Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Eggless Pancakes - 2 points

1. I have to work overtime every day this week.
2. A disk slipped in my back (teaching children to read is dangerous business).
3. My computer has completely crashed, so I have to share the laptop with Stone - the grad student husband.

These are the reasons why, even though it is a few days, I have not get had time to get to my resolution round up. It will come, I promise. After all, these things shall pass.

Here is another pancake recipe. Simon wanted pancakes and I was all out of eggs. Luckily, I found a recipe from cooks.com and was able to adapt it for my needs. I was quite pleased with how they turned out. I served them with homemade berry syrup.

Eggless Pancakes
1 cup flour
1 tsp Splenda or other non-calorie sweetener
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup soy milk, light regular
1 vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp water

1. Sift dry ingredients int a medium bowl. Add wet ingredients; whisk until combined.
2. Let the mixture rest while you heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. 
3. Cook pancakes, 1/4 cup batter each, flipping when bubbles form and edges are dry.
4. Yields 8, 2 point servings

Enjoy!  I read many books over the break and have so many to share with you. I loved Atonement by Ian McEwan. This was my second attempt at reading it. The first part is painfully dull, and I could not overcome it during my first reading. I am glad that I plowed through it this time, because the second half of the book is truly stunning. The descriptions of the French and English experience during the early years of World War II were riveting. I was also intrigued by the brave work of wartime nurses. Well worth reading, in my humble opinion.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Dark Chocolate No Bake Cookies - 2 points, Menu, Baking Votes Needed!

This is a twist on my husband's favorite cookie - the chocolate no-bake cookie. I adapted this from Health magazine because I needed a cookie recipe that my students could make at school. That means - no oven, ready in less than 20 minutes, and acceptable for a diabetic. This recipe fit all three requirements and got all - around approval from a group of adolescents who will freely complain if they do not like what you feed them! Stone even says that these are just as good as the classic, less healthy version, (which is high praise indeed).

Dark Chocolate No Bake Cookies
4 tbsp creamy peanut butter
4 tbsp soy milk, original flavor, light
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1. Place peanut butter, milk, and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high 45 seconds; stir. Continue to heat at 15 second intervals, stirring each time, until chips are completely melted.
2. Stir oats into bowl. Mix until coated.
3. Drop by spoon fulls onto waxed paper. Refrigerate 10 minutes before serving.
4. Yields 16, 2 point servings


Sunday

Monday
crock pot black beans

Tuesday
apple cinnamon muffins (for work event)
sushi

Wednesday
salmon burgers

Thursday
crock pot chicken

Friday
night out

Saturday
Sunday School Picnic
grilled Italian chicken
mojito cupcakes

Baking question: My church is having a baking competition. I know I won't win, but I would love to partake and help raise money for the church mission trip to an Oklahoma reservation this summer. What should I make? Right now the votes are between Strawberry Brownie Bonbons (Stone, fab friend Lisa, and super co-teacher Carr) and Dulche de Leche Bars (that one is just me). What do you think?

Saturday, March 26, 2011

More Spring Break Pics

Playing mini-golf...
Taking a break...mini-golf is exhausting;)
Such a pretty, if steep place to play.

We needed some treats after golf, of course. Cinnamon, sugar funnel cake...
and Rockie Road ice-cream...

We found a great local grocery store...

They had a cool collection of sodas, including grape Nehi...
And some crazy big cookies.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Spring Break in Helen, Georgia, Part One

I am having a lovely vacation with my family in Helen, Georgia! I thought I would go ahead and upload some of my photos. Looking forward to catching up on the blogosphere when we return home.

Sonic on the way...
Sonic has four hot dogs on special right now, and we decided to try a couple. This is the New York dog. It has my favorite hot dog toppings- kraut, onions, and mustard.
This the Chicago style dog, minus the relish. It was also quite tasty.

View of the Chatahoochee from our balcony...


Hofbrauhaus in Helen...

Hofbrauhaus ended up being our favorite German restaurant in Helen. They serve a fantastic spinach salad with a garlic, dill dressing that is worth every, single calorie. 

Haufbrauhaus also has a spaetzle with cheese sauce that brings spaetzle to a whole new level.

