Going bananas!

Ice Cream.

Just thinking about it makes me feel unhealthy!  But luckily, Claire Robinson (of 5 Ingredient Fix) on the Food Network has solved my problem!!

Banana Ice Cream.

DO NOT turn your nose up at it!  I don't even really like bananas!  I would never just sit down, and have a banana.  Not my cup of tea.  HOWEVER:

When frozen with some pineapple and blended up with a little fat free organic milk, agave nectar, and vanilla?  OMG.  best substitute EVER.

It is light, airy, delicious, healthy...I could go on and on.

Her recipe is really just ripe bananas and she adds honey & peanut butter.  Haven't tried that but I'm sure it's great.  I don't eat peanut butter, I eat other nut butters - they're better for you.  Anyway - worth a try!

All I'm saying is, this recipe is fool proof.  I started with 3 bananas.  Estimated equal amounts of pineapple. Teaspoon of vanilla, and agave to taste.

I'm telling you, if you're trying to lose weight/eat healthier, and you have serious addictions to ice cream. TRY THIS!  The possibilities are limitless!  Plus, you could even eat your "ice cream" for breakfast - bananas are like a super food!  Plus they're one of the best foods you can eat before a work out: filling, and the potassium is good for preventing/relieving sore muscles.

(Next time I think I'll add some dark chocolate chips for an antioxidant punch! Chocolate covered banana anyone?!)

XO

Treats of all kinds :-)

Happy Easter!  I hope everyone has been having a wonderful Easter.  My Steve flew in yesterday and we spent the day just enjoying each other's company and then went to the vigil mass and then mass again this morning.  So nice :-)

We decided to come home and do a little baking, mini lemon meringue tartlets to be exact :-)

Easy as pie!

1.  pie crust

•   2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

•   1/4 cup sugar

•   1/4 teaspoon salt

•   8 ounces cold butter, diced into cubes

•   1/4 cup cold water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Put it all in a food processor and pulse away!  It is very dry here in Denver, so I had to add about 1/4 cup of ice water extra.  That's ok!  Just pulse until the dough pulls together into a ball in the bowl of the processor.  

Remove the dough and knead lightly.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for one hour.

I remembered to take SOME pictures!

Once your dough has rested, roll out on a floured surface (don't forget to flour the rolling pin!) 1/8-1/4 inch thick.  Cut with 3" round cookie cutter and line mini cupcake pans with the dough.  It's a pretty resiliant dough you don't have to be too delicate, you can always press cracks or tears back together.

I baked mine with ceramic pie weights in them so that they didn't puff up too much.  You could also use a fork to pierce the bottom and sides before baking (12-15 minutes).

Remove pie weights and allow to cool on rack.  

2. Fill with 1/4 tsp. of lemon curd.  I used store bought but if you're up for it you could certainly make your own!  This is an excellent recipe (it's way too much, but lemon curd is good on EVERYTHING!)

To make the meringue:

3. For the meringue, 4 large room-temperature egg whites,1/4 tsp of cream of tartar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt (I omitted this, but you can leave it in) in the bowl of an electric mixer (or with a hand mixer) fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed until frothy. With the mixer still running, slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until the meringue is thick and shiny, about 2 minutes.

I got lucky and my man helped me ;-)  At least in the beginning!

We piped the meringue onto the tartlets (I am not very good at piping!)

And baked in a 425 degree oven for 3-5 minutes to brown and firm up the meringue!

Coco came in to check on things:

Hope yall love them as much as we do :-)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

Coping note of the day: dog training!

As many of you may know, my favorite furry friend Coco LOOKS really cute, but she is seriously lacking in the "training" department.  But only for fun stuff ;-)  Recently we've been trying to teach her to lay down and roll over.  Success!  Treats will get your dog to do a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g; reward training is especially useful with rescues..  Just make sure his/her nose follows the scent!

XO

Reason for the Season

Whew it has been a LONG time since I've been able to post on here!  I figured I'd be Easter-festive and write this post in purple pastel ;-)

I went to Rome & Sicily with my fiance to visit my mom.  Let's just talk about how incredible that was!

Then I got my butt handed to me by school!  The worst is over (I think...)

And then I got to see my good friend Lauren marry the nicest, sweetest, most handsome man (well, except for my man ;-) last weekend!

Oh my GOODNESS they're so cute, I could cry!

As a result, I've been wedding planning like even more of a crazy person -- IT'S SO MUCH FUN!  I just can't wait, but I'm savoring every moment, because this too is a journey, and I only plan on doing it once!

So now it is Good Friday.  I went to church and really spent some time thinking about everything I have to be thankful for.  In high school I was really active with my church, but in the last 6 years I hadn't been at all.   There are a number of reasons why I am so thankful that life led me to Denver, and one of them is bringing me back to God.  I really realized this today:  vindicating the cross at church today was such a powerful experience and I feel so much more at peace with myself and with Him.

