Happy Halloween- here's my treat!

If you follow me on Facebook, you probably have seen this picture. But for those of you who haven't seen it... Here is my treat for you, and me, on Halloween. My treat is that I am wearing a belt. What a treat it is! I have not worn a belt for over 14 years I calculated. And last week, I had the pleasure of wearing a belt and a new tight fitting sweater.

Thanks to my friend Kim at work for taking this picture. When I shared the belt story with her and noted that I needed to put this up on Facebook she took my new little Galaxy 2 and took some photos. She even said to take off the top sweater because it made me look bigger. She took another photo without the sweater, showing off my smaller curves even more, but it turned out fuzzy.

Let me tell you, on this day, I felt like a 'super style hero', I was all in gray with my new black belt, belting my gray pants that are already too big and wearing the loveliest of 'argyle' sweaters. My mom had just returned from a vacation to the US and she had purchased this sweater for herself, but I was over at her home combing through her closets for clothes that no longer fit her- as she is slimming down herself- and we stumbled upon this new one and I thought it would be too big for her and it fit me perfectly. Thanks again Mom, you made me feel like a queen!  You know, deep down inside, I think we all want to be noticed for the right reasons: for being kind, loving, and looking good! So when people come up to me and say, 'You know where I really am noticing it now... in your shoulders', it makes my inner and outer self just beam with joy!  Sometimes when days are hard and nothing seems to go your way, it's nice to know people notice your efforts. That's all the warm and fuzzy things I have to say!

Fall time means Applesauce bread!

So check out my new Fall discovery- Applesauce bread. Thanks to my dear friend Janice who mentioned this was her favourite 'bread' to make in the fall. I did some research and found a lower calorie/fat/sugar bread and tested it out.... and it's a Winner!

Tasty & Healthy Applesauce Bread

Adapted from Food.com

 Serves: 12, Yield: 12 slices

Ingredients

        1 egg

        1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

        2 tablespoons vegetable oil

        1/2 cup brown sugar ( firmly packed)

        2 cup whole wheat flour

        2 teaspoons baking powder

        1/2 teaspoon baking soda

        1 teaspoon salt

        1 teaspoon cinnamon

        1/4 cup raisins

        1/4 cup walnut pieces (or pecans)

Directions:

    Preheat oven to 350°F Grease a loaf pan.

    Mix beaten egg with applesauce, oil, sugar, cinnamon and salt, and combine thoroughly.

    Stir in flour, baking soda and baking powder; mix well.

    Stir in raisins and walnut pieces.

    Pour into well-greased loaf pan and bake at 350° for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.

    Let it rest in pan for 10 min., then turn out and allow to cool on rack.

Per serving: Calories 169.8, Total Fat 4.5g, Sugars 10.5 g, Total Carbohydrate 30.2g, Dietary Fiber 2.1g, Protein 3.4g

OH, BUT WAIT....
I couldn't just follow the recipe, I doubled the recipe and...

For one bread I  used currants, shredded coconut and walnuts...

... and for another bread I used chopped pecans, dried cranberries and dark chocolate chips.

... and then, when all was said and done... I enjoyed a small slice with my Mickey Mouse Coffee!

Pork Tenderloin- Easy and Elegant

Isn't that a lovely picture. What's even lovelier is that my husband made it for me and had it ready when I came home from work. I just love his use of the tools he has available to him.... the internet! Seriously, he typed into a google search 'easy pork tenderloin' and this lovely recipe came up. It really was easy- just 2 ingredients- and it was delicious and moist. Thanks honey, it was indeed 'elegant'.

Easy and Elegant Pork Tenderloin

Courtesy of http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-and-elegant-pork-tenderloin/

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs

 1/2 cup olive oil

 2 pounds pork tenderloin

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Mix bread crumbs and olive oil in bowl to reach consistency that would be moist enough to stick to the meat when pressed. Place pork on a shallow cooking sheet. Press the crumb mixture onto all sides of the meat until there is no pink showing, usually 1/4 inch thick.

 Bake for at least 35 minutes until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F or until there is no pink when the pork is cut. Let the pork rest for 10 minutes, then cut into 1/2 inch slices.

