Refocus on Food & Fitness Day 3
(and back to work after the New Year Day 1 - Meh!)

Yesterday my head felt clear and my spirits soared, while today I woke up feeling groggy and so not in the mood to tackle the day ahead.  Go figure.  Fortunately it subsided and by noon I was back to feeling like my usual sunny self.  However, that too subsided after a kitten fight with Darin.  Adding insult to injury was the text I received from the Narcissist, who by the way STILL owes me money, about an hour or so after.  My ruffled feathers didnt straighten until approximately 4:30pm, which also happened to be when I bounced out of my office and headed straight for the gym.  With my fitbit indicating a mere 2372 steps for the day thus far I was ready to work it out like no other.... and thats exactly what I did!   I left the gym nearing my goal of 10,000 (woot woot!) and feeling the best I'd felt all day.  By the time I arrived home, I was famished.  I hit the kitchen and promptly made a hearty dinner.  Mmmmmmm, so good!!

Hope you all had a great monday and positive vibes for a fantastic week ahead!  I have a standard week lined up, + a hair appointment on friday and a meditation saturday morning in NYC that I am really looking forward to.  I'm hoping to post again mid-week and then again after the weekend.  Until then, I'm off like a prom dress!

1 small granny smith apple, peeled and shredded
1 Tbs Coconut Nectar
1 cup Coconut Milk (So Delicious, Sugar Free preferred)
1 Tbs Chia Seeds
1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Gluten Free Rolled Oats
2 Tbs Currants, soaked overnight
Apple Pie Spice, to taste

Peel and then shred the apple, placing apple shreds in a small container.  Add coconut nectar (or sweetner of choice) and pie spice (to taste).  Add oats, chia seeds, coconut milk, and stir.  Cover and place in fridge overnight.  Prior to eating in the morning, stir in currants and a splash of coconut milk (or water).  Stir and enjoy!

Cranberry Beans in the Slow Cooker

1 1/2 cup cranberry beans, soaked overnight
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, paste
Water, as needed to almost cover beans in crock

In a 2 quart slow cooker, combine all ingredients and stir to combine.  Cook on high 4 hours and reduce to low until beans are tender.  Once cooked, scoop bean mixture out of the crock with a slotted spoon. 


For the Salad

1 Hearts Romaine, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 chunk red onion, chopped
1 handful grape tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cucumber. chopped
1 Tbs green olives w/ jalapeno's, chopped
1/4 cup Daiya Cheddar Shreds

Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl and heat up cranberry beans.  Once beans are heated, mix into the salad and top with salsa if desired.  Enjoy!  

1 medium zucchini
2 heaping Tbs breadcrumbs
2 heaping Tbs nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp basil
1/2 recipe tempeh not meat (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 400F.  Spray a small baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Slice ends off zucchini.  Cut zucchini down the middle lengthwise.  Use a small spoon to remove zucchini seeds and pulp and hollow out zucchini leaving a well to place the filling in.   

In a small bowl combine breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast.  Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange zucchini boats in the baking dish.  Spoon half of the nutritional yeast/breadcrumb mix into the zucchini, then fill with tempeh (not meat) sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining nutritional yeats/breadcrumb mixture.  Bake at 400F for 30 minutes or until zucchini is tender and breadcrumb mixture is lightly browned. 

Tempeh (Not Meat) Sauce:

1 package diced tempeh (I used Garden Veggie)
1 bell pepper, diced  
1 large chunk red onion, diced
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 Tbs Italian Seasoning Blend
1 22oz can crushed tomatoes with basil
Salt and pepper

Generously spray a small pan and heat over medium heat.  Cook diced tempeh until it starts to brown.  Add garlic, onion, and bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning blend, and salt and pepper (to taste). Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered 20 minutes.

For Grace, who passed away 30 years ago!

Spicy Black Bean Soup
I used my 2 quart crockpot for this recipe

1 1/4 cup dry black beans, soaked o/n
1 1/4 cup bell peppers, sliced
2 cups vegetable broth
1 jalapeno, seeded & diced
1 chunk red onion, diced
1 tsp garlic, minced

1/2 Tbs chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Soak black beans overnight.  Drain black beans, rinse, and place in crock with remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.  Cover and cook on high 4 hours. Reduce heat to low, and continue cooking an additional 2 hours, or until you are ready to eat.

