Camping - Red Top Mountain

This is the fourth place we have camped since moving to Atlanta and it was way better than all of the other places. Except that we didn't have Bundo and Kyungsung with us....B and K, we miss you!

We were right on the lake, the campsites had a fair amount of space between them, the woods were nice, AND the weather was beautiful! Here are a few shots from the weekend.

Part of our view

 Marshall getting the fire started

 Cookie dough and dutch oven

Yes, this happened!

 Marshall's homemade cookie sheet, which helped a lot with removing the cookies from the oven, and when they cooled they were not stuck to the foil like they were to the paper plate when we cooled them that way. 

 Our delicious homemade cookies that our lucky campsite neighbors got a few of

My turn in backgammon (and Marshall's scorched rice....yes, that's actually what it's called. It's kind of a rice version of Korean Ramen. B and K, we had to get this in honor of you : )

 Marshall made a torch

 A glimpse of the sunset

We'll definitely be going back there again!

We have "mastered" scones and cookies with our dutch oven, any crazy suggestions for our next trip? 

Menu

Sunday - chicken dumpling soup (yesterday)
Monday - broccoli cheddar quinoa cups (this recipe except not mini)
Wednesday - potato-sausage-kale saute
Thursday - cheesy chicken mac
Friday - scalloped potatoes

Stay tuned for a post about our camping trip this past weekend : )

Sneak peek

What I Ate Today

Breakfast

Self-explanatory fruit and a Mexican hot chocolate bite. Though a bit more speckled than I would normally prefer, that banana was really good. And I think we'd all agree that a girl's gotta have her chocolate, so let's not even go there.

Post-workout Snack

Chocolatey black bean protein ball (recipe to come). Sorry for this icky picture. I really don't like that big white spot, which happens to be an oat, because it draws all of the attention to itself. Eww.

Lunch

PB+J and carrots - I had lunch with Marshall and Olivier today as I commonly do on Wednesdays. It was a bit chilly and quite windy on that roof top garden! Glad I packed my lunch in Pyrex because it probably would have blown away otherwise. Haven't had PB+J in a while and it sure hit the spot!

Afternoon Snack

Celery, almonds, TJ's Wisconsin extra sharp white cheddar, and a glass of kombucha. I nibbled and sipped these things while I was doing some afternoon cooking.

Dinner

Chinese pork meatballs, rice, cauliflower, and you might be able to see that German beer in the background.

Dessert

One of these turtles. YUM!

As you can see, I had three different forms of chocolate today. Chocolate throughout the day and no guilt : )  Sounds like a great day, right?...I know I seem like I'm being a bad influence, but when you see the ingredients in the black bean protein balls, let me tell you - you are going to be surprised, and probably make them so you can also shamelessly eat your chocolate : )

Easter Sunday

Here are a few pictures from Easter Sunday.

Hmmm...not there.

Not here....

What exactly were they looking for?

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

And Turtles

Marshall and I decided that this year for Easter we would make some candy together. I chose dark chocolate peanut butter cups and he chose turtles. We made little bags for our friends and hid them around our apartment. I wish I thought to get my camera out a bit sooner because there was some funnier scenarios with them looking around. These will do though.

Here is the recipe for the turtles. Credit for the recipe goes to THIS book.

Turtles

Ingredients

• 1 11 oz. bag of caramels
• 4 teaspoons of whole milk -- that's what we used but I think a little bit more might be better
• 2 cups pecans -- lightly toast them in a pan with a couple teaspoons of butter and sprinkle with salt (the toasting is optional)
• 10 oz. bag dark chocolate chips -- we used Ghiradelli 
• 3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp. shortening

Directions

1. Melt the caramels and milk in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth
2. Stir all of the pecans into the caramel
3. Drop by spoonfuls onto a buttered baking sheet -- about 3 pecans per spoonful 
4. Chill until set -- 30 minutes to 1 hour
5. Melt both chocolates and shortening together over a double boiler
6. Lay a large sheet of waxed paper on your counter or table
7. Using a fork, dip the caramel-nut clusters into the chocolate and coat completely
8. Use another fork to push it off the other fork onto the waxed paper
9. Let stand until set
10. Store at room temperature in an airtight container

I'm glad we had friends to share these with or Marshall and I might have eaten them way too quickly on our own. 

I didn't get any pictures of our flank steak dinner, but Marshall did  great job grilling them up!

Our dinner was followed by....

 Tiramisu for dessert

Glad there wasn't too much left : )

Hope you had a wonderful time celebrating the resurrection of our awesome Savior!

