My ABC's

Gosh, it has been so long since I last posted here, this is crazy. I swear I did not forget about my blog. To be honest, I keep wanting to post every single day but I never seem to find the time to seat back, relax, and write a nice post.
Next week is spring break so I am hoping for a lot of relaxing and posts to come! :-)
I totally underestimated how much time you need to dedicate for studying when doing a Master's degree. Then this semester I decided to take in one extra class and oh boy, it is definitely way too much when you are a mom, wife, class parent, and everything else. Next semester I am definitely taking less classes and will definitely have more time not only for the blog but most importantly for me and my family.
Besides school, this past month we started a renovation on our kitchen and what was supposed to be 2 weeks of "kitchenless" life turned out to be 3, and still counting. I just cannot wait to have my kitchen back. This is crazy, I hate not being able to cook.
The one positive thing that keeps me sane during this torture is knowing that the outcome is going to be worth it, and so far it has been, I love everything we pick and chose for the kitchen and it all is coming out nicely. I will definitely be posting pictures soon!
Today I wanted to do something different. I haven't done this before on this blog, so when I saw it on Ashley's blog I thought it would be fun to do it too so you all can learn a bit more about me.
Here, goes, a little bit about Ana, in abc's form!
See you soon back with recipes and pics,
Ana

A. Age: 31 (almost 32...)

B. Bed size: King, looove it!

C. Chore you dislike: cleaning the toilets, I HATE it.

D. Dogs: none, however Matheus has been begging for a puppy....

E. Essential start to your day: Brushing my teeth, drinking lots of water, and breakfast!

F. Favorite color: I like white a lot (especially when it comes to clothes), but since it might not be considered a color then I pick yellow.

G. Gold or silver: silver, always!

H. Height: 5’5"

I. Instruments you play(ed): none... oh wait, I played one in Brazil during 2nd grade for the school band, but truly I don't know what it is called in English, in Portuguese it is called "caixa" or "caixinha", anyone can help me with this one?

J. Job title: oh oh... stay at home mom, student, future nutritionist???!!!

K. Kids: Matheus: MY LIFE!

L. Live: Cary, NC

M. Mom’s name: Elizete

N. Nicknames: Ana, Aninha, Paula

O. Overnight hospital stays: When I had an appendectomy and then when I had Matheus.

P. Pet peeves: leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight, people that don't pay attention (and eat or text in the car) when driving, excessive grammar mistakes, going out to eat and getting bad food.

Q. Quote from a movie: It's so FLUFFY!! (From "Despicable Me", have you watched this? Best movie ever!)

R. Righty or lefty: Righty

S. Siblings: Ana Claudia, my soul sister :-)

T. Time you wake up: 6 am, I like waking up early and get my day going, it is definitely very productive - only thing is that I crash by 10pm.

U. Underwear: huh? Yes, I use them (is that what I am supposed to say?) I think we should come up with something better for the letter U category... maybe University?! Then I would answer Unisa in Brasil and NCSU here in the US (better than underpants, rght?!).

V. Vegetables you dont’ like: celery and fennel. Matheus says I have "fennelphobia", a fear of fennel! I don't like fennel or anise flavor on anything. I can even eat turnips (don't like them much either), but fennel I pass, the flavor is really strong to me.

W. What makes you run late: My mom! hahahaha!! (my sister is going to get this one!) I have been late for all my life, now I have a thing that I try my extreme best to be on time, and I am usually successful.

X. X-rays you’ve had: hands and foot (from mild injuries playing sports in middle school), hips (due to my sciatic pain)

Y. Yummy food you make: Salads, soups, ...everything. Not that I want to pat myself in the back, but I just love my food.

Z. Zoo animal favorites: now this is something I am not so sure about. I have learned about zoo animals and the way they are treated lately and I am not sure I support zoos anymore. But if I had to pick I like the giraffes!

I will have the green one please!

I have talked here before about my love for smoothies but I haven't told you yet about my fondness for the green ones. Yep, green smoothies!
Don't rule this out so quickly, if you can go past the green color I promise that you will be surprised by how delicious a fruit smoothie with a bit of greens can be.
I have tried a few combination already and every time I am blown by how much I like this. Maybe it is an acquired taste, maybe not. In my case I already loved all fruits and veggies so it wasn't hard to find these smoothies delicious, but as it is recommended with all foods I would tell you to try at least once, and if you don't love it at first then try it one more time. Vary the fruits and/or the greens and I am sure you will find a combo that suits your taste.

What happened to me was that after trying it a couple times I started craving the green goodness more and more. Sometimes I would have a green smoothie on the afternoon and I could not wait until breakfast the next day to have another. I believe that all the nutrients give my body such a good feeling that it actually keep asking for more. (Seriously, it is really energizing to have a green drink - juice/smoothie - in the morning, or at least I feel this way)

I don't have a juicer (yet...), so I make green smoothies, but if you do have a juicer than you are up for a treat as I find that green juices are totally delicious, plus they are easy to drink and may provide you with a whole bunch of vitamins in one cup.
The difference between the smoothies and the juices is that the smoothies contain the fiber of the fruits/veggies, the vegetable and fruit pulp. The juices is just the liquid part of the produce, which is where all the vitamin and minerals are. Both are healthy and delicious and will provide you with very good for you nutrients, but smoothies are a bit more filling depending upon what you add to them. I actually feel good drinking the smoothies as I am also getting the fiber (which, uh.. it is much needed in my case... but anyways, lets go back to the post's original subject)
I wish there were juice bars here where I live as I really enjoyed having green juices at the Reading Central Market when we went to Philadelphia last year!
The juice below had carrot, pear, kale, and spinach. The pear gave it the best flavor, it was "pear"fect! :-)










Making a green smoothie is the easiest thing to do, just as with other smoothies all you do is add your fruit + veggies to the blender and whiz it away. You can add water and/or ice depending on how thick you want it. I like my veggie smoothies more on the not too thick side, so I usually add water to mine. But sometimes depending on what veggie or fruit you use you won't need too much water. Cucumbers for example is a good veggie for juicing or making smoothies as it adds a lot of water to the party.
When I make my smoothies I add the fruit on the bottom along with the liquid and then put the green leaves on top. Your blender will look like this:
On this particular smoothie I had 1 pear, 1 big chard leave and 2 handfuls of spinach.













