Crispy Baked Oven Fries

I have been trying to make crispy baked fries for quite some time now and finally mastered it!! If you love baked fries, you have to try this recipe! Mine always came out too soft and mushy, but this time they were delicious, crispy and the perfect homemade version of fries, in my opinion! I served these with a simple grilled cheese sandwich and of course, the simplest meal I have made in a long time, gets rave reviews!!



Recipe:
4 Russet potatoes (washed, peeled and sliced into wedges)
5 TBS canola oil or vegetable oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

• Cut potatoes into wedges and then soak in very hot water for 30 minutes (I soaked mine for over an hour) 
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees
• Place 4 TBS of oil on rimmed baking sheet and then tilt side to side to spread oil around evenly. 
• Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly on baking pan
• Drain the potato wedges and then lay on paper towel and pat them dry with more paper towel
• Rinse the bowl and dry it and then add the remaining 1 TBS of oil to the bowl and toss the dried wedges into the oil until evenly coated. Place in single layer on baking pan 
• Cover pan with foil and bake for 5 minutes, remove the foil and return to oven to bake for about 20 minutes or until bottom of fries are spotty golden brown, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. 
• Using a spatula or tongs, flip the fries over and continue baking until fries are golden and crisp, about 10 more minutes. Rotate the pan often to ensure even baking. 
• When fries are finished, you can season with more salt and pepper if you like, but we did not and they were still delicious! Enjoy! 

adapted from: http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2011/03/crispy-oven-baked-potato-fries.html

A Workout and a Recipe

Well, I have two things to share with you today. A work out and a delicious oatmeal recipe! I am not going to lie, working out right away in the morning is hard work! I have realized that if I don't work out right away in the morning, before I start my day, then I just don't do it more often than not. Working out, for me, is one of those things that takes me so much motivation to start it, but once I have started working out, I usually love it and love the feeling after I am done! The work out I did this morning is a great one that will make you sweat, I sure was! Also, I am always trying to discover new, different work outs that keep things exciting and interesting...I cannot do the same thing 2 days in a row, I get bored way too easily with that! I really enjoy circuits because they provide something new and different and it's actually fun to work my way through a circuit! Todays workout was a combination of Cardio on the treadmill and a quick circuit! Hope you enjoy it!
WORKOUT:
15 minute jog on treadmill
15 lunges (do 15 on each leg)
20 squats
30 second wall sit
30 crunches on the floor with legs up in 90 degrees
30 bicycle crunches
10 reverse crunches
Repeat this circuit 3 times (not the cardio on treadmill part) and FEEL THE BURN!

Blueberry Pie Oatmeal
1/2 Cup rolled oats
A little less than 3/4 Cup milk (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
1/4 Cup water
1 tsp heavy whipping cream
(Microwave these ingredients for 2 minutes)
Then Add:
1 tsp vanilla
A few sprinkles of cinnamon
1/2 Cup Blueberries
1 TBS egg whites
(Microwave for 1 minute more)
I added a dollop of Plan non-fat Greek yogurt mixed with a little maple syrup on top of mine and it was pretty delicious!

I thought I would add the benefits of this breakfast for you- pretty interesting!

Blueberries * have one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of all fruits and veggies. Their anthocyanidins counteract free radicals, which damage cells and tissues. One study demonstrated that blueberries improve memory and learning capacity in aging animals. They also protect against all forms of cancer, especially colon and ovarian cancer.

Oats * are complex carbohydrates, meaning they will not spike your blood sugar and are slow to digest.

This recipe is from http://wholewheatorbust.wordpress.com/2010/06/04/blueberry-yum-yum/ 

Fresh Blueberry Muffins

 These muffins are so good! I absolutely LOVE muffins! When we first moved into our apartment in San Diego last year, the only pan I had was a muffin pan and because I love to bake, I just made a lot of muffins! I have so many muffin recipes I want to try, but this will be my go-to blueberry muffin recipe from now on. I really love the fresh blueberries in this and I wouldn't recommend substituting frozen. I also love that this recipe is really simple. It's basically a one-bowl kind of recipe....easy clean up, gotta love it! I found it kind of weird that the recipe called for only 8 muffins as opposed to the usual 12 but I went with it and they turned out amazing. The streusel topping makes them slightly crunchy on top!


