About Me

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I am currently working on a Master's Degree in Nutrition and requirements for Registered Dietician R.D. I plan to run my first full marathon in 2009. This blog is about everything I learn, eat, and do along the way. Cheers!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Saturday

Check out my attempt # 2 at Chocolate Chip Irish Cream Pound Cake  I did last night for this afternoon!

Let me know your opinion if I should top it with powdered sugar , a rum glaze or a citrus glaze !! I get emails with all the comments so I will see em!

I also did a version of Veggie Girl's Blondies- mine had Bourbon, Toffee and Marshmallows! Check it out here: B Healthy's Bourbon V.G Blondies

My plan for Saturday: head to the gym for short cardio/strength session, store to get a few necessities, head over to Jeff's parents for more family fun.


Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!!

B_Healthy's Bourbon VeggieGirl Blondies

I completely support anyone who chooses or needs to be on gluten free diets, vegan, vegetarian etc. Even though I do not personally take part in any of these, I find VeggieGirl's creations quite spectacular. I find it even more spectacular because with those restrictions, I can imagine how very hard it can be to find foods or make foods that support it let alone be delicious! So I thought I would try out a delicious blondie recipe from VeggieGirl herself with some of my own adaptions to her adaptions!

I have been itching to make these and came home to realize I had no dried fruit, and almost out of frozen fruit! I had leftover heath toffee pieces from xmas baking. I also had leftover marshmallows from Chocolate Windows and rice krispie cereal, which will never get eaten! So I made LOTS of adaptions!

  • ** Adapted from Veggie Girl's Fig-Almond Blondies ( click to get her recipe)
  • (** which she had brilliantly adapted from the Raspberry-Almond Blondies recipe from Martha Stewart's cooking website**)
  • 6 ounces nonfat greek yogurt (I used Trader Joes)
  • 1/4 cup Smart Balance Oil
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3 teaspoons maple syrup ( I don't like or have molasses)
  • 1.5 cups flour (I used Organic Whole Grain All Purpose Flour)
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup almonds, finely-sliced
  • 1 cup marshmallows
  • 3/4 cup Crisp Cereal
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate toffee pieces
  • Bourbon!! I had about 1 tablespoon left
    • Milk of choice, added to the batter as needed

    Get-It-Made:

    Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly coat an 7 x 11 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

    In a large bowl, add in the yogurt, oil, sugar, vanilla extract, Bourbon and syrup. Mix well.
    In the same bowl, add in the flour, baking soda, sliced/slivered almonds, marshmallows, krispie cereal, and toffee. As the mixture starts to thicken up/combine, add as much of the milk as you need (but not too much) so that the batter is mixable. ( Mine was very mixable/gooey if you will)

    Pour mixture into the pan ( I used a 9 x 13 by mistake but wish I had used a slightly smaller pan) (coated generously with nonstick cooking spray).

    Bake for about 32-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the blondies comes out clean.


    The result:
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    Oooey Gooey delicious Blondies!
    I have no idea how they came out as delicious as they did! I feel as though mine were Kitchen Sink Blondies and Veggie Girls "base" is just a fantastic blondie recipe in general! I most certainly will make these again, but I will use a smaller pan ( that was in the directions I am just silly) and probably not use dried fruit and chocolate chips instead of the toffee/marshmallow.

    I will update the review tonight after Jeff's family have a taste...

Super Sales on Larabars and Arnold Sandwich Thins, Super Run, Super Day!

Body:
Run and 20 min Yoga! I love this whole "intention and expectation" thing because I posted friday morning that a run and yoga is what I intended to do but this little part of my mind was telling me "what if you knee hurts? you are going to end up on the elliptical" . Well, I did end up on the elliptical- but only for a 10 minute cool down! This  time my total distance was 6 miles but I walked the first 0.8 or so to warm up - so I ran 5.2 miles. I wasn't concerned with my time but I will tell you- I ran the fourth entire mile in 6 minutes and 30 seconds!!! I did half of it at 9.2 and then felt like I could keep going.
Honestly, I was reminding myself to just keep going because I have the strength to do so - I intended to accomplish and I expected myself to do it.
Wooohoo!

