to be right! <3 

{delicious, to die for, melt-in-your-mouth, taste of spring in a Lemon Yogurt Muffin}

I have no idea why I tend to only sit down and post about desserts here.... Okay, so since I gave up on Paleo/low carb because it was extremely difficult to eat enough and proper food with such a small budget for food, and then we added another boy (get my meaning? ;) ), and I haven't taken up THM/Paleo since... I guess I'm just posting about the lovely sugary, AMAZING treats I have made..... Because one day maybe I will be a full time, nazi THMer and never post another tempting foodie blog post again!!! :P 

Lol. 

So.... I picked up a big bag of lemons a week or so ago. Mercy and I were going to make lemonade and then didn't get to it. I've been worried they'll start going bad if I don't do something with them! Last night I posted on facebook a plea for favorite lemon recipes! So many fabulous ideas! I cannot wait to try them. (And maybe I will post all about the suggestions in a second post) 

One friend posted the following recipe, and wrote 'They're on the healthier side, but taste like donuts.' 

Yes. Yes they do. And they're so light and and scrumptious and heavy with flavor and really taste like a donut in a muffin! 

Happy sigh. 

It's a beautiful spring day too... Absolutely gorgeous out and so, these lemony muffins are perfect. I think I could just sit back, gaze out into the big blue sky, and be blissful all the rest of the day! :) 

Boy, and are we glad I made a double batch ;) 

http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/lemon-yogurt-sugar-muffins/

See ..... That's all that was left WHEN I TOOK THE PICTURE... They were YUMMY! 

In the recipe, make sure you zest your lemon before juicing :) And frozen lemon peels work great for seating, so if you have left over lemon peels not used for the zest, freeze and use later :) 

He was Sooo excited! :) 

Laughing at himself :D 

And a Lilla Rose hair selfie ;) It may not be the prettiest updo , but it does the job and is so comfortable, and since my Flexi is so pretty I can pretend my hair is too! ;) 

Now... Off to get kidlet laid down for a nap.... Make phone calls.... Clean the kitchen.... And maybe have some coffee and that last lemon muffin (of first batch)! :) 

Fluffiest Pancakes! {a Tuesday tip from Second Violin}

Today I made pancakes. One of those, "oh boy! Pantry and fridge are mostly out of food.... What do I cook?!?!" kind of day! :P

So pancakes it was :) And guess what I finally nailed down??? FLUFFY PANCAKES!!! :)  As a kid I loved going to restaurants and ordering their special pancakes (so often buttermilk!) especially because they were so fluffy and amazing :) Today I confirmed my suspicions.....

..... For fluffy pancakes use both baking powder and baking soda! Yep, that's it! :) 

Here is the batch I whipped up today: 

3 eggs

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 cup almond milk (or so)

Vanilla (1 or more tsp)

Butter extract (1/2 tsp) 

2 cups flour (give or take)

1 Tbsp. Brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Mix all and cook in pan with some coconut oil or butter, to desired doneness! 

Mmm, is that a word "doneness"??? Lol. :) 

Anyways, these pancakes were fluffy and yummy, and seriously the plate was GONE in minutes! 

Of course maybe that was because of my homemade Strawberry & Peach Sauce! ;) Or because breakfast turned into lunch... We was all starvin'! :) 

{cappuccino chocolate chip cupcakes}

I have been experimenting with some cappuccino chocolate chip cupcakes in hopes I can get it right and deliver them to our downstairs neighbors (who we need to desperately apologize to for little running feet above their heads all day long!) and for the apartment office staff.... Because I am sure those ladies would love something a little decadent for their long days here! Right?! 

Well, not sure if these are decadent yet, but they are pretty good, so I am sharing tonight. :) 

Cappuccino Chocolate Chip Cupcakes 

{cake} 

2/3 cup Butter, very soft

1-3/4 cups Sugar

    ^^ Cream together very well! 

2 Eggs, at room tempature (about 30 minutes resting on counter) 

     >> beat into sugar/butter mixture, one at a time 

2 tsp. Vanilla, add to the above ^^ 

In separate bowl combine:

2-1/2 cups Flour 

2-1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1-1/4 cups Milk

1-3 Tbsp. Instant Coffee granules 

     ^^ Mix together until coffee granules dissolve 

     ^^Alternating between the Milk/Coffee and the Flour mixture >> Add to the Butter/Sugar/Eggs mixture; beating well. 

      >>Add to batter chopped Semi-Sweet/Unsweetened Chocolate and/or Chocolate Chips. 

Optional: 1 tsp. Cinnamon, chopped Pecans, whole chocolate chips

Fill cupcake pans with liners and fill each liner about 3/4's full of cake batter. 

Bake at 350* for approx. 12-15 minutes, or until tooth pick inserted into the middle comes clean. 

