I made a special treat last night. I remembered someone commenting a long time ago about making "ice cream" without milk, but couldn't find the link. With some searching I found this very sweet, creamy delicious treat.
You need three ingredients and a food processor. The food processor is necessary, unless you have one of those ninja / vitamix buggers, a regular blender just won't do unfortunately.
Frozen Bananas (yes, must be frozen), peanut butter (of sunbutter/almond butter etc) and unsweetened cocoa powder (I used nestle, feel free to use your favorite premium)
I used:
2 FROZEN bananas
2 Tablespoons peanut butter (I eat a LOT of peanut butter, more than my 2 year old)
0.5 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
Chop the banana into 8 pieces or so, add peanut butter and cocoa and pulse or use LOW in the food processor. Stop when all ingredients are appropriately mixed. From start to finish, it all takes about 3 minutes and the final product is amazing!
We ate this as soon as it was finished, I didn't feel a need to put it back in the freezer.
No added milk (great for vegans!), can increase or decrease amount of peanut butter (OK, ok, I admit, I added 2.5 Tablespoons, get off my back!) or use sunbutter if you have nut allergies.
No added sugars, and no added ~stuff~ 3 ingredients. WIN!
Do you think a banana tree will grow on my porch in North Carolina?
I cannot wait to make this again, and add more cocoa, maybe 1 Tablespoon for a more chocolate taste (the peanut butter, was eh hem, overwhelming lol).
This made enough for two adults to share, but I'll not lie, this could have easily been consumed mightily by myself. Mua ha ha!
Monday, October 10, 2011
Obese pre -schoolers
Just in case you missed this, it is a must read, very short and to the point. It is a blog I read daily (its on the right bar).
Obese pre-schoolers
Obese pre-schoolers
Friday, October 7, 2011
You should own a slow cooker.
Everyone should! Do you work outside of the home? Would you rather eat at home than eat out? Is knowing WHAT is in your food important to you? Are you watching your salt intake, your fat, gluten, vegetarian? Are you trying to watch your budget right now, and REALLY need to start spending less money on food. Do you hate, loathe, despise cooking? Do you stay home with the kids, and feel like you don't have time to chop, sauté, simmer, and boil for dinner every night?
Do you eat?
You should own a slow cooker.
So first, I must tell you I am obsessed with my slow cookers. No, really! I thought they were just used to put giant pieces of meat in to tenderize after many, many hours, but I was so wrong!
I knew I had a crock-pot, since I remembered moving it, but I don't remember buying it or using it much until we got to Raleigh, and suddenly I was home with my daughter and pregnant. I had gotten very used to my husband cooking dinner every night. He is such a great cook, and would only cook really great tasting and high quality food. It only seemed fair that I attempt to help with dinners. The only problem was, I don't know how to cook. Nothing. I can put a mean macaroni and cheese (from the box) in front of you, but that is about it.
So I started looking around for recipes online. I had a pretty cheap 3.5quart crock pot (which by the way is a perfectly fine size for two adults with some leftovers for lunch).
I first came across this blog http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
Which is a really great place to start, especially if you eat meat. She has a lot of dishes that have meat, and even those have lots of meat in them! Often times too much for me, but to each their own. I tried several of her recipes, and we liked them, even hubbers, much to my surprise! (What! I made dinner and it was GOOD?!) Then I got her book from the library:
"Make it fast, cook it sloe by Stephanie O'Dea
Make it fast cook it slow
I love this book, it has a lot of really fantastic recipes and the organization is perfect. I like how she has separate sections for poultry, take out,vegetarian, side dishes, breakfast, beans etc. Personally, if I were to recommend any single crock-pot book, it would be this one. If you are vegetarian, it has a section for that, there are lots of bean recipes, soups and stews, drinks, side dishes and desserts. You could always substitute 'fake meat crumbles' for the chili's and stews, although I have not tried that.
