Breakfast Smoothie

Blend the following:

1 peach
1/2 banana
1 low fat Stonyfield plain yogurt
1/2 c soymilk
2 T wheat germ
ice cubes

YUM!

Freezing a Large Batch of Chili

I know, I know, do I make anything other than chili? Not much. But I really think it's the perfect food with a good slice of bread. So today I decided to make a pretty big batch and freeze it so that Jake and I and perhaps my mom can eat it in the first week or so after the baby is here. Jake keeps asking, "Are we really people who cook and freeze things?" Yes, my dear, we really are. Whatever that means. To me, it means we are planners.

So after googling the heck out of this, the Internet's verdict is to cook the chili, put it in small containers and let them cool to room temperature, and then freeze for "ages," which seems prettty open to interpretation, no?

(Vegan) Chili:

2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T garlic (I heart garlic)
3/4 of a yellow onion, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 large carrots, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes with onions (chili style)
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
Half-pound of Morningstar tofu (acts like ground beef)
as much oregano and chili powder as you desire

Saute your garlic and onion in olive oil for about 5-7 minutes on medium heat, then add your peppers. Rock out to Rilo Kiley or whatever you like, then add the carrots, then tomatoes, then beans and tofu. Taste test your chili as you add your spices -- just like Anne Burrell says (orders).

Potato, Bean and Cheese Torta

uncooked:

cooked!

School is now out for summer, and Jake and I are finishing birth classes, adjusting our birth plan, baby proofing our home and finally...waiting. The due date is one month from today! My mother thinks I will deliver early; I get no sort of hunch about this... At this point, I certainly feel like I've seen many movies about birth, attended enough classes, and read quite a bit -- but who is ever really ready/prepared for such a major event? Well, we are certainly trying to be.

Otherwise I've been trying to transform a chapter into an article, see friends a bit more, and take regular walks even though my current pace is a 30 minute mile, my all time low. Jake has been sweet about walking at my snail-like pace, and I hope to go to the Botanical Garden next weekend with him. He has never been there except to attend a wedding (and he calls himself a St. Louisan!)

Tomorrow we see our brunch group, and I'm craving protein right now, so I made this yummy torta again. I made this dish a few months ago, but I tweaked it since then so it would be tastier (no more olives/a bit more cheese & tomatoes). Here is the recipe:

Torta:
1 cup diced cooked potatoes
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 T olive oil
3/4 cup diced tomato
1 can low sodium black beans

8 eggs

1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
2/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/3 cup shredded aged cheddar cheese

First boil your potatoes and then add then to a frying pan with a little olive oil, your red pepper, and garlic. Saute this mixture for about 5-8 minutes, then take off the burner. Add your tomato and beans and stir. In a bowl mix the eggs spices, and cheese. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and put the potato-bean layer on first, then put the egg mixture on top. Bake for 30 minutes at 400. Delicious.

If I had an onion, I would have added it, too. To my lovely vegan friends, you might also substitute vegan cheese and use tofu instead of eggs to make this a vegan dish.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Edamame

A yummy carb-heavy dinner tonight:

Whole wheat pasta with sauce:
1/3 diced yellow onion sautéd in extra virgin olive oil
tomato paste
2/3 c Morningstar tofu crumbles
1/2 c edamame

Blackberry Cobbler

Maybe it's because school is finally winding down and I have more time on my hands now, or maybe it's because I am 8 months pregnant and feel a compulsion to be busybusybusy. Or maybe it's because I really should be editing parts of my dissertation, and beginning a new chapter. Or maybe lately I just want something sweet every single day.

Whatever the reason, I have been a baking fool lately:
Speaking of berries, I can't wait to go to this.

Whole Wheat Banana Blueberry Muffins

A tale of two muffins

I felt like baking again this morning, so I made the following, modifying an earlier recipe. Here is the (butter-free) muffin recipe:

Mix the following dry ingredients together:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 and 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda

Mix together the following ingredients in a smaller bowl:
2 very ripe bananas (mashed)
3 T orange juice
1 large egg (you might use 4 oz. applesauce as a substitute to make this a vegan recipe)
2/3 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries
1 t honey

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together. Pour the batter into greased muffin tins and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. They're not supersweet, but they're healthy and hearty.

Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins

I made these tonight for my morning class tomorrow -- they're beautiful and smell lovely. Tomorrow is their final exam day and therefore officially my last day pre-baby! I'm looking forward to the pool opening soon:)

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

Go Cards!

Breakfast of Champions:
6 chopped strawberries
1 small banana
1/4 c plain yogurt
a drizzle of honey
1/2 T wheat germ
some soy milk
4 ice cubes

Whole Wheat Pasta with Homemade Sauce

While watching the Food Network the other night, I asked Jake, "Why don't we ever make pasta? That looks so good!"

So here we are -- last night I made whole wheat pasta with a sauce made from tomato sauce, diced stewed tomatoes, broccoli, and feta cheese. Here today, gone tomorrow: