January 11, 2009

It’s been a gorgeous crisp day here in Dallas; perfect for a little computer work, a little housework, and a little cooking.  Since I didn’t want to make a trip to the Wally Mart, I had to find dinner ingredients in my house.  What I came up with is Spinach Quiche, but with a simple tomato sauce served alongside to make it a bit different and to add some extra flavor.

The quiche is LilSis’ recipe, that she got from her friend, E, when she lived in New York.  We’ve both been making it for years.  It’s a great simple recipe, and I don’t think it’s as decadent as some recipes. I always make mine without a crust, I just don’t think it’s necessary and it adds a bunch of simple carbs and fat grams so I skip it.  This time, since I’m trying to eat as well as I can but I still want good food, I’m trying out Cabot 50% Light All Natural Cheddar cheese.  I got 2 pounds of it at Sam’s Club the other day, so that’s what I had.  It worked out wonderfully.  It tasted good and cheesy, and didn’t melt away into the quiche like a full-fat cheese does.  The shreds held their shape a little more; I think you can see some areas of intense white cheesy goodness in the photos.

The tomato sauce is just a simple combination of cherry tomatoes, fresh garlic and seasonings.  If I had fresh basil and shallots on hand, I’d use them, but you can really use whatever you have and whatever you like.  I really liked adding the sauce to the quiche!  I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it before!

Spinach Quiche with Tomato Sauce

Spinach Quiche

4 eggs
1-1/2 c milk (since I’m not a milk-drinker and never have any in the house, I use half evaporated milk and half water)
1 10-oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed, liquid pressed out
1/2 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
Few shakes hot sauce (to taste)
2 c grated cheese (cheddar, parmesan, monterrey jack, gouda or any combination of cheeses)
2 Tblsp flour

Whisk together the eggs, milk, spinach and seasonings.  In a small bowl, toss the cheese with the flour, then add to the wet ingredients.  Mix together and pour into a greased pie plate.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, until set and golden brown.

Tomato Sauce

4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tblsp olive oil
2 c cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt to taste

Seasonings of your choice. I used:

1/2 tsp minced dried garlic
1 1/2 tsp freeze-dried shallots
1/4 tsp dried granulated onion
1/4 tsp shallot pepper
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp sugar
Few dashes of hot sauce

Saute the garlic in the oil for a few minutes, but don’t let it brown.  Add the tomatoes and seasonings, and simmer 10 minutes or so until the tomatoes start to soften.  You can leave the sauce chunky, but I prefer to whir it around a little bit with an immersion blender.  With a small quantity like this, watch out though.  I sprayed tomato sauce all over my countertop and backsplash, not to mention myself!  Keep sauce warm until quiche is done.

An easy Sunday Supper!

Cut yourself a slice of quiche, and spoon the sauce over it.  Sprinkle with a little parmesan if you have it.  Bon appetito!

~BigSis

January 11, 2009

I couldn’t call this a Sunday Supper since my “meat eating men” wouldn’t be satisfied with this for dinner.  So, it’s Sunday Snack to enjoy during the San Diego Chargers game today.

This is my ‘lower’ fat version of BigSis’ original recipe. I’m not a big fan of cold pasta salad at all, but I love this recipe. And, I know it seems odd to use angel hair instead of a macaroni or a rotelle, but it just works in this recipe, so I’ve never tried to change it.  To lower the fat, I cut the amount of olive oil in half.  I also cut the amount of the cheese in half and used 2% cheese instead. And, I used turkey bacon instead of regular bacon.  I also added the capers and chives and used very little mayo. (I don’t substitute low fat mayo, though, because I think it’s too sweet!)

Angel Hair Pasta Salad

1 (12 oz.) package vermicelli
Juice of one large lemon
1/4 c. olive oil
1 pound turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
8 oz. smoked ham, julienned
8 oz. grated cheddar cheese (2%)
5 1/2 oz.  jar green olives, sliced
2 or 3 T. capers, to taste
2 or 3 T. snipped chives
Mayonnaise, (maybe 1/4 c.)

Break vermicelli into 2 inch pieces and cook according to package directions. (Be careful not to overcook) Drain. Toss in lemon juice and olive oil and marinate overnight. The next day, add the rest of the ingredients, using just enough mayonnaise to bind it together. Salad is best served at room temperature.

Oh, so yummy!