I implore you to get a slow cooker! Really, even if you just want to do an experiment it can be a cheap one. Get a small slow cooker, you can definitely find one for less than $30. Try it out for 30 days, if you don't like it, gift it to a local body for warming food, sell it to a college friend (perfect for dorms!) or just make rice in it! A 3.5 quart is perfect if your just dipping your toes into the water, anything smaller and it will really limit the kinds of dishes you can make. I think its better to have yummy leftovers, than not be able to make a certain dish.
Don't have money lying around, try to put aside $1 everyday for a month, and you can get yourself a nice slow cooker! Then get the cook book from the library! I promise you will make healthy, TASTY, dinners you will be PROUD to share with your friends and family, not to mention it can all be done in less than 10 minutes in the morning.
You’ll also save money by not eating out and having leftovers for lunch! Win, win!
Do you eat?
You should own a slow cooker.
So first, I must tell you I am obsessed with my slow cookers. No, really! I thought they were just used to put giant pieces of meat in to tenderize after many, many hours, but I was so wrong!
I knew I had a crock-pot, since I remembered moving it, but I don't remember buying it or using it much until we got to Raleigh, and suddenly I was home with my daughter and pregnant. I had gotten very used to my husband cooking dinner every night. He is such a great cook, and would only cook really great tasting and high quality food. It only seemed fair that I attempt to help with dinners. The only problem was, I don't know how to cook. Nothing. I can put a mean macaroni and cheese (from the box) in front of you, but that is about it.
So I started looking around for recipes online. I had a pretty cheap 3.5quart crock pot (which by the way is a perfectly fine size for two adults with some leftovers for lunch).
I first came across this blog http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
Which is a really great place to start, especially if you eat meat. She has a lot of dishes that have meat, and even those have lots of meat in them! Often times too much for me, but to each their own. I tried several of her recipes, and we liked them, even hubbers, much to my surprise! (What! I made dinner and it was GOOD?!) Then I got her book from the library:
"Make it fast, cook it sloe by Stephanie O'Dea
Make it fast cook it slow
I love this book, it has a lot of really fantastic recipes and the organization is perfect. I like how she has separate sections for poultry, take out,vegetarian, side dishes, breakfast, beans etc. Personally, if I were to recommend any single crock-pot book, it would be this one. If you are vegetarian, it has a section for that, there are lots of bean recipes, soups and stews, drinks, side dishes and desserts. You could always substitute 'fake meat crumbles' for the chili's and stews, although I have not tried that.
I implore you to get a slow cooker! Really, even if you just want to do an experiment it can be a cheap one. Get a small slow cooker, you can definitely find one for less than $30. Try it out for 30 days, if you don't like it, gift it to a local body for warming food, sell it to a college friend (perfect for dorms!) or just make rice in it! A 3.5 quart is perfect if your just dipping your toes into the water, anything smaller and it will really limit the kinds of dishes you can make. I think its better to have yummy leftovers, than not be able to make a certain dish.
Don't have money lying around, try to put aside $1 everyday for a month, and you can get yourself a nice slow cooker! Then get the cook book from the library! I promise you will make healthy, TASTY, dinners you will be PROUD to share with your friends and family, not to mention it can all be done in less than 10 minutes in the morning.
You’ll also save money by not eating out and having leftovers for lunch! Win, win!
Honda CRV SE is ours, all ours!
Bazinga ! We just traded in our 2008 Prius with 70k+ miles on it. Our Prius was PAID OFF and we will be coming home with a new Honda CRV SE. Bigger car for the family, and the lease price is $110 lower than our car payment was.
Awesome! BIGGER car, LESS money per month. Which means we can pay back our debts faster!
Awesome! BIGGER car, LESS money per month. Which means we can pay back our debts faster!
Sweet!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Orange Black Beans with Cumin
This recipe is from the book "Not your mothers slow cooker" I got it from the library, and really had to search for good recipes. For having over 350 recipes, I think I only pulled about 10, and most of them were on making jams and apple butters etc. I would *not* spend any money on this book.
