Give it a try with Jamie Oliver

I have watched most of the episodes of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  I can find nothing to criticize about his desire to get our kids eating healthy.  What can we find wrong about giving our kids fresh foods.  Sign the Petition, lets get school food changed!

UPDATE: Jim wanted me to add taht he was the one who sent me this link.  I am sorry that I did not give him the proper props.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition

Watermelon Agua Fresca

I made this last summer and LOVED it!  Try some!!!

Ingredients

8 cups cubed seeded watermelon, (about 6 pounds with the rind), divided

1 cup water, divided

1/3 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 liter (4 cups) club soda, or seltzer water, well chilled

Lime slices, for garnish

 

Preparation

1.Combine half the watermelon, half the water and half the sugar in a blender; puree. Pour through a coarse strainer into a large container. Repeat with the remaining watermelon, water and sugar. Stir in lime juice. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 4 hours.

2.To serve, stir in club soda (or seltzer) and garnish with lime.

Something Different ....A Book Review Sarah's Key

This weekend I read  "Sarah's Key".  It was a great!   The book took place in France, the storytelling changed points of view every chapter during the first half of the book.  It flipped flopped between a modern day American women who moved to France and married a Frenchman and a young ten year old girl, Sarah who was rounded up along with her family in  the Vel D'Hiv  round up of Jews in France. I do not want to give away an emotional and moving story, but I can tell you that will not forget the Holocaust.

Vegan Strawberry Shortcake!

This weekend I bought a 4 lb pack of strawberries.  I was looking up some recipes to use up some of those yummy strawberries.  I came across this one.   I used vanilla soy milk and regular butter not vegan.


Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:•About 3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into halves
•¼ cup and 2 T. white sugar, plus more for sprinkling
•1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
•¼ cup and 2 T. white sugar
•2 ½ t. baking powder
•¼ t. salt
•6 T. dairy-free soy margarine, cut into pieces
•½ cup unsweetened plain almond milk, soymilk or rice milk
•Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream, either store-bought or homemade

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the strawberries with the 2 T. sugar until well coated. Cover and place in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the biscuits. In a food processor, mix together the remaining ¼ cup sugar, flour, baking powder and salt until well-mixed. Add the dairy-free soy margarine, pulsing until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. With the machine still running, add the non-dairy milk alternative gradually, until the dough just begins to hold together and pull away from the sides of the bowl.

3. On a lightly floured surface, turn out the dough and pat into 8 small round biscuits. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet, sprinkle lightly with sugar, and bake about 18-22 minutes, or until golden. Allow the biscuits to cool on the baking sheet. To serve, place two biscuits on each plate with a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream and a helping of the sugared strawberries.

We had this beef stir fry tonight and it was awesome

I made this tonight. I pulled it out from a file I keep of magazine recipes.  It was a hit.  Everyone liked it!
The only change I made was that I used jasamine rice instead of long-grain white rice.

Ingredients


Serves 4

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 cup long-grain white rice
1 pound sirloin steak, thinly sliced crosswise, halved if long
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
12 ounces snap peas, strings removed
5 to 6 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced diagonally
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)

Directions

1.In a medium saucepan with a lid, bring 2 cups salted water to a boil. Add rice; return to a boil. Stir once, and reduce to a simmer. Cover, and cook until rice is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

2.Ten minutes before rice is done, place steak in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch, and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Cook half the steak until browned on one side, 1 to 2 minutes (steak will cook further in step 3); transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining beef.

3.Add snap peas, white part of scallions, ginger, red-pepper flakes, and 3/4 cup water to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook until snap peas turn bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Return steak to skillet until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and mix in green part of scallions and lime juice. Serve with rice.

Mayo Clinic Morning Glory Muffins

Straight from the Mayo clinic  diet book. Do you think they are as good as Wheatfields?



Morning Glory Muffins


Prep: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Makes 18 small muffins

Ingredients:
•1 c. all-purpose (plain) flour
•1 c. whole-wheat flour
•¾ c. sugar
• 2 tsp. baking soda
•2 tsp. ground cinnamon
•¼ tsp. salt
•¾ c. egg substitute
•½ c. vegetable oil
•½ c. unsweetened applesauce
•2 tsp. vanilla extract
•2 c. chopped apples, unpeeled
•½ c. raisins
•¾ c. grated carrots
•2 tbsp. chopped pecans (omit if you have nut allergies)
Directions:

1.Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
2.In a bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Whisk to blend evenly.
3.In a separate bowl, add egg substitute, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Stir in apples, raisins and carrots. Add to the flour mixture and blend just until moistened but still slightly lumpy.
4.Spoon the batter into muffin cups, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and bake until springy to the touch, about 35 minutes.
5.Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack and let cool completely. Serve.

