Best Chai drink in the world!

Ok so maybe some would disagree with me, but other than my youngest daughter this is a big hit at the dinner table, especially when I make Mexican themed meals.

Heat up 4 cups of hot water
Steep 5 chai tea bags
add 1 tbs vanilla
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs cinnamon
Stir well
Pour hot tea mixture into a pitcher, add about 3 cups of ice, let it melt into it

Once it has cooled, fill individual glasses half way with ice
Also Fill each glass half way with one of the following...
-low fat half and half
-rice milk
-skim milk or any percentage will do really
Then pour the tea mixture over it, stir gently and serve

You can also make this an adult drink by adding liquor to it such as a rum, Kahlua, Irish Crm etc.

Great drink for a party or just a dinner among friends. Enjoy!

Avacado, spinach and black bean dip AKA, Diaper Dip

Ok, so the term Diaper dip doesn't make it sound overly appealing but trust me this yummy dip is well worth the effort and yes it is high in fat, but good fat and less in calories, and is great for a party so you don't have to worry so much because you won't be the only one inhaling it. I was bored in my kitchen the other day, had left over ingredients from a Mexican themed casserole I was making so I decided to throw these items into the ol' food processor and give it a try! Honestly if you don't have a good food processor I would just wait till you have one or borrow one to make this, otherwise you probably won't want to go through all the hassle of not having one again.

Sooo, that being said,

-1 or 2 whole avocado's (skin and pit not included of course)You do not have to double any of the other ingredients if you add an extra avocado.
-1/2 cup black beans (I prefer to cook them but canned would do)
-2 cups fresh baby organic spinach ** Please do not use frozen!
-1/2 cup queso (to make your own I will include a super easy recipe at the bottom)
-1/2 cup low fat cream cheese
-1/3 cup mayo (low fat or fat free is fine)
-1/3 cup fresh parsley
-apx 2 tbs fresh leak or green onion
- salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste (you can add cayenne pepper for some heat)

The beauty of a food processor and a dip recipe is that you don't have to chop anything ahead of time, dump them all in, process and scoop out to serve


Queso recipe: (No spice)

1/4 cup low fat half and half
2 cups shredded cheese ( I prefer softer cheeses like Colby and Monterey but don't be afraid to experiment. Cheddar works but it will not have as smooth a consistency so I would avoid it unless you are a die hard cheddar fan.

Now, if you don't like spice in it, continue on to heating it, if you do like spice, then read on here... take one chili pepper, remove all seeds and chop extra fine and add to the mix, for extra heat add cayenne pepper to taste.

On the lowest heat possible, slowly warm up the half and half, then as it warms add the cheese and stir it in, I have found that if you stir it for a few minutes then shut the heat off and cover it and go do something else for a few minutes, you have burnt free queso. Don't be impatient, just cover and let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then stir. It's really that simple!

Don't forget to make your own chips using jalapeno tortilla shells, simply rub a small amount of olive oil or spray with pam, cut in chip size pieces, spread evenly and bake on 350 degrees for a few minutes until they start to stiffen up. Keep an eye on them because they will over cook in a matter of seconds once they reach that point.

Everyone will love your chips and dips and ask you to teach them! Enjoy.

the power of celery!

I personal hate celery, I don't like the taste or the texture just as I hate tomatoes for the same reason, but I love to cook with both and use them both for several things. But today we are going to talk about the power of celery and how to use it for full effects especially if you can't just eat it as is.

The celery juice used in my healthy smoothie inspired me to do some more digging because lets face it, the juice from the health food store, though only 5-6 bucks, only lasts a few days and at that price a lot of people don't want to buy it. So I thought to myself, what if we just chopped up the celery and used it in the smoothie? After all wouldn't you be getting even more benefits from it that way because you have all the fiber left in it? So today I threw in 1/4 cup each of dark frozen cherries, black berries and blue berries, about 1 and a half cups of orange juice (squeeze your own for an even healthier effect) I chopped just two stalks but easily could have used more and blended with my green powder which you certainly don't need to add if you can't afford the 20 plus dollars for it right now. I have to admit, I liked it a lot better than the juice! It was much less evasive in taste, I could taste the celery in it but it wasn't as syrupy tasting as the juice was and much lighter and I know I just gulped down a major dose of fiber, not to mention the tons of vitamins each ingredient held. Take the time to google the benefits of celery and see just how powerful that little stalk is. Ohh and use the leaves from it too! Don't be afraid, that is one part that I really enjoy eating and cooking with and wished deeply that stores would leave them on, no pun intended lol.