But don't be alarmed, you won't get a full blender full of green goo, because after it blends it will reduce down to this:
Look at the bright green color!

Make sure to blend well. Depending on your blender it might take a couple of minutes to get everything smooth, just don't give up. (I can't emphasize here how much I LOVE my Vitamix, makes the smoothest smoothies ever! I plan to dedicate a post to talk about my vitamix soon)

My favorite combination for green fruit smoothie is: 1 cup mango chunks (I use frozen from Trader Joes), 1 inch piece of cucumber, and 2 handfuls of spinach, it is the best tasting one in my opinion. It is sweet, creamy and delicious, you can barely taste the greens on this one, the mangoes make this ultra special! The cucumber here is not necessary, I used it once and liked it, but if I don't have I don't fret and just omit it. It is wonderful just with mangoes and greens.












Back in the summer when berries were in season and amazingly delicious I used top my smoothie with raspberries, made it ultra good! From this pic you can see how thick I like the mango + spinach smoothies, but you can always make it more or less liquid-y to suit your preferences. This combo provides my favorite shade of green smoothie, it is bright and green, so pretty!












After having that delicious juice in Philadelphia I recreated it at home but into smoothie form, using 1 small pear, 1 small carrot, 1 big leaf of chard (didn't have kale that day) and a big handful of spinach. It was one of the best ever!! I also made this same one using apples and it was just as good! (I like pears more than apples though...)
I have also made this without the carrot and it is again really delicious, and a bit less thick and filling, which I like since sometimes carrots can be a little gritty and overpower the flavors if used too much.












The last one I made was this morning for breakfast. I wanted the pear + spinach again but didn't have any pears, so I used what I had on hand: 2 cups spinach, 8 cherries, 1 big slice of papaya. It turned out a bit darker than usual due to the cherries but the flavors were delicious, I gobbled up my smoothie along with breakfast in no time! It was gone so quickly that I almost didn't get the picture in time. The cup was full to the brim when I started drinking it, I had to stop and go get the camera in order to snap a pic before I downed it all.












I also added two drops of stevia to this one as I thought it needed a bit more sweetness (maybe due to the tartness of the cherries?). By the way, always taste it and adjust to your preferences. I like using either stevia or honey to sweeten my smoothies. If I want honey I add with everything else since I think it mixes better that way, but if using stevia I wait to taste and see how much of it I need. When I use mangoes usually I don't even need sweetness, same with the pears (actually, most of the time I won't sweeten my green smoothies or juices). Plus spinach has a little sweetness to it too, but taste is subjective so go with what your taste buds like better.
The combination for green smoothies are endless, you can vary the fruits, you can vary the veggies... your imagination is the limit!

My tip: start by adding a little bit of green at a time. When you first make a green smoothie use more fruit than greens. This way you won't be overwhelmed by the green flavor and your palate will slowly adapt and warm up to it. Add 1/2 cup of greens for the first few times, then slowly increase the amount and see how you like it. I started using 1 cup and now I usually add 2 cups of greens, and I feel like that is enough for me - I like to taste the fruit in it too! :-)

As far as green goes you can use spinach, romaine lettuce (makes a delicious and sweet smoothie, I love it!), chard, kale. Parsley adds an interest flavor to all veggie smoothies, but I haven't experimented paired with fruit much.
Veggies I like are carrots, beets (both of these I like in small amounts though as they can be a bit "earthy"), cucumbers. Some people like celery, I don't like celery at all so I never add to mine. Ginger also adds delicious flavor, if you like ginger then by all means try it, it gives it a bite to it that is good, especially when paired with lemon and a touch of honey.
For fruits my favorites are mangoes, pears, apples, papaya, all berries, avocado, cherries.

A lot of people like green smoothies made with bananas. Even though I like bananas by themselves I don't like adding them to my smoothies (green or not) because all I can taste then is... bananas, which is what most people like to taste, they mask the flavor of the greens with bananas. So if you are a fan of bananas then definitely try it, it is certainly the most popular fruit in smoothies (again, green or not!).
A few drops of lemon adds tons of flavors to smoothies and green juices too.

I am still experimenting and trying new flavors everyday, so I will keep posting more as I find new combos I like. And please definitely let me know if there are some pairing of fruits and veggies you like, so I can try it too!

One thing I wanted to mention, even though I believe it goes without saying, is to try and choose organic produce if you can. The fruits and veggies themselves will be more fresh and flavorful (and sweeter) and consequently your smoothie will taste like that too!
That's it, a bit of my favorite green smoothies shared with you all! And if you want ideas, take a look at Angela's Green Monster movement page, it is full of ideas too.
Ana

My new Favorite Smoothie!!

