Experimental Fun

Now that summer vacation is in full swing, this teacher is enjoying one of her favorite hobbies...recipe experimenting. Since my summer resolution is to be kind to myself, this includes being kind to my body and giving it what it needs. I always try to eat a plentiful bounty of fruits and veggies, but every now and then, this gets a little boring. This is especially true when trying to consume more raw veggies. I do not suggest ever eating a salad or veggie sticks without a good dressing or dip. One of my favorite standbys for dipping in the raw is hummus. This weekend, I had planned on making my typical garlic and lemon version; however, neglected to buy any lemons. With the chickpeas already in my opened and in the food processor, I almost had a kitchen freak out moment; however, remained calm. I had limes. I had garlic. I had an opened can of chipotle peppers, thus my chipotle hummus was born!

Chipotle Hummus
2 cans chickpeas/ garbanzo beans
4 Tbsp. tahini paste
2 chipotle peppers, plus 1 Tbsp. sauce
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
Salt
Pepper
1/4 C. water, more if you like a thinner consistency

1. Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Yes, it is that easy my friends! Justin does not usually like my regular hummus, but loves this version. This spicy chipotle peppers also have helped clear my stuffy nose from this dang summer cold. I highly suggest serving this with veggies and tortilla chips. It's a nice change up from my regular hum, hah hummus!

Summer BBQ Tour Part I

If you've followed my blog for any amount of time, you probably have noticed a summer theme- BBQ. BBQ has got to be one of the best reasons to live in Kansas City. After drooling over some local joints Justin and I viewed on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives last weekend, we decided this summer to take a personal culinary tour of our city. The first stop, Johnny's BBQ.
Conveniently located off Johnson Drive in Mission, Kansas, Johnny's has some unique flavors which make it stand out from some of the other places in which we've dined. With perfect smoke rings on each rib, hints of cinnamon throughout the sweet succulent sauce, and it's own unique BBQ bottle decor, it is no wonder Guy Fieri had to stop on his visit to Kansas City.

We ordered the Friday night special- 1/2 smoked chicken, 1/2 slab of ribs, fries, pickles, and a choice of a side of slaw, beans, or potato salad. Since moving to Kansas City, Justin and I have fallen in love with the cabbagey cole slaw concoction and the combination of BBQ. So we got some slaw. Unfortunately, once the plates hit the table, we became so consumed with our meal we forgot to take pictures! In good humour, you can enjoy the leftovers or settle for just licking the plates:)

First Day of Summer

Summer vacation has officially arrived! As I start every summer vacation, I always set some goals. I don't expect to totally make-over my life. But, with the extra time, it is nice to make plans for myself instead of planning my days according to school life. This summer's goals include more blogging, exercise, and being more kind to myself. Do you every find you are your own worst enemy? From many books and discussions with friends and colleagues, I find that many of us constantly beat ourselves up. For me, it is somewhat of a cycle. I'm sure just being female and having hormones has something to do with it. Then add in daily stress, trying to maintain balance, and expectations...it can all just make one go bananas.

So, today I welcome myself back into the blogosphere and toast my lovely Green Monster smoothie to a healthy summer! Cheers!

My Latest Craze

My 30th year in life happened without a hitch. It was actually amazing! Thank you to all of my friends and family who celebrated! I love you so much. The lovely cake was a gift in so many ways. My best friend, Jen, delivered the cake from the bakery aforementioned in the previous blog from the Upper Crust. It was all gluten free. Not usually being a huge fan of cake, my husband brought up an important revelation...the cake did not cause my stomach to sound like a water cooler. I am usually not a fan of cake because of the way it makes me feel. In the past, I've always blamed this on the texture in disguise of the fact that eating cake actually makes me feel like crap. I always thought this was due to the mass quantities of sugar, leading me to sometimes violently throwing up after consuming cake. This birthday cake was totally gluten free. I ate one piece with some champagne and felt fine. I ate another piece after we all came home from some celebratory activities and slept throughout the night. My husband has noticed that after eating bagels, pasta, and other mass quantities of gluten that I don't always feel my best. So, after discussing this magical cake, we both wondered if some of my issues related to cake might actually be related to gluten being the source to many of my evils. I thought about if for a week and decided to go gluten free. After a week, I felt great. Now after three, I feel amazing. To date, other than masked forms of gluten in my cooking utensils and pots and pans, I've knowingly consumed gluten on one occasion. I had a beer and some pizza. I felt like crap. I think we see a pattern here. So, it has remained out of my diet and I feel great. No more water cooler stomach. No more other issues not to discuss on a blog.
Now isn't that something to have a fiesta and sombrero over?

On to the latest craze. Yes I love sombreros. It was one of my birthday requests. But it has nothing to deal with birthdays or celebrating. It is a curious beverage called the "Green Monster." I had been reading about this drink on several of the blogs in which I follow. Always curious, I finally decided to try it. It is amazing!! Check out "Oh She Glows" and "Eat, Live, Run" for more stories. Here is the recipe I have been using:
1 1/2 Cups Vanilla Almond Milk
2 Handfulls Organic Spinach
2 Tablespoons Milled Flaxseed
2 Tablespoons Almond Butter
1 Frozen Banana

Fill blender with almond milk, spinach, flaxseed, and almond butter. Heat the frozen banana (still in its peel) for 30 seconds in the microwave. Peel the banana over your blender and add the peeled banana. Mix all ingredients until smooth. Consume and feel invigorated! Seriously the craziest thing that I've tried that gives me the most energy throughout the day! Trust me, I can attest as I am a teacher;)

The Last 48 Hours

It is my final countdown to 30. While it is hard to believe my roaring 20's will soon be over, I must say that it isn't so bad. I realized that in the last ten years I am in a much better place. For instance, I'm married, have a house, and I have a job. I have a suitable car that gets me around and I'm much more responsible. Not to mention the fact that I am much more comfortable in my skin. Now, I really could kick myself for every thinking I was "fat" ten years ago because it really wasn't responsible. My thinking has changed and I really try to do what is best for my body because I like my liver and want to be around for my husband and children.

