Another of my favourite dinners!

I made chicken with Epicure's Teryiaki Ginger grilling sauce, and asparagus with bell peppers and the creamy poppy seed dressing! Soooooooo good!

Vegas Baby!

I celebrated my 30th birthday in style with 4 of my best girls in Las Vegas, NV last week. We flew down on Friday and came home on Monday. It wasn't long, but it was a great weekend!

My birthday dinner

Today is my 30th birthday, so I made a few of my fav dishes for dinner. I baked the chicken in Epicure's Teryiaki Ginger grilling sauce (my fav!), made Schwardies potatoes, and steamed some green beans and then added Epicure's vegetable seasoning (so so so good!).

Yummmmmm!

I figure if I have to make my own birthday dinner, I might as well make what I love! :)

SMOKY RANCH FETTUCCINE SAUCE

I made a pasta and salmon tonight with bruchetta- soooooo good!

I borrowed Mandy Peacock's recipe:

SMOKY RANCH FETTUCCINE SAUCE
2 Tbsp Margarine or Butter
2 Tbsp Flour
1.5 Cups of Milk
1 Tbsp VE Smoky Ranch Dip Mix

Instructions:
1. Melt the butter or margarine in a small pan.
2. Add the flour to make a paste
3. Add the Smoky Ranch Mix & milk.
4. Heat at a medium temperature (stirring occasionally), until the sauce boils, then simmer for a couple of mins or until sauce thickens.
5. Serve with fettuccine and your choice of veg/meat (I added salmon)

"The Shack" by William P. Young

I seriously recommend this book to everyone. It's a pretty easy read ( I finished it in a few days, and I'm a slow reader), and it asks a lot of questions that really make you think. Believe it or not (I'm still struggling with a lot of things it says), it's a neat idea.

Here is a review that my Priest wrote about it.

http://lifeiswasted.blogspot.com/2008/11/shack-courtesy-of-frlawrence.html

I commented on it there, and I'll post my same comment that I wrote there, here as well.

And here is a review that James wrote (which is mentioned in the comments of the above posting): http://paradosis.blogspot.com/2008/01/shack-part-one-religious-stereotype-and.html/ I agree with a LOT of what James wrote, and you can read my comments on his articles. He does write about the book in great detail. It's worth the read!

I did it!

I did it! I finally made a dessert - and it tastes good!!!!!!!!!

After totally botching vanilla custard and chocolate pudding, I attempted oatmeal cookies today. I used the recipe from the Epicure cookbook that I have been making breakfast, lunch, and dinner out of for the last month or so. And they turned out great!!!!

I added a bit of Maple Spice dip mix, and I didn't add the Cherries and berries (I don't have that VE mix yet), so I threw in some Cherry Craisins and pecans. And they turned out awesome!!!!!! Yay! Andy finally had his first cookie tonight! And he loved it!

Mexican Beef and Black Beans

Tonight I made Mexican Beef and Black Beans for dinner. It was a really yummy alternative to regular soft taco's. I put sour cream on a tomato basil tortilla and added a good helping of the MBBB and salsa (yucky regular salsa the Epicure stuff is sooooooooooo much better, but I was out) and then threw some cheddar on top. And it was really good!

Hearty Bean Soup with Pasta (and croissants)

I made a super yummy soup for lunch today! My friend Liz came over and we made this together. I halved the recipe as there was only us and the boys eating, and it made a lot of soup. But it was really thick, so I doubled the boullion part. Anyways, it was FANTASTIC! And Andy ate the most!!!!!

It was super easy to make, took maybe 15 minutes max (with interrupting children), and was really really yummy! I will totally make this again - especially if I have a friend come over - it's an impressive lunch!!! :)

A freakin' good meal!

I made a greek salad tonight and used Epicure's greek salad dressing. it was really good! I bought

4 of their salad dressings a while ago (back in the spring sometime), but I was so used to doing just 3 main dressings (classic, poppy seed, and the one that uses the dijon tarragon dip mix). I am still yet to open the Caesar salad dressing mix. I have never made a caesar salad in my life, but I figure I should just give in and make one soon.

Anyways, I made the Greek salad dressing for the first time and I used the 3 Pepper Salad recipe. But it is just peppers, and it looked a little sad, so I turned it into a greek salad by adding red onion, cucumber, and feta cheese. It was great.