I also whipped up a batch of deviled eggs as another little snack. This recipe is just totally to individual taste. I don’t even measure.

Easy Deviled Eggs

Dozen boiled eggs
Mayo
Mustard
Dill Relish
Dill pickle juice
Celery Salt
Paprika

Cut eggs in half. Remove yolks. Mix together yolks with desired amount of the next five ingredients. Fill eggs and sprinkle with paprika.

Easy Deviled Eggs

I don’t know if these snacks are are really considered “football watching” grub, but they’re both so good!  The guys would have been happy with chips and dip and some big greasy burgers!

~LilSis

January 10, 2009

My Pink Power KitchenAid Kitchen is now complete, thanks to SisMama!  I posted some photos of my pink kitchen last fall, but one thing was missing.

The Pink KitchenAid Blender!

I had been using a white Oster blender that I bought when I got out of college (we KNOW how long ago that was!).  I was determined to hold off on the pink KitchenAid blender until the Oster passed away, but even with everyday smoothie duty, the darn thing would just not quit!  This Christmas though, SisMama blessed my little kitchen with the pink blender, and I donated the Oster to the women’s shelter store here in Dallas that’s my favorite charity.

Thanks, SisMama!  My happy little pink kitchen is so much fun to be in!

My pink KitchenAid triplets!

Now, if that old Black and Decker white hand mixer would just poop out…

~BigSis

January 9, 2009

Not only is hummus not a ‘real meal’ in this house, neither is soup! I had a new soup recipe planned for Sunday night and SirHoney snuck off to the store and bought three slabs of ribs so he and BigT could have a rib throw-down!  So, I ended up making the soup anyway and we had it as a first course before the ribs, broccoli, and mushrooms.

When I’m making a tortilla soup or any kind of chicken noodle or vegetable, I always boil the chicken, but this time, I sauteed the chicken instead and I really like how it turned out.  This is my version of Chicken Enchilada Soup.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

1 T. Olive Oil
4 skinned, boned chicken breasts, cubed (not too small)
3 T. flour
1 c. low sodium tomato sauce
1/2 c. skim milk
1 32 oz. box organic free range chicken broth (it’s lower in sodium)
1 t. fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 t. chili powder
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
Dash of red pepper flakes
1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 c. corn
1 small can chopped green chilies (optional)
1/2 c. – 1 c. grated cheese (I prefer to mix Monterrey jack and cheddar)
1 minced jalapeno pepper (optional)
4 – 6 flour or corn tortillas

Cut tortillas into very thin strips, place on baking sheet and sprinkle with a little chili powder. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes or until crisp, set aside.

Put olive oil in a good size sauce pan (I like to use a 6 quart). Place over medium high heat until hot. Season chicken with fresh ground pepper and add to hot pan.  Saute 5 minutes or so stirring until all chicken is lightly browned. Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly for a minute or two.  Gradually stir in tomato sauce, milk and chicken broth. Stir in chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. (You can adjust these seasonings to taste).

Add diced tomatoes, corn and green chilies. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To serve, ladle into bowls and top each serving with grated cheese, tortilla strips and, if desired, jalapeno pepper. I think  a spoonful of sour cream on top would be awesome on this soup!

I was going to eat this bowl so I left the cheese off. Sorry!

I know, chicken enchiladas don’t have corn in them. I just like it in this soup. I’m also one that puts corn in my chili.

I have to say that this soup tastes better than it looks. I didn’t have any green chilies on hand, so this soup didn’t have chilies. I think the little bit of green color would have jazzed up the photo a bit.

The next day, I noticed that most of the chicken was gone, but that I had enough of the yummy broth and veggies leftover, so I heated that to a boil and added about a cup of large pasta shells. HayHay gobbled that down for his after school snack.

~LilSis

January 8, 2009

For me, the party’s over.  I mean the eat-pretty-much-whatever-is-in-front-of-me-food party of the last 3 weeks or so.  There was the Christmas party where I ate too much cheese and crackers, and the family Christmas where I ate too much of everything.  Then we have tons of leftover sweets and snacks that we just can’t toss, right?  Before you knew it, we had New Year’s Eve with it’s snack-fest, and New Year’s Day with cheesy buttery cornbread that was leftover to haunt me for days.

Now, the party’s over.  Whatever is left in the fridge goes in the freezer or the trash-o-rama.  It’s time to get back on track, and I’m actually looking forward to getting back to my usual disciplined plan of eating.  I think we all feel better when we’re eating healthfully; I know I do.

