My First Juicer

January 31st, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Food Review | Kitchen - (0 Comments)

I was lucky enough to get a NutriPro Juicer from Bella for free! I have never owned a juicer, but was thinking about getting one. I always just figured I wouldn’t use it much.

nutripro masticating juicer

Even though I received a free juicer, all words written are my honest true thoughts.

Anyhow, if you are new to the juicing world, there are two types of juicers out there: centrifugal and masticating (chewing) juicers.

The NutriPro I got is a masticating juicer meaning that it “chews” through the food slowly. This is also known as the “cold press” method which supposedly preserves more enzymes and nutrients. We are not sure exactly how many nutrients are lost in the centrifugal juicers–it may be insignificant.

fresh carrot juice

Overall, I love my juicer, and it is fun to watch it crush foods. Sometimes it gets stuck if you put in a chunk of carrot that is too large. It seems to do about average as far a the yield that it produces. Mr. Cyclist thinks it may be a little low yield.

It is fairly easy to clean and dishwasher safe, and very quiet compared to other juicers I have heard.

fresh green juice

This is my standard juice that I make: 3 leaves of kale, half a small cucumber, 2 stalks celery, 1 small-medium apple, 2 lemon slices. Then, I add some wheat grass in between (if I have some ready and grown).

wheat grass for cats

Lemon (the cat) loves wheat grass, too!

You can read more about the NutriPro at my post on Diet-Blog.

Do you have a juicer?

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How is that Spelt?

January 27th, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Healthy Living - (0 Comments)

I picked up some fresh spelt pasta from the farmer’s market last weekend. It was the first time I had spelt in a pasta before. Mr Cyclist was wondering what spelt is…

Well, I can tell you I turned it into this:

spelt pasta

Spelt is a form of wheat. Many might categorize it in the “ancient grain” category, therefore it has been less processed than the modern wheat plant we find in most everything these days. The outer layer of spelt is also more tough, so it is said to hold in nutrients better.

An interesting fact: Those who do not tolerate wheat products say that they can eat spelt-based foods and feel fine. If you have Celiac’s disease, it is NOT recommended to eat spelt because it DOES contain gluten. However, those with mild food sensitivities do well choosing spelt over traditional wheat.

The end result is a slighter healthier grain than your traditional whole wheat pasta. Plus, this one was fresh made! Yum.

healthy spelt pasta

I cooked some shallots and garlic, then sauteed a lot of fresh spinach. I added some pesto chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s and some sun-dried tomatoes.

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Pumpkin Apple Protein Bake… Attempt 1

November 2nd, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Kitchen - (0 Comments)

I tried to create a no sugar added, high protein bar. It turned out more like a bread pudding…

At least it looks pretty. Tastes similar to a french toast almost.

I used quinoa flakes, brown rice flour, milk, 1 egg, egg whites, stevia, chopped apples, applesauce, pumpkin, spices, and walnuts. It really wasn’t too bad, it just turned out too moist.

Back to the kitchen!! When I figure it out perfectly I will post the recipe.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

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Dress Up Dining Space with Plates

February 13th, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Healthy Living | Kitchen - (0 Comments)

Since I was moving all last week, this weekend I worked on decorating the apartment. I had saw all these ideas for using plates on the wall for decoration, and decided it would be a great way to add a splash of color to the boring white apartment walls.
 Here is how to do this project–it is pretty easy!

  1. Collect plates from different stores like World Market, HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, Ross, Marshalls, Pier 1, and Target. And feel free to get some plastic plates because they are lightweight and don’t look any different from the ceramic plates when up on the wall. You can also try etsy for some unique plate finds. Keep in mind a color theme. It doesn’t matter if the plates will match perfectly.
  2. Order these plate hangers from amazon. They glue to the back of your plates and add a hook for the wall. You can not see the adhesive or the hook, and they are very sturdy.
  3. Pick up some 3M Command adhesiveor mounting squares or strips. These can be used for any plastic plates or very small/lightweight plates you have. 3 squares should hold most of the lightweight plates on the wall. I cut some of the mounts to fit the backs of the plates better.
  4. Line up your plates on the floor to decide how you will arrange them on the wall. I took a few pictures to remind myself and decide what I like best.
  5. When you are ready to arrange on wall: Measure where the center of the wall is, and start with the center/middle plate first. Then, build outward, stepping back each time to check your work.

Here is a close-up! I still have to move that white plate closer to the others…

Also check out apartment therapy where I found my inspiration.

I figure that the decor is important for my dining area if I want to try to eat more at the table!

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Is There an Easier Way to Make Vegetable Chips?

January 9th, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Kitchen - (1 Comments)

We stopped by the Cook’s Warehouse in Atlanta today seeking some baking racks for our oven to speed up the process of cooking various vegetable and fruit chips.

