Cookie Mania

I keep buying cans of organic pumpkin puree even though it is so far past pumpkin season. I end up using it if I have it, baking and mixing it into my oatmeal.

This week I made a cookie recipe that Scott has been wanting me to make since it really was pumpkin season! I made dark chocolate cookies with pumpkin on top. They're a recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie, which is my favorite dessert blog. This is her recipe, except I didn't do them inside out...

I didn't really like them, since they were too cocoa-y for me. I prefer things cinnamon sugary, smores-y, maple brown sugary. Scott, however, loved them and ate almost 20 cookies in a week. I packed them in his lunch in an old peanut butter jar I washed out. He left two behind, and only because he was too tired to eat them after work!

THEN I made these: the best chocolate chip cookies. They tasted like salted caramel, and I added coconut shreds and white chocolate chips. Scott loved them, and so did I. We ate so many that we swore off cookies forever. And with the smell of fresh baked cookies in the house, that did not last long. So, we've been eating way too many cookies lately, even though I do make things as clean, whole wheat, and healthy as possible.

Here are some suggestions on what to do the day after you go too hard on sweets:

• For me, I use coffee creamer in my coffee, so on a morning after cookies, I would stick to only one cup & go easy on the International Delight.

• Make some Curried cauliflower bites. These are flavorful and yummy, and their taste doesn't really cooperate with salted caramel cookies.

-These are super easy. Cut up a head of cauliflower, toss in a bowl with olive oil and curry powder, and roast at 400 degrees until they look crispy!

• Make yourself a green smoothie with almond milk, kale, spinach, cinnamon, and agave nectar

• Cut up an apple and sprinkle it with a little stevia

• Brew a mug of green tea

• Have a snack of hummus & celery sticks

• Drink a lot of water!

But most of all, don't worry. If you're eating healthy, whole foods, don't worry about it! Don't guilt yourself or wonder how many calories that must have been. You're human and enjoying cookies like those above is a good part of life.

Garbanzos!

Sometimes when I want a salty snack, I make crunchy chickpeas instead of just going right for the Pretzel Goldfish. This doesn't always work. I do love goldfish.

I don't know about you, but crunchy chickpeas sound really good!

My trick is to blend turmeric, garlic powder, garlic salt, and this channa masala spice blend that I bought in New York in a little bowl. About a teaspoon of each, usually.

I drain MOST but not ALL of the juice from the chickpea can, and then pour them in a bowl. I pour the spices I have mixed on top, and stir this all around until they are all pretty well coated.

Depending on my mood, I will either bake the chickpeas in the oven on a cookie sheet, or sauté them in a little pan. If baking, I pour them onto a lined cookie sheet (parchment paper, or just grease the sheet if you don't have it) and stick them onto the middle rack of the oven for about twenty minutes.

Then I take them out, stir them around carefully, and put them back in for another 15 minutes. They come out crunchy but soft on the inside, almost like french fries.

Sautéing them is a little bit more fun. I use the tiny bit of juice from the can instead of water or oil. I keep the burner at about a 4, and stir pretty consistently.

This method makes the chickpeas really crispy, warm-tasting, and fulfilling. It's more of a side-dish than a snack this way. In making this snack, you could use other spices instead, like a chili-paprika blend, or sea salt and dill. Chickpeas are really fun to work with. I've also made homemade hummus, and the classic Indian dish channa masala.

New Favorites

I was a VERY picky child. Every day in fourth grade, I ate a bag of fritos, a cup of chocolate-vanilla pudding, and a Polly-O cheese stick for lunch. My grandfather was certain I was going to get scurvy. My dinners consisted of plain white pasta with butter, or chicken fingers and ketchup. My brother had the same tendencies: he ate a plain, untoasted bagel with three strips of bacon every day for breakfast for five years. Try taking us out for dinner. Good luck.

In the past few years, I've tried dozens of new foods. Now that I am in my twenties, my picky ways are gone and my love of food has arrived. Sure, some of the things I've tried don't pass the lips of most people until they're adults, like balsamic vinegar, or beets. But other things are so basic! For example, I had bacon for the first time at 18, and cherries for the first time last year.

