Day Two + One Month......

Okay, so it has taken me forever to post my followup(s) from the dinner experiment. I want everyone to know: I DID DO IT. But, life got in the way and dinner for day 3 became dinner for day 4. I also have to admit, I suck at digital photos, so the pork dish I made with a cream sauce looked like a plate of vomit so I'm only posting the pic for the LOOP experiment.

For the LOOP (Left Overs on Purpose), I made a roasted chicken and used leftover chicken to make potpies. The recipe calls for a phyllo crust, but Pillsbury's biscuits rolled out were perfect for the individual pies without the hassle.

Original Roasted Chicken Dinner:



Chicken Potpie Made with Leftover Chicken:




I must admit, creating a menu plan and planning meals using leftovers really does help reduce costs and food waste (which is huge for me since I volunteer my time and often blog for them on various topics Community Plates).

I did try to write down my brussel sprout recipe for my friend, but didn't realize how hard it is to write a recipe when you do it purely by sight. I have a rough idea, but need to tweak it some. Of course, last time I made the sprouts was in January, but will try again soon so I can finally finish the recipe and keep my promise I made to my friend 2 years ago.

I also wanted to share with you some of my favorite kitchen tools/appliances I can't live without. One is new to the list, and until I became a Pampered Chef consultant (Pampered Chef is a company that sells kitchen tools, dishes and pantry items to make one's life easier in the kitchen -- I'll be writing a post about this because I'm going out of my comfort zone becoming a PC consultant), I never would have added it to my list. Here's my list for favorite tools for cooking:

- A good knife. Splurge on one and splurge on a honing tool (it sharpens the blade of the knife). I can't stress enough how easy your life becomes if you use the proper tool. I recently went to a friend's house who had a beautiful block of knives, but when I went to use one to cut bread, I almost lost my mind. I ended up using my hands to cut the bread into pieces because the knife made no impact. This person doesn't believe she can really cook and I'd understand why if I couldn't get passed the first step.

- A great cutting board - one that doesn't skid around on your table when cutting, and one you can throw in the dishwasher.

- A Pampered Chef Food Chopper (Food Chopper). Not only does this cut down on the time it takes to chop veggies, it also lets you get out your frustrations if you're having a bad day. You put veggies down on board, place food chopper over veggies and press hard and fast on the handle to fine dice.

- Emulsion Blender - great for blending hot soups without having to laddle hot liquids into a blender to puree soups.

- Kitchen Shears - Oh. My. God. I use these to cut up bacon/pancetta slices when a recipe calls for it -- OR -- great for handling boneless chicken breast that haven't been cleaned of fat and you want to cut into bite size pieces.

- A shot glass that has measuring lines on it for metric and US measurements. It's handy for cocktails, but also measuring out the right amount of oil if really try to stay good on your diet.

I use a lot of different items when I cook, but these are the ones I use most everyday and really appreciate.

About the book, a male friend of mine asked if the book would beneficial to a man who cooks. At first, I thought him a bit crazy for asking this question until he explained the information I shared on my last post from the book's description. I openly admit, I posted this information and did not really give it a second glance. I imagine Kathi's target audience are women, but I know many men are the primary cooks in their homes and would benefit from her tips and recipes.

I will be sending a copy of this book to one reader who is interested. I'll select the winner using random.org next Friday (March 9th) and comments from my Day One post and this one will be used to select the winner.

One last note...about the Brussel Sprouts, when the recipe is finally complete, I'll post on this blog. I've turned Brussel Sprout haters into lovers because of this recipe.

Day One:The “What’s for Dinner? " Solution Blogger Project

Often, I either receive emails, or hear of opportunities, from authors or companies asking if I will review and endorse their product. A couple years ago, I heard of Kathi Lipp from her agent who posted the question on Twitter: Anyone interested in reviewing this book -- The Marriage Project.

I jumped all over the opportunity even though I didn't know what to expect. Since then, Kathi has written 2 more books (The Me Project and her latest, the What's for Dinner Solution).

I have enjoyed Kathi's books because she has a conversationalist style about her writing that has me quickly turning the pages to read more-and-more.

