Easy Yogurt Dip

Matt gave me cheery flowers. Aren't they cute? Thanks, Matt.

Yesterday was my lifelong friend, Melissa's, birthday. We're exactly 2 months apart, to the day. Weird, right? But I'm older. :) She is such a fun, fabulous lady. Those around her love her and are grateful for such a selfless, caring, hilarious person. And Melissa, among her charming quirks, loves dip. All kinds of dip. And she likes the action (verb) of DIPPING. Not tobacco, mostly cheese, salsa, bean, chocolate, or any tasty snack variety. So here's a dip for you, Meliss, and the rest of us that is fun and fancy free.

Now for a cheery snack...fruit and yogurt...the ultimate guilt-free, filling snack/dessert.

Easy Yogurt Dip
serves 2, but easily doubles/triples

• 6 ounces plain, unsweetened yogurt (Greek or regular)
• Drizzle of raw agave nectar or another honey/sweetener (1/2 teaspoon of agave)
• 1 TB sunflower seeds
• 1 TB flax seeds
• 1 TB of __________ (Whatever you like...chopped chocolate, pecans, almond butter, etc.)-->optional
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon ( a dash or two)

Mix all of the ingredients together and serve cold. Cut up some fruit (bananas are divine with this), and serve!   
 

Happy eating!
Laurel

Busy Girl's Smoothie

Wow, what a great couple of days! My parents came through Portland for a couple day stay on their way to Seattle for an Alaskan cruise. We ate a ton and saw a lot. We are so glad they came to visit!

In the meantime, they went on their cruise this morning, and Matt & I went to our neighborhood farmers market. It was so busy and so packed full of enticing goods...farm fresh organic produce, baked goods, artisan crafts. And lot of crepes, omelets, barbq, gourmet breads, and other ethnic tasties to stuff in our faces. Highlights: my Marionberry scone and Matt's sausage pinwheel sandwich; a 2 1/2 foot long zucchini for $2; and tomato varieties that included chocolate cherry, pineapple and too many heirlooms to count. I'd never seen or heard of these before! How fun.
We got our produce for the week or 2 and are so excited to try! How about now? And quickly, so I'm not late for work?

BUSY GIRL'S SMOOTHIE
2 servings
1/2 cup milk
4-6 oz of low fat yogurt
1/2 cup berries
1/2 apple
1 banana
3 cups spinach

Combine all ingredients in a blender, then add 4-6 ice cubes. Drink half and share the rest with a friend!

Happy Saturday!!

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

I used to love those parfaits from the golden arches, the layers of blueberries, strawberries and granola in between sweet vanilla yogurt. The downsize: lots of sugar. The positive: still healthier than a burger. :) But who wants pounds of sugar in yogurt and fruit? Shouldn't heavy sugar consumption be saved for cakes and cookies? Yes, I think so, too. So here's a giant (not so sugary) version of it...eat it all and feel good about it!

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait
2 servings
2/3 cup chopped strawberries
1/2 cup chopped blackberries or bananas or blueberries
2 cups plain yogurt (Greek is great, too)

A Layer Guide

4 teaspoons honey or 1 TB agave nectar
1/2 cup lowfat granola

Chop the fruit. Get out 2 glasses.

Layer in this order:

• yogurt (1/2 inch full in the glass)
• drizzle of honey/agave
• strawberries (about 1/2 inch)
• yogurt
• granola
• yogurt 
• drizzle of honey/agave
• blackberries
• REPEAT...
• top with extra granola, strawberries, and one last drizzle of honey/agave

Fun, Pretty, Easy! (only call me two of these...but call my food all of these, please.)

Listening to...Norah Jones' newest album.

sideways...don't try this at home. It's not Dairy Queen.

Why this is awesome:

• Matt found an old iTunes giftcard
• He handed it to me and said, "Buy the new Norah Jones album! She's one of your faves!" And I agreed to all of it. And then I realized that I haven't ordered an album on iTunes since before grad school, when I was footloose and fancy free (and had money for iTunes. Sigh.) And I forgot how.
• Her music really is good. Like really good. Complexly simple. For sure.

Happy day, friends!

L

Low-fat Brownies

Isn't it nice to whip up a little dessert after a long day? I'm talking about 5 or 10 minutes on your feet in the kitchen, max. I found this recipe on Joy of Baking's site, a low-fat wonder before adding a layer of crunchy peanut butter for my dear husband Matt. He and my mom (and other members of the family) are nutz-o about chocolate peanut butter in combination, so I imagine that--even if I had burned these brownies--they still would've been gobbled up.

You know, I just realized that I should explain all of these "Joy's" that I've been referring to in the posts these last few weeks.

• Joy of Cooking--the classic, 80 year old cookbook with the white cover and red lettering; I refer to this often in cooking, and a little less on this blog
• Joy the Baker--a hip, Californian young baker who is creative with her flavor combos and baking techniques; I refer to her regularly
• Joy of Baking--a middle-aged, established blogger with many traditional baking recipes (think comfort food) that she and her contributors offer; I refer to her seldomly

So today's brownies are from Joy #3, the last on the list. So much Joy! The brownies are low fat and, if you add the peanut butter topping, well, it adds a little more fat. Just warning you. But they are tasty!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

Adapted from Joy of Baking

Makes one 8X8 pan

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1/3 cup soft butter spread (margarine)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup light sour cream or plain low fat yogurt

Topping (not so low fat)

3 TB crunchy peanut butter, melted in the microwave (1 minute)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Step one: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with one rack in the center of the oven. Spray an 8X8 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine sugar and margarine until smooth. Then, mix in the vanilla and egg.

