Homemade Larabars

I've never been a "bar" eater, especially nutrition bars.  I just can't justify consuming 300 calories from a package smaller than my hand.  With that said, I will admit that I have never tried a store bought Larabar, so I don't really have anything to compare these to.   But I did see them on the shelf at Target when I was there yesterday and couldn't help but laugh at the price.  I will go into the cost details a little later, but really, you can't go wrong with these bars.  

I originally came across this recipe on Pinterest and once I got an understanding of the basic ingredients, I realized the flavor combinations are endless!  The recipe is pretty basic for all the bars, consisting of nuts and dates and then whatever mix-ins you'd like!

Basic Homemade Larabars

2 Cups RAW Nuts (use whatever nuts you like!)

1 Cup Pitted Dates

1 Cup Dried Fruit / Other Mix-ins

Mix-In Ideas:

Apple Cinnamon (dried apples and cinnamon)

Cherry Pie (dried cherries)

Cranberry Raisin (pictured above)

Chocolate Chip (chocolate chips)

Nut Butter Chocolate Chip (nut butter of your choice and chocolate chips)

Coconut

Fruit Zest & Juice

Like I said, the mix-in ideas are endless!!

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a food processor (if using mix-ins that you want left intact such as chocolate chips, coconut, etc., leave these out and mix them in by hand later).  Blend until mixture starts to sick together.  Add water if needed (only add 1/2 tsp at a time - you won't need much if any).  Place parchment or wax paper on the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish (I made two batches so spread mine on a small shallow cookie sheet and this was perfect).  Spread mixture on top of the parchment paper and spread out .  Flatten to preferred thickness and make sure they are nice and condensed so they will stick together.  Cover and put in fridge and let sit overnight (or for at least an hour).  The next morning, lift bars out of dish by pulling out the parchment paper.  Cut into desired sized bars and enjoy!

A couple of tips - if you plan on using any "wet" ingredients in your bars, such as fruit zest or nut butters, use only 3/4 cup of dates to begin and add more if needed to help mixture stick together.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now you might be asking how these compare cost-wise to the store bought Larabars:

The average price for a single Larabar I discovered is approximately $1.25 (this is how much they were at Target both as singles and in a box of multiples, and you can by a box of 16 bars on www.amazon.com for $20, which equals $1.25 per bar).  So let's go with $1.25 per store bought bar. 

Nuts are pricey - lets be honest.  So how can these bars actually be economical, you might ask?  

BULK my friends....BULK.

Let me first tell you that I HATE buffets and buying things out of bulk food bins.  I don't like the idea of someone else's grubby hands having access to food I might be putting in my mouth.  I have even seen people eating straight out of the bulk food bins.  If you are one of these people who do this, please stop.  It just grosses me out!  Just kidding.....but no really, don't do it.

Anyway - I started pricing nuts at various grocery stores and realized these bars were going to be EXPENSIVE!  And then a friend of mine told me about the bulk bins at Winco and I cringed and almost cried.  But I sucked it up one Saturday and went and was pleasantly surprised to see that their bulk bins for nuts are actually the pull down kind so you can't just reach your grubby little hands in the whole bin and pick out what you want to eat at that moment.  So I was a happy girl.  The dried fruit is still in the old fashion barrel type containers, but I'm slowly getting over this phobia and purchased small amounts of dried fruit this way and I'm not sick or dead yet.  So far so good.

But okay, here's the price breakdown:

6 lbs various nuts and seeds + 4 lbs of dried fruit = $24.87 at Winco (your price will vary depending on what kind of nuts you purchase, but I bought cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and pecans) (this would have cost me well over $50 at Safeway or Fred Meyer).  

With the amount of nuts and fruit I purchased, I estimate that I will be able to make approximately 32 bars (each batch makes approximately 8 bars - I might be able to make more than 32 total, but I'm making a very safe estimate). 

This equals about $0.78 per bar!!!

GET OUT!

Give it a try and find out for yourself!!!

Paleo Banana Muffin With Strawberry Spread

One thing you will note right away is that I am NOT a photographer by any means.  Most of the pictures I will be posting throughout this journey will be taken with my iPhone and edited with basic photo editing software (in other words, the free stuff that comes on your computer).  If I make this process too time consuming, I won't stick with it, so it has to be relatively easy in order it to be successful. 

