Chomp

Spooky Popcorn Pumpkins!

2011-10-29T18:08:00.000-06:00

Halloween is upon us and I am getting ready for a spooky weekend!
Today I made some yummy Halloween Popcorn Pumpkins for a party I am going to tonight! You can find the recipe here.

All the goodies (popcorn, peanuts and candy corn) ready to go!

Margarine/butter, mini marshmallows, red and yellow food coloring.

All mixed together and ready to be shaped into pumpkins! This mix is really easy to work with!

Using the muffin tin is key- put your mix in, then the licorice in the centre and form the mix around the licorice stem.

Yum!

The finished product ready for spooky party people to enjoy!

This recipe was super easy and the little pumpkins turned out great. I do have some notes on my experience to share:

I doubled the recipe.
You need more yellow food coloring than the recipe calls for.
I also put the pumpkins the the fridge for about 20 minutes (kind of like rice crispy squares.)
I managed to find everything I needed at Bulk Barn (I already had popcorn, peanuts and margarine.) I especially love their licorice... so fresh and delicious. If you ever get a chance to try this licorice you may convert to Bulk Barn just for it... that is what happened to me anyway.

Tonight I am also going to try this pumpkin beer:

St. Ambroise Citrouille (Pumpkin Ale) from Quebec.

Happy (and Spooky) Halloween Everyone!

Gotta Dance, Gotta Dance, Gotta Really Really Dance!

2011-10-26T18:08:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone,

Today's blog post is brought to you by belly dance. I haven't been blogging much lately. Partly because I've been so busy; partly because I've had issues with my wrist and neck again; but mostly because I have been reconsidering why I blog and what I blog about. This blog began as something for myself, then sort of transformed into a food and fitness blog. I feel like what I was missing from the equation was the living part. Eating happy, moving happy and living happy. On that note, I bring you my first official living happy post!
I've mentioned that I dance on my blog a few times, but I've never devoted a whole post to one of my most favorite things and one of the most important aspects of my life. Hopefully after you read this post, you will have a better understanding and appreciation of the dance form.

My own personal story: I started dancing in 2008 with two friends. We decided to take a dance class and since I had just recently had knee surgery we thought belly dance would be fun and not too hard on the knees. Like most people, we didn't know much about the dance form. We knew there were shimmies and belly rolls and that the women wear bright costumes! I'll be honest, that is pretty much all I knew! (Thankfully I now know, understand and appreciate the complexities and varietes of belly dance.) After one session of belly dance we were hooked. Partly because it was fun, partly because we got to spend time together, but I think mainly because of how it made us feel. Dance inherently feels good. Humans can't help but tap their feet or nod their head with the beat of the music. Belly dance provides an opportunity for women to feel beautiful, authentic, and connected. It reminds you of the abilities and power of your body. It brings women together. How can you say no to that?

Not only that, we had an awesome teacher: Donna Cucheran (Hala). Donna continues to this day to be my mentor, teacher, and, most importantly, my friend. Donna did more than just show us the moves; she broke down each movement and asked us what muscles we THOUGHT we were using and then explained which muscles we SHOULD be using. Plus, she always explained the history of the movement and where it was from. Donna asked if our class would like to perform at the spring halfa (recital) and for some reason the three of us said yes. We danced to this song.

Tarkan will always have a place in my heart!

The rest is history. I've never looked back, and never stopped dancing. After taking beginner classical classes, we moved onto Tribal (improvisational group dance) and Folkloric (a variety of different styles of dance, often considered the more "earthy" and "grounded" compared to other styes. Think of it as the "dance of the everyday people.") Safe to say, explaining in depth the differences between the all the styles of belly dance would consists of MANY blog posts. The point I am getting at here is that the dance form allowed me to explore and figure out what I liked. I've also met some of the most amazing women and made lifelong friends. Currently, I am the newest member of the local dance troupe Nomadic Tapestry.

Sarah, Donna and I (Nomadic Tapestry) in Calgary!

I mainly study the Jamila Salimpour Format (the mother of belly dance in North America) and her daughter Suhaila Salimpour`s format. The reason for their formats and school of belly dance can best be summarized in this quote from the website:

"Suhaila realized the necessity to create an organized system for teaching and training. Rather than trying to integrate Middle Eastern Dance with Ballet or Jazz, she wanted to create the respect, knowledge, mentorship and training methodology she experienced in her studies to preserve the quality and longevity of the dance form."

If you are super interested, watch this fantastic documentary from the 1970s about Jamila and her troupe Bal Anat.

I'm not writing this blog post in the hopes that you jump on the belly dance wagon (although I think its a great idea). I'm really writing this to expand on a bigger idea: the importance of passion in life. My blog focuses on food, exercise and life. When I joined Nomadic Tapestry, I had a realization of the importance of following your passion. For years I limited myself: diets, exercise regimes, lack of confidence, pre-conceived notions of what I thought I was supposed to do. Dance has so altered my own understanding of myself, my life, my possibilities and my future. Thanks to shimmies, back bends and finger cymbals, I have a new perspective and life. Find your passion. Or at the very least, do what Ellen has her audience do everyday: DANCE! (right now!)

Mexican Lasagna Bake

2011-10-01T19:25:00.000-06:00

Here is a simple recipe adapted from Kraft that my sister made a few weeks ago. This is exciting for a three reasons:
1. It was super easy, healthy and delicious.
2. Leftovers!
3. My sister made it. My sister making dinner, especially following a recipe, is a rarity, so when such events happen, I celebrate and make sure to acknowledge this behaviour with a blog post about it (in hopes it happens again! *hint hint Cathy!*)

Ingredients:
3/4 pound extra lean ground beef or turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 tsp chili powder
1 1/4 cup salsa
2 cups frozen corn
3 large whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup (fat-free) sour cream
3/4 cheddar cheese

Method:
Oven at 375 F
Cook up meat with veggies on medium heat. Add chili powder. After a minute add salsa and corn and mix. Simmer for 5 minutes.

In a square baking dish, spread one cup of the mixture on the bottom. Then make like lasagna- layer tortillas, meat sauce, sour cream and cheese for the next two layers. Do no put cheese on the top layer. Save some cheese for later (about 1/4 cup) Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Put on last 1/4 cup cheese and bake for 5 more minutes- until melted.

Enjoy! We topped ours with guacamole and sour cream!

Find the original recipe here.

Move of the Week: Home Gym Update

2011-09-18T11:39:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone!

Life has been hectic and crazy busy! Finding the time and energy to update Chomp has been difficult. I thought with the end of summer, I would be back to a routine, but so far that has not been the case. I think it won't be until mid-October before things calm down. Not only that, I continue to deal with my neck/wrist issues... possibly a future post on my adventures with that!

Lucky for me, (and you since you are reading this!) its Sunday morning and I am being lazy. If you remember my post from a few months back about quitting the gym, I purchased a TRX. Well, in early September the kettlebells I had ordered finally arrived. I already had an 8kg (17.6 pounds). I purchased a 12 kg (26.4 pounds) and a 16kg (35.2 pounds).

Aren't they pretty and colorful!

Swing baby swing!

So my little home gym is basically complete. I can pretty much do everything I like to do in it. You can see my TRX is attached to the wall (ideally you want it on a ceiling in a space centered where you can anchor behind and in front.) This set up limits some of the movements I can do, but given that the TRX allows you to do hundreds of exercises, I'm not complaining.

As you can see, I don't have much space, but it works. My sister and I workout together sometimes and lately Ryan has been working out about once or twice a week with me too! You can see my foam roller tucked away in the corner by the couch too. Starting today I am doing the 21 day kettlebell swing program again. This time, however, I will not be doing 21 consecutive days of swings because the next two weeks I am away in Calgary. Don't think I'm backing down- I'll be at a dance workshop with one of the world's best belly dancers and it is going to be extremely challenging, so I'll give myself a kettlebell break!

Quitting the gym hasn't been easy. I had some weeks during the summer where I only worked out at home once. There are times where it is difficult to get motivated. The thing is, these same problems would come out if I had a gym membership too. At least with my home gym, I can workout and be showered and ready to go before I was even half way through my workout at the gym. Certainly not bored yet either. Besides my home workouts I also dance twice a week, go to Bikram and sometimes go boxing with Ryan. Not bored in the least!

Here are some of my favorite kettlebell and TRX moves: (remember that you don't need a kettlebell or a TRX to do these moves, its just the tools I use. Free weights or bodyweight moves also work!)
Kettlebell Goblet Squat
TRX Suspended Lunge
Kettlebell Turkish Get up (I have done these with as high as a 35 pound kettlebell! woo hoo! However, when starting, I would just do this without any weight and build up slowly. It takes practice because at first its an odd movement.)

Anyone else getting back into their exercise routine as summer winds down? What are you upto this fall- trying new classes, looking for new inspiration or just glad to be back to the usual routine? Let me know!

Happy Moving Everyone!

Chicago- Pequod's Pizza!

2011-09-04T12:39:00.002-06:00

Chicago: The Windy City, home of the Cubs and White Soxs! Also home to some of the most delicious food in North America!

Chicago in July is a busy place... its high tourist season, and its HOT. I can't say enough good things about this city. The people are nice, the architecture is brilliant, and the food... oh the food!

Which brings me to talk about PIZZA! You can go to Chicago without eating some deep dish pizza!!

Pequod's Pizza in Lincoln Park

I had researched a few pizza places in Chicago and Pequod's was our choice since we had spent the morning nearby.

We chose not to really eat before we went. I think we had coffee and a few almonds. It was also close to 100 F that day, so we deserved pizza and beer. We got the Goose Island Beer (its Chicago's beer!)- We got the Summertime Ale and the classic 312.

Refreshing! (And maybe a little tipsy by the second beer and no food...)

The Pizza! I essentially got a Hawaiian Pizza (Pineapple and Canadian Bacon!)

We each got a small (10") pizza- around 11 bucks each! We both ate 3/4 of the pizza and saved a piece for a snack later on in the day...

Kierstin go tomato and pineapple!

Big thumbs up for Pequod's Pizza!

I have seem deeper dish pizza's, but for us, this was perfect. The crust was caramelized and flavorful. I can see why it is such a favorite of locals and tourists alike!

Recipe Roundup

2011-08-04T16:18:00.000-06:00

You may think I'm being lazy here... I think I'm actually being quite nice because I am providing links of my favorite recipes I have discovered from the past little while! Sweet and simple post for ya!

Honey-Rosemary Chicken: Made these at my friends place. We ate it up! Plus, like most RR recipes, its ridiculously simple. Note: for cheap(er) pine nuts, try Bulk Barn!

Slow Cooker Fajitas: I am shocked to discover I never shared one of my main go-to recipes of ALL TIME. I often make this when I want to have fajitas over a few days (lunch and dinner) or for a lot of people for very little cost. Also, its ridiculously easy because all you do is put all the ingredients in the slow cooker, and walk away.

Curried Pumpkin Hummus: How exciting is this? My favorite things hummus and pumpking- TOGETHER!

Curried Millet and Chickpea Stuffed Peppers: I haven't made this yet, but I am super excited to try it out.

Vancouver Trip 2011

2011-08-01T19:46:00.000-06:00

WOW! Summer is flying by! I realized its been a few weeks since my last post. Early July Ryan and I drove to Vancouver and I thought I would blog about a few of the best food experiences we had out there...

Sushi California (Coquitlam)
I always get Sushi when I go out to Vancouver and after a long day of walking around Stanley Park, we made a quick stop at Sushi Calfornia for dinner!

Yam Tempura Rolls and California Rolls!

Salmon, Tuna and Red Snapper (disliked the Snapper, I couldn't finish it.)

Edamame- so much edamame for so cheap!

More Sushi!

Ryan got vegetable tempura. He really liked all of it except for the zucchini and eggplant tempura.

Sushi California was packed when we went in there to pick up our food. But they were quick about placing our order (think we waited around 10 minutes total.) So we were in and out really fast. All our food came to under $25 and I had leftovers for lunch the next day. If you are looking for sushi and are in that area, I'd recommend it!

Next up....
TACO SHACK!! (Kitsilano)
Ryan and I spent the day in Kitsilano and after wanding around the Museum of Vancouver got really hungry. We walked down the street and discovered Taco Shack. So happy we did!

Juice!

Ryan is HUNGRY!

3 tacos is actually 6 tacos (Boy was I full after that!)

Huge portions but seriously fresh ingredients! I got one chicken, one fish and one veggie taco. Tons of fresh onion and cilantro included. And as much hot salsa as you can handle!

Fun little place for a great lunch or dinner. Clearly it was a favorite by a lot of locals who came by while we were chowing down! It was nice to have tacos that were a little bit more authentic than your usual American-Mexican places that are so typical. This was fun!

Sadly, I have no pictures, but Aphrodite's Organic Cafe (Kitsilano) was also fantastic. I got stuffed french toast, while everyone else opted for the many delicious egg dishes. We finished brunch with pie. It was great.