Cool, frost.  Then.............  << EAT!!! >> 

{Chocolate Ganache}

4 Tbsp. Butter >> melt in microwave (30 sec or less!) 

3 Tbsp. Milk

2 Tbsp. Baking Cocoa 

     ^^ add milk and cocoa, microwave 20-30 seconds more

1-1/2 cups Confectioners Sugar

Vanilla extract 

Coffee Flavor Extract

     ^^ mix all together. 

Frost cupcakes with the Chocolate Ganache. 

When the ganache has set frost the tops with Buttercream Frosting. (Which I have not been able to try yet! :)

Enjoy! 

{Buttercream Frosting}

3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter

     ^^In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream
     >> Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

Recipe courtesy of http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/quick-vanilla-buttercream-frosting-recipe.html

{Espresso Cream Cheese Frosting}

6 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1 Tbsp. Butter, softened

3/4-1 cup Confectioners Sugar 

1/2 tsp. Instant Coffee granules 

1/4 tsp. Almond or Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup miniature semisweet Chocolate Chips 

     ^^ Mix altogether and frost! Optional, leave out the choc chips and garnish cupcakes with the mini chips ;) http://www.thebettermom.com/2014/08/29/cinnamon-cappuccino-muffins-might-help-change-world/#comment-117374. (These muffins are really yummy and are the original inspiration for my cupcakes :) ) 

I cannot wait to try both of these latter frostings!!! If you try them, let me know please :) ~enjoy~ 

P.S. If curious.... These cupcakes are topped with the chocolate ganache, and then have a topsy turvy cream cheese frosting (called such because it didn't turn out like my favorite cream cheese frosting, but it still tasted yummy, lol!) 

{bunless}

I once thought I may not be able to give up hamburger and hotdog buns.... But lo and behold I am realizing I can and that I enjoy my hamburgers and hotdogs as much (or nearly so!) 

This is what I did with mine tonight....

..... I pan "fried"/cooked a hamburger and sprinkled a bit of mozzarella cheese then some sriracha sauce and then a thin slice of cheddar cheese to hide the mozzarella and let it all melt. I had a pile of chopped romaine lettuce ready on my plate and topped it with the hamburger, avocado, tomato slices, salt and pepper, a smidgen of spicy mustard and then some leftover homemade Barbeque sauce! Wow.... It sounded so weird, looked it too, but it was so scrumptious! And it was loads less of calories and carbs and so much healthier!!! :) 

So if you are struggling to eat bun-less .... Just put the thinking cap on try something new and you may just be surprised and delighted by your new creation! ;) 

Sorry for no pictures.... I quickly made it and scarfed it down as I had a very upset baby hanging on one leg, and two older kidlets fighting with each other, and another mess to clean up from my newly mopped floor! Lol. Just the way it is over here with this mommy and her 3 Musketeers! :) 

Summer Staples1: Salads

There are some essential staples to summer that make it... Well, summer!!! ;) 

First up (besides alternately between waking up with the dawn, going out to sit in the cool morning, birdsong filling the air, and maybe working in the garden, and going to bed real late after singing around the campfire and stargazing and finishing a long love letter or a good historical novel....) 

Yes, first is SALADS! 

Here a few pictures of some that I have made this summer ;) 

This is just a simple Romaine Lettuce salad topped with bits of shredded cooked and salted chicken, tomatoes, cilantro, and a bit of ranch. I can't believe how much cilantro does to make a normal salad one notch more! ;) 

Finely diced cilantro, celery, white onion, sliced tomato.... All perfect add-ins to shredded chicken salads (mayo, salt, pepper, oregano, and anything else you like in the herbs dept!)....and then....

Take your chicken salad mixture and fill romaine lettuce, top with tomato, and you have a great (and THM "S") healthy lunch, fast and on-the-go too! ...I was easily able to scarf these down while I juggled three kidlets who all apparently had their own needs and wants at the very same time! 

Another "regular" romaine lettuce salad dressed up with scrumptiously sautéed chicken breast, salted and seasoned, cilantro, tomato, Avacado, and for dressing fresh lemon juice and srircha sauce! 

This is definitely one of my new favorites! 

I don't have a picture of this one, but it is actually quite delicious and similar to one that Serene and Pearl have in their book, Trim Healthy Mama. 

And I I have two versions, one is plain cottage cheese topped with Avacado, cilantro, and tomato, salted and peppered! The other is to take romaine lettuce, then cottage cheese, with green onions, cilantro, Avacado, tomato, a bit of salsa, sriracha sauce, salt and pepper. 

