New Home: First Meal Plan!

We finally closed on our house, moved almost everything over here, and officially moved in a week ago this past Saturday. This past month has been so hectic with the long nights working at the house, that we have been eating horribly and slacking on our plant based diet so I whipped up a delicious meal plan for our first week in our new house to get us off to the right start in this new home. We are trying to save money for some new living room furniture and area rugs so I'm also trying to stick to a strict budget of $100/week on groceries for us...which means I need to make as much as I can from scratch to save money. (I am lucky to be getting free apples from a friend's orchard next week so that helped save some money!)

Here is what I came up with~ (For those who want to avoid soy products or include meat in their meals substitute it anywhere you see "tofu" or "tempeh". I would suggest going to a farmer's market and buying an organic whole chicken, roasting it and then using it throughout the week in the recipes below and a pound of lean grass fed beef.)

Breakfast:

Homemade Cereal w/ almond milk

Homemade Oatmeal w/ berries
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Muffins

Lunches:

Froze Meals (5)~ Charles

Asian (noodle dish, salad)~Saturday
Salads (3) ~Christen
Soup (2)~ Christen

Leftovers~Sunday

Dinners:

Chili with Fresh Bread

Soup/Grilled "Cheese" (use a non-dairy cheese, or hummus) Sandwhiches

Homemade Pizza

Burrito bowls (lettuce, tempeh, black beans, lime rice, chips, salsa)

Homemade Black Bean Burgers with Homemade Baked Fries and Homemade Buns

Italian with Salad and fresh bread (noodles, sauce, tempeh)

Leftovers

Snacks:

Muffins

Pumpkin Bars

Homemade Granola w/ soy (or coconut milk) yogurt

While Charles is all on-board with the health benefits of a plant-based diet he still wants to be able to eat junk food sometimes, but we also don't want to bring any food into the house that we wouldn't allow Isabelle to eat, so he brings his chex mix, oreos and frozen Healthy Choice meals and keeps them at work and has them for lunches when he feels like it. It works out really well for us and is a great compromise that keeps us both happy. My next goal though is to start making homemade frozen single serve entrees that Charles can bring with to work and throw in the microwave, like he does with his Healthy Choice meals, but I have a feeling that is going to take a lot of research and taste testing to get to that point...so for now I'll focus on all the food eaten at home being the best it can be.   =)

Another way we are saving money is by having Charles go grocery shopping on his way home from work, which saves me an extra trip, plus his work is only 15 minutes from the Whole Foods, and it takes me an hour to get there from our house. I've been using the "Our Groceries" app on my iPad to create the lists and then I can send the list right to his iPhone when he gets to the store. I'm loving the new arrangement!

I would like to know if anyone has ever made frozen homemade pizzas. I would love to make some of those and keep them in the freezer! Healthy plant based ones are like $10 at Whole Foods! I do like "Amy's Kitchen frozen vegan meals, they seem to be pretty healthy, and are tasty but are pricey.

Super Healthy Chili

Well with our new eating habits under way, I needed to think of a great plant-based recipe everyone could enjoy and would actually eat. The easiest recipe to do that with was chili. It went over so well I ended up having to make another batch the next night so the guys could pack it for lunch too. This chili is definitely hardy enough to stand on it's own, but Charles has always loved his chili over pasta noodles, so I bought some great whole wheat organic pasta noodles at Target to go with it. The really nice thing about this chili? It has a TON of protein in it, more than you would find in a piece of chicken. It's also very easy to make, with most of the ingredients able to be stored right in your pantry until you need a quick meal. AND since you aren't using meat, there is no panic that you forgot to pull ground beef out of the freezer or making sure you cook it well enough. 

Ingredients:

1T grapeseed or olive oil (optional)

1/2 package tempeh crumbled (optional) You can find tempeh at Whole Foods, or most natural food stores

1 package of chili seasoning (simply organic makes a great one)

1/2c-3/4c water

2 (15oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/3c dried lentils (I used red lentils)

Method:

Saute the tempeh in the oil for about 1 minute

Add the water and chili seasoning and continue sauteing another minute until sauce thickens

Add the tomatoes, beans and lentils

Stir to mix and let simmer about 10-15 minutes until lentils are soft 

Butternut Squash and Tomato Bisque: Aunt Pam's Recipe

My Aunt Pam is an amazing cook....and she has hundreds of recipes. Any time I need a recipe for something I simply ask my mom to call her up and get it.  Want a recipe for homemade salsa? Call Aunt Pam. Want a recipe for the most amazing, creamy, Butternut Squash Tomato Bisque ever? Call Aunt Pam.

