Art Appreciation

My son requested/suggested this post.

We have had unseasonably warm weather where we live.

And when it gets warm one of the many things my son and I like to do together is draw on the driveway with sidewalk chalk.

It never gets old.

I think at heart we both still just love to create.

And so I'm posting pictures of our artwork.

For our fellow foodies we drew some pictures of food! ;)

You know the best thing about that?

Imaginary Food is ZERO PTS!

And, boy have we got you covered today.

My son drew a Love Vending Machine filled with all sorts of yummies including drink boxes, chocolates, cupcakes, ice cream, heart emojis and love splats.

So go ahead and indulge!

Everything out of this vending machine is filled with love and it's all FREE!

Even better than all the delicious treats?

Time with my son.

That is PRICELESS.

I hope you take a moment today to spend time with someone you love doing something that makes your heart sing.


Blessings to you and yours,


~Carrie

Sweet Squash

It's kind of hard to make this look attractive because it's not but, it tastes good.

One of my favorite things to do if I'm low on points and looking for something sweet is to cook up an acorn squash.  

I roast in on a olive oil spray, foil lined baking sheet at 450 F for 45-60 minutes.  

If you don't like the char it's only a thin layer and you can scrape it off.  You'll still have the yummy roasted flavor.  

After you bake it pull out the flesh of one half of the squash and mix it up with 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp Truvia Brown Sugar Blend.

The other option would be to substitute pure maple syrup for the Truvia.  

That's a 1 pt dessert.  

It's not as sweet as ice cream but it's mild and sweet and nutritious and something I love.

Guilt-free tastes delicious.

Happy Cooking!

This Inspired Life

Last summer I was chatting with my WW coach about the little things in life that are most precious.  Whenever I think on it I get a bit choked up and that day was no exception.  At the time I wasn’t able to articulate myself, to express what I feel so deeply to be true.  Hopefully this will more articulately voice my feelings.
 

“Mommy, Daddy!” my son stage whispers.  Inwardly I groan.  It’s 5:15 am and I’m really not awake yet.  “It’s time for the cuddle sandwich!  What bread are you Mommy, Daddy?”

“Uh, Pumpernickel” I slur.  “Asiago” my husband groans.  “Great!  I’m provolone cheese” my son says as he giggles and snuggles in close to us. 

After five minutes of quality cuddling he bolts out of bed to meet his day running and watch the sunrise. 

My husband rolls over and we snuggle for five more minutes before prying ourselves from the bed.  It’s a wonder to me how this never gets old, even after 17 years.  I crave it like oxygen, waking up with my best friend, this beautiful, amazing man.

We go through our morning routine.  My husband makes my coffee for me every day and after I have breakfast my son and I cuddle up on the couch for the best part of waking up. 

Remember the old Folgers Coffee ad?  “The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup”- that was the tag line.  Well, I sort of changed the last words to “Colin in my arms”.  As we cuddle I sing the requisite song. 

On days I work my mother is over at the house by 6:30 am.  If my son had his way she would be over at 6:00 at least but together they’ve learned the art of negotiation.  From the minute my son sees the whites of her eyes he lights up like the Fourth of July.  Gran and Papa hung the moon as far as my son is concerned and I would have to agree. 

My parents are the kind everyone dreams about. 

I work part time and Mom always watches my son when I’m at work.  She’s well accustomed to just how neurotic a mother her own daughter is and somehow manages to be the most fun play pal a kid ever had.  At the same time she's every bit as amazing a caregiver as I could ever hope to be myself. 

Papa has taught my son the value of laughter, flexibility in life (though he’s, I mean we’re, still working on that one) and how to just be plain silly for no reason at all. 

At the end of the morning it’s finally time to head off to work, school, and errands. 

Even after I’m back at home alone there are whispers of my family everywhere- Pooh bear sits on the kitchen island, my husband’s shoes are lying out.  Our house is in its general state of cluttered chaos, what I like to call the level of “friend clean”.      

I start to sort through all the papers on the island which are largely my son’s school work.  I look at his drawings and stories and am simultaneously amazed at the heart and creativity and a little wistful as they speak of his age.  When did he get this old? 

On the days I work it’s like a patchwork quilt of friends- co-workers and patients alike.  Sometimes when I lie in bed at night I can see their smiling faces, and sometimes the sad ones too.  
I pray for them all. 

It’s a truly amazing thing to stay in one office for twelve years.  The greatest thing happens; you really get to know patients as people.  I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the incredible kindness people have shown me nor the feeling of being humbled by their trust and the opportunity to share in some small part of their lives. 

At night we eat dinner, read, and before you know it I’m getting my son ready for bed. 

Funny thing- we actually have this 1 ft tall laminated yellow paper smiley face hanging from the towel rack in the bathroom.  My son thought the bathroom was “too scary” at one point and said he needed a happy thought so my husband hung up “Mr. Happy Thought”.  I made the mistake of doing a voice for him once and now every night I have to sing the same song while he brushes teeth.

  

After dawdling during flossing and brushing it’s on to pj’s and prayers. 

I don’t think I’ll ever get over just how beautiful it is to hear a child pray.  It’s always so real, so tangible and so profound. 

After my son is in bed my husband and I sit on the front porch swing together and talk and watch the lightening bugs.  We talk most about our son and our day.  Sometimes we just sit and don’t talk at all, watching the sunset and just enjoying our company. 

And me, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. 

And I think that it’s all the million little things like these and a million more I don’t have room here to mention- all my family, my friends, my enemies and complete strangers who, through my interaction with them, have helped shape this inspired life. 

It’s not having the “perfect” family or the “perfect” house or life, its knowing that the family and the house and the life that I have are the perfect ones for me. 

It’s the experience of all the little things we can’t compare because no one else even knows about them.  It’s the secret you keep in your heart.

You see, I don’t believe God compares us because God knows we are beyond comparison.  How can you compare two different and completely unique things?

I think before I die when I think back on my life these little everyday things are the ones I’ll remember most- the faces, the smiles, the cuddles, the laughter, the tears,...

...and all the echoes of a beautiful life. 

~Carrie

Jalapeno-Cheddar Sweet Potato Puffs

I got this recipe from Myfitnesspal.com.

You can find the complete recipe here.

I'd also like to put in a quick plug for myfitnesspal.  I actually really love their articles and recipe ideas.

I feel like it's worth signing up even if you're not using their calorie tracker because you're using WW pts.  And, it's totally FREE.

They also have a great data base.  There are times that I can find nutritional info there when I can't on the WW app.  It's a nice supplement to our plan I think.

Onto these scrumptious little puffs...

I've made these a few times because my husband and I just love them.

It's kind of fun because it's a combination of ingredients and flavors I wouldn't necessarily have put together in this way.

I LOVE that!

Trying new things and learning new things makes me feel fully alive.

The recipe says to boil the sweet potatoes before hand but I've just put them in the oven to roast and it tastes great.

I look at it as one less dirty pan to wash later.

I haven't made this since I've been on WW.  It just wasn't something I thought of until now.

However, when I started putting this in the recipe builder I realized it would be higher in points than I wanted so I changed it up this time.

I did a little experimenting with this.

I substituted 4 egg whites for the 2 whole eggs.

I also decided to try substituting 4 wedges of Laughing Cow Pepper Jack Cheese for the reduced fat cheddar cheese or regular pepper jack because it's a lot lower in points.

I've also learned to really love the Laughing Cow cheeses.

For one I love that I know each wedge is 1 pt for the types I buy.  I don't have to think about it, just one wedge= 1 pt.

I also think one could make a vegan version of this substituting in silken tofu and adding in some extra spice.  Just a thought.  I haven't tried that yet.


Now, into the kitchen!

Here's my beautiful baked sweet potatoes and minced jalapeno.  I ended up using about 1 1/2 of these.

Mix it up with the Greek yogurt, bacon, egg whites.

And after all the Laughing Cow is added this is my mixture.  

This made 19.  The recipe said it would make 18 with one serving being 3 puffs.  

This is 3 pts per serving of 3 puffs.

The verdict?

They tasted different than before but were not better or worse.

Which means.. 

They're still really yummy!!!

I think the thing that was different was the consistency, probably from the cheese change up.  

They were a little tricky getting out of the pan and came out in bits.

But I was okay with that.  I'm not entering a contest or trying to impress anyone.  

I'm just sharing recipes with friends.

I'm making them for me and for my family and because cooking is fun!

Bottom line~

I love em' :)

I hope you do too!

Happy Cooking!!!

Oil, Fat & Flame

Just a short post today on oil.

Why so short? You may ask.

