Joie de vivre: An amateur gourmet's guide

Extra Dessert Delights Apple Pie Gum

2011-08-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

This summer, I've been struggling with my desire to eat nothing but peanut butter milkshakes (and Peanut Buster Parfaits, and Tin Roof Sundaes, you get the idea!). I've been able to maintain my weight all summer, but nothing has been happening on the weight loss front. Instead of getting frustrated, I've been trying to nudge some of the bad habits I've picked up in the summer back to healthier habits. I saw this gum in the checkout aisle last week and decided to give it a try since I'm a fan of the Extra Dessert Delights Mint Chip ice cream gum. I'm glad I took a chance, because I'm now a big fan of this Apple Pie Gum! I know it sounds weird, and I have to say, it is a little weird, but it tastes like apple pie! It's just enough to take the edge off of a sugary dessert craving. I do have to say that after about one minute, the taste starts to wear off a little and it gets a little blah, so it's not a gum you want to pop in your mouth to give it something to do for a while, just for a quick taste of sweetness. Now Extra just needs to invent a peanut butter milkshake flavor and I'll be all set!

Summer

2011-08-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

Oh my blog, how I have missed you! I started this blog because I love food and I love to write. Somewhere along the way, I lost my focus. My blog started to feel like a burden. I felt I had to compete with all of the other food blogs who took way better pictures and devoted so much time researching the backgrounds of foods and experimenting with kitchen techniques I could never compete with. I started gaining weight and felt like a fraud writing about the French way of eating. I felt I needed to update everyday with new recipes, yet my health and waistline were not happy with all of that food. I needed to take a step back from my blog for a while.

During my blog hiatus, I joined Weight Watchers and rediscovered my joy of healthy eating. I am 35 lbs down from where I was a year ago at this time and feel like I have rediscovered my joie de vivre. For me, my food blog isn't about competing to make the most decadent dish and take the best pictures, it's about relating my joy of preparing healthy food for my family in its simplicity. I realized I didn't have to compete with all of the amazing and wonderful blogs out there. My blog is about my joie de vivre and a way to express myself creatively and at the end of this journey of self discovery, I think that is pretty wonderful.

For my friends and readers who have been gently (and sometimes not so) prodding me to update and post again, you will be seeing me here more often. I can't always promise a fabulous recipe and I definitely can't promise fabulous mouthwatering pictures, but I can promise that I'll write about things, food, and experiences where I find joy.

Savor the Flavor

2010-11-14T15:09:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the Foodbuzz Foodie Correspondent Program, I was able to attend Savor the Flavor yesterday as a member of the media. Savor the Flavor is a food and cooking show put on by Taste Tri-Cities as a benefit for Modern Living Services which services and supports developmentally disabled adults in the community.

As a member of the press, I was able to get into the show early to examine the layout, talk to vendors and watch the amount of effort it takes to pull a show like this off.

I was impressed with the layout of the show. There were 5-6 stages set up within the space, the aisles were roomy yet there were little seating areas throughout where people could enjoy wine and nibbles. There were lots of local food vendors and establishments represented as well. I learned about quite a few local food sources that I was unaware of before. My favorites were locally canned salmon which was caught on a line by fishermen in Washington, a woman who was selling natural dog chews made from naturally shed local elk antlers, as well as all of the small businesses who were out there working hard for their living.

This man had a small cheesecake business that he had just started this year before the start of the Farmer's market season. He was baking his cheesecakes out of the Pasco Specialty Kitchen which is a business that has an industrial kitchen it rents to small food businesses to help them get started.

Once the show officially opened, I was caught up in the excitement of the cooking demonstrations. The first I attended was Chef vs. Chef, a local take on The Iron Chef featuring local chefs. It was incredibly charming. Of the first two chefs, one was the head chef from a local retirement community and the other was a chef of a local restaurant. Being first up, they were a little flustered, but incredibly professional and polite to their sous chefs and each other. I was tickled that the first two front rows were taken up by the chef's family members cheering them on. I was so enthralled by the Chef vs. Chef competition that I watched two of them throughout the day. Here are some of the chef's finished dishes after 40 minutes.

With these two, the secret ingredient was beef loin. I thought the long, deep fried sweet potato strips were inspired!

Secret ingredient: White salmon. I felt so sorry for the sous chef who helped make the above dish. They didn't really have sinks, so he had to carefully drain the pasta into a small bowl. Talk about pressure!

After Chef vs. Chef, it was getting to be about lunch time. Savor the Flavor is all about trying out dishes from different restaurants. You buy tickets for a dollar each and then use the tickets to purchase little sample dishes from attending restaurants.

This was a mini beef sandwich with coleslaw from Jacksons, a local sports bar

12 cheese Macaroni and Cheese from Cheese Louise, a local cheesemonger

Thai spring rolls. One of my favorite nibbles of the day!

After my nibbles for lunch, I was starting to wear out so I headed over to the "celebrity" chef stage to watch the demos over there. The first was a chef from a local country club. There were only about 25 people watching his show so there was lots of opportunity to ask the chef questions. He was extremely personable and promised to e-mail me his recipes. I can't wait to try making his hazelnut chocolate truffle tart with spiced cranberries.

In addition to his chocolate truffle tart, he made short ribs with mushroom risotto

A sample of the lobster mushroom he used in his risotto. It had a bright red outside!

The last "celebrity" chef show I attended for the day was a local chef who owns a Thai restaurant called Emerald of Siam. She has published two cookbooks now which she sells at her restaurant. I bought one of them yesterday because it had the recipe for tom yum (lemongrass with shrimp) soup which she demoed.

This was my favorite nibble of the day! With my sore throat, it felt so nourishing.

Savor the Flavor was a wonderful experience and a wonderful way to discover local food sources and restaurants who are using thoughtful, loving, local and sustainable practices toward food and food production. My only complaint about the show was the inclusion of non-food vendors such as a local hair salon, as well as vendors selling bags, make-up and home fragrances. These really detracted from an otherwise fabulous event.

Smile

2010-11-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday!

Healthy Halloween dinner

2010-11-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

It's November already! I thought I'd share a quick post today before this post became too outdated.

My goal this Halloween was to make a high protein, low sugar, healthy dinner to fuel my kids before the onslaught of post trick-or-treating sugar. I had help from a Pillsbury Halloween magazine I picked up a few years ago. Fortunately, they included all of the nutritional information on the recipes. So many of those magazines don't.

Twice baked mummies

These were baked potatoes, cut in half with their insides scraped out. I filled the cavity with cooked turkey meatball that had simmered in pizza sauce, laid mozzarella "bandages" over the meatballs, popped them back into the oven for a minute or two so the cheese could melt slightly, and then added green olives for the eyes and pickle slices for feet.

Jack o' lantern smoothies

This was a smoothie made with nonfat greek yogurt, orange juice concentrate, mandarin oranges, nonfat milk, and banana. I added orange food coloring to really make it orange. The faces were made with melted chocolate chips and were spread inside the glass. I then chilled the glasses to set the chocolate faces before filling.

"Garbage" dip

This was a dip made with nonfat greek yogurt, cream cheese and a whole bunch of veggies. I served this with a plate full of raw veggies. The kids loved the "hand" sticking out of the dip.

Fueling up before heading out.

Brown Rice Pilaf with pecans and dried cranberries

2010-10-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

Have you already started planning your side dishes for Thanksgiving? Do you have set standards or are you an adventuresome type? I like to try different side dishes every Thanksgiving. I have my set favorite, my mom's stuffing, but I'm even going to mix that up this year and try to make it healthier in consideration for a diabetic in the family who is coming to dinner.

I made this Brown Rice Pilaf with pecans and dried cranberries to accompany the turkey made for my review of the Charbroil Big Easy. I adapted it from a recipe by Lorna Sass in her cookbook, Whole Grains: Every Day, Every Way. I really liked the nuttiness and the whole grains, but I think when I make it again, I will cut out the butter. The recipe calls for 3 Tbls. of butter which I used because it was my first time making the recipe, but it really didn't need it. I think the butter made the dish taste a little heavy, especially since we already had all of the heavy aromas around the house from the turkey. Either way you make it though, it could be your solution on what to make to accompany your Thanksgiving turkey this year!

Brown rice pilaf with pecans and dried cranberries by Joie de vivre. Adapted from Whole Grains: Every Day, Every Way by Lorna Sass
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

3 Tbls. unsalted butter (I'm going to omit this the next time I make it)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 c. chopped pecans
3 c. freshly cooked long grain brown rice (I made this in my rice cooker while the turkey was cooking)
3 Tbls. sweet sherry
2 Tbls. dried cranberries
3/4 tsp. grated orange zest
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the butter in a large skillet until melted and foamy. Add the salt, pumpkin pie spice, and the chopped pecans. Stir for 2-3 minutes until the pecans are slightly toasted.
2. Add the rice and stir until combined. Next, add the cranberries, sherry and orange zest. Stir until combined.
3. Remove from heat and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

Review of Ghirardelli Luxe Milk Chocolates

2010-10-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I was recently sent some samples of Ghirardelli Luxe Milk Chocolates to try. (I know, it's a hard job, but someone has to do it!) Fortunately for me, they came the day before I was to set out on a relaxing weekend at a women's retreat. What better place or time to try some new chocolates than on a weekend retreat?

Saturday morning dawned warmish and beautiful. The forecast called for rain all weekend so I was delighted to find a sunny spot all to myself where I could ready my book and try these new chocolates.

I settled into a nice adirondack chair which was bathed in sunlight, beautiful Lake Coeur d'Alene (in Idaho) shimmered in the distance, popped my iPod buds into my ears, took a deep, relaxing sigh, and tried these chocolates.

For milk chocolate, these were surprisingly good. I am really a dark chocolate fan, the darker the better, so I'm not the best person to be reviewing these, but I did enjoy them. The milk chocolate was extremely smooth and actually melted on my tongue unlike some milk chocolates that don't melt and leave a waxy coating in your mouth. The nut flavors, almond and hazelnut, were also very good. They had nice pieces of nut in them that actually tasted nutty and complemented the chocolate nicely. Another bonus, small sizes make for instant portion control.

If you are a fan of milk chocolate, go ahead and give these a try, I think you'll like them.

Pumpkin Buckwheat Breakfast

2010-10-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

I got a bee in my bonnet this week for eating pumpkin for breakfast after reading a post by Josie at The Skinny Way of Life where she put pumpkin in her oatmeal. I had never even thought of eating pumpkin in this way before, but the idea of adding it to whole grains for breakfast really resonated with me. I started rifling through my grains and came across a neglected bag of raw buckwheat groats. Why has it been neglected you ask? I am not a fan of buckwheat, it is just a little too earthy for me. However, I thought if I add pumpkin to it, perhaps it would mask the earthy smell! I soaked the buckwheat groats overnight in a saucepan and in the morning, they were ready to eat after cooking for a short 10 minutes. After adding the pumpkin, a little honey, and some pumpkin pie spice, my breakfast was good to go. Pouring nonfat milk over the top made the whole dish creamy and yummy. It was like eating pumpkin pie for breakfast! My new favorite way to eat whole grains for breakfast.

Pumpkin Buckwheat Breakfast by Joie de vivre
(Serves 1)

Ingredients:

1/4 c. raw buckwheat groats
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp. honey
1 c. nonfat milk
1 tsp. flaxseed oil (optional)

Directions:

1. Soak the buckwheat groats in the water overnight in a small saucepan with a lid.
2. In the morning, remove the lid and place the saucepan over high heat. Bring the water to a boil, then place the lid on the pan and lower the heat to low. Gently simmer for 10 minutes.
3. After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the heat. Check to see that all of the water has been absorbed by the groats. If not, put over low heat until the water has been absorbed. Leave the lid on the pot so the groats can steam while you get the other ingredients put together.
4. Into your breakfast cereal bowl, add 1/2 pumpkin. Add the pumpkin pie spice and the honey and mix together. If desired, add the flaxseed oil.

5. Mix the pumpkin, honey and flaxseed oil together and then add the cooked buckwheat.

6. Mix the buckwheat and the pumpkin mixture together and pour milk over it as desired. Enjoy.

My week in food

2010-10-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

Although I had a good week in food, my photos are pretty weak this week (hee hee). I was able to go on a women's retreat last weekend in Coeur d'Alene, ID which was BEAUTIFUL and completely relaxing, but I somehow forgot to take pictures of my food which is how it should be when you're relaxed.

Breakfasts

Oatmeal with 1/2 smashed banana, 1 c. nonfat milk, coffee and cream

Oatmeal with 1 1/2 c. sliced strawberries (a few smashed in my oatmeal too), 1 c. nonfat milk, coffee and cream

This tasted like pumpkin pie for breakfast! I'll post the recipe next. 1/4 c. dried buckwheat (cooked) with pumpkin, honey, pumpkin pie spice. 1 c. nonfat milk, coffee and cream.

Same breakfast as above, but made with 1/4 c. dried teff (cooked) instead of the buckwheat

Lunches

1/2 can salmon, whole grain crackers, 1/2 c. plain yogurt, 1 1/2 c. sliced strawberries

2 fried eggs, 1 piece of whole wheat toast spread with Marmite, 1 1/2 c. sliced strawberries, 1/2 c. plain yogurt.

Turkey sandwich with mustard on whole wheat bread, zucchini sticks

1 fried egg, 1 piece of whole wheat toast spread with Marmite, 1/2 apple sliced thinly, zucchini sticks, 1/2 c. lowfat cottage cheese

1/2 c. plain yogurt, 1 tin of sardines packed in water, 8 whole grain crackers, 1/4 c. pomegranate seeds

Dinners

4 oz. plain baked potato, 1/2 c. sauteed mushrooms, steamed broccoli with 1 tsp. butter, 3 oz. London broil

How to open a pomegranate

2010-10-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

It's pomegranate season! I remember buying pomegranates as a kid at our local flea market near Fresno, CA. I used to spend HOURS carefully peeling back all the membranes in the pomegranate to eat the seeds one by one. As an adult, I still love pomegranates, but no longer have the time or the desire to spend hours eating one. The problem is, those suckers are hard to open without making a mess and crushing all of those beautiful juicy seeds inside! A few years ago, I happened upon this method of opening them. I can go from pomegranate to a bowl full of seeds in less than 5 minutes. Oh yeah!

1. First, cut off the top and the bottom of the pomegranate using a very sharp knife.

2. Next, cut a shallow slit down the side of the pomegranate. You need only cut through the outside of the pomegranate.

3. Fill a large bowl with water and place the pomegranate into the bowl. While the pomegranate is under the water, wedge your fingers in the slit you made with your thumbs on the opposite side of the fruit and split the pomegranate in two. Continue to split the fruit into about six pieces.

4. Once the pomegranate is broken up into about six pieces, gently start to separate the seeds from the rind and the membrane. I usually just rub the pomegranate pieces between my fingers and thumbs and the seeds come off easily. Do this step gently, you don't want to crush the seeds.

5. You will notice that the seeds sink to the bottom of the bowl while the rind and the membranes of the pomegranate float. When you are finished deseeding the pomegranate, use a strainer to skim off all of the floating rind and membrane. Empty your strainer, then pour the water and the seeds into it. You now have a strainer full of pomegranate seeds you can do what you wish with.

I served my pomegranate seeds in a little bowl to accompany my lunch yesterday. (Yes, I really do eat sardines on crackers). I love scooping up the pomegranate seeds on a spoon. Easy peasy! You can do it too. Once you get the technique of opening pomegranates down, you can spend the few precious weeks in fall while they are in season enjoying them.

Review of The Char-broil Big Easy

2010-10-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I was sent a Char-broil Big Easy Oil-less turkey fryer to review as well as a Flip video camera to record my experience! I hope you find the video charming, it was recorded primarily by my 5 year old, he was the only one available at the time, so bear that in mind.

I was really excited by The Big Easy. All I did to my turkey was remove the insides, rinse the inside and the outside of the bird with water, dry it, let it rest at room temperature for an hour, smear it with softened butter, season it liberally with Charbroil's All Purpose Rub, pop it in the hinged basket and pop it in The Big Easy. I didn't have to baste, I didn't have to constantly worry about it, that was it. An hour and a half after putting the turkey in, I had one of the juiciest, most flavorful turkeys I had ever had. Even the leftovers are juicy!

As my loyal reader, you can get in on the action too! Charbroil is giving you free shipping on The Big Easy at charbroil.com. Plus, you can also take advantage of an exclusive offer of 10% off the Hinged Basket when you enter offer code TBEFB12 at time of checkout. The Big Easy is available for immediate purchase nationwide at Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Amazon.com and Bass Pro Shops.

Chicken and Pesto Pizza

2010-10-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

When meal planning for the week, I always ask my kids for input on what they want for dinners during the week. Inevitably, every week we must have a "pizza night". Since I've been trying to control the ingredients in my family's dinners, this week I made my own pizza. The boys still wanted pepperoni, but I was able to control my own fat and calories by making a grown up pizza of chicken and pesto. The following recipe for pizza dough was super easy with no kneading required. It made a really wet dough that cooked up really crisp with lots of bubbly air holes throughout. Enjoy!

Basic Pizza Dough adapted from Frank Stitt's Bottega Favorita cookbook
Makes 2 12-inch pizza crusts

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c. warm water
1 Tbls. honey
1 Tbls. active dry yeast
2 c. all purpose flour (extra for dusting)
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. olive oil
Cornmeal for dusting

Directions:

1. Pour the warm water into a cup and stir in the honey. Sprinkle the yeast on top and set aside while you get the other components of the dough mixed together.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flours and salt. By now, your yeast mixture should be getting foamy. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture with the olive oil. Mix with dough hooks on your hand mixer until all incorporated. The dough will be very wet.
3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for about 30 minutes (dough should be doubled)
4. Sprinkle extra all purpose flour on top of the dough and dust cornmeal on your pizza pan or pizza peel. Using a dough scraper, divide the dough in two and place on your pizza pans. Dust as needed with all purpose flour to shape the very sticky dough into two crusts.

