Healthy Fruity Holiday Recipes

Fruit Christmas Tree | favim.com.

I don’t know about you, but after Thanksgiving, pre-Holiday parties, and office goodies…I am ready for some healthier/lighter eats! I did manage to forgo at least two parties/food fests so far. Last year, I indulged in several delightful fried Holiday foods (like cauliflower/eggplant fritters, latkes, and jelly donuts). I was thinking about making jelly donuts as froyo sandwiches, along with other fried goodness, but…this year, the closest I came to any of that was baked cauliflower “cheese” (faux mac and cheese with butternut “cheese” sauce), sautéed veggie & potato hash, hot potato salad with corn-tomato salsa, and this:

Haha! Actually, that was a gag-type gift-exchange gift. Not really too much of a gag, though. I figure if you can’t have a real one, next best thing. I was very satisfied with my alternate meal choices. I didn’t feel I was missing out on anything. Good stuff. The parties, etc. will provide enough extra calories for the season, I think.

I saw this Christmas Fruit Salad recipe on the Fave Healthy Recipes site, and it started me thinking about what other fruity & budget-friendly ideas might be out there.
Christmas Fruit Salad | serenabakessimplyfromscratch.com.

Looks delish, right? Fruit salad is now on my Christmas meal shortlist. Or, here’s another with a yogurt dressing:
Fabulous Fruit Salad | allhealthyrecipes.net.

And, of course, you can vary the fruit depending upon availability. I saw mini trifle dishes somewhere, so I started thinking about fruit trifle. Trifles can be great make-ahead Holiday desserts. You can always lighten them up if you want, too. They don’t always have to be a rich dessert. Don’t laugh, but…it was on the brain, and I couldn’t wait for Christmas. I made a shortcut version for brunch with waffles (yep, waffles!) & took a pic:

Oat, buckwheat, whole wheat pastry flour and homemade yogurt waffles, berry syrup (no sherry 🙂 ), berries, and homemade Greek-style Mexican vanilla yogurt. *As a side note, I edited the last My Way post adding vanilla to the list of sweet potato pie ingredients. It’s so common (like s&p), so I sometimes forget about it.* I wanted to get persimmons and pomegranates, but they only had berries and mangoes. Arizona can be odd with produce, lol. They were just as tasty as in summertime, though (same price, as well). I also made brunch tiramisu with the yogurt, waffles, dark chocolate shavings, cacao nibs, cocoa powder, and rum-flavored espresso (rum extract, not real rum).

What about these? Grinch Fruit Kabobs | school-bites.com.

Awesome! And, these gluten-free, vegan pancakes might make me get over my aversion to fruitcake:
Southern in Law : Recipe : Healthy Fruit Cake Pancakes.

Try these or shortcut waffle trifles for day-after-Christmas brunch (before heading out to shop for all the sale-priced Holiday merch!). You can add a little protein powder to the waffles or pancakes for an extra boost.

Hope you enjoy these! Let them inspire you to whip up your own fruity creations if you so choose.

Have a great night!

My Way, No. 30

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

— After all that talk about bread this past week, I thought I would link you to an inexpensive DIY banneton: $2 Banneton for Better Bread Loaves | instructables.com.

Natural Dyes – All Natural Ways To Dye Fabric | diynatural.com.

— Adventures in Food: Ever since I posted the English muffins recipe, I have been thinking about making Benedict. I finally made it, but I decided to go with the Italian Scones recipe (posted here) as a base.

For the scones, I used my sprouted whole wheat pastry flour, subbed homemade non-fat Greek-style yogurt for butter, and dried the leftover marinated tomatoes from the Smothered Mediterranean Chicken. Roasted sweet mini peppers and tomato hollandaise. Cocktail from a berry-pom shrub and fizzy water. I used the arils for a garnish like the Tangerine-Pom cocktail posted here.