Menu and More Chocolate

Sunday - flank steak, dutch oven loaf, and a salad -- Having a cookout with some friends for Easter

Monday - broccoli chickpea curry on rice

Wednesday - Chinese meatballs on rice

Thursday - salsa eggs -- Which is basically poaching eggs in salsa and eating them on tortillas with the salsa they were poached in, cheese, olives, sour cream, etc. Whatever floats your taco boat.

Short menu this week because of weekend plans. I will be sharing a bit of that after the fact : )

I have another chocolate recipe for you! You must be warned though. The outside makes them look very much like truffles...they are not. This is really the identical twin that provides healthy fats and protein and doesn't leave you with regret. Though if I have planned to eat a truffle I usually experience pure enjoyment. It's the 2nd and 3rd truffles I regret. Not so with these!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Balls

These come together so quickly. There is no reason not to make them unless you don't have the ingredients on hand. Credit for the recipe goes to THIS blog.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup walnuts
• ½ cup rolled oats
• 2 Tbsp. flaxseed meal
• 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder (plus extra for rolling)
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp salt
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

Directions

1. In a food processor, blend walnuts until they reach the texture of walnut butter (or as close as you can get with your food processor or blender).
2. Add the oats, flaxseed meal, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Blend until thoroughly combined.
3. Add maple syrup and blend until combined.
4. Form into 10 - 12 balls.
5. Roll the balls in additional cocoa powder (optional).
6. Store in the refrigerator.

Keep in mind that the texture of these is not going to be like a truffle. There may be little bits of oats or nuts depending on your food processor or blender. They were never meant to be a truffle, so don't compare! Just enjoy them for the chocolatey goodness that they are.

I like to have these around for a little pick-me-up in the afternoon or even as a dessert. And yes, when I took that photo at 8am I ate the one I cut in half : ) ....looks worthy of breakfast to me!

No Menu This Week....

...But you can't really complain because I'm sharing a chocolate recipe with you : )

This granola is dangerously good. Seriously! This is how life goes when this granola is in the house:

Wake up - eat granola, come home from work - eat granola, eat dinner - eat granola, go to bed - think about how you can't wait to wake up so you can eat granola.

I can't claim bragging rights for this recipe though. HERE is the blog I found it on. The first time I made it I didn't have buckwheat groats and I just used 1 additional cup of oats in their place. The second time I did have them and I loved the extra crunch they added. However, if you can't find or don't care to buy them, it was delicious without them as well. I used walnuts instead of hazelnuts (and I'm sure pecans would also be good), and I used brown sugar in place of coconut sugar. Anyway around it, you should end up with a crunchy, chocolatey, delightful bowl of granola, which tastes out of this world with some milk (which becomes chocolate milk!). I will happily admit that I could easily be caught eating this by the handful anytime of day. It's just that good. 

Make sure it lasts you at least few days though. Because most likely you will want to make another batch as soon as it's gone, and who really has time to make this every day? Oh yeah, and there's the calorie consideration ; )

Chunky Chocolate Buckwheat Granola

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup buckwheat groats
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup walnuts
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ cup cocoa powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. In a large bowl combine oats, buckwheat, shredded coconut, chia seeds, and brown sugar. Roughly chop nuts and add them to the bowl.
3. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt coconut oil. Add honey or maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and cocoa powder. Whisk to combine until smooth.
2. Pour liquid ingredients over dry and fold coat.
3. Spread mixture out in an even layer on a lined baking sheet and press firmly with the back of a spatula to ensure that the mixture is compact. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, flip granola in large chunks, and place back in oven to bake for another 10 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes until toasted and fragrant. The dark color of the granola makes it hard to tell if it is done or not. I tasted a walnut to make sure it was nicely toasted.

Next step for you? I'm sure you know! ....

.....WAIT! Just in case you didn't catch it, I'm going to suggest you make this ; )

Tuna Cakes with Creamy Chive Sauce

I have posted the link for these tuna cakes a few times now, but I never make it quite like the recipe, and there are a couple of big differences that I thought it wasn't fair for you not to know.

Say hello to a deliciously healthy dinner plate

Tuna Cakes

2 cans of tuna packed in water, drained -- approximately 5 oz. each can

1 egg

1/4-cup bread crumbs of choice -- I have been using matzo meal

1-2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

1-2 Tbsp. chives -- or green onion, sweet onion, or any combination of the 3

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. onion powder (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

provolone cheese (optional)

Creamy Chive Sauce

1 small container of plain, nonfat, Greek yogurt -- approximately 5 oz.

