Blue Diamond Nut Thins

These things are crazy good. Like, so good the husband and I practically ate the entire box on the way home from buying them while grocery shopping. (Keep in mind our drive home from the grocery store is 45 minutes, but still.)

We discovered the regular flavor while visiting my sister in law who is gluten free for health reasons. We decided to grab a box of cheddar flavored this week. Probably should have gotten more than one box.

Don't be put off by the almond. They do have a nutty taste, but it is not overwhelming. I am not an almond eater, but these, I enjoy.

Happy snacking!

~Stefani =)

Dairy Queen

This is not healthy in any way, shape, or form.....but I finally had my first Dairy Queen of the season. The husband and I were spring cleaning his office and decided we needed a treat/pick me up. We ate chili dogs and shakes. I can't believe we held out as long as we did. The DQ has been open for a few weeks now. I say that is some willpower! Especially, since our DQ is more like a local ice cream shop than a chain.

You can see Joshua in the background enjoying his chili dog. I didn't know I got an action shot.

It will be a while until I enjoy this particular pairing or anything DQ related again. Moderation, y'all.

~Stefani =)

P.S. I have made it known that I want an ice cream cake for my 30th birthday.

Hamantaschen

Happy Purim! 

Which sounds odd coming from a Lutheran.

Purim is the Jewish holiday that commemorates what Esther did to stop Haman's plot to kill the Jewish people. Esther happens to be my favorite woman of the Bible.

A while back we found a website called Cooking with the Bible. They have a menu called Esther Saves Her People. Included in the menu are the recipes for each dish. We made the menu for everyone at church a few years ago. The one item that was a hit was the Hamantaschen. Hamantaschen are fruit filled cookies in a triangle shape. I decided that for this Purim I would make a batch for the Sunday Morning Bible class.

 The apple butter Hamantaschen I made. This one turned out the best.

Still completely confused and don't want to read. Listen to the Maccabeats inform you about Purim.

"So raise your glass if you see God in hidden places,
He's right in front of you"

~Stefani =)



 

Popcorn

For Christmas we received this amazing little invention.

This allows us to have low sodium popcorn. It also eliminates all the chemicals.

Just add 1/3 cup of popping corn. No oil necessary. Put in the microwave and it magically pops.

The final product with butter and a sprinkle of salt. 

Now, if you excuse me, I need to go make some popcorn. 

~Stefani =)

Bread Machine Beer Pizza Dough

We like pizza around here. We try to make it ourselves when we can. I am not sure where we found this recipe, but it has served us well.

Ingredients
1 cup flat, room temperature beer (I usually pour the beer in a measuring cup and let sit most of the day)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons yeast
 
Directions
1. Put beer, butter, sugar, salt, flour, and yeast in a bread machine (in that order). 
2. Select Dough setting for 1.5lbs size
3. Remove dough from bread machine when cycle is complete. 
4. Roll or press dough to cover a prepared pizza pan. Brush lightly with olive oil or melted butter (with Garlic powder and Parmesan cheese mixed in.)
5. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
7. Spread sauce and toppings on top of dough. 
8. Bake until crust is lightly brown and crispy on the outside, about 24 minutes.

The Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat works well for this recipe.

All the ingredients in the bread machine. Including tons of Garlic Powder.

Joshua spreading the crust.

The final product.

~Stefani =)

"Guest" Post-New England Clam Chowder

This recipe is my dad's best guess of how makes Clam Chowder. He isn't a recipe guy, which is where I get it from. This is far superior than any of the canned varieties. He made it for us when he and my mom came to visit at Thanksgiving. 

Ingredients
1 cup of Celery-chopped small
1 Shallot (a small onion and a clove of garlic work in a pinch)
1/4 cup of Carrot-chopped small
4 strips of Bacon-diced (I use scissors)
4 Russet Potatoes
3 cans of Clams
   1 Drained
   1 Half Drained
   1 Not Drained
1/2 stick of Butter (We use unsalted)
3 tablespoons of Flour
32 ounces of Half and Half
1 cup of Milk
1/2 teaspoon of Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1-2 Bay Leaves
Salt to taste

How To:
1. Chop or Cut the Bacon (I use kitchen scissors)
2. Brown the Bacon in a Dutch Oven or Large Pot
3. Chop the Carrots, Celery, and Shallot and peel the Potatoes while the Bacon is browning
4. Once the Bacon is browned add the butter and melt (Do NOT drain the Bacon)
5. Add the Carrots, Celery, and Shallot to the Butter and Bacon
6. Soften the Veggies
7. Add the Clams, Half and Half, and Milk stir together
8. Add the Pepper, Italian Seasoning, and Bay Leaf
9. Simmer on Medium to Medium Low Heat
10. While the soup is simmering chop the Potatoes (Do NOT rinse the Potatoes, the starch is helpful in thickening the soup)
11. Add the Potatoes
12. The Soup is ready when the Potatoes are cooked

The ingredients minus the flour. I hope you know what flour looks like. =)

 My dad chopping bacon. It just happens to be Plath's. 

