Muffin Morning

Had a banana that needed using and I was wide awake at 3AM so I decided I'd get up and make muffins. Mmmm there's nothing like starting the day off with the smell of baking bananas and cinnamon. Insomnia has it's benefits.

I made a Banana Nut Muffin a while back with Almond, Soy Flour and Oats which were yummy but I think I like this version with Spelt Flour even better. Oooh looks like I'll have to do a banana nut muffin side-by-side taste test. Yum!


Shelly's Banana Nut Mini Muffins (version 2.0)

3/4 cup Spelt Flour
1/2 cup Vanilla Protein Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
dash of Salt
1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped
2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
2 Eggs, beaten
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
4 Tablespoons Sugar Free Torani Syrup (I used SF Vanilla)
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup (1 large) Banana, diced

Topping
2-3 Tablespoons Unsweetened Banana Chips (or Unsweetened Coconut)
dash Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup (I used SF Vanilla)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray mini muffin tin with Pam and set aside. Mix all ingredients (except topping ingredients) together till combined. Spoon into muffin tin. Crush topping together in a snack size Ziploc. Sprinkle a little on the tops of each muffin.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Remove pans from oven.

Allow to cool in the pan for 3 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling rack to cool completely. Store in a sealed container to keep them soft and moist. Makes 24.

A couple of these babies split open and smeared with No Sugar Added Strawberry or Blueberry Jam = Heaven.

I always freeze half the batch. I wrap them in plastic wrap and toss them in a gallon freezer Ziploc bag then take them out a hour or so before I want to eat them. To reheat: you can nuke them to warm them up but I love to slice them in half and toast them. They get yummy crispy edges. Nom nom nom.

It's a good morning. Hope yours is too.

Who's Bad?

Watched the Michael Jackson Memorial this morning. Very moving. Whether you thought he was a misunderstood genius or a monster one thing is for sure his music is part of the soundtrack of our lives. I tend to believe (hope) he was just misunderstood.

Oh and I had to share these...

Eggface circa 1982 (11 years old) sporting my Michael Jackson pins
Well and errr ummm I might have danced "Thriller" on stage once or twice too...


"If you want to make the world a better place take a look at yourself and make a change." ~Michael Jackson

Leftovers Rock

Went to a restaurant last night and ordered a steak. 1/2 the steak I boxed up right away to bring home. My leftover steak became this yummy lunch. I had two slices with a fresh from the garden Tomato & Cucumber Salad.

Mmmm sometimes leftovers are even better than the original.


Shelly's BBQ Beef Tortilla Pizza - Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat Fajita Size Tortilla topped with BBQ Sauce, Sliced Steak, Sauteed Onions, Shredded Colby Jack Cheese and a sprinkle of Steak Seasoning.

How to make them: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. I put 1 drop literally of olive oil on the cookie sheet and spread it around. Place tortilla on cookie sheet. Spread the sauce on the tortilla (pesto, marinara, alfredo, bruschetta sauce, whatever.) Put a slice of cheese on top of that and then any combination of toppings or leftovers I can find bumping around the fridge. Sprinkle with grated parmesan if desired. Pop in oven. 10 minutes exactly. Have the oven hot before you do the toppings **Do not let them sit. Pop them in the oven right away or the toppings will make the tortilla soggy versus the yummy crispy porn pictured above.

Some Tortilla Pizza FAQ's

More Eggface Pizza Porn:

Our 4th

Hope everyone had a HAPPY & SAFE 4th of July!

I BBQ'd Zucchini Weenies for lunch and steaks for dinner and hung with my Mum (it's her Birthday today!) We luckily have a peek-a-boo view of the town's local firework display from the backyard so no battling traffic or parking. We watched those then came in and caught the NYC and Boston Pops firework shows on TV with a big bowl of Protein Ice Cream for dessert. Nom nom nom.


For dinner I BBQ'd steak topped with mushrooms sauteed in garlic and a sprinkle of thyme and made this experimental Scalloped Crab and Corn Bake on the side. It was soooo good! It would be perfect for a Brunch too and it is a great use for leftover corn...


Shelly's Scalloped Crab and Corn Bake

4 slices Bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 Maui Onion, diced
2 cups Cooked Corn Kernels (fresh, frozen or canned doesn't matter)
1 (2 oz.) jar Pimentos, drained
1 (6 oz.) can Crab Meat, drained
1 (12 oz.) can Evaporated Milk
1 cup Colby Jack or Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning (Oregano, Basil, Garlic Blend)
2 Tablespoons Multigrain Pancake Mix, dry (I use this)
2 Large Egg Whites, beaten
1 Large Egg, beaten

Cook bacon, set aside to cool. Saute onion till golden.

Mix onion, crumbled bacon, corn, pimentos, crab together.

