Delonghi Nespresso Giveaway
PIN IT!Can you believe it’s August already? Back to school time? Yesterday E and I were in Kohls and there were quite a few parents dragging their sobbing children through the backpack and “back to school” clothes section of the store and let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty. But I totally get it. As a kid, I’d rather poke my eyes out 6 times than go back to school. And I know it’s no walk in the park for the parents either. I remember my mom’s frazzled look every morning as she tried to coax us into thinking that yes, finishing elementary school was a good idea for our future. I may not have kids, but I get it.
So guys, to help make going back to school (or just make getting up for our everyday jobs) a little easier, I’ve teamed up with 10 of my fabulous blogging friends to giveaway A DELONGHI ESPRESSO MACHINE!
So how do you enter? Easily! Simply follow the prompts below in the widget for your chance to win this $400 machine! Good luck friends!
Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Spruce up your boring weeknight dinner with one of these fluffy, warm and delicious whole wheat dinner rolls!
Have you ever made something, taken the first bite and then immediately started planing when you were going to make it again? Well, that happened to me with these whole wheat dinner rolls. I made a similar kind on Tuesday for work and after my first taste knew I was going to make them again this week just so I could share them with you. Soft and fluffy, these put any store bought roll TO SHAME.
There’s just something so nostalgic about homemade bread. The smell, the taste, the look, as a kid I was always fascinated with how bread was alive. How the dough would puff up and deflate like a living, breathing thing. Without sounding horribly geeky, it still kind of intrigues me how it’s all done.
As amazing as homemade bread is, it can sometimes being a pain in the ASS to make. The yeast doesn’t rise, the dough turns out…gummy, the whole thing explodes into a giant mess. I’ve had my fair share of flops with bread and the end result isn’t pretty, both the bread and my mental state.
But when it turns out, there’s absolutely nothing better in the entire world. Well, besides rotisserie chicken and a glass of really good wine. Mix all three together and you’ve just hit nirvana.
Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Yields 12 rolls. Recipe slightly adapted from Whole Foods.
Prep time: 2+ hours
Cook time: About 16 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 package active dry yeast (I used Platinum)
- Dash of salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 cup warm 2% milk (110 degrees F)
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- About 2 tablespoons egg whites, lightly beaten
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Turn off.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, brown sugar and salt together. Add warm milk, egg, applesauce and unsalted butter. Mix well. Stir in all purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, or until the dough is smooth and soft and no longer sticky. (You’ll probably use the whole 1 1/2 cups and maybe a bit more).
- Oil an oven proof bowl and place the dough in the oil. Cover with greased saran wrap and place in the oven to rise for about an hour. It’ll be nice and puffed up like the photo shows.
- Once risen, pull the dough apart into 12 pieces. Roll each dough piece into a small roll and place in a muffin tin that has been liberally sprayed with oil.
- Spray a sheet of saran wrap and cover. Place pack in the oven and let rise for another hour. Once risen, remove from oven and preheat to 400 degrees f. Roll each dough piece again until soft and circular. Place in the muffin tin.
- Brush each roll with beaten egg and bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Nutritional information per roll:
Calories:139.5
Fat: 3 grams
Carbohydrates: 15.2 grams
Fiber: 1.2 grams
Protein: 3.2 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 3
Peach Quick Bread
Have an abundance of fresh peaches in your kitchen? Put them to good use by whipping up a few loaves of this soft, fruity and delicious peach quick bread!
Autumn, whenever you’re ready to show your face around these parts, I will welcome you with open arms. I know I’m probably in the minority here, but I’m BEYOND ready for this summer to be over. I’ve never been a summer baby but the events of this summer have me even more ready for a fresh new season. I’m not stupid or naive, I know the remanence of the fire will follow us around for a while, but a fresh change of scenery will give us (mainly ME) some new perspective. At least I hope.
There’s something so refreshing about the fall, so symbolic and meaningful. The way the plants and trees burst with vibrant, beautiful colors and then shed the weight of the summer and prepare for a long rest, only to awaken with a whole new look and jolt of life in the spring. Wouldn’t life be easier if we could just shed our “leaves” and take a few months to rest before reinventing ourselves again? Instead of having to walk around each day with the burdens of our past, we could simply shed the weights, the pain and the stress and get a chance to live uncomplicated and free?
I know our “leaves” and “rings” make us more beautiful, interesting and strong, but sometimes I just wish we didn’t have to live with them all the time. I think just one day I’d love to live without any baggage. Just stand tall, a bunch of sticks without any attachments. Wouldn’t you?
