10

May

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

I used to love those parfaits from the golden arches, the layers of blueberries, strawberries and granola in between sweet vanilla yogurt. The downsize: lots of sugar. The positive: still healthier than a burger. 🙂 But who wants pounds of sugar in yogurt and fruit? Shouldn’t heavy sugar consumption be saved for cakes and cookies? Yes, I think so, too. So here’s a giant (not so sugary) version of it…eat it all and feel good about it!

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait
2 servings
2/3 cup chopped strawberries
1/2 cup chopped blackberries or bananas or blueberries
2 cups plain yogurt (Greek is great, too)

A Layer Guide

4 teaspoons honey or 1 TB agave nectar
1/2 cup lowfat granola

Chop the fruit. Get out 2 glasses.

Layer in this order:

  • yogurt (1/2 inch full in the glass)
  • drizzle of honey/agave
  • strawberries (about 1/2 inch)
  • yogurt
  • granola
  • yogurt 
  • drizzle of honey/agave
  • blackberries
  • REPEAT…
  • top with extra granola, strawberries, and one last drizzle of honey/agave
Fun, Pretty, Easy! (only call me two of these…but call my food all of these, please.)
Listening to…Norah Jones’ newest album.
sideways…don’t try this at home. It’s not Dairy Queen.
Why this is awesome:
  • Matt found an old iTunes giftcard
  • He handed it to me and said, “Buy the new Norah Jones album! She’s one of your faves!” And I agreed to all of it. And then I realized that I haven’t ordered an album on iTunes since before grad school, when I was footloose and fancy free (and had money for iTunes. Sigh.) And I forgot how.
  • Her music really is good. Like really good. Complexly simple. For sure.
Happy day, friends!

L

~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL

/////

26

Apr

Cornmeal Pancakes and Strawberry Topping

Hello! It’s time for pancakes…for dinner or mayhaps breakfast or even lunch. Anytime, really. This recipe is hearty, filling but not too heavy. Hope you enjoy!
Cornmeal Pancakes and Strawberry Topping
adapted from the Joy of Cooking
serves 3-4
1 1/2 cup  cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 t. baking powder
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 to 2 tablespoons honey or sugar
1 cup boiling water
1 cup of milk
1 egg
step one: In a large metal (or a heavy) bowl, combine the cornmeal, salt, butter and honey. Pour the boiling water over the top and whisk well to combine. Cover tightly and let stand at least 10 minutes. (I used plastic wrap to cover.)
step two: Preheat the griddle (medium-high) and spray with non-stick or add 1 TB butter to the griddle. (A non-stick pan works, too.) In a small bowl, whisk milk and egg. Combine into the cornmeal mixture. Combine the flour and baking powder, then add to the cornmeal mixture. Stir a bit. 
step three: Pour the batter (about 1/4 cup at a time) into the griddle/pan. Let cook until pancake stops bubbling on top and flip. Cook for 2 more minutes, or until slightly firm (no liquid).
step four: Serve with the strawberry topping. (below)
Strawberry Topping
1 1/2 to 2 cups strawberries
1/2 cup orange juice
1 t. vanilla or almond extract
1/3 cup sugar
step one: Chop the strawberries. In a medium pot on medium heat, combine all four ingredients. Stir and cover the pot. Let cook for 7 minutes, or until half of strawberries are liquified. (Stir occasionally during this time.) 
step two: Move the pot off of the heat and let sauce cool a little and thicken. Serve immediately on top of pancakes or ice cream.
Happy Eating!
Laurel
~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL

///

16

Aug

Quickest smoothie ever

Ever need a quick breakfast, but a granola bar isn’t enough? Grab this.

Quickest Smoothie Ever
Serves one in a hurry
1/2 cup orange juice
1 frozen banana
1/2 frozen peach
3 frozen strawberries
1 TB ground flax

Blend all together. Gulp down immediately while running out the door.

Have we talked about flax seed yet?
I suppose it’s time.

FLAX SEED is a superfood. This WebMD article summarizes a lot of it.

FACTS:

  • Can be traced back to Babylon as early as 3000 BC, and King Charlemagne thought so highly of the food that he passed laws to command his people to eat it.
  • Omega-3 essential fatty acids, “good” fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.
  • Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75-800 times more lignans than other plant foods.
  • Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.
  • It is linked to preventing cardiovascular and lung diseases, as well as preventing certain types of cancers (lung, breast, colon).
  • The omega-3s in flax seed can reduce atherosclerotic plaque buildup (in the arteries) by up to 75%.
  • Daily intake of flax seed can regulate your cholesterol levels and even your blood sugar, for current and potential diabetics. (This is so huge.)
  • And, for middle aged ladies, 2 TB of ground flax seed in your yogurt or on fruit twice a day is believed to reduce hot flashes by 50%.
    Golden and dark flax seed are equal in nutritional value

Okay, if that hasn’t convinced you, just try it. Flax seed in inexpensive (bought in the bulk bins at the grocery store or in bags in the healthy living/vitamin departments at the stores). It’s cheaper to buy whole flax seeds and then go home and ground them in your coffee grinder or food processor. I keep a little jar of them on the kitchen counter, right next to the sea salt. It’s easy to sprinkle on yogurt, fruit, in smoothies, oatmeal, in baking breads and cakes, in pasta, soups, taco meat, anything really! Doctors recommend 1-2 tablespoons a day, and consuming ground flax seed is absorbed much better than the whole seeds. It has a bit of a nutty flavor when eaten alone, but it virtually tasteless when mixed into foods.

Ground flax seed

 And now for something random…
This is what my summer has looked like.

No, do not fear, my husband and I are doing really well. I’ve been taking a Premarital Counseling class so I can be certified to counsel couples as they prepare for marriage. It involves a LOT of reading, including books like this that make for interesting conversations (or sympathetic stares) in the dentist office waiting room. Ha, that’s okay, just another (humbling) sacrifice for a minister’s calling, right? Hope your day is wonderful, fabulous and FLAXulous. 🙂

~Laurel~

15 years ago Short URL

////

Proudly powered by WordPress
Theme: Esquire by Matthew Buchanan.