Saker förändras, och så måste även bloggen. Den nya tiden kommer snart.

Som ni märker meckar jag en del här just nu. Det är bara att stå ut.

When I announced that I would take part in VeganMoFo, I promised to post some Norwegian recipes. But the truth is, I have no clue about Norwegian food. I lived in Oslo for a year to study there and learn the language, but sadly I never got much into Norwegian food. I was a poor student and Norway is pretty expensive, so I tried to eat at home as much as possible, where my flatmates (other exchange students) and I cooked our meals from scratch. We had one Norwegian flatmate, who taught us a lot about the Norwegian language, the culture, the history, and Oslo, but not much about food, as he ate this pizza most of the time. (It even has a wikipedia entry, because it is the most famous - and if you ask me, grossest - pizza in Norway.)

Now you might wonder how I came across this recipe. Well, not long ago I watched an episode of "norsk for nybegynnere" (Norwegian for beginners), a tv programme about five people who immigrated to Norway or who study there. It was so funny to watch as I could totally relate to these people and how they tried to find their way though Oslo, the Norwegian language, the culture, the administration and everything else. One episode was about one of those people trying to make a Norwegian dish for her mother in law. She chose tilslørte bondepiker although she didn't know what it was. She had an ingredient list written by - I think - her mother in law and she tried to find the items at the local grocery store. She had no idea what most of the words on that list meant and so she asked someone from the store to help her. After she had found all the ingredients, she went back home. Then her and her friends googled for a picture of tilsørte bondepiker because they had no idea how it looked. As some of you might know, reading a recipe in a second language can be very difficult because of special food or recipe preparation terms and even special grammar. But they managed it and in the end they had made a very delicious Norwegian food.

The name stands for a Norwegian dessert, which consists of the following ingredients: applesauce, kavring (rusk made from rye bread) and cream. These ingredients are, similar to a trifle, arranged in layers. With these few basic ingredients, there is much room for variation and creativity. If you can't find kavring, you can also use white breadcrumbs as in this recipe. Other substitutions for the kavring include cookie or biscotti crumbles. For the cream, you can either use soyatoo or you can make you own cream based on nuts.

I decided to make two versions of this simple dessert. The first version can be put together in a few minutes, as it consists of applesauce, soyatoo, and Zwieback. There's not much more to do than to arrange these ingredients in a glass and serve them to your guests, while mentioning the Norwegian name of the dessert. Everyone will be impressed and think that for something with such a fancy name, you must have spent ages in your kitchen. And they won't change their minds because this tastes fantastic!

Tilslørte bondepiker, version one, based on this recipe

Ingredients:

applesauce
soyatoo (I use the rice milk version)
4 slices zwieback or rusk
1 1/2 T sugar
1 T coconut oil (or margarine)
1/4 t cinnamon

Crush the zwieback. Heat a small saucepan and combine coconut oil, sugar, cinnamon, and zwieback. Cook over medium heat until golden brown. Stir constantly. Set aside to cool.

Take out a nice glass and fill it with 4-5 tablespoons of applesauce. Top with a layer of zwieback and soyatoo. Serve.

Tilslørte bondepiker, second version:

This is more decadent and with 100 % homemade ingredients. I am really proud to introduce a sweet version of my curd cheese with this post. (If you would like to know what curd cheese is, read this entry.) These bondepiker are made with pear compote, curd cheese, and crumbled cookies.

Pear compote, hazelnut cookies, creamy curd cheese, white chocolate chips for decoration.

Ingredients for the hazelnut cookies (makes 24 cookies. You will only need 1-2 cookies for each glass, so be prepared to have tons of cookie leftovers):

1/2 cup margarine
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 t baking powder
1 T soy milk
1 pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350°F, Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl, cream together margarine and sugar, then add other ingredients. Knead until all the ingredients are incorporated. Divide dough into 24 balls and flatten them into disks. Place on baking sheets. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool. (Don't remove from baking sheet before completely cool).

Ingredients for the curd cheese:

1/2 cup cashews, soaked and drained
1/2 cup soy yoghurt
2 T sugar
1 T lemon juice
1 pinch salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, process until creamy, and set aside.

Ingredients for the pear compote:

2 small pears, chopped
2 T lemon juice
1 T water
1 T maple syrup
1 pinch cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook covered over medium heat until pears are soft ( 10 minutes). Set aside.

In a nice glass, layer compote, 1-2 crumbled cookies, and curd cheese. Top with cookie crumbles and / or white chocolate chips. Serve.

