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The starting point of all achievement is desire.
~Napoleon Hill

I desire positive change. As a result, and as I have mentioned in several posts, it is

Because of my preparation and the actual trek across Middle America, Mele Cotte is on hold until I get to my new home…give me about a week and a half.

Be back soon, y’all!

Hold the Caviar, Champagne Only Please

My mom and I have done it. The majority of my house is packed. Now, I don't have to do it all myself when it sells (and I am remaining positive). Phew! Thank you mom! Thus, to celebrate my mom and her alter ego, the Energizer Bunny, I am toasting this post out to her with a little champagne. Champagne grapes, that is.

I first tried Champagne grapes last fall when I made Champagne Grape Loaves and then Pan-Seared Scallops with Champagne Grapes and Almonds with the leftovers. I was excited to see them again last week, bunched sweetly and tightly on their little vines.

For this go-around, I decided to made a pie. Again, packing got in the way of my baking because my mixers, rolling pins, and boards have new temporary homes in boxes. So, I went to my friend Pillsbury for the crust of this pie. Now, (not that I am biased - lol) I am totally in awe of this pie. The grapes kept their shape and wonderful taste. I can only imagine how truly amazing this pie would be with a freshly made pâte brisée.

Have you used champagne grapes? How? I want to know. I am all about these lil' bits of deliciousness now...

Champagne Grape Pie
adapted from Pie by Ken Haedrich

1 recipe of double crust pie pastry
4 cups champagne grapes, stemmed
¼ cup sugar, plus 1 ½ Tbsp.
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 ½ Tbsp. cornstarch

Preheat oven at 400 degrees F. Prepare/roll out ½ the pastry in a 9-inch pie plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Combine all the other ingredients in a medium sized bowl and set aside for 10 minutes. Fill pie plate and top with the remaining pastry that has been rolled out. Crimp the edges and vent with small knife.

Brush the top of the pie with milk, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 375 degrees F, rotate 180 degrees and continue to bake until golden and bubbly, about 25-30 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 2 hours before serving.

Daring Bakers - Look Out Pepperidge Farm!

sfida/challenge

Ooooh….is that time! It’s that time! What time is it? It is Daring Baker time!
This July, the Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

We were asked to bake two different cookies and given the choice of making any one cookie or both.

Faux Milano Cookies

Milano sandwich cookies are awesome, and if could eat chocolate without getting sick I would gobble them up! So, the chance to make them? I was all about it. Anything with marshmallow has my vote as well. But, I just got home two weeks ago and in those two weeks, I began one job, wrapped up another, and started to back up a house I need to sell in this lovely market. In all that frenzy, I was packing and thought, “Ahhh! My DB cookies!” Everything came to a halt on Friday evening because my cookies needed to be baked before all my baking paraphernalia moved into boxes headed west.

I would love to say I managed both cookies, but it just didn’t happen. I only got to the Milans. But, I had fun!

OMG!

My thoughts? I made the cookies too thick, which made them cake-like. Also, I was not too fond of the lemon, or the cheapy chocolate I used. So, next time, I will (1) make the cookies thinner to achieve the crunch effect, (2) use only vanilla extract, and (3) get my head out of my butt and use real chocolate!

I will be hitting the road soon, and baking will be scarce. Actually, after next week, posts will be too since I won’t have computer access during my multi-day drive. Nonetheless, I want to try to get the mallows in at some point.

Until next time, check out all the creative Daring Bakers minds by checking out the Daring Bakers blogroll. A big thanks to Nicole for graciously hosting this month. Check out Sweet Tooth for the challenge recipes, as well as all her other delicious creations.

Harlem Meat Loaf

polpettone/meatloaf

I am not sure why I am craving certain foods, but I guess I will go with it, pending they won't blow my diet out of the water. And, no....there are no "read between the lines" when I say cravings. Anyway, I was craving deviled eggs earlier this week, and meatloaf the other day. I usually try to go turkey loaf, like with the Turkey Meatloaf with Red Pepper Sauce I ate a lot while in Utah, or the loaves I made while going through my radiation regimen years ago. But this week? Meat, I wanted red meat.

I went with a 1/2 recipe that gave me 3 meals. Way to go! It was good, although not my moms. She's puts raisins in her loaves, and I omitted that step this time. Next time, I will include the sweet addition (and bake it on a roasting rack to leave it out of the greasy juices. Nonetheless, this meatloaf was a good, solid meal.

