Eggs-celent!

This post is a dedication to a friend whom wishes to know some of the easy meals I make on the fly. This one is a stand-by for me!

First you will need fresh eggs. Use whatever number your little heart desires! I usually use 3 egg whites and one whole egg to keep some of the fat, and hence flavor! You will also need some non-stick cooking spray and some sort of seasoning. I am infatuated with Tastefully Simple seasonings! My fav is the Spinach n' Herb.  I also sometimes use southwestern flavors if I want something with a little kick. If you want to get crazy you can chop up some fresh veggies and herbs but this will take more time and ingredients of course.

Here is a larger view of the some of the seasonings I use.

Next, place your egg whites or eggs in a bowl. Add desired amount of seasoning. Whisk with a fork (or you can use a whisk if you own one). *I do not use milk in these because I am not a fan of scrambled eggs. It is an alternative method though.

Heat your frying pan to medium heat. Spray with non-stick pan spray. I do this even though my pan is non-stick. I know, I'm odd lol. Place eggs in the pan and begin to cook. Remove from heat and eat when eggs are done to your liking.
You will notice in the pics, I was lazy the last time I made these. (oops!) I placed the eggs directly in the pan and stirred them with a bamboo spatula. Once they were mixed up a little I sprinkled on the seasoning and continued chopping with spatula until mixed thoroughly.

Appx Nutritional Facts (varies on the actual size of your egg)
Per egg white (egg size large): 17 cals, 0 Fat, 4 grams protein
Per whole egg (egg size large): 70 cals, 5 g Fat, 6 grams protein

Smart Tip: Check out Calorie King for nutritional information on just about everything!

Shake Shake Shake.. Shake that bootay!

Here's a very quick (and clean) way to make instant pudding!  Put all your ingredients in a shaker cup. If you don't already have one you can purchase them at most nutritional stores or online. They have easy guide measurements on the side of the cup, so no need for dirtying additional tools like measuring cups. (The less dirty dishes the better right!) Follow the directions on the box for ingredient amounts. Once the milk and pudding powder are in the cup screw the lid on. Make sure the drink spout is closed tightly and shake your way to a dessert delight!  Toss it in the fridge until it's set. That's it!  Cool huh!

A Batch from Scratch-- Chai!

A touch of chill is in the air as the Midwest summer starts creeping into fall. Soothe those shivers away with a big mug of hot Chai!! One easy way to make Chai is from the dry powder mixes that are available in stores. I myself prefer to simmer up a batch from scratch!

I won't promise this recipe taste like the Chai you will find in the homes of those who know it best. But after carefully noting the favorite ingredients of a few cooks and a little experimenting in my kitchen, I think I've come up with something pretty yummy.  Let me know what you think! :)

Also.. this is much like the recipes you acquire from your favorite aunt or grandmother.. a little of this.. a little of that.. and a pinch of something else. In other words, this is one recipe you can wing it a little bit and not worry too much that it will be ruined!

Heather's Homemade Milk Chai

2/3 rds cup water (ish)
1 cup milk
5 seeds green cardamon
4 cloves
Smidge of vanilla extract (I think I dumped appx. 1/2 tsp from the bottle)
Appx. 3 Tbsp. sugar -- feel free to add more if you like.
1 cinnamon stick
1 tea bag (I have the yellow label Lipton brand)

Put all ingredients, except the milk, into a sauce pan. Heat on high until it boils. Stir mixture occasionally. When mixture comes to a boil add the milk. Stir consistently to keep the milk from scorching. When the mixture comes to a boil again, remove from heat immediately and let sit for 5 mins until the flavors mingle. Pour into a big mug and enjoy!

Special Notes:
* I use real vanilla extract. When using imitation vanilla my grandma taught me to double the amount the recipe calls for. Old habits are hard to break so yes I do this even if it says double strength on the bottle! lol

*I bought my Lipton tea at the Indian grocery. I learned previously with coffee that a certain brand's coffee is not the same in each country. I don't know if this applies to tea, but why chance that authentic taste!