Home Made Mayo, totally full of good fat and loving it!

OK, I know dieters are extremely freaked out by mayo, and we cut carbs and fat and calories until we are basically eating chemically made cardboard cookies and granola bars (all which are sooooo bad for us in truth!) Today I was inspired to look up Julia Child's mayonnaise recipe and I carefully read it because it is something of a chemistry project in the kitchen but felt confident enough with my years of experience in the kitchen to tackle it and let me tell you something my friends, this was like a culinary orgasm in my mouth!!!! I know that is probably a bad choice of words for those easily offended, but try it for yourself. You will think this stuff is almost better than sex from time to time!
I will admit, being the first time it took a whole hour of beating with a mixer and standing there slowly letting the oil drizzle into the bowl but the flavor that rewarded me after was something I just can't even explain! I used olive oil instead of vegetable or any other simply because it is very good for you and I love that olive based flavor to begin with. I simply spread it on some french bread and melted into my couch as I called my mother to tell her that the French are by far my favorite people now. (mayo is from France lol) Sooooo that being said, I copy and pasted the recipe I found online, compliments of... http://www.thenibble.com/REVIEWS/main/condiments/mayonnaise/mayonnaise-recipe.asp apologies for this not being my own, but it was too good not to share. Experiment, share with friends and later I will post the sandwich I am making for dinner with it.

The following directions are for a hand-beaten sauce (using a wire whisk). For electric beaters, use the large bowl and the “moderately fast” speed for whipping cream
. Continually push the sauce into the beater blades with a rubber scraper.

Ingredients

* Round-bottomed, 2½ to 3-quart glazed pottery, glass or stainless steel mixing bowl
. Set it in a heavy casserole or saucepan to keep it from slipping.
* 3 egg yolks
* Large wire whisk
* 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
or lemon juice (more drops as needed)
* ½ teaspoon salt
* ¼ teaspoon dry or prepared mustard
* 1½ to 2¼ cups of olive oil, salad oil or a mixture of each. If the oil is cold, heat it to tepid; and if you are a novice, use the minimum amount (I only used one cup and did fine)
* 2 tablespoons boiling water

Directions

1. Warm the bowl in hot water; dry it. Add the egg yolks and beat for 1 to 2 minutes until they are thick and sticky.
2. Add the vinegar or lemon juice, salt and mustard. Beat for 30 seconds more.
3. The egg yolks are now ready to receive the oil. While it goes in, drop by drop, you must not stop beating until the sauce has thickened. A speed of 2 strokes per second is fast enough. You can switch hands or switch directions, as long as you beat constantly.
4. Add the drops of oil with a teaspoon, or rest the lip of the bottle on the edge of the bowl. Keep your eye on the oil rather than on the sauce. Stop pouring and continue beating every 10 seconds or so, to be sure the egg yolks are absorbing the oil.
5. After 1/3 to 1/2 cup of oil has been incorporated, the sauce will thicken into a very heavy cream and the crisis of potential curdling is over. The beating arm may rest a moment. Then, beat in the remaining oil by 1 to 2 tablespoon dollops, blending it thoroughly after each addition.
6. When the sauce becomes too thick and stiff, beat in drops of vinegar or lemon juice to thin it out. Then continue with the oil.
7. Beat the boiling water into the sauce. This is an anti-curdling insurance. Season to taste.
8. If the sauce is not used immediately, scrape it into a small bowl and cover it tightly so a skin will not form on its surface.

