The Best Chopped Kale Salad, Ever.

 

Chopped Kale Salad

Get your motors running. This Chopped Kale Salad is the best salad to date.

A while back, a trip to Mad Greens introduced me to the wonders of a well-made chopped kale salad. I asked the staff how they made this delicious salad every morning and he listed off a handful of simple, healthy ingredients but I still didn’t know the portions. Enter the internet. I researched the salad online. Went to do some in the field research at True Food Kitchen, a restaurant rumored to carry another pleasing chopped Kale salad.

What I have for you here is a blended recipe of both the Mad Greens Chopped Kale Salad and the True Food Kitchen version.

This simple chopped Kale salad can be modified several ways. You can use Parmesan cheese or opt for the nutrient packed nutritional yeast (which surprisingly tastes like cheese and packs a mighty 7 grams of protein per serving). The original recipe calls for pecan halves, although I’ve always used shredded almonds because it was what I had in the house. So, what I’m saying is start with this recipe then as you get comfortable with the interchangeable parts, switch em out!

The Best Chopped/Shredded Kale Salad, Ever. 

They key to this salad is the finely shopped or shredded Kale. I like to put destemmed bunches of Kale into my blender or food processor and pulse it until it’s nice and small, tiny shreds. It’s important to have dry Kale when doing this to avoid a gross mixture mess. The salad is perfectly paired with a lemon-garlic dressing and for me, an almond “Parmesan” topping. As I mentioned, to make this diary free, I substitute the Parmesan for nutritional yeast.

This salad keeps in the fridge for a few days, and that’s only if I can actually KEEP it in the fridge. Regardless of how much I make, this salad disappears within a day or two. This salad will take about 20-30 minutes to prep and depending on how large your servings are, can serve as few as 4 people, or 2 people for 5 servings.

Ingredients:

FOR THE SALAD AND DRESSING:

• 2 medium bunches destemmed kale, finely chopped (8 to 9 cups chopped). Use a high-powered blender to cut back on chop time. It took a lot of trial and error for me to realize the blender worked as good as my hands chopping, and reduced prep time by half.
• 2-3 large garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 2 handfuls dried sweetened cranberries, for garnish

FOR THE ALMOND “PARMESAN”:

• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Few dashes of fine sea salt

Directions:

1. Remove the stems from the kale and discard. Finely chop the kale leaves.
2. For the Almond “Parmesan: In the food processor, add the almonds and process until the almonds are the size of crumbly peas. Now add in the nutritional yeast, oil, and salt and process again until it has a coarse crumb texture. Be sure not to over process
3. For the dressing: In a mini food processor, process the garlic until minced. Now add the lemon, oil, salt, and pepper and process until joined. Adjust to taste, if desired. Pour the dressing onto the salad and mix it into the kale with your hands or toss with spoons.
4. Sprinkle the Almond Parmesan all over the salad. Toss on the dried cranberries to taste ( I like a lot of cranberries so I add around a cup when I double this recipe. You can always add more once you’ve sampled the finished product). Place the salad, covered, in the fridge to cool and allow the flavors to mix together. You can eat it after about 30 minutes, or if you’re against waiting, eating it right away is perfectly fine, too! As I mentioned, this salad doesn’t last in my house. I leave it in the large mixing bowl, cover it, and place it in the fridge. It’s eaten at almost every meal for the 2 days that is lasts. After a few days you can start to see the salad losing some of its freshness. Thus all the more incentive to eat it up quickly.

 

Blackberry Lavender Scones

Blackberry Lavender Scones

As I type, I’m bubbling with excitement over the delicious scones that bake in the other room. The unmistakable scent of lavender wafting through the house.