Apple-Raspberry Oatmeal Crisp

Here's another.... 'I promised' recipe. This one was really delicious and a little decadent. Sorry, no nutritional details, but do enjoy and eat in 'moderation'.  It's awesome with the raspberries! And with the lack of apples we have this year, you need to fill up your apple crisp with other fruits this year.

Apple Oatmeal Crisp

Courtesy of : Michael Smith

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/print.html?dishid=12878

Yield : 6-8

Ingredients:

Filling

•unit 6-large or 10-medium apples, un-peeled, cored and chunked

•1 pint raspberries

•1/2 unit lemon, juiced

•1/4 cup flour

•1/2 cup sugar

•1 teaspoon baking spice

Topping

•1 cup flour

•1 cup rolled oats

•1 cup brown sugar

•1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

•1/2 cup melted butter

Directions

Filling

1.Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Turn on your convection fan if you have one. Lightly oil a 9 by 13-inch pan.

2.In a large bowl toss the apples, raspberries, sugar, flour and lemon juice together. Toss in the baking spice of your choice. Transfer to your baking pan.

Topping

1.Whisk the flour, oats, sugar and nutmeg together, then add the melted butter and crumble together with your fingers. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, 45 to 60 minutes.

Nice Nails- Fuchsia and Dots Galore

This is seriously my favourite nail design ever! I call it Fuchsia and Dots Galore. I love dots and using these multiple colours was so much fun....imagine the possibilities with so many nail polish colours out there in the world!!!!

And here you are.... Ta da! Imagine decorating your nails for all the fun Holidays like Halloween, Christmas, Boxing Day ????

Here I am making use of that lovely Zoya gift set I purchased for myself for my birthday. The colour names escape me, but you could use any colour you wish to have your own fun!

Sticky Chicky

Here you go, the Sticky Chicky recipe I promised. It comes from some of my favorite cookbook authors. I just love their books and kitchen and nutrition tips.

Sticky Chicky

Adapted from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry by Janet and Greta Podleski.

Ingredients:

16 boneless skinless chicken thighs

 Sauce

1/2 cup barbecue sauce (hickory flavoured is nice)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup liquid honey

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange chicken thighs in pan in single layer.

Whisk together sauce ingredients (barbecue sauce through cumin) in a medium bowl. Pour evenly over chicken. Turn pieces to coat both sides with sauce. Bake, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center.

Remove chicken from pan and keep warm. Carefully pour sauce from pan into a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Combine cornstarch with water and mix until smooth. Add to sauce. Cook until sauce is bubbly and thickened, about 1 minutes. Serve hot chicken with extra sauce on top.

Calories  394.8,  Fat 3.5 g, Carbohydrate  32.5 g, Dietary Fiber  1.2 g, Protein  55.9 g, sugars 25.8 g

 

Lovely Poncho Dinner Party

We have been busy, you know, but never too busy to share a nice meal with my family. For this special occasion my daughter and I got out our matching ponchos!

We picked these matching ponchos up at a great sidewalk sale in the summer at one of the stores I will 100% support once I am able to fit into all their clothes. It's called FUEL, and it is fun and different, it feels like Montreal in there. Anyways these ponchos were the only thing that would fit us and they were 80% off.... so you know we had to get them!

This is the cool tag/designer that came with it. Pink Martini collection with the little pink car to match.

My mothere, aka, Gourtmet Goddess made a delicious dinner.

Sticky chicky from the Looney Spoons- recipe to come.

Some delicious beans and peppers stirfried with love.

Here's my plate, look at those cute little fingerling potatoes... so cute, eh?

For dessert, she made the yummiest desert. A berry crisp she saw on Chef Micheal Smith's new cooking show (much less annoying than the other show in his home)!

 Apple berry deliciousness.... recipe to come.... stay tuned!

Banana Maple Pecan Waffles

Here's a little something I whipped up one morning. I felt like celebrating... so I used my whole wheat pancake recipe as the batter- and REALLY jazzed it up.

Here's the link to my batter recipes, a very healthy beginning... http://simmerandglimmer.blogspot.ca/2011/11/whole-wheat-pancakes-and-turkey-bacon.html

... chopped up bananas- a healthy contribution too.

