Category Archives: Food and Recipes

16 December 2010

Spice Cookies

By Nicki

The email said “Spruced-Up Spice Cookies.”  I have to be honest.  I am sort of an instant gratification girl when it comes to baking.  I want to make the dough and plop whatever in the oven and have baked goods shortly there after, maybe an hour or so if I am talking breads.  I am not one for refrigerating dough as it tends to disappear.  Either I eat it or my children do before the dough ever becomes cookies.  I gave up making my mother’s sugar cookies because of this issue.  I went to making gingerbread people and cut out for the holidays.  So the idea of a spice cookie, a slightly healthy one until I frost it, made me happy.  I was set to try.

 

I got a good look at the recipe and was fairly happy.  No eggs – good thing in my mind.  Ooops, calls for pureed banana.  I had no bananas in the house.  Now that I think about this, the lack of bananas may be the reason for my calf cramping problems of late but that is for another post.  I did happen to have some very chunky applesauce and some pumpkin puree.  The applesauce was too chunky and, even as much as I bake and cook, I do not own a food processor so that was out.  I decided to use the pumpkin instead of the banana.

Spruced-Up Pumpkin Spice Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ginger, ground
2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
2 teaspoons allspice, ground
1/2 teaspoon  salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick margarine (I used a half cup of Smart Balance margarine as that was what I had on hand.)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1 t decorating sugar, candy sprinkles or sugar in the raw (optional – my son chose to frost the cookies but no photos of the frosted ones)

DIRECTIONS
Sift all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. If you do not own a sifter, use a whisk to combine dry ingredients. Place the margarine in a mixing bowl, then add the sugar and mix until creamy. Add the pumpkin and continue to beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes. If the mixture looks loose, add one tablespoon of the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Add all the flour mixture in small amounts until combined. Divide the dough into 2 balls, wrap and press each one into a flat disk (I had some freezer paper on hand so wrapped in that). Chill for at least two hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the dough balls between two sheets of wax paper (again used the freezer paper) and roll out as thinly as possible. Stamp with a small (1″-1 1/2″) cookie cutter. Sprinkle with decorating sugar, if using; bake 8 minutes. Immediately after cooking, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Store cookies in an air-tight container for up to one week. One serving equals two cookies.

Number of Servings: 36 (less if you use bigger cookie cutters)

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

28 November 2010

Does Anyone Take Pride …

By Nicki

… in what they make anymore?  I know just where did this come from is what you are all thinking.  No, nothing broke here as I was trying to create a memorable Thanksgiving dinner for my kids and extended family.  No, the artificial tree did not not go to together right after almost ten years.  My guess is I may not want to push this for too many more years, though.

What brought this all about was baking.  I did a lot of baking over the last week – breads and cookies being the favs around my house.  I have been through 3 big (28 ounce) cans of pumpkin puree since last Sunday.  While at the community Thanksgiving service last Tuesday night, a friend asked if I would make him some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.  He works in retail so was not going to be Thanksgiving morning mass (neither was I as I was at the Turkey Trot).  I told him I would bring him a dozen on Sunday.

Needless to say, my long run this weekend had me exhausted, not quite sure why, Saturday evening so I figured I had plenty of time Sunday morning to make cookies before heading to church at 11 am.  To top that all off, there were some communication misfires between me and my youngest and I was up most of the night awaiting a call from him as to his whereabouts.

So back to pride in workmanship.  About five years ago, I went out on Thanksgiving day and purchased a five speed, handheld mixer.  My previous mixer, a Waring and a wedding gift, was not broken but the beaters themselves were breaking.  Since this five speed was on sale (I felt like I was trading down as my Waring has 12 speeds), I decided the old mixer itself must be getting ready to break if the beaters were breaking.  What I liked about the original’s beaters is there were two sets – one for normal baking and one for bread doughs.  The newer mixer had only one set of beaters.

About two weeks ago, I went to back something with that now five year old, five speed, handheld mixer.  In the middle of mixing the cookie dough (yes, I could do this all by hand but choose not to), the part that holds the beaters in the mixer popped right out of it.  This is not a normal thing.  I had broken the mixer.  Lucky for me, the beaters fit in my Waring mixer and I had never thrown it out.

So, here I was this morning – running on very little sleep – and thinking how amazing it is that the Waring handheld mixer I have is 26.5 years old and still running like a charm.

Do you think today’s products are inferior to those of earlier days?

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

24 November 2010

Cranberry Sauce

By Nicki

While my children are huge fans of that gelatinous mess that comes out of a can and looks nothing like cranberries – other than the color, of course, I prefer my cranberries fresh and cooked by me.  Because I am all about getting the cooking done as far in advance as I can of the holiday – I like to socialize with my guests and watch football and get in a good run, too – I did my cranberry sauce yesterday.

