Mellow Monday

Hello!

Hope you’re all having a wonderful start to the week. Everything is quiet over here, and I actually have a night to do whatever I want to because I finished my assignment this morning instead of leaving it until tonight.

I spent some time with Layla in the living room and read my book, the official biography of Steve Jobs. I could only get through three chapters because Layla was snoring too loudly. 

Let me take you on a journey back in time (OK this is not an exciting story at all, just FYI) to probably the first healthy meal that I “came up with” and subsequently fell in love with. I was 17 at the time and this dish was the catalyst that made me appreciate pretty much every vegetable out there.

Oh, and it’s wicked easy too. It’s pretty much like making a frozen skillet meal.

Here’s what you need:

  • a skillet (obviously)
  • 1 boneless skinless chicken breast (fully cooked)
  • any kind of frozen vegetables you like and as much as you like (I combine three different bags of frozen vegetables: an asian vegetable variety, frozen corn and something with frozen asparagus, green beans and peppers. Again, feel free to use any kinds of frozen vegetables you like.)
  • 2 tblsp of your favourite salad dressing (not a creamy variety)
Start by tossing around your frozen vegetables in the skillet until they’re cooked through. Add in chopped chicken breast and cook until the liquid from the frozen vegetables cooks off. This dish tastes much better when the vegetables are ever so slightly charred, not watery. Add in the salad dressing and toss around for about 30 seconds or so and it’s done!

My favourite dressing for this dish

Veggie Lovin'

It’s not a groundbreaking dish, but it tastes awesome and the fact that it comes together in about 8 minutes just makes it fantastic.

I’m going for a walk now, just because I feel like soaking up the last hour before it becomes dark outside. I’m trying to avoid seasonal depression disorder, jokingly and seriously. I’m taking Vitamin D pills to hopefully appease the drama queen in me who whines when it gets dark at 4.

Apple Spice Walnut Muffins

It’s time for the fall scents to fight to the death.

Why?

Why not?

The worthy opponent: The precarious challenger: Apple Walnut Muffins

Dry Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cup whole grain spelt flour
  • 1 tblsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tblsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 3 tblsp oats
  • chopped walnuts
Wet Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 3/4 cup chopped apples (skin off)
  • 1/3 cup apple sauce
  • 1 tblsp vanilla
  • 1 tblsp apple cider vinegar
Preheat oven to 355 degrees. Mix wet and dry ingredients separately then combine. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
Adapted from this recipe (which I fully intend on trying too!)
These muffins are a winner in the scent department by far. They smell so spicy and sweet. As for taste? A+. These are really warm, spicy, comforting, and the apple pieces are not overly gooey so the muffin maintains a really good texture. I spread a little bit of almond butter on it for breakfast and it was delicious. I want to put some kind of a topping on these, or perhaps make them with a crumbly topping next time.
Anyway, I’m about to leave for my driving test, but I’m definitely picking up a latte on the way. Arghhhh. I hope I do well! Thanks for all the well-wishing. Tweet you all after!

If Betty Crocker Had a Blog…

… This would be her version of a healthified dessert.

Sure, it’s not organic, not gluten free, not artificial ingredients free, not fat free…. but NO ONE will complain. Especially not me, and not a room full of hungry guys watching football on a Sunday.

It’s the perfect fall treat if you have 0 will to follow a lengthy, multiple step recipe. I’m not sure where the direct source of this recipe is, because I’ve seen it everywhere and I needed to try it for myself.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies 

Ingredients: 1 box Betty Crocker low fat fudge brownie mix, 1 & 3/4 cup pure pumpkin, handful (or so) of peanut butter chips.

Directions: Mix everything together, pour in 9×13 pan, bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Warning: These are highly addictive. Between 4 of us, we pretty much went through the entire plate of brownies during one quarter of the game.

Next up: I’m going to try the recently-turned pumpkin lover Lindsey’s cookies that she featured on her blog a few days ago.

Easiest Ever Stuffed Peppers

My dad picked up some groovy-looking translucent yellow peppers at a local farmers market this past weekend. What do you do with a plethora of peppers?

But you already knew the answer: stuffed peppers, obviously!

1st. Prep your ingredients. Chop the tops off (keeping them intact) and de-seed them. Chop a medium-large spanish onion and sautee it up in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. Measure out 1 cup of either quinoa or whole grain brown rice. I mixed them because it seems cool and/or I ran out of quinoa. 2nd. Once the onions are translucent, add in ground chicken, breaking it up until it’s cooked through and in small pieces. Liberally sprinkle basil and oregano and add a pinch of mint. 3rd. Mix in the quinoa/rice and then spoon into your topless peppers. 4th. Pour 1-litre of low sodium tomato juice in and around the peppers, put their tops back on and then pour 1/2 litre of water around the peppers.

5th. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

6th. Mange! They are not photogenic at all, but I figure this: the less photogenic a savoury dish is, the better it tastes.

Alright… moving on to a less than desirable topic, click on yesterday’s post if you want to see a gruesome picture of the offending bugs in my bathroom. I found another f*cker today and I’m completely fed up. I may need to call in an expert. Ghostbusters — or something along those lines.

And now that you’ve looked at that hideous thing, take a look at this beautiful bouquet of flowers that was sent to my house today by some guy! =) LOL. I’m kidding. He’s not “some guy”.

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful manfriend, Adam =)

I’m so not a mushy person, especially not on my blog, but it’s been a fantastic 3 years so…..

Welp, see ya later!

Kidding <3