This was just supposed to be a small snack of ciabatta & olive oil, grapes, and a little vino. I decided to go for a bit more to make it a full meal. A little melted cheese (vs. oil) & red wine-thyme onion jam for the bread, some nuts, olives, Honey-Balsamic Turkish-Spiced Chickpeas, beet-pickled egg, and giardiniera. The egg and giardiniera were quickles, as I hadn’t really planned on having them. I subbed skim milk with just a little bit of olive oil for the whole-y (holy?) ciabatta. It was fab!
The Seafood Lasagna recipe I posted turned into 2 dishes:

Filling was salmon, crab, arugula (I had some to use up), homemade non-fat ricotta, homemade non-fat Greek-style yogurt, parm, garlic, onion, s&p. I also added a little beaten egg to the lasagna roll filling. Just a little bit of parm and the creaminess of the yogurt added a richness to the ricotta. The rolls are great for the freezer to pop out for a quick meal. I made the ravioli with my milled hard red wheat berries, vital wheat gluten, egg, egg yolk, and water. White sauce with skim milk, olive oil roux, white wine, parm, and roasted garlic. Finished with pistachios. I whipped up some fresh butter in the food processor (my indulgence) for the bread. It takes 5-10 minutes or so, depending on your processor. I was inspired by the Rosemary Lemonade here for the strawberry-basil lemonade. Sweetened with the Berhi date syrup and stevia.

I had some toasted quinoa & kept craving carrots, so I made this Grilled Carrot & Walnut Salad with Carrot Top Pesto (a few times, once with rice) — yums!:

For a special occasion, I told you that I made the ciabatta, but I also finally made this Turkish-Inspired Pistachio & Cardamom Cake with Pomegranate Cream Filling (posted way back when):


But…it’s a mini version. This was actually only a 1/5 of the recipe, and guess what it was baked in? A parchment-lined soup tin! I made this a couple of weeks ago, sliced it, wrapped it well, and stuck it in the freezer. So, all that was left was the icing. I love these rustic cakes, let me tell ya. During the pastry portion of culinary school (way, way back in the day), cake decorating, pulling sugar, etc., was clearly not my thing. I stuck to cakes from a box, lol. I got up the nerve to try this cake, though, and I’m so glad I did! I sliced a piece from the top before freezing, and it was so moist. I made substitutions of homemade non-fat Greek-style yogurt for butter, and a mixture of coconut sugar and the Berhi date syrup for demerara. As I can’t have too much cream or butter, I went with a snow peak frosting: whipped egg whites, Mexican vanilla, honey, and stevia. This was lovely, and it made me confront my cake fears, haha! This is a wheat-free cake, so please check it out if you have an intolerance.

— As there was a weather prediction of possible 50’s-60’s temps  (early morning) this week, I went ahead and made my ruana. The weather was back to the 90’s before you knew it, though. So super simple, so I am probably going to make another one.The ruana featured in that post has several different styles, including a belted option. I wore mine with a brooch, but here’s a DIY belt & brooch combo (if the color is too summery for you, you could easily go with your current fall fave): Easy summer DIY fashion projects – A chic braided and wide corset belt | diy-enthusiasts.com.

Another use for stencils! Stenciled Tote Bag | Nomadic Decorator.

— At one point (before I decided on a decor overhaul), I had a Frida Kahlo picture in my work office. I always feel drawn to her work for some reason. There’s just something in it that grabs hold of me. I spotted this wonderful piece on her, so I thought I would share it: Style Icon – Frida Kahlo | Design Sponge.

Now I have another wine cork project to work on: DIY Garden Decoration Ideas | Interior Design Ideas.

— 10 rules of Etiquette Everyone Should Know (and Follow!) | wisebread.com.

— Tasty Treats:
Confessions of a Cardamom Addict: Guinness onion soup with bleu cheese croutons.

Oh! I got such a craving when I saw this: Mongolian Beef Recipe | userealbutter.com.

DIY Cider Vinegar | whipandclick.com.

I was going to post this a while back, but forgot. I met a very nice gentleman from Peru who told me these cookies were his specialty. The cookies, and a broccoli-tomato soup that he strongly believes has kept his children from ever going to the hospital (lo their 20-some years). He didn’t give me the magic soup recipe, but he told me where to find the luscious dulce de leche delights: HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE ALFAJORES | recipegirl.com.

Here’s a way to keep summer alive: Fancy or Sandy Fruit Salad, Anyone? | gayahousewives.

