Insanely Delicious Steak Marinade

I searched allrecipes.com for a good marinade recipe that used ingredients I already had in my kitchen. I didn't find one specific recipe that I liked, so I took some tips from a bunch of them, and added the following to my blender:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce (I just discovered that it contains HFCS. I am not pleased. I will look for a replacement sauce to use once we have used up our bottle).

Juice of one large lemon

3 T Herbs de Provence

1 t white pepper

1 T garlic powder

1 T Tabasco Sauce

It literally took me about three minutes to pull all of the ingredients and blend them up. (Tip--before squeezing the juice out of the lemon, roll it on the counter to loosen up the juices). I poured the marinade over two porterhouse steaks,
covered the dish in plastic wrap, and let it marinate for a few hours before broiling them. (We would have used the grill, but it is currently buried in almost two feet of snow). :-)

I served the steak with baked potatoes and a simple salad (I always keep cucumbers, red peppers, and mixed greens on hand to throw together a salad). It was quick, easy, and pretty healthy.

Spinach Loaded Lasagna

I decided to make a lasagna last night, but wanted to make it as healthy as possible. My family really enjoyed it. Dan said it had a little too much spinach in it, so next time I might cut out about 1/3 of it. However, my 10 month old, Audrey, wolfed it down, and I knew she was getting her veggies, so that made me feel good. Hopefully she'll continue to enjoy her spinach as she gets older and learns to talk back. :)

Ingredients:

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions
1 lb ground turkey or lean ground beef (I used beef, which is a rare occurence for us)
1 16 oz container part skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 16 oz bag frozen spinach
1 and a half jars of marinara sauce
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 head of garlic, chopped (I chopped it up in a mini food processor)
2/3 of a small yellow onion
2 cups shredded mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the ground beef, drain the grease, and set the beef aside in a bowl. Using the same skillet (just to make less mess), saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil on medium heat. Add the ground beef back in with the onion and garlic, and pour one jar of marinara sauce in with it. Simmer on low while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, and spinach. Mix until well blended. Set aside.

Grease a 9x13 inch glass dish (I use spray canola oil). Pour about 1/3 of the marinara/ground beef mixture on the bottom of the glass dish, and spread it out in a thin layer.

Place three lasagna noodles on top of the marinara mixture (not overlapping). Scoop 1/2 of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles, and spread it into a thin layer. Top with 1/3 of the ground beef mixture, and spread thin. Top with three more noodles, the rest of the ricotta, and another layer of marinara/beef.

Add the three final noodles on top, pour the 1/2 jar of marinara sauce over the noodles and spread it to completely cover the dish, and sprinkle the mozzarella on top.

Loosely cover the dish with foil (don't set it too close to the cheese or it will stick).

Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for another 10 minutes. When you pull it out of the oven at the end of 50 minutes, let it sit and cool for about 15 minutes.


Enjoy with a salad and some garlic bread. :)

Whole Wheat Lemon Blueberry Muffins

I found the following recipe for blueberry muffins on http://www.allrecipes.com/:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, diced
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
Combine 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. In a small bowl, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons flour over blueberries, and set aside. (This simple trick will keep you from having "purple" batter)
In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter with 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, and stir in vanilla and lemon zest. Fold in dry ingredients alternately with milk. Fold in blueberries. Remember, fold gently, don't stir. Spoon batter into prepared cups.
Combine 2 tablespoons flour, 5 tablespoons sugar ,and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle over batter in muffin cups.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack. These muffins freeze really well, and re-heat in the microwave successfully.


I made the following changes to the ingredients:

whole wheat flour instead of white
2 cups frozen blueberries (I still did the flour trick to keep them from turning the batter blue)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 t lemon zest
a squirt of fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup applesauce

All other ingredients were kept the same. I did use skim milk. Although the recipe doesn't specify what kind of milk to use, baking recipes usually call for whole milk.

