Veggie (or not) Bread

 

Unfortunately, on my 'No-Fun Diet', bread is not on the menu, but when I do have a cheat meal, this is a recipe that I induldge in.  The massive amounts of veggies make it healthy, my love for garlic makes it tasty, and the extra treat of melted gouda cheese on top makes it a dish that I look forward to.

If you want, add thin slices of procuitto or bacon in there for those of you who cringe at the thought of veggie only dishes.

• Crusty loaf of artisan bread
• 3 small or 2 large portabello mushroom caps sliced into strips
• 1 large red bell pepper sliced into strips
• 4 green onions cut in 1 inch lengths
• 1/2 cucumber sliced paper thin
• 1/4 cup olive oil mayonnaise
• 1-2 tsp of crushed garlic, or 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 1/2 cup grated Gouda cheese
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

1. Set your oven to broil on low.  If you don't have a low setting just watch it carefully.  Adjust your rack to the second position from the top. 
2. Put the sliced portabello, red bell pepper, and onion on a foil lined cookie sheet.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Mix veggies to coat and broil 4-6 minutes, tossing after every 2 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
5. Stir together mayo and garlic, and spread on thick slices of the artisan bread
6. Place 3-4 slices of cucumber on top of the mayo.
7. Remove the veggies and foil off of the cookie sheet and line cookie sheet with new foil.
8. Place the bread on the cookie sheet and top the bread with the broiled veggies.
9. Sprinkle the tops with the Gouda cheese.
10. Broil 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted and the edges of the bread a lightly toasted.

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!



Marcy

Life's Gristle

Diet Detox Soup

As Summer fades and Winter rolls around, there are certain things that bring in the season.  Coconut candles that were the must have for the spring, are slowly being replaced by pumpkin spice scents.  My iced green teas are replaced by coffee and as I snuggle into bed at night I MUST have my sleepy socks on.

On my stove however, cutting boards filled with veggies for salads are replaced by my hearty Diet-Detox Soup.  Don't let the name fool you, I've turned people on to this soup who don't even have the words 'diet' or 'detox' in their vocabulary.

This is a great winter soup filled with veggies and chicken. It's spices are also great for detoxing the body weather your detoxing after the flu, or before a new diet regimen.

 You could also switch it up into a tortilla soup by adding a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips. 

• Olive Oil
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 1 cup of chopped turnip
• 2 large carrots, cubed
• 4 cups of chicken stock, I use free range organic
• 2 large zucchini, chopped
• 2 cups torn, fresh spinach
• 1 pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the store (Or make your own!)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cumin

For those of you were like me and didn't know...This is a turnip.  You can peel it with a carrot peeler before you chop it.

• Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat and add garlic and onion. Saute for 5 minutes.
• Add turnip and carrots and saute another 5 minutes.
• Pour in chicken stock and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, shred the chicken.  I only used white meat.

Shaundee really likes this part!

• Add zuchinni and chicken and simmer for 5 more minutes.
• Add spinach and spices and simmer for 5-10 more minutes.

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

Marcy
Life's Gristle

A Sucker For Salads

First I'd like to apologize to Jill for missing my last scheduled post.  My daughter unexpectedly ran a fever that morning and I forgot to post it.

Since I'm on my famous 'No-Fun Diet', I'm constantly eating veggies these days, I figure the best way to keep it fresh is by creating beautiful salads.  Then I'll actually WANT to eat it (for the 5th time in a day!)  

Here's a salad I brought over to a friends house a few weeks ago.  I got the idea from Cobb salads, but there's no meat in it.

I went to A.J.'s Fine Foods, which is a gourmet grocery store here, (so gourmet, I only go once every couple of years!)  I got their bulk spring salad mix, radishes, orange bell peppers, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli and a gourmet carrot blend (included yellow and purple carrots.)  I also sprinkled a ring of sliced almonds around the rim with the broccoli.

Aubrie is a VERY picky eater.  Anytime she tries a new veggie out in a restaurant, I immediately go out and purchase her new found taste.  But alas, 9 times out of 10 she refuses to eat it at home.  So I came up with a fun way to eat a salad...Flower Power!!

