Charlie loves me

Look at her favorite spot!

Another day...

Yes, I am a slave to my scale. I admit it! I weigh nearly every morning. Some say not to do that, I am in the other crowd. I feel that is the best way to see how my daily food choices affect me. I can see right away how not drinking enough water or eating too much pasta affects my body. This morning I weighed again, as usual. Could you hear me holler in Germany, D? 189.6 baby! I have officially broken thru the 190s! Now I am fairly certain the S'mores I plan to eat Saturday night will change things a bit, but for now I am ecstatic! If I can get it down a little more before then, well I may not change as much.

Anyway, back to other things!

Last night I made the sausage and peppers for dinner. It really was delicious! Would have been even better with rice, so we'll do that next time. All I did was grill the sausages (Italian) and then "submerge" them in my baking dish full of chunked red and green pepper, onion, and a large can of diced tomatoes seasoned with fresh oregano and basil. Heck, I even forgot the garlic! Needless to say, it was very good eats along with broccoli! Unfortunately the picture looks terrible, so I'll not post it this time.
Lunch yesterday was not what I had planned. I had to go it to work and didn't bring the leftover veggies with me. Joe forgot my soup, so all I ate was a small bag of apple slices. My breakfast was eaten pretty late tho, so I really wasn't overly hungry until dinner.
For my snack last night, I ate some mixed nuts, the leftover sweet potatoes with a little FF sourcream, and some grapes. Sounds like a lot, but really it wasn't.
So I am starting today as every other day, omelet with 2 cups veggies, ham, and cheese. Not sure what lunch will be. Dinner tonight is grilled shrimp- probably with a cajun seasoning- and green beans or cauliflower.

Last night we went out to look at the garden. Our second planting of carrots is up, as are the second radishes. We pulled several of the first radishes and will be taking them Saturday. I have blossoms all over my tomato plants, some even have a few mini fruits. I am curious to see what the "Red October" tomatoes look like since their blossoms are double! My broccoli plants are all leaf and no veg yet, trying to figure that out. I have one blossom on one of my eggplants, and the cukes are getting bigger (have two that are about 7 inches now, tho they will get up closer to 16 inches long and about 8 inches around!) as well as the zucchini plants. My early butternut squash plants are getting very bushy, and I saw some pre-blossoms. The cantaloupe plants are finally growing too! This year I am even trying artichokes! They had one at a greenhouse we went to, and the lady said they were very tasty. They are not suposed to be tolerant of winters this far north, but she said if I can have several other annuals come back year after year then these definitely have a shot! My one plant (all they had left) is getting very big, I am ready for it to send up a stalk. Also my sweet potatoes are looking quite happy in the spopt Joe planted them. Looking forward to those this fall! The onions are actually growing this year, we have never had them do this weel. Come fall I will have tons of sweet yellow onions! All in all, this year's garden seems very happy so I anticipate a very good haul! Wish all of you were closer so we could share in it.

Off to make a million phone calls. The big bossman has me calling about 200 people to remind them about the convention this July, and we aren't even going! I would love to see New Orleans...

Have a great day, all!

190-even!

Guess it's working, eh?

Well, here is my food from yesterday (if you are looking for inspiration, Kate!)-
breakfast was the usual omelet with 2 cups of veggies
lunch was the leftover pork fajita stuff with beans
dinner was that steak meal (soooo good!)
and for a snack Joe and I split a huge apple and lots of grapes.
Today is looking like this-
breakfast is the ever-present omelet
lunch is leftover veggies from last night
dinner is sausage and peppers and probably broccoli!

Kitties are feeling much better. they are rumbling like they always have, and amazingly can still jump into the windows! Max is sleeping at my feet and the moment, charlie is desperately trying to wake him up to play. So cute!

So far we're still planning the campout this weekend. Has rained the last few days tho, so I wonder how wet the ground will be? Sam said yesterday, "If it rains, we can just stay in the tent!" I don't think so! I did buy the last of the supplies yesterday, and true to my nature began packing too. Compulsion, anyone? Hey, at least we won't forget something or be unprepared! Sometimes it's GOOD to be a planning fool.

Better get to work! Ciao!

Tonight's dinner and a kitty update...

Thought I'd go ahead and post this before I forget. Tonight we had grilled ribeyes with roasted sweet potatoes, grilled broccolini, and buttered cauliflower. All went well with a nice glass of cab!

