Butternut Squash Soup

Yes I have been creating home cooked meals...some of the time...definitely meeting and even exceeding my goal of 3 times per week! But i want to take a minute here for a disclaimer. I originally said healthy was my intention..and it still is..but Im not going all out health nazi. Cooking at home was my number one goal. I was NOT cooking (unless you count Bertolli). So making food at home was a huge undertaking. This I have begun and it feels like I am on the right track. Yes I want to make healthy food, and generally I do. It helps that when you know the ingredients in your food you are waaaayyyy above the dining out and processed foods curve. So with that being said...yes I am leaning towards healthy...but I am not opposed to heavy cream, fried foods and butter. If this offends you please accept my so what hehe. I also intend to continue improving the health quality of my creations as time wears on and its not so difficult to put meals together.

So that brings us to our yum yum soup. Dear husband actually ended up putting this together and I thank him so much. He is actually the natural chef in the family...but even he has been slacking the last 6 months or so. Has something to do with being overworked. So the butternut squash soup was born...and this picture does it NO justice:



It is truly yummy though. The pear really brings out the yum yum factor. We left out the nuts as usual but it still was fine. It would look beautiful with the garnish of pear and pecans as the recipe encourages. This is a dish that is perfect for the family....or for a girls only autumn brunch. I found it at Moms Menu.

Butternut Squash Soup
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tbls butter or margarine
2 cups chicken broth
1 pound or so butternut squash / pared, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 pears pared and sliced
1 tsp fresh/snipped thyme leaves (we used dried)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ground coriander (we omitted)
1 cup whipping cream (oh yaaaaa bring it on)

Garnishes: 1 pear , unpared and sliced
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Cook and stir onion in margarine in 4-quart Dutch oven until tender. Stir in broth,squash, 2 sliced pears, thyme, salt, white pepper, and coriander. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until squash is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour about half of the soup into food processor work bowl fitted with steel blade or into blender container; cover and process until smooth. Repeat with remaining soup. Return to Dutch oven; stir in whipping cream. Heat, stirring frequently, until hot. Serve with sliced pear and pecans.

Here is another squash soup recipe that i want to try. it seems simpler and without the cream :(.

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons butter
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 shallots, chopped 1 butternut squash,
peeled and roughly chopped
4 cups chicken stock (or just water is fine for extra squash flavor)
1 cup water
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ? teaspoon dried

"Caramelizing the onions adds their sweetness to that of the squash, and roasting the walnuts briefly in a dry pan enhances their flavor and provides crunchy texture"

I made a blueberry pie for hubby which turned out fabulous (recipe on the label of Oregon blueberries. No pic to prove but Im serious...it was pretty.

And then the hummus adventure continues. This time I added lots and lots of fresh spinach, roasted garlic, flax seed oil and a yellow pepper. I didnt add spices this time and left out the onion. It is good thats for sure. However I miss the onion (even though it left dragon breath in its wake!) and the thai hot sauce. The spinach is a big winner though and its a keeper. This is a good halloween pic...is it green slime or delicious hummus? you decide.



Thanks for visiting! and share your recipes with me! I would love to try them

Orange Food Day

Didnt intend to make it an orange day..but it turned out being so...which is fine by me since in a not so distant time..i was hung up on orange in a serious way.

so it all started out with the pumpkin maple swirl muffins i had been preparing..and dreaming of. this was delayed a bit cause of my son's high fever...which meant rare free mama time...but i actually was able to tackle them during a sick day....meaning i was home with my sick kid although i was not sick atall.


Pumpkin Maple Swirl Muffins
Filling:
1 package cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup

Muffins:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2 tsp baking powder (check your expiration date! mine was 5 year old!)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup solid pack pumpkin (not sure what that means)
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp maple syrup

Topping:
2 tsp packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Combine cream cheese, sugar and maple syrup in a small bowl until blended (that the "filling")

Combine flour, sugar, nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. (thats the muffin)

Mix eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk, oil and maple syrup in a medium bowl then add it to the flour mixture, mixing until just blended. Fold filling in just until batter is swirled.

Mix topping ingredients together.

Spoon batter into greased or paper lined muffin cups. Sprinkle nut topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 20 - 22 minutes or until wooden pick (duh...toothpick) inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, serve warm if possible.