Peach Quick Bread
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Yields 1 loaf (about 8 slices)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: About 65 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Dash of salt
- 3/4 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons milk (we used 2%)
- 1 cup sliced (or chopped) fresh peaches
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a standard size loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice together. Make a well in the center. In a smaller bowl, whisk the sugar, egg, egg white, applesauce and milk together. Pour the wet ingredients into the center of the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Carefully stir in the peaches. Sprinkle the top of the loaf with almonds and brown sugar. Pour mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 65 – 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Nutritional information per slice:
Calories: 160.8
Fat: 2.85 grams
Carbohydrates: 31.25 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Protein: 5 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 4
Creamy pasta with shrimp, tomatoes and basil
This fresh, simple and delicious summer inspired creamy pasta with shrimp, tomatoes and basil is perfect for those nights you don’t want to spend hours cooking dinner! Plus it’s a great use for fresh summer produce.
Let’s talk about how much I love shrimp for a second. When I was growing up, I’d eat pounds of it on a daily basis. Actually, there was a day when I actually ate pound of shrimp in a sitting. There wasn’t one piece that was left unshelled. It was definitely one of my better eating days. And since shrimp has like 4 calories, I didn’t feel gross or bloated. In fact, I think I even went on to wear a bathing suit afterwards. The things I’d do for that metabolism again.
I still can eat my fair share of shrimp, but we don’t have it EVER at our house. Sadly, my husband is allergic to shrimp. Can you believe that? I think his whole face falls off and he dies. It’s absurd. He’s such a bubble boy. He’s allergic to coconut, shrimp…I mean, what does he expect me to eat? Chopped liver?
Actually, it sort of does work out in my favor because then I can eat double the amount of foods he can’t. So when I made this pasta, I could eat all of it. Which, is good for me since I love food but oh so horrible for my waist line. But whatever. I’d rather die fat and happy than skinny and….hungry.
For the amazing shrimp and tomato pasta, check out this recipe here on SHEKNOWS!
Nutritional information per serving (about 1/2 cup):
Calories: 280
Fat: 11.6 grams
Carbohydrates: 32.5 grams
Fiber: 4 grams
Protein: 16.5 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 8
Claire
Tags:low-fat healthy recipes, pasta recipes, shrimp recipes, summer recipes, tomato recipes
Mini Pistachio Pudding Muffins
These delicious mini pistachio pudding muffins are low-fat and low-calorie, and make perfect breakfast bites or afternoon snacks!
Guys, I’m so sorry for the lack of updates. I feel like I’m letting you all down. With my cookbook due in a month, work trips picking up (I’m traveling at least 1 1/2 weeks a month!) and a heavy recipe workload for work, I’m just struggling for time. Oh and the lack of wifi doesn’t help with updates either. But I promise to have my blog back up and running again in tiptop form (with 2 – 3 new recipes a week) soon. Now, let’s talk muffins.
Pistachio pudding is my favorite pudding in the entire world. Actually, scratch that, pistachio EVERYTHING is my favorite. I mean, have you ever had pistachio gelato? it’s like an angel dancing on your tongue. I never really thought to make a pistachio baked good, well, until I made this bundt cake. And my life has been forever changed. That’s why when I found a box o’ nutty puddin’ in my pantry; I knew I was going to bake something. The fact they turned out to be wee cute little mini muffins was purely chance.
I mean, how cute are they? I accidently filled the liners a bit too full which is why they are so spewing. But I still love them. They make me almost want to buy a bright colored bike with a basket just so I can ride away tossing these little muffins to passerbys. Anyone else ever have that dream when they make muffins? Nope? Just me? Okay then.
You know the best thing about these muffins? Besides the taste and the adorable look, of course. The fact that each mini muffin has less than 55 calories. 52.5 CALORIES, to be exact. Can you believe that? Makes you almost want to have 6. And even if you did, you’d still consume less calories than are in a giant muffin from Starbucks.
Will you all please take these little muffins as a token of my appreciation? Just pretend I delivered them to you in a fancy bike with a fun basket, mmk?
Mini pistachio muffins
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Yields 32 mini muffins.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: About 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box fat-free pistachio pudding
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Dash of salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup fat-free milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- Walnuts for garnish
- Icing for garnish (I love this recipe)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a mini muffin pan with mini muffin liners.
- Whisk the flour, pudding, sugars, baking powder, baking soda and dash of salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, milk, vanilla and applesauce, mix to combine.
- Fill each muffin liner about ¾ the way full with batter.
- Bake for about 12 – 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Nutritional information per muffin:
Calories: 53.5
Fat: >1 gram
Carbohydrates: 7.5 grams
Fiber: >1 gram
Protein: 0.75 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 1
