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Cocoa Nut Balls

January 31, 2011 by 5 Comments

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Today’s recipe is brought to you by the ingredient: Dates.

Every other Monday, I participate in an ingredient challenge with a few bloggers around the country. This week’s recipe is the date, and since I already cook with them regularly, I have a few recipes to link to below.

Dates are not the most appealing dried fruit based on looks, but they are very versatile and easy to add to sweet or savory dishes. They are sticky so you don’t need extra stick like honey, and they are sweet so you don’t need extra sugar. If you like them by themselves, they would be a great simple snack. But I don’t.

I made this recipe based off of a recipe that Ashley made.

Cocoa Nut Balls

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Ingredients:

  • 1 C mixed almonds and pecans (could sub walnuts, I always use pecans instead.)
  • 1/2 C pitted Medjool dates
  • 1 T cocoa
  • 2 T coconut (mine is sweetened)
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Instructions:

  • In a food processor, pulse the nuts until they’re in pieces. Remove from food processor and add in dates. Pulse those.
  • Add back the nuts, cocoa and coconut.
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  • Pulse until it all comes together.
  • I added a few Tablespoons of water one at a time just to get them to come together easier.
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  • Form into balls and refrigerate or freeze.
I keep mine in the freezer for long periods of time.
One batch makes about 13 balls.
These are great little snacks of unsalted nuts, naturally sweetened fruits, and a little sweet coconut. The cocoa gives it a devilish feel, but they are pretty harmless for you.
Other recipes with dates I have created include:

To see the other bloggers and their recipes using dates, click their pages here:

Filed Under: Recipes, Snacks · Tagged With: , ,

Spectating the Houston Marathon

January 30, 2011 by 9 Comments

Today I spectated my first race. Usually I am the one participating, but this time, I was reporting for CultureMap and watching for fun. Spectating is just as fun as running, but you don’t have to take a nap and a shower after! And you can walk without pain the next day.

Race results story: Rain didn’t stop the run at Houston Marathon

If you ever get a chance to watch or volunteer for a local race, it is very rewarding and inspiring. I recommend it! Watching 22,000 runners go past you really makes you want to run with them. It’s an awesome experience for the runner, and just as fun to watch too.

Last year I watched the marathoners go by outside my gym and the next day I signed up for my first 10K race. Two months after that, I started to blog. And 9 months after that, I ran my first half marathon. Watching runners is powerful. (Here’s a background to my running story.)

Here are some pictures from today:

Jeffrey is not so great at taking pics on my iPhone. He lacks a steady handedness. This is me before the race, ready to snap pics. I ended up in a rain jacket and rain boots.

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My friend Allison and I waited around Mile 8 for her husband, Freddy, to run by. It was his first half marathon. Go Freddy!

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A rainy and humid day in Houston, but Houstonians expect this weather sometimes.

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The male winner, an Ethiopian, broke all records. Sub 4:30 minute miles is faster than I can put on makeup.

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The winning woman crossing the finish line.

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At the post-race press conference, three Americans discuss the race. The one on the left had a bad race (came in 6th). The middle guy came in 2nd, and the end woman came in 3rd and did better than she expected.

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This is a close-up of her from Friday’s pre-race press conference. Her name is Stephanie Rothstein and she is 27 years old. She ran a sub-2:30 marathon today for her first time to come in 3rd place. Her story is interesting because she discovered she had Celiac Disease last March. Her running was not doing well and she struggled to run longer than 25 minutes. After she started changing her foods, she bounced back.

She will come back to Houston next January to try to qualify for the 2012 Olympic team.

She also has a line of granola bars called Picky Bars that are gluten and dairy free. Perhaps she’ll let me sample and blog about them? I’ll work on it.
Have you ever spectated a race of any size?
Filed Under: Houston, Running · Tagged With: ,

Week in Review

January 29, 2011 by 1 Comment

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Hi everyone,

Hope you are having a great weekend. The weather in Houston is pretty perfect and the Houston Marathon is tomorrow. I am still having IT Band pains so I’m not running any part of this race, but I will be covering it for CultureMap, so stay tuned for some reporting.

Here are three to start you off:

Also, thanks for your positive comments on my new blog design. I’m really happy with the colors and functionality of the site. Hope you are finding it more useful too!

