Mio Review

So I found some Mio and got a couple of flavors to try...Sweet Tea and Fruit Punch. I like that it's in a squeeze bottle and I can add how much or how little I want. That would be nice; sometimes I just don't want full strength. I think this would be easier to keep in my purse so I can squirt some into a bottle of water at the zoo or just a glass of water at someone's house. I know I can do that with Crystal Light, but then you're wasting the rest of the package. I'm just too cheap to do that. After all, the more money I spend on food and drink, the less I can spend on yarn! LOL!

Okay, so there are reasons to get Mio. So now...how's it taste? The bottle says to put 1 squeeze into 8 ounces of water. That was a little strong for me. I kept adding water until I liked it so I figure that I like about half strength. FYI: I like full strength Crystal Light. I like the taste; it's a lighter taste, maybe a little sweeter taste than Crystal Light.

It costs more than Crystal Light, so you'll have to judge it on taste and convenience. Am I going to give up my Crystal Light? No. But I will carry a Mio in my purse when I'm out and about. Being able to stop and get a glass of water at a drive-thru sounds awfully convenient to me. Surprisingly, the commissary carries it (WHAT!?!) and it's quite a bit cheaper than a civilian store, so if you can shop at the commissary, get it there.

Steamed Broccoli

Okay, now don't just quickly scroll over this recipe! Caught you just in time, didn't I? I, too, have always thought broccoli was totally disgusting. Didn't even like the smell, especially if it was steamed. Then I had it roasted. Whoo boy! That stuff was good! Then I started thinking about how to steam broccoli so that I would like it. I mean, it's just so darned good for you, it's a shame so many of us don't like it. I bought a bag of fresh, cut up broccoli at the grocery store a week or so ago meaning to roast some. Just never got around to it...you know how that goes. I decided to try steamed broccoli with my chicken for lunch. D.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s! Here's what I did.

Steamed Broccoli

2 ounces fresh broccoli florets

salt, to taste

Tony Chachere's, to taste

Take out your handy dandy microwave steamer (or whatever kind you have) and put a little water in the bottom. Place broccoli in the steamer basket. Sprinkle a little salt and some Tony Chachere's, put the lid on and pop into the microwave for about 3 minutes. Less time if you like yours al dente. I'm from the South; we cook our veggies to death! "If it ain't hangin' limp from the fork, it ain't cooked 'nouf!" My broccoli was not hanging limp, but wasn't al dente either! Try different seasonings until you find one you love on steamed broccoli. Have fun! Play with your food!!!

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

So you just got invited to a barbeque and you've been asked to bring a pasta side dish. Hmmm...you're supposed to cook something you don't get to eat? Ha! I don't think so!!! I've been making this salad for a while and was really surprised when I noticed that I haven't posted it yet. It's good when you first make it, but if you can, make it the day before or even that morning for dinner. The flavors blend so deliciously if it's allowed to sit in the fridge for a while!

Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wa) is actually a seed, but a lot of people think it's a grain, so who am I to tell them different? You can find it in just about any grocery store now. One brand is Red Mill, another is Ancient Harvest. It seems that every store puts quinoa in a different place, so if you don't find it in the health food sections with the grains, try the "gourmet" area. Or pretend you're me and have a clerk find it for you. That'll teach 'em for not putting a product where I think it should go! LOL!

FYI - This is another recipe that lets you decide how much of certain ingredients you want to use. For instance, if you don't care for corn, don't put much, or any. Substitute...play with your food!

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa (red quinoa is great in this salad, but more difficult to find)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
cheddar cheese, shredded or cubed
frozen corn (you can defrost if you want to, but not necessary)
frozen sliced sweet peppers (can use fresh)
Roasted Red Pepper Italian Dressing (or any other Italian dressing)

Follow the package directions for cooking the quinoa. The ratio is 2:1 water to quinoa, so you can make as much or as little as you like. When it's all cooked, the package usually says to fluff and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. I don't want any of my cheese to melt, so my quinoa sits in the freezer to get nice and chilled. When the quinoa is chilled, add the rest of the ingredients except the dressing, and stir. At this point the quinoa is still able to absorb a little liquid and you don't want dry quinoa salad, so pour in a little more dressing than you think you really need. By the time you're ready to serve, it will be all absorbed and just right. Stir, fluff, and serve!

Well, it's tomorrow and I glanced at this and realized that I didn't include a photo! I'll just have to make it again really really soon so I can take a picture! Darn!!! LOL!

Chicken Stew

I had plans the other afternoon and knew I wasn't going to feel like cooking when I got home. So my first thought was...crockpot! What else?!? So look through my cookbooks. Here's a good one...nope, don't want that. There's a good one...don't have all the ingredients. {sigh} What to do? I know! I'll pretend I'm my Mom and dump stuff into the crockpot and see what comes out! Well, what came out was chicken stew! So delicious that I just have to share it!

