Here’s what you need:

1-16oz. bag of slaw mix

1-12oz. bag of broccoli slaw

shredded carrots

almonds (I used sliced, but slivered would work as well)

1/4 to 1/3 cup of each olive oil and apple cider vinegar

1 packet of ramen noodles (I use oriental flavor)

mandarin oranges (1 can or 2 snack-size cups)

raisins (Trader Joe’s sells a great raisin medley with 5 or 6 different varieties that I love.)

green onions

splenda or stevia if you like it sweet

First, stir the olive oil, vinegar, and seasoning mix from the ramen noodles together in a large bowl.

Next, mix the slaw mix and broccoli slaw (and shredded carrots, if you desire) with the oil and vingear mixture.  After the greens are wet, everything else goes in – raisins, oranges, almonds, green onions, and splenda (optional).  Mix thoroughly, then crush the ramen noodles and mix those in, too.  If you like them super crunchy, wait until you serve to add the noodles.  I like mine to soften, so I add them in well before serving.

The finished product.

Enjoy!

Last weekend, we were hunting for cookout foods, and I spied something I have been looking for for years (Not to say that it wasn’t right in front of me the whole time, but I don’t think it was!).  They actually sell a fire-roasted salsa that has no added salt!  I love the idea of salsa as an alternative to other fatty condiments, but I rarely use it because it’s so high in sodium.  And forget about having chips and salsa!  That’s enough salt to last me a year.

That being said, this salsa is not only healthy, but delicious.  I actually did try it with some veggie & flax chips, and it was just right.  The chips were a tad salty, but there wasn’t any extra salt in the salsa.  It’s my new true love (just don’t tell Jon).  Luckily, Jon isn’t really even interested in the salsa because he’s a salt fiend, so it’s mine all mine!  Try it!

Only 15 calories in 2 Tablespoons!

Here are the chips.  They do have a bit more calories and fat than normal, but that’s because flaxseeds are baked right in!  My own personal jury is still out as to whether you can digest whole flaxseeds that are cooked into foods.  You aren’t supposed to eat whole flaxseeds as a supplement because you’re body can’t break them down and get the good stuff out.  However, if they’re already cooked, can they be broken down if whole?  I’ve found no information on that, and would be happy if someone could tell me!

Have a great rest of the weekend!!

Yesterday I got a new camera, too, so my pictures are going to be great once I figure out how to work it (Sony a330 DSLR).  Now off to yoga!  Have a great day, and I promise I’ll be back soon!

Two boxes of See’s chocolates (I have a sweet tooth from HELL.), and some Peach Cran-Tango black tea and Copper Knot Hongcha black tea from Teavana – 2 of my favorites!  Okay, so his gifts are pretty traditional, but here’s what I got him (and Lucy, the ever-curious cat):

A cast iron tea pot (sort of for me, too), HP sauce (from England – it’s somewhere between ketchup and A-1, and I had heard Jon mention it before), and a six-pack of different kinds of beer from World Market!  I couldn’t think of anything to get him, and what guy doesn’t want beer?  I think he was happy.

So after our little gift exchange, it was time for me to go to yoga.  Here’s my festive attire:

I thought it was funny.

Random profile shot.

Happy Valentine’s Day Lovelies!

I credit myself as being a quite a good speller, but this word eluded me.  I started with ‘omlet,’ but I knew that didn’ t look right, so I went to google.  All I found were discussions of how to spell said word, nothing pointing to what was actually correct.

Next, I tried dictionary.com.  Here’s what I found there:

Notice the “Also, omelette.”  So apparently there’s no real answer.  Just know that omlet is wrong; omelet or omelette are okay.

Now that that is cleared up, on to the omellletttte.  Heh.

It may not look like much, but man oh man is it deeeelicious!  I never remember to take a picture of it before I start eating it, so I decided to snap it after a few bites.  That way you can see the innards, right?  It’s really too bad there’s no macro option on my camera so pictures like this would come out clearer.  I guess I’m just going to have to invest in a D-SLR soon.  I almost got one at Christmas, but then decided I might not use it enough.  Now I have an excuse!

