Happy Friday eve all!!  A few years ago I did a post about How to Make the Perfect Hard Boiled Egg.  It’s ok, you can laugh at my awesome first year blogging photography in that post too ~ we all have to start somewhere, right?! LOL  I even posted this super cool video to show you how to peel hard boiled eggs without peeling the shell.  It’s always fun to visit posts from the past especially when they crack me up like this one.

While I can say I’ve NEVER actually tried the trick in the video, that post made all the difference in how I feel about hard boiled eggs.  As much as I LOVE Hard Boiled Eggs, I used to avoid making hard boiled eggs because I could NEVER peel them and I would get so frustrated I’d just end up throwing out all my practically peeled eggs and shells.  What can I say, I am an instant gratification person in every way and I hate it when the egg shell steals practically all your egg white while you try to peel it.

I am revisiting this post because it is one of the questions I get asked all the time.  How do you make your hard boiled eggs so perfect?  Well my friends, here is my not so big anymore secret!

If you follow this exact procedure, you will turn out with perfect hard boiled eggs and no shell attached every single time! 

HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT HARD BOILED EGG!!!

INSTRUCTIONS: (Print it!)

1. Cover the eggs with water ~ 2 inches to cover the eggs. Allow eggs to have a little room to move.

2. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of baking soda  over the eggs. (this is the trick I learned from the video & it absolutely works!)

3. Bring the eggs to a gradual boil over medium high heat.

4. Once boiling, cover, removing from heat and set your timer for 15 minutes.

5. When the timer goes off, cool the eggs by running cold water over the eggs.

6.  To peel the eggs, crack at the wide end on the soft spot (where there is usually a hole) then, tap the egg on the counter all around.  Slowly peel from the soft spot all around the egg.

7.  Run your egg under cool water as you peel it if you are having trouble with the shell sticking.

You all totally get bonus points if you can do it like he does in the video by holding the egg in your hand and blow vigorously into the narrow end of the egg, which will expel the egg out of it’s shell.

STEP – BY – STEP

The “Secret” Ingredient ~ Baking Soda!

Place your eggs in a sauce pan, cover with cool water until all the eggs are covered, about 2-3 inches. 

Sprinkle the eggs with 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

Then, bring to a gradual boil over medium high heat.  Once the eggs are boiling, remove from heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes.

Rinse in cold water and let stand for a few minutes to cool before peeling.

Start by tapping the wide end of the shell in the “soft spot” and then gently tap the shell on the counter.

I usually peel mine over the pan using the lid for the shells and the extra water in the pan as needed to help with peeling.

Store in an air tight container for up to 1 week for the perfect 2 points+ Simply Filling Snack!

Tadah!!! It really is THAT easy and I really have made a batch of hard boiled eggs almost every week this exact same way for over 3 years now.  It is the perfect way to use up the rest of a carton and to use your eggs for a snack, egg salad sandwiches, potato salad and more!

Q’s

How do you use your hard boiled eggs?  I can never have enough ideas or ways to eat the incredible, edible, egg. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist since it reminded me of the commercial)

I am almost starting to feel normal again and over this awful cold!  I hope to be back tomorrow with a normal daily that doesn’t involve soup!

Night all!

Happy Sunday All!  This weekend was such a whirlwind, but, in a good way.  We spent the weekend helping one of our friends do a house remodel to surprise his wife while she was out of town.  How awesome is that?!  I couldn’t exactly say anything in case she read BEFORE she got back home

I PLANNED FOR SUCCESS for our weekend by making sure we had a healthy breakfast & lunch with a cooler of snacks!  It totally worked because I still have over half my WPA remaining!  The Husband totally teased me about packing so many things but we ate them all since we worked til almost 11 PM on Saturday night!

TONIGHT’S POST is going to combine 3 things for you all:

1.  PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS of my food because I ate a lot of the same things, I picked just a few photos of my FAVORITE things that I ate this weekend.

2.  HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN HARVEST GRAIN MIX!  Several of you have asked me how to make the mix since you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you ~ I created the recipe, tested it out and it is AWESOME!

3.  MY WEEKLY MENU!

Here we go…….