It was delicious, and went perfectly with the gluten free flat bread I made earlier in the day, using a blend of brown rice flour, sorgham flour, tapioca starch, almond meal, and guar gum.  Mmmmmm!   Mmmmmm!   Mmmmmmm!

I also enjoyed a Vegan Greek Salad from 3 Brothers Pizza (and I am in the process of making my own tofu feta cheese as I type this post!!).  I'm happily stuffed and ready to kick back with the herd for the remainder of this delightful day!  Even more delightful is that I am off tomorrow and have plans to see the Muppets this week (finally!).

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and holiday.  I spent some time with family for the Christmas holiday as that is what they observe, but I also celebrated Winter Solstice, first attending a ceremony in NYC on December 21st and then doing my own celebrations until the December 23rd.  Speaking of december 23rd, I was a bit of a hazard that day in that I burned my left hand rather badly on a scalding hot cast iron skillet and then proceeded to fall down the steps after tripping my camouflage *chuckles* lunch bag!  I took both unfortunate events (as well as my suffering bank account and the days overall poor tone) as a sign to stay in that night.  It proved to be the right decision and I slept rather well.  But anywho, it's time for me to dash off so on a final note, no holiday is complete without my all time favorite movie from back when I was a young lass, thus I leave off with this: 

Slow Cooker Veggie Lentil Soup
My first ever lentil soup.  I thought it was delicious but heavy on the thyme.  Mom said it was perfect.  
 
1 cup lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 medium zucchini, peeled, sliced and halved
1 medium carrot, peeled, sliced and halved
1 large stalk celery, sliced
1/4 medium red onion, diced
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

1 (32oz) container Trader Joes Hearty Vegetable Broth

2 qt slow cooker

Place first 10 ingredients into your slow cooker.  Pour broth on top of ingredients until almost full (you should still be able to stir without making a mess).  Cover and cook on high 4 - 6 hours, or until vegetables and lentils are tender. 

Enjoy!

Red Onion & Pear Gratin
Adapted from Eating Well

1 small red onion, cut into wedges
2 ripe Bosc pears, cored and sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/3 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs
2 heaping Tbs Nutritional Yeast

Fill a large bowl three-quarters full with water; add a handful of ice cubes. Cut onion into wedges, place in a strainer and lower into the water. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Halve and core each pear; cut each half into equal slices. Drain the onion wedges well and place in bowl.  Add pears to the bowl along with 1/2 tablespoon oil, thyme, salt and a grinding of pepper; toss to combine. Pour into an 8 x 8 baking dish, cover with foil, and roast for 30 minutes, stirring twice.

Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast in a small bowl. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil; stir to combine. Remove the baking dish from the oven, sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the pear onion mix, and return the dish to the oven and roast until the breadcrumbs are well browned (approx 20 more minutes).  Remove the dish from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Spinach & Grape Salad w/ Spicy Sweet Mustard Dressing
Adapted from Addicted to Veggies 

For the salad:
3 cups Baby Spinach, not packed
1 cup mix of red & green grapes, sliced in half
1/4 chunk small red onion, chopped small
1/2 cucumber, sliced and quartered

For the dressing:
2 tsp mustard of choice
2 tsp fat free nayonnaise
1 tsp raw local honey
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Water, optional, till desired consistency is reached

Place salad ingredients in a bowl and toss to mix.  Mix dressing ingredients in a small glass and pour over salad ingredients.  Mix until well combine.  Enjoy! 

Zucchini, Onion, & One Pepper Stew
This recipe is the result of needing to use up a few vegetables that I found in the back of the fridge.   That said, the following measurements are all estimates as I just threw a bunch stuff into the crock and ultimately hoped for the best.  It came out amazing, thus me posting it.

1 Tbs olive oil
1 bell pepper, chopped small
1/2 large onion, chopped small
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ground McCormick Italian Herb Blend
Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste
Fresh Ground Salt, to taste

1 Heaping Tbs Tomato Paste + enough water to make a saucy pourable consistency

2 qt slow cooker

Place first 9 ingredients into your slow cooker.  Mix tomatoe paste with water and pour into the slow cooker.  Stir to combine, adding more paste + water if needed.  Cover and cook on low 4 hours (or on high 2 hours) until vegetables are tender. 

