Pizza-fied Grilled Cheese

This will be my last post for a little while. I am going to a wedding in Sedona, AZ this weekend, and need a break from the technology world/research, its been a long 2 months without a break from work/training. Moving on...this is one of my favorite things to make. It's a twist on the grilled cheese, and I always like to eat this with a bowl of tomato soup. Who doesn't like their grilled cheese with two cheeses and turkey pepperoni?

Ingredients
Serving Size: (Entire Recipe) 1 Sandwich
Calories-185
2 slices light bread (around 45 to 50 calories each)
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss Cheese
2 tablespoons canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
4 slices turkey pepperoni
1 slice fat-free American cheese
1 teaspoon light whipped butter or light buttery spread, room temperature

Lay bread slices flat and evenly spread the upward-facing sides with cheese wedge. Evenly top one cheese-covered slice with crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, pepperoni slices, and American cheese. Top with other slice of bread, cheese-covered side down.

Evenly spread the upward-facing bread slice with 1/2 teaspoon butter. Place in a skillet with buttered side down. Evenly spread remaining 1/2 teaspoon butter onto the upward-facing slice of bread.

Bring skillet to medium-high heat on the stove. Cook until bread is lightly browned and cheese has melted, about 2 minutes per side, flipping carefully.

If you like, season some additional crushed tomatoes with Italian seasoning and serve as a dip. Enjoy!

Go Picnic!!!

Decided to buy these after a suggestion from a fellow Riddle Sister!

I had done a post before about Oscar Meyers lunchables for adults (they aren't really called that, but I think that's what they are). I then got an message from a fellow Riddle sister who suggested these. They are all natural to go lunches, and they taste really good! I have been trying to eat as organically as possible. Food tastes better when it is organic and it seems to make me feel better all around.

What really counts is what’s packed inside each handy, compact GoPicnic box. Every nutritionally balanced, shelf stable meal combines a satisfying mix of protein, fiber, and fruit, and each bite, from crackers to hummus to applesauce to delectable dark chocolate, is full of wholesome ingredients. That means no trans fats, no high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), no added monosodium glutamate (MSG), and no artificial flavors and colors...whatsoever.

Now here's the really cool part: GoPicnic meals need no refrigeration - they're shelf-stable entrees. As long as an individual food item is unopened, it's good until its individual expiration date kept at room temperature. These boxes contain tasty, portable, high quality food on-the-go with clean ingredient labels...the closest thing you can get to fresh food, in a box!

Also, GoPicnic meals are easy to eat -- everything in GoPicnic meals are ready to eat with no extra preparation required. Just open and enjoy, no need to heat anything up or add water. Which means you really can enjoy GoPicnic anytime you're hungry, anywhere you go!

Each item in a GoPicnic ready to eat meal is individually packaged, so you can eat at your own pace – some now, some later, or everything together – whatever you’re in the mood for or your schedule can handle (and let’s face it, sometimes you only have a minute for a bite!). The rest will wait for you. As long as an individual food item is unopened, no refrigeration or preparation is required, just open and enjoy when you’re ready to go.

GoPicnic has a bunch of different boxes. They are: Hummus, Tuna, Salmon, Peanut Butter, Salami, Turkey Stick, and Turkey Pepperoni. Each meal comes with crackers or pop chips, cheese (with the meat ones), Fruit and Nut Mix/Edamame/gummy snack, Applesauce, and a dessert (which is normally a dark chocolate bar).


Since I don't really eat meat, I have only had the Hummus, Tuna, Salmon, and Peanut Butter. The Peanut butter ones are my favorite. It comes Peanut Butter & Co. Natural Peanut Butter, Late July Organic Crackers, Sweet Perry Orchards Unsweetened Applesauce, Annie's Homegrown Cheddar Bunny Crackers and Surf Sweets Gummy Bears. Although it doesn't sound like a lot, I always feel full after eating the entire box (which is around 430 calories). The Salmon, Tuna, and Hummus were also extremely delicious (they put a bunch of spices in with the fish and hummus, like cilantro and lime).

These boxes are somewhat expensive. They are about $3.99 a box at Wegmans, but can also be found at World Market or another whole foods/organic stores. You can even order these from the GoPicnic website (PB and Salmon ones are on sale currently ;)). Although they are pricey, the quality of food is worth the investment.

