the Non-Dairy Queen

I Love A Big Muffin Top!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Thu, 31 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

So, I walked outside Monday evening to this...

and then walked over and saw my garden had gifts for me!

That is definitely the gold at the end of my rainbow and apparently Leia's too!

Zucchini season is upon us and you know I could not resist baking with it!

I pulled out my recipe from last summer and wanted to make one change...I know, I couldn't resist. This version is fat free. I replaced the (dairy free) butter with applesauce.

I also baked them into mini muffins instead of regular muffins this time (somehow I've misplaced my muffin pans). These zucchini muffins are so light and fluffy with a perfectly chewy interior...YUMMY!

The boys kept making fun of me because I kept talking about how much I loved my muffin tops...I can't help it, I love a big muffin top (on a muffin that is)!

Cream cheese frosting is always a perfect topper for a mildly sweet muffin like this. I like then naked, but the boys love them dressed up!

I have now make two batches in two days. I don't know if my garden will be able to keep up with our love of the zucchini muffins...

Gluten Free Dairy Free Zucchini Muffins

(makes 19 mini muffins)

original recipe here

1 cup brown rice flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)

1/2 cup gluten free all purpose flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup egg whites

1/2 cup almond milk (I used Silk)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 dropper vanilla stevia (I used NuNaturals) (or 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar)

1 cup shredded zucchini

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Like muffin pan with liners or spray with oil.

In a large bowl, combine the flours through salt and mix well. Mix together the applesauce, egg whites, almond milk and stevia. Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and stir just until combined. Then add the zucchini until mixed in evenly. Divide the mixture into the prepared muffin tin and bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, chilled (Tofutti works really well as a dairy alternative)
1/4 cup light butter or stick margarine, softened (I use Light Smart Balance)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Do you like zucchini? What's your favorite way to eat it? Do you like muffin tops or bottoms? I love both, but I get so excited when that muffin top rices so high!

Crispy Rosemary Corn Flake Chicken With Cornbread Waffles and a Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Tue, 29 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

When Bob's Red Mill and Attune Foods asked me to participate in a brunch event they are doing this month, I knew right away what I wanted to make! We are a good old Southern family in this household when it comes to food. Cornbread and fried chicken are an absolute favorite for all of us! Brunch is a favorite meal for our family too, so I decided to make the best of both worlds. You all know I like to put a healthy spin on our meals here, so I love making corn flake chicken instead of the greasy fried version.

The crispy cornbread waffles perfectly compliment the chicken, which is light with a touch of fresh rosemary and hint of sweetness from the corn flakes.

While I love cooking up a feast, the weekends means relaxation for everything including our meals. We normally eat one large meal and then snack later in the day. This meal gives you snack pieces to enjoy throughout the day! You can easily prep the waffle batter the night before so there will be no rushing around to get a feast on the table. Also, soaking the flours really softens them up to make the perfect fluffy on the inside, crunchy on the outside waffles.

I plugged in my waffle iron to heat up, coated my chicken and then made my waffles while the chicken baked…and enjoyed my coffee.

Cornbread Waffles
makes 20 regular waffles

5 cups water or regular almond milk or a mix (I used 2 cups water and 3 cups almond milk)
2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Cornmeal
2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Corn Flour
1 cup Bob's Red Mill Sweet Rice Flour
1/2 cup egg whites or 2 eggs or 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (for vegan version)
1 tsp salt
20 drops vanilla stevia (or 2 TBSP sugar or honey)
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
3 TBSP baking powder

In a large glass bowl, combine the water, milk, cornmeal, cornflour, rice flour, egg, salt and stevia. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight.

When you're ready to cook your waffles, add the apple cider vinegar and baking powder to the batter. Heat your waffle iron and prepare the waffles according to your manufacturer's directions. These can be prepared the day before and reheated in the oven or toaster oven.

Cornflake Chicken
6 cups Attune Foods Gluten Free Cornflakes
2 TBSP fresh chopped rosemary
2 eggs
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
2 eggs or 1/2 cup almond milk (for vegan)
garlic powder
salt
pepper

Preheat your oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a food processor, grind the corn flakes and chopped rosemary to resemble a coarse meal. Don't make into a flour, make sure you leave some larger chunks. Pour your cornflakes into a bowl. In another bowl, whisks your eggs. If your chicken breasts are large, cut in half to make them fit well on your waffles. Season your chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Next dip your chicken into the egg mixture and then into the cornflake mixture, press the corn flakes into the chicken so it coats well. Place the coated breasts onto prepared pans. Spray the tops of the chicken with olive oil spray. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

There's a bonus to this event for you all too. You get the chance to win a bag of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Cornmeal and a box of Attune Foods' Gluten Free Corn Flakes so you can have Crispy Rosemary Corn Flake Chicken with Cornbread Waffles too! All you have to do is leave a comment here telling me your favorite brunch foods.

You can get additional entries for:

following The Non-Dairy Queen on Facebook and/or Twitter

following Bob's Red Mill on Facebook and/or Twitter

following Attune Foods on Facebook and/or Twitter

Entries close at noon EST on Friday, June 1st. I will announce the winner that afternoon. Good luck!

While I was provided with the cornmeal and corn flakes, I was not compensated for this post. My review of these products are my own opinions and I love them.

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

A New Chapter Begins...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:29:00 +0000

Today marks the beginning of summer for Jay and Max. Work never ends here for Tony and I (thank goodness), but we hope to show the boys a great summer. Time is going fast and I know we won't have this time forever...

I won't bore you with all my mama talk. I will mention that my boys have officially moved on to be a 6th grader and a 9th grader, as of yesterday. That means no more elementary schoolers here...we now have a middle schooler and a high schooler. UGH, how did this happen?

