the Non-Dairy Queen

Breakfast Of Champions!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Build a jar...

jar

1/4 cup peanut flour

mixed with a little water and a little stevia

buckwheat

cooked

almond milk (and bubbles)

strawberry and blueberry chia jam

READY!

Strawberry and Blueberry Chia Jam

1/2 cup diced fresh strawberries

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup water

1 TBSP chia seeds

Combine the berries and water in a sauce pan. Heat and stir until the berries are softened. Take off the heat and add the chia seeds. Stir well to combine. Allow to cool and serve up.

I eat out of jars a lot these days. They are perfect for taking eats on the go. This one was a definite winner. I am so addicted to chia jam.

Today is going to be a crazy one, so I had to get some good fuel in! My workout is done, eats are made and now it's time to get to some recipe development! Best part of my job!

Have a great Monday!

Dress It Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Hello Friday! I am soooo glad you are here finally. I'm hoping for some sleep in time this weekend! Speaking of sleep, we got this pillow top thing for the bed...Tony's plan, not really mine and I'm having the hardest time sleeping with it. It's like sleeping on marshmallow for me. We have a heavy comforter on top and the marshmallow think on the bottom...I'm getting lost in all this fluff and can't turn over. The worst part, Tony is sleeping better with it. Ugh, finding the bedding balance after being married for almost 17 years...

Anyway, as for the title of this post, let's dress up some salad! Truth be told, I normally go for mustard, hot sauce, over easy eggs or hummus when it comes to dressing. Well, I finally purchased a jar of Marmite a few weeks ago and I started playing with it. I love the stuff straight up, but I wanted to make something a little different to go with my salad and socca this time.

Marmite is no joke when it comes to flavor and texture.

Think thick molasses texture with a bite like worsteshire sauce. I think that's a good way to describe it. In other words...AMAZING! Oh and super loaded with B vitamins! Bonus! Heather, Lindsay, Kristina and Christin, you ladies know what I'm talking about!

I've been taking shots of apple cider vinegar thanks to the suggestions from my favorite twins, but I figured if I could make the stuff taste better by using it in my dressing, why not?!

Tomato Dressing

(1 serving)

1/3 cup tomato sauce

1 TBSP apple cider vinegar

1/4 - 1/2 tsp marmite

dash of garlic powder

dash of onion powder

Shake it all up!

Naked...

Dressed up!

This dressing is really creamy and a little bit salty with a tang. YUM!

These days, I go for some socca on the side toasted up for my croutons. I love it! I changed this one up a bit by adding oatmeal and I loved the crunch and the slight whole grain sweetness. It definitely complemented the tangy dressing on my salad!

Socca Flatbread

(makes one)

1/2 cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)

1/4 cup quick oats or oat flour (make sure it's gluten free)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)

1/4 tsp onion powder (optional

3/4 cup warm water

pepper and salt for the top

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a 9 inch cake pan coated with olive oil (I use the olive oil spray). Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top. Bake for 15-55 minutes depending on how crispy you want it. Remove from pan.

Have a great Friday!

Tabata And Some Realizations...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Tabata...

I had never heard of this before until last Friday. If you talk workouts with me and I don't know what you're talking about, I will spend hours upon hours of researching it. I HAD to know what this was...

Basically it is a 3-5 minute warm up followed by 8 intervals of super high intensity for 20 seconds and then rest for ten seconds then a 3-5 minute cool down....

We did this 8 times last night. OH MY GOSH! My legs hate me, but I love it! I downloaded the Tabata timer on my iPhone last night and it worked like a charm and it was free!

Our workout was designed by my friend Marie (who is studying to be a Personal Trainer through the course I'm about to take with ISSA).

What we did (or as I would like to call it HELL, but in the kindest way possible)...

3 minute warm up of jumping jacks and squat thrusts

Kettlebell Swings

Air Squats (oh goodness these are evil)

Burpees

Pushups

Planks

Jumping Jacks (it's so silly, but I love jumping jacks)

Upright Rows with Kettlebells

Cool down and stretching (I was actually a good girl and stretched well!)

We rotated this with one move being done twice for 8 rounds. After each round, we took a 30 second break. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

This was not a pre-planned workout for me, so it was actually my second workout of the day. I did an interval workout at 6am and when I got the text to see if I wanted to try Tabata with Marie after work, I couldn't pass it up. I was worried all day though that she would kick my butt, I would throw up and she would run circles around me. Don't get me wrong, she totally kicked my butt, but I think I held my own. I felt so accomplished after this. I only did girl pushups for one round!

I guess all of this is to say that I felt accomplished. I realized that I can do more than I think I can. I may have been the one holding me back all along, but let's not put the blame all on me just yet. This time in my life is really the first time that I am just being me. I don't worry about what people think about me. I don't worry about what people say about me. I am not perfect. I know this, but I am trying really hard to just do my best and it feels so good.

No one has everything easy, don't assume that they do. Everything is relative and we all have our own obstacles to overcome. My drive to do what I'm doing now with nutrition and personal training is to share that with others. It is so easy to give in and feel defeated. Trust me, I've been there. I wanted to give up on my body so many times, it's not good, it's not right, but it's what I have. Really though, in the end, giving up would only hurt me more. I'm worth more than that and I can do so much more than I thought I ever could, even with my limitations.