#1 SATURDAY & SUNDAY FOOD HIGHLIGHTS ~ Insert additional fruit and raw veggies (I bought a veggie tray as snacks too!) If you want to know about any item, just ask in the comments below.

#2 HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN HARVEST GRAIN BLEND

As you all know, I absolutely LOVE this VEGAN 4 points+ Harvest Grain Salad.  I wish I could send each of you a bag so you could make it and love it too!

Since I know you all cannot get this delicious Harvest Grain Mix at Trader Joe’s, I decided to do the next best thing.

I broke down the ingredient list and created a HOMEMADE HARVEST GRAIN BLEND that you could make yourself to have this delicious salad whether or not you are near a Trader Joe’s.

Israeli Couscous is the MAIN INGREDIENT in the blend and you can find it in the pasta section next the couscous as your local grocery store.  I had some on hand from Trader Joe’s so I used what I had.

I was actually glad to see that the rosemary extract was included in the ingredient list.  Definitely not necessary but it was one less thing to think about

If you can find tri-color Orzo Pasta, then, use it for color.  After visiting 4 stores, I decided plain was good.

Red Quinoa, however, regular works fine if you cannot find red.

THE OPTIONAL INGREDIENT ~ Petite Orange or Yellow Lentils.  You want the kind that are dried and can cook in roughly 10 minutes.  I bought these out of the bulk bin at Whole Foods.  I LOVE the crunch of the baby garbanzo’s in the Harvest Blend and this was the closest I could find.  Honestly, you wouldn’t miss it, if you didn’t include these.

I measured everything out in two ways to make it easy for you to re-create the mix.

2 cups Israeli Couscous, approximately 8 oz

1/2 cup Orzo

1/4 cup Red Quinoa

1/3 cup Petite Orange Lentils

I combined everything above and put it on my food scale to see how close I was to getting to 16 oz. 

Since I was .5 oz short, I topped it off with a little extra Orzo to get to 16 oz.

I think it LOOKS so close to the original!  This recipe makes 1 entire bags worth of Harvest Grain Blend.  Store it in an air tight container for up to 3 months or cook it right away like me.

The ONLY ingredient that I use that I get at Trader Joe’s that I have not found a “real” comparison is the 21 Seasoning Salute.

My only recommendation for this is that it doesn’t matter a “ton” in the recipe as it’s just a few shakes.  I would say pick your favorite seasoning blend and add a few dashes or just omit it.

You would prepare My Harvest Grain Mix the same way you would make the Original Must Try Harvest Grain Salad.

Bring 1 3/4 cups Broth to a boil and add 1 1/4 cups of the Harvest Grain Mix.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

While the mix cooks, prep your toppings.

1/2 jar chopped marinated artichokes

1/2 jar chopped sun dried tomatoes, drained and rinsed (you can also used dried)

1/4 c white balsamic vinegar

Big Dashes of TJ’s 21 Spice Salute

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Chives

Remove from heat and add all the toppings.

Stir to combine and chill 1 hour.  It’s delicious hot or cold.  Makes 3 cups with the same stats (4 points+ per 1/2 cup)

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN HARVEST GRAIN SALAD WITH A HOMEMADE MIX

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz Israeli couscous
• 2/3 cup Orzo Pasta
• 1/4 cup Red Quinoa
• 1/3 cup Petite Orange or Yellow Lentils
• 1 1/3 cups Vegetable Broth
• 1/2 jar chopped marinated artichokes
• 1/2 jar chopped sun dried tomatoes, drained and rinsed (you can also used dried)
• 1/4 c white balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 Tbsps Chives
• Big Dashes of TJ’s 21 Spice Salute
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Combine Israeli Couscous through lentils in a medium bowl.  Stir well, measure out 1 1/4 cups and store remainder for use at another time.

2.  Bring chicken broth to a boil, add harvest mix, reduce heat, cover and simmer 8-10 minutes or until majority of the liquid is evaportated.

3.  Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.  Serve hot or chill for 1 hour and serve cold.

