Dip, Baby, Dip

Who watched the Super Bowl?  I don’t know that you could call what I did “watching.”  If I am being honest, what I did was catch up on some of my favorite blogs, browse Pinterest, and play on Facebook and Twitter, while pausing for a few funny commercials and the fabulous Madonna halftime show.  I just really wasn’t interested because I don’t have any ties to either team.  A few years ago, the Carolina Panthers were in the Super Bowl and that was pretty exciting.  But the husband watched the game.

Even though I am not really that into football, I do like tailgate food.  ;) 

On Sunday, the husband and I took a little trip to Trader Joe’s and we stocked up on some goodies.  While we were there, we sampled a super-easy but tasty dip with only 3 ingredients.  I thought it would make great football food.  This dip would also be great for parties!  It comes together in a snap with only about 2 minutes of micro-cooking! 

Start with these 3 ingredients: soy chorizo, a container of whipped cream cheese, and a can of diced, fire-roasted tomatoes.

Mix the three ingredients together.  I only used half the sausage and half the tomatoes, because I thought I might be able to use them again in another recipe.  Mix well and microwave for about 2 minutes, or until warmed through.  Give it a final stir to be sure it is evenly warmed, and serve with chips!

Ta-da!  Great dip in minutes!  I also would like to point out that Ryan did not have any idea that the chorizo was SOY chorizo OR that there were tomatoes in the dip.  :)

On a different note, I went for my first real visit to the chiropractor today!  You may remember that I went for scans and x-rays 2 weeks ago, and today was my first real visit.  I had my first adjustment, which was no big deal (I was kinda nervous about that part) and then I started some of the treatments for my back and neck.  I’ve mentioned before that I don’t have severe pain and I am not unable to do anything, but I get a lot of headaches and I do feel pain in my lower back at night.  I will continue to let you know how my treatment goes!  I had a treatment today which actually felt really good.  I am looking forward to going back! 

Now… I’ve got to get back to The Bachelor.  I just can’t help it.  I love this show.  Very dramatic.

Faux Fried Pickles

I’m from the south.  We fry everything, y’all.  Actually, that’s not true.  I barely ever fry anything.  It makes such a mess and leaves a film on everything!  But I still love anything fried. ;)  I mean seriously, who doesn’t love a greasy French fry or a mozzarella stick? 

Tonight, I had a plan to make faux fried mozzarella sticks.  I just knew they were going to be amazing.  Unfortunately, they kinda flopped.  Literally.  They became a goopy, globby mess.  (I won’t lie—I still ate them.  I mean I wasn’t going to waste cheese.)  I’ll have to rethink and try again.

But it gave me another idea.

Faux.  Fried.  Pickles. 

Have you ever had a fried pickle?  Oh my deliciousness… they are one of the best pub foods ever.  If you’ve never tried them, then you must.  If you like pickles and French fries, you’ll love this combination of the two.

My faux fried pickles taste like the real thing… maybe even better… REALLY.  You’d never know these weren’t fried.

Faux Fried Pickles

Ingredients:

• dill pickle slices (I like the slices as opposed to spears—less sogginess)
• 1 egg, beaten
• seasoned panko bread crumbs
• regular bread crumbs
• cayenne pepper
• salt
• pepper
• cooking spray

Preparation: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Dry the pickle slices well.  (The less liquid the better).  Place beaten egg in a shallow bowl.  In another bowl, mix bread crumbs and spices.  No specific amounts here—as much as you like.  Just season to taste.  Dip pickle slices in egg, then roll in the breadcrumb mixture.  Lay on nonstick baking sheet (or use nonstick foil).  Spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake until golden and crispy.  Serve with light ranch dressing. 

Note: Why 2 types of bread crumbs?  I love how crunchy the panko crumbs are, but I don’t feel like they completely coat the pickles.  I think the regular bread crumbs help to fill in the “empty space” and coat them well. 