It sounds really weird, but it amazingly refreshing and delicious! Plus it is also packed full of orotein with all the cottage cheese, ;) 

One of my all time favorites is a family favorite on my side and one of Seth's all time faves too! Definitely a win-win! :) 

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

4 cups of Brocooli and Cauliflower (or whichever you have on had or prefer)

1/2 -1cup Raisins

1 cup finely diced Onions

1/2 Sunflower Seeds 

Bacon, cooked, crispy and crumbled

Mix all, then toss with dressing: 

1 cup Mayo

2 Tbs or so, White Viegar (or use a mixture of Rice Vinegar, White Vinegar, or Apple Cider Vinegar) 

Salt

Pepper

1-3 tsp. Sugar, or healthier sugar substitute like Truvia. ;) 

Mix the dressing to taste, and then mix into the salad ingredients! :) 

Even picky eaters usually love this salad, and it is sooo healthy for you! If you are following THM this should be a "S".... Although I am not sure about the mayo, maybe use a light mayo?! Guess that part is up to you because obviously I can't be an authority in it. :/ 

We have lots of other favorites, but I will have to save them for a later day! 

I'd love to know what some of YOUR favorite summer salads are?!?! ;). Another of my favorites is Nikki's Hot Mexican Salad! I will have to make it and get pictures so I can share with you.... Yum yum! ;) 

{Mother's Day Breakfast}

The only thing missing from my kidlet-ful, sunny, Mother's Day morning was my hardworking, firefighter/EMT husband (who yes is working today in those occupations!) and bacon!!! :) 

This is what and who graced the breakfast table today.....

MBug and Mister J (are't they cute?), 3 varieties of muffin in a mug, and of course coffee!!! ;) Lit' Lex was happily playing in the living room :)

So, are you curious about that strange plate of muffin slices??? :) 

Here are better pictures first:

Left to right: Lemon, Chocolate, Blueberry! The white stuff is cream cheese THM "frosting" and the brown, peanut butter "frosting". 

Messy, in a hurry, multi-tasking me! :) This is the #BeRealChallenge photo today. I am coming to peace that I am not like my mother (as dear and neat as she is :) nor any of my sisters or friends. I am me. And that is just alright! 

Here is what the muffins look like fresh from the mugs! :)

Muffins sliced and shared :) I love my plates! Arent they so happy and colorful?! 

So every muffin in a mug has a base from the one in the THM book. (Pg. 256) These MIMs are an "S" for anyone interested.

I discovered something about their original recipe/ the CHOCOLATE one this week.... It makes ALL the difference if you have the right sweetners!!!!! Lol. So I used 1.5 packets of Truvia (approx one and half tsp) plus a GOOD shake of the pure white stevia extract powder. The book actually says you can use between 2-4 tsp of Truvia but I have been going very light on the Truvia as I was showing signs of my body negatively reacting to it in bad stomach aches. I actually think the amount I used is about right; could be sweeter but doesn't need to be. ;) I also added one non-purist thing and that was about a tsp of non-approved mini chocolate chips. I don't very often, but thought today was special :) 

To make a LEMON muffin omit the chocolate, add lemon essential oil (food grade) or lemon extract and about 1 T of lemon juice. Also, dont forget to add extra "flour" (almond flour/flaxseed meal) as if won't have that extra from the chocolate's cocoa powder. ;) This muffin is so light and tart and cheery! I love the lemon!!! 

And now for my daughter's favorite: BLUEBERRY!!! I omitted the cocoa powder/added more almond flour and flaxseed meal, of course, and also added a few frozen blueberries. Make sure you add vanilla too. Lol! (But you already know don't you, that I add vanilla to everything that fits under the "baked good" category!) Because the blueberries add a lot more moisture you may need to microwave/bake longer. Today mine took 1 minute 20 seconds instead of the 55-60 seconds of the other two. 

Today I felt like I was indulging a bit maybe on the "dark side" (sorry, that's my nerdy side coming out, lol. Read "bad for me/unhealthy/guilty". :) by the frostings but they are ALSO Trim Healthy Mama approved! Can you believe that?! ;) 

I pretty much took the idea from the book, but is slightly different, so here is the recipe:

(By the way this is for enough for three muffins or so, hehe)

Mimicked Cream Cheese Frosting

Take 1-2 oz Cream Cheese, 2ish Tbsp Butter, dash of vanilla, liquid Stevia (Nunaturals is my fAvorite), and between 3/4-1 cup Greek Yogurt (I had Kirkland's fat free in my fridge today). Blend up with a small whisk or with a blender til smooth. The kids loved this too. :)

The peanut butter stuff is technically some filling I had leftover from chocolate peanut butter cups (THM), and is just a mixture of natural PB and powdered Xylitol, to personal taste and consistency. It was pretty good on that chocolate slice :)

So, truly all that was missing was the bacon and husband! Good thing they'll both make it up to me tomorrow. ;) I hope. Hehe. ;) 

Happy Mother's Day and here's to healthy eating!!! 

