Roasted Cauliflower Alfredo with Peas

So this recipe is actually amazing, and it's healthier than a regular Alfredo with pasta that's for sure!! I was able to whip it up the other day while Robby was napping and Bradley watched me from his baby swing in the kitchen. It takes about 35 minutes to make, which isn't to bad at all.

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cauliflower - 3 lbs. (or 2 1/2 lbs. pre-cut florets)
•  1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• Salt and black pepper to taste

 First, you make sure the rack is in the middle of your oven and preheat it to 425 degrees. You then pull off all of the leaves and cut off the lower part of stem on the cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower into quarters, then cut each quarter into 6-7 pieces.  Make sure to give them a good rinse.

 Making sure you have clean hands, lay them out on 1-2 baking sheets evenly. Drizzle them with 1 tbsp of olive oil, toss them to coat. Place the baking sheets into preheated oven and let roast for 10 minutes.

While the cauliflower is cooking, pre-measure the remaining ingredients and have them ready to go near stove.

Remove baking sheets from oven and turn florets, making sure the flat surfaces are against sheet. You will get the best caramelization this way. Cook cauliflower 10-20 minutes longer or till tender. They will pierce easily with fork when ready.

While they continue to roast, cook frozen peas and start Greek Yogurt Alfredo sauce.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in cornstarch or potato starch to form a thick paste. Add the milk slowly, 1/4 cup at a time, whisking constantly to keep the sauce smooth. Once the full cup of milk has been added, heat till the mixture thickens and becomes bubbly around the edges. Do not let the milk come to a full boil.

  Pour in the Parmesan and whisk it to melt into the sauce. Turn the heat to low. Whisk in the Greek yogurt till smooth and heated through. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper as needed.

you can now place the roasted cauliflower and cooked, drained peas into a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.

Serve each portion with the amount of warm Greek yogurt Alfredo sauce you want, this sauce will thicken as it stands.

 
It really is a delicious healthy alternative to pasta and Alfredo sauce!!!

Happy Cooking

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Moving Forward, Looking Back

Some of you may have noticed that the blog got a new look recently, I thought since it was the new year and the other look was a little outdated it was time for a change. While changing things on the website it gave me a chance to look back at old old posts like THIS ONE and THIS ONE. I realized this blog has become less about doing and creating things, and more about my life. I don't think it is a bad thing, but I want to try a little harder to bring you guys some projects. So keep an eye out for some totally awesome mom crafts coming your way!!

P.S.

feel free to browse the blog archive, some adorable Robby stuff in there that I have sort of forgotten about !!

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Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know what you are thinking, how in the world did I find time and energy to make cookies with a 23month old and a 2week old at home. Well that's because this recipe has 3 ingredients and takes minimal effort. I can't take credit for the idea, I got it from a friend who found it on none other than pinterest (seriously what did we do before pinterest??!!) 

Ingredients: 

1 can of pumpkin (15oz) 

Box of Spice cake mix 

About a cup of chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350

Mix together the ingredients, ( I mixed the pumpkin and cake mix first till blended and smooth then mixed in the chocolate chips. )

Place large spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and cook about 12mins, (I made mine very large and they cooked about 18mins) I just used the toothpick trick till it came out clean.

After they cool, grab one and enjoy! Once you start sharing them they will be gone, they really are that good.....

Sorry for the crappy photos, I didn't intend on blogging about this till someone asked... these were just shots from my phone.

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Attack of the Cravings

So even though I promised myself I wouldn't worry this time around about my weight and how I am going to get it off after the baby, I find myself stressed on a regular basis over this topic. I don't know if its because I've always been little, probably too little at times but its not because I am unhealthy. I just have never had a problem with weight. I mean putting on 30+ pounds with my first pregnancy had me in quite a panic. Although the weight came off rather quickly, I was about 3-5lbs shy of my original weight before finding out I was indeed pregnant again. I think most people would say I "needed" those few pounds anyways!!

Now I find myself more than half way through this pregnancy and at my last appointment gaining 6lbs, IN ONE MONTH!! My doctor says its fine because I have "wiggle room" being small to begin with. Well now every time I sneak a cookie or have a few to many carbs in a day, I kick myself. I know I need to gain and I am not cutting back on food, I have a person growing inside me. I just want to make sure I am putting on the right amount of weight and that the foods I am eating are benefiting the little mister or miss inside. I only have ONE body and I don't want to cheat myself out on being able to love it forever, even after kids. The snacking is worse this time around though, probably due to a growing toddler with lots of energy, wants a nibble every few hours of something. So I have found a pretty great resolution, smoothies! I have been making homemade juices for around a year now, but they don't cut it when it comes to craving unhealthy snacks. Smoothies have been working pretty well though!! I wanted to share some of the best recipes I've found or created myself, pregnant or not you will love these. Some of the ingredients you may have to go out and buy, but most should be easy to find. I plan out a weeks worth at a time so that fruits are still fresh by the time I get to it.

