When I was at the Robert is Here fruitstand, I saw a new-to-me fruit called Sapodilla.

Mistaking them for potatoes, I would have walked past had I not read the sign.  “Tastes like a pear with brown sugar!” What??? Yes, please!

Brent and I ate most of them plain for dessert. Sapodillas are soft and creamy. They remind me of a pear flavored pudding with brown sugar. Perfect for a smoothie.

Sapodilla Smoothie

2 Sapodillas
1 Frozen Banana
1 Cup Plain Yogurt (I use whole fat)
1/2 Tbs Maple Syrup
1/8 Tsp Cinnamon
Large Handful of Ice

Throw it all in a blender and blend until creamy.

Makes one EXTRA large smoothie or two medium smoothies.

Anyone else ever tried a sapodilla? We are heading up to North Carolina soon. Anyone have any advice as to what to see or do? Any good local foods we should try?

Thank you for the kindness regarding my last post about breast cancer. Your support and encouragement were sincerely uplifting. I’m going to do my best to not think too much about it. There isn’t much I can do until we get back to Ventura in the fall. In the meantime, I going to put my energy into being present with my family and not lost in worry.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Check out our family’s adventures being inspired to follow you dreams at New School Nomads as we take a year long RV road trip through the United States!

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I like versatility.  Reversible jackets.  Kettlebells as doorstops or for workouts.  Minivans for  children or 4×8 sheets of plywood.  It’s one of the reasons I love my Perfect Pesto.  I can use it to spread on bread, make the most killer egg sandwiches ever, toss with pasta, in place of pizza sauce, toss with veggies, and or by the spoonful.

The other day, I came up with another versatile spread.  We’ve been getting quite a few Japanese eggplants in our CSA as of late.  They are long and skinny so they don’t work as well for my Eggplant Mozzarella recipe.  Like the pesto, it’s so simple to make and I think I love simplicity just as much as versatility.

Roasted Eggplant Spread

4 Japense Eggplant (or about 3 cups of  regular eggplant)
2 Garlic Cloves
1 tbs Capers
1 tbs of Sun Dried Tomatoes
1/4 Cup of Olive Oil (A tad less if you are using sun dried tomatoes in oil.)
Sea Salt to Taste

Slice the eggplant in half and brush (or spray) with a bit of olive oil and sprikle with sea salt.  Bake at 350° for 20 – 3o minutes until eggplant is soft and starts to brown slighly on the edges.

Put the eggplant, garlic, capers, sun dried tomatoes, and olive oil into your food processor (or blender) and blend until smooth.  Add more oil if necessary.  I find 1/4 cup to be plenty.

This spread is good on french bread, as a veggie dip, or in a wrap.

Sprouted tortilla, roasted eggplant spread, grilled chicken, romain, tomatoes, and feta.

And since I’m decided to take Mark Sisson’s The Primal Blueprint 30 Challenge, on chicken!

Roasted Eggplant Spread on Grilled Chicken, Grilled Asparagus and Caprese Salad.

I’ve been reading Mark’s Daily Apple off and on for about two years.  Although, I’ve decided he is total GUY HERO, I don’t think I’ll ever go 100% primal (I’m keeping an open mind) for life.  I’m simply feeling like I’m up for a new challenge.  They keep things interesting. So the next 30 days I’m want to do a little experiment and pretend I’m a cavewoman with luxuries.  Mrs. Flintstone with a stove, a dishwasher, a refrigerator, and a Trader Joe’s. Regarding workouts, from what I understand his workout philosophy is similar to my own.  He recommends sprinting once a week.  I’ve let my sprinting slack the last few months so I’m looking forward to getting back to that so I’ll go to the beach for some sprint workouts.  I plan to keep up with my kettlebell training and my walking as well.  The biggest change is going to be not eating grains.  It’s going to a fun 30 days and I’m hoping this will get my creative juices flowing in the kitchen.  Last year, I attempted a grain free month and felt pretty fantastic.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Let me tell you a secret.  I don’t loooveeee veggies. At least not in the same way I looooveee pizza.

(I know it’s almost heretical.)

But when my friend sent me this recipe from the Food Network
I actually thought “here is a veggie recipe I can get excited about” or something sort of cheesy like that.

Sunny Anderson’s Crunchy Sweet Brussel Sprout Salad

1 pound brussel sprouts
2 tbs coconut oil*
1/2 tsp nutmeg
handful of dried cranberries
handful of chopped walnuts
sea salt
pepper

(* Original recipe calls for olive oil instead of coconut.  I prefer to use coconut oil for most of my cooking.)

