We got home a little late from my grandparents and I wasn’t able to log on and post anything. Sadly, I also don’t have any pictures from over the weekend (despite bringing my camera) since I didn’t want to feel awkward in front of my extended family and my dad. I hadden’t seen many of my family members since the height of ED and I didn’t want them thinking that I was obessing over taking pictures of my food or something like that. I’m really sorry you guys; there were so many yummy things consumed over the course of those few days!

Today I’m offically home and offically back to bloggin’. My mom is taking my brother and his friends to a waterpark  for the next few days, so it’ll just be me and my dad. Actually that means that I’ll have a lot of quiet free-time to myself during the day, so maybe that would be a good time to try out some new recipes. I won’t be doing much running though, that’s for sure. After running on Friday I had horrible pains near my glutes on my right leg and they still haven’t fully recovered yet. I’m just going to keep taking things easy for a while. =(

And yes, my flog (food blogging) is back too, and come lunch time I will have many tasty pictures to update you with. Mid-morning snack was the same for the most part, but I tried a new brand of pita (review later) since my beloved Ezekiel pitas are MIA in every store I’ve checked recently! Hopefully they weren’t discontinued or something! =O

Anyway, I’ll be back with pictures and a recipe later! See yall’ then!

I know this makes it seem like I’m backing out on you just right after returning, but I just got word that we’re heading off to my grandparent’s farm for Easter early. It should be fun since we’re planning on planting our family garden (peppers, tomatoes, squash, etc.) if it’s not too wet outside. But we really are leaving early, as in, in about an hour from now! I’ve got to pack and get everything ready to go, so there’s no time to blog unfortunatley. Another bummer? They don’t have a computer so I won’t be able to post again until Sunday night.

But I am bringing my camera, and I DID already take pics of last night’s and today’s eats (I tried CCV’s Banana Bread oats for breakfast and it was just…HOLY YUM). I’ll update as soon as I can after I get home, and until then, have a great Easter/Passover weekend you guys!

Recognize anyone from my previous review post? I can spot quite a few familiar faces here! And yes, that is Nancy’s cottage cheese hiding under that yogurt. I like to mix the two together; wierd to most people, but very good. They’re the perfect tangy protein combo.

After my snackie, I tucked into some schoolwork and started into my science lessons. This week was “life sciences” and today just happened to be the oh-so-appetizing subject of decomposition, fungi, and decay. Mmmm… nothing like a little compost and bacteria to get you revved up for lunch.

Speaking of which, I had NO IDEA what to make and spent quite a while pondering my options. In the end, I ran short on time and decided to go with one of my favorites – Asian Chicken Salad. This one is my own recipe and I probobly make it about once a week since I usually have the ingredients on hand and I absolutley LOVE it.

Just look at that mountain of yum! Sorry if the sight of yet another salad bores you, but I just can’t help it. I really like having salads for lunch since they’re so refreshing and clean-feeling. This one is probobly my best yet.

Kate’s Asian Chicken Salad

• 2 cups lettuce, chopped
• 3.5 oz. cooked shredded chicken
• 2 oz. firm cubed tofu
• 1/3 large bell pepper, thin sliced
• 2 tbsp red onion, thin sliced
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp shredded carrots
• 1 tbsp green onions, sliced diagonally
• 7 g dry roasted peanuts

Dressing:

• 1 tbsp vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
• pinch of garlic powder
• drop or two of honey or agave nectar

Mmm… I also had these little dishes full of veggies. I ALWAYS have a ton of veggies at every meal, as you can see. Here we have some kidney beans, peas, green beans, and an orange bell pepper with some chipolte salsa.

(Before we go any further I’d like to confess my love for bell peppers! I have at least one a day and they are probobly my favorite veggie (or are they a fruit?) of all time! You can probobly plan on seeing them almost every lunch and dinner for me.)

After lunch, and the rest of my schoolwork (a drag), I went into the kitchen to make one of my favorite snacks – homemade “Lara Bars”! Today I made a Pistachio one (heheh, ignoring the recall since pistachios are my favorite nut!). Here’s a few of the pics…

Pistachio “Lara Bar”

• 14 g roasted unsalted pistachios
• 9 g raw cashews
• 1 oz. dates

Basically you just pulse it all together in the food processor, and hopefully you end up with something like the pictures above. But what I really look forward to is what comes next…

EATING IT! Preferably with some Oikos + cottage cheese, and yet another appearance by Mr. Ezekiel, toasted of course. This is my usual afternoon snack, but sometimes I have Ezekiel bread instead of pitas, and I never have the SAME bar. One time a few months ago me and my mom found Laras on sale for $.60 each and bought like three or four of every flavor!

