Citrus Meringue Sandwich Cookies

I'm a cookie phase. I like it. I'm going to start taking the cookies to work so I have less sugar running through my veins and then I will sleep at night again. These cookies are super sweet but also very tart. They are crunchy crumbly on the outside but then filled with creamy lemon curd.

Meringues Cookies.

2 large egg whites

pinch of salt

2/3 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the egg whites (save the yolks for the curd) in the mixer bowl with the fancy whisk attachment.

Beat egg whites, on medium speed until quite foamy, not just slightly foamy. Think mostly foam. Add the pinch of salt and increase speed to medium-high.

Slowly begin to sprinkle in the sugar. Continue to beat eggs until they become thick, glossy and messy. The egg whites will be the consistency of melted marshmallow.

I tossed the lime juice and vanilla right into the mixer at the end.

The blog I received this recipe from said to “Spoon into a piping bag, fitted with a large star tip. Pipe about a teaspoons worth of meringue onto the baking sheet” THIS FAILED FOR ME. It might not fail for you. I made a big giant sticky mess trying to put the egg whites into the baggie and spatula the rest with my non-existent 3^rd hand. I got so mad about the whole thing that I squeezed the whole blob onto my baking sheet, and threw it into the oven. I considered going with that for about 15 minutes. Then I re-made the recipe with a few adjustments and got a new baking sheet.

When I did this the second time I used a spoon and made little dots of meringue on the sheet. Not pretty stars, but not a giant blob either so it worked for me. the dots can be close together on the tray.

Bake meringues for 2 hours, until firm and hardened.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet before filling and sandwiching.

Lemon Curd.

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

pinch of salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Place a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl and set aside.

In a medium pot, whisk together lemon juice, granulated sugar, eggs, yolks, and pinch of salt.

Heat pot over a medium-low heat and add butter. Whisk the mixture, everything I read online said to keep a spatula nearby to help you get into the corners of the pan so it didn’t burn but I didn’t really use mine.

Cook the curd until the butter is melted, and the mixture is the thick and gooey. I whisked constantly, at first it smelled like butter, then eggs, then more like citrus, if you want the smell story.

Evidently Curd can get sort of chunky as you cook it because the egg can separate a little bit. This recipe doesn’t do it too much due to the whisking in the beginning and constant stirring. It can still happen a little though and if yours does it more I think it’s fine.

Remove the curd from the flame and immediately pour into the fine mesh strainer over the medium bowl. Press through the strainer, leaving any cooked egg bits in the strainer; I took a picture of what was left in my strainer so you could see what I mean.

Place curd in a container, with a piece of plastic wrap placed directly over (touching) the curd. Place in the fridge until completely cold.

Spread a dollop of curd on the meringue and top it with another meringue. This is a sandwich cookie, which is like eating two cookies, but it only counts as one, best trick ever!

These are most yummy when you eat them right after you sandwich them so don’t make a bunch and then think you’ll get around to eating them. They will be sticky and messy and not as good.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I made cookies!

Eliza helped me.

delicious, warm, gooey, chocolate, sort of salty, oatmeal hearty cookies!

baking is stressful but when it turns out... it's like a miracle!

I've recently been turned on to the blog Orangette. I was inspired by her cookie recipe.

I like the way she described them as plump hearty cookies, those kind are my favorite. I'm not a thin crispy cookie kind of gal.

Here is what I used:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt (course)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 & 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

1 & 1/2 cups rolled oats whirled in the food processor for a few seconds

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside.

In my mixer bowl I, creamed together the melted butter and brown and granulated sugars until well blended.

Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk, mixing until light and creamy.

Mix in the sifted ingredients, working until just blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips and oats by hand, I used a spatula because I always use spatulas for everything.

Chill dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to one hour.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line them with parchment paper, I don’t really like parchment because it folds funny and it makes me feel silly but I dislike cleaning so I use it.

Use a table knife to scoop and press dough into a ¼-cup measuring scoop, and put the dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheets.

You don’t want the cookies too close together.

Bake cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.

Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cook completely.

I’d recommend eating with milk.

Happy Eating!

High Fructose Corn Syrup - Intro

I'm doing something a little crazy...

I'm participating in one of those medical studies, from the newspaper.

at the Rippe Lifestyle Institute.

It's a study about the effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup on the body. I'm both excited and nervous.

I'm excited to see how the corn syrup effects my body, not most bodies or people in general but my body specifically. I'm also intrigued because I consume so little corn syrup now compared to the average American, although I would probably like to lower my intake even more, that I think I will be aware of the changes in my body. The results from this study may give me the final motivation I need to cut HFCS out of my diet forever.

