Monday, June 11, 2012

Garlic and Herb Roasted Tomatoes


I love all kinds of roasted vegetables, but this recipe for garlic and herb roasted tomatoes is exceptional.

Roasted tomatoes by themselves are fabulous, and roasted garlic by itself is delicious, but tomatoes slowly roasted together with fresh garlic, freshly snipped oregano, and fresh basil is sensational.

I found today's recipe for slow roasted garlic tomatoes on a great blog called, Mostly Food and Crafts which is my Secret Recipe Club partner for this month of June!

I selected the roasted tomato recipe because the recipe called for fresh oregano and fresh basil. Both of which were growing on my deck in pots.


Ingredients and Instructions from Mostly Food and Craft's site

 

What you need:
1 pint or 6-8 handfuls cherry tomatoes
2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2-3 splashes olive oil

What you do:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut a small slit n the top of each tomato.
Fill a small cast iron skillet with the tomatoes, slit side up.
Separate the  head of  garlic cloves and cut the cloves to fit and insert into the slits on top of the tomatoes.
Sprinkle the herbs and spices on top and then drizzle the olive oil over the tomatoes.
Roast the tomatoes for 35 minutes then remove from oven. Press the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon to release some of the juices. Stir a little to combine.
Return the pan to the oven and roast for another hour. 
Press tomatoes again to crush the roasted garlic and mix well.
Serve and enjoy!

** My adanptions:
 I didn't have a cast iron skillet, so I used a stainless steel skillet. Before I put the tomatoes back in the second time, I added some freshly squeezed lemon juice. Because I don't like things hot, I left out the red pepper.


Gather Ingredients
Slit the cherry  tomato and placed a piece of garlic inside


After I roasted the tomatoes, I used them for the topping on my cauliflower crusted low carb pizza.
                                
                                     Cooked cauliflower crusted pizza  without the roasted tomatoes
Roasted tomatoes on cauliflower crust before cooking 



My husband ate the tomato and garlic  as a side with some fried eggs, or you could eat them with humus, on top of rice, or with any vegetables. 

This recipe calls for an entire bulb of garlic peeled . See my post for how to peel the whole head in 1 minute.
                                                click here:  Peel an entire bulb of garlic in 30 seconds


Secret Recipe Club'


Pin It Please leave a comment so I know you stopped by. Scroll down to the end of the post and click on comments.Shared on the following blog carnivals:


Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Portion Control - When Less is More


Have you ever heard the expression, " Less is More"? It is certainly true for me when it comes to portion control. After my experience with pistachio nuts, I truly understand the meaning of that phrase.

The other day while shopping in our local supermarket, I noticed a new food item .
It was cute little individual size bags of pistachio nuts.
I loved the idea because the bags were portioned out, and I could just grab one for a snack on the run.
They were $1.00 a little snack bag of 1 and 1/2 ounce each
I thought that was reasonable and proceeded to take 10 bags.


However, as I approached the checkout counter, I realized I was paying at total of  $10.00  a pound for the little bags. I also realized I could could get a larger bag for only $6.99 pound.

So, I went back and bought one larger bag instead of the ten little individual sized bags.

                                   
Although the larger bag was a better value, in the case of dieting, I can honestly say , " Less is More"!
My intention was to go home and divide the large bag of pistachios into individual size bags.
Unfortunately,  it didn't work that way for me because pistachios are my weakness.

Once I opened that large bag, I started eating it.
I found out that no matter what the size of the bag , I want to eat it all.
The large bag did my diet in.
I ate 3/4 of it in one sitting.
Hard to believe , but true.
 I was on the computer and just having a good ole time, until I noticed a huge stack of shells staring me in the face.

The next time I buy pistachios I will be buying the little individual bags.

Now, I gladly pay the extra for ten individual sized little bags! I take one with me for a snack and that's it! In this case Less is More because it helps me stay on my diet and work with portion control.