Recipe :
1 1/2 Cups flour
3/4 Cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 Cup vegetable oil
1 Egg
about 1/3 Cup milk
1 Cup blueberries

Streusel Topping:
1/4 Cup sugar
2 TBS plus 2 tsp flour
2 TBS cold butter, cubed
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Grease or line muffin cups. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Place vegetable oil in a 1 cup measuring cup and then add the egg and pour milk into to fill up to the 1 Cup line. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold in blueberries. Pour the batter into 8 muffin cups, filling almost all the way to the top.
To make the streusel topping, combine all ingredients into a bowl and cut with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of muffins. Bake 20-25 minutes

Original recipe found at Allrecipes.com

Orange Teriyaki Chicken

This recipe is really delicious. I was very impressed with it and liked it a lot more than I expected! I have been on an Oriental food kick lately and I love trying new recipes like Sweet and Sour Chicken, Cashew Chicken and Pad Thai. I will be sharing lots of Oriental recipes on this blog because it's one of my favorite dishes to make! All I can say about this recipe is that it has just enough Orange flavor, a little sweet and a tad bit spicy! I served it over brown rice and I will continue to make this again and again!

Recipe:
1 TBS corn starch
1 TBS Cold Water
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp pepper
Zest of 1 Orange
Freshly squeezed Juice of 1 Orange
2-3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Directions:
Chop the thawed chicken breasts into bite sized chunks. Add all the rest of the ingredients to a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat until thickens slightly and boils. Add the chicken and stir a few times. Add mixture to a baking dish and bake at 400 for 1 hour. Serve over Brown rice

Shape up for Summer: DAY 1

Up until now, my work out routine has been pretty sporadic....I usually try to do some kind of intense work out a few days a week, like run, Jillian Michaels DVD, work out class at the gym, circuit training, or a walk! I have never really established a solid routine so I have decided to apply the famous "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail" motto to my work out routine from now on!  I am going to plan my work outs more diligently so that they become part of my weekly routine, and not something that I just randomly do if I feel like it...I am going to track my work outs on this blog so those of you who would like to follow along with me or even steal some new work out ideas are welcome to! My main goal here is to get a little "more fit" by July when I will be traveling back to the homestead with my hubby for his brothers wedding! So I figure I have about a month and a half to follow this little "Shape up" plan! I am also going to adjust my diet slightly and I will get more into that later but I know that for myself, strict dieting=DEPRESSION. I hate it! I love food too much to eat a apple for breakfast, a rice cake for lunch and a salad for dinner...what's the fun in that? Because of my love for food, I realize I need to work out more and I need the energy to do so, so you won't find me eating fat free stuff loaded with chemicals and basically nothing good for your body! (I do however indulge in a sweet treat every now and then even though I KNOW it is bad for me...) Anyways, back to the work out I did today!

THE WORK OUT :

5 minutes cardio warm up (arm crosses, jog in place, toe touches)
Dumbbell Lateral Raise- 15 reps (x2)
Tricep Extension- 15 on each arm (x2)
Cardio on treadmill- 1 minute walk, 1 minute run for 5 minutes
Chest Fly- 20 reps (x2)
Upright Row- 15 reps (x2)
Cardio on treadmill- start at 5% incline and increase 1 every minute for 5 minutes
Chest Press- 15 reps (x2)
Push ups- 15 (x 2 )
Sit ups on medicine ball or plan crunches (3 sets of 15)
Cardio on Treadmill- 1 minute walk, 1 minute run for 10 minutes

Basically what I did is the cardio, then 1 strengh move, the next and then repeated them each so I wasn't doing the same move back to back! Let me know if you have any questions about the strength moves!

Ode to Oatmeal

Breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day. I look forward to waking up and eating breakfast always! I love any type of breakfast like pancakes, waffles, omelets, muffins, and cereal! Recently, I have discovered how much I LOVE oatmeal. Lately, I have been experimenting with all different types of oatmeal options, mix-ins and toppings! Oatmeal really is a great breakfast, good for you and it keeps me full for hours because of all fiber and good ingredients in it!

 The first type of oatmeal I am going to talk about is Steel Cut Oats- I absolutely love the taste of this oatmeal, and it is better for you I have heard! The only down side to this oatmeal is it takes longer to simmer in the morning (about 20 minutes). If you are someone who is usually rushing in the morning, this may not be the breakfast for you, but I like to make it on a Sunday morning before church because we have time to let it simmer!

Steel Cut Oats:
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Milk (I add milk because it makes it creamier...I usually use Pacific Foods Organic Unsweetened Low Fat Vanilla Almond Milk)
1/2 Cup Steel Cut Oats

To make the oats: Bring water and milk to a boil, pour in oats and stir and then turn down the heat to simmer for about 20 minutes or until thick enough consistency to eat. In the last few minutes of cooking, I like to add in salt, maple syrup, cinnamon and shredded Apples for a nice flavor. It's really delicious!

