WIAW #9

I'm baaack! Last week I ended up completely tanking out on taking pictures of my food. I took a photo of breakfast but that was it, so I decided to forgo posting a WIAW.

Besides, it has been absolutely GORGEOUS outside around these parts, so I've been making an effort to spend a little less time on the good ol' computer! Even though New England's winter was relatively mild, I still am thrilled with the warm weather...especially because I am one of those weirdos that hates any temperature under (at least) 60* because "I'm cold."

And everyday life just seems more fun and exciting when it is beautiful outside! Some of the recent good: the kiddo I nanny and I went searching for crocuses (and bugs!)...an old friend and I snagged a 4-mile walk and caught up...walking around on St. Patrick's Day in Newport, RI was enjoyable...eating lunches outside...wearing sundresses...YAY FOR WARM WEATHER!

Okay, anyway, I'm sure most of you have already closed my blog because I like to ramble/talk about nonsense. But, if you haven't, let's get to this week's WIAW!

Breakfast: Oatmeal with 1/2 banana, Trader Joe's Cookie Butter, chia seeds, ground flaxseed, & cinnamon

I have been obsessed with this version of oatmeal lately and eat it almost every day! While the cookie butter isn't the healthiest thing for ya, it isn't too bad if you stick to the serving size. Right? Please confirm this because I am way too in love with this breakfast to give it up. ;)

Lunch: Caprese sandwich and a side salad

I love these Caprese & prosciutto sandwiches that Russo's in Watertown has. But, they are enormous and, as such, probably not super healthy because they're overloaded. So, I made my own with great success. I used a toasted 100% wheat 100 calorie thin, 1 oz fresh mozzarella, 1 oz prosciutto, a couple basil leaves, a few slices of tomato, and finished it off with a balsamic vinegar glaze and freshly ground black pepper. Total calorie count: 300!

Snack: Green grapes and green tea

Both enjoyed over a couple of good magazines! Ahhhh, relaxation!

Dinner: BBQ pork chops, grilled asparagus, and side salad

Gorgeous weather = grillin' weather! Love grilled asparagus :)

So, there ya have it. WIAW #9. I did pretty decently sneaking in a lot of green this week: a couple of side salads, some fresh basil, green grapes, and asparagus!

How have you been enjoying the warmer weather? (Assuming - and hoping! - that you have it wherever you may be.)

Make It: Guinness Brownies

Oh man, do I got a recipe for you! Since it is kind of hard to say anything with a brownie stuffed in your mouth, I'm going to keep this brief.

This, my friends, is a Guinness Brownie:

While I am a definite beer fan, I do not ordinarily like darker beers - including Guinness. I don't mind it IN things, however. The brew's dark and slightly "burnt" flavor makes for a fantastic chocolate enhancer.  And, speaking of chocolate, would the mention of FOUR kinds of chocolate (okay, technically three but who's really counting?) further entice you? How about if I mentioned how amazingly fudgy they are?

I am sincerely doubting that I will ever make another kind of brownie again. Bold words, yes. But make these and you'll understand.

Happy (early) Saint Patty's Day!

Guinness Brownies

from Confabulation in the Kitchen blog

1 cup flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces dark bittersweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
4 large eggs (at room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups Guinness Extra Stout beer (at room temperature) (measured without foam)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375*. Grease 9x13 pan.
2. In medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
3. In double boiler over low heat, melt butter, bittersweet chocolate, and white chocolate together. Stir constantly until melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool a few minutes.
4. In large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Slowly add the chocolate mixture to the eggs, beating well until combined.
5. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Whisk in beer. Stir in the semisweet chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan. [It will appear very soupy. Trust me, its okay.]
6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let brownies cool to room temperature before cutting. [If you can wait that long!]

Happy Fried-Day! (March edition)

"Summer lovin' had me a blast,

Summer lovin' happened so fast,

I met a dough made with PB...

And topped with jellyyyyy."

For some reason, Hampton Beach, New Hampshire makes me think of that damn Grease song.  (Hate that movie, by the way.)  It could be that its right on the beach.  Or maybe because I've seen Puddle of Mudd at the HB Ballroom Casino and they always do "Summer Lovin'" as a breakdown on "She Hates Me."  Either way, I'm a complete weirdo and let's just move on.  ;)

Can't believe that it is already March!  This month's Fried-Day is brought to you Blink's Fried Doe.  Sure, many of you have had fried dough, dough boys, whatever before but here's the thing...did you have list of possible toppings?  Yeah, I thought not.  From the classic powdered sugar - to PB&J - to honey & walnuts - to pizza topped, Blink's pretty much has it all.