Chicken Stew

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (can be frozen)
frozen corn
frozen baby carrots (or fresh)
onions (frozen or fresh)
frozen sliced mixed peppers
2 cups chicken broth
1 envelope beef bouillon (I use Herb-Ox sodium free)
1 capful of Kitchen Bouquet
salt, black pepper, garlic powder to taste

Place chicken in the crockpot then put vegetables on top. If you want different veggies or more veggies, go for it! These are what I had in the freezer, so that's what went in the stew. Add the chicken broth (I just made mine from a couple of packages of chicken bouillon), the beef bouillon and the Kitchen Bouquet. Stir.

Set crockpot for high for 1-2 hours, then turn down to low for the rest of the day. When you're ready to eat, if you want to thicken the gravy, turn the crockpot up to high and add a little cornstarch (mixed in cold water). Stir while it thickens. We enjoy juicy gravies, so I didn't thicken mine.

Cinnamon Peanut Butter Shake

Ok now...don't be shaking your head and asking if I've lost my mind! The two flavors go together really well as long as one doesn't overpower the other. And it's simple simple simple to make. You're still shaking your head! Have I ever steered you wrong? Well, besides the idea of dipping candy centers into ice cream fudge topping and hoping it would freeze. Any other time; especially on shakes? No! See? As the old tv commercial used to say, "Try it, you'll like it!"

Cinnamon Peanut Butter Shake

This is a variation of a vanilla shake, so start there. Add 2 tablespoons PB2 (I get it at the commissary. You can also order it from Bell Plantations) or 2 tablespoons peanut butter. Now add 4 teaspoons cinnamon vanilla creme coffee creamer. That's it! That's all you add to a vanilla shake to get this wonderful, delicious shake! It's my new favorite!!!

Quotes I Like

I don't know about anyone else, but I like quotes. I like quotes by famous people, I like quotes by not so famous people. I don't remember when this started for me, but I have copied down quotes for years. Now I'm old enough that I lose track of where I've put them then when I find them they're new again! LOL! Here's one I really like that can be applied to anything you're working on in your life, whether it's your weight, your lifestyle, whatever. I don't know if this really belongs in a cooking blog, but since it's my blog and I want to put it in, here it is!

"Nothing changes if nothing changes"  Tennie McCarty - Shades of Hope Treatment Center

Turtles Candy!

I love turtles candy, but the sugar free I can buy in the store has so many sugar alcohols they just tear me up. Can't even eat one! So this morning I was thinking about the ingredients in turtles and realized that I could probably make a pretty decent copy...not the same, but good enough to satisfy me. Note that there are no amounts listed in the ingredients. This is, so far, a "by gosh and by golly" recipe. I'm sure there are other turtle fans out there and wanted to get the recipe posted as soon as possible. So, for now, you'll just have to make it by remembering the texture and thickness and gooeyness of a real turtle.

Turtles

Smucker's sugar free caramel syrup
Almond flour
Instant oatmeal
Dry roasted (with sea salt) peanuts
Dry roasted (with sea salt) almonds
raisins
Smucker's sugar free chocolate fudge topping

Mix some almond flour with the caramel syrup until somewhat thickened. Add some oatmeal until it's pretty thick (almost as if you were going to roll it into balls). Add the peanuts, almonds and raisins (hey! some coconut would be good in there too!) and mix until well mixed and nice and thick. Add more flour or oatmeal to thicken more if you want to roll into balls.

Spray an ice cube tray with Pam and drizzle some fudge topping into the bottom of the compartments. Spoon some of the caramel mixture on top then smudge (technical word!) some more fudge topping. Put the ice cube tray in the freezer until solid enough to pick up and eat.

Mine are in the freezer now and you know I will eat my share as soon as they are ready. If they come out good, I think I'll get some mini cupcake paper cups and put them on a tray to freeze in the paper cups.

I actually cheated "just a little" and left a taste in the mixing bowl...Hey! that's the cook's prerogative, right! I gotta tell ya, even if they don't harden correctly, they taste awfully good! I'll update as soon as I taste the final result!

Update: Hmmm...I didn't know that ice cream fudge topping wouldn't freeze? Duh! Have another idea that won't add a bunch of sugar alcohols and will try that soon. Meanwhile if anyone else has an idea, let me know!!!

Workout Recommendation

A few weeks ago I mentioned to my swimming buddy that I was having a difficult time with exercise. I've developed arthritis in my left hip since my accident on my bicycle last year and now I've been looking for a low impact exercise that is high energy enough so that I'll work up a good sweat. Well, of course, Renee came through for me!

She told me about the Walk at Home workouts by Leslie Sansone. I went to Walmart and bought the Big 4 Mile Walk video immediately and have been working out to it almost every day. Love it! Nothing hurts when I'm finished but sweat is just dripping off of me! Love it!

She has a website too with a store and a walk club that you can join. If you join the walk club, you get a percentage (15% ?) off in the store. I'm haven't joined yet, but I will. She streams different workouts in her walk club so you can have a variety of walks without buying the videos. I'm sure she hopes you'll get hooked on the workout (not hard to do) and go out and buy the video so you'll have it after they take it off the website.  I saw in the store they also have a couple of faith-based workout videos.

I hope you give this workout a try. This is the video I have and I absolutely love it!