Six
main ingredients, along with salt and pepper – plus, the magic of a
stick blender, food processor, or standard blender, and you’ll have
an amazing additive-free dip your friends will rave about … all in
under 10 minutes!
Looking to wow the Fourth of July crowd with a flavor twist? Prepare this easy recipe to make your guest humming for more!
It’s
so simple. Measure, dumping everything into a small bowl, and whirl.
Done.
Like
a great novel, there’s a twist to the plot with the addition of
Kalamata olives.
Wow!
Just serve this as dinner – guests will keep returning for more
until it’s all gone!
HUMMUS
Many
thanks to my Roseville, California,aa friend, Betty, for sharing this
easy, appetizing dip with me. Let’s get right to it:
Ingredients
¼
cup sesame seeds
1
c (15 oz. can) garbanzo beans – drained – reserve liquid
4
Tbs. olive oil
3
Tbs. lemon juice
3
large cloves of garlic
1
cup pitted Kalamata olives
(Garlic
salt and ground pepper to taste)
METHOD
Toast
sesame seeds in fry pan on medium heat, shaking pan often, until
seeds are golden – about 3 minutes.
Transfer
ALL ingredients except seasonings to blender, food processor, or
small bowl (the stick blender’s bowl was big enough for my friend,
Betty, but I transferred to a small bowl) along with 6 Tbs. of the
bean liquid.
Whirl
– adding more bean liquid or oil if needed.
Taste
the hummus before deciding to adjust the seasoning with garlic salt
and pepper. Olives are naturally salty, so wait to add these
seasonings until after combining all other ingredients.
That’s
it. Easy peesy! Use as a dip for your favorite vegetables or
gluten-free chips.
Time to go through the old photos. Ever do that? Pictures of fascinating objects, moments, or maybe a recipe or two. I snap pictures for this column all the time, and then – sometimes – forget to share. Today’s the day to go down memory lane to bring some useful ideas to light.
This tip comes
for anyone repairing a hem that is unraveling. Manufactured clothing –
especially for women, often comes with hems that have double rows of stitching
for hems. The factory machines are actually doing some kind of chain stitch
which – if you don’t totally pull out the raveling thread that makes the stitch
on the front side – will result in loops on the back side.
Very often, you can run your repair thread through those
remaining loops of the chain on the back side to create an invisible fix. I’ve
done this twice in the last month and created totally flawless repairs when
viewed on the front side.
This trick was
revealed to me by a dear, vertically-challenged, friend. Not sure Betty is even
five feet tall, but this tip has even helped me – at 5’ 7 1/2 “ – to have better control with an electric
beater.
Imagine my surprise when she placed her bowl in the sink to
use the mixer. It helped with the task at hand, in spite of her being short,
but when I also did it, I was rewarded
with an improved general control, catching those normal random splashes, and
basically, made the job easier.
Thank you, Betty!
This one I’d classify as a hack. When it comes to pushing a grocery cart through the aisles, there’s
quite a difference between over-handed and under-handed when it comes to hand
placement.
How do you push your shopping cart? Probably over-handed
like this:
Try pushing the shopping cart under-handed like this:
You will notice a little tension, and maybe even some minor ‘niggling’ in the abdominal area. Abdominal exercises in the middle of Harris Teeter! Now, I don’t know how many miles of cart pushing equals one crunch, but everything helps. If I can feel something going on, no matter how subtle, that’s a plus in the right direction.
Here’s another idea, if you like to do arm circle exercises,
make a similar switch. Normally, people do arm circles with their palms facing
down. Switch to palms facing the ceiling for a definite change and a bit of a
challenge.
It’s been pegging near 100 degrees these last two days in
Eastern North Carolina, that’s about all I can squeeze out today!
Stay cool. As one who used to love being in the heat on the back porch swing, I have had to come inside. Never been this old before … The heat causes vasodilation – blood vessels get bigger – and my blood pressure plummets. Even a cold glass of water or iced tea won’t help.
When a movie scene is successfully filmed, the director calls out, “That’s a wrap!” Everything is completed to satisfaction.
Well, with these products, you can easily proclaim, “That’s a wrap!” because these wraps will satisfy you and your family, plus go a long way to making healthy eating a reality in your day-to-day life.
From pinwheel canapes to breakfast, lunch, and dinner hold-in-your-hand meals, turning to healthier wraps will satisfy even the most discriminating palates. The calorie and the carbohydrate counts will go down, but that hand-held satisfaction will remain high!