My favorite breakfast of all times is yogurt with fruit and homemade granola. I have plain yogurt and fruit basically every morning and never get tired of it (varying the fruit is key!), and one of my favorite ways to eat this combo is in smoothie form.
I love all creamy things, creamy is definitely my favorite texture of all: creamy ice cream, smoothies, pureed soup... you get the idea. So no wonders that I love smoothies so much: I usually have a smoothie (or shake of sorts, whatever you like to call them) at least once a day.
They are good vehicles for getting your daily dose of fruits, protein, and even veggies - yep, as weird as it may sound to some, I add spinach to my smoothies all the time, and I love it (I will share my green smoothie on my next post)
One thing I do when I make a breakfast smoothie though is to make sure I am getting proper nutrition in my glass. It is easy to blend a piece of fruit with a bit of milk and call it breakfast, but that is not how I see it.
Three things I make sure to add to my smoothies are: protein, fruits/veggies, and healthy fats.
As far as fruit goes there are a variety of combination to try. I like all berries, bananas, papaya, peaches and mangoes the best - especially mangoes, they make the smoothie oh soooo creamy!
For protein I like plain Greek Yourt (my favorite is FAGE), and sometimes I add a little protein powder along with it (if I am using hemp protein I don't add yogurt though, for some reason they don't go too well together for me).
For my healthy fats I vary between these choices: ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, coconut oil, and avocados. I like the flavor of flaxseeds a lot, especially paired with yogurt - love plain Greek yogurt with flaxseeds, totally delicious. Chia seeds are a powerhouse of nutrients, but they thicken the smoothie a lot, so need to be aware of that and add a bit more liquid than usual when using them. Coconut oil adds not only awesome fats for you (medium chain fatty acids) but also flavor and a hint of coconut sweetness, which I really like.
However, my favorite fat for smoothies are avocados, they make the creamiest and fluffiest smoothies ever, I love avocados! And not only in smoothies, I like them in my salads, in guacamole, and even mashed with a bit of sugar, but in smoothies they are stellar.
And that's why I just finished off my breakfast smoothie and wanted to come here and post about it. I have been adding avocados to my smoothies lately and I can't get over the deliciousness of it, I just had an amazing bowl of thick and creamy smoothie and I am as happy as one could possibly be in the morning! (yes, I like mine thick and creamy, in a bowl to eat with a spoon!)
If you want to add a bit of whole grain to your smoothie too then one thing I like is to add is oatmeal. Just add a couple tablespoons of rolled oats to the smoothie and blend away, makes it creamy and thick (adjust liquid to your liking), it is super nutritious and tastes delicious!
(you can also add plain, unflavored/unsweetened cooked oatmeal to it, adds wonderful creaminess)
I am posting here one of my favorite smoothies, but know that the possibilities when it comes to smoothies are endless, this is just one that I truly enjoy.
Now during the winter months I use frozen fruit and leave them in the counter for 10 to 20 minutes to defrost before I blend. By using frozen fruit the smoothie gets deliciously thick without the need of adding ice, but you can always add that if you prefer.
And always adjust the amount of liquid to your taste, add more or less water/milk depending on how thin of thick you like your smoothie. If you want to sip it through a straw then add more. I sometimes like it thick and creamy and eat with a spoon on a big mug or bowl, so I add only the 1/2 cup water mentioned.
Making a smoothie is all about creating a delicious concoctions that suit your palate, so don't be shy and experiment. It is fun and good for you!
Ana

Breakfast Smoothie

1/2 cup blackberries
1/2 cup raspberries
4 strawberries
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 of a small avocado (2 thick slices)
Stevia to taste
a few drops of vanilla extract
1/2 to 1 cup water (or milk if you prefer - coconut milk is a delicious addition too!)

Optional: 1 to 2 tablespoons protein powder (I use plain, Unflavored Whey Protein but vanilla also works, just be aware of any thickening gums they might have added and adjust liquids accordingly)
If using fresh fruit you might want to add ice too

Put everything in the blender and whiz it away until creamy!

The best and fluffiest sweet potato muffins!

Hello blog friends!
What a better way to start the year in my blog than with a healthy muffin recipe, right?!
I created this recipe last year when we had a bounty of sweet potatoes coming weekly in our csa box and let me tell you, it was one of the best muffins that have come out of my oven to this date. I was totally happy to hear the husband saying every day at breakfast that these muffins were delicious - since he doesn't say much unless I keep asking this meant a lot to me!
These muffins are simple and easy, but full of healthy ingredients. Not loaded with sugar, made with whole grains and healthy fats, so not bad as a component of a healthy and balanced breakfast, especially if paired with a glass of milk or yogurt (protein) and some fruit.
The one thing we were in love with these muffins was the fluffiness, they had such a delicious texture and flavor, it was truly one of the best creations around my kitchen in terms of baked goods.
On the first time I made these muffins I used this coconut yogurt:












It didn't impair a coconut flavor to the muffins, but rather gave them a hint of coconut sweetness on the background that I truly enjoyed!
I have also made these muffins using plain yogurt and with kefir (we were swimming in sweet potatoes around here), and all the trials turned out delicious, so don't fret if you don't have the coconut yogurt available - although I would advice you to try using it if you do :-)
We did a taste comparison of two muffins made with the coconut yogurt and with plain yogurt and I liked the one with the coconut yogurt better, but both Matheus and my husband didn't think it was that much different and happily gobbled them up!
For one of the batches I added dried cherries and chocolate chips, and for the other one I added a pecan half on top. Matheus liked the chocolate chip/cherries combo the best (wonder why?! chooooocolate!), while the husband preferred the pecans. I have to say that I think the cherries were a good combo with the sweet potatoes, and upon tasting that muffin version Matheus suggested using dried cranberries, which I think was a good idea too! Toasted chopped pecans inside are also good, for some reason pecans go well with sweet potatoes, doesn't it?
Here goes the recipe, please let me know if you try. Since this was one of my creations I always like to hear feedback!
Ana

My Sweet Potato Muffins

1 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes
3/4 cup plain or coconut yogurt (6 oz container)
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup melted coconut oil (canola, or grapeseed oil also work)
2 tbsp water
1 egg
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Optional add ins: chocolate chips, dried cherries, pecans (I don't usually measure, but I am guessing I use about 1/3 cup of add ins all together, but hey, it is your muffin so you can add as much as you like!)

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl combine sweet potatoes, yogurt, sugar, oil, water, and egg and stir until well mixed. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and chocolate chips and cherries, mix all together until incorporated.
Pour batter into muffin tins oiled or lined with muffin cups.
Bake for about 16 to 18 minutes.
Makes 10 nice sized muffins.

Note: when I made the muffins using the flavored coconut yogurt I only added about 1/3 cup sugar to the batter and the muffins were plenty sweet (I find the coconut yogurt to be on the very sweet side). If you use the plain yogurt then the 1/2 cup + extra 2 tablespoons of sugar are necessary, but adjust the sweetness to your taste. I don't like things too sweet and never add more than 1/2 cup sugar to any muffin recipe that makes 12 muffins, and both Matheus and my husband thought this amount of sugar was great, which says a lot since they both like things sweeter than I do.

Happy 2011!!!

Happy New Year my friends! Another year came and went and the one thing I wish I had done more was to post on this blog. I am so thankful for the friends I made through the blog that I totally miss the comments and happy thoughts people leave here when I post - you all always make me smile!