I got back from the gym and did my own session with my DVD music. I know the DVD off by heart by now and I go just a little bit faster so I like to get going on my own. For some odd reason, I did upward facing dog much more today than usual. I wonder if that means anything?

Mind:
I didn't get to reading today but I did get back to suduko and started to read through the latest American Dietetic Association Journal that came in my mail yesterday! I will try to post anything exciting!

My loans aren't ready yet but no worries there, I didn't get to the books but I did get back to a girl that was going to buy one of my previous books. I also looked for jeans for Jeff but didn't find the ones I wanted.

I went to the grocery store so that I would be "stocked" up for this upcoming week of classes! Unfortunately when I came home I realized we are now out of laundry soap , (almost) toothpaste and (almost) toliet paper! Yikes!

Soul:
Baked MORE!! Can you believe it? I feel like I am a baking machine lately! I will post separately because I finally got to do a version of Blondie's that Veggie Girl inspired me and another Chocolate Chip Irish Cream Pound Cake because I had all the ingredients!

Grocery Store mini trip! I know its silly but I really feel much more happy when I have gone to the grocery store and know that I have lots of healthy ingredients for the week ahead to make! I think that is a great tip for those who are struggling with weight loss or eating healthier  - When you have a stocked kitchen of HEALTHY foods that you enjoy or know how to prepare, you will eat healthier! There will also be less worry and confusion of "oh no there's nothing at home to make, I'll go out to eat" since you have what you like at home. I was so excited to get GREAT deals!

Here is some of what I picked up:
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So excited - Harris Teeter finally had Arnold Sandwich Thins ON SALE ! The also had all their lunch meat Buy 1 Get 2 Free!! I got four packs of sandwich meat and two packs of cheese for $8 ! I am not a HUGE sandwich fan, but they can be very handy as part of a quick meal. I also got:

  • Arnold Sandwhich Thins: Whole Grain White and Whole Wheat
  • huge bag of locally grown Kale
  • a big eggplant
  • Designer Whey Vanilla Protein Powder ( It was on sale too! I am pumped because I wasn't liking the big bucket of stuff I got before)
  • Pecan Pie Larabar on sale - all larabars at Harris Teeter are $1 for this week!
  • Not pictured
    • Lunch Meat:
      • Honey Ham
      • Virgina Ham
      • Chicken Breast
      • Smoked Turkey
      • Colby Jack
      • Baby Swiss
    • Eggs
    • Newmans Own Fiber Bread- on sale too!
    • Organic Bananas
    • Grapefruit
    • Cream Cheese
    • Mini chocolate chips

Okay on to Lunch:

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Grilled Organic Cage Free Chicken ( I had froze it from Trader Joes, grilled on the foreman)

Frozen Stir Fry Veggies with some reduced fat Feta

Sweet Potato Fries

Leftover Black Bean Soup ( it was better than the first time I tried it but really spicy!)


Snack pre-baking:
Toasted Kale- I ate all of that and it was delicious! Almost like popcorn- I just sprinkled some salt and put it in my toaster oven for a few minutes until it got brown and crispy.

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Dinner at Jeff's Parents:
(his mom had found the sandwich thins and lunch meat etc. on super sale at Harris Teeter as well!)
Arnold 7 Grain Sandwich Thin, Deli Ham, Provolone, Mustard
Some Chips and his mom offered me a tomato again! Yum, Thanks!  
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I saw the baked beans after this, I had a spoonfull of them too.

A blue Moon
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A glass of wine

( I started a second glass but then gave it to Jeff because I couldn't finish)
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Chocolate Chip Irish Cream Pound Cake ( Attempt #2)

I don't know if this attempt will beat my first attempt with my mom tuesday for this delicious, LIGHT pound cake ! It was so delicious that it was gone in two days practically!