I’ve been on a cut, or “diet” for several weeks. I hate the word diet. Why? Because of the feelings almost everyone feels when they hear the work, including me. It promises restriction, restraint, and a sense that you’re missing out on certain foods. That in order to lose weight and look good, you have to kick to the curb anything aside from chicken breast and cous cous. My intentions are to swing in the opposite direction of how I’ve been eating as of late, as I’ve been pretty indulgent (chips, candy, cookies, wine and lots of it). In swinging hard the opposite way, I’ll see the results I want: to lean out while still retaining muscle and strength. In the fitness world, we call this cutting up.  Somewhere during the process, I’ll find my middle ground – neither restrictive or over indulgent.

So after several weeks of very tight food management and reawakening my awareness around food and what I’m putting into my body and how it impacts my body, moods and athletic performance, I decided it was time to reward myself with some (HEALTHY) baked goods. BlackBerry Lavender Walnut Scones.

Let’s get to it. Grab your aprons and turn on some tunes, you’re in for a treat with these delectable delights.

1. Preheat oven to 425. Line cooking sheet with parchment or foil.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, sugars and salt. Cut the oil into the flour using your hands until it all looks a little grainy and there are no large chunks left. Stir in the delightful lavender.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the almond milk and vanilla. Mix it together until it is almost all the way combined but stop just before you overkill it and make it a perfectly joined mixture. Good! Fold in berries and walnuts. Again, don’t over mix.
4. Scoop out dough into 1/3 cup measurements and drop ’em onto the baking sheet. Brush with almond milk, and if you really want to tickle your fancy, a pinch of white sugar on top (I opt out of the extra sugar). Bake until a little golden around the bottom, about 12 minutes with a max of 15.
5. Remove from oven and experience some self-control, damn it, and only eat a few. Or say fuck it and eat em’ all. Makes about 12-15 depending on how you measure out your servings.

You’ll need: 

2 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup refine coconut oil

2 teaspoons dried lavender

1 1/4 cups plain almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup fresh berries (black berries, blue berries, whatever berry your heart delights)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Macros (based on 14 servings)

What makes these healthy, in my opinion, is the source of your carbohydrates, fats, and calories. The major sources of fat are coconut oil and walnuts. Walnuts have omega-3s, powerful free-radical fighting antioxidants, and for some men, a healthy diet of walnuts can enhance prostate health (Who knew?). A majority of the calories from carbohydrates in the scones are from the whole wheat flour. Whole wheat has a bit of an edge because it has the outer layer of the wheat, or bran, and that’s where all the good stuff is: dietary fiber, B vitamins, and antioxidants. Not to mention minerals such as zinc, iron, and magnesium (which helps relieve muscle soreness!)

So, without further ado, here are the macros based on 14 servings

140 Calories

5 g Fat

6 g Sugar

21 g Carbs

3 g Fiber

4 g Protein

Bon appetit!

 

 

 

 

Mint Chip Superfood Green Smoothie

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I bring to you via Blissful Basil, a green smoothie sure to delight the sense and make you feel a little shamrock love!

Yield: 1 serving

• 2-3 frozen bananas
• 1-2 tablespoons hemp milk or other non-dairy milk
• 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon spirulina powder
• 2 drops peppermint oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs, divided

1. Add the frozen bananas, hemp seeds and hemp milk to a food processor. Process until smooth.

2. Add in the spirulina and peppermint oil and process another 15 seconds.

3. Add in 1 tablespoon chocolate chips or cacao nibs and pulse to chop.

4. Scoop the smoothie into a glass and top with the additional chocolate chips or cacao nibs.

 

Chai Power-Packed Green Smooth

 

Pack your shopping cart full of greens this weekend and blend up this super smoothie. This recipe features Chai seeds which deliver a powerful punch of antioxidants and protein.

What you need
2 cups organic kale
10 ounces almond milk / coconut water / liquid of choice
Handful of fresh mint leaves
2 tbsp Chia seeds
1 cup frozen mango
1 organic cucumber, with skin

Soak your chai seeds in 1/2 cup water for at least 10 minutes and no more than overnight. The chai seeds will take a gel mold consistency after absorbing the water and will blend into the other smoothie ingredients.

Put all the ingredients in the blender, blend on high until smooth, pour into a mason jar and enjoy!

