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Appetites and Adventures

Sneaky Monday

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Can you believe it’s already Monday?

 

I’m so tired I almost can’t stand it.  Why?  Because I woke up at 2:30am.

Apparently I fell asleep with my phone in my room.  My sheets were still in the dryer, so I crashed on the couch… and when my mom called I didn’t hear the phone.  This worried her and when I hadn’t gotten back to her by 2am she decided to drive 30 minutes to make sure I was ok pay me a visit.  No joke.

 

Here’s the Top 5 from the weekend:

 

1. Zucchini Bread Oats

 

 

I stayed at my mom’s one night and made these again after a brief hiatus.  She hadn’t had them and was skeptical… turns out she loved Zucchini Bread Oats!

 

2. Sticky Toffee Pudding

 

 

I went to a dinner party at my friends Katherine and Giles’ house.  Joined by Heather and her husband Kirk, we had a fantastic vegan fest.  My contribution was this Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Recipe to come soon… I need to take some better pics. 🙂

 

3. Foodie Penpal

 

 

The revel isn’t until the end of the month… but my foodie penpal package arrived!  The box she shipped it in got me excited. 

 

4. PB&J Yogurt

 

 

This was is my new love.  How can you go wrong with anything PB&J-esque?  In my yogurt was:

  • 1 C Greek yogurt
  • 1 T peanut flour
  • 5-6 drops vanilla Stevia
  • 1/2 C strawberries

 

5. Softball Sunday

It was another softball Sunday!   We won one game and lost one.  No split this week though. 🙂

 

 

One of my teammates rides a unicycle.  I love this time of year. 

 

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I thought my knee was cured this weekend when I ran a mile pain-free.  Then I tried for 1.5 the next day and was back in pain… *sigh*

It’s more P90X for me.

 

Workout Recap (4/2 – 4/8):

  • Monday – This Pinned workout, P90X Chest/Back, Ab Ripper X
  • Tuesday – This Pinned workout, P90X Yoga
  • Wednesday – P90X Shoulders/Arms, Ab Ripper X, 100 push-ups
  • Thursday – This Pinned workout, P90X Kenpo, 100 push-ups
  • Friday – P90X Legs/Back, 100 push-ups
  • Saturday – This Pinned workout, 4 mile walk, 1 mile run, Ab Ripper X
  • Sunday –  1.5 mile run, 2 softball games

 

***

I’m looking forward to a low-key week.  Knock on wood.

Has your mom ever driven to your house to check on you?

What was the best part about your weekend?

 

Mini Mac ‘n Cheese Muffins

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You can never go wrong with Mac ‘n Cheese.

You CAN go wrong opening the noodle box

Wedding showers mean bite-sized treats… but we needed mac ‘n cheese to go with the Southern themed-food of the shower I catered last weekend!

What to do?  Mini-mac muffins!

Using smoked Gouda here rather than the more traditional mozzarella was a big win.

The deeper, smokey flavor went well with the herbed bread crumb topping without being over-powering.  Extra-sharp cheddar is also key for a more flavorful mac.

I doubled the recipe and made what felt like a million of these.  I wish I’d counted… but I think there were 144.  Plus the leftovers, which I turned into a casserole for the family. 🙂

After looking at the quantity, I thought “There is NO way people will eat all of these.”  Wrong.

While these weren’t the first item to go (these deviled eggs flew the coop!), there weren’t any left at the end of the night.

Mini Mac ‘n Cheese Muffins

  • 1 lb box elbow macaroni
  • 2 C extra sharp cheddar, shredded
  • 2 C smoked gouda, shredded
  • 2 T Butter, melted
  • 1 C 2% milk
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • S & P, to taste
  • 1/2 C seasoned dry bread crumbs
  • 1.5 tsp olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease mini muffin tins.

In a large pot, cook macaroni according to package instructions, leaving it slightly al dente.  Remove from the heat, drain and return to the pan.  

Return pasta to pot and stir in melted butter until coated.  Stir in 1 1/2 C of each cheese and stir until melted.

Mix together milk, eggs, mustard, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.  Pour mixture over macaroni and mix well.

Spoon macaroni into each tin, slightly over-filling.  