Move of the Week: Quitting the Gym

2011-07-13T22:00:00.000-06:00

So I quit the gym... Its been a long time coming. We weren't feeling it anymore. I felt obligated to be there. I had moments where I would go and be so happy and have fun. But plenty of moments where it was more of an obligation and I felt rushed. I felt money flying out of my bank account for no reason. Basically, my relationship with the gym was unhealthy and not cheap! An expensive date!
My decision led me to go out and purchase a TRX and two more kettlebells. I've been so busy lately, dancing 3 times a week, going to yoga and just trying to have fun, that I only managed to get to the gym probably 6 times in the whole month. Those visits to the gym were also partly an obligation because I had the membership, not because I necessarily wanted to go. Plus, at the gym I was pretty much only using kettlebells and the floor. Why pay 400$ a year for that, when I can invest in some equipment now for the long term and put my money to dancing and yoga? Plus I'll save time from commuting to and from the gym and I can workout with my boyfriend (yay!!)

Its funny how as much as I knew that me and the gym were drifting apart, how much over the past few months I held onto it for dear life. Then, this past week I just sort of realized that it wasn't giving me what I wanted anymore.

I will miss some of the fantastic staff at the YMCA and some of the classes. I'll also miss working out with my sister. I realize that for some people, this seems strange. Most people join the gym to get healthy. I on the other hand, need to leave the shackles of the gym so I can have more fun and actually move more! I'm excited!

What about you? Have you quit the gym? Do you only go in the winter time? Can you workout at home?

For those of you that want to know what a TRX is...

Expect a TRX post soon!!

Taste of Ukraine

2011-06-29T21:08:00.000-06:00

Friends Dinner Club went to Taste of Ukraine a few weeks ago!

Before we get to the food, check out the ambiance and decor!

'Budmo!'

Meow!

My favorite part of my dinner was the Borst. Really liked the texture and flavor of it. I am easy to please :)

My entree: Shashlyk (skewered and char broiled seasoned chicken), pyrogy and potato pancakes.

Everything was good, but nothing blew me away. When it come to pyrogy, I still prefer my neighbours homemade pyrogies or the ones I get at the Ukrainian Church dinners!

Chicken Kyiv, pyrogy and nalysnyky (cheese crepes)

After we had all had plenty of pickles, garlic, pyrogy and other such goodies, we moved onto dessert!

Walnut Torte- clearly a hit!

Chocolate Nalysnyk- vanilla ice cream inside a crepe with caramel and chocolate sauce!

There were multiple of these at the table- and the plates were licked clean...

All in all we enjoyed our experience at Taste of Ukraine. The service was fantastic. The price point was around $20 per entree (my whole meal, including tip was under $40.) We all loved the garlic, the pickles (except me- its one of the few foods I dislike) and the atmosphere was lots of fun.

I know for myself, I probably won't return to Taste of Ukraine in the near future with so many other options to meet my pyrogy needs, but its nice to know that in the centre of Edmonton, you can find a little taste of Ukraine.

Move of the Week: Kettlebell Swing

2011-06-24T17:41:00.001-06:00

Okay, so most of you know I am a major convert, pusher, addict... whatever you want to call it... to kettlebells.
I did a blog post a few months ago on the 21 day kettlebell swing challenge. The post continues to get lots of hits and remains popular. Because of this, I decided to return to the kettlebell swing this week, and set up some helpful links for those of you interested in kettlebells and developing your swings.*

So here is a video that gives a general explanation of the swing. The nice thing about the kettlebell swing is that you don't actually need a kettlebell to do this exercise- other weights work too. Check it out:

An explanation on how to do a kettlebell swing:

Here is a great article on everything kettlebell. It breaks down a lot of the fundamentals of kettlebell training, including swings. It also has a beginner workout plan! http://www.stumptuous.com/kettlebell-training-an-introduction

The key thing to remember with swings: its all from the hips. If you are using your arms, you aren't doing it right. Remember to pop your hips!

This video actually helped me take my swings from okay to great. I really understood some of the explanations on how your should think and feel about your swings (especially the plank idea.)

If you want to start swinging- go slowly, watch in the mirror, and practice. That is why the 21 day kettlebell swing challenge is so great- the more you do it, the better you'll get it!
Happy Swinging!

*Disclaimer: I am not certified fitness professional. I offer only my own personal advice and perspective as well as links to instruction. Don't do any exercise you are not comfortable with. Consult with a doctor and fitness professional before engaging in new physical activity.

Pizza Pie!

2011-06-23T18:24:00.000-06:00

I eat pizza fairly regularly. I am not afraid to admit that. I don't see it as an indulgent dinner at all. In fact its sort of a regular meal on my plate. However, it is made a little healthier, and to be honest, a little yummier, when its homemade! Here is my homemade pizza that I made a few weeks ago!

Pizza Dough Recipe (Adapted from Allrecipes.com):

1. In large bowl, proof 1 tablespoon active dry yeast in 1.5 cups warm water and 1 tsp sugar. Let it get nice a foamy (around 10-15 mins.)
2. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil (or garlic olive oil) and around 1 tsp salt to mixture, Mix in 2 cups of whole wheat flour and 1 cup all purpose flour.
3. Knead mixture (around 10 minutes) and form into a smooth ball. Place in oiled bowl, cover with a towel and let double in size (1.5 hour.)
4. Form into a tight ball again and let double for another 30-45 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 425.
6. Roll ball of dough with rolling pin and then shape with hands and fists until it covers your pan (be it circular or square!)
7. Top with favorite pizza toppings!
8. Place in oven for about 20 minutes!

My toppings for this pizza:

Pesta

Sliced Chicken Breast

Red Pepper

Spinach

Mozza Cheese

Salt and pepper

Basil

Oregano

Yum!

What is your favorite pizza?

Indulgence 2011

2011-06-20T18:01:00.000-06:00

Kierstin, Benita and I went to Indulgence 2011 at the Delta Edmonton South last Monday night.

Here's some of the best photos of the night!

Wine sampling (drinking really...)

Some 400 people!

Arugula-Spinach Salad from Culina.

It had gouda, dried berries, toasted almonds, sweet peas, scallions and my favorite Mighty Trio Organics dressing.

Yum!!

From the Red Ox Inn: A Slow Braised Pork Shoulder on Carrot Risotto Cake and Citrus Jam.
Yep it tasted as good as it sounds. Pork melted in your mouth.

We had dessert in the middle of our evening!

Saskatoon Berry and Black Pepper Cheesecake, Saskatoon Spaghetti and Coulis, Almond Brittle Crumble and Spun Sugar was from Madison's Grill. One of favorites of the evening!

"Where will we eat next?" asks Benita?

Cafe de Ville: Bison Brisket with slaw.
We imagined this would make for a delicious sandwich.

Niche's lamb meatball with a yummy tomato sauce.

My favorite of the night was from Tzin:

Alpaca with piperade and a reisling-chive emulsion.

I was surprised but it was delish.

Wine Time!

Benita and I excited about the rabbit sausage from Jack's Grill.

Cleanse the pallet with some Lavender Gelato from Inspired Market Gardens.

So, now that you are drooling, who is coming with us next year?

Move of the Week: Bikram Yoga

2011-06-11T16:43:00.001-06:00

Okay, so Bikram Yoga isn't one move- but I wanted to blog about it this week because for the past week I've being going to Bikram Yoga Edmonton. A few months ago I tried Bikram with my mom at the St.Albert studio and really enjoyed it, and finally this week I had a little bit more time to give it a try again.
The studio offers 8 days of unlimited classes to new students for only $30. The more you go, the less expensive each class costs. Normal drop in classes are $18.
I know a lot of people cringe at the idea of yoga- especially bikram yoga. I used to be one of those people who thought that yoga wasn't for me. I didn't need it. It wouldn't help me. I already do so much physical activity... whatever excuses or reasons. Plus, I had tried conventional yoga (or whatever- the yoga with the downward dogs and stuff...) and it really bothered my wrist and hand.
Turns out- I sort of thrive in that 40+ degree room and the postures are exactly what I need for my sore back and tight hamstrings. There are 26 postures in a standing and seated series-done in every class along with two breathing exercises.*
Note: almost every single movement will feel odd in some capacity when you first start. Your body will probably fight you in every way- and it doesn't help that its really really hot in the room. In fact- the goal of your first class is to just stay in the room for the full 90 minutes!
My favorite moves at the moment are:

Half Moon Pose

Standing Bow Pose

Bow Pose

Now, I'm not trying to convert you to Bikram or anything like that. The point of this post, in its heart, is to compel you to try something new, whatever that may be. You may or may not like it, but you don't know until you try! Bikram challenges me in a way that I'm not challenged by my other workouts. Plus, I think it'll help me de-stress at the end of the day, an added bonus!

Happy Moving!

*Disclaimer: I am not certified fitness professional. I offer only my own personal advice and perspective as well as links to instruction. Don't do any exercise you are not comfortable with. Consult with a doctor and fitness professional before engaging in new physical activity.

How Sweet it is- Sugarbowl

2011-06-09T22:42:00.001-06:00

With this beautiful weather today, I thought it only fitting to do a quick post on the Sugarbowl.
This is probably one of my favorite places in the whole city to sit and have a cold beer with good friends.

Photos will tell the story...

Erdinger Beer on Tap- one of my favorite beers in the world!

I believe you can also get it from Sherbrooke Liquor Store.

I also tried this Konig Ludwig Weissbier and Lauren had a fruit beer! It was pretty good, but I decided go to back to my first love, the Erdinger, after.

These sweet potato fries may actually be in the lead for the best in Edmonton. They were so big and just the right balance of crispy and soft.

I got their Jerk chicken burger with a side salad. Really good, but really messy...

I think these pictures accurately depict the epic nature of this chicken burger....

Chomp!

Still Chomping...

Lauren got the mac and cheese. It was soooo cheesy.

With a multitude of beers to try and a great menu, Sugarbowl can't be beat. Plus its in a great location (10922 88 ave- University Area, next to High Level Diner.) I can't help but admit that I usually leave there with a bit of a tan from sitting on their patio, a tummy full of delicious food, and (lets be honest) at the very least a bit of a buzz!

Dinner Club: Breakfast for Dinner

2011-06-04T22:03:00.000-06:00

Step 1: There was bacon.

Step 2: The Friends

and the conversation!!

Step 3: The Cooking... (or frying!)

....of lots of bacon.

Step 4: Mimosas!

Step 5: Waffles (made in my brand new waffle iron!!)

Step 6: Gotta keep the food warm!

Step 7: Get organized and set the table!

Step 8: Admire the yumminess...

Tummy GROWL!

EAT!!!

All in all we had: Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, french toast, potatoes, waffles, baked tomatoes, fruit salad and mimosas! It was grand!

The great thing about breakfast is that it really is simple and delicious. Eggs, hashbrowns/potatoes and bacon, possibly the most popular breakfast foods of all time, are also the simplest!

We did follow a few recipes though:

Fruit Salad:

Any Fruit you like. This version had: banana, spartan apple, papaya, cantaloupe, pineapple, mixed berries. Dressing honey and lime to taste. Now here's my not-secret part. 2 things: always add some type of thawed frozen berries and most importantly either some booze! (either sherry or madeira!)

Baked Tomatoes:

1) slice tomatoes

2) Brush with garlic olive oil, salt and pepper, and a "chiffonade" of fresh basil.
2) bake at 350 for 30 mins and sprinkle with parmasean.

Stay tuned this month of June for the next Dinner Club restaurant outing at Taste of Ukraine!

Move of the Week

2011-06-01T13:36:00.002-06:00

Obviously I love food. No doubt about that. But I also love exercise. I am one of those people that legitimately loves going to the gym. Obviously some days are easier than others, but most of the time, the gym calls my name. Its not for everyone, but I hope that through this blog, you can find inspiration, excitement, motivation, information... whatever it may be, to get you not to just eat better but move better too. So I am starting a "Move of the week" blog post. This post will vary from dance moves, yoga moves, strength, intervals... If I love it, it'll be on here at some point!*

Lets keep it simple and "basic" today with the Push Up! In my opinion, this is one of the best FULL BODY movements you can do. A lot of people assume its a chest/arm move- but its really your whole body. Just drop down onto the floor right now, and get into a plank position- arms straight, hips and butt down and tight, body essentially in a straight line. Already you are working all parts of your body. Once you get doing push ups, watch your heart rate rise.

What I love about push ups is that they are so people friendly. What do I mean by that?
1) You can do that at any fitness level- whether you are new to exercise or have been doing it for years, there are ways to make it easier and ways to make it harder.
2) You can do push ups anywhere. In your house, in your office, at the gym, in the park, at a party... no excuses not to knock out a few push ups every day!
3) Bang for your buck: you don't need to do a lot of push ups to see the benefits of them!

So, here are some great links to get you started on your push up journey!

If you want to really get into push ups, try this awesome challenge at One Hundred Push Ups!

The key with push ups is to learn how to do them correctly!

And then once you have the basic push up as part of your workout, make it harder:
Elevated Push Ups
Medicine Ball Push Ups (love these! Cathy and I are doing them in our workouts right now!)

Whatever you do- push ups or not- make sure you move and more importantly, enjoy it!
If there is anything you want to see as part of "Move of the Week" let me know!

*Disclaimer: I am not certified fitness professional. I offer only my own personal advice and perspective as well as links to instruction. Don't do any exercise you are not comfortable with. Consult with a doctor and fitness professional before engaging in new physical activity.

Family Dinner: Savory Casserole

2011-05-30T18:41:00.000-06:00

Here is a simple and yummy recipe that we had for family dinner a few weeks ago. The recipe was originally my Nana's and after pestering my mom about making it again, on a cool Monday night, she did just that!

Savory Casserole (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

4 tbsp margarine

1 medium onion, chopped.

