Juicing...Day 1

Started off the day with the Pre-Workout Rush

2 Peeled Kiwi's...4 Pieces of Kale...1/2 Lime...2 Apples...6 large Strawberries

This was a lovely green mixture and actually tasted great.  Loaded with fruit = sugar, good way to start off!!

2nd juice of the day was Orange Broccoli 

4 carrots...2 apples...1 broccoli spear 

This was orange, very interesting, not as good at Juice 1 but still not as bad as I was expecting.

3rd Juice of the day was Mineralizer with a Zing

1 bunch of kale...4 carrots...1/2 a cucumber...2 stalks celery...1 apple...1 lemon

Again Orange, and not so bad!  The carrots and apples keep things sweet!

Overall- I did it for a day, I am still alive, the juice isn't as bad as I was expecting going into this, certainly no where near a juicy cheeseburger but I am focused on my goal!  For dinner I did have a salad with some chicken because I was feeling light headed which is apparently normal.  I do feel a bit refreshed but today kinda tired, I guess that's what happens when you cuz your calorie in take in at least half.

YES I can cook!!

First off to all of you who cook, prepare, grocery shop, have all these dishes ready all at the same time, all while hosting a bunch of people for Thanksgiving Dinner- you deserve a trophy.  While hosting an entire holiday dinner is on my "Gotta See, Gotta Do" life list I can't imagine having all of those dishes ready at the same time, much less getting all of the ingredients for everything to be perfect.  So again props to the betty homemakers of the world!!

This year, since I wasn't drinking we didn't get away with just bringing wine to dinner.  Patty emailed me last weekend, "Brookie, do you know how to cook?  Can you bring a side?"  Well of course I can cook, or at least was willing to give it a try haha :)  But for Thanksgiving dinner, this was nerve racking, I had some of the main side dishes, didn't want to f it up!!  Anywho, everything was a success, recipes below:

Green Bean Casserole

(From the Kitchen of Patty Vinall)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter divided

2 tsp flour

1/4 tsp pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tsp grated onion

1 pint sour cream

1/2 pound swiss cheese, grated

2 16 oz can green beans, french style

Directions:

Melt 2 tsp butter.  Stir in flour, salt, pepper, sugar, onion.  cook.  Add Sour Cream until thick.  Stir in cheese until melted.  Pour on top of drained beans and top with crackers or durkee onions.  topr with rest of butter.  Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

Jello Pretzel Surprise ~ A Family Favorite

(From the Kitchen of Jennifer Blankenship)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup this pretzels (crushed) - Very easy to crush with the chopper from Tupperware

3 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 stick margarine

1 (8 0z) cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1 8 oz cool whip

1 6 oz box strawberry gelatin
1 3/4 cup boiling water

1 qt. frozen strawberries - these come in little containers - get sliced with sugar

Directions:

in 9 x 13 dish cream together margarine and 3 tbsp sugar, add pretzels - then spread on bottom of glass baking dish.  bake 325 for 19 minutes.  let cool completely.

Mix Cream Cheese and 1 cup sugar together throroughly.  Add Cool Whip to mixutre and spread on a colled crust

Mix Gelatin with 1 and 3/4 boiling water.  Add Frozen strawberries to mixture.  Stir Thoroughly.  When this mixture begins to congeal, place on top of the cheese topping mixture and let congeal all way.

And just because I was in the mood to Bake as well....

Pumpkin Bread

(from the Kitchen of Kelly Facer)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Cups of Sugar

1 Cup of Salad Oil

4 Eggs Beaten

1 LB Can of Pumpkin

3 1/2 Cups of Flour

1Tsp of Baking Powder

2 Tsp of Baking Soda

1/2 tsp of Ground Cloves

1 Tsp of Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice

2/3 cups of Water

Directions:

Combine Sugar, Oil, and Eggs.  Add Pumpkin, Sift dry ingredients, and gradually add to mixture.  Gradually add water.

Bake in a greased loaf pan, 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This year I am going to try and make some different apps and fun fall food for football season!!  I have all these cool new instruments from tupperware and pampered chef, time to get to work in the kitchen!!

To kick off the college football season, I went with Buffalo Chicken Dip from the kitchen of Theresa Hoopingarner.  This dip was a huge HIT and was super delicious!!!

Ingredients:

-2 packages of the all ready cooked Perdue chicken strips
-(2) 8 oz packages of cream cheese (softened)
-1/2 cup of ranch dressing
-1/2 cup of blue cheese dressing
-3/4 cup franks red hot sauce
-1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

optional: celery and chicken flavored crackers to dip with

Directions:

1. chop chicken strips finely
2. heat chicken and hot sauce in large skillet over medium heat, until heated through
3. in separate bowl stir cream cheese and dressings, then pour onto skillet 

4. stir until well blended and warm

 

5. mix in half of the cheese and transfer the dip to a crock pot/slow cooker
6. sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover and cook on low until hot and bubbly

Optional cooking method:

place dip in baking dish and cook in oven at 325 until hot and bubbly

A Taste of Summer

Day light savings, nice weather, a 5 mile jog/walk outside with the doggies, and some excellent sales at the Teet all led us to our very first cookout of the year!!

For the main course we mad two dishes...delicious steaks which marinated for multiple hours and also a mixture of shrimp, orange and yellow bell pepper, and a lot of onions....served over wheat rice...this was a first for us and it turned out magnifico!!!

Grilled Sweet Potato fries are quickly becoming our favorite side item.  Before grilling we mix them and let them sit in a bag with some olive oil, honey, and brown sugar!!  mmmmm soooo tasty!!

And for dessert, a very colorful fruit salad...Now if this doesn't scream summer time I am not sure what does!!!

And to top off the night we had a fun and entertaining evening with the Freudiger's.  A very competitive game of Taboo, funny stories, and a very weird alien movie made for a perfect relaxing and healthy night!!

Hunter and Rocco photo sesh, TWINSIES :)

Recipes

All of the food Saturday night was amazing, here are the recipes as promised:

From the kitchen of Julia Wiggins:

Basil Butter

8 oz. cream cheese room temperature
1/4 c. butter                  "            "
1/2 c. fresh lightly chopped fresh basil
1/4 c. pecans or walnuts chopped
1 T. white wine vinegar...cider v. works too
1 T. sour cream....helps to keep freshness
1/4 t. each garlic salt and onion salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4t. cayenne pepper
2 fresh cloves garlic minced

Process and chill at least 1 hour before serving.  Serve on crackers or french bread rounds with a slice of tomato or halved cherry tomatoes.  The tomatoes really make this as does the fresh garlic!  EnjoyOn Dec 20, 2010, at 4:04 PM.

From the Kitchen of Julie Robins:

Beef Tenderloin

Marinade for 2 full days:
The marinade was white wine, soy sauce, lots of garlic, and a stick of butter.