This is my entry for the sweet vegan challenge by Vaishali at holy cow!

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German Version / Deutsche Version

...verschleierte Bauernmädchen. Ein einfach herzustellender norwegischer Nachtisch, der sehr lecker schmeckt. Ich habe gleich zwei Versionen gemacht. Mit der einen Version kann man Gäste beindrucken, obwohl man nur ein paar Zutaten und wenig Zeit braucht. Mit der zweiten kann man auch sich selbst beeindrucken.

Tilslørte bondepiker, Version 1, (basierend auf diesem Rezept)

Zutaten:

Apfelmus
Soyatoo (z. B. mit Reismilch)
4 Scheiben Zwieback, zerkrümelt
1 1/2 EL Zucker
1 EL Kokosfett (oder Margarine)
1/4 TL Zimt

Zwieback, Zucker, Kokosfett und Zimt in einem kleinen Topft bei mittlerer Hitze anbräunen, dabei immer rühren. Beiseite stellen. 4-5 EL Apfelmus in ein Glas füllen und etwa die Hälfte der Zwiebackmischung dazugeben. Darauf die Schlagcreme verteilen und mit etwas Zwieback dekorieren. Sofort servieren.

Tilslørte bondepiker, Version 2

Birnenkompott, Haselnusskekse, selbstgemachter Quark (basierend auf dieser Version), weiße Schokoladenchips zur Dekoration.

Zutaten für die Haselnusskekse (für 24 Stück, für jedes Glas werden nur 1-2 Kekse benötigt, so dass am Ende noch eine Menge übrig sind. Sie halten sich gut in einer verschlossenen Dose):

110 g Margarine
60 g brauner Zucker
60 g weißer Zucker
150 g Vollkormehl
35 g gehackte Haselnüsse
1/2 TL Backpulver
1 EL Sojamilch
1 Prise Salz

Ofen auf 175 ° C vorheizen und zwei Backbleche mit Backpapier auslegen.

Margarine und Zucker schaumig schlagen, dann die anderen Zutaten hinzufügen und kneten bis alle Zutaten gut vermischt sind. Teig in 24 Stücke aufteilen, zu Bällen formen und flachdrücken. Auf Backblechen verteilen und 7-10 Minuten backen, oder bis die Kekse goldbraun sind. Die Kekse ganz abkühlen laasen und erst dann vom Backblech nehmen.

Zutaten für den Quark:

75 g Cashewnüsse, über Nacht in Wasser eingeweicht und abgetropft.
140 g Sojajoghurt
2 EL Zucker
1 EL Zitronensaft
1 Prise Salz

Alle Zutaten in einem Multizerkleinerer oder mit einem Pürierstab zu einer cremigen Masse verarbeiten. Beiseite stellen.

Zutaten für das Birnenkompott

2 kleine Birnen (ca. 230 g), gewürfelt
2 EL Zitronensaft
1 EL Wasser
1 EL Ahornsirup
1 Prise Zimt

Alle Zutaten in einem kleinen Topf bei mittlerer Hitze ca. 10 Minuten weich kochen.

Kompott, zerkrümelte Kekse und Quark in einem Glas übereinanderschichten und mit Kekskrümeln und / oder weißen Schokoladenchips dekorieren. Sofort servieren.

Just your standart 1/3 cup portion of oats, banana, and one spoonful of pb. That's the heel of a WW bread loaf slathered with almond butter on the side. I hated bread crust when I was little, but I'll be honest, the heel of the bread this morning was calling my name :)

Weird Appetite

I don't know what the deal is, but ever since Saturday, maybe, my appetite has been totally off. I just have not wanted anything, and therefore it has been tough to decide what to have for meals or snacks. Even in the mornings, when I usually am craving a good bowl of oats, or a waffle tower, I have not really been interested in either. That's why I've kind of just stuck to some basics these past few days, I've just been making easy, no-brainers, because that's all I've been capable of. I hope this fades, I really don't know what is going on, it's a little strange.

I was getting a bit of a grumbly tummy when I returned from class a while ago, and since lunch isn't for another hour or so, I had this:

This snack begins round two of my first tasting of the Clif mini bars, and as I've said before, it usually takes me about two tastes of bars to decide how much I like them. Well, my second taste of the Crunchy Peanut Butter flavor was definitely more delightful than I remembered. It was good before, but even better this time around, so yay!