Ingredients:
Modified from the kitchen of Pam Steffens
2T grapeseed oil
1/2 large sweet (yellow or white) onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 c squash pulp/puree (I used this jar that my mom picked up from Williams Sonoma, which has spices already added to it)
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, NOT drained
1T maple syrup (or honey)
3 1/2 c vegetable broth
1/4t salt
1 fresh tomatoe diced for garnish (optional)

Method:

• Saute onion in oil until translucent
• Add garlic and saute 30 seconds
• Place tomatoes, NOT drained, in food processor with maple syrup and process until smooth
• Add butternut squash and process until smooth (I skipped this step since I used a puree that was already smooth)
• Add processed mixture, vegetable broth and salt to Dutch Oven
• Stir well and cook until thoroughly heated, if you simmer too long it will thin the soup out
• Garnish with chopped tomato (optional) and herbs and serve

AB & J Toddler Sandwich

This is a favorite of Isabelle's, and I love that it's the perfect size for her and that it is peanut free!

Ingredients: Sandwich Thin (or bagel thin), Almond Butter (or Cashew Butter) and Blackberry Jam

Almond Butter, no salt or sugar added (take that Jiffy!)

Perfect Toddler Size

Mmm...so sometimes I sneak a couple off Isabelle's plate =)

Pantry Soup

So I'm calling this recipe "Pantry Soup" because last night I felt like making soup and decided to look through my pantry and see what items I could throw together to make a good soup. I love how this soup came out. It's a little spicy, which is great when you have a cold!

Ingredients:
1/2 c of 32 dried bean mix (available at Whole Foods in the Bulk section)
1 can diced tomatoes, not drained
1 carton of vegetable broth
1/4c dried red lentils
1-2c frozen corn (or canned)
1/4 c diced fresh red bell peppers
1 t dried cumin
1-2c fresh baby spinach
cilantro for garnishing

Method:

• Place all ingredients, except for spinach and cilantro in a Dutch Oven, soup pot, or crock pot and simmer until beans are soft (1-2 hours minimum)
• Mix in baby spinach and simmer another 15-20 minutes
• Garnish with cilantro

Kale and White Bean Soup

I am in love with this soup...and in love with Kale now. Kale is one powerhouse of nutrition and if you don't like it raw this is the perfect way to cook it (other than Kale chips, which I will share that easy recipe next week). With the cold season upon us, and *shudder* the flu season too, this is the perfect way to fight them off. Sorry, but canned Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup looks like a skinny wimp compared next to this bad boy. So when I woke up sick Saturday morning, I knew I would be making a big pot of this soup to help me fight off this cold...of course I completely forgot to take a picture of it because I ate it too quickly. I also doubled the amount of Kale listed below to help boost my immune system even more.

Ingredients:
recipe from "Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook"


2T grapeseed oil

½ onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 cup peeled and chopped carrots

1 celery stalk, chopped

½ cup peeled and cubed potatoes

2T tomato paste

6 cups water

1t ground cumin

1t ground coriander

1/4t salt

2 cups chopped kale, with hard spine removed

1 (14 ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed

1/4t dried thyme

1T chopped fresh basil

Pinch of Pepper

Method:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat
• Add theonion and sauté until golden brown, about 4 minutes
• Add the garlic, carrots,celery, potatoes, and tomato paste, and sauté until the ingredients are wellcombined
• Add the water, cumin, coriander and salt and bring to a boil
• Lower the heat and simmer 30 minutes
• Add the kale, white beans, and thyme andsimmer another half hour 
• Garnish with basil and pepper before serving

Nutritional Information: (makes 6 servings)

Serving Size- 395grams

Calories: 150

Fat : 5.9g

Saturated Fat: 0

Col: 0mg

Carbs: 21 g

Fiber: 5 g

Protein: 5 g

Curried Chickpea Cakes

I'm sad to see my week long posts on soup come to an end...I know you are too, but don't worry, I still have a couple soup recipes I want to make and share with you next week. Usually I don't eat anything with my soup, but these chickpea cakes are perfect to pair with soup...or just eat on their own with a side of sauteed veggies.

