The Fat Girl's Guide to Living

At our house, we try to have a salad with about every other meal. Not only is it an easy way to add a few more veggies to our diet, but it’s a super-easy side item that pairs nicely with almost everything. The only problem? We fall very easily into a salad rut: romaine, cucumber, tomato, a sprinkle of whatever shredded cheese might be in the fridge, and a dollop of ranch. It’s tasty, but sometimes it just feels a little… uninspired.

So, when I’m feeling the need to freshen up our salads, I turn to this recipe. It’s no more difficult to prepare than our old standby, but it’s sophisticated enough to serve to dinner guests. The tangy vinaigrette is the perfect compliment to the sweet dried fruit and the crunchy pecans are just the right balance for the creamy goat cheese. As an added bonus, spinach is packed with lots of great nutrients, including vitamins A and C and iron.

Double or triple the recipe for the candied pecans and keep them in an airtight container for quicker salad prep or for easy snacking!

Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans & Goat Cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (5 ounce) bag baby spinach
1/2 cup dried mixed fruit (cranberries, cherries, blueberries)
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup candied pecans, recipe follows

For vinaigrette, stir together mustard, garlic, sugar, lemon juice and vinegar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil until mixture is smooth and glossy.

To assemble salad, place spinach, candied almonds, cranberries and goat cheese in a large bowl. Toss lightly with dressing and serve immediately.

I’m a member of the “get it now” generation. The temptation of instant gratification arrived fairly early in my life, the byproduct of remote controls, drive-thru windows, and one of my personal favorites, the microwave oven. After all these years, the microwave and I still have a pretty tight relationship; it zaps comforting cups of chai and bowls of soup and reheats leftover pizza quickly and without complaint. Recently I found a new way to partner my occasional hankering for a salty snack with the convenience of microwave cooking: homemade potato chips!

Microwaved potato chips? I know what you’re thinking, because I had the same thought at first: “They’ll be soggy!” But amazingly, these chips come out crispy and flavorful, all while boasting an ingredient list only three items long: potatoes, olive oil, and salt. This means you can have homemade potato chips in ten minutes or less any time you want. Sliced to your desired thickness. Salted to your taste. Dressed up with a little shaved Parmesan. Convenience never tasted better!

Microwave Potato Chips
1 large russet potato, unpeeled, scrubbed and patted dry
1 scant teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Using a sharp knife or a mandoline, thinly slice the potato to your desired thickness (1/8″ or thinner works best). Transfer to a medium bowl and toss with olive oil until completely coated.

Coat a microwave-proof plate with cooking spray and arrange potato slices in a single layer, ensuring edges do not touch. Salt as desired.

Microwave potatoes on regular power for 2.5 minutes. Turn slices and cook for another 2-4 minutes until the chips brown and crisp. Remove from microwave and transfer to a clean plate to cool and finish crisping. Repeat as necessary with remaining potato slices.

Yield: 1 big or 2 small servings

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com

Most nights, a couple of hours after dinner, I find myself thinking about dessert. Scavenging around the kitchen looking for something sweet, I discover I have a few choices: skip dessert, grab a big glass of water, and try to distract myself; sniff out the nearest chocolate bar or bowl of ice cream and indulge just a little, or find something in between – balancing sweetness with responsibility.

Depending on the day, any of these options are perfectly acceptable in my world, as long it’s a conscious decision rather than mindless eating (my downfall). However, I try to choose the middle road and throw together something that satisfies my sweet tooth and might even provide a little nutritional benefit, too.

One of my fast favorites for a reasonable dessert option is actually also something that’s a breakfast favorite – a yogurt parfait. For about the same calorie intake of a half cup of ice cream, I can have organic yogurt with a punch of protein and antioxidants, and get a little more fruit into my day. Win-win? Yep… and I’ll save the chocolate bar or the ice cream for a day when I really need it.

Blackberry and Granola Yogurt Parfait
1/2 cup lowfat, organic vanilla yogurt, divided
1/4 cup blackberries (fresh or frozen, unsweetened – thawed)
1 tablespoon granola
4-6 raw almonds

In a small bowl, layer in 1/4 cup of yogurt, blackberries, another 1/4 cup of yogurt, granola and almonds. Relax and enjoy!

Yield: 1 serving

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com

Surely we can’t be the only ones who think gingerbread consumption should be encouraged year-round. Its rich flavor is so satisfying that it’s tough to over-snack on them. We also love yoga for its restorative powers and the way regular practice encourages us to slow down and be in tune with our bodies, so these cookies represent a perfect – and adorable – pairing of style and substance. Every order of gingerbread yogis comes with this yoga pose chart. How sweet is that?

