Shop when you don't feel good

And I'm not talking about retail therapy...though how much fun is that!? 

As I mentioned in my previous post, I haven't been feeling so great, but I'm a mom and things must be done. Like grocery shopping.  And after doing shopping while not feeling good, I have decided that is the best time to do so.  For me anyways, I'm more prone to get better foods and less to none junk food when I'm feeling so great.  

For the first time I decided to wash them off all at once, except for a few things (like strawberries of course).  I dumped them all into a hot bath of soapy water.  This saves me time and money. If you're good with using vinegar than I think a cold vinegar bath would be great! 

I scrubbed them all off and put them in the fruit basket and was done jiffy fast!

Of course, just because I don't feel well still doesn't mean that the rest of my family is having the same convictions about their diet. So I was off to try a cookie I've been waiting and waiting to try.  Now before you see the results you need to know something about me. I have a serious problem with following instructions.  I have to change almost every recipe in some way...even before I've tried it. Most of the time it's my frugality that causes this...and that was somewhat the case here.

Baker's Death by Chocolate Cookie Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

16 squares Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, divided
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
2 cups chopped nuts (optional)

Turn this recipe into a puzzle! [click] 

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coarsely chop 8 squares (1 package) of the chocolate; set aside. Microwave emaining 8 squares chocolate in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth.


Stir in sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in flour and baking powder. Stir in reserved chopped chocolate and nuts. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.


Bake for 12 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and feel set to the touch. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely

I had chocolate chips, but not Baker's Chocolate. So I used the chocolate chips, and guestimated on the measurements.  I also added a sprinkle of instant coffee and a pinch of salt (I don't like to make anything chocolate without a pinch of salt and coffee with it). 

They were pretty wet and gooey.

This pan was second in and flattened out way more.

This was the first pan in and was a little better. 

Either way they were pretty delicious. I have another chocolate, chocolate chip cookie recipe that I like a lot. I did appreciate the glossy outside. Made for the perfect crispy and crunchy cookie.

Sunday morning we made mini Donut Muffins.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup margarine, melted
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
•  
• 1/4 cup margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 24 mini-muffin cups.
2. Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup margarine, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir in the milk, then mix in the baking powder and flour until just combined. Fill the prepared mini muffin cups about half full.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. While muffins are baking, place 1/4 cup of melted margarine in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of sugar with the cinnamon. Remove muffins from their cups, dip each muffin in the melted margarine, and roll in the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Let cool and serve.

After reading the reviews I doubled the recipe except for the nutmeg.  The nutmeg I cut in half (doubled the recipe but kept the nutmeg a single measurement) though I think it could have used even half of that.

It was so quick to mix and mine baked in 8 min.  I had a little left over and so put just a little into regular sized muffin tins and make "muffin tops" with them.

Joy really enjoyed helping dip them into melted butter and then into the  cinnamon and sugar. I like recipes that the kids can join into too!

They were pretty good.

Now for me, I fasted yesterday in attempts to start feeling a little better. I didn't have any solids until about 3 in the afternoon. I had been talking with a good friend of mine, who also happens to be connected with my friends at Health for Life and Meg , who I've mentioned before, and my friend had a great method of making a flax seed crackers and I decided to try that out. 

Flax is great because it offers a good fat as well as good fiber.

Approximately I mixed:

1/4 c milled flax seed

2 T freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 t salt

2 t dried parsley (fresh would be great if you have it)

1 T or less of water to bind

Pressed them into little balls, covered with wax paper and rolled out paper thin on my baking mat.

I put them under the broiler for 5 or more minutes. I took them out and let them cook a min and then turned them over and put them back in for 2-3 more minutes. I really like crispy things.

These were surprisingly good! I am looking forward to my friend, Emily's idea of a big of cinnamon (or spices of that sort) and sugar and having them with my yogurt. What a yummy way to have some nutrition.

Speaking of yummy nutrition...

the green smoothie photos that didn't make it yesterday...I took some today.

The kids love them!

