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29
Sep
2012
 Bibendum Ridiculus



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Consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Aenean lacinia bibendum nulla sed consectetur. Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aenean lacinia bibendum nulla sed consectetur.

Sed posuere consectetur est at lobortis. Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo.

Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo. Praesent commodo cursus magna, vel scelerisque nisl consectetur et. Cras mattis consectetur purus sit amet fermentum. Nulla vitae elit libero, a pharetra augue. Maecenas sed diam eget risus varius blandit sit amet non magna. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor.

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Consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Nulla vitae elit libero, a pharetra augue. Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod. Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod. Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros.

Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla. Fusce dapibus, tellus ac cursus commodo, tortor mauris condimentum nibh, ut fermentum massa justo sit amet risus. Integer posuere erat a ante venenatis dapibus posuere velit aliquet. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. Sed posuere consectetur est at lobortis.

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28
Sep
2012
 Pesto Primavera



My amazing food processor hasn’t seen much action lately. So, I decided to make some homemade pesto! I prefer fresh pesto because it has more flavor, and you can taste the olive oil better.

I bought this brown rice pasta for the first time to try it out in comparison to whole wheat pasta.

The verdict: I loved it! However, I will say that it is harder to get that “al dente” texture It is softer, but not mushy.

Then, I bought a rainbow of veggies to roast and put in the pasta: broccoli, zucchini, red onion, yellow pepper, red pepper, and carrots!

Pesto Primavera

Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8 ( see picture of quantity below–makes a lot!)

Ingredients:

  • 14-16 oz. of a whole wheat pasta or brown rice pasta
  • 1 pound chicken breasts
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 yellow pepper, diced
  • 3 slices red onion
  • 1 large zucchini (or 2 small), sliced
  • 2 broccoli crowns, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp. dried parsley
  • salt and pepper

For the pesto:

  • 2 small basil plants (about 3 cups fresh basil)
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 4-5 cloved garlic
  • 1 cup pine nuts
  • 1/3 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 4 Tbsp. olive oil (or just drizzle in until becomes a creamy texture)
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
  2. Cook the chicken in a saute pan with 1 Tbsp. olive oil on medium heat. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. When finished (cook to 165 F), allow to cool, slice and set aside.
  3. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Chop them up, and place on a baking sheet. Add salt, pepper, parsley, and 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Mix with your hands on the baking sheet to allow the oil to coat the vegetables.
  4. Roast the vegetables for about 20-30 minutes. Stir halfway.
  5. Meanwhile, for the pesto, add of the pesto ingredients above to the food processor, except the oil. Pulse those ingredients. Then, add in the olive slowly until you reach the desired consistency.
  6. Boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
  7. Combine the cooked pasta, sliced chicken, vegetables, and pesto in a large serving bowl or Tupperware.
  8. Garnish with fresh basil, red pepper flakes, or parmesan.

Tip: You can make extra pesto and freeze it for future use. Or, just make the pesto ahead of time to save on cooking time.

This recipes makes A LOT. But, it is good because then you will have plenty of leftovers for all your hard work!

Then, I sat and enjoyed my meal in peace and quiet, then watched The Ringer on Netflix!

26
Sep
2012
 A Note About Ads



Dear regular readers,

I wanted to make you aware of the new advertising that will be showing on my blog. I am all about full disclosure, and I want you to know that every time you visit my site you are visiting an honest, truthful, reliable, and friendly source.

My main ad is through Blogher. They are a wonderful company and community growing the blogosphere, empowering women, and helping us bloggers do what we do. This pays to keep my site up and running!

I DO NOT run ads that are distasteful or incongruous with my main views. You will not find diet pill ads, etc. here. I have Google Adsense which can be tricky, so if you spot a distasteful ad, let me know so I can block it. I try my best to filter out the junk on there.

I will try to keep the blog as clean looking as possible, and will never use pop-up ads, or ads with sound automatically playing. If something is visible  it will have a play button for optional playback. My goal is not to be intrusive or obnoxious.

