Halloween Costumes

Left - 2007, as a Goth Girl and Right - 2008, as Wednesday Addams

I did get hit on both times and told that I was pretty.  Why do I let my friends do this to me?!? 'Cause it's funny as hell, that's why.

Office Chair Fun!!:

You know those desk chairs that spin? I'm sure that just about every one of you has had fun spinning in one of them, wishing you could go faster and faster only to get a bit vexed because you just couldn't accelerate any more. Well I put my mind to this problem and in a flash of nerd genius inspiration I came up with a solution :-D

The Cordless Power Drill.

Here's how it works:

1. Install a hook into the basement ceiling
2. Buy a steel rod from Home Depot and bend one end of it to form a mating hook
3. Insert the other end in a powerful cordless drill
4. Position a spinning chair under the hook, connect to the ceiling, and start spinning insanely fast

Wild amusement ride? Perhaps....but I got soooooo dizzy I couldn't stand....I mean, I crashed to the floor. Quite fun really. My girlfriend snapped the picture above.

How I Eat Healthy:

I do get asked from time to time....how am I so thin and healthy? Well...I’ve never actually put my eating habits down in print...so here they are. It’s automatic for me, and if you follow this, it will work for you too. Yes, I stand in grocery stores and read ingredient labels, but I’ve gotten really fast at it, scanning for the 4 evils:

4 major ingredients to avoid at all costs: hydrogenation, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), FD&C colorings and aspartame.

Foods with those 4 ingredients are almost always high in calories, cause heart disease and stroke, obesity and other health problems. Hydrogenation in particular clogs arteries, HFCS makes you fat with its calories, FD&C coloring is almost exclusively found in low quality junk foods and has been linked to allergies, and aspartame is a toxic artificial sweetener which over time damages brain cells and causes other neural damage.

Extra healthy practices I follow:

All dairy and red meat is replaced with soy, chicken, wild caught fish, and organic pork. If you *must* do dairy for some reason, consume certified organic products only.

Replace butter with Smart Balance or Promise (but don’t cook with the light versions)

When baking, replace Crisco with Non-hydrogenated shortening - found in organic stores

Bread is replaced with ‘lite bread’, often labeled 35 or 40 calories per slice

All pasta is replaced with Dreamfields 5g carbs pasta - it really does taste the same!!

All refined sugar is replaced with Splenda or Splenda/sugar blends

The bottom line is these rules force you to eat healthy and low calorie, eventually without having to think about it once your house has none of the bad things in the fridge or pantry.

Don’t forget your kids!! Don’t assume that since they’re young their bodies can handle it. Poisoning them with hydrogenation and corn syrup will only make them more likely to adapt an unhealthy lifestyle when they're older and their cardio system will already be damaged by the time they’re teens.

There is a reason most other developed countries around the world BAN 3 or all 4 of the bad major ingredients listed above!!!

Healthy Recipes:

These recipes are designed to make healthy eating taste good. As you try these recipes you'll discover that low carb, low sugar and dairy free foods can be as creamy and sweet as regular food, but without the rapid expansion of your mid-section, heart disease, and brain toxicity.

The brands of ingredients are chosen because they do not have milk, artificial colorings, aspartame, etc. Some of these recipes have been heavily modified from other sources, others are entirely by me. All have been tested, and then re-tested to ensure quality by yours truly!


Ultimate Tofu Smoothie

1 cup Tropicana Orange-Pineapple juice
2 cups frozen strawberries
1 TBS Honey
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 pack Nasoya SILKEN tofu
1 cup Silk Very Vanilla soymilk
1 large banana
12 packets Splenda
Spike w/Coconut Rum (optional but recommended!)

Place all ingredients into powerful blender and blend until smooth and creamy!


Non-Dairy Soy Pizza

Mozarella Veggie Shreds
Mia pizza crust
1 can Furmano's Pizza Sauce
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 small onion
1 small can mushrooms
Black olives / Yves Soy Pepperonni optional

Dice onion and mushrooms, spread half onto bare crust. Pour sauce over crust and spread. Spread rest of onions and mushrooms onto sauce layer. Apply Veggie shreds based on personal preference. Spread crushed pineapple and other toppings of choice over cheese layer and bake for 12 minutes @ 350 or until crust begins to brown.


Low Carb Soy Pumpkin Pie

1.5 cups unsweetened Silk soymilk
15 ounces plain pumpkin
½ cup Splenda Brown Sugar
Egg Whites equiv to 3 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon lite salt
1 low fat graham cracker pie crust

Whisk pumpkin and spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt) together over medium heat in a medium sauce pan. When the pumpkin begins to cook, whisk in the brown sugar.

