F.I.T. - CAULIFLOWER SALAD

f.i.t. = Food In Tummy!

My trainer gave me a challenge to come up with 1 new healthy lunch that can be saved and finished for another day. (apparently my soups and shakes on the go didn't qualify as a filling lunch). After filtering through many recipes, I finally found one that I new I would love! As always, I had to change a few things to make it my own but overall, this is definitely something that will be sticking around in my fridge!

Cauliflower Salad

1 1/2 cup cauliflower, cooked and chopped

1/4 cup celery, chopped

2 hard boiled egg, whites only, chopped

1 tbsp light mayo

1 tsp mustard

1/8 tsp onion powder

pinch of pepper and salt

dash of paprika on the top

Steam cauliflower and rinse in cold water to cool when finished. Pat with a paper towel until dry. Chop the cauliflower into small bites. Mix into a bowl with celery and eggs. Add the mayo, mustard, salt, onion powder, and pepper. Mix well. Sprinkle with paprika. Chill for 1 hour before eating.

LET'S PLAY THE GAME ...

CATCH UP!
Oh geez ... I am such a slacker! My apologies!
Here is my first of a few catch up posts. Maybe one day soon i'll be all caught up with this blog (but don't hold your breath).

Sweets has been doing a lot of Mountain biking with different groups of peeps. They usually bike the Crest up Big Cottonwood and they usually bike it at night with their nifty cool lights. However, this ride was on a Saturday morning and he went with his good friend Cody (pictured) and Kevin (not pictured). Although they somehow got split up from each other, they still had a great time!

Sweets and I are apart of Young Leaders of United Way and they had a charity golf tournament at Old Mill that we participated in. It was fun to get out and play a round as well as mingle and make connections with other people our age in the community. Our team (consisting of Sweets' two friends Jarum and Travis and us) ended up taking 4th overall and I ended up winning "longest putt" and snagged some really awesome goodies to take home! 

I still have been doing a lot of cooking and loving it. I promise soon I'll share some of my latest recipes but until then here is a teaser. While peaches were the thing a month ago, I couldn't resist and grabbed a bunch and made this super yummy salsa and incorporated it into dinner! 

Recipe:

1 large peach, peel and diced small (or 2 medium peaches)
1 large avocado, diced small (or 2 small avocados)
1/2 red onion, diced small
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 of a yellow pepper, chopped
place all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir.  (add the avocados last so they won’t get mushy)
serve over salmon or chicken or as a salsa for chips!
I paired mine with salmon and pea couscous. (Normally I like my couscous with cinnamon but I thought it would be too many flavors).


I headed here:

for some R&R for a few days. It was fabulous and just what I needed. I flew down with my sis and my Parentals and left my three favorite boys home to fend for themselves...but something told me they were ok without me. We soaked up some "vitamin D", went shopping everyday, hit up daily trips to Trader's Joes, Holiday decor-ed our homes from Rogers Gardens, toured the island of Balboa, went to dinner and movies, and goofed around with each other. 

Thanks for the fab trip!


Lastly, I have been trying to get my home ready for Fall (the BEST and my MOST favorite season)! I made a wreath out of striped burlap for my front door, but it's not hung because it somehow ended up at my mother's house. I'm making a new one though for my door. I did fix up our entry way with some mirrors and branches and set out my Fall subway art. I just love how the leaves are starting to change and the temperatures are cooling down. It makes for a peaceful and pleasant existence. 

Stay tuned for more of the game CATCH UP!

TURKEY BURGER WITH RED ONION AND JALAPENOS

I saw a picture of this burger last week and my mouth seriously started drooling right then and there. I knew I had to make this and I knew it had to be soon! Last night was the night, and it was amazing! The burger was juicy and with all the toppings, it was jam packed full of flavor! Besides the fact that Turkey burgers are uberly healthy for you, this will become a regular in our home...

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 red onion, sliced into 1/2 inch rings

coarse salt

3 tablespoons lime juice

1-1/4 pounds lean ground turkey

whole wheat hamburger buns

1 ripe avocado

1 cup romaine lettuce

1/3 jarred pickled jalapenos

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Heat oil in skillet. Cook onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt stirring occasionally until tender. Transfer to a bowl with 2 tablespoons lime juice. 

Heat grill to medium-high and place divided turkey patties brushed with vegetable oil and seasoned with salt to cook. Grill until cook through. Grill buns cut side down.

Meanwhile mash avocado with fork and mix with remaining lime juice and salt. Spread onto buns and layer lettuce, burger, onion, jalapenos and cilantro. 

Enjoy!

  (Martha Stewart)

I paired my burger with some sweet potato fries to make it a meal!  

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?

I made this meal tonight and it was D-lish! It was super easy to put together and really tasty. Sweets and I ate all of it and wanted more...sadly there was none left. Give it all a try and let me know what you think!