In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and olive oil.  Sprinkle reserved cheese and bread crumb mixture over the tops.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.  Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan so that the cheese sets and they hold their shape.

Makes ~72 mini muffins.

Note: If you have any mix leftover, pour it in a casserole dish for a traditional mac n’ cheese.  I added some cayenne and truffle oil to my leftovers.

***

I tried the Kraft mac ‘n cheese at a friend’s house as a kid and thought I didn’t like mac… until years later someone made me the “real” thing (read: homemade).  Life-changing, my friends. 

Did you ever eat the Kraft mac growing up?

What are you favorite mac ‘n cheese add-ins?

Spring Endive Boats + WIAW

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Endive Boats are the perfect party salad.

Boats make salad a finger food!

Last Christmas when I catered this party I served endive boats rather than a salad dish.  They went over really well, so I decided to make a spring version for the wedding shower.

This spring version contained raspberries, raw asparagus (thin stalks), and pecans.  Over the top I drizzled a light raspberry vinaigrette.

A lot of people are surprised by raw asparagus, but it is quite tasty.  In season, the asparagus is especially sweet and the crunch it added was perfect.

The raspberries were just a tad sweet, but still have an early-season tartness that was well-balanced with the fruity vinaigrette and rich, nutty pecans.

Like the deviled eggs, there weren’t any leftover by the end of the party!

Recipe at the bottom.

Last week I announced I was taking the Green Giant Veg Pledge to add an additional cup of veggies to my daily eats.  Many of you said you would join me… have you been doing it?

Jenn @ Peas and Crayons is with her  What I Ate Wednesday theme for April:

Check out my veggies below; then click here to see how everyone else incorporated extra servings.

Breakfast:

Do you ever wake up starving?  Having followed the P90X workouts this week, I cannot get enough food!

Carrot Cake Smoothie:

  • 1 C spinach
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1/2 in piece fresh ginger
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 7-8 drops liquid vanilla stevia
  • 1 T rolled oats
  • 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp maca (optional)
  • Pecans (optional – for topping)

Lunch:

The veggie-theme was full force at lunch today.  I had a conference call, so I ate it in two parts.

Part 1: A slice of whole wheat multi-grain bread from the farmer’s market with my Chipotle Corn Hummus, raw asparagus, zucchini, and carrots.

I brought the veggies to work in that carrot bag.  The bag was almost empty, so I piled my asparagus and zucchini slices rather than wasting another baggie.  I’m a total hippie.

Part 2: Garden Lites Cauliflower Souffle

Tasty, but I may have over-microwaved it.

Snacks:

With my 2-part lunch, I didn’t do much snacking… there was the daily Kombucha with raspebrries, a Think Thin, Wasa flatbread, and unpictued stuff (nuts, 1/2  cupcake, cereal):

Dinner:

It was a pizza night at a favorite pizza joint, Double Zero.  You cut the pie with scissors and they have one of the best Italian wine selections in ATL.  My pie was tomato, mozzarella, arugula, roasted garlic, and chilis.

Spring Endive Boats

  • 6-8 endive heads
  • 2 pints raspberries
  • 1 bunch thin asparagus, chopped
  • 1/2 C chopped pecans
  • Raspberry vinaigrette

Assemble endive leaves evenly across a large tray.  Divide raspberries, asparagus pieces, and pecans evenly among boats.  

Lightly drizzle with raspberry vinaigrette just before serving.

Serves 30.

***

I was going to post that mac ‘n cheese recipe… but I had to go endive for the veggie theme! 🙂

How are you doing with the Veg Pledge?  Have you been incorporating an extra veggie serving each day?

What is the best thing you’ve eaten so far this week?

Chive and Caper Deviled Eggs

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I am a bad Southerner.

Most southern foods, I do not like.  This includes fried okra, green bean casserole with those crispy onion things on top, sweet potato casserole, honey-baked ham… and deviled eggs.

However, a wedding shower on Easter weekend with Southern-themed food all but requires deviled eggs be served.  I had to suck it up and learn (quickly) how to do deviled eggs right.

Round 1 was a spicy version that I sort of liked.  More proof that if you make anything spicy, I’ll eat it.

The family shot it down.  Mom reminded me that not everyone likes to have their mouth on fire, and that most people like a traditional “like your momma made it” deviled egg.