Makes 6 servings, 1/2 cup each, 4 points+ per serving

Nutritional information per serving, calculated using caloriecount.com

#3 MY WEEKLY MENU

* Grilled Fresh & Easy Healthy Sausages, Grilled Corn, Salad

* Bacon & Cheese Inside Out Turkey Burgers, Yucca Fries, Salad

* MM Sandwich, Adorned ~ Lightened Up with salad!

* Grilled Shrimp & Chickpea Salad

* CEiMB ~ Cinnamon Raisin Toast with Honey Walnut Spread!

* Lunches ~ Ruby Kale Salad with Citrus & Berries, Egg Salad Sandwiches

GIVEAWAYS!!

Last chance to enter to WIN A CASE OF REESE’S PB CUPS ~ Winner drawn tomorrow!

Q’s

What is on your menu this week?  Anything new, fun, or exciting?

Night all!

HAPPY WEEEKEND EVERYONE!!!  One of my FAVORITE readers asked me how I get my “egg whites” fluffy so I figured it would be a good time to do an Egg White Fluffy Tutorial…..they are so simple to make, protein packed and just 1 Points+

I like using Trader Joe’s 100% Liquid Egg Whites because I NEVER know what to do with all those yolks.

The COOLEST part of egg whites ~ 1/3 cup = 1 points+ and they are made with ONLY egg whites..

I start off by spraying a small ramekin dish with nonstick spray.

Measure out your 1/3 cup egg whites, add sea salt, black pepper and HOT SAUCE.

Depending on the power of your microwave, cook for 1 – 1 /12 minutes until cooked through and there is nothing slimy on top.  The microwave I used is 1,000 watts and I cook it for 1 minute, 15 seconds.

Place your plate on top and flip ~ Tadah!!! Instant poofy protein packed Egg White Fluffy.

Whenever you have eggs, you should have BACON!  Trader Joe’s 97% FF Turkey Bacon that is (2 Points+).  I added an orange (instead of juice) on the side. 

Can you believe my ENTIRE breakfast clocked in at only 3 points+ and kept me full for 4 hours?! Awesome!

Do you ever think that something will look super cool in your head, until you “pile it on a plate” and take a picture?

Ummm, that was today and I was so tired, I didn’t care…you all will understand. LOL

All I wanted for lunch was snacks so that is exactly what I had.

Trader Joe’s Social Crackers (8 for 3 points+)

TJ’s Sharp Cheddar Squares (4 for 4 points+)

Fruit Salad….Banana and cuties = ZERO!!!!

Then, I thought this Artichoke Jalapeno dip sounded good with carrots, but, it really wasn’t good at all.  I ate the carrots and left the dip saving myself 2 points+.

Life is too short to waste your points+ on foods that don’t taste good.

I had planned on cooking dinner for us tonight when we ended up having to help some friends out with moving their cars between towns.  On the way back, we stopped to have a “fiesta” at Vasquez Deli (my 2nd favorite Mexican Food Place).

The thing I LOVE the MOST about their tacos is their homemade tortillas.  I could probably just have them plop a stack of those in front of me and be content

I actually branched out from my usual Chicken Tacos and had 2 beef tacos for 12 points+.

We are hosting our VERY FIRST GIVEAWAY EVER on Friends for Weight Loss!  So, if you want to score some Weight Watchers loot, or more importantly, the COOLEST SERVING SPOONS EVER…head on over there now and enter!

I LOVED reading all of your favorite things to do on the weekend….I found myself nodding my head yes as I read them all.  I think overall ~ sleeping in and not having a schedule to go by wins! 

Q’s

Since it’s the weekend ~ If you were to win the $50 million in the LOTTO tomorrow, what is the FIRST thing you would do?

I’d like to think I’d be responsible you know and pay off our house, but, part of me would probably be inclined to say I’d book my next vacation and be on a plane travelling the next day ~ just sayin’!

Let the BIRTHDAY countdown begin

Night all!

We have 8 teenage nieces and nephews that I never know what to buy for.  I have pretty much come to the conclusion that they dig CASH & GIFT CARDS the most.  But, I hate giving just an envelope….it seems so impersonal.  This year I added my little touch by creating 2 types of individual cakes they can cook in a mug. 