1 lb hamburger (we used extra lean)

1 tsp salt and pepper

1 can tomato soup

1 cup water

1 6 oz package noodles (this time around Mom used whole wheat pasta)

1 medium can of kernel worn

1 cup grated cheese

Method

Melt margarine, add onion and brown lightly. Add meat and brown, salt and pepper. Place in casserole dish. Add soup and water. Cook noodles/pasta until tender. Drain and add to meat mixture with corn. Top with grated cheese and bake at 350 until hot.

Eat!

Always take the time to sit down with family to eat dinner and catch up!

Yum! So comforting and filling!

Enjoy!!

Yelp Slave Lake Bake Sale

2011-05-27T17:23:00.000-06:00

What are you doing this Sunday (May 29) afternoon?
The answer is going to the Yelp Slave Lake Bake Sale downtown at Enterprise Square!
All funds will go to the Red Cross to help those affected by the fires in Slave Lake. The bake sale is on from 12-5 and there will be goodies from all sorts of local business including Credo, Fuss Cupcakes as well as some local bakers! You can make a difference by just buying a few treats!
For more information, check out the event's facebook page! Hopefully I'll see you there!

What is Foam Rolling?

2011-05-26T20:53:00.000-06:00

Image from: http://www.bodywindow.com/foam-rolling.html

Foam Rolling: One of the best things you can do for your poor muscles. Its basically a massage for your whole body, without going for a massage. You get the benefits of stretching along with myofascial release, releasing tension, reducing injury, increasing blood flow, and you can hit some major trigger points. It hurts- but in a good way.

You can hit most of the major muscles and points in your body with a foam roller. If you got to a gym, you've probably seen people rolling around on these and wondering "what the heck is that person doing??" I refuse to use the ones at the gym... I am kinda grossed out by the idea, but thats just me. I realize its silly, given the fact that I touch everything else in the gym from weights to mats, so whats the difference? None, but anyway... I purchased my own about a year ago and foam roll at home. You can do whatever you like.

How do you use it? The simplest way to explain: You roll around on it. But its a little bit more particular than that. You should roll 30-60 seconds each muscle. Some spots require less rolling and more sitting on pressure points. Explaining this is a little difficult. Once you start rolling you will get the idea. But here is a good beginner video to get you started:

How To Use a Foam Roller - The Sarah Fit Show

I find the points that I get the most benefit from foam rolling are my IT band, chest and back stretches, and my quads. I find it is less effective on my hamstrings. Use a tennis ball for those!!! (yep!)

Want to learn more? Here are some other good resources to get you started!
http://optimumsportsperformance.com/blog/?p=375
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-285--11556-0,00.html

Delux Burger Bar

2011-05-23T15:48:00.000-06:00

Last week Ryan and I went to Delux Burger Bar in West Edmonton Mall...

I got The Delux Burger- 8 oz Black Angus Beef, Bacon, onions, mushrooms, and blue cheese on a ciabatta bun. It was massive. I thought it was okay. It certainly wasn't the best burger I have ever had- I found the burger on the dry side.

Ryan got the Urban Classic-7 oz beef patty, cheddar, (no mayo), lettuce and onions.

Ryan liked his burger a lot.

We also got the Delux Duo of Fries- Sweet potato and regular fries. ($5.50)

They come in a cute little shopping cart, because all their fries are "A la Cart." Hehe too cute!

I really really enjoyed the fries! I would go back just for the fries...

I would try Delux Burger Bar again. The prices of the burgers range anywhere from 8 to over 20 bucks. I think mine was $11. So all in all, under $15 for this meal. A little on the expensive side for a burger and half a serving of fries. I wouldn't get the Delux again though. And if I found any of their other burgers to be as dry I wouldn't go back. I do like their monthly celebrity burger idea, so there is always something new and it supports a charity too. Oh, I forgot! Instead of mints, they give you a plate of cotton candy, which I thought was pretty neat!

Have you been to Delux yet- what did you think? What is your favorite in Edmonton?

Thank You Tzin

2011-05-17T17:52:00.000-06:00

This will be short and sweet...

While I go to Tzin on a fairly regular basis, I have never written about it here on Chomp! After our last visit, I felt like it needed a special little thumbs up!

A few weeks ago my dear friend Jason and I went out to catch up and celebrate his completion of his degree. Around 8 pm on a Friday night, we wandered into Tzin Wine and Tapas- essentially our go to wine bar in the city- to find it packed full. If you've never been to Tzin, this should come as no surprise as it is quite tiny and usually busy. The server said he could get us a table in about 15 minutes, but that we should take a walk and he'd phone us when a table became free. After getting a phone call, we returned, only to find that the table that was expected to depart, still had not. While we waited we were given complimentary glasses of champagne. That small gesture made all the difference in our wait!

Once seated we were treated fantastically by the people at Tzin. They have a strong knowledge of wines and always seem to pick exactly what you want (if you are anything like me, I just tell them what I enjoy and they always seem to bring me something new and delicious.) Not only are they knowledgeable but also personable. Every time we go to Tzin we feel like we get to know everyone there a little bit more- and they get to know us too!

At one point a larger party came into Tzin and we were asked if it was okay if we moved tables- as a thank you, we were given free dessert (so delicious- if you have a chance to have any chocolate cake there, just do it, don't even question your decision.)- I wish I had had my camera!!

Thank you to the Tzin team (especially Kelsey, who seems to always be there) for creating such a fantastic place. You wine and tapas are delicious, your space cozy and comforting, but ultimately, your smiling faces bring us back!

Karma- The Indian Bistro

2011-05-15T22:36:00.000-06:00

Since I live and work so close to Karma- The Indian Bistro in downtown Edmonton, I've had the chance to dine there a few times now. Generally speaking, I've had good experiences there. Their food is pretty yummy and isn't to hard on the wallet either.

On Friday night a bunch of us went their for a birthday celebration! The restaurant was very quiet (for a Friday evening.) It is two stories (a converted house)- the main floor seemed mostly full but the upstairs was basically dead with the exception of our party of 9 and two couples.

Two of Karma's Signature Cocktails called Karmasutra and Tantra (Oh my!)

My sister and I shared coconut rice, butter chicken, Gobhi Masala and naan. She was branching outside of her usual butter chicken to something new!

I really like their Butter Chicken. The Gobhi Masala was pretty good, but very oily. The coconut rice wasn't as coco-nutty (is that a word?) as I would have liked.

The portions were fairly generous (we have leftovers in the fridge! yay!)

There is a close up shot for ya!

Also: we got lots of Naan- which is always a good thing in my books!

Almost everyone got a variation of rice, naan, butter chicken and/or a vegetarian dish.

Overall experience at Karma was only so-so. The food was good, but the service was definitely off. For one, we waited almost an hour and a half from the time we were seated to the time we got our food. The server didn't take our orders until about 40 minutes of us being there. It seemed to me like she may have been the only server for the whole restaurant (which is a problem and while not her fault, it definitely showed in her attentiveness.)

I would give Karma another chance- but probably not in a dinner setting. My lunch buffet experience has been better, and personally, I think that take-out from Karma is the way to go. Skip the erratic service and eat at home with a good company and a movie or something!

What is everyone's favorite Indian restaurant in the city? Let me know!

Urbanspoon rocks!

2011-05-03T13:37:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone!

Lots of changes to my blog! Please check out some of my updates to my blog page and Best of Edmonton pages!
Also, you'll start to see on any restaurant related post a link to urbanspoon.com. If you want to find out more about Edmonton's eating scene or what others have to say, check it out!
I should have some new posts in the next few days! Life has been so crazy these days!

Leslie :)

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-04-30T17:55:00.000-06:00

My mother's birthday was this past week! We celebrated with a small get together and had dinner and dessert!

My sister and I decided my mother deserved a treat!

We decided to get her a nice bottle of wine and a cake from Duchess Bake Shop.

Wine from deVine Wines-

This was a Cot (a Malbec) wine from Chile.

Time to celebrate!

From Duchess Bake Shop- The Duke Cake ($40)

Chocolate cake with salted caramel and chocolate ganache.

Yum!

Mom,

Hope you had a wonderful birthday!

Cheers to you!

Love you!

Culina Mill Creek

2011-04-25T10:53:00.001-06:00

This month food-loving friends decided our destination would be Culina Mill Creek!

I had never been to any of the Culina restaurants. I loved the small and intimate interior.

The Food:

Duck Hot Dogs (or what I would rather call Hot Ducks!)

These were okay. I don't really understand the appeal. A hot dog is a hot dog- I wouldn't mess with that. These were dry and didn't really have much flavor.

Persian Platter- humus, artichokes, cheese, and flatbread.

Apparently the artichokes were delicious!

Moroccan Vegetable Tangine-

I had a bite of this and it was lovely. Full of flavor. Very Comforting.

Chorizo Sauage with chickpeas, tomato and garlic with cornbread.

Chophouse Salad- tomatoes, spinach, blue cheese, chickpeas, onions and Alberta Beef.

I ordered this lovely dish!
Phyllo Wrapped Alberta Goat Cheese-
the base is chana dahl, tomato chutney and mushrooms.
The cheese was soooo creamy and was in perfect contrast to the spiciness of the tomato base.

Three people ordered this dish-

Alberta Beef with blue cheese and chocolate sauce on "dirty mashed potatoes."

I don't know what makes the potatoes dirty, but this sinful dish was a hit!

Finally, Pork Tenderloin Steaks on a bed of couscous with spicy chimmichurri sauce. This plate was practically licked clean!

Our visit to Culina Mill Creek was lovely. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable. Our portions were quite large- many of the dishes were taken home at the end of the night (yay for leftovers!) I like the balance of vegetarian and meat options. And of course, Culina supports local produce, products and businesses!
I can't wait to visit the rest of the Culina family restaurants!

(My meal with wine, main course and tea- $45.00)

Turkey Taco Time!

2011-04-22T16:27:00.000-06:00

Last week we made Turkey Tacos!!

They were delicious and very healthy!

See for yourself!

The filling!

The Toppings!

The Recipe:

(Adpated from Michael Smith- Chef at Home Food Network)

Note: This makes a lot of filling. We had 12 tacos and still had leftovers. All of our tacos were STUFFED FULL and overflowing.

Ingredients:

1 pkg of ground turkey (or chicken)- around 1 pound

4 cloves garlic- minced

Olive oil (2 tbsp)

1 large or 2 small onions

28 oz can of whole tomatoes (drain some liquid out!)

17oz can black beans

1/4 cup chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

taco shells (we got the soft shells!)

In a sauce pan, heat up olive oil and cook up garlic and onion. When soft, add turkey and break it up as it cooks. Once cooked and brown, add tomatoes and break them up into chunks. Add chili powder, salt and pepper and black beans. Bring to boil and then simmer until the liquid cooks down.

We topped our tacos with salsa, homemade guacamole, cheddar cheese and lettuce!

Enjoy!!

Frittata Frittata!

2011-04-14T22:30:00.001-06:00

So the other night I was hungry. I also had a lot of potatoes and over two dozen eggs... What did that mean?

FRITTATA!

Here is MY recipe

(I honestly doubt that this isn't already out there in some capacity. Frittatas are super easy to make and versatile.)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

6 medium potatoes

1 pepper

1 cup mushrooms

4 slices (turkey) bacon

4 eggs

1/2 cup egg whites

cayenne pepper

oregano (taste)

basil (taste)

salt and pepper

1 cup sliced tomatoes

1 cup spinach

1/2-1 cup cheddar cheese

In a large pan heat up some olive oil. Turn oven onto broil.

Start cooking up your potatoes and bacon on two sides of the pan. Once mostly cooked, add veggies and cook. Salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and spinach.

In a bowl, mix eggs, egg whites, cayenne, oregano, basil and salt and pepper. Pour over your potato and veggie mixture. Set stove to medium and let cook. Do not touch the egg mixture. Once eggs are mostly cooked, top with cheese.

Put in oven for 5-10 minutes.

Take out of oven and let cool and sit for about 10 minutes.

Serves 4 (or 2 dinners, 2 lunches!)

I'll be honest, I had mine with a side of ketchup!!
I'm frittata obsessed lately. I made another one only a few days later. I want to make one with feta and spinach next. Can't get enough. So easy and delicious!

Enjoy!!

Famoso Pizza's Summer Flavours!

2011-04-11T17:49:00.002-06:00

Note: I wrote a whole blog post, was 99% done and then the blue screen of death appeared on my laptop (eeek!) So appreciate this post more then usual since it took me over double the amount of time to write!

Last week we went to Famoso Pizza on Jasper Ave. Waited about 15 minutes to get in and got a booth (woot!) I was super excited and craving a pizza I had a few months ago with garlic, brussel sprouts and dates... I was sad to see it wasn't on the menu. They have their new Spring/Summer Menu. This, however, was just another opportunity to try something new!

My sister and I both got this guy!

San Andreas Pizza

Oregano, Olive Oil and Garlic Base, with chili-lime chicken and mozza. Topped with fresh avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, cream and lime. Uhhh yeah: CREAM! So good so good!

Ryan surprised me and got the Sweet BBQ Chicken Pizza- normally he sticks to the Margherita Pizza. He really liked it! Yay!

We all ate about 2/3 of our pizzas and made sure to save the rest for lunch the next day. We did have room for dessert though!

Famoso also has new Gelato Flavours. After a few samples, I decided on the Pistachio Lime Gelato.