So, this all got me to thinking about the passage of time. I get extremely weepy when I think about this. The slide show starts and the sappy music gets going. Here come the tears. Not tears of sadness as much as tears of hope and excitement for adventures to come (maybe a little sadness, but more happiness). Life is changing constantly and sometimes I feel like we don't take the opportunity to really look for the adventure in these changes. I'm kind of a big picture girl and that gets me into trouble. I'm learning that looking at each day and enjoying the ride it sets me on, makes life (and tasks) easier to get through. I think long term goals are good, but it's really the short term goals that get you there. I have a few things I'm in the middle of working on and I hope to have myself organized and through these adventures so I can enjoy the next adventure (that was me putting a positive spin on some reorganization tasks and some not so fun work tasks).

Well, today I slept in. I have three guys that want to go to the gym with me in a little bit! I am excited to have my workout buddies back! I have a recipe I'm working on developing, I need to get the oil changed in the car (I know the excitement is killing you all), the boys need shorts (they won't stop growing!) and I hope to get some lentil burgers made for some quick summer time grilling!

How do you look at change? Life isn't always how I thought it would be, but I've come to understand that is ok. It used to bother me, but now I am looking for the adventure in the change. Trust me, I know not all things are great adventures, but negativity gets me nowhere fast. I'm not completely there, but I'm working on it!

Happy Thursday!

Where to begin???

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:21:00 +0000

I think I'm at the point where I don't even know where to begin. The past couple of weeks have been really bizarre for me. I haven't had a computer in weeks due to some hard drive issues which put my computer in the shop and then we had crazy power outages due to heavy storms and then I went out of town for a girls weekend with my grandmother. So, that leads me to here...

I have been practicing letting things go the past couple of weeks. My work depends a lot on me having a computer and I don't like being so disconnected that I open my email and realize that people have been trying to get in touch with me. It was a little stressful, but things are back up and running so we are good to go. I missed keeping in touch with my friends too! I realize blogging is not the most important thing in the world, but I like catching up with my blog friends. Being disconnected is one thing, but people get a little freaked out when you disappear too long. Thank you to everyone that checked in on me. It really means so much to know that people care about you and get concerned when you aren't around!

This past weekend was a complete girls weekend for me and boys weekend for my guys. I escaped to Raleigh, NC to visit my most amazing grandmother!

My little granny is such a bright spot in my life and we enjoyed an entire weekend of pjs, movies (love stories! - British version of Pride and Prejudice was definitely watched), fresh fruits, fresh vegetables and tons of great conversation! I know, we like to play on the wild side!

It has been far too long since I saw her last and I will not let that happen again! Life is too short not to spend it with the ones you love!

I also discovered how much alike my granny and I are...more so than I thought. She has the yellow version of my blue retro bowls! I felt so at home eating from my favorite salad bowl. I know I'm crazy, but I have my favorite dishes that I use over and over for certain things. I know Kristin gets me!

There has also been some playing in the kitchen. Not much, but a little...

I started playing around with my socca recipe. I added oats, egg and baking powder for fun to see what would happen. So, guess what happened? A fluffier, crisper version of socca happened. This comes together so quickly and it was exactly what I needed!

I made a bigger batch for pizza too!

Peppers, tomato, onion and fresh basil from my garden (just the basil from my garden, but I'm working on the rest)!

The great thing about this recipe is that you use equal portions depending on how big you want the flat bread, to it's really simple!

Chickpea Flatbread

1/3 cup quick oats

1/3 cup chickpea flour

1/4 tsp salt

pepper (to taste)

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/3 cup egg whites

1/3 cup water

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a bread pan with olive oil.

Combine the dry ingredients and then add the wet. Stir to combine. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

I love it crispy so I baked it a little longer. Go for the 20 minutes if you're going to top it and eat it pizza style. I went with half cup measurements for the pizza and baked it in a 9 inch cake pan.

Almost Wordless Wednesday...

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

I am trapped under a ton of work...

Chocolate pound cake with seven minute icing does help...

I have to fight all urges to do a complete face plant into this icing!

This is a gluten and dairy free chocolate pound cake. It is dense rich and fudgy. Here's the thing...Tony thinks it needs to be sweeter, but I think it's sweet enough. So, tell me, do you like your cakes to be super sweet or mildly sweet? My sweet tooth may be broken since I don't usually eat sweets other than fruit. I plan to make this one again only sweeter to see how he likes it. Then I will post both versions.

Tell me...really sweet or a little sweet?

Carb Cravings...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Thu, 03 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I have a client that talks about needing carbs during times of hormone surges or stress. While I would not recommend giving in all the time, I do feel like there are certain times that you should definitely just give in. I have decided that either I'm running a marathon (which I am definitely not), I have a surge of hormones (most definitely) or I'm stressed (always a possibility) because I'm carb loading like nobody's business. I have been craving sweet potatoes like you would not believe lately!

This, my friends, is a bowl of oats with a HUGE sweet potato plopped in the middle, a splash of almond milk and peanut butter (only because I mentally know I need the protein too) on top for dinner. Yep, not even breakfast, that was dinner.

Let me rewind now. I seriously bought these sweet potatoes 2 weeks ago due to said cravings. I have been trying to find a way to incorporate them into dinner and while talking with Tony, we decided a nice Thanksgiving style dinner would be perfect!

While we were talking, the subject of cornbread dressing (and apparently we are starting a trend of having Thanksiving in April according to that post) came up...of course. I mean with turkey and sweet potatoes how can you not do dressing? He didn't have to twist my arm on that one. I went for mini loaves instead of muffins this time (baked for an hour). This is only because I lost my muffin pans. Don't ask me where they are...I still have no idea. Who loses muffin pans? Apparently this gal?!

The upside is that I discovered this was a perfect way to add some dressing to Jay's turkey sandwiches for lunch.

Perfect slices peaking from his sandwiches. He loves this combination and thought I was a genius...who could blame him? I confessed that I got the idea from a Friend's episode, he still gave me props for it. Love that kid!

And to add to my salad making gift as of late, the toasted pieces make perfectly seasoned croutons for my lunchtime salads!

Tell me, do you give into cravings or find ways to keep them at bay? What do you normally crave and do you see a pattern when you crave them?

