Please, sir: May I have some more pudding?

Because it's the day before Christmas, and I still have TONS to do, I'm going to make this post short.

My daughter and my BFF and I got together yesterday and made some yummy, yummy recipes. First time we'd ever made these, and they both get three enthusiastic, sugar-high thumbs up!

Warm Lemon Pudding Cakes, via Seasons & Suppers. As the three of us tasted our first bites, we were all rendered speechless, except for satisfied, "mmmm's, all around. As it bakes, the mixture separates into two layers: a creamy layer on the bottom that's similar in taste and texture to a very tart lemon curd, topped by a thin layer of super-light fluffy cake.
We made these in 4 oz. Mason jars. (Everything's better in a jar!) Super cute, and -- PLEASE NOTE: in these small jars, they only take about 15 minutes to bake. We still used the hot water bath method called for in the recipe.

Bread Pudding Cupcakes, by Sugar Derby. We left out the raisins, subbed pecans, and didn't bother with the cream cheese frosting. Either plain, or topped with a bit of the neighbor's homemade salted caramel sauce, they were fabulous!

These will both definitely be part of our best desserts list now. Should be in yours, too.

Merry Christmas to all!

DIY fruit and flower centerpiece

I like to decorate simply for holidays, and one way I often do that is to gather bit and pieces from my own yard to create centerpieces for tables, the mantle, etc.

Inspired by this lovely image at StyleMePretty, I decided to also incorporate some fruit for our Thanksgiving tables this year.

Here are some of the components I used...

Top left: twigs with berries off a flowering tree in our front yard, whose species I don't know. Hawthorne, possibly.

Top right: a $4.88 bunch of carnations. Small mums would be lovely, too. In retrospect, I wish I'd picked something more golden to help the color palette lean more toward autumnal colors, but oh well! Not a big deal.

Lower: greenery from my yard -- on the left, a small-leafed variety of trailing euonymus; tendrils of vinca minor on the right. If I were doing this for a Christmas table, I would definitely use some evergreen sprigs, too.

I also purchased some clementines and small Gala apples. I was hoping to get plums, since I loved the darker hues in my inspiration image, but alas, no plums at the store today. I would have liked to include pears as well, but they were too big for this arrangement. 

Now to the steps...

I started with a large pasta bowl, and placed in the center of it a votive candle holder, filled it 3/4 full with water, then arranged three apples and three clementines around it in an asymmetrical pattern. (Top left image.)

Next, I snipped the carnations down till they were just long enough to sit in the votive of water with their heads resting on the fruit, and tucked them into the votive holder until the blossoms filled the space. I used three or four, depending on how full they were. 

Then I pruned the euonymus down to just one or two bunches of leaves, so that they functioned more like a flower. I tucked a few of these in between the carnations, just barely peeking above them.

Then I tucked a few berry sprigs in around the perimeter, as well as a few pieces of vinca, then stepped back to assess (the lower right image in the montage above). Hmm... definitely needs more filling in around the perimeter.

So I kept adding things in. I tucked a couple flowers into the especially bare spots, and gathered some more and longer strands of vinca, and kept adding till I was happy with the fullness. The photo above shows it from directly overhead, so you can see how things are arranged. As you're making an arrangement, be sure to assess it from all angles that it will be seen from. A table centerpiece needs to look good from all sides, while something to go on a mantel, sideboard or buffet has a more limited view.

We have two tables, so two arrangements are needed. And because these arrangements are going on fairly narrow rectangular tables, I made the vinca only extend out on two sides of the bowl. 

Here are the finished pieces. I'm very happy with how they came out!

I also love the price! Here's how it breaks down...

• Bowls, votives, berries and greenery: Free; I already had them.
• Fruit: Total of about $4. The apples were three for $1, so two bucks there, and probably about the same for the clementines. I've tossed the package, but it was a two or three pound bag, and under $7. I only used about a quarter of the bag.
• Flowers: Less than $5.