Stewed Fruit Recipe – Eatwell 101.

Chinese Scallion Pancake—Simplified Version | chinasichuanfood.com.

5 Healthy Soul Food Options | mademan.com.

Soul Food – American Diabetes Association.

Matcha Sushi Balls | Thirsty for Tea.

Fig Bourbon Old-Fashioned | katieatthekitchendoor.com.

‘Til next time!

Man Shall Not Live By Bread Alone…

…but, one does want to live with a little bread. Or, a lot! At least I do. October 4-10 is Mental Illness Awareness Week, and I made my stone tablet bread (sprouted spelt, durum, and oats, pic’d above) with that in mind. I did end up investing in a few bread stencils (as I wrote about in the last My Way post). I started ruminating about some of the ‘stencil words,’ and this post was born. Hope, believing, and the others really resonated within my spirit. I’ve found that even though I am not a “baker by nature,” making bread/dough soothes and eases my mind, calms anxieties and fears, and gives me great focus — a chance to be mindful in the moment. I hope all of you reading have something in your life that produces the same effect.

Some of the other stencils words I have (not on this tablet bread) made me really emotional, haha.  Simple words like ‘laugh,’ ‘sing,’ and ‘enjoy.’ I think many take these things for granted, but it’s truly a blessing to experience them. I love to sing, and it’s always been a part of who I am. I originally went to school for music, in fact. I was trained to sing classically (lots of Italian, French, and Spanish operas, sometimes German), and many people find it surprising that I enjoy that type of thing. I need to find more ways to laugh! Some days I need it more than others…some days, I watch the same old movies that I’ve seen 100 times to get that laughter going.

I want to share a few bread recipes with you today that I hope you will enjoy. They may even make you ‘sing.’

Julia Child’s French Bread | barbarabakes.com.

I made this bread for visiting relatives. As with most of the breads I post on the blog, I used the food processor method. I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t had white flour bread in a while, but this was so, so, SO good. A crackly, crunchy crust gets me every time. I made kind of a long, flatish loaf. I added a couple pinches of sweetener to the dough (as I do with most of my bread recipes, even if it doesn’t call for it), but that was the only alteration. Pic’d here with blackberry-thyme jam.

BAKING THE PERFECT LOAF OF FRENCH BREAD | steamykitchen.com. This post is filled with awesome tips and the why’s of the french bread method.

NO KNEAD BREAD: SO EASY A 4-YR OLD CAN MAKE IT! | steamykitchen.com. This post by the same blog author got me right here (points to heart). You have to see this precious child making himself some no-knead bread. Adorable! I would bake more no-knead breads, but many times I do not decide what type of bread to bake until the last minute. No-knead’s require a bit of planning, but it’s an easy peasy option. Especially for those without mechanical mixing equipment.

Rustic Italian Bread an Easy Recipe that I Inherited | forthefeast.com.

Need a GF option? Here are a few I found:
Gluten-free Gourmand : Updated Boule Bread Recipe | Gluten-free Gourmand.

Gluten free sourdough bread, artisan style | naturalfertilityandwellness.com.

Gluten Free “White” Bread from Allergy Free Alaska | mylifewithfoodallergies.com.


And, I love Hawaiian Rolls. I really need to watch my portions here, or I could eat the whole pan.
King’s Hawaiian Rolls | nothymetowaste.org.

Ciabatta Bread | browneyedbaker.com.

I made this ciabatta this weekend for an upcoming special occasion. I had a sample fresh from the oven, and it was fab! More on that another time…

You can re-visit past bread posts/links under the Recipes, Food, and Drink category of my blog menu, featured My Way recipes, or posts tagged Bread.

Hope to be back blogging soon. Have a great rest of the weekend!

My Way, No. 28

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

Hope Rosh Hashanah has been a wonderful time!