On our trip, we snagged a freshly made piece of dough and requested some peanut butter and jelly action.  It was totally cute how they tried writing "Blinks" with the jelly!  :D  After settling down on a bench overlooking the Atlantic (oooh), we ripped into our dough (ahhh).  It was every bit as good as I had imagined - the dough was warm and was pleasantly chewy, the creamy peanut butter was warmed through, and the jelly was grape-alicious.

Have you ever had any crazy toppings on your fried dough?  
What places make YOU think about ridiculous summer songs?

See more Fried-Days:
January
February

WIAW #8

Another week, another WIAW!  I have always looked forward to Wednesdays, since it is the day that my babe and I see each other during the week.  <3  But, now I also look forward to sharing my eats with you all and drooling over what has been cookin' at your home.  I guess there's a bit of voyeur in us all...the non-creepy kind, of course.  ;)

Be sure to stop by Jenn's page and check out some of the other WIAW wonderful bloggers!


The theme this month is all about fitting in more green veggies and fruits ...which I apparently didn't do too well with on this day.  Ah well, there's always next week!

Snack: a Think Thin Creamy PB bar

I ate this before my 9:30am Crossfit class...I definitely need something in my tummy before a tough workout but certainly not a full breakfast.  This bar did the trick - I had energy to give it my all, didn't get lightheaded, and wasn't weighed down.  #score

Breakfast: A homemade multi-grain waffle topped w/ plain 0% Chobani, diced peaches, & a sprinkle of chia seed granola with egg whites

I often bust out my waffle maker to whip up a big batch of waffles, which I then individually wrap and freeze. Much easier (and faster) than dirtying up the iron for one at a time. Loving the yogurt, fruit, and granola topping lately :)

Lunch: Light chicken parmesan cutlets with a lettuce, tomato, & cuke salad

My boyfriend and I had made this healthier version of chicken parm with whole wheat spaghetti for dinner the day before. But, I knew I was having pasta with dinner so I just ate these plain...still really good haha!

Dinner: Cajun Chicken Pasta!

I had been dying to make this Skinnytaste recipe.  Glad that I finally got to try it because it was absolutely delicious.  Looking forward to the leftovers for sure!

Dessert: A chocolate protein smoothie

I figured I'd earned a treat so I blended together some chocolate protein powder, a frozen banana, some skim milk, and a squeeze of honey. It was the perfect after dinner snack - decently healthy, thick & creamy, and oh so chocolatey!  [Random aside: The funny little face is the logo for New England-based chain, Newbury Comics. Love, love, love that store!]

What do you make for a quick treat when you're trying to keep on the healthier side? Have a super awesome week, guys!

Make It: Mushroom Scallion Frittata

Frittatas are:

#1 - easy as heck to whip together and cook up oh-so quick.
#2 - extremely versatile.  You can pretty much throw in anything you want and it will be delicious.
#3 - a healthy way of getting those veggies and proteins into your daily diet.

So, the million dollar question: why don't I make frittatas more often?!  Most of us usually have eggs on hand, right?  And I am almost positive that you have something you could dredge up from the produce drawer.  Toss in a couple of seasonings - maybe even some cheese ;) - and there you go.  Your meal is practically ready.  Anyways, so when I stumbled upon this Mushroom Scallion Frittata in Whole Living's Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients, I knew instantly that it would be on this week's menu.  Aside from the mushrooms, the remainder of the (short!) ingredient list was all stuff I keep around.

My favorite thing about this recipe though?  A serving is only 112 calories...and a serving is an entire quarter of the pan, not some dinky little sliver.  So, truthfully, I ate half the pan and it was still under 250 calories!  Add a side salad and it was a perfect lunch...I was completely satiated, snagged a good portion of veggies, and a got healthy shot of protein.  Not bad for less than 10 minutes work!

This picture only shows a quarter of the pan  - told ya it was a generous portion!

Mushroom Scallion Frittata
from Whole Living's Power Foods


"Any combination of mushrooms works well in this dish; choose among shiitake, cremini, oyster, or maitake."


3 large whole eggs plus 3 large egg whites
1/4 cup cottage cheese
6 mushrooms, trimmed, cleaned, and thinly sliced (I used regular ol' white mushrooms as I'm still easing my way into fungi lol)
4 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1. Heat broiler, with rack 4 inches from heat source.  In a large bowl, whisk together whole eggs, egg whites, and cottage cheese.  Add mushrooms and scallions; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. (I used a 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.)
2. Heat oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium heat.  Add egg mixture.  Cook until eggs are almost set, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Transfer skillet to broiler.  Cook until the top is set and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.  Run a flexible spatula around edge of frittata to loosen from pan.  Cut into wedges, and serve.

Per serving: 112 calories, 1.6g saturated at, 5g unsaturated fat, 160mg cholesterol, 3.5g carbohydrates, 7.7g protein, 254mg sodium, .6g fiber


What kinds of ingredients do you like putting into your frittata?