Oh, one more rant before the recipe.  This recipe utilizes artichoke hearts.  Do you know who has the BEST DEAL EVER on artichoke hearts?  It’s ALDI.  Everyone I know hates on Aldi every time I mention it, but I freaking love that store.  Their prices are soooo good, and the quality is good, too.  I can buy a 12oz. jar of artichoke hearts in water at Aldi for $2.29!  Every other store only seems to have art hearts packed in oil only, and I can’t stand the ones packed in oil.  Nevermind they cost almost twice as much!   Aldi also sells marinated artichokes and artichoke salad for the same price, but like I said, not a fan of artichoke hearts in oil.

Without further ado, the recipe…

Spina-Arti-Gouda-Licious Omelette

Ingredients:

• 2 whole eggs
• 1 egg white
• Couple ounces of fresh or frozen spinach
• 4-5 artichoke hearts, chopped
• Smoked gouda (as much as you like!)
• Couple chopped asparagus spears (optional)
• Chopped onion (optional)

Get your wonderful husband (since mine is the perfect omelet-maker, I have to give him credit) to heat the spinach with the artichoke hearts, onions and asparagus until everything is nice & hot and the spinach is wilted.  Press out as much water from the veggies as you can and set aside.  Whisk eggs and pour into pan greased with butter or something nice (I haven’t had the guts to use real butter yet.  I’m working on it – I already stopped using just cooking spray, but for now I’m using Smart Balance Omega-3.  I’ll graduate to butter soon.).  Let eggs cook until done on the bottom, throw in veggies & cheese and fold over.

Voila!  Spina-Arti-Gouda-Licious Omelette!  Enjoy with an orange or an Almond Butter Banana Nut Muffin!  Whats your favorite omlet/omelet/omelette?

It looks almost just like a buttercup squash, and in fact I really have a hard time telling them apart.  The international market here (K & S) always has a sign up that says buttercup squash, but they often have kabochas in the same bin.  They are VERY similar.  Heather wrote a post on how to tell them apart here.  I think these particular ones are kabochas, but I’m never positive unless they have stickers on them.  I LOVE when the stickers are on them.

So anyway, what do I do with a kabocha?  My favorite way to eat these little babies is pureed.  It’s a very thick (think mashed potato consistency), sweet, and creamy addition to any lunch, and you can even eat it for dessert.  Here’s what to do:

Kristy’s Pureed Kabocha

Wash the skins of the kabochas really well because you’re going to eat them!  Line a baking sheet/pan with foil, and roast them whole for 2-2 1/2 hours at 275 degrees.

Once your house smells good and the kabochas are nice and soft, cut them in half and scoop out the seeds and cut off the stems/butts.  Slice each one into chunks and throw the chunks in the food processor.

Here’s what I add to the kabocha (1 whole kabocha) in the food processor:

• Soy milk – enough to make the processor puree the squash – just keep adding it if they squash chunks are staying solid
• Lots of nutmeg
• Lots of cinnamon
• ~1 tsp. vanilla
• ~1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 small banana
• 1 snack-size container of unsweetened applesauce (I think it’s 4oz.)
• Stevia/splenda/sweetener of choice – I use a lot because I like it SWEET
• …and the secret ingredient – Maple Extract!  I use probably 2 tsp.

Puree until smooth, and keep adding liquid as you need it.  You can use soy milk, other non-dairy milks, water, or anything else that’s wet!  I like to eat it cold with almond butter on top for lunch.

Please ignore the plastic container…It’s packed for lunch tomorrow!

You could thin it a bit and have a sweet soup, use it in a smoothie, or maybe even freeze it like ice cream (I’ll have to try that one.).  Let me know if you like the maple!

Almond butter with roasted flax seeds.

At first I thought, “What a good idea – almonds + flax – extra nutritious.”

Then I thought, “Wait a minute.  You can’t digest whole flax seeds.  This is no good.”