— Adventures in Food: Breakfasts for Dinner! I usually have fruit during the morning hours, so here are a couple of evening meals I recently enjoyed:

No, it’s not eggs! It’s a fake-out chickpea flour & tofu omelette. I found the recipe on the same site as the recently posted English muffins: Potato-Avocado Tofu Omelettes. Now, I do love eggs, but I thought the recipe sounded intriguing. If you recall, I did a lot of potato recipes the previous few weeks, so I went with sautéed kale, mini sweet peppers, criminis, and avocado (though, the potatoes in the pic looked SO yummy!). I sautéed the criminis in a little homemade Worcestershire and red wine. This is one of my fave ways to have mushrooms. Sometimes, I add a little butter and thyme. If you’ve never made your own Worcestershire, I just looked up this recipe: Homemade Worcestershire Sauce. I like to make mine with apple & balsamic vin, blackstrap molasses, honey (maybe stevia), smelly fish ;), tamari, garlic, onion, mustard powder, chile, some warm spices, and tamarind. If you run out of anchovies while making Caesar dressing, try Worcestershire to pinch-hit. If you’ve never seen tamarind, this is what it looks like (it’s also available in other forms, like paste):

Apparently, the original version of the recipe calls for Indian black salt to create a more ‘authentic egg experience.’ As I lacked such an item, I subbed the sea salt I smoked. I also ran out of nutritional yeast and replaced it with parm. The recipe indicates you should use a cooked chickpea flour vs. raw, and it gives illustrations of how you can tell the difference (if you purchase your flour). I ground dry peas for my flour and just cooked out the rawness a bit. I really enjoyed this meal (though I will still whip up a traditional omelette every now and then). Check out this recipe for sure if you don’t do eggs.

You know my obsession with carrot cake! Carrot cake steel-cut oats with shredded carrots, raisins, pineapple, walnuts, fresh coconut, ground cinnamon & ginger, pure Mexican vanilla extract, pinch of salt. As with my rice pudding, I like to put the vanilla and salt in after it’s finished cooking (cinnamon & ginger during). I throw the carrots in about a minute before the end of the cooking time (except garnish). Everything else is a topping. I forgot the honey in the pic, but I usually finish with a bit to sweeten.

I made versions of this dish several times: Daikon Radish Pasta with Corn and Tomatoes in Creamy Coconut Sauce.

I didn’t have daikon, so I subbed squash. In this pic, I also bulked it up with 1 oz. of whole wheat spaghetti. If you want to lighten up your traditional pasta dishes, a blend of a veggie spiral and a flour pasta is a great way to go. I just eyeballed the ingredients, but the sauce was fab. I can see it translating to all kinds of things. I used a blend of coconut water & milk I had in the freezer.

I told you I made the lovely Cherry Tomatoes & Basil Sauce from the last My Way post, and that gave birth to these roasted tomatoes:

I know roasted tomatoes aren’t the prettiest thing to look at! This has to be one of my fave preps in probably the past 6 months or so, though. So simple, but I could have made a meal out of them. I made several batches. I filled the pan with a little water (about halfway up to the tomatoes), roasted garlic cloves, salt, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, and basil. After one batch reached room temp, I had a hard time not just popping all of them in my mouth right then. They were SO GOOD! I also used them to top pasta (veggie & wheat spag), and this flatbread:

I adapted the flatbread/pizza dough from this recipe: The Best New York Style Cheese Pizza.

So, again, maybe not the most attractive meal in the world, but this was so tasty (prepared it a couple of times)! I made a honey-whole wheat dough with a little parm and garlic powder added. I adjusted the salt a bit because of the parm and smoked sea salt on the crust (like I did with the Sriracha garlic knots). I can’t remember where I read about the smoked salt, but I really like it. I added a little cornmeal to the bottom of the pan & replaced some of the oil with homemade non-fat yogurt. Sauce was a mixture of homemade non-fat yogurt and homemade (skim) feta (I hafta keep my dairy + fat portions low, boo 😦 ). Little finish of pomegranate molasses.

— Last My Way post, I forgot I wanted to tell you about the convertible Henkaa dress fabric. It’s a wrinkle-resistant fabric. If you’ve ever been to Chico’s, it kind of reminds me of a wrinkle-resistant travel-knit fabric they have. The young lady demo-ing the dress spilled something on it at lunch. She had a spare dress scrunched up in her purse and changed into it after the mishap. No ironing or steaming. The first dress was a floor length, and the second above-the-knee. She was very tall, and both dresses looked fabulous on her. After that last post, I watched a few of the various style vids. You have to see them. Amazing!

