This post = diet FAIL!

STOP THE PRESSES!!!!  I made this cake this weekend!!!  It is a pretty good dessert, and it is really good with ice cream.  Here is the recipe:

1 box of yellow cake mix
1 large box (5.9 oz) box of instant chocolate pudding
1/2 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of water
1 cup of canola oil
4 eggs
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup Kahlua

Put all the ingredients in your mixer except the yellow cake mix and mix for a few minutes.  After these ingredients are well-mixed, after about 4 – 5 minutes, add the yellow cake mix and mix for another 3 – 5 minutes.

Prep bundt pan with oil and flour or take the easy way out and use Baker’s Joy spray.  Cook on 350 for 45 to 50 minutes.

Then, onto the glaze/sauce:
1/4 cup of kahlua
1/2 cup of sugar

Modifications:  I was drinking Smoking Loon’s Sweet Red Wine, chatting it up with my friend, Ericka, and forgot to put the sugar in the actual cake!  So, I added 1/4 cup of granulated sugar to the glaze and poured that into the cakes while it was hot.  It turned out fine, and I figured it would be because the yellow cake mix and pudding contained sugar.  Now, it is my thought that I’ll never add the additional sugar.  This recipe contains a ton of sugar, and it suggests that the cake be served with coffee ice cream!  Another modification:  I bought coffee ice cream and dulce de leche.  I could eat it with either….or vanilla bean .

Now, let’s focus on the wine.  It really is sweet!  That’s good and bad.  If you really like sweet, its great!  If you don’t, it is terrible!  You definitely need to let it breathe a little, but after a little time, its good.  Although I could be better at pairing wine with food, I don’t put much effort into so, so I drink wine with whatever I’m eating and go from there:  it went very well with hummus, grapes, cheese, apples, crackers, celery sticks, pears, and bread dipped in olive oil!

I think it is excellent for sangria!  If you don’t want a particularly potent sangria, I think you could get by without adding additional alcohol.  Here’s a sangria receipe from allrecipes.com!  Here’s a note from somebody who tried the allrecipes version:  I made it for 50 servings & everyone absolutely loved it!!!! No sugar & used gingerale instead of carbonated water; used rum, not brandy; used peach schnapps, not triple sec. Refrigerated all ingredients night before. Made it early that afternoon & sat container in an ice chest. Added cold gingerale just prior to serving. Sooooo good! Can’t wait to have another BBQ to make it again!  

 

OMGosh! I love this recipe!

A while ago, I bought a cook book called FIX IT AND FORGET IT LIGHTLY:  HEALTHY, LOW-FAT RECIPES FOR YOUR SLOW COOKER by Phyllis Pellman Good.  Well, I made a few of the recipes and set the book aside.  Well, in this crazy heat, I was not about to fire up my stove, but I still needed dinner.  So, I decided to resurrect it!

To my delight, the recipe on page 120, Lentil Tacos by Judy Buller from Bluffton, Ohio, rocks!!!  It tastes great!  It is quite flavorful, and it doesn’t taste meatless.  If I were going to make it fattening, I would add spicy con queso to it (This would be a great tail-gating snack!) Finally, cumin is my favorite spice, and it is in here!

Here it is:

• 3/4 cup onions, finely chopped
• 1/8 tsp of garlic powder (I used 1/4 tsp.)
• 1 tsp of canola oil (I used Smart Balance.)
• 1/2 pound dry lentils
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth (I used 2 c of water and 2 chicken bullion cubes.)
• 1 cup salsa (I deleted this ingredient…pre-made salsa has a ton of sodium.)
• shredded lettuce (I used baby spinach leaves.)
• chopped tomatoes
• shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese (I used full fat.)
• fat free sour cream (Yes, I used full fat again!)
• taco sauce (I used Ortega’s medium spicy.)

1. Sprinkle garlic powder over onions and saute in oil in skillet until tender.  Add lentils and spices.  Cook for 1 minute.

2.  Place lentil mixture and broth in slow cooker.  (I added the bullion cubes and water in the skillet after sauteing the onions and adding the lentils and spices.  I let it simmer for about 10 minutes…because I needed to wash the crockpot…LOL!)

3.  Cover and cook on low for 3 hours for somewhat crunchy lentils or 6 hours for soft lentils (I chose 6 hours).

4.  Add salsa (I skipped this part).

5.  Spoon about 1/4 cup into each taco shell.  Top with lettuce (spinach), tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, and taco sauce.

Now, back to downing my nightly glass of wine!  Tonight, I’m drinking Francis Coppola’s Merlot.