Once the mixture is fully blended, scrape the sides of the saucepan down and whisk again.

Add Soymilk and wisk some more. Once the mixture begins to bubble and splutter, remove from heat.

Place the three eggs into a blender and blend on high for 3 seconds. With blender on low, slowly add pie filling from pot.

Pour filling into pie crust and bake at 350°F for 35 minutes or until center of pie is jiggly when pie is rotated gently. Refrigerate.

192 calories per 1/8 serving.


Non-Dairy Soy Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/8 cup soy flour
¾ cups white flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup Smart Balance
1/8 cup Splenda Sugar Blend
¼ cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
Egg Whites equiv 1 large egg
6 ounce non-dairy choc/carob chips

Preheat oven 375.

Mix flour, baking soda and salt in bowl, set aside.

In electric mixer, combine butter, all sugar, and vanilla. Add eggs slowly while mixing. When well mixed, slowly add flour mixture while mixing.

Place tablespoon sized blobs on cookie sheets, flatten, and bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Let cool. Yield = ~ 24 cookies

78 calories per cookie


Non-Dairy Chicken Parmesan

Chicken breasts, number based on desired servings
1 box "Oven Fry" chicken crumbs
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons smart balance
1 can Delmonte spaghetti sauce
1 can diced tomatos
1 pack veggie mozzarella shreds
½ box Dreamfields Spaghetti Noodles
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Coat chicken in oven fry and olive oil.

On medium-high heat, melt the smart balance and then sautee the breaded chicken until they are deep golden brown on both sides.

Cover bottom of baking pan w/ diced tomatos. Add the cooked cutlets to the baking dish; cover with the Delmonte sauce. Evenly spread soy mozzarella on top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Serve parmesan over pasta.


Super Chicken Chili

Ingredients (Use amount to suit personal preference):

Home-Ground Chicken (store ground is not recommended due to unknown contents)
-Alternatively, finely dice chicken breasts into small cubes
3 cans beans (1 can light kidney, 1 can dark kidney, 1 can pink)
2 cans Hunt's tomato sauce - *brand is important*
1 can plain diced tomatoes
1 medium-large onion
3 TBS olive oil
Chili Powder (McCormick)

Slice onion into rings and then slice rings into halves. Combine onion, olive oil and chicken into large tall pot and cook until chicken is done. Add diced tomatoes and sauce. Bring to boil. Empty all cans of beans into colander and rinse clean. Add beans to pot and bring to boil. Add chili powder and sample at 5 minute intervals until you get desired spiciness. Set heat to low and simmer 2+ hours.


Chicken/Pork Barbeque

3-5 lbs organic chicken breasts or organic pork
3 TBS olive oil
12-14 oz catsup
4 TBS worchestershire sauce
2 TBS yellow mustard
3 TBS Splenda Brown Sugar
1 can *Splenda* diet coke - can not use diet coke w/aspartame!!
Lite hamburger rolls

Cook meat in olive oil until done. Place small amounts at a time in blender and pulse to shred. Once all meat is shreded, combine with other ingredients and simmer until desired thickness.

Serve like sloppy joes in burger rolls.


Chicken & Black Bean Burritos

1 lb. ground chicken
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can black beans
½ t Chili powder
1 can (15 oz.) refried beans
1 c. (4 oz.) shredded mild soy Cheddar
2 c. shredded lettuce
3/4 c. salsa
1/2 c. Soy sour cream (Non-Hydrogenated)
6 flour tortillas (7-8 inch)

In a 10-12 inch frying pan over high heat, stir chicken often until done. Add tomato sauce, black beans and seasoning mix to taste, cook uncovered, stirring often, until most of liquid has cooked away about 5 minutes.

Warm torillas in Microwave. At the same time heat refried beans until hot.

Spoon 1/6 refried beans down center of tortilla; top with 1/6 of chicken mix, cheese and lettuce and salsa and sour cream to taste. Fold 1 end, then sides over filling to enclose. Repeat to make remaining burritos. Make 6 burritos. 3-6 servings.


Lower Carb Non-Dairy Chicken Stroganoff

Mrs Dash Lemon Pepper
Lite Salt Blend
Half shot Whiskey (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion
1 small can mushrooms, drained
2 pounds home ground chicken
2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ box Dreamfields pasta of choice (rotini or elbows work well)
1 pack silken tofu
1 (26 ounce) can condensed tomato soup -OR-
1 box Imagine brand soy "Creamy Portabella Soup"
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Saute onions, mushrooms and garlic until golden, then add chicken and stir together. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Add whiskey if desired.

