watermelon slushie.

the thing you need to know about me is that i will drink (and enjoy) almost anything that comes out of a blender. that being said, after a hot and sticky summer day... this treat really hits the spot:

watermelon slushie
serves 2
 

3 cups frozen watermelon cubes

1 lemon, squeezed (lime juice also works)
1 banana
optional: lots of rum 

blend and garnish with a watermelon slice. serve, sip... and then run and jump into the lake.

wellness wednesdays: whole wheat banana bread

...also known as the post where i justify eating baked goods.

i am not one for food rules. i feel like they give people unnecessary anxiety and guilt. but here is one rule that i can get behind: "eat as much junk food as you want, as long as you make it yourself." (michael pollan)

really? ok! here's the reasoning... could you (would you even want to?) make your own twinkie? or french fries? that sounds like a lot of work to me.

the theory is that as long as you're making your own junk food, you're taking the time to see where your food comes from. you're putting together whole ingredients, and you're avoiding preservatives. the bottom line: no person on this planet is going to whip out their deep fryer for every meal, every day. (ahem, i hope.) 

so, you're in the mood for banana bread? make one, but make it from scratch. as an added health bonus, throw in some whole wheat flour (go fiber!) instead of white flour, or apple sauce or plain, non-fat yogurt instead of canola or vegetable oil. 

easy, right?

without further ado, here is my delicious, wholesome, crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside, i made it myself! banana bread:

ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mashed ripe banana
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

• directions:
  preheat oven to 325°. combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. then combine banana and yogurt in a separate small bowl. add together until moist. spoon the batter into a 9 x 5–inch greased loaf pan. bake at 325° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. cool on a wire rack, and remove from pan. slice and serve warm.voila!

* * *
now, i'd love to hear... what's your favorite home-made junk food? and do you have any other genius, healthy baking substitutes?

back to basics.

i learned how to crack my first egg while helping my mother bake chocolate chip cookies. 
at least, this is how i remember it.  maybe it was the first time i didn't drop a piece of shell into the dough. either way, it was a cause for celebration, and the celebration involved eating lots of cookies. 

i've been baking lots of new-to-me things in our house over the past few months, but yesterday's gloomy weather called for an old favorite.

here is the recipe i used:

3 2/3 cups minus 2 tablespoons flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds chocolate chips (i used a mix of milk and semi-sweet)

preheat oven to 350. mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside. using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy – about 5 minutes. add eggs. stir in vanilla. reduce to low speed and add dry ingredients slowly, mixing until just combined. fold in chocolate chips.  drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet. bake for 10-12 minutes.

p.s. my next trick will be learning how to crack an egg with one hand.
p.p.s. i got my lovely little cake stand here. 

oatmeal with cranberries and dates.

this morning, a very rare occurrence: i jumped out of bed, threw on some socks and then ran upstairs to check on the slow cooker. ahhh. heaven in a bowl. warm, hearty steel cut oats.

now i am sitting here rubbing my belly, and dreaming of what i can try next. it's official: my slow cooker is my new best friend.




      

oh honey.

simon has been fighting off a nasty cold for the past few days, so i've been making him soothing concoctions of green tea, lemon, honey and ginger. for two people who don't like the taste of honey, we both agree, it's actually not bad.

call me a sucker, but i've also been rubbing his back, and encouraging him to watch silly things on television, like the super bowl. :)

what are your favorite natural remedies for when you are feeling under the weather?

p.s. another great idea: a steam bath. 

a green smoothie.

i'll admit it: i was initially very skeptical of green smoothies. how could they possibly taste good? friend after friend tried to reassure me that adding spinach to my daily smoothie would not affect the overall flavor, but i wasn't so sure. 

and then one day, i just did it. i added a few fresh spinach leaves to my otherwise ready-to-drink smoothie, and watched it swirl into a thick, green slush. oh crap, what have i done?

but before i knew it, i had slurped the whole thing down. the spinach flavor really does almost disappear when it's added in small amounts. and it's so healthy.

here is the basic recipe i used:

1 banana

5 or 6 fresh baby spinach leaves

2 handfuls of frozen mango chunks

1 spoonful of greek yogurt

soy milk (as needed)

so, what do you think? do you drink green smoothies? i'm a fan.

squashed.

meet my new friend, the delicata squash.


i'll be honest, i'm not a great cook. but when i saw this heirloom squash at whole foods the other day i was determined to make something yummy out of it.


sometimes the delicata squash is used only for fall decorations; but it actually has a nice flavor, a little bit like a sweet potato.

i followed this recipe (with an additional dash of cayenne pepper for an extra kick) and it turned out dee-licious.

so, tell me... what's your favorite winter squash? and do you have a favorite recipe?

xo.

a little pomegranate treat.

i am currently away on my honeymoon, but i hope you enjoy this pre-scheduled post. xo.

i drink sparkling water like it's my job. so, every once in a while, i like adding a little pizazz to it.





the seeds add a little crunch along with a delicious splash of flavor. it also works well with champagne... i've been told! :)

cheers!

norwegian boller.

last night i baked my first batch of norwegian boller, which are basically sweet, cardamom rolls. they are a staple in norway, a lot like the chocolate chip cookie is to americans. during lent, norwegians slice them in half and fill them with whipped cream or custard. hellooooo deliciousness.

below is the recipe i used and also here is the post that inspired this project (which you should all go read now, because it's a charmingly accurate portrait of norwegian culture).

ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of warm milk (about 90-100 degrees F)

1 stick of butter, melted

1 cup of sugar

2 tbs active dry yeast

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cardamom

5 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

1 egg white (egg white is used to brush the rolls - makes them shiny!)

note: sometimes people add raisins. but as you all know, i don't like raisins in my rolls or cookies, so i left them out.

directions:

in a large bowl, combine the warm milk, butter, sugar and yeast and then allow the mixture to stand for about 10 minutes. stir in the salt and cardamom, and then slowly stir in all the flour. (this is also when you can add the raisins. ew.) the dough should still be a little sticky at this point. cover the bowl with a tea towel and then let it sit and rise for about an hour (or until it has roughly doubled in size). preheat your oven to 350 and then knead the dough briefly. divide the dough into about 14-15 chunks and then roll them into golf ball size rolls. put them on a greased cookie sheet and then let them rise again for another 30 minutes. brush them with an egg white and then bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. serve plain, with butter or whipped cream, (or if you're really brave, with brown goat cheese). dig in.

who wants to try one? come on over!

p.s. i ate four last night and have already eaten two this morning. it's a good thing they have no calories.

(photo credit: five and spice)

the naturally nina berry smoothie.

ladies, i can't get enough of this smoothie. it's got so much yummy stuff in it but it's not too sweet. try it if you're in the mood for a bright pink healthy treat!

ingredients:
handful of fresh or frozen organic raspberries
handful of fresh or frozen organic blueberries
half a banana
1 small container of plain greek yogurt
1 cup of ice
1 cup of soy milk or regular milk
splash of pomegranate juice

directions:
mix together in a blender and then slurp slurp slurp from a reusable straw.

so, tell me, what's in your favorite smoothie?