Harlem Meat Loaf
Adapted from Chubby Hubby,
who adapted it from a recipe in The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook

½ lb. ground beef, chuck or sirloin
¼ lb. meat from sweet Italian sausages
¼ cup ketchup
½ Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup Italian bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Pinch kosher salt
2 slices bacon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the minced beef and the sausage meat into a large, wide bowl. Break the meat up in the bowl. In a second bowl, whisk ketchup with Worcestershire and 2 Tabasco. Pour this over your meat. Add in onion, garlic, parsley, and bread crumbs. Then add the egg and salt. Using your hands, mix the ingredients well, until evenly blended.

Transfer the mixture to a small roasting pan and pat it into a compact loaf. Wrap with the bacon. Bake this for 45-55 minutes. Let the meat loaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing or, more preferably, place it in the fridge for 24 hours before eating. If you do the latter, tent the pan with aluminum foil. To reheat, pop it in an oven heated to 300 degrees F for 20 minutes or so. Feeds 2-4 people

Mini Chocolate-Drop Pound Cakes

piccola quantità/small amount

They hired my replacement!
They hired my replacement!
They hired my replacement!

First week of August + a lil' drive = Utah baby!

There is the cutest lil’ French bakery near my (former) school. If you blink, you won’t even know you passed it. But, once inside? Merveilleux (Wonderful)! And, the pastries have gotten better and better as the store’s popularity has grown, allowing more on-site baking to be done.
Of course, I want to know how to accomplish a lot of the tasty treats, but I will take a lil’ trip for my lessons. Until then, I like to look for ideas. I love the little cakes labeled “Tigre”. The best I can tell, while going through the difficult task of tasting them, is that the Tigre is a really moist pound cake with a chocolate center. So, before packing my pan that makes 12 mini bundt-like cakes, I had to try to recreate this small French delight.
½ recipe of Em’s Favorite Pound Cake (although I have posted the original here and added my adaptations at the end), a dollop of chocolate ganache, and we have a copycat version.

Em’s Favorite Pound Cake
From The Repressed Chef,
who adapted from Elvis Pressley’s Favorite Whipping Cream Pound Cake

3 cups sugar
2 sticks butter, room temperature
7 eggs, room temperature
3 cups cake flour, measured then sifted three times
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Generously spray a 10″ bundt pan with baking spray - ensure all the nooks -&- crannies are coated. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternate adding in half of the flour, the cream, then the remaining flour. Mix well after each addition. Add the extracts and combine thoroughly. Pour batter into the prepared pan the place pan into COLD oven and set the temperature to 350°F. Do NOT place the pan on a baking sheet as bundt pans require heat circulating through the center core (a baking sheet will prevent this and your cake will not bake properly). Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until a long sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Invert and cool completely on a wire rack.

My Changes: (1) I halved the recipe and used a 12 mini bundt-like pan (2) Once I halved the recipe, I still lessened the sugar to ¾ cup and only used 2 tsp. of vanilla extract (3) I added 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips that I also rough chopped (4) I baked the cakes for 25-30 minutes (5) Ganache (Makes about 1 cup) 6 oz. (good) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, like Lindt 6 oz. (¾ cup) heavy cream 1 Tbsp. Grand Marnier ¾ tsp. vanilla ½ - 1 tsp. hot water, if needed Blend vanilla and liqueur/rum together and set aside. Break the chocolate into 1-inch pieces and place in the basket of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer into a medium sized bowl and set aside. Heat the cream in a saucepan, on low, until it reached a gentle boil. Once to the gently boil, immediately and carefully pour over the chocolate. Leave it alone for one minute, then slowly stir and mix the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the cream. Carefully blend in vanilla mixture. If the surface seems oily, add ½ - 1 tsp hot water. The glaze will thicken, but should still be pourable. If it doesn’t thicken, refrigerate for about 5 minutes, but make sure it doesn’t get too cold!

Health(ier) Deviled Eggs

deviled eggs/uova speziate

I think people either love deviled eggs or not. Me? Bring ‘em on! Love them!!

Lately, my deviled egg cravings have been out of control. I am not sure why, but the reasons may have to do with my recent garage sale. I came across a deviled egg plate I ended up giving to my neighbor, and uncovered my great cookbook with my favorite deviled egg recipe. Unfortunately, the recipe can result in some pretty fattening yummies...at around 145 or so calories.

