Pinterest Love plus Roasted Cauliflower & Aged Cheddar Soup!

Over the past week I have gotten back on my Pinterest boards exploring past pins and pinning new ones.  There is no lack of inspiration in this world with the internet at hand and especially with Pinterest.  How awesome is it that you can basically create your own story boards (that would have originally been magazine clippings push pinned to a bulletin board) all in one place!?  With my love of food and low-cal eating I have collected a lot of recipes that I am anxious to try (some just a small taste because they are fattening rich, some a whole plate full serving because they are low-cal!).  I invite you to check out my boards and would love for you to follow any/all of my boards that interest you. 

I made a recipe this evening for my husband that I pinned on Pinterest from Kevin at Closet Cooking:

Roasted Cauliflower and Aged White Cheddar Soup (Click the link for the recipe!)

I tweeked (confused that with tweeking, my bad) tweaked the recipe only slightly.  I skipped the step of sautéing the chopped thyme.  Instead I dropped a bouquet of thyme tied with butcher's twine in the broth.  I fished it out and discarded it before the puree step.  Also, I dare say I used two cups of white cheddar instead of 1 1/2 like the recipe stated.  And yes, I used a cup of heavy cream to make it creamy.  (Kevin suggested it!)  I reserved a little bit of the cheese and fresh chopped thyme for a garnish. All those tweaks and I thought for sure I was breaking the calorie bank.  It tasted like a cheesy cream of potato soup.  I plugged the recipe into the Lose It! app on my iPhone (after I already ate, wink, wink).  I was pleasantly surprised by how reasonable the calories were!  I estimated the recipe to be 4 servings based on how much I ate.  This deliciously, decadent soup was only 378 calories/serving.  I ate a small romaine lettuce salad with 1/2 a Tbsp. of Marzetti's Simply Dressed Light Caesar dressing (18 calories) just before the soup was ready.  I added a slice of gluten-free toasted baguette (55 calories) for dipping in the last bits of soup.  It was a very satisfying meal.  Of course, I'm scared to tell you the fat content. That means I'm not going to.  Haha! In case you are on a low fat diet I would suggest sticking with the 1 1/2 cups of cheese.  Also, use skim milk or extra broth instead of heavy cream.  I'll try to do that the next time.

I can't wait to try Closet Cooking's Roasted Cauliflower and Aged White Cheddar Gratin next!  Stay tuned for a review.

xoxo

Sara

Lazy Low Cal Cookbook

One of my fellow online bloggers, Becky Clark, was kind enough to send me a free copy of her latest cookbook for review.  Lazy Low Cal Lifestyle Complete Cookbook 2013 has over 200 delicious, healthy recipes.  All the dishes list the calories.  What makes the cookbook unique is it contains a ton of meatless recipes, side dishes, and even sweets.  There is also a lot of enticing protein dishes.  You can purchase Becky's cookbook at www.lazylowcallifestyle.com for just $15.  Here is just a sample list of some the items included in the book to wet your appetite:

Main Dishes
Angellic Scallops (266 calories)
Crispy Oven Fried Drumsticks (169 calories)
Green Chile Stew (144 calories)
Hurry Curry (109 calories)
Lazy Burgers (205 calories)
Maple Pecan Salmon (287)

Meatless Dishes
Asparagus Parmesan Puff (272 calories)
Breakfast Quinoa (179 calories)
Cheese and Apple Quesadilla (338 calories)
Chile Relleno Casserole (248 calories)
Gazpacho (58 calories)
Potato Crust Quiche (178 calories)

Side Dishes
Cauliflower with Bacon and Cheese (159 calories)
Creamy Kale (63 calories)
Lemony Green Beans (30 calories)
Simple Biscuits (41 calories)
Squash Gratin (133 calories)
Zucchini Cakes (29 calories)

Sweets
Almost Instant Cupcakes (90 calories)
Cheesecake Brownies (93 calories)
Chocolate Mousse (113 calories)
Doughnuts (104 calories)

Nibbles & Sips
Edamame Dip (24 calories)
Garbanzo Poppers (56 calories)
Ranch Dressing (9 calories)
Reuben Dip (100 calories)

I'm getting so hungry just thinking about all Becky's recipes.  With pool season just around the corner this cookbook is going to come in handy.

Arby's Low-calorie Lunch Options

Before I get into the list of lunch options at Arby's let me talk a little about fitness.  Cardio is forever my nemesis, because I get so bored.  I recently decided to kill two birds with one stone and get my cardio in while watching American Idol.  That would be working out famously if the show still had Simon Cowell and Kelly Clarkson.  It just isn't the same.  Is it just me or is this show getting tiresome?  I don't know if it's the time commitment or the new judges, but it bores me now.  Maybe it's just been on too long.  Perhaps they should change the format to a modern day "Gong Show" so we don't have to hear the judges constructive criticism enjoying hearing their own advice.  At least Simon would skip to the point and just tell a contestant that his/her performance was atrocious with a capital "A".  It was mean, but it was entertaining, succinct, and true.  The magic is gone without Simon.  J Lo and Steven Tyler gave the show it's last breath.  The show is on it's last leg.  Now I just need a new season of the X Factor to get me back into the cardio groove.  Let's just move on to Arby's.