The original recipe said to core and shred the brussel sprouts.
However, I had no idea how to do that and it sounded like it would take forever and a day so I simply cut off the bottoms and sliced them into thin slices.
Then I sautéed them in the coconut oil for a few minutes until they were “bright and slightly” wilted.
Next, I added the nutmeg, sea salt and pepper.
Lastly, I added the walnuts and cranberries.

Aren’t they pretty?

They were also delicious.  Something I rarely say about veggies.

I served them with Trader Joe’s wild salmon and some other sort of dark leafy green from my CSA box.

Thanks Lisa for sending me the link to Sunny Anderson’s recipe.

Tell me the truth do you “looooveee” veggies?

and

How do you “core” brussel sprouts?

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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I love Mexican food.  LOVE Mexican food.  Out of all the cheesy spicy goodness to choose from, one of my favorite dishes is Chile Relleno.  A friend gave me a recipe for a chile relleno casserole that uses 2 pounds, TWO POUNDS, of cheese as well as numerous whole eggs, and condensed milk. On occasion, it is worth every bite. However for regular consumption I needed something a little less calorie dense.  Enter my RC (reduced calorie) Chile Relleno Casserole.

(Like the kettlebell in the background?)

RC (Reduced Calorie) Chile Relleno Casserole

8 egg whites
2 whole eggs
1.5 cups cottage cheese
7 oz can diced green chilis
1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese
Another 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese (optional)
1 tbs butter (melted)
pinch of cumin
sea salt (I use about a tsp)
favorite salsa

Preheat oven to 350. Beat the eggs together.
Stir in the rest of the ingredients and pour into a greased square baking dish.
Bake for about 40 minutes.
Optional: Top with an extra 1/2 cup of cheese 5 minutes b4 casserole is done.
(I usually don’t add the extra cheese and I still love it.)
Top with you favorite salsa

I came across some cool giveaways you should know about too!

The darling, Girl Hero Janetha, is celebrating her blog Meals and Moves one year anniversary.
Check out the loot she is giving away to celebrate.

The adorable Sami at Freckled Foodie is having a giveaway too!!!
Check out the reusable snack/lunch bags by snackTAXIs!!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Growing up in Indianapolis, there was this one particular pizza place I loved to visit and gorge myself on for their pesto.  It is so good.  Fifteen years later, I still visit every time I go back but it has sort of lost it’s luster for me.  The reason, a waitress with a big mouth.  A few years ago, I was telling this waitress how much I adore their pesto and she started rambling on about the ingredients which are not exotic but  the consistency is perfect.   As soon as she walked away, I wrote what she had said down on a napkin and went to work trying to recreate it. After a few tries,  I got the ratios right and now can I have my favorite pesto whenever I want instead of waiting until I visit Indiana.  While this is my favorite pesto in the whole gigantic (yet quickly shrinking) world, I actually named it Perfect Pesto because it’s a great “annoying people” repellant. So if you make it for a date night make sure you both eat it.

Perfect Pesto
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup of pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1.5 cups of finely grated parmesan cheese (I use a pre-grated parmesan romano blend from Trader Joes’s)

Directions:  Put the basil, pine nuts, garlic and half of the oil in a food processor or blender.  Blend until smooth and scrap mixture into a bowl.  Still in the parmesan cheese and add more oil until desired consistency is reached.  I like mine thick and chunky.

I use this pesto for pastas, pizzas, stuffed tomatoes, on chicken, and, on french bread (of course). Oddly enough, my favorite time to eat it is at breakfast either plain on eggs or on an egg sandwich.  Yum!

Ezekiel bread, pesto, scrambled eggs, tomato, and sea salt.

or…

l

...with a fried egg and melted mozzarella. Mmmmmm....

Check out these Giveaways!
Raw Honey at The Suburban Jungle (Ends tomorrow!!)
Mirra Beauty Products (also) at The Suburban Jungle
Funky Monkey at Eat Drink and Be Hopeful
This one is TOTALLY RANDOM but since I saw this movie not long ago and loved it, I thought I’d share it.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox DVD at Tiara’s & Tantrums (If I win it we’ll make a perfect pesto pizza and watch it!)

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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In keeping with our decision to eat vegetarian a night or two a week, I’ve been creating new or revamping old recipes.  Last night, we converted my Mozzarella Chicken to Mozzarella Eggplant.   I can’t believe I’m saying this but I think I actually like the eggplant better.  It was sooooo good.  I nearly cried for joy when I found out my husband had a business lunch today and I didn’t have to share the leftovers.

Mozzarella Eggplant

1 eggplant
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 red onion – sliced
2 tbs balsalmic vinegar
2 tbs water
4 tomatoes – chopped into big chunks
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves – chopped
4 oz part skim mozzarella cheese – Not shredded, the kind you buy whole. Cut into little chunks. A piece about the size of you palm. (Cheese sticks work too.;-))

Brush the eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt.  Grill on each side for about  3-5 minutes.  (Grilling the eggplant was key.)