Chocolate Chip Irish Cream Pound Cake
Original Photo


Original Recipe from Cooking Light can be found here: Original Recipe Contest Winner

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
1 teaspoon flour
2 3/4 cups AP Cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup fat-free cream cheese, softened
10 tablespoon butter, softened 
1 cup granulated sugar 
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs 
3/4 cup Irish cream liqueur
Baking spray and Flour for Bundt Pant
2 tablespoons powdered sugar optional topping



B-Healthy Recipe 01-10-2009

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
1 teaspoon AP Whole Grain flour 

1 1/4 cups AP Whole Grain Flour (Minus 1 Tablespoon to equal Cake Flour)
1 1/2 cup AP Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup fat-free cream cheese, softened
10 tablespoon Smart Balance Light and Smart Balance 50/50 blend to cut out saturated fats 
3/4 cup granulated sugar ( all I had left!)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 large egg
1/2 cup Egg Substitute (to cut out saturated fat and cholesterol)
3/4 cup Irish cream liqueur
Baking spray with flour
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Get-It-Made:

Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon flour in a small bowl; toss.

Lightly spoon 2 3/4 cups (minus 1 Tablespoon) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Place cream cheese and butter in a bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed to blend. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla; beat until blended.
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Add eggs, 1 at a time; beat well after each addition. Beat on high speed 1 minute.
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With mixer on low, add flour mixture and liqueur alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition.
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Fold in chocolate chips.
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Pour batter into a 12-cup Bundt pan coated with baking spray and lightly floured.

Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan.
Cool completely on wire rack.

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Sift powdered sugar over cake.

Yield

16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Approximate Nutritional Information ( Adapted from from Original Recipe, these are my estimates for substituting Smart Balance for butter, less sugar, substituting Egg Substitute for whole eggs)

CALORIES: 273
Fat: 8 g 
Carbohydrates: 43 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 5 g
Cholesterol: 59 mg

I am going to double check on this because I am interested if these are correct estimates- I will probably use a recipe calculator and will update if needed. I will also be taking it over to Jeff's Mom and Dad's today for a "family get together" ... along with some leftover Mocha Swirl Cheesecake and B Healthy Veggie Girl Blondies if they turn out alright!


BIG QUESTION:
Should  I do a citrus glaze, a rum glaze  or sift powdered sugar?

Friday, January 9, 2009

Happy Friday!

Its Friday!! 

Up early and Jack ran away when I was making Jeff a smoothie for breakfast! He is such a stinker! I used the new "Bella" mixer to make a single smoothie for Jeff. Let me tell you, Is this thing perfect for us or what!?! I LOVED IT! I put in frozen mango, frozen blueberries, banana, peanut butter, and protein powder with organic milk. I was very hesitant that this little guy would really crush up the frozen fruit- however- it blew me away! It made it SO well and SO fast. The best part is that I don't always want a smoothie- so when I use the blender I have to clean out the blender AND the nasty cup that sat in jeff's car all day at work. This saves 50% of that- I mix-in and give him the same cup so I only have to wash once thank goodness!
Thank you Bella Kitchen for making such a great product! Thank you Mom for handing it off to me!

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Jeff finished his smoothie while he drove around and found Jack.

On to my breakfast..
Pepperidge Farm 7 Grain Light Style Bread toasted, with 3 egg whites and some hot sauce in sandwich form, Frozen blueberries and mango and some banana with pb. oh and cinnamon!

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The plan for today:

Run run run on the treadmill, its too cold outside today! Yoga after.. Look for the jeans for Jeff.. school stuff- see if my loan is ready, see if books are in, change around my schedule potentially...

* I am so glad to have any and all readers, those who comment and those who may not! I hold a special place for those that have been commenting for awhile and I am excited for new readers as well. This blog has given me so much back as a creative outlet, a hobby, a place to give my thoughts, a place to share my life and more. Thank you to each and every one of you that keeps up with my life, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Hope your day and weekend are superb! *

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Home Safe but Tuckered Out

I am home and tuckered out! Jack is too because he didn't even want dinner - he has laid in his "bedroom" since we got home! I think it was all the attention and spoiling my parents gave him. We went on lots of walks too- and he had lots of treats. He was kinda bad only because the parents let him up on the furniture:
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I must be so tired from all of that baking I have been up too ... Creme De Menthe Brownies, my personal favorite is Chocolate Chip Irish Cream Pound Cake , and Mocha Swirl Light Cheesecake-

In fact, I doubt my fatigue had ANYTHING to do with the freezing, 1 hour wonderful walk this morning, 3 hour drive, 2 loads of laundry, and unpacking 8 bags of a bullet smoothie mixer my mom gave me ( thanks!!! woohoo!), leftover baked goods, clothes bought while shopping with my mom, and luggage! Right ?