Overnight Banana Fosters French Toast

Another breakfast recipe. I'm telling you I can eat breakfast anytime of the day and for any meal. I made this for my family yesterday for breakfast. This can also be used as dessert as well, its so good!

Ingredients
Serving Size: 8 Servings (French toast and foster topping)
Calories: 290

French Toast
cooking spray
10 oz Challah bread, sliced 1 inch thick (Hawaiian or Brioche would work)
2 large eggs
1 cup egg substitute
1-1/2 cups fat free milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup agave or white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp Meyers rum or rum extract (optional)

Banana Topping
1 tbsp light butter
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp Meyers rum or 1 tsp rum extract (optional)
4 medium ripe bananas, sliced


Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit.

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, egg substitute, milk, vanilla, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, agave or sugar, salt and rum until combined well and pour evenly over bread. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight for best results.

Preheat oven to 350° F. and bring bread to room temperature.

Bake uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 40 to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile while it's baking, in a large deep sauté pan melt light butter over low heat. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and rum and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add a few drops of water if needed and let sauce simmer about 2 minutes. Add sliced bananas and remove from heat. Keep covered until french toast comes out of the oven.

When french toast is cooked, divide among 8 plates and top with bananas. Enjoy!! The foster topping for this is so good! I'm personally going to try to implement it in other recipes!

Banana Express

Another Yummy dessert that is really easy to make! I have seen this done a couple of ways, baked and fried, but microwaving it is the easiest. I got this recipe from sparkpeople.com. So here it goes dessert in minutes!

Ingredients
Serving Size: 1 Serving (banana and ice cream)
Calories: 145
1/2 medium banana
1/2 tbsp of honey
dash of cinnamon
1/4 cup of vanilla frozen yogurt or fat-free vanilla ice cream like Edy's

Put 1/2 banana into a microwave safe bowl and pour honey on top. Sprinkle the cinnamon and cook the banana+honey+cinnamon in the microwave for about 1 minute or until soft (if you are doing 2 servings, you will need about 1 minute and 1/2).

The water from the banana will make a watery syrup with the honey. Add the frozen yogurt/ice cream on top of the warm banana+syrup and enjoy.

This is delicious comfort food, for just 145 calories. And it takes less than 3 minutes - including prep work, cooking, and serving.

Triathlon: Ohio Women's Triathlon for the Cure 2011

I just did my first Triathlon!!! It was fantastic! I never thought I would ever say that I was a triathelete because not even a year ago this would have never been possible.

I told my close friend (almost a sister to me) Karlyn that I would do something with her before she got married (in 2 weeks might I add you). She wanted to do this. She is a great swimmer and I am a runner, so this was a compromise between both of our worlds. I had been training for a couple of months for this sprint, and now that the race is over, realize that training for something is a lot harder than actually doing the race itself. The race went well, other than a few mishaps with my bike :/, but I had the time of my life.

The race we did was the Linwood Park, Ohio Women's Triathlon for the Cure 2011. I did it in about an hour, placed 5th in my age group and 43rd overall. Not bad for my first time ;). I know I'll get even better with practice, and now I feel more comfortable on how things work in the tri world...and I got an awesome new swim cap and running/biking shirt!

At the end of the race I cried (after my breathing calmed down, and I got food in my stomach). I accomplished something greater than ever imaginable. Not many people can say they have done a triathlon. This grueling sport has taught me so much about myself and how strong I am and how anything is possible. This race rejuvenated me and I felt so alive. I will definitely be doing more Triathlons in the future.

Easy Pumpkin Spice Muffins

I made these as an easy grab and go kind of breakfast/snack, which has been extremely helpful this week (Busy week of Triathlon stuff). I froze about half of them and pull them out of the freezer as needed

Ingredients
Serving Size-1 Muffin (Yields 24 Muffins)
Calories: 97
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 (18 ounce) box Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Spice Cake Mix
3/4 cup water
nonstick cooking spray

Mix pumpkin, cake mix, and water together with a hand mixer. Divide batter into sprayed muffin tins. (I use an ice cream scoop for ease). Bake at 350* for 18-22 minutes or until the muffins “spring back” when lightly touched.