Because, it seems my son has passed the cold he just got over to his Mommy.

It's just a common cold but it's annoying enough I'm just not feeling 100%.

I'm sure I'll be feeling back to my former ornery self in no time. ;)

Prayers and positive thoughts are always appreciated though.


So, the other day I was shopping at TJ Max.  Now I usually never go there but my cousin, Mary, loves the place and has been raving about all the deals she finds.

She specifically related that there are a lot of good deals to be found on various foods which was a surprise to me.

When I went last week I did indeed find something I was excited to find.

It's an aerosolized avocado spray.

What's so exciting about avocado spray?

Well, it's a high heat oil.

What does that mean?

It means it has a high smoke point.  When you cook with oils they all have a smoke point or a point at which they smoke and release toxic fumes.

I'm admittedly impatient even when cooking.

My husband calls me Patience for a reason.  Because I don't have a lot of it.

I like to cook on high heat so knowing smoke point and which oils are high heat oils is important.

If you feel so interested and so inclined I'm leaving you today with this article from Cleveland Clinic on oil.

Thanks to my cousin Mary for passing on the tip! :)

Happy Cooking!

Thermogenic Foods

As you've seen I've been reading Rocco Dispirito's The Negative Calorie Diet.

I checked this book out at the library to get new recipe ideas, not to get a new diet.

However, out of curiosity I did scan through some of what he was touting in the way of diet.

One of his main premises is that we need to be sure to incorporate thermogenic foods into our diet.

When we eat our bodies produce heat to digest the meal.

Some foods produce more heat and result in increased calories burned.

Those foods are said to be more thermogenic.

Now, get ready for the surprise....

Those more thermogenic foods are primarily cruciferous vegetables and proteins.

Gasp!

Could it be that healthy foods can aid in weight loss and management?!!!

Um, yes.

If you're interested in metabolism and thermogenesis check out this short article.

Also, you need to realize that while they may help you burn more calories it's like more in the 10% range or so from what I read.

It's not like we can sit down and pork through a whole bag of almonds and magically lose weight.

Yes, I'm laughing right now.  ;)


Out of completeness I will list his top ten thermogenic foods:

1. Almonds
2. Apples
3. Berries
4. Celery
5. Citrus fruits
6. Cruciferous vegetables
7. Cucumbers
8. Green leafy vegetables
9. Mushrooms
10. Nightshades(ie eggplant, bell peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes)

In general lean protein is also listed as a thermogenic food

He also lists the top 10 fat burning condiments and spices which are:

1. Cayenne pepper
2. Black pepper
3. Turmeric
4. Mustard
5. Horseradish
6. Cinnamon
7. Ginger
8. Garlic
9. Cardamom
10. Cumin

And so here's the deal~ I don't believe in any type of hype diet.

But I do believe in trying to eat more fruits, vegetables and lean protein...

Which I'm already doing and certainly this is what WW encourages with the way their Smart Point system is set up.

In fact, the nice thing about reading this list is that there was nothing he listed that I don't really eat.

It is such a fantastic feeling to be able to look my patients in the eye and educate them about healthy lifestyle, diet and exercise and know that I am also doing those very things.

There's nothing worse than feeling like a hypocrite and it's so nice to let go of that and know I'm walking my talk.

The other great thing is that I've been practicing in the same clinic for 13 years so I really know my patients.

And, they've seen my transformation.

They usually ask me what I'm doing before I get a chance to tell them.

I also appreciate the respect I see in their eyes because they have all seen what my "before" looks like.

So, I wouldn't get this book just for dietary guidelines but I am loving his wholesome recipes.

They are very plan friendly and delicious.

And, I will admit that I'd slacked off a little on my almond intake but after reading the book I've been more consistent with my almond consumption.

I've added another snack to my mid-morning of seven almonds which is 1 pt.

Psychologically it feels good every time I eat them or any other healthy food.

I just secretly smile to myself and think "Yep.  I'm that girl~ the one who eats all this healthy, delicious, life giving wonderful food!".

Now that is sexy ;)

Stuffed Cabbage With Pepper & Tomato Goulash

This is another recipe from Rocco Dispirito's book The Negative Calorie Diet.  

I've never made stuffed cabbage before but after I fell in love with the eggplant roll ups I considered it a moral imperative to at least try this.  