  • What happens when you buy large size bags of snacks?
  •  Does it work for you? 
  • How do you manage portion control? 
  • What is your weakness? 
  • Are there things you just can't bring into the house
shared on the following blog carnivals:



Every Day Sisters Sharing SundaysYour Recipe, My Kitchen Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper, I Gotta Create
Monday


My Meatless Mondays ;Mouthwatering Mondays ; Homemaker Mondays ; Midnight Maniac Meatless  ;  Monday Mania ; Melt in Your Mouth Mondays ; Made By You Mondays ; Made With Love Mondays ; Happy Homemaker Mondays ; Make a Food-e Friend Monday ; Menu Mondays ; Mangia Mondays; ; Motivate Me Mondays; ; Made It MondayMaking Your Home Sing MondayMaking Monday Marvelous DayMaking the World Cuter MondayAmaze Me MondaysMuffin Monday; Motivated Mondays ;Homestead Barn Hop ; Make Your Own Mondays ; A Marvelous Monday ; Savvy Homemade Monday  Just another Meatless Monday,  Meet Me Monday  Mix it up Monday Must Try Monday  Making you crave Mondays Organizing Junkie's Meal Plan Monday Green Backs' Meatless Monday Veggie Mama's Meatless Monday On the Menu Monday In the Gumbo Monday   
Yummy  Inspriations Breakfast   Mealtime Monday 


Tuesday
Tasty TuesdaysTempt My Tummy Tuesday ;  Naptime Creations Tasty Tuesday Link PartyShow Me What You Got  ; Tip Me Tuesday at Tip Junkie  ; Tuesday To Do ListTuesday Time Out Inspiration Party; ; Anti-Procrastination TuesdayTea Party TuesdayTuesday ConfessionalTopsy Turvy Tuesday;  Tuesday Talent Show at Chef in Training ; Tutorial Tuesday ; Tuesday Time Out ; Domestically Divine Tuesday ; Take a Look Tuesday ; Terrific Under $10 Tuesdays ; Hearth and Soul Hop ; Frugal Tuesday Tip  Tuesday ;  Slightly Indulgent Tuesday Traditional Tuesdays,  Fat Tuesday  Allergy Friendly lunchbox 






    Blogging on an iPad update !!




    UPDATE!!!!!!Blogging on the iPad update!  I Still need suggestions and comments!



    I've decided that there is no way to comfortably blog on an iPad!!!!
     I am using the Blogsy App and I bought a keyboard
    It takes forever and is not an exact science, so I am returning the iPad ( I like it in general, but can't blog well on it and it is too expensive to buy both)  and going to buy a laptop for blogging while traveling.
    Do you agree or disagree? Please share!


     If anyone who blogs knows any reason  that I have overlooked why I should hold onto the iPad for blogging while traveling, before I buy a laptop for that purpose, Give me your suggestions now, or forever hold your peace... thanks..
    • I love your comments..Please leave a comment ( scroll down to the end of the post and look for the word comment. click on it and leave your comment)



    Pin It Please leave a comment so I know you stopped by. Scroll down to the end of the post and click on comments.

    Monday, June 4, 2012

    Paleo Diet for Weight Loss - Guest Blogger



    I'm excited to introduce Jedha, today's Weight Loss Motivation guest blogger,  from  Paleo Weight Loss Coach. What is the Paleo diet ? Jedha's site explains that " The Paleo Diet is a lifestyle system that gets you eating the types of foods you were designed to eat. The benefits of eating the Paleo way is that you can lose weight easily and control your weight long term"


    Her blog is no longer available in 2026

      I love the quote on her site that says,

    "Real food that gets real results". 

    Weight Loss Bootcamp: Here is her the new article with a program for weight loss support !

    Although the typical Paleo diet is geared to meat eaters, I asked Jedha if there were a way for vegetarians to be able to make the diet adaptable too. 

