Gluten Free Chocolate Chickpea Squares

1 can of chickpeas drained & rinsed well

½ cup all natural peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1/3 cup maple syrup or agave

2 teaspoons vanilla

½ teaspoon salt (optional – if canned beans are salted skip this)

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup + 2 T vegan chocolate chips

Prepare an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment. Set aside.

In the bowl of your food processor pulse together: 1 can of chickpeas with nut butter, 1/3 cup maple syrup, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, (1/2 teaspoon of salt), 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. 

Puree until batter is smooth.

Mix in chocolate chips. Spread into pan and top with remaining chips.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (in my oven I  needed to bake them for almost 30 min – your time may vary).

 

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Next time I make these I will try substituting ripe bananas for the maple syrup. From what I could tell from reading on the internet 1 cup of mashed banana = 1 cup of sugar. How many bananas make a cup? I’m going to guess 2, so in this recipe I replace the maple syrup with 1 banana. If that isn’t sweet enough I’ll try addong a date or two (all chopped up of course).

Cinnamon Flax Bean Bread

I tried making these today with chickpeas - they were a great, guilt-free post-workout snack. I served them with almond butter and sliced pear. Another way to get that cup of beans that ETL says to eat everyday!

Cinnamon Flax Bean Bread ****

Try with different seasoning for a savoury "bread".

1 cup cooked pinto beans (or other bean)
1 banana
1 to 2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 T ground flax

For crackers: spread on dehydrator sheets, score as for crackers, and dry until crispy. To use, break up into your cereal bowl, add fresh fruit and plant milk, and enjoy!

For bread: Spread the dough onto a silicone baking mat (or parchment), slightly less thick than a slice of bread would be. Score into 'slices' of bread, and bake at 375 about half an hour, until it feels done in the center when you gently press it. If using for sandwiches, you'll do open-faced sandwiches, because this 'bread' is very filling!

Frustrated

As per yesterdays topic about wasting time - I spent a good portion of the day searching the internet for ways to edit blog posts on my tablet (other than blogger which is totally bare bones). I had hoped that Polaris or another office word type program would have a "send to blogger" function, but no. Not even Google docs does (hey Google - you guys own blogger so get with the program!). Bother. Maybe by the time I go to NZ? Editing blog posts is one of the main things I use my laptop for – there just isn’t anything in the android world that allows me to insert photos and add formatting. Android blogger is good for writing but only sticks a photo at the end of the post, and there is very little other formatting available.

On a better note, yesterday we were in our neighbouring village putzing around and came across a shop to check for new runners for Carm. Well, this shop turned out to be a good (if rather expensive) find. Sure, Carm got his shoes, but I scored the perfect outfit for travelling. It is a knit houndstooth tweed jacket and matching pants that look a little dressy. They are super comfortable and will be perfect for the plane. I'll be able to wear the jacket with jeans and a nice t-shirt, as well as with black dress pants. I just need to add a top (and I have a few in mind) and I'm all set. It will be perfect for non-travel when I need something just a bit dressier. I have lots of jeans and t-shirts, but not much else. And the good news - size 10!

This shop also had a good selection of woman's and men's shoes. I didn't buy anything but will keep a few pairs in mind.

Yesterday there were snowflakes flying around with an overnight forecast of -2. The camper isn't winterized so we turned the heat on overnight. We are hoping to hold off winterizing for a week or two in case the weather turns nice. There was a heavy frost this morning so it is a good thing we did. The cold weather prompted us to start putting the outside furniture away :-( bye bye swing till next spring. For a few years we kept it upstairs in the living room in front of the fireplace!

Btw - Dorothy! Don't give up. It doesn't take (too) much effort to make healthy meals. Last night I cooked a sweet potato in the microwave for 4 minutes, then cubed it. I cleaned and cut in half some Brussels sprouts. Cut a red onion into big chunks. Cut 6 medium mushrooms in half. Tossed all these in a big bowl with 1 tsp (that's teaspoon) of olive oil, a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional), and of course chopped garlic. Spread it all onto two baking sheets lined with parchment and stuck it into a 400F oven for 30 minutes (giving them a shake 1/2 way through). While that was cooking I cooked 1 cup quinoa with 1 cup chicken broth; 1 cup hot water, and the zest of one lemon (in the microwave 5 min high, 15 min med high).