Ingredients

1 head savoy cabbage, core removed(I used Nappa because I couldn't find savoy)

Olive oil cooking spray

16 oz 96% lean ground beef(I used 90% lean ground turkey)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup minced onions

1 cup chopped red bell peppers

1/2 cup no-salt added chickpeas(garbanzo beans)

1 cup no-salt added beef stock

1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes

1 Tbsp Hungarian paprika(I used smoked paprika)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Place the cabbage on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high until the leaves pull off easily, around two minutes per layer.  Reserve 8 whole leaves and chop the remaining cabbage.

Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat.  Season the beef with salt and pepper.  Cook until done and transfer to a plate.  

Add the onions, bell peppers, and chopped cabbage  to the skillet and cook until softened, around 3-5 minutes.  

Add the resevered beef and the chickpeas and season again.  Add the stock, tomatoes, and paprika and simmer until thickened.  Turn off the heat.  

Lay the cabbage leaves out on a clean work surface.  Strain the beef mixture through a colander, reserving the liquid.  Transfer the sauce to a large baking dish.  

Working one at a time, evenly spoon the beef mixture onto each cabbage leaf, fold the sides over the filling, and roll into a pouch.  Place each roll seam side down in the baking dish.  Transfer to the oven and cook 10 minutes or until cabbage is tender and the filling is hot.  

I had a little difficulty getting the Nappa to fold over properly.  It was due to the hard stem so I cut a triangle out at the bottom as seen below.  I think this would've been way easier with a savoy had I been able to find it.  

It was still a little messy and tedious as the leaves are very fragile but it's not something that really bothers me.  

This serves 4.  This comes to 4 pts for the beef version and 3 pts per serving for the turkey version I made.  

The verdict?

I like this.  I don't LOVE it but I did like it.  I think next time I would add some cayenne because I was missing the heat.  

My only other issue was that the outer shell, the large leaf of the cabbage was a little bitter.  

Even though the stuffing contained the cabbage it didn't seem so bitter.  

Again, until today I'd never really had stuffed cabbage and am not a cabbage expert.  Perhaps the savoy he suggested is less bitter or maybe it's an acquired taste.  

I certainly think it's always a good thing to broaden your horizons and try something new.

You won't know if you like it until you try it and I encourage you to do so!

Happy Cooking!

Eggplant Roll Ups

This is one of the BEST recipes I have ever tried!!!!

Okay, I had to get that out of the way.  I know I usually make you wait until the end to get the verdict on any recipe but I really couldn't wait to tell you that I just loved this.  

This recipe comes from a Rocco Dispirito book I got from the library.

It's called the Negative Calorie Diet.  

Again, I'm not looking at a different eating plan but I'm always looking for new recipes and the recipes in his book are very plan friendly.  

You can the recipe here on the Dr. Oz site as well as below.    

Before you start this first know that you're going to need to soak your almonds overnight.  

I had never done this and it was really exciting to try something new.  

Ingredients

Olive oil cooking spray

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup diced red bell pepper

One 10 oz bag washed spinach

1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp chopped garlic

Crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup fresh basil leaves, firmly packed

3 cups crushed tomatoes

1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices

Salt

1/2 cup toasted almonds, soaked overnight in enough water to cover

1 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated on a microplane grater

Instructions

Preheat the grill to 350 degrees F.  

Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet with the cooking spray, and place over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and bell peppers to the hot skillet and cook until soft, 3-5 minutes.

Add the spinach and cook until wilted and the water has evaporated.  Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.  Spray the skillet again and place over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook until a deep golden brown.  Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and half the basil leaves and saute just long enough to wilt the basil.  Add the tomatoes and cook until the mixture reaches a thick sauce consistency, 3-5 minutes.  

Spray the eggplant slices with cooking spray and season with salt.  Grill the eggplant on each side until lightly charred, about 1 minute per side.  Add 1/2 cup of sauce to the bowl with the vegetables, season with salt and red pepper flakes, and mix well.

Place the eggplant slices on a clean work surface, making 4 overlapping, 5-inch-wide x 10-inch-long rectangles.  Place an even amount of the vegetables and some of the remaining fresh basil leaves on each rectangle and roll up.  Place the rolls on top of the remaining sauce in the skillet and spoon some of the sauce over each roll.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the eggplant is tender, about 10 minutes.

