Holy vegan chocolate Batman!

Okay so I found my whole 30 chocolate fix!!! Yummy!! It seriously taste like a brownie. It's called Raw Vegan Brownie found this recipe so easy so yummy, get ready to knock your socks off! 

1/4 cup pure coco powder

1 cup almonds

1 cup raisins

Put in food processor blend till it makes a dough about 2 mins. There u have it!!! 

Hungry!!!

Okay so day one went alright, I went to bed feeling I needed a cookie or something sweet ever so badly but upon waking I feel a little more entergetic. Yesterdy my run down on food. I had all organic stuff, first I just made plain cage free orangic eggs with sea salt and course ground pepper using a non stick butter flovered spray and had an organic apple. I really wasn't hungry until Lucy but when I became hungry I was starving.

For lunch I had again all organic, spinch leaf lettuce, mushrooms, carrotts, cucumbers, and oinion. Mixed with pepper and a drizzle of evoo. It was good and suprisingly filling.

Now supper time I was famished and made grilled shrimp. I prob ate mire than I should have but it was yummy.
Recipe: 1/4 cup of coconut oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
About a handful of fresh cilantro
3 cloves of garlic grated
A pound of shrimp

I mixed it all together and it it sit in aluminum foil for about 15 mins then wrpped it up and grilled it about 10 mins.

It was amazing!!!!! Also I squezzed fresh lemon it when it was done, yum!

Then I had to have a late snack so I made it rasperries. All in all though I think day one went pretty good. Wish me luck today though ekk!!! Enjoy!

Whole 30

Okay Bloggers, tomorrow I start the Whole 30 diet. It's not that I need to diet, luckily I've lost all my last baby fat, but it's more a clean eating type thing I'm going for. I'm not really big on red meats, never have been, so I figure this is something more up my alley cause you don't have to have a certain amount of red meats or anything like that. This basically is to cleanse your body of all the sugar it's been storing and start over to live clean and live happy!! So wish me luck, I'll try to do a weekly if not more overview of the foods I'm consuming and how my body reacts to the dreadful caffeine, sugary with drawls, Oh Gods help me!! Oh and I'm actually going to try to exercise with this you know on a regular basis, not so much like a oh I'm going to get up tomorrow at 5 and then don't work out for a week ha!! Well I'm off. I'll see you tomorrow for an update, have a great night!

Back to School Back seat trouble!

So this morning was my oldest daughters first day of school, pre-k, I know not awesome like kindergarten but she's stoked! So am I! So all morning she's so excited to be going to school, we take her sister to the sitter and drop her off she tells everyone goodbye and we head out. On the 15 min drive to school she starts getting nervous and telling me that her stomach hurts and she wants to go home. Of course like the good mom I am I call my mom to talk her down lol. (My mom is a teacher and deals with nervous school kids every year). So my mum talks to her and she seems great. So I pull into the parking lot of the school and I turn around to ask her if she's read and she throws up! Fanflipintastic!!!! Luckily being as smooth as I am I scream don't get it on your clothes, cause that's what I should be worried about :/ (She didn't, thank the Gods)! After that she's fine and she walks into the school and is ready for me to leave. Am I silly for crying on the way home? She offered me brave powers so I wouldn't cry lol. Oh how I love her and how fast she is growing up. So today I want to say Happy First Day to my little girl and that mommy loves you, and thanks for making me have to scub the floor when I thought I had a day off lol!!

Suggestions

Okay my friends out there in the bloggisphere, I need recipes if your willing to share. I have found some on line and in cookbooks, but I really would like your suggestions of your family or cultural dishes. I will gladly make one tonight if you send it my way.

THANKS!!!

Foods from around the world

Have you ever just wanted to try something just to see if you could do it? Well I have been thinking a lot about food since my parents brought me back a cookbook from their recent journey to Canada. I would like to try new recipes from all around the world something new and different each week from a new place in the world. However, I don't want it to be something I just found off the Internet I want real family recipes that represent that culture. So to you my followers I ask a challenge of you. Present me with recipes that you are willing to share from your culture or heritage and allow me the chance to cook it, eat it and Enjoy! 

Ravioli

Sadly back from vacation :( miss the beach. Oh well it's good to be back in my own kitchen and back to making food, though my fresh off the coast will be missed, yum crab! So upon returning from my vacation I realized I haven't had Italian or a version of it in a while so tonight I made a chicken ravioli  to calm my craving :).

The inside:
2 chicken breast cut very small
1/3 cup kale chopped finely
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms
2 chopped garlic cloves

In a skillet add evoo till it simmers then add above ingredients and occasionally stir till chicken is done.

Ravioli:
4 egg roll wraps

Put about a 1/3 tsp oil in pan while heating cut egg wraps in half and fill, press down sides with fork. Place in oil and let each side get golden brown, about 30 seconds. Then add all the ravioli s and a 1/3 cup water and cover immediately till ravioli is tender.

Remove and place on plate with your choice of sauce and cheese I used Prego and mozzarella cheese.

Enjoy!!!

Maybe my next recipe will be Lobster, all ready miss it! 

Vietnamese Crepe' anyone?

• So I try to eat as healthy as I can, most of the time! However, I have kids and a husband and that makes it difficult at times. So when I'm trying a new recipe that seems to be healthy I just make sure I add bacon to the side for them. 

Here's my take on a Vietnamese Style Pancake or Crepe' that I recently seen in a cookbook. I omit things here and there and try as much as possible to make it my own with out taking away from the intended flavor. 

• 
  
• ½ cup brown rice flour
• 2 Tbs. cornstarch
• 2 Tbs. cake flour
• 2 green onions, sliced (¼ cup), divided
• 4 tsp. toasted sesame oil or olive oil
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• ½ cup chopped fresh watercress
• ½ cup chopped fresh mint
• ½ cup chopped sweet basil leaves

1. To make Pancakes: Whisk together your rice flour, cornstarch, and cake flour in medium bowl. Then whisk in 1 cup of water until the batter is smooth. Mix in 2 Tbs of your green onions.

2. Heat 2 tsp. oil in about a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3/4 cup batter, making sure you cover the entire bottom of the pan with the batter, you may have to tilt and roll the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Then arrange your 1/2 cup mushrooms on top of the Pancake, and drizzle with 1/4 cup beaten egg. Cover skillet, and cook about 5 minutes.

3. Uncover skillet, and scatter 1/2 cup bean sprouts over egg mixture. Cook 3 minutes more, or until the bottom of the pancake is golden and crispy. Arrange 1/4 cup watercress, 1/4 cup mint, 1/4 cup basil, and 1 Tbs. green onions over bean sprouts. (For you meat lovers this is where you can add the bacon (pre-cooked of course)). Fold Pancake in half, like an omelet, and slide onto plate. 

I also made a little sauce for this to drizzle lightly on top, 

1/4 tsp chile-garlic sauce, 

1 Tbs. soy sauce

1/4 tsp lemon juice

Remember make this recipe your own if you don't like something omit it and add something else that's the great part about cooking you can be creative. My husband like's the bacon and minus the watercress so make it your way and let me know what you did different or if you left it the same. 

Enjoy!

West woods Soup

Mmmm, Jambalaya. Or Ham and Beans...? Not quite sure so I did a twist on both! Creole was served tonight in my twist on a classic. It's still not summer hear but the cool weather isn't gone yet either so I mixed up a pot of West Woods Soup to take the chill out of the air and give me a taste of southern heat. With a bit of a healthy twist.

Sautee about a cup of wild green onions or onions of your liking
A cup of carrotts finely chopped
One leek finely chopped
4 gloves of garlic chopped
13 oz turkey sausage (kielbasa)

Sautee in a pan coaked with butter or spray. On medium heat.