So my two arrangements came in under $10. -- for both of them! Sweet!

Monte Cristo Sandwich - a twist on the usual turkey-and-cranberry-sauce sandwich

Looking for something to do with leftover turkey, ham, or cranberry sauce? Here's one of my favorite sandwiches, known as a Monte Cristo: turkey, ham, and Swiss (provolone or mozzarella would work, too), fixed grilled-cheese-style, but with a twist. You briefly dip the outside of the sandwich in an egg and milk mixture, like you would for French toast. Or if you happen to have leftover French toast, you could just assemble everything and heat it up in the over or microwave. Add a little bacon? Not traditional, but that would be good, too. (Duh! Everything's better with bacon!)

Traditionally served with a side of blackberry or raspberry jam, but I like it with cranberry sauce or orange marmalade!
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Several Monte Cristo recipes:

• A simple version on AllRecipes (The image above is from this site.)
• A more high-maintenance version on Food Network
• This version from Tasty Kitchen has you make the French toast first, then grill everything together
• A high-falutin' version from Family Fresh Cooking, involving gluten-free bread, rosemary and roasted sweet potatoes!

Recipe review: Pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting

This recipe came up on AllRecipes when I was looking for a sheet cake to make for a potluck, but it's actually for a 10x15 cake pan. Maybe "sheet cake" means different things in different parts of the country, but here in Kansas, it means a very thin cake -- about 1" deep -- baked in a rimmed cookie pan. This time, though, I made it in two 8" x 8" foil cake pans, so as to not have to retrieve my pan. It worked for that, too.

Several reviewers commented that the cinnamon was too weak in its given amount and that it needed other spices; others opined that the frosting needed more cream cheese flavor. So I made some tweaks, and it turned out perfect!

Here is the original recipe, and here is my edited version...

Pumpkin Cake

1 (15 oz.) can canned pumpkin puree
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
cream cheese frosting (see below)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour (or spray) a 10 x 15" cake pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat pumpkin, sugar, and oil. Add eggs, and mix well.

In small mixing bowl (a 4-cup measuring cup works nicely), combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, and stir till well combined. Add these dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture: pour in a third, and stir a bit; a third and stir a bit; the rest, and stir gently until well blended. Do not overstir.

Pour batter into a greased 15 x 10 inch baking pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. Cool completely before frosting.

Spread frosting on top, then sprinkle with nuts, if desired.
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Cream cheese frosting

 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
 1/2 cup butter, softened
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 - 3 cups powdered sugar

Using a mixer, blend the cream cheese, butter and vanilla; mix well. Add in powdered sugar gradually. At about 1.5 cups of sugar, taste test, and continue gradually adding and tasting until it's to your desired sweetness.

*Note: If made in a full-size cookie pan -- also called a jelly roll pan -- this could be used to make a pumpkin roll. Once baked, the semi-cooled cake is turned out onto a clean, flat dish towel, then gently rolled up while it cools. Once cooled, you would unroll it, spread it with cream cheese frosting, then roll it back up, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour or more. To serve, cut in 1" slices. See Libby's website for how-to details.
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The sheet cake image is from AllRecipes. The pumpkin roll image is from Libby's website.
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Three weeks of week-night menus

I've assembled three weeks' worth of mostly-healthy main dish recipes. When my kids were still living at home and evenings were crazy-busy, I used a three-week rotation to save me the trouble of having to figure out day-by-day what we were having for dinner. I resisted this level of planning for a long time, but once I started using it, it freed up SO much brain-space and simplified life so much, I loved it.

Most of these are my recipes; some are not. Most of these I've tried and tested. The asterisked ones I have not.* Most of them are pretty healthy.

A few notes:

Every Monday is a salmon dish; I try to eat salmon at least once a week for health reasons. I like to do it on Monday, because I'm usually not on top of things most Mondays, and salmon cooks in 10 minutes! If fish on Friday is part of your routine, feel free to switch it up.

Every Tuesday, you make extra chicken to be used later in the week.

