Today's Priase: Arnold (or Orowheat) Sandwich Thins



Today's Recipe: Sandwich Ideas using today's Praise product (I'm getting clever, eh?)

Arnold Sandwich Thins, distributed by Orowheat on this side of the Mississippi are MAYBE the greatest invention ever. They are only 100 calories (1 point!) and can be used in maybe 10,000 different ways. I eat at least one a day. They are also all "natural" which we all know means absolutely nothing, essentially, but they don't have HFCS, and we all know how I love products with no HFCS :)

Today's "recipe" is a sammy I came up with using an AST (Ardnold Sandwich Thin) and some fresh organic veggies from my delivery box o' produce (more on that later, yes I keep saying that). Here goes:

1 AST
2-3 thins slices of tomato
1/4 avocad sliced thin
FF or 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese

You can toast the AST if you want, but for this case I like it untoasted. Also, this is best made right before you eat it, else the tomato makes things soggy. Put a schmear of cream cheese on each half of the AST. Put the tomato, avocado, and a little sprinkle of S&P on there and enjoy. Its YUM.

Also, I had an epiphany while I was in the grocery store and had to share. In lieu of the cream cheese, a wedge of Laughing Cow Light Garlic and Herb makes an excellent substitution in this sammy. MMM!

Here are some other ideas:

Breakfast: Toasted AST with Peanut Butter and thin slices of Banana
Fry an egg and use AST as a dipper, one of my FAVS

Lunch: Toasted AST with a little reduced fat mayo, a slice of nice ripe beefsteak tomato, S&P
Tomato sauce (or a slice of tomato), mozzarella cheese, some minced garlic, and some parm to top if off. Stick it under the broiler for 5. Mmmm healthy pizza!

I realize this is only 5 of the apparent 10,000 ways to use an AST. Maybe my goal in life should be to write a book on the 10,000 ways that exist. Hmm, this is an interesting prospect. Maybe I could strike it rich and quit this engineering gig. And snowboard all day.

I'm off to Boston a week from today!

Oh and speaking of HFCS, thanks to my friend Vanessa, my new goal for the week is to track down marshmallows that DO NOT contain HFCS. Now taking bets on whether such a thing even exists.

Cheers.

Today's Praise: Morning Star Original Chik'n Tenders



Today's Recipe: Fancy Trail Tofu with Quinoa

Well, its time for Angie to have a reality check, get my head out of the clouds and be an upstanding memeber of society again. I had a little too much fun this weekend, did a little too little studying (and sleeping), and am still paying for it. Despite a bigtime hankering for a damn fast food cheeseburger on Saturday night (I'm sure brought on by the partaking of things that make one want to munch), I managed to get by with a few potato chips and no meat. Go me!

Now speaking of cravings, let me talk about Fried Chicken. I LOVE me some good old fried chicken. And I love it so much that I don't descriminate. In fact, any chicken with a crispy fried texture is my best friend........until I stopped eating fried food.....AND went veggie. What am I doing to myself? Enter Morning Star Chik'n Tenders. Now, I have said before that I'm not a fan of processed food, but I'm sorry sometimes a girl just needs her FRIED CHICKEN! These things are good, they get crunchy in the oven (who would dare do psuedo fried in a micro!?) and paired very nicely with the indulgence of some McCain Sweet Potato Fries. Haha.

This week's recipe is inspired by a backpacking trip I took earlier this summer. It was my first backpacking trip and the friend I went with is vegan. A recipe similar to this is what we made for dinner over the camp stove, and it was delicious! When we made it at the camp, we made it with cous cous. I've been wanting to try Quinoa, so I decided to use it in this. Came out great (recipe makes about 4 big servings).

6 oz Firm Tofu
1-1/4 cup Quinoa (prepared according to package. I used 1-1/4 cups dry)
3-4 Cloves Garlic
1 Medium Red onion
Medium head broccoli florrets
1 medium yellow squash (I used about 3/4 of it)
1 medium zucchini (I used about 1/2 of it)
Olive Oil

Make Quinoa or Cous Cous according to package. Heat skillet and olive oil over medium heat. Mince garlic and add to pan. Chop onion into large (1/2 - 1 inch) pieces and add to pan. Sautee while you cut up the tofu into 1/2 inch pieces. Add to pan and stir. Next, chop broccoli into small pieces and add. Lastly cut the squash and zuke into half moons and add. Use as much or as little of everything as you desire (remember, I don't measure!). Let all the goodies do their thing for 5 or so minutes while the grain finishes cooking, then add it to the skillet, mix, and simmer for a minute. And its ready! I like to dump a bunch of romano or parm on it :)

And since this was inspired by my backpacking trip, here is a picture:



The trail we backpacked on is called Missouri Lakes/Fancy Pass - hence the name of the recipe. Some of the most beautiful stuff I've ever seen.