Cathy got the Chocolate Coffee Gelato!

Ryan got the small Nutella Pizza. It really isn't small at all... He was nice enough to share a few bites with Cathy and I. He took a piece home with him.

Happy Eaters!

My Meal Cost:

Pizza: 14.50

Gelato: 3.50

18.00 plus GST and tip!

Have you been to Famoso Pizza? Tried their new menu or do you have a favorite you get every time?? If you have never been, I recommend it! Plus, they have a great dinner and a movie deal if you want to make it a date night!

Happy eating and enjoy the nice weather!

Baba Ganoush-Hummus Pasta and Eggplant Caviar

2011-04-07T21:58:00.001-06:00

Last Sunday night I pulled out my copy of Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book and made her Baba Ganoush-Hummus Pasta!

My sister and I both really enjoyed this and it fed us for about 3 meals each!

Not only is this healthy (and delicious) its also pretty inexpensive! I think the most expensive thing were the pine nuts I got from bulk barn! She asks for tahini paste- however, the only jar I could find at Save-On was over $8.00... I decided I would substitute sunflower seed butter instead. It worked just fine. I'm sure it changed the taste of the sauce, but it wasn't a bad change! One day I won't cheap out, but I need to make sure I'll actually use the tahini before I purchase a GIANT jar!

Anyway, check out the recipe here and enjoy! I think its a great alternative to the usual meat sauces we are so accustomed to. Plus, with summer around the corner, getting things like eggplant from the farmer's market (like I did- got mine from the City Market!) will make it even better!

Speaking of Eggplant, here is a great recipe for Eggplant Caviar my friend Kierstin gave me. She got it from some fantastic cookbook that isn't in print anymore. That cookbook is a gem! We ate the caviar in record time...
(sorry no pictures, but trust me, this is worth the effort!)

Eggplant Caviar:

1 large eggplant (about 18 oz)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp chopped capers (drained and rinsed first)

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves

Pinch sugar

Pita Crisps:

4 greek-style pitas

1 tbsp olive oil

paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 F

2. Place eggplant on a baking sheet and pierce several times with a fork. Bake until soft and skin is cracked and wrinkled, about 45 min. Let cool to the point that you can touch it without crying out in pain, then cut in half lengthwise. Peel off skin, place skinned eggplant in colander and let drain for 45 min. Finely chop eggplant.

3. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and garlic in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in eggplant, then toss in capers, parsley, basil and a pinch of sugar if eggplant tastes slightly bitter. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

4. Brush each pita with olive oil. Sprinkle with paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper, then cut each pita into eight wedges. Spread out evenly on baking sheet and bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until browned.

Do you like eggplant? How do you usually cook eggplant? Usually I grill pieces of it up, but these recipes are so much more fun!

Budgeting and Prioritizing

2011-04-01T18:00:00.000-06:00

What do you love? What makes you happy? What can you do without?

These are questions I have been asking myself lately. I have been looking into my budget and where I stand in paying back my $13,000 in loans, while trying to save money but also living life to the fullest. I crunched some numbers and I did so more critically than I ever had before.

I love eating out and enjoying good company. A nice glass of wine and dessert! I love going to the market and buying fresh and local products and produce. I love to make new recipes at home and having people over for dinner. Edmonton has such a fantastic food scene that I am so proud to promote.

I also take two dance classes and have a gym membership. I am in the process in investing in a good bike. I have also taken a few Bikram yoga classes with my mom and really love the way it makes me feel.

That being said, I do need to "put myself first" financially.

What does this mean? This means setting a stricter budget and not indulging in the ways that I have. Because if I overindulge in one place, I lose out in something else I enjoy. I don't want to give up my second dance class, or my monthly dinner with my foodie friends. And I won't- I just need to be smarter about it!

My monthly eating out budget will now be $100. No exceptions. In the past month, my eating out budget has been all over the place. One month it was$ 30 bucks, another it was almost $200. And while I can pretend it evens out, it doesn't allow for me to save every month.

I am going to start not only documenting what I eat, but how much it cost me- whether its at a restaurant or an at home recipe. Its so easy to get caught up in the experience and your ideals (eating local and organic) but if I don't make sure I am financially secure, what does it matter?

I am still going to eat foods I enjoy- make no mistake about it. This leads into a principle I have been trying with my relationship with food: You can have it all, just not all at once. So that is what I am going to do- have it all, but not all at once.

I hope that through this experience, I can present a unique and realistic perspective on how you can live enjoying foods you love, making new and interesting foods and experiencing life to the fullest. I will always put my social experiences above food. For example, I would cut eating out at restaurants before I would ever give up dance. But I think that with some more strategic planning, a little bit more home cooking, and being aware of what I really want versus what I think I want, will allow me to maintain everything I love about my life.

Blue Plate Diner Veggie Burger

2011-03-27T11:40:00.002-06:00

Last Friday night my sister and I went to Blue Plate Diner. We were craving their Veggie Burger!

The Burger is made out of beets, turnips, zucchini, carrots, sunflower seeds and rice and topped with cheddar cheese!

I am also very excited to tell everyone that the restaurant now sells their Veggie Burger in 4 packs to take home (frozen- $12). You can buy them straight from Blue Plate or in Eat Local First's The Good Food Box!

What is your favorite veggie burger in Edmonton? What about your favorite veggie burger recipe? Let me know! I am on the hunt for the Best Veggie Burger in the city!

Move Better

2011-03-21T13:03:00.001-06:00

I just wanted to post a link that I think has real benefits to us all. A friend of mine sent me a message the other day thanking me for my post on the 21 day kettlebell swing challenge because it linked her up to a post by Josh Hillis about the importance of strong shoulders and good posture. Anyway, this led me to share this fantastic YouTube channel by Opitumum Care Provider Physical Therapy with her. I thought I would pass it on to everyone! They have all sorts of videos on exercises you can do that will help out all sorts of weak spots. I do chest stretches and back strengthening exercises everyday to help with my bad posture, sore neck and angry wrist... Obviously if you are having chronic pain, get yourself to a doctor, massage or physical therapist, but I am all for preventative action too! This is a great site for that.
Take care of yourself people!
Happy Moving!

*Disclaimer: I am not certified fitness professional. I offer only my own personal advice and perspective as well as links to instruction. Don't do any exercise you are not comfortable with. Consult with a doctor and fitness professional before engaging in new physical activity.

Queen of Tarts

2011-03-20T12:04:00.002-06:00

Yesterday morning, friends and I met at Queen of Tarts (10129 104th Street, Edmonton) for breakfast. It was lovely. I don't have much to say about Queen of Tarts, mainly because I think the pictures speak for themselves. (Thanks once again to Kierstin for the awesome shots!)

The dining space is small, but we managed to get a table for four. I'm glad, because I wouldn't have wanted to try to walk and eat. This small breakfast was one worth savoring.

Chocolate Almond Brioche

We all got the same thing. After we all went and scoped out the bakery and saw the Chocolate Almond Brioche, there really wasn't much competition.

Yogurt with honey

All that bread was sampled by my sister. Once we get through all the bread we have in our freezer, we'll be coming here for a loaf! Apparently their flour comes from St. Albert and is all organic.

I had a lovely morning at Queen of Tarts. I can't wait to go back and try their lunch options as well, not to mention the rest of their dessert selection! Glad we have another great bakery in the city!

Eat Alberta: April 30, 2011

2011-03-14T17:12:00.000-06:00

Hi Friends!

Just wanted to let you all know about a fantastic event happening here in Edmonton on April 30, 2011.

Eat Alberta: A Celebration of our Local Food Heroes!!

This conference includes two keynote sessions about eating local, and then a whole bunch of hands on sessions to pick from! This includes:

Goat Cheese Tasting

Making Brie Cheese

Sausage Making

Apple Pie and Pastry Making

Honey Tasting

Wine Tastings

Learning about Edible Plants around Edmonton

Home Coffee Brewing Techniques

Pasta Making

Connecting with Local Farmers

Pissa Dough Making

Plus there is a continental breakfast, lunch and a wine and cheese wrap up!

This fantastic event is being put on by Edmontonians passionate about local food, and food in general!

Check out www.eatalberta.ca for more details and registration! Let me know if you are planning to go! Registration is filling up fast and there is an early-bird price if you register before March 31!

Happy Eating!!!

Skinny Legs and Cowgirls... A Sort of Bistro Experience

2011-03-12T16:30:00.001-07:00

Last night, two of my best friends and I went to Skinny Legs and Cowgirls for dinner.

We got there and were immediately seated in a "room" with another table. My initial impression was good: I liked the style of the restaurant and thought the separated space was nice. In hindsight, I kind of missed being in the midst of lots of other diners. I guess that just depends though!

Cat amongst the pigeons- Australian Wine

Warm whole grain bread to start

Kierstin got: Dead Letter Office Shiraz (Australian)

The way the menu works is that you share various appetizers and platters. I actually really liked this. I can see some people not enjoying it, but luckily the three of us have fairly similar tastes. Though, I'd like to go back and try out their meat platters another time, since we were completely vegetarian on this meal.

House Salad: Greens, Pear, Beets, Pecans and Stiton Cheese witha fruity dressing.

We all loved the flavours of the salad and it was HUGE. I had like three servings! There was athe right balance of fruity and salty (ohhh so yummily salty! hehe.)

My complaint: not enough pears and beets. I had a little piece of beet and Benita didn't even get a pear! It would just be nice to balance out the dish and make it easier to share. Also, their serving tongs were difficult to use. It was fairly comedic. They looked nice but were not functional.

Three Cheese Salsa Bake: Smoked Cheddar, Goat Cheese and Cream Cheese mixed with Salsa.

Quite tasty and obviously smoky. It was nice! I just wish there was more salsa because many of those tortilla chips were eaten without any salsa.

Daily Vegetable: Butternut Squash Flan.

Need I say more? Drool... Three Thumbs Up!

Complimentary Port! Hoorah!

My dessert choice: Deep Fried Banana with Coconut Ice Cream

Benita got Lemon Pudding! Decadent!

Kierstin's Dessert: Bread Pudding

Kierstin and I! So happy she is back for good!!

All in all we had a lovely experience at Skinny Legs and Cowgirls! Our server was very knowledgeable. She set a good pace for the evening. We were there for over 3 hours and were not rushed at all. I found the lighting in the restaurant kind of dark (Kierstin did a good job with the photos!), but like my other complaints, its just a minor thing. The food was the star of the show. Its nice to have restaurants, which include Skinny Legs and Cowgirls, that do their best to provide local, organic and healthy meals! Can't wait to go back!

21 Day Kettlebell Swing Challenge

2011-03-09T17:24:00.003-07:00

So I just finished day 6 of a 21 day kettlebell challenge! I am loving it so far!

You can check out the challenge info here:

http://www.21daykettlebell.com/

If you don't know what a kettlebell is, basically it is a round weight with handles on the top.

The Russians came up with it (of course they did) and you can do all sorts of fun workouts with it, including the swing. See the swing here on this youtube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0jalJ-3e7U

I am addicted. I got myself a kettlebell at Fitness Depot and the YMCA Downtown also has kettlebells and a class which I am taking. Apparently, kettlebell swings burn about 1200 cals per hour (or 20 per minute). It blows all over workouts out of the water. Nothing touches the swing. I can't wait to see the results after these 21 days.

If you want to get into kettlebells, I do want to say: Please learn PROPER FORM. Don't just start swinging around the kettlebell. YOU WILL HURT YOURSELF. Educate yourself however you can- whether its finding a certified instructor, reading and watching videos. I will say that Josh Hillis (the guy that created the challenge) has a blog and plenty of posted videos that will help you immensely.*

Happy Swinging (and eating!) Everyone!

*Disclaimer: I am not certified fitness professional. I offer only my own personal advice and perspective as well as links to instruction. Don't do any exercise you are not comfortable with. Consult with a doctor and fitness professional before engaging in new physical activity.

Wildflower Restaurant

2011-02-28T18:53:00.002-07:00

Thursday night + 8 good friends (hungry and ready to eat) + Wildflower Restaurant = Great Evening!
I had never been to Wildflower (located downtown Edmonton in the Matrix Hotel at 10009- 107 St NW) though I had heard a lot about it. I was so excited to see their menu and experience the food.
We all agreed- this food wasn't meant to be eaten. It was meant to be TASTED. (Now that is a review if I have ever given one! haha!)

To cleanse our palates. Honestly can't remember what was in this... but it did cleanse!

(FYI: Apologies for the photos- they were taken with my blackberry!)

The Bread: I was considering resisting the bread, because often it isn't as good as you think it'll be and it fills you up so you don't enjoy the main course as much. I'm glad I didn't say no, because this bread was fresh, hot and had a touch of sweet! Truly a delight!

Matt and I had Mesquite-Grilled Sockeye Salmon Medallions. The salmon was stuffed with king crab and lobster. On the side were prawns and scallops and steamed veggies. There was also gnocchi. The sauce was sweet and went well with the fish... Really delicious and flavorful entrée.

However, I don't think the salmon I ordered had anything on Wildflower's Saskatoon Infused Medicine Hat Venison Chop. Yeah, look at that plate! The venison was SOOOOO tender. It melted in your mouth! It was over a bed of couscous and the side was a venison ragout (also very tender.) I would order this if I went back.

Here is the Peppercorn Herb-Crusted Bison Tenderloin, with bread pudding, butternut squash puree and a blackberry sage reduction. Jeff said that the bison was great, but his favorite part was the butternut squash!