Place the almonds in a blender with just enough of the soaking water to blend them and process on high until it's a thick and smooth ricotta-like consistency, about 1 minute.  Remove from the blender and place in a small bowl, add the cheese and season with salt.  Pool a little sauce from the skillet on top of each roll with the almond mixture.  

Here's a peak~

The next day I put them in the food processor with a little of the soaking liquid.  You're going for the consistency of ricotta cheese.  

Now I think Rocco had to have removed the skins from his almonds as his almond puree was fluffy and white as a cloud but mine was not.  

Still, it tasted good and we all know how many nutrients are in the skins of fruits, vegetables and some nuts.  So, added bonus!

This is post puree.  

And below is after the addition of the grated Parmesan cheese.  

Above sauteed orange bell pepper with onion.

Below, I finally got to use my new mandolin to get the eggplant slices.  

And, it worked like a charm!  Woo hoo!

Add the spinach.  

I didn't have any fresh basil so I used dried.  Still tasted great.  

Now to roll em' up....

Add the tomato sauce and bake.

After they're out you top it with the almond mix.  

What I changed~ I didn't feel like having to grill the eggplant slices first.  I'm also not so great at grilling as things often stick and so forth.  So, instead I microwaved them for one minute.  

And it turned out just fine.  I also added an extra sprinkle of both garlic salt and onion powder to each eggplant slice before I baked them.  

You already know what I thought of this recipe.

I LOVED it!  Something happens when you take the time to bake things like this in the oven.  The flavors just blend and get more intense.  

The roll ups without the almond mix are ZERO pts!!!!

With 1/4 of the mix it's 3 pts.  

Definite win that I will most definitely make again.

Happy Cooking!!!

Strawberry Napoleons

Since I had a lot of leftover phyllo dough I thought my son and I could make some cute little Napoleons together.  

I remembered seeing something like this in a Hungry Girl cookbook once.  

Here is a similar recipe.  

Ingredients

phyllo dough- let this sit out in the wrapper for several hours until completely thawed!

1 packet- Jello sugar free vanilla pudding

2 cups thinly sliced strawberries

1 packet Truvia

Light whip cream for garnish


Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

After the phyllo dough is completely thawed set aside five thin sheets stacked together.  Spray olive oil spray between each sheet.  Then with the sheets stacked cut into eight 3 x 4 rectangles.

Cook then on your silicone mat or a foil lined baking sheet sprayed with olive oil spray.
Bake them around six minutes.  I would check them every 2-3 minutes so they don't over brown.

Sprinkle the berries with Truvia and then start layering the Napoleons.  

I layered in this order phyllo then berries, pudding(2 Tbsp), phyllo, pudding(2 Tbsp), berry and whip cream garnish.

My son used the whip cream a bit more liberally.  ;)

Obviously the points will vary depending on how much pudding and cream you use.  

I gave myself 3 pts per Napoleon.

These were really fun and easy.  

I forever love berries and cream so this really hit the spot.  

Happy Cooking!!!

Plain Broccoli Tots

I finally got a hold of the plain Broccoli Tots from Green Giant!

I've been in close contact with my local Hy-Vee grocer.  

Uh hm, he may even know me by my first name now.  

So he gave me the down low on when the next shipment of tots would come and I swooped in and scored three bags!

Woo baby!

You just gotta know when I get something like this in my head I'm like a dog on a bone, I just gotta have it.  

I felt like Ralphie on A Christmas Story anxiously awaiting the Little Orphan Annie Secret Society decoder pin.  

Would it be fair to say I love food as much as Ralphie loved Annie's Secret Society?

Um, yes.  

Yes, it would.  

I'm a complete foodie.  

This is a peek at part of our dinner~ SAM's Club Parmesan Crusted Tilapia for 6 pts a piece(really yummy) and the lovely Broccoli Tots.

Let's talk points~

These are 1 pt lower than the broccoli & cheese flavor.

These are 3 pts for one serving of 6 tots.  

I went ahead and had two servings and found out this is one of those 1+1 does not equal two kind of things.

Two servings is 7 pts.  Bummer.  I hate when that happens.

Oh, well.  They were really good so they were still totally worth it to me.

This time I was smart enough to only pull my allotted amount of tots out of the bag to cook so I didn't go overboard.

I definitely recommend trying these little yummies if you can get a hold of them.

And, now if I could just get the Cauliflower Tots....

Happy Snacking!