Tips For Making Mayonnaise

Julia Child’s tips for homemade mayonnaise:

* Room Temperature: Have all ingredients at room temperature. If they aren’t, warm the mixing bowl in hot water to take the chill off the egg yolks; heat the oil to tepid if it is cold.
* Egg Yolks: Always beat the yolks for a minute or two before adding anything to them. When they are thick and sticky, they are ready to absorb the oil.
* Adding The Oil: The oil must be added very slowly at first, in droplets, until the emulsion process begins and the sauce thickens into a heavy cream. Then, the oil may be incorporated more rapidly.
* Proportions: The maximum amount of oil one large egg yolk can absorb is six ounces, or ¾ cup. When this maximum is exceeded, the binding properties of the egg yolks break down, and the sauce thins out or curdles. If you have never made mayonnaise before, it is safest not to exceed ½ cup of oil per egg yolk. Here is a table giving proportions for varying amounts of sauce:

Number Yolks Cups Of Oil Vinegar Or Lemon Juice Finished Sauce
2 1 to 1½ cups 2 to 3 tablespoons 1¼ to 1¾ cups
3 1½ to 2¼ cups 3 to 5 tablespoons 2 to 2¾ cups
4 2 to 3 cups 4 to 6 tablespoons 2½ to 3-2/3 cups

6


3 to 4½ cups
6 to 10 tablespoons 3¾ to 5½ cups

Detox Shake (use to detox or just to drink as a supplimental meal)

Ok, so with the holidays nearing, lets face it, our dieting goes right out the window. My dear friend Jamie inspired me to come up with this insanely healthy shake when she left me a bottle of organic celery juice. When I asked her what she did with it, she said she did a two week detox in the spring and had an extra she couldn't take with her. It will cost about 35 dollars to get started and a trip to the health food store. NOT GNC or other stores like that, go to a whole foods store.

Ask your health food clerk for a green powder that has Chlorella and Spirulina in it. If you have a hard time eating things that are unfamiliar, a brand called "Green Rich" created a Natural Blueberry flavored powder called Enriching Greens, superfood concentrate. I just tried it and I have to admit I love it over my usual Barleans Green mixture and it was on sale for 21 dollars compared to the usual 32 that I pay, so it was a win win!

Anyway, get any kinds of frozen or fresh berries if in season (go organic if possible too) Today I used:

Celery Juice (thanks Jamie lol)
Blueberries
Black berries
Black Cherries
1/2 banana
1/4 tbs organic Cayenne Pepper (only if you are brave and don't mind the heat)

The truth is, you get to play around with any combo and can even mix vegetables with berries or just go one way or the other.

Starter shake:
Measure out 8 oz water
4 oz celery juice
1/4 cup of each berry
1/2 banana
2 scoops or tsps of your greens powder
Only add cayenne pepper if you can handle the spicy character of it, or if you have guests, let them experiment with it. This stuff packs some heat, so be careful!

Blend and serve in a fancy bar glass and share with friends. Instead of wine nights, start detox smoothie nights, garnish and serve, everyone will be impressed!

This is a great way to detox the body, get fiber, minerals and all sorts of vitamins and believe it or not, the spice from the hot pepper actually goes really well with the sweetness of the berries. Most people never try to mix hot peppers with something desert like. And if you are feeling bored, check out why you need Chlorella and Spirulina! They are basically THEE Super food of life! Then look up why Cayenne pepper is so good for us and hopefully it will inspire some of your own research, detoxing and living healthy.

Stuffed Squash Casserol

Grocery list:
1 butternut squash
1/2 medium onion, red or yellow
1 apple
1/4 c. craisisn or raisins
barley
brown rice
wild rice
Stuffing
cream cheese
mushrooms
butter
cheese (your choice, I like smoked Gouda)
salt and pepper

Half, clean a butternut squash. Yes you can roast the seeds.
Peel and core one apple, dice and place in the cupped out parts of squash evenly
Add a hand full of craisins or raisins
Put two TBS butter on each half, salt and pepper it to taste. I prefer lots of pepper.
Fill baking dish 1/4 with water, cover with foil and bake on 350 until squash is soft (about 40 minutes)
Remove foil last 15 minutes, when done, drain water and let cool so you can handle it.

