Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookies

Girl Scout cookies are amazing, we all know that, but what if you could make Girl Scout cookies even better? I did!!!

 

 

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookies

Ingredients

 

1/2 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips



Louisiana strawberries
1 sleeve Trefoil Girl Scout cookies

Directions

1. Prepare your baking sheet with parchment paper, and pull out the cookies so you are all ready to go.

2. Set up a double boiler on your stove.  A double boiler consists of a small pot filled with water, a small bowl set on top.  Put the chocolate in your small bowl and turn the heat to medium.  Slowly stir the chocolate until is melted, it may seize up a bit but just keep slowly stirring.  You don't need to add milk or anything to the chocolate, just keep working it until it melts.  As soon as the chocolate is melted take it off the heat, you don't want it to burn.

3. Use a spoon or spatula and spread a layer of chocolate on top of each cookie.

4.  When all your cookies are covered put the baking sheet in the freezer to allow the chocolate an opportunity cool down and harden.

5.  After 20ish minutes, pull the cookies out!  I'm sure there are fancy ways to cut strawberries so that they are visually appealing, but I'm not fancy.  I just want to eat all the strawberries!!! Slice your strawberries and pile them on top of your cookies.

6.  Eat all the cookies in one sitting (that may have just been the case for me, the roomie, and the roomie's boyfriend).

Picture Tutorial

 

Set up your double boiler on your stove.

 

 

Melt the chocolate slowly (be careful, it will get hot).

 

 

Spread the chocolate on top of the cookies.

 

 

 

Top each cookie with sliced strawberries and enjoy!

 



 

A Note on Ingredients

Louisiana strawberries are the best!  If you don't live in Louisiana, get yourself here during strawberry season!  Louisiana strawberries are amazing in a way that I cannot describe, you must get your hands on some!

 

Mine, Nachos

Nachos are super easy, super delicious, and super cheap.  I really don't know why I don't incorporate them into my diet more often.

Last night I made some super tasty nachos for the roomie and I.  Lemme break down my nacho situation for you.

Protein:  Everyone needs some protein in their diet. As a vegetarian, I get my protein from beans, legumes, and leafy greens.  I'm not a huge fan of leafy greens or potatoes on my nachos, so I'm going to stick with beans.  I buy a can of pre-cooked/mashed pinto beans from the grocery store.  Just a can of pre made beans?  How boring you say!  Well, I would agree with you.  Except, that my beans are a little extra special.  I like to kick my nachos up a notch with some spice.  I usually add some chipotle pepper in adobe sauce to my beans.  Or you could add some regular old spices: cumin, cayenne, paprika, salt, pepper, whatever your heart desires.  Last night though, I did something special.  The roommate had made mole the week before, and we still had a bit lying around, so I tossed that in my beans!  And let me say, a wonderful, delicious, semi-accident food choice.

Chip: I like a flat, sturdy chip as my nacho base.  I like to buy Santitas, but last night I was trying to kill off some whole wheat Scoops that have been laying around for forever.  I do not recommend the Scoop chip for nachos, they are wonderful for dips, but do not form a good base for piling upon.

Spicy: Salsa, very basic, very delicious.  4 seeded tomatoes, 1/2 an onion diced, half a bunch of cilantro, juice of 1 lemon, 1 jalapeno half seeded and roughly chopped.  Mix it all up and enjoy! This salsa has a nice balance of sweet and spicy from the tomato and jalapeno.  Last night I didn't have any cilantro, but I did have some mint.  The mint added a nice counter play to the sweetness of the tomatoes and spiciness of the jalapeno.  Adding the mint did make salsa seem more like a fruity salsa, rather than a spicy one.  I'll tell you though, I didn't hate it.

Soothing (Cheese/Guacamole):  Cheese will be the natural soother of any spicy ailments you may have.  I like to use a Mexican/taco blend, but last night had some Monterey Jack/Cheddar blend, really anything will do.  If you are going to vegan route, some nice guacamole will do as well!  Personally, I love guacamole even if I have cheese as well.  Last night's guac was made with: 2 avocados, 1/4 an onion diced, juice of 1 lime, a generous amount of salt.  You could also add some cilantro for added flavor.

Layer and eat away!  I must admit that in the picture below of my nachos, my eyes were a little larger than my stomach.  Too much food on a plate does not denote its deliciousness! 

 

 

Serve with a chilled beer, limeade, or other refreshing beverage of your choice!

Pizza Fascination

I have a confession to make.  I LOVE pizza.  I love it so much that I probably eat it at least once a week.  I order it cheap, I order it expensive, I unthaw it from the pizza, I make it from scratch.  I'll pretty much eat pizza any which way.

This is the recipe for a Barbecue Coleslaw Pizza the roommate and I made the other night. 

