pool side snacks

Katelyn and I have spent such massive amounts of time at the pool this summer that tan lines crisscross our back and streaks of golden blonde color our hair.  We have a pool bag packed and ready to go at all times and Kate is daily getting into the closet to bring me swim diapers and sunscreen in hopes of a dip in the pool. We meet Lauren and the kids she watches several times a week.  We love to sit at the table under the shade and eat lunch poolside.

I have the pool time prep down to a science.  What once seemed like a tedious process of slathering sunscreen and squeezing into swim suits is now a simple task done in record time.  One of the more difficult things is actually figuring out what to eat for lunch.  It's much easier to pack ready made food like crackers and cookies but that is rarely a diet friendly option.  I saw these cucumber turkey sandwiches on Facebook and tried them last week.  They were delicious.

I partially peeled a cucumber and cut it in half.  I shook my head as I scooped out the seeds because, in my opinion, they are the best part, but I needed room for the turkey and cheese.  Instead of using high calorie, high fat cheese, I used a wedge of spreadable Laughing Cow cheese.  I would recommend drying the cucumbers off with a paper towel to help the cheese stick.  Next I put a few slices of deli sliced turkey over the cheese.  I packed some strawberries and that was that.  Lunch was ready in under five minutes.

At the pool, Kate took one bite of each strawberry and left them sitting on the table in a row.  What's up with that?

monday mash up

Waking up on Monday morning after a week long vacation is always tough to do.  I found myself having to remind my body of the routine I had rested from for so long.  Getting back to the diet was even harder.  Eating a cup of fat free yogurt was a dismal comparison to the breakfast of brownies I had enjoyed a few too many times on my trip.

Katelyn and I eased back into the swing of things by spending the afternoon poolside.

By this evening I was feeling sadly deprived so I made one of my most favorite diet friendly recipes.  For dinner I enjoyed cauliflower mash and for a few blissful moments forgot how healthy I was eating.

The first step is to clean the cauliflower and break it into manageable chunks.  Since this is going to be boiled and mashed into oblivion presentation is not key.

Boil the cauliflower until the florets are soft and tender.  A paring knife should be able to cut them easily.  I like to boil a few cloves of crushed garlic as well.  I put in about seven cloves but I really really really love garlic so your mileage may vary.

The next step is to puree the cauliflower with about half a brick of neufchatel cheese, a splash of milk, and whichever seasonings you prefer.  I uses salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano.  Pulse in a food processor until everything is smooth and delicious.

lovin' the oven

Last week I wrote a post about how much I am loving family dinners and how great they are.  And it's true.  I cherish the time we take to sit down at the end of the day, eat a home cooked meal, and enjoy spending some time together.  It is truly wonderful.

But honestly there are times when we all get home at the end of a long day and I think to myself, "srsly?  I have to cook another meal?"

These are the days when I rely on my new BFF the oven.

I don't know how I didn't discover how truly amazing an invention the oven is.  Most of my cooking was done on the stovetop and I sort of considered the oven a baking thing.  And I hate baking.

I'm discovering more and more how much I love my oven.  I can control the temperature to the degree.  There is no splattery mess to clean off of my cooktop.  Roasting helps food retain its flavor.  I put raw ingredients into this magical box and remove delicious meals.

I consider it a success when an entire meal is cooked in the oven.

On the nights when I am feeling particularly tired, worn out, or just plain lazy I cook flounder and broccoli.  It takes me about five minutes of actual work and there is a meal on the table in about half an hour.  It is so simple I'm almost embarrassed that I'm actually writing an entire blog post about it.

Broccoli is one of those vegetables that is truly glorified by being roasted in the oven.  I buy a GIGANTIC bag of frozen broccoli from Walmart, roast an entire cookie sheet full, and we eat broccoli leftovers.  Katelyn loves cold broccoli for lunch the next day.  No need to defrost.  Just put it on the pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and put it into the magic oven box at 425.

Flounder is a favorite over here as well.  It is cheap and it comes in big giant bags in the freezer section.  If you don't particularly care for fish, you might consider trying flounder.  It is a mildly flavored white fish that is not fishy at all.  The taste is reminiscent of buttered popcorn and it is delicious.  I don't even thaw the fillets.  I treat the fish the same way I treat the broccoli.  They go in the oven at the same time and are finished at about the same time.  About five minutes in to cooking, I take the fish out to drain the water that pools up from defrosting.  If that freaks you out just defrost them in some warm water before you cook.

I start checking after about fifteen minutes or so but it usually takes about half an hour.  The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork and the broccoli is done shortly after it turns green but I like mine a bit crispy with even a little char on the leaves.