Breakfast cookies
I’m always looking for a way to dress up my breakfast/lunch. About 4-5 hours after my breakfast cookie (or two – see post HERE), it’s time to fix a meal. But what if I want a bread-like component without the big carb hit?
It’s hard to eat a fried egg without something to sop up that yummy yolk.
For eggs, I turn to Mission brand gluten-free spinach herb wraps with 26 grams of carbohydrate, 6 grams of fiber (take the fiber grams away from the total carbs and you end up with only 20 net grams of carbs), and 120 calories.
Roll-up Ideas:
Bacon Egg and Cheese Roll-up
Heat wrap in toaster oven with cheese slice in center until cheese is bubbly.
Add cooked egg and bacon, if desired.
Roll up and enjoy.
Bacon Egg Cheese and Spinach
Heat wrap in toaster oven with cheese until warm – vary cheese choices: feta, Queso, Chevre/goat, or blue cheese.
Wilt a very large handful of spinach in a bit of olive oil or butter in pan and add to wrap.
Add cooked egg and bacon, if desired.
Roll up and enjoy
Salad with Meat
Make salad look and feel different by adding it to a warmed wrap.
Add leftover meat of choice, maybe cheese, and a few dots of dressing, if desired.
Let’s turn to a different kind of wrap. Thrive Market’s Coconut Wraps. You can get these yummy and healthful wraps HERE. There are only 3 ingredients in these wraps vs 35 in the Mission brand I just showed you. My grandchildren ask for these coconut wraps every time they visit.
These wraps have just 6 grams of carbs and 2 grams of fiber for just 4 net grams of carbs! One gram of protein and just 70 calories. Wow!
Pinwheel Hors d’oeuvres
Assemble ingredients in mixing bowl:
8 ounce tub of whipped cream cheese
½ cup very finely chopped dried cranberries
½ – ¾ cup feta cheese, chopped
¼ – 1/3 cup finely chopped chives
2 – 3 Tbs. of finely grated or finely chopped walnuts
Mix very well using a hand mixer. Divide into thirds.
Spread 1/3 of mixture onto a tortilla or – BEST – a green spinach gluten-free wrap. Spread close to the edges of the wrap. Tightly roll up the filled wrap and place on some plastic wrap and roll up tightly, twisting edges of plastic wrap to secure. Repeat for the other two wraps. Refrigerate for a few hours.
Unwrap a rolled log and place on cutting board, seam-side down. Carefully slice, creating no more than ½ inch slices, and place on serving tray. Each log is individually wrapped so you can use what you need. The others may be saved a few days for later use.
The cranberry red specks along with the chives make this a colorful and festive hors d’oeuvre – especially if you have green wraps around.
Coconut Wrap ideas
I generally do not preheat these. Very kid-friendly for young chefs.
PB and J a new way!
PB and banana slices- an excellent snack or meal.
PB and dill pickle! Yes – an old family favorite – try it, you’ll like it!
Of course, you can use nut butters if you want to ramp up the nut factor to get away from the legumes that peanuts really are.
Anything that can be wrapped is excellent for these as well. There is a mild coconut-y flavor so eggs might not be a great match. Certainly meats, fish, and seafood would be fantastic with these coconut wraps.
Are you trapped in a cycle of plotting, planning,
wishing, and dreaming but never doing? If you could just actually get started,
things would be great. But you never take that first step. We look for a push,
a shove, someone to take our hand…or better yet, lift us up and carry us
through so we don’t actually have to do it.
Seems others are busy doing their own things; so, we
continue to plot, plan, wish, and dream. Sometimes we may even be worried about
the mound of unaccomplished tasks before us. How to start ticking off those
boxes so we can really get going?
I want to share five points about getting started that
have worked for me and others:
Don’t think about it – just do it. This
mantra got me through high school and college and relates to finishing reports,
speeches, reading texts, and doing homework – not as an encouragement to do
stupid stuff. Long before there was a Nike, I practiced and shared this phrase
to get myself and others through mountains of tasks.
Don’t think about the five things you
need to get done in the next little bit, just reach out and grab one and do it.
Then grab the next one.
Over-thinking, over-planning,
over-ruminating gets nothing done – it only delays thestart.
Don’t think about it – just do it.
Start a change with small tweaks. If
you think about it, just about everything we do is a habit. Habits require
little to no thinking. Our brain has limited band width and loves to run on
autopilot – it likes to save real thinking for important things.