Here’s a look back at the week if you missed anything!

Monday: Weekend in LA Part 1

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Tuesday: Weekend in LA Part 2

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No Bake Granola Bars

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Wednesday: My Blog 2.o

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Thursday: Coc-oatmeal

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Friday: Needed: Blogspiration

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Filed Under: Uncategorized ·

Needed: Blog-spiration

January 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment

It’s Friday, and I don’t have a pretty recipe to post or a fitness story to tell. I need a little blog-spiration.

My week has been busier than usual with less picture taking and not as much fun in the kitchen.

I have picked up some various writing projects, tweaked with my blog’s redesign (notice my new header too?), and am preparing to cover the Houston Marathon for CultureMap on Sunday. With press credentials and all!

I’ve also been researching camera lenses for my DSLR because I should get a second (and maybe third lens, shhh don’t let Jeffrey know), but I want to make sure it’s the right one. Supposedly, buying lenses is like buying golf clubs. You can’t hit all your shots with the same club and you need different lenses for different types of pictures. When did I become a camera nerd?

Thank goodness it’s Friday, I need a weekend to prep more posts for next week. And bake for a neighborly dinner, and bake some cookies, because my holiday stash is finally running low? Where did they go?!

Here’s a look at what I have coming for you:

  • A look inside my pantry and freezer to go with the look inside my refrigerator
  • A recipe for Chocolate Nut Balls (similar to these two)
  • Recipes for whatever I create over the weekend (I think I’m attempting apple pie!)
  • An updated About Me page (thanks for the question suggestions, keep ‘em coming if you have anymore!)
  • Maybe Lily will post again sometime soon too. I did give her a page on my site.
Filed Under: Thoughts · Tagged With:

Coc-Oatmeal

January 27, 2011 by 2 Comments

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Lots of things happening in this post. I’m trying to write about recent things I’ve tried and they are all getting dumped in this post.

See my latest story on CultureMap? It’s about this Sunday’s Houston Marathon and how to be a great spectator. Check it out! I have two more posting before the weekend too.

Coc-Oatmeal

I made my normal oatmeal and added 1 tsp of cocoa to the pot to give it a chocolatey color and aroma. It didn’t add much in overpowering sweetness, and probably didn’t add any nutrition, so it was just for fun of flavor. Pretty color too!

In the mix:

  • 1/3 C old fashioned oats + 2 T flax meal
  • 2/3 C water
  • 1/4 C almond milk
  • 1/2 mashed banana
  • 1 T raisins
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cocoa
  • topped with coconut and homemade granola

Cook like usual: Boil water, add oats and milk. Whisk. Add rest of ingredients. Whisk, whisk until thick. Enjoy!

Easy Weeknight Chicken Dinner

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I am trying to come around to chicken a little more, so I bought organic chicken breasts and decided to try a new method of cooking by using the stovetop to crisp the top and the oven to cook the inside.

I adapted this recipe from a cookbook called “Chicken.” I figured they would know well how to cook the best chicken!

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Ingredients:

For two large chicken breasts:

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 T rosemary, chopped
  • 1 tsp each salt and pepper
  • 2 T EVOO
  • 1 C milk with 1 tsp lemon juice (or 1 C buttermilk)

Instructions:

  • Marinate chicken in Ziploc bag overnight or for a few hours.
  • Cook on stovetop in Le Crueset pan (this was my first time trying it).
  • Move to oven at 350* after 10 minutes. Cook 15-20 more, until cooked through.

For potatoes and green beans:

  • Season with EVOO, salt and pepper. Bake potatoes for 40-45 minutes and less time for green beans (add them to the baking sheet with about 25 minutes to go.
  • I should have seasoned the potatoes with more seasoning, like something spicy or savory.

We liked the flavor of the chicken, but it didn’t crisp on top as much as we hoped. We’ll keep trying!

Parsnip Fries and Perfect Tofu

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If you still haven’t tried parsnips, let me convince you why again. First, they look like French fries, but they are a vegetable. Second, they are easy and quick (chop, drizzle with EVOO, salt and pepper and roast at 425 for 35 minutes), and third, they are a great addition to anything when you might want a starch (but it’s a vegetable) or a second vegetable.

