Pumpkin Milk with Honey Nut Cheerios and Raisins October 5, 2010

Pumpkin Milk with Honey Nut Cheerios and Raisins

Kathryn says: It’s October, and the temperature has dropped a few pleasant degrees. J and I keep talking about fall and how it reminds us of pumpkin foods. We got Jamba Juice’s Pumpkin Smash smoothies last week and agreed that they were delicious. This morning, I thought I’d try to make my own pumpkin shake. I drank  most of it with a straw, but I added the rest to some Honey Nut Cheerios with raisins. It was amazing – I loved the texture and the sweet pumpkin spice taste.

 

Ingredients:

1/3 can of pumpkin

1 tbs. brown sugar

2/3 cup soy milk

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 ice cubes

 

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a blender.

2. Blend until the ice is completely crushed.

3. Serve in a cup as a milkshake or in cereal as flavorful milk.

 

Nutrition note: Pumpkin is a SuperFood. It is a uniquely high source of carotenoids, which have been linked to fighting diseases and decreasing the risk of a variety of cancers.

Coconut Fig Milkshake September 16, 2010

Coconut Fig Milkshake

Kathryn says: Here’s a scenario: You’re at the grocery store, and figs are buy one, get one free. It’s a no-brainer – you put them in your cart and begin devouring them that day. But after about a week, you’ve only plowed through one carton, and things are becoming routine. Wash. Eat. Repeat. Clearly, you’ve exited the honeymoon stage. How do you bring back the magic? What can you do to spice things up?

You do the unthinkable. Chart new territory. Throw them in a milkshake.

Ingredients:

1 cup of fat-free milk

2 tbs. sweetened coconut flakes

3 large figs, washed with stems removed

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a blender.

2. Blend thoroughly, until frothy.

3. Pour into a cup and serve. (I recommend using a wide straw due to the coconut flakes.)

Black & White Strawberry Shortcake June 3, 2010

Black & White Strawberry Shortcake

Kathryn says: My neighbor invited me over for a Chinese feast. I’d never eaten home-cooked Chinese food before, and I was thrilled to accept the offer.

I wanted to bring dessert to show my gratitude for the delicious meal of pork fried rice, ribs, veggies and white fish.

I had a pint of strawberries in the fridge, so I used that as my inspiration to whip up my first strawberry shortcake. 

I modified a recipe I found online. I combined all the suggested ingredients (simply flour, baking powder, butter – I used Smart Balance-, salt, and milk) in the suggested quantities, but then spread it into a rectangular Pyrex dish and baked it until golden instead of making individual-sized servings. 

I came up with a chocolate icing recipe from my head – I mixed together melted Smart Balance butter spread, dark chocolate cocoa powder, confectioners sugar, and white sugar. I also decided to make another bowl of the same icing sans the cocoa powder in case my neighbor or her daughter didn’t like chocolate.  I iced half and half. It ends up that her daughter was allergic to chocolate, so my intuition steered me well!

I bordered it with freshly sliced strawberries and served it with a bowl of extra strawberries on the side.

My neighbor said she normally doesn’t like American desserts because they are too sweet, but she loved this one because the shortbread was not too sugary, while the icing added a rich, tasty touch.

I loved how simple the ingredients were, how easy this was to make, and how delicious it was!

Cheers to a Peachy Summer! April 26, 2010

Chiquita Peach Mango Smoothie

Kathryn says: It’s beginning to look a lot like summer – the sizzling temperatures, the flash thunderstorms…and the refreshing, cool beverages.  J and I decided to clink glasses to kick off our first summer in our apartment together on a particularly hot and stormy day.  We took the Chiquita Peach Mango Smoothie mix out of the freezer and blended it with two cups of ice cubes.  I felt like being fancy and insisted on pouring the mix into glasses.  We topped our drinks with maraschino cherries and a bit of the juice from the jar.  Cheers, J!  (P.S. I know maraschinos are not the healthiest choice, but the smoothie mix is 100 percent pure, fresh fruit, so I didn’t feel too bad about the preservative-laden topping.)

Pancake with Cottage Cheese and Fruit Topping February 22, 2010

Pancake with cottage cheese and fruit topping

Kathryn says:  Play up your pancakes by topping them with cottage cheese and fruit.

I used Kodiak Cakes wholegrain pancake mix. 

I topped my pancake with Breakstone’s Cottage Doubles’ with blueberry topping and Publix canned yellow cling peaches in pear juice.

I microwaved the entire thing for about 45 seconds for a warm treat.

It was bursting with sweet flavor and way more filling than maple syrup!

Make Your Own Croutons – in Minutes! November 16, 2009

Crunchy Corn and Crouton Salad

Kathryn says:  My Mom taught me how to make croutons.  Although I’m not a fan of restaurant croutons, homemade ones are delicious!

 

I cut up a slice of whole-grain bread into squares, spread them out on a baking sheet, drizzled olive oil, sea salt and ground pepper on top, and broiled them in the oven for just a few minutes.  If you try this, make sure you check them every minute or so, because they bake quickly, and you don’t want to burn them!  They also emit an amazing bakery aroma while they’re cooking.

 

I sprinkled Publix mixed pre-washed lettuce on my plate and topped it with tomatoes, leftover ground pork that I had pan-fried the night before, and leftover corn on the cob that I cut off the cob, tomatoes, and more olive oil.  Gotta love using up those leftovers!  I sprinkled the hot croutons on top, of course.  It was incredibly flavorful and crunchy salad.  I highly recommend this one.