2010 was a busy year, but it was a good one!

The biggest accomplishment for me last year was gathering my courage and going back to school! It was something I have been wanting for so long, and in 2010 I finally gathered the courage to apply to grad school, at the ripe age of 31. And all I can tell you is that it was the best thing I did. Being a mom and a student wasn’t easy, but I was able to do it all and more!

Time just flew by, it was a busy year for me, but more than that 2010 was a year when I finally started to figure out who I really am. I dispensed much more attention to myself, learning more about me, learning to listen to my body and to respect myself. Even more than that, I learned to love me just as I am, and that my friends, is the best thing ever!

We also went to Italy in July, it was my first time there and it was a super nice trip, which I still want to blog about someday. The best thing in Italy you ask? It was actually seeing my sister there! She was studying abroad in Denmark and took some time to spend a few days with us in Italy: fun, fun fun!!

We didn’t go to Brazil this year though, but I also saw my mom when she came to visit us in May, for Matheu’s first communion!

Seeing my mom and my sister were some of the highlights of last year for sure!

We (me, Matheus and the husband) also went to Pennsylvania during Thanksgiving break, it was a nice trip where we visited the Hershey chocolate factory, the Crayola factory in Easton, and spent a couple of days in Philadelphia – just to register here: it was way too cold there and whenever we decide to travel during Thanksgiving again we promised to ourselves we will hit the south! ;-) I was definitely not made for winter weather, I tell ya.

Last year Matheus turned 8, and also did his First Communion. As always I am the proudest mom ever and I love him more and more each second of my life. Being a mom is amazing and every day I am thankful for this blessing, I love seeing him grow!

Right now I am happy that the New Year is here, even though I now this means the craziness of school + life will soon start all over again. But I am pretty excited with the classes I am taking this semester and I actually can’t wait to start! (nerd, I know...!)

I am loving grad school, I did great last semester and I am as proud of myself as I could ever be. I was amazed by how much I was able to accomplish last year and looking back and realizing that gives me the strength to face what is to come!

I will try to post here more frequently and share more about what is going on in my life, this space means a lot to me and I don’t want to let it so behind as I did in 2010.

As far as what I expect from this next year, all I want is to be happy, to continue to do well in grad school, to be the best mom I can for Matheus, to be more organized with everything that is going on, and to keep with the healthy habits I/we have. Among everything I had to do, last year I managed to exercise weekly and to cook healthy meals for my family on a daily basis, and I want to keep up with that for sure!

Hope everyone had a nice 2010 and I wish us all a wonderful 2011!

And since this is a food/cooking blog, here are two recipes I made last year that I really enjoyed:

The fabulous and delicious Vegan Apple Cake that I created! (Couldn’t be more proud!), and Giada’s Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups, one savory and one sweet. Both recipes have been made many times here at our house, so if you haven’t tried yet then it is something to do in 2011!

Ohhhh, and how could I forget, another foodie fact of 2010: I met Alton Brown!! (Nerd again, I know!!!)

Happy New Year!!

Ana

HoHoHo!!

Remember when I said I had celebrated the end of my grad school semester by baking cookies and that I had made the best Chocolate Graham Crackers?
Well, I wasn't kidding, and I couldn't wait to share it with you. Simply because these were truly the best Chocolate Cookies/Crackers I have ever made and eaten, they are that delicious!
The recipe I found at Ashley's blog The Edible Perspective, a super nice blog which I really enjoy reading, plus Ashley has some awesome recipes in there, you should take a look!
I saw this Graham Cracker recipe at Ashley's blog and could not wait to try making them myself, so as soon as I was done with my school work I entered the kitchen and made a batch. Oh my, it was Chocolate Graham Crackers perfection! Even the dough was delicious just by itself, and since it is vegan we were able to indulge on it without any worries - and I tell you, Matheus and I did have a fair share of raw chocolate cookie dough. However, the baked crackers were even better!
Perfect texture and taste, both Matheus and I loved them!
Matheus liked it so much that when I had to make reindeer cookies for his class' end of the year learning experience he asked me to make it with Ashley's recipe. Here is the result:















30 + cute reindeer cookies that I baked for the whole class, teachers and volunteers, we had a fun time at school!
To make the reindeer shaped cookies I used a circle cookie cutter which I bent into a triangular shape (the first reindeer cookie I made I shaped the dough into a triangle myself, that is the picture you see on the top of this post, using the cookie cutter made for a much more neat reindeer!). Cut out the triangles, stick two pretzels for the antlers, two chocolate chips for the eyes, and one red m&m candy for the nose and bake the cookies for about 10 minutes.
Couldn't be more simple and you cannot imagine how much the kids enjoyed this! Actually the teacher and the moms all really liked it too.
Since I followed Ashley's recipe exactly I am going to leave here the link and you can get the recipe at her website:
Chocolate Graham Crackers

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season, and wish you all a Very Happy and Blessed Christmas! Ho Ho Ho to all!
Ana

Christmas Cookies!