I'm a little nervous that I will get sick or gain weight but I am confident I'll find some sort of cleanse to do afterward that will bring me back to normal. Any suggestions?

It's a 10 week study so I'll probably continue to post my feelings and observations about myself during the ten weeks. It can be a fun journey for all of us! They will be testing my blood and glucose levels next week so we will be all set to start consuming the syrup after that.

Wish me luck!

oh and if you're interested... you could come on this journey with me!

Milkshakes

The Food Network Magazine that I've been reading most recently (that doesn't mean it is actually the most recent issue since I've got stacks of magazines waiting to be read) focuses on smoothies.

Do you like smoothies?

I don't.

I never have really. All those trendy smoothie joints my roommates in college frequented, not my favorite.

I like starbucks, not the smoothie type drinks though.

I like milkshakes more than smoothies. If I'm going to have a blended high calorie drink let's just call it like it is and add ice cream. Adding fruit and pretending it's healthy isn't for me.

I made milkshakes for Chris and I with these ingredients:

1. Banana Babies - Have you ever had these, they are YUM! Chocolate covered frozen bananas on a stick. (BOGO last week at the Publix in Central Florida!) I Sliced it off it's wooden stick for the milkshake but they are good as a popsicle too. No nasty junk ingredients either.

2. Talenti Milk Chocolate Gelato - Best chocolate ice cream type stuff EVER! no weird ingredients. It was Bogo when we bought it too.

3. Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter - Because hello, chocolate and peanut butter and banana are a magical threesome.

4. Horizon Organic Milk - It is a "Milk"shake.

It was delicious and full of calcium, protein, vitamin D, and potassium. Nutritious can mean not low in calories. Drink it up!

Happy Eating!

Disney World

The Mister and I have season passes to Walt Disney World, you might already know that if you read the blog.

You pretty much cannot go to Disney World and not eat, although in reality you can because you are allowed to bring food in with you. How can you bring in Mickey Mouse ice cream and fried Churros though? You can't, proving my point.

What is it about entertainment and food that people have knit together into one? There are Disney parks though out the world selling rodent shaped food. On our monthly budget, eating out and entertainment are one line. Chris and I love food but we also love the entertainment of food. The cooking together, the eating out together, the being together... It's nourishing to the soul to be with your partner/ family/ friends. It's nourishing to the body to eat good food. It's brilliant to put the two together! (you could argue here that churros are not "good food" to which I might agree, but then eat one anyway)

Where do you go to fill your tummy and your soul? Who do you go with? Let's celebrate nourishment of all sorts together!

Happy Eating.

Summer Vegetable Crepes!

Chris loves Crepes.

I don't know that I had ever thought one way or another about them until I met Chris.

but now I like them.

Not as much as Chris though.

I like savory crepes the best.

Chris likes sweet ones the best.

We still like each other the very best, definitely more than crepes despite our differences, although savory ones are clearly better.

The pre-made crepes were difficult for me to find at the grocery stores in our area though! I found some Melissa's Brand ones and I knew it was meant to be. I would encourage you to look in your fruit section because that is where I found mine.

• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
• 3 tablespoons fat-free milk
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Salt/Pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped zucchini
• 1 1/4 cups chopped green beans
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 6 9-inch "ready-to-use" crêpes

Directions:

Combine the sour cream, 1/2 the chives, milk, lemon juice, and some salt and pepper. This is the sauce. Save it for the end.

Heat the oil and saute the zucchini, green beans, and corn in a pretty large pan.

Mix in the ricotta and shredded cheese, plus the rest of the chives and some more salt and pepper. Stir it until it is melted and mixed with the vegetables.

Scoop about 1/4 cup of filling into each pre-made crepe. I found it to be easier to roll the crepes closed if i used the waxy paper beneath it to roll it using gravity for some help.

Top the crepes with the sauce that you made in the beginning.

I got 6 crepes from this recipe, which is originally at Eating Well. Which is a great website and I highly recommend it. The original says they only got 4 crepes from these amounts. So the nutritional content is probably off a little bit, but these are their numbers.

Nutrition: 302 calories. 17 grams fat. 25 grams carbs. 15 grams protein. 3 grams fiber.

Happy Eating!

Tortilla Muffins

I love "The Biggest Loser" and I'm not afraid to admit it. It's feel-good television for me. This recipe was featured on the show a few weeks ago. I've altered it of course, but the basic idea is from the show. The two new trainers featured it.

It's also a Jennie O Turkey recipe. I did not buy Jennie O Turkey Sausages, I bought Jones Dairy Farm Turkey Sausages. I suppose it's up to you which turkey links to buy.

Ingredients:

6 Turkey Sausage Links

3 Taco Sized Tortillas, I used Flour because Chris loves them but Corn would be perfect too, and gluten free, if you need.