The chopped celery. (For those who are as picky as I am about cross contamination these pictures are not in order.)

Chopping carrots. He grated them first and then chopped them.

Action shot.

The bacon browning...mmm bacon.

Butter! Getting our Paula Deen on.

Add the Carrots, Shallots, and Celery.

Add the Flour.

Add the Clams.

Add the Half and Half and the Milk and Seasonings, heat to a simmer.

 Chop the Potatoes. I looks like he did this after the clams went into the pot. 

Add the Potatoes. Soup is done when the Potatoes are cooked.

The finished product. Delicious!!

If clams aren't your thing, this soup is great without the clams. We just added more potatoes and topped with cheddar cheese.

While this isn't low sodium (I do not know the numbers), I can guarantee it is far lower than Campbell's Chunky New England Clam Chowder. One Cup of the canned variety is 890mg of Sodium. That is almost a days worth on a Low Sodium Diet.

~Stefani =)

What I Ate Wednesday: Valentine's Day

We had a low key Valentine's Day. Mostly, because I just got back from St. Louis the previous day.

We made our own Valentine's Cards.

Joshua's to me is on the left and mine to Joshua's is on the right.(Even my cards are food related.)

Breakfast/Brunch:

French Toast made with Cinnamon English Muffin Bread from our local grocery store, Plath's Bacon, and a Raspberry Mocha Latte.

Dinner:

Take and Bake Pizza from Meijer. So fancy, I know. But they are so good! 

We are just full of romance over here. 

~Stefani =)

Low Sodium Fajita Marinade

We found this in our favorite low sodium cookbook "500 Low Sodium Recipes" by Dick Logue. This marinade is simple and delicious. We use it on chicken and beef.

1/4 cup of Olive Oil*
1/4 cup of Red Wine Vinegar
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon of Black Pepper
1 teaspoon of Cilantro**
1 teaspoon of Cumin
1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon of Dried Oregeno

 *I use a mixture of Fustini's Cilantro and Onion, Fustini's Chipotle, and plain Olive Oil
**Instead of Cilantro I use the Fustini's Cilantro and Onion Oil

 Mix ingredients together and use to marinate chicken or beef for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. 

The original recipe has 2 teaspoons of Lemon Juice and Lime Juice respectively. 

In the summer we marinate whole cuts of meat and grill them. In the colder months we cut the meat into bite size pieces first, marinate, and toss it in a pan.

White meat for Stefani.

Dark meat for Joshua.

We serve them in tortillas (flour for those not on Low Sodium diets and corn for those on LoSo diets) with cheese, sauteed onions, salsa, corn, and ranch dressing. If you are a pepper lover you can saute green and/or red peppers to add to your fajita. 

The only "heat" in the recipe is the Cumin and it is more smoky than spicy. So, all those who are leery of spicy food there is no need to fear. 

This recipe has 17mg of Sodium versus the McCormick brand Fajita Seasoning with 250mg of Sodium. I can say that I do not miss the salt at all. 

We hope you enjoy this surprisingly easy recipe.

~Stefani =)

Be Well Serve Well

If you are friends with me on Facebook you may have heard me post about the Be Well Serve Well program through our health insurance. This program is for church workers and their spouses who are covered under Concordia Health Plan. For every activity you complete you earn a gift card (Visa, Amazon, etc). Each point equals one dollar. Each person can earn up to $350 dollars in gift cards. The church you work for gets the same amount of money you earn. Activities include going to your doctor for a check up, seeing a dentist, eating fruits and veggies, going a retreat, etc. This year they added seasonal bonus activities. One of the bonus activities this year is keeping a journal for three continuous weeks. It can be about activity and exercise, diet and nutrition, budget and finances, or prayer and gratitude. Well, what do you know...diet and nutrition...We have a blog about that!

For the next 3 weeks we will be updating this blog daily. 

~Stefani =)

Roast Kielbasa Supper

I saw this gem on the Rachael Ray Show two years ago. I had made it once after the show aired and then forgot about it. We recently rediscovered it and it has become a staple. It is has simple, real ingredients. And you only dirty one casserole dish. I usually halve the recipe.

Ingredients
EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound of baby red-skinned potatoes cut into bite sized chunks
2 large onions, quartered
1 pound of fresh or smoked kielbasa, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 Gala or Honeycrisp apples, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 425˚F

In a large, shallow roasting pan, drizzle potatoes and onions with EVOO, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven to add the apples and kielbasa. 

Drizzle the apples with EVOO, salt and pepper. 
Add kielbasa and apples to potatoes and onions and roast for another 20 minutes.