And then I made one of my fav dishes ever - Green Beans with Mandarin Oranges and Almonds. I did the classic dressing (with dijon mustard) for this dish. And as usual, it was awesome, and Andy ate about half of it!

And for the main dish, I did a new recipe with one of Gabe's fresh caught Coho Salmon fillets - Honey Mustard Salmon Fillets. Yum! Yum! Yum! Yum! Yum! Yum! Yum! Yum! And so easy too! I am really proud of how delicious, healthy, and easy tonight's dinner was! Thanks Epicure!

Waaaaaay better the second time around!

I made Spinach & Tortellini Zuppa for lunch today. It was one of the first meals I ever made once I started this Epicure cooking. It wasn't bad back then, but I knew it could be better. I didn't have the VE vegetable boullion back then... but I do now! And MAN is it better with this stuff! I want to get the beef and chicken VE boullion now!!!

This recipe just proved to me, one more time, that Epicure spices and seasonings are the best out there. The really are the cream of the crop! If you have a meal with 5 ingredients, and 3 of them are spices or seasonings, just imagine how much better your meal will be if you use the VE products!!!!!!

I'm at the point where I want to get Epciure's regular items: ginger, garlic, cinnamon, etc. Id their special stuff is this much better, than their regular stuff must be as well. I get so excited just thinking about it! I should really sell this stuff!! :)

It's been 1 month, and I'm still going strong...

I have been making the majority of my family's meals from Epciure's "A Healthier You: Feel better in just 28 days!" cookbook. And I do feel better! I can now say that I know how to cook, I know my family is eating healthy meals, we eat out less, and our grocery bill is down. On top of that, we are eating tastier, healthier food, that I am actually enjoying making, planning, and shopping for. I never thought that this would be part of who I am, but I am really liking this new challenge I made for myself!

I started off not wanting to make my challenge too hard, so I decided to do it for just 28 days. And it's actually been 31 days now, I was on holidays for 5 of them, and I know I skipped a meal here and there substituting a sad fast-food alternative. But for the most part I stuck to my goals, and I am VERY happy that I did!

In the last month I lost 5lbs, and I owe that 100% to Epicure. I can now cook, and my next goal is to learn to bake. Wish me luck - I'm gong to need it!

Here's to another wonderful, Epicure filled month!

Another dud :(

I tried a new Epicure dish tonight. Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as I had hoped for. I was really hoping it would be great, so I could whip up a new fancy dish when I had dinner guests over. It was quick, easy, and looked good. But that was about it. It tasted very plain. It was the Asian Chicken Salad from the "A Healthier You: Feel better in 28 days" Epicure cookbook. There was NOT enough chicken in it compared to the noodles, salad, and dressing. And the dressing was veeeeery plain. It only called for 1/2 a tsp of the Oriental stir-fry VE seasoning. And that went into a good cup of dressing. SO not enough. And there wasn't much other flavor in the dish. I might be willing to try this again, but only if I found another recipe that looked decent. I'm not nearly a good enough cook to be able to fix this recipe myself.

Anyways, it looked fantastic, so here is a picture of it.

One of our favorite breakfasts

I have made this breakfast before, but I don't think I posted any pictures of it. This is Epicure's Peach Cobbler Oatmeal. We, being my boys and me, like our oatmela less runny, so I used only half of the milk it called for. And as Andy is allergic to dairy, I used Silk Milk. But other than that, I followed this recipe exactly. No, that isn't true. I added some bran as well. But that is what I love about this particular recipe... you can really make it your own and add or subtract ingredients and it's just as yummy!

More yummy Epicure meals are on their way!

I was away last week, and I ate badly. Well, actually not too bad at all. I tried to eat as healthy as possible while on the cruise. I chose fish and salads, always ate protein and veggies, and only had a few desserts.

:)

But I am back now, and my Epicure mantra - breakfast, lunch, and dinner - is back on track!

I made Epicure's 10-minute Chili today for lunch. I forgot how much I love that meal!

And for dinner, I made a meal staring a beautiful Coho Salmon that Gabe caught on our vacation! Here is a picture of the delicious Italian Style Salmon with Pesto and Tomatoes. It's pretty much bruschetta on top of salmon. And MAN is it good!!! I will totally be making this again!!!