So I deleted the nuts so my 15 month old could enjoy them. I also used pumpkin pie filling...which im not sure in the pumpkin pack they speak of...but im guessing not. I bet pumpkin pack is like 100% raw pumpkin..which might be nice to do with that pumpkin gut you find yourself with these days. I would recommend shredding the hell out of it in a food processor first though. Anyhoo....thats just my guess. But my muffins turned out perfect with the pie filling. I did add a bit more than the recipe asks for.

The pretty little cakes are not too sweet..which my husband appreciates...and not to earthy...which i appreciate. The cream cheese is a nice surprise and even without the nuts they are supreme. I give this recipe an 7.5 out of 10. They are super yummy, pretty darn easy to make (aka difficult to screw up) and healthier than the average dessert muffin in that there is no butter, shortening or white sugar involved. I cant say that pumpkin screams at you when you bite in .....but it is still present..and again maybe thats because i failed to follow the directions for solid pack pumpkin (wtf?).



Next up on orange boulevard: Orange Rosemary Easy Chicken. This is honestly the easiest possible recipe EVER! Which is of course why i was immediately attracted to it. Well that and it is healthy (aka not fried). Found it on Healthy Quick Meals(duh)


Orange Rosemary Easy Chicken
1 pound or so of chicken (anyway anyhow)
Place in casserole with a lid

sprinkle paprika and pepper over chicken

mix together 6 ounces of frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed not diluted
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp marjoram

Bake for 50 - 60 minutes at 350F covered, until no longer pink inside

This dish was very moist and savory. The "sauce" was not something i ended up lathering on. Instead the OJ was more of a marinate that kept the chicken very moist and added much flavor. It really was a tasty dish...and ease alone keeps this baby at a 10 out of 10. We will be revisiting ole ojrose ckn. I put some jasmine rice and fresh broccoli in the rice cooker for a simple, delicious side dish.

The Dirty Dozen & the Not as Dirty Dozen

Good info as collected from the worlds healthiest foods newsletter:

The Dirty Dozen
12 Most Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables

Food Pesticide Load
Peaches 100 (highest)
Apples 89
Sweet Bell Peppers 86
Celery 85
Nectarines 84
Strawberries 82
Cherries 75
Pears 65
Grapes (imported) 65
Spinach 60
Lettuce 59
Potatoes 58

12 Least Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables

Food Pesticide Load
Onions 1 (lowest)
Avodados 1
Pineapples 7
Mango 9
Asparagus 11
Sweet Peas 11
Kiwi 14
Bananas 16
Cabbage 17
Broccoli 18
Papaya 21

Sunday in the Kitchen - a goal realized

Guess what I did most of Sunday? I was a domestic goddess...and it was FUN.

I started off with home made pancakes. Got the recipe online...picked Good Eats with Alton Brown. I dig him. Ended up even separating eggs and such...and "snuck" some bananas in...hoping grant would ingest them with the cake...no so luck. He didnt eat the pan cakes...and i must admit i felt rejected. However...they really did taste yummy..even if they werent symetrical or round atall.



Ah yes the hummus Ive been teasing you with..you and I really. Well anyhoo...after some mixing delimas (started in the blender...which didnt work...transferring to the food processor I didnt know we owned)...its DELICIOUS! So exciting to finally make it from scratch. Another exciting example of a recipe perfect to screw with. I added thai spicey sauce and some herbs (cant remember what), and LOTS of roasted garlic. I roasted the garlic in the oven at 400 for 30 minutes..another new thing for me! You MUST make hummus if you dont already. Its the perfect, anytime quicky snack. Great for dipping veggies, pitas, chips etc.


Here is the original recipe...from my friend Delight (yes that is really her name and she lives up to it).



Then I made lunch pizza. Used more of the roasted garlic, some bulk ground beef that I had browned the night before, onion, yellow pepper and lots of spices. The crust is premade and it ROCKS (a baboli knock off). I made 2 pizzas so we have a whole pizza for snacks and lunch for the next day.




Finally I put the roast on. Let it simmer for 3 hours! It turned out delicious....and SOOOO very simple. You must try this (if you eat beef of course).