When I want to change an old habit or
start a new one, I’ll begin by breaking down that habit into such a small
component – what I call a tweak – that not doing it would be silly. If I
backslide from doing ab exercises, I’ll start by doing just thirty seconds of
full planks (elbow to toes) followed by thirty seconds of half planks (elbow to
knees).
Now, who doesn’t have one minute for
exercise? Then, I note on my calendar this accomplishment. Not so hard. By the
end of the week, I’m doing a minute of full planks followed by a full minute of
half planks. My goal is to work back up to two-minute planks both ways.
Trying to eat better? Conquer one
meal at a time. Make sure to note your change on a calendar. Those check marks,
stars, or notations look mighty good as they add up. Then you can move on to
add another meal.
Instead of going cold turkey on
cutting out sweet tea or sodas, simply cut down by bits. Share all cans of
sodas with a still addicted friend, or switch to smaller cans. Sweet tea can be
cut by ever-increasing amounts of unsweet tea. Then you can experiment with
drinking more water instead of tea or soda.
Five-hundred-pound man. A
Facebook video popped up while I was scrolling through the other night that I
had seen before, but something compelled me to watch it again with new eyes.
Perhaps you have seen it, too. This young man, maybe in his thirties, weighed
over 500 pounds. His human form was all but obliterated by the extra weight.
His doctor pretty much said lose the
weight or die. Because he was engaged to a normal-sized woman who loved the man
inside of him, he decided he needed to reveal that man to himself and the
world.
Long story short, he started by doing
something simple. He videoed himself throwing out all the junk food in his
house. Then he went to the grocery store with a new kind of shopping list. Then
he went to the gym. One step at a time. He did what he could that day.
Thinking about the long haul for a
500+ pound man would have crushed any hope of getting the job done. Don’t think
about it; just do it. Today. Then tomorrow when it becomes today.
At the end of his story, he weighed
300 pounds less and was having skin reduction surgery. He was alive, fit, and
loving his active life. Both he and his new wife could fit into one leg of his
former pants.
What a wonderful story about
starting, and then starting again the next day, and the day after that!
Help yourself.
Those were the words that popped into my depressed and numb mind as I lay on
the bed, unable to get up. Help yourself. Learning to live with grief was hard.
I knew it was going to be hard. Maybe I’d just stay there the rest of the
afternoon…
Help yourself.
Well, I realized that there was no
one else who was going to help me. It boils down to me. Get my body up. Move.
Go somewhere there are other people. Do it. Now. Don’t think about it – just do
it. Help yourself.
Closely resembling an emotionless
robot – I got up, slipped on some shoes, and drove to the riverside park.
Fresh breeze. Pretty clouds. Children
playing. Folks walking their dogs. Life.
Life was around me and I had
to participate. My loved one was in heaven, but I was here. I was called to actively
live here and now – the choice was mine. Help myself by being a part of the
life around me. So I did.
Dominoes. Getting
started and maintaining forward motion can be almost self-perpetuating. Once
you tip over that first domino, that accomplishment will help tip over the
next. That’s why I like putting those notations on my calendar, so I can see
that momentum.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Enjoy that exhilarating feeling as
you do more exercise, eliminate toxic foods, complete those tasks, write the
next chapter of your book, start that business, or take that new class.
You are doing this! You have started
and you are moving forward.
Congratulations!
So, what are you desiring to start? Find the smallest
part of it, don’t think about it anymore, and just do it! Pat yourself on the
back. Put a star on your calendar and do it again tomorrow.
My personal copy of Toolkit for Wellness
automatically springs open to page 184. The pages are dripped on, crinkled,
underlined, and generally represent the look of a well-loved recipe with notes
in the margins.
Which recipe has become so beloved? Breakfast Cookies,
of course!
Years ago, I had taken a recipe I loved and grew it up
several nutritional notches by adding a few ingredients to boost protein, omega
3s, and fiber content.
With nine power-packed dry ingredients, I find keeping
these little beauties around so much easier when I measure out extra batches
for later use. The dry ingredients are easily stored in a zip lock bag in the
refrigerator and all I have to do is add the wet ingredients, stir, and bake!
Easy peasy!
Over the last couple years, I have modified the ingredient list a bit and simplified assembly. I am pleased to share the latest version with you. I am also including a printable PDF version BELOW so you can keep it handy. I’m going to laminate mine!