I promise it will go in a nice serving dish once the big day arrives.

Cranberry Sauce

1 bag (12 ounces) whole, fresh cranberries

2 teaspoons lemon zest

Juice of one lemon

1 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

1 packet Stevia

1 teaspoon ground ginger or freshly ground ginger root (half that if fresh)

Bring water and sugar and Stevia to a boil in a medium pot.  Add rinsed cranberries.  Allow to reach a boil again, then turn down to a simmer.  Do not cover.  Add lemon zest and juice.   Simmer for approximately 15 minutes.  Remove to a bowl and allow to cool completely before refrigerating.

As always, I attempted to make this recipe a bit more healthy as I made it.  The original recipe I found called for a cup of sugar.  I used 1/3 cup and Stevia.  I love orange instead of lemon with my cranberry also but I had lemon on hand so that is what I made this year.  To top it all off, I was drinking a Bigelow tea called Ginger Snappish which is ginger tea with lemon so I added a bit of that to the water once the sugar had dissolved.

Enjoy!!

2 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

24 November 2010

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

By Nicki

Make ahead mashed potatoes are a staple on my holiday tables.  My children love potatoes and this recipe means I do not have to be making the potatoes the day of the big event.  I will admit I sometimes have issues getting them in the oven for reheating in time but this year, that will not be a problem.  I did post this recipe about two years ago but have tweaked it a bit so here you all go again.

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

5 pounds good baking potatoes, peeled and chopped to small pieces

1 – 8 ounce package 1/3 fat cream cheese (neufchatel)

8 ounces plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup skim milk

1 stick margarine

1 onion, peeled and quartered

salt to taste

 

 

DIRECTIONS

Place potatoes in a large pot of lightly salted water.  Place quarter onion in water also. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

Drain, and mash.

In a large bowl, mix mashed potatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, milk, , and pepper. Transfer to a large casserole dish.   Can refrigerate up to five days in advance.  If refrigerating, let cool before covering and placing in refrigerator.

 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Cover, and bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven.

 

I, after mashing by hand, use a hand held mixer to blend in all the creamy items.

 

2 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Family, Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

2 November 2010

Salmon

By Nicki

For those of you who do not know, my oldest is 26 this month.  He moved home a little over a year ago and was laid off from his auditing position at a CPA firm in April of this year.  He has a lot of free time on his hands these days, or so it seems.  Consequently, he has been heading up north with my sister’s significant other to fish.  For about a month, they were either on Lake Ontario or the Salmon River twice a week.  The result is I have no room in my freezer at the moment.  It is full of salmon.

 

One thing that my son wanted to try was smoking the salmon.  I have a charcoal grill.  He bought some chips of hickory – first try, he used cherry from a friend – and got to work on smoking some of the fish.  This does not help in the freezer area as it means that there is now smoked salmon in the freezer also.  I did try a smoked salmon dip that my mom sent me and he loved it.  He ate it on toast tips for quite some time.  The recipe is below.

 

Smoked Salmon Dip
8 ounces of cream cheese
6-8 ounces of smoked salmon
4 green onions, chopped with some of the green
2 tablespoons capers (I didn’t have any on hand so added a pinch of salt)
½ cup mayonnaise or sour cream (more or less, to taste) – Always the rebel, I used Chobani Vanilla Greek Yogurt.
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
Juice of a lemon
Bring Cream Cheese to room temperature. Remove skin from salmon and flake with a fork. Mix all ingredients except lemon juice in a blender, food processor or with a fork if you want it lumpy. If you mix with a fork, chop the onion fine and also chop the capers. After it is well mixed, add lemon juice to taste. The lemon juice will cut the heavy taste of the salmon and cream cheese.
Notes:  From my mom:  I use Neufchatel cheese (I did too) but if you want, I am sure that fat free cream cheese might work as well. I have used regular minced onion but the flavor isn’t as good. I use Miracle Whip Free instead of mayo (as I said, I used Greek yogurt).
I serve with mini toasts or if you have some white bread, toast your own. It is very good with Champagne.

2 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Family, Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

24 October 2010

Accidents, Pain and Life

By Nicki

A warning in advance:  this may be too much information for some people.  It is also long.  Not sure why it is long, though.

 

For those of you who do not know, I had a little accident about ten days ago – eleven days to be precise.  Previously, my oldest and I had gone apple picking.  I had 37 pounds of apples in my house so when I saw a cinnamon apple chip recipe somewhere, I tried it.  The first time, the chips were not only extremely delicious but there were no incidents.  So, on a particular Wed, after a 5:45 am swim, a run to kick boxing and 8 am kick boxing, I decided to haul out the mandolin slicer and make some more apple chips.  Truthfully, no one was home and I actually wanted to get some this time.  I didn’t much chance to test taste the first batch.