Enjoy… preferably with Faux-Fried Chicken (recipe coming soon!)

Peanut Butter Banana Waffle Pizzas

As you know, we spent last weekend cruising.  If you would like to catch up on my cruise posts, you can click on the links below to take a peek!  I still have one more day to blog about, but I thought I would interrupt my cruise posts for a quick snack/breakfast/dessert idea.

• I’m On a Boat!
• Cruise Day 2: Nassau

While we were away on the cruise, I realized that I forgot to hold our mail service.  OOPS!  Luckily, we were only gone a few days, so the mailbox wasn’t TOO full.  But there was one fun surprise waiting for me:

Two full-size jars of Planters Peanut Butter to play with and sample!  (Note: I received these items for free as a part of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program with National Peanut Board.)

I don’t know about you, but we definitely put away some peanut butter in this household.  It’s great on oats, apples, bananas, in smoothies, and of course on bread!  I honestly think that my child could exist solely on PB&J sandwiches and be perfectly happy.

Meet the Peanut Butter-Banana Waffle Pizza. 

As I was creating this snack, I was thinking about what just about everyone has in their pantry/freezer most of the time.  We almost always have the following items: waffles, peanut butter, bananas, and chocolate syrup. 

That’s all I used.  This isn’t the most creative recipe, but it is something that is truly filling, has protein, and has a little bit of sweetness.Every day when we come home from school and work, we’re both hungry.  I thought this would make a great after-school snack… although I will admit that I ate them for dessert tonight!  The waffle is the perfect canvas to make a pizza because all the peanut butter just filled all those little waffle nooks!

Peanut Butter Banana Waffle Pizzas

(makes one serving)

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen waffle (whole wheat is more filling and nutritious, but any waffle will work)
• 1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter
• 1/4 banana, thinly sliced
• Quick drizzle of chocolate syrup (optional—but why would you skip it???)

Preparation:  Pop the waffle in the toaster oven.  Spread PB over the waffle when it is finished.  Top with sliced bananas and syrup.  Serve with milk in a hippopotamus cup.  :)

Thanks, FoodBuzz and Planters for the samples!

Recent Food Finds and Trends

Don’t you love when you are at the grocery store and you make an amazing discovery?  One such amazing discovery happened to me the other day at Harris Teeter.

100 Calorie packs of OLIVES!  Yumalicious!  Now, I know not everyone is an olive-lover like me.  But I do love them.  There are 2 varieties of the packages: Thyme-Seasoned Kalamata Olives and Garlic-Thyme-Seasoned Green Olives.  Both are delicious and are perfect for work lunch-packing.  Yay for Mario Olives creating these convenient packages!  Olives are a great source of “healthy fat.”  Some people believe that they even help to fight belly fat in women.

Now, on to my new breakfast find.  I have been seeing Caitlin’s breakfasts made with raw oats all summer on her blog, Healthy Tipping Point.  I am just sorry I waited so long to try this. 

Mix: raw oats, yogurt (I like vanilla), fruits of choice, and anything else (like almonds) you want! 

(in this bowl: oats, strawberries, and Weight Watchers Vanilla yogurt)

Just mix and eat!

I never thought I would like raw oats, but it really is so delicious when mixed with yogurt!  It is a lower-fat, lower-calorie alternative to mixing granola into yogurt.  I like to add almonds! 

Finally, if you follow me on Twitter, then you might have seen that I tried tempeh for the first time this week!  I decided to make mini BLTs with mine.  (By the way, did you know they are now making mini round flat breads???  Perfect for a slider-sized sandwich!) 

 

I never knew tempeh was so easy to prep and it really tastes good.  All salty.  :)  All you do is pan-fry it for a couple of minutes on each side, until it’s cooked through.  It was delish as a BLT, but I think this would be good in/on other recipes.  I have more left, so I will be experimenting with it!

In case you’ve never heard of tempeh, it’s a vegetarian alternative to bacon.  It’s a bit thicker than bacon, though. 