Assemble dry ingredients in a bowl and
stir to combine well:
½ cup almond flour
½ coconut flour
¼ cup ground flax seed
¼ cup hemp seed hearts
¼ Great Lakes Collagen Hydrolysate
1 Tbs. Ceylon cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
½ cup dried fruit – I prefer golden raisins
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes. Pulse flakes in a food processor to create smaller pieces of coconut flakes – about ¼ inch in length, THEN measure out 1 cup. A 7-ounce bag of coconut flakes should yield about 2 cups of smaller shreds.
In a food processor place the following:
Juice from ½ lemon
3 large, ripe bananas broken into chunks
Medjool Dates
7 medium-sized PITTED dates /or/ 5 large, PITTED, Medjool dates /or/ 7 dried figs with stems removed /or/ a combination of dates and figs – SOAKED in warm water for 15
minutes and drained
Pulse the lemon juice, bananas, and dates/figs until
smooth with no big chunks remaining.
Then add:
2 Tbs. coconut oil
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (2 – small 4-ounce
containers)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Pulse all wet ingredients until well combined with no
chunks.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir
well to combine.
At this point, start pre-heating the oven to
325/convection or 350/standard.
Tap the dough. Your fingers should come away clean. If
the dough seems too wet, (mine usually does – depending on the size of the
bananas and lemon), add some coconut flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and stir to
incorporate. I often add up to ¼ cup extra.
Using a golf-ball sized cookie scoop, (2 inches in
diameter), fill and pack scoop by pressing dough into the scoop at the side of
the bowl. Place cookies onto parchment paper covered cookie sheets.
Using 2-3 damp fingers, gently press each cookie down
a bit.
OPTIONAL – Measure out 1-2 tsp. of course sugar such
as Turbinato or Demerara into a small dish. Sprinkle just a pinch of granules on
top of each cookie. This is not intended to be a big sugar hit I just like the
sparkly effect on the top.
Looks like a bakery confection!
Bake cookies for 20-25 minutes. Cookies will still be
a bit soft but not mushy when done. Place cookies on a wire rack to cool and
firm up.
A couple of cookies will make a totally satisfying
breakfast. These freeze and refrigerate quite well. I package nine of them in a
gallon zip lock bag, making a tube of cookies at the bottom of the bag. Expel
the air, roll up the tube, and freeze for a later day.
I keep one package in the refrigerator at all times
and simply reheat two in the toaster oven.
Perfect!
Today I made a double recipe which yielded 55 cookies
– plenty for future use. I also set up dry ingredients for two more single
batches. Now, all I will need will be three ripe bananas and a lemon;
everything else is on hand. Easy!
Are you rooting for a special team right now? With college
basketball play offs narrowing down, you may be finding yourself sitting on the
edge of your seat, cheering for your team!
Are you hoping that the ball will have just the right amount
of spin go in for more points or dance around the rim to keep the opposing team
from taking the lead?
Passions runs high. Just look at the faces of the fans in
the stands. You see everything from pure ecstasy to total despondency. And the
players … every missed shot will be replayed for the rest of their lives.
Actions bring results – every time. Being good – or bad – depends on the action.
Players work very hard on perfecting their actions. They
hone their skills and work so closely with each other every day, they can read
and anticipate their teammates’ movements in an instant.
Getting a team to function like a whole does not happen
overnight. Each member must be totally committed to the team. Their goals are
the same. They are headed in the same direction. Everyone has each other’s
back. They pull for each other.
YOU are on a team.
You ARE the team.
Each of us needs our brain, body, and emotions to be working
together as a team – pulling in the same direction.
Oh, your body may be dragging along with your brain, but are
the decisions your brain is making helping your body?
Is your body being allowed to rest enough to help your brain
function and keep your emotions balanced? Are you feeding your team the right
food?
Or, are you putting diesel fuel into a gasoline engine and
still expecting it to drive smoothly?
Keeping our respective teams functioning smoothly is what
foodtalk4you is all about. Food for the body, mind, and spirit!
After an innocent conversation with a fellow patient in a
doctor’s office waiting room recently, I felt compelled to remind each of us
about the concept of teamwork.
We were just passing the time and making the day by talking
about collards, of all things. Her daughter had remarked earlier about wanting
some collards. I added that they sounded good to me, too. We exchanged
information about where to buy the freshest ones.
As we all gradually moved up the next-patient-to-be-seen pecking
ladder, we were ultimately transferred to the inner office waiting room before
being called to see our doctors. We resumed
our collard collaborations.
