His & Hers Weekend Treats

My weekend desires sure have changed. Normally I'd like to enjoy a nice bottle of wine with the hubs...these days, we have his & her treats. Beer for him, ice cream for me.

A Hummus Duo

In need of more healthy snack options to take with me to work - I am after all, in a frequent snacking phase of my preggo life - I set out to make a batch of hummus. As I warmed up my food processor blending tahini hummus, inspiration struck. What about a couple of different flavored hummus options?

I usually turn to hummus for the snacking appeal, but it's also good for spreading on to sandwiches as a healthy alternative to mayo. These hummus flavors would give me great versatility.

BIG news & foodie cravings

I have a BIG announcement! ...

Dan and I are expecting our first baby! Arriving in November!

I told you it was big news!

This experience has been wonderful and adventure-filled already. I am learning all sorts of things in terms of how the body prepares for baby - of particular note, the desires of my belly!

As you know, I've always been a foodie. Now, I am a foodie with a purpose! I am one hungry girl. And believe it or not, even that has been a learning process.

In the first couple months, it took me some time to figure out just how many snacks I needed to pack each morning to get through the workday. I must admit that on more than one occasion, I had a hunger freak-out as I found myself ravenous during my commute home. Eventually, I found a balance for fueling my body. And packing extra snacks just in case is always a good idea.

And then there are CRAVINGS. A commonly asked question and topic of preggo discussion.

Popcorn Friday: Cracked Pepper Corn

Popcorn Friday is here and I am back to flavorings of the savory persuasion.

If you like salt and pepper potato chips, this week's popcorn is a healthy alternative to those chips. The flavor comes from the freshly cracked pepper - ground pepper is no substitute here.

Soft Pretzels

I've had a tasting for soft pretzels lately. This must be because yesterday (April 26th) was national pretzel day. How timely of me, right? So this week, in lieu of my normal popcorn adventures, I changed things up with a little baking.

There are numerous pretzel recipes out there. Some are more complicated than others and may require boiling the twisted dough prior to baking.

Popcorn Friday: Homemade Kettle Corn

This week's popcorn continues my sweet twists on popcorn. And it's one of my favorites - Kettle Corn.

I love that at nearly every farmers' market, fair and outdoor event there's kettle corn to be had! I typically smell it roasting before seeing the kettle drum roaster and I reach into my purse for cash - that is if my husband doesn't already have the money out.

What draws me in? It's the combination of sweet and salty that gets me. That, and crunchy. An ideal combination for snack time eats!

German Chocolate Cake Popcorn

I've enjoyed the sweet twists to popcorn. This week, I was inspired by a desire for chocolate. Rather than have a whole chocolate bar, I created a chocolaty and crunchy popcorn.

Popcorn Friday: Honey Mustard Popcorn

This week's popcorn is a shout out to all you honey mustard fans! I know you are out there and having lived with a honey mustard enthusiast in my early college years, I also know how fanatical you can be for this flavor.

I must share that this popcorn flavoring has proved the most difficult of the Friday Popcorns thus far. Now before you're scared away, let me reassure you that it won't be difficult for you to recreate.

In fact, it's actually quite easy. I strive to make my popcorn snacks quick and easy. I imagine you eat your popcorn as I do ... as a crunchy late night snack or for eats during a weekend movie night.

Popcorn Friday: Cajun Corn

Dan has been in the mood for something a little spicy this week. He is the spice lover in the family, not me. This usually means he adds Cholula to his dinner.

But his desire for spicy food inspired a new popcorn flavor - Cajun. Its got a touch of heat but not too spicy for me to enjoy alongside him.

Popcorn Friday: Truffle Cheese Popcorn

Continuing with my Friday night feature, I've got another flavored popcorn to share with you! And this one is ABSOLUTELY DIVINE!

Comfort food is so IN right now! It has been so for a few years already. There's no sign of its popularity slowing either. One of those uber popular comfort food dishes is Marconi & Cheese. And there's several takes on it...Lobster Mac, Truffle Mac...

New Series & Garlic Herb Popcorn

I sure do love my salty, crunchy snacks! And I am a huge fan of popcorn.

Popcorn is a staple in my snacking diet. It's a satisfying alternative to other fat-laden salty snacks such as potato chips.

The good news - popcorn is a natural, healthy source of fiber. And inherently, popcorn is a healthy snack choice...it's all the stuff we do to it - adding butter, butter and more butter - that takes popcorn over to the dark side.

Broccoli Challenge: Broccoli Cheddar Biscuits

For my final week of my Broccoli Challenge, I decided to do a bit of baking. And having just been to the South (more on my Charleston trip later), I was inspired to make biscuits.

1 c cooked broccoli florets
5 oz aged, sharp cheddar
2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs baking powder
8 tbs butter
3/4 c non-fat milk
1 egg white

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Steam cook broccoli florets, let cool. Finely chop cooled broccoli and set aside. Shred cheese and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture. Tip: Use cold or chilled butter. Flour cutting board or working surface for rolling dough, set aside. Make well in bottom of flour mixture and pour part of milk into well. Using hand, mix and kneed flour with milk, adding milk slowly.

Remove dough from bowl and place on prepared work surface. Kneed broccoli and cheese into dough until mixed throughout. Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut dough using 2 inch biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on buttered baking pan. In a small bowl, beat egg white with splash of water to make egg wash. Brush biscuits with egg wash using pastry brush. Bake biscuits until golden brown on top. Approximately 14-15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm, with butter.

Check out other Broccoli Challenge posts here, here and here. And check out the quick and easy Asian Sesame Broccoli over at Sonnemanland .

My tastebuds are happily freed from my broccoli rut. And I'm pleased to have expanded my broccoli repertoire this past month. Thank you to all who participated along with me! Cheers to cooking and eating broccoli.