The muffins turned out great and everyone at our Wednesday baby playgroup gave them a thumbs up! :)

A Long Weekend of Turkey

Roasted Turkey and Turkey Chili

This year, we spent Thanksgiving with Dan's parents in Richmond. We had a wonderful traditional turkey dinner, complete with mashed potatoes, green beans, and stuffing. This was the first time in four years that we did not host Thanksgiving at our house. Therefore, I decided to roast a turkey today so we can have "leftovers." :-)

When I roast a turkey, I do two things to ensure that it comes out juicy and delicious. First, I brine the turkey. Clean the turkey, remove the insides (make sure you get them all!), and place the turkey in a big, black crab pot. Fill a large liquid measuring cup (4 cups) with about 1/2 cup of sugar and 3/4 cup of salt. Then fill it to the top with water. Mix the water, sugar and salt, and pour it over the turkey. Then continue to fill up the crab pot until the water is almost to the top. Place the lid on the pot and stick it in the fridge overnight to marinate.

Next, I plop the turkey (breast side up) into a roasting pan. I then use a knife to get under the skin just above the turkey breast. I use my fingers to slide pieces of butter and fresh garlic under the skin. I also stick a few cloves of garlic inside the bird.



Then, I pour a little olive oil over the entire bird (about 3/4 cup), and sprinkle seasonings on top . I used herbs de provence, garlic salt, salt, and pepper. Some people tie the legs back, but I usually skip this step as it is a pain and I don't really notice a difference.

Roasting the turkey (these directions are for a 22 lb bird)...


Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes. Then, lightly cover the bird with foil, lower the oven temperature to 390 degrees and continue to roast for a few more hours. You need to check the temperature of the thickest part of the bird to be sure that it is done. It should be about 165 degrees. You can also check to make sure that the juices run clear. I cooked my 22 lb turkey for 20 minutes at 500 degrees, then for another 3.5-4 hours at 390 degrees. About two hours into the last step, take it out of the oven, and baste the turkey using juices from the pan.

I will be serving the turkey this evening with cornbread stuffing (made using leftovers from a loaf of cornbread I made yesterday, sauteed with butter and peppers), mashed potatoes (skin on), green beans, cranberry sauce (what can I say, I love the canned stuff!), and rolls. This meal may not deserve to be in my "healthy" cooking blog, but it sure will taste good! And turkey is good for you. It's loaded with protein, and olive oil and garlic are good for your heart. :-)

Turkey Chili (Crockpot)

As if we didn't have enough turkey this weekend, I decided to make some turkey chili on Friday. It's extremely simple and pretty much impossible to mess up. I sometimes use canned black beans, but prefer to use dried black beans because they add a nice texture to the chili. Here's what you need:

One lb ground turkey
One bag of dried black beans (you need to boil them for five minutes, and then let them sit in the hot water for an hour before adding them to the crockpot)
One small yellow onion, diced
One head of garlic, minced
One can of corn (you can also use frozen)
One can of kidney beans
One can of stewed tomatoes
One can of diced tomatoes and green chiles



Soak the black beans one hour before you start the chili (or skip this step if you are using canned beans instead).

Brown one pound of ground turkey, and drain the grease. Return the turkey to the pan, add a bunch of spices (about a T of each of ground cumin and chili powder, a t of garlic powder, a t of crushed red pepper (omit if you don't want it too spicy), a t of salt, a t of pepper, and a splash of Tabasco sauce.) Pour 3/4 cup of water over the meat/seasoning mixture, and cook on low heat while stirring occasionally. Add the onions and garlic to the pan, and continue to simmer.

While the meat is cooking, add all of the veggies to the crockpot. Last, add the meat mixture to the crockpot, give it a good stir, and cover the pot. Cook the chili on high for 4-5 hours, or low for 8-10 hours.


I serve it with shredded cheddar, a dallop of sour cream or plain yogurt, and a side of cornbread.

I Cheated.

I went to the grocery store today when I said I wouldn't grocery shop until Thanksgiving. But, in my defense, I am in charge of an appetizer for Thanksgiving, so I had to get the ingredients today. I refuse to shop in day-before-Thanksgiving store madness.

