cooking Archives - Page 7 of 20 - My Life: A Work in Progress

Two-Ingredient Fruit and Nut Balls (Fitness Friday)

31 January, 2014 39 Comments

I previously blogged about making fruit and nut bars (homemade Larabars), and today’s post is a variation of that recipe. If you don’t have a food processor, you may want to check out the original post, as that gives you an alternative to make them with a pastry cutter and an immersion blender.

With just two ingredients -dates and peanuts- you can make inexpensive fruit and nut balls that are packed with minerals, protein, fiber, and carbs. Store them in the fridge or the freezer, and grab one when you need it. They’re great for a post-workout snack or to keep your energy levels up during a run. My toddler won’t eat peanuts or dates by themselves, but together… he can’t get enough of them!

Homemade Fruit & Nut Balls

Ingredients:

1 cup halved peanuts
15 medjool dates

Steps:

Remove the pits from the dates. I like to slice them lengthwise, until I feel resistance from the pits. Then I stop, open the date, and just pop the pit out.

Soak the dates in a cup of water for about 5 minutes, to soften them (optional step). In the meantime, put your peanuts into the food processor and grind them until they’re finely chopped (about 10 seconds). They should look like the second photo below.

Remove the nuts from the food processor and place them into a bowl. Now put your dates into the food processor and pulse them for 15 t0 20 seconds. Add them into your bowl with the nuts.

(Sometimes I put the dates through the food processor first and then the nuts second. It doesn’t really matter, but if you’re soaking the dates, it saves time to chop the peanuts during that time).

Use your hands to mix the peanuts completely with the dates. Make sure it’s mixed really well and there aren’t any loose peanuts on the bottom of the bowl.

Then separate and roll your mixture into little balls. I make mine about the size of Swedish meatballs (1-1.5″ diameter). This mixture will make 14 balls that size. You’ll want to refrigerate (or freeze) them as soon as possible. They’re easy to wrap individually with plastic wrap, place in baggies, or just line them up inside a Tupperware-type container. (That’s what I do.)

If I make 14 balls from this mixture, then each one has about 128 calories along with protein, carbohydrates, and fiber. Both dates and peanuts naturally contain calcium, iron, vitamin B-6, and magnesium. Peanuts also contain magnesium.

(I was going to list the exact number of grams of each vitamin and mineral, but my brain was starting to hurt, and I was afraid I was just going to type the wrong thing! I’m horrible at math.)

If you can’t find dates at your regular grocery store, try a Middle Eastern grocery store. I’ve found dates at both a nearby military commissary and a Lebanese cafe/store. Another option would be to use raisins or dried cranberries. In that case, I’d use 1 cup of either to 1 cup of peanuts. Have a peanut allergy? You can use cashews, walnuts, or whatever suits your fancy. If you’re allergic to tree nuts too, then I’m sorry. 🙁

Fitness Friday Details:

Each Friday, I’m linking up with some awesome bloggers at JillyConyers.com and Wedonthaveitall.com to motivate each other on our fitness and/or weight loss journeys. We’d love for you to join! Don’t have a blog? Leave a comment and tell us what your goals are and how you did this week.

Diet:

This week I finally decided that my goal to build muscle probably won’t happen unless I eat more, especially protein. Once I came to that conclusion, I upped my limit on MyFitnessPal. But the limit wasn’t the problem; the issue was I just wasn’t hungry and eating enough. The first day, I forced myself to eat about 700 calories more than I wanted to. My stomach hurt that evening.

The next day… Oh wow! I was ravenous almost all day! It was like my body went crazy over the extra food and just wanted more. And I realize that’s what happened to me last week after my cheat day. I had trouble reigning my appetite in. I think I just haven’t been eating enough to sustain my current lifestyle.

Now that I know I need to eat more, I have to find the balance of exactly how much protein I need and how many carbs. I’ll probably switch it up a bit…heavy on the protein on lifting days and carb load if I have a big run.

I did do better at eating even more veggies and fruit this week, so that’s a win.

Stats:

Still right at 152 lbs. It hasn’t changed in two weeks, and I think that’s a combination of not eating enough (plateauing) and building muscle. I think I look more toned though, and that has me excited. Next week I’ll post my measurements, and we’ll see if I’ve made a difference in the last month.

Exercise:

Wow, this week was a difficult one. Like many people, the Polar Vortex has kept me and my toddler inside. We had almost a foot of snow here in Southern Virginia, which is not normal at all. Everything shut down for several days. I think schools are still closed today, actually. I can’t run outside with the jogging stroller, and even if the base gym were open (it’s probably not), Baby J has a bad cough, so I can’t take him there to infect other little ones.

If you want, you can read more about my internal struggle to LET GO over on my other blog. Home workouts have been the way to go this week!

