Pumpkin and Spice

I've been trying to eat healthier and lose some of my "pastry fat". However, I've also been pretty stressed out the past few months. And, since I tend to be a stress eater, I've really not lost any weight (though I haven't gained any either, which tells me that if I could lay off the comfort foods, I might actually be dropping weight...)

"They" (scientists, nutritionists, moms everywhere...) say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially if you're trying to lose weight. It helps jump-start your metabolism for the day, and studies have shown that people who eat breakfast eat fewer calories throughout the day than those that don't. Most mornings, Kyle and I have been making healthy smoothies (that recipe will be another post), but every now and then we need a little change.
Muffins are a breakfast classic, but there is usually so much sugar and fat in them, that they are basically just a cupcake without icing. I want something with some redeeming nutritional value, which is where my bran muffins come into play. They're packed with fiber and protein, so they're nice and filling. All the fat in them is the healthy unsaturated kinds- from the flax, bran and nuts. They're lightly sweet, with lovely bursts of tangy dried fruits. I used apricots, golden raisins, cranberries and cherries, but you could use any combo of your favorite dried fruits. When you bite into them, the little bits of fruit made me think of little gems, which is why I named these Jewel Box Bran Muffins. Pair them with a cup of coffee or a latte made with skim milk, and you have a filling, healthy breakfast that comes in at under 300 calories (that's including the latte!- providing you get a "tall" with skim, and stick to splenda or stevia for sweetening it.)

Bake and freeze them, and you can grab one, nuke it for about 30 seconds, and run out the door with a healthy, fast alternative to a breakfast sandwich at a fast food place or that calorie-bomb muffin you were eyeballin' at Starbucks.

I've been doing great at getting to the gym after work, however, the downside is I don't get home until 6 or 6:30- which means by the time I walk in the door, I am starving. Kyle gets home shortly after, also hungry.

When I wasn't doing the gym-thing, I had an extra hour and a half to cook, but now, if I want dinner on the table by 7ish, I've got to be a little craftier. I'd love to spend time simmering, peeling and whatnot, but sometimes (and I'm sure you're with me on this) I just need to get dinner ready now.

My okra with sausage and shrimp fits the bill perfectly. It's quick, easy and healthy- plus, most of the ingredients are freezer or pantry stable, which is a bonus (in my opinion) because it means I can plan in advance, but if something comes up, nothing's going bad waiting to be cooked. (I usually plan 4+ cooked meals a week, but don't always wind up getting around to cooking all of them- either we go out or eat leftovers or whatever- so it's nice to have at least one that can lapse into the next week without ingredients spoiling.)

One of the sad things about living in a tropical clime is that my favorite season, autumn, is really more of an idea than a reality. Sure, you go shopping right now and there are cute sweaters, cozy looking flannels, corduroy pants and chunky boots... but it's still flip-flop and tank top weather. The leaves (on the palm trees) never change color, the air is never brisk and crisp, and I'm not entirely sure pumpkins can even grow in Florida. While it is finally starting to cool down (just the other day I stepped outside and thought "Oooh! It's nice and cool out!"-- it was 85. No lie.) it's still not really cozy comfort food weather. However, something inside me starts craving fall foods this time of year, regardless of the weather.

Recently, I was really craving cabbage rolls. I'm really fond of cabbage rolls- whether meat or veggie filled, I love the savory filling, the sweet and tangy tomato sauce and the soft cabbage. What I am not fond of is rolling up cabbage rolls. There are some foods I'm willing to fuss around with, but I'd rather not spend that much time making little pockets of cabbage. And, since I don't have a Polish grandma to tell me I'm not doing things right, I decided this time around to make myself a cabbage casserole.

Personally, I'm a big fan of the turkey burger. Kyle and I don't eat much beef (we do eat it, on occasion, but we tend to eat a lot more seafood and poultry), plus turkey burgers tend to be much lower in fat and calories than their beef counterparts. The problem that turkey burgers sometimes run into is that they can be a little dry, and occasionally bland.

Well, I don't mean to brag, but I make a pretty wicked turkey burger- juicy, flavorful, and packed with yummy bits. Spinach, caramelized onions, herbs, parmesan cheese... these babies have it all! Oh, and they're totally kid-approved! We had a friend and her daughters over for dinner, and the 5 year-old ate a burger and a half!

 I wanna come clean about something- I don't like eggplants. When I say I don't like them, I mean I really hate them. I don't even like eggplant parmesan, and it's breaded, deep fried and covered in cheese and tomato sauce! I'd probably eat a sneaker if you fried it and covered it in sauce and cheese- but not an eggplant. I don't like the little seeds, I don't like the wet, spongy texture, I don't like the bitter flavor. Bleh.

I feel a little bad about my distaste for eggplants- I really hate to be a picky eater, and I'll taste dishes with eggplants in them, but I just have a hard time getting over my hang-up. One eggplant-centric dish I like (minus the eggplant, of course) is ratatouille. Ratatouille is a thick, hearty, French stew, made with lots and lots of veggies, most notably, eggplant. It's also fantastically inexpensive to make, as it tended to be, as the characters in the Disney/Pixar film Ratatouille point out, "peasant food". (And, as Linguine points out, it also sounds a lot like "Rat-patootie".) There's no meat, no cream, no butter, no exotic ingredients- just simple veggies, stewed and savory.

I don't often order it at restaurants, but I've made it at home before, with a little tweak- I substitute meaty portabella mushrooms for the eggplant. I know this makes it a less-than traditional version, but if I'm making it for myself, I see no reason to use an ingredient I don't care for.