Using a small heart cookie cutter, I cut heart cucumbers and arranged them as petals.  Small red and yellow sweet peppers were used for the middle of the flowers and heart leaves.  A slice of cucumber with a carrot peeler became the flower stem.  Lettuce and edemame (actually a GREAT protein item she WILL eat!!) were used for the ground.  She LOVED it, but didn't eat the peppers or lettuce...sigh...

What do you do to get your picky eater to eat?

Thanks for reading!



:) Marcy from Life's Gristle

"Skinny Recipes"

I've been meaning to share my new favorite blog with you.  I stumbled on it when I was looking for healthy recipes (I'm on that darn diet you know).  It's called Gina's Skinny Recipes.  So far I've tried these two recipes and LOVED them!  She tells you exactly how many calories and WW points are in each serving so you don't have to do all the work to figure it out.  Love it!  I thought I would share because, well, when are we not looking for great new recipes that fit in the diet? 

Coconut Chicken Salad

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

I just went shopping yesterday and bought the ingredients for several more of her recipes.  Yum :)

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Don't forget about the Ultimate Hair Care Package giveaway.  Ends Monday night.

Corn Bread Salad (My hubby's favorite dish!)

I actually posted this recipe one year ago today, but I didn't have a picture and since I made it recently I've been wanting to post it again.  The picture doesn't do it a ton of justice, but believe me it's A-MA-ZING!

Ingredients:
1 package (8 1/2 ounces) corn bread/muffin mix
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp oregano
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 1/4 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Prepare corn bread according to pkg adding the chillies, cumin and oregano. Spread in a greased 8 inch pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done.

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and dressing mix. Stir in beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, green onions and bacon.

Crumble 3/4 of corn bread into a 13x9 pan. Top with mixture and cheese. Top with the rest of the crumbled corn bread. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

This recipe takes well to modifications. My husband and I leave out the green onions and the green pepper because we don't like them and we usually add extra bacon :)

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Don't miss my post over at Win, Lose, or Blog.  I post a healthy, delicious recipe over there every Monday.  This particular one is a favorite because it is SO low fat, but SO doesn't taste like it.  And even better, it's EASY! 

If you haven't checked out Win, Lose, or Blog yet, do!  It's such a good resource for anyone trying to be healtheir.  And it's fun to follow the contestants' progress.  Plus lots of good giveaways!  Click here to go visit.

Tutorial Tuesday- A Very Delicious Dessert!

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

The ironic thing here is that I actually took a really great picture of this recipe (for once) BUT I accidentally deleted it I guess so this picture is from Kera's Cookin'

Anyways, this delectable creation is from my oh-so-talented mom.  She's made this a lot and EVERYONE loves it!  So here's how to make it. . .

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 cups cold water

- 1 package (5.1 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix

- 1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

- 12 oz pound cake, cut into cubes

- 1/2 cup strawberry jam (homemade freezer jam is BY FAR superior than store bought)

- 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries (Just a little tip- an egg slicer works great for this- and actually for mushrooms too)

- Additional strawberries

In a large bowl, blend water, pudding mix, and condensed milk.  Chill for 15 minutes.  Fold in whipped topping. 

Mix berries with jam.

In a 3- qt. Serving bowl, layer 1/3 of the cake, strawberries and pudding mixture.  Repeat layers twice.  Top with additional strawberries.  Refrigerate until serving. 

Yield: 12-14 servings. 

Additional tip: Use local berries (Spooners is what we have here, not sure about everywhere else) for both the jam and the dessert itself.  Store bought berries can be crisp and tasteless, bluh!

Enjoy!

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Don't forget to check out Win, Lose, or Blog!  Only a few days left to apply if you want to be a contestant in season one :)  We've already got more than $500 worth of prizes lined up!

And thanks for all the sweet comments on the Pleated Poppy giveaway about my schedule dilemma.  You guys give good advice :)  I think I will keep a tentative schedule but with some leeway for myself.

Some thoughts AND salsa cornbread muffin recipe- yum!

First and foremost a couple reminders:

CLICK HERE to enter the Wordy Bird Vinyl giveaway.  It's a good one and there's only two days left.  I added new pics to the post so check it out!