Barbecue Coleslaw Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza

1 can Pillsbury pizza dough
1 cup pre-made barbecue sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese

Coleslaw

1 head purple cabbage
3 carrots
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Italian dressing
1 tbsp sugar

Directions

1. Cook the pizza dough according to package instructions, about 12 minutes.
2. Top the pizza crust with barbecue sauce and cheese.  Feel free to adjust the amount of each to suit your preference.  Cook the pizza with the toppings for another 8-10 minutes.
3. While the pizza crust is cooking, shred the cabbage and carrots into a large mixing bowl.  Rinse the vegetables.
4.  Mix the mayonnaise, Italian dressing, and sugar together in a separate bowl.  Adjust the seasoning to suit your tastes.
5.  Add the dressing to the cabbage and carrot mixture.
6.  Once the pizza has come out of the oven, top each individual piece with some slaw.


Now, this might sound crazy to you.  But let me just say, it is delicious.  It reminds me of two things from back home.  (1)A local barbecue joint makes a slaw sandwich that basically consists of their homemade barbecue sauce and slaw in a bun.  It is divine, and so delicious when a vegetarian is craving barbecue.  (2)  Another local restaurant from where I am from makes a barbecue salad.  It is a giant bowl regular salad fixings; lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, topped with barbecue pulled pork, cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing.
This recipe combines all of that homey goodness with pizza!  I don't know what two things could be better.

Fresh and Fabulous

It's no secret that I love food.
It's also no secret that I love a good deal.
Which is why I am so excited that I have discovered Hollygrove Market.  I've shopped at Farmers Markets before, but I have never had such a pleasant experience.

Hollygrove Market

Hollygrove Market is part of a growing trend of dispersing local food.  Hollygrove provides a consistent opportunity for small and medium sized farmers to sell their products at a fair price.

Hollygrove also provides an opportunity for local artisans to sell their products; the Pie Guy, Louisiana Seafood, and candle makers are often seen on Saturday mornings.

One of the hardest problems with cooking healthy, fresh, and local foods is having the time to shop.  Once you get to the grocery store how do you differentiate between natural and organic?  Is local more important than natural?  And how do I know what fruits and veggies are actually in season?
Hollygrove answers all those questions for you with what they call 'The Box'.

The Box is a flat rate of $25 and includes a range of seasonal fruits and vegetables.  Last week when I made my visit I purchased: mustard greens, red swiss chard, a head of savoy cabbage, brussel sprouts, heirloom carrots, turnips, micro greens, salad mix, grapefruit, blood oranges, and satsumas.  All that produce for only $25!  And they give teacher and student discounts!

Maybe you don't have time to go to Hollygrove, or maybe you live a bit farther out and can't get there.  That's okay! Hollygrove will deliver your box to you!  You can choose a weekend or weekday delivery, whatever works best for your schedule.

My grocery bill has dramatically gone down since I started shopping at Hollygrove.  The majority of my meals are created around what I get in my Box, which means most of my meals are vegetables based.  I'm eating healthier, eating cheaper, and supporting local farmers the whole time.

Food Hubs

The Department Secretary of Agriculture recently visited Hollygrove during a press conference on Food Hubs.  Food Hubs are a place where small to mid-sized farmers can bring their wares.  The Hub itself will then distribute the food and provide the staffing to sell the products.

The FDA is promoting Food Hubs as a way for local produce to become available to restaurants, schools, and hospitals. 

If you are interested in finding Food Hubs and local agriculture in your area you can check out the USDA site 'Know your Farmer, Know your Food.'  You can find farmers markets in your areas, check out food news, and see how you can get involved in the local food movement.

Ramen for the Win

 

Y'all.  I have a new love.  A love that most people first experience in high school and becomes deeper and more profound during college.  I have come to this love late in life.  My new love is ramen noodles. 

However, this love is not an all encompassing 'I forgive all of your mistakes' kind of love.  Ramen does have it's low points.  I am willing to look past these few small hindrances and use them to my advantage however.

I have been using ramen in different ways in different recipes the last few weeks and I couldn't be happier with the results. 

I have included the reasons that ramen has become a staple in my pantry and some recipes I have made that have made me over.

 

Reasons why I love ramen noodles:

1. Ramen noodles are super cheap.  I mean, even if you buy the name brand kind they are less than a dollar a package.  If you are super cheap, like me, you may even buy the store brand.

 

2. Ramen noodles are so quick to make.  3-5 minutes and done!  They are the perfect quick meal fixer upper.

 

3. Ramen noodles can be used in so many other ways than a simple boil in water and add salt water packet.

 

4. That 'flavor packet' is horrendous.  It's mostly salt and added chemicals and nastiness.  But who says you have to use that so called 'flavor packet'?  I say no more!  Make your own rules!

 

5. Technically a package of ramen noodles has two servings in it.  By bolstering it up with other ingredients you can easily eat the correct servings without feeling unsatisfied.

 

6. Ramen is vegan!  While I am not a die hard vegan, just a vegetarian, I try to keep my animal product consumption down to 5% daily and every little bit helps!

