Chocolate Cheesecake with Peppermint Chocolate Glaze

  These little chocolate cheesecake squares were such a treat for Christmas! My sister is a Winter Solstice baby and she loves peppermint, so I made these as a birthday/holiday treat. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, I'm looking forward to a new year ^_^

Spicy Asian Chicken Stir Fry, under 250 calories

  Oh don't worry, you haven't been redirected to the wrong page. The dish pictured above was indeed 218 calories total!

  The stir fry came out spicy and sweet with a hint of toasted sesame. More importantly it's super filling thanks to the lean chicken breast and Miracle Noodles. Check out Miracle Noodles (shirataki noodles) online if you haven't heard much about them, I bought mine off Amazon.

Fajita Bowls for 200 Calories

I'm back on the low calorie, no fat, no sugar, nothing processed, etc part of my diet. It's been fine so far, and I'm finally in the 140's! My hubby got steak fajitas for dinner the other night and it crushed my spirits just a teensy bit. The aroma of sizzling spicy flank steak paired with creamy sour cream and guacamole is hard to endure! Today I decided I would make a diet friendly version of the dish. I swapped out bell peppers for English cucumber to save calories and sugar, and used ground turkey instead of steak. To top it I used a tablespoon of very hot salsa and a dab of Greek yogurt, served with wedges of lime of course!

No Bake Pumpkin "Cheesecake"

Yummms. This is a great treat for Fall, I love pumpkin spice anything ^_^ This delicious creamy dessert is just under 4 grams of carbs per serving, so the carb and sugar count is much lower than most desserts. The best part? It's a no bake dessert. It never sets up fully so it's best served in a bowl, and scooped out with a spatula =P You could sub whipped cream for the coconut milk and add eggs to make this a regular cheesecake that you can bake! I was just being lazy!

*Updated* Low Carb Pancake Recipe

The first time I made the pancakes I instantly had to blog it. Since then, I've made them 52 several times and I've decided on my favorite way. It's not much different, but it will give you really thin and creamy pancakes versus the first batch which rendered thick and dense flapjacks. If you aren't too familiar with flax meal, keep an eye out for a variety that says "Golden Flax Meal." It looks and tastes more like regular flour; the standard flax meal is darker in color and although the same in nutritional value I swear it tastes healthier . . . I could be wrong, but I love the golden stuff! The main difference here is subbing water for some of the egg whites. I realized when I was cooking this morning that halfway through the batch seemed to shrink up and I was getting small little pancakes. I added a splash of water and ended up giving my hubby 2 amazingly thin and golden, beautiful pancakes (he ate them before I could get a picture).

A Trip to Paradise

A sign I saw in Flagstaff, AZ said we were in paradise. I believe it! It was absolutely beautiful. Hubby and I just got back from a 3+ day vacation in Arizona, where we went to the Grand Canyon!! I had never been, and I must say it was one of my favorite trips ever. It was just me, hubby, and his grandmother. We hiked, quite a lot actually, and enjoyed a lazy river raft ride through Glen Canyon. This was the most beautiful and memorable trip, and I think it's turned me into a mountain woman! I can't wait to hike again and I'm hoping to do some camping sometime soon!

Nearly Sugar Free/Low Carb "Almond Joy" Inspired Chocolates

  I love chocolate, but sugars and carbs and not my friend. I've heard that the average American consumes over 100 lbs. of sugar per year. I refuse to be that statistic, no wonder we have so many health problems!! Here's a fun and easy recipe that uses coconut oil and cocoa powder for its base. You can easily make hundreds of flavor combinations, this is just my personal favorite. Enjoy!

Low Carb/High Protein Blueberry Bread

This little bread is absolutely genius. It's moist, sweet, hearty, and totally satisfying. You won't even be sad that you're getting under 7 grams of carbs for a slice of this stuff!

Spicy Mexican Thin Crust Pizza

I've been on a total pizza kick ever since I bought these La Tortilla Factory tortillas. If any of you know of an even better brand please let me know! ^_^ These are good, but on their own I think you could tell the tortilla is "healthy" ;)

These would be fun to make with the family since they come together so easily, and all that needs cleaning up afterward is your knife and cutting board.

