New House, New Home, New Oven... Bananas!

I admit.... I've been MIA. Like totally MIA since uhmm.... February. *sigh*

So before I provide a nice and semi novel-esque reason as to why, know this -- my love for this blog, for food, cooking, baking and creating has not dissipated! It's just been hindered by a few other [quite] monumental events... read on.... ;-)

First and foremost... I am now a proudly engaged woman to the most amazing man in the world, my fiancé Tony. June was our 5 year anniversary (crazy!), this handsome man did quite a bit of thinking and worked this lovely event right into our already planned vacation to Cozumel with his family. It was beautiful. There were tears. And of course, I said yes. 

Next up... we have a house! That's right, the fiancé and I bought our first home and have been happy homeowners for a little over 2 months. We're absolutely loving it, veggies growing in our newly built planter boxes, sprinklers spraying water across our lawn. My kitchen -- yes...mine...and no, he won't argue that ;-) -- is just what I need to start back up on this blogging journey. 

But, with every new house comes a new, well, a different oven. And well.... it's going to take a little getting used to. It's.... bananas! 

I finally got the urge, that uncontrollable itch to bake. To gather all of my GF ingredients, a little sweetness and chocolate, and make something divine. With an overwhelming number of past-due bananas in the freezer, homemade banana bread was calling my name. I wanted to try a new recipe but wasn't  quite up for the challenge of creating my own with the possibility of a failure, so, I came across this beauty and went to work -- Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Chunk and Walnut Banana Bread. Simple, quite easy to put together, the aroma while baking was irresistible. 

And then, the fun began. I got up to check on this lovely loaf with about 5 minutes remaining on the timer. The top was puffed, getting pretty brown and firm to the touch - thank goodness I got up to check! I let it cool (as one should) for about 5 minutes before taking it out of the loaf pan and moving to my cooling rack. Waited a little longer before slicing into it to devour for my own tasting... piece #1: beautiful! Piece #2: wonderful! Piece #3: uh oh. The middle of my lovely loaf was, uncooked. Gasp! Of course, my red hair began to show, i.e. my temper. I felt defeated. Going so long without baking.... beginning again in a new oven.... I believe I actually said out loud, "Well, if ya don't use it ya lose it!" (slightly gritting my teeth). I put the broken loaf back into the hot oven for a while longer, hoping to save it. 

Second try.... a little better but still... the middle was mush. At this point, I took out one of the done slices and devoured it. I mean, I should at least get to enjoy this disaster, right? 

All in all, it was delicious. Sweet enough, full banana flavor, little bits of chocolate to satisfy that cocoa craving. It wasn't all bad! I then tried to salvage the rest. Breaking off the portions that were edible, building a pile of the goup back in the pan. Along the way... eating piece after piece in what I'm convinced was an emotional train wreck. I managed to save 4 full slices, with several other "pieces" that will be quite nice in the coming days when I wake up ravenous and am putting together my breakfast. I am sure that I ate at least 2 [large] pieces with all the nibbling here an there and let me tell you.... emotional train wreck eating.... not so pleasing to my stomach. Eh, oh well. Lesson learned. 

What this silly event did do, was spark back my inspiration. Turned back on my kitchen gears and in the end, made me laugh quite a bit at how ridiculous the whole thing turned out. 

In this life, we learn. We learn and we get inspired. We create, we fail, we create some more and then we succeed. 

So get ready for plenty of recipes, photos and off-track stories to come your way. I'm back baby. Let's get cooking. 

Oat Free Quinoa Apricot Granola

I've come to a realization lately. Well, really more of a re-realization.

Granola, some sort of fruit be it fresh or dried, and yogurt, is a breakfast that I'm sort of... obsessed with. I guess it's really not that bad seeing as how granola can be made in a variety of ways, showcasing a multitude of flavors and textures all depending on the ingredients chosen. It's a healthy snack, a filling breakfast, something that may just become my everyday fall-back.

Anyway... during this re-realization I thought about the many people who are intolerant to oats... *gasp!* How sad it must be to go to your local grocer and not be able to pick up your weekly batch of granola, simply because, the sweet little oats don't act so sweet when settled in your belly. Naturally, I was just not okay with this fact. And thus... the oat free granola was born!