 

 

 

Ramen Noodle Pad Tai

This recipe is based on a Martha Stewart Recipe, I tweaked it a little bit to suit my own taste.  I added cabbage and carrot because that is what I had in the fridge.  On second thought, I realized I had peas in the freezer, those would have been awesome too.  Feel free to add whatever vegetables you have lying around.  If you aren't of the vegetarian persuasion you could always add in some chicken, steak, or whatever other animal protein you would like!

 

Ingredients

1 package of ramen noodles

1/2 packet of 'flavor'

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 tablespoons Sriracha chili sauce (I like my food a little spicy, so feel free to cut back on this)

1 grated carrot

1 handful of shredded cabbage

 

Directions

1.  Cook the ramen according to package directions.

2. Once the ramen is cooked, add 1/2 of the flavor packet (I used chicken flavor)

3. Add the soy sauce, peanut butter, and Sriracha sauce.  Make sure to stir the peanut butter in really well.  If you aren't careful it will just stick to the back of your spoon and not integrate into the sauce.

4.  Add the vegetables to your pad tai.  Continue to stir the vegetables in carefully until the vegetables are wilted to your preference.

 

 

Asian Cabbage Salad

This is based off a pinterest recipe I found a few weeks ago.  Fair warning, this makes a ton of salad.  If you cook for one, as I do, you'll be eating on this for a while.  Cut down on the portions to make it fit your lifestyle.

Ingredients

1 head of cabbage, shredded

2 grated carrots

1/2 cup craisins

1 package broken ramen noodles

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Asian dressing to you taste

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Layer the almonds, broken ramen noodles, and sunflower seeds

on a baking sheet and roast them for 10-15 minutes, depending on the strength of your oven.

2. Toss the vegetables together with the dressing and toasted toppings.

3. Enjoy!

 

 

Mardi Gras Part I

Mardi Gras is one of my favorite times of the year!
When I was growing up, Mardi Gras was time to spend with your family and friends.  Mardi Gras meant parties at school, family coming to visit, and a lovely school holiday in between Christmas and Spring Break.  As I got older Mardi Gras was a time to assert my independence and travel throughout New Orleans with my friends.
Now that I live in New Orleans I'm sure that a few inconveniences will come up along with the fun of Mardi Gras.
For the next few posts I'll be giving you some basic information on Mardi Gras and then some of the ways I will be celebrating Mardi Gras this year!

Religious History

Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is always on the day before Ash Wednesday.  Mardi Gras was the day to get out all of your vices before the sacrificial time of Lent.  Lent is the time Catholics use to prepare for Easter.  Catholics believe there are 3 pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting, and alms giving.  Mardi Gras was a day of feasting before the fasting of Lent began.  While Mardi Gras used to only refer to the one day of rich food and indulgence before Lent, Mardi Gras has now grown to mean the entire season of Carnival.

The length of the Carnival season changes every year with the changing date of Mardi Gras.  This year, Easter is very early so the Carnival season ends sooner and is much shorter than usual.  The Carnival season in New Orleans runs from Three Kings Day to Mardi Gras.  Three Kings Day takes place on January 6th, twelve days after Christmas.  Three Kings Day marks the end of the Christmas season in the Catholic faith.  Three Kings Day is marked in New Orleans with the first King Cake!

King Cake

King Cake is eaten throughout Mardi Gras, for breakfast, for dessert, at a party, in the workroom, whenever!  

Most people are familiar with the baby that comes in a King Cake.  The person who finds the baby in the King Cake is responsible for bringing the King Cake to the next party.  If you find the baby then you are ensured good luck throughout the next year!  When you are buying a King Cake from a bakery check to see if the baby comes inside the King Cake. If they leave the baby on the side, leave the King Cake, you want a King Cake that comes with a pre-baked baby inside.  When I make King Cake I use a kidney bean, red bean, black bean, really whatever bean I have handy.  I don't keep a lot of tiny plastic babies around, and a bean seems much more sanitary and historically accurate.

The three colors that come sugared on top of a King Cake are: gold, purple and green.  These are also the colors of Mardi Gras gold=power, green=faith, and purple=justice.  These colors occur throughout Catholic symbology as well with the same meanings.

Be looking out for my easy peasy lemon squeezy King Cake recipe!  

Oscar Buzz

I LOVE the Oscars.  The Oscars are my Superbowl.  I prepare for them by watching all the movies, just like others who watch playoffs.   I still have a few shows to go, but here is my list of my favorites/picks so far.

Nominations

Actor in a Leading Role: Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables

The role of Jean Valjean was the role of Hugh Jackman's lifetime.  Many of the other performances of the year were also amazing, most notably to me was Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook.  BUT, he doesn't have a finger on Hugh Jackman.  The physical range, age range, vocal range, and mere presence of Hugh Jackman during Les Miserables was unbeatable.  

Actor in a Supporting Role: Christopher Waltz in Django Unchained

I have to make a confession, I haven't seen Lincoln or the Master.  And while Robert De Niro and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are both amazing, Christopher Waltz was absolutely hilarious.  Waltz's character in Django had this wonderful balance of humility, humanity, and absurdity.

