Recipe Redux October 2013 Slow Cooker Recipe

Sorry for being gone for so long.  School and life has been kicking my butt, AGAIN.  Seems like it happens every few months.  But, I'm {hopefully} back.  I have some new posts planned and I'm super excited.  

My slow cooker is a very under-loved piece of kitchen equipment.  But, for this month's Recipe Redux I was supposed to make a slow cooker dish.  The slow cooker is a great piece of equipment if you are short on time.  

Kaylee has told me before that she loves soup, stews and chilis.  The weather turned chilly for a while so I decided to make this chili.  But, of course, with my luck, the weather was a humid 90 degrees the day I made this!  This recipe was still delicious. 

This recipe is super flavorful and healthy.  I add sweet potatoes to give it a bit of chunkiness and due to my stomach problems I don't add very many beans.  If you love beans in your chili then you can add 1 or 2 more cans. 

Sweet Potato Chili
1 onion, chopped
2 T minced garlic
1 sweet potato, chopped into 1 inch cubes
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 carrot, chopped small
1 rib celery, diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp pizza seasoning
2 bay leaves
1/3 cup TVP
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
12 oz beer or 3/4 cup vegetable broth
1 can (28 oz)  crushed or diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained


Directions

1. Stir everything together in crockpot except beans
2.  Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours
3. Add in beans during the last 30 minutes of cooking

Gym Time!

 Image from:  Cheezburger.com


For the week leading up to the Mud Run I stayed out of the gym.  Thnis was in order to make sure my knees were okay for it.  {They have been giving me some issues lately}

In order to prepare myself for the run I had been doing nothing but cardio.  I am NOT a fan of cardio!  I was really looking forward to getting bvack to the gym and getting back to my weight training.  Unfortunately, I managed to bruise my tailbone.  It kept me out of school and the gym on Monday but, I decided to test it on Tuesday.  

I can't sit without pain so, the only exercises I can do are ones that allow me to stand.  Did you know that MOST weighted exercises are either seated or put pressure on your tailbone?  I didn't either until I hurt mine.  Luckily, squats don't hurt that bad.  Wednesday and today I did 25 minutes of mostly squats and squat variations.  I threw in a few standing ab exercises to give my knees a break.  

I have put together a list of good standing exercises that don't put too much pressure on your tailbone.

Squats
Lunges
Calf raises
Barbell Rows
Kettlebell swings
Kettlebell pushups
Single leg deadlift
Ab Twist with dumbbell, kettlebell or medicine ball
Deadlift


Astrid, the woman behind Better Believe Fit actually teaches kettlebell classes.  She has some awesome workouts up on her website.  *Bonus:  They're all tailbone friendly!*
Better Believe Fit Workouts


I'm hoping this pain goes away soon so I can go back to my normal workout.  Tomorrow I'm working my abs so I can give my glutes, hamstrings and quads a rest.

Tips for Quick Dinners

Way too many nites out of the week we are forced to do quick meals.  (Slow cooker meals that fit into my nutritional needs are very hard to find.)  If you remember, last spring the kids and I ate sandwiches 2 nites a week because of Kaylee's soccer practice.  It go old pretty quick. 

Since then I have expanded my list of quick meals.  Before I thought that  cold sandwiches were the only way to get dinner on the tables before 8.  Now I have learned some tricks to get dinner on the table quicker.

1) Premake things.
        You can make a week's worth of rice or any other grain and reheat it throughout the week when you need it. Or, make things early in the day.  On most Thursdays you will find me in the kitchen cooking 90% of my dinner at around 1 in the afternoon.  After Mantha's practice I just come home and reheat things in the microwave and finish everything up.

2)  Think simple.
          A healthy meal is a simple equation.  Protein + veggies + a grain.  It doesn't have to be elaborate, or fancy.  It just needs to be nutritious.

3)  Small pieces
          A chicken breast cooks faster than a whole chicken, right? The same is true for everything you cook.  

4)  Make the slow cooker your best friend.
         You can cook a whole variety of things in the slow cooker.  Beans, soups, meat, bread, even dessert.  Juts throw it in, turn it on and walk away for 3-8 hours. 

5)  Leftovers, they are what's for dinner.
          If you have a microwave then you are even luckier when it comes to leftovers.  I reheat leftovers for dinner a few times a week.  {They are also good for school lunches}

6)  Meal in a day 
          This follows along with tip #1.  If you have time on a Sunday you can do 1 of 2 things.  
     A)  Do all your prepping (chopping, sauteing, etc), put them in zip top bags, label and freeze.  Pull them out the night before you need them so that they can thaw in the fridge.  
     B)  Make the whole entree, put it in a labeled container or zip top bag, and freeze.




