Oatmeal Bar

January 31, 2014 / ktbuchs87

No, this isn’t the name of some hip new club (do people still go to clubs? I’m the worst 26 year old ever). It’s also not a breakfast bar like a granola bar, but it does have to to with breakfast. I love breakfast. It is my favorite meal of the day and I like to have a big breakfast. So many delicious things get to be made and eaten at breakfast and who doesn’t love delicious food? I think oatmeal gets a bad rap at breakfast. Either it is full of sugar and additives or it’s plain, gluey, and tasteless. Oatmeal doesn’t have to be sad! It also doesn’t have to come from a little paper packet that tastes sweeter than a candy bar.

I have started making a big pot of steel cut oats on Sunday mornings and then setting up a toppings bar. I put out little bowls of things like raisins, chocolate chips, coconut, or goji berries. This way my husband and I can customize our oatmeal just the way we like it. Oatmeal is a great way to start the day. It is full of fiber to keep you full and going all morning long. I personally like steel cut oats because they are the least processed of all oats, but thick rolled oats are good too and cook a little faster. Below is how I cook my oats and then a list of topping ideas for you. There really are limitless options when it comes to oatmeal!

Cooked Steel Cut Oatmeal

1 cup steel cut oats
4 cups water
2 tsp cinnamon

Put oats, water and cinnamon into a medium saucepan. Stir everything together and then turn heat on high. Bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, stir everything once then put a lid on and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. Your oatmeal should have a porridge like texture. Top with delicious things like:

raisins
goji berries
cranberries
apricots
sunflower seeds
coconut shreds
chocolate chips
maple syrup
flax seeds
chia seeds
pumpkin seeds
almonds
pistachios
walnuts
peanut butter
almond butter
apples
nutmeg
cloves

These are just a few ideas for you to get started. You could even go the savory route with your oatmeal. Just eliminate the cinnamon when you are cooking your oats. Then add in things like homemade salsa, garlic, oregano, or even hummus. The possibilities are endless, so get cooking and enjoy a bowl of delicious and healthy oatmeal!

My Likes of the Moment

January 27, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Hello from the frozen tundra of Illinois! We are once again in a “polar vortex” with wind chills reaching 30 below zero. Tomorrow is suppose to be even colder. Hooray… Anywho, rather than dwelling on the frigid temps, I thought I would do a fun post today to lift everyone’s spirits! Not every post has to be super serious, sometimes it’s nice to do something a little bit more fun! So without further ado, here are my current likes of the moment!

FOOD-

Goji berries- I know that I am a little late jumping on the goji berry superfood wagon, but better late than never right? My grocery store started selling this in their bulk section so it is a lot less expensive than buying the small 4 oz bag for $7. These berries are more along the lines of cranberries in taste, more tart than sweet. I love the tartness and I have been adding them to my breakfast oatmeal every morning. Plus they are nutritional powerhouses (hence the superfood title) so it’s a win-win situation!
Leafy greens- I have become obsessed with dark leafy greens, mainly collard greens. My favorite way to enjoy them is to rinse them off, chop them up, and saute them with garlic, pepper and lemon juice until they are wilted. So easy, but so good! I have never had a problem with eating my vegetables, but I wanted to start trying new and different kinds. Leafy greens like spinach, collard or turnip greens, and kale are cheap and super healthy. Both of those things are right up my alley!
Any hot tea- With all this cold, I am pretty much living in a mug of tea at all moments. Tea is a great way to warm up quickly and there are so many different kinds! My favorites right now are mountain chai and lemon ginger.
If I could, I would crawl into this mug of tea just to stay warm…

EXERCISE-

Jillian Michaels Yoga Inferno- My husband, Adam, got me some new yoga DVD’s for Christmas and this was one of them. I love it! This is a great workout and by the end of the routine I am literally dripping in sweat. There are two workouts and she gives advanced and beginner versions of each move, so you can build up your strength and endurance. This isn’t your typical yoga flow, so if that is what your looking for read the next bullet point. But if you want a good strength and cardio workout while doing some fun yoga poses, check out this DVD!
Yoga Flow with Shiva Rea- This is the other yoga DVD I got for Christmas. I was getting a little bored of my normal yoga routines so I wanted to try something new. This DVD features seven 20 minute yoga flows as well as a short core flow, forward bends and meditations. It also uses a customizable yoga matrix so you can pick and choose the flows you want to do. It’s great because you can choose the length of the practice you would like as well as the type of flow. There are a bunch of new to me poses that I am going to start working to perfect, so that should keep me busy for awhile!