We also fell hard for these plump doves and these cool camera cookies – nice inspiration for our 2010 self portraiture challenge. Visit the Baked Ideas web site for more ideas – they’ll even make custom cookies of your fab figure!

Got any great finds we should know about? Tell us about them in the comments.

I plan my family’s weekly menus before grocery shopping for a variety of reasons: efficiency, health, budgeting, and, well, I’m kind of a nerd and I enjoy it. Knowing what I’m buying before I shop also keeps impulse buys at bay, but last week, I made an exception.

When I spotted the words “Mediterranean Bruschetta” and “Party Crackers” in the same phrase on a box, into the shopping cart it went. Even my five-year-old is hooked on them, and kids can be a tough sell. Every day when he came home from morning kindergarten, we enjoyed an indoor picnic lunch featuring a variety of cheeses (light cream cheese for me, co-jack for him), fresh fruits, and colorful red and orange bell pepper slices. These crackers are very crunchy and flavorful, but they’re a little on the delicate side, so if you buy them for a party, go easy with dense or heavy appetizer spreads.

Tasty as they are, these are also a bit on the spendy side. But one thing I’m discovering as I’m learning to trust my body and my appetite is that a little decadence can go a long way. I also believe that you get what you pay for: I’d rather buy fresh salmon, asparagus, and couscous (one of my family’s favorite meals) than eat at McDonald’s, for instance (though some nights, I’d rather pay for convenience and I accept the costs associated with that, too). So as an occasional treat, these are well worth the expense. I might go for the Roasted Garlic & Thyme or Stoneground 7 Grain this  week, but for me it’s hard to resist the siren call of bruschetta. To the folks at Kashi: we’d love to see some more flavor varieties for these crackers. How about something with rosemary or cracked black pepper?

Have you spotted anything tasty while shopping for holiday celebrations this season? Share your fave finds in the comments.

Mmmm…chai.

I was introduced to chai – a spiced tea most commonly from India – in my early 20s when I worked at a little bookstore and a few regulars would always come in with their hands still wrapped around a travel mug of steamy, fragrant tea. After being nosy and asking them what was in the cup (it smelled SO good!), I finally went out and picked some up for myself. I’ve been hooked for almost 20 years.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s hard to go wrong with chai (Tazo is another favorite), but Oregon Chai is on my A-list because it comes in a “slightly sweet” option with just 7 grams of sugar vs. the original recipe’s 25 grams, which I find too sweet. And the caffeine in Oregon chais is about 1/3 that of a regular cup of coffee. I also love them because they come in powdered packets that are easy to keep in your bag or in your glove compartment. On more than one chilly road trip I’ve run into a gas station for a cup of hot water, come out and had instant spiced tea to enjoy. Awesome for camping weekends, too, because it’s easy to pack and add to an over-the-fire pan of water.

Forgive me, Foodie Friday fans. I can’t stop with the pumpkin. This time of year, I find myself consumed by the thought of it and fixated on the many things I can work it into. I feel as though I have to pack all the goodness of fall into the months of October and November because, as soon as the end of the month arrives, it’ll be time for the big switch to peppermint and chocolate and sanding sugars (though not necessarily together). What can I say? The holidays are rough on me.

But I’m here for you. And because I’m here for you, I’m going to share with you a wonderful pumpkin bread recipe. It’s moist and flavorful and perfect for office parties, holiday get-togethers, appreciation gifts, and – of course – just for snacking.

I’m also going to share a little secret with those of you who don’t like buttermilk. You see, *I* don’t like buttermilk. Therefore it tends to be a waste of buttermilk – and of money – for me to buy a quart of buttermilk just to use under a cup of it in a recipe. But! There is a solution. Measure out just under a cup of milk (whatever you have… and skim is fine). Add one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for about five minutes and…. viola! A buttermilk substitute that’s perfect for baking.

Alright… now get out there and make this bread. You’re all out of excuses. Happy baking!

Pumpkin Bread
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and coat a standard loaf pan with baking spray (Baker’s Joy).

Spread the pumpkin over 2 layers of paper towels and cover with 2 additional layers of paper towels. Let stand about 10 minutes. Scrape drained pumpkin into a bowl.

Place granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed for 3-4 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and 3/4 cup buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 10-12 servings

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com