Well, I’m off to do get some things done and get ready for dinner tonight (but I still can’t decide what to make!) - well, see yall’ then!

Before I start, I’d just like to mention that I have tried all of these products before (so you know they’re good – I keep buying them!), but I just thought I’d review them so that anyone who hasn’t tried them can read a little more about them before buying them.

Today’s reviews are all going to be included in my morning snack (posted later with lunch) so keep an eye out for them!

#1…

Whole Foods 365 Creamy Peanut Butter

STATS:

• Serving size: 2 tbsp
• Calories: 200 calories
• Fat: 16 grms
• Sat. Fat: 1.5 grms
• Cholestorol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 90 mg
• Carbs: 6 grms
• Sugars: 2 grms
• Fiber: 2.5 grms
• Protein: 8 grms

Ingredients: peanuts, salt. (nice…)

Price: I found this jar for only $2!

The taste: This is one of the best peanut butters I’ve ever bought. It may be hard to stir at first (peanut oil came POURING down the side at first!) but once you get it going it is very creamy and has an almost cookie-dough texture to it. If you’re used to unsalted peanut butter it may come off as a little too salty at first, but the overall flavor is very good and not overpowering. The price was right too, and at only $2 a jar, it is a great value. The downside is that is not organic, but I’m pretty sure WF does not source peanuts from GMO plants in the first place.

All else aside, this is a great PB and will be a welcome addition to my menus for many meals to come.

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Ezekiel 4:9 Food For Life Pita Pockets

STATS:

• Serving size: 1 pita
• Calories: 100
• Fat: 1 grm
• Sat. Fat: 0 grms
• Cholestorol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 130 mg
• Carbs: 23 g
• Sugars: 1 g
• Fiber: 4 grms
• Protein: 7 grms

Ingredients: Organic whole wheat flour, water, fresh carrots, barley flour, millet flour, lentil flour, spelt flour, soy flour, fresh yeast, sea salt.

Price: Anywhere from $2-3 for a package of six.

The taste: Let me just start by saying that these are my favorite pita breads of all time. The taste is great (I’m getting to that here…) and just look at the nutritionals! You can have a WHOLE pita for only 100 calories and you’ll also get 7 grams of protein and whole sprouted grains. Wowie.

The texture is very soft and flexible, so these would be great for stuffing and wraps, although I usually toast them before I eat them or use them for sandwiches since it gives them a nice crisp edge. Unlike most pitas, these do not have any sweetner of any kind, and they don’t need it! The thing I love about the Ezekiel Food For Life products is that they never contain added sugars. Not even honey. They always use dried fruits for that little added sweetness. In this case, that comes in the form of carrots, which I was quite surprised to see the first time I tried these. Their flavor is completely undetectable though, so don’t worry that your bread will taste like veggies!

I love these and probobly have anywhere from 1-3 a day. Heheh. I love my pita breads…so versatile.

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Nancy’s Cultured Cottage Cheese

STATS:

• Serving size: 1/2 cup
• Calories: 80
• Fat: .1 grm
• Sat. Fat: .5 grms
• Cholestorol: <5 mg
• Sodium: 304 mg
• Carbs: 3 grms
• Sugars: 3 grms
• Fiber: 0 grms
• Protein: 14 grms

Ingredients: Skim milk, cream, nonfat milk powder, live active cultures, and salt.

Price: $3.50 for a 16 oz. container. $4 if you go the organic route.

The taste: Different than any other cottage cheese out there, Nancy’s uses live active cultures to give the product a tangy, sharp flavor not unlike that of plain yogurt. The first time I tried this it was a major turn-off and I thought I’d never buyt it again, but alas, I finished off the rest of the container (so I wouldn’t waste it) and within those few days the taste really grew on me.  Now I’m a Nancy’s convert, although I also enjoy the classic non-cultured cottage cheese as well.  Plus, the nutritionals are great and this CC has a lot less sodium than most commercial brands that have >400mg per half-cup. Overall, I’d say you should give “Nancy” a chance. Maybe a few chances. If you like plain yogurt it will probobly not be a problem that this cottage cheese is rather sour as well, since you’re most likley already used to this sort of flavor.