Since I don’t have mayo in the house and have been incorporating more nonfat yogurt into more recipes, I thought I would try the substitution in deviled eggs. At about 57 calories per half, the end result was pretty good! The filling mixture was not as thick as with previous fat-full recipes, but comparable tasting. I will try this recipe out again when I get to Utah and cook for some healthy folks. It will be nice to see what they think.

Health(ier) Deviled Eggs

6 eggs, hard boiled
¾ cup plain nonfat yogurt
½ Tbsp. sweet pickle relish, drained
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
Pinch of salt
Pinch of white pepper
Paprika and sliced olives for sprinkling/garnish

Spoon yogurt into a strainer and allow to stand 15 minutes to drain any excess liquid. Slice eggs in half (lengthwise) and remove all yolks and place in a bowl. Set aside the egg white halves. Use a spatula, mash the yolks in a bowl. Add the yogurt to the yolk and mix with the spatula. Add relish, mustard, salt, and pepper, and stir well. Spoon/Pipe about 1 tablespoon yolk mixture into each egg white half. Cover and chill 1 hour. Sprinkle with paprika and add an olive to each.

It's official. I have injured my camera. It's not dead, yet, but it is definitely hurtin'...as evident from my pictures over the last several months. Although I believed I might have mentioned that the camera has been on its death bed, it still clicked fairly well. Now? uhh...no. So, I will be working to save up for a new, big girl, cool camera. Please accept my apologies for any crappy, eye strains you may witness until a purchase can be made.

Caramel Almond Squares

anima e corpo/heart and soul

Ahhh....baking. So calming to my soul. Why is there a need for calm in my home, since I am moving to beautiful Utah? I am trying to wrap up work while beginning my new job (telecommuniting), "packing up" my house, meeting with Realtors, trying to fit in exercise, etc. Phew! Make it stop! heee!


The most diffcult part of this move? Telling G that I was moving. I didn't think I realized how is would break my heart, so! I decided to take him out to dinner for the big chat, and while it went fairly smoothly, I will forever see the change in his 15 year old eyes and hear his words, "You're leaving me? What am I going to do without you? Does this mean I can't talk to you anymore? Who is going to give me honest girl advice?" Then, he put his head in his hands. He didn't cry (Thank goodness, because I would have lost it!) He just stayed quiet for a little while.


Oh boy....anyway...I decided to make some Almond Squares today to help me rejuvenate. I was have been going through my zillion cookbooks and printed out/clipped recipes. I am finding books I completley forgot about, including The Good Cookie by Tish Boyle. Caramel Almond Squares? Yummo!

Caramel Almond Squares
Recipe from The Good Cookie by Tish Boyle
Makes 30 bars

Sweet Pastry Crust
Makes one 9 by 13-inch crust
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla extract until combined. At low speed, add the flour mixture and mix just until the mixture is crumbly, 10 to 15 seconds. Pat the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Prick the dough well with a fork. Bake the crust for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown around the edges (or as directed in the recipe). Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool while you prepare the topping.

Leave the oven on at 350 degree.

Caramel Almond Topping
1/3 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
3 tablespoons honey
2-3 cups sliced blanched almonds
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

In a medium-sized heavy saucepan, combine the water and sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and occasionally washing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush, until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to high and cook, without stirring, until the caramel turns a dark amber color. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the heavy cream (be careful—the mixture will bubble up). Add the butter and honey and stir until the butter is melted. Stir in the almonds and orange zest, tossing the almonds until they are completely coated. Pour the hot caramel mixture over the pastry base and, using a small offset metal spatula, spread it into an even layer, making sure that the nuts are evenly distributed. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the almonds are ligthly toasted and the caramel is bubbling. Cool the bars in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan to release the bars. Carefully invert the bars onto a cutting board. turn them right side up. Using a serrated knife, cut into 30 squares.

Fresh Fig Muffins

dolcetto americano/muffin

Since last Thursday, I have been sifting through my home getting ready for my subdivision's community garage sale that was this weekend. I didn't sell a lot, but it was a great way to get a jump start of "the big purge". Happily, I accomplished a lot and have enough trash that may just cause the garbage men to run the other way. At the same time, I turned each room into a disaster area. My house is in no way, shape, or form ready for tomorrow, but I have resided on simply doing the best I can. What's tomorrow? The pest service and a meeting with a real estate agent tomorrow evening. Oh, and I meeting at work in between there. Lots to do, lots to do! I won't stop until I am done, though, because my goal is to get my house in check ASAP. That way, when my boss says I don't have to go into the office anymore, I am on the road immediately thereafter.