Body:

Walked with my mom and Jack , 3+ miles this morning! It was very chilly compared to yesterday's walk gees! My knee is a little sore from the run yesterday but nothing major at all really- I am gonna get a heat pack now and ice and alternate to get the blood flowing- hopefully get rid of any swelling!

Mind:
Read more in the morning but only a little bit!

Read some new blogs!! I am so excited to receive comments from readers I was unaware of! I love that people are enjoying my blog as much as I enjoy writing it! I would certainly like to add to my blogroll but I always end up closing the browser and can't find the exact addresses again! So feel free to send me a comment so I can add you/ or you can add me etc. etc.

However, most all of my mental energy went towards my 3 hour drive on the highway with Jack! I fought off sleepiness by drinking water and singing to Jack, he is not a fan. Oh well.

Soul:

I am the type of person that feels MUCH better if I unpack immediately- otherwise the stuff lays around for a week or longer! So I got everything going right away into its place- except the laundry- however I folded AND ironed what is done! Hooray for that

Jeff is home and I am home ! Yah! He LOVES his new sweater/shirt that I assured my mom he would like! Also, two of the pairs of pants fit fantastic and he loves them! The third pair were jeans by the SAME brand, SAME size as the other two pairs- and clearly 2 inches too long!!??!?!? What the crap ? oh well, I will go see if I can get a shorter pair. I hope they aren't too short though!

After I got back and put everything away, I caught up on this premiere week of shows I remembered to record before I left! 90210, Priviledged, and The Biggest Loser!

Dinner with Nate and Andrea! Andrea picked me up and we met the men at the restaurant! Both of us had not seen our significant others' in four days! and... both Andrea and I ordered the same exact meal, both Jeff and Nate ordered the same exact meal too- how coincidental!?!

****** Jeff got a great deal on a BRAND NEW vehicle thanks to his uncle Jeff... it is a truck and he wanted a truck! it is 4 wheel drive and he wanted 4 wheel drive so we could take it onto the beach for camping at the ocean and it has more too! The bet part is it is brand new with a full warranty and he is getting it for what the used vehicles cost that he was considering recently! I won't reveal too much because there are some logistics involved - he/we should be bringing it home Monday so I will reveal all the details and photos then! ****** Thank you to everyone who has been commenting, keeping up with this situation for us, and hoping along with me that things work out post accident! ( Erica , Mads, Veggie Girl, Strong and Healthy, Hangrypants and I hope I am not forgetting anyone else...)

I am so excited that Jeff's uncle Jeff ( his namesake and practically his identical twin as far as personality goes) and aunt Darlene are visiting this weekend. This happens to work out nicely with the car deal since Jeff can ride back with them sunday and drive back his new truck! They are great fun so it will be a family oriented weekend of wine, laughter, and who knows what!

On to the food:
Breakfast:
Egg whites with hummus, Oats with Bluberries, Bananas, Pears and Peanut Butter.

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Oh and if you haven't already checked her out- Lee of For The Love of Peanut Butter - made a version of my Pumpkin French Toast for breakfast today- She loved it and I am so happy!!!! Thanks for the tag Lee!


Lunch: (sorry it wasn't pictured I had already packed everything into the car)
Leftover pasta bake from last night ...



Snack:
A small banana with peanut butter and greek nonfat yogurt. I also crumbled a bite of a Luna Sunrise Bar that I have never had before. It was yummy!

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Dinner:

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We went to a hot dog/greek place that has a great sandwich and salad menu! I got the Greek Salad ( iceberg, onion, tomato, greek olives, feta, beets, pita) with Grilled Chicken. Jeff ordered the special hot dog and chili fries. I did have some of the chili fries - meh - pretty good- I liked the fry part better than the chili part.