Enjoy!

I lied. 

It's not chicken (It's mock chicken!).  And it's not vegan (It's vegetarian!) 

(And yes that's yellow squash not zucchini, but that's only because the picture is of the leftovers I took for lunch.  I forgot to snap a photo before dinner and didn't have another zucchini). 

I apologize for trying to deceive you.  I shouldn't have (but yeah, it might happen again).  The only reason I did it was because slow cooker chicken cacciatore sounded so much better than slow cooker mock chicken....or not chicken....and if I wrote chik'n it would have been a dead give away and possibly deterred people from giving the recipe a chance. 

I'm sorry.

Do you forgive me?

I promise this dish is delicious (and naturally gluten free!).  And I promise that I am not lying about that - If it sucked I wouldnt have bothered posting!

Try it.

And tell me what you think :-)

1 1/2 cups quorn chik chunks
1 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onions, chopped
1 can petite tomatoes, low sodium drained
1 Tbs tomato paste
4 oz. water
3 oz. red wine
2 Tbs fresh ground italian seasoning
1 green pepper, chopped

1 zucchini or yellow squash, spiralized (keep raw or blanche)

Wash and prep veggies as instructed above.

Add all ingredients (EXCEPT the zucchini or yellow squash) to slow cooker (I used a 2qt) and stir to combine.  Cook on low for 4 - 5 hours (or on high for 2 - 4).

Wash and spiralize the zucchini or squash.  Keep raw (as I did) or blanch.  Serve in place of traditional pasta.

Ahoy hoy!  It's Friday night and I am holed up at Darin's in NYC.  We just finished eating the small feast I cooked up upon arrival.  Happy stuffed but by no means finished (a meal with Darin is not complete until we have dessert) I thought I'd take a break from the kitchen and get started on this post.  I feel as though the days have been slipping by at an alarming rate leaving me little time for blogging.  Hopefully things simmer down and I'll be back to posted on a more regular if not daily basis.

Moving on, tonight's dinner included:  Cheesey Broccoli & Sundried Tomatoes, Baked Rice Balls, and Sundried Tomato & Herb Pinwheels, and for our upcoming dessert, homemade Crack Jacks.     

I apologize for the horrify picture (posted above: balls to the left, cheesey brocc & sundried tomatoes are to the roll and the pinwheel is at the top).  Sadly enough that is the best one I could get of tonights meal.  Earlier in the week I downloaded the new blackberry software and still havent figured it all out.  While browsing the latest apps, I stumbled upon "Everyday Vegan", where I found the following "Creamy Mozzerella" recipe:

1/4 cup onions, diced
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup pure water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 Tbs rolled oats
2 Tbs arrowroot 
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs sesame butter or tahini ** (I used sesame seeds as I did not have either) 

Saute onion in olive oil until browned.  Place onion in blender.  Add remaining ingredients.  Process until smooth.  Then pour into saucepan and over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook until very thick.  

Unfortunately Darin doesnt have the best of blenders (truth be told its the worst blender i've ever used) so I ground the sesame seeds and rolled oats in a coffee grinder prior to placing them in the blender + I added 2 tsp garlic salt.  The sauce itself was delicious.  I spooned it over lightly steamed broccoli and sundried tomatoes, which we ate along side the Baked Rice Balls (recipe also from Everyday Vegan blackberry app):

1/2 cup brown rice cooked in 1 1/2 cup of vegetable stock
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced small
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup parsley, minced
1/2 cup ground almonds 

Preheat over 375F   Combine all ingredients well and roll into walnut size balls.  If they won't hold their shape, add a little almond or cashew butter.  (In hindsight, the creamy mozzerella sauce would work amazing well in this recipe).  In a well oiled baking dish or on a baking sheet, baked 30 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool slightly before removing from pan.      

The pinwheels, pictured above, I had made yesterday and brought the left over ones in with me.  Recipe is adapted from Vegan Everyday and uses the basic pizza dough recipe located in my recipe list.

