Tag Archives: cheese

Baby Back, Baby Back, Baby Back

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Yesterday we got our baby back!

It was exciting and eventful.  Webster gets carsick but we figured he would be good for running a few errands in the car after we picked him up from boarding.  Nope!  As we pulled up to our final stop he projectile vomited all over the laundry Adam had in the backseat.

I hopped out and walked him the rest of the way and he felt fine by the time we got home.  He wasn’t too keen on the bath that followed though.

He is adorably pitiful when wet!

Yesterday brought another homecoming as well.

Uggggggh!  I’m back in retainers full-time for the next 9 weeks.  It’s going to suck, but at the end I should be officially done with day-time wearing.  I didn’t blog yesterday because I was eating mushy things (plus lots of pizza!).

I kept breakfast soft today too.

Coffee with Silk Vanilla Almond Milk.

And berry banana soft serf.

I food-processed 1 large frozen banana with 1/2 cup each fresh blueberries and raspberries.  It was perfectly tart and sweet.

I was online while I ate.  I randomly freaked out about room availability for a conference I’m attending in October and booked a motel.  Between pricing, checking distances, and coordinating with friends it took up my whole morning.

I did squeeze in a “something is better than nothing” workout.  20 minutes on the elliptical at level 8 random.

Do I look professional?

The afternoon was spent on interviews for both school and job things.  Cross your fingers for me please?

I scheduled my appointments with room to spare so I killed time in between at The Spot with a large cold-pressed coffee with skim milk.

For today, this was one coffee too many; I’ve felt sick to my stomach ever since.

We are leaving for vacation on Thursday so I had to buy a few travel-sized items this evening.  Then I came home to an easy dinner.

Roasted green beans.

I used frozen instead of fresh this time and these weren’t very good.  I ended up having to add a side of french dressing (unphotographed) for dipping.

Plus cold pizza, x2.

Pro tip- Pizza Hut has really good deals on Monday nights.  Yesterday we spent $25 on four cheese pizzas.  I put them in the fridge to cool and then portioned slices into freezer baggies (wrapped in foil for extra protection).  Now we are stocked up on cheap frozen meals.  I also bought tons of fresh berries on super-sale that are waiting to be bagged.

How often do you buy food with intent to freeze it for later?  Any items that you think freeze great/not so well?

The Last Three Days

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The last three days have been great. Summer school is over! I’m a senior! (again!) We went to Ohio! Yep, I wasn’t blogging because the summer of weekend fun has officially begun. Let’s back up to Friday morning first.

I stayed up late on Thursday (Adam was studying and I was doing nothing) so waking up was rough. Somehow I did manage to get out of bed and make it to the gym. And then I did strength training! I walked on the treadmill for 7 minutes to warm up and then spent 30 minutes rotating though a cycle of strength machines plus stretch moves on the mat.

Since I actually did weights work it seemed like the perfect time for the Honey Core Power protein drink I bought on sale.

It was fine, not great, but 26 grams of protein in a few minutes is nothing to sneeze at.

To celebrate our last day, our teacher brought in garden chili.

I had a bowl topped with cheddar,

and another glass of lemon sweet tea.

When the day was over a few friends and I celebrated on our own. First we grabbed the dog,

and then we walked to Dolci,

for bourbon cinnamon gelato.

Eeeeee, this tasted so good! The cinnamon was pretty subdued and it had the best texture, almost airy.

Then Adam and I were in the car for weekend #1 of summer fun.

I packed us leftovers for dinner.

Buffalo Chicken Baked Pasta.

We both agreed that this dish is one of best things I make.

Saturday morning I managed to sleep until 11:30 …on the living room floor …while people screamed at the top of their lungs playing Battleship! Tired much?

For lunch I did my best to pick and choose a meal from McDonald’s.

Two packs of apple slices,

and a fruit and yogurt parfait.

Plus a (mini) S’more Monster Cookie for dessert.

I thing I like these cookies even better when they are regular sized.

We spent the afternoon at our niece’s dance recital. There were kids of all ages, including a class of three-year olds twirling around in giant tutus. And now my ovaries hurt!

Dinner was re-dic-u-lous.

Salad with honey mustard dressing.

French fries. With butter for the …

Crab legs!

All you could eat. Apparently I could eat five clusters. And then I was very, very full.

Though not too full for candy at the movies a few hours later.

We saw Prometheus and I do not recommend it. The “Alien” nerds on all of the forums were right, the characters are dumb and I didn’t care what happened to them.