I don't eat at Arby's very often, but for the sake of this blog post I decided to eat lunch there the other day.  Since I was determined to eat low-calorie I did my research before I went and ordered the following meal as pictured above:

Ham & Swiss Melt 300

Apple Slices 30

Iced Tea 0

Total Calories 330

I dined inside and noticed they provided a condiment bar.  I gladly added some pickles, but I skipped the sauces.  I cannot say it was very filling.  Next time I will definitely order something else from the list of meals below.

The key at Arby’s is to skip all the high-calorie sides.  Pair a low-calorie sandwich with either sliced apples and yogurt dip (80 calories) or a chopped side salad with light Italian dressing (100 calories).  If you must have your fries, then order the value size with a junior sandwich.

Roast Beef Classic 350

Horsey Sauce 50
Apple Slices 30
Yogurt Dip 50
Total Calories 480

Roast Beef Classic 350

Arby’s Sauce 15
Chopped Side Salad 80
Light Italian Dressing 20
Total Calories 465

Roast Beef Medium 440

Arby’s Sauce 15
Total Calories 465

Beef ‘n Cheddar Classic 440

Apple Slices 30
Total Calories 470

Deluxe Bacon Cheddar 420

Apple Slices 30
Total Calories 450

French Dip & Swiss/Au Jus 430

Apple Slices 30
Total Calories 460

Cravin’ Roast Chicken 380

Chopped Side Salad 80
Light Italian Dressing 20
Total Calories 480

Chicken Tenders (3) 350

Buffalo Dipping Sauce 10
Chopped Side Salad 80
Light Italian Dressing 20
Total Calories 460

Chicken Tenders (3) 350

Tangy Barbeque Sauce 45
Apple Slices 30
Yogurt Dip 50
Total Calories 475

Jr. Roast Beef 210

Value Curly or Homestyle Fries 240
Total Calories 450

Jr. Ham & Cheddar Melt 210

Value Curly or Homestyle Fries 240
Total Calories 450

Jr. Chicken Sandwich 320

Apple Slices 30
Yogurt Dip 50
Total Calories 400

Macaroni & Cheese 170

Chopped Side Salad 80
Light Italian Dressing 20
Apple Slices 30
Yogurt Dip 50
Total Calories 370

Chopped Farmhouse Roast Chicken Salad 250

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing 130
Total Calories 380

Chopped Farmhouse Crispy Chicken Salad 430

Light Italian Dressing 20
Total Calories 450

The following sandwich options are offered regionally and may be substituted for another comparable sandwich:

Arby’s Melt 330

Ham & Swiss Melt 300
Jr. Deluxe Sandwich 260

Alton Brown's City Ham & Mini Pumpkin Pie Tarts

I am in the process of making Alton Brown's City Ham.  I made this ham a couple years ago, and it is delicious.  My brother-in-law, Dan, said it was the best ham he ever had.  I realize ham isn't as traditional for Thanksgiving as turkey, but this recipe is so good nobody will be missing the bird.  Since it is a 6-hour process to cook I am up bright and early to get the ham in the oven.  We are headed to my sister-in-law's house at 2:00 p.m.  It might be a little late to add this recipe to your Thanksgiving menu.  However, Christmas is just around the corner so I highly recommend trying out this recipe for your holiday feast.

Yesterday I made mini pumpkin pie tarts with homemade cream cheese frosting.  The recipes for both are so easy as long as you have a mixer. 

Mini Pumpkin Pie Tarts

For the crust:

1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 3-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour

Pumpkin filling:

1 egg
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

For the crust beat the margarine and cream cheese together on medium to high with an electric mixer until combined.  Slowly add the flour until well mixed.  Cover and chill the dough in the fridge for an hour to make the dough easier to handle.

Form the chilled dough into 24 equal sized balls.  Place each ball into 1 3/4-inch muffin cup.  Press the dough evenly against the bottom and sides of the muffin cup.  Preheat the oven at 325 degrees.

Next prepare the pumpkin filling.  Combine all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl.  Fill each pastry lined muffin cup with a rounded teaspoon of the pumpkin filling.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Cool slightly in the pan.  Remove the tarts from pans and cool.  24 servings, 66 calories per serving.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting: 

1 4-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Whip the cream cheese and margarine together with an electric mixer.  Add the vanilla.  Add the sugar slowly.  Spoon the frosting into a piping bag or zip lock bag.  Chill the frosting in the fridge until ready to use.