Step two: In a second bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Combine the dry ingredients in to the wet ingredients. Then mix in the yogurt/sour cream. Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 15--20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Topping: Once the brownies are out of the oven, cool for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, add the peanut butter and microwave for 45 seconds, or until warm and melted. Add the powdered sugar and stir until dissolved. Spread carefully on top of the brownies. Let cool. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar to finish.

Happy eating!
Laurel

Apple pie yogurt parfait

When we start to give a real, honest look at what we put in our mouths each day, we can easily find our "triggers." For me, it's night time. I can eat well all day, but about 1-2 hours after dinner, I get the munchies. No, I'm not smoking a thing, but I just really enjoy crunchy or sweet treats in the evening. Plus, I tend to eat smaller meals, so I might be a little hungry two hours after a meal, while others might gag at the thought of eating so soon after dinner.

Another one of my triggers for an entire day of eating junk is if I eat something bad-for-me for breakfast. Specifically, I know that if I eat donuts for breakfast, the likelihood of eating healthy the rest of the day is slim to none. While I do love a donut here and there, I try to have it as an afternoon coffee treat if I'm going to have it. Healthy, hearty breakfasts are so important to kickstart our energy and get our day started well. So yogurt is one of those obvious things. But yogurt hasn't been that great on my stomach lately. So this parfait, which mixes fruit and coconut into yogurt, forces me to eat a little slower (not like gobbling down a yogurt cup), the apple breaks down the yogurt a bit, and I am full of good fuel (and not a lot of sugar). This takes about 3 minutes to make, and it's so versatile. However, this is my favorite combo right now.

Apple Pie Yogurt Parfait
*1 serving*
1/2 apple, chopped into small bits
1 cup plain yogurt (Greek works) (100 calories!)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 TB coconut flakes (unsweetened is best)

Using a 2-cup glass or cup, layer 1/4 of the yogurt, sprinkle of coconut, sprinkle a bit of sugar, a dash of cinnamon, and 1/4 of the apples. Continue this layer 3 more times (yogurt, coconut, sugar, cinnamon, and apples). Eat. Don't forget to rinse out the glass soon after said eating.



I hope your Easter is glorious and this Good Friday has been meaningful (or relaxing, in the least). I'll be around family this weekend, which will be nice.
Happy weekend.

Laurel

Overnight Oats

 Good morning!

Doesn't this just look like a bowl of sunshine?

I've gotta tell you, I do love oatmeal. Overnight oats is fairly new to me...I've made it a bunch of times, but cold oats take some getting used to. This recipe, however, is fabulous...I adapted it from Kath Eats Real Food and changed it for my own liking. She uses yogurt in hers (rather than lots of milk), and I prefer the pudding-like consistency. There's cherry, coconut, and a nutty mixture of flavors that make for creamy, dreamy happiness. You put your oats and liquids in a bowl and let it sit in the fridge overnight; in the morning, you add any crunchy toppings (to prevent sogginess), stir, and enjoy! No cooking, no burning your tongue, and super quick! When I want to just stay in bed all morning, this is something I can look forward to...mornings are not my best time of day.

Overnight Oats
(adapted from KERF)
*makes 2 servings (or one large)
1/2 cup whole oats
1/2 cup milk (I used almond)
1 yogurt cup (I used cherry vanilla)
1TB ground flax or 2 t chia seeds (optional)
1 TB shredded coconut
2 TB chopped pecans

In a small bowl, combine oats, milk, and yogurt. Place in fridge overnight (an hour minimum, but 7 hours allows the oats to soak up the liquids better).

In the morning, top with flax seed, coconut, and pecans. Stir. Enjoy!

Easy, right?

Enjoy your Wednesday!!


Happy eating! Laurel

Pantry Smoothie

Part of the fun of cooking is finding things around your kitchen and creating a delicious meal with them. It's imagination that has no limits! (okay, you can't add the kitchen sink to a meal...) Here was my liquid breakfast this morning, a collection of simple things in the pantry and fridge.

Pineapple Orange Smoothie

1 can pineapple rings or chunks

1 can of mandarin oranges (or 1 fresh orange)

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1 cup plain yogurt

1 1/2 cups ice cubes

Drain the cans and add 1 cup of pineapple (5 rings) or fresh pineapple, if you have it, to the blender. Add the oranges or use a fresh orange. Add the coconut, yogurt, and ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Garnish with orange and pineapple slices.

A note on organic: 

I don't talk much about organic foods because 1)it's so trendy, 2)it can be so expensive, and 3)we don't get much of a variety of organics at our local grocery stores where I live.
HOWEVER, if you can, buy organic!

If for nothing else, you are looking for the most bang for your buck, so a $1.00 giant cookie and a $1.00 organic apple don't compare. Or a $1.00 bag of potato chips and a $1.00 cucumber. You get so many more nutrients from produce in general, compared to packaged and processed foods, so organic produce is a bargain in that sense. Also, the latest studies I've been reading (from journal articles at the library--I know, nerd-o) have shown significant increases in vitamins and nutrients in USDA certified organic produce as compared to the "regular" produce on the shelves. I have not found a study that didn't find many more nutrients in the organic versus the regular.
So, if you're like me, you don't want to be one of those people in the fiber commercials chomping on apples and carrots all day long...why not eat 3 regular meals with a couple of snacks and get all of your daily needs that way? Okay, that's my two cents. Cha-ching.