Ingredients:

recipe from "Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Recipe Cookbook"

Oil for pan searing (I used grapeseed oil)

1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/3c sliced green onions

1/3 c coconut/almond/or regular milk

2t cane sugar

2/3c breadcrumbs

1t curry powder

1/2t ground nutmeg

1/2t ground cumin

2/3c brown rice, cooked

1/2t salt

Method:

• In food processor, combine the chickpeas and green onions
• Transfer to a large mixing bowl
• Add milk, spices, sugar and breadcrumbs
• Stir together until combined
• Stir in brown rice and salt
• Mold into patties (should form about 10 patties)
• Heat oil and saute patties until heated through and golden brown
• Sear on both sides

Serve on a bed of spinach and you have a healthy low-fat meal. I made my patties a little too large so they were still cold in the middle, but all I did to fix that problem was throw them in the oven on 350 degrees (I threw the spinach in with it) and cooked them for about 8 minutes, and they came out perfect!

Nutrition:

Serving Size: 123g

Calories: 170

Fat: 7g

Saturated Fat: 1g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Carbs: 23g

Fiber: 3g

Protein: 4g 

Toasted Walnuts and Butternut Squash Soup

You would think after all these posts this week I would be sick of eating soup and there would be a ton of leftover soup in my fridge...but that is not the case, especially when I come across a delicious recipe like this.

Ingredients:
recipe from www.wholefoods.com


2T grapeseed oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 large leek, diced (discard dark green part)
5 c cubed butternut squash (purchased mine from Costco)
5c vegetable stock
1/4t sea salt
Pepper to taste
1/3c toasted walnuts, chopped

Method:
Saute onion and leeks in oil, until onion is translucent
Add squash and saute about 10 minutes
Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 20 minutes
Let soup cool slightly
In a food processor, puree half of the soup mixture until smooth
Mix puree back into soup and season with salt and pepper
Cook another 5 minutes
Top with toasted walnuts and serve

Farmer's Market Chowder: Repeat

So today's soup recipe is a repeat of a post I did a couple months ago but this soup (or chowder) is so amazing that I just had to post it for "Soup Week". This recipe made me fall in love with leeks and ensure them a constant spot in my fridge.

This recipe also makes me miss my garden and going to the Farmer's Market. Hurry up and get here Spring!


Farmers' Market Chowder
(adapted from Vegetarian Times)
4 large ears of sweet corn
2 1/2 c soy milk (or low-fat milk)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T unsalted vegan butter (or regular butter, I used vegan to reduce saturated fat)
3 T extra virgin olive oil
3 c sliced leeks
4-5 c diced veggies (I used potatoes, carrots, and parsnips)
1/2 t smoked paprika
1/3 c dry sherry (or a dry white wine, for a stronger flavor)
Cilantro (for topping)

Directions:
1) Cut the corn off the cob, place the corn in a bowl and save the cobs
2) In a saucepan bring the milk, corn cobs and crushed garlic to a simmer, stirring often, and let simmer for a minute. Cover, turn off heat, and let steep while you prepare the rest of the chowder.
3) In a Dutch Oven (or large, heavy pot) heat the oil and saute the minced garlic
4) Add the butter, paprika, leeks, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, corn kernals and any other vegetables you like and saute til vegetables start to brown
5) Add the sherry and using a wooden spoon scrape the bottom of the pot to remove the browned pieces. Simmer until reduced by half
6) Remove the cobs and crushed garlic from the milk mixture and pour it into the large pot, cover and simmer around 15-20 minutes or until veggies are tender
7) Top with cilantro

Serve with a whole wheat baguette and Bon Appetite! 

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Here is a quick, easy, beautiful, and delicious recipe that should definitely go on your meal plan for this week! There are no measurements because I never measure and you should use more or less of whatever ingredient you prefer.