 

I should have really thought through using something like a mandolin without anyone else at home.  I had used it before and had no troubles so figured I was good.  I started out slicing apples.  The first indication that this was not going to go like the first time was that my apple slices were thicker.  I did not know why at the time.  I finally figured it out but that was part of the problem in the end.  I looked down and had cut the heel of my hand.  The cut was clean and not too deep.  I washed my hand off and kept cutting.  I know – a slightly more pragmatic person would have stopped right there.  I didn’t have a full cookie sheet of apple slices yet.  No stopping me.

 

Then, I sliced into two fingers.  These did not stop bleeding as easily as the heel of my hand did.  I washed my hand with soap and water.  I could not tell if the cuts were deep or not.  I wrapped my hand up in a dish towel, hoping the pressure would stop the bleeding.  I used my left hand to put the cinnamon on the apple slices and put them in the oven.  The bleeding had yet to stop so I wrapped the fingers in gauze and decided to jump in the shower.  If I was going to need stitches, I had yet to shower from all my exercising so I should be slightly less smelly.  I held my right hand – have I ever told you I am right handed? – above my head as I showered quickly.  Still, the bleeding had not stopped.

 

I decided then and there that I was going to need at least a stitch or two.  I did not have a car at home so I started calling friends I know that either do not work during the day or work retail and may have been home.  I could call a cab but figured it would be easier if I got a ride to the walk-in.  My friend Jen came through and picked me up for the just over four mile – yes, it is a route I have run in the past – trip to the walk-in.  I had to spend a good part of the four mile trip convincing Jen she didn’t need to stay with me at the walk-in.  She agreed finally if I promised to call if my daughter was not done working when I finished.  She did not want me walking home from the walk in.

 

Well, let me tell you cold and flu season must be in full swing early this year.  First, the walk-in was short-handed due to illness.  Second, the walk-in was packed with sick people.  This is one of my biggest reasons for not going to the doctor’s office in the winter/cold-flu season.  I don’t like being around all those germs.

 

Second thing to tell you is that tetanus shots hurt.  I could not come close to telling the walk-in doctor the last time I had a tetanus shot.  Most likely, it was some time near the birth of my last child who is now 16.  Anyway you look at it, I was due for a tetanus shot.  My arm, over the course of the next few days, actually hurt more than my hand did at times.

 

Anyway, I need more than a stitch or two.  I had two stitches in a knuckle on my middle/third finger.  I had four stitches in the knuckle on my pinky/fifth finger.  There is also a spot near the nail on my middle finger that had had the top layer of skin taken off by the mandolin that could not be stitched.

 

I am amazed at the things I use my pinky finger for in life.  Typing became painful.  I actually use all ten digits on my hands for typing.  I was forced to hunt and peck with my right hand and that was a problem for me.  Also, hitting the shift key or the enter key with my right hand pinky hurt.  There was also the joy of not being able to get my right hand totally wet.  You see, the stitches I had were the old kind that would have to be taken out after ten days.  They were not to get wet – as best as possible.

 

The hand hurt for a while.  The antibiotic I was given – just in case – was ugly in side effects.  The bigger issue is all the things that I do with my right hand that I don’t realize.  Did the injury stop me?  Yes, in some ways.  I did not run the half marathon I wanted to run last Sunday.  I ran a 5K instead.  I had to stop swimming mornings for ten days but am headed back to the pool tomorrow morning.

 

The moral of my story – Use the guard on your mandolin.  See a doctor when necessary.  Don’t let something small – a little pain or an injury – stop you from living life.

16 comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

9 August 2010

Post Run Recovery Smoothie

By Nicki

I have never been a smoothie fan until I started training for a half marathon.  Now I am training for a full marathon and I am drinking, eating smoothies all the time.  Sometimes, I have them pre-run but usually post run.  So here is the one that freaks out all my friends.  Undoubtedly, I get to all the ingredients but the one that starts with S and then they say “eww!”

Head to your local grocery and pick up some Oikos organic Greek yogurt.  I pick up the Greek yogurt because it has more protein in it so that helps with recovery.  I also get frozen organic fruit.  Today, I used strawberries.  I also pick up some organic spinach.  Yup, there it is!  The S word.  Then, I put in a splash of skim milk which, providing the boys haven’t drank it all and not told me, I always have on hand.

So the ingredient list would look like this:  

8 ounces of Oikos Greek Yogurt (I use either Vanilla – what I had today – or plain)

5 or 6 frozen strawberries (I get them whole but sliced is fine)

A handful of spinach (you really can’t taste it when all is said and done)

2 -4 ounces of skim milk (depends on how thick you want your smoothie)

Blend until smooth.

Pour the blended smoothie into a glass and drink.  I love this.

