Carrot Cake Muffins

I have been OD-ing on all things EGG.  Chocolate eggs, peanut butter cup eggs, cadburry eggs. malted milk eggs.  

I need to get a grip, which is why I made these low sugar, low fat and vegetable packed carrot cake muffins today.  I am proud to report that my afternoon ended up being an eggless one :)

Carrot Cake Muffins (Adapted from Martha Rose Schulman - The NYT)

Ingredients
2 ½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups AP flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
⅓ cup raw brown (turbinado) sugar
⅓ cup canola oil

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 ⅓ cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup golden raisins tossed with 1 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour, or 2/3 cup chopped pecans
1 ½ cups grated carrots
3/4 cup sweetened coconut

PREPARATION
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with the rack in the upper third of the space. Oil or butter muffin tins.
Sift together the whole-wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, applesauce and vanilla. Using a whisk or a spatula, stir in the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Do not beat; a few lumps are fine, but make sure there is no flour at the bottom of the bowl. Fold in the coconut, raisins or pecans and the carrots.

Spoon into muffin cups, filling them to just below the top (about 4/5 full). Place in the oven, and bake 25 minutes until lightly browned and well risen.

Skinny Chicken Parm

It has been ages since I have posted. I wish I had a good excuse, but I don't.
I have been LAZY, LAZY, LAZY.

This recipe isn't super exciting, and it isn't anything new, but it was DELICIOUS and HEALTHY - 2 things that do not always go hand in hand.  The whole family loved it, which is why it will become a new kid-friendly staple in our house.

The recipe is from Skinnytaste.com.  Sorry the pic is so crappy.  The lighting was terrible, bc it is always dark/cloudy during our Wisco Winters.

Baked Chicken Parm

4 (about 8 oz each) chicken breast, fat trimmed, sliced in half to make 8
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter, melted (or olive oil)
3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese
1 cup marinara 

cooking spray
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°. Spray a large baking sheet lightly with spray.

Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Melt the butter in another bowl. Lightly brush the butter onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumb mixture. Place on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.Lightly spray a little more oil on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over, bake another 5 minutes.

Remove from oven, spoon 1 tbsp sauce over each piece of chicken and top each with 1 1/2 tbsp of shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Orange, Carrot, and Ginger Juice

With one month left to go in my pregnancy (yay!!) vegetables are the last thing that I want to eat.  I feel like I am a kid again and have to basically force myself to eat them.  So instead I brought out the juicer and have been trying to get my vegetables via juice. This is a great, refreshing morning juice, with seasonal fruits. Orange vegetables are loaded with beta-carotine which can help the health of your skin, eyes and boost your immune system loaded with Vitamin C and A.

2 naval oranges
3-5 large carrots
1 small square of ginger, peeled

 Juice ingredients using a juicer and ENJOY!

Pumpkin No Bake Energy Bites

These bites are awesome. My kids eat them for dessert and they are a healthy, energy packed snack for me.  I cannot get enough of pumpkin this time of year and these little nuggets do the trick.



Pumpkin No Bake Energy Bites - Gimmesomeoven.com

8 oz. (about 1 packed cup) chopped dates
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp. chia seeds or flax seeds
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 cup old-fashioned oats (dry, not cooked)
1 cup toasted coconut flakes
1 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Combine the dates, honey, pumpkin puree, chia (or flax) seeds, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a food processor, and pulse until smooth and combined.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and stir in the oats, coconut flakes and pepitas until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Once the mixture is cool (and easier to work with), use a spoon or cookie scoop to shape it into your desired size of energy balls. (Mine were about 1-inch in diameter.) Alternately, you can line a small baking pan with parchment paper, and press the mixture evenly into the pan, let it cool, and then cut into bars.

Store covered in the refrigerator (I actually put mine in the freezer) for up to 2 weeks. 

Crock Pot Balsamic Pork Roast

Thank goodness for the crock pot!  There is nothing better than coming home after a long day (or just after a day at home with the kiddos) and having a hot, delicious smelling dinner ready to eat.  This is the second time that I have made this pork and it is moist, tangy and it tastes amazing.  I would be willing to bet that you have all of the ingredients in your pantry, so this should be a no-brainer addition to your dinner menu this week. 