Wow, where did the year go? Gosh, this semester was busy!
Going back to school was a lot more than I expected; grad school is intense, lots of huge, long papers to do, exams and more exams, projects galore, and all my free time was basically gone.
I have been doing everything I normally do as a mom and wife (cooking and cleaning, taking to school, picking up from school, taking to soccer, play dates, and I am also the room mom for Matheus' class) plus the new student life (studying in between activities), phew, I am just glad this semester is over. But I am also excited for the next one to come, I chose 3 classes that I believe I am really going to enjoy! :-)
I haven't posted in a while, but I have been cooking daily as I always did. Taking classes both on campus and online enables me to be more at home during the morning so I can invent and be creative in the kitchen. Thing is I find myself more and more cooking with my intuition and basic instincts. I have reached a point where I not only like to cook but I also know how to do it well enough to not be relying on recipes all the time anymore.
I surely still am feeding my love for cookbooks and added a few of them throughout the semester to my pile, but to be true I use them mostly for inspiration than anything else. Which is good as I can adapt the recipes I want to make to whatever I have at home, or to whatever flavors our palates prefer.
I just love knowing how to cook, it is a blessing I will tell ya!
You know how when you want to eat something and have been craving that dish for a while? See, when you know how to cook you just go into the kitchen and whip it up! This happened to me the other day, I wanted to eat pot pie, but I wanted it to be just the way I wanted. So when I had the time (and the phyllo dough defrosted!) I went into the kitchen and made the best pot pie ever. Ok, it was just the regular and usual one like the Pot Pie with Phyllo Topping I have posted here before. I adjusted the veggies to include my beloved (and in season!) butternut squash and used almond milk in the sauce (dairy issues friends), it was the most perfect pot pie I could have asked for. I ate pot pie like it was my job, and felt as happy as could be!
On days like this I am really glad I can cook - and that I like doing it too!
Anyways, last week I turned in my last project of the semester and what do you do when you are finally done and happy, with free time to boot?? You bake cookies, of course!!
I made the best chocolate graham crackers you could ever imagine, but the recipe will come in another post.
Today I want to share some of the other cookies I have been baking: Christmas Cookies! I love making these, I truly do, you have no idea how much. Decorating these cookies is therapeutic and something I could do for hours - which I do, as it takes a few good hours to decorate these babies.
This year cookies were made all in mini size, which I like not just because they are really cute, but also because they make the perfect bite when you want something festive and sweet. It is Holiday cheer without sugar overload! :-)
The recipe I used was my basic sugar cookie dough that I have already posted before (click here to see the original post), but I am adding it to this post so you all can see again.
They were decorated with royal icing, using the flooding method. I assure you, they are much easier to make than you could ever imagine.
You can decorate these anyway you want. This sugar cookie dough is super easy to make and the wonderful to work with, plus you don't need to wait for the dough to chill or anything. You make it and you bake it, and eat it too!
I made some with cocoa powder (the gingerbread man ones), but the consensus here at home was that the regular version was better.
Plus, I have better chocolate cookies to share with you on the next post, so stay tuned!
Hope everyone is having a good end of the year! Ho ho ho!
Enjoy!
Ana

Cookies in little tins to give to our friends as gifts!

Sugar Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar with electric mixer. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add baking powder and flour one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. The dough will be very stiff. Blend last flour in by hand. Do not chill dough. Divide dough into 2 balls, On a floured surface, roll each ball in a circle approximately 12" in diameter and 1/8" thick. Use cutters as guide; the dough should be only slightly thinner than cutter. Bake cookies on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper on top rack of oven for 7 to 8 minutes, or until cookies are lightly golden on the bottom.

Happy Halloween!!!

Would you like some "worm pasta" for lunch today?

Or perhaps you would prefer to snack on some monster mouths??

Not that we like gross foods, but we do like to have some fun in the kitchen, and today we did have monster mouths for breakfast and worm pasta for lunch. And as weird (or gross) they may sound, they were delicious!
For the mouths it is as simple as can get, apple slices + almond butter (or pb) + mini marshmallows, quite a fun and delicious bite! (and with the exception of the marshmallows in there, also quite a nutritious snack. Nut butter + apples make a balanced snack with protein, fats and good carbs, plus all the goodness apples/fruits has to offer).
The pasta was homemade bucatini, the spaghetti-like one that has a whole in the middle and looks like a straw, and it was freshly made by the husband. It was fun making the pasta, and eating it too!
We added a bit of pumpkin puree to the pasta dough and it made the pasta incredibly delicious. You can actually taste the pumpkin, but it makes the dough soft and with a wonderful texture.
Then, being Halloween along with my obsession with pumpkin lately, we had to have a pumpkin sauce!
I made mine inspired on HEAB's pumpkin goat cheese sauce, and it turned out into a delicious Creamy Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Pasta Sauce!! I didn't follow the recipe posted by Heather, basically just got the idea from the combo of pumpkin and goat cheese, so I am posting here the way I did.
It could not be more simple or easy to make, and it was so good, I scraped every single bit of the sauce with a spatula before washing that pan. Oh, and adding a shaving of Parmesan cheese on top made this even better.
Hope you all have a great and safe Halloween! Matheus is beyond excited and can barely wait to go out tonight. At least now he has a belly full of nutritious food so a bite or two of candy won't hurt.
Happy trick or treating!
Ana

Creamy Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Pasta Sauce

2 small shallots, chopped
4 small garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
ground nutmeg (I never measure this, just grind a bit on top of the sauce)
1/8 tsp ground (rubbed) sage
1 to 2 oz goat cheese (again, I didn't measure, just took a blob and added to the sauce, I believe I used about 1 oz).
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Saute garlic and shallots in a pan until soft. Add pumpkin puree, broth, cinnamon (it might sound weird the cinnamon in here, but I promise, it taste good!), nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Bring sauce to a boil, add goat cheese and mix to incorporate. Add your favorite shape of cooked pasta to sauce and toss, serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
(We used bucattini, but I think penne pasta would be awesome with this sauce!)

Pumpkin Oat Bran

How can you not start your day in a good mood with such a bowl like the one above for breakfast?
I am a firm believer that eating breakfast is essential to start your metabolism in the morning (after hours of fasting overnight) and get you going through your day.
With that in mind I always try to make our breakfast nutritious and delicious, and with a kid in the house sometimes the fun factor enters in the mix and we are sure to have a great start in the morning.
For the bowl pictured above I cooked 1/2 cup of oat bran with 1/2 cup water, 1 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin, about 1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon, a dash of ground clove (or sub 1/2 to 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice) and sweetener to taste (I make mine unsweetened, but Matheus likes his with either honey or maple syrup). Put everything into the pan and cook on medium until oat bran is cooked and you achieved the desired thickness.
I like it more loose than most people, not a fan of thick and gummy oats or oat bran. I like it a bit on the wet side, and since it thicken as it sits, I always take it of the stove before it gets to the consistency I like.
Ultra easy to make, plus oat bran cooks so fast that in less than 10 minutes you have a nice and warm bowl of steamy goodness! Top with a tablespoon of almond butter and you have a totally nutritious breakfast to start your day. (Coconut butter is also amazing with oats and oat bran! I am slightly obsessed with this combo lately...)
And if you are like us, you will strategically place that almond butter right in the center of your bowl, then add a couple of raisin eyes, a chocolate chip mouth and your masterpiece is complete: Mrs. Pumpkin Oat Bran is in the house! (And boy those chocolate chips were delicious in there, melted chocolate goodness!)
The same ingredients are just as good with oatmeal in place of the oat bran. It may take a couple more minutes to cook, but so worth it.
I love oats in all forms!
Ana

My best Apple Cake yet!