Gracious Greens: Smoothies for Energy

Happy Friday to everyone! Recently, one of my clients told me they wanted more energy and were clueless on how to get there without the aid of coffee and red bull. The first thing that I wanted to ask her was “Do you drink greens?”

Here’s my recipe for an energizing smoothie packed full of plant proteins and essential vitamins and minerals.

Gracious Green Goddess
2 cups organic spinach
8 ounces almond milk/coconut water or similar liquid
4-6 fresh mint leaves
Handful of frozen mixed berries
1 organic cucumber,  with skin

Place all your ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Drink immediately.

Add these items to your shopping list this weekend and set yourself up for a healthy, feel-good energy week!

14 Delicious, Nutritious, Slow Cooker Meal Ideas

 

Greetings to you all! On this wonderful Tuesday morning, I’m taking pen to paper to create a shopping list. I underestimated my time commitments this week, and under-shopped at the store over the weekend. I know I’m not the only one who’s done this! Alas, the internet came to my rescue this morning with a wonderful list of 14 slow cooker meals. This link provides you with a variety of great meal options and not only that, it provides you with macro-nutrient information for each meal! Not only can I save myself time with one of these slow-cooker meals, but the macros are already done for me! Here’s to a successful, productive week to you all. Fail to plan, plan to fail.

Cinnamon Apple Scones Curteosy of Nom Nom Paleo

Cinnamon Apple Scones Curteosy of Nom Nom Paleo

Since I’ve adopted a cleaner eating lifestyle, I’ve missed and craved certain foods. Pastries and baked goods, mostly.

Here is an EXCELLENT recipe for Dark Chocolate Cherry Scones from Nom Nom Paleo.

To make Apple Cinnamon Scones,  I modified it the following way .

• Instead of mixing in cherries, take one skinned, cubed organic granny smith apple. Mix into the batter in the same step as you’d mix in the cherries.
• Before adding the liquid mix to the dry, add in a teaspoon of cinnamon (honestly, I add ALOT of extra cinnamon)
• Lastly, I add more than 2 table spoons of honey (maybe an extra half a table spoon?)

Tips-

Make sure the butter really is as cold as possible

Add a bit of extra honey.

I didn’t do these last 2 things the first batch I made and my scones were dry and crumbly. The frozen butter and extra bit of liquid helps hold them together.

These are to die. Enjoy. Try not to eat them all within 36 hours and if you make it, let me know….

Naked Summer Bean Salad

What You’ll Need

• 1 can Garbanzo Beans
• 1 can Black Beans (Crave extra Zest: Try Cuban Style Black beans)
• 1 can Sweet  Corn
• 4-6 Garlic Cloves (minced, to taste)
• A bunch of basil leaves (chopped, to taste, I use 1-2 full bunches of leaves)
• A splash of Red Wine Vinegar (to taste, light coating over entire salad)
• A splash of Olive Oil (to taste, same as the Red Wine Vinegar)
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• Trader Joe’s Smoked African Spices (optional, to taste)

How TO

• Put the beans and (warmed/microwaved) corn into a strainer and rinse, allowing all liquid to drain
• Put beans, corn, minced garlic, chopped basil leaves into a large bowl
• Add red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt+pepper (any favorite seasoning toppings)
• Mix, and mix well as you add each ingredient
• EAT
• *Chef’s remarks, I like this salad cold, right out of the fridge. And it makes a great side to my paleo big-o bacon burgers, (scroll down mid page for recipe)
• Additional add in: tomatoes, serve over a bed of kale, quinoa, or couscous.

Nom Nom Paleo: Prosciutto Wrapped Mini Egg Frittatas

This simple recipe Via Rachel Ray and Nom Nom Paleo, will leave you with a dozen delicious, ready on the run, egg frittatas.

Mini egg frittatas wrapped in a crispy prosciutto shell, you can’t go wrong!

