Down Day Turkey Chili Recipe

Creating recipes for this diet doesn't make beautiful food, I does however create delicious meals. The photographs are not super attractive, but I can assure you, it doesn't feel like you're only eating 185 calories!

Good luck on your Down Days!

Down Day Turkey Chili Recipe

Makes 3 servings, 187 calories

1/2 cup, Onion, Chopped
1/2 cup, Chopped Green Bell Pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 cup, Water
1 tbsp, paprika
1/2 tsp, Basil
1/2 tsp, Oregano
1/2 Cup, Diced Tomatoes - No Salt Added
1 can Pinto Beans
8 oz, Ground Turkey (99% Fat Free)
1 teaspoon, Ground Cumin
1/2 cup frozen corn
6 tbsp, Trader Joe's Salsa Autentica

Using a non-stick pan, cook onion through
Add ground turkey and spices and cook through
Add bell peppers and cook for 5 minutes
Add water, corn, drained beans, canned tomatoes, and salsa
Simmer for 20 minutes to integrate flavors
Separate into 3 servings and serve.

Trying a new dieting plan and Roasted Veggies and Spaghetti Squash Recipe

We have been doing the Up Day Down Day Diet or Alternate-Day Fasting. The basic premise is extreme but it seems to be working. Every other day you only consume 500 calories. This is a nice diet because you know you can eat tomorrow. However, the recipes are really lacking. So I started writing my own.

DD Roasted Veggies and Spaghetti Squash
Serves 4 - 210 calories

4 cup Spaghetti Squash - Spaghetti Squash Cooked
2.5 Cup Zucchini cubed
4 cup, cubes Eggplant, raw
1 Cup, Chopped Red Onion
25 fluid ounce Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
8 oz (112g) Trader Joe's - Lean Ground Turkey 99% Fat Free Corrected
1 tsp Oil - Olive Oil (1 Tsp)
1 Cup Peppers, Red Bell, Generic - Peppers, Red
tbsp dried oregano
tbsp dried basil
fresh ground pepper to taste
Olive oil spray

Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cube the eggplant, place in a colander over the sink and salt. Let tenderize for 20 - 30 minutes. Then rinse,

Cube the zucchini, bell pepper and onion.

Place all cubed veggies in a large bowl and mix with the dried basil, oregano, olive oil and cracked pepper. Reserve a few pieces of onion and pepper.
Spray a baking sheet with oil and spread the cubed veggie onto the sheet.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until cooked.

Cut the Spaghetti Squash in half and roast cut side down until it's tender. 20 - 30 minutes

Chop the reserved pieces of onion and pepper.

Cook them in a nonstick pan for 5 minutes, Add the ground turkey and cook through. Add the jar of tomato sauce. Simmer while the veggies are roasting.

Once the spaghetti squash is done roasting, shred it into spaghetti.
 Place into a large bowl, add the roasted veggies and pour sauce over the entire bowl.
Mix together and enjoy.

Quilts for Twins

A few years ago we went out to California for a friends wedding. While we were there I took pictures of the center pieces thinking I would make a quilt for the couple using the colors of those centerpieces. I found a free pattern that I thought would be good and saved it to my computer. I bought the fabric shortly after and never got around to making the quilt.(as of 2018 Free Spirit has closed their doors and this pattern is no longer available on the internet - that I can find)

Last August I started grad school and was completely unable to sew for the 8 months of school. So for the summer I vowed I would try to complete the projects I owed myself. So I started sewing.

After sewing all the blocks for the intended wedding quilt, I realized that this was not a color scheme that I would want in my living room and repurposed the blocks into two smaller quilts for some other friends who are having twins.

We don't know what sex the babies will be and the color scheme felt perfect for a unisex blanket set.

Both Twin Quilts after washing. I prefer to wash after completion because then they wrinkly up nicely.

Twin Quilt 1 top

Twin Quilt 2 top

Quilt 2 Details

Perfect pitcher Margarita!

Yesterday was our HUGE annual bash, we always have lots of food, lots of friends, live music, and lots of booze! I conjured up this pitcher of margaritas for the party. I don't like to add sugar to anything and I really don't like anything too sweet so this was my compromise. They were delicious!

1 cup fresh lime juice

1 cup tequila, I like Casamigos

1 cup Contreau

1 quart seltzer

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher. 

Pour over ice and serve!

If you want to make a single serving you can mix the following:
1 part fresh lime juice

1 part tequila, again I like Casamigos though any silver tequila will do.