Creamy Cauliflower Casserole and Kitchen Adventures!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:11:00 +0000

To say this was a good weekend would be an understatement. Tony finished two projects this past week that he's been working on for awhile. It was a huge weight lifted off of him. He knew he had a new project waiting him for Monday (today), but he was off all weekend and this NEVER happens. So, there was lots of Words With Friends and Draw Something while having our morning cups of coffee and then we were off for a little Saturday hiking by the lake and some picnic lunching sitting on some rocks. It was so nice to get some vitamin D and fresh air. We decided that instead of doing a huge dinner we would have a little fun to round out the evening with pizza and a movie.

The crust was gluten free and heavenly! I used my new bread recipe with a few changes and added fresh rosemary...YUM!

Look, bubbles in my dough!!!

This was the perfect mix of crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

I was so impressed that you could actually pick up the slices! This one is going in the book!

Sunday was a bowling day for us. We have really gotten into bowling as a family and we're cheap so we go the oddball times for $2 games. What can I say I like some good cheap fun!

The adventure on the food front continued...

I made mac and cheese for the guys, but I wanted to try something I have been thinking about for awhile. I happen to love cauliflower. Not everyone does here, but I do so this was all for me! I wanted to make a creamy dish with cauliflower and garbanzo bean flour. This was so creamy and rich with a crunch on top from the Corn Chex cereal.

Creamy Cauliflower Casserole
(serves 2 - 4)

1 head cauliflower cut into florets
1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard
salt**
pepper**
1 cup Corn Chex, crushed

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Steam your cauliflower until just cooked, but still a little firm. In a heavy pot, combine the almond milk through dry mustard. Heat on medium heat whisking constantly until the mixture becomes thickened. Transfer your the cauliflower to a greased 9 inch square casserole dish. Salt and pepper to taste**. Next pour the cream sauce over the cauliflower to cover. Sprinkle the casserole with the crushed cereal. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes until browned and bubbly.

Serve as a side dish or a main ...

I know, I have a gift for eating everything over a salad covered in pasta sauce and nutritional yeast!

This was how I ate the leftovers! Still good the next day.

**I have been watching my salt lately. Not that I need to, but I noticed that I have been adding a ton of hot sauce and salt to things and I need to be aware/cut back.

Any new creations you want to share?

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

Nourished Food Blogger Conference Review and Recap!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:39:00 +0000

Good Morning!!!

I will be back later today, but for now, if you need some tips and tricks on blogging and recipe development, check out my review and recap of the Nourished Food Blogger Conference on the Bob's Red Mill site!

Chicken Parmesan Promises...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:18:00 +0000

Tonight I promised a feast...

I actually made this promise last night and the need for a speedy meal left our feast postponed...

The guys had...

Chicken Parmesan!

I haven't made this dish in so long and you would have thought they had hit gold they were so excited about this. I held up my end of the promise and they feasted!

Chicken Parmesan
(makes enough for 6 to 8)

2-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup gluten free bread crumbs (I use Kinnikinnick)
1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast or (fresh grated parmesan cheese)
garlic powder
onion powder
salt
pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
Daiya Mozzarella Cheese or (mozzarella)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil at a time in a heavy metal pan (you will need to add a couple every time you put chicken in the pan so how much you need depends on how big your pan is. Cut the chicken breasts in half crosswise to make them thinner. Season the chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. In a bowl, mix the bread crumbs and the parmesan cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk the two eggs together. Next dip the chicken in the eggs and then in the bread crumb mixture to coat well. Place the coated chicken in the heated pan. Cook on both sides until browned on both sides. It will not be cooked through. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and continue to do this with all of the chicken. Place the chicken in the oven and bake about 15 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through. Sprinkle the chicken with Daiya and then broil until browned on top. Serve over gluten free pasta and sauce.

For me, I wanted something that would compliment their meal...

I roasted eggplant and peppers to have in my (overfilled) chickpea wraps!

This completely hit the spot for me!

I would say we started Monday off with a bang!

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

Planks and Volume Eating!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Since returning home...

I have worked out! I wasn't so much worried that I wasn't working out with any sort of routine since I was walking so much. I love walking so I felt good doing this as my workout while we were away. Since we ended up walking so much on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, I didn't care about doing any sort of strength training either. It felt great to kind of give my muscles a rest and just move naturally while we were away. However, now that we are back, I'm back in action with my usual routine. A fun part of my routine has been adding planks. The twins have been posting their progress with a plank challenge they had to reach 5 minutes. I was so excited for them. They reached their goal! I love seeing people work towards something and achieve personal triumphs! Secretly I've been working at this too. I kind of love doing planks. I know, I'm a crazy lady. So, I did my planks yesterday and reached 4 minutes! That felt amazing! I was shaking afterwards and dang, that is some hard work! Have you ever held a plank for some time? I encourage you to try it. It's interesting to see how long you can go.

I have feasted!

I needed protein so badly...

This loaded egg white omelet was covered with sauteed peppers and mushrooms that were then topped with fresh tomatoes and nutritional yeast. I was in heaven! VOLUME and protein! Two things I never get on a trip!

Then came socca crackers with a HUGE salad topped with peppers, fresh celery (can't stand it cooked and I love the crunch of raw), sauteed mushrooms, nutritional yeast and apple cider vinegar.

That mix of nutritional yeast and apple cider vinegar is so good! Salty and tangy...YUM!

These crackers are loaded with protein and carbs...perfectly nutritious, delicious and filling!

I wish that I could say I enjoy the food of the land when I travel, but truthfully, when you are based close to a convention center, have to take a cab anywhere to eat (we walk as much as possible, but for some reason most cities don't have much for dinner around convention centers) and you have multiple food allergies and intolerances, there isn't much to enjoy with your $15 plate of lettuce (maybe 2 cups worth), three cherry tomatoes and three slices of cucumber. Seriously, it is so frustrating.

