Sweet Potato Cinnamon Muffins
PIN IT!My husband and I are knee-deep in the moving process. Like, we move next week and my entire life is now being thrown into large boxes with the word “fragile” written on them. All of my clothes are on the floor, organized (I say that word loosely) in seasonal piles. My dishes are packed, my kitchen a wreck, my living room now bare with holes where my art once hung. Even though we’ll miss this little place, we’re looking forward to our new place right in the hustle and bustle of the city (well, small city) and can’t wait to save to buy our own house! Even if my life is packed, I’m still cooking and baking. Whipping up these sweet potato cinnamon muffins this morning gave me a glimpse of normal, and when I’m living out of suitcases and boxes, normal is such an incredible feeling.
Vegetables in muffins, it’s a strange thought, I know. But, I did put a salad in a cupcake so you can’t be too surprised by this. I really have no idea where/when/why I got this idea, but by golly gee whiz am I glad I did. One of these spicy, sweet, earthy muffins right out of the oven with a slab of butter is literally orgasmic. I stood over the oven with a hot, HOT muffin in my hands, butter dripping onto the floor, taking slow bites, savoring each bit. It was a rare moment of peace in an ever so hectic life.
Not only is moving stressful, but our landlord has decided it would be fun to come show the house whenever he feels like it. As in, he doesn’t call. He just shows up. Which is more to his detriment than mine because the house is a complete mess, the kitchen is piled high with dishes and oscar is growling and yelping at everyone. If I walked into a house wishing to rent it and it looked like mine does right now, I’d bolt the hell right out of there. Even if it did smell like cinnamon sugar muffins.
Speaking of, I hope the randoms who come by to see the house today don’t think the muffins are for them. Because I’ll fight them to the death if they try to touch them. Once you have one, you’ll see why.
Sweet Potato Cinnamon Muffins
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Yields 12 muffins. Slightly adapted from Taste of Home.
Prep time: >10 minutes
Cook time: About 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cold mashed sweet potato (no milk or butter added)
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/3 teaspoons baking powder
- Dash of salt
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons egg beaters (or 1/2 egg)
- 1/3 cup cinnamon applesauce
- 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, soft
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cinnamon roll icing for the glaze
- 1/4 cup chopped nuts
Directions:
- Beat the butter, applesauce, egg beaters, vanilla and sweet potatoes together. Add sugar gradually, beating after each addition. In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. Gradually add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, beating after each addition, until batter is moistened.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Fill each liner about 2/3 the way full with batter. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry. Let cool slightly on a wire cooling rack.
- Once cooled, top with icing and nuts. Enjoy immediately.
Nutritional information per muffin (with one tablespoon icing & sprinkle of nuts)
Calories: 141.67
Fat: 4.1 grams
Carbohydrates: 7.4 grams
Fiber: 0.5 grams
Protein: 1.16 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 2
Salmon & Kale Quinoa Salad
Life, it’s one funny SOB. Three days ago I was sitting on the streets of Cannes, sipping a French cafe, eating a flaky, buttery croissant. The sun was beaming down on my shoulders and I was so unbelievably happy I felt like I could explode. Then two days ago I was sitting first class on a flight back from Nice, right next to Sasha Baron Cohen, sipping free champagne, laughing about life.
And then flash forward to today. I’m eating $2 donuts from the store, crying because I can’t log into my stupid Twitter account, sitting amongst piles of boxes and clutter since we’re moving out in two weeks. Can I go back to my life just a few days ago? Because the one I’m in right now sort of…blows. But, that’s what keeps things exciting I suppose. If my life was all diamonds, trips and rose I guess I’d eventually get sick of it. (Or so I tell myself, I’m pretty sure I’d adjust just fine). The one thing I’m happy to be back to though is healthy food. I don’t know how the French stay so svelte because all they eat is steak, fries and croissants and drink ATON of red wine. I think I’ll need to eat one salmon & kale quinoa salad everyday until I move to Paris just so I can offset all of the weight I’ll gain living there.
I made an entire batch of this (enough to easily feed 6) and I’m sure I ate 4 servings myself. Fun of fiber, healthy fats and protein, this stuff is as healthy as it is freakin’ delicious.