If you have any comments, just let me know. For now, thank you for being a reader and healthy eater!

I will leave you with a positive note for Love Your Humps Wednesday:

24
Sep
2012
 Food Finds: Egg White Rounds, Rye Crackers, & Hummus



So, I was being a little lazy when it comes to some food prep this week. And that is why I ended up with these pre-cooked frozen egg white rounds.

The ingredients are natural: just egg white and some salt. They are great and super easy for the morning. Just put one of top of a slice of bread (I used Ezekiel here), and put in the toaster oven for a few minutes. The only negative is the higher price.

Doesn’t look so pretty, but I was in a hurry in the morning!

Next, I bought two different types of whole grain rye crackers. I saw these when I was on my Baltic cruise, and got them on the airplane over there and on the way back. I figured they must be healthy because all the people in the Baltic seemed pretty healthy, right?

I highly recommend both of these crackers. They are very flat and thin, so you can eat about 2 or 3 long crackers for 50 calories. They are made with very simple, natural, whole grain ingredients. The main ingredient is whole rye flour. Rye is excellent because it retains it nutrients very well, and contains a large amount of fiber–can promote bowel regularity as well.

These particular crackers are traditional to Norway and Finland. On to the next cracker alternative: kale chips!

I am not a big fan of pre-made packaged kale chips because they are expensive, and they can get to be higher calorie than what you can make at home. So, these are just an example of ones that I tried. They were OK, but I much prefer the ones I make at home that are still hot from the oven!

Next, I found this new hummus that is made with olive oil only! Yay!! And is a little lower calorie than the other packaged hummus brands I have had. An added bonus is that this flavor tastes delicious.

I also FINALLY got a few new plates, so now my food pictures won’t be taken on scratched-up multicolored plates as much. I was looking for high quality rectangular/square plates and I found this from HomeGoods.

The brand is “Denmark Tools for Cooks” and I haven’t been able to find them online yet. I found some of their bowls here, but will just have to check other HomeGoods stores for more. But, I thought, “Hah, Denmark, I was just there, why not buy these plates?”. My reasoning is ridiculous, but fun.

19
Sep
2012
 Airline Food



I forgot to tell you all about the airplane food I had on my trip! I flew SAS (Scandinavian Air) and I got a lucky free upgrade to economy extra which just means that you get a foot rest, free wine, and food that is a little better.

Mixed greens salad with little bits of crab, piece of cheese, crackers, some kind of caramel dessert, and a seafood/corn/bean/ravioli dish. I was pretty impressed with this. I enjoyed the salad that seemed pretty fresh, and the main meal nice because it did have some veggies and beans!

Then, we got a breakfast meal that was a Greek yogurt with honey, little packet of granola, hard boiled egg, slice of some kind of meat that I didn’t eat, slice of swiss cheese (do not like), and some melon. They always offer you bread, coffee, and tea with all meals as well. I was impressed that their breads were high quality dark whole grain/rye blends. This seemed to be a trend in the Baltic countries.

Anyway, I got the feeling that most above-par airplane meal was the luck of flying SAS. I think they just have slightly better meals. Everyone else I talk to complains of their airplane food, and I have seen pictures to go with the stories!

One thing I learned is that when in doubt, call ahead and request a vegetarian meal. I didn’t do this and I was OK, but would suggest it for others. Another important tip is to bring your own snacks or at the very least, do not plan on eating a good meal on board.

Do you have any tips?

18
Sep
2012
 Jewelry Party Food Extravaganza



My Mom and sister hosted a jewelry party. Psycho Holiday Baker (Mom) was cooking up a storm.

And someone’s Wendy’s cup in the background… perhaps it was just unsweet tea?

Psycho Baker loves to make cakes of course. So, she made this chocolate cake with rich velvety chocolate icing. I don’t care much about cakes, but had a few bites.

I was on duty to make sure we had some healthy choices available:

Lots of grapes, nuts, and cheeses. I could eat fruit, nuts, and cheese for a meal and be delighted…

I made a blue cheese dip that was tasty and super easy!