Italian Roast
1 Chuck Roast (any size, and kind, I used arm)
1 - 2 Onions quartered
2 cloves garlic, slivered
2 Bay Leaf
2 TBLS Oregano
3 TBLS Basil
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
1 large can whole toms undrained
2 heaping rounded TBLS Tomato paste

Brown your roast in a bit of olive oil
Add all ingredients
Squish toms with hands! (turned out to be a hoot...but watch out)
Mix a bit
Simmer for 2 - 3 hours
Roast is done when you can twirl it with a fork and it breaks a part.

I roasted my carrots and potatos in the oven separately...bc i was worried about changing the flavor...but surely it would be just fine! This is truly delicious dish that we will be eating on for days. Never a simpler meal has ever been written.
This is a 10 out of 10. Easy, Inexpensive, little mess and superbly delicious.

Happy feasting!

Meal Planning 101

Im tense...tonight is the big grocery shopping trip. Its a family affair...my DH, DS and your truly. This isnt an adventure I am generally invited on...or really want to go on. DS Grant usually is QUITE a GIGANTIC ENORMOUS challenge in the store...his patience wears thin before we get out of the fresh food perimeter. But tonight we plan to dine at our favorite sushi place..and to make the trip count...are sticking in some duty. So grocer here we come...but this time...I am armed with a MEAL PLAN.

I knew it would come to this...even though I am a free spirit and enjoy whimsy and creativity...when it comes down to it....IM NOT those things....at least when it comes to food. I feel like I am 8 years old and have NO knowledge of how to feed myself. How did it come to this? Why do I know algebra but not home economics? This is my fault for not truly trying before now...and not paying attention to my mom when she was telling me stuff...but also the education system. There should be lots of time spent on learning how to thrive. I guess its more important that I memorized a jillion bible versus that are long since forgotten. Enough bitching.

My meal plan includes: healthy breakfast frittata (with kale!), pumpkin maple swirl muffins, stir fried chicken with broccoli, tropical energy smoothie, italian chuck roast (my grandmas recipe!) orange & rosemary chicken, pizza, butternut squash soup & grilled pork chops. How come when I list out my meal plans it sounds like a bizarre mix...guess bc im not pairing them with their proper side dishes etc. OH well...im excited.

So wish me well at the grocery store tonight. I will try and control my impulsive Doritos nature and hold back with the donuts. Im also going to focus on fresh finger foods that my 15 month old son can graze on (since he is boycotting meals at this moment).

Goals for the near future...more crock pot meals, feeding the freezer and 2 week meal plans!

Crock Pot Chili

Our fridge is still bare...but I woke up with a plan. I had stocked up for chili 2 weeks ago...and this morning....it was born (at 7:30AM!!!!).

This is an old recipe I have used over and over again through the years. The best part is that its made in a crock pot...yes the beloved crock pot. So I threw the ingredients together...and after work TADA....dinner is ready! This has truly renewed my interest in crock potting...perfect for the wohm who would rather cuddle with her child than chop onions at 5PM.

Im learning that all recipes (with the exception of baking) are meant to be meddled with. Take the foundation and add personality. Chili is ripe for modification. Here is the recipe as written:

2 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely cut
1 28 ounce can whole toms undrained
2 16 ounce cans kidney beans, undrained
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin

Brown your beef add the rest and simmer all day.

Here is the "before" pic (as in before it simmers for 8 hours and then becomes one). I will try to add an "after" pic tomorrow.


The beef can be interchanged with tofu, turkey, chicken, emu...etc. 1 pound beef 1 pound tofu sounds good to me. I also recommend lots more garlic and onion and I swapped 1 can of kidney for black beans. Seasoning of course can be totally messed with ..to taste.


Again...this isnt a healthy poster recipe..due to the beef i suppose...but overall it is a good quality home cooked dish. Lots of protein and certainly comfort food. Great for chili evenings :).

Miserable Failure

OK....so travel is hard. VERY HARD. We had an impromptu trip to St Louis happen over the weekend...and honestly ...all we did was eat out and I didtn even make great choices there. Point being...if you do not prepare...you will not eat healthy. Lets see...we had pasta and pizza and asian (of course) and white castles! I did manage to bring sunflower seeds for in transit snacking (not bad!).

I wish I had something amazing to post. I wish I had a picture that screamed DAMN she is good. BUT I DO NOT.