Also, we ran out of Audrey's baby oatmeal that she eats almost every morning, so I had to get more. I also happened to find a TON of great deals matching coupons with store promotions and sales. :)

This is a picture of what I got for $21. I saved about 70%!

Missing Ingredients = Accidental Muffins!

So, yesterday I decided to make some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. It didn't go quite as expected.

I preheated the oven, and realized that I was out of whole wheat flour. No big deal, I decided I would splurge and use regular white flour. I mixed the flour, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl, and went to the fridge to get out the butter and sugar. It was then that I realized we were completely out of sugar! I decided that I would use some extra applesauce in place of the sugar, and hopefully they would turn out ok.

As I went to pull two eggs out of the fridge, I realized that I had used them all up making breakfast two days earlier. So, I guess there is something to be said about grocery shopping every weekend (I skipped it this week in order to use up what's in our fridge; see blog from last Thursday). Eggs are a pretty major ingredient in baking. After trying to borrow from a neighbor who turned out not to be home, I decided to dig through the fridge for some replacement ingredients.

I settled on a container of Audrey's YoBaby yogurt (peach flavored). I figured that the yogurt mixed with about a cup of applesauce and extra pumpkin would be enough to replace the eggs and sugar. It turned out that the muffins were absolutely delicious! I MAY not use sugar in them in the future. :)

Here's yesterday's accidental recipe:

1 3/4 cup flour
1 tspn baking soda
1/4 tspn salt
1 T pumpkin pie spice
Approx 12 oz pumpkin
1 container Yo Baby yogurt
1 cup applesauce
3/4 stick of butter, softened
6 oz chocolate chips
I mixed all of the ingredients together, and baked them in a greased muffin tin at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Simple!

Simple Monday Meal: Chicken, Rice and Broccoli

Using the chicken breasts (skin on, bone in) from my freezer (with spices, olive oil, and vinegar), frozen broccoli, and basmati rice, I made a simple, healthy meal without running to the store.



First, I mixed two parts olive oil (about 1/4 cup), with two parts water, and one part white balsamic vinegar in a large ziploc bag. Then I added a bunch of spices without measuring, but about a tspn of each (garlic salt, onion powder, fresh ground lemon pepper, tarragon, and fresh ground black pepper). I added the chicken breasts to the bag, sealed it, and shook the bag up to coat the chicken. I placed the bag in the fridge for about an hour prior to cooking (you can let it sit for a few hours or even all day if you want to).

While the chicken is marinating in the fridge, cook the rice. I usually cook rice ahead of time by as much as an hour, and let it sit on the stove. It actually tastes better to me when it's "old", and it will stay hot if you keep the lid on the pot. Since I used basmati rice, I added four cups of water and two cups of rice to the pot. I added a splash of olive oil and a dash of salt. Stir it up and bring it to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, place the lid on top and turn it down to medium heat. Check it after about 20 minutes, and when it looks done, fluff it with a spoon, turn the heat off and let it sit on the stove with the lid in place.

*We usually stick to brown rice, but occasionally eat basmatti rice. My sister got me hooked on this basmati rice. It is insanely good!*

Preheat the oven to BROIL, and place the chicken in a foil lined (or greased) 9x13 inch pan inside the oven. Broil the chicken for approximately 10 minutes.

Then, turn the oven down to 375 degrees on BAKE, and continue to bake the chicken for about 40 minutes. Check that it is done by cutting into a thick area of the breast. The meat should no longer be pink and the juice should run clear.

Preparing the broccoli is simple. I used frozen broccoli (which is as healthy as fresh), and I did it the lazy way...in the microwave! I usually steam veggies on the stove, which is also easy, but I decided to do it the slightly quicker way tonight. Place some frozen broccoli in a glass pyrex dish, add water (about 1/2 inch deep), place the lid on the dish slightly crooked, leaving a small crack on one of the sides to vent, and microwave for two minutes. Take it out, stir it up, and microwave for two more minutes. It will come out perfectly steamed and ready to serve.

