Smooooothies

The smoothies are back!

I know it is under 20 degrees out.  I know that oatmeal is the correct breakfast for this type of weather.  I just don't care.  

 

A banana, an apple, a pear, some ground flax seeds, some soy milk, and this cool vanilla flavored smoothie mix thing  my dad gave me for Christmas. 
 

Blend THAT!

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Butter-NOT fries

Step 1- Peel, cut, and scoop some butter nut squash.

Step 2- Slice it into fries.  I used a mandolin slicer.  It was SO difficult and it really should not have been.  Apparently, I didn't push the slicer part far enough in and so it didn't work well.  Live and learn.

 

Step 3- Put it in a baggie with kosher salt and a little oil
 

Step 4- Bake at 425 forever.

Step 5- Wonder why they are still soggy.  Eat them anyway.

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Breakfast of Champions!

This is a two-part breakfast extravaganza!  I wanted to treat John to breakfast delight, and I think I did.  He reported that is was, "The best breakfast you have ever made!"  I'll take that!

I started with cinnamon rolls.  It is one of our favorite snacks, but as we attempt to eat more whole foods, the store bought or "Pillsbury" type have gone out the window.  How did I make them?

First, I rolled out some whole wheat pizza dough and...

brushed melted butter on it.  I am still learning to use this camera, and haven't quite mastered the close-up focus thing yet.  That's why the focus is on the brush-person's belly and not the brush part.  Oops.

Anyway, then I (heavily) sprinkled brown sugar and cinnamon on top.  The brown sugar is the darker brown, the cinnamon is the lighter brown on top. 

After it was rolled up...

and sliced, I placed it in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes.

While that cooked, I made a version of the Pioneer Woman's "Egg-in-a-Hole." 

Now, her recipe says to melt a bunch of butter in the pan, then throw the "holey" bread in it.   I didn't want to

waste the butter, so I buttered the BREAD before I put a hole in it.  I sliced the holes with my new ravioli cutters, aren't the ridges cool?!

One-by-one, they went into the pan

and were filled with egg.

I ALSO cooked up the centers, because, ya know, waste not-want-not.

By this time, the cinnamon buns were done!!!

 

Mmmmmmm!

 

The whole plate?

Yeah, that's a cool breakfast.

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Brunch!

Check out this yummy brunch!

It is whole wheat toast covered in peanut butter and raisins with a side of naval orange.

 

Doesn't using a classy glass just make orange juice better?!

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The (Ugly, yet Delicious) Truth

I have decided to come clean.  Based on the way I post, you probably think that I eat pretty well.  Here is the truth.  I don't.  I mean, I try.  Really, I do.  But I am weak.  And I have a sweet tooth. 

Therefore, this was my 10 pm dessert. 

A warm brownie, chocolate marshmallow ice cream (although I have to say, it is frozen yogurt.  John's choice, not mine.), and a sugar cookie. 

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Crockpot Magic

Only a Crock-pot could turn

THIS:

(Freezerburned Pork Loin)

into THIS:

I used this recipe, but replaced the onion soup mix with real onions

and a variety of spices.  John made the brown rice, but I arranged it into the heart shape.  Because I'm cool like that.  

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Snack Time!

Here's a sneak peek at some of the snacks I have been noshing on:

 

 

I've been really into the fruits-n-nuts combos.  Oh, and the middle photo is veggie stix and cheddar cheese.  

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Leftover Cooking

Today's post will focus on the art of leftover cooking.  Regular readers of this blog know about my love for re-cooking leftovers and creating something new from them.  While there are many ways to give new life to old meals, I have a few favorites.

One of my favorite ways to re-use leftover is to make it into a pizza.  I adore pizza in all of its delicious forms.  If you have good leftovers, like this Lubyia (Lebanese Green Beans in Olive Oil with Garlic) John's mom made, just throw it on some dough and bake it like a pizza.   

It is really a side dish, but SO good, as long as you don't mind smelling like a garlic factory.  Are there such things as garlic factories?  ANYWAY.  I added lots of Parmesean Cheese on top, because that's how I like my pizza.  It works for lots of things, especially things that have a little bit of their own sauce to keep them moist in the oven. 

Check it out!  I just rolled out the whole wheat dough, spread the leftovers on, added P. Cheese, and baked it until the crust was done.  It doesn't get any easier than that (at least to make pizza) and it is soooo good.

Another way I like to revive leftovers is with garlic, onions, and oil.  We have discussed my penchant for greens with garlic, onion, and olive oil, but you might not know that it extends to all food.  For this leftover meal, I added mushrooms to the mix.

They all sauteed until it was one mix of yummy flavors.  Then I added the leftovers, a mix of brown rice, toasted almonds, black beans, and other things that John had made for dinner one day. 

See?  Leftovers can be fun!

 

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Crockpot Rice

For the past few days I have just been "cleaning out the fridge" and making new meals out of leftovers.  For example, the pumpkin ravioli stuffing has been eaten as lunch and breakfast.  Today, I was running super late and I wanted to make a easy crockpot meal with things I just had lying around.  I found this recipe on A Year of Slow Cooking.  It looked pretty good, so I tried it.

I started out really well with the pictures.  Above, rice in a cup.

Then... the battery died.  So just imagine me adding beans, tomatoes, and seasonings.

 

When I got home from work it looked like this.  MmmmmMmmm

I shredded some yummy cheddar over it.

Check out that cheesey goodness!!!!

The rice was overcooked and mushy, but I liked it.  John didn't.  To each his own, I guess.

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Thrown Together Meals

Let me just start off with the end products. 

I came home after work today completely exhausted.  I hadn't planned dinner AND I was hungry and cranky.  I wanted a Macaroni Monday, but didn't want the typical topping.     After snooping around in the fridge, I found the mushrooms I bought.  ::LIGHTBULB::  MUSHROOM SAUCE.  Yeah. 

 

I started with a little bit of butter melted in the pan.  (Shhhh....Don't tell John!  He doesn't DO butter.)

I added the sliced up Portabellas and let them simmahhhhh.

Once they were set, I added 2 sliced up onions and a bunch of sliced up garlic to the mix.

John smashed the garlic, THANKS JOHN!!

Eventually, the flavors all blend together and are just steamy.

Check out those flavors floating through the air!  You know it's ready when you can smell it and you can barely keep yourself from devouring it! 

Of course, what meal is finished without dessert?  What do you get when you mix:

 

1 melted banana,

3 spoonfuls of peanut butter, 1 spoonful of cinnamon syrup,

 

and a just-about-cooked-brownie that is so delicious that I may or may not have been scooping secret bites from?

HEAVEN!!

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