Monday– Ran outside since the weather was decent. Got 5.4 miles in, then walked around the playground while Baby J played for 45 minutes or so.

Tuesday– Visited the base gym with the family workout room. Ran 1.2 miles on the treadmill (varied pace) as a warm-up before lifting weights. I only lifted about 10 or 15 minutes before Baby J started fussing because he was tired. I would’ve let him just cry and lay on my jacket to rest, but there were other moms in there, and I didn’t want any judgment for being “that mom.” So we headed home, and I lifted a bit at home with my adjustable Bowflex weights.

Wednesday– Did 40 minutes of a Brazil Butt Lift workout and lifted for about 20 minutes. By Wednesday night I really wasn’t sore at all and felt like I hadn’t been doing enough on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thursday– I was able to get in a pretty intense ab workout once Baby J was in bed. I also did lunges, squats, and lifted with the Bowflex weights.

Friday– The forecast is supposed to be in the upper 40s today, so if this snow melts quickly enough, I’m going to try to run outside this afternoon. It’s supposed to be in the upper 50s tomorrow, so you can bet I will be outside running then! If I’m able to get in 5 miles between today and tomorrow, I’ll have met my Winter Miles Challenge for this week. I’ve really wanted to up my challenge from 10 miles to 20, but that hasn’t been possible with the weather and illness. Maybe next week!

So all things considered, it was an okay week! No, it did not at all go as planned, and I probably didn’t push myself as hard as I could have. But I did stay active even though I was cooped up alone with a sick toddler for almost 3 days!

Did you meet your goals this week? What are your goals for next week? What do you have planned this weekend?

cooking, Review

Review: Relish! Menu Planning Service

24 January, 2014 20 Comments

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Today’s review I’ve been writing up for a few weeks now. There’s no way I can write about every little feature of this site, but I’ll try to hit the parts I found most important.

I was really excited when I received a free year’s subscription to a menu planning service at RelishRelish.com. As a busy mom, I like to make quick, healthy meals, and avoid using heavily-processed ingredients while doing so.

Once you’re logged into the site, you can check out happenings, season features, and fan favorites. Or, you can check out your menu. In the photo below, I’ve created my weekly menu on the left. On the right, you can see my choices. Just drop and drag into the menu. I can also choose from my favorites and editor’s picks.

Examples of recipes include Pork Tenderloin with Red Wine Fig Sauce, Ham and Cheese Rollups with Broiled Pineapple, Baked Barbecue Chicken and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, and Cheesy Meatloaf with Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes. As you can see, there’s a variety of recipes available.

There are a lot of recipes for slow-cookers, which is great. I love using my Crock-Pot. There are also kid-friendly recipes, low-calorie recipes, quick recipes, and more. Probably my favorite category is the $12 dinners. That’s $12 for 4 servings. Don’t forget to scroll through the sides. Each entree already comes linked to a matching side, but you can add other ones.

When you’re done, click the green button that says “Shopping List.” At this point, you can adjust servings from 4, if you want 2, 6, or 8. Check the boxes for the items you don’t need anymore.

The recipes are easy to follow, and I’m very pleased that these recipes are made (for the most part) with fresh ingredients. Some recipes do call for short cuts like using Pillsbury pie dough or cream of mushroom soup. If you’re trying to avoid processed foods, you can skip those recipes or make your own substitution (pie crust and cream soups aren’t that hard to make from scratch…even I can do it!). It’s easy to adapt recipes too. One day I realized that it was too late in the day to start the slow-cooker recipe I’d been planning on. So I made it on the stovetop. It was still delicious!

Here are two of the meals I’ve made- “Naked Chicken Burrito Bowls” and “Slow Cooker Soy and Ginger Chicken.”

Naked Chicken Burrito Bowls from Relish! — Naked Chicken Burrito Bowl- minus the salsa (Baby J can’t have tomatoes) and black beans (I forgot to put them on until later).

Slow Cooker Soy and Ginger Chicken. Recipe from Relish! — Slow Cooker Soy and Ginger Chicken. The photo doesn’t do this entree justice! It’s fantastic!

They were both delicious. I’m definitely making both again. The burrito bowl is easy to customize, but I’ll be leaving the soy and ginger chicken “as-is.” I can’t think of anything I want to change!

I have a few suggestions to improve the site and make it more user-friendly. I was traveling over the holidays and when I finally got around to logging back in, none of my usual passwords worked. (I know the *experts* say you’re not supposed to write your passwords down, but I can’t be the only one who can never remember them!) So I entered my email address to have my Relish! account password sent to my email. After that, there was no screen or pop-up or message that said my email had successfully been submitted. An hour later, no password or Relish! email had arrived in my inbox or spam folder. I checked back on the site.

