Watercolor Wednesday - "Red onions are especially divine...

Red onions are especially divine.  I hold a slice up to the sunlight pouring in through the kitchen window, and it glows like a fine piece of antique glass. Cool watery-white with layers delicately edged with imperial purple...strong, humble, peaceful...with that fiery nub of spring green in the center..."

~Mary Hayes Grieco, 'The Kitchen Mystic'


In this class we were working on complementary colors.  I loved the reddish purple onions against the green tissue paper.

Good start!

Brighter ending!

Did you know Red onions are also helpful in building your defenses against Springtime allergies?

They are high in quercetin, which is an antioxidant with antihistamine and an anti-inflammatory properties.  

Worth Getting Up in the Morning!

This!! Yum!!

It's like a nutty Sugar Smacks, but without all the sugar smacking you.  A very generous - 1 cup! - filling serving has only 220 calories (add 40 calories with 4 ounces of skim milk).  It's nice to be able to finish reading the comics in the morning and still have cereal left!

7g total fat (1g saturated), 5mg sodium, 160mg potassium, 35g total carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 11g sugar, 5g protein.   I can hear my nutritionist cheer!  2% calcium, 8% iron -- all before adding milk.

Ingredients:  Rolled oats, puffed kamut, cane sugar, almonds, pecans, brown rice syrup, puffed spelt, puffed brown rice, canola oil, molasses, natural flavors, soy lecithin and mixed tocopherols for freshness.

Bonus:  There is a recipe on the side for Maple Peanut Butter Squares!

The 30 ounce box, with two bags, is only $7.55.   Next time I'm back at Costco, I'm grabbing another one.

Whole Foods - Inspired Plum Crumble

I tried Whole Foods Plum Crumble, featured in their latest in-store circular, "The Whole Deal"

This turned out very well and very yummy!  I like the twist on using vanilla wafers and almonds as part of the "crumble".  I did sub out Nilla Reduced Fat Vanilla Wafers instead of using Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value.  I also used my food processor on pulse instead of trying to break up the cookies by hand.  And I forgot to add the teaspoon of cinnamon to it, but a quick save of sprinkling a teaspoonful of Penzeys Cinnamon Sugar over the sliced fruit worked in a pinch.  However, next time I will remember to add the ground cinnamon to the crumble part to make it more cinnamon-y.

I will be making this again - it's very versatile.
I can see variations in the fruit - nectarines, peaches, cherries, apples…and subbing out the almonds for pecans and walnuts.
Definitely keeping the cookies.
Definitely!
(P.S. I added two extra cookies.  I love Vanilla Wafers and loved the idea of using them this way.)

Leftovers taste great on top of Greek yogurt for breakfast or anytime
…and ice cream!

You will definitely want to add this to your recipe file.

PLUM CRUMBLE


1 cup sliced almonds
4 tablespoons cold 365 Everyday Value® Unsalted Butter, cut into cubes
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
20 365 Everyday Value® Organic Vanilla or Lemon Wafers (20!  not 20,365!)
1 1/2 pound pounds plums (about 6), pitted and chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, use (a food processor) your hands to mash together the almonds, butter, cinnamon and wafers until well combined but still fairly coarse. Arrange plums in a (9 in) pie dish, and top with almond mixture, pressing it together in handfuls, and then scattering it in large pieces over the top. Bake until plums are tender and juicy and almond mixture is golden, 45 to 50 minutes. (To avoid burning, tent with foil during baking, if needed.) Serve warm or at room temperature.


PER SERVING:230 calories (130 from fat), 15g total fat, 5g saturated fat, 20mg cholesterol, 35mg sodium, 22g carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 14g sugar), 4g protein

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Granola

I was surprised to see Trader Joe's Country Pumpkin Spice Granola Cereal still in the store as of last week.  This is pretty good sprinkled over a cup of Greek yogurt for breakfast in the morning and quite filling.  I also was able to use only 1/3 cupful instead of the 2/3 cup serving size -- Thereby also cutting in half  the calories (210), total fat (7g), saturated fat (2.5g),  sodium (15mg), total carbohydrate (34g), fiber (4g), sugar (13g) and protein (5g). And you can't beat the price - $2.49!    Only drawback I found with it, it was a little bit heavy on the nutmeg.  I'm not a huge fan of nutmeg*, but I liked all the other goodies it had, such as whole rolled oats, milled can sugar, whole rolled wheat, raisins, coconut, dried pumpkin, honey, puffed corn, cinnamon, nutmeg (!), ginger, allspice, cardamom, fenugreek and fennel.

*Maybe it was the fenugreek and fennel?!

Happy Food Day!

Today is the second annual Food Day!  A celebration of healthy, affordable and sustainable food.  Check the website to find events in your area, along with ideas for changing the way America eats for the better.

You can also follow along Twitter @foodday2012  #FoodDay2012 and Facebook - FoodDayEatReal

What I'm Liking...

Yoplait Light Pumpkin Pie Yogurt!  

YUM!  On sale at Target this week for $2.  This actually tastes good!  Nicely spiced, more like a pumpkin pudding and not artificially tasting.  You will find it in what I call the seasonal/limited edition case opposite the main dairy section.  It made a perfect dessert last night for me.

90 calories, fat free, 80mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate, 10g sugars, 5g protein (!), Vitamin A 15%, Calcium 20%, Vitamin D 20%, Phosphorus 10%.

What I'm Liking. . .By the Graham

Absolutely loving these Honey Maid Peanut Butter Grahamfuls!  I found them at Target at the checkout endcap for around $2.29.  120 calories, only 15g carbs and 3g protein, with 1g sat fat and 10% calcium.   I now keep a pack in my purse for when I start to get droopy -- and no crashing afterwards.

No Fry For Five

When I was walking out of the Rec Center after my morning swim, I saw a poster announcing the "No Fry For Five" Challenge for September.  You can visit the Shape Up Houston website to register for prizes if you pledge to not eat any fried foods for five days of the week.   Or just try and follow along on your own.
(Sounded A LOT better than signing up for  racquetball - yikes!)

That includes french fries and chips -- oh, oh.  That could be a toughie.  But you do get two days a week to enjoy and for good behavior.  It's all about balance and never saying never, right?

I'm going to do it - the Rec Center had these wrist bands at the front desk  if you promised to sign up online.  I know it sure helped me when I went grocery shopping afterwards - pausing and then walking right by the chip aisle!

What I'm Liking. . .Bread and Water

34-Degrees Whole Grain Crispbread.  A box of 72 for $4.99 at Whole Foods.  I found it above the olive bar. They are very thin and airy light.  My new favorite snack is now 8 crackers (9 is actually considered a serving) with a Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss wedge.  Together - 64 calories, 7g carbs, 1.5g fat (from the cheese), 3g protein.  And it only counts as a 1/2 carb serving for me!

Of all the coconut waters I've tried, I like this one the best. C2O Pure Coconut Water.  It tastes really good, almost oddly buttery.  Fat free and unsweetened.  I got this on sale at Whole Foods for $1.50  The only drawback, if you can consider it, is the amount.  The 17.5 ounce can is actually two servings.  1 serving is 50 calories, 13g carb, 12g sugar.  Next time it goes on sale again, I'm stocking up!