CLICK HERE (or scoll down to the previous post) to join Idea Sharin' Wednesday!!!  Don't forget there are prizes and you may get featured :)

Now some thoughts on my upcoming move (sorry this is one of those rare non-craft posts, but I tell you what, I'll throw in a delicious recipe at the end :))

So as many of you know I am moving at the end of the month, and not just across town either.  We are moving back home to Washington.  It was originally going to be just for the summer but my husband has actually decided he wants to transfer to a school in our home town.  So it's actually pretty exciting becaue we love it there and it will be nice to have some babysitters every once in awhile! 

Even more reasons to be excited: craft day with my mom every Friday (get ready for a drastic improvement in my blog- not that I think it's bad now :)).  My mom is one of those amazing seamstresses who can just look at something and replicate it so expect a lot of tutorials.  AND garage sales every Saturday.  Not gonna lie, I love garage sale season!  We got my son's whole wardrobe at garage sales and I might add that his clothes are super cute and look brand new! 

So for the summer we are actually going to live with my in-laws.  I know that doesn't sound like much fun, but my in-laws are great so it actually will be, believe it or not.  We like hanging out with them and again, babysitters :)  We are thinking about taking over one bedroom for our room and another to make into our own living room.  We will need to get some more efficient furniture though to utilize the small space.  We are looking at corner tv stands right now and may need to get a smaller couch as well.  Let me know if you have any tips for me on making a great space where there isn't much wiggle room.

And for your viewing pleasure here are a couple  more funny youtube videos :)

Drive Thru- so so funny!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOQJiZ_g3Ho

McDonalds Rap- I thought this one was super funny but had to make my hubby watch it a couple times before he really liked it, but now we sing it all the time, lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sw2OvIgoO8

Commercial Songs- Be warned that this one is a teeny bit innapropriate, I don't think it would really bother any of you, it just probably isn't one to watch with your kids or grandma :)  It's pretty funny though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMQt7ARAqXs

Okay enough of that, here is a delicious recipe that goes perfect with the "easy and yummy soup" recipe I posted last month. 

Salsa Corn Bread Muffins

1 Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (8.5 oz)

1 egg

1/2 cup corn

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup salsa

1/4 cup milk

Mix all ingredients.  Pour into muffin tin.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  makes 8 muffins. 

The most delicious croissants- I promise!

Add these to your Eater menu, these things are to die for!

2 cups milk
3 yeast cakes (or 1 tblsp dry yeast)
4 tblsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
5 1/2 cups flour
1 Ib butter

Mix all ingredients except butter in food processor (or with a hand mixer).
Roll dough inot large rectangle (about 12x20 inches)
Cut butter into approximately 1/4 inch slices.  Put butter slices on 2/3 of dough
Fold up bottom third (that doesn't hvae butter on it).  Fold down top third.
Regfigerate 20 minutes
Roll into 12x20 rectangle.  Fold into thirds.
Refrigerate 20 minutes
Roll into rectangle, fold into thirds again.
Refrierate 6 hours.
Roll out rectangle to about 1 inch thick.  Cut into 4 rows.  Roll o ut each section.
Cut each section into 6 wedges.  Roll each wedge very thin (the rougher the edges, the better).
Roll up each wege.  Put on greased cookie sheet.
Place croissants on cooke sheets (with the edge to catch melted butter).
Let raise 4 hours.
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until browned.

As you can see these do take a little work, but they are SO worth it!  This is a family tradition in our house, we can't go a holiday without them!  We have them by themselves, with homemade freezer jam (yum) and with turkey, cream cheese, and cranberry sauce (yum again- although I realize that is more of a Thanksgiving day thing).  Anyways, HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

Don't know what to make? Here is a dinner and a dessert!