Today I decided to make *drum roll*  – CARROT CAKE OATS!

I was so excited to make these since I had already seen Mashed and Kath make them before and I loved the idea of carrot cake in a bowl… only much healthier. Heheh. I brought a picture too. =)

Kate’s Carrot Cake Oats

• 1/2 cup skim milk + 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup wheat bran (added for bulk and fiber)
• 2 tbsp milled flaxseed
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• About 3-4 tbsp shredded carrot
• 20g banana (maybe 1/4 of a medium?)
• 1 tbsp TJ’s “raw” almond butter
• 2 tbsp TJ’s Greek yogurt + 1/8 tsp vanilla (the “icing on the cake”)
• 1 tsp nice, plump raisins

Dee-lish! It was great to have something new today. I’ve been trying to do that a lot more latley, and writing the cookbook has helped since it’s sort of forced me to test out and think up new dishes. I don’t know if it was ED who was getting me into the food rut of “eating the same thing every day” or not, but it’s definatley more fun when you switch things up! It’s certainly a lot more fun to blog about too. I don’t see how some people can post the exact same picture of a bowl of oats every day – it’s just more exciting to make something different or at least have a “themed oats” day like this one.

Anyway, in a few hours there’s a good gym potential for me and my mom. We just joined our local YMCA and have been going almost every day since.  Well, we’ll either go there or I’ll use my treadmill at home. After about a 3-4 month break, I’ve gotten back into running and I LOVE it.  I think sometime I might try out the stair master or elliptical too though. I’ll update you guys on this later today and let you know how it goes!

See yall’ at lunch! Hopefully there will be some yummy recipe I can post to go along with it!

 For a while there I stopped writing since I thought no one was reading, but then I realised that I had to “approve” comments before they would appear on the blog! Oy – I am new to this, can ya tell? I’m sorry for going MIA on you guys…

Anyway, it’s DEFINATLEY time for some updates! I’ve finally figured my camera out (I think) and I have tons of new pictures and foodie reviews to post. I am also currently working on a cookbook (off-line for the time being) and I’m planning on sharing some of the recipes with you guys! They have all been tested and are 100% delicious and healthy. I can’t wait to post them. I’m uploading about 50 new photos as we speak and am going to work on blog updates and whatnot. I WILL NOT fall behind again – daily posting is one of my goals, after all!

Since I’m kinda…occupied at the moment with “getting back in the groove” of things here, I’ll leave you with a simple post of today’s lunch just to satisfy you for a while until I can get some real stuff on here! I feel like I owe you guys, so I’ll post the recipe too. It’s pretty basic, but it’s delicious and I think you guys should try it out sometime.

Veggie Fiesta Salad (you can make it vegan too!)

I think it’s rather pretty, don’t you?

• 2 cups romaine lettuce
• 2 tbsp thinly sliced red onion (several slices)
• 2 oz. (about 1/4 a block) of soy tempeh
• 1/3 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 cup black soybeans (I was all out of regular black beans and found these guys hanging out in the back of my pantry!)
• 2 tbsp corn
• 1/3 of a red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tbsp salsa (I used Whole Food’s 365 Chipolte Salsa – review coming soon)
• 1/2 oz. Cabot’s 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
• A few corn tortilla strips baked in the oven for a few minutes at 400 degrees

I love making salads for lunch. They are quick, simple, and are always satisfying. This one just happens to have the added bonus of being meat-free. I don’t think I’ve mentioned this, but I used to be a vegetarian pre-ED, and I have always loved tempeh and tofu. It’s nice to finally have some again. Reunited and it tastes so good. Hahah. I will definatley be experimenting with more vegetable-based dishes, and I’d love to hear from you guys about your favorite veggie meals. What are some of your favorites?

The Pork...

And the Pasta...

Well nonetheless, here’s the recipe so you can try it yourself at home! It’s taste will redeem it from these crappy snapshots.

Pork Meatballs with White Bean Reduction and Pesto Pasta

First things first, you will need to make the pesto. This is probobly one of the easiest parts. Just get out your food processor and go!