Less Than 1 Carb Pancakes

A hot stack of flapjacks sounded amazing after being on a low calorie, sugar and carbohydrate restricted diet for 44 days! I made these pancakes for Sunday morning brunch served with Joseph's sugar free maple syrup, bacon, and hot coffee ^_^

Spicy Pepperoni & Roasted Fennel Pizza

 As you know I am now living a very low carb/low sugar lifestyle! It's part of the maintenance phase of my diet. By the way, I've lost 23 lbs in the past couple of months. I'm now within the normal range for BMI as well as body fat percentage. The foodie side of me is loving the challenge of trying out old favorites in a new healthy way! These La Tortilla Factory low carbohydrate tortillas are a Godsend! Only 3 grams of net carbs and 50 calories per tortilla, they're perfect for making yourself an individual thin crust pizza.

Maple Cayenne Brussels Sprouts w/ Ginger, Garlic, Soy Chicken

I wish I had discovered this recipe sooner on this diet! I'm almost finished with the low calorie phase, but I can guarantee you I'll be making this often in the future. It's sweet, tangy, and spicy but it comes together in about 20 minutes or less.

Delicious Hearty Omelet For Under 200 Calories!

 What a great way to kick off the weekend!! Mushrooms are so hearty and meaty that you forget this meal is vegetarian! ^_^ No Denver omelet here folks, fill up on mushrooms today!

Fiesta Chicken

This chicken is so flavorful you won't miss the extra calories! It's incredibly filling and only 154 calories!

Low Cal/Low Sugar "BBQ Sauce"

Cheesecake for Under 200 Calories

Ever wished we lived in a perfect world where dessert could be consumed for lunch? I suppose with this recipe you could keep that dream without losing your waistline.

This recipe was inspired by a Vlog I saw on Youtube. This girl is super creative and used cottage cheese to make her version. I've used cottage cheese in cheesecake before, but it's always been accompanied by cream cheese! I've also made ricotta and cream cheese cheesecake before, which is equally delicious. This is a very light version of those previous recipes. It makes 1 serving (which is 3 muffin molds) and it's about 150 calories.

Noodle Free Chicken Lo Mein

 Low carb diets are difficult for me because I can't have the pasta. Recently I made chicken pad thai using Daikon Radish instead of noodles and it was fantastic! It greatly inspired me to try out lo mein. This dish is ordinarily made using spaghetti noodles, so instead I decided to use cabbage. This isn't a zero calories meal, but it's a great deal healthier than authentic Chinese food. I can't wait to try it with shrimp or beef next time!

Absence

Hello everyone! I've been a little absent from the blogging world as of late, other than a few simple and quick recipes I've posted. I'm not here to apologize like a lot of bloggers do about not commenting on every single one of your posts because it's literally killing me to read some of them.

I think I had somewhat mentioned that I'm doing a little diet. I plan on doing said diet until the beginning of October, although I wont get into details. Basically, I'm eating very clean and in a smaller amount than I usually eat. I've restricted my diet to fresh and healthy foods that fuel my body and fill me with nutrients. Although I'm doing great (down 10 lbs!) I've had to cut out the things I love:

Chicken Taco Zucchini Boats

Part of my new low calorie lifestyle definitely includes leaner meats such as ground chicken versus ground beef. Beef is still great in moderation, but for these "tacos" the ground chicken was a delicious and lean choice. This meal was very filling as well as satisfying ^_^

Asian Citrus Tilapia

 I made this for dinner tonight and boy oh boy, it was so tasty. When I added the fish to the hot skillet the smell was just insane. It reminded the hubby and me of those buffalo mustard pretzel chunks. Yum! I served this up alongside sauteed spinach and a few slices of roma tomato with a small drizzle of balsamic. Feel free to use another white fish if you don't have tilapia on hand or available!

Low Cal Chili with Nopales

  This chili totally hit the spot! It was so lean but super filling. I really wish I would have added a dash of hot sauce when I ate it because that would be so yummy and make it even more filling. I'll definitely do that for lunch tomorrow. I use nopales instead of bell peppers. It's only 42 calories for 3 cups, only 3 carbs once you subtract the fiber, 3 grams sugar, and 3.3 grams protein. It's truly a wonder food, and living so close to the border I can always find nopales at the grocery store. These are also delicious in enchiladas, breakfast burritos, or even raw in green smoothies!

Under 200 calories: Steak & Broccoli

 It's amazing how much food you can enjoy for such a small amount of calories. Round beef is relatively low on calories (166 for 3.5 ounces, or 100 grams) and cooks up in literally no time at all. The best way to add flavor and juiciness is using a nice dry rub, while it's cooking you can add a little 99% fat free chicken broth to keep it moist. I used the browned bits left behind in the pan and combined those with chicken broth to deglaze the pan, then I threw in my steamed broccoli and a little S&P just to add a bit of flavor to the veggie. 

This whole meal was 179 calories.