2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup sundried tomoatoes (not the kind packed in oil)
1/2 cup fresh basil, minced
1 Tbs fresh rosemary, minced

Combined the first 3 ingredients and let stand for about an hour.  If you are making a fresh dough, like I did this works out perfectly.  In the mean time, pour boiling water and let stand for 30 minutes.  Then drain and chop.

When your dough is ready (or if using a premade dough after your tomatoes have soaked and your herbs marinated, prehewat oven to 425F and roll your pizza dough out into a rectangle, measuring approximately 15x10 inches.  Brush with half of the olive oil mixture onto the dough and sprinkle the sundried tomatoes on top.  Then add your basil and rosemary.  

Now roll up the dough starting with the long, 15-inch edge.  Once rolled cut it into 12 (1-inch) slices and place it on a well oiled or parchment lined baking sheet.  Lightly presh on each pinewheel to flatten them out .  Then brush the tops with the remaining herb & olive oil mix.   Bake for approximately 10 - 12 minutes.

While I was making dinner, I had asked Darin to pop some popcorn using my presto power popper.  Popping the popcorn while I made dinner gave the popcorn ample time to dry before using it in the following recipe:

Note:  we made the sauce in a 6 qt slow cooker, which took about 45 minutes to cook, giving me 45 minutes to relax!!

2/3 cup popcorn kernels, popped w/o oil
2 cups peanuts (I used dry roasted, lightly salted)

1 cup organic dark brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbs Molasses
2 Tbs Vegan Buttery Spread
2 Tbs unsweetened applesauce
1 Tbs Pure Vanilla Extract
2 - 3 tsb cinnamon

In a large bowl, combined the popcorn with the peanuts.  Set aside.

In your slow cooker, combine the sugar, honey, molasses, vegan buttery spread, unsweetened applesauce, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.  Cook on high until hot and bubbly.  Ladle sauce onto the popcorn peanut mix and stir until coated (depending on the size of your bowl this may need to be done in shifts).  Once well coated, lay out your cracker jacks and a sprayed baking sheet and pop it into the fridge until ready to eat.   

Mmmmmmm!!!  The cracker jacks were soooooooo freakin good (but sooooooo freakin sticky lol).  We had a good amount left over, so I told darin to store it in an airtight container in the fridge, which he did.  :-)

Ok, so I havent been doing too much cooking the last few days and instead have kept my diet very simple in that it's consisted of fruits, vegetables (cooked and raw), green salad's, juices, and smoothies.  However, I did make a cinnamon currant version of the almost raw cookie dough balls (simply adding cinnamon, replacing the carob chips with currants and using slightly more ground oat which resulted in a decrease of the amount of cashews) and I havent stopped eating them since I made them!!  I like them even more than the chip ones :-)   Along with this, I recently stumbled upon a recipe for Blueberry Buckle (featured some point on Oprah as one of her favorite things) and I immediately wanted to make my own veganized version....  and I did!!  It was quick to make and super yummy!  I'll definately be making it again in the near future.    

Crumble:
2 Tbs granulated sugar (I used Turbinado Raw Sugar Cane)
2 Tbs dark brown sugar
1/4 cup of flour (I used Pastry Flour)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbs coconut oil, melted

Filling:
2 cups unsweetened fresh (or frozen) fruit of choice.  I used Trader Joes Mixed Berry)

Batter:
1/2 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup non-fat plain yogurt (I used one w/ coconut milk)
1/2 cup flour (again I used Pastry Flour)
3 Tbs sugar
1 egg* (I used egg replacer)

In a large  bowl, mix lemon juice, yogurt, flour, sugar, and egg.  Once combined, add your berries. (If using fresh, don't forget to wash and pick through them).  Set aside.  Next, in a different bowl, combine sugars, flour, cinnamon, and melted coconut oil.  Mix with a fork until moist & crumbly.  Now spray the inside of your crockpot until well coated (I used coconut oil for this too - they make it in bottles like other cooking spray).  Once sprayed, spoon the berry filling from the large bowl directly into the crock pot, giving the stonewear a few shakes to even it out if needed.    Then spoon the crumb mixture on top.  Place lid on crockpot and cook on high for approx 3 - 5 hours** removing the lid of the crockpot during the last 45 minutes or so to crisp up the topping.

