January 2010

Roasted Apple and Brie Bruschetta.

Please update your google readers! http://feeds.feedburner.com/howsweeteats/smSp I managed to save some crusty bread from my fondue fest Saturday night, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. Truly, I wanted to smother half in peanut butter and dip the other half in gravy, but I am the queen of restraint. I am so great at restraining myself, that I limited myself to one serving of buffalo wing kettle chips last night. Actually, my husband and I split one serving. He would like you to know that there are not 8 servings in those family-size bags. There is one serving. And we split it. In 30 minutes. I gave the bread a light brushing of olive oil and set it in the oven to toast. I’ve never really been a ‘bread person’, and I prefer nutty, grainier breads most of the time. However, if there is a thick slice of crusty bread toasted with olive oil? Count me in. And let me just point something out: thank goodness I do not like bread products that much. I would be 17,000 pounds. Which would be terrible, because I doubt any of my shoes [...]

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Living with Hypothyroidism.

At 21 years old, I went to the doctor for my annual check-up. I always had a level of anxiety at the doctor, because I am was convinced something had to be wrong with me. Besides my loopy mind. The appointment went fine up until the end, when the doctor felt my thyroid and said it felt enlarged. I knew nothing of thyroid disease, so I asked her what this meant. Her response? ‘Well, you could have nodules and they could be cancerous.’ Great bedside manner, right? So after days of crying and weeks of flipping out, blood tests, sonograms, and nuclear medicine scans, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism – more specifically, Hashimoto’s Disease. My initial thought was that I had an answer. This must be why I have always had a difficult time losing weight, right? I had exercised consistently for years, but had always remained on the ‘thicker’ side. I was proportionate, but plump, usually outweighing most people my age. My second thought was that I had an excuse. For 4 years I had wanted to train for a fitness competition. However, I just couldn’t lose the weight. I tried. I remember fearing that hypothyroidism would hold me back [...]

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Vegan Strawberry Cream Pancakes with Strawberry-Banana Syrup.

Please update your google readers! http://feeds.feedburner.com/howsweeteats/smSp A few months ago, I bought the cookbook Eat, Drink and Be Vegan. No – not because I have any interest in becoming vegan, but because I was hoping I would find some different ways to eat those things I hate. You know . . . vegetables. So naturally, the first thing I was dying to try were the banana cream pancakes. No veggies. Guess you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, eh? I made them, devoured them, and they were incredible. Pancakes, waffles and pastries are not even things that I usually enjoy eating, but I knew the mix of coconut milk and banana would just be perfect. It made my husband gag, but that just meant more for me. I love all fruit, and bananas rank up there pretty high. I really wanted to try it with strawberries, though. Strawberries are my most favorite fruit – at least for the time begin, until I change my mind again. So with a few adaptions, these strawberry cream pancakes came alive. And boy, they are tasty! I added a bit of orange zest, which was perfect in the pancakes. It gave them a [...]

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Lowel EGO Lights.

Before blogging, I was never a picture-taker. I always had a camera, but I rarely took pictures. I never felt like lugging the camera around. I have a slight confession: I still really do not care about photography. I don’t have a DSLR, and can’t justify buying one since I would rather have 2 pairs of Christian Loboutain shoes instead. I also don’t know if I would take pictures of anything besides my food. I love taking pictures of the food, because I love food. I love making it, eating it, and looking at pictures of it. I’m sure things may change one day when I have children and want to photograph their every move. As for now, what I have realized is how terrible the lighting in our house is. I’m sure it is the case with most homes, but with my lack of photography skills and yellow lighting, most of the time my pictures make me cringe. I don’t have any photography skills besides clicking my macro button on, and even then my pictures still turn out blurry. Because I am such a Type A nutcase, I pretty much refuse to post pictures taken under my home lighting. [...]

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Cheese Fondue.

Please update your google readers! http://feeds.feedburner.com/howsweeteats/smSp One of the biggest treats when I was young were the Saturday nights that my mom made fondue. At the time, the crazy 70′s fondue craze was long gone and it was difficult to find it in a restaurant. She makes an amazing fondue – one that her friends still talk about constantly. I can just see her back in the 70′s sitting around a large table, serving her fondue. Luckily, it is one habit that she took with her. Thankfully, none of the other habits followed her. Being in college for music in the 70′s meant only one thing. Lots of . . . fondue. I’m sure it meant other things that I’ve never even heard of, thought of, smoked, or done. Not I, folks. Check out this big hunk ‘a burnin’ love. I love cheese. Cheese is my friend. Cheese is not my thigh’s friend. I adapted my mom’s recipe just a bit. After rubbing the fondue pot with a garlic clove, I chopped some up, mixed it with salt, and made it into a paste. I wanted the flavor in the fondue, but not the chunks. I don’t like chunks. My [...]