My rule now is TRY IT! Here are 15 of my favorite things that I've tried in the last three years:


1. Cauliflower
2. Key Lime Pie
3. Coconut Oil
4. Zucchini
5. Eggplant
6. Blue cheese
7. Gruyere cheese
8. Horchata
9. Lentils
10. Cranberries
11. Blueberries
12. Figs
13. Pumpkin ravioli
14. Chicken sausage
15. Kale! Especially homemade kale chips.


How many of these things do you love? Looking over this list, it seems a little crazy that I was so reluctant to try new things my whole life! If you haven't tried something, try it!

DIY Peanut Butter Cups

Are you ready? I made the best dessert ever tonight.

PUMPKIN PEANUT BUTTER CUPS! 

This is a recipe on my favorite dessert blog, Chocolate Covered Katie. I have been meaning to make them forever, and tonight inspiration struck. Don't they look delicious?

I used my mini muffin liner and pan, and melted down the ingredients for the chocolate in my nonstick pan. I spooned the chocolate into the liners, stuck the pan in the freezer for 8 minutes, and then added the PB and second layer of chocolate. I froze them for another twenty minutes.

Here is the recipe: Reese's Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cups. Thanks, Katie!

These were perfect because I will NEVER eat Reese's brand candies ever again (PB easter eggs, peanut butter cups, Reese's Pieces, etc.). And you shouldn't either. They contain TBHQ as a preservative, and some are hydrogenated. Luckily these are the perfect substitute, and homemade at that!

Yogurt Love

I will be honest: I love Greek yogurt.

Especially Chobani Flips. They're new, and I waited a long time for the Targets in Austin to start carrying them. I had seen the Key Lime Crumble one on the @chobani instagram page in like, December, and finally tried it this past week!

I love it, and it prompted Scott and me to embark on one of our favorite past times: YOGURT HUNTING. We drove to a bunch of different grocery stores in Austin, hoping they would have different flavors in stock.

Yogurt Hunting is actually a riff of cider hunting. Scott, my brother Tom, and I would check out different Central Markets, Whole Foods, and HEBs around Austin, looking for different flavors of Woodchuck Cider- like Summer, or Crisp. It's really fun, unless you hate the thrill of finding something delicious in a strange part of town like an adult scavenger hunt.

The Chobani Flips we have found so far on our Yogurt Hunting are:

-Strawberry with honey oats
-Coconut yogurt with toasted almond and dark chocolate chips
-Vanilla with pralines and cornflakes
-Vanilla with banana jelly (not pictured)
-Key Lime yogurt with graham cracker and white chocolate

And also a different brand vanilla yogurt with malted milk balls that I just couldn't pass up.

I'm not usually tempted by the other Chobani flavors like Blood Orange or Pear. I like the plain ones, and then I make my own parfaits with them.

 Here are my dream Greek yogurt flavors:

1. Cotton Candy
2. S'mores
3. Cookies & Cream
4. Pumpkin Pie
5. Bubble Gum
6. Red Velvet
7. Peaches & Cream
8. White Chocolate Mocha
9. Salted Caramel
10. Wild Strawberry

 (Apparently I have the palette of a very precocious fourth grader). Get on it, Chobani!

No worry, Coconut curry

Last night I took a nap and then went for a run instead of cook dinner! Oh, it's just dinner. Who needs it. Luckily, Scott was on his way out to my school after traffic settled down, and he said he would cook. This is actually the norm- only in the past year have I started cooking, and usually it is Scott's job.

We decided to go all out and pick the meal with the MVP: Maximum Veggie Potential.
In this case, that's a Thai curry!

So we started cooking. Scott had stopped at the store to pick up a whole grain naan, brown rice, and cauliflower.

We almost added chicken and sweet potatoes, but sometimes you have to say 8 veggies in a curry is enough.

(The avocados in the picture were for Scott's lunch.)

He cut up a head of garlic- something I am not good at doing in under an hour- and began steaming all of the veggies.