Chicken Pesto Pizza by Joie de vivre
Yields 1 pizza

Ingredients:

1 pizza crust
1/2 cut up cooked chicken breast (I used the pre-cooked, pre-cut chicken breast from Oscar Meyer found in the deli)
1 Tbls. prepared pesto
2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. If using a pizza stone, place stone in the oven and preheat your oven as high as it will go. (My oven hit about 500 degrees F. Otherwise, preheat your oven as hot as it will go.
2. If using a pizza stone, place your dough on a pizza peel that has been sprinkled liberally with cornmeal, or place dough on a pizza pan sprinkled liberally with cornmeal.
3. Spread 1 Tbls. prepared pesto on the pizza dough. Top with chicken breast and mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake pizza either directly on pizza stone or in pizza pan for 12-15 minutes until crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.
5. Enjoy!

This is the book that the pizza dough recipe came from. It has tons of yummy looking photos and the recipes are easy to follow.

My week in food

2010-10-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

Between carpooling, volunteering for PTO, grocery shopping, play dates, exercising, house cleaning, laundry, and soaking up the wonderful early autumn weather we've been having here in eastern, WA, it feels like I've hardly had time to breathe this week! Despite my schedule, I have felt confident in what I've been fueling my body with this week. I'm determined to have as healthy a diet as I possibly can this autumn and winter to give myself a head start in fending off attacking viruses! With school back in session, the kidlets are sure to bring home many nasty bugs. Moms must stay strong!

The key to my meals this week was the preparation of some key proteins that resurfaced as various leftovers throughout the week. Early in the week I grilled a London Broil that had been seasoned on the outside with McCormick's Far East Ginger Spice Blend and had grilled some turkey breast strips seasoned with Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle. These were repurposed as several lunches and dinners in the form of wraps. I also bought a package of chicken mango sausages at Costco last week that were a quick, low-fat protein for several lunches and dinners as well. This week, I also figured out that my rice cooker will make wild rice. The resulting pot of rice reheated well and supplemented a few meals this week too.

Breakfasts

Whole grain waffles made from Lorna Sass' Whole Grains: Every day, every way cookbook. These were phenomenal and filling, but they were phenomenal because there was 5 Tbls. butter in the batter! I practiced moderation and only had one, but these were a good lesson, when you cook things yourself, you know what is in them, when you are at a restaurant, you never know what is hidden inside.

Miracle Breakfast Cream from French Women Don't Get Fat cookbook by Mireille Guiliano. Basically, it is yogurt, ground almonds, flax oil, lemon juice and oatmeal. On the side, I had a peach and coffee with cream.

1 egg fried in 2 tsp. olive oil, a peach and a piece of whole wheat toast spread with 1 Tbls. apricot jelly. Coffee and cream.

Again, I had Miracle Breakfast Cream but this time added 1/2 of a banana smashed up with a fork. It was yummy! Mireille says in the French Women Don't Get Fat cookbook that Miracle Breakfast Cream is addicting. I would have to agree with her!

1 egg fried in 2 tsp. olive oil, a peach, coffee with cream, and a piece of whole wheat toast spread with Marmite.

Miracle Breakfast Cream with a peach, coffee and cream.

Oatmeal with 1 tsp. flax oil mixed in, a peach, 1 c. nonfat milk, coffee.

Lunches

3 oz. turkey breast strips on a Flat Out Original flatbread, 1 Tbls. salsa, 1/2 c. lowfat cottage cheese, 1 peach.

Chicken Mango sausage, 1 c. plain wild rice, 1 peach and some cucumber and celery sticks.

1 can sardines packed in water, 8 whole grain crackers, 1/2 c. whole milk yogurt, 1 peach. This was a super quick and healthy lunch, but you definitely need time to brush your teeth afterwards!

Chicken Mango sausage, 1 c. wild rice, 1/2 c. lowfat cottage cheese, 1/2 banana, carrot sticks

3 oz. London Broil strips on a Flat Out Original Flatbread, 1 c. (?) spinach, 1 Tbls, salsa, 1/2 c. whole milk yogurt with 1 tsp. flax oil mixed in.

Dinners

Chicken Mango sausage, 1 c. wild rice, 1 c. steamed cauliflower seasoned with butter and salt, 1/2 c. lowfat cottage cheese

Octopus and rice and bean salad. I will post about my experience cooking the octopus, which turned out to be okay, but it was such a tiny portion for everyone at the table, that we all ended up having hot dogs as well!

Tandoori Tilapia from Devin Alexander's cookbook, I Can't Believe it's not Fattening. This was AMAZING, even the kids gobbled it down. It's going to make a reappearance on our menu in the near future. I served this with 1/2 c. of my rice and bean salad, steamed summer squash seasoned with salt and butter, and 1/2 c. lowfat cottage cheese.

3 oz. London Broil strips served on a Flat Out Original Flatbread, lettuce, salsa.

1 c. rice and bean salad, Babybel cheese.

Homemade chicken and pesto pizza, peach. I ended up having 3 pieces of pizza, but the glory of making it myself, I was able to point out (on the Weight Watcher point system) all of the ingredients for the pizza and it was only 8 points for 1/3 of the pizza. Thank goodness for cooking and being able to control your ingredients!

Saturday is my meal planning day so the cycle starts again today. I'll share with you this week my story of cooking the octopus and recipes for the pizza and the rice and bean salad, but until then, have a fabulous and healthy week!

These are the cookbooks I used to inspire this week's meals. You may find them interesting!

Creamy Carrot Soup made Healthier (Potage Crécy)

2010-09-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

The local farmer's market is coming to a close in a few weeks. The summer fruits are slowly being replaced by root vegetables and winter squashes. This year, I am trying to adopt a better attitude to the changing of the seasons. This means instead of looking at those root vegetables with disdain because they aren't summer fruits, I'm going to embrace them! Yesterday, carrots and sweet potatoes looked really good at the market, so I made them into this sweet soup. I made it early in the day, refrigerated it and served it cold along with a piece of whole wheat bread smeared with peanut butter. It was a yummy, healthy way to herald the first day of autumn.

I worked from Mark Bittman's recipe for Potage Crécy found in his cookbook titled The Best Recipes in the World but made it a little healthier to suit my needs. Enjoy!

Creamy Carrot Soup (Potage Crécy) by Joie de vivre
Makes 4 hearty servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbls. olive oil
1 small onion (4.5 oz.), chopped
1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small sweet potato (6.75 oz.), peeled and chopped
1 tomato, chopped (don't worry about peeling or seeding)
1 tsp. salt (more or less to taste)
pepper to taste
2 tsp. sugar
4 c. chicken stock
1 c. water
1/2 c. light sour cream

Directions:

1. Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, sweet potato, tomato, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes until the vegetables start to break down. If the vegetables start to stick to the bottom of the pan, lower the heat slightly and add 1/4 c. water.
2. When the vegetables are tender, add the stock and 1 c. water. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, lower the heat to low and gently simmer the soup for 15 minutes.
3. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until completely smooth. Place the soup in the refrigerator and refrigerate until cold.
4. When ready to serve, stir in the sour cream. Serve cold.

My week in food

2010-09-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

Although I haven't been cooking anything fabulous this week, I have been concentrating on fresh ingredients and healthy cooking. The peach season up here is almost at an end, so you'll notice that all of my meals have peaches in them. Thinking hard at this moment, I think peaches (fully ripe, local, summer peaches) may be my favorite food in the world. (Okay, so that's an overstatement, but I just LOVE them!) I'm trying to get my fill of them before they are gone for the year. I thought I'd share with you what I've been eating this week to give you some inspiration in your own healthy meal planning.

Breakfasts

Thursday: 1/2 c. oatmeal, a fresh peach, 1 c. whole milk, coffee. Notice my little rooster milk pourer? This week, I discovered it holds exactly 1 c. milk. Not only is it darling, but it's a good way to portion control!

Friday: The same breakfast but with Kambaa tea instead of coffee. Kambaa is an extremely strong tea from Kenya. My tea supplier gave me a sample of it. It is very astringent, but I think I like it. Milk smoothed the tea out.

Saturday: Sensing a theme this week with oatmeal and peaches? I served my oatmeal with 1/2 c. whole milk. (My little cow pourer holds exactly 1/2 c.)

Sunday: 1 fried egg, 1 piece of whole wheat toast spread with 1 tsp. Vegemite, 1 peach, coffee with 1/2 c. whole milk

Monday: 3 Tbls. grits, 1 tsp. butter, 1 c. nonfat milk, 1 peach

Tuesday: 3/4 c. plain, whole milk yogurt, 1/3 c. muesli, 1 peach, coffee with 1 Tbls. half and half.

Lunches

This week, I've been concentrating on incorporating a lean protein in each of my lunches to help satisfy my stomach until dinner

Wednesday: Bowl of vegetable/chickpea/tomato soup I made from my Farmer's market haul.

Thursday: Two egg omelette stuffed with chopped tomatoes, 1 piece of whole wheat toast spread with 1 tsp. Vegemite, 1 peach

Friday: Tuna fish sandwich on whole wheat, 1 peach, 1/2 c. lowfat cottage cheese

Saturday: Tuna fish sandwich on whole wheat, 1 peach, slices of tomato and cucumber, 1 Tbls. ranch dressing.

Sunday: Last of the tuna on whole wheat bread, 1 peach, baby carrots and celery with 1 Tbls. ranch dressing.

Dinners

Thursday: Bowl of leftover vegetable/chickpea/tomato soup, steamed broccoli with 1 tsp. butter, salad with 1 Tbls. ranch dressing, 1/2 c. lowfat cottage cheese, 1/2 c. raspberries.

Friday: 1 pieces (1/3 pizza) of California Pizza Kitchen's BBQ chicken pizza, steamed broccoli with 1 tsp. butter, raw carrots with 1 Tbls. ranch dressing.

Monday: Fully loaded turkey burrito (turkey breast strips, 1 Tbls. light sour cream, 2 Tbls. soy cheese, salsa with a Flatout flat bread) sauteed turnip greens (are they always that bitter?) 1/2 c. lowfat cottage cheese.

I hope this gave you some inspiration in your own meal planning. As for me, the farmer's market is tomorrow and I'm praying I can get a few more weeks of peaches in. Even though I've eaten them practically every meal for a week, I still haven't had my fill to last me until next summer.

Black Bean Salad Farmer's Market Style

2010-09-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

As a continuation of yesterday's post on Dinner from the Farmer's Market, I thought I'd share with you this lovely lunch made with the vegetables from my farmer's market haul, sardine sandwich on toasted ciabatta topped with slices of fresh heirloom tomatoes seasoned with homemade lavender salt, with black bean salad on the side. I felt like an Italian grandfather eating this dish, and I was sure to brush my teeth vigorously after it, but it was so soul-satisfyingly good.

To make the sandwich, I halved and toasted a section of ciabatta bread, opened a tin of sardines packed in water, drained them, added a little mayo and smashed it up. I smeared the sardines onto the bread and topped with tomatoes and salt. One tin of sardines made one hearty serving. On the side, I had this little salad. The leftovers of it kept for days and kept getting better and better. Enjoy.

Black Bean Salad Farmer's Market Style by Joie de vivre

Salad Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

kernels of corn from 3 ears of corn, cooked and cooled

1/2 bulb fennel, chopped somewhat finely

1 red pepper (choose your level of heat) chopped

1 medium sized red onion, chopped finely

1/3 c. finely chopped cilantro

Dressing:

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 c. lime juice (I just used bottled)

1 garlic clove, minced

Pinch of ground cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all of salad ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld.

2. One hour before serving, combine all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Before serving, combine the dressing with the salad and stir together. Salad gets even better the next day.

Dinner from the Farmer's Market

2010-09-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

When I think about my journey as a foodie and a food blogger, my love of writing about and taking pictures of food really started when I discovered how wonderful eating seasonally could be after reading French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano. It was while reading that book that I discovered my joie de vivre concerning food. The simple, unbridled joy I receive while eating a fresh peach whose juices run down my arm, or an end of summer tomato seasoned with nothing more than salt (or maybe some basil) are what I try to convey to my readers and my family. What I hope that you, as my reader, take away from my blog, is a sense of that joy, and the motivation to create joy for your family in your kitchen through my recipes and experiences. Bon appétit!

When my husband and I moved to Eastern Washington from Sacramento seven years ago, the things we most mourned were fresh vegetables. We lived in a very progressive community near Sacramento and were part of a CSA before it was "trendy". We loved browsing the farmer's market which was a huge community event twice weekly. When we first moved here, we were unfamiliar with the area and thus did our grocery shopping solely at our local supermarket and missed California with each bite of tasteless tomato.

After living here a few months, I was lamenting the loss of fresh vegetables to someone when they mentioned the local farmer's market. I cannot express the relief I felt when I first visited the farmer's market in town seven years ago. It was as if finally, after months of feeling like we had moved to a wasteland, we could make this place our home. Alas, the farmer's markets here only last from May until October (unlike the year round farmer's markets in California) so while they are here, I try to take full advantage.

This past week, with $38 in my pocket, I took my youngest son to the farmer's market. We noticed some fall squash, the very beginning of the season.

I just loved how they displayed them on the road. With a little gathering of leaves, it definitely looked like fall! I am not quite ready to fully embrace fall and while they are still with us, I stocked up on summer tomatoes and peaches.

For $35, we came home with quite a haul, heirloom tomatoes, a bag of Walla Walla onions, three cherry peppers, eggplants, okra, fingerling potatoes, a pint of strawberries and raspberries, peaches and nectarines, as well as an Armenian cucumber and grapes.

I just couldn't pass up these eggplants. The colors were so deep and the flesh so shiny they begged me to pick them up! Unfortunately, eggplant isn't a big winner with my family so I had to find a way to disguise it by turning it into baba ganoush. Baba ganoush is a garlicky eggplant spread that is wonderful served with pita chips. I can't say my children LOVED it, but they tolerated it which for a 5 and 7 year is pretty good!

Joie's Baba Ganoush by Joie de vivre

Ingredients:

2 eggplants,

2 Tbls. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 garlic clove, mashed through a garlic press

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut several slits in each eggplant so they do not explode when you cook them and place them in a pan.

2. Place the eggplant in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

3. Remove the eggplant skin and chop the flesh very finely. Add the garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with pita chips.

Here's what I came up with to use the Armenian cucumber. It is a cold, rice salad that hit the spot on a warm summer evening.

Cool Rice and Cucumber Salad by Joie de vivre

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. jasmine rice, cooked and cooled to room temp.

1 armenian cucumber, peeled and seeded, (or 2-3 regular cucumbers)

1 tsp. dill seed

3 Tbls. chopped fresh mint

1/3 c. minced chives

1/4 c. white wine vinegar

3 Tbls. olive oil

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the cucumber, rice, dill seed, mint and chives.

2. In the blender, or in a wide mouth jar with a lid, combine the white wine vinegar and olive oil. Cover and shake the jar until mixed or blend mixture in the blender to make a dressing.

3. Pour the dressing over the rice salad and mix.

4. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Because I had bought the peaches and nectarines, I had some fresh plums from the week prior to use up and ended up making this DELICIOUS pie. Sadly, I didn't take notes so I can't recreate it for you but I did take my inspiration from the book Pie by Ken Haedrich.

I'll be sharing other recipes from this trip to the farmer's market this week. Come visit again to see what else I made. Our farmer's market only lasts another six weeks before the cold weather sets in, you can bet that I'll be there, soaking up all of the fresh, local produce while I can!

Here are some books you may find useful in finding inspiration on what to do with your own Farmer's Market haul.

Lola: A Seattle Restaurant Review

2010-09-07T15:58:00.000-07:00

Photo by Seattle.net

My husband and I recently celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary with our first ever trip to Seattle. Until then, we had been living in eastern Washington for seven years and had yet to make a trip over. We justified our eastern Washington seclusion by saying the four hour drive would be too long for the kids. No excuses however justified keeping ourselves from the wonderful sites and tastes we experienced while we were there.

Our very first evening in Seattle, we dined at Tom Douglas' restaurant Lola. Tom Douglas is one of Seattle's celebrity chefs who won the 1994 James Beard award for best Northwest chef, and he is well deserving of the honor. Tom Douglas has four restaurants located near 4th Avenue and Virginia in Seattle on what my husband and I termed "Tom Douglas Block," which was within walking distance of our hotel and other attractions like Pike Street Market. First of all, all of Tom Douglas' restaurants had phenomenal websites. I was able to check out the menu, look at photos of dishes, and see photos of the interiors of his restaurants in order to choose the perfect restaurant for our needs and wants. I was also able to make reservations the evening prior to our visit on a website called Opentable.com which had a link on the Lola restaurant webpage.

Since we knew we would be a little tuckered out from our long drive, we opted for an early 5:30 p.m. reservation and were treated to an empty, quiet restaurant with an extremely attentive, very professional, and well trained waitstaff. By the time we left around 8:00 p.m, the place was bustling and energetic, but for a good hour, we had the lovely restaurant to ourselves which was such a nice treat.

The menu was diverse and creative. Since it was conveniently separated into different categories, my husband and I decided to share everything so that we could try one thing from each category.

To begin with, we tried the Skordalia which is a garlic spread served with Lola's freshly made pita.

Next, a grilled octopus salad with fava beans, basil and fresh yogurt cheese. The juxtaposition of the fava beans with the basil was absolutely wonderful. The octopus was phenomenal. The waitress told us that the octopus is marinated for hours before grilling. It gave the octopus almost a meaty consistency.

