Reinventing Gemini Food Diaries

I have only posted a couple of times on this blog and while it has always been in the back of my mind, it still never made it to the front burner.  I have been thinking about this blog for a little while now and thinking about ways that I can reinvent it.

A blog just containing recipes is not that interactive and really, there is a lot more behind the recipes that I have posted.  Most people know that I have lost weight and some know that I have gained some of it back. I was thinking that I could turn this blog into an actual diary about food.  

I have a love hate relationship with food. I am an emotional eater, happy or sad, food goes into my mouth. When I am sad, it is all of the wrong choices. With this blog, I can explore emotional eating more in depth and write about ways that I am working through it.

It is about being authentic and real with myself through this process. I don't really know who actually reads this blog so this may be for myself, which is fine.  Eventually, this may turn into something more.  I am all about growth and change and reinventing myself as those changes happen.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

This recipe is from a soup making class that Darcy and I attended.  We enjoy doing interactive things like cooking classes on our date nights.  Some of the vegetables used in this recipe will not remain in the finished product of the soup.  I saved them and made a new soup with them the next day by adding vegetable stock, water, pearl barley, and half a jar of roasted garlic salsa.

Ingredients:

3 cups sliced shitake mushrooms
3 cups cremini mushroms
3 cups portobello mushrooms

1 tbsp olive oi
2 tbsp butter
1 carrot, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 spring minced fresh thyme

6 cups chicken stock

2 cups chopped leeks, white parts only
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup dry white wine

3 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup fresh minced flat parsley

Fresh ground pepper
Kosher salt

Method:

Clean mushrooms by wiping with a dry paper towel.  Do not wash them (mushrooms are like sponges and will absorb water).  Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts and coarsely chop the steams.  Slice the mushroom caps 1/4 inch thick.  Set aside.

Heat the olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large pot.  Add the chopped mushroom stems, onion, carrot, thyme, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Cook over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.

Add vegetable stock, bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  Strain and reserve the liquid.  There should be about 4 1/2 cups of stock.

Heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks.  Cook over low heat for about 15-20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown.  Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes until they are browned and tender.

Add flour and cook for 1 minute.  Add wine, scrape bottom of pot, and mushroom stock.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add the whipping cream and parsley.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Heat through but do not boil.

ENJOY!

Morning Glory Breakfast Bars

I like to keep homemade, ready to grab foods like muffins in the freezer.  It takes 20 seconds or less to defrost them in the microwave if I need them right away.  If I won't be eating it for a couple of hours, I just throw it in my bag and it is usually defrosted by the time I'm ready to eat it.

Between myself, Darcy and Calista, I've been baking a lot of muffins lately to keep the supply up in the freezer.  I was in the mood to try something different other then muffins.  I came across the recipe for Morning Glory Breakfast Bars in The Costco Connection (magazine/catalogue we get in the mail from Costco) and they looked interesting so I gave them a whirl.

Time frame wise, I would compare this recipe to the same amount of time it takes to make a batch of carrot bran muffins.  The only time consuming thing was at the end when I individually wrapped each bar that was going to go into the freezer.  They don't need to be individually wrapped, although; I would suggest placing wax paper in between each bar so that they don't stick together while in the freezer.  I wrapped mine because I wanted them to be ready to throw into my purse on the way out the door.

They're very moist and not too sweet and loaded with lots of healthy ingredients.  I gave one to Calista for her afternoon snack and not one piece hit the floor.  That's a very good sign that they are kid friendly!

Morning Glory Breakfast Bars


Ingredients:

2 cups bran cereal
1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
1 cup milk
3/4 cup drained canned crushed pineapple
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt as that is what I have started buying)
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup liquid honey

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.  Line a 13x9 metal baking pan with foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang at each end.  Lightly butter foil.

2. In a bowl, combine bran cereal, carrot, milk, pineapple and yogurt; let stand for 5 minutes.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.  Whisk egg and honey into mix mixture. Pour over dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.

3. Spread into prepared pan, smoothing top.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool completely in pan.  Using foil overhang as handles, gently remove from pan and cut into bars.  Makes 16 bars.

Enjoy!!