And again we had the Raspberry Orange Spinach Salad with Epicure's poppy seed dressing. It is another one of my favorite new dishes.

All four of us really enjoyed this meal. Andy devoured the fish, and Owen even had a bowl of salad! I had a loaf of french bread that we used to dip in the fish 'gravy' that was left in the pan. Soooooo yummmmmmmy!

I attempted a dessert as well this evening: Vanilla Custard. But as you will not see a photo of it, you can be sure that it was pretty awful. In fact, I destroyed it. I used Silk Milk instead of regular milk, and so it never thickened. So I had a yummy, custard-tasting soup/drink. I gave a little bit to Andy (who really liked it) and I tossed the rest. Next time I'll use regular milk and Andy can have marshmallows instead.

I'm baaaaaack!

Gabe and I spent our 9 year wedding anniversary aboard the Sapphire Princess in Alaska. It was our first vacation since our honeymoon, and the first time we have been on a cruise ship. It was a fantastic trip - exactly what we needed!

We saw a comedian, a hypnotist, and a big musical production. Gabe gambled, I shopped, and we competed in a trivia game and placed second. Or third. I can't remember, but we got a medal!!! I took a tour of the galley, and met the head chef. I also toured the theatre and got to meet a few of the actors. Gabe gambled a little bit in the casino, and we both went to an art auction, and took a beginners ballroom dancing class (so much fun!)

The cruise was 5 days long with 4 nights aboard a ship that held over 4,000 people! We left from Vancouver, and stopped for a day in Ketchikan, Alaska. While there, Gabe took an ocean salmon fishing excursion with a couple that soon became our friends, and I shopped in some of the largest diamond and gemstone wholesale/retails stores in the world. I had the best bowl of clam chowder in the world, bought mink, and got a TON of free stuff! (yay for coupon books)!

I also got to read 2 books completely uninterrupted - Twilight, and New Moon. What a great series! I can't wait to read the third book in the series!

All in all it was a fantastic cruise! We will definitely travel this way again!

French Toast si vous plet

I made Epicure's French Toast recipe this morning. I haven't made French Toast in... well, probably at least few years. But the boys were so good for me last night that I promised them a treat for breakfast this morning. So French Toast it was.

I have never thought about adding orange zest before, but MAN was it ever good! And the pictures don't do it justice. It just looks like French Toast What I wish I could have captured was the smell - it was heavenly!

Andy doesn't usually like pancakes, or sweet things (what a strange kid, I know), but he liked this today. And we ate the orange too. For some reason Owen thought that was "totally awesome!" I have the best kids ever!

Possibly the best spaghetti sauce ever... ever!

I made spaghetti for dinner again last night. I decided to use some VE Fruit Salsa and VE Taco seasoning with the ground beef to give it flavor. I added a can of crushed tomatoes, and mushroom pieces., and that was it. And it was possibly one of the BEST SPAGHETTI SAUCES IN TEH WORLD, EVER! My boys both loved it, and ate bowls almost as big as mine. And I made Asparagus with Dijon Tarragon dressing as well. That recipe is from Epicure's "A Healthier You - Feel better in just 28 days" cookbook. And that Dijon Tarragon dip mix is slowly becoming one of my fav's - used as a chip dip, or a dressing, I just can't get enough!

Greek Breakfast Wrap

I made the Epicure Greek Breakfast Wrap for lunch on Sunday. I followed the recipe exactly, even though I had never had marinated artichokes before. I now know that I don't like them. But... once I removed them, I really (really) liked this dish. But I thought it was weird that the recipe gets you to make 1/4 or 1/3 of Tzaziki, but then only gets you to use like 1 tbsp of it. So I added more. Not all of it, but a lot more than 1 tbsp. That made it reaaaaaaalllllly good!

But if I am going to make an Epicure wrap with eggs and veggies, it's got to be the Breakfast Burrito made with the VE guacamole dip. I just like it better. But this one is a nice change, and I did really like the tzaziki, so maybe I will make this one a regular. Maybe.

ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS

Ankylosing spondylitis (pronounced ank-kih-low-sing spon-dill-eye-tiss), or AS, is a form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine, although other joints can become involved. It causes inflammation of the spinal joints (vertebrae) that can lead to severe, chronic pain and discomfort. In the most advanced cases (but not in all cases), this inflammation can lead to new bone formation on the spine, causing the spine to fuse in a fixed, immobile position, sometimes creating a forward-stooped posture.

Currently, there is no known cure for AS, but there are treatments and medications available to reduce symptoms and manage the pain. Physical therapy and exercise, along with medication, are at the heart of therapy for ankylosing spondylitis. Although the exact cause of AS is unknown, we do know that genetics play a key role in AS. Unlike other forms of arthritis and rheumatic diseases, general onset of AS commonly occurs in younger people, between the ages of 17-35. However, it can affect children and those who are much older. AS is more common in men, but occurs in women as well.

The severity of AS varies greatly from person to person, and not everyone will experience the most serious complications or have spinal fusion. Some will experience only intermittent back pain and discomfort, but others will experience severe pain and stiffness over multiple areas of the body for long periods of time. AS can be very debilitating, and in some cases, lead to disability. Some may require the help of walking aids such as a cane to help assist in balance and relieve some pressure on affected joints while walking and standing. Many with AS find it very difficult to sit or stand for prolonged periods of time which can even be about 20 minutes, therefore many need to alternate times of sitting and standing, as well as times of rest. Medical professionals and experts in AS have speculated that maintaining good posture can reduce the likelihood of a fused or curved spine which occurs in a significant percentage of diagnosed persons.

There are at least half a million people with AS in the United States but likely more because the disease is under-recognized. AS is more prevalent than multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis and Lou Gehrig's Disease combined. And I have it. Lovely.

http://www.spondylitis.org/about/as.aspx

http://www.medicinenet.com/ankylosing_spondylitis/article.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankylosing_spondylitis

Another fantastic dinner!!!!! How do they keep getting better?!?!??!

Tuscan BBQ Chicken - sooooooo good!

Roasted balsamic potatoes with green beans - so good, and so easy! Love it!

Raspberry Orange Salad - I've already made this, but it was so good, I had to make it again!!!!

I'm down 5lbs!!!

Hoorah! I am down 5lbs! And I have done nothing different in the last 2 weeks other than eat healthy and use Epicure cookbooks to make all (well, most) of my meals. So I attribute this 5lbs to Epicure! Yay Epicure!

this week's breakfasts

I've been a little lapse on breakfasts this week. Last Sunday I made pancakes, I think I skipped breakfast on Monday (I know, I know, I'm bad), and I just wolfed down whatever I could Tuesday morning before rushing the kids off to daycare. Wednesday morning I made Epicure's peach cobbler oatmeal. And it was great! Huge, but great. I should really read how many people it serves before mixing all the ingredients. And I forgot to take a picture. Anyways, we had that again yesterday morning. It's a pretty basic breakfast, but way tastier than just plain oatmeal. You have your oatmeal made from milk (we usually do water, but this time I used soy-milk so we got our protein in there somehow), with a can of peaches all chopped up, a little brown sugar and a little maple dip mix. And voila! Fantastic! Both the boys liked it as well, so it's a real no-brainer for us.

However, this morning didn't turn out so fantastic. I made the Peach Smoothie. #1, that is waaaaay too many peaches for me in 3 days. #2, I have a texture thing, and let me just say, I probably won't be making the Peach Smoothie again. It didn't taste bad, but it just wasn't great. It was pretty much peaches pureed, and then in orange juice. Yup, that's pretty much it. Maybe I could add cottage cheese instead of yogurt next time to thicken it up a bit. Anyways, I didn't take a picture because it just looked like orange juice.

It just keeps getting better and better!

Today is Gabe's birthday, so I made a special dinner for him: Chicken Souvlaki, asparagus with dijon tarragon dressing, and an apple walnut salad. I think this may have been the best meal I ever made!

And I made it al from scratch! I just love this Epicure cookbook! And what I really love about it is that is covers all aspects of food - breakfast, lunch, dinner, side dishes, life's little extras, and dessert. I mean, what more could you ask for!?!?!? Really!