LOVE YOUR BODY DAY

It's already been mentioned on several blogs today, but I don't think this can be emphasized enough: today is Love Your Body Day ! To me, this is not just a one day celebration, instead it is reminder that we should appreciate, take care of, and enjoy our beautiful, wonderful bodies ALL YEAR LONG!

Now, I'm going to go prepare for my 1:30pm class (Psych Stats, ugh), and then eat some lunch. I hope everyone is enjoying their Hump Day!! ;)

Yesterday, my breakfast was inspired by blogsister, cousin of the year, and educator extraordinaire Andrea. I mixed 1/2 cup plain nf yog with 1/2 cup pumpkin and a packet of stevia and smeared that on top of two toasted Kashi waffles (H2H). Then I microwaved 1/2 an apple and topped the pumpkin mixture with that. Some sf syrup, cinnamon, and voila!

I loved it! But unfortunately I had to eat it in 20 minutes so I felt a little gross.

For my morning snack, I had celery with raspberry salsa. I'm sad because once I run out of this salsa, it's out of my life until next summer! :( It was a farmer's market find.

See little Robbie in the back right corner? I put that picture there so I wouldn't BS all day at work. It reminds me to stay focused so that I can come home and snuggle with my little pudding pop.

It works...sometimes!

Lunch was the ultimate in boredom. I need to switch it up. Any ideas? I love getting 2-5 cups of veggies in so please don't tell me to bring a sandwich with an apple. ;)

I shouldn't hate on my salad like that, there were a couple good bites. After all, Rob's chicken was in there (4 oz) plus edamame (1/4 cup), the rest of my apple from breakfast, a couple cups of salad, and red onion. Wasa cracker and Laughing Cow on the side.

I did the teacher thing, ran around the dept, and had 1/2 cup ff cc plus 1/2 cup All-Bran for a PM snack.

Today was a rather long day (6:30 to 7:00 - ouch) so I packed another snack in case I got hungry. Which of course I did! I had Sabra hummus and some carrots:

By the time I got home, I was so hungry and tired that I had no idea what to eat. It felt frustrating. I whined for awhile, which Rob doesn't tolerate. He doesn't get mad or anything - far from it - he just redirects me. To illustrate:

• Me: I don't know what to make. I'm so tired.
• Rob: Do you want to go out sweetie?
• Me: (laying dramatically across bed) Noooo...we have everything I need here. I just don't know what I want and I'm so annoyed because I can't figure out what I'm craving.
• Rob: I know! You're craving some of that delicious grilled chicken I made. MMM!
• Me: (whining) I don't know...I'm so tired (curling up into ball).
• Rob: ...plus one of those sweet potatoes that you love because they're so easy to microwave? MMM...
• Me: (indistinguishable whining sound) It's just annoying when I can't figure out what I want.
• Rob: ...and some yummy veggies? MMM...MMM! C'mon, get up baby.
• Me: (rubbing eyes) Yeah. Okay.

He's a salesman for real! So I quit whining and made a fast dinner. I defrosted 1/2 cup of sugar snap peas and ate them with chicken and a sweet potato.

It wasn't life changing but it was pretty good. And how cute is that little pod that's open in the back?

I had a little dessert immediately after dinner: 1/2 cup mango and some ff whip.

A little later, I had a REAL dessert.

That's what I'm talking 'bout! Those are yogurt covered raisins on the left. And half a naner with a T of PB on the right.

I'm excited for tonight's debates! Rob and I have a date with the TV and a bowl of trail mix. Are you planning on watching the debates tonight?

I hope your day is beautiful! :)

เป็นอะไรที่ดีมาก เพราะจะได้ไม่ต้องไปซื้อป๊อกกี๊กล่องละร้อยแล้ว (ตอนปี 1 ซื้อวันละกล่อง เปลืองมาก)

แต่ช่วงนี้ก็ไม่ค่อยได้ซื้อกินเท่าไหร่ ถึงมันจะกล่องละ 25 บาท (เดี๋ยวนี้งกขึ้นสมอง)

จนมันมีอันนี้ออกมา... Pocky Almond Crush Bitter!!

ปกติเป็นคนชอบกิน Dark Chocolate อยู่แล้ว เลยกลายเป็นเหยื่อ Glico โดยง่ายดาย

อร่อยมาก ไม่หวานเกิน ไม่ขมเกิน กรุบๆดี

ตอนนี้กินวันละกล่องสองกล่อง (กล่องละ 25 บาท ไม่แฟบเท่าสมัยกล่องละร้อย)

เรื่องของเรื่องคือ เข้าเซเว่นไป เดี๋ยวนี้ซื้อแต่น้ำเปล่ากับป๊อกกี้ -_-' แอบหนักใจตัวเองเล็กน้อย

ขนาดถังขยะยังมีแต่...

