Flooring for the addition

We have been working on the addition for over 2 years now and are so close to finishing I can taste it!!  We were originally going to go with cork in the great room but are so happy with the blue Marmoleum click in the mudroom that we chose this color (Barbados) for the great room.  Just this trim and some touch up work and we will be done!!

Ancient Grains for Breakfast: The 17 Day Diet

I never even thought of having grains besides oatmeal for breakfast.  This was so nutty and yummy. 

I just cooked them all according them all (black quinoa, wheatberries, and amaranth) the amaranth directions and added cinnamon, ground cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, and allspice.  Agave nectar and a little soy milk.

I also poached a pear in the microwave and topped that with plain nonfat sugar free yogurt and drizzled with agave nectar. 

Topped both with blackberries.  I felt like I was at a B&B!

Cold Veggie Pizza and Sundried Tomato Dip/Spread: The 17 Day Diet

We went to a benefit this weekend for a friend that has cancer and I volunteered to make something.  These turned out wonderfully and are very delicious and healthy!!!

1/2 of a sheet of crust

For the crust:
6 cups of riced raw cauliflower
1 1/2 cup of egg whites
1 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast (you might have to go to a health food store for this)
3 cups of Kraft Fat Free Mozzarella
1 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
1 1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder
seasoning of choice I used basil and an Italian herb mix

To "rice" the cauliflower: I did this with my Cuisenart with a grating blade. I have read that you can use the "s" blade or hand grate with a cheese grater.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. On parchment paper lined 18"x26" baking sheet (I recommend this instead of spraying the pan because I tried that and it stuck!), press mixture flat  as thin as you can get it without having holes.  Sprinkle with herbs.

Bake crusts for 20 min and carefully turn over and bake for another 10-15 min


Sundried Tomato Spread/dip

1 32oz container of any brand of greek yogurt strained in cheese cloth overnight to make yogurt cheese
1 cup of oil packed sundried tomatos drained and blotted to get most of oil off
1/4 of basil paste


put all ingrediants into a food processor or blender until it looks like this:



This makes much more than you will need for the size crust I made but it makes an excellent spread for sandwiches or a dip for veggies!  Tastes like a creamcheese spread instead of yogurt.

To assemble the Veggie Pizza

I found cutting the crust with a pizza cutter first to be the easiest way.  I just approximately 2"x2" squares.  Spread each piece with the Sundried Tomato Spread and then top with your favorite toppings.  I did red onions, orange peppers, artichoke hearts and blanched asparagus tips.

Salmon patties and slaw

Ball jars instead of plastic containers.

So over the past couple of years, I have been trying to get rid of the plastic containers we use, for environmental and health reasons (they leach chemicals).  I have a huge set of Pyrex that I like but don't love.  The tops do fit well and when you put liquids in them, they tend to leak when tipped. I have been doing so much prep cooking on the 17 Day Diet that I am running out of containers for refrigerator food storage.  So, I found myself in Meijer last night, looking at the Rubbermaid containers just kicking myself for even thinking of it.  Put them in my cart, walked away, felt so guilty that I went back and put them on the shelf.  As I turned around, the canning supplies caught me eye and I found these 500ml size Ball jars.  I bought these and a pack of ones that are 1/2 this size.  They are perfect!!  I don't know why I didn't think of this before.  I use the  larger ones to store beans, whole grains, flours, etc.

Revised recipe and nutritional information for Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I changed my recipe a little this weekend.  Instead of a mix of regular mozarella and fat free, I went with all fat free.  No change in flavor!!  

Cauliflower Crust Eggplant parm Sandwich

I used my Cauliflower pizza crust recipe.  This is leftover Eggplant Parmesan (from The 17 Day Diet book), baby greens, and roasted chicken breast.  Delicious!

Addicted to Cauliflower? Almost to Cyle 2: The 17 Day Diet!!!

Well I think we have become addicted to cauliflower.  I made more of the pizza crusts and we are using them for sandwiches.  I have made Mushroom Leek "Rice" (recipe below)  twice over the past 10 days and Saturday I made this recipe for Mock Garlic Mashed Potatoes I used low fat cream cheese and no butter and they were FAB-U-LOUS!!!  I have gone through 6 heads of cauliflower in the past 10 days.    My husband has lost 8lbs so far and I think I have around 6lbs (haven't weighed myself since last week).  This diet is easier than I thought it would be.  Thursday we start Cycle 2 which means even more recipes!!


Mushroom Leek "Rice"


1 12 oz package of fresh baby bella mushrooms, washed and sliced.
Slice two leeks up to (where the leaves separate) into 1/4 inche slices, put in a bowl of water and let soaks for a few minutes and then strain in a colender.
1 head of cauliflower grated into "rice"
2 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup of chicken, beef or veggie broth

heat oil over medium heat.  Had leeks and saute until they start separating.  Add mushrooms and sautee until they start changing color.  Add cauliflower "rice" and broth.  Cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes.  Enjoy!

Rice

CHOBANI Berry Cream Pie Recipe ---17 Day Diet

Chobani
I used this recipe and used Stevia In The Raw instead of sugar.  It was so good.  A little bit of a cheat because of the butter and Graham cracker crust but I haven't cheated at all yet and it was sooooo worth.  1/4 fruit and 1 probiotic serving.
Cream Pie Recipe 

Crazy Cauliflower: Things you never thought you could make. 17 Day Diet

So I recently tried a recipe for pizza crust made from cauliflower and I really wasn't that happy with the results.  It stuck to the pan and I thought the it was too many calories with so much mozzarella in it.  Last night I decided to try my own recipe.  I have seen chefs make sculptures out of baked Parmesan cheese so I decide to replace some of the mozzarella with Parmesan, fat free mozzarella and nutritional yeast (used frequently in vegan recipes as a cheese replacement.  I also changed the whole eggs to egg whites only.  I am very very happy with the results.  The texture was perfect.  So bread-like that if you didn't know it didn't have flour in it, you would never have guessed.  I am also going to use these for sandwiches, like you would pita bread.  I am also going to try doing another batch with different flavors, maybe curry.  Here is the recipe.  Enjoy!!



I did a huge batch that made three 9 inch crusts and four garlic breadsticks.



4 cups of riced raw cauliflower (see below)
1 cup of egg whites
1 cup of nutritional yeast (you might have to go to a health food store for this)
1 package of Kraft Fat Free Mozzarella (1 3/4 cup)
1/4 of regular Mozzarella
1 cup of grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
seasoning of choice I used basil and an Italian herb mix


To "rice" the cauliflower:  I did this with my Cuisenart with a grating blade.  I have read that you can use the "s" blade or hand grate with a cheese grater.  It should look like this.




Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Measure out 1 cup for each pizza crust on a parchment paper lined baking sheet (I recommend this instead of spraying the pan because I tried that and it stuck!).  Press mixture into a flat circle as thin as you can get it without having holes.  For the bread sticks, divide the remaining mix into 4 equal portions and make 6 inch logs on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with herbs.


Bake crusts for 20 min and carefully turn over and bake for another 10-15 min.  They will look like this when done.  The bread sticks take 30 mins and you do not turn them over.  These browned perfectly.


To make pizza, top crust with sauce, toppings, and fat free cheese.  Place under broiler until cheese is melted. 





Serving size is 1 cup.