Next, we tried a Haloumi cheese and fig kabob served atop caramelized onions and deglazed with ouzo. This was my favorite dish of the evening. The cheese had a meaty, spongey texture which contrasted nicely to the creamy fig. Also, the saltiness of the cheese was a nice complement to the sweetness of the fig. The ouzo gave the whole dish a slight anise flavor which was wonderful.

This was a tagine of young goat served with cumin spiced peaches and roasted red peppers. The meat was incredibly tender and the cumin with the peach was a flavor explosion.

After all of the wonderful dishes we were trying this night, it is hard to believe that a lowly potato could hold its place among all of the superstars. However, aside from the cheese and fig kebab, this was my second favorite dish of the evening, smashed garlic fried potatoes. Starch + garlic + oil = crispety, crunchety heaven.

To cap the evening off, we tried the saffron ice cream. I just loved the simple presentation of this and the wonderful dish it was served on. The ice cream was very delicately flavored and I'm sorry to say, after our garlic spread and the garlic smashed potatoes, it took us quite a few bites in order to discern its flavor, but it was a creamy and wonderful way to finish the dinner.

Although our kids probably wouldn't yet appreciate the menu at Lola, with seven restaurants in Seattle (including one dedicated to pizza), I know our next trip to Seattle will include a stop at a Tom Douglas restaurant.

Lola Restaurant
2000 4th Ave.
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 441-1430

Stuffed Melon Salad

2010-09-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

The first day of school yesterday heralded a new chapter in my life. Instead of being a mom of "little" kids, I am now officially a mom of school aged children. All summer I would marvel at all of the time I would have to myself this school year, but now, on the second day of school, I looked around my already cleaned house, baked my second pie in a week, and then wondered, now what? There are things I am looking forward to doing this year with all of my free time, I want to volunteer in my children's classrooms, I want to work out more, and I want to enjoy simply being by myself by reading or doing things like getting pedicures. I also want to blog more as I find it a huge creative release. I love finding new backgrounds and trying to find new recipes. I can't promise it will be a daily thing, but you'll see me about more often! For starters, I have this beautiful salad to share with you. It is a very elegant, beautiful and delicious way to enjoy the last of the summer melons before cold weather starts to creep in.

Stuffed Melon Salad adapted from Twelve Months of Monastery Salads by Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette

Serves 4

Ingredients:

(For salad)
2 small ripe cantaloupes
1 1/2 c. cottage cheese
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. seedless raisins
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
A few mint leaves, finely chopped

(For dressing)
1/2 c. half and half
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbls. plus 1 tsp. honey
Pinch of white pepper

Directions:

1. For the salad: Cut the cantaloupes in half and scoop out the seeds. I like to cut off a tiny sliver of rind on the side opposite the cut side to help them lay on the plate more securely.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine the cottage cheese, pecans, raisins and nutmeg. Spoon the mixture into the cavities of each cantaloupe.
3. For the dressing: Combine all of the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Drizzle over the filled cantaloupes and sprinkle chopped mint on top.

A review of Buitoni Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli

2010-07-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

Can it possibly be since March that I updated my blog? Where has the time gone!? Well, I'll tell you, between Little League, summer vacation, and those darn time sucking Facebook games, as well as devouring multiple volumes of Agatha Christie, time just seems to fly!

A few weeks (months?) ago, I received a coupon in the mail thanks to Buitoni and Foodbuzz for a free Buitoni frozen entree. Yeah for free! I chose the Buitoni Reserva Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli with Garlic Butter Sauce.

The ravioli was super easy to prepare. Basically, bring water to a boil while floating the bag of frozen sauce in it, then add your pasta. Remove the bag, drain the pasta, and pour the hot sauce over the ravioli. I enjoyed the flavor of the pasta but the texture of the shrimp in the ravioli was a slightly unpleasant contrast to the creamy lobster. At first, I was a little intimidated by the $8.99 price point on the ravioli, thinking I would never pay that much (if it wasn't free), but after trying it and being blown away by the sheer ease of preparation, I figured getting 3-4 servings from it was well worth the $3.00 a person it would work out to be.

All in all, it was a good product. Phenomenal ease of preparation, good taste and a good price point made up for the slightly gummy texture of the shrimp. I would consider buying this again if I needed solid dinner prepared really quickly.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

2010-03-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

This is a super easy recipe that yields fall apart tender Beef Stroganoff. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff by Joie de vivre

Ingredients:

4 c. beef cubes (1 cut up an arm pot roast)
1 10.5 oz. can of cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream
1 Tbls. instant clear gel (optional)

Directions:

1. Place the beef cubes in the crock pot insert.
2. Add the cream of mushroom soup and stir until beef cubes are coated
3. Cover, and set crock pot on LOW for 8-10 hours
4. Before serving, stir in the sour cream. If you would like your stroganoff thicker, stir in the instant clear gel. Serve over noodles.

Lentil Soup with Spinach

2010-03-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

Little League started this week and I have been one busy mommy! Thank goodness I have some healthy crock pot recipes up my sleeve. It is such a relief to get dinner going in the morning, and be reassured that my family will have something healthy and nourishing to eat after a day of rush, rush, rush.

Lentil Soup with Spinach by Joie de vivre
Serves: at least 6

Ingredients:

1 c. brown lentils
1 Tbls. olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. lime zest
2 yellow potatoes (I used Yukon gold), peeled and chopped
8 cups chicken stock
5 oz. spinach per person (I'm a spinach eater)

Directions:

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil.
2. Saute the onions, carrots and celery until the onions are translucent. Add the minced garlic, cumin seeds and the lime zest and continue to cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and add to your crock pot.
3. Rinse the lentils in a colander under cold water and add to the crock pot.
4. Add the potatoes and the chicken stock to your crock pot, cover and cook on LOW 8-10 hours.
5. When ready to serve, heat a large pot with a lid over medium heat. Add 1 Tbls. olive oil, add spinach, stir around with tongs to cover with oil and put the lid on the pot. Let the spinach cook for exactly 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
6. To serve, place a large serving (about 3/4 c.) sauteed spinach at the bottom of each bowl and ladle the soup over it. Enjoy!

Back to Business

2010-03-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to go on a religious retreat for women at a camp in Northern Idaho. It was so good to get away. Saturday morning was gorgeous outside. This is the view that greeted all of us as we made our way to breakfast!

They fed us really well. This is a picture of my first breakfast at the retreat. What a welcomed respite from cooking and cleaning. After this, I stopped carrying my camera around and just spent the rest of the time relaxing, but you get the idea. We were well cared for and recharged to return home on Sunday.

I've been running non-stop since getting home trying to get caught up with all of the chores that pile up after a weekend away but it was totally worth it.

Spring came with abandon this past week and it's been just gorgeous out. This tree is at the corner of my neighbor's property. Seeing it this year is bittersweet. My neighbor's husband passed away this past winter. He always brought someone out each spring to trim this tree up and get it in shape before it flowered. He always loved to see it in bloom.

This pipsqueak tree is at the corner of our property. It was planted before we moved in and I'm not quite sure what it is...a weeping whatever, but I just don't see the point of this tree. It is not tall enough to provide any shade, it's just about 6 inches taller than me, it doesn't bear any fruit, and it grows so much that I spend half the summer trimming the branches off of the ground. At the end of every winter, I take particular pleasure trimming back all of the branches on it. Despite it not having a point, for two weeks every year it flowers as well. The way I trimmed it this year it looks a little like a bridal veil to me and has been particularly pretty in the sunlight.

Yesterday was so gorgeous out that the boys and I had a picnic at a park. Although I loved having someone else cook for me all weekend, it was good to get back to some healthier fare. We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, plenty of fresh veggies with hummus to dip in, grapes and water.

I hope you all are having a wonderful day. Little League season has started so you'll be seeing more crock pot fare out of me for a while. In fact, I have a lentil stew going in the crock pot right now! I'll share the recipe tomorrow. See you then!

Pie + Cupcake = Pupcake!

2010-03-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

One of the last "baby words" my 4 year old still says is "Pupcake" instead of "cupcake". I've never really broken him of this word because I think it's cute. However, he's growing up just far too quickly in my opinion and I know that "pupcake" will go the way of other baby things. So I decided I needed to invent a "pupcake". Pie + cupcake = pupcake. This recipe is for a banana cream pupcake. I made them in my mini muffin tins so each ended up being a hearty teaspoonful. They would make cute appetizers, but only for close friends as the cupcake liner was a little floppy and they were a little messy. They were so cute and yummy though, slight floppiness can be forgiven among close friends.

This recipe is basically a scaled down version of banana cream pie. Enjoy!

Banana Cream Pupcakes by Joie de vivre
Makes 24 pupcakes with plenty of vanilla cream leftover to make more

Ingredients:

Mini cupcake liners
Mini cupcake pan
1 banana
Mini Nilla wafers
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. 2% milk
5 egg yolks
3 Tbls. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Whipped cream for garnish

Directions:

1. Line 24 mini muffin cups with mini cupcake liners
2. Place one mini Nilla wafer at the bottom of each cup. Set muffin pans aside

3. Start making vanilla cream. In a saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add the 2% milk and whisk until combined.
4. Place saucepan on medium heat and thoroughly whisk in the egg yolks. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to barely a simmer. Cook at barely a simmer for one minute.
5. Off of the heat, whisk in the butter and the vanilla extract until incorporated. Mixture should be thickened, if it is not, return it to a gentle heat until it does start to thicken.

6. Cut banana into thin slices. Top each Nilla wafer in the muffin cups with one slice of banana. Top these with one heaping tablespoon full of vanilla cream and then top with another slice of banana.

7. When the pupcakes are all assembled, cover with Saran wrap and place in the fridge to cool. The custard will firm up a little more.
8. When ready to serve top each with a dollop of whipped cream and serve with a spoon.

See how cute these are?! Sweet face was so excited to try them. They got an enthusiastic approval from all of us!

The cuteness of these cupcakes (and the cuteness of Sweet Face) inspired a cuteness collage. I'm submitting these cuties to the Eat Your Words challenge hosted by Tangled Noodle and Savor the Thyme.

Tuesday in Food

2010-03-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday to you all! Doe Eyes (above son) does not have school this week so we headed on an adventure to Yakima today! (Yes, it was an adventure for us thank you very much)

Breakfast was late this morning as there was no early morning carpool to do. WoHoo! I had a bowl of Bob's Red Mill Spice N' Nice hot cereal with three prunes, sliced banana, coffee and milk.

Since we were in Yakima, no adventure to the city is complete without a visit to the local shrine of over-consumption, Miners' Burgers.

Do you see the size of Doe Eyes' lunch! (He's in a growth spurt right now and ate it all, plus tater tots, fries, and a chocolate shake....our grocery bill is in so much trouble in a few years)

Sweet face (other son) with his lunch. He basically didn't touch his hot dog but had chocolate shake and fries for lunch. C'est la vie.

My lunch. I'm not even kidding about the size of this food. It is all HUGE! I had to get a fork and eat this burger in separate pieces as I couldn't get my mouth around a whole cross section. I had about a third of this burger plus a chocolate shake and some tater tots and french fries. Even consuming only a third of my meal, I was FULL!

This was our ultimate destination, the Yakima Valley Museum. I know it doesn't look like much from the outside, but for us, it's big time! The kids love it here. For our region, it is such a cute museum and it is dedicated to the history of Yakima.

Even after a day of adventure, we were all still full from lunch at dinnertime. We all decided to just have cereal. The kids call a meal like this "Brinner". They now want "brinner" all week long.

Have a great day tomorrow! See you then.

An Irish Feast for the non-Irish Joie

2010-03-15T19:28:00.000-07:00

I do not have a lick of Irish in me, but I love the food and festivities associated with the day.
Even if you are like me and lack the Irish gene, St. Patrick's day is a day where we can all be Irish. So lift your glass of Guinness high and get cooking!

On the menu:

Guinness braised corned beef
Whole wheat Irish soda bread with butter
Colcannon
Steamed carrots with butter
Guinness

Guinness braised corned beef by Joie de vivre

Ingredients:

1 corned beef roast
the spice packet that comes with your corned beef
1 bottle of Guinness

Directions:

1. Place your corned beef in the insert of your crock pot.
2. Open the spice packet that came with the corned beef and sprinkle on top of the beef.
3. Pour the bottle of Guinness over the corned beef.
4. Cover the crock pot and set on LOW for 8-10 hours.
5. Remove the corned beef from the crock pot. Trim off all of the external fat and slice the roast into pieces going against the grain of the meat.

Colcannon by Joie de vivre

Ingredients:

2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-2 inch chunks.
1 bunch of scallions (about 8), white part only, sliced thinly
1 small head of green cabbage, cored and sliced thinly
2 Tbls. butter
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 scant tsp. salt
black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a tall soup pot, place the potatoes and add cool water until the potatoes are just covered.
2. Sprinkle the scallions on top of the potatoes
3. Layer the shredded cabbage on top of the scallions
4. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
5. Drain the contents in a colander and return them to the pot.
6. Add butter, milk, salt and pepper and mash with a potato masher until potato chunks are thoroughly mashed.

Saturday in Food plus a Buckwheat Pilaf recipe

2010-03-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

Hi all! I hope you all had glorious and restful Saturdays. The kids were at Grandma's today so hubby and I were able to have a lazy morning catching up on missed T.V. shows. Ah, bliss.

Breakfast: For breakfast, I had a bowl of Julie Anne's Sweet Citrus granola. More to come on this granola later, but it was good with just 2% milk on top. Coffee and water rounded things out.

For lunch, I cut up one of the leftover venison steaks from a few nights ago and put it on a spinach salad dressed with Ranch dressing. I also had quite a hunk of my whole wheat Irish soda bread and some butter. Yummy!

Dinner was pork tenderloin, some buckwheat pilaf that I made in the pressure cooker, cut up watermelon and some sauteed mushrooms with a little bit of sauteed spinach added.

Aren't they pretty?

For dessert: Two citrus granola chocolate chip cookies from Julie Anne's granola

I impressed myself with the buckwheat pilaf. I have never been a buckwheat fan before, but I've always bought the toasted kind. I read somewhere that the toasted buckwheat can be an acquired taste and if you're not into it, to try the raw. I liked it a lot better! And the pressure cooker made cooking it so easy. I'll share the recipe I made below. Enjoy!

Buckwheat Pilaf by Joie de vivre

*This has a slight Asian bent to it to go with the pork tenderloin which was teriyaki flavored*

Ingredients:

1 c. raw buckwheat groats

1 Tbls. olive oil

1 Tbls. shoyu

1 Tbls. toasted sesame seeds

1 3/4 c. water

1/2 tsp. salt (to taste)

Directions:

1. In your pressure cooker, combine all ingredients except salt and water and stir to coat the buckwheat throughly with the oil.

2. Add the water and stir. Place the lid on the pressure cooker and lock into place. Place over high heat.

3. Once pressure is reached, lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Turn off the heat and let the pressure come down naturally (don't do the quick release method) It should take about 7 minutes to release pressure.

5. Take off the lid, fluff and adjust the seasoning with salt as desired.

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

2010-03-13T10:54:00.000-08:00

Irish Soda Bread is one excuse I have to pretend to be Irish on St. Patrick's day. This dense bread with currants speaks to my soul. I wanted to "healthy" up the recipe I usually use and came up with this recipe. It gives me an excuse now to make Irish Soda bread more often!

I'm sending this recipe over to The Daily Spud for the:

If you're looking for some St. Paddy's Day inspiration, or perhaps just some food gawking, head on over there March 17 for what will, I'm sure, be an awesome round-up of Irish favorites.

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread by Joie de vivre

Ingredients:

1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbls. unsalted butter
1 egg
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. currents

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a nine inch pie pan by spraying it with vegetable oil spray.
2. Place flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda and butter in your food processor. Pulse until mixture is thoroughly combined.
3. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the egg, buttermilk and currents.
4. Dump flour mixture into the egg mixture and mix until completely combined. It will be very wet.
5. Spread the dough in the pie pan so that it fills the pan.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown on top.
7. Let cool and cut into wedges to serve.

Thursday in Food plus Tuna Burger Recipe

2010-03-11T19:08:00.000-08:00

I am EXHAUSTED tonight and the evening is nowhere close to being finished. I cleaned house today. Why, oh why I decided to do everything in one day I don't know. It does feel good to have the WHOLE house cleaned at the same time though! I still have Mount St. Laundry to fold this evening, but had to show you my day in food. :)

Breakfast: I tried about 1/2 c. of a new product to me, Bob's Red Mill Spice N' Nice Hot Cereal. I found it really homey and nourishing and a great way to start the day. 1 c. 2%milk, coffee, 1/8 c. Schwan's triple berry blend and a sliced banana.

Lunch: I had leftover pizza for lunch and was SO proud of myself that I didn't quite eat all of these two pieces of pizza. I supplemented the pizza with 1/2 c. plain yogurt, raw veggies, about 2 Tbls. hummus and some grapes. Really, this is what I should have done two nights ago to keep my pizza consumption in check.

Dinner: 1 whole wheat bun with tuna burger, spinach salad with red peppers, carrots, cucumber dressed with Ranch, 1/2 c. cottage cheese with about 6 mandarin orange segments, 1/2 c. steamed green beans, and about 5-6 leftover sweet potato fries.

Hubby really liked the tuna burger and even the boys ate it! I'll share the recipe below. Enjoy!

Tuna burgers by Joie de vivre
Yields: 4 very hearty servings

Ingredients:

3 small cans of tuna, drained
2 eggs
2/3 c. bread crumbs
1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbls. butter.