20 minutes hands on, 10-12 minutes in the oven. Boom

How to: Prosciutto wrapped mini frittatas

The Best Meatball Recipe In The World

How to: The best meatball recipe in the world

I’m Sicilian. Making meatballs, pasta, anything Italian is in my blood. I take great care and pride in the Sicilian creations that come out of my kitchen. Authentic.

One day I came across this recipe for sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. I made some adjustments and changes to it the first few times I cooked it, and every time since then, but the product keeps getting better.

It’s somewhat time intensive, but well worth it! Often, I double the recipe to ensure meatballs for meals for the better part of a week. Once, last year, I made these meatballs on a Friday nite. I’d invited a guy friend to stop by and since they had just finished, offered up some warm, pesto covered meatballs. Long story short, my meatballs impressed him. We ended up dating and everytime I made the meatballs, we joked that they had been the way I’d made it to his heart, through his belly.

So ladies, make these for your favorite men. Make them for yourself, like the boss you are. (as I did last nite, as I stood over the kitchen island devouring them precious bite by bite, completely consumed in the savory divine goodness I’d created.)

I feel like I’m giving away a golden ticket…for real. Do yourself a favor and add these to your holiday menu!

Chicken and Shrimp GUMBO

Hello my loves. I feel like it has been TOO long since I’ve connected with my DIVINE friends on the blogsphere. I have been busy living, and doing a bit of impromptu travel, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? Or at least until I write a blog about it, which I will soon.

I came home from Vegas delirious from lack of sleep and HIGH from excessive stimulation, so Sunday afternoon called for ADHOC CROCKPOT cooking. This is a GREAT dish that is easy to put together and works well for dishing out into containers to carry you through meal time during your week, or serve it all up for one great shared meal.

SHORTHAND

Take 2 pounds Chicken Breast, 1 bag of medium sized shrimp(shell removed, medium sized shrimplets, frozen), I can diced tomatoes, I can Garbonzo Beans, I can Black Beans, I can sweet corn, 10 turns Smoked African Spices (Trader Joes brand), 5 shakes of Red Cayenne pepper, approx. 1 tbs Cilantro.

**The smoked African herbs, cilantro, and Cayenne were added literally with no thought in mind, so you may want to play with this a bit for your personal tastes. This came out with a mild kick, but a palpable kick, so you may want it stronger, or more milder. Just go with it.

Cook in a slow-cooker on HIGH for 4-5 hours, on MEDIUM 5-7

This made 6 individual servings for me-One large chicken breast per container and lots of shrimp and beans and fixings. Depending on what types of ingredients you use, each serving is approx. 430 calories and a whopping 40-50 grams of protein.

Prep Time- 10 minutes

Cook Time- 4-8 hours

Enjoyment time- All day, everyday.

 

Related articles

• Sausage Gumbo (thirstytravelz.wordpress.com)

Banana-Chocolate Chip-blueberry muffins

This is a modified muffin recipe from an old friend. I think he said his mother used to “Throw things together in a bowl and these came out.” I’ve taken the ingredients and adjusted them in order to make, what I believe, are some damn HEALTHY, tasty muffins. Note: For added enjoyment, try warming them up for a few seconds. Aside from eating them fresh out of the oven, this is the next best way. 

SHORTHAND

Preheat oven 375—

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup Turbinado sugar (SUB: coconut sugar, maple syrup,etc), 1/2 tsp baking powder, dash of salt, 2 eggs, 5 tbsps Butter (room temp). Mix.

In another bowl, mash together4 ripe bananas, alternate mixing in 1 Cup almond Flour, 2 Cups Oat Bran. Don’t over mix, but ensure it is mixed well.

Once these ingredients are mixed well in their separate bowls, combine the two, ensuring even mixing. Lastly, add in 1 cup  chocolate chips (SUB: Butterscotch or white chocolate chips), and 1 cup (mix to taste) Fresh blueberries

Spoon into muffin cooking sheet and bake on the bottom or middle rack of the oven for  20-22 minutes. They will be slightly golden around the edges and moist on the inside, just how a good muffin should be. 