Actress in a Leading Role: Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty

I also haven't seen Zero Dark Thirty, but from everything I've heard Chastain has this on lock down.  The little girl in Beasts of the Southern Wild made that movie, but I'm still going with Chastain as the winner in this category.

Actress in a Supporting Role: Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables

Many of the people I know who are die hard musical theatre junkies were not a fan of Anne Hathaway's interpretation in Les Miserables.  While she would have been terrible onstage, I thought her choices perfectly mirrored those of the rest of the movie.  I thought she was totally in control and commanded the audience's attention during all of her scenes.

Cinematography: Life of Pi

Life of Pi had the most amazing expansive landscape.  I cannot imagine the movie being made any differently.  

Directing: *write in nomination for Ben Affleck for Argo

Ben Affleck was robbed! Argo was amazing!  Most of the reasons it was amazing had to do with choices and leadership from Ben Affleck.  I refuse to choose a nominated director because of my love for Ben Affleck.

Foreign Language Film: Amour

I haven't seen Amour yet, but since it is also nominated for Best Picture I just assume it's on lock for this category.

Makeup and Hairstyling: The Hobbit

It's The Hobbit! It has goblins, and hobbits, and wizards, and dwarfs, and every single character has to be made up for hours before they begin filming.  'Nough said.

Music (Original Score): Life of Pi

I'm gonna go with Life of Pi again.  Since the movie did not have as much dialogue as most movies (the main character is marooned with a tiger the majority of the movie), the music helps tell the story just as much as the characters do.  

Music (Original Song): Skyfall from Skyfall

Adele is my hero.  The Bond series is one of my favorites of all time.  I was so pleases with the way Skyfall came out.  It fits into the anthology of Bond music perfectly! I had heard the song before I saw the movie so I was familiar with the lyrics and imagery.  As I watched Skyfall I kept coming back to lines from the song, that's a great theme to a movie.  

Best Picture: Silver Linings Playbook

I'm going out on a limb here, but Silver Linings was my favorite movie out of all of the nominations I have seen thus far.  Do I think it's a classic Best Picture winner that the Academy will recognize?  No. Am I still giving it my vote? Yes.

Production Design: Les Miserables.

Everything in Les Miserables was so well done, from the costumes to sets to makeup and hair, everything was perfectly coordinated.  While the other movies in this category achieved similar feats I believe Les Miserables was the most successful.

I haven't seen any of the foreign films or short films, but I look forward to as Oscar time gets nearer and nearer!

Stay posted on my further reviews, Oscar party preparations, and final comments once the winners are announced! 

Candied Citrus

I have a lemon tree in my backyard, which is great, except now I have a ton of lemons that I don't know what to do with.  Which wouldn't be that bad, only my mother sent me a huge stockpile of oranges and grapefruit she got as part of a fundraiser.  Now I have oodles of citrus, and I can't eat it fast enough before it will go bad.

I've made lemon ice cream, frozen lemon juice, frozen lemon zest, sweet and sour mix...what's next?

CANDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Every year on Christmas Eve my family has a large extended family gathering.  Everyone brings food and a great time is had by all.  After dinner, pictures, and presents we have appetizers (a little backward I know, but hey we are who we are).  I wanted to bring something and I thought why not kill two birds with one stone?  This year I brought Candied Lemons and Candied Oranges to Christmas Eve.  They went over so well my aunt asked me to candy some kumquats from my Dad's garden for her!

I used Martha Stuart's recipe for the lemons.  The second batch I made I altered a little bit, the lemon's only needed to cook for 45 minutes.  I halved the amount of sugar for the oranges, they are sweet already, and added a cinnamon stick for extra measure.  The oranges cooked for 45 minutes as well.

Once the citrus cooled I cut them into fourths and piled them high into a serving dish.  I recommend serving these bit sized fruity treats with toothpicks, they stay quite sticky.

If you are looking for an easy dish to wow party goers I highly recommend these! They are easy, delicious, and make you look so cool!  Candy away my friends!

It's the Holiday Season

I love entertaining during the holiday season.  A few weeks ago I had several friends over for dinner and multitasking to get everything ready is what I thrive on.

I made a goat cheese asparagus pasta from Smitten Kitchen.  It was super easy and a huge hit!  Goat cheese is one of my favorites and a perfect pairing with the asparagus and lemon juice.

 

I served it alongside a simple bagged salad (gotta keep things easy you know), some great local bread, and wine my guests had brought.

In addition to the wine I also made a homemade sweet and sour mix for whiskey sours.  I love wine with food, but if I'm going to have a cocktail I love whiskey drinks. 

 

 

I've made whiskey sours for the family this Christmas as well and the recipe won several people over.  I only use lemon juice in mine (mostly because I don't have fresh limes) and it still turned out well.

 

Down south we need cold cocktails, even during the Christmas season.  If you have a powerful blender I recommend making whisky slushes.  1 part whiskey for 2 parts sweet and sour mix, add as much ice as you would like to water it down, and blend away!  