2 tsp. mayonnaise

1 tsp. spicy brown mustard

2 Tbsp. chives -- or green onion, sweet onion, or any combination of the 3

1/4 tsp. onion powder

salt to taste

I don't measure anything except the bread crumbs for this recipe, it's really all approximate and up to your taste.

Directions

It's basically unnecessary to have directions because this is what they are:

Combine all ingredients for the tuna cakes in a bowl except the cheese, form into patties (I make 2 large patties, but you could definitely make 3 or 4 if you don't want them so big) refrigerate until you are ready to cook them. 

When ready to cook, add a bit of butter or oil to a pan on medium heat. Put patties in the pan and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden brown and heated through (about 5 minutes per side). If using the cheese, I put it on immediately when I flip the patties to the second side. A lid will help the cheese melt better but it isn't necessary

Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a bowl, refrigerate until ready to use.

I prefer to make everything ahead of time. The  sauce is better when it had time in the fridge, and if I'm getting home late from work I just need to quickly heat the prepared patties and dinner is ready!

Here are two ways to serve them:

I had mine on a bed of spinach and Marshall had his on an English muffin with cheese. Both ways are very good!

Menu and True-False Answers

Monday - tuna cakes with creamy chive sauce - We have been eating these on English muffins with provolone cheese - delicious!

Wednesday - warm citrusy millet "salad" with roasted fennel and kalamata olives

Thursday - "Italian beef" - We are going to attempt this with very thinly sliced beef we found at H Mart

Friday - Grilling! - burgers on pretzel buns

Sunday - coconut curry soup

There are many good vegetables on sale this week! We'll see where my taste buds take me, but broccoli and green beans are almost certain.

Now to the true-false answers from THIS post. If you have not read the previous post, you may want to do that before reading this since all of the answers are below. Otherwise continue reading. I was a little bit tricky with how I worded a couple of my statements. Maybe you'll be surprised by some of these answers : )

1. If I could be an Olympic athlete I would be a gymnast - TRUE - I have always loved the sport and wanted to be in the Olympics, though now I am thankful that I wasn't because my body would be so beat up at such a young age.

2. Kneading a soft bread dough makes me giddy - TRUE - Nothing more to say : )

3. I'm afraid of the dark - TRUE - Usually in my own home I am okay, but don't be surprised if you find me peeking around corners, walking with my back against the wall (okay, maybe I wouldn't do this too often), or running from the kitchen to my bedroom, and you would DEFINITELY hear me sprinting for dear life from my car to the front door. Don't believe me? Ask my Mom.

4. If I had easy access to a McDonald's I would have gone there yesterday - TRUE - for ONE reason. Shamrock shake.

5. If I had to adopt a farm animal it would be a chicken - TRUE - I would love to have the fresh eggs. Otherwise you wouldn't catch me and a chicken alive in the same room. 

6. I want this blog to be considered a health blog - FALSE - Yes, I certainly talk about health because it's a passion of mine, however, this is a FOOD blog, and other little tidbits of our life along the way.

7. If I had an all expense paid opportunity to start a bakery in Europe I would do it - FALSE - Only because I wouldn't want to be away from my family. PLUS, my baked goods probably wouldn't live up to the right standards.

8. I had a dream that I was running another marathon - TRUE - Maybe it will become a reality. Maybe in Chicago. And maybe in 2015....

9. I regularly say that we should try the barter system again - TRUE - I'll give you fermented food products and fresh breads if you give me dairy products to ferment (which I will share with you), additional dairy to have fresh, and eggs. I think it's worth a shot ; ) ...I'm obviously planning to live near a farm......which means I may also ask for some beef in exchange for coffee cake. 

10. Walking to Trader Joe's is in my top five ways to have me time - TRUE - Along with kneading bread dough and running.

10 On Tuesday - True or False Statements

I heard about 10 on Tuesday through THIS blog that I have found some great recipes through. The 10 on Tuesday topic was interesting to me today, so I decided to join. Here are 10 statements about me that may be true or may be false.

1. If I could be an Olympic athlete I would be a gymnast
2. Kneading a soft bread dough makes me giddy
3. I'm afraid of the dark
4. If I had easy access to a McDonald's I would have gone there yesterday
5. If I had to adopt a farm animal it would be a chicken
6. I want this blog to be considered a health blog
7. If I had an all expense paid opportunity to start a bakery in Europe I would do it
8. I had a dream that I was running another marathon
9. I regularly say that we should try the barter system again
10. Walking to Trader Joe's is in my top five ways to have me time

Go ahead and guess! : )