by | October 23, 2010 · 7:59 am

Magical Bread Pudding!

I made something amazing today. Something so tempting and delicious that once it’s created, it’s nearly impossible not grab a spoon and dive into the depths of this sweet, gooey miracle.

This magical, mystical thing is: Bread Pudding. Not just any bread pudding though – Chocolate Chunk Whole Wheat Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Swirls. The perfect size for a Friday date night ;-).

Chocolate Chunk Whole Wheat Bread Pudding – Printable version HERE
1 egg
1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
2 shakes nutmeg (“shakes” is a technical term referring to a spice bottle full of ground nutmeg)
2 slices whole wheat bread cubed (crusts left on)
2 tbsp chocolate chunks
     1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
     2.. In a small bowl, combine the egg, soymilk, dark brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg and whisk well.
     3. Stir in the bread cubes and chocolate chips, then pour the mixture into an oven safe bowl.
     4. Let the mixture set for about 5 minutes so the bread absorbs the liquid.
It will be very, very soupy!
     5. Put the bowl on a baking sheet in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted come out clean.
Crispy on top and heavenly inside!
 
     I let it sit for about thirty seconds before I threw caution to the wind and dug in with a big spoon.
My new obsession!
 
     I must warn you now: this recipe is ridiculously easy to make and even easier to consume. If you are prone to addictions and have no self control… Well I still think you should make this recipe, but then give your leftover chocolate chunks away. Yeah, that’ll work.

7 Comments

Filed under Bread pudding, bread pudding makes me happy, chocolate chip bread pudding, whole wheat bread pudding

by | October 22, 2010 · 6:45 am

Swollen-Faced Puppy!

     I got some good news last night: I booked that audition I had on Monday! I’m still waiting on all the info, but what I know as of now is that it’s b-roll footage (the footage of what goes on while the spokesperson is talking) for a commercial. That’s all I’ll share for now until I know that I’m not crossing any lines! I film on Sunday :-D.

     Today I woke up bright and early and went to the gym! I spent 35 minutes doing cardio on the elliptical (HR at 170 or above the whole time! Not sure if that’s healthy or maybe the reader was broken?) and then did some pull-ups and core weights. I finished up with a foam roller on my IT bands which hurt so bad I teared up! Foam roller is no longer my best friend – it’s more of a necessary evil.

I refueled with a mug of unsweetened jasmine green tea and a Halloween Monsta!
     I was about to head out the door for work when I saw this:
Swollen-faced Buddha!
     The entire right side of her face was swollen to high heaven and I, the spazz that I am, freaked out and thought that she’d been bitten by an evil deadly poisonous spider and that after her face had finished swelling, her throat would close up and she would die. I called into work telling them I’d be late and kept an eye on the pooch waiting for the telltale signs of her imminent death so I could take her to the vet. She promptly went over to her food bowl and devoured its contents, then brought her bone over to me to play. I went to work.
     Work was work. Boring and long and long and boring. I came home at lunch to make sure that the Buddha was still alive (she was), had some leftover chana masala and forced myself back to finish the final hours at work. When I got home, I realized that I had a leftover sweet potato that needed to be used up, so I made more fries!
I peeled and chopped up a small sweet potato then tossed it with olive oil and garlic salt and baked it at 450 degrees for about fifteen minutes, flipping halfway though.
I also finished up the leftover lettuce, lentils and egg white salad that was in the fridge. Kitchen Sink Salads make me happy!
     I have tomorrey off so I’ll be making some butternut squash and apple soup and grilling some salmon while reading “The Girl Who Played with Fire” (book number two in the “Dragon Tattoo” series) and sipping tea. My life is hard!
Any recipes you’ve wanted to try but haven’t had the time to? Maybe I can test a recipe tomorrow or Friday for you 🙂 I need a challenge!
(Preferably not a SUPER expensive challenge!)