Other orders (not photographed with my blackberry... really need a camera!) included:
Chicken Liver Pate & Ciabatta Crostini
Caesar Salad
Pear & Hickory Glazed Chicken Supreme
I know I am missing a few... haha! Regardless, I don't think there were any complaints. We all savored our meals to the last bite!
The servers were also spot on. Very attentive and on the ball. The restaurant itself has a really nice ambiance and comfortable seating. I also liked the set up of the tables- at least where we were sitting, we were not surrounded by too many other tables- we had space, even though the restaurant is on the smaller side! The bathrooms were also very clean (which is important- a bad bathroom can make or break an experience.)
I can't wait to go back to Wildflower Restaurant again and try some more of their creations. Next time I plan on ordering some appetizers or their lighter fare- just so I can have more variety! Truly a great Edmonton Restaurant!

Thai Peanut Chicken

2011-02-26T10:46:00.001-07:00

Here is what I had for dinner last night!

I was driving home, thinking what will I make for dinner?? Then it dawned on me: I have chicken, I have peanut butter, soy sauce, peanuts, rice and veggies- TADA!
Here is my recipe for Thai Peanut Chicken:

Serves whatever you and your company's appetite is (2-4)- we had 3 servings.
2 chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
2 clove garlic
salt and pepper
1 cup brown rice (cook in 2 cups water)
2 tbsp peanut butter
soy sauce
water
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp pancake syrup
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
1 head broccoli
1/4-1/2 cup peanuts

1: Start rice in saucepan or rice cooker. Will take about 50 mins to cook.
2: Heat pan with olive oil, and cook and brown up slices of chicken breast with salt and pepper and minced garlic.
3: Make sauce: peanut butter (if you use natural peanut butter like I do and you are near the bottom of the jar, put it in the microwave to soften.), soy sauce, cayenne and syrup. If it is too thick, add some water.
4: Once chicken is cooked, add veggies, sauce and peanuts to the chicken. Let veggies cook.
5: Top your serving of rice with the peanut chicken and veggies and enjoy!!

This is just a great idea...

2011-02-21T22:07:00.002-07:00

So everyone knows how much I love oatmeal! I generally dislike the prepackaged oatmeal and like to cook my oatmeal on the stove. It just tastes better this way (and its healthier. win win win...)

Anyway, yesterday I was reading in some magazine about different ways to use your slow cooker. UH HUH!

I give you:

Steel Cut Oats- Slow Cooker Style!!!!

Now, if you know steel cut oats, you know that they take FOREVER to cook. FOREVER!!! They so worth it though and typically they are my "weekend" oatmeal, because I have more time to cook them. NOT ANYMORE!!!!!!
3 cups of water
2 cups of oats
Turn your slow cooker on and walk away.
I added some cinnamon once the oats were 3/4 of the way cooked.
Enjoy hot or cold for the rest of the week! I like to mix fruit, cottage cheese/plain yogurt, nuts and nut butters into my oatmeal, but thats just because I'm weird. Eat your oatmeal however you like. But DO use your slow cooker. Its the best advice I have ever gotten from a woman's magazine. HA!

So on this topic: How do you like your oatmeal?

LC

I am a bad blogger

2011-02-16T08:09:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends and Readers!
This post is an apology for being such a bad blogger. I haven't updated in over a month... and yes, I do have the excuse of being in Europe for 2.5 weeks of that, but that is besides the point! Something about this past month and a half has me reevaluate things (once again). This has meant putting my blog on the back burner.
I was excited to return to blogging after my trip with a few updates about all my eats across the pond... however, my camera was stolen with all of my trip's photos. I am angry and disappointed, no doubt, but what can you do? I will say this: I ate lots of pasta, pizza and croissants. I enjoyed cappuccinos and wine. Had a great Indian meal in London. Even though there were a few busts in my food travels (there always has to be) I enjoyed and savored every bite!
What this means is you'll have to wait a few more days for a new update. I am sure I'll have something for you all soon- (especially with this jet lag I have more time than I could ever want!)
I want this blog to be more coherent and clear and focused. Looking back on this last year, it has been all over the place. Food, dieting, fitness, restaurants. They are all part of this food blog and will continue to be. That is how I think and feel and approach food and life. However, I am striving for some kind of consistency and routine. We'll see what happens. I might just be the kind of blogger that is all over the place!
Expect these posts in the upcoming weeks :
Being Naturally Thin
Fasting
Kettlebells
Chocolate (nom nom nom nom...)
Oatmeal (my goodness I missed my oatmeal while I was travelling...)
Delux Burger Bar

Okie. With that, I'm going to drink another cup of java, do some laundry and get on with my day.

Happy Eating Everyone!!

LeslieChomp

Slow Cooker Asian Pepper Steak

2011-01-16T21:36:00.001-07:00

Well Hello Hello!
Sorry about my lack of posts these days... life has been very busy these past few weeks and I've been having trouble finding that all important "balance."
Anyway, I'm breaking the blogging fast with this delicious dish...
Slow Cooker Asian Pepper Steak (Rachael Ray)

Don't judge a book by its cover. I know a lot of people aren't a fan of RR, but I think she's got some great recipes and I like how easy they are. Rachael is often criticized for using pre-packaged products (stock, mixes...) and many people find her annoying.( I don't. I like her. haha.) And yes, sometimes its nice to make things in a more authentic or from scratch, but I'd say this meal is pretty darn delicious! Not to mention its very healthy! Easy, healthy and yummy- thats my kind of recipe!
For this recipe, the only major change I made was to decrease the red and yellow peppers to two each, instead of three (slow cooker is too small.)
My sister and I have leftovers for the next two nights and we are okay with that! With all this snow and cold temperatures, it is a welcome dinner. Not to mention, I pretty much have something on my plate every night after work (part of the reason blogging has been put on the back burner!) so having dinner done already is great!

Let me know what you think :)
Promise to be back with more later this week! I've got lots planned!

Ginger Bread Men!

2011-01-01T16:27:00.001-07:00

Better late then never...

Christmas Ginger Bread Men Baking Day:

My sister and I baked and decorated numerous ginger bread men for friends and family this holiday season!

The first batch of many (we made 4 batches of dough!)

They populate quickly!

See!

We made big cookies to decorate and give to people and then mini ones to... well... just eat.

Our little army of cookies to decorate!

Decorating!

woo hoo!

It is hard work though, I gotta say! And I am not a crafty person, so it took some patience... and then acceptance that they wouldn't be the most artistic of things!

Phew! All done!

Belly Dancer Cookies!

At the beach!

Christmas Cheer!

Keeping warm!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas holiday!

Happy New Year!!!

Lit Wine Bar

2010-12-19T11:18:00.002-07:00

Hello hello!

Thursday night my friend Jason accompanied me to Lit Wine Bar (10132-104 Street). Jason and I are "wine friends" and often go to Tzin (across the street from Lit). However, with Tzin booked up for the night, I thought Lit would be a great option. I had already been there twice before, and had had good experiences, while Jason had never been.

I was very hungry when we arrived (rushed to the gym after work and did a wickedly difficult boot camp class...) so I had worked up an appetite!

The server suggested Arancini Rossi to start. I described them as "adult tater tots" though there isn't any potato in them... maybe that's why! haha. They were great! Rice, cheese and peas in tomato sauce, stuffed, breaded and deep fried. Came with two great sauces for dipping. Thumbs up from the both of us!

Jason's first glass of wine was the Cline Mouredre (Red from California.) while I started with a Birichino Malvasia Bianca (White from California.) We both really enjoyed our choices- especially because the server offered us samples before we decided on a particular glass.

Our second course was the Pizza Capricciosa- a fantastic flat bread with prosciutto, red peppers, olives, mushrooms, cheese... the crust was my favorite part. The only thing I didn't like was the olives.

Jason got to sample three different wines before making his second wine choice! The server really liked him, probably because Jason knows so much about wine and could talk the talk. I can't... I just know what I like!! Regardless, I tasted the samples as well and found something I liked too!

Here I am enjoying a glass of Montere Rapasso

Finally- Dessert!! Chiocolatto!!

Baileys and Kahlua Chocolate Cake, topped with White Chocolate, Raspberry Mousse and Chocolate Ganache. It was lovely, though it fell apart pretty quickly as we ate it.

All in all I really enjoyed our experience at Lit. They have a great selection of wine and food. The menu is reasonably priced too. I think what put this experience above my previous ones was the really excellent service. The numerous wine samples and food recommendations from her really made for a personalized and memorable experience!

Lunch with Lauren

2010-12-15T19:43:00.003-07:00

Lauren! (and a penguin)

Since starting my new job, it has been more difficult to see some friends I used to see on a regular basis, especially the ones in school. Luckily, Lauren and I have been able to go out for lunch every few weeks or so. I hope we can keep this up, and this way, I can let you all know about my eats at some of Edmonton's yummy restaurants.

A few weeks ago we decided to go to Zuppa Cafe (9843 110 Street), since its close to my work. Overall, I thought it was good. LOTS of food for a good price (I had leftovers and paid somewhere around $10, including drink.) My favorite part was the salad, which was full of green grapes. I also had pea soup, which I really enjoyed. My least favorite was the panini, which was a little on the cold side. That is, however, a minor problem. That being said, this is a nice little place to hit up for breakfast or lunch- to stay or to go!

Chomp!

Our second lunch date was at Col Mustard's Sandwich Canteen (12321 107 Ave). In my opinion what a perfect lunch place. So many delicious and fresh sandwich options! I ended up getting a turkey deli sandwich with provolone and red pepper sauce on a french bread. The only thing I would have liked was maybe a side salad or something... and maybe slightly more flavor with the red pepper spread. But I love that it is made fresh to eat, and the sandwiches are quite large!

My eats.

Lauren went with something a little different:

Her choice was more vegetarian- a falafel! Lauren gave it the thumbs up, even thought it was on the messy side. We left there happy!

What are your favorite lunch places? Let me know, especially if they are in the downtown area so I can go their on my lunch break!!

Stay warm everyone!

Meat Pie Madness

2010-12-08T20:20:00.002-07:00

20 Pounds of Ground Pork

A Team Ready to go! Ryan, Jordan, Cathy (myself and my mom missing from photo.)

Some serious mashing of potatoes....

30 pounds of potatoes!!

Rubbermaid container with all 30 pounds of potatoes...

Cooking up the meat!

Mix it all together with CLOVES, SALT and PEPPER!!

Now it is time to assemble!

Go team!!

Concentrating hard...

Tortiere!!

I was working on the crust...

Rollin... Rollin....

(FYI:

We purchased 15 pounds of dough from Grandin Bakery in

St. Albert)

Rollin the dough!

In the oven at 400F for about an hour!

Baby pies!

So worth the hard work!

The Stats:

30 pounds of potatoes

20 pounds ground pork

15 pounds dough

27 small pies

13 medium (standard) pies

1 large pie

41 pies made by 5 people in about 6.5 hours!

My freezer is now half full of pies! I love the Holiday Season!!

The Dish Bistro

2010-12-02T22:44:00.002-07:00

On Tuesday night my friend Matt and I met up for good food and even better conversation at The Dish Bistro (and the Runaway Spoon) on 124th street and Stony Plain Road.
I had never been and while I had heard of this restaurant, had no idea it was tucked away in this location!
It wasn't a busy night, or at least by the time we sat down at 7:30, any rush had passed.
I liked that the menu was simple and small. I always get overwhelmed at places with large menus. Ask anyone I go out with, I often don't decide until the last second and sometimes will ask the server to pick between a few for me.
Matt had heard the tomato basil creamy soup was excellent, so of course I had to go with that! Along with the soup I had their Grilled Portobello and Brie Sandwich. Everything was delicious. I LOVED the soup- the texture was thick and creamy, but wasn't completely smooth, which I liked. I believe it had croutons on top too. Sandwich was served on foccacia. Loved the brie and mushroom- only problem was it was really messy to eat... WARNING: THIS IS NOT A SEXY EATING SANDWICH! DIG IN!

A comforting meal

Matt decided to go with the Greek Chicken Phyllo Pastry with a side of balsamic salad!
His description was something along the lines of a "eating delicious deck of cards" (if you could eat cards of course... and if cards were delicious... okay clearly I need to take notes when attempting to describe others eating experiences... but you get the idea... right?) Basically: Matt really liked his dinner! And honestly, I think I might get it next time! Cheesy goodness!

Matt: putting up with my terrible photo taking skills!

I can't wait to visit the Dish Bistro again to try out more of their menu. Their price point was just right too!
Also I should note that on their website they have what looks like weekly movie nights! I think in the New Year I will be checking that out! What fun!
Have you ever been to the Dish? Love it? Hate it? Let me know!!

Butternut Squash Soup

2010-11-25T20:27:00.002-07:00

This recipe was inspired by Cheap, Healthy, Good's Butternut Squash Soup Recipe.

I bought a butternut squash and intended to either bake it or make fries. But then I stumbled on the recipe and got inspired. And was it ever worth the work!! SO FILLING, SO FRAGRANT, SO DELICIOUS!
The downside- peeling and cutting a squash is a serious pain in the ass... and even worse if you are sore from a hard workout the day before.... haha!
Anyway, here is my version of the recipe!