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Potato Crusted Salmon

Please update your google readers! http://feeds.feedburner.com/howsweeteats/smSp Geez. Ya’ll are gonna give a girl a complex with how much you love my brother. He is pretty funny, isn’t he? That post was mild compared to his usual antics. So. . .how ’bout some salmon? This dish made me want to pull my hair out, but it is so so tasty. The key is to shred the potatoes, squeeze the bejesus out of them to remove the moisture, and pack ‘em on good. I had some beautiful salmon just hangin’ around in my fridge. Because, really, don’t all 20-something newlyweds eat salmon and lobster for dinner? I need to get a grip. And a safe for my debit card. And then I’ll throw away the key. I cut the salmon into longer strips. Then grated a few potatoes. I actually used peeled red potatoes. Looks like cheese, eh? I didn’t eat it, in case any of you were wondering. I know how you think. This is just when I was beginning to pack on the shredded potatoes. [...]

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How MEAT It Is.

(My brother, Will, is filling in for me today while I’m doing important things like eating and sleeping. I highly suggest you read the entire post. He took his own pictures, too. Enjoy. ) That’s right, I’ve got the keys to the car. My sister approached me months ago about writing a guest post for her blog. To be honest with you, I’ve just been so busy playing video games and drinking beer working, that I just never got around to it. But the mini smores tarts were the last straw. Even though I’m the guy who gets to eat all the stuff you see on this blog, it’s just getting too girly for me. So literally and figuratively we’re going to BEEF it up with some man food. First, let me fill you in on where I’m coming from. I’m Will. I’m a 25-year-old single man living on the South Side of Pittsburgh. I recently completed my Master’s degree in Systematic Theology from Duquesne University. I’m in the process of applying to doctoral programs with aspiring dreams of educating your sons and daughters at the college level some day. Currently, I work at the Rink at PPG [...]

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Gaining Muscle While Losing Fat?

Hello, friends! I wanted to chat a little about one of the most widely asked questions in the fitness world. I have wondered about it myself before, and always have clients telling me their goals are to ‘gain muscle and lose fat.’ If you have often wondered the same – you are not alone! From a black and white perspective, it is not possible. To gain muscle, you must eat more, fueling muscle growth. To lose fat, you must eat less, putting yourself in a caloric deficit. Quite the contradiction, eh? Yet, we see many people drop the pounds and appear to have ‘muscle.’ Why? Well, the person may have had a great muscle base to begin with. When they lost the fat, it showcased their frame more. They are leaner, therefore appearing to have more muscle. They also may have fabulous genetics. It happens. There is also something called recomposition: building muscle and losing fat at the same time. An expert on recomposition is Lyle McDonald. He delivers accurate, research-based information, and is very lifestyle-based. Recomposition can occasionally be achieved. If you are already lean, it is much more difficult. If you are overweight, it may [...]

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Cobb Salad.

Please update your google readers!http://feeds.feedburner.com/howsweeteats/smSp Whoa. Before you get all excited about these vegetables, I must tell you I only had a few bites. I haven’t turned my back on you. I’d eat more, but veggies make me nervous. They make me sweat. Give me a rash. Hurt my tastebuds. Make me cry. You know. The usual stuff. But, I do like the occasional cobb salad. Know why? Because it is usually chock-full of bacon, cheese, and other non-vegetable items. Fantastic for me! I made one with chicken for my adoring husband. Without the chicken, he would have started to grow horns, and shrink into a munchkin with tiny feet and big ears. At least that is what he assumes. On second thought, I guess then he could drive around in the plethora of dye-cast cars he has ruined our home with. On a bed of lettuce I added pretty, colorful rows of red onion, bacon, tomato, hard-boiled egg, chicken, and avocado. I’m sure it doesn’t take a genius to figure out which parts I ate. The star of the show was the avocado. [...]

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Mini S’mores Tarts.

Please update your google readers! http://feeds.feedburner.com/howsweeteats/smSp For Christmas, my brother got me a gift card for Sur La Table. It is a well known fact that I can spend hours in Sur La Table or Williams Sonoma, all while acting like a giddy child in Disney World. My husband will say that I don’t need anything because I have everything. He has no idea what he is talking about. The gift card from my brother was an excellent choice. His heart is always in the right place, including last year when he got me gifts from the Nike outlet. He is so sweet and must think I’m super skinny, because he bought me gifts from the young girl’s 6x-14 section. It’s the thought that counts, right? Included in one of my many mass-purchases from Sur La Table were a few mini tart shells. Since my husband and I have an issue with consuming massive amounts of food, I thought making mini desserts would keep us happily satisfied. It also could save us thousands of dollars from having to go out and buy a completely new wardrobe in a larger size. Someone (not [...]

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