It just so happens I have a friend who is embarking on this Paleo journey at the same time as me, so it has been fun bouncing recipe ideas off of each other and sharing where the cheapest place is to get Paleo approved ingredients.  This friend of mine messaged me about these muffins and raved about how delicious they were, heated up and drizzled with the strawberry topping.  So of course I had to make them and we tried them this weekend.

This first recipe is definitely a winner when you're in the mood for something sweet.  It would also be good as a breakfast treat because you feel like you're eating dessert for breakfast!

Paleo Banana Muffins With Strawberry Spread:

Muffins:

1/2 Cup Almond Flour

1/4 Cup Coconut Flour

1 Tbsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Seat Salt

3 Large Ripe Bananas 

4 Eggs, Room Temperature

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Tbsp Raw Honey

6 Tbsp Coconut Oil, Melted

Strawberry Spread:

1/2 Cup Coconut Oil

1/2 Cup Honey

4 Fresh Strawberries (I used 7 Strawberries & 5 Raspberries)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt in a medium mixing bowl.  Stir with a form to combine and to break apart any chunks.  Set aside.

3. Place the bananas, eggs, and vanilla extract in a blender and blend until combined.  Add in the coconut oil and honey and blend well until smooth.  Add the flour mixture and blend to combine.

4. Pour the mixture into lined muffin tins (makes enough for 12 muffins).

5. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6. Left muffins cool.

While Muffins Are Cooling:

7. Place the coconut oil and raw honey in a food processor or blender and blend until combined.

8. Add your berries and blend until smooth.

9. Serve spread with the muffins.

After letting the muffins cool off right out of the oven, my husband, Logan and I shared one.  Logan had no complaints - he smacked his lips and chowed down.  My husband and I both noted the difference in texture right away, but I thought the flavor was still good.  I decided to whip up the berry spread and ended up adding a couple more strawberries and a handful of raspberries because they were starting to go bad and I needed to use them.  With the addition of the berry spread on top of a heated up muffin, these things were AMAZING and you forgot about the texture difference.  

I would definitely make these again!

Original Recipe Taken From: Paleo Cupboard (http://www.paleocupboard.com/) and Slightly Modified

New Resolve, New Goals, New Lifestyle - We're Going Paleo

It's been over two years since I've posted a new recipe, and I promise there are a million reasons why...some of them good reasons, others not so much.  But sometimes life just gets in the way and stuff happens.  With that said, we now have an 18-month-old creature (named Logan) wandering around the house and I feel it's okay to say he is the biggest reason why I have not managed to maintain my food blog.

  

With Logan came a lot of changes in our house and for our family.  We had to move kids into different bedrooms, start the remodel of adding another bedroom, putting in a backyard, etc., etc., etc.  The list goes on and on, and I'm ashamed to say the additional bedroom is still not finished and aside from a gate being put up on the fence, the backyard hasn't seen much progress either.  Kids tend to make you shift your priorities, but we're working on it.

The one good thing Logan has done for our family is renewed our attempt to get back on track to living a healthy lifestyle.  There are a lot of "conditions" that run in both sides of our family (Husband's family: hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, etc.  My family: various cancers, allergy and skin conditions, and possible behavioral disorders, some of which have probably not been diagnosed but I'm convinced they are there).  In our pursuit of jumping back on the bandwagon of healthy living, I came across a lot of information about the Paleo lifestyle and the overall health benefits associated with this way of living.  

For those who have never heard of Paleo, it is basically a lifestyle that reverts back to the days of paleolithic eating of our hunting-gathering ancestors.  It is a process of removing all processed and prepackaged foods from your diet and relying on whole, clean and nutrient dense foods to provide nourishment to your body.  This includes eating only grass-fed meats, free range poultry, wild fish, vegetables, fruit, berries, and some nuts and seeds.

