sweets for every tooth.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Chocolate Suicide time again

A photo journal of how my kitchen became covered in chocolate by 11pm last night.

One incredibly long list of ingredients...
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Two 9x13" Cakes From Scratch...
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Chocolate Fudge Frosting...
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Chocolate Ganache...
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Chocolate Buttercream Frosting...
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Lotsa these guys...
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One delicious Chocolate Suicide Cake.

And here's some detailing just for fun.



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Monday Night Football

We've started a glorious tradition this year at my apartment.  Monday Night Football Dinners.  Sometimes we order in (sushi 3 weeks ago), sometimes I cook for everyone (breakfast for dinner last week), sometimes we potluck (this week).
Turkey, beef or potato tacos anyone?
*Homemade guac and multiple bags of chips not pictured.

Because that's what happens when you combine girls who love football and food.  Awesome dinners.  I scoff at the men who probably serve nothing but chips and cheese dip (if that) at their football viewings.

Chocolate Suicide Mini Cupcakes
Oh, and of course I can't let a meal go without dessert.  (Don't worry.  I didn't eat any.  I'm still going strong in the unprocessed world.)

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Saturday, October 8, 2011

Stovetop Dinner

Last night I realized I still had a bunch of Rainbow Chard in the fridge from my bacon chard fusilli that was about to go bad.  So I sauteed it.  With garlic.  Mmm.  But simply chard does not a meal make.  So here's another October Unprocessed meal from the kitchen usually filled with sugar, butter and chocolate. All cooked on the stovetop.  All in about 20 minutes (that includes the time needed for the pasta water to boil).

BROWN RICE SPAGHETTI
I'm not obsessed with Trader Joe's, but I am obsessed with a few of their products.  First?  Their Organic Brown Rice Pasta.  Only ingredients?  Organic brown rice and water.  And the perfect complement for this is TJ's Traditional Marinara Sauce.  Ingredients: tomatoes, salt, soybean oil, garlic, onions, basil, oregano.  No sugar.  Amazing.  Most pre-made pasta sauces are loaded with sugar the way soups are loaded with salt.  Usually I'll just make my own sauce by simmering some tomatoes, olive oil and basil, but when you're lazy, this all-natural sauce is a life saver.  So boil that pasta, heat up a pan, brown some Organic Ground Turkey Meat, add half a cup of sauce to the turkey, pour that over the pasta, and you've got yourself a main dish.

GARLIC CHARD
This is easy.  Heat some olive oil in a pan.  Chop a clove of garlic.  Saute the garlic until browned.  Rinse and chop a 3 or 4 Big Chard Leaves (it really shrinks in the pan, not as much a spinach, but still a lot) and add it to the garlic pan, saute until limp.

Dinner Time!

Oh, and want to make sure your veggies stay fresh without having to invest in those crazy infomercial green bags?  Here are some tips:

Basil - Trim the ends and stick the sprigs in a jar of water, like you would with flowers.
Leafy Greens - Add a paper towel to the bag they're in.  It will absorb moisture and keep your lettuce/spinach/chard/etc crisp.
Mushrooms - Store in a brown paper bag in the fridge.  Thank you, lady at the farmer's market.

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Friday, October 7, 2011

Conquering the 'Bux

My version of a Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Unprocessed.
Recipe Below.
Starbucks.  The 'Bux.  SB.  Whatever you call it, it can be deadly to any attempt at being healthy, especially if that healthy attempt includes avoiding anything processed.

I did my time as a Bux Barista, and the first thing I learned was how much SUGAR is in everything!  Now I'm not saying you can't have a pumpkin spice latte here and there, but the people who do it every day are on the fast track to diabetes.

"But I love my pumpkin spice latte!" you say.  Oh don't worry, so do I.  But working there taught me something else: ways to have your pumpkin spice without crashing from a sugar-high-gone-wrong 15 minutes later.  After all, don't we drink coffee to wake up?

So here are my tips to conquering the 'bux, staving off the sugar, keepin' it au natural while still satisfying the caffeine-crazy you are.