The parents made us all breakfast this morning before we had to hit the road. I had a glass of skim milk,

and a pancake (with butter and syrup) and fresh fruit.

The opposite of fresh, Adam and I snacked on this cookies and cream Chex Mix on the road.

I ate ~2 serving’s worth.

We had to stop at the mall on the way home to get the husband new sandals so we got froyo too.

I got a tiny bit of tart yogurt with tons of fruit and popping boba.

We we’ve been home about an hour and I’ve already eaten two of the Hawaiian rolls that Adam brought home.

Clearly it’s time to rustle up dinner!  See ya tomorrow.

Peanut Butter Cheddar Pupsicles

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This post has gone to the dogs!

Calm down, Cheech, I know you’re hungry.

Hey, over here!

There we go.

My dog, like all dogs, loves peanut butter.  My dog also, like all German dogs, gets hot quickly in warm weather.  These factors mean that he is a big fan of Purina’s Frosty Paws frozen dog treats.  He gleeked out over them but my wallet wasn’t as excited; those things aren’t cheap.  And because dachshunds are prone to back troubles with weight gain the large serving size means he can only have them as an occasional treat.  Plus, Webster is not a one-note dog, he likes cheese too!

Since I love the dog almost as much as he loves peanut butter, I set out to make a treat that works for both us.

These Pupsicles are full of protein from his favorites – cheese and peanut butter – and made with low-fat yogurt that is good for his tummy.  They are cheap and easy to make and the smaller size means I can treat him more often, which makes us both happy.

Peanut Butter Cheddar Pupsicles; yields 20 frozen treats

  • 4 oz sharp white cheddar
  • 2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  1. Cut the cheese into fourths and use a food processor to crumble it.  (You can probably make these in the blender, just shred your cheese first.)
  2. Add yogurt and peanut butter to the bowl and process until well-combined.
  3. Spoon the mixture into clean ice-cube trays and freeze until solid.

Note – I based this recipe off of similar ones that I know have been vetted (ha!) by the AKC.  Please ask your vet what foods are appropriate for the breed before giving your dog any new foods.

Cows, Elephants, And Buffalo

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After two days of waking up before 6 am, today’s 7 o’clock alarm felt like a breeze.  That’s a lie, but I did manage to get out of bed and go for a run.

2 minutes running/ 3 walking, x 11 (plus a little extra to finish the loop) for 4.8 miles and 56 minutes.

I brought 20 oz of water with Lemon Lime Gu Electrolyte Brew with me on my run.

I didn’t fuel so well for breakfast. There was no time to pack any proper meals for school but the endorphins were worth it.  Running (and run/walking!) puts me on cloud nine.

Psst, Mom – I wore the sweet flowered top that you got me over a t-back tank and it was cute and didn’t look dorky like you told me pairing it with a t-shirt did.

Self photos are hard, self outfit photos are almost impossible.

For “breakfast” (quotes because this was not enough food but it was the only thing I managed to grab and I drank it at breakfast time) I had a Sneaky Pete’s Apples Away.

The SP’s were on sale at Wegman’s and looked interesting, so I took a chance and was rewarded.  The flavor was mild – just a little apple and no oat – and I liked the slightly thick texture.  For 40 calories it was packing 3 grams of fiber.  I would definitely drink one again.

Lunch featured apple as well, in juicy Pink Lady form.

I also packed a cucumber with two Laughing Cow Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese wedges.

Trying to prep that with a plastic butter knife was a little messy but the flavors were delicious.

I also bought a doppio espresso, with vanilla sugar and lots of skim milk.

The vanilla sugar at the cafe at my school is ridiculous good.  The spot is just a Barnes and Noble Starbucks but the vanilla powder is so much better than the stuff you see at the “real” Starbucks; it has little flecks of vanilla bean!

Speaking of tasty beverages… I poured myself a beer when I got home this afternoon.

Tusker (a Lager brewed in Kenya) is in my “top 3” list for favorite beers.

Dinner was an old favorite too.

My Buffalo Chicken Baked Pasta recipe page was updated.