 

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips

I confess! I am a snacker! Generally speaking, I prefer small meals and appetizers to large meal. Believe it or not, I also think this approach helps control my weight. Anywho… A friend gave me a cookbook called EVERYDAY ITALIAN by Giada De Laurentiis, and its recipes help me indulge my penchant for snacking.

Yesterday, I made White Bean Dip with Pita Chips: LOVED IT!
The dip is the Italian version of hummus. It is quite tasty and flavorful.

It is a very simple recipe. It took all of 15 minutes. Also, while you can use tortilla chips, it is worth the effort to make the pita chips.

Enjoy…..


4 pita breads, split horizontally in half
2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, dried and rinsed
1/4 cup (loosely packed) of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)
1 garlic clove

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. cut each pita into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges over a large baking sheet. Brush the pita wedges with 2 tables of the oil, then sprinkle with the oregano and 1 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Bake for 9 minutes, then turn the pita wedges over and bake until they are crisp and golden, about minutes longer. Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree.

Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.

 

Blood Orange and Avocado Salsa

A long time ago, I realized that I don’t eat the way that I was raised to dine! My family does large meals EVERYDAY and for EACH MEAL…indeed, am a Southerner! Initially, I thought something was wrong with my eating habits, and I fought my reality! I kept going to the grocery store and buying tons of things, because that’s what my mom and grand-mom did, that would eventually make their way into the garbage. I was okay with this delusion until I realized how much money I throwing away! Anything that affects my money affects my emotions!

So, I have indulged the fact that I am a snacker and a dipper at that! And most of all, I love guacamole! Thus, as you may have imagined, I was quite excited when I found this avocado dish in “O” Magazine! It is delicious, easy to make, and doesn’t add a lot of calories. Trust me, I’m always on the lookout for something that won’t make me gain more weight than what is attractive on a 5’1″ frame!

Enjoy!

Ingredients
Blood Orange and Avocado Salsa with Pomegranate Seeds
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
1 tsp. kosher or sea salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
6 blood oranges
1 pomegranate
1 large Hass avocado , halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2/3 cup diced red onion
1 jalapeno chili , seeds and ribs removed, minced
2 green onions , including green tops, cut on the diagonal into thin slices
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
Active time: 35 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, salt, and pepper until salt dissolves.

Remove all skin, white pith, and seeds from the oranges, reserving any juice that’s squeezed out in the process. Drain juice into a measuring cup and set aside. Cut orange segments into 1/2-inch pieces and add to bowl containing lime juice.

To extract the seeds from the pomegranate, cut the fruit into quarters. Submerge the quarters in a large bowl of cold water and place it in the kitchen sink to contain any squirting pomegranate juice. Using your fingers, gently detach the seeds from the membrane and rind. The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl. Discard any pith, drain the water, blot the seeds lightly with paper towels, and add to the bowl with the orange segments.

Add the avocado, red onion, jalapeño, green onion, and cilantro to the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the ingredients together, being careful to not mash the avocados. Add reserved orange juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until salsa is moist but not soupy. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and set aside for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. Serve at room temperature with tortilla chips.

Per 1/4 cup serving: 46 calories, 1.6 grams fat, 1 gram protein, 2 grams fiber

Note: This can be prepared up to 8 hours in advance.

 

Tea

I drink a cup of Earl Grey with lemon every single day, but I learned something new about tea this past weekend!

I attended a Founder’s Day event hosted by the Epsilon Zeta Sigma chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and met the owner of Tea Country (a small, but cute cafe) located at 6722 Old York Road in Philadelphia, PA.

Did you know that there are only four types of tea?  Other than white, green, oolong, and black tea, everything else is just a blend of herbs (or other concoctions)!  Also, from weakest to strongest, the teas are white, green, oolong, and black tea.  White tea is the bud of the tea leaf.  Green tea is a fully mature tea leaf.  Oolong tea is a fully mature tea leaf that has browned around the edges.  Black tea is just that, black tea!  It is a mature tea leaf that has turned completely black/brown.

Did you know that you can somewhat decaffeinate your tea yourself?  When you first pour the water over the tea leaves, let the leaves steep for about 30 seconds and then put them in fresh hot water.  When tea leaves do what they do, the first thing they emit is the caffeine.  It takes about 30 seconds for the flavor to begin coming forth.  BTW, tea has about 40% – 80% less caffeine than coffee depending on who you ask.

Did you know that despite this information, I still can’t choose a decent herbal/night-time tea?   Over the last 6 weeks, I have purchased everything from raspberry tea to camomile to plumb tea to mango passion and everything in between….and I hate them all!