Studies done over time have shown the Paleo Lifestyle to be associated with multiple health benefits that you just can't ignore:

Increased and more stable energy levels

Improved sleep quality

Healthier skin and hair

Improved mood and attitude

Sustained weight loss

Muscle growth / increased fitness

Lowered risk of heart disease

Lowered risk of diabetes

Lower risk of cancer

Higher immune function

Improved glucose tolerance

Decreased insulin secretion and increased insulin sensitivity

Improved lipid profiles

Healthier gut flora

Better absorption of nutrients from food

Reduced allergies

Reduction in pain associated with inflammation

Improvements in respiratory problems (asthma)

Info taken from: http://eatdrinkpaleo.com.au/

With our family histories, I think it is the least we can do to teach our kids how living a healthy lifestyle can benefit them now as children, and in the long run as adults and seniors.  A lot of people who haven't spent enough time or energy researching the Paleo Lifestyle have nothing but negative things to say about it, but I truly feel that you can't knock it 'til you try it!  So this is where our new journey starts.  I want to prove to those naysayers that you CAN enjoy delicious and nutritious foods without pumping your body full of overly processed, highly sugared and dangerously over preserved crap (Good Read: Pandora's Lunchbox: How Processed Food Took Over the American Meal by Melanie Warner).  

Please keep in mind that this is a new journey for us and not everything I attempt to make is going to turn out the first time.  I will post recipes that I have found to be successful for our family with the hopes that others will see the kinds of foods my family is enjoying and try it out themselves.  So without further ado...enjoy!

Day #124 - Spicy Sausage & Peppers Penne

Tonight's meal was another quick and easy one. The recipe calls for hot Italian turkey sausage, but I couldn't find any at the grocery store when we went grocery shopping last weekend - so I opted for spicy Italian chicken sausage. The nutritional information is more favorable for the chicken sausage anyway - and I doubt it would have tasted any different. It was a really filling meal and the bell peppers add so much flavor!

Ingredients:

8 oz Uncooked Penne Pasta
1 lb Hot Italian Turkey (or Chicken) Sausage (about 4 links)
3 Medium Bell Peppers Cut Into 1/4" Strips
1/2 Cup Coarsely Chopped Onion
2 Garlic Cloves, Pressed
1 Can (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes, Undrained
1 can (8 oz) Tomato Sauce
2 tsp Italian Seasoning **See Note below
1/4 Cup Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

** Note: I keep a mixture of this Garlic Bread Seasoning on hand for occasions like this. It's the most fabulous mixture of ingredients and can be used on garlic bread, bread sticks, in pizza sauce, in other pasta sauces, etc.

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, or until sausage is lightly browned and no longer pink. Remove sausages from the skillet; cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces and set aside.

In the same skillet, cook the bell peppers, onion and garlic over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, or until peppers are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Add sausage, tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasoning mix. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through.

Place pasta in a large bowl; pour sauce mixture over pasta, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information (Approximately For 2 Cups):

Total Calories: 330 cal

Total Fat: 3.5 g

Total Carbs: 40 g (2 carb exchanges)

Total Protein: 21 g

When paired with 1 piece of Francisco French Bread, 1 tbsp of Smart Balance Light Butter Spread, Sprinkling of the Garlic Bread Seasoning mentioned above, 2 cups of salad and a low calorie dressing, the total nutritional information is approximately: 450 calories, 4 g of fat, 57 g of carbs, and 23 g of protein.

Day #123 - Honey Mustard Pork Medallions & Orzo Pilaf

This is one of those meals you could easily work into your monthly menu planning. It's so easy and tastes so good! It would be fabulous paired with any kind of grain as a side - I pulled the recipe for the Orzo Pilaf from the back of the Orzo box. It can't get any easier than that!

I just have to add that I just finished eating leftovers for lunch - and it makes a fabulous lunch! Now I'm off for a walk around Bellevue! Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Pork Medallions:

Ingredients:

1 Lb Pork Tenderloin
2 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Yellow Mustard
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Ground Allspice
1/8 tsp Red Pepper
1/4 cup Water
2 tsp Packed Brown Sugar

Directions:

Slice pork loin into 1/4" slices. Mix all ingredients except water and brown sugar in a shallow bowl. Add pork; turn to coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix water and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Remove pork from marinade and discard remaining marindate. Cook the pork in the skillet for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink. Remove pork from the skillet and cover with foil to keep warm.

Reduce heat to low. Stir water & sugar mixture into drippings in the skillet. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for one minute. Drizzle sauce over pork and serve.

Quick Orzo Pilaf

Ingredients:

8 oz Dry Orzo
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, Diced (1/2 Cup)
1/2 Cup Diced Red or Green Bell pepper
2-1/2 Cups Water
1 Chicken Bouillon Cube
1 Cup Frozen Peas & Carrots

Directions:

In a saucepan, saute onion and bell pepper, about 3 minutes over medium heat, or until vegetables soften.