I sliced up a fresh pineapple we had in the fridge for another side dish (I love adding fresh fruit for a side at dinner; it's sweet and healthy!) Pairing pineapple with chicken and rice makes me feel like we're in Hawaii. Well, sort of. They just complement each other well. :)

This is a simple dinner but it sure is delicious. Enjoy!

My $$$ Challenge

I am challenging myself to shop minimally for groceries until Thanksgiving. I want to try to cook meals for the next five days using only what we have in our pantry, fridge, and freezer. All I will allow myself to buy is produce and milk.

I usually do one large grocery trip per week, as well as a few small ones (I usually stick to Giant, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's). I bought a lot of food at Trader Joe's last week (although I really didn't spend any more than my weekly budget; I love that store, it's so inexpensive!), so I am going to try to use up what I have left. This is what I have to work with for dinners:

Freezer:
Two cod filets
Two porterhouse steaks
Two chicken breasts (bone in and skin on)
Broccoli
Peas

Fridge:
Leftover beef stew (tonight's dinner)
Leftover mac 'n' cheese (today's unhealthy, but made from scratch lunch) :-)
Milk
Cream cheese
2 avocados
A bunch of carrots
A whole pineapple
Bacon
Leeks (they are looking a little sad and need to be used ASAP)
Oranges
Yellow peppers

Parmesan chunks
Shredded cheese
Eggs
Beef stock
Butter

Pantry:
Whole wheat pasta
Brown rice (and a little basmati rice)
Panko bread crumbs
Two whole potatoes

Nuts (walnuts and almonds)
Staples (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, spices, flour, etc)

Ok, so it seems like I have a lot to work with, but I seriously would have headed to the grocery store tomorrow to spend $75 - $100. Let's see what I can do! :-)

Veggie Loaded Beef Stew

This was my first time experimenting with beef stew, and I have to say it turned out wonderfully! I made sure to add a LOT of veggies and used lean meat to make it extra healthy. I also added a side of homemade whole wheat biscuits, and the meal was a success. Dan gobbled up two bowls, and we'll be having leftovers tonight! :-)

Veggie Loaded Beef Stew


Ingredients:

1 package of Trader Joe's lean stew beef
2/3 cup flour
1 package of pre-chopped onions, carrots, and celery from Trader Joe's (quite inexpensive!)
1 bag of teenie tiny potatoes from TJ's (so cute!) :-)
2 cups of Wolfgang Puck Beef Stock
1 T Herbs de Provence
2 bay leaves
1 T onion powder
1 fresh head of garic, minced (I used a small food processor to make it quick and easy)
1 cup of frozen chopped spinach
1 cup of frozen peas
2 T corn starch (optional--use it if you want a thicker stew, skip it if you want a broth-like stew)
1 tspn salt
1 tspn pepper

I used my crockpot, but you could easily do this in large pot on the stove. You would just need to watch it closely and stir it occasionally over a two hour or so period of time.



Start by placing the stew meat into a large ziplock bag. Add the flour, salt, and pepper, and shake to coat. Place the coated meat into the crockpot. Next, add the potatoes (washed, but not peeled*) and the chopped carrots, celery, onion and fresh garlic. Pour the beef stock over everything and add the herbs de provence, onion powder, and bay leaves. Stir everything together, and turn the crockpot on high for 5-6 hours, or low for 8-10 hours.



About 45 minutes before it is done cooking, stir in the frozen peas and spinach. Place the lid back on the crockpot and finish cooking.


In order to make the stew thick, I mixed 2 T of corn starch with 2/3 cup of water, and poured it into the crockpot. I mixed it all together and let it sit for a few minutes. You can skip this step if you want.


Simple whole wheat biscuits from scratch:


Ingredients:

1 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 T butter, slightly melted
1/4 tsp salt
Slightly less than 1/2 cup of milk (3/8)
1/2 cup of flour for the table/cutting board


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking pan with short edges.



Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Using your hands (the fun part!), blend in the butter. Slowly pour the milk into the mixture, while blending with your hands. Place the ball of dough onto the work surface (where your other flour is), and roll it out into a small circle. Use a pizza cutter (or whatever works) to cut it into 5-6 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, flatten the ball so it is about 1/2 inch thick, and place each biscuit on a greased baking pan.

Bake for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

I served the biscuits with a little butter and strawberry preserves.




This recipe yields about 8 servings of beef stew and 6 biscuits. You can eat leftovers one night and freeze the remainder for a night you don't feel like cooking. Your freezer is your friend. Don't throw away leftovers! :)




*I don't peel potatoes ever, even when mashing them. The peels contain most of the nutrition.*

Skinny Spaghetti Pie

A lot of my friends know how much I love spaghetti pie. I have been making it for a while, and over the years I have modified it to make it healthier, but it is still absolutely satisfying and yummy. :)

The original recipe called for ground beef, spaghetti noodles, a jar of marinara, cream cheese, sour cream, shredded cheddar, and green onions.

I now make it using the following list of ingredients:


1 lb of lean ground turkey
1/2 box of whole wheat thin spaghetti
1 jar of marinara (or blend your own stewed/crushed tomatoes in a food processor)
1/2 cup of cream cheese
1 cup of low fat plain organic yogurt (are you surprised???) :)
1 TBSP onion powder
2/3 cup green onions
2/3 cup shredded cheddar/jack cheese

***And before you wonder how something that contains cream cheese and shredded cheddar can be healthy, think about this. You are going to eat one serving of this dish (which is definitely filling), which means you will only be eating 1/6 of the entire pie. 1/6 of 2/3 of a cup of shredded cheese isn't much (it's 1/9 of a cup to be exact). You will also only be eating 1/12 a cup of cream cheese in your serving. That is miniscule. Sure, you can use low fat cream cheese and low fat cheese, but I generally prefer not to (especially for the cheese; lowfat cheese is NOT the same). Stick to the serving size and you'll be full, happy, and healthy. :) ***


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the turkey and drain the grease (you may not have to drain any grease if the turkey is lean enough). Pour in the jar of marinara, and simmer on low for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.

Cook the spaghetti according to the package, which should be pretty quick since you are using thin spaghetti. Drain and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese, yogurt, onion powder, and chopped green onions.

Pour the cooked pasta into a greased (100% canola oil spray) baking dish (I used a piece of Polish pottery that is slightly larger, but you can use an 8x8 glass dish). Using a spatula, pour and smooth the yogurt mixture over the pasta. For the third layer, you will pour the ground turkey mixture over the yogurt mixture. Finally, sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Place the baking dish in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.


Pull it out of the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes, then serve with a side salad.



This recipe yields six servings.

Cinnamon Banana Nut Muffins

Audrey loves muffins (hence the title of my blog), and I've made these for her quite a few times. If you are feeding them to a baby, be careful with the walnuts, and make sure they are finely chopped (or just feed the baby parts of the muffin without walnuts).



1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce (I used organic TJ's applesauce)
1/2 cup plain lowfat organic yogurt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1 tspn ground cinnamon
1 tspn vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
3-4 bananas (I used 3.5 this time because I only had 4, and Audrey wanted to eat some) :-)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan or muffin tin (I used a muffin tin this time) with 100% canola oil spray.

Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a small bowl. In a mixing bowl (or stand mixer), combine the butter and sugar. Blend until light and fluffy, about one minute. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat to incorporate. Then, mix in the applesauce, flaxseed meal, and yogurt and blend until pretty smooth. Pour the flour mixture slowly into the mixing bowl while the mixer is still running, or add it a little at a time and mix by hand while you make the additions.