Voila! Dinner for two or in your case dinner for two nights! It is one of our favourite dinners. The selection of vegetables can vary - sometimes we add red pepper, or cauliflower, or zucchini, or broccoli, or green beans, or, and, or, ...

Tomorrow night I'll sauté (in chicken broth) 1lb of zucchini and some mushrooms, probably some chopped onion, and as always, garlic. That will be served on lentils mixed with brown rice (3/4 lentils, 1/4 brown rice). I'll top it off with some chopped tomato.

Tonight we will venture into the dark side of meat eating (gasp)! We still have some small beef strip loins in the freezer so we’ll share one, along with a large helping of vegetables (grilled zucchini & mushrooms). And bubbles. Can’t keep to the straight and narrow every day :-)

When making lentils I always make enough for a few meals. 1 1/2 cups lentils picked over, 1/2 cup brown rice. Mix with 4 to 5 cups hot water (or a combination of water and stock). Add a bit of garlic, and whatever seasonings you like (I often add turmeric, cumin, mustard seed). In microwave, cook on high for 5 minutes, then med high for 35 minutes. Sometimes it will need a bit more time or some more water. Sometimes I heat them up in the sauté pan with onions, garlic and frozen chopped spinach.

I usually try to have a few "leftover" dinners a week - it takes away some of the burden of cooking every night.

To cut down on prep time we clean heads and heads of garlic, chop with the food processor and pack into a jar with some extra virgin olive oil. Kept in the fridge this will keep for ages (my current batch was done in August).

Cheerfulness is the best promoter of health and is as friendly to the mind as to the body.
Joseph Addison

Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Tasty cookies with the consistency of banana bread. They are about 150 calories per cookie, so they aren’t low cal, but they are full of healthy ingredients and can stand in for a quick meal on the go. I tried both the chocolate and raisin option – I much preferred the raisins. The recipe says they are optional, but I think the cookie needs them for the sweetness. I tried freezing them as soon as they were cool and that seems to have worked out fine.

Yields: 24 cookies (heaping T of batter each)
Ingredients

3 ripe bananas mashed
1 cup honey-roasted peanut-butter
2 cups rolled oats (not instant oatmeal)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey (optional)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or raisins (optional)

Instructions
1. Throw the bananas in the blender with the peanut-butter, vanilla and maple syrup/honey until it reaches a creamy consistency.
2. In separate bowl mix the oats, flour, baking powder and salt. Add banana mixture and stir well so the batter gets a stick consistency. The oats are what will hold the cookie together.
3. On a baking sheet, place spoonfuls of the cookie batter making table-spoon sized balls. Bake for 14-16 minutes.

http://www.eatfeelfresh.com/2012/03/sugar-free-peanut-butter-banana-oatmeal.html

Green Beans with Sesame Lime Dressing

I brought these to the Titanium rally pot luck and they were a hit with the vegetable lovers. I think they are a great change to plain green beans, and with the dressing is reasonably diet friendly. 1/6th of the dressing recipe is only 38 calories!

Green Bean Salad with Sesame Lime Dressing

Dressing recipe makes enough for 4 pounds of beans. It keeps will in the fridge for a few days.

Ingredients

2 pounds green beans root ends trimmed
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon tahini paste
2 limes juiced and zested
1 teaspoon Hot sauce (I use sirracha)
1 teaspoon soya sauce I skipped this
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Instructions
1. Cook green beans using your preferred method. I roast them in a 400F oven, lowest rack, for 7 minutes.
2. Meanwhile whisk the sesame oil, tahini, lime juice and zest, hot sauce, (soya), and honey into a bowl and whisk until smooth. When the beans are done place them in a bowl and toss them with the dressing. Transfer to a serving dish and serve. Sprinkle the sesame seeds evenly over the top

Roasted Green Beans with Preserved Lemons

I made a new recipe last night and it was yummy, and simple to make. The recipe that I adapted it from called for boiling the green beans, as well as much more olive oil. I think roasting them gave a nicer result. And of course I reduced the oil – 1 teaspoon was plenty. I served it with lentils. Another low-fat vegan dish to add to the rotation! It would also make a nice side dish, and is good enough to serve to guests.