Once you've tested these recipes and decided which are keepers, you can make up the seasoning mixes in bulk to streamline that part of weeknight cooking.

Note that some recipes can have part of the prep work done the night before, or earlier in the day, to further simplify your evening prep time.

Many of my recipes incorporate vegetables so I don't have to make a side dish, but for those that do need one, my side dish usually consists of this: pulling a bag of frozen vegetables (green beans, cauliflower, mixed veggies) or pre-sliced carrots out of the fridge, steaming them, and adding some butter and salt. Other possible additions: cheese, for broccoli or cauliflower; pine-nuts, almonds or pecans for green beans; orange marmalade or cinnamon for carrots.

Week 1:

Asian lettuce wraps

Mon: Brown sugar glazed salmon* (lots of sugar in this one; sorry!)
Tues: Super easy shredded chicken tacos  (start early; uses a slow-cooker. make extra for tomorrow's salad)
Wed: Tex-Mex salad 
Thurs: 10-Minute French dip
Fri: Asian lettuce wraps





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Week 2:

Almost-Panera's Asian salad

Mon: Ancho-crusted salmon (Substitute an off-the-shelf BBQ dry rub if you don't want to make your own)
Tues: Honey-mustard grilled chicken * (make extra for tomorrow's salad)

Wed:  Almost-Panera's Asian salad
Thurs:  Chipotle pork tacos
Fri: Salsa verde chicken



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Week 3:

Herb-crusted salmon

Mon: Herb-crusted salmon
Tues: Easy roasted chicken breasts (make extra for tomorrow's and Friday's salad)
Wed: Caesar salad; here's a recipe for easy homemade Caesar dressing without raw or coddled eggs.
Thurs:  Herb-roasted pork tenderloin
Fri: Orange-cranberry chicken salad (Try it with the small amount of curry, then adjust or omit to your liking)




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For Fall and Winter meals, I would substitute the following soups for the Wednesday night salads:

• Low(er) carb chili
• Easy chicken noodle soup *
• White bean chicken chili

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*These recipes have not been tested by me, but they're all highly rated on AllRecipes.com.

Bread. Pudding. Cupcakes.

There's not a whole lot I can control in this life, but here's one thing I can: This recipe is going to be made in this kitchen, some time in the not-too-distant future.

Bread Pudding Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing, by Sugar Derby. (I'll skip the raisins, but everything else? Oh, baby!)

It will need to be a day when we're having lots of people over; otherwise, we might just eat ourselves into a sugar coma. But there are worse ways to go!

Your diet soda may be making you fat.

Studies from multiple sources are discovering that diet soft drinks may not be the healthy choice that most people think they are.

Source of weight gain?

For one study, researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio followed 474 diet soda drinkers for almost 10 years. They found that diet soda drinkers’ waists grew 70 percent more than non-drinkers. Even more shocking was their discovery that drinking two or more diet sodas a day increased waist sizes 500 percent more as compared to people who avoided the stuff entirely.
A few other reasons why diet pop may not be as good a friend as you think it is.

Greater risk for diabetes:

Drinking one diet soda a day was associated with a 36 percent increased risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes in a University of Minnesota study. Metabolic syndrome is a condition that includes increased waist size, and puts people at high risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

And it may not just be making you fatter, but sadder, too...

Possible link with depression:

A study presented at a the American Academy of Neurology meeting found that over the course of 10 years, people who drank more than four cups or cans of soda a day were 30 percent more likely to develop depression than those who steered clear of sugary drinks. The correlation held true for both regular and diet drinks, but researchers noted that the risk appeared to be greater for those who primarily drank diet sodas.

Possible factor in strokes and heart attacks:

Just one diet soft drink a day could boost your risk of having a vascular event such as stroke, heart attack or vascular death, according to researchers from the University of Miami and Columbia University. Their study found that diet soda devotees were 43 percent more likely to have experienced a vascular event than those who drank none. 

But how?