Listening to

Lorde “Love Club”

Drinking

Lindenman’s 2012 Shiraz

*Disclaimer: Although I am very fond of the person I got this recipe from, a bad idea was baking these muffins, drinking my Shiraz, and texting the person to talk about my muffins. Old. HABITS. Die. Hard. xo

Coconut inspired, peanut butter rolled oat cookies

shorthand

In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup brown sugar (I used Turbinado raw cane sugar for all of my sugar, I’ve also used Coconut Sugar, whatever sugar substitute you use, Maple syrup is BOMB with this too), and 1/4 cup butter until creammmmmy, as in, the sugar is dissolving and noticeable color changes are happening (room temperature butter, essential)

Add 2 eggs, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 1 1/4 tsp bakin soda, mix that shit up.

Add 1 cup peanut butter and mix some more.

Stir in 3 cups Trader Joes Rolled Oats, 6 ozs Chocolate chips (I used white this time! LOVE!) and about 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds.

Stir in 1/2 cup (chopped) Shredded Sweetened coconut (I used TJ’s sweetened coconut pieces, they be yumm)

Spoon onto lightly greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes. My magic number was 12.

Give em about 2 minutes to cool before even attempting to remove them from the cookie sheet, so mushy soft and just golden brown around the edges. mmmmh.

They taste like they were sent from the Greek Gods. fuck.

I made too many. Around 36-42.

Listenin to

Icona Pop “We got the world”

Sips

Fresh-pressed Rosemary Tea

Crisp-Baked Sesame-COCONUT Chicken

To impress your friends while feeding your belly some seriously good chicken…Read Below.

Shorthand

Preheat 450F

Coat 2 LBS of chopped Chicken Breast in Garlic Aioli,** 1 egg yolk, 1T sesame oil, 1/2 t salt and pepper. (imagine 1 inch pieces of chicken/finger food kinda munching size)

Roll your garlic aioli covered chicken breastssss all around 6T sesame seeds 

Then roll your chicken over 4t coconut flakes***

Bake on a wax covered cookie sheet in the middle of your oven for about 20-22 minutes, or until the coconut starts to look crisp- I am ALL about crispy coconut covered chicken, so I started watching the oven around 21 minutes.

Let them cool for about 2 minutes before taking them off the cookie sheet so all the coconut and sauce gets stuck on dat shit nice and good. If you’re like me, you’ll also use a spatula to scrap ALL the toasted cocoNUTS off the cookie sheet and pour it on top of the chicken.

This shit is seriously delish. If you want a dish that is pretty quick to put together (prep time about 10 minutes) then this is it.

Not to mention, you tell your friends/guests/boyfriend/girlfriend/friend you want to invite over because you want to sleep with that person, make this dish and watch how they look at you differently. In a good way. Like DAYUM, this shit came out of YOUR kitchen/oven?!

Just like that, you’re starting to cook like a BOSS

**(I picked this up from Trader Joes, well worth it time wise over making your own and it’s fucking delicious, and you’ll have left overs to dip the chicken in, and pretty much anything else in your kitchen that you want to cover in garlic badassness)

***I couldn’t find coconut flakes at TJ’s so I bought shredded coconut and just rolled the chicken around in that before placing it on my wax paper covered cookie sheet.

IN ADDITION

I AM STILL baking/eating/devouring the Pistachio Rosemary cookies I blogged about a few posts ago.

So if you HAVE NOT tried them out, seriously what is stopping you?

Do you like cookies?

Do you like cookies that make you want to take off all your clothes, lay blissfully naked on your kitchen floor while eating all 45 the recipe produces and drinking all the almond milk straight out of the container?

Well then, go bake some damn cookies.

And while you’re at it, think about how AWESOME you are!

Ya, that’s right, you’re AWESOME

Related articles

• Be Prepared: Dukkah + Coconut Chicken (wrongside.me)
• Sunday Night Dinner- Honey Sesame Chicken (notagameitsalifestyle.wordpress.com)

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting.