Green Beans with Preserved Lemon, Almonds, and Rosemary

Serve these beans at room temperature or chilled as a summery salad. Notes: You can buy preserved lemons in specialty food stores, or you can make your own (prepare them at least two weeks before using).
Yields: 2 Servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup sliced almonds roasted
1 pounds green yellow, or purple beans
3 Preserved Lemon 3 or 4 wedges (see notes)
1 tablespoons rosemary leaves fresh finely chopped
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil  (was 2T)
1 cloves garlic minced (optional)

Instructions
1. Move oven rack to lowest position. Preheat to 400.
2. Toss green beans with rosemary, garlic and oil. Spread out on 2 trays lined with parchment.
3. Roast in oven for 5 - 8 minutes, until tender, shaking once or twice.
4. Rinse preserved lemon thoroughly under running water; discard seeds and pulp. Finely chop lemon.
5. Mix preserved lemon and almonds with green beans. I do it right on the cookie sheet. Can be served warm or cold. If serving cold wait until serving to mix in the almonds.

 

Some Recipes from Last Night

These are a few of the recipes that I cooked for Jo Ellen, Deirdre, Don and Chris. I also did kale chips (which were a big hit), the Quinoa black bean burger and sweet potato fries (which didn’t turn out at all – any tips on getting them crisp?). Everyone was a very good sport about the diet/vegan type fare. Tomorrow night I’m going to try a green bean with preserved lemon recipe – I can hardly wait!

Roasted Asparagus & Creamy Tahini Dip

Serve as an appetizer course or as nibbles before supper. Really tasty. Lots of dip, enough for another bunch of asparagus, or perhaps some pita chips.
Yields: 8 Servings

Ingredients

1 bunch Asparagus
1 teaspoon Olive oil
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Tahini
1 tablespoon Lemon juice
1 teaspoon Honey
1 clove Garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon Cumin

Instructions
1. Stir tahini with lemon juice, honey, garlic and cumin in a small bowl.

2. Gradually stir in 1 to 3 tablespoons water until smooth.
3. Position rack in bottom of oven. Preheat to 400F.
4. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Toss with oil and salt on a rimmed baking sheet.
5. Bake on bottom rack of oven, stirring halfway through, until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes (yes just 5 minutes)
Serve with tahini as a dip.

 

Roasted Chickpeas

"A delicious, high fibre snack, these roasted chickpeas are a crispy, crunchy alternative to bland, mushy chickpeas."
Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

1 can (12-16 oz), drained
salt
garlic powder optional
cayenne pepper optional

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Set rack to middle.
2. Blot chickpeas with a paper towel to dry them. In a bowl, toss chickpeas with salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper, if using. Spread on a baking sheet, and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until browned and crunchy. Watch carefully the last few minutes to avoid burning.

 

Zucchini & Kidney Bean Burger

Tasty in a whole wheat pita with a chimichurri sauce, or the spicy avocado spread (avocado, 1/2 tsp sirrachi, lime juice). They aren’t much different from the Quinoa & Black bean burger. Next time I will try adding more zucchini and beans.

Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup zucchini grated (unpeeled)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup onion minced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup kidney beans
1/2 cup quinoa cooked
1/2 cup millet cooked
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt & pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
optional garnishes: lemon

Instructions
1. Cook the millet and quinoa (1/4 cup each with 1 1/2 cup water/stock) together in microwave for 25 minutes. You may need to add extra water near the end.
2. Place the grated zucchini into a strainer in the sink or over a bowl and rub the 1/2 teaspoon of salt into it. Let it drain for about 20 minutes.
3. While the zucchini is draining, sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until they are browned.
4. Then, in a large bowl, smash the red beans with a fork until they form a thick paste. Then add in the other ingredients for the cakes: zucchini, onion, garlic, quinoa, millet, and lemon juice, and then season with salt and pepper.
5. Once all of your ingredients are combined, form the mixture into small patties. Makes 6 1/3 cup patties.
6. To cook the patties, heat up a couple of tablespoons of the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the cakes, as many as will fit comfortably in the pan, and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side (until they are browned). Be careful when you're flipping the cakes, they can fall apart easily if you're not gentle with them.
7. When they're cooked on both side, transfer to a plate and garish with the optional lemon juice, parsley, or sesame seeds. Serve warm.

Kale Chips–are you kidding me?

I’ve read several recipes for kale chips and since I was looking for a salty, crunchy treat that falls within my diet guidelines I thought I would give them a try. They are a bit fussy to make but OH SO WORTH IT!!! Both Carm and I were surprised/shocked to find them quite yummy. And that’s saying a lot… Carm was not really fussed about the idea but bravely gave them a try. Five star rating from him (and me)! Who woulda thunk it?