The other night I was testing out a recipe and decided to make some sweetpotato biscuits to go along with it.  These are the most amazing biscuits you've ever tasted.  Soft, fluffy, yummy, and bright orange!

Yet again, I need to let you know this stuff:  {You can view my other recipe for the contest HERE}
Recipe Redux members are among the first to be introduced to California sweetpotatoes! Sweetpotatoes are not in fact a “sweet potato”- they are a different vegetable entirely. Sweetpotatoes will now be known as one word to emphasize to consumers that they are quite different from the white potato and other sweet potatoes out there.

What’s unique about California sweetpotatoes is that they are grown in soft sand and are hand sorted during harvest to minimize scarring and scratching. The result is a visually, higher quality (i.e., more attractive) sweetpotato. California sweetpotatoes are a “nutrition bang for the calorie buck” with 4 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, a good source of vitamin C and more than a day’s worth of vitamin A, all for 105 calories per serving (1 medium size, cooked). Plus, they are available year-round.

Consumers often mistakenly think that sweetpotatoes are yams. The California Sweetpotato Council also wants to set the record straight to clear up this confusion and shift the vernacular. Sweetpotatoes are sweet and moist, while yams are dry and starchy and not readily available in the U.S. Part of the confusion comes from the fact that there are varieties of sweetpotatoes called yams. Sweetpotatoes with orange interiors have a higher beta-carotene content than true yams. Sweetpotatoes are grown in the United States, while yams are imported from the Caribbean. (The scientific name of sweetpotato is Ipomoea batatas and it's a member of the morning glory family. A yam on the other hand belongs to the Yam plant family.)

and....  I received free samples of California sweetpotatoes mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the California Sweetpotato Council and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Sweetpotato Biscuits
Makes 6 biscuits 

 
.5 cup mashed California Sweetpotato
.75 cup skim milk
1 t apple cider vinegar
1.25 cup all purpose flour
.75 cup whole wheat flour
1.5 t baking soda

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400
2. Mix together milk and vinegar, set aside
3. Mix together dry ingredients
4. Mix milk and sweetpotatoes together
5. Add sweetpotatoes to dry ingredients
6. Knead 
7. On a floured cutting board roll out dough to 3/4" thick
8. Cut with biscuit cutter
9. Place biscuits on a greased cookie sheet
10. Bake 12-15 minutes

Mushroom Quesadillas. No Stove Required!

Mushrooms, the meatless meat.  I love, love, love mushrooms.  I have so much love for them that I had to use the word 3 times!  I think I use mushrooms in almost all of my savory dishes.  I probably eat more than 2 pounds a week.    They have a whole bunch of nutritional benefits.  Did you know that mushrooms are the only vegetable with vitamin D?   And 3 oz of mushrooms provide 3 grams of protein!  

Enough mushroom love.  On to recipe love!!  If y'all remember, I lived with only 1 burner on my stove for about 2 years.  I didn't get a 4 burner stove until my birthday.  During those 2 years I learned how to do things a bit differently in order to get every part of dinner done in a timely fashion.  One trick I learned was to saute mushrooms and onions in the oven.  It takes longer but, it frees your stove (and you) to do other things.  

Please pardon my photo.  My quesadilla completely fell apart when I tried to take it off the baking sheet.

Mushroom Quesadillas

Ingredients
12-16 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 (14 oz) package lite tofu, sliced 
1 cup fat free shredded cheddar

4 (or 8) tortillas (I used Ole spinach and herb fat free tortillas)


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Spray a baking sheet with pan spray, place the mushrooms and onions evenly on it an spray them with more spray
3. On a separate sprayed pan lay the tofu
4. Bake the tofu for 15 minutes, turn and bake for another 15, until it's brown on both sides
5. Bake the mushrooms for 45-60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes
6. When the tofu is done cut it into large pieces
7. If you are only using 4 tortillas on one half of each of the tortillas layer 2 tablespoons of cheese, 1/4 of the mushroom mixture and 1/4 of the tofu and another 2 tablespoons of cheese. Fold in half and microwave 30-60 seconds until the cheese melts
8. If  you are using 8 tortillas: Lay down 4, evenly spread 2 tablespoons of cheese on the top of the tortilla, then 1/4 of the mushrooms, 1/4 of the tofu and another 2 tablespoons of the cheese.  Top with another tortilla and microwave for 60 seconds until cheese melts

For more information on the benefits of mushrooms and a bunch of recipes check out
MushroomInfo.com.