Directions

1. Place all of the ingredients (except the butter) in a bowl. Squish all ingredients together using your hands.
2. Adjust the wet and dry ingredients until patties can be formed
3. Make 4 patties and fry in the butter until golden on one side, flip and fry until golden on the other.
4. Serve atop whole wheat buns.

Wednesday in food

2010-03-10T21:16:00.000-08:00

The sins of yesterday's overeating are forgotten! Hooray for new days.

Breakfast: About 1/2 c. Bear Mush (it's just a cream of wheat made out of whole hard wheat), a banana, 2 pieces lite whole wheat toast spread with butter and Marmite, 1c. 2% milk and coffee.

Son wanted to be included in my blog today. Here he is showing off the rolled up crusts from his peanut butter and honey sandwich that had been cut with a dinosaur sandwich cutter. He also had peach yogurt with granola, grapes, zucchini and some hummus.

My Lunch: A whole wheat pita stuffed with Gazpacho yogurt cheese, 1 piece of turkey and spinach, raw veggies dipped into about 2 Tbls. hummus, and grapes.

I made a MESS cooking dinner tonight (Hubby is still in the kitchen cleaning!). I received some venison steaks from my neighbor. She had never cooked this cut like steaks before, so we decided that in order to prevent them from drying out, I should pan fry them with oil. Boy, did I splatter oil ALL OVER the kitchen (and floor!)

Dinner: about 3 oz. venison steak, sweet potato fries, roasted carrots, 1/2 c. cottage cheese and a spinach salad dressed with Ranch dressing.

It felt so good to be in control again today! See you all tomorrow!

Tuesday in Food

2010-03-10T09:34:00.000-08:00

Hi all, just catching up. Yesterday started out well in food, but by mid-afternoon, I developed a severe headache and kind of lost the will to care about dinner and overate like crazy. The headache was also the reason I didn't get to posting last night. But in the interest of being honest with myself, I must post.

Breakfast was a two egg-white omelette with two pieces of lite, whole wheat toast spread with butter and Marmite, a sliced banana, 1/8 c. Schwan's triple berry blend, 1/4 c. cottage cheese and coffee with milk. Plus, lots and lots of water. I was bursting with energy yesterday morning and went for a walk before breakfast, but that meant a later breakfast and I was famished by the time I ate.

For lunch, I made myself a peach/blueberry smoothie using 1 1/4 c. whey from making yogurt cheese, 1 1/2 c. frozen peaches, 1/2 c. frozen blueberries, and 1 c. cultured buttermilk. I also rounded it out with two Ryvita pumpkin seed and oat crackers spread with my gazpacho yogurt cheese, some raw veggies with about 2 Tbls. hummus, about 10 walnut halves and a piece of turkey lunch meat.

I ended up getting full which I wonder perhaps if it was the start of my headache. Not enough calories? Not sure. My son and I also had a play date at a local park where the wind was just screaming. It could have also been the wind blowing through my ears. Hmmm. Anyway, I'm glad it's gone today.

When I felt the headache coming on and at first thought that perhaps I was hungry, I opted to have one of these Horizon Organic Vanilla milks. Boy, are these things a little bit of heaven! But alas, headache kept coming on stronger.

By 4:30 p.m., I called my hubby and said, "I have a headache and just feel like eating dinner and crawling into bed. Do you mind if I order pizza and you can just heat it up when you get home?" Like the winning man he is, he said he didn't mind. I'd like to say that this was all of the pizza that I had, but it wasn't. With the headache, I was beyond caring and went back two more times for refills! I also rounded out the night with a piece of Pepperidge Farm Coconut Cake I had hiding in the freezer.

My lesson learned: I can't always be perfect and today is a new day (even the wind has stopped blowing). What's done is done and I can't beat myself up for it. Have a great day everyone!

Some of my food of the day:

Gazpacho yogurt cheese

2010-03-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

Have you ever made yogurt cheese? In an effort to branch out from only using hummus to dip my raw veggies in, I came up with this YUMMY recipe yesterday using yogurt cheese. Yogurt cheese is what you get when you strain the whey from yogurt. The longer you strain it, the more creamy and dense it becomes. I strained my yogurt cheese for about 18 hours and it had a consistency between cream cheese and sour cream. It tasted really decadent with much less fat than cream cheese.

I have a special yogurt cheese strainer which I bought for about $18 from Amazon, it does make the process easier, the container is small enough to fit into a packed fridge and clean up is really easy, but if you don't want to pay for a special strainer, you can recreate a yogurt strainer by lining a colander with several layers of cheesecloth, placing the yogurt in the cheesecloth, and then putting the colander in a bowl to catch the drips. However you do it, you need to find space in your refrigerator for whatever contraption you use. I filled my yogurt strainer with about 2 1/2 c. yogurt and got about 1 1/2 c. yogurt cheese. You can then use your yogurt cheese just like cream cheese. Enjoy the recipe!

Gazpacho Flavored Yogurt Cheese by Joie de vivre
Yeilds: about 2 1/2 c.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. yogurt cheese
1 c. seeded tomato, chopped finely
1 green onion, white and green parts, chopped finely
1 cucumber, seeded and peeled, chopped finely
1/8 c. red pepper, chopped finely
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix together.
2. Eat as a vegetable or a cracker dip.

Monday in food

2010-03-08T19:38:00.000-08:00

Hi all! I hope you had wonderful and productive Mondays. I had the typical busy day of a mom, carpool, grocery shopping, returning ski rentals, shopping at health food store, more carpooling, Costco shopping, play date, making dinner, WHEW! I think I'm going to take a hot bath tonight and go to bed early!

I started this busy day with 3/4 c. Crispix mixed with 1/4 c. All Bran, 1 c. milk split between my cereal and my coffee, and a sliced banana. I was slightly panicked after finishing my cereal still being hungry, but I told myself to calm down, finish my coffee and banana and by the time I finished them I was satisfied. My brain is just so used to over-serving myself cereal, that when it wasn't full when I finished, I panicked. Cool heads prevailed though.

Lunch was at McDonald's. Before you panic thinking I had ruined my week, I had a Southwest Chicken Salad with no tortilla chips and no sauce on the chicken. I dressed it with balsamic vinegarette dressing instead of the Southwest Dressing as well. I also had half of a fruit and walnut salad, minus the sugary walnuts and 1 c. 2% milk. Well done in my opinion. I was proud of my choice.

Dinner was 1/2 c. whole wheat pasta with homemade spaghetti sauce made with tomato sauce, shredded zucchini, onions, garlic and a can of anchovies, sauteed asparagus dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, 1/2 c. cottage cheese with 1 slice of pineapple ring, and a salad made of spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, and red peppers dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Hawaiian sea salt. I couldn't quite finish dinner eating everything but 1/3 of my salad and asparagus.

I hope you all had a wonderful day. See you tomorrow!

Sunday in Food

2010-03-07T20:27:00.000-08:00

Hi all! It's getting late and I have a big day of Mom-dom tomorrow so I'll just share a photo montage of today in food. See you tomorrow!

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Dessert!

Saturday in Food

2010-03-06T19:13:00.001-08:00

Today was so good for the soul! The sun was out, I got some time to myself this morning while my mother in law watched my youngest, I got a super cute haircut and got to spend quality time with my youngest. My husband and oldest were off skiing so my youngest and I had a quiet but great day.

For breakfast I noshed on 1 c. shredded wheat, 1 c. 2%milk, a pear and coffee.
Lunch was basically a repeat of last night. I had a bowl of Two Color Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Sweet Potato Soup (I could only eat about half, I got full!), a toasted piece of challah spread with a little butter and Marmite, some raw veggies with half of a snacker pack of Costco hummus, and 1 c. kefir.
There is a large hill masquerading as a small mountain in our town that my youngest and I walked today. It's about a mile or so up to the top and walking up it is quite a popular past time in our town. We walked up for about 10 minutes until the little one got tired, then turned around. It's the experience right?

While we are in no means near Hollywood, I swear I saw this Vanessa Redgrave walking up the mountain while we were going down. Spitting image of her at least!

For dinner, my youngest and I headed to IHOP. He wanted pancakes and I wanted not to cook. I hadn't been to IHOP in a couple of months. I was so proud of them for their effort to promote healthier eating!!! They have a new section of their menu called IHOP for me. All of the things on the IHOP for me menu were under 600 calories and had more fruits and vegetables and whole grains. I chose the Spinach, Mushroom and Tomato Omelette with fruit which IHOP said weighed in at 350 calories. It was made out of egg beaters and was surprisingly big. It was chock full of spinach and mushrooms. I could have done with a side of turkey bacon, but whatever. :) I was just glad we were able to enjoy a nice meal out without it undoing my good food day.

My Friday in Food

2010-03-05T18:36:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone! I had a great Friday in Food. I must confess, I almost caved today and went to McDonald's because the afternoon was so busy, BUT I regained my joie de vivre and served myself a glorious lunch instead. Thanks to all of you for keeping me honest! For breakfast, I was not very hungry. I think the fish from last night was still with me! So I served myself two pieces lite whole wheat toast with butter and Marmite spread on them, about 8 walnut halves, coffee, and 1 1/2 c. smoothie made from 2 c. kefir and 1/2 c. triple berry blend from Schwan's.
Now, doesn't this lunch look WAY better than McDonald's? I had my Rock Island Stuffed Tilapia leftovers from our dinner at Red Lobster last night, a salad of romaine lettuce and grape tomatoes dressed with olive oil and vinegar, two cracked pepper Triscuits (I got full and didn't eat all 4), 1/2 c. cottage cheese for some dairy, and a glass of water.
For dinner: A bowl of Two Color Broccoli, Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Soup with a cheesy crouton, 1/2 c. cottage cheese with a pineapple ring, 4 sticks of celery spread thinly with cream cheese, and about 1/2 glass of wine that had gone past it's prime sitting on our counter. Everything ROCKED except the wine past it's prime.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Two Color Broccoli, Cauliflower, Sweet Potato Soup with Cheese Croutons

2010-03-05T18:19:00.001-08:00

The only downside to this recipe...two pots to clean. Otherwise, a tasty, colorful and healthy way to get your veggies! Oh, and the cheese croutons help too. :)

Two Color Broccoli, Cauliflower, Sweet Potato Soup with Cheese Croutons by Joie de Vivre

Serves 4

*Note* this is really two separate recipes that you will be making simultaneously. I will write out the ingredients and directions for each recipe, but they will be made simultaneously so that they will be ready at the same time.

Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients for Cauliflower Soup:

1-2 Tbls. olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 head cauliflower, florets removed and chopped roughly

2 c. chicken stock

1 tsp. salt

1/2 sweet potato, cut thinly

Directions for Cauliflower Soup:

1. In a medium soup pot over medium heat, add the olive oil.

2. To the heated olive oil, add the onion and saute until translucent.

3. Add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant

4. Add the cauliflower, chicken stock, salt and sweet potato.

5. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, partially cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until all of the vegetables are tender.

6. Puree the soup with an immersion blender.

Broccoli Soup

Ingredients for Broccoli Soup:

1-2 Tbls. olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 head broccoli, all of the crowns removed and chopped roughly

1/2 sweet potato, sliced thinly

1 tsp. salt

2 c. chicken stock

Directions for Broccoli Soup:

1. Heat 1-2 Tbls. olive oil in medium soup pot over medium heat.

2. Add the onion and cook until translucent.

3. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

4. Add the broccoli, sweet potato, salt and chicken stock.

5. Bring to a boil, lower heat, partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes until all of the vegetables are tender.

6. Puree soup with an immersion blender.

*To serve* Place 1 c. cauliflower soup in a pouring container, place 1 c. broccoli soup in a second pouring container. Pour simultaneously into a bowl so they don't mix. Enjoy!

Cheesy Croutons:

Ingredients:

1 loaf french bread or challah

1-2 Tbls. shredded cheddar cheese for each toast

Directions: (complete while waiting for veggies in soups to cook)

1. Slice loaf of bread into 1 inch thick pieces.

2. Place slices of bread on a sheet pan and place under broiler until slightly toasted.

3. Place 1-2 Tbls. shredded cheddar cheese on each slice of bread and place back under the broiler for about 2 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with Two Color Broccoli, Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Soup!

Thursday in Food

2010-03-04T19:34:00.001-08:00

Hi all! I hope you had a great day. Besides having to take my comforter back to the laundromat again (yes, the cat did her business on it again!) I had a wonderful day. The sun was out and I was able to get out for a 15 minute walk this morning and a 45 minute walk this afternoon. Nothing like some time to yourself in the sunshine when you are a mom. Breakfast gave me the energy to get up and go. I had 1 c. smoothie made from 1 banana, 1/4 c. Schwan's triple berry blend and 1 c. nonfat milk. It was good, but I've come to the conclusion I'm not hot about banana in my smoothie. I'd much rather eat them by themselves. I also had a two-egg white omelette, two pieces of lite whole wheat toast spread with some butter and Marmite.
Now, for a confession. A few weeks ago, while I was spreading Marmite on my toast, my husband noticed that my jar of Marmite had expired Dec '08. Since I had been using it all this time (it lasts FOREVER!) I kept on using it but started out on a search for a new jar. The grocery store where I had originally bought it had stopped carrying it, so I searched Amazon. They were charging $5.95 for a jar, and $9.99 for shipping! The boys and I went on a quest around town today and were able to find a jar at the health food store. God bless vegetarians and their Vitamin B deficiencies! I should have started there first.
While at the health food store, I picked up some kefir. I've been making my own kefir, but it takes so long to make, 24 hours inoculation and then another 8 in the fridge. I decided to give this pre-packaged kefir a go. I sampled it with my lunch. While good, I am not totally convinced it is worth the $4.65 price tag as I can make it by the gallon for much less. But in a pinch, it is a good alternative.
Lunch: This was one of my kiddo's lunches, a peanut butter and honey sandwich, zucchini, carrots and celery with some peanut butter to dip in, 1/2 sliced banana. While they didn't eat all of their veggies, they ate some of them to which I was impressed.
My lunch was 1 c. kefir, 5 Suzie's thin cakes, 2 pieces turkey lunch meat, red peppers, celery, zucchini, carrots and cauliflower with hummus to dip in, and some grapes. Yum!
For dinner tonight, we went to Red Lobster. I forgot my camera, but this is a picture from their online menu. I had the Rock Island Stuffed Tilapia with a side of broccoli (no potato) and milk. I also started with a Caesar salad but only ate about a third as the dressing was WAY too rich. It felt like mayonnaise in my mouth. Hubby liked his Caesar though so that was good. I'm not sure I'll "hurry back" to Red Lobster as the meal for our family of four cost $61! But it was a pleasant meal and I didn't have to cook or do the dishes which was a plus.

Have a great evening everyone!

Some of my food for the day

Wednesday in food

2010-03-03T21:00:00.001-08:00

I had the HARDEST time dragging myself out of bed this morning. The alarm went off at 6:30 am and I laid in bed listening to NPR until I FINALLY got out of bed at 7:10 am. So when I arrived in the kitchen, I had a similar difficult time deciding what to eat. I think my brain was still under the covers. I finally decided on 1/2 c. oatmeal, 1 c. 2% milk, 1/8 c. Schwan's triple berry blend, a banana and a cup of nectar from heaven (coffee). Oatmeal is really not an attractive food is it? But it does keep one going through the morning so I look past it's ugly interior to the good heart it has.

Lunch was so good! Two hard boiled eggs, romaine lettuce salad with grape tomatoes dressed with olive oil and vinegar, 1/2 c. nonfat cottage cheese for dairy, and two Carr crackers. I know the picture shows three, but being the self-sacrificing mom I am, I gave one of the crackers to my boys. I know, heart of gold.

Dinner was one of those Gordon's fisherman garlic butter fish fillets served on about 1/2 c. teff porridge with a side salad of cooked zucchini and carrot dressed with some Bragg's Liquid Aminos and 1/2 c. Greek yogurt. Have you ever made teff? It was really quite easy. Bring 2 c. water to boil, add 1/2 c. teff, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes. It was easy and a fun way to eat different grains.
It's getting late here all so I'm off to bed. Have a great day! See you tomorrow.

Tuesday in food

2010-03-02T20:17:00.001-08:00

After a forecast of rain yesterday, the majority of the day was beautiful and the "rain" turned out to be a few sprinkles. I was able to go for a walk this afternoon (albeit short) with my son as he rode his tricycle. He's a little wary of bike rides while mommy is walking after I took him on an hour and a half walk last week! It was still nice to get outside though.

Breakfast this morning was 1 c. shredded wheat, a banana mixed with about 1/8 c. frozen bluberries, 1 c. 2% milk, and coffee. This kept me going through today's minor crisis. Our cat decided to "do her business" on our bed this morning, so the morning consisted of taking our comforter to the laundromat and washing all of our bedding!

For lunch I had 1 c. bulgarian style cultured buttermilk. I just love the tanginess of it!
In addition to the buttermilk, I basically had a repeat of yesterday's lunch because those hummus snacker packs from Costco rock the house! The hummus is so good with raw veggies! I also had some grapes and 5 "thin cakes" (basically regular rice cakes cut smaller) that I found at our local Albertsons. I wanted to eat a little lighter at lunch because dinner was going to be at my MIL's and I always tend to overeat there.

I surprised myself at dinner. Even though I tend to overeat at my MIL's, I kept it in check tonight. (Major kudos to me!) Instead of potato chips and jello, I raided her fridge and made myself a spinach, tomato and avocado salad with green goddess dressing to go alongside a hamburger and a glass of nonfat milk. I was nicely satisfied, perhaps a little overly so, so I opted to not have dessert and instead go for a cup of decaf coffee. The fact that I'm not rolling after a dinner at my MIL's is a major step for me. I know I can't keep it up always, but one dinner at a time right?

Have a great evening everyone! See you tomorrow.

