One, Two, Three???

Step 3...done!  Now I just have to get the score, hopefully, a passing one.  Sorry I've been a bit absent in the past few weeks.  I hope to post a little more frequently this month.  Today is Monday and that means Eat. Live. Be. 

The topic this week is portion control.  Honestly, I don't really use a measuring device for portion control, but I do look at the sizes of my portions.  In restaurants, the portions are way too large (usually).  I typically eat half and take half home...better for me and for my pocketbook!  :-)  Another way to watch portion size is to either use smaller plates or only put food on the flat part of a "large" plate.  I can't say that I do that, but I do like to use the smaller utensils; that means that I don't take as big of a bite, so the food lasts longer.  But, can I tell you the most simple form of portion control...eating a piece of fruit!  It's already portioned for you!  :-)  Another way to have portion control?  Eat your dessert in the form of a ball! 

On Super Bowl Sunday, my Sunday School class had a part-tay!  We had lots of good food, watch the first half of the game (and the very end) and then played Mad Gab...such fun!  I took a Thai slaw that I will share with you later and these DELICIOUS chocolate chip cookie dough truffles from Annie's Eats.  OH MY GOODNESS!!! 

These are SOOOOO good.  Taste just like cookie dough and, for those of you who worry about salmonella (I don't...I eat the dough either way) there are no eggs.  There are divine!!!  The only problem....what is a "portion!?"  One, two, three........five!? 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles from Annie's Eats
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
2¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
chocolate for coating - I used the chocolate candy coating from my grocery store, already in a nice microwave safe "dipping bowl"
Mini chocolate chips (for garnish)

Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate/freeze until the mixture has firmed up enough to form balls.

Shape the chilled cookie dough mixture into 1-1½ inch balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Cover loosely, transfer the pan to the freezer and chill for 1-2 hours.

When ready to dip the truffles, melt the chopped chocolate in the microwave per package instructions (or in a double boiler!). Dip each chilled truffle, one at a time, coating in chocolate and shaking gently to remove the excess and place on wax-paper lined surface. Place 4-5 mini chocolate chips on top quickly after dipping each truffle before the chocolate sets. Once all the truffles have been dipped, store them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Source: adapted from My Kitchen Cafe, originally from Taste of Home

Sarah Caron - http://www.sarahscucinabella.com/
•Cate O’Malley - http://www.sweetnicks.com/
•Maris Callahan - http://www.ingoodtasteblog.net/
•Chris Arpante - http://www.melecotte.com/
•Faith - www.clickblogappetit.com/
•Kristen - http://www.dineanddish.net/
•Emily - http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/
•Jenna - FireMom - http://stopdropandblog.com/
•Casey - http://www.thestarnesfam.com/
•Patsy - http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com/
•Tri-Fit Mom - http://trifitmom.blogspot.com/
•Allison - http://sweetflours.blogspot.com/
•Jen - http://njepicurean.blogspot.com/
•Leslie - http://www.thehungryhousewife.com/
•Rivki Locker - http://www.healthyeatingforordinarypeople.com/
•Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook
•Jennifer Schulz - http://lick-a-plate.blogspot.com/
•Sarah Rogers - http://sarahssweetcreations.blogspot.com/
Denise and Lenny - http://www.chezus.com/

Snacky

Wow...it was a busy week last week and there is more of the same this week!  I am taking the last of my Step exams this Thursday and Friday (yep, two day test...expensive test...must pass!), so most of my days have been full of studying.  But last week I also had a few distractions like a career fair, Mamma Mia, baby sitting Luke (who proceeded to ask for me when he woke up the next morning and then asked if I was going to come see him that afternoon!), and a full day of call in the PICU.  All of that to say...sorry for the lack of posts last week...and this week.  Hopefully, I'll be able to post some more after this test is over.

This week for Eat. Live. Be. we are talking about our favorite quick and healthy snacks.  I think some of the best snacks are fruits.  You just grab it and you're ready to go!  I love apples and pears with either hummus, peanut butter, or those lovely laughing cow cheese wedges.  Another favorite is frozen grapes, especially during warm weather.

During the winter, I tend to crave oranges for some reason...and if you can get GOOD blueberries...YES!!!  Other options are pistachios or almonds or carrots and hummus.  Greek yogurt is a great source of protein and is quite satisfying.  And, according to my dad, a spoon of granola is a good snack, too.  So, if you are feeling snacky, try this yummy banana granola from Katrina...it even has chocolate in it! 

