Healthy Coleslaw

Cole slaw is a great side side dish that's a wonderful additional to so many meals.  I particularly love it with barbecue and made it as an addition to slow cooked pork shoulder last week.  To make a healthy cole slaw, I used the America's Test Kitchen  Healthy Family Cookbook recipe, which uses buttermilk, light mayo, and lowfat sour cream.  The result is less calories and less fat- a 1-cup servings has 70 calories and 2 fat grams.  Note that this recipe takes about two hours (non-work time) before it's ready, so plan accordingly.  You can also make the coleslaw ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container up to one day.  Just taste before serving- you may need additional cider vinegar, salt, and or pepper. 

INGREDIENTS

1 head cabbage (cored and sliced thin)- I used a bag of prepared cabbage and carrot mix

2 carrots, peeled and shredded 

1 teaspoons salt 

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup light mayo

1/4 cup lowfat sour cream

3 scallions, sliced thin

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon honey

DIRECTIONS

1.  Toss the cabbage with the salt in a colander and let it sit for an hour until wilted.  Rinse and drain the cabbage in cold water and dry thoroughly.  Then add in the carrots.  (Cabbage is naturally full of water which will end up watering down your cole slaw thus dulling its flavor unless you draw out some of the water first.  Salting and draining the cabbage releases most of its liquid resulting in crisp crunch and better flavor.

2.  Whisk all of the other ingredients in a bowl until smooth.  

3.  Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat.

4.  Cover and refrigerate until the flavors have blended (about an hour). 

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Faith

I have quiet confidence that God knows what is best for my life and that He has a plan and purpose for me.  I'm earnestly seeking to know, "What would YOU have me do?" There have been many times in my life when I had dreams and hopes that did not come to fruition and, at the time, was utterly and painfully depressed that God wasn't giving me what I wanted- what I pleaded and prayed for with all my heart.  But HE knows better.  No, HE knows best.  He sees what we cannot see.  It doesn't always numb the pain, but I also believe in feeling your feelings and allowing them.  Then, we can deal with it and heal it.  I'm taking comfort in Proverbs 19:21 today.  The NIV translation says, "Many are the plans in a person's heart; but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

Just like I believe there is a certain peace and comfort in having a man be the head of the household (a somewhat controversial topic I know), there is a big sense of relief knowing that I don't have to figure everything out on my own.  I can give situations to God and seek HIS will and then patiently (oh, that one is so hard) wait to hear from Him. Sometimes we "hear" by doors opening or closing or by certain people coming or leaving our paths.  But, I TRUST in Him and his purpose.  Thank God for that peace.  

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Homemade Pesto Pizza

Had I known sooner how easy it is to make tasty pizza at home, I would have started making it so much sooner.  My best friend Karen and her husband are wonderful cooks.  Many years ago, we used to do a rotating Thursday night dinner club where we'd take turns eating at each other's houses.  I always looked forward to the Thursdays when it was their turn to cook! Karen often shares her recipes with me and this homemade pizza is one of her latest.  She texted me the pics of her pizza with directions and I knew immediately I wanted to try it. 

She said she was still experimenting with cooking temps and times, but I read that the trick to cooking pizza at home is to get the oven very hot (500 degrees) and heat the pizza stone (I used a baking sheet) to very hot as well by preheating it in the oven for at least 30 minutes.  I did that with this thin-crust pizza and baked it for about 12 minutes.  It turned out so good!  

I think the thing that intimidated me before about making pizza at home is the crust.  But Karen recommending buying frozen premade crust and just rolling it out.  

I bought my dough at Whole Foods, but I know they sell it elsewhere.  My package comes with two frozen dough balls that you thaw in the fridge for a day or on the counter for about an hour or so.  I rolled the dough with olive oil so it wouldn't stick. 

This is a pesto pizza with spinach, mushrooms, red pepper, mozzarella, a little feta and a couple cloves of garlic.  I steamed the spinach on the stove, then made sure to squeeze any excess water out.

Mix the prepared pesto with a couple drops of olive oil so it spreads easily onto the rolled dough. 

Then top with all the ingredients.  

Like I mentioned above, I preheated the oven and cookie sheet for about 30 minutes at 500 degrees.  The pizza baked for about12 minutes. 

I will definitely be making this again.  It will be fun to experiment with different variations of ingredients too. 

Do you make pizza at home?  What are your favorite toppings?

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Healthy Banana Bread

I've been searching everywhere for a healthy banana bread recipe and found one at Half Baked that looked pretty healthy because it contained no sugar or oil and uses whole wheat flour.  I made it this weekend with a couple substitutions- adding chopped walnuts and skipping the honey because instead of regular low fat Greek yogurt, I used my favorite carmel Greek yogurt by Stoneyfield.  I thought that would add enough sweetness.  Adding the walnuts was a hit, but don't omit the honey like I did.  My bread wasn't sweet enough, but I'm thinking this recipe would be good with the honey.  I'm going to keep experimenting!  