TGI almost F !

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Mocha Swirl Light Cheesecake

This was a recipe in Southern Living's Best Cakes and Pies Ever, special edition magazine. One of my student's mother's gave it to me during Teacher Appreciation Week, one of the best gifts aside from teaching a student with autism, was this magazine!

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Original recipe is here: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1176228
and calls for a mocha sauce, which after tasting the cheesecake seems highly unnecessary because of the coffee and baking chocolate, it is a super mocha flavor anyway.

Original Photo
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Original Ingredients

  • 2 cups crushed chocolate graham crackers (about 18)
  • 1/3 cup reduced-fat butter, melted
  • Vegetable cooking spray
  • 4 (8-oz.) packages reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup coffee liquor
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 (1-oz.) bittersweet baking chocolate squares

B-Healthy Ingredients:

  • 2 cups crushed honey graham crackers (about 18 )
  • 1/3 cup Smart Balance Butter, melted
  • Vegetable cooking spray
  • 4 (8-oz.) packages reduced-fat cream cheese, softened ( 2 Fat Free, 2 with 1/3 less)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
  • 2 Eggs, 2 Egg Whites
  • 3 (1-oz.) bittersweet baking chocolate squares ( We only used 3- I would use 2 next time, not 4 my gosh!)

  • Get -It- Made:

    1. Stir together crushed graham crackers and melted butter; press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.

    2. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

    3. Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add liqueur, vanilla, and coffee granules, beating at low speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition.

    4. Remove and reserve 1 cup cream cheese mixture. Pour remaining batter into prepared crust.

    5. Microwave chocolate in a medium-size, microwave-safe bowl 1 minute or until melted, stirring after 30 seconds. Stir reserved 1 cup cream cheese mixture into melted chocolate, blending well. (Mixture will be thick.) Spoon mixture in lines on top of batter in pan; gently swirl with a knife.

    6. Bake at 325° for 1 hour or until almost set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven, with door closed, 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. (Do not remove sides of pan.) Cool 1 hour on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

    7. Remove sides of springform pan.

    Nutritional Information ( I adapted this for ours based on the original recipe's. This is just a good estimate, not exact. It does not include the mocha sauce in the original recipe showed online since we did not make it because it was so rich without it! Whipped cream would be much better!)

    (makes 10 servings, each serving provides approx.)
    Calories:
    360
    Fat:
    20 g ( about 8 g saturated, 5 g unsaturated)
    Protein:
    15 g
    Carbohydrate:
    31 g
    Fiber:
    2g
    Cholesterol:
    68mg ( from 131 original!)

    After pouring most of the batter into the pan, on top of the crust

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    After globbing:

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    After swirling...

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    After baking at 325 for (55 minutes in regular oven, we did 30 in the convection), and sitting for 30 minutes:
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    ( oh my-please excuse the no make up and pj's!)

    my slice for EATING!

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    Yes I portioned out the cheesecake because I wanted to get a good idea of what 1/10th aka 360 calories was! I just lightly drew half the cake with a knife, then 1/2 that. That quarter would be 2.5 servings so then I drew three lines for that- meaning I had slightly less than a 1/10th if you are interested! I am not so much interested in the calories, but it is easy enough to give you a good idea that you are eating 360 calories with 40% of it from fat. Not super healthy- but the taste &texture was highly comparable to The Factory, which has slices at 900 calories + .

    My personal opinion is bias- I don't like cheesecake anywhere near as much most other desserts. However, it was incredibly rich ( love rich dessert) and dense- so I was content. My mom and dad LOVED it!! They are both BIG cheesecake fans! Hence why we made it, my mom just bought a nice springform pan!

    Another Great Day with Eggplant Chicken Pasta Bake

    Body:

    Walked 2 miles with my mom and jack ( 2 loops around their neighborhood!) it was sooooo windy! After we had chatted about the day ahead, I decided that staying here another night would allow me to get a good workout in today instead of being tired today after a drive home. So, we headed to the gym after lunch..  