I was up at 4:15 to get ready and pack all my stuff in the car, so I could head out to work for 6 am. It was soooo cold on the dock, I was bundled up in 3 shirts and a jacket, a hat, gloves, etc. And this plant was not the quickest. We only had about 4 or 5 totes left to do, so I phoned my parents to head out there to meet me with my cat so I could go straight to the ferry. I'm not off the phone with them longer than 5 min, and all the plant workers take off for lunch! I couldn't believe it! Why not just finish those last 5 totes, so we're all done? Are you going to starve in those extra 30 min? Needless to say, my parents ended up sitting there waiting for me to finish. I felt bad, but there was nothing I could do, and they don't have a cell phone.

And of course, this means I can't catch the 1 pm ferry. The next ferry is at 3, so I go to fill up with gas, and drive to the ferry terminal. Apparently they have changed their schedule, and now the ferry doesn't go until 3:45. UGH. I have the cat in the car, and we sit at the ferry terminal for almost 3 hours. Not to mention that this now means I won't get home until 6 pm, and the polls are only open until 7 pm to vote. I make it home in one piece, walk down to my polling station. That place was a gong show! There was a line up out the door and around the corner, and they weren't very helpful - the line was more for people just registering to vote, not for us with voter cards already. Someone explain to me why you wait til litterally the last minute to register to vote? Seriously.

But now I'm home, and in my pajamas, doing laundry, eating a thrown together dinner, having a drink, and watching the election results as they come in (Stupid conservatives - why do people vote for them?!). Here's a quick recap of the meals on film from the past what, 5 days?

Saturday Breakfast - apple cinnamon muffin, strawberry yogurt

Sunday Dinner - the "Classic Roast Beef Dinner", including roast beef, potatoes, veggies (carrots, parsnip, broccoli, cauliflower), yorkshire pudding and gravy

Saturday Dessert - apple caramel torte...mmmmmm

You can repeat those pics for Sunday's dinner as well! HA!

Monday breakfast - multigrain bagel with peanut butter and banana, Earthly Delights Pomegranate Menage A Blue juice (it was pretty good - I just picked a juice in a bottle that looked tasty)

Monday Lunch - the "California Dreamin' " sandwich from Safeway's deli, including multigrain bread, turkey, bacon, guacamole, ranch dressing, lettuce, cucumber, pickles; I also had a yogurt, diet coke, and a Hallowe'en candy not pictured (ps - sorry this picture isn't so good, don't know what's with the lighting at my parents house)

Monday Dinner - Kraft Dinner, with carrots, corn, and peas mixed in, plus a lovely gala apple, sliced & dusted with cinnamon, served with some peanut butter, as well as a Malibu & Diet Coke :oops:

And now, I few random things I picked up this weekend. First - my sister went to Mexico this past summer, and kept forgetting to give me the souvenir she picked up for me. I finally got it this weekend while I was home, and I'm not sure what to even make of it! Here it is:

It's a magnet. A very large, odd magnet. I can't put it on my fridge, since the cat will just knock it off and break it. I don't know what it has to do with Mexico, and what made my sister say "hey, I'll get that for her!" I have no clue where I'm even going to put it!

I also got 2 jars of Concord grape jelly from my aunt when we were at thanksgiving dinner. They had made the jelly from the grapes up at their trailer at the lake.

And last, but not least, while waiting at the ferry terminal for 3 hours, I got out and checked out the shops because really, what else was there to do? I always walk past the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stall, and oogle the candy apples and fancy chocolates in the window. I broke down, and purchased the Chocolate Caramel Marshmallow stick, covered in Skor pieces.

It's so pretty, I almost don't want to take a bite. I'm sure I will, and then I'll have to stop myself from eating the whole thing in one sitting!

So, tomorrow, we'll be back to our regularly scheduled posting, and you'll get a grocery shop in too, since I have no fresh stuff in the house now! But now, it's time to clean the kitchen, do some homework, and watch some more election coverage - looks like the person I voted for is currently in the lead! Woo! Night.

I added about 1/4 cup Kashi GoLean (I like a little crunch to my yogurt) and took my first bite of Chobani. The verdict? AMAZING! It has the flavor and texture of delicious, thick Greek yogurt, and the sweetness you find in regular yogurts. It's a perfectly wonderful marriage of the two. Also, I was pleased to find actual pieces of peach floating throughout the yogurt, loved it:

This flavor was definitely good. I never thought I would like flavored Greek yogurt (I've only really eaten it plain), but Chobani, you've proven me wrong!