While baking, get a pot with a lid,
put 1&1/2 cup water in
1/4 cup brown and wild rice mix
1/4 cup barley
cook on low heat, right before water has cooked out completely shut off burner and let water soak into the rice combo with lid on

In frying pan:
place 3 tbs butter and melt on low to medium heat
chop 1/2 onion
chop one container fresh mushrooms (any kind of mushroom should work)
Chop 2 cups baby leaf spinach, try to use fresh. If using frozen, make sure it is thawed and drained completely

Start with the onions, cook them down for about 2 minutes, salt them to make them sweat, place mushrooms on top and cook down, then stir and cover for about 8 minutes.

Once it looks like they have been cooked down and a slight broth has been created, add the chopped spinach, dont stir it in, just cover and let it wilt, you can add more salt to taste.

Cook this on low heat for five minutes. Turn burner off and let it sit until squash and rice is all done.

Once everything is done, dump rice in large mixing bowl, add 4 tbs cream cheese, stir until it is melted and smooth
add sauted mushrooms, onions and spinach. Stir
Either used left over home made stuffing or prepare boxed stuffing, when cooked, dump into mixture and then scoop out the squash into the bowl.

Mix well, place in clean casserole dish, sprinkle with cheese ( a smoked cheese is best but any will work)

cover and bake on 350 for about 10 minutes

this dish tastes better every day it sits, so don't worry if you have a lot left over and its a sure hit with even those who hate squash! Its a little bolder dish that takes an open mind to try but I have yet to find anyone who didn't like it.

Sorry for being gone

Well, it has been some time since I added anything in here, I found out I was pregnant and then lost the baby a few months in so I have not really felt like doing much with food at all. But I am recovering and coming back. I will have some new recipes to add and hope everyone likes them. Ciao

Awesome Granolo mix

I love to make this because it is so versatile and you can add it to what ever you want or just eat it as is.

4 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup craisins (you can use yogurt covered ones too)
(you can add what ever you want really, just keep it low fat, high fiber and healthy lol)

YOu can either use one whole banana or a cup of peanut butter here

3 tbs honey
3 tbs real maple syrup. DO NOT USE THE FAKE SYRUP, that stuff is so bad for you!
1 1/2 tbs almond or canola oil
1/2 cup wheat germ

Blend the banana or peanut butter with the honey and syrup
dump all ingredients but the wheat germ into a large enough bowl, mix well and then spray a deep cookie sheet or cake pan and spread the mix out evenly

Bake on 275 mix every 15 minutes for about 35 or 40 minutes. ON the last 10 minutes sprinkle the wheat germ over, bake the remaining time and then remove and cool.

Once it is totally cooled off I mix it up good so it is crumbly and store in a glass jar. It goes great with yogurt and other deserts like the baked apple or peanut butter apples etc.

Enjoy.

Simple Grilled Lime & garlic shrimp fiesta

My husband HATES sea food and loves this shrimp. I almost fell over when he told me he liked it because he is so anti shrimp it's almost obnoxious. Sooo I share this with you all and hope you love it just as much as we do and just so you know, only marinade this shrimp no more than an hour, otherwise it will be VERY tart.

Take 1-2 whole limes and juice them. I picked up a cheap juicer at walmart for like 3 bucks. Pour the juice in a medium sized bowl.

add two tablespoons of organic soy sauce

and one teaspoon of olive oil

chop three garlic cloves

finely chop 1/2 cup parsley

Set aside

Either buy precooked large to jumbo shrimp or do the work like I do and cook it and peal it yourself.

