Pineapple Fast

I have never done anything like this before, but I am giving it a shot today. For the past few weeks I have been feeling really heavy and just plain gross. I heard about the pineapple fast on the radio and have read a lot about it. It seems to be fairly good for you, will flush out your system and (strangely) is great for the elasticity of your lungs.


So....on this very grey day of working at home, I will be eating nothing but an entire pineapple and drinking lots of water. If I don't absolutely hate it I may try the recommended 3-10 days next week.

I Scream...You Scream.....OK, You Know the Rest

I LOVE ice cream, and who doesn't?!?! If you are looking for a new flavor I highly recommend Ben & Jerry's - ONE Cheesecake Brownie, YUM!

PS

I swear I did not eat the entire container in one sitting (although it was tempting).

Two for One Special....Far too long since my last post!

Summer is a fantastic but very busy time. I have been doing a lot of cooking/ baking (among other things) and just have not found much time to post until this evening.

The two most recent meals I have made are both from The Food You Crave (I am totally loving this book by the way) and both were delicious!

The fist, Fettuccine Bolognese filled my pasta craving perfectly! http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_36705,00.html

It was rich and delicious, full of flavor, yet didn't leave me feeling heavy as most pasta dishes can. I am not really sure what is going on with my appetite lately, but I seem to be wanting pasta all the time! Luckily my brain seems to be winning the battle, but some days the craving is just too much and I have to give in!

The next is Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin with Sesame Stir-Fried Chinese Greens.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_36735,00.html

We love pork tenderloin and I make it often for quick week-night meals. We both prefer it to be cooked on the grill, we find this cooking method gives the pork the best flavor and texture. This recipe really hit the spot and cooked on the grill it was fantastic! The marinade was very light, not thick and syrupy as many of the store bought Teriyaki sauces are. Great meal for a hot summer day!

*** One more note on pork tenderloin- if you have a Costco membership I highly suggest that you pick them up there and freeze the extras. They are unbelievably reasonable at around $15.00 for 4 tenderloins.

Chili- Rubbed Steak Tacos with Cucumber- Avocado Salsa

Another winner from The Food You Crave! We both loved this one and I can't wait to make it again!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33795,00.html

I would recommend using the the grill rather than broiling, there is just something about the grill flavor that you can't get any other way.

The Cucumber & Avocado salsa is so deliciously light and refreshing that I finished it off with a spoon. I will this recipe often.


The Ranch Beans you see on the plate where not nearly as tasty as the tacos. The recipe also came from The Food You Crave, but they were not that craveable. We found them to be a little pastey and flavorless. I may try to tweak them in the future.

Great summer meal! I recommend making it the next time you have a craving for Mexican food.
Oh, one last little note. I put the dry rub on the meat the night before and let it sit in the fridge to marinate, I think that gave the meat an even better flavor.

Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach & Couscous

Wow, this was delicious! Both Peter and I really enjoyed the flavors and at only 342 calories per serving how can you go wrong?

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33557,00.html

Very quick and easy and the smells the dish leaves throughout the house are fantastic! The only thing I changed was the can of chopped tomatoes with their juices, I forgot to buy them so I had to improvise. I had a pint of cherry tomatoes that I chopped up and added half of a small can of tomato sauce and I think that it may have worked out better, the sauce was very rich.

This will be added to our regular weeknight meals for sure!

The Joy of a New Cookbook!

I just picked up The Food You Crave, but Ellie Krieger who also has a great show on Food Network called Healthy Appetite.

This book is fantastic and I have been on a bender all weekend making recipes. What I like, other than each recipe having it's nutritional value printed with it, is that the ingredients are not outrageous and most I purchase all the time.

Yesterday I started with baked goods (didn't I say I was taking a break from baking....) which both turned out beautifully!

Pumpkin Pie Muffins, which are made with mostly whole wheat flour and just a bit of all purpose came out moist, dense and delicious.

Mocha Chocolate Cake, made with plain non-fat yogurt rather than oil was also fantastic. Again, very moist.

For breakfast I tried the New York Breakfast which is a slice of Pumpernickel bread, whipped cream cheese, smoked salmon, tomato, cucumber, and red onion. My belly and my taste buds were extremely satisfied....I think I may have it again this morning!

I have plans for a couple other recipes today which I will write about later. So far so good, I am loving this book!