Now for the good stuff. Because I've learned in my life that you can have really good stuff without starving. One of my favorite comforts, pizza. I think if I ever own a restaurant someday, I will serve pizza. Especially, these guys:

Recipe #1- Spiced Pear Flatbread w/ Goat Cheese and Mustard Cream
Adapted from Bon Appetit September, 2009 Woodberry Kitchen


Mustard Cream:
6 T. heavy whipping cream
3 T. dijon mustard
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 t. honey

Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl. I whipped the cream using an electric mixer until it had soft peaks and then folded the rest of the ingredients in until combined. This will act as your sauce.

Spiced Pear Topping:
2 ripe Bosc pears sliced thin
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
Salt
Pepper
2 C. fresh baby spinach
8 oz. crumbled goat cheese

Flatbread:
1 package pizza crust mix
1/2 C. warm water

Follow the directions on the package for the mix. I used a generic Hy-Vee brand and rolled the dough out very thin into a 12" disk. Bake the crust for 5-7 minutes or until very light brown. Remove from the oven and spread the mustard cream and add the toppings. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Recipe #2- Sicilian Sausage Stuffed Pizza
Adapted from Weight Watchers Pizza, Pizza cookbook


1/2 lb. Italian chicken sausage (I use the Isserino brand. You can find this at Super Target)
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 package 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese
2 packages pizza dough mix (make two separate crusts following package directions)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Spray nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Cook sausage until lightly browned; transfer to a bowl. Add the mushrooms and onion to the skillet. Cook until mushrooms are golden. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the mushroom mixture to the sausage and let cool for 5 minutes. Then, stir in the cream cheese and Parmesan until thoroughly mixed.

Roll out one disk of dough for the bottom crust in a 12" circle. Spread the filling onto the dough. Leave 3/4 of an inch from the edge. Brush the outer edge with water.

Roll out the second disk of dough into a 12" inch circle. Place on top of the filling. Press the edges together to seal. I pulled the bottom crust and folded the top crust to make somewhat of a braid. Cut 5 2" slits in to the top of the dough to let the steam out while baking. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden. Let the pizza cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. I served my pizza with a side of marinara.

Enjoy!

Blizzards & Birthdays

We are in a real blizzard right now. Not just a lot of snow. An actual blizzard.

These images are of the backyard and our lovely patio area that were once green and filled with lovely summer scents. It seems all too long ago.

Clearly school was cancelled and Justin decided to stay home too since his office was going to be closing early. This morning before things really picked up, I decided to take a trip out to the DMV and renew my license. Yes, it is another sign I'm nearing 30. I must say, this wasn't a wise decision. My Iowa roots sometimes cause me to forget that snow and city drivers do not mix. I was able to dodge many poor driving situations; however, the little Corolla could not handle turning left while going down a hill. Luckily the Corolla and I are safe, but I am missing a hubcap from sliding up onto the side of the road. I was able to back out and drive home without any damage to my tire. I think there was enough snow that it caused a little bit of padding while I slid up onto the curb. Thankfully, all is good except for the hubcap. I can live without a hubcap.

In other news, my long time, best friend Jen turned 30 and had her party over the weekend.
Her sunny outlook, great sense of humor, and ability to turn any day into a party make turning 30 seem awesome! One of her friends made her this amazing gluten free cake. Kristy will be opening up her own bakery, The Upper Crust, in Creston very soon.
Happy Birthday Jen!!

When Life Gives You Boueuf, Make Bourguignon!

Lately, my hormones have been out of control. Not to get personal or anything; however, it is giving me some beef and has put a damper on the baby making department for a couple of months. So, life gave me some beef...I made Boueuf Bourguignon.

For my birthday last year, my mother gave me the famed Julia Child cookbooks. I had not made anything and was waiting for a special occasion. While this weekend wasn't anything special, I did put myself to work in the kitchen. Justin and I enjoyed the results!

The recipe is fairly labor intensive if you make everything as it calls for in the recipe, including the braised onions and sauteed mushrooms. I served the entree with parsley potatoes. And no meal like this is complete without a little something for desert: Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes, courtesy of Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2009.

While I may be lacking in the presentation department, I served the desert in coffee mugs. The cake is really like hot chocolate you can eat with a spoon! So good!


Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cub unsweetened cocoa
5 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cub unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (2.6 ounce) bar dark 71% chocolate, finely chopped

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour and next four ingredients.

Place butter in a large bowel; beat with a mixer at medium speed for 1 minute. Add granulated and brown sugars, beating until well blended. Add egg substitute and vanilla, beating until blended. Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture; fold in chocolate. Divide the batter evenly among 10 4 ounce ramekins on a jelly roll pan. I used coffee mugs and filled them half full. The recipe does call for ten; if you serve the desert in the mugs, it will serve around four to five. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. I stuck mine outside in the frigid air for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350. Let the ramekins or mugs stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake at 350 for 21 minutes or until cakes are puffy and slightly crusty on top. MMMMMMMmmmmmm! Delicious!