Can we talk about France again? The one thing I noticed is that they don’t have a ton of grains, like quinoa, barley, rice, on their menus. Even when I was in Paris, all I saw were mostly pastas, breads, meats and salads. I’m sure they have quinoa hiding somewhere in their world, but it’s not very obvious to me. When the day comes that I move (notice I say WHEN and not IF), I’m going to have to beg Bob to send me boxes upon boxes just so I can satisfy my obsession with this superfood.
The great thing about this salad is that you can sub in whatever you want in place of what I have. If you don’t like salmon, add tuna or shrimp. Replace the kale with any other vegetable. It really doesn’t matter. No matter how you eat it, it’ll taste amazing.
It’s no croissant but it’ll do.
Salmon & Kale Quinoa Salad
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 6.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: About 15 minutes
Ingredients:
For the salad:
- 8.5 ounces salmon filet, cooked and shredded
- About 4 cups kale leaves
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) artichoke hearts, chopped
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 2 cups water
- About 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
- Bring the four cups of water to a boil. Add quinoa. Lower heat and cover and cook for about 15 – 20 minutes, stirring sporadically, until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook until slightly fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add kale leaves and cook until wilted, about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir into the quinoa. Add fish, chopped artichokes, pine nuts and cheese, stir to combine.
- To make the dressing, whisk the vinegar, olive oil, honey and salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and mix to combine. Serve immediately.
Nutritional information per 1/2 cup:
Calories: 312
Fat: 12.2 grams
Carbohydrates: 30.1 grams
Fiber: 5 grams
Protein: 16 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 7
Claire
Tags:healthy quinoa recipes, low fat recipes, low fat salad recipes, quinoa recipes, quinoa salad recipes
Warm Crab & Artichoke Dip
Whenever I make dips, I break out into this song.
And I don’t just sing it along in my head when I’m mixing it up, I actually do the song. I dip, guys, I really dip. So, this morning, when this warm crab & artichoke dip was ready to bake, I sure did a little bend, wiggle and squat while I was sliding it into the oven. It’s Monday, if you don’t have a little sense of humor the day will eat your soul right out of your body.
BUT CRAB! My favorite crustaceon. As much as I love it, I’ve never made a recipe on here for you guys! For one, my husband is allergic to seafood. (Iknowright?!) Two, it’s often pretty expensive. Like $15 for a small 4 ounce tub expensive. If I’m going to pay that much for 4 ounces of something, it better get me buzzed and/or make me a sandwich.
The food god’s must have been smiling down on me last week though because crab was on major sale at the store so I stocked up. Before I even got home I knew I was going to make a warm, bubbly, gooey hot dip with it. It’s not exactly “summer” food, or super seasonal, or perfect for any upcoming holidays, it’s just what I wanted. But really, who needs an occasion to eat a few tablespoons of this extra cheesy warm crab & artichoke dip? Because I don’t.
To shave off some fat and calories, I used nonfat Chobani Greek yogurt in place of mayo, subbed in low-fat cream cheese for parmesan and added a few heart healthy pine nuts for some added crunch. Instead of regular chips or bread, I paired the dip with Lentil Crackers, which are gluten-free and pretty amazing.
To flavor it I added just a dash of lemon juice and some salt and pepper. If there’s one thing I learned from my cooking experience with Michelle Bernstein last week it’s this: keep it simple, but elegant. Make it taste like it took you 6x the amount of time it did. I won’t even tell you how long this dip took. I’ll just let you sit there thinking I spent hours getting it to bubble and brown like it did. I’m just SO talented, right? (I kid, I kid).
Warm Crab & Artichoke Dip
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 4.
Prep time: >5 minutes
Cook time: About 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup nonfat Chobani Greek yogurt
- 4 ounces shredded crabmeat (fresh, not imitation)
- 4 ounces chopped artichoke hearts
- 1 ounce low-fat cream cheese
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- About 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a bowl, mix the yogurt, crabmeat, artichokes, cream cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper and oregano. Stir to combine.
- Scoop dip into a mini cocotte or ramekin. Sprinkle the top with pine nuts and olive oil. Bake for about 13 – 15 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.