And now we have an empty fridge with no shopping availability in sight. I really need to plan in 2 week increments. Note to self...start the grocery list.

Fried Tofu with Funky Sauce

Your probably thinking....fried food doesnt belong on this blog...but oh my friend it does!

See this is still within my goals...because it is made at home so I know the ingredients that when into it...and because Im not trying to be perfect here...just improve.



We just cubed up the firm tofu (well drained) and fried it in evoo. then threw a bunch of sauces (soy, oyster and tiger) together with apple cider vinegar and sesame oil. A handful of green onions later ...and yum...its like we are at zen zero sort of.

8 / 10...its delicious, quick, easy, fun and grant can eat it...but it is fried.

Hydrogenated Oils vs Trans Fat

I always get my fats confused. Todays Worlds Healthiest Foods Newsletter had this bit of helpful information I wanted to share with you:

"Are partially hydrogenated oils and trans fat the same thing?

Partially hydrogenated oil is not the same as trans fat. "Partially hydrogenated" means that hydrogen gas has been bubbled up into the oil to increase its degree of saturation and shelf life. The process of hydrogenation causes several chemical changes to occur in the oil. One of these changes (only one, but an important one) is the creation of trans fat. There is some naturally occurring trans fat in many foods - but not nearly as much as we get from hydrogenated oils. Some of us get about 20 grams of trans fat per day solely from consumption of hydrogenated oils. From natural foods, we would only get several grams. A food label can claim "Zero grams of trans fat" even when there is hydrogenated oil in the product, because a product is legally considered "trans fat free" as long as there is less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving size. Trans fats are definitely harmful to our health in large amounts, and processed products containing hydrogenated oils are not ones that we recommend consuming."

I definitely consume hydrogenated oils...on a regular basis...need to get on that!

Slaw, Soup & Salad for the Soul

Ok so it sounds pretty strange together...and we really didnt intend to make them together...but it happened and I am not complaining. I will say that the slaw is great as a snack and with lunch sandwiches etc.

So DH made his famous chicken soup last night. Very simple recipe which is perfect for any modification. He boiles a whole chicken then takes the chicken out and adds oil, seasoning, celery, carrots, onion, mushrooms, taters and anything else lying around the kitchen. I love noodles in this too! Then he debones the chicken and puts the little pieces back in. He also makes chicken salad from some of the chicken. Anyhoo...after some time you end up with delicious, soul food! The picture doesnt do it justice at all!



Soups are great. I want to really play with the soup medium. It is a great way to clean out the fridge of those almost old veggies etc. Plus the end product is truly devine and can be fed upon for days and days. Dave's chicken soup gets a 10 out 10. Super nutritious, delicious, keeps for a week or more and toddlers can eat it (never hurt that i dont have to make it either). Oh his chicken salad is fabulous and simple. Just diced chicken, mayonaise and celery. Add salt, spices, seed, berries, grapes...anything you in the mood for. Go crazy with the spices and you wont be disapointed.

Then I made up the asian cole slaw you are probably almost sick of hearing about by now :). This is most likely a recipe from the 70s that everyone has had at one time or another at a family reunion or other pot luck style event. I recently ate this at a party and fell in love. The recipe was scribbled on a receipt and this is what i came up with:



Another perfect example of a base that you can play with infinitely. The recipe calls for the ramen noodle spice packet (which scares me a bit) so instead i used soy sauce and thai red hot sauce, cumin & salt. I would love to add soy beans (edame) too! This one is super yum yum and there is no cooking involved!
Here is the basic recipe:

2 packages ramen noodles (crunch them up into small pieces ...maybe even use a hammer)
1 bag of cole slaw (16 oz...find it by the bags of salad..its just cabbage)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup almond slivers
green onion to taste
2 tbls each of oil and vinegar (i used evoo and balsamic vinegar)
1 packet ramen seasoning (i didnt use this)
1 tbls sugar

toss it all together and let marinate in the fridge.

Please play with this one! Its too fun. I give the asian cole slaw and 9 out of 10. A very easy to make, nutritious and quick snack or side dish,but i have to pick out the almonds for DS to eat it.

Overall...I am starting to get in the swing of things. However...there is much work to be done! Thanks for visiting.

Energy Bars

Happy Monday!