Fast, easy and delicious.  And it's likely you even have all the ingredients already.  Sorry no pics today, but I am going to start taking pics of my recipes :)

Healthy Fajitas (serves 2)

10 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup salsa
non-stick cooking spray
2 cups sliced red bell pepper
1 tblsp dehydrated onion
whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheese
whipped cream cheese

Cut chicken breast into strips and marinate in the salsa for 30 to 60 minutes.  Heat a skillet over medium heat coated with cooking spray.  Add bell pepper to the skillet and cook until they are soft (about 10-12 minutes).  Remove veggies from heat and add chicken, salsa, and dehydrated onion to the pan.  Cook chicken for about 7 minutes or until no longer pink on the inside.  Add peppers back in, stir and remove from heat. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on the tortilla before filling it with the chicken, pepper mix and sprinkling cheese on top.  Wrap up and enjoy :)

Not so healthy but super easy and delicious Peach Cobbler

1 large can of peaches
1 small can of peaches
1 yellow cake mix
3/4 of a stick of butter

Put the large can of peaches (not drained) in a medium to large baking dish.   Add the smaller can but drain it first.  In a seperate bowl mix the cake mix and the butter (softened).  Spread on top of the peaches.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center.

I am off to work on my current project.  It's super cute so keep an eye out for the tutorial tomorrow.  Well I guess technically today, but you know what I mean :)

My favorite workout DVDs and a new smoothie recipe

I have tried tons of workout DVDs (although not nearly as much as my sister) and have compiled a list of my favorites.  Just thought I would share in case any of you were looking for some good workouts to do from home. 


The Firm Bootcamp
I love the Firm workouts in general because they rotate between cardio and stregnth training every few minutes which makes the workout more fun!  It is also very effective!  They  have a "guaranteed results in 10 days" and I believe it!  This is one of my favorites.  It is tough but easy to modify and there's none of that dancy stuff (I am not coordinated enough for that :))  No equiptment needed.







The Caribbean Workout: Kickboxing
It shouldn't surprise any of you that I love this workout because it's kickboxing, but waht I really like about it is that it has 4 20 minute workouts.  On days where I only have 20 minutes it gives me an effective workout but on days where I am motivated to do more I can just do another segment.  No equiptment needed.








The Firm: Complete Aerobics and Weight Training
I like this workout because it is fun, easy to follow, and has some kickboxing in it :) I actually got this DVD in a set with two others and all of the equiptment needed for it.










The Works with Sharon Mann
I love this workout because it is actually like 16 workouts for the price of one! It is customizable. You choose from 4 different warm-ups, 4 different choices for the three cardio segments and a cool down. It is so much fun! No equiptment needed.










Denise Austin: Cardio Blast
Fun and effective.  There are many segments on here including kickboxing, cardio dance, toning, and more.  You can do as many or as few as you want.  Easy to follow and the workout goes quickly.  You just need weights for some of the segments.









and finally that smoothie recipe.  Just tried this tonight and it was delish!

1/2 of a frozen juice concentrate (we used strawberry guava)
1 cup milk
blend these ingredients first then add
a handful of ice
a little splash of vanilla
and try adding some flax seed to this or any smoothie to get some fiber and make it more filling :)

and another great thing to have for dessert without breaking the diet: cereal!  My favorites are Waffle Crisp and honey vanilla granola.  A little secret too, some of the sugary cereals aren't that much worse than the healthy ones really, especially if you put sugar into the healthy cereal anyways.  Plus they are all fortified with vitas and the milk gives us some good calcium.  Just check labes and choose something you like.  Cereal is a good late night snack to curve worse cravings :)

a new spin on the Asian chicken salad

This recipe is pretty similar to the traditional Asian chicken salad, but I tell you what, a little change can go a long way!  Even my husband liked this one and you know how men are about salad :)

whatever kind of lettuce you prefer
cucumber
canned mandarin oranges
grilled chicken
sliced almonds or those crunchy noodles
a big scoop of guacamole
Paul Newmans Sesame Ginger Dressing

Yummo.  The dressing and the guacamole make for a delicious mix of flavors and best of all it fits in the diet :)

Satisfying your sweet tooth. . . a plug for smoothies

I recently discovered a delicious recipe for smoothies that have become a nightly treat for me. I've found it's a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without blowing the diet.