Add orzo, water and bouillon; stirring frequently, bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in peas and carrots; cover and cook an additional two minutes, or until orzo is tender and peas and carrots are heated through.

Nutritional Information (Approximately for 4 oz Pork Loin):

Total Calories: 190 cal

Total Fat: 5.0 g

Total Carbs: 11 g

Total Protein: 26 g

Nutritional Information (Approximately for 1/3 Cup Orzo):

Total Calories: 210 cal

Total Fat: 1.0 g

Total Carbs: 41 g

Total Protein: 7.0 g

Day #122 - Szechuan Chicken

We decided to try something new and different with our dinner menu for the next two weeks. Everything you see posted for the next 14 days will be low in carbohydrates (2 carb choices or less). While Jim is the only diabetic in our house - I'm convinced we could all use a little diet makeover and this is a good starting point for us. And the meals we have planned look really fabulous! I can't wait to try them all.


This first one turned out pretty good - the flavors were good. My only complaint is that the chicken was too dry and I'm pretty sure it has to do with how they have you cook the chicken. Next time - I will have Jim cook the chicken on the grill to keep it nice and juicy.





Ingredients:


1 tsp Minced Garlic
1 tsp Grated Fresh Ginger
1/2 tsp Salt-Free Lemon-Pepper Seasoning
1/2 tsp Crushed Fennel Seeds
1/8 tsp Ground Cloves (just a pinch)
1 Pound Chicken Tenders Cut Into 1/2" Slices
1 Tbsp Canola Oil
12 oz Bok Choy Cut Into 1/2" Slices
1/4 Cup Chicken Broth
1 Tbsp Reduced-Sodium Soy Sauce
Red Pepper Flakes (optional)


Directions:


In a mixing bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, lemon-pepper seasoning, fennel seeds, and cloves. Add the chicken. With your hands or a spoon, toss well to coat all the chicken pieces with the seasoning.


Set a wok or a large skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Place the chicken pieces into the pan so they are separated. Cook for 1 minutes or until browned on the bottom. Turn and cook for an additional 1 minute until browned. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the bok choy and cook for about 2 minutes, tossing until the bok choy leaves are wilting. Add the broth and soy sauce.


Bring almost to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear. Serve and garnish with red pepper flakes if desired.


Nutritional Information (Approximately for 4 oz of chicken):


Total Calories: 156 Calories


Total Fat: 4 gm


Total Carbs: 3 gm


Total Protein: 28 gm


When paired with 1/2 a cup of brown rice and a side salad with light dressing - you have a fabulous meal for under 350 calories!!!

Day #121 - Steak & Pasta Salad

This one is pretty self explanatory. Jim grilled the steaks while I made the pasta salad (which consists of mini bow-tie pasta, diced tomatoes and orange bell peppers and mixed with your favorite low-fat Italian salad dressing).

Day #120 - Bean Dip & Strawberries

Jim and I went on a 23 mile bike ride today which means we also ate a late lunch when we got back. So - we kind of skipped dinner and snacked on some seven layer bean dip and strawberries with chocolate whipped cream while attending game night with some of our closest friends.

Ingredients:

2 Cups (16 oz) Non-Fat Refried Beans

1 Packet Taco Seasoning

1 8 oz Package Nonfat Cream Cheese

1 Cup Nonfat Sour Cream

1 Jar Medium Salsa

1 Medium tomato

2 Cups Low Fat / Light Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 Cup Lettuce

1 Can (2 oz) of Sliced Black Olives

1/3 Cup Frozen Sweet Corn

1/3 Cup Cilantro, Chopped

1/4 Cup Chopped Red Onions

1/4 Cup Chopped Bell Pepper

7 Green Onion Stems

Tortilla Chips or Celery for Dipping

Directions:

In a bowl, stir the taco seasoning into the refried beans and spread along the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. in another bow, whip the cream cheese and sour cream together until cream and spread on top of the beans.

Spread salsa on top and sprinkle tomato, red onions and bell pepper (if using). Top with cheddar cheese, lettuce and finally with black olives, corn, cilantro and green onions. Refrigerate for one hour prior to serving.