When I clicked on the “Contact Us” tab, a page opened that said “Give us a call or email us!” But there was no phone number or email address listed. I searched through my emails that Relish! sends every week, and I finally found a good contact email in one of them. I sent a message to that email adders. Later that night, one of the owners from Relish! emailed me my password, so it worked out. I just think it would be easier if it was automated or if you could find contact info easier.

Once you’re logged into the site, there is a Member Support area where you can submit a contact request form. There’s also a phone number, but you can’t access any of this until you’re logged in.

One other thing, I read a blogger’s review back from 2012 that Relish! had an iphone/ipad app, but I haven’t been able to find it online or on the marketplace. It would be nice to save paper and ink (and time). If there was a phone app connected to my Relish! account, I could just download my shopping list onto my phone. I can, of course, open the site in my phone’s web browser or email the list to my phone, but each way uses data unless I have a wifi signal.

Some additional info that is important enough to note:

Every Thursday, I receive an email from Relish! letting me know to log-in and check out new recipes. There are vegetarian options for each week. Each meal has the nutrition information listed, as well as Weight Watcher points.

If you need help in the organization department (like I do), a site like this can be invaluable. Planning your meals ahead of time will also help you stick to a budget. As I continue on my fitness journey, I always keep track of what I consume. Many of the recipes I find online don’t have the nutritional value included, and I have to calculate every little thing myself. Relish! takes the work away from me.

There are three sign-up options for Relish!– 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. You save as you sign up for more months.

Would you give a menu planning service a try? Do you think you could incorporate a site like this into your busy life?

Note: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

cooking

Four “SUPER” Bowl Dips- Recipes for the Big Game #Superbowl #football

20 January, 2014 31 Comments

Thank you to my co-writer, Ruth, for her second post on My Life: A Work in Progress! -Elisebet

It’s that time of year again. Football fans, whether it’s their team or not, are excited about THE big game. Not a fan? Doesn’t matter—someone in your family or office is. Food for THE BIG game? It’s got to be filling and tasty, and there better be plenty of it. Preparation needs to be simple, and it must be easy to eat in front of the big screen. Here are four fabulous, family-favorite bowl dips that meet all these requirements for THE BIG GAME.

#1 CHILI CHEESEY DIP

Ingredients:

1 can (15 oz) chili without beans
1 can (15 oz) tamales
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes & green chilies
½ lb. processed cheese (Velveeta or generic)

Steps:

Put contents of the canned chili and tomatoes/green chilies (including liquid) into a slow cooker. Remove the paper from the tamales and mash with a fork. Add to the slow cooker mixture, including the liquid from the tamale can. Cube the cheese and mix into the slow cooker contents. Cook on high for about one hour (or low for longer) until the cheese is melted; then keep on warm until serving with your favorite tostada or taco chips on the side.

#2 BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts
1 (12 oz) bottle of hot sauce (I always use Frank’s Original Red Hot)
2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese (I use lite or Neufchâtel)
1 (16 oz) bottle of ranch dressing (I use lite)
1 cup of finely chopped celery
8 ounces (2 cups) grated Cheddar Cheese (or Colby or Monterey Jack) (I like sharp Cheddar)

Steps:

Boil and shred the chicken breasts. (This can be done a day or two ahead of time and refrigerated until assembling the dip for baking.) Combine the cream cheese and dressing in a sauce pan, heating until smooth. Place shredded chicken in the bottom of a sprayed 13x9x2 pan and cover with the hot sauce—mixing it into the chicken. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the chicken/hot sauce layer. Layer the chopped celery next and top with the cheese. Heat in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and mixture bubbling. Serve with celery sticks, crackers, and sliced baguette bread.

Variation: If you like blue cheese, use 1 cup ranch and 1 cup blue cheese dressing instead of the bottle of ranch.

#3 Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:

1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained (if you cook your own beans, you will need 2 cups cooked)
¼ cup tahini
4 tablespoons lemon juice (juice of about 3 lemons)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
½ jar (12 oz) of roasted red peppers (if you roast your own—2 red peppers)
2 tablespoons parsley
Salt & pepper to taste

Steps:

Puree ingredients together in a food processor or blender. Add salt & pepper to taste; add more lemon juice if needed for tartness. (It will thicken slightly when refrigerated.) Best if chilled several hours or overnight before serving, so make it ahead! Serve with pita bread cut into triangles.

#4 Sweet and Saucy Dip

Ingredients:

1 jar (12 oz) grape jelly
1 jar (12 oz) chili sauce

Steps:

Empty contents into a sauce pan and heat (medium) until jelly is melted into the chili sauce, stirring as needed. This can also be made in a slow-cooker. Serve with meatballs and little smokies (cocktail wieners).

What are your favorite game-day dips?

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