Broccoli Challenge: Artichoke and Broccoli Dip

It is the second week of my self-declared Broccoli Challenge. Now that football season is here, I was inspired to make a game day dip. It’s actually similar to a spinach and artichoke dip but with broccoli instead. It provides a healthier option for game day eats. Here’s hoping that your team wins!

Artichoke and Broccoli Dip

8 oz. low-fat cream cheese
8 oz. low-fat sour cream
1 c. marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 medium broccoli crown
2 cloves garlic
S&P

Directions: Start by taking cream cheese out of the fridge and let sit for 15 minutes prior to using. Cut and steam cook broccoli florets. Remove from heat and chill in refrigerator (this step can be done ahead of time). Crush 2 cloves of garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes in small saucepan with cooking spray. Let cool. Mix together cream cheese and sour cream until well blended. This step can be done by hand or using an electric mixer. Stir in garlic. Finely chop the drained artichoke hearts and cooked broccoli. Mix into cream mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with bread or fresh cut veggies for dipping.

You still have time to join the Challenge – click here for info. See you again next Wednesday for another Broccoli Challenge report.

Since we are talking broccoli, head on over to Gluten Free Food for a step by step recipe for Tricolour Salad. And don’t miss the tip for making carrot flowers.

Just in case you missed it last week, check out Healthy Eating Starts at Home for a healthy, homemade Chinese Beef and Broccoli recipe.

Broccoli Challenge: Broccoli Berry Smoothie

Last week, I issued myself a Broccoli Challenge. I committed to cooking with broccoli in new ways. Simply cooking broccoli is not enough for me. I cook and eat broccoli all the time. I grew up eating it often and that good habit hasn’t changed. Luckily, my husband likes broccoli just as much and does not tire of it showing up on the menu several times a week. But, as I admitted, I’ve been in a broccoli rut – cooking it the same way repeatedly.

For this first week of the Broccoli Challenge, I decided to do something VERY different. I’m not trying to come up with the most amazing broccoli dish ever – I don’t want to limit my creative spirit in this way. So, when I told my husband my idea, his response was simply “No”. No elaboration. But I knew what he was thinking. This was a risky idea, likely to be a food fail. Nevertheless, I decided to proceed with my idea … this is, after all, the point of taking on a challenge, right? So, here it is…

Broccoli Berry Smoothie

1 broccoli crown, steamed
6 oz package raspberries
1 peach
1 banana
1 c. fat-free vanilla yogurt
1/2 c. pomegranate juice
2 cups ice

Cut and steam cook broccoli florets. Remove from heat and chill in refrigerator (this step can be done ahead of time). Cut peach and banana into medium sized pieces. In a blender, thoroughly blend all ingredients. Pour into glasses and serve cold. Serves 4.

I must say, I’m pleasantly surprised with my first broccoli challenge pursuit. And moms take note because I discovered a sneaky way to ‘hide’ a vegetable in the smoothie. Hopefully, this can be useful for those with veggie resistant kids. I can also share that Dan enjoyed a {small} glass himself.

Also, since there are only 2 of us in our house, we had smoothie leftovers. I mixed up the leftover drink the next day and it was even better – fruitier and no detection of broccoli. Not bad for my first broccoli-out-of-the-box pursuit.

Join the Broccoli Challenge! Find info and instructions here.

And stop by Healthy Eating Starts at Home for a healthy, homemade Chinese Beef and Broccoli recipe.

Blue Cheese Pretzels

One of my favorite memories from childhood was the “snack plate” my mom made for us each afternoon when we got home from school. Appropriately named, these plates hosted a variety of snacks – a bunch of grapes, scoop of Chex Mix and oftentimes, the results of an afternoon of cooking with her friend. From her cooking sessions, I remember the pretzels they frequently made – soft pretzels. My siblings and I loved those original pretzels.

My mom later pursued her passion for cooking and went to culinary school - further developing in herself, and in her daughters, a love for cooking and sharing food with others. As she adopted new skills and techniques in the kitchen, she passed along her learning to us. The results were a fine tuned version of former recipes. Our palettes matured and evolved.

So, in thinking about the early version pretzels snacks of my childhood, I am sharing one of my mom’s pretzel recipes that is a family favorite today.

Blue Cheese Pretzels
1 lb. pretzel twists
1/2 c. Maytag blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 c. butter
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pour pretzel twists into large bowl. Using hands or a knife, break blue cheese into small crumbles. Melt butter in small saucepan and stir in garlic powder when melted. Pour butter mixture over pretzels. Add cheese crumbles and mix thoroughly. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven, stir immediately and let cool. *Use whole wheat pretzels for a healthier twist to your Blue Cheese Pretzel twists. Enjoy!

This post is part of the Weekly Writer’s Workshop over at Mama Kat's blog.

Salty & Crunchy

When snacking, I usually go for the salty, crunchy variety. My favorite is Chex mix. Oh, how I love thee. My love for this snack goes way back. When I was a kid, my mom always made Chex mix during the winter months. And while I know you can purchase a similar variety at the grocery store, the store-bought version pales in comparison to the kind I grew up on.

My enjoyment of this salty, crunchy snack also involves a specific eating protocol. I realize that by posting this, I am opening myself up to getting flack from my family - They hate that the first thing I do when eating a bowl of Chex mix, is to pick out all the pretzels and throw them back into the container. And, if my mom has made the batch, she also adds M&Ms. I discarded them along with the pretzels. What’s left in my bowl is the buttery, seasoned, salty crunch of the Chex trio. I start by eating the whole wheat Chex because they soak up the most butter. Next, I move on to the rice Chex and finish with the corn Chex. The corn ones are crunchiest and are my favorite. Gotta love a good wintertime snack from your childhood. Crunch. Crunch.