18 comments   |  tags: , , | posted in Fitness, Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

16 July 2010

Coconut Water – Product Review

By Nicki

Okay, so not just any coconut water.  I want to tell you a bit about Vita Coco Coconut Water.  You are probably thinking I have lost my marbles.  I have to tell you when I first read about coconut water on Runner Dude’s blog, I hesitated.  I don’t like coconut.  I don’t like it shredded on cakes, in foods, in drinks like, say, a pina colada.  I go out of my way to stay away from these items.

While I am not a huge fan of straight sports drinks, I do realize that the replacement of electrolytes is essential.  I cannot do this with other drinks and sometimes, the heat and the intensity of the run have just made wanting to eat veggies and fruits impossible.  I have managed, to date, using GU energy gels, Jelly Belly Sports Beans, and low-calorie G2 – a Gatorade product.

Then, I read Runner Dude’s information about coconut water.  It has no added sugars.  This is a big plus because it is the added sugars in the sports drinks that disagree with me.  Coconut water has five essential electrolytes in it that need to be replaced.  The largest electrolyte in coconut water is potassium.  You will frequently find athletes eating bananas to help get potassium.  Coconut water has 15 times more potassium than a banana.  I sweat a lot.  The word should probably profusely.  If it is over 50F out, my clothing – whether wicking or not – is going to need to be wrung out when I get home from a run.  I have had cramping issues in my legs during one race to date.  After that race, I started getting myself more hydrated, if possible.

Vita Coco Coconut Water w/ Pomegranate and Acai

Vita Coco Coconut Water w Peach and Mango

I did not try the 100% coconut water without another flavoring in it.  I was overly concerned about the whole taste of coconut.  My first forays into coconut water were with two different flavored versions from Vita Coco (you can follow them on Twitter at @VitaCoco).  I am a pomegranate fanatic so the pomegranate one was first on my list.  There are 20g of sugar in this but also plenty of electrolytes.  I loved the taste but highly recommend it be served cold or over ice.  My second try was the peach mango flavor.  This seemed a bit thicker.  I do not think I could drink this while running but after definitely.

I strongly suggest you try Vita Coco Coconut Water.  I haven’t found any other brands locally and purchase this at Wegman’s.

4 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Fitness, Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

9 July 2010

Friday Fun – Retake!

By Nicki

So I posted some photos from a Happy Hour at Chapter House in Ithaca a couple weeks ago.  Now summer has hit in earnest here in the Northeast, I wanted sunshine and outside for happy hour.  Did I find it?  You bet!  Didn’t even really have to go looking as I knew where I was headed.  I loaded my daughter in the car as it was her last weekend in town before a summer working at a day camp.  I headed north west and we landed at Viva in Ithaca.

Since I am traveling this weekend – my first BIG race (read that as more entrants than I really want to think about – around 10,000) – I will leave you with this look at what a Friday should be when it is sunny and hot!

Margarita, Chips, Salsa and Guacamole

Nachos

10 comments   |  tags: , , | posted in Family, Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

29 June 2010

Do You Eat Meat?

By Nicki

I was at a wedding on the 19th, actually in the buffet line at the reception, when it dawned on me.  I had not eaten any meat since Wednesday night’s dinner.  This was definitely not intentional up to that point.  I did, though, intentionally eat only the veggie lasagna as an entrée that night.

Truthfully, I had also run a 20K race earlier that day and was just not into very heavy food.  The chicken – everyone who had some said it was delicious – didn’t look appetizing to me and I eat very little red meat so the roast beef was definitely out.

A few observations from my one week – once I realized it – imposed vegetarian stint are as follows.  Some are common sense, whether vegetarian or not.  Others are observations of my life.  Realize that I work from my home so set my own hours.  I run between 25 and 35 miles a week.

  1. I could have kept going with the no meat diet if I had planned it better. This is one of those common sense things.  I was still cooking dinner every night for my family.  I have three lads of Irish decent living at home – read that to mean they are meat and potato boys all the way.  I had to make a conscious effort to have something for myself that as not meat.  This requires planning and I didn’t plan.
  2. I like greens. I ate a lot more romaine and spinach when I was not eating meat.  I love spinach, even going so far as to put it in smoothies after I run.  Not all my friends, and definitely not my children, think this is good.
  3. I like chicken. While I didn’t miss having other things, I did miss it the night we had chicken spiedies, a local specialty.  I do like having occasional chicken or fish but not other meats.’
  4. I required less sleep. This one sort of confuses me.  I did not intentionally stay up later or get up earlier but I did, without an alarm as it was my youngest’s first week of summer break, find I slept less.  I have noticed, just in the few days I have been eating meat again, that I get tired earlier in the day/night.

Do you eat meat?  Do you keep a strict vegetarian diet?  Have you ever tried raw eating or clean eating?

14 comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Fitness, Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

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