Ingredients:
Large Portabella mushroom caps
Diced Red peppers
Baby Spinach
Fresh Basil
Minced Garlic
Diced Onion
Feta Cheese

Method:

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees
2. In a small skillet heat some grapeseed oil (or extra virgin) and sautee the onions, garlic, peppers, spinach, and basil for 3-5 minutes
3. Place mushroom caps upside down on a baking sheet and fill with sauteed mixture
4. Sprinkle feta cheese on top and bake for 12-15 minutes

Serve with a slice of homemade bread, and you have the perfect lunch! Feel free to mix in any vegetables you like (zucchini, tomatoes, squash, ect)

Roasted Veggies with Quinoa

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:
1 golden beet
1 large parsnip (or 2 small)
1 turnip
1 potato
2 cups curly leaved Kale, washed, hard-spine removed, and chopped/torn
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T grape seed oil (or EVOO)
1 cup tri-colored quinoa
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste


Method:

Place the water and quinoa in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, simmer, covered for 15-20 min. Fluff with a fork, let sit another 5 minutes.

Using a vegetable peeler, peel the beet, parsnip, turnip and potato. Dice root vegetables, toss with oil and minced garlic. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 min. Place kale on top of the root vegetables and bake another 5-10 minutes until kale is slightly crispy/brown on edges. Salt and pepper to taste

Recipes from the Past Week

So I was terrible this week. I barely cooked at all, and most of the meals I did cook weren't from my carefully planned meal plan for the week. 

There were a couple reasons for this tragedy:

My brothers are home and eat a lot...all the time, so my delicious, healthy, organic meals are greatly under-appreciated when they are here. At 6'3" quantity over quality prevails.

By the time I got off work every day at 5pm I was exhausted and just wanted to go to bed.

Charles started his new job, and it's taking a little bit getting used to him getting home 2 hours earlier than normal...meaning dinner is an hour early.

I'm still in "vacation" mode from having so much time off the past couple weeks. 

I was just lazy this past week.

Anyways, here are some recipes and links that go with the Meal Plan I posted last week:

Smoothies

Since I'm off soda for the year, this is the perfect drink- Cold Passion Fruit Tea

Roasted Veggies with Quinoa

This is so easy to make and you can use any veggies you want. I love Kale prepared this way. When the edges are crispy it literally melts in your mouth. I could eat Kale like this every day. I love kale and quinoa because both supply me with iron, that most people get from eating meat. (I make Isabelle eat a lot of spinach for this reason too because she doesn't eat meat either.)

I made these too but forgot to take a picture of the Baked Oatmeal Squares I made. They were a huge success. Charles ate almost all of them...even after I told him that they contained tofu.

I think I need some time away from the house to recharge. Living with your parents for 6 months, and your brothers for the past month can be draining...my brothers head back to college tomorrow though, and my mom gave me money to get a hotel room so next weekend Charles and I are are headed to a hotel all weekend. Sleeping in as late as possible Saturday and Sunday mornings and then sipping coffee in bed for another hour while flipping through a magazine are on the top of my list!

Meal Plan

So it's time to get my butt back into gear with meal plans and counting calories. After a relaxing day off work yesterday, I was able to find the time last night to sit down and create a meal plan and a grocery list for Whole Foods.

I like to make my meal plans as just a list of meals and not plan what day each meal is going to be. That way I can just pick a meal at based on how much time and energy I have...or what I feel in the mood for. So here is what my list looked like for this week.

Meal Plan


Breakfast:
  -eggs
  -waffles
  -pancakes
  -Blueberry Scones
  -Smoothies
  -Mini Tofu Frittatas
  -Oatmeal

Lunch:
  -Kale with Peanut Dressing
  -Curried Chickpea Cakes
  -Amy's Organic Canned Soup (available at Costco, come out to $1.70/can)
  -Roasted Veggies and tri-colored quinoa
  -Marinated Tempeh and Veggie Skewers
  -Thai Crunch salad with Teriyaki tofu
  -Leftovers!

Dinner:
  -Kale and white bean soup with grilled cheese sandwiches
  -Baked Sandwiches
  -Taco Salads
  -Homemade Pizza
  -BBQ Chicken and Cornbread
  -Salad Bar
  -Leftovers!

Snacks:
  -Banana Bread
  -Baked Oatmeal Squares
  -Chewy Energy Bars

The breakfast and lunch ideas are all vegetarian, the dinners are made with meat, since that's the meal I cook for the family, (Charles usually makes his own lunches), but the dinner ideas are easy enough to substitute tofu or other meatless products with.

My goal is to post recipes each day from the meals I prepared the previous day so you should start seeing those in a couple days.

Now hopefully with my busy schedule I can find the time to actually cook and bake these meals.!