What's your favorite mushroom recipe?

UnBirthday Party

MAD HATTER:
Now, statistics prove, prove that you've one birthday

MARCH HARE:
Imagine, just one birthday every year

MAD HATTER:
Ah, but there are three hundred and sixty four unbirthdays!

MARCH HARE:
Precisely why we're gathered here to cheer

BOTH:
A very merry unbirthday to you, to you

I love that movie!  It's actually my favorite Disney movie.  Sleeping Beauty and Princess and the Frog come in a VERY close second and third though. 

Why am I quoting Alice in Wonderland and talking about unbirthdays?  Because Sunny realized the other day that we have been talking about her and her sisters' birthdays and what kind of party they wanted but, I never have a party;.  (Honestly I haven't had a party in the last 19 years)

I simply explained that I don't have friends in the area so I can't have a party.  (I didn't bother to tell her that our vacation every year actually IS my "party" and the only friends I need are my family)

Her response?  "I'm sorry.  You should have an unbirthday party."  And that's what we did.

The UnBirthday Spread.  Fancy Tablecloth and "wine"

I made 4 different types of tea sandwiches; cucumber with dill cream cheese,  tuna, peanut butter and jelly, and cheese with caramelized onions.  I put out fresh fruit and veggies with a ranch dip for the vegetables.  

For dessert I made planned on making a chocolate sweetpotato cake.  But, because I'm an idiot, I mixed up 2 recipes and the cake turned out like a lava cake.  It was actually delicious and the girls loved it.

Recipe Redux members are among the first to be introduced to California sweetpotatoes! Sweetpotatoes are not in fact a “sweet potato”- they are a different vegetable entirely. Sweetpotatoes will now be known as one word to emphasize to consumers that they are quite different from the white potato and other sweet potatoes out there.

What’s unique about California sweetpotatoes is that they are grown in soft sand and are hand sorted during harvest to minimize scarring and scratching. The result is a visually, higher quality (i.e., more attractive) sweetpotato. California sweetpotatoes are a “nutrition bang for the calorie buck” with 4 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, a good source of vitamin C and more than a day’s worth of vitamin A, all for 105 calories per serving (1 medium size, cooked). Plus, they are available year-round.

Consumers often mistakenly think that sweetpotatoes are yams. The California Sweetpotato Council also wants to set the record straight to clear up this confusion and shift the vernacular. Sweetpotatoes are sweet and moist, while yams are dry and starchy and not readily available in the U.S. Part of the confusion comes from the fact that there are varieties of sweetpotatoes called yams. Sweetpotatoes with orange interiors have a higher beta-carotene content than true yams. Sweetpotatoes are grown in the United States, while yams are imported from the Caribbean. (The scientific name of sweetpotato is Ipomoea batatas and it's a member of the morning glory family. A yam on the other hand belongs to the Yam plant family.)

I received three different types of sweetpotatos to sample.  I chose the O'Henry variety because according to description paper that was included "this tater's white flesh is sweet, [and] creamy."  It sounded like the perfect  variety for my cake.

Oh and before I forget, the legal stuff: I received free samples of California sweetpotatoes mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the California Sweetpotato Council and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Sweetpotato Lava Cake


1.25 cups white Flour (you can also use whole wheat)
.25 cup cocoa powder
1.5 t baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup mashed California sweetpotato
1 cup cinnamon applesauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Stir together dry ingredients
3. Mix in wet
4. Spray a 9 inch cake pan with pan spray and pour in batter
5. Bake 30-40 minutes until the top is set and center has a pudding-like consistancy
6. Serve warm

Normally the girls aren't big sweet potato fans but, the loved this!  It's fairly healthy and if you switch the sugar for sugar free maple syrup this recipe is healthy enough to eat for breakfast.

What's your favorite Disney movie?   


   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Mud Run

What's covered in mud, completely exhausted and on top of the world?  Me!  Yesterday Ken and I did our second mud run. (Click Here to read about the mud run from last year.)  This year we had to run separately due to a falling out with our babysitter. 

We got there at 9 and checked in.  After finding a spot to set up our stuff we had just enough time to stand in the horribly long bathroom line and get to the starting line.  My start time was 10.  I finished in 59:57.  That left just enough time for me to get rinsed off and change before Ken had to get to the starting line. 