— I saw this on my food co-op’s social page. I think a lot of people know this type of thing goes on, but it’s always still shocking to see it in print: A Guide to Food Industry Front Groups | centerforfoodsafety.org.

— I found this article heart-breaking, but I’m glad they took the billboard down:Mental Health Advocates Topple Kenneth Cole Billboard Falsely Linking Mental Health Conditions and Gun Violence | bizjournals.com.

— I read back through a few of the articles from the last installment of my Mental Health Series. This article really hit me, so I wanted to post it here (and I may post it a few more times). Schizophrenia is not a split personality, there are four main symptoms | thejournal.ie. I think everyone should read this. It’s not just about this particular illness. It deals with some heart issues. I think you will find it enlightening.

— DIY Dip Dye Jeans | Fusion e-Magazine.

Maybe you could also DIY something like this: Wheretoget.it.

— I am in the market for a different (neutral-colored vs. my last vibrant color choice) heart rate monitor watch. While searching for one, I came across this sports bra made for the heart sensor chest strap: Pure Lime Compression Bra for Heart Rate Sensors – High Impact.

— OK, these are totally fun and hysterical! I love the bar, cat bed, and speakers.
DIY Retro Furniture — 12 Things To Do With Vintage Suitcases | Loffee.

— Deodorizing Homemade Lavender Linen Spray Recipe | soapdelinenews.com.

— Today’s Featured Recipes:

My mom likes to watch her sugars (and sodium), but she doesn’t care for several sugar subs. She especially doesn’t like stevia! She tried to use the same ratio as white sugar, lol! So, I have to sneak these things into her food sometimes, hehe. I’ve never used the sugar sub called for in this recipe, but you may be able to sub the sub if you need to:
Low Carb Cinnamon Sugar Cake Donuts – Gluten Free | Modern Low Carb.

Walnut and Olive Spelt Bread Rolls | Quite Good Food.

Brie, Fig Jam, and Serrano Ham Crostini | Flavor the Moments.

Tequila-Orange Grilled Shrimp | Cookbook Recipes.

Jewish Holiday Recipes: Doughnut Ice Cream Sandwiches | Gourmet Kosher Cooking. An idea you could adapt very easily. They suggest chocolate doughnuts with coffee or cookie and cream ice cream.

Chef JD’s Cuisine & Travel Website Turnstile | Cherokee Hominy and Tomato Soup.

This is not really a recipe, but you could really let your imagination run wild with this one: Home cured duck ham, Hendricks compressed cucumber, summer fruit and nitro sorbet. Due South Chefs Ltd.

Ginger Candy Appletini  Recipe | aroundmainline.com. I like the caramel apple garnish 🙂

Take good care of yourself, and I’ll see you next time!

Recipes: 4th of July: Lettuce Entertain You

Ode to Caesar | Vegan + Gluten Free | Fare Isle.

I’ve enjoyed a version of this salad multiple times this past week, and I thought it would be splendid to share for the Holiday. I had been craving a classic chicken Caesar salad, but I rarely purchase chicken. Then, I came across this recipe using roasted chickpeas. Problem solved. I planned on preparing the dressing as instructed in the recipe, but had a glitch. It calls for a tofu base, and I accidentally put my tofu in the freezer. I was so irritated, haha! I subbed my own last-minute lemony, buttermilk romano-peppercorn Caesar. I will try the tofu base out sometime soon. I roasted the chickpeas with a little garlic powder, herbs, salt, pinch of sweetener, spritz of oil, and romano.

Lemony Lentil and Herb Lettuce Cups | Dishing Up the Dirt | It’s Alive!

I also saw these lentil lettuce cups, and wanted to give them a go. I didn’t have radishes at the time, so I threw a bit of cucumber in.

I only made 2 portions when this pic was taken, so I did not make the full batch of dressing. I just Misto’d a little oil on the lentils with a squeeze of lemon juice, and added the other ingredients (no dill) accordingly. I will make a larger quantity this weekend. This recipe encouraged me to use lettuce cups for the chickpea Caesar, so I switched up from a full salad for this meal. Then, I started thinking about a Buffalo Caesar, so I just doused a bit of wing sauce on some of the chickpeas, added a bit of homemade blue cheese, then a few slices of celery. Just these 3 ‘cups’ were extremely filling (and tasty!). I couldn’t finish them all in one sitting.

