Hungry? Bored? This is the blog post for you!

Hello everyone,

For some of us, this past week was really bad. I know some of you probably had a great week, and I am glad for that. But honestly, this week for me, along with some other people I know, was not good. Not even remotely. Therefore, since I do not want to talk about the bad week I had, I will be giving you guys a full plate of recipes plus a craft or two, and throw in some random pictures for good measure also. BUT FIRST! There are some very important things I want to say:

1) I cannot remember if I had put this in an earlier post, but I had sent many of you postcards which were never received by any of you. I feel very badly about this, and I will try to pick up more postcards as soon as I can.

2) I have some bad news about Paris. My finances are lacking and I have a mere day or two to plan a trip somewhere before prices skyrocket. It looks like I will be going to Venice instead, and hopefully I can plan a long weekend trip to Paris before I leave. This is very heart-wrenching for me, and I am going to try with all my might to get to Paris instead of Venice, but I am not sure how it will work out.

3) Some of you may or may not know this (again, I can't remember if I put this in a blog post), but I have a new friend from my German classes. We plan on taking many a day trip; Salzburg is on the top of the list as of the moment, followed by Zurich, and then maybe Cologne, Berlin, and Amsterdam. I also found out today that the outside shots of the 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory musical were shot here in Munich! Guess who's going to take a look at this tower!

Now, ON WITH THE RECIPES!

Holly's SPRINGTIME FRUIT SALAD!

I have decided that seasonal fruit is truly the best.

Ingredients:

1 Container of Strawberries

1 Bunch of Grapes

3-4 Kiwi

1 Lime

Nutritional Information:

Vitamin C, manganese, fiber, folate, iodine, antioxidants, blood sugar regulating qualities and more from the strawberries.

Manganese, vitamin K, vitamin C, an impressive list of phytonutrients, melatonin (believe it or not!), anti-bacterial properties, and more from grapes.

Vitamin c, fiber, potassium, interesting DNA protecting qualities in kiwi.

Limes are similar to lemons in nutrition, and lemons were covered in a previous blog post.

Less than 100 calories per serving.

Gluten free.

Dairy free.

Directions:

Chop and mix the above fruit except the lime in a large bowl, then squeeze the lime over the top! Mix and serve!

Good Old-Fashioned Popcorn

People have seriously lost touch with popcorn. Microwaves have ruined popcorn forever. After reading this recipe, don't you EVER go near that microwave with a bag of trans-fat filled artificial popcorn again! I will find you!

Ingredients:

UNPOPPED PLAIN POPCORN! (A little less than a quarter cup)

About 2 tablespoons oil, preferably canola or sunflower

*Note: if you would like to add butter or salt, I understand this. However, if you want more exciting popcorn, try cinnamon sugar/honey, or my personal favorite MELTED DARK CHOCOLATE.

Supplies:

Pan with a lid. Yup that's it. Oh and about 5 minutes of your time.

Nutrition Information:

Plain popcorn has very, very little fat, but is very high in fiber, and does contain trace amounts of various vitamins and minerals.

Canola oil, believe it or not, is very low in saturated fat, and contains omega 3's and 6's, along with vitamin E and K, and can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Plain popcorn is less than 100 calories per serving and is gluten, dairy, and pretty much everything except for corn, free!

Directions:

1) Place the oil and kernels in the pot, and, with the pot uncovered, place on the stove and turn the heat up just below the highest setting.

2) Slide the pot back and forth pretty continuously to move the kernels around a bit so they don't burn and heat evenly.

3) When the first popcorn kernel pops and hits you in the face, eat it, and place the lid over the top of the pot.

4) Keep moving the pot back and forth and when you start to hear the popping slow suddenly, take the pot off the heat before you burn the popcorn (better too soon than too late).

5) Pour into a bowl, quickly top with whatever topping you want (or eat it plain) and enjoy!

Asparagus, Goat Cheese, and Lemon Pasta

This was so, so easy, took me about 10 minutes to make, and is absolutely delicious and filling.

Okay, I can't take any credit for this recipe. I found it here and followed the recipe to a T except I couldn't find any tarragon, so I omitted it. (But I would have put it in if I could have found it!) I highly recommend squeezing a bit of lemon over this, but be careful not to use too much as it will over-power it, and the lemon could actually be omitted completely if you so choose. Not to mention this is so versatile: can be made gluten free if you substitute the pasta, contains no cow's milk, is not very high in calories for a dinner dish, and if you're pressed for time this is a beautiful meal to make. Thank you so much Smitten Kitchen!