Luckily, I always find a grocery store to stock up on snacks and apples. Trader Joe's did not disappoint as my grocery store this time! Thanks TJs for keeping me fueled on the trip!

I've definitely a VOLUME eater. I can't help it. I love my fresh foods so I get to eat a lot more. I also know that I HAVE to HAVE protein or I just do not function at my fullest potential. So, now I'm kind of protein loading, but I will level off in a couple of days.

What's your favorite city to eat in? Paris was by far mine. I ate so many digestive enzymes that trip, but they don't help with the allergy part and only postpone the tummy troubles for a few hours for me. So worth the pain though...

Chicago!

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

Chicago, I don't even know where to start...

I had the most amazing trip this past weekend. I absolutely fell in love with Chicago! I'm going to spare you a huge drawn out post about the whole weekend, but I did want to share a few things.

When we got there on Thursday, Tony and I immediately got settled into our hotel so we could head out to see the area.

We started out with a walk...

to see a great lake! Dang this thing blew me away! It's HUGE!

We walked for hours. We had only eaten breakfast that day and were starving by 3pm!

After walking through a few areas, we decided to ask the concierge for a suggestion on something reasonably priced and filling. She suggested a Thai Sushi place not too far away. We were sold and headed over. I was lucky that they had an incredible build your own stir fry! That way, no sauce (can't have soy). Tony was impressed with my vegetable stacking skills on that little plate (the plate you see is a quarter of the size of the one I stacked my veggies on). If there's one thing I'm good at, it's stacking vegetables so I can eat more! This meal was amazingly delicious and filling! The vegetables were crisp and I loaded this thing with rooster sauce. YUM!

The next day was all business for Tony and I. We both went out separate ways. I got in my rental car and headed to the other side of town for Nourished! This was such an incredible event ( I plan to write more on this later). I was extremely impressed with everyone there too! I made some great connections and spread the word about how great Bob's Red Mill is! Most of them already knew though, of course!

The next day, Tony and I were on a mission! First came fuel! I know, no one wants to see oatmeal and this is not the sexiest bowl you will ever see, but let me tell you. When all you get to eat on a trip is lettuce and apples (expensive at that), a $3.75 bowl of organic old fashioned oats with raisins and cinnamon is like a gift sent down from heaven. This was exactly what I needed since we were heading out for some amazing home tours...

Tony and I are HUGE fans of Frank Lloyd Wright homes. Walking through a 100 + year old house that had so much history and so much artistry was inspiring and humbling. There were many homes he designed throughout the neighborhood, so we spent the entire day walking in the most amazing neighborhood with the most breathtaking gardens. It was such an incredible day. One I will remember forever!

The next day, I got the opportunity to meet up with one of my favorite bloggers! Amy from Second City Randomness was nice enough to hop on a train and come visit me at a little place (the oatmeal place) to have some girly gossip time. I was so excited to get to meet her face to face. I already felt like I knew her, but the nerves definitely set in when I knew I was meeting her for real. The nerves turned out to be for nothing. We talked like we were a bunch of old friends catching up...because really we are. She is such a sweetheart and I had such a great time chatting it up with her. Thanks for braving the wind and sleep deprivation to come hang out with me lady! It was much appreciated and I can't wait until next time!

The time went way too fast too! Tony and I were heading out of Chicago that day and had one more home we wanted to see...

We took a self guided tour to Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House. This house is what I've always wanted. To say it's amazing would be a HUGE understatement! This was the first time I've ever done a self guided tour like this with head phones. It was definitely a fun adventure!

We finally arrived home on Monday late in the day. While I already miss Chicago, I am really glad to be home. Now I'm inspired to do things around the house, as well as around my site, work and well, life. I have a few changes I need to make, but nothing big. I feel like work and studying has changed things so much for me. I need to find my groove again and start moving. I feel renewed and inspired! That's how you get back from a trip!

Thank you for all of the support you all have given me. Those that emailed me, texted me, commented and called me to wish me luck, that meant the world to me! Thank you all for thinking of me!

Now, it's Wednesday and I need to get a move on! Have you ever been to a city that you fell in love with? Where would you live if you could live anywhere? I'm definitely thinking Chicago now in a Frank Lloyd Wright home. A girl can dream right?

Things I've discovered about myself lately...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:22:00 +0000

I can make a masterpiece dinner out of odds and ends of leftovers in the fridge (we are on operation clean out the fridge mode). I was pretty proud of coming up with this little concoction with what no one else wanted to eat from the fridge. Kind of a vegetarian salad nicoise salad...kind of...

(potatoes, eggs, green beans, lettuce, nutritional yeast and apple cider vinegar)

I can't get enough of words with friends. People, Tony and I have always played scrabble together (we are talking way back 17 years ago until now), but now we can play each other, our kids, our friends...this stuff is addictive. Oh and for the record, my kids totally kick my butt in the game. Shameful. I may need a program for getting over all of this...

I am infatuated with my little garden.

I can see this as being extremely time consuming for me.

I saw these little strawberries and almost shed a tear of joy. I can't wait for more! I still need to plant more stuff and don't mine the egg shells in the beds. We used them in our compost.

Jelly Bellies...need I say more? You can have your chocolate if I can have all the jelly bellies.

Oh, have you seen the documentary on the creator of jelly bellies? It was on Netflix and wow! That's all I will say, you should watch it for a little bit. Trust me, that's all you'll be able to watch...

When put to the challenge, I can eat a massive about of vegetables.

I have eaten 1 1/2 bags of these peppers in 3 days.

I've also eaten two tomatoes everyday in the past 3 days and 4 heads of lettuce.

I told you I have to clean out the fridge!

Banana soft serve time is on! Now I have Max hooked on this too! He was incredible impressed that it was just frozen bananas.

Also, I am the queen of procrastination. People, I can put anything off until the last minute. That means today is a crazy one, but I will get it done! I have worked out, I've got to get the kids to school, shower and then I have a client meeting, bank runs to make, finish packing and sausage balls to make (for my main man). All this before 4pm!