Lastly, add the walnuts and bananas, mix well, and use an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes (45-60 if you use a loaf pan). Start checking the muffins around 30 minutes with the toothpick test. If you want a little extra treat, add a pinch of brown sugar to the top of each muffin after the first 30 minutes of baking. It will come out with a crispy, melted sugary topping. YUM!

Set the entire pan on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes, then carefully remove the muffins and enjoy. :)



This recipe yields about 12 muffins.

Secret Smoothie

I first started making smoothies at home a few years ago when I was teaching sixth grade. I would blend up enough for the two of us to have before work (and since I was always running behind, I would often bring it to work with me). I made them almost every day for about six or eight months. These days I make them about once a week, and sometimes more. I love them. They are easy, super healthy, and delicious. My daughter is still a little too young to drink dairy, so I give her little tastes here and there. She LOVES smoothies. I can't wait to make them for her. :)

Now onto the "secret" part...

When I first started feeding solids to my daughter about five months ago, I made all of her food. I would puree her fruits and veggies and freeze them in ice cube trays. I made her a batch of spinach in July, and decided one day on a whim to toss a few cubes of spinach into our smoothies. I made the mistake of telling my husband, Dan, what I had done. He made a face and said it sounded gross. He drank it anyway, and realized that he couldn't even taste the spinach! So, I have added spinach cubes, or frozen chopped spinach (which blends easier) ever since. Spinach is one of the healthiest things you can eat, so I feel even better about my smoothies now!


Now for the simple, five minute recipe...

I'm not big on measuring while cooking/creating food, so this morning I decided to use measuring cups in order to blog the recipe. This is what I came up with:

1 cup plain lowfat organic yogurt
1 fresh banana
2/3 cup fresh strawberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
2/3 cup frozen chopped spinach
a splash (about 1/4 cup) of OJ (I often omit the OJ because we don't always have juice on hand since we don't drink it often. This just helps it blend a little easier, and gives it a slightly sweeter flavor). Add the yogurt to the blender first, then follow with the fruit. If you add frozen fruit before the yogurt, it will make it more difficult to blend. Blend everything until completely smooth. Check for lumps before serving.


The yogurt, banana, and blueberries are staples in my smoothies. Blueberries are one of the healthiest fruits available, so I always have those on hand. Then, I see what other fruit is in my fridge, like strawberries or raspberries, and toss them in the blender. As long as you use about one cup of yogurt and some frozen fruit, your smoothie will work well. I don't need to use ice because of the frozen fruit.

This recipe yields approximately two 9 oz smoothies.


***Tip*** Rinse out your blender right away (and the glasses when you are done), because dried on smoothie is quite difficult to clean up! :)

Sausage and Veggie Spaghetti Sauce

The fall weather took over this past week, which put me in the mood to use my crock pot. There is nothing better than a warm home filled with the aroma of something simmering or stewing in a slow cooker on a cool day.

I decided to come up with a new spaghetti sauce that all three of us (me, my husband, and my 9 month old) could enjoy. This meant omitting one of my favorite ingredients, crushed red pepper. I'm not sure my daughter is ready for such spicy food, although she has quite a broad palate for a baby (she loves my chili!) :-)


I picked up some ingredients at Trader Joe's (one of my favorite grocery stores), and got to work! Here is what I used:

Trader Joe's sweet pork sausage (large hot dog-sized links, and I squeezed the sausage out of the casings)
2/3 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh garlic
One organic red pepper
One organic yellow pepper
8 organic white mushrooms
One can of stewed tomatoes (already had in the pantry, not from TJ's)
1/8 cup olive oil
One can of organic tomato sauce (not from TJ's)
One can of organic diced tomatoes
One TBSP brown sugar
1/2 tspn oregano
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

First, squeeze the pork sausage out of the casings into a hot skillet. Cook the meat, drain the grease, then set the meat aside.

Chop up the red and yellow peppers and mushrooms and set aside.

Use a food processor to finely chop the garlic and basil together (if you don't have a food processor, just chop them up as finely as you can with a knife). Coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil, turn it on medium heat, and add the garlic/basil mixture to the olive oil.