Forgive me, but I have been preoccupied with several things, so I do not have umpteen recipes to list for you today! I may stop trying to gather so many recipes in one post. It can be time-consuming. Luckily, you can always glean from last year’s 4th post!

Taking it easy with the cooking this year is my plan. I may bust out those Kosher pretzel dogs from last year. They were a hit! My mom keeps baking blueberry cobblers of late, so I may leave dessert up to her. Blueberries are her fave, but I usually prefer them in the company of other berries (except muffins). I love raspberry cobbler, though, which stems from a mass-produced pie-cobblerish à la mode dessert I frequently inhaled (probably 100 times) years and years ago. The blueberry keeps reminding me of it, so I may try to re-create it soon.

And, lastly, if you follow the chickpea Caesar salad as written, it’s a great vegan go-to dish. For those of you on that route (or even if you’re not), I also found a yummy-looking patriotic vegan cheesecake recipe with a combo of blueberries and strawberries.

No-Bake Vegan Strawberry & Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake | Blissful Basil.

Happy 4th, and I’ll see you next week!

Cheesy Vegetable Enchiladas

Cheesy Vegetable Enchiladas #SundaySupper | Alidas Kitchen.

I made these enchiladas this past weekend (with a few alterations), and they were spectacular. I have ordered enchiladas in restaurants on numerous occasions, but have never even thought to prepare them at home. The pic jumped out at me, though, and I knew I had to give it a try. I was making a fresh batch of corn tortillas, so the timing was perfect.

This is really one of the most simple dishes, so I’m kicking myself that I hadn’t thought to give it a go previously. As I keep posting, I cannot consume a lot of full-fat cheese in one sitting. So, I decided to create a little more bulk with short-grain brown rice (leftover from sushi). The first go round, I prepared the entire quantity of sauce, but only baked off a single portion of the tortillas and filling. I used just a wee bit of farmhouse cheddar. Subsequent portions were made without any cheese and were equally as delicious. I would have loved to have had it with the lava-flow of nommy, melty cheese. My slight alterations: I used chickpea flour vs. white, as I had some left from making spätzele (check out that spätzele recipe if you haven’t already! I’ve made it several times now. SO good!), I used fresh veggies (spinach, kale, mushrooms, sweet bell peppers, corn) & dried beans (cooked), and I added a few pinches of smoked paprika and a pinch of sweetener to the sauce, with only a teaspoon of oil. The recipe is very flexible, veggie wise. I am going to make up another batch of the tortillas with the filling to pop in the freezer. I will freeze the sauce separately, then reheat individual portions. I started freezing some of my sauces (like this 2-Minute Green Sauce) in ice cube trays for quick meals.

Hope you take a look at how easy this is! If you use chickpea flour, this dish would serve well for those unable to consume wheat. And, if you cannot have dairy, remember it’s still fab sans cheese. This will be a new go-to meal for me.

My Way, No. 23

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

With the pic links now included, these ‘My Way’ posts are becoming as long as a newsletter. I hope you can hang with me!

— I saw this on my food co-op’s social page, so I thought I would link to it: Who Is Behind Organic Brands. This came as no surprise to me, as I try to steer clear of certain products for this very reason. But, many people assume some of these brands are small (possibly family-owned, or even local) businesses, when they are really just some of the country’s largest food producers. This is also true of natural and organic hygiene/body products, etc. Some of the brands I’ve enjoyed in the past have been taken over by some of these large producers, so I then stop purchasing them. Some brands I have no issues with, though. If you’re one of those who wants to support certain businesses (and not support others), I encourage you to take a look at this list. Or, perhaps take a look for updated info, if this news is already familiar to you. I found several I didn’t know about.

