Set Your Intentions

I think I can finally say Spring is here.

This long, drawn-out dry spell since I posted last seems to be analogous to the cold weather that won’t seem to end.  I can hear birds through my window though, and I am looking forward.

With Spring comes change.  I saw a caterpillar today and it was furry. I am not talking about my legs since I have been shaving on a regular basis anticipating the nice weather.  I can’t stress how furry it was.  It was really furry. I saw new life!!!

The weather is not the only thing that is changing.  I will be starting a new job next month.  New field, new city, new people and a new routine.  You all know how much I love change in my routine (NAT!) but I am actually excited and ready for the move.  The whole situation is so bitter sweet.  McMaster is {and always will be} my family.

I have also changed.  Only three months have passed this year and I have already achieved most of my New Year’s Resolutions.  I am eating beans and eggs on a regular basis, have protein at almost every meal and am almost strictly gluten free {among many other things}.  I go to yoga at least three times a week and am still flossing on the daily.  If you really want to compliment me you can call me a Yogi.  I play squash now?!  If I would have read that a month ago I would have laughed in my own face.  I don’t know what it is about squash but I have this strong desire to hate it.  When I played for the first time I thought I would absolutely suck at it and that alone would fuel my hate but I was actual not that bad…and I might even say I had fun and have become obsessed with the sport of squash.  To reduce my cognitive dissonance towards the sport I have started referring to it as squish.  Only after publicly asking the boy if he wanted to squish did I realize that I should never refer to it as that.

Nothing could prepare you for the next thing I am about to tell you…

I haven’t eaten Honey Nut Cheerios in one month. ONE MONTH. Remember like two months ago when I said I would never stop eating Cheerios?  It’s absolutely terrifying when your own thoughts lie to you.  Trust nobody and never say never.  And Justin Bieber can suck my toe for making me think of him when I hear the words “never say never”.  Leave me alone Justin Bieber. Watching you go through puberty was very uncomfortable for me for a lot of reasons.

One thing I have loved to love lately is green onions.  I definitely put that squish on everything {it will catch on…it’s so multipurpose I am brilliant}.

As soon as Jessica from How Sweet It Is posted this recipe for Thai Chicken Quinoa was I super inspired.

So. Much. Green. Onion.

Everyone I fed it to (including myself) ran off to make it again.  It was the closest thing to a breath of fresh air I could get.

Click here for the recipe.  It will be the best thing you could do for yourself today.

Before I sign off I have two more things to share with you.

First, happy birthday to my beautiful and talented sister Jessica.  Jess,  this blog, among many many other things in my life would not be the same if it weren’t for you. I would be lost.

Second are the intentions for today:

“Live quietly in the moment and see the beauty of all before you.  The future will take care of itself…”

-Paramahansa Yogananda

It is good to be back.

Best,

Red

Happy Birthday w/ A Giveaway!

One year.

365 days of publicly spilling my insides.

365 days of full stomachs, well fed friends and a floored family.

I have come a long way.

One year ago today I went public with Little Red Delicious.  I was a nervous wreck.  Seriously, everyone was going to see what I was throwing out there and there was no turning back.  I made a promise to myself to not abandon this blog like I do with so many other things… like chia seeds for example.  I tried to make those work in my food like twice… now a have a 1 lb bag of chia seeds left on my shelf. I think I shook in my pseudo-sleep all night that night (not when I ate chia seeds, I mean when my blog went public).

One year ago today I made cookies.  Vanilla Pudding Chocolate Chip cookies.  It is a recipe that will forever remind me of baking in my student house with my beautiful housemates.  These cookies got us through the hardest parts of university: midterms, hangovers and break-ups.  I remember how excited they were for me a year ago today :).

In honour of the Vanilla Pudding Chocolate chip cookies I wrote about a year ago, I am now bringing you my favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Even though there are enough “Best Chocolate Chip Cookie” recipes out there they are all liars and you really need this one.  No, that’s not true.  Cookies are like little kids. Diverse, innocent, and all with their special place in the world.  We all have our own criteria for what makes a good cookie and I guess this is the recipe I grew up eating, so on top of the soft (almost undercooked),  brown sugar-y flavour with the perfect chocolate chip to cookie ratio, these cookies taste like home to me.

Don’t freak out but, this recipe has always been right under the tip of your nose.  It isn’t ground-breaking, but there is a reason it is printed on the back of the Hershey’s Chipits package… and that’s because they taste amazing.