Crock Pot Balsamic Pork Roast
Skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:
2 pound boneless pork shoulder roast (sirloin roast)
kosher salt, to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon honey

Season the pork with salt, garlic powder and red pepper flakes and place it into the slow cooker. Mix together the broth and vinegar and pour it over the pork, then pour the honey over and set the timer for 4 hours on High or 6-8 hours on Low.

Once the pork is cooked and tender (it should shred easily with a fork), remove from slow cooker with tongs into a serving dish. Break apart lightly with two forks and put back into the slow cooker and ladle 1/2 cup sauce over the pork and keep warm until ready to eat.

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Chris and I have been thoroughly enjoying hearty fall treats and it is only the beginning of October.
Because of this, I wanted to try and start the week off right, by making a healthier side for dinner. I saw mashed cauliflower offered as a side at a local restaurant and thought it would be a perfect substitute for mashed potatoes.
The mashed cauliflower tasted VERY similar to mashed potatoes and I don't feel as bad after eating a VERY large helping!

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces 

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon cream cheese

1/4 cup parmesan

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

 Cook cauliflower in a pot of bowling water until tender, approximately 8 minutes. Drain cauliflower. While still warm pat dry in-between paper towel. With an immersion blender or a food processor, mix cauliflower, garlic cream cheese, parmesan, salt and pepper until almost smooth. Garnish with chives and butter. 

Winter Minestrone

It is officially FALL and I am trying to embrace every second of it.  We have been outside every chance we can get, enjoying the colors, the crisp air and most especially the fact that we do not have to rake the lawn quite yet.   

A friend of mine made me this hearty soup and it was so delicious that I made it it again the next week.  My whole family loves it and it is not only filling but low fat and super tasty.  

Winter Minestrone - Recipe by Ina Garten

Ingredients

Good olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, 1/2-inch-diced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 cups (1/2-inch-diced) carrots (3 carrots)
2 cups (1/2-inch-diced) celery (3 stalks)
2 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-diced) peeled butternut squash
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 (26-ounce) can or box diced tomatoes, such as Pomi
6 to 8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked small pasta, such as tubetti
8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup good dry white wine
2 tablespoons store-bought pesto
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it's too thick, I add more chicken stock.

Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach, and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste. Serve large shallow bowls of soup with a bruschetta on top. Sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil and serve hot.

Banana Zucchini Bread

As the end of summer approaches, there seems to be an abundance of zucchini around. We unfortunately did not grow any this year, but people are always bringing in their extras to work that I snatch up. I am a sucker for banana bread and zucchini bread separately, so why not combine the two?? The result?, this delicious recipe.  It is a combination of a couple of different recipes I have tried, with an attempt to make it a little healthier. The result is delicious and the loaf does not last long between Chris and myself.

Yields: 2 loaves, Cook time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

2 bananas

1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini

1 cup pecans or walnuts

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two bread pans and set aside. In a bowl mix together dry ingredients and set aside. 

Using a standing mixer whisk eggs. Add sugars and oil, whisking until smooth. Add bananas. Then add dry mixture until just combined. Fold in zucchini and walnuts.

Divide batter between bread pans. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until tester comes out clean. Let cool on drying rack for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I love when I take the time to plan ahead to make a homemade pizza crust for our favorite pizzas.  At the frequency we eat pizza, you would think I would be smart enough to always have one in the freezer, but unfortunately I am not. However a homemade crust can be one of the best parts. This recipe makes two pizza crusts, is not too time intensive and is delicious. Prep time: 20 minutes, Total time: 2 hours.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp quick-rise yeast (1 package)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 1/4 cup warm water (110F), + as needed
2 tbsp olive oil


Using a food processor, combine flours, yeast, salt and sugar. Pulse to mix ingredients. With the motor running, in a steady stream add the water and olive oil. Pulse until dough comes together in a rough mass, approximately 15 seconds. If dough does not form into a ball, add more water a tablespoon at a time, until a rough ass forms.  Let rest for 10 minutes. Pulse again for 30 seconds. Dough should be tacky to the touch but not sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and form into a small ball. Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for approximately 1 1/2 hours.

Once the dough has doubled in bulk and is spongy, punch out the dough on a floured work surface and kneed into a smooth cylinder. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, shaping each into smooth ball. If dough becomes sticky, dust with flour. Cover the each dough with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes before making your pizza. If you are freezing one of the doughs, place in a zip-lock bag and freeze for up to two months. When ready to use, let thaw for 3-4 hours at room temperature. I have also found that if you make this the day before, you can place in the refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature a hour before using.