Monday in food

2010-03-01T19:39:00.001-08:00

Hi all! I hope you had a great day. Today, the nice spring weather continued. It is amazing what seeing sunshine outside my blinds in the morning does to my mood compared with the gray, gray, gray of winter. I'm just inspired to move more and even eat healthier! I've been trying to incorporate some sort of dairy into every meal, so this morning I made myself a smoothie with 1 c. buttermilk and about 1/4 c. blueberries. It was so yummy!
Breakfast consisted of two pieces of whole wheat toast spread with butter and Marmite, coffee and my blueberry/buttermilk smoothie. I was a little worried I would be hungry after finishing my toast, but the smoothie was satisfying. Lunch on Mondays is always a little early anyway.
For lunch, I cut tons of veggies, zucchini, peppers and cucumbers and dipped them in one of those snack packs of hummus that Costco sells. That was my first time trying the hummus from Costco and I have to say, it was wonderful! The package comes with lots of little "snack packs" so portion control is easy. Alongside, I had three Carr whole wheat crackers and about 1/2 c. greek yogurt. I'm not quite sure how I feel about the greek yogurt. It seems a little sweet to me. I don't know if it is just me, but I like my yogurt more tart. I do like the thicker texture of it though.
For dinner, I had a salad with spinach, cucumbers and peppers which I dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of course Hawaiian salt for some added crunch and saltiness.
Asparagus isn't quite in season yet, but I couldn't resist. I LOVE asparagus and can't wait until I can find some locally. I sauteed this asparagus in a little olive oil until slightly crunchy and drizzled it with balsamic vinegar. To cook the chicken breasts, I put them in a Pyrex and covered them with a can of cream of mushroom soup and a can of milk then baked them in a 375 degree F oven for about 1 1/2 hours. I thought the sauce was going to thicken, but it was more like the chicken breasts poached in the liquid. The liquid was unsalvageable, but the chicken breasts turned out good. I served them over a spinach fettuccine. I ate all of my veggies, but I guess I underestimated just how big my spinach salad was! I couldn't finish my chicken or the fettuccine and ate about half of each.
I couldn't forget my serving of dairy with dinner. 1 c. nonfat milk. After dinner, I was able to go for a lovely 40 minute walk. The weather is exceptionally nice for the first of March and although I wore my heavy coat, I got pretty warm halfway through.

Have a good evening everyone! It's supposed to rain here tomorrow so I'm already thinking of what I can do for exercise. I may have to pull out my Pilates DVD again. Even though I hate doing exercise videos and would much prefer to go for a walk, I could always use the excuse to work on my abs. My abs ALWAYS could use the help! :)

My day in food

2010-02-28T19:44:00.001-08:00

Sunday mornings are always busy for us. Between church and Sunday school, it is often a long time between breakfast and lunch with two cookie breaks in between to tempt! I knew I was going to have to have a breakfast with some staying power if I was going to make it until lunch without being tempted by the fellowship cookies! I chose a two egg-white omelette with a piece of whole wheat toast spread with butter and Marmite, 1/2 c. greek yogurt, a banana and coffee. I brought my mug to church and enjoyed the copious amounts of good ol' Lutheran coffee available instead of the treats. Yeah me!

Lunch was hurried and I knew it was going to be. We had even planned a quick lunch at McDonalds (I know, the horrors! :) before an afternoon meeting. Before we left for church in the morning, I packed a little tupperware with some of the seasoned chicken meat from when I made chicken tacos a few nights ago. I ordered a side salad with balsamic vinegarette at McDonalds and a milk, and then topped the salad with my brought in chicken. With such a flavorful and healthy salad, it wasn't even work to resist the fries and greasy burgers.

My uncle in law took us out to dinner tonight and we ended up at a cute local establishment called Rosy's diner. The waiter was delightfully disgruntled, but in his defense, he was doing a great job keeping the whole restaurant served. By the time we left, he had softened up and was smiling. I would like to think it was me thinking his disgruntledness was cute that changed his mood. I'll just think that. Anyway, I ordered the BLT and a side salad with the intention of ordering ice cream. I started in on the salad first, ate half of the sandwich (it was YUMMY!) and then, wanting to leave room for ice cream, opted to just eat the bacon off of the second half. One must have their priorities straight.
I wish I had taken a picture of the ice cream sundae, but I was so excited to dig in, I completely forgot. This was one scoop of chocolate peanut butter ice cream with hot fudge and whipped cream with a cherry on top. The ice cream had little peanut butter cups in it that I really liked.

I was able to get out for an hour walk this afternoon in the gorgeous weather. When "Strut" by Adam Lambert came on my iPod, it was all I could do not to toss my hair about while strutting. Adam Lambert keeps a good beat for walking so I'm a bit worn out this evening, but it was a good day. Have a good night everyone!

The most interesting borscht chili in the world

2010-02-27T18:28:00.000-08:00

I was a little nervous about how I would do with portion control today, but I surprised myself! This morning, there was a pancake breakfast at Applebee's, a fundraiser for my son's school. I paid attention to my stomach and was NOT part of the clean plate club! Lunch was again out with a friend. We went to a cute tea shop and I ordered the high tea. I ate slowly and sipped my tea and again, did not finish it all.

Even though my portions were good today, I can't say my meals were too healthy. Sausage and pancakes made with white flour and syrup for breakfast, tea sandwiches and a scone for lunch....by late afternoon I was craving some veggies. I came up with this, um...interesting, chili as a way to use up some beets and zucchini I had in the fridge. I am calling this dish "The most interesting borscht chili in the world" because it WAS interesting. Not something I'd necessarily make again, but pleasant, healthy and hearty none the less. I paired the borscht chili with cornbread, packaged taco salad, and milk. Enjoy!

The Most Interesting Borscht Chili in the World by Joie de vivre
Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 Tbls. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 beets, peeled and shredded
2 zucchini, shredded
1 14.5 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. green beans
2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 package chili seasoning

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot and add the onions. Saute for a few minutes until it starts to become translucent.
2. Add the shredded zucchini and shredded beets. Cook, stirring occasionally until they are soft, about 20 minutes.
3. When the zucchini and shredded beets are thoroughly cooked and completely softened, add all of the beans, the tomatoes and the chili seasoning.
4. Bring to a boil and cook for an additional 10 minutes to let the chili seasoning blend.
5. If desired, top with a dollop of sour cream.

Friday night fridge cleanout

2010-02-26T18:47:00.001-08:00

With a sick kiddo in the house, dinner was comfort foods + fridge clean out. I mashed the leftover tofu from a couple nights ago, added some eggs as well as some cut up turkey dogs and scrambled it. I thought it was a success, but no one else did. I also made some Buckwheat flour pancakes using some Poconos pancake mix that I had found at the health food store. I was good with portion control and kept my portion to 2 CD sized pancakes with berries on top instead of syrup and butter. Added to it was 1/3 c. cottage cheese. Have a good evening!

Cabbage Soup

2010-02-26T12:30:00.001-08:00

It's still raining and gray outside and I was craving warm food, so for lunch today I pulled out some cabbage soup I made as a starter a few nights ago. I paired it with a mini version of last night's chicken taco salad minus the beans and tortilla chips and also had some pepper strips with bleu cheese dressing and 1 c. nonfat milk. When I made lunch, it didn't seem to be a lot of food, and not very calorically dense, but as usual, my eyes were bigger than my stomach and I couldn't finish the soup.

I'm hoping the weather clears up enough for me to go for a walk this afternoon, but if not, I'm pulling out the Pilates DVD again. We'll see if Mother Nature wants me to get outside, or to work on my abs and arms. Ha!

My recipe for cabbage soup follows the next picture. Enjoy!

The soup was pretty easy to make and a good way to fool my kids into eating their veggies. It has an almost sweet flavor and is extremely creamy. While they didn't gobble it down, they did get a few bites down which is all this mom can ask for!

Cabbage Soup by Joie de vivre

Serves: About 8, it made quite a large pot

Ingredients:

2 Tbls. olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 head smooth, green cabbage, shredded

1 red potato, chunked. Leave skin on.

2 tsp. salt (or more depending on taste)

1 quart chicken broth

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, warm the olive oil and place in onion, cooking and stirring until translucent.

2. Place cabbage in the pot and stir. Cover and let sit a few minutes, stir again. Recover and let sit again a few minutes. Do this until cabbage is mostly wilted.

3. Add the chicken broth and the potato chunks as well as the salt. Turn the heat up and bring the soup to a boil. Partially cover the soup with lid, turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until all of the vegetables are cooked and softened.

4. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup completely.

Breakfast

2010-02-26T08:23:00.000-08:00

The rain came back last night. I know we were extremely blessed to have 3 days of spring like temperatures in a row in the middle of winter, but it's still a little disappointing when winter decides it's not finished yet. My oldest is also home sick from school today (ear infection and cough), so that combined with the weather put me in the mood for some warming comfort food. Hence, the ugly picture of my bowl of oatmeal. The only problem with having smaller dishes, is when I make oatmeal it always overflows in the microwave! I also added 1/2 tsp. chia seeds just because.
A few frozen peaches + 1 c. buttermilk makes....
A tangy smoothie filled way up to the tippy top of the glass! (It's a special talent)
Since I'll be in today with a sick child and it's dreary outside, this breakfast will keep me going through closet clean-outs and floor washing. I know, it's fun, fun stuff. See ya at lunch!

Taco Salad

2010-02-25T20:41:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness dinner was quick tonight! My in-laws came over for dinner so I needed something quick to put in the crock pot while I cleaned house. Since my Chicken Soft Taco meat was so successful from a few days ago, I decided to use the same cooking method for the meat, but to put it in a salad. Spinach greens, chicken meat, refried beans, some guacamole and sour cream finished off with a few tortilla chips and some French dressing made for an awesome dinner.

Lunch

2010-02-25T13:56:00.001-08:00

Thank God for sunshine and spring like temperatures today. I took my youngest and his bicycle to a bike path and we had a lovely walk/bike for an hour this afternoon. He definitely was tired on the way back as he'd bike a little, stop, point out the tiniest of pebbles, and then resume riding. He was a trooper though!

Lunch was basically a repeat of yesterday as that cream cheese and salami sandwich was so yummy and kept me going until dinner, I just substituted out different veggies and also had 1/2 c. greek yogurt and some grapes. Dinner tonight will incorporate the seasoned chicken I used for chicken soft tacos, but in some sort of different form as I'm out of tortillas! I'll think of something. Have a great afternoon!

Breakfast

2010-02-25T08:45:00.001-08:00

This morning, I am really hoping breakfast is going to last me until lunch. Looking at it from a blogging perspective, it is now looking a little skimpy, although I felt quite satisfied after eating it (and still do two hours after consuming it). It does look quite balanced howerver, albeit small! I pulled out a leftover Applesauce Oatmeal Muffin, toasted up a few almonds, had 1/2 c. cottage cheese and a huge banana plus coffee....always coffee!

My arms and chest are slightly sore this morning from yesterday's Pilates workout (which is good!). The sun is shining, although it is windy, so hopefully I'll be able to get out for a walk this afternoon instead of pulling out the Pilates DVD again. I don't think my arms could take two days in a row!

Lunch later. Have a great morning!

That'll put hair on your chest fish condiment

2010-02-25T08:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday afternoon, I found inspiration on how to pep up my frozen fish fillets from an unexpected source. I had a joyous 30 minutes alone in the car yesterday to listen to a radio station that I chose! Usually I'm hauling around kiddos who insist on listening to Kids Place Live on Sirius nonstop. But yesterday, I was alone in the car and was able to listen to something OTHER than kids music! Since this never happens, I didn't really know my other options. As I was flipping through the millions of stations on Sirius, I happened across a station called Hair Nation (seriously). It is a tribute station to the great hair bands of the 1980's. You know, like Firehouse and Def Leppard? I hadn't heard some of these songs in probably 20 years (did I just say that? *shudder*) but somewhere in my brain, all of the lyrics were hidden and I was singing at the top of my lungs. It was here that I found inspiration for my fish condiment. Here is my tribute to the great 80's hair bands, That'll put hair on your chest fish condiment. I think the name says it all. It did go nicely with the fish and was a good way to zing up an otherwise bland source of protein. Enjoy!

That'll put hair on your chest fish condiment by Joie de vivre

Ingredients:

2 Tbls. olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 2oz. can anchovies
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
4 oz. can hot diced jalapenos
20 grape tomatoes, halved

Directions:

1. Heat a medium sized pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil.
2. Add the diced onion and minced garlic and let soften for 3-5 minutes.
3. Add the anchovies plus the anchovy oil mashing the anchovies with the back of your spoon until completely disintegrated.
4. Add the red pepper flakes and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant
5. Add the can of jalapenos and the grape tomatoes. Continue stirring off and on for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked through and slightly mushy.
6. Serve with fish to pep up your dinner!

Salami and cream cheese sandwich

2010-02-24T14:43:00.000-08:00

It's amazing what 24 hours can do. I feel sooooo much better this afternoon than yesterday afternoon. My head is clear and I have more energy. Hooray! Lunch was fabulous and filling as well, 2 slices lite whole wheat bread smeared with some cream cheese and 4 salami slices, pepper slices with bleu cheese dip, grapes and 1/2 c. greek yogurt. I also poured myself a glass of Perrier and served myself on a place mat. I felt fancy and spoiled indeed.

After lunch I was going to take my youngest on a bike ride but we both decided it was far too windy outside and that it looked nicer than it actually was. Instead I pulled out one of my old Windsor Pilates DVDs. I was able to do it without problem and settled in to watch Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie while I stretched. It was a fun episode about Turkish cuisine, but it was during this time that my muscles caught up with me! I think I'll be a little sore tomorrow.

I'm having a lack of inspiration about dinner. I had planned frozen fish (yeah, I really did) but it just seems so blah now. I need to think of a way to pep it up a little yet not so much the boys won't eat it. More to come....

The evil DVD

Healthy Potato Salad

2010-02-24T08:01:00.001-08:00

After yesterday morning's "Bring it on" comment, I'm pretty sure I jinxed myself. My brain was just fuzzy all day and I was just plain tired. I hate oncoming colds. Lunch was a piece of whole wheat bread smeared with peanut butter, an apple, carrot sticks, 1/2c. nonfat cottage cheese and 1/2 c. healthy potato salad. The potato salad was FILLING!

Healthy Potato Salad by Joie de vivre

Ingredients:

3 red skinned potatoes, each cut into 8-16 wedges (leave the skin on)
1/2 c. frozen green beans
1/2 c. carrot slices
1 c. whole wheat pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained
1 Tbls. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried dill

Directions:

1. Place potatoes, frozen green beans and carrots in a steamer basket, cover and steam for 10-12 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
2. Place potato mixture and the cooked pasta in a large bowl. Add olive oil, salt and dill and stir to combine.
After such a filling and healthy lunch, I thought I was good to go, but around 4pm I bowed to the siren call of Spudnut doughnuts. I really think it was the oncoming cold as my head just felt fuzzy all day! To make up for the afternoon's indiscretion (ha!) dinner was turkey burgers on wheat buns, green beans, 1 c. cultured Bulgarian buttermilk, and potato salad which I didn't end up eating.
See, my turkey burger is happy I'm back on track. Speaking of fuzzy, I ended up putting the ketchup and mustard on the bottom of my burger! It was so strange to eat it that way that I had to turn the whole thing upside down. I just couldn't take the ketchup and mustard being on the bottom!
This morning is a new day, although even after a good night's sleep my brain is still a little fuzzy. Shredded wheat, milk, blueberries, water and coffee. Do you notice our rockin' retro flower cups? They used to belong to my husband's grandmother. Unfortunately they are starting to show their age and one by one are starting to crack, but they are fun to drink out of. Have a great day everyone!

Petit déjeuner

2010-02-23T08:32:00.000-08:00

After a few weeks of having sick kids in the house, I was afraid last night that my body was bowing to the inevitable with a slight itchy feeling in my lungs (hack, hack). But after a good night's sleep, a bright sunny day on the horizon and a rockin' breakfast, I feel ready to take on anything! This morning I had a two egg whites omelette sprinkled with a little feta cheese, a piece of whole wheat toast spread with 1/2 tsp. butter and a little bit of Marmite (I know, I can see why some people would find that disgusting, but I just LOVE IT), grapefruit, 1 c. 2% milk and coffee. Bring it on!

Portion Control

2010-02-22T09:20:00.000-08:00

How big are your dishes? After Thanksgiving, I splurged and bought myself a new set of dishes and glasses. I had been searching and searching for a set with a small cereal bowl and small glasses. Do you know how hard that is to find? It's amazing how your attitude changes toward portion control when you see a small glass filled to the top rather than a large glass with the same amount in it only 1/2 full. Suddenly, the same portion seems appropriate or even large instead of skimpy. Did you notice my milk glass filled to the top? It has exactly 1 c. of milk in it. What does 1c. of milk look like in your glasses?

In addition to portion control this week, I'm also focusing on more variety at breakfast. This morning, 2/3 cup shredded wheat, 3/4 cup blueberries, 1 c. 2%milk and coffee.

Lunch: Celery filled with cream cheese, grapes, whole wheat bread smeared with peanut butter and 1c. nonfat milk. I served myself on a salad plate to visually make the portions seem larger to my eyes while my mind still knew I was practicing control.

Yesterday I went for a lovely walk in the sun. It's amazing what the sun does to rejuvenate my attitude towards walking!

Breakfast of Champions

2010-02-21T10:32:00.001-08:00

I've noticed recently that my breakfasts seem to be getting larger and larger while at the same time becoming less varied. The cereal bowl overfloweth. To get back on track, I found this Applesauce Oatmeal Muffin recipe on Spark People and varied it a little. To be honest, it wasn't a fabulous muffin because the texture was extremely dense. However, it was extremely filling and pretty tasty. It also had the added benefit of portion control and forced me to think outside of the (cereal) box. I supplemented my breakfast with some toasted almonds, golden raisins, and some plain yogurt.