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting

Here is a link to pretty much all you need to know about Intermittent Fasting (IF). 

Want to have increased mental clarity? Want to increase your chances of living a longer, healthier life? DO you want to be more energized, without having to use stimulants to keep you ‘up?’ Do you want to to have a leaner body? 

I guess the only question I really need to pose is, DO YOU WANT TO BE AWESOMEer? Okay, well check out IF. 

And for women, most research I’ve come across suggests a longer eating window of 10 hours, making your fast 10/14. 

Healthy BODY, healthy MIND, Healthy HEART, Healthy SOUL. 

Harissa Crab cakes

Made some crab cakes. This was a test of patience. 4 Hour Chef- You are testing me! But shoot, I’ll take some lessons in life and in the kitchen, more so if it means I’ll have BOMB food to eat as a result.

Make these. Also, They taste incredible, so share, impress your friends 🙂

Shorthand

Mix 1 egg white, 1 chopped scallion, 1T harissa sauce (Asian spices isle, yo), 10 turns of the pepper grinder, and 8-10 ounces of CRAB.

Mix those suckers up and form them into about 4-6 balls (smaller the better, I think, I made about 6) and put them in a skillet that is warm/sizzling with oil- I used about 2 T of Coconut oil. Cook for about 3 minutes or until brown around the edges, then flip and smoosh them flat and cook another 3 minutes, or until brown, and until they are sticking together.

Okay, now these little crab punks are delicate. I mean that. Once you put them in the skillet, DO. NOT. TOUCH. THEM. until they are super firmly cooked on the bottom side. When you go to flip them, use some support on the top of the crab cake because THEY WILL fall apart, and then you are left with CRAB-HASH, which trust me, is STILL edible, but a lot less enjoyable. My first nite of making these, I enjoyed CRAB HASH, it wasn’t until the second attempt, with a BADASS none sticking skillet and the tender caress of a kitchen assistant handling the balls of crab, did they finally make it out of the skillet in one piece.

I squeezed LIME over them when serving. EAT THESE.

I should have taken pictures, or video, because this experience was amusing and frustrating, and highly rewarding.

I followed these CRAB CAKES up like a champ with my Rosemary Pistachio Cookies. It is rewarding to CREATE such great food, and the experience of eating the DELISH fruits of my labor are even more rewarding!

How to be a thug in the kitchen. Shiiiit these cookies are good. Rosemary Pistachio cookies

What did I do this weekend? I baked and cooked some of the best food of my life.

No joke.

Before giving away the bomb ass crab cake details, (post to come later) let me help you get your sweet tooth on. These little puppies are KILLER. I did some swaps from the original recipe in order to make them healthy/healthier/’guilt’ free So I could eat them.

LIKE. A. BOSS.

I have had to hide these…from myself…in my own home. It’s a really hard game..

Rosemary Pistachio Cookies—-> Modified from Tim Ferriss’s 4 Hour Chef version

Shorthand

Beat one cup unsalted, ROOM TEMP butter, 1 1/2 cup COCONUT sugar (my sub instead of Light brown sugar), till smooth…

Add 2 eggs

Mix in a total of 2 1/3 cup flour (self rising)- I used about 2 cups Almond meal and 1/3 cup Oat Bran**(key, I believe)

Mix in 1 T baking powder, 1/2 (or more, to taste) unsalted- shelled pistachios, 1 cup (or more, to taste) White Chocolate chips (super ‘cheat’ for me, but trust me, don’t swap this out, for anything), and about 1 HEAPING (maybe even 1 1/2) Fresh chopped rosemary.

Mix until it is all blended supa dupa smooth, think LL Cool J lip licking smooth.

use a fork to place approx. 1 inch sized cookies 2 inches apart on a wax-paper covered cookie sheet. These puppies expand, so, you don’t want them sticking together AND they should be smaller cookies, little bites of fucking badassness to be had.