For some great homemade pizza recipes, check out these great recipes: Shaved Asparagus Pizza, Barbecue Chicken Pizza, Butternut Squash & Pesto Pizza and the Fig and prosciutto pizza.

Low Fat Blueberry Banana Muffins

We had a family wedding outside of San Francisco last weekend, which was incredibly fun!  We spent the 2 days leading up to the big event, enjoying all that San Fran has to offer. Not surprisingly,  my tour of the city focused on visiting different bakeries, restaurants, and watering holes.  I had more pastries in a 48 hour period than I usually eat in a month, and every single one of them was delicious and totally worth it.  Unfortunately for me this type of indulgence cannot be continued back in Wi, unless I want to pull out the maternity pants, so when my body went through withdrawal from not eating flaky chocolate filled croissants, I decided to give these low fat muffins a try.  The recipe does not call for any butter or oil, and they still taste delicious.   We blew through a dozen in 2 days!




Low Fat Blueberry Banana Muffins - Recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction
2 and 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (or mix of whole wheat and all-purpose)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed (or dark brown sugar)
1 cup mashed very ripe banana (about 2 large very ripe bananas)
1/4 cup nonfat vanilla greek yogurt (or any yogurt)
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1 and 1/4 cup fresh or unthawed frozen blueberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Spray 15 muffin tins with nonstick spray.* Set aside.
In a large bowl, gently toss the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together until combined. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the honey and brown sugar together - it will be thick and lumpy. Try to get out as many lumps as you can - a fork works well to break it up. Add the mashed banana, yogurt, and beaten egg. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently begin to fold it all together. It will be very thick. Add the milk slowly and continue to gently mix the ingredients together. The milk will thin everything out, but the batter will still remain thick. Gently fold in the blueberries. Do not overmix the batter, which will lend tough, dry muffins.

Divide the batter between 12 muffin tins. Fill all the way to the top.  Bake for 17-18 minutes until very lightly browned on the edges. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Allow the muffins to cool completely.

Each muffin is 131 calories each based on using nonfat vanilla greek yogurt and unsweetened almond milk. Muffins taste best the next day, like most banana bread recipes. Muffins remain fresh and moist stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. Muffins freeze well, up to 3 months.

Evidence that I could not control myself at Tartine!

Blueberry Syrup

ahhhh summer, here at last!

My refrigerator is bursting with produce and the girls and I are loving it, except for some reason my lovlies are boycotting blueberries this week. Why? No idea, but I am pretty positive that they will be back in good standing sometime in the near future.

In the meantime, I had to come up with a plan for my 3+ pints of blueberries and I decided on making a blueberry syrup.  You can add the syrup to anything - pancakes, waffles, ice cream, oatmeal (i had it this morning), the possibilities are endless and the blueberry flavor makes everything sing summer.  


blueberry syrup:

Ingredients
1 1/2 pints fresh blueberries, rinsed
1 cup vanilla sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions
Combine the blueberries and vanilla sugar in a large heavy saucepan. Add 1 cup water and the lemon juice and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken.

Remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve. Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate.

chicken, corn, zucchini, and black bean enchiladas

Enchiladas are one of my favorite meals to make, because they are simple, quick and delicious. I found this recipe in the True Food cookbook, and have made it several times, tweaking it a little differently each time depending what I have in my fridge. These are delicious and I don't feel as guilty about eating them, since they are filled with fresh, seasonal vegetables that I can usually find at the farmers market.  

Ingredients

2  cups corn kernels 

    (from 2 ears of corn)

1 1/2 cup diced roasted 

    chicken

1  red pepper

1  poblano chile, roasted, 

   seeded and diced

1  small zucchini, diced

1/3 cup cooked black beans

3  ounces Manchego 

   cheese, diced

1/4  teaspoon chili powder

    salt and pepper

6  corn tortillas

1/2 cup shredded Manchego cheese

1  Jar tomatillos salsa

6  tablespoons Greek-style yogurt

2  teaspoons chopped cilantro

6  lime wedges

1. Start by roasting the Poblano. If you have a gas stove, the easiest way to do this is turn on a burner and place the Poblano directly about the fire. Rotate the Poblano, allowing the outer skin to blacken. Once the majority of the pepper has blackened, remove it from flame and put it in a bowl, covering it with plastic wrap. Once the pepper has cooled, peal off the skin, seed and chop. If you don't have a gas stove, you can roast the pepper in the oven by broiling it, using the same technique, rotating until blackened. 

