Breakfast of Champions...

I'm a creature of habit.  I love routine, I love predictibility (in most things), I find a flavour I love and then I stick to it.  When it comes to breakfast I have a few favorites...

1. Rye toast with butter, thin slices of old white cheddar, slices of tomato topped with salt and pepper.
2. Honey nut cheerios.  Mmmmmm.
3. 2 eggs, sunny side up, shredded hashbrowns, bacon, no toast (who needs toast when you have potatos?)
4. oatmeal with brown sugar and cinnamon.

So when I started an eating challenge this month in which the name of the game is NO white flour, NO sugar, I felt a little stuck.  I don't like sugar substitutes and I tried honey in my oatmeal and it just wasn't doing it for me.  Then one day a friend of mine posted that she'd made a little shake for a snack and it sounded so yummy that I thought I had to try it.  

Here's what I put in it (totally tweaked from her recipe), 

1 banana, 1 cup almond milk, 2 scoops chia seeds, 1 large handful spinach, 4 ice cubes and 2 TBSP cocoa

I've been having it every morning, it's SO yummy!  Dark chocolate goodness in a breakfast shake that has over 12 g fibre per shake and a tonne of omega 3s and other goodness.

The best part is, I feel GREAT!

Trash into Treasure...

Today I decided to take a break in the afternoon (well, ok, I folded and ironed laundry during my "break") and watch Rachael Ray.  Today's theme was on turning one man's Trash into another's Treasure...my little Menno heart just went pitter-pat :o)
They tackled things like the bottom of food containers, you know, like when you have just 1/4 or so left of something just sitting in your fridge doing nothing.  Then they talked about the bits of veggies that are leftover like potato peels and broccoli stems and celery tops.  Bits of make up was another one that they tackled, but it didn't really apply to me since mine ends up expiring before I use it all up anyway.
I gotta say though, my favorite, the one that had me running for my recipe book, was the Potato Peel Gratin.  Seriously, who thinks of this??!!  Take the peels from 8-10 potatos and chop them roughly, mix them with 2 beaten eggs and 1/4-1/2 cup of whole milk.  Add about 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar, some green onion and then bake it til it's golden.  Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum and SO not on my diet (or as I call it, my Eating Challenge) right now!
Now, I like to save the bones from chicken or the juice (not fat) from a ham to make soup from, but this took things to a whole new level.  I may need to dedicate one freezer just for bits to make stuff out of :o) Supper is gonna be interesting around here!
What about you?  Do you make Treasure from Trash?  Share your ideas, let's learn together!

Thai Butternut Squash Soup...

Yesterday was the day!
Here's the ingredients (minus the veggie stock)...

Don't they look yummy?  The squash I cut in half, seeded, covered with plastic wrap and cooked on high in the microwave until it was done (about 10 min).
Ok, ingredients (I'll post my changes to it, not the original recipe by Moosewood),

1 can coconut milk (original said 1 cup)
2 1/2 TBSP That red curry paste (original said 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp salt (original added 4tsp sugar)
2 cups veggie/chicken broth
1 butternut squash, cooked (equal to about 4 cups chopped) (original said 2-12 oz pkg frozen squash)
1 lime (zest and 2 Tbsp juice) (original also added 1 Keiffer lime leaf)
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 lbs shrimp (peeled, and deveined, tails off) (original had pan-fried tofu)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (original had cilantro as just a garnish)

I scooped out the squash and combined it in a pot with the coconut milk, curry paste, salt and broth heated it through (don't boil) and pureed it all with my immersion blender (which is quite possibly the best kitchen gadget of all time!).  I then added the shrimp, lime zest and juice, spinach and cilantro.

It was good, the kids weren't thrilled (surprise, surprise) but after it sat for 2 hours it was quite good and the leftovers were fantastic!  I think this is one of those soups where you could make it in the morning or the night before (minus the shrimp), then heat it up when you're ready for it and throw in the shrimp.  It's not spicy and not too sweet but has hints of lots of different flavours.  If I'd made it with low fat coconut milk then it would be a great diet soup (no carbs, no sugar, lots of flavour) :o)

White and Nerdy...

...about cooking.
and cookbooks.
and great sounding recipes.
Get ready for this one that's on the menu this week...
Thai Butternut Squash Soup.
*swoon*
Picture this...
Roasted butternut squash, red thai curry paste, coconut milk, baby spinach, cilantro, and shrimp.
My mouth is watering already, I can hardly wait!
When I take the kids to the library I inevitably come home with a cookbook to read. I'm fascinated by the millions of different combinations you can put ingredients in and the amazing yumminess that comes out of it!  As I explained to a cousin of mine, "you are creative in so many ways, this is how I like to be creative" and maybe part of me is just a little nerdy when it comes to food.  I get all wrapped up in it and captivated by it :)
Mmm, food.
I'll keep you posted about the soup, oh I hope it's a good one!

Our family...

Here we are, all actually smiling at the same time for a Christmas picture, what are the odds of that happening?!  One of these years I'm gonna get a professional one of us done again so the lighting isn't so bad.  Oh well!

So begins a new year full of new and wonderful possibilities and new and awesome challenges, BRING IT ON!

The Best Christmas Lights Display EVER!!!

I love Christmas lights...the white twinkling ones that make everything look festive and warm.  I love it when people have them wrapped around their garland, or on a tree outside, or on their house.  It's so beautiful.  I'd love to do it too and have my house all pretty and lit up...
...but, well let's face it,
I'm too thrifty.
The cost of the lights, the electricity, it's to much and just feels like a waste somehow.
BUT...
...I will thoroughly other people's beautiful houses and displays!
A friend of mine shared this on Facebook and I thought it was awesome.  Enjoy!

O Christmas Tree...

Yesterday was quite the day...

I was not feeling well at all so Mark took Riker out to find a tree for us.  They went to lot after lot and finally hours later came home with a gorgeous tree that Mark managed to score a pretty sweet deal on :o)

We got it home and set it up and then ran out of steam, but it was beautiful just the way it was.  From my spot on the couch I took pictures of the kids.  Sawyer was in love with the tree and kept exclaiming, "WOW, WOW, TREE, TREE!"

It was no problem to get him to give it a little kiss, teehee.

Trinity loves any posing opportunity!

I let Riker choose his pose (good idea Mom!)...classic.

All three of our kiddos together :o)

Then what will possibly be my best Christmas memory of 2011...

As I was sitting on the couch, Sawyer crawled up into my lap and snuggled in, which he basically never does unless I have his sucky or I'm gonna read a book.  I started singing "O Christmas Tree" then moved on to other Christmas songs.  It was funny, for the ones that he liked he would listen to the whole thing.  For the ones he didn't like he would say, "NO, NO!" then giggle.  We lay there for a good 15 minutes...it was awesome.