Day #119 - Mediterranean Kitchen

If you are ever in the Kirkland area looking for a great place to eat - I highly recommend stopping by this small but fabulous place called the Mediterranean Kitchen. I've been told they also have a location in Seattle - but I have never been to that one. This is one of my most favorite places to eat. I am grateful for the fact that we moved 45 minutes away because otherwise - you would be seeing this awesome meal on my dinner blog all too often.

Pictured below if the Gyro Salad - it consists of romaine lettuce, pickled beats, radishes, cucumber, tomato, olives, the best Greek spices and FABULOUS tzatziki dressing - all topped with the most tender lamb meat you have ever eaten!

This last time we also splurged and got a side of their Greek Fries. If you are a French Fry fan - I highly recommend stopping by just for the fries. They add their special little Greek seasoning and top them with their tzatziki sauce, ketchup and some feta cheese. They are to die for!

But okay - I don't know the nutritional information - strictly by choice. I don't want to ruin a good thing by knowing how bad it really is for me. But just trust me - you should try it!!!

Day #118 - A Dose of Alzheimers

This is the one day I didn't note what we had for dinner. It will come to me eventually - and when it does - I will update this post to show it.

Day #117 - Thrown Together Shrimp

I'm beginning to think of myself as a culinary genius!

No really - I'm being serious. You can stop laughing now. I'm not claiming to be some sort of Martha Stewart or Rachel Ray knockoff, and I admit that most days, I resort to following someone else's recipe. But there have been many occasions where I have been able to throw together some pretty dang good meals with little or no effort.

Sometimes, I get these amazing ideas in my head while I'm at work, and I write them down so I won't forget them. Sometimes these ideas are food related - other times not so much. Today, while furiously plowing through a pile of junk on my desk, out of the blue - I had an AHA! food moment. It was after this moment that I called my husband and asked him to take the bag of shrimp out of the freezer - we were having shrimp tonight!

Now - my husband and daughter are fried shrimp kind of people. So I already knew I was going to batter and fry up a few to satisfy their needs. And then - after their bellies were full - I set out on a mission. My initial thought was to make a really yummy shrimp salad with a citrus dressing. But when I got home and saw the big tub of garlic staring at me in the fridge, I knew a shrimp salad just wouldn't do. In the end, I ended up just throwing together some of my favorite ingredients and flavors that we had in the fridge and came up with this delicious beauty of a dish (the picture doesn't do it justice).

The best part about this recipe, is the spinach. It soaks up of the flavor that gets left behind in the pan - it's really adds a bold flavor to this meal. You will LOVE it! I liked it so much - I made some more to take for lunch tomorrow!

Ingredients:

12 Jumbo Prawns (Shelled & Deveined)

4 Cups Fresh Spinach

4 tsp Minced Garlic

Juice From 1/2 Fresh Lemon

1 Tbsp Butter (I used Smart Balance - Light)

Directions:

Melt 1/2 the butter in a saute pan and saute garlic until just browned. Add shrimp and cook for 1.5 minutes. Turn shrimp and cook for an additional minute. Add most of the lemon juice to the pan and continue to cook shrimp for an addition 30 to 45 seconds. Remove shrimp from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add remaining butter and then add spinach. Top spinach with remaining lemon juice and stir. When spinach is completely wilted, remove and plate. Top spinach with shrimp and enjoy!

Nutritional Information (Approximately For 6 Shrimp & 2 Cups Wilted Spinach)

Total Calories: 164 cal.

Total Fat: 2.5 g

Total Carbs: 6 g

Total Protein: 29 g

Day #116 - Tacos

Kayla has been DYING for tacos ever since her surgery. They are her all time favorite and it was torture for her not being able to eat tacos of all things! So - tonight we had tacos. Quick and easy - just the way I like it. You can find the recipe and nutrition information here - however - tonight's tacos are a little healthier than the previous version.

I ran into these bad boys at the store last time we went grocery shopping and had to try them:

Here is the breakdown between your regular soft taco sized tortilla and these Carb Balance fajita sized tortillas:

<-- Taco Size Flour Tortilla

Fajita Sized Whole Wheat Tortilla -->

You Do The Math!