Also, kitties are home. We feel so sad that they are hurting tonight, but know they will feel better tomorrow. Poor Charlie! She ventured upstairs but had obviously tuckered herself out in the process so laid down as soon as she got to the top. When Joe got home she rolled back to see him and rolled/slid down the stairs! She is better now, no harm done. Both babies are enclosed in their room for tonight, we will see them out tomorrow. Both are so pooped anyway, it's probably best to avoid Sam for awhile- he's much too playful with them!

Good night!

Feeling better already...

Well, I did forget to photo last night's dinner! We ate late and by the time everything was at the table we were all pretty dang hungry! I can tell you this tho- it was fabulous! I seasoned the chops with a mix of salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and chipotle powder and then grilled them to 145 degrees and let them sit 10 minutes while I grilled the veggies. Three huge chops left plenty for lunch today and some to freeze for later! I ate a huge mound of beans with it, along with lots of grilled veggies. Sadly, later in the evening I got the munchies and ate one of those cheesecake cups, a frozen coconut bar (too good, can't buy those again!). and some peanuts. Only one of those snacks wasn't good for me, so I think I did okay. ;)

Breakfast this morning was the usual omelet with 2 cups of veggies, and lunch will be the leftovers from last night. Tonight's dinner will be pretty simple- steak, roasted sweet potato, and probably green beans or broccoli. I go shopping today so I should be able to stock up on fruit to snack on.

These are our new kitties, for those of you who haven't seen them yet. The orange tabby is Max, the black-and-white is his sister Charlie (she was supposed to be a boy!). Our kitties are at the vet today getting declawed (don't hate me, we just think it's best) and Max is getting neutered. The house is so quiet without them today!

Today is also the first "official" day of Sam's summer vacation. The first shopping trip with him in the summer is always a task, so I am very happy he will have a book to read! We have so much to buy this week with the camping trip coming up Saturday, it could be a LONG afternoon! Last year it took until nearly the end of summer to realize that taking a book would be wise, not this year! I bought him tons of books at the library book sale last month so he's well stocked.

I am beginning to get very excited about this camping trip Saturday! Granted we will be with a bunch of people we don't normally socialize with (it's a bunch of boys and their families from Sam's cubscout pack), but this is also the first time Joe and I have been since around our second anniversary! I grew up camping, so I love it. He on the other hand is NOT a big camper. With all that hair and such, he gets testy if he doesn't get a shower within 10 minutes of waking. The place the scoutmaster chose is at a state fishing lake and there are newer bathroom facilities near the camping site. I'm excited that there will be other boys there to play and fish with so Sam won't get too bored. I just missed camping, so this will be nice (unless there are some bad campers next to us like last time!). I will take lots of pictures! It's okay to have a S'more, right? ;)

Better Health Thru Better Eating...

I am trying to get back into blogging my meals, but have not been terribly motivated lately. Well with a comment from my dear hubby yesterday, I decided to start using this space not only for my recipes but also to become more accountable. No, he did not say, "Hey, your butt's looking a bit big today!" or anything of that sort. He is having a hard time jumping back into proper eating habits, as am I. This will be an exercise for both of us to see exactly what we are doing wrong and right and what we can do to help eachother and ourselves.

This is our meal from last night. It represents what we need to eat for the next week or so to get back on track. I grilled strip steaks and topped them with a bruscetta tomato topping, and served them with buttery carrots and garlicky baby beans. It was a delicious meal, paired nicely with a new cab we tried- a Redwood cab. We are going to strive for no grains at dinner this week- at least until Saturday when we go camping... This will be tough, but we both feel a "purge" is neccessary.

Meals yesterday went like this-

Breakfast was two eggs OM and four small PB chocolate chip waffles (wow, these really did taste like a Reese's!) with a little SF syrup

Lunch was an open-faced ham and tomato sandwich with meunster under the broiler

Dinner of course was the steak and veggies

Dessert was a little cheesecake cup I had made and frozen- a mix of LF cream cheese, SF vanilla pudding, milk, and FF CoolWhip. I also ate a small piece of mint-infused dark chocolate!

Today I started out with my usual "western" omelet- one shrooms short as Joe had made himself some scrambled eggs before I woke up! Not sure about lunch, I had salad stuff in the fridge so should prpbably have that! Dinner tonight should be "fajita" pork chops- thick boneless chops with sauteed onion, shroom, and green pepper- along with refried beans (Sam's fave!) and cheese. I will try to remember to photo that!