And you don’t even have to take my word for it, because it is a birthday.  And what to you give on birthdays, well gifts of course. And how do bloggers give gifts? You’re right, in the form of giveaways.  I don’t have a new Kitchenaid Stand Mixer to give away, and I am not sponsored by any camera companies but I do have a handmixer from what I can only assume is from the 70’s (rocking a mustard yellow tinge to it) that is still alive and kicking!  Word of warning though, if you try to mix anything with a viscosity greater than water she’ll be a smokin’!  But actually I can’t give that away, it’s a fire hazard. All I have is a passion for baking and a love for sharing so my giveaway today is a simple one: a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies.

This giveaway is open to anybody living in Canada–I will express ship!  All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me which post over the past year you liked the most and why!  You have until Sunday, February 10th at noon to leave your comment before I randomly select a winner.  {Teri don’t enter. I will be home later today with cookies.  Plus as my mom you know you could never win, people would think it was fixed and complain… heck I would complain.}

And for all but one of you who don’t win, I have included the recipe below for when you get your next cookie craving.  Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you!  And while you are in the process of leaving your email you can sign up to receive an email every time I post something new by following me ——–>(scroll up a bit)!

Thanks for the year of love and support and taste testing. If it weren’t for you I would just be an almost certifiably insane person talking to no one.  Which is pretty much how it is every day, in my own head, with no one listening but me (obviously), on a daily basis. Shrug it off.

Best,

Red

Red’s Childhood Chocolate Chip Cookies

Courtesy of Hershy’s

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Hershey’s)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.

In a separate mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing well.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop 1 tbsp balls of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet leaving about 1 inch between cookies {they will spread!}.  Bake for 6-8 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cookies sit on baking sheet for 1 more minute.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Wait at least 30 second and then go ape shoot.

Super Bowl Snack Time Show

I watched the Super Bowl last night.  I was a super sad clown today since I was cheering for the 49ers.

On a happier note I have decided to scrap the last year of soul searching because when I grow up I want to be Beyonce.  Seriously.  I am Sasha Fierce-ing it up starting tomorrow.  Speaking of Sasha Fierce, I went to a drag show last Thursday.  This may have inflenced my life goals.  This is also an entire post on its own so I’m gonna save it for a rainy day…

I spoke last Super Bowl about the football family I was born into.  My mom specifically has stuck with her 49ers for the last 20-some years that I can remember, and she never jumped ship.  If anything you’d think she became more of a fan as the pile of swag in our house slowly grew.  I was so excited for her to see her team play in the Super Bowl.  I cheered my heart out and even though they lost, at least she can announce she is a 49ers fan with a little more chutzpah now than when I was aged 1-21.

 

The boy and I watched the game at the house of one of our closest friends.  He and his family were so welcoming and kept us well fed and entertained all night.  I am so glad I made these Jalapeno Beef-Stuffed Crescent Rolls, not because there wasn’t an incredible spread of food already but because if I showed up empty handed with all they did for us I would have felt terrible.

Between all of the “Game Day” Pinterest boards, choosing a recipe turned out to be harder than making a recipe.  I knew my criteria was bite-sized, portable and nothing with more than 1 vegetable in it (onion and garlic don’t count).  If it was up to me I would be eating carrots and dip and chocolate covered strawberries, but I knew I was going to be the only one without footballs of my own at this party so I went for something that covered the other three food groups as well.

 

I made a few adaptations to this recipe from tasteofhome.com.  Overall they were a big hit.  They had a bit of a kick and were very filling (not that I had any, this is just what I heard.  I am off the beef.  I have also never been “on” the beef.  That doesn’t mean I have never ridden a cow, it means that I have never eaten beef.  I have not ridden a cow though, if you were wondering.  I did milk a cow when I was four… well, I had the opportunity to but I was not expecting the udder to feel the way it did -i.e. hairy and rough- and ran to our field trip leader crying as soon as I touched it.  I blame 101 Dalmatians for misrepresenting what a cow udder is like. I digress.).  The boys all went back for seconds, not that they are the pickiest of folk, but it made me happy to see them eat my food!

Now that the Super Bowl is over I have V-day on my mind.  That is a Pinterest nightmare on its own.

Best,

Red

Jalapeno and Beef-Stuffed Crescent Rolls

Adapted from Tasteofhome.com

Yeild: 24 crescent rolls

1/2 medium onion, minced

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb ground beef

1 package (8 oz) Herb and Garlic cream cheese, cubed

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 can (4oz)  jalapenos, diced (if not already)

3 tubes of refrigerated crescent rolls

In a large skillet, sautee oil, onion, and garlic for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.  Add beef and jalapenos to skillet and continue to cook until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Add cream cheese, cumin and chili powder and stir until mixture looks uniform.  Remove from heat and cool slightly.  Separate crescent dough into 24 triangles.  On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, place 1 tbsp of beef mixture to the short end of each triangle (this is the side you would start rolling the crescent roll from).  Carefully roll up.  Space crescent rolls 2 inches apart on baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 11-14 minutes or until golden brown (mine took exactly 11 minutes).  Serve with any dip you please; the boy found some chili to dunk his into!  It is best to serve warm although I served mine cold and heard no complaints!