2 medium zucchini - (I used 3)
4 oz Italian turkey sausage - (I used 8 oz)
1/4 cup diced red onion - (I used 1/2 cup)
2 garlic cloves minced
1 medium tomato - (I used 2)
fresh basil, salt, pepper to taste
2/3 cup Italian cheese blend
1 tablespoon Italian bread crumbs
EVOO

step 1: slice zucchini half length and scoop out center. Sprinkle with EVOO and salt and pepper. Turn grill on to medium and place zucchini face down for about 5 minutes until slightly cooked.
step 2: over the stove, cook the Italian sausage until done. Add onions, garlic, and zucchini until onions are translucent. Add tomato, basil and a few cracks of pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

step 3: add in cheese and bread crumbs to the mix stirring until combined. Stuff zucchini with mixture and place back on grill face up for about 5 minutes or until cooked and soft.  

step 4: enjoy!
I served mine with an iceberg lettuce salad and some rosemary bread. I topped it off with Mango Orange sparkling water. Not only did it hit the spot and was the perfect dish for the weather outside, but it also is uberly healthy. It was so colorful and lite. I hope you like it as much as we did!
(from best bites)

ICE CREAM SUNDAE 4 LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE

I am in total love with this cake!
For Sweets birthday he asked me to make him a German Chocolate cake, but considering I don't like German Chocolate I opted to make another kind of Chocolate cake instead. One that I would like - Sorry babe! Then, as I was reading the ingredients for this particular chocolate cake, I saw that the ice cream wasn't in layers, but mixed in with the batter! I new right then I had to make it! Holy Cow...it is the  most scrumptious cake EVER! No lie... 

Cake
1 box Devils Food Cake mix

1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix ( I used chocolate fudge)

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil ( I used canola)

1 heaping cup of Ice Cream ( I used Mint Chocolate chip)

1/4 cup Hot fudge sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Place cake mix, pudding, eggs, water, oil, ice cream and hot fudge sauce into a mixer. Beat on low then medium until well combined and thick. Divide evenly into 4 (9 inch) cake pans ( I used 2 (9 inch) pans b/c I didn't have 4 of them) that have been sprayed generously with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes or  until toothpick comes out clean from the center. Let cool completely, loosen sides and remove from pan. 

Place bottom layer on a cake stand, spread with your favorite chocolate frosting and repeat until top and sides are covered. 

Take a vegetable peeler and peel chocolate bloc to get curls and press onto sides of cake about 2 cups. (I used mini chocolate morsels instead)

 For my frosting I used:

16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 1/4 cups cold heavy cream
about 1 cup or so of powdered sugar

Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan containing 1 inch of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. Meanwhile, heat butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted. Increase heat to medium; add sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and salt and stir until dissolved. Add melted chocolate, butter mixture and cream to a mixer bowl and stir until combined.
Place mixer bowl over ice bath and stir mixture constantly until frosting is thick. Place bowl on stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until frosting is light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and mix until combined. Ready to use or if it is still a little soft, chill in the fridge until desired thickness.  

ORANGE - KISSED COOKIES

Although these scrumptious little things claim to be cookies...they certainly do not taste like cookies! They taste more like Heaven sprinkled with oranges and baked in goodness! SERIOUSLY!!! They are so light and fluffy and just the perfect dessert for summer. I am definitely planning on making these again!

Cookies

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening

1 egg

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons thawed orange juice concentrate

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar and shortening. Add the egg, then sour cream and vanilla and beat until mixture is well combined. Add the flour mixture. Add the orange juice concentrate and orange rind and mix well. 

Using a cookie scoop ( I used a plastic ziplock bag and swirled them instead b/c I don't have a cookie scooper) drop the batter/dough by the tablespoon-ful onto a lined un-greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. 

Frosting

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/4 cup thawed orange juice concentrate

1/2 cup butter

 3 cups powdered sugar

2-3 drops orange food coloring ( I combined red and yellow b/c I didn't have orange)

For the frosting, combine all the ingredients with an electric mixer until fluffy. Spread over the cooled cookies and enjoy!

(OUR BEST BITES)

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH POPS!

OK- so here is the recipe for the best treats ever! I am not one for cookies. In fact, I never eat cookies, but dough, on the other hand, is a staple of mine. Sweets gets so mad at me if I buy or make CCCD and just eat it plain. He says that it is unhealthy and that I will get sick with salmonella. Well, honey, I have news for you. These pops don't have eggs! Instead they are made with Greek Yogurt...so I can eat as many as I want! (not really, but its worth a try) 

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup Greek yogurt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a mixer bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the yogurt along with the vanilla for an additional 2 minutes. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add all at once to the butter mixture and stir until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips. 

Scoop spoonfuls, rounded into balls onto waxed paper lined cookie sheet and spear each one with a lollipop stick. Place in the freezer until frozen. Dip frozen balls in chocolate (I used the semi-sweet chocolate morsels) and place back in freezer until ready to eat.
The great thing about these is that you can freeze them forever. Almost. I intend on making more just to have on hand for a snack but I am going to wrap the dough balls in wax paper (think...taffy twists) and put them all inside a ziplock bag. Then I can just pop one out, unwrap it and enjoy it whenever I want...free of salmonella! Oh and if you still think they are unhealthy even without the eggs, try using squashed banana instead of butter. It works just the same!

(TAKEN FROM DAVE'S WIFE BLOG)