In another pan take about 4-6 cups of chicken broth and two cans great northen beans and let simmer on low.
Add: 1 TBS Paprika
         1 tsp Oregano
          1 tsp ground black pepper
          1/2 tsp Thyme
          1/2 tsp garlic salt
         And a shake or two of Creole or Cajan seasoning

Then add your pan of sautee to your broth mixture simmer on low for about 10 mins. Enjoy!

Buffalo Roll-up

Okay so...I wanted a chicken cordon blue type food without the ham...not a huge fan so since my family likes spicy I kind of mixed the two. I call it the Buffalo Roll-up.

1.Take your boneless chicken breast and place in a bag and with a rolling pin flatten till about a 1/4 inch thick. Try not to beat it or it will tear.

2. Place thinly sliced portobello mushrooms on the chicken and then layer with cheese your choice here, I used Colby that was all I had. Then I added a little cilantro for flavor...preferably fresh if u have it.

3. Roll the chicken up and place a tooth pick in the middle. Place chicken seam side down in baking dish and top with buffalo sauce, I used Frank's

4. Bake on 375f for about 30-45 mins depending on your crispness liking. That's it serve hot.

It went over great tonight and so easy to make. Served with salad.
Enjoy!

Also took like 20 pics and my lightening stinks so I apologize my pics aren't best quality tonight.

Peanut Butter Yogurt

Hey bloggers sorry I've been MIA for such a long time I've been crazy busy with school its actually my last week of classes yeah!!!!!! Anyhow so Im cramming for my finals and thought I need a brain food and a healthy snack. I looked in my fridge and cabinets and seen I had some regular Greek yogurt that expires next week and thought I should use that but I hate it plain....no fruit in my fridge either, I know I haven't got groceries in awhile, can't wait for school to be done lol. So I found a jar of peanut butter and honey in my fridge so I took a cup of yogurt, about a half a cup of peanut butter and a table spoon of honey mixed it all real well. YUM!!!!!!! I will be eating this all the time!

Morning booster

Ever just feel drained even after you just woke up. Well I have the perfect morning breakfast pick me up. This meal keeps you full and gives you energy to get your day started.

Two pieces of whole wheat bread toasted. Then spread peanut butter and honey onto with a pinch of flax seed. This gives you energy from the peanut butter. Enzyme and fat breakdown and burn from the honey and fiber from the flax seed to help your digestive tract.

Then take about a 1/4 cup of raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries with about a tablespoon of walnuts.
The berries help boost metabolism, your immune system and even brain power. The walnuts help keep you full and gives you your morning protein.

A healthy breakfast that keeps you full and energized. Enjoy!

Healthy Pasta

So I'm like a bread pasta lover!! Seriously can't get enough but we all know that too many carbs especially bad carbs are just that, bad for you. So to add my healthily twist to my favorite dish of pasta I do it simple. Use veggies and multigrain pasta for a carb fix and a conscious one at that.

1/2 box multigrain pasta penne noodles
Put sea salt in pan to lower boiling point as well as add flavor to your noodles.

For the veggies:
1/2 of a green bell pepper
1 leek use the white and some of the leaves.
1/2 of a tomato
2 cups Bella mushrooms
3 gloves of garlic finely sliced

Let veggies simmer. For about 20 mins. Until the mushroom and peppers are tender and the leek is translucent.

Add pasta and veggies to bowl, grate parmesan cheese on top and about 1/4 cup of olive oil mix together and serve.

Whipped delight

Okay so I made a yummy dessert tonight, so easy so light so hardly fattening at all!!

Basically it's a meringue.
4 egg whites whipped with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Whip on high till frothy then slowly add a cup of sugar till it can stand on its own. Then fold in a 1/2 tsp of lemon juice and a tablespoon of coco powder.
Place in oven on 300 F for an hour to hour and a half. Then turn off oven and let in stay in the closed over for an hour. When cooled and out top with shaved chocolate and melted chocolate drizzles I've a layer of fat free cool whip yum!