    The gym workout today: A fantastic RUN!! I am so happy with my time!
    Distance: 5.34 miles in 40 minutes flat! That is over 2.5 minutes less than my 8K Race on Thanksgiving Day  and even faster since I ran 0.23 miles longer!

    Woohoo! When we got back I did a 20 minute session of Yoga. I just did my own thang with warrior 2, triangle pose, warrior 1, downward facing dog, etc. I think downward dog is my favorite position because I find myself just hanging out in it for awhile.


    Mind:
    Read even more of Eat, Pray, Love ( so far another 30 pages for today). I think its being here at my parents, its like a vacation and at home I find a million other things to do instead of sit down and read!

    Caught up on blogs too!

    Job searching ( also in soul)

    Soul:
    My mom and I are baking a cheesecake, we made dinner together and the walk together was fantastic as always!

    She also helped me sew up a few shirts that needed taken in (Thanks mom)

    Jeff had some news about a vehicle, but I should be able to report for sure Monday. 

    Speaking of monday, I start Spring Semester that day! Phew! That break just totally flew by. I am not "ready" to come back, but excited to take more classes for sure! 

    One of my resolutions for this year is to get together with "old" friends that I haven't seen in awhile- but I am still working on more.

    I job searched! (gasp) I found a few positions that I might could do over spring semester but mostly looked into jobs I could obtain with ONLY a master's degree in nutrition instead of both the MS and the RD certification/internship. I found a few possibilities but I was hoping to find something that could maybe help pay for the internship/certification. We'll see.


    Okay, now on to the food people...

    Pre Walk Snack/Breakfast: Banana and Smucker's All Natural
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    After Walk Brunch:
    Leftover Chicken Stir-Fry (chicken, broccoli, waterchestnuts, red and yellow bell pepper, carrots, cauliflower)
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    Lunch:

    Egg White Sammy ( slice of Arnold All Natural Whole Grain White) over Salad with Blueberries and Apple Slices, Hummus and Goddess Dressing ( and a pickle but I only had a bite).
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    Dinner:

    Prepare yourselves for this one yall- It is oh so YUMMY!

    Eggplant Chicken Pasta Bake!!I got this idea from Giada Di Laurentis, the other day she layered a corningware dish with grilled eggplant slices ( she used the fancy schmany grill top on her oven- wish I had that!!) and then cooked sausage and beef with onions and garlic. She tossed in pasta and tomato sauce.So here is what I did tonight with my mom:

    layered eggplant slices that I had grilled with a little olive oil in to a 13 x 9 dish.
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    We made the pasta as directed.
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    Sauteed onions with garlic and cooked sliced chicken.
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    Tossed it all together with the tomato sauce and put it on top of the eggplant- * while all of this had been cooking I was grilling big slices of eggplant one by one on a foreman grill*
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    We added a light covering of parmesean cheese and mozzarella
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    then layered the eggplant on top.
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    Baked in a convection oven for 20 minutes at 325.

    I cut it into 8 sections since we used 4 chicken breasts and the whole box of pasta (8 servings).
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    My plate with organic mixed greens
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    I loved it as did my dad ( who doesnt like eggplant apparently but enjoyed this!) and my mom really enjoyed it as well! The only thing I would have enjoyed more is another half jar of tomato sauce ( extra sauce to me is delish!)


    Not done yet for the day though- We already made the cheesecake and it's cooling now. I will start another post for it shortly...

    How was everyone's Hump Day!?!  What is one thing you do to calm yourself in stressful situations?  If I don't do yoga, I try repeating to myself, "I have the strength to get through it".

    Controlling Fate


    I keep finding these insanely appropriate passages that I relate to in this book I am reading. I keep wanting to write more about them but haven't yet. This one was really staying with me so I thought I would share with you some of what I read last night...

    There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under my jurisdiction. There are certain lottery tickets I can buy, that can increase my chances of finding contentment. I can decide how I spend my time, whom I spend it with, whom I share my life and money and energy with. I select what I eat and read and study. I can choose how I'm going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life-- whether I will see them as curses or opportunities ( and on the occasions when I can't rise to the most optimistic viewpoint, because I'm feeling too damn sorry for myself, I can choose to keep trying to change my outlook). I can choose my words and the tone of my voice in which I speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts.