Kale Chips

These are unbelievably tasty - quite a surprise!
Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients

1 large bunch of leafy red kale
1 tablespoon Olive oil
sprinkle sea salt
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375. Wash and completely dry kale.
Pull the woody stems from the leaves and break up into bite-sized pieces into a bowl.
Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle some fine sea salt and the cayenne.
Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment, just one layer.
Bake at 375 for about 8 minutes. Take them out when they’re nice and crunchy and slide easily from the cookie sheet.

I tried one batch with 1/4 tsp of chinese five spice, it was good, but we both preferred the cayenne. Try with garlic powder next time.

Chinese Brussels Sprouts

Last night I tried a new recipe from the book I bought a few weeks back (Best-Ever Vegetarian – The Definitive Cook’s Collection). Unfortunately I didn’t look at the book closely enough – many of the recipes call for cheese, white pasta and other foods that we are avoiding. However there are a few recipes that have caught my eye, including this one. It was an excellent change in flavours and will be going on the menu plan rotation for sure. I served it with Brown Rice & Lentils for more fibre and protein. I calculated that the whole meal was 262 calories. And with some oranges for dessert we were satisfied

Chinese Brussels Sprouts

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side dish
Ingredients

1 pound Brussels sprouts
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
2 Spring onions sliced
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 tablespoon Light soy sauce

Instructions
1. Trim the brussels sprouts, then shred them finely using a large sharp knife or a food processor.
2. Heat the oil and add the sprouts and spring onions. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, without allowing the mixture to brown.
3. Stir in the five-spice powder and soy sauce, then cook, stirring, for a further 2 to 3 minutes, until just tender. Serve hot with other Chinese dishes.

I served this with a mixture of brown rice & lentils. It went perfectly. Next time I’ll try a tad less 5-spice powder as I found it a bit strong, although Carm liked the flavour (he gave it a 4 star rating).

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Today I signed up for an account at http://caloriecount.about.com. It lets me create meals, add recipe ingredients, and then use these to create a daily food log. I’m going to try it for a while and see if it helps me to stick to my plan. Unfortunately its focus is on calories, but I figure that it wouldn’t hurt to see how many calories things have, at least for a little while. I think it also tracks weight watchers points, but I’m not positive. There is also a page to enter your activity which it then tracks against your daily food log for the entire picture. Wish me luck!

Please Don't Label Me

Yesterday Carm bought me a labeller. Be still my Virgo heart. The dogs are worried as they see me running around the house putting labels on anything that doesn't move. I've actually only labelled a few things, but only because Karen came over today for a visit and a walk. Tomorrow I'll start in the workshop. All that good organizing that we did a few months back can now be completed. I bought a few little bins to help with sorting out the bins of miscellaneous stuff and now with the labeller I'll be able to identify the contents of those, as well as other bins. There is something so neat and tidy about bins with labels neatly arranged on shelves.

Yesterday we headed into town to have lunch with Carm's mom and for my doctor appointment. While in town we made our usual stops at Costco and St. Laurent Fruit & Vegetable. We are provisioned for the long weekend! And of course a trip to Costco wouldn't be complete without buying other non-food related items... we never seem to get out of there with less than $100 bucks worth of stuff.

At St. Laurent I picked up some lemon grass, a hot red pepper, green onion and some mint. I already have some cilantro and coconut milk. I'm hoping to find a recipe for something vegan and Thai. Yummm those flavours sound so good. So... tonight I made a quasi Pad Thai rice... ummm,  ummm, good.

    Cook 1 cup brown basmati rice.

    Chop 1 hot red pepper, 2 spring onions, 1 tablespoon ginger, 3 cloves garlic. Cut into strips 5 small zucchini, 1 large carrot. Sautee vegetables & set aside. Sautee garlic  mix. Add rice with 1/2 cup coconut milk, cook for a couple of minutes. Add vegetables back and stir. Add chopped fresh parsley, cilantro and if desired mint.

   Serve with bubbles ;-)

Can I put a label on that?