Nutritional information per serving (about 1 1/2 tablespoons):
Calories: 76
Fat: 3 grams
Carbohydrates: 4 grams
Fiber: 2.5 grams
Protein: 8 grams
Weight Watchers: 2
Prosciutto & Asparagus Canapés
If I could hang out with my Mom this Mother’s Day, these prosciutto & asparagus canapés would definitely be on our menu for the day. Like my mom, they aren’t complicated or flashy. They are fun, pretty, slightly fancy. They are full of colorful layers, each with their own complexity of flavor. Each with their own story. They instantly brighten up any room, any menu, any party. They are everyone’s favorite. Like my mom, these canapes are just freakin’ fabulous.
This is another year I won’t be able to spend Mother’s Day with my favorite life of the party. But that doesn’t mean I still won’t give thanks to the lovely lady who taught me all about food and dealt with my oh-so-dramatic teenage years. (Trust me, they weren’t pretty). The lady who spent the week with me in Paris and who is the most selfless person I’ve ever met. The one who supports every decision I make, even if it’s not one she agrees with or one that makes absolutely no sense at the time (move to attend college in Georgia where I didn’t know a soul). She’s always telling me how proud she is of me, never criticizes, never tells me what I’m doing is wrong. She’s always there, providing unconditional love. If I turn out to be half the person she is, I’ve succeeded in life.
This is exactly the kind of dish my mom would love, too. For one, she loves hearty apps, especially ones with a little depth. She loves prosciutto because it reminds her of our big family trip to Italy. And asparagus, really, who doesn’t love that? This is one she’d call to tell me she’s making because they sound just that good.
Mom, here’s to you. Here’s an appetizer that is as fun, as beautiful, as fancy and flavorful as you are. Wish we could be enjoying it porch side with a bottle of vino!
Prosciutto & Asparagus Canapés
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 6.
Prep time: >10 minutes
Cook time: >10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 pieces thinly-sliced Italian or French bread
- 6 pieces thinly-cut prosciutto
- 6 slices part skim white cheese (we used provolone)
- 24 pieces of roasted asparagus, stems cut
- Liberal dashes of salt and pepper
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place the slices of bread on the foil. Put each slice of cheese on the slices of bread. Bake the cheese and bread for 12 minutes or until melted and gooey.
- Arrange four spears of asparagus over the cheese. Top with the prosciutto, salt and pepper. Serve warm and enjoy!
Nutritional information per canapé:
Calories: 232
Fat: 9.2 grams
Carbohydrates: 18.3 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Protein: 16.6 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 6
Mini Strawberry Danishes
Sometimes in life, we gotta take shortcuts.
Like using dry shampoo on dirty hair instead of washing it because you just don’t have time to re-do your hair for work. Or adding some nail decals to a chipped mani to avoid having to re paint them. Or buying storebought appetizers because you really don’t have the time or effort to make perfect pinwheels for your book club. Even though I’m a slight perfectionist, I’m a firm beliver in giving yourself a break and taking shortcuts. But just because you didn’t make it from scratch or blow dry and straighten your hair doesn’t mean the end result still can’t be fabulous. Like these mini strawberry danishes, for example.
They are made with…gasp…store bought crescent roll dough, but taste like you spent hours mixing, kneading and rising. My life has been, for lack of better words, pure madness lately. From running all over the globe, to working two busy jobs and now brainstorming recipes for this cookbook, I barely have time to breathe let alone make danishes from scratch.
And you know how long these took to assemble? I’ll give you a hint, less than 6 minutes but more than 4. And on a Monday when I have to view a condo at 11, make 5 recipes, pack for a NYC business trip & write an article about Great Gatsby decor, 5 minuts is really all I have to spare. The best part about these danishes though is that they don’t taste as easy as they look. Fluffy, slightly crispy, buttery and tart, these mini strawberry danishes are the perfect on the go breakfast or sweet little treat for when you’re reading emails and sipping your favorite cup of jo.
I mean, if this is what shortcut baking looks and tastes like, I may have to do it more often.