This recipe still follows closely to my many others, packed with nutrition and protein, a hint of sweetness and the perfect crunch to accompany your smooth and creamy yogurt of choice. The best part? It takes about 15 minutes to make, start to finish. I'm sensing you're ready for the recipe, am I right?

Oat Free Quinoa Apricot Granola
3/4 c quinoa flakes
1oz raw pumpkin seeds (just under 1/4c)
8 dried apricots (cut into small pieces)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 c Perky's Crunchy Flax Cereal

2 tbsp cashew butter (I used Artisana)
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. Combine quinoa flakes through cinnamon in a medium bowl. Slowly heat cashew butter, maple syrup and vanilla in a small saucepan until stirred to a smooth consistency. Add wet ingredients to the quinoa flake mixture, start the mixing with a spoon but you'll need to get dirty for this yummy granola, using your hands to finish off the mixing process. Place mixture in the oven for 6 minutes, remove and stir. Place back into the oven for 2-3 more minutes (at this point the granola should be golden and slightly brown at the edges). Remove from oven and add in the Crunchy Flax Cereal. Let granola cool, place into a mason jar and store on the counter.

Enjoy this oat free granola over yogurt, with a banana and almond milk for a delicious non-traditional cereal treat, or munch for a portable snack any time of day. It's delicious, it's oat free, and it's packed with good for you nutrients!

Let's take a look at the nutrition facts, shall we?

Per 1/2 cup serving

217cal

34g carbs

4g fiber

6g protein

10g sugar

Eat up and enjoy, and maybe keep a secret stash away from the public eye of your kitchen... it just may disappear faster than you'd like!

Health For The Holidays - Thanksgiving Wrap Up!

Welcome back to another happy and healthy day on It Really Works!

Being the day after Thanksgiving, I thought it was only appropriate to share some of the best and most beautiful Thanksgiving dishes from all around, and also a few tips and tricks on how I managed to still be "mostly comfortable" after two Thanksgiving dinners and dessert!

Now... if that didn't real you into read this post.. I'm not sure what will ;-)

Enjoying a festive and delicious Thanksgiving at two houses (with my family and the boyfriend's), would be sure to make anyone happy. However, if you stop to think about the amount of food that is served at any one Thanksgiving affair - you might realize that eating twice is quite a lot of food.

I have a feeling that I'm not the only one who splits their holiday, which is why I decided to share a few of my own tricks to avoid that "I-ate-WAY-too-much-and-now-just-want-to-sleep-it-off" feeling.

Take a gander at the food offerings before you start to pile it on your plate. If there is a dish you absolutely love and one that you could do without, skip the 2nd and splurge on that once a year item you dream about. People tend to think that just because there are extra side dishes, you have to take a spoonful of each one.. well my friends, that just isn't true. Take a few bites of each dish that you know you'll enjoy (healthy or not) and know that this isn't how you eat every day of the year. Suppressing your cravings when they are right in front of you will leave you more fulfilled and not needing to go back for seconds. 

Revisiting the multi-side dish extravaganza... I have a theory about why we overeat on this special day. My theory, is that people take the same amount of a side dish they would take at any other meal, not thinking about the fact that there are three to four times more side dishes than would be at a regular dinner. So, rather than taking smaller amounts of each dish to account for the plethora of offerings, we tend to stick to our habitual portion sizes for all of those glorious sides, soon to find our plate overflowing and our mouths watering. Now, if you fell into the trap this year, have no fear, you'll have a chance to practice moderation next year and the many more Thanksgivings to come!

We've talked about the main meal and shared two helpful tips, but what about dessert? That's right, the sugar laden pecan pie (of which I must admit... I am guilty of making this delectable treat), the classically creamy pumpkin pie, apple or berry pie with crusts to die for... get the picture? Dessert is one thing we have a hard time turning down, even when we already feel like we've eaten enough food for the next three days. My trick for this one? INDULGE. You heard me, take a small slice of each or an adequate portion of your ultimate favorite and treasure every single bite. Like I said, it is not every day that we eat in this way, and it's definitely not every day that we have multiple pies to choose from. Eating a little out of the ordinary, or out of your typical healthy habits for one day isn't going to cause any harm. If you want some pie, by all means, have some pie.