Well, off to the store for the veggies for tonight! Enjoy the day off!

Pancakes 4-ways!

I bought the new King Arthur Whole Grain Cookbook recently and love it! This is the recipe for the Homemade Whole Grain Pancake Mix. It makes a ton, which is good because we thought this was fabulous! I made these four ways- Sam likes chocolate chips, Joe likes walnuts, and I like blueberries. That left some batter plain, and those were just as delicious!

Homemade Whole Grain Pancake Mix

3 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, ground not quite to a powder

4 cups white whole wheat flour

1 cup unbleached flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)

3 tbsp sugar (I used 8 packets Stevia Plus)

3 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp baking soda

3/4 cup vegetable oil

Mix everything in the bowl of a large mixer. With paddle attachment running on low, drizzle the oil in and blend thoroughly. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and test the mix. Squeeze a clump of it in your hands- if it holds together it is perfect, if not add in another tablespoon at a time until it's right. Store indefinitely in the freezer.

To make pancakes-

Combine 1 cup mix with 1 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk/soy milk and 1/2 cup plain yogurt, which is what I did), 1 tbsp orange juice (I didn't have any, so I used another tbsp soy milk), and 1 egg. It will seem thin at first, let it sit 15 minutes and it thickens. Cook pancakes as usual, turning when the edges begin to turn from glossy to matte.

Tuscan Lentil Soup

I know I have mentioned a cookbook I love- The Good Carb Cookbook. I saw this recipe and thought it sounded interesting, though I have limited experience eating lentils and that experience was NOT a pleasant one! So today as the weather has definitely changed, I decided would be a great time to try this out on the family. We were not disappointed! In fact, Sam ate two servings (small ones, but hey!) as did Joe and I. Conveniently the store had marked down their foccacia rolls, and they were a match made in heaven! The really nice thing is that this whole meal probably cost less than a latte!
Here it is, I highly recommend trying this one!


Tuscan Lentil Soup

3/4 c brown lentils, picked thru and rinsed
1/3 c brown rice
4oz mushrooms, rough chopped
1 c chopped celery, including leaves (yummm!)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 zucchini, diced (this was my addition, I am trying to get more veggies!)
1 tbsp crushed garlic
beef bouillon granules to make 4 cups broth
2 tsp Tuscan seasoning (I have a little grinder that has sage, bay, basil, marjoram, thyme, and rosemary)
1/4 tsp black pepper
5 cups water
1 quart jar tomatoes, crushed in juices
3 c packed fresh spinach (I used 1 cup frozen and will use more next time)
2 tbsp olive oil
Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a big soup pot (at least 4 qt) over medium-high heat until rippling. Toss in the chopped veggies (except tomatoes and spinach) and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes until tender, then add in the rice. Cook stirring often for a few minutes to slightly brown the rice, then add in the spices and lentils. Pour in the water and the bouillon and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer for 40 minutes. Add the undrained tomatoes (and frozen spinach if using) and cook another 20-30 minutes until lentils are tender and the liquid is thick. Add in the fresh spinach and remaining oil and cook another minute or two to wilt the spinach.
Serve topped with grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese and a nice crusty bread! This also paired nicely with a new pinot noir we tried- Scarlet of Paris.

"Musical" Chili

I call this "Musical" Chili for an obvious reason! It was very tasty and -tho vegetarian- it was also very filling! I will be making this many times in the next few months...



"Musical" Chili P1

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 1/4 cups cooked soybeans
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 small zucchini, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 TBSP chopped garlic
1 large can tomato sauce
1 quart home-canned diced tomatoes
2 TBSP cajun seasoning
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp salt, if needed
2 tsp olive oil

Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat until hot. Saute zucchini, onion, pepper, and garlic about 5 minutes until soft. When softened, dump into 5 or 6 quart crockpot set to high. Add all other ingredients except salt, and stir well. Cover and cook on high 2 hours (at this point mine was simmering). After 2 hours, check for seasoning adding salt if needed. Continue cooking on high another hour or two.

We ate ours topped with shredded white cheddar cheese and FF sour cream. This makes a couple meals-worth, and freezes well!

5:4 Challenge #9- Beef, Potatoes, Peas, Legumes, and Tomatoes!