    - from Author Elizabeth Gilbert, in Eat, Pray, Love.

    Happy Wednesday to All, be back later with a recap!

    Tuesday, January 6, 2009

    Shopping, Beach, BumbleBar Review, Non-Taco Salad...

    Christmas 2008 006

    Simple and delicious!
    1/3 cup rolled oats
    1/3 cup organic fat free milk (for creamier oats, I would use 1/2 cup liquid but I like mine stickier!)
    1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
    1/2 teaspoon of maple syrup
    Microwaved for about 2 minutes

    I added fry pan bananas (banana sliced into a frying pan on medium heat, about 1 minute on each side) and fresh blueberries and cinnamon and all natural peanut butter.

    Christmas 2008 007


    Bumble Bar Apricot:

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    I was pleasantly surprised with this flavor of bumblebar! I was expecting more of an apricot flavor, however, it was more subtle. Despite that, it was till a very fruity and sweet flavor throughout! I think there was coconut shavings in it as well. You can see the flax and sesame seeds, I love to chew apart the flax seed. Your body cannot digest flax seeds whole, although they can still contribute to digestive transit. I would definitely eat this flavor again. It has only 180 calories, 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.

    My mom and I split this leftover section and I also had a zone bar for protein but my camera battery died. So no photo!
    We spent a great day shopping and I found Jeff three pairs of pants! I hope they fit, I know he will like them before trying them on but no pants he ever get fit him the right way. He is between sizes for waist and length and he has such a hard time with pants fitting right! Keep your fingers crossed!
    I also feel like I got a whole new wardrobe but I really just got a couple of great things thanks to my parents! I love being at the beach too, I just love it- the air, the view, the shops, everything.
    Christmas 2008 009

    That is sound side and unfortunately, it rained ALL day and was really foggy. Fortunately, the rain didn't bother us!

    We came home and I took jack out for a quick run then had dinner...

    My mom made tacos, I had a "taco salad" minus the taco shell.

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    It was organic baby greens, some broccoli with hummus and taco meat ( 93% lean ground beef with taco seasoning), some tomato, cheese and kidney beans. Delicious! Thanks Mom!

    We just finished Stepbrothers, My parents hadn't seen it yet but Jeff and I rented it awhile ago. I think it was funnier the second time around.

    Body:
    Walking Walking Walking.. shopping.. searching through everything and trying a gazillion things on to model for my mom. We went to a ton of places but I found that things at J Crew fit me a lot better than other stores!

    And also a few short runs with Jack , in the morning before we left and in the evening when we got back.

    Mind:
    Oh my goodness, last night before bed- I read 60 pages! I just couldn't put it down until it got to be really late and I was dozing off. I am (still) reading the book, Eat Pray Love, and I have enjoyed every page. I have to really force myself to sit down and read just at first. Once I started reading, its like my mind never wanted to stop! This morning before breakfast I read another few pages and I am looking forward to picking up where I left off tonight before bed.

    Soul:

    I just said Goodnight To Jeff! ** He told me earlier today the latest news he has on a vehicle. It sounds awesome and I hope it comes through. He doesn't want to jinx it so just pray for him and I will write about it when we know more!!!!!!**

    Shopping at the beach with my mom was fantastic!

    Jack is getting so spoiled, he was allowed to lay on not only the couch but my dad's recliner chair too! He is not allowed on our furniture. My dad took him out for a walk too! Go dad! Jack pulls a ton!

    Talked a lot with my mom about everything from jeans that fit, beach weddings, nutrition and what I want to do with classes and school! Phew... It's been a great day!

    See yall tomorrow!

    Chocolate Chip Irish Cream Pound Cake

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    I found this recipe online through a search on cooking light because I love Irish Cream and chocolate chips and well, pound cake! Of course I made it a little "healthier" too!