In the end, you have to find you and realize what you want. You don't have to be the strongest person, the fastest person, the smartest person, the funniest person, the most artistic person or the skinniest person, you just have to find who you want to be and make it the best.

Never mind that I can't walk up the stairs today without looking like a 120 year old woman...those kettle swings and air squats are vicious little suckers!

Homemade Chinese Takeout!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Yesterday was such a great day for me. I got my CPR/AED certification even though I was terrified of the situation. I found a company to give me the course one on one and the boys had me scared out of my mind that I was going to get my certification out of a van. I found the company off the American Heart Associations website and when I called, they said they could give me the class on Monday morning. So, since I wanted to get my nutrition certification in my hand, I had to take it. The boys picked on me all weekend about how creepy the certification situation sounded. So, with the eery rain in the morning and the office in the back of the building, I walked in with my guard up. Luckily, it was all good and I loved getting the class one on one. If anyone in Atlanta needs the course, I highly recommend them! Just drop me a line and I will pass on the information. All I'm asking now, is that I don't have to use this information. I love knowing it, but ugh, I don't want to use it.

After my course was complete and I got my certification card, I made my way home for some lunch with my main squeeze. I made my soy free fried rice the night before so I was excited for these leftovers!

Even though our fried rice is loaded with protein from the eggs and bean sprouts, I wanted to make sure I got a little extra protein in there so I fried up 2 more egg whites, then added some fried rice to reheat it, served it over crisp iceberg lettuce and smothered it in coconut aminos (love this instead of soy sauce!)...

and rooster sauce (I like things hot)!

This totally hit the spot!

I'm really focusing on getting some extra protein these days. Ever since I started studying nutrition I've completely changed how I eat. I used to think I didn't need as much protein and I do believe that everyone's needs are different. However, I do workout regularly and I feel like my body had gotten pretty stagnant when it came to changing with my workouts. I also felt like there were things that I should be strong enough to do and it was just not happening. After focusing on my protein sources for the past 2 months (eggs, peanut flour, nuts, beans and nutritional yeast), I have seen and felt a complete change in my energy and physique. I think about food from a completely different stand point nowadays. I used to think about my veggies and fruits first (cause I'm a true lover of them), now I think about my protein source first and build my meals from there.

Speaking of protein...

I fried up some chicken for the boys to go with the fried rice we had on Sunday night.

I got the idea from Jessica at How Sweet Eats when she made this and she got it from Rebecca off of Tasty Kitchen. Tony is a General Tso's expert. The man loves his General Tso's and he loved this dish! I don't fry food often, but it was Sunday and it was treat day. So, we had a fun family interactive meal by making fried rice and General Tso's lettuce wraps!

So, tell me, what are your favorite sources of protein? I'm always looking for more vegetarian ideas. Any protein powder recommendations would be really helpful too!

Enchiladas!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

My weekend festivities started off with doing my first tour of a grocery store. It was actually The Natural Food Warehouse close to my house and the store is amazing! I met someone at the gym that wants help with finding natural foods and learning how to use them! Obviously, as you all know, that is so my thing! Nothing like using that education right away! Anyway, it was so much fun talking to someone face to face that really wanted to learn more about good natural food! I'm looking forward to our cooking session soon now!

This weekend went faster than normal since I had to work on Saturday. I did not have to cook since Tony had made a huge crockpot of ham and black eyed peas for him and the boys Thursday, so when I got home, it was all about rest and relaxation. I opted for some leftovers overs my own though.

You see, we had a visitor arrive last week from Stuft Mama...

it only seemed right to make a meal that would make Flat Kitty feel welcome! Keep Your Hands Off Mama's Spicy Spinach and Chicken (and Peppers) Enchiladas were on the menu. These are so good and easy to make! Seriously, you have to make them! I was so happy the boys LOVED them too! I grilled orange peppers and chicken for ours since mine were spinach and peppers. The changes I made were adding grilled peppers (to both the chicken and vegetarian varieties), cheese to the boys (not the yogurt dip - I did not have any) and I used a mix of tomato sauce and fresh salsa for the sauce (I did not have the soup that Mama calls for). I was so nervous the boys would not like them since I was bold and went with the spinach and peppers, but they devoured them! They've already asked them to be in the rotation of eats! Thanks Stuft Mama for sharing your super awesome kitty and your super awesome enchiladas!

I covered mine in jalapenos, nutritional yeast and an over easy egg. I had to get my Bs! Loved the egg over it. Since there was no cheese, this gave me that creamy topping that I was missing!

In all seriousness about the Flat Kitty, this cat is a so awesome...a semi hairless cat! Tony wants the real one so badly! Thank you Kristin for sharing him with us!

Today is a mad dash to class for me. I get to make out with a dummy and I'm not referring to Tony either. CPR and AED class for my certification to be complete! Have a great one Monday!

Peanut Chocolate Fudge Topping!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you for your comments yesterday. Seriously, you made my day and then I got the email...I PASSED! HELL YEAH, excuse my French, but that felt so good! After hours of calls and research, I finally found a place that does the CPR/AED certification for $50...sold to the lady that just passed her Fitness Nutrition Certification. Monday afternoon, I will be done!

I finally looked around the house to find what I have been ignoring for the past couple of months and well, I'm ashamed. Observations...

