As promised, I wanted to share pictures from my birthday celebration last weekend. I feel that there is no better way to spend a birthday than with your family.  My parents always make me feel extra special and even have little ”birthday parties” for me.  My mom always makes a delicious cake and has birthday presents to open. I literally [...]]]>

As promised, I wanted to share pictures from my birthday celebration last weekend. I feel that there is no better way to spend a birthday than with your family.  My parents always make me feel extra special and even have little ”birthday parties” for me.  My mom always makes a delicious cake and has birthday presents to open. I literally feel like a kid again. Is there anything your family still does for you that makes you feel like a kid??

While I was growing up, the only variety of cake  I would touch was strawberry. Perhaps it was the fact that it was pink…I don’t know. But even now that I like all different kinds, my mom knows that strawberry is STILL my favorite.  The cake pictured above was a two-layer, strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting. Yum! My mom has a dynamite recipe and I cannot even begin to describe how dense and moist this cake is! Done to perfection!

Dinner was a huge assortment of foods. I did not get a picture because by the time I remembered; only scraps were left. A few of the menu items?  BBQ chicken, red roasted potatoes, a big veggie salad, fresh Italian bread, and a tomato, zucchini, and caramelized onion gratin.

A LOADED veggie salad...my own contribution to the evening fare.

Everything was extremely tasty! The gratin was inspired by Pam at For The Love Of Cooking. She has some wonderful recipes to share and this one in particular really sparked my interest. The dish was all kinds of flavorful and the parmesan gave it a buttery bite. You can bet I will be making this again! Thanks to Pam for a recipe that was such a hit!

Tomato, Zucchini, and Caramelized Onion Gratin adapted from For The Love of Cooking

• 3-5 large Roma tomatoes, sliced
• 1 large zucchini (or 2 small ones), sliced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup of FRESHLY grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 2-3 leaves of parsley or basil, chopped for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray an 8 x 8 ” dish with cooking spray. Slice tomato, zucchini, and onion into thick slices, and mince garlic.

Sliced and ready to go!

In a medium skillet, heat olive oil and then sauté onion slices for ~20 minutes or until golden brown and caramelized, seasoning with salt to taste. Add garlic and continue to sauté for ~1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool.

Layer tomatoes and zucchini in the bottom of your baking dish and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Then add the caramelized onion and garlic. Top with another layer of zucchini and tomato. Be sure to season each layer with a tiny bit of salt and pepper. Top with the remaining parmesan cheese and sprinkle with the dried basil. Cover with foil and bake 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil and broil for another 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on top. Let cool a couple minutes and garnish with fresh parsley or basil! Then eat up!!!

"Practically perfect in every way..."

When we headed back to Toledo the following day, Brandon wanted to take me out to dinner at our FAVORITE seafood restaurant. Mancy’s Blue Water Grill is quite the “fine dining” experience and I was really excited to get dressed up! Brandon also had a little birthday surprise for me!

I love shiny little boxes with big bows! Don't you!!???

I was so surprised to get a new ring for my right hand! Good job hubby!! I was beaming and we still had dinner to get to! Check out the menu!

Always start the evening with a salad

I'm not one who skips the bread basket, I actually ate two of these!

Maple Glazed Salmon with Butternut Squash Ravioli

As you can tell, there was no room for dessert ,but we had a wonderful time and it was such a memorable birthday.

CHEERS!

Whole Wheat English Muffin, 1 Veggie Patty, 2 T roasted red pepper hummus, 1 slice Kraft [...]]]>  Quesadillas were on the menu last night, but since I made Angela’s, from Oh She Glows,  “In a Jiffy Spelt Veggie Burgers,” the other night, it was all I was craving! Luckily, I had leftover patties in the fridge!

Whole Wheat English Muffin, 1 Veggie Patty, 2 T roasted red pepper hummus, 1 slice Kraft 2% cheese singles, and a few drizzles of mustard; perfection!