Other studies suggest a clue: "Artificial sweeteners could have the effect of triggering appetite but, unlike regular sugars, they don't deliver something that will squelch the appetite," says Sharon Fowler, obesity researcher at UT Health Science Center at San Diego.

Wikipedia weighs in:

(pun intended!)

The effectiveness of diet soda as a weight loss tool has been called into question. 

Changing the food energy intake from one food will not necessarily change a person's overall food energy intake or cause a person to lose weight. One study at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, reported by Sharon Fowler at the ADA annual meeting, actually suggested the opposite, where consumption of diet soda correlated with weight gain. While Fowler did suggest that the undelivered expected calories from diet soda may stimulate the appetite, the correlation does not prove that consumption of diet soda caused the weight gain. The ADA has yet to issue an updated policy concerning diet soda. 

In an independent study by researchers with the Framingham Heart Study in Massachusetts, soda consumption correlated with increased incidence of metabolic syndrome. Of the 9,000 males and females studied, soda drinkers were at 48% higher risk for metabolic syndrome, which involves weight gain and elevated blood sugar. No significant difference in these findings was observed between sugary sodas and diet drinks. The researchers noted that diet soda drinkers were less likely to consume healthy foods, and that drinking diet soda flavored with artificial sweeteners more than likely increases cravings for sugar-flavored sweets.

Learn more...

Sources:

YMCA of Niagara

Daily Health Post

Wikipedia

A connection between gluten sensitivity, and a super-clean home?

Oldways sent a reporter to the International Celiac Disease Symposium, a gathering of 1500 scientists, doctors, and dietitians from more than 30 countries, to get the real scoop on the hubbub surrounding gluten. A few of her findings...

While as many as 8-10% of us may need to avoid gluten, 90% or more of us can enjoy a crusty fresh loaf of wheat bread.

Donald Kasarda, a USDA researcher, surveyed data and found that gluten levels in wheat have stayed pretty much the same for more than 100 years. Kasarda does note, however, that the use of vital wheat gluten as a food additive has increased three-fold in the last 15 years. (Like to read medical study reports? Here ya go.)

And here's the paragraph that contains the news I really love:

Scientists at the conference mentioned several factors that seem to increase our risk for celiac disease: Increased use of antibiotics, which wipe out good bacteria and bad in the gut. The rise in Caesarian deliveries, which bypass the mother’s usual transfer of bacteria to the baby. Introducing gluten into babies’ diets too early or too late (4-7 months seems ideal). The hygiene hypothesis, which theorizes that our immune systems don’t develop properly anymore because our super-clean homes don’t give them enough early exercise.

Hurray! A positive, scientific benefit of not keeping an immaculate house! I'm vindicated at last!  :)

Super-simple creamy Italian dressing

Creamy Italian is one of my husband's favorite salad dressings. It's getting harder to find in the grocery store, and the ones that we had tried tasted so fake and sugary -- the side effect of making pretty much all your salad dressings from scratch.

Then I found this one! The original recipe is on AllRecipes, but I've tweaked it to make it my own; I reduced the sugar and made a few other minor tweaks.

Tried it; loved it; it's a keeper!

I made it as a spread/dip for homemade submarine sandwiches a couple nights ago. My husband still misses a sub that Pizza Hut used to have on the menu, which had a similar spread on it, and this recipe is a good fit. Then the next day for lunch, I had a sub-sandwich-inspired salad (shown in the photo above). Romaine lettuce with diced ham, pepperoni, and salami; mozzarella cheese, and diced tomatoes. And pickled onions -- which are also a great sandwich topper (recipe coming soon).

It's really quick and easy to make. Tastes best if you make it a few hours or a day ahead, but I've made some notes in the recipe about how to adapt it if you need to serve it right away.

Yay! No more store-bought creamy Italian dressing!

Creamy Italian Dressing (low or no sugar)

 1 clove garlic, minced
 1 T. olive oil
3/4 cup mayonnaise
 1 T. red wine vinegar
 1 T. water
 1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. granulated onion
 1/4 t. white sugar*
 1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce (optional??)