Then finally, “BUT, these seeds are roasted.  Doesn’t that mean they’re softer and I can chew them up?”

So the debate in my head raged on, but my curiosity got the better of me.  I obviously bought the jar, and it’s quite tasty EXCEPT for all the salt.  I think this may be the saltiest almond butter I’ve ever tasted.  I don’t really add salt to anything, so I am sensitive to it, but this just seemed like overkill.  I eat Sunbutter with salt, and it’s not even close to the salt in this almond butter.

The flax seeds give it a nice crunch (and there are a LOT of flax seeds in there!).  I thought the flax seeds were just floating on top, but they make up a good portion of the mix.

The verdict:  Great texture, probably even better than crunchy almond butter.  Way too salty.  I used it this morning in my almond butter muffins, and I didn’t have to add any salt   I probably won’t eat any of this stuff as a spread – but it will work in smoothies, etc.

What do you think about the ability to digest these whole flax seeds?  Does it matter that they’re roasted?  Still impossible for our digestive systems to break down?  I’m curious.

Flours, a case book, and chargers for a seltzer bottle.  Is that someone you’d like to hang out with?  Ha.

In other news, I have a terrible head cold.  I really don’t believe that going out in the cold can make you sick, but I’ve been going downhill ever since our trek in the snow Saturday.  I’m so stuffed up that my neti pot won’t even drain through my nose.  It’s rather pathetic, and I’m glad I have a snow day!

Since I’ve been sick, my eating has been FAR from perfect.  All I want is sugar and carbs when I’m sick.  Does that happen to anyone else?  I really can’t seem to make myself put a single vegetable in my mouth.  For example, yesterday for dinner I had a grilled cheese with gouda and havarti and cheese pizza rolls!  PIZZA ROLLS!  For the love of Pete!  We shouldn’t even have pizza rolls in our house!  But my kind husband cooks me whatever I desire when I’m sick.  I’ll try to be better today.

Even when I do eat crappy foods, I always try to eat a decent breakfast.  Start off well, and see where it goes.  Lately, my favorite breakfast has been a dreamy blueberry almond smoothie.  It’s sweet but low sugar, and it has a good mix of healthy fat (almond butter, coconut oil), protein (Greek yogurt, protein powder), and low GI carbs (spinach, blueberries).  It comes out to about 500 calories, so it will hold you over to lunch easily.  It’s not like my old green monsters – it actually tastes GOOD.  Try it!

Blueberry Almond Dream Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 5oz. 2% plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tsp. – 1 T almond butter
• 1/3 tsp. coconut oil
• 1/2 scoop strawberry protein powder
• 1.5 T chia seeds soaked overnight to make a gel
• 4oz. raw spinach
• 6oz. frozen blueberries

Load everything into the VitaMix.  No, my VitaMix isn’t filthy.  There’s film on the inside of the container that I can’t even scrape off with my nails.  I haven’t had a chance to soak it in vinegar yet.

Whirrrrrr it around a little bit, and Voila!  Smoothie.  Enjoy it in your favorite Bubba Keg.  Seriously, I drink my smoothies out of a Bubba Keg.  Heh.  Have a great Tuesday!

And I just happened to have a snowman mug to make it festive!  What is protein ice cream you say?  Well, here’s the recipe I used:

Chocolate-Strawberry Protein Ice Cream

• 1 cup unsweetened or flavored soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 1 scoop protein powder (I used 1/2 strawberry & 1/2 chocolate whey protein.)
• 1-2 packets of stevia or sweetener of choice
• 1/2 tsp. of vanilla
• pinch of sea salt
• 1/3 tsp. guar gum
• 1/3 tsp. xanthan gum
• Lots of ice

Blend everything in blender (I have a VitaMix, so it can handle all the ice, but be careful if you use other blenders.  This gets VERY thick and makes the blender work pretty hard.).  The gums make it very thick.  You can make it without the gums, but it will turn out more like a smoothie.  This recipe made that mug full as well as another plastic container-full.  Sprinkle with cocoa powder an enjoy!