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins adapted from Spark people
Makes 12 muffins
(each muffin around 93 cal. according to Spark People)

Ingredients:

1 c. oats
1 c. nonfat milk
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. egg whites
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, soak the oats in the milk for 20-30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place muffin liners in 12 muffin cups.
3. Combine oat mixture with applesauce, brown sugar and egg whites.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
6. Spoon the batter into the 12 muffin cups.
7. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle on each muffin.
8. Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Chicken Soft Tacos

2010-02-19T13:14:00.000-08:00

These Chicken Soft Tacos are another entry to the annals of "My Crock Pot Once Again Saved My Life". "Overly dramatic?" you say? Perhaps I overly dramatize a titch, but I can't stress enough how much I love my crock pot. I love being able to put dinner in it in the morning, and have dinner ready and the kitchen entirely cleaned up in the evening. This recipe is easy even for a crock pot and tasty enough to serve to company. Enjoy!

Chicken Soft Tacos by Joie de vivre
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with chilies
1 package taco seasoning mix

Directions:

1. Mix the diced tomatoes with the taco seasoning mix inside the insert of a 4 qt. crock pot.
2. Lay the chicken breasts on top of tomato mixture and stir to cover chicken with the sauce.
3. Cover the crock pot and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
4. Shred the chicken breasts with two forks and mix with the sauce.
5. Serve on tortillas with guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes and shredded cheddar cheese.

Printemps

2010-02-19T10:42:00.000-08:00

It has been so long since I've posted I've almost forgotten how! I desperately needed the break from blogging as I had forgotten my true motivation for it and had lost the passion.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have endured weeks upon weeks of gray skies. Two days ago, the wind picked up and blew out those nasty clouds allowing the sun to peek through. It's amazing what seeing the sun again can do for one's psyche! Unfortunately, I have had two sick little men (taking turns of course) for the better part of a week now and haven't been able to leave the house much, but the sunshine streaming in through the windows has been sublime and promises that spring is coming soon. Our cat has taken to curling up under the window in sunny spots she finds. I personally think she has found a wonderful indoor pursuit.

With the sun, I've noticed the return of birds! The boys and I put out some seed for them this past weekend as their winter stores are dwindling quickly at this point. I'm sure they are looking forward to the return of spring as much as I am.

Simple green salad with poached pears

2009-10-29T15:54:00.001-07:00

I couldn't say I had ever poached a pear before this past Sunday. Boy, was I missing out! Poaching the pears was easy and delicious. They really classed up this simple salad of lettuce sprinkled with a little bit of blue cheese, but they would also be fabulous as a light dessert. This was definitely a guest impressing dish for very little work. Enjoy!

Simple green salad with poached pears by Joie de vivre

Ingredients:

2 cups of red wine
2 Tbls. lime juice
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 stick of cinnamon
3 firm fleshed pears
Romaine lettuce
Blue cheese crumbles

Directions:

1. Place the wine, lime juice, sugar and cinnamon stick in a large saucepan and bring it to boil.
2. Halve your pears and remove the skin. Use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds and then run it along the inside middle to remove the core.
3. Once your liquid is boiling, place the pears into it. Turn down the heat until the liquid is just gently simmering. Simmer the pears for 4 minutes, then turn them over in the liquid and simmer for an additional 4 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and leave the pears in the cooking liquid for 20 minutes.
5. Place a leaf or two of Romaine lettuce on each plate. Top with a poached pear and crumble some blue cheese on top. Voila!
6. To make it extra fancy, bring your poaching liquid back to a boil and boil for just a minute or two until it is a little syrupy. Drizzle a little of the syrup over the salad.

Camping Food Continued-Roasted Chicken

2009-09-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

Our last camping trip of the season found me using my brand new "baby" 10 inch Dutch oven 4 out of six nights!

Dutch-oven Roasted Chicken Legs with Spinach Fettucini and Sauteed Zucchini

Why is it everything tastes better when eaten outdoors? This meal or chicken legs roasted in the Dutch oven, with sides of spinach fettucini and sauteed zucchini was extremely simple, yet felt very decadent while camping. Our Costco has begun selling packs of chicken legs packaged in sealed bags of 5 chicken legs each. These little packs were extremely easy to pack in the cooler. The fettucini was a quick cooking kind which took only three minutes once the water started boiling. The zucchini was also easy. I pre-sliced it at home, packaged it in a ziplock baggie and packed it in the cooler.

Once I was ready to cook, I pre-heated my Dutch oven, melted some butter in it and added the chicken legs along with a generous sprinkling of a new seasoning blend I recently bought at a Tastefully simple party. I kept my Dutch oven around 350 degrees by placing about 7-8 coals underneath and 10-12 coals on the lid and left it alone, aside from turning it every once in awhile to ensure even heat, for about 50 minutes. While you're waiting for your chicken to cook, make your side dishes, start a campfire, and enjoy a glass of wine in the great outdoors!

Raw, seasoned chicken just added to the Dutch oven

Chicken cooking in the oven (yes, it is just sitting on the ground!)

Greek Beef Casserole while camping!

2009-09-17T12:55:00.001-07:00

Towards the end of summer, I was fortunate enough to attend a demonstration on Dutch oven cooking at a campground where we were staying. I was already familiar with Dutch oven cooking having inherited one from my father-in-law last summer. I bravely made my son's birthday cake in it last summer while camping!

However, attending the demonstration was an eye-opener for me at how easy Dutch oven cooking could be! I had always thought of my Dutch oven as sort of a fun thing to occasionally wow people with while camping and to show off a little. I had seen it as this bulky pot that I could barely lift and that had to sit under my feet in the car for lack of space. When I told the demonstrator that I had inherited a 14 inch deep Dutch oven, his response was, "Whoa, that's 10 quarts of food!" It was his disbelief that I was actually using a pot that big that inspired me to go buy a "baby" 10 inch Dutch oven. This pot completely changed the way I feel about Dutch oven cooking. The techniques I learned made the Dutch oven a joy to use, and with the smaller pot it is completely manageable! For our last camping trip of the season, a six-day trip to Fort Stevens, OR, I used the pot 4 times!

Here is one of the dishes I made, a greek beef dish called Stifado inspired by Beatrice Ojakangas' book, The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever, that I adapted to work in my Dutch oven. Hands down, it was the best dish I've ever made while camping.

Greek Beef Casserole in the Dutch oven by Joie de vivre

Ingredients:

1/4 c. canola oil

2 1/2 lbs. top round beefsteak, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

3 Tbls. red wine vinegar

1 c. water

1 tsp. rosemary

2 Tbls. tomato puree

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 cinnamon stick

5 whole allspice berries

2 small onions, chopped roughly

4 potatoes (I used white ones) cut into large bite sized pieces

Directions:

1. To make cooking while camping easier, chop your meat at home before placing it in a doubled Ziplock baggie in your ice chest. Also, pre-measure and place the rosemary, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and allspice in a little ziplock baggie prior to your trip.

2. Preheat your Dutch oven by placing it over your chimney starter while your coals are lighting. Make sure to leave space for oxygen to get to your coals and be careful of your arms! Make sure Dutch oven is steady. When the Dutch oven is pre-heated, add the canola oil and the beef. Stir the beef until it is browned.

3. Drain the beef and add all of the remaining ingredients. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and cook at 350 degrees for about an hour and 15 minutes. (*A Note about Dutch Ovens* You can get 350 degrees in a 10 or 12 inch Dutch oven, by placing about 7 coals underneath, and about 10-12 coals on top. Use long handled tongs to move the coals from your chimney starter to the bottom and the top of your Dutch oven. Every 15 minutes or so, turn the pot a quarter of a turn clockwise, and turn your lid a quarter of a turn counterclockwise to ensure even heat distribution. After 45 minutes, you will need to add fresh, hot charcoal briquettes to the bottom and top of the oven to ensure even heat as well.)

4. When dinner is getting close, saute some sliced green, yellow and red peppers.
5. Expect some hungry and nosy neighbors to come calling when you pull the lid off this masterpiece! Enjoy, and if you try this, let me know how it goes for you!

Ode to the summer peach

2009-09-16T13:33:00.001-07:00

I feel a little rusty being back in the blogging saddle after taking a needed break over the summer. I am finally back in a routine though and will be updating much more frequently. Thank you all of you who stuck with me and continue to read my little ramblings.

This time of year always comes with some trepidation for me. When my husband and I first moved to Washington six years ago from Sacramento, CA, people assured us that winter would be "mild". But in the six years since, I have realized that no winter is mild in comparison to a California winter (unless you're from the south I suppose) and that first crisp morning, when everyone else is rejoicing over a break in the heat, my mind immediately flashes with horror to short, cold winter days and long, long, frozen nights. Because of this, I must take a minute to mourn the passing of summer before I can begin to live life to the fullest and embrace fall. Hence, my ode to the summer peach...

With school back in session, and a slight chill in the air, we must bid goodbye to our sweet summer friend, the peach. Goodbye sweet friend, you will be missed.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts on Dutch oven cooking while camping!

Experiment: Freezing Rice Krispie Treats

2009-08-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, we were all ready to set off on our longest family camping trip to date. We had our bags packed, I had packed all of the food up, and we were ready to go. That was when our oldest son started vomiting! Fortunately we were able to reschedule our trip, and it turns out the vomiting was just a by product of an ear infection, but I was left with a weeks worth of camping food to try and preserve until our rescheduled trip. Everything was easily freezable except a pan of Rice Krispie treats. I had never tried to freeze Rice Krispie treats before. Were they even freezable? A quick internet search revealed that there wasn't much information available on the subject. Those who did try it stressed keeping out the moisture from the freezer as that would make the Rice Krispie treats soggy.

In order to keep out the moisture, I cut the pan of Rice Krispie treats in half and wrapped each half in three layers. First, I wrapped the halves in Saran wrap. Next, I wrapped them in foil. Finally, I took each half and placed them in a freezer bag taking care to get as much air out of the bag as possible. This past weekend we tested the first of the two packages. I let the Rice Krispie treats thoroughly thaw at room temperature while still in the freezer bag before cutting. While my husband detected a possible freezer taste to them, the kids and I thought they tasted the same. They had the same crunch as freshly made Rice Krispie treats as well.

The verdict?
While this wasn't an ideal way to consume Rice Krispie treats because of the possible freezer taste and the waste in packaging in order to keep the moisture out, I would say that it was a success!

Personal note: Thank you to all of you who have written to me concerned about my personal welfare because of the lack of new posts. I am well. Summer has just taken the wind out of my sails! I've had both boys home from school and have really concentrated on spending time with them and enjoying the weather. I must confess also that I have not cooked very much this summer. Summer in eastern WA is hot, hot, hot, and our dinners for the past six or seven weeks have consisted of salads with pre-cooked meat from Costco, fresh fruit, and ice cream cones! With summer winding down, I will be throwing myself back into cooking and my blog. Thank you all for sticking with me during my little mental vacation.

Weight Loss Weekly

2009-06-21T11:31:00.001-07:00

This week, I did fabulously on my diet, but the exercise fell by the wayside. Why is it always one thing or another, but not all of the pieces put together at once!?

My goal for last week had been to go on four 20 minute walks, do week 2 of the 200 sit-ups challenge and to do two sets of 10 push-ups on three days. I went on 2 20 minute walks last week and did not do sit-ups or push-ups at all! I had been struggling, struggling, struggling with the sit-ups and need to find something different to do. Coincidentally, my husband sent me this article from the NY times about how sit-ups can strain your back.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/core-myths/

I think my back (and my chiropractor) will thank me for switching to this method. I'll try it this week and let you know how it goes! Since I didn't reach my goal last week, I'm going to give it another go this week!

Bernie had a tough week as well and needs some encouragement. Pop on over to her blog and show her some blog love at Yo-yo No More.

Camping food - Grilled steaks and asparagus

2009-06-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

I get asked questions all of the time about how to cook well while one is camping. It seems like most folks out there go the hot dog, potato chip and marshmallow route while camping. Don't get me wrong, we love those traditional camping foods too, but I just wanted to show how easy it is to go a little bit more upscale. With asparagus being in season now, it is easy to wash them, snap off the ends and place them in a plastic baggie with some olive oil and salt before you leave home. Seal up the baggie and place it in your cooler. Do the same for your meat by placing it in a plastic baggie with your favorite marinade. I double bag any meat products to ensure against leakage in my cooler, but it is super simple to do this marinating step at home for wonderful camping food. When you are ready to cook your food at your campsite, get your charcoal going ahead of time, then just take your food out of the baggies and put it right on the grill. Now doesn't this look better than hot dogs and potato chips?

Weight Loss Weekly

2009-06-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

Weight Loss Weekly is a weekly collaboration between me and two other bloggers who are trying to lose weight. Join us weekly as we discuss tips and strategies as well as highs and lows on our weight loss journeys.

A few weeks ago, the girls and I decided to take weight loss weekly in a slightly different direction by setting long term goals for ourselves and then writing about how we are meeting them. For our first goal, we decided to focus on exercise. It's been about a month now, an although I do still struggle with the motivation factor, I am beginning to see results!

For instance, summer is here, and for me that means wearing cute dresses and tank tops. And do you know what tank tops show? My arms, which are getting more and more toned through push ups! My goals for the past month have mostly focused on walking at least four times a week and doing sit-ups with some modified push-ups thrown in. It's funny that the area that isn't really my primary goal is seeing the results the first, but it is motivation to keep up what I am doing!

I did struggle with motivation this week, and as I write this, have only walked three times this week and am feeling completely unmotivated to do the fourth. I have a few hours left though, so I am going to try to work up some motivation and get it done before week end.

This week, I am again going to walk four mornings, do Week 2 of the 200 sit-up challenge, and again focus on doing 2 sets of 10 push-ups on three mornings this week. This past week, I also moved from doing my modified push-ups against the bathroom counter, to doing modified push-ups on the floor (on my knees instead of on my toes). I am really proud of how far I have come! (Pat myself on the back!)

Let's see how Bernie and Sunny fared this week! Pop over to their sites and wish them well!

Bernie says:

"I look in the mirror and I don't see rock hard abs nor thighs of steel, but what I do see is someone who is trying and that makes me smile" Read more at yo-yonomore

Sunny says:

"I've been feeling a little bit lazy this week. I started out good, I actually stepped foot into a gym on Wednesday..." more at www.ThatExtra20Pounds.blogspot.com

Weight Loss Weekly

2009-06-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

A breakthrough, Hooray!

Weight loss weekly is a weekly collaboration between me and two other bloggers who are also trying to lose weight. Join us every Monday as we discuss tips and strategies and well as our highs and lows on our weight loss journeys.

A few weeks ago, the girls and I decided to take Weight Loss Weekly in a slightly different direction by setting weekly goals for ourselves as a way to hold ourselves more accountable. We decided to focus for the first month or so on exercise. For the first two weeks, I was STRUGGLING to meet my exercise goals (I did it, but it was solely because I knew I had to post my results. There was lots and lots of grumbling each exercise day) However, this week, I finally had a breakthrough. Hooray!

My goal was to walk for 20 minutes, 4 times this week, do 10 modified push-ups on walking days and also to start the first week of the 200 sit-ups program. Let me tell you, I was a little intimidated setting my goal last week. Mainly I was afraid of the sit-ups and muscle soreness. However, I persevered and not only met my goals, but exceeded them!

I walked 6 mornings this week! Three 20 minute walks, and three 30 minute walks. I exceeded my push-up goal as well doing 2 sets of 10 modified push-ups on two of the walking days. I also completed week 1 of the 200 sit-ups program. I did indeed have muscle soreness in my abs, but by the end of the week, it didn't seem so bad! I did it, and without too much morning grumbling. A breakthrough! Hooray!

This week, I plan on increasing my workout goals by walking for 30 minutes 4 days this week. I also plan on doing 2 sets of 10 push-ups three days this week. As for my sit-ups, I plan on repeating Week 1 of the 200 sit-ups program as I don't feel comfortable moving on and I think I started on a level that was too high for me. I can feel myself getting stronger, but I am not ready to increase the repetitions yet. Are you up for joining me? Just e-mail me at joiecancook(at)gmail(dot)com and we can walk virtually together!

Sunny is out of town this week (hopefully keeping up with her exercise goals!) so it is just Bernie and me. Check out what Bernie has to say, then pop over to her site to give her some encouragement!

"This week was definitely harder, and it's got me wondering if every day exercise is too much?" read more at Yo-yo No More

Ham, Cheese and Salami Roll-ups

2009-06-03T08:34:00.001-07:00

One of the parenting goals I have for my children is to mold them into at least proficient cooks by the time they leave the house. We all knew those guys in college that had absolutely no housekeeping skills and could barely boil water to make pasta. (Believe me guys, housekeeping skills and culinary skills are attractive to women, slovenliness, not so much.) My five year old is getting to the point where he can handle actual cooking now, as opposed to just stirring, and so my quest this summer is to find some recipes that he can make himself. I scored big for the mom team in finding this recipe. It was easy enough that he could do all of the steps by himself while I stood close by to just give directions and put the pan into the oven. He was so proud of himself and ate a double helping of his meal. He even wanted to make dinner the next night! Now I must find some more kid friendly recipes to harness this energy!

Ham, Cheese and Salami Roll-ups adapted from Taste of Home Simple and Delicious March/April 2009

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

2 Tbls. olive oil

5-6 eight inch flour tortillas

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

5-6 slices deli ham

5-6 slices provolone cheese

24 slices thinly sliced deli salami

1/2 c. roasted red sweet peppers, drained

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Lay out tortillas on baking sheet, brush lightly with olive oil.