12 tbsp Diced Canned Tomatoes with Zesty Jalapenos, Fresh tomatoes with fresh jalapeno would would also. Just make sure your canned variety doesn't have corn in it.

12 tbsp Black Beans

12 Eggs/Egg Whites. I'm a real egg kind of girl but egg substitutes would work too in this recipe.

Salt/Pepper

Cooking Spray

Muffin Tin

First: Cut the tortillas into 8 little triangles, so each cup gets 2 triangles or 1/4 a tortilla. Layer them bigger side down and overlapping so the tops poke up. You might want to spray the muffin pan with cooking spray first.

Second: Cook the Sausages and quarter them too. Each cup gets 1/2 a sausage, cut into two pieces.

Third: Put 1 tbsp black beans and 1 tbsp diced tomatoes in each cup

Fourth: Put 1 egg or 1 egg white on top. I did half eggs and half egg whites.

Fifth: Sprinkle the tops with salt and pepper. Put in the over at 300 degrees.

Sixth: Bake until the eggs are cooked.

Seventh: Eat and Enjoy!

Nutritional Approximations: 1 muffin has 81 calories. 2 fats. 2 carbs. 1 sugar. 8.5 proteins.

Breakfast

hello bloggers.

remember that new year's resolution to blog more regularly...

I remember it, and I remember when it sailed into the trash can like the rough draft of a love poem.

Updates: I still love cooking and I've been cooking really fun things. I just forget to take pictures and then I figure I can't blog about it unless I have a picture.

It's the lenten season officially yesterday and I've decided to give up some online social networking and start reading some real paper books.

It's also raining at my house right now and I would like to stay in my stretchy work-out pants all day, but I have to go to work this afternoon so I'm taking advantage of the morning.

Breakfast: Do you love breakfast. I'm of the mindset that breakfast is indeed the most important meal of the day.

This was breakfast this morning. I have no idea what to call them. Some people call them an egg in a basket I think. I don't really like that name.

It's a slice of bread, Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Wheat Bread if you'd like to know. First I pop out a circle with the top of a drinking glass. Then I put it in a little pan. Separate an egg white. Pour the egg white into the circle with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook and try not to spill egg white everywhere. Then I smear a tiny bit of real butter around the edges of the bread before enjoying. real butter is more delicious on rainy mornings than at any other time.

Nutritional Content: (if you don't eat the little round cutouts from the bread) 2 egg bread slices. 145 calories. 4 grams of fat. 14 carbs. 3 fibers. 12 protein. 0 sugar.

Happy Eating!

Mexican Pizzas

I'm always looking for new ways to put food we already like together. When I stumbled upon a recipe for a mexican pizza I had flashbacks to the Taco Bell drive through and I knew what I had to attempt!

First I sauteed some yellow onion in extra virgin olive oil and added a little cumin. Then I added a can of rinsed black beans. Then some minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Then some diced cubanelle pepper.

Then I transfered the mix into my food processor and processed away. Mine isn't too strong so it was still pretty thick. Very similar in consistency to refried beans, perfect for mexican pizzas! The onion and pepper really gave the bean mixture some depth.

Then I spread the beans on top of a taco sized tortilla and baked until warm. Then top with some shredded (freshly shredded! buying block cheese is much cheaper and has less additives) cheese, whichever flavor you like.

Broil to brown the edges of the tortillas and melt the cheese.

Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and sour cream. I forgot to take a picture of the finished product because I was in such a hurry to eat them! So imagine the lettuce and tomato on top.

They were seriously delicious. I also made a version with some chicken strips for some friends of mine, if you're weary of vegetarian dinners.

It was nice to have something a little out of the ordinary.

Happy Eating!

Buying a Cow

Well hello long lost blog...

How have you been?

My fingers have been avoiding the keyboard lately. Do you ever feel that way?

I do apologize.

In the world of food right now the biggest thing going on is that I'm hoping and planning on buying a giant hunk of cow! Local food is becoming more and more important to me and Florida has a lot of farms not far from the cities. I've also become increasingly more aware of the way animals are treated, animals that we eat. I believe the old phrase, you are what you eat. So I'd rather not be made of animals that are fed foods their bodies we not designed to digest, pumped full of medicines to help them survive the terrible living conditions they are subjected too. This isn't about judgement or politics... it's just one woman thinking more carefully about what I put into my body.

As much as I love love love saving money it may not be the best idea to cut costs on food alone. American's spend very little of their income on food. I am willing to spend a higher percentage of my income on food and I'm sort of hoping that will help me spend less on medicare and maybe even give me a few extra quality years with my family.

Have any of you bought local organic meat before? What was your experience? What suggestions do you have?

Happy Eating!