1. The boys have asked me for socks/shirts/jeans every day before going to school. This means that the pile of laundry sitting in the laundry room is not only scary in height, but desperately NEEDS to be washed and put away (the latter is the key or I will have to iron and really that's just a joke). Tony does wash clothes, but his folding skills are less that desirable and really, he works harder than I do, so this is not a dig at my husband...he is the best!

2. The boys bathroom smells and look like a war zone. UGH, I'm sure there is something growing in the trash can and we all know it's not a plant. I would like to just throw a bomb in it and call it a night. I may need to be in full biohazard gear to clean that sucker.

3. Oh speaking of the plant that's in said bathroom...yeah, not so much a plant anymore, but a stick in sand. Sorry Mr. Plant...you put up a good fight.

4. Groceries...there are no eggs, bread or milk in the house. If it snowed tomorrow, we would starve, right? Luckily we live in Georgia and that's not gonna happen. Crisis averted, well, that is if I find my way to the store soon.

5. Most of you know that I'm an apple girl through and through...there are two bags of apples that have been sitting on the counter for 2 weeks that need to be cooked (not fit for my eating, yeah, I'm an apple snob). In my defense, they were given to me, but still...two weeks.

6. My email has been messed up for at least 3 days (the fact that I don't know why or how long this has been going on is proof that I have not been good about checking it...or responding to people).

7. My hair is too long! Remember when I told you I was going to donate it? It looked like this...

it is still on my head! I am getting it cut in the next two weeks. It goes to my butt and that is just too long for me.

8. I'm sure there is more, but that's all I've noticed so far...time to catch up!

I will go ahead and apologize for the quality of these pictures, but I've really been loving my night time treats lately and I wanted to share this with you! I've been baking my peanut butter oats and topping them with my version of a peanut butter chocolate fudge! This is low fat, high fiber and high protein! Oh and delicious!

Peanut Butter Baked Oats

(serves 2 or one hungry gal)

3/4 cup quick oats

1/2 cup peanut flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

a shake of salt

1 TBSP Stevia Blend for Baking or sugar

1/4 cup egg whites/egg substitute or 1 egg

1/4 cup almond milk

1 cup water

3 droppers vanilla stevia

Mix it all together and pour into an oil coated bowl or dish (I use a pyrex 4 cup bowl).

Bake at 375 degrees 40-50 minutes.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge Topping

(serves 1)

3 TBSP peanut flour

1 TBSP cocoa powder

1-2 droppers vanilla or cocoa stevia

1-3 TBSP water or almond milk

Put the flour and cocoa powder in a bowl. Then add the stevia and 2 tablespoons of the water or milk (add more as needed). I don't like to mix it too much so I can get a good swirl in it. The more liquid you add, the more it turns into a frosting or a pudding!

As you can see, I'm loving some peanut protein these days. I love the texture of this peanut butter oat cake. It's not mushy at all and it's a really tasty treat after a long day!

Truth be told, this is a recycled picture, but I had these oats with apple cranberry chia jam (inspired by Stuft Mama) and peanut fudge for dinner again last night too. I need quick protein options some times and this totally hits the spot!

So, what have you neglected lately?

Case Study Complete, Now We Wait...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Well, I finished the course...

It is the weirdest feeling to complete something that you work so hard for and then wait...

I shut down completely yesterday and focused completely on my case study. I think it kind of freaked Tony out since he kept checking on me. I was so quiet and focused. I had to give it everything I had and I really think I did.

Now I have to get my CPR/AED certification. I had no idea it was so expensive. Yes, I'm cheap and while I have no problem putting money towards my education, when it comes down to spending $100 for a one day study, that kind of overwhelms me. I have no choice though or I don't get my certification. So, I have to suck it up and pay the price!

All of this kind of led me to thinking about something today. When I finally finished my case study and pushed the send button, I realized that I have one of the most important parts of the reason I want to help others with nutrition and health...I have you guys, an incredible support system.

I'm bringing this up because I really do believe that having people around you to support you in your path is so important for success. Negativity will only hold us back and I am so guilty of letting people that don't support me make me believe that I am less than I am or that I don't deserve great things. I realize now that I am worth it and I while I may not be perfect and things may not come out as planned, at least I tried and learned along the way.

Over the past year, I have learned so much about people. I have met some amazing people (online and in person) and (luckily) I already knew some amazing people. Being another year older and hopefully wiser, I am going to focus on surrounding myself with these good people. I've had enough thinking about the bad people and wishing they were more or allowing them to control my thoughts. It's a waste of time and energy for me. Thank you to all of you that stand by me and support me. You really do make a difference!

Now it's time to work on a business plan...

Weekend Treats! Cake, Icing and Pie Oh My...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Weekend of treats...

We started it off by going to our friends' house to have dinner on Friday night. That was such a great time. They had a baby 3 months ago and with all the holiday stuff and colds we had going on before the first of the year, this was our first opportunity to meet the new little guy. He is such an angel. I got me some sweet baby cuddle time in and now I'm set for a little while. It just happened to be mine and our friend Chris' birthday on Saturday so I baked my gluten free angel food cake and took some seven minute icing (and strawberries) for a little celebration.

I woke up to this card Saturday morning...

I love being married to my best friend! Tony LOVES that I am 1 month and 10 days older than him. He says I'm a cougar for that month. It cracks me up every time. Oh and what died...was my youth. Love that card. Makes me giggle every time I look at it.

