Chana Masala

I’ve learned a few things this week. Coming back from vacation never gets easier. Labs don’t write themselves. Dogs will find food anywhere… even buried (and forgotten) in the bottom of a bag. And if something smells, well, check the bottom of your shoes.

One (of the many) perks of visiting my parents is getting to raid the pantry. I made off with a couple of cans of chick peas and some tomato paste.

Oh hai there Chana Masala.

And bulgur wheat? It’s so nice to have met you. I love this stuff.

I used this recipe. The only changes I made were: a can of green chiles in lieu of a jalapeno & I used a full can of tomato paste.

It was so yummy it came with me to work today.

And I just might have it back tomorrow too.

Speaking of tomorrow, hopefully starting then I’ll be back to my regular blogging schedule. Adios!

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Thanksgiving dinner contributions… Home-made cranberry chutney. It was the perfect accompaniment to mom’s delicious turkey.

A bottle of wine I brought back for my parents from Italy in 2005 when I studied abroad in Florence. We decided the festivities called for cracking it open.

  Scalloped Sweet Potatoes with bacon and grated parmesan cheese. SO YUM.

Today:

Dad and I ran a 5k.

We ate. A LOT.

We napped. (Or at least I did…)

Then the boys (dad and my brother) played “golf”…

And puppy…

well, he made sure he was right in the middle of the action.

Hope everyone’s Thanksgiving was GREAT!

Pumpkin Pie FAIL

We’ve arrived in Maine at my parents… Mom dropped the pumpkin pie when she put it in the oven. Fortunately it was one of two pies she made. Thanksgiving is saved.

Griffy thought he spied an opportunity.

(Mom didn’t want anyone to see her dirty oven. Sorry mom.)

In related news, Dad is now walking the dog and I’m staying far, far away from the kitchen (for reasons that should now be obvious). Headed out soon to see some friends and spread some cheer. Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

Pumpkin, Cranberry, Pistachio & Coconut, Granola Bars

There’s a game we play in this house. It’s called, “What’s in Griffy’s mouth?”. It’s pretty much on-going. You see, even when the floor looks free of debris, he finds something. It could be a post-it, a piece of hair, dryer lint, tissue, etc. We just never know. Literally, sometimes we never know.

There’s no “5 second” rule. Even if he’s in the other room, his super-keen awareness that something “edible” has hit the floor propels him full-speed. At the present moment, he’s “digging” in my bed. Probably looking for crumbs. Or the M&M’s he hid under my pillow last week.

Bottom line is: Griffy approves of these bars. Which means absolutely nothing considering the list of things he’s eaten in his short lifetime. But when he hears the crinkle of the plastic wrap being removed, he comes running and watches intently for crumbs to drop. It’s actually a win-win because we don’t own a broom.

This recipe was inspired by Hangry Pants. But the recipe I followed came from Smitten Kitchen.

A list of the ingredients I used:

• 1 2/3 cups Old Fashioned Oats
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup oat flour (1/3 cup of oats processed in food processor)
• 1/2 tsp ginger salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup dried cranberries, 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, 1/3 cup chopped pistachios
• 5 tbsp melted butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp water

I’d recommend using corn-syrup somewhere in there as in the original recipe, but I didn’t have it on hand. Enjoy!

Dough Balls

I did not skip breakfast. I merely missed it. Something I do not recommend if you have these in the house…

I ate tw0 three four.

That’s not even counting what I ate while making the balls…

 Don’t judge.

These are all going to girls’ night tonight. Maybe…

The recipe is all Mama Pea's. I didn’t change a thing. These are seriously so addicting. So I do NOT recommend making them when you are a. hungry (having missed breakfast) b. alone (you know, without taste testers) c. disregard all of this… make them whenever. You’ll thank Mama Pea.

Buffalo Sweet Potato Soup

I was thinking about this soup all day. The idea came to me when I thought about the Buffalo Sweet Potato Pizza I made awhile back. Why not soup? And how about I top it off with some blue cheese crumbles?

But then, something happened. I came home from the gym and got super distracted became terribly busy. I had sort of already committed to making something with sweet potatoes because I had put them in the oven to bake. Then, despite the time, I told myself to stick with the plan and make my soup.

I was so glad I did. It was even better than I had hoped for. Super creamy, spicy and filling. You better believe I’ll be eating it again for dinner tonight. Probably in about 5 minutes to be exact.

Buffalo Sweet Potato Soup

• About 1 lb sweet potatoes
• 1.5 c vegetable broth
• 1.5 c unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 c Frank’s Buffalo sauce
• 1 tbsp Earth Balance (optional)
• 1 jalapeno (chopped, seeds removed)
• Blue cheese crumbles

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place sweet potatoes on rack and bake until centers are soft (about 45 mins). Remove from oven, let them cool then peel skins. After peeling, mash potatoes.

2. Add mashed potatoes to food processor with tbsp of Earth Balance (or butter or neither). Turn on processor and gradually add broth, hot sauce and milk to soup.

3. Check for desired texture. I did this many times as I wanted it smooth but not too liquidy.

4. Add chopped jalapeno and process for a bit longer.

5. Warm up soup in soup pan for a few minutes. (Or you could use an immersion blender and eliminate this step entirely.)

6. Pour into bowls and garnish with plenty of blue cheese on top.

Oh, and I want to share what I was distracted by…

Definitely a distraction worthy of having a late dinner. I’m sad to report though, the beach ball did not win and will be far far away tomorrow after trash pick-up.

Gnu Bars – Flavor & Fiber

This post has been a long time coming. About a month ago, Gnu Foods, sent me a box of their Gnu bars. They boast, “flavor & fiber: together at last”. Overall, they have pretty good nutritional stats…

• 12g of fiber per bar
• only 130-140 calories
• made with whole grains
• made with organic  whole wheat & kamut flours
• Vegan
• Dairy & Soy free

They come in 7 flavors (they sent me 2 of each flavor to sample*): Banana Walnut, Cinnamon Raisin, Chocolate Brownie, Orange Cranberry, Peanut Butter, Espresso Chip and Lemon Ginger. Now that I’ve sampled them all, it’s hard work I tell ya, I feel able to tell you what I like (and what I don’t).

My faves: Banana Walnut, Cinnamon Raisin, Peanut Butter

So-so: Orange Cranberry, Lemon Ginger

Ick: Chocolate Brownie, Espresso Chip

Clearly these are my opinions and let it be known I’m not the biggest fan of chocolate bars anyway… I’d definitely recommend trying them. They umm, taste good & do their job, if you get what I mean. What I mean is, all that fiber fills you up! According to the information they sent me, they are currently sold at The Vitamin Shoppe and other select grocery stores (including Whole Foods).

This morning I crumbled up half of a Cinnamon Raisin Bar and put it on top of my pumpkin yogurt (1/3 cup organic plain non-fat yogurt, 1/3 cup pumpkin puree, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice). Delish!

*These product samples were supplied to me at no cost, the opinions in this review are all mine and I received no compensation.