Balsamic and Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

This little side to the above recipe actually took longer the main dish! Takes only about a half hour or so to make though.

This delicious gem is also not mine. (Thank you Eating Well for the recipe!) I will share a couple of things with you. I followed this recipe to a T as I did the first one. But for those of you who are sensitive to vinegar I have good news: you can omit it. Really. Add whatever else you like. It's extremely versatile like the pasta recipe. It is also gluten free, can be made vegan (but honestly, the parm is what makes this recipe), very low in calories, cauliflower is exceptionally good for you, and it is pretty quick to make. Love it!

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie!

This was adapted from BBC Good Food's recipe.

Ingredients:

 Base -

1 1/2 Tablespoons of Butter or Olive Oil

1 Medium/Large Onion, chopped

4 Large Carrots, chopped

3/4 Cups Peas

3-4 Large Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

1 Bay Leaf

1 Tablespoon Thyme

 1 1/2 Cups of Dry Lentils

6-8 Cups of Vegetable Broth

2-3 Tablespoons of Ketchup or Tomato Paste (optional, but recommended)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Topping -

8 or 9 Small to Medium Potatoes

3 Tablespoons of Butter

1/2 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Sour Cream, Plain Yogurt, or Cheese of Choice

Directions:

1) Over medium, medium-high heat, melt/heat 1 1/2 tablespoon butter/olive oil then saute the onion, carrots, and garlic for 15 minutes.

2) Turn up the heat, add the peas, then cook for 4 more minutes.

3) Stir in bay leaf, thyme and lentils, then add 6 cups of broth. Turn heat down to a simmer (about medium-low or less), and stir every now and then for about 40-50 minutes, adding broth if it gets too thick (you want it to be thick, but not too thick), until the lentils are tender.

4) In the meantime, decide whether you'd like peeled or unpeeled potatoes, peel or don't peel according to what you'd like to do, chop potatoes roughly, then place in boiling water. Boil for 15 minutes or until soft.

5) Drain, then place potatoes in a bowl with the butter, milk, and sour cream (I used Parmesan cheese), and beat or mash until it reaches whatever consistency you desire. Set aside.

6) Once your lentil base is done, remove from heat and stir in your ketchup/tomato paste if you so choose, and use this time to season with salt and pepper.

7) Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. In a casserole pan, or glass baking dish, spread lentil base on the bottom, then spread the mashed potatoes on top. Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until top is golden.

Detail. I like it with ketchup on top.

*Note: This is completely gluten free, can easily be made dairy free, only about 400 calories per serving, delicious, and adjustable. Enjoy!

Holly's Tummy Soother!

This tummy soother is not for the faint of heart. However, it is great for digestion, I think it tastes pretty good, and if you drink it before bed you wake up feeling great! I didn't believe it until I tried it!

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Apple Vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

1 Small Lemon Wedge

A Cup (or so) Cold Water

Nutritional Information:

Okay so we already know lemon is good for us right? But apple vinegar? Really? Well it turns out it is a huge digestion aid that has been used for a really long time, not to mention this whole drink is only about 25 calories. Try it and you'll see! (Oh, and apple vinegar is also a fat dissolver. This drink can be used to aid weight loss as well! But remember, I'm not a doctor and these results aren't guaranteed.)

*Tip: Another idea is to drink this with two or three slices candied ginger. Excellent combination and adds additional tummy soothing benefits. You could even add the slices to the drink if you want, then eat them at the end.

Directions:

1) Mix the vinegar and water in a glass.
2) Squeeze the lemon wedge in the drink as well.
3) Enjoy! Just be sure you don't drink it too fast, it can leave your tongue a little raw if you do.

Sources:
www.nutrition-and-you.com
www.livestrong.com
www.whfoods.com

CRAFT TIME!

I decided to do my own craft project/decoration. A butterfly string! Everyone loves sequins! EVERYONE! (Even the people who deny it!)

My finished string.

Detail of bottom. I bought a special crystal just so it could hang nice. (The rest of it was part of a set.)

Remember these paper "fortune tellers" from elementary school? Well the little boy LOVED them! We just put silly things on the inside, no fortunes for us.

I so wish I could find the site I used to make this. The fan is beautiful, just a piece of yellow paper, stamps, and two Popsicle sticks. Genius.

Okay, make sure you're sitting down for this: the children had never made a fort before. Yes, it's true. So I made them one!

Last but not least, I have two new Marlboro ads to share. I will let everyone know what happens with my travel plans in the next blog post. Talk to you soon!

Maybe Never Will. Be Marlboro.

No More Maybe. Be Marlboro.