I can't wait to try all of the other flavors I was sent: Vanilla, Blueberry, Strawberry, and plain. Thanks again Tiffany AND Chobani!

Now, I'm off to watch Eli Stone (p.s. House was AmAzInG tonight), and then I'm off to bed...ugh school tomorrow. I have a feeling these next three days will seem like a full week to me, haha at least there will be rugby this weekend!

Night! ;)

• 3 very ripe bananas
• 2 tbsp. Naturally More (flax + peanut butter, lower in fat and calories and with Omega 3s)
• 3 scoops EAS vanilla protein powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 c. rolled oats
• 1/2 c. oat bran

optional (I will add these in the future): mini choc. chips, dried fruit, nuts, applesauce, hot choc. mix.

Heat PB and bananas in the microwave for 1 -2 minutes until it is easy to stir. Add the rest of the ingredients  to the mixture and stir.  The mixture will be difficult to stir.  When everything is mixed, place bowl of mix into the fridge to solidify a little.  Then, break the mixture into hunks (nice word choice) :) and form bars.

These are even approved and enjoyed by Brady, he is a good judge of if things taste "too healthy".  They are great because the ingredient list is all whole foods, except the protein powder.

Sorry they are not too pretty...you can see the banana in there!

Just a warning---this post may be a little incoherent and sort of a downer, so my apologies in advance. I'll do the food first and then you can just skip my little ramblings at the end!

Breakfast

The usual cereal mix while doing some last minute studying for my Macro-Economic Development midterm. 

The exam went pretty well. It was what I expected for the most part and I have kept up with the work throughout the semester and did a lot of studying for it, so I hope it all paid off. It sure was long though and my hand was pretty much ready to fall off by the end!

Lunch

I decided to try out a new twist for my pre-yoga lunch. I had a cinnamon raisin ezek topped with cinnamon raisin pb on one side and a laughing cow on the other. YUM! I loved the sweet/savory combo and it really tasted like a bagel with cream cheese! This is definitely making into my weekly rotation. I also had the last of my frozen mango. I need to buy some more--this stuff is SO. GOOD.

Snack

After yoga I headed over to health services and got a flu shot. My arm is so sore right now, I took 2 advils and it still feels like it's going to fall off! For some reason I always have really negative reactions to shots--I get super sore and achy and usually get a low fever. Yuck. I'm hoping that I timed it right so that my yuckiness will happen when I'm sleeping and I'll be good to go tomorrow.

Luckily when I got home I saw a surprise in the mail! A free Kashi Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookie came today! I was so excited and had to try it out for a snack.

My thoughts? AMAZING. So good. I thought this was a great size for the calories (only 130) it was pretty dense and chewy and tasted delicious. It was so good but really satisfying too--I was good after just one (but then again, maybe that's just because I only had one...) I am absolutely buying a box next time I go to the store!

Dinner

I wasn't in the mood to cook anything much for dinner tonight so I decided to try and recreate the salad I had at John Harvards the other week. Basically I just put some salad, black beans, and hummus on a plate with pita. It was actually really yummy and ended up being exactly what I was craving. I got new Sabra Hummus with Chipotle and it is AMAZING. Very creamy with a definite kick to it. I'm obsessed.

Dessert

For dessert I had a little bit of chocolate and I'm planning on eating some kettle corn later in the night as I do never-ending work. 

Ramblings

This weekend was SO. MUCH. FUN. I always have a great time with Aliza and her family and they honestly are like my '2nd family' It's really nice having a home-away-from-home because I don't get to see my actual family nearly as often as I would like. In general I have a really hard time opening up to people and really feeling comfortably being myself, but with Aliza and her family I have definitely found people who really get me, and I am definitely my happiest when I'm around them. As a result, I'm always pretty bummed when I have to leave. 

My mood has definitely been on the lousy side today (and yesterday, which is why I didn't post when I got home). Overall I haven't had the best college experience, and while this year has been much better than previous ones, I'm still just ready to be done. I'm especially blah right now because I just had 2 really fun weekends but now don't have anything to look forward to until Thanksgiving which is still SO. FAR. AWAY. And in the meantime I have insane amounts of work which is really hard and definitely stressing me out. 