To serve, arrange kielbasa, apples, onions and potatoes on dinner plates or bowls and garnish with the pan juices.


We hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do!

~Stefani

What I Ate Wednesday: Disney Edition

The wonderful world of eats at Disney. We made many of our breakfasts at the condo we were staying at, so I decided not to bore you with pictures of them.

Sunday

Lunch:

Chicken Salad Sandwich from the Dunkin Donuts at Lambert International Airport. 

Dinner:

Shrimp Cocktail and Crab Cake that I shared with my mom from Fulton's at Downtown 
 Disney.

Monday:
Breakfast:

Tonga Toast- banana stuffed sourdough bread, rolled in cinnamon sugar and served with strawberry compote and a side of bacon from the Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Resort. My mom and I split this and I was quite full. I also had a glass of fresh pineapple juice.

Lunch:

A Red Maple- Raspberry smoothie with a hint of Sprite from Le Cellier at the Canada Pavilion in Epcot. This was amazing!

 

Canadian Beer Cheese Soup with bacon from Le Cellier at the Canada Pavilion in Epcot. I was talking about this soup since we decided to go to WDW. It was the first reservation I made.

Dipping a pretzel stick in said soup. 

Dinner:

The Salad from Via Napoli at the Italy Pavilion in Epcot. This was pretty good for being super green.

The crazy delicious pizza from Via Napoli at the Italy Pavilion in Epcot. Best.Pizza.Ever.

Dessert:

Apple Tart from Boulangerie Patisserie at the France Pavilion in Epcot. I love dessert!

Tuesday:

Lunch:

Bacon Cheese Burger from Sci-Fi Diner in Hollywood Studios. Nothing special, but the atmosphere is really fun.

Dinner:

Cheese Empanadas from La Cantina De San Angel at the Mexico Pavilion in Epcot. These were absolutely delicious. I'm pretty sure I will visit here again.

Wednesday: 

Lunch:

Hot Dog, Grapes, and a cookie from Flame Tree Barbeque in Animal Kingdom. Not very fancy, but it really hit the spot that day.

Dinner:

Pot Stickers-Wok Seared Pork and Vegetable Dumplings with a Creamy Soy Ginger Sauce from Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Resort. I shared these with Joshua. They were quite good and I am not a fan of pork.

Shrimp and Scallops-Panko-breaded Shrimp and Pan-seared Scallops with Sticky Rice, Chopped Vegetable Salad, and Coconut-Lime Leaf Dressings from Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Resort. I shared this Joshua, too.

Dessert:

Chocolate Raspberry Cookie goodness from the Main Street Bakery in the Magic Kingdom.

Thursday:
Pre Lunch Snack

A Dole Whip from Aloha Isle in Adventureland at Magic Kingdom. Apparently, they have been around forever and we just discovered them this trip. Now I crave them and they will be a Disney staple. We actually had two this trip. 

Lunch:

 A good old fashioned corn dog at Magic Kingdom. 

Dinner:

Mac n Cheese from Artist Point at the Wilderness Lodge Resort. This was by far the most disappointing meal I have ever had at Disney. They used to have this fantastic Mac n Cheese, but they took it off the menu. They attempted to recreate it for me, but it was bland and definitely geared to kids. 

Dessert:

 

This, my friends, is a Rice Krispie Treat covered in chocolate and m&ms on a stick from Goofy's Candy Company in Downtown Disney. It took me a couple days to get through this. 

The backside of the epic Rice Krispie Treat. 

Friday:

Lunch
I didn't snag a picture of lunch, because apparently I was too busy scarfing it down. It wasn't anything too special. I had a turkey sandwich with chipotle mayonnaise from Sunshine Seasons in The Land at Epcot.

Dinner:
Teppan Edo at the Japan Pavilion in Epcot is one of my absolute favorite dining experiences. They cook the food right in front of you. I love these sorts of places! I decided to really chronicle the experience.
 

 I had the Chicken and Shrimp Combo. Yummy! They did not disappoint.

Dessert:

Cheesecake from Boulangerie Patisserie at the France Pavilion in Epcot.
Saturday
Breakfast:

Raspberry Lemonade Freeze from the Rainforest Cafe at the Animal Kingdom.

A Cranberry Mickey imprinted Waffle with a Raspberry Sauce and side of bacon from the Rainforest Cafe at the Animal Kingdom.

Dinner:

Fish and Chips from the Rose and Crown at Epcot.

Jaffa Tarts: Orange Cream filled Cakes with Chocolate Ganache, Raspberry Sauce, and fresh Oranges from the Rose and Crown at Epcot. My mom got this and shared bites with the rest of us.

I hope your enjoyed Disneyworld through my stomach. They have some amazing eats!

~Stefani