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I had mine with asparagus (roasted with the parsnips) and stove sauteed tofu. I have been trying different ways of cooking tofu (oven, grilled in rectangles, with more marinade), but the best way is on the stovetop. It gets them crispy outside and soft inside, and they are cute little bite sized pieces.

Here are the steps:

  • I used Nasoya Firm tofu and sliced it into 6 long pieces.
  • I pressed it with a heavy block for about 15 minutes, then cut into bite sized pieces. It should make about 64 bites.
  • Then I seasoned with a mix of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (more on that later) mixed with 2T olive oil and pepper and garlic powder (just a few shakes of each). I did not add salt because liquid aminos are kind of like soy sauce, and naturally salty.
  • Then I sauteed on the stove for about 5 minutes per side, flipping so they don’t burn.

I have read about liquid aminos recently as an alternative to soy sauce with far less sodium and a similar taste. It comes in a spray bottle and can be used for sauces or dressings. I wasn’t fond of the smell when prepping, but it blended fine when cooked.

All together, this meal was roasted parsnips and asparagus, tofu, pickles and BBQ sauce. A nice balanced meal!

Are you scared of tofu?

Filed Under: Breakfast, Dinner, Vegetarian · Tagged With: , , , ,

My Blog 2.0

January 26, 2011 by 9 Comments

Welcome to my redesigned site!

Let me show you around and share some behind the scenes blogging thought process.

If you are reading this in Reader, you should switch over to the website so you can see the changes. You will notice that everything is different, from the colors to the added sidebars to the font.

I started my blog last spring with the old theme that I used for 8.5 months. I eventually got too big for that theme where I wanted sub-pages, more sidebars, and more general function. I have a friend named Grant (who has two blogs) who initially set me up last Spring, and then researched new templates for me and switched me over. (Luckily, I never started in Blogger and quickly became self-hosted, both making this an easier switch.)

Now for the grand tour…

  • Take a look above and see the top toolbar. My pages are the same, but some have sub-pages, like the About Me where I separated out Published Work, and a Favorites page, where there are three sub-pages. I am contemplating separating the Recipes page into meals. What do you think?
  • Below that, you will see a list of categories. When I write a post, I select Categories and Tags, basically key words that apply to my post. The list is in order from most frequently used to least. Click them and you’ll see a list of posts within that category.
  • On the right toolbar, you see a lovely picture of me. It’s more for new people to show them a quick picture and brief summary of what this site is about.
  • There’s a Subscribe button to get my new posts to your inbox.
  • You see a Search tool (type in any keyword like Lily, oranges, anything) and posts will come up with those words.
  • There’s an Archives by month if you want to play around and look back.
  • Then my  Twitter feed, which I’m also contemplating deleting from this site and just having a button linking to follow me.
  • And then my Blogroll where you can see whose sites I read daily.
  • On the left side, there’s a list of Tags, similar to categories. Click those words and see posts with them in it. I’m contemplating switching tags to food words so you could click “Oatmeal” and see posts including oatmeal. Or you could obviously go to the recipe page to see that too.
  • Next is a calendar, similar to Archives but you can click a specific day if you’re looking for something. And go back by month.
  • Now look all the way to the bottom, and you’ll see a list of recent posts in reverse order and recent comments.

You can still leave comments the same way, and I will still reply the same way too. Comments are always welcome!

Lastly, I have a project for you! I would like to add to my About Me page and include more FAQs. If you have a general question, leave it in the comments.

I hope you enjoy my newly designed site and find it more useful and fun. If you have suggestions or comments, I’d love to hear them too. There are still a few things I’d like to add or learn about, and my pages change frequently.

Filed Under: Thoughts · Tagged With:

No Bake Granola Bars

January 25, 2011 by 5 Comments
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I’m still on this granola bar kick, and this time I tried some different ingredients with a no-bake technique. These are packed with nutrients like flax, oats and healthy fats, and some basic spices for added flavor. The peanut butter flavor is very strong, and the textures of seeds and crunch is really nice.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 C old fashioned oats
  • 1 C puffed brown rice cereal (or any kind of puffed cereal)
  • 1/4 C sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 C each chopped dates and craisins
  • 2 T ground flaxseed meal
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 C brown rice syrup
  • 1/3 C creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla

A few things to note about ingredients:

I always talk about Peanut Butter & Co. peanut butter, but for baking, I use a generic very creamy butter. Partly because it’s cheaper, and also because the texture and flavor is strictly peanuts and more liquidy.

