MEATLESS MONDAY: PIONEER WOMAN TACO PIZZA!

Posted by Lori~

First up, I need to apologize for my lack of posts recently.  I have been busy getting my law school application together and then it hit me.  A really bad cold, soar throat, etc.  I was finally feeling better and then it hit AGAIN!  Don't you hate feeling sick.  It sucks!

Saturday night, I was feeling better (before dinner) and I whipped up this delicious pizza.  I mean, this pizza was DE-LICIOUS!  And healthy.  And meat-free!   It's crazy.  

First up, you need to make pizza dough.  I of course forgot the yeast and so I did a quick Google search for a pizza dough recipe without yeast.  I came up with several options, but opted for the recipe that includes baking powder, flower, salt, water, and olive oil.  

 

Spread out the dough on a well-oiled pan (or I chose to use parchment paper).

Next up, you need to prepare your beans.  Heat them up on the stove and add taco seasoning.  You can even make your own taco seasoning to make this recipe completely Paleo friendly!

The Pioneer Woman used a potato masher to mash the beans, but we had to get creative, because we do not own a masher!  Steve whipped out the mortar and pestle.  Not the greatest solution, but it worked.

Continue to heat until it is a re-fried bean consistency.

Spread the bean mixture on your pizza dough and add shredded cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for around 10 minutes (keep an eye on it).

Now, it is time to add lots of veggies.  Even better, they came from my garden!

The Pioneer Woman recommended making your own tortilla strips; however, we already had these in the cupboard.  You could also skip this step to make your pizza healthier.

Finally, mix sour cream with hot sauce, and drizzle it onto the pizza (for me it was more like drop it in spoonfuls onto the pizza).

It turned out GREAT.  Mur-Man scarfed it down! 

FRESH PEAR SALAD!

Posted by Lori~

I haven't stepped on a scale lately, but I still think I am dropping some pounds (and I am thrilled!).  Steve and I are looking to sign-up for a wellness program through our clinic, which will hopefully motivate us even more.  I am feeling good.  

You haven't seen a photo of me lately, but I am also growing my hair long (and I went blonde)!  More blonde than my typical hair color!  And, I like it.  I feel younger.  And...I am using hot rollers every day.  I forgot how much I loved those curls.  I should do a hot roller tutorial very soon for you WOMS!  I swear by them.

Now, onto my fresh salad I created!  We have an abundance of delicious fruit in our house right now.  And, I wanted to do something with the fresh pears.  

Mur-Man picked the lettuce straight out of the garden.  FINALLY, I AM EATING OUR PRODUCE.  I can't exactly show you a photo of our garden, because it is in rough shape!  Full of weeds, but also full of produce.

I diced up the pears as well as 1/2 a red onion and added it to the lettuce.

The dressing was easy and delicious:  olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and Dijon mustard.  So YUMMY!  AND SO HEALTHY!

For dessert we had peaches and fat-free half and half. 

DIRT CUPS

Posted by Lori~

Two weekends ago, Ethne and I were together and we were busy preparing for the MOST ADORABLE baby shower ever.  The Pokey Puppy themed shower.  I promise to show photos of the entire spread, but I have one more tutorial for you.

We wanted the food to match the theme.  April whipped up this sign (straight out of the book)....

Dirt cups are perfect (complete with mini fences of course).

Making dirt cups is SUPER EASY!  The supplies needed are:  chocolate pudding, cold milk, Oreo cookies, whipped cream, and worms. 

Combine the pudding with the milk and let is set (around 5 minutes if you use the instant pudding).  Follow the portion size recommended for the milk. 

Stir in one container of whipped cream and roughly 1 cup of crushed Oreo cookies.  You will use roughly 15 cookies/batch of dirt cups.

Of course, this would not be complete without mini fences.  At first I thought I would make my own, but when I found them at Joanne's fabric (plus a 40% off coupon), it was easier to purchase them.  Ethne did the cutting.  We ended up doing four slats/cup. 

All that's left is to fill the cups with the pudding, add the remaining crushed Oreo cookies to the tops and insert your fence and worms. 

They turned out A-DOR-ABLE!

MEATLESS MONDAY: FRENCH/ITALIAN PASTA!

Posted by Lori~

I remember when I first started dating Steve, I discovered something I didn't like. I didn't like his version of spaghetti.  He would heat up a can of Ragu, boil some noodles, and call it good!  Not good enough for me. I like meat in my spaghetti.  

That is until I went to France. Our host dad Georges was a retired chef. He was an amazing cook that would whip up delicious, tasty, healthy dishes (not all healthy). His roots were Italian, but he grew up in France. He grew up so close to Italy you could see it from his village.

One dish he prepared was a simple pasta dish that I thought I could re-create. And guess what? I did!

It really was good, so good that Steve said I could keep making it.

First up, fry up some onions, mushrooms, olive oil, and garlic in the pan. Fry until the onions are tender.

While your veggies are frying, boil your noodles. Once the noodles are tender, drain the water and add the noodles to your frying pan veggies. Then, dump in a can of drained (not rinsed) italian diced italian tomatoes. Toss with more olive oil, crushed red pepper, and a little more garlic. Keep tossing until everything is hot throughout.

Plate and serve. The next step, is what really makes this dish taste like it did in France. And then, people can pour more olive oil over the noodles as well as fresh parmesan. Encourage this step, because this really makes it delicious!

It's meat-free, healthy, and can be made in under 30 minutes.  ENJOY!

PEACH KUCHEN BARS!

Posted by Lori~

One of my all-time favorite things about France was the fresh produce vendors lining the streets.  You could pick-up any fresh piece of fruit at any time.  It was magnificient.   My favorite was the peach.  I don't know about you, but in the US peaches are hit and miss (especially in ND).  Either they are so good the juice is running down your jaw or they are dry, chewy, and gross!  

The peaches in France were all DELICIOUS!

When I returned from France, I purchased a box of peaches from a local church that was having a fundraiser.  These were no ND peaches, they were Washington state peaches.  They were amazing.

One of my favorite desserts growing up, is peach kuchen bars.  Are they healthy?  Of course not!  But, they are OUT OF THIS WORLD!  

Supplies needed:
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup sugar (if using canned peaches, reduce sugar to 2/3 cup)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup cream (I used fat free 1/2 and 1/2 and it worked great)
2 egg yolks
6 peaches (sliced with skin removed)

Instructions:
Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 Tbsp sugar (from cup).  Work in margarine until crumbly.

 

Pat into a 9/13 pan.

Put in peach slices and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Mix egg yolk and cream.

 Pour over mixture and bake 30 minutes more.

This dessert is really yummy served a little warm with iced cream or whipped topping! 

I leave today for big city, MN for a WOM-WEEKEND with Ethne!  I cannot wait!  

Plus we are celebrating WOM-MOM follower and friend Roxanne at her baby shower!  I promise to share photos next week!

Have a fab one WOMS!