Blueberry Oat Bars

One of my New Year’s resolutions this year was to floss more.  I can proudly say that in the last 23 days I have flossed 23 of them.  I know it sounds kind of gross to not floss on a daily basis (which is why I vowed to improve my gum health this year) but I am an individual that has not one but two permanent retainers cemented to the backs of my teeth.  That means that flossing goes from a 30 second ordeal to a 5 minute one that can’t be completed without a mirror and threaders.  If either of those aspects are missing- forget about it.  Starting to sound like way too much work?  Apparently, 50% of people do not floss on a daily basis.  73% of people would rather go grocery shopping than floss. Grocery shopping.  People would prefer grocery shopping! That makes a statement right there.

Maybe not all of you can relate, but certainly those of you who have had braces can.  And kudo’s to you if you have top and bottom permanent retainers and think I am ludacris for complaining about this.  I envy your patience, will and determination towards your impeccable oral hygiene.

With my distain for flossing I have become pretty good at avoiding foods that are prone to getting stuck in my retainer… well almost all foods…

Fresh, soft tortilla wraps are the absolute worst for reasons unknown to me.  That doesn’t mean I prefer stale tortilla wraps, I just make a conscious effort to only eat them in the privacy of my own home.  Corn on the cob is on the same list.

Oats though…oats may be one of the exceptions (and oranges, obviously).   They are nasty little culprits that I just can’t bring myself to avoid.  Funny enough, both of those ingredients can be found in this recipe.  I was standing in Starbucks one morning and made the mistake of perusing through the glass treasure box of treats when I laid my eyes on one of their Blueberry Oat bars.  Since I couldn’t afford the price or the nutritional information I scoured the Internet for a recipe I could make on my own.  I think I may have to include Canadian Living Magazine in my will.  Click here for their version of these Blueberry Oat Bars.  I would floss 5 times a day for the rest of my life to spend a minute in their test kitchen.

Why do they tickle all my fancies?  Because this recipe is about half the calories and fat of the Starbucks version, and for 24 bars is the cost of 2. Eat up!

Best,

Red

Golden Gluten-Free Globes

The one year I actually want to watch the Golden Globes I have no cable TV and no roommates.  While Jess came to the rescue with the live stream link, it feels weird worshiping Tina Fey and Amy Poehler by myself.

After my first week back at work and school, I am finally getting back into the swing of things.  Unfortunately my only class takes place from 5:30-6:20 three nights a week, so after working my regular 9-5 I spend 3 very tired nights hungry and unmotivated to cook.  It is these nights where I battle my voracious cravings for pizza. Hot and saucy pizza.  Be a doll and throw in some creamy garlic dipping sauce.

Last weekend I made these Gluten Free Pizza Bites.  Tired and hungry, these got me through two more filling and tasty meals last week. The quinoa acting as the dough, these pizza bites lend themselves well to any of your favourite pizza toppings.  Plus, the taste of fresh basil reminded me of a fresh summer salad and made me feel like spring was on the horizon.  Oh wait, maybe that was the 9 degree C weather we are having in January. In Ontario… Canada. Can’t tell.

I think I have found the perfect recipe.  25 minutes start to finish, still delicious two days later, GF, protein packed and shaped like a muffin.

Oh yeah, and if all the plunging necklines and side boobs of awards season have you “emotional eating”, don’t even think twice about scarfing down 1 or 10 of these healthy pizza bites.

Special shout-outs to Kristen Bell and her best dressed baby belly, Kristen Wiig and her best non-dressed belly, and Isla Fisher for being the best dressed red.  None for Lucy Liu, Sienna Miller and Taylor Swift.

Best,

Red

Gluten-Free Quinoa Pizza Bites

Adapted from: So Very Blessed

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped (or 2 tablespoons dried)
1/2 cup roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pizza sauce for dipping, I used this recipe for homemade tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the quinoa and two cups of water in a covered pot. Bring to boil and then simmer for 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender.  Mix together all ingredients, except pizza sauce, in a medium mixing bowl. Distribute mixture into a greased muffin tin, filling each cup to the top and press down gently to compact.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Broil on low for two more minutes