1 part Contreau

4 parts seltzer

Enjoy!

Blue pitcher of Margaritas at our Circvs Maximvs Party 2015. Photo Credit: Laura Vivenzio

Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

For months I have been tinkering with my cookie recipes to try to perfect them into something that is so good you don't miss all the traditional ingredients that make me sick. I have another recipe on the blog for Cashew Flour cookies that are really nice and chewy but they continue to get more chewy the longer they are out of the oven. When I want really chewy cookies I make them! 

However sometimes I want a nice crispy on the outside a little tender on the inside cookie, so I have kept with the tinkering. It's paid off - I think this is the most perfect recipe yet!

They are so good we practically have eaten all of the cookies immediately. 

Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

1 cup     Almond Flour
1 cup     Cashew Flour
2 tbsp    coconut flour
1/4 cup  shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 tsp   baking soda
1/2 cup  coconut palm sugar
1/4 cup  water
2 tbsp    honey (or Agave to make vegan)
2 tsp      almond extract
1/4 cup  melted coconut oil (or shortening of choice)
1/4 - 1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips (depending on how chocolatey you want the cookies - I used 1/2 a cup)

Preheat oven to 325 Degrees

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl except chocolate chips.

Add wet ingredients and combine until it is a loose dough consistency.

Stir in chocolate chips

Drop teaspoonfuls on a silpat or parchment paper and bake for 12-17 minutes or until brown on the tips.

Let the cookies cool for 10 minute before moving them to a tray or container.
Makes about 18-24 cookies

Cashew Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 cups (heaping) cashew flour
• 2 tbsp coconut flour
• 1/4 tsp pink sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup of raw honey (or coconut sugar or agave for vegans)
• 4 teaspoons of water
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil
• 1/2 cup of Enjoy Life chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp dried cranberries (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

Place dollops on a silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet. Make sure to space because the cookies will spread.

Bake for 12 - 17 minutes

THE Most Incredible Breakfast Bars

When we joined the Purple Dragon Organic Co-Op we started getting bananas every two weeks. Bananas were not really in our diet before we started the co-op because I had a very scary reaction to one a few years before. But since we had them in the house and I wasn't going to eat them raw, I tried to find recipes to cook. 

Thank you Pinterest for giving me so many great ideas for lots of awesome banana recipes. Including this amazing Banana Praline Snack Cake recipe that even the most skeptical eater will enjoy. Most importantly it lead me to this post where the author is using some not as healthy ingredients as I would like. So I changed it up and my husband and I have been making this recipe every week for well over a year, maybe even two.

I started using the base of this recipe to make breakfast cookies for my husband. Because I was afraid of bananas and I had recently cut sugar, gluten and dairy from my diet, I didn't plan on eating them because in the first batch I put in every chip that was left in our house that I couldn't eat. I think there were butterscotch and semi-sweet chocolates along with craisins and raisins and almonds. He loved them and asked for more. 

So I kept making them and after a few batches I tried one myself. Low and behold I didn't get sick, so I have been eating one with my coffee every morning. I love them, the bars are a great start to the day and usually keeps me from having to eat again for about 3 1/2 or 4 hours.

We always start with bananas that have been ripening on the counter for at least a week, if not more. They should be brown and fragrant. Then we add various nuts and seeds and dried fruits to the mix. The ratio is basically 2 bananas to 1/2 cup of oats and 1 tbsp each of seed variety.

Incredible Breakfast Bars
6 large ripe bananas or 8 medium/small bananas
2 cups rolled oats (Gluten Free if needed)
3 tbps chia seeds
3 tbsp hemp seeds
3 tbsp flaxseed
3 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped raw almonds (any nut will do though)
8-10 chopped prunes
1/4 cup raisins or dried cherries
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped unsweetened chocolate
(Optional: 1/4 cup apple sauce. This adds moisture and some sweetness, so if you find that your bars are dry try adding some apple sauce.)
2 tsp coconut oil, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and oil a 9 x 13" glass pan with the coconut oil.

In a large bowl mash the bananas. They should be liquidy and smooth and no longer resemble bananas. Add the oats and mix. Then stir in all the additional ingredients until evenly covered.

Evenly spread the mixture into the greased pan. Smooth the top and place in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until the top and edges are golden brown.

Let sit until cool and cut into 10 pieces or desired sizes. We do 10 pieces so that we each have breakfast for the week.

I really hope you enjoy them, we sure do!