1 large butternut squash (peeled and chopped into pieces of random size)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion
1 tsp nutmeg
1 apple (cut into chunks)
5 cups of veggie stock (I used better than bouillon)
1 cup apple sauce
1 tbsp cinnamon

How to:
Peel and chop up squash.
Take a break. You'll be tired.
In a large pot, saute chopped up onion in olive oil and while cooking add nutmeg. 3-5 mins here.
Add squash and apple and then pour stock over. Add apple sauce and cinnamon.
Bring to boil and then simmer until squash is soft/cooked.

Pre-blended

Then put in blender (took me 5 rounds to get through all the soup.)

Consistency.... THICK AND CREAMY.

Blender soup!!!

Put back on low on stove and ENJOY!!!

Changes and Updates!

2010-11-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends!

Just wanted to let you know about a few changes and updates to the blog!

First- please check out some of the new blogs and places I have added to Blogaholic and Best of Edmonton pages! I think you will really enjoy them!
Also- check out my new logo pic on those pages as well! My wonderful boyfriend Ryan made it! yay!

Second- check out the newly updated Edmonton Journal Food Section. They have all sorts of fantastic links and columns about Edmonton food! However, more importantly, they have a Edmonton Food Bloggers section, which includes yours truly!! Yay! Big thank you to Kerry at the Edmonton Journal for putting that together!

Finally- if you have any recipes, restaurant reviews, exercise ideas or anything related to this blog that you would like to contribute, please send me an email at smiley_less@hotmail.com! I would love to hear from you and would love to have others contribute to this blog!

That is all for now- have a wonderful rest of your weekend and keep warm!

Leslie :)
CHOMP!

Diets that Time Forgot

2010-11-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

My blog update today is free of recipes-- instead I wanted to let everyone know about a hilarious and enlightening British TV program "Diets That Time Forgot" that I watched with my dear friend Benita last week.
Benita got the show from the library and we prepared to watch the 6 episodes over two days.

picture from amazon.ca

The show involves 9 overweight British folks living away from their families for around a month in a castle (or what I would call a castle.. maybe it wasn't... it really doesn't matter.) They were then split into 3 groups- Victorian, Edwardian and 1920- each era had its own specific and original diet. At the end of show, they tallied the weight lost to announce a diet winner.

Source

The Victorians- high protein/low carb diet. (that means mostly meat- and not much else.)

Source

The Edwardians- the "Chew Chew" diet- chewing each spoonful of food 32 times- but otherwise no food restrictions.

Source

1920s- the first calorie restricted diet at 1200 cals a day. (mostly veggies- lots and lots of celery)

They also participated in the popular fitness trends of the day- dancing, weights, running and so on... and also had to wear the appropriate attire (ie. corsets)
I don't want to give away the results of the challenge because I think it is worth watching. I will say that I wasn't surprised by the results and I think it gives all of us in present day something to think about. The main idea that Sir Roy (the host and ultimate judge) pushed was that we have lost self discipline and need to reintroduce this into ourselves and society as a whole if we are going to win the fight against obesity.

I recommend watching this show with a good friend and a pot of tea! :o)

Papaya Chicken

2010-11-14T21:19:00.002-07:00

Hi Everyone! I hope you had a FANTASTIC WEEKEND (possibly the last warm one here in Edmonton... brrrrr....) Well... to warm you up I have discovered yet another fantastic recipe by the Spice Goddess!
This Papaya Chicken has the right amount of spicy and sweet and incorporates one of my favorite fruits! hoorah! Not to mention, its right up my alley- 1 pan cooking! woo hoo!

We served it with brown rice and a side of cauliflower!

Papaya Chicken

Note: The only thing we didn't have was Fenugreek Seeds- anyone know what they are and where they can be purchased? I was thinking of hitting up an ethnic food store to see if they maybe had it. Not sure what the flavor is or how it would change the dish.

We also had Beaujolais wine my sister brought back from France.
It was superb!!

These kind of treats you have to savor!

Keep your eyes peeled over the next week for blog posts about my Convocation dinner at a Greek Restaurant and Friday Night Pierogi Dinner!

Cauliflower with Sweet Potatoes

2010-11-10T19:48:00.002-07:00

Hello Readers!
Just wanted to post this delicious new recipe (passed on from my mom, from the Spice Goddess).
The recipe: Cauliflower with Sweet Potatoes
Its a healthy Indian inspired dish that is super easy to make!!
The original is in the link, and I've added my minor changes at the bottom of the copied recipe:

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 onion- chopped
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 tomato, chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small head cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces

Place the oil in a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ginger and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, and salt and toast for 15 seconds and then add the tomatoes and sweet potatoes, and cook until they are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Add the cauliflower and stir well to combine. Place a tight fitting lid on the pan and cook until the cauliflower is crisp- tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Changes: I added 1/2 cup water to the pan when i added the sweet potato and tomatoe, just because it needed moisture. I also added more sweet potato (I had three small ones.) and I left out the coriander seeds, because I didn't have them.

Enjoy!!!

Made it, Ate it, Loved it: Black Beans and Rice

2010-11-04T17:52:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone!
Happy Thursday (yay!!!!)
First off: holy moly, i have been hungry ALL DAY. I decided to write down everything I ate today and quickly realized why- the only fat I'd had all day was little bit of cheese in my lunch. So i promptly opened the fridge and had a spoonful of peanut butter. feel much better :) this will hold me over until dinner (which is salmon so there is a lot of fat there.) Case in point: be aware of what you eat- and if you track your food intake, you will quickly notice trends in hunger level and energy level associated to what you have been eating.

Anyway, I wanted to get to one of the meals I made on Sunday. After a few weeks of dinner chaos (well what I would call chaos, I dare say most people wouldn't have a problem with this) in which I would just throw random food together, often eggs, for dinner, I decided I needed to make some meals ahead of time, and plan to make some during the week by having everything on hand. It took all over 2 hours to plan, shop and make the food!

The first meal I made was Black Beans and Rice (adapted from allrecipes.com):
(FYI: I totally dropped the ball on taking pictures of this meal, but thats because it was so yummy!)

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup uncooked brown rice
1 1/2 cups low sodium, low fat vegetable broth (I used Better than Boullion, and love it!)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 1/2 cups canned black beans, drained
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a stockpot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 4 minutes. Add the rice and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes. Add the spices and black beans.

Better than Boullion: After reading this blog post on Cheap Healthy Good, I was on the hunt for the product and was happy to find it at my local Save-On Foods. It cost just over 8 bucks, and yields a lot more stock than your typical 3 dollar container of the stuff. I'd recommend it too. As usual, CHG knows what they are talking about!

Little Jar- Big Results!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this recipe. It is SUPER EASY and really nutritious (140 cals per 1/2 cup!) so no excuses people!!

Spooky Party!

2010-11-01T22:43:00.001-06:00

Happy belated Halloween everyone!! Hope it was spooky, scary and full of chocolate!!! Did you dress up? I did- I was a cute clown! I went to two parties this past weekend and the one on Sunday night had some really spooky, original and delicious recipes. I just had to share! See links for recipes!

Benita and I on Saturday night!

Halloween Brain Dip

Cheddar Eyeballs

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Cupcakes (Yeah I know... DELICIOUS!)

Pumpkin Honey Bread
I really liked this bread, the honey made it different than standard pumpkin bread.
Also, real fresh pumpkin was used instead of the canned stuff! Hardcore!!

Halloween Quesadilla
Loved this: Sweet potato and black beans in a quesadilla? Yes please!!

Snack spread!

Other recipes sans photo:

Cookie Bones

Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches

While these recipes may be Halloween themed, I would eat most of them year round!
Thanks to Adele for the great food and links!!

Oh my gosh! How time flies!

2010-10-27T22:17:00.000-06:00

First, my apologies for my latest hiatus with my blog. I was on a roll there for awhile, updating Chomp! every couple days. And then, well.... life happened I guess? Perhaps most importantly, I started a brand new job as a Guide Coordinator at the Legislative Assembly Office. But I've had trouble making a nightly routine of any kind. On top of that, my food hasn't been very exciting... or I should say, its diffferent from when I was a student. Often I come home from work and just throw things together when I have energy. i'm getting better now that I'm more used to the 9-5 thing! I think I'll have a blog post soon about a week's worth of lunches- forcing me to be a little bit more creative!
Another thing that is keeping me more busy is that I joined the downtown YMCA and have been working out most nights of the week. I really love it there and am really happy to be back into an exercise routine. This blog`s main focus is food, but I will keep you updated on my workouts as well, since in my mind, they go hand in hand. Right now I`m back doing Rachel Cosgrove`s workout!

So, onto the food! This post is just to update everyone on some of my new favorite foods and products! Hopefully you will get some ideas of your own! I promise I'll have some recipes and restaurant reviews up soon though!

Liberte Greek Yogurt

Costco now has Greek yogurt! HOORAH!!! If you live here you know that this wait has been too long. haha. I've seen greek yogurt from time to time in grocery stores, but this particular brand is fantastic. Its 110 cals with 20 grams of protein (POW!) for 175g. That is some powerhouse nutrition baby. And with Costco offering it, you know you are getting a good deal! I really love it mixed with fruit and cereal and some honey to sweeten.

Hemp Milk

Ryan and I went to Bulk Barn last night and I discovered Hemp Milk! I've been using almond milk in my oatmeal and cereal for months now, but decided to try out hemp milk. I'm really excited and will let you know what I think. I feel like I'm going to enjoy it, since I already use hemp seeds in my yogurt and oatmeal from time to time. If you want to know more about the nutritional benefits of hemp, check out this link. (The quick 411 is that it is a vegetarian source of food high in protein, antioxidants, vitamins and this particular brand is organic, which makes it a great alternative to soy.)

Kamut Oatmeal
Also discovered this at Bulk Barn. Kamut is an ancient grain full of nutrients. I am most familiar with it in bread I often by from Breadland Organic Bakery in Oliver Square, so when I saw it in oatmeal form I GOT REALLY EXCITED! I had it for breakfast today in my typical oatmeal form (mixed in with fruit/pumpkin, cottage cheese and nut butter!) I love the large flakes and its sweet, nutty taste. I've never seen it in normal grocery stores, but keep your eyes peeled. Its a great alternative to the usual oatmeal! (Nutritional info here)

Eat Local First
My sister and I tried out this really cool service two weeks ago! Eat Local First is an online local food and product ordering service, which will then drop off your food in a cooler to your door. I have so many good things to say about it-- most importantly how many different local foods and products they have to offer. We got: extra lean ground beef, kale, mushrooms, tomatoes, bread and pears. Came to around $26. I think if you live in a house and are willing to spend just slightly more on your food in order to get the local fare, this is a fantastic option! (Especially in the winter!!) That being said, for me and my sister, it isn`t ideal. We live in a condo downtown, and had to go all the way to the north side to pick up our food, and only between noon and 7pm on Thursday. It was too much out of the way for us. I think from time to time I will use it though and hopefully the program will grow and offer more services, availability and products. Please check it out and support this awesome Edmonton business and local farmers and producers!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post. Once again I am sorry for not updating in such a long time. I was so surprised when people started to ask me where I had gone and what was going on. I realize I have readers and a responsibility to post on a regular basis- and I will try my very best to do this from now on, for both you guys and myself!
For now, keep fit and eat well! hehe. Chomp!

Fall= Pumpkin Bread

2010-09-29T18:05:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone!
I just wanted to do a really quick post tonight, since I have work to do on the job hunt front!
A few days ago I purchased a giant can of pumpkin from the grocery store (as i usually do, this isn't outside of the normal, since i usually put pumpkin in my oatmeal. nom nom...)
Anyway, later that day, I was reading The Kitchen Magpie and she had a recipe for pumpkin bread...
I had all the ingredients, so I did just that, made pumpkin bread!
You can find the whole recipe here!

Here is a slice with some almond butter on top...

Turns out I didn't have a bread pan... so I used a big cake pan.

It worked just fine!

Lots and lots of pumpkin loaf!

I made a few minor changes: I used slightly less oil and more applesauce. It was an easy recipe and possibly one of the best pumpkin loaf recipes I've made!

Enjoy and happy fall!

Project Food Blog Challenge #2- Vote today!

2010-09-27T09:48:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone!

Just to let you know voting is now open for the second challenge. If you are involved in project food blog or voted last time, you know what to do already!
If you have never voted, here is what you do:
go to www.foodbuzz.com
sign up to be part of foodbuzz (no big deal, just come up with a quick username and all that stuff!)
go to the Project Food Blog section- on the left hand side you will see Challenges--> The Classics (open)
Go there and scroll in alphabetical order until you find Chomp!
Click on the heart.

You just need to do that once while voting is open (until September 30th at 6pm Pacific time) .

Voting is very important, because without votes I won't move onto the next challenge!

Thank you for reading, commenting, supporting me and voting! I appreciate it, no matter how far I go in this competition!

Leslie :)

Jambalaya Baby!

2010-09-26T10:49:00.004-06:00

Wine with witty wine charms

Hi Everyone! I hope you all are having a great weekend. The sun is finally shining over here in Edmonton, something it hasn't done nearly enough of here over the last 4 months...
Anyway, its time for the second challenge of the Project Food Blog Challenge. First of all, a BIG THANK YOU to EVERYONE, near and far, old and new, that VOTED FOR ME. It was really exciting for me, you have no idea!!
After finding out I had advanced, I got right on trying to figure out what I would make for the second challenge:
How well can you tackle a classic dish from another culture? We're bypassing the French and Italian standards in favor of more challenging cuisines.