Happy Start to the Week!

Today's Praise: Dryer's Fruit Bars (Strawberry)
A great one point way to get a little sweetness after your dinner meal..and no HFCS!



Today's Recipe: Laughing Cow Alfredo

I'm having a bad day, so I'll try not to be overly snarky as I post today's blog entry. This morning, I was very excited because I get to get out of this hell hole (ok it isn't THAT bad) called Longmont and go HOME. Only to find out, I get to come back for the ENTIRE week again next week...so I get to sleep not in my bed, hear a train 4 times a night, and work and study and work and study. FUUUUN. At least I can go good Organic food shopping on the Company's dime again though....silver lining, anyone?

I hate days like this because it makes me want to EAT. Forget that piece of coconut cake I already had this morning, if you came at me with a Heath bar I'd scarf it in 10 seconds flat. I think I'll turn to drinking instead. Thoughts?

Today's recipe is widely used across the diet world, and it may have started with the Hungry Girl. Check her out. In any case, this is a delicious substitution for cream laden alfredo sauces which pack tons of fat and calories. Its called Laughing Cow Alfredo, and can be adapted in a million ways to make tons of different dishes. I am thinking of making a batch of this to pour over some pasta next week while I'm back to hotel living.

Laughing Cow Alfredo (basic recipe)
6 wedges Laughing Cow Light Garlic and Herb
1 cup milk (I use skim, 2% is probably more ideal)
1 T parmesan cheese
1 T Margarin
1 clove garlic, minced*

*You can also use garlic powder instead

Basically, dump it all into a sauce pan. Set it on low. Stir it a lot and in 20 minutes you'll have a nice alfredo. Now, that said...I think because I use skim milk it doesn't always thicken. So about halfway in, I put in a slurry of cornstarch and a little more milk whisked together (about 1-2 T of each). Get that mixed in, and once everything is all melted and combined it should be nice and thick.

Last week I made this and mixed it with some specialty pasta (OO maybe that will be my Praise one day soon!) that was rosemary flavored along with some cut up broccoli florets and shrimps. Yes, shrimps..not shrimp.

If you're not a veggie (why are you reading this blog?) you can do chicken and broccoli. Its really good too, which I found out before I was a veggie!

This recipe is, in theory, for two...but I find once you pack it with veggies and shrimp(s) it expands to at least three. Depending on your pasta of choice, I'd say use about 4 oz dried pasta if you're mixing. If not go 8 ish. Remember I don't measure.

Happy Friday!

Today's Praise: Deep Chocloate VitaTops

Today's Recipe: Eggplant Parmigiana

So let me start with these VitaTop things. I've seen these talked about on several forums I read, and I've even know people who have recommended them. But,until right now (I am about halfway through it), I hadn't actually tried one myself. Um three words: one point brownie! This thing is awesome. Cakey with chocolate chips, I heated it up in the toaster oven and it tasts like a warm brownie...it will definitely appease any chocolate craving (and would probably go great topped with some ICE CREAM!). It even packs 6g of fiber, which now that I think about it will probably make me sh*t my brains out, but that's for a later report...and no High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), which you will soon find out I think is the devil. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. Apparently I'm a movie critic now. Holy crap (no puns now!) that thing was filling!

I am still working in this other office but am happy to report that it feels more like home down here...because its snowing. In Denver. Yep. In October! Anyway, last weekend I made a big tray of eggplant parm using an eggplant I got in my biweekly box of organic produce that gets dropped off at my door (more on that in future posts). The recipe below, adapted from a Weight Watchers recipe, is my version of this wonderfully filling lighter version of the italian delicacy.

Figure Friendly Eggplant Parm
1 medium raw eggplant, peeled
2/3 cup seasoned italian breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 large egg whites
1-1/2 to 2 cups tomato sauce*
2 T Grated Parmesan
1-1/3 cupes shredded part skim/2% Mozzarella cheese

So you first should understand that I'm italian and I DO NOT MEASURE. This is a no no in Weight Watchers land, but I can estimate well enough to adjust recipes and find out nutritional info.

Anyway....peel and slice the eggplant LONGWAYS into very thin slices. I used my mandolin and sliced them probably 1/4 inch thick. Beat the egg whites until slightly frothy in one plate. Put bread crumbs and garlic powder (to taste) on another plate. Do your dredging (egg first, then bread crumb). Put on a sheet tray sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes on each side or until crispy.

Get a 13x9x2 casserole dish and spray with cooking spray. Put a little sauce in the bottom and spread around. Take half of cooked eggplant and layer. Pour on some sauce (you judge how saucy you want it), then put on 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat with eggplant, then sauce, then cheese to cover the top and sprinkle with Parm. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cheese melts.

Makes 8 servings (3 points a piece).

Serve with a nice salad and you got a meal!