Fall is definitely here and that to me translates to not only colder weather (which I do not like) but mostly to lots of pumpkin (which I love), butternut squashes, acorn squashes, all winter squashes, cinnamon, and of course apples. Even though we have apples available year round it is during fall - their peak season - that they are the sweetest and have the most delicious flavors.
For the past couple weeks we have been inundated with apples in our CSA box, so we have been eating them out of hand, taking to school as a snack, and also making delicious homemade applesauce - a favorite of mine and Matheus' too.
With an urge to bake and lots of apples staring at me from the fruit bowl on the counter top I entered the kitchen ready and full of the best intentions to create something delicious, nutritious and also easy to make.
I am happy to inform that my mission was accomplished and it turned out into a Vegan Apple Cake that is definitely the best apple cake I have ever made.
The first cake I baked was left on the counter while I went out for a few hours, and upon my return half of it was gone, the husband really liked it. We polished the rest of it the next morning for breakfast, so I didn't even had a chance to take a picture.
Since we loved it so much, and yes, I still had apples on the counter, I made another one. This time I rushed and did take a picture though! phew! (and as you can see in the pic, there were even more apples around!)
There is nothing fancy about this cake but the flavors are spot on, I also think it looks great, and better than anything: it makes your house smell wonderful as it bakes!
And as I said before, it is super easy to make. It is the "mix-dry-with-wet" type cake, no mixer, no special equipments needed, plus you can have it in the oven in no time.
When it comes to cake, the simple ones are my favorites (I am not an icing, filling, "stuff in the middle of my cake" gal), and this apple cake even though as simple as it turned out is also flavorful, fruity, and fragrant. Perfect to have with tea, or maybe a cup of warm milk.
One note: I used my homemade applesauce but you can certainly use any apple sauce or pureed apple you have - I actually used the store bought plain applesauce on the second cake I baked as we were out of the homemade deliciousness (it never lasts long!)
If you like apple cakes definitely try this one, and then let me know what you think. Around here it was a massive success. The last piece of the second cake I baked was hidden by Matheus one night so he could have it for breakfast on the next day (he was afraid dad would eat it!). And right then, after breakfast I got another request to make some more, from both boys.
You can't make a mom who loves to cook happier than when you say you love her food and ask for more!
Ana

See what I mean by "mix-dry-with-wet" kind of cake?! All you need for this are two bowls. I used a pan with removable sides for this and lined the bottom with parchment paper, but any 8 or 9 inch round cake pan should work, just make sure you oil it a bit.









Vegan Apple Cake

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil a round cake pan (either 8 or 9 inches)

In a small bowl mix together:
6 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. ground flax seeds
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup canola oil (or another neutral oil you might like)
1/4 cup almond milk (or soy milk, or milk of your choice - if using cow's milk this won't be vegan anymore)
1 tsp. vanilla

In a big bowl mix together:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp cinnamon (looks like a lot, but trust me, it makes the cake taste and smell incredible!)
2 tsp baking powder
3 small apples, cored and chopped (peeled if you prefer)

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mix until combined. Pour batter into pan (it will be thick) and flatten with a spatula or back of a spoon. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until your house is smelling amazing and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean!

Awesome Brown!!

Being a foodie as I am, and one that likes science at that, it is no surprise that one of the food personalities I love the most is Alton Brown. His show, Good Eats, is one of my very favorite ones and I have been watching it since the beginning, around 2000.
In the show Alton is the most fun and creative person around food I have ever seen, he explains not only how to prepare a particular food but also the science behind it, the how's and why's something acts the way it does during cooking, which is why I like his show so much, learning is something I love to do and when it relates to food... sign me up for it!
I absolutely love his Good Eats show and as I learned that Alton Brown was coming to Raleigh (almost 2 months ago) I immediately reserved the date on my calendar and assigned the husband as the primary caregiver during the hours I would spend at the local independent bookstore that my idol was doing his appearance.
I knew that a few hours of waiting would take place, so I sat there, walked to Whole Foods right next door and got me some soup, came back, sat a little more and read his most recent book cover to cover, and patiently waited for my turn to get up there and get not only an autograph but also a picture! Awesome! I loved that he took pictures with everyone.
A bit before the signing began he also did some talking and answered questions from the audience.
Now, he seems fun and nice on the show, right? And he is that and much more in person! I was impressed by how nice he was, so funny, I laughed the whole 40 minutes he talked! Entertaining, smart, funny, and knows how to cook, what else would you want on a man?! Oh yes, and since it was a school night he made sure that those with kids would be the first ones to get their book signed, how cool is that? (And I left Matheus home... bummer!) True gentleman!
It was really fun to meet Alton Brown, he is all I thought he would be and more, definitely my favorite food star. Awesome, awesome Brown!
Ana

Flourless Crepes a la HEAB!

After having these for lunch two days in a row I just needed to take a good picture and post here this ridiculously easy recipe that I have been enjoying: Flourless Crepes (or egg crepes as I have been calling at home). The recipe is super easy and I learned it from Heather, from HEAB, one of my favorite blogs!

It is so simple, but turns our so good and delicious that I could not even believe my tastebuds!
After having a bright and sunny morning all for myself with no classes (fall break! yay!) and yoga with my favorite instructor, I came home with a hungry belly and ready for something delicious and quick. Couldn't be more perfect than these!

All you need are 2 eggs and a 1/4 tsp of baking powder, that's it. Whip both together and pour into your preheated (I add a bit of olive oil so it doesn't stick) pan just enough "batter" to fully coat the bottom. Cover with a lid and let it cook for one to two minutes. That's all people, there isn't even a need to flip! Remove from the pan and load your fillings.