2. Meanwhile, place the corn kernels and red pepper in a large skilled over medium heat, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. 

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine chicken, zucchini, black beans diced Manchego, corn, red pepper, diced poblano, and chili powder. Mix well, adding salt and pepper to taste. 

4. Ladle 1/4 cup of the Tomatillo salsa into a shallow, oven dish (9x9).  Taking a tortilla spoon the filling into the center of the tortilla, rolling it and placing it seam down in the baking dish. Fill remainder of tortillas. (If you have extra filling, place in dish at the ends of the tortilla.)  

5. Top with the remainder 3/4 cup of the tomatillos salsa and shredded Manchego. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve with greek yogurt, cilantro and lime.  

I have recently been obsessed with a new tortilla shells called La Tortilla Factory. There are many varieties, but my personal favorite the green chile tortillas. :)

I have been slacking on posting because I have been busy making some of my favorites from the blog. Make sure to check out the S'more Bars, Rhubarb muffins, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and Strawberry Bruschetta. 

Pork Chops with Rhubarb Sauce

My neighbor has mutant rhubarb plants. Supposedly she brought them with her when she moved from Colorado, but they are clearly from another planet. It is only May and the plants are bigger than most of the bushes in our yard. Luckily for me, the freaky plants produce so much fruit that my neighbor has been delivering rhubarb to us on a weekly basis. 

I tried this pork recipe last night and it was delicious.  The rhubarb sauce is savory and the cherries add a hint of sweetness.  It is a super healthy way to dress-up a pork chop and it is an easy weeknight meal that you can make for the whole fam. 

Pork Chops with Rhubarb Sauce - Martha Stewart

1/2 cup dried cherries (or any other dried fruit)                    
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
8 to 10 ounces rhubarb, ends trimmed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
3 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 pork loin chops, (each 1/2 inch thick and 6 to 8 ounces)

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, combine cherries with vinegar and 1/4 cup hot water; let stand 10 minutes to soften.

In a small saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-low heat. Add onion; cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

To the saucepan, add cherry mixture, rhubarb, and sugar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until rhubarb has softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; keep warm.

Generously season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Cook pork (in two batches, if necessary, to avoid crowding the pan) until browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve topped with warm sauce. ** I grilled the chops on our outdoor grill. 

More delicioso rhubarb recipes here, here & here

Paleo Pancakes

A couple of weekends ago some of my best college friends came out to Colorado to ski. While making our shopping list for the weekend, one of them started raving about Paleo pancakes and said they were a must for skiing. I am not going to lie, I was skeptical. However, Kelly is an Iron Women and even made it to Kona last year so to say she knows a LOT about nutrition is an understatement. I was surprised how much I liked them and how simple they are to make. They are sweet and delicious. And they are perfect way to start your morning!

Ingredients:

1 banana

1 egg

1 tablespoon (or scoop) of almond butter

In a bowl, mix ingredients well. Batter will be a little chunky, but should be well mixed. Cook as you would pancakes. Top with berries or with jam.  Serve and feel energized :)

Beet, Carrot, Apple and ginger juice

With our kitchen under construction I am limited to what I can make. So after enjoying pizza, burgers and beer all weekend I decided one thing I could do was make some juices! Jenny had been raving about a beet juice she had made and I thought I would give it a try. It was delicious and has been a great start to my day. Although the research is new on beet juice, some studies are showing it is an excellent source of antioxidants and nitrates helping to reduce blood pressure and improve blood flow throughout the body. This improves blood flow to your brain, muscles, heart and more. Yes Please!!

Ingredients
1 beat
1 green apple
3 whole carrots
1 tablespoon ginger *(optional)

Using a Juicer, juice above ingredients and enjoy!

Cauliflower Soup

Yep, still winter here in Wi.  Yep, still want to eat everything in the house to make myself feel warm and comforted.  Nope - pants with a waist are not my favorite right now.   

A healthy vegetable soup recipe that could solve all of my problems (well, maybe) - Yes, I'll try it! 

I  made this cauliflower soup recipe last night and it was delicious. Warm, creamy and packed full of veggies. I decided to puree the soup because my girls prefer to eat it smooth vs. chunky, but feel free to eat it either way!