My Favorites:

Apple, Carrot, and Ginger

• 1 cup fresh carrot juice
• 1 green apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon honey

Peach-Strawberry Shake

• 2 medium-size ripe peaches
• 1 cup strawberries, rinsed and hulled
• 1 cup milk (soy, skim, 1%)
• 1 cup ice cubes

* Sugar, as needed (if fruit isn't at this sweetest)

Cherry-Berry Tea

• 3/4c Tea *
• 6 ounces silken tofu
• 10 ounces (2 cups) frozen sweet cherries
• 6 ounces (1 cup) frozen grapes
• 3 ounces (1/2 cup) frozen blueberries

*Brew tea strong, and let it refrigerate before adding to blender (about 40 mins)
**Choose your favorite tea, Rooibos, Black, Hibiscus are the ones I've tried

Super Soy Smoothie

• 1/2 cup pineapple cubes
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup carrot juice
• 1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Banana-Blueberry Smoothie

• 1 ripe banana
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

Chamomile-Banana Smoothie (Robby really enjoys this one!)

• 1 cup strong chamomile tea, room temperature
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Golden Nectar Smoothie (this is a great morning smoothie or a pick me up during the day)

• 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (about 6 oranges)
• 1/4 cup+ 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 ripe bananas

Green Machine (a nutrient-dense elixir !!)

• 6 romaine leaves, chopped
• 4 kale leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley sprigs
• 1/2 cup chopped pineapple
• 1/2 cup chopped mango
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

Also, we have a huge bag of flax seed we bought from Costco and I try add a few teaspoons to each smoothie for added nutrition.

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My first attempt at cooking Tofu ???

So I made stir fry with tofu the other night and this is how I did it...

First I searched online ways to cook the tofu and found a cool tutorial that helped out a lot,  I didn't realize how time consuming cooking the tofu would be so by the time the meal was done.... I was starving!! 

First you cut the tofu into 1/2 inch triangles and place them between two towels. Push down gently to get some of the moisture out. You then place them in a non stick pan with NO OIL on low. Slowly cook them pushing the excess water out several times, they will be firm and golden brown on the bottom when ready to turn. You then turn them and repeat the process of pushing down gently and letting the moisture escape. Here is a more detailed explanation of that process and recipes!

 I then placed the pieces of tofu in the marinade which was soy sauce, ginger root, onion, a dash of rice vinegar, and garlic. 

It soaked for about 30mins, then I cooked my stir fry which consisted of broccoli, asparagus, carrots, and green bell pepper. After the veggies cook for a while I just poured the tofu and marinade in and cooked a little while longer. I would not recommend pouring the entire marinade, it made is unbelievable salty and was to over powering. 

Other than that though, everyone in the house loved it! even baby ate a few triangles of tofu!! so overall it was a success!!!!

Happy Cooking Everyone!!

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Stuff

We found a house!!

Its bigger and still has a nice yard for the dogs! It is pretty far from the part of town we are used to living in, but for now this house is a dream come true!! So posting might be lacking for the next month, I will be doing a lot of packing!

I have been making some amazing recipes lately! This quick White Bean Avocado Dip is so good, I ended up making it twice in one day! The second time adding jalapenos because I needed a little spice, Also I would recommend adding cilantro...

1/2 cup small canned white beans (I used great northern, but you can use navy)

1 firm-ripe avocado

1 tomato

1/2 medium onion

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp EVOO

Chop Avocado, Tomato and onion ( you can do this fine or more chunky, I choose more chunky) and fold together with beans, lime juice, and oil ... add salt to taste

I went out last night with my friend Katie !! First night going to a bar since .... geeez like way way before baby was in the picture!! We went to a fun place downtown called Chars. Its a place we both used to frequent, I actually lived walking distance from the place for a year. It was so much fun! She even managed to get me on the dance floor and I wasn't drunk! That NEVER happens... I had a good girls night out though!! This morning, I was the picture of death... tired and a horrible headache (not sure why, I only had 2 beers in a 3hr span)  

I am not one to bring up religon or get into debat about believes with people, but this video was circulating on Facebook and I really enjoyed it so I wanted to share it.... I like the way he puts it.

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Baking with a side of my cute son....

This whole week I have been baking/cooking up a storm!!! Not sure why ?? It might be my change in diet.... but I am so excited to cook food again. Blueberry pancakes yesterday for breakfast then calabasitas con queso (zucchini with cheese) last night, chocolate chip cookies today and Eggplant Parmesan for dinner later !! I hope this feeling doesn't wear off to be honest. I have had so much more energy too, which I also believe is due to my healthier diet. I haven't had any cravings for meat either which makes me happy.  I still need to make something with the tofu I bought, but my goal is to do that this weekend. 

corn, zucchini, jalapenos, onion and cheese = amazing!