*and yes, that's a gas station cup. They work so well for our smoothies I like to save them for just that.   Makes for a much cleaner eating.

Here's to a better body on a budget! =D

the good, the bad, the delicious

The good.

 

We'll start with dessert (why not!). And actually, I've been learning that when preparing for dinner company, it's best to make the dessert first. It took me a long time to learn that. It helps guarantee that it gets done and that your company isn't sitting around waiting for you to clean up AND finish up/making the dessert.  Not to mention it IS the star of the night.

So I recently spent an afternoon with a friend and she showed me how to make her chocolate cake.  It was wonderful! Her and her husband are natural health consultants (find their site here) and she does some great recipe creations for their healthy life styles and has recently started a fantastic new blog!  

So first the photos:

Make sure you have all your ingredients.

Mix dry ingredients together.

Mix wet together.

Then combine.

Pour, and bake!

Allow the cake to cool.

Make your yummy icing.

Now, if you become impatient and put the cake in the freezer and the icing in the fridge to cool then this may happen (above).  Makes spreading the icing a bit difficult but nothing that a little of what was missing the first time can't fix (patience). Waiting is so hard when waiting for this cake!

A healthy icing to cake ratio is necessary.

The icing was DELICIOUS! However, the cake itself was so great that I could have had it with a lightly sweetened whipped cream and that says a lot. I think most cakes are dry especially the healthier you get...but this isn't just any cake.

I present to you, Meg's cake.

As well as the final result.

The icing was DELICIOUS! However, the cake itself was so great that I could have had it with a lightly sweetened whipped cream and that says a lot.  I usually eat cakes for the icing, I think most cakes are dry especially the healthier you get...but this isn't just any cake.  Here's the final result. More coffee and ice cream left with no cake to be seen. This is never heard of in my dessert-eating history.  This is a must try and a special treat for gluten free, low carb, sugar free eaters! (And I'm not really one of those and I loved it!)

I am excited to share her low carb, sugar free, gluten free, flax seed and almond flour cake and icing recipe with you!

The bad.

For those wheat eating glutens only:

Over the passed few months I've been really wanting some ravioli, and really wanting to try to make some...so I finally did!  Making your own homemade ravioli is not impossible or overly complicated. Just keep it simple! I do NOT have a pasta maker, nor do I have a ravioli cutter/press/mold, nor am I Italian :). But it's still possible and I must say...worth it. Not to mention that making your own is so much more cost effective verses going out or buying them frozen.

I started with meat filled raviolis. The first time they were good but it was hard. At least 4 hours later and they were...okay. However, a few batches down the road and I'm getting into a groove.  I don't usually like cheese filled pasta but that's what I have really come to like. Easy to work with and CHEAP!

Here's the recipe that I found to be closest to what I like, on epicurious.com.

I never do a full batch. You can read my review in the review section.  

I must add that the step of "waiting 20min" to let the dough rest before you begin to roll is important!

French bread made, pasta sauce warming on the back of the stove (just getting overflow heat) and water coming to a boil.

 My french bread recipe is for two loaves. So I made some hoagies for meatball sandwiches later on that week.

 Dough has been made, rested, filling made, egg wash, and a teaspoon measuring spoon and a round cookie cutter. And a basting brush.

I lightly (not cutting the dough) press the cookie cutter around the dough to help with spacing. Then I drop a scoop of filling in the middle of each circle.  Brush around each filling mound with egg wash.

Roll out the other half of dough and lay gently across the top.  Using your fingers, gently press around each mound of filing trying to seal it and get most air out.

Now it's time to cute the ravioli and then I like to press the edges with a fork to make sure they are nicely sealed.

Served with a yummy organic spinach salad, fresh, homemade french bread...and voila. Yum!

But you'd better have the Flaxseed cake after a meal like this!

The good, the bad, but both DELICIOUS!

(I HAVE to add that while typing out this entry I was flipping channels for my background noise and sure enoguh Clint Eastwood's "The Good, the Bad, the Ugly" was on!

What's your favorite filling for ravioli?

Let me know if you try any of these recipes and tell me how they went!