Menu

Monday - Salmon cakes (minus dill, plus garlic powder) with a creamy chive sauce, sesame roasted sweet potatoes on the side -- If these salmon cakes turn out well I'll do my own post because I didn't really follow the recipe (they're chilling in the fridge right now). The sesame roasted sweet potato recipe was sent my way by Jess, and little did she know, I had everything to make it on hand and had been trying to figure out a plan for the tahini and cilantro in my fridge! I just made them for my lunch and they were great! The only problem is that I still have more tahini and ciltrano. Guess I'm making them again with dinner tonight : ) Thanks Jess!

Tuesday - Mancakes, fruit on the side

Wednesday - Our regular pesto pasta with toasted walnuts -- If you don't know what I'm talking about you can find the description in this post.

Thursday - Fox Bros BBQ with our house church. I've heard this place is great so I'm looking forward to it!

Friday - Sausage veggie pasta - I'll probably put Brussels sprouts, kale, tomatoes, and a mixture of olives with the sausage. If the sausage fat and juice from the cooked tomatoes isn't enough "sauce" I'll drizzle on some olive oil at the end.


I've stopped making a menu plan for the weekend and started embracing spontaneity on those days. I usually have some idea of what I want to cook, and if we're having people over or I'm planning a special meal for the two of us then I will stick with a plan, but since I often don't know what we'll be up to on the weekends it's kind of fun to just go with the flow and figure it out as I go : )

Menu and Pictures from My Trip with Theresa

Monday - Knephle soup in bread bowls purchased at Panera -- I still have to perfect my bread bowl making.

Tuesday - Breakfast burritos -- Sausage, eggs, cheese, potatoes, and onions, tossed in a tortilla with toppings of choice. Salsa for me, and Marshall will probably add sour cream.

Wednesday - Pesto pasta -- The usual lately, which is Trader Joe's pesto and quinoa sauce tossed with either whole wheat pasta or Trader Joe's brown rice/quinoa pasta, topped with toasted walnuts. Yum!

Thursday - Shepherd's pie - I'm using this as a base recipe but I'll change it a bit based on what I have.

Friday - Shrimp scampi and roasted Brussels sprouts -- Shrimp cooked in an herby and buttery sauce, eaten over pasta.

Here are a few pictures from the trip I took with Theresa! : )

Theresa and I at Yosemite

Me at the Golden Gate Bridge

Theresa and I at the Golden Gate Bridge. There actually is a decent picture of us as well, but we took about 20 pictures trying to get a good one, so I thought it would be funny to give a clearer picture of what our time there was actually like : )

The next two pictures are from the Las Vegas Forum Shops Mall. It was such a neat place. It looked really fancy when you walked in, but at first it looked nothing like you see in these pictures. Just a really impressive European looking style, and then it suddenly changed to looking as if you were outside. We walked around for a long time just because it was so cool. And right when you enter the mall there was a spiral escalator! I had never seen one of those before. 

Me in front of the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

The next two pictures are from a place called Solvang. Solvang is a really cute town in California that was founded by Danish people. It really looks European (Theresa said so herself)! We were there for a very short time but I did manage to grab a Danish pastry before hopping back on the bus and it was delicious. These pictures don't really do it justice, but if you're ever driving between LA and San Franciso you should stop in Solvang even if it's out of the way : ) 

Well, that's a wrap! Hope you enjoyed seeing a glimpse of our trip.

10 of My Staple Foods

When I say staple foods I basically mean things I don't tend to go more than week without having. Most of these things I consume on almost a daily basis, and most of them could be found in our home almost any day you walk in. The interesting thing is that I clearly see now that my eating habits have changed over the past year, because aside from the first three, I didn't start eating most of these things (at least not regularly) until one or two years ago. All the changes were for the better though. And for people who say that healthy food isn't good food, that may be true for you but this is what my body has come to love, appreciate, and crave. not just for health reasons either, but also because it's tasty.