One of my go-to healthy recipes is hummus, and I’m really glad to know how good it is for us.  Chickpeas are full of protein and fiber, plus zinc, folate, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus.  For vegetarians, hummus is an excellent source of protein, especially if you aren’t a fan of the meat analog products or soy in general.  The peas have a very negligible amount of fat, so the primary fats in this dish are the healthy fats from the small amounts of olive oil and tahini.

Bowl o' hummus loveliness!

LilSis assures me that hummus is a snack and not a meal; and I know in her household of guys it would never suffice as a meal.  But for me it is frequently a weeknight meal, when combined with grape tomatoes, raw mushrooms and blanched asparagus as dippers.  My favorite basic recipe is very simple and very lemony and garlicky.  You can whip it up in a food processor or blender in just a few minutes.  The blender will give you a creamier texture, but the food processor works just fine.  This recipe will make a good size batch of hummus, but I find that it lasts really well in the fridge.

Bring on the pita chips!

HUMMUS

(adapted from Veganomicon)

2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil + 1 tablespoon for sauteeing
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sesame tahini
1/4 cup water, more or less
Seasonings to taste:  Penzey’s Lemon Pepper (healthy amount), Shallot Pepper, Toasted Onion Powder, and salt.

Saute the crushed garlic on very low heat in the 1 tablespoon olive oil for a few minutes, but don’t let it brown. Set aside when done.

Meanwhile, add half of the drained chickpeas to the blender or food processor, along with the olive oil, and pulse a few times until pureed.  Then add the rest of the chickpeas, the garlic/oil mixture, lemon juice, tahini, and seasonings.  Pulse again a few more times until the mixture is creamy, stopping to add a little water as needed to reach the texture you wish.  Store in the fridge.  The flavors improve after the hummus has chilled it’s heels for a while.

For a variation in flavors, add fresh herbs (chives, parsley, dill, etc.), sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, hot sauce, other dried seasonings (cumin or paprika, for example), or olives to the hummus.  Your imagination is your only limitation!  I want to try adding a bunch of roasted garlic next time.

I like to serve the hummus at room temperature with a drizzle of olive oil on top.  Healthy, filling, and delicious!

~BigSis

January 7, 2009

Who wants furry little caterpillars for eyebrows? (Just kidding, I get it.) I liked the photo of the furry little critter. I don’t have an eyebrow problem, except that I have to pluck every day since I don’t have time to get them waxed regularly.

So, why is it that where we have hair, we don’t want it; yet where we want hair, we don’t have it? We women pluck, tweeze, wax, use depilatories, and laser off hair from ‘almost’ every part of our bodies.

Until BigSis mentioned it to me a few months ago, I had never even thought of removing the hair from my arms. She liked how hers looked after she did it, so, of course, I had to try it.

It’s so easy, too, with this Nair Pretty Hair Remover Spray! You just spray it on either your legs or arms from about 4 inches away until you have an even foam. Let it sit for 3 – 5 minutes, then wipe off a small test area to check hair removal. You can leave on for up to 10 minutes. Total hair removal depends on the thickness of the hair. The first time I did my arms, I think it did take the full ten minutes. I used to have a lot of blonde hair on my arms!

I hadn’t used Nair in years because I always remember how bad it smelled! The days of stinky Nair are gone! This Nair Pretty Soft Kiwi Spray has the least odor of any I’ve ever used.

They also have Peach, Raspberry, and Green Apple scents.  If you happen to have a teenage daughter, she might even get a kick out of the Nair Pretty Green Apple Glitter Wax Strips.

Is this ‘hair removal’ craze just another obsession we women have or is it just the need to try to do everything we can to look our best?

~LilSis

January 6, 2009

Ok, so I was sitting in a doctor’s office recently, thanks to the Nasty Virus.  I was skimming through a magazine, and stumbled upon an article that quoted a dermatologist as saying that Rogaine ALWAYS grows eyebrows back.  Seriously?  Who knew?  I guess it makes sense but I never thought of it or heard of it.  The derm said that you use a dab of men’s Rogaine 5% on a Qtip, and apply to the area of eyebrow you want to grow.  You do that twice a day til you get furry little caterpillars, then you do it once a day for maintenance.