Bedroom update

Okay so slowly my bedroom is coming together. Behind my bed there was a door that led to my dinning room. Hated but don't have the money or the time to make it go away so instead I put an old barn door that I love! Next to my bed I added a old metal lamp stand and put on it just some random pretties lol but one was a homemade lamp. I have a light cord that went to an over head light but had no use for it so I had an old hurricane candle thing lol and because it was clear I put a coat of clear primer and an old antique white acrylic paint on it. Then I placed my light inside making an awesome bed side old time lamp!!!!

Potato and Leek Chowder

Sorry everyone I've been sick this terrible flu has been going around and I've got it all in my chest ugh! Oh well perfect time for soup! I decided to make a nice potato soup chowder to make me feel better.

I basically used what veggies I had hanging out in my fridge and cupboard.

Ingredients:
5 yellow potatoes
3 medium carrots
1 leek and yes the greens too
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup of red pepper
1/4 cup of green pepper
1/4 cup of butter (optional) you can use Extra Virgin Olive Oil for this part.
1 teaspoon of either dry or fresh thyme I only had dry.
2 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of milk
1/2 cup of water
64 oz of vegetable broth

Directions:
Take butter and put in pot and melt on medium heat add diced garlic, leek, greens and bulb all cut up finely chopped, thyme, carrots and peppers. Cook until translucent and tender.
Add broth, cut up potatoes, and let simmer for about an hour till potatos are tender. Next bring to a boil mix flour and water whisk and slowly pur in soup. (this is what makes it chowder) then add milk and let simmer another five mins or so till soup has thickened some. Serve!

This chowder is so easy to make and best part is you can add whatever veggies you like! Enjoy!

A little color

Well for dinner tonight since I'm longing for the day I can enjoy the outdoors again with out freezing, I decided to make Kabobs, in the oven. They were Delicious!!

Basically,

5 Turkey Brats cut into about 4 pieces
Half of a green pepper
Half of a red pepper
20 grape tomatoes
5 cut in half bella mushrooms
(here you can add or take away whatever ingredient you like)

In a bag put all ingredients and add a
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tsp onion powder
let marinate for about 30 mins

Place on backing sheet on 350 F for about 30 mins or until your desired browness.

Healthy and amazing this made 10 kabobs.
ENJOY!!

Cabin Fever

So apparently I must be getting cabin fever because today all I wanted to do was go outside and plant a garden. So to fix my urge I started in on my herb pots. Normally I tape the label to what I planted on the pot but sometimes I forget and then I have no clue what I planted till however long it takes for them to spout, mature and have a leaf I can recognize haha. So I decided to take the left over chalkboard paint I had (previously used on a old wall in the sun room for the girls to write on), and spray my pots. this way I can write on it with chalk and then erase it after I'm done growing whatever in there. Silly maybe but I found the idea perfect for me especially since I am a person who forgets A LOT!!! Oh also, In my pictures you will see my green onions. They are just sitting in water, don't throw your onion bulb (the white part) away because you can just stick it in a pot of water and it regrows, saving you money never having to buy green onions again and they grow right in my kitchen window! Well hope you enjoy the project and try it for yourself! 

Chop Stix

So I love playing with chop sticks, not really sure why, I suppose they pose as a challenge for me to use so inspired by my find of my chop sticks in my drawer I decided to make some rice. To add a little to the rice and make it a well balanced, healthy meal.

To make the rice:

Here I used 2 cups white rice (use whatever you prefer)
Half of a red bell pepper
1/2 cup of peas
1 scrambled egg ( I cooked in nonstick spray flavored butter)
2 Tbs of Soy Sauce (Here you can get the soy sauce that is sodium free)
1/4 cup of carrots
1/4 cup of onion
You can add whatever veggies you like, this was just what I had on hand. The more veggies you add the better and the more appetizing it looks too because of all the colors.


First you boil your rice to cook it down. While this is boiling I suggest you cook your egg.
Then in a wok  I put the nonstick spray butter flavored and then cooked down my bell pepper, carrot and peas and onion for a bit. After it was cooked to the texture I prefer a little hard but soft I added my rice and my egg and then my soy sauce. Cooked till they were all mixed and served hot!

There ya go simple quick and Delicious! This meal is also healthy for you and it feels you up so you don't really need a lot on your plate. I ate it as my lunch and that was all I had. If you are serving it with a meal you maybe need a nice sized tablespoon helping. Hope you all like and enjoy yourself!

Spice

Well it's lunch time at my casa so I thought I'd share my lunch special for the day. Remember I probably won't be posting everyday or at least not every meal everyday I need a cheat day too lol. For today however we will be good. So here is my lunch. I made a Mushroom Dill Sandwich with Chili tortillas and homemade hummus and re-fried bean dip. All I have to say about this meal is YUMMMYYY!!!

For the Sandwich:
1 multigrain ciabatta bread roll
2 thin slices of Dill Havarti Cheese
1 medium sliced bella mushroom
A couple piece of Kale

Place bottom half of sandwich on baking sheet layered with cheese and mushroom bake on 350 F for about 15 mins till cheese is melted and mushrooms are flat.

Chili Tortillas:
One flour tortilla sided into about 10 triangle chip shapes. I used a pizza cutter for this part. Then brush with a very small about of olive oil and sprinkle with chili powder. Bake online side with sandwich on 350 F again for about 15 mins.

Hummus:
Love this and so simple!
So simply take a handful of Kale (make sure the hard vein in the middle is removed), a can of butter beans rinsed and drained, two avocados (pitted, obviously) half of a lemon for the juice, a clove of garlic, and a handful of cilantro and a handful of parsley, add it all in a food processor mix until smooth or a consistency you like and there it is! YUM!

Re-fried beans:
You don't have to have these if you have the hummus but I like to mix them together so it's your preferences they are are cheater beans from a can lol but if you want to make them your self just take a can of red beans add a little water put in a food processor and pulse. There ya go!

Hope you guys enjoy this meal as much as I did!!
Let me know how your own food making goes! Be creative with it too omit things add things spice it up! Let me know if you chance anything or prefer it a different way!

A taste of summer

Good morning everyone, happy Sunday! For me growing up Sunday was always special, filled with a good breakfast before church. I try to do the same for my family. Because eating breakfast is important since your body has used all its energy sleeping and recharging so its important to have good carbs and good sugars to boost and fully allow your body to start the day right. With little kids its even more important because they use so much energy so I try to incorporate energy filled meals for my family. Since last night we had ice and snow I felt like having a little summer this morning to make me feel awake on this gloomy day and get my kids up and moving. So this morning I made a Kiwi Banana Sandwich.

For one sandwich:

1 Tbs low fat cream cheese
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup or less depending on your preference of lime juice
2 piece whole wheat bread
Half of a banana sliced
1 whole Kiwi sliced.

Mix cream cheese, line juice and honey, slice kiwi and banana.
Toast bread
Spread mixture and lay banana and kiwi slices and make your sandwich. This is sure to add flavor to your taste buds and give your body a great start to the day!
Enjoy!

Face Lift!

Hi everyone sorry I've been MIA for such a long time. I know I had lots of ideas and supposedly free time. HA! The holidays where anything but free time for me...busy busy busy! Oh well. While on the holiday break I found out my sister has to go on a healthier living live style due to her lack of ability to soak up Vitamin D (She's allergic too the sun, sad but true, living vamp. LOL). Well cause she's my sister and I love her I told her I would help her out, I've always had a passion for cooking and even almost attended culinary school, twice, but life always through me in a different direction which seemed to turn out fine so I just take it as a passion and enjoy doing it. Any who, so I told her I would help her learn how to make good meals and healthy meals that helps her body do the things that vitamin d are suppose to do for her, since she can't get it all through a pill. So I gave my blog a face lift. Now not only will I be posting pictures and tells of new home decor ideas for you to love and do ;) but I'll also be incorporating fun, creative, and most of all tasty foods for you all to try out if you like. So I apologize if you only wanted home decor but think of it this way, not only can you make your house look great through a little spice but also yourself. So I hope you all continue to read and I will start my first post tomorrow! Wish me luck!