That said, this recipe was pulled by my mother, and it is FANTASTIC! No really, it WILL be a new staple in my house, so good, Jeanne ate a bunch too with rice.
Made in a slow cooker:
High for about 1.5 hours
Two cans or about 5 cups of black beans, drained and rinsed (I used homemade and only drained, did not rinse away broth)
2 Tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar (this can be reduced if you find it too sweet)
1 rib of celery, minced
1 medium shallot minced ( I used half a small onion)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 chicken broth (substitute vegetable broth if desired)
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
pinch of cinnamon or cardamom (I use cinnamon, can't wait to try cardamom)
salt and pepper to taste (I didn't)
To serve:
hot cooked rice
1/4 chopped cilantro fresh (didn't use)
1/2 cup fresh tomatoes (not in season, so I didn't use)
Combine beans, brown sugar, shallot, celery, orange juice, broth, cumin and cinnamon in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high about 1.5 hours.
Note: Both my mother and I agree that these beans taste better cold, which is really great news of you brought a bag lunch and the microwave doesn't work, or your in a rush and just need to EAT RIGHT NOW (I don't know anyone like that, I'm just saying).
Hmm, I'm hungry right now, I think I have some orange beans!
P.S. It really bothered Jeanne that I kept calling these beans "Orange Beans", as they are in fact black beans. It was pretty cute.
"Not orange mommy (finger waving in my face). These black beans."
That said, this recipe was pulled by my mother, and it is FANTASTIC! No really, it WILL be a new staple in my house, so good, Jeanne ate a bunch too with rice.
Made in a slow cooker:
High for about 1.5 hours
Two cans or about 5 cups of black beans, drained and rinsed (I used homemade and only drained, did not rinse away broth)
2 Tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar (this can be reduced if you find it too sweet)
1 rib of celery, minced
1 medium shallot minced ( I used half a small onion)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 chicken broth (substitute vegetable broth if desired)
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
pinch of cinnamon or cardamom (I use cinnamon, can't wait to try cardamom)
salt and pepper to taste (I didn't)
To serve:
hot cooked rice
1/4 chopped cilantro fresh (didn't use)
1/2 cup fresh tomatoes (not in season, so I didn't use)
Combine beans, brown sugar, shallot, celery, orange juice, broth, cumin and cinnamon in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high about 1.5 hours.
Note: Both my mother and I agree that these beans taste better cold, which is really great news of you brought a bag lunch and the microwave doesn't work, or your in a rush and just need to EAT RIGHT NOW (I don't know anyone like that, I'm just saying).
Hmm, I'm hungry right now, I think I have some orange beans!
P.S. It really bothered Jeanne that I kept calling these beans "Orange Beans", as they are in fact black beans. It was pretty cute.
"Not orange mommy (finger waving in my face). These black beans."
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Eating Machines I tell you
Those who have had children will be aware that they go through spurts where they eat all day long (or nurse) and days where you can't get them to eat a lollipop. Well today was an eating day for the mini-Bakers.
For breakfast Jeanne had sausage with gravy, cereal with milk and homemade applesauce with carrots. Loki nursed and had avocado and applesauce with carrots and brown rice cereal.
Lunch time rolls around and Jeanne had a grilled cheese on homemade bread, a cup of juice and half a Quorn patty (mushroom patty).
Loki nursed 3 times in 90 minutes
Dinner Jeanne had yellow lentil with spinach soup, orange black beans and rice, almost an entire chicken leg, cauliflower with korma spiced purple onions and raisins and potatoes cooked to perfection with cheese (seh had a second serving of potatoes while IN the bathub).
Loki nursed, had half a jar of 'vegetable turkey dinner' nursed AGAIN as we still eating dinner, and that was after having/playing with cheerios BEFORE dinner.