Side note about shrimp for beginners: DO NOT THAW SHRIMP IF IT IS RAW. First, read the bag, it will tell you if it is precooked, the easiest way to tell if it doesn't is if the shrimp is pink it is cooked, if it is gray you need to boil it. Fill a pot full enough with water to boil the shrimp, add some salt, a good amount, probably a tablespoon or more. Dump the frozen shrimp into the pot, it will sink to the bottom. When it floats to the top, it is cooked! Remove from water, let cold water run over it and peal if needed.)

Once your shrimp is ready, add to the lime marinade, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, you really don't want to go over an hour, but no less than the 30 minutes.

You can skew the shrimp on a skewer or use a veggie grilling basket, which I prefer (it's so much easier) You don't even have to grease it! ( I got mine for a few bucks from Pampered chef and use it more for shrimp than I do veggies haha)

Grill for just a few minutes on medium heat, if you cook shrimp too long it gets smaller and rubbery. You can flip it if you want, but it's not needed. Remove from grill and either eat alone or serve with other things. I often like to put the shrimp back into the marinade and let it sit a minute before I serve, it is perfectly safe because your shrimp should be fully cooked before you even begin to marinade.

IDEAS TO SERVE WITH:
Rice
the roasted corn salsa
make a tortilla with it
I like to add it into the tomato chili pepper soup
the ideas can be endless, get creative and enjoy!

Summer Kitchen Must Haves!

With it being summer, I notice I cook quite a bit with tomatoes and chili peppers of different assortments so here are my kitchen must haves this summer...

Jalapeno peppers... I enjoy them so much I went and bought an almost totally mature patio plant so I don't have to buy them.

Tomatoes... same thing, bought a patio assortment of them

Limes... I love to use them in soups and salsas for a very clean taste but also in drinks like cranberry ginger ale cocktails, fresh lemon-lime aid etc.

Lemons- I often just use the lemons for the zest but again, we all love lemonade in the house, I like to make lemon drink with soda water, lemons and honey

tortilla shells- for wraps and semi home made chips

Parsley... I LOVE this herb so much that I also am growing it, I garnish with it, cook with it, add it to raw dishes etc. It adds a great color and taste to almost all dishes. I have even been known to add it to home made mac and cheese

Low fat cream cheese... you would be amazed at what you can use this with and it gives your non diet side a creamy solution with a low fat appeal. Once in a while I just want something extra and I garnish a lot of soups and salsas with it.

Celery- I can't stand to eat celery as is, just like tomatoes but I do love to cook with it, especially in soups. Throughout my blogging here you will probably find a ton of soup recipes by winter because I could literally live on it! I use celery always in my soups. so it is more of a annual must have.

Apples... Apples are great for the kids to snack on and to make last minute meals that aren't fattening but sure do taste it. My kids love it when I bake apple slices and though I use butter, I only use a little bit and we don't have to feel guilty.

Other than that, I just wing it for the most part. Go with what you feel, what do you find yourself buying a lot in the summer? Hopefully you will start to be buying a lot more fresh produce and annoying the poor cashiers with all your buys :)

Corn Salsa

Yet another hit with my guests at any get together... I got this from a spa recipe, altered it just a hair and it is great to serve with the tomato and chili pepper soup!

1 can of corn
1 can of diced, stewed tomatoes (you will drain and blend them)
1/2 cup small diced jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup finely diced red onions
2 Roma tomatoes diced in small bits
1/4 cup lime juice, fresh if possible
2 tbs cilantro or parsley (I prefer parsley because I don't like the taste of cilantro)
1/2 tsp pepper
Salt to taste

Drain the corn, then in a cake pan or what ever you want to use, put some olive oil to coat the bottom, dump the corn out and spread it out evenly to roast at 350 degrees for about ten minutes (at least until it looks like the edges are getting a little tougher)

Drain the stewed tomatoes as much as possible, then blend for only a few seconds to have a thick paste like consistency. Don't really worry about what it does or doesn't look like, you just want the slimy chunks to be more paste like.

Chop ALL of the ingredients but the corn of course because that is roasting, juice a fresh lime if you have one (a tip for juicing a lime... cut in half, stab a fork in it and cup the lime half with one hand, hold fork with other and just twist the fork around in side over a bowl. No need for fancy gadgetry, or just use the juice in a bottle.