Pumpkin Gingerbread Cupcakes

I LOVE the Whole Foods App. I have it on my itouch and use it often when I'm cooking and can't remember a recipe or am struggling for ideas.  A couple weekends a go we had a party with some friends, the theme was Fall, and I wanted to make a dessert that wasn't too sweet and paired nicely with some delicious decaf organic coffee I had picked up. I used my Whole Foods App, typed in "pumpkin" and selected "dessert" as the type of recipe I was looking for and Yippee! I found this amazing recipe, which was a big hit. I also served hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks for those who don't like coffee. The frosting I used on the cupcakes was just whipped cream cheese that I sweetened with a little pure maple syrup (Grade A). I kept the frosting in the fridge until right before I served them so that the cupcakes stayed warm, and the frosting didn't melt.


Pumpkin Gingerbread Cupcakes
www.wholefoodsmarket.com

1 cup all-purpose flour 
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
2 teaspoons ground ginger 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1 cup sugar 
1/2 cup oil 
2 eggs 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
1 cup canned pumpkin purée

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners or spray and flour the pan using canola or olive oil cooking spray. Set aside. 


In a large mixing bowl, stir together flours, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and sugar. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, vanilla and pumpkin, then add to flour mixture and stir to combine. 


Spoon batter into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes, or until done when tested with a toothpick. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then continue to cool on wire racks.

Charles was already begging me to bake another batch before we even finished this batch. I'm thinking this weekend is the perfect time to do that! Mmmm!!!

Farmers' Market Chowder

One of my absolute favorite Saturday morning activities is going to the Farmers' Market. Waking up early, grabbing a travel mug full of steaming coffee, and heading out the door with my daughter for a walk down Main Street to shop for fruits and veggies for the week is my idea of a perfect day, and one of the things I'm going to miss most about summer.


Farmers' Market Chowder
(adapted from Vegetarian Times)
4 large ears of sweet corn
2 1/2 c soy milk (or low-fat milk)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T unsalted vegan butter (or regular butter, I used vegan to reduce saturated fat)
3 T extra virgin olive oil
3 c sliced leeks
4-5 c diced veggies (I used potatoes, carrots, and parsnips)
1/2 t smoked paprika
1/3 c dry sherry (or a dry wine, for a stronger flavor)
Cilantro (for topping)

Directions:
1) Cut the corn off the cob, place the corn in a bowl and save the cobs
2) In a saucepan bring the milk, corn cobs and crushed garlic to a simmer, stirring often, and let simmer for a minute. Cover, turn off heat, and let steep while you prepare the rest of the chowder.
3) In a Dutch Oven (or large, heavy pot) heat the oil and saute the minced garlic
4) Add the butter, paprika, leeks, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, corn kernals and any other vegetables you like and saute til vegetables start to brown
5) Add the sherry and using a wooden spoon scrape the bottom of the pot to remove the browned pieces. Simmer until reduced by half
6) Remove the cobs and crushed garlic from the milk mixture and pour it into the large pot, cover and simmer around 15-20 minutes or until veggies are tender
7) Top with cilantro

Serve with a whole wheat baguette and Bon Appetite! 

Organic Dark Chocolate Dipped Walnut Biscotti

I am addicted to coffee...seriously. Some days it's really the only thing that makes me get out of bed...besides my daughter screaming "MOM" at the top of her lungs, but the coffee usually wins. My morning does not officially start until that first sip, and I refuse to do anything (other than start breakfast) before that first cup of coffee. Some people pair their dinner with a wine...I pair my breakfast with a coffee. Nothing excites me more than the perfect breakfast to go with that delicious Organic, Fairtrade coffee I love so much. Waking up in the morning to the smell of freshly brewed coffee pretty much makes the day for me. Imagine my excitement then when I came across this recipe that not only perfectly goes with coffee, but is dipped in chocolate...enough said.