Bake em until golden brown around the edges – Oven @ 375 degrees F.-MIDDLE RACK/mid oven people, don’t burn these little puppies.

**keys here**

Use room temp butter. Don’t try and warm that shit up in the microwave before, let it sit out for as long as it takes to soften up and mix in well with the sugar. Otherwise you will sweat mixing that butter and sugar delish concoction. Also KEY* When you are mixing the sugar and better, and beating the hell out of it until you are sweating or your kitchen-aid mixer is screaming, make sure the concoction starts to lighten, as the sugar is dissolving INTO the butter, keep mixing and beating until this process starts to happen, otherwise when you bake these cookies, they will turn to crap

Trust me.  Also,

I think the rosemary is key, so, don’t go HAM with it, but make sure to put a good dose in- Tim’s recipe only called for 1 T but I decided I wanted more. It was worth it.

Lastly, watch them cook. They take no time and you DO NOT want to over cook them. I started watching closely around 10 minutes in.

Take them out. Eat the SHIT OUT OF THEM until you have had so many DIVINE rosemary pistachio cookies that you need to lay down and take a nap….But really…

I bought FRESH rosemary (**another key thing, I believe, fresh ingredients really do make all the difference, so splurge if you can). ..Had some left over so I boiled some hot water, poured it into my French press and tossed rosemary leaves in there. Let it seep for 10 minutes, and BOOM Antioxidant RICH Rosemary Tea.

Go Get your cookie on. Please. You won’t be sorry. This made about 45 ish cookies. So you have plenty to feed to your friends, who will in turn love you even more for the badassness that you possess. Own that shit.

xo S

Strong-woman cookies, challenge, and http://fourhourchef.com/

http://fourhourchef.com/

I am shaping this blog around many things, one of them being the Four Hour Chef recipes. I am awaiting my copy of the book to arrive, so until then…

I am excited about this journey in the kitchen. Taking the recipes from Tim Ferriss’s book and recreating them in my kitchen, as I explore the ways I am pulled to my kitchen. My other Zenspiration for this journey of tackling recipes is the film Julia & Julia In times of happiness or despair, highs and lows, or for the simple fact that the kitchen calls to me. Something about cooking, baking, creating something finite, and then enjoying the fruits of your labor. It can be meditation in motion. It is preparing and creating food for my temple; my body and soul.

Last nite I created cookies. I had a long day, full of emotions with the man in my life and the friends and family whom I love. Yesterday I had a hard day with myself. I found myself in the kitchen. What emerged was a woman who was firmer on her feet, and happier in her heart, and satisfied in her belly. These cookies were ad-hoc, but turned out tasty, and SO-ubber healthy (in my opinion). Also, the half bottle of Menage a Trois I drank while baking and enjoying the fruits of my labor sure was a nice addition.

Oatmeal-Peanut Butter-Strong woman-cookies

3 cups Trader Joe’s Rolled Oats

1/4 cup Balade Light butter with Sea Salt

1 cup (give or take) Trader Joe’s 100% Pure Maple Syrup

2 eggs

I cup creamy salted Peanut Butter from unbalanced peanuts (TJ brand)

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

2 heaping tsps. of cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix the butter, peanut butter, and syrup together until blended well. Add in the rest of the goodies, mix it all together evenly, spoon batter onto lightly greased (with 100% pure coconut oil from TJ’s) cooking sheet, allowing some growing room. Bake about 10-13 minutes or until barely brown around the edges. The original recipe called for some chocolate chips, but I had none! So I used the Trader Joe’s Powerberries Trek Mix with Almonds, cashews, and Cranberries and just picked out the powerberries and a handful of the cranberries (about 3/4 cup total, or all the powerberries in a 12 oz bag). And since it was in my fridge, I also threw in about 3/4 cup of Baker Josef’s (TJ’s) Shredded Sweetened Coconut. These secret goodies made ALLLLLL the difference in the happiness my cookies gave me, and those who enjoyed them. Bon appetite!