 Alright... enough tips and tricks for one day, let's take a look at the dishes that were enjoyed and highlight a few that I'll definitely be adding to my "must-make" list for next year...

My aunt cooks a mean turkey.. I mean, look at that color!

Dad's homemade gravy, nothing will ever top it.

Cranberry Pear Sauce from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen - the second year I've made it... truly delicious.

Salad with homemade dressing, pears, cranberries, candied pecans and blue cheese - need I say more?

Turkey (white and dark meat), stuffing cooked in the bird, stuffing cooked separately, fresh green beans, creamed onions, mamma's homemade mashers, lovely cranberry sauce, and my sister's to-die-for orange sweet potatoes. A feast it was, and it was all DELICIOUS.

Last but not least... my very own, homemade, Gluten Free Triple Berry Pie... I based the filling off of a recipe from Epicurious.com, and followed this recipe from Simply Gluten Free for the crust-

½ cup unsalted butter or solid, all vegetable non-dairy shortening
2 to 4 tablespoons cold water (used 3T)
*1¼ cups All Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend plus more for rolling (King Arthur)
1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
2 tablespoons sugar

dashes of almond extract

“Cut” shortening into flour; add salt and sugar and “cut” again; then add water and extract and mix.

Press between 2 layers of parchment paper with extra flour top and bottom.  Transfer to pie plate and press into sides and bottom.

Bake 20 minutes before filling.

Not that you aren't already wanting more, but here are a few recipes I plan to make next year, or perhaps, within the next week just for fun!

Gluten Free Dairy Free Ginger Snap Biscotti by Dixie Crystals Bake It Forward

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Bread by Gluten Free Goddess 

Gluten Free Stuffing Rolls by Living Without Magazine

Maple Pumpkin Blondies by Chockohlawtay

What recipes were your favorite this year? How about a recipe you'd love to turn into being gluten free!? If you share I ust might give it a go... :)

Happy eating!

Creamy Crunchy Salami Grape Salad

I have a new obsession... Sistema tupperware. Yea, I think I've officially crossed the line into "house-wife"status (although, let's be clear, I'm not actually a "wife" at all - making this transition that much more comical).

Yup. It's true. My simple pleasures in life include cooking and baking on rainy days (or sunny days for that matter), reading cooking light with my morning breakfast, cutting coupons and bookmarking recipes on foodgawker in my spare time. And now, to add to the mix, a love for innovative tupperware to suit all your on-the-go needs. (Wow, am I eighty?)

To justify this tupperware affection, let's take a look at the most amazing salad container I have ever seen. Sistema Klip It Salad-to-Go Container.

 

 If you can't quite see from this picture, I'll happily share the features this handy box provides :-)

• the base holds your lettuce and heavier salad toss-ins
• the top piece is broken into two compartments to keep those ingredients separated and fresh until it's really salad time
• the middle portion, also on the top, is a perfectly sized round container for your dressing

Uhh yea, I told you it was amazing. Now you feel kind of bad for laughing at me earlier, don't you?

So, yes, there it is. My new obsession to fuel my love for lunch-time salads.

Shall we move on to the recipe for today's salad of choice?

Creamy Crunchy Salami Grape Salad 
lettuce of choice (or a mixture of greens)
handful of red grapes cut in half
organic salami cut into quarters (I like Applegate Farms brand)
raw pumpkin seeds (a.k.a pepitas)
baked plantains broken into pieces (Whole Foods sells them and they are to die for)
Annie's Lemon & Chive dressing (highly recommended!)

To Assemble Salad:
Add the grapes and greens to the base of your sistema to-go container. Place the salami in one side of the top piece, the pepitas and plantains in the other. Pour your dressing into the portioned out dressing container. Snap it closed and your lunchtime salad awaits.

When the lunch hour rolls around, it is very important how you throw these ingredients together. The best method I have found is to add the dressing to the greens first and mix together. Then, top the greens with your crunchy toppers and protein and you are ready to dive in to this amazing meal that will have your coworkers gawking over your desk at this amazing homemade salad.

And that's all folks! Now go get yourself one of these containers so you can enjoy the many other salads to come!