Cook pasta according to directions on package. (Pasta can also be cooked in the microwave with same results)

If making tomato version, in a blender, combine 8oz silken tofu, tomato soup and ¼ cup water. If making portabella version, combine half the soup and 12oz silken tofu.

Once well blended, mix into chicken mixture. Add remaining mushroom soup if making portabella version. Simmer and season with lemon pepper and lite salt until desired flavor is reached. Continue simmering until desired thickness is reached, then add noodles and stir well. Serve hot.


Low Carb Cranberry Sauce (Canned consistency, homemade flavor)

3 cups fresh cranberries
3 ½ c cranberry juice cocktail
3 envelopes knox unflavored gelatine
2 1/3 cups Splenda sugar substitute
2 TBS lemon juice

Pour 1 cup cranberry juice in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes.

Combine cranberries, Splenda and 1 cup cranberry juice in a blender. Process until the cranberries are almost pulverized.

In a large saucepan, combine blended mixture with remaining 1½ cups cranberry juice and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered and stirring frequently, until cranberry bits are tender, about 8 minutes.

Strain mixture to remove seeds.

Remove from heat and stir in gelatin mixture until gelatin dissolves. Cool slightly and refrigerate until firm -- at least 8 hours. Stays fresh for 2-3 days.


Low Carb Flaky Pie Crust (Apple Pie)

½ cup boiling water
1 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
1¾ cup bread flour
1 cup soy flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
6 tbs Splenda Granular

1 can unsweetened Apple Pie filling w/Splenda
2 TBS Splenda Granular

Put shortening in a mixing bowl, pour boiling water over, and stir until smooth. Measure flour, sift with salt and baking powder. Add to the shortening and water mixture, mixing only until blended. Divide into half for bottom and top crusts. Chill before using.

Mash ½ dough into pie plate. Mix pie filling and Splenda. Use as filling. Flatten other half of dough into pancake the same diameter as pie. Place on top of pie and mash edges together. Slit top of pie. Bake pie @ 425 degrees for 8 min, then 350 degrees for 12 min. Chill.

374 calories in 1/8 serving


Healthy Creamy Cole Slaw

2/3 cup Hellman's light mayo -OR- Nayonaise
2 TBS Unsweetened Silk Soymilk
4 TBS Splenda Granular
3 TBS White Vinegar
1 16oz bag shredded slaw mix

Mix ingredients well and chill for 1 hour prior to serving.


Chicken Lo Mein

Ingredients:

Sauce:
½ cup chicken stock
1 ½ TBS wine or sherry
2 TBS oyster sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Pinch pepper

Noodles:
6 cups water
1 tsp salt
8 oz Dreamfield's linguini

Content:
2 TBS peanut oil
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 can mushrooms, diced small
½ cup carrots cut into matchsticks
2 scallions, minced
4 oz chicken, cut into thin strips

Directions:

Put sauce ingredients in bowl, mix and set aside.

Put cold water in large pot and add salt. Bring to boil. Add noodles and boil for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, drain and set aside.

Heat skillet on high, add peanut oil, ginger and garlic. Stir briefly. Add veggies and stir-fry for 1 ½ minutes. Turn off heat. Set aside.

Turn heat back on, add sauce and chicken....allow sauce to boil, add veggies back into pan. Cook until chicken is done, add noodles and cook until all sauce is absorbed.

Serve hot.
 

Yellow Cake

¼ cup Smart Balance
2/3 cup Splenda Granular
1 large organic egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup all purpose flour
½ cup soy flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup unsweetened silk soymilk
1/3 cup pineapple juice (or apple)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8" cake pan w/olive oil cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix smart balance, Splenda, egg and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl. Slowly add dry ingredients while mixing until creamed. Pour batter into pan and bake 25 minutes or until springy.
 

Silk Carob Pudding

Ingredients
1/6 cup carob
3/8 cup Splenda sugar blend
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups Silk Soy milk
1 1/2 Tbsp. Smart balance
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions
Combine the carob, sugar, salt and corn starch, and mix well. Then add the Soy milk, whipping constantly. Bring this mixture to a boil over medium heat, still whipping constantly, then lower the heat and cover. Let boil gently for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whip in the margarine and vanilla. Pour into a Bowl or baked pie crust and chill.


Low-Carb Brownies

Ingredients

1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup soy flour
1/3 cup Splenda sugar blend
1/3 cup cocoa or carob powder
1/3 cup Smart Balance
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 organic eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup crushed walnuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour, Splenda, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set this dry mix aside.