Did you know that despite not being able to find a good night-time tea that I have found another great wine???!!!!  See my next blog post for more about the great blend (a red) called Toscana.

 

Great Recipes…and yes, I’ve tried them all!

Whenever I can take a few moments away from the chores on my to-do list, I really enjoy trying new recipes!  Although I prefer baking when I’m in the mood to daily cooking, I LOVE FOOD! 

With the exception of the sugar cookies at the very bottom, I took each of the recipes below from THE NEW MAYO CLINIC COOKBOOK which won the James Beard Foundation Book Award in 2005. 

Look for more recipes from me as the holidays approach; however, be mindful that they WON’T necessarily be healthy.  So eat in moderation!  Happy Eating!

 

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream!

I always find it interesting to really ponder the things we eat.  This article also shows how our entire country is likely confused about what we’re eating.  Ben & Jerry’s has decided to change the labels on its ice cream.  Specifically, the “All Natural” is being removed.  Interestingly, the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) has very few guidelines as to what “natural” means.  Its up to you to be informed about what you eat!

 

What does ORGANIC really mean?

The answer is simple:  IT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK and WHEN YOU ASK THEM!

In may 1998, the USDA said although bioengineered food and irradiated foods are safe, they are NOT permitted to carry the organic label.

In October 2002, the USDA implemented rules saying that foods carrying the organic label must be grown without pesticides or raised with organic feed.

In February 2003, Congress passed legislation allowing organic livestock to be given non-organic feed at any time the price of organic feed reaches twice the price of other types of feed.  

Find the current definition at www.usda.gov!

 

Nutrition: Pop Quiz on Sodium (Salt)!

Real Quick!  True or False?

1)  You should consume less than 1 teaspoon of sodium per day.
2)  Only exercise and low fat foods control blood pressure.
3)  Sodium is a part of a healthy balanced diet.
4)  Medications do not contain sodium.
5)  The following foods are naturally high in sodium:  cheese, sea fish, and shellfish.

—————————————————————————————

 

 

1.  True.  1 teaspoon equals about 2,300 milligrams of sodium.
2.  False.  High potassium foods, like fruits and veggies, help control blood pressure.
3.  True.  Sodium is an essential nutrient.  Salt should be consumed in moderation rather than completely eliminated.
4.  True.
5.  False.  A few examples:  sodium salicylate is in aspirin; sodium biphosphate is in laxatives; sodium citrate and sodium bicarbonate are in antacid.

 

Still hungry After a Date?

If you’ve never experienced this phenomenon, you will if you go to Chick’s on South 6^th Street in Philly.  Don’t get me wrong, the food that I ate was great.  I had a fig, gorgonzola cheese flatbread thing that was FABULOUS!  It was an appetizer.  On the other hand, my companion ordered an entre that was about the same size as my appetizer…and it didn’t taste so good.  It was kind of bland.  Although we didn’t go there for the food, I WOULD TOTALLY GO BACK FOR THE APPETIZER THAT I HAD!  It was fabulous!  It was presented well and fit my sophisticated image of myself …But we didn’t go there for the food…

Side note:  Chick’s is the kind of place that’s memorable if you have something memorable take there and you describe it to your friends in a statement like the following:  “I met this guy on the Internet, and I chose to meet him at Chick’s because its dark in there, kind of empty on weeknights, and he didn’t look so hot in his picture.”  Otherwise, there isn’t a whole lot to make the place stand out your mind. 

We went there because the restaurant is a wine bar.  I must admit that I expected more wines and left feeling like it was a bar with a larger than average wine selection for a bar.  In any case, my date and I ordered two flights of red wine (a total of six wines).  

Of the red wines we had, these are the ones that I remember and think I can describe somewhat fairly:

–Barbera, Araldica Albera
–Cabernet-Merlot Petit Paris Bergerac
–Negroaroma, Leone de Castris

To be honest, I wasn’t impressed with any of these.  The cabernet-merlot petit was very light and had only a tiny bite.  The Negroaroma (for some reason, I don’t like the name of this wine…lol…I’m kidding) was the smoothest of the reds and was slightly sweet.  It had absolutely no bite whatsoever.  This being said, it also wasn’t the most flavorful wine either.  It is, however, the kind of wine I would serve my friends and family to prove a point:  NOT ALL RED WINES ARE BITTER. 

The Barbera was the strongest and was quite spicy.  This wine made me think about properly pairing wine with food.  I think this wine would go well with a heavy meal or with steak.  

The Cabernet-Merlot Petit was light and a little spicy…I think I had imbibed  too much by the time I got to this one; thus, I don’t have much to say…LOL!