In her latest book, What's for Dinner Solution, I have to admit, I wasn't sure what she could teach me. According to the book's jacket cover, What's for Dinner Solution "provides a full-kitchen approach for getting dinner on the table every night. After putting her 21-day plan into action, women will:

- save time—with bulk shopping and cooking
- save money—no more last-minute phone calls to the delivery pizza place; and
- save their sanity—forget the last-minute scramble every night and know what they’re having for dinner.

The book includes real recipes from real women, a quick guide to planning meals for a month, the best shopping strategies for saving time and money, and tips on the best ways to use a slow cooker, freezer, and pantry. With Kathi’s book in hand, there’s no more need to hit the panic button."

Hmmmmm.... I was curious because I'm a person who shops by the flyer and uses coupons religiously. Hubby and I are on a tight budget and leftovers are not considered a dirty word in our home. But Kathi, asked if I'd be willing to take on her 5 day challenge. Translation: Not just read and review the book, but put it into action.

For 5 days, I am going to give you a breakdown of what hubby and I are eating this week (I should explain, I didn't menu plan until yesterday, but have started shutting down my computer on Mondays so I'm a day late on today's post). I will also take some pictures, remember to finally write down my brussel sprout recipe for a friend I've promised it to for over 2 years, and create a LOOP meal (Left Overs On Purpose) which, I have to admit, stumped me. Typically, we just cook more than enough and reheat the same meal for our next night's dinner(have I not mentioned, leftovers are loved in our home).

Another day I'm going to share some of my kitchen tips, favorite family meals (with pics) and share with you some of my favorite go-to gadgets. I also have to confess, I have been a big slacker with meal planning and cooking decent meals since the holidays and thought this was the push I needed to get back on track. [Note: I openly admit I learned 2 important things from my 1st marriage that I try to adhere to in my marriage to Bill. 1) Eat dinner together when possible at the dinner table, no t.v. on, background music and catch up day's events; and 2) try to go to bed together. - Sounds small, but trust me, it's not]

Oh yeah, at the end of this project, I will be sending one lucky reader, who wants one, a copy of the book (I'll be using random.org - so no clever comments are needed).

This Week's Menu:

Monday: Zitti with Browned Sausage, Broccoli Rabe and Hot Red Pepper Flakes. Because I doubled up on the broccoli rabe (one of hubby's favorites) I saw no need to make a salad or find a second veggie to serve with this. We served it with garlic bread.

Tuesday: Roasted Chicken, Roasted Potatoes and my Brussel Sprout recipe with bacon, onion, chicken stock and dried cranberries (I will be taking pictures and posting it tomorrow because I'm using the leftover chicken for Thursday's LOOP meal - chicken pot pie). The brussel sprout recipe is very tasty and, if my friend Poncho Girl reads AND comments that she wants this recipe, I'll finally take the time to write it out for her. No comment, no recipe.

Wednesday: Venison Osso Bucco. This is a family favorite (also my recipe). I will be serving it with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach (I looked in my freezer and saw an unusual amount of boxes of frozen creamed spinach, not sure why, but it's on the menu).

Thursday: Chicken Pot Pie. Recipe from "One Dish Meals" from the Culinary Institute of America with one minor change -- I use Pillsbury's Grand Biscuits as my topping for the individual pie's crusts. I can't be bothered with phyllo dough. Too much work and one biscuit rolled out covers one pie perfectly (the recipe and dishes I use, make 6 pot pies).

Friday: Pan Roasted Rosemary Pork Chops with a Dijon Mustard Sauce (making recipe up when I make it on Friday, but it'll have wine, onions and dijon mustard in it). I'll be serving with rice (Martha Stewart's recipe which is still my go-to recipe after making it a couple years back) and collard greens (not sure how I plan on cooking them yet).





Author Bio

Kathi Lipp is a busy conference and retreat speaker of The Husband Project: 21 Days to Loving Your Man—on Purpose and with a Plan, The Marriage Project: 21 Days to More Love and Laughter, and The Me Project: 21 Days to Living the Life You’ve Always Wanted. She is a frequent guest on Focus on the Family and dozens of other radio programs.

Church leaders and women’s ministry directors rely on Kathi to help women move from living out of obligation to enjoying godly passion. She speaks to thousands of women across the US and Canada every year.