Heat the rest of the oil in a saute pan and cook the onions until they start to soften.  Then add the water, vinegar, tomatoes, and basil.  Cook over med/high for a few more minutes until the liquid starts to thicken.  If you want a more sauce add a little more vinegar and water in equal parts. Keep stirring it so it doesn’t burn.  Turn down the heat just before servings and throw in the mozzarella.  If you put the mozzarella in too soon it will start to melt all together.  It’s better when the cheese stays chunky.  Spoon the sauce over the eggplant.

The fact that there was no meat on the table did not stop Meow Cow from practicing his usual tactics. Every evening, Meow Cow saunters in and sits down on the bench at the table right between my Brent and I.  Meow Cow patiently sits looking up at me pretending he actually loves me.  He knows if he stares sweetly at me long enough I’ll let him eat off the table. Yes, I am that rogue-ish. Occasionally, Brent scolds me but most of the time he pretends he doesn’t see because secretly he wants to feed Meow Cow from the table too.  He would never admit this because it greatly goes against the civilized code of conduct but it’s true.  When Meow Cow doesn’t get what he wants he gets extra nice and climbs onto one our laps.

If he fails to score he gives us kisses.

And then when he gets what he wants.

We love Meow Cow anyway.

xoxo
jenn

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A few years ago my friend made something like this. Since then, I’ve been playing around trying get the ingredients in just the right proportions to fit my taste and it has become, by far, my favorite dressing. So much that I brought it in a cooler with me on vacation. It is a tasty way to get in your healthy fats and it masks the dirt flavor of spinach! Wooohooo!

My Favorite Dressing
1 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup flaxseed oil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice – If I have lemons on hand I use fresh squeezed but bottled works just fine
2-6 cloves of minced garlic – I tend to use a lot of garlic because I don’t like to people to get to close to me when we talk

Put everything is a large bottle and shake.

Makes about 18 2 tbs servings. Approx. 136 calories, 6 grams of carbs, 1 gram protein and 12 grams of fat per serving

Don’t be afraid to play with amounts based on your taste. Personally, I usually make this with only flax oil but some people find the taste of flax to be a little strong so that’s why I suggest 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup flax instead of just 1 cup flax. But if you like flax then just use that. Or if you hate flax then just use olive oil. I also like to use flax because it doesn’t harden in the fridge. If you are using olive oil it may solidify in the fridge.  Just stick the bottle in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes to get the oil all oily-like again.

Quick everyday salad – 2 cups of spinach, 1/4 cup of dried cranberries, 1/4 slivered almonds and 2 tablespoons of Favorite Dressing.

Hope you like it too!

Hugs and High Fives,
jenn

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A “Good Idea” Pudding
1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese
1 scoop of whey protein powder (I prefer chocolate.)
1 tsp agave nectar or other natural sweetener (optional)

That’s it. Put it in a blender (I use a little Cuisinart rip-off machine) and blend until smooth. I personally think this tastes delicious and I don’t use any extra sweetener. But I haven’t had refined sugar in 9 months so I’m not too hard to please right now! But be assured, I did give a bite to my husband and he said it was good! And he is a food snob. No offense love!

If you are a total WHOLE FOODIST and the idea of whey protein makes you want to gag and your stomach muscles cramp then try Another “Good Idea” Pudding.

Another “Good Idea” Pudding
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 banana
1 tsp agave nectar or other natural sweetener (optional)

Once again put it all in a blender and give it a whirl. Top it with some crushed walnuts and you make be able to trick yourself into thinking you’re eating a fancy dessert.

A “Good Idea” Pudding – Approximately 265 Cal, 10 g carbs, 30 g protein, 11 g fat (these totally depend on the protein powder you use.)

Another “Good Idea” Pudding – Approximately 150 Cal, 19 g carbs, 15 g Protein, 2 g fat

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This tastes better than it looks.

Promise!

Coconut Chicken Soup

1 tbs coconut oil
1 can of lite coconut milk
6 cups of chicken broth
2.5 cups of chopped chicken breasts
2 cups of water
juice of two limes
1 tsp lime zest
4 shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 cups of mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp roasted red chile paste (found in Asian section of grocery)
2-3 stalks  of dried lemon grass
2 tbs honey
sea salt to taste.

Sauté shallots, chicken, and garlic in oil for a couple of minutes. Put everything into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through. This tastes even better the next day!!

Makes about 8 servings.

The approximate macros per serving are 208 calories, 35 grams of protein, 8 grams of carbs, and 3 grams of fat.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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