While I don't think I am going to get the thumbs up to leave as quickly as I would like, I remain hopeful. It has been really interesting reading emails from colleagues who have gotten wind of the news of my leaving. It isn't great, but I do get some satisfaction that I (keeping a lot to myself) am not the only one that noticed the bus tire marks on my back throughout the last semester. But, they're beginning to fade. Just cross your fingers I don't have to be at school when after July 31st when the teachers return. Just the thought makes the nauseous feelings of pre-resigning come to the surface. I just want my new start to....start! :)

Even with a to-do list a mile long, and the nauseous feelings, I had a baking itch....really, really bad. Staring at my cabinet and 'fridge to see what I had, I decided to play a bit with what I had in the house. It's goofy, but I get giddy with myself when I play with baking and get the ratios to work. I am so not a math/chemistry/science girl. When I play, dough rises, and the end product is actually edible? Ooohweeee! There is hope for me yet!

Fresh Fig Muffins

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup sugar
1 cup figs, chopped and tossed with 1 Tbsp flour
½ cup raisins, optional
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup non-fat yogurt
1 stick butter, melted
~ 1 cup almonds, optional

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Add yogurt, eggs, then melted butter. Carefully fold in figs and raisins. Divide batter equally among 12 -13 lined muffin tins. Top with almonds. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes ~ 12 muffins.

Fresh Fig Pockets

tascabile/pocket size

What began as a fleeting thought that my participation in the community garage sale would be small has turned into a half of a garage full of stuff. I have been trying to figure out how to "display" because of my lack of tables/surfaces. I am sorting through things and organizing, but the crap still comes out of the wood work. I am now on my upstairs closets, so if you don't hear from me in a couple of days...send in the troops.

I decided to take a baking break and use the figs I bought this weekend. Well, it wasn't a true baking break because I simply opened the package of puff pastry. But, my lil' itch was satisfied for the time being. Quick and easy, I will make these again for a go-to brunch sweet. Or, since fresh figs are said to be aphrodisiacs....maybe for dinner!

Fresh Fig Turnovers
Makes about 6 fig turnovers.
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 egg, beaten
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
5-7 fresh figs, chopped
2 sheets puff pastry dough, thawed

Combine all ingredients (except pastry dough) and set aside.

Roll out pastry and cut into twelve 2-inch circles. Place a teaspoon-ish of fig mixture in the center of six circles, moisten edges, and top each with another circle, sealing edges. Prick top of each fig turnover with a fork. Brush with egg. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until brown.

Tempeh Tostada Salad with Tomatillo Salsa

vegetariano integrale/vegan

How happy was I when I saw the sign at my subdivision entrance announcing a Community Garage Sale? Completely stoked (okay...that was an 80's word...)! The sale falls in line with everything else. So, I have been buzzing around trying to gather stuff I want to purge. Wow, I have a lot of stuff. As I de-clutter, if I didn’t realize I had it, haven’t seen, used, or wondered about it in the last year or two…it is “outta here”. Now, how to price. I want to price to sell, but I don't want to "give it away" either. Oh...we'll see!

I meet with a real estate agent on Monday, and the plan is to have everything in order so when my boss says he has my replacement, I am on the road to Utah and not looking back.

It is really weird…in a way. My wonderful girlfriends are like sisters and I am going to miss them being so close. At the same time, I am ready to go. I am totally missing Utah, especially when I get updates on Facebook and calls from my new boss. All the signs are there…this is the right thing for me and I am embracing it totally.

Like I said yesterday after making the Baked Eggplant Gratin with Ricotta Soufflé, it is hard to keep up with the lifestyle changes I made over the last few months. Getting up early has not come easy, which has thrown my workout schedule off. But, I am working on that. And, eating? Morning and daytime are fine. I take my snacks with me and drink a ton of water. It is the evening that tries me. Going to bed early is a huge draw so I don’t think about food!