Wednesday, it's on! Thursday, I will be Chicago bound and off to Nourished on Friday spreading the good word and treats from Bob's Red Mill!

Monday Mumbling...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:34:00 +0000

I hope everyone enjoyed some great weather and fun family time this weekend. Tony and I agreed that we would take it easy while still getting some work done. This was the last little bit before Spring Break was over for the boys. We ended up going bowling a couple of times since there was a Spring Break special and we had a great lunch with friends on Friday. We topped off last night with a few rounds of pool (which we don't play nearly enough even with having a pool table). It was definitely not a Spring Break filled with good times, but the boys got to do a few fun things and they got a lot of down time.

I have a crazy week ahead of me, but I'm really excited to get to the end of the week! I'm heading to Chicago for a business trip. A bit of exciting news for me is that I will be representing Bob's Red Mill at the Nourished Food Blogger Conference! You all know I love Bob's Red Mill, so I will be spreading the word on how great this company is!

I have been doing a little experimenting in the kitchen lately with a roll recipe I recently developed.

I've been working with a grouping of flours and techniques recently to achieve a better gluten and dairy free roll.

These are crunchy on the outside while being soft and doughy on the inside.

These worked perfectly to accompany our ham, cheese potato (not for me) and fresh green beans feast on Sunday!

My meal was an egg white omelet smothered in nutritional yeast, fresh green beans and a couple of rolls!

Snackage later for Tony was ham and rolls!

The rolls turned out so well that Tony and I wanted to try it out as a loaf of bread.

My tester loaf was small, but it turned out perfectly! A little dairy free butter smeared on warm bread is seriously heavenly! I need to try it as a real loaf now.

I took advantage of not having clients this morning and slept in a little. I'm trying to make sure I get a good amount of sleep these days. Knowing that the weekend is going to be a little on the crazier side, I'm trying to be smart and rest up throughout the week. So, coffee time, get the kids to school, eat some oatmeal, workout, shower, laundry, studying, pick kids up, cook, client meeting...time to get Monday going.

Ever been to Chicago? Suggestions on things to do or places to go?

Gardening, Baking and Scary Movies...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:31:00 +0000

I am so excited! I got my garden in! I hope the critters in my back yard understand that these are for me, not them. I think we may put some fencing around them for a little insurance. I don't mind sharing some, but the critters tend not to share.

So, Tony and I spent some time the kitchen together the other day! He asked me if I had what it took to make my gluten free pie dough. I did and so the adventure began...

I'm an apple a day girl (or maybe 4 - don't judge), so all of my favorite treats start with apples. Cinnamon and sugar just make them that much sweeter!

We made mini apple pies/apple dumplings. These are not perfect yet, but I will post it as soon as they are. This with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (dairy free for me) is perfection even if it's not so pretty. I hate when a recipe isn't complete, but if it tastes like this, I'm happy anyway. Ugly or not, completely delicious!

So far this Spring Break we have watched In Time, Austin Powers, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Poltergeist. Max has been busting at the seems to watch Poltergeist. So, last night was the night. He likes to think he's tougher than he is. I have discovered Max's way of getting through a movie that scares the crap out of him...he talks the whole time! He normally falls asleep at the end of movies. It's a long running joke around here...the fact that he NEVER sees the end of a movie. Well, not only did he see the end, but he ended up sleeping with Jay last night. Now that is an awesome big brother! It's such a strange feeling knowing the boys are getting older because I still see my babies. Seeing Jay offer to have Max sleep with him was just heart melting.

I remember watching Poltergeist when I was a kid. Scared the poo out of me. I still get weirded out by that movie. I'm normally doing something with my hands like crocheting when we watch scary stuff so I can focus on something other than the movie.

Do you like scary movies? What was your first scary movie when you were a kid?

Savory Waffle Sandwich and Gardening...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:30:00 +0000

I have two client meetings this morning and then I'm working on my garden! I'm so excited this year. Tony and I have finally gotten our garden set up here. We've only lived at this house for 6 1/2 years. It's about time. We built the raised beds in late December and have been composting in them ever since. We were composting in a huge trash can, but lately we've just been throwing our compost in the beds. I have cantaloupes growing in there already. Oops, I probably should have kept the seeds out. Oh well, I've read that they probably won't grow any fruit, but I'm going to transplant them and see. I also bought some seedling tomatoes, squash, zucchini, eggplant, basil, strawberries and lots of peppers! I still want to get cilantro and cucumbers. I want to get a few other things, but I need to see if I have enough space for everything. I LOVE fresh garden vegetables!

So, with a full day ahead of me, I had to fuel up!

This morning's breakfast was a savory waffle sandwich filled with egg whites, nutritional yeast, mustard and tomato! Yeah, I was super excited about this feast! I can't wait for the tomatoes from my garden. Really, they are my all time favorite vegetable fresh from the garden.

Do you grow any vegetables during the summer? I want to do some containers around too on the patio, but I need to get the garden beds going first.

Socca Cracker Pizzas!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:08:00 +0000

It's Spring Break for the boys this week. While Tony and I are still working, we are going to try to get them out as much as possible. Sadly, when your parents are freelancers, vacation time is few and far between. If we don't work, we don't get paid. So, we are trying to make things as fun as possible...

We've been watching movies together every night and keeping things fun with our food!

Pizza is always on the list of fun foods around here. We love making up our own pies. In fact, we have now had pizza twice in the past 4 days. I feel like such a kid because I actually get excited about pizza night!

I did things a little differently this last time. I actually mentioned my socca crackers a few weeks ago (I've been horrible at blogging lately-I blame work and studying) and then never shared them with you all.

I used them to make hors d'oeuvre pizzas!

These are so much fun to eat!

I loaded mine with red peppers, green peppers, fresh tomatoes and nutritional yeast.

These are sturdy enough to pick up and make great finger food. Now I want pizza again!

Socca Crackers
(makes 6)

1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/3 cup quick oats
1/4 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1 cup water

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a whoopie pie pan or muffin pan with olive oil.