After the ingredients go in to the food processor, it’s not very pretty; just a brown, liquidy mess. I was skeptical to continue on. Who wants to eat brown goo? But then you stir in the flour and it starts to form a sticky “dough.” I made 6 patties because the 8 that were recommended were a little small. I took Angela’s suggestion and topped the finished patty with roasted red pepper hummus. Yum!!

I did make some substitutions for what I already had on hand:

• replaced spelt flour for whole wheat flour
• nixed the red pepper and just added more onion and carrot
• used green leaf lettuce instead of spinach
• added organic pinto beans instead of chickpeas
• No sunflower seed or chia seeds on hand, so I added a few more pumpkin seeds.

 My only cautions:

1. If you have never attempted to eat a veggie burger before, I would suggest trying a “store bought” version first, so you get an idea of how they usually taste. I love Morningstar varieties; Mushroom Lovers’ is a favorite.
2. With the way the ingredients look after they’ve been processed, you might not want to continue. But keep a positive attitude!! I know you will love them after they’ve baked!
3. The title implies you can make these, “in a jiffy,” but I have to disagree.  I thought the clean up was a pain and I always count that as part of the total time. I guess I feel cleaning the food processor is annoying. Ha.

Cautions aside, I don’t think I will ever BUY veggie burgers again! These are just scrumptious and MUCH more cost effective!  Visit Angela’s site, “Oh She Glows,” for the complete recipe and directions. Thanks Angela!!

Have you tried veggie burgers before? What is your favorite veggie burger brand or recipe??

I am sad to see such a fun weekend come and go. We went out with friends both Friday and Saturday night and just had a blast. On Sunday we caught up on chores, got in a grocery shop, and watched the movie The Blind Side. I loved Sandra Bullock in this film. Anyone else [...]]]>

I am sad to see such a fun weekend come and go. We went out with friends both Friday and Saturday night and just had a blast. On Sunday we caught up on chores, got in a grocery shop, and watched the movie The Blind Side. I loved Sandra Bullock in this film. Anyone else think she had an outstanding role??  I was teary throughout the whole thing!

ANYWAY, I have some fantastic recipes coming up this week and I hope you will keep checking back! What’s on the menu??

• Monday: Asiago Salmon with baked sweet potatoes and salad
• Tuesday: Eating at The Happy Badger with a friend (Review time!!)
• Wednesday: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas
• Thursday: Whole Wheat Baked Crispy Chicken
• Friday/Saturday/Sunday: TBD

All the recipes I am using this week are courtesy of Jessica from How Sweet It Is. She has a marvelous site that provides lots of recipes, nutrition, and fitness tips! Be sure to check it out!

In the meantime, the following recipe is one that was recommended by a friend earlier last year. Since I’ve been trying to have both Brandon and I eat more vegetarian meals, this recipe was perfect! Beans are one of my favorite substitutions for meat!

 This Two-Bean Tamale Pie has lots of terrific flavors that mesh beautifully! I even found a whole wheat corn muffin mix to add an extra boost of nutrition.  Hope you try it out! You will not regret it!!

“Beans Beans the musical fruit, the more you eat em’ the more you…!”

Anyone else watch any good movies this weekend??

Two Bean Tamale Pie (courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens)

Makes 6 main dish servings

• 1 cup chopped green sweet pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 T Olive oil
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney or black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 (6 oz) can vegetable juice
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chile peppers, undrained
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 (8.5 oz) package corn muffin mix (I used whole wheat variety)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions:

Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Set Aside.

In a skillet, cook the green pepper, onion, and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in both kinds of beans, vegetable juice, chile peppers, chili powder, and cumin; heat through. Spoon the bean mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Now, prepare the corn muffin mix per package directions. Fold in cheese and cilantro, stir until just combine. Spoon the cornbread mixture evenly over the bean mixture and bake (uncovered) for 25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Serve with salsa and sour cream, if desired.

Nutritional Profile (1 serving): 359 calories, 10 g Fat (2 g sat.), 10 mg cholesterol, 842 mg sodium, 57 g carbohydrate, 9 g Fiber, 15 g Protein, 17% Iron, 61% Vitamin C

*I used no added salt, organic beans which probably alters the sodium content!