Luckily, my dinner, Tempeh Tostada Salad with Tomatillo Salsa was really filling. Thank goodness for small favors! I am a huge fan of Tempeh. Made from soy, it is made from soybean particles that are bound into a type of cake/block. Tempeh is higher in protein and fiber than tofu, which is good for me since I am not totally sold on tofu yet. And, since I have a tendency not to tolerate meat proteins, I am able to use tempeh as a meat substitute.

Tempeh Tostada Salad with Tomatillo Salsa
Adapted from Vegetarian Spa Cuisine from Rancho LA Puerta

Nonstick vegetable spray
½ white onion, chopped
6 oz. tempeh, chopped
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
4-5 garlic gloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (I omitted)
1 Tbsp ground cumin (or to taste)
1 Tbsp. chili powder, or to taste
3-4 Roma tomato tomatoes, wedged
1 large bunch cilantro
2 corn tortillas, cut into 16 pieces, baked crisp (I omitted)

½ cup Tomatillo Salsa (recipe below)
2 large bell peppers, cut in ½ and seeded

Heat medium pan, spray with nonstick veggie spray. Cook onion until soft. Add tempeh and brown. Stir in cumin and chili powder. Set aside. In the same pan, spray again and sauté peppers, garlic, jalapeño until very soft; add remaining spices and tomato, and cook until tomato softens. Add the tempeh with the veggies; cook for about 2 minutes, add cilantro and remove from heat.
Place one pepper halve on each of 4 plates. Evenly spoon the tempeh filling in each pepper bowl. Serve with 4 chips and 2 Tbsp. of salsa. (Makes 4 servings at about 264 calories per serving.)

* This can also be served on an uncut toasted tortilla, i.e. the tortilla, salsa, then filling. You can also add soy (or regular) cheese.

Tomatillo Salsa
Adapted from Vegetarian Spa Cuisine from Rancho LA Puerta

1 ½ lbs. fresh Tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 shallots, chopped
1 cup vegetable stock
2 Tbsp. fresh garlic, minced
½ jalapeño chile, chopped (I omitted)
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves

Lightly toast all the vegetables over a flame, or in the broiler until lightly charred. In a medium pan, combine all the ingredients (except the parsley), bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Transfer into a blender/food processor, add parsley and puree sauce. (makes about 2 cups and is about 65 calories per ¼ cup)

* You can add cilantro and lime or lime juice to the salsa. I left them out, along with the chile pepper.

Baked Eggplant Gratin with Ricotta Soufflé

ipocalorico/low calorie

Admittedly, I did not get a ton done today. My body clock is all off, but that's not a good excuse. I was able to get to the YMCA to join the the next month so I can continue to swim, since my knees are still not where they need to be. And, I met up with a friend for a few hours, then did some work for my new job. But, after not watching television for 4 weeks, my lil' TV that everyone makes fun of sucked me in. Tomorrow will be better, since I wrote a to-do list. I will keep to my list, I will keep to my list, I will keep to my list, I will keep to my list....maybe if I keep repeating it, my day will be productive.

I have managed to keep to my rejuvenated eating habits. It's hard though! I am trying to write everything down and hanging around the house today was definitely an eye opener. I found myself strolling through the kitchen, opening the cabinets...Yikes! No, no, no! Thank goodness I don't have anything in my cabinets to munch on (since I cleaned everything out before I left), and everything in the fridge must me prepared. I kept some cherry tomatoes and sliced pepper on the counter for my munchy fix.

Oh, did I mention that when I left for Utah, I made the decision to give up Diet Coke and coffee? And candy? Was I cranky? ha! Yes! And the migraines from cutting out the caffeine! Holy Moly. Now, I am fine...but I still miss all three. I kept thinking today at the checkout line, just one skittle...just one Mike and Ike. Duh, Chris, that's how I gained the 50 pounds over the last two years. While I was in Utah, I was able to drop 20 lbs., so as the last 30 are within reach, I definitely don't want to waste all my blood, sweat, and tears I shed at Boot Camp every morning at 6.

For dinner tonight, I made a healthy lil' meal for myself. One of my goals is to keep my calorie count between 1000-1100. This means that I am attempting low cal dinners...like this one I tweaked from a cookbook Julie let me check out. It was delicious. The original recipe calls for tomato basil sauce, but I didn't have any on hand. Substituting the sauce for diced tomatoes worked fine for me, though. I also left out the Parmesan Cheese and could say my reasoning was to reduce my salt intake. But, honestly? There wasn't a shred in my house. Personally, I thought the dish was fine without it.