Put all ingredients in a small bowl, dump lime juice over it and stir.

Once the corn is done, dump that in, you will most likely have to scrape it out, as it will naturally stick to many pans. Cover and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, you can serve right away but it is better if let sitting a bit to absorb all the flavors!

TORTILLA CHIPS:

Buy small sized tortilla shells depending on how many guests you have make that many shells.
Don't be afraid to get messy here, this is the fun of cooking. Put some oil on a plate, stick your hand in it and barely coat the shell on both sides. You can just set the shell in the oil but I find that makes them too heavily coated. Once they are done on both and you have made as many as you want, stack them, slice them like pizza wedges, spread them out on a baking sheet and season. You can use anything you want. We like garlic salt or Lawyrys seasoned salt, but the possibilities are endless. Bake for only a few minutes on 350, be sure to check them as they will burn quickly. Once they are a nice golden brown and some will bubble up, don't worry, you can remove them. Make as many as you need

You can also add more tomatoes and go ahead and blend one or two in a blender or food processor if you like a more runny salsa.

Tomato and chili pepper soup (not spicey)

This recipe is not my own but all of my friends and I love it! When ever I have a get together I make it and rarely do I ever have left overs. If you love home made soups you will love this and I hate eating tomatoes but I can eat this soup until I want to bust, it is very healthy for you and is a great alternative to those awful tasting weight loss cabbage soups that you NEVER want to eat after the first bowl.

Soup
Flour Tortilla shells (small size)
1 tbs Olive oil
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2cup of an Anaheim chili pepper (Finely chopped)
1/2cup of a jalapeno chili pepper (finely chopped)
1 tbs. minced garlic
1/2 cup diced celery
3 pounds fresh tomatoes (I actually use two cans of stewed tomatoes and three fresh roma's)
2 cups vegetable stock, I have used water and it is perfectly fine so long as you season your soup just a little more with something you like.
1/2 cup fresh finely chopped parsley
1 tbs fresh lime juice
salt to taste
2 tbs chopped chives for garnish
2 tbs green onions for garnish


In a medium saute pan, put olive oil, onion, both chili peppers and celery and saute until tender.

In a blender blend tomatoes until you have a soupy texture. Once the sauteed items are done, take half of the mixture and add to the blender, blend that into the tomato mix as well. Once that is done, dump in a good sized soup pot. Add the vegetable stock. If you are using water, I recommend seasoning with something like a low sodium seasoning salt, or Mrs. Dash or something from the health food store.

Be creative, taste it as you go and add until it tastes right to you. Soup is not a rigid thing to make, you can go crazy or bland it is entirely up to you!

Cook on low heat for about a half an hour.

Tortilla chips:
While you are simmering the soup and stirring it once and a while, take some more olive oil and very lightly oil both sides of a tortilla shell. Do this to about 4 shells. Then season with again your favorite seasoning, I like to just use some garlic powder or Mrs. Dash original blend.

Place them on a cookie sheet or baking stone and bake until golden, don't let them get brown at all, they will be too tough. Sometimes you will want to poke a few holes with a fork in them as they will bubble up as they bake.

Once they are done, stack them when they are cool enough to handle and take a pizza cutter and cut strips as thick or thin as you want. Then cut them in half as you will be using them in your soup.

Chop your chives and green onions too.

I take my ramekins and put shredded Mexican cheese in one, some low fat sour cream in another and the onions and chives in another and just throw spoons in each and let everyone use what they want to dress their soup. Then I put the tortilla chips I just made in a larger bowl and by then the soup is ready to go.

If you want your soup to have more heat to it, add more peppers and make a day or two ahead of time. This allows the heat from the seeds to meld with the flavors of the soup, I personally love hot food, so the longer I can let it sit in the fridge the happier I am!

Enjoy!

PS, lime marinated shrimp and corn salsa also go great in the soup, look for those recipes next!