I know I am probably going to sound pathetic, but as I’m writing this post, I am also watching The Real Housewives of [...]]]> It feels so good to be back! If you missed my post from yesterday, I hope you take the time to read it, as it explains where I have been this past week!

I know I am probably going to sound pathetic, but as I’m writing this post, I am also watching The Real Housewives of New York City. I’m sorry but as much as I hate all the drama, I just can’t stop watching! I think it’s something about the Bravo channel but I am literally enamored with all their reality TV shows; Millionaire Matchmaker, Top Chef, The Housewives (every city but Atlanta), etc. And watch reruns?? You betcha! Are there any shows that you hate to admit you watch??

Okay, now that it’s a commercial, I suppose I should mention that I have been in a lunch box funk lately. My appetite for the usual sandwiches and sides has been null. For the longest time all I would pack was hummus and veggies stuffed into a pita with carrots and yogurt. I am a creature of habit, so this lunch really did the job! But after packing this for so many years, my taste buds have been craving something more! Creativity Erin!! Besides, eating a WIDE variety of foods will better meet your nutritional needs. I read somewhere that you should be consuming AT LEAST 23 different foods a day. Something we all should strive harder for! Are there any foods you have eaten so much that you just can’t eat them anymore? Do you eat 23 individual foods daily??

Regardless of my “lunch box funk,” I am still pretty obsessed with Mediterranean food. I will always have a strong affection for hummus, and falafel will always have a special place in my heart. Falafel brings me back to my college days when I would frequent Pita Pit and order the falafel pita! Does anyone else love Pita Pit??

I suppose I did not stray very far from the norm when I decided I wanted to try and make falafel patties from scratch and then use them in my lunches. Hey, I didn’t say I needed THAT much change. Baby steps.

I came across this recipe for falafel in a magazine a few years ago and JUST used it this past Sunday. Are there any recipes you have just sitting around collecting dust?

The ingredients were easy to throw together and most I already had on hand. EASY!! I whipped the ingredients up in a blender and created a thick, play dough-like mound of falafel. It didn’t look or taste like Pita Pit’s, that’s for sure. Nonetheless, they were still filling and the flavor tasted similar to hummus (lacking in the description department). I liked the little guys and they actually made excellent leftovers for my lunch box!

The tzatziki sauce was another simple addition to this recipe. Instead of spending $10 on tahini though, I just crushed up some sesame seeds and added that instead. The sauce is truly the key player in this sandwich!! It’s a very cool, light dressing with a subtle lemony sweetness. There are numerous variations but the following recipe is effortless. MMmmmmMMM.

FALAFEL PATTIES

Makes 16 patties

1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs (whole wheat if you choose)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne

2 garlic cloves

1 large egg (2 egg whites could probably work too)

1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained/rinsed

1 T olive oil (optional, I used cooking spray)

Sauce:

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

2 T fresh lemon juice

2 T Tahini paste

1 garlic cloves, minced

Directions:

Place first 8 ingredients in a food processor or blender; process mixture until smooth. Divide mixture into 16 equal portions, and shape into a 1/4″ thick patty. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the patties, and cook 5 minutes on each side or until the patties are browned.

To prepare the sauce, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, tahini, and garlic, stirring with a whisk.

Make into pita sandwich: 1 half of a whole wheat pita, 1 1/2 T Tzatziki sauce, 2-4 falafel patties with lettuce and tomato.

Nutritional Profile (1 patty): 35 calories, 0.8g Fat (0.1g sat.), Cholesterol: 13.3 mg, 143mg sodium, Potassium: 44mg, Carbohydrates: 5.6 g, Protein: 1.6g, Fiber: 1.0g

Nutritional Profile (1 T Tzatziki Sauce): 22 calories, 1.5 g Fat (0.3 g sat.), 10 mg sodium, 1.6 g carbohydrate, 1.0 g protein