Place the minced garlic and olive oil in a small dish and microwave for 30 seconds.

Combine this and all the other ingredients in a 12 - 16 oz. jar and shake well.

Refrigerate for a few hours; better overnight.

*If you will be storing it 24 hours before use, you might skip the sugar. If you are living sugar-free, you can leave it out or replace it with your favorite sweetener. If you will be serving it right away, you might want to reduce the vinegar slightly and increase the sugar to taste.

Timetable for roasting vegetables

I have previously posted this in recipe form, but since I work out a detailed timing schedule for all of my cooking on Thanksgiving and keep it in a file on my computer,* I thought I'd share my schedule for making a large batch of roasted vegetables for a crowd.

This schedule assumes you'll be serving the meal at about 12:30. Adjust as needed.
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Roasted vegetables cooking schedule

earlier** - chop carrots, onions, peppers and zucchini
10:30 - preheat oven to 400 F; cut potatoes
10:50 - put carrots and potatoes in oven; snap the asparagus
11:10 - turn carrots and potatoes
11:35 - take carrots and potatoes out; put onions and peppers in
11:45 - turn onions and peppers
11:55 - take onions & peppers out; put zucchini in
12:05 - add asparagus to zucchini; toss; put back in
12:15 - take veg's out of oven

The full recipe.

Make-ahead tip: The vegetables can be roasted and kept at room temperature up to 2 hours in advance or refrigerated up to 1 day in advance. Reheat from room temperature at 350° F to 400° F. Do they taste as amazing as roasted veggies fresh out of the oven? Not quite, but still delicious!

*This makes me sound super organized in the kitchen. Ha! The REASON I spell all this out carefully and keep record of it is because, while I can (and do) get by with winging-it in the kitchen for daily cooking, holidays and parties require more organizing than I can do in my head. And I find that the less info I try to store in my head, the less wigged-out I get trying to stay on top of it all!

**For all the veggies except the potatoes, you can chop them earlier that morning, or do them the day before and store in the fridge, grouped according to what goes into the oven together.

Really, truly, the best and easiest way to cook bacon!

I've tried 'em all -- stovetop, grill, microwave, and oven on a slotted broiling pan -- but this method makes crispy, evenly-done, flat bacon with substantially less mess than any other method.

Here's the summary:

• use good quality, fairly thickly-cut bacon (I like Wright brand, at Dillon's)
• preheated 400 F oven 
• good quality cookie sheet: half sheet for 8 oz of bacon; full sheet for 16 oz.
• cover the cookie sheet with aluminum foil completely; up the sides and around the edge, for the easiest clean up
• lay the bacon on the foil, close but not touching
• bake for 12 minutes, pour off excess oil, return to the oven
• check every two minutes till done to your liking, minus a bit (it will continue to cook a bit after being pulled from the oven)

Clean-up consists of carefully draining off the rest of the grease, wadding up the foil and tossing it in the trash!

For more details, check out the original article from The Kitchn. (Photo from The Kitchn.)

How to quickly thaw meat without a microwave

This simple trick defrosts steaks, chops, chicken breasts and other small cuts of meat in 10 to 12 minutes, without the microwave. And it's approved both by the FDA and America's Test Kitchen. (But it shouldn't be used on larger items like roasts or whole chickens.)

Place each individual cut of meat in a zip-sealed plastic bag. Heat a large pot of water on the stove till the water measures 140 F. If you don't have a thermometer,* the water will be steaming, with just a few small bubbles on the bottom.

Remove the pan from the burner, and place the meat in the water. According to the Test Kitchen, chicken breasts should take about 10 minutes, and cuts of pork or steak about 12. They recommend not leaving any cut it the water more than 45 minutes (I'd recommend even less).

