Spinach Balls

Here's another recipe! I posted this picture on my twitter feed, and got a few requests for the recipe, so I'm posting it here. Spinach is one of our favorite leafy greens. We buy it fresh or frozen and use it in a lot of baked dishes, soups, and juices and smoothies.  I think this recipe is pretty simple. Hope you will enjoy!

Ingredients:
2  10-ounce packages of chopped frozen spinach
1  8-ounce container of sour cream (I usually use the lighter version)
1 cup shredded cheese (doesn't really matter which kind, but I like to mix mild cheddar and shredded parmesian)
1 small finely chopped onion (about 1/2 cup)
1 egg
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 packet of dry onion soup mix (the whole package is a bit too salty)
1 container French's fried onions (crushed) or about 1-1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs.

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Completely thaw packages of spinach, and squeeze as much excess liquid out as possible
3. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well mixed.
4. Use large cookie or ice cream scoop to measure out balls. Roll between hands to form smooth ball.
5. Place balls in baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Makes about 12.
6. Place on middle rack in oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Enjoy!

Running back - Update #1

Today is Thursday, March 19, 2015.

I have not officially started my marathon training yet. I'm still in the "getting motivated" phase. It is definitely a challenge getting back into the routine of things, after almost two years off from exercising. Since my original post, I've only walked/jogged a handful of times.

I could make excuses all day: I had to do stuff for the kids, I had to do stuff for my husband, I have too much laundry and cleaning to do, I didn't get enough sleep...and the list goes on.

I read a quote the other day that really struck a chord with me. It went something like..."Make the time for the things that are important to you". We often make up a list of things that we claim as priorities, but when we look at how much time we actually spend on those things, we may be surprised at the results. I could say that running and exercise are priorities, but am I making time in my schedule for it? Am I protecting that time? Right now, the answer is no. But I am working on it.

One day last week, after putting it off for most of the day, I hopped on my treadmill sometime in the later afternoon. My baby girl was watching from her play yard, and my oldest girl was beside me on the carpet, running in place. I didn't run far or fast or long, but the point is, I got on and started. And hearing my oldest say, "I love exercising with you, Mommy!" and "Exercise is good for our bodies. It makes us healthy and strong!", was great motivation. This is one of the reasons I challenged myself to make this marathon goal in the first place. I want to be healthy and strong, not only for my own sake, but in order to set a good example for my girls, and to have the strength and energy to keep up with them.

I found the following quote on the Women's Running facebook page:

Sometimes we feel like quitting before we even start. For me, prayer for strength, and just pushing myself to just go whether I feel like it or not, is often necessary. Especially at the beginning, it is so important to determine what our motivation is, and to keep remind ourselves when things get rough!

Cinnamon Buns

Someone is waiting patiently for a taste!

I've gotten a couple of requests for this recipe, after some friends saw this picture on facebook. So I've decided to post it here. Although this blog is mostly meant to be an open journal of my fitness journey, for me, a big part of that journey includes food.

My family enjoys eating nutritious AND delicious foods. Most of what I make at home, I would consider to be fairly healthy and mostly vegetarian/plant based. We do love our desserts though! I'd rather make something yummy from scratch, even if it has a bit more sugar than one might consider "healthly", than buy something packaged from the market or a restaurant.

This particular recipe was derived from one I found on the "America's Test Kitchen" website a few years ago. This is an excellent resource for recipes, especially if you are like me and like detailed, well tested, recipes. I made a few changes after trying this recipe for the first time (mostly in regards to the type of milk and measurement of sugar and spices for the filling). Here is the current recipe I use:

Dough:
1 1/3 Cups warm almond milk (you may use any type of milk)
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter (or coconut oil), melted
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 package rapid-rise yeast
1 teaspoon ground sea salt

Filling:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (Florida Crystals is what I use)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
 2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground sea salt
2 tablespoons butter (or coconut oil), melted

Icing:
1 cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar
2 ounces American Neufchatel Cheese (cream cheese)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 ** If you use butter in the recipe, do not use margarine ~ use real cream butter. It makes a big difference in your baking taste and outcome! Neufchatel is the the type of cream cheese that's a little softer than the regular one, and is usually marked as "1/3 less fat". You'll find ounce markings on the wrapper of the cream cheese to help you figure out the ounces needed.