When we make a curry, we use "lite" coconut milk and steam the vegetables, because otherwise it would be too much fat for one meal. Curries can be really salty as well as high in fat content, so we always try to be mindful of this when we decide to make one.

He did cook the minced garlic in olive oil because he is Italian and would die if he cooked garlic in anything else.

Here we go:

-Head of broccoli

-Half a head of cauliflower

-Orange bell pepper

-Yellow bell pepper

-Red bell pepper

-Zucchini

-Yellow squash

-Garlic

After cooking the vegetables, he added the coconut milk and more water. We stirred in some coconut curry powder that I picked up in bulk at Central Market, and some turmeric. I have a big thing for turmeric, but it was Scott's first time tasting it directly and using it in his cooking. We cooked up some naan in my toaster oven, and added brown rice to the curry to dilute the spiciness & get our complex carbs in. It was a lot of work to cut up this many vegetables, but we have leftovers for days now!

Clean Eggy Pie

A few months ago, my mom taught me how to make this amazing egg soufflé. She fried rounds of potatoes to put on the bottom of the pan, and cooked four kinds of vegetables. She whisked like 6 eggs and pulled out a bag of shredded cheese (an Italian blend) and poured it all into the pan. It’s great reheated through the week, with a little bit of ketchup.

I’ve made it a couple times since, but Scott and I prefer to not eat fried things. So this time, I decided to make an absolutely clean version. 

-I whisked three eggs and two egg whites in a bowl and set it to the side.

- I steamed broccoli, zucchini, and peas. 

-At the last second, I threw a ton of spinach in the pan and let it wilt down to nothing. 

-I greased my favorite glass pie pan, and poured all of the ingredients in.

-I added a little chili powder and paprika to the top, since capsicum (in chili powder) is good for the metabolism & paprika is just delicious. 

I baked it for 30 minutes at 325.

 Then I broiled it for 5 minutes on the top rack. Scott ate two slices of this with whole wheat toast and ketchup. Perfect easy meal! Brain food.

Hot Sweet Potatoes

Whenever I buy potatoes, I almost always cook them the same way. I usually pick up red skin potatoes, cut them into yummy little quarters, throw them in my big red bowl, and douse them in some olive oil. I mix in smoked paprika and rosemary, occasionally dill, and lay them all out on a cookie sheet to bake at 375 degrees for twenty minutes. Then I pull them out, and flip them (by hand- usually burning my finger tips) so the other side can roast for 15-20 minutes.

This time, I had three medium sized sweet potatoes and wanted to do something different.

Here’s how they looked when I was done:

& here's what to do...

 I boiled the three sweet potatoes in a big stockpot for about twenty minutes, and then drained in my colander. I don't think I boiled them long enough, since they were still a little hard on the inside.

I cut each of the potatoes into half-inch slices and laid them on a baking sheet with parchment (I used waxed paper)

Drizzled the slices with a tablespoon of olive oil, then sprinkled them with a mixture of chili powder, smoked paprika, and cumin

Baked them for 25 minutes at 325

Then I flipped them, and hit the other side with a little olive oil and spices, and baked for another 20 minutes on the top rack of the oven this time.

They came out amazing. They were crispy on the outsides like a French fry, and soft on the inside like mashed potatoes. They are a perfect complex carb to go alongside some chicken for dinner. Too bad Scott ate them all so quickly I didn't even get to have them as leftovers the next day!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Every afternoon, I make myself drink a glass of 16 oz water with 2 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar mixed in. On my first day doing this, I felt pleasantly full afterwards and didn’t mind the taste… Because I’d only used 2 teaspoons of ACV. The past two days I've used two tablespoons, and it's been difficult to get through. I have mixed it with a tiny bit of iced tea or lemonade. It doesn't help much.

Why did I decide to add this to my daily routine? Tosca Reno, founder of all things Eat Clean, says to. She posted on her blog saying that she’s digesting better and seeing tighter abs because she drinks ACV every day. So I figured, why not try it?