We rolled the dice and went out to linner (lunch and dinner at once). We went to P.F. Changs which the kids love and it was a treat. Tony and I have been sick since we walked out of the place. I will spare you the details, but food allergies and intolerances are no fun when risking going out. Oh well, at least I was showered with love and had tons of fun with my boys! The day ended with us watching one of my all time favorite movies, Stand By Me. What a great day!

Tony and I did wake up with that same nasty feeling so, instead my usual oats, I went with a savory egg white omelet with sauteed kale, peppers and onions topped with nutritional yeast and hot sauce.

I think I need to have this more often. Wow, what a great combination!

We also each had a shot of apple cider vinegar. That actually did help. I highly recommend it to everyone. Tony was shocked that it seemed to help him pretty quickly too!

I did not end up having a birthday cake on my birthday, but I did start craving some birthday crustless pumpkin pie on Sunday afternoon...

with some seven minute icing of course! I didn't have any whipped cream so I lightened up my seven minute icing and it came out so light and fluffy! It was the perfect topping for my birthday treat!

Extra Light and Fluffy Seven Minute Icing

(makes about 3 cups)

3 large egg whites or 9 TBSP

2/3 cup sugar

1 dropper vanilla NuNatural stevia

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp cream of tarter

In a large stainless-steel bowl, combine the egg whites with the sugar, salt and cream of tartar. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of boiling water. Beat the egg whites at high speed until stiff and glossy, about 7 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat, add the vanilla stevia and continue to beat at high speed until the frosting is cool to the touch, about 5 minutes longer. Use the frosting immediately. It will store covered in the fridge for a couple of days, but it will stiffen up a bit.

It was dark when we finally ate the pie, so no picture of the final treat. Between the four of us, it's almost gone! Besides the funky feeling in the guts (that's the PG version) and the lack of getting anything worthwhile done, it was a pretty great birthday weekend with my guys.

So, it's Monday and that means getting to business! Have a great one!

Not Wordless Wednesday...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:07:00 +0000

I wish I could say this was a wordless Wednesday, but it has been the complete opposite for me. Things are beyond crazy for me right this minute. I ran around taking care of have tos today (gotta love the DMV) and I am really getting behind on things (yeah, we had no food in the house...oops). I am almost done with my certification. I have to complete my essay and my case study...then I will be done. So, that is my focus for the rest of the week. I'm ready to be done! This monkey is getting off my back this week!

Kale Chips and Wings

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Oh Monday, we meet again. I miss my sleeping in already. I got my rear out of bed today at 5:45am to workout which felt pretty wrong after sleeping in until 8am on Saturday and 9am on Sunday. What a treat it was to actually sleep that late! Today...not so much...

Speaking of the weekend, it was full of cleaning, resting, documentaries (I'll share more on those later) and family time. I wish I had a little more time to do a little bit more, but really I'm always looking for more time. I really don't ever think there is enough. We did have our fun family dinner night on Friday...

Kale chips are to me what hot wings are to Tony...

I love the crunchy mess they are to eat. It gets everywhere! Max and I have been waiting all week for our snack night dinner so when Friday night came, it was time for kale chips!

I sprinkled these with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.

Max and I ate the whole batch in one sitting! I have no shame...

I also roasted peppers and carrots and served all of this with socca crackers, fresh mozzarella (nutritional yeast for me) and roasted chicken for the guys. It's been too long since our hors d' oeurves dinner. So much fun and so delicious!

Tony got his wings on Saturday. We rarely go out for dinner, but we decided that after cleaning the house all day and doing other odds and ends that a treat out was just what we all needed. It was a blast with the boys. I also scored some great workout clothes at TJMaxx! Love that place for great prices on workout clothes (which also happen to be work clothes).

I'm not especially looking forward to this week...I have to get my driver's license renewed and I have to get my car tags renewed. Yeah, be jealous now. I also threw a fit like a two year old because the online system told me that I can't renew my license online and that I have to go to the customer service facility. Now that sounds like fun, right! I will try to put my positive foot forward and hope to at least get some good people watching out of it.

Are you looking forward to anything this week? Give me something good!

Chia Jam!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

New addiction...

can you see it?

look closer...

Chia Seeds!

This was still warm and completely incredible! The amazing Stuft Mama posted a brilliant idea the other day for fruit chia jam. Since I've been making chia puddings like it's my job these days, I knew right away I had to try this too!

I cooked 1/2 cup rolled oats with 1 1/2 cups water on 50% power for four minutes. I let it sit in the microwave while I made my jam...

Then I stirred my oats, topped it with 1/4 cup almond milk and then put my warm apple cranberry chia jam on top...

then I topped the whole thing with my peanut butter "fudge" (peanut flour, cocoa stevia, pinch of salt and a little water)!

This was the perfect mix of warm, gooey, sweet and tart!

Apple Cranberry Chia Jam

inspired by Stuft Mama and Kasey

1 large apple, diced

1/2 cup fresh cranberries

1/4 cup water

1 TBSP chia seeds

1 dropper NuNaturals vanilla stevia

Cook the apples, cranberries and water on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes stirring occasionally. The cranberries should pop and the apples should be soft, but not mush. When the fruits are cooked, remove from the heat and add the chia and stevia. Allow to rest for a few minutes or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Here's some information on chia seeds for those that are interested. I've really been focused on getting my omega fats in and this is a really delicious way to do just that. Chia seeds are a great source of amino acids too, which are extraordinarily important for our health. Also, I think they are so cute and look like tiny dinosaur eggs.