Kathi and her husband, Roger, are the parents of four young adults and live in San Jose, California.

National Chocolate Cake Day.....

This post has absolutely no life-altering value to it other than to inform people it's National Chocolate Cake Day, and, allow me the chance to write about something utterly ridiculous.

Personally, I hate chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, but marvel at these new "National" days/months.

Did you know January was National Tea month? If you didn't, do you plan on rushing out to your local tea shop or grocery store and stock up? [If you do, please let me know. I'd love to know I can influence someone].

I have to admit, I am a tea drinker. Coffee isn't my thing, but because so many people do, I bet it gets multiple months, if not an entire year.

The thing about these 'national' days for random items is that I want to know who gets to declare January 27th as National Chocolate Cake Day? Why do I want to know? Because I want that power (especially, if you get paid to make such declarations).

I'd also love to have the job where I get to name lipsticks, paint colors and be the person at OPI that comes up with their great nail polish names. Does anyone know how I score this type of job? I've love to know.

Titles Without Substance.....

Yesterday, I met a friend of mine for lunch who I haven't seen in quite some time. She started with a new company and has been adjusting to the new job and the new culture of the company. It's an unique culture -- some of it very good and not seen in many companies today. They hold people accountable and believe in letting their employees question decisions other employees make no matter their title.

Personally, I find that attitude somewhat refreshing. Yes, it may put some people on the defensive mode when answering a question, but it's good when people can articulate why they have done something as it opens a discussion to teach others or have others offer advice which may change the way you do things.

Over the years, I've worked for both start-ups and large corporations. The 'team' mentality has been shoved down my throat so far, I remember telling the CEO of a start-up I had screwed up and he corrected me and said "we screwed up, there is no 'I' in team". I politely corrected him and said "I'm sorry, I disagree. I believe in bettering the team, but in order to have our team be successful, I need to accept the accountability of the problem I created so we can solve the situation."

As the years went on, I witnessed companies where employees bought their clothes at the teflon store. Nothing ever stuck to them. No one ever created a problem, said the wrong thing, they just finger pointed. It's frustrating.

Maybe I also enjoy the philosophy of my friend's company because often people are given titles/positions they are not ready for. Don't get me wrong, I do believe every job has a learning curve. I believe in promoting within, but also believe people should be promoted because they are capable of handling the position and bring something to it. I guess I believe in people paying their dues.

A company where co-workers question your choices would easily weed out the employees who aren't qualified for the position. I recently asked someone a straight forward question about their position and what they were doing to improve a situation. I was looking for their solution to the problem and was told "we want to work smarter not harder".

Seriously?

Any seasoned professional would understand this is a given when creating a solution, and know this is not an answer and to NEVER include this phrasing when answering a direct question (although, I'm guessing you might include this phrasing if you're in politics).

I wonder how quickly this person would crumble at my friend's company? They'd probably be eaten alive.

The Winner of My First Giveaway of 2012.......

The winner of my first giveaway of 2012 is Dan Jones!


Dan, your comment cracked me up and I will be forwarding your name and address to the publishing to receive your copy of Everyday Happy Herbivore!

My First Giveaway of 2012

In my last post I interviewed Lindsay Nixon, author of the vegan cookbook, Everyday Happy Herbivore. As a person who never thought of going vegan until December 2010, I really find Lindsay's cookbooks friendly for the everyday meat-eater to make the transition to a plant-based diet easy.

After my post, I was excited when I received an email from BenBella Books offering me the opportunity to giveaway the Everyday Happy Herbivore to one of my readers who live in the U.S. or Canada.

So here's how I'm running the contest. Leave me a comment telling me why you think you should win this cookbook. I'll run this contest until January 20th and the most creative comment (you can leave one message per day) will win.

I know, I know, many people run a contest by using random.org to generate a winner, but I want to read some fun, creative comments.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with this Chocolate Mug Cake recipe:




Chocolate Mug Cake | serves 1

Chocolate cake? check. Single-Serving? check. Made nearly instantly? Oh yeah! This whole-wheat chocolate cake goes from flour to in your mouth in under 5 minutes.