3 Comments

Filed under audition, booked, Buddha, chana masala, gym, Halloween Monster, jasmine green tea, kitchen sink salad, sweet potato fries, The Girl who Played with Fire

by | October 20, 2010 · 7:38 am

Recipe Overload!

My kitchen smells like heaven right now and there’s a burning underneath my fingernails. I’ll explain later.

I had my free fitness evaluation at the gym this morning and learned some great exercises to build core strength in preparation for the heavy lifting I need to do with my new job, and got an injury/body-fat reading. Foam rollers are my new best friend! I have incredibly tight quads, hamstrings and IT bands from the mass amounts of hiking I do, and I will be devoting a good amount of time at the gym to stretch them out and release all the knots. This morning’s rollout goes up on the list as one of the most painful things I’ve experienced.

I finished up my workout, ran over to Trader Joe’s to pick up some necessities for my day off and sprinted through a downpour to get to my car. Lunchtime!

First I caramelized some onions…
Next up, I chopped up a jalapeno (hence the burning under my fingernails that is STILL lingering, hours after chopping), a clove of garlic and grated some frozen ginger.
Hint: Using a zester and a knob of frozen ginger is the easiest way to “chop” ginger!
I threw above ingredients, plus a lot more into a pan…
I halved Jenna’s recipe since the roommates are out of town, and still have about four servings leftover!
     After lunch I ran to the library to pick up some books I had on hold and, since I was out, decided to stop by the grocery store for even MORE ingredients. Once I start cooking, I can’t stop!
Butternut squash, chocolate chips and “Leaves of Grass“. Not to be used together!
I had a butternut squash from TJ’s and after lots of deliberation, decided to make Megan’s butternut squash fries.
I sliced up half of the squash, tossed it with olive oil and sprinkled garlic salt on top, then baked it at 450 degrees for an hour.
These were enjoyed with ketchup and another thunderstorm 🙂
     I sat down to watch “Leaves of Grass” which stars Edward Norton as twin brothers. I really liked this movie and Ed Norton is AMAZING – however… The disc was scratched and the most pivotal moment was skipped over. I tried to clean the disc to no avail, and called Redbox to tell them. The good thing that came of this is that I got promo codes for two free movies! I’m slightly less bummed about not knowing what the heck happened in the climax of the movie…
     I was so distressed that I had to put my anxiety into the beating of some butter and sugar. It was time for Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins!
Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins – Printable version available HERE.
(adapted from my Great Grandma Max’s recipe <3)
1/3 cup Nucoa
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup whole rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 banana mashed
1 banana roughly chopped
A crapload of chocolate chips
     1. Cream the Nucoa (or butter or butter substitute you prefer) and the brown sugar together.
     2. Add eggs and wisk together.
     3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well.
     4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and combine.
     5. Stir in bananas and chocolate chips (I used almost half a bag in mine! Oops!)
     6. Pour batter into muffin tins.
     7. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
     8. Grab a muffin immediately and dive in!
YUM!
      I wish I could claim that the muffins are healthy, but whole wheat flour and rolled oats are the best I can do while still keeping it delicious! It’s a good thing I have a gym membership – I’ll be working off the extra muffin I inhaled after eating the first one. Oops again!
What’s your favorite recipe to make on a rainy day?

2 Comments

Filed under butternut squash fries, chana masala, Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins, HealthyHoggin, Jenna Weber, Leaves of Grass, Redbox

by | October 19, 2010 · 9:40 am

Malibu, Mexican, Malachi!

    I woke up early this morning and headed to the gym! I’m known for going to extremes and overworking myself when I have the opportunity, so I kept that in mind when I walked through the doors this morning. I spent 35 minutes doing cardio on the elliptical because the stair-climber was broken, then did 25 minutes of weight lifting and stretching. I felt good when I got home… until NOW. Now my legs are screaming at me! I LOVE IT!

     I’ve almost used up all the leftover canned pumpkin! I had yet another Halloween Monster (thanks so much for mentioning it on your blog, Lynn!) for breakfast and I’m still not sick of it!