*P.S. If you don't have a cooking thermometer, you really should get one. Learning the proper temperature for different cuts of meat will improve your cooking like nothing else! It can also be used for making sure water is the right temp for meat, green tea, or yeast doughs, or even to make sure a loaf of bread is done in the middle. This is the cooking thermometer we use. It's handy because it has a remote, so you can put your food in the oven or on the grill, then go do whatever you need to do elsewhere, but still keep an eye on the food's temp. Love it!

Meat image and info from America's Test Kitchen.

Apology from a Former Weight Loss Consultant

Excerpts from An Open Apology to All of My Weight Loss Clients, by Iris Higgins:

I'm sorry because I put you on a 1,200 calorie diet and told you that was healthy. I'm sorry because when you were running 5x a week, I encouraged you to switch from a 1,200 calorie diet to a 1,500 calorie diet, instead of telling you that you should be eating a hell of a lot more than that. I'm sorry because you were breastfeeding and there's no way eating those 1,700 calories a day could have been enough for both you and your baby....

I'm sorry because it's only years later that I realize just how unhealthy a 1,200 calorie diet was. I stayed on a 1,200-1,500 calorie diet for years, so I have the proof in myself. Thyroid issues, mood swings, depression, headaches... 

I'm sorry because you were in high school and an athlete, and I pray that you weren't screwed up by that 1,500 calorie diet. Seriously, world? Seriously? A teenage girl walks in with no visible body fat and lots of muscle tone, tells you she's a runner and is happy with her weight... but her mother says she's fat and has to lose weight and so we help her do just that. As an individual, as women, as a company... as a nation, we don't stand up for that girl? What is wrong with us?...

Because I've been played for years, and so have you, and inadvertently, I fed into the lies you've been told your whole life. The lies that say that being healthy means nothing unless you are also thin. The lies that say that you are never enough, that your body is not a beautiful work of art, but rather a piece of clay to be molded by society's norms until it becomes a certain type of sculpture.

I owe you an apology, my former client and now friend, who I helped to lose too much weight. Who I watched gain the weight back, plus some. Because that's what happens when you put someone on a 1,200 calorie diet. But I didn't know. If you're reading this, then I want you to know that you have always been beautiful. And that all these fad diets are crap meant to screw with your metabolism so that you have to keep buying into them. I think now that I was a really good weight loss consultant. Because I did exactly what the company wanted (but would never dare say). I helped you lose weight and then gain it back, so that you thought we were the solution and you were the failure. You became a repeat client and we kept you in the game. I guess I did my job really well.

And now I wonder, did I do more harm than good?...

I am sorry because many of you walked in healthy and walked out with disordered eating, disordered body image, and the feeling that you were a "failure." None of you ever failed. Ever. I failed you. The weight loss company failed you. Our society is failing you.

Just eat food. Eat real food, be active, and live your life. Forget all the diet and weight loss nonsense. It's really just that. Nonsense.

photo credit: madamepsychosis via photopin cc

Emergency peanut butter cookies

Midnight: you've got a bad cookie craving. What to do? Making a whole batch of cookies is a recipe for waking up to regrets! This is perfect: a quick, easy peanut butter cookie recipe with a batch size of two.

Oh, and by the way, they're sugar-free. Sweetened with good ol' maple syrup! (Which is important for vegans, and those of us trying to avoid white or brown sugar. Learn more.)

This recipe is from Chocolate Covered Katie's blog, but I've neatened it up a bit.

Quick, easy sugar-free peanut butter cookies

Makes two cookies.

• 2 T. flour (I used white whole wheat)
• 1/16 tsp baking soda
• generous pinch of salt
• 1.5 T. peanut butter
• 1.5 T. maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• optional: add some chocolate chips if you wish!

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a cereal bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix well and form into two blobs on a parchment-covered cookie sheet. Flatten into cookie shapes (use a fork, and wipe it clean between the first and second cookie). 

Bake in preheated oven for 8-11 minutes. Check at 8 minutes, and add one to two minutes at a time until it's lightly browned in some areas.