Traditional isn’t something I do well, but I did compromise.  I ditched the heat, opting for a caper and chive version.  That with some mustard and plenty of mayo made for a flavorful yellow filling.  A little lemon zest added a brightness that shouldn’t be skipped.

These eggs were the first thing to go at the shower!  Even with a double batch of the recipe, they were gone in an hour.

Who knew 48 deviled eggs could be eaten so fast?!

I learned that the most challenging part about deviled eggs is the hard-boiling and peeling of the eggs.  After couple of “oops” moments, I’ve found the perfect technique.  If you follow the recipe below, I promise you will have easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs, free of that icky grey color.

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Chive and Caper Deviled Eggs

  • 1 dozen hard-boiled eggs
  • 2 T dijon mustard
  • 1/4 C + 2 T mayonnaise
  • 3/4 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 T minced fresh chives, plus additional for topping
  • 3 T capers
  • Zest of 1/2 large lemon
  • Smoked paprika, for topping

Place the eggs in a large pot and add just enough cold water to cover.  Salt water and bring to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, allow to cook for 30 seconds.  Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes. 

Remove the eggs from the pan and place in a bowl of ice water until cooled (5-10 mins).  Roll each egg on the counter, applying moderate pressure in order to crack.  Carefully peel the eggs, getting just under the first thin layer of membrane.  Rinse as necessary to remove any remaining shell bits.

Cut the eggs in half length-wise. Remove the yolks and place in a medium bowl, mashing with a fork until yolks are as smooth as possible.  Set the whites aside.

***At this point, I placed the whites in baggies with paper towels to be assembled the next day.  Everything is fine refrigerated overnight.***

When you are ready to assemble eggs, add the remaining ingredients to the yolks.  Using a fork, mash together until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. 

Place yolk mixture in a plastic baggie.  Cut the tip off of the baggie to pipe into whites (you can also just spoon it in).  Pipe or spoon 1 heaping teaspoonful of the yolk mixture into the cavity of each egg-white half, mounding it slightly.  Arrange the filled eggs on a plate and sprinkle with paprika and remaining minced chives.

Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.

Serves 20-30.  (Can easily be doubled.)

***

I did try one… and they weren’t bad for deviled eggs.  I do love mac and cheese… that one is coming tomorrow! 😉

Is there a “traditional” food from your region/culture that you don’t care for?

What one dish did/would you HAVE to have at your wedding or wedding shower?

Catering, Cupcakes, and Chillaxing

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This was the sort of weekend where you stay so busy you aren’t really sure it ever happened.

Not that I’m complaining – catering and cupcakes iced with a little chillaxing is a good time.

This week I am looking forward to sharing some fun new recipes with you, but for today I’ll stick to the highlights.  Here is the Top 5 from a weekend so crazy that I was in bed by 11p last night (that’s unheard of for me).

1. Say Cheese

Though I spent a lot of time prepping Saturday’s catering gig, I took a little break to make a hummus, veggie, and cheese board.

A wandering afternoon in the cheese department while was supposed to be catering-shopping lead to the discovery of a new favorite cheese.  Mitica Quadrello di Bufala (buffalo’s milk cheese).

I’m not ashamed to admit… I couldn’t stay vegan for the love of cheese.

2. Wedding Shower Catering

This was my second “official” catering job and it went really well.  The event was a was a joint wedding shower for a bride and groom.  I was asked to come up with a “Southern” menu for ~30 people.

On the Menu:

  • Chipotle Roasted Corn Hummus (remember this from last summer?) with veggies and chips
  • Spring Endive Boats
  • Caper and Chive Deviled Eggs
  • Mac ‘n Cheese Minis
  • Whiskey BBQ Turkey Sliders
  • Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting

If it’s any indication of success, there was hardly any food leftover. 🙂

Recipes coming throughout the week!

3. Easter Bunny

Sunday I woke up still exhausted from the previous day’s catering; however, I was energized by the fact that the Easter Bunny had come!

I will always spend the night at my mom’s on holidays.  Shameless.

4. Poolside Mimosas

A girl’s day by the pool with my mom and baby sister was just what I needed.  That and a tasty mimosa.