I LOVE these mug cakes because they are truly versatile, single servings and you probably have everything on hand right now to make them.

Simple ~ put all the dry ingredients in “baggies”, include the instructions for what wet ingredients to add and you are done.

HONEY CRUMB CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

The Cake

1/3 cup any yellow cake mix

1 egg white

2 Tsp. vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. water

The Topping

2 Tsp. brown sugar

1 Tsp. finely chopped pecans

1/4 Tsp. cinnamon

1 Tsp. Rainbow Sprinkles, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Spray coffee mug with nonstick spray.

2. Mix together dry cake mix bag with 1 Egg White, 2 tsp oil and 1 Tbsp water.

3. Sprinkle crumb topping.

4. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.

Enjoy!

Makes 1 Mug Cake

***************************************************************************************************************************

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE

INGREDIENTS

3 packets or 9 Tbsp. hot chocolate powder mix

4 Tbsp. all purpose flour

1/2 Tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp Mini Chocolate Chips

1 Egg White

1 1/2 Tbsp. oil

2 Tbsp. Rainbow Chips, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Spray coffee mug with nonstick spray.

2. Mix together dry cake mix bag with 1 Egg White and 1 ½ tbsp. oil.

3. Sprinkle with rainbow chips.

4. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.

Enjoy!

Makes enough for TWO Mug Cakes

You can use regular baggies or be a tad bit dorky like me

All the dry ingredients you need for your very own Honey Crumb Cakes that you don’t have to share

Sprinkles are totally optional, but, I think it’s fun to add some color.

Cake mix in one bag, toppers in another.

I downloaded this Microsoft Word Snowman template to print my instructions on.

All the “dry ingredients” you need to make individual Triple Chocolate Mug Cakes.

I put my Cake Mixes in Coffee Mugs along with the printed instructions and their gift cards.

Simple, easy and totally a hit with everyone.

Q’s:

1. Have you ever made a Cake in a Mug?  If so, what kind.

I made a 3 minute Chocolate Cake once, but, that was my inspiration for these

One of the ingredients I ALWAYS have on hand is Organic Diced and Stewed Tomatoes. No Salt Added, Fire Roasted with Roasted Garlic and Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies are staples I use often in recipes.

I honestly never thought about making my own since they are fairly inexpensive to buy.  Recently I read an article that really shocked me about 7 things that should NEVER cross your lips….guess what ~ “CANNED TOMATO PRODUCTS” was one of them.  The reason ~ the acid in the tomatoes causes BPA to leach into your food. 

Their recommendation is to buy jarred tomato products only, but, for me this only seems to work for pizza and pasta sauces.  In fact, I am not sure I’ve ever seen diced tomatoes sold in a jar.

MY SOLUTION is to harvest Mr. Stripey and instead of making only salsa, whip up some Homemade Slow Cooker Stewed Tomatoes that I can freeze in “15 oz can” servings and pull out whenever needed.  I like being able to control what goes into my tomatoes and I think you will find that they are sweet enough on their own, no additional sugar is needed.

It is surprisingly easy and a little fun to make homemade stewed tomatoes.  The best part is after all the prep work is done, you simply turn your crockpot on and a few hours later they are done. 

HOMEMADE CROCKPOT STEWED TOMATOES

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs tomatoes, any variety

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

2 medium celery stalks, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Dried Italian Seasoning

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black peper

2 bay leaves

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Variations:

Add 1/2 cup chopped basil for Stewed Tomatoes with Basil

Add 2 4 oz cans of diced green chilies for Stewed Tomatoes with Diced Green Chilies

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Rinse tomatoes, core and slice off the bottom stem.  Add tomatoes to boiling water and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove to an ice bath for 1 minute to stop cooking.

2.  Remove tomato skins and roughly chop or cut into wedges.  Add tomatoes to your slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients.

3.  Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.  Serve as a side dish, add to your favorite recipes or freeze in individual “canned – think 15 oz or 28 oz ) servings for use in future recipes.

Makes one 28 oz batch of stewed tomatoes, approximately 4 cups

STEP-BY-STEP

You can use any variety of tomatoes ~ I used Mr. Stripey Heirloom tomatoes because it’s what we had in our garden.