Mini Strawberry Danishes
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Yields 10 danishes.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 13 – 15 minutes
Ingredients:
For the rolls:
- 1 (8 ounce) can reduced-fat Pillsbury crescent rolls
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 2 – 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
- About 3 tablespoons strawberry jam
For the glaze:
- 2 ounces fat-free cream cheese
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- About 2 – 4 tablespoons skim milk
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking dishes (you’ll need two) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Roll the crescent dough out and push together the seams so it’s one large rectangle. Spread melted butter over it and then sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar. Roll the dough up in jelly roll fashion (moving horizontally) until you have a log. Using a sharp, serrated knife, cut into 10 small slices.
- Place the rolls into the baking dish, cut side up. Carefully smoosh the dough together and create a little dip in the rolls. Place about one teaspoon of jelly in the dip.
- Bake for about 13 – 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on a wire cooling rack.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze by beating the cream cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar together. Add milk until it thins out into a glaze. Drizzle glaze on rolls and top with fresh mint leaves.
Nutritional information per roll:
Calories: 150
Fat: 4.2 grams
Carbohydrates: 24.2 grams
Fiber: >1 gram
Protein: 2.9 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 4
Pesto Salmon Salad
Today’s recipe has nothing to do with Cinco de Mayo. Or Mother’s Day. Or any holiday really. But that doesn’t make this pesto salmon salad any less special.
Sometimes the absolute best meals aren’t the ones you make for any holiday, but the ones you make on those random Tuesday nights. The nights after a really long day at the office where you were once again unappreciated at work and made to fetch coffee again for your pig-headed boss. The nights after your teenage daughter screamed “I hate you” after you told her that no, she can’t dye her hair purple and go to a rock concert downtown with a 23 year old 7-11 store clerk. The night where your husband called to say he’s working late, yet again, and you’re starting to question your entire marriage. That night where you’ve had a bottle of $3 dollar wine. The night where you’ve all but given up hope on yourself and your family.
That is the night you make this pesto salmon salad. Because it’s easy, it’s quick and it’s absolutely delicious. Even after a day like that, this salmon will make you smile. It’ll make you realize that you still got it. You may not be the world’s best mom, office manager or wife all the time, but you can cook like there’s no tomorrow. And sometimes we just need those little reminders, those little bits of courage to get through the rest of the crap we think we’re failing at.
Who knew a simple pesto salmon salad could offer so much perspective? The best meals I make aren’t for holidays or special occasions, but the ones that I make for myself when the rest of my world is all but crumbling down. When I’m barely hanging on by a thread, cooking is what jolts me back to life. And this pesto salmon salad with a fresh lemon viniagrette did just that for me yesterday.
And when sh** gets rough, I’ll take my wins wherever I can get them, even if they are something as simple as making a fantastic dinner.
Pesto Salmon Salad
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves 2.
Prep time: >10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
For the salad:
- 2 small (4 ounce) salmon filets
- 3 tablespoons fresh pesto (use this recipe, it’s my favorite!)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parmesan
- 2 cups fresh greens (I used kale)
- 1 tomatillo, sliced
- 2 strawberries, sliced
- 1/4 cup red onions
- Lemon slices
For the dressing:
- 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Dash of salt
- Dash of pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place the salmon filets on the parchment paper. Top each filet with pesto and a sprinkle of cheese. Add salt and pepper.
- Bake salmon for about 8 – 10 minutes, or until lightly pink.
- Whisk the salad dressing ingredients together. Toss with mixed greens. Top the greens with salmon. Add 2 tablespoons onion, 1/2 tomatillo and 1 strawberry.
Nutritional information per salad:
Calories: 400
Fat: 27 grams
Carbohydrates: 4 grams
Fiber: 2.8 grams
Protein: 26 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 8
Fresh Strawberry Crepes
We spent the day in Mexico yesterday with the huevos and today we’re going all the way to Parie Parie to enjoy these super fluffy fresh strawberry crepes! Whenever I think of crepes, I think of this, and DON’T TELL ME YOU DON’T EITHER.
“I had a whole mess of crepes this morning!” One of best movies of our generation, I’ll argue. Before I start quoting the entire movie to y’all, let’s quickly move back to the topic of crepes. I love them, so much. I love them ALMOST as much as I love buttermilk pancakes. It’s a tight tie. I mean, they are pancake’s fancy French cousin who sips champagne instead of beer and spends the weekend at the opera, not the bar. You know?