ENTERTAINMENT-

Once Upon A Time- Yes, I know that once again I’m late to the party on this one. Adam and I started watching this on Netflix and I really like it! It is so fun to see all the different fairy tale characters and find out how their story weaves into the main theme. Plus it’s fun for me because Jennifer Morrison was my high school band director’s daughter, so it’s pretty much like I’m besties with a famous celebrity…. yeah not at all. Oh well, check this show out I promise you’ll have fun!
The Fault in Our Stars- I just finished this book by John Green this weekend. It was a really great book and I had a hard time putting it down. Normally books where the main characters have cancer can be kind of a downer, but Green manages to make them as normal as possible. They laugh, they make jokes, they live life, and yes there are sad and depressing moments, but life isn’t always positive whether you have cancer or not. They are making a movie of this book this year I believe, so I urge you to go out and read this book before that!

HOBBIES-

Cross-stitching- I know. Your 75 year old Nana cross-stitches. Well so does this 26 year old. It is a great way to relax at the end of the day and in the end you get to make some pretty cool things. You can buy patterns to follow or you can make up your own pattern to stitch. Just make sure you don’t go to far with it….
Maybe too far… ?

Those are the things that are filling my time and belly this winter. What are some of the things that are keeping you sane and entertained during this cold weather?

Have a great week everyone!

Once you pop…

January 24, 2014 / ktbuchs87

No, this isn’t a post about Pringles. Sorry! But it is about popcorn, which happens to be one of my favorite snack foods. I’m not a huge snacker anymore, but Friday and Saturday nights beg to have a big bowl of popcorn in your lap while you watch a movie. I don’t have a recipe for you this Friday per say, but I do have a few ways that you can enjoy popcorn as a healthy (yes, healthy) and delicious snack.

First, let me be clear and say when I talk about popcorn I am NOT talking about movie theater popcorn covered in “butter” and salt nor am I talking about microwave popcorn that is also covered in “butter”. I am talking about buying the actual kernels of corn and popping them yourself. Before you stop reading and move on to other things because making popcorn yourself takes way too much time and energy, let me assure you it really doesn’t. Making your own popcorn is a fairly simple and easy process. The easiest way to make healthy and totally customizable popcorn is to pop it using an air popper and then add your own toppings. This is how I make my popcorn and it is as easy as measuring out your popcorn, pouring it into the machine, and turning it on. That’s it. No extra oils or additives just delicious popcorn. Most air poppers are fairly inexpensive and will last you a long time too.

Popcorn made in my air popper. Yum!

Another way to make popcorn is on the stovetop. In a large pot, heat a little oil (coconut oil is really good for this) and add in your kernels. Shake the kernels occasionally and as the oil heats up your kernels will start to pop. I’ve done this a few times and I recommend you make sure you keep an eye on the popcorn because once the kernels start to pop, it can get a little crazy. If you’re not watching you might have a kitchen full of popcorn, which might not be a bad thing…..

For those of you who like to just put a bag of popcorn in the microwave and hit go, you can still do that too. Place your popcorn into a paper bag and roll it closed. Use the popcorn setting on your microwave and you’re good to go. No added chemicals or preservatives, just popcorn!

Now that you know how easy it is to make popcorn on your own, how about some topping ideas? You can add pretty much anything your little heart desires and that is what makes popcorn such a great snack. You can customize it to whatever craving you have at that time! For toppings try:

Salt and pepper. A classic flavor and really yummy
Garlic powder and Italian seasonings. A very savory treat
Nutritional yeast. A healthy way to add a cheesy flavor and one of my favorite toppings
Cinnamon and nutmeg. A nice and light sweet flavor
Pumpkin Pie spice. Who doesn’t like all things pumpkin?
Dark chocolate or cocoa nibs. Chocolate is a great popcorn topping. Melt it first and drizzle it or add chips while your popcorn is hot and make melty clusters.
Cajun seasoning. Like spicy? Then try some cajun or creole seasonings
Honey and peanuts. Ok, this might sound weird but this combo tastes an awful lot like cracker jacks. Add in some warm honey and peanuts to your popcorn and stir to combine everything

There are seriously endless ideas when it comes to popcorn toppings. Popcorn is a great snack that is light, fills you up, and satisfies the need to munch on something while relaxing at home. So give homemade popcorn a try and see why I absolutely LOVE a nice big bowl of popcorn on the weekends!

Kitchen Nightmares

January 20, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Life doesn’t always go according to your plan. In fact, it likes to do it’s own thing regardless of what you would like to happen. This concept has always been a source of struggle and stress for me. I am a person that likes to plan and organize and know exactly what is going to happen. I tend to get a little anxious (ok, make that a lot anxious) when things do not go according to my plan. This is something that I have been working on and one of my goals this year is to be able to go with the flow more. Well, life heard that and decided to throw me a curve ball this week.