I use dates instead of raisins because I like their added sticky-ness. You can also use any dried fruit, I just always have these in my pantry.

This was my first time using brown rice syrup, which I read a lot about. It is a similar texture to honey, but I have read that one cannot be substituted for the other.

Instructions:

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and spices.
  • In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine vanilla, syrup and peanut butter. Microwave for 20-25 seconds until easier to stir.

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  • Once combined, add the wet to the dry and stir well. The liquid is very thick and sticky so work hard.
  • In a square baking dish, pour mixture evenly and press down with back of spoon. Press it well because it’s not going to bake.
  • Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cutting.

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I flipped mine over to cut them very smoothly. Slice into squares or rectangular bars. Would make 12 bars or about 15 squares.

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Keep refrigerated so the bars stay whole and don’t crumble. I individually wrapped mine in Saran Wrap.

These held together much better than my first try at bars. They are chewy because it wasn’t baked and crunchy because of the puffed cereal. I loved the flavor a lot, love the pieces of dried fruit, and love the look. I still wish they cut prettier and held together better. But for homemade, they are a keeper. Would be great to add to a lunch or have as part of a snack. Or crumble in yogurt or cottage cheese.

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I took mine to California and they traveled great and lasted until they were gone.
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Filed Under: Breakfast, Recipes, Snacks · Tagged With: ,

Weekend in Los Angeles Part 2

January 24, 2011 by 11 Comments

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Miss Part 1? Click here.

Part 2 of the weekend was all about my uncle Reagan turning 50. Doesn’t he still look 35? Lucky for us, we share genes!

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We are a good looking couple. The theme was Black and White.

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My sister and cousins with the birthday man.We live in four separate cities–Austin, Houston, Los Angeles, Chapel Hill, NC and range in age from 21-27. There are five younger cousins too, ages 8 months to 14.
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Since this is a food blog, here are some food pictures. This was an appetizer of foie gras, a licorice consumme, pear tartlet, margarita shooter and tuna bite.
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Oh hi Julianne Hough! You and your boyfriend Ryan Seacrest are so nice and cute.
She was very personable and kind. I can’t believe she is 22 years old. And beyond beautiful and classy. And then she friended me on Facebook! I think we’re becoming BFFs.
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Caviar, gnocchi, risotto with porcini mushroom.
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Polenta topped with braised short rib and lobster behind it and a white asparagus sauce.
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This was our family’s chocolate cake recipe! We have it every year at Thanksgiving to celebrate November birthdays.
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All the cousins and our dates.
That’s it! If you are friends with me on Facebook, the rest of the pictures are there, about 90.

Or click here to see the whole album.
Regular daily blogging resumes tomorrow.
Filed Under: Travel · Tagged With:

Weekend in LA Part 1

January 23, 2011 by 5 Comments

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My whole family spent the weekend in Los Angeles for my uncle’s 50th birthday. The weather was perfect, no clouds and warm in the 70s. Here are a few pictures of our weekend! I’m breaking it into two posts: one with the daytime activities and one for the birthday party.

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Jeffrey sure has funny faces to entertain babies.

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Walking to breakfast. Coffee, baby, family.
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my sister, me, mom, newest cousin

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We spent a few hours in Venice and Santa Monica enjoying the sunshine and ocean!
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My dad wanted to try a jumping picture. We tried about four times but couldn’t get synchronized.
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Playing on the rings at Muscle Beach.
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Friday night dinner for the birthday boy. With my sister and parents.
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This concludes Part 1. See you tomorrow for more pictures!

P.S. Have you noticed my new blog design?! I still have a little tweaking to do, but it’s hopefully mostly done. I changed themes to have more versatility within the site, more subpages, sidebars, and a generally better layout. I’m still getting used to it too but liking it a lot. I just outgrew the old theme, but it was a good run!

Filed Under: Travel · Tagged With:

Week in Review

January 22, 2011 by 1 Comment

Here’s a look back of the week. I’m in sunny Los Angeles this weekend for my uncle’s 50th birthday party. See you back on Monday with some pictures. I love LA and southern California. Did you know I lived and worked in Beverly Hills for two months during a summer in college? [Read more...]

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