{THM Elizabeth Waffles & Pancakes - "S"}

A few weeks ago I posted a picture on Facebook of some Trim Healthy Mama pancakes that I had eaten for lunch. Apparently they looked as good as they tasted as several friends asked for the recipe! :) And so here I am posting more pictures and the recipe! 

I first saw the recipe when my cousin Elizabeth shared it on Facebook from Pinterest. I asked her if she had made them and she said they were the best THM waffle recipe they had tried (out of quite a few!) I liked how they were an "S" as we probably tend to eat more "S" breakfasts than "E"s.  So I tried them.... And even though they really can't be compared to regular white flour, carb laden waffles, they WERE the best THM ones I have had! ;) 

{pancakes topped with blueberries and heavy cream whipped with a dash of powdered xylitol}

About a week after first trying the waffles, MBug asked if we could pretty please have pancakes for breakfast. I decided I would try this new waffle recipe and just make pancakes. Guess what?! They worked splendidly! So whatever mood you're in for, you can make either one from the same recipe! How cool is that?! ;) 

I also made up several bags of the dry ingredients so that there is a lot less to do on "Pancake Mornings" (the name is completely from MBug, lol). The pictures I took this morning of me whipping up a waffle batch are from the pre mixed bag! :) 

Now for the recipe:  

Almond Flour Yogurt Waffles

1 1/3 cups almond flour

2 tbsp granulated erythritol ( I used powdered xylitol)

2 tbsp vanilla whey protein powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp xanthan gum ( I have been out of this and have been using glucomannan instead)

1/4 tsp salt

4 large eggs

6 oz FAGE Total Greek Yogurt ( I just use whatever Greek yogurt is in the fridge, lol) 

3 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup almond milk

Preheat waffle maker and grease well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, erythritol/sweetener, whey protein, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt. Set aside.

Separate the whites and yolks of two of the eggs. In a clean dry bowl, beat the whites until they form stiff peaks. (I have also done all four eggs this way and could tell no difference)

In another medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, egg yolks and remaining eggs until combined. Stir in almond flour mixture, then add melted butter and almond milk, and stir vigorously until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in beaten egg whites.

Spread approximately 1/4 cup of batter on each 4-inch section of the prepared waffle iron (my waffle iron is two 4-inch square sections. For round waffle irons, use your best judgement on the amount of batter needed). Close iron and let cook 4-5 minutes, or until waffles are golden brown. Remove waffles and repeat with remaining batter.

Makes 10 4-inch square waffles. Each waffle has 4.2 g of carbs and 1.3 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS per waffle = 2.9 g.

Read more at http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2011/11/almond-flour-yogurt-waffles-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html#Y0mWPULQdS8wgep3.99

{getting ready to make waffles this morning!}

{the egg whites, especially if one whips all four like I did this morning, make the batter FLUFFY!}

{they are a bit thinner than my yogurt and white flour recipe, but still turn out nice}

P.S. The best part of these pancakes is that amazing whip cream! It was so delicious! Why do we ever buy the fake stuff in plastic container from the store??? 

Another amazing thing??? Even though it seems like an incredible guilty indulgence, on the THM lifestyle plan it is completely approved!!! (With "S" meals) That makes me so happy! ;) 

{THM Style Strawberry Shortcake}

 In trying to be very good and not eat the last bit of my daughter's birthday cake.... I experimented today with Gwen's (Gwen's-nest.com) THM Lemon Muffin in a Mug recipe :) 

I made the Lemon muffin in a mug omitting only the lemon essential oil/lemon extract. Then I took one ounce or less of cream cheese and mixed it thoroughly with a giant spoonful of 0% Greek Yogurt, splash of vanilla, tiniest dash of salt, and about 6drops of (Nunaturals) stevia extract liquid. Sliced up some fresh strawberries, And then garnished the lemon MIM with the cream cheese and yogurt "frosting" and the strawberries! It was so tasty and the perfect snack/detergent from eating that last bit of Costco's cake (I just LOVE the custard pudding in the middle, lol.) 