Which brings me to the point: the filling. That's what I loved the most about these. I filled mine with chopped tomatoes, chopped avocados (both which I seasoned with salt and pepper) and goat cheese. Oh my world, the creamy filling was amazing! If you never had eggs + avocados then you need to try, it is a great combo. Add some goat cheese and it is incredibly good, soooo creamy, I love it!

I made my crepes in a 8-inch skillet, just because it is my newest one nothing is sticking to it. But you can make them bigger in a 10 or even a 12 inch. Since mine was smallish I made 4 crepes. I know, you only see three of them there, and that is because I could not resist the first one, I simply sprinkled goat cheese on it, rolled it up and went to town... goat cheese and eggs is a pair made in heaven.

I had my crepes on top of a spinach and arugula salad topped with grilled zucchini rounds, pair this with a piece of warm and toasted whole grain bread with a bit of butter and you have a delicious meal without much effort at all.

By the way, I love arugula salad, and wanted to share the way I dress my salad, I don't have real measurements, but here is the method: put arugula into a bowl, season with salt, pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, some sprinkles of white balsamic (or rice) vinegar, and a drizzle of honey! Yep, honey, that's what makes this salad taste so delicious. The sweetness of the honey pairs beautifully with the peppery flavors of the arugula, I love this salad and had it throughout the summer, never get tired of it!

Hope you guys like the Flourless Crepe idea it as much as I and Heather did!
Ana

Easy veg weeknight meal!

Sometimes all we need for a good meal is something easy to prepare and that taste good right? With all the studying and attending classes for my masters degree plus life as a stay home mom, take to school, pick up, soccer practices, playdates, and more, there are days when I don't have that much time to get dinner on the table, so the less complicated the dish the more appealing it is to me.
This is a recipe that fits perfectly for such days, easy and quick to put together, tastes delicious and makes everyone happy! Serve with a side salad, maybe some rolls or something of the like, and you are good to go! (just make sure to have your phyllo dough defrosted)
Could not be better!
I got the recipe idea from one of my favorite magazines, Vegetarian Times. I like their recipes a lot, usually pretty flavorful and uncomplicated, and vegetarian to boot, score!
Another plus of this recipe? You can adapt to whatever veggies you may have in your fridge, just make sure it is not something too moist/watery, and you are good to go! :-)
Ana

Spinach, Feta, and Tomato Quiche
(Adapted from Vegetarian Times)

8 sheets of phyllo dough
Olive oil to brush the dough
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and water squeezed out (make sure to really squeeze this baby, they have a lot more water than you imagine) - by the way, I seasoned my spinach with salt, pepper, and garlic powder before adding it to the quiche.
1/3 cup feta cheese - I used ricotta salata since I had that at home
Cherry tomatoes to fill the top - I used a combo cherry tomatoes from the backyard and chopped roma from the CSA box as that was what I had on hand
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
dash of Salt and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven 350F.
Brush a pie plate/pan with olive oil and layer one sheet of the phyllo dough in it, brush dough with olive oil and repeat the layering and brushing with all other phyllo dough sheets. When done tuck in the parts of dough that are hanging around the plate (or trim if you prefer, I love the crispy borders and don't like wasting it, so I tuck it in!).
Sprinkle the crust with the cheese, top with the spinach and layer the tomatoes on top of that.
In a bowl beat the eggs with the milk, season with salt and pepper, and pour over the veggies in the prepared crust.
Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the egg is set.

Hemp Protein
As soon as I posted about Jay Robb's Unflavored whey protein powder I had an itch to come back and post about another one I discovered last year that also became a favorite: Amazing Meal Pomegranate Mango Infusion! (these by the way were the only two powders that stuck with me after my period of daily protein need - which you can read why here - and the only ones I ever bought a full canister of, the other ones I am still to share I only tried sample packets)




















Omg, this is by far my favorite protein of all I have tried! Yes, I like it more than the unflavored whey protein, much, much more.
Not only because this stuff is super flavorful, but also because, besides being made with a vegetarian type protein, it is packed full of good for you nutrients. It is a greens + fruits + veggies + protein combo that offers vegetarian protein coming from Hemp and Rice plus goodies such as wheat grass, acai, blueberries, goji berries, flax, probiotics, and a delicious pomegranate mango flavor. Well, to be true I don't taste mango or pomegranate in there, but whatever it is called, it is amazingly good. No wonder it has that name!
Seriously, I don't buy stuff in canisters that often, and I did start with a sample packet of this one, but boy oh boy, I did go through a few canisters of this so far since I first tried it. One drawback is that this powder isn't cheap, as with protein powders in general, but this one is an occasional treat to me.
Many delicious smoothies were made with the Amazing Meal powder, and my favorite actually involved fruits, and guess what, the fruits I liked the most with this were strawberries and... mangoes! Yep, mangoes are gorgeous with this protein powder.













One thing I love about this powder is that it is thick, like super thick, especially when you mix with fruits. So during the colder months I could make thick smoothies the way I like and not need to add ice, sweet! As you can see on the shake above, the straw is positioned right in the middle of the smoothie and it is sticking up, not touching the glass itself, pretty thick deliciousness, no ice required.
There are also other flavors of Amazing Meal I tried:

Original












Chocolate












The original was blah, the chocolate was good, but a bit uhm, grassy (?!), but I still like it. However, as much as they were good, to me the Pomegranate Mango Infusion is the very best, I really love it!!
Now, the same company that makes the amazing Amazing Meal powders is called Amazing Grass, and they have an entire line of healthy and vegetarian products that caught my attention after I sampled some of their goods. I did try a few more products and I gotta say, I liked them too!
The favorite from the other stuff I tried was the GreenSuperFood powder, which is an all natural drink powder mix of wheat grass and other greens like alfafa, spirulina, spinach, chorella, brocolli, acai, maca, carrot, green tea, acerola, flax, probiotics and more.




















