"Miracle" soup

Friends have been asking me about the "Miracle" soup I had on the last day of my cleansing diet. It's a great and healthy recipe that you can amend for the kinds of vegetables you like. You may be asking, why soup in March? Well, my friends, we got more than half a foot of snow here last night, so soup sounds like a great idea. As always, I have a hard time following directions, so here is my version of Miracle Soup.

Miracle Soup

Ingredients:
2 yellow onions, chopped
1/2 head of cabbage
1 large can of diced tomatoes (you can also use fresh tomatoes, but I find the juice from the canned tomatoes adds to the flavor)
4-5 sticks of celery, chopped
1 green pepper
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
Chicken broth (I just got three 12-oz. cans)
Salt/pepper to taste

Suggested spices to kick it up:
Paprika
Coriander
Garlic powder
Cajun seasoning
Additional pepper


To make it:
Saute fresh veggies until slightly soft (can vegetables be al dente?), then stir in tomatoes and shredded chicken. Cook for about 10 minutes. If you're not using a large pan, transfer ingredients to a pot then add broth and additional spices to taste. Simmer for 5-10 minutes and serve hot!

So you're looking for good Chinese takeout...

The fact that I felt inclined to get some Chinese takeout after a diet is no coincidence...I enjoy my comfort foods. Keep in mind, I haven't been asked to endorse anyone on this blog. I am here to share things I love, and one of those things is good food with a good price.

If you're from the Twin Cities area (or just happen to be around there) and you're looking for some delicious Chinese, look no further than Peking Cafe in Inver Grove Heights. This family-owned restaurant hosts a few tables, but most of the traffic comes from takeout. The owners are amazing people, so friendly and concerned with their customers. They routinely support local events (like the annual Taste of IGH event) and programs (they recognized me from high school theatre productions).

Pictured here is one of my favorites: the sesame chicken and pork fried rice. Although entrees like the sesame chicken come with white rice, I always sub in fried rice. It is better than any I have tried, and that is saying something. They also make some of the most amazing egg rolls I've ever had. Meals are very affordable, with entrees averaging about $8-$10. Don't let the decor fool you; chefs aren't interior decorators.


If you're ever in the area and craving a Chinese food fix, try Peking Cafe. You won't regret it!

Health struggles: My experience on a 7-day crash diet

As a person who loves food, dieting is usually not in my MO. Lately, though, I've been feeling a need to ramp up my healthy eating and shed a few more pounds before swimsuit season gets here. I found some diet ideas on various social media platforms and found one that would work: a 7-day "detox" diet.

Day 1: Fruit, nonfat yogurt and non-meat protein (from granola, nuts and peanut butter)
In the original diet plan, I was only supposed to eat fruit, but that seemed unhealthy. As a fruit lover, I thought this day would be great. It turns out fruit really isn't that filling. I normally have yogurt and granola for breakfast, so that part was fine. Don't get me wrong; I felt good and everything tasted wonderful, but I already missed balanced meals.

Day 2: Veggies + one red potato
I cheated and had my regular breakfast of yogurt and granola because I just couldn't bring myself to eat vegetables for breakfast. I had a delicious salad for lunch, but I have never been so excited to eat a potato in my life. And my coworkers brought Girl Scout cookies to work, which was pure torture. The good thing was that I felt fuller than I had with the fruit.

Day 3: Fruit and veggies
This was the best day so far. I felt really alert and energized. I had the strawberry spinach salad for lunch and leftovers from days one and two for dinner.

Day 4: Fruit, nonfat yogurt and non-meat protein
I seemed to be surviving on peanut butter, but I felt like I had more energy than usual.

Day 5: Poultry and tomatoes
MEAT. FINALLY. I was able to have a tomato and an egg (eggs come from chickens, so in my mind that's poultry) for breakfast. I never realized how great all the fun deli meats are before this. Chicken and tomato sauce for dinner. I developed a new appreciation for meat.

Day 6: Poultry and vegetables
Much the same as Day 5. I was glad the food was more filling, but I think my stomach shrunk.

Day 7: "Miracle" soup
Made with diced tomato, onion, celery, cabbage and chicken broth, this stuff was good. I wished there was meat in it, though, and I felt like I had to eat a lot to stop being hungry.

My thoughts on dieting: I probably wouldn't do something like this again. Yes, it was a good way to jump start some weight loss, but if you don't have a problem eating healthy food normally then don't feel like doing something like this is necessary. The good part was now I have a bunch of fruits and veggies around the house, which will fit nicely into the more balanced meals I plan on having.