So thick!
     I had an audition in Sherman Oaks today – walk in, slate, profiles, chit-chat, “okay with kissing an onscreen boyfriend?”, “yes”, slate again, walk out. Commercial auditions are quick ‘n easy!
     Afterwards I went over to pick up Malachi and we headed towards Malibu.
It was a tough drive. The scenery was just SO distracting!
This is my ideal weather – I wish it were like this all the time.
     We arrived at a cute lodge tucked into the canyons of Malibu so Malachi could pick up an awesome car that his uncle was generously lending him, then went to lunch at Lily’s Cafe and Pastries for some local Mexican food.
I got the grilled fish tacos – tender fish covered with a white sauce and topped with tomatoes and cilantro, all wrapped up in fresh corn tortillas. They served a searing hot sauce on the side. Heaven!
Malachi’s food was so good it made him want to cry. 
Malachi modeled his ancient bracelets that he wears until they fall off. Here they’re arranged by age from “FREAKING OLD” to “You’ve worn that for HOW long?”
     I needed a little pick-me-up for the drive home up the coast, so I grabbed a tall soy chai from the Bucks. Malachi ordered a manly drink and posed with his manly new car.
Sippin’ a manly vanilla steamer and posing with his manly PT Loser Cruiser.
Stand proud, buddy!
     I have tomorrey off! The day will be stuffed with cooking, reading and Sundance films.

Speaking of cooking, DOES ANYONE HAVE AMAZING BUTTERNUT SQUASH RECIPES TO SHARE? 

2 Comments

Filed under fish tacos, green monster, gym, Halloween Monster, Lily's Cafe and Pastries, Malachi, Malibu, Starbucks

by | October 18, 2010 · 8:04 am

A New Journey!

     I’m trying something new for the next two weeks. Let’s see if you can figure it out…

Friday’s lunch…
Today’s lunch.
Friday’s post-dinner snack…
Today’s post-dinner snack.
That would be roasted seaweed. I’m not a fan.
     I didn’t give you many hints because I didn’t take enough pictures over the past few days, so I’ll just tell you: I’ve decided to become pescetarian for the following two weeks. Why, you ask? I really don’t know myself. All I know is that my body is fed up with the crappy eating as of late, and I’m ready for a jolt back into health. I’ve also cut out coffee (waaaaaah!) and alcohol (except for one night I have planned with friends) for a little extra cleanse. 
     For another extra boost, I joined the local gym for a month, and finally feel like I’m in a healthy mindset again! YOU READY FOR THIS?
     I’ll show you how I prepare for two weeks (if not more) of vegetarianism/pescetarianism. 
Seared ahi and avocado salad to prepare my body for the future.
A BIGASS burger topped with bacon, avocado and white cheddar with a huge side of sweet potato fries to bid a farewell to all things meat. Sniff.
DEVOUR!
Have you ever eaten something so good you wanted to cry? That’s what’s happening here.
SO GOOD!
     I’m off to sip some chamomile tea and try to race through my book, “The Lost Girls” to try and finish it before it’s due in three days. I only have three hundred and forty pages (!!!) left. Yikes. Audition tomorrey followed by hanging with Malachi and then work at night. It’s going to be a busy day!

6 Comments

Filed under burgers, Chimay Grande Reserve, kitchen sink salad, pescetarianism, roasted seaweed, seared ahi, sweet potato fries, The Lost Girls, vegetarianism

by | October 16, 2010 · 9:32 pm

PUMPKIN OVERDOSE!

     Ever since last year’s pumpkin shortage, I’ve become covetous over canned pumpkin. In the baking aisle at the grocery store, I fight the urge to snarl and hiss at people as they casually grab a can like it grows from an overactive pumpkin-tree. They obviously don’t recall the horrors of 2009.