German potato salad- the only potato salad I want on my plate!
Relaxing in the room...


Taking Simon to the City Park...


And at the resort...
My first prime rib...

Babyland General Hospital...


Chestatee Wildlife Preserve...


 Some sweet treats...


Cookies and cream fudge.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Mixed Berry Syrup - 2 Points


My last post before I am away on holiday! (I am told there is Internet access where we are staying - Stone needs it to upload homework assignments.)

I was fresh out of homemade maple syrup the other day when Simon asked for - of course - pancakes. So, I grabbed a bag of mixed berries out of the freezer and whipped up a batch of mixed berry syrup! Simon was very pleased with the results, although he did look rather startling covered in bright red syrup. 

Mixed Berry Syrup
2 cups mixed berries (I used raspberry, blackberry and blueberry)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup sugar

1. Stir ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
2. Place a sieve over a bowl. Pour the syrup, in small batches, into the sieve and use a spoon to gently press until all of the juice is released into the bowl.
3. Discard seeds and skin from the sieve. Transfer the syrup from the bowl to a serving dish.
4. Yields 5, 2 point servings.


The recipe for the eggless pancakes will come later:) I am linking to Frugal Friday, since making your own syrup is a great money saver.

Just a reminder that you will not be hearing from me tomorrow. I hope that you will take some time to consider helping the people of Japan. I read today that some of the major credit card companies are allowing card holders to contribute bonus points as cash to the Red Cross.

I also got a reminder from my favorite recording artist, Amy Grant, reading "Just a reminder from Team Amy -- today the devastation in Japan continues to unfold in epic numbers. Please play a part in the recovery by considering texting REDCROSS to 90999. A $10.00 donation will be charged to your cell phone bill."


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Spiced Coffee - 0 Points

Stone has been under the weather for over a week. He is suffering so much from allergies that the doctor gave him steroid shot. I thought that a bit of spiced coffee might help clear out his head and make him feel better. Despite the fact that I am not ailing, I did have a couple of cups myself and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Spiced Coffee
1 level scoop coffee grounds
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp dried orange peel
pinch cayenne pepper

1. Fill coffee maker with water for 10 cups. Place spices in coffee filter and turn on machine.
2. Yields 10, 0 point servings




I had been on hold for what seemed like a thousand years for the last Steig Laarson book, The Girl Who Played with Fire. I have had mixed feelings about this series. Many people recommended the books to me, but not one of them warned me about the graphic scenes of sexual abuse and torture. If I had been warned, the books might have been less gut wrenching. At least, I would have been better prepared. This was my favorite of the series; I loved the courtroom drama, learning about the Swedish legal system, and delving into the minds of newspaper editors. I wish Mr. Laarson had lived long enough to know how much he is loved by readers worldwide and to share more of his talent with us.

You will not be hearing from me this Friday. Thanks to an FYI from the fabulous Rebecca, I will be participating in this amazing event. Please click this link to learn more.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Slow Cooked Beef with Beer - 5 points

I put this in the crock pot for Stone the day I had my root canal done. He insisted on saving some for me to try because it was, "One of the best things you've ever made!" I don't know how I feel about one of the best things I have ever made being three ingredients and ridiculously easy. Oh, well! It is a deeply satisfying dish.

Slow Cooked Beef with Beer
2 lb lean steak
1 light beer
1 pkt onion soup mix

1. Place lean steak in crock pot. In a bowl, mix beer and soup mix. Pour beer mixture over steak.
2. Cook on low for 6 hrs.
3. Break up with spoon before serving over rice or pasta.
4. Yields 8, 5 point servings

I thought that I asked Stone - through my Vicodin haze - to take a picture of this dish. He didn't. So, here is a picture of the empty bottle of the beer I used.


I am looking for new books for my students. The girls have requested romance, so I have been looking through my collection for quality books involving love. I just read Those Summer Girls I Never Met by Richard Peck. Reading it was quite nostalgic; it is set in the 1980's, during the time of stone washed jeans and the USSR. It didn't make the cut for my class because there is not enough real romance, but it was fun to read it and remember all the fun I had taking "The Geography of the Soviet Union" in middle school!

I am linking this recipe to a great collection of dishes at Full Plate Thursday.