Burnt Sugar Cake

This is Carm’s favourite cake so I make it for him every year for his birthday. Not more often than that though – between it and the icing there are 4 1/2 cups of sugar! That’s more sugar than we’d use in 2 years – Yikes! It’s a bit of a tricky cake to make, not only is it time consuming, but getting it out of the oven at the right time is a challenge for me. Yesterday I burnt the first one and had to start over…

Make sure to make the icing that goes with it. It is basically a caramel fudge – very, very yummy. It helps to have 2 people at the icing stage as when it sets, it sets FAST. It doesn’t leave you much time to work it. My cakes always come out looking a bit wreaky because of that, but I haven’t had one person complain once they’ve had a bite!

The recipe makes 2 layers, but instead of stacking them I iced them separately – one to go to my parents house for the birthday dinner, and the other for the freezer (for that day that we are absolutely dying for something sweet).

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Burnt-Sugar Cake

Ingredients

1/2 cup Sugar
2/3 cup Boiling water
2 cups Cake flour sifted
3/4 teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Butter softened
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
2/3 cup Milk

Instructions
1. Make caramel syrup: Melt 1/2 cup sugar in 8-inch heavy skillet over medium heat. Shake pan slightly as sugar melts and turns golden. Continue heating until it turns dark amber colour. Remove from heat.
2. Gradually add boiling water, stirring constantly. Return to heat; boil rapidly, uncovered, 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour into 1 cup measure. Set aside to cool completely.
3. Preheat oven to 375F (350 in my oven). Grease well and flour two 8-inch round layer-cake pans. On waxed paper, sift flour with baking powder, salt and soda. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, with electric mixer at medium speed, cream butter until soft. Gradually beat in sugar; continue beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. At medium speed, beat in cooled Caramel Syrup and vanilla. Then beat in flour mixture (in fourths) alternately with milk (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour into prepared pans.
6. Bake at 25 to 30 minutes (20 to 25 minutes in my oven), or until top springs back when gently pressed with fingertip.
7. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
8. Spread half of Caramel Frosting between layers. Spread rest on top, letting it run unevenly down side.

Notes: Oven temperature is too high. Cake burns at 25 min in our oven. Reduce heat to 350 and check at 20 min (usually takes about 25 min). Watch carefully as it is a bit tricky to not burn it. (Use paddle attachment and not whisk.)

Burnt-Sugar Cake Caramel Frosting

Yields: Makes enough to frost tops of 2 (8 inch) cake layers

Ingredients

2 cups Light-brown sugar firmly packed
1/2 cup Butter
5 tablespoon Light cream
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Baking powder

Instructions
1. In medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter and cream; bring to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil gently, stirring, 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Add vanilla and baking powder. With electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. When it is ready work fast!

Enjoy!

Quinoa & Black Bean Burger

I made this recipe last night and it was a big hit. The “burgers” were moist and tasty, while the avocado spread added some spice. Of course they weren’t like regular hamburgers, but I think there are a good substitute (but with none of the saturated fats!). I served it on whole wheat pita with cucumbers on the side. Since it makes 6 burgers we will be having them again tonight, this time with asparagus as a side. If I can get another ripe avocado I’ll make the spread again as well – it was really yummy.

Quinoa & Black Bean Burger with Spicy Avocado Spread

Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients

For the black bean and quinoa burgers:
2 cups cooked quinoa (less than 1 cup dried)
2 cups black beans (Canned is fine as long as it is organic, no sodium. If you're
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 cloves garlic minced
salt & pepper
olive oil
6 whole wheat pita or toasted whole grain buns for serving
For the smoky avocado spread:
1 ripe avocado
1 plum tomato seeds removed and diced.
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (my paprika isn't a smoked one)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper or 1/2 tsp sirrachi (optional)
salt & pepper

Instructions
While you are cooking your quinoa, combine the black beans, turmeric, cumin, and broth in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low, cover partially, and simmer for 25-30 minutes (may require more time to reduce stock). Drain the beans (I didn't but there wasn't much liquid left - the patties weren't too wet).

In a large bowl combine the beans, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mash the ingredients together, then add in the quinoa and combine. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Form the mixture into patties. Use a 1/2 cup measure for 6 good size patties. Transfer the patties to a plate, cover and refrigerate while you are preparing your avocado spread or until you are ready to use (they will keep for about 3-4 days).

For the avocado spread: In a bowl, mash the avocado until it is smooth. Add in the tomato, smoked paprika, red pepper or hot sauce (if using), season with salt and pepper and combine.