African Peanut Stew

This recipe came from the December issue of Clean Eating Magazine.  If you are looking for healthy, budget friendly, delicious recipes you should really check out Clean Eating.  Most of their recipes are not vegetarian, but focus on lean meats with lots of protein and healthy fats.  If you are vegetarian, a lot of the recipes can be easily modified to fit your lifestyle.

I was a little skeptical when I started this recipe.  As you will see from the ingredients, they aren't items that usually go together.  However, it was awesome!!!!  Even the omnivore roommate was singing it's praises.  It's perfect for the winter season.  This stew is warm, slightly sweet, spicy, and chock full of delicious and nutritious vegetables.  

African Peanut Stew

Ingredients

2 cups brown rice

1 tbsp cooking oil (sunflower, olive, canola, peanut)

2 yellow onions diced thickly

6 cloves of garlic, minced

3 jalapeno chili peppers, seeded and chopped  (I only used two, because they only had giant peppers at the grocery store)

2 tbsp curry powder (Apparently I don't have any curry powder.  Oops.  Instead I used equal parts of chili powder, paprika, and cayenne)

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

4 cups low sodium veggie broth

2 cups boxed or jarred chopped/diced tomatoes with juices

1/3 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter

1 3/4 lbs sweet potatoes, diced into 1 inch squares

4 cups shredded green or red Swiss chard

sea salt to taste

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Cook rice according to package directions, cover and set aside.

2. In a stock pot heat oil on medium.  Add onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.  Add garlic, jalapenos, curry powder (or other spices), ginger and saute for 1 more minute.

3. Stir in broth, tomatoes and peanut butter (wear an apron or clothes you don't mind getting messy, I got tomato juice all over myself).  Add potatoes and chard and increase heat to medium high.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes and chard are tender, uncovered, 12 to 14 minutes.  Season with salt.

4. Divide rice among serving bowls.  Top with stew and cilantro.

Y'all this was so good! I didn't even mind eating it everyday for lunch.  It was that good!  

Let me know what you think of it!

Snowlady

I got this idea from a Pinterest post I saw forever long ago.  The only problem was, the one I saw was a snowman.  Who needs a snowman in their life? Only ladies in the house! Snowlady on the door!

This was a super easy project!  

Supplies:

Three different sized wreaths, floral wire, scarf, and a sparkly bow.

Step 1

Use the floral wire to attach each piece to each other.  The wreaths should have a wire circle around the  back which you can wrap the floral wire around to attach the wreaths together.

Step 2

Attach the bow to the top wreath with floral wire.  This was slightly more difficult because there was no obvious wire backing.  I just wrapped the floral wire around one of the branches of the top wreath.  

Step 3

Hang wreath on door.

Step 4

Put scarf on wreath.

See! Done! How easy was that!  I suppose you could put a top hat on him if you wanted a snowman, but I like my snowlady just fine!

Send me your pictures of Christmas wreaths you have made!

Just Dance

Teachers, parents, bored individuals, anyone looking for a dance workout at home!

I have an announcement for you!

Are you aware that there are tons of bootlegged just dance videos on YouTube?  (Not that I condone bootlegging in any way)

I discovered this in an offhand way a few weeks ago while I was looking for a song to do as a warm up with the dance team I coach at work.  Ever since then I've been utilizing just dance videos into a lot of my teaching.

I teach creative movement and theatre, so I can easily fit the videos into my lesson plans.  I use these videos as warm ups, to get ideas for dance moves, and most often as a reward. 

In my classroom I have a chart that keeps track of the behavior of each class that I see throughout the week.  When a class gets 5 stars (5 days of excellent behavior) they get 10 minutes of a reward.  Ever since I introduced the 'Just Dance Dance Party' my students have gone crazy for it!

I understand that most teachers do not teach dance and theatre, but you could use these videos in a ton of other ways!

Ways to Use Just Dance in Your Classroom

As a reward: A certain percentage of good behavior in a week, great reviews from all specials teachers in a week, meeting a class set average on a test, or for getting 20 compliments from other teachers.

As a brain break: Learning can be exhausting, and those little (or big) brains deserve a break every once and a while!  Most of the videos on YouTube are only 2 minutes, put 2 of them on and you've had a 5 minute fun brain break!  The kids get moving, get their minds off what they've been learning, and allow them to come back to work fresh.

As a recess alternative: I remember when I was substituting that rainy or cold days were absolutely miserable.  The students needed that 30-45 minutes of play to get out a lot of their energy.  What do you do when you cannot have recess because of weather reasons?  When I was student teaching, my wonderful cooperating teacher would have a dance party on rainy days.  She would put on the radio and the kids would all get a chance leading the class.  If you have a smart board or a projector you can stream these off YouTube and give your a students an actual workout.  Not only will it get the energy out, but your students will have a blast!

If you want to check out this awesome resource for yourself just head over to YouTube and search for 'Just Dance' if you teach middle-high school or 'Just Dance Kids' if you teach elementary school.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

One of the foods I miss the most since I have become a vegetarian is buffalo chicken wings.  I LOVE buffalo flavored food and every since heading down the veggie road I have been searching for a recipe to satisfy my buffalo cravings.