   
     Even now, in the time of plenty, I get flashbacks. Each time I pass by a can of pumpkin and don’t pick it up, I get a tight, anxious feeling in my chest and fret about that can of pumpkin for the rest of the day, wondering if I’ve made a huge mistake by walking by… wondering if I’ll ever see another can of pumpkin again.
     This year, I’ve taken steps to prevent such a disaster. Canned pumpkin overflows from my cabinets, biding its time until I crack it open and let the pureed gold flow out.
 I give you: last night’s dessert.
Obviously we didn’t use the graham cracker crust. It turned out more like pumpkin souffle! YUM!
     Since we had to open a GIGANTIC can of pumpkin to make the pies last night and had a bunch left over, I decided to add some to the Monsta so it didn’t go to waste.
This is exactly like slurping down liquid pumpkin pie. So good!
Halloween Monsta (Makes 2 servings)
14 cups of spinach, washed
1 cup unsweetened soymilk
1/2 cup of canned pumpkin
2 carrots
1 frozen banana
1 lemon
1 lime
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
     1. Cram all the ingredients into a magical Vitamix.
     2. Turn the Vitamix to high. (If you don’t have a magical blender, put all the ingredients except for the spinach into the blender, then slowly add the spinach as the blender whirls.)
     3. Pour the thickest Monsta you’ve ever seen into a large glass.
     4. Add a straw.
     5. Try not to sprain your jaw while sucking it down.
     I still have about two cups of opened canned pumpkin left and I want to use it up before it goes bad!
Do you have any good pumpkin recipes??

2 Comments

Filed under canned pumpkin, Crustless Pumpkin Pie, green monster, pumpkin souffle, Vitamix, weight watchers

by | October 15, 2010 · 9:00 pm

My Day with Bobby Flay!

     I’m a poet. As I was typing out my title, I realized what genius I have stored up in my brain, just waiting to come out in rhyme. Thyme. Lime. Dime.

You’re welcome.

     Yesterday involved a trip to Costco to stock up on the necessities of life: ludicrous amounts of toilet paper, 6-packs of bell peppers, and mass quantities of bananas for the morning Montsas. Yeah, bulk shopping! While we were pushing the gigantic cart down the aisles, we passed this sign:

BOBBY FLAY!!!
We raced down the aisles, ramming into at least four other carts and rolling over a few ankles and feet, and found this:
Well, hello there!
Bobby was signing copies of his new book, Bobby Flay’s Throwdown. As much as I love Bobby Flay, I don’t love him enough to wait in a four-hour line. Lucky for me, I’m a blogger and always have my camera handy!
(Interesting fact: a family friend, Jenn Karlman, was on Bobby’s season premiere of “Grill It! with Bobby Flay”, and has an amazing cooking website with recipes she creates in her own savvy brain. Go check it out!)
Side note: I have now typed out the word “Bobby” too much and it looks funny…
     More good news???
Corduroys are back in style, and cheap when you buy them in bulk!
Sarcasm or sincerity? You be the judge!
Who’s your favorite FoodNetwork personality? I’m a sucker for Giada DeLaurentiis and the latest “The Next Food Network Star” winner, Aarti Sequeria.

3 Comments

Filed under Aarti Sequeria, Bobby Flay, corduroys, Costco, Giada DeLaurentiis, green monster, Grill It, Jenn Karlman, Throwdown with Bobby Flay

by | October 13, 2010 · 8:50 pm

Good Morning!

     Good morning.

Yes, it is 🙂
I love where I live.

3 Comments

Filed under gorgeous, marine layer, Morning, Sunrise

by | · 9:14 am

Meet Frogface!

     I’m an awesome friend. Just to let you all know. I got up at 6am on my only day off to take a friend to the airport. It took almost two hours of fighting traffic to get down to LAX – lucky for us, we had gotten off the 101 before Imperial Stars decided to pull over their bus and give a concert in the three left lanes of the highway. Lucky me!