— Did you enjoy the list of coping skills for anger, anxiety and depression? I think everyone can benefit from this list. I have some decent positive ones already in place, but I would like to add a few more. Setting boundaries and learning to say “no” could be improved upon, as well as enjoying more of nature. Also, keeping a positive quote with you seems easy enough. I like, “Ye shall be a blessing.” It’s one thing for others to bless you, but (IMO) empowering others to prosper provides rewards like nothing else (emotional and physical). As far as looking at the negatives went, I tried to not get too down on myself. We can’t change everything at once. I think I have improved in several areas, but still need some work in others. I have been better at not enabling others to take advantage of me. One of the things I despise most at this stage in my life is people attempting to use me for their own selfish ambition. So, I need to make sure I am not just sitting back, allowing those circumstances to occur. Several years ago, I was encouraged by a former football player who said a friend told him (something to the effect of), “Never allow people to use or exploit you for their own profit or gain.” I think as a former ball player, people just assumed they could take advantage of him for their own purposes. Anyway, I’ve carried that bit of advice in my heart since then.

— Speaking of football players, I was really touched by this article concerning Herschel Walker’s mental health advocacy: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/health/os-herschel-walker-mental-health-orlando-20150513-story.html. If you’ve lived in Texas for even a short period of time (as I have), you most likely know who Herschel Walker is — even if you don’t follow the NFL. A very encouraging story.

After posting the latest installment of my Mental Health Series, I found a few articles that made my heart sink. Many of the most disheartening stories come from major news outlets (not all the time, though, as you can see from a variety of pieces I’ve posted). They so often focus on the negative or sensational. Some of the most sensitive and thoughtful pieces I’ve come across are from student newspapers. I thought perhaps profit has something to do with that, or maybe it’s just that the younger generations are starting to leave behind the stigma and discrimination that has plagued our society for so long. I used to laugh at a news station in the Phoenix area that always broadcasted so much positive news. It was the oddest thing to me, haha. It was a nice change.

— Today’s Adventures in Food: Hot diggity dog ziggity, boom…I didn’t have a chance to pick up hard red winter berries yet, so I made my Memorial Day hot dog buns in the same manner as the previously posted burger buns. Really a joy! The wheat blend is such a great idea. I may try sprouting them, as well. The day old buns were great dippers for a low-cal (non-gratinee) onion soup I made. The adjustable slicing blade in our new food processor works like a dream! It easily sliced through mounds of onion. My last processor, while a decent (very old) model, sometimes had slicing issues.

Holiday chocolate chip cookies had to get packaged up and shipped off so I didn’t consume the whole lot, lol. As they keep nice and soft, I think they would be grand for ice cream sandwiches. I couldn’t wait for the Holiday to make the chickpea flour spätzele. So, I made it Sunday, then again on Monday. I subbed some quickly sautéed kale for the collards (it was less expensive at the store) and cooked it in beef broth. I really like the textures in this dish. I think I will be making it a couple more times before the week is up.

As I was already grinding chickpeas for the spätzele, I thought I would also whip up those Cashew-Mint Pakoda I posted. I left the flour with just a slight coarseness. I went for a bake-fry by Misto-ing a little oil in the pan, as well as on the dough. I flipped them over when they were browned on the bottom. They turned out so nice and crunchy! You would not have known they were baked instead of fried. I really would have liked a dipping sauce with them. Maybe a cashew crema or something? I was too busy munching to make one, though.

The roasted curried cauliflower I made for my garlic, herb, & tomato pita was the tail end of a cauliflower party. I enjoyed the Buffalo Cauliflower Bites posted here and Spiced Moroccan Cauliflower Couscous – Tabbouleh (both from the same site). I am not a huge fan of couscous, so I was excited to try a version with cauliflower. I used my homemade skim haloumi, and it was fab. Really easy & delightful. Of course, using the cauliflower slashes the calories considerably, so make sure to take a peek. When I was preparing the Buffalo Bites, I suddenly thought I could also make a few with sesame-honey sauce. So, I did half and half. Otherwise, I only altered them slightly by using whole wheat pastry flour and coating with a bit of panko. I love Buffalo sauce so much, so I put a little extra on the outside, lol.

I found another comfort food use for my pitas. Did you ever have spaghetti and meatball sandwiches when you were younger? I made spaghetti and Italian lentil meatballs (just like the ones here, but with “Italian” seasonings), and the next day had a craving for this sandwich, haha:

We used to slather butter on good Italian bread and stuff it with our leftovers. Good memories!

