Random Yummies!

I started a little project. (Okay, not so little.)  I went through all of my cookbooks and scanned things I wanted out of over 30 books. (That is another project - to have them in some order on my computer.)  Then I printed them out, and separated them into two books (ones I have tried and love and ones I want to try.) by category, then I got rid of all of those cookbooks.  We still have like 50 or so, but it felt good to make some space and to purge.  I love getting rid of things we don't use.  Having 2 or 5 recipes in one cookbook that I like or want to try is a total waste (to me).

I have also been trying to add more vegetarian meals into our family diet.  (My skin-and-bones-without-a-lick-of-fat-super-active-is-an-understatement son has high cholesterol and has had it since he was 3.)  I also have been counting calories for over a year now (lost 42 pounds and have kept all off but 3).  So, I take a LOT of time weighing and measuring and counting everything I cook or bake and try to make sure we are getting pretty healthy stuff in our bodies that still taste good.  Oh, and I LOVE cookies so, I have to make a cookie that is less than 70 calories and have one almost every day.  Yup, I do that by using all of the same 'normal' ingredients, I just make them smaller.  It works for me.  I do not deny myself a thing and I am healthier.

All of that being said, I am always on line or digging in my binders for something new to try. So, here are a couple of yummy things we have played with.

Vegetarian Quiche. 

Okay, I am not going to write out the recipe, but I can tell you I got it from a cookbook from a Bed and Breakfast I stayed at back in January of 2011.  The place was called Apples B&B.  Okay, this place was pretty stinking cute.  The breakfasts were amazing.  This is a great place to go if you need a Lumber Jack type breakfast that is jam packed with enough calories for that whole day as well as a bit of the next.  She will blow you away with tastes, flavors and presentation.  That being said, it is really hard on a low calorie (because I don't work off a ton of calories Mom) life style change diet. So, I got the cookbook and took her Vegetarian Quiche and remade it.

Okay, here it is.  I have been tinkering with this quiche.  How can I make it lower in fat, how can I lower the calories, oops I made a mistake and totally forgot the cheese one time kind of playing.  

What I need to try - how to make a yummy crust that is not so calorically dense, should I try it without a crust, and so on.  My kids groan when I make quiche, but I know they like it.  They just get moody on me.  They would gobble it up and ask for more and more, but I think I may have tried playing with it too many times.

Here are the basic ingredients:  Eggs (one or two yolks, mostly whites), swiss cheese, zucchini, roma tomatoes and green onions.  Add crust or not, and play.  I have played with the cook time, everything, I have liked every one of them, not sure which is my favorite.  It is a work in progress.  One of these days when I think it is perfect, I will post it.

Here is another quick one.

Pistachio Bread!

I have been craving nuts with my new workout routine, and needing protein and carbs to keep me moving through the day, so I have been playing with recipes with nuts in them. This is the recipe I used.   I think I did it exactly like it was written (probably less salt).  Now, this was my first yeast bread I have made since I can remember.  It took forever, but was totally work it.  I only took 2 pictures. 

Before - this was my first try at this, so I know the seam isn't pretty.

After - the seam and inside may not have been pretty but it sure did taste good!

The newest thing I just created was a Push-Up Pop.  

I stumbled upon this book by reading (once again) Bakerella's site.  She cited it some time ago and well, I looked it up, fell in love and decided I had to have it.  Since my kids are finally out of school, I thought why not make a little something to celebrate Summer?  

I only made one.  

One lonely Push-Up Pop.  I split it with my hubby.  

I will be making more, I just wanted to see how it turned out.  I need to practice more, lots more. I need to work on pushing the stuff down and I think I'd like to find a different Strawberry Sorbet, one that is a little darker to resemble more of a watermelon.  I have to say though, this was delicious!

I am obsessed with Push-Up Pops, so you'll be seeing more of these.  :)  

At least that is my hope.  

I need to not eat them all before I get a chance to take a picture of them.

Oh, and calories for this baby = 81!  (Don't ask about the sugar.)