Have you tried chia or can you not get past the chia pets?

Black Beans, Millet and Variations On A Theme...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

I will eventually get into some details of my studies and do a review of the course I'm taking but for now you get some quickie tips on eating well in a hurry since that seems to be all I do now.

Do you see a theme...

Black beans, millet, fresh yellow peppers, fresh tomatoes, cilantro and apple cider vinegar

tupperware everywhere...

Black beans, millet, slightly steamed broccoli, fresh tomato, nutritional yeast and apple cider vinegar

I'm constantly throwing odds and ends in a tupperware, shaking it up and throwing it in a cooler bag for later. After many bummer meals in the beginning of studying and work, I realized that the easiest thing for me to do for quick, healthy complete meals is to cook a few good protein choices along with a couple of complimenting grains (I am all over this subject these days - food combining has become a bit of an obsession for me, more on that later) and to have some fresh herbs and vegetables to throw in the mix for variety! My shot of apple cider vinegar is my acid of choice to brighten the flavors and dinner is served!

This saves so much time and frustration when there is nothing to eat around the house. Being able to pick and choose my added flavors is like going to a salad bar with all my favorite foods! Who doesn't love that?

What's your favorite salad mix? I need ideas!

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:26:00 +0000

Well, hello friends! Long time no talk. I guess you've heard by now...it's a new year. We brought in the new year with friends and it was such a great time. The food was amazing and the good times even better!

My friend Nayoung always puts out a great spread of food! We also had vegetarian chili and beef stew!

I brought some of my gluten free angel food cake with seven minute icing for late night treats!

I will tell you that the crazy xbox dance party we had until 4am left me a little on the exhausted side on Sunday. While we did not take the tree down, we did have our traditional New Years dinner. That is a must no matter how tired we are. I seared and roasted pork tenderloin served with black eyed peas and steamed cabbage. I always find it interesting to hear about others' traditions for holidays and since I grew up with the pork, beans and greens tradition, I am happy to pass it on to my boys. We all look forward to this meal! Do you have a traditional New Years meal or New Years eve dish you have to have?

To tell you the truth, I'm pretty excited about 2012. I've had my good years and I've had my bad. 2011 was definitely an odd year for me and sadly not good for some of my close friends. I had my share of lows this year, but I really tried to see through those and grow from them. That's definitely a hard thing for me to do, especially when it comes to personal pain, but I would like to think I grew from those experiences (which I consider my good for the year). I had to make some really hard decisions, but they were my decisions and I'm standing by them.

Professionally, I feel like I've really grown and am continuing to grow it! I'm working on some pretty great things for me right now. I'm doing my case study for my Specialist in Fitness Nutrition Certification and then I will be done with that course (cross your fingers all will be good on that end). I hit my goal of finishing the course before the new year, now I'm giving myself one more week to complete everything. I've also decided to go for my Personal Training Certification right after that. I know, crazy. My brain is like a sponge right now! I have a feeling getting certifications is gonna be a crazy addiction for me...but a good one for sure. I want to combine my career as a chef with those certifications to really put my focus on helping other's achieve there health goals. The kitchen seems to be such an intimidating part of changing peoples' health and it happens to be my favorite part! I want to write more and I want to be in the kitchen more. I really miss my kitchen lately, but I know me not being in it so much right now is a good thing. I guess working on being more patient is something I need to work on too.

Speaking of which, do you do resolutions? I HATE resolutions. I feel like I'm setting myself up for failure with resolutions. I'm a goal person, but I like making specific goals that are things I can actually achieve with a plan. Making unrealistic resolutions with no plan of action sets me up for failure fast. I have a lot of plans for change this year. I will go into detail once I take the time to figure out how to achieve these changes. I'm really excited though! For now, I have to focus on my course and then I can put my plan into action!

To all of you out there (my friends), I really appreciate your support and encouragement this past year. I look forward to a great year with all of you! I wish you all an incredibly health and happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:07:00 +0000

It had to happen...we had to leave New York behind. It was definitely a completely different experience going with kids and actually doing family stuff. It was a trip of a lifetime and we all had such an incredible time.

These were just some of my favorite shots. The last one being the icing on the cake...Max passed out in the taxi on the way to our flight home.

I know most of you are gone and off to be with family. We will be doing the same soon if only for a short time. I want to wish you all a very Happy Holiday! Please travel safe and I look forward to hearing all about your holiday adventures!

Adventure Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Just popping in to say all is good and that I will be back up and running soon. Our little family is doing our Christmas thing starting now! I will be back to share our adventures when things are settled. Have a great weekend and I hope you all get to enjoy some fun festivities too!

Until next time, I leave you with a little treat! Brown sugar banana bread!

This is one of my favorite recipes and the mini version was perfect for gifts!

Gluten Free Version

Gluten Full Version

Bacon Caramel Popcorn! (or without bacon is good too)

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:30:00 +0000

For all that asked, dairy free white chocolate chips are real and can be purchased here, here and here. I get mine from all of those places depending on when I order something.

Now, for a dairy free treat for my bacon lovers...

Bacon Caramel Popcorn!

