Tofu Pie

Yes, Tofu pie. And it's amazing. I'm always looking for new desserts to make since being diagnosed and I swear I will never live down Scotty's first birthday cake. It was a great lemon English tea cake ... for breakfast ... in England ... with tea. But I iced it and attempted to serve it to our friends. Not OK. I still get grief for it.

But now I have it. The best pie ever and I will continue to make it for every event. I'm stoked!

I package Tofu (I used Silken Firm and it came out fudge-like consistency. I'm going soft next for more of a mousse)
Semi sweet chocolate chips
Coconut Milk (although Almond or Soy works)
Salt
Vanilla Extract (I also added Rum extract)
Agave nectar (I'll leave this out next time for less sweet)
Melt the chocolate. Blend it in a blender. Pour in a pie crust. I found an unbleached wheat flour chocolate pie crust at the Farmers Market. It was ridiculous.

Best. Healthy. Dessert. Ever.

Successful Fooding

The holidays are here. I have bypassed my Bah Humbug, but am not quite at Happy Holidays yet. I'm stuck somewhere in the middle with a massive stressed out to do list and nothing in my bank account. It pushes the mood back towards Bah Humbug quite easily, but... I'm working on it, people!

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but I will call it a successful food endeavor. Food is a touch dicey for me at times, given the whole medical condition thing, but I survived. It was possibly questionable at times, but I learned a couple lessons and am all the better for it. I shall explain.

I made the best healthy sides. Last year I conquered the whole meal due to a last minute hospital trip for my Mamaw, but this year was spent with Boo & Co at the lake. So I made sides. I had to make sides. I was faced with casserole and die-if-you-eat-casserole and might-not-want-to-risk-it-casserole. I will admit, topped with the fact that it was my first Thanksgiving not with any of my own family or friends, I was upset. I feel like there are a handful of places in the world I can expect that I don't have to work so hard to be "normal." That there will be something for me to eat just because. I know I'm different and it's not everyone else's problem. But this was one of those places. (Expectations will bite you every time. Ouch.)

I shed a couple tears; I called my Mom for a "missing home" talk and moved on. What other choice did I have? So I made my own mashed cauliflower and cider-cinnamon sweet potatoes. They were good. They were actually great. And I had seconds of both, tossed the rest (as no one else enjoyed my personal sides) and lost 4 lbs over the last week.

Yup - you read that right.

So that's my successful fooding reward. Suck it up. Move on. Take care of your self so that you can enjoy the time with everyone and the conversation and know that you are losing weight while everyone else is gaining. That's right.

Healthy TV Dinner

I've spent some time scouring recipes and adapting them to what I know I like. (We're beyond slow at the store today). Because our local boys are in the playoffs and the game is this evening, I made a healthy adaptation of a TV dinner.

Chicken, cut into cubes and tossed in a mixture of whole wheat flour, parmesan cheese, paprika, garlic salt, oregano, parsley, thyme and possibly panko bread crumbs in a ziploc. Put on a baking sheet lined with foil, spray with the Misto and bake on 350.

Boil green beans and toss with onion and pancetta, salt & pepper.

And the best part...pumpkin brownies with cream cheese frosting. I don't know if I want to top with cream cheese or mix in. Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger, Whole wheat flour, Canned pumpkin, buttermilk, egg (traditional cake stuff), either topped or mixed with cream cheese frosting (splenda, lemon juice, vanilla, cream cheese) and baked like a cake then cut into brownie squares.

So excited!!!

UPDATE: Everything fantastic, but the pumpkin brownies are way better with cool whip and maybe the fresh raspberries in the fridge. Cream cheese was too much for the spice of pumpkin, but the "brownie" flavor is divine!

Pure Relax-ment

I could not be happier in this exact moment. I found the cure for my bad moods. A bona fide fix-it, sort of a thing. I took Monday morning and got a half off massage at a 4-star hotel spa. Yes, half off. And those smart kids have left me with two more coupons, meaning I will keep returning. It's the cost of a slightly nicer than normal place with all my coupons. But, holy crap, worth it.

So I got an hour long aromatherapy massage on Monday preceded with THE fluffiest, comfiest robe ever. I want one! Then I got a manicure at the local place by the store with my favorite color "Lincoln Park after Dark." I was sore the entire rest of the day, but have not been anything but happy and relaxed ever since! It's a miracle cure!!

And tonight I found the secret to the most amazing thing ever - the perfect steak. Pretty much, my Dad and Nick & Sam's have been the only people to make me a perfect steak in my whole life. I like a crunchy outside with a rare-medium rare inside. It's actually pretty hard to make. But with the combination of Kuby's filet (buy the frozen 1-day old steak and it's half the price), Saltgrass seasoning mixed with Cavendar's Greek seasoning rubbed in with olive oil, and the cast iron grill I made the most amazing, wonderful, orgasmically fantastic filet. No man has ever made me a filet this perfect (except my Dad). I will forever take over the steak grilling.