Combine cheese and pancake mix in a small bowl. Heat evaporated milk till small bubbles form on edge. Add cheese mixture stirring constantly. Heat till thickened. Remove from heat and add eggs and egg whites stirring constantly till combined. Add seasonings. Mix.

Pour cheese sauce over onion mixture and stir to combine. Pour into a greased 2 qt. rectangle Pyrex casserole dish (Pam works great) Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Zucchini Weenie

When we went to the County Fair this year there was a new fried food offering: the Deep Fried Zucchini Weenie - a hot dog stuffed in a zucchini, dipped in batter and deep fried on a stick.

My Mum actually got one. Her comments while eating it were "It's OK but the zucchini isn't cooked enough" and she missed the BBQ flavor grilling (our preferred hot dog cooking method) gives the hot dog. She also got a mean case of heartburn from it thanks to the greasy batter and deep frying.

Mum's verdict: not something she'd get again especially without a roll of Tums.

So we went home and I got to thinking I really liked the idea of the zucchini and hot dog together. Let's try and make a version that addresses the things my Mum didn't like about the Fair's Zucchini Weenie and something weight loss surgery friendly so I can have it too. Here's my spin on it...


Shelly's Zucchini Weenies

Small Zucchinis
Hot Dogs
Olive Oil

Cut hot dogs and zucchinis lengthwise. Set hot dogs aside. With a melon baller or teaspoon carefully scrape out some of the fleshy part of the inside the zucchini. You are making a zucchini canoe basically.

Place 1/2 a hot dog in each hollowed out zucchini half.

Brush with olive oil and place on the BBQ. Grill about 5 minutes per side with the lid down for 1/2 the cooking time.

In the last minute or so you can add a slice of cheese if you want to make a Cheesy Zucchini Weenie or for fun use a squirt of that Easy Cheese spray cheese in a can stuff.

Verdict on my Zucchini Weenie: Two thumbs up from Mum and a yum from this post-op!


Hot Dog 411:

July is National Hot Dog Month
Americans consume 150 million Hot Dogs on the 4th of July
The most popular Hot Dog topping is Mustard
The world record for eating Hot Dogs is 53 1/2 Nathan's Hot Dogs and buns in 12 minutes by Takeru Kobayashi

Some Healthier Hot Dog options...

HEBREW NATIONAL KOSHER 97 PERCENT FAT-FREE BEEF FRANKS
45 calories, 3g carbs, 6g protein, 1.5g fat
BALL PARK FAT-FREE BEEF FRANKS
55 calories, 7g carbs, 6g protein, zero fat
OSCAR MAYER LIGHT BEEF FRANKS
90 calories, 2g carbs, 5g protein, 6g fat
BOAR'S HEAD BRAND LITE BEEF FRANKFURTERS
90 calories, zero carbs, 7g protein, 6g fat

a few more cals but nom nom nom...

APPLEGATE FARMS GREAT ORGANIC HOT DOG
110 calories, zero carbs, 7g protein, 8g fat
COLEMAN NATURAL BEEF HOT DOG (my fav)
170 calories, 1g carbs, 6g protein, 6g fat

and for the vegetarians...

SMART DELI JUMBOS SOY DOGS
80 calories, 3g carbs, 17g protein, zero fat


Gonna BBQ some more tonight throwing a couple of steaks on the grill and making a yummy side dish experiment. We'll see if it's blogworthy ;) Then local fireworks and I always tune into Pops Goes the 4th!

Happy & safe 4th of July everyone! God Bless America! Make today your own personal Independence Day and eliminate something negative in your life!

Fuel

My Super Cool Bento Box all packed up with snacks for an adventure...


Pink Box (top left): Grilled Zucchini & Mushrooms
Green Box (top right): Mini Protein Donuts
Blue Box (bottom left): Almonds and Lindsay Garlic Seasoned Olive Snackers (Love these)
Orange Box (bottom right): Wee Brie Cheese

These are a brand new product and were part of my first prize Olive Cooking Contest winnings at the County Fair. Tasty. They come in three flavors. Great for picnics.

Off to look for some trouble. I'll call if I need bail money ;)

Power Tools

Well you guys know my beloved Beehive Blender bit the dust last week. I decided I would upgrade. I have been wanting one of these forever. I figured I'd put my cooking contest winnings to good use and get myself a treat...

Vita-Mix 1364 CIA Professional Countertop Blender with 2+ HP Motor.

Oh yeah come to Momma.


This baby has some power. It's like the difference between using a knife and a buzz saw.

Patriotic Breakfast

Yum. A healthy and tasty way to start the morning.

The blueberries are KILLER this year. We have a U-Pick-Em Blueberry Farm in my town I buy them from this farm at the Farmer's Market but it would be fun to go picking one day. Check out this great story.