Banana Dark Chocolate Chunk Granola adapted by Katrina, Baking and Boys! from www.zulascafe.com

5 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
3 small or 2 medium bananas, overripe
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 – 1 teaspoon cinnamon, to taste
1 to 2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (I used mini chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, combine oats and nuts. In a food processor or blender combine the banana, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour banana mixture into oat mixture and stir together with a wooden spoon until all the oats are moistened. Transfer the granola onto rimmed baking sheet and spread evenly. Stir every 12-15 minutes and bake for about an hour (maybe longer if you like it really crunchy). Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before adding chocolate. Store granola in an airtight container.

Sarah Caron - http://www.sarahscucinabella.com/
•Cate O’Malley - http://www.sweetnicks.com/
•Maris Callahan - http://www.ingoodtasteblog.net/
•Chris Arpante - http://www.melecotte.com/
•Faith - www.clickblogappetit.com/
•Kristen - http://www.dineanddish.net/
•Emily - http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/
•Jenna - FireMom - http://stopdropandblog.com/
•Casey - http://www.thestarnesfam.com/
•Patsy - http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com/
•Tri-Fit Mom - http://trifitmom.blogspot.com/
•Allison - http://sweetflours.blogspot.com/
•Jen - http://njepicurean.blogspot.com/
•Leslie - http://www.thehungryhousewife.com/
•Rivki Locker - http://www.healthyeatingforordinarypeople.com/
•Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook
•Jennifer Schulz - http://lick-a-plate.blogspot.com/
•Sarah Rogers - http://sarahssweetcreations.blogspot.com/
Denise and Lenny - http://www.chezus.com/

Spice It Up!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!  I hope that everyone had a great day today and that someone told you they loved you. :-)  Although today is not very wintry, last week was!  It was cold and the perfect soup weather, so I decided to throw something together.  A while back, I got a can of enchilada sauce from my grocery store's clearance section.  I've been trying to figure out how to used that and really wanted to try and make an enchilada soup...last week, I did! 

I did a vegetarian version, but you could easily add some shredded chicken to it if you want to beef (or chicken) it up!  The enchilada sauce and some rotel tomatoes gave it the perfect amount of spice...I tasted it but it wasn't so full of heat that I couldn't enjoy the soup.  It lasted me almost a week.  A few times, I added some avacado to the top; that was a nice little addition of some fat and coolness.  I'd definitely make this again! 

I'm entering this in the Soup-a-Palooza put on my Dine and DIsh and TidyMom:  Come join Soup-a-Palooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by Bush’s Beans, Hip Hostess, Pillsbury and Westminster Crackers.  Please drop by and check out other great soup recipes or even add your own...there are some fun prizes!  (Recipe below)

Today for Eat.Live.Be we are supposed to give you advice from experts.  At first I didn't think I would have anything to add.  Don't really pay that much attention to what experts say.  Then I realized that as a pediatrician, I have one of the best "experts" as my guiding body...the American Academy of Pediatrics.  Though, I don't ALWAYS agree with what they recommend, I think that they are pretty with it when it comes to pediatric nutrition.

http://www.examiner.com/                                

  Surprisingly (or not) what is recommended for children is pretty appropriate for adults as well.  For example, recommended snacks include fruit, bran muffins (like homemade ones), low-fat cheese, veggies with dip (because not many kiddos will eat them without!), lean meat (turkey roll-ups anyone?), hard boiled eggs and nuts (if your child is old enough).  Guess what?!  All of those are good snacks for adults as well!  They are full of vitamins, protein, and fiber (depending on what you pick). 

http://www.realmomsguide.sheknows.com/

Another piece of advice that I would recommend is to have family dinners.  Studies have shown that children who sit down at the table and have dinner with their families make better food choices, have better behavior, do better in school, and are more confident in themselves.  This is another opportunity for you to be a good example to your kids!  Kids are more likely to eat something they see Mama or Daddy eating.  They are very influential.  As one of my favorite pediatricians said "If Mama tells you a banana is a treat, a banana is a treat!"

aboutbabycare.com              

So, start early...prepare healthy snacks (that doesn't mean to forbid the occasional treat, that can lead to overeating at friends' or hiding certain foods), eat healthfully yourself, and eat together!  If you want more "expert" advice for healthy living, please visit the Healthy Children, Healthy Living website.  This is the parenting advice site from the AAP and gives lots of great advice...more than you probably want to know!

Enchilada Soup
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
olive oil
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock (or water with boullion)
1/2 cup brown lentils
1 can white beans
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 small can mushrooms

In a large stock pot, saute your onion and bell pepper until beginning to soften.  Add your stock and lentils.  Bring to a boil and simmer until lentils are soft (about 30 minutes).  Add remaining ingredients, stir and simmer for 15 minutes.  Enjoy with your desired toppings.  I used cheese once, avacado a few times.  Enjoy!