Cauliflower Soup

1 & 1/2 medium heads of cauliflower, broken into florets
3 medium carrot, shredded
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups low-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, optional

In a large stock pot, combine the cauliflower, carrot, celery and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender (do not drain).
In another large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Reduce heat. Stir in the cheese until melted. Add hot pepper sauce if desired. Stir into the cauliflower mixture.  Use a immersion blender and blend the mixture until smooth. Serve and enjoy! 

Healthy Waffles

The cold weather and snow in Denver has made me crave warm comfort food.  And with our kitchen demolition starting tomorrow, I tried to make the most of my last days of cooking and baking for a month. I was trying to use up all I could in our cabinets to cut down on the packing we had to do, making our favorites: granola and cookies. Saturday morning, before we starting the packing, in our last effort we made these delicious waffles. They are very filling and the perfect weekend treat topped with strawberries.  We only had almond milk in the refrigerator, which ended up being a tasty, must try substitution. Recipe adapted from wholeliving.

Ingredients
4 servings
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons flaxseed
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon course salt
1 1/2 cups almond milk or low fat milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla


Preheat waffle iron. Mix flour, flaxseed, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl mix milk oil, egg and vanilla. Combine two mixtures and mix until just combined. Pour in waffle maker and cook until golden brown.

Healthy Brussels Sprout Chips

We go through a 2lb bag of brussells sprouts a week. I usually roast them, but in doing so there are always a few leaves on the outside of the sprouts that get a little crunchy and dark in color (my favorite part - so I tend to pick them off and eat them before anyone else knows that they are there).

I when I saw this recipe from Blossom's new book (Mayim’s Vegan Table: More Than 100 Great-Tasting and Healthy Recipes from My Family to Yours by Mayim Bialik), I thought it was genius.

I made this recipe at 4pm last night and they were going by 5. Next time I will make the whole 2lb bag.

Crunchy, Tasty and Healthy!


Ingredients
1 pound Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Remove the leaves of the Brussels sprouts. This is tedious work, but it can be done. You want as many leaves as possible, and you may need to keep cutting away the stem as you get deeper into the sprout.

3. Place the leaves on a baking sheet and drizzle generously with olive oil, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with the sea salt. Bake, turning every 5 to 7 minutes, until browned and crunchy, almost burnt, but not burnt.

Cauliflower & Chickpea Salad

For my birthday last summer Jenny bought me Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook, which I did not have the opportunity to look through until recently. I am guilty, as I am sure many others are as well, for buying cooking books, paging through them admiring the delicous looking meals, but never making anything new. However I have been trying hard in this new year to try new recipes  and this is one of our new favorites. Adapted from It's All Good.



Ingredients:

1 head of Cauliflower, rinsed and cut into small pieces
1-14 oz can Chickpeas, rinsed and dried
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coarse sea Salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon seeded mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley



Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss Cauliflower and chickpeas with 3 tablespoons olive oil and a large pinch of salt. Roast stirring occasionally for 45 minutes or until slightly browned.  While those are cooking, mix together mustards, vinegar with 1/4 cup olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper.  Toss dressing and parsley with cauliflower and chickpeas while they are still warm. Serve warm or at room temperature.

skinny peanut butter banana muffins

I usually feel bad about myself after Bridget posts a recipe. For example, I post about snicker doodles and she follows-up with a post about pineapple, carrot juice (I scarfed down 5 cookies, she had 2 glasses of juice).  She is always taking sugar and butter out of her recipes, while they are the rock-star ingredients in mine.  Maybe that is why she has glowing skin, abs of steel, and endless energy.  OR maybe it is because she isn't parenting 2 toddlers.  The jury is still out, but in the meantime, I am going to make an effort to be more like Bridget.

For my inaugural bridget recipe, I decided to try these skinny peanut butter banana muffins from Sally's Baking Addiction.  I made a few slight substitutions - almond butter for the peanut butter and almond extract instead of vanilla - and they turned out awesome!!  Maybe healthy isn't so bad?!  I'll let you know if my abs are flatter tomorrow.

OH - Hey, I go through stages where I am obsessed with certain products from Costco.. 

Here are two of my most recent obsessions that everyone should try:

1. Dark Chocolate Covered Coconut - Need I say more?

2. Natural Apple Chips - no sugar, no preservatives, just apples.  My girls love them and so do I!