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.)

Chocolate Chip Push-up Pops

I needed another Teacher Gift for the end of the year.  I wanted to go simple and easy.  I have been doing other baking and crafting for other little events and things that have been going on.  So, I pulled out that cute Push-up Pop Book that the evil-lovable genius Bakerella got me hooked on. 

Lily and I got to baking.  The book has it's own recipe for the chocolate chip cookie dough, but I just used my favorite Toll house recipe.  It never fails me and it is my favorite.

It took some time to smear out the dough to cover the whole pan, but I finally finished and tossed it in.  Once  the cookies are made you just cut them out with one of the push-up pop molds.

Then I made just a regular vanilla frosting from scratch.  I didn't have a tub and I didn't want to go get one, it is just as easy to make frosting.  Any Vanilla frosting would do.  Now, the next time I make these I want to add pecans to the cookies and then make a butter pecan frosting or a pecan buttercream, something just totally yummy and BAD for you.

This just takes time to get used to.  I frosted the bottoms of the pops, sprinkled mini-chocolate chips and then a cookie circle, repeat.  Some I got 4 layers some I got 5 layers.  Either way, super cute, something simple as a sweet parting gift for the end of the school year.

I tossed a quick little tag that said thank you on with some ribbon and brought them to the teachers.  School is finally out!  Yay, for the end of June!  Yay for the end of the school year.  Bring on Summer Vacation!