Combine everything together. Mix well with a whisk. Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from pan when slightly cooled (mine release after a few minutes). Top with your favorite pizza toppings and put back in the oven to cook until your toppings are cooked through.

What are your favorite pizza toppings? Jay always goes for cheese, Max and Tony like meat and veggies and well, you all know I'm going for the loaded veggie pizza.

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

Potatoes, Hummus and Rooms...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Disjointed topic, but that's what we're covering today...

Well, Tony and I made the plunge, after almost 17 years of being married, we just purchased our second set of bedroom furniture. UGH, I want to throw up! Sometimes, being an adult really stinks. I know I could have found a better way to spend the money. I researched EVERYWHERE and we finally decided on the one we wanted that was in our price range (truth be told, I would have liked to have gone lower). I swear, nothing is ever really simple. We ended up having to get our mattress from another place so now that's 2 delivery charges. Score! Why make it one when you can get two. Luckily, the mattress was a little cheaper from the other place, so it was kind of an even swap...kind of. We will have the set on Saturday, so hopefully we will be back to a more normal sleep space. In the end it is worth it. Jay really deserved a great room of his own. I remember when my room changed over to being more me and put together when I was a kid. It kind of makes you feel more grown up. I'm glad to have him in a room he loves now and feels like him.

So, with all the running around yesterday, we kept our food super simple with omelets and hummus that I had made the other day. In my opinion, potatoes are an underrated food. I think being a good source of vitamin B6 (essential for making new cells), potassium (muscle contraction), vitamin C (protecting our body), magnesium (bones) and fiber (gut) makes these pretty top notch in my book. Also, when slathered with hummus and covered with nutritional yeast they are delicious!

I had the baked potato with a hummus filled omelet and those tiny sweet peppers from Costco. Side note, those suckers are addictive! As for the hummus, I didn't have any lemon juice so I tried something different. Apple cider vinegar! I put that stuff on any and everything now due to the health benefits. So, I figured I would sneak a little into the boys too! They loved it!

Hummus

(makes 3 1/2 cups)

4 cups chickpeas

3 cloves of garlic

2 TBSP cumin

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

2 pinches turmeric

1 tsp salt

pepper

When did you change your room over to being more of a big kid room? I was in 7th grade, when we moved to Georgia. I had a very Asian theme going on from stuff my grandmother brought back from Japan when they lived there. I loved it along with the River Phoenix posters I had all over the back of my door.

Chickpea Crepes!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:30:00 +0000

I want thank you all for your support and your openness in my last post. I appreciate every word of encouragement and kindness. I am working through it and will respond to everyone personally. I hate to see others hurt. So, to all of you that are going through hard times, I hope you find peace with it soon. I think the biggest help for me has been talking it out. Last week was a crazy one for me, some things sparked the bad again so the dreams started up again. Tony and I did a lot of talking and it definitely helped. If you are suffering, please find someone that will talk with you about it. I know it seems lonely and hard to deal with, but being able to get things out of your head really does help you through it. I'm here too!

To add to the craziness of the week, we decided to rearrange a few things in the house which required painting Jay's room. He now has our furniture for his bedroom set and Tony and I are sleeping on twin beds on the floor in our room. UGH, not comfortable. We are now on the lookout for some new furniture. I'm a thrifty gal, so this means I've looked at more sites than I care to think about while listening to far too many episodes of Felicity than I care to divulge. I wish more tv shows felt like that show makes me feel. It's strangely relaxing.

Anyway, the room is coming along. We bought some new bedding from Target (of course), but we still need to get some pictures on the wall for him. He has some prints picked out, so that will be next. It is so weird that Jay has a grown up room with no legos in it anymore. It's also weird that his room looks like an adult room while mine looks like a college apartment. Have I mentioned how much I hate spending money?

What I do love is playing in the kitchen. I have been working with Tony on his diet lately. This has been a very interesting nutrition experiment. Yes, I normally feed him, but I think this has really helped him realize what he is eating and portion control. He eats healthy already, but understanding the details of what he's eating has been eye opening for him.

Discussing how foods make him feel has been great as far as his diet goes. Protein definitely works better for him. I think his intestines are still damaged from celiac so we have gone back to more basics. It's also interesting to see what keeps him full for longer and what doesn't. We are completely opposite in so many ways with our diet. This has actually been a lot of fun working with him on this.

I wanted to make something a little more fun for lunch on Sunday with our leftover pork roast. I had some time to play in the kitchen, so the adventure towards an Italian style sandwich was on it's way.

We all know about my deep addiction to socca and chickpea flour. This is where I wanted to start with my flatbread. I was looking for something that was kind of like a tortilla and I was considering a wrap of some sort. After talking with Jay about the options (I like talking about food with the boys so they help with ideas and feel a lot more involved) we came up with a toasted pork and pepper savory crepe with tomato sauce for dipping. Who doesn't love a sandwich you can dip?

I went with a lentil burger wrap from mine. These were perfectly soft for wrapping around the stuffing and got super crispy when toasted. You have to eat them right away after you toast them or they will get soft again, but perfect fresh from the pan!

Chickpea Crepes
(makes 6 1/2)

2 cups water
1 1/2 cup chickpea flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
6 TBSP egg whites (or whites from 2 eggs)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Combine the water and chickpea flour in a glass bowl, mix well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or over night. After the flour has soaked, add the egg, baking powder and salt, whisk until completely combined. Heat a large nonstick skillet to medium high. Spray pan with a little olive oil and pour 1/2 cup batter into the hot pan. Swirl it around to coat the bottom of the pan. At this point you can make it as thick or thin as you like. When the crepe is slightly browned on the bottom, flip it over and brown the other side. When both sides are cooked, remove the crepe onto a plate and continue cooking the rest of the batter. You can stack them one on top of the other when they are done. Use as a wrap or fill them and toast them in a skillet.