Next time, and especially if ending up sharing with little kiddos, I probably would do a giant spoonful and half at least of the yogurt, thst way there is plenty of the frosting topping. :) I think one could easily do whipped cream instead of the cream cheese topping also, which would resemble a strawberry short cake even more. Yum yum! ;)

P.S. So sorry for the lousy and unprofessional picture, but at least you can sort of see what it looks like. ;)

Lemon MIM

• 1 egg
• 2 T. Golden flax seed meal
• 1 T. coconut flour (or sub 2 more T of golden flax, or 2 T of almond flour)
• ½ lemon, juiced (or 2 T lemon juice)
• 1 T. butter
• pinch of salt
• 3 dashes NuNaturals Stevia Extract, or your sweetener to taste (1 packet/tsp Truvia etc)
• ½ t. baking powder
• 2-3 drops lemon essential oil (I love NOW brand)
• 
  

Instructions

1. Blend all ingredients in a mug or a small bowl (if you plan on baking in the oven).
2. Mix really well to make sure that your butter and egg are evenly incorporated.
3. Bake in the microwave for 50 seconds or so, or in the oven at *350 in 3 regular sized muffin cups.
4. If baking in muffin cups, greasing the lining paper is a good idea, or use silicone liners for easier clean up.

Notes

Underdone is way tastier than overdone. Feel free to quadruple the recipe amounts to make one dozen breakfast muffins.

- See more at: http://www.gwens-nest.com/family-favorite-recipes/low-carb-lemon-poppyseed-muffin/#sthash.gPyH4qeG.dpuf

{Chai, French Vanilla}

I told you all in this tea happy post how I got three sample of Twinings Tea to try back in late October and shared how I just adored the Honeybush, Mandarin & Orange tea!

My second cup was the Chai, French Vanilla.

It was chai flavored.  It was vanilla flavored.  It was also overwhelmingly sweet and as if someone had dumped waaaay too much real vanilla into the batch.  Honestly, I thought I'd love it and here I hated it.  And it makes me soooo sad to admit that. =(
The description says it is a "fine black tea perfectly balanced with the flavours of vanilla and savoury spices of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger".  It did taste like "chai" however I'm afraid that it just did not stand up to Stash's Chai Spice tea (which is the only hot chai {tea} I've liked).  The chai flavors seemed more bitter and not the powerful blast of perfectly balanced flavors of Chai Spice or even Oregon Chai Tea Latte concentrate (my very favorite!).  I was sadly disappointed about that.
Even more so though, I was heartbroken over this vanilla catastrophe.  I love vanilla.  I put it in every baked treat and breakfast waffle, pancake, and every muffin.  I even add extra!  But this tea soooo vanilla-ey, sweet and bitter at the same time, I couldn't even drink the whole cup.  I didn't like it plain, nor with cream/milk.  It was really just plain awful. =(

So.  Now that I've said horrid things about it and you'll now never try it or Twinings Tea....  Can I just stand by my first Twinings tea, the Honeybush Citrus one and say that they've at least made ONE tea that I love!  And for that, I'm not giving up on Twinings yet! =)

{Low Carb Personal Pizzas}

Hello!  I'm back!  At least for a little while =)  My laptop has been a ghost since October and even now is trying to lose another "life".... but we'll see, maybe this o'le broken thing has nine lives and I'll be able to start blogging again! =)  Of course... perhaps the out-of-commission laptop was just a good excuse to not admit that having three little kids is just about as much as I can handle these days! =P  I have no idea how mothers with little kids do a career job, blogging, home business, being a wife, etc. etc. and seem to rock at it!  I know now, I could not.  So kudos to you who can! =)

Now, on to these scrumptious albeit different low carb pizzas I've been making! =)
They are THM {Trim Healthy Mama} although really honestly, I haven't been able to figure out exactly which category they are in.  I believe they are in the "S" family, but may be be at least an "S" helper.  So for you readers who are doing strict THM, please don't take my word for it, research it out yourself; I may be wrong about the category.  And I'm sorry that I don't really know.... It's a long, THM journey for me, so far, and I just don't understand or remember every thing, yet!

But for those of you just trying to eat better, healthier, and more low-carb, here is a great little lunch! ;)  And, may I just add, it is especially a great lunch (THM) for those who can't use their oven to bake pizzas, or just bake anything at all!  Can't wait 'til we have a working oven again! =)  Of course... I might not remember any oven recipes by then, lol! 

So sorry the picture quality is bad... my phone camera is not the greatest!

Take a low-carb tortilla, spread a bit of cream cheese on top, then place in a warm skillet.  Drizzle on some tomato sauce/ crushed tomatoes/ fresh tomatoes (pretty much whatever you have in your pantry! ;).  Put on meat and veggies.  Sprinkle on some cheese of your choice.  Cover the skillet with a lid and let it "cook" for several minutes until the cheese is melted.  Don't forget to watch how crispy the bottom is getting, and adjust your burner temp accordingly!  Slide on to a plate and eat whole, or 'slice', share with your hungry son or eat all by yourself! =)  Most of all... enjoy! 