Exhibit A: Apple Chips
They are delicious and healthy, but take about an hour or so in the oven. We can only make one sheet or two at a time, and we need to find a way to improve the quantity produced. By the time you take out one batch from the oven, you eat them all before you can even make another batch!

So, the idea is to find a baking sheet with holes for air circulation, or a baking racks that we can place on tiers in the oven. A worker at the Cook’s Warehouse gave the idea of putting these baking rings as spacers in between baking sheets.

The idea is for the contraption to look something like this:

Then, put the contraption in the oven, and make tons and tons of veggie chips!
Do you make veggie chips, and if so, do you have a way of making higher quantities at one time?

I will let you know what we find out!

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Spice Up Your Organization Update

January 2nd, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Kitchen - (0 Comments)

Back in May I created this magnetic wall system for my spices:

I used plastic containers to which I glued magnets. I thought it was a wonderful idea, but they slowly started to come off their magnets.

So, this Christmas, we received a wonderful gift of little magnetic spice tins which are from The Container Store. Finally, the spices look organized and clean.
The best part is that you can fit many more magnetic containers on the board. And, you don’t have to actually open the containers to get the spices out. They have little openings where to can shake out a small amount of flavor.
This is probably the best spice organization method out there. All you would need to do is buy the metal board from a hardware store or amazon, and then get the containers from The Container Store (or online somewhere), and then label them if you like!

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Quick Tip: Spice Up Your Marinade

June 27th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Kitchen - (0 Comments)

I made some tilapia and a few shrimp with a Thai sesame lime marinade. The marinade turned out amazing on the shrimp, but not as well as I had liked on the fish.

The key to adding more flavor to your marinade is by adding extra herbs and spices. Read the label on your marinade to see what herbs and spices are already used, and then add more of your own. This brings out the flavors and adds more depth.

For this one I added dried cilantro, garlic, and sesame seeds to spice it up. I just needed to marinate the fish a little longer. Or, you can always make your own marinade instead of the jar stuff which has more sodium. I buy bottles of marinade for convenience sometimes, but always check the sodium content, and preservatives.

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How to Save and Store Avocados

June 22nd, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Kitchen | Recipes - (3 Comments)

I have tried various ways to save an avocado, but nothing has worked so well until now. I usually have no need to save my avocado because my boyfriend just eats most of it anyway. But, since he was out of town, I had to get crafty.

Step 1: Cut around the diameter of the avocado, and pull it apart into two halves.

Step 2: You are going to store and save the half with the pit still in. The other half is for eating right away.

Step 3: Wrap the half with the pit intact in plastic wrap so that very minimal air can get in. Then, place in an air-tight container. Place in the fridge.

Step 4: Store for up to 2 more days, and then prepare to enjoy!

These two pictures above are what the avocado looked like after storing for 2 days. It does look a little more mushy, and I scraped a few bad spots off, but this method for saving an avocado is much improvement over other methods.

And then I made my version of quick guacamole how I like it–with a little salsa, tiny bit of sour cream, and garlic!

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Spice Up Your Organization

May 4th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Kitchen - (1 Comments)

So, apparently the previous location of my spices above my stove and oven was not a smart idea. The heat destroys the spices as the oven and stove heat up. Alton Brown would frown upon that. And I am not tall enough to reach all the spices in that cabinet.

I decided to get creative, and tried to devise a magnetic wall system of organization.

So far it works pretty well, but I was doubtful at first because the magnets did not seem strong enough. It probably cost me $40-$50 to do this project, but it looks ten times better.

Here are the supplies you will need if you do this on your own:

  • Magnets ($5)
  • Adhesive to glue the magnets to containers
    • I used a hot glue gun
  • Light-weight containers ($6)
    • I used BPA free small Tupperware containers
  • A metal board ($35)
    • I ordered a metal bulletin board. I would recommend just getting a plain sheet of metal that is stronger and used for workroom organization like this:
      I am not sure if this is actually a whole lot cheaper than other methods of spice organization. We shall see if it comes crashing down from the wall one day!

    Update: The little magnets keep coming off the containers. I must find a better adhesive! I have tried a hot glue gun and super glue. Thought about Velcro. Not sure what else to try, but I will keep trying to make it work because it is still much better than those other expensive and cheaply made (for what you have to pay) magnetic systems.

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Make Your Own Latte… Get A Milk Frother

February 27th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Food Review - (1 Comments)

I just love it when my coffee has some frothed foamy milk on top. It makes it taste more like I get whip cream on my coffee, but foamed milk is much healthier. I haven’t tried frothing soy milk yet, but I think it will be even more delicious.

I purchased the little Aerolatte milk frother for only $14 on Amazon.

Even though it is cheap, it still does the job. It takes about 10 seconds to create the foam. And it will save me money in the future. I won’t go to Starbuck’s as much and pay $2 for them to make me steamed and foamed milk!

Well, that’s my quick tip for today. I am off to watch the countdown to the Oscar’s red carpet, and maybe drink my own homemade latter or cappuccino.

 

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