Next, Rolled Oats are a wonderful breakfast as well. I make mine two different ways. The first way is on the stove! This results in a more creamy oat mixture which is normally what I like, but again it involves cooking and dishes and a dirty pan, and some people just aren't into that in the morning! Sometimes I add half a banana into the oats while they are cooking for an added sweetness!

Recipe (Makes one generous serving of oatmeal)
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats (not quick-oats)
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Milk
To make oats, Bring water and milk to a boil, then stir in rolled oats and cook for about 5-8 minutes stirring occasionally until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Toppings:
Almond Butter
Peanut Butter (Homemade is THE BEST...I'll get to that later too)
Chia Seeds(We will talk about those later)
Walnuts
Raisins
Sliced Banana
Buckwheat groats
Almonds
Blueberries
Cinnamon

 Finally, There is something I like to call "Breakfast Cookie" or Microwaved oatmeal mix! This is really nice when you want a healthy breakfast, but you are running short on time! Basically what I do is take 1/2 Cup Rolled oats, 1 mashed banana, 1 TBS whole wheat flour, raisins, cinnamon, a few splashes of milk and mix them all together in a bowl and then microwave for about 2 minutes until it is the consistency that I desire. If you like a creamier oatmeal, add more milk. You can really get creative when it comes to oatmeal and add any mix-ins or toppings you want!

I hope you enjoy this oatmeal topic, it is really a delicious healthy breakfast that keeps me full for hours and gives me energy! I love knowing that I am starting my day off right! Don't hesitate to comment with any questions!

Whole Wheat Pretzel Bites

Last night I decided I wanted a simple salad for dinner because I was snacking on Amish Friendship Bread ALL day! Because I am one of those people that just can't eat one thing for a meal, I have to have a "side dish" or "appetizer" or it doesn't feel like a meal, I decided to try these whole wheat pretzel bites I have been wanting to make for awhile. All I can say is, Why did I wait so long? YUM! These are yummy and very addicting, thankfully I made a half batch and froze the other half of the dough for later or it would have made way too many pretzel bites for just me and the hubby! These are delicious dipped in mustard or ranch or if I would've wanted to get real crazy I could've made cheese sauce! Make these for dinner or for a snack when company is coming over and you will be glad you did!

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 TBS. light brown sugar
2 1/4 tsp. (or 1 package) active dry yeast
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
Olive oil 
Enough Water to fill a large pot 3/4 full 
3/4 cup baking soda
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbs. cold water
Kosher salt or Sea Salt for Sprinkling
Mustard, Ranch or preferred dipping sauce 

Directions:

1.  Using the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, sugar, yeast and butter.  Mix until combined and let sit for 5 minutes.  Add the salt and 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 2 cups whole wheat flour and mix on low speed, using dough hook, until blended together.  Increase the speed to medium and knead dough until it is smooth and begins to pull away from sides of the bowl, about 3-4 minutes. (You can also knead by hand if you don't have a stand mixer).  If dough appears too wet add flour, 1 tbs. at a time.  Remove the dough from the hook and shape into ball.  Place in a bowl lightly coated with oil, and turn dough to evenly coat with oil.  Cover with a cloth and place in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until dough doubles in size (I did this step and let it sit for about 4-5 hours, so that I could make sure the pretzel bites were made when it was time for dinner and it worked great for me).

2.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Bring the water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.  Add in the baking soda.

3.  Meanwhile, dived the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each piece into a long, thin rope (somewhere between about 15-55 inches, depending on size).  Place dough on a flat surface and cut into one inch pieces.  Repeat for all of the dough.  Working in small batches (about 15 pieces at a time), place the dough in the boiling water solution for about 30 seconds.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place onto a baking sheet, that has been coated with cooking spray.  Make sure dough pieces are not touching.

4.  Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.  Bake 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove and place on a baking rack; let cool for 5 minutes then serve with mustard (or other dipping choice) and enjoy! 

As I stated in the post, I made the whole dough recipe and then after it was done rising, I took half the dough and froze it in a freezer bag. This is a great trick for feeding just 2 people! When I am ready to use the dough in the freeze I will take out the plastic bag and soak in hot water in the sink for a few minutes and it will be thawed! 

Original Post from: http://www.simplylifeblog.com