1. Peanut Butter - I feel like it wouldn't be fair to give any other food the number one spot on this list. No matter what time of day or what kind of food phases I'm going through, peanut butter seems to be a constant. So tasty, especially by the spoonful.
2. Bananas - What would life be like without bananas? I'd have more leg cramps and one less vehicle for my peanut butter. Need I say more?
3. Apples - It would be a rare day if you opened my fridge and didn't find apples. Not only does Marshall like them more than almost any other fruit, I'll eat them any day as well. Ever had them sliced with cinnamon on top? Try it!
4. Oats - Whether steel cut or rolled, I eat oats on a weekly basis for sure, but almost daily. Between porridge-style oats, my favorite granola bars, and muesli, we get our fair share of oats around here.
5. Kale - I'm not just trying to be that health freak over here, but kale really is one of our most common vegetables. We both like it sauteed as a side, it's fabulous cooked up in sausage fat as in my sausage potato kale skillet, and we've now been enjoying it raw in kale salads such as my massaged kale salad with lentils sweet potatoes and caramelized onions. 
6. Kombucha - This fermented tea drink is fabulous for your digestive system. It has loads of B-vitamins, and is a great probiotic source. I would say it's an acquired taste, but once you've acquired it there's no going back! I crave my kombucha on a daily basis, and I notice a difference when I don't have it. I've been loving it flavored with ginger. Want to read more? This article has a lot to say!
7. Nuts - I could have easily formed half of this list of nuts alone, but that would have been boring. Almonds and walnuts are my favorite these days, but I usually have several kinds of nuts stocked in the pantry. They are a great snack alongside some dried fruit and/or chocolate, and they are a key ingredient in many of the bars/energy bites I make. My new favorite thing to do with them is toast them and add them to pasta dishes, (especially pesto pasta!) or toast them, grind them, and use them in place of bread crumbs or add them to sauces. They're so versatile and so good for you!
8. Sweet potatoes - This is funny for me to say since last year neither of us even liked them that much. Now I cook these up for breakfast with eggs and/or sausage, roast them as a side dish, cook them in soup, make them into tacos, quick breads, casseroles....you name it! 
9. Dark chocolate - Marshall and I have been making dark chocolate and red wine a fairly common treat after dinner, and here's why: First of all, I would rarely choose cake or cookies when I could choose dark chocolate and red wine even if were strictly talking taste and enjoyment level. And then when you talk health benefits it gets even better! If I can have dessert, consume antioxidants, all while possibly lowering my blood pressure, why wouldn't I? It's a win-win situation. I could live without the red wine if I had to, but not without the dark chocolate. When you're buying 70% or higher this stuff is practically a super food....At least when it comes to a dessert. 
10. Green smoothies - My most common combination is banana, cocoa powder, peanut butter, kefir, water or milk, and spinach. I do enjoy salad, but I can't say I would sit down and eat a huge salad for breakfast. That would be so weird. Green smoothies are a delicious way for me to start the day with a bunch of greens, plus that's how I like to drink my kefir. Unfamiliar with kefir? Here is an introduction to what kefir is and here is a fantastic article about the health benefits.

There are a lot more items I could put on this list, but this is a decent amount of the foods that I regularly eat, and gives you a good summary of my constant grocery list : ) 

What are some of your regular foods that you wouldn't want to live without? Any overlap with mine?

Menu

Sunday - English Pot Roast, Yorkshire pudding, and roasted broccoli

Monday - Pad Thai -- No tofu and extra shrimp.

Tuesday - Massaged Kale Salad with Lentils Sweet Potatoes and Caramelized Onions

Wednesday - Black pepper stir-fried noodles -- With chicken instead of tofu and roasted broccoli instead of spinach.

Friday - Honey Lime Sweet Potato Tacos -- Yum!


I'm posting this today (Sunday) and I have already made and eaten the English pot roast, Yorkshire pudding, and roasted broccoli. Marshall heard about this meal while in England (minus the broccoli), though never had a chance to try it. He bought me a cookbook there (a HUGE one), and of course it had recipes for pot roast and Yorkshire pudding, so he really wanted me to try my hand at it (part of the reason he bought the cookbook : ).

I made this once before (after he came home from England, but long before today), but last time the Yorkshire pudding wasn't a big success. It doesn't help that I've never eaten it in England, or anywhere that claims to make a traditional version (or anywhere at all for that matter!), and neither has he. It can be difficult to make new dishes when you have no idea what you're shooting for. Needless to say, I'm pretty sure I did it properly today! After making it last time I was wondering why people like it so much, but now I understand.

It's made from flour, eggs, milk, and water. Sounds simple, right? It's really isn't difficult, but the batter is really runny so this time I was really uncertain of how it would come out (I couldn't remember the batter consistency from last time). After making the batter, you pour the batter into a baking dish that is greased with beef fat, so the outside gets all crispy and tasty. I wouldn't say the consistency is pudding like, but more chewy and soft with a crispy outside. I really have no idea how to describe it, but it's really tasty! Marshall was also happy that it came out well, and now we just hope that it was actually correct : )


 

Coconut Oil, Butter, and Maple Syrup Coffee

You think I'm crazy, don't you? Coconut oil and butter in coffee?

