I Scream, You Scream

As promised, last night I made the dairy-free Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream that I had said I was going to make in this post.

I was a little apprehensive at first because I didn’t like the smell of the coconut milk. However, once it finally froze I must say I do really like it! It’s a light and refreshing treat. Very easy and inexpensive to make. I would say that it’s more of a sorbet. Perfect for a summer BBQ and very healthy as there is no sugar! Definitely POT approved!

I changed the recipe a little bit by adding a tiny bit of almond milk and a couple of drops of vanilla because I was worried about the coconut milk.  However, I don’t think it really made a difference but try it out if you like!

I’m sure you could also make this recipe with frozen mangoes and/or other fruits.

Click here for post with recipe.

This Summer

Working full-time this summer I feel like the days are just passing me by. I’ve gotten into a routine and seem to be forgetting about all the things I had been wanting to do this summer. So I thought I would make a list of them here. It’s always hard when you don’t have a lot of time so whenever it comes to goals I feel like it’s always easier to come up with a very specific few that way you have more of a chance of actually doing them.

1) Take a Cooking Class

I’d like to explore a new kind of food such as Indian, Mediterranean, Thai, Mexican, etc. Hopefully I will be able to find a decent cooking class in my area. Otherwise, I will have to be taking some lessons from my mother! The woman is able to cook just about any kind of food you can think of.

2) Plan a picnic

I’ve always wanted to organize a picnic with my girlfriends. This summer I will actually do it. It’s a fun way to spend some time outside and a money-saving activity.

3) Go to a Museum

Not sure which museum I’ll be going to yet but I’d definitely like to check out what’s going on in my neighborhood to see if there are any interesting exhibits.

4) Try a new exotic restaurant

Trying new flavors and types of food is always exciting and definitely on my list of things to do this summer! In fact, I think I should keep up with it beyond summer. I always find my girlfriends and I are going to the places.

5) Go to the farmer’s market

I love all the interesting local products you can often find at a farmer’s market.

6) Go for a bike ride

I always went for bike rides on the weekend with my family and hope to do it again this summer

7) Read more books

I’ve already started on this goal. I am currently reading Spellbound by Jane Green. So far, I love it!

What’s on your list of things to do this summer?

Bethenny

Bethenny’s Quick and Easy BBQ Solutions

I don’t know about you but I’m a pretty big fan of Bethenny Frankel. Watched all her shows, follow her on Instagram, plan to watch her talk show and frequently check out her website.

One of the reasons I love her is because she provides easy and quick solutions for your daily life, quick fashion tips, quick cooking tips, etc. The link above provides a video I found on her website where she discusses quick solutions for your BBQ troubles. I thought I’d share it with you guys. Of course she always provides a good laugh.

Pizza Time

Homemade Vegetarian Pizza

A lot of people view pizza as being an unhealthy meal option. But in fact, it can actually be a very simple way to pile in loads of nutritious veggies! In addition, it can be prepared quite quickly. Store bought pizzas can be unhealthy, especially the ones with a thicker crust. This is why I choose to buy my own pizza dough (You can even find it in whole wheat if you like) and prepare my own pizza. I don’t bother making my own dough because that takes too much time so I buy it already prepared. 

In an effort to try and eat more vegetables, this has been a go-to for me. It’s an easy way for me to eat a lot of variety. Tonight I made two pizzas, each with different toppings. On one pizza I put olives, peppers, onions, garlic, mushrooms, spinach, pesto, tomato sauce and feta, herbs de provence and on the other I put mushrooms,garlic, onions, spinach, feta, pesto, tomato sauce, oregano and basil. Both were delicious and both prepared very quickly! I purchased the tomato sauce, which was made locally with no preservatives. It is easy to find a healthy and inexpensive pizza tomato sauce in your grocery stores.  

You can make any pizza look really nice depending on the types of toppings. In fact, a homemade pizza with some tomatoes, bocconcini and basil pesto could be served beautifully at a lunch party. Another versatile recipe, which can make use of a lot of leftovers such as, chicken strips, bocconcini, arugula, tomatoes, etc.

As for cook time, follow the instructions on your purchased dough. 

 

 

Sweet Potato and Carrot Goodness

Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

I know it’s summer and it’s warm out but who doesn’t love a good soup? It’s an easy way to eat your veggies! Here’s a favorite of mine that’s quick and inexpensive to make. Not to mention really healthy.

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato
• about a pound of carrots
• low sodium chicken broth (if you don’t use low sodium you’re soup will be too salty)
• thyme
• salt & pepper to season

 

First start by peeling the carrots and the sweet potato. Then cut everything up. Start boiling the chicken broth and then place the carrots and sweet potato in the chicken broth and let them cook. Make sure the chicken broth is covering the vegetables. The more broth, the soupier you’re soup will be. Throw in the thyme at the same time. Let everything cook for about about 20-30 minutes. Once the carrots and sweet potato pieces are soft start transfer the mix in batches into a blender and blend everything together until creamy. Keep doing this until everything is blended and then season with salt and pepper!

This recipe is very versatile, add an onion or garlic for more flavor if you prefer. If you do this cook the onion and/or garlic in a pan for a little bit beforehand. Don’t overcook the onion or it will be bitter. You can also adjust the texture of the soup. To make it creamier – add cream. To make it less thick – add water or more broth. Lastly, if you’re a vegetarian just use vegetable broth.

Now you are left with a very orange and delicious soup!

 

This past weekend

This past weekend I had a BBQ for my friends. I wanted to make a light and simple meal and here’s what I came up with…

Lemongrass and Coconut Shrimp Skewers

Click here for the recipe

The recipe tells you to marinate the shrimp over night. If you have time, you can. However, I did not do this. I left them marinating for about an hour while I was cooking everything else. They were easy to make and didn’t take too long on the BBQ. Just make sure not to touch your eyes after cutting the jalapeno!

Roasted Seasoned Potatoes

These are my ultimate no-fail go-to. I make them all the time! All you have to do is:

Buy a bag of small potatoes, both yellow and red are best. Next, chop them up in the halves or quarters. Add olive oil, Italian herbs, dill, thyme, red pepper flakes, oregano, and garlic powder, salt and pepper. I love putting a lot of the thyme, Italian herbs and oregano. If you’re missing any of these spices, don’t worry about it, it’ll still taste great.  Mix everything up and put them in the oven at 425 C for about 20 minutes, flipping them after 10 minutes. Easy peasy! You can also do the same with sweet potatoes for an even healthier option.

Dried Cranberries, Nuts and Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad

Ingredients:

• Spring Mix
• Corn
• Avocado
• Cucumber
• Dried cranberry and nut mix
• Feta
• Raspberry vinaigrette

Toss everything together and you have a delicious, nutritious salad!

Lastly, I made a healthier version of everyone’s all-time favorite!

Low-fat Mock-a-Mole

This is a really easy recipe from Bethenny Frankel. Click here for the recipe. P.S. It has a secret ingredient that helps increase your fiber intake!

Everything took about an hour and a half from start to finish. Not too bad for a delicious meal for the girls!