** I made this in my 2 qt slow cooker and it took 3.5 hours total. 

Monday afternoon already!  Seriously, where does the time go?! 

Oddly enough I was not too upset about the start of another week as my weekend was painfully lackluster.  Sure there were a few delicious moments, friday night being the most notable, but overall, my weekend gets a thumbs down!  I won't bore you (or myself) with the details of what transpires "off my plate" and instead lets focus on what's been on it -

For lunch today, I had Strawberry Spinach Salad (pictured above).  It's simply sliced strawberries mixed with raw baby spinach and drizzled with balsamic.  Mmmmmm..... This is by far one of my favorite combinations and I eat it fairly often.  If you've never tried the strawberry/spinach/balsamic combo meow is the time!! *chuckles*  Strawberries and balsamic are equally amazing on grilled romaine but now I am gettin ahead of myself as I have yet to get grillin' this year.           

Over the weekend, I made low fat Strawberry Shortcake Pancake Wedges in my 2 qt crockpot.  (Yes, you read that correctly).  They take approximately 2 hours when cooked on high, which gives me ample time to work out and/or get chores done.  On this particular ocassion, I hit the gym for an hour of cardio on the treadmill while my breakfast cooked.  Amazingness!  I love waking up or coming home to cooked food in my slow cooker.  It's as if someone spent all night/day cooking for me (=^_^=)

I must say that I am reluctant to call these pancakes because they look nothing like them and if you go in with traditional pancakes on the brain you might be dissapointed (or scared).  These pancakes cook up like a cake in the slow cooker and you can then either slice it or cut it into wedges (which is what I did). 

Slow Cooker Pancakes
Adapted from A Year in Slow Cooking

Note: Pancakes can be made via a from scratch recipe or from your favorite mix.  I chose to make them from scratch as doing such makes it easier to regulate the nutritional content and ingredients.

1 cup + 2 tablespoons Trader Joes white whole wheat all purpose flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 Tbs Vanilla Extract
3 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup + 3 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk 
   Fresh Ground Cinnamon to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl.  Batter should drip off your spoon but not be runny.  Spray crockpot with non-stick spray (I used coconut oil).  Pour batter into crockpot, top with lid, and allow to cook on high for 2 hours (or if you want pancakes for lunch/dinner cook on low for approx 4 hours).  When time is up check your pancakes.  You will know it is done with a toothpick (or knife) comes out clean when inserted in the middle and the edges are pulling away from the sides.  Wait approximately 10 minutes for your pancakes to cool.  Then remove from the crock pot and place on a plate.  (If you sprayed the crock pot well enough it should slip out no problem).

Now comes the fun part:  feel free to eat your pancakes any way you choose as well as play around with the recipe.  Coconut extract instead of vanilla then topped with pineapple is delicious as is adding fruit, flavoring, or nuts to the actual batter.  The sky is the limit with this recipe!!  I had strawberry shortcake on the brain for some reason so for me, this meant fresh sliced strawberries and a vegan cream.   

For the cream I used a recipe I had stumbled upon over at Chocolate Covered Katie for several reasons: it's easy to make, it's delicious and it's low in fat/calories which is what I was going for this time around.  If your in the mood to throw dietary caution to the wind, click ------>  Vanilla Cream     (Not up for making your own cream? Feel free to purchase one from your local market.  Just be sure to read the label to keep it healthy!)

1/4 cup Mori-Nu silken-firm tofu
2 Tbs +1 tsp non-hydrogenated vegan cream cheese (I used Follow Your Heart Brand)
1/2 Tbs vanilla extract
   Stevia to taste

Blend the tofu until smooth, then add the other ingredients and blend again.

I was feelin' groovy and in a baking kind of mood so I decided to make a batch of duffins (aka donut muffins; pictured above).  Recipes for these all over the internet.  Below is the one I use.  It is based off the original, which uses white sugar, white all purpose flour, cow's milk, and real butter.  Like the pancake recipe, duffins are versatile and can be tailored to whatever you happen to be in the mood for.  Coconut or almond extracts work equally well as vanilla (which I used).  Chocolate duffins can be made by adding cocoa powder to the mix (in which case consider making a glaze via confectioners sugar instead of the cinnamon/sugar mix).