How do I fix mine? I render out a piece of “streak of lean”
– that’s Southern for salt pork with a bit of meat in it – followed by steaming
cut, cleaned collard leaves, minus the stems, in that same pan. I rely on the
moisture of the wet leaves and on gradual small additions of low sodium chicken
broth to steam the leaves until tender. The rendered fat will be chopped and
added to the cooking leaves. Maybe add some crushed red pepper. Extra salt may
or may not be needed. Everyone loves my collards.
My waiting room companion exclaimed, “Oh, you do it healthy!”
She related her method which included generous portions of
ham, some type of pig’s tails, lots of fat, and added salt.
Two people. Two choices. Two teams with different results.
You want a lower blood pressure? Your body certainly does!
Rather than reach for another blood pressure pill, take the reins and captain
your team!
Allow your body to work the way you’d like it to work. You
want it to work perfectly – all day, every day, right? Pull in the same
direction. All day, every day. Stop putting diesel fuel into your gas engine!
Okay, but there’s Thanksgiving – Christmas – Hanukah – New
Year’s – Super Bowl – Valentines – St. Patrick’s – March Madness – birthdays – anniversaries
– graduations – (I-could-go-on-and-on).
Clearly, there is no time to avoid justifying going
off the deep end.
Every day could be a cheat day – if
you think that treating your body is a negative.
Is loving your sweetheart a negative? How about your child?
A negative? Looking for a ‘cheat’ day to not love them?
Sounds outrageous, right?
Sometimes it may take an extra effort to do what’s right for
our bodies, but we are on a TEAM and we are called to do what’s right because
we love
our team.
What we put into our bodies, how we treat our bodies, should
be a reflection of that love.
Just sayin’-
Deidre –
I’m headed to the kitchen for a workout with Beach Boy
oldies playing. There’s too much pollen outside to walk or jog around a la Jane
Austen (see last week’s post). Trying to show some love here.
Are you ready for a timely turn-about-the-room? Are minuets’ last notes hanging in the air? Has that game of whist become boring?
Perhaps it’s a time to encourage a companion to join you!
It’s time to get off the couch during time outs from March
Madness and walk about the house or take advantage of that seventh inning
stretch!
Regular body movement is not exclusive to those residing in the 21st century. In fact, Brian Kozlowski, is soon to release a book about wellness via Jane Austen in his book, The Jane Austen in Diet: Secrets to Food, Health, and Incandescent Happiness.
Okay. So … There’s nothing new under the sun, right? Wrong!
With Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice as my forever favorites, I can thank the authors, Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen – respectively – for the practical examples of daily exercise.
While budding romantic feelings are developing for Mr. Rochester and Mr. Darcy, our authors of old also showed us how exercise is woven into the lives of governesses and fair ladies alike.
In both the stark of winter and in the bliss of spring, our
early day romance characters sought regular exercise and exposure to the fresh
outdoors whenever possible.
If the weather was formidable, they literally strolled
around the room. When weather was tolerable, they went for extensive walks – not
only about the luxuriant gardens – but also around the country side.
Jane Fairfax, an Austen heroine, is prescribed more, “fresh air for the recovery of her health.” The total rejuvenating experience of today’s popular forest bathing – already described in our past post HERE – is described in “Persuasion” by Anne as bringing her comfort.
Today’s science brings revelations – apparently, intuitively
long known – that just one day’s exercise keeps nerve cells actively revved up
for two days. Seems that exercise activates a neuron, that stimulates appetite
suppression, as well as reduces the activity of the neuron that ramps up
appetite.
Seems that a trip to the nearest fancy gym is not required.
Short bouts of DAILY exercise for 10-15 minutes are enough to keep things in
balance and on the sunny side of being fit and not resembling a couch potato.
Just sixty seconds of high-intensity workout – read, jog to
and from the mailbox and perhaps around the house – along with a ten-minute
walk around the neighborhood will yield the same results as a 45-minute jog.
Hallelujah!
Translation to reality in March 2019: I will keep going to
my group exercise class twice a week for full body activation and the awesome
social connectivity AND use the time outs during March Madness as an
opportunity to stretch, turn about the room, and create a pumped-up, high
stepping drill to cheer on my team!
When not attending a gym class or activity, take a stroll
around your countryside for one of the best workouts ever invented: walking
outdoors in the fresh air.
Trust Jane and Elizabeth who knew all about keeping
physically active. Take a stroll. If climbing up steep hills is not included,
then jog for sixty seconds some time during your walk for maximum results.
Are
you still longing for another ladle-full
of steaming soup? Some piping hot melty pizza fresh from the oven?
Anything with pasta and savory tomato sauce?
Yet,
we are being reminded that spring is just around the corner!