Healthy Banana Bread via Half Baked

2 cups whole-wheat self-raising flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

3 bananas (very ripe)

¼ cup honey

2 eggs

¼ cup yogurt- lowfat Greek 

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
• In a separate, mash the three bananas and stir in the rest of the wet ingredients. With a mixer, mix until well combined and the banana is smooth.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir together, but don't over mix.
• Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and bake for about 30 minutes.  
• The bread is done when a toothpick comes out clean.

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Faith

Are you a "Super Souler"?  That's how Oprah affectionately refers to those who watch her Super Soul series on Sunday nights.  Each week she interviews a different thinker, pastor, author, or person who seeks to have a deeper/more meaningful life experience.  She recently had Steven Pressfield on, the author of The War of Art.  Have you read it?  It was a great conversation about how when we try to go higher or deeper in our lives (be it in our relationships, career, health, parenting, finances, etc.) we will naturally encounter things like resistance, fear, and self-doubt.  But, Steven says, that's when we know we're on the right path.  Two sentences very eloquently written in his book stood out:

Whoa.  Is this a lightbulb moment for any of you?  As their conversation continued, Steven shared what I also believe to be true.  Once you commit, and you are on the path to living the life within (the path that resonates with your soul), all kinds of aid comes to you to support your commitment.  

Has this happened in your life?  I can think back to when I was in college, working full-time and trying to earn a degree in journalism that was taking forever and not really having a direction or clear career path, I finally committed to becoming a lawyer.  It was a quiet, barely whispered dream inside that I never actually believed could materialize.  It seemed impossible in my life (no money of my own, no financial support from family, no family that had ever gone to college, self-talk of "I'm not smart or sophisticated enough" and so on), but once I committed and spoke the dream out loud to people, doors opened and I was assisted.  I got help and even a mentor.  But, I only committed and got on the path- God opened the doors and helped see me through all the way to graduation and to my first job. 

By the way, I wasn't a church-going, Bible-reading girl before law school.  But that didn't matter to God.  He knew my heart.  It was during law school that He really got ahold of me and my eyes were more fully opened.  Isn't it amazing the plans and purpose God has for us?!  

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.  Isaiah 42:16.

The Word also says in Isaiah 43:19, "I am doing a new thing . . .  do you not perceive it?"  In other words, can't you tell He's up to something in YOUR life?!  

Have a great Sunday!

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Homemade Granola

I came across a great recipe for homemade granola on Christina's blog, This Woman Cooks and she graciously agreed to share it here.  Her blog is full of lots of recipes and the cutest pictures of her little baby girl!

Christina's original homemade granola recipe called for 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and 1/4 cup of brown sugar so I would make a couple easy tweaks to make it healthier.  First, I  would omit the brown sugar altogether, and second, I would substitute the same amount of canola oil as it is  lower in saturated fat than vegetable oil and contains omega nutrients, which is considered to be better for your heart.  

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via This Woman Cooks

Source: slightly adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Servings: 1 pound

2 cups rolled oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil (substitute canola oil) 

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar- (omit) 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup almonds

1/3 cup whole hazelnuts

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, toss the oats with the cinnamon and salt.

In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until completely combined. Pour the honey mixture over the oats and use to hands to combine.

Using your hands, grab fistfuls of the mixture, so you'll have a couple of clumps for texture. Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it out, leaving a few clumps here and there.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven to flip the granola with a spatula. Sprinkle the almonds over the granola and return to the oven. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven again and flip. Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the granola. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Sprinkle the cranberries over the granola and use your hands to transfer it to an airtight container. Granola will keep for 1 week.

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Thank you Christina (This Woman Cooks) for sharing this recipe today ! I hope y'all will stop by and say hello!

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Have a great weekend!

Working Out and Breakout Solutions

Working out is great for your mind and body, but can wreak havok on your face.  Normally, I have pretty clear skin, but when I'm doing a lot of sweaty workouts, I notice my forehead breaking out a bunch.   Does this happen to you too?  I have started washing my face in the gym locker room as soon as I finish my workout (as opposed to waiting until I get home) and I feel like that has helped a lot.  I keep foaming face wash pads in my gym bag and they are perfect because you just throw them away after each use.  I've had them so long that I threw away the original package, but I think they might have been Olay 2-in-1 Daily Facial Cloths.  Super convenient and helping cut down on the breakouts.

At home, my skin is sensitive so I stick with the same gentle cleanser I've been using for years (Cetaphil) and then sometimes at night also use good 'ole SeaBreeze (for sensitive skin).  For a moisturizer/sunscreen, I also wear Cetaphil.  It's the only sunscreen I've found that won't break out my skin- besides the spray on kind I wear at the pool.  Both Cetaphil and SeaBreeze are sold in the drug store/grocery store.  

Obviously my skin care routine is pretty sparse.   I drink a lot of water, try to avoid sun on my face, and wear a visor when I run or go to the pool, but that's about it.  Are you doing facials, skin care "systems" or have any particular products you love?  I have a friend who is a consultant for Rodan + Fields and she swears by it.  She gave me a mini facial to try that I still need to do.  I'll be hosting a giveaway for  Rodan + Fields soon too if you're interested in that line.  

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