#22

I guess it has already been 10 whole days since I hit 22! I can't say it's a real life changer...although for some reason I feel much older. Oh, well. I got lucky this year, and I had the day off clinical. Score! I enjoyed my day thoroughly. I started it off with strength and abs. Then did some Kenpo-X. And wrapped up the afternoon with some X2-Yoga. Oh, and I slept-in until like 0800. It was fantastic. Felt SO good. I realize that's not most people's ideal way to spend a birthday, but it certainly was for me. 

For dinner, I went out with the family to Capers Mediterranean Buffet & Bistro in NW OKC. I always like to pick someplace we've never been before. I've kind of been on a Greek and Mediterranean food kick since last year, when we went to Zorba's. So I hunted high and low on Urbanspoon until I found something that looked good. There were a few more casual Mediterranean food places, but not very many "nice" ones. Oklahoma is a little low on Mediterranean cuisine choices. I was kind of skeptical because I generally don't do buffets. However, I was pretty impressed. The gyro meat was by far the best I've ever had. EVER. There was a great selection of salads. They had some of my Mediterranean favorites--dolma and falafel. Bottom line: there was lots of tasty stuff. I definitely recommend it!

We went back to the father's house for cake. I found out a couple of days ago that the mother was actually going to bake me some kind of white chocolate raspberry cake, but she got distracted shopping for presents and ran out of time. SO, I ended up with white cake with butter cream frosting from Target...and I really can't complain. It's one of my weaknesses. I love Target cake. It's horrible. I don't even want to talk about the ingredient list. But it's so good.

Well, I'm sure that I really should get back to studying. I had a test yesterday, but there's another one tomorrow. That will be 3 since school started on the 7th. Story of my life. 84 days 'til graduation!

Oatmeal Banana Muffins

The basic idea for this recipe was found via Pinterest. However, I naturally changed some stuff up. Like, for instance, I did not use real sugar or real eggs...resulting in muffins that are just about 82 calories a pop. I also added some cinnamon. I was a little bit concerned about how they would turn out after making such changes. Honestly, I don't think anyone would ever know. Not that I've shared them with anyone to find out. (No, I did not eat all 12 at once. I froze 10. I have found it works really well to pull a couple out before I go to bed, so in the morning they're room temperature. Then, I just put a little peanut butter on them. SO GOOD.) This recipe is definitely a keeper!


Oatmeal Banana Muffins

Ingredients:
2.5 cups oats (can be gluten-free)
1 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup egg substitute (equivalent of 2 eggs)
3/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute (I used Ideal brown sugar)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda 
2 ripe bananas
Cinnamon for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Spray a 12-cup muffin pan or line it with the little paper things.
Mix everything together in a good food processor or blender (I used my Ninja).
Pour into pan.
Sprinkle with cinnamon. 
Bake, oh, 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Tuscan Ham & Bean Soup

This is one of those things where we had a bunch of stuff that needed used, so I found a recipe that basically worked...You can get that by clicking here, but I didn't follow the directions really at all, and I changed some stuff up. It's weird. There was definitely a time would I would NEVER stray from a recipe. That would be HORRIBLE. Now, I feel like I'm ALWAYS changing things up. The recipes are just guidelines or suggestions. My new practice seems to be working out pretty well. This soup was definitely a hit.

Tuscan Ham & Bean Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups cannellini beans (or other white beans), soaked overnight
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup EVOO
4 cloves garlic, minced
5-6 cups chicken stock (reduced sodium)
16 oz ham, cubed 
2 cups of butternut squashed, cubed (I recommend getting the kind that's cubed and frozen, like the kind at Sprouts...saves a lot of time)
1 bunch/bag of kale, chopped (stems removed, if you're really want to)
5 small red potatoes, scrubbed and chopped (leave the skins on!)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Basil, oregano, and rosemary to taste

Directions:
Heat the EVOO in your big soup pot. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic; saute until onion is translucent. Add beans, potatoes and chicken stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Before the beans are too tender, add in the ham, squash and kale. Ideally, everything will be done about the same time. Season to taste. Enjoy!