In
Eastern North Carolina, there are daffodil, tulip tree, red bud, and
Bradford Pear in
bloom,
but we are stuck in near freezing temps at night.
If
a sunbeam shines, we throw a party!
Hard
to crawl out of winter’s hibernation mode;
and even harder to shake off those holiday pounds for swimming suit
weather.
What
to do?
I
have a couple new ideas
–
along with a blast from the past –
that
could help our dilemma.
Comfort
food without a big carb hit. Let’s see what this looks like.
The
first recipe – Yogurt Barley and Herb Soup – comes from my dear
friends in California, Betty and Jane. Way back when, we attended
Sacramento State College,
(now California State University at Sacramento).
If
‘barley’ makes you wonder where my gluten-free mind went, fear
not. I will give you a gluten-free option
–
although it’s not quite as chewy.
Organic Barley
Short
of Egg
Drop Soup, I never had a soup that featured a serious egg component.
That’s one thing that caught my interest
–
this soup has staying power. You’ll not be roaming around the
kitchen for a snack two hours later!
Yogurt,
Barley or
Quinoa,
and Herb Soup
Ingredients
4
cups water
if
using barley – OR
–
1 cup of water if using quinoa
3
cups water – OR
– the equivalent – in salt free chicken broth
¼
cup barley – OR
– ½ cup quinoa
4
eggs
2
Tbs. flour – OR
– gluten free all-purpose flour
Plain yogurt
2
cups plain yogurt – NOT
Greek yogurt
1
Tbs. onion flakes
1
tsp. garlic salt
½
tsp. thyme
2
cubes bullion – (*)
if
using water instead of broth
1
½ tsp. seasoned salt
½
tsp. mint flakes
2
Tbs. butter
2
tsp. parsley
Method
Boiling Barley
For
barley: Bring
4 cups of water to a boil and add barley. Simmer uncovered for 45
minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.
For
quinoa: Add
the quinoa to one cup boiling water. Simmer covered, until all
moisture is absorbed – about 20 minutes. Set aside.
In
saucepan using a wire whip, blend the eggs with your choice of flour,
beating well.
Add
yogurt and blend.
Adding yogurt to barley
Add
remaining 3 cups of either water or broth. I recommend the salt-free
broth so the salty bouillon cubes can be avoided.
Add
remaining ingredients (except barley or quinoa) and whisk together
until blended.
Heat
almost to a boil, stirring constantly. Do not boil. Reduce heat and
simmer until slightly thickened – about 2 minutes.
Stir
in barley or quinoa and heat another minute.
Yogurt, Barley and Herb Soup
Serve.
The original recipe card says to invite a hungry Russian peasant!
This is a hearty soup and is best served fresh and will serve 3-4
with no leftovers.
There’s
just something about pizza… yet it often is a source of some really
bad ingredients for healthy eating and always presents with a serious
carb hit. Even if you switch to gluten-free flour versions, there is
a large carbohydrate factor.
I
had heard about cauliflower crust recipes, but I just wasn’t
motivated to tackle that from scratch. Fortunately, I stumbled upon
this Caulipower frozen crust the other day. One third of a crust has
just 26 grams of carbohydrate, so if you eat a half like I do, it’s
still in an acceptable range.
These
crusts are individually wrapped so it’s easy to use just one while
keeping the other one protected and frozen. I definitely plan on
referring to these again in the future. Let me know what you think.
Pizza
sauce is actually good for us! The concentrated tomato concoction
imparts lots of antioxidant lycopene – great for heart health and
reduced cancer risk – as well as a great source of vitamin C,
potassium, folate, and vitamin K.
Look
for a brand of pizza sauce low in sugar, no high fructose corn syrup
or alphabet soup preservatives. I prefer Classico brand. I’ll use
almost ½ of their small jar on one of these pizzas.
Caulipower
Pizza
Ingredients
1
Caulipower frozen crust
Lots
of pizza sauce
Better
meat choices: Cooked
ground turkey or grass fed ground beef – maybe a bit of ground
Italian sausage
Add
some heat and/or flavor to the meat while sautéing the
crushed red pepper flakes, anise, and Italian herbs
Sliced
olives – a source of good fats and flavor
Knock
yourself out for colorful veggies: Red/orange
bell peppers, purple onion, and spinach
Grated
cheese
Method
You
know the drill.
Preheat
oven per package instructions.
Unwrap
the Caulipower crust and place it along with the cardboard underneath
onto a cookie sheet.
Decorate!
Sauce. Meat. Goodies. Cheese.