4 tbsp white whole wheat flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp nondairy milk
¼+ cup unsweetened applesauce
vanilla extract
dash cinnamon
2-3 tbsp vegan chocolate chips

In a small bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and cinnamon together, set aside. For a really sweet cake, add more sugar. In another small bowl, whisk ¼ cup applesauce, nondairy milk, and a drop or two of vanilla extract together. Pour wet into dry, then add chips, stirring to combine. Add another 1-2 tbsp of applesauce, until the batter is wet and resembles regular cake batter. Pour batter into a coffee cup, and microwave for three minutes (at 1000 watts).


Lindsay S. Nixon is a rising star in the culinary world, praised for her ability to use everyday ingredients to create healthy, low fat recipes that taste just as delicious as they are nutritious. Lindsay's recipes have been featured in Vegetarian Times, Women's Health Magazine and on The Huffington Post. Lindsay is also a consulting chef at La Samanna, a luxury resort and four-star restaurant in the French West Indies. You can learn more about Lindsay and sample some of her recipes at Happy Herbivore.

Second Year I'm Doing a Vegan Cleanse With the Help of The Happy Herbivore

Last year, around this time of year, I did a 21 day cleanse (the Quantum Wellness Cleanse) and for 21 days I gave up meat/dairy/alcohol/sugar/caffeine and gluten. I bought my fair share of cookbooks, read some interesting articles and loved how I felt at the end of my 21 days.

Living that lifestyle was too extreme to keep up, but I knew I wanted to do it again this year. However, this year I have some additional takeaways that I can incorporate into my life. I know I can't give up everything, but would like to lean towards eating a predominately plant-based diet. I also wanted my husband taste what I was making. The cleanse is over and he actually surprised me by keeping an open mind and trying everything.

I made some great recipes from Lindsay Nixon's The Happy Herbivore and couldn't believe how mock tuna salad made with chickpeas could taste EXACTLY like tuna salad.

When I heard Lindsay was doing a blog tour for her new cookbook Everyday Happy Herbivore, I asked if I could interview her and was tickled pink when she said yes. I got NOTHING for promoting her new book, but as a meat eater, I wanted to let readers know there are really great cookbook authors out there who can change your mind.


1. How long have you been eating vegan, and what made you write these cookbooks?

I've followed a plant-based (vegan) diet since December 2006.

I started my blog, Happy Herbivore, as a way to show that eating healthy and plant-based diet is easy, approachable, affordable, realistic for everyone and also delicious -- my cookbooks are an extension of that mission.


2. Last year I went vegan for 21 days and the cookbooks I relied on didn't have recipes with nutritional yeast in it. I notice you use it and wondered why? Does it have an unique flavor?

It does! It tastes like cheese. It's also really nutritious.

3. My husband is a meat lover. Last year he wouldn't even try anything I made, this year he's agreed to try what I make, but I want him to enjoy the food as food and not say it's good for vegan food. He really enjoyed the Nacho Cheese and Tuna Salad recipe from your Happy Herbivore cookbook, but am wondering if you have any other recipes vegan skeptics really like?

That said, it's wonderful to hear your husband is open to exploring some plant-based foods! I wrote a whole recipe on what to feed meat-eaters:

Happy Herbivore: What to Feed Meat-Eaters

3. I'm a protein person. Can you recommend some great snacks I can enjoy (other than peanut butter or hummus) which are high in protein?

First I recommend you read this post on protein:

Ask HH about Protein

and then this post which lists plant-based sources of protein:

Vegetable Sources of Protein


4. The ingredients you use in your new cookbook, Everyday Happy Herbivore (low fat vegan recipes in under 30 minutes), are they easy to find? Also, I'm on a limited budget, will it cost me more to switch a vegan diet?

Yes. I wrote my cookbook while living on a small Caribbean island; I like to think if my tiny island had those ingredients, everyone has access to those ingredients. Plus I've always prided myself on using normal "everyday" ingredients. Nothing is more discouraging to me than a cookbook with expensive and obscure ingredients I can't find or afford, so you'll never find that in my books.

As for cost, you'll save money eating a plant-based diet. legumes, grains, seasonal fruits and vegetables -- they cost a fraction compared to the costs of meat. Most of the recipes in my cookbook cost less than $5 to make -- look for the special "budget friendly" icon. We chopped over $100 of our grocery bill when we adopted a plant-based diet -- even when shopping organic.