Shelly's Red, White & Blue Breakfast Parfait

1/4 cup Fage Greek Yogurt
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Vanilla Torani Syrup
1 teaspoon Sugar Free Jello Cheesecake Flavor Pudding Mix, dry
scrapings of a 1/2 a Vanilla Bean Pod
Raspberries
Blueberries

Mix first four ingredients together in a small bowl. Layer in a parfait glass: raspberries, yogurt, blueberries.


More Eggface Blueberry yumminess
Shelly's Blueberry Oat Bars
Shelly's Blueberry Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Shelly's Blueberry Cheesecake Protein Ice Cream
Shelly's Blueberry Banana Protein Smoothie
Shelly's Blueberry Cobbler Protein Ice Cream

FYI Amazon's Torani Syrup Sale is still going on... a GREAT DEAL 3 bottles for $16.30 and FREE SHIPPING with orders of $25. Sugar Free Vanilla, Caramel, Raspberry, Hazelnut, Chocolate...Here's the 411.

The Great Rollatinis Version 3.0

With all the birthday stuff I didn't want this to get lost. Remember those Chicken Rollatinis last month well we ate version number three for dinner the other night. Super yummy.


Shelly's Onion & Cheese Chicken Rollatinis

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, sliced into 3-4 pieces each and pounded flat
1 Maui Onion, sliced
1 oz. Herbed Goat Cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1/2 cup Storebought Bruschetta Sauce
1/2 cup Storebought Alfredo Sauce
1/2 cup Mozzarella, shredded
a Tablespoon or so of Olive Oil for sauteing

Pound chicken breast pieces flat between plastic wrap. Set aside. Saute onions till golden. Set aside to cool. When cool add to goat cheese and mix together. Heat a little olive oil in a shallow non-stick fry pan. Place a dollop of onion and cheese filling on the end of each pounded chicken breast and roll up. Place seam side down in hot pan. Saute 5 minutes on one side, flip and saute 3 minutes on other side. Remove from pan and place rollatinis in a Pyrex casserole dish.

Mix all remaining ingredients (except mozzarella) together. Pour over rollatinis. Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 oven.

The other Eggface Rollatinis:
Version 1.0
Version 2.0

Birthday Wish!

One more thing about my birthday...

Mini Protein Donuts are PERFECT for holding a birthday wish candle.

...and oh boy did I make a GREAT wish!

I can't tell.
You know the rules ;)

Birthday Treats

Had a great day yesterday. Thank you for all the sweet birthday greetings!

It was a hot day 101°F here in my 'hood so we escaped to the cheapy movie theater. Saw "Ghosts of Girlfriend's Past" with my hottie Matthew Mcconaughey. I love that he was once arrested for a disturbing the peace naked and playing the bongos. Ohhh how I would have loved to have been that arresting officer. Wee Ooh Wee Ooh Wee. The movie was cute should have been released near Christmas though as it was a take on "A Christmas Carol" but whatever... I enjoyed the movie, popcorn & especially the couple of hours of free AC!

At 101°F outside you know my Ice Cream Maker was churning. Here's what I made with it...


Shelly's Gingersnap Protein Ice Cream

1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk (or Regular Milk)
2 scoops of Vanilla Protein Powder
2 Tablespoon Sugar Free Gingerbread Davinci Syrup
1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger, divided use
4-6 Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies, crushed (I use these)

Mix together milk, protein, syrup and 1/4 teaspoon of the ginger. I used this gadget to mix it up. It makes it airy and lump free. If you don't have one just toss it in a blender on super high. You want it fluffy almost double in size. Pour into ice cream maker. Follow your machine's instructions for freezing. Crush the cookies with the remaining ginger in a snack-size Ziploc. 5 minutes before done add to ice cream maker. You can eat it right away it is soft serve-ish but I like to put it in the freezer to set for an hour.

So I took 2 scoops of Gingersnap Ice Cream and made a yummy Protein Shake...


Shelly's Gingersnap Latte Protein Shake

1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk
2 scoops Shelly's Gingersnap Protein Ice Cream
1 scoop Click Espresso Protein Powder
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Vanilla Torani Syrup

Blend. Top with Sugar Free Land o Lakes Whipped Cream and a dash of cinnamon

Later in the day I made myself some more birthday treats... Mini Protein Donuts and Strawberry Cannoli. Mmmm.

Birthday Breakfast

So today many many many ;) grrr many moons ago I was born. Not doing much today saving $ for something BIG. Just dinner & a movie probably but first BREAKFAST...

Nom nom nom.


Eggface's Heart Shaped Baked Egg Cups

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a heart shaped silicone muffin pan with Pam cooking spray.

Crumble cooked sausage, ham, smoked salmon, bacon, cheese, diced green onion, chopped herbs, leftover chopped veggies (broccoli, peas, asparagus, spinach...), refried beans. It's a great use for leftovers... meatloaf, taco meat, hamburger, chili. Whatever combo you like... into each muffin cup.