Bake
according to package directions.
Enjoy!
Okay.
That leaves us with a blast from the past. After sharing this with my
California friend, Betty, she has received nothing but raves about
this appetizer. It’s so easy to serve at home and to take to a
party. With March Madness ramping up, this will become your go-to
recipe for – dare I say – healthy snacking!
Zucchini
Dipping “Bread/Crust” gets dipped in …you guessed it – Pizza
Sauce! We already know how good that is for us. You’ll like this
easy recipe I originally saw on Delish but has many iterations on the
internet.
Zucchini Dipping Bread
I
treat this as a concept recipe. Rarely have I used three zucchini.
Also zucchini vary in size. Usually it’s one good sized zucchini,
one egg, a dash of this and that. Here’s the original recipe.
Zucchini Dipping Bread from Delish
INGREDIENTS
3 medium
zucchini, or about 4 cups grated zucchini
Grated Zucchini
2 large
eggs
2 cloves
garlic, minced
1/2
tsp. dried oregano
3
c. shredded mozzarella, divided
1/2
c. freshly grated Parmesan
1/4
c. cornstarch – I use arrowroot or tapioca flour
Kosher
salt
Freshly
ground black pepper
Pinch
of crushed red pepper flakes
Red Pepper Flakes
2
tsp. freshly
chopped
parsley
Marinara,
for dipping
DIRECTIONS
Preheat
oven to 425º and line a baking sheet with parchment. On a box
grater or in a food processor, grate zucchini. Using cheesecloth or
a dish towel, wring excess moisture out of zucchini.
Transfer
zucchini to a large bowl with eggs, garlic, oregano, 1 cup
mozzarella, Parmesan, and cornstarch and season with salt and
pepper. Stir until completely combined.
Transfer
dough to prepared baking sheet and pat into a crust. Bake until
golden and dried out – 25 minutes.
Sprinkle
with remaining 2 cups mozzarella, crushed red pepper flakes, and
parsley and bake until cheese is melted – 8 to 10 minutes more.
Slice
and serve with marinara.
Zucchini Dipping Bread
Whew!
Three recipes in one post! I’m trying to make up for lost time.
Don’t forget to use our Blabbermouth Chocolates discount code just for our readers! Some Costa Rican Coffee/Chocolate is melting in my mouth right now! Mmmmmm! The Blabbermouth folks are giving our readers 10% off their first order. See the previous post for details in case you missed it!
Are you a dream builder? A builder of your own dreams, that is. You certainly can be!
This is a story covered in chocolate. Really, really good chocolate … and one other very special ingredient.
Stories of people who make their dreams come true always fascinate and inspire me. The Shark Tank profiles of individuals who have an idea – a passion – and those who take action draw me in each week. Tales of the “little guy” who perseveres to bring his/her inspiration to market, charge up my own creative batteries and urge me to do more to make my dreams a reality.
Such is the story of Darlene and Gary Kramer, who hail from a northern California town called Lincoln.
Seems the Kramers held previously unbidden desires to become both chocolatiers and entrepreneurs. With Darlene’s background in accounting, and Gary’s in title and escrow sales, one could hardly see a thriving niche chocolate business being formed, but that is exactly what happened!
But that’s the stuff that dreams are made of, right?
Seems Darlene came home one day declaring, “I want to be a chocolatier.” Many of us would have followed that thought with, but …
There are always buts to our dreams. Those internal and external nay-sayers often derail our efforts to reach out beyond our respective comfortable boxes to g-r-o-w.
Darlene, however, took her initial steps in making her dreams come true by beginning the first of many courses to becoming a professional chocolatier. During her training, she needed a final project to prove her skills. She ended up with a creation that combined the best of both worlds: chocolate and coffee!
That original confection has evolved into seven different coffee bar flavors, in addition to fine chocolates, caramels, truffles, toffee, peanut brittle, and more.
The rest, as they say, is history!
Darlene and Gary started a wholesale business out of their home in 2013, but needed a brick-and-mortar location to expand into e-commerce. Now, in their present location in downtown Lincoln, California, since 2015, the couple continue to grow their business the old fashioned way – one phone call and order at a time.
The name? Oh, the name! Well, these amazing bars, that channel only the best chocolate and premium coffee beans one can ever find, is called … wait for it … BLABBERMOUTH CHOCOLATES!
Seems Gary was eager to discuss their fledgling business plan with his brother, (I’m presuming before Darlene was ready to let the confections out of the bag), so Darlene called him a “blabbermouth,” and the name just stuck!