5. Have you had any feedback from the new cookbook in terms of weight loss or health benefits you could share with my readers?

My new book has only been out for a few days, so people haven't had it long enough to have any sort of experience... but with respect to my first book (same cooking style), I've had easily 100 people write me and say they lost 20, 40, 50, even 100+ pounds using my recipes. I love those stories -- and I've started featuring them on my blog, on Wednesdays, as "herbies of the week"

6. Do you give the newbie vegan menu suggestions in your new book? I always struggle with menu planning as a non-vegan and wonder if you help craft well balanced meals in your cookbook or website (Happy Herbivore)

Both books have pairing suggestions to make meal planning easy. I also have meal plans on my site, which take out all the guess work. They're balanced and tell you exactly what to eat. Perfect for the new vegan.

HH Diet Plan

7. I love the glossary of ingredients, and recipe substitutions, in The Happy Herbivore (which was great for someone who had never heard of half the ingredients or what to substitute for an egg in various recipes) do you include such a section in Everyday Happy Herbivore?

Yep!

8. What are your favorite go-to ingredients when cooking and why?

I go through phases. For a while I was really into Dijon mustard, then it was hot sauce, then it was cumin, and then it was green chilis and now I keep circling back to curry powder. Next week it will be something else. Same with main ingredients. For a while everything I made was with chickpeas, and then I got bored and moved on to black beans, and then kidney beans and so on. Right now I'm obsessive about lentils.

9. After my 21 day cleanse, I'm not sure if I'll make the full leap into a vegan way of eating, but am wondering if I am vegan for 3 to 4 days per week, will I still notice a difference in health benefits

You won't. I don't want to discourage, because some vegan meals are better than no vegan meals, but you won't experience all the amazing benefits of eating a clean, vegan diet unless you do it 100% As long as you continue to eat animal products, you continue to be addicted, and you continue to do damage to your body. You also prevent your mind and tastes to completely adjust to a new way of eating. You might notice some positive changes, but you would experience it 100 or 1000x more if you were 100%.






Spicy Orange Greens | serves 2

The slightly spicy orange sauce in this dish is one of my favorites. You can serve it with any greens you like or have on hand, but collard greens are my favorite to use. For a complete meal, serve over or tossed with noodles.

1/3 cup water
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp orange marmalade or jam
4 cups greens (any)

Pour water, soy sauce, ginger and red pepper flakes into a skillet. Turn heat to high and saute until the ginger is fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in marmalade and then add chopped greens. Reduce heat to medium and using tongs, turn greens into the sauce. This will help cook the greens down; stop when your greens are bright green and have softened. Serve.

Chef's Note: Cooked broccoli florets may be substituted for the greens. Toss cooked broccoli with the sauce once it's been warmed and serve.

Per Serving: 156 Calories, 1.5g Fat, 32g Carbohydrates, 8.8g Fiber, 11.6g Sugars, 10.1g Protein

Get your copy of Everyday Happy Herbivore: Over 175 Quick-and-Easy Low Fat and Fat-Free Vegan Recipes. Buy on Amazon.

After vegan chef Lindsay S. Nixon wrapped up her popular cookbook The Happy Herbivore Cookbook last year, she went back to her kitchen in her new home of St. Maarten. Island living encouraged Nixon to come up with simpler fare, which led to a follow-up cookbook focusing on recipes that bring tasty back to quick-and-easy.

Now, in Nixon's much-anticipated follow-up cookbook, Everyday Happy Herbivore, readers will see, once again, that just because plant-based eating is optimal for health, it doesn't have to also be expensive or time-consuming.

Everyday Happy Herbivore includes more than 175 doable recipes--recipes that are so quick and easy, you could cook three healthy meals from scratch every day like Nixon does.

Each of Nixon's recipes are made with wholesome, easy-to-find, fresh ingredients and include no added fats. With additional notes indicating recipes that are ideal for preparing ahead of time and those you can whip up with just a few dollars, Everyday Happy Herbivore will be the must-have cookbook for anyone desiring a healthier, happier menu!