OK, so here are the pictures of tonight's dinner. It's too bad Gabe was home really late from work, so he had to nuke the chicken and asparagus. But I ate it when he was hot, and man was it ever good! I oooohed and aaaahed all through the meal. (Nice birthday dinner, hey? The kids and I ate before Gabe even got home!)

I only used green apple in the salad, not red and green, because I didn't make a huge salad, as it was really just for 2 of us. And I had more yellow and red pepper on the asparagus than it called for because, well because it looked really pretty (and tasted GREAT too!) But other than that, I did everything as the recipe said to. I even BBQ's the meat all by myself (for the first time)! Woo hoo! But I left the chicken breasts whole, and didn't make them into skewers.

Andy ate, now get this, he is my 14 month old, ONE and a HALF CHICKEN BREASTS! My kid is a carnivore! He just LOVED the chicken. He

downed a few asparagus too. He really is a fantastic eater (or is it just that I am becoming a better and better cook? :) ) and Owen even had some of the salad. And, ok, now here I go confessing, I had to make more salad for Gabe because I ate the whole big salad before he got home. I HAD to! It was just sooooooooo good! I am excited to try more new meals, but when they are as good as this one was, I want to make it every night for dinner! All three of these dishes will become regulars at our house from now on!!!

And then, because it was his birthday, I made Gabe a birthday cake and cupcakes (those are primarily for Owen). I made the cake too look

like Gabe (did I do a good job?), and I let Owen decorate the cupcakes. He chose the colors, and the toppings, and then did them all by himself. He had so much fun helping me in the kitchen today! But there is no Epicure stuff in the cake. I wonder if they have cake recipes?? Probably, they seem to have everything!

10-minute Chili

This was a real treat. I thought that it would take 10 minutes once mixed and on the stove, but no! It ony takes 10-minutes from taking out the recipe book until you are eating a yummy, healthy lunch!

I LOVE chili, and this may be my fav small-bowl solution. No more making enough to feed an army when it's just me that is hungry.

I've never really been a huge fan of red kidney beans, but I didn't know I had an alternative. And now I do - white kidney beans! They taste waaaaaay better, but not too different that you can;t use them as a substitute in meals. Hoorah for new things!

Quick Breakfast Burrito

This is one of my new favorite meals... ever! The Quick Breakfast Burrito is soooooooo good, and it uses 3 Epicure spices. The fajita or taco is mixed with sour cream, the guacamole dip is mixed into the scrambled eggs, and the salsa dip (I used Poco Picante) is the sale on top. And it is so tasty, I have had it twice this past week and I plan to have it again this week as well! I like it as a lunch, but you could have it as a breakfast as well.

Iced coffee... yummmm!

This is a treat that I had a lot this past summer. But I made it again today as it was mildy warm outside :)

This is Epicure's Frosted Mocha, from the Dining Alfresco cook book. Soooooo good!

I feel like chicken tonight, like chicken tonight!

I made Epicure's Parmesan Dijon Chicken again tonight. Man, is it good! Honestly, everyone who has the sundried tomato dip mix from Epicure should be making this on a regular basis! I tried the Herb roasted potatoes tonight too, but they didn't turn out so great. I burned the edges because they were in there for a long time (or else they wouldn't have been done). Maybe I'll boil the potatoes next time, before I put them in the pan with the spices. But they smelled really good! And I tried the steamed veggies - they were probably my favorite part of the meal! I never would have thought to add red pepper and peas with the broccoli and cauliflower. And once again, this dish shoes me why I love Epicure's veggie seasoning so much! Andy loved it too - he couldn't have the chicken (dairy allergy), but he ate a big plate full of the veggies! The potatoes didn't go over too well with Owen either (but he has never liked potatoes), but everyone loved the chicken and veggies!

Another score for me and Epicure!!!

Maple Spice Dip Mix

I had a Maple Spice morning. I added it to my pancakes batter, and then sprinkled it on top instead of syrop (yummm), I added it to my coffee (yummm), and I sprinkled it on top of my fruit and cottage cheese mix (super yummm). I love finding new ways to use the Epicure Spices, and this Maple one is quickly becoming a favourite!

2 more new and fantastic meals!