Chicken and Mushrooms in a Garlic White Wine Sauce

Haven't done a dinner recipe in a while. We have decided in my house that each of us will try a different recipe to cook for everyone each week. This was mine, and it turned out pretty good (well there were no leftovers at least)

Ingredients
Serving Size: 4 Servings (divide between 4)
Calories: 169
8 chicken tenderloins, 16 oz total
2 tsp butter
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup all purpose flour* (use rice flour if gluten free)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup white wine
1/3 cup fat free chicken broth
salt and fresh pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge in flour.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat; when hot add 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp olive oil. Add chicken to the skillet and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side, or until chicken is no longer pink. Set aside.

Add additional oil and butter to the skillet, then garlic and cook a few seconds; add mushrooms, salt and pepper stirring occasionally until golden, about 5 minutes.

Add wine, chicken broth, parsley; stir the pan with a wooden spoon breaking up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook a few more minutes or until the liquid reduces by half. Top the chicken with the mushroom sauce and serve.

I served this with garlic and herb couscous!

*I only used 1 tbsp of flour and tossed the rest, so calculations were for 1 tbsp flour only.

Mango-Mango Pancakes

New Recipe I made this morning. It is a variation on the banana pancakes recipe I did a while back, but with a little twist. My aunt had bought mangos from Costco a while ago, and we still had a ton as of this morning. So I decided to make mango pancakes with them.

I love fresh tropical fruit, especially during the summer time! And boy do these things taste like summer!

Ingredients
Number of Servings-5 (2 Pancakes)
Calories- approx. 215
Heart Smart Bisquick (pancake and baking mix)-2 cups
Fat free skim milk or vanilla soy milk- 1 1/4 cups
liquid egg substitute-1/4 cup
1 medium fresh mango
1/2 Tbs. Mango Butter (I used Trader Joes Mango Butter)
cinnamon-2 teaspoons

Heat a pan on the stove on medium high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray (I use butter flavor). Combine all ingredients (except mango) in a bowl and mix until all lumps are gone. Cut and mash Mango into small pieces and fold into pancake batter. Pour 1/4 cup of pancake mixture into pan and flip pancake when one side has set and golden brown. Let cool slightly and place two on a plate. Spread 1/4 Tbs of mango butter on each pancake and lightly drizzle with sugar free syrup or top with lite whipped cream. You don't need a lot of syrup or whipped topping because they are pretty sweet enough, but I love syrup so that's why I added it.

I get up at 5 AM to cook breakfast normally (I get up early to go to work or to train), and my Aunt and Uncle said they woke up, not because I was making too much noise, but because they said it smelled good downstairs in the kitchen! That's always a good sign!

Pecan Do It!: Chicken Salad Swap

My 24th Birthday was yesterday! Yahoo! I decided to go to the Air and Space museum in Chantilly for my Birthday! I wanted to keep it low key because of my triathlon in 2 weeks. It's kinda nerdy, but I don't really care. I'm an AE, and I enjoyed it! Here's something that I made at ate on my Birthday! It was really yummy, and I thought I would share!


Creamy scoopable salads are SO GOOD, especially when they're packed with fruit. Add in delicious pecans, and they're even better. Put some in a sandwich? HOLY COW, you've got a handheld masterpiece. Just make sure you eat our version and not the one from Arby's. This recipe serves two, so call a friend or save some for another day!

Ingredients
Serving Size: 2 servings (1/2 recipe)- 254 Calories
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. salt
4 oz. cooked and chopped skinless lean chicken breast
1/4 cup halved red seedless grapes
1/4 cup chopped apple
2 tbsp. chopped celery
1 1/2 tbsp. chopped pecans
4 slices light bread, honey-wheat flavor if available
2 large lettuce leaves

Directions:
Place mayo, garlic powder, and salt in a large bowl; mix well. Add chicken and stir to coat. Add grapes, apple, celery, and pecans; stir well and set aside.

To make each sandwich, lightly toast bread slices (if you like). Lay out 1 bread slice and top with a lettuce leaf. Evenly place half of the chicken salad (about 3/4 cup) over the lettuce. Top with the other bread slice.

Repeat with remaining bread, lettuce, and chicken salad to make the second sandwich. (Or cover and refrigerate the remaining chicken salad, and assemble that sandwich another day.)

Enjoy!