Organic Dark Chocolate Dipped Walnut Biscotti:
(adapted from Vegetarian Times)


1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c whole-wheat flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 t grated lemon zest
2 T lemon juice
1 c roughly chopped walnuts (sub pistachios or pecans per preference)
Dark chocolate for dipping (I used a 90% cocoa dark chocolate Godiva bar I had left over, mixed with 60% cocoa dark chocolate Ghirardelli pieces)


Directions:
1) Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
2) In an kitchen aid whisk together brown sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla for 5 minutes or until tripled in volumne
3) Slowly mix in flour mixture
4) Stir in lemon juice and nuts
5) Split dough in half and form 2 logs, place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or stoneware)
6) Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until golden brown and center mostly done
7) Cool 10 minutes and then slice into 1/3 inch slices
8) Bake slices at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through
9) Once cooled dip into chocolate and let cool until chocolate is hard

Form the dough into 2 "logs"

This is what it looks like after the first baking, and if you don't like biscotti, just stop right here b/c this is amazing just like this.

"Biscotti" is Italian for "Twice Baked" so after you slice it, bake it again...

See how I started my morning today? How could it not be a good day?!

Acorn Squash Ragout

Fall is officially here! Or at least it is in Minnesota. The garden is slowly dying, leaves are turning colors, and temperatures went below freezing last night (there was actually snow an hour north of us). Yes, I would say that makes it officially fall. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. The air is crisp and clean, sweaters are back, the holidays are right around the corner and there's a whole batch of new vegetables to be found at the farmer's market. Here is an easy recipe to highlight these delicious vegetables. This dish also makes a great showcase for a fall or Thanksgiving dinner party.

Acorn Squash Ragout:


(Disclaimer: I never measure ingredients when I cook, only when I bake, and I'm always improvising with whatever I have in the fridge or pantry so all measurements are approximate)

Ingredients:
2 acorn squash
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 T oregano (more or less depending on preference)
1-2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 c diced onion
1/4 c diced tomatoes (I also added a little tomato paste and some chicken stock to thicken it up since I wasn't using canned tomatoes and didn't have that extra juice)
1/4 c diced potatoes/carrots/sweet potatoes (or any other root veggies you like)
1/4 c diced bell pepper
1/4 c sweet corn

Directions:


1) Cut the tops off of the acorn squash and scoop out the seeds and fiber
2) Cut a thin piece of the bottom off so the squash stands upright
3) Grease a baking sheet and the outside and lid of the acorn squash
4) Saute the oil, orgegano, garlic, and onion for 3-4 minutes
5) Add the rest of the veggies and simmer for 5-10 minutes (longer if your potatoes don't get tender), season with salt and pepper to taste
6) Scoop ragout into acorn squash
7) Bake on 350 degrees for 60-90 minutes until you can insert a fork into the top of the squash easily
8) Top with cinnamon or nutmeg if you like

I wrote the first half of this post while my squash was cooking in the oven and now having just finished it for dinner I'm even more excited to share this recipe with you. This was one of the most amazing dishes I have ever eaten. It's so hard to describe all the flavors except to say it seriously tastes like fall on a fork/spoon. I can see eating this once a week throughout fall/winter.

After you cut off the top, scoop out all the insides (leave the good "meat" of the squash)

Cut a thin slice off the bottom so it stands upright

The "ragout" can be made a day ahead of time and then baked in the squash right before dinner

AMAZING!! I'm thinking of maybe trying pumpkin next time

Canning Salsa: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The Good:
My family goes through a lot of salsa, about a jar every week. Since we started this diet it seems to be one of our favorite snacks. If you can find a great organic salsa, that's low in sodium, it's a great healthy snack to pair with some organic corn chips. Salsa is usually around 10 calories for 1 tablespoon, and the ingredients are a ton of great vegetables.

The (Semi) Bad:
We planted our garden this year with plans of making and canning homemade salsa. We planted tomatoes, green peppers, and jalapenos.  We then planned a day of nothing but canning, but got started a lot later in the day than we had planned. We set up everything, eager and ready to get started...and realized we were missing lids for the cans, onions, and vinegar....so we weren't as prepared as we thought. Anyways the process was made easier by many hands, but I was still tired by the end. We had frozen tomatoes throughout the season so we had enough to not only can 10 jars of salsa, but also can another 10 jars of plain diced tomatoes. Here was the process we followed:

1) We blanched all the tomatoes and peeled the skins off them
2) We used a food processor to chop the onions, peppers and jalapenos
3) We diced the tomatoes by hand (the frozen ones were easier to dice up)
4) We heated all the ingredients together and simmered for 10 minutes
5) Placed salsa in jars and canned