Day #115 - Quiznos

I worked from 6:30 am until 5:15 pm today, I'm either coming down with a nasty cold or my allergies have suddenly gone into overdrive - I'm not quite sure which it is, and I'm sick and tired of the rain already! I am here to introduce to you today: Negative Nancy!

I have struggled all day to be in a good mood - I blame this nastiness that is going on in my sinuses. If it's allergies - then I must have developed a resistance to every allergy medication out there because nothing I am taking has helped. If it's a cold - then it better run its course fast because I don't have time to deal with this kind of crap. My ears are plugged and it feels like my head is stuck in the clouds. My throat is dry and scratchy and every time I tried to answer the phone at work today, I got laughed at on the other end. Oh - and last night - I know you have all experienced the one-nostril nose plug!

You know - where depending on which side you are currently sleeping on - one side of your nose is ALWAYS plugged. It starts out on one side of the nose and then you flip and lay on your other side, only to feel all the pluggedness giving way to gravity and draining to the other nostril, and before you know it - you are just one plugged up mess. Yeah - and if you're lucky enough to actually fall asleep - you wake up in the middle of the night with snot trails all up your cheek and and down the side of your face. It's fabulous - welcome to my world right now.

Anyway - now that I have completely grossed you out - let me tell you what we had for dinner tonight! My husband wanted to cook the salmon that we took out of the freezer over a week ago and never used. That is - until I pointed out to him the current color of the salmon and the fine print that says: "use immediately after thawing". As in - you better cook it the same day. The salmon ended up in the garbage. Sad.

Our fridge is empty - our food supply in the pantry is slowly dwindling down. I can use this as an excuse for not cooking tonight - but in all reality - I was just in a piss-poor mood and didn't feel like playing chef / waitress to my family tonight. So - we headed out to Quiznos because in an attempt to get back to eating healthy again - I knew they had this:

The Honey Bourbon Chicken Sandwich:

This sandwich is my all-time favorite. Not just because it tastes absolutely fabulous (a little sweet and a little spicy), but because a small sub has just 315 calories which will allow you to grab a bag of chips if you need a salt kick. Or - you can splurge and get the regular sized sandwich which still only has 520 calories and is much more filling and satisfying.

Nutritional Information (Approximately for 1 Regular Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bread):

Total Calories: 520 cal

Total Fat: 8 g

Total Carbs: 76 g (21 g from sugar)

Total Protein: 29 g

Day #89 - #114

I realize I haven't been the most faithful blogger by any means - even after rededicating myself to my goal in my last post - I have still managed to fall behind. The last dinner I posted was on March 28th - which puts me exactly 28 days behind!!! Yikes! Where has the time gone???

I'm going to attempt to get caught up - but there are some huge gaps where I can't remember what we had for dinner - but it's not entirely my fault - so cut me some slack! Be prepared - however - because this post is gonna be a long one!

Sunday April 25th: Easter Dinner (Day #114)

We all managed to get together for Easter at my parent's house this year - All 12 of us! It was fabulous! We pigged out on ham, funeral potatoes, homemade rolls, salad, corn on the cob, pickled beats, and cherry pie! Can't beat that! However - I'm paying for it all today! It's back to the healthier way of eating for sure!

Tuesday April 5th - Saturday April 23rd (Day #96 - #113)

Somewhere during these 19 days - I managed to cook a few good meals. What exactly they were - I couldn't tell you because A) I didn't take any pictures. B) I didn't write them down like I promised myself I would start doing. and C) I'm just a flat out Slacker - with a capital S! Sorry!

Monday April 4th: Sympathy Nothing (Day #95)

**sigh** I'm discovering there are a lot of days where my family doesn't really eat dinner! For one reason or another - we just don't eat the last meal of the day!! This week - is the start of Spring Break - and unfortunately - my poor little Kayla Bug is spending her spring break recovering from surgery! You can read about her ordeal here!

Needless to say - since Kayla couldn't eat - we didn't eat either! Except - I'm pretty sure Jim and I snuck in a few bites of ice cream while Kayla was taking a mini nap.

Sunday April 3rd: Popsicles (Day #94)

We got back from Spokane in the late afternoon - just in time to pick Miley up from this hell-hole of a kennel we took her to for the weekend. I will NEVER take her to that kennel EVER again. I don't think she pooped the entire time she was there! Don't get me started! Anyway - by the time we picked up the dog, got home, unpacked, took the dog to the dog park so she could get some exercise after booked couped up in a stupid kennel all weekend without ANY walks or ANY form of exercise - we were exhausted and called it a day without eating dinner. Actually - I think we all had a Popsicle somewhere during the evening. It's the dinner of champions!

