Recipe: Strawberry crostata – via latimes.com

Wow — that’s all I can say.  This looks gorgeous AND delicious.  Definitely on the try list for after Passover!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles

Originally uploaded by katie keller

From the Post Punk Kitchen blog, we couldn’t help noticing the recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles. Oh my, these sound delicious. Planning on making these today for Ben as an after school surprise.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles

Makes 2 dozen Cookies

A beautiful crackle topped chocolate cookie with a spicy cayenne kick and a sugary cinnamon coating. Sold?

For the topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cookies:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons almond milk (Or your preferred non-dairy milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon chocolate extract (or more vanilla extract if you have no chocolate)
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix the topping ingredients together on a flat plate. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to vigorously mix together oil, sugar, syrup, and milk. Mix in extracts.

Sift in remaining ingredients, stirring as you add them. Once all ingredients are added mix until you’ve got a pliable dough.

Roll dough into walnut sized balls. Pat into the sugar topping to flatten into roughly 2 inch discs. Transfer to baking sheet, sugar side up, at least 2 inches apart (they do spread). This should be easy as the the bottom of the cookies should just stick to your fingers so you can just flip them over onto the baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, they should be a bit spread and crackly on top. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Cauliflower

Originally uploaded by abaesel

Just got this recipe in an RSS update from RecipeZaar. It sounds really delicious, if you are a cauliflower fan.

Ingredients

* 1 large head cauliflower (trimmed to just florets)
* 1 onion, chopped
* 3 garlic cloves, chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 teaspoon dried basil (or Italian Seasoning)
* 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
* water
* 1 lb dry pasta (I like a short cut pasta like rotini or rigatoni)
* salt
* 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated (plus more for serving)
* 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook according to package directions, make sure that your pasta is a little undercooked as you will finish it with the ‘sauce’

While the pasta is cooking, trim medium sized florets from large head of cauliflower.

Sautee onion, garlic and dried basil in olive oil till translucent and soft.

Add cauliflower florets and continue sauteeing another 2-3 minutes.

Add crushed tomato, cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender.

Drain pasta, return to large pot, pour tomato/cauliflower mixture over the pasta and return to heat. Allow the pasta to soak up some of the sauce while it finishes cooking.

Remove from heat, stir in 1/4 grated Parmesan or locatelli and fresh basil.

Serve with additional gated cheese if desired.

View the recipe here.

Just getting back into town after managing a conference for a client in New Orleans.  New Orleans cooking is interesting, and I enjoyed it, but between the high fat (lots of butter and cream) hotel food and the long hours, I’m very ready for some good veggie dishes that are easy to whip up at home.  This one is on my list for this weekend.  Hat tip to the Reduce Footprints blog, where I found this recipe.

Skillet white beans, spinach & tomatoes over Linguine

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano (do not drain)
1 can any white beans (I use Great Northern or Navy usually)
1 package fresh spinach
6 cups cooked linguine
6 Tablespoons Vegan Parmesan “cheese” (the original recipe calls for Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet.
2. In a separate pan start boiling water for linguine and get linguine cooked while you continue.
3. Add garlic, saute for a minute or so.
4. Add tomatoes and beans and bring to a boil.
5. Cover with spinach, top with lid, reduce heat to low and simmer about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
6. Spoon tomato/beans/ spinach mixture over linguine and sprinkle with cheese.

This makes 6 servings of 1 cup of pasta, 1 cup of sauce and 1 tablespoon of cheese.

veggie group

Originally uploaded by yarniganrachel

Compiled by Margo Maine, Ph.D.

Think of your body as the vehicle to your dreams. Honor it. Respect it. Fuel it.

Hat tip to PINK Magazine and the National Eating Disorders web site for this article!

1. Your body is extraordinary–begin to respect and appreciate it.
2. Create a list of all the things your body lets you do. Read it and add to it often.
3. Become aware of what your body can do each day. Remember it is the instrument of your life, not just an ornament.
4. Create a list of people you admire: people who have contributed to your life, your community, or the world. Consider whether their appearance was important to their success and accomplishments.
5. Walk with your head held high, supported by pride and confidence in yourself as a person.
6. Don’t let your weight or shape keep you from activities that you enjoy.
7. Wear comfortable clothes that you like and that feel good to your body.
8. Count your blessings, not your blemishes.
9. Think about all the things you could accomplish with the time and energy you currently spend worrying about your body and appearance. Try one!
10. Be your body’s friend and supporter, not its enemy.
11. Consider this: your skin replaces itself once a month, your stomach lining every five days, your liver every six weeks, and your skeleton every three months.
12. Every morning when you wake up, thank your body for resting and rejuvenating itself so you can enjoy the day.
13. Every evening when you go to bed, tell your body how much you appreciate what it has allowed you to do throughout the day.
14. Find a method of exercise that you enjoy and do it regularly. Don’t exercise to lose weight or to fight your body. Do it to make your body healthy and strong and because it makes you feel good.
15. Think back to a time in your life when you felt good about your body. Tell yourself you can feel like that again, even in this body at this age.
16. Keep a list of 10 positive things about yourself–without mentioning your appearance. Add to it!
17. Put a sign on each of your mirrors saying, “I’m beautiful inside and out.”
18. Choose to find the beauty in the world and in yourself.
19. Start saying to yourself, “Life is too short to waste my time hating my body this way.”
20. Eat when you are hungry. Rest when you are tired. Surround yourself with people that remind you of your inner strength and beauty.

Green Toy Gorilla

Originally uploaded by kaleid

Here’s another green smoothie recipe to give a try to:

5 oz. baby romaine lettuce
5 oz. baby spinach
1/2 avocado
1 banana

Blend avocado with the banana,then add lettuce and spinach.

Green is beautiful

Originally uploaded by Just Nora

Delicious! This is the second morning I’ve concocted this breakfast drink for Eric and I and it’s just as delicious today as yesterday. Here are the ingredients:

1 banana, peeled
1 clementine, peeled
1 carrot, washed but unpeeled (I trimmed the end off)
a handful of green grapes
a large handful of washed baby spinach
1 green apple, washed and cored but with skin left on
a handful of ice cubes

Whirl all together in the Vita-Mix, drink and enjoy!

This is so wonderful, I had to share it. Good dog, Louis!