It may not be the most delicious thing at first, but it is one of those things where the flavor sort of "grows on you", and what got me hooked into this was that I found it to be really energizing. For some reason it gave me energy and clarity in the morning when I added it to my smoothies before I went to classes or to the gym. I was impressed at first as I didn't want to attribute this new feeling of energy to a powder from a tub, but I finally realized that yes, the greensuperfood was kinda good for me, and in more than one sense too (how can it not be with all those goodies in it?!)
So I did end up getting myself one tub of the stuff after trying the packet sample I initially got, and I never went back, a few more tubs sure followed that first one.
Now, I am not saying I drink these powders everyday, but sometimes I feel like I can go for it and it always help some.

I tried the GreenSuperFood in chocolate flavor too:












And it is good, I like this one a lot!!
And then I tried their GreenSuperFood Bars, which I totally liked too! I liked the original one a lot, the berry one was good too, but I didn't like the peanut flavor (it was too dry). And since I am a chocolate girl... the chocolate bar was definitely my favorite. It is basically the original flavor bar with a thin chocolate coating.










So here it is, my review of the Amazing Grass products I tried.
And, again I want to make it clear that I am not receiving anything to do these reviews, I am only posting about the products I tried and liked, to share my findings and as a way to keep a personal archive of foods I enjoyed.

So, is there any products you have tried lately and enjoyed?
Ana

Protein Powders, a few review posts

Last year, due to a personal issue and some exams to be performed later on, I was asked by my physician to supplement my diet with a daily protein shake for a few months. Since I am a person who eats mostly natural foods, fruits and veggies and lots of grains and beans, I wasn't familiar with protein powders in any form or nature.
However, when it comes to food I am one who loves to experiment and discover new flavors. So, knowing it would be to my benefit to incorporate said shake into my daily eats, I embarked on the medical request and went to figure out the protein world.
Little did I know that there were lots of different types of protein powders out there, many flavors, varieties and all sort of animal and plant sources they were derived from. I then decided I would little by little try some of the options and try to find one that I liked.
I found some that I liked, some I did not, and a few that I loved and ended up becoming part of my post-workout snacks and sometimes breakfast smoothies.
Some of the varieties I tried included whey protein, hemp protein, egg white protein, pea protein, brown rice protein, and even a few that had a mix of vegetarian proteins.
I was happy to find individual bags of some of them to buy so I could try before committing to buy a full tub (because protein powder ain't no cheap thing, ya' know!). Some of them didn't have said trial packets, so for a couple that I wanted to try I contacted the company asking if they offered packets or maybe sold them on their websites so I could try, and I was happy with a couple of responses I got with offers to send me in a packet or two. More than that, the two companies who sent me samples were two of the best protein powders I ended up trying!
So, during the next few posts I will be doing some reviews of some of the products I tried.
I want to make sure though that I make it clear that I am not receiving anything to do these reviews, I am only posting about the products I tried and liked, just to share my findings and as a way to keep a personal archive of foods I enjoyed.

With that said I will begin my review with the one I liked best of all: Jay Robb Unflavored Whey Protein Powder!




















This one my friends is my favorite whey protein. Well, to be quite true I didn't try many, only this and the whole foods brand, which was not that good. The reason why I liked this and stuck with it was simply because it is unsweetened, unflavored, un-everything. It is just pure whey protein isolate and works wonders on any type or flavor of shake you can ever imagine. I tried this with the most varied array of fruits: berries, bananas, papaya, mangoes, you name it. Plus it is great to make chocolate shake! Add a tbsp of cocoa, a few drops of stevia (or honey, or the sweetener of your choice), a few cubes of ice and you have a thick and delicious chocolate smoothie!
I found that the trick with this one though is not adding too much water, when it is too thin it is not all that good - or at least I like my shakes on the thick side! (And who likes watery shakes anyway?)
It also makes great Protein Ice Cream, HEAB style! (Btw, this ice cream is addicting, I had many chocolate protein ice cream this summer! Soooooo good!).
Now, I tried two of Jay Robb's flavored powders - vanilla and chocolate - and I did not like them, too much stevia, way too sweet. Another one of his line I tried was the egg white protein... blech! Horrible. I love eggs, I love egg whites, egg white omeletes, fritattas, you name it, but the smell of the powder and the slimy-eggy flavor and texture of the finished shake... not for me. Sorry Jay.
Anyway, the unflavored whey was the first protein powder I ever tried, and it is the one I use when I want to have whey protein.
So, here is the first one of my protein powder posts. Bear with me, I don't want to change things around the blog, but I want to be able to share some of my new products discoveries here too besides recipes. And I promise I won't stop posting those!! (I even have a delicious and easy quiche I am coming back to share!)
See you soon!
Ana

As an aside, please don't think that I live on protein powders. It was a phase of my life that I had to go through, one that wasn't all pleasant and which took me a year to overcome, so now that I am ok with it all I decided to share some of my findings and pictures I took of the products while I went through it. (what can I say, food blogers love to take picture of foods, right?!)
I definitely like to consume my food in real food form, no powders will ever substitute a good meal for me, and it shouldn't, for anyone.
As a nutritionist to be I have my ideals of good nutritious foods and I would never chose to go on a protein powder bonanza unless I really had to, so try not to judge.
Ana

Eleven years together should be celebrated, right?!
Happy Anniversary to us!

The date was yesterday (Sept. 18), and we went out to a lovely dinner. Look what our sweet server did for us when I told her it was our anniversary:















My dessert was beyond delicious and I was so happy with the cute plate with happy anniversary piped in chocolate! One of the most delicious and flavorful ice creams I have had. In this little bowl of deliciousness there were 5 flavors: Chocolate Chili, Vanilla, Peach, Thai Basil and Olive Oil.
For an ice cream lover like me this was awesomeness on a plate, couldn't think a better way to finish the amazing meal we had - which also included a very good squash and apple soup and a deliciously and velvety creamy butternut squash risotto (heaven on a plate!), and the husband had fish. Everything was so pretty and so good that we forgot to take pictures of the main dishes.
All in all a great night out, celebrating, having fun, talking, and loving, much loving from being together this past 11 years and wishes for many 11 more!
Love you Fran!
Ana