Here are the ingredients I used:

low carb tortilla (Costco is selling a whole wheat option with 6 net carbs, which are pretty good!)

cream cheese

diced tomatoes with juice

pepperoni

diced peppers

olives

mushrooms

mozzarella cheese

{Honeybush, Mandarin, & Orange}

A month or two before Alex arrived I saw an offer online for three free samples of Twinings Tea, and I ordered them! They arrived the week he was born, so it took me awhile before I remembered to try them... er um, one! =)
Here's my review of {African Honeybush, Mandarin, and Orange herbal tea}!
First, I wanted to try at least one of their herbal teas even though I'm not a big herbal fan.  And this one sounded interesting. =)
It did not disappoint me and axtually proved it self in deliciousness! It has a strong citrus flavor (mandarin and orange give that slightly away right?!) but it is a spicy, exoctic citrus!  Warm and refreshing. It's a happy kind of tea, and I'm hoping I can order a whole box soon! ;)

Now... to try the other two: Chai French Vanilla, and Lady Grey Tea! Can't wait!!!

You can check it out here if you want to try some yourself =) Yum!

{Chicken Ginger Curry}

CHICKEN GINGER CURRY

* 4 chicken half breasts

* 1 can (Thai Kitchen) coconut milk

* 2-3 tsp. curry paste, red

* thinly sliced, rough chopped 1 whole Onion (I prefer using white)

* 1 whole red Bell pepper, chopped

* scrape ginger root with butter knife into smaller "flakes", to taste (only a little if you don't care for ginger much, lots more if you like ginger/Asian flavor, lol)

* salt and pepper to taste (I used a mix of celtic sea salt and Johnnys seasoning salt)

Throw it all into a crock pot, mix, and let it cook for approximately 3-4 hours on high, or near to 6 hours on low.  

Shred or cut the chicken, and then...

Serve with rice, of your choice, and a side of vegetables.

Enjoy! 

~Recipe is mine, From the Kitchen of an Apron Lovin' Mommy~

Autumn's {Hearty Beef n Quinoa Soup}

Alrighty so I don't have any pictures for this recipe.  Again.  =(  But, if I ever get batteries for the one camera, and find the very evasive cord to charge the other..... 

My oven's thermometer is messed up, or something is wrong with the oven, as it turns off and starts beeping all these errors codes whenever I use it, or errr um... try to use it! =)  Sad sigh... we've contacted the landlord but he hasn't gotten back to us about it, and it's been weeks!  I've mostly been without it this whole summer which was okay since it was so hot.  Who wants to use the oven when your house is already 80-plus degrees???  However, I've been running out of quick ideas for dinner, and yesterday morning as I was cleaning and getting ready for the day I kept racking my brain as to what I could do for a quick, not-much-prep dinner (Monday nights Seth gets home shortly before dinner time and I usually have Bible Study at 7, so I want it easy and ready exactly "on time") There was no thawed out meat from the freezer so I couldn't throw something together in the crock pot in the morning and by the time it was thawed out and I had a few minutes it was afternoon.... little late to start the crockpot now! ={

So 5:30pm came and I....
I  just threw a soup-of-sorts together!  I had no idea what I was "doing", or if it would turn out.  I just literally threw stuff together: chopped, sauteed, cooked, and tasted and then served to Seth and the kids. =)

Guess what?!  Everyone really liked it! =)  And that's why I'm sharing it with you!  

Hearty Beef n Quinoa Soup
1 lb ground beef, crumbled, salted, and cooked
1 cup quinoa
8+ cups water (or broth, if you don't have the next ingredient)
1-2 heaping T. beef "Better Than Bullion" base
2-4 large fresh tomatoes, rough chopped
1-2 mild jalapenos, finely diced
garlic cloves, finely diced
1/2-1 whole onion, chopped
lots of salt and pepper, to taste
Opt. chili powder and/or cayenne powder

1.Rinse the quinoa, add to a pot with at least 8 cups of water (this is what I did, but next time I would add 2 more cups of water, will explain why leaving this up to you at the end!)
2.  Add the beef bullion/base. Bring the quinoa to a boil, turn to a medium heat, and allow to cook at a rolling simmer for about 15 minutes, or essentially while making and adding the rest! =)
3. Thoroughly cook ground beef, set aside.
4. In the same skillet, saute the chopped and diced garlic cloves, jalapenos, and onion.  Throw into the simmering pot of quinoa, along with the roughly chopped tomatoes.
5. Add salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you desire (example: I used a combination of regular salt and Johnny's Seasoning Salt; and since I was feeding the kids out of the same pot as us this time, I didn't use chili powder or cayenne, but I definitely would if I was serving to spicy-loving people! =)
6.  Add the cooked hamburger towards the end, when the quinoa is mostly cooked and "fluffy", and let it all simmer on very low so the flavors blend and while you set the table and call the family "to dinner"! =)
7. Serve with love and a smile!

