Category Archives: Uncategorized

Dinner, Sides, Uncategorized, Vegetables

Roasted Broccoli

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So lemony, so garlicky, so very good and so very good for you !

Roasted Broccoli
Roasted Broccoli

4 servings
127 calories per serving

1 large head broccoli, cut into long florets
2 T oil
10 cloves garlic
½ t red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice on one lemon

Spray a baking sheet with Pam and heat oven to 450 degrees. Place broccoli and garlic on pan. Sprinkle with red pepper, salt, and pepper and then drizzle with oil. Cook 10 minutes and then stir. Cook another 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon when you remove it from the oven.

Uncategorized

Remove Bay Leaf Before Serving

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Recipes that call for the addition of bay leaves almost always call for ‘removing the bay leaf before serving’. It’s a real good idea to do this. The dried leaves, even after being cooked, are very dry and brittle and often are very sharp on the edges. There have been reports of bay leaves cutting the throat or getting stuck in the throat and better safe than sorry – – so always remove your bay leaves before serving !

Bay Leaves
Bay Leaves

Contests, Uncategorized, Vegetables

‘Eating Your Words’ Challenge

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Savor the Thyme and Tangled Noodle are hosting a fun filled challenge, “Eating Your Words”, and I’ve decided to enter. We basically just had to use food to spell out an idea.

I had read about their challenge and then was going about my day and was thinking about what I might submit. I was getting ready to make my salad when it hit me…carved cucumbers. So here’s my entry – and remember, eat your veggies !

Eat Your Veggies
Eat Your Veggies

Thanks for the fun, guys 🙂

FiberGourmet, Pasta, Uncategorized

FiberGourmet Pasta

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I don’t know where to begin when telling you about this product…should I start with the fact that it tastes identical to regular pasta (unlike many wheat pastas and other alternatives)? Or should I start with the fact that it is has 40% fewer calories than regular pasta? Both are soooo exciting to me ! I cannot live without pasta and 400 calorie meals don’t allow for a whole lot of comforting carbs….well, until now !

I am sooooo happy to have found this product. Now I can have a NORMAL portion size which makes me a much happier person ! This product feeds my half Italian soul 🙂

Here are some of the facts about pasta from FiberGourmet:
* 130 calories per serving, 40% fewer than standard pasta
* 18g fiber per serving – 72% of the Daily Value
* Nutrtition Facts backed by actual laboratory analysis
* Convenient 1/2 lb packages with a 2 year shelf-life
* Kosher certified by the Kof-K
* 40% fewer “net carbs” than standard pasta
* Only 2 WW Points
(standard pasta is 4, whole wheat is 3)

They have penne (great in mac and cheese dishes), cut up alfredo noodles (perfect for soups), rotini (I use these in pasta salads), and more. Any recipe that calls for pasta – substitute FiberGourmet pasta and get way more food for your 400 calories !

They also have some flavored fettucine noodles that I have not tried yet. The great people over at FiberGourmet are going to send me some to try out and I’ll let you know all about them and give you some recipes to use with them.

You can buy direct on the FiberGourmet site. Or I sometimes get them from Amazon when I am there getting other stuff anyhow. I recommend a sampler pack to get you started.

When you order, tell Ari I sent ya 🙂

Here are a list of recipes I have made so far with FiberGourmet pastas. Enjoy !

Pesto Chicken Salad
Macaroni and Cheese
Vegetable Mac and Cheese

Pasta and Artichokes in Green Sauce

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Cocoa Oatmeal Cookies

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These are very rich and not very sweet – if you like a sweet cookie, you can almost double the amount of Splenda. But I prefer to keep these a little less sweet and top with some powdered sugar. I’m still on my search for the perfect low cal oatmeal cookie – this one is good, but not ‘the one’ yet.

Cocoa Oatmeal Cookies
Cocoa Oatmeal Cookies

40 servings
50 calories per serving (1 cookie=1 serving)

1 c flour
1 1/4 c rolled oats
6 T cocoa powder
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
6 T margarine
1/2 c Splenda
2 large eggs
2 t vanilla
1 t almond extract
Up to ½ c warm water
Pam
Powdered sugar for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, oats, cocoa, baking powder and salt. In a different bowl beat margarine and Splenda on medium speed 2 minutes or until light and fluffy and then beat in eggs one at a time, then add the extracts and stir in the dry ingredients and up to ½ c warm water to make the dough moist enough. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls on a baking sheet sprayed with Pam and then flatten each with a couple of times with a fork (dip in water if the fork sticks to the dough). Bake 10 minutes or just until a bit puffy. Cool on baking sheets a minute and then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Shopping, Uncategorized

One Stop Shopping

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Here is a comprehensive ONE STOP SHOPPING list that has all the items I have recommended throughout all my posts. Many of these are available in your local stores, but some are specialty items.

FOOD AND DRINK:

Sugar Free Syrups – There’s no better way to make a low fat latte ! These come in all sorts of flavors from simple to sophisticated.

Pop Chips – an awesome snack coming in at only 100 calories for a nice portion bag.

FiberGourmet Pasta – anything that can give me more pasta per square calorie is OK in my book ! This stuff is amazing ! Use it anywhere you would use regular pasta, like pasta salads or macaroni and cheese. It even beats the whole wheat versions coming in at just 130 calories per 4 ounce serving !

KITCHEN GADGETS:

Citrus Zester – hands down the best citrus zester I have used – this makes nice small gratings suitable for cooking, salads, baking, etc.


Steamer Basket – Steamed veggies can be great when the right spices are added. Don’t shy away thinking ‘steamed’ means bland. For instance, try these lemony steamed green beans.

Garlic Chopper – a great invention – this takes all the effort out of mincing garlic and it is so much fresher tasting than the bottled pre-minced stuff.

Chocolate Mill – great for shaving chocolate atop desserts and lattes !

Espresso Maker – If you’re in the market for one, I highly suggest this. It makes THE BEST espresso.

Dutch Oven – every kitchen needs a Dutch oven – some recipes just do not come out the same without one. It is a very heavy duty pot that allows you to cook things slowly for hours without burning the contents. From soups to stews to sauces, this is a kitchen must have.

Grill Basket – forget kabobs – put all the ingredients in the basket and cook away. Make a great “Mexican Kabobs” recipe in a snap !

Avocado Slicer – hands down, the best way to slice an avocado in to perfect slices

Kitchen Scale – I like to take the guess work out of weighing things – this is a great tool when you are watching your weight

EXERCISE DVDS:

Here are some great ‘walking’ DVDs so you can get some exercise –

Uncategorized

Plan Ahead

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I’m planning ahead for Valentine’s Day – maybe Easter too ! Calories in, calories out, right? OK – so here’s what we can have in a 1600 day 🙂

35 Jelly Belly Jelly Beans
1/4 c M&M’s
2 fun size Milky Ways
4 Gummi Worms
1 Blow Pop (any flavor)
7 mini 3 Musketeers bars
5 pieces Dove dark chocolate
4 Hershey’s Hugs
5 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
3 fun size Nestle Crunch Bars
3 Jolly Ranchers
1 pack of Smarties

You ready? 🙂

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