I've found it!  This recipe of Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower is the closest I have come to finding a satisfying buffalo chicken wing substitute.  It comes from Amazing Pinterest World and it was so good!  So good that I didn't actually get any pictures of my version...oops!  I swear, the roommate and I gobbled up most of it before I had a chance to photograph it myself.

That being said, this was super easy and super delicious.  It's vegan too!  Can't get any better than that! 

Christmastime is Here

Christmas is my favorite holiday.  It is the season of peace, happiness, love, charity, and hope.

It's true that Christmas has become so commercialized lately, and that all anyone seems to care about is  presents.  I don't seem to have too big a problem with that though.

I love giving gifts, and Christmas is a wonderful time to do it!  Gifts express how much you care about someone, why you love them, what you have in common, or anything else you wish to express.  I don't think about giving gifts in a monetary sense, but the meaning behind the gift is what is important. 

Christmas gifts should be a reflection of the relationship between the person giving and receiving.  To help me keep the balance and choose gifts that are meaningful I keep a few tricks up my sleeve. 

Tips for Christmas Shopping

The first thing I do is keep a running list on my phone of gift ideas for people.  Whenever I see a good movie with someone, go to a concert, read the same book, have a similar food interest, I write it down next to their name.  When that person's birthday or Christmas rolls around I have an already made list of their interests so that I can find a gift that will be meaningful. 

The second thing I do is try to buy throughout the year.  If I find something on sale or that screams the name of a family member or friend I will go ahead and purchase it.  This helps with budget issues as well as time issues once the holidays roll around.

The third thing I do is start early.  After Halloween I start getting my thoughts together about who I need to give gifts to, what my budget is, and my time frame for gifts.  Once all that is accomplished I can hit the ground running after Thanksgiving.

A trick I use is pinterest. Most of my female friends and relatives have a pinterest account.  I know that I often post products I would like to have in my life, ideas for craft projects, recipies I want to try.  Why not use that same information to give something wonderful and thoughful as a gift.  My cousin has a list of art she wants in her house, my friend has a board of books she wants to read, my sister has a board of jewelry she wants.  Pinterest is basically an already categorized wish list!
For the $5 stocking stuffer kind of gifts at Holiday parties I often bake, make candy, or something else homemade.  Everyone loves Christmas goodies, and they can be very cost effective when you make a large batch.  If you need to bring something not homemade keep an eye out at stores like Tuesday Morning, TJMaxx, or Ross.  These stores often have really great deals throughout the year on generic gifts like candles, lotion, kitchen tools, and other items.  You can stock up on these throughout the year, then have lots of items quickly at hand when you need them.

All of these help me stay sane during the holidays and enjoy what they are really about; spending time with loved ones.

Greasy Sae Soup

Last year a group of friends and I started a supper club based on the principles of Iron Chef.  Every Tuesday we would get together to watch Chopped on Food Network.  (Can you tell we love food, love to eat, and love to read/watch things about eating?)  There would either be a theme or ingredient that everyone had to incorporate into their dish.

It was great for us because most of us were recent college graduates and almost no idea what we were doing in the kitchen.  It also fueled our creativity and forced us to think outside of the culinary box week after week.

Around the time the Hunger Games was released into theatres, we are all huge fans, we decided to have a Hunger Games themed supper club.  Everyone brought amazing dishes to the table, it was one of our most successful nights. 

My contribution was Greasy Sae Soup.  It's not really called Greasy Sae Soup, the original recipe comes from My Recipes and is a Tuscan Kale, White Bean, and Ciabatta Soup.  The first time I made this recipe I went straight by the book.  I saw some ways I could improve upon it for my own tastes. 

Since that first supper club I have made this several times.  It is so easy, and so delicious.  As everything simmers together there is a wonderful earthy taste and texture that gets going.  I always think I'll have enough to freeze, never happens!  It's so good I end up eating the whole pot in just a few days. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

And so, I present to you:

Greasy Sae Soup

Ingredients

1 can white beans, drained
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms (I use cremini mushrooms, but feel free to choose whatever you prefer)
2-2 1/2 qts veggie broth
10 garlic cloves, minced
10 fresh sage leaves
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 bunches kale, rinsed chopped
1 tblsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsp capers
1 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Place broth, beans, garlic, salt, pepper, garlic cloves, sage, and chili flakes into a stock pot.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat.

2. Add the mushrooms and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. After the 20 minutes have passed, add the capers and kale.  Add the kale a handful at a time.  If you put both bunches in at once it will be quite overwhelming and you won't be able to stir it at all.  Once you've placed a handful of kale in the pot, spoon the broth over the kale to begin to wilt it.  As the kale wilts it will get smaller and you can continue to add more and more. Once kale has all been added, simmer for another 15-20 minutes.  The second simmer is to get the kale wilted down to a size and texture you like.