Last night I went to work trying out this recipe for energy bars. I ended up halving the recipe (thank goodness)because I didnt have enough peanut butter. This is what they look like:



Energy Bars:
4 cups peanut butter (little jars are 2 cups). I recommend natural or organic and would even love to try almond butter or some other more exotic butter - East Wind makes a wonderful product by the way.
2 cups of honey - 2 bears (local is better)
2 cups of sunflower seeds
1 1/3 cups of powdered milk
8 cups of oats
2 cups of carob chips or choc chips (1, 12 oz bag)
2 -3 TBS margarine or butter

Use ice cream scoops to portion the mix then shape into bars on ungreased pan. Cook at 350 for 8 - 10 minutes then store in fridge. Keeps for up to 2 weeks.



They are VERY rich and are not for the calorie shy. Also, they are not for little guys either considering their peanut content. I also added almonds just for fun. If you dont have a mixer, its going to be a lot of work. I used the bread hook and it mixed nicely. Patting them out into bars took some elbow grease but the end product is super yummy and nutrient rich.

Overall I would give the energy bars a 7 out of 10 (10 being the highest). They were easy to make and have quality ingredients but my 15 month old cant indulge and the expense was kinda high.

Purpose - Goals - Objectives

I recently passed a professional certification exam...and you know...even though at first I didnt think I really learned that much...now I think I actually did. Its interesting how the exam content is seeping into my everyday life and Im looking at things...at work and at home...a tad differently. COOL!

So I decided to use the purpose, goals & objectives organizational method to help give this blog and more essentially, my hopes of changing the way I eat, form and directions. And away we go:

Purpose of "Changing My Ways"
To be a role model for my son while providing the entire family meals & snacks that not only taste good but that are nutritionally superior through a combination of research, effective time management (planning and preparing) & implementation.

Goals of "Changing My Ways"
To improve my knowledge of healthy food.
To improve my willingness and ability to prepare healthy food.
To increase the amount of home made meals my family eats.

Objectives of "Changing My Ways"
To read about nutrition and food a minimum of 10 minutes a day
To eat a fresh home cooked dinner a minimum of 3 nights a week
To meet and network with other folks interested in healthy eating through this blog, other online sources and in the community (like people in the flesh...crazy huh!)
To organize a schedule of shared cooking duties with my husband
To prepare grocery lists based on recipes
To sneak vegetables into sauces & breads etc. (So my son Grant will eat them
To buy organic when it really counts (milk) and when otherwise feasible & sometimes when not :)
To moderate obvious unhealthy consumption to a maximum of 25% of our overall intake

Wow ...I really feel organized now. Oh and by the way...my DH went grocery shopping last night with my new improved shopping list. We have protein bars, asian cole slaw & chili on the menu (sounds gross when listed together). And the biggest change was he didnt come home with 10 different snacks! It was the first time ever! I must admit I was kinda lost without my lard powdered donuts (which i usually scarf down as soon as the groceries are put up). This is getting real now :)

Off to a shakey start

Well good friends.....my good intentions have gone to hell. I have not been cooking and I have not been doing much to improve my consumption. Here's the minimal scoop:

Proud moment:

Homemade cherry/blueberry, flax seed oil, honey and yogurt smoothie for breakfast


Not so proud moment:

Fried chicken from the grocery store and cake!

However...I would like my disclaimer to read something like this:

"Unfortunately neither my DH or myself has been able to properly grocery shop since my epiphany so therefore I have no tools to work with"

Disclaimer = blame = cop out?

Not really. We have seriously been BUSYIOLA. Im talking my DH is working extra extra, I have been studying for a test and we have been working on a yard sale for this weekend. I did run to the store last night from absolute necessity and managed to get soy milk and 7 grain bread (among a host of other not to fabulous items).

However...the good news is that I am still on a mission to change my ways! The start is slow...but the planning has begun. My grocery list is taking shape and I have plans for homemade chili, asian cole slaw, vegetable soup and hummus (not to be eaten at the same time). This is really quite a big shift for me so give me room to grow at my own pace...and the turtle will finish and even win!

Point being...dont give up if you too are changing your ways at an infinitesimal pace. Keep the faith! Homework: find a yummy and at least semi healthy recipe that you want to try and write down the ingredients on your new improved grocery list!