 

and of course I've eaten so many salads lately :) 

Robby and I have been spending so much more time outside too. The weather in Phoenix is so amazing this time of year! If I have a lot of errands to run during the day I always make a stop by the park so Robby can enjoy it too!

he loves our dogs, luckily they love him too...

the green is starting to return

 Happy Friday !! Hope you all enjoy your weekend!!

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Glass Jar Crafts!

I think its so cool to see glass jars being reused and upcylced for so many things!! When Robby started eating baby food I swore to myself I would save MOST if not ALL of them and do lots of cool stuff.... Here are a few great gift ideas or just stuff you can do for your own house!!

 

Spice Rack

Glass Jar Chandelier

 Baby Food Jar Pin Cushion

 

Glass Jars With Decorative Paper

Wine Bottle Accent Light

and lastly... This is what I am doing with alot of my jars and giving them as gifts for Christmas!! 

 

Cowgirl/boy Cookies in a Jar

Sadly this one didn't have the tutorial :(

 

Holiday Candy Cookies in a Jar

Happy Crafting Folks! 

 And remember, the best gift to give is a gift you've made not paid for!!

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Lentil Soup

I love soup!!I REALLY LOVE SOUP.... Especially in the winter when its cold outside,  but don't we all though?! I have never had or tried to make lentils before, but I went over to a friends a few weeks ago and she had made some lentil soup. I didn't try any, but it sparked my curiosity. So I decided to find a good recipe and make it, well yesterday I did just that! and the result was.... well, I officially LOVE LENTIL SOUP.... Here's how I made mine, along with a few pictures of the steps, hope you all enjoy! 

What you will need:

 3 strips (3 ounces) bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces *I used turkey bacon*
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch half-moons
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth (3 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

 a glass of white wine and christmas tunes, as well...

* If you prefer to leave out the bacon, cook the onions and carrots in 1 tablespoon olive oil.

First in a 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid (or Dutch oven) cook bacon over medium-low heat until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat.

Add onion and carrots; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste, and cook 1 minute. 

Add lentils, thyme, broth, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover; cook until lentils are tender, 30 to 45 minutes. (If it starts to get to thick add more water)

Stir in vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve immediately.

Hope you all enjoy this soup as much as I did!!

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Juicing

So I have been a "juicer" for close to 6 months now and I love love love it! The benefits from it are tremendous and it seriously is so very tasty! It all started when Robert saw a documentary called "FatSickAndNearlyDead" (GO WATCH IT!!). He immediately downloaded it and told me to watch it. I was so amazed by the journey this guy went through!! When the movie was over we got in the car and drove to the store, bought a juicer and TONS of fresh fruits and veggies. We did the strictly juicing diet for about 5 days,  we ended it early due to my reaction from the chemicals used on the kale, read here on more about that.  We still have fresh juice in our daily diet though. It is such a life saver!! So I thought I would share a few of our favorite juice recipes ..... This is a GREAT way to get the kids to get more vegetables into their diet too!

Green Lemonade -
1 Green Apple
3 Handfuls Spinach
6-8 Kale Leaves
½ Cucumber
4 Celery Stalks
½ Lemon

Alkaline Juice -
1 cup of spinach
1/2 cucumber
2 stalks of celery including leaves
3 carrots
1/2 apple

Lemony Apple -
2 apples
1 lemon
1 slice of ginger

Orange Carrot -
8 Large Fresh Cleaned Carrots
2 Large Fresh Peeled Oranges

Mean Green-
1 Bulk of kale
4 Stalks of celery
1 Cucumber
2 granny smith apples
½ lemon
Ginger root (thumb sized)

Of course, plain apple juice or orange juice is always great too !!  

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Spiced Shrimp with Ginger Rice and Peas

I made this for dinner last week and my family loved it, even if my family consists of Robert and I. hehe. Robby is still stuck on baby food and only takes bites here and there of our food.... but back to the point, it is pretty fast and easy to make!! Plus it isn't very heavy, but still has a lot of flavor!!

What you will need:

4 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1 cup long-grain white rice

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 cup frozen peas

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Lime wedges, for serving

Heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. (you can do this in a saucepan if you wish) Add scallion whites and ginger and cook, stirring often, until soft, 3 minutes. 

Add rice and 1 1/2 cups water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, cook peas.

 Remove from heat and top with peas. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes, then add scallion greens and fluff rice with a fork.

Then, in a medium bowl, toss shrimp with cumin and coriander and season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until opaque throughout, about 4 minutes.

Serve shrimp with rice and lime wedges. ( I used lime concentrate because we didn't have any limes)

 Voila!! Dinner is served.....

Also, I want to give Robby recognition for sitting and watching mommy cook so patiently..... with the help of some cheerios.

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