Buffalo Chicken Baked Pasta, serves 4

  • 8 oz rotini pasta
  • 8 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1 T butter
  • 1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts; chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • ½ cup plus ¼ cup buffalo wing sauce
  • 8 oz 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese
  • ¼ cup blue cheese dressing
  • ¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Farenheit.  Set up your colander or strainer in the sink and put the raw spinach inside.
  2. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions.  Pour cooked pasta over the spinach (the heat will “cook” it) and return pasta and spinach to the cooled pot when all of the water has drained off.
  3. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add chicken to the pan and cook until done, about 4 – 6 minutes on each side.
  4. Add ¼ cup buffalo wing sauce to the chicken and cook 1 more minute.  Remove chicken from pan to the pot with the pasta and spinach and reduce heat to medium-low.
  5. Combine cream cheese, blue cheese dressing, and remaining ½ cup buffalo wing sauce in the pan.  Heat until melted, 3 – 5 minutes.
  6. Remove pan from heat and pour sauce over the pasta.  Stir until all ingredients are well-combined.
  7. Pour the pasta mixture into an 8×8 inch casserole dish.  Top evenly with the shredded cheddar.  Bake 8 – 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and browned.

It is spicy, creamy, cheesy, and even a little bit healthy.

The rest of my evening includes a walk with the dog and hopefully some polishing time with the “Minted” I’ve been eyeing all week.

I hope everyone enjoyed the official first day of summer!

I know it’s like trying pick a favorite child, but if you had to choose – Buffalo sauce or Sriracha?

Father’s Day

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Did everyone have a happy end to their weekend?  Things have been quiet around these parts, mostly because the husband caught a summer cold.  Poor boy!

I did get up at 6 am to start my book club recipe but then I spent half the day napping to make up for it.  And we did start our second morning (at 10am!) with a quick Fur-Fathers’ Day walk.

I love those guys.

The tree outside of our house is sprouting cherries!!!!

Would it be crazy to eat them?

Brunch was a veggie scramble.  I cooked chopped poblano and broccoli into four eggs (split between the two of us).

Plain yogurt and creamy mushroom soup were also in the mix.

I rounded out my meal with some tasting as I spent my afternoon in the kitchen.  A puppy treat and a people treat were made and I’ll be sharing the recipes this week.

I’m not feeling so hot either and cooking was basically my only accomplishment this weekend.  I spent half my day moping because I’m just so tired of myself.  It would have been too flipping easy to get my stuff done in advance and instead I’m waking up early tomorrow to plough through things last-minute.

We had salads in the afternoon.

Romaine topped with 2 Tbsp of Wegman’s peanut sauce and 1 Tbsp each buckwheat groats, tamari almonds, flax, and white cheddar.

It was really good.

I stocked Adam up with leftovers and I ate dinner at book club.

We didn’t actually read a book this month but it was good to get together and talk (and eat!)

I had bruschetta, cheesy artichoke dip, and strawberry guacamole with blue chips.

A small glass of wine.

Roasted veggie enchillada.

And (messy, tasty) pie.

(Recipe’s coming by Tuesday)

P.S. I love you Daddy!!

Friday Eats

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Here is how my day was on the food front.  You can probably guess how my good decision-making went, the 2am post is a giant clue.  Netflixing old episodes of “Scrubs” was genius!

Bar for breakfast.

The Peanut Crunch Zone Perfect Bar was my last flavor to try from the Perfectly Simple line.  This flavor was my favorite.  The texture reminded me of a crumbly oatmeal cookie!  And I liked the fact that the flavor was peanut butter-y without being too overwhelming; sometimes peanut flavored bars make you need a drink.

Coffee with skim milk and Irish cream syrup.

Lunch was a slice of buffalo chicken pizza.

And a mini ice cream.

And dinner was a bowl of casserole leftovers.

I added a drizzle of evoo and 1.5 oz of sharp cheddar to the mix and the dish was much improved.

With several spoonfuls from a fresh Biscoff spread for dessert.

And a side of tv reruns!

So. Much. Coffee.

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The week’s almost over!  Last night we did indeed walk the dog straight to snacks.

A diet pop and a York Peppermint Patty for me.

The three of us sat on the couch and watched “Solitary.”  I discovered the show and watched the first season on my own and now that we’re on season 2 I’m sad to say that my opinion is going downhill.  For such a big committment and such a tiny prize ($50,000 for the winner) I feel like the challenges should focus on resilience and conviction.  Now that they are becoming fitness competitions I’m losing interest.

I’m not sure why Adam found it necessary to take an hour-long shower after we stayed up late watching tv, but when the alarm went off at 6:00 this morning I wanted to punch him in the face.  I basically guzzled caffeine all day and then he brought me home pizza so we’re okay now!

Coffee count – #1: A medium iced coffee with french vanilla creamer for funsies.

#2/3: A small coffee with chocolate milk, x2.