Let cool for as long as you can stand it. Enjoy with a glass of milk, if you like. Wake up in the morning with no regrets about having devoured too many cookies the night before!

Quinoa and spinach salad with balsamic vinaigrette

or...

The best quinoa salad EVER!

This salad is so addictive! Inspired by a salad I had at a Kansas City "wine dive," as well as a spinach and orzo salad I used to make, I created this healthy and delicious cold quinoa salad, and it's always a big hit at parties and potlucks. I love the contrast of all the different ingredients, as well as the sharp taste of the feta balanced by the sweet-and-sour of the vinaigrette, and the subtle spinach and nutty quinoa.

Quinoa is a healthier alternative to pasta like orzo, because it's a complete protein in and of itself, plus it's fairly low-glycemic for a grain. And, for those who care, it's gluten-free.

It's best made a few hours ahead, I think. I don't know if it keeps longer than 24 hours, because if there are any leftovers in the fridge that night, I'm likely to I always polish them off as a midnight snack!

If I were making this just for myself, I would use the full amount of feta, but when I'm serving a crowd, I usually put in half the feta, and serve some alongside for those who would like to add more. If you're serving a nut-sensitive crowd, you could also leave out the nuts and provide them as a garnish.

Spinach and quinoa salad with balsamic vinaigrette

2 c. thoroughly rinsed quinoa  (a 12-oz. package of pre-rinsed)
2 T. butter
3 c. chicken stock
1/2 of a medium red onion, finely diced
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
2 T. rice vinegar, or a mix
1 - 2 T. maple syrup
1/2 c. olive oil
5 - 6 oz. baby spinach, chopped
2 - 4 T. crumbled feta cheese, to taste
1-1/3 c. craisins, chopped apple, or a combination
2 - 3 T. fresh basil (optional)
pecan and/or walnut pieces, to taste - maybe 1/2 cup

Make sure your quinoa is thoroughly rinsed, until the water runs clean. If not, it will be bitter. More info here.

Melt butter in a large skillet, and saute the quinoa till it just starts turning golden brown. (This step is optional. If you're pressed for time, feel free to skip it.)

Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer, cover and let cook for 15 minutes. Then remove from heat and let it sit -- still covered -- for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, dice the red onion and put it in the bottom of a large mixing/serving bowl. Combine the vinegar, sweetener and olive oil in a small jar and shake to combine. Set aside.

Once the quinoa is done, and if there's any excess liquid, drain that off. Pour the quinoa over the onions and place that mixture in the fridge to cool off. The reason: subjecting the onions to the heat of the cooked quinoa will mellow them a bit, and start them releasing their flavors into the mixture.

Once the quinoa is cooled, pour the vinegar mixture over the salad. Stir gently till well combined. If you have more than 2 hours to serving time, cover and place back in the fridge.

An hour or two before serving, add the spinach, feta, and craisins or apple. Taste and adjust ingredients if needed. More feta for a sharper taste; more Splenda and/or fruit for a sweeter taste.

Add the fresh basil and nuts just before serving.

Serves 10-12

Nutrition data from myfitnesspal.com:

Nutrition Facts
Servings 12.0
Amount Per Serving
Calories 400
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 25 g	38 %
Saturated Fat 5 g	24 %
Monounsaturated Fat 9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 9 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 12 g	4 %
Sodium 188 mg	8 %
Potassium 428 mg	12 %
Total Carbohydrate 39 g	13 %
Dietary Fiber 4 g	16 %
Sugars 13 g
Protein 9 g	18 %
Vitamin A	1 %
Vitamin C	12 %
Calcium	1 %
Iron	112 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Emergency, quick, easy barbeque sauce

Everybody's got a bottle of BBQ sauce in their fridge, right?

Except, of course, if you've already been to the store, and the meat is in the oven, and you don't want to go back out again. True story.

But a little desperation is often the beginning of a great new recipe.