4. Once the kale has wilted down as far as you would like it to go, turn off the heat and serve!  You can add more salt and pepper at this point to suit your taste level.  You can also add either Parmesan cheese or feta to each individual serving dish.  I don't (I'm trying to stay as vegan as possible with my home cooking) and I don't miss it at all; but do as you wish!

This soup is served best hot with some crusty bread on the side.  As you can see from the picture, I didn't have any crusty bread, toast had to do.  Such a lovely end to a rainy and dreary day!

Dragon Noodles

This is one of my new favorite recipes!

It comes from Budget Bytes, one of my favorite websites for recipes!

Things I love about Dragon Noodles:

1.     Spicy
2.     Easy
3.     Cheap
4.     Did I say spicy?

When I make my dragon noodles I usually don't use the lo mein, I usually use half a container of fettuccine.  I rarely have lo mein hanging around my pantry but I often have fettuccine or other stringy pasta. 

You can easily make this a vegan recipe by using margarine instead of butter.  The recipe also calls for eggs but you could easily use egg beaters or tofu instead.
This may be one of the easiest pastas I have made in a long time!  And almost all of the ingredients come straight from your pantry!  (Stay posted for a post on keeping green onion around all the time!)

Sleep Cycle

I seem to be seeing a lot of interest on pinterest (see what I did there?) lately on sleep.  Posts about when to go to sleep depending on what time you need to wake up, how to have a more productive night's sleep, and how to wake up more productively. 

I wanted to share with you how I get a good night's sleep. 

I used to struggle with sleep; I could never get to sleep well, I slept fitfully throughout the night, and would wake up in the worst moods.

Something that took me a long time to figure is what to do physically if you cannot sleep.  Do not toss and turn and try to force sleep upon yourself.  Get out of bed and distract yourself, but not with anything with a screen.  Read the newspaper, a magazine, pay your bills, clean the kitchen.  Do not watch TV or get on your computer. The flashing lights will stimulate your mind further and it will be harder to fall asleep. 
When I can't sleep now I pray the rosary.  The repetitive nature of the prayers calms my mind and keeping my fingers busy gives me something to focus on. 
Obviously praying the rosary isn't for everyone.  Everyone can find at least one thing that calms their  mind down and allows them to focus.
At the combined advice of professionals and friends I have come up with the a system that works really well for me.

Steps for a Good Night's Sleep:

1. Make sleep a priority.  Everyone is different and everyone needs a different amount of sleep.  Some people can get by on 4 hours a night, some people need 9.  Listen to your body!  If you feel yourself getting sluggish throughout the day or your body isn't working it is supposed to; you may need to adjust the amount of sleep you are getting.  Experiment with more or less sleep to find what your body needs.  Set time aside and realize that sleep is an integral part of brain function, metabolic functions in the body, and heart function.  Is that extra episode of Criminal Minds really worth the hour of sleep you will lose?

2. Create an environment that helps you sleep.  I like to sleep in total darkness, I find I wake up less when I have less light in the room.  Make your bed a cozy and comfy place where you can relax; really what this means is don't do work in bed.  Your bed should a no work, no TV, no computer zone. 
3. Create a bedtime routine.  When you consistently follow the same routine before you go to bed, your body will start to recognize that it is almost bed time, and start to get sleepy at the right time every night.  My night time routine consists of washing my face, brushing my teeth, turning off all overhead lights, then reading or writing in a journal.  Usually by the time I am in bed and pulling out a book my eyelids are already heavy; whether it is 8:30 or 1:30.

4. Sleep Cycle.  This app is the best investment I have made in a long time.  I got it under a recommendation from a friend and it is awesome.  The app is an alarm clock, but it works a little differently than your average clock/radio.  You set the time you want to wake up, then place your phone facedown on your bed.  As you sleep the phone will track your movements; more movement=lighter sleep, less movement=heavier sleep.  Sometime in the 30 minute block before you need to wake up, the phone will start an alarm.  But get this!  The alarm will go off when you are in your lightest state of sleep, this way you wake up when you are already at your most awake.  I tend to wake up in a far better mood when I wake up to this alarm than I do with any other alarm clock I have used.

5. Sound Machine.  This isn't for everyone, I used to hate sound machines and now I couldn't live without it.  I use an app on my phone, which can run at the same time as my Sleep Cycle app.  I don't listen to the ocean, or macaws; I use noises that sound more like white noise.


Try out one or more of these and see if they work for you!


Start with one of these 

Money! Money! Money!

(you should really sing this title to the tune of the ABBA song)

Make Money With Things You Already Own

That's right!  Make a little extra cash with items you already have around the house!

I'm not a coupon queen, a secret shopper, or in any way an expert on saving (or making) money. 

HOWEVER,

I do have a couple of tips to help you clean out your house and make a few bucks along the way!