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

Finding Happiness...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:30:00 +0000

I said something to Tony yesterday that felt strange to say out loud as soon as the words came out of my mouth, but it felt so freeing to actually say it. On our way to Home Depot to pick up paint for Jay's room transformation (yep, he wants a big boy room, the legos are now gone...), I told Tony that I felt really happy right now. He asked me if it was just a right now feeling or an in general feeling. I had to think for a minute, but I responded it was an in general feeling of happiness about my life.

I don't know why, but recently I've really come to terms with things in my life that really haven't turned out how I wanted them to be. I don't know if it's age or what, but for some reason things have just finally clicked for me when it comes to thinking about where my life is going and where it's been. For so many years, I've tried to escape bad feelings and situations, I've tried to overcome them and in my true nature, I've even taken the blame for them so I can just move on. In reality, I have discovered that I have to own these feelings. They have completely made me who I am. My entire life I have wondered what people think about me and how I can make others happy. I am a people pleaser at heart and that will never change. However, now I realize that I have to please me somewhere in there too. Not to say that I don't care to make others happy now (I can't change me in that way, I always have to make people happy), but I don't focus on that in my relationships anymore.

I used to wonder why people come into our lives only to leave us or hurt us. I can't say I completely understand these passages of time, since they leave us with so much pain, but I do realize this is part of life. While some of it was me, some of it was them too. I'm ok with that. I know now that these relationships had to be this way.

My pain has been physical in the past too. I have been really low due to medical issues that were mentally and physically debilitating. These times have taught me how powerful your head can really be. It took and still takes everything I have to remind myself that I am stronger than I think I am and I can get past the bad. Life is not easy, but we have to believe we can overcome these hard times in order to enjoy the good times. Physically, I have achieved things that I was told were not possible for me. I'm smart about it, but I do love pushing myself a little harder everyday.

I have spent most of the last year with some pretty deep feelings of sadness. I have shared with some of you personally, but not spoken in detail here. I still don't want to share details, but after working with clients now and talking with friends, I've heard the struggles people have in dealing with their mental strength too. So, I thought I should share enough to help others know they have this strength too and that they are not alone.

In the past year, I have woken up in the middle of the night crying from my painfully vivid nightmares, I've started crying while driving home from taking the kids to school, I have cried while folding laundry and I've started crying after having lunch...it has been that random. I'm lucky though, I have an incredible husband and two amazing boys as a support system. I won't lie, I tried to run away from a lot of it. I even tried to find something that wasn't there to make it seem like it didn't matter. I've taken some leaps and landed on my head, but I've also landed on my feet sometimes too. I've made some reconnections with people that meant so much to me in the past and I've developed some amazing friendships that I know will stand the test of time (and distance).

I was fortunate enough to spend an amazing weekend with some extraordinary friends of ours this weekend. They are the type of people that hold no judgement and just like you for you. I can't tell you how much I needed this. It was kind of the icing on the cake for me in my emotional roller coaster year. We enjoyed incredible food, tons of laughter (dominos and a heated game of Uno always help with this) and shared memories of our past adventures together.

We feasted on Beef Stew...

Roasted vegetables with steamed cabbage...

Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread (recipe to come)...

Chocolate Cake...

I know this seems out of the blue from me in some ways, but I wanted to share. So many people go through hard personal times. Especially the "what does it all mean" moments. No, I don't have the answer (for me or you), I really don't think we are meant to know what it all means. I think life is a journey. I think we are meant to learn from this journey and hopefully use what we learn to be better people to ourselves and others. I'm not going to waste my energy on trying to change things I can't anymore. I'm going to keep moving forward knowing that life's little lessons along the way are only going to make me stronger and help me learn how to work through the hard times.

It's Monday and I know that was deep for a Monday, but I appreciate all of you that take the time to come here day after day. Thank you for your support and your friendship! I hope you all have a great week!

Potato Skins and Teamwork!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Truth be told, my creativity in the kitchen department is a "little lack luster lately" (say that three times fast). Anyway, I've been good with it since I have a fridge full of fresh vegetables, however my meat and potatoes group has been looking for a little more. I also seem to have a ton of leftovers from odds and ends of meals in the fridge. So, enter a knew meal with leftovers and some teamwork!

The thought process started with needing to clean out some baked potatoes, bacon and spinach (Daiya or cheese) that were just hanging out...

I really made the potato skins to go along with something else, but I had no idea what else. After I baked off the potato skins, I thought it would have been a great idea to fill them with scrambled egg and then bake them to make an easy fun finger food meal...

Then Tony came in and totally had the best idea! He threw an egg into a skillet and then put a potato skin on top and covered the pan. He cooked these just long enough to cook the whites and then flipped his genius out of the pan onto a plate. I sliced into it and this was complete perfection!

Teamwork!

Potato skins are so easy and so perfect. Why do I not make these more often? They are now going into rotation for hors d'oeuvres night. Oh and now I want to do a brunch with egg baked into them.

Do you ever make potato skins? I just scooped out the center of the potatoes, filled them and broiled them for about 7 minutes. Too easy!

Gluten and Dairy Free Vanilla Coconut Pound Cake!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Last week I shared a picture of a gluten free pound cake I made recently and stated that I would share the recipe soon. This is a recipe for Gluten and Dairy Free Vanilla Coconut Pound Cake I shared at Bob's Red Mill.

The texture of this cake is perfectly dense with a delicate crumb. There is a slight hint of coconut that adds to the richness of these little vanilla cakes and a thick glaze on top adds a little extra sweetness.

For the recipe click here.

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

Sunday Brunch and a Smoothie...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:30:00 +0000

This weekend was beautiful outside...I stayed in all weekend. Ironically, I was studying for my Personal Training final while sitting on my rear for hours. I have never felt more need to workout than after sitting all day studying this information. It felt good to get so much studying done though. I am almost done!

Another thing I got caught up on this weekend was sleep. Even though Tony and I both had so much work to do, we decided we would sleep in if we could. There was no rushing around, just taking every moment step by step. We also took the time to have an incredible brunch on Sunday morning with the boys...