In a large non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the cakes (maybe 3-4 at a time depending on the size of your pan) turning over once it has browned (about 5-7 minutes per side).

Serve immediately on a pita or a toasted bun with the avocado spread.

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Source (I’m now following this blog as it looks like she has some good vegan recipes): http://www.whatscookinggoodlooking.com/whats-cooking-good-looking/2011/10/4/quinoa-black-bean-burger-with-a-smoky-avocado-spread.html  - I have made a few changes which are reflected in the above post.

Baby Bok Choy

I made a new recipe last night - Baby Bok Choy sautéed with garlic and red pepper flakes, tossed with some lemon zest and then served over a mixture of brown rice and lentils. It came about because I had bought a huge bag of the babies at T&T (they were so lovely and fresh looking) and now had to figure out something to do with them. I had planned on mixing them with some other vegetables but we didn't make it to the grocery store. As it turns out it was a tasty enough meal that will be added to the regular rotation. So many nutrients!

Last night was also a good one for idle pleasures. For a bedtime snack I cut a thick slice of bread and popped it in the toaster. Spread with peanut butter, its crispy outside and soft inside was totally enjoyed. What a taste treat. Now you may have noticed that I had this really healthy supper but then was hungry by bedtime... if I was being really serious I'd just ignore the hunger and go to bed, but, since I dropped down on a med dosage I'm having trouble sleeping to start with so don't want to make it any harder. blah blah blah.

Christmas lights were another idle pleasure. I had accidently left the bedroom curtain open a bit - when I lay down in bed I saw that I could see the lights in the tree outside :-)  Sweet. That's a happy sight to fall asleep to.

I have gotten out of the habit of listing all the pleasures everyday, but they are somewhat repetitive - sunny day, sunlight on the wall, fresh pineapple, crunch of snow, starry nights, Christmas lights (yes the outside tree is still lit up), puffy poodles (next week will be a hair cut day for them), flowers - lots of flowers - the daffodils are on their last legs but are still giving a bit of a show, and the roses are in full bloom, getting up when I naturally wake up and not to an alarm, walking on our land. These are just off the top of my head. I try to note things throughout the day.

Today has been a lazy one. We started out on our morning walk but with the warm temperatures we were just wrecking the path so we turned back before any more damage was done. We need that path to last us for the rest of the winter! Once we got back inside I read all the blogs I follow and then fired up Quicken so that I could do some analysis of our spending for last year. It is fun to tab through some of the reports and see that 3% of our spending was for the pets, or that we spent $2600+ on gas for the two vehicles. There wasn't anything that will prompt changes but it is nice to have an idea where everything goes.

If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, you'll often find that you are right.
Nancy Sathre-Vogel

Spiced Lentils with Spinach

This is one of the best lentil recipes that I've come across so far. The flavours are very fresh and upbeat. Use lentils that don't turn to mush, and watch the cooking time to keep them firmish. The recipe calls for du Puis lentils, I used Eston which also hold their shape well (but take longer to cook).

Yields: 4 Servings, 2 if using as a main dish
Ingredients

2 tablespoon Olive oil I used water, no oil
1 large Onion finely chopped
1 large Garlic clove crushed
1/2 tablespoon Ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Ground ginger
1 cup Lentils
2 1/2 cups Chicken stock
3 1/2 ounce Baby spinach leaves I used 1 pkg chopped frozen
2 tablespoon Fresh mint
1 tablespoon Fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon Fresh parsley
1 whole Lemon juice & zest
Salt & pepper

Instructions
1. Heat the oil/water in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to brown.
2. Stir in the lentils. Pour in enough stock to cover the lentils by 1 inch (I used all the stock), and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are tender. The lentils that I used required 45 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, rinse the spinach leaves in several changes of cold water and shake dry. If using frozen, squeeze dry. Finely chop the mint, coriander and parsley leaves.
4. If there isn't any stock left in the pan add a little extra. Add the spinach and stir through until it just wilts. Stir in the mint, cilantro and parsley. Adjust the seasonings, adding the lemon juice and salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve, garnished with lemon rind (I just mixed the rind in before serving).