Core your tomatoes by slicing out the stem and then slice off the bottom.

Meanwhile, add enough water to cover the tomatoes to a large stock pot and bring to a boil.

Once the water reaches a rolling boil, add your tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.

Prepare your “ice bath” and have it ready next to your boiling tomatoes.

Immediately scoop your tomatoes out of the boiling water and place in the ice batch to stop the cooking process.

After tomatoes have cooled, about 1 minute, remove from ice bath and place in a boil.

The peels should come right off.  DO NOT SKIP this step as you will end up with funky, hard peels in your stewed tomatoes.

They look so weird, but, kinda cool too when the tomatoes are peeled

Roughly chop the tomatoes or slice into wedges, whatever your preference.  You could leave them whole as well and just put them straight into your slow cooker.

Chop your celery, bell pepper, onion and garlic.

Add everything to the crockpot starting with the tomatoes.

Then, your chopped veggies.

Finishing with your spices ~ bay leaf, italian seasoning, sea salt and a black pepper.

Stir to combine and set your slow cooker to cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5 hours.

Tadah!!! Remove your Bay Leaves and you are done.  Homemade stewed tomatoes that can be frozen and used in all your favorite recipes that require diced or stewed tomatoes.  Think chili, soups, pasta sauces, salsas and more.

One benefit I never realized ~ the flavor of homemade diced stewed tomatoes is so much tastier than store bought.  I guess it’s that whole a tomato off the vine taste 10 x’s better than one bought at the store.

What is your favorite way to use extra tomatoes?  Mine used to be to make salsa, but, I  think this might be my new favorite thing.  Who knows, I may tackle tomato paste next

I am guest posting with some pumpkin-ney goodness over at Zesty Cook tomorrow.  Be sure to stop by and check it out if you want a little fall baking inspiration.

Night all!

I never used to like beets at all until I tried them roasted.  I know it’s obvious that FRESH beets should be better than canned beets, but, wow ~ what a HUGE difference it makes to have fresh, crunchy beets versus the soggy canned versions.  Roasting beets brings out their sweetness and I think gives them a tab bit of a nutty flavor.

This recipe was inspired by the BEST Beet & Orange Salad I’ve ever had at Mammarella’s.  They serve up HUGE beets with pistachios, mixed greens and a fantastic citrus dressing.  I always add a little grilled chicken for protein and it makes a complete meal.

Who knew that I could make a version at home that has FANTASTIC stats and is only 6 points a serving.  Roasting beets is really easy so I’ve included a How-To at the end of this recipe to show you all you do not have to be scared to make your own. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do

CARIBBEAN CITRUS & BEET SALAD

SALAD:

8 cups Organic Romaine Lettuce, chopped

2 beets, roasted and cut into cubes (one yellow & one red beet) ~ see below

2 oranges, segmented

4 Tbsp blueberries, optional

4 Tbsp shelled pistachios

1 lb chicken breast sprinkled with Mrs. Dash Caribbean Citrus Spice & Grilled, sliced

4 tsp shaved parmesan

DRESSING:

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp honey

1 orange, juiced, approximately 1/4 c

1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Roast your beets as noted below.  While your beets are roasting, grill your Caribbean Citrus Chicken and prepare all vegetables.

2.  Create 4 salads by layer your salad starting with 2 cups Romaine, 1/4 beets, 1/4 orange segments, 1 Tbsp pistachios and blueberries, 4 oz grilled chicken and ending with 1 Tbsp parmesan. 

3.  Drizzle each salad with 2 Tbsp dressing.  Enjoy!

Makes 4 LARGE salads

Approximate Nutritional information per salad, calculated using sparkrecipes.com:

Calories 310.4,  Total Fat 9.7 g, Saturated Fat 1.9 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 3.5 g, Monounsaturated Fat 3.6 g, Cholesterol 67.0 mg, Sodium 220.1 mg, Potassium 1,229.7 mg, Total Carbohydrate 24.6 g, Dietary Fiber ,7.8 g, Sugars 10.9 g, Protein 32.9 g

HOW TO ROAST BEETS

WHAT YOU NEED:

Beets, I used two large beets I picked up at Whole Foods

2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Sea Salt & Pepper, if desired

Foil

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and prepare a cookie sheet with a layer of foil or parchment paper.