Apple Snacks

This one is really quick and easy and great for the kids! one apple serves two kids

1 cored and sliced apple, skin in tact.
1/3 cup peanut butter
1tsp almond oil
1 tsp pure maple syrup or honey
granola mix or seeds to dip

core your apple and slice it in thick wedges
mix peanut butter, almond oil and maple syrup or honey, stir until smooth and creamy

put part of the P.B. mix in a small serving cup, again I love to use ramekins for things like this. I like to spread some of it on half of some of the apple slices then sprinkle seeds, or raisins or my home made granola mix onto it, then stick the other slices in the cup to let the kids dip it themselves.

It's quick, good and good for you!

Yummy apple bake with ricotta cheese

I know fall isn't hear yet, but I'm from upstate NY where the farmers markets are going strong and apples are plenty all over the state! So inspired by a bowl full of uneaten apples I decided to make a delicious apple bake for breakfast.

Preheat to 350

Apples, (how many apples you use should equal the number of people you are feeding)
1 to 2 tbs Cinnamon
1 to 2 tbs brown sugar
1 to 2 tbs wheat germ
water
3 to 4 tbs butter

Ricotta cheese mix:

This too depends on how many you serve, This amount will serve two or three people:

1 c. low fat Ricotta cheese
1/4 tsp almond extract (replace it with 1/2 tsp vanilla if you like)
1 tbs pure maple syrup, if you need more add it, but don't let the mixture get soupy


wash and slice as many apples as you have guests. core and slice fairly thin, leaving the skin on.

place apples in pan how ever you want, fill the pan about 1/4 the way with some water, a little less if you have really sweet, ripe apples.

Sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar over the top, slice thin pats of butter and spread over the top. It doesn't have to be perfect it is just going to melt into the water anyway.

Bake for about 15 minutes, remove from heat to stir. To avoid a mess I like to use two forks and toss it like a salad.

Bake another ten minutes, stir one more time, then raise temp to 400. Sprinkle the wheat germ over the top, do not mix it in. Bake for about another 5 or 10 minutes until it looks crisp.

Remove.

I like to use ramekins to serve this dish. I spoon in the ricotta cheese mix half way up the dish, then the apples over top, then I spoon some of the juice over that. Let your guests mix up the apples and the cheese and dig in. It is a wonderful way to start the day, or end it as a desert. This dish is healthy, not very fattening and full of flavor. If you don't like ricotta, then just leave it out, the apples alone are delicious!

Enjoy!

The Start of it all

Hi, my name is Tera and for the last 7 years I have been fighting a thyroid condition that has irritatingly made it almost impossible to lose weight and horribly easy to gain it. You know that saying, "If I just look at a candy bar I lose weight!" Well, that's me. At the end of my ropes I confessed to my husband that I was thinking about getting the bypass surgery which ultimately led to a tiff and me crying myself to sleep.

So in the end I agreed to at least give it one month of actually trying to truly diet which has forced him to eat everything I make and not bitch if I buy all healthy food. I have soon realized the biggest culprit to me not losing the weight was my buying all the crappy foods he wanted and sacrificing my own needs because well, we are on a budget! I couldn't afford to buy two shopping lists!

I am happy to report I finally got to buy all healthy foods and so I went on a quest for gourmet recipes and ingredients that can make a meal for 100 to 200 calories and within the first week I lost 3 lbs. I know to many this is no big deal but for me it was like leaping across a huge lake and actually getting somewhere! Oh and it didn't taste like diet food crap! It was DELISH!

So I decided to start this blog to share amazing recipes, weight loss triumphs and hope for other men and women out there who have almost given up on this crappy diet world. If you hate dieting as much as I do, I hope you find some comfort in knowing you can eat like a gourmet God or Goddess, enjoy every last bite and still lose weight. Ohh and it is actually super easy to cook. I have truly found the love in cooking and eating again and I am so thrilled to share my food with others. I have tested all my recipes on my friends and even my picky husband. FYI he HATES shrimp and he loves the shrimp I made, so if I can get him to eat it, there has to be something amazing about it all.