Day #24 - Awarding Meat

My good friend Amanda awarded with the Kreativ Blogger Award today. Which essentially means I am required to post 7 things about me that most my readers (yes, all 5 of you) do not know.

1. I have a "Mr. Moley" on my stomach. Instead of being afraid to wear 2 piece bathing suits as a kid because of a mole above my belly button, I gave him a name and flaunted him like he was a celebrity. He's brown, awkwardly shaped, and is stuck on me forever.

2. I have absolutely no musical abilities, though I think I secretly still think that I will be a rock star one day. The little wood piece in my clarinet amused me more than the actual instrument, my guitar skills stopped flourishing after I realized my teacher would not be my boyfriend, and even my Rock Band drum abilities always somehow lost the game for me.

3. I get angry if I cannot cook for my boyfriend at least 5 times a week.

4. When I was 18 I came home with a huge tattoo of angel wings and my mother's name. Instead of being flattered (like I had hoped), she canceled my summer abroad trip to Europe. I am still bitter.

5. Every morning I have a double espresso with almond milk and 3 splendas. It never gets old.

6. The first thing I ever remember cooking was sauteed mushrooms. In elementary school my 3 best girlfriends would come over for sleep overs and my specialty was whipping up a batch of sauteed mushrooms: sliced mushrooms, salt, garlic powder, a little butter and water. No idea how I came up with this recipe, but I still make it till this day.

7. I dream of one day owning a cafe, having a bunch of kids who drive me insane, tattoos that cover 50% of my skin, and a house to call my own.

Chili's: Baby Back Ribs
(adapted from "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2")

Ingredients:

BBQ Sauce -
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tsp yellow mustard
2 tbsp splenda
1/3 cup sugar free maple syrup
1/2 tsp liquid hickory smoke
1 tsp salt
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of paprika

1lb baby back ribs

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients for sauce in small sauce pan over medium heat. Once it starts to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. Stir often.
2. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Brush entire surface of ribs with BBQ. Tightly wrap ribs in foil and place on baking sheet. Bake for 2 hours, or until the meat on the ribs have pulled back about 1/2 inch. Serve with extra sauce.

Servings: 2
Nutritional Info: 502 cals, 36g fat, 9g carbs, 37g protein
Chili's Nutritional Info for "Original Ribs": 1110 cals, 81g fat, 33g carbs, 57g protein





Claim Jumper: Spicy Thai Slaw
(adapted from "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2")
Ingredients:
Dressing
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup splenda
2 tsp shiracha
juice from 1 lime
1/2 tsp salt

1 package of cole slaw mix (cabbage and carrots, shredded)
2 ounces soba noodles, cooked
1 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup almonds, sliced

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients for dressing in small bowl. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well.
2. Cook soba noodles according to package. Once cooked, run under cold water. Then cut into smaller pieces.
3. Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Chill for at least 4 hours, but overnight is best. Optional: top with siracha when serving.

Servings: 4
Nutritional Info: 115 cals, 3g fat, 22g carbs, 5g protein

Organic Treats

"Great tasting products that happen to be organic".

I recently received a package from Newman's Own Organics. I happened to receive it the day of my birthday, which I like to believe was not a coincidence.


I immediately opened and tried almost every single product I was sent. Partly because my stomach was starting to eat itself because I had not eaten yet that day, and partly because I was so excited to get something for free.

I have to admit that many times I am skeptical about organic snacks. Don't get me wrong, I believe that eating organic snacks like Newman's Organic can be much healthier than eating processed snacks...BUT this does not mean that you should start eating these snacks in excess. There is a misconception out there that just because you switch to an all organic diet, that you are suddenly eating healthy. Healthier, maybe. But not necessarily healthy. Organic does not equal less calories or even less sugar. In the end, excess calories and sugar make you overweight and unhealthy. Therefore, moderation is ALWAYS key.

My rant is over, and my praise begins.

I was actually quite impressed by most of these products. Flavorful and somewhat addicting. But in the end, this is what won my heart: Mint Cream Filled Chocolate Cookies


On top of that, Sally from Newman's Own Organics knew how much Coda and Astral love organic dog food (which I am a huge promoter of), so she sent them some treats as well. Their first taste went something like this:

Ohhh what's that? Can we get some?

Please?


Shh...I'm going in...