I picked up a bottle of $7 red wine that is actually good and I'm in an absolute state of perfection! Off to bed now and then tomorrow I'll be sure and schedule the next round of massage (and pedi) at my new fav 4-star hotel spa. Ugh, heaven.

Perfect Sunday!

This has been the best, cleaned-laundry done-grocery shopping-Target hunting-sheets changed-gourmet dinner-wine-football sort of Sunday! Ugh, I'm in heaven.

The day began with Brunch at a local fav. Then I spent the next two hours traipsing through Target (two different ones) finding the perfect Halloween costume for Misty. OMG, she is the cutest flower ever! Such a perfect costume for her. She's a brat. Well, she's always a brat, but she's a costume brat. She won't wear anything on her head and if it isn't fitted around her back she sits and refuses to walk. So a neck costume is the best and the $4.99 price tag is awesome! And then continued to find a great black and white, snap front flannel. Sometimes you can't beat a good fashion deal from Tar-geh.

The real treat; however, was the farmer's market and cooking. I made an antipasto snack a couple hours before dinner. Fresh spinach, washed and tossed in an olive oil spray, salt, pepper and drip of balsamic vinegar, Mozzarella balls tossed in basil, rosemary and olive oil spray, whole wheat saltines, sliced red bell pepper and salami. Yummers!

Meanwhile, I marinated chicken in lemon rind, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil. I threw it on the grill a couple hours later; browned pancetta in a skillet with some frozen peas, then tossed with mint, salt and pepper and put whole wheat boucle in the oven. Made a fresh lemon juice, parsley, olive oil sauce for the chicken. SERIOUSLY! So freaking yummy. Topped with my Cupcake Merlot (less than $10) and this night cannot, CANNOT get any better.

Go team!

Fashion & Food

My entire life has existed around fashion and food lately. It's like the most perfect two things ever. Maybe that's why I finally feel relaxed in life. (Or it could be my new girl I hired majored in psychology and is slowly unwinding my issues).

Tonight - a menu of pesto chicken on the grill and then baked with mozzarella cheese with a side of spinach and pine nut spaghetti made from skinny spaghetti , spinach, garlic, pine nuts and a sauce of chicken stock, corn starch and parmesan cheese. I made it up! I'm so excited. And last nights dinner was phenomenal. It's an Italian chicken and pasta a made a while back and it still was the best thing ever the second time around.

I also spent this last week in Vegas at market and abso-freaking-lutely loved it. It was like I was fashion starved and now I'm filled. More later. And then a fashion show/happy hour. I bought a new Kate style clutch, but for like $30. I mean, life is fantasticness in a bottle of wine.

I hadn't written in a while and have a tendency to be a bit dark, twisty and slightly moody so I thought a happy update was overdue.

Off to finish dinner, finish my bottle of Ruffino, snuggle with my honey and enjoy the foosball on the telly.

Cheers!

Menu

I'm rocking out an eclectic, yet successful menu for myself this evening. The remainder of last night's champagne, accompanied with a steamed artichoke with dipping sauce, spicy tuna brown rice sushi and a caprese salad.

Super duper yumminess.

Kitchen-focused

This post is all about the food, but there's been some good stuff coming out of my kitchen. I had to share.

Tonight's menu:

Chicken marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and cinnamon 24 hours. Perfect flavor.

On the side - sweet potato fries tossed in olive oil, salt and paprika cooked and flipped at 400 for 30 minutes. And fresh green beans in toasted garlic, chicken stock and tons of Allspice, boiling and simmering for 30 minutes.

I already shared all of my menu from the 4th. I must say that the tomato salad is a new favorite heading into rotation.

Tomorrow is girls night out at Lumi, but Thursday is Boo's family recipe of pot roast in the slow cooker all day with an entire jar of pepperocini's, juice and all. I'm adding chopped carrots and onions to the mix for a side. Fresh wheat bread from the store, toasted at 350 for 10 minutes and served with butter. Perfection!

Fantastic Relaxation

This was a great weekend. Three days of 4th festivities with friends, all feeling a bit on the grown-up side. I sincerely loved it. And I even found myself able to relax enough by Monday evening to look around and take a deep breathe, appreciative of the evening. For the most part, I spend events either running around taking care of things or feeling on the outside. Since reading my highly mentioned book, I'm doing better about both.

My self esteem isn't based on others perceptions of me.

Saturday Boo's parents came in to toast the new store and check out what we're up to. After a long day with them we headed to Addison for our recently married friends. It was a casual get-together with burgers, beer, fun times and then fireworks. We hiked to a nearby bridge to watch the local shenanigans.

Sunday we hosted the pool portion of the weekend, but it was really so calm and quiet. The ladies lounged in the sun and the guys sat around the food. You know you've reached adulthood when there's more food (and gourmet food) than beer at your parties. I made a tomato, basil, bell pepper salad tossed in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, salt and pepper. And a low fat ricotta processed with lemon juice, Splenda and vanilla extract, topped with fresh berries in lemon juice and Splenda. And firecracker burgers made with cayenne, spicy mustard and red onions. The other ladies contributed slow roasted pulled pork, "potato" salad made with cauliflower and taboulleh. So exciting!