Part of the beauty of making this meal is lounging on the couch while it cooks.

public service announcement

This is nothing more than a simple public service announcement to anyone who decides to make my Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas recipe.  It is only good the day that you make it.

I repeat.  Don't try to make a huge batch hoping for snacks for the rest of the week.

I mean, you won't get violent food poisoning or anything like that (although I did throw up last Sunday...) but they will be gross.  Much like Cinderella's carriage, the magic will end at midnight.

I made a one pound bag of beans last week thinking I would get to enjoy delicious chickpeas for the rest of the week.  That may not sound like much but, trust me, one pound a chickpeas turns into like a billion plump beans after they have been soaked and cooked.  They barely fit onto my pan.

The day that I made them they came out of the oven beautifully fragrant, spicy and crisp on the outside, and with a soft warm fluffy interior.  Think twice baked potatoes.  They were delicious.  I ate as many as my lips could handle. (They were super spicy!) I stored the rest in a plastic bag excited for a healthy snack for the next few days.

The next day I noticed that they had lost a lot of flavor.  They didn't taste like much and the squishy interior was cold and mushy.  The day after that they were nearly inedible.  The inside was dry and nasty.  Imagine that twice baked potato sitting out for a few days.  They weren't even salty.

Don't condemn the recipe completely.  The next time I make them (and there will be a next time) I won't waste my time cooking a pound of beans from scratch.  I'll simply use a can of cooked beans because that is as much as Dave and I can eat in one sitting.  I'm going to have to accept the fact that this is a recipe that is just meant to be enjoyed the day of.

Unless anyone can think of a better way to store these.  Let me know...

garbanzomazing

I found this recipe on the source of all that is crafty and delicious.  Pinterest.

I love chickpeas in all varieties.  I could eat hummus with a spoon and I have been known to even just eat them plain from the can.  They are truly wonderful.

This recipe is for spicy crunchy chickpeas and it is amazing!

I like to cook dry beans because it makes me feel fancy.  I could pretend and say something like, "That way I know exactly what I'm putting in the beans" or something.  But I'll just be honest.  Cooking the beans from scratch makes me feel like I'm Alton Brown or something.  You can buy these from a can and I doubt anyone would notice the difference.

If you are a wannabe chef and would like to cook the beans yourself, here is what you do:

You can soak the beans overnight in cold water but I am a procrastinator and am too forgetful to fill a pot with water before I go to bed.  I opt for the quick soak method.  Rinse the beans and cover them with water in a large stockpot.  Bring the water to a rolling boil for a full two minutes.  Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the beans sit for an hour.

Once the beans have soaked, rinse them and refill the pot with warm water.  At this point, you can season the cooking liquid if you are planning on eating the beans alone.

(As in you want to eat the beans on their own not like sequestered all by yourself eating a bowl of beans.  But if you prefer eating beans in solitude, that is fine too.)

Make the water taste as salty as the ocean.  Bring the water to a gentle simmer (about medium heat depending on your burner) and cook until they are soft.  I start checking the beans after 45 minutes or so.  The only sure way of knowing they are done is by fishing out a ceci and eating it.

When the beans have been cooked (or rinsed after being dumped from a can), dry them completely and layer them in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle over a nice amount of olive oil and your seasoning of choice.  I used Creole seasoning and a lot of it because I like things SPICY!

Bake the chickpeas at a screaming hot temperature (around 425) for about 30 to 45 minutes or until they are crunchy and delicious.  Again, I start checking around 15 minutes or so and the only way to know is by tasting.

Enjoy! :)

on top of spaghetti...

...squash, that is.

Okay so this is less of a recipe and more of a squash awareness post.  And maybe you are rolling your eyes thinking, "We've heard of squash before."  But up until a few years ago when my mom made spaghetti squash, whenever I heard the word squash, I only thought of zuchini.

Spaghetti squash is one of my very favorite vegetables.  It is a veggie masquerading as a carbohydrate.  And we all know how I feel about carbs.  Not only is is delicious but it is cheap and easy to make.  If I could marry a vegetable it would probably be spaghetti squash.

All you need to do to prepare this versatile vegetable is cut it in half. (I usually cut mine lengthwise but I asked Dave to do this and he thought I meant "hamburger style."  Does anyone else remember that from elementary school?)

 
Place the halves cut side down in a baking dish and roast at 375 degrees until a knife cuts through the squash easily.  Depending on the size of the squash, this takes around 45 minutes or so.

My favorite way to eat spaghetti squash is with a little butter and salt and pepper.  If you want to be really healthy, use olive oil instead of butter and it you want to enjoy a carb free Italian dinner, pour over some marinara sauce and pretend that you are eating actual spaghetti.