This is my dish for the latest 5:4. I know it's not terribly creative, but the cool snap has me thinking warm, comfort-foody thoughts! This definitely fit the bill!



Hash P2-3

8 tiny yellow potatoes, scrubbed and chopped
1 quart home-canned tomatoes with their juice
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup cooked soybeans
1 1/2 cups cooked ground beef
1 TBSP beef boullion granules
1 TBSP chopped garlic
3/4 cup water
1/2 TBSP olive oil
1 small onion, chopped

Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, add the oil and potatoes. Cover and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and cook another 5 minutes, adding some of the water as neccessary. Sprinkle with beef granules and add the beans and tomatoes with more water if needed. Cook covered for about 10 minutes until potatoes are cooked. Toss in the peas and garlic, and cook uncovered for 3-5 minutes to heat thru and slightly cook the garlic (I like the bite of raw garlic!).That's it! Simple and delicious!

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

As I said, I am now trying other flavors of bread pudding. The one comment Joe made about the cranberry one was that he thought it needed chocolate chips! Well, I didn't want to use the last of that bread for it, so I used some homemade Whole Wheat Oat Bran Bread I made the other day. It was drier, so it soaked up more milk and was moister in the end. Very good! I have also found that my local Walmart is now carrying Ghiardelli Bittersweet Chips! Yay! No more breaking up my bars! Notice the piece taken out, that wasn't like that when I put the pan away last night...




Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding P2

8 cups cubed WW or WG bread, preferably homemade
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup brown sugar substitute
1 can evaporated skim milk
1 ¼ cup skim milk
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup SF Kahlua syrup
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
Cinnamon/ fructose mix

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8x11 pan well.
Mix the wet ingredients and sugar substitute together well, and toss with the bread. Let this sit 20 minutes.
Mix in the chips and pour everything into the sprayed pan, making sure to level the top. Sprinkle with the cinnamon fructose.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Let cool 45 minutes before cutting.

Cranberry Bread Pudding

My hubby has always said he liked bread pudding- I had never had it! We tried the fried ones at Applebee's recently, and though they were good they just weren't healthy! I had that Cranberry bread, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Yummo! It's inspired me to try other varieties too!

Cranberry Bread Pudding P2

3 large slices WW Spiced Cranberry Bread, cubed
2 eggs, beaten
3 TBSP fructose
1 can evaporated skim milk
2 tsp cinnamon
Cinnamon/fructose mix, optional

Mix the fructose, eggs, and milk together in a large bowl. Toss in the bread cubes and let soak for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350. Place ramekins into 9x13 pan and pour hot water around them (water-bath).
Divide the mixture among sprayed ramekins (I used four large), pouring the juices evenly in them. Sprinkle lightly with the cinnamon fructose if desired.
Bake for 25-35 minutes until knife inserted comes out clean. Let cool 20 minutes before eating (if you can!)

I made a little "sauce" for mine with 1 TBSP SF apricot jam and 2 tsp spread, nuked. I poured this over the top and added a small dollop of Cool Whip. Heavenly! Did have it last night without the sauce, it was just as good.

Stuffed French Toast

I made that cranberry bread the other day, and thought it would be fabulous like this- I was right!

Stuffed French Toast P2

2 slices WW Spiced Cranberry Bread
1 beaten egg + 1 egg white
¼ tsp vanilla
Pinch cinnamon
2 TBSP cinnamon cream cheese
SF maple syrup

Mix together the egg and white, cinnamon, and vanilla. Set aside.
Heat griddle to 300 degrees. Grease or spray lightly.
Dip each piece of bread into the egg mixture and let sit 2 minutes. Cook the bread on the hot griddle4 minutes on each side or until nicely browned. Remove to a plate and spread the cream cheese on one side of one slice, top with remaining slice. Return to griddle and cook another 2 minutes or so to warm the filling. Plate with syrup!

Veggies & Cheese Casserole

I got this recipe today from Danielle. I had asked for suggestions to liven up our dinner veggies as it seems we are eating the same old, same old. She gave me this one, and I added a couple things. WOW! The kiddo wasn't impressed, but he's not fond of mixing anything. Hubby and I though thought this was terrific, and it will be made quite often I'm sure! Thanks DD! I served this with Bacon Cheezburger Meatloaf. It was a match made in heaven!