On that note -- as Coco and I walked around the park this morning, I couldn't help but notice crosses everywhere I looked: street signs, shadows, even the way her ears stick out from her cute little head! There's something so special about Spring.  It's like a rebirth of the world after a long hard winter.  I am so thankful that God always allows us to renew:  to sprout new leaves and blossom.  There are so many beautiful reminders of this blessing in the spring time, and I've had it on my mind a LOT since the season has really gotten into full swing.  This is just such an incredible time of year.  Frankly, I'm glad Easter is coming so late this year, because I feel like the timing worked out perfectly for me to truly understand and appreciate God's hand in my day-to-day life.  

____

For my final note (and coping tip of the day): I don't know if I'm the last person in the world to discover these:

soft sole heel liners

 but they're like less than $4 at DSW (even cheaper online) and I will NEVER wear heels again without them!  I have the boniest skinniest feet you ever saw and no size ever fits!  My feet are always either scrunched in, slipping out, or just moving all around giving me the worst blisters...if you're like me, consider buying these...and while you're at it, you might as well buy the pads for the balls of your feet too ;-)

All I'm saying is that I'm definitely giving these to all my bridesmaids for the wedding! ;-)

HAPPY EASTER!  And seriously, just because it's not Christmas doesn't mean you shouldn't also remember the reason for the season...I love dyeing eggs just as much as the next girl, but what we really need to be focused on is that Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  However, if you do have a sweet tooth, hop over to Carrie's blog: God, Grace, & Grits and I think she's posted a fantastic compromise.  I just love this girl, her blog, and this recipe!

XO

Comfort Food

You'll probably start to notice a trend in my posts: FOOD!  I mean for it to be that way - I love food.  I love shopping for it, planning menus, preparing it, sharing it, just not cleaning up after myself ;-)  It is THE biggest coping mechanism I have and that is why I have to be extra careful to monitor just how much I try to cope! ;-)  

I came across this recipe and it's been hanging on my fridge for a while now.  This morning I needed a little (OK a lot) of inspiration to get myself motivated as far as getting the most out of this gorgeous day!  Yes, I am fully aware that this is more of a fall/winter recipe.  That's how long I've been neglecting it on my fridge....but that's one of the conveniences (you notice I don't say blessings - that rant is for another day) of modern agriculture and the green revolution - we can get pretty decent produce from anywhere around the world anytime of year!

So here it is:

Harvest Lasagna

1.5 lbs peeled & seeded butternut squash, cut into slices

3.5 tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper

8 oz. lasagna noodles

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups kale, rinsed, cut into ribbons

2 tbsp sliced fresh basil leaves

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 cups nonfat milk

2 cups part-skip ricotta cheese

1 lrg. egg

2 tbsp minced fresh oregano (remember to adjust the amount if you decide to use dried!)

cooking spray

1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Place squash on baking sheet in an even layer.  Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil and pinch of salt & pepper, toss to coat; roast for 30 minutes or until softened.  Remove from oven, leave oven on.

2. While squash roasts, boil noodles in large pot until al dente (about 7 minutes.) Drain & rinse under cold water.

3. In medium skillet, heat 1.5 tbsp oil over medium high heat.  Saute garlic for 2 minutes.  Stir in kale & 1 tbsp basil.  Add 1/4 cup water to skillet and cover, cook 5 minutes.  Remove cover, reduce heat to low, cook 3 minutes more.  Set aside to cool.

4. In medium saucepan, heat remaining 2 tbsp oil over medium high heat.  Add flour, whisk 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in milk and a pinch of salt.  Bring to boil, whisking constantly.  Continue whisking for 2 more minutes or until white sauce thickens.  Remove from heat.

5. Stir ricotta into kale.  Add egg & oregano, season with salt & pepper.

6. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and spread 2/3 cup of sauce on bottom.  Start layering with noodles, followed by ricotta/kale mixture, and then squash.  Sprinkle half of mozzarella over squash and continue layering.  Top with remaining sauce, basil, and mozzarella.  

7. Coat a sheet of aluminum foil and tent it, sprayed side down, over lasagna; bake for 25 minutes.  Remove foil, bake 15 more minutes to brown cheese.  Let the lasagna rest about 5 minutes before cutting.  Serves 8.

Nutrition per serving (1 slice): 389 calories, 16 g fat, 7 g sat. fat, 41 g carbs, 21 g protein, 3 g fiber, 471 mg calcium, 2 mg iron, 279 mg sodium.

I know that's a lot of steps, but I hope it's worth it!  If you decide to make it, let me know how it turns out!  I think this is a dish you could really have a lot of fun with, mix it up over time to accommodate the seasons.

Hope everyone has a GREAT Saturday!

XO