That gives me a meal idea for later this week: spaghetti squash spaghetti and meatballs. :)

i could just kale for some chips right now

So I know that I am a little late to the culinary scene here but I have never tried kale chips.  I have never purchased them.  I have never cooked them.  I don't think I have even eaten kale ever.

But all the foodies and health nuts combined have been freaking out about kale chips for the past forever or so and I have to admit I was very curious.  I have been wanting to try them for quite a while so when I saw this gigantic bag of pre-cut and washed Kale at the grocery store for $2.50 I just couldn't pass it up.

I brought my giant bag of kale home expecting Dave and I to be eating leafy greens for a year at least.  Only half of the bag fit onto my baking sheet and even then space was limited.  I poured over a few teaspoons of olive oil and way more salt than I needed. (I really was expecting this amount of kale to produce more servings.)

How much salt did I add you ask?  Oh, about ten sharsh-fuls. (When my brother was a kid a "sharsh" meant a little bit.  Sorry but that is as close to measuring ingredients as I get.)

I put these in the oven at 375 degrees and forgot to set a timer so Dave and I checked every few minutes.  I would say they were in there for a sharsh-ful of minutes.  Just kidding.  It was probably ten to fifteen.

And they shrank!

What had once been a massive pile of leafy roughage shriveled up into mere scraps of wilted leaves.  This made them so salty but so good.  I will pay for this when I weigh tomorrow morning and my body has retained every once of liquid I drink tonight.

So basically everyone was right to be ranting and raving about kale chips.  They are delicious.  For a while there I forgot they were vegetables and thought I was munching on Lay's potato chips. (Just kidding!  As tasty as they were I never mistook them for actual potato chips.  Looooooooooool!)

When I make these again I will also make a few changes.  Pre-washed and cut kale in a bag was so convenient but the stems were left on them and gave them a pungent bitter flavor that I did not care for.  I found myself eating around the floppy stems.  I think I would try purchasing whole kale leaves and stripping the stems myself.  They would not be that hard to wash and probably are cheaper.  Secondly, I would use way less salt.  They were delightfully savory but I could sense my arteries screaming, "Stop the madness!  Too much!!!"

Kale chips have been labeled a "Robertson Repeat" in our house and will definitely make their way onto the menu again!

krakers

When you are on a carb free diet and want some crackers you are crackalacking.

Fortunately, I saw a recipe for that problem on Pinterest.  I first made these a few weeks ago and have made them a few times since and both Dave and I love them!  The only other method of sneaking an entire head of cauliflower past Dave would be to hire a magician.

And I just don't have money to be wasting on a magician.

The great thing about these "crackers" (or krakers I'm calling them) is that you can vary this recipe however you want.  You could have a kraker for every season.

Krakers for everyone!

First you need to grate a head of cauliflower.  This seems more difficult than it really is.  It is especially nice if you have a cheese grater that catches everything.  I found one at Goodwill.  Aren't I fancy?

Next you need to soften the cauliflower in the microwave partly covered for five minutes.  Seriously though.  Unless you want a cruciferous Vesuvius in your kitchen, leave the lid "kraked" a bit.

Now for the creative portion of the recipe.  There are basically three components that need to be mixed in: one egg white, a little bit of cheese, and whatever seasonings you want.  The egg white is essential to bind the cauliflower and keep it all together and the cheese is responsible for just a tiny bit of fat.

I said they were krakers not hardtack.

Today, I was feeling Italian so I used Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes with some salt and black pepper.  I put in a little less than a fourth of a cup of Parmesan cheese.  This is enough crackers for like four or five servings so it's really not that much cheese.

It's crucial to treat your pan with something like parchment paper before you dump in your mixture.  Try to spread the cauliflower goodness as thinly as possible.  Remember these are krakers and not bread or anything like that.  I never promised a miracle.

Bake your krakers in the oven for thirty minutes at 375 and then carefully flip it over and bake for another 15 minutes or so.  (At this point if you were feeling really decadent you would sprinkle on some more cheese.)

I know that I just gave you a time and temperature to bake these at but try and remember that I hate and detest baking and never measure or use a timer and never really remember how I made the last batch.  What I'm saying is keep an eye on these because if you burn them they will be so bitter and you might cry and I just don't want to feel like I ruined anyone's day or anything.

KRAKERS!!!

Why didn't I take pictures of the process as I made these delicious snacks this afternoon?  Well that brings me to my next suggestion.  Be very careful grating the cauliflower.  My krakers had an extra ingredient of knuckle in them. :(

Don't worry.  I didn't eat them.

Original website can be found here.