Here are the benefits…

• Helps prevent brittle teeth, runny noses, and hair loss
• Rich in potassium
• Clears up skin
• Slows down the digestion of starches
• Helps the body maintain proper pH levels (which is important if you drink coffee, like I do)
• Removes toxins from the body
• Breaks down fats for weight loss
• Helps you feel full and digest better
• May kill or slow cancer cell growth (in studies done with rats)

 Just pick the reason that’s important to you, and repeat it to yourself over and over while you drink the mix. That’s what I do! I usually say the runny nose one, since I am a college student and feel like I’m perpetually a little sick. I hope this actually works. Have you heard of anyone having success with this drink? I am about to drink my afternoon glass now. Wish me luck!

Adventures in Fat Asparagus

I have a prejudice towards thinness. I’ll admit it. I completely ignore the thick ones in the grocery store, and light up when I see a few ridiculously skinny ones in the HEB. Of course I am talking about asparagus. Does anyone else feel the same way? I am a total sucker for super thin stalks. And if they’re on sale? All lights flash go.

But this weekend my mom gave me a bunch of groceries, including some disturbingly fat asparagus. At first I felt resistant, like I don’t even know how to cook these guys. 

Then I stopped being crazy and cut them all in thirds, then each third in half lengthwise. I heated the oven to 350 and sprayed a cookie sheet with an organic canola spray (be careful when selecting your propellant oil spray- some sprays, including smaller cans of PAM, contain BHT which should always be avoided). I arranged the asparagus neatly and evenly over the pan.

I shook a bunch of black pepper and salt into my palm, and sprinkled it over the asparagus. I didn’t even use any oil on them- I was in a weird cooking mood. I stuck the sheet in the oven for 25 minutes, until they had shrank down to the skinny size I so love. I roasted four minced cloves of garlic in a small pool of olive oil, and cooked some broccoli and zucchini at the same time. I didn’t use any salt or other seasonings on those vegetables.

My boyfriend said they were the best vegetables he’s ever had, but Scott tends towards hyperbole! 

My New Morning Routine

Good morning! I have been doing a few new things as a part of my daily routine. In the afternoons, I have a glass of water with two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. I don't like that. It tastes awful and makes everything taste acidic afterwards.

My favorite addition to my routine is a glass of hot water with the juice of half a lemon in the morning.

Before my coffee and breakfast, I drink this.

Here's why...

• Boosts the immune system
• Maintains an alkaline diet
• Starts the day off with a healthy decision
• High in Vitamin C and potassium
• Stimulates brain and nerve function
• Aids with digestion
• Flushes out toxins
• Helps keep skin clear
• Contains iron and calcium
• Regulates body's metabolism

I actually like the taste, although I don't usually like sour things. Besides, the fact that I can't have my coffee until I'm done with this drink makes me extra motivated to finish it!

I'll let you know if I see any difference in my skin or how I feel after a week of this routine. 

Birthday Cake Pancakes

Yesterday evening, I got really inspired after an afternoon nap. I pulled out my binder full of recipes (I usually hand copy healthy recipes I find online and hole-punch them in) and decided to try some new things. I made smashed sweet potatoes, tri-tip sirloin roast in the crock pot, and three kinds of vegetables.

But my biggest success was a stack of clean Birthday Cake protein pancakes!

I found the recipe on one of my favorite girls to follow on instagram's page- @jazzythings. She's a figure competitor (female bodybuilding) and posts really creative, all clean recipes that she's experimenting with.

Don't they just look amazing, though?!

In a blender, combine 1/2 c raw oats
1 egg white
1 egg
1 scoop Birthday Cake flavored whey protein (this is my main protein powder anyway. It's the About Time brand, and it is delicious in Greek yogurt or protein shakes)
1 t almond extract
1 t baking powder
1 T almond coconut milk

Blend well. It was a very thick batter, and I spooned it onto my griddle and cooked like normal pancakes. The frosting is vanilla greek yogurt mixed with a little almond milk and vanilla extract. I also added these birthday-ish sprinkles that are okay to eat from Central Market.

I'm going to make them again tomorrow for my mom's birthday!