Saturday April 2nd: Papa Murphy's Pizza (Day #93)

We were in Spokane - visiting various people and places we love. Since we didn't have a whole lot of dining options, we grabbed a couple of pizzas and cooked them at my Grandma's house. Pretty easy.

Friday April 1st: Trail Mix From Costco (Day #92)

A few months ago, we bought tickets to a concert for this night. The plan was to get all snazzied up and head to Seattle for a night of fine dining and then the concert. Unfortunately - things didn't exactly go as planned and we ended up not eating dinner at all and we just barely made it to the concert in time for it to start! You can read about our fiasco here!

What I didn't mention in that post - is that during the car ride to Spokane, we all snacked on Costco trail mix cause we were kind of starving.

Thursday March 31st: Chili and Cornbread (Day #91)

The last time we made a batch of chili - we had a TON leftover. So - we filled the freezer with containers of homemade chili. We also bought this really HUGE bag of cornbread mix from Costco that has been sitting in our pantry for the last 12 months. What are you supposed to do when you have a TON of chili and a TON of cornbread mix??? Eat chili and cornbread - duh!

Again - this is a recipe I have posted once before and can be found here!

Wednesday March 30th: Manicotti (Day #90)

The last time Jim surprised me and made Manicotti for dinner, the recipe made so much, he made a smaller dish and stuck in the freezer for another meal down the road. Tonight was a freezer meal kind of night! I was kind of skeptical to try manicotti after it had been frozen - but in all honesty, I couldn't even tell it had ever been frozen! It tasted just as fresh and delicious as it did the first time!

For the recipe and nutrition information for this Manicotti recipe - you can find it on my original post here!

Tuesday March 29th: Chicken Bruschetta Pasta (Day #89)

Ingredients:

1 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Strips

1/3 Cup Reduced Sodium Organic Chicken Broth

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tub (10 oz) Philadelphia Original Cooking Creme

2 Cups Grape Tomatoes

2 Cups Hot, Cooked Bow-Tie Pasta

12 Fresh Basil Leaves, Torn

Directions:

Cook chicken in a large, non-stick skillet on medium heat for about 5 or 6 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and garlic powder and let cook an additional 3 minutes.

Add cooking creme and tomatoes , cook and stir for 3 minutes.

Stir in pasta and top with basil!!!

This is probably one of the most simple meals I have ever made in my entire life. Only cold cereal and toast can top this in the easy category. If you haven't tried the new Philadelphia cooking cremes, I would recommend it. They seriously make cooking simple and really yummy!

Day #88 - Pecan Crusted Salmon

This salmon recipe is so simple and extremely quick! The potatoes took the longest to cook and that only took 25 minutes! I've never had salmon with any kind of "coating" so this was new for me. I usually like it grilled and plain with maybe some salt and pepper. But this was REALLY good - The pecans give it a little crunch and there's a slight hint of something sweet! It was fabulous!

Ingredients:

2 Salmon Fillets (6 oz each)

2 Cups Milk

1 Cup Finely Chopped Pecans

1/2 Cup Flour

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Pepper

3 Tbsp EVOO

Directions:

Cut salmon fillets in half so you have a total of four 3 oz portions. Place the salmon fillets in a large resealable plastic bag. Add milk, seal bag and turn to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes and then drain.

Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, combine the pecans, flour, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Coat fillets with pecan mixture, gently pressing into the fish.

In a large skillet, brown salmon in oil over medium-high heat. Transfer to a baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Nutrition Information (Approximately For a Single 3 oz Fillet):

Total Calories: 275 cal

Total Fat: 15 g

Total Carbs: 9.5 g

Total Protein: 22 g

We added some baby golden potatoes and steam broccoli to our meal which added about 110 calories, 0 g fat, 15 g carbs, and 4 g protein. It was a great dinner!

Day #87 - Cabbage Rolls (Golubtsi)

A while back I asked my friends for some new dinner ideas and tonight's dinner was an idea my friend Lesley recommended. I have been looking online for a good recipe, but couldn't bring myself to just pick one and make it. This was actually about a month ago that I asked for dinner ideas - maybe longer.