Now for the "note":  I like my soup with a bit more broth than this turned out having.  The quinoa continues to soak up the  broth as it simmers and as it sits while setting the table and eating dinner.  So, if you're like me and want an actual soup definitely add those extra cups of water/broth!!!  However, if you're like my husband who likes a thick, almost stew-like "soup" then leave the water amount at about 8 cups! =)
(By the way, my package of quinoa (bought from Costco) says to cook 1 cup in 2 cups of water, so I did that plus added 5-6 cups more of water, if you're curious how I came up with the numbers. lol)

Hope you enjoy!  And if it's still too warm where you live right now and soup just doesn't sound appetizing then save this one for a cold wintery evening!  And since you probably won't have fresh tomatoes at that time of year... just substitute for some canned diced tomatoes! =)

{Bakto: Part 1}

I am over the moon excited about trying these "sweet brown" flavorings!  I first read about them I think over at Gwen's Nest (gwens-nest.com) but honestly I don't remember exactly where! =}  I do know that wherever I got the tip it was from a Trim Healthy Mama and she said that Pearl approved of them, so that's pretty cool too! =)

So.  Bakto Flavorings.  =)  The sweet brown package came with 6 flavors, 1 oz. each of vanilla, hazelnut, caramel, coffee, chocolate, and ginger.  The one I am most excited to try, tomorrow in the FSF (aka "Fat Stripping Frappa" from Trim Healthy Mama or aka as the f-drink from my husband =) ..... is .... the caramel!  Seth loves caramel Big Train coffees (and a local coffee shop, Hotshots, makes the best I've ever had!) and the first few times I made this frappa for him he'd ask me for "that coffee drink" or "that milkshake drink".  I finally laughed and said, "Baby, it does NOT have coffee in it, nor is it a milkshake!  Does it remind you of Hotshots big trains?"  Well, yes, apparently it does (and it truly is similar some days; still perfecting how to make it "perfect". Tight-lipped-lol)!  And now tomorrow when he asks for it I'll be able to surprise him with a caramel one!  Or, at least, that's my hope! =)
{sweet brown}
Okay, now for confession time.  I did already try two flavorings out tonight!  But, they were sort of trials ;) Hehe!
I made the THM "choco pudding" (book pg. 366), except for half batch I only put in vanilla and caramel flavorings (it was pretty good; altho' needed more caramel) and the other half-batch I used Hershey's dark chocolate cocoa powder with the coffee flavor.  Alas, it was good but also quite bitter!  So definitely not enough stevia/sweetener in that one! =)  Seth liked it though.  Lol, but my guy doesn't mind a bit of bitter/dark chocolate! ;)

Now.... if you like to bake.  If you like flavors.  If you are interested in Trim Healthy Mama.  If you like something other than ....chocolate (which is me!*).  If you like trying out new things.  Then, you certainly need to check out the list of options over on Amazon or Bakto Flavors!  Not only do they sell them in sets of 6, one ounce each, but also in bottles of 4 oz.  There are gift set options and specialty vanillas and herbs and spices and vinegars and yes... over 40 flavors to choose from!  Pretty cool stuff =)

So the question tonight is: given the chance, which flavors would you like trying?!??! =)
{citrus}{floral}
{and many more!}

*Note:  Not sure if that little wayside comment of mine made sense, so here's the explanation.  I do like chocolate, very much, but usually mixed with other things.  For example, my favorite kind of ice cream (Blue Bunny's Bunny Tracks) has chocolate, but it is actually a vanilla ice cream filled  with chocolate and peanut butter pieces!  YUM!   Given the option I would always choose chocolate chip cookies instead of double chocolate (choc) chip cookies (unless of course the double chocolate ones looked better!!! =)  Also, I was reading on the facebook Trim Healthy Mama forum of all these women ranting and raving over all the delicious chocolate desserts and chocolate drinks/frappas/etc.  And finally I told Seth, 'I'm so tired of hearing about chocolate!  If that's the only option (or berry) THM offers for healthy desserts I am NOT giving up my favorite sweets!"  Lol.  Well, lo and behold, there are other options according to the THM-ers....  flavorings, like Bakto's! =)  Whew.  I was really starting to get worried.  (wink, lol=)
By the way, once I've tested all mine out I'll hopefully be able to give even a better review! After this introduction they better not fail! =)
Oh. And "P.S.".... I have not said anything about giving up my favorite sweets entirely!  Just want ya'll to know, especially with October and Christmas/New Years' coming up!!!  ;)

{Guilty Confession}

Oh dear!!!  My guilty confession for the week.................

.............  I had some peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich!!!!!  EEEEK! What is wrong with me???  