...brown sugar, walnuts... ok bordering on some little indulgence.

...ok definite indulgence, add some butter, some maple syrup and then.... you get the picture?

Finished product, just put a little bit of this little indulgent mixture on your waflles, pancakes, frozen yogurt or a shoe and you have been just transported to an amazing banana, walnut, maple trip!

And you know... I couldn't resist showing some residual Mickey Mouse wear! Happy Baking to you all!

Wanna Smoothie?

Here’s what you do…. Can you read my little recipe- scribbled down for Melanie so she can make her own?

Well we use the Magic Bullet and it’s perfect for this.  Fill the cup with one third low fat milk (1%), one third low fat vanilla yogurt and one third frozen fruits and blend it all up until you are all the fruits have been mashed up. It’s so delicious and real good for you. And for Melanie who won’t drink milk- this is a perfect way to ‘hide’ it.

Here’s the nutritional information:

108 calories

17g carbs

1g fat

8g protein

1g fibre

11g sugar

Little Sister's Birthday Party

Not too long ago we celebrated my little sister's birthday- my lovely parents hosted the festivities and fun was had by all!

So Melanie and I showed up with our matching Old Navy Heart Sweaters.

Some weird Moustache person came.

Of course, Stephanie Sachs came.

...and the birthday girl of course, who brought her little giraffe friend Sophie.

My lovely mother... (missing in photos- Brent, Barrie and my Dad- but they were there too!)

We grilled kebabs- chicken, pork, lamb, beef and sausage... ooooh, so good!

Delish fresh veggie salad.

But Julie's absolute favourite is this desert that my mom makes for her every year. Rice Krispy crust ice cream cake. My mom makes the crust with peanut butter (yummmm- added protein) and instead of ice cream she used caramel chunks frozen yogurt. Good healthy alternatives mom!

Look at Stephanie looking on at the spectacle. Our tradition- we all hold pinkies and make a wish and then the Birthday Girl blows the candles out and all our dreams come true!

Julie's polka dot presents.... I love the wrapping paper/bags my mom uses. Always so bright and full of fun patterns- I LOVE POLKA DOTS!

After the festivities... let me tell you, father and daughter had to nap, there was just too much excitement!

Guess what I'm wearing today?

This sweater is crazy old vintage... Like from 1988 old! My mom kept it because it's a Liz Claiborne. Good job mom ... I'm wearing it today in 2012. It fits me and argyle is back in style don't you know!

Second Cup Saturday Mornings

This is what my Fall Saturday mornings looks like folks....

 Nice start eh? Well, Melanie is taking a drama/singing/dancing class at the Living Arts Centre- right in the new downtown Mississauga.  So this is where I end up....

 ...but this is where I statrt. I go for a nice 1 hour long power walk in the neighbourhood. Oh, my how it has changed.

 Water fountains, and pretty parks...

 Giant planters with beautiful flowers...

 ...and lots of them- just like in Toronto's Distillery District.

Groovy close up...

.... and then my treat for walking long and hard on a Saturday morning... a giant coffee!

Sunrise on the Atlantic

Is it crazy that this was one of the best moments of our trip? 6:15AM on a Saturday morning in Daytona Beach.

 

I told Brent that we were not going to drive over 40 hours and be so close to the beach (Orlando to Daytona is about 30 minutes) and right off highway home- and not bring Melanie to the ocean. She has never been to the ocean. So we drove right to the beach and Melanie and I made our way to see the most beautiful natural creation of our holiday- the sunrise!

See, there we are right there, the sun rising, the wind blowing, the smell of the salty air...

Her little toes touching the Atlantic of the first time.

Mine, touching it for the first time in 20 years. The wave were powerful, even early in the morning. It was amazing to see so many people out, with chairs, sitting on the beach watching the sun rise... I want to live here!

Here, Melanie is tasting the salty water for the first time ever. I even made a movie of this salty debut.

My heart was filled with joy, with love with gratitude for having had the chance to bring my beautiful girl to the ocean for the first time ever.  With this, it was decided, next summer.... Mommy needs a beach, maybe a day or two of amusement parks, but the rest of the time... watching the waves rolling on this beautiful water is what I will need to do to relax, rejuvenate and celebrate life!