We laid out, talked, and ate a poolside Easter lunch of watermelon salad, endive salad, pretzel bread, carrot soufflé, and mac ‘n cheese.  I was too busy chillaxing to take pics of any of it. #fail

5. More Cupcakes

4 dozen Chocolate-Nutella cupcakes in one weekend clearly wasn’t enough.  We came in from the pool and wanted something sweet.  Being a good kid, I whipped up some vanilla bean cupcakes to go with the last but of Nutella icing.

This recipe will be coming soon!

This week I was all about the P90X.  I’m still not following the prescribed program, but I did a workout with Tony Horton just about every day this week.  Good thing because my diet was abysmal.

#PROOF

Workout Recap (4/2 – 4/8):

  • Monday – P90X Shoulders/Arms, Ab Ripper X
  • Tuesday – This Tuesday Trainer Tabata workout from Lindsay (50 sec work, 10 secs rest, 2x), 6 min plank rotation, 100 push-ups
  • Wednesday – P90X Tris/Chest, Ab Ripper X
  • Thursday – P90X Cardio X, 100 push-ups
  • Friday – P90X Biceps/Back, Ab Ripper X
  • Saturday – 100 push-ups, 90 squats, rest/cater
  • Sunday –  P90X Plyo, 100 push-ups

***

And now the reveal you’ve all been waiting for.  What was the “lie” from Friday’s post?  #9 “Monday night I ate octopus for the first time.”  

Many of you guessed the right answer, but for the wrong reason.  I have NEVER eaten octopus.  The tentacles creep me out.

Did the Easter Bunny come visit you?

What food prevents you from ever going vegan/vegetarian, or – if you are vegan/vegetarian – what food was hardest for you to stop eating?

Facebook and Eating Disorders + WIAW

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Facebook may lead to eating disorders.

Last week it was narcissism, this week it’s eating disorders.  Poor Facebook is taking a hit!

 

 

A new study that found that “51% of respondents felt more self-conscious about their physical appearance after looking at pictures of themselves on Facebook.”  These Facebook users are checking out their friend’s photos, which leads them to be more critical of their own physiques.

I don’t know about this… you can compare yourself to other people just walking down the street.

Read the full article on Newser by clicking here.

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Want to know how to feel better?  Eat some veggies!

Yesterday I asked you all to join me in the Green Giant Veg Pledge to add an additional cup of veggies to your daily eats.  Jenn @ Peas and Crayons is also taking part in the challenge, so this month her  What I Ate Wednesday theme is…

 

 

Check out my veggies below; then click here to see how everyone else incorporated extra servings.

 

 

Breakfast:

Do you ever wake up starving?  After Sunday’s jam-packed day of softball and plyometrics, I was in need of an extra-filling breakfast.  I mixed this concoction and let it sit in the fridge to thicken (~15 mins) while I downed a glass of water and got the coffee started.

Those blackberries on top were incredible – the first perfect berries of the season!

 

 

In my oat bowl:

  • Rolled oats
  • Chia
  • Greek yogurt
  • Chia seeds
  • Unsweetened almond milk
  • Vanilla extract
  • Cinnamon
  • Blackberries

 

Lunch:

I failed to take a picture of the final result… but here’s what my veggie-centric lunch consisted of:

 

 

 

I am fully aware that gazpacho is easy to make yourself… but with my crazy schedule, Whole Foods’ soup had to happen.  It was delicious with some red pepper flakes and avocado (unpictured) on top.

I devoured this with some spinach, broccoli slaw, and ak-mak crackers.  These crackers were new to me – they were delicious and reminded me of Wasa crisps.

 

Snacks:

It was a snack-y sort of day – handfuls of this and that here and there.  A few munchies:

 

KIND bars are my new addiction

Bowls of grapes and edamame

 

My two favorite drinks - coffee and kombucha

 

Dinner:

I was starving by dinner time.  You know what that means…

 

 

All that remained were 2 strips of tempeh when I remembered to take a pic.  My cousin and I hit up a local vegetarian spot called World Peace Cafe for dinner.  It was my first time there, but certainly won’t be the last!

That tempeh was sitting on top of a huge salad with shredded beets, carrots, and tomatoes.  On the left is a bowl that held a delicious mushroom–kale–lentil soup.  The crumbs around to bowl belonged to a slice of rye toast.  The tea pot in the background was filled with lemon-gnger tea.