Nutritional information:

•Calories 170

•Protein 7 g
•Carbohydrate 25 g
•Total Fat 7 g
•Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
•Saturated Fat 1 g
•Cholesterol trace
•Sodium 195 mg
•Fiber 2 g
Weight Watchers POINTS = 3 per muffin

Vegan Enchilada Bake--Bob Barkers Favorite recipe!

I'll admit, I will probably add real meat and not worry about vegan cheese.   If  am fine with going meat free, but I don't like fake meat much! Still looks great though!

Vegan Enchilada Bake
Ingredients:
12 oz frozen vegan burger-style crumbles (Morningstar Farms' work well)
1 packet taco seasoning
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
2 cans black or pinto beans, rinsed
2 cans enchilada sauce1 bag corn or flour tortillas
3 cups vegan cheddar cheese, shredded
One 4-ounce can green chiles
1 small bag of Fritos, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees; spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with Pam.
2. In a bowl, coat crumbles with seasoning.
3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; add scallions; cook 3 minutes. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute.
4. Add stock; stir 1 minute.
5. Stir in beans; set aside.
6. Cover bottom of pan with enchilada sauce.
7. Place one tortilla layer over sauce; pour bean mixture on top.
8. Follow with a third of the cheese and half the chiles.
9. Add more enchilada sauce and another tortilla layer.
10. Add burger crumbles, more cheese, the remaining chiles, and enchilada sauce.
11. End with the remaining tortillas, enchilada sauce, and cheese.
12. Cover with foil; bake 30 minutes.
13. Remove foil; sprinkle Fritos on top.
14. Pop back in the oven for 15 minutes.

Serve with vegan sour cream. Reheats in the toaster oven really well

Homemade popsicles

Prep time: about 1 to 2 hours




Ingredients:

•1 8-oz. container of your favorite flavor of yogurt
•popsicle sticks
•small paper cups
•plastic wrap

Directions:



1.Pour yogurt into paper cups. Fill them almost to the top.
2.Stretch a small piece of plastic wrap across the top of each cup.
3.Using a popsicle stick, poke a hole in the plastic wrap. Stand the stick straight up in the center of the cup.
4.Put the cups in the freezer until the yogurt is frozen solid.
5.Remove the plastic wrap, peel away the paper cup, and eat your pop

The thrill is gone...

So for the next two weeks the doctor recommended a "cleansing diet". Not the crazy lime and water for four days, but no processes foods, dairy or wheat, caffeine or alcohol. 

I replace all of my junk with fruits and veggies.  The idea is to give my digestive tract a big break then slowly reintroduce everything back in.  We'll see how it works! 

I am on day of 2 of 14.  I think if anything this experience is teaching me how much  junk I really do grab here and there without even realizing it.  I am craving coffee, and a Mr Pibb.  We have lots of extra candy around the house from Easter, all slowly calling my name, "Saarrraaa eeeeaaat meee!".  My only saving grace is my upset stomach and knowing that this might help settle it down a bit.

Tonight for dinner we are going to have fresh Mahi Mahi with stir fry veggies, kiwi & pears!

Sweet Tortillas

1/2 cup reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

1 Tbs honey

Dash vanilla

4 whole-wheat soft tortillas (6-inch size)

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup grated carrots



Stir together cream cheese, honey, and vanilla in a small bowl; spread 2 Tbs on each tortilla. Top tortillas with 1 Tbs each of raisins and carrots. Fold in half; cut into 2 triangles.

Tortilla Soup!

Ingredients:
1 pound shredded, cooked chicken

1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
7 corn tortillas
vegetable oil

Directions

1.Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

2.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

3.Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.

4.Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.
 
 

Josie is a big girl

My little girl woke up today as a 5 year old. She celebrated with song and dance to a self written ditty, "I am 5 not 4". Congrats little princess. Thank you for the 5 years of that glorious smile