Sarah Caron - http://www.sarahscucinabella.com/
•Cate O’Malley - http://www.sweetnicks.com/
•Maris Callahan - http://www.ingoodtasteblog.net/
•Chris Arpante - http://www.melecotte.com/
•Faith - www.clickblogappetit.com/
•Kristen - http://www.dineanddish.net/
•Emily - http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/
•Jenna - FireMom - http://stopdropandblog.com/
•Casey - http://www.thestarnesfam.com/
•Patsy - http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com/
•Tri-Fit Mom - http://trifitmom.blogspot.com/
•Allison - http://sweetflours.blogspot.com/
•Jen - http://njepicurean.blogspot.com/
•Leslie - http://www.thehungryhousewife.com/
•Rivki Locker - http://www.healthyeatingforordinarypeople.com/
•Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook
•Jennifer Schulz - http://lick-a-plate.blogspot.com/
•Sarah Rogers - http://sarahssweetcreations.blogspot.com/
Denise and Lenny - http://www.chezus.com/

Apple, Apple - A, A, A. Baby, Baby - buh, buh, buh

This past week we had a baby shower for the final "department" baby (of THIS year at least!).  Unfortunately, before we were able to have a shower, Nour went into preterm labor and had to be on bedrest; so, we did not have a shower before little Ahmed was born.  However, the benefit of that is that he was at the shower!!!! 

Soooo cute!  I wanted to make a yummy sounding white bean dip but did not have a chance to go to the grocery store (plus, I'm sure they were CRAZY as we have a predicted snow "storm" coming! HA!), so I needed to make something that I already had ingredients for.  Well, last week I bought a bag of apples that aren't quite crunchy enough for my snacking pleasure; I figured an apple bar would be perfect.

 After a bit of blog browsing, I found this recipe from Our Best Bites.  It was very simple and had a shortbread crust, which is one of my favorite things!  And just look at the gooeyness of the apple filling!

I took some to our clinic nurses and they even requested the recipe.  The recipe calls for peeled apples, but I left the peel on with no adverse side effects!  :-)  Please check out other great sweets at Sweet as Sugar Saturday Sweets.

Apple Streusel Bars adapted from Our Best Bites
SWEET PASTRY:
2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. real butter, softened (no substitutions!)
1 egg, beaten

APPLE FILLING:
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 c. (about 3 medium) thinly sliced baking apples (I used Fuji.  Granny Smith or any tart apple would be good.)

GLAZE:
2 c. powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  To prepare crust, mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until you have pea-sized crumbles or mix in a food processor and pulse until reaching the pea-sized crumbles. Mix in beaten egg.  Line a 9x13 baking dish with aluminum foil, then spray with non-stick cooking spray. Gently pat about 2/3 of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the dish. To prepare apple filling, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon and toss with apples. 

Spread apples out on prepared crust. Sprinkle reserved crust mixture over apples evenly and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.  When finished, allow to cool completely.

To prepare glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, almond extract, and enough milk to achieve desired consistency.  Spoon glaze generously over bars. Cut into bars and serve. I got 35 bars.  Enoy!

Broccoli Casserole

Anyone remember that yummy broccoli casserole from childhood?  You know, the one that was oh so cheesy because it was full of velveeta?  The one with crushed Ritz crackers on top, soaked in butter?  That one, yeah, that one!!!  Oh...I love that recipe.  But it is, despite being a broccoli dish, not that great for you! 

So, in my quest to cook more, I made this yummy dish from Cooking Light.  It is a broccoli casserole that has cheddar cheese in it with a thickened sauce.  The recipe calls for Melba crackers as the topping, but I used crushed pita chips and they were great!  Definitely a comfort food redone!

Broccoli and Parmesan Casserole from Cooking Light August 2006 (!)
8 cups coarsely chopped broccoli (I used 2 of the "bunches" sold at my grocery store)
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 cup water + 1 chicken boullion cube (or 1 cup chicken stock)
1 cup reduced fat shredded SHARP (very improtant for flavor!) cheddar cheese (swiss might work as well)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided (this really added to the flavor)
1 cup pita chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Cook broccoli until crisp-tender, drain.  In a small sauce pan, place flour and dry mustard over medium heat.  Gradually whisk in the milk and stock.  Cook for 8 minutes or until thickened.  Stir constantly.  Remove from the heat and add the cheddar cheese and 6 T of parmesan.  Stir until melted.  Stir in broccoli and coat with sauce.  Pour mixture into a 13X 9 dish.