3. Sprinkle each tortilla with parmesan cheese

4. Layer a ham slice on each tortilla, then in order, the provolone, the salami, the red peppers and the mozzarella.

5. Roll up each tortilla and place a toothpick through them to secure. Place them seam side down on the baking sheet.

6. Brush with olive oil.

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes until browned and cheese is melted through.

Weight Loss Weekly

2009-06-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, we have been busy!

Weight Loss Weekly is a weekly collaboration between me and two other bloggers who are trying to lose weight. Join us as we discuss tips and strategies, as well as our successes and failures on our weight loss journeys.

How is it a whole week has gone by without posting? School is now out for my oldest which means full time mom duties are in full swing. We also had a great time camping this weekend (of which I'll share the food adventures of later this week) so my summer has already begun and it has been busy!

Last week, I set a goal to walk for 20 minutes 4 times during the week and to do 10 sit ups, 10 reverse sit ups and 10 fakey push-ups on the days I walked. I am happy to report that I did accomplish my walking goal and ALMOST accomplished my sit-up/push-up goal. However, the last 20 minutes of walking I did yesterday at the campsite and I just plain forgot about the push-ups and sit ups. I remember my father doing a couple chin-ups every time he would take us to the park. I think that I need to get into that habit as well. Especially with summer here, entertaining the boys is going to be my big excuse for not working out, so if I can eke out a few fakey push-ups at the park each time we go, my arms are going to be in great shape!

My goal for this week is primarily the same, four 20 minute walks with 10 fakey push-ups on the days I walk. However, thanks to Bernie from Yo-yo No More, I found a site where you can work on increasing your core strength to do 200 push-ups in six weeks. Since having kids my core is extremely weak so this week I am going to start on this program. I'm not looking for a six-pack or anything, just increased strength to my core and protection for my back. I am a little worried about muscle soreness, but I'll let you know next week how it goes.

Let's see how the other ladies did on their goals!

Sunny says:

The second week of my exercise plan! Ugh, and it was so much harder for me to stay motivated this week..." keep reading at www.ThatExtra20Pounds.blogspot.com

Bernie says:

Another week of daily exercise, can you believe it? I'm amazed. I even did push ups! Despite the crazy week, I managed to exercise every day yet again...." read more at Yoyonomore.

Weight Loss Weekly

2009-05-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Last week, the girls and I decided to take Weight Loss Weekly in a slightly different direction by setting specific exercise goals for ourselves to achieve during the week.

One of Sunny's goals amazed me, one minute of push-ups! Let's see how she did! "I guess I don't hate exercising as much as I thought I did. I did pretty darn well this week, for me..." more at www.ThatExtra20Pounds.blogspot.com

Bernie was trying a varied approach to exercise with both walking and elliptical training planned but got sidelined by inclement autumn weather in Australia. Did she make her goal? Find out at Yo-yo No More.

My goal for last week was to take four 20 minute walks during the week. I had planned to walk in the mornings as my evenings often get busy and had planned to walk Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday with a one day cushion of Sunday if plans got sidelined during the week. Monday morning came bright and early last week. Let me share with you my inner monologue. "Six o'clock already? No, no, no, no, NO! Whhhhhhyyyyy???? Okay, you just made this goal YESTERDAY, you cannot bail already! Oh, all right...." After dragging myself our of bed, I actually had quite a pleasant walk. The weather is getting warmer, the sun was shining brightly, birds were tweeting and there was hardly anyone out in the morning. I thought to myself, "Hey, this isn't bad! It's actually quite nice!"

Tuesday morning came and although I hadn't planned on walking, I decided to get out of bed and go anyway. It's a good thing that Monday had been so nice because Tuesday was windy and cold! If it had been this way on Monday, I definitely wouldn't have gotten out of bed on Tuesday to walk, but again, the walk was nice and now I was two down for the week.

Wednesday morning came too soon. I didn't get out of bed this day but because choir practice was short on Wednesday evening, I decided to use the extra time to my advantage and went on a 20 minute walk. 3 down! I can do it!

On Saturday, I did not walk, but used one of Sunny's ideas in vigorously cleaning the house to exercise. I cleaned the bathrooms, cleaned under the bathroom sinks, swept and vacuumed the floors and ran about 5 loads of laundry. Not walking, but I felt an accomplishment at the exercise and the clean house.

Sunday afternoon I did finish my goal although it wasn't formal exercise. I need a new area rug for under my kitchen table and spent about 4-5 hours walking through furniture stores. Although I didn't get my heart rate up, I was walking and count this as an achievement of my goal!

My goal this week is to again take four 20 minute walks throughout the week. I will again try to walk in the mornings on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This week however, I was inspired to add on a little bit of exercise by Sunny's push-up goal from last week. Having two small boys, I actually have pretty strong arms from lifting them up. However, when contemplating the push-up goal, I realized I can't do push-ups not because I lack the arm strength, but because after having kids, I lack the core strength to hold the plank position during a push-up. This week, in addition to my four 20 minute walks, I am adding 10 crunches, 10 reverse crunches and 10 push-ups (against the bathroom counter. Easier when you lack the core strength) on the days when I walk. Oh boy, that does mean tomorrow doesn't it? I'm a little panicked, but I can do it!

Would you like to join me in my goal? Just e-mail me at joiecancook(at)gmail(dot)com and we can cheer each other on! Also, if you have been inspired by Weight Loss weekly and would like to set your own exercise goal and post it on your blog, just link to this week's weight loss weekly post (all of ours) leave a comment with your post URL, and we will link back to you. We can cheer each other on towards our goals! Good luck this week!

Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix Review

2009-05-22T09:01:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, I conducted a pantry purge ridding my pantry of products containing "faux" ingredients such as hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup. The products I had the most trouble eliminating were convenience mixes such as chocolate pudding mix and my favorite, Bisquick. After a trip to my local health food store, I was able to find an all purpose baking mix that did not contain hydrogenated oils, Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix. At $7.25 a box, it was quite an investment for me (I have since found it in the $4 range in the health food section of my local Fred Meyer grocery store). On the good side, the batter and the waffles were fluffy and browned very nicely. The mix came together extremely easily and quickly. The waffles also had a faint anise flavor that was quite pleasant and they smelled wonderful. On the bad side, the waffles had a slightly gritty texture. They seemed dry but I think that was the lack of gluten that made them feel slightly powdery in the mouth because physically they weren't dry, they just seemed that way. The bottom line is that if you are gluten intolerant, this product was perfectly acceptable as a replacement to Bisquick, it was quick and had nice flavor. If you are not gluten intolerant however, the gritty and "dry" texture of the waffles was off-putting enough to keep looking for a more acceptable alternative. The search continues...

The good and the bad of the Pasco Farmer's Market

2009-05-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

The Bad

Two weeks ago our local farmer's market opened. As it has been an unseasonably cool spring, the pickings were pretty slim. However there was a new vendor there selling Old Iron Wine, a label specifically bottled for the Pasco Farmer's Market. The vendor called it a "young, farmer's table wine" and at $6 a bottle, I was willing to give it a shot. Buyer beware! For $6, all you are getting is a cute label on a bottle. The wine was completely undrinkable. For starters, when I opened it, it fizzed out like a champagne which has been uncorked improperly. A carbonated red? Still, I was willing to give it a taste test (stupid me!). Upon first sip, I immediately spit it out. Unfortunately, despite the offending wine being ejected from my mouth, the sickly sweet aftertaste kept building. The whole bottle was dumped down the drain. What a waste of the farmer's time and of a good $6. If you frequent the Pasco Farmer's Market and come across Old Iron Wine, skip it!

The Good

On the upside, the farm I buy my eggs from slaughtered some of their chickens on Saturday and I bought a few. I had never had fresh chicken before and I was curious to taste how they would differ from grocery store chicken. Boy, the taste was incredible! They were so much meatier than store chickens and cleaner too. The juices of store chickens often get slimy feeling, but the fresh chickens were clean and soft feeling. I put them on the grill and they were just wonderful. After picking the carcasses clean, I put them in a stock pot and now have a good 10 cups of wonderful stock on hand as well. Nothing goes to waste! If you are living in Southeast, WA and are interested in fresh chickens or eggs, Greene Hills Farm has it going on!

Weight Loss Weekly

2009-05-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

Weight loss weekly is a weekly collaboration between me and two other bloggers who are trying to lose weight. Join us as we discuss tips and strategies as well as our successes and struggles on our weight loss journeys.

This week, we are taking weight loss weekly in a slightly different direction. In the past, we have been asking each other questions in order to gain tips and insights into how the others approach weight loss. This week, we are each setting a goal for this week pertaining to exercise and next week we will be discussing the strategies we used to achieve those goals (hopefully not excuses why we couldn't!)

First, let's find out what the goals of the other girls are this week:

Bernie says:

"For me exercise comes and goes, I go through stages where I feel like I've got it all worked out, and then for no obvious reason I hit a wall and just can't seem to get into it. I've smashed up against said wall these last few weeks and I'm determined to get out of my rut and back on the wagon" read more at Yo-yo No More

Find Sunny's goals at That Extra 20 Pounds

My goals this week are to walk for 20 minutes for four days this week. This may seem like a small goal, but I haven't accomplished this feat in over a month! I need a kick in the rear to jump start my walking routine again, but I also want to set myself up for success. I know that accomplishing this goal will not be without difficulty, but I feel this is a realistic goal for myself.

My plan is to walk Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I know this is lame, but Tuesday evening is the finale of American Idol so I KNOW I will not want to walk then (go Adam!) and Wednesday evenings are devoted to church choir, so that really only leaves me those four days with a cushion of Sunday if I miss one. Also, I am trying something a little different this week, I usually walk after dinner, but after dishes, etc. often I am too tired for a walk. This week, I am going to get up 20 minutes early and walk in the morning. I think getting up 20 minutes early is doable, I'll let you know next Monday!

Is anyone up for taking this challenge with me? We can cheer each other on! E-mail me at joiecancook(at)gmail(dot)com if you are up for it!

Weight Loss Weekly

2009-05-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

Weight Loss weekly is a weekly collaboration between me and two other bloggers who are trying to lose weight. Join us every Monday as we discuss tips and strategies as well as our highs and lows on this crazy weight loss journey.

This week we are down one blogger as Nurit has decided not to continue with Weight Loss Weekly. We'll miss you Nurit! However, Bernie, Sunny and I decided to continue as the process of thinking through my weight loss and this column every week helps keep me accountable. I hope you all are enjoying it as well.

This week, Bernie from Yo-yo No More asks:

Exercise is something everyone should be doing for general health and fitness. Do you have any tips for keeping your exercise routine fun and most importantly sustainable?

Let's hear what the other girls have to say first:

Sunny says:

"Exercise... that is a subject I've been trying to avoid and not think since I began my weight loss journey a few months ago..." keep reading at www.ThatExtra20Pounds.blogspot.com

Bernie says:

"Friends, flexibility and reality are the three things I try to keep in mind when exercising. I don't really have a routine to speak of, and this, I am learning, is actually my exercise style." Read more at yo-yonomore.

I say:

It seems that no matter how fun I make exercise, I have trouble with the sustainability part. Is it a momentum thing? For my birthday, my husband and sons got me some walking poles. I love these as they up my heart rate during my walks and add muscle tone in my arms as I'm walking as well. They boost the benefits of my walks without increasing the impact level of my walks. I love these poles and I do love walking. It is easy for me to get into the walking habit and just going for a short jaunt in the evenings after dinner.

However, even though it is easy for me to get in the habit, it is equally easy for me to fall OUT of the habit. I'll usually walk consistently for a few months, then something will happen, I'll get sick, we go on vacation, whatever, then BOOM! I'm out of the habit for a few months. I just wish that someday it wouldn't be a daily struggle to get myself to go for a walk and that it is something I just do despite life getting in the way.

Currently, I am out of the habit. I got sick about a month ago and haven't gone for my evening walk. Wow! Has it been a month! How is it so easy not to exercise? I need to get back into the habit. Here's the goal, three 10 minute walks during the week. That is not a lot but since it has been so long, I need to start slow. Will you all keep me accountable?

How do you keep momentum going in your exercise routine? Please share, I need ideas!

French Friday on Holiday

2009-05-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday to you gorgeous French people! If the weather is not yet warming up where you are take heart, spring is here! French Friday will be taking a little summer holiday from the book reviews. Don't be sad, everyone needs a little holiday and the French are famous for taking theirs. I will still be posting recipes on Fridays in the French spirit, but I just need a little break from the book reviews. If you have any ideas for books that would make a good read during French Fridays during the fall, e-mail me at joiecancook(at)gmail(dot)com. I will take the summer to read them and start again fresh at the end of summer.

In other French news, Mirielle Guiliano's new French Women Don't Get Fat website has now launched! This used to be a site for members who bought a paid subscription but is now free to all. Check it out at frenchwomendontgetfat.com! When I used to subscribe to this site, one of my favorite events was something called "Bombshell weekend". For those who want to play, you must channel the spirit of a famous "Bombshell". For some it was Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Catharine Deneuve, Lauren Bacall, Princess Grace...etc. Then, in the spirit of being a "Bombshell" spend the weekend channeling that person's beauty and ease. Then turn everyday events into the stuff of romantic movies. For example, this weekend, I shall channel the spirit of Audrey Hepburn in the movie Roman Holiday. Tonight, Gregory Peck (my hubby) is taking me out to see the new Star Trek movie. Star Trek is not the stuff of romantic movies, but when you're sitting next to Gregory Peck, who cares!? And what would Audrey wear to a movie where Gregory Peck would hold her hand? Certainly not a pair of ragged jeans! She would probably wear a nice skirt, a blouse, perhaps some pearls? Also, red lipstick is a must!

Are you up for playing along? Let me know how your weekend goes being a "Bombshell". Oh, it is such hard work, but someone has to do it! Hee hee!

Double cheeked kiss to all of you,

Joie

Snickerdoodles

2009-05-05T15:50:00.001-07:00

Isn't it wonderful that a cookie with one of the best names out there, is also one of the most simple and delicious? Who can resist these wonderfully crisp, cinnamony cookies with the whimsical name? Mix up a batch and your family will be sure to smile!

Snickerdoodles by Joie de vivre

Yields: About 6 dozen

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

2 eggs

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbls. sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Beat the butter and 1 1/2 c. sugar together until pale yellow and fluffy. Beat in the eggs until combined. On low speed, or by hand, beat in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

3. In a small bowl, combine the 2 Tbls. sugar with the cinnamon.

4. To shape: scoop out a teaspoon full of dough using a teaspoon cookie scoop. Roll the dough into balls between your two hands. Then roll the balls into the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place the balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes. When finished, remove cookies from cookie sheet and place on cookie racks to cool.

Weight Loss Weekly

2009-05-04T07:58:00.000-07:00

Christmas buffet at the in-laws

Weight loss weekly is a weekly collaboration between me and three other bloggers who are also trying to lose weight. Join us as we discuss our weight loss tips and strategies, as well as our successes and failures along the way.

Today's weight loss question comes from Nurit from 1 family. friendly. food. Nurit asks:

You’re about to go to an event - party, wedding, potluck, etc - where there’s going to be lots of (free) food. What are you doing about it? What is your strategy?

Let's hear what the other three have to say:

Bernie from Yo-yo No More says:
"Lots of free food did you say? I'm there. That about sums up my love of the event/party/wedding/potluck food related scenario. Lots of free food is like, well, lots of free food, does it get any better? But is it really free? (see where I'm going with that.... ohhh the witty intelligence is too much)" read more at yo-yonomore

Nurit from 1 family. friendly. food says:
An imaginary scenario: you go to a party, you see all the wonderful food, you either decide “I’ll only try just one bite of some dishes that look good”, or you don’t even think about it and just go with the flow. The result – you feel over-stuffed, you think “I ate too much. Why did I do that?” Does this sound familiar? Read more on 1 family. friendly. food.

Sunny from That Extra 20 Pounds says:
"When it comes to free food, forget it! My strategy? Unfortunately it's Eat, Eat, Eat..." keep reading at www.ThatExtra20Pounds.blogspot.com

I say:

I wish I could tell you that I always behave well at potlucks or buffets, but sadly, I can't. There is a reason why I am overweight! But I do have some tricks to help my best intentions along.

Strategy #1: The Snack. When facing an endless eating situation, have an apple and a glass of water before you go. I once talked to someone who tried this same strategy with a tablespoon full of flax seeds mixed into a glass of water. Just have a little something so that you are not raving hungry when you face the endless dishes.

Strategy #2: The Mental Rehearse. Before you go to the party, imagine the buffet. Then imagine yourself with your small plate in hand, reviewing all of the options before carefully making the wisest choices. When you get to the party, your mind is already prepared for what you are going to do.

Strategy #3: The Anchor. Do you have a little red dress in your closet that helps remind you of your goals? The anchor works in the same way, just away from home. You wear a bracelet or ring or necklace that reminds you of your goals when you face temptation. Theoretically, I smile because this one doesn't work so well for me, when facing the endless buffet, you touch your anchor item and it reminds you of your goals so you do not overindulge.

Strategy #4: Do your best, and forgive yourself. This strategy accepts your weakness and acknowledges that you do not face these situations everyday (THANKFULLY!). In this strategy, you make the best choices you can make for yourself, and then forgive yourself if you do overindulge.

As crazy as it sounds, I do heavily rely on Strategy #2, the Mental Rehearse. For me, overindulging is a matter of habit, so to change those habits, I need to mentally rehearse them over and over. When they are practiced over and over, even in my mind, they become part of what I do.

Do you have any ideas to help us through the crazy wedding/summer/back to school/fall festivals/Christmas buffet season? Do share!