I guess I'm just in a funk that I really need to break out of. Do you ever feel like you are just going through the motions but not really enjoying what you're doing? I feel like I do the same exact thing every day: wake up, exercise, class, work, sleep. Sometimes this doesn't bother me as I like to do all of these things, but recently I feel like I'm stuck on a hamster wheel or something. And to top it all off I don't even get to create great meals or eat interesting, healthy, home-cooked meals. Ugh. 

Ok, enough of that. Sorry for the rant, I just needed somewhere to vent. 

Now I need to go do some problem sets, finish a paper, and do research galore. Hopefully everyone is having a better day than I am.

Goodnight!

And yes, apparently I pose with my balloons like a 4 year old.

Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes! They really, really meant a lot, and brightened up my day for sure! I've had a great birthday just spending time at home with my mom, shopping in the city, watching movies, and best of all- PLAYING WITH MY NEW CAMERA! Seriously, I just can't stop raving about it!! Everything about it is simply phenomenal; the quality is outstanding, and it's just so much fun to play around with! I think I'm in love.

For breakfast this morning, I woke up and celebrated in typical erica style- with a bowl of pumpkin peanut butter oatmeal! I used 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup almond milk, 1 cup of pumpkin (whatever was left over, basically), 1 banana, lots of maple syrup, cinnamon, 2 tbsp almond slivers, and a big spoonful of peanut butter! Lots and lots of sweet pumpkin goodness, and the addition of peanut butter made it even more decadent and dessert-like. This was SO delicious!

After I ate, I got myself ready to go into the city for my one class of the day, as well as to shop. Just as I was about to leave, I got a call from a friend to tell me that my english class had been canceled for the day!! How lucky was that? I was thrilled, of course! Now, I would just be able to go into the city to celebrate the day with my mom and shop instead of having to drag myself to class. I went to Bloomingdale's, Barney's, Saks, Bergdorf, and Urban Outfitters, and left with a pair of gray J Brand jeans, and a bunch of cute tops! Fun, fun!

When my mom and I got back home, I made myself a quick lunch- a hummus sandwich on rustic whole wheat from Whole Foods with spinach, fresh tomato, black pepper, and thyme. I also had an amazing golden supreme apple and some baby carrots on the side. Hummus never lets me down. Yum!

My mom and I then both headed to go pick up a tripod as well as a large memory card for the camera. Now all I need is a macro lens, and I'll be set! Before I left, I snacked on my favorite- a peanut butter Larabar.

Originally, I had planned to make an actual dinner tonight, but the sweet-lover in me was craving some breakfast food! I settled on a "breakfast for dinner-esque" meal of birthday girl whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes! My recipe yielded three medium sized flapjacks which I topped with almond slivers, a banana, and a side of maple syrup. They were so, so delicious!! Soft, fluffy, and oozing with chocolate! Just how I like it. ;)

For dessert, I made myself what I'll call a "birthday banana butter smoothie!" I used- 1 cup soy milk, 1 huge frozen banana, a squirt of agave, a pinch of cinnamon, and lots of yummy almond butter! Needless to say, this was the icing on the cake to a great day!

Obviously, my mom and I decided against going out for dinner; rather, we're going to go out for brunch this weekend to celebrate. I'm thinking some Max Brenner fondue is very necessary! I also would like to go to Babycakes Vegan Bakery for some of their amazing cupcakes! I already can't wait!

Alright guys, I'm off to spend the night watching movies and my favorite TV show re-runs (you all know what that is!).. a quiet birthday at home makes this girl happy! See you all tomorrow!! I'll leave you with a picture of my baby, Jinks!

Maple spiced cake donuts

Makes 12 donuts and 12 donut holes

1/2 cup yogurt
1 egg
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup agave nectar (next time I want to try apple cider)
2 tbsp canola oil
3 cups light spelt flour, whole spelt flour, or whole wheat flour
1 cup barley flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Mix the wet ingredients in one bowl until throughly combined, and mix the dry in another.  Add the wet to the dry and stir for a minute or two until they are mixed well.  Refridgerate for 2 hours. 

Heat a pot with at least 2 inches of oil to medium high or, if you have a candy thermometer, to 365 degrees.  Be sure to use an oil with a high smoke point such as canola or peanut. 

Roll out your dough to about 3/8 inch thick.  I find it easy to roll out with a sheet of waxed paper between the dough and rolling pin so they don't stick together.  Cut donuts with a donut cutter or, if you don't have one, with round objects from around your kitchen.  I suggest a 1 cup measuring cup and bottle cap (that's what I did anyway, and it worked for me).  If you're using household objects, look for the sharpest edges you can find. 