Grilled Mozzarella Sandwiches with Marinara

I am very behind on my posting... Here it goes: A little twist on a favorite indulgence. I will go ahead and admit that there's nothing quite like a warm, grilled cheese (Velveeta) sandwich with heated up, canned tomato soup on a cold day. It's just good...at least it tastes good. I got the main idea for this meal on Pinterest, of course. But, I decided to make it a little more complicated, obviously, and make the marinara sauce from scratch. I also sauteed up some mushrooms and spinach to go on the side. (Yum!) All in all, this is healthier than the average grilled cheese. Definitely less preservatives and that kind of junk. Also, quite tasty.The whole fam loved it!

For the sandwiches...

• Use whole grain bread. I really like the Sprouts variety, which only has 6 or so ingredients.

• Use a butter substitute on one side of each slice of bread. Again, Sprouts has one that I really like. 

• Sprinkle a mixture of Italian seasonings on the "buttered" side of the bread

• Use a block of fresh mozzarella cheese and cut slices to fill your sandwich.

• Grill 'em 'til they're perfect!

For the marinara sauce...
I recommend this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis. Make sure to get the crushed tomatoes that do NOT have salt added. Also, cut the preservatives by buying organic. 

For the (mu)shrooms and spinach...
All I did was saute the shrooms with some EVOO and garlic. Then, I added a bag of baby spinach leaves and an unknown amount of white (cooking) wine. Cooked it down. Pretty easy.

Black-Eyed Pea & Kale Soup

If there's anything at all I've learned from nursing school, it's that you don't challenge a superstition. Like, full moons are always crazy, and you never ever say "quiet." So I figured for New Year's Day, we needed black eyed peas for good luck. In looking for a recipe, I found that leafy greens and pork are also "good" things to eat on New Year's. I located a recipe from Whole Foods that included all those things, except I opted to use kale instead of collard greens. The soup turned out really well. Even my mother, who despises black eyed peas, enjoyed it. The only problem was that I had a sinus infection when I was cooking, so I may have added a little more ground cayenne pepper than necessary...but I guess the plus side to that was it helped clear me up! Anyway, it's a fabulous soup...just be careful how much punch you give it!

Black-Eyed Pea and Kale Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups dried black-eyed peas, let soak overnight and drain before cooking
2 TBSP EVOO
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 lb. Black Forest ham or smoked turkey breast cut into small cubes (optional)
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bunch (or 1/2 bag) kale, chopped and stems removed
4 carrots, chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt
Ground black pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onion, garlic, and celery and cook until onion is translucent. Add peas, broth and ham; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until peas are tender. Add kale and carrots and simmer until tender. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Enjoy!

 

My final semester of undergrad is well underway. My calendar is literally the most terrifying thing I've ever seen. Seriously. I've been back at school for a week and my roommate and I didn't have time to talk to each other until today. So I really shouldn't be on here blogging. I should be writing a research paper, reading my books, and working on study guides, case studies, and other assignments. I'm at that place where there is so much to do, that I don't even know where to start. Yikes. Well, Biggest Loser is over so I guess I'll get off here and go workout. Then, maybe I'll actually get some sleep tonight. Maybe.   

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

I have wanted to make a French toast casserole for a REALLY long time. There were lots of recipes that looked absolutely delicious, but also pretty extreme. Lots of butter, at least a dozen eggs, and obscene amounts of sugar. I was super excited when I uncovered a recipe in my grandmother's collection that was much more reasonable, and was double-marked with smiley faces (her favorites have smiley faces on them...that's how we know they're good). I did, unintentionally, change up the recipe a little bit...apparently I like to omit directions. Regardless, it turned out beautifully. Also very yummy. It's another one that's great when your going to have a crowd for breakfast or brunch. Make it the night before. Bake it in the morning. Perfect!