Baked Eggplant Gratin with Ricotta Soufflé
Adapted from Vegetarian Spa Cuisine from Rancho LA Puerta

2 lbs. eggplant, trimmed
¼ cup vegetable stock
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme or basil, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups low-fat/part skim Ricotta Cheese
2 eggs
2 egg whites
½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (I omitted)
2 Tbsp. fat free milk
Pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated
Pinch of black pepper, freshly grated
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper (I omitted)
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
2 14-ounce cans of diced tomatoes, basil/oregano seasoned
1 small bunch fresh basil, torn into pieces

Preheat broiler. Slice eggplant into ½ inch pieces; lightly mark both sides with X, using a knife. In a small bowl, combine stock, oil, parsley, thyme (or basil), and garlic. Brush each eggplant slice with herb mixture. Place slices on baking sheet; broil or grill until well browned. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, egg, and egg whites. Whisk in Parmesan cheese and milk. Season to taste with nutmeg, pepper, salt, cayenne, and Italian seasoning. Set aside. In each of 8 small gratin dishes, spoon the diced tomatoes, about 3 eggplant slices, torn basil, and ricotta mixture. Bake 15 minutes until puffy and browned. (makes 8 servings at ~ 170 calories each)

Hearty Pancakes for a Healthy New Life

cambiamento tranquillo/peaceful change

Well, it is official. I am back in Atlanta after four fabulous weeks in Utah. I ended my trip with a morning hike up to the Timpanogos Caves,

and a delicious Friday night dinner on Kalyn’s new side deck with Kalyn, Maria, and beautiful weather. Kalyn made her phenomenal Grilled Salmon Packets with Tomatoes, Olives, Garlic, Thyme, and Saffron with Spicy Mexican Slaw with Lime and Cilantro. Knowing I am trying very hard to get rid of the 50 pounds I have gained in the last two years, Kalyn was so sweet to keep it healthy, even using low-fat mayo with the slaw. Maria made a beautiful spinach salad with almonds, cranberries, and feta. Since my kitchen activities were scarce while in Utah, so I just brought an Edible Arrangement. Saturday was spent sailing on the Jordanelle Reservoir.

My final weekend was a wonderful summation of a brilliant 4 weeks. Then..after leaving for the airport in the early AM Sunday, all was well until the never-fail summer southern storms hit just as my flight was approaching. Off to Birmingham to sit for three hours. We finally arrived in Atlanta around 11:30 and I got home about 2AM. It wasn’t anything to “errrr” about too much. It was weather. But, it made what I had to do next a lot easier.

While I was in Utah, I became introduced to some fantastic people, activities, places, etc. During my adventures, I also stumbled upon a wonderful opportunity with which I knew was perfect. I just knew. Everything cliqued and I moved without trepidation. What am I babbling about?

I am moving to Utah! Yes…many are in shock, including my family. But, I know in my heart that this is the right move. After I tie things up here in Atlanta, I will be working from home in my new position as a Program Manager/part time cook. My hope is that I can begin driving to my new home around Labor Day.

That means no more public education for me! And, while I thought it would be weird to say this for sure, the time to move on is now. Yes, I caught Utah at a beautiful time, without humidity.

My new back yard...

Yes, I know the winters are snowy. But, don’t forget, I am a New Englander so I can handle a little snow. Hey, maybe I will finally learn how to ski! I do know I see snow shoeing in my future.

Lots more updates to come, including changes to Mele Cotte I am sure (since I will be cooking for people now)….but for now, I will leave you with some delicious hearty and healthy pancakes. They are apropos since my job is surrounded around healthy lifestyle changes and my new friends are all about health and exercise.

John got a-cookin'!

Hearty Pancakes

Recipe by John, the UU intern
(makes 8 servings)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup oatmeal

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cup skim milk w/1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp canola oil

1 1/2 tbsp applesauce

3/8 cup egg beaters with yolk

Mix liquids in one bowl and mix dry ingredients in another. Add liquids to dry ingredients and beat/mix together. Oil pan (~1/2 tablespoon canola/serving) + fat free canola cooking spray and fry. Serve with 1/4 cup light pancake & waffle syrup.