Test your oil by throwing in a small piece of dough.  It should brown within 20-30 seconds.  Once the oil is ready, place donuts a few at a time into the pan, making sure you don't crowd them.  Throw in the donut holes too.  Once one side is browned, flip with a slotted spoon to brown the other side.  Drain on a cooling rack over a plate or on a few layers of paper towels.  The big donuts take about 45 seconds per side. 

Serve warm or cold, with maple syrup drizzed on top if desired. 

Loosely based on Molasses Doughnuts from King Arthur Flour Baking with Whole Grains.

At home: combine all ingredients into zip-lock bag.

In camp: eat as breakfast or a snack. Makes 1 serving.

From Outdoor High Adventure

I don't think the hubby works out long enough because all I got to do at the gym yesterday was 30 minutes of cardio and a really good stretching session.  I foam rolled the crap out of my legs but my abductors are still really sore today.  I have the worst knots in my thighs.

When we got home I just had time for some cereal so I had some Kashi Go-lean crunch that I picked up at that Target sale a few weeks ago.

I do NOT like this cereal at all.  It's edible, but I don't enjoy eating it at all.  I think it tastes like foam.  I guess the protein content makes up for it's lack of taste :)

Cereal doesn't last for me, so as soon as it was 11 a.m., I was heating up my lunch!

This is leftover TJs Indian food, Archer Farms saffron cashew rice, and some defrosted frozen chopped spinach.  I had never thought to add spinach to my Indian food before, but it's a good way to sneak in a vegetable!  I have some serious love for those TJ pouches, but always feel a little bit guilty about eating a meal of all grains.

You can't tell from the picture, but this was quite a bit of food.  I like eating big lunches - just to the point where I can tell I'm full - so that I'm not thinking about food for the rest of the afternoon.  I like to have hint of something sweet after I eat lunch, so I will often chew a piece of gum or have one of these:

I don't photograph these, but thought I would share it with you today.  I love these Altoids and they usually do the trick because I get the chocolate taste and then the mint cleans my palette so that I'm not craving anything else!

Like I said, usually this works, but yesterday I was feeling a little oink-ish.  One of my co-workers mentioned Dairy Queen and I HAD to have a blizzard right then.  I think that because I tried indulging in Cold Stone, but wasn't very satisfied, I still had to get the ice cream craving out of my system.

Behold - a chocolate Reese's peanut butter cup blizzard.  My coworker got me a medium (WTF!) and while I was tempted to eat the whole thing, I knew I'd feel like crap afterwards if I did.  The thought of my stomach retaliating against too much dairy and sugar was enough to keep me from going to town on it.  The rest is now safely in the freezer to be eaten sometime later this week.  FYI, my leftover Cold Stone is still in my freezer at home.  I just might have to throw it out :(

As I mentioned, dinner was a potluck at Rose's.  Us couples often get together for potluck meals and for a while we were having them every week.  We haven't done it for a while, but now that it's fall, we'll probably have them more regularly.

Rose assigned me salad since I would be coming from work and that would be easiest to make. I ended up working a little later than usual, so Chris had to make the salad for us.  Rose made a vegetarian Shepherd's pie from the "Enchanted Broccoli Forest" cookbook, and Stephanie made homemade Granny Smith applesauce.

Everything was delish and I went back for smaller portion seconds on everything.  Rose also had homemade pumpkin pie :)

Since I don't bake, I could not pass up the opportunity to eat a home made dessert despite my afternoon DQ indulgence...and my PM indulgence with some Spanish Cava.  I can NOT wait until Rose and Stephanie use up the alcohol from their weddings.  We are still having to "help" them finish it all.  Gosh, I'm a good friend!

]]> http://sarahmeyerwalsh.wordpress.com/?p=1517 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:45:13 +0000 Sarah http://sarahmeyerwalsh.sv.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/tip-of-the-day-perfectly-popped-popcorn/ Making popcorn from "scratch" is so easy, it amazing to me that someone thought it necessary to make a microwaveable version (full of processed crap).  Especially, because it can be a healthy, high fiber snack, if you don't add too much butter.

Here's my "recipe" for a perfectly popped batch...

Heat about 2-3 tbsp of oil (sometimes I use corn oil, and sometimes I splurge with truffle oil) in a large pot with a tight fitting lid.  Heat over high heat until very hot.  Add 1 cup of popcorn, cover and shake vigorously across the burner.  Leave the heat on high until the popcorn begins to pop, which usually takes about 30 seconds.  As the kernals pop, continue to shake vigorously - this helps prevent popped corn from burning and keeps the unpopped corn on the bottom of the pan.  Keep shaking until the popping subsides, usually about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat, dump into a bowl and salt.  Toss with butter or parmesan or truffle oil, if desired...