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Ingredients:
12 slices day old French bread, sliced 1"
5 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup brown sugar, divided (3/4 and 1/4)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups blueberries (frozen works)
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Directions:
Arrange bread in greased 9x13 dish.

Combine milk, 3/4 cup brown sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and eggs. Pour over bread.

Refrigerate overnight.

*Remove 30 minutes ahead of baking. Sprinkle on nuts, 1/4 cup brown sugar and melted butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Sprinkle blueberries over top. Serve.

*Or, if you want to not follow directions like me....
Go ahead and put the blueberries on over the bread. Then, sprinkle on nuts, remaining brown sugar, and melted butter. Refrigerate overnight. Pull it straight out of the fridge and put in in the oven on 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cranberry Coffee Cake

Here is the recipe for the other part of our Christmas breakfast (still no picture). My grandmother frequently prepared this for us while we were there for Christmas break. I love it, so I was excited when I finally came across her recipe. Like I mentioned yesterday, she had an extensive recipe collection. It's hardcore. Seriously. I went through the sections for breakfast and breads before I realized there was actually a coffee cake section. Legit, right? This can easily be made ahead and frozen. You can do a 9x13 or two 8x8 pans, depending on what you want to do. Enjoy!

Cranberry Coffee Cake

Grease pan(s).
 
Bottom Layer
     2 cups whole cranberries
     1/2 cup sugar
     1/2 cup nuts
Mix together and place in bottom of pan;

Mix:
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2/3 cup oil or 1 cup melted butter
2 tsp vanilla

Pour over cranberries. Let stand 1 hour. 

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until done. (There is a note to reduce the heat to 300 if you're using a Pyrex dish.)

Oven Omelet

I made this for Christmas morning, along with a tasty cranberry coffee cake (check back tomorrow for that recipe). Well, actually, I dug out the recipe (my grandmother had an extensive recipe collection), got the groceries, and somewhat supervised my brother putting it together while I made the coffee cake. Regardless of who made it, it turned out totally scrumptious and delicious. It looked pretty good too, but I didn't get a picture taken. For some reason, taking a picture doesn't cross your mind when you're trying to get breakfast on the table for 20 people. Go figure. You'll definitely want to try this one out next time you need breakfast for a crowd. It's handy because you prepare it the night before. The first person up can put it in the oven!

Oven Omelet
16-20 slices English muffin bread (removing crusts is optional)
     Butter one side of the bread
1 lb cubed ham
1/2 lb cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 lb Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
Beat together 8 eggs and 3 cups of milk (use some half & half)
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt

Grease 9x13 pan.
Cover bottom of pan with bread (buttered side up).
Layer cheddar cheese, ham, and Swiss.
Add another layer of bread.
Pour egg mixture over the bread and refrigerate overnight.

Before Baking, sprinkle 1/2 cup crushed cornflakes (I used crushed whole wheat Ritz Crackers) on top. Drizzle with 1/4 cup melted butter.

Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour...or maybe a little longer. Knife should come out relatively clean.

ENJOY! It is REALLY good!
 
  

Gingerbread Cake

I would consider gingerbread to be a classic holiday treat. I made this for "Christmas" at my father's house before we left for real Christmas in Minnesota. The recipe, I believe, is my mom's mom's. She called it "My Best Gingerbread." It's a pretty legit, hand-written recipe on a genuine recipe card. The cake is wonderful. It has the perfect texture and taste. It's moist, but not heavy or soggy. I recommend topping it off with a lemon sauce or glaze or even plain old Cool Whip. 

My Best Gingerbread
Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1/ 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup molasses
1 cup hot water

Directions:
Grease 9x13 pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt shortening in 3-4 quart pan; cool. Add sugar and egg; beat well.

Sift together dry ingredients. 

Combine molasses and water. Add alternately with flour mixture to first mixture.

Bake about 50 minutes. (It didn't take this long with my oven, so start checking early if you know your oven cooks fast!)