Fuzzy Caterpillar by Chuffinpuffin (Flickr)

I wasn’t ever an overplucker, but my eyebrows are a tad thinner than I’d like, and the outer edges pretty much fade away to nothing.  I think I’m trying this little tip!  Anyone heard of this or tried it??

~BigSis

January 5, 2009

So, you want more Cats In Hats, Big Sis? Here’s a

Happy New Year Wish from TomTom!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"I SO SHY!"

~LilSis

January 4, 2009

Once again, I think we’re on the same page, BigSis!  Those are all favorite topics of mine.

• MAC is definitely one of my favorite topics to discuss. I can’t get enough MAC! I’m not sure if anyone enjoys reading about our little obsession as much as we like talking about it, but I hope so, because we will keep talking about MAC Cosmetics in 2009!

• Maybe in 2009, we can share some great ideas on color combinations and more instructional videos. I loved the videos that you shared from MissChevious. And I definitely think most women our age are looking for good skin care and beauty products that actually work! We need to continue on our quest to discover the best anti-cellulite product!

• For 2009, I can’t decide if I’m going to leave all the baking to you, or if I’m going to challenge myself to improve on my baking skills. I do get inspired when I read some of our favorite food blogs like  Cookie Madness, Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, The Recipe Girl, Baking Blonde, Bakerella, and Martha but baking doesn’t come natural to me. I need to decide if I’m up for the challenge! (Oh, by the way, is a bee in the bonnet kind of like ants in your pants?) tee hee

• But seriously, I am on a mission to find lots and lots of healthy, low fat, tasty recipes to start off this New Year. I’m much better at substituting and revising recipes in cooking versus baking!  I also need to make sure that I’m not trying to take the photos with HayHay standing over me with a plate and fork in hand! It doesn’t make for good photography when you’re in a rush!

• I definitely want to talk about fitness and getting healthy for 2009! I want to eat as healthy as possible, kick up the exercise a notch or two and take my vitamins and supplements every day. I really want to continue to look for new ways to work on improving brain health. Anything we can do as “forty somethings” to keep our ‘mind’ alert and the ‘ole bod’ from going south is a good thing.

Oh, and we can’t forget that we’ll be talking about BlogWorld 2009 since we WILL be attending this year!

I’m really happy with what we’ve accomplished with our blog during the short time we were “live” in 2008 and I’m very excited about 2009.  I know we would both love to hear comments from any of our readers about their favorite topics.

~LilSis

January 3, 2009

Hey LilSis, and Happy New Year!  How funny that many of your resolutions were mirrors of my thoughts.  Not so surprising after all though, I suppose.  We do have a lot of similar experiences with similar responses to them.

We haven’t talked about this offline, but I can give you some of my thoughts on what I’d love to talk about in BigSisLilSis in 2009.

• More MAC, more skin care, more beauty product info! I think we’re all looking for the thing that works best for us, and if we put our heads together, we can compare notes and maybe save each other some time and money,  I have some leads on some interesting products that I’m working on already.
• More food and more recipes! I’ve got a bee in my bonnet to try some baked goods using agave nectar and coconut oil, since these two are touted as healthier alternatives to traditional ingredients.  Overall, I want to bake more and post more recipes and photos.  I have a whole bunch of new baking cookbooks that I need to break in, and baking just makes me happy!
• More tips and thoughts on achieving the healthiest state we can reasonably attain, as opposed to just trying to look good. Not that there is anything wrong with looking our best; I’m just focusing like a laser beam on getting healthy healthy healthy this year, God willing.
• More cats in hats, of course! My furkids didn’t get a new chapeau this Christmas since their Meowmy was busy with the SPCA bake sale (sorry, kitty pies, sometimes you have to sacrifice for the good of your fellow felines).  But I promise more hats on more cats in 2009!  And that isn’t just an empty campaign promise!  Since we agree that we need to laugh more, one of the best ways I know of is cats in hats!
• In the category of “materialistic”, I’d like to talk more about shoes! Buying shoes, organizing shoes, wearing shoes…you know, just talk about shoes.  I REALLY want to share my love (obsession or fetish may be better terms) for t-strap shoes!
• Last but not least, I’d love to do more Sister Showdowns, Sunday Suppers, and What the “L”s. I get a kick out of doing those, and I hope I’m not the only one who does.

Those are my off-the-cuff thoughts, LilSis.  What are your thoughts for the year ahead?

~BigSis