Thanksgiving by Michelle, for Michelle
What? You didn’t realize that Thanksgiving was moved to this weekend? Oh… right, That’s just me :)
This year it’s just me, myself, and I for the holidays. Read more
Posts from the ‘Food for Eating’ Category
Nov 20
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Oct 18
Lately I’m Loving: Pinterest, Ginger Root, Sweet Potato Soup
I spent the first part of my morning leaning back in the dentist chair. Someone please remind me why I scheduled that appointment for 8 am! At least I got to watch the Today Show while they drilled.
After walking out of the dentist feeling like I was drooling, I immediately came home and fell asleep watching Lord of the Rings. I’m so happy I decided to take the day off from work. When I woke up, I was also super happy that I had a freezer full of this Sweet Potato Ginger Miso soup I cooked up Saturday. Despite the large bowl of oatmeal with walnuts and dried cherries I had for breakfast I was starving by 11 am. Believe me when I say, this is one of the best soups I have ever made. I know, I know… another soup recipe, but what can I say, lately I’m loving soup. Trust me, you have to try this one!
My craving started with fresh ginger root, which I also can’t get enough of lately. It was awesome in this orzo and caramelized fall veggies recipe, and sounds like a great addition in this apple and pear applesauce.
Which brings me to my newest addiction: Pinterest. Have you checked out this website yet? It’s keeping my creative juices flowing and full of inspiration for recipes, DIY home decor, and personal style ideas. I found all of today’s recipes from Pinterest links.
Back to the soup… did you notice it calls for miso? This is my first experience purchasing, cooking with, and eating miso. So what is miso exactly? Well, it’s essentially a thick paste made from fermented soybeans and it may contain probiotics (you know, that good bacteria that your hear about in yogurt?!). I realize this is not exactly something you might have in your fridge now, but I urge you to give it a try.
My teeth/mouth are starting to feel better, so I think I’ll attempt some leftover chili for dinner. Sometimes, it nice to have a no-cooking day!
Tip! Look for miso near the tofu and/or refrigerated organic products. It will last for quite a while, and I’m pretty certain I’ll be finding all sorts of ways to use it up.
Question: Have you ever cooked with miso? Have you ever ordered miso soup? Tell me all about your miso experiences!
Last Year: Pumpkin Puree
Lately I’m Loving: Granola, Tea, and Yogurt
Lately I can’t get enough hot tea, granola, or yogurt. I haven’t necessarily been consuming them all at one meal, although as I typed that sentence, I’m thinking that might be breakfast tomorrow.
As a kid I really despised yogurt. I couldn’t stand all the fruit on the bottom. I started liking it when the yummy Yoplait Whips came out. Since then though, my yogurt preferences have changed significantly. My greek yogurt obsession started with Oikos Chocolate on the Bottom. It makes a fantastic dessert at 110 calories, 10 grams of protein, and 16 grams of sugar per 4 oz container. (When I look at the sugar content of yogurt, I look for at least less than 20 grams of sugar per container, the less the better). I soon found myself searching for something basic, a versatile plain greek yogurt that could be eaten with sweet fresh fruit or chocolate, as a sour cream substitute, or in this killer tzatziki recipe. That’s when I discovered FAGE. Lately though, I’ve been craving a really good flavored yogurt. Here’s the catch though, I really want a basic flavored yogurt, no crazy ingredients, no artificial sweeteners. One of the many reasons I eat yogurt is for it’s probiotic factor. I have a sensitive stomach and sometimes find those added ingredients don’t agree with me.
Last week I discovered Siggis. Technically, Siggis is skyr, not greek yogurt. Skyr is the traditional yogurt of Iceland, a super thick yogurt made from non-fat milk. If you have never had thick, strained yogurt before you might want to ease into this slowly like I did, this stuff is no yoplait whips. I am officially obsessed with this stuff. I’ve only tried the vanilla and the Orange & Ginger flavors, but I love them both! Here’s the breakdown, 1 container (150 grams) is 100 calories, contains 14 grams of protein and only 9 grams of sugar. I love that. NINE grams of sugar… for flavored yogurt! The ingredient list is simple. For the vanilla: Skim milk, Agave Nectar, Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, Live Active Cultures, and Vegetable Rennet.
My second new love is a pretty great granola, Galaxy Granola. If you like granola you need to try this. There is even an opportunity to win a free sample on their website. Check it out! Here is the breakdown for the Not Sweet Vanilla: 1/4 cup = 115 calories, 1.4 grams fat, 0 mg sodium, 4 grams fiber, 4 grams of protein. This granola brags about how low in fat it is since it is baked in fruit (like applesauce) rather than oil. I love that their website says “save the fat for dinner”. There’s nothing wrong with including fats in the diet (especially the healthy ones), but I’d rather not get it from my granola.
Last but not least this week I’m really enjoying a nice warm cup of tea. I know the weather is warming up, but I’ve been drinking at least two cups of this lemon ginger tea a day.
What foods/kitchen gadgets are you loving lately?
Feb 20
Lately I’m Loving: Crackers, Walnuts, and Oranges
I know, I missed the boat on the Valentines Day post. I wanted to share with you these amazing chocolate strawberry muffins. They are so yummy!
So, as soon as I thought I had the format set for this blog, WordPress went and added a new theme. It was EXACTLY what I had been looking for, hence all the new changes on the site. One of my favorite additions is to the very right of this post, it’s called ‘Lately I’m Loving’. So on this beautiful Sunday morning I though I share with you a few of my current ‘obsessions’.
1. Whole-Wheat Crackers
In the past I’ve always been a huge fan of triscuits. Then the other week I found these at Martins…
What’s not to love! For about 8 crackers (30 grams) you get 120 calories, 0.5 grams of fat (monounsaturated), 170 mg Sodium, 3 grams of Fiber, and 4 grams of Protein. Plus there are only TWO ingredients: Whole-wheat and salt. Triscuits also contain soybean and/or palm oil.
*If you can’t find the Nature’s Promise brand, Triscuits are still a better alternative than most crackers.
2. 100 Calorie-packs of Natural Walnuts and Almonds
I’ve never been a big fan of the 100 calorie pack. Typically the kinds of foods in these packs are hardly desirable. Lately though, I’ve become a big fan of Emeralds pre-packaged walnuts and almonds. It’s easy to over-do it with portion size when snacking on nuts, and these packs prevent that.
Again, only two ingredients: Walnuts and Almonds. These work great as a topping on my oatmeal or as an on the go snack. They are a great source of Vitamin E and healthy polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids.
3. Oranges
This habit started about a week ago. The oranges at work were looking particularly orange and appealing. So I grabbed one, sliced it up and had with a salad for lunch. Wow! I had forgotten how good oranges are! I’ve been eating them almost everyday.
Oranges are a good source of Vitamin C and dietary fiber. Check out these Top 10 Ways to Enjoy Oranges.
Question: What foods are you Loving Lately?