Veggies & Cheese Casserole P2 (P1 if you omit breadcrumbs)

16oz bag frozen cauliflower
10oz bag frozen broccoli
4oz lite cream cheese
2 wedges Laughing Cow Lite
3 TBSP dried chives
1/2 cup FF sour cream
4 TBSP margarine, divided
3/4 cup WW breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup shredded Italian mixed cheese
1/4 cup bacon bits (the real kind)

Preheat oven to 350.
Bring water to a boil and cook the cauliflower just until tender, then drain well and place in a bowl. Using a potato masher, mash the cauliflower leaving some chunks. Boil the broccoli until tender and drain it. Add this to the cauliflower along with the cream cheese, sour cream, chives, garlic powder, salt & pepper, 3 TBSP margarine, Laughing Cow, Italian cheese mix, and bacon bits. Stir until mixed, and pour into a sprayed 8x11 baking dish.
In another bowl, mix the remaining margarine, breadcrumbs, and cheddar until crumbly. Sprinkle this over the top of the veggies. Bake for 35 minutes until browned and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Spiced Cranberry Wheat Bread

I made this yesterday and it's amazing! Honestly, it tastes just like fall! I can't wait to make french toast with it this weekend! I got the recipe from a cooking magazine, and adapted it to MY needs.


Spiced Cranberry WW Bread P2

1 1/4 c water- hot from the tap
1/3 c honey
2 TBSP oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
3-3 1/2 c WW flour
1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice
1 pkg yeast
1 c dried cranberries (or cherries)
1 TBSP orange peel (I had none, so used 1 tsp orange extract)
1/4 c gluten

You can make this in a bread maker, but I used my big mixer to mix and knead the dough. When the dough is kneaded, turn it into a greased bowl and let it rise in the oven with the light on for an hour and a half or until doubled. You may want to put a pan of boiling water in there to keep it humid. Punch it down and form it into a loaf (I made a round loaf in a 2qt soufflé dish). Place it into a greased loaf pan and put it back in the oven to rise. Let rise one hour or until coming up oven the sides of the pan. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove and cool on a rack.

Chicken and Dumplings

Okay, who doesn't get images of Grandma making this in the kitchen on a chilly winter evening? I got the base of this recipe from a friend of a friend and added dumplings instead of making potpie, and I think mine is better! (Shhhh! Don't tell Julie!) Now, I admit, this version is a little different from what I've made in years past. I always used Bisquik and now I use Hodgson Mills Insta-Bake. The flavor is different, but if it means we can still have this meal then we can adjust! Try this and let me know what you think!





Chicken and Dumplings P2 (P3 if concerned about the potatoes)

4lb chicken, skinned and giblets removed (if there)
6qts water
Celery leaves
½ pound carrots, cut into large dice
1 baseball-sized red potato, peeled and cut into large dice (can omit, but not right!)
3 stalks celery, chopped
6 shrooms, chopped
½ large onion, chopped
1 cup peas
1-2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp salt (sounds like a lot, but trust me!)
1 ½ cups WW baking mix (I use Insta-Bake)
¾ cup skim milk
Fresh parsley if desired

Place the chicken, water, and celery leaves in a large stock pot, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for an hour. Remove chicken and cool until you can handle it. Strain the broth and place back in the pot. Remove chicken meat from the bones, discard the bones and put the meat back in the pot. Cook this on low two hours uncovered to reduce somewhat.
About an hour before serving time, finish the soup. Add the carrots, potatoes, and celery. Saute in another pan the shrooms and onions just until softened, add those to the pot. Stir in the seasonings and half the salt. Simmer about 30 minutes, until veggies are tender.
In a bowl, mix gently the baking mix and milk to form a dough. Drop by rounded large spoonfuls into the simmering broth. Cover and cook 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, turn the dumplings over and then add the peas and parsley. Cover and cook another 10 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the dumplings comes out clean. Check broth for seasoning, adding remaining salt if needed.

Italian "Beef" with Penne

I got a new cookbook recently- The Good Carb Cookbook. It is chock full of delicious recipes! This was the first thing I had tried, and we will definitely have it again! It called for just ground beef, but I used half beef and half turkey then added in some leftover sweet sausage. I also added mushrooms because, well, everything is better with shrooms! I of course changed some of the amounts just a tad- more garlic, used penne instead of bowties...