You will want to fill the muffin tins about 3/4 full of "stuff" before you add the egg. I leave a little indentation or well in whatever filling I add so the egg has a little place to fall into. Crack one large egg into each well. It's OK if it breaks. Season with a pinch of Kosher Salt and a few twists of freshly ground Black Pepper.

I used some leftover spinach, a sliced mushroom, some diced green onion, a couple of Tablespoons of Bruschetta Sauce. Topped with the egg, feta cheese crumbles and salt & pepper.

Bake in a 375 oven for 20 minutes (soft yellow my preference) or 23 minutes (firm yellow.) Pop out of pan and serve.

Well my only consolation to getting older is I look better now than I did in my 20's :) Thank you weight loss surgery!

Pistachio 5 Minute Cake

My Mum declared this 5 Minute Cake her favorite...


Shelly's Pistachio 5 Minute Cake

1 Egg, beaten
3 Tablespoons Milk
2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Vanilla Torani Syrup
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
3 Tablespoons Multigrain Pancake Mix (I use this)
2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Coconut
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Jello Pistachio Pudding Mix, dry
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
Pinch salt
1 - 2 cup Measuring Cup or Microwave Safe Mug

In a measuring cup or microwave safe mug, Mix egg, milk, syrup and oil and combine thoroughly. In a separate bowl, mix pancake mix, coconut, protein powder, pudding mix and salt. Tip dry into wet and stir till combined. Nuke in microwave for 2 minutes (my microwave is getting old and needs 20 seconds added now.)

Let it sit for three or so minutes (it pulls away from the sides) before tipping the cake onto a plate. Yields 4-5 slices. Top slices with SF Land o Lakes Whipped Cream and Pistachios. It would be great topped with a scoop of Pistachio Protein Ice Cream too.

More Eggface 5 Minute Cakes

This was a pre-Birthday cake we ate last night. Today I'm making a batch of mini protein donuts and some strawberry cannoli for my B-day manana. I'm going to be 29 in case you are wondering ;) Next year too.

Apple Flat Out Pizza

This was breakfast. Mmmmm so good and my house still smells like freshly baked apple pie. Nice.


Shelly's Apple Flat Out Pizza - French Toast Mini Size Flat Out Wrap, Ricotta Cheese sweetened with SF Caramel Torani Syrup, Apple Slices, drizzle of Sugar Free Maple Syrup, dash of Cinnamon.

Bake for 10 minutes in a 375 oven on a lightly oiled cookie sheet.



"From the bitterness of disease man learns the sweetness of health."
~Catalan Proverb

Poor Farrah Fawcett lost her battle with cancer today. It's hitting me especially hard because a family member has just be diagnosed. Prayers to Farrah's family and to all those still fighting that horrible disease.

Life is short. Surround yourself with the people & things that bring you JOY!

Lemon Love

Long day of work today. I was thankful I had some of this bean salad leftover to come home too. Bean salads only taste better the next day. All the flavors get a chance to love on each other. Yum!


Shelly's Greek Garbanzo Salad

2 cans (15 oz.) Chickpeas (aka Chickpeas, Cece, Garbanzo), rinsed & drained
1 Cucumber, diced
1/4 of a Red Onion, diced
3 Green Onions, diced
1/4 cup Kalamata Olives, sliced
1/4 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
2 Tablespoon Pine Nuts, toasted

Lemon Dressing

3 Tablespoon Good Olive Oil (I used a Garlic Infused Oil)
Zest of a whole Large Lemon
Juice of 1/2 a Large Lemon
1/4 teaspoon Greek Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper

Toast pine nuts for a few minutes in a dry pan. Don't walk away. Set aside to cool. Drain and rinse Chickpeas. Mix all remaining salad ingredients together. Toss cooled pine nuts in. Mix Lemon Dressing ingredients and pour over salad.

It's a good lemon year on my tree...

I'm on a lemon kick today I guess... I've got a batch of Lemon Merigue Pie Protein Ice Cream churning as I type.

When life gives you lemons... make lemonade Greek Garbanzo Salad. OK it's not as catchy but a lot tastier.

More Eggface Salads:

Shelly's Italian Bean Salad
Shelly's Chutney Chicken Salad
Shelly's Greek Bean Salad
Shelly's Shell-less Taco Salad
Shelly's Tropical Chicken Salad
Shelly's Black & White Bean Salad
Shelly's Naked Asian Chicken Salad
Shelly's Strawberry Fields Forever Chicken Salad
Shelly's Corn, Crab and Black Bean Salad
Shelly's BLT Chicken Salad

Want even more? Type in Salad (or any ingredient) in the Search Box under my Before & After Picture.