#4: A Medium coffee with skim milk and three sugars.

I spent most of my day peeing and I’m still twitching.  Worth it.  Apparently I like my drinks sweet in the summer; I’m going to have to watch that habit.

Pre-coffee I did get in a workout. 30 minutes on the elliptical at random level 6.  Plus arm strength moves on the machines.

For breakfast I had the last bit of spicy chicken and rice.

Lunch was from the dining hall again.  Spicy tofu with sautéed peppers and onions plus broccoli cooked with cherry tomatoes.

I thought the food was good and most of the students I surveyed agreed with me.  Part of my summer school assignment was supposed to be analyzing patient surveys about hospital tray service.  I had to tweak the survey form a little bit to make it fit, but the same general ideas about food temperature and serving size applied.

When I got home in the afternoon I ate my slice of husband-delivered cheese pizza.

He only has a few more shifts at the hospital with the great cafeteria so I’ll take advantage while I can.

Our dinner casserole was assembled yesterday and all we had to do today was bake, easy peasy.

In the dish (the casserole dish!) was –

  • 4 cups cooked brown rice
  • 8 cups raw baby spinach
  • 2 cups roasted broccoli
  • 1 poblano pepper, diced
  • 1 lb tempeh, roughly chopped
  • 3 cups Imagine Creamy Portobello Mushroom Soup
  • (1 cup crushed Monterey Jack Cheez-Its)

Mix.  Put in a 13×9 casserole dish.  Sprinkle with crushed Cheez-Its.  Bake 25 minutes at 400*.  Serves 6.

On my new plate.

It was closer to healthy than tasty, but it worked.

With a handful of candy-coated sunflower seeds for dessert.

Have you watched/heard of “Solitary” yet?

Lunch In The Cafeteria

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Hello, again!  Long time no see; or at least it has felt long to me.  There is some stuff going on that has made it in my best professional interest to skip posting, so that’s where I was the past two days.  I obviously can’t share but I promise you’re not missing anything too juicy.  And now I can come back!

This week of summer school we are observing institutional food-service operations.  I’m at the campus dining hall and I’m loving it!  Everyone else is at a health care organization and I was worried about doing something different, but I ended up exactly where I’m supposed to be.  Everything I’ve experienced so far has been amazing and today I basically walked around with my mouth hanging open.  I’ll admit that my expectations were not very high but I’ve actually been beyond impressed.  I went into dietetics more excited about clinical work than food-service and this experience is totally challenging my previous ideas.

Breakfast was eaten on my walk to school.

ZonePerfect recently sent me a sample of their Perfectly Simple line.

Tagline – “A few wholesome ingredients. 10 grams of protein. What could be simpler?”  Sounds good to me!

Unfortunately when I tried the Cranberry Almond flavor earlier this week I ended up throwing it out after just one bite.  The cranberry flavor was too strong for me; but I hate cranberries, so if you’re a fan of them this might be a plus for you.  I didn’t have high hopes for Toasted Coconut but I ended up quite liking it.

I wouldn’t call the ingredient list “natural” but it was nice and short.  The date paste wasn’t hidden but the bar didn’t have the same flavor or stickiness of a Larabar either.  The toasted coconut was tasty.  For 200 calories this was pretty filling (thank you, 10 grams of protein).

I also had a coffee with skim milk on campus.

I’ve always loved the fact that our food court has a Spot Coffee and I learned more about that relationship today.

Lunch was eaten in the cafeteria.  A Zucchini and Squash Blend with Vegetable Egg Frittata.

Plus a skim milk/chocolate milk mix over ice.

I’ve so missed the milk machine from my days of undergrad at UM!

My meal was delicious, by the way.  The food service department here does a really amazing job of using tons of local sourced produce, dairy, and eggs.  Plus they only buy cage-free eggs and antibiotic-free meat.

When I got home in the afternoon I snacked on small bowls of leftovers.

Rice with spicy chicken.  Followed by the last small serving of Tex-mex chicken soup.

I am so sad to see this go!  Especially because Adam said not to save the recipe because it was too spicy for him.

Dinner was pretty similar to my snacks, but Indian.

I topped brown rice and roasted eggplant with a serving of Kohinoor India on a Platter Paneer Butter Masala.

This stuff was fabulous!  My roasted eggplant wasn’t very good (I baked it in Worcestershire sauce and honey and it ended up spicy and chewy) but the sauce was totally able to carry it.

It’s close to bedtime but we are going to walk the dog and we may get some chocolate!