After the idea of cabbage rolls was introduced, I went out and bought a head of cabbage thinking I would make them that same week. From this experience, I have learned that a head of cabbage (if properly stored) can last for over a month without going bad. The other day, she sent me a link to a recipe online - so I took it and ran with it. I had to assess the cabbage situation because I wasn't sure if I would need to run to the store - and lo and behold - the head of cabbage was still green and intact! I was amazed!

I made a few adjustments to this recipe to make it more "me" - but it turned out really good! I was skeptical about the girls liking it because of the cabbage - but they all loved it and had seconds!

The recipe is really easy - the only setback is that I didn't realize it had to bake in the oven for an hour after putting it all together - so we were in a bit of a time crunch to get dinner eaten before Jim had to take the girls to the ferry. But we made it and they scarfed some food down and they were on their way. Now I'm home alone - blogging and doing laundry so I don't have to go to work nekkid tomorrow.

Ingredients:

1 Head of Cabbage

2 lbs Ground Turkey

1-1/2 Cups Cooked Brown Rice

1/2 Medium Onion, Finely Chopped

1 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

1 tsp Dried Parsley

1 Can Crushed Tomatoes (I ran mine through the food processor to make a puree)

1 Can Tomato Sauce (8 oz)

2 Tbsp Ketchup

1 Onion Chopped

1-1/2 Cups Plain Low-Fat Yogurt

2 Cups Water

Directions:

Core the cabbage leaving it whole. Boil in a large pot of water until the leaves separate easily. Drain leaves and let them cool while you prepare the filling.

Combine the meat, rice, onion (1/2 medium onion), salt, pepper and parsley. Place about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture onto each cabbage leaf. Fold edges over and roll up. Place in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Continue until you use up the hamburger mixture and cabbage leaves.

Saute chopped onion in a little EVOO until translucent. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, ketchup and water. Mix well and bring to a boil. Add about 1/3 of a cup of the sauce to the plain yogurt to temper it and then add the sour cream mixture to the sauce. Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls.

Bake at 350 degrees for an hour or so.

Nutrition Information (Approximately For One Cabbage Roll & 1/4 Cup Sauce)

Total Calories: 149 cal

Total Fat: 5.62 g

Total Carbs: 9.76 g

Total Protein: 12.33 g

What Do You Do With 5 Lbs of Fresh Strawberries?

Strawberries are on sale at Albertons this week - 1 lb cartons 2/$5 - or - a 5 lb carton for $7.99. If it were just Jim, Kayla and myself, I would have gone with the smaller 1 lb cartons - but since we have Jim's girls - I splurged and went for the big carton.

We all slept in pretty late this morning - so I decided to make "brunch" for everyone to enjoy when they woke up. This is what I did with 5 pounds of fresh, yummy strawberries:

Strawberry Belgian Waffles

Strawberry Pop Tarts (homemade)

Jim is a big pastry snob - and he LOVED these homemade pop tarts.

Day #86 - Tacos

I know - I'm way behind on my dinner blogging. I feel completely horrible and even more horrible that I can't remember what exactly we had every night. I apologize for being so lazy with the blogging - I promise daily posts this next week WITH recipes and nutrition information (if available)! There are about 10 posts below to get you all caught up on the latest happenings in the Brown Kitchen - ENJOY!

My parents invited us over for dinner and games tonight. We had some really good tacos followed by pumpkin pie that Jim made!

Day #85 - Arby's

Because of one reason or another, we haven't had Jim's girls at our house in over a month. So we decided to go and get them this weekend. Jim picked me up from work around 6:00 and we headed to the ferry - only to learn that the ferries were running about an hour behind. We usually wait until we get the girls and either eat out with them or wait until we get home to eat . But, given the hour wait we had ahead of us, instead of waiting for them and eating at 9:00, we ran to Arby's and grabbed some dinner while we waited. Shame on us - I know.

Day #84 - Manicotti

We were supposed to have salmon for dinner tonight - so I was completely in shock when I walked in and smelled garlic, basil, parsley, tomatoes....all the ingredients commonly found in Italian food dishes. And I was even more shocked to see that Jim had taken it upon himself to improvise with dinner and made Manicotti! It was probably the best manicotti I have ever had - it was perfect in every way!