Last Sunday my oven broke. I know this might not seem like a huge problem to some, but I rely heavily on my oven. Not only do I use it for dinner every night, on Sunday I usually do a lot of my meal prep for the week so that I have easy access to healthy food no matter what. I was a little stressed last Sunday when I realized AFTER I had made a bunch of things to put in the oven that it wasn’t getting hot. I was even more stressed when the repair guy came on Monday but wouldn’t be able to actually fix the oven until Tuesday. And I might have had a small meltdown Tuesday night in the middle of cooking dinner when I realized that the oven was no longer regulating the temperature and my food was burning to a crisp, error codes on the oven were shouting at me, and all the smoke detectors were going off at once.

Luckily, my oven did not catch on fire… yet

Yes, it has been a little bit difficult here in the Dawson kitchen this week. My oven is still broken, but after my panic attack on Tuesday, I took a deep breath and realized everything was going to be just fine. I could still eat and eat well, I would just have to get a little creative. This is where having a well stocked pantry and freezer come in handy as well as having some know-how in the kitchen have really saved the day. I wanted to share some of the tips and foods I had on hand so in case you have a kitchen nightmare, you can also have a back up plan and won’t have to worry about eating well.

Leftovers, leftovers, leftovers. This was a big help to me this past week. I usually make bigger dinners and use the leftovers for lunches or sides for other meals. Having those extra servings of food helped to round out some of the meals I made this week so that my husband and I had full meals even without the food I usually prep on Sunday. I also have a freezer full of soups, stews, and chilis that I have made in my slow cooker. Again, it was really helpful to be able to pull a healthy meal out of the freezer and heat it up. I’ve said it many times, leftovers are your friends and they have certainly saved my butt this week.

Beans, grains, and legumes, oh my! Having a good stock of dried/canned beans, grains, and legumes like lentils on hand is another great way to make filling healthy meals. You don’t have to use an oven to make these and they fill you up with tons of healthy fiber. Plus they are easy to throw into any meal, and you can season them to your liking. I usually always have black beans, chickpeas, white beans, and lentils on hand and throw them into anything from frittatas to lettuce wraps. If you don’t have time to use dried beans, canned works well too. Just make sure you read the label and rinse the beans before you use them.

Be flexible on cooking methods. I learned this week that there are actually a lot of ways to cook things the way I like without using the oven. For instance, I usually roast sweet potatoes in the oven but found out they taste just as delicious cooked in a cast iron skillet on the stove top. Sauteing vegetables in a little EVOO tastes just as good, if not better, than roasting them in the oven. I had to step out of my comfort zone and go to other methods of cooking this week and it has worked out pretty well. Friday night I came up with a really yummy collard green wrap that I cooked on the stove top with a homemade sweet and sour sauce. I would have never thought of that if I had my oven working. Don’t be afraid to experiment in the kitchen and broaden your cooking skills. You never know when you might have to switch things up. Plus, it’s fun to eat your regular foods in a different way!

While I am really hoping that my oven will get back to normal this week, I have learned that I can survive (for a little while) without it. I didn’t have to totally derail my healthy eating or go hungry just because my normal method of cooking wasn’t an option. The same goes for you Just because something may come up in your day to day healthy eating plan doesn’t mean you have to throw your hands in the air and resort to McDonald’s. Take a second to assess what you have, be a little creative and flexible, and come up with a new eating plan for the time being. If life were always easy, we would never learn that we have it in us to rise above the problems thrown at us. Pretty neat lesson to learn from a broken oven, huh?

Have a great Monday everyone!

Lentil Meatloaf

January 17, 2014May 14, 2015 / ktbuchs87

I have gotten a few requests for this recipe and since it is one of my favorite weeknight meals, I thought I would share it here! This recipe is a lot like the meatball recipe I have posted here, but just a little different. I usually do the prep work for this the night before or on the morning of the day I am going to eat it. That way I can just throw it in the oven when I get home from work and not worry about it!

Lentil Meatloaf

1 cup cooked lentils
1/2 cup rolled oats (gluten free if needed)
2 large carrots, shredded
2 tsp basil
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp parsley
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicier)
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
2 tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce

1. In a food processor combine lentils, oats, carrots, and all herbs and spices. Pulse a few times to combine everything, but don’t turn it into a paste, you still want some texture. Set aside

2. In a medium skillet, heat up some olive oil and saute onions until soft about 7 min. Add in garlic and saute a few more minutes. Add in your lentil mixture and cook until it starts to brown up. About 10 minutes.

3. Pour in your vegetable broth and liquid aminos or soy sauce. Cook for about 10 more minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Take the skillet of the heat and allow it to cool enough to handle it. Pre-heat oven to 425.

4. Grease a loaf pan with a little olive oil and once your lentil mixture is cool transfer it to the loaf pan. Place aluminum foil over the pan and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Once it’s a little crispy on the edges, remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Slice it up and enjoy!

This is also a great meal to add in extra vegetables or use up stuff that you have in your fridge. I’ve added green peppers, mushrooms, spinach, and fresh herbs as well. I also sometimes pour leftover soup, salsa, or tomato sauce on the top for extra flavor. Get creative and find the version that you really love!