Strawberry spinach salad

I love fruit. I could eat fruit all day and it would be amazing. Bananas, berries, melon, you name it. Strawberries were always my favorite as a kid.

I hate lettuce. I think it is flavorless and pointless and kind of sad. I much prefer greens like spinach and kale. Few people in this world have seen me eat a salad and enjoy it.

But there's one salad that combines the best of the fruit and vegetable worlds: the strawberry spinach salad. You've probably seen - or eaten - some version of this salad, but I'm sharing my version of this healthy meal in case you want a twist on the popular dish.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1//4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Salad:
10 oz. spinach (or just buy a bag like I do)
1 quart strawberries, cleaned and sliced
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/4-1/2 cup sunflower seeds

In a bowl (or a blender bottle works really well), combine the dressing ingredients and whisk together. You can use the dressing right away, but I suggest chilling it for half an hour to an hour.

In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, carrots and sunflower seeds. If you're not a fan of sunflower seeds, use sliced almonds or walnuts instead. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss through. Refrigerate 10-15 minutes before serving.

So there you have it! The best of both worlds. I recently heard of someone using lemon juice instead of vinegar for a different flavor profile, so feel free to try that out and let me know how it goes. Stay hungry, my friends.

Changing directions

Hello blog world! I realize it has been awhile - a long while - since I last posted. You know how life goes. No, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth.

Just an update on Food and Sarcasm: I'll be taking things in a new direction. I've been posting mostly recipes so far, and I've decided to expand my reach a little to cover a little more. So stay in tune for recipes, healthy eating ideas, and more! Look for my next post in the coming days and a special feature of my experience with a 7-day crash diet.

In the meantime, enjoy this picture of a cinnamon roll that was just about the size of my head.

Reimagining Leftovers

If you're a member of my family, leftovers never last. But in normal families having leftovers is a struggle. They tend to take up room in the refrigerator and slowly go bad. That's why I'm here to give you some ideas about how to turn those leftovers into something delicious. Of course, you can always just prepare this dish without having the leftovers. That's the beauty of it! Here we go:

 

Simple Chicken Pasta Casserole (feeds about 4)

 

What you need:

3-4 precooked chicken breasts, sliced

1 lb. cooked pasta (I prefer rotelle for this recipe, but use whatever you have!)

1 can/jar marinara

1 small can mushrooms (or fresh mushrooms)

2 cups shredded mozzarella

About a cup baby spinach

Fresh basil

Oregano, garlic and Italian seasoning

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease 9x9 inch pan or casserole dish. Combine sliced chicken breasts, cooked pasta, mushrooms, spinach and basil in large mixing bowl. Season to taste with oregano, garlic and Italian seasoning. I like to put 1/2 a cup of cheese in with this mixture. Stir in marinara then pour into pan/dish. This is what mine looked like before adding the cheese:



 

Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top of your casserole. Pop it in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until cheese on top is turning tan and bubbly. Mine took a little longer since it was a deeper dish. Just watch for the cheese changing color; that's how you know it's done! Be careful when serving. It's hot! Your family will never know what happened to the leftovers!

 

 

Celebration!

Hi all,

 

It's been awhile since my last post, so I apologize for that. College and life and work interfere with blog writing. But here I am, back at it. In honor of my new entry back into the blogosphere, I would like to share with you a simple and delicious recipe that will make people think you worked a lot harder than you did. Get ready for it: Crème de Menthe (Cream de mint) Cake.

 

This is one of my grandma's recipes, and it's one of my favorites. So here goes.

 

What you need:

 

1 box white cake mix (I prefer Betty Crocker)

Ingredients on cake mix

1 container whipped cream (I use Cool Whip)

1 container chocolate sauce

Creme de menthe (you can buy this at a liquor store)

 

After that, it's simple! Bake the cake according to box directions. After, stick the cake in the fridge to cool it quickly and make it nice and firm. I like to leave it in for 2-3 hours at the very least. Right before you take the cake out of the fridge, take the whipped cream and put it in a mixing bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of the crème de menthe depending on color and strength of taste. I prefer mine a little stronger. When you're done, the frosting should be a very light green.

 

Now that your cake is done cooling, you can frost it. First, spread the chocolate sauce evenly over the top of the cake. Feel free to warm it up a little to make the frosting process easier, but you DO NOT want it to be liquefied. Over the top, spread the crème de menthe generously. Throw it back in the fridge to solidify the chocolate sauce and form up the frosting. Give it another hour or so and serve!

 

 

Here is my finished product!

 

This is what it should look like sliced, with a layer of chocolate firm under the frosting.