— How quaint is this?

White Garden Canopy | housetohome.co.uk.

Ahhh…I wish I were there right now. *Sigh*

25 DIY Headboard Ideas | Freshnist.com.

This is a cute idea. Music sheet decoupage on wood: Paper | Valerie Carr | Pinterest.

— In this AZ summer heat, I adore white clothing. Linen is especially lovely. What about your plain white tee? Check out this easy corseting technique that you could apply to a number of items: DIY Corseted White T-Shirt or What to Do with the BF’s Old T-Shirts #2 | Chic Steals.

And, you know I love RE:Fashion: 13 DIY Clothing Refashion Ideas with Picture Instructions | Clicky Pix.

— The FFFF for today (Fab French Food Finds ):

You know my affinity for all things French, so here are several selections from the same site:

Provencal Style Mussels | French Cooking for Dummies.

Beetroot and Goat Cheese Foam | French Cooking for Dummies.

Artichoke, Fig and Parmesan Salad | French Cooking for Dummies.

Strawberry and Peach Salad with Wine Syrup | French Cooking for Dummies.

Parisian Shirred Egg/ Oeuf cocotte à la parisienne | French Cooking for Dummies.

Herbed Mascarpone Stuffed Chicken | French Cooking for Dummies.

Ham and Cheese Crepe/Galete Complete | French Cooking for Dummies.

White Chocolate Molten Cake with Raspberries | French Cooking for Dummies.

‘Til next time!

Recipe: Memorial Day: Chickpea Spätzele with Shallots and Collard Greens + Blasts from the Past

Recipe: Chickpea Spätzele with Shallots and Collard Greens | mynameisyeh.com.

I think this recipe would be a great addition to your Holiday. I considered the standard macaroni salad, but then I saw this. If you don’t have a fancy pasta machine, but still want a good, homemade hearty dish…spätzele is a fab choice. It’s so simple and quick, and again, another dish children will have fun participating in. Holidays are the perfect opportunity to get kids into the kitchen (if they haven’t been coaxed already). As I’ve said before, my family loves greens of all types, and they’ve always been one of our household staples. So, this recipe leaped into my heart when I saw it. Utilizing a nutty, nutritious chickpea flour base, this recipe is also perfect for those requiring a wheat-free pasta.

I’m on to a busy rest of the weekend, but I thought I would post links from a gaggle of previously blogged about recipes. Many, many wonderful selections and blogs to choose from! Please search through their entire blog, though, for an even more comprehensive list.

One easy non-recipe recipe idea from me for the Holiday is frozen chocolate-covered bananas, or I made these Chocolate-Covered Coconut Ice Cream Pops:

Just homemade coconut ice cream dipped in melted dark chocolate (I used store-bought chocolate to save time, but you could certainly make your own): fresh coconut milk/cream, maple syrup, and organic coconut extract (my mom happened to have some, so I pinched a bit from her…not absolutely required. You could add any flavoring you like, or none at all). If you use an ice cream machine, I would just follow the manufacturer’s instructions. And, you could skip the chocolate altogether and just make coconut ice cream or ice milk pops.

Past posts:

I know I just posted this, but to consolidate:

 Homemade Hamburger and Hotdog Buns & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Rhubarb-Wrapped Pineapple Mousse Cake

Homemade Ketchup

8 Fruit & Herb Honey Syrups

Labor Day Recipes 

Homemade Cream Cheese

Crab and Goat Cheese Guacamole

What’s Cookin’? Food for the Fourth

Raspberry Lemon Curd Madeleines

Pan Bagnat

Maple-Shallot Brussels Salad

Tiramisu Cupcakes

If you want to whip up your own mascarpone for those cupcakes (it’s SO simple), or if you want recipes for other quick cheeses, check out this post:

Homemade Cheese

Patriotic Pops

All of these links can be found under the category of Recipes, Food, and Drink on my blog menu. Also, do please check ‘featured’ My Way recipes for more inspiration.

Hope your Holiday is grand! I’ll be back sometime next week.