     After dropping my friend off, my roommate (who is also an awesome friend) and I took the coast up and stopped for breakfast at Paradise Cove.
COFFEEEEEEE!
Cinnamon french toast. This one ended up wreaking havoc on my stomach – too many carbs and too much sugar! I’m not used to such an overload!
Paradise Cove is a very swanky little trailer park…
With a beautiful backdrop!
     Tonight was my final pottery class for at least a month, so I decided not to throw any bowls and instead let my brain revert back to how it though as a preschooler.
This is Frogface.
Frogface is pleased (and surprised) to meet you!
My mom has a bit more talent than I do in the pottery department.
By a bit, I mean she has a LOT more talent than I do!
     A late dinner followed pottery class with a splash of splurge.
Chimay Red! I’m so spoiled! This beer is AH-MAY-ZING! Deliciously rich and smooth and full of joy. I can’t really describe this one any better. No notes stick out (maybe because I’ve had a glass and a half so far), just deliciousness. 
     We’re wrapping up watching Glee and sipping good brews, and tomorrey I officially start working for the artist and learning Excel and fun stuffs like that, followed by a night shift at work and lots of GELATO!
Please compliment Frogface. He’s quite insecure…

2 Comments

Filed under airport, beach, Chimay Red, coffee, french toast, Frogface, Imperial Stars, LAX, Mom, Paradise Cove

by | October 12, 2010 · 7:40 am

RANDOM FOOD ATTACK!

Food flashback:

Post-work hash and poached egg. Trader Joe’s roast beef hash is delish and has really good nutritional stats! Guilt-free dinner!
Mini-Monsta with some self-promotion in the background. (I don’t normally read my own blog in the mornings – I go through all ten million that I follow first.) 😀
FULL-SIZE Monsta! Lots of spinach and asparagus and frozen blueberries!
Gelato with the Russian co-worker, Veek-torr (aka the non-Russian Victor (I have a weird sense of humor…)) and Vicky.
     Now let’s get to some quick recipes:
Peach-Pumpkin Pie Pancakes – Printable version HERE
1/2 cup whole rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 peach, diced
1 1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk
     1. Mix dry ingredients together, then add the wet.
     2. Stir until combined.
     3. Pour 1 heaping tablespoon onto greased pan over medium heat.
JUST. LIKE. THAT.
     4. Cook until the tops start to look dry and the bubbles have popped. Flip.
     5. Cook on the other side for another 4-5 minutes (Pumpkin really puffs up the pancakes, so you have to cook them a little longer, otherwise the middle comes out raw. Lucky for you, these are vegan, so raw does not equal salmonella poisoning!)
Toasty brown!
     6. Plate, drizzle with honey and eat!
Yeah. These were a bit raw in the middle. Still delicious and edible, though!
     Next recipe:
Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza
Pre-made whole wheat dough from Trader Joe’s (cuz I’m lazy…)
Whatever fresh veggies you desire
Cheese (again, whichever type you desire)
     1. Put your dough on parchment paper on a baking sheet.
     2. Top with whatever veggies and cheese you want.
My base was zucchini. I grated 2 full zucchinis then squeeeezed the crap out of them to get the water out. Seriously, squeeze these until all the moisture is gone, otherwise it makes for a soggy, icky pizza.
I sliced a bunch of baby tomatoes.
Pre-bake: Zucchini, tomatoes, sliced bell peppers, goat cheese, spinach, smoked mozzarella and sliced onions that were caramelized with a teaspoon of blood-orange balsamic vinegar.
     3. Bake at 450 F for about twelve minutes.
Heck. To. The. Yes.
     4. Chop through the thick crust and devour.
This doesn’t really count as a recipe considering it’s a “throw-a-bunch-of-random-ingredients-together-then-cross-your-fingers-and-hope-it-works-out” type of recipe. I’ll still take credit for it though!
     All that we have seen brings us to tonight:
Punkin for me, 1554 for the roommate.
Twobooswhoeat and I are planning a SoCal blogger meetup soon! It will be just north of Calabasas (might be a bit of a drive for you LA-ians). Who’s in??

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Filed under recipe

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