Okay, are you wondering why on earth that would be such a bad thing?  Or why it's a guilty confession?  After all, many people eat them.  All the time.  Right???  Well you need to know something about me:  I don't really care for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  AAAAND I really, firmly, definitively believe they are not good and healthy to eat.  Period.  So, I just don't.  (yeah, and my kids hardly ever either! I'm such a bad mama depriving them aren't I?!? Well, they can have a meat and cheese sandwich with some veggies and dip for lunch, right?!!! lol =)
Knowing all that now, how come I had one today???  Goodness, sure isn't Trim Healthy Mama, is it?!  =)

Well, ya see, this pregnancy I'm required by my sweet and thoughtful (said so sarcastically ;) care providers to take liquid iron and some form of chlorophyll every.single.day.  Yuck.  I'm very, very low on the liquid iron at the moment and need to reorder some pronto (!), and since I know in my brain and can feel in my body how much I really do need to keep up on it, I knew I needed to make sure I took the liquid-nasty-tasting chlorophyll today; yeah and extra. (sigh... double yuck!)
I was lamenting to myself how there was no chocolate in the house (or pretty much, nothing else either!) that I could "reward" myself with after swallowing that "shot" and then some of the nasty minty green plant stuff when I realized a peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich would be lovely!  While one half of my brain is screaming "No!!!  What are you thinking???", the other half is sweet talking me, "Ah, wouldn't even just a little quarter be yummy??? Sure would take the edge off!"  Lol, and IT WAS and DID!  Yummy enough that I actually made another quarter and had just one half of a sandwich! (well, baby was awfully hungry too you know! =)
Now, I have to add here, that there was a secret to this P&J "craving" that made it such.............  I made it with homemade, freezer jam made by my mom.  Have you ever had her's?  If you have, you know exactly what I'm talking about.  It is the most amazing, scrumptiously delicious, party-of-freshly-picked-strawberries-in-your-mouth kind of jam!!!  And no one, and I literally mean NO ONE, has ever made it as good as she does!  If you doubt me... just head on over to her house and ask for a peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich ... even if you're like me and dislike even the thought of eating such a carb-filled, sugary, so-not-good-for-us sandwich, you'll be so glad you did! =)

{Comfort Food: Soup and Protein}

Seth had been gone working at the fire station all day, I forgot to get out any frozen protein, I knew I really needed a good protein for dinner, and I'm trying to get the whole THM thing.... soooo 'what to make?'  Especially since pregnant mommy was thinking some "comfort food" sounded good (like Campbell's Tomato Soup) Well, there was canned salmon in the pantry... and I came across one of Serene and Pearl's soup recipes when flipping through the book looking for the salmon patty recipe, soooo suddenly I had dinner idea! =)
Menu:
Salmon Patties - Trim Healthy Mama "S" and Better Than Campbell's Tomato Soup - also THM "S" and small salad (leftover steamed broccoli and cauliflower for the kids).

 So the salmon patties were super easy to throw together... one can of Salmon (mine was a small can from Costco), a bit of oatmeal, one egg, celtic sea salt, pepper, a good dash of Oregano, and mix together and form three patties.  Cook up/fry in a generous amount of coconut oil.
We had them with a bit of ranch dressing as they did seem to need some sauce.  But overall, they were quite good!  (and both kiddos really liked them!!! Hooray!)  Next time, if I have them, I'd definitely add regular or green onion, basil or cilantro, spritz of fresh lemon, etc.  =)

So this tomato soup was super yummy, even though I did put too much cayenne pepper in for me! Especially for summer!  Boy, does it warm ya' up! lol! =)  By the way, I think this was my first time at making homemade tomato soup, and I was quite happy it turned out! (I've had some crummy stuff of the homemade.)  (Thanks to Serene and Pearl for a good recipe =)  

{Lemon Poppyseed Muffin in a Mug}

I'm linking what I made this afternoon for a snack as I didn't take any pictures, and there are great pics and recipe tutorial of the same over here at Gwen's Nest!  It was quite different, and I think if I actually had the good kind of stevia (as she used) AND real poppy seeds (not just chia seeds, which is what I used)... then I think it could be DELICIOUS! =)

Even tho' it did taste different  it was good (even Mercy wanted her own! =) and so helped that I'm-pregnant-and-it's-afternoon-and-I-need-a-snack-NOW! Lol =D  PlusI knew it was really good for me... better than the cookie dough calling my name.  Not that there was any made, but I am sure I can whip up a batch pretty quick =)
Oh, and for those interested, this recipe is Trim Healthy Mama approved.  It's actually a variation, I believe, of the THM "Muffin in a Mug".  =)

http://www.gwens-nest.com/family-favorite-recipes/low-carb-lemon-poppyseed-muffin/



Oh, and by the way... when I can, I'm so making that red berry syrupy sauce... doesn't it look amazing?!?!?  =)