You don't have to add the bacon...mine was without, but the boys love this! We had a super lazy day on Sunday and this a was perfect treat while we watched movies and hung out together. I love this recipe because it is so quick to come together for such a special treat!

Bacon Caramel Popcorn

20 cups air popped popcorn

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 TBSP coconut oil (or bacon grease or dairy free butter substitute of your choosing)

2 tsp salt

1 cup chopped thick cut cooked bacon

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil sprayed with cooking spray.

In a small pot over medium heat, add sugars, syrup, oil and salt stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes without stirring. When the sugar mixture is done boiling, add the chopped bacon and pour the caramel mixture evenly over the popcorn and stir to coat. Pour the popcorn mixture in the prepared pan and lay in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes stirring at about 8 minutes.

I'm sharing this on Simply Sugar and Gluten Free's Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Food, Family and Friends!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Highlight eats from the weekend...

White Chocolate Peppermint Bark!

Unwrap peppermint candies, place in a heavy duty plastic zip bag and beat the heck out of them with a frying pan (great for getting your aggressions out). Melt two bags of white chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 minute, stir and then go another 30 seconds if they are still not melted. Once the chocolate is melted, add the crushed peppermints to the chocolate and stir well. Pour the mixture onto parchment paper and allow to harden. Break apart into two bite pieces.

Gluten Free Sausage Balls!

I have found local sausage here and it's not loaded with tons of crap or have wheat/MSG in it! Huge score for Tony since I made a double batch for a get together with friends on Saturday and they were devoured!

Sunday was a complete lazy day with my three guys. We literally watched tv and hung out the entire day (there may have been a nap or two too). It was amazing! I know the next few weeks are going to be crazy for us, so it was nice to just hang out together with no agenda.

For me, this weekend was filled with friends and family. I felt soooo in the holiday spirit and really loved every second of everyday! I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by such an amazing group of people! On that note, I want to also say that, unfortunately, the holidays don't always have a happy meaning to everyone. We all go through ups and downs in life and we all have our way of handling these feelings. Goodness knows I've had my fare share. You may not even know the person you're speaking to is going through something. Please make a point to tell those you love and care about that you are there for them and that you do care. Random acts of kindness mean more than you think they do when times are tough.

(side note, just so everyone knows -including Granny- I am good, we have a friend that is going through an extraordinarily hard time and I do think this is important not just during the holidays, but all the time)

To that end, thank you all for being there for me. So many of you have been such an incredible support system for the changes I've been going through. I promise I will be around more soon. I'm almost ready for my final in my nutrition studies and then I will see what the next turn in the road has for me...

Have a great Monday!

Baking Season Has Begun!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:30:00 +0000

It's that time of year again...time to bake! I have a standard few things that I make every year during the holidays. My most favorite is....

Cinnamon bread!

This always goes to the teachers.

It's the perfect bread to package up for traveling and it only gets better when it sits over night!

The cinnamon bread really feels like the holidays for me and I love baking this for people!

This is a mini version I made that is perfect for giving to friends and loved ones! I like giving them in the mini pans for an extra special gift, wrapped in clear wrap and tied with a ribbon.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Bread
(3 Mini Loaves or 1 Large Loaf)
original recipe can be found here

1 1/3 cup sugar (white or turbinado)
1 cup Bob's Red Mill White Rice Flour
1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Brown Rice Flour
1 /2 cup Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat Flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg (flax egg works too - 1 TBSP flax meal mixed with 3 TBSP hot water)
1/4 cup California Olive Ranch's Mild and Buttery Artois Ranch***
1 1/4 cup milk or dairy free milk alternative (I use almond)
1 tsp vanilla

1 TBSP turbinado sugar mixed with 1/4 tsp cinnamon for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 3 - 5.75"x3.35"x2.25' mini loaf pans or 1 9x5 loaf pan with California Olive Ranch Mild and Buttery Artois Ranch.

Combine oil, egg, vanilla and milk in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix just until combined. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Evenly sprinkle each loaf with the cinnamon and sugar topping mixture. Cook for 35-40 minutes for mini loaves, 50-60 minutes for a large loaf or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a little bit of gooeyness on it. You can remove it from the pan after it has cooled for about 10 minutes or leave it in the pan and give it as a gift.

***Did you notice I used olive oil? This brand in particular is amazing. The mild buttery artois is so light and mild in flavor, it works perfectly in holiday baked goods!

I'm sharing this on Simply Gluten and Sugar Free's Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Do you have a standard thing you bake every year? This is something the teachers have started to expect and ask for so I'm happy to make it!

Pizza and Decorating!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:27:00 +0000

I always hesitate to rant on my site, but I felt so much better after hearing all of your comments! Thank you for sharing your thoughts too! That's why I love this community!

As for the weekend, mine went fast. I worked on Saturday, so I had to cram a lot into one day. Friday night started the cram session with getting the holiday decorations out. I do not do stressful decorating here. It has to be fun and cheerful or I'm not doing it. I made pizza for Tony and we treated the boys with pizza delivery. Don't get me wrong, they love homemade pizza, but it has been years since we had pizza delivered and really that is a treat when you're young.

Mine was socca with roasted eggplant, peppers and onions with a healthy sprinkling of nutritional yeast. I swear I could eat this every day for the rest of my life and be happy. I actually made another one on Saturday after work since everyone else had leftovers...so good!