Their divine chocolates will melt in your mouth. No sticking allowed here! Your taste buds will be delighted as the exceptional Belgian chocolate carries the deep, exotic coffee notes along for the splendid ride. The kick of the cumulative effects of the caffeine will make staying awake for your latest project pure pleasure.
Blabbermouth Chocolates – in any form – a daily treat for me!
If you are a trucker rolling along the interstate, a whole bar over the course of the night may do the trick, and keep you safe and alert for hundreds of miles to come. In fact, they have found their greatest success at truck stops, thanks to their earliest customers. Blabbermouth Chocolates can be found in truck stops in Portland, Oregon; Wyoming; Utah; and one of the biggest, the Iowa-80, according to Gary Kramer.
If truck stops aren’t your style, Blabbermouth Chocolates may be found in some Nugget Markets, Safeway Stores, and Whole Foods. You can also buy them directly from their website, BLABBERMOUTH CHOCOLATES. My discovery happened when visiting friends in northern California who personally know Gary and Darlene.
After that first taste, I became a fan for life. Blabbermouth Chocolates website assures me of a constant supply. Their service is speedy, their thank you samples are delish, and I consider it a privilege to share this tasty information with you.
There’s still time before Valentine’s Day to order your loved ones something unique!
As a special offer for our foodtalk4you readers, Gary and Darlene want to give you a 10% discount on your first purchase from Blabbermouth Chocolates! Just use this coupon code, foodtalk, for your first order.
Is it my imagination, or is every year like that? Seems as if 2018 was R-O-U-G-H, but looking back and contemplating its path, one must see that it’s the power of love that really tells the story – not the grief or the hardships.
The power of love is sustaining and powering us through the best and worst of times.
Whether you were holding a loved one’s hand as they crossed over to eternity, or your hand was being held through yet another round of chemo, the love sustained us all. The love of strangers and neighbors saw us through fires, floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes.
So many are yearning for an easier, brighter, less challenging 2019; but, good or bad, I encourage us all to be the “love glue” that keeps things together.
Be that hand that reaches out to others and accept the hand that is extended to you.
Recharge your soul batteries at every turn, and reflect your values and faith by being its hands and feet.
What matters is the love. Those who have lost some or all of their possessions know that, while we mourn the loss of physical memories and treasures, we are acutely aware that that’s not what counts.
Our earthly situations radically change and we turn around to hug those left standing with us.
In one of last year’s January posts in foodtalk4you, I shared with you about finding my “Word of the Year.” Instead of a resolution that would surely drop by the wayside, I sought a word, a thought, an intention that reflected my soul’s urging for 2018.
Did you have a 2018 Word of the Year? As you look back, did it reflect your path?
Mine did. EMBRACE was 2018’s for me. I strove to embrace my circumstances with grace, my inner self with acceptance in the midst of conflicting emotions, others as they ministered to me, my life as it was, and my faith.
This year, my intention is to REACH. It’s time for me to reach out for growth, for reconnecting with friends, for physical movement, and to reach out for new goals and opportunities, and to see them through to success.
An intention that could color and shape your year’s activities seems much more fruitful than making resolutions that fade. It was amazing how often I thought about my Word of the Year as 2018 evolved and how it gently guided me through life.
You, too, may find that a Word of the Year may assist you to cope, plan, perceive your experiences with greater clarity, and may serve you on a more solid course.
Aside from just setting an intention for 2019, also consider how you are going to flesh out that intention. Maybe you seek to be more calm. How are you going to do that? How is your calm self going to react and participate in your hectic life? How are you going to walk into the room calm? How are you going to create calm around you?
As an exercise, write down your word or intention of the year and brainstorm every possible application you can imagine. How will this intention for 2019 color how you look at yourself, how you look at the world, and how your actions might be different.
Always include applying your intention to yourself. If your intention for 2019 is patience, aside from the obvious desire to display patience to others, consider how you are going to be patient with yourself. How are you going to do this for yourself as well as others?
Food for thought.
Take a few moments to consider your intention or word for the year for 2019.
You might even want to make a simple little sticky note with your word on it. Put it on the inside of the medicine cabinet or on the refrigerator as a gentle reminder. This could even become a family project. Or you can just tuck your word quietly in your heart.
Happy New Year to all. May 2019 be calmer, brighter, kinder – even if we are the only ones who are calm, bright, and kind.
Make every interaction a positive one.
Recipes for some colorful, nutritious dishes will be coming your way in the coming weeks!
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