Makes 24 mini's

Duffins:
1/4 cup + 2 Tbs sugar
1/2 cup + 4 Tbs whole wheat all purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbs + 2 tsp oil* (can substitute unsweetened applesauce to reduce fat)
1 egg equivelant in egg whites
1/4 + 2 Tbs Almond Milk

Topping:
4 Tbs  sugar
3 Tbs vegan butter, melted
1 Tbs Fresh Ground Cinnamon
2 Tbs Unsweetened Coconut

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Combine oil, sugar, egg and milk. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir only to combine.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a bowl. Combine the sugar with the cinnamon in another bowl.  Set coconut in seperate bowl if using.  Shake muffins out while still hot. Dip muffins in butter, then into the sugar/cinnamon or coconut.  Let cool.

Slow Cooker users of the world, Rejoice, for a new member has joined our clan!   I purchased a Black Rival 5 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker for Farina and am happy to report that it has arrived.  I am eager to bring it over to him.  (If you have been keeping up with my blog thus far you know he doesnt have a working oven.  The horror!!)

In honor of Farina's new cooker, I decided to use my trusty 2 qt to make Cinnamon Bread Pudding.  Mmmmm.... Cinnamon....

6 slices Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin Bread (left out for 1 day to dry) 
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
6 tbs egg whites
4 packets Truvia
2 tbs vegan butter
1 tsp vanilla bourbon extract
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 handfuls of raisins

Place cubed bread in a medium mixing bowl.  In a small seperate bowl, add almond milk, egg whites, truvia, vegan butter, vanilla extract, and nutmeg.  Beat until smooth. Stir in raisins. Pour mixture from small bowl over bread and stir gently. Then add this mmixture to your slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.   Enjoy!!

Today marks Day 1 of the Self Challenge (For me, that's a second reason to rejoice).  I stayed in NYC last night so I hit the gym post work today for some cardio (treadmill workout w/ 8 lb weighted vest.  Total Distance: 4 miles).  The weather was delightful today so I hoofed it to and from.   I had 15 minutes to go on the treadmill when I started to lose motivation.  Fortunately my Zune HD is chock full of beats:      

It's 10pm and Im finally home.  Got a few things I want to accomplish so gonna get crackin on that.  Happy St. Patrick's Day tothose that celebrate!

Skip a beat and move with my body
Yeah, slow

Slow Cookers....  Not nearly as hot as Kylie's slow but I find myself nonetheless enthusastic!  If you recall from yesterdays post, I whipped up Sweet Potatoes & Apples in my 2 qt last night and thus had for dinner tonight.  In a word:  Delicious!   

2 medium sweet potatoes, washed, peeled & cubed
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored & cubed
4 tbs coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup pure water
15 twists fresh ground cinnamon
    3 dashes nutmeg

Wash, peel and cube the sweet potatoes.  The peel, core & cube the apples.  Mix them together and place in slow cooker.  Next melt the coconut oil and then add brown sugar to it.  Spoon the mixture on top of the sweet potatoes & apples.  Then pour water on top.  Springle cinnamon & nutmeg over everything and cover.  Cook 5 hours on low.  Throw in a few handfuls of golden raisins and cook on high another 30 minutes or until tender.  Enjoy.  

Tonight I decided to make a basic Stuffing for tomorrow's lunch (again in the slow cooker), which mean's tomorrow's breakfast will be high protein.  My Cinna-Nilla CousCous pudding from yesterday got good reviews from my coworkers today and Darin gave it a go tonight, stating that it blows rice pudding out of the water (I 100% agree).  I have all the ingredients on hand for a Moroccan Stew, likely making that tomorrow's project but nothing is set in stone.  

I was feeling unusually tired today and my goal is to be on the treadmill by 6:30am morning so I am going to end here.  My stuffing has about another 30 minutes, so I am going to get everything ready for tomorrow plus pick a meditation for tonight.  Have a great, kids!!