About one minute later, add the chopped up peppers and mushrooms.


While the veggies are cooking, be sure to use a spatula to mix and turn them so they don't burn.

Add all of the tomatoes to the food processor and mix for about 10 seconds. Pour the mixture into the same skillet. Add one TBSP of brown sugar and stir it all together. Add the sausage.

Now, everything is in one skillet simmering together. You should continue to turn and mix as it cooks. Add salt and pepper and taste as you go. You can also add some oregano to taste.

After about five more minutes, transfer it all into your slow cooker. Turn it on the low setting and cover. Simmer for 6-8 hours.

I served it over whole wheat angel hair, and added a side salad of mixed greens, cucumbers, strawberries, toasted almonds, and a white balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing. Delicious! (I would have definitely preferred more of a kick, but like I mentioned earlier, I wanted my daughter to be able to eat it. For a spicier version, add 1 TBSP of crushed red pepper to the sauce while it is simmering on the stove. I also would have added a chopped up yellow onion, but I forgot to buy one and wasn't running to the store for just one item!)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

My friend, Robin, brought her pumpkin chocolate chip muffins to playgroup one day and they were amazing! I had to have the recipe.


I knew that I would want to make them often this fall and winter, so I decided to make modifications in order to create a healthier recipe. They are still completely delicious (and of course still contain chocolate chips). Here is the original list of ingredients:


1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tspn salt
1 tspn baking soda
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
2 eggs
8 oz pumpkin
6 oz chocolate chips



Here is my modified list of ingredients:

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tspn salt
1 tspn baking soda
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
2 eggs (I use organic)
3/4 cup plain low fat yogurt (I use organic)
8 oz pumpkin
4 oz chocolate chips



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin (I use 100% canola oil spray), and pour the batter directly into the tin (no need to use muffin cups). Mix the first five ingredients in a large bowl, then add remaining ingredients and mix. (Easy, right??)

Bake for 20 minutes.

Watch carefully at the end, and do not overbake. I start checking them by doing the toothpick test around 20 minutes, and sometimes they need about 22 minutes. When the toothpick no longer comes out with batter, place the muffin tin directly onto a cooling rack for about 30 minutes. Then, using a spoon, gently work the muffins out of the tin.


This recipe yields 12 muffins.

Enjoy with a glass of skim milk or a mug of green tea. :-)

These Are a Few of My Favorite Ingredients/Whole Foods...

Whole wheat flour (especially the local whole wheat flour I discovered at my Farmer's Market)
White balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Flax seed
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Fresh garlic
Fresh basil
Crushed red pepper
Fresh mozzarella
Shredded cheese
Whole wheat/high fiber angel hair pasta
Plain, low-fat organic yogurt
Organic skim milk
Applesauce
Stewed tomatoes
Red peppers
Strawberries
Nuts (specifically almonds and walnuts)
Brown rice
Frozen blueberries

This Is Not a Diet Blog

I'm starting this blog as a simple way to document my homemade recipes. I love to play with recipes to make them healthier (all the while maintaining flavor, or in a lot of cases, increasing the flavor!). If a few people try and enjoy my recipes, and live a little healthier because of it, then that's an added bonus!

To me, healthy is not about decreasing calories, although in many of my recipes this turns out to be a great outcome. Sure, it is about taking things out (I often cut sugar and butter in half, or more), but it is more about adding/changing ingredients to increase nutritional value (I almost always sub whole wheat flour for white). I use "real", whole foods as much as possible, and avoid HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) and hydrogenated oils. There really is no need for either of those substances in your diet. I do maintain the stance of "everything in moderation", but to me, that means splurging when I can't help it, such as at the movies, a friend's house, or a restaurant. However, I go to restaurants about once a week, and the movies far less often.

I don't diet. I love food too much. Yet, I maintain a healthy weight (post baby). This is not a diet blog, but rather, a deliciously healthy way of cooking, baking, and eating. :-)