(Calories: 227, Carbohydrate (g): 41, Protein (g): 6, Fat (g): 5, Fiber (g): 2)

Summer Avocado Chicken Salad

insalata di pollo/chicken salad

It was yet another beautiful day in Utah today. Windy…but beautiful. Because I can’t go to boot camp anymore, for the time being, I decided to go to the pool before the swim team had their practice at 6:30. Happily, I was able to fit in ten 100 meter freestyles. Then, home for a quick bit, back to the gym for a water aerobics class, and a freestyle class. Our freestyle teacher, Triathlete coach Dave Pruetz, had me doing ladders. Not so easy (for me), after working out arms yesterday! So, by 11AM, I had swam (all total) over a mile. I was so excited, especially since I could barely swim 25 meters two weeks ago. Woohoo! I need to check with the Y when I get home to see about swimming there to keep this up, until I can get back.

After I began to see gills forming, I went home…famished. One of my new friend’s here, Julie, made a great chicken salad. It was so good, I didn’t want to stop! As a matter of fact, I am not sure I chewed...maybe Hoover (vacuum) is more like it. LOL. I will definitely be making this one when I get back to Atlanta.

Now, I don’t have exact measurements, but isn’t that the joy of cooking? A little of this…a little of that!

I served it (to myself) as an open-faced sandwich on top of a delicious slice of Jack Spratt Sprouted Wheat Bread and a slice of tomato. This was the first time I have tasted Jack Spratt bread, but it is not the first time I have heard of it. Kalyn (who I will be seeing Friday, along with Maria) has mentioned the bread before. It is baked by Gregory's Clinton Wheat Shop in Bountiful Utah, does not have any added fat, and is 100% whole sprouted wheat. (Speaking of bread, Maria just made Honey Whole Wheat Bread, too….yum!)

Summer Avocado Chicken Salad

1 ½ lbs. grilled chicken, diced
2 avocados, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 ½ lemons
½ cup carrots, diced
3 Tbsp. Smart Balance® Mayonnaise
Salt/pepper to taste

Combine the chicken and carrots; set aside. In a food processor, blend the mayo, avocado, and juice. Pour over the chicken and mixed well. Add salt/pepper if needed.

Who Said Soup is Only for Winter Months?

mozzafiato/breathtaking

It has been a while, I know! But, great things have been happening and lots of changes are in store for this girl. I am so excited for things to come and am really positive about what’s next for me. But, as I iron out details, I am keeping everything close to my belt. As soon as the info becomes public, I will let you know. Just know, that all the griping and complaining in recent months has come to an end. Woohoo!

Anyway, I am still in Utah…I leave on Sunday. Bummer! It won't be goodbye though; I have fallen in love! With the area....not a guy. heee! Here are some pictures of my last and final hike for this stay because I have been banned all activity accept for pool and recumbent bike. Physical Therapist orders. I can't remember if I mentioned this, but...since I went hog wild with the hiking, boot camp, running, etc, I have not only sprained one meniscus and strained one patella (in my knee), but both knees are jacked up! Nice, huh? I guess what is worth doing is worth doing well!

These are just some pics from our hike at Little Cottonwood Trail. There was nothing little about it, as we climbed an almost vertical incline that increased 600 ft. in elevation in no time. I didn't make it to the top, but "allegedly" there is flat land and beautiful meadows.

Happily, the gang is still letting me in the kitchen. My latest endeavor? Soup! Or, since I didn’t exactly measure, it was more of (in the words of Rachel Ray) a Stoup. It was delicious. And, really healthy. It seemed to get positive reviews by the others, so I was pleased.

Beef Vegetable Soup
(adapted ever so slightly) from Fitness Magazine

1 lb. boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces (I used stew meat)

3 medium carrots, cut into ½ - inch thick slices.

2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ - inch cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. dried thyme

1 bay leaf

2 14½ oz. cans diced tomatoes (I used a mix of diced and stewed)

1 cup water

½ cup loose-pack frozen peas

Fresh Parsley Sprigs (optional)

In a heavy pot (about 4 quarts) sprayed with PAM, quickly brown the beef. (Do not do this for long or the meat with become tough and chewy.) Add the carrots, potatoes, & onion. Sprinkle the salt and thyme. Add bay leaf and tomatoes and their juices and the water. Stir until the ingredients are combined. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables have reached your preferred doneness. Remove bay leaf, stir in peas. When serving, garnish with parsley (optional). Makes 4 Servings.

Happy Independence Day

Giorno dell'Indipendenza/Independence Day

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend and Happy Independence Day!