Clothes:

With the holidays right around the corner it's a good idea to start cleaning house.  You need to get rid of the old to make room for the new!  Go through your closet, anything you haven't worn in a year needs to go!  Unless it has extreme sentimental value you need to make room.  This is a great time of year to think about what you have or haven't worn throughout the year.  I promise, if you didn't wear it last spring you won't wear it this spring.

Everyone has a thrift store in their town, which you know I'm a huge fan of.  Thrift stores don't pay you for donating your clothes though.  You know who does?  Consignment stores.  Most consignment stores are selective about what they take, meaning they may not take everything you bring them.  If you have good quality items that are in season, the stores may pay you up to 50% of what they will sell them for. 

Usually the store will give you the option of choosing the cash or store credit.  There are pluses and minuses to both.
Cash: Negative-if you decide to take cash, you won't get the full percentage of what the store values your item to be.  Instead of getting the 50% the value of what you are selling, you may get 15-20%.  Positive-you walk out of the store with cash you then put towards whatever you need.
Store credit-Negative-you can only use it in the store, not for groceries or bills.  Positive-if you shop at the store often, this option will pay off in the end.  Sometimes, if you are using the credit the day of your sale, you can use the credit for tax costs as well.

Books

Every town has a public library, a library will always take donations of used books.  Will a library give you monetary compensation for your books though? No.  Most used book stores will though!  Similar rules apply to selling used books as do selling used clothes.  The store will value the popularity and condition of an item and give you around 50% in store credit and about 15% in cash. 
I would definitely recommend taking the store credit on this one.  You may not be a big reader, but I'm sure someone you know is.  Birthdays and the holidays always seem to be around the corner; it can be awkward to buy someone clothes, but never books!  This is also a store credit that won't go out of style, you won't gain weight and never want to wear it again, and when you take it home and it falls apart you can still use it!

Electronics and Electronic Media

Amazon and Ebay are great places to sell old textbooks, movies, CD's, stereos, DVD players, or any other electronic items you may have. 
Ebay allows you to price the item at the price you would accept, then people can bid higher if they want.  A bidding war will occur when an item has a high popularity, is rare, or fills a special niche.  The negative side of Ebay is that you have to individually sell and ship each item you sell.
Amazon Market is very similar to Ebay in that you list prices and individuals from anywhere in the world can buy it.  Amazon Market is different in the way that it does not allow shoppers to bid and raise the price of an item.  On Amazon Market shoppers can compare an entire list of items matching what they want and buy from the lowest priced seller.  Amazon Market has the same negative as Ebay.
Amazon Trade-In is a specific part of the Amazon Market.  If you decide to sell to the Amazon Trade-In, Amazon will buy your items from you.  Once you list the item Amazon will set a Trade-In price, based on the popularity and condition of your item.  The positive thing about Amazon Trade In is once you agree to sell a set of items, all you have to do is print a shipping label, pack up your items, and your mailman will pick it up at your house.  The negative part of Amazon Trade-In is that Amazon may not offer you the fairest price and Amazon Trade-In will only pay you in Amazon credit, not cash.



Take all that old junk laying around your house and make some money off of it!

DIY Storage

About a year ago I invested in a set of airtight storage containers to use in my kitchen.  They are great, keep my ingredients fresh, and look adorable. 
The only problem was keeping everything straight and the ingredients separate.  I didn't want to slap a post it note on them but I wanted something equally as changeable. 
I decided to paint the top of the containers with chalkboard paint.  Now, I can change up what is inside the containers without having to print new labels every time. 

I've also started expanding the collection, this time without the added expense of purchasing new containers. 

We don't have glass recycling where I live and I constantly find myself with empty spaghetti sauce containers, bottled veggies, etc.  I didn't want to just throw away these things, so I decided to give them a new life!  I cleaned out the containers, took the labels off the jars, and painted chalkboard paint to their lids as well. 

I love having these smaller containers!  I am able to store herbs I buy in the bulk bin, make my own essential oils, make salt scrubs to put in them, anything I want! 

This project allowed me to reuse objects that would otherwise have been thrown away.  Reusing these glass bottles also gives me opportunity to contain other projects I want to start on!

Stay posted for more projects using food stuff containers in a new life!

Spinach Burger

I'm not sure if I've shared my love of veggie burgers with you yet.  If not, I LOVE THEM.  They are they chock full of hidden vegetables to keep you healthy and super convenient to warm up when you are in a pinch.  And they are delicious (that's the most important part)!

The bummer of Veggie Burgers when you buy them at the store is that they can be quite pricey.  I don't know about you but I'm not a huge fan of pricey.  Store bought veggie burgers also tend to have non-nutritious fillers that aren't helpful for the health conscious.

The most recent veggies burgers I've made were actually spinach based.  The recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens and it was so easy! I doubled the recipe so that I would have enough to freeze and take to work for lunch later on.

What else goes with burgers but fries?  I've been trying to make healthier choices and fries are often not on the healthy list.  Instead I decided to make cauliflower poppers as a fry substitute.  The recipe I used came from Delighted Momma and it was super easy as well! 

Add a Coke and you have the perfect vegetarian substitute for the classic burger meal!