Monday Funday

March 2, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Ok, so Monday isn’t really all that fun but maybe if we say it enough it will be true. Probably not, but let’s pretend.

Last weekend my husband, Adam, came down with a cold/cough/sore throat and was out of the game for a few days. We took him to the doctor, got him some meds, and he is on the mend. I thought I had escaped whatever bug he had but Friday morning I woke up with a tickle in my throat and by Saturday my nose was running like a faucet. Yesterday my head was all congested and I just wanted to be able to breathe through my nose. Luckily I didn’t get hit as hard as Adam, but still, it’s no fun to have a cold.

My feeble attempt to try and breathe through my congestion. Also I look HOT

So I spent this past weekend trying to take it easy. Keyword here: trying. I know that I need to rest to get better faster, but I am really bad at just sitting around. I like to be accomplishing something at all times, it’s something I’m working on.

In my “resting” state, I spent some time in the kitchen on Saturday coming up with a few new recipes for the blog. I have a few that need some tweaking, but I did manage to come up with a new soup and it really hit the spot for someone with a cold.

When I did finally manage to sit on the couch, Adam and I binged on House of Cards. If you have not watched this series, run to your TV/computer and watch all of them now. The Underwoods are deliciously ruthless and evil and I love them. It’s one of those situations where you know it’s wrong to cheer for them but you can’t help but hope for them to come out on top. This season so far (we’re about 6 episodes in) has been pretty good and I can’t wait to see where it ends up. Also, is it wrong for me to want to be as badass as Claire Underwood? I mean in one episode the woman threatens a country with war on the toilet in the women’s bathroom at the UN. That’s ballsy right there.

In between the awesomeness of House of Cards, I also watched a few episodes of Chopped. Obviously I love watching cooking shows and Chopped is one of my favorites. While I was watching I realized as much as I love to cook and create dishes I would never make it past the appetizer round. I would get so stressed and would probably just throw up my hands and cry in the corner. I like to take my time in the kitchen and there is no way I could come up with something edible and creative in 20 minutes. Oh well, I’m sure someday Food Network would come up with a show where I would have unlimited time, unlimited ingredients, no judges, and I get to make whatever I want, right?

Hopefully this cold goes away soon and I can get back to my normal routine. But let’s end this post on a high note with a picture of my adorable cats, because who doesn’t love pictures of cats? Crazy people, that’s who. Have a happy Monday everyone!

Olaf chilling to the max and Dot allowing him to be near her.

How did you spend your weekend? What’s your favorite show of the moment?

Chili & PB Marinated Chickpea Tofu

February 27, 2015 / ktbuchs87

At first glance all those flavors don’t seem to go together, but trust me on this one. A few weeks ago I gave you a recipe for Chickpea Tofu and since then I have been working on other ways to prepare it. After just baking it and covering it with a sauce, I decided I wanted to try it marinated and sauteed. All it took was a few attempts to perfect the marinade and I had a really yummy and simple weeknight meal!

Make sure that you do plan ahead just a little bit so you have enough time for your tofu to set before you start cooking. Otherwise this is a really easy meal to throw together fairly quickly!

Chili & PB Marinated Chickpea Tofu

1 batch of chickpea tofu
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp sesame oil (can use olive oil too but I like the flavor of sesame in this marinade)
1 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp liquid aminos/coconut aminos/soy sauce
2 tsp roasted garlic or 2-3 cloves minced
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp chili powder (more if want it a little spicier)

1. Make your chickpea tofu and while it’s setting preheat your oven to 400 and mix together all the marinade ingredients.

2. Once your tofu is ready, cut into bite size pieces and place into a large bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil and toss to coat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat and bake the tofu for 20 minutes.

3. Remove tofu from the oven and place back into the large bowl. Pour the marinade in and stir to make sure everything is coated. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.

4. Heat a large pan over medium high heat and add in all the tofu and sauce. Saute for a few minutes until the sauce has started to crisp up. Serve the tofu on it’s own or over rice or vegetables.

I am really liking how chickpea tofu acts a lot like regular tofu in most recipes. I am still working on other ways to prepare it so that you can have a variety of ways to use this tasty ingredient!

Have a great weekend and I’ll see you on Monday!

Keep It Simple Series: How To Eat Out Healthy

February 25, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Happy Wednesday! If you’re like most of the country, you’re probably half frozen. It was super cold here in Chicago yesterday and it’s looking like we have some snow coming our way soon. Yay winter….

I have a new video for you this week and it’s all about eating out! I know it can be tricky to stick to healthy food when you go out to eat, but it is possible! And it’s fun to not have to cook every once in awhile and enjoy a meal with friends and family. So here is how to do it without going crazy:

Like always, let me know what you think of these videos and if there are any topics that you want to see covered. Hearing from you helps me make this blog even better so feel free to speak up!