** I recommend always reading entire instructions and gathering ingredients, before you start preparing the recipe.

1. Place the milk, maple syrup, and butter in a container and warm for 2:35 seconds in the microwave, or on stove top on low heat if you do not have a microwave.

2. Turn on your oven to 200 degrees.

3. Mix flour, yeast, and salt together on low speed in a stand mixer with dough hook. With mixer on low, slowly pour in milk mixture. Continue to mix until the dough is smooth.

4. Remove dough from mixture and put on floured surface. I usually spray my hands with cooking spray to make it a little easier to handle the dough. Shape dough into ball and place in a greased bowl and cover with a kitchen towel.. Turn off the oven and place covered bowl in oven for about 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile combine filling ingredients in a bowl: Sugars, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter. Mix well.

6. Remove the bowl from the oven and place dough on lightly floured surfaced. Roll dough out in rectangle shape. Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over dough and lightly press mixture into dough.

6. Starting along long edge nearest you, slowly roll dough up into a cylinder. Then use a good knife (not serrated) to cut dough into 12 even slices.

7. Spray a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray. Space slices evenly in the pan, cut side up. The picture below shows the recipe doubled. If you want to make this many, I would recommend doing it as two separate sessions, rather than just doubling up on all the ingredients. It doesn't always work out well when you simply double a recipe.

8. Use cooking spray to coat plastic wrap, and cover pan. Place the pan back in warm oven (make sure it's turned off!) and let it rise for about 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and turn oven up to 350 degrees. The rolls will continue to rise while you wait for oven to heat.

9. Once the oven is warm, place pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until brown.

10. Remove pan from oven and place in cooling rack. Prepare icing by combining powdered sugar, cream cheese, almond milk, and vanilla in a bowl. A hand mixer works best for this. Or you may use a whisk or stand mixer if you do not have hand mixer. Mix until smooth.

11. Spread icing evenly over rolls. Slice rolls along edges to separate.

12. Serve warm and enjoy!!

I hope you will like this recipe. It's great for breakfast or brunch, or anytime of day. If you do try this recipe, please share your experience and any changes you made to the recipe.

God Bless!

Home Made Goodness

I read somewhere that 80% of getting and staying fit depends on what we eat. I believe it may be even more than that. Although it may work for some people, however temporary, I have long made it know that I do not agree with "dieting". I think we should always try to eat healthy, including mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. We eat MOSTLY vegetarian at home, though we do still love to include fresh salmon and some other types of fish in our weekly menu.

Anyone acquainted with me knows of my love for cooking. What started off as an interest in making pancakes for the family at age fourteen, has turned into a pursuit of excellence in delicious recipe development. Over the years, and especially since getting married and becoming a mom, I have sought out ways to make mostly healthy dishes that my family would love. We seldom eat out, and I strive to make as much from scratch as I can...when time allows. I feel better knowing exactly what is going into the food I eat, and feed to my family.

We do love to eat good food, and we are working on improving the way we eat: snacking less and eating three solid meals that include a big breakfast and a lighter dinner. This is still a work in progress!

 This dish is one of my oldest daughter's breakfast favorites. She calls them "grapes" and she always gets excited when she sees me making them. For the recipe I usually use a ratio of 1 part flour:2 parts milk. For example, for my husband, me, and our 5 year old this is the amount I use:

Lexie's Crepes
1 cup all purpose flour
2 cups almond milk
1 TBS baking powder
2 tsp organic sugar
pinch of salt

I combine all these ingredients with a wire whisk until well blended. Then I cook on skillet using 1/2 or 1/3 measuring cup to pour out on the skillet greased with cooking spray. The temperature should be set at medium-low heat. I cook on one side until top side appears almost cooked, then flip them over for about one more minute to allow the other side to cook. They should be a light golden brown color. Then I cool them on a wire wrack and serve with a variety of spreads and fruit. Some favorites include Nutella and banana, peanut butter and banana, cream cheese and strawberry preserves.

A big, hearty breakfast is the way to start the day off. I always include fruit with whatever we eat for breakfast. Variety is the way to go, and the more colorful the better!