As for me, I have been having fun 'dual wielding' my two crockpots.
Just this week I have made pears with apricots (it was supposed to just be for Loki, but WOW it was good, we all had some for dessert)
Indian yellow lentil and spinach soup
a Minestrone soup
a pound of black beans
Orange black beans (RECIPE will be posted, these are amazingly good, addictive even!)
a whole chicken cooked rotisserie style
surgared almonds
apples and carrots (again, for Loki, but we had some too)
"Dad's Ramja" (Indian kidney beans, uber yummy)
In the que we have
apples and oatmeal for breakfast (hopefully I'll get it set up tonight)
and Falafel (hubbers and I had decided that THIS will be replacing our weekly turkey burgers, they are so amazingly good and easy to make if you own a food processor and a slow cooker!)
Ahh, I am pleasantly full and enjoying a cup of tea. My stomach is telling me I really shouldn't eat any more food, but if my son is going to be chowing down all night, I just might want to tank up on calories!
What great foods have you eaten recently?
For breakfast Jeanne had sausage with gravy, cereal with milk and homemade applesauce with carrots. Loki nursed and had avocado and applesauce with carrots and brown rice cereal.
Lunch time rolls around and Jeanne had a grilled cheese on homemade bread, a cup of juice and half a Quorn patty (mushroom patty).
Loki nursed 3 times in 90 minutes
Dinner Jeanne had yellow lentil with spinach soup, orange black beans and rice, almost an entire chicken leg, cauliflower with korma spiced purple onions and raisins and potatoes cooked to perfection with cheese (seh had a second serving of potatoes while IN the bathub).
Loki nursed, had half a jar of 'vegetable turkey dinner' nursed AGAIN as we still eating dinner, and that was after having/playing with cheerios BEFORE dinner.
As for me, I have been having fun 'dual wielding' my two crockpots.
Just this week I have made pears with apricots (it was supposed to just be for Loki, but WOW it was good, we all had some for dessert)
Indian yellow lentil and spinach soup
a Minestrone soup
a pound of black beans
Orange black beans (RECIPE will be posted, these are amazingly good, addictive even!)
a whole chicken cooked rotisserie style
surgared almonds
apples and carrots (again, for Loki, but we had some too)
"Dad's Ramja" (Indian kidney beans, uber yummy)
In the que we have
apples and oatmeal for breakfast (hopefully I'll get it set up tonight)
and Falafel (hubbers and I had decided that THIS will be replacing our weekly turkey burgers, they are so amazingly good and easy to make if you own a food processor and a slow cooker!)
Ahh, I am pleasantly full and enjoying a cup of tea. My stomach is telling me I really shouldn't eat any more food, but if my son is going to be chowing down all night, I just might want to tank up on calories!
What great foods have you eaten recently?
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Thirty Four years
What a really fantastic birthday weekend! Hubbers took Friday off and so the whole family went to the Durham Life and Science Museum. I have been here 4 times now, and I still have not seen all of it! I LOVE it!
This trip we saw the red wolf, the black bears and the lemurs, which were very fun to watch. We also stopped by the farmyard area and saw the goats, pigs and cow. Jeanne really got a kick out of how much the cow liked to get scratches. The museum trip is never complete without a walk down dinosaur alley.
The 'life size' models are really cool, and the museum does a great job placing the models within the trees and shrubs so it seems like you sneak up on them (well, the smaller ones anyway!).
The day was complete with a visit from Grandma Barb, and her vegan carrot cake (this made us worried), and her party hats. Jeanne got such a kick out of wearing the hats, thanks mom! The cake though, was surprisingly GOOD, no really! It was so good, we told her it had to have been marked wrong.
Lucky me, my birthday weekend did not end there, Saturday greeted us with temps in the 50's! Ahh, the crisp cool air. I love the fall, and was worried I would have to wait so much longer to feel it.