Looking at this light, beautiful stack of crepes makes my heart ACHE for Paris again. Have you ever been to a city that just completely and utterly stole your heart and soul? For me, that’s Paris. And besides eating onion soup everyday, I also frequented the creperie stands for Nutella banana crepes and let me tell you, MY LIFE IS CHANGED FOREVER. I’ve attempted my own version of that Paris favorite and they always end up tasting salty. Probably because I sob hysterically into them while I eat them because I miss Paris so much. They taste more like broken dreams than fresh nutella crepes.
So, in the meantime to satisfy my crepe craving, I made a simple stack with freshly whipped cream and strawberries.
These make the perfect companion to a big pitcher of mimosas for your mom this Mother’s Day. And you know what? Crepes are EASY to make! I feel like they get a bad rap, probably because people aren’t making them the right way. You have to whisk the batter so they are fluffy and use a container with a spout (like a small pitcher) to pour the batter into the skillet. Then it’s just all about timing.
So, who is coming over for crepes this morning? Because you better believe I’m making them. I promise I won’t cry into yours though, just mine.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FLUFFY, FRESH STRAWBERRY CREPE RECIPE!
Nutritional information per serving (2 crepes with 1 tablespoon whipped cream and 1/4 cup strawberries)
Calories: 255
Fat: 10 grams
Carbohydrates: 29.5 grams
Fiber: 1.5 grams
Protein: 9 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 7
Claire
Tags:breakfast recipes, brunch recipes, easy recipes, fresh recipes, homemade strawberry crepes, strawberry crepes
Huevos Rancheros Taco Cups Recipe
Despite spending quite a bit of time in the Southwest and some time in Mejico, I’ve still never had huevos rancheros. I know, right? What kind of life am I trying to lead? I love saying the world “HAAAAWAVVVVOOOSSS” when I’m out in public, but never really feel inspired enough to order it. I’m a very adventurous eater, but when it comes to breakfast, I’m kind of a “stick to the comfort zone” type of gal. But, Cinco de Mayo is coming up (on the 5th, who is coming over for margaritas?!) I thought I’d bust outta my comfort zone and finally try this tex-mex favorite. But it’s me, I couldn’t just eat a plate of it. So I stuffed it into wonton cups and made these bite size brunch huevos rancheros taco cups!
Try saying that 5 times fast. No really, try it. But you have to say it how I say it, like a 5 year old. “HAAAWAVVVOOOOS RANNCHERRRIOSSS.”
Okay I’m done. But dude, why haven’t I made this before? Or for Pete’s sake, just ordered it? The runny yolk, the spicy veggies, the cilantro. I could eat 6 of these in a row and still crave more. But that’s just anything I like since I have absolutely no penchant for self control. But guys, look at that yolk, would you have self control?
Besides cilantro, which y’all know I can’t get enough of, I’m also now in a tomatillo phase. Like those Frank’s Red Hot commercials, “I put that shizz in everything.” I mean, tomatillos are so cute to begin with. For those who aren’t sure, tomatillos are those smaller green tomatoes you see that are wrapped in husks. They taste much tarter than tomatoes and have almost a citrus quality too. They add such a fun, Latin/Mexican flavor to everything so they are absolutely perfect for huevos.
Not only are these perfect for a Cinco de Mayo breakfast paired with a big glass of Mexican coffee, they are fabulous for Mother’s Day brunch too! Plus, who doesn’t love tiny little taco cups? They are so darn cute!
Huevos Rancheros Taco Cups
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Yields about 10.
Prep time: >10 minutes
Cook time: About 10 minutes
Ingredients:
For the taco cups:
- 10 wonton wrappers
For the huevos rancheros:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tomatillos, chopped
- 1 can chopped green chiles
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 cup Mexican cheese
- 10 eggs
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Place wonton wrappers into the muffin tins, scrunching them slightly. Bake for about 8 – 12 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until transluscent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, tomatillos, green chiles, salt, pepper and chili powder. Reduce heat to medium and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add cheese and cilantro and remove from heat.