2/3 cup skim milk
1 cup strawberries or blueberries or 1/2 a banana
1/2 cup ice
1/2 scoop protein powder (I use Muscle Milk from Costco, it's tasty)
1 packet Splenda

So yummy! You can experiment with other fruits too. And if you get sick of smoothies I find a Skinny Cow is another good way to satisfy the sweet tooth.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle- always impresses people!

1 package (18 1/4 ounces) chocolate cake mix
1 package (10 ounces) peanut butter chips
4 1/2 cups cold milk, divided
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 packages (5.9 ounces each) instant chocolate pudding mix
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
Reeses peanut butter cups, crumbled

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour the batter into a greased 13x9 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in a wire rack.

In a heavy saucepan, combine chips, 1/4 cup milk and cream. Cook and stir over low heat until chips are melted. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Place the remaining milk in a mixing bowl; beat in pudding mixes on low speed for 2 minutes.

To assemble, crumble half of the cake into a 4 qt. trifle bowl or large bowl. Layer with half of the peanut butter sauce, pudding, whipped topping and candy bars; repeat layers. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Yield: 12-15 servings.

Strawberries and cream dessert- DELICIOUS!

1 1/2 cups cold water
1 package (5.1 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 12 ounce pound cake, cut into cubes
1/2 cup strawberry jam
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries (best if in season!)
additional strawberries

In a large bowl, blend water, pudding mix and condensed milk. Chill for 15 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Mix berries with jam.

In a 3-qt. serving bowl, layer 1/3 of the cake, strawberries and pudding mixture. Repeat layers twice. Top with additional strawberries. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 12-14 servings.

a new and delicious way to serve yams

2-3 large yams
2-3 cans mandarin oranges
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 cup brown sugar

Slice yams into single layer in 13x9 inch pan. Mix in cranberries and oranges. Sprinkle with brown sugar (this is all kind of to taste, you really can't go wrong with these ingredients). Bake in preheated 350 degrees until yams are tender (note this may take a couple hours).

These will be a hit at your next holiday get together!

Indian Spiced Salmon

2 Ib salmon
1 large sweet onion, peeled and slivered
4 tblsp melted butter
6 tblsp brown sugar
4 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tblsp lemon juice
lemon wedges

1. Rinse salmon, pat dry. Cut into pieces. Line baking pan with foil. Put pieces 1 inch apart.
2. Mix butter, brown sugar and spices. Stir in lemon juice.
3. Brush evenly over salmon. Sprinkle with onions
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes
5. Turn over. Broil 6 inches from heat until top bubbles. Fish will be well browned and opaque. (4-6 minutes)
6. Transfer to serving dish. Garnish with lemon wedges.

beef noodle bowl

8 oz linguine, uncooked
3 cups broccoli florets
3 medium carrots, peeled, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 cup pea pods
2 tsp. oil
1 Ib. beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
1/4 cup Kraft Zesty Italian dressing (fat free)
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce or Yoshida sauce
1 tsp ground ginger

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli and carrots to the cooking water for the last 2 minutes of the pasta cooking time. Drain pasta mixture.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Add meat; cook until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Toss pasta and meat mixtures in large serving bowl.

Chicken Salsa Pie

1 two layer pie crust
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup corn
1 can kidney beans, drained
1/3 cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Place 1 crust in a glass pie plate. Combine chicken, corn, kidney beans and salsa. Spoon onto pie crust. Sprinkle with cheese. Place second crust over the mixture, seal, and cut several slits in the top. Bake at 425 for 25-35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Serve with additional salsa.

Garden Pizza, yum

1 1/2 cups Bisquick mix
1/2 cup boiling water
1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp dried dill weed
2 tsp horseradish
1 can (6 oz) tuna, drained
3 cups fresh veggies such as sliced mushrooms, cherry tomato halves, chopped broccoli, tomato, cucumber
1 cup shredded cheese

Heat oven to 450. Stir Bisquick and boiling water in medium bowl until soft dough forms; beat vigorously 20 strokes. Pat dough with floured hands in ungreased 12 inch pizza pan, forming a 1/2 inch rim. Bake around 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool 10 minutes.

Stir cream cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed, horseradish, and tuna until smooth; spread evenly over crust. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until chilled. Just before serving top with veggies and cheese.