Step One: I need to pick a culture... or a dish... that isn't French or Italian. Lucky for me, my dear friend Angela gave me her cookbook "Sunday's At Moosewood Restaurant: Ethnic and Regional Recipes from the Cooks at the Legendary Restaurant" (I've never been and had never heard of it before now... haha!) when she moved to Vancouver. PERFECT! It took me like 2 hours to decide on Jambalaya. There are so many interesting and yummy recipes in the book, so it was actually really hard to narrow it down.

Jambalaya!

Why Jambalaya? Well, I am sort of familiar with it, compared to a lot of the other recipes in the book, such as pumpkin soup (i was tempted since they are in season!) or Chilaquiles from Mexico. My mother has made Jambalaya for us before and I've had it at restaurants. However, this recipe was vegetarian (traditionally it has shrimp, sausage or chicken) and it also had some new challenges for me (which I will explain as I write about making the jambalaya!)
I also love the heat and flavor (both in the food and Creole culture!) so it seemed like a fantastic choice.

Getting all the ingredients seemed easy enough- tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onion, carrots, celery and OKRA.
Yes, the okra challenge! I have never cooked with okra, but its a given when making southern food... but yes, I don't live in the south. I live in the north. But I have seen okra in stores before, so I assumed I would get it fresh or frozen no problem.... LIES!! I went to my local Save-on for all my groceries... no okra... I went to Planet Organic with Benita... no okra... I sent Ryan on a mission to his local Superstore and Sobeys.... no okra... and Benita went to her local Safeway. Still no okra.

What is a girl to do when a recipe calls for okra and there isn't any in the city? She uses eggplant! I have no idea how this impacted the dish (probably less gooey), but it was still tasty. I'd love to make it again properly someday... but anyway, back to the food challenge!

Me and my apron- mixing roux!

Helping hands! Ryan showing us pictures of Roux.

What else was challenging about this dish? the ROUX! I had never heard of roux before (thickening agent made of oil and flour)... but now I know why people tend to avoid it. Because you have to stir oil and flour on a hot pan for like 30 minutes to thicken it up. I think it worked... it thickened up, maybe not as much as it should have? I have no idea. I was lucky to have Benita stir for awhile too, which was nice after I had been stirring for like 25 mins!

I invited Ryan, Benita, Jeremy and Lauren over for dinner. So happy to have them over! Lauren and Benita brought wine, Jeremy brought pita and humus (happy camel!!) and Ryan brought the especially important okra substitute of eggplant! We all really liked the Jambalaya. I served it over oh so delicous brown rice, and topped it with green onions and smoked cheddar (the cheese honestly made it so great. i was surprised.) yeah yeah jambalaya!

I am really happy to have completed the second challenge for a few reasons:

First: I am not one to follow recipes much and don't usually get out of my comfort zone (who does?) so this was great. Now I know how to make roux and know that okra isn't in season right now (according to Wikianswers its in season December-March, so I'll have to look for it in the winter!)

Benita helped stir the roux so I could focus on the rest of the recipe. Thanks B!

Second: I got to spend time with friends. It was lovely and something I really needed. I feel like because I made a recipe out of Angela's cookbook, she was there with us (and we all love and miss you! Thank you for bringing me this recipe!)

Group shot! (Sorry Ryan!)

Third: I wore my apron, used my table and place mats... I never use those things enough!

Fourth: Leftovers for me while I edit my thesis like a madwoman on my Sunday afternoon.

Served over brown rice and topped with smoked cheddar and green onions.
Shiraz to drink.

For dessert: homemade apple crisp! (that isn't part of the challenge, it is just yummy! haha.)

Thanks so much for reading. I hope this makes you want some delicious Creole Jambalaya in your life (vegetarian or not!)
Voting starts Monday, so if you like what you read/saw/imagine you smelled, then please vote!
Regardless, this has been great fun!

Cheers!
Leslie :)

Playing Catch Up!

2010-09-23T14:17:00.001-06:00

I have been pretty busy these past few days... finishing up my thesis (very minor edits left at this point that will be done over the next day or two), job searches and one interview (woo hoo!) and watching the food show Supersizers Go with Ryan... We are going to have a 70s food party FYI, prepare yourself, because it is going to be disgusting. haha

Anyway, I've also had some great food over the past few days!

First off: Boyfriend Bruchetta Sandwiches!

Bruchetta! Make it however you like. Ryan and I are big fans of garlic, so there is a lot of that. We also enjoy some red onion for extra kick!

Sandwich: bake a chicken breast in oven at 375 with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic.

Split in half for two sandwiches.

Whole Wheat Roll toasted with a slice a mozza. Top Roll with chicken and lots of bruchetta.

And ENJOY!

I also got a brand new Slow Cooker Collection Cookbook from my mom the other day. Its made by Canadian Living and actually has a lot of great recipes. I made their Chickpea Ratatouille and was pleasantly surprised.

You probably noticed its not in a slow cooker. The recipe ended up being too big for my slow cooker, so i ended up cooking it on the stove. still turned out great!
In it:
Eggplant
onion
1 can tomatoes
tomato paste
2 peppers, one red and one yellow
2 zucchini
1 can chickpeas
salt
pepper
garlic
oregano
basil

Healthy and delicious!
Paired with a Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon.

Like I said, it made A LOT, so I had this again the next day and froze the rest for when I have a busy day and no time to make dinner!

Finally, inspired by the black bean chili I made the other day:

This was simple and proof you can make dinner in under 10 minutes that isn't fast food or toast!

In a pan with some cooking oil:

Mushrooms, green beans, yellow pepper, black beans, corn (fresh), salsa (about 1/3 cup), salt and pepper, spinach.

Top with cheese and some chips!

IT WAS FANTASTIC!

Hope these meals inspire you to make dinner tonight!

Thanks for reading :)

Thank you!

2010-09-22T14:06:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone that has voted for my blog to go onto the second challenge of Project Food Blog! I really appreciate it and promise to keep blogging away. More so because after today (?) or tomorrow (?) or SOON (haha oh my goodness) I will be done my thesis! And will have internet again! I'm in my neighbourhood Starbucks once again! woo hoo!
Anyway, if you haven't voted yet and want to, you still have time for this round! 1 more day to vote!
If you didn't get in on this round and I make it to the next, no worries! You will be able to vote then!

Thanks again!
Back to work for me!
Leslie :)

Vote now!

2010-09-20T11:49:00.000-06:00

Hi Friends,
I am currently sitting in the Starbucks near my place, using their internet. Mine is broken and will be until at least Thursday. Not exactly perfect timing- for both my thesis and for this Project Food Blog Challenge!
Oh well! Not much I can do but drink lots of coffee! haha
So now I need all your help in order for me to advance to round 2 of the challenge. There are over 1800 bloggers and only 400 can go on. So I need you!!
This is how you vote:
You need to go to foodbuzz.com and sign up to be a member. This is the only way you can vote! Once you have done that, go to the Project Food Blog Challenge Section, and on the right hand side you will see:
CHALLENGES--> 1. Ready, Set, Blog! (Open)
Click on that and then look for Chomp! in the alphabetical list. You will see my lovely face when you scroll through the "C" section of blogs! I think you can only vote once for me, I'm not sure. Might be worth returning the next day to see if you can vote again (though I doubt it)

So friends! Tell your friends and spread the word! This is very exciting. You only have 3 days to vote, so start now!! The next challenge involves me making a dish from another culture. And if I make it to round three I am hosting a dinner party and you know you want to be invited! haha!
Thanks to everyone, no matter how far I go. This is lots of fun and I'll be voting for my favorite blogs too!

FYI, the fine print:

Public Votes: The public may vote on their favorite Entry by logging in to the Site and voting at the Site. Must be at least 18 years old and of majority age to vote. The number of votes for the public voter per Challenge is equal to the number of Entries Sponsor will advance to the next Challenge. For example, if Sponsor announces that 48 Entries will advance to the next Challenge, the public voter is limited to 48 votes for that Challenge. Public votes are not factored in the judging criteria. The Entry with the most public votes is considered the “Reader’s Choice Winner.” The Reader’s Choice Winner automatically advances to the next Challenge. The Reader’s Choice Winner will be included in the final number of Entrants scheduled to advance to the next Challenge. There will be no Reader’s Choice Winner for Challenge #10. Sponsor recommends (but does not require) that you post an announcement on your Website at the beginning of each voting period to help drive public votes.

Restaurant Reviews- Karma Indian Bistro and Original Joes

2010-09-17T16:12:00.001-06:00

Cathy chowing down on Butter Chicken at Karma

Hi Friends!
Today I have two restaurant reviews for you: Karma Indian Bistro and Original Joes (124st location to be specific.)
I realize these are two very different restaurants, but I just wanted to let you know about my eating experiences there since I've been to both relatively recently!

Karma: First, I am embarrassed to say that this was my first visit there, even though I live very close by and have heard good things. We went there for Angela's going away party and the waiter was very accommodating and friendly (you all know how these large group dinners can go!)

Angela and Cathy

Anyway, we all ordered our own dishes and didn't really share. I am aware this isn't typically how you eat Indian food, but we had picky eaters as well as vegetarians, so it was easier just to eat your own thing. We also all started with samosas, which i really liked! I chose to have the chicken curry. It was really tasty. I know Ryan and Cathy had the Butter Chicken and liked it as well. My friend Jeremy was making "yummy eating noises" (I can only assume this meant that he was enjoying his dish!) We were all very content and full by the end. At the end, they also gave Angie a complimentary mango ice cream as a "goodbye."
Pros: Nice atmosphere, decent sized portions, fantastic wine list. Also, the take out menu is probably better than the eating in menu- it offers dinners for one or two (or more!) and are really well priced. I think Ryan and I will do that again soon! I know my friend Kierstin really likes to do that. She is the one that first recommended Karma.
Cons: They only have two whites and two red wines by the glass. Everything else is by the bottle. We all agreed that we wished they would have had some kind of samosa plate instead of individual ones, but perhaps we are being picky!
I want to return again or get take out, but I really think that Karma is a great choice if you are looking for Indian food in the downtown area (or want delivery!)
Karma is located at 10523 99 Avenue

Now onto Original Joes:
I don't really have a lot to say. I mean the place is what I consider a great restaurant/bar to go to if you want large, tasty portions and a lively (but not too loud) atmosphere. When I say you get a lot of food, I mean it. You get two sides of your choice and the burgers/sandwiches are quite large. Ryan and I had bruchetta to start. It was fantastic, especially because the bread came with melted cheese on it. I chose the veggie burger as my main- I wanted it because it had humus, guac and bruchetta on it. So excited! I got sweet potato fries and salad as my sides. I was, however, disappointed. The flavor was great, but the bruchetta made the burger soggy, which really turned me off of it. I loved the fries though... they were GONE! haha. We finished with Ryan's favorite dessert- dirt pie. Just ridiculously delicious. Not going to lie, I ate too much.
That is about all I have to say about Original Joes. I've had really consistent experiences there, and for the most part have enjoyed my meals. If you are looking for somewhere to eat with good bar food and big portions, this is where I would go!
Locations throughout Edmonton (6 in total, check website for the nearest location!)

Grilled Vegetable Chili

2010-09-16T12:31:00.002-06:00

Hi Everyone!
Last week (i think it was last week anyway...) Ryan had friends over to his place for dinner. We needed to come up with a dinner that was vegetarian friendly, healthy and YUMMY! I pulled out Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book for potential ideas. Luckily we found a great recipe: Grilled Vegetable Chili. I don't have pictures because I always forget my camera when I actually need it... but here is the recipe!
(we doubled it, which was quite the undertaking because its A LOT OF VEGGIES!) I also liked this recipe because everyone at the dinner seemed to enjoy it, and so did Ryan, which is always a good thing. haha.
The recipe can be found here (or in the book): http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipes/rachael-ray-30-minute-meals/Grilled-Vegetable-Chili
I have made the recipe with substitutions noted within:

2 zucchini, slice 1/2 inch thick
1 large red bell pepper and 1 large yellow bell pepper, halved and seeded
2 large portabella mushrooms
1 red onion, peeled and sliced 3/4 inch thick
1/2 cup EVOO
Salt and Pepper
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 can black beans
2 tbsp chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup of beer
2 cups vegetable stock
Juice of 1 lime
handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Tortilla chips
2 cups shredded cheddar or pepper Jack cheese
2 -3 scallions, chopped

Note: we did not have beer, so we just added another cup of stock. We also did not have cilantro. I suspect these two things would have changed the flavor quite a bit, but i'm sure I would have still enjoyed it anyway!

Heat a grill to medium heat (we didn't have one so we used a pan) Brush all veggies with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes on each side/until tender. Move onto platter.
Heat the rest of the EVOO in a medium pot on medium. Add garlic and jalapeños and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add beans and chop the grilled veggies into 1/2 inch pieces. Add them to the pot as you go. Season with chili powder, paprika and salt and pepper. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 mins. Stir in beer and reduce for 30 secs, then stir in stock and simmer for a few mins. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro.

Serve with crushed chips and cheese on top. Garnish with scallions.
Serves 4

Enjoy!!

Definition: Food Blogger

2010-09-13T20:30:00.001-06:00

Welcome to my first official Project Food Blog Post. The first post of this challenge is:
What defines you as a food blogger and why should you be the next food blog star?