- Scoop about one tablespoon or so of filling into each taco cup. Top with a sprinkle more cheese and cilantro.
- Fry eggs sunny side up. Using a sharp knife, cut most of the white off so the egg yolk fits perfectly over the cups. (Save egg whites for another use, like fried rice!)
- Top the filling with eggs and enjoy!
Nutritional information per cup:
Calories: 146.10
Fat: 9 grams
Carbohydrates: 7.1 grams
Fiber: 3.5 grams
Protein: 8.2 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 8
Claire
Tags:brunch recipes, Cinco de Mayo recipes, egg recipes, healthy recipes, huevos rancheros, Mexican recipes
A Wee Bit O’ News
For those of you who don’t follow along my fabulous life on social media (omg I can’t even say that with a straight face), I wanted to share just a small, teeny, tiny, smidge of news I have.
Yep, that’s a Kelly Clarkson song on the left side. No shame. And on the right side you’ll see just a small little title and date. Which….IS THE TITLE AND RELEASE DATE OF MY BOOK, B!
I’M WRITING A BOOK, Y’ALL!!
A cook schmook about skinny recipes under 300 calories. AKA, what this little blawg of mine is about! Can you believe it? I definitely can’t. At all. It’s going to be hard, a ton of work, probably no sleep and less healthy behavior (like talking to people other than my dog/knives and working out) but omg it’s going to be incredible. Because you know what?
THIS HAS BEEN MY DREAM SINCE I WAS 5. As soon as I could pick up a pen I was writing. My first book was a triology about an evil fire breathing dragon who captured a princess. I wrote it in colored pencils on that printer paper with the holes on it? Remember from the 90′s? After that I went on to write scary stories, like are you afraid of the dark but just a smidge darker (because I grew up watching Stephen King movies). I wrote a 5 page poem about Christmas and elves when I was in elementary school. I wrote it 5 times so I could give copies to my family. I’d spend HOURS in my room, creating story lines with paper dolls, daydreaming of my next book. And I never stopped. In high school I’d write to escape the misery I was feeling in the town I grew up in. In college I found solace in dark poems and short stories. And in 2009, I started this blog so I could fall in love with something again because I was so horribly depressed at my job. Writing never gave up on me, it never strayed my side, even those months I gave up on it. It’s always been in my blood and to sit here and say “I’m writing a book” is surreal. Because writing a book is my dream and who is lucky enough in this world to get to do what they’ve always dreamed of doing?
In fact, I have a story just about this. I got a message a month ago from a girl I went to high school and college with. And here’s what it said:
“Hey Claire, I have to say I have been following your blog and I am totally impressed with what you are doing!! Congrats on what you have accomplished and will continue to accomplish. I just remember sitting in the dorms watching sex and the city and you saying how you wanted a job like Carrie. Shoot now you have it just the food version and that is so cool!”
I mean, I bet you can’t tell which one is Carrie and which one is me, right? I mean, so identical. But really, I remember that. We’d sit in the dorms and I’d just gush about how I wanted her job. I wanted to be a writer and live in a fascinating city. I wanted to make a difference just by doing what I loved. Of course, when I was 18, that seemed like such a stretch. A far fetched dream. How was this seemingly ordinary girl from Noblesville, Indiana ever going to have such a fabulous life? That kind of stuff never happened to people like me. Well, after a few years of really, really tough times I realized something about myself. Those dreams were never going to happen to me if I kept thinking like that. So I stopped. I never gave up. And after years, and years of hard work, sleepless nights and determination, I’m here right now tell you I made those dreams come true.
(Hey look Ma! I’m on TV!)
So, thank you all for everything. This wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t here, reading my words, laughing at my absurd jokes, making my recipes. I’d never have a book if you weren’t here. So thank you. I’ll never be able to thank you enough, though. You guys are why my dreams came true.
I know I’m going to need recipe testers for all of my recipes, so please email me (realistic.nutritionist@gmail.com) if you’d be interested in making and trying some of my book recipes! In the meantime, I’ll definitely keep y’all updated on how I’m doing.
I still can’t believe it but I know how insanely blessed I am. Because some people wait a lifetime, for a moment like this.