I made gluten free biscuits (I'm working on some variations), eggs and bacon. We feasted!

girls

boys

I enjoyed an incredible bath during the afternoon and finally painted my nails (and studied more while they dried)! Look at me, I'm multi-tasking! I felt so girly and so smart...

Now this next thing is going to shock most of you...I made my first smoothie for me!

I've made them for Tony and the boys before, but I never made a smoothie for me as a treat/meal. I don't like to drink my calories and I never really found a protein powder I liked. I have found one I like now (thanks to Lindsay) and I wanted something cool and refreshing after a hot bath.

Vanilla blackberry smoothie with a little extra frozen blackberries on top. This is only the beginning for me friends! I loved it!

The protein powder I used is Life's Basics. I ordered the chocolate and the vanilla from Amazon. I will be honest, this powder has hemp in it so there is a slight grainy texture to it, but you can't tell with the berries mixed in. I love how thick this powder makes the liquids it's mixed in with due to the chia. I mixed the chocolate with almond milk and a little peanut flour the other day...it tasted like a peanut butter chocolate pudding. YUM!

With 22 grams of protein, no artificial sweeteners, no soy, no gluten and no dairy, is was definitely a great choice for me. I also love that it has the essential fatty acids 3-6-9 in it. I'm pretty crazy about my protein sources these days and I'm loving having some quick easy and tasty options in the pantry.

Today is going to be busy. I've worked out and showered, now I have to get to the gym to meet with a client. I have more studying in store during the middle of the day and another client meeting tonight. Let's make this a great week. I think we could all use one!

Tony's Burn Notice Commercial!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:45:00 +0000

Remember when Tony went to LA in October to shoot a commercial for the Burn Notice online comic book he was drawing? Here it is!

Hyundai Veloster-Character Builder: DC Comics illustrator Tony Shasteen discusses the Burn Notice graphic novel "A New Day, Vol. 2".

Sorry for the link, but I can't get the video on here this morning. I blame lack of sleep due to being up way too late last night and Jay's bloody nose clean up too early in the morning. It's Friday though and it will be a good day fueled by A LOT of coffee!

Something Old, Something New...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Please excuse the disappearing act! Thank you all for the sweet comments about my hair. I really appreciate the positive feedback especially since it was a HUGE change for me. I can't believe it's almost time to get it cut again. I think I'm going shorter this time. I'm just gonna have fun with it for awhile. Enough about hair...

I have located the kitchen! To say the last two weeks have been crazy for me would be an understatement. Tuesday (yesterday) marked the first day that I am at my new schedule. I'm back to working for myself again and that feels so good! Not that I have complete control of my schedule since my clients run that, but at least I have more time for cooking and writing! I also LOVE working with people one on one. Now my verbal diarrhea about health and nutrition goes to people that want to know!

The kitchen has been producing some old favorites and some new treats! I will give more details on the new eats when I find a little more time to write, but for now I will just give you a peak!

Egg white omelets with sauteed spinach fresh salsa and nutritional yeast...

Fried rice over crisp romaine covered in Sriracha!

Vegetable shepherd's pie...

Meaty shepherd's pie...

Socca crackers!

Pan seared talapia with fresh sugar snap peas and smashed potatoes!

Over easy eggs with fresh sugar snap peas and smashed potatoes...

Gluten free pound cake! (recipe coming soon!)

Gluten free caramel gooey bars!

Apple cranberry chia jam...

By the way, people, I have found heaven at Costco! Seriously, my fridge is busting with fresh vegetables and I am in my happy place with it!

Anyone else buying bulk veggies? What do you buy when you do...and then what is your favorite way to use them? I think it's time I try spinach in a smoothie!

Meatless Monday on a Tuesday and Let's Talk Hair Donation!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:30:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, these were featured on Bob's Red Mill Blog for Meatless Monday. Their site was showing a warning, so I didn't feel good about sharing the link until all was safe. Well, it's back up and running! This recipe was so much fun to create! I LOVE chia seeds and they definitely shine in this recipe. Most people think my kids just eat great all the time and that they never give me grief when I serve up exciting foods like cauliflower. While they are getting better, I still have to be creative to get some of the less loved vegetables and nutrients in them.

These were a winner with the boys! These are loaded with high fiber chickpeas, cauliflower and chia seeds, as well as filled with protein!

You know lettuce wraps are just fun too! Tony was bummed they weren't gluten free (Bob's chia are not certified), since they made the house smell so good! If you're looking for a great way to get in some omega 3's definitely get your hands on some chia seeds and start throwing them in your burgers!

These cauliflower baked falafel were super crispy on the outside while being firm and moist (sorry to the moist haters) on the inside. Click here for the recipe! I'm also sharing these on Simply Sugar and Gluten Frees Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

I know I'm all over the place here lately, but I just realized the other day (when someone asked me in the comments and on FB if I had donated my hair yet) that I never posted a picture of my haircut! I think I'm one of the few bloggers that really hates posting pictures of myself...

This was actually taken the day I got it cut about 2 1/2 weeks ago! I can't believe it's gone by that fast. I sent 19 inches to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths. I chose them because they donate the wigs to women living with cancer through the American Cancer Society. I highly recommend them to you if you are considering doing the same. I mailed the hair in myself since my hair salon only sends to Locks of Love and I did not want them to sell my hair.

Anyway, the first week was hard to get past the phantom hair that isn't there anymore. I still "lift" it in the shower when I'm washing my back. It feels strange, but definitely freeing. Now I'm finally starting to have fun with it. My hair is soooo wavy too! I let it curl the other day and I really liked it. I'm not sure if I want to keep it this short, go shorter or let it grow out to chin length (tapered bob style)? I know, major decisions these days in the hair department. I just feel lucky enough to be able to grow my hair the way I want to. It feels good to know that someone in need will get to have a wig from my hair and that will make their suffering a little less painful and hopefully make them feel beautiful!