Source: 1000 Low Fat Salt, Sugar & Cholesterol Recipes

Starting the New Year

It has been a quiet start to 2012, time for clean up and watching movies and writing up my goals for this year. I still haven’t taken down the Christmas decorations, but since I put them up so late I’ll leave them there until the 6th or 7th (isn’t there some sort of tradition around those dates?). 2011, our first year of retirement, was a year for rest and recuperation, now it is time to get busy. With what? Getting fit, eating better (and losing more weight), getting cracking with some of the projects around the house, and entertaining more. In summary – moving more!

Around the table on New Years Eve – we were still there when the clock struck midnight! I’ll bet everyone wishes we had more comfortable chairs…

My main and most important goal for 2012 is getting off 2 of the 3 bipolar medications I’m on AND keeping mentally healthy (like I am now). One medication is already causing some long-term side effects and who knows what else the others are doing. I am hoping that by putting into practice more self-management techniques (meditation, cognitive thinking, exercise, etc.) that I will be able to manage better with less. Of course I’ll have to have my doctor’s go-ahead and support.

Yesterday I made a new dish (one of my goals is to make a new recipe every two weeks). With a salad on the side, it follows the ETL principals – fat-free vegan. It was easy to make and tasty (Carm gave it 4 stars) – and will be a good addition to our regular line-up. I try to make one crockpot meal a week (with leftovers for another night) and already have a few regulars. I love it when supper rolls around and I just have to serve up!

 

	Crockpot Black Bean and Sweet Potato Stew
	1 medium onion finely diced 2 cloves garlic minced 1 small Red bell pepper roasted, diced 1 medium carrot shredded (or finely diced) 2 medium sweet potato cubed 2 15oz. can black beans drained 1 can diced tomatoes 1 cups water or more as required 1 teaspoon Hot sauce Juice from one lime
	Instructions Put all ingredients, except for the lime juice, into crockpot. Cover and cook 5 - 7 hours on low. Add lime juice just before serving. It couldn’t be any easier!

It was too cold to out out for much of a walk today, Kabira was on 3 legs before we were even 1/3 of the way so we turned around and hustled back to the house. I think Spike was dreaming of more time outside.

And finally a belated:

Do You Like Your Own Cooking?

I’m going to come clean and say that yes, I usually do. Maybe I’d be more discerning if we ate out more, but the fact is we don’t so unless I want to be miserable all the time I’d better not be too critical of my own cooking.

I made a new recipe the other night - Chilli Stuffed Peppers. It was a simple low-fat vegetarian recipe from FatFreeVegan (I used 2 jalapenos though instead of 1). We had it in red peppers which were really delicious, and tonight we tried it in tortilla’s along with a coleslaw (fat-free yogurt, spices, vinegars).  (Carm interjects here to say that he thought both were great). We are occasionally going wildly off course in the healthy eating plan, but try to balance that out.

It was a typical boring Sunday for us – I clipped the dogs in the morning (yes already – I wanted them spruced up for our big trip), and then reading on the swing in the afternoon. Retirement is stressful ;-)

One of the blogs I read has been catching some flack because they write about themselves… I don’t get that. What else is a blog going to be but about the writer’s own experiences and opinions. I try to write my blog as if we were conversing at the kitchen table, maybe I’m recounting my day while you make coffee – I  know it is one sided (and I wish it wasn’t) – but I try to be genuine. I figure that if someone doesn’t like what I’m writing about they won’t read it. I do wonder sometimes about why I blog and who it is for. Perhaps it is a place for me to explore and record what is going on in my life. One of these days I’m going to print it for my records – it will be fun to read back 20 years from now – I’m sure it will all seem rather trite!

It is always brave to say what everyone thinks.
Georges Duhamel

Not a Shaggy-Dog Anymore

Today I did the job that leaves me itchy and prickly all over – clipping the poodles. Now they aren’t shaggy-dogs anymore - I even cut off their leg puffs. Being home all day (yeah retirement!) means they are outside so much more and thus spending time wading in the pond and just generally being dogs and getting dirty. I think (hope) a little less hair will help with the mess…

Speaking of which, today’s word of the day is shaggy-dog (shag-ee-DAWG adjective - : of, relating to, or being a long-drawn-out circumstantial story concerning an inconsequential happening that impresses the teller as humorous or interesting but the hearer as boring and pointless; also : of, relating to, or being a similar humorous story whose humour lies in the pointlessness or irrelevance of the punch line). Carm tells some pretty good jokes, but is also an expert at shaggy-dog’s. I don’t know if it is because I hear them over and over again but sometime… Some of our favourite TV shows have been shaggy-dog in their format – Corner Gas is one of these. It is a Canadian show that has its characters going through regular life, but it is a bit quirky and pointless and we find it funny.