Coming soon… a post on work-related eats.  Thanks to my Facebook and Twitter friends for your favorite work-pantry food staples!  If anyone else would like to add a staple to the list, just comment on this post!

Hearts for Lunch? (Lunchtime Lettuce Cups)

Don’t be scared.  I’m not really writing about hearts.  Well, not the kind you’re thinking about.  I’ll explain in a minute.

This week, summer vacation officially ended for me.  I’m back at work.  We made it through our first two teacher work days, and soon all the kiddos will join us at school. 

It’s been a great week.  I’m really excited about getting the school year started.  But with work starting, it means that I’ve got to start being a better planner when it comes to lunches.  Last year I started off doing really well… but before long I was falling into the cafeteria trap.  Our school lunches are better than the stereotype.  However, there’s a lot of processed food, and it’s not always the healthiest.  I have found that the key (for me) is to be able to have healthy choices readily available.  And that means keeping a well-stocked work fridge and pantry.  Enter Lunchtime Lettuce Cups. 

This idea is actually one I got from my sisters and my mom.  I got addicted to those cute round flat breads last year.  They are great for sandwiches.  However, I fell a little less in love with them when Weight Watchers changed their POINTS system and they jumped from 1 to 3 POINTS, mainly due to the carbs.

You can use lots of different types of lettuce for these Lunchtime Lettuce Cups, but I like Hearts of Romaine.  (Hence the title… “Hearts for Lunch.”)  The shape of the leaves is like a little boat—or a hot dog bun.  Plus, they add a nice crunchy texture.  The filling possibilities are endless.  The Lunchtime Lettuce Cups I have pictured here are filled with spicy pimento cheese and roma tomato slices. 

Another combination that my sister Adrienne recommended to me (and it is delicious): Spread each lettuce leaf with a little chive and onion cream cheese (I use the light version).  Top with thin slices of turkey breast or grilled chicken breast strips, and chopped tomatoes.

As I said, there are many possibilities, AND these are healthy and low-carb.  Add some fruit or a cup of vegetable soup for a delicious, nutrient-rich lunch.  I’ve actually got a soup recipe to share with you very soon… AND another very filling Lunchtime Lettuce Cup idea!  Think… cheeseburger… meets salad.  Coming soon!

Guest Post... Head Over to The Family Jewell!

Did you see this guest post from my sister, Meredith??? 

Today, I did a Guest Post for my sister Meredith's blog, The Family Jewell.  Head on over there to find the recipe for these little delicious snacks!

Have a great day, everyone!

Oatmeal-Apple-Cinnamon Snack Mix

Over the Thanksgiving break, I was able to spend lots of time with my family.  I would say about 80% of our time was spent eating!  (Maybe not QUITE that much... but a LOT, for sure!)  I am going to be paying for that this week-- I am going to have to Zumba my tail off! 

But I do want to share a delicious snack mix with you that my family has enjoyed all weekend!

This is a recipe that my sister got from someone who got it from someone who probably got it from someone else, so I don't know the exact name.  I am going to call it "Oatmeal-Apple-Cinnamon Snack Mix." 

Now normally, I am a person who prefers a salty snack mix.  However, I will make an exception for this.  With the apples and cranberries, it is perfect for this time of year and just look at how PRETTY it is!

Here is the recipe from my sister, Meredith:

Recipe (mix together dry ingredients): 1 box Quaker Oatmeal Squares (found on cereal isle), 1 bag Craisins, 1 bag of Sunmaid (or any brand) dried apple chips, 2 cups walnuts.  In a separate bowl mix: 4 tsp cinnamon, 1 cup sugar and 1 stick melted butter.  Pour the wet ingredients on top of the dry ingredients.  I use my hands to mix it all together well.  Put in air tight container and put in the refrigerator for 2+ hours (I usually do it overnight).  Ready to serve!

Thanks, Meredith!!!