Itailan Beef with Penne P2

1 pound ground beef or mix of beef and turkey, browned and drained
1 small onion, chopped
6 large shrooms, sliced
5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/2 cup beef broth
1 quart home-canned tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp oil
8 oz cooked penne or other WW pasta
3/4 cup shredded Itailan cheese or parmesan

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat until hot, add the oil. Saute the onion, shrooms, and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the broth and simmer 5 minutes until alomst evaporated, then stir in the paste and canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and add the spices. Add in the meat, and simmer 10 minutes adjusting for salt if needed. Remove from heat and add the pasta, tossing to coat.
When you serve this, sprinkle a generous amount of cheese on top!

5:4 Take 8! Thai Shrimp and Apple Snow Peas

As soon as I said apples, I began to get ideas. Then they all flew straight out of my head! This came back tho, and was truly a creative meal for my family. We all liked it, tho hubby is NOT a fan of pineapple. He still ate tons of shrimp! Can't wait to see what Danielle and Laurie came up with...



Thai Pineapple Shrimp with Bean Threads P2

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1 tsp oil
½ can lite coconut milk
½ tsp basil
1 tsp salt
½ a package of bean thread noodles
½ cup toasted WW breadcrumbs

For the bean threads- Heat a saucepan of water until boiling, remove from heat. Place the nests of noodles in the water, and let them soak for 10 minutes. Drain, and toss with oil if desired. (I just placed them on the plate right out of the water)
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the pineapple chunks and sauté until nicely browned (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add the coconut milk, basil, and salt, and bring to a boil. Toss in the shrimp, and “poach” them in the milk. The milk will thicken and reduce creating a creamy sauce for the shrimp. Cook about 5 minutes or until the shrimp is all pink.
Spoon the shrimp, pineapple, and sauce over the noodles. Top with the toasted breadcrumbs for crunch!

Apple Snow Peas P2

2 cups snow peas, trimmed
8 oz apple juice (no sugar added)

In a sauté pan, heat the apple juice over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce the juice to a scant tablespoon (this takes about 5-7 minutes, watch it carefully!). Throw in the peas, and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat about 3 minutes, just to barely soften the peas. Serve!

5:4 take 7- Chicken Fried "Rice" with Sesame Green Beans

This one was really tough for me. Everything I kept coming up with was a boring, "standard" type of meal. I wanted exciting and different! This is what I finally came up with, and it was pretty good! I can't wait to see what the other two came up with!

Chicken Fried "Rice" P1

1 large head cauliflower, cored
1 pound broccoli florets
2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into small cubes
2 eggs, beaten with 3 TBSP water
2 TBSP mushroom-flavored soy sauce
2 TBSP oyster sauce
3 TBSP oil

Using a large-holed grater, shred the cauliflower. Set this aside.
Heat a large wok over high heat. Swirl in 1 tbsp oil. Add half the chicken, stir-frying until it is browned and cooked thru. Remove it and finish with remaining chicken. Then quickly stirfry the broccoli for a few minutes to barely cook it. Remove and wipe the wok clean.
Reheat the wok and add 1 tbsp oil. Cook eggs stirring occasionally until done, remove. Wipe the wok clean.
Heat it again and add another tbsp oil. Cook the cauliflower 5 minutes until it begins to soften. Then stir in the oyster sauce, chicken, and soy sauce. Toss together. Top with the broccoli and serve.

Sesame Green Beans P1

1 pound frozen or fresh green beans
2 TBSP mushroom-flavored soy sauce
1 TBSp oil
1 TBSP sesame seeds

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a saute pan. Add beans and saute covered 5-7 minutes or until desired doneness. Stir in soy sauce, let caramelize. Remove to platter and top with sesame seeds.

Chicken Cordon Bleu and Fixin's!

We LOVE Chicken Cordon Bleu. I LOVE asparagus (can you tell???). A match made in heaven! I made the Mock Hollandaise sauce to top them, and it was just the right flavor!

Chicken Cordon Bleu P1

Thin sliced chicken breast, one slice per person
2 slices ham per breast
1 slice Imported Emmenthaler Swiss per breast
salt&pepper

Very simple. Bake the chicken for 5 minutes at 425. Top with two pieces folded ham then the cheese. Broil for 10 minutes until cheese browns.

Mock Hollandaise P1

1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1 tbsp spread
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dijon mustard

I double this because I love it so much!
Melt the spread in a measuring cup in the microwave. Whisk in the egg or sub, lemon juice, and mustard. Heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes on low heat stirring every 15-20 seconds until thickened.