Once the pie tarts are ready to serve pipe a dollop of frosting onto each tart.  If using a zip lock bag, then cut one of the corners of the bag to turn it into a piping bag. 

5 Ideas for Leftover Turkey

If you are stuck with a lot of leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, then you may want to get creative with it if you are having it for the third time.  Here are some ideas to help you recycle those leftovers:


1.  Chop the turkey and turn it into turkey salad by adding light mayo, chopped celery, walnuts, and dried cranberries.

2.  Make a cobb salad with chopped turkey, chopped ham, hard-boiled egg, bacon, blue cheese, tomatoes, and dressing.

3.  Make Tyler Florence's Turkey Tetrazzini.

4.  Sub leftover turkey for ground turkey in Giada's Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells.

5.  Sub chopped turkey for ground turkey in Rachael Ray's Ranch-Style Turkey Chili.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

xoxo

Sara

Gladys on the Ellen Show

This video is an absolute riot.  I have watched it five times.  If you are in a bad mood this will definitely help you snap out of it.  Enjoy!

xoxo

Sara

KalorieBox Review

 

 

First off I just have to confess that I didn't last very long as a pescatarian.  Since my husband can't eat fish it was really hard for us to have a meal together.  The good news is that I have significantly reduced my consumption of red meat.  I'm probably down to eating it once or twice a week at most.   I'm eating a lot more fish and poultry.  Now that I have that out of the way, on with the review.  

 

One of the perks of blogging is that occasionally people may offer you free products to review.  I officially received my first freebie.  The company KalorieBox offers a service where they ship you delicious low-calorie snacks to sample on a monthly basis.  They ship everywhere in the United States and Canada.  They sent me a box of snacks, and they were delicious.  The box they sent me contained a bottle of Hint water, Plentils crunchy lentil chips, 2 packages of Fit Frappe, 2 packages of Simply Snackin' Jerky, and a bottle of Stubb's Original Bar-B-Q Sauce.   

 

 

 

The Hint water is a refreshing, zero-calorie water that just has a hint of flavor.  The bottle they sent me was pomegranate-tangerine.  It's all natural with no sugar or artificial sweeteners.  Hint is a great alternative to soda or artificially sweetened beverages.  

 

 

 

When I first tried the Plentils I felt like they were just okay. However, I kept finding myself reaching back in the bag for more chips.  They totally grew on me, and I would definitely get them again.  Plentils are crunchy lentil chips that are gluten-free and free of the 8 common allergens (wheat, soy, tree nuts, egg, peanuts, shellfish, fish, and dairy).  They contain no artificial ingredients, no saturated fat, and no trans fat.  One package is only 100 calories.  

 

I'm probably the most excited about the Fit Frappe.  KalorieBox sent me two different flavors, Vanilla Latte and Mocha.  It comes in a powder form and you mix it with water.  A 16 oz. serving contains 20 g of protein and is only 130 calories.  It's gluten-free and full of vitamins and minerals.  It contains less than 1 g of sugar.  It also contains 5 g of fiber.  The Vanilla Latte didn't really taste like coffee so I added some instant espresso powder to it, and then it was quite good.  The Mocha was amazing.  It tasted just as good as an iced mocha from Starbucks.  I definitely recommend it.  I'm going to have to get more.

 

 

The Simply Snackin' jerky that came in my KalorieBox was 60 calories per serving.  I tried Teriyaki Dried Chicken Breast with Mangoes and Papaya and Teriyaki Dried Beef Sirloin with Pineapples.  I must tell you that I am not a big jerky fan.  However, this jerky was different.  It wasn't as tough as other jerky brands tend to be.  Also, it was almost kind of juicy for jerky if that makes any sense.

 

 

The second best item in the box was the Stubb's Original Bar-B-Q Sauce.  I live in Kansas City, and around here we take barbecue pretty seriously.  Stubb's is a Texas barbecue sauce, and Texans are serious about barbecue too.  This barbecue sauce was delicious!  The sauce is tangy, peppery, and has just the right amount of vinegar.  The best part is that it's only 30 calories for 2 tablespoons.  It would be great on pulled pork or leftover turkey..

I'd like to thank Michael from KalorieBox for asking me to review their service and for introducing me to these delicious low-calorie snacks.  I think the service is well worth the price.  I hadn't tried any of these products before, and I probably never would have heard of them if it wasn't for KalorieBox.

 

If you are interested in the service you can subscribe to one of 3 plans (monthly, 3 months, and 6 months). Plans start at $17/month for the 6 months, $21 for 3 months, and $25 for monthly. Once subscribed, they ship out your box on the 15th of each month. Each month, the box will contain a different set of low calorie options for you to try. And, for each box they send out, they donate a meal to a child in need. How nice is that!  For more information you can check out the How it Works page on their website (https://kaloriebox.com/HowitWorks) and FAQ Page (https://kaloriebox.com/FAQ).