*As for sugar you can add the amount that you desire. I had a friend tell me that when he was served Chai from the Jordanians they used a large amount of sugar. He believed it to be almost 3/4 cup! I have to wonder if they were making larger batches? Another fun fact he told me was that they served it in what looked like a double size shot glass.

*If you want to add more Cardamon or Cloves go for it! No one is over your shoulder counting ;p

No Bake Cookies

Have you ever thought it is possible to make cookies without firing up the oven? And no, it doesn't count to just eating the cookie dough outta the bowl lol..although I will admit that happens quite frequently here in my kitchen :p Yes, yes.. I know all about the dangers of raw eggs and salmonella... but I like to live on the edge. I'm a wild woman like that! :p
When I was growing up one of my favorite things my mom made in the kitchen were these chocolately sweet cookies that we made on the stove. I still recall how strict she was about the fact it needed to boil 1 minute and only 1 minute!  Hence the fact that I would not recommend trying to double this recipe. These cookies are a great standby and are always a big hit! Someone recently told me they taste like Reeces Peanut Butter Cups.. who wouldn't like that! :)

No Bake Cookies
Ingredients:
2 C. Sugar
3 TB Cocoa
1 stick butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C. milk

Combine the above and bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the following:

1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C. Peanut Butter
3 C. Quick Quaker Oats

Drop on wax paper. Let set-up. Store in an air tight container.
Makes appx. 3 dozen cookies.

Step 1: Combine all the ingredients into a saucepan. I also measure out the second group of ingredients in preparation. You will need to add them relatively quickly to get the best outcome.

2 C. Sugar
3 TB Cocoa
1 stick butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C. milk

Bring this to a boil. Stirring occasionally as it heats up.

Starting to boil! I have the timer set so all I have to do is hit go when I see the bubbles start to form.

At a roiling boil now. (I still stir occasionally during this phase.) Once the timer goes off you are ready to add the next group of ingredients.

1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C. Peanut Butter
3 C. Quick Quaker Oats

 I add the vanilla and peanut butter first. Stirring until it's completely melted in the chocolate mixture. Then I add the oatmeal  and stir until combined well.

*I was taught growing up to double the vanilla if you are using imitation brand. Although the bottle now says double strength I still abide by this habit.  I am sure my grandma would agree! ;-) So I use 2 tsp in this recipe! I have recently purchased authentic vanilla extract and I find it to be stronger than what I am used to so I've been sticking to the recipe amounts now. Halal vanilla is available, you just have to look a little harder for it! I am using Yellow Dog brand currently I believe. I purchased it at my local specialty grocery. I have to admit it was the bottle design that drew me in.. I'm all about packaging!

Here it is shown with the oatmeal added. Now quick.. you've no time to waste! ;-) Start dropping them onto wax paper by spoonfuls. You want to do this part as quick as possible as they will start to set up in the pan if you do not. I can sometimes tell the difference between the first cookies I drop and the last. Towards the end they will become dryer if you are not quick (quick like a bunny rabbit!) :)

Let the cookies set up and then carefully peal them from the wax paper. Store them in an air tight container.

Pom Power!

How many of you out there just adore pomegranates? Come on don't be shy..yell out ME ME!! For very good reason you should love this little guy! He's packed with all sorts of antioxidants that will punch out the competition. To name a few contenders in the ring this includes red wine, blueberry juice, green tea and cranberry juice. I know right.. amazing! Check out this graph that demonstrates it's superiority in the antioxidant fruit fight.

Antioxidants are like cops.. they will fight crime in your body. What crimes am I speaking of? I am speaking of the toll free radicals play on our health and well being. Free radicals are the bad guys. They are unstable molecules that can damage the cells in your body causing disease and increase the signs of aging (gasp!)

First let me show you all the ways Pom Wonderful makes it easy for us to enjoy these benefits. Below I have pictures of the Pom section at my local grocery. Pom Wonderful comes in all sorts of flavors such 100% Pomegranate Juice or a variety of options that are about 80/20 mix. Let your taste buds delight over Pom Blueberry or Pom Mango. Those are some of my favorites besides straight up 100% Pom on the rocks! It also comes in a array of other products such as Pomx Iced Coffee. I admit that was extremely yummy!