Enjoy!

You guys are SO funny about my boots. Of course I ordered them within minutes of the first affirming comments. Thanks so much! When I get them maybe you'll get a foot shot. Ooh la la! Wouldn't that be fun!

Yesterday was pretty wonderful in terms of meals. Especially dinner!

I had an apple oat muffin before my workout. Look, they fit perfectly in the 1/2 cup Gladware. And they freeze well. I love 'em!

Then I did 30 minutes on the stairmill while watching ANTM. I worked calves yesterday, my least fave. I think I've said this before but it's worth repeating: my feet get tired before my calves do. Annoying! So I just have to endure the foot cramps. Plus I'm genetically CURSED with infantile calves. Andrea is the TOTAL OPPOSITE. I won't tell any stories but let's just say that her legs are so beautiful and rock that some knee-high boots can't accommodate her fabulous legs.

She has incredible proportions. If you saw her, you'd hate her!

Okay. I ate breakfast in my car while waiting for a parking spot.

YAY RAIN! It's pouring today, too. I love it so much! Okay, so I had 3/4 cup Kashi cereal and 1/2 cup All-Bran and mixed the yogurt in with it. Plus a plum.

I didn't seem to need a morning snack, so I just ate lunch a little early.

My salad was full of broc slaw, spinach, grilled chicken, an orange bell pepper, some raisins, and a couple T of rf feta.

This is that fun vest I mentioned yesterday.

It looked cuter on me! ;)

My salad fell a little short in the satiation department, so about an hour after I ate it I had a Wasa cracker with a T of PB.

I had my three hour seminar yesterday afternoon and I brought this fun new Clif bar with me. I read about these bars and wanted to try one, so I got a few flavors this week. This was lemon, vanilla and cashew.

Like my fall decor? :) THIS BAR WAS PHENOMENAL! I LOVED it! It looked like a Larabar, but it was softer. And the chunks of cashew were nice and big. It also kept me full for three hours. Yay!

When I got home, I talked to my Grandma for awhile so I ate a few Annie's bunnies to tide me over.

Then I ate the best dinner! It was so filling, satisfying, and easy! I got the idea from Em. I had half a spaghetti squash (about 2 cups) topped with a cup of stir-fry veggies and Morningstar Farms veggie crumbles. And 1/4 cup Newman's marinara sauce. SOOO GOOD!

It was just like pasta with sauce, but better! This made me full, but only for a couple hours and then I was ready for...

Trail mix!

Love love. I ate that, planned out tomorrow, and got into bed.

Then something strange happened. I got up at midnight or so and automatically walked to the fridge, ate two prunes, and went back to bed. :shock: WHAT?!?!?! Do you ever eat randomly in the middle of the night? I have before but not like this. It was like I was unconscious!

Have a gorgeous day everyone!

Ingredient to prepare:

• 1 egg white, beaten
• 2 cups water
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 6 cups bread flour
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Step By Step Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with 2 cups water, 3 cups flour, salt, sugar and vegetable oil; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
3. Divide dough half. Roll each half into a 9 x 12 rectangle and roll up jelly roll style, starting at long edge. Seal edges and place seam side down on a large baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.
4. Use a sharp knife to slash each loaf diagonally 3 times. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cover and allow to rise 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
5. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

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Chestnut (밤) snack bags.

Right before the recital, Blueberry Sis met me and the Lemonator for lunch at one of her favorite Mexican restaurants.  Blueberry Sis's boy and Blueberry Mom came along, too.  Below are Blueberry Sis's pre-performance tacos, piled high with steak, rice, cheese and chipotle cream.  When my sister has a taco, she has a taco.

After lunch, Blueberry Sis ran off to warm up and get dressed, while the rest of us set up the refreshments for her reception.  Blueberry Sis was very clear on what she wanted:  a simple fall feast with all of her favorites.  She bought most of it ahead of time and persuaded various friends and family to bring baked goods.

Dried apricots, dried mango, pistachios and banana chips....

Our chocolate chip cookies, Blueberry Mom's fabulous molasses cookies, assorted fresh fruit, pumpkin cupcakes with chocolate ganache frosting (which I didn't get a picture of)..

...and an assortment of great cheese and crackers.  Very yummy!

The food vanished very quickly after the recital.