At one of my favourite restaurants, Blue Plate Diner, eating Ranch Eggs.... DROOL!

If you have been reading my blog since its beginnings late last year or are reading it for the first time today, I think that this first challenge post is an important one regardless of whether or not I participate in the challenge. When I first started this blog, it was really a selfish endeavor-- I wanted to document my food and fitness gorls and attempts and hopefully inspire others along the way. I should probably give some brief personal history at this moment:

I am now a 23 year old Masters of History Student (hopefully for about only a week longer!) My teenage life was spent battling the bulge- some 35 pounds of it. I lost and gained that same weight around 5 times over the course of around 6 years. It was only in my 2nd and 3rd year of university that I lost all the weight for good. This was through dealing with my emotional issues with food, as well as self esteem issues. I got fit, strong, confident and healthy! My relationship with food and fitness has evolved over the years, perhaps most notably when I slowly stopped looking at food as only calories and fuel, but also as an experience to be shared and enjoyed. This past year while working on my Masters, along with developing what I believe to be carpal tunnel, has forced me to relax about food and fitness even more. Shocking news to me, I ate and drank my way through my thesis these post five months and didn't gain *much* weight. (The weight isn't the point, its the perspective and the way I deal and feel about it that matters.)

Anyway... with that ramble... you now know what pushes me, where my view on food comes from (ideally a mixture of health, quality, responsibility and taste all coming together!) Indulgence is a must (no deprivation here!) but a little moderation and lots of intuition to guide me along.

I don't have much background in cooking/baking, I just know what I like and hope that others like it too! Its as simple as that! I like to post recipes of my own and from those that I find. And of course, I love posting about my favorite meals when out to dinner! Expect a little of everything!

Me and My sister in Mexico being silly.

I think the next food blog star could be anyone! I've looked at lots of different profiles and blogs and there are so many different backgrounds and perspectives from professionals to people that just simply love food, such as myself. I think my own personal experiences with food and weight loss give me a unique edge. I'm not here to preach or offer only low-fat recipes. If nothing else I'm here to blog about my experiences with food and friends, while I figure out how to be a better BLOGGER, EATER and HUMAN BEING!
I hope you join me on this journey, no matter how it turns out!

Thank you all and much love!
Leslie :)

PS Please leave comments! They make me so happy and especially on such a personal post as this, I would really appreciate it from EVERYONE! I will let you all know when voting opens next week!

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

2010-09-08T16:31:00.001-06:00

Okay, fine, this recipe is not all that original... but I'm just here to remind you that zucchini is a super duper awesome veggie that you can use in all sorts of things. A particular favorite of mine are zucchini cookies, but for that very reason I'm not going to be making them! I also like these muffins because its a great way to sneak veggies into people's mouths without them knowing, or resisting anyway...
here ya go! (recipe adapted from allrecipes.com!)

Batter!

Makes 12 Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
(add 1/4 cup walnuts if you have them, i didn't, but it sure would have been yummy!)

1-In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

2-Combine the egg, oil, milk, lemon juice and vanilla; mix well.

3-Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips and walnuts. Fill muffin tins two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done.

Muffin goodness!

these little guys were eaten up pretty fast around here!

Vancouver Food Weekend

2010-09-06T13:47:00.002-06:00

Hi Everyone!
Ah! I have so much to say and blog about.... Its going to take me a few days to bring you up to speed on all things food... I have a review of Karma: An Indian Bistro for you, Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe and a new Pancake recipe too!
What do you all think of my new layout? Its constantly a work in progress but I'm loving the orange. My wonderful boyfriend Ryan made the Chomp logo!! He's the best!
Anyway, I want to tell you all about my weekend in Vancouver. It was my grandparent's 60th anniversary (i know, what a feat!) so my sister and I flew down and surprised them! Besides the party, we ate-- and we ate well! We hit up a few restaurants and Grandville Island too.

On Friday for lunch we went to a place called Burgoo... and I got the grilled cheese!! I can't remember the last time I had grilled cheese so this was such a treat!

Four different kinds of cheese: Mozza, Gruyere, Emmenthal and White Cheddar on French Bread!

On the side a corn, chicken and cilantro soup!

A close up to make you drool!

This restaurant was reasonably priced at around $14 for the soup/sandwich combo.

On Saturday we decided to go to Granville Island for a few fantastic reasons. Partly because its a great place to walk around, visit and eat. Recently my friends Angie and Kevin both moved out to Vancouver and it was a great place to meet up with them too! Granville is practically foodie heaven with a great farmers market. Generally its pretty pricey, but you can find some good deals and lots of unique stuff if you hunt for it! Here's some pictures!

Fresh Pasta!

Vegetables Galore!

Grapes!

And Cakes...

And REALLY EXPENSIVE RASPBERRIES!

Think about how much you would pay for one container of those... maybe 5 bucks MAX?

These guys were 9.99 a pound... some where as high as 12.99 a pound. No thanks....

I love the way all the fruit looks piled high like that.

Yum!

I am sad summer is coming to an end....

The upside is that it is apple season!

Pretty flowers :)

These flowers are bright and happy, but so is Kevin!

Kevin eating some kind of salad wrap. I've never had one, but he seemed to enjoy it as it was gone in record time!

Cathy and Cheryl getting ambushed by my camera

Bread...

I decided to get myself a yummy blueberry tart as dessert.

Kevin and I posing with our desserts.

He got a Napoleon cake.

I was torn between the tart and getting gelato. I love ice cream and gelato, but figure how often can I justify getting a tart?

One of my favorite couples Angie and Andrew met up with us too!!

Happy Lady Bug Cake :)

This isn't even close to all the food we ate over the weekend, but its some of the best. I'm going to post a pancake recipe my cousin made for us yesterday morning sometime this week!

Also, you'll see on the right hand side a "Vote for Me" Project Food Blog Link. Starting Next week I will be participating in a food blog challenge and I will need as many votes as possible to continue on in the challenge. Please keep this in mind and start voting for me next week! I'll keep you posted on when it starts and how often you can vote!

Happy Labour Day Everyone!!

Chicken Soup for my sick sister!

2010-08-27T18:50:00.001-06:00

My sister has a cold. It was cold outside. All signs pointed to soup!

I started with:
3 carrots
About 2 cups shredded zucchini
Into the slow cooker they went!

Then: Added 2 large chicken breasts

Chicken Broth (you can use whatever kind you like, boxed, canned or homemade!)

Salt, Pepper, Thyme

With about 1/2 an hour left I poured in some whole wheat macaroni... I think I poured in a little too much because it soaked up a lot of the liquid! haha But it was still delish!

I added some more pepper to my bowl and on the side had a yummy whole grain flax bun!
Hit the spot and warmed me up!!

Pork Tenderloin

2010-08-24T19:04:00.001-06:00

Dinner Tonight was Pork Tenderloin from the Nature's Green Acres that I got at the farmer's market two weeks ago! I slit it down the middle, stuffed with with chopped garlic (3 cloves). Brushed olive oil on top, sprinkled with salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary. 1 hour on the grill, flipping it every 15-20 mins!

On the side: grilled farmer's market carrots, yellow zucchini and red potatoes.

Such a simple but delicious dinner and the best part of it was all local!! yay!!

Enjoy your Tuesday night people!

New Favorite things

2010-08-23T18:33:00.000-06:00

So I don't have any food to share with you today, but I do have lots of other fantastic things to share!

First, I am now included on a list on Healthy Living Blogs. Its a great new website that has daily "What Health Means to Me" posts by healthy and active bloggers. Its alsohosts a fantastic list of health blogs-- everything from weight loss to foodies! I also think its great that they list blogs by area, which means I can find more Alberta like-minded bloggers! Check it out!

Now onto something more close to home: The Tomato is an Edmonton based publication that I actually picked up for the first time a few weeks ago at a coffee shop, but just kept forgetting to post about! Besides the "Whats happening" section which lets you know about great food events going on in the Edmonton area, it also has fantastic, local recipes and reviews! The summer one should still be in local coffee shops and restaurants and I believe the fall issue comes out sometime in September!

My latest tv addiction.... When my sister moved in with me, she insisted we get more than just basic television. I resisted just because of the price, but what are you going to do? I did miss A&E, History and The Food Network... wow did I miss the Food Network! I am in love with tons of new shows (well new to me! haha) This includes:
The Supersizers Go: two hilarious British people explore the food habits of people over the last few hundred years... it mixes HISTORY WITH FOOD-- its like this show was meant for me!!! ieeee...!!

Eat, Shrink and Be Merry: Two fantastic ladies challenge fatty caloric foods with their healthier versions in a taste test. I'm inspired to make their version of butter chicken sometime soon.

Anna and Kristina's Grocery Bag: (This is on the W network or Viva) but wow! I always loved the Shopping Bags hints and tips, but this really is the best of all their shows. They make recipes from a cook book and make those recipes for a chef or cook that is known within that particular style of food. Their experiences let you know whether or not you would like that book! Its entertaining and informative!

Its PIE TIME!

2010-08-20T18:04:00.003-06:00

Hello dear friends and readers... readers and friends....

So yesterday my friend Angie and I went for pie. It was a celebratory pie of sorts... she and I have both been in the same Masters program, basically the only two people attempting our thesis to be completed this month. Angie officially handed in her paper today but we had pie last night at one of my favorite places in the city, Vi's for Pies. And I got my much loved peanut butter pie...

BIGGEST PIECE OF PIE!

I ate like half of it. I have leftovers for dessert tonight :)

Creamy... peanut buttery... chocolate rice crispy crust... What's not to love?

Angela opted for (German) chocolate cake. She also only ate half. I'm glad she got to go before she leaves me for the west coast!

In other pie news... I purchased a coupon from groupon.com that got me a Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria coupon- buy it for $15 and get a $30 coupon! woo hoo! and its good until February, so I have lots of time to use it, though I doubt I will wait! I think this is a really cool website and hopefully they'll keep up with the great deals in Edmonton!

Cheesy Tomato and Meat Stuffed Zucchini

2010-08-17T15:44:00.001-06:00

Om nom nom nom nom.... here is last nights dinner!!! So happy I found this recipe and decided to make it.
Here is the original link: http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/09/recipe-for-meat-tomato-and-mozzarella.html
I made a few variations ( i only used ground turkey, instead of beef and turkey, I also think my zucchini wasn't quite the same as the recipes ideal zucchini, but I worked with it.)
Even Ryan mostly liked this, which says something!

Here is the ground turkey cooked up with the onions, green pepper and garlic.

With the tomato sauce and mozza added in!

In the oven!!! ohhhh la la!!!

Here is the copy and pasted recipe just in case you are in no mood to click on the link:

Meat, Tomato, and Mozzarella Stuffed Zucchini Cups
(Makes 6-8 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

2 large zucchini or yellow squash, about 12 inches long
2 tsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil (may need more, depending on your pan)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 green pepper, finely chopped
2 T finely minced fresh garlic
1 lb. ground beef (10% fat or less)
12 oz. ground turkey (10% fat or less)
(use any combination of ground meat you'd like, but use low-fat ground meat for the South Beach Diet.)
1-2 tsp. Spike seasoning (optional but recommended)
2 C flavorful tomato-basil pasta sauce
2 cups low-fat mozzarella or other mild white cheese (I used low-fat blend of six cheeses called Italian blend.)

Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Chop onion and green pepper. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a non-stick pan, then saute onion and pepper for 3-4 minutes, until just starting to soften. Add minced garlic and saute about 1 minute more, being careful not to brown the garlic. Remove the onion, pepper, and garlic mixture to a bowl.

Add 2 tsp. more olive oil to the pan. Crumble in the ground beef and ground turkey, season with Spike seasoning, and cook over medium heat until the meat is well browned. Tilt pan to see if there is any extra fat, and remove with a spoon if there is, then stir cooked vegetables and garlic back into the meat. Add tomato sauce and simmer until the mixture has thickened and liquid has cooked off, about 10 minutes, then turn off heat.

While meat cools, cut zucchini into 2 inch thick slices, discarding ends. Use a sharp spoon or melon baller to hollow out a cup in each zucchini slice, leaving just over 1/4 inch of zucchini flesh. Be careful not to get too close to the skin or the cups will leak liquid when they cook.

Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray and stand up zucchini cups, open end up. Stir 1 1/2 cups grated cheese into the cooled meat mixture (it doesn't need to be completely cool), then spoon the meat-cheese mixture into zucchini cups, pressing down with the spoon and mounding it up a little over the top of the zucchini.

Bake zucchini cups for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and use remaining cheese to top each one with a generous pinch of cheese. Put back in oven and bake 10-15 minutes more, until zucchini is slightly soft when pierced with a fork and cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Enjoy everyone!!

Beets!

2010-08-13T10:25:00.001-06:00

Hi friends! Just coming out from under my thesis rock to tell you about my yummy dinner last night!

Roasted beets!!! Gotta love farmers market season and beets. From August-October I always buy beets at the farmers market. so versatile. I think my leftovers are going in a salad today!

Got these potatoes at the market on Saturday as well.

They were great! And I must say, very clean right out of the bag. Some of the vendors produce is very dirty but the Hutterite stand is where its at when it comes to clean produce, especially potatoes, which i hate scrubbing!

Grille Zucchini!

All the veggies had olive oil and salt and pepper! thats it!

Had a veggie burger and topped it with avocado and feta.

YUM!

Anyone else like beets as much as I do?