Blend eggs, margarine and vanilla together. Add and blend applesauce. Slowly add dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients. Mix well.

Grease a 9x9 or 8" circular baking pan. Pour brownie mix into baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Brownies are done when a toothpick or knife to the center comes out clean.

Cool at room temperature, then eat or refrigerate brownies.


Orange Glazed Carrots

6 tbsp. Splenda
2 ½ tsp. cornstarch
1 c. orange juice
1 tbsp. Smart Balance
1.5 lb. sliced carrots


Peel and boil carrots until tender. Set aside. In skillet, melt Smart Balance. Add Splenda and stir until dissolved over low heat. Mix orange juice and corn starch and stir until blended. Add to pan, then add carrots and stir until coated with glaze. Heat thoroughly before serving.


Ginger Noodles and Chicken

Sauce:
5 tbs oyster sauce
4 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp Splenda
8 tbs chicken broth
3 tsp Sesame Oil
Fresh cracked pepper

Half pack Dreamfields Linguine
2 tbs Peanut oil
4 tbs Fresh grated Ginger
1 cup Scallions
1 pack Chicken Breasts


Prepare pasta as per directions. Cut chicken into thin slices, place in large pot filled with water and boil. Prepare sauce. Heat large pan with peanut oil, then add ginger. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, add noodles and mix well. Add chicken and scallions and cook for 2 minutes. Add sauce, cook for 2 more minutes, mixing well. Serve hot.


Sweet & Sour Pork (or Chicken)

2 packs organic pork chops (or equiv chicken)
2 tbs olive oil
2 bell peppers, different colors of red, orange or yellow
1 jar La Choy Sweet & Sour Sauce
Half bag frozen peas
Dreamfield's pasta


Defrost peas in microwave. Set aside. Cook pasta according to directions. Set aside. Cut pork chops into thin strips and fry in olive oil until nearly done. Slice bell peppers into small chunks and add to pork. Cover and cook until peppers are softened. Add peas, whole jar of sauce and pasta, mix well. Serve Hot.


Italian Chicken Meatballs in Sauce

Meatballs:
1.5 lbs ground chicken
2 egg whites
1/2 c. Veggie parmesian
4 toasted slices lite bread broken into crumbs
2 tbsp. Dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
Olive oil

Remainder:
1 can Hunt's, Prego or Delmonte Spaghetti sauce
Half box Dreamfields pasta of choice
1 small can mushrooms

Mix all meatball ingredients well and shape into balls. Place in a non-stick frying pan with olive oil. Fry in olive oil until evenly browned. Add spaghetti sauce and mushrooms; let simmer for 1 hour. Add prepared dreamfields pasta immediately before serving.


Chicken Stir Fry

½ and ¼ cup chicken broth
¼ cup light wine
½ tsp Splenda
1 tbs corn starch
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp grated ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 lb chicken strips
16 oz pea pods

Combine ½ cup broth, wine, splenda and corn starch in a small bowl. Blend and set aside. In large skillet, heat oil. Add ginger and garlic and stirfry for 30 seconds. Add chicken and stirfry for 3 minutes or until cooked through. Pour in pea pods and ¼ cup broth, cook 3 to 4 minutes until heated but still crunchy. Add sauce and cook until thickened. Serve hot.


Shepherd's Chicken

3 lbs chicken pieces
½ cup corn starch
1 tbs olive oil
2/3 cup red wine
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tbs ketchup
1 clove minced garlic
1 onion, sliced
1 bell pepper of choice

Prepared Dreamfields pasta of choice

Coat chicken in cornstarch, brown on all sides in oil, covered over medium heat. Combine wine, soy sauce, ketchup and garlic, pour over chicken. Sprinkle onion and pepper pieces over chicken. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Turn pieces over and simmer, covered, 15 minutes longer or until tender. Serve over pasta.


Ginger Cream Pork

Part 1
1 Organic pork roast, defatted, cut into small thin strips
2 TBS Olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 TBS Grated ginger
2 small cans mushrooms
2 TBS whiskey
1 tsp Lemon spike

Part 2
1 tub tofutti non-hydro sour supreme
Chinese Rice wine vinegar
Chinese Rice wine

Part 3
1/3rd box Dreamfields pasta of choice, prepped according to directions


Combine all ingredients in part 1 in large pot. Fry until pork begins to brown. Add ingredients in part 2, frequently taste testing until desired flavor is reached. Add part 3 ingredients, mixing well, turning heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, and serve.