For lunch today I tried a new variation on an old classic - the tuna sandwich. Epicure's Apple Tuna Sandwich is made with fat-free plain yogurt, the VE Sun-dried Tomato Dip Mix, canned tuna, and an apple. It's that easy. I didn't have bread, so I used a whole wheat tortilla. It was great! Gabe doesn't normally like tuna, but he really liked this! And the sun-dried dip mix took away the fishy tuna taste. I loved it!

We need to go grocery shopping badly, so for dinner tonight I made spaghetti with whatever I could find in the fridge and cupboards. I went online to the Erpciure website, seeing as none of my Epicure cook books have a spaghetti recipe

with ground beef. I searched 'spaghetti sauce' and fond the Quick Tomato Sauce there. It's made from a can of diced tomatoes, an onion, garlic, and a bit of the VE Pest, VE Bruschetta, and VE Focaccia spices. I had all three, so it was quick and easy to make. And it was soooooooo delicious! My boys loved it, and when my sister-in-law and her boyfriend came over later and ate some, they loved it too!

Quick, easy, delicious, healthy, and cost-efficient - can it get any better??? No!!! epicure rocks!!!

Good for lunch and dinner!

I had Epicure's Dijon Chicken Sandwich today for lunch. I used the Dijon Chicken leftovers from dinner last night. It was the best dinner I have had in a long time, and today's lunch was just as good! This recipe will be a regular in our house for sure!

On another note, I tried a new breakfast shake this morning - Epicure's Peanut Butter Shake. It was SO delicious, but I won't be making this too often. I used Soy Milk instead of regular milk, so Andy can have some too (he is allergic to dairy). And I didn't have natural PB, so I used Jif. And I didn't have Epicure's cocoa, so I used a chocolate syrop (the kind for ice cream). I had 3 cups and Owen had 1. We both loved it, but I can't afford to eat that much sugar on a regular basis! This will be pulled out for treats only.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Today was my first breakfast, lunch, and dinner from my Epicure cookbooks.

Breakfast: leftovers from the Banana Fruit Bread I made a few days ago. Still yummy, and all I need with a cup of coffee to start my day!

Lunch: Banana Strawberry Smoothie. Add an egg and there is enough protein to make it a small lunch. I had some leftovers as well. Epicure meals from the last 2 days.

Dinner: This is where I really did good today! I made 3 brand new epicure dishes tonight: Parmesan Dijon Mustard Chicken, Sesame Green Beans, and Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing. Yum. Yum. And more Yum!

The chicken was FANTASTIC!!!! I used thighs,

not breasts as the meat is darker and easier for my kids to eat. But it was just as good!!!!! And I made a few extra so we can have the sandwich version for lunch tomorrow - I can't wait!!!

All 4 of us love green beans, and now we have another fantastic green bean recipe to use! This is the first time I used the VE Vegetable Seasoning and I LOVE IT!!!! I can't wait to use it again - it is sooooo yummy! I wanted to scoop the extra seasoning out of the bowl and eat it! But I didn't.

And the salad was another winner! I love a good strawberry spinach salad. But now I have a fantastic poppy seed dressing too! Super yay! Even Owen had a big bowl of salad!!!!

I borrowed this recipe out of the VE Dining Alfresco cookbook.

I LOVED dinner tonight! I mean, I will for sure make all of these dishes again!

Mmmmmmm Mojito!

Yumm!

Need I say more???

Raspberry Orange Spinach Salad

Yummmmmmm!

This was fantastic. It could be a yummy lunch, or a side dish with dinner. However you make it, it could be delicious! It was my lunch today, and I didn't feel bad having seconds! Super yummmmmmm!!!!!

Spinach Tortellini Zuppa!

I was planning on making this for lunch today, but we all had a nap and woke up past 2pm, so by the time we ate, it was more like an early dinner. And it worked - very filling. So it could be a lunch, dinner, or even an appy for a dinner party (oooh, I like that idea!)

I made it with the beef boullion and beef tortellini instead of the veggie/cheese combo in the recipe. It was great! All 4 of us loved it, and Andy (my  1 year old) had 2 bowls!

smoothies for breakfast!

Owen and I made Strawberry Banana Smoothie for breakfast this morning. Owen got his 2 front top teeth extracted yesterday, so he can only eat soft foods for a while. We do smoothies for breakfast often, and he always likes to help me make them.