    Here's Jedha:



    Weight Loss With A Vegetarian Paleo Diet
    I’m a paleo weight loss coach and if you’ve heard of the paleo diet you may know that it is largely based on meat as your protein source, therefore you may have excluded it as a lifestyle choice for you. I was a vegetarian for over 15 years so I know a thing or two despite the fact I now eat meat again.
    And Judee asked me if I would explain if a vegetarian paleo diet is possible, and what you would eat in order to lose weight. So that’s what I’ll be covering today J
    The paleo diet is a clean and simple diet based on eating good quality protein sources, lots of fresh vegetables, some fruit, nuts and seeds, and good quality fats. It goes one step further than gluten free and cuts out all grains and grain products, all beans and legumes, junk food and processed foods, sugar, and dairy (for some).
    Making The Paleo Diet Vegetarian
    In paleo terms a vegetarian paleo diet is not considered optimal because of the need to include beans and legumes and the fact that it’s difficult to get enough good quality protein, but I believe it is still possible to modify the diet and get results with weight loss.
    Step one is to cut out all grains and grain products, processed foods, junk foods, and excess sugars. When you are trying to lose weight one of the key objectives is to normalize you blood sugar levels. Most processed foods, junk foods and sugars are the obvious contributors. But grains and grain products like rice turn to sugar once they hit the blood stream as well. So for weight loss purposes they are best left out all together.
    Eating loads of fruits and vegetables is obviously not going to be an issue for a vegetarian but you want to minimize starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, and sweet potatoes due to their high GI and sugar factor. You also want to limit your fruit intake to one piece a day.
    The next step is you need to include lots of protein into your meals. This is one area vegetarians need to address regardless of weight loss because if you are just eating vegetables, then you are consuming way too many carbohydrates. This can affect your health in many areas so you absolutely need the balance.

    ·   Eggs: will be a staple source of protein and should be used the most.
    ·   Dairy: Because many people find dairy can slow down weight loss, I’d cut it out for the most part but I would recommend eating cottage cheese because it is an excellent source of protein for vegetarians.
    ·   Beans and legumes: cooked and prepared very well. These contain some protein but also carbs as well so choose the higher protein ones like adzuki, garbanzo, and kidney beans or some lentils.
    ·   Soy products: organic, non-GMO, fermented forms of tofu (the firm is better), tempeh or natto. Soy products are not considered optimal but for vegetarians they need to be included.
    ·   Supplements: A good quality protein supplement will often need to be includedin order to meet your overall protein requirements.
    ·   Nuts and seeds: a good handful a day.

    The key is to rotate your protein sources on an everyday basis for best results.

    Next will be good quality fat sources. Despite popular belief, fat does not make you fat. You need fats for your brain and many other bodily functions. Fat also makes you feel fuller and is a great addition to any vegetarian diet.
    You need to include avocadoes, eat olive and flaxseed oil dressings, coconut oil, sesame oil, macadamia or pecan oil, good quality butter or ghee, some healthy homemade mayonnaise, and nuts and seeds. Cut out all the vegetable oils such as soy, canola, grape seed and so forth as many of them are hydrogenated and processed.
    So What Might A Day On Your Plate Look Like?
    Breakfast: A huge mixed vegetable omelet drizzled with light olive oil
    Lunch: Some adzuki bean patties and salad, topped with cottage cheese and mayonnaise
    Dinner: A tofu egg bake with vegetables or a lentil and nut loaf made with egg and served with steamed vegetables and guacamole.
    Snacks
    ·         One piece of fruit
    ·         A protein shake smoothie made with your protein supplement and some mixed berries or banana
    ·         A handful of nuts
    ·         Vegetable egg muffins
    ·         Vegetable sticks and guacamole
    ·         A bean patty topped with cottage cheese
    You can see how all the meals will be a combination of protein, vegetables, and a small amount of good quality fats.
    So I hope that’s helped you see how you can change the paleo diet to suit the vegetarian lifestyle. And the tips I’ve given you here will not only help you lose weight but they will improve your vegetarian diet overall.

    Try Jedha's Paleo Weight Loss Bootcamp!!
    bootcamp button

    _________________________________________________________________________________

    Thanks Jedha for this informative and inspirational weight loss post.
    Here is a recipe from Jedha's website.
    Tomato and Mushroom Omelette







    Pin It Please leave a comment so I know you stopped by. Scroll down to the end of the post and click on comments.

    Printfriendly