I have a tendency to drink this stuff right outta the bottle but it can also be useful and delightful in many recipes. Today I made a Pomegranate Blueberry Shake packed with protein and yep you guessed it--> antioxidants!! (blueberries also pack a kick of antioxidants)

Pomegranate Blueberry Power Shake

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Pom Wonderful 100% Pomegranite Juice.
3 oz skim milk (that is just over 1/3 cup)
2 ice cubes
1/2 frozen banana
handful of frozen blueberries
1 TB almonds: ground
2 TB vanilla whey protein powder (that was about half a serving or scoop)
1/2 tsp honey

First I put whole almonds in the blender and ground them up. I have a selection on my blender called "grate".

Then I added all the other ingredients to the blender and pushed Blend!
Check out the little chunks of blueberry goodness in that glass!

It was delightfully refreshing!

Information and recipe adapted from  Pom Wonderful

How do you "umm umm" love your oatmeal?

I never thought I'd say this but I love oatmeal! I not only love oatmeal but I look forward to that warm feeling in my tummy and the whole grain goodness wafting from the bowl as I lift the lid off.
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between slow cooked oatmeal (I prefer steel cut myself) and instant or quick cooked oatmeal? When your grandma said "Oatmeal will stick with you." she was right... but only if she was speaking of the slow cooked version due to it's lower glycemic index over instant oatmeal. A glycemic index is a measure how quickly a particular food increases your bood sugar within a two hour period. Instant oatmeal has already been broken down and processed which makes it easier for your body to digest, hence it's higher glycemic index. Also most instant oatmeal's are loaded with sugars and other 'junk' such as sodium making them the lesser choice.

Lots of us are on a time crunch and have used the excuse "I don't have time to make breakfast!". I'm a huge advocate of preparing your meals ahead of time. You can make more than one days worth of oatmeal at a time and divvy it up into appropriate serving-sized containers. You will not loose any of the nutritional content and now you have breakfast on the go! I make my oatmeal on Sunday afternoon for the entire week. I have no excuses for not eating a healthy breakfast!

Now for the fun part.. what do you like to add to your oatmeal to perk it up? My favorite addition is fresh plump blueberries and ripe sweet strawberries. I've also tried apples with cinnamon, honey and Truvia. I have recently tried a new sweetener, Raw Coconut Crystals. It is a low glycemic sugar alternative. I really like it. You can find it in the health section of the grocery. Sometimes I will stir in protein powder or Benefiber. I tried chocolate protein powder once thinking it was going to be similar to Malto Meal. The answer to that question would be ----> a big fat no! :) Most recently I've gotten a little daring and tried a combo such as sugar-free caramel syrup and Udi's Cranberry granola. Here is the grand daddy of all wild ideas...I used about a half container of Amaretto coffee creamer (those single serving size ones you get at the coffee counters) and then tossed some Udi's Cranberry granola on top. How loud can I mumble "UMM UMMMM!" through my mouth full of oatmeal!! That was delish!! But as a disclaimer, this is not what I would call healthy lol. Good tasting, but not good for you. :) It says online a serving of this creamer has 40 cals! So I will stick with my all time favorite.. fresh blueberries and strawberries!!

What ideas do you have for adding a little something extra to your oatmeal? Please comment below!

Skinny Dippin'... for your fruit!

Although you probably won't be actually skinny dippin' this summer.. no one wants to be the one chunky dunkin' in their bathing suits either! Keeping fresh fruits and veggies on hand can help keep your figure in check. I love this Raspberry Dip that incorporates shredded coconut for a unique change from all the typical fruit dips.

Raspberry Dip
1/4 cup  shredded coconut (opt)
1 C. sour cream (I use lighter versions)
2 TB skim milk
1/4 C Raspberry preserves (I used Smuckers Sugar Free)
Fresh Fruit for dipping

Mix coconut, sour cream, preserves and milk together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Dip apple and pear pieces in lemon juice. Arrange with strawberries and grapes.