*You can use your favorite jarred sauce or homemade sauce. I make homemade sauce regularly and used that. When I feel that I'm ready to share that secret sauce with the world, I might just put it on here ;)

This will be my dinner tonight along with a salad of mixed greens, sunflower seeds, broken up Latitude 34 crisps (so many uses!) and some fat free dressing. Mmm.

Today's Praise: Latitude 34 Crisps (http://www.34-degrees.com/)

Today's Recipe: Homemade Hummus

So I've been at this veggie thing for about two weeks, but now that I am blogging about it I feel like I'm more aware of what I eat from a veggie standpoint (I journal everything I eat anyway). One of the things that's also important to me is to be a veggie without eating all the processed meat substitutes that are out there. Not that I'll NEVER eat them, but I am much more into fresh ingredients.

I am working in a different office this week, about two hours away from home. I like to eat out, but not every day, so instead of using my per diem to eat out every night, I went hog wild in the Organic section of the grocery store. I also made some things at home and brought them with me, since I'm staying in a hotel with a kitchen.

One of my goodies is homemade hummus. Check it out:

One can of Chick Peas, drained and rinsed well
Two cloves of garlic
Lemon Juice
Water
Olive Oil
S&P
Fresh Cilantro, finely chopped

Put garlic in food processor and mince. Add chick peas, about a tablespoon of lemon juice, tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and pulse away. Add water a little at a time to get the consistency you want. Adjust S&P to taste. Remove from food processor to bowl and mix in about 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons of the minced fresh cilantro. Serve with crackers and chopped up olives and veggies!

A few notes: Notice - no Tahini! Tahini is really expensive, and the only difference I notice is that the hummus comes out a little thicker and chunkier and less creamy when you eliminate the Tahini. I personally like it that way, but if you'd like to add a little Tahini go for it. I'd start with about a tablespoon. Also, I prefer to add the chopped cilantro outside of the food processor so that it stays in pieces throughout the hummus. If you add it while in the processor it will just turn your hummus green (if you like green food, go for it!)

This is on my lunch menu today along with some kalamata olives and some Sesame Crisps from Latitude 34 (these things are awesome - very Calorie friendly for Crackers!!).

Check them out and Happy Hump Day!

Welcome!

Thanks for checking out my blog and agreeing, in some way (?), to be part of my journey into the world of vegetarianism.

Like I said, I am a meat lover...but I've realized that eating meat isn't A. a necessity and B. the healthiest part of one's diet. Eating habits in the U.S. have put meat in the center stage of every meal, with portions that are outrageous in size. Americans get more than twice as much protien as is needed due to the large portions of meat that are eaten in this country. It has been proven that a more plant based diet has increased health benefits, so I am on track to find out if this is really true.

My start towards a veggie life started with the exclusion of red meat from my diet in an attempt to reduce the amount of cholesterol I was eating. Around the same time, I also saw the movie Food, Inc., which really opened my eyes to how industrialized agriculture is handled in this country. As cameras went inside meat packing plants and "free range" chicken houses, I saw that the animals are treated very inhumanely and the sanitation is appalling. So it is a combination of health and humanitarianism that has led me to the world of veggie (well technically pescatarian, because I will still eat fish and seafood).

Now that I have presented my soapbox, I will get off of it and start the lighter, poke fun at myself nature, this blog is intended to have!

Oh, I should also mention that I've also become an Organic "whore" for lack of a better word. Just call me Hippie from now on ;) I'm also a faithful Weight Watchers follower, and have lost 30 pounds in January 2009. I still have a little ways to until I reach my goal, so I may mention some of that from time to time as well!

A note: older posts than this Welcome were imported from a very short lived blog about my life in Colorado. I figured you might enjoy them too!

Longmont

So I'm spending the week working in our Longmont, Colorado office, and I can summize it with a few words: I want to go home!

Every time I leave the mountains, I realize how much I love it there because its the only place I want to be. Longmont isn't even Denver, its a suburb way north of Denver and there is nothing here! Except for a.....drumroll....Ross Dress for LESS! I'll be hitting that up before I head back up the hill at the end of the week :)

I suppose its a good thing that I"m here in this boring town all alone staying in a boring hotel, because now I have no excuse not to study for the PE exam that is rapidly approaching!

I'll be back in the big Bean from October 20th through the 25th to take it. Although, my primary reason for coming back seems to be more to get through the exam so I can party with the old crew. Looking forward to seeing everyone while I'm back.

Beantown Pub Saturday, October 24 at 8pm. Be there or be square.

In other news, Angie is now a vegetarian :)

I stopped eating red meat a few months ago, which was easy because I had done that before...but I'm about two weeks into full vegie-ism, and so far I have no complaints!

Back to work at Initech. Hopefully once this exam study crap is over, I"ll post more on my blog because I"ll have all kinds of time to do NOTHING!