Now let me ask you this:

When is butter NOT a good idea?

I can see why you might be confused right now. Sounds strange and greasy, doesn't it?. Well let me tell you, I'm not a coffee every morning kind of person, but when I do have it I am a black coffee kind of girl. I love an occasional Starbucks frappuccino, and cappuccinos are great, but neither of those are coffee to me. Coffee is black (more like dark brown), bitter, and fantastic just the way it is. I still hold to that opinion, but let me explain to you when this wonderful coffee creation comes in.


6:00 am - Marshall and I wake up

6:15 am - I start my day with kitchen related activities, Marshall is still in bed.

6:30 am - I start getting hungry, but I always eat breakfast with Marshall who has now made it to the shower.

6:35 am - Now that I've started making breakfast, I can't help but consume something to start my metabolism since breakfast may still be 20 minutes away.

6:40 am - Coffee with butter, coconut oil, and maple syrup, enters the picture, is surprisingly delicious, and has the substance to hold me over till breakfast!

If you Google this concept you'll definitely get mixed opinions concerning the health benefits (or lack thereof), but that's how every subject is. And I tend to think that most of the popular nutrition trends and fad diets are silly, short-lived, and not well supported.

So here is what I do know: I like coffee, I like coconut oil, I like butter, and I like maple syrup. I also know that coconut oil and grass-fed butter contain healthy fats and plenty of vitamins that my body needs, and maple syrup is a natural source of sugar that also contains some vitamins and minerals. I know that it's good to get your metabolism going in the morning (which is why breakfast really is the most important meal of the day : ), and a black cup of coffee basically just gives you a bunch of caffeine without giving you body much else to work with. This combination gives you your morning coffee, along with a supply of nutritious fats to hold you over till breakfast, which is something that can't be said about a black cup of coffee.

But let's set health reasons aside for a minute, and let me say this: The main reason I'm posting this has nothing to do with health. I just really enjoy it : )

Coconut Oil Butter Coffee

Ingredients:
1 cup coffee (I use the middle setting on my Keurig, which is 7.5 oz.)
1 tbsp. coconut oil
2 tsp. butter
1 tsp. maple syrup
splash of milk (optional)

Directions:
Place the coconut oil, butter, and maple syrup in the bottom of a large mug. If using a Keurig, brew the coffee right on top of the other ingredients. Add milk in at the end if you're using it. Use handheld milk frother to blend everything together. Alternatively, brew coffee as you normally would, add all ingredients to a blender (including brewed coffee), and blend everything until combined.


The ratio you'll see if you look this up online is usually 1 tbsp. of each fat to 8 oz. of coffee, but I prefer it with a little less butter than that. I love it with the maple syrup, and 1 tsp. isn't that much, but if you'd rather skip the sugar then go for it. I usually don't use the milk but I have before and it's tasty that way as well.


I hope you enjoy this if you're brave enough to give this crazy idea a try!

This Week's Menu

I'm a little late getting this menu up since I just got back from my CA bus tour adventure on Monday morning. Travelling West coast to East coast is rough! Especially when you fly overnight, don't manage to sleep, and then get home at 7am. What a strange experience. Anywho, I'm back on track and ready for my normal routine again. I'll share a couple pictures from my trip soon! Theresa and I had a blast : )


Monday - Mexican spiced pork burgers topped with an egg (yum!), roasted carrots and broccoli on the side -- unintentionally paleo and gluten free

Tuesday - leftover scalloped potatoes from the freezer, herby lentils, and roasted broccoli -- unintentionally gluten free

Wednesday - pesto pasta with toasted walnuts -- We've been loving the Trader Joe's pesto and quinoa sauce. It has quinoa instead of nuts, but I've been toasting some nuts to toss on top. SO good! Tonight we'll have it with the Trader Joe's quinoa and brown rice spaghetti. We both like this pasta, as well as the Trader Joe's whole wheat pasta -- unintentionally vegetarian and gluten free (almost vegan except there's cheese in the pesto)

Thursday - Thai chicken salad -- unintentionally gluten free (as long as you use gluten free soy sauce!)

Friday - leftover taco pasta from the freezer -- Not paleo, not vegetarian or vegan, not gluten free, but I don't follow any of those diets anyway! This is really delicious!


I'll give you a sneak peak into the next post....Who can identify these three items? Any guesses what one other ingredient I add to these three to make something really tasty?

Oh yeah, and I recently made a smoothie, poured it into my free Victoria's Secret cup, and laughed out loud at the irony of this....Yes, thank you VS cup for stating the obvious : )