Tony had sausage ball pizza! This, my friends, is sausage ball season and without a doubt, there will be sausage balls made! I've been so impressed with Tony's rationing of the sausage balls throughout this batch. The man is a genius when it comes to things to make with these little holiday morsels!

Like I said, Saturday was a work day, but when I got home, we decorated the tree while watching Christmas movies. I LOVE that the kids are in to our movies now! Scrooged was the movie of choice that night. It's definitely one of my all time favorites! I love Bill Murray!

Sunday was an all day event of going out looking for more decorations for the house. We all wanted to decorate a little more and since our tree is pretty natural with it's decorations we went searching for pine cones and holly from the woods out back. We are extremely happy with the mantel decorations this year. Now if we can only figure out what to do with the banister...

The holiday decorating continues!

Do you like decorating for the holidays? Do you go crazy or do you keep is simple? I am definitely a simple gal, but the need for a little more definitely hit. Speaking of more, I bought a string of lights to replace a string that was a little flickery last year...I ended up using the new strand and the one from last year. That means more lights for the tree! I love tons of lights!

Placing Judgement Is Just Wrong...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 02:14:00 +0000

I have to get something off my chest. I'm warning you now, if you don't want to hear a rant, you are welcome to come back next time for my usual chipper self. As for now, this is the new me that has to speak her mind...

So, the other day, someone posted a picture of Nigela Lawson and Gillian McKeith on facebook with a caption asking which one you would rather look like. Along with this was a description stating that they were both 50, one eats whatever she wants (voluptuous) while the other is a vegetarian (let's just say not voluptuous). Obviously, most people said they wanted to look like Nigela and blasted Gillian for her looks. What I haven't mentioned yet is that Nigella was glammed up for an event while Gillian was doing some reality show in the jungle and not made up at all. I have a few gripes about this "picture"...

First off, shame on them for comparing peoples' looks like that. If you flipped who was fixed up, you would probably have a different opinion, but above and beyond anything... how can you be so rude as to make a judgement based on someone's looks? Did your mom not teach you anything?

Next, you are comparing apples to oranges or as Tony put it apples to melons. Really, these are two completely different people and you know nothing about their health. You are assuming that Nigella is healthier because she is fuller while Gillian is sickly because she is smaller. Did you look at their parents? This could be genetic!

As far as the blasts on vegetarians go, I'm just tired of it.

Does it really matter if vegetarians choose to not eat meat? NO

Are they hurting omnivores by not eating meat? NO! In fact they're leaving more for omnivores to eat.

Are they hurting themselves by not eating meat? NO!

For those interested, a well rounded diet with the essential macronutrients along with vitamins and minerals is what we need...NOT MEAT!

I should also add that my family eats meat. I buy and prepare meat for them. I am a classically trained chef and am not afraid of cooking or serving meat, I just choose to not eat it for my own PERSONAL reasons.

I'm thankful that we can all eat the way we want to. I understand there is a flow to life and I do believe that we were meant to eat protein, but for some of us, that doesn't mean meat. I love having this conversation with Tony. He is always the first one to defend my food choices even though they aren't exactly like his... and we're both healthy!

One last thing for the record, I hate broad generalizations on people. It's wrong and rude. Try to understand someone else before you place judgement and leave your opinions to yourself. Besides, judging someone for their looks is just beyond wrong.

End rant... regular blogging will resume shortly! Thanks for listening.

Overwhelmed!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:03:00 +0000

Brutal honesty...I'm overwhelmed.

I feel over committed, under organized, I'm a mess, my house is a mess...ugh. Oddly, I'm happier than I've been in a long time. Truth be told, between work, studying, house work (don't laugh Tony, I'm trying), working out (that's all for me) and dealing with our little family, I'm in crazy town and still I'm loving it. I think this is all because I have a goal to receive my nutrition certification by the end of the year and get my butt back on track with my work with food. This makes it all worth while.

I want to be in the kitchen, but that seems to be rare these days. Tony is picking up the slack and dealing with dinner most nights, which is hard for him since his work load hasn't slacked off at all. I try to help him plan and get things ready, but still, I'm not the one in charge of the kitchen on most nights.

On the nights I am around, the light is so bad by the time we get to dinner. I really hate that. Oh well, I guess you roll with the times (literally). I have discovered a huge help for me is to roast a ton of vegetables at a time, so I have quick fixes to take with me when I need them!

Brussels Sprouts with Nutritional Yeast and an Over Easy Egg!

Oven Roasted Eggplant and Red Peppers covered in Tomato Sauce served with Toasted Socca

Roasted Red Potatoes, Red Peppers and Carrots

I love eggplant roasted like this. It's so easy and does not get mushy.

Oven Roasted Broccoli is also hi on my love list! The flavor definitely intensifies and I love the crunchy trees!

Here's the method to my madness. I literally throw everything on a couple my Better Homes and Gardens sheet pans and roast them until golden brown. Have I mentioned how much I love these pans...well I do and they are so inexpensive. Saves me time and money!

Anyway, it's Wednesday! I have high hopes for today with hopefully some tree festivities this evening...and maybe even some sausage balls for my main squeeze! Have a great day!

Perfect Thanksgiving Leads Us Into The Christmas Season!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:30:00 +0000

Thank you all for the Thanksgiving wishes! We had an incredible weekend with family. It was, by far, one of my favorite Thanksgivings. We spent the weekend with Tony's family in Tennessee and even came home a day later than we planned (none of us wanted to leave).