Shrimp Ceviche

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 This is one of my all time favorite ways to eat fish and shrimp. Ceviche is a raw dish that uses the acid from the lemon and limes to "cook" the fish. It will cure pretty quickly, but I like to let it sit in the fridge overnight for lunch the next day just because it's less fuss. Growing up close to the border I've had a lot of ceviche in my life. My best friend from high schools mom made this for every family party, and there were a lot of parties! =P Originally from Peru, I'm not sure if my version is legit or not. All I know is it's delicious!

Low Calorie Strawberry Crisp

I bought a carton of strawberries and decided to make a quick and low calorie dessert for myself! You don't need many ingredients, it's totally delicious, and get this: only 94 calories plus a whole serving of fruit! (depending on size of berry! if you did a quarter cup of berries plus the topping it's about 98 calories)

Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables

  You can never have too much chicken, right? This week I made a roast chicken over a bed of root vegetables. I must say, it was fantastic. You know your dinner is good when your husband loudly "mmmms" with every bite, then sits in silence with his eyes closed to appreciate it.

I thought it was very creepy sweet. I'm sure I've had parsnips and rutabagas at some point in my life (right, mom?) but I swear this felt like a first time experience. I could not believe the excellent flavor coming from these bland looking veggies. It was like a radish, a cabbage, and a potato made a love child. And that love child is pure awesomeness. 

Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

  A few months ago I won a giveaway for cookies and a cookbook from Tate's Bake Shop. Little did I know this would be the most beneficial cookbook I would own for baking. Kathleen King's recipes are simple and easy to follow. I don't need a fancy Kitchen Aid stand mixer to make these treats, my plain old electric beaters work just fine. I had made these muffins right after I received the book, but I only had enough banana and chocolate chips to make a half batch (6 muffins). I had 2 large and very ripe bananas sitting in my fridge the other day and remembered this recipe. We've been snacking on delicious muffins since, and I froze five and put them in individual baggies that can be nuked for a quick morning breakfast.

Simple Roast Chicken

I'll be completely honest with you guys, I had never roasted a chicken in my life before Wednesday. I felt clueless the entire time and probably texted my mom 20 times just to be sure I was doing everything right. I remember my moms Thanksgiving turkey a few years back, it was the best she had ever made and it was while I was still eating vegetarian/vegan. Oddly enough, trying that turkey was what got me back into eating meat again.

Beef Fajitas

I can't recall cooking beef lately, the last time I remember buying any was for those meatballs I made in June. I purchased some flank steak a while back but ended up freezing it because I had other things I wanted to cook first, or not have to cook like salads.

Simple Coconut Lime Salmon

I absolutely love salmon, but I seem to always cook it the same way. Olive oil, salt, pepper, and cook it in a frying pan or broil it. I wanted to be a little fancier this time and serve it up with some herb butter asparagus I bought as well as some rice, because I couldn't even think about eating another freaking salad the day I made this.

This dish was easy for me to make because I had fresh limes, a can of coconut milk, and shredded coconut. I definitely recommend fresh limes for this dish so you can use the zest!

Grilled Eggplant Crostini & A Recipe Remix

I bought an eggplant for 64 cents the other day and didn't know what I wanted to do with it. I had a large baguette sitting in my freezer that I got for $1.15, I also happened to have plump tomatoes on the vine. I didn't want to fry the eggplant since I'm in a constant struggle to lose weight, so I decided little crostinis would be fabulous! This recipe is so simple but incredibly tasty and pretty healthy as well, minus the carbs of course.

BBQ Pork Tenderloin w/ Shrimp Pineapple 'Fried' Rice

I saw the recipe for this rice on Gina's Skinny Recipes and decided to give it a go using what I already had. I love recipe that you can use frozen food and pantry items for, it makes life easier! The pork tenderloin marinated in a BBQ sauce/chipotle sauce I poured over it in a Ziploc for a couple of hours. Marinate longer if you have the time, I did not. Also, this rice isn't fried in oil! I used precooked brown rice I bought from Fresh n Easy. It already had mushrooms and other veggies added in so it was extra tasty.

Quick and Easy Whole Wheat Blackberry Ricotta Scones

I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen the other day, the original recipe called for raspberries but I had frozen whole blackberries and wanted to use them. All I did was half the recipe, and I used low fat ricotta and half n half to cut on calories. Just remember to use a lot of flour on your work surface to avoid everything sticking to you and your surface, that's so frustrating! Enjoy ^_^

Banana and Nutella Breakfast Crepes

Mastering the Art of French Cooking never lets me down. I've been wanting to make crepes for a while now, and I knew this book would have the tastiest recipe for them. I followed the instructions for making dinner crepes versus dessert because 1: it was easier, and 2: it was easier. No judging.