We also split a piece of vegan chocolate-almond cake.  It was divine.

 

***

Adding veggies isn’t so hard… I think I could eat edamame all day long.

Did you incorporate an extra veggie serving to your day?  If so, how?

Any thoughts on the Facebook story?  Do you think it’s any worse than the millions of other way you can compare yourself to others?

 

Green Giant Veg Pledge

By

Eating clean takes effort.

Many of us use spring as an opportunity to clean up our diets.  The crisp, seasonal produce and the warmer air lends itself to lightening up our dishes.  Adieu, winter squashes.

However, the feeling in the air alone doesn’t make it easier to eat cleaner.  Eating better does take some forethought.

 

Skinny Girl Thai Greek Sauce

 

As part of the Food Buzz Tastemakers program, I was selected to take the Green Giant Veg Pledge.  This is a two-week pledge to eat one more cup of vegetables per day.  I am especially excited to have the extra motivation to step away from the Peeps and towards the rabbit food.

 

Beet Sunflower Pesto

 

 

Who else is up for the challenge?

To help us get started, here are some ways I like to add additional veggies to my diet:

  • Add a handful of spinach to smoothies/shakes – it will turn your beverage green, but you’ll never taste a difference.  Check out this green spinach smoothie:  

 

  • Before dinner each night, begin with a side salad – this can get your greens in and help you to fill up on the good stuff before filling up on heavier fare
  • Use greens in place of carbs, like I did with these collard tacos
  • Keep pre-cut veggies in your fridge for a quick grab-and-go snack
  • Shop the perimeters of the grocery store – if you don’t meander down the cookie aisle, those treats won’t end up in your pantry at home and you’ll be “forced” to choose a healthier (veggie) snack option
  • Turn salads into meals by “eating the rainbow” – add colorful veggies like beets, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, sugar peas, raw yellow squash/zucchini, etc. (Check out these lunch salad ideas!) 

 

  • Add a veggie or two to your usual meals: saute spinach and mushrooms to go with scrambled eggs, toss some kale into soups, serve grains in a roasted red pepper or tomato, use parsnips as rice or beans for burgers. 

***

I do love my greens. Nevermind the gas.  🙂

Will you take the Green Giant 2 Week Veg Pledge with me?

How do you incorporate more veggies into your diet?

 

Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Ice Cream

By

I’ve been keeping secrets.

A few weeks ago you were all asking what this ice cream creation was:

It still needed some tweaking… and to avoid scaring people off I re-dressed it.  It’s not easy being green.

This was the end result:

Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Ice Cream.

Sweet potatoes have long been abused.  For years they been drowned with brown sugar and marshmallows at your grandmother’s Thanksgiving table.  These tasty ‘taters don’t need to be hidden by all that sugar-laden stuff!

It’s time they were liberated.  In fact, sweet potatoes don’t even need to be served hot to be delicious.  It’s 80 degrees outside!  Let’s celebrate with ice cream.  And peanut butter.

Beware: it will soften in the sun while you take pics

This sweet, nutty creation was especially good with the cinnamon and ginger additions.  Just enough to add a hint of flavor, these spices brought out the sweetness of the potato and highlighted the peanut element.

Topped with a little more cinnamon and enjoyed in the sunshine, this was the perfect afternoon treat.

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Sweet Potato-Peanut Butter Ice Cream

  • 1 medium garnet sweet potato, baked
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)
  • 1/2 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/2 in piece of ginger
  • 2 T peanut flour (can sub peanut or other nut butter)
  • 8 drops stevia
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of guar gum (or other thickener)
  • 2 C ice

Place all ingredients in Vitamix.  Turn on machine and increase speed to #10; then to high. Use the tamper as needed to press the mixture into the blades while processing. In ~45 seconds, four mounds will form in the mixture.  Stop blending and serve immediately.

Note: Do not over-mix or your ice cream will melt. If your ice cream is more of a milkshake, firm it up by adding more ice cubes.

You may also use an ice cream maker; prepare according to maker instructions.

Serves 2.

***

I must have been strange kid because I didn’t even like the marshmallow-topped casserole stuff back in the day.

Do you like all of that ‘mallowed up casserole of your youth?

What is your favorite flavor or ice cream?

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