1.  Rinse/scrub your beets to remove any residual dirt.  Trim  the stem and and the bottom so that it can stand up on its own.

2.  Place two layers of foil down and place your prepare beet on top.  Drizzle with 1 tsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

3.  Drizzle with 1 tsp balsamic vinegar.  Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper if desired.

4.  Wrap your beet up tightly in the foil to make sure it seals and will steam as it roasts.  Repeat this for your second beet.

5.  Place on your prepared cookie sheet and roast for 20-60 minutes depending on the size of your beets.  Since I had large beets, I roasted them for 60 minutes.  You should be able to poke with a fork and have it be soft yet crunchy.

6.  Allow your beets to cool then carefully unwrap them.  You may with to wear gloves for this next part.  Use a paper towel to rub the skin off the outside and it should come off fairly easily.

Perfectly roasted deliciousness!!!

7.  Slice your beets into circles and quarter.  They are awesome straight up or in salads such as the Caribbean Citrus and Beet Salad above.

  RED BEET!

Golden Beet!

All together with my FAVORITE new salad.  Super easy, right?

See, I think this salad totally deserves it’s own post, what do you think?

We both have the day off ~ woohoo!  I am hopefully doing a little blog catch up, taxes and having some fun too this weekend.  Off to enjoy the sunshine and maybe a movie!

Have a great Friday all!

One of my FAVORITE things about the Fall and Winter is SQUASH.  I LOVE all the different varieties that you can find at the market and have fun trying out different ways to bake, roast and cook them.  I think my FAVORITE method of eating any type of squash is by far Roasting it.  It’s quite simple and roasting just brings out all the sweet, nuttiness in the squash and makes it so tender it just melts in your mouth.  I think another reason I LOVE squash is that you serve it sweet like dessert, savory as a side or even use it as a healthier alternative to FRIES!

This is the first time I’ve used Kabocha Squash and I LOVED it.  The flavor reminds me of a cross between butternut squash and pumpkin.  Here are two easy methods for roasting squash plus a few variations to help you spice or sweeten it up.  Enjoy!

HOW TO ROAST SQUASH 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Kabocha Squash

2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sprinkles of Sea Salt ~ 1/4 tsp

Dashes of freshly ground pepper ~ 1/8 tsp

OPTIONAL VARIATIONS:

* You can make your squash sweeter by adding cinnamon, brown sugar and butter like this Brown Sugar Butter Acorn Squash.

* FRIES!!!  Butternut Squash Fries are an amazing alternative too!

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare a cookie sheet with foil and nonstick spray.

2.  Rinse the outside of your squash, slice in half and scoop out the seeds.   Slice your squash into pieces, think cantaloupe slices, leaving the skin on.

3.  Place squash slices onto prepared cookie sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

4.  Bake for 30 minutes, flipping your slices over once half way through.

Makes 2-4 servings, depending on how much squash you’d like to enjoy!

ENJOY!

STEP-BY-STEP:

Rinse and dry your squash to remove any residual dirt.

Slice in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.

You can roast your squash in two halves, just skip to step #3.  This method would be the preferred method if you are making the Brown Sugar Buttered Squash.

However, I prefer to roast them sliced because they are more fun to eat that way

Place your squash slices on your prepared cookie sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.

NOTE:  Any sea salt will work, however, I prefer to use a course salt that has a intense flavor like this Himalayan Pink Sea Salt.  You will be surprised how different it tastes from what you can pour out of a shaker ~ a little goes a long way  

Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, flipping half way through.

If you are brave, you eat the skin too, but, if you are like me, you leave the skin behind

This method works great for just about any squash, however, Kabocha and Acorn Squashes work best.

and Enjoy!

It is super easy and cheap to make your own ketchup. You can adjust the flavors and spicy to find a combination that works for you.  Here is the recipe that I used to make the Molasses Baked Beans that you will see posted next.