I’m really getting the hang of making healthy soups – yesterday I made a minestrone that had: 4 stalks celery, 4 stalks bok choy, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 can white kidney beans, 1 cup dried lentils, bunch of thyme, 2 bay leaves and some chicken stock. After simmering for an hour I get out my trusty immersion blender and whiz it up a bit to make a thick broth – don’t make it smooth though. It was an easy and tasty “eat to live” soup – enough for 5 days of lunches (some goes right into the freezer for camping).

I keep forgetting to include pleasures in my post, which sort of means I’m forgetting to notice the small good things in life. For today: listening to the rain softly fall outside the bedroom window ; waking up to find Spike stretched out along side me – so cosy and warm ; getting the clipping done ; teaching Kabira to weave through me legs and having her go squirrely on me – she can be so crazy! ; re-heated soup – even better the day after it was cooked ; looking out at the deck – it doesn’t look like a giant job that needs being done anymore ; watching the dogs run around outside in their new “do” ;

Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out values all the utilities of the world.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Gingery Chickpeas in Spicy Tomato Sauce

This is a favorite of ours. It is easy to make, uses the crockpot, and tastes delicious. It is a fat-free vegan recipe with legumes. A staple in our diet recipe book.
 
Gingery Chickpeas in Spicy Tomato Gravy (Crockpot) 

Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients

Chicken stock
2 Onions finely chopped
4 cloves Garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoon Ginger root minced
2 teaspoon Ground coriander
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
2 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
2 cups Tomatoes canned or fresh, coarsely chopped
2 can (19 oz) Chickpeas drained & rinsed
1 cup Bok choy chopped (add more if desired)

 
Instructions

1. In a skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, gingerroot, coriander, cumin seeds, salt & pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add balsamic vinegar and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Place chickpeas into slow cooker stoneware. Pour tomato mixture over and stir well.

2. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours, until hot and bubbling. In the last hour of cooking add bok choy.

3. Garnish with chopped green onion, if using.

Increase the vegetable content by adding chopped bok choy or spinach, and/or zucchini in the last two hours of cooking.

This dish can be completely assembled the night before it is cooked. Complete step 1 and refrigerate overnight. The next day, continue cooking as directed in step 2.

Roasted Red Pepper Lentil Soup

This is the recipe for the soup I served the other night. It was tasty and got rave reviews. Another fat-free, vegan soup with legumes to add to my diet recipe book.

Roasted Red Pepper Lentil Soup    ****

Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients

1 large Roasted red peppers
1 bulb Roasted garlic
1 Onion chopped fine
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 1/2 cup Lentils picked over and rinsed
1 Bay leaf
1 sprig Thyme
6 cups Chicken stock with water (I do 4 cups stock, 2 cups water)
pinch Hot pepper flakes
Lemon juice and zest
Parsley chopped

 
Instructions

Sautee the onions until soft in a large heavy pot. Add cumin and paprika and stir for one minute.
Add lentils, roasted red pepper, and garlic - stir to coat.

Add chicken stock &/or water (and salt if using). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender and soup is beginning to thicken, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Puree with immersion blender to desired consistency. Add more stock as required. Add lemon juice, taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve sprinkled with lemon zest and chopped parsley

Black Bean Soup - Mexican Style

Black Bean Soup - Mexican Style ****

Yields: 4-6 Servings

Ingredients

1 onion diced
1/2 green pepper diced
1/2 red pepper diced
2 tsp ancho chile powder
2 tsp cumin
1 can tomatoes and diced chiles
2 cans black beans undrained, unsalted
1/2 cup water or to taste
1 cup fresh cilantro
juice of a lime
Salt & pepper
Chicken or vegetable stock

 
Instructions

Saute the veggies in broth until soft. Add the spices and cook until fragrant. Add water, tomatoes and beans.
Cover and cook until the flavors really start to mingle (about 25 minutes).
Add the cilantro and lime. Pull out the handy-dandy immersion blender and puree away.
(If desired/not dieting, serve with a spoonful of sour cream and chopped green onions.) 

source: http://www.squishedsquash.com/

I added a handful of fresh spinach to bump up the green quotient.