We finished off the weekend with a couples viewing of the Bachelorette and a rooftop hotdog cookout. It sincerely couldn't have been a better weekend leading up to a crazy week of store-ness.

Kitchen Posts

LISTENING TO: PRISCILLA AHN "DREAM"
& RAY LAMONTAGNE "WITHIN YOU"


Oven heating. Whole wheat rolls sitting on the cookie sheet next to me. Peppercorn porkloin resting in a shallow baking pan. Spinach waiting in its steaming bag. Dinner is almost served, I suppose.

I'm standing in the kitchen listening to quiet music attempting alone time. That's quite a difficult feat when living 24/7 with a boyfriend who works from home, office only steps from your own home desk. Dinner will cook 30 minutes. I may still be standing here. My eye keeps resting on an unopened bottle of Sangiovese. Does red go with porkloin? I think any wine goes with anything on a stressful day. To that end, any wine will work today.

Misty and I began the morning, pre shower, at the vet. I had to drop her off to be worked in. She started crying for attention 24 hours ago - turns out it was a doggy UTI. The cost of a set of 2 tires (which I needed) and three trips down the way in a monsoon of coldfront rain and we're all nestled back at home for the evening.

That wine is looking mighty fine.

I have now opened it. It's breathing next to me in my beautiful stemless glass. Ah, sweet flavor.

Yummy

I just made the best dinner possibly ever - at least in my history of cooking. I was sweating head to toe by the time I was done, the cast iron grill going on both broilers and four pots and skillets rotating around the other two broilers. My unopened bottle of wine waiting until I finished because I was throwing spices and knocking over seasonings in the pantry, frantically changing wooden spoons for different sauces and turning the chicken so it didn't burn.

It tasted awesome.

Italian-seasoned chicken, tossed in whole wheat flour, parmesan cheese, olive oil, oregano, garlic salt and paprika, grilled on the cast iron. Topped with a sauce of onion, tomato paste, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and chicken broth. On the side, fresh green beans, snapped, boiled and tossed with butter, lemon juice and parsley. And whole wheat penne pasta with a butter, garlic salt, pepper, Creole seasoning, cream cheese, sour cream, milk and garlic sauce.

Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc on the side. Strawberries and Splenda for dessert.

YUM!

Chocolate Cake from Heaven

I can't eat cake anymore. All cakes and cupcakes are LOADED with sugar and flour and I'll literally go into shock from too much of either. I tried eating a cupcake a couple months ago and was miserable and almost in the ER. Not worth it.

I'm always trying to prove how tasty healthy food can be because I can't have the unhealthy stuff anymore. So I set out to make a lemon cake for Boo's bday in December. I've yet to live it down. It was awful - well, for a birthday cake. It would have been great for breakfast served with coffee. Not sweet. My Mom once asked him the worst thing I've made. She didn't even finish asking before he jumped up, eyes wide, "My birthday cake!"

No cake for me - or so I thought. I believe the following recipe was created by angels and they blessed my kitchen while I baked it. It tastes FANTASTIC! And I ate it without a problem. So I had to share. It's the least I could do. Now, it sounds complicated, but it was actually super easy. With this and my sugar free cheesecakes, I'm set for life!

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Almonds
2 tablespoons trans-free margarine or unsalted butter (I used my reg tub of butter)
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup blanched almonds
1/2 cup sugar (I used Splenda)
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
5 egg whites, at room temp
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon toast almond slivers (I left out)

 - Preheat oven to 350.
 - Generously coat a 9" springform pan with 2 teaspoons of the margarine or butter and dust with cocoa powder. (Don't tap out the excess cocoa; leave it in the pan). (I melted my butter in the microwave and poured it in).
 - In a food processor, combine the blanched almonds with 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Process until finely ground. (I used Splenda)
 - In the top of a double broiler over barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and the remaining 4 teaspoons butter, stirring occasionally, until smooth. (I put directly in a pot on level 1 heat and stirred constantly so it didn't burn)
 - Place chocolate mixture in a bowl. Add almond mixture, sour cream, sugar sub, egg yolks, vanilla, almond and 1/4 cup of remaining sugar. Stir until well blended. (Again, Splenda. I also stirred everything wth a spatula, including the heated chocolate. Worked better.)
 - In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites and salt until frothy. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
 - Stir one-quarter of the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it up. Gently fold in the remaining whites until no white streaks remain. Place in the prepared pan. Gently smooth the top. (Again, spatula).
 - Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cake rises, the top is dry and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
 - Place the pan on a rack and cool until warm. The cake will fall dramatically. Loosen the edges of the cake with a knife and remove the pan sides. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds, if using.

You're welcome. So freaking good. I'm off to have a piece...