Highlights of the meal were...

We brined the turkey in apple juice and everyone seemed to love it. It was extremely moist and flavorful (from what I was told).

Gluten free Cornbread Dressing! I already want more of this!

Cranberry sauce made with apples. I love this stuff...so tart and sweet!

My sister-in-law made pecan pie, which you can never go wrong with.

My crustless pumpkin pie made an appearance!

The winner of the entire meal was a chocolate cake with a cream filling and fudge icing. My sister-in-law had to make two of these for the weekend. Imagine a huge ding dong...the cake not that...get your head out of the gutter!

Coconut Cream Pie (this was not my pie, but here's my version gluten and dairy free)

We also had crescent rolls, fresh green beans (those were so good!), baked sweet potatoes and gluten free macaroni and cheese. The only truly bad part about not having Thanksgiving at home is that there are no leftovers to enjoy. I see cornbread dressing in my future this week. I'm not over it yet!

We ate at noon, so my leftovers for the evening were a huge salad smothered in nutritional yeast and a toasted cornbread dressing muffin. That is my favorite way to eat my leftovers. YUM! I like a little balance in my life...

While Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, I'm really looking forward to the Christmas season. As a family (the boys, Tony and I), we decided that we are not doing a bunch of gifts, we are heading to New York for 4 days! It will be the first time for the boys and our first time during the Christmas season. We all can't wait! This is our first family getaway. Tony will work a little bit, but mostly it will be family time. I finally won my bid for a hotel in Times Square and I can't wait to see the boys' reaction. They are going to flip out!

So, let the cookie baking begin and the Christmas season is on!

Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:30:00 +0000

I hope you have an incredible day filled with delicious food and fun family time. I am incredibly thankful for my guys and all that they bring to my life everyday. I am also thankful for all of you...my friends. Thank you for always being there for me. Happy Thanksgiving!

Time To Make The Donuts...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:00:00 +0000

I have come to the realization that life is not perfect. I know, shocker. I have also come to the realization that sugar coating things...makes them so much better. I learn all lessons through the kitchen...is that weird? Weird or not...it's what I do.

I finally got to spend a few minutes in the kitchen on Sunday and the goal was donuts!

I had my base from before to play with so I had a plan.

Most people don't know this about me, but I hate dirtying more than I have to and I hate piping things from a bag. Tony is the one with the steady hand when it comes to looking pretty so I leave the artwork to him. So, I give you ugly donuts...

What I discovered is that these ugly donuts have these amazing dents to catch all kinds of sugary goodness!

Yep, sugar coated really does make things better!

Baked Cake Donuts

(makes 6 overflowing deliciously ugly donuts)

6 TBSP raw sugar

16 drops vanilla stevia (or 2 TBSP sugar)

1/4 cup dairy free butter or coconut oil

1 egg

1 TBSP pure vanilla extract (trust me on this)

6 TBSP brown rice flour

6 TBSP white rice flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1/3 cup almond milk

1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

Glaze

1 1/2 cups powder sugar

almond milk or water as needed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large donut pan with cooking spray.

Combine the sugar, stevia and butter in a mixing bowl and blend until mixed well. Next add the egg and vanilla to the sugar mixture and blend. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix. Pour the milk and vinegar into the batter and mix well. Evenly distribute the batter into prepared donut pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes and then glaze.

Combine the powder sugar and milk or water and mix well. You want it to be thick. When donuts are slightly cooled, dip the donuts in and allow to set.

***I have not done this, but I would imagine you could bake this into muffins (or mini muffin) and glaze. The vanilla really shines through here with the fragrance and the flavor!

The glaze is not a must, but it was a treat for the boys.

I'm sharing these on Simply Sugar and Gluten Free's Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

I Almost Forgot...Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 02:00:00 +0000

I told Heather a few weeks ago that I feel like blogging is like having a cup of coffee and chatting it up with an old friend. I feel like I have no time for coffee with my friends right now! I don't feel like I need to explain that "life happens" when I can't post. I think you all get that. I'm pretty sure you all aren't sitting by the computer waiting to see what I have say for the day. I know I'm exciting and all, but I know I'm not that exciting. When it happens...it happens. I'm really focused on studying and I really want to reach my goal to complete my certification by the first of the year. Tony has almost convinced me to get my Personal Training Certification after that...almost. I'm loving the nutrition information and I've started working on my own fuel sources already. Unfortunately, they have been on the rushed side and not so pretty, but really tasty. Once I get things a little more settled, I will share more. My time in the kitchen has been limited, but I have been in there.

Proof that I've been in the kitchen...I developed a recipe for gluten and dairy free French style rolls! That completely made my week! These will be on my list to make for Thanksgiving...

Also, did you guys know Thanksgiving is in 1 week??? I lost track of time completely! Seriously, I did not even think about it until we were invited to others' places for the holiday! Oops. I told you, I'm completely out of it!

I am cooking a few things for the holiday. I have been holding out on making these things until the special day so I can enjoy them even more! These are the only things I care to eat during Thanksgiving...

Gluten Free Cornbread Dressing Muffins!

Gravy!

Crustless Pumpkin (or Sweet Potato) Pie!

What are your must haves for Thanksgiving? Are you cooking or are you going somewhere?