Have a great day and stay warm!

The Art of Nothing

February 23, 2015 / ktbuchs87

There was a time when I was an expert at doing nothing. I could spend weekends sitting in my room on my computer looking at nothing with the TV on in the background watching nothing. I could lay in bed for a whole day with nothing to occupy my time. At times, nothing dominated my life.

In recent years that has changed, partly because I started to make an effort to try and do something with my time. I was tired of wasting my life away on nothing. I realized the joy and fulfillment there was to be had by accomplishing things. It felt good to cross a task off my list or add a new talent to my repertoire. As much as I had liked being lazy and letting nothing take over, I liked having something dominate my time much better.

For awhile this attitude served me well. I was doing a lot of good. I excelled in my classes, I added new and healthy habits like exercising and eating well, and I was focused on helping others and not just serving myself. But soon a trade off happened. I started to feel guilty if I wasn’t always doing something or on the go. I feared slipping back into my lazy routine and worried about nothing creeping back into my life. I didn’t want to go back to being the lump in front of my computer or TV.

So I kept on doing something.

Even if that something was just standing up and pacing back and forth, I made sure I was involved. I made sure that nothing never occupied my time again. And you know what?

I got tired.

Go figure. If you’re always on the move and never resting you’re going to get tired. I seemed to think that I was the energizer bunny and could keep going and going. I let my fear of my life and habits of my past control my actions in the present. It was another time that I needed to learn about balance. You can’t just jump from one extreme to the next. You shouldn’t be well versed in the art of nothing, but you can’t be the master of the art of everything for long without burning out.

It’s ok to sit on the couch and relax for a few hours.

It’s ok to go for a long run in the middle of the week.

It’s ok to enjoy a book in your favorite chair for an afternoon.

It’s ok to kill a really tough strength workout.

All of these things make up a balanced life and that makes up a healthy life too. Don’t let one side of the scale dictate your life. It’s not an easy job and it’s something that I still struggle with daily. I have to tell myself to take a break, to sit down and relax. I don’t have to always be on the go.

Whether you struggle with doing too much or not doing enough, focus on taking small steps to find the right balance. You won’t always succeed and there will be days that you will have to pick yourself up and start over again. That’s what being human is about. Trust yourself enough to know that you are doing your best and next time you will do better.

Butternut Mushroom Risotto

February 20, 2015 / ktbuchs87

The first time that I made risotto did not go well. I found a recipe online and did everything that it said. What I was left with was watery and still slightly crunchy. This was not the “creamy” risotto I had heard so much about. I pushed the recipe to the bottom of my stack and went on my merry risotto-less way.

Flash forward a few years and I decided to try it again. This time went much better and I ended up with a tasty and comforting dish. The only problem was that it took quite some time to get the risotto ready. Now I don’t mind recipes that take a lot of time, usually on the weekends I specifically choose meals that will take a few hours because I like cooking. What I don’t like are recipes that take a long time and are kind of boring. If you’ve ever made risotto you know that it takes a lot of stirring. A LOT of stirring. While I liked the taste and texture of risotto I did not like the process of making it.

Join me in the present and I have found a way to make risotto that isn’t totally boring. The slow cooker. How I didn’t think of this idea before I have no idea because I am in love with my slow cooker! This recipe has all the deliciousness of risotto with about half of the stirring. That is a wonderful thing!

Butternut Mushroom Risotto

1 tbsp roasted garlic or 3 to 4 cloves minced
2 leeks, dark green parts trimmed off and white parts sliced thin (save the stalks to make homemade broth!)
1 medium onion, chopped
8 oz package of mushrooms, sliced (you can use any variety like button or cremini)
3/4 cup white wine or vegetable broth
2 cups short grain brown rice
1 tsp salt
5 cups vegetable broths
2 tsp marjoram
1 tsp parsley
1 cup pureed butternut squash

1. In a large pan heat a little olive oil and saute the leeks, onions, garlic, and mushrooms. You want the mushrooms to reduce in size and the leeks and onions to have a little brown around the edges. Place all the vegetables into your slow cooker.

2. Using the same pan, add in the 3/4 cup of white wine or broth and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom.

3. Add the 2 cups of brown rice to the pan and cook over medium high heat until all the liquid is absorbed. Constantly stir the rice. This should take about 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Add the rice, 5 cups of broth, marjoram, parsley, and salt to the slow cooker with the vegetables and stir to combine. Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours.

5. The risotto is done once all the liquid has been absorbed. At the end of the cook time stir in the pureed butternut squash. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.

I made this last weekend and it was awesome. It’s a really comforting meal and with the ridiculously cold weather coming this weekend this is the perfect dish to warm up with. It also takes minimal effort and yields a creamy rich risotto. This is also a good recipe to make a big batch of so you have leftovers for lunch for the work week.

Have a great weekend and make sure that you stay warm!