So we did the Strawberry Banana one from the Epicure Cookbook today. It was really good! I don't normally add yogurt, so that was new for us, and I LOVED the addition of the VE Summer Berry Fruit Dip! From now on, I'm going to start adding the VE fruit dips to all our smoothies and milkshakes!

Banana Fruit Loaf

I made Banana Fruit Loaf for breakfast yesterday. My theory was that I could also have it as a healthy snack throughout the rest of this week. And that is exactly what is has proven to be! 

First off, it felt soooo good to way up at 7:00am with the kids and start baking. I don't think I have ever done that before in my life! The loaf was easy to make, quick, fun, and boy is it tasty! You could really put whatever you want into he loaf, but I stuck to the recipe this time :)

I ate it for breakfast with a cup of coffee and some fruit and cottage cheese (my usual breakfast staple). Then, I had it as a late afternoon snack. Owen loves it as well, and Andy even had a good chunk too! My Mom had some with a cup of coffee, Gabe had a slice - everyone loves it! And I still have half the loaf left! I have a feeling that I will be making this breakfast/treat often!!!!!

Breakfast and dinner - one good, one not so good

DAY TWO:

My made my first breakfast on my 28-day mission to cook from the "A Healthier You - Feel better in just 28 days" Victorian 

Epicure Selections cookbook this morning. I made the "Classic Scrambled Eggs" dish. It's basically scra

mbled eggs with the VE 3 

Onion Dip Mix. And it was great! Andy and I ate it, and we both really liked it!

For dinner, I made "Bruschetta with Pesto" and "Angel Hair Pasta with Pesto and Lemon". I have made the bruschetta at least a dozen times or so before, and I have always loved it. Sometimes I make it with the Pesto mix, and sometimes with the Bruschetta mix. Tonight it was the Bruschetta mix, and again it was fantastic. The dinner, however, wasn't so great. It isn't anything I'd make again.  The only change I made to the recipe was to use whole wheat spaghetti noodles instead of regular angel hair noodles (because I couldn't find them at Safeway). The recipe was a it too lemon-ey for Gabe, but I didn't mind that part. I found it really bland. We ended up adding the extra tomatoes with Bruschetta seasoning and mixing it into the pasta to try and make it better. It was ok, but I woulnd't make tis recipe again.

First it was Julie & Julia...

... and now it's Amy & Epicure!

I have taken a page out of Julie's book (if you haven't seen the movie already, you really should!), and I have decided to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner out of my "A Healthier You - Feel better in just 28 days" cookbook by Victorian Epicure Selections. And then I'll blog about it, and, most importantly, post pictures of each meal! Yummmmmmm! 

And all these recipes can be found on the Victorian Epicure website, so if you like the look and sound of one, feel free to snag the recipe from that website. 

DAY ONE:

I sat down yesterday and planned my meals for a week, and then went grocery shopping. My first meal on this new mission of mine was dinner last night - Stir-fried Beef with Broccoli. 

It didn't look too great. It actually looked a lot like dirt. And it tasted a bit like dirt too. It wasn't so great - not a good way to start my new 28-day mission. However, the recipe called for 1-2 teaspoons of the VE Chinese 5-Spice, and I misread it and put in 2 tablespoons. So it was my fault for screwing up the recipe. And I didn't have the VE vegetable bouillon, so I used beef broth. Anyways, I plan on doing this dinner recipe again next Sunday, and this time I'll use the proper ingrediants and proportions, so hopefully it will be a lot better! :)

I hate mornings

5:45am:

up with Andy

change, feed him

tidy his room

start laundry

fold and put away previous laundry

cuddle with the boy

7:00am:

Owen joins up and we watch Word Girl 

take out the garbage and recycling

pick fresh blueberries from the backyard

make breakfast for the boys

unload dishwasher

load dishwasher

make coffee

8:00am:

Wake Gabe up

tidy kitchen

do 2nd load of laundry

put more laundry away

get boys dressed

get self dressed

pack diaper bag

nuke coffee

8:45am: 

go grocery shopping

I still never had my coffee...

:(

And here I sit...

And here I sit. In my driveway. In the tent trailer. As Owen sleeps beside me. This is how we go camping without leaving our yard. He loves it! And now to kill some time on the laptop until I am ready to sleep as well...