I scheduled Ken to run at 11:30 because I knew that I could finish in enough time for him to race.  What I didn't know is honestly how fast he was.  He finished in 54:10!! {Which he spent the rest of the night bragging about on Facebook.} 

After he finished and got changed we headed home to get showers,  relax and eat pizza {Ken's answer to the question "what's a good quick healthy dinner?"}.  

Roller Skating Fun With My Girls

We spent the whole weekend at the skating rink in Ormond Beach.  Mo's school did a fundraiser at the local roller rink on Saturday and Sunday we went back for a bithday party for a classmate of Sunny's.  I forgot how much I like to skate.  Almost makes me want to buy a pair of skates and dress up as a roller disco lady or a Roller Derby girl for Halloween.....almost.  {I don't dress up anymore though}

I honestly forgot how much fun skating was.  My dad used to take my sister and I skating every Saturday morning when I was younger.  I used to love it. I own a pair of roller blades that I have given up trying to use.  I rented a pair of quads (roller skates) at the rink and had a blast skating with the girls.

Roller skating isn't just fun.  It has a bunch of health benefits.  According to Planet On Wheels some of the health benefits of roller skating include:

• Low-impact exercise for joints
• High caloric burn
• Aerobically as good as jogging or cycling
• Involves all the major muscle groups
• Mentally uplifting
• Fun, hip and possibly glamorous

Skating works all your lower body muscles, your core and your arms.  Did you know that skating is actually a low impact workout?  I am semi-surprised by that.  The calories burned by skating are quite impressive.  

For a 60 minute workout --
A 120 pound person burns 336 calories
A 150 pound person burns 462 calories
A 175 pound person burns 567 calories
A 200 pound person burns  672 calories

So what are you waiting for?  CLICK HERE to find a roller rink near you and get skating!

What's your favorite healthy past-time from your childhood?

Pumpkin Iced Mocha

Ever find a recipe that you want to perfect?  You HAVE to make it taste amazing?  This is the recipe that has been doing it for me.  I've tried a different way every day for about a week.  Tweeked everything atleast once.  But, I finally did it.  I finally got it just right.  

Just in time for pumpkin season!  Pumpkin is my favorite fall flavor.  I love it so much I'll use it until next March or April. Pumpkin coffee is back in both Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks.  This year McDonald's has brought out a pumpkin coffee.  I hate to admit it but I really want to try it.  I love cheap coffee. Dunkin Donuts makes the best Pumpkin Mochas and Pumpkin White Chocolate coffees.  The temperatures are still in the low-to-mid-80's here so, I've been getting mine iced.  Still 100% as yummy without the heat. 
If you don't like coffee then just leave out the coffee.  If you want to make this a hot drink just use freshly brewed coffee and/or heat up the milk. 

Pumpkin Iced Coffee
1 servings
Calories:  162
Fat:  1.7 g
Carbs: 34.6 g
Sugar: 1.6 g
Protein:  6.1g
Ingredients
1 cup Light Chocolate non-dairy milk (I used Silk)
1 cup cold coffee
3 T pumpkin puree
3 T maple syrup
1.5 t cinnamon
Directions

1. Whisk all ingredients together, until pumpkin has mixed in with the liquid
2. Pour in a large cup.

Not into pumpkin?  Make yourself a peanut butter cup iced coffee by switching out the pumpkin puree for 2-3 T PB2.  I would suggest using a blender to mix this one because the PB2 has a tendancy to clump. 

Omnivore's Dilema

Ever wonder where your food comes from?  Wonder how much fuel is being used to get your food to the store?  I know I did.  Even if you don't, do you enjoy an informative, good read?  Check out the Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan.  

I'm not going to lie, there were parts that were a bit hard to handle.  I had a feeling that would be the case so I purposefully read the version meant for children.  But, there is an adult version that I plan on reading soon. 

If I still ate meat then this book would probably change that.  Honestly though, this changes the way look at both your meat and your veggies.

Are your organics hurting the environment more that they are helping?  Is that cage free chicken REALLY roaming free?  How much corn is actually in your diet?  {hint:  it's probably a lot more than you think.}

Do you know why sushi is served with wasabi?
Answer:  Because wasabi kills the bacteria that is potentially living on the fish.


I love sitting outside reading in the fall.  The weather in October is perfect for curling up on the porch swing and working your way through a good book.  This is a perfect sit outside read.  

Next book on the Kindle is Vegan Before 6 by Mark Bittman.