Chap chap folks, I'm Darin.  You may remember me as the rather handsome fellow pictured in one of this sites first blogs.  If not allow me to refresh your memory: 

I first want take a moment to thank the sites hostess for asking me to be her very first guest blog recipe submitter.  Along with this, Danielle has assisted me in both developing and maintaining my own healthy lifestyle.   Several years ago, while at work (as a mechanical engineer), Ii came into contact with a live 277 line of electricity and was eventually thrown from the ladder from which i stood and totally destroyed my shoulder (doctor's words).  It has been exactly 3 years since I had the necessary surgery on my shoulder, which left me out of work for 4 months.   This was a bad time for me to say the least.  I was living off of grilled cheeses and hotdogs, while not doing much of anything exercise or activitiy wise.   I had ballooned to 188lbs (and I'm approximately 5'6").  I reached the point where nothing fit me (clothes or my work uniforms) and pictures of me during that time show that I had 3 chins.  Determined to lose weight and ultimately regain my health, I turned to the one person i knew could help me: Danielle.  Within a few months following a diet and exercise plan that we had discussed and which was taylored specifically tailored to my neededs, I lost 25lbs.  I felt and looked much better.  There were bumps in the road and times of weight loss plateaus, but Danielle was always there to help me through them.  I eventually lost a total of 58lbs (and folks I can, do and still eat with the best of them).   With Danielle's help, I  have kept off the weight as well as implemented exercise into my daily schedule.   As i write this today, I weight in at 130lbs.  The term "it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle" rings true to me as Danielle helped me make small changes that I could ultimately sustain, all of which I believe got me to where I am today.  Thank you Danielle.  Your a gem!  Now on to the 'meat' of this matter.....

If you knew me, you would know I love Ribs!!   I love ribs almost more then I love myself, and frankly I'm quite fond of myself (ask anyone who knows me and they will agree this to be the case).  Take my love of ribs and combine it with my mild obsession for all things jalapeno and - viola! - out comes my famous Jalapeno Infused Crockpot Baby Back Ribs!!!

In a word: Phenominal.

Jalapeno Infused Crockpot Baby Back Ribs
I am partial to Bone Sucking Brand seasoning rub for the ribs.  However your own rub can be made via combining the following ingredients in a small bowl:  2 tbs cayanne, 2 tbs chilli pepper, 2 tbs paparika , 2 tbs onion or garlic powder, and a few dashes of fresh ground pepper.  In regards to the sauces, the two listed are in my opinion the best sauces available for this recipe and I strongly recommend trying them, especially if you havent before. 

1 1/2 -2 lbs  Pork Baby Back Ribs

3/4 cup of Dark Brown Sugar
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 12oz Jar of sliced jalapenos or 3 fresh, chopped 
3 cloves garlic, crushed  (or 2 teaspoons of minced garlic)
2 tbs honey

1 jar Bone Sucking Seasoning Rub
2 bottles of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce (recipe uses approx 1.5 bottles) 
1 jar of Bone Sucking BBQ sauce (preferably the hot) 

Turn the crockpot on the slowcook or low setting.   Crush your garlic and chop your onion, then place them into the crockpot and simmer, stirring occasionally.  Add chopped jalapenos (either 15 pre-sliced or 3 fresh.  If using fresh you must cut open & de-seed prior to chopping) 

Next, we rub those beautiful ribs (messy but well worth it).  Pour brown sugar into a bowl and place the ribs on a board.  Take sugar and rub vigoursly, front to back until throughly covered.  Set remaining sugar aside.  Repeat this step using your rib run (I used Bone Sucking Brand).  Don't be stingy cover those ribs!!  

Slowly pour the jar of Bone Sucking sauce, followed by one full bottle of Sweet Baby Rays into the crockpot and stir. While this begins to gel together, slice up your ribs and begin adding them to your pot. Once all the ribs are in add half bottle of Sweet baby Rays sauce.  Ribs should be mostly covered in sauce so add more if needed.  

Turn the crockpot to high setting (if it's a fancy crockpot 325) for 35 minutes no more!!!  After 35 minutes return setting to low and slowcook for 3 hours checking ocassionally (you will be drawn to it by the scent trust me on that). 

After the 3 hours, sprinkle remaining brown sugar and drizzle two tablespoons of honey as evenly as possible (stirring is likely not possible due to pot being full so again do this as evenly as possible).  Re-cover crockpot and cook for another  hour and a half.

Feast upon the the most delicious and uniqely tasting ribs You ever had!!!