    Chocolate Chip Irish Cream Pound Cake

    Ingredients

    1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
    1 teaspoon cake flour

    2 3/4 cups AP flour (Minus 1 Tablespoon)
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    3/4 cup fat-free cream cheese, softened
    10 tablespoon butter, softened (we used smart balance to cut out Saturated Fats)
    1 cup granulated sugar
    1 cup packed brown sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    3 large eggs ( we used 2 whole eggs and 1 egg white, to cut out saturated fat and cholesterol)
    3/4 cup Irish cream liqueur
    Baking spray with flour
    2 tablespoons powdered sugar


    Preparation

    Preheat oven to 325°.

    Combine chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon flour in a small bowl; toss.

    Lightly spoon 2 3/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

    Place cream cheese and butter in a bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed to blend. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time; beat well after each addition. Beat on high speed 1 minute. With mixer on low, add flour mixture and liqueur alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition. Fold in chocolate chips.

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    Pour batter into a 12-cup Bundt pan coated with baking spray.Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over cake.

    Yield

    16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

    Nutritional Information

    CALORIES 285 (30% from fat); FAT 8.1g (sat 5 g,monounsaturated 3 g,polyunsaturated 1 g); IRON 2.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 59mg; CALCIUM 60mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48g; SODIUM 231mg; PROTEIN 5g; FIBER 0.6g

    Original Recipe from Cooking Light, APRIL 2007


    IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!!
    However, we had some notes for next time we make it.
    1. Definitely use the minichips, we used regular sized chocholate chips and a few got stuck, a few cooked too much. The minis would spread through the cake more and definately contribute to a better texture.
    2. If we had egg substitute (like an egg beaters or better n eggs), I would have used that for two of the 3 eggs to lessen the cholesterol (and saturated fat).
    3. I mixed this recipe by hand! An electric mixer would have made the batter much more even and airy- which would have helped bake this better. Ours had a couple of spots that were "less" cooked and too moist. Because of mixing it by hand, the clumps of cream cheese and brown sugar probably didn't get mixed as well. See that bottom right corner- I took off the chunk to test it but when I stuck a knife in the other sides it came out clean.
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    it was still delicious and is half gone already- so if you don't have a mixer don't fret!
    4. Instead of powdered sugar, a glaze or a drizzle of frosting would be divine! The bailey's is delicious in this and would go so nicely with say a royal icing made with orange peel or grand marnier. We could call it "The Drunk's Cake" with all the booze!

    I would highly recommend this to any and all.

    There is my dessert from last night- I knew I would have something!

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    Monday, January 5, 2009

    B-Healthy's Paula Dean Creme De Menthe Brownies

    I decided to make these bad boys because I love Andes Candies. The recipe called for their chips but I just crushed up the whole dinner mints instead. I also didn't use the frosting in that recipe I used a "winter white frosting recipe" that looked snowy and divine.
    f_cremedementhbrownies
    Original Recipe : Creme De Menthe Brownies from Cooking with Paula, Nov/Dec.2005

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 (10-ounce) package crème de menthe flavored baking chips
  • Crème de menthe thins, shaved
  • Chocolate frosting
  • B-Healthy Recipe, 01-05-2009

  • 1 stick smart balance 50-50 butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup smart balance light
  • 1.5 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup egg substitute
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour ( I used an Organic Whole Grain)
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 (10-ounce) package crème de menthe flavored candies, crushed ( Ande's Mints with Chocolate and Green Mint Creme in the middle)
  • Winter White Frosting
    • 1 Tablespoon Meringue powder
    • 2 cups powdered sugar
    • 2 Tablespoons Smart Balance Butter
    • hot water as needed ( less than a tablespoon)


      Instructions:
    • Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
    • In a large mixing bowl and using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs (and substitute), one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, mixing well.
    • In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Gradually stir into butter mixture.

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    • Fold in mint chips. Spoon into prepared pan.
    • Bake for 35 minutes.
    • While brownies are baking, prepare frosting. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder; beat with an electric mixer until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency using hot water if needed.
    • Remove pan from oven and allow brownies to cool in pan on wire rack.
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    • Cover with frosting. Top with shaved mint thins (I didn't have any left)

     
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