Recipe: Adapted from my Aunt Pam's Amazing Salsa Recipe

4 c peeled, diced tomatoes
2 c  chopped green peppers
1/2 c diced jalapeno peppers (more or less to adjust spice level)
3/4 c chopped onion
4 cloves of garlic, diced
1 c vinegar (we used white vinegar, but next year I want to try cider vinegar)
2 packets salsa seasoning

The Ugly (or better described as "The Messy"):

Simmering the ingredients for 10 minutes

Diced Tomatoes for Canning

Since you are dicing tomatoes anyways a pot of chili to eat after all the hard work is done is essential =)

This is the seasoning packet I used, although next year I would like to do all my own seasonings instead of using a packet

Mmmm!!!! We've already devoured two jars. It's sooo good!

There are definitely a couple things I would like to do differently next year. Starting earlier in the day would have helped, and of course making sure we had all the ingredients would have been helpful. We only used 4 jalapenos (instead of the 1/2c like we should have), and when it was simmering the salsa tasted super spicy so we didn't add anymore, but when we opened the canned jars it wasn't spicy at all, which was a little disappointing since I love my salsa spicy, so next year I'm adding a lot more jalapenos! 

Even if you don't have a garden you can easily can your own homemade salsa simply by hitting up a farmer's market and buying all your fresh ingredients there. Not a salsa fan? Homemade spaghetti sauce is another great staple to can.

NO FAT, homemade, Lactose Free, Low Calorie Creamer

One of the ways I keep a diet, or eating healthy in general, from getting boring is by constantly challenging myself. I might do a week of no meat, or cut out sugar for awhile, it's simply a way to challenge myself and try different things, but at the same time following the main rules of eating healthy: 99% organic foods, no processed foods, and sticking mainly with fruits, vegetables and whole grains.  One of the new challenges I gave myself was to go vegan, at least for the month of September, and see if I like it. Doing my research on this topic, I found mostly pros, and very little cons. I think the best way to test any theory is to try it myself so that's what I'm going to do. For those of you wondering what a vegan diet means, you do not consume any dairy, eggs, or meat. (Honey is highly debated in the vegan community). A vegan diet is very low in cholesterol and fat, which is the main reason I am choosing to try it out. Those last 10 pesky baby pounds are still hanging onto my thighs, butt and belly, and I want them gone! Of course the first thing you have to do when starting any restrictive diet like this....find a coffee creamer substitute! So here is mine with some ways you can tweak it based on your preferences

Dairy Free Creamer:

2 cups of almond milk (or soy, but almond milk has a lot less calories)
1-2 T honey (or 1/2-1T agave nectar or 2T maple syrup)
1-2t vanilla extract
1t cinnamon, hazelnut or any other ground spic you like the smell and taste of in your coffee

Directions:

1)Place ingredients in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until sweetener is dissolved. Refrigerate.

My New Favorite $5 Kitchen Tool

While shopping at Target this past weekend (one of my favorite stores), I happened across a new product they are carrying, a Pocket Pie Mold. With a price tag of $4.99, I was too weak to pass it up. (Side note: This is a regular occurrence with my Target shopping trips.) I immediately went home and started baking....and yes, you guessed it...I made Charles a pie for breakfast this morning. =)  While the pie crust I made does contain a lot of butter, that's about the only unhealthy thing in this recipe. Next time I go grocery shopping I'm going to buy some sticks of Earth Balance, a butter substitute made with oils and plant-based fats. The filling I choose was some frozen blueberries (thawed out) and VERY lightly sprinkled with sugar. The great thing about this mold is you can also use it to make pizza calzones (a great way to sneak veggies into a meal) or you can fill it with eggs, veggies and cheese for a healthy breakfast as well. Here is the recipe I used for the pie crust.

Whole Wheat Pie Crust: 


1 C whole wheat
1/2 C white flour
2 t sugar
1/2 t salt
½ c. cold butter, sliced
4-5 Tbsp. cold milk


Directions:
1) Mix the flours, sugar and salt together in a bowl
2) Cut in the butter using a pastry blender  until all the butter is in little pea-sized pieces. (DON"T touch the dough with your hands. The goal is to keep the butter as cold as possible so that you see little bits of butter when you roll out your dough. That's what makes it flaky.
3) Slowly add the milk one tablespoon at a time and mix til dough starts to form a ball
4) Put in the fridge for 20-30min until dough is cold, then roll out
5) Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20min until golden brown