  • About 1.5-2 cups light sour cream
  • 5 oz. blue cheese crumbles
  • 3 Tbsp. fresh chives, and some for garnish
  • Sprinkle of garlic powder, parsley, and pepper

That’s it! Mix it all together, and you have a more natural blue cheese dip.

FYI: Bruschetta is often one of the lightest appetizer food choices on traditional menus.

I made sure to get some healthy brown rice and quinoa crackers as well! There were also some homemade empanadas and homemade pizza rolls that were on the not-so-healthy list.

Do you have any healthy food ideas for parties?

13
Sep
2012
 Tristique Vulputate Ipsum



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Consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Aenean lacinia bibendum nulla sed consectetur. Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aenean lacinia bibendum nulla sed consectetur.

Sed posuere consectetur est at lobortis. Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo.

Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo. Praesent commodo cursus magna, vel scelerisque nisl consectetur et. Cras mattis consectetur purus sit amet fermentum. Nulla vitae elit libero, a pharetra augue. Maecenas sed diam eget risus varius blandit sit amet non magna. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor.

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Consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Nulla vitae elit libero, a pharetra augue. Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod. Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod. Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros.

Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla. Fusce dapibus, tellus ac cursus commodo, tortor mauris condimentum nibh, ut fermentum massa justo sit amet risus. Integer posuere erat a ante venenatis dapibus posuere velit aliquet. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. Sed posuere consectetur est at lobortis.

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12
Sep
2012
 Foods of the Baltic



Just got back from my Baltic cruise vacation. Was super jet-lagged yesterday. Felt like I was in the Twilight Zone all day.  I drank some kefir this morning to ward off getting sick due to lack of sleep–I swear by drinking kefir to prevent the common cold.

Anyway, for your viewing pleasure here are the foods I ate while on the trip. I did not stick to the healthiest foods because I wanted to try different things while in a different country.

Copenhagen:
The main strip in Copenhagen, Nyhavn, is full of expensive $40 entree dinners. We lucked out, and found this small little local bar place right off the main canal. Took us a while to find, but we got affordable wine, beer, and these open face “sandwiches” that they are known for. Just a small square of flat real rye bread with a piece of fish or egg and shrimp with fresh herbs and some type of sauce. They were meant to be little appetizers to eat with a beverage, but we made it our dinner–it had been a long day of travel!

Cruise Ship Food:
Made a salad topped with a beet/corn salad and I loved getting roasted turkey because it is such a pain to make at home. Great to take advantage of on a cruise ship.

The first night I got a Mediterranean curry type dish that was super tasty. Loaded with veggies.

Princess love boat dream dessert. Super cute dessert. 

Lots of shrimp dinners.

Plentiful desserts. The ice cream was a favorite.

My snack/lunch food one day. So funny because I have a load of veggies and then throw a piece of bread and cookie on the plate.

I loved having the julienne vegetables because it was something different, and they always had some type of new veggie sandwich.

Ate a load of cantaloupe because it was the main fresh fruit they had that I liked.

I tried escargot for the first time. What you taste mostly is butter, garlic, and something that tastes halfway between shrimp, crawfish, and mussels.

The tastiest vegetarian dish–very rich and decadent, though. A pumpkin/sweet potato crepe with a cream garlic topping and dallop of tomato sauce. I already dug into it before taking a picture. Then, when I ate it, I said hold on this is so good, I have to take a picture to remember!

Germany:

Russia:

Loved this apple, celery, walnut yogurt salad.

Borsch and other pickled soup that I actually liked!

Russian vodka for the birthday man. I rarely drink any vodka or hard liquor, but this was a pretty decent vodka, or so it seemed…

Helsinki, Finland:

Gross large hot dogs. I despise hot dogs.

Massive meringues. Everywhere we went seemed to have massive pastries and fresh breads. What I started to realize is that these countries had fresh baked pastries and breads and NOT super processed packaged sweets.

Cocktail Time:

11
Sep
2012
 Vehicula Mattis



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