MAKE YOUR OWN KETCHUP

Source of Inspiration: The Eat-Clean Diet for Family & Kids Cookbook

INGREDIENTS:

1 can tomato paste

1/4 c water

2 Tbsp Sucanat or Raw Sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

2 Tbsp cider vinegar

Optional: A few dashes of your favorite hot sauce

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.  Store in a tightly sealed container and Enjoy!

I am sure several of you have made your own almond butter with great success. However, today I want to share with you one trick that makes your almond butter that much better! You only need two ingredients to make a fantastic homemade nut butter and honestly this works with ANY TYPE of nut you use.

Sea salt is optional ~ it all just depends on how you like your nut butter to taste. Start out by soaking your almonds in water for a couple of minutes while you preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Drain your almonds and sprinkle them on a cookie sheet that is covered in foil or parchment paper. Sprinkle with sea salt if using.

Now THIS is the SECRET step that makes your almond butter fantastic. Roast your almonds in the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Roasting brings out the nuttiness and makes the ALMOND flavor BOLD.

Allow your almonds to cool for about 15 minutes and add them to your Food Processor. I have never used a blender to make this so I am not sure if it would work with a blender.

Process until smooth ~ 8-10 minutes.

Here is SECRET #2 – if you LOVE flavored almond butters, at this point you would add 1-2 Tbsp’s of honey and/or Pure Maple Syrup. I would imagine you could even add 1/4 c melted chocolate chips with a few Tbsp’s of non melted chips when done.

Spoon your almond butter out of the processor and refrigerate ~ You are done!

Yields 1 lb of Almond Butter ~ 16 oz for only $4.99! ALOT cheaper than any jar you can buy.

For those who LOVE RAW NUT BUTTERS, simply skip the roasted process and add your salt/sweeteners if using as noted above. The RAW flavor version is just as amazing.

Today is the last day to enter the Big S Salsa Giveaway – Click HERE before it’s too late.

Do you have any favorite uses for Almond Butter?

Happy Friday all!! I am so pumped it’s Friday – not for any particular reason, just because It’s Friday!!! As promised, I have a super cool tip and video to show you how to make the perfect hard boiled egg. I hate it when the egg shell steals practically all your egg white while you try to peel it. If you follow this exact procedure, you will turn out with perfect hard boiled eggs and no shell attached everytime!

THE PERFECT HARD BOILED EGG

Instructions:

1. Cover the eggs with water ~ 2 inches to cover the eggs. Allow eggs to have a little room to move so do not cram too many into the pan.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda (this is the trick I learned from the video & it absolutely works!)
3. Bring the eggs to a gradual boil over medium high heat.
4. Once boiling, cover, removing from heat and set your timer for 13 minutes.
5. When the timer goes off, cool the eggs by running cold water over the eggs.

Now if you have some Eggsellant Talents – do the following.

* Crack the bottom (wide end) of the egg and remove a small piece
* Hold the egg in your hand and blow vigorously into the narrow end of the egg, which will expel it out the wide end

Here is a video to show you how it’s done! I have to know ~ Can any of you do this???

I served up my perfect hard boiled egg with 3 slices of TJ’s 97% fat free turkey bacon.

And a Greek Yogurt Parfait:

1 c fat free greek yogurt
2 Tbsp TJ’s LF Vanilla Granola
~ 1/4 c sliced organic strawberries

** COOL GREEK YOGURT tidbit I learned today from my Jump Start Book:

Ok – we all know Greek Yogurt is creamy because they strain off the Whey (yup – the stuff they make your protein shakes with.) But, here is the part I didn’t know. Greek Yogurt has so much more protein than regular yogurt because believe it or not, that Whey is mostly carbohydrates with very little protein. Who knew that about Whey and how do they make the Whey have more protein in Whey Protein powders….Hmmmmmm…..

Here is my new favorite way to have “bacon” and “eggs” together with some 1/2 caf coffee.

If eggs & bacon are not your thing, Be sure to check out this super cool Holey Donut Giveaway!! They look so good, I’d LOVE to win!

Be sure to comment and show off if you know how to do that fancy egg trick.

Have a fantabulous Friday all! See you for lunch – I can’t wait for it!