A little googling turned up a recipe which claims to be "A Very Popular BBQ Sauce." It looked quick and simple, so I used this as the starting point for my DIY BBQ sauce. I needed to scale it down, cut back on the sugar, and replace the hot sauce. I was very happy with the result! I think you will be, too.
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Emergency BBQ sauce

1/2 c. ketchup
1/4 c. brown sugar (or equivalent sweetener of your choice)
3 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. water
1 t. smoked paprika
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce (or more if you like it, or optional if you don't have it)
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 t. adobo sauce, or more if you like it spicy (optional; adds heat and smokiness)
1/8 t. salt

If you'll be applying the sauce to meat that's going back on grill or oven, you can just mix it up and add it in/on.

If serving as a condiment, it will benefit from a brief heating....

Put everything in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir till well combined and cook for one or two minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.

Remove from heat and let cool.

photo credit: The mofoJT via photopin cc

Study shows that eating breakfast every day lowers your risk of Type 2 Diabetes

This is an excerpt from the article The surprising danger of skipping breakfast, from Women's Health.

You know that breakfast has plenty of benefits: It boosts your energy, curbs your midday cravings, and helps keep you at a healthy weight. But if you’re still skipping the first meal of the day, there’s another perk you’re passing up: Missing even one breakfast each week increases your risk of type 2 diabetes by 20 percent, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Researchers from the Harvard University School of Public Health analyzed the eating habits and health outcomes of 46,289 women over the course of six years. At the end of the study, they found that women who skipped breakfast here and there had a 20 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes than those who ate it on a daily basis. The risk is even higher for full-time working women who missed their morning meal sometimes: 54 percent. The importance of a daily breakfast held up after the researchers adjusted the results to account for the effects of age, BMI, carbohydrate consumption, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity, and working status.

Want a healthy breakfast option that you can eat on the run -- but that also tastes good? The photo above is from my low carb, sugar-free Pumpkin Pecan Muffins recipe. (Which is also gluten-free if you leave out the minimal flour.) Make them ahead of time, then pop one or two in the microwave in the morning.

Read the full article.

60-Second Strawberry "Shortcake"

We'll get to this easy peasy snack how-to in a minute, but first, let's talk strawberry shortcake.

If you think of strawberry shortcake as Twinkie-like spongecake topped with super-red strawberries in a goopy glaze, then I'm sorry, my friend, but you have been misled.

Imagine warm, fresh from the oven, slightly-sweet/slightly-salty biscuits: think scones. Perfectly crunchy on the outside, broken open so that the tender, steamy shortcake inside can soak up the sweet sauce that results from macerating berries in sugar for an hour or so. Drizzle over that a little half & half -- just enough to moisten the biscuits a bit more -- then top it with a generous blob or two of vanilla whipped cream! Mmm... the contrast of salty and sweet, crunchy and creamy. Seriously!

I live a pretty low-carb life, but this is the one food that I will never pass up, and will eat till the strawberries are all gone, or my stomach hurts, whichever comes first! Oh, who am I kidding?! If there are still strawberries and shortcake, I'll keep eating!

And for that very reason, I don't make it too often. 

But the other day, I had some lovely strawberries on hand -- just a few -- and was trying to figure out how I could make a satisfying snack out of them. Then, inspiration!

I had a few whole-wheat crackers on hand. Store-brand Wheat Thins, if you must know. That will stand in nicely for the shortcake, I thought. And some vanilla yogurt in the fridge. A dollop of that on a cracker, and a slice of strawberry on top. How easy is that?! And pretty healthy, really.

But easy and healthy are no good if it doesn't taste good. This does! The crunchiness of the cracker simulates the shortbread crust and flavor; the vanilla yogurt is a pretty good stand-in for its more fat-laden cousin.

It's also good with a sweetened cream cheese spread -- though that knocks the health factor down a notch.

Sure, in a head-to-head battle with real strawberry shortcake, it comes up short. (Ha! Sorry!) But for a 60-second snack, it'll do just fine. Just fine! And with a lot less guilt.