Healthy Lasagna: So You Don't Have to Feel Guilty About Eating the Whole Pan

5 lasagna noodles. That's all. Yet it holds its shape remarkably well and tastes heavenly. The secret is in the zucchini! Go all out on the veggies and use extra lean beef and this will soon be one of your favorite dishes to make.

A Day Late: Sprucing Up Packaged Foods

You must think that we eat a lot of canned food or something, but I promise that isn't the case. Every once in a while we have an "Oh man, that pasta bake thing from Domino's looks really good . . . " moment, and that's when packaged raviolis and other pastas come into play. I thought to myself: I have basil pesto ravioli, jarred sauce, fresh mozzarella that is about to expire, tomatoes, herbs that needed to get used like yesterday, and more shredded cheese. Why on earth would we go out and spend at least $10 on some pasta thing from a fast food place when I can whip it up in no time! Here's what you need:

Clearly Fresh Bags: Review

I was contacted recently by the sample team at Clearly Fresh Bags to try out their product and see how I liked it. Clearly Fresh Bags are special bags meant to keep produce fresher for longer. I'm sure you've seen infomercials and similar items in the stores. I tried an as seen on TV kind a few years ago when I was eating raw for the most part and always had pounds of produce. What intrigued me about this particular brand was the zip closure top. I figured even if I didn't end up using them they would work just as well as a Ziploc bag would for travel or freezing foods.

 The product how it arrived

Peppery Creamy Fettuccine with Grape Tomatoes

 I was watching an episode of Barefoot Contessa on Hulu the other day and found this recipe irresistible. What I liked most about it was the ingredients were already on hand, so all I had to do was boil water and cook the pasta. The rest is really too easy! I've tweaked the recipe a tad, but the ingredients are almost identical to the original. Enjoy!

Easy Peasy Fish Tacos

I try to shop at Fresh n Easy because it's cheap fast and they offer a good selection of products. I saw a pack of Parmesan and herb crusted tilapia for about $4 and I thought that would be delicious over a green salad. It made a great low-cal lunch. The next day I still had the other fillet hanging out in the fridge so I decided to try doing fish tacos since I had a nice array of ingredients. If you have fish, tortillas, and any kind of topping like cheese, greens, or a nice sauce then these are for you.

Eggplant Stack, by Steve Martarano

I mentioned previously that Hubs and I ate at Martarano's at the Rio in Las Vegas. For an appetizer we shared the eggplant stack, and it was amazing. The ingredients are those found in eggplant Parmesan with the addition of balsamic vinegar and an arugula salad, yum! I saw an episode of the Real Housewives of Miami on Hulu, and one of the girls hosted a luncheon where they had a cooking lesson from chef Steve Martarano. That gave me the general idea of how to assemble this dish! I also found the actual recipe (or at least I'm assuming it was) on this website, check it out for yourself for the complete measurements!

Treats for a Foodie

Today I went grocery shopping with my mother, we went to North Park Produce and Fresh n Easy (same shopping center). I needed more extra virgin olive oil because I only had about a 1/4 cup left. I was watching something on Hulu and learned that Spanish olive oil is apparently the best, I had no idea. They do tastings of olive oil there, just like you would with wine. I figured if it was that good then I simply must buy some! North Park Produce only had Moroccan olive oil, the shelves were pretty bare =( I'm excited to try the Moroccan oil though, sounds exotic. I also grabbed a bottle of Rachael Ray's balsamic drizzle. I've made my own and it tastes amazing, but it makes the ENTIRE apartment smell so strongly of vinegar that is stings your eyes and makes you cough up a lung. Sad and unfortunate.

We popped on over to Fresh n Easy to get cheeses, ground beef, bread, and more treats. I went to the oil aisle and saw Spanish olive oil! I danced around and proudly showed my mom what I found. I was like a dog with a dead pigeon in it's mouth. I also purchased a large bottle of regular olive oil for sauteing, as well as (gasp!) white truffle oil! I was so happy with my little finds. I've wanted truffle oil for some time now but it's pretty pricy. This bottle was $7, which I happily paid. For Father's Day my aunt is hosting a wine tasting party and she said we were encouraged welcome to bring food for appetizers. Sticking with the Italian theme I have decided on bruschetta. I picked up four loaves of Italian baguette, a container of mascarpone cheese, and plenty of tomatoes and basil. I plan on my dish being everyone's favorite, how could it not be with the addition of truffle oil??