• 1 cup packed fresh chopped basil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 tsp ground sea salt or kosher salt
• 1/2 oz. parmesean cheese (use a good quality one here)
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 oz. walnuts (or pinenuts)

Just chop that all up together, beginning with the nuts and garlic, and ending with the basil and oil of course. You can add more EVOO if you like your pesto to be thinner, alhough I usually thin it out in the end with a little of the leftover pasta cooking water. This makes about four tablespoons, which will feed 4-6 people. I usually make 1-2 oz. (dry-weight) of pasta for each person, so you can decide on that depending on how many servings you are making for dinner.

Now for the pork…

• 1 lb. lean, trimmed pork tenderloin
• 2 tsp fresh herbs (your choice)
• 1 tsp salt-free Italian seasoning (I like Mrs. Dash’s Italian)
• 1/2 oz. parmesean cheese (optional)
• 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs (I use stale, crumbled Ezekiel bread)
• sea salt and black pepper to taste (don’t taste the raw meat! Hahah.)

For the sauce…

• 2 cups cooked white beans
• 1 cup diced, not-salt-added tomatoes
• 1 cup garlic pasta sauce (I like Classico)

Just combine all the meatball ingredients in your handy dandy food processor or chopper until the pork looks like ground beef and the herbs are well incorporated. Then, in a deep nonstick skillet or sauce pan, brown the meatballs slightly on both sides. Then add in the beans, tomatoes, and sauce and simmer covered over medium-low heat for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and serve hot with fresh Italian bread or the pesto pasta! This recipe makes about four servings at about 430 calories each. I usually have a side salad and some green beans or peas on the side as well. Gotta have my greens!

I really do hope you can all try this sometime soon. The pictures DO NOT do this recipe justice, so please don’t let that stop you.

Around 3:30 I had a snack consisting of a few of my favorite things…

Just as a word of warning – I have a LaraBar everyday so get ready for em’! Luckilly I have a Whole Foods, Fresh Market, and lots of other retailers nearby that sell them, so I have every single flavor availible to me anytime! Eventually I will get around to posting reviews and photos for each of them – I guess Cashew Cookie will be the first!

Anyway, getting off topic here. So – I decided to make a DIFFERENT nut butter. A homemade one at that. I have had this package of raw shelled peanuts for a few months now in the back of my pantry and well, they were just begging to be eaten and turned into something delicious. What did I do with the little buggers? Peanut butter of course!

Ah… sometimes the best things in life are the simple ones. I may end up adding in some whole roasted peanuts to make it “chunky-style”, or I may even add some raisins and cinnamon a la’ PB & Co. Possibilites are endless when you DIY with nut butters. You can either add oil and salt, or have them be pure and plain… and of course a little honey makes everything better. And since they aren’t packed with additives and lots of sugars, you can use them to make peanut sauces for Asian stir-fries or pad Thai. Expect to see something like that later this week!

Coming up for dinner – herbed pork meatballs in a tomato and white bean reduction served with whole wheat linguine with homemade walnut pesto (felt the urge to make some up since I had a boatload of basil and the food pro’ was out). To quote Veggie Girl, HOLY YUM. I am really looking forward to this dinner. Hope you can join me!

I want my blog to be dedicated to living a healthy lifestyle and forming a healthy relationship with food as much as possible. I may be only fourteen, but I hope that maybe even I, at a young age, can inspire and educate other teens my age to make the right choices in what they put in their mouths, and their minds. As a teen with a former eating disorder, I know what it’s like to go through the emotional and physical stress that such illnesses can cause, and now I feel that I should do my best to keep other teens off the same road that I stumbled on to.

Of course, that’s not the main reason I’m blogging. I simply LOVE to cook! Along with that also comes the burden of loving to SHOP though, and with the economy in its current state, and our family budget, I can’t always source out the most “gourmet” ingredients. With that in mind, I’ll also try to share some money-saving tips and “frugal foodie” recipes for when you’re eating on the cheap. I look forward to hearing from everyone, and I’ll try to have a nice “real” first post up by later today.

I’m a Foodie on a Mission and these are my goals.

((Note: my “About Me” page, as well as my “Favorites” and “Recipes” are currently under construction. Check back later for the finished work!))