French Friday

2009-05-01T09:39:00.001-07:00

Bonjour to you beautiful French people! I apologize for the lapse in French Friday last week. My excuse? I've been embracing my inner French girl. French women revel in the changing of the seasons and alas, the weather has been too nice to sit inside. After weeks and weeks of cold, dreary weather, the sun has finally peeked through the gray, the weather has warmed, and blossoms have erupted all over, signaling the beginning of spring. I just could not let this passage go unnoticed. The boys and I have been going to the park daily, we have planted our tomatoes, cleaned up our strawberry plants, and planted our herbs. Ah, spring!

Today, I will be reviewing Steps 6 and 7 from The French Don't Diet Plan by Dr. Will Clower. At the rate I am going with this book it will take me through mid-May, but sometimes, it is nice to slow the pace down every once in a while. A few of you have also e-mailed me with suggestions for future French Fridays, merci beaucoup! If you have a book you think would lend itself well to French Fridays, please let me know.

Now, back to the French Don't Diet Plan.

Step 6: Don't Eat and Drink at the Same Time

When you think of the beverage that French people eat with their meal, the majority of us will think of a nice glass of wine. Do we think of the French as a country of sloppy drunk people? Of course not, the French think of wine as food, appreciate it as an accompaniment to their meals, and sip and savor their wine. A serving of wine would be about 4-6 oz. When we think of the accompaniment to an American meal, what do we think of? A 20 oz. bottle of soda? A 16 oz. glass of water? Dr. Clower uses these drink portions as another way to point out American over-consumption. Even in something as calorically innocuous as water, Dr. Clower says that we train our bodies to over-consume when we drink this much. He suggests eating meals for a few weeks without anything to drink. Then re-introducing beverages back into the meal in small portions to sip with meals, not gulp, as a way to enjoy your meal more. (and I'm sure he would tell you to throw the soda in the garbage as it is chock full of faux ingredients)

I would agree with Dr. Clower up to a point, but water consumption is one way to trick your stomach into feeling it is full. When you are cutting back on portion sizes, this is an important part in the arsenal of not being hungry. Again, everything in moderation and everything gradual. Cut back on your drink portions gradually. Start by sipping your drink, not gulping. Naturally, your portions may cut themselves down on their own!

Step 7: Eat All You Want (You'll Just Want Less)

In this step, Dr. Clower discusses what he calles the "ender", a small, calorically dense nibble of food that signals to your brain that the meal is finished. French enders consist of cheese, a square of dark chocolate, coffee or tea. The ender is what helps the French avoid snacking between meals by creating a mental bookend to the meal. Dr. Clower also discusses strategies for getting over the hurdle of between meal hunger. Have you noticed how hunger is a progressive feeling. Between meals, it starts out small, may get raving for a moment, but then after a few minutes disappears? Your body is telling you that it is starting to get hungry, but it is not starving. In order to make it to your next meal, be sure to eat three meals a day and on time. Then, to survive your hunger blips, Dr. Clower suggests either waiting out your hunger blip, drinking a small glass of water (slowly!), or perhaps having a small snack if you can't take it anymore, but it is merely a small snack, something to help you make it to your next meal, it is not a meal unto itself.

Homework for this week:

1. Sip and savor your beverages with your meals. Do not gulp. Drink in small portions.

2. Eat regularly and healthily to control between meal hunger.

3. If you are struggling with between meal hunger, try some of Dr. Clower's strategies for making it through between meal hunger blips.

Next Friday, I will be discussing Steps 8-10 from the French Don't Diet Plan. Until then lovely French people, enjoy the beautiful spring weather!

Weight Loss Weekly

2009-04-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Weight loss weekly is a weekly collaboration between me and three other bloggers who are also trying to lose weight. Join us every Monday as we discuss tips and strategies as well as our successes and failures along our weight loss journeys.

Today Sunny, from That Extra 20 Pounds, asks:

Right now, I'm focusing on losing some weight before our summer beach vacation (which means bathing suits and shorts EEK!!) which is 8 weeks away. When you're working hard towards a certain weight loss goal, what is your one unique secret weapon or trick that helps speed up your weight loss?

First, let's here what the other three have to say!

Sunny from That Extra 20 Pounds says:

"Hmm, I think my most helpful secret weapon has to do with a delicious dessert that is actually not forbidden, not even when I'm trying to speed up my weight loss..." keep reading at www.ThatExtra20Pounds.blogspot.com

Bernie from Yo-yo No More says:

"When I first read Sunny's question I thought "well this will be an easy post, short, a few words even" because I really don't have one. My attempts at speeding up weight loss have been sad sad affairs that usually last a whole 15min after my burst of motivation and planning." Read more over at Yo-yonomore

Nurit from 1 Family. Friendly. Food. says:

"The last time I wore a bikini was 6 years ago when I was 4 months pregnant. We were in Hawaii. But I do have a secret to share with you about wearing bathing suit again. It all began 4 years ago"… read more at 1 family. friendly. food.

I say:

Secret weapons in the weight loss arsenal? Okay, I'll dish...I really feel for me that short term quick weight loss is a recipe for disaster! I've tried the extreme calorie deprivation for a few days, only to get so hungry I end up eating, eating, eating and gaining back every ounce I lost plus more!

If I have an immediate goal, a wedding, a vacation, etc., I will generally try to cut out a few little extras from my diet and walk more. Gone are the days of the quick fixes though. I realize that I didn't gain the weight in 6-8 weeks so why should I expect it to come off that fast! Slow and steady, slow and steady...

Coconut Custard Pie from the Blender

2009-04-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Do you have any community cookbooks? You know, the cute cookbooks where grannies, or moms or firefighters get together, share their favorite recipes and then make a cookbook to raise money? I recently inherited one such cookbook from my mother titled Polish Foods as we Remember created by the Golden Age Club from Assumption Church in Oil City, Pennsylvania in 1977. I used this cookbook to create my whole Easter feast, as well as making this Coconut Custard Pie for a new mom at my church. It was super easy, was in the oven with about 5 minutes prep time, and was ready to go to the new mom in an hour. You'll love the ease of it, plus the subtle sweetness and the crunch of the coconut.

Coconut Custard Pie from the Blender adapted by Joie de vivre from Polish Foods as we Remember

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1/2 c. all purpose flour

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. melted butter

2 c. whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.

3. Pour ingredients into a greased and floured 10 inch pie pan.

4. Bake for 45 minutes until set on the sides and slightly jiggly in the very center, it should also be lightly browned.

5. Rest on the counter for 20 minutes. Serve immediately while warm or refrigerate and serve cold. Leftovers should be refrigerated.

Weight Loss Weekly

2009-04-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Weight Loss Weekly is a weekly collaboration between me and three other bloggers trying to lose weight. Join us every Monday as we discuss tips and strategies as well as our successes and pitfalls on our crazy weight loss journeys.

This week's question is asked by yours truly! I ask:

"How do your family and friends support you or hinder you in your weight loss efforts? Do they adapt easily to your changing habits and help you along, or do they confront your new habits with skepticism?"

This question obviously stemmed from a specific event. Let me paint a picture for you. The place? Applebees. The dessert? Cheesecake shooter...eew. After a bite, I put my fork down not wanting to waste the calories. My friends (well, not so much anymore) look over at me and sneer, "Oh, is this the new thing you're doing now?" Fortunately, the comment makes me think about our friendship rather than my weight loss goals and efforts, but there is always that nagging doubt...."is this my next new thing or am I truly committed to making a lifestyle change?" This incident happened to me about eight weeks into my weight loss journey. At the time, I was down about 13lbs. and was comfortably wearing a pair of jeans that had previously been so tight, I could only wear them for 30 minutes on laundry day while my others were in the wash.

There I was so proud of myself and my accomplishment, not wanting to ruin it by retreating to an old habit and eating a disgusting dessert, and they were trying to negate my great feelings in one snide comment. Well, like I said, they are not really my friends any more. There are no hard feelings, we still say hi and chat if we run into each other, but I realized how toxic "friends" like that can be to a lifestyle change.

My husband, on the other hand, is extremely supportive of my weight loss efforts. He cheers me on by loving every healthy meal I make and is excited by new clothes I have to buy (minus the money part) because my old clothes are getting frumpy and baggy. This makes all the difference in the world to a lifestyle change. You definitely need your life partner to support you in a life style change, and mine does that for me. As for my old friends, they are still stuck in their old way of life. I do not judge them, but as I said, there is no love lost on my part. I prefer to hang out with people now who are like my husband, supportive and enthusiastic for me. That is much healthier for the new healthier me.

Let's here what the other three have to say on this topic:

Bernie from Yo-yo No More says:

"I think the most amazing way in which my friends and family support me is by loving me no matter what. I can be in "crazed diet" mode or in "don't give a stuff" mode and they just accept me for me, and carry on being the best family and friends a girl could ask for." Read more at Yo-yonomore.

Sunny from That Extra 20 Pounds says:

"My husband has been really good. Like when I was first trying to change my eating habits and was cranky and starving, ready to give up and chow down on a whole bag of potato chips..." keep reading at www.ThatExtra20Pounds.blogspot.com

Nurit from 1 Family. Friendly. Food is taking a week off from Weight Loss Weekly to participate in the United Way's Hunger Action Week. She and other bloggers have committed to feeding their families, or just themselves, for the week, on the budget allotted to a family of equivalent size on food stamps. For Nurit's family of four, she is allotted only $22 a day to feed them. Please pop over to her blog to cheer her on as she brings awareness to the struggles families on food stamps face feeding their families nutritious meals.

April French Friday #3

2009-04-17T13:22:00.001-07:00

Bonjour to all of you gorgeous French people! How did your pantry purge go last week? After visiting the health food section in my local grocery store, I was able to find fun kid cereals without HFCS in them, as well as an all purpose baking mix without hydrogenated oils in it to replace the Bisquick in my pantry. Also, I was pleasantly surprised to find one brand of ketchup at my local WalMart without HFCS in it. (It was tough to spot though) There are options out there if you want to give up faux ingredients in your food!

This week, I will be reviewing Steps 4 and 5 in The French Don't Diet Plan by Will Clower. For me, these chapters come down to one basic idea, the French love their food, most Americans love gluttony. A love of food and a love of gluttony are not the same thing and if you can slow down the pace of your meal, you can retrain yourself away from loving gluttony, and towards someone who loves food. Simple yet profound, isn't it?

In order to retrain ourselves away from over-consumption, Dr. Clower has several ideas.

#1: Most Americans have a distorted idea not only of portion sizes, but also of bite sizes. Take smaller bites and thoroughly chew your food.

#2: Most Americans speed through their meals. This week, I was sitting in a McDonald's with my kids. We were just starting our meal when in comes a man. He orders two sandwiches, sits down, and completely eats both of them in five minutes. I watch him get back into his car while I am not only halfway through (and I consider myself a fast eater) Gross huh? It takes about 20 minutes for our brains to get the signal that our stomachs are full, by that time, most of us have already over-consumed. Take AT LEAST 20 minutes to finish your food. Portion out your plate into quarters if you must and eat one quarter every 5 minutes, put your utensils down while you chew, only pick them up again when you are completely finished chewing and have swallowed. Take your time with your food, and your brain will get the message your stomach is full with much less food consumption.

#3: Plan on seconds by serving yourself less than you think you want. Take 20 minutes to eat this smaller portion. Chances are, in 20 minutes, you will be completely satisfied with the lesser amount, but if not, it is okay to have seconds, just again serve yourself less than what you think you want, then again take your time.

These lessons are going to take lots of practice for me this week. If you decide to practice with me, let me know how you're doing, I will need the encouragement! Next week, I will discuss my progress from this week, as well as review Steps 6 and 7 from The French Don't Diet Plan. Please join me! Until then lovely French people, a little homework....

To do this week:

1. Make dinnertime a special time. Eat with your family, set the table and atmosphere nicely.

2. Use smaller plates and smaller utensils. Take smaller bites.

3. Serve yourself less than what you think you will want...plan on seconds.

4. Take AT LEAST 20 minutes to eat. Put your fork down while you are chewing (what do I do with my hands then? This is something I'm going to struggle with)

Good luck and don't forget to keep me informed on your progress!

Barbecued oysters

2009-04-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

I've had raw oysters and broiled oysters, but until last week I had never enjoyed them barbecued. I'm not sure I will ever fix them another way again! They were not only delicious, but downright easy! In a previous post on broiled oysters with lemon zest, I discussed how to shuck a raw oyster. Usually, this takes a lot of force and for me, time. But when you barbecue oysters, you put them on the barbecue whole and the steam from the inside of the oyster opens them up. Do you see how some of them are opened? You still need to shuck them to remove the top shell, but they were almost a joy to shuck they were so easy. I also was able to retain the juice that collected in the oyster cup which is obviously the perfect accompaniment to oysters with a couple of drops of hot sauce.

You will need a barbecue that is old and rusty, or one that is devoted entirely to cooking oysters (as it will become rusty from the salt water). Fortunately, a friend of mine had an oyster barbecue and let me borrow it! You will also need charcoal briquettes and of course, oysters.

Barbecued Oysters by Joie de vivre with thanks to Melissa and Patrick

Ingredients:

Oysters (count on 6-7 a person if served with a salad and crusty bread)

Hot sauce (we have a nice Thai chili sauce that tasted the best)

Directions:

1. Light the charcoal briquettes and wait 20 minutes or so until they are fully ignited and all white. In the meantime, scrub your oysters under cold water with a scrub brush. Discard any opened oysters or any oysters that don't close when you press on them. These are already dead and cannot be eaten.

2. When the charcoal is ready, lay your oysters on the grate of the barbecue, cup side down.

3. Cover the barbecue and grill the oysters for 9 minutes. Some of your oysters should be open. Remove all of them at this time using tongs. (even the ones that aren't opened yet)

4. Using a towel or an oven mitt to protect your hand, place the oyster in the oven mitt and then using your other hand, place an oyster knife in the hinge of the oyster. Wiggle the knife up and down to break the hinge on the oyster.

5. Place the shucked oyster on a plate filled with salt to keep the oyster from tipping over.

6. Eat your oysters with a drop or two of hot sauce.

7. Comment back on this post to let me know how awesome the oysters were.

Weight Loss Weekly

2009-04-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

Weight loss weekly is a weekly collaboration between me and three other bloggers who are trying to lose weight. Join us as we discuss tips and strategies, our successes as well as our failures on our weight loss journeys.

This week Bernie from Yo-yo No More asks:

You've got a big event coming up, and your still not at a "happy weight", how do you combat those feelings of self doubt and have a good time without getting caught up in the "I'm so fat, I look so bad" crazy talk running around in your head?

Fortunately, I have always had a pretty healthy self-esteem. I've never really struggled with the negative self-talk in terms of my weight with the exception of after I had both of my boys, and was struggling with all of the hormones and bovine feelings of just having had a baby. Unfortunately, this is probably why I allowed myself to gain so much weight in the first place. It never really bothered me until I reached a certain point which was way beyond where it should have bothered me.

My healthy self-esteem actually worries me at times in terms of my weight. I wonder if I will ever allow myself to gain the weight back and not be bothered by it. I know negative self talk is not helpful in any way, but on the other hand, too healthy of self esteem can be a drawback as well.

Be sure and check out what the other three have to say on this topic. They are:

Sunny from That Extra 20 Pounds says:

"The problem for me isn't so much that I can't have a good time because I'm so worried about how I look. The hardest part is actually before... when I'm trying to pick out what to wear!" keep reading at www.ThatExtra20Pounds.blogspot.com

Nurit from 1 Family. Friendly. Food says:

Every time I need to dress up before date night, get out of my usual T-shirt and jeans and put on something nicer looking, I find that I have nothing to wear. Sound familiar? Read more on 1 family. friendly. food.

Bernie from Yo-yo No More says:

"This is a tricky one for me, something I have yet to conquer. It's a battle, from the moment I find out about an upcoming event or occasion. I instantly calculate how much weight I could lose between now and then...." Read more at Yo-yo No More

Artichoke Bread

2009-04-11T16:01:00.001-07:00

The inspiration for this artichoke bread came from Katherine at Smoky Mountain Cafe and I have to say, it is one fabulous recipe. I modified it from Katherine's recipe because of lack of all the ingredients in the right amount, but this bread came out fantastic. It is decadent and gooey, and would suffice as a main course in its own right. Because this recipe makes two halves of a good sized loaf of bread, and it is so filling, we had 1/2 of the loaf of bread left-over. I wrapped up the leftover half in foil, put it in the refrigerator, and the next day threw it in a 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes. It was still as crunchy and gooey as it was the day prior. Mmmm, mmm.

Artichoke bread by Joie de vivre adapted from Katherine at Smoky Mountain Cafe

Ingredients:

One large loaf of crusty Italian or Tuscan type bread

1/4 c. unsalted butter

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and pressed through garlic press

1 14 oz. can chopped artichoke hearts, drained

6 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese

4 oz. grated parmesan cheese

1/2 c. sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Cut the loaf of bread in half, lengthwise. Scoop some bread out to form a well in each of the bread halves. You may save the scooped out bread for bread crumbs or discard. Set aside loaf halves.

2. Place your oven racks no higher than the middle position in the oven. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

3. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the artichoke hearts, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and sour cream. Stir to blend together. Scoop 1/2 of the mixture into each of the bread loaf halves.

5. Place bread halves on a baking sheet, sprinkle each half with half of the cheddar cheese, cover lightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove foil and turn on the broiler. Broil from the distance of the middle rack until cheese is bubbling and starting to brown and the edges of the bread are browning, about 5 minutes. Watch the bread carefully as it is easy to burn it under the broiler.

6. Let the bread cool for 5 minutes and cut into slices.