Sunday, we had some FaceTime with Aunt Eileen and Uncle James, and the pups, then we met Grandma Barb at Umstead Park for a nice walk in the woods. No cool pictures today, I was too happy just walking (sometimes with Jeanne on my back) since hubbers was carrying Loki. We took a new trail this time, and we found that along the trail were markers naming and describing the different trees. We all took time to see the differences in the bark color and texture and the size of the trees. Our own 'tree school' for Jeanne, but I think we all had fun. I finally learned the name of that new pine tree in this area, the Loblolly pine!
Food, I can't write a post without food being mentioned. Friday was pizza night as always, and with my homemade crust, hubbers made a wonderfully flavorful pizza that we all devoured. Saturday breakfast consisted of Rancho Gordo Snowcap beans with eggs and spinach, and during lunch I made pearsauce with apricots in the slowcooker. It's just like applesauce, only with pears. I was noticing that I kept buying little jars of apples and apricots or pears and apricots for Loki, so I figured I would make it. Oh yum, was that good! Two ice trays in the freezer for Loki and the rest was gobbled up that meal!
Today we had sweet potato hash browns, then Jeanne helped daddy make a "smoomie" (or fruit smoothie). Jeanne is my little girl though, with each ingredient she was to put in the blender, she grabbed a bite first ; ) Two bananas, HUGE glob of peanut butter, blueberries, strawberries and milk. What we don't drink I make freezer pops with for later.
Just before dinner I made sugar cinnamon almonds. Wow, these are addictive!
Thank you all for calling, I miss you!
This trip we saw the red wolf, the black bears and the lemurs, which were very fun to watch. We also stopped by the farmyard area and saw the goats, pigs and cow. Jeanne really got a kick out of how much the cow liked to get scratches. The museum trip is never complete without a walk down dinosaur alley.
The 'life size' models are really cool, and the museum does a great job placing the models within the trees and shrubs so it seems like you sneak up on them (well, the smaller ones anyway!).
The day was complete with a visit from Grandma Barb, and her vegan carrot cake (this made us worried), and her party hats. Jeanne got such a kick out of wearing the hats, thanks mom! The cake though, was surprisingly GOOD, no really! It was so good, we told her it had to have been marked wrong.
Lucky me, my birthday weekend did not end there, Saturday greeted us with temps in the 50's! Ahh, the crisp cool air. I love the fall, and was worried I would have to wait so much longer to feel it.
Sunday, we had some FaceTime with Aunt Eileen and Uncle James, and the pups, then we met Grandma Barb at Umstead Park for a nice walk in the woods. No cool pictures today, I was too happy just walking (sometimes with Jeanne on my back) since hubbers was carrying Loki. We took a new trail this time, and we found that along the trail were markers naming and describing the different trees. We all took time to see the differences in the bark color and texture and the size of the trees. Our own 'tree school' for Jeanne, but I think we all had fun. I finally learned the name of that new pine tree in this area, the Loblolly pine!
Food, I can't write a post without food being mentioned. Friday was pizza night as always, and with my homemade crust, hubbers made a wonderfully flavorful pizza that we all devoured. Saturday breakfast consisted of Rancho Gordo Snowcap beans with eggs and spinach, and during lunch I made pearsauce with apricots in the slowcooker. It's just like applesauce, only with pears. I was noticing that I kept buying little jars of apples and apricots or pears and apricots for Loki, so I figured I would make it. Oh yum, was that good! Two ice trays in the freezer for Loki and the rest was gobbled up that meal!
Today we had sweet potato hash browns, then Jeanne helped daddy make a "smoomie" (or fruit smoothie). Jeanne is my little girl though, with each ingredient she was to put in the blender, she grabbed a bite first ; ) Two bananas, HUGE glob of peanut butter, blueberries, strawberries and milk. What we don't drink I make freezer pops with for later.
Just before dinner I made sugar cinnamon almonds. Wow, these are addictive!
Thank you all for calling, I miss you!
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