Being the weirdo I am, my thoughts constantly revolve around food whether it's what I'm going to cook next or some ingredient I've been obsessed with finding. I know, I'm sick. There is truly something wrong with me. No one should enjoy food this much. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go chug a bottle of olive oil. Buon appetito!

Hawaii

It's finally time for the post about HAWAII!! I'm lame and slow to get this up, but it's not like anyone is breaking down the door or flooding my email for pictures so I'm sure it's all good. I'm going to give a rough run down of what we did all 7 days and 6 nights and include some pictures! There are literally hundreds so I'm just going to include some of my favorites ♥

On Sunday we explored around the hotel, we didn't get into the room and settled until 5 pm. We stayed on the island of Oahu, at the Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club. It was ridiculously nice, I highly recommend staying there or in that area if you're looking for a nice quiet getaway!

Repost:Triple Seasoning Crock Pot Roast

Since I haven't been cooking anything interesting (just a lot of omelettes and frozen foods) I thought I would repost a favorite recipe of mine! If you want a nice home cooked meal over the weekend, without doing much cooking, this crock pot recipe is absolutely perfect!

I saw the recipe on Monica's blog and I knew I just had to make it! I actually have three recipes to share with you tonight.

SOYrizo!

I've never had chorizo, when I want a meaty Mexican breakfast I got for a breakfast burrito or machaca. Chorizo is made from the lymph nodes and other questionable parts of the pig. That grosses me out quite a bit. Although I've never had authentic chorizo, I think soyrizo tastes excellent! I know a lot of people that say it almost tastes the same as the real deal. So I'm guessing both are tasty, but one is a far healthier choice. You can find soyrizo in pretty much any grocery store, and especially in health food stores. I have a quick and easy way to make breakfast burritos for me and the hubs on weekends!

Tofu Spring Rolls

 This is a favorite meal I love to put together on warm summer nights, or just in a flash when I have the right ingredients on hand! I made vegan spring rolls using tofu, but you could easily use any type of meat to fill these up. The spring roll wrappers themselves are VERY light, in everything. You'd have to eat a 1/4 of the package to consumer 280 calories. I believe the package is 12 ounces and has lasted me a couple of years, so there's no danger of actually eating a full serving. Here's everything you'll need:

Shaved Asparagus Pizza

Last week I made poached eggs over asparagus for brunch, a couple of days later the asparagus was looking a little sad and I knew I had to use it up somehow. As luck would have it I had frozen dough in the freezer, an open jar of basil marinara sauce, and a ton of mozzarella cheese in the fridge! I thawed out the dough the night before and decided to make a pizza. I was just going to chop the asparagus and lay it over the cheese but then I thought about the textures, do I steam the asparagus first? Do I just cook the pizza for a while until the asparagus is tender? I figured it would be easier to just use a vegetable peeler to shave the asparagus into thin slices. It worked well! I love making a simple cheese pizza then bumping up the nutrition by using whatever veggies you have on hand.

Poached Eggs & Asparagus

I've been seeing this all over the food blogging world lately. Spring is the absolute perfect season to buy asparagus. It's so vibrant, crisp, and full of flavor. The combination of creamy eggs with crisp asparagus is to die for, especially when sprinkled with freshly grated parmesan cheese!

How To: Spruce Up Your Leftovers!

If you're like me, then you most likely come home from a restaurant with a doggy bag. The only problem is whatever is left over never looks as good or fresh as it did in the restaurant. Most likely your sides have already been eaten, and you're left with something like this:

Things That Make Me Smile ^_^

Hubby playing Black Ops while baby hammy munches on some turkey & fresh flowers!!

Prosciutto and Garlic Spaghetti

This was an experimental dish from about a week ago. The Mr. was at work and I still had half a box of spaghetti left from this recipe. I bought garlic from North Park Produce and it came already peeled, about 8 ounces worth! I also had a packet of prosciutto in the fridge that I didn't have a clue what to do with. This dish turned out to be so delicious, salty, cheesy, and hearty. A real comfort food.

Lobster Spaghetti

Just mmmmmmm.

This was a delicious meal. I made heated up Trader Joe's butter sage sweet potato gnocchi as a small appetizer, and this pasta was the main dish. I didn't have a recipe so I just winged it using whatever ingredients I had on hand.

To make this you really only need a few basic ingredients. I bought the lobster tails at Trader Joe's. I believe it was 12 ounces for $8.99, it might have been $7.99. Either way it wasn't over 10 bucks for a ton of washed, trimmed, and cooked lobster tails.