Put the pita chips in a food processor and pulse until crumbs.  Combine with remaining parmesan and sprinkle over broccoli.  Spray with cooking spray.  Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly.  Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.  Enoy!

Luke, Elmo, and Panini

Like I said in my last post, I had a busy Saturday.  One special boy in my life turned TWO that day! 

And we celebrate with Elmo!  Such fun.  :-)

  I helped Sarah plan the menu and we decided that I would make panini.  I was so excited...really wanted to try out my new panini pans that I got for Christmas!  Sarah put together some grilled chicken, caramelized onions, turkey, and ham and cheese and I brought avacado. 

I just heated up the pan (a little too much at first), brushed the bread with olive oil and layered on the toppings. 

It was SOOO good!  Depending on your ingredients you this could even be a part of a healthy lifestyle.  Our sandwich options included chicken, onion, and provolone,

 turkey, avacado, and swiss, (my fave!)

 and ham and turkey.

  I think that adding roasted red bell pepper to the chicken would have put it over the top!  Soooo good!  No real recipe here...just pick your ingredients and go for it!

Today is also Eat. Live. Be post day. 

We are supposed to talk about what we do to "bust" out of a rut when it comes to healthy changes.  I don't really have very good answers for that.  I guess my biggest rut is getting stuck eating the same thing.  In order to get out of that one, I pull out my recipe file and decide on a new recipe that I've been wanting to try.  Then I put those ingredients on my grocery list and PREPARE!  It's hard to cook well if you don't have the ingredients for it.  So, if you find yourself stuck...just pull out a piece of paper and plan a little...sometimes that will really get you going for new a wonderful things!  Check out other great ideas with these bloggers.

Sarah Caron - http://www.sarahscucinabella.com/
•Cate O’Malley - http://www.sweetnicks.com/
•Maris Callahan - http://www.ingoodtasteblog.net/
•Chris Arpante - http://www.melecotte.com/
•Faith - www.clickblogappetit.com/
•Kristen - http://www.dineanddish.net/
•Emily - http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/
•Jenna - FireMom - http://stopdropandblog.com/
•Casey - http://www.thestarnesfam.com/
•Patsy - http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com/
•Tri-Fit Mom - http://trifitmom.blogspot.com/
•Allison - http://sweetflours.blogspot.com/
•Jen - http://njepicurean.blogspot.com/
•Leslie - http://www.thehungryhousewife.com/
•Rivki Locker - http://www.healthyeatingforordinarypeople.com/
•Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook
•Jennifer Schulz - http://lick-a-plate.blogspot.com/
•Sarah Rogers - http://sarahssweetcreations.blogspot.com/
Denise and Lenny - http://www.chezus.com/

Monkey Business

Saturday, I babysat Luke (who is TWO this coming Saturday...expect pictures!) and while he was playing with his Little People Farm, I decided to test his animal sound skills.  He's pretty good...cow, horse, sheep, pig, dog, cat, bird...I started running out of animals.  So, I decided to see if he know what monkeys say.  Nope!  So, I taught him..."ooo, ooo, ooo."  He said he was going to tell his mama when she got home but ended up just looking at me, grinning and saying "No."  :-)  Oh...and he wanted to leave with me when I went home.  Sweet boy! 

Over Christmas, I decided to make some monkey bread to take to work since we were stuck there six straight days.  I had seen some people decorate the monkey bread as a wreath; I thought this was cute and tried to but didn't want to buy a whole box of  Fruit Roll up just to make the ribbon, so I just put "holly berries" on the "wreath!"

 So, monkey bread...that's not so special...except that I changed it up a bit and used cinnamon rolls instead of biscuits to make it.  It definitely gave a fun and different taste to this monkey bread.  If you're in the mood for a breakfast treat, try this one out!  And please stop by Lisa's for more great treats!

Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread
3 rolls of canned cinnamon rolls
3/4 cup sugar

1 t. cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine or butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
icing from the cinnamon rolls

Preheat the oven to 350.  Mix the 3/4 cup sugar and cinnamon together. 

Open the packages of cinnamon rolls and cut each roll into quarters.  Put these into a container with a top (or a bag).  Pour the sugar mixture in and shake to coat. 

Spray a bundt pan (or tube pan) with cooking spray and put the quartered rolls in it.  In a small bowl, melt the butter and mix the remaining sugars